The Trials Of Misfortune

The pitter-patter of the rainfall hitting against the smooth outer wood finish made reason to stay indoors. Many ponies already lay under their covers, sleeping, dreaming, enjoying the warmth of their homes.

It was a shame not everypony had this simple luxury.

Minty scooted up against the opposite side of the carriage and yelled, “Wh-What the fuck!”

The stallion was difficult to see, but his presence could not be mistaken. The darkness made it difficult to make out any striking features, but Minty knew that by the way he looked, he was going to find a way to take them and do what he wanted to them until he was satisfied.

The stallion attempted to open the carriage door but, luckily, the door was jammed and kept shut. By this point, Blue was already waking up and sitting up on her seat, rubbing her delicate eyes. Minty watched in horror as she saw the stallion continuously attempt to barge in.

“Come on little fillies, open up. I only want to rest with you.” He said with a devious grin on his face.

Minty looked around the carriage frantically searching for any means to defend Blue and herself.

Blue looked over at the stallion and let out a shriek of terror as she similarly crawled away from the door.

“Oh! Rise and shine, sweetheart! Come and open the door will you, sweetie?” said the stallion, still giving off his terrifyingly calm and soothing voice to try and persuade her.

Minty looked at the floor of the carriage frantically, eventually spotting her makeshift knife poking from her bag.

Minty slowly moved over to the door and looked at Blue motioning to the knife. Blue got the idea and slowly gripped the base of the knife and held it close to herself. The stallion saw Minty scoot closer and reach for the small wood chunk that blocked the door and grew a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Good girl, open the door for daddy,” said the stallion.

Blue gulped as Minty slammed her hoof on the plank and stepped back quickly. The stallion didn't hesitate as he barged in and slammed his hoof into Minty's chest, forcing her onto her back. He licked his lips as she looked down at her with frenzied eyes.

"Gotcha! Finally! Fresh meat!" He said as he gently rubbed his hoof against her cheek.

Minty gasped a bit as her air was shot out of her body, grasping at his hoof. Once she caught her breath, she built up her willpower and brought herself to yell one word.

So, she yelled, "Blue!"

Blue let out a warcry and stabbed the stallion directly in the jugular of the stallion. He let out a loud chocked gasp as the sharp pain coursed through his entire upper body. He collapsed and tried to breathe just for him to be stopped by the scent of his blood and the immense amount of blood pouring into his throat and windpipe.

Blue stepped back, leaving the knife in his neck. Minty coughed and slowly stood up, reaching over and pulling the knife out of the stallion. Blue and Minty's hooves were now covered in his blood. The entirety of the knife was almost caked in blood.

The stallion writhed on the floor for a bit before eventually laying with lifeless eyes.

Blue felt her body shake as she looked on in horror at what she had just done to the stallion. Minty watched with an expressionless gaze as the stallion bled out. She had already come to understand the reality of death. Blue, on the other hoof, was tearing up and welling up in emotion she could not describe or understand.

Blue collapsed on the other end of the carriage and just curled up into a little blue ball. Minty proceeded to loot the stallion, stealing his pouch of bits and a bottle of an unknown chemical.

"Look, I think it's that thing that makes ponies go to sleep," said Minty.

No response.

"Blue?" Minty said, turning to her small companion.

Blue sat there with her eyes fixated on the bleeding stallion. Her stomach churned with her blood running still.

"Did I kill him? I didn't mean it," She muttered, "I was just trying to get him off of you, I promise, I promise!."

She began to break. Her sentences were becoming less and less composed and more unintelligible as her weeping began to seep through. Minty put the looted items into her bag and moved closer to Blue, wrapping herself around her small feeble body. Blue continued to weep and plead to whoever would listen that she didn't mean to kill the stallion.

She was usually so cheerful and composed. So innocent but now... now she was beginning to crack and slip away from happy filly to traumatized wreck. Minty gently held her and shushed her woes.

"It's ok, Blue, don't worry. You saved me, okay? You saved me." Minty stared at the stallion while pressing Blue's head into her chest, "It's ok, don't cry. You're safe. You're safe."

Three hours later, after immense cleaning and cradling.

Minty walked through the muddy streets of Ponyville with Blue sleeping on her back, the bags on her back as well. Though, she felt weighed down more than usual. Maybe it was the pouch of bits. It was, after all, a while since Minty had held pure bronze and silver bits last.

Ponies stared at the two fillies as Minty walked through the crowds. She had managed to clean most of the blood from herself and Blue using caught rain from last night as shower water.

ACHOO!!

She sneezed as she walked through the frigid narrow streets, growing closer to the plaza. Minty gently tilted her head back and nudged Blue.

"Hey, Blue, wake up," Minty whispered gently.

Blue gently raised and perched her head on top of Minty's. She slowly opened her eyes and looked onward.

"We've made it to the plaza! And since we have some bits to spend, I decided to bring you here so you can pick out some things for yourself!" Minty said energetically.

Blue perked up ready to say, "Wow! Yay! Thanks, Minty!" and proceed to list off things she wanted but... found herself silent. Minty looked dejected but thought that maybe it would take a little more than material to cheer her up.

Minty searched for a suitable gift for a while before stumbling upon a shop that sold accessories.

Once inside, she noticed that many of the accessories were charms and talismans made for tourists who visited Ponyville. What the charms and talismans meant was a mystery, as Minty didn't go to school to learn about the history of Ponyville.

Minty was captured by a small necklace of a blue butterfly with white polka dot wings outlined by gold. She picked it up and stared at it.

"I see you like the butterfly. Want to know what it represents?" A sudden elder mares voice chimed in.

Minty jumped and turned, facing the elder mare. She had her mane in a bun, it was greyish while her fur coat was a delicate snow white. She had a warm smile.

Minty nodded. Blue was a little unresponsive but perked her ear up.

"Well you see, for centuries since the age of the great ponies, butterflies have symbolized change! It's a wonderful gift for someone who could use a little change once in a while." She proceeded to chuckle as old ponies do.

Minty stared at it for a while before pulling three silver bits, "I'll take it."

Blue gently held the necklace that was now around her neck tightly.

"The old mare said that if you wear that, things will change for you. So, I got it for you." Minty giggled and continued, "Who knows, maybe we'll become rich and live in a big mansion with a bunch of blueberry bushes!"

Blue stared at the necklace and smiled for a bit.

"I hope so..." Blue murmured to herself silently.

The slugging of the mud was growing more prominent as the road quality began to grow worse and less treated against the weather. Minty felt the eyes of every pony peering from their homes as she walked through the street. Ponyville had known about the running issue of missing fillies and colts. Once the two supposed missing fillies finally just walked into the street, well, it was strange, to say the least.

"We can't stay here too long. It won't be long till they fan out across this town and try and find us." Minty said looking around at the peering eyes.

Blue gently pressed her snout against Minty's ears one at a time and said, " Where are we going to sleep today?"

Minty didn't answer. She didn't have an answer after all. The carriage was supposed to be their temporary home till she figured out where to stay again.

"We can try and head back to the house," Minty suggested, before thinking for a bit, "but they'll know that we might do that."

"We left all the cookies there..." Blue muttered.

"That's true. We left all our food there." Minty said, still thinking.

She murmured to herself for a bit. In the meantime, Blue was busy looking around at the poorer side of Ponyville. There were a few ponies who were sleeping in the alleyways with boxes and newspapers as makeshift roofs and blankets. She lowered her ears and gently pressed herself closer to Minty.

"We'll go back," Minty said with conviction.

"Won't they catch us?" Blue inquired.

"We'll go back but this time-" Minty pointed at a small shop that specialized in hunting equipment, "-we'll surprise them if they come to try and find us, again."

Blue opened her maw to speak but decided to keep quiet. With no objections, Minty entered the shop and purchased a few items. A hunting knife, a gas canister, and a 5000 Lumens flashlight. Alongside a few boxes of matches.

Once she was at the front counter, the stallion looked at the toothpaste filly, then at Blueberry.

"What do y'all plan on doin' with this here stuff?" asked the clerk.

"School project," Blue responded, placing a small candy bar on the counter, "and, uhm, this is for the school project, too."

The clerk sighed and muttered something about not being paid enough.

Monday, 12:32 PM

The heavy droplets slamming themselves into the roofing of the old wooden house could be heard even from the lowest level. Once Minty and Blue had gotten the items, they made their way straight to the house, avoiding any unwanted attention and even purchasing a newspaper that had the forecast of the week's weather.

"There's some big storm coming," Blue said, holding the newspaper sideways.

"Then we'll stay here, out of the storm," Minty responded, continuing to glue nails onto the floor, facing upwards.

"Are we going to be okay?" Blue asked, putting the newspaper away.

Minty stood up and let out a quiet huff, "If we prepare well enough, we'll be fine."

"How do you know?" Blue asked, this time more concerned.

Minty turned to Blue and sighed, "I don't."

Blue stayed silent and stared at the trap.

"If we fail, then I love you. If we don't, I still love you. Got that?" Minty reassured Blue.

Blue nodded and turned away, walking to the kitchen. Minty stood in the living room alone. She looked around the living room and took in the scent of the stale air. The doors were boarded up so they couldn't be opened. The floor in front of the doors was covered in nails.

Minty held her makeshift knife and looked back at the living room coffee table. On to table sat a small makeshift flamethrower. Well, it was an exaggeration to call it a flamethrower. In reality, it was a tiny camping gas tank with a long tube attached to its nozzle and a few matches at its end bunched up together.

She let out a little prayer and walked out into the main hallway.

"Everything seems to be in place," Minty muttered.

She peeked through the boarded-up window and waited. Blue watched from the kitchen, holding the hunting knife tighter for each passing minute.

"This is a bad idea..." Blue said, staring down at the knife.

Minty looked back at her and then back out to the outside.

"It'll work. We can end it here. We can finally just go through life as normal if this works." Minty quietly responded, staring at the rain pouring outside.

It was raining harder than it was the night before. No smart pony would be out at this time, not even for an emergency.

"Can I go to my room?" Blue timidly asked.

All she got as a response was an, "Mm" and off she went. Mint couldn't help but feel somewhat off-put by the idea of facing them head-on but by her logic, she had already come too far to back down now.

"It's dark outside," Minty mumbled to herself.

The outside grew darker and darker as the clouds took on a more ominous black color. Had the storm come earlier than expected? No matter. Mint walked over to the living room again and laid on the couch, taking in a deep breath and staring up at the ceiling. Maybe a little nap couldn't hurt. Besides, even they wouldn't be that stupid to search the same place twice, right?

Of course not. Of course.

Mint slowly closed her eyes and yawned, murmuring to herself one last time, "Of course... not."

The room went pitch black and the world became white noise. With all that's happened, Celestia had to have given her some luck to at least get some sleep. Finally, she could rest.

Rest...

now.