Chapter 1: The day before
A white Alicorn was sitting where you could consider «A earth paradise». A wonderful sunset, bird flying freely, unafraid of society's problems, a lake to the horizon sinking the sun in it's bed. Her dark eyes were fixing the void, her light mane flying over her head like stars in the dark sky of light. She was considered "Big" compared to any other kind of pony. She was a guardian, spirit of Life and Death. Under our language, she is known under the name of "Wit". Only her name is a mystery, it is said that these... Spirits... needs a living pony body that becames immortal to live. All of them have hard stories, but not even the other spirits knoes her's. But she always looked so devastated that Aeon, the spirit of Time, started to wonder about her "sister's" past.
A blue Alicorn with slit eyes came towards the mare. she didn't even had to turned to know that it was him. She didn't had to say anything. Him neither. It's like if their spirits communicated on their own. He slowly sat next to her. They both stared at the nature, during minutes that felt like hours.
"You never... told us anything about your past... Is there something holding you from telling us?"
Wit looked at him, neutral. She took a deep breath.
About seven thousand years ago.
Far in the North where there is snow during summer. There was a small village, a small community.
I was the youngest of the village. My name was Pearl PureHeart. I lived with my father Noon, my sister Akila and my mother... my... mother... Oh... I... can't remember her name...
Few tears came out of Wit dark, slit eyes. Aeon turned in her direction.
"It's okay... it's okay to forget something."
"But it's different... It's my mother's name... I HAVE to remember it..."
"Continue telling me the story, I am sure that it'll come up soon..."
All of our "Race", community, however you want to call it, we were all white: the mane, the coat, the tail, or we were a really pale color. We had some sort of identification to us. When we came to life, our parents put a bright red colored mixture from a flower that grows under the ice, they called them "Frozen veins". They putted the mixture on our hand, and as a filly we like to touch our face, that would draw a mark. Each mark meant something. Mine meant "Friendship" or "friendly". My sister was "Love". But there was something different with her... her mane, it wasn't white like us, it was not white, it was red. A bright-blood red. I loved her like she was but I can tell the same of the others. Our parents told us that we were "Guardians" White-blooded ponies, protectors of our land. So we had to train, meditate, become really strong... stronger than any darkness. But the darkness was growing in my sister, mom and dad noticed and started to despice her in her back. But I think that at some point, she noticed it.
One morning, we were training, standing on one leg on a small pole, eyes closed, getting our balance stronger. My sister didn't looked too well, well, less well than usual...
"Are you okay Akila?"
She turned her head, eyes opened showing me her magenta pupils.
"You know that no one loves me don't you?"
The question froze me. It was so direct, so cold, so... unexpected...
"But... me... I love you sis..."
"I know you love me Pearl, but look at the others, they all look at me like if I was nothing... So long for being marked by love."
I couldn't never forget the look on the other ponies faces when my sister passed close of them.
"You didn't chose to be different Akila, and I am sure that everypony understands that..."
She sighed.
"You can't see them because you don't want to... you don't want to know what everypony thinks of me... Sadly, I do, I did and I found out what they think of me."
She was sort of right, I don't want to know what the other ponies think of my sister.
"They said that you really miss something when it's gone. So I'll do something. Tell father that I won't be at home tonight, nothing else, you'll see how nopony will miss me."
I was kind of scared by her idea.
"But you, where are you really going?"
"Oh, just at the northen cave. I'll sleep there. Don't worry Pearl, I'll be fine."
She jumped down from her pole and walked away. I didn't liked the idea, but I wanted to help her, but to help her, what did I have to do? I was lost.
I didn't saw my sister for the rest of the day. When I told father, it's like if he didn't care at all. I was sad for Akila. We were all safe, cozy and warm in our tipi. During the night, the only thought I had was about my sister in that cave, all alone...
As Wit I can see what happened to my sister...
She was sitting in front of the fire. Eyes almost closed as the fire slowly weakened.
Wood dropped on the fire.
Akila had a jump backwards. The Burst of the fire revealed a Dark mare with wings, a horn and Black... Slit... Eyes...
Amber revealed her sharp teeths in her grin. Akila moved backwards a bit more, without being able to understand the mare standing in front of her, she never heard her coming nor saw her. Amber had a little laugh.
"I thought that you were raised to not fear anything..."
My sister didn't answered, she was looking at death in the eyes and wasn't shaking, she stood tall.
"...But you are not afraid of me aren't you? You are afraid of something else..."
Akila looked at the fire, it's flames sparkling in her eyes...
"No... I'm afraid that I'll die without being loved."
Amber walked around the fire and came close of my sister.
"Oh... I can feel your pain, I can also understand why you feel that way..."
What happened after that goes further my vision... I cannot tell what have been said to Akila.
I regret, I should've been there for my sister, the way she felt, I should've helped her. But instead, I listened to her...
I had a bit of a hard time to sleep that night but it's almost if it was over the second I closed. I didn't dreamed of anything, just darkness and Screams, voices, whispers, all saying my name. Calling for help or simply get my attention. Stallions, mares, fillies... all calling for me... I opened my eyes, I could hear the fire crackling. I looked around me to see father and mother still sleeping. I stood up and walk toward the exit. It was snowy out of the teepee, I could barely see my hooves under the snow. I closed my eyes and concentrated I could hear the whispers... One leg at a time, I followed the voices, what were minutes felt like days but I didn't gave up. I walked until I reached the opening of the cave. I entered and shook my head to get rid of the snow. The stone walls reflected the few light that the fire of my sister caused. She was there, lying on the cold ground, sleeping or unconscious... I didn't care, the important was that she was in front of me. There, all alone, but somehow... I could feel that somepony was watching us. I lay cose of Akila and nuzzled her neck.
"Akila, wake up... Are you alright sister?"
She opened her eyes, her red eyes dazzling through my blue sky's.