#besa bryda

[id-rather-be-an-outsider]

Then and Now

summary: Mistral remembers her journey from filly to mare, and how she came to find herself.

word count: 2020

a/n: I love Mistral so much! this is a gift to a lovely friend of mine in the BESA community for a trade we’re doing :) iingezo, I hope you like reading it as much as I liked writing it! If anyone is interested in joining the Bella Sara Discord, you can do that here! If you’d like to join the Bella Sara Amino, that’s right here!

The sun rises, and Mistral yawns as she’s woken up by its warm rays. She remembers this feeling. When she was a tiny filly, taking her first steps and keeping up with her parents only hours later, and when she was a yearling, trying to discover herself. It was always in the summertime. She grazes next to her parents, whickering to them in greeting, just like she does every morning. Her siblings have already taken to the skies to go on their own adventures, but Mistral likes to linger behind to really wake up and get extra time with her parents before joining her siblings.

Her mother and father each come and nuzzle her with their velvety noses, and she sighs happily. She may not be a filly anymore, but she still needs her parents. Not for everything — just for love and comfort.

She decides that her stomach is full from a hearty breakfast of grass and clover and blooms, and whinnies to let her parents know she’s leaving. Today, Mistral’s in the mood for some reminiscing. When she takes off, she goes in the opposite direction of her siblings. This is a journey best made alone. She flies up into the sky, her body floating higher and higher. When she reaches the clouds, all is quiet. They’re golden from the shining sun, and it looks like a snowy field in the golden hour of winter. She can hear her own breathing, and nothing else. She jumps from cloud to cloud, giddy with the weightlessness of everything, and thinks to herself: This is why I come up here every day. But it wasn’t always like that.

She dips down and sees the land below, spotting her desired location. She touches down just outside of the Rolandsgaard Castle, giving her magic a break. She trots down the path that leads past Rolandsgaard and to the Bazaar. Mistral intends to trade something for a nice gift for her mom, since her birthday is coming up. She’s not sure exactly what, but people without magical horses usually ask for some kind of magic to assist them in a laborious task, so she figures her own magic will compensate.

She trips over a jagged rock that sits in the middle of the road, but doesn’t lose her footing. She snorts in irritation, whipping around and kicking the rock off of the path, noting that somebody could get really hurt by it. She remembers her first time walking down this path. She tripped then, too.

She was still a young filly, and was eager to make friends from Herd Bellasara. Her coat was sleek and shimmering, her mane silky smooth, fluttering out behind her in shiny waves. She was so excited, she didn’t notice another rock sitting there just like the recent offender had! She tripped over the rock and fell right on her haunches, and some foals passing by saw everything!

She shakes her head to herself, thinking how silly it is now that she was so embarrassed then. Confidence is key, really — if you do what you mean to do, even in unexpected situations, everything turns out fine.

But the Mistral from that day didn’t know any better. She was so worked up because of tripping and falling that she didn’t even think to brush it off or wait for the foals to see if she was okay — she just turned tail and ran. Ran far, far away, all the way back to her home in the Daybreak Mountains. She was so scared of being recognized for her fall, that she changed her colors from her typical gold and white to black and blue, convinced that no one would recognize her and laugh at her for that mistake ever again. From that day on, for what felt like an eternity, she spent her time doing whatever she could to hide her mistakes.

Mistral sighs to herself as she reflects on that time of her life. She was so insecure then, and all because of what? A little fall that anyone could have had? She feels sorry for the young filly she used to be, and thankful for her mother’s undying love and support during that time. She was so patient, and didn’t try to force her into playing a role she didn’t want. Mistral was lucky, in that regard.

As she nears the Bazaar, she picks up her pace in excitement. She’s almost halfway done with her mission! She increases her speed to a canter, and when she hears the hustle and bustle of the local crowd, she starts scanning the Bazaar for familiar faces. Bryda! She neighs, getting her friend’s attention. A chocolate brown mare looks in Mistral’s direction, throwing her head back in greeting and trotting over to her. Mistral! After greeting each other, Mistral and Bryda walk side by side, checking out the stalls and the different items for sale. Funnily enough, Bryda was one of the foals she saw that day, all those years ago. She was accompanied by Iceprince and Amia, two other foals that Mistral is also now fast friends with in adulthood.

Mistral thought that surely, she would never see those foals again, but she thought wrong, because she met them again when she was a yearling. Her mother had gotten sick, and the only medicine that could cure her ailments was sold in the Bazaar. Mistral took on the journey since her siblings were too young to go by themselves and her father was busy protecting Herd Starlight under authority of the King and Queen. She’d planned to get in and out quickly, but when Amia recognized her, she froze in shock. She hadn’t anticipated running into them ever again, nor had she anticipated someone seeing through her disguise.

Through the telepathy powers all horses in North of North have, Amia asked her why she changed her colors, stating that the white and gold from all that time ago had suited her so well. Flustered, Mistral had confessed that she’d embarrassed herself so badly she’d wanted to hide, and Amia had told her that she always tripped along that road because so many rocks would get kicked up from daily traffic, and not to worry about it — that road was notorious for making humans and horses alike lose their footing. It had comforted Mistral to hear she wasn’t alone, and before she knew it, she had found the medicine her mother needed as well as three new friends!

Mistral finds a stall selling pretty hair clips and finds one decorated in pearls and opals – a perfect complement to her mother’s coat. She sends an image to the mind of the trader, asking what he would like for it, and he smiles at her. “My daughter is here today because her mother’s a bit worn out. Could you show her something magical?”

Mistral nods, and out from behind the trader walks a little girl, no older than two. “Horsie!” She squeals in excitement, running up to Mistral. “Pretty hair!” Mistral nickers at her, lowering her head so the child can grab ahold of her silky locks and run her fingers through them. When the child is focused on examining her hair, Mistral changes the shade to a soft pink, then a purple, then a green. “Woah!” The toddler exclaims, “Magic! More!” She looks up at Mistral with pleading eyes, and Mistral can’t help but think how adorable this child is. She changes her hair to an orange, a blue, and then a soft brown. “More! More!” The child shouts, but her father picks her up, holding her in his arms.

“Alright, honey, I think the pretty horse has a long journey ahead to get home. Why don’t we say goodbye for now?” The child pouts, but the trader says, “Maybe she’ll come back another time. You never know!” And then the child beams with hope.

“Bye-bye horsie!” The little girl waves goodbye with her cute chubby arms, and Mistral whinnies at her to say goodbye. Her and Bryda soon leave, parting ways along the path as Bryda turns to go home. Bryda lives in the territory of Herd Bellasara, so she doesn’t have to travel nearly as far as Mistral does.

As Mistral takes to the sky once more, she admires the colors of the sky, painted rosy by the setting sun. A slight breeze blows flower petals through the air, and they swirl around Mistral. She decides to change a few strands of her mane to match the soft pink cast over the land by the sun, just to test it out. She reaches the border of Herd Starlight’s territory, and as the world turns to dusk, she lands where she spots her mother. Colour looks up at her daughter and smiles, her deep violet eyes looking from the gift to Mistral’s changed hair in interest. New hair?

Mistral walks up to her, rubbing her head against her mother’s cheek in greeting. Just trying it out for a bit. The sky inspired me. Mistral grabs the hair clip, placing it in her mother’s hair and nickering. She sends an image to her. Your birthday gift.

What did you trade for it? Her mother tilts her head.

Mistral shifts through several colors for a few seconds to illustrate, then she sends an image of her memory of the little girl holding her hair, eyes wide with wonder at the display of magic. Her mother smiles, nodding in understanding. Human children are so precious and full of joy – always marveling at the world around them. The horses in North of North often have close relationships with humans of their choosing, lasting a lifetime.

Mistral’s journey home with her mother’s medicine had been a freeing one. For the first time since she’d tripped as a filly, the sky had felt lighter, and Mistral hadn’t felt so heavy. When she got home, her mother had noticed the shift in Mistral’s demeanor. Mistral had recounted her story with enthusiasm, and her mother had questioned her. So, do you want to stay the colors you are?

Mistral had been confused. What do you mean? She looked down at her coat, jet black, and at her billowing mane, midnight blue.

Her mother had explained while taking the medicine. I just don’t want you to live in the past without realizing it. Do what you mean to do. Colour rubbed her head against her daughter’s cheek. I’ll love you just as much either way.

Oh. What her mother said had given Mistral pause, then. Do what you mean to do. Mistral hadn’t thought about how muted her colors were, designed to make her forgettable to everyone she encountered. That day, even after receiving the validation and comfort of her new friends, she still was making an effort to hide herself from the world, even though she didn’t need to. Her friends had already liked her for who she was – she’d never needed to change in the first place. The next day, Mistral woke up and decided to change her colors back to her signature look, and hadn’t let anything shake her sense of self ever since.

Colour whinnies at her daughter, who seems to be deep in thought. When Mistral looks up at her, she tilts her head. What?

What’s wrong? Colour questions.

Mistral shakes her head. Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about my teenage years. I’m glad you loved me through them. She settles in, grazing next to her mother.

Her mother nudges her shoulder lovingly. She shares an image – Mistral as a newborn foal, as a young filly, as a spry yearling, and as the grown mare she is now. The message is clear – I’ve loved you at every stage, my sweet child.

Mistral glances at the hair clip in her mother’s mane. The perfect accessory. She sends her mother an image of the two of them cuddling together when she was tiny, and them doing the same now. So have I, mother.

After all, it’s her mother’s words that inspire her to always do what she means to do.