The lonely freak of a mare, and the burnt husk of a stallion that shouldn't have met.

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 0
Chapter 1
Chapter 2

Prologue

In a small, 2 bedroom cottage on the slightly larger scale of construction sat three of the most important ponies in all of Equestria with a cup of tea in their hooves. The current ruling alicorn of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, sat at a table while her two former princesses, the retired Celestia and now retired Princess Cadence each drank from a matching cup. This ritual has become a time each alicorn looked forward to ever since they started the meeting once a month when time permitted, sometimes the former Princess Luna would join them, or it would only be Cadence and Celestia, but never all four at a given time.

The reasonings behind these ‘secretive’ meetings was nothing less than for these alicorns to keep in contact, and have a moment where they could be themselves; this of course has led to a sort of mini renaissance within this simple cottage where various topics of their discussions had bore enough fruit to be adapted into Equestria Proper.

One example of this was the off-hoof comment by Cadence when she mentioned how her daughter (current ruler of the Crystal Empire) Flurry Heart had been working with ‘Uncle Thorax’ on a special project involving the Crystal Heart. Their collaboration had led to a breakthrough using crystals as a potential storage device, and using love emotions as the test had yielded an interesting enough result for the pink alicorn to share them with her companions today.

“Did you really put one of those crystals in your tea?”

Cadence looked up at her sister-in-law with a relaxed look on her muzzle as she pondered her words, before eyes widening in realization she hadn’t explained the more popular use for the love crystal.

“Oh, of course! The trend hasn’t really left the Crystal Empire just yet, but the love crystals Flurry and Thorax managed to produce were refined enough to be produced on a semi productive scale. Originally these were meant for changelings, but it was discovered that love slowly seeps into whatever object is around them, and we’ve discovered ponies and other creatures benefit from them as well.”

“Really? What are some of the benefits?”

“A pep in your gallop!” Twilight and Cadence turned to where the kitchen was just as Celestia came back with a small serving plate of cucumber sandwiches cut into about a dozen single serving sizes. “ Cadence gave me a couple last month, and I’ve found wearing them as jewelry has brightened my day so much, that creatures comment that I glow! I haven't been this way in a long, long time…”

In any normal circumstance, ponies or creatures would have taken Celestia’s statement as one with a mortal life span would, which is in terms of decades- alicorns think differently.

Twilight and Cadence both stopped what they were doing to gaze upon their truly glowing (platonic) herd mate who had deposited the plate of sandwiches onto the table, but for a lack of better wording was still missing. Even as she sat down, her movements were more akin to a common craftspony going through the motions of their job they’ve done so much- her eyes were as still as a dull lake. The two alicorns shared a worried look as she was lost in a memory of another time, and begrudgingly held their voices until their mentor/mother figure could shake herself from its grip.

Twilight leaned closer to her pink furred relative.

“What do you think it's about? In my years under her wing, I’d never seen her fade out this badly.”

“I can’t really say Twilight. Even during my time growing up in Canterlot, Celestia would occasionally slip away to reminisce, but like yourself, I can’t recall a time she completely zoned out. It might be the crystal’s effect, but I can feel an overwhelming amount of love surrounding her at this very moment.”

“What does that mean?” Twilight asked, pushing the offered crystal away from her.

“One of two things Twilight: The crystals are more dangerous then we first imagined, or Celestia’s recalling very personal memories. If it's the latter…” Cadence leaned back in her chair while crossing her rear legs, and using her forehooves to prop up her thinking head. “...maybe she’s recalling an old love?”

Twilight’s ears pointed toward the sky as she considered her sister-in-law’s words, and then looked to her mentor who was so thoroughly entrenched within her mind was losing touch with the waking world- she was starting to drool. The latter becoming more plausible given what little they knew of Celestia’s life, and for a mare of such renown to not have any lovers would be a difficult notion to consider. Even she herself was seeing somepony in secret…

“How do we wake her out of it?” Cadence turned to her sister-in-law and hummed thoughtfully as she considered the state of her aunt, and the concentration of love hoping (if by chance) to discover an overlooked flaw. Yet before the two alicorns could come up with an appropriate solution, a wet snort caught their attention.

Looking across the table their surprise, while warranted , was quickly lost as they watched their retired mentor and aunt scoff and partially choke from the buildup of saliva as she came to.

Unsure what had happened, Celestia’s dull, and vacant look gradually slipped away as she absentmindedly used her left wing to wipe the drool off her mouth. It was only when she looked around the room did Celestia remember she was entertaining guests did the alicorn realize they saw everything. The three paragons of their respective talents stared at each other as they tried to summarize what had happened when white alicorn coughed into her hoof from embarrassment.

“Oh my, Cadence. That last one might have been a bit too strong.”

“A bit? Celestia, you completely left Equis! Cadence, are you sure these crystals are safe for non-changelings?”

“Until now, I was fairly positive they were ready for the eventual mass market, but now I’m going to recall them until more tests can be conducted. Thorax will be disappointed but will likely do the same for his kingdom as well. Celestia, do you mind if we perform a few non-invasive scans just to be certain you’re alright?”

“You certainly may Cadence, but I was only recalling a most wondrous memory. One I hadn’t visited in a long, long time.” Celestia nearly cooed as she began reminiscing once more, and with the love crystal’s effects still lingering meant the scans would do little good.

Even as Cadence tried the scans, the Alicorn of Love could only sense the love flowing from her aunt, and with its powerful ambiance contaminating the air around them, they could do little without the raw emotion overriding their results. Twilight even tried casing a few of her own scans, but they ended much the same with little distinction differentiating the two sets of scans. The current ruling Princess of Equestria slumped back into the custom wooden chair made especially for an alicorn up to her former mentor’s specifications with her forelegs crossed, her latest telling of her mood- stumped.

For Twilight Sparkle's Intelligence, ruling an entire nation while trying to draft a formal league involving every nation on Equis had consumed most of her time, and energy leaving the reigning monarch stretched thin on what could hold her focus. Even though this is for her former mentor, and friend, Twilight could sense this wasn’t a life threatening moment, and unintentionally treated it as nothing more than a distraction. Her fellow alicorns didn’t know of this new habit, and it would be several months before she finally caught herself treating her own friends and families for granted to make the necessary change.

“Her scans are normal for a pony madly in love, Celestia. By your Radiant Sun, and Luna’s Guiding Moon, you’re almost at the level Cadence gets when Hearts and Hooves day approaches, but not as dramatic.” Twilight felt herself smiling when she noticed her sister-in-law stick her tongue out, but left it like that. “If I may be forward for a moment Celestia, what were you recalling to invoke a reaction like that?”

This time both of the younger alicorns turned to obverse their mentor, former caretaker, and friend as she looked down at the spread of sandwiches, shifting her wings uncomfortably against her sides as the older alicorn fought some uncomfortable thoughts. Her magenta eyes glanced up at the two expecting alicorns, and accepting her defeat slumped forward enough to let her wings sag by her sides.

“A lot of things, girls. Memories I’ve kept to myself for many centuries out of fear if I should ever share them, I might lose them all. Some intimate , while most a reminder there’s more to life than merely existing. In fact, your courtship, dear niece of mine, reminded me so much of my youth, I had to distance myself from you in the weeks prior to the wedding to avoid it drowning my entire mind. It’s my fault you were captured by Chrysalis in the first place.”

“Celestia?” Cadence called out unsure how to feel with this news, as she’d always believed the former changeling queen had been more cunning, but to discover your aunt had left you open to attack? She couldn’t have known, but it helped to ruin her image of Celestia as this all powerful, all knowing pony.

“So that’s why you blew off my suspensions all those years ago? All this time I continued to believe I hadn’t proven myself enough to be taken seriously until getting my wings.”

“Twilight. Cadence. I’m aware of my mistakes over these long years, and the damage they’ve caused to ponies I’ve held dear, which was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to retire and live like a common pony. Losing Luna shook me to the core, and if it wasn’t for the crown upon my head I might have slinked off to some hole in the ground for the remainder of my days.”

The tone of their meeting quickly shifted after the impromptu confession leaving the two younger alicorns unsure what to do then sitting quietly as if the mood would suddenly revert back.

Celestia was looking down at the table, ashamed of the admittance, while Twilight looked to Cadence, who was trying not to wiggle uncomfortably in her chair. Being the (former) Princess of Love and now a full time relationship counselor had broadened her social skills enough to become accustomed to being the bearer of difficult secrets, yet to hear it coming from the one she looked up to left the mare feeling like a filly once more. So, it was Twilight to take charge of the situation by asking a simple question.

“What was the memory about? It must have been important for you to space out like you did,Celestia.” The question was innocent enough, but it offered all three alicorns something they desperately needed right now- an escape.

Celestia looked up from the untouched sandwiches trying to assess her former charges and fellow alicorns looking for any signs she could use to end the conversation and go hide, but could find none. She inhaled a needed breath of fresh air, and hummed it away as she began recalling that time so long ago…

“Have a sandwich while I put on another pot of tea, for this story is very close to me as it is a long one.”

Chapter 0

“The storms are being moved from the lower valley at this very moment, and should be anchored into place late tonight.”

“What of Flight’s Crescent and Raindrops?” The white feathered pegasus turned to his companion he was sharing the cloud with, and flicked his head toward the vast forest below them.

“They’re still missing. Rumor is Command declared them dead only 4 hours after their failure to report, wanting to save all flights for the attack.” He shifted his weight so it rested on the edge of the cloud, peering over to see if there were any possible ears lingering about. “I say horsefeathers. We all know who led the flights, and their views…”

“Watch yourself, Silent Storm. The forest is a dangerous place after all, and their death is unfortunate.”

“That it is.” Silent Storm agreed with his wingpony, understanding if he kept talking their Flight could be the next one missing. “Should we be heading back to Cloud 9, Chaser?”

“Let's give it another hour before dropping in. We’ll tell Command we were recon the whole time.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Chaser shifted once more so he could lay his head on the cloud, his white feathers and fur providing the best camouflage for their mission, while his wingpony, Silent Storm, laid prone so his faded blue coloring could match the sky backdrop. The two pegasi were silent for the rest of their time on the cloud, but their thoughts were loud, and distracting with questions they knew would never be answered.

The time to return home eventually came, and the entirety of their watch remained uneventful- it was a good day.

Under the cover of the lowering sun, the two pegasi fell off their cloud platform, and using the wind currents to keep them aloft, flew toward the east where the storm clouds were being assembled. Near the tallest mountain in the region, the peaks were near inaccessible to all without wings making the landmark an ideal place for Pegasi Command to set up, creating the largest gathering outside of Cloudsdale. Nearly three years since the annexation of the peak dubbed Cloud 9 into Pegasi Territory, the growing fortress/town proved pivotal in the winged ponies domination of the fertile valley; the Earth Tribe could do nothing but build towers while the unicorns fought hoof and horn to wrestle it from them.

It was the ferocity of these attacks that forced Command to draft the secret plan that is said to break them for good. Morale was at an all time high in Cloud 9 as the Great Grandson of Commander Hurricane claimed to be reworking a plan of his famous ancestor.

Outside of a select few needed for certain resources or extra patrols, none of the Flights knew anything of the pending attack save for an outbreak of rumors that (in Chaser’s opinion) led to the death of two entire Flights. Yet, all of the talk he’d personally heard agreed that unicorn horns attract lightning, but most assumed the lightning disrupts their ability to cast. None of this could be confirmed as all unicorns are killed on sight leaving only the few remaining texts from the Original Unification an extremely valuable source of knowledge pertaining to their ground born cousins.

In essence, Cloud 9 was betting its entire strength on the accuracy of some decrypted texts.

“I don’t like it, Chaser. We should be doing some real scouting instead of flying straight into their horned castles.”

“It’s too late for that cloud puff. The wind changed direction a long time ago, and we missed the free ride, but honestly that’s a good thing.” Chaser replied to his blue colored companion.

“What happened to the two missing Flights…”

“Would have happened to us Silent Storm , and you know it. I’m sorry for your cousin for he was a good stallion, but if you don't want to leave his wife and foals, or yours alone then keep quiet. Command has been stomping out most of the ‘disloyal’ elements the past few weeks, and that only means one thing…”

“That it’s nearly upon us…” Silent Storm finished, eyeing up his speckled gray companion as they ascended further into the sky, readying to pierce the cloud screen.

The cloud screen served two primary roles in the Pegasi Armada: camelflage and temperature control. With the layer of cloud surrounding the entirety of the summit, their earthbound cousins could do little, but speculate the extent of their entrenchment upon the summit’s peak. This concealment gave the pegasi a great advantage, and freedom to operate all of their schemes unhindered while allowing them to peer down below and observe the daily tolls of their pitiful lives.

While more difficult to perform in higher elevations, especially on clouds, a small contingent of farmers managed to take root upon the very peak Cloud 9 was anchored to thanks to the warming effects of the cloud screen. Pegasi can withstand the colder temperatures of the higher elevations better than any creature alive, yet even they would prefer the warming sun to snow caps, and this cloud screen has given them this very comfort. All it took was the cooling of the world below to achieve this pegasi resurgence.

It was this warming comfort the two pegasi felt the moment they broke the cloud screen, and shifted their direction toward the towering sphere of cloud floating above the jagged stone peaks.

As far as their eyes could see there was a literal sea of white clouds with several small ‘cloud islands’ scattered over the expanse, with each serving a number of purposes designated by their owners- home, workshop, farm, training grounds, ect. Even as Chaser, and Silent Storm held their course back to the main citadel, their keen eyes could make out some pegasi on these ‘islands’ watching them, an ever constant reminder their illicit conversation below the cloud screen should remain there. Even amongst their own, the threat of treason was very high.

Adjusting their wings some, the pair began their gradual elevation upwards in an effort to gain the altitude needed to reach the inner city. The warmer temperatures created partially by the cloud screen reflecting the sun light aided in their ascent, and soon they were quickly rising over their peers ending most of the suspicions casted their way- no traitor would willing enter the city.

Unable to ride the warm air any longer, Chaser and Silent Storm had to beat their wings faster than their Flight Training requirements to gain the necessary altitude, and it was this increase in altitude the chilling air finally touched their muzzles.

Cloud 9 was founded on a mountain summit for a reason and even if an invading army could reach the summit, it would still have to either penetrate the giant storm surrounding the city or fly higher into the near unbearable cold air to enter the only known opening from above. There were only two specially designed ships called ‘Arks’ that could sail directly through the storm, but those were saved for prominent figures of the Flight Command or the Cloudsdale Tribunal leaving the average pegasus nearly unable to enter or leave the city unless given permission by the acting Governor.

Chaser and Silent Storm were only two of a small hoofful that could tolerate the ascent and thus enter and leave the city at their discretion.

Even as their breathing became labored, wings became sore, and lungs burned from the cold air, the pair continued their struggle over the spherical storm that protected the very city until finally the storm curved inward toward the only opening…

“By my ancestors, Chaser! There’s an ark!” Silent Storm shouted while turning to his speckled gray feathered companion, not even surprised to see the development of frost along his wings.

“Then the attack really is happening…”

For a few moments the pegasi hovered just over the opening to observe the massive construct of wood and metal being supported by a massive congregation of specially designed clouds that give the ‘ark’ its ability to soar. The design unfortunately had been borrowed from their earthbound cousins, yet pegasus ingenuity turned this otherwise limited vessel into the greatest technological achievement of the age; an elongated bow with two pegasi(one on each side) on the front of the craft, with the rest of the deck being flat to allow (tested) nearly four Flight’s to launch from its deck at a moment’s notice, or carry tremendous cargo.

Six massive oars, three on each side and nearly the entire length of the ship could be seen making slow movements as they churned the magic in the air. The exact learning required to understand this process was lost to the pair, but they knew well enough the process did something to amplify the magic around the ark and allow itself to be bathed in a similar magic pegasi used to fly. It’s rumored the pegasus that came up with this method was graciously rewarded for their service to Pegasi Kind, with one rumor saying they married into Commander Hurricanes’ family while a more cynical theory saying they were murdered to keep the secret from being leaked. A number of theories with no clear answer, yet each one just as possible as the last.

All in all a simple craft with little distinction from a boat a pegasus might glimpse from the air, but somehow the design was very well suited to traversing the skies.

The few times the ark had been anchored in Cloud 9, the massive ark had descended and ascended on its own power, and each time Chaser had noticed the oars faintly glowing. He never voiced his observations out loud for obvious reasons, let alone confined in his wingpony Silent Storm else they both end up ‘missing’.

“That it is. Don’t say anything, just descend toward the outer edge of the storm like before. Slow and steady so they can see us and stop when the Flight on Wing Duty approaches us. We’ll make our report as intended and turn in unless told otherwise. Clear?”

“Clear sir. You want me to take the lead again?” Silent Storm asked his companion who nodded, not wanting a repeat of his first month here when he’d accidentally snuck up on the Patrol Flight on Wing Duty.

Silent Storm took the lead this time, and Chaser followed. Their arc was noticeable as they made sure to veer to the left and right as they descended to alert any patrols of their approach, and this action might have saved them for immediately a wing of four pegasi broke away from the ark to meet them halfway. Unsure what else to do, they continued to veer left and right until the four pegasi were close enough to be heard.

“HALT! STATE YOUR NAMES, FLIGHT FIRST BEFORE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE CITY!”

Chaser and Silent Storm ceased their descent to hover, and let the armed guards approach them. The one that barked the command wasn’t one they recognized, but based on his high, song-like pitch could guess him from Cloudsdale Proper- a purest. One that likely could trace their lineage all the way back to the First Flight, and naturally looked down on other pegasi anyway, yet his appearance so far away from Cloudsdale did make the attack rumors more true if Flight Command was bringing in additional reserves…

“Chaser of Flight Snowdrift, Second Wing.”
“Silent Storm of Flight Snowdrift, Forth Wing.”

The pegasus that had issued the command turned to the mare on his left who nodded, and then all four resumed their pace until they were directly in front of them. The voice gave it away, but seeing the pegasus up close really exposed his Cloudsdale origins; like Silent Storm, they shared a blue, almost gray coloring that marked his heritage of the early high altitude pegasi, but unlike Chaser whose family adapted to life closer to the ground to better pull carriages and wear armor, this gray-blue stallion was thin, and lean with longer flight feathers. He was perhaps one of a hooful that still clung to the migrate days of their ancestors who would drink the frost built up along their mouth and wings…

“It’s fortunate you returned when you did, else command would have marked you missing.” The stallion almost gloated as he led them into the singular opening of the massive storm, almost daring them to say something. Chaser of all pegasi took the bait.

“I wasn’t aware Command was expecting us so soon. Why the urgency?” Chaser knew the reason, yet his youthful spirit was itching to start something with pompous Cloudsdalian.

“Things change. Ponies go missing all the time, and Command was getting worried two more had done the same. The forest takes the weak, or so I’ve heard.”

The conceited stallion taunted them as he led the wing further into open space of the storm, just above the famed ark. He’s actions were purposeful, and meant to show off the crowded deck hosting an honest to ancestor’s roost upon its deck. He would have known they would see the deck, and when he answered their mind’s questions did the arrogance disperse, leaving behind the cold front behind.

“I’m Sky Runner, and this is my storm. My ark. My deliverance. Congratulations colts, you’ll be among the first Flights to attack Hollow's End. Should you survive the opening attack, then you’ll bare witness to Commander Hurricane's grand plan- The Living Storm.”

Silent and Chaser wisely kept their mouths shut after that egotistical speech, but they knew their flying days were drawing to a close if the stallion was serious. Their partnership, while uncanny to most Flights due to their fierce family rivalry, allowed the two stallions to respect the other, and treat the other more like a distant cousin. This understanding urged the two stallions to quickly glance at the other, and in that moment everything that needed to be stated was said in that one glance.

The attack was upon them and if they somehow survived, they’ll only be sent back into the fry until they were struck down. By friend or foe they knew not, only that this was likely the end of their lives.

Author's Note

I have about 20k of this story written as an experiment with every intent to finish it. These two chapters are just a test to gauge interest, and how high of a priority this story will take amongst my other, unfished stories.

Chapter 1

The lightning would burst through the gaps between the old straw roof, and the wind would follow soon after. Through her thin blanket, the terrified mare huddled against the wall furthest from the door, desperately trying to hide under the only thing she had left of her old life from the village.

‘The rain hasn’t started…’ She thought while squeezing her eyes shut after every loud bang that would follow the lightning. Every storm from her experience always had rain, and it would be a matter of time given how dangerous this storm sounded.

The walls shook once again with the fury of the angriest bear around, pushing all of the hoof made bowls and jars off their perch, and crashing to the ground. Celeste flinched with each sharp explosion, but still refused to look upon the destruction herself if it meant looking up from the corner she sought refuge in.

The rain never did follow behind the lighting even as the wind rocked her disheveled hut for the remainder of the night. Yet, somewhere during the flashing lights, and loud explosions in the far off distance the abnormal mare found the embrace of sleep.

When Celeste finally came to, the morning sun had already begun piercing her thin blanket, and forced the aging mare up to examine the ruins of her hut. The broken shards of her clay bowls and jars laid scattered over the dirt with their contents mixed in between, burying the broken shards so they could harm any unassuming pony not paying attention. Her cauldron, the other surviving item brought with them when escaping into the woods had been knocked off its wood perch, and lay lopsided in the ashes of her cooking fire- the rocks that made the cooking pit were either broken or pushed aside.

Her makeshift door of fastened vines, and old wood had been left utterly wrecked, and dangling in the frame to the point it couldn’t be salvaged for anything but firewood. As if to mock the lack of a door, it seemed the wind itself was carrying the sunlight into her ruined hut before quickly departing through the mess of vines that was her door before, escaping toward the lake she would often bathe in. Her terrific eyesight could see the very wind hitting the water to create its rippling effect as it morphed from one element into another, leaving Celeste feeling beaten, and useless.

Seeing no other choice, she began dragging her massive wings along the ground, the broken feathers began scooping up broken shards before corralling the grounded powers and seeds into a pile next to her fire pit. She continued this trend of using her wings to sweep up the mess, moving in a circular pattern around the room until she finally had all of the mess gathered into a single large pile by the dead fire. The shards of clay were carefully grounded down with her forehooves until they were no bigger than small pebbles, and using her wings, Celeste shoved the pile into the fire pit. Clumsily, she managed to manipulate her magic to set the wood perch while using her earth pony strength, a staple in her continued survival, lifted the old cauldron out of wood ash, and placed it into the worn groves.

She took the opportunity to salvage the timber from her ruined door, saving what vines she could, and placing them on the floor by the opening by gathering them into a pile. The gathered wood was then placed underneath the cauldron to be used as the kindling for day’s fire. This was started when Celeste placed her left hoof next to the broken wood scraps, dried herbs now crumbled to literal dust, and everything else that had been in her jars was.

Celeste struck the outreached hoof with her right hoof.

The blow was powerful, but years of practice limited the stress on both hooves with the slightest chipping along the edge nearest the ground. It had taken Celeste many tries to perfect this technique to avoid cracking her hooves anymore; the first time the strange mare damaged her had left her limping for nearly a month as the hoof itself needed to completely fall off, before any real growth could happen. Nowadays, this pain was only a memory like everything else in her life.

The strike proved fruitful for three sparks shined brightly as they landed among the kindling, already eager to start a fire as they took root among the dry, and rotted kindling. The mare leaned close to examine her work, and gave the kindling a quick exhale of good air to give it the push needed to sprout a nice flame. Her reward was the hissing of a newly born flame, and the crackling of wood becoming ash; Satisfied the flame would stick, she walked through the new hole in her hut and gave her wings a mighty flap to rid them of any of the accumulated dust, and sighed.

Her hut may be in order for the moment, but the outside had taken the brunt of the strange storm last night. Thankfully, most of the trees surrounding her ‘territory’ had held strong, but a few submitted to the strong winds, or in one case the lighting, and fell dangerously close to her hut with majority of the damage being the area she’d used for cultivation.

The casualty here was the very hard to find wild berry bushes that had been gathered and replanted over a span of several seasons.

Celeste managed to save and replant the few that hadn’t been flattened, but almost lost the strength to stand when she noticed the rows of wild carrots, and alfalfa that had been taken as well. There was going to be a great deal of work ahead of her with the lost of most her crops, and the sooner she began replanting the better.

Resigned to her fate, Celeste went to grab the bucket that thankfully had been left inside her hut, and made her way down to the lake to grab some water for the cauldron. She repeated this trip a total of four times before she was satisfied she had enough water to drink, and to cook before setting the bucket back inside the hut. While the trips were necessary for her continued survival, it couldn’t prevent the unnatural pony from seeing her reflection in the water, further souring her mood.

Every time Celeste made the trip for water it always reminded her how pale her snow-like fur was- a bad omen to resemble the snow wraiths that nearly destroyed ponykind. Her dangerously thin, and long horn prominently growing out of her head, or how her strangely useful wings resembled the dying tree branches then the dangerous limbs her mother described. While her wings weren’t used for flying more than sweeping, she found limited uses for her horn that didn’t involve trying to impale fish- once had been enough.

The downtrodden mare watched as the water began boiling before leaving the hut to examine the tree limbs that had destroyed her harvest, and using that earth pony pride, pushed them out of her designated fields. Celeste did this to the other limbs around her living area until the space had been cleared before examining the extensive damage to her crop, and deciding what to do from there. Just as it had looked, the crops were completely ruined save for the carrots that had only been pushed further underground, and could still be picked. A blessing by Epona herself.

The biggest loss had been the berry bushes as she thought had provided much of the taste to her meals, and this late into the season(given how animals of this place were fattening up) meant even if she were to find another bush, the berries would likely have been eaten already.

“I really don’t want to eat fish…” Celeste gagged at the idea. Her mother had been the braver of the two, and resorted to meat eating during the first couple of years when food had gotten scarce.

She remembered the smell the most, and somehow always found a way to remind her of those years when she least expected, but those eyes! They would never blink, but the soulless beads would stare at her as her mother tried to remove the scales with her forehooves. Little memories like that had never left her mind, and even now just thinking of fish was enough to make her fall over and try to lose what little she had eaten last night.

‘It’s settled. I’ll pick the carrots later, but I need to try finding more berries sooner than later.’ She thought already fighting the urge to bend over and vomit.

The overworked mare looked toward the sun, and found it high in the cloudless sky. Celeste pondered her options leaning heavily into accepting what bushes she had were enough for a moment, until fears of hunger made her empty stomach growl with disapproval. If she left now, there was a chance she could reach the grove with the bushes before the sun fell and the moon rose. But the risk here would leave her in the forest at night…

Against all warnings, Celeste didn’t start her search during the sunlit hours, but waited until she was sure the fire to heat the cauldron was small enough to leave unattended without spreading to consume her home. This meant the sun was already in mid descent toward the other side of the forest when the loony mare decided it was time to venture into the dark, and frightening forest to look for berry bushes.

With nothing holding her back, she traveled through the forest path just wide enough for her tall and wide frame to comfortably follow toward the place she found a few bushes before. Celeste hoped there would be a few bushes left to bring a couple back with her so she could replant them by her hut. Depending on how many berry bushes, she was willing to do this tomorrow at first light.

Having spent a great many years in this place, Celeste knew better than to travel unprotected and had brought along a small knife she had found during her wanderings. The blade was rusted, and dull, but its presence helped to ease her fears by providing that sense of protection during her near occasional forging expeditions. Even with this weapon, Celeste knew better than to completely drop her guard for the woods could be fickle.

The stress from these outings contributed greatly to the desire to replant these bushes closer to her hut if it would limit her ventures into the forest. Stress and a hunger for the normalcy of her daily life spurred the increasingly worried mare further into the darkening forest.

This predictability gave Celeste the comfort lacking in her life since her father was forcibly taken to serve in the local levy, and the passing of her mother. Knowing what the day would bring, and what was needed to be done had helped the mare cope with her dangerous life, at the questionable expense of fearing the civilization she’d once been a part of.

“Nothing is ever easy.” She whispered out of habit to hear a pony voice, even if it was her own. It did nothing to ease her nerves under the cluttered forest canopy.

The trees grew thicker in both width, and density the longer her expedition took, yet this was a good sign for the berry bushes she sought only grew in the deepest parts of the forest. Their initial discovery had been completely by chance, and Celeste credited her earth pony heritage as the sole reason for them being able to flourish by her hut. She was thankful the area around she claimed was relatively peaceful else growing food wouldn’t be a possibility, meaning forging trips would have been a constant must.

Survival wouldn’t be an almost guarantee anymore if that were the case, yet living in the forest did allow a pony to grow accustomed to reading its mood: by touch, and scent.

Each of these allowed her to peer into the forest’s mood if one knew how to read them, but in her mind it was enough for the forest to see her presence as a boon. Her hope is that by her continued cultivation, the forest might come to see her as a part of the forest instead of another outsider. So far, this hasn't stopped the wildlife from attacking, yet she knew like her they had to eat, and the forest didn’t care how they did.

It was under this mixed blessing Celeste was allowed to travel the forest the way she did, so long she respected the rules set by the old forest. Unbeknownst to the freak pony the forest had been hurt by the rouge lighting storm it knew wasn't natural, but pony made. After finally listening to what its inhabitants had been saying all along, the forest finally revoked the limited protection placed upon the mare, and her dead mother.

The storm wasn’t caused by her hooves, but it served as an important reminder she didn’t belong.

As Celeste continued down the same worn trail she’d always taken when needing to venture further into the deeper forest, and excluding the rare encounter with one of its inhabitants nothing ever happened. Usually. This trip had been no different so far, but Celeste could feel something was wrong the further she trotted down the path. This unknown feeling caused the fur along her spine bristling the longer she spent on the trail, and further compounding this growing unease, the worried mare had noted the trees along the path appeared to be changing.

Trees come in all shapes, yet these trees were looking more than a tree should- almost angry.

Shuttering at the thought, she pressed on hoping to reach the berry patch before sundown, but this hope was ruined when she looked toward the sky. The light peeking through the canopy wasn’t the bright and happy sun that woke her this morning, but the dimming red of a dying fire cooling after a long day of burning brightly- she didn’t have much time. Her past ventures into the deeper forest never took this long, nor have they filled her with such dread.

Night would be upon her faster than she could blink, and the understanding she’d somehow been tricked by the forest to aimless wandering caused the freak pony to panic!

“The forest betrayed me!” She couldn’t help, but yelled as she quickened her pace in the faint hope she could break the forest’s hold over her, and find the way out.

Celeste was galloping down the trail like a frightened animal running a predator when the first misfortune of the newly minted night struck.

In her desperation to escape the unseen, her left wing clipped the side of a nearby tree that had been reaching out, and instead of stopping to untangle the limb, she jerked it free, and destroyed nearly all the damaged feathers in the process. Her nostrils could pick up the faintest whiff of blood when she brought her wing closer to quickly examine it, and the smell alone sent her galloping again with no regard for the berry bushes.

‘Blood would attract predators!’ Celeste internally screamed as she dashed, and maneuvered through the thickening forest.

Terror and instinct are a dangerous combination in normal circumstances, but in a forest known to be extremely dangerous? It becomes deadly. Celeste’s mind was overcome with this concoction being injected into her subconscious, an overhanging feeling that nipped at her heels to keep running from the unseen enemy. The berry bushes were forgotten, left crushed by the metaphorical tree…

“I’M SORRY! I DIDN’T MEAN IT!” Celeste cried between her growing sobs, and desperate gasps for air. She yelled another pathetic apology hoping it would appease the forest for whatever wrong she’d committed.

The forest only howled in response.

The quicker she galloped, the more she cried from the pain of her injured wing, and the stress of the situation wishing she had said ‘hogwash’ and never left the safety of her hut. That chance was growing smaller the longer she stayed in the forest, but no matter which direction she galloped, the forest would always look the same- an endless path with no end. She made another left, dashed between the tree guarding this path, and then took a right, left, straight ahead for several gallops, and then nearly stumbled when she smelt blood in the air.

Celeste backpedaled, and tripped over an now exposed root. She tried ignoring the tree, but realized it was the one she’d collided with earlier because its low hanging branches still held her blooded feathers between them. Pushing herself away from the tree, Celeste scrambled back onto her tired hooves only to bolt back the way she came from trying to escape, yet the more she ran, twisted and turned, the tree would always bar her path. This constant maneuvering left the frightened pony exhausted, and unable to do anything but whimper, and try again.

During yet another attempt to escape something got tangled between her hooves, and casing a glance back, her eyes became wide seeing the proof the forest had betrayed her.

A tree stuck another root out, and caught her during mid stride sending the distressed pony toward the ground with a hard pop. The impact forced out what little air was left in her lungs leaving the mangled mare gasping for air between her choked sobs, and failed attempts to stand back up. The pain was all over, and the moment Celeste tried standing on her left forehoof was the moment she realized she couldn't, but that didn’t matter. Fear propelled her forward despite her body’s protests to stop and rest for a bit.

With a possibly broken hoof, and tattered wing being the only things she had to show for today's adventure, Celeste was already adamant this would be the last time she ever left the safety of her hut again- if she survived. The injuries and exhaustion were finally catching up to her, but the will to survive kept her hooves moving even when it seemed the forest was moving in on her…

“GET DOWN!”

The scream knocked her senseless, but obeyed the warning regardless either on instinct or some installed desire to listen.

No sooner had she hit the ground was her vision consumed by a blinding white light accompanied with a blazing heat so hot, it singed her entire back- then there was the thunder. It was worse than the previous night. Its roar deafened her ears even when they were firmly pressed against her head as it struck the forest around her! Pieces of wood pelted her charred back, and injured wing, almost like the forest was still trying to further injure the poor mare. Celeste continued believing this as several large chunks from the trees pierced her rear leg, and a large chunk hit the back of her head.

Celeste couldn’t even fully process her torment when something firmed came under her shoulder and proceeded to drag her forward. Immediately, her eyes opened and proceeded to fight back by digging her rear hooves into the ground, but the pain in her right thigh scurried up her charred back like little mites swarming her sensitive skin. She relented to the pain, and fell forward.

“GET UP! By Hurricane’s Might, you will move freak!” Commanded the voice that wasn’t her own.

Her dilated eyes struggled to correct themselves when another yank pulled Celeste onto her tired forehooves, and jerked her forward again. Her vision was momentarily restored enough for Celeste to make out the pony shape yanking on her left forehoof and gasped at her abductor!

He stood only half her height, and had wings much like her own- mangled and possibly broken. She could see their stockier frame marking him as a stallion, and if circumstances were different she might have gawked! The only stallion she could remember seeing was her own father, but that had been many seasons past, and since her mother’s passing hadn’t seen another pony.

Yet he was a pegasus, and even with her extra appendages was an earth pony making him the enemy. Right as she was going to stand her ground and fight did the stallion reach toward his chest and withdraw something blindingly bright! She shunned its brightness, and before she could recover the sound of lighting and thunder once more dominated the world around her.

As the earth and tree bark pelted her damaged body once more did the hooves return trying to drag her way. There was a commotion, but Celeste could only hear mumbled responses- she briefly thought she was underwater when it gradually faded into a high pitched ringing before the stallion’s shouting became clear.

“...cow! You wan ta perish then so be it!” His voice sounded wet for a moment, and the sound of him spitting confirmed it.

She smelt blood but couldn’t tell if it was hers or possibly his, but then the hooves forfeit their hold of her allowing Celeste to fall to the ground again. This time she struggled to pick up her exhausted, and battered body, crying as her rear leg gave out, but continued extracting herself from the earth. The stallion backed away, and she noted how his posture was low, but didn’t move as she stood on shaky hooves.

Celeste looked back and almost cried when she saw the charred, but still burning woods around, consuming the woods and to her horror the scattered remains of timberwolves. Her gaze turned to the trees and the sight nearly made her fall stumble back as what she had taken for a tree was the burning remains of a Greater Alpha.

“Wha..” She jumped back when the stallion began coughing, and flinched as the muscles in her rear leg contracted, sending a renewed burst of pain up along her spine.

The stallion’s coughing grew more violent until he was struggling to stand or breathe. Celeste wasn’t sure what to do as he finally fell to the earth, and when the splatters of blood began painting the earth did she understand the severity of the situation- he was dying. The urge to help was great, yet years of isolation and earth pony upbringing held back her hoof for those vital seconds.

He was still breathing, but each expulsion of air carried with it more of his blood. The deadly orb the pegasus had used to summon the lighting laid beside him, mimicking his breathing, as its light flickered ever dimmer, but still gave enough for her to see his condition. Many years of conditioning were being fought at this very moment as Celeste’s selfless nature wanted to surface and save not only the first pony she’d seen in years, but had saved her life. The pegasus’s chest was growing still the longer she waited, and even with the urgency, it took the scraping of moving branches and dismembered bark trying to knit themselves together for the freak to make a choice.

Her wounded flank still leaked blood, but it was the bark digging further into her muscles that left the leg all but dragging as she scooped up the dying pegasus, and fought to keep him from falling over. Celeste’s breath hitched as she hissed in raw pain as the pegasus was dropped onto her charred back, but there was no other way to safely transport him without dragging his body.

Using her magic, she struggled to carry the orb next to her as she lamely began retracing her steps in the hopes it would lead her back to her hut. With the Timberwolves’ magic broken, there was a good chance the forest would show mercy, and allow her to leave, or so she desperately hoped.

Chapter 2

Celeste grunted with frustration as the shaft of her wooden ax broke once more, leaving the stone head embedded into the log. This was the third time the ax had broken while chopping the downed trees around her hut, and the gash along her rear thigh was burning fiercely today- it was becoming infected.

Throwing the snapped handle toward her hut, the freakish earth pony began limping toward the lake shore where she’d left the bucket earlier this morning so she could collect water to boil. She muttered angrily to herself as she dragged the injured leg toward the lake, noting how much of her home looked unchanged ever since the storm nearly three days ago. Her anger grew more intense thinking of all that wasted time, and while she wanted to shift that blame to the nearly dead pony occupying her bed, Celeste couldn’t in good faith.

If anything, it was that same pony that had broken the timberwolves’ hold over her, and burnt them to literal ash.

“They’ve been a proper nuisance for many seasons, and in one night no more.” She really was thankful for that blessing even if it came from a Cloud Stomper.

Timberwolves may be one of the many problems in this forest, they paled to the bigger creatures that stalked the rest of the forest. Celeste was sure she’d heard their howls coming from a known manticore den many seasons ago, and that thought had always lingered in the back of her mind, as they could easily find their way to her hut with nothing to stop them. A lame mare, and an equally dead stallion couldn't be more of a threat to them then the rain was to her garden.

The closer she got to the water’s edge, the bucket moved further out until it was far enough from the shore for her to dunk it beneath its surface. With a greater strain than expected, Celeste hoisted the bucket from under its cloudy depths, and brought it closer to land so she could remove whatever plants or potential fish she might have snagged. No plants this time but she did surprise a passing fish and sighed at what it meant…

“Fish for dinner…” Her life had been hard already, and while Celeste really didn’t like eating meat, the mare can’t turn away a free meal. Especially when in the past it seems her coat always looked healthier with a softness, and sheen after said meal.

Understanding the state of her body, eating fish for a couple of days might speed her recovery anyway. With all signs pointing toward a fishy dinner, the mare reluctantly left the poor fish within the bucket as her magic carried it the best it could. Celeste’s trip back to the hut was more exhausting than chopping wood, and she could dismiss it as the former for the because, she knew better. The potential infection of her leg, tattered wing, extensive use of her earth magic, and the lack of any good sleep had left her drained of all desire and energy to do anything but lay still. It was only the threat of death not only for her, but her savior that forced the tired mare off her sleeping mat to begin the healing process.

Celeste had left the tattered rags hanging over the door to keep the illusion of privacy even as the only other pony for leagues was in the hut, and most likely was slipping away as she hauled the water inside. Still, the freak earth pony parted the rags with her good wing to keep the bucket from being caught in them, and proceeded to pour the bucket into the cauldron. The fish, now free from its enclosure, began exploring its much larger container, and Celeste almost found it cute if she didn’t plan on eating the creature.

It always left her feeling sick, but the fish was food in a time when her garden was destroyed, and her forging trips had left her empty-hoofed.

She ended up making another 5 painful trips to the lake, and then another 5 trips back in order to fill the cauldron to the maximum height Celeste felt was enough for her intended purposes- the fifth trip had seen the fish returned to the bucket until a later time. She peered under the mass of metal, and began applying some of the chopped wood into the embers to help fuel the flame she would need.

With a fire stoked, Celeste left the cauldron of water to its inevitable fate to make use of her time by tending to her wounded thigh. She limped over to what was left of the table her mother had once put together from the remains of several trees, and began trying to gather what ingredients were left to create the salve. The table was old, and had nearly rotted away with age, yet despite the constant repair by its current caretaker had done little to keep the last fragment of her mother from collapsing. Some of the ingredients missed the container because the table was constantly shaking, and thankfully that was the only problem with it, because sometimes the vines used to tie the planks of wood and legs together would come undone.

This wasn’t one of those times, and Celeste managed to keep the table steady long enough to mix up the basic salve her mother had taught her a lifetime ago.

The fire was in full blaze by this point, meaning it would be a short time before the lake water would properly boil, and become usable leaving the hurting mare time to kill. Partly out of desperation, Celeste decided to make use of the partly heated water to wipe down her wounded thigh; all of her spare bandages were used on the stallion, and so she ripped some of tattered rags off the doorway, dipping them into the warming water. The ‘washed rags’ were then removed as she laid on the dirt floor next cauldron, using the fire to keep herself warm as she removed the patchwork of leaves covering her wound- she flinched as ripped them off.

“Epona…” She hissed through her teeth, and sighed in relief once it was finished.

The wound was indeed infected. The dried blood around its edges acted as a wall that allowed the wound proper to become a lake of dirt, and pus to fester unmolested till now. Celeste cursed her carelessness, for she swore she’d cleaned it well the first time, but what was done is done. Making use of the partly warm and clean rags she began to clean the wound, flinching as the sensitivity proved too much, but pressed on all the same. She ‘washed’ the rags in the cauldron of water nearly 7 times trying to drown the infection under the warm touch of the cleaning rag, gaging as she felt the dirt and pus mixture being pushed out of the wound, and running down her large thigh.

Biting her lip to keep from throwing up, Celeste managed to fully rid the wound of the horrid mixture enough to apply the salve she’d levitated off the table, thankful for her freak abilities. Once the salve was dumped into her wound, she gathered up the rag and patchwork of leaves and dunked them into the boiling water to rid them of the pus, and dried blood before removing them; Celeste used the partly clean rag to wipe her thigh while she reused the leaves once more to cover the cleaned wound.

Being careful, she stood up, and noticed the wet dirt where the pus had pooled and kicked some dirt over it until it was completely covered- the rags were dunked into the water yet again to clean them for their next task of cleaning the stallion. It was with this intent Celeste finally turned her attention to the stallion covered in blood soaked bandages, and watched for any signs of life from the very still…

“Was that a breath?” She asked herself, but couldn’t tell for certain.

His presence still terrified her, for the only pony she could truly remember was her mother, and the description she’d provided of her father. Ever since, she’d been living alone in this forest of death, and misery until his intervention that night, yet his deeds won him no favors for he was still a pegasus- a stallion no less. Celeste found her mouth becoming dry as her thoughts sent her emotions running wild, leaving the poor mare unsure how to proceed as she felt obligated to care for her would be savior, yet the fear of being near him left her unwilling. Mother had tried teaching her during her yearling years to be mindful of others, but that changed when they left the village for the forest, and many years of fear couldn’t be broken so easily.

“He is!” She happily cried, not even realizing her own relief seeing the sign of life. Unaware how lonely and eager she’d been to have another pony around even if they couldn’t talk.

Still, he was a pegasus stallion, and her mother’s teachings of them couldn’t be forgotten that quickly.

The approach was slow, for fear and a lame leg kept the abnormal mare from moving too fast, but eventually she reached the charred remains of the pegasus that occupied her bed, and while extending her injured leg out, sat by his side. This closeness was new, and somehow excited the mare as it made her feel younger in a way, like she was doing something bad and getting away with it!

Even laying beside the stallion, Celeste still towered over him like a mother looking down on their foal. The thought both intrigued, and comforted her with the understanding that if he should wake it would be difficult to overpowered her. When compared to the stallion, Celeste found the limp and soreness acceptable.

His body had been sparsely covered with what little bandages she had left, but their dull tan color was lost after soaking up his blood for the past three days, and nearly blinded in with the rest of his body. Even during the night he came in wielding powers of the storm, his coat color was a mystery, and more so now as nearly all of the exposed skin smelt of burnt fur and flesh. As Celeste inhaled the odor of decay her anxiety caused by the pegasus stallion turned to pity, for even a potential enemy didn’t need to suffer like this- her mind was made up.

Reaching with her limited magic, the freak earth pony found the rag she’d been using and removed it from the boiling cauldron to begin her work.

She scooted closer to the stallion now that she felt confident he wouldn’t spring forth and attack her, allowing the tentative mare to begin cleaning the stallion. The rag, wet, and nearly burning from its time in the boiling water needed to be cooled off, and Celeste did that by blowing on the rag until the steam coming off it was no more- the real work could proceed. In her youth, Celeste would have ripped the bandages off without any thought, but after several painful lessons understood she couldn’t do that without causing anymore bleeding. This is where the rag came in. The warm, and wet rag will loosen thin wrappings enough to be peeled off his burnt body, and allow her the chance to clean them in the cauldron of boiling water.

Glancing to the stallion’s head, Celeste observed his breathing partly to make sure he hadn’t died since she last looked before starting.

Even in her magic grip, Celeste could feel the almost burning rag, and was thankful it could be tolerated long enough to clean her foreign savior. She started on his barrel where most of the bandages had been applied, and with careful strokes of her magic dragged the rag across charred chest watching with foalish wonder as the flakes of burnt skin, crumbling fur, and dried blood clung to the rag with each swipe. Already the rag was dirty, and had to be re-dunked into boiling water, and wrung it over the floor before she could continue. In total Celeste had to repeat this another 5 times to get flakes of death off the stallion’s barrel and expose the raw skin underneath that unquestionably signaled signs of life.

“Poor creature…” she whispered as she wrung the rag once more on the floor, and noted how much the water had darkened since she began. Soon, she’ll have to change the water and reheat it, but taking another glance at the lifeless looking pony forced her to do it now.

Celeste threw the dirty rag onto the floor and proceeded to grab the bucket when she saw the fish lazily swimming circles in the otherwise clean water, and the freak pony clenched her teeth in frustration knowing she’ll have to risk her catch escaping if she wanted to properly clean this pony. She’d made little pins in the dirt before to hold extra fish, but often then not the fish either managed to escape or because they couldn't escape became an easy meal for roaming predators had stopped that practice to keep predators away.

Conflicted over the matter her hunger eventually won, and decided to dig a temporary pin along the lake shore to house the fish, thus freeing up the bucket to begin removing the water from the cauldron. The day was already growing long, and Celeste should have felt frustrated at the lack of progress repairing her home, but a strange fascination for the injured pony spurred her onward to care for her would be savior. It excited her more than angered her.

The bucket was emptied into this little pool, and once confident the water wasn’t leaking out began making her way back to the hut to begin changing out the water. Each trip resulted in Celeste carefully dunking the bucket into the scalding cauldron, and ended with a glance aimed toward the stallion.

“A pony!” Her mind kept shouting as she discarding another bucketful of the foul water onto her disheveled garden. “A pony!”

The little fire from earlier was becoming embers and ashes, but it did its job keeping the cauldron hot meaning the water won’t need as long heating up. Celeste could always restart the fire as needed, but the heated cauldron was already warming the few buckets of fresh lake water meaning a big fire wouldn’t be necessary without wanting to waste more resources. Still, the mare didn’t really pay the dying fire any attention as she gathered one final bucket of water, her mind still occupied by the idea of another pony being so close to her.

“A pony!” This was her rallying cry going forward, and didn’t even realize her tail was whipping back and forth with excitement as she dumped the final bucket of lake water into the mostly full cauldron.

Her eyes couldn’t help but dart to the burnt pony occupying her sleeping mat, and her heart would beat a little faster as she began to wonder who he was, or what he might know of the world outside of the forest. The chance of talking to another creature besides herself was slowly consuming her thoughts and actions as she now considered trying to wake the stallion up just to hear his voice once more.

“A pony!” She thought again with a skip in her step, and tail all but wagging as she made the final trip to the lake to check on the fish.

By evening’s fall, Celeste found herself dumping dirty water once more only this time she spared her tattered garden, and dumped all of it in a plot of land she’d decided would be cultivated later. Figuring the water would loosen the dirt for tiling in several sunrises , she felt this made up for the day's distraction, and loss of productivity even if it meant spending another night on the floor.

“A new bed…new!” She told herself as she watched the last bucket of water gurgle into the soaked dirt.

Since her decision to take care of her burnt savior there had been a growing excitement that had lasted all day, and already it was disrupting her long established cycle since she was still feeling energetic. In the nearly four days since the storm and timberwolf attack, Celeste’s fear of the stallion had grown to into a morbid fascination she’d never experienced in all the years living alone, as the requirement to survive had consumed all of the mysticism to explore- the stallion changed that. Even now as she limped to avoid aggravating her injured leg, she found herself wanting to skip back just to burn off this extra energy; none of the waiting chores could lure her away from the half charred stallion, as she unintentionally found herself wanting to nurture the stallion.

Either because of the distraction he provided, or a suppressed desire of another kind, Celeste found it hard to keep away from the stallion…

“A stallion!” Her heart was beating faster, and all she did was limp back and forth with a bucket of water to dump. Everything she was experiencing was confusing, but instead of leaving her fearful that something was wrong, Celeste found it thrilling!

The corners of her mouth were being drawn up, and she had no idea why he made her so happy.

“There’s a pony in my hut.” She whispered, but couldn’t stop the unleashed laughter now that her entire body was alive!

All the trepidations surrounding that land she’d claim as her own correlated mostly to what had happened in the early years with her mother, the trauma of her passing, and her father being taken by the town’s militia had greatly hindered the freak mare’s ability to go out and take risks. Everyday from her early yearling years until now, Celeste had done everything her mother instructed of her to a fault leaving the much older mare in rut for fear of altering her schedule too much; the night of the storm had been her first venture away from the hut in a long stretch of memory, which ironically, the last time she went off exploring had lead to her finding the berry patch she was seeking to replace.

Now, here she was with her lands in slight ruin for the past several days with a bucking pegasus occupying her bed, and yet none of this frightened the recluse mare as it should have. Often, she wouldn’t leave any light of fire burning within her hut to conserve the wood, lessening the risk of attracting attention from the forest. For the past two nights, a shift in her routine stopped her from putting out the little flames whenever she left so the near dead stallion might have something to keep himself warm. The thought of using her good wing to cover had dashed through her mind, but the idea had been a little too forward for her tastes and bashfully deciding leaving the fire was the better choice.

Reentering the already lit hut filled her with a different feeling entirely as well, for now it held a purpose to it then to remind the freak pony she’d forgotten something. It remained lit because it served a purpose!

Normally by the sun’s waning light, her hut would be matching it in stride out of the old belief to leave a light on in the night hours would draw evil to your home. A belief Celeste had kept up for a great many seasons until three moon rises ago when she bit her lip hard enough to bleed, and left it on the first night for the stallion out of fear he would cease breathing in the night. The second night, the fire was left crackling so the stallion might remain warm in the unusually cold night, but now she left the fire going not only for him, but herself to satisfy a delight in seeing bright light in the waning sunlight. A moth drawn to the flame. A foal being tempted by evil spirits meant to harm. A mare finally discovering another way to live.

Hunger was creeping up on her, and with her leg still sore from all the activity and wanting a chance to heal meant it was time to eat.

The fishy broth of her dinner had been another change from the normal as Celeste had an idea to give it to the stallion with the hopes he might heal faster as well. With some hesitation, Celeste fixed a small helping of the soup, and lifted the stallion up carefully to force the burnt creature a chance to drink. The entire time, Celeste bit her lip, and only used her magic to lift the bowl toward what had been his lips, and nearly dropped him when the water began to disappear.

Only when she had repositioned the stallion did she excuse herself from the hut to collapse wearily onto the grass to convulse her nerves away.

Eating is one thing, but watching the pegasus drink the fishy remains of the soup broth made her already weak stomach churn from the smell. She couldn’t even keep from gagging when her tongue touched one of the bits of fish let alone tolerate its slimy skin when she tried chewing it, further adding to an already miserable meal- watching made it even worse. Celeste knew she had to eat the fish if she wanted to heal properly because mother won’t lie to her, and that must hold true to the stallion flirting with death.

“Mo..mother won..nt..lie.” She tried repeating the phrase she would often say to herself when in doubt.

Against her desires, the freak pony knew she’ll have to use her magic again to catch more fish for tomorrow’s meal, but kept repeating that phrase of hers even as her weakening stomach convulsed to rid itself of the food that wasn’t even there. She shuddered as the convulsions racked her body trying to rid herself of what she had seen, but this time proved too much and she lost what little remained in her stomach. The experience was worse than with a full stomach, and all she could do was close her eyes as her body tried ridding itself of the measly water, and partially rotten carrot eaten in the morning. It wasn’t much, but watching the stallion slurp the fishy soup with no problem coupled with her own memories prolonged the experience until finally her stomach was sure there wasn’t anything left.

Wiping her muzzle along the grass, Celeste managed to rid herself of the raw taste gripping the fur along her mouth. It was a small victory, but one she’ll take as she weakly stood back on her trembling legs. Fighting this sickness, and painful injury, Celeste limply made her way back to the hut trying to steel herself for any possible mess her stallion might have made during her absence.

“My stallion!”

She had to stop as the thought surprised her, but she continued with a little trot in her step.

While not ‘her’ stallion in the way her mother and father were, the abnormal pony allowed all of his care to fall upon her shoulders after all. Mother had done so for father once before (or so she was told), and wasn’t she doing that for her savior this very moment? She could have left the poor creature to its certain death back in the woods, but didn’t! Plus it allowed her the chance to marvel at a pony more closely.

Even if her long established routine was ruined for good, Celeste couldn’t help but feel an urge to skip (even though she was limping) back to her hut. It had taken her the last few sunrises to understand just how lonely she’d been, and this revelation made doing basic chores a hassle to complete. The ruined garden fencing being an example of that.

Still, the prep in her step uplifted the freak pony’s spirit enough to cast off the gloom of responsibility for another day to take care of the burnt husk of a stallion occupying her bed.

Entering her hut, Celeste was relieved to find the stallion hadn’t discarded his liquid meal, and that everything in the hut was in the exact spot as before. Her stomach whined from hunger and the abuse it had been put through, but Celeste paid it no mind as she moved toward the fire under the cauldron. The flame was more subtle as the embers and charcoal mix cooled from nearly two days of being constantly lit, yet the freak pony prodded them with a small branch she kept on the ground. She watched as the flames crackled once more and tried to reignite, but could’t find the strength to do so, and this made her smile as she knew they wouldn’t catch again without her intervention.

“Good. Good.” She whispered to herself, knowing the two of them would be warm tonight without being consumed by the flame.

Speaking of being kept warm, Celeste’s leg pulsed angrily at all the movement it had been put through, and with nothing keeping her awake any longer decided to comply with its wishes to rest. A small thrill consumed the freak pony as she limped toward her charred guest as she recalled the previous night, and the feeling of ‘wrongness’ it brought with it; somehow, it didn’t terrify her as much like her mother used to warn her before her passing. Celeste could still remember all of her mother’s scolding words and warnings against being too friendly to any creature not an earth pony, yet she was now actively trying to save one.

There were a great many problems that plagued her life, and while the stallion’s arrival offered no relief from those problems, it did energize the older mare to no end at having something to live for again. Celeste couldn’t properly describe this new feeling growing inside her like a weed, and could only compare it to how she looked after her garden, but stronger. Her desire to take care of her garden stemmed back since earth ponies first learned to plow the land, Celeste was wise enough to know there was a difference between her garden and the charred stallion in her bed.

Her garden was critical to her continued survival in these scary woods, while the stallion wasn’t. Yet, if she didn’t account for him saving her then what did she owe the stallion? Nothing really, as she was spending more time caring for him then completing her required chores, the same ones her mother had tasked her with so many sunrises ago.

“Why do I keep you around?” She asked herself as she carefully stretched out her injured leg to prevent the wound from opening again.

She continued asking herself this question even as she laid down next to the stallion who paid her no notice, especially none as she draped her large (uninjured) wing over him. Her reasoning for keeping the stallion warm held little motive then a need to touch, and help her savior. The previous night's reluctance was already discarded as she found nothing, but stories keeping her from helping a pony in need. A pony that had saved her twice: from timberwolves, and from herself.

“Good night my little stallion.” She muttered into where his ears would be if he wasn’t a completely charred mess of a pony.

The previous night she barely had the courage next to the stallion, and now she was whispering into his ears. A complete upheaval to her way of life as if the sun had grown dull, and the moon bright instead, yet all of this excitement intrigued her all the same. Watching the stallion’s labored breathing (better than four days ago), left her worried as well as still hungry, but reminded what her mother used to say whenever things got really bad.

‘Today is just a single day of many to come, and not meant to fawn over. Tomorrow could be the best day of your life, and could be missed if you keep looking back. You have to keep a smile, and have the will to wear it. Life means nothing if you have nothing to keep you waking up.’