A memory of light

You gotta have the patience and believe you're gonna make it
Gotta hold on

The sound of something large moving through the underbrush set ringing bells of alarm  ringing through her senses. For an instant she was ready to bolt, to run, to fly or throw herself between whatever beast or demon that may come and the fragile, nameless souls she had been set to protect.

At least that part of her instincts worked as it should.

But when the looming figure dissolved into a black stallion with moon-kissed face and crimson eyes, some of her fear drained away. Not all of it though, not by a long shot. That Volterra had found them was a great relief - to see him alive and without bodily harm a great comfort as she had worried more than she would ever admit - but Erthë had not forgotten her distress upon discovering herself to be pregnant. And now he came waltzing in here unbidden, unasked for, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

He didn't even have the decency to be surprised about the foals.

But it was his query after her well being that hit her the hardest. The green eyes that turned on him appeared almost black with grief, her bitter smile as much an open wound as any bleeding cut might have been. How could he even ask that? She may have no physical injuries, but none who had seen what they both saw could ever be alright. Not for years, perhaps not ever.

Erthë had just opened her mouth in retort when she suddenly stiffened, alarmed by the sensation of eyes upon here. Snapping her head up and looking sharply about, the little mare's skin crawled when the otherness of the observer dawned upon her, the hungry attention upon her children so raw and unbridled that she wanted to scream with terror.

And then she heard it. The voice. The haunting, distant laughter reached her on damp winds, more felt than heard. Around her neck the black fang began to vibrate, and so too did the ivory bow that rested beneath her wings. Terror rose like bile in her throat, and just as Erthë thought that it was gone, that it was over, the amulets dispersed across her body shattered. One by one, the cracking stones fell from horn and mane, from tail and neck and as she was engulfed in a sudden onrush of flame Erthë threw the objects off her one by one, every single item descending to the ground while she backed away from them.

"What is going on!?" she demanded, nearly brought from her senses... and then the dark coated foal gave off a furious squeal and set off as if bitten, his spindly legs carrying him round and round with astonishing speed for one so small.

That was the last straw. Erthë felt how tears welled up in her eyes and overflowed, and for once she couldn't bring herself to care. It was just too much. The fear, the pain, the confusion, relief over seeing a familiar face paired with the mixed feelings towards the two colts, one who still ran around like mad and the other who had set off with determination towards his father.

Never in her life had Erthë longed so desperately for a chance to lay her head down and just sleep. Anything, just to get away from this horrible, horrible reality.

I know you're tired of surviving but you gotta keep on trying
Hold on!

@Volterra