Tincture paced back and forth. "They're still not back yet, they're still not back yet…" She repeated over and over in a mumble of a tone, "It's after dark, and they're still not back yet."
Hazy looked between Tincture and Tinned Syrup. She understood their worry, but the panic was getting out of hand.
Angel was sitting on Tincture's back, trying to calm her. "Tincture, please… Murky's a strong filly, I'm sure they just wanted a slumber party or something," She expresses.
Tincture shook her head, "Murky's never slept anywhere other than in this house; she must be terrified," Tincture hissed in reply, "Don't confuse the issue. She should be home by now."
Tinned Syrup nodded, "My little Honey can't stand the dark," She expressed, "Those two must be terrified, all alone out in the woods…"
Bottled Lightning rubbed Tinned's shoulder gently. "They're both good foals, Ms. Syrup. I'm sure they've found somewhere safe to huddle for the night, out of danger," She attempted to reassure.
Tinned Syrup began to sob into her hooves.
Hazy sighed softly, "Alright, Tincture, on the couch, now," She ordered.
Tincture took a moment, but with a few taps from Angel, was persuaded onto the couch.
Hazy stood before Tincture and Tinned. "Alright, huns. Both of you, eyes on me," Hazy demanded.
Tincture stared at her, and Tinned Syrup looked up from her hooves.
Hazy lifted up, and set a hoof on each mare's forehead. "Now, you two calm down, 'kay? Take a breath," She huffs.
Tincture and Tinned Syrup took a long moment as they felt a sudden wave of calm wash over them. Tincture had experienced Hazy's supposed magic once before, but this was a much stronger dosage. Her vision briefly went blurry.
Tinned looked at her hooves briefly. "I'm not… Huh…?" She sputtered.
Bottle bit her lip, watching as Hazy took her hooves away. "How hard did you hit them this time?" She asked.
"Hard enough. I'd like to get some sleep tonight," Hazy replied, "You two feeling okay, huns?"
Tincture nodded a little, "Mhm… I feel a little dizzy, but…" She blinked a few times to defog her vision, never to finish her thought.
Tinned Syrup started laughing, "Oh, goodness… My eyes are all wet," She said, "I must look like a wreck!"
Tincture gently pulled Tinned Syrup into a hug, "You look fine," She promised.
Angel smiled a little, "Hazy's got it, that's for sure," She whispered.
Hazy sat down, "I didn't mean to make them cuddly, but maybe it'll be good for them to bond over something healthy," She supposed.
Bottle sighed a little, "They're going to be messes in the morning," She commented, letting the two mothers bond.
Hazy smiled slightly at her handiwork. She was worried about the fillies, too, but trying to look for them in the dark of night would be an exercise in futility. It was nice to see the two mares getting along; even if they were a bit "addled" at the moment.
Honey Syrup yawned. It was late at night, moonlight faintly illuminating cracks in the forest floor.
"I'm getting really tired…" Honey admitted.
Murky sighed softly, "So am I," She replied, "But one of us needs to be awake… You can sleep on my back, with Nymph."
Honey blinked, "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself?" She asked.
Murky nodded, "I will. I'll wake you if something's wrong," She promised, stopping briefly.
Honey carefully lifted the blanket and climbed on top of Nymph. Nymph whined lightly, but didn't stir, even as Honey draped the blanket over herself and Nymph.
"Tie my scarf around you two so you don't fall off," Murky requested.
Honey obliged, tying the scarf around Murky's torso.
Murky grunted slightly from the weight of two fillies on her back, but kept pressing on.
"Good night, Murky…" Honey whispered softly.
"Good night," Murky replied.
Murky kept walking, despite the extra weight. Her mother said she was strong. Tinned Syrup said she was brave. Murky wanted to be both of those things for her friends when they needed it. No, everyone needed her to be strong.
She kept walking. Maybe for another hour. She was starting to get sleepy, when a sudden pang of pain awoke her. She looked at the cut on her leg; it was a small cut, and hadn't even bled. She waggled her hoof a bit.
"Ow," She murmured softly.
She kept walking, newly invigorated by the slight pain coursing from her hoof.
She froze for a moment as she thought she heard a familiar voice.
"What are you doing out so late, young mare?" Asked a hissing, female voice.
Murky's eyes darted around, only to hear laughter.
"Oh good, you remember me. I was worried you'd forgotten your rightful mother," Said the voice.
Murky whimpered, "N-no," She croaked, beginning to pick up her pace through the forest, "No, you're not mom! I know who you are, a-and you're not mom!"
The voice only got louder. "Oh, Murky. Silly silly Murky. I may not have raised you, but I still own you. You are my daughter, and mine alone."
Murky's eyes went foggy as they became wet with tears, but she kept running, "No! No, you're not mom! Mom loves me, and you don't!" She cried.
She froze as she looked up. The figure of a tall, pink unicorn stood before her. Miasma.
Miasma scoffed, "You don't honestly think she loves you, does she?" She asked, "She only loves that she can keep you away from me, your true mother. She doesn't raise you right. Only I can teach you properly."
Murky backed away slightly and cowered. "N-no," She whimpered, beginning to sob, "No, mom loves me! She wants me to be happy!"
Miasma laughed. "As if! She only cares about herself. She just wants to prove to the world that she's 'better than me', yet her child is a rebellious brat who runs off after strange forest creatures," She scoffed.
"No," Murky whimpered weakly, her voice only getting quieter as Miasma continued to pelt her with insults, "No, no no! Tincture loves me! I ran off because she taught me to take care of others!" She squeaked defiantly.
She felt Miasma standing over her. "Stupid, stupid filly. You can justify it all you want. The truth is, Tincture raised you poorly because she did everything I didn't do. She doesn't discipline you, she doesn't set any expectations; you will grow up to be a lazy layabout who acts as a parasite to everypony around her," Miasma growled.
Murky began sobbing, cowering on the ground. "N-no…" She begged weakly, "M-Mom loves me…"
Miasma just laughed, "If all of the above wasn't enough, you're not even a unicorn. You're a pathetic mud filly, fit only to carry things like the dead weights on your back," She scoffed.
"Th-they're my friends," Murky sobbed, "They love me j-just like mom does…"
Miasma continued to berate her. Murky kept crying. She couldn't get a word in edgewise as the tall unicorn relentlessly berated her, the filly cowering on the forest floor.
Nymph groaned softly as she awoke some hours later.
She looked around, noticing that she was oddly low to the ground.
She then heard the sound of Murky crying.
"Murky?" Nymph asked softly, slowly sliding out from under Honey and walking around to Murky's front.
Murky sobbed, cowering beneath her hooves. "N-no… Mom loves me," Murky whimpered, "I-I make her proud, she said so."
Nymph gently pulled Murky's hooves away from her face.
Murky looked up at her with fearful, bloodshot eyes.
"Murky, what happened?" Nymph asked gently.
"M-Miasma's right behind you!" Murky squeaked in a panic.
Nymph looked back briefly. Not a soul. As she turned back, she put two and two together, as her illuminated horn highlighted a small cut on Murky's leg.
"Murky… It's just a bad dream, okay? She can't hurt you," Nymph promised gently.
Murky sniffled, "I-it is?" She asked.
Nymph grabbed Murky's hoof and waved it in front of her.
Murky stared for a long moment, as if she were waking up. "I-it's that plant, isn't it?" She asked weakly.
Nymph nodded, returning Murky's hoof to the dirt, "That's all it is," She said gently, "Just a nightmare… Come on, we'll get you home," She expressed.
Murky allowed herself to stand up, following Nymph through the woods. Nymph could tell that Murky was still under the influence of the plant by how her ears twitched, but started making idle conversation to distract her.
Murky yawned as they kept walking. The plant's poison had worn off now, so she was finally no longer running on fear. "Mmm… I'm really sleepy now," She expressed, "You two together were kind of heavy…" She admitted.
Nymph nodded, "We'll rest for the night, then," She decided softly.
Murky slunk to a low bush, crawling under it so she was hidden. She laid her head on the ground and closed her eyes, letting her body come to rest.
Nymph sat in front of her. "I'll keep watch," She promised softly.
Murky nodded, "Okay… Good night, Nymph," She said gently, "I'm proud of you."
Nymph blinked, "Y-you are?" She asked.
Murky nodded again. "Yes. You're going so far out of your way to protect us and make sure we get back home. I hope we can still be friends once we're back to town," She expressed.
Nymph bit her lip, and rubbed her leg awkwardly, "I… I'll think about it," She expressed.
Murky nodded a third time. "Okay," She replied softly.
Before Nymph could think of something to talk about, she was cut off by Murky's soft snoring.
Bottle, Hazy, and Angel looked at the two mares who were now collapsed in a heap together, passed out.
"Do we… Wake them up to separate them?" Angel asked sheepishly.
Hazy gave a small smile. "I think they'll be fine. They'll probably still be a bit wacked out in the morning, anyways," She commented.
"You must've hit them really hard, then," Bottle remarked.
Hazy nodded, "I just wanted to make sure they'd relax, hun. You saw how they were," She reasoned.
Bottle sighed a little. "I mean… I can't imagine losing a filly," She expressed, "Besides, Tincture and Murky are very close; I'm not surprised she's as worried as she is."
Angel blinked, "Plus, there's a lot of rumours about the dangers of the woods… Even town guardstallions generally avoid it, especially at night."
Bottle bit her lip. She was starting to feel hesitant about allowing the fillies to stay out overnight.
Hazy looked at her, "I know that look," Hazy said, "Don't you go running off on us tonight, hun."
Bottle sighed a bit, "I won't, I just… It bothers me," She expressed.
Angel rubbed Bottle's back gently, "We can organize a whole search party in the morning, okay?" She promised, "We will find them. We just need to plan," She expressed.
Bottle nodded, "I think sleep is our best option here… We'll go talk to the mayor in the morning," She expressed.
The other mares concurred, breaking for the night.