My Big Book of Stories

My eyes slowly flutter open to reveal the soft light of the sun shining down upon my face. It's been so long since I felt the sun that I almost forgot what it was like to have light shining through my window like this.

The gentle rays of the sun caressed my cheek and beckoned me out of bed. I did as commanded, and sat up, letting out a silent yawn and stretching my hooves out before unceremoniously dropping them to my sides. I didn't quite have the energy to maintain a pose just yet. but I would get there. Eventually.

I sluggishly dragged my legs over the side of my bed and hopped off, landing with surprising grace onto my hooves, and making barely a sound as I did so.

Before I could congratulate myself on my cat-like reflexes, I felt a familiar weight at my sides. I shook myself free of whatever sleep was left in my system and flared out my wings, giving them a good stretch as well. Wouldn't want to pull a muscle after all.

As I walked about my bedroom, looking around absentmindedly for nothing in particular, a flickering yellow light drew my attention to the vanity mirror a few hoofsteps away from my bed.

I walked over to it and inspected my reflection in the glass. I frowned and wiped my mouth as the feeling of wet fur came rushing in along with the sight of it.

I groaned. I had drooled in my sleep again. That was the third time this week. What was I, a foal?

For the longest time, I did nothing but stare into the mirror, my focus draining as I stared off into space.

When I finally managed to regain control over my attention span I unfolded my wings and stared intensely at them, giving them a proper once over.

I was genuinely surprised at just how big they had gotten. My mother always said I was blessed with bigger wings than most other pegasi. I suppose she was right after all.

A gust of wind blasted into my room, sending a shiver down my spine. I covered myself with my hooves, trying to warm up. I looked around for the source of the offending weather and noticed that the window next to my mirror was open. I promptly closed it and went back to staring into the mirror.

Deciding to stop myself before I drifted off again staring at my wings, I turned my attention to the candle on the desk at the foot of my bed. It was the only source of light in my room save for the ring of lights on my vanity mirror, and even those were rather dim.

It made for quite a scene. A lone mare sitting in a room alone, silhouetted by nothing more than the light a softly flickering candle.

I chuckled to myself at the thought, walking over to the light and picking it up, staring at it. I don't know why, but there was something about the light that fascinated me. I could stare at it all day and never grow bored.

Luckily I was broken free of the clutches of the flames by a knock on my bedroom door.

"Sis? You up yet?"

It was him. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Without moving from my spot I said, "Yeah, come in."

All was silent as I waited for the tell-tale sign of him opening the door. And surely it came. The sound of the knob turning rung in my ears, the lock clicked and the door cracked open.

And in walked my brother. I gave him a smile before I spoke "Hi, Ocean Burn. What's up?"

My gaze followed his steps as he walked further into the room, candle in hoof. "Nothin' much, sis. Just seein' if you were awake. Mom's waitin' for us downstairs. Says breakfast is ready."

I contemplated his words for a moment. "hmm..." I lifted my head to look at him. Dressed in leather from head to toe with a mane like blue flames rising up from his head. Coupled with his perpetual glare and rather blunt way of speaking, he had the appearance of a stereotypical street thug.

If it wasn't for the way he acted, you'd think he was a part of a gang.

I was just about to drift off onto memory lane, when he snapped my out of my racing train of thought with a single word.

"Sis?"

"Huh? What? Oh, I...well...sure, let's go!" I said, tearing my hooves away from where they had gotten comfortable on the desk.

As I made my way over to the door, Ocean following close behind me, I heard a soft chuckle emanate from him as he said, "Daydreaming again, sis?"

"Shut up!" I whisper-yelled, batting him softly across the back of the head with a hoof. My entire family knew about my bad habit, and my brother took every opportunity he could to tease me about it.

"Relax, i'm just teasing." He said with a smug grin that made me want to hit him again. I frowned at him and turned away, continuing down the stairs to dining area.

All my anger dissipated as the sweet smell of pancakes filled the air, and my nose.

I bounded down the stairs like an over-eager filly, followed closely by my brother. I only stopped when I reached the very last step, which I once again gracefully stepped down from as if I were some dainty noblemare.

We were both hungry as an ox and mother made the best hay pancakes.

We sat down at the table, our hearts beating faster than a ceremonial drummer, and waited with bated breath for the heavenly dish to be brought before us.

"Well somepony's eager!" We heard our mother say. We could hear her approaching from behind us, but I still turned my head, if slightly, to watch as she set the plates down in front of us, along with a candle in the center of the table.

Soon, we were all sitting together at the table, my brother and I eating as if we hadn't had food in our entire lives. Our mother simply watched us, smiling her usual happy smile as she ate her food, albeit at a much slower pace than us.

Soon, we were leaning back against the chair and rubbing our bellies, thoroughly satisfied. Seeing that we were done, our mother grabbed the plates and took them to the kitchen to wash them, saying, "Well, looks like my two favorite ponies finished their meals. Looks like it's time to get to work."

You can call us immature all you want. If you knew how good mother's pancakes were, you'd be eager too.

But that is not important.

As mother came back from doing the dishes, we were forced to shake off our post meal lethargy and get to work. We sat up and wasted no time in getting to our hooves. We headed outside and looked out over all the land that made up our family household.

Which was really nothing more than a single field surrounded by a fence and a couple flowerbeds. Our home was...rather modest in comparison to the rest of the town.

We were only farmers after all. And there were only three of us, since father...

Anyway, we made our way through the small field, checking everything we could before we got to work. Last season's crop was quickly gathered up, and so we had to replace the soil and the seeds for next season.

Mother offered to help, so with her on the field with us, it should be no problem.

Normally, replanting would take us until noon, but with mother helping it took considerably less time than usual. We got to work, and before we knew it, were finished by midday.

Ocean was the first to beg mother for a chance to go outside. I chuckled as I watched the scene before me. Even for all his mannerisms and clothing choices, he was still the same hyper little foal, with an insatiable desire to go out and explore the world.

And it was of no surprise to me that the first place we went as soon as mother gave permission was Blackwater Ridge's iconic swamp.

The smell of wet earth hit my nostrils as we walked, along with a slight tang in the air from what I could only assume was rain. It must have rained last night while I was asleep or something, as I don't remember having heard any rain at all.

My attention was once again dragged back to reality by Ocean, who had stopped in front of a rather large lake and was just standing there, staring into its depths. "Hey, sis! Come look at this!"

I walked up beside him and looked down into the lake. I didn't quite understand what he was so excited about. It was just a lake. There's nothing that could possibly be so interesting about a swamp full of dozens of the same lakes for miles on end.

But for some reason he seemed transfixed. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. So I peered into the lake again, trying to see what it was he thought he saw.

But no matter what I did, I just couldn't see it. The lake was just the same to me. It was just like it had always been. The water, like all the other lakes in the town's famous Blackwater Swamp, was pure, clean, fresh....and black.