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Description
(This takes place a little after Smol Series: Small Offerings and is definitely connected to Smol Series: Eyewitnesses and Smol Series: Burning Rage )
WARNING! STORY ABOUT HORSE BIRTH! I'll try not to get too gory.
----------------------
Absinthe knew it was time. Maybe it was the sagging of her belly as the pelvis began to relax, or maybe it was some sort of baby telekinesis. Either way it felt right to avoid the herd all day.
The red mare paws at a pile of soft brush impatiently. Oh how agitated she feels! Well, more agitated than usual anyway. It's a good thing no one came nosing around looking for her yet. This is THE spot in her opinion; a well-concealed section of low trees right next to a pond. All she can hear is the soothing lap of water against the shore, the occasional drip-drip of droplets on leaves, and the quiet hush of content jungle. With a content sigh the expectant mother settled down for a quick nap. What should she name the little one when it showed up? The possibilities are endless...her mind slowly winds down as she drifts off.

A sudden hot wave of pain rockets her awake. With a sharp gasp Absinthe leaps to her hooves. What was that? Is it normal to hurt that much?
Another contraction kicks in. She whines in pain, hoping it'll all be over soon. Why did she agree to this?! She'll kill CassaNova the next time she sees him...he did this to her.

Sadly it is not at all over soon. Absinthe's coat is bathed in sweat and she pants for relief from the constant relentless agony. How long has it been? One hour? Two? However long it's been she's not sure if things are going well. What she needs is something to ease the pain, if just for a moment! Her panicked brain spins as she wildly glances around for a source of help. Suddenly her eyes lock onto a potential savior; the nearby pond.
With a grateful sob Absinthe hauls her twitching body into the shallow end. The icy water immediately dulls some of the pain and she sighs slightly with closed eyes. Yes, this is a lot better. She can carry on this way. Instead of focusing on the pain and fear, she can relax with her focus on the water floating her tail around, or the gentle touch of the mini waves tapping her sides. So pleasant...

Meri can smell something funky going down at her favorite pond. With a curious chuff she follows her nose until she spots Absinthe. What is her friend doing? The red mare is shifting around like she got stung by a bee, sometimes standing up and spinning around before laying back down. Very weird! Even more concerning are the unidentifiable fluids she's releasing into the water. Hopefully she's not too sick-wait. The foal must be coming! Meri is well aware how excited Absinthe has been about it.
But...isn't she aware how close to the drop-off she is? Concerned, Meri slips into the lake from a safe distance. It'd be awful if her bestie slipped down and became even more stressed than she already is!

In her primal state Absinthe is not at all aware of the sudden/steep drop-off the treacherous lake has. Her eyes bulge and roll at the effort of pushing a new life into the world. Her nostrils are flared to the point of almost exposing her brain. So close, she can feel it!
With a final convulsion she feels something rather slimy slip past her hind legs. Plop!
With an exhausted sigh Absinthe knows the battle is over. She rests for a solid second before turning to face her new family member. Alas, she had gotten too close to the edge! The foal had not peacefully landed in the shallows like she had planned. Instead, it has slipped right down the drop-off and into the murky depths below.

The keening noises Absinthe is giving off are horrible! Meri can practically feel the horror herself. What is the cause of her worry? The water horse blinks her large eyes a bit. Ah yes, that creepy slimy bag that fell down! She watches the small package sloooowly drift downward in a nasty looking spiral.
Wait. Is that a tiny hoof?! Meri burbles in shock. That slimy sack is actually the foal! Yes, it must be. It's making a pathetic attempt to escape.
Cautiously Meri shoots over to it. This is rather tricky since foals are generally her favorite food. What does her belly say? Oh good, it's rather full from her snack earlier. This foal probably wouldn't taste very good anyway...all skin and bone. Oh plus it's her best friend's baby! Without thinking she grabs the foal by a hind leg and hauls it back to the surface.

Absinthe can't help but wail. Eleven difficult months...eleven months of dreaming, hoping, and wishing. Only to lose it in seconds. She must not have been meant to be a mother! How will she tell CassaNova about her failure? She bawls at the deep end in the pathetic chance that her lost child would come back to her.
Her sobs die in her throat as a familiar silver head pops out of the water nearby. "Meri? What are you-"
She gasps as the waterhorse emerges, proudly carrying a soaking wet limp form. Her foal. Absinthe's heart plummets when she notices that it's not moving. Too late, she was too late.
"Oh Meri! I know how much you enjoy a free meal, but...maybe just this once...could I have the body back? Or at least the bones-" The request barely comes out as a whisper. Her sadness is all-consuming.

Meri ignores her, instead choosing to roughly toss the foal onto the rocky beach. The sudden jolt shocks the tiny thing to life; it makes an awful coughing noise and starts to shiver. Meri looks at Absinthe. She's not at all impressed with the kid's performance so far. Awfully weak and frail! Horse foals are pathetic.

"MERI! YOU'RE A HERO!" Absinthe rushes to her little one's side. She's say more but she's now busy licking its coat dry and encouraging it to cough out more water. This is the moment she was supposed to have sooner before it got interrupted by the emergency!

Meri leaves the new mother be. It seems sort of wrong to loiter around such a bonding special moment.
------
"Hey Meri, get your fishy tail over here!" Absinthe hollers. A few days have passed and she's back to her snappy self.

"Wot." Meri really wanted to go frog hunting.

"I have something important to tell you, duh. I'm not talking just for my health."

Meri shrugs before wandering over. She tries not to make eye contact with Draven , who is always staring at her with eyes too big for his head. He has gotten a lot better after his traumatic birth. The only side effect was a sprained hind leg from her carrying him away from a watery grave. Even that isn't super bad; he's just a little more wobbly on his legs is all. He'll get over it.
"Wot? Wot want?"

Absinthe grins at Meri and nudges Draven away from his hiding spot behind her legs. "Me and Cass were talking and...well..." She is terrible at suspense. "We'd like you and Mania to be Draven's Backup Mothers!"

"Huh?" Meri has never heard this term before! She really isn't keen on the 'mother' part.

"If anything ever happens to us Draven wouldn't be left on his own. He'd legally go to you instead of living a miserable orphan life. It's a big honor but I think you could handle it." Absinthe can't stop smiling.

"Ah." Meri isn't one to turn down honor or a title. Absinthe must trust her a lot to rest the life of her foal in her hooves! Would it be that bad to accept? She seems really into it. Besides, what are the chances of something happening to BOTH parents? Very slim. There's no need to even ask Mania. Meri nods slowly in acceptance.
"Yus. Will bee. If need."

"Thank you so much Meri. It's the best thing I can think of to repay you for saving him." Absinthe nudges Draven away from her legs again.
Meri takes a moment to study him closer.

"Hee look like yoo. Red." Meri can already tell that he'll be trouble from the little glint in his eyes. Those creepy, creepy kid eyes. Bleugh.

"Isn't he just wonderful? I bet you're going to get along just fine. You better get along just fine...I'll make you." Absinthe squints at Meri, daring her to disagree.

Meri sighs. She really couldn't think of a worse repayment. Maybe next time she'll be rewarded fish instead!
----------------------------------------------------------
Might have one more part to this idk. Hadn't written in a looong time.

This storyline was suggested by SnowFall-13 (Part of it anyway. I didn't add an evil fish-horse, but I kept the rescue aspect)
Mania was mentioned and belongs to XxRedXxHarmomy
Base is by w.interslineart

Description
(This takes place a little after Smol Series: Small Offerings and is definitely connected to Smol Series: Eyewitnesses and Smol Series: Burning Rage )
WARNING! STORY ABOUT HORSE BIRTH! I'll try not to get too gory.
----------------------
Absinthe knew it was time. Maybe it was the sagging of her belly as the pelvis began to relax, or maybe it was some sort of baby telekinesis. Either way it felt right to avoid the herd all day.
The red mare paws at a pile of soft brush impatiently. Oh how agitated she feels! Well, more agitated than usual anyway. It's a good thing no one came nosing around looking for her yet. This is THE spot in her opinion; a well-concealed section of low trees right next to a pond. All she can hear is the soothing lap of water against the shore, the occasional drip-drip of droplets on leaves, and the quiet hush of content jungle. With a content sigh the expectant mother settled down for a quick nap. What should she name the little one when it showed up? The possibilities are endless...her mind slowly winds down as she drifts off.

A sudden hot wave of pain rockets her awake. With a sharp gasp Absinthe leaps to her hooves. What was that? Is it normal to hurt that much?
Another contraction kicks in. She whines in pain, hoping it'll all be over soon. Why did she agree to this?! She'll kill CassaNova the next time she sees him...he did this to her.

Sadly it is not at all over soon. Absinthe's coat is bathed in sweat and she pants for relief from the constant relentless agony. How long has it been? One hour? Two? However long it's been she's not sure if things are going well. What she needs is something to ease the pain, if just for a moment! Her panicked brain spins as she wildly glances around for a source of help. Suddenly her eyes lock onto a potential savior; the nearby pond.
With a grateful sob Absinthe hauls her twitching body into the shallow end. The icy water immediately dulls some of the pain and she sighs slightly with closed eyes. Yes, this is a lot better. She can carry on this way. Instead of focusing on the pain and fear, she can relax with her focus on the water floating her tail around, or the gentle touch of the mini waves tapping her sides. So pleasant...

Meri can smell something funky going down at her favorite pond. With a curious chuff she follows her nose until she spots Absinthe. What is her friend doing? The red mare is shifting around like she got stung by a bee, sometimes standing up and spinning around before laying back down. Very weird! Even more concerning are the unidentifiable fluids she's releasing into the water. Hopefully she's not too sick-wait. The foal must be coming! Meri is well aware how excited Absinthe has been about it.
But...isn't she aware how close to the drop-off she is? Concerned, Meri slips into the lake from a safe distance. It'd be awful if her bestie slipped down and became even more stressed than she already is!

In her primal state Absinthe is not at all aware of the sudden/steep drop-off the treacherous lake has. Her eyes bulge and roll at the effort of pushing a new life into the world. Her nostrils are flared to the point of almost exposing her brain. So close, she can feel it!
With a final convulsion she feels something rather slimy slip past her hind legs. Plop!
With an exhausted sigh Absinthe knows the battle is over. She rests for a solid second before turning to face her new family member. Alas, she had gotten too close to the edge! The foal had not peacefully landed in the shallows like she had planned. Instead, it has slipped right down the drop-off and into the murky depths below.

The keening noises Absinthe is giving off are horrible! Meri can practically feel the horror herself. What is the cause of her worry? The water horse blinks her large eyes a bit. Ah yes, that creepy slimy bag that fell down! She watches the small package sloooowly drift downward in a nasty looking spiral.
Wait. Is that a tiny hoof?! Meri burbles in shock. That slimy sack is actually the foal! Yes, it must be. It's making a pathetic attempt to escape.
Cautiously Meri shoots over to it. This is rather tricky since foals are generally her favorite food. What does her belly say? Oh good, it's rather full from her snack earlier. This foal probably wouldn't taste very good anyway...all skin and bone. Oh plus it's her best friend's baby! Without thinking she grabs the foal by a hind leg and hauls it back to the surface.

Absinthe can't help but wail. Eleven difficult months...eleven months of dreaming, hoping, and wishing. Only to lose it in seconds. She must not have been meant to be a mother! How will she tell CassaNova about her failure? She bawls at the deep end in the pathetic chance that her lost child would come back to her.
Her sobs die in her throat as a familiar silver head pops out of the water nearby. "Meri? What are you-"
She gasps as the waterhorse emerges, proudly carrying a soaking wet limp form. Her foal. Absinthe's heart plummets when she notices that it's not moving. Too late, she was too late.
"Oh Meri! I know how much you enjoy a free meal, but...maybe just this once...could I have the body back? Or at least the bones-" The request barely comes out as a whisper. Her sadness is all-consuming.

Meri ignores her, instead choosing to roughly toss the foal onto the rocky beach. The sudden jolt shocks the tiny thing to life; it makes an awful coughing noise and starts to shiver. Meri looks at Absinthe. She's not at all impressed with the kid's performance so far. Awfully weak and frail! Horse foals are pathetic.

"MERI! YOU'RE A HERO!" Absinthe rushes to her little one's side. She's say more but she's now busy licking its coat dry and encouraging it to cough out more water. This is the moment she was supposed to have sooner before it got interrupted by the emergency!

Meri leaves the new mother be. It seems sort of wrong to loiter around such a bonding special moment.
------
"Hey Meri, get your fishy tail over here!" Absinthe hollers. A few days have passed and she's back to her snappy self.

"Wot." Meri really wanted to go frog hunting.

"I have something important to tell you, duh. I'm not talking just for my health."

Meri shrugs before wandering over. She tries not to make eye contact with Draven , who is always staring at her with eyes too big for his head. He has gotten a lot better after his traumatic birth. The only side effect was a sprained hind leg from her carrying him away from a watery grave. Even that isn't super bad; he's just a little more wobbly on his legs is all. He'll get over it.
"Wot? Wot want?"

Absinthe grins at Meri and nudges Draven away from his hiding spot behind her legs. "Me and Cass were talking and...well..." She is terrible at suspense. "We'd like you and Mania to be Draven's Backup Mothers!"

"Huh?" Meri has never heard this term before! She really isn't keen on the 'mother' part.

"If anything ever happens to us Draven wouldn't be left on his own. He'd legally go to you instead of living a miserable orphan life. It's a big honor but I think you could handle it." Absinthe can't stop smiling.

"Ah." Meri isn't one to turn down honor or a title. Absinthe must trust her a lot to rest the life of her foal in her hooves! Would it be that bad to accept? She seems really into it. Besides, what are the chances of something happening to BOTH parents? Very slim. There's no need to even ask Mania. Meri nods slowly in acceptance.
"Yus. Will bee. If need."

"Thank you so much Meri. It's the best thing I can think of to repay you for saving him." Absinthe nudges Draven away from her legs again.
Meri takes a moment to study him closer.

"Hee look like yoo. Red." Meri can already tell that he'll be trouble from the little glint in his eyes. Those creepy, creepy kid eyes. Bleugh.

"Isn't he just wonderful? I bet you're going to get along just fine. You better get along just fine...I'll make you." Absinthe squints at Meri, daring her to disagree.

Meri sighs. She really couldn't think of a worse repayment. Maybe next time she'll be rewarded fish instead!
----------------------------------------------------------
Might have one more part to this idk. Hadn't written in a looong time.

This storyline was suggested by SnowFall-13 (Part of it anyway. I didn't add an evil fish-horse, but I kept the rescue aspect)
Mania was mentioned and belongs to XxRedXxHarmomy
Base is by w.interslineart