The Journey From West Artax

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.