Four weeks has passed since their swim and the two had come to greatly enjoy the other's company. They'd even spent one night just talking until the sun came up and then shared a laugh at the ridiculousness of it. Rough Sketch could now draw picture after picture like a pony possessed and Sassie was a lot more easygoing and playful, having found somepony to spend time with. She even agreed to pose more for Rough Sketch, something that brought the two of them immense joy and, unbeknownst to the other, erotic pleasure. Some of the drawings were a tad risqué in nature but not overly sexual and made Sassie feel beautiful and appreciated in a way she'd never known she could feel.
Leaves crunched beneath Rough Sketch's hooves, followed by the click-pop! of his camera, just two more sounds joining the song of nature. Birds chirped, insects buzzed and frogs croaked as the pegasus took his leisurely stroll down the trail, taking a deep breath and enjoying the serenity of the outdoors. Sassie lightly galloped at his side, taking a moment here and there to simply gaze at him, the aching thumping in her chest increasing whenever she was near him. Oh, how she wanted to let him know how she felt but it seemed inappropriate, considering he was still in mourning over his wife and recovering from a suicide attempt for that very same reason. It seemed as though the gods were mocking her, first by confining her to the lake, then by introducing her to a stallion that she couldn't have.
"Sasamare, are you okay?"
Meeting Rough Sketch's eyes, Sassie found herself wanting to spill the beans and ask him to take her right then and there but instead let out a fake snort-chuckle. "Ay coorse Ah am, Sketchy. Wa wooldnae Ah be?" Ah am sic' a coward. "Aam fine. Everything’s fine…haur...noo. How are ye?"
Rough Sketch wasn't buying it but decided not to push the subject. He'd grown very fond of her-fonder than he was wishing to admit-but didn't want to risk hurting her feelings. "Okay then. You know you can tell me, right?"
"Och aye, Ah know," Sassie nodded and trotted ahead, reprimanding herself for her cowardice. The deadline for their bargain was fast approaching and she dreaded it more than anything else. If Rough Sketch left and resumed a normal life, she could live knowing that she helped somepony find meaning in life again. Then again, he'd still visit, right? That is, if he didn't get married again and raise a family. As selfish as it sounded, she didn't want him to do that and she hated herself for that.
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"Anything else I can help you with, sir?"
"No thank you. Thanks for everything."
Rough Sketch waved goodbye to the librarian and began fishing through the books and files that he'd collected. Sassie's behavior was worrying to him and he decided to do something to cheer her up. If he could figure out where she came from, then maybe she'd get her memories back and wouldn't feel so sad. She saved him from drowning and wanted him to live a happy life so it was the least he could do. And he would do anything to see her smile again.
Flipping open the first book, he found the section on local Vanhoover myths. "Okay, so Trailblazer and the other locals say that the kelpie first appeared one hundred and eight years ago. Why only then?" Finding nothing on the kelpie sub-chapter, he combed through the next few books and again, didn't find what he was looking for. What he did find were crazy theories, such as extraterrestrials and a secret government experiment. Ponies are nuts.
He then browsed the history section, skimping through books and newspapers dealing with the kelpie and her victims. In over a hundred years, Sasamare Lake only experienced seven confirmed drownings, three of which were deemed accidents by the coroners. By Celestia's fat flank, this is torture! Rough Sketch was about to call it quits when he came across a drawn picture of the first victim in an old newspaper. "Oh my freaking goddess."
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"One million one, one million two, one million three..." Sassie laid on the couch and tiredly stared up at the ceiling, bored out of her mind and resorted to counting until Rough Sketch returned. All he said was that he was heading into town to take care of some errands, which made sense as the food stock needed supplying. Wait...whit if he left?! He coods be back haem either meetin’ up wi’ his manager ur tryin’ tae kill himself again! Ah knew Ah shooldnae hae lit heem go!
She bolted upright. "Nae, nae! He wooldnae dae ‘at! He’s happy haur. Ah make heem happy."
Hooves thudded on the porch and Sassie waited with dread in her heart as the doorknob turned. The door swung open to reveal Rough Sketch, although from his haunted and slightly guilty expression, something had happened. "R-rough Sketch? What's happened? Ur ye alrecht?"
The pegasus strode wordlessly across the room and sat beside Sassie. He then fished something out of his saddlebags and unfolded it, revealing a copy of an old newspaper. "I went to try to find out your past. I wanted you to be as happy as you've made me." He held the newspaper out to Sassie, which depicted a hoof-drawn sketch of a pretty young earth pony mare. "Elspeth MacWithers."
Sassie's mind was reeling, a sharp pain jabbing into her temples. "Whit...whit did ye say?"
"You were once a Trottish immigrant named Elspeth MacWithers from Glasgeld."
The room began to spin, a feeling of regurgitation working its way up Sassie's throat. She was gripped by a sense of vertigo and if it weren't for Rough Sketch, she would've toppled over onto the floor. Elspeth...mah nam is...Elspeth...Elspeth MacWithers from Glasgeld….
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Elspeth placed another aster into her wavy, mane of curly, fiery red hair. "Thaur! Whit dae ye hink?"
Jock and Kirsty laughed their little heads off. The twins were getting so big that she could barely lift them both in her forelegs. Jock, the older of the two, giggled, "Ye look loch a fairy princess, Ellie!"
Kirsty pouted, "Yer sae beautiful, Ellie! Ah want tae be beautiful tay."
Elspeth shook her head humorously. "But ye awreddy ur, sweit sister." Gathering up the rest of the asters, she put Kirsty's mane up into a bun and carefully placed them all around her scalp like a diadem. "Noo th' colts will be breakin' doon yer duir."
"Bairns, wash up! It's time fer supper!" Their mother called from inside the house and the three of them knew better than to defy their mother. Even their giant of a father was terrified of the rather tiny but tough-as-nails mare. Elspeth hoped to be as strong as they are and to one day have a marriage like theirs.
Once supper was finished, she asked her folks for permission to take her nightly walk by the lake and they agreed. Between puffs of his pipe, her father reminded her to be back in one hour and to stick to the trail. Kissing them both, she consented and went skipping off with a basket around her foreleg. Maybe she'd pick some more flowers for Kirsty or find some neat rocks for Jock's collection. An’ tae hink, they woods suin be getting’ tae th’ point whaur they wooldnae enjoy those things anymair!
The lake was so serene this time of day that Elspeth almost didn't want to leave but dusk was soon approaching and she had a promise to keep. Gathering up the rest of the flowers, she stuffed them into her basket and started to make her way back home. Turning a corner, she ran right into an earth pony stallion smoking a cigarette. "Sae sorry abit 'at, sairr. Excuse me."
The stallion smiled, "What's a pretty thing like you doing out here this late?" Elspeth didn't like the way he was staring at her, nor how he began rubbing her cheek. "Pretty mares shouldn't be out here all alone."
"Dornt tooch me!" Elspeth scowled and hit him with her basket, causing it to break and scatter flowers everywhere. She tried to flee but the stallion was faster, grabbing ahold of her mane and tossing her backwards. She landed on her back in the water, even swallowing some accidently. Before she could blink, she was struck upside the head and dragged deeper into the lake.
"Hit me, will you? I'll teach you!" The stallion wrapped his hooves around Elspeth's throat and dunked her head beneath the water. She thrashed and kicked but it was no use. She wanted to scream and cry but could do neither as the water began to fill her lungs. The darkness started to creep up on her and the last thing she saw was the stallion's face heaving angrily above hers.
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"Sassie? Are you alright?"
The kelpie gasped and whipped her head around, once more in the cabin and in Rough Sketch's comforting embrace. Tears raced down her face as she wrapped her forelegs around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Ah remember. Ah remember it aw. Ah hud a family. A mammy, a faither, wee brither an’ sister." Sassie huffed angrily through her bitter tears. "An’ he killed me! A complete stranger ‘at Eh’d dain naethin’ tae jist killed me!"
Rough Sketch held onto Sassie and stroked her mane. "Och…but Ah got heem back. Ah gae heem a taste ay his ain medicine." For whatever reason, something made Elspeth come back, this much she knew. And when that stallion visited the lake with a couple of harlots, she made sure to return the favor. That was how the legend of the kelpie began and the tale of Elspeth MacWithers ended.