A pony Story

The Mare set her cup down then got up to get a closer look Jay stepped aside a little to let her guest look. The mare slowly moved a hoof down the page to reveal the torn edges of the missing pages. She wondered to herself who could have done such a thing.

"The Queen did." whispered a voice. The Mare looked up feeling startled she saw that the princess wore the same expression. The two mares stood there looking at each other until a knock came at the door both mares looked to the door then back. The Princess got to her hooves and walked over to her front door then opened it to find a light-colored Unicorn mare wearing a cloak.

"Frozen River!" Princess Jay exclaimed in surprise. "I thought you were living in Ponyville," she stated as she moved a hoof to invite the Unicorn in.

"Thank you kiddo, I was living there for a time. I moved out to the mild west and married a sweet stallion. Enough of that, I had a feeling something was wrong here in the forest... It seems I am right." River stated as she glanced at the open journal on the table. She took a few steps closer the two other mares stepped aside so the Unicorn can inspect it. She placed a hoof on the open pages as if she was remembering.

"Can you tell us more about my mother River?" Jay asked sounding sad.

"Yes, I remember, it was just days before you and your sister were born Varian gave the Queen an elixir that he had been working on to expel the darkness from her heart, the thing is by the time she finished it it was too late he had perverted the elixir and she realized what he had done The queen quickly gathered some herbs and ran out to a safe place in the forest where she could find the last herb. I can only guess that the mixture she made worked because the next evening the Queen returned to the village with you and your twin sister Hazel on her back nestled between her folded wings." River began her tale. She looked up at Jay.
She continued.

"You two were so small as twins go. She brought you to your Aunt, Spotted Turtle to take care of you until you were old enough to take your mother's place. The Queen came back to this place and tore out these pages so you and Hazel did not make the same mistake in trusting Varian, she then came to see me after banishing Varian from the village. She made me Pinkie Promise never to tell you where she was going and to never tell you who your father is."

Jay stood there with her jaw open a little, she then shut it with a click of her teeth.

"I'm guessing that you have already put the pieces together, didn't you?" River asked and the Princess nodded yes.

"Please excuse me, I ... ...I need a moment." The princess whispered as she went upstairs to the upper balcony leaving the Pegasus and River alone.

"Well, I must take my leave now, if there is anything else you need from me, I will be here in the village." River started with a tone of sadness in her voice. She turned to leave. She flared her magic to open the door and walk out into the night, before she was gone into the darkness she turned back a little to say something to the Pegasus mare.

"If she is anything like her mother, the Queen, she will endure and find a way to forgive." With that, she left.

Upstairs the Princess just sat on her bed staring at her blue pendant with tears welling up in her light blue eyes. That same crystal her aunt had given to her mother, who in turn gave it to her before she disappeared all of those moons ago. The young Princess wondered why her mother had to leave Jay wanted her sister back to share this with her. She knew that Hazel had snuck out of the village some time ago.

The red Pegasus mare was sitting downstairs waiting for the Princess to come back down. She approached the stairs then thought better of it and she turned to the front door to check in on the cloaked stranger. She walked past little shops admiring their wares and seeing happy ponies and their families. Parents who love each other, and their children. Siblings getting along. Her mind wandered, and she began to think that her quest to find her sister would lead her to this little village and all of its happy folk. She couldn't take it anymore and continued on her way to the medical building. She made it and never noticed that the building had an identifying banner on the outside and a plate next to the door that had two names on it.
MedicineArrow - Chief Healer
Nightshade - Apprentice Healer

The Mare pushed the door open and walked in. She announced her presence and just seconds later a black Pegasus popped her head around the corner then disappeared. The red Pegasus stood there a little confused finally the black mare came back around the corner and asked The red mare to join her behind the wall, she followed the elder mare to a bed where the stranger pony was laying fast asleep her fore-hoof wrapped up in a clean bandage. Now that the cloak had been removed the Red Mare got a better look at the pony she stood by just the day before. The red mare admired the pony's mottled brown and green coat, she noticed that the pony looked slightly smaller than herself and these village folk. She wondered if this pony was still growing. She never saw the stranger's cutiemark because she was covered to keep her warm as they healed, she saw the stranger's mane was a solid dark brown with a single streak of ice blue behind her ear.
The mare saw the Black Pegasus stand next to her.

"She will be fine I used a poultice on the cut to draw out the toxins, if you had not stood by her side I don't think she would have made it... Oh, my name is Nightshade, but you can call me Bella." The black pony says to the mare, who is just looking at the stranger.

"She asked me to leave her, Bella..." The red mare let the thought hang in the air and let her ears relax.

"You did not cause this... What is your name again?" Nightshade tried to pry.

"I don't know anymore... if I told you I wouldn't own up to it." The red mare said in a solemn tone.

Nightshade was taken aback by this she told the red mare that she could stay for as long as she wanted and left her to sit the stranger. As the mare just sat next to the stranger's bedside she preened one of her wings, she stopped as soon she found a picture of her family she kept there, it was a very strange place to keep such a thing, it was her way keep it safe. She pulled it out, she saw her smiling parents. She saw herself as a tiny foal and saw the tare where her sibling would be. She sat there for hours on end just staring at that little photo. Her mother's an Earth pony with warm brown fur and freckles across her nose and onto her cheeks, her eyes are as purple as the summer heather in the royal gardens. Her father's a Pegasus his smile radiated out of the photo, his fur was rust with a dark red speckled pattern on his rear, his blue eyes sparkled like the river that flowed through Canterlot. Their manes and tails complimented each other. The mare, her's didn't match her parents', she remembered her father accusing her mother of something she clearly did not do, as the mare sported a red coat of fur and wings like her father. The mare let a tear silently fall down her muzzle and down on her precious family, then she wiped it off and tucked it away back between her feathers. he curled up in the chair drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

Morning came early and the mare began to stir in her chair, she opened one eye then both with a big yawn and a good stretch she sat up and looked over at the stranger she had guarded the day before.

"Sleep well did you?" The stranger asked the red mare.

At first, The mare shook her head to make sure she wasn't hearing things, and she told the stranger that she did not sleep well.

"You should not have saved me, I could have handled my injuries myself... I thank you for doing so." The stranger spoke in a raspy tone. The red mare told the pony that one they needed to thank was the Princess and Nightshade.

"Princess? I only know of Five Princesses and who in Tartarus is Nightshade?" They sat up asking.
The Black and purple Pegasus came around the corner from where she was at all night.

"I am Nightshade, but you can call me Bella instead if you want." She spoke calmly as she walked over to the dark-colored stranger to check her over

The stranger was quiet for a moment then spoke again.
"Oh... Okay, Nightshade, who is THIS princess is this mare talking about, I only know of Five Princesses."

Nightshade went on and told the stranger that there were certainly more than Five living Princesses living in the land of Equestria. The stranger got even more confused then the red mare interrupted and simplified things for the pony.

"You are currently in The EverFree Forest and there once was a queen she had twin daughters and they now rule this realm, and one of them saved you." the red mare stated.

The stranger was silent for a long time. The red mare excused herself and left to find some food. She entered the Great Hall and walked straight into a dark burgundy colored handsome stallion with two tones of blue for a mane and tail and pale blue eyes and no cutiemark on his flank.

"Oh, I am SO sorry, I didn't see you there." The stallion apologized as he helped the red mare back up to her hooves.

The mare just brushed herself off and told him that she had been through a whole lot worse with a little bit of a laugh in her voice. She then looked up into his eyes and felt something in her heart. Hoof in hoof they stand in the silent doorway of The Great Hall staring at each other.

"The Name's Mahogany Agate, pretty mare." The young stallion softly spoke to the red mare and still staring in his blue eyes she quietly whispered her name.

"Please, I'm very hungry as I have not eaten in two days." The mare began as the handsome stallion interrupted that he could give her something to help her feel better, but she would have to follow him home. The mare agreed and she moved to let him pass and followed him through the village and to the door to his little home where he let her enter first. In her mind, this was the most amazing place she had ever seen. In the windows, the stallion hung shards of colored glass and when the sunlight coming through made the little home alight in colors. He walked into his kitchen she saw a little clear crystal in the window and asked what it was.

"That? Oh, that is Quartz, my mother gave it to me when I moved here a few years ago." He spoke as he admired his prized possession.

"Who's Hungry?" He asked the mare making her smile.