To Raise Herself Over Again

by Zoura3025

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Original Character
Length: 21591

Now that she's settled in Cauldron Valley, Tincture has started trying to help herself overcome her past trauma. The self-help, however, abruptly gets quite literal.

Cauldron Valley is a place of odd occurrences and is no stranger to anomalous magic. However, what happens when a unicorn resonates with the Valley's energies is poorly documented. Goaded by a mix of her own emotions and some curious advice from on high, Tincture finds an oddly familiar filly on a late night's walk.

(Note: This story follows my own original characters in an original locale in Equestria. If you don't vibe with that, this story isn't for you.)

Content Warnings: Discussion of Trauma ("Heavy Themes").

Published 2023-09-15 04:20:00 UTC
Last updated 2023-09-18 20:02:12 UTC

Chapter 2: Foal Reveals, Am I Right?

When Murky awoke, she looked at Tincture's legs holding her, and snuggled close. Murky smiled, "Mom…" She whispers gently, "I don't know if you really are my mom, but… I hope I'll be a good daughter," She expressed, hugging Tincture's legs close to her chest.
Tincture stirred awake sometime later, looking at Murky. The red pony was humming gently, holding Tincture's legs close.
"Good morning, Murky," She greets softly, nuzzling Murky's head.
Murky gasped a little, "G-good morning, mom!" She replies.
"Did you sleep well?" She asked gently.
Murky nodded, "I did, mom," She says gently, nuzzling into Tincture.
Tincture smiled gently, "Good," She replies, returning Murky's nuzzle.

Her mind renewed with sleep, Tincture realized that this was her opportunity to prove, once and for all, that she was better than Miasma. She would take care of this filly, better than the tyrant ever did.
She stroked Murky's head gently, pausing slightly as she heard the filly's stomach growl. Tincture smiled.
"Are you hungry?" She asks gently.
Murky nodded softly.
Tincture slowly crawled out of bed, walking to her shelf of potions, grabbing a pair of bottles and pouring them out on a plate, letting it spring up into a familiar, lumpy mass of brown bread.
She gently brought the plate over, and sat next to Murky, who had sat up.
"Here," She says, gently bringing the plate before Murky's snout, "Eat as much as you want."
Murky took a long moment, but eventually reached out, taking a piece of the bread and eating it.
"It's a little dry, mom," Murky expresses after a hard gulp.
Tincture chuckles gently, setting the plate down next to Murky. "It is," She admits, "I'll go get you some water," She says gently, walking out of her room.

Tincture froze as she got the the front room; Bottle, Angel, and Hazy were all up.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Bottle greets with a soft giggle.
"It's not like you to sleep in, hun," Hazy observes gently.
Angel would zip over to the unicorn, giving her a hug. "You must've slept real good, huh?" She asks.
Tincture hesitated as she hugged back. "I… Yes, I was very tired," She admits.
Angel giggles a little, "Aww. You're allowed to sleep, you know," She expresses, "I know all of us here have spent at least a couple days of our life just hunkered down in bed."
Tincture smiles awkwardly, "Hah… Actually, I was just getting up to get a glass of water," She admits.
"Oh," Angel says, letting go of the unicorn, "Okay!"
Tincture sighed softly in relief, walking to the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water, filling it as full as she could without spilling. She was thankful that her friends respected her space; even if she could've used some advice right now.
She slipped back into her room, closing the door behind her.

Murky had eaten a good amount of the ration spell; more than Tincture could've eaten, at any rate.
Tincture gently magicked the glass of water to Murky, allowing the filly to drink.
Downing the glass in a few gulps, Murky looked up at Tincture. "Thank you, mom," She says softly.
Tincture smiled awkwardly. It was still a bit strange, being called "mother". But, she bit those feelings back. Tincture had committed now, even if it wasn't of her own volition.
"You're welcome, Murky," She says gently, sitting next to the earth pony.
Murky leaned on Tincture's side. "Who were you talking to while you got me water?" She asks.
Tincture tensed a bit, "Just some friends. No one bad, don't worry," She says gently, one of her front legs wrapping around Murky.
"Can I talk to them?" Murky asks.

Tincture hesitated. "Eventually," Tincture said gently, "I don't understand where you came from, Murky; I want to be ready when I introduce you to them. For now, you stay in here, okay?" She expresses, hugging Murky tighter to her side.
Murky blinked a little, "Okay, mom…" She agrees softly, leaning into Tincture's embrace, "But you'll let me meet them eventually?" She asked.
Tincture nodded. "I promise," She says gently.

Tincture stood up after some time. "I'd like to try and find out where you came from," She expresses gently, looking at Murky, "I'll be reading for a while… Did you want something to do?" She asked.
Murky nodded, "Yes please, mom," She says gently.
Tincture thought for a long moment, before setting some things on the table; a couple pencils, and a stack of paper.
"Come have a seat," She says gently.
Murky got up, trotting over to the table, setting the plate of bread down next to the papers and hopping up into the seat.
"I'd like you to try making something; writing or drawing, it doesn't matter," Tincture explains gently.
Murky's ear twitched. "What do you want me to write or draw, mom?" She asked gently.
Tincture shook her head, "What comes to mind. An blank piece of paper is an empty canvas," She explains, gently setting a single sheet in front of Murky, "I'd like you to fill it."
Murky nodded. "Okay!" She says, grabbing the pencil in her mouth.

Tincture smiled and walked to the other room, grabbing a large book of spells.
She opened it, looking through conjurations… What sort of spell had she used? Had she even used a spell at all? Had she abducted a random filly? She hoped not. No, that couldn't have been it. A foal had no reason to lie to her; no malice, no motive. If Murky had said Tincture was familiar, then Tincture was familiar to Murky.

Tincture's focus was broken as she heard the sound of four hooves hitting the floor. "I'm done, mom," Murky says.
Tincture looked up and walked to the door.
Murky's paper had been more or less evenly coated in pencil lead; scribbled over so the paper (save perhaps for the very edges) was completely full of pencil lead.
Tincture failed to suppress a soft chuckle, "That's… Not exactly what I meant by 'filling the page', Murky," She says gently, patting the filly's head.
Murky's ears drooped. "I-I'm sorry, mom," She whimpers softly, shrinking away.
Tincture stopped for a moment. Was Murky scared of her? The fear was back in her purple eyes.
Tincture lowered her head to be more on Murky's level. "Murky, you're not in trouble," She promises, voice a bit more stern than she had intended, "You just took my directions a bit more literally than I intended."
Murky blinked a little, "Y-you mean it?" She asks, still shrank away.
Tincture stepped forward, pulling the filly into a gentle embrace, nuzzling her head. "Of course. You're my daughter; I won't punish you for an innocent mistake," She says gently.
Murky sniffled a little, leaning into Tincture's embrace. "O-okay, mom…" She says softly.
"Here. Let me show you," Tincture says, gently helping Murky back into the seat and drawing a piece of paper and a pencil over her.

Tincture would quickly sketch a set of mountains over a horizon; not that it was that complex. A few triangles over a line. "See? There's something on the paper now," She explains.
Murky looked at the rough sketch and nodded a little. She took her own paper and the other pencil, and started drawing.
Tincture stepped back, giving the filly some space, but observing her with a gentle sense of curiosity.
After a few minutes, the filly looked up, "Like this, mom?" She asked gently.
Tincture's eyes widened slightly. The drawing was similar to hers; mountains overlooking a horizon. However, there were trees, and even a river at the bottom of the page.
"Yes, exactly," She says, "I want you to draw whatever comes to mind, okay? Use as much paper as you want," She explains.
Murky nodded, "Okay, mom," She says gently.
Tincture smiled, heading back to her book to study.
Tincture did eventually find a likely spell candidate:

"Pomunculus Summoning:
As described by Starswirl et al., circa 1009.
A 'Pomunculus', as described in a classical setting, is a reflection of the conjurer's will. A microcosm of their thoughts that oft manifests as strong desire. This spell aims to corporealize that conceptual creature into something physical; because of this, the results of this spell can vary widely in both quality and efficacy. Attempting the spell alone is not recommended, even for alicorns, for the magic drain of conjuring a living being is far beyond that of any possible dead matter."

Tincture poured over the page. How could she had even managed to cast it? Was the valley that willing to give its magic unto her?
She sighed softly. At least she had a presentable explanation. Not adequate to her, but adequate enough to excuse herself around others.
Tincture walked back to the room where Murky was sitting, eyes wide.
Several papers laid across the table, all with different things drawn on them. Landscapes, houses, even an attempt at… Her?
Murky looked up from her current page; a drawing of the alchemy set Tincture used for brewing potions. She dropped her pencil as she started to speak, "Are they any good, mom?" She asked gently.
Tincture nodded. "They're lovely, Murky. You have talent that I could never hope to surpass," She says with a gentle chuckle.
Murky hugged Tincture tightly, "Thanks mom," She says, "Which one do you like most?" She asked.
Tincture hugged back, "You're forcing me to pick one?" She asked gently, chuckling a little.

Murky nodded, and Tincture thought for a long moment, before slapping her front leg over the table, touching most of the drawings. "Each one I'm touching," She says, a small smile on her face.
Murky huffed a little. "Moooom…" She protests.
Tincture giggled a little, "If you won't play fair, neither will I," She teases gently, "I can't pick just one."
Murky bit her lip and buried her face in Tincture's side. "Fine," The filly huffed gently.
"Now, I think I'm ready to show you to everyone," Tincture said gently.
Murky looked up and gasped a little, "Really!?" She asks excitedly.
Tincture nodded, "Yes, really. Come along," She instructs gently, heading back out of the bedroom. Murky slid off of the chair, thumping on the floor with a soft "oof", before following after Tincture.
Tincture lead Murky out to the front room.
Murky hid behind her as she saw the three other ponies. "L-lots of ponies," The filly whimpers softly.

Tincture cleared her throat, "Good morning, everyone," She says gently, projecting her voice a bit.
Bottle smiles a bit, "Are you ready to join the land of the living now?" She asked with a gentle chuckle.
Tincture nodded, "Yes, I am…" She trails off as she steps forward, Murky still hiding close behind her.
"You can come out, now," Tincture says to the filly.
"Who can?" Angel asked, peering over the top of the couch.
Hesitantly, Murky stepped out from behind Tincture, still sticking close to the mare's side.
The other three ponies in the room gasped, and Angel zipped over.
"Aww! Who's this?" She asked, gently patting Murky on the head.
Murky squeaked a little, flinching back from the sudden attention.
"It's okay, Murky," Tincture said gently, "Angel won't hurt you."
Angel dialed back her energy a bit, rubbing Murky's head softly, "Don't worry, I don't bite," She promises with a soft giggle.
Murky leaned into the head rubs. "O-okay…" She replies hesitantly, her eyelids slowly falling shut.

"Anyways, this is Murky. She's my…" Tincture's voice caught in her throat again. It was a weird thing to own up to, but she'd come this far, "My daughter," She finishes.
Bottle's eyes went wide. "Your daughter?" She asks.
Tincture nodded a little, "It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the closest approximate," She explains, gently stroking Murky's mane.
Murky had calmed down, even as Angel still rubbed her head.
Tincture had to suppress a laugh; despite the age difference, Murky was still around Angel's height, and was much more well-built than the pegasus.
"Well, out of all of us, I have to say, I didn't think you'd be the first one of us to have foals," Hazy comments.
Tincture hesitated. It wasn't really her choice, but she didn't want to say that in front of Murky. "It's… Funny how that works, I suppose," She says.

Angel smiled at Murky, "You wanna come sit on the couch with us?" She asks gently.
Murky opened her eyes as Angel's hoof pulled away, looking up at Tincture for approval. Tincture smiled gently. "Go ahead," Tincture says.
Angel giggled, leading Murky over to the couch and helping her up, sitting next to her.
Tincture walked over, sitting on the other side of Murky, letting the earth pony snuggle up to her.
Bottle smiled softly, "Don't worry, little one; you're in good company here," She says gently.
Hazy chuckled a bit, "Trust me, you'll never be starved for love around here, hun," She promised.
Murky nodded a little, looking around at the other ponies in the room.
"How did you find her, Tincture?" Bottle asked gently.
Tincture blinked, recalling last night as it came to her.

"What do you remember, Murky?" Angel asked as Tincture finished recalling her story.
Murky blinked, "R-remember?" She asks softly.
"Well, yeah. You met Tincture at the river, didn't you?" Angel asks.
Murky scratched her head. "Well… I don't remember a lot. I just remember being scared, and lost, and… Then I thought I heard someone scream," She expresses, "And then I heard mom talking to someone…"
Murky squeaked a little as she felt Angel hug her, but relaxed when she realized that it was just that: a hug.
Tincture sighed a little and bit her lip. She wasn't ready to discuss Murky's origin in front of her. Not that she had a very good idea of Murky's origin, but that was another problem entirely.

"It was… A long night," Tincture concludes simply, "But, I think I need to take on this responsibility. I can finally prove I'm better than she was."
Bottle sighed a little, "Tincture, you don't need to take this on alone," She insisted.
Tincture bit her lip. "I… I know, Bottle. Thank you," She says, head tilting down and away.
Murky leaned into Tincture, hugging her tightly.
Tincture forced a smile and hugged back, "I- We'll take care of you. I promise," She expresses softly, holding the filly tighter.
Bottle gave a small smile, "I'll get started on breakfast," She says gently, sliding off the couch.
Hazy nodded, "I'll lend a hoof this morning," She says, following Bottle into the kitchen.

Tincture looked at Murky and Angel, smiling a little. "Hah… I'm glad you two are getting along," She says gently.
Angel giggles, "She's so cute! Why wouldn't I like her?" She asks, finally pulling away from Murky, who remained clung to Tincture's side.
"Because she's taller than you?" Tincture thought to herself. She kept that thought quiet.
Murky blinks a little, "I'm cute?" She asks.
Angel nods, "Well, yeah. Look at you! And your chubby cheekies!" She expresses with a giggle.
Murky blushed a little, "Oh… Okay," She says softly.
Tincture smiled, "It's a good thing, Murky. Don't worry," She says, nuzzling the confused-looking earth pony.
"Oh. Thank you, um…" Murky trailed off as she looked at Angel, shrinking a bit as she tried desperately to remember her name.
"Angel's Kiss; Angel for short," Angel says gently, smiling warmly at Murky.
"O-oh… I'm just Murky," She replied softly.
"Where'd your name come from?" Angel asks.
"H-huh?" Murky questions.
"I mean… I'm called 'Angel's Kiss' because I'm light as a feather and tend to jump around a lot," Angel explains, "So… Where does Murky come from?"
Murky put a hoof to her chin and thought deeply for a moment. A number of emotions flashed over her face, before she blinked, "I don't know," She squeaks, a little panickedly.
Tincture nuzzled her snout gently into Murky's mane. "It's okay, Murky. Angel's just curious; it's okay if you don't know," She says gently.

Murky whined a little, nuzzling into her mother and closing her eyes.
Angel's ears went flat. That had gone about as poorly as it could have. "I'm sorry, Murky," Angel says, looking away.
Tincture sighed a little, rubbing Murky's back. "It's alright, Angel. This whole thing has been… A bit of a sudden occurrence," She expressed, "Murky's just a little sensitive…" That didn't begin to describe it. If Murky had been made from her inner self, like the spell's description stated, then Tincture understood just how broken the earth pony was. Or at least, she had a good idea.
Angel rubbed Murky's back, feeling immensely guilty.
Tincture gently magicked Angel up to hug Murky.
Angel squeaked a little, but obeyed the unicorn's wishes.
"You forgive Angel, don't you, Murky?" Tincture asked gently.
Murky nodded a little, murmuring a soft, "Mhm."
Angel sighed a little in relief, just joining in the hug to comfort the filly.

Eventually, the three's focus would be broken by the warm sound of Hazy's voice. "Breakfast's ready, huns, come on over," She says gently.
Angel carefully piled off of Murky, quickly jumping over to the table.
Tincture helped Murky down from the couch, leading her to the table and helping her into a chair, sitting next to her.
Murky watched as Hazy and Bottle brought out plates of eggs, toast, and some assorted vegetables.
"Looks good, guys!" Angel says, excitedly bouncing in her seat.
Tincture smiles, "It does look lovely; thank you," She says gently.
Bottle sat down, and so did Hazy. Bottle smiled warmly at Murky, "Go ahead, little one," She says, gently nudging the plate of eggs towards Murky.
Murky stood up to reach the serving spoons, taking some of everything. "Thank you," She says softly as she sits back down, allowing the others to take their food.

Murky looked at the breakfast for a long moment before she dared to try it, sampling the eggs first, then the vegetables, then the toast. "It's all good," The pony thought, "I like food."
Tincture smiled as she watched Murky dive practically face first into her breakfast, eating her own food more reservedly. It seemed some things didn't pass over directly… Tincture had never had such a voracious appetite, even when she was starving.
Angel giggles a little, "Gee, Murky. You're eating like me after a day of labor," She says.
Murky's ear twitched, and she looked up from her food, a small piece of egg sticking to her muzzle. She licked it off. "Huh?" She questions, tilting her head a little.
Hazy chuckles, "She's saying you seem hungry, hun," She clarifies, "Have some more breakfast if you want; we made plenty."
Murky nodded a little, taking some more eggs and toast to eat, returning to her face-dive eating style.

Breakfast would eventually conclude, and Murky blinked. "It was really good," She says softly, giving a cute smile to Bottle and Hazy.
Bottle smiles gently, "I'm glad you liked it, little one," She replies, "Did you get enough to eat?" She asks.
Murky nodded, "Mhm! Mom fed me earlier this morning," She explained.
Angel giggles, "Some of the ration stuff, right? You must've been real hungry," She supposes.
Murky nodded, and blushed slightly.
Tincture smiles. "She's a growing filly; if she's hungry, she can eat," She says, voice a bit defensive.
Bottle smiles, "Of course," She agreed, "You won't starve here, Murky. We'll all be sure of it," She expressed.
"Okay," Murky said, looking at Tincture, "Can I draw some more, mom?" She asks gently.
Tincture smiles a little, "Of course, Murky. Did you want to draw out here?" She asks.
Murky thought for a long moment, but eventually nodded, "Okay," She replies softly.

Tincture nodded, leaving the table to bring over the paper and pencils. Murky watched as the other adults cleared the table, but looked over at the paper and pencils with excitement.
Tincture smiled, setting the drawing supplies down and gently nuzzling Murky's head, "There you are," She said gently.
"Thanks mom," Murky replies, nuzzling into Tincture gently.
Tincture left the room to help the rest of the adults with cleaning up, leaving Murky alone with her art supplies. Murky didn't mind; after all, Tincture wasn't far. She just focused on drawing, ears twitching in response to the occasional crackles of the fire behind her.

Murky hummed gently as she drew. She tried drawing the ponies she had met this morning; there were a lot of them, so she started with Tincture first. She then drew Angel, followed by Bottle, and lastly Hazy.
She looked at her drawing and frowned a little. It was missing something… So she wrote on it. Her writing wasn't very good, but it was legible. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough for her to pick it up and bring it over to the kitchen, "Look!" She says simply.
The adult mares would all turn around to look at Murky's drawing. A picture of the four adults around her, subtitled "family".

"Oh, Murky, that's adorable!" Bottle expresses, a wide smile on her face.
Hazy smiles, "You've got a lot of talent, you know," She says, rubbing the filly's head gently.
Angel was about to comment, but she noticed Tincture tearing up. "You okay, Tincture?" Angel asked gently, pacing over to Tincture and hugging her.
Tincture's words were choked, "Y-yes, it's… It's lovely, M-Murky," She attempts, sitting back.
Murky set down her drawing and hugged Tincture tightly. "What's wrong, mom?" She asked gently.
Tincture whimpered a bit, trying (and failing) to restrain the tears in Murky's presence. "N-nothing, Murky," She chokes, "I-I'm just very proud of you."
Bottle and Hazy would join in the hug, letting Tincture cry out her emotions, even if the unicorn fought them at first. Tincture was fully convinced, now, that she would protect Murky at all costs.

Some time later, when Tincture had a chance to recompose herself, Bottle and Hazy had gone off to work. Murky was once again drawing at the table, with Angel and Tincture playing cards so they could watch over her. Murky would show the adults her drawings now and again, and the positive responses each time made her swell with pride.
Angel smiles a little, "You're really good at drawing, Murky," She says.
Murky looked up from her latest drawing, "Oh, thank you," She says softly, "I guess I think of a lot of things, so drawing helps me look at them."
Tincture smiles gently, "It's always good to have an outlet; I'm glad you found yours so quickly," She says.
Angel giggles, "I'm sure she'll find other things she likes, Tincture," She says.
Tincture nodded a bit. "I suppose so," She replied, a weak smile on her face. Already, her heart welled with turmoil at the idea of Murky growing up and wanting to leave home. She tried to push the thoughts down. "That's a long time away," She promised herself, briefly closing her eyes to clear her head.

Angel would eventually look up, "It's getting a little late. Wanna go get lunch?" She asks.
Tincture blinks, "We could have lunch at home, couldn't we?" She asked.
Angel shrugged, "Well, sure, but it'd be good to get out of the hou-" She was cut off by Tincture.
"We will have lunch at home," Tincture says firmly.
Angel winced, shrinking slightly as her ears pinned to her head. She had never heard Tincture raise her voice before, except when shouting at Miasma on that fateful day, "...Well, okay," She says gently.
Tincture's ears flattened as she realized what she had done, "I-I'm sorry, Angel, I-" She stammered, "...I'll go make us some lunch," She finally offers quietly, stepping down from her chair and walking to the kitchen.

Angel took a deep breath and walked to the kitchen, "Tincture…" She begins gently, walking up beside the unicorn.
Tincture didn't say anything, focusing on the sandwiches she was making.
"Tincture, I know this is a new thing, but you need to stop hunkering down when something serious happens," Angel attempts to reason. Angel wished Bottle was here; Bottle was generally better with the interponial things like this. However, Bottle wasn't here, so she had to try.
Tincture gave the pegasus a brief glance, "I need to protect her," She insists with a huff.
Angel's Kiss took a short breath, "I know, and being protective is a good thing, but Murky's a growing filly; she needs to get out of the house, just like you or I," She explains.
Tincture bit her lip, "She's not a foal," She says.
Angel blinked, "Well, what is she, then? She looks like a foal to me," She expresses.

Tincture lowered her voice, briefly checking to make sure Murky wasn't listening from the door, "Last night, I conjured her in a fit of emotion, using the magic from the valley. She's a pomunculus, not a natural-born pony like you or I," She explains, voice somewhat grim.
Angel gasped and backed away slightly. That wasn't exactly what she'd expected to hear. "What's a pomunculus, Tincture?" She asked.
Tincture waved a hoof; a motion intended to quiet Angel down. "It's a sort of… Manifestation of our inner self," She explains, "She's not a foal of mine by blood, but she was born from my thoughts. All that fear of Miasma I carry, that entire foalhood of living under that tyrant; she knows about it. Or at least, she feels it."
Angel blinked, looking away a bit, "So you want to protect her from anyone who could hurt her like Miasma hurt you," She theorizes.
Tincture nodded a bit and sighed, "I promised myself that I'd be a better mother than Miasma," She states, "I will do right. If not for my sake, then for Murky's."
Angel rubbed Tincture's side gently, "Well… Okay," Angel says gently, "But you need to take her out of the house tomorrow. Being cooped up inside, well… Miasma never let you out much, did she?" She asked.
Tincture's eyes widened in realization, "Oh, Celestia…" She whispered, looking away from the counter and Angel.

Angel gently hugged Tincture. "It's okay, Tincture. You're just doing what you know to protect her; that's why Bottle, Haze, and I are here. You're not alone," She promised, hugging Tincture tighter.
Tincture took a shaky breath. She'd cried enough over the past two days. "You're right, Angel," She decides finally, "I need to do something… Tomorrow, though. I just need one more day," She insists.
Angel sighed a little, but nodded. "Okay; what are you going to do?" She asked.
"I will take her to the market with me. That way, I can keep an eye on her, but she can get some fresh air," She plans.
Angel nods a little. "Alright, that sounds good," She says gently, giving Tincture a small squeeze before releasing her, "Want some help with lunch?" Angel asks.
Tincture nodded, "Yes, thank you," She says gently, watching as Angel hopped up on the counter to help.

Chapter 3: Learning From Nothing

A short time later, the two mares would bring a plate of sandwiches to the table, setting it down.
"Time for lunch!" Angel declares, smiling at Murky as she looked up towards the noise.
Murky looked up and nodded, "Okay," She replies softly, a small smile on her face.
"Put your drawings to the side for now, okay? You can go back to it after you eat," Tincture requests gently, sitting next to Murky.
Murky hesitated, but nodded and loosely piled up her drawings, settling them to the corner of the table, pencils on top of them.

She watched as Tincture magicked a sandwich over to her, starting to eat it quickly.
Tincture sighed softly in relief; she was thankful that Murky hadn't inherited the memories of food being restricted; the long nights spent starving. She gently rubbed Murky's back, smiling a bit.
Angel would take her own sandwich to eat, as would Tincture.

"So, Murky, Tincture was thinking of taking you to the market with her tomorrow," Angel says, giving the two other ponies a small smile.
Murky looked up, "Oh, okay," She says gently, looking up at Tincture, "What's the market like?" She asks.
Tincture blinked, briefly glancing at Angel, who simply gave an encouraging smile. "Well… It's a part of town where ponies gather to buy and sell things," Tincture explains, "You might meet some other colts and fillies there."
Murky shrank a little, "I-is there a lot of ponies there?" She asks softly.
Tincture waggled her head, "There can be," She supposes, "It's not usually too busy. Don't worry, I'll make sure you have somewhere comfortable to rest if you don't want to talk with anypony," She promises, gently rubbing Murky's head.
Murky leaned into the gentle hoof and nodded a little, "Okay, mom," She replies quietly.

Tincture bit her lip slightly, "Though, I think if I'm going to take you out, we should give you a bath," She says softly, "Your mane's almost as messy as mine usually is," She observes with a soft chuckle, noting the numerous knots in the filly's mane.
"A-a bath?" Murky squeaks a little, her eyes opening wide.
Tincture nodded a bit. "Don't worry, Murky. I'll be gentle," She promises.
"I-I don't like baths," Murky protests, "Th-the water's too hot…"
Tincture sighed a little, "I'll take extra care to ensure the bath isn't too hot, okay?" She bargains, "I'll make sure you don't burn yourself."
Murky blinked a little, but nodded slowly, "Okay, mom," She says gently.
Tincture smiled a little, "Come along, little one," She says gently.
Angel smiled a little, "Need an extra pair of hooves?" She asked.
Tincture shook her head, "I'd like to spend some time alone with Murky," She answers gently.
Angel nodded. "Alright," She says, "I'll keep the fire in check, then."
Murky took a bit of goading to get into the bathroom, but Tincture closed the door once she was inside.

"The bath isn't scary, okay?" Tincture said gently, turning on the taps, warm-hot water beginning to flow into the tub as Tincture set the plug into it.
She felt the water a few times, before gently gesturing for Murky to come over to her.
Murky obliged, squeaking slightly as Tincture gently took her hoof, bringing it over the edge of the tub to the running water.
"Ready?" Tincture asked gently.
Murky nodded, and winced a little as Tincture gently pushed her hoof in the flowing water, before blinking once or twice.
"Is it too hot?" Tincture asked gently.
Murky shook her head, "No mom," She replies softly.
Tincture smiled. "Good," She says, "Ready to get in?"
Murky hesitated a bit.
"I'll help you, okay? I'll be right here," Tincture promises gently.
Murky bit her lip, and put both of her front hooves on the lip of the tub, "O-okay, mom," She stutters.

Tincture gently hefted the filly up over the lip of the tub, letting Murky sink into the warm water. Murky squeaked a little as she dove into the water, taking a moment to right herself, head popping up as she gasped for air.
Tincture gently rubbed the filly's head. "There. Still okay?" She asked gently.
Murky nodded, "Mhm! It's comfy, mom!" She replies, leaning into Tincture's hoof.
Tincture smiled, magicking a bottle of mane shampoo over. "That's the hard part done," She says gently, propping herself up on the side of the tub, "Now we just have to get you clean," She adds with a soft chuckle.
Murky blinked up at Tincture, watching as the unicorn squeezed some of the thick shampoo onto her hoof.
"Close your eyes, okay? The soap stings if it gets in there," Tincture says.
Murky closed her eyes tightly, heeding Tincture's warning.

Tincture smiled, gently rubbing the shampoo into Murky's mane, starting from the scalp and working towards the ends. Tincture began to hum gently, sighing softly in relief. She'd heard horror stories about getting young fillies and colts to bathe, but Murky was quite well-behaved. It seemed Murky's fears were a lot more based on certain poor experiences than general fears or rumours.
Murky breathed softly as she felt Tincture's hooves rub through her mane. There was something calm about having her head gently rubbed; especially by somepony she trusted.

Tincture smiles, "You're very well-behaved, Murky," She observes, "I'm very, very proud of you," She expresses.
"Thank you, mom," Murky replied, "I want to be a good daughter…"
Tincture bit her lip slightly, but simply nodded as she gently turned the filly to soap down lower on her mane, "You're a very good daughter, Murky," Tincture promised, "No matter what anyone tells you, you're my special filly."
Murky smiled a little, "I love you, mom," She expresses softly, leaning back a bit, towards Tincture's voice.

Tincture froze for a moment; the words were like a shot through her heart. Not negatively, of course, but the sincerity in Murky's voice struck her in a way that pierced down to the soul and bones.
"I love you too, Murky," She finally says gently, resuming her washing of Murky's mane.
Tincture would gently pull her hooves away, "Alright, duck your head underwater to rinse off the soap," She says gently.
Murky obediently dove beneath the water, shaking her head to rinse out her mane, before popping her head back up, wiping the remaining bathwater from her eyes before shaking herself off a bit.

"There… Doesn't it feel better to have a clean mane?" Tincture asks, gently rubbing Murky's head.
Murky nodded, "It does, mom," She confirms.
Tincture would take gentle care as she grabbed the coat wash, washing Murky from head to tail.
Murky would allow this without complaint, the soap easily washing bits of dirt and debris from her fur.
Tincture couldn't help but chuckle softly as the bathwater became dirty. It looked like dishwater. "Goodness… You'll practically need a second bath after this one," She jokes gently.
Murky blushes a little, "Am I that dirty, mom?" She asked.
Tincture smiled. "You were. You'll be all clean once we're done," She expresses, "Just look at the bathwater."

Murky's eyes opened slowly. "W-woah…" She stumbled softly, "I didn't know I was that dirty."
Tincture chuckled softly, "Well, now you're not," She says gently, "I think I'm done," She explains, beginning to drain the bathwater.
Murky squeaked from the sudden noise of the draining water. Tincture smiled and grabbed a thick, fluffy towel from the counter.
"Don't worry, the drain won't get you," She says, gently pressing her muzzle into Murky's cheek.
Murky nuzzled her mother back. "O-okay, mom," She says gently.
Tincture would pull away, beginning to gently towel off the filly, smiling. "There… We'll get you all clean and dry, little one," She says contently, smiling warmly in the filly as the tub drained away.
Murky leaned against the towel, just nodding a little, "Mom, why do you have a horn but I don't?" She asked abruptly.
Tincture frowned slightly, "I… I don't know, Murky," She expressed, "It's just life's plan, I suppose."
Murky nodded a little and looked away slightly.
"But, I promise, it doesn't change anything. I love you very much, horn or not," Tincture says, her chest swelling a bit.

Tincture hefted the filly out of the tub to finish drying her, grunting from the effort. Tincture had done heavy lifting before, but Murky weighed the same as a full-grown mare. Murky squeaked a little, curling up slightly in Tincture's front legs, looking up at Tincture as she was set on the floor.
Tincture huffed and puffed slightly, but magicked the towel over to finish drying Murky off.
"What's wrong, mom?" Murky asked gently, tilting her head at Tincture's heavy breathing.
Tincture forced a smile, "Nothing, Murky… I'm just not very physically strong," She admitted.
Murky nodded a little, "It's okay, mom. I don't think I'm very strong either," She reasoned, pressing her still-damp muzzle into Tincture.
Tincture smiled gently, "And that's perfectly alright, Murky," She said warmly, "You don't need to be physically strong to be strong."

Murky was a bit confused by her mother's wording, but simply nodded.
Once Murky was adequately dried, Tincture grabbed a brush from the counter, beginning to meticulously brush down Murky's mane.
Murky squirmed a little, "It kind hurts, mom," She whined.
Tincture sighed a little, "It always does the first few times; eventually, your mane will get used to flowing straight, and it won't be as bad," She explained, trying to go a bit slower so as not to cause the filly any more pain.
Murky closed her eyes, and squeezed them shut each time Tincture ran into a particularly stubborn knot. She did open her eyes eventually, however, as Tincture worked on brushing her tail.
Murky looked at herself in the mirror. Her mane was noticeably longer now that it was properly brushed out; some natural curls, however, gave it a wavy appearance in the drier spots.

"Why is my mane all wiggly, mom?" Murky asked, "Yours isn't."
Tincture smiled. Finally, a question she could give a concrete, reasonable answer to. "It depends on the pony, Murky," She explained, "Angel, for example, has a very frizzy mane; Bottle and I both have straight manes. It's just a matter of what we're born with."
Murky nodded, seeming satisfied with the explanation, "What about Hazy?" She asked.
Tincture thought for a long moment, "I don't know, actually. I haven't seen her with her mane unstyled," She admitted.
Murky simply nodded again, "Can I style my mane?" She asked.
Tincture nodded, "I don't see why not," She replied, "Did you know how you wanted it styled?" She asked.
Murky shook her head, "I… Have to think about it," She answered.
Tincture smiled gently, "Think about it as long as you want, Murky. There's no rush," She said warmly, walking up alongside the filly and giving her a gentle nuzzle, now done with Murky's tail.

Tincture opened the bathroom door and smiled gently, "There; you're all clean now," Tincture said with a gentle chuckle.
Murky nodded a little, walking out of the bathroom. "What now, mom?" She asked quietly.
Tincture followed her out, and shrugged, "Whatever you'd like; I don't have much planned for today," She supposed softly.
The two walked out into the front room, where Angel was settling some fresh pieces of wood in the fire.

Angel smiled up at the two as she stepped away from the fire. "I take it the bath went well?" She asked.
Murky nodded, "Mhm! Mom says I'm all clean now!" She explained with a small giggle.
Angel smiled, "Good," She replied, hopping over and patting the filly's head.
Tincture smiled, "She was quite co-operative," She explained, taking a seat on the couch, watching the two interact. She found it a bit funny that Murky was larger than Angel despite their ages.

Angel, however, didn't seem to mind. Her hoof briefly stroked her chin. "Hmm… You ever had a raspberry, Murky?" She asked.
Murky blinked. "No, I haven't… What's a raspberry?" She asked in return.
Angel giggled, rolling the earth pony onto her side and taking a deep breath in.
Before Tincture could ask what Angel was doing, she was cut off by a loud,
PBBBBBBBBBBBBT!!!
As Angel blew a loud raspberry on Murky's belly.
Murky giggled uncontrollably; it seemed someone was ticklish.
Angel couldn't blow a second one; she was too busy giggling along with Murky, a wide smile on her face.

"Now you know!" Angel proclaimed, still giggling loudly.
Tincture tilted her head, unable to resist a smile. "How'd you do that?" She asked.
Angel giggled, "It's real easy! You just take a deep breath, and…" She trailed off, taking another breath in.
PBBBBBBBBBBBBBBT!!
Angel blew another loud raspberry on Murky's side, the poor filly now weakly smacking the floor as she giggled loudly.
Tincture crawled from the side of the couch, looking at Murky, then Angel.

Tincture took a deep breath, before leaning down and attempting to blow a raspberry on Murky's side. It took her a moment to find the correct mouth shape, but her eyes widened as she caught noise on the tail end; a soft bbbt.
Murky squeaked a little, "Mom, nooo!" She attempts, before being caught by another fit of giggles as Tincture blows a successful raspberry on her side.

Angel giggled, "My parents used to do that to me all the time when I was a foal," She explained.
Murky giggles a little, finally recomposing herself enough to roll back onto her front.
Tincture smiled. "I'll keep that in mind," She supposed softly, "Being able to cheer your foal up on demand never hurts," She expressed, gently nuzzling Murky.
Murky nuzzled back, panting a bit to catch her breath from all the laughter.
The three would spend some quiet time in the living room; Murky would pass out after having crawled onto the couch, leaning against Tincture as she snored softly. Angel and Tincture spoke quietly about plans for the upcoming weeks, now that they had a filly to take care of.

Eventually, Bottled Lightning would return home, looking at the three ponies in the living room. She smiled gently as she saw the sleeping filly, quietly climbing into a chair. "So, what'd you three get up to?" She asked, keeping her voice low.
Angel giggled, "Just a quiet day around the house," She answered.
Tincture smiled and nodded, "Nothing crazy, thankfully… Though I did give the little one a bath," She explained, nuzzling the sleeping filly's head gently.
Bottle nodded and smiled. "Oh, good. Seems you two managed to take care of her," She expressed with a gentle giggle.

Angel giggled along, and Tincture smiled, "She's very well-behaved; I think Angel would get bored if she tried to take care of Murky by herself," She joked softly, chuckling.
Bottle chuckled, and Angel huffed. "Hey," Angel snorted, "I taught you how to blow a raspberry, didn't I? I could take care of her just fine."
Bottle chuckled gently, "I'm sure Tincture was just poking fun, Angel. You can be a bit rambunctious," She reminded.
Angel blinked. "What? It's not like I'd take her out to meet stallions or something," She huffed.
Tincture and Bottle both laughed some, and Angel eventually conceded, giggling along.

Murky would stir awake from the collective laughter, nuzzling into Tincture's side a bit.
Tincture smiled softly, "Hello, little one," She greeted quietly, "Did you have a nice nap?" She asked.
Murky let out a soft "Mmm-hmm" as she nuzzled into Tincture, and the unicorn gently shuffled a bit, hugging the groggy earth pony to her chest.
Bottle giggled. "These two didn't tucker you out, did they?" She asked softly.
Murky shook her head, "They didn't; I just got comfy, snuggled up to mom," She explained.
Bottle could've fawned over Murky then and there, but managed to maintain her composure, just giving a warm smile, "Aww… That's plenty alright, sweetheart," She said gently, "Growing fillies need their rest, after all."

Angel giggled a little, "Y'know, if she's still a 'growing filly' at her size, she's gonna wind up taller than Tincture," She commented.
Tincture smiled awkwardly, "I suppose that would be the expected pattern…" She hummed softly, "Do you have any idea how old you are, Murky?" She asked, gently gazing into Murky's tired eyes.
Murky shook her head, "I don't, mom… All I remember is yesterday," She admitted.
Tincture gently stroked her mane. "That's quite alright, little one… We'll figure it out eventually, okay?" She promised softly.
Angel nodded slowly, "Well, if you don't know… I guess yesterday can be your birthday, right?" She asked.
Tincture looked at Murky, who simply gave her a small idle nod.
"That sounds good," Tincture agreed, rubbing Murky's back.
Bottle smiled gently, "Is there something special you'd like for a late birthday treat, Murky?" She asked.

Murky thought for a long moment, squirming a little in Tincture's grasp so she was looking at Bottle more comfortably. "Umm… Cinnamon buns," She decided after a few minutes.
Tincture smiled gently, "Seems like the apple didn't fall far from the tree this time," She joked softly.
Bottle nodded, "I should be able to put something together… I'll ask Hazy to help me with the baking tonight," She decided.
The room fell quiet as the short-lived conversation ran its course. After a few moments, Angel grinned, "Oh, wait! We could teach Murky to play Coltan!" She declared with a giggle.
Tincture smiled, "That would be nice," She said gently, "Would you like to play a game with all of us, Murky?" She asked.
Murky looked up and nodded a little, "Okay, mom," She replied, shaking herself off and hopping down from the couch.

The four ponies made their way to the table, Angel grabbing the game to lay it all out.
Murky watched as the board was set up before her. Her eyes widened at the detail of the art on the pieces; she wanted to draw like that.
So she grabbed her piece of paper and her pencil, and started drawing a forest, like the one on the tile.
Bottle smiled gently, "Hehe… You're quite the artist, aren't you, sweetheart?" She asked.
Murky looked up, pencil still in her mouth, and nodded. "Mhm!" She replied.
Angel smiled. "What colour do you want, Murky?" She asked.
Murky looked at the colours available: Blue, Purple, White, and Pink. "Purple," Murky said.

Murky watched as Angel set out the pieces before her. The little pieces were quite simple, but represented their roles well; simple rectangles for roads, small houses for towns, and troughs for castles.
Murky listened attentively as the rules were explained to her, thoughtfully chewing on her pencil.
Murky would draw throughout the Coltan session, enjoying the warm comfort of the house, as well as the gentle voices of the older mares as they bantered.
Murky would take inspiration from the game as they played; her drawings were that of sprawling kingdoms, featuring grand castles that overlooked forests and fields with roads and towns in them.
Tincture watched Murky carefully, amazed by the detail the filly had put into the art. She was a bit perplexed as she watched Murky abruptly set the landscape art to the side, getting another paper.
Murky looked at her mother for a good long moment, passing the pencil between the sides of her mouth, before nodding and returning to her paper.
"What are you drawing now, Murky?" Tincture asked, looking over.
Murky ignored her, focusing on her art.

Tincture watched as the filly's drawing took shape, her eyes widening slightly as she started putting two and two together.
Murky pulled back and dropped her pencil, smiling up at Tincture. "It's Princess Mom!" She explains with a giggle. The drawing was of Tincture, but as an alicorn, her cloak replaced with a long, elegant gown. Her mane was lined and shaded in to look like a lava lamp; flowing, blobular shapes. "I don't have colours," Murky admitted, her ears flattening slightly.
Tincture shook her head dismissively, "It's beautiful, Murky," She expressed, leaning down and gently kissing Murky on the cheek.
The other two mares at the table giggled and "Aww"ed.
Murky blinked a little, nuzzling into Tincture, "Mom… You've said that about everything I've drawn," She said.
"Because everything you've drawn is beautiful, Murky," Tincture replied supportively, "As your mother, it's my job to support you."

Murky sniffled a little and teared up, abruptly hugging Tincture tightly, "Th-thank you, mom," She whispered.
Tincture gently hugged Murky, pulling her close, "Of course, Murky," She cooed gently, her face turned into a warm smile.
Bottle giggled gently, "Well, she certainly got your sensitivity," She observed.
Tincture nodded, "She's just a filly… It's normal for them to be emotional, is it not?" She asked gently.
Bottle nodded in affirmation, "It's very normal, Tincture; healthy, even."
Angel blinked. "Well… I mean, it's healthy to let your emotions out, but it's not a good thing if she cries all the time, is it?" She reasoned.
Bottle bit her lip, "It might tie in to being adopted, Angel. We just don't know enough about her," She replied.
Tincture just nodded slowly, "I will support her, no matter what," She insisted.

Chapter 4: Belated "Birth"day

A game or two later, Hazy Stupor would arrive at the house. After some chatter, Bottle and Hazy would head to the kitchen to make dinner and dessert.
Murky had taken turns drawing Bottle and Angel as alicorn princesses as well; drawings that were surprisingly detailed, just as much as the drawing of Tincture.
"Why don't you draw yourself as an alicorn, Murky?" Angel asked, noting Murky's lack of self-representation.
"I wouldn't be a very pretty alicorn," Murky excused softly, shaking her head, "I don't have a horn or wings."
"Neither does Bottle, and you drew her just fine," Angel reasoned.
Murky shrank a little in her chair. "Still, I wouldn't look pretty…" She murmured, avoiding Angel's gaze.
Tincture sighed and hugged Murky close. "Murky… You'd make as beautiful an alicorn as anypony else," She said, gently nuzzling Murky's mane.

"But I don't have a mark, mom," Murky said.
Tincture looked down at Murky gently, "Yet. You don't have it yet… But one day, you'll get your mark, and we'll all be very proud of you," She cooed gently, rubbing Murky's back.
Angel joined in the hug, nodding. "Yeah! Besides, you don't need to have a mark to be a special pony," She said, "I mean, Bottle only got hers, like, a month ago, and she's been helping ponies at the hospital for years."
Murky looked up with sheepish eyes. "You mean it?" She asked softly.
Tincture and Angel both nodded. "Of course, Murky," She cooed gently, nuzzling Murky a little more.
With some encouragement, Murky would uncurl herself and pick up her pencil, beginning to draw herself. Not as an alicorn, however; instead, just a unicorn, without wings.

"You forgot the wings, silly," Angel chided gently.
Murky shook her head, "I don't have my wings yet," She explained, "But this way, I'm a unicorn, so I can do magic like mom. One day, I'll get my mark, and then I'll have my wings."
Angel and Tincture were both slightly stunned by the filly's explanation.
Tincture simply nodded as she bit her lip. "And on that day, I will be the proudest mother in all of Equestria," She expressed, nuzzling Murky gently.
"I love you, mom," Murky said, leaning into Tincture.
"I love you too, Murky. Very, very much," Tincture promised.
Angel couldn't help but smile. These two were so cute! She giggled gently. "I'll go see how dinner's going… Don't do anything I wouldn't," She hummed, gliding lightly over to the kitchen.

Murky looked up at Tincture quietly, "I like it here, mom," She expressed gently.
"So do I, Murky," Tincture replied, still holding the filly close.
Murky looked idly at her drawings, "Mom, what do you think my mark will be?" She asked.
Tincture blinked. "I don't know, Murky. It can vary wildly from pony to pony," She explained, "My mark is for alchemy, for example. Bottle's is for her magic. Angel's is for her talent at handling things carefully. I'm not sure what Hazy's is supposed to represent," She admitted.
Murky nodded a little, "I hope my mark makes you proud, mom; I know you worked hard to get yours," She expressed.
Tincture blinked. "You… You know?" She asked, dumbfounded.
Murky nodded, "That big mean unicorn made you do alchemy stuff until it was your mark, didn't she?" She asked, looking up at Tincture with big eyes.

Tincture paused for a long moment. She felt, albeit briefly, as if she were being choked. She should have seen it coming, really; a pomunculus was formed from the caster's memories. She just wasn't ready to hear such things from a filly who, up until this point, had seemed almost entirely innocent.
"Y-yes," Tincture finally admitted, voice almost a cough, "She did, Murky…"
Murky blinked a little, "Whenever I mess something up, I think about her," Murky admitted.
Tincture's ears pinned back, and she took the filly's chin in a hoof, gently staring into her, "Murky," She began, "I promise you, I will never treat you like she treated me. You're my very special filly, and I love you. Miasma had no love for me; that's what makes us different."
Murky stared at Tincture for a long moment; it was as if the two were having a silent argument. After a few minutes, Murky tightly hugged Tincture, burying her snout in Tincture's chest.
Tincture sighed gently, "I promise, Murky. I promise you'll have a better foalhood than I did," She whispered.

The room fell quiet as the two spent some time embracing each other. Tincture was, admittedly, conflicted by Murky's apparent cognizance of past events… She wondered how much of Murky's psyche had been influenced by these memories. The fear of failure made a great deal of sense, now; Tincture had certainly developed a similar fear as a part of her "training". Tincture rubbed Murky's back idly, staring off into space.
Tincture's somewhat trancelike state was broken as she watched Hazy bring out a large plate of steamed vegetables, "Dinner's ready, huns," Hazy explained simply.
Tincture blinked a couple times, "Alright, thanks Hazy," She replied, gently releasing her hold on Murky.

Murky clung to Tincture for another moment before letting go, setting her papers aside as dinner was laid out before her.
Tincture returned to her own seat, watching as Bottle and Angel came out with plates of what appeared to be fried beets and mashed carrots.
Tincture smiled, "Seems like you three were busy," She commented.
Bottle chuckled softly, "Cooking goes much faster when you've more than one pair of hooves," She explained, taking a seat as Angel and Hazy returned to the table; Hazy had a large pot of porridge in her mouth, setting it down on the table as Angel put a trivet down.
Hazy gave a small smile to Murky, "Your cinnamon buns are in the oven, don't worry hun," She said, "They just need a bit more time to finish up."

The five would begin eating; Murky watched as Tincture spooned a large amount of porridge on her plate, in addition to laying the steamed vegetables and a large slice of fried beat to the side.
Murky eyed the thick porridge with suspicion, and gave it a short sniff. It hardly smelled like anything. Carefully, she nipped the side of her plate lightly, scraping a small sample of the porridge into her mouth. She smacked her lips as she tasted it; it wasn't displeasant, but it wasn't pleasant, either. It tasted like what she imagined "food", with no special traits, would taste like.

Tincture chuckles softly, "Try eating the porridge with some vegetables, Murky; they'll make it taste much better," She explains.
Murky nodded a little, beginning to attack the plate of food; carefully, at first. She had liked breakfast more, but this was still suitable sustenance, she decided.
The adults would banter most of the way through dinner; calm conversation about the day's events, both in and outside the house.

Bottle would briefly leave the table as the oven timer went off, only to return a few moments later, wearing a thick blanket over her back to protect it from the still hot tray of large, plush cinnamon buns she was balancing over.
Murky's eyes widened. Despite how vehemently her mind believed they were her favourite, the filly actually hadn't ever had them before. They did, however, look very tasty, and she hardly noticed herself drooling.
Hazy and Angel would carefully help Bottle get the large tray onto the table.
Tincture's eyes widened, "You made all of these from scratch?" She asked in disbelief.
Bottle chuckled, "I did have to learn to cook for myself; what I learned to cook was up for me to decide," She explained, grabbing the large bread knife from the side of the tray to start cutting buns for everyone.

Angel giggled, "I'm pretty sure if her mark wasn't representative of her magic, it would've been taking care of other ponies," She commented.
Hazy smiled, "She's definitely one of the better bakers around town…" She admitted, "Gotta admit, nothing compares to home baking."
Bottle smiled, plating up the cinammon buns and passing them out; the first one, of course, went to Murky. "It's really not that special, you two. I just wanted to do something nice for Murky, seeing as she's part of our home now," Bottle reasoned.
Angel giggled more, "You're such a mom, Bottle," She snorted, lightly nudging the earth pony's side.
Tincture gave a weak smile. She hoped she could be 'such a mom', as Angel had put it, someday.

Tincture watched as Murky attempted to sneak a nibble of the cinnamon bun before her; it was still quite hot, so it was a bit like watching a wild animal slowly encroach on something they knew wasn't theirs.
Tincture smiled gently, "You could blow on it so it cools off faster, Murky," She advised.
Murky's eyes lit up, and she started blowing quite hard on the cinnamon bun so it would cool down.
Angel giggled, "Sheesh, and here I thought pegasi were in charge of wind," She joked.

Once satisfied with her handiwork, Murky attempted a sheepish nibble at the bun, tearing some of the exterior layer free with her teeth. It was coated in icing, but didn't have too much cinnamon sugar on it. Murky's eyes widened with delight.
"It'sh really good!" Murky squeaked, not waiting for her mouth to be empty before speaking or taking another bite.
Bottle smiled widely, "I'm glad you like them, Murky," She said, "Happy birthday."
Murky blinked as the other adults chimed in with their own "Happy birthday"s.
"Thank you…" She replied softly, feeling a bit bashful from all the attention. She did sit up a bit, however, since these were her family; at least, that was how she thought of them.
Dessert went by fairly quickly; it was a nice meal, accompanied by soft chatter.

Murky yawned as she finished her food.
Tincture looked at her. "Are you still tired, Murky?" She asked gently.
Murky nodded, "I'm sleepy… The food was really good and I'm full," She admitted, voice having a slightly slow, trawling inflection.
Tincture smiled gently, "You don't have to stay up, Murky… Do you want to go to bed?" She asked gently.
Murky nodded a little.
Tincture smiled gently, standing up, "Alright, Murky. Let's get you to bed," She replied.
"Oh, you said Murky was cold last night, didn't you?" Bottle asked, "I'll grab you some extra blankets," She added, walking to the closet.
Hazy chuckled softly. "You and your blankets, Bottle… You'd think you were preparing for the return of the Windigos," She remarked. Bottle just chuckled softly at the comment.
Tincture just smiled, "Thank you, Bottle; I'm sure the little one would appreciate some extra insulation," She said.
Murky nodded a bit, mumbling a quiet "Thank you," as she was led into the back of the house by Tincture, Bottle following behind with a few heavy woolen blankets.

Bottle smiled gently as she watched Tincture help Murky into the bed; Tincture's horn ignited as she pulled the covers up, tucking Murky in snugly. Bottle laid one blanket by the bed and another on top of it, further swaddling the filly in warmth.
"You just tell me or mama if you need anything, okay sweetheart?" Bottle said gently, rubbing Murky's head.
Tincture blushed slightly at being called "mama", but nodded in agreement.
"Okay… Good night mom, good night Bottle," Murky said, eyelids already drooping.
Tincture gently leaned down, kissing the side of Murky's head, "Good night, little one. Have a good sleep," She cooed warmly.
Bottle smiled, leaving the room.
"I love you…" Murky trailed off as she yawned, "...Mom."
Tincture smiled. "I love you too, Murky," She replied as she left the room, her horn illuminating to shutter the small magical light that was staving off the darkness.
Murky's eyes closed as she settled under the covers, and Tincture gently shut the door behind her.

Tincture walked to the couch, feeling somewhat trepid all of a sudden as she climbed up onto it, sitting next to Bottle.
Bottle smiled gently, pulling Tincture into a one-legged hug. "You'll be a wonderful mother, Tincture," She said gently.
Tincture closed her eyes, leaning into the earth pony some. "I hope so…" She expressed gently, "I've decided I want to take notes from all of you. I'm not ready to do this on my own, but I think I have it in me to do it with help," She expressed. Despite her hopeful tone, Tincture felt tears welling in her eyes.
Bottle rubbed Tincture's back gently, "There there, Tincture… We'll be with you every step of the way," She promised.
Tincture murmured a soft "Thank you" and nuzzled into Bottle a bit.

Angel and Hazy would enter the room, sharing the other couch.
Hazy smiled gently at Tincture, who'd recomposed herself by now. "Well, I take it the little one's all snug as a bug in a rug?" She asked.
Tincture nodded, "Yes, she's very comfortable, thanks to Bottle… I'll be sure to check on her," She said, voice slightly absentminded, as if she were having two conversations at once.
"Why would you need to check on her?" Angel asked.
Hazy elbowed her and gave her a side-eyed look. Angel's ears flattened; the insensitivity of the comment was not lost on her, but she'd only realized it all too late.

Tincture sighed gently, "Before dinner, she told me she has… Memories. My memories," She explained, "These memories included Miasma, and most likely at least some of the many times she disciplined me."
Bottle gasped slightly, "So you're saying she might have nightmares like you do?" She asked.
Tincture simply nodded, and the other three mares' eyes went wide.
"...Once again, I have doomed her to suffer because I willed her into existence," Tincture murmured grimly.
Angel bit her tongue, and Hazy looked at her. "Angel…" Hazy murmured, reaching to hold Angel back.
Angel leapt from her seat on the couch, storming over to Tincture and taking her hooves, looking straight into Tincture's eyes.

Tincture felt afraid; she had never seen Angel so bothered like this.
"Tincture," Angel begins, "Did you ask to conjure Murky last night?" She asked.
Tincture shrank a bit, but shook her head.
"It's not your fault that you weren't ready for something that happened. And it doesn't matter," Angel continued, "The fact that you stepped up to care for a filly you weren't ready to handle says way more than the fact she exists at all. You can't blame yourself for the world being a messy place where things happen to ponies who aren't ready."

Bottle and Hazy sat in shock.
Tincture looked at Angel with a mix of sorrow, fear, and just a twinge of repose.
Angel huffed gently. Now she was getting a bit wet in the eyes. "You just need to… To give it your all, okay? You can't give Murky a perfect life; none of us can. But that doesn't mean you're not a good mom," She says, leaning into Tincture a bit.
Tincture's eyes squeezed shut, and she looked away.
Bottle bit her lip, gently pulling Angel away from Tincture. "Angel's right, Tincture… She seems to know some things I don't, but if Murky is here because of something beyond your control, then it's not your fault," Bottle said gingerly.
Tincture just took choked, shaky breaths, barely managing to croak out a soft "Thank you".

Hazy stood up and walked over, sitting on Tincture's other side. "I know it's a lot, Tincture, but you've got all of us here to help you through it," Hazy said gently.
The group would grow quiet as Tincture began to sob. The unicorn was overwhelmed; she had experienced so, so much in a matter of a couple days. It was too much, really, but that was okay. She had her friends to fall back on.

"When I first came here… I had no idea what I was doing with my life," Tincture admitted, "I was a refugee; a vagrant, even. I ran away from someone who controlled me for so long. These past months… I've lost control of so much, in such a short order; but it feels good. To allow life to push me around, is-" Her voice caught, and tears made themselves known as she felt a stinging pain in her clenched throat, "It's been ugly, but so, so beautiful, all at once. Like a gorgeous mosaic of the most hideous colours imaginable," She explained.

Bottle nuzzled her gently, "That's how life is, Tincture. It's messy, but there's nothing wrong with that," She explained.
Hazy smiled at Tincture, lifting her chin some, "You probably know better than all of us, Tincture… Sure, last night was messy, but now you have a beautiful filly because of it," She reasoned, "If that doesn't show you firsthand that beautiful things can come from messy places, I don't know what will."
Tincture nodded a bit. "You're… You're right," She replied softly, "It will be messy; I know it will. But this is my chance to finally do something unequivocally right," She agreed.
Angel smiled a little, "Atta mare," She remarked gently, "And if the mess gets too big for just your two front hooves, you have three other sets just waiting to help you."

The group fell into a hug, centered on Tincture. Tincture was happy. Perhaps a little battered by the storm of emotions inside of her, but she was surrounded by friends and the warmth of the house.
She yawned a bit. "Mmm… I think I'll go check on Murky, and see you all in the morning," She said.
The other three mares nodded, allowing her to get up.
"Good night, everyone," Tincture bade, walking to the door of her room.
"Good night," Replied Bottle, Angel, and Hazy in unison.

Tincture carefully crept into the room, slowly crawling up onto the bed, sliding herself under the heavy blankets and gently hugging Murky close.
Murky's ear twitched, but she didn't stir; the only sound was her soft snoring.
Tincture smiled gently, "Sleep tight, little one," She whispered. Tincture swore she saw Murky smile slightly in her sleep. She nuzzled gently into Murky's mane, closing her eyes to sleep.
Tincture liked holding Murky close like this; it made her feel protective. She should protect her foal, should she not?
Before long, sleep claimed Tincture's mind.

Chapter 4: Facing Fears

Tincture awoke hours later, feeling rested. She looked down at Murky; still held close to her, and still asleep.
Tincture smiled gently, carefully sliding out of the bed to pack her cart. She had some extra things to pack; she hummed softly as she grabbed a blanket from the closet, as well as some pencils, paper, and a wooden cutting board for the filly to draw on. Tincture figured Murky would stay behind the cart most of the day.
She also snuck to the kitchen, carefully cutting a few cinnamon buns loose from the tray, wrapping them in wax paper.
Tincture tucked the buns away in her cart, smiling gently. She then turned to the fire, magicking a firestarter over to set some kindling alight to start a fire.
Hazy was asleep on the couch, so the unicorn worked as quietly as she could; Hazy would stir, however, from a particularly loud crackle of the growing flames.

"Mmm…? Oh, morning Tincture," Hazy mumbled, yawning groggily as she sat up.
Tincture smiled a bit, "Good morning, Hazy," She greeted, carefully tending to the fire.
Hazy gently plodded over and pulled Tincture into a hug, "You okay, hun? You were pretty rattled last night," Hazy expressed.
Tincture blinked, but leaned into the hug. "I'm alright; I think I just needed some sleep," She admitted.
Hazy smiled gently, "Good," She replied, "We were worried about you… You don't have a good track record with high-stress situations, hun."
Tincture sighed a little. "I know. I need to be strong for Murky," She expressed, "But I'm not alone. That makes it much easier," She added, giving Hazy a small smile.
Hazy Stupor giggled gently, "Seems like you actually did listen to us," She joked softly.
"I always listen, Haze. I just don't show it a lot," Tincture admitted.

Hazy nodded a little, "I know, I know, you're the quiet type…" She trailed off, giving Tincture a light kiss on the cheek, "Between you and me, it's adorable," She expressed.
Tincture blushed brightly, "H-huh?" She stammered.
Hazy giggled a little, "You're cute, Tincture. Murky got that from you," She explained.
Tincture gave an awkward smile, "If you say so, Hazy…" She replied gently.
Hazy giggled gently and stood up. "You want a cinnamon bun for breakfast, hun?" She asked.
Tincture nodded. "That sounds lovely," She replied softly.

Some time would pass in the morning; Angel would wake up, as would Bottle.
Tincture went to check on Murky; the filly was awake, looking around the room as she laid in bed.
"Good morning, Murky," Tincture greeted, gently rubbing Murky's head.
Murky took in a deep breath and stretched, nuzzling a bit into her mother's hoof, "Good morning, mom," She murmured.
"Did you sleep well?" Tincture asked.
Murky nodded.
"Good," Tincture replied with a soft smile, "Do you want to come have breakfast with us?" She asked.
Murky nodded again, slowly creeping out from under the thick cover of blankets, following Tincture out into the front room.
Breakfast wasn't particularly fancy; mostly leftovers from the night before, though there was toast on offer as well.

"Are you excited to go to the market, Murky?" Angel asked as they ate.
Murky blinked, "Aren't there a lot of ponies at the market?" She asked, ears pinning back slightly.
Tincture nodded a bit, "There can be; you can stay by the cart, if you want. You don't need to be out in the open," She explained.
Murky nodded hesitantly, "Well… Okay, mom," She replied gently.
Bottle smiled gently, "It's supposed to be a nice day out, at least," She said calmly.
Angel nodded, "Mhm! Supposed to be one of the warmest days of the month."

Hazy chuckled a bit and turned to Murky, "Don't worry, hun. I'm sure mom'll take care of you if you decide you don't like being out in public," She said warmly.
Murky nodded a little, "Okay, Ms. Hazy," She replied gently.
Tincture smiled, "I wasn't too fond of the market when I first started going there either; you'll warm up to it, don't worry," She promised, "I packed your drawing supplies so you have something to do."
Murky nodded a little.
The rest of breakfast was quiet, and passed with little issue; before long, the mares dispersed from the house.

Murky looked up at Tincture as they walked, her eyes gazing between Tincture and the cart hitched to her torso. "Is that cart heavy, mom?" She asked.
Tincture chuckled a bit, "It is, yes; I have to take good care of it to ensure I can pull it properly," She explained.
Murky blinked, "Could I try pulling it?" She asked.
Tincture smiled gently, "That's a very nice offer, Murky, but I don't want you to hurt yourself," She expressed, leaning down and gently nuzzling Murky.
Murky blinked, but nuzzled back into Tincture. "Okay, mom," She replied gently.

Murky looked around at the market as they arrived; there were only a few ponies there as early as Tincture usually was, so Murky had a chance to observe without being under too many watchful eyes.
Tincture hummed gently as she set up her cart, unpacking the blanket and setting it neatly at the edge of the cobblestones, so Murky would have somewhere comfortable to lay down.

Murky took some time to wander around the town square, looking at all the colourful awnings over the wooden stalls and the assorted ponies setting up their wares.
Murky always made sure she was within Tincture's line of sight; she didn't really feel safe out in the open by herself. Murky squeaked slightly as she heard a voice come from behind her.
"Are you lost, ma'am?" Asked a mare's voice.
Murky spun around to face the stranger; they were a pegasus, a bit taller than her.

"Oh, no," Murky replied softly, pointing a hoof at Tincture, "My mom's just over there."
The pegasus cocked a brow, "Your mother?" They asked, glancing over Murky for a long moment, "Ah, I'm sorry, little one; I mistook you for a full-grown mare," They admitted with a soft chuckle.
Murky shook her head, "I'm just a filly," She corrected softly, taking an uncomfortable step back from the pegasus.
"I see… Are you in school? You sound about my daughter's age," The pegasus asked.
Murky shook her head again, "N-no, I'm not…" She trailed off, her eyes becoming fearful at the thought of schooling and teachers; memories crept back into the front of her brain.

Tincture noticed the distress from her stand, and quickly walked over. "Murky? Murky, what's wrong?" She asked, gently pulling the filly into a hug.
Murky sobbed and whimpered weakly into Tincture's chest.
Tincture looked at the pegasus with a harsh gaze. "What did you say to her?" She asked, voice suddenly very cold.
The pegasus took a slight step back, "I just asked if she was enrolled in the school; she is your foal, is she not?" They asked.
Tincture sighed gently. "Our family has a rough history with education," She admitted, rubbing Murky's back. It was a simplification, but it worked fine enough as an explanation right now.
"It's okay, Murky… She's not here," Tincture whispered gently, nuzzling Murky's mane a bit.
Murky's whimpers subsided, but she stayed close to Tincture, holding onto her as if Tincture were the only thing keeping her head above turbulent water.

"Ah… I'm so, very sorry… I'm a teacher at the school; I had no idea your daughter was in such an odd straight," She expressed, "How long has Murky been away from a formal education?" The pegasus asked.
Tincture froze briefly. That was not a question she was prepared to answer; she would have to either lie and give a terrible answer, or tell the truth and give a terrible answer, "She's never been to a… Normal school," Tincture explained. That was a decent enough compromise, "Her last teacher was quite abusive, and I haven't had the will to make her go somewhere else," She admitted.
The pegasus lightly stamped their hoof on the cobblestones, giving a somewhat dejected look. "I… I see," She said, her eyes softening, "If you would like, I can introduce you two to some of the faculty… If Murky is ready, of course."
Tincture took a moment, and gently pulled Murky away from her, looking into her watery eyes with all of the gentleness she could muster. "Murky… The nice pegasus would like to introduce you to some other fillies and colts at the school; did you want to go see them?" She asked gently.

The pegasus briefly raised her hoof as if to correct Tincture, but remembered what she'd said about teachers.
Murky eventually hesitantly nodded, "O-okay, mom… You'll be there, right?" She asked weakly.
Tincture nodded. "Of course. And if you're not comfortable, you can come back to the market with me," She promises, nuzzling Murky gently.
Murky closed her eyes, "Okay…" She replied gently.
Tincture took a few more moments to comfort Murky, and then looked at the pegasus. "Alright. Please, lead the way, Miss…" Tincture trailed off.
"Syrup; Tinned Syrup," The pegasus introduced warmly, looking down at Murky, "It's very nice to meet you both."

Tincture and Murky would follow Tinned Syrup as she walked down the road, Murky staying close to Tincture's side.
The schoolhouse wasn't particularly large; it was a warm-looking building, painted a gentle red. It almost looked like it had been a small barn at some point, judging by the wooden post fences and squat form. Within the fence was a small playground, where a number of fillies and colts played among some basic climbing structures and small nets for soccer.
Tinned Syrup smiled gently, and pointed at a yellow pegasus filly who was sitting close to the fence, next to a couple bushes, "That's my daughter over there; you can go talk to her, if you'd like," She explains, her voice softened as she was speaking to Murky.
Murky looked up at Tincture expectantly.
Tincture smiled gently, "Would you like me to come with you?" She asked.
Murky nodded.

Tincture gently walked her over to the corner where the yellow filly was sitting.
Tinned Syrup walked along. "Honey, this is Murky. She's new to the school," She explains to the filly.
Honey looked at Murky with wide eyes, slowly standing up and smiling, "Hi Murky!" She greets, "I'm Honey Syrup!"
Murky leaned against Tincture a bit. "Hello," She greeted quietly.
Tincture gently nuzzled Murky, "It's okay, Murky, she won't hurt you. She's just a filly, like you," She cooed.
Murky blinked and took a hesitant step forward.
Honey Syrup giggled and stepped forward, wrapping her front legs around Murky in a hug.
Murky squeaked from the sudden proximity, but hesitantly hugged back once she realized she wasn't in any danger.
Tinned Syrup and Tincture both stepped back to allow the fillies to introduce each other.

Murky took a step back from Honey Syrup, gazing over the other filly. She had a bright, golden-yellow mane with warm, dark yellow fur. Her mane was done up in a somewhat messy braid, and her eyes were a gentle green.
"Hello," Murky repeated softly, sitting down with an anxious look on her face.
Honey didn't seem to mind Murky's lack of social experience, smiling up at the large filly. "What do you like to do for fun?" She asked, her tail lightly swishing with excitement.
"I… I like to draw," Murky answered gently, looking at the excitable filly before her, "I draw a lot…"
Honey giggled a little, "Oh! I like drawing too!" She said, "I'm not very good at it, though. All I can draw are flowers," She conceded.
Murky blinked, "I've never drawn a flower before," She admitted, "I mostly draw landscapes, mom, and her friends," She explained, fiddling lightly with her hooves.
Honey grinned, "That's okay! I can show you!" She said.

Tincture smiled warmly, "Seems like they've hit it off just fine… I was worried Murky would be a bit more closed off," She admitted.
Tinned Syrup giggled. "My little honey's just the sweetest little thing. The other foals don't like her much, though…" She admitted, frowning slightly.
"Why not?" Tincture inquired.
"She loves bees; there's a hive up in the tree, which is why none of the other foals come to this corner of the schoolyard," Tinned Syrup explained, pointing up.
Tincture nodded, "I'm sure that won't bother Murky. She hasn't had many bad experiences with animals; just other ponies," She explained.

Tinned Syrup nodded sympathetically. "Well, hopefully Honey will help her loosen up a bit," She expressed.
Their focus was broken as Honey called to them, "Mama, me and Murky are gonna go draw!" She explained.
Murky looked back at Tincture, who nodded. "You can go, Murky," She said gently, "I'll stay around the school for a bit longer with Miss Syrup; you just come and get me if you want to leave, okay?"
Murky nodded, and allowed Honey Syrup to lead her inside the school.

Murky looked around the warm interior of the schoolhouse. It didn't match her inherited memories of a school at all; the school she was used to was big, cold, and hewn from stone bricks. In contrast, the cozy barn with its soft straw flooring and warm wooden walls was like a second home.
Honey Syrup led Murky to a table with some pencils, paper, and crayons.
"So what kind of things can you draw, Murky?" She asked.
Murky took a piece of paper and a pencil wordlessly, sitting kitty-corner to Honey.
Honey blinked, watching as Murky began carefully sketching on the page.

Some time passed, and Murky pulled away from her paper. She had drawn a fairly accurate sketch of Honey; the proportions were a bit off here or there, but Honey could only gawk. "Woah! How did you draw that so quick!?" She squeaked.
Murky set her pencil down, "It's easier when you're sitting right in front of me," She explained gently, "I just looked at you, then the paper, over and over again."
Honey blinked. "Oh, okay. Can you draw things you're not looking at?" She asked.
Murky nodded a bit. "I can, but it takes a lot longer and it doesn't look as good," She admitted.

Honey nodded a little, grabbing her own piece of paper to draw a flower.
Murky watched with interest; she wasn't familiar with flowers. She didn't have much knowledge when it came to plants, so she didn't say anything.
Honey eventually backed away; it was a simple drawing of a flower, really. A circle with 5 plain petals growing out of it.
Murky blinked a little, "That's a flower?" She asked.
Honey nodded, "Mhm! Daisies are my favourite," She explained with a soft giggle.

Murky nodded simply, looking at the paper as she grabbed another of her own, drawing out the same basic shape, but adding some small details to illustrate some depth.
Honey watched her, and tried copying the technique.
Murky blinked, "You didn't have to change your drawing," She reasoned, "I just wanted to draw my own to show mom."
Honey smiled, "Yours looks better! I wanted to try copying it," She explained.
Murky nodded, "Oh, okay," She replied softly.

Murky's ear twitched as she thought she heard a buzzing sound.
She looked to Honey Syrup, who watched as a large bug landed on the tip of her snout.
"Oh, there you are, Harold! I thought you'd gone back home," Honey said, a smile on her face.
"Harold?" Murky asked, squinting a bit. She could make out a fat, fluffy body with black and yellow stripes.
Honey giggled. "Mhm! She's a bee. I take care of the bees at home, and Harold likes to hide in my mane and come to school with me," She explained.
Murky nodded a little, carefully stepping forward.
The bee rotated around to look at her, judging her with its big compound eyes.
"She's pretty," Murky said, nearly touching snouts with Honey as she tried to get a better look.
With the opportunity to bridge the now very short gap, Harold carefully crawled from one snout to another.
Murky blinked.

Honey smiles, "She likes you!" She exclaimed excitedly, watching as Harold settled on Murky's nose.
Murky nodded a little, "Oh, okay," She replied, smiling a small smile for the first time today, "Hello, Harold," She greeted.
The bee said nothing, simply sitting idly on Murky's snout for a few moments, before buzzing off outside.
"Ope, there she goes. The bees are usually extra busy just before the first frost," Honey explained with a giggle.
Murky nodded, allowing her mind to be occupied by Honey's abrupt rambling about taking care of bees. It wasn't a topic Murky was truly interested in, but she realized she enjoyed Honey's company more than anything, so Murky continued to listen.

Murky's focus was broken as Tincture, Tinned Syrup, and a third mare she didn't recognize walked in.
Tincture smiled gently at Murky, "Are you having a good time with your new friend, Murky?" She asked.
Murky stood to her feet, trotting over and hugging Tincture as she nodded. "Mhm," She replied softly.
Tincture smiled and hugged Murky back, "Good," She said softly, "Do you want to stay here, or did you want to come back to the market with me?" She asked.
Murky briefly looked back at Honey Syrup, then returned her gaze to Tincture, "I-I'd like to stay here, mom," She said, voice unsteady. Her ears drooped slightly, as if expecting punishment.

Tincture gently kissed Murky on the head. Truth be told, she was hesitant about leaving Murky in the care of others; after all, she wouldn't be there to protect the filly if something went wrong. However, Tincture also tried to think of what her friends would do in this situation, and she could practically hear Angel telling her that it was good for Murky to socialize with other fillies.
"Alright, Murky. I'll come get you when the school day's over," She said gently, "Be good for the faculty, okay?"
Murky nodded, "I will, mom," She promised, hugging Tincture tightly.
Tincture smiled gently, giving Murky a light squeeze before allowing the filly to return to the drawing table.

Tincture looked at Tinned Syrup and the other mare, "If she starts having an episode, please come and get me," She expressed.
The other mare smiled warmly at her. "We will, don't worry. Your daughter's in good hooves," She promised.
"Thank you, Miss…" Tincture briefly trailed off, "Hastily Writ, yes?"
The mare smiled, "Just 'Writ' is fine," She corrected.
Tincture nodded a bit, and with a bit of a push from Tinned Syrup, left the building.

Tincture sighed softly to herself. She had barely gotten to the edge of the schoolyard and already she was worried sick. "It's okay, Tincture," She muttered to herself, "These teachers are not her. They want to take care of Murky as much as you do. She's happy, has a friend…" Tincture trailed off. She hadn't done a good job convincing herself, but forced herself to walk to the market anyways, sitting behind her cart just in time for the first few patrons to make their way into the square. Tincture looked at the empty blanket, paper, and pencils next to her. This would be more difficult than she thought.

Chapter 5: The First Day of School

Murky watched as Tinned Syrup and Hastily Writ carefully herded the rest of the foals into the schoolhouse.
There were quite a few; at least a dozen. It was a lot of eyes.
Honey gently poked her with a hoof, "We should probably sit at a desk. I think class is ready to start," She says gently.
Murky shrank slightly, "C-can I sit next to you?" She asked nervously.
Honey Syrup nodded, "Of course! C'mon," She says with a soft giggle, leading Murky over to a pair of desks in the far corner of the room. Murky had to sit a bit awkwardly to sit in front of the cushion at the desk; clearly, these were not built with her in mind.

Honey watched Murky fumble at the desk, trying not to draw attention to her.
This effort would be wasted as Hastily Writ began to speak, "Good morning, my little ponies," She greeted warmly.
"Good morning Ms. Writ!" Replied the class. Murky was the only missing voice. And she froze a bit as the teacher's gaze rested on her.
"Now, I'd like everypony to give a warm welcome to our newest student, Murky. Come on up and introduce yourself, dear," Ms. Writ said gently.
Murky watched in horror as most of the class turned back to look at her. So many eyes, all drilling into her very soul. Murky whimpered and shrank in her seat.
Murky was cowering now, attempting to hide behind her desk. She wanted to ask the other fillies and colts to stop looking at her, but her voice wouldn't come.

Honey Syrup watched as her friend completely crumpled from the sudden attention. She blinked and abruptly commanded, "Everyone close your eyes!"
Most of the class obliged, save for the teachers.
Honey gently walked over to Murky, "Look, Murky. They're not staring at you anymore," She said quietly.
Murky slowly peeked out from her desk. The class was still sort of looking at her, but at least their eyes weren't relentlessly trained on the anxious filly.

With great trepidation, Murky walked up to the front of the class. "I-I'm Murky," She began weakly, watching as some particularly curious fillies and colts opened their eyes, "D-daughter of Tincture, the town alchemist, a-and I, um… L-Like to draw…" She trailed off, fidgeting now that most of the class started looking at her. She thought she saw a few colts whispering to each other.
Ms. Writ gently rubbed Murky's back. "Thank you, dear. You can go back to your desk now," She said gently.
Murky mouthed a small thank you and practically ran back to her desk, taking her seat next to Honey Syrup.
Honey rubbed her back gently.

The class thankfully settled a bit as Ms. Writ began teaching the subject of the morning: Mathematics.
The mathematics being taught were very simple; literally for foals. Basic addition and subtraction. This was another scenario where Murky's inherited memories made things difficult, though for a different reason: She was extremely bored. She quietly crept to the back table, grabbing some paper and a pencil before returning to her desk, beginning to draw. Honey looked over at Murky briefly, but didn't say anything. She'd figured out that Murky was a bit of a weird filly, so she guessed that Murky probably had a good reason to draw while the teacher was talking.

Ms. Writ eventually finished the lesson, having Tinned Syrup pass out worksheets for the lesson.
Tinned Syrup bit her lip as she got to Murky's desk, noticing the drawing on the corner. A page full of scowling eyes, with a very tiny self-portrait of Murky in the corner. Tinned Syrup finished passing out the worksheets and returned to Murky's desk. This drew the eyes of a few curious colts and fillies, but she waved their eyes away, giving them a stern look.
"Are you alright, dear?" Tinned Syrup asked in a whisper.
Murky blinked, "...Too many ponies," She murmured, voice nearly inaudible.

Tinned Syrup sighed gently; not in annoyance, but concern. Tincture had said she'd have trouble with groups, but she'd been trained to recognize a child's distress, and Murky hadn't relaxed since the class was brought in.
"Do you want me to get your mother?" Tinned Syrup asked gently.
Murky tensed visibly. Her mind was filled with fear; no longer of the other ponies, but of failure. Fearful for what Tincture might say if she left school early.
"No," Murky said, voice a bit louder, "I-I need to be strong."
Tinned Syrup nodded gently, "You're a very brave filly, Murky. I'm sure Tincture is very proud of you," She said, gently patting Murky's head with a hoof before she hesitantly walked back up to the front of the class.

Murky looked at the worksheet disinterestedly. It was nothing complicated, but she wanted to be a good student, so she begrudgingly did all twenty questions. Only three of them actually make her think, but she finished the sheet and record time, returning to drawing something less unsettling.
Her drawing, in particular, was of her and Honey Syrup; she was grateful for the one filly who'd shown her kindness. If Honey wasn't there, she probably would have taken Tinned Syrup's offer to leave.

Once math was over, writing came next. Once again, Murky found the assignment easy; it was basic punctuation. Just periods and commas. Murky finished it easily, and went back to drawing. Her muse, however, had escaped her, so she just doodled random, small things on the page.
Then, Ms. Writ spoke up, "Alright, everypony; you get a fifteen minute recess, then it's P.E.," She said.
The class (for the most part) lit up at the mention of P.E., which confused Murky.
"What's P.E.?" Murky asked Honey quietly.
Honey giggled, "It's education outside," She explained, "Today's dodgeball day!" She declared excitedly.
Murky didn't know what dodgeball was, but she nodded, sensing Honey's excitement.

The barn door was opened to allow the students to file out. Murky piled her drawings up so she could put the pencil on them.
"What did you draw?" Honey asked.
Murky leafed through the papers. Her doodle page, another landscape, the picture of her and Honey, and then the eyes.
Honey gulped a little bit. There was a lot of detail on the eyes; too much, even. "Is that what you felt like when you were being introduced?" She asked softly.
Murky simply nodded, setting the paper facedown on the desk under all the others.
Honey pulled her into a hug, "Don't worry. I'll make sure no big, mean, scary eyes look at you," She said softly.
Murky nodded again, "Thank you," She replied quietly as she leaned into Honey's embrace.
Honey eventually let her go, her wings flapping as she hopped over to the door, "C'mon, I'll go show you the beehive!" She says.

Murky smiled a little and walked after Honey. Murky, admittedly, did like the bees. They didn't all gang up on her with intense stares and their mumbled judgements. Thus, Murky liked them. Not as much as Honey Syrup did, though; not by a long shot. A bee was her cutie mark, for crying out loud.
"They're gentle creatures by nature," Honey explains, "They're just protective. Like a bunch of tiny moms," She elaborated with a soft giggle.
Murky nodded, oddly calm as she allowed a couple bees to land in her mane. It was a strange feeling.
Honey, though, she was covered in bees. At least a few dozen had landed on her, crawling along her fur and mane.
"Why do they like you so much?" Murky asked softly.
Honey Syrup giggled, "I roll in the flower bed at home when mom's not looking," She explained.
Murky nodded slowly. That didn't sound very pleasant, really, but Honey seemed content, so Murky didn't bother saying anything, just enjoying the filly's company and the gentle buzzing of curious bees.

Tinned Syrup's voice rang out. "Alright, everypony! Time for P.E.!" She called.
Honey stood up, allowing the bees around her to disperse. Murky followed suit, and allowed Honey to lead her to the line of foals forming in the schoolyard.
As the two fell in line, Tinned Syrup smiled, briefly doing a headcount. "Alright," She says, "Everypony to my left, go to the bushes. Everypony to my right, go to the playground."
The foals dispersed, with Honey leading Murky over to the playground.

"How does this game work?" Murky asked softly.
"Oh, it's easy!" Honey giggled, "If you get hit, you're out. If you catch the ball, one of our out teammates gets back in. If you get hit, but someone catches the ball before it hits the ground, you're still in," She explained.
Murky nodded a little, watching as Tinned Syrup dumped a large bag of inflated rubber balls onto the grass.
"Three, two, one…" Tinned Syrup counted down, "Go!" She called.

The foals on either side made a mad dash for the centerline of the field. Murky didn't run very fast, though she got to what seemed like a good distance, watching as balls were thrown.
The first few foals went out quickly; the initial scramble for the centerline eventually stabilized, teams now throwing from a middle distance.
Murky wasn't very interested in hitting anyone. What if she hit someone too hard and hurt them? She was much bigger than the other fillies and colts, after all.
She was quite good at catching the balls as they came, though, so she played defense. It felt oddly natural to her.

Murky watched, however, as her team was picked off. Even her catching couldn't keep up with the prodigious rate at which her team was knocked out.
Eventually, it came down to just her. With no other options, she did start throwing; she wasn't any good. Her shots always went extremely wide; hard to catch, sure, but they wouldn't hit anyone except by accident.
She watched as the other team lined up. Her eyes widened. They all had dodgeballs, and she had none.
They lined up, and threw (more or less) all at once.
Murky's eyes closed, and she cowered.

She was caught off-guard by the sounds of not dodgeballs hitting fur, but hitting something hard.
Murky felt strange, and the reasoning for that had made itself known to the spectators. A stripe of her mane had lit up a vibrant purple, and a translucent, spherical shield had manifested around her.
She opened her eyes slowly at the odd sounds, looking at the shield. She only had a brief moment to process it, as her eyes locked onto a ball that had bounced high from the shield.
Her mane flickered out as the shield dissipated, and she dove for it.
"That's a catch; Cleats, you're up!" Tinned Syrup ruled.
The other team stared in shock as a brown colt made his way back onto the field.

It was quiet for another moment as the schoolyard processed what happened, before the schoolfoals exploded. Murky's team had properly popped off when they realized what happened; the other team, however, was much less content, accusing Murky of cheating.
Truth be told, Tinned Syrup didn't really know how to call for thaumic interference like that. The town only had one unicorn, and she'd never played dodgeball with the foals before.

The game, however, wasn't over until it was over. Cleats and Murky slowly worked at the enemy team; another couple catches brought Honey and another student back up.
Then, the final filly on the opposing team went down.
"That's a wrap!" Tinned Syrup ruled, "Playground team wins!"
Murky's team broke out into excited shouting. Murky squeaked as they surrounded her, flailing a bit as she was hoisted into the air. She wasn't sure if she was being celebrated or in trouble, but all the attention was a bit too much for her. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would end soon.

Tinned Syrup thankfully picked up on the filly's distress. "Alright, alright, that's enough," She said to the group, watching as they settled Murky down.
Honey Syrup hugged the filly tightly, "You were great, Murky! What even was that shield thing? Why didn't you do it sooner?" She asked hyperactively.
Murky just blinked, "I don't know," She admitted, "I was just really scared of being hit all at once, and… Then it happened," She admitted.
Tinned Syrup nodded slowly, "It was very unusual, dear," She admitted, "I think we should take you back to your mother."
Murky nodded a little. Tinned Syrup went and got Ms. Writ to watch the other schoolfoals, as she gently led Murky back to the market.
Honey Syrup would follow, despite her mother telling her not to. Tinned Syrup would make an exception for today; this was Honey's new friend, after all.

Murky looked over at the group, stepping out from behind her start. "Is everything alright?" She asked, voice slightly elevated. She'd been worried sick over Murky, and now the fact that she was being returned early compounded her fears.
"I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure," Tinned Syrup admitted.
"What happened?" Tincture asked.
Tinned Syrup was cut off by Honey Syrup excitedly recounting the events of the dodgeball game.
Tincture looked at Murky, "You casted a shield?" She asked softly.
Murky nodded a little, her ears pinned back.
Tincture gently stroked her head, "Murky, you're not in trouble," She promised gently, "I'm just very surprised, given that you're an earth pony."
Murky nodded a little, ears unpinning, "Alright, mom," She said gently.

Honey blinked a little, "Does this mean she's not allowed to go to school anymore?" She asked with a small frown.
Tincture shook her head, "Of course not," She promised, "Murky just needs a checkup… Magic like that isn't a normal occurrence for earth ponies," She explained.
"Oh," Honey replied softly, "So she's not supposed to be able to do that?"
Tincture hummed and hawed for a second, "There's… A bit more to it than that," She explained.
Tinned Syrup offered the slightest smile, "Please do tell us when you've figured out what's going on. We'd love to have Murky back at school," She expressed.
Tincture nodded, "Of course," She replied curtly.
The two Syrups walked off as Tincture packed up her cart.

Once it was hitched, Tincture looked at Murky. "Come along, little one," She requested softly, walking towards the hospital.
Murky looked sheepish, "A-am I in trouble, mom?" She asked, having been unconvinced by her mother's earlier assurance.
"No, Murky, you aren't," Tincture expressed, "You're a very special filly, and I think this tells me a bit more about where you came from," She explained.
Tincture unhitched her cart as she got to the hospital, where Bottle was standing behind the counter.

"Oh! I didn't expect to see you two here," Bottle expressed, "What's wrong?" She asked.
Tincture smiled awkwardly, "Could you show us to one of the exam rooms?" She requested.
Bottle simply nodded. She had gotten used to Tincture's "action first" sort of attitude. She led the two into a room and locked the door.
"Alright, what's this about?" Bottle asked.
Tincture helped Murky up onto the exam table.
"Murky casted a shield spell at school today," Tincture explained, "And I believe it's your fault."
Bottle blinked, "How would I have influenced it?" She asked.
"You're the only earth pony I know who can properly cast a spell," Tincture said somewhat cryptically.
Bottle nodded slowly.
Murky looked up at Tincture, and Tincture returned the gaze with a soft expression, "Can you try making the shield for me and Bottle?" She asked gently.
Murky blinked, "I don't know how, mom," She said gently.

Tincture sighed softly. This was one of those things that was hard to explain to a child, especially one as sensitive as Murky.
Tincture gently rubbed Murky's back, "You don't, but your body does," She attempted, "You need to control it."
Murky blinked, "How do I do that?" She asked.
Bottle looked at Tincture, "May I?" She interjected.
Tincture nodded, and Bottle took a few steps towards Murky.
"Alright, sweetheart… Just do as I say, okay?" Bottle cooed gently.
Murky nodded trustingly.

"First thing I want you to do is put your front hooves a few inches apart from one another. Then close your eyes," Bottle said gently.
Murky nodded, doing as told. Tincture watched with bated breath.
"Now, take a deep breath, into your belly," Bottle instructed.
Murky did so, and squirmed lightly, "I feel weird…" She whined softly, feeling a tingling building in her stomach.
"That's okay sweetheart. Now, when you breathe out, try to push the weird feelings out to your hooves," Bottle recited gently. These were all practices Tincture had taught her; however, she had more firsthoof experience than the unicorn did.
Murky's mane began to tint a light purple as a small bubble of magic formed between her hooves.
Bottle smiled, "That's it… It's there, can you feel it? Open your eyes slowly…" She said gently.

Murky blinked as she opened her eyes, mane now solid purple as the bubble slowly expanded in her hooves. "Is this it?" She asked meekly.
Bottle nodded, "Yes, yes, that's your magic, sweetheart. Now, let it expand so it covers you," She instructed.
Murky watched in awe as the shield swelled, encircling her body in a shimmering purple sphere. "I did it!" Murky chirped.
Bottle and Tincture both smiled.
"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Bottle asked gently.
Murky shook her head.

Tincture looked at the shield, lightly tapping the shimmering surface with her hoof. Her mind was alight with theories; theories she didn't want to share in Murky's presence. Murky still didn't know exactly how she related to Tincture, after all. Not that Tincture knew exactly, either, but she had a good guess.
"I think you got some of my magic after all, Murky," Tincture said, "I'm very practiced in shield spells, and you seem to have inherited that," She said.
Murky's shield abruptly dropped as she looked at her mom, her mane fizzling out.

Murky squeaked as Tincture hugged her, "I'm very proud of you," Tincture declared softly.
Murky leaned into Tincture, "I love you, mom," She said softly.
"I love you too," Tincture reciprocated, turning to Bottle.
"Thank you for your assistance, Bottle… You would be the casting expert under these circumstances," She admitted with a soft chuckle.
Bottle smiled, "Of course," She replied, "We told you we'd be there to help raise her, didn't we?" She asked.
Tincture sighed softly and nodded, a sheepish smile on her face, "I… I know," She murmured softly. She was grateful that her friends cared enough to help her raise this filly. Her mind briefly thought about what Miasma would've said about such a thing. Her smile widened slightly. The old hag would've hated it.

After a few more minutes, Tincture released her hug on Murky. "We'll meet you back at the house, okay Bottle? I think this one's had enough excitement for today," She said gently as she watched Murky yawn.
Bottled Lightning smiled, "Of course," She replied, "You two get a good rest; I shouldn't be much longer here," She said as she opened the door.
Tincture and Murky left the room, heading home.

Tincture watched as Murky tried to exercise her magic some more. The filly would run ahead, conjure a shield for a few seconds, then catch up with Tincture as she steadily pulled the cart ahead.
"Don't overdo it now, Murky," Tincture cooed gently, "As an earth pony, your body doesn't handle magic the same way mine does; if you overexert yourself, you'll get very sleepy very fast," She warned.
Murky blinked, halting her magic use. "Oh… Okay. Sorry mom," She replied softly.
Tincture smiled gently, "Save up your magic so you can show Angel, okay?" She said gently.
Murky nodded, "Okay!" She replied, somewhat excitedly.

The evening was, thankfully, less eventful than the day prior.
Angel would play with Murky a bit as Tincture read up on pomunculi and their traits. If Murky was formed of her memories, perhaps Murky's magic drew parallels from Bottle's own unique circumstance. That was a theory she'd have to explore later, though, when Murky wasn't around.
After some dinner and more chatter, now filling Hazy in on the events of the day, the two would head to Tincture's bedroom.

"Mom," Murky began as Tincture tucked her into bed, "Can I cast my magic at school tomorrow?" She asked softly.
Tincture smiled, "Of course you can," She answered gently, "Just don't hurt anyone with it, okay? Magic is a very powerful force; it needs to be controlled."
Murky nodded, "What if I only use it to protect other ponies?" She asked further.
Tincture's smile softened a bit. "I'll be a very, very proud mother," She answered confidently, giving Murky a gentle kiss on the side of her head, "Have a good sleep, Murky. I love you," She cooed.
Murky's eyes closed as she settled under the covers, "Good night, mom… I love you too," She murmured softly.
Tincture smiled as she shuttered the magic lamp on the desk, leaving the room so Murky could sleep.
After some time spent with the other adult mares, Tincture would return to bed.

When she awoke, she was surprised to find her daughter already awake; and not even in bed, no less.
Tincture yawned as she stood up, walking to the door. She smiled as she saw her daughter sitting at the table with Angel, eating a cinnamon bun as an early breakfast.
"I'd say someone's excited to go to school today," Tincture commented as she took a seat.
Murky nodded a little, "I want to see Honey Syrup again, she was nice," She expressed gently.
Tincture sighed softly. "I'm very proud of you, Murky; you're much more social than I was at your age," She said gently, nuzzling Murky gently, "We'll have some breakfast and head out a little early so you can spend some time with Honey before school, okay?" She promised.
Murky nodded.

Angel smiled a little. She didn't want to tell Tincture Tincture she told her so, but…
"Told you getting out in the world would be good for her," Angel commented with a small smirk.
Tincture sighed softly, "Yes, you told me so," She commented, "When she inevitably starts bringing friends over, you'll be the chaperone," She teased.
Angel just rolled her eyes and giggled, watching the two get ready for a day out of the house.
Angel was just glad she didn't have to physically push anyone this time.

Chapter 1: A Cool Night and a Calm Breeze

Tincture stirred awake with a small whine, her tail tucked instinctively between her legs. She slowly stood up. She walked out into the front room, rubbing her eyes; they felt wet. Had she been crying again? She didn't remember having any bad dreams. She looked at Hazy, who was asleep on the couch, and smiled gently. Perhaps she just needed some fresh air. The unicorn carefully paced to the door, opening it and stepping out, closing it gently behind her. It was a calm night; not quite a full moon, but still bright regardless. A gentle, cold breeze rolled through the field. Tincture laid down on the grass, and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air.

Tincture's ears twitched as she thought she heard a strange voice.
"Odd hour for a stroll, isn't it?" The voice asked.
Tincture shook her head slightly. "I'm not really strolling, just taking in some fresh air," She reasoned, before pausing and looking around, "Wait a minute…"
"Ah, good. I was worried you were going to ignore the word on the wind like most of these folks do," The voice replied gently, "I'm not here to judge."
Tincture's eyes darted around nervously, "W-who…?" She stammered. Her breathing and heart rate quickened. It reminded her of the way Miasma's voice had crept into her mind to demand things of her.
"Easy, easy. I couldn't hurt you even if I tried. Well, unless you're one of those ponies who sneezes too hard," The voice assured.
"Th-then why are you…" Tincture's eyes became wet with tears, "Wh-why are you in my mind?" She questioned, pinning herself to the ground.
"Woah, woah, okay. Deep breaths. I'm just here to talk. You're not like the other ponies around here," The voice attempted to reason.

Tincture remained pinned to the ground, sniffling softly, "Wh-what are you…?" She stammers, her mind lagging behind the voice's reassurance.
"Listen. I'm the word on the wind. I'm not evil, nor even physical. I'm just a force of nature who gets a little lonely every now and again," The voice states, "I don't know what happened to you, but I promise you that you're not in any danger; or trouble, even."
Tincture took a few moments to calm down, "I'm- I'm sorry. You just remind me of… Someone much less passive," She attempts, looking up a bit.
"Ohhh. I'm sorry. If it makes you feel better, you're not the worst reaction I've ever gotten. One time, I started talking to this drunk mare, and she just started WAILING like a foal," The voice comments, laughing a bit.
Tincture smiled awkwardly, "Heh… I suppose it does make me feel a bit better," She admits, looking to the side, wiping her eyes.
"There we go. That's better, isn't it? Just a nice chat with the wind," The voice says.

Tincture blinked, "The wind?" She asks.
"Yup. The wind. Y'know, the word on the wind; gossip and stuff," The voice explains.
Tincture's head tilted her head, "So you're…" She trailed off, trying to process this.
"A 'force of nature' is the correct term. I travel around, but this valley's my favourite place. It's special, you know," The voice explains.
Tincture pauses for a moment, "How is it special?" She asks hesitantly.
"There's magic in the land, here; well, there's magic everywhere, but there's… More magic here. Weird magic," The voice explains.
Tincture thought for a moment. The ponies here did have slightly different magics than she had studied, so it wasn't the most asinine thought. But, one thought came to her. "Is that why there's no unicorns?" She asks.
"I dunno, maybe. You're the first one who's stuck around for long enough for me to ask. So, why're you here?" The voice asked.
"Well… I have friends here. The only friends I've ever had. They make me feel welcome, so…" She looks down a bit, "I don't want to leave."

"Yeah, I've heard a bit about you guys. Fun bunch, you are. You fell in with a good crowd," The voice reassures.
Tincture smiles a little, "That doesn't begin to describe it," She dismisses, "I've only been here a month, maybe, but they've done so much to make me feel like I belong. A part of me wishes I'd had a little more time to prepare before she found me… Maybe I could've had the right things to say," She expressed.
"She?" The voice asks.
Tincture sighed softly, her smile turning into a frown, "My old teacher… Miasma," She clarifies, "The one you reminded me of at first."
"Ahhh… Miasma, wind, I can see the resemblance. I don't know what she did to you that elicits that kind of reaction, but you're safe out here. This town doesn't get a lot of action," The voice replies.
Tincture sighs softly. "I know… I'm still adjusting to how peaceful everything is," She expresses, standing up, "Do you mind if I take a walk?"
The voice laughs a bit, "So long as you don't leave the valley, I wouldn't even notice you moved," It replied simply.

Tincture would walk through the valley. The cool night was starting to creep into her hooves, but she hardly minded. It was a very relaxing feeling… The unicorn enjoyed cozy warmth as much as the next pony, but something about the cold refreshed and eased her body.
"Y'know… All the other ponies here wind up tapping into the energy around here," The voice says, "I can only imagine you'd be able to."
Tincture blinked, "I mean… Even if I could, what would happen? I'm already more of a conjurer than a spellcaster…" She expresses.
"Fortune favours the bold, my monohorned friend. You just need to find your locus," The voice expresses.
Tincture shivers a little, "I'm, hah… Not exactly bold," She expresses, "But I guess it only makes sense for me to embrace this place if I want to live here," She expresses.
"That's the spirit. Let's find you a nice, comfy spot to sit and focus," The voice encourages.

Tincture would wander for a while, before finding an oxbow in the nearby mountain creek, settling herself not too far from the babbling water. "Alright… This will do," She says gently.
"Great! You just need to focus, I guess. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and remember: No one's here to judge you. Let your magic run free," The voice said.
Tincture closed her eyes and laid her head on the riverbank. She took a long minute just to think about everything.

She remembered how terrified she was, living under Miasma. She remembered every powerless day, how she longed for agency… And how she did her best to manifest that agency. Her little acts of rebellion: ration potions and an unhealthy obsession with the stimulants her teacher repeatedly denied her. It was all to "toughen Tincture's will", of course. Starvation, fatigue. Had she become tougher because of it? How could she ever compare? Perhaps this was a remnant of Miasma's control; the self-doubt that drove Tincture mad.

Her already shut eyes squeezed tightly, as if she were trying to crush something between her eyelids. Tears did not come forth; this was a calm time. These things hurt to think about, but emotions did not run high as they often had. She felt her front legs twitch. A sudden rush of cold. Her eyes shot open, and she found herself staring at the slightly frothy, frigid water. Where she had once been meters from the bank, now her front hooves were dipped up to the ankle in the cold water.
Tincture pulled back, wiping her front hooves on her mane.

"I just wish… I just wish I could be in that position," She murmurs, "To have a position of influence over someone; to guide them down the right path. To show them how I cherished them," She says, eyes closing again.
"You long to give others the love you were never given," The voice observes, "But then again, you can't teach what you never learned."
Tincture's eyes welled up with tears, "No, no, that's not true," She says, sniffling, "Bottle, Angel, Hazy, the others… Th-they've taught me these things. They've sh-shown me love that-" Her voice caught in her throat, "I've learned more about love in a month than Miasma ever taught me."
"But how can you be sure it's enough? Here you are, sobbing on a riverbank, nearly diving into freezing cold water, instead of sitting at home, snug in your bed, surrounded by friends," The voice reminds.
"I just need space. That's healthy, isn't it?" Tincture asks, whimpering as tears stream from her cheeks.

"Space is healthy. Receding and running away from those who want to help you isn't," The voice states, "You need to talk to somepony. Not just a voice like me. You need a physical someone to open up to; someone who can return your gaze as you bawl your eyes out. Someone who can help you stand on your own four hooves, even if you need some help getting up to that point."
Tincture's eyes shot open, and she gasped for air, "You're-" She choked on her own breath, coughing, nearly dipping her snout in the river, "You're just a voice. How do you know what a full pony like me needs?" She asks, voice a mix of distress, panic, and anger.
"Because I hear things. I listen to others, and I speak when the time is right. I can't control you any more than any other pony in this town can; all I can do is tell you my experiences," The voice explains.

Tincture took a long moment to catch her breath, wiping her eyes, "I just… I want to make somepony's life better. Bottle and Angel and Haze always tell me I do, but they're always so gentle and kind; I need a way to see a-" Her voice caught again, and she coughed more, "I need a quantifiable sign I'm better than her, and all she represented!" She cries.
"Hey. Take a breath. She doesn't define you any more. You do. And right now, you're in this cozy valley, screaming at the wind to make yourself feel better as you try to think of what you might do with all the latent magic that's just out of your reach," The voice says.
Tincture stopped. She gasped for breath, her lungs struggling to fill with air. She felt as if some immense weight had been placed on her back.
Tincture realized what she wanted. As her breath finally came back to her, she closed her eyes.

"I want to be her. I want to see before me, myself. I want to nurture myself. I want to help myself," Tincture began, her horn igniting, shining on the water, "I want to show her, the world, and myself, that I am better than her. That, even with my problems, I could help someone through theirs," Tincture says, her head bowing low. She didn't notice the tip of her nose hitting the water. The cold meant nothing to her; she felt as though she had spoken a chant.

She paused as she heard a voice, "What's wrong?" It asked. This was not the otherworldly voice of the wind. No; this was a younger, shriller voice. Not quite that of a filly; but one younger than Tincture herself.
Tincture looked up, freezing as she saw the pony on the other riverbank.
The pony across from her was a moderately-sized pony; just barely taller than Angel, with a much chubbier build. They were an earth pony, with warm scarlet fur and blonde mane and tail. Their eyes were a soft, amethyst hue, radiating the same warmth as the rest of their body.

"A-ah, nothing…" Tincture stammers gently, "Just thinking aloud about some things."
The red pony nodded, "If you wouldn't mind… Could you help me cross the river?" They asked.
Tincture blinked. What an innocuous question… How long had this pony been waiting to ask it?
Tincture nodded slowly. "If you take a running jump, I will help you over the river," She says gently.
The red pony's ears flattened. "J-jump? But it's so far," They express.
Tincture hesitated. "Just trust me," She said, voice a bit raised.
The red pony shrank away slightly.
Tincture paused. That was a mistake. That was how Miasma would have goaded her into jumping; Tincture was different. She was better.

She sighed gently, "I don't have the strength to float you all the way across," She explains, voice back to its normal, gentle volume, "But, if you jump, I can catch you," She promises.
The red pony looked at her, "You can?" She asked.
Tincture nodded, "Try doing a little hop in place," She encouraged, standing up and giving the other pony a small smile.
The red pony hopped in place. Tincture's horn illuminated, and the red pony squeaked as she was caught in a veil of pink magic, her descent slowed.
"See? I caught you," Tincture says.
The red pony nodded, and backed up a bit, "O-okay… I'll jump," They stammered.

Tincture stood braced. "I will catch you," She promises.
The red pony charged at the river bank, managing to leap at the last second.
Tincture's horn illuminated again, seizing the red pony as she leapt, helping her into the air and across the babbling creek. Her focus was broken, however, as the red pony collided with her, knocking her onto her back. She groaned slightly, but froze as she saw the earth pony on top of her.
"I… I made it!" The earth pony says, looking at Tincture, "Thank you!"
Tincture smiled a little, "I told you I'd catch you," She reminded gently, rubbing the pony's head.
The other pony blinks, "I'm used to having to do things by myself…" They admit, looking away a bit, ears drooping.
Tincture winced slightly. Such a sentiment was almost too familiar. "What are you doing out here all by yourself, anyways?" Tincture asked gently.
"I… Don't remember. I woke up looking at the creek," The other pony expressed, "I saw you, and you felt familiar. As if I already knew you."
Tincture blinked. "Well… Do you have a place to stay?" She asked.
The other pony shook their head.
"Do you have a name?" Tincture asked.
"I… I think so? I used to have one," The other pony says, hoofed touched to their chin, "Murky... My name's Murky."

Tincture blinked, but nodded slowly. Murky had been Miasma's "affectionate" nickname for Tincture. "I… Alright. It's nice to meet you, Murky. I'm Tincture," She says gently.
Murky's eyes lit up, and she immediately leapt from Tincture's front, bowing lowly, "I-I'm sorry, master!" Murky yelped, "I didn't r-recognize you!"
Tincture slowly stood up. "Master?" She asks, blinking, "I'm not a master to anyone…"
Murky shook her head frantically, "No, you are my master! That's why you're so familiar!" The earth pony insists.
Tincture sighs gently, lifting Murky back to a standing position, "I don't know who you are, Murky," She expresses, giving the earth pony the warmest look she could manage, "But, I am not your master. I don't control you, okay?" She stays, trying to be firm but gentle, like how Bottle spoke to her when she was having an "episode".
Murky blinked, "B-but, if you're not master, then… What are you to me?" She asks.

Tincture thought for a long moment. "What's the last thing you remember, before seeing me on the riverbank?" She asked.
"I remember… Being wanted? It was like I was talking to someone. I think it was you," Murky attempts.
Tincture froze. Had she… No. That wasn't possible. Conjuration of dead things was one thing; it was simple. Just the movement of particles; bending, folding, twisting. But to bring another pony to being from magic alone was far beyond her capability. It would've taken the magic of the earth itself to-

Tincture's eyes went wide. "...Wind, are you still there?" She asked.
"Barely… What in the heck did you do?" The voice replied.
Murky seemed confused. "Who's wind?" She asked.
Tincture gently hushed Murky for a moment.
"I think I let my magic 'run free' like you told me to, and now it's run right back to me," Tincture attempted to explain.
"Run right back to you? What, did it sprout four hooves and…?" The voice trailed off, to a long pause, "I'm about to get my gales twisted right back in my mouth, aren't I?"
Tincture blinked, and looked back at Murky. "Creator" sounded too demanding of a title. And "Master" was even worse. As was "Teacher". Tincture gulped slightly.

"I believe the word we're looking for is… Mother," She explains. The word felt alien in her mouth; the vocal representation of a new stimulus she'd never experienced before.
"Mother? Like, you're my mom?" Murky asked.
Tincture could only nod, her mind flooded with a deluge of conflicting thoughts.
"Something like that," Tincture said.
Murky hugged her tightly, "Okay mom!" She says, surprisingly accepting of the title.
"A-ah… Hello, Murky," Tincture stammered gently, rubbing the earth pony's back. Tincture exhaled a bit. This just got a lot harder to explain.
After a few moments of making heads or tails of this in her head, Tincture looked down at Murky, "Well, my… Daughter, I should take you home before the others notice I'm gone," She explains awkwardly, gently helping Murky off of her.

The earth pony nodded, following Tincture as she began to walk.
Murky yawned. "Mmm… I'm tired, mom," She expresses gently, "I feel all weird now…"
Tincture almost laughed. This filly had no idea what "feeling weird" was like, especially with how she was feeling right now. But, she gently smiled at Murky. "Home's not too far, okay?" She says gently, "Can you be strong for me, like when you jumped over the river?" She asked gently.
Murky yawned again, "Okay, mom…" She replied gently.
Tincture noticed Murky's steps get slower and less co-ordinated.
"I'm sorry, mom… I'm really sleepy…" Murky says, lightly tumbling forward onto her belly, curling up in the grass.
Tincture gently plodded over to Murky. "We're almost home," She promises gently.
Murky looked up with tears in her eyes, "I-I can't walk, mom. I'm too tired," She whines.

Tincture practically flinched. There was fear in Murky's eyes. Fear that Tincture recognized from seeing her younger self in the mirror. Tincture gently laid down, "Climb on my back, Murky. I'll carry you home," She orders gently.
Murky hesitantly clambered onto Tincture's back. Tincture pushed herself up, sighing gently. "I'm sorry, Murky. I shouldn'tve pushed you when you were so tired," She expresses gently, continuing her walk.
Murky cuddled up tight to Tincture, "It's okay, mom… You just want me to be strong," She says gently.
Tincture winced. "Be strong" was a term Miasma had used… One that was often either preceded or followed by punishment, or at least overexertion. But perhaps, she could avoid that association with Murky.
"I'm very proud of you," Tincture said gently, looking at the house as it came into view.
Murky didn't reply. She'd already dozed off on Tincture's back, nuzzling into her gently.
Tincture smiled as she heard a soft snore from the filly on her back.

She crept to the front door, opening it carefully. Hazy was still asleep; as was everyone else. For this, Tincture was thankful. She closed the door gently behind her and slunk to her room, careful not to wake anyone; especially Murky.
Tincture looked at her bed and sighed gently. She gently drew back the covers, and magicked Murky from her back onto the bed, pulling the blankets over Murky gently.
Murky whimpered softly, squirming for something to hold onto. Tincture gently nuzzled Murky. "It's okay… You can sleep tight," She promised gently, feeling a warm smile creep across her face.
Murky settled down; she whined a little, but the soft coo into her ear seemed to relax her sleeping mind.

Tincture gently laid herself on the rug on the floor, and lowered her head; she angled herself so she could keep an eye on Murky.
She watched as Murky began to whine and squirm again. Tincture recognized this… Murky was cold.
Tincture didn't have any spare blankets, so she gently climbed up onto the bed, sliding in next to Murky and hugging her gently.
Murky snuggled close to Tincture, who smiled gently.
"I don't know why you occured to me now, little one, but I promise, I will show you a better foalhood than she showed me," She murmurs, holding Murky close. Tincture felt sleep rush to her quickly; an exhaustion beyond just staying up late.