The Journey From West Artax

Chapters

Chapter 1. "Artax Library"
Chapter 2. "The Town Knows It's Silence"
Chapter 3. "Friendship... Easy As Pie!"
Chapter 4. "Old voices heard again"
Chapter 5. "The day comes to a close"
Chapter 6. "Self-reverence in moonlight"
Chapter. 7 "Those who are lost in the void."
Chapter. 8 "Denizens of the afterlife"

Chapter 1. "Artax Library"

The calling of birds echoed over the horizon, as the wind sang with the life of the forest. The calmness of the world was so palpable at that very moment, that the universe itself could vanish, and very little would change.

Suddenly as if the very personification of Yin had spawned; there came a brash cadence of tips and taps from a nearby dirt trail. A young mare, coated in green with a mane seemingly brushed almond brown; rushed along the path. Her purple and white scarf carrying on into the wind flowing elegantly behind her, in contrast: her breath hung hoarse and unsteady as she ran. The sun casted itself brightly on her brilliant horn, tipped in a white color; almost like a snow capped moutain. the hillside shown vibrantly as she hurried along, stopping only briefly to avoid the rocks, sticks, and the occasional puddle on the path.

On the horizon appeared what held the look of a small town; populated more by Mother nature than by actual civilization. As Butter Crème approached the apparent ghost town; she slowed down. Strutting her way toward one of the remaining buildings, that unlike most the other ones, held its ridged structures, and almost glowed amongst the sad excuse for a town square, that had once held some kind of precedence to the livelihood of the old town.

Now slowing even more as the mare approached: Butter Crème raised her horn, casting a beam of magic, that had then caught the handle of the building's door, twisting it, and pushing it forward. Surprisingly her muzzle had met the door with an abrupt slam. At first she had assumed the door to be locked, but upon further inspection she found the door handle had snapped when she spun it.

With a panicked look in her eyes she fought to put the knob back on, to no avail. A rustling came from the other side of the door, which made her panic stronger: not too sure what to do; she threw the broken knob into a local bush, preparing to greet the face behind the door.

The door opened slowly to reveal an older stallion: he slowly adjusted his eyes to the mares shadow, he then opened his mouth with a sigh and dryly stated "Damn, Butter Crème, you had me hopes up: I thought the reaper was finally here for me" as he turned around presumably leading Butter Crème inside the still standing building.

Hesitating slightly, before choosing to ignore the door handle she had just tossed into the bush, Butter Crème eagerly took the opportunity to go inside; as it had been an uncomfortably boiling day. Gazing around the inside of the building as she walked; she captured the aroma of mildew and a fresh cooked stew.

Now realizing her thoughtless silence Butter Crème mustered up her voice and inquisitivly asked "any business as of late Mr.Eremie"?

To which he jokingly responded "aye, but I don't commonly talk about me trips to the washroom" almost boasting his laughter towards the end of his sentence.

Butter Crème let out a comforting laugh out of sentiment for the old stallion. Stepping through a door; she found herself inside a room with thousands of books in shelves that stretched up to the heavens, alas she had seen this room almost everyday in her life; it never ceased to amaze her.

Butter Crème stood for a moment before Mr.Eremie called her to sit down in the center of a room, where there had been a table layered in a mixture of individual papers, books, and pencils. She quickly took his offer to which he said "I joke with ya lassie, business is slow as usual, save for a yellow pegasus that had wrecked me place for a bit" with a slight irritation in his voice he continued "atleast ya clean up after yahself, I've never seen a more rude lass".

Butter Crème interjected "You actually get customers?" The look of confusion on her face clearly being seen.

Mr.Eremie looked at her and further explained, burrowing a bit of irritation "aye, it's not unusual for a stray pegasus to stop by me shop during the day; this one was a strange lass however, kept asking me bout some information on this "Castle of North Balibon"; some kind of prank that tis".

Slightly puzzled, Butter Crème questioned "how would that be a prank?"

Mr.Eremie Rolled his eyes towards the curious mare that was now carefully moving books around the table to see him better he let out a sigh "There be no North Balibon, tis just an old tale from our ancestors 'bunch of fools' I'd rather call them" he said, now locking eyes with Butter Crème as he altered his tone "I ain't got room for nonsense in me library; now I believe you've had enough of a break, dearie, time to cut the lollygagging and get to lolly-workin" laughing slightly at his half-pun.

Butter Crème nodded her head in agreement and hurried from her seat, knocking over a few of the books she had just carefully organized.

A few hours had passed since Mr.Eremie had set off for home, and Butter Crème had settled in a chair: behind the counter of the arid library. half asleep she rocked back and forth while listening to the pattering of a downpour that was happening outside presumably fighting the grasp of the Sand Stallion: she drowsily muttered to herself "I should have brought a book to read, if I knew it was gonna be this boring" taking a half-second to realize the obliviousness of the sentence she had just said; she was glad no pony was in the library to have heard it.

Butter Crème stepped up from her chair taking a second to catch herself from the grasp of sleepiness' hold: she walked out from behind the counter towards a door located in the back of the room. Walking over stacks of books; she haphazardly made her way along.

Stepping through the door Butter Crème found herself stepping into an old styled kitchen: she took a step towards a cabinet grabbing the handle with her magic, and then a tea bag with her mouth. Looking around the room she locked her eyes onto a gas stove, with a collection of pots and pans amassed on it; stepping up to it she carefully grabbed a pot from the top of the stack, and spun around finding the sink.

Walking up to the sink Butter Crème turned the handle to which it generously responded with a dreadful "scree-"; water rushed from the tap to which she brought the pan, humming a careful tune in the process. After reaching a satisfing level of water she carefully floated the pan back to the stove, simultaneously clicking it to life and gently placing the pan on an open stove eye.

While carefully tending to the pot, Butter Crème heard a muffled knocking sound in the next room, assuming it to be nothing but the wind: she turned the tap off and turned back to the stove. As she watched the water she observed her surroundings: the sounds of the world around her flourished: the sound of rain pittering, wind howling, and flames wailing out into the quietness of the night, and yet standing out in the banausic noise; the knocking persisted.

Looking to her right Butter Crème casted her gaze towards a window covered by a pair of diminished blinds; settling to step away from the stove she started towards the window duly noting the uncertainty of the nights contents: at that moment she heard the knocking again; this time the knocking struck her different. The wrapping came at a different pace, as if it were in great hurry, as if it were so very alive it could knock a hole into her soul.

Butter Crème stumbled back from the window, realizing the location of the sound was in fact behind her. She shook with ferocious terror at how real everything felt at that moment. She felt trapped where she stood, every chance movement she tried to make: her body fought back against. Finally forcing her legs to move, she quietly spun towards the kitchen's door: stepping closer she slowly opened it, priming her magic. she found the library as devoid of life as the rest of the town.

settling her breath, and her horn. Butter Crème reasoned with herself that it was some part of her imagination overacting in the presence of sleep deprivation; she began to turn around when she heard the knock once more, this time being pinpointed at the front door of the library where she had broken the handle. Now noting the reality; that the knock had been real and not imagination: she found it hard to ease her fear as she began towards the front door.

The knocking echoed, filling the room with each rapid yet gentle bang; Butter Crème couldn't help but feel an immense dread as the knocking danced inside her head: carrying with it every unpleasant horror ever thought of in the dark of night. Her hooves moved on their own, shaking thoroughly enough to make sneaking hard. Could this be a killer after a lonely innocent mare in the dead of night: a kidnapper hoping to take her and use her magic for their own good, maybe perhaps a hungry dragon that had skipped dinner; Butter Crème's imagination grabbed at her with a strangling hold.

Butter Crème stepped up to the door, and carefully looked into the cracked peephole on the door: there stood a purple mare soaked from head to hoof shivering with her head down. Suddenly a bolt of lightning crashed to the ground carrying with it a loud boom, causing Butter Crème to let out a loud yelp and to fall backwards bringing out an even louder thud with it.

A voice casted from behind the door "Hello, I promise I'm not here to hurt you. please, I'm really scared".

Remembering that she had broken the door knob off, Butter Crème shot up and opened the door as quick as she could.

Now making eye contact with the mysterious mare. Butter Crème frantically apologized for not answering the door sooner.

After around a minute the purple mare quietly interrupted her, to question "if she could please step out of the rain".

Butter Crème stepped to the side suddenly realizing the absent minded rudeness of blocking the door. Noting the mare's lack of a horn Butter Crème began to ask "what's an earthpony doing out here?", before stopping halfway as the purple mare had stepped inside. Slowly embracing the library's warm light: Butter Crème had found it hard not to recognize that the stranger was indeed a pegasus: for anypony else this might not be out of ordinary but Butter Crème had never seen a pegasus outside of her stories: She found herself so awestruck at the sight of the mare's gentle violet wings: she failed to notice the pegasus speaking directly to her.

The now, slightly annoyed purple mare waved her hoof at Butter Crème who had been staring at her for an uncomfortably long amount of time: eventually the mare conceited to turn away: letting out a deep breath and stepping towards a local fireplace, instead deciding to warm herself up.

In response to the sudden movement Butter Crème came back to reality simply stating in a tone akin to what you'd hear from a child at the local zoo "you're a pegasus"!

The mare turned to her slightly puzzled and quietly stated "yes... and you're a unicorn".

Butter Crème had noticed the bluntness of the statement and elaborated "No, I mean like 'you're a pegasus!' I've never seen a pegasus before, you look so cool" her excitement seeping into her tone, and coming out into a slight giggle.

The mare looked towards the now overzealous Butter Crème, brushing some of her tyrian purple mane out of her face and continuing with a worrisome look "Right... thank you, my name's Moonlight Breeze, but most ponies call me Breeze; what's your name"?

Butter Crème gathered herself "oh yes, my name's Butter Crème, sorry. say, would you like some tea? I've got some water boiling in the next room" her eyes widened as she quickly shouted "shoot" and took off in the direction of the Kitchen, that she had left not too long prior to Breeze's arrival.

Breeze watched as Butter Crème scurried away, but found herself enthralled by her surroundings stepping towards a nearby bookshelf; she pulled off a book and began skimming through it, half noting the amount of dust that had came from the shelf with a sniffle.

Time passed slowly, as Breeze fought off the comforting warmness of the library. Tens of minutes passed by as Breeze waited on Butter Crème: consequently she found herself drifting off to sleep, when a gentle shaking had stirred her; opening her eyes she looked towards the direction to see Butter Crème holding a silver tray with a tea set and a jar of sugar.

Butter Crème gently floated the tea platter to a nearby table and greeted Breeze again; with uncertainty the purple mare stood up and cantered towards the tea preparing herself a cup along side Butter Crème.

"So what brings you out here?" Butter Crème said with a benevolent curiosity.

"I was just making my way home, then this storm came" Breeze said while avoiding eye contact and locking her gaze to the rippling tea.

"Well you're welcome to stay here for another 3 or so hours, after that I have to close the library up; if the rain's still bad by that point you're welcome to stay at my house for a bit, it's not too far from here" Butter Crème said while carefully stirring some sugar into her tea.

"That would be lovely" Breeze said with a subtle embarrassment in her tone.

As the hour passed, Breeze found herself enthralled by a decrepit looking book that she had caught a glimpse earlier of on the shelf.

Butter Crème sat sipping her tea eagerly asking questions like "what's a pegasus' favorite food", "what do clouds taste like", and "do you have a cloud library". But her words didn't reach Breeze's ears.

As Breeze read the ancient book, the outside world ceased its existence. the concept of light and darkness felt as stygian as the ink that scarred the pages left to time. The meanings of the words ment nothing to her: they seemed more like a foreign language and yet they enthralled her.

Butter Crème stopped and looked at her: noting that her answers were no longer fitting to the questions she asked. She began to speak casting her gaze at what held Breeze's attention, but froze before uttering another word: seeing a soft glow rising from the book. The glow danced up above her like a serpent spooling itself around Breeze's head, and leading down to her neck. In a panic, Butter Crème quickly grabbed the book with her magic, as soon as her magic came in contact with the serpent like glow, it exploded into a brilliant golden light: brighter than any fire or star the night sky ever embraced.

The shockwave that followed had been enough to knock, both Breeze and Butter Crème to the ground, sending the book across the room and nearly landing it in the still lit fireplace.

Butter Crème shot up and shouted in a breaking voice "Breeze, are you okay!?"

Breeze rose her head and gazed around the room, everything seeming more or less: a mess of colorful blurs, She pardoned herself for a moment while she tried to get a grasp of the situation. The room became clearer, but she still felt "altered". She turned to Butter Crème and confusingly asked "what happened"?

Butter Crème looked at her stammering out of confusion "the book, it had a light monster; it tried to grab you."

Breeze looked at her with a concerned look; had it not been for her lacking of memory, and the shockwave she felt: she would have never believed a word of what Butter Crème spoke. Still it was possible she just used some kind of Unicorn spell, but Butter Crème didn't seem like the kind who would. She settled into trusting Butter Crème; at first hesitantly, but she reasoned that she had been nice enough so far. Gathering herself and getting back to her hooves: she began walking over to where the book had landed.

Butter Crème watched with a childlike worry; levitating a vase in front of her in a protective manner.

Breeze leered down at the book; not entirely believing that a book could by itself use magic, but being cautious nonetheless. Taking a careful seat, she rose the book in front of her: flinching softly, she slowly opened the cover. Breeze carefully opened her eyes and looked at the book: the book appeared to be a normal novel. The pages were worn out, but the words mostly remained: skimming through it, it seemed to detail an ancient kingdom.

Butter Crème carefully approached, her eyes fixated on the book. She stared at Breeze with a puzzled look; "what are you lookin at?" Butter Crème said still holding the previous confusion.

Breeze looked up from the book; catching Butter Crème's eyes. "I was reading the book?" Breeze said confusingly.

Butter Crème softly tilted her head towards the book and blatantly stated "The book's blank".

Breeze stared at Butter Crème in disbelief. "perhaps this unicorn had in fact casted a spell on her?" she thought in her head, battling the idea that this seemingly friendly mare would do such a thing, but after all Breeze's mind never truly played tricks on her, even during her most emotionally frail moments, she kept her grasp on reality. This time it felt different: her head felt clear, yet she felt as though she was on the edge of something, like some form of anxiety was building around her.

She glanced at Butter Crème's eyes; further examining them, it looked as though her eyes were watering. "Was she worried about me?" Breeze thought to herself a bit of her shock showing on her face: Looking past her eyes Butter Crème's whole demeanor seemed as if she was scared to some degree beyond normalcy, and yet there was a strange comfort in seeing the mare's concern.

Butter Crème shifted her tone softly asking "Breeze, you didn't hit your head or anything did you?" The worry almost personified itself.

Breeze didn't answer the question and instead offered a gentle smile of reassurance.

The currently feeble Butter Crème carefully sat next to Breeze, still watching her movements as if at any moment she could collapse. Butter Crème opened her mouth starting with a bit of doubt, and residue of worry "well... if the book does have writing in it; can you read some to me?"

Breeze carefully nodded and turned back to an earlier page beginning to read its contents in her head once more: surprisingly what was scribbles just moments ago, now was full sentences. Looking back to Butter Crème, she once again offered a comforting smile before relinquishing the silence "Many moons ago there was a kingdom not bound by clouds, sea, or land; it existed only to those worthy of it and damned those not. The kingdom was under two rulers: two stallions who's coats were pure like snow, and luster's were like a shining opal. For many a moon the kingdom lived prosperously, under the-" a sharp pain fixated in Breeze's mind stopping her immediately. In response Breeze put her hoof to her head rubbing it slightly "Had my head been hurting this whole time?" She wondered to herself.

Butter Crème looked up at Breeze with the worry seeping deep into her voice asking "what's wrong"?

Breeze didn't cast a smile at her this time instead just settling to speak "I'm alright, just got a headache for some reason"

Butter Crème looked at her dropping a bit of concern, but still holding the soft tone "Well is there anything I can do to help?" Butter Crème let out a slight smile while gently tilting her head trying to seem as comforting as possible.

"Thank you, but I'm alright" Breeze stated, while rubbing her still aching head.

Butter Crème caught what looked to be movement out of the corner of her eye; turning to it see it she passed her glance to a bead of light that danced upon the carpeted floor, she looked over at a local window: observing the still rising sun, peaking through dirty glass of the library, turning back to Breeze with a smile "It's daytime now and I believe the rain stopped, but if you would like you can still come rest at my house, until your headache clears?" She said, with a slight smile.

Breeze spoke with a shrill voice as the pain continued "I'd love to Butter Crème" Breeze recoiled as if the very action of speaking was wrenching.

Butter Crème stood up leaving a hoof behind to help Breeze up, while simultaneously chiming out "Come now, I'll lead the way~".

Breeze carefully took Butter Crème's hoof, and rose to stand in front of her. She carefully watched Butter Crème move back and forth across the Library: the unicorn grabbed at different odds and ends, finally turning to a coat rack by the door, grabbing her scarf and carefully wrapping it around her neck using her magic.

Butter Crème turned to Breeze with a giggly reaffirmance stating "okay, I'll lead the way!" Her childish excitement shown clearly on her face.

Breeze began taking careful steps forward before stopping and turning back, quickly grabbing the mysterious book up with her wings, and catching back up to Butter Crème who was already at the library's door.

As they stepped outside the door, Butter Crème locked it with a gentle "click" and closed it, before turning to look at Breeze.

Though Breeze's headache continued withering her mind, she found the strength to give Butter Crème a confirmation via a nod and grin.

Butter Crème smiled in return and lead the way forward through the town with Breeze carefully following her, trying to ignore the discomfort the sun casted into her head.

Chapter 2. "The Town Knows It's Silence"

The two mares continued walking through the town's lines of buildings; matching each others pace step for step amongst the cold morning air.

Breeze walked along absent-mindedly; paying more attention to the decrepit houses and shops around her, that held a abhorrent gloom that contrasted greatly against the soothing light the Sun had gifted upon it. Breeze carefully traced the remains of each building, although most of what was left was little more than rubble; She could faintly make out an aura of what each building was.

She found herself in awe of a runned down bakery that had a dusty teddy bear lying abandoned on it's mossy wood floor: perhaps a small foal had forgotten it once upon a time, just as the foal themself was forgotten by history many moons ago.

Breeze recentered her attention on the path as she rounded a corner with Butter Crème in tow; she stopped only briefly to take in what was left of the Town's Main square. looking over it she felt as though she could hear the faint laughter and cheer of the foregone inhabitants that were bastardized to time.

Breeze looked further into the town noticing the buildings beyond the square, and the decay they were in: the look of which in that moment seeming more as the result of a horror story with each building having windows broken or boarded up or doors broken down or sealed tight. Breeze's eyes danced to and fro with great horror: catching with each glance a new picturing of a lost soul or object that was abandoned in great strife. amongst the town she only seconds ago presumed full of laughter and cheer: she found it very clear that something malevolent happened here long ago.

In the middle of it all sat a broken fountain; the water in it somehow still flowing charismaticly. The slow pooling of water inside it carried an eerie flow of drips and drops into the somber silence of the town.

Butter Crème ran ahead, stopping next to the fountain, before giggling and tossing a single coin into it. She closed her eyes and sat over the fountain for a moment, before opening them and turning back to Breeze asking "Hey, Breeze? Want to make a wish"? Butter Crème giggled once more amongst the carrion that once was a town "I always love making wishes here: they feel so special." She said with her voice almost echoing in the silence.

Breeze stopped and stared at Butter Crème terrified, before turning back to look at where they had walked from: thinking back to the teddy bear and the foal who owned it; Breeze responded while taking a hesitant step away from Butter Crème "B-butter Crème...? W-what happened here? This place looks like it was ravaged."

Butter Crème who had held a smile throughout Breeze's questioning; now slowly dropped her childish grin, before looking down and continuing with a gutting sigh "I figured you would ask eventually. an elder of mine once told me a story of a magnificent town: a town named 'West Artax' that arose during the peak of Twilight Sparkle's reign over Equestria. All four races lived there so peacefully that the terms 'unicorn, pegasi, earth pony, and...' uh... oh dearie me I always forget the last one but either way; the names were almost lost to time."

Breeze stared in bemusement before interjecting "that was over a hundred years ago, what's that got to do with this town now"?

Butter Crème stared at her numbly before rolling her eyes and continuing "fine then, Breeze, I will skip over the boring parts for you. The peace continued for decades until one day: from over the west horizon came a mighty ruler. He demanded each pegasi give themselves up for his kingdom: demanding their wingpower for his military." Butter Crème suddenly stopped talking; carefully sitting down next to the fountain, before propping her back hooves up on its cold stone walls, and then laying her head on the grass path below, closing her eyes gently.

Breeze stared at Butter Crème in confusion: waiting for her to continue, but alas the mare watched as Butter Crème sat silently resting her head. She questioned "then what happened"?

Butter Crème opened one eye looking at Breeze, before laughing to herself and saying "they said yes, and the town did not like that"

Breeze looked at her with a showing frustration.

Butter Crème quit laughing and continued "well if you wanted details you should not have interrupted me, love". Butter Crème huffed slightly before mumbling off to herself "it is very rude you know"?

Breeze sighed and loosened her look of anger before continuing with slight frustration "I'm sorry, will you please tell me the rest of what happened".

Butter Crème smiled before sitting back up; carring her innocent demeanor back with it. "Shortly after Twilight's ruling ended in the civil war, it did not take long for the tension between the pony races to start rising here as well. as each generation passed, ponies grew more angry at each other. In the peak of the tension the foreign king arrived; demanding the pegasi fuel his army. The pegasi were very eager to join the king: due to the discrimination the unicorns had been placing upon them here, however the earth ponies were very unhappy about that since they paid the pegasi for their wing power: to use in their mill graining and powering their windmills, when alot of the pegasi left with the king, the earth ponies had barely anypony left to work those jobs, and as such blamed the unicorns for the absence of their pegasi workers. Soon after that began a hate group referred to as the 'Ponies Against Unicorns' or 'PAU' for short". Butter Crème's face turned to a look somberness as her eyes began wandering the town. She continued "what you see before you, is the result of a civil war that took place here many moons ago... I cannot say for sure how many innocent lives were lost, but the towns cemetery has been full ever since I could remember..." Butter Crème looked towards the ground with sadness.

Breeze felt the silent morning air pass between them as she stood in shock; never having heard anything about this town or any "civil war" it was involved in. In desperation for words to comfort Butter Crème: she looked over at a nearby storefront. In the display window sat stacks of toys placed neatly in rows of ten, each were now drenched in dust and rot. She flinched slightly as she imagined the yelling of foals in the street, the screams of ponies fighting their once friends, and the sound of mothers crying: soulfully begging for the mercy of their young. Breeze casted her gaze downward: seeing that there was not an ounce of comfort to be found in the town that surrounded her. She slowly turned back to look at Butter Crème before stating in an unsteady voice "B-butter Crème, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize this was such a sore topic for you. I'm sorry I was so pushy"

Butter Crème looked at Breeze empathetically before consoling her as well "It is quite alright, Breeze, History is r-really important. I am glad I got to tell you about it. Can- can we get going now"? Butter Crème sniffled slightly as she wiped her eyes.

Breeze walked up to Butter Crème before warmly saying "Of course we can, Daisy, come on"

Butter Crème looked at Breeze bewildered for a moment, before questioning "Daisy"?

Breeze blushed a bit, before laughing nervously saying "I just thought it was a cute little nickname, I mean, I saw your cutiemark and just thought- uh I'll just call you 'Butter Crème' if that's weird".

Butter Crème carefully looked at the Beeze's nervousness, before smiling and laughing "I think it is quite a cute little nickname" Butter Crème paused her laughter for a second before questioning "wait, If you are trying to give me a nickname...? Does- does that mean that you want to be friends"?!

Breeze helped Butter Crème to her hooves before responding "I don't see why not? you seem like a great pony to be friends with. Also, I'm sorry, but Butter Crème is just way too long", Breeze said with a benevolent giggle.

Butter Crème's face lit up with excitement as she quickly began prancing around; letting out a happy squeal. Suddenly Butter Crème landed in front of Breeze with a gracious thwomp, before stating "Oh my I have never had a friend before! This is so cool! And my first friend is a pegasus! Oh my celestia! I may faint!"

Breeze rolled her eyes, before hugging Butter Crème gently with one of her wings and giggling out "you're just about as hyper as my sister". Breeze relinquished the embrace and began walking again, before turning back to Butter Crème with a smile "now come on, let's get moving, I don't want to ruin the moment, but uh... West Artax makes me feel really uncomfortable".

Butter Crème watched as Breeze continued to canter off, before gathering herself and beginning to follow after her; stopping briefly to turn back to the fountain and whisper a happy "thank you", and then running to catch up to Breeze.

Breeze continued walking the path; as she did she exited the town into a grassy field. With Butter Crème following close behind her. She soon found herself walking into the lair of a woodland treeline that once appeared to her ages ago on the outskirts of West Artax.

The forest's outline presented itself with an utmost ethereal mist: The mist danced circles around each tree, flirting along with each of their movements, and shifting ghastfully around the two ponies as it floated to the ground.

Breeze swallowed deeply: trying to hide her fear, while also trying to simultaneously fall back to Butter Crème's side: who was carring on seemingly carefree. Breeze sheepishly turned to Butter Crème as she began walking next to her. Breeze spoke quietly to Butter Crème fearful of something hearing her "B-Butter Crème? I know I kinda sound like a broken record here, but this place is terrifying. Do- do you always walk home this way?"

Butter Crème swallowed deeply: trying to hide her fear, while also trying to hold a warm smile as they walked "of course, it is the quickest way, and besides it is not too bad". Butter Crème giggled slightly and added "trust me, love. it is more bark than bite. I have been coming through these woods ever since I was a filly".

Breeze stared at Butter Crème for a moment, before continuing on in silence. Inside her head unsatisfactory thoughts brewed relentlessly: telling her to run, fly, and get away from that forest no matter what, but something in her gut told her to stay, that "it was okay", "she was on the right path", and "just keep going". A gut feeling was something she never doubted in her whole life, and somehow she felt safe amongst the horrific forest: secure next to Butter Crème. The only time prior she truly felt that way was in the company of her sister: who was always the more brave one. Breeze watched Butter Crème's smile as she walked through the woods. Butter Crème's smile seemed so charismatic, she practically glowed amongst the dreary surroundings the forest offered.

Breeze marveled at Butter Crème's bravery; she seemed so fearless. It was like a beam of warm light casted down on her, and with it, it carried every feeling of delight: more precious than that of the sweetest cupcake or the most brilliant night sky. Her presence felt almost like that of a guardian angel.

Breeze watched, Butter Crème, so enthralled with her radiance, that she failed to notice her sheepish posture relax into that of a skip: that followed suit with Butter Crème's happy cantering. Her frown vanished into a happy smile, and with it all her worries vanished: a feeling akin to some kind of fairytale.

Butter Crème looked back at Breeze; seeing her smiling happily behind her. She turned back forward with an even brighter smile as she cantered along. Butter Crème was very happy to have helped Breeze's fear, even if she herself was a little afraid going through the woods: she didn't want to scare off her first real friend, that wasn't just a flower or an old librarian.

Butter Crème found herself distracted as she continued along: memories of her foalhood flashed in her head. She remembered getting lost in these very woods for hours, the endless nightmares she had as a foal of the countless monsters that inhabited the forest around her: Although all but any of those monsters were real. She found it hard to sway such strong thoughts of terror. Again she looked back at Breeze, who was happily skipping beside her along the path: the sight of which offered an undescribable comfort upon her.

Breeze noticed Butter Crème staring at her and questioned "what's up?"

Butter Crème laughed slightly before saying hesitantly "oh um... well you seem happy"

Breeze embarrassingly slowed her skip down to a walk; more like that of an old mare on the way to a knitting circle, before laughing awkwardly "yeah... just uh... felt like skipping I guess"

Butter Crème laughed a little bit "Oh yeah? Well how bout this?" Butter Crème smiled a devious grin before saying "I bet you cannot catch me!" and running off

Breeze watched as Butter Crème ran off shouting in shock "W-wait"! She continued watching Butter Crème vanish into the mist that layered over the path in front of her, before rolling her eyes and chasing after her.

Breeze eventually caught up with Butter Crème, who was now wheezing in front of an old looking cottage that was covered in moss and dust. Breeze stopped to catch her own breath for a moment before walking up to Butter Crème and saying "what the hell is wrong with you! I could've got lost"!

Butter Crème continued to wheeze before saying back "but I won though... slowpoke" she giggled slightly.

Breeze stared down at Butter Crème angrily saying no more than "really...?" followed by a slight huffing noise.

Butter Crème looked away shyly before whispering "s- sorry, I will not do that again".

Breeze sighed before rolling her eyes and saying "It's fine, come on, let's just go inside".

Butter Crème smiled and said "allow me to welcome you to my cozy little home". She eagerly opened the door and led Breeze into the cottage, stopping only once to place the key into the door handle.

Chapter 3. "Friendship... Easy As Pie!"

Breeze followed Butter Crème inside the cottage, her hoof steps fell gently onto the soft wooden floor: the feeling of which felt like that of a thousand steps wearing them. The house itself was very aromatic: a smell like a mix of honeysuckles, various teas, and perhaps even a little bit of icing generously filled the air.

Breeze took a deep breath inward whilst sautering into the building before stopping for a moment; gently relaxing herself with a soulfully given exhale and smile.

Breeze stepped further into the house following Butter Crème again, this time noting her surroundings with each step. As her eyes began adjusting to the room's lighting, she found herself in what came to be a small living room: with a set of stairs to her right parallel to the wall, and a kitchen in the far back, which she identified by a colorful array of pans and skillets hanging off hooks connected to the bottom of cabinets.

Breeze looked back into the living room examining the room's decor. The room's decorations were less than sparce: only being an ancient looking coffee table, a faded couch, and an entire wall covered with black, white, and brown colored photos: the walls behind them were colored an elegant yellow floral pattern. Though the design itself felt practically ancient she found a familiarity in it, like that of a memory from long ago. Ironically in the context of Butter Crème's house, the wallpaper felt strangely modern amongst the other older looking furnishings.

Amidst all the outwardly démodé interior, the kitchen stood out to Breeze the most. The cottage's wood floor shifted to a yellow and white tiling, and the walls changed from its floral design to a drab stone-ish brick look.

In the center of the kitchen sat an island, and above it were the cabinets lined with various pans and skillets, however the island itself was seemingly desolate, save for a single jade-colored kettle and a spice rack uniquely stocked with a variety of different types of tea. Towards the back of the kitchen there was a counter accompanied by a silver colored sink and stove. In the silence of the room, you could hear the slight dripping of the tap: In a way each part of the house felt extremely cozy, like stepping into it blessed whomever with a radiant warmth not unlike that of a childhood memory.

Butter Crème walked towards a nearby coat rack, before taking off her scarf, and wrapping it neatly around one of its four empty hooks. She then turned back to Breeze with a smile and asked "So? What do you think?"

Breeze drew her gaze away from the kitchen, giving a smile back to Butter Crème, before responding "It's... it's so lovely here". Breeze laughed nervously before continuing "It's just really cozy, I mean, we don't have anything like this in my hometown, we all live in clouds: you really can't do much with that."

Butter Crème's face went to shock as she began hopping in place excitedly shouting "oh my Celestia! That is just so cool! Pegasi actually live in clouds‽ Are they soft‽ are they bouncy‽ Can I taste one‽"

Breeze rolled her eyes and laughed "come on now, don't get all 'hyper-weirdo' again." She watched Butter Crème's eager excitement, still awaiting for her to answer. Breeze rolled her eyes before responding "yes, yes, depends on the cloud, and no clouds do not taste good".

Butter Crème nodded her head and desperately tried to get as still as possible while giggling out "okay I promise I will not 'get all hyper-weirdo' or however you called it".

Breeze watched Butter Crème's attempt at calming her excitement for a moment with a smile, before letting it ease into a questioning gaze. "Say, Butter Crème, you really haven't seen any Pegasi before have you"?

Butter Crème shook her head before simply saying "no" her face seeming like a mix of somberness and embarrassment "I have never left West Artax, dear. I was raised here by my mother, and her friend"

Breeze thought for a second before looking at the photos on the wall: she carefully examined them one by one, after a moment she realized none of them had any reference to Butter Crème at all. Each picture or painting being a different set of ponies entirely: The only consistency being a single brown coated pegasus, wearing a scarf. Breeze stared at the pegasus for a moment, seeing a strong resemblance to Butter Crème in her face. She looked back at Butter Crème who had now cantered her way to sit on the couch. "What about all those ponies in the photos? Didn't they help?"

Butter Crème smiled and laughed a bit before responding "Oh heavens no, I have no idea who any of those ponies even are. It was mostly just my mother's friend and I whenever I was a young filly, love".

Breeze persisted on with her confusion "but then why have the pictures of them up, if you don't know who they are"?

Butter Crème's smile slowly faded as she began thinking before she quietly responded "just... just how my mother had it, I suppose"

Breeze moved to sit down on the couch next to Butter Crème before asking, questioning "What was that, Daisy"?

Butter Crème looked away from Breeze before responding a little louder this time "it's... just how my mother had it..."

Breeze looked down at Butter Crème with an eager smile, saying "Is your mother anywhere around? I'd love to meet her".

Butter Crème's posture suddenly became very rigid: any semblance of a smile fading completely. "N-no... she is not".

Breeze's smile faded into confusion as she asked once more "what was that"?

Butter Crème shook slightly before shouting "No! She is not"!

Breeze felt the guilt overwhelm her as she silently sat watching over Butter Crème, who was now shaking with her face planted firmly into the couch. She felt the cold tension in the air as it harshly contrasted with the warmth of the cottage. She couldn't help but to start shaking as well, Though she considered herself a strong-willed mare there was one weakness she knew she had "confrontation". She sat for a moment feeling the agonizingly painful silence, whilst carefully watching Butter Crème's shaking before jolting up to her hooves in sudden realization like that of a candle lighting, and quickly offering "h- hey! Why don't I make us some tea?"

Butter Crème looked up at her quietly with a plethora of tears showing, before nodding her head in a simple "yes" fashion, and quietly laying it back down on the couch, still shaking slightly in the process.

Breeze hesitantly stepped away from Butter Crème whilst whispering to herself "Way to go Moonlight, one of the first friends you make other than your sister, or your insane mother and you ask her about her bereaved mother". Breeze stepped into the kitchen while letting out a sigh of self-frustration before continuing "I mean, come on! It's so obvious that something happened to her-" Breeze stopped suddenly in the kitchen, casting her gaze to her right and looking into what seemed to be another room, a dining room. In the center of the room sat a table dawned carefully in a vanilla colored cloth, bound by ribbons around its edges, on the top of the table sat only a empty plate accompanied only by a similarly lonely set of silverware. At the center most point of the table sat an empty vase; curiously being the only thing in the room coated in a thick layer of dust. The outer walls of the room had a similar wallpaper to the living room, however instead of the pictures that coated the living room, The dining room had a plethora of paintings: fields of flowers, forests, and farm lands found their way via "brush-stroke" to each of them.

The room itself didn't seem very special from an outside view. Infact to anypony else they'd probably cast their gazes right past it and back to whatever it was they were doing, but Breeze found that she couldn't help but gaze longingly into the room: she found herself entirely overcome with an overbearing feeling of nostalgia. Though she wasn't too sure why, the feeling ran through her over and over like a mighty flurry of kicks from a seasoned Earthpony, but nonetheless even with the pain it brought she couldn't even fathom a reason for making herself look away. She gazed into the quietness of the dining room, silently until in her head she met herself with a gutting sadness as she was presented with a plethora of memories: Her mind spiraled in a mass growth of moments like that of trees, they sprawled out in vine like motions ahead of her. One memory stood out to her feeling ever-present in her mind, a small one, seeming so forgettable: She found herself as a little filly again, happily helping her Grandmare in the kitchen before rushing to her Grandmare's dining room in excitement. The look of which held a very similar look to Butter Crème's. She watched her filly self sit down, but as she did, Breeze found the memory fading back into the fog of her mind. She slowly felt herself drift back to her body, still staring into the dining room: she felt a single tear drop from her eye as she once more inhaled the scent of the house.

Breeze questioned how many years it had been since she had last seen her Grandmare, since she had last tasted any of her cooking, or felt the gentle embrace that she was once offered in times of worry. she tried to think back to the last time she ever sat with her Grandmare. Breeze pondered if in that moment she really could have imagined it being the last time they'd ever speak, or if in her head did she believe they would truly meet again. Breeze remembered the lovely scent of oats and cinnamon that at one point filled the air wherever her Grandmare had went. She remembered how nice it felt to cook her Grandmare the pie recipe she had been making her since she was a filly. Breeze smiled slightly, trying to fight the abrupt wave of bitter sentimentality that suddenly bombarded her: she fought hard in vain to keep her eyes open, each blink causing her to reimagine every memory her brain could find. Giving into her eyes she felt a few tears building as she remembered the loving smile her Grandmare had given towards her as she bashfully walked into her hospital room. She could remember her Grandmare's gentle voice as she carefully brushed Breeze's middle part out of her face, looking Breeze in the eyes, and telling her "how much she loved her". She remembered the paramedic's rushing into the room as her Grandmare's hoof went limp. She remembered getting grabbed by a few different ponies as she screamed, dropping the pie in the midst of the chaos. She remembered her wailing cries for them to "just let go" and her painful screams for her Grandmare as she was pulled out of the room.

Breeze's tears burned deeply, now pouring from each eye. She could still feel the pain of her throat going raw from the screams. She couldn't help but remember each painful memory at once as though each had been blocked away by her mind, but all at once they were unleashed. Though in the rush of negativity she noticed one returning memory that she couldn't help but focus on, her Grandmare whispering a simple "I love you, Moonie", it seemed to replay in her head like some outside force willed it to do so. In the middle of the influx of memories that almost completely overwhelmed her, she abruptly met one final memory: Breeze saw herself once more in the kitchen as a filly, listening carefully to her Grandmare's soft speaking: gently guiding Breeze through the directions of baking her pie, before smiling and ending off with "I only make this pie for those who are special to me, like you, Moonie my dear child, and Maybe one day you'll get to make it for someone special for you too". Her Grandmare hugged her one last time, before even this memory faded out too.

Slowly Breeze opened her eyes once more before calmly wiping away her tears. Still Breeze couldn't help but smile even though she was in pain: in that moment it was almost like she could feel her Grandmare's gentle embrace still wrapped around her, the comfort of which blessed her with an idea of how she could cheer up Butter Crème. Breeze thought back carefully to her Grandmare's explanation of the recipe, before beginning to venture through the kitchen cabinets in search for each ingredient.

After a little while of rummaging, Breeze let out a happy sigh of a job well done, as she looked down at the meticulously obtained ingredients. She separated each into individual steps of the recipe before carefully grabbing a pie tin. She began mixing the dry and wet ingredients independently, finally pressing out a crust into the pie tin and generously pouring the pie mix into it.

Breeze patiently watched the mix settle down into the tin before carefully dipping a spoon into the mix to taste it. Almost immediately after she tasted it, she began coughing violently. Breeze fought desperately to stay quiet, as to not alarm Butter Crème, who was still silently laying on the couch: after a moment of coughing she slowly recollected herself, before letting out another deep sigh, rolling her eyes in the process, and laughing out "Sweet Celestia, I knew I forgot something." She reached back onto the counter grabbing a white bag simply labeled "Sugar" before dousing the mixture in a fragrant layer and mixing it in with a spoon.

Breeze stepped back looking over the counter and the unbaked pie. She took a half second of a deep breath, once more thinking back to her Grandmare: she now truly appreciated the fact she could actually remember her Grandmare, previously each time a thought of her had found its way into her head, it was met with a cloud of mist that dulled even the sharpest of details. As she stood there she had a strange feeling in the back of her head, like that of somepony impersonating her in her own head, the voice of which was whispering each memory back into her mind. Breeze found the feeling seemingly unnatural in nature, but reasoned that she isn't being caused any harm from it, so it's probably fine.

Breeze thought for a moment, suddenly remembering that she had taken that book from the library, she bit her lip in anxiousness; realizing the fact that she basically just stole from her new friend. She carefully reached under her wing, pulling the book out with a sigh of relief over the fact it was still there. She cascaded her vision over it, analyzing its cover fully now, looking for any semblance of a title: she embraced it gently with the tip of her wing, feeling each crevasses and fault carved into its crimson red face. Though she had originally been searching for the title of the strange book, she found it vain to even try: the book's face was scarred till it was almost unrecognizable, with countless instances of wear, dents, and a variety of different gashes cut into its flesh. The cause of each cut seemed to be different in origin, but each one seemed to deliberately focus where the title seemed to have been, like each cut was done on purpose: the only thing left of the title was a single lonesome word colored brilliantly out of a scuffed up gold color: The word presented itself brightly, shouting out "kingdom".

Below the title at the bottom of the book was an insignia, seeming to be left practically untouched: the insignia was printed in the same bold gold color as the word above, however it's luster was ever-present and seemingly unaged against the roughed up book. The insignia looked to be an oval with two infinity signs overlapped on each axes. Breeze tried to think of any possible reference she had seen of the strange symbol, however she couldn't think of any moment of her life where that symbol existed to her. Breeze carefully ran her wing over the cover one last time before placing the book back under her wing. She reasoned with herself that "it'll be fine", promising she'd tell Butter Crème about the book soon.

Breeze refocused herself on the pie before eagerly placing it into the oven, grabbing a kitchen timer, and setting it to an hour and forty minutes. Breeze turned back to the island and grabbed the tea kettle, before swiftly filling it with water from a nearby tap, placing it on a stove eye, and clicking it to life.

Breeze turned back to the island once more to look at the assorted rack of teas: she didn't quite understand what exactly she was looking at, but figured "well Butter Crème wouldn't have it if she didn't like it." Taking a half second to look over the teas; she grabbed the one with the most fancy name. Breeze moved the tea bag off the rack, carefully inspecting it, before chuckling to herself "well I suppose 'Jardeering tea' doesn't sound too terrible".

Many a moment passed of waiting, before the timer for the pie screamed to life. In response Breeze swiftly opened the oven door, while simultaneously taking an oven mitt off the nearby counter and using it to lift the pie. She gently placed the pie down and paused: she looked down at the oven mitt she had put onto her wing, then back to where Butter Crème was laying, and then back to the mitt once more. She began to speak out to Butter Crème, but decided it was best to just let her recover and not to question her further right now. She continued to gaze at the mitt for a moment while wondering to herself "Why does Butter Crème have an oven mitt if she's a Unicorn? I wonder if it was also her mother's?" She found herself reminded of the brown pegasus from the pictures, but eventually pushed the image out her mind reasoning it to be vaguely possible for a pony to forget their mother was a pegasus. She thought to herself "I wonder if Butter Crème's mother was an earth pony then". Breeze stopped her mind before rolling her eyes, reminding herself "Butter Crème's still sitting in there all alone and sad because of me." She then took a small container of cinnamon and gave the pie a light coat. Almost like magic, the smell of oats and cinnamon filled the air; Breeze carefully took in the smell, and as she did she felt her tears once more crawl their way to the surface of her eyes. Amongst the quietness of the house, she felt as though her Grandmare stood beside her. She let her small voice carry out through tears: a small gentle broken up whisper so soft a mouse couldn't hear it "I- I did it... I really did it this time Gran. I- just wish you could have been here for it". For a moment she once more closed her eyes, in doing so she felt the gentle embrace of her Grandmare once more, and with it a overflow of her tears washed down her face.

Opening her eyes slowly, she took a moment to get her emotions under control. Breeze carefully cut out two slices of the pie and placed them onto two individual plates. She slowly walked back to the couch, where Butter Crème was now gently snoring; still laying in the same spot. Breeze smiled down warmly at Butter Crème, before gently placing the plates on the nearby coffee table. She quietly turned to look at Butter Crème before stirring her awake with an easy hoof tap, whilst whispering "wake up sleepy head"

Butter Crème slowly fluttered her eyes awake before looking up at Breeze slowly. She spoke with her eyes half-open, the sleep showing strongly in her voice "Did- Did I fall asleep"?

Breeze giggled a little before rolling her eyes and saying with a smile "yeah, just a little bit"

Butter Crème shot up and began frantically apologizing "oh my Celestia, I am so sorry that is so rude of-" before getting cut off abruptly by Breeze, playfully punching her front leg.

Breeze giggled again as she turned around "It's alright, it gave me time to do this".

Butter Crème began to say "Do wha-" Before stopping suddenly: smelling the cinnamon in the air, she quickly began trying to look around Breeze to see the source of the smell, looking like that of a mouse catching a fresh whiff of cheese. Butter Crème eagerly questioned "What is that? it smells so good"!

Breeze looked back at Butter Crème still smiling before responding once more with a giggle "well I hope you like how it tastes, because I made plenty". She turned her full body back around, holding a plate in her hoof, and handing Butter Crème the other with her wing.

Butter Crème took the pie carefully with her hooves, looking down at it with large pupils, and trying to hide her watering mouth. Suddenly she graciously began chomping down on the pie, not even stopping to breathe.

Breeze watched in horror as Butter Crème continued mutilating the slice of pie before simply rolling her eyes. She carefully sat down on the couch next to her, carefully enjoying her slice at a more moderate pace.

A few moments passed before Butter Crème finished the pie with an accomplished "Ahhh". She happily turned towards Breeze, giggling a bit before all at once hopping onto Breeze's arm, hugging her, and exclaiming "Thank you, that was amazing"!

Breeze looked at Butter Crème in shock nearly choking on the bit of pie she was eating. She responded slowly to Butter Crème with "It's... no problem, you looked like you needed it". She laughed a little bit out of embarrassment before continuing on "and besides the whole thing... kinda helped me too".

Butter Crème tilted her head slightly, backing away in the process before asking "how so"?

Breeze gave Butter Crème's hair a gentle pat, letting out a laugh of sentimentality in the process. She began speaking "the pie was an old recipe my Grandmare gave me to make for somepony special one day." She stopped for a moment her face turning red, realizing how that sounded. She quickly continued speaking, trying to brush past what she said prior "Seeing you struggling a bit with your umm... loss... reminded me of her." Breeze nervously looked down towards Butter Crème to make sure she wasn't sad again: she sat next to her looking up with an expression of bewilderment, seemingly entranced by her speaking. Before continuing, Breeze rolled her eyes once more, feeling her embarrassment slowly fade as she went on "She would always make me a pie when I was sad so... you know... um and you were uh... sad... so and yeah." She laughed nervously before turning away sulkingly "sorry, I- I know it's dumb".

Butter Crème wrapped herself around Breeze tightly, smiling out "Well I think it was sweet, and it definitely made me feel a great deal better, dear! Your Grandmare sure knew how to make a pie!" She once more backed away from the hug, now resting her head against Breeze's shoulder grinning brightly up towards her.

Breeze looked back to Butter Crème in response to the sudden embrace, now slightly surprised and obviously blushing: she felt her heart skip slightly. She quickly looked back away letting her middle part hide her now red face before nervously patting Butter Crème on the head.

Butter Crème giggled a bit before releasing her smile briefly, apologizing "I am very sorry about earlier, dear. I get broken up over my mother sometimes. It is not your fault, in fact not to overimpose upon you, but you asking about her... it made me realize how long it truly had been since anypony had actually asked. It had been so long, even I had forgotten about her... my own mother. It makes me feel like such a horrible daughter".

Breeze's face shifted to a empathetic pout as she turned back to face Butter Crème and began to speak "aww I'm sorry, Daisy, I know how you feel. It's really hard for me to remember my Grandmare at times." She looked up into space and continued "It's... not necessarily a bad thing though, sometimes we just get so caught up in life we get distracted: don't beat yourself up over it, it's not your fault." Breeze waited a moment for a response, but was met with a soft silence.

She carefully looked down to Butter Crème in confusion: To her surprise, Butter Crème who was was still laying up against her shoulder, now had her her eyes shut gently and was snoring ever so silently. Breeze's embarrassment peaked as she felt her face begin to blush stronger than before, she hesitantly began patting Butter Crème's hair once more. Breeze watched her for a moment; watching her body move up in down rhythmically with each breath. She swallowed gently before hesitantly reaching out her wing next to Butter Crème, her heart beating rapidly as she slowly wrapped it around her. As Breeze sat there, now embraced with Butter Crème, she couldn't help but roll her eyes with a smile before giving into the comfort and deciding to join Butter Crème: she laid her head against Butter Crème's soft hair and slowly closed her eyes. In the darkness of her own mind she thought to herself "I have no idea how anypony could ever fall asleep that fast, but I guess a nap wouldn't hurt, after all today was a long day".

Breeze let the light of the world around her fade into nothing more than a black mass: the feeling of the couch mixed into a swirling motion like that of floating aloft in space. The only thing holding her to the waking world being the gentle breathing of Butter Crème beside her, along with her radiant warmth against Breeze's body. As Breeze drifted to sleep she let out one final relaxing sigh: the comfort of the world around her gently cascading her into a deep sleep, with her lullaby being the gentle snores of her new friend.

Chapter 4. "Old voices heard again"

Breeze felt herself coasting adrift in an ocean of dreams. The isolation of which was broken up briefly with the momentary memory that pestered the brain, accompanied by a never-ending scent of icing that refused to abandon her psyche.

Slowly Breeze felt herself draw upon her mortal body, like that of a raft slowly washing unto a shoreline. She felt her eyelids heavily pressing onto her eyes, but more curious she felt a weight presenting itself strongly on her chest. In a fluttering motion Breeze slowly opened her eyes, noting as she did that she was now staring at the ceiling, instead of the floral wallpaper she grew accustomed to prior to her sleeping.

As Breeze stared up to the ceiling, she remembered the weight that was previously pressing down upon her chest. She casted her dreary eyes to its direction: to her horror she found Butter Crème laying directly on top of her, still tightly wrapped in Breeze's wing. In view of this Breeze found herself frozen in terror as she vainly reached out into her mind for an excuse that could save her. She tried to move out from under Butter Crème but saw it futile, each move stirring Butter Crème more and more. Instead of continuing on, Breeze decided to try and move her wing in an attempt to make it look like an accident: as Breeze began lifting her wing Butter Crème began to move slightly, causing Breeze to once more freeze in terror.

Butter Crème began to stretch slightly, letting out a small grumble in the process before opening her eyes halfway, then fully for a moment with an expression that slightly resembled embarrassment: her face quickly went back to a half asleep look before she looked up at Breeze and began speaking "Breeze? How long were we sleeping, Dear"?

Breeze looked down towards Butter Crème, now slightly confused that she didn't care about their positioning, however the confusion was violently overtaken with a harsh embarrassment: she quickly looked away as she felt the red begin to slowly creep up her face. She quietly responded "I don't know... uh... if we get up... I can tell you". Breeze tried to get up, but was surprised by a sudden feeling of weight wrapping around her. She fell back down onto the couch, quickly looking back to Butter Crème, now neglecting to even try to hide her blushing face. She wanted to question Butter Crème, but found herself once more frozen in place as she looked into her purple eyes.

Butter Crème looked up at Breeze with a smile, pretending not to notice her blushing. Suddenly Butter Crème rested her head against Breeze: her ear placed firmly onto her chest. Butter Crème giggled a bit to herself before stating "Hey Dear, did you know your heart is racing"?

Breeze began stammering trying to find any excuse for her heart, but eventually resolved to once more looking away as she quietly whispered "C- can we please get up..."?

Butter Crème giggled again, speaking with a smile "sure we can, Dear. There is just one problem though".

Breeze quietly responded, as she felt herself tensing up "Y-yeah"?

Butter Crème giggled out slightly once more "You keep holding me tighter with your wing".

Breeze felt her face completely fill with an incarnadine hue, as she quickly released her wing's grasp of Butter Crème with a flurry of frantic apologies.

Butter Crème continued on as if she couldn't hear them, instead she silently stood up, before offering Breeze a helping-hoof. Still smiling Butter Crème cut off Breeze's apologies with a questioning "well then, how about a nice cup of tea, Dear"?

Breeze began to nod her head before her head flung her once more: she remembered the kettle's worth of tea she had brewed. She spoke suddenly "Oh shoot, I completely forgot! Butter Crème, I used your kettle earlier to brew some tea, but I completely forgot about it because... uh..." Breeze's face flushed once more with embarrassment as she remembered wrapping her wing around Butter Crème. she quickly moved once more to hide her face from Butter Crème.

Butter Crème cantered around the coffee table towards the kitchen as she begun speaking in response to Breeze "Ah, worry not, Dear: It is quite alright, I will fix us a new batch. Nothing worse than cold tea I am afraid".

Breeze slowly made her way, following after, Butter Crème, into the kitchen. She stopped at the front of the island as she watched Butter Crème begin working on the kettle.

Butter Crème spoke warmly out towards her "Breeze? Do you have a favorite tea, Dear"?

Breeze quickly responded "uh... I don't know honestly. I'm more of a coffee kind of pony".

Butter Crème stopped for a moment, slowly turning back to look at Breeze with a face of disgust, before quietly getting back to work.

Breeze in response carefully continued on "But if I had to choose... I guess.... sweet tea"?

Butter Crème laughed slightly before responding "nothing wrong with keeping things simple I suppose".

Breeze continued watching Butter Crème wander around the kitchen, as she preformed each step in cleaning and filling the kettle. Butter Crème gently placed the kettle onto a stove eye before quickly turning back to face Breeze. Her face now showed a smile that's warmness presented itself like that of a blanket on a winter night.

Breeze met her gaze, reciprocating with an intentional smile that she hoped looked genuine enough.

Butter Crème began to speak out to Breeze "so... Dear, what brings you to West Artax in the first place? It is definitely not my definition of a tourist attraction. Though... I have not traveled... so I guess it could be..." Her eyes lit up with childlike wonder before she continued excitedly "Is it a tourist attraction"‽

Breeze rolled her eyes with a smile before responding "no, Daisy, it's not a tourist attraction. In fact, I don't think any map I've ever seen actually mentions West Artax" she laughed slightly before continuing "But I guess it's only fair I tell you more about myself, since I had you telling your life story earlier".

Butter Crème's eyes grew wide as she eagerly stared at Breeze: her gaze more like that of an innocent child listening to their mother's bedtime story.

Breeze began speaking "My name is Moonlight Breeze, I'm a Pegasus from Cloudsdale. I live with my mother and my younger sister, the reason I was out here was because I was out flying during the night... and uh..." Breeze looked away out of embarrassment, her middle part falling to cover her face as she continued on "I... got scared by the storm".

Butter Crème looked at Breeze in confusion for a moment before speaking back "do they know"?

Breeze looked back at Butter Crème with an obvious confusion before responding "Who know what"?

Butter Crème repeated herself, continuing further in her explanation "do they know where you went"?

Breeze's face turned to horror as she began to realize just how worried her sister must be. She began pacing the kitchen, frantically speaking out "Oh shoot, my sister must be so worried"!

Butter Crème's face presented a warming smile as she spoke once more "Do not worry, Dear. Would you like to write a letter? to let them know you are okay"?

Breeze looked at Butter Crème for a moment before rolling her eyes and walking back to the island, now speaking "that would make more sense than panicking wouldn't it"?

Butter Crème floated a piece of paper over before stating "As long as you know the address, it will be as easy as...." Butter Crème giggled slightly before boasting out in laughter "Easy as pie!"

Breeze rolled her eyes once more as she watched Butter Crème begin laughing uncontrollably. She carefully began writing the letter to her family, finally signing it and sliding it back to Butter Crème with an inquisitive "Now what"?

Butter Crème smiled back at her before stating "Now, I will send it". Suddenly Butter Crème's horn began glowing brilliantly: the color of which was a beautiful purple, not unlike that of her eyes, however closer to the tip of her horn it shifted to a white glow instead of the bases easy purple.

Breeze looked up at her horn, now watching the colors in awe: something like that of a kid watching a celebratory firework show. Breeze had never seen a Unicorn use their magic this close before, but she did note the strangeness of Butter Crème's magic color. She had heard of Unicorns having exotic magic colors before, but never heard of a Unicorn having two-tone magic. Now that Breeze actually began looking over Butter Crème more carefully: she found herself with more questions building. She casted her gaze over her legs, now truly looking and spotting a number of gray spots that spotted over Butter Crème's coat sporadically on each leg. She followed her eyes over Butter Crème, investigating each detail as she did: she locked her gaze onto Butter Crème's horn under the magic, upon looking closer she noticed the white tipped magic went deeper than the surface. Butter Crème's horn was tipped in a white splotch that's resemblance could only be compared to that of a snowcapped mountain. Passed that Butter Crème seemed just as regular as anypony else, atleast to the average eye.

Butter Crème let out an accomplished "whew" as the paper vanished in front of her. She looked back at Breeze before stopping, noticing Breeze staring Intently at her horn. She began speaking "Sorry, was that rude of me? I have not read too much on Pegasus culture".

Breeze quickly came back to her senses, moving her eyes back down to meet Butter Crème's before responding "Oh! Uh... no of course not! Sorry, I was just thinking about something".

Butter Crème tilted her head slightly before questioning "oh? Like what, Dear"?

Breeze thought for a second before clearing her throat and speaking "I was... uh... wondering. Your horn and your coat... I haven't seen any Unicorn like that before. I was just umm... really curious about uhh..."

Butter Crème smiled slightly before she warmly interrupted "My parents, Dear"?

Breeze gulped slightly before continuing "Yeah... I hope that doesn't bother you, It's just really bugging me". She couldn't help but look away: the feeling of confrontation hounding onto her.

Butter Crème looked at Breeze empathetically as she spoke "I really am sorry, Dear. I... I did not get to know them. I can introduce you to my mother's friend though, his name is 'Mr. Eremie' he owns the library".

Breeze looked back at Butter Crème before softly responding "Y-yeah, that would be nice".

Butter Crème began to try and speak once more, but was cut off by a whistling noise coming from behind her. In response to the noise Butter Crème's ears perked up before she herself shouted "Oop, Tea is almost ready!" She smiled at Breeze before speaking further "If you would like, Dear. You can wait on the couch and I will bring the tea to you when I am done".

Breeze nodded her head before carefully cantering her way back to the couch.

Moments passed of nothing but the occasional noise of Butter Crème moving in the kitchen, before the sounds of hoofsteps making their way to the living room filled the cottage's quiet air. Turning towards them, Breeze welcomed Butter Crème with a warm smile, to which Butter Crème reciprocated with a "more than warm" cup of tea. Breeze carefully took it into her wing as Butter Crème slowly moved to sit next to her on the couch. Butter Crème took a gentle sip from her cup before once more resting her head against Breeze's shoulder.

Breeze looked down at Butter Crème with a smile, her embarrassment seemingly subsiding in the presence of the warming tea. Breeze took a sip of the tea instinctually letting out a "Mmmm" before speaking forth "Wow! This tea tastes amazing!"

Butter Crème let out a guilty giggle before responding without looking up "Yeah... sorry but I took some 'creative liberties'. Sweet tea is fine, but just a little bit of jasmine and cinnamon makes all the difference".

Breeze laughed slightly whilst saying "Of course you did. Well I'll take your word for it, you are the tea expert".

Butter Crème spoke once more in a comfortable tone "I figured we would spend a bit like this, Dear. Then if you would like, you can spend the night here and I will introduce you to Mr. Eremie tomorrow"?

Breeze smiled down at Butter Crème once more before responding "Sure! I'd love to get a chance to meet him".

After a while of sitting in the silent cottage Butter Crème carefully lifted her head off Breeze, rising up from the couch in the process.

Breeze watched as Butter Crème rose up before asking "where you going, Daisy"?

Butter Crème smiled back down at Breeze, responding "Well I wanted to show you your room, Dear. since it was starting to get dark".

Breeze looked at Butter Crème confused for a moment before questioning "Starting to get dark?" Breeze's eyes made their way over to a nearby window and to her surprise she was greeted with the soothing colors of a sunset. She thought for a moment before saying out loud "Oh shoot, it got dark fast..."

Butter Crème giggled at Breeze before speaking "Hardly, we were asleep most the day it seems. Though I cannot exactly call it a waste, would you"?

Breeze looked back at Butter Crème with a happy smile before warmly stating "I don't believe I would"

Butter Crème smiled before continuing on "well then, let me show you to the room you will be staying in, Dear".

Breeze nodded once more in affirmation.

Butter Crème turned away, cantering towards the staircase that rested itself perpendicular to the wall: she began stepping up its steps with Breeze in tow.

Breeze's eyes followed the walls into the second floor of the cottage. The walls in the second floor lacked an obvious wallpaper, but were instead just wood planks: The floor under her hooves being an old feeling red carpet. She looked passed Butter Crème into what seemed to be a hallway, the only thing filling it being two sets of doors placed an even distance on each wall and a window at the far end. She followed Butter Crème deeper into the hallway until at last she stopped at the back right door. Breeze noted the amount of dust coated onto the door's golden doorknob.

Butter Crème turned back to face Breeze before stating with a smile "here we are, the guest bedroom".

Breeze laughed slightly before pointing her hoof at the dusty doorknob and speaking out "I'll take it, there aren't alot of guests that use the 'guest' bedroom".

Butter Crème giggled a bit before responding "No, I suppose not." She once more looked Breeze in the eye before speaking again "Now, I am not too sure how everything will look in there 'bedroom wise' so I am gonna get some spare sheets and pillows for you, Dear".

Breeze stood there for a moment, watching Butter Crème walk down the hallway before questioning "what do you mean by that"?

Butter Crème stopped her voyage of the hallway before turning back to face Breeze, responding with a guilty grin "well you may call me a broken record, but well... it's left how my mother had it" she let out an awkward laugh.

Breeze rolled her eyes with a smile before sarcastically laughing out "Of course it is".

Breeze watched as Butter Crème turned back to making her way down the rest of the hallway and then stairs, before she turned back to face the door. She almost felt guilty for disturbing the dust on the doorknob: the amount of which seemed impossible. Alas she eventually pushed the door inward, stepping inside as she did. She began observing her surroundings carefully, noting a bright blue colored bed in the far corner of the room, however next to it sat a wall of desks and bookcases. She looked over the room in confusion: noting further that each wall was covered in either desks or bookshelves, the look of which making the room seem more like a study than a bedroom.

As Breeze attempted to step further into the room, she noticed a short flash of light, casting itself briefly from the desk. She looked carefully at the desk, on which were a variety or papers placed neatly in three stacks, she casted her gaze futher to the right of the desk, now finding the culprit of the reflective light: she saw what seemed to be a smaller sized picture frame. She stepped up to the desk before carefully taking the picture frame into her hoof to look at it closer. Inside of the picture frame rested a brown colored photo of the brown Pegasus from before, standing with a smile next to a small green filly. Breeze stared at it for a moment, carefully examining the photo, it had a strange familiarity to it: the place they were standing stood out to Breeze in particular, it felt like she'd seen it somewhere before. She looked passed the background and back onto the brown Pegasus, this photo showing more of her body than any other: the Pegasus had dark brown hair, green eyes, and a scarf that looked to be purple and white. Breeze looked at the scarf for a moment before thinking out loud to herself "that... looks just like Butter Crème's scarf..." She followed her eyes futher across the rest of the Pegasus' body, stopping as she went futher, this time taking note of the mare's cutiemark: A single chocolate colored heart broken in half, with something bridging across both sides, the color of which made it look like caramel. Breeze continued futher eventually reaching the mares legs, where she stopped a final time. Each of the mare's legs were sporadically spotted in spotty gray dots. Breeze found herself confused as she thought to herself "Wait... is this actually Butter Crème's mother? Did she lie to me? Or... does she just not know? If it actually is her mom... how does anypony forget their mother, when there are pictures of them all over their house?" Breeze looked futher into the picture, before letting out a sigh of frustration: any idea of the mare not being Butter Crème's mother leaving her mind. The filly standing next to the mare was none other than a young Butter Crème, which breeze easily identified using the spots on her legs and tip of her horn. She let out another deep breath before speaking whispering to herself "Why would Butter Crème even lie about that? I thought... we were growing to be better friends... maybe... I should just leave..."

Breeze made a sad turn to the door, but stopped suddenly after hearing a slight "thump" noise land beside her hoof. She quickly looked down at the perpetrator of the noise, but was shocked to see the mysterious book from the library now lying open on the floor. She stared at it for a moment, thinking to herself "There's... no way I could have just dropped that, I've been holding that thing as tight as I could this whole time with no issues..." She continued watching it, but her shock grew to fear as she watched the blank pages all at once slowly grow letters in front of her eyes: the motion of which moved like that of a wave rippling in an ocean of ink. Her fear was silently overtaken with a yearning curiosity.

Breeze carefully picked the book up beginning to read it as she did so, she was so enthralled by it, she failed to realize she was speaking its words out loud "In the whisper of the grim void a voice echoed like that of a banshee. A young filly chased itself through the dark like a cat to a mouse, and through it all she held a scream more so than a breath. Also casted into the dark a shrill cry of a mother echoed, but more so of pleading than of mercy. As the dark faded so did the hope of innocence: the scene prevaded upon the filly. Thoughts of childish nightmares are that of fairytales, but only in the eyes of non-believers whose hearts were pure of stygian. The darkness upon her eyes made her fears come to life, and in that sight she saw a mother's heart ripped from routine, and casted aside along with life. A shadow resided over her and over the mother and alas over all that is existent, but in some degree did this shadow give life as it did take it. It released the mother, laying her carrion upon the ground in haste: before summoning itself upon the young filly. Surely she tried to scream in terror, but stopped in understanding. This was her house of death, and was truly everything she had feared from any malicious shadow that ever casted upon her. She closed her eyes in wait of a swift demise, alas moments passed with no such events passing. The fillies eyes opened; to which the shadow returned in grueling noises like that of an unknown language 'Upon cresent moon, and lightning bolt; bubble, and apple written like that of scroll and quill. I will know your name and future, fore it was delivered upon me, remember my faces as they are shown to you today, as I will remember your's for moons to come.' The shadow rose itself into a amalgamation of wings before flying into the dark of night, and with its disappearance the light of day returned. The filly casted itself upon the heartless mother: she reached out in blood and cold offering comfort to the filly. Her voice showed anguish, but with every measure under control she offered nothing but love. In dying moments wrapped in the embrace of the young filly: she carefully wrapped the one gift that shall never depart from them. The young filly watched as the mother's eyes turned grey and body stiffen: the filly stepped back upon the scene touching to their neck: feeling the gift that was given to them, before screaming their anguish into life. In that moment the day turned to night, from the fire that roared from her body, and the pain that ached her heart".

Breeze felt her head begin to hurt as she finished reading the shown pages, but as she reached to turn the page she heard a loud "thump": this time from just outside the room, seemingly in the hallway. She made a quick movement towards the door: rushing to check the noise, dropping the book in the process.

Chapter 5. "The day comes to a close"

Butter Crème carefully made her way down the stairs, sweetly humming to herself as she did. After reaching the bottom of the stairs, she immediately turned her course, eagerly cantering towards the kitchen. She slowly made her way through each of the rooms before finally stepping into her dining room. She took a few more bouncy steps into the room before turning to face a door that resided just out of the kitchen's sight.

Butter Crème's face shifted from a smile to a nervous grimace as she hesitantly cantered her way up to the door. As the door creaked away from its old frame, Butter Crème couldn't help but flench away while whispering to herself "Please no spiders... please no spiders..." slowly, Butter Crème opened the door completely, banging it slightly against the wall it sat in. Butter Crème slowly casted her eyes into the doorway, checking each possible corner for any vague resemblance of a spider's web: to Butter Crème's delight, no such webs or spiders were seen in her diligent search. Butter Crème let out a soft sigh of relief before chuckling out to herself in a whisper "No... spiders".

Beyond the rustic door was a simple closet, with a variety of different cloths and household items strewn about. The closet itself was rather dim, but the light from behind Butter Crème was enough to cast a guiding beam onto a stack of pillows that rested in the corner of one of the closet's many shelves. Butter Crème gently floated a single pillow away from the pile and out of the closet, moving herself away from it whilst simultaneously investigating it, presumably looking for any spiders that found their way out of her eye's reach.

Satisfied in her search, Butter Crème gently placed the pillow down before turning back to the closet: this time now in search of any spare sheets or blankets. She moved her eyes around the closet aimlessly for a moment before spotting a dusty violet colored bedsheet buried under a pile of towels. Butter Crème carefully lifted the stack, retrieving the sheet from underneath in the process.

Butter Crème released the towels before gently floating the sheet out of the closet, and once more moving herself to the side in an attempt of avoidance. She held the sheet out in front of her, opening it slowly to check for any insects or arachnids that may have slipped in: to her dismay a small brown spider dropped precariously from its grasp, landing gently onto the cottage's cold wooden floor.

Butter Crème watched the spider in horror, feeling her spine crawl as it began to creep along the floor. She kept her eyes locked onto the spider's every move, trying not to scream as she quickly began folding the sheet. Gently, she placed the bedsheet down onto the table before lifting the spider just as gently with her magic. She spoke carefully to the spider "You must not worry my dear, though I may be bigger than you... I would not hurt something that could not defend itself... or really deserve it for that matter." She looked over the spider with an expression of pure anguish as she began walking it to the front door of her cottage, speaking more as she did "You are a precious part of life my dear, and I hope you only the best... even if you scare me to bits. While a lesser pony might hurt, or kill you... I will instead let you be back to your modest life of simplicity." Carefully she made it to and through the door, stepping out into her now darkening front yard. She walked out a few feet before stopping, placing the spider onto a small grouping of forsythia plants, which she admired for a moment.

Butter Crème tried to smile towards the spider before giving it one final goodbye "There you go my dear... now you are all cozy, I appreciate you hunting other bugs that would be pestering me... but, please stay out of my cottage, my heart cannot take it".

Butter Crème began to canter back inside, but stopped after only a few short steps. She instead turned over to an empty patch of grass, devoid of any other plant: she quietly spoke out to herself in consideration "well... if she is to stay the night, then that means we will probably have breakfast together... I... I suppose I should get a few flowers to put in mother's vase... I believe It would pull the room together." She thought for a moment before giving out a charismatic "Aha!" she carefully spun her hoof into the grass, the act of which brought about a radiant green glow from her leg, leading down into the ground. Butter Crème brought her leg back to her side, resting her hoof back onto the ground beneath her. She watched the green glow as it danced in a circle-like waltz, slowly the magic centered itself into a tornado like shape with a slight humming noise not unlike that of a beehive. Suddenly the green magic sunk into the ground, and from it rose a small group of green colored buds.

Butter Crème watched as each individual bud began growing and opening, until finally she was looking over a beautiful bouquet of hellebores: the colors of which presented themselves as a soothing set of white and violet hues. Gently, Butter Crème, picked each out of the ground. She held them out in front of her with a loving smile like that of a mother looking over their young. She let out a deep breath of accomplishment before saying "hellebores were definitely the right pick." she let out a overzealous giggle as she gently pressed the flowers against her face with a gleeful smile, before happily speaking out to them "oh my oh my, you guys look simply divine! oh, I just never get tired of those colors, talk about a real pipperoo"!

Butter Crème couldn't help but giggle in pure delight as she bounced her way back inside the cottage. She slowly made her way back to the dining room before carefully placing the bouquet into the tables dusty vase. She looked over it in dissatisfaction for a moment before once more casting her horn out lambently, in doing so, she carefully whisked away any dust that had stuck to the vase's ceramic skin. She looked over the table once more, letting out a gleeful smile of satisfaction.

Butter Crème couldn't help but feel a warm sense of satisfaction: in such a short amount of time her life seemingly changed for the better. She thought to herself "just how lucky am I to meet such a friendly..." she couldn't help but to giggle as she continued "and cute mare like Breeze." With an easy outbreath she stepped back from the table, quietly whispering to the flowers "I just know Breeze will love you guys"

Butter Crème turned back around, now focusing her attention back onto the pillow she had originally retrieved from the closet. Carefully, Butter Crème lifted the pillow into the air, gently spinning and squeezing it to check for spiders: After a moment Butter Crème released the pillow, accepting the near impossibility of a spider still being on or in the pillow.

Butter Crème quietly gathered the sheet and pillow, floating them carefully above her head with her magic before turning back towards the closet to close it.

Butter Crème carefully made her way over to the stairs, quickly stepping her way back up with a gracious cadence of stomps. She slowed slightly as she made her way up to the crest of the stairs, noticing what sounded like Breeze talking to herself. She tried to ignore it, reasoning it to be rude to eavesdrop on her new friend's privacy, but for some reason she couldn't help but to listen Intently to what Breeze was saying: it sounded almost like she was reading something. Butter Crème rolled her eyes, giving into her curiosity completely: Butter Crème stepped quietly down the hall, in an attempt to be able to hear Breeze better.

As she began to make out each of the words, she was put aback upon hearing the way Breeze spoke them, which brought about a deep feeling of discomfort. She couldn't help but to grow nauseous, she heard each word pronounced clearly through the thin wall beside her, as each made her stomach churn. Breeze's normally soft and friendly voice sounded deeply foreboding in the quietness of the upstairs, sounding like the dying words of a sickly old mare: the sound of which provoked a primal paranoia that made Butter Crème's skin crawl with a similar feeling to a monster breathing down one's neck. Moments passed of Butter Crème standing in place, frozen in terror before all at once she felt as if her body began to spin. she heard Breeze's voice mix into a variety of tones, sounding more like echos of a multitude of voices as she spoke out in a voice sounding even more unlike her own than before, it spoke out, seemingly to Butter Crème herself "Upon cresent moon, and lightning bolt; bubble, and apple written like that of scroll and quill."

Butter Crème listened to each word like somepony being forced to watch a horrendous scene: each of the words casting a horrid shadow into her mind. She tried desperately to block the shadows out of her mind, but they continued on relentlessly. She was harassed with putrid images of blood, pained screams, and a plethora of scared cries, they began to berate her mind like a rampaging river, making it nearly impossible to think. Each time Butter Crème shut her eyes she saw another gruesome depiction of death: she couldn't help but to begin crying as she was forced to see every horrid detail over and over with each blink. Her breathing became heavy as she took a stumbling step back before instinctually looking up; in the process of which, she saw what looked to be an amalgamation of wings and shadows, looking down upon her with an uncountable number of eyes.

Butter Crème's own eyes opened wide with horror as she frantically tried to run away from the shadow creature, alas she was steadily frozen in place, instead only being able to drop the bedding she was carrying infront of her. The creature continued standing, still staring with all its unfathomable eyes drawn down upon her. She felt as though her eyes were melting out of her skull as she was once more made to stare at it. all at once it began to speak, its words shredding their way into Butter Crème's mind with a backwards echo "I will know your name and future, fore it was delivered upon me, remember my faces as they are shown to you today, as I will remember your's for moons to come".

The shadow's edges blended into Butter Crème's surroundings: the darkness fading into nothing more than the grain of the wood that surrounded her, and the shadow's wings into the ceiling above.

Butter Crème quickly looked around, now fighting violently to breathe as her breath continued to run rampant. Though all had become calm, she could still feel her mind being broken, her eyes still effortlessly pouring painful tears. She desperately fought for air, reaching her hoof to her neck whilst gasping violently. She kept her ground for only a moment before collapsing onto the floor, still reaching for air in the process. Butter Crème fought desperately to call out for anypony to help her, but she was overwhelmed by the pain the engulfed her: her cries sounding more like garbled sobs and harsh breaths than any kind of real words. she laid her head down, covering it with her now violently shaking hooves. Her whole body shook with terror, as she felt herself drenched in a sickening feeling of fear.

Butter Crème heard what sounded like hoof-steps coming towards her: she instinctually looked up in terror to see the source of the noise. She once more saw a figure donned in shadows with pair of wings out stretched, running towards her. Immediately, Butter Crème began screaming a high pitched cry of terror: she frantically tried to crawl away from the silhouette whilst loudly giving out pleas, begging for mercy.

Butter Crème found herself backed up against a wall, pressing herself further into the wall she found her ability to think getting weaker and weaker: Her head beginning to spin more and more as she watched the silhouette slowly move towards her. She desperately balled herself up into a feeble position, barely holding onto her consciousness as she quietly weeped out in her now broken voice "Please... please just leave me alone..." her sobs drowning out any noise that tried to reach her, and her eyelids drowning out any possible light.

Moments passed of pure darkness before Butter Crème opened her eyes once more in panic: quickly trying to get ahold of where she was, but as she casted her gaze to and fro she found she was laying somewhere in a dark forest clearing. She slowly made her way to her hooves, carefully watching over her surroundings as she did. She tried to think back to the last place she was, however she could have swore she was in her cottage. She didn't know exactly where she was now, but had a strange sensation of familiarity looking at the many trees around her.

Butter Crème began walking into the inky black shadows that swallowed the forest completely. Butter Crème's steps were almost booming amongst the unnaturally quiet woodland, she continued walking through the forest. Only slowing when she began to hear what sounded to be hoof-steps quickly moving around her: she desperately darted her eyes around, trying to locate the source of the stepping before all at once the noises stopped, instead being quickly replaced with the blood-curdling screams of a mare in the distance: seeming to be in horrendous pain. Butter Crème jumped in terror, feeling her eyes beginning to water as a result.

Butter Crème hesitantly began running into the dark of the trees, stomping her way towards the unknown origin of the painful cries. Suddenly she found herself bursting into another clearing, where she looked up to see a towering shadow holding a small brown mare in the air. She froze in place, whispering to herself "it... is you again..." she looked closely at the beastly shadow as it twitched like a cloud of smoke on a windy day, she traced each of its blackend wings: the color of which was like that of a raven's. She felt her skin crawl as she looked over the shadow in horror.

The shadow casted something small to its side before dropping the mare onto the ground with a loud "thump". Suddenly it threw itself infront of Butter Crème, the speed of which was almost inconceivable. The shadow stood towering over her atleast tenfold.

Butter Crème watched as its many eyes looked her up and down sporadically, the sound of its many wings, flittering rapidly through the air. Butter Crème tightly shut her eyes, feeling a sense of death wash over her like she was standing infront of the Grim Reaper himself. Moments passed as she fearfully waited for the shadow to strike her down, alas no movement was made in the silent darkness. Slowly she opened her eyes, feeling even more dread in doing so, expecting the beast to strike her at any moment, however once more, no such act occurred. She once more began watching it, the feeling of horror freezing her in place continuously. She took in the sight of its violent twitching carefully as it seemingly began to call out to her: the sound of which being more like a choir of growls and hisses than any language she had ever heard. Ever so slowly the being began flapping each of its many wings, steadily lifting itself and the darkness off the ground and away into the sky. She watched as the monster slowly disappeared into blue sky above her.

Butter Crème stood in place for a moment before slowly stumbling her way over to the brown mare's side in a disoriented haze, she wasn't sure why she felt the need to do so, but reasoned it irrelevant as she collapsed at the mare's side: in the silence that followed she felt a hoof gently brush her hair for a moment, along with the feeling of something cold trailing down her face. Butter Crème slowly lifted her head towards the figure in confusion.

The mare had radiant green eyes that warmly looked into Butter Crème's soul, her coat being an easy soft brown. Dozens of freckles danced their way around the mares face, however half of them were covered with her almond colored mane. She donned a white and purple scarf wrapped firmly around her neck, and thrown back between a pair of dark brown wings.

The mare was laid with her back pressed firmly into the forest's cold dirt. She had propped herself up with her other hoof to reach Butter Crème's mane.

Butter Crème looked at her in confusion for a moment before noting a bit of blood on her hoof. Butter Crème coasted her eyes down to where the shadow originally had held the mare from: to her horror, she saw a gaping wound torn deeply into the mare's chest, along with a steady flow of crimson that poured from it. Butter Crème couldn't look at it long before wincing, and turning away, however she swore she could have seen straight through the pegasus entirely.

The mare began coughing for a moment before speaking with a forced happy tone "It is okay, Dear. I... I am alright"

Butter Crème quickly turned back to face her with obvious concern: the mare's voice pierced deeply into Butter Crème's mind like that of an old memory. Butter Crème knew she had heard the mare's gentle voice before, but didn't remember exactly where or when. She listened carefully to the mare's pained words, trying to remember any time where she might have heard the mare's loving voice prior to now.

The mare coughed once more, this time drawing forth a trail of blood from her mouth. She cringed from the pain, her breath becoming raspy as she once more began to talk "Butter Crème, I... love you... I promise I am gonna be okay... you..." she suddenly stopped, seeming to gasp in response to the pain, she then took a deep breath and continued on "You need to get back to Mr. Eremie... before it gets too dark... please baby... please... you need to go".

The mare rose herself up further, now sitting up completely: she carefully moved her hooves around Butter Crème's neck, pulling her into a hug, before leaning herself back down to her hoof slowly. With blood pouring from her mouth, she gently caressed the side of Butter Crème's face with her hoof before speaking directly to her eyes with a proud smile "Oh sweetie, You really do have your father's beautiful eyes..." The mare's breathing became more aggressive as she began coughing harder, suddenly all at once she fell to the ground in a coughing fit whilst simultaneously letting out small gurgling noises with each gasp for air between.

Butter Crème watched the mare's panicked expression in horror as she began to choke, the mare's eyes darted back and forth for a moment before suddenly stopping to look at Butter Crème. Upon seeing Butter Crème's look of horror, the mare seemed to have a quiet realization: the mare quickly closed her now graying eyes and tried to smile, but even with this forced expression of peace, Butter Crème could still see the agony that befell her with each struggled cough or garbled breath. For moments Butter Crème watched helplessly as the mare faded into the grasp of death. She felt an impossible feeling of sadness, the pain of which seemed to tear her heart into pieces. She wanted nothing more than to help the mare, but knew there was very little, if anything she could do.

The mare let out one final raspy breath as her body all at once became stiff: the blood still flowing effortlessly from her mouth and chest and pooling onto the dirt below her.

Butter Crème stared down upon the mare's corpse in terror. She found her mind torn in two places: she was curious on who exactly the mare was and how she knew her or her father: a stallion even Butter Crème didn't know, but she was also extremely concerned on what she was meant to do with the mare's body. Butter Crème suddenly remembered the mare wrapping something around her neck: she immediately touched to her neck, feeling something made of a soft cloth. Her eyes grew wide as she felt chills run up her spine, she slowly drew the cloth forward, upon doing so she looked over it in horror. She looked back over the mare once more: Suddenly everything made sense in Butter Crème's mind. She looked down one final time to the cloth: she found herself wrapped in the very scarf her mother had given her many moons ago. As she sat in the silent forest she felt old memories begin to wash over her like a torrent of waves. She slowly released the scarf before stumbling her hoof over the mares face. Butter Crème couldn't help but whisper in a broken voice "M-mother"? However after doing so she once more froze, she found her own voice altered: her voice sounded like that of a filly's.

Butter Crème gently touched her hoof to her throat, before speaking out once more "H-hello?" Her voice came out foreign to the one in her mind. she was puzzled, not too sure what to make of anything that was happening, she questioned "why am I here? Is... is this my mother? Is... any of this even real? Why am I seeing all of this..."?

As she tried to motion her way through her confusion; she all at once felt her emotions build up inside her again, although she wasn't sure why in the slightest. She felt her body begin to wrench with a feeling like that of a violently twisting tornado. The scene around her melted into a mess of greens and blues, and her mother disappeared entirely into a mass of red: all at once all the colors mixed together, now placing her seemingly thousands of feet into the air. She felt her stomach drop as she looked down only to see miles of nothing but sand: she looked out into the distance only to see what held the appearance of a small town, the size of which being only the size of a mustard seed. Something about it called to her eagerly, enthralling her completely, almost as though she needed to be there at that very moment, but she wasn't sure why. As she continued to stare at the town, she suddenly felt something grab her body with a large amount of force, before tossing her flying through the air. She flew for what seemed like an eternity before stopping suddenly, she looked down once more, only to see what seemed to be her cottage. She looked down for only a moment, before she began rapidly falling down towards it. She tried desperately to scream, but found it impossible: she had no control over her body or even her eyes, in fact she couldn't even feel or hear anything. She found herself stuck with her eyes glued onto the ground, unable to move. She watched as she drew only tens of feet away from her cottage's dark roof before suddenly, everything went black again.

In the darkness, Butter Crème felt as if she was laying on the surface of a large body of water. All Butter Crème could see was what seemed to be a multitude of distant stars dotting across an impossibly dark sky inside an endless void of shadows. Butter Crème felt her mind begin spinning as she once more found herself losing consciousness amongst the warming darkness that happily encapsulated her.

Chapter 6. "Self-reverence in moonlight"

Breeze stared at Butter Crème with a look of worry, who was now laying almost motionless in the guest bedroom's blue bed.

Breeze slowly brushed Butter Crème's hair out of her face, before letting out a deep breath of anxiety; quietly whispering "what... what do I do?" Breeze couldn't help but to give into her now watering eyes as her mind continued wandering to any negative reality that was plausible. Breeze continued on speaking out in a whisper "What caused her to be so afraid...? It must have been something I did... was- is she afraid of me...?"

Breeze thought for a moment before remembering the story she had read. The memory of the story she read brought a violent encapsulation for the still mysterious book that resided under Breeze's wing: slowly she reached to retrieve it once again. She couldn't help but to be drawn into opening it: the book's aura being like that of a siren's song immersed deeply by an open ocean's fog. Breeze hardly gave her actions much thought; gently opening to a page housed in the middle of the book.

The pages of the book remained a stark white, it's radiant color seeming more like a deafening void of static than a plain sheet of paper. Breeze desperately ran her hoof down it hoping something- anything would appear, alas within the despondent night, the book remained cruelly inactive. She stared hopelessly at the page for only a moment, before feeling a sensation of anger painfully overtake her sadness.

Breeze felt her frustration peak into a reckless desperation as she began to scream out in an audible roughness "You harass me with random shit, but when I actually need advice from you, you have nothing to say!" She felt her tears begin flowing as she continued choking slightly "Why‽ what- what do I do... what do you... what do you want from me...? Why won't you answer me"‽

Breeze gave the book one final look over in sorrow, before giving into her anger once more: suddenly throwing the book across the room, causing it to make a vicious "slam" against the room's sturdy wooden door. Breeze watched the book for a moment, half-expecting the book to have some kind of reaction. Moments passed of nothing but silence before Breeze helplessly gave into her sobbing, whimpering "Why...? why...‽" she dropped down, laying her head down onto the bed in a lacyromose manner: speaking out into the bed's covering in a broken voice "I... I did this to her, didn't I...? It's all my fault... what am I supposed to do...?" She stopped to clear her throat for a moment before continuing "And now... I'm yelling at a 'magical' book for answers... I've really lost it..."

Breeze silently rose her head from the bed, tears still binding her vision. She couldn't help but let out a shaken sigh of defeat; not knowing what to do other than simply wait. Breeze gently wiped the tears from her eyes, beginning to look around the room once more, trying in vain to avoid acknowledging Butter Crème's still syncope state.

The bedroom around her held an overwhelming feeling of dread, as if it were highlighted by her lacyromose emotions. As her gaze danced around it, she couldn't help but project her stresses onto each of the room's walls, objects, or silhouettes: Each becoming nothing more than a regret given a harsh personification. It seemed that as each took shape, they mocked her with a devilish laugh. Breeze couldn't help but shudder with each overwhelming chuckle or crackle they gave. As her gaze frantically shifted around the room, searching only for a moment's rest: she stopped suddenly bringing her eyes to meet a single window- sitting just above her on a parallel wall: she found herself enraptured by its dazzling beauty, looking deep into the glistening purple canvas the window held beyond it.

From the window, the Moon's gentle light coated the room in an array of tingling violet drops, not unlike that of a million shooting stars cascading upon the soul. It felt as though the sight of which was capable of smoothing over even the strongest of tempests or roughest of turmoils. As the ardent light reached into Breeze's inner spirits: she felt a delicate love overcome her, like some kind of invisible force had just now embraced her in its wings.

Breeze felt her tears begin to slow their flowing with each second she looked into the beautifully colored golden moon. This time her heart presented its emotions as warm tears of joy, shining brightly against the nights previously chilling palette. She couldn't help but give a smile as the moonlight began to remind her of another brief memory: this time a memory of her cutiemark. She looked away from the moon to see it again: her cutiemark, a simple golden crescent moon with a small maple colored leaf in the center.

The mark was something she was always proud of- perhaps it was the lack of obsession that came with it. Her mark seemed almost overlooked by everypony else, something that only she, herself, cherished. Whereas her family normally bombarded her with compliments and praise for her even most mundane achievements: they didn't give her cutiemark a second thought before congratulating her on any other task. She couldn't help but roll her eyes with a sniffle at the thought; recounting how the only ponies to even attend her cute-ceañera was her Grandmare and sister.

Breeze instinctually reached her hoof out towards the moon's delicate surface, seemingly trying to grab at it and all of its craters. She thought back simultaneously, recounting how she earned her cutiemark in the first place. The sound of the wind roaring as it overtook her on the top of a white tipped mountain. Under that same purple sky, she had felt a feeling deep in her soul as she looked over its edge: a voice urging her to jump, to take in the freedom of the sky. She heard her brain violently screaming at her to stop- how dangerous it was, but alas to the brain's dismay, each of its pleas fell on deaf ears. Breeze remembered how she took those few hoof steps back, before all at once bounding over the mountains edge. She remembered how it felt as she climbed by herself, stood by herself, fell by herself, began to fly by herself. She realized that during no point of getting her mark, did she ever feel truly alone, like something invisible reassured her strength with each step she took.

Breeze went over that memory again and again in silence, slowly beginning to feel that same boldness that she felt back then. Jumping from the mountain's highest peak: knowing no one could ever break her fall- knowing if she failed, no one would be there to save her, and yet she jumped anyway, trusting her gut to guide her. It was since that day that she trusted her gut unquestionably: even if her brain told her to run, hide, or scream.

Breeze finally dropped her hoof from the moon's surface, instead pressing her hoof up against her heart with a cocky smile. With Breeze's tears finally stopping, she spoke out to herself in her usual gentle voice"I got this, it's all gonna be okay".

Copacetically, Breeze reached for a candle she brought to the bedside table, taking the candle into her hooves and lighting it with a single strike of her wing. Breeze then returned the candle back to the table's surface; watching it flicker its tiny flame around the room in a sporadic dance. Breeze embraced the small light of hope it casted with a brave smile. Slowly, Breeze turned to Butter Crème, reaching and brushing her brown mane off her face another time, before calmly stating with a warming tone "I'll be here with you all night if I have to be, Daisy. I just know that you're okay, and I know this is where I need to be... by your side".

Breeze felt herself blush a bit after saying that, but remained absolute in her resolve. She laughed to herself "I once tamed the highest peaks, I won't allow myself to falter now."

She casted her gaze over to the candle once more, before freezing all at once: the mysterious book sat next to the candle in an upright position, now open with new pages visibly shown in the candle's light. Hesitantly, Breeze took the book into her hooves as she began to read it.

The page held a vastly different composure than any other Breeze had already seen: it seemed more like hieroglyphs than any actual words. After examining further it only took Breeze a moment before she froze in terror once more- finally realizing what she was actually looking at. A depiction of a pony jumping off a tall mountain. The pony itself seemed irrelevant at first, but with a more indepth glance; Breeze realized the pony it was showing was her as a filly. Each page seemed to mark another moment of the event and how it transpired: the first page showed her on the edge of the mountain, followed by the next page showing her jumping off, but Breeze was confused, the book showed that there was another pony: A pony with wings as wide as the mountain. They stood seemingly just behind Breeze, following with each step she took- even lifting her up as she began to fall. The last pages seemed to show what looked to be the pony slowly fading into Breeze's wings, causing them to change their form; becoming more like their's. As Breeze looked to the final page, it showed her now radiating a golden glow that coated her from head to hoof. After taking a good look at the page, her face still showing a bit of awe: she watched as the page slowly returned to being blank.

Breeze sat in the silence of her newly refortified mind- holding steadfast to a rather strange feeling in her chest. A feeling she couldn't describe as anything else but a feeling of eyes staring at her just out of sight: she couldn't call the feeling evil or unpleasant, just weird. Breeze quickly searched the room: she turned back to the door only to see it shut firmly. She turned back to any wall she could perceive an unwanted visitor, but no hole or shadow presented itself with relevance. She turned one final time upon herself, finally realizing the feeling was deeply in herself- the presence of something far more benevolent: a feeling of warmth apposed to the usual fright accompanied with anything possibly supernatural in this world. It was a feeling of omnipotent love and comfort.

Breeze found herself looking back and extending her wings to fully look at them, she couldn't help but admire them more so now than ever. Something so easily taken for granted, yet was so easily broken or taken away, she took a moment to feel a thankful smile toward them with a relevance like that of a cloud to a storm.

As Breeze stared reverently at her violet wings, she began to feel a nagging tiredness prying upon her eyes. With an uncertain ease, she gave into the warming feeling of exhaustion with little thought, giving up her remaining worries, the feeling of which was like that of a mother's soft embrace accompanied with a lullaby. She decided half out of her own instinct, half out of her own will to surrender into it; softly laying her weary head onto one of Butter Crème's front legs.

As Breeze's eyes grew heavily to a close, Breeze could swear she heard a gentle wrapping of a harmonic lullaby enveloping her. In her current state, Breeze hardly gave the melody or the unnaturally obtained tiredness much thought, instead choosing to indulge upon their greed within the embrace of the candle's warming light. The darkness of night crept upon and gently grasped her into a peaceful sleep.

Chapter. 7 "Those who are lost in the void."

Butter Crème felt her heart racing, piercing through her chest like a stampeding herd of imperial stallions. The darkness that surrounded her felt stagnant and cold, presenting itself with a feeling of floating within a deafening ocean. Though the air was silent she felt as though she could hear something quite familiar; a cozy sound that slightly eased her mind.

Butter Crème focused in onto the distant noise as it continued its wrapping in her mind: the sound she heard was like breathing. She wondered why it sounded so familiar, attempting to speak to herself, she questioned "Is- is it my breathing...?" However even though she was certain she had spoke outloud, no sound had left her throat- instead it felt like her voice became some kind of energy inside the void surrounding her: carried into the darkness like a small wave. As she fought to make any kind of sound, she eventually realized who the breathing belonged to, attempting to speak once more "Bre- Breeze?" Her voice once more fell less than mute. She began desperately screaming "Breeze! Breeze!" Until the sound of breathing stopped all together.

Butter Crème had the strangest feeling inside the void at that moment, a feeling of abandonment, yet a feeling of belonging. Something told her to just "let go..." and for a moment she did just that- easing into the darkness as it engulfed her. She began to blend into the endless sea of inky black ocean beneath her. As she began losing feeling in her body below her, she noticed a pin sized hole above her casting a small ray of light into her eyes.

She stared at it for a moment, before getting a resurgence of emotion. She felt a small feeling begin to well up, a feeling of death washing over her: she couldn't help but to start panicking, realizing the danger she was in. She frantically tried to reach for the light, alas her efforts fell in vain as she continued sinking further and further. Just as Butter Crème's head was about to be submerged completely, she felt something grab onto her hoof, she instinctually gripped it, to which it gently pulled her up and out of the starless void around her.

Butter Crème slowly opened her eyes to look infront of her, ready to thank whoever had saved her, but she stopped in astonishment: Standing in the void just in front of Butter Crème was a being seemingly made of pure energy. Butter Crème could feel a warm presence of light emitting from the mysterious figure, though it didn't seem to radiate any kind of illumination. The figure itself seemed like that of a purple colored mare, double the height of Butter Crème.

Butter Crème quickly looked down into the inky dark below her, only to be met with a horrific sight: just below her was the amalgamation of eyes and wings staring angrily into her soul. It had no face or features, but it's anger was clearly shown as rippling energy below her, However it felt muted against the bright benevolent warmth from the mass of bright violet energy just ahead of her.

Butter Crème took a deep breath, looking back up as she began to speak out "th- thank you..." Butter Crème couldn't help but note that her voice did in fact, come out that time; the sound of which was almost booming in the silence around her.

The figure remained in place, unresponsive. Instead it began stepping towards Butter Crème, reaching out a single hoof.

Butter Crème began to flinch, but got an ethereal feeling of comfort with each step it took- insisting that the being of energy ment no harm at all. She slowly relaxed her rigid posture as the creature drew right above her.

Slowly the creature placed its energetic hoof onto where Butter Crème's heart was.

The action made Butter Crème flinch once more, remembering her mother's fate she had saw just moments prior, the more that she thought about it: she couldn't help but wonder if she was in fact dreaming. But everything felt so very real, she could even feel her hooves slightly shifting on the surface of the stygian water below her.

Suddenly the creature opened up what looked like a pair of wings on its back, and tilted their head up slightly to reveal a marvelous horn. The ripples around it seemed to show it speaking, though Butter Crème couldn't hear any words said aloud- it only took a moment before thoughts began to fill her head, speaking out various sentences all at once. Butter Crème only could make out a few: "I am with you", "you are not yet ready, alone", "you are never alone". Those three lines seemed to repeat amongst the multitude of others, somehow the influx of thoughts didn't overwhelm her, instead they began resonating almost as a comfort to her.

Suddenly the creature, began to fade: the energy of it seemingly being pulled into Butter Crème's chest.

Butter Crème stood watching in horror for a moment, but was immediately rushed with another feeling of comfort- accompanied with a final message from the creature "walk by faith, I am part of you, and always will be".

As Butter Crème took in the last of the energy, she began to feel the world around her spinning, colors blending with shapes and forms. She began to feel her eyes flickering, along with the sound of Breeze's breathing returning; this time sounding like it was just beside her. The black ocean of the void became nothing more than a black backdrop, only broken up by a large flash of yellow that gently blended into the darkness.

As everything slowly became a stillness of certainty, Butter Crème realized that it suddenly felt as though her eyes were closed, in response she slowly began to try and open them. As she did, she noticed a gentle light flickering stronger and stronger just over her, along with a weight pressing down firmly onto her front leg.

Now fully opening her eyes, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit groggy. She sluggishly began sitting up, but failed to do so: she noticed her arm was pinned. Upon looking down toward it, she was shocked to see Breeze sleeping on top of her leg, gently embracing it. Butter Crème could feel her heart begin to beat a little bit stronger accompanied with a blushing feeling. She thought to herself "She... she waited for me to wake up..."?

Butter Crème looked over at the bed side table, noting the half burned candle that was dimly frisking the room with yellow light. Butter Crème studied it for a moment before wondering "how did she start that without magic? I do not believe I own a flint or anything of that caliber...?" Looking further passed the candle she noticed a dusty looking picture frame reflecting light: she tried to examine it further, but the candle offered just enough light to make the picture unrecognizable.

Butter Crème struggled to reach it with her free hoof, but found it in vain, instead whispering to herself "how could I reach that...?" She sat there silently for a moment touching her free hoof to her muzzle in a questioning motion, before suddenly coming to a quick realization. Butter Crème made haste to float the picture over with her horn, while giggling to herself "why do I always forget about that?"

Butter Crème's laughter stopped upon seeing the picture in front of her. She froze looking deeply into it, more so in terror than admiration. The picture depicted a brown colored pegasus mare wearing a white and purple scarf, and next to her was a young filly who was a minty green color with an almond brown mane, streaked with grey. Butter Crème knew what the picture ment, her vision- her dream- She touched her free hoof to the brown mare, quietly whispering "M-mother? So... it really was you..." She knew in that moment what she saw was not a dream, but instead was a memory.

Butter Crème could feel tears begin to well up, as she relived her dream over and over in her head. She began to speak out, only being broken up by sobs "Mother... how- how could I have forgotten you? How...?" She fought for a second before crumbling into tears; pulling the picture frame to her chest in a heartfelt embrace. Slowly through each tear, Butter Crème found herself remembering a childhood's worth of memories that had abandoned her over the years, at every step of each she saw the very same brown mare accompanying her.

From beside Butter Crème came a small stirring: Breeze, who was slowly coming back to the waking world with a small yawn and stretch. Slowly she rose her head happily at first, glad to see that Butter Crème was okay. But upon noticing Butter Crème's sobbing, she quickly moved up to grab her into a tight hug- with both her hooves and wings firmly wrapped.

The sudden nature of which caused Butter Crème to pipe out with a yelp of shock. However before she could say anything Breeze was already shushing her, whispering "It's okay... it's okay Daisy... just breathe".

Butter Crème couldn't help but to hug Breeze back even tighter, sobbing even harder now than before- both of happiness and sadness. Moments passed of Breeze comforting Butter Crème before she finally calmed down enough to speak clearly.

Breeze gently pulled away from Butter Crème, looking deep into her eyes, before questioning in a concise, loving voice "what's the matter, what happened"?

Butter Crème struggled on where to start, before jumping in "I- I think I remember my mother..." She slowly pulled the picture frame away from her chest in a presenting manner.

Breeze looked down at the photo, carefully choosing her next words as she examined it. her head found itself in a form of self triumph: She was right about her hunch, but knew that would be a horribly insensitive thing to bring up. She felt as though time had froze for a moment as she pondered the endless possibilities of words she could choose. She instead smiled for a moment before reciting in her head, one of her favorite sayings "when words fail, actions succeed"

Breeze slowly took the picture frame into her hooves.

Butter Crème relinquished the picture easily- instead watching Breeze with a confused head tilt.

Breeze placed the photo off to the side of the bedsheet, before once more wrapping Butter Crème in a deep hug. She began to gently brush the back of Butter Crème's mane while she whispered out "I know there's more you're holding back, it's alright- just tell me".

Butter Crème instantly began sobbing, wrapping her hooves around Breeze once more. She started to shout out "It was horrible! I had such a horrible! Horrible! horrible dream! I saw- I saw a horrendous monster made out of wings and eyes...! Right in front of me, it killed my mother!"

Breeze couldn't help but hold onto the image of the monster, she could have sworn a sense of familiarity to it. She continued listening to Butter Crème, while trying to portion a part of her mind on the monster's description.

Butter Crème continued speaking, still wrapped with her head deep into Breeze's shoulder "It stood right in front of me, speaking in some kind of screeching tongue... I did not know what to make of it, but I understood what it was saying... it told me that it 'was always watching over me' and that 'it knew who I was' and 'I will know what it was'.... it said a bunch of random stuff like it was speaking a prophecy of my life."

Breeze quietly spoke once more "But that's just a dream, right"?

Butter Crème shook her head slightly "it... it could not have been... the emotions... The ability to touch, hear, and smell... the feeling of kneeling in the dirt next to my mother as she was dying, the feeling of her wrapping something around my throat before I stepped back and felt my scarf... and my voice going raw from screaming.... I just know... it had to be real..."

Breeze froze, she couldn't help but begin slightly shaking: the story she read from the mysterious book matched almost perfectly with what Butter Crème had just said. Breeze swallowed slightly before questioning, Butter Crème, one last thing just to make sure "B- Butter Crème...? At the beginning of that dream... were you lost in the woods running? Before you came into a clearing, and that's when you saw the monster?" She couldn't help but shake more and more with each word she spoke.

Butter Crème slowly responded "yes... how did you know, love"?

Breeze slowly pushed Butter Crème away, now sitting just next to her on the bed. Breeze looked away shamefully before continuing "Butter Crème, I have something to tell you..."

Butter Crème found herself worried deeply, her mind immediately went to the impression that Breeze was gonna say something along the lines of "I don't want to be friends with a crazy pony like you". She found herself shaking in anticipation for the incoming heartbreak.

Breeze took a deep breath before continuing "I... I... I took this book!" she held out the mysterious book from earlier with a saddened look.

Butter Crème looked at her for a moment, before bursting out in laughter.

Breeze quickly began questioning "Hey‽ why are you laughing at me‽" Breeze's face turned bright red and her expression now resonated straight embarrassment.

Butter Crème took a deep breath before happily responding- still giggling slightly "Love, it is a library... all you had to do was ask and I could have had the paper done in two seconds".

Breeze looked away again before speaking shyly "So... you're not mad at me...?"

Butter Crème reached a hoof out to Breeze's shoulder before responding with a smile "Of course not, dear. You have been nothing but a sweetheart to me... one little book is not gonna make me mad at you".

Breeze began to try and speak, but Butter Crème cut her off "Love... I know we have alot to talk about, but I need a bit to process everything I just saw... so let us head down stairs and get some breakfast first, then discuss it, yeah"?

Breeze nodded her head "yes" before standing to her hooves and offering a helping hoof up to Butter Crème.

The two mares quietly made their way out of the room, leaving the book on the bed behind them. As the door to the room slowly closed, the book slowly drew itself open, whilst shifting the ink on a single page to show a new image: the depiction showed two mares walking, however in the center of them was a pony with two massive wings, outstretched seemingly wrapped around the duo and matching them step by step.

Chapter. 8 "Denizens of the afterlife"

The scent of flora and icing adorned the cottage's warming air, accompanied with the sound of Breeze's delicate humming: the mares found themselves once more in the dining room's grasp.

Breeze, who was now sitting in one of the dining room table's wooden chairs made a few frequent glances towards Butter Crème who was standing just off to the side of the table.

Butter Crème stood, watching Intently into a mirror, seemingly inspecting her eyes while her mouth continued to speak out into the cottage's early morning air. Without much thought, Butter Crème spoke out to Breeze "And then I saw this town in the middle of a desert, perhaps it is a message that I should head there".

Breeze questioned nervously "so is this just a common occurrence for you?"

Butter Crème looked to her responding "what do you mean, love?"

Breeze rolled her eyes in a slight frustration before continuing "being haunted by otherworldly beings? Books that write themselves? Any of that?"

Butter Crème giggled before responding "Oh no, not really. We may get a few magic books at the library from time to time, but those are just regular spell books."

Breeze hopelessly looked over Butter Crème before questioning with a nuance of nervousness and a sigh "So... you said 'In the middle of a desert' right? I think I know where that is... When do you wanna go? I'm ready whenever."

Butter Crème who had just returned her gaze to the mirror's surface, froze for a moment, she slowly turned back towards Breeze before letting out a confused "W-what"?

Breeze quickly adopted a look of embarrassment, quickly moving her hair to cover her eyes. She took a deep breath before reasserting her previous question "When do you wanna go? I'm ready whenever."

Breeze could feel her stomach start to churn, wondering if she was in fact being too assertive towards poor Butter Crème. Breeze knew Butter Crème had been through alot during that night, but she had to make due on her promise of staying by her side, therefore she cleared her throat, attempting to add onto her previous statement with a bit more softness "unless... you don't want me to... which is fine! Totally fine. But I uh... wouldn't mind accompanying you".

Butter Crème chuckled a bit, discarding her prior look of shock before excitedly responding "I would simply love if you would travel with me, dear!" She quickly realized her brashness and readjusted her demeanor towards Breeze before continuing in a more proper tone "I mean ahem... That would be perfectly fine, dear. I would greatly appreciate the company".

Breeze moved her mane out of her face; looking at Butter Crème with a inquisitivly raised eyebrow before speaking out with a smile "You know, I saw you having a major panic attack- like freaking out and screaming? You don't have to act so formal around me anymore."

Breeze rolled her eyes before laughing quietly to herself "Not like you ever did..."

Butter Crème turned back to her reflection now holding a bit of embarrassment on her cheek. She spoke hesitantly "I know, love... But I feel just so awful for making you go through all that, it must of been really stressful..."

Breeze giggled audibly before speaking once more "Stressful? For me? Come on, all I had to deal with is a talkative book! you saw some kind of creepy PTSD monster made of eyes towering over you. I think you had the stressful bit".

Butter Crème let out a nervous laugh before anxiously responding "Yeah... I guess so".

Breeze looked to Butter Crème in curiosity before questioning "Um... Daisy?"

Butter Crème slowly turned to face Breeze once more with an inquisitive expression rightfully shown.

Breeze continued hesitantly "Why- uh... why do you keep looking at your reflection? If you don't mind me asking..."

Butter Crème's expression shifted to somberness, her hoof slowly moving to touch just below one of her radiant purple eyes. She slowly began to speak in response, her gaze drifting from Breeze's line of sight "I- In my dream... my mother, she told me I had my father's eyes... It refuses to depart from my mind..."

Breeze looked at Butter Crème with a pained expression, though after a moment she slowly adorned a smile before speaking- casting her gaze deeper into Butter Crème's eyes "well... I think they look beautiful- like a lovely allum".

Butter Crème's eyes widened as her cheeks turned a lively shade of red: she tried for a second to find somekind of response before settling on a shaken "Oh my, well thank you, dear".

Breeze smiled at Butter Crème with a warming grin, however in her mind she was screaming with anxiety "what the hell was that, oh my Celestia that was just too obvious".

Butter Crème cleared her throat before speaking in a still slightly shaking voice "Well... I was thinking perhaps we could leave within the next hour. I would like to make a quick stop at the library before departing West Artax".

Breeze nodded silently, however in her mind she couldn't help but feel a sense of rising dread wash over her: the idea of walking through the ghost town again weakened her to her core, like an apple plagued with various worms. She didn't mind being in Butter Crème's cottage, but the process or getting there was nothing short of a haunting memory.

Butter Crème's ears quickly perked up as she let out a sudden "Oh! I almost forgot!" She began to move from where she stood, but took a hesitant glance back into the mirror once more, before letting out a pained sigh and quickly sprinting out of the dining room. She made her way back into the kitchen, then towards the lifeless living room, and then loudly up the stairs.

Breeze watched with a confused expression for a moment as a zealous Butter Crème loudly sprinted back down and into the kitchen- immediately slipping and falling cartoonishly on its tiled floor with a "slam", in the process causing a few pans to fall off the kitchen's island and onto her.

Butter Crème let out a pained groan, before slowly standing back up to her hooves; revealing a brown satchel held proudly in her mouth, and her face showing an eager smile.

Breeze thought to question if Butter Crème was okay, but after seeing her excited expression, she simply rolled her eyes with a smile, Instead quietly questioning "So... what's this"?

Butter Crème gave a quick little hop before attempting to speak through the satchel's pleather strap, though her words came out little more than a jumbled mess of "Mmm's".

Breeze looked at Butter Crème in confusion before simply questioning "what?"

Butter Crème quickly floated the bag out of her mouth with her magic before giggling out "I always forget I can do that". She quickly cleared her throat before presumably repeating her prior statement: her voice permeating happiness as she spoke "I found this bag in my mother's old room! I want to give it to you, dear! so you no longer have to hold that weird book under your wing!" Butter Crème began excitedly hopping once more while shouting "Oh! Oh! And you can fly as well now!"

Breeze quickly shook her head before guiltily saying "Butter Crème, I can't possibly accept that, it belonged to your mother..."

Butter Crème's face shifted to sadness before continuing "pleeease? I want to give it to you- to atleast make up for everything that happened... and besides I know you! I know you will take good care of it".

Breeze rolled her eyes before laughing out "Butter Crème we literally just met".

Butter Crème shifted her sadness to something like the look of a pouting puppy.

Upon seeing this, Breeze hesitantly took the satchel. She stood up from her chair, and carefully affixed it below her wing. Slowly turning back to look at Butter Crème again, Breeze shyly questioned "well... uh- how do I look...?"

Butter Crème's face shifted to a look of embarrassment before responding "well, you look... you look simply beautiful, love"

Breeze's previously violet face flushed pure with red. Her voice stumbled for a second before reverting to a shy whispering "Oh um, thank you..."

Butter Crème, now picking up on Breeze's embarrassment- took on a nervous smile as she began making quick anxious glances between the floor and Breeze: trying desperately to see her reaction.

Breeze stood silently in her emotions desperately avoiding Butter Crème's gaze from behind her tyrian purple mane.

Butter Crème felt embarrassment set in deeply as she watched Breeze begin to shyly pull away. She quickly searched for an excusable escape, until remembering the book from the library. She quietly cleared her throat before speaking "I um... am gonna head down to the library and fill out that you are borrowing that book... if you want- umm... feel free to meet up there in about thirty minutes, I should be ready by then".

Breeze gave a quiet "alright..." with a small head nod. As Butter Crème slowly turned to make her way out of the cottage's cozy interior, limping slightly, seemingly as a result to her prior clumsiness.

The silence of the cottage echoed in Breeze's mind as she wrapped her head around her situation. She couldn't help but question what she had truly gotten herself into. She began thinking "I mean- maybe I'm just being weird, but magical monsters... memories just coming back to me, the feeling of being watched all through West Artax, and that weird trusting feeling around Butter Crème..." she stared off into space, trying to understand everything she's seen or felt in the past day she's been there. "That book as well... and the magic from it, all of this is just too much for me... magic is common in Equestria... but this is different." as she finished that thought, Breeze carefully placed her hoof to her chest- feeling her heart rate to the best of her ability "My heart may just give out from all this excitement, I'm not like my sister..."

Breeze stomped her hoof onto the ground exclaiming loudly "wait! That's it! My sister! She always knows what to do in these situations, so all I have to do is 'do what she would do!'" Breeze giggled to herself "She'd probably try to play the whole situation 'cool' Yeah! That's it! I'm totally gonna play it cool, just like how Sparks would!"

Breeze began to walk, confidently cantering her way into the kitchen- she found herself standing over a mess of pans that had fallen during Butter Crème's "tumble". She slowly gathered each pan into her wings, placing them neatly onto the island, and quietly whispering "Such a mess... she didn't even try to clean it".

Slowly she trotted her way through the living room finally getting back to the staircase. Voyaging up the stairs- she found herself drowned in an ominous aura: the silence accompanied with each hoofstep was unnatural in every definition, it seemed as though even the nature outside had silenced for some inexplicable reason. She attempted to push through the eeriness for a moment but found herself thrilled with a marvelous horror. Finally she made it to the top of the stairs, taking a deep breath while staring down the hall towards the bedroom's door. With a hesitant "gulp" she journeyed the hall before carefully planting her hooves infront of the bedroom: she felt her hooves quake in response to the gutting silence. Silently she pressed the room's door open- revealing a painfully lifeless room, save for the dust bunnies that danced soulfully in response to the door's swinging movement.

Breeze took in the view of the early morning sun with a relieving sigh. She watched the sun bearing brightly through the bedroom's wooden framed window. She couldn't help but flench as its light persuaded her eyes of its glory. She began a journey into the blinding room, in search of the book she had retired onto the bed's flesh. Eventually she stumbled her way up to it, but took a hesitant grasp of it. Upon further inspection, the book seemingly moved on its own once more; though it did slightly frighten Breeze, she couldn't help but roll her eyes in response. Laughing to herself "The supernatural is the natural- ironic".

Slowly she took the book into her wings running her hoof along one of its open pages, she nervously laughed "Well anything you wanna show me"?

The book made no effort to reveal itself to Breeze.

Breeze looked over it with mixed emotions: on one hoof being happy nothing happened, but on the other half worried of what the book was displaying... or perhaps who it was displaying the message to. She took a discontent look at Book before gently placing it into her bag, and locking it shut. Taking a deep breath and with eager steps, Breeze bounded her way from the guest bedroom with a breakneck pace- seeking salvation from the horrendous feeling it radiated.

Swiftly making her way to the cottage's door, Breeze eagerly pressed it open, and quickly stepped her way outside- simultaneously locking the door behind her in the process. She looked over the locked door for a second worried that she'd be locking Butter Crème out but reasoned to herself "I could just fly to an upstairs window for Butter Crème or she could probably 'magic' in".

Breeze took a deep breath as she turned around, carefully taking in the forest resident to the cottage's front yard. She expected the horrors of yesterday to once more visit her, but evidently in the early morning's light even the most frightening of shadows was illuminated with a delicate fragrance of life's grace.

The trees seemingly danced a happiness akin to a thousand ballroom dancers, the grass and flowers praised the sky with wide arms of joy, and the animal pressed their way through each with movements like that of spirits headed towards the light of their makers. It was as though each of the forest's existences granted another piece of a puzzle, held together by the glue of life "The sun".

In the center of it all stood Breeze, dawned in the cottage's carrion shadow- amongst the morning's dew. She couldn't help but feel out of place in the beauty that befell her. She stood for a moment gently breathing as her eyes flowed their way around each tree, flower, or blade of grass until finally they rested their gaze upon a single fluttering butterfly. Breeze watched as the butterfly fluttered its way up to her: instinctually Breeze reached her wing out to it, admiring its gentle beauty. Slowly the butterfly came to rest upon her similarly gentle- violet feathers, she couldn't help but let out a loving "aww" in admiration of the lifeform. After a moment the butterfly embraced its own wings once more, departing from Breeze, and heading back into the sky from whence it came.

Breeze watched its departure for only a moment before bringing her own wings up above her side in a readied position. She carefully looked up to the blue sky, before confidently blowing some of her hair out of her face with a smile. Breeze braced herself slowly before suddenly leaping into the air, her wings sprawled out at her side. In fact It only took seconds before she was atleast a couple hundred feet in the air, looking eagerly upon her warm surroundings: It had been an extremely long time since she last flew in the glory of the morning sun. Normally she only dwelled in the moon's cold embrace, however she found a foreign delight while divulging in the sun's loving light.

Looking around her she could see what seemed like miles of forest broken up sparsely with various snow capped mountains, however in the far distance she could almost make out what looked to be a sandy plain, though in that moment the sand's presence was overlooked. Breeze couldn't help but try and take in each tree, mountain, river, or even plateau. She found herself mesmerized by all of their brilliant colors, though she'd seen them all before, dawned in the blanket of night. The colors before her far outshined the purple hues the moon offered. She thought the night was impossibly beautiful, but even the most dull green or blue put the night to shame. Breeze couldn't help but smile feeling the warm air of the sun overtake her as she began to give admiration to the sky itself. She made her way to a nearby cloud, carefully standing on it to admire its miraculous comfort- though it wasn't any different from the clouds she was used to during the night, she was practically jumping with joy on the small white cloud. In accordance the cloud began to pour rain down below her, catching Breeze's curious attention as she slowly moved to fly beside the cloud once more. With a happy smile, she watched water fall from beneath the cloud: slowly Breeze reached out her hoof taking in the coldness of the water that precipitated under the cloud.

She once more looked below her, this time casting her gaze upon West Artax: She found herself in awe, now seeing it in daylight she could see what seemed to be the remains of a battlefield covering the outreach of the town and some parts within it. At each part of West Artax resided a multitude of craters and mounds of dirt, even worse was the copious number of buildings that were crumbled presumably by the same battle, with pieces of wood, brick, and glass thrown about everywhere.

Breeze wondered to herself if this was really caused by just an army of angry Earthponies, she watched downwards, imagining a hustling crowd of ponies pillaging through the town: she couldn't help but flench once more imagining the screams of terror that originated that day- In fact from above she could clearly make out West Artax's graveyard filled to the brim with countless headstones. She looked over it in dread, half noting that not every grave there had necessarily belonged to adults alone, the idea of the countless young foals that lost their lives that day made her feel sick, all because the races didn't get along, so many lives were lost. She could only remain there for a moment, sadly whispering to herself "The PAU huh?" Slowly she moved her wings to fly down towards West Artax's border.

Landing carefully on the grassy path just outside of town, she hesitantly looked into it- feeling the bitter pain of the town's past berating her once more. She slowly made her way into town. She let out an audible shivering as a chilling wind made haste to meet her. She walked with her head held down to the ground, feeling as though she could hear the many souls bustling around her. Breeze slowly made her way though West Artax, so on edge she found herself jumping to the smallest of noises. It felt like an eternity of walking before she once more found herself at the fountain's reach.

She looked over it carefully, truly taking in each detail in an attempt to distract her mind from the horrors around her. She took note of the center of the fountain, observing a faded statue of a Stallion: colored a dull green with an almost black mane. He had both wings and a horn, however his wings were colored a brilliant gold and his horn was tipped a greyish-white. Upon further inspection it looked as though some strange type of golden crown rested atop his head, and though it was hard to make out due to the fading, his eyes were a dull purple.

Breeze questioned to herself "Some kind of royalty? He does appear to be an Alicorn..." she couldn't help but notice an obvious familiarity to it- remembering Butter Crème's previous statement from earlier that day "In my dream my mother told me I had my father's eyes." Breeze reasoned that it may be a coincidence, but she'd ask her about it next time she had a chance, but as for now she still couldn't shake the dreadful feeling in her chest.

She once more painfully looked out into the town, deeply feeling the chilling aura of the many lost souls, their gutting crying screams pleading for help. She regrettably noted how everything from her last visit remained the same- realizing the possibility that each soul was frozen in time and tormented: their town serving as their very own eternal prison, the very idea made Breeze shudder.

She could see her Breath faintly in front of her: it was like the sun's warmth couldn't seem to reach West Artax... she took a moment in the silence before whispering out her thoughts "a city cold to the bone- held together only by the agonizing suffering of its forgotten inhabitants... I never imagined a place this horrible... so devoid of life- joy- so devoid of..." she took a moment before looking towards the sky once more, only whispering out one saddened word "hope"

Breeze could feel them, she could almost hear them, she could almost see them. It hurt her, it hurt her to a degree she felt tears begin to fester. She felt the dreadful fear overwhelm her as she- like many others in the past, fell down into the grass that succumbed the fountain's base behind her. She only barely held herself up by her front hooves. She began to cry, but froze upon hearing a small voice speaking out to her.

"Miss?" It spoke out, as gentle as raindrops. "Miss, are you okay?"

Breeze slowly looked up, horrified to see what had called to her, however infront of her stood a small filly, colored a delicate blue, with a pastel pink mane. Breeze wiped her eyes, before carefully responding "Y-yes I'm okay... um.... who- who are you?"

The small foal giggled with a contagious laugh, and a catchy smile "Well howdy! The name's Cotton Joy! It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Moonlight"!

Breeze laughed slightly before responding "can- can I help you with anything Cotton Joy...?" Upon further inspection she also realized the young filly before her was a Unicorn as well, with a horn tipped in white to match.

Cotton Joy smiled at her whilst blissfully speaking "Not really... we just really wanted to make sure you were okay Breeze! I hate seeing anypony cry, also I just wanted you to have this" Cotton Joy proudly held out a small toy in a giving motion. The toy held the appearance of a small orange earth pony wearing a hat.

Breeze carefully took it from her hoof whilst asking "What is it?"

Cotton Joy giggled one final time responding "It's not 'what is it?' it's 'who is it?'" She let out a bubbly laugh before continuing "She always made us feel better when we were scared, we were hoping this would make you feel just as happy! We always called her Apples cause of her mark!" Cotton Joy looked back over her shoulder with a face of disappointed like she had just heard somepony call her name, before turning back with a delicate smile "I gotta go, Breeze, please come visit us sometime, and I wanted to tell you 'not to worry, it gets scary sometimes... but we're alright here!"

Breeze looked at Cotton Joy with confusion for a moment before questioning "Wait- what do you mean 'we'? and I... I never told you my name?"

Cotton Joy began to run off whilst happily shouting back "Please visit us soon!"

Breeze shot up to her hooves, in pursuit of the filly, desperately shouting ahead for her to wait, but as Cotton Joy made her way around the corner of a nearby ruined building the sound of her hoofsteps seemingly vanished. Upon Breeze making it around the corner herself, she saw no sign of the young filly- the only thing in clear sight from behind the building was an obvious view of the churches rusted gates swinging in the wind.

Breeze looked down at the figure- still clasped in her wing, before whispering to herself in horror "This town is way too much for me..." she stared at the toy scared for a moment before taking a deep breath repeating "Cool like Sparks" over and over. Finally containing her fear, she sparked up a smile and confidently spoke out into the town's chilling silence "Apples, huh? Okay, Cotton Joy... I promise." She carefully turned around, and began her way to the library, but stopped
quickly- jumping in fright in response to the sound of metal slamming behind her. Quickly turning back towards the church, Breeze saw the gate that was just open, now slammed to a firm closing, and just in the distance she saw the churches door fling open and then close by itself. Breeze froze- before carefully and silently placing the figure of the orange mare in her bag beside Book. She let out a shaken "I guess... this is just my life now..."

Breeze made an uneasy turn away from the church before quickly and hastefully running away from its sight. Heading her way swiftly to the library's domain- surely having enough of the town's inhabitants. Though she definitely wasn't concerned for them anymore, even so the same can't be said for the inhabitants themselves. From just inside the churches window stood a small blue mare dawning a smile, only broken up by their sad eyes.

From behind the pony came another small voice "Are you sure she's okay, I didn't scare her too bad did I Cotton?"

Cotton Joy turned back towards the voice, casting their sight over a young colt, colored yellow with a pale orange mane. She spoke carefully and gently towards him "Of course not Citrus... she'll be alright, and besides it was important to make sure we gave her Apples."

Citrus looked over Cotton Joy with an astonished look, returning the conversation once more "You're so mature now..."

Cotton Joy looked away in embarrassment giggling nervously "it's nothing honestly, I'm just doing as Driello asked all those moon's ago"

Citrus walked up beside Cotton Joy, casting his gaze out the window with a sorrowful look- quietly speaking out "I miss him..."

Cotton Joy wrapped a hoof around Citrus- sadness showing in their town as well "I do too... but we still have most our friends here, and besides- Driello trusted us to take care of her until she was ready to leave home"

Citrus looked at Cotton Joy with a smile coated in a stream of tears "you're right, I know he'd be so proud of us"

Cotton Joy smiled proudly over Citrus simply responding a satisfied "Yeah". She took a moment before adding "come on, Citrus, let's head down stairs... I bet the others would love to hear I finally got to meet the 'Moonlight Breeze'."

Slowly the duo gathered themselves, and headed their way into the darkness of the church- dissappearing once more.