Mortality

by Aceofgods

Following in his Hoofsteps

Chapter 8: Following in his Hoofsteps

The clouds drifted listlessly overhead, the white powdery contents they held falling as they went, the streets and homes below receiving the gift gracefully as the fragments gathered and coalesced into blankets that chilled the host, rather than providing warmth.

Hastily, many ponies went along their way, the soft blanket crunching underhoof as they went, many of them holding a hoof to close an exposed opening in their jackets and coats, others holding the hood or cowl over their head to protect their faces from the biting cold, some others still wrapping scarves around their muzzles.

Even with the warmth of the sun overhead, now obscured by clouds and snow, small businesses were closing up shop while many families bolted their doors and shutters, warding against the wind and cold as best they could.

Inside, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters would all gather around the fireplace, telling tales as warm as the fires in the hearth; already the black columns rose from the chimneys throughout town, more coming forth as time wore on.

Few ponies remained in the streets, and fewer still by choice. One little filly in particular, with nary a stitch to warm her fur, wandered the streets with an empty belly and a heavy heart.

I should have stayed by the stream… Why did I even come back into town?! Sanctis thought, chastising herself. Not long after, her stomach growled in protest, a reminder to her purpose.

Oh, right… Another grumble. Oh, quiet you; I’m working on it.

Sanctis’ eyes wandered the streets, her gaze roving over the businesses that had already closed and bolted their doors, many sporting a “Closed for bad weather, check back tomorrow! ☺” signs.

A shiver ran down her spine, her whole body quivering as she tried futilely to warm herself with her hooves as she shook the snow from her fur. A sharp wind passed through the empty street, buffeting her with another chill.

The stream’s too far away, I’ll have to find someplace here to keep warm… Nopony’s going to be throwing out any food with all the businesses closed… I’ll just have to put up with yesterday’s leftovers.

Sanctis looked over each of the dumpsters, sizing up each of their contents based on the two closest businesses.

Just as she was deciding between the dumpsters between either Takeout for Two and Buttery Biscuit’s Creamy Pastas, or the one between 15 Minute Buffet and Timeless Tarter Fishery, she heard a bell ringing behind her.

Not fifteen feet behind her, the door to one of the few businesses that was still open in this weather opened. “Thank you for your patronage, travel home safely,” the shop tender called.

“Thanks, take care yourself,” the customer said as he backed through the doorway, waving his farewell as he closed the door.

Sanctis wasted no time climbing into the nearest dumpster as she heard that voice that was still fresh on her mind from earlier that same day.

She poked her nose against the lid just enough that she could peek over the rim of the dumpster, the biting cold metal pressing against her chin.

From her vantage point, she saw the darkened stallion with the broken horn, now sporting thick boots on his hooves and a pair of saddlebags on his back under his sword.

The stallion seemed preoccupied as he stood in the snow, wrapping a scarf around his muzzle to ward against the cold. His eyes looked distant through the wide, black-rimmed glasses he wore. Then he refocused with a nod and started down the street.

Before he even took two steps, he froze for a moment as his eyes locked with hers. His gaze through those lenses were murderous, a look Sanctis learned early in her travels to avoid. Then they melted into a soft smile, even without being able to see his lips.

Sanctis quickly ducked back into the dumpster with a high-pitched squeak before she could cover her mouth with her hooves, though she already knew he had seen her.

Outside of the dumpster, she could clearly hear each of his hoofsteps crunching the snow as he went.

Please keep walking, please keep walking, please keep walking…

The crunching of the snow stopped outside the dumpster. Sanctis held her breath as she continued her silent chant.

Then the lid of the dumpster rose up above her, the wind carrying snow into the garbage-strewn sanctum. Sanctis quickly pressed herself against the front wall, hoping that he would overlook her and believe he was only imagining things as she held her breath, sweating even against the cold air that invaded her hiding place.

Then he reached down and scooped her up with practiced ease with a booted hoof, pulling her out of the dumpster and setting her in the snow just long enough to pick her up again by the scruff of her neck.

Sanctis already knew she was helpless, so she dared not utter a single word as he carried her back towards the shop he came from.

“Come now, young one, the dumpsters are no place for you.”

Oh yeah? Could have fooled me…

He shouldered the door open softly with notable finesse. “Hello and welc- Oh, hello again, Ace! Do the boots not fit after all?”

“Oh no, the boots fit quite well,” the stallion said before setting Sanctis down on a bench near the counter. “I was actually hoping you could fetch some clothes for the little miss here.”

The Unicorn stallion behind the counter came forward, his horn glowing softly as he carried with him a few lengths of measuring tape as the other stallion emptied his coin pouch onto the counter, then put something back in it before Sanctis could see it.

Sanctis let out a short gasp as some of the measuring tape coiled around her in several places before the stallion looked over the bits on the counter.

“Certainly, sir, but you have only enough to purchase a single winter jacket for the young darling. Are you sure that is what you wish?”

What in Equestria is he thinking? This must be some kind of trick, but I can’t figure out what his angle is…

“Yes, it is. The young filly can choose the coat she likes best with the bits I left,” he said as he made for the door of the shop. “If she chooses something cheaper, keep the change. Good day.”

The stranger opened the door and left as he had before, waving farewell with a soft smile before closing the door swiftly while the shopkeeper lined a carted rack with a selection of winter clothes and pushing it to the front of the store.

“Here we are madam, the finest selection of coats and jackets on a budget this side of the valley!” he said with a showy bow to his wares.

The coats were bland brown-and-white, utilitarian even, but they were new. Best of all, they all looked very warm.

Sanctis looked over the choices, but only one had a hood, which would go a long way towards keeping herself warm, and she could even sleep on it like a pillow.

Hesitant with the uncertainty of the situation, she slowly rose a hoof to point towards her selection. The shopkeeper nodded with his showpony smile as he helped her to put it on.

Once Sanctis was fully enveloped in the fluffy, warm fabric, a wave of comfort flowed over her at the feel as the stallion pulled a mirror over to give her a better look.

Sanctis shifted from side to side to get a good look at herself. With the hood over her back, the white, fluffy inside of the hood framed her mane which was black along the right side, shifting between shades of gray to the center, which was white before shifting to gray and darker gray on the end.

Her rose colored eyes were complemented well by the dark pink color of her coat and the soft brown of the jacket, which covered her hooves to her knee and her body down to where her cutie mark… would have been.

“A fine selection for the young filly, non? You like it very much, yes?” Sanctis nodded softly with a blush as she realized how she was posing in front of the mirror like some kind of model.

“Very good! Customer is pleased, then Steady Stitch is very happy!” he said with a large smile as he started to replace the other coats and measuring tape with his magic.

“You are a friend of Ace, non? A very good stallion, he is! Helps around town very often, is true! Is very sad thing that has happened to his horn… Do wish him the best for me, yes?”

The shopkeeper wheeled the mirror back where it came from before placing the bits in the register with a ringing sound. “Take care young one, and mind the snow! Au revoir!”

Sanctis was still thinking somepony was going to come out of nowhere and take the coat from her back as though it was all some sort of joke as she made her way to the door.

She waved her goodbye, still afraid to speak, as she left.

Once she was outside, the wind greeted her before she pulled the hood over herself, only just realizing how uncomfortable it was to have something over her horn, but disregarding such a feeling as the warmth took hold over her.

That’s two favors he’s done for me now… I should thank him… Maybe he’s not so bad?

Sanctis looked up and down the streets, but she couldn’t see the stallion anywhere, though his hoofprints led away from the shop and toward the edge of the city, in the direction of the air balloon station.

Unsure of why, unsure of what she would do when she found him, unsure of what led her to such reckless action, she quickly followed his hoofprints, pulling the drawstrings for her hood to ward against the snow.

Sanctis followed the stallion’s hoofprints past the hot air balloon station, having originally thought that he would be at the station waiting for a balloon.

Instead, she found herself on the outskirts of a forest, the boughs of the trees burdened by the weight of the snow that blanketed nearly everything. All around her was a panoramic view of serene landscape of the purest white as far as the eye could see.

She stood at the edge of the forest, the stallion’s hoofprints laying in the snow in front of her down a visible path, though they would soon be covered in as the new snow fell from the clouds on high.

What am I doing? she contemplated, still unsure.

I’m about to follow a complete stranger into a forest. A complete stranger who is carrying a sword, bags of Princess-knows-what, and has done something bad enough that he’s had his horn broken off!

A chill wind passed over the fields, whistling through the trees as it jostled a branch overhead, the snowy contents it held falling onto Sanctis as she pulled the jacket tighter against herself. She shook the snow off as she stepped out of the small pile.

A stallion who fed me when I was hungry, and gave me warm clothing when I had nothing. A stallion who didn’t judge me when he saw me like everypony else. A stallion who didn’t make me feel bad about myself when everypony else did.

Sanctis turned to look back at the city, only a few street lamps burning in the distance that marked its place in the cover of snow.

Do I really want to give up everything I have to chase after this stallion?

Sanctis’ features fell into a deadpan stare before she turned and darted into the forest.

I hope he’s not too far ahead already.

At first, the forest was simple – a few trees here, a couple of bushes there… The snow covered any form of grass, flowers or underbrush and all of the animals were hibernating or keeping warm until the sun came out.

The further Sanctis went, however, the more complicated it became. There were more trees. In more than a few places, she had to weave her way through them as she followed the hoofprints.

In some places, there were trees that had fallen over at some point, the snow covering them. Fortunately, Sanctis learned real fast that a bank of snow usually wasn’t a bank of only snow after the first time she tried to push her way through it, falling muzzle first into the soft powder.

Now, she leapt over any such obstruction. Furthermore, she was beginning to hear the crunching of snow ahead of her.

Sanctis hurriedly chased after the sound, the flame-red color of the stallion’s mane standing out against the snowy landscape like a beacon.

Her eyes transfixed on the stallion ahead, she wasn’t watching her step. Her hoof fell upon a large branch, sending a thunderous crack through the forest, silent as it was with the snow.

The stallion immediately stopped mid-step, Sanctis freezing in a panic before darting behind a tree.

Time seemed to stand still as she cowered against the trunk of the tree. The snow stopped falling. With no animals nearby in the forest, all was still and silent.

Sanctis could hear her own heart beating in her chest as she drew in deep, shallow breaths that burned her lungs in the cold air.

Several moments passed, followed by several more.

What am I even doing?! If I’m going to thank him, he needs to know I’m here, right?

Despite her sound logic and reasoning, she just could not seem to will her hooves to move. Then, something happened that sent a chill down her spine even without the chill wind.

A wolf howled in the distance. A long, drawn out sound that lasted for several seconds; just long enough for the sun and moon to both be on the cusp of horizons.

Two more howls filled the air. One sounded close enough to be in the same forest, maybe less than 150 yards away.

The howls finally faded as the moon came into view; only a small sliver of itself. Finally, the stallion resumed his pace through the forest, the snow crunching beneath his hooves.

Sanctis let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Once the stallion had covered a bit of ground, Sanctis started following his hoofprints, attempting to mimic his pace, and now stepping precisely where he had in an effort to lessen the sound of the crunching snow.

The darkness of the night wasn’t doing Sanctis’ vision any favors, the young filly now staring directly at the ground just to keep track of the hoofprints she was following. Thankfully, for the most part, the stallion seemed to be headed in a straight line.

Hang on a moment, Sanctis thought to herself as she looked around herself in the empty darkness, then felt around with her hooves. There’s no trees here!

Sure enough, Sanctis strained her eyes as she looked ahead, the snow curving upward slightly to form a small hill, likely in the center of a clearing.

Darn it! If I follow him in this clearing, he’ll know I’m here for sure! she noticed as she gritted her teeth. Isn’t that what I want though? For him to notice me, so I can thank him?

She played the event over in her head: The dark-coated stallion sitting at the top of the hill as Sanctis walked up to him, the snow crunching beneath her hooves…

The stallion, noticing somepony sneaking up on him in the middle of the forest, turns on her with sword in hoof, and attacks her.

’Wait! I just wanted to thank you for what you did!’ she would say, backpedalling to avoid his assault.

’In the middle of the night, in a clearing in the middle of the forest miles away from the town? Do you take me for a fool?!’ he would say before attacking her with renewed fervor.

Okay, second option…

I’ll wait down here, behind the trees, for daytime. In the daylight, somepony approaching you isn’t so scary or threatening and he can see me coming, so I won’t be sneaking up on him.

I’ll just go to sleep here, and in the morning… Sanctis’ features fell to a deadpan stare again. And in the morning, all the snow will either melt or be covered up, and his hoofprints will be gone. Stupid!

Sanctis rubbed a hoof against her temple before shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

Okay, the stallion is walking through the forest in a straight line, so he probably knows where he’s going… He probably has a map and compass, and is following it to wherever he’s going… Good.

If he is carrying such supplies, he’s probably going to set up camp and sleep for the night… He might even be getting ready to go to bed now as he sets up his tent… I could likely circle around the hill to the other side and sleep in the trees over there. In the morning, he’ll pass me by and leave new prints, and possibly wake me up…

With a satisfied nod and a smile, Sanctis set her plan into motion. She came out of the trees with the hill directly in front of her.

In an effort to keep her orientation, she strafed to the side, still facing the direction the stallion was headed. Following the edge of the trees, she made her way around the hill, being certain not to move her head at all.

About half way around the hill, she noticed a light flickering at the top. Raising a hoof to point in the direction she needed to remember, she turned her head to the side to see that it was likely a fire burning at the top of the hill.

At the sight of the orange light, she felt the sudden chill of the wind against her exposed half, as well as the moistness of the snow over her hooves as she shivered to her core.

I was so focused on following him that I forgot just how cold it was! she chastised herself as she tried to warm her hooves before pulling the jacket tight against herself.

Wait! If he has a fire, he can see me coming, and he won’t be as surprised! This might be perfect!

Sanctis started up the hill with hardly a second thought, slowing herself nearly to a crawl as she neared the top to keep from making too much noise. Eventually, she came to a complete stop when she saw the stallion sitting on what looked like a blanketed rock next to the fire.

As far as she was, the firelight didn’t reach her, but the stallion was clear as day as the light danced over his body, which was facing toward the direction he had come from. The saddlebags and his sword laid against the far-side of the rock, out of hooves’ reach but not out of sight.

Is this really a good idea? I mean, what if he isn’t friendly at all, and he tries to hurt me? There wouldn’t be anypony out here to help me… If I died here, they may not even find my body for weeks, maybe even months…

Sanctis stood there, watching the fire and the stallion for several minutes, her mind continuing to either come up with more and more reasons why to or why not to approach the stallion, as well as chastising herself either for her actions or inactions.

The fire crackled in the distance, dancing to a tune known only to nature as the shadows played against the trees. Time wore on, and the stallion added wood to the fire as needed, still waiting and watching the distant tree line he had come from.

After a long while, he finally called, as if to nopony in particular, “You know, it’s a lot warmer next to the fire. I don’t think it has much effect way over there.” He spoke at nothing in particular, still not looking in her direction, but Sanctis could have sworn he was speaking directly to her.

Sanctis started to back slowly away from the campsite, but before she took her third step, the stallion called again, this time looking right at her through the darkness. “No, I don’t believe you understand. It’s warmer closer to the fire, not further.”

Sanctis stood speechless, frozen mid-step as she stared at the stallion, his eyes seeming to lock with hers despite the distance and the darkness, Sanctis swallowing hard against the knot in her throat.

After a few moments, the stallion motioned with a hoof for her to come closer. “Come along little miss, don’t be shy. You followed me this far, you might as well say hello.”

Sanctis, her head hung low, approached the camp slowly, taking nearly two whole minutes to traverse the distance even at the steady pace.

When she came close to the fire, she stopped, afraid to get within sword’s reach of the stallion without good enough reason.

“Please, please; have a seat wherever you like,” he said with a soft voice and a softer smile. “You must be cold without any boots on. Feel free to warm your hooves by the fire.”

Nervously, Sanctis nodded before coming closer to the fire and sitting in the slightly damp grass where the snow had melted, her hooves reaching out to the warmth of the fire gladly, though warily.

As easily as the smile sat on the stallion’s face, a veil of silence fell over the campsite, with only the sound of the wood in the fire crackling and popping as the orange wisps of heat danced to the beat.

Calling it a campsite was a loose use for the term. In truth, the only noticeable differences was the loose pile of snow beside the rock – likely the snow thrown aside to make a space for the fire, - the blanket over the rock to keep from sitting on its cold, hard surface, and the saddlebags at the edge of the rock. Other than that, there was only the sword with the large, dark gray ribbon wrapped and tied around it, leaning against the rock near the saddlebags.

Doesn’t he have a tent? The map and compass are probably in his bags, but wouldn’t he have set up his tent by now?

Time wore on, neither pony saying anything; Sanctis being too nervous to say anything for fear of speaking out of turn, and the stallion was… just sitting there.

After a while, the stallion leaned back, bracing himself on a single hoof, and seemed to look at the moon, which rose from the direction opposite of Frost Valley, where they had come from. Now, however, it rested far into the sky, only hours away from reaching the peak of its journey.

Again, time wore on with no event worthy of mention, the moon rising further and further into the sky.

Were she not so nervous, Sanctis would have fallen asleep next to the fire, but the silence was far more uncomfortable than the noise of the town when she had slept in the park.

“I’m not sure why you followed me here, little miss,” he said, breaking the silence and giving Sanctis a start as he continued to watch the moon, a soft smile still on his features, “and I’m sure you have your reasons, but it would be best for you to go back to town in the morning.”

Sanctis looked over her shoulder, but she couldn’t see anything but the silhouettes of trees. Like it or not, I don’t really have much choice at this point… I’ll get lost if I try to go back to town on my own…

Sanctis wanted to say something about what he said, but she also wanted to thank him… And, well, he might be gone when she woke up tomorrow, and it’d be weird to say thanks for something that happened before out of the blue…

“Th-th…” The words hung in her mouth, at the tip of her tongue, not only from her nervousness, but also from not having said anything in Common since travelling to Frost Valley… Nevertheless, she seemed to have the stallion’s full attention as he watched her curiously.

“Than… Thank you... For the, uh… Food… and the clothes…” Sanctis didn’t think her face could turn any redder even if the flames took up residence in her cheeks.

The stallion sitting on the rock laughed, a deep and pleasant sound that seemed to bring the fire to life as well as the atmosphere.

“You came all this way to tell me that?” he said before sitting up to look at her properly. “Little miss, you truly are an odd one. Regardless, you are welcome, don’t mention it; my pleasure!”

“Don’t… Don’t call me that… ‘Little Miss…’ My name is… I’m Sanctis.”

The stallion looked at her with a puzzled look for a moment before rubbing under his muzzle as he thought about something. “How do you spell that, exactly? ‘Iamsanctis?’”

Sanctis puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. “Not ‘Iamsanctis!’ It’s just ‘Sanctis.’ My name is Sanctis. S – A – N – C – T – I – S, Sanctis.”

The stallion laid a hoof into the other as though he had just figured it out on his own. “Ah, I get it now. Sanctis… Sanctis, like the protector, or guardian.”

Sanctis only nodded, unsure of what the stallion was getting at before he rose to his hooves.

“Well Sanctis, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Ace,” he said in an accent remarkably similar to the accent her mother adopted when speaking Al Bhed as he took a deep bow, “Ace Deus Fenrir. Most just call me Ace,” this time without the accent as he arose, “since they find it easier to pronounce and remember.”

“Ah-chay…” Sanctis said, sounding out the name with her own Al Bhed accent. “Ah-chay Day-eus Fen-rear…” this time the entire name.

The stallion looked clearly surprised at the display, even clapping quietly for a moment. “Very good, Sanctis. Yes, that’s my full name, but perhaps it would be best if you just called me Ah-chay, okay?” he said with a chuckle. “The whole thing is a bit of a mouth full.”

Sanctis nodded once before repeating the name to herself again. “Ace… What are you doing out here anyways? Where are you going in such a hurry that you’d walk straight through the forest?”

The look in Ace’s eyes fell to sadness for only a moment before he looked back to the moon with a soft smile once more. “Well Sanctis, I’m going home.” He watched the moon for a moment before his gaze fell upon her again. “I’d like to say you should return home yourself, but you don’t have one, do you?”

Sanctis’ expression flitted to that of surprise for only a moment before nodding painfully. “No, there’s nowhere for me to go back to…”

Ace only nodded. “Well, I don’t want you following me; it’s dangerous, I have a long way to go, and I can’t be responsible for you.”

I was afraid he was going to say something like that…

“Be that as it may, I also would never hurt a filly, and I don’t own the forests, nor do I own the roads or towns. While I don’t want you following me, I also can do nothing to prevent it and cannot forbid you from doing what you please, so long as no harm comes to myself.”

Wait, is that his way of saying… I can follow him?

Before she could say anything, Sanctis’ stomach grumbled loud enough to be heard over the fire. Again, her cheeks flushed a brighter shade of pink, and even more so as Ace laughed across from her.

“Right, how rude of me,” he said before stretching and falling over on his side to reach into one of the saddlebags. “You must be hungry; here, take some of this,” he said as he tossed something to her over the fire.

The throw was a tad bit too high, Sanctis having to jolt upright slightly to catch the article, causing her to fall over backwards lightly as she caught it in her hooves, Ace chuckling softly across from her as she laid on her back for a moment to recuperate. “Nice catch!”

Pulling the item ahead of her, she righted herself as she looked it over. It looked like a cracker, but it was harder than one and as big around as her hoof. “What is it?”

“It’s called hardtack, or travel bread. It’s a simple food made for travelling that won’t go bad while you’re on the road.”

Looking over it for a moment first, Sanctis bit off a bit from the corner. As soon as it hit her tongue though, she had to keep herself from spitting it out.

“Bleh! Why is it so salty?!” she said when she had finally managed to chew it enough to swallow. Sanctis wasn’t picky when it came to food, of course, but most of the things found in dumpsters lost most of their flavor and tasted bland. For something with a taste as sharp as salt… It caught her palate off-guard.

Ace was still laughing at her, taking a moment before he could speak clearly as he watched the expression on her face, her tongue hanging out between her teeth as she tried to keep the salty flavor out of her mouth.

“Ah, yes. You see, when you sweat, you lose a lot of the salt in your body. Salt is important to your body because it is the mineral your body uses to keep your joints comfortable, as well as many other purposes. Travelling on the road without salt will leave your joints achy, stiff, and sore. Worse, if you aren’t careful.”

Sanctis wasn’t entirely convinced, though what he said was likely true. “And you were expecting to be sweating much in weather like this?” she asked, motioning a hoof around at the snow.

Again, Ace laughed lightheartedly. “Of course not! However, as I said, I have a long trip to make. To be quite honest, I hadn’t intended to even start eating from the hardtack for a few days.”

Another likely story…

“You were just going to go without food for ‘a few days’ when you knew you were carrying some with you?” Sanctis asked, incredulous. “Why would you do that?”

This time, instead of laughing, Ace rubbed a hoof behind his head nervously with a smile. “Not a few days, no. I ate once already today, and I intend to be out of the snowy part of the North by either tomorrow afternoon or at night. By that time, I can start eating… nature’s bounty.”

Oh, right… Aside from Frost Valley, most places have already come out of the snowy seasons… The fruits and berries would be coming in by now.

“Still,” Sanctis pressed further, “Wouldn’t it have been better to just buy more food to take with you, instead of going hungry for a day or two?”

Ace only shook his head. “I didn’t have the money after buying more important supplies. Besides, it would just be extra weight for me to carry alone, and I can go a few days without food. As for the travel bread, the first bite is the worst. After that, your tongue gets use to the salt a bit more.”

Sanctis eyed the bread for a moment before taking another, smaller bite from a different corner. As he said, the salt was less noticeable, though it still tasted like what it was – a brick of bread coated in salt that crunched when you bit into it; regardless, she ate it happily, glad to have something.

Ace stretched and yawned before taking out another blanket from the saddlebag, throwing the bundle to the side in the grass.

“I don’t know about you, little mi- I mean, Sanctis, but I need to go to bed so I can cover more ground tomorrow. You’re welcome to stay here for the night, and I’ll wake you up tomorrow when I pack the blankets.”

“So that I can come with you?” Sanctis asked, raising an eyebrow.

“So you don’t get eaten by wolves as you layabout under the sun like a well-cooked meal,” he said as he took a hoofful of snow to dump onto the fire. “What you do after that is your own business,” he said as he dumped the load onto the fire, a sizzling sound rising to the air as the night closed around them.

Sanctis shakily reached for the blanket, clicking the buckle of the fasteners blindly before laying down where she sat and curling up for bed.

He didn’t have to put it like that… Him and his theatrics…

She pulled a corner of the blanket behind her head, bunching it up into a pillow before finally looking up at the stars as she waited to silently drift off to sleep.

There’s so many stars out tonight… One, two, three, four… Sanctis counted the stars to herself, and before long, she was fast asleep.

Comments

[Syndicate Luna]

ok, im happy with the story again. please continue