"So cold…" That was her first reaction after waking up
Brown hair clung to her frost reddened cheeks, the heavy pour of rain kept pushing her down.
"Mom said to keep running…. so I have to get up.." She pushed herself up again, the cold ground offering no comfort as her hand felt painfully cold against it, she wobbled onto her feet.
Her gaze scanned her surroundings, the only thing she saw was an endless amount of trees, the mud soaked her bare feet yet she did not care
"I need to go home.." The girl thought desperately. She dragged her body slowly, aimlessly walking around, using trees as leverage to make walking easier
"Go… keep going.. I have to go home!" Her once slow pace grew quicker, she drove her feet to the ground as she burst forward, though it wasn't very quick, it's obvious she's pouring all her energy into this run
But reality is cruel, as her steps easily faltered, her once resilient expression now gone, now replaced by an almost sickly look. Her legs felt numb, only a needle like cold spread deep within her bones, she collapsed as quickly as she got up. Her vision starting to blur
Rain continued to fall, mercilessly weighing her down.
"So… cold." Her voice was as faint as a sigh, and most of it was swept away by the wind and rain the moment it left her mouth
Her eyelids drooped.
For a moment, she thought about closing them. Just for a little while.
A faint memory surfaced in her mind.
—---------------------------------
She was curled up beside her mother on a peaceful night.. Her tail swished lazily to the side. The room was warm, the sound of the rain gently tapping against the window.
"Mom.." She had asked sleepily, tugging on her mother's sleeve. "Why do people say it's dangerous to sleep in the cold?"
Her mother had gone quiet for a moment, then she smiled softly, brushing the girl's hair away from her face.
"Well… when people get really, really cold.." Her mother said gently, pausing to see if the girl was paying attention "They start to feel very sleepy"
"Sleepy?"
"Mhm." Her mother tapped the girl's nose playfully. "And when they fall asleep like that… they go somewhere warm."
"Warm?"
"A place where nothing hurts anymore. A place where no one can get hurt."
The girl's eyes widened with curiosity "Like a dream?"
Her mother paused, then her expression grew serious.
"But you mustn't go there yet, okay?" She whispered, holding her daughter close. "If you ever feel that cold and sleepy… you have to keep moving."
"Keep moving?"
"Yes. Run, walk, crawl if you have to.. Just don't ever fall asleep." Her mother gently pressed their foreheads together. "Promise me."
—---------------------------------
Those words echoed in her mind.
Keep moving
The girl's hand slowly clenched onto the muddy ground, with that little she had left, she forced her body to move again
Even if her legs screamed in protest, even if she could barely see.
She had to keep running, because she kept a promise
"I promise, mom."
Her feet dragged through the mud, each step slower than the last. The rain soaked through her clothes, clinging to her small frame.
Step by step by step.
Her breathing became uneven
"..Home…" her body lurched forward, she fell again.
This time, she couldn't get up.
Her fingers clawed weakly at the wet ground, but her arms refused to listen. The strength she forced out moments ago had finally run dry. Her vision darkened. The sound of rain slowly faded…
Her fingers stopped clawing at the mud.
The small tail behind her, once flickering weakly with each desperate movement, now lay still against the soaked ground. Strands of wet brown hair clung to her cheeks while her ears which were trembling moments ago.. Slowly drooped against her head.
Each breath she took was quieter than the last.
The cold that had been biting into her skin for so long began to dull. The sharp sting in her fingers disappeared first, then the ache in her legs, even the shivering that had taken over her small body moments ago faded away.
Everything felt… distant. Darkness filled her vision until there was nothing left to see. For a moment there was nothing at all..
But then she felt it, a surge of warmth. It started faint, but it soon washed away all of the cold, the pain she had felt throughout her whole body. The warmth wrapped around her like a blanket. Everything felt.. Light.
Her ears twitched. The girl slowly opened her eyes.
The rain was gone, and so was the forest.
She found herself lying on smooth stone instead of cold mud. The ground beneath her wasn't wet or freezing, it felt comfortably warm.
"Huh?.." Her voice came out small and confused, she pushed herself up weakly, her tail twitched weakly behind her.
When she lifted her head, she froze
Before her stood a massive gate. It towered high above her, so large that she couldn't see the top without tilting her head back. The surface was carved with patterns that shimmered in the sunlight.
"..Home?" The girl muttered, the familiar warmth she felt whenever she was home with her mother.
But then she felt like someone was watching her. Their body stiffened, slowly, she turned around..
Standing a short distance away was another Uma Musume.
Long hair flowed down her back,it was a vibrant reddish pink. A single white streak ran through the center of it.
Her skin was a light tan, and her eyes shone a bright green as they gazed down at the small girl.
Everything about her seemed perfect.
The little girl blinked slowly, her small eyes were filled with confusion
"Do you know where my home is?" The girl asked quietly
The ethereal uma musume didn't answer right away, her eyes lingered on the girl for a moment.. Before slowly drifting to the massive gate behind her, then back to the child.
"You ran very far to reach this place." Her voice was calm.. Yet a touch of sadness could be heard..
"Did I?.."
For a moment, the strange woman simply watched her, gauging the girl's reactions.. Then she asked gently
"Do you still wish to keep running?"
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(A/N): Though I mostly translate stuff, I kinda want to give writing my own fic a try! So expect a lot of mistakes when reading this fanfic.. and slower updates compared to my other books, but I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter, any critics is accepted!