The gray mare shook as she stayed behind the boulder. The air was colder than even the worst Winter night that she had experienced. This was not a natural cold, but the cold of death. She took a shaking breath in, before a cloud of ice escaped her mouth. Ghastly Aura had come to this town in order to see the spirit, but she hadn't expected this. Nopony could have expected this.
It was a wraith. A spirit of darkness and cold. So little was known of them, expect that they were unicorns reborn, and led to death and destruction, no matter where they went. If you were grabbed by one, your soul was soon to be lost, sucked within their bottomless essence. She had tried to fight it, tried to do more than hide, but she was barely an adult, and by no means the prodigy her mother, Clover the Clever was. Ghastly shut her eyes, trying to ignore the image of the village elder as her magic did nothing to stop his body from being ripped asunder.
The cracking of the rock she was against made her eyes open wide. She could feel every beat of her heart as cold came closer and closer. Any moment now, and the creature would be here. She would die, and no one would survive this night. She looked up as a hiss came from there, and paled, looking into bright, green eyes.
======+++++======
"Aaaah!" Ghastly was awake, in her bed, her eyes as wide as the moon in the sky. Her body was shaking, and her stomach throbbed in pain, her filly getting far too excited by her quakes. Strong hooves soon came around her, and she was pulled against a firm chest that she could nuzzle into. The familiar, dark blue stallion nuzzled her back, her beloved Night Watch keeping her close.
"It's just a dream honey, just a dream. He can't hurt you here."
Ghastly felt a set of tears run down her face as her body continued to shake. She then felt herself being pulled up, and a gentle peck came against the top of her head. A glance up allowed the familiar muzzle press itself against her lips now, and she felt her heart begin to calm down. She was home, she was safe.
Night Watch rubbed his mare's bloated stomach, a nervous smile on his face. "How is she?"
Ghastly blinked a few times, before another kick caused her to wince, and she let out a small chuckle. "Scolding me for getting freaked out, just like always."
Night slipped out of bed, yawning as he stretched out. "I'll go get you a glass of water, okay? You just stay there and rest."
She blushed a little bit, before snuggling back into her blankets. She had been lucky to find Night Watch in that town that night. He had helped her in her recovery aftee the image of death itself, looming over her, wanting her soul, had left her almost broken. She couldn't go anywhere without constantly looking over her shoulder. A chill had stayed within her, and only left about a year ago.
That was her wedding day, right out on the lawn of her home. It was a quaint little cabin, meant only for her and Nigh. Only Clover, her mother, knew where it was, or that they were still alive probably. That's what you get when you're a studious recluse who is obsessed with ghosts she supposed.
The image of the dead pony, looking down with utter hatred flashed into her mind, and she barely kept her heart rate down. She was still so vulnerable to the very thing she was talented in and she hated it. It hurt to be denied one’s talent, but she was getting stronger; she could feel it. One of her hooves placed itself on her stomach. Maybe once I've witnessed life, I can start examining death again.
The sound of the door opening caused her to look through her pink hair, and she smiled at Night as he came in with a bucket in his mouth. He put it beside her, before nuzzling into her stomach. "Are you excited? Any day now, and our little filly will be here."
Ghastly nodded quickly, her tail trying to swish underneath her. "You know that I am looking forward to nothing more than this little filly. I want to finally add something to this world, and others lives, instead of always staying far away and doing nothing."
Night slipped into bed beside her, kissing her on the cheek before letting out a yawn. "You've done plenty, Gaga, and no one could blame you for the time you took off."
A blush came over her face as she leaned back. She was ready to get back to sleep, but another kick brought one more question. "Do you think I'll be a good mother?"
Night's hooves wrapped around his wife, and the two met eyes for a moment. "I know you'll be one of the best, promise. Our filly will be known by all of Equestria as something nopony has ever seen before."
She grinned back, before yawning. "A lofty goal, but I like it. Night."
Night Watch paced outside of the bedroom, unable to sit still as he wondered what was going within. Trina had asked him to wait outside, but the time was killing him at this point. Ghastly’s labor had been anything but comfortable, having begun prematurely due to another night terror. Even then, his wife had asked that they keep to their privacy, and call for the doctor they trusted to come to the house, instead of going to the small hospital in town. “I just hope everything goes alright.”
More time passed, and the hours of the night stretched long. Night remembered times when he was young and he would use these hours for mischief, usually not needing much sleep. That was in fact how he had even gotten Ghastly to fall for him, or at least, he blamed it for what persuaded her to finally accept his hand.
He looked to his blackened hooves and let out a sigh. That night had changed everything. He had become cursed with the wraith’s power, Ghastly had almost died at its hand, and only Starswirl and Clover having been worried of such a thing being the ghost in the town had allowed the two to survive. Time spent in the hospital had let their love blossom though, even while Ghastly never wanted to be around ponies ever again. If they died, their ghosts could target her, and she couldn’t put up with the thought, not back then.
His thoughts turned to Starswirl and Clover the Clever giving them the large cottage when the door to the bedroom swung open. He swung around, his heart stopped as the dark blue unicorn stepped out. Her white mane was a mess, and she didn’t meet his eyes as she hung her head low. Night thought the worst and rushed over. “M-miss Lulamoon… is she okay? Are they okay?”
The mare looked to him, before briefly nodding and pointing her muzzle to the sky. “The miraculous Trina never leaves her patients feeling worse than before, and now is no different.” She then looked to him, and swallowed hard. “You may want to wait though. Your filly is fine, but it will take a few more moments for Ghastly to recover. She…”
Night nodded as he placed a hoof on Trina’s back. “It can get pretty scary when she goes into her past like that. Did… did she at least not try to hurt our little one?”
Trina shook her head furiously. “She seemed more afraid of herself than anypony else. Like she was about to fail in what she was doing, and wanted to do more when she needed to simply breath and push. Trina… Trina will admit that it was quite off putting for her.”
Night nodded. While Ghastly had stayed with him at first, she had lost herself back to the terrors and pain by the time the nurse had arrived. Neither had known how the whole thing might go, or if it might lead to Ghastly not identifying the filly as ‘her’ daughter. “I’m just happy she seems to care for the little one. I don’t know what I would have done if she had tried to push our filly away.”
The presence of the nurse was apparent to him soon after she put a hoof onto his back. “So, on a happier topic, do you two perhaps know what you may be naming her? Perhaps keep to one of your names?”
He shook his head. “Ghastly’s family has an odd tradition to never name their children after them, unless it fits.” He bit into his lip as he thought. He hadn’t prepared any names, the two hadn’t even really discussed it.
“Well, Trina knows that all of her descendants will be Lulamoons. She does not wish to be forgotten. Oh, um, sorry!”
He waved a hoof as he looked outside to the waxing light of the sun. “It’s okay, I understand what you mean.” His thoughts were away from her as the first rays of the morning pierced the sky. “Did you know that the twilight hours are supposed to be the time for ghosts? When the barrier between light and dark wanes, allowing the dead and living to come closer through dusk, and leave at dawn. At least, that’s what Ghastly has always said.”
The nurse came up beside him, looking out to the sky herself now. “Hmph. With that sort of purple and pink, I would think the sky is trying to copy your daughter.”
Night’s eyes widened before he turned to the grinning mare, his thoughts rushing at what that might mean. “Is she…”
“Ep, ep, ep! The courteous Trina won’t dare spoil that for you. You’ll have to go see for yourself.” She smiled as the stallion’s curiosity got the better of him.
He barely remembered to slowly open the door to the room, so as not to reawaken his wife. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw that all was calm, though the mess around the room promised him a busy few hours once the two were awake and moving. He didn’t quite see the bundle of joy waiting for him until a small squeak came from the side, and a tiny, lavender hoof pawed at the air.
Night slowly walked over, his blue hair standing on edge as he looked down through his black mane. A small filly with bright, purple eyes stared back. Having wrestled it loose, she now waved her hoof around, and bopped Night on the muzzle as tears came to his eyes. She was a beautiful shade of purple, with darker hues making up most of her mane. The only oddity there was that streak of pink, just like in the sky.
He looked deep into her eyes as his first tear drop fell, splashing onto her face and causing the filly to squirm. He chuckled to himself as he brushed the tears away, his mind turning back to the name. “I was named because I stared at the night sky after I was born, unable to tear my eyes away from its beauty. Ghastly claims her name came from her colors, and a vision Clover had when she was born.”
He looked out the window again, taking in the many hues of purple and pink that were soon to be overcome by the orange of day. They truly were a beautiful array of colors, and forced his smile to grow even larger as he looked down. There he saw his little filly, who had managed to get both hooves out of her wrappings, and reached for him. He could feel the warmth within him that had nestled in when he had first met Ghastly glow, and could see a sparkle in the young one’s eyes. He barely breathed, “Hello, Twilight Sparkle,” before allowing the tiny hooves to try wrap around him. A squeal of delight escaped the newborn Twilight as she nuzzled with her father, Trina watching the simple bliss from the background, before leaving to go tell Clover the good news.
It was a unicorn, and Ghastly was in no state to push her towards society.
“Okay Twilight, are you ready to have some pancakes?”
Ghastly turned to the high chair that was meant to hold the little filly, humming to herself like she had most of that morning. It had been almost two years since her beautiful baby had entered the world, and she had risked the market to get all of the ingredients for Celestia’s own pancake recipe, graciously provided to her by her mother. It was her gift to Twilight for her two year old birthday.
Now if only Twilight was still in her chair.
Night rushed in when he heard Ghastly’s scream, and almost fell over his hooves as his flank hit the side of the door. He stood there, all four hooves spread wide apart as he looked up to his wife and panted out, “What… is wrong?”
Ghastly looked around herself, making absolutely certain that she still couldn’t see her before prancing with her eyes shut and squealing, “It’s Twilight! She was supposed to be in the chair, and we were talking all the way through the food preparation, though I suppose only I was talking seeing as little fillies can’t really articulate anything, and she hasn’t said anything, though how amazing would it be if her first words were-” She stopped as a hoof was placed on her muzzle. She looked up at Night and blinked a few times. “What was I talking about?”
His own horn glowed for a moment as he stepped over to the counter. Night’s blue magic lifted up two of the pancakes on the plate to reveal why there was such an odd shaped lump in the mound of dough. Sitting there was Twilight, barely not too large so as to eclipse the large, fluffy discs. She ignored having been revealed, but instead chimped back down on her treat and ripping it off by tossing her head from side to side. “I believe it was,” he started pouring syrup onto the filly as he chuckled, “about having lost a pancake apparently.”
Ghastly smacked the bottle away from the filly before glaring at him. “Don’t do that. She gets messy enough as it is. Ugh.” She put a hoof to her head as Twilight looked at them. “She doesn’t even like baths yet, so it’s going to be impossible to get it out of her mane.”
“At least she looks adorable with it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not anymore than norm-” She stopped, watching Twilight suck some of the syrup now on her hooves before she planted the top of her head onto the pancake she had been mistreating, trying to get some onto the dough. “Okay, I’ll give it to- Don’t try to put more on her!”
It was while the two older ponies were wrestling over for the bottle that a knock came against the door. Night stopped almost immediately, having felt Ghastly freeze beneath him from the sound, and he gently began stroking her mane. “Who is it?”
A familiar, wise voice came through in response. “I thought it would be inappropriate for a mare to miss her grandchild’s birthday. Would you two not agree?”
Ghastly’s eyes widened, before she let out a sigh of relief and walked towards the door. Once it was open, she smiled at the green mare on the other side who was making sure to brush away some of her long, purple hair. “Hello mom. How have you been?”
Clover tilted her head and smiled. “I’ve been alright. Celestia has started asking me if I want to take a vacation, but I think she is just being silly.”
Ghastly moved to the side before she waved the other mare in. “I would think so. Starswirl always liked the fact that you refused to ever take breaks.” She watched as the other mare’s eyes went downward and felt a chill go through her body. The same chill that had come when she had gained her cutie mark, and seen her father for the last time as he floated above his grave. “Oh no.”
With a shake of her mane, Clover brushed the darkness from her face away and smiled to Night Watch. “So, where is my grandfilly? I have a whole cart full of presents here for her.”
Night let Ghastly go outside to retrieve the books, if not just to process the news of her teacher’s death as he guided Clover towards the kitchen. “We were having pancakes before you got here, and I think our little Twily may have teleported when we weren’t looking. You should have seen her with a pancake over her head.”
Clover lowered her eyelids as she smiled. “Oh really? I bet it was quite cute… just like her trying to use the syrup bottle as her normal one.”
Night glanced over to his little filly who was indeed sucking on the syrup bottle with all of her might. He was about to zip forward when the sticky bottle slid out of her tiny hooves and flew against Night’s forehead. He trotted back on unsteady hooves, chuckling a bit as Clover barked out a short laugh. “Well, as long as you’re both enjoy yourself I suppose.”
The green mare nodded before coming closer to Twilight and putting the bottle on top of the cabinets. She pointed to it and whispered, “Don’t you want your bottle back?” She smiled wider as the little filly nodded and clapped her hooves. Soon, the foal’s horn glowed a bright purple, and Clover watched as the syrup easily floated down. That wasn’t quite good enough.
While making sure the father was still dazed, Clover lit her own horn up with green magic. At first, her aura merely slowed the bottle. However, it wasn’t long before her own push forced it to come to a complete stop. Twilight frowned before stomping down with one of her hooves, a second tier glow coming over her horn as the pressure on the bottle increased. Clover’s eyes widened as she relented. A second tier was a hard task for Ghastly, and was something Starswirl and her had to work hard together on to reach. Twilight here though had it at the ripe age of two. “You will do wonderfully, won’t you?”
“What was that mother?”
Clover looked back to the doorway and shook her head. “Oh, just simple mutterings. Did you see my gifts?”
Ghastly nodded before hugging her mother tight. “I did, and thank you. I… I wasn’t sure how I was going to do her schooling if I were honest.”
The older mare waved it away a hoof. “Think nothing of it. I’m merely looking out for my daughter and grandfoal. Those books should be able to give her more than any normal school can, while letting you keep your secrecy.”
Ghastly nodded once more before brushing a tear away. “Oh, how can I thank you? You’ve done so much for me already-”
Clover held a hoof up, cutting her daughter off. “Ep! Like I said, think nothing of it. And if you truly wish to thank me, make sure she grows up to be strong, smart, and everything else you know I would wish for.”
Ghastly nodded as she stepped away. “I will mother, I promise.”
Twilight breathed in with her mother, the foal now being of about the age of five. It had not been long since her fifth birthday that she began to be taught by her mother, and today, they practiced meditation. These were some of her favorite lessons, as she usually got to snuggle right into her mother’s barrel, and feel every up and down that came with the breaths.
A crash interrupted her peaceful thoughts, and the slow rhythm of her mother stopped as he breath caught. A shout from across the lawn entered the filly’s ears as Night Watch shouted, “I’m okay!” Of course, Twilight couldn’t help but open her eyes, and giggled as she saw her father’s long, black legs kicking at the air. She then felt her mother shudder, and looked up to her.
“Mommy? Is somefing wrong?”
“Um, uh, something darling. What you’re looking for is something.”
Twilight nodded as she jumped onto her mother’s side, trying to get her to look at her now. “Okay. Is something wrong?”
Ghastly looked from her back to her father a few times before softly smiling. “It… It’s nothing. Just something your mother doesn’t understand and worries about. That means it’s definitely not something for little foals like yourself!” She put her nose into the air, and soon Ghastly let out a yelp as Twilight pounced onto her neck.
“Tell me!”
Night Watch had recovered by now, and was chuckling to himself as he walked over. His walk was not nearly as steady as it had been some years ago, but it did not betray his pain, at least most days. If it did, the smile he almost always wore would banish the thought. “Now, if I recall the rules correctly, aren’t I supposed to be the one who was loud and rambunctious, while you two stayed quiet?”
Ghastly tossed her head a bit more, trying to get Twilight to let go, but not trying to launch her across the yard. “Honey, can’t you get her off?”
Night raised an eyebrow. “Can’t you?” He then raised a hoof to tap his horn, just to make absolute certain she got what he meant. Unfortunately, the little, purple filly had noticed it too, and soon was trying to use her own magic to fight her mother and stay where she was. This was the point that intervention was necessary, and Night Watch soon nuzzled against both. His terrible muzzle came hard and fast, making the sound of a motor as he tickled both his little filly, and his wife. The results of such a nefarious tactic were well rewarded though, as both mare and filly soon were rolling on the ground. “So, does this mean I win?”
That earned him a half hearted glare from Ghastly, just before she found a filly crawling onto her stomach. Twilight smiled at her mother for a moment, before stretching out her mouth wide for a mighty yawn. The two parents exchanged a glance, and Night Watch lowered himself to just beside the two. “Is someone becoming a sleepy filly?”
She took a half hearted swipe at Night as she tried to stand tall. “No!”
“Oh, well that’s a shame, because a sleepy filly would have gotten a story.”
The little filly froze in her tracks, before leaving one eye open as she faked about the worst yawn either had seen. “Well, I might be a-a little sleepy.”
Ghastly rubbed the soft mane that on top of the small pony’s head as she chuckled. “I don’t know. Honey, do you have any little stories for fillies who are a little sleepy?”
Twilight began to bounce up and down, and only a magical barrier stopped Ghastly from launching Twilight because of pain. “Do you, do you, do you?”
Night rubbed the bottom of his blackening muzzle, before nodding slightly. “I believe I do. It’s a story of a handsome, charming guardsmen, a stubborn, but beautiful, scholar, and a demon. How does that sound?”
Twilight’s tail moved in a blue as she crouched down low, her giant, purple eyes staring him in the eyes. “That sounds amazing!”
Ghastly raised her hooves, gently wrapping them around her precious gift, before pulling her down. “Then the sleepy filly needs to continue acting sleepy, doesn’t she?”
Twilight’s eyes went wide, just before she tried yawning again. This earned her a chuckle from her father as he jostled around to make sure he was comfy too. “Alright, I suppose I should begin than, and we begin in the small town that the guard was stationed at.” His horn flared to life, a mix of gray and black magic covering it, just before a small diagram of a town appeared before them, complete with yawning pony guardsmen. “The quaint little village had seen some excitement recently, but he had been unable to participate like he had wanted.”
A mare in robes, her nose stuck firmly within a book, appeared by the guard, whose eyes became hearts. “The scholar came to see about the fright, hoping to catch something for her,” he glanced over to Ghastly and grinned, “demonic studies. It was love at first sight for the stallion, but for the mare,” he paused, letting the stallion be smacked as he tried to compliment her, “it was not quite reciprocated.”
“Days passed with nothing happened, and the two continued to talk. Both had their duties, but in such a remote, peaceful town, it was hard to say they actually mattered. It was the first time the mare got to shed her robes and try to be with others, and the guard was more than happy to help her discover what she had missed. It wasn’t the fastest friendship, but,” he paused as the two images hugged, “it was a strong one.”
Clouds came over the town, and Twilight gasped as she saw a large, dark mass flow into it, but not reveal its form. “Unfortunately, while they were enjoying each other’s company, the demon had been preparing his next strike. The mare was no fool though, and had been ready. Or at least, so she thought.” It quickly showed the mare bring up all of her spells, before a pony three times the size of a regular one screamed, its fangs making Twilight snuggle tighter into her mother as the spells were stripped away.
“No matter what she did, she could not stop the demon’s rampage, only distract it. However, she could not run forever, and eventually,“ he stopped, the demon now cornering her in an alleyway. “It was almost certain doom for her as death came closer and closer. One scream though, and a beam against it, “he paused as the stallion emerged and caught the demon’s attention, “was just what was needed.”
“Working together, the two tried long and hard to put it down, until finally, the scholar’s master’s found them, and vanquished the demon. The price was large for the two, one having been scarred, never to seek the public again after what had happened when she did not protect herself, and the other cursed for having helped. Both needed to be watched, and it within the wards of that hospital that they were rewarded for their efforts.”
The two ponies appeared by each other, now nuzzling the others necks as the two parents looked down at the end of their tale. The little filly though, was not impressed. “That’s it? What about the masters? Or where did the demon come from? What did the curse do? Why didn’t our heroes beat it?”
Ghastly bopped Twilight on the top of the head to stop the questions. “Weren’t you happy to see them together at all? That they still succeeded, even against odds that were so far against them?”
Night Watch crawled over before nibbling into Twilight’s neck. “Or would you rather he have eaten them both up?”
“No, no! Anything but that!”
Ghastly smiled, rubbing Twilight’s hair as the filly moved about. “Then I suppose you did get an ending you could want. However,” she put a hoof t her own muzzle, “I suppose if you disliked it so much, I should make up for it now. How about cookies?”
Twilight’s eyes widened as she simply stared at her mom. She was merely a smoke trail the next moment, a faint scream of, “cookies,” echoing in the air. Night Watch laughed a little bit, before looking to his projection, and looking to the ground. “She needs a chance you know. To make friends like you did.”
Ghastly stopped smiling too, looking to Night before joining his gaze to the ground. “I… I know. It’s just frightening.”
“It’s for her though. For our little filly.”
Ghastly bit into her cheek, before letting out a heavy sigh. “Alright. When she turns ten and is strong enough to take care of herself, she may, okay?”
Night nodded, before being unable to hid his smile. “Deal.”
“Do you have everything? Bandages, books, a big rock you can throw at anypony who looks at you funny?”
Twilight nodded to her mother as she opened one of the packs to her saddle bag, showing off that the inside was filled with a small boulder. She then slipped into the leather harness that had all of her supplies, including carious defensive enchantments and books on how to survive in the wilderness. All so she could do the day she had been preparing for for so long.
She was finally leaving the house to meet other ponies. Her excitement for this was already warring with her nervousness. While her parents, Trina, and grandma were all wonderful ponies, she had heard Ghastly talk about the dangers of life outside their cottage, and listened to her father recall his own fights against scoundrels and bandits so many times that she could tell the tales herself. She still wanted to though, just to say she did.
Ghastly smiled at her as the older mare’s tail flicked back and forth behind her. Twilight could see her mother’s own shaking, but made sure not to let it show. She didn’t want the scaredy mare to postpone today again. A denial of what they were to do was not what came though. Instead, Ghastly merely remembered something she had almost forgotten. “Don’t forget to say goodbye to your father, okay Twilight?”
Twilight smiled brightly as she removed her bags. She couldn’t believe she had almost left her father behind without even a farewell hug. The stallion should have been accompanying them, but even his strong smiles had started to fade after her fifth birthday, and now that she was ten, there was no way in Equestria that he was coming to the park with them. And I know how much he wanted to. I’ll just need to make sure today goes well then, so he doesn’t feel like he messed up.
Walking into the room, she saw her father standing at the window, staring out the window at the blue sky. Little of his dark blue hair was left, having been entirely consumed by the black that came with the curse. A pain appeared in Twilight’s chest as she remembered the day she was told the truth. He never let on how bad it felt though, and even now was smiling, even if he was in agony. “Hi dad.”
Night Watch turned to her, his smile widening as he leaned against the wall. She galloped over and wrapped her hooves around his neck while feeling one of his wrap around her two. The two stayed there, snuggling against the other for strength, before Twilight breathed, “Is meeting other ponies supposed to be this scary?”
A chuckle escaped Night’s lips as he leaned back and looked down to is daughter. “Well, for some it can be. It’s better than your mom though. When she first came to my village,”
“She was so against meeting ponies she thought beneath her that she sneaked past the guards,” The two almost immediately burst into laughter, just before Twilight got thumped on the top of head. “Ow!”
Ghastly looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. “Now Twilight, how do you think other ponies will react if you’re so rude as to make jokes at them?”
Twilight blinked a few times before raising a hoof to her muzzle. “They’ll laugh and enjoy it like I do when dad teases me?”
Night Watch laughed again as Ghastly groaned. “What has this idiot taught you?”
“I don’t know,” Night said as he ruffled Twilight’s hair, “but I definitely have no complaints.
Ghastly rolled her eyes before rubbing her eyes. “You’re not getting a peck goodbye now.”
Night Watch almost lifted himself up, before his body shook and he slammed his front hooves back down onto the hardwood, his eyes shut for a moment before he smiled again. “I-I suppose that’s fair.”
Twilight frowned as the loud bark of the timbers continued to bounce around the larger room, and she put her hooves on her dad’s back, just before pecking his cheek. “Than I’ll give you one, because I know I don’t need the luck, not when mom can help me.”
A sigh escaped Ghastly as she stepped over. She gently pecked Night on the lips, before patting his head. “Good luck, honey. There are a few chores on the table, but for the most, you should have a free day to yourself like we will.”
Night Watch’s smile grew brighter as he raised an eyebrow. “Not entirely to yourself I would hope. I mean, the purpose of this trip is to help Twilight meet other ponies, right?”
:”You are such a brat.”
“But he’s our brat, right mom?”
She let out a deep sigh before nuzzling into Night Watch’s chest. “Yes, yes he is.”
======+++++======
A rainbow maned colt tilted his head, staring at the oddity. He hadn’t been the first to notice the purple filly that was staring at them, but he was the one holding onto the ball. He turned to his friend, Crab Apple, and raised an eyebrow. “So, do you think she would flinch if I chucked this at her.”
The dark orange mare glared at her friend, her white mane briefly getting into her eyes before she blew it out of her face, wishing for some way to keep the stupid thing out of her eyes for the hundredth time. “Really? Spectrum, you know we don’t have to be mean to every last thing we meet, right?”
The gray mare who had first noticed the young one giggled for a moment. “Yes deary, why should we be so cruel? I’m thinking complimenting her on that wonderfully daring stripe of pink in her mane would be much more tasteful.”
Spectrum rolled his eyes before mimicking a gagging motion. “If neither of you offer anything better, this ball is going straight for her.”
A dark pink filly lifted an eyebrow while the broken pentagram tattoo over her right eye glowed for a moment. She had been watching her friends, and stood while her dragonic tail swished behind her, deciding she need to intervene. She would make sure they did not lose the possible new friend, despite the fact that she wouldn’t mind some target practice herself. Of course, Granny Pie would scream at her for such an act, because good cross-breeds tried making peace with others. Bleh.
Spectrum was just grinding his teeth when Pinkamena’s tail smacked it out of his hoof. On the edge of the black tail it balanced, and they could all see the purple filly’s eyes track it, before with a flick of her rump, Pinkamena sent the ball flying. It slammed into a tree besides the mare, finally getting her to move, even if she ended up falling, before returning to its sender, who now bounced it on her head perfectly, even as she walked. Looking down upon the cute, cowering filly, Pinkamena let out one of her rare smiles, before whispering, “Hi. Who are you?”
Twilight swallowed hard, before beginning to stand on trembling hooves. She had never been able to merely look straight and meet another ponies eyes before. Looking into the scary filly’s though, she saw a smile hidden behind her ocean blue irises. “H-h-hello, m-my name is T-Twilight Sparkle.”
The other filly nodded, before ratcheting her head back and send the ball rocketing back at Spectrum, who was immediately flattened by it. “Well, you’re being creepy by standing here like that. Luckily, I like creepy. If you want, you can join our game. Open invite even.” She then turned back and looked to Diamond. “That’s how you say it, right?”
“Yes deary.”
Pinkamena looked back, before tilting her head while she watched Twilight book it away from them, and instead to a gray mare.
Twilight however, knew exactly why she did this. While yes, her mission exceeded all parameters she had set to accomplish, those parameters had been set to protect her as well. Now, all she could hear was the thumb of her heart as her stomach felt so full of fluttering that she was afraid she might start flying. Fortunately, her mom had not gone far, and now she leapt onto the same bench as Ghastly. There she felt warmth, and snuggled ever close.
Ghastly’s whole body jumped at the contact as she tore her eyes away from the book that was to comfort her as well, and now she looked to her filly as she felt the familiar presence. She lowered her head and nuzzled against the side of Twilight’s face before whispering, “Are you okay?”
Twilight swallowed hard, before nodding ever so slightly. “I… I think so. I just didn’t expect that much contact that fast. I went to observe, but apparently, other ponies don’t like being observed.”
A sigh escaped Ghastly’s lungs as she nodded. “That is truly a shame, and one I dealt with a lot as a filly.”
Twilight smiled, some of her confidence slowly coming back. “However, they did invite me to play their game, and even though the weird one looked really scary, she seemed like she actually wanted me to be there!”
Ghastly ran her hoof through her little one’s mane as she beamed. “Well, why wouldn’t she?” She then tapped her muzzle ass she looked to the four fillies as they played. “Do you plan to go play with them soon?”
Twilight looked back to the park. She had spent almost half an hour watching them, and the walk into town had been two hours. She could feel another bit of fluttering in her when she thought of playing them, and could already feel the warmth of home at the thought of returning to it. “M-maybe next week, or whenever we come back. I think I just want to go home for now.”
Ghastly nodded as she closed her book, honestly overjoyed to hear her filly suggest them leaving. She wished she could say she was ready to re-integrate, and Twilight had indeed helped, but she doubted she would ever be truly fixed. Still, if Night Watch and my little filly keep pushing me, maybe one day I’ll be functional too.
The walk through the woods was peaceful as it always was. This was territory that Twilight was much more familiar with, and even spent most of the trip pointing out the best reading spots she had found below the tall trees. Ghastly joined in on the sport, trying to point out the flaws with each place while providing her own suggestions. By the time they were knocking on the door, both mares were once more laughing, the worry of the trip having been washed away.
“Honey, we’re home!”
A small gasp escaped Twilight as she started making her way up the stairs. “Dad, you won’t believe what happened today. Despite me having stared at them for close to thirty minutes, four other ponies seem like they may have been interested in knowing more about me. If they’re at the park normally, they could be my…”
Ghastly caught up with her filly as she stopped her excited speech, and stared at Twilight as she stood in the doorway. Her heart turned to ice as her filly’s jaw quivered, and she took a step back. Ghastly rushed forward, and looked within.
On the bed, without a speck of his original color, was Night Watch. He did not simply sleep, or lay there though, but was instead covered in frost. No clouds of fog escaped his lips, despite it feeling like the middle of Winter in the room, though that may have just been her. Above the body though, half faded, was her dear Night Watch.
He smiled at her and extended the hoof. “I’m sorry, my love. I will never forget you.”
She extended a hoof back, but like so many bodies she had seen, so many spirits her talent had allowed her to spot, he now faded. She assumed he had stuck around hoping to say goodbye one more time, but it didn’t make the sight any easier. It didn’t bring him back. “I won’t forget you either.”
“Mom, please… please tell me he isn’t…”
The two mares looked to each other, neither ignorant enough to be able to deny the truth, before wrapping their hooves around each other, and beginning to sob.
======+++++======
The sun blazed bright in the sky as the four mares, all dressed in black, stepped out into the back yard. First there was the wife, her horn glowing the strongest, as she put all of her focus on the coffin she now had to support. The hardwood carried all that her world had been for so long, and she was not about to drop it, no matter how heavy it felt.
The next mare was the deceased daughter, her horn barely lit as she couldn’t focus. Even after the week it took to get the coffin and her grandma to the house, the news made her feel numb. Not even the pretty cloak she had gotten from a private tailor made her feel better, though she was happy that the hood was able to hide her tears.
Clover stepped out of the door third, her horn glowing as it normally would. After putting her teacher into the ground, this was child’s play for her. Of course, there were reasons for her to be saddened and angry herself, but she knew not to show them, not yet at least.
Finally, Trina brought up the rear, trotting behind the coffin, and attempting to focus on the flowers that outlined the fine crafted wood. While not technically a part of the family, after so many years watching Twilight grow and trying to fight Night’s illness with him, they had generously invited her to the ceremony. She had even gone so far as to get herself quickly ordained for the rights by Celestia, before making the trip with Clover to the little town.
All four of them took to one side of the heavy casket when they reached the hole that Ghastly had spent all of last night digging. At the head of it was a slab of rock that Twilight had spent her fury on, now carved into a post with a crescent moon and an eye adorning the top to make for his tombstone. Ghastly stood behind the crude marble, before watching as her beloved slowly lowered, her horn fading with each inch. Twilight herself was of no help either, breaking down into tears as she saw his name engraved into the side in gold.
Trina rushed to the filly to comfort her once the coffin was down, slowly stroking her mane and whispering sweet nothings while Clover the Clever made her way to her daughter, who simply stared down at the hole. “I’m sorry I couldn’t figure out a solution faster.”
Ghastly swallowed hard, her throat trying to refuse her while she thought. “It’s not your fault. Death comes to us all, and with him, we were doomed to ever find a way to figure out the truth.”
Clover stared at Ghastly for another moment, before her mind decided that it was time. “Actually, I have been thinking of a way, but it requires that Twilight never leaves the house again.”
A wind blew through the back yard, before Ghastly turned to her mother. “That isn’t what Night would want.”
“That doesn’t matter now, especially since I know you probably never wish to leave this house again.”
“Why would that even matter?”
“Because if I am to get a wraith that I can test on to find the answer for unicorn immortality, I need one that no one will notice is gone.”
Ghastly lifted a hoof as she leaned away from her mother, her eyes widening as the meaning of her words struck her. “Y-you’re mad.”
A small smile appeared on Clover’s muzzle as she nudged some of dirt into the hole. “Am I? If my plan is a success, you never have to watch Twilight fade away. Any unicorn you become friends with no longer needs to fear death, not even you. Can you truly say you wouldn’t want that ability?”
A tear touched Ghastly’s eye, before she slammed them shut and turned away. “Y-you’ve gone mad mother. I… I won’t do that to my precious Twilight. She deserves a chance to be with the real world, and see things I could only imagine.”
“And who will help her in that goal?”
Ghastly stomped over, before puffing out her chest, and staring down at her mother. “I will.”
The two never left that house again until Twilight’s eighteenth birthday.
Twilight bounced with each step, her hooves clattering against the hard stone. Finally, she was going to do what almost every member of her family had done before. She would meet Celestia, and begin the tutelage to become an archmage. First though, her mother had suggested she give her a tour of the castle, bottom to top.
Which meant beginning in the catacombs.
“Boo!”
Ghastly’s hair stood on edge as she stepped away from her daughter, her breath catching as Twilight giggled. She had been hiding around the bend, waiting for her mom to finally catch up. “What’s keeping you, slowpoke?”
A shaking breath entered the gray mare as she forced a smile onto her muzzle. If not for the darkness down in the depth, Twilight could have seen her mother sweating for no apparent reason, but instead could only see her trembling. “I… I know you’re all excited to be out and about again, b-but you need to remember why we stayed inside.”
Twilight looked to the ground with a soft sigh, before stepping forward and wrapping a hoof around her mother’s neck and holding her close. After her father died, her mother’s paranoia had indeed increased. There were more days started with her screaming, more times during lessons when she would need to end it early, and another lock added to their door. Twilight couldn’t say she loved it. In fact, she had hated it, the image of that weird, pink filly welcoming her almost taunting her. Every night she had tried to rebel though, she always found herself needing to come back and help her mother. Now was their chance though.
Twilight extended a hoof and put it on her mother’s shoulder. “I know. We live in a big, scary world, but we’re in Canterlot Castle mom! Nopony would even dream of attacking this place, not in a million years. We’re safe, I promise.”
Ghastly blinked a few times, before slowly nodded. “Y-you’re right. I need to trust in what I know, in what I’ve learned and discovered.”
Twilight beamed at the small smile she received, before charging forward. “Now come on! I know you haven’t been here in a while, so I bet we can find something new to excite you with.”
The older mare watched as her mare gallopped away as her smile grew. Twilight was right. She would be safe, because her and Clover wouldn’t let her be harmed. In fact, if everything went according to plan, Twilight would never be able to be harmed again. She only hoped her mother, even in her wilting age, had been able to create the runes right.
“Mom, come over here. I found a little rest area for the two of us. It even has some books!”
Ghastly smiled as she began walking again. “Oh really? Somepony must be using this place as their little getaway than.”
“I bet Grandma made it up. I mean, who else do you know who would want such a nice little alcove?”
The gray mare rounded the corner and saw the little rest stop, complete with a few chairs, lamps, and a nice, orange rug. More importantly though, was the fact that she could see a white line that stuck out from under the rug. “Yes… Yes I suppose that does make sense.”
Twilight began rummaging through the drawers, humming to herself as she looked to see what might be in the little desks that had been put together down here. “Do you think she might have…” She stopped as she felt something inside her tingle. “Mom, do you feel weird at all?”
Ghastly came to the edge of the rug and hoped Twilight couldn’t hear her swallow hard. She knew she needed to do this, but how did you tell your daughter about such an experiment? No, this was how it needed to be done. “No, but if you’re not feeling well, maybe you should lie down.”
Twilight shook her head in an attempt to get rid of the odd feeling. “M-mayb-Ah!” Her knees buckled as she felt like a hook had been put straight into her being. “Wh-what’s happening?”
Ghastly’s mouth dried up as she looked into Twilight’s purple eyes, and watched as they turned green for just a moment. She turned away, telling herself that this was right. She wasn’t doing this for research like Clover, but to protect Twilight, and allow her filly to always be safe. “Just.. just bear it for a bit longer, h-honey.”
Twilight let out a howl of pain as she collapsed to the ground. Something was being dragged out of her, something very important, and she didn’t want it to go. Her hooves twitched as she commanded them to get her up, but that was all they could do. Her horn glowed for a moment, before it felt like another hook stabbed itself into the bone. “Mom, help me, please!”
Ghastly stared into her filly’s eyes, and felt her will break. She needed to stop this, stop this madness. “Don’t worry Twilight, I-I can stop this!” She focused on her magic, and tried to cut it off, before feeling something come over her. Another layer of magic, a safety lock made by her mother to make sure Ghastly didn’t back out. So, there she stood, powerless as gray and purple magic drifted off of the mare’s body, and pooled into darkness above the rug.
======+++++======
Twilight slowly opened her eyes. Her head felt like it had just been hit by a sledgehammer, and she put her hoof to it. It was only while moving that part of herself that she realized just how much of her hurt. In fact, it felt like every inch of her. That… that doesn’t make sense. She tried thinking about what may have happened to cause this, but it was fuzzy.
Her ear formed and twitched, allowing her to catch the sound of somepony crying. No, it wasn’t just sompony. It was a pain she had heard many times before, and turned to her mother, who was… below her? “Mom, what’s wrong?”
Ghastly looked up at her, and the two merely stared at each other. Twilight moved in closer to give her a hug, but soon found herself staring at the corridor past her Turning around, she saw the gray mare was coated in frost, but still right there. “Mom, what’s going on?”
Ghastly and her went back to the silence that permeated the underground. It wasn’t just a regular stillness though. She had only ever felt this once, and looking past her mom, she saw something she should have never seen, not in a million years. “M-mom, please, tell me I’m okay. Please tell me that I’m just seeing things.”
The gray mare slowly stepped forward, her horn glowing so as to be able to embrace her little mare as she forced back her tears. She finally had a reason to be strong. If she wasn’t her filly would tear herself apart in her undeath, and she would be the cause for an eternity of torment. She couldn’t let that happen.
“Y-you’re okay now, Twilight. You’re just moving to a new chapter of your life, and while it may be scary, may be weird, I promise I will do whatever I can to keep you happy, because I know you’re destined to be great, and that despite how many of your kind have fallen, I know you can be good, because you are my little filly.”
Twilight squeezed her mom tighter, her essence obeying her overwhelming desire to feel her mother’s warmth. “Mom… what am I?”
Ghastly pushed Twilight away so they could look into each other’s eyes. A tear fell down her face as she looked into the glowing green eye, but she still managed a smile.
“You’re still Twilight Sparkle, but now, you are a wraith.”
