Chapter 3
I was awake before dawn. I bolted upright and threw my blankets off me before I ran to the door. Today was the day! Today was the day! I tore down the hall and slammed my parent’s doors open, paying no mind to the unholy hour. I ran the last couple steps before making a mighty leap and transforming myself into a fearsome artillery strike on my unsuspecting targets.
I was strangely disappointed when there were no surprised cries or even a muffled groan. I pawed at the sheets, looking for both of them, but only finding their pillows. I was certain I saw them go to bed last night. I sat there for a few seconds, utterly confused as I scratched my temple. I heard a soft knock on the door behind me and turned around to see Grampa waiting in the hall. He was holding my bright blue scarf and my red coat in his outstretched hoof.
“Yer parents’re already in the Lab ou’ back, been there fer quite a while, actually. They’re expectin’ ya, lad, so ya best get a movin’.” He shook his hoof once. “And fer lan’ sakes, please act like it’s mid winter, wouldja? I can’t even get cold but jus’ lookin’ at ye sends shivers down my spine.”
I once again realized that I was indeed cold, quite cold actually. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s sounds like a good idea…” I buried myself beneath the sheets, only the tip of my nose poking out. “C-can you bring my c-clothes over here? I’m afraid th-that my legs don’t wanna work.”
Grampa looked unamused. “Mebbe ya should start actin’ like the stallion ye’re turning inta an’ accept the consequences of yer actions. Yer effects were laid out right next to yer bed, lad!”
I shuddered and quickly ran over, ripping the clothes away from him and started to quickly get dressed. I somehow managed to get dressed without further incident, despite how badly I had started shaking. Grampa led me to the kitchen, where the coals in the stove cast a warm light through the room. Ducking past the now vacant dinner table, I planted myself in front of the warm embers, rubbing my slightly numb hooves together. Grampa threw in a couple small pieces of wood and after he had stoked the fire, shut the grate and held out a hoof to block me from nearly pressing my face against the warm metal.
“You’ll warm up in a few moments, lad, no need ta burn yerself. Just wait ‘ere and I’ll grab ya somethin’ fer brekkist.” He walked off and I heard the sound of rattling bones and clattering cabinets as I felt the delicious heat start to slowly seep into my frozen body. I slowed down my franticly rubbing hooves and turned to face the skeleton currently slicing a piece of the loaf I made last night.
“Umm, Grampa? Sorry for causing you so much trouble…”
“I ain’t worried about the trouble, lad. I’m worried about YOU.” He stopped cutting and placed the slice next to a couple dried dates and some almonds. “Lad, yer tha brightest foal I ‘ave ever had the pleasure o’ knowin’. Ya have so much potential, such an amazin’ destiny before ya, but I sometimes fear tha’ you’ll never make the most o’ it. I’ve seen it before. We may all have a diff’rent view of death than most folks, bu’ death is still an end in and of itself.” He turned toward me, lifting his leg and exposing the bone beneath his brown robe. “Ah may be able ta talk ta ye, be able ta move and do things like ya can, but there is so much Ah can’t do. One day, ye’ll die an’ join us, bu’, lad…” He walked over and hugged me tightly. “I don’ wanna see it happen fer a long, LONG time.” He sighed and released me. “ Ah might seem like Ah’m blowin’ this all outta proportion, and mebbe Ah am. But, Ah’ve seen lesser ponies fall from similar, simple mistakes. An’ sometimes it’s entirely avoidable. Jus’ promise me ye’ll take care o’ yerself an’ start thinkin’ before actin’. Promise me that, lad.”
I nodded and hung my head in shame. “I promise, Grampa.”
He lifted my head. “Now, none o’ that. Ah didn’t say all that because Ah wanted ye to feel bad, Ah simply wan’ ye to learn a lesson. And there’s no shame in ‘avin someone point out yer flaws as long as ye endeavor to improve. Yer only a pony, lad, and ye’ll make mistakes. Jus’ try to avoid the ones ye know about, right?” He playfully booped my nose, causing me to sneeze once. “Now eat up an’ get goin’! Ye got an excitin’ day ahead o’ ye!”
I nodded and scampered to the table, taking the offered plate from Grampa. We both repeated our creed and I tore into my meal, as a glass of ice cold water was pushed towards me. I thanked him and gulped it down quickly, wiping the droplets from my lips with the back of my sleeve. “All ready, Grampa!”
He nodded and tightened my scarf around me before leading me to the door. As he opened the door, the silent night greeted us. There wasn’t even a hint of wind and the moon shone brilliantly above us, painting the landscape in a gentle and beautiful light. The sound of crunching snow and my soft breathing the only sounds to be heard.
We made our way around to the back of the house where Dad had his lab set up, the light orange glow of a couple lanterns shining softly through the night. Every now and then, I caught a glimpse of blue wisps dancing about. Mom passed by the window and caught sight of us, waving excitedly.
“You’re up even earlier than we were expecting. Your father almost has everything set up and ready to go! Please come inside! It’s freezing out there!”
I nodded and trotted over to the door, opening it and looking back to Grampa who hadn’t moved since Mom called out. “You coming in, Grampa?”
“I’m afraid not, Lad. I can’t follow you any further. Only tha livin’ can enter. One word o’ advice, though: Be respectful.”
I cocked my head in confusion. This was shaping up to be far different than my previous lessons. I watched him as he bowed towards the door and walked off. Mom pulled me inside and I felt myself pass some kind of barrier and any semblance of cold fled completely from me. I looked around in shock, I had never seen anything like that before. Mom removed my coat and scarf, folding them and placing them next to their own. She motioned me to sit down on the bench next to Dad’s alchemy station, his usually full beakers and bags of herbs and minerals strangely absent. Instead, the table was completely bare, save for a simple stone statue that stood in the exact center. It was an extremely simple design, being an oval shape with a large hole in the middle. Every now and then, a small blue wisp flew out and quickly evaporated in the air.
As I sat next to her, I looked around for Dad and quickly caught sight of him as he was chanting something in a language I had never even heard before, although the tips of my ears started itching slightly the longer I listened. I pawed at them to try and help the sensation and Mom chuckled.
“You’ll get used to it , Trickle.” She suddenly turned very serious and quietly whispered to me. “Your father is finishing up the ritual. No matter what you see, stay silent unless asked a question. Make not a sound for any reason. I am understood?”
I was immediately taken aback. Mom had never had this tone of voice before. A knot started forming in my stomach as anxiety started creeping it’s way into my heart. This wasn’t gonna be anything like my previous lessons at all. I could only shakily nod my head as I swallowed. My mouth was suddenly very dry and sweat started beading on my face.
Then I started hearing a sound. It was very faint, almost like I was imagining it, but it slowly became longer. It was the sound of flowing water. An almost chime like bell occasionally rang out every few seconds, and the light in the room shifted from a warm orange to a pale blue, but the warmth remained. Actually it felt a tad warmer now.
Dad finished whatever it was that he was chanting and turned to face the small statue, his head bowed respectfully, my mother doing the same. There was a final chime, this one sounding like it came from right inside my ears, as the statue suddenly glowed a soft blue and a swirling portal opened up. And out of that portal emerged a shadowy…something. It clearly wasn’t a pony. Or anything else I had seen before.
It was an almost formless mass, but having two small appendages floating alongside. In one of it’s arms it held a lantern, a bright blue flame flickering silently inside. As the mass fully entered the room, it began to take on a more solid shape. Golden eyes peered out at us from beneath what looked like a very wide brimmed hat. It had no other facial features and beneath it’s neck it flowed like water, looking like an inky robe that constantly bled out and evaporated into the air around it.
My breath had now completely caught in my throat, my heart seemed to freeze and an involuntary shudder ran down my spine once. My sweat seemed to have turned to ice, and my throat stuck together from it’s dryness. I couldn’t look away. It’s eyes bored into mine and I felt as though I were being judged. It shook it’s lantern once and that chime echoed out through the room, all the shadows seemingly dancing in time with his movement. And then, with a final wave, all the dancing ceased. All the sounds ceased. It was as if time itself had frozen. It turned away from me and towards my dad, him having never moved from his bow. And then a voice rang out, soft and inviting, like the sound of a small foal at play.
“It has been many years, dear Sunny Acres. You have grown handsomely.” He turned to my mother, her head still hung low. “This must be the wife you’ve taken.” He floated over, closely inspecting her as if she were a pie under judgment from Gramma herself. “She is rather lovely, and, judging from her reaction, quite the strong of spirit. A fine choice.”
It then returned it’s gaze to me, those golden orbs once again freezing my very soul. “And this must be your progeny.” He floated closer to me waving his lantern once and letting a small flame emerge. The wisp gently touched my face, forcing me to look left and then right. I kept myself silent, despite wanting to scream. After what seemed like an eternity, the wisp vanished and the apparition clapped it’s hands joyfully.
“Oh blessed we, your son has the gift! And quite potent at that. Surely, such a fine clay I have before me to sculpt! To mold into his own! Oh blessed we!” He spun once, and raised both of his arms. “Now please! Rise! Let’s no longer stand on formality, friends! Today is a day of promise! Of promise!”
Both my father and mother raised their heads. Dad was wearing a very small smile now and Mom simply looked relieved. My father took two steps towards the creatureand bowed once more.
“It has been many years since we last met, Will-o’-the-Wisp. I am glad to see you well.”
“It has felt like but a day since you last stood before me. Time does so love to race.”
Dad looked to me and smiled wider now. “Son, breathe. Everything is fine.”
I suddenly released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, gasping for air as my eyes refused to leave the Will-o’-the-Wisp. The creature flew next to me and waved it’s lantern once again, a small coal falling out and landing in it’s palm. It placed the small sphere into my hoof, patting it twice.
“Too tense you are. So serious. There is a time to be silent and fearful. But now is not that time. Yet another has been born to your line, born to your promise! Ever faithful your family has been to us, and ever joyful we have been! No harm shall fall to you this day. Make with the day! The day that shows joyous deeds!”The creature waved his lantern yet again and fire erupted forth and snaked around it’s form. A moment later, the creature was replaced by a very young, black foal, it’s mane flowing with the blue flame from it’s now missing lantern. “But mayhaps this form might ease you? Such is a child with the unknown. Pray tell, does this ease you?”
I swallowed and looked down at the coal in my hoof. It was clearly burning, but no pain met that realization, instead waves of calm passed through me. I took a deep breath and looked back at the foal. “Yes.” My voice squeaked and I swallowed trying to loosen my throat. “I mean yes. Th-thank you.”
“Oh, how precious a child you are. Tell me, do you know why I am here?”
I shook my head. “No, sir. I thought Dad was gonna teach me.”
“Sir? Dearest child, do call me ‘friend’ instead.”
“Umm, okay. Friend?”
“Yes! Yes! Long have you and yours been close to us! Friends we are as friends you’ve been!” He clapped his hooves. “Your father will not be the teacher this day. His teacher instead will teach, just as it has been, just as it will be be!”
“And were you his teacher, friend?”
The foal gave a wide smile. “A smart child you are. Such promise, such clay I have!” He walked passed my father and reached into the unlit hearth on the opposite side of the room, waving once and a gentle fire rose as if pulled by strings from the ashes, casting a warm light into the room, the lanterns having gone out after he appeared initially.
“But before such lessons can begin, a story you shall be told.”
“What kind of story?”
The foal laughed, the chiming sound echoing along as he did. “Why, the best kind of story! A story about you and me! A story of friends!”