Just Smile

Prologue

"Mom?" the young colt called, standing alone in the pouring rain. "Dad? Where'd you go?"

He took a few steps forward, hooves splashing in the muddy puddles. His deep auburn mane was plastered to his head and neck, his tan coat was soaked through. He shivered and whimpered as a gust of wind lashed out, nearly knocking him over. "M...mom?" he tried again, his voice growing weaker. He struggled against the wind while the rain stabbed like little needles piercing his skin, numbing him.

The colt stumbled, unable to keep his balance in the growing strength of the storm. Trees bent, their branches twisting and reaching like long, gnarled claws raking the air, grasping for salvation. The small pony coughed, finding it more difficult to get air into his lungs. The rain poured harder still and he felt like he could swim through it. Like maybe if he tried, he could float to the top, find his mother and father and all would be well. Everything would be normal again.

He started running then, though for what reason, he couldn't say. He just ran. Ran to get away, to find shelter, to see if he really could swim through the storm... The reason didn't matter. What mattered was that he ran, blinded and numb through the relentless rain. Lightning flashed overhead, splitting the sky in two. Thunder boomed and the colt ran harder, at full gallop, weaving around trees and ducking under branches.

The pounding of his hooves and the pounding of the rain were in tune as the young colt kept on. The puddles splashing his already-soaked fur, the thunder rattling him just enough to keep going. Faster and faster and faster and then-

He stopped. Slipping in the mud and falling onto his side, the tan colt slid to a halt against something furry. He coughed up mud and water, struggling to stand up. And through strained, blurry eyes, he saw her.

His mother.

Her fur was torn, the marks of thorns speckling her coat. Her mane was ragged and her eyes, once deep blue and calming, now half-open, glazed over and staring forever up at nothing. "Mom?" the colt asked, his voice sounding feeble, small. "Mom, a-are you okay?" He nudged her with his muzzle, trying to prod her awake but to no prevail. "Mom!" he called, jumping up and driving his front hooves into her side. She didn't move. He tried again -and again -and again, crying now, screaming for his mother. Finally, he collapsed onto her body, burying his nose into her sopping mane and sobbed into it. Softly at first then louder and louder until his entire body shook with every breath.

When his sobbing finally subsided into a soft whimper, the colt felt a hoof on his shoulder. He looked up, tears indistinguishable among the raindrops already staining his face. It was his brother, looking down at him through reddened eyes. He looked like he'd been crying but it was hard to tell in the storm.

Suddenly, his brother's hoof felt heavier, pressing down on his shoulder, pinning the colt to his mother. "It's your fault," the older pony snapped, pressing harder still. "It's always been you."

He struggled under his brother's weight, gasping for air, coughing, rainwater entering his windpipe. It stung his throat and made his lungs ache. He tried to yell, to scream, to cry, but no sound came out. He choked and gargled in the mud and the water, kicking and bucking, trying to break free. He felt another hoof on the back of his head as his face was pressed into his mother's fur. He struggled but his brother was too strong, too big. There was nothing he could do.

Helpless, the colt gave in. He stopped struggling, laying still, his breathing ragged and painful, his eyes closed tight. "I'm s-sorry..." he wheezed, unsure if he could even be heard. His voice was rough, it hurt to speak but it had to be said. "I'm so sorry..."

His brother let go.

Chapter One

I am always at a loss at how much to believe of my own stories.

-Washington Irving

"...And the monster came in the dead of the night as thunder crashed and lightning blazed. He walked slowly with an intent so strong, so fierce that ponies bolted at the mere sight of him," Rainbow Dash spoke in a hushed but foreboding tone, leaning in close with her eyes narrowed slyly. Pinkie Pie, sat with wide eyes, her mouth open slightly with awe. She leaned forward, eager to hear more.

The silver moon glistened high above and illuminated Rainbow's features, giving her a rather eerie glow as she continued. "He had large wings, torn and ragged but massive and dark with a claw at each tip like a dragon's. He stared at what was before him, head level, locking eyes with a mare trembling in his path. She was paralysed, unable to move as he came closer, grinning, teeth as sharp as knives and-"

The pink pony screamed, high pitched and loud. She started running around in circles, as if to get away from something following her from behind.

"Pinkie!" Rainbow called, racing in front of her and holding her back. "I haven't even finished the story yet! Come on scardy-tail, don't you want to hear the end?"

It was a calm night, clear and quiet. Several lights went on in houses when the bubblegum-coloured pony had let out that shriek, but otherwise all was fine. A soft, cool breeze drifted through the town, ruffling the two ponies' fur and making the branches of the trees sway, leaves fluttering like butterflies on the air. When at last Pinkie Pie calmed down, she began to giggle rather uncontrollably, getting louder and louder until she was laughing so hard she had to hold onto her sides. More lights went on in houses. "Of course I want to hear the end, silly. It's just really fun to be scared." She giggled some more, falling over onto her back and kicking her legs up in the air. The laughter echoed through the empty roads.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. She sighed sharply and sat down beside her bubbly friend. "Alright, fine, just don't go nuts again when I get to the good parts. And be quiet, everypony's sleeping, remember?"

"But we're not sleeping, so that's not everypony." She giggled a bit more at that, her curly mane bouncing with every breath of air.

"I meant everypony else, okay? Now be quiet and let me finish the story."

"Alright, alright," Pinkie sighed, sitting up. "You sure are crabby this late at night."

Rainbow ignored her and started the story once again. "Now where was I... oh, yeah!" She leaned forward, ears back and eyes narrowed. "The monster let out a growl, low and menacing, like a lion getting ready to spring. He scraped his hooves on the ground, ready to charge at the cowering mare. He leaped, landing on her back and baring his fangs. The other ponies of the town who had stood in fear, watching, unable to do anything else now ran, fear in their eyes. They ran in circles, trying desperately to find a place to hide as the mare cried out for help-"

"Wait!" Pinkie exclaimed, eyes wide. "How come nopony helped her?"

"I don't know. They were scared, I guess, all too panic-y to think to help," Rainbow explained, "now if you'll let me continue-"

"Does the mare escape? Does somepony break out of their fear-trance and spring to rescue, attacking the monster and driving him away to the land of evil beasts and then they all have candy and sweets to celebrate and-"

"Pinkie, whose story is this?" the blue-coated pegasus snapped, stomping her hoof on the ground. "Are you going to let me finish or not?"

"Oh, sorry," the bouncy pony apologized. "I'll be good now."

"Alright," Rainbow sighed, starting her story yet another time. "Now as I was saying, the mare cried out for help as the monster raised his hoof. Her scream was cut short as he drove his hoof onto her head, knocking her out with one single blow. He dragged her off as ponies fled to their houses, cowering behind their doors. When he got to the end of the road, he spread his massive dragon-like wings and carried her off into the sky, off to his lair deep in the abandoned woods."

"Ooh! Then what happens?" Pinkie was leaning in so close, Rainbow thought she'd fall over.

"Sorry, that's the end of part one," the pegasus chuckled. "It's how the story was told to me when I was a filly. In parts."

"Aw..." the party pony hung her head, disappointed. She paused for a second, seeming in thought. "Hey, Dashie..."

Rainbow gave her friend a curious look. "Yeah?"

"Is this based on a true story with a real monster?"

The pegasus laughed, shaking her head. "Nah, monsters like that don't exist. It's all just old mare's tales. Stuff you tell to friends over a campfire. Nothing more."

"Oh, okay!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, grinning as if all the worries had been chased away. While they had been talking, the black sky lightened to a softer shade of grey, lightening the roads.

Sun should be up soon, Rainbow thought, rubbing her eyes. She knew she'd be tired all day now but she supposed that's what she got for over-sleeping during a nap the previous day. She yawned, turning her gaze from the sky to her friend, who seemed as wide-awake as ever. "Hey, Pinkie... Why couldn't you sleep?"

The earth pony seemed confused for a moment. "I don't know, I just couldn't. My hooves just didn't want to stay still so I let them take me wherever. It's a good thing, because then I ran into you!" She smiled, a big, wide-mouthed smile that stretched from ear-to-ear.

Rainbow gave her a little grin back. "Yeah, I guess so. Otherwise you wouldn't have heard my awesome story." She spoke with confidence though, admittedly, she didn't really feel it. Pinkie... well, she didn't seem to always be in control of her movement. The pegasus did know of the party pony's "Pinkie Sense" that warned her of certain immediate dangers. She wondered if insomnia had something to do with that, if, maybe, her inability to sleep was in itself a warning. Rainbow sighed, deciding she was getting worried over nothing. Pinkie was just hyper, she ate tons of candy and it wasn't out of the ordinary for her to be on a sugar rush. There was nothing to worry about, and even if there was, Rainbow Dash could handle it. The bravest pony around, there was nothing she couldn't fight off. Nothing.

Yet another record-breaking smile spread across Pinkie Pie's face as she bounded around Rainbow Dash with an energy that shouldn't physically be possible. "Your story sure is neat! I can't wait to hear the rest!"

As they started to canter down the road, a feather drifted by on the wind, ragged and coated in dirt. It caught the attention of the young pegasus for a mere second before she shrugged it off. Just a feather, that's all... though she had failed to mention that the mare in her story, as it had been told to her, was a pegasus.

But monsters such as this one, as everypony knew, did not exist. And stories, of course, were just that -stories. Never anything more.