A Wish To Return Home
A Mother's Wish
A Wish To Return Home
Another day was coming to an end. The sun was slowly dropping behind the mountain peaks, and its orange glow shined across the sky. Deep in the forest, far away from the cities, towns, or settlements, stood an off-white alicorn. She looked out over a small lake. It was the same one she had lived beside for all these years, and she watched silently as the shallow waves crashed against the shoreline. Distant sounds of chirping birds met her ears, and they fluttered through the air as they headed back to their nests. The sun would set soon, and the first stars were already beginning to peak through the twilight. A cool summer breeze flowed in, and it brushed itself against her coat.
This ancient being, who was as old as time, was known by two names. In the past, her family and friends would call her Lauren, and others would refer to her by the name Faust. These two names given to her meant both fortune and wisdom, yet, she could say little about living up to either.
The slender alicorn sat down, giving a dejected sigh, and her heart began to ache. Thinking back on her life, the mare found herself on the verge of tears. Just how long had it been? Years? Centuries? Or perhaps even a few millennia? Whatever it was, even if it had been millions of years, it would pale in comparison to how it felt since she became trapped on this world. For her, each moment had felt like years, and it only got worse as time went on. She had tried countless times and countless methods to get back home, but each attempt was met with failure.
Through the years, she eventually grew disheartened, and her hopes slowly dwindled. For a while, the alicorn even gave up on her attempts to get home, feeling that she would never make it back. She felt defeated, and with reluctance, she decided to try living alongside humans, the inhabitants of this world.
While many would accept her with curiosity and awe, others would soon follow, only seeking what they could get out of her. Often, when they would learn of her magical abilities, they would turn to pursue her. Some would seek to take her horn for themselves, claiming that if they did, then they could wield magic. Others tried to trap her, hoping to make the strongest glue the world had ever seen.
These experiences drew her to a life of solitude, but the mare never held it against the people. They were like her ponies, some were good, and others were misguided with ignorance. So, she lived alone for many years, finding companionship with the creatures of the forest. The bear was a mistake... but other than that, she was fine.
While she spent much of her time alone, the alicorn didn't sit idly by as the world moved on. Using her time, she returned to the passion of her youth and began creating artwork again. Canvases, pictures, sculptures, and paintings lined the walls of her small cabin. Next to that were all the paints, brushes, and pens that covered her tables.
In the past, she had started out as an artist and nothing more. Yet, through a series of unforeseeable events, she eventually found herself becoming the ruler over a domain, and she inherited the unrivaled power of creation. That time was the most stressful yet, most enjoyable time of her life. Along with that power came a dream, and it was a dream to build a world united in harmony. She wanted to create a place that others would be proud to call home, and she wanted it to be a place she could raise her foals in peace.
Peace... that word hung on her mind, and her thoughts turned to that one horrible night. The night that, being, attacked her home. That evil beast was the same one that took her mentor from her, her close friend, and its presence threatened to do the same to her family. Tia and Lulu were just fillies at the time, and they didn't understand why she cried as she held them for one last time. She left the two in the capable hooves of her student, Starswirl, and he took them away from the disaster as it swept through the land.
The battle lasted the whole night, and the Queen of Creation barely won by the skin of her teeth. Laying on the ground, bleeding, in pain, and alone, she felt the darkness closing in on her. The mare's only comfort was knowing she had protected her daughters and avenged her friend.
With a shallow smile, she closed her eyes and let herself relax, she didn't expect to last very long, and the ringing in her ears became a faint white noise as her consciousness faded. With a shallow breath, she exhaled, and she allowed her breathing to cease. The sound of her slowing heartbeat resounded in her ears, and she listened to its gradual decline as it counted down her demise.
Although she was dying, the mare only feared one thing, and that fear was that her daughters would forget her. A tear escaped her eyes at the mere thought, and her heart felt crushed at the possibility. An overwhelming sense of sadness overtook the mare, and she cried silently. With a silent whimper, she closed her eyes and waited for her existence to end.
Suddenly, there was a dull sound of falling rubble, and a faint voice called out. Its sound pulled her back, and the mare slowly started to regain consciousness.
The next thing she knew, she was on somepony’s back, and he was running, jumping, and narrowly navigated through the rubble. He ran towards what was left of the castle with haste, and she raised an eyebrow at him. How could anypony survive being close enough to reach her? The amount of destruction alone spanned as far as the eye could see, and being near the epicenter of this destruction was like surviving an exploding volcano.
With a glimmer of hope, Faust’s hearing began to clear, and a light of life returned to her eyes. Weakly she looked up and croaked out, "W-Who?... Are you?..."
The stallion looked back at his passenger, and a confident smile spread across his face. "Ah! That’s it! Keep on fighting your majesty!”
“W-Who, are?...”
“Shh, don’t strain yourself. I’m just a traveler mi laddy. A traveller and nothing more."
"But how did you?..."
She didn’t get to finish her question because the two jumped off a pillar of rock as they arrived at what was left of the castle. Looking up, the stallion called out, "Ditzy! Did you find it yet!?"
A moment later, a grey mare flew out of a collapsed wall and shouted, "Yeah! It’s over here!" She pointed in the castle, and then she flew back inside. With a nod, the stallion ran after her, and the two sped towards the vault.
Lauren could feel her life slipping away, and she watched with tired eyes as the two strangers tried to help her. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw the doors to the royal treasury sitting wide open. Before she could question why they were open, the two ponies set her down beside a mirror.
She watched with tired eyes and blurry vision as the two desperately tried to figure something out. She began to drift off again, but then a sudden shout from the stallion jolted the mare awake. He was cheering in victory, and a moment later, she felt him grab a hold of her. She looked up, and she saw him holding her in front of the shimmering gate. Her eyes widened with worry, and she tried to speak, but she wasn’t able to.
Seeing her plight, the stallion looked down and reassured her with a calm voice, "Shh, it's all going to be alright. Trust me..."
Lauren felt a tear slide down the side of her face, and she looked up into his eyes. They were the same as her. Although his features seemed youthful, she could tell he was old. It was clear in his eyes, and she could see that, like her, they were full of heartache and hidden sadness. There was a silent understanding between the two, and with a shallow nod, she accepted his request. Then he helped her through the mirror.
Passing through, the gate closed her wounds, and it stopped her bleeding. It felt like she was being torn apart and reconstructed at the same time. Yet, there was no pain. A moment later, she laid on the ground, barely conscious and her mind a haze. That’s how the mare found herself in this world. When she looked up, the gate was gone.
With no way home and no hope, her heart shattered, knowing that she wouldn’t get to raise her daughters. Her feelings of sorrow only grew upon realizing that they would likely grow up thinking she perished during these events. Her throat ached, tears welled up in her eyes, and with a loud cry, she screamed towards the heavens. She wept for many days after that.
All those events happened so many years ago, but they still held fresh in her mind. Lauren blinked as she pulled herself back to the present, and the lake came back into view. The mare wiped some of the tears that streamed from her eyes, and she tried to control her shaky breath. Even now, after all this time, the voices of her two fillies rang through her mind, and their cheerful voices filled her with both sadness and hope. Whatever it took, she was determined to see them again. Even if it killed her, all she wanted was to be able to see them and hold them in her embrace, at least one last time. That was her only wish...
Standing up, she sighed and turned around. The alicorn looked at the small cabin she had made all those years ago. It was old and weathered from age, and it laid hidden under the canopy of the forest. The small structure could do little to keep out the cold anymore, but for all those years, it had been her home.
She walked over, and as she stepped onto the porch, she glanced at a little bird that had made a nest in the window sill. It looked up at her tall form and hopped along the edge of its nest with happy chirps and flapping wings. With a melancholy-filled smile, Faust looked down at the little bird and said, "Yes, I'll miss you too."
The bird didn't seem to understand her words, and it chirped as it hopped along the edge of its nest. Seeing this, the alicorn couldn't help but give a faint smile, and she stepped inside her home.
Inside, her house smelled like wood, ink, and various types of paint. Artwork covered the walls, and several dozen contained portraits of her long-lost family. They reminded the alicorn to keep the embers of hope burning. She walked over to her desk and checked one last time to make sure all her things were put away.
This home had been good to her, and should someone ever come by; she hoped it would serve them well, just as it did for her. Going through her supplies, she lifted a small case, and her faint smile strained. It was medical supplies. She really hoped she wouldn't need them, but she also understood the risk she was about to take. She set it in her bag, ready for use if need be. With one last check over her notes, the alicorn nodded to herself, her fears beginning to grow and fester. She only had one shot at this, and should she fail, her chances of finding a way back would drastically diminish even worse than it had already been.
Finishing her preparations, the mare went to leave but stopped as she glanced at the little bird in her windowsill. It watched her with curious eyes, and with a faint smile, she turned to her food stores. Lifting a small package of seeds out of her little pantry, she poured them into a bowl and placed it on the table.
She smiled at the little bird. "Don't go eating too much, okay."
Again, it didn't respond, but it was the closest thing to a friend she had in her isolation. Standing up, she left her house, and as she walked out, the mare sat down and took one last glance at the forest she had called home. Breathing deep, the fresh scent of the forest filled the mare's lungs, and she smiled. Despite her circumstances, she did have fond memories here, but that wasn't going to stop her from returning to her daughters.
A chirp caught her attention, and she looked over as the little bird flew over. She lifted her hoof, and it landed on her foreleg. With a somber smile, she whispered, “Goodbye...” And the bird lowered its head and gave a quiet tweet. She watched in surprise as the little bird flew away, and her sad smile widened at its goodbye.
Standing up, she took a deep breath, and she listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Feeling the light breeze roll in and flow against her coat, she spread her wings. Running forward, she took off and headed north across the lake. Her destination was a small clearing that was about a ten-minute flight away from her little cabin. It was the same place she had initially come to this world, and she hoped that somehow, in some way, that location would help her chances of success.
The minutes passed, and the sun disappeared as she approached the clearing. Flying over, she tilted her wings up and landed gracefully on the soft soil. By now, the night had overtaken the land, and the mare had to light her horn to light her way. She walked forward, forging a path through the tall grass. She did this until she found what she came for. At her hooves, engraved in the soft soil, was a large magical array.
She set her things down, and the alicorn lifted a transcript she had made. Looking it over, she checked over some of the necessary changes to the array, and she flared her horn as she began working. The changes were minor, but even the slightest change could cascade into a different result.
It took less than a minute to finish up her changes, and as she checked it over one last time, the mare nodded and tossed her supplies to the side. They hit the ground with a thud, and she approached the center. Desperately hoping this would work, she stood up straight with a shaky breath. There was a moment where the whole forest seemed to go silent, and the mare breathed out in a faint whisper, "No going back now..."
Shutting her eyes, she reared up on her back legs and ignited her horn. Then she slammed her hooves onto the ground, and the area was covered in a brilliant flash of light. It surged with her power, and the fiery orange glow of her horn lit up the fields around her. Flickering lights, looking like embers, rose from the ground. The wind began to pick up, and it started to spiral around the mare. It grabbed leaves and pieces of grass and burned them up in the arcane magic surrounding her.
Fear began to well up inside her. She was afraid because so much as one little mistake could end her life. She couldn't afford that. She needed to see her daughters again. Whatever it took, she would once again hold them in her loving embrace. Her breathing was becoming shaky, and the mare closed her eyes as tears formed at their corners.
This was it, the crucial moment that would define the rest of her life. Till now, she let her magic trickle through the array, but then, she let go...
A surge of magical energy suddenly lit up the landscape like an explosion, and a shockwave of power shook the forest. A rising column of light lit up the night sky, and the surrounding clouds began to converge on it. They spiraled around the column, and they began to grow into a violent storm as the mare put everything she had into her spell. All her magic, from not just her horn, but from her whole being, everything she had.
A thunderous symphony of lightning began to roll through the landscape, and their roars matched with the crashing waves. As she stood there powering her spell, arcs of lightning began to strike the ground near her. She was fine with it, focusing on her task rather than the jolts she could feel through her legs as they struck, but then one hit the array. Her eyes shot open, and to her horror, the array was damaged.
With worry and shock flowing through her, the mare grit her teeth as she tried to repair the array while keeping her spell active. She was determined to make this work. Even if it killed her, she was going to see her daughters one last time. Her eyes strained, her shoulders tensed, and her head began to ache. It hurt to the point that she felt like it would split her head in two, but she was determined to see this through.
Magical arcs began to fly out of the array as it began to rebound, and they struck the alicorn, along with random spots out in the open field. Still, though, she held her ground. This was too important to her to give up now. The air began to pressurize, and reality itself began to distort. Finally, Faust succeeded, and she tore a hole in space and time. With not a moment to lose, she cast her spell to teleport her home, and the mare was enveloped in a blinding flash of light. As reality slammed shut, an explosion shook the landscape, and its thunderous rumble carried across the sky.
Moments later, the forest became silent once more, and the only telltale sign of there being anyone present was a small bag on the ground beside a crater. In it was a small worn drawing of a mare and two fillies entitled home.