Appledashery

by Just Essay

Of Mutter and Magic

“Alright!” a bodyguard shouted down the empty room while music pumped through the apartment. “It's time! We're a go!”

Art galleries had been assembled in the corners and chairs had been erected in all the right spots. In the very center wall of the apartment, opposite the snack and punch table, was a round stage draped over in pink cloth. Right behind it was a series of blinding partitions that blocked off a part of the wall—the part of the wall where the secret door happened to be.

“Start letting the guests in!” the bodyguard hollered towards the bouncers at the very front. “Two ponies at a time!”

The suited stallions nodded and opened the doors wide before marching down the apartment hallway.

All of this, Rainbow Dash witnessed from a distance. She turned and glanced out the windows. Night had just about fallen, casting a purple sheen across the skies over Manehattan. One by one, the stars appeared to compete with the glitter of the city and its premier party celebration below.

“Seems like I'm just getting stuck with one gala after another,” Rainbow murmured to herself.

“The first guests are coming!” a bodyguard exclaimed. “Where... where is Ms. Finish? Joe! Swifttrot! See if you can find her!”

Rainbow Dash blinked awkwardly at that. She glanced over at the scurrying stallions, then down the hallway that led to her guest room. Just a few doors down, she saw a cracked sliver of light. Curious, she shuffled towards it in her blue gown.

---

“Ja, it's goink to be noisy for a vhile, Gustav. Your mutter doesn't mind if you vish to do ze komik book readink well past bedtime tonight.”

“But kan't we kome out and see all ze ponies, mutter? It sounds like you're hafink a lot of fun!”

“Hah! Oh, meine little Hanzes. Ze social engagements are not all about fun.”

“Why not, mutter? You are schowink off ze art magiks, ja?”

“It is not ze same, Jaeger. Ze art magiks is mutter's job. It's how she earns ze bits to feed her little Hanzes...”

Rainbow Dash brought her muzzle up to the cracked doorway. She squinted inside. She had to pivot her head to see anything. In the dim glow of a nightlight, she saw one of two twin beds with a petite colt snuggled beneath the covers. Lying on the edge of the bed was a mat of artificial white mane hair. Then, kneeling by the bed, Rainbow spotted an emaciated blue creature in Photo Finish's dress. The back of her skull was pockmarked with lesions and random tufts of gray hair.

Rainbow bit her lip and drew back until she could only hear the conversation and not see it.

“You see, meine Hanzes, ze real magik is found elsevhere, oftentimes spontaneous. I try to kapture it like butterflies in a butterfly net. I hafe tried all meine life. But you know vat Photo Finish has learned?”

“Vat's zat, mutter?”

“Ja, vat did you learn?”

“I learned zat magik happens spontaneously, visout expektation. It happens vith surprise friends like Madame Fraulein. And it happened tenfold... heeheehee... like vhen mutter had you two. Such vonderful magik... like releasink doves from a bare hoof.”

“Ja, you'fe told us of za dream before, mutter.”

“It is only a dream, meine little Hanzes. But you? You are ze magiks, and I promise after tonight zat you vill hafe so much of ze magiks to share. The whole city vill be in lofe vith you. Even... even l-long after I, Photo Finish, am gone...”

“Is zat vhy Papa left, mutter? Because he didn't know vhere ze magiks came from?”

A bit of silence.

Rainbow sat against the door, wincing.

At last, Photo's voice spoke up. “Nein, Jaeger. Papa left because he had lost faith. He beliefed zat ze magiks only vent avay... like vater beink drained out of a hole at ze bottom of a bucket. Vell, your mutter is about to patch up zat hole.” A sniffling sound. “You hafe my promise.”

“You don't hafe to promise mutter, we beliefe you.”

“Ja, mutter. We beliefe in your magiks.”

“Ach! Sehr gut!” A shadow leaned in to nuzzle them, one at a time. “Zen I don't hafe to vish you sveet dreams, zen!”

Two coltish giggles. Melodic and content.

“But... sveet dreams anyvays...”

“Gute Nacht, mutter.”

“Gute Nacht und träum was schönes...”

After a few seconds, Rainbow could hear steady hoofsteps trotting towards her.

With a swift breath, Rainbow flapped her wings and darted around a corner. A moment later, the door opened with a creak. Photo Finish trotted out, straightening her wig. She took several shuddering breaths, sniffling once or twice. Then, with stiff legs, she shuffled out into the main hall, consumed by the lights and noise.

Rainbow watched from afar, her muzzle clammed shut. When the time was right, she cracked the joints in her neck, coiled her wings, and trotted gracefully after Photo.

Comments

[RoboRed]

[Lord Dragon]

4848122 Indeed my good man... indeed.

[Autumn Rush]

And even more feels...

[Lightning Bearer]

It's really heart-warming to know that beneath all that artsy-fartsiness and angst, they're still just a sweet little family.

[Aatxe360]

When she was talking to her Hanzes, I could clearly see her feeding them like birds. Strange, no?

Also, on an almost related note:

[BabySkittleMonster]

Two sad chapters in a row? You're killing me, JE. Killing me with feels.

[HyperMonica]

Photo Finish iz ze wanna-be magiks maker! But you, my friend, 'ave ze true magiks given to you as ze gift from ZIS DRAGON:

No really. hon, you got dem skillz.

[arancaytar]

I didn't expect Photo Finish to become a deep tragic character of all ponies.