Comet Chaser and a Windigo Hunter


                                            >Why did she always have to get on your case about exploring

                                            >You were practically a young mare at this point and you had shown you could handle yourself

                                            >Maybe you got lost once...

                                            >Ok twice but that was so many moons ago

                                            >This last journey that had set her off was only two days long

                                            >You had stepped into the house without even a scratch on you and she just went off on you

                                            >Some mean words were said and you just ran off

                                            >Jumping back from your quick recount of the evening's events you find yourself in the forest outside of your village

                                            >You decide that the best course of action would be to blow off steam out here

                                            >Maybe stay out here all night

                                            >Yeah that'll show her

                                            >Maybe even a whole week

                                            >And if things did get bad you could just use the stars to get back

                                            >Nodding your head you continue walking out into the forest


                                            >About half an hour later you decide this is far enough and start to set up a small camp for the night

                                            >While you're setting up the argument keeps playing through your mind making your blood boil again and again

                                            >You hear her nagging voice saying her favorite phrase 'Mother knows best'

                                            >What a dumb saying

                                            >You knew what’s best for you or you wouldn't be you, right?

                                            >Whatever

                                            >You start to think of counterarguments to whatever mom is going to say to you in the morning

                                            >'You're not mature enough yet'

                                            "How am I supposed to grow up then?"

                                            >'What if you got lost?'

                                            "I've made it back every time I've been out"

                                            >'You know the forest is dangerous'

                                            "You always say that but I've never seen anything dangerous out there"

                                            >You start to make a snowmare effigy of her to further take out your frustrations

                                            >Caught up in your work you don’t notice the wind start to pick up or clouds starting to roll in


                                            >Taking a step back you look at your creation

                                            >Pretty good if you don't say so yourself, maybe you should have got your cutie mark in snowmare making

                                            >Your amusement quickly turns to stress as you suddenly become very aware of the lack of light that was once present

                                            >Looking up you notice the clouds now blanketing the once clear night sky

                                            >You groan loudly

                                            >Glaring back at the snowmare of your mother you can't help but blame this on her

                                            >A coat piercing gust of cold air hits you making you realize that a steady wind has also started blowing

                                            >Wait, what was it your mom said about those dangerous things in the forest

                                            >You have to be aware of the signs

                                            >Oh no

                                            >Sudden cloud cover, wind; those were definitely signs

                                            >But what was it

                                            >You curse yourself for not paying more attention when she was going over these things

                                            >Scraping the edges of your memory you do remember there was one more sign for this combination but not specifically what

                                            >As if on cue a snowflake drops right in front of you

                                            >It all comes rushing back to you in that moment

                                            "WIN-"

                                            >Your realization is cut off by a deafening whinny

                                            >You open your mouth to scream once again but no sound comes out

                                            >You find your hooves equally useless

                                            >The only things that are working are your eyes but you wish they weren't as you spot a faint blue light in the distance getting closer


                                            >Your mind is racing at a gallop trying to get your body to move but you're frozen

                                            >The blue light is approaching at such a rapid pacing you don't even think you could get away if you could move

                                            >Out of the corner of your eye you notice another faint glowing and accept your fate as it is

                                            >Another blaring noise erupts from the Windigo

                                            >It couldn't be more than 100 paces from you now

                                            >Another sound enters you ears

                                            >Hooves on snow?

                                            >You realize the light you had seen to the side of you wan't headed for you

                                            >Instead it was on a collision course with the Windigo

                                            >50 paces

                                            >40

                                            >You somehow manage to tense up more than you already were

                                            >30

                                            >20

                                            >The Windigo abruptly loses its glow and seems to shift from its ethereal form into a monster of flesh, adorned with a crown of bone

                                            >You notice it’s demeanor change in that moment as well from fury to

                                            >Confusion?

                                            >10

                                            >At that moment the light launches itself directly into the Windigo's side

                                            >The Windigo is sent careening into the trees just to the right of you, its momentum sending it straight through two of them before stopping on the snow

                                            >Your legs give out from under you as your focus changes to the new source of light in front of you

                                            >A PONY!?

                                            >You couldn't believe it but there was no denying that the creature standing in front of you was a pony

                                            >The pony transferred her gaze from the Windigo to you

                                            >Her face was illuminated by three glowing runes on her chest, each being inscribed with a different symbol

                                            >Traveling up her body you lock eyes with her

                                            >They're a deep, penetrating red

                                            >Her head snaps back to the Windigo as it starts to recover from its impact


                                            >Standing back upright the Windigo lets out a snort

                                            >It seems unsure on its hooves, its legs wobbling

                                            >Your savior pony steps in front of you and motions for you to cover yourself

                                            >You had regained some motor skills and immediately did as you were told

                                            >The Windigo charges once more, this time at the other pony

                                            >Swiftly she dodges and plants a hoof right in its side

                                            >The blow causes the Windigo to stumble and trip over its own hooves

                                            >Pressing her advantage the pony closes the distance

                                            >The Windigo is just standing back up as two quick blows to its legs ground it once more

                                            >A breathy, desperate screech emits from the Windigo's maw before being cut short by the noise of a bone breaking

                                            >Its body goes limp as the pony raises her foot off its now cracked skull

                                            >Taking it by the antlers she removes the skull entirely causing the body to dissipate into snow followed by a breeze

                                            >Revealing yourself from hiding you try to understand what you just witnessed

                                            >Failing to do so you simply stare at the pony

                                            >She lifts the skull up on her back and turns towards you

                                            >"Come"


                                            >Of course you went with her, by the stars she just took down a windigo

                                            >That as well as the fact you no longer wanted to be alone in the woods nor go home

                                            >You are still a bit shaken up so you were following close behind her

                                            >The only issue with that was the cracked windigo skull staring right at you

                                            >You tried your hardest to avert your eyes and push it out of your head but in the back of your mind you knew it was still looking at you

                                            >You are not sure how long you had been traveling for but you were starting to get really tired

                                            >In your sleepy state you don’t notice the mare in front of you stop

                                            >You bump into the back of her and fall on your flank

                                            >”We’re here”

                                            >You look up and your eyes are met with a snowdrift and an hole dug into it

                                            >The mare waits by the hole which you figure leads to some shelter

                                            >Stepping into the shelter, the first thing you notice is how cramped it is

                                            >Aside from the fire pit and pot in the center there are four sacks filling up the rest of the free space

                                            >The only open one has various foodstuffs in it but not much, mainly berries

                                            >A few liquid skins [/s]Think bota bags[/spoiler] are resting by the food sack

                                            >One of them has the words ‘Liquid Courage’ written on it

                                            >You wonder what that could mean

                                            >Some potion maybe, you’ll ask about it later

                                            >You turn back around and see the mare lay the coat she had been wearing on the ground

                                            >Hold on you hadn’t even introduced yourself

                                            “My name’s Comet Chaser”

                                            >The mare just nods her head, taking the Windigo skull over towards one of the sacks

                                            “What’s your name?”

                                            >The mare ignores your question instead opening the sack revealing two other Windigo Skulls

                                            >One of the skulls is a similar size to the one on the ground, but the other

                                            >The other is bigger, a lot bigger

                                            >Did she take that one down herself

                                            >You ponder how she could have accomplished such a feat as she places the skull in with the others

                                            >”We leave at sunrise”

                                            “Alright, where are we going?”

                                            >Again she ignores you just glancing at you before laying down next to the sacks

                                            >Your face scrunches

                                            >Why did everyone have to treat you like a filly

                                            >Your stint of annoyance is cut short as you let out a large yawn and remember just how tired you are

                                            >Looking around again you notice the coat she had put on the ground

                                            >It almost looks like she had laid it out intentionally

                                            “Thanks”

                                            >Your words of appreciation fall on deaf ears though as the mare is already asleep

                                            >Following her example you lay on the coat and drift off yourself


                                            >You wake the next morning to the sound of metal clanking and see the mare dragging out the last sack in the shelter

                                            “Good morning”

                                            >She acknowledges you with a grunt and continues her business

                                            >You get up from the comfy coat and pick it up to bring to her

                                            >Wincing at the change in light you step out of the shelter

                                            >Judging by the sun it’s definitely not sunrise

                                            >You walk towards the mare to return her coat

                                            ”ffank shoo”

                                            >Wordlessly she takes it and puts it on her back

                                            >She puts a few liquid skins around her neck and loads three of the sacks on top of her coat

                                            >”There’s yours”

                                            >She’s pointing towards the final sack and another skin

                                            >You get the sack onto your back with minor difficulty though the contents feel weird

                                            >Pointy and hard

                                            >No

                                            “I-is this the one with the s-skulls?”

                                            >”...Yes, be careful”

                                            >At that she steps off due Northeast

                                            >You shiver at the knowledge of what you're carrying but at least she finally responded to you

                                            >The walk is silent aside from the clunking and rattling from the sacks

                                            >This is going to drive you crazy if this is all you hear for the whole trip

                                            >You don’t even know where you're going so who knows how long it'll be

                                            >Maybe she was just tired last night and that’s why she didn’t want to talk

                                            >Yeah that must be it

                                            “So where are we headed?”

                                            >No response

                                            >Maybe she didn’t hear you

                                            "Hey, where are we going?"

                                            >Still nothing

                                            "H-"

                                            >"Filly you better learn to keep quiet real quick"

                                            >You notice her rub her hoof on her temple

                                            >Heeding her advice you keep your mouth shut

                                            >Yes you had questions for her, and a lot more than 'where are we going,' but maybe now wasn't the best time

                                            >Maybe she'd let you ask some if you kept quiet the whole way

                                            >Satisfied with that conclusion you make peace with the noise from the sacks and carry on your silent march


                                            >"Is there a shamare in your village?"

                                            >You snap out of your monotony induced daze

                                            "Um, yeah. Her name is Heavy Powder and s-"

                                            >"That's all I needed to know, now just take me to her"

                                            >Dang, and here you thought she was finally opening up

                                            >Wait

                                            "We're going to my village?"

                                            >She looks back at you with a blank stare, then looks back forwards

                                            >You look past her and coming into view through the trees is your village

                                            >Oh

                                            >You really didn't want to go back yet but this pony had saved you, it's not like you were going to tell her no

                                            >You'll just get in then get out, easy

                                            >Coming through the treeline you lead her towards Heavy Powder's hut trying your best to lay low

                                            >The village was fairly active and you didn't want anyone noticing you and telling your mom you were back

                                            >Your efforts are in vain, however, as your brother spots you

                                            >>"Comet you're back"

                                            >You don't say anything as you know what's coming next

                                            >>"Wheredidyougoareyouokaywhosthiswhatareyoudoing?"

                                            "The forest, yes, a traveler, showing her the town"

                                            >>"Oh ok"

                                            >Seemingly appeased by your explanation he heads back off

                                            "Branch, don't tell mom I'm here"

                                            >>"Alright"

                                            >The rest of the walk to Heavy Powder's hut goes by without incident and you lead the pony in

                                            >It's fairly roomy inside with various tapestries lining the walls

                                            >In the center sits an older mare with an off white coat and brown mane

                                            >Your eyes meet as she raises her head up

                                            "Heavy Powder, this is a traveler from out in the forest"

                                            >You drop your sack carefully

                                            >>"Ah Comet Chaser welcome, and welcome to you traveler"

                                            >The pony at your side stands a bit taller than before

                                            >"Shamare, I come with items that will interest you"

                                            >>"Cutting right to the chase I see. Go ahead"

                                            >The pony drops her sacks and takes one over to Heavy Powder

                                            >Opening it she takes out the windigo skulls one by one

                                            >You thought you had been carrying the skull bag

                                            >You look back at the sack you had been carrying with confusion before returning your attention back in front of you

                                            >You see Heavy Powder's face turn to one of awe as the pony takes out the last skull

                                            >"Two Lesser windigos and one Greater"

                                            >Heavy Powder's attention is still on the last skull

                                            >>"That is something I have not seen in a long time. You did this by yourself?"

                                            >"In part"

                                            >The pony puffs her chest out a bit to bring the runes into full view

                                            >>"Hmm, well it is still no small feat. What do you wish for in exchange for these"

                                            >"Supplies and replacements"

                                            >She takes the green and pink runes out of their holding vessel and lays them in front of Heavy Powder

                                            >"If you will, use the greater"

                                            >>"That can be done, but for such items there certainly must be more you're looking for"

                                            >"If I need anything else I will make it known"

                                            >Heavy Powder nods her head

                                            >>"It will take the whole of tomorrow to finish the replacements"

                                            >"Of course"

                                            >>"I'll send out word to gather your supplies as well, it will be ready when these are. As for where you will stay, Comet Chaser's family will take you in for the night"

                                            >Oh no

                                            "Heavy Powder, is there any other family that can take her for the night?"

                                            >>"As the first one to meet her it's only proper that she stays with you"

                                            >A thought pops into your head

                                            >Sure dealing with mom wouldn't be fun but the mare seems to talk to older ponies

                                            >Maybe you can get your answers out through your mom

                                            "Alright"

                                            >>"Good. Feel free to explore the village traveler, Comet Chaser will show you where to go before nightfall"

                                            >You watch the pony take a step back and bow to the Shamare before leaving

                                            >You turn to Heavy Powder who is walking towards the back of the hut with the runes

                                            "What's so special about windigo skulls?"

                                            >>"Well, windigos are magical creatures. And when a windigo ceases to be the only thing it leaves behind is its skull"

                                            >You had seen that fact first hoof

                                            >>"As its body disappears the magic runs into the skull in an attempt to create a new body but if it's cracked in a certain way it fails to do so, trapping the magic instead"

                                            "But I thought windigos were spirits, how do they leave something physical behind?"

                                            >>"With this"

                                            >Heavy Powder lifts the pink rune

                                            >>"This rune has the ability to turn spirits into physical beings by repelling some of its magic"

                                            >That would explain why the windigo looked like it did when the other mare got close

                                            "And what does the green one do?"

                                            >>"In simple terms it makes her stronger"

                                            >That makes sense, you don't think any normal pony could take down a windigo

                                            >>"Thank you for bringing that traveler by but I have a lot to prepare for tomorrow"

                                            "Ok, I'll get going then"

                                            >>"I can answer more of your questions later if you desire"

                                            "Will do, goodbye"

                                            >You turn back around and leave with a shudder

                                            >Time to go say hi to mom


                                            >You stand in front of your igloo

                                            >You had wandered around for a while after your meeting with Heavy Powder but only to delay the inevitable

                                            >From inside you smell fish cooking over fire

                                            >You’re still not sure exactly what you want to say to your mom

                                            >Apologizing was off the table

                                            >It’s not like you had done anything wrong

                                            >You decide to not even address the fact you’d left and hope she doesn’t freak out too much

                                            >Your family’s igloo is much bigger than the Hunter’s temporary one and relatively undecorated save for an oriental rug which acted as your eating place

                                            >The fire pit served as the centerpiece for your home and next to it tending to the fish was your mother, Aurora

                                            >Her coat is a bit lighter than yours and her mane is a pale white

                                            >Here goes nothing

                                            “Hey mom, we have a guest tonight”

                                            >Aurora whips around to face you, almost knocking over tonight’s dinner

                                            “Comet”

                                            >She doesn’t sound very happy

                                            >”What have I told you about running off like that?”

                                            >She walks over and grabs you by the ear, pulling you to the other side of the igloo

                                            “Ow, ow ow”

                                            >"Answer me Comet Chaser"

                                            "ᶦᵗ'ˢ ᵈᵃⁿᵍᵉʳᵒᵘˢ ᵗᵒ ᵍᵒ ᵒᵘᵗ ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵒʳᵉˢᵗ ᵃˡᵒⁿᵉ"

                                            >"Speak up filly, and look me in the eyes when you are talking to me"

                                            "The forest is dangerous when you're by yourself"

                                            >"That is right. Now do not plan on going out for a while, there is enough chaos with the gathering party being overdue, I don't need you making trouble too"

                                            "But mom"

                                            >"No buts, I will decide how long once your father gets back. Should be any day now"

                                            >You stand there pouting

                                            >"What is this about a guest?"

                                            "I met her in the woods, Heavy Powder says were supposed to host her tonight"

                                            >"Oh. Well you go get your brother and our guest. I'm trusting you, don't run off again. Ok?

                                            “Alright”

                                            >She gives you a look

                                            “…yes ma’am”

                                            >Pleased she goes back to preparing the food

                                            >Stupid mom with her stupid rules

                                            >You want to tell her to let you do what you want but that wouldn't get you anywhere

                                            >You're still banking off her getting the mare to reveal some things about herself

                                            >With this thought you exit the igloo to hunt down your brother and the mare


                                            >You had a feeling of where your brother would be so it didn’t take you long to find him

                                            >Just on the edge of the village there was a spot where most of the colts would come to do colt things

                                            >Race, wrestle, exaggerate stories, the like

                                            >Sure enough there was a group there and within it you spotted Frozen Branch

                                            >It was getting dark so the pack had thinned out a bit but there were some still going at it

                                            >”...and then I gave it a kick to the ribs, BAM, and the Windigo collapsed like a pile of rocks”

                                            >You almost laugh

                                            >Having seen such a fight with your own eyes you know he wouldn’t stand a chance

                                            “Stop telling lies Branch, you probably were fighting a pile of rocks”

                                            >”Nuh-uh”

                                            “Yuh-huh, I’ve seen a pony actually fight a Windigo and it takes a lot more than just that”

                                            >The other colts who were listening to Frozen Branch turn towards you

                                            >>”Really?”

                                            >>>”Wow”

                                            >>>>”Cool”

                                            >Oops

                                            “W-well, uh, yeah”

                                            >>”Tell us”

                                            >”Yeah Comet tell us”

                                            >He has a cheeky smile on his face like he’s caught you in a lie

                                            >It’s not like you were sworn to secrecy and you kinda want to show up Branch

                                            “So there I was last night, out in the woods, minding my own business when clouds started to cover the sky. Then a chilling wind cut through the air and finally snow started to fall. I knew in that second it was a Windigo, I didn’t panic though, just stood there and held my ground”

                                            >Ok maybe exaggerating wasn’t just a colt thing

                                            “The windigo came down from the sky and started charging me but I kept standing there, staring it down. The windigo was hooves from my face when I saw something out of the corner of my eye… another Pony. She slammed into the windigo sending it away with enough force to slam through trees”

                                            >”You’re lying, there’s no way a pony could do that”

                                            “Shut up Branch. Anyway, the Windigo stood back up and charged the pony. She stepped out of the way and slammed her hooves into its side and it fell to the ground. The pony walked over to the windigo and it let out a shriek befor she silenced it with a kick to the skull. Then it turned into snow”

                                            >The colts all look at you with awe

                                            >You're a bit caught up in it too as you were more focused on staying alive than how cool the fight was last night

                                            >Frozen Branch still looks doubtful but doesn’t say anything

                                            “Mom says it’s time for dinner”

                                            >”Alright, see you guys”

                                            >Now to go find the mare

                                            >”Where are you going”

                                            “We have a guest tonight and I’m going to get her”

                                            >”Is it the traveler you were with?”

                                            “Yes”

                                            >You see Frozen Branch’s face light up with realization

                                            >”Is she…”

                                            >You nod your head

                                            “Don’t bother her about that story though”

                                            >”Why, cause it’s not true?”

                                            “Cause she doesn’t like to be bothered. Now go home and help mom get ready”

                                            >You don’t let him respond and head off to search


                                            >You hadn’t seen her when you were going through the village so you started to check around the outskirts

                                            >You circled the village along the treeline looking for any signs but nothing

                                            >You were just about to give up when you heard something

                                            >It’s very soft but you start heading towards it

                                            >You break the treeline as the noise starts to become clearer

                                            >Singing

                                            >You continue towards the source of the until you finally spot it

                                            >The pony is facing away from you but you can tell who it is by her extra coat

                                            >You can recognize some of the words she is singing but most of it sounds like a different language

                                            >You draw closer

                                            >CRACK

                                            >The pony stops singing

                                            >You look down and see a broken stick under your hoof

                                            >Dang it

                                            >”What is it”

                                            “Well, I was told to show you where you will be staying and tonight’s dinner is ready”

                                            >She turns towards you

                                            >”Alright”

                                            >You don’t move though as a sentence comes up from inside you

                                            “There's something else too”

                                            >The mare looks at you with a hint of confusion

                                            >You were a bit confused yourself

                                            “I…”

                                            >Wait, no, you weren’t

                                            “I want…”

                                            >Your brain is telling your lips to stop moving but they won't listen

                                            “I want to go with you tomorrow!”

                                            >Your brain finally wins and your lips close tight but it’s too late

                                            >The mare just stares at you for a moment before her brow starts to furrow

                                            >”What”

                                            >Even if your lips weren’t sealed shut you couldn’t have responded

                                            >"You want to go with me? Do you even know what you're saying?"

                                            >You're not entirely sure you did

                                            >"Why? Because you're mad at somepony? Because you want to run away? Is that it?

                                            >No, well yes kind of, but no

                                            >”Do you think what I do is a game filly? Do you think I do this for fun?”

                                            >You shake your head with vigor

                                            >”Do you think I just ‘wanted’ leave my home and hunt down Windigos?”

                                            >The mare takes a step towards you

                                            >”I saw how you were when it was coming at you. What makes you think you’ll act any different if you face one again?”

                                            >You start to retreat in time with her advance

                                            >”If you freeze up or make a wrong move, you get hurt. Not just a few scratches filly. You could die, do you understand that?”

                                            >You feel something building up inside of you

                                            >”Can you face all the hatred of a being made of it to be focused entirely on you? Do you have it in you to face it back with that same emotion?”

                                            >You back up into a tree and she comes muzzle to muzzle with you

                                            >”Cause I don’t think you have any idea what you're asking for, filly"

                                            >At that final statement you burst

                                            "I AM NOT A FILLY"

                                            >The fear you had earlier turns to anger as you start pushing back against the mare

                                            "I could do all the things you said and more!"

                                            >"I don't believe you in the slightest"

                                            "Try me"

                                            >The mare shoves you with her front hoof and you fall to the ground

                                            >You try to get back up but she places a hoof on your side, pinning you

                                            >"You're weak and don't have control over your emotions. You'd only get in my way"

                                            "Rrrrrraaaagh"

                                            >You kick your hooves furiously trying to get the mare off of you

                                            >You land a blow on her hind leg but she stays stalwart

                                            >"Just give up filly, lets go back to your home and you can forget all about this"

                                            >The mare lifts her hoof off of you and starts to walk back towards the village

                                            >Tears start to roll down your cheeks

                                            >Angry tears

                                            >You stand up and rush the mare, trying to tackle her

                                            >Of course she's much bigger than you so you bounce off and hit the ground

                                            >She just keeps walking

                                            >You lay on your back in frustration, looking up at the trees

                                            >Some snow falls from one of the branches on you

                                            >An idea pops into your head

                                            >You get back up and silently run just off the path the mare was taking

                                            >Combined with the darkness your coat makes you a shadow as you sneak just past the mare

                                            >Finding a tree with plenty of snow on its branches you set your trap

                                            >You wait until she’s almost in front of you and with all the force you can muster you buck the tree

                                            >The mare pauses and looks around for the noise

                                            >She realizes what was happening too late and is covered in snow

                                            “Ha”

                                            >She looks at you with tired eyes

                                            >”You’re not going to give up, are you”

                                            “No, I'm going with you”

                                            >The mare pushes out through the snow

                                            >"Fine. Just know I warned you"


                                            >You once again stand in front of your igloo

                                            >No need to delay this time, anyways you were starting to get hungry

                                            >Your brother and mom look like they had been waiting a while

                                            >”Thank you for having me”

                                            >To your surprise the mare behind you is the first to talk

                                            >>”The pleasure is ours”

                                            >Your mom gets up to formally greet the mare

                                            >>”My name is Aurora, this is my son Frozen Branch, and I believe you have already met my daughter Comet Chaser”

                                            >The mare nods but offers nothing else in response

                                            >>”Alright, well tonight’s dinner is ready so feel free to take as much as you like. The fish is there and we have some assorted berries next to it”

                                            >The mare nods her head again and gathers her food

                                            >You and your family follow suit and lay down to eat at the rug

                                            >As you eat you notice no one is talking

                                            >Your mom always liked to chat when she had guests over but you figure this is a bit of a different circumstance

                                            >You decide not to disturb the silence either

                                            >Out of the corner of your eye you see Branch flash a grin at you

                                            >Oh no

                                            >You mouth ‘no’ at him but this only makes his grin larger

                                            >>>”Did you actually take down a windigo?”

                                            >You curse him internally as your mother looks up from her food

                                            >>”Frozen Branch, what kind of a nonsensical question is that?”

                                            >>>”That’s what Comet told me”

                                            >>”Comet, why are you making up stories about our guest? I’m sorry, you know fillies and colts, they just have the wildest imagi-“

                                            >”Yes, I did”

                                            >The mare doesn't even look up from her dinner

                                            >Your mother is visibly taken aback

                                            >>”Oh. Hmm”

                                            >Aurora looks at you

                                            >>”How did you…”

                                            >At that she trails off

                                            >From the look on Branch’s face you don’t think even he expected her to say yes

                                            >The silence returns as you and everypony else go back to eating

                                            >The rest of the evening passes awkwardly, the last word out of anypony being good night

                                            >You were just about to fall asleep when the mare walked over

                                            >”Wake up early, we’re leaving tomorrow”

                                            >At that she returned to her sleeping area

                                            >You were wide awake


                                            >You’re groggy

                                            >Maybe it wasn't the best idea to stay up so late but those words had sent you into a tizzy

                                            >You used the time you were awake to pack but there wasn’t much to be done on that front

                                            >In the end you only grabbed a bare few essentials as you knew you’d be sharing the load that the mare was carrying

                                            >No use weighing yourself down more than you had to

                                            >Still a bit out of it you don’t notice the mare approach until she’s right in front of you

                                            >”Come”

                                            >You jump a bit but recover quickly

                                            “Okay”

                                            >You grab your sack and follow the mare quietly out of your house, the rest of your family still sleeping

                                            >You were a bit sad that your dad hadn’t gotten back yet, you really wanted to say goodbye before you left but you couldn’t let that break your focus

                                            >Glancing around you realize you’re going towards Heavy Powder’s hut

                                            “What are we going to the shamare for?”

                                            >”The runes”

                                            “Oh, right”

                                            >You weren’t really sure why she decided to bring you along but you figure there’s a reason

                                            >Passing through the cloth you see Heavy Powder sitting in her usual spot

                                            >Once again the mare bows to the shamare before speaking

                                            >”I thank you for seeing me again”

                                            >Heavy Powder just nods

                                            >You notice she looks more tired than usual

                                            >>”I had not worked with magic that strong in a long while, but I achieved what you asked”

                                            >”I am very thankful for your haste and if it is not too much of a burden could the ritual be performed now?”

                                            >>”Yes, the harmonization, of course”

                                            >Heavy Powder gets up and walks to the tables in the back

                                            >You almost don’t catch it but as the mare sits down a small flash of fear crosses her face before she quickly goes back to her stoic demeanor

                                            >Heavy Powder returns from the back carrying a small bundle and a water skin

                                            >Opening the bundle two bone fragments are revealed with runes matching the two the mare had had previously

                                            >You watch intently as you had never heard of ‘harmonization’ before, at least not in this environment

                                            >The shamare takes one of the runes from the sack and starts to speak quickly under her breath

                                            >You catch bits and pieces of words but nothing intelligible

                                            >Heavy Powder continues to talk fast as she places the engraved skull fragment in front of the mare

                                            >She then grabs the water skin and brings it to the mare’s lips before raising it to let the liquid flow

                                            >The mare drinks the entirety of the skin before grunting and letting out a heavy breath

                                            >You notice her front legs start to buckle after a few seconds and she lowers herself, finally falling to the floor

                                            >At that moment you become very aware of the silence that now filled the space as Heavy Powder had stopped talking

                                            >With a deftness no pony should have with their mouth, you watch Heavy Powder reach over and pull a single hair from the mare’s coat

                                            >Carefully she takes the hair and brings it down to the bone, guiding the hair along the engraving as it falls

                                            >Accomplishing this she resumes what you could best describe as a ramble and grabs the mare’s hoof, bringing it to the bone

                                            >Heavy Powder lifts her own hoof away

                                            >She takes a step back

                                            >You see the mare’s lips move

                                            >Then a blinding green light fills the room and you hear a painful screech erupt from the mare


                                            >The light and screaming ends as quickly as it started and you open your eyes back up

                                            >You’re still a little dazed from the sudden light and a lot confused about what just happened but you are given no respite to ask questions as Heavy Powder starts once again

                                            >The mare is still laying there as before but her breathing is labored and pained

                                            >The process repeats as before but without any drink this time

                                            >Heavy Powder again places the mare’s hoof on the bone and with much effort the mare whispers to it

                                            >You close your eyes in anticipation, the flash tinting your eyelids red as the mare lets out another terrible scream

                                            >You shudder as you open your eyes again

                                            >At least you know why you woke up so early now

                                            >In front of the mare lay the two bone fragments, one glowing green and the other red

                                            >The blue rune was still glowing in its place in the harness

                                            >You look back over to Heavy Powder who is cleaning up the area and bringing them back to the table

                                            “What?”

                                            >That’s all you can manage as your brain is galloping on all hooves to try and comprehend what just happened

                                            >Of course it was magic but no magic you had ever seen before

                                            >Heavy Powder motions you towards the back of the hut

                                            >>”What you just experienced was a harmonization ritual, simply put in order for the rune’s magic to be usable it has to be intertwined with a pony’s soul”

                                            >You are still lost but nod your head anyway

                                            >>”As I’m sure you could tell it’s a painful process”

                                            >You hear a grunt from the mare

                                            >”Shamare…”

                                            >She is still laying on her stomach though she seems to have gotten her breathing under control

                                            >>”Yes traveler?”

                                            >”About the rest of the trade for the skulls, something has come to mind though I’m sure you’re already aware”

                                            >>”Yes, why else would you have brought her here”

                                            >It takes a second for you to realize they’re talking about you

                                            >”Then you have already made your decision”

                                            >>”She shall go with you”