It had only been a few hours before Murky awoke, shaking her head a bit. She felt an odd weight press against her.
"Nymph?" Murky asked softly.
The changeling was curled up against her side. "I-I was cold," Nymph admitted.
Murky nodded a little, "Oh," She replied softly, "You can borrow my scarf, okay?" She offered.
Nymph blinked, "Y-you mean it?" She asked.
Murky nodded, standing up with a small grunt. Honey was still asleep on her back… Murky envied the pegasus' ability to sleep so soundly.
Nymph carefully untied the scarf from around Murky's torso and wrapped it around herself. It was more like a short coat, given its length and how the changeling had put it around herself. Nymph was thankful for the warm clothing; it still radiated with Murky's body heat.
Nymph looked around. "We're getting close, I think" She says, "The canopy thins at the highest point of the forest."
Murky nodded. "Then we keep walking," She declared.
Nymph blinked, "A-are you sure?" She asked, "You didn't sleep for very long," She expressed.
Murky simply nodded, and Nymph began leading the way.
Murky looked at Nymph as she walked. "So… How long have you been alone in the forest?" She asked hesitantly.
Nymph frowned a little, "I-I… A long time. Since I was a baby," She admitted.
Murky blinked, "Oh," She replied, "So you've just been spying on town and living in the woods for most of your life?"
Nymph nodded solemnly.
Murky gently nuzzled her, "Well, you're not alone now," She promised gently.
Nymph blinked, blushing lightly at the filly's touch, "I-I'm not?" She asked.
"Honey and I are here, aren't we?" Murky proposed.
Nymph nodded a little, "I guess so…" She admitted softly, "But when you get home, you'll leave. And then I'll be alone again," Nymph whined.
Murky shook her head, "You can come with us," She offered, "You don't have to be alone anymore."
Nymph looked at Murky's tired, battered up face. Despite everything, there was a small smile on it. "I-I'll think about it," She said softly, "Ponies a-are still scary," She expressed.
Murky nodded a little, "You don't have to decide now," She promised gently.
Tincture and Tinned Syrup woke up at around the same time. Which was good, because they were muzzle to muzzle, holding each other rather intimately. An odd spot to sleep… Especially given that it was in the middle of the floor of the front room. The fire hadn't even completely burned down yet; hot coals still worked away at a couple of large pieces of wood.
They stared at each other for a long moment, with Tincture slowly rolling aside. Her head was spinning from Hazy's influence, as if she had a mild hangover.
Tinned took a gasping breath, but Tincture hushed her lightly, gesturing to Hazy, who was asleep on the couch.
Tinned Syrup's eyes briefly flicked to the door. Tincture nodded in agreement. They both quietly crept to the door, heading outside into the early morning air.
Tinned Syrup took a deep breath, shaking herself off. "Ugh, my head…" She murmured gently.
Tincture nodded sympathetically, "Coming down from Hazy's influence is rarely pleasant," She admitted with a light wince.
"This isn't your first time?" Tinned Syrup asked.
Tincture nodded again, "Far from it. Before Murky came around, there were some nights where she had to calm me down just so I'd sleep," She admitted, her ears drooping a bit.
Tinned Syrup gently slid over and wrapped a front leg around Tincture. She didn't say anything, but the two mothers shared a weary gaze.
"...We'll find them," Tincture promised softly. She didn't know if she was assuring herself or Tinned Syrup.
Tinned Syrup's head came to rest on Tincture's shoulder. "I know we will," Tinned replied, "Hah… Mother always knows best, doesn't she?"
Tincture's ears flattened, pinning to her head. "...Not always," She murmured.
Tinned Syrup blinked, "You say that like you have personal experience," She said.
Tincture nodded slowly, "I do," She replied, "As does Murky."
Tinned Syrup froze, words failing to come to her.
"I've… Told you many times that Murky is a special filly," Tincture continued, "But I've never had time to explain without her being around."
Tinned nodded slowly, "Well… You have a chance to elaborate," She supposed.
Tincture sighed deeply.
"Murky is not a natural-born foal. She wasn't even born to begin with; she is a magical conjuration in the form of a younger version of myself, born from my own memories, both those repressed and not repressed," Tincture explained, "In essence, she is a physical manifestation of me trying to heal my own traumas. When I protect her, I'm protecting myself… In a manner of speaking."
Tinned Syrup's mouth was agape. She had known magic could do some bizarre things, but this was beyond her wildest dreams. To conjure a child…
"I've slowly pieced together the memories she's inherited… Some are good. The curiosity brought on by Bottle and Hazy's magic, Angel's indomitable spirit to treat other ponies right. She even has some of my talent for creation, though hers manifests differently than my own. However…" Tincture's ears flattened as she continued, "She also inherited the trauma. The mortal terror I felt, living under Miasma. Her fear of failure and crowds are born of my own. Every time she wakes up with a nightmare, it's because she's remembering a memory I gave her."
Tinned Syrup sat up straight. This was a lot to take in; no wonder Tincture didn't want to say this around any of the foals, nevermind Murky herself. "Okay, but… If she's a younger version of you, why does she look so different?" She asked, punching herself mentally for such an unimportant question. It was, however, the only one that came to mind.
"As part of my training… Miasma instructed me to make a concoction. It was a powerful brew; one not found in any spellbook. It was her attempt to make me into a second version of herself," Tincture explained.
Tinned Syrup gasped slightly, "She wanted to turn you into a version of herself?" She asked.
Tincture nodded, "Miasma summoned creatures from tartarus to do her busywork in the castle. It made her very powerful, but also took its toll on her. She planned to anchor summons to me from then on, but to bind to such a creature, a unicorn's magic was needed. Not an earth pony's," Tincture explained.
"Did… Did she ever follow through, after you completed the spell?" She asked.
Tincture shook her head, "I was too fragile after taking the spell. It was not a typical transformation spell, like those imparted onto a pegasus or unicorn becoming an alicorn after a grand trial. It directly sapped my magic to force it into a horn. The height and colour changes were actually unintentional; just a consequence of attempting to morph my presence into something closer to Miasma's own. She was… Not pleased when she learned my own spellcasting ability was limited. Earth pony magic is designed to interact with the world we tread; hence my affinity for conjuration. So, she…" Tears began to fall from Tincture's cheeks, "She began forcing me to get stronger. I was beaten, starved, deprived of sleep, scolded… And even though Murky never went through that part of my life, she still has those memories. The years of beratement and being told I was worthless."
Tinned Syrup hugged Tincture gently as she began to cry.
"And now, she's t-terrified," Tincture stammered as she continued, "She's lost alone, after dark, in a place she's never been. Because I've always asked her to tell me where she's going, she probably feels as though she's failed me… M-my poor little foal…"
Tears trickled to the ground.
It was Tinned's turn to be the strong one, though the thought of her own daughter being in a similar predicament did inspire her own dreadful feelings. Tinned Syrup held Tincture tightly as the unicorn cried.
"It's okay, Tincture," Tinned attempted, starting to choke on her own held-back tears, "We'll find her, and y-you can tell her all the ways you love her no matter what."
They sobbed into each other. What else was there to do? They were both mothers who had lost their children, after all.
Some stops for food and naps later, the three fillies were making decent progress. Day was beginning to break.
"I think I can see light!" Honey exclaimed excitedly, having woken up a couple hours ago.
"Maybe the adults will come and find us when morning comes," Murky supposed.
Nymph blinked, "Yeah…" She replied distantly. She was almost hesitant to continue to lead her two friends out of the forest. She finally wasn't alone anymore, but if the two fillies left, she'd be back to being by her lonesome.
Her train of thought was broken as she heard a rustling in the undergrowth. Her eyes darted around, as did Murky's and Honey's.
The three pulled tight together, attempting to look like a larger target than they were.
Nymph winced lightly. She was still tired from using her beast form earlier. "I-I can't protect us," She admitted in a soft whine, "I wouldn't be able to maintain my beast form."
Murky nodded a little, "Stay close to me, then," She insisted as she carefully led the other two fillies along. She listened carefully for more rustling. She heard the sound of something burrowing just beneath the surface. Then, silence.
Honey's eyes widened as she looked up, "ABOVE!" She screamed, as a Helmintide dove at them from the branches.
Murky reacted quickly. The worm hissed as it struck the suddenly present purple bubble, its jaws opening to wrap around the protective sphere, jagged teeth scraping on the surface like nails on a chalkboard.
The shield sparkled lightly as it was torn at.
Murky grunted, closing her eyes as the stripe of her mane glowed bright purple.
The worm thrashed and tore at the shield to little effect.
Honey breathed heavily, the sight of the Helmintide's angered jaws making her panic.
The worm clenched its tentacular maw around the shield harder, pressing in.
Murky whimpered, "T-too much pressure…"
Honey gulped at Murky's remark.
Nymph's eyes darted around for some sort of resolution, but saw none.
Honey found one, however.
"Murky… Three steps forward," She requested.
Murky slowly paced three steps forward, the shield moving with her. It shrank slightly, the filly's magic beginning to fail her despite the mortal danger.
Honey took a deep breath as she looked up. A wasp's nest in the tree.
"H-hold on just a little longer!" Honey chirped, darting over to the tree and bucking it as hard as she could.
The wasp's nest fell and cracked over the shield. Large, angry, red insects swarmed out, stinging the first fleshy thing they found: The Helmintide.
The worm ignored the first few stings, but soon dozens of angry insects were coating it, stinging it relentlessly. The worm hissed angrily; what had once been a vice grip on the shield became a pair of hopelessly waving, flailing tendrils, attempting to bat away the angry insects.
Murky's shield shrank more as her magic attempted to fizzle out.
"Nymph, help me!" Honey squeaked, hefting part of Murky's weight onto her back.
Nymph took the other side, and the fillies began to run away from the now flailing worm and the swarm of angered bugs.
"I'm sorry," Honey whispered softly as they ran.
Murky's shield collapsed into white and purple sparks as her magic finally gave out, her mane fizzling.
"Did I do it?" Murky asked groggily.
Honey nodded, "You did, Murky…" She expressed, hugging the earth pony tightly.
Nymph joined in the hug, "Y-you both did," She expressed softly.
Honey sighed softly, "I-I wanna go home," She whined, tears in her eyes, "I-I wanna see mom and hug her and tell her I'm sorry we ran away."
Murky hugged the two a bit tighter, "I do too, Honey… We'll find them," She promised gently, "Or at least, they'll find us."
Nymph bit her tongue. Now wasn't the time.