Rain splashed the cottage walls harshly, the wind blowing in many directions. The forest floor flooded so slowly, mixing with the dark brown dirt to create the soft, magestic forest ground into a mess of murky mud, leaves littered and flowing down the current.
The villiage of Wintry Wisk Hollow was, to say the least, a disaster. Every door was shut and barred down, as well as windows. Cupcake quivvered, in her mother’s hooves. Tears stained the foal’s cheeks, as she shook in fear, and began wailing at the sound of the thunder. The mother, Vibrant Wish, shushed her.
“It’ll be okay… shush…..” she felt a disturbance underneath her rocking chair. Locks of silver, black, and white hair peeked out. Her oldest daughter, a 7 year old filly, whimpered from beneath the chair. Wish sighed sadly. “Misty, sweetie, come out of there." She whispered, concern evident in her voice. "You could get hurt.”
The filly named Misty hesitantly obeyed. Hey eyes were shut tight, her body shaking, wings tightly tucked to her sides. “W-when will the st-orm be over?” her voice broke. Vibrant Wish embraced the young pegasus. In truth, she did not know, herself. She didn't even know for sure if she would ever survive the storm, much less her children. But she was certain of one thing; whatever it took, she’d keep her children safe.
No matter what.
Her silence was a reply to Misty, who burried her face in her mother’s chest. Multiple hours passed, the three slept soundly in the room, the mare with two of her children tucked in her arms, one resting on the couch. All seemed almost... peaceful, maybe, until the harsh and menacing crackle of a dying tree landed besides the house, along with an ear-piercing splash, woke Misty and her mother up. Cupcake hadn't much was flinched at the sound. Her little snores continued.
Misty looked over to her other sister, laying on the couch, and turned to fix her position. She glanced over at her other sister, the apricot colored pegasus wheezing weakly woth her rushed breathing. Misty, despite her age, had veen deeply concerned for her closer-to-age sibling, and always had thought about asking her parents about Morning Moon's strange behavoir. But she knew now was certainly not the time to bring up the subject. She glanced through the window, too see one grey pegasus from the weather patrol fall, and crash into the water.
Blood inked the area quickly, but very lightly, before multiple pegasi rushed into the area of the death. Three pegasi on the right began to heave something grey, limp and bloddied out of the water... Misty instantly looked away. A loud thud came from the door, as a light pink pegasus struggled through the door, rain water spilled inside quickly, sinking through the cracks of the wooden floor. The stallion shut the door with another loud slam.
“The…. the storm’s getting worse… I-i’m sorry…..I-I tried. It’s completely out of our control, Wish.” Saddness was clear in his eyes, swirling with both tears, and somehow, a look of little determination. The mare looked down at the sleeping foal in her arms, and the frightened filly resting next to her. Misty’s eye widened to reveal one teal, and one soft blue eye. Tears began to form in the corners.
“B-but Dad…. I don’t d-dont want to leave… I wanna stay home….” her ears drooped as her voice trailed off. Her tears flowed like a gentle waterfall down her face. Misty wiped away tears. She wanted to prove to be strong, too. But the liquids kept flowing like a fresh wound that wouldn't cease to bleed. Her eyes trailed up towards her father, the stallion lifted her chin, just enough to meet eye contact.
“I’m know, Misty, but…. we can’t stay here…. I… I tried everything, I promise." Eyes flickered away for a second, his expression wavered. "I’ll miss home, and my friends, too. But….” Misty began to softly sob. “But my family is more important than that,” the filly looked down at her hooves, shamefully. Selfish.. I'm so... selfish.... she miserably thought. Her father slicked back her mane. ". . .that means you, too."
The filly wiped her eyes and sniffed. “Okay….but...” she looked out the window behind her, the rain angrilly beating the windows and slicked down into the flooding water collectively. She looked down at her hooves. “Can… can we come back…? S-someday?”
Before her could reply, the door burst off it’s last hinge, and water flowed in. The crackling glass on the living room window became a large spiderweb of tightly crammed glass shards. Vibrant instantly sprang up, laying Cupcake on the couch, who was now crying.
“Misty, listen to me, I need you to get out of the house..." she hesitated. "...follow you're father outside, now!” the young white pegasus, startled by her sudden aggressiveness, gallopped, heart in her throat, in the direction of where the front door used to be.
Shuffling to get out of the doorway, where water began to pool the house,frighteningly quick, she gasped in fright, and fell face-first, into the murky water. It was pooling up, almost a full foot, throughout the forest villiage, and a few inches full in her house. The giant trees swayed, brances flew off and destroyed anything in their path. Misty scrambled to her hooves, and fluttered her wings, in attempt to escape the sticky trap.
Having partially succeeded, she landed a few feet away from her home, until her soaked wings tired out, and the wind blew her off balance. Someone stood behind her.
“Don’t fly in storms; the wind will…. throw you off balance!” her father, Whittaker, yelled and gasped over the wooshing of the wind. He nudged her flank, in order to get her moving, as the water now reached her chest.
Misty could, just faintly, hear the wails of her little sister.
Suddenly, another loud, ear-piercing crackle filled the air, yet the storm did not cease. The four glanced up briefly only to witness a large branch, at least of ten feet, on the top of a tall oak, crackle, as the breeze swayed it.
And then.
SNAP!
Vibrant and Whittaker rushed out of the path of the falling branch, and Misty tripped, gurgling for help, in the mud. Whitt turned tail, his face pale with fear, as he sped back to haul his daughter out of the mud. Misty gasped for air, the black, thick dirt stuck to her white fur, and her mane.
The branch fell.
Her father yelled out, and Misty ran, watching in horror, as her dad struggled to free his forelegs from the mud. The branch tumbled down.
And... crushed their house...
And even possibly, the stallion. Shade was weeping, trying to keep the water from reaching her foal’s dampened face, which began to rise uo to her tiny muzzle. “DAD!” Misty cried, and ran towards where her home once was. The mud held her back, but she fought. The hail bruised her face, but she kept her eyes wide. Her vision was terribly blurred, and eyes stung like wasp bites, but she continued on, eyes gave in, and squinted to get a clearer view.
Smaller branches continued to rain from the tall trees above, leaves and muddy twigs flew in every direction. Her hooves must have been bleeding, she'd thought. Thorns were piercing her, every forced and pained step she dared to take. A warm, crawling sensation leaked from her legs, and the side of her soaked face,and dripped soundlessly into the dark waters... the mud. A drop of her blood shown itself at the surface.
And she remembered the pegasus.
Misty shuddered, her throat tight. She pushed past drifting bushes and large branches. Where was he? No sound. Then again, nothing could overpower the sound of the storm. She kept trotting throughout the forest floor, searching. She had to find him. She had to...
Then, there was a sound. A small sound. Unable to tell what it was, Misty did not hesitate. "Dad...where are you...?" Misty hopelessly whimpered under the sound of the wind. The storm was still too strong. Misty desperately ran through the patch of fallen trees in the path, where her house used to be. Where she and her mother had spent the whole day planting gorgeous flowers. No, they were... normal flowers. In front of their normal home, in their average town. Just a normal garden. A very pleasant one, it was...
A pleasant garden.
Misty looked up, at the rubble of her old home. The fire of her cozy warm fireplace, replaced by a rising steam. Water. The old rocking chair, now a patch of damaged wooded, rubble. Water.
She remembered her mother reading to her in it every night before bedtime. It was not anyone's chair, she didn't think. It was the chair that happiness came from. Yes, whenever someone sad took a seat in it, they were happy again, that was just how it worked... but it was gone. Only Water. Just water.
Misty whimpered.
Something else in the distance caught her eye. There?
There… there he was.
His limp form sprawled out from under the fallen branch. His breathing was labored, and his eyes were pinpricks on saucers. The filly’s panicked breaths increased, her world became faded. She felt a boil of anger, hurt, missery…maybe…. hope? Water! She looked around, desperately, for something, anything… No. Just water.
“MOM!" Her heart shattered, as she realized, with great horror that the storm's howls had overpowered her shriek for help. HELP!” She raised her head higher, the water caught up to her lower neck. Panic. Water. Her mind flashed with fear. It felt all too unnatural. Tears poured from the filly's eyes. She wanted to do something. She knew she had to. Water, Water, Water...
A dizziness filled her head, as she quickly realized to put her emotions aside until she was out of the situation. Misty closed in the space between her and her father, and lowered her muzzle underneath the giant branch. It barely moved. She continued to breathe anxiously, tears threatened to escape again, but something, her conscience, maybe, beckoned her to release all of her emotions, as if it were the key to the chest of her problem. Confusion overwhelmed the filly, as she sqeezed her eyes shut. Please… please! I wish I could do something… anything! The feeling in her head dissipated almosy instantly, some sort of relief. She heard a burst of energy, somewhere nearby. It was just then, she heard the sound of Vapor's splashes and heavy steps behind her Then a weak groan. Misty popped open her eyes, not only noticing the water had reached her neck, but that Winter Light…
...Was free?
Moon's gaze twitched. "I.. I..." her golden eyes suddenly widened, as she held her chest with a muddy hoof. Winter scrambled up, panting, and held the sickened pegasus. "M-Moon..." she swallowed back fear, Misty could see. It was clear in her eyes. Her shaking was very visible, every part of her quivvered in the stallion's grasp. Unsure of whether it was cold, pain... or fear.
Misty was unsure, whether to run for her life, or to stay. But Morning Moon... why was it a time for embrace when they were all in such danger? Whittaker released, and made eye contact. "W-why...?" Vapor appeared startled by the question. She met a nervous gaze with Misty. It was clear.
"Dad, we have to-" a wave of water poured from somewhere above, as the colt grabbed his children by the back of the neck, and ran. Both fillies winced, until they were lightly tossed down the place where the market used to be. The sky was more hidden, and the area was just a bit less violent. A few ponies scattered here and there, carrying sacks and saddlebags of crops and supplies. Then. There was a gasp. "Wish." Was the only word that came from the stallion's mouth. "Wish!" He cried. Tears began to flow down Misty's cheek. She sobbed. Morning closed in the space between them.
"Don't cry, sis... Mom's fine, I just know it... please don't... cry..." she tucked her muzzle into her sister's white-furred neck. Misty could feel her sibling's sharp breaths. She knew she tried to hide it, but... she was scared too. She wanted to be the strong one. But deep down, she knew she never would be.
"VIBRANT WISH!" The two looked up, their fathers face filled with great relief. Shade. Cupcake. They were alive. The couple met, foreheads resting on each others, tears probably stained cheeks, as the rain hid them. "Oh my gosh... I can't... you're all okay..." Vibrant gasped, between relieved sobs. Cupcake lay frightened on her mother's back. Before Misty was able to embrace her mother, her father's hooves knocked her off balance, as the family dashed out of Wintry Wisk, the paranoid filly trailed behind.
"When.... when will we be... there...." Misty panted, her bruised legs began to give out under her. Eight hours. There was barely a break, only to stop and have a small portion of the food they'd packed from home, a week before the news of the storm being unstoppable arrived. A week before life took a turn for the worse. Vibrant's eyes darted back, just a bit. "Almost there, sweetie.... I promise." It took a lot of self control to not roll her eyes. For the past hours, they were always 'almost there'.
"Are we there yet...?" Misty asked, her voice raspy. It was certainly a long way past midnight. Another five aching hours. Her mother glanced back. "Soon, Misty." She turned forwards again, as if nothing had even happened. Misty miserably looked up at her two sisters, who lay sleeping on a back, warm and comfortable. The moon was dim, and the rain still poured, water up to her lower chest, as they reached further from the rubble of their village.
"Please... I can't walk anymore.... My... hooves hurt..." she squeaked, with tear filled eyes. Moon trotted weakly beside her, eyes glazed, wings hung limp. Their parents exchanged a glance, and Vibrant Wish sadly nodded. Whittaker lowered his head, anxiously, to reach their eye level.
"Now... Morning ... uh, listen to your sister, okay?" the stallion shut his eyes momentarily.
Two smaller pairs of eyes shot open.
"What...?" Misty muttered. Winter was slightly taken aback. "Listen, Misty-"
"What do you mean by that?"
Misty snapped, both parents shocked this time. "You're a big girl, I'm putting a responsibility on you. Please, it's not much--"
"No!" Angry tears escaped. "I'm not going anywhere without you! I don't... I...." she broke down in tears. Troubled by the sound of her sibling whimper.
Wish looked sadly down at her daughter. "Misty, I'm sorry but--" the hoof put out to comfort her was pushed away. The mare's expression read confusion... rejection. "Misty, we can't go into Ponyville... not now... it's complicated, but..." Winter put a hoof over his wife's. "Just... take care of yourselves. I-In ponyville... is a cafè.... you remember..." His voice began to crack. "They'll... take good care of you. I promise." Misty's heart had shattered. But she wanted to stay strong.
For Moon.
"Will... will you come to see us?"Morning asked shyly. Whittaker looked ahead, as a carriage came into vision down the watery path. A sad smile crawled onto his face, the only feeling of pleasure there was, in such a while. "One day, sweetie..." the carriage, pulled by a peach colored earthpony, and a dark brown unicorn. "One day..." the wheels spun and creeked, like old rust on metal.
And a clear, yet dark and miserable liquid sprayed behind as the ride drove off with the three sisters. Two looked into the horizon, lined with a golden light, shimmered against the flooded streets of the forgotten forest. A fresh and salty substance escaped a stallion's eye, as it took a free fall, to plunge in it, lost among the flowing current of the clear liquid.
Water.
The wheels clanked against the side of a large rock, rooted into the ground. As the hours passed, and the ride grew further and further from the hollow, water reduced to meer puddles and little lakes, and a splash sounded like a young ocean, when the wheel ran over it.
Misty blinked, her head tiredly hung out of the window of the carriage. Something plopped onto her flank. She spun around, the sight of Morning Moon resting on her waist gave her little comfort. For Moon, Misty remembered. Don't be such a--
The carriage swerved a sharp right, the sogged wood scraped against a tree, snapping branches in half. Vapor jolted awake, her body tossed to the bottom on the carriage. Cupcake was awakened, her bright blue eyes blinked in fear. The ride halted.
"Eh... I, uh... sorry,"
A tan colored stallion stuttered."Y-you're gonna have to go on hoof from 'ere, kids," Morning's eyes dulled. "What? You... you can't leave us here! We're weeks away from Ponyville!" The other colt shook his head briskly.
"Facts are facts, kid. Now scram, sittin' in there won't do you no good. She's way beyond damaged," he waved a dismissive hoof, Vapor scrambled out and headed for the trail. Misty grabbed cupcake by her neck, and trotted off after her sister.
Morning glanced at her worried. "Where are we gonna stay? We can't sleep out here in the wilderness!"
Misty sighed. "No, Vapor, don't worry, we--"
"There's pony-eating monsters out there! Like..."
"Morning, it's fine, I--"
"... and manticores, and dragons, and Ursa Majors...."
"Morning, calm down--"
".... and Cockatrices, and werewolves, and vampire bats, and--"
"Morning Moon! Listen to me!" She raised her voice to an audible level. Her sibling visibly backed down. Misty looked away, shameful, and lay Cupcake on the ground by her hooves.
"I'm sorry for yelling, but we don't have time to panic!" The hybrid nodded. "Like said, we can find somepony to stay by, until we find another carriage to take us to Ponyville," Misty glanced back for approval, while her sibling looked thoughtful.
"Well... okay... but, aren't we not supposed to talk to strangers?"
Suddenly, thunder crackled in the distance, followed by a bolt of white.
The pegasus filly swore.
A soft voice echoed in her ear, yet both menacing and warning.
Water.
In an instant, she grabbed Cupcake's neck, biting down a bit too hard. She felt her teeth pierce soft skin, and the foal wailed in pain. Morning Moon stared ahead, confused at her sister. "Woah, wait!" She fluttered her wings a bit, enough to give her a boost. Eventually, she'd tailed her fleeing sibling.
"W-why.... are y-you..... running....?" She panted, her voice dry and raspy. Her eyes buldged out, the sight of blood dripping from her sister's jaws. Her eyes trained over to her bawling youngest sister, the red coated the back of her neck. Then, realization hit.
"MISTY! STOP!"
The filly refused to slow her pace. She, infact, only got faster. It was until now that the hyrbid took in her surroundings. The dark forest, she'd heard ponies murmur around the hollow all the time. Her heart was in her throat.
Up ahead, was the bone chilling sight of a cabin, deep in the forest they'd entered long ago. Moon felt tears prick the corners of her eyes. "STOP! STOP, MISTY!" Nothing. She glanced over at the lifeless pink blur that was Cupcake, in the careless hold of Misty. With horror and sadness, Vapor shrieked over the howling of wind, drizzling of rain, and her sister's cries.
"YOU'RE KILLING YOUR SISTER!"
There was painful silence.
But this time, the filly scooted to a halt, Morning making impact with her flank, tumbled back. She dropped Cupcake from her jaws, the bloodied foal's body lay weak in the wet grass. Rain trickled frim the sky, and slid down her pale face.
Misty stared back in horror, self shame. She lowered her muzzle towards her younger sister. A strand of her fur touched the foal, who flinched back in fear, and began crying again. She stood up on all fours, hurt. Her ears lowered, worried. Heartbroken.
"C-cupcake....?" She stuttered out in utter fear. She lowered her head again, but in return, the foal kicked back, in defence, Misty's muzzle, dripping with red. She didn't want to. She couldn't. But she knew it was true, facts were facts.
Cupcake feared her.
"She's... scared of me...?" Misty seemed to be in denial, backing away from the scene with uncomfort. She backed into Moon's chest. She spun around, her eyes flooded like the hollow, but this liquid was not of lifelessness and sunlight.
"She's scared of me..."
Her eyes were filled with pain.
