//------------------------------// // What's Wrong with a Lil' Play? // Story: Penumbral Prodigy // by JakTheYak //------------------------------// After several days’ rest, Spookums was finally up and moving. The boredom that had plagued her left the youthful mare charged and ready to leave the castle and get her life back on track. The rush of excitement crashed like electric fingers plucking her veins like the strings of a harp as she attempted to meld and transport herself to, well she wasn’t sure where. But, she knew it was going to be anywhere in the whole of Equestria beside this bleached city sized palace of excess. Every rich noble she saw straggling around the halls of the castle was like an injection of liquid fire, setting her heart ablaze with rage. They all walked around taking what they wanted and leaving messes behind them for, as one especially haughty mule put it, “Those peasant ponies, it’s what they live for after all”. Soon a soft indigo began to crackle and spark around her horn. Having never received any proper magical tutoring had left Spookums’ casting unrefined, barely controlled, and, most importantly, prone to backfiring. Exerting herself while not having fully healed had the expected negative impact on her magic, and, before completing the spell, a blast of arcane energy flared and launched her through the window of the hallway she had been walking down. Her uncontrolled flight abruptly ended as she smashed through Princess Celestia’s bedroom window at the peak of a high spire, promptly slamming onto the matriarch’s bed in a heap between her and Twilight. Both looked at Spookums stunned. “Oh hiya your highnesses, sorry for dropping in.” Twilight rolled her eyes while Celestia giggled to herself. Spookums was levitated off the bed by Twilight, who promptly dropped her head-first onto the ground. “Ouch! Jeez, with a welcome like that a pony might think they were interrupting something.” The blushes on both ponies faces told Spookums all that she needed to know. Slowly she began to crack an ever-widening smile, which was followed by poorly contained giggles. Before long she was cackling with glee at the now indignant Twilight, whose plumage had puffed up. “Jeez Twilight, I didn’t know that’s what Alicorns call ‘extra-circular activities’!” The volume of Spookums’ glee was at a peak, and beginning to give her a sore throat. “I, we- I mean. Ugh just get out!” Twilight shouted over Spookums’ howls of laughter and promptly magically threw Spookums from the room. Spookums landed on her back and looked up to see a very perplexed looking Luna looking back at her. “Spookums, why were thee in my sister’s quarters?” Luna tilted her head to the side quizzically. “Well you see--” Her sentence was interrupted by a juvenile snort “I was trying to leave and all that, but my magic backfired and launched me straight through your sister’s window. Then, and you’ll never believe this, I landed between the two and I think I caught them right before they started kissing!” Spookums was swept away by another round of laughter as Luna stood astounded. “You mean to say my sister and Twilight Sparkle, her longtime pupil and friend, are-are… Marefriends?” Luna leaned in towards Spookums as she spoke, hushing her voice. “Woah woah woah.” Spookums rolled around and sat up. “I never said they were dating. Sometimes ponies just like to fool around with that kinda stuff. Besides, I’m sure your sister would tell you of all ponies if she had the hots for one of her students.” She immediately regretted the last remark as she saw Luna’s face grow graven. Well, more so than usual. “While my sister and I may be linked by birth, our relationship is not as closely entwined as we may make outsiders believe. We both bear scares of the past.” She dropped her head, as if in shame “One many times more than the other.” Spookums finally caught on to the weight the conversation had taken on. She shifted uncomfortably, trying to figure herself an out. Her options were limited by the lack of magic. She liked Luna and all, they had a lot in common, but she really made a habit of letting the past dictate her present. The irony was entirely lost on Spookums. “Oh well, huh that’s. Uh, not good then I guess. Maybe counselling or something? I think it’ll probably be best is I go ahead and just leave you Alicorns to it, with your ages of experience and all that.” And then, with an unceremonious wave goodbye, she bolted as far and as fast as her injured body could take her. Spookums had decided that if she was to be captive in the care of the court, she would take full advantage of all the luxuries available to her. After all, morals are great and all, but getting a proper pampering sounded far better. Most of them were the kinds she had never even dreamed she would ever receive. She went to the spa housed within view of the Castle gardens and decided to get a full treatment on behalf of the princesses. Upon arriving and requesting a bath and wash Spookums excitedly hurried to get into the water, but as she dipped her toe into the water the memory of the boiling water searing her came rushing back to her. She simply stood, paralyzed by fear, until a confused attendant eased her nerves and helped lower her into the water. Once the shock passed, Spookums found she quite enjoyed the feeling of the warm water, but still couldn’t shake a feeling of uneasiness in the back of her mind. After a, mostly, relaxing soak and a maybe a bit overzealous scrubbing, she stepped out of the bath and got dried and ready to head to her next “appointment”. Organization and list were never her strong suits, hell she could barely read, but Spookums made up for her shortcomings with her ever reliable wits and omnipotent charm. The irony was missed this time too. Having rarely ever a day to just do nothing before, Spookums wasn’t used to walking much slower than a brisk trot. Anyone who says haste makes waste has never had to fight a goat for food scrapes. Her hustling ended with an arrival into the salon a good thirty minutes before her appointment. “Oh hello there!” The unicorn stallion running the salon got up from behind his desk. He spoke with one of the most whimsical and high-pitched voices she had ever heard come out of stallion. “Someone’s got some spring in her step, I like it hon you keep up that drive!” This is going to be a very uncomfortable haircut. As Spookums lowered herself into the stylist’s chair, she took a good look at herself in the mirror. It was the first time she’d seen her reflection in anything cleaner than a bathroom, and she could see why the nobles were turning up their noses. She looked like shit with the braid she had hastily thrown together some week prior in shambles. The greys and purples of her mane horribly faded, split ends making her hair the poster child for the butterfly effect. Not to mention her hooves looking over worked and under serviced as always, and, most depressingly, that donkey of a doctor was right about her coat discoloring. The stylist was chatty, not that it was much of a surprise, but he really deserved his station servicing all the highborn snobs of Canterlot.  Somehow, he had fixed Spookums’ braid to carry a look of elegance and sophistication with its delicately woven strands. He had also remedied the split ends and color with a quick application of some special conditioner, and given her hooves their first proper hooficure in years. Perhaps the most dazzling fault was the magical spell he used recoloring over her coat, not just restoring the damaged patches, but rejuvenating the rest with it too. Spookums looked like an average pony. Well, almost. She was a genetic mutt, a self-proclaimed unholy half breed of unicorn and bat pony. Her mother was the high flyer Midnight Breeze, her father the learned scholar Luminescent Tome. That is, until they met at a party and hooked up, accidentally making Spookums. The unwanted pregnancy had cost her mother not only her job, but her reputation too. Just caring of the two her dad had to work himself half to death, using alcohol to cope and kill off the other half. Or at least that is what Spookums had been able to pry from him while he sobbed over a picture of the mother she would never come to know. The mixed nature of her blood became more apparent as one got closer. Her ears were slightly fluffier at the base of the ear. While she didn’t have proper fangs, there was an unmistakable toothy outlier mirrored on either side of her upper jaw. The most disturbing “gift” she had received from dear old mom was her excellent night vision. While during the day Spookums’ eyes appeared no different from that of anypony else, once things became sufficiently dark her pupils would narrow to unnerving slits. Her train of thought was unceremoniously broken by the stylist “You know I think it’s just great the princesses leave this here salon open to ponies outside the castle” Spookums made a quarter turn with her head and then tilted it quizzically to the stallion “Open to ponies outside the castle?” “Why yes of course, Silly! Don’t tell me you really thought that the princesses actually use these salons and spas. They’re practically gods for goodness sake. What use could they have for them? No, no, darling. They let poor ponies in to try and get cleaned up to look presentable so they can try and put their best hoof forward in interviews and getting their lives on track.” The admiration oozing out of his voice was so thick a Caneighdian pony would try and put it on some pancakes. As cheesy as he had made it sound, this were beginning to seem almost like the princesses cared about the people under them. No. They’ve probably got some other selfish motive going on. And even if they don’t, there’s way more that they can do besides just free haircuts. Spookums wrestled with her thoughts all the way to her sleeping quarters. It wasn’t the same high tower treatment she had gotten before, a simple room on the ground floor next to the guard’s barracks. Although it was simple, it had all the things she could want in a room: walls, a roof, a floor that isn’t concrete or dirt, a bed, and it even had a window. A window! She had never dreamed of living in a place that had a window. And the barracks’ proximity was a blessing too, as it let her poke in from unexpected angles from the myriad shadows cast in the hall to scare the daylights out of the poor watchmen. As much as her new “home” filled her with a strange new sensation of wholeness of being, Spookums couldn’t help but feel a faint twinge of longing. For what, she was not sure. Her intense introspection came quickly to an end as see saw two of Luna’s Night Guard flanking either side of her door. Spookums immediately began to plot her next moves carefully. Can I take two trained guards? Hmm I think I’m going to be better off not trying my luck on this one. What did I do this time? Maybe Celestia and Twilight are pissed? No no, that can’t be right. They’d send some of the normal guards then. Suddenly the gears in her head promptly clicked into place, her eyes lit up with her signature malaligned spark of mischief and a Cheshire grin swept across her muzzle. Her horn lit, bolts of obsidian lightning crackling and indigo glow unstable, and she fell back and melded through the floor. She floated weightlessly for a moment, eventually positioning herself. Shaking herself slightly, Spookums gave a minute to recover from the sudden motion, then imagined her home. Soon the inky blackness slowly opened like fabric cleaved by scissors, and she stepped through. As she materialized a chill ran the length of her spine, prompting a shiver. All the lights inside were off, but as her pupils slowly began to take on their slit low-light form she could just make out a flowing, nebulous mane. “Oh shit.” Spookums spoke aloud, much more so than she meant. Luna turned to face her, and her horn began to glow in its soft midnight light. Fast as a blink the room was illuminated by gentle moonlight. “Nice parlor trick Princess.” Spookums immediately threw both hooves over her mouth and flushed. I’ve gone and bucked up this time. “Save your flattery and lend me your ear, your future very well depends on it.” If the crack about parlor tricks phased her, Luna didn’t show it. “Both my sister and Twilight Sparkle are in agreement. You possess both great power, and great potential. They believe that you may one day become a force for good in these lands, and I am inclined to agree. I do see so very much of my youthful self in you: independence and drive, but also hatred and agony. I wish to do for what I wish someone had done for me. I offer you a place at my side as a student, as my sister once did for Twilight.” Spookums’ mouth hung open in complete and utter shock. She hadn’t ever envisioned a future for herself beyond the next day. Now she was being given a chance to study with royalty?! “I’d love to take you up on your offer, but just um--” Spookums suddenly found that her voice was failing her. She began to tear up ever so slightly. “why would you ever want to help a screwy mess up like me?” Her resolve was reforming, the sudden rush of emotion beginning to calm. Internal balance, well relative balance, was reforming and her words became much more sure. “I can’t remember the last time I ever did right by anypony. You sure you’d be willing to risk your reputation on some hobo?” “You are not some hobo, you are a pony. Just as vibrant and unique as any other. Simply because you shine with a softer light does not make you worth any less than anypony else.” Luna’s eyes were filled with sincerity and an almost motherly affection. “Well then… I guess I mind as well, not like I have much better to do with my life” Spookums wasn’t exactly sure of where this was going to take her, but, for some reason, it didn’t bother her. “Very well then, follow me. Tomorrow we will begin your formal education in magic, my pupil.” Luna looked to her new ward, beaming with pride. Spookums could help but smile back. It was time for a new beginning, time for a change, time to be somepony. Suddenly that emptiness that had been nagging at the back of her mind was gone, replaced by a warm glow. Gentle and loving as the caress of the moon.