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A Tale of Two Friends

Preference List: Light, Darkness
Story: They met under the moon. It was full and the night was cloudless. A recent snowfall had covered the land with fresh powder. And the world felt as though it had entered a slumber after the recent solstice.

Light stood at the lake, hoof poised to break through the thin ice at the shoreline, when a snapping branch startled her. She bounced, turning towards the sound, as she lowered her head and readied herself to defend.

Another mare stood at the woods, painted like a winter sky. The shadows of bare trees had fallen upon the mare's coat, but, no. As the mare moved, so did the shadows. It was her skin that reached up and out.

"Oh, sure, point your horn at me," Darkness retorted with a snort. She shook her head, the silver locks flying and then falling down around her face.

"I," the unicorn started, jerking her head up in surprise, "I didn't mean to offend!"

Darkness laughed, "No one usually does, now, do they?"

Light blinked, taken aback, "I was startled. I thought it might be a predator. I only wanted to defend myself."

"I didn't say I wasn't a predator, though. You only assumed," the voice replied, low, but not threatening. The mare took a step forward.

"But, you're like me? You wouldn't . . . "

Darkness sighed, rolling her eyes, "I'm not here to harm you. That doesn't mean you should assume that's the case. It's dangerous out here, even for Hoi such as us." And then softer, almost a whisper, "Especially with me around."

Confusion swirled in Light's eyes as she looked at the other mare, "What do you mean? With you around?"

The mare didn't reply. She walked to the shoreline and then smashed a hoof into the thin ice. She dipped her head to drink the cold water. Then lifted her head.

"I am a magnet for darkness. Pain and misery lurk in my shadow. I can only assume that I am cursed," Darkness explained, voice soft and bitter. "I avoid everyone, if I can, but, I was too tired to go around to the other side tonight."

Light frowned, "You're welcome here. Surely, you can't be trouble, and we all deserve to have company, to have friends." She tried to say it gently, but the idea had blossomed like a strike of lightning in its speed and she couldn't quite keep the enthusiasm out.

"No," Darkness returned, "everyone who has ever met me has suffered. I don't want to cause it anymore. I don't want to hurt others. I would rather cry tears of loneliness than of," her voice, growing louder, suddenly stopped. She'd said far, far too much.

Without another word, and much faster than thought, she turned and ran back into the wood. She ran and ran. She snapped branches. She caught her pelt and legs on thorns. It was only when her lungs burned and her body protested that she came to a stop.

"You can't ran off like that," a voice panted behind her and Darkness startled, turning and slipping in the snow until was flat out on her side.

Light gasped, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't meant to startle you! It's just, you ran off so fast and I, I just wanted to make sure you were okay!" The mare's words tripped out fast, unwieldly, as she tried to catch her breath and apologize.

Darkness hissed, "What are you doing? I just told you that I'm cursed!"

"Well, maybe I'm blessed! Maybe I am meant to bring joy to your life!" Light retorted.

"It doesn't work like that!"

"Says who!?" Light shouted, disturbing an owl who hooted in annoyance. "I don't believe you're bad luck. I think you just need some brightness in your life!"

Darkness sighed, dropping her head into the snow. This was exhausting. Why couldn't the mare just listen to her?

Light also sighed, dropping down to lie in the snow.

"Look, what if I promise to leave you alone if I'm ever miserable or hurt by your company?"

"Or you could just leave me alone now?"

"But you seem so sad. I don't want to leave you sad. Please?"

Darkness closed her eyes, "You're not going to give up on this, are you?"

"No," Light smiled, "no, I'm not."

"Fine. You can stay, but only until you see that I'm cursed."

Light grinned, leaning down to rest her chin on the other mare's neck, "Then we'll be friends forever."

And they were. Light never seemed to suffer from Darkness's curse. Even as other blamed the hoi for misery or pain, Light stood by her side. And Darkness, eventually, came to relish Light's friendship. Even if she still waited for the chance that Light would one day become affected by the curse and leave.

But that was okay; Light had enough belief for both of them.