I feel the prickle of sunset calling me back to the waking world.
Was I sleeping? At this point not even I can tell. I guess sometimes it’s nice be completely numb to existence. It makes a great distraction from the contents of your own head.
I can still feel the tendrils binding my feet, arms and neck. The pain and nausea, the burning of my lungs...
I clutch my knees tighter.
“Mare?” A voice interrupted my own thoughts. One I recognise as Celestia. It makes sense, I guess. Luna probably would have told her what happened. I hope someone will tell me… or do I even want to know?
I feel the tell-tale tingling sensation of being gripped be telekinesis, and after a small period I feel myself getting gently lifted. I am set down upright and feel something soft against my back.
I slowly uncoil and look up to see Celestia’s gentle smile. I am leaning against her neck. She brings her wing around to wrap me in an embrace.
I try to speak. To say something. But despite opening my mouth, no words came. Thoughts pile up, each trying to be vocalised, but none quite making it to the mouth. What could I say? My mind doesn’t even know where to begin.
Celestia’s hoof gently closes my mouth. “There is no need for words yet. I already know what happened. Please rest, and speak when you are ready.”
Still not having anything to say, I simply lean back against Celestia, and stare out the window, subconsciously clutching Celestia’s wing closer. I feel Celestia’s hoof gently stroke my hair.
I see a little motion on the floor, and see the prone form of Cherry, snuggling a pillow, mumbling something, and giving a small giggle.
“She stayed here all day.” Came another voice. My eyes move to the bed, to see Luna lightly draped over it. She looks exhausted. “She didn’t think you should be alone.”
“She has a good heart, we are lucky to have her.” says Celestia warmly, still stroking my head.
“We should probably wake her up,” Luna says, “Can you do it? I don't think my migraine will let me.”
I hear the tinkle of magic from above me, and see Celestia’s magic gently nudging Cherry in the shoulder.
Cherry lets out a soft groan. She lifts her head and stares bleary eyed out the window. “.... ‘s st’ll dark out,” she mumbles, lowering her head, “wake me when go to work…”
Then she springs to her hooves like the floor is electrified. “Oh Celestia it's dark out, I’m late! Oh goodnes why didn’t Mom wake me?! I’ve got to get read—-” Her panic attack is interrupted when she turns around abruptly and trips on the corner of my meteor. “Oof!”
She then notices me and Celestia sitting in front of her, and her cheeks rapidly colour. She straightens up again. “Oh, umm, good morning Princess.”
“Good evening Miss Cherry. Sleep well?” comes Celestia’s voice from above. I can’t see her expression, but I could guess.
I can't help it, I let out a little snicker.
Cherry’s face is practically glowing by this point. “Eer, well, umm… DRINKS— err I mean, would anyone like a drink?”
“Wouldn’t say no to a cup of tea, If you would be so kind,” says Celestia.
“Okay, tea, yes!” says Cherry, nodding furiously, before seemingly noticing me bundled in Celestia’s wings, and her expression changes slightly. “Would you like a hot cocoa, Mare?”
I nod, Chocolate sounds very appealing right now.
“Alright I won’t be a minute.” says Cherry, and turns to the door, before a voice from the bed interrupts her.
“I don’t suppose I can trouble you for a glass… actually make that a jug of water could I?” says Luna from the bed.
“Princess Luna! You’re here too— I mean one jug of water coming up!” Cherry says, quickly leaving, probably to save herself further embarrassment.
I give a slightly louder snicker.
“Feeling better?” comes Celestia’s gentle voice.
“A little,” I say, finally finding my voice.
“I shall have to see to it that she gets a raise if she…” Celestia seems to stop herself mid sentence.
“If she what?” I ask, looking up at Celestia.
“Oh, just something private I have to discuss with Cherry is all, nothing too important,” says Celestia reassuringly.
I’m not sure I buy that, but I don’t really feel like arguing. So I settle down to stare out the window. Celestia resumes stroking.
Silence rains like a summer shower* as I watch the twinkling stars out the window. My thoughts slowly return, filled with dark tendrils and black waves. It felt further away than before, but it still gnaws at my mind.
“I… I think I want to talk about it,” I say quietly.
“Hmm?” hums Celestia.
“I think I want to talk about… what happened last night.” I say, slightly louder.
“Oh…” says Celestia, sounding slightly despondent. “Are you sure? You don’t have to force yourself.”
“I need to know,” I say, my voice cracking, looking up into Celestia’s eyes, “I need to understand.”
Celestia wears a pained expression, but sighs. “Very well, but I think we should at least wait until Cherry returns, as this will concern her somewhat.”
“Okay,” I say, returning my gaze to the window. One way or another I’ll find out just what that was, then maybe I might get some peace of mind.
Celestia’s reluctance doesn’t do much to reassure me though.
Before I can lose my confidence, Cherry comes in carrying a tray with a teacup, a glass and a steaming mug, followed by a unicorn stallion who is levitating a teapot and a jug of water.
“Captain Armour, I did not expect to see you here, shouldn’t you have returned home?” Celestia asks, “Your shift is over, after all.”
“I thought I would come up to see how Princess Luna is recovering,” he says, levitating the water jug over to Luna, who takes it gratefully with both hooves and starts drinking slowly, ignoring the glass that came with it. “I then saw this mare trying to carry all this up the steps, I decided to lend a hoof.”
“Always the gentlestallion,” says Celestia, taking the teacup and teapot, then pouring herself a cup.
Cherry puts down the tray and picks up the mug, holding it out for me. “Here you go, please enjoy it.”
“Thank you.” I say, taking the mug and letting the taste of cocoa wash away my thoughts and worries, however briefly.
Unfortunately I am welcomed by the bottom of my mug all too soon, and reality reasserts itself.
The room is quiet at the moment, with Shining discussing something quietly with Luna, Cherry sitting in front of me, and Celestia drinking tea somewhere above me. I know I should bring the conversation back to what happened, but at the same time I’m scared. I need to know, but do I want to?
“Would you like another one?” Cherry asks with a kind smile, unintentionally giving me an out.
But before I can consider taking it, there is a very pointed ‘eh-hem’ from Luna, and I look up to see Luna giving her sister a unimpressed stare. I don’t know whether I’m thankful or upset at Luna.
It seems Celestia was trying to avoid it also, for I hear a resigned sigh from above. I feel myself being picked up and rotated to face Celestia, while still being held in her winged embrace. “I guess it’s time to explain what happened last night. You too Cherry, this concerns you also.”
“Should I step out?” Shining asks.
“No Captain, you might as well stay, it will save me having to brief you later,” says Celestia, “Just be prepared to forgive me for being less than concise in my explanation.”
“Very well, Princess,” says Shining, sitting down.
I watch a range of expressions cross Celestia’s face as she no doubt tries to formulate the words of whatever this explanation would entail. No point in backing out now. I just hope it isn’t as bad as all this buildup is making it out to be.
“I suppose I better start simple. The… thing you faced last night is what is referred to as a crawling dark. A strange, very rare, apparition. In Equestria's long recorded history, only seven had ever been seen, this one being the eighth.” She pauses, possibly for dramatic effect, or maybe just to reorganise her thoughts. “They are considered anomalous in nature, and while there are many theories, no one has quite figured out where they come from or why, and with no way of pinpointing when one will appear, it is unlikely we will find out. To most ponies, they are mostly harmless, and will only lash out if you attempt to prevent them passage. But the reason for that is… That they only ever go after one, and one alone.”
My breath catches in my throat. “So last night, it was… it was...”
“It was there specifically for you,” says Celestia.
“But… but why?” I say, trying to keep the quaver out of my voice.
“I wish I knew the answer,” says Celestia, before catching my expression and sighing. “To clarify, There has been many theories as to why a dark picks their target, common themes indicate that perhaps it is tied to magical power or emotional states. Indeed the majority of victims were often powerful or learned practitioners of the magical arts, and very few of them could be considered the picture of mental health, although that could be just confirmation bias in play. However one thing they all had in common was they had at one point practiced some form of dark magic.”
I hear Shining and Cherry gasp, while out the corner of my eye I see Luna raise her eyebrow in their direction.
“Why such a response? In those days it was quite common for accomplished magi to practice dark arts,” says Luna.
“Huh?” says Cherry.
“Indeed, I myself I’m quite well versed in both dark and light magics,” says Luna. “Dark magic only became frowned upon around one thousand five hundred years ago. Before then being a skilled practitioner was considered a sign of mental discipline and fortitude.”
“Why is that?” asks Cherry.
“A story for another time,” says Luna, “We have sidetracked enough.”
“What does that mean for me?” I ask, bringing the conversation back on track, all this discussion having the effect of calming me down.
Celestia sighs again. “As far as I can tell, not a lot. While you do have some magic about you, it is largely passive and has more in common with light magic than dark. Once more to clarify, I do not know why a crawling dark would have picked you as its target, only that it has.”
I take a deep deep calming breath and try to think clearly. “Alright, I think I get it. Just a big black blob monster, I think I feel better for knowing.” This isn’t so bad really, it was kind of scary, but I don’t know why Celestia was so reluctant. “At least it's gone now.”
suddenly a very pointed silence descends, so heavy that I felt its weight on my shoulders. Celestia wasn’t looking me in the eye anymore. Luna seems to cringe. I turn my neck and I see Shining giving me a sad look.
I turn back to Celestia. “No... It’s gone, right? Luna did something and it’s gone forever, it’s not coming back… right?” I plead, voice quavering, eyes watering, begging for any other conclusion then the one I had reached.
And through her eyes I see Celestia’s heart break. She learns forward, wrapping her hooves around me, pulling me close. And all she can say, whispering into my ear is, “I’m sorry.”
I barely hear her. Slowly, I wrap my hands around Celestia’s neck, bury my face in her fur, and wait for the tears to come.
And come they did. What starts out as sniffles goes into full blown sobs as once more my life has been turned upside down. Why? Why does this happen? What did I ever do?
In what felt like hours, I finally subside back into sniffles. I mange to pull myself from Celestia, and look her back in the face again.
“Wha-what will-” I stop to try and wipe my nose with my sleeve, but Celestia magics a handkerchief to my face instead. I take it and use it to clear my nose. I try again. “What will happen to me if it gets me?”
Celestia looks miserable. If I didn’t know better I would say the she was close to tears herself. “It can vary, but for most part, victims lose their minds, quickly descending into madness, or being reduced to an empty husk.”
I felt someone settle next to me. I turn to Luna, who was looking resolute. “It won’t get you though, that I promise.”
“R… Really?” I say.
“Indeed, throughout the day I have spent considerable time and effort covering the castle grounds, and this very tower, with wards for deterring such a creature, so that the minute it returns, not only will it be barred passage, but I will know of its appearance. Right now in Equestria, there is nowhere safer for you than this tower, this I swear.”
That at least made me feel better, if only a little. I nod in acknowledgement before going back to cuddling Celestia.
“Would another hot chocolate make you feel any better?” came Cherry's voice from behind me.
“Maybe,” I say, rubbing my face in Celestia’s slightly damp fur. “I would like one anyway.”
“Won’t be a minute then,” says Cherry. I hear her stand up.
“Would you mind if I came with you?” says Luna, standing up also. “I wish to discuss something.”
“Oh… Okay— I mean, of course, Princess,” says Cherry. I hear hoofsteps then the door opens and shuts.
Cherry sits patiently as the kettle slowly comes to a boil, with Luna sitting to one side, watching as Cherry performs the making of a good hot cocoa.
“So what was it you wanted to ask me— um, Princess,” says Cherry, almost forgetting the title.
Luna, as always, is direct. “I wish to ask you if you are still comfortable working here.”
“What do you mean?” asks Cherry.
Luna elaborates. “Last night, you were chased to exhaustion by a Crawling Dark, and now you know that not only is the creature is still at large, but it will come back after Mare, the person you are hired to attend. If you wish to be assigned to another part of the castle, neither I nor my sister will think less of you.”
Cherry silently processes this, watching the kettle give off the first few wisps of steam.
“Princess, if it isn’t too much trouble, there is a cupboard next to you. Could you get the packet of marshmallows I haven’t opened yet? I think Mare might like that.”
“Cherry, please…” says Luna.
“I think I will be fine, Princess,” says Cherry, flashing a smile in her direction. “I don’t really think I would be happy with myself if I left now... Do you know what I mean?”
Luna smiles before retrieving the marshmallows. “Yes, I think I do.”
She finishes making the cocoa in a companionable silence.
“So there is really nothing you can do?” Shining asks Celestia, as she cradles Mare.
“No. A Crawling dark is nothing if not resilient. Many attempts have been made to destroy, contain or otherwise stop a dark. None have succeeded bar one: the seventh, and he never shared his secrets.”
“So it is possible?” asks Shining. “If someone did it once, it can be done again.”
“Maybe, but I would have no heavenly idea where to even start,” sighs Celestia. “It boggles my mind how that stallion managed to unlock a secret that eluded the greatest minds for millennia, but then refused to share it.”
“But that it is no reason to simply give up…” begins Shining, but a glare from Celestia quieted him.
“I am Not giving up,” Celestia says menacingly. “I will search for a solution, even if it takes me another thousand years.”
“Apologies Princess,” Shining says. “If I might suggest, two heads are better than one, I’m sure my sister…”
“No,” Celestia says shortly.
“Excuse me?” says Shining, taken aback.
“You know Twilight as well as I do. If I get her involved in this, she will never let it go. She will spend years, decades, trying to solve a problem. If not for Sombra, I wouldn’t even think a solution exists. It will consume her, maybe even for the rest of her life. No, she will stay in Ponyville and continue her studies on friendship. That is where her happiness lies. I will not destroy it, even for this.”
“... I understand, Princess,” says Shining. “In that case, I suggest being careful next week.”
“Hmm?” says Celestia, who has gone back to stroking Mare’s head.
“She is coming up with her friends to have their portrait painted, after all.”
Celestia stops and cocks her head in thought. “Why, yes, I had forgotten about that, thank you Captain.”
“Any time, Princess,” says Shining.
“We’re back. I’ve got a little surprise for you, Mare.” Cherry comes in with a warm smile.
Mare looks up and takes her arms off Celestia to accept the mug. She looks like she is about to take a sip, but stops when she sees the two white blobs floating in the top.
“Are these...?” she says quietly.
“Marshmallows, I thought you might like them,” says Cherry. She notices Mare seems to have frozen. “Mare, are you alright—” She ends up stopping when Mare looks up at her.
She is crying again, but she has a smile on her face. “Thank you.” She then takes a long drink, losing herself in fractured bittersweet memories.
“They are marshmallows, silly. Go on, try them. You’ll love them, I promise!”