A/N: For those of you that have already read this chapter, I am simply putting up the revised version of this chapter. Some editing was done, and there are not major changes to this chapter. There will also be a revised version of the next chapter coming shortly. I have Deandra as a beta now, for those few of you who haven't, don't forget to check out her stories!

Prologue

"Pony, pony!" The two-year-old little yelled from her place in the stroller. The novelty of the small snowflakes starting to fall around her was lost when she spotted the elegantly carved wooden horse, sitting in the window display of a run-down antique store. Her sisters, being the first to stop and look at her outburst, managed to tug their escort to a stop.

"Mama maybe we could get that for her for Christmas. She does love ponies," the woman's eldest daughter exclaimed nearly hopping up and down. The five-year-old pulled a plastic sandwich bag out of her coat pocket. "I have my tooth fairy money if that would help." She said looking up expectantly and understanding more that a fiver-year-old probably should.

"I have mine too mom," her other daughter piped up. She held the same look in her eyes that her elder sister held, on nearly the same face. Though they were not identical, her twins often confused people who did not know them so well.

"Well maybe it won't be needed," the mother said, her heart wrenching in her chest. "I think I have enough," she finished, more to herself than her daughters. The wooden pony didn't look like much, rather simple really. It was carved out of a pale wood, but there was something almost elegant in the soft line that made it look as though it had been shaped by the wind.

The woman ushered her children into the store and out of the biting December wind. Warning them not to touch anything and stay close to her, they all walked to the counter. The elderly, balding man behind the counter looked up with kind eyes at the jingle of the bell on the door.

"What can I help you ladies with?" the man asked with a bright smile and cheery voice.

"My sister and I want to buy the pony in the window for our little sister," the eldest started.

"She loves ponies," her twin said with some exaggeration, dropping her bag of coins on the counter along with her sisters.

The mother smiled at her girls' enthusiasm and asked the man, "How much is it?" She was a little wary having caught sight of the price tags on some of the other items in the shop.

The man only winked at the mother and led the twins over to collect the horse, smiling at the bouncing child in the stroller. The man didn't even glance at the price hidden somewhere on the horse when the girls confirmed it was the right one. He walked back behind the counter and set the horse down. "Now let's see here, how much money do you young ladies have?"

"I have four quarters in my bag," the youngest started.

"I have eight in mine," the elder twin stated, and then with a hushed voice proudly told the man that she lost her second tooth two days ago.

The man smiled and peeled a small sticker off the bottom of the horse. "Well if you will each let me have three quarters I can let you have it. How does that sound?" The girls smiled and started counting out their quarters on the counter as the mom frowned at the man, shaking her head. The clerk only smiled at the mother and then turned his attention back to her children, effectively cutting off any protest from her.

"Well, I thank you ladies for your business and hope you have a merry Christmas."

"You too!" they both managed to get out at the same time, and then turned to their mother. Their little sister was getting restless in her stroller and wanted out to hold her pony. "can we give it to her now mama? Please!" they asked

The mother bent down and picked up her youngest out of the stroller, nodding to her twins. The man behind the counter came around to help them out of the store, no doubt so he could close it an go home as it was growing quite late. Her youngest squealed happily and hugged the pony close to her once she got her chubby little hands on it; her sisters smiled and tickled her asking her if she liked it. As they all stepped out of the store the elderly clerk handed the stroller over to her daughters to control and smiled at their mother.

"Sir, I..."

He stalled her before she could say anything. He could see the unshed tears being held back in her eyes. "Now, now. Things will be looking up for you and your girls soon ma'am," he paused for a moment, locking up his store. "You best hurry now; this storm is picking up," he said looking to the large flakes that were now falling so thick they could not see across the street. "have a merry Christmas." Then he turned and walked away from them, the mother watching him until she could no longer see him through the snow.

When she turned back, the twins were already collecting snow and shaping it into snowballs. "You think you girls can manage to get the stroller to the car?" the mom asked, forestalling them starting a snowball fight in the middle of the sidewalk.

They both nodded and together pushed the stroller ahead of their mother and sister in the deepening snow. The tears the mother had been holding in finally started to leak and the child in her arms didn't miss it. "Mama cry," the little one said, placing a chubby hand on her mother's cheek, making her mother look at her. Her mother only gave a watery smile that was returned quickly by the two-year-old.

As her mother trudged along, and the snow became thicker, the child heard her sisters start to complain about something. It was getting so hard to see and her mother seemed to become more tense. She wasn't crying anymore. Though, she would later, after they all went night night. The little girl looked at her pony and made a simple wish. All she wanted was for them to be someplace where they could all be happy again.

Someone, somewhere heard the wish and granted it to the child. The snow began to thin and the whirling and whining wind began to calm. Slowly all the sounds around seemed to grow quieter. The snow on the ground was dampening the noise, but it was not that alone. Soon the quiet buzz of electricity stopped as well, leaving that noticeable silence that happened when the power went out. The snow was falling gently now, allowing them to finally see their surroundings.

The building they were walking beside was no longer there. The sidewalk was no longer under their feet. There was no artificial light casting a soft glow every several feet. The only light was from the full moon hanging low in the sky, reflecting off the pristine newly-fallen snow on an open plain as far as the eyes could see. The child giggled and clutched her new wooden pony a little tighter to her chest.