-Fizzle-
“So Fizzle, want to go out and play?” I turned to Jade and smiled, it’s been so long since I’ve had a friend like her.
“Of course I want to play with you Jade!” We romped through the forest until we saw a strange sight, a glowing orb that flew a small circle trying to entice us. “What’s that?”
“It’s a wisp. They could be omens for good or bad, depends on how you feel. I don’t think we should follow it.” Despite her words I felt enticed to give chase to the sphere, which soon turned into a bouncing ball from my childhood and I continued to follow it.
When the ball stopped, I looked up and saw that it was now night when it was once day a second ago. A large ursine shaped shadow loomed over me in the light of the moon and it raised its right paw back to swing forward.
“Darn it Fizzy, look out!” I was shoved to the side and then splattered with a viscous red substance, as I got up the bear stalked off into the forest. Turning to look at my savior I froze, making my way over to her I pulled her into my hooves and stared at her.
I sat there watching as Jade bled in my hooves with the arrow sticking out of her chest, I just held her in her last moments and I was quite horrified by the sight. I was angry at the arrow and the bear for throwing it. Wait… the bear threw an arrow, wasn’t it trying to use its claws?
Looking down upon Jade’s form, I considered how she was the first friend that I have had in a long time. A friend that didn’t expect or even need me to be capable of magic. I looked up at her mother as she approached slowly. The white robes Kuril was wearing turned blood red, as did her eyes.
“I welcome you as one of my own and you get my daughter killed.” Why was she growing larger by the second? “I’ll show you why you don’t harm the daughter of a witch! What say you Sekhet?”
“I say she’s guilty of killing her best friend.” I looked to see the giant Sphinx who was wearing a blindfold and holding some scales aloft, they were tilted to one side.
“I… I didn’t, I couldn’t have…” I looked down at the body in my hooves and the arrow sticking out of her chest. She wasn’t moving, her eyes were closed and her beautiful green hair seemed to be turning gray.
“You’re sentence is…” Before the blindfolded Sekhet could finish, a light shined and a glowing ankh formed in the air. Out of the ankh stepped a second more upset looking Sekhet.
“Who dares intrude upon this soul?” This Sekhet was not blindfolded and I watched her look at the blindfolded Sekhet with contempt. “Ah, a nightmare, of course one would pay a visit to someone who is defenseless and still recovering. Leave, you will not possess her or lead her astray, for she is loved!”
“You have no power here goddess, we nightmares have had run of the realm of dreams for hundreds of years unchecked.” The blindfolded Sekhet and Kuril started to slowly fuse together and shrink down into the shape of a pony made out of shadows. “The limitations we are under are weakening swiftly, it is only a matter of time until the living nightmare returns. The stars will aid in her escape, she will escape her imprisonment and all will be darkness!”
“Yes, so it has been said multiple times by many seers, nightmares and creatures of darkness.” A glowing ankh appeared intersecting the nightmares body and it froze. “Unfortunately for you, I do have power here. You are touching this mare’s soul and are evil, both things of which I find highly detestable. Souls are sacred, darkness is allowed and choices bad or good can be made without judgment. When it comes to true evil like you, I will and can smite you… with some help. Otherwise I can hold you in check until then.”
“You can’t actually do that, this is her realm and I control it!” What did this… was it actually a physical embodiment of my nightmares? That’s a bit scary and what did it mean that it controlled me? I didn’t believe that for a second! I turned to Sekhet with hope that she could do something.
“You have my permission to do what you can to help me Sekhet.” Saying this felt like the right thing for me to do, I believed in and trusted the strange goddess to do right by me.
“Luceat lux in tenebris.” At Sekhet’s calm words, my world was filled with light as bright as the sun.
The imaginary grass of the night with the blood stains of my friend disappeared as did the forest, the nightmare started wailing as it began evaporating. The nightmare was trying to scrabble desperately for a shadow to hide in, but the light that filled the sudden void left nothing except blue skies. The nightmare, having absolutely no place to hide, eventually faded from existence.
Soon several figures appeared at a distance standing on nothing. The closest was Kuril, almost within distance of patting me on the head.
The next and only slightly more distant was Jade who took a few steps forward and stopped near Kuril.
Beyond Jade was a second friendlier looking Sekhet giving me a warm smile as she moved forward several steps, she was nearer to Jade and Kuril now.
A little further behind the goddess was Fluttershy.
Farther still were Pinkie and Rainbow sitting still next to each other.
The other figures that were standing quite far away was Fresh Start, Zephyr, Fluttershy’s parents, Rainbow’s parents and the Cakes.
“I am surprised that you see me moving that much closer, the distance at which they stand represent how closely you feel for them. I’m sorry I trespassed on this.” With that an ankh formed around the real Sekhet and she slowly disappeared. “They’ll get as close as you want them to be, pleasant dreams to you.”
I blinked and I was sitting at a party, with Fluttershy talking about animals and her cutie mark. Jade was batting at the piñata with her claws as if it were a giant yarn ball, she looked silly doing that. Rainbow was zipping around going on about the Wonder Bolts to anyone who would listen. Pinkie was making sure I was okay and involved, she got me to play pin the tail on the pony and didn’t make me remove my hood. I saw Kuril chatting with the other parents and she kept looking my way with a smile.
There was a fuzzy feeling in my chest about all of these things and I didn’t want to forget any of this.
-
With a gasp I woke up. Sitting up in bed, the blankets tumbled down around my barrel and I looked about the room I had chosen as my own. Had any of that really happened? A pure white glowing feather fell from my forehead onto my nose making me sneeze.
“Ah good, you’re awake for lunch. Try not to attract any more nightmares through powerful feats of anger and magic please.” The alicorn sized Sekhet smirked, she walked away and closed the door with her tail as she left me to my thoughts.
I slowly got out of bed wondering what my dreams were trying to tell me and what nightmares was Sekhet talking about? I don’t remember having nightmares. I vaguely remember screaming and thrashing shadows, but not anything that can be considered a nightmare.
I moved towards the stairs and made my way down into the restaurant area. I got onto a seat at the counter and might have even said hello to Fresh Start. It wasn’t long before Kuril came around and gave me a hug.
“Sekhet said you were having problems sleeping.” Kuril was ruffling my mane and I reveled in the feeling of affection quietly. “You look tired, do you need to go back to bed?”
“No, I’m… okay I’m not fine.” My words made Kuril quietly tighten her hug. “Sekhet said something about me having nightmares and I think she helped me with them.”
“Well don’t worry, you're safe here Fizzle.” She eventually let go of me and went back to working in the kitchen where the smell of food wafted up from it. “It’s my daughter I’m worried about.”
I remembered a scant echo of my nightmare involving Kuril, only it sounded more demented and nothing like her at all.
“Jade, is she alright?!” I remembered the last thing I did, magic surging from my horn and exploding violently. I should have jumped in the river and grabbed Jade, instead I let my anger get the best of me.
“Calm down little warrior. She will be fine, her fire still burns bright.” Sekhet came up next to me and sat down to my left. “I guess you’re still a mess after that nightmare tried to wiggle its way into the darkness in your heart, Celestia’s feather was quite helpful in that endeavor. Do you mind if I clean you up? I am only offering once.”
“Er… okay, sure.” Sekhet turn me to the right and then she started licking my ears. This felt weird and I tried to shift about to ask Sekhet what she was doing.
“Stop fidgeting so much, this is how all mothers naturally take care of their kittens.” Wait.. what? Sekhet was treating me like a kitten? Well I was still technically a young mare. “No one did this for me when I was coming into my existence, so you should feel pleased I’m willing to do it for you. Even if your mane will be a problem. Why don’t you distract yourself with telling me what happened to Jade?”
That was actually kind of sad to hear, did goddesses even have mothers? Well they must have had someone at the very least? She continued to lick my head. This felt strange and really awkward, but I think I was actually beginning to like it and found it oddly comforting.
“The last thing I remember is after following the pukwudgies to the edge of town, I turned back not seeing any pukwudgies.” My ears wilted and I felt Sekhet’s chest pressing against my back as she continued to lick my head. “Then Jade… she ran up and took an arrow for me and fell into the river. I… I think I actually used magic correctly for the first time since my horn was broken.”
Sekhet stopped and coughed up a ball of loose fur. That was a bit much to have licked off of me, was some if it her fur as well?
“You should have kept facing the direction they went and backed away while looking for danger. They ambush the unwary that follow them and the Priest Jade was quite well aware of that.” She licked me a few more times before saying. “You need to work on your instincts.”
"Wait, the is campfire still going?” I hadn't asked what the significance of the fire was, but there was definitely something magical about it.
“Yes, the fire outside still burns.” After that Sekhet continued to lick away at my head and now my mane too.
“What does that magical campfire exactly do?" Fresh stopped dusting a table and came over to us. "I don’t think any of you have ever really explained it.”
“Only Jade can explain it in full. As long as the campfire burns, just know that my daughter is still alive. She might have fallen into the river with a poison arrow in her chest, but she can’t drown unless she loses her water breathing ability.” The robe and apron wearing Kuril came out of the kitchen looking a bit worried to me, it was good news to me that Jade was alright. “It doesn’t tell us of her condition though, I hope this is not another whale shark thing. That almost scared the life out of me.”
“Children will always scare their parents in so many ways as they grow.” Sekhet muttered before continuing to bathe me with her tongue.
“Fresh get ready to take some orders, we have incoming customers!” With that a twitchy eared Kuril turned around and went back into the kitchen.
What customers? Aside from me, Fresh and Sekhet, no one else was here to order anything.
“Excuse me if I may sound rude, but is this a restaurant that serves great food?” I turned to see three zebras enter the establishment, the one who had spoken was the stallion of the group. “The smell is quite attractive to my nose, there are quite a few other questions I would like to pose.”
“Things like what is this place, and of whom do we come to face?” The mare with the mostly gray mane next to the stallion stated plainly.
“Why does the smell feel like a Shamans alchemic brew? Also that campfire outside is quite unusual too.” The colt with them spoke up in rhyme as well.
“All great questions my family as we meet those who are new, I have currency as my family would like some food and a clue.” It seemed that Fresh Start did have something to do as she approached the zebra stallion and bowed to him.
“Welcome to The Witch’s Fare where all our food are tasty dishes, for it is all made by the friendliest of witches.” Okay why was Fresh Start… I started giggling as Sekhet’s tongue hit a particularly ticklish spot on my neck. “I’ll get a table set right up for you three, after I give you your menus I will leave you be. Please peruse the menus at your leisure, to attract my attention close the menus and I’ll be there quick within a timely measure. Now what would you like to drink?”
“Something fruit flavored, sweet and not alcoholic I’d think.” Okay this was getting a bit annoying to me now.
I opened my mouth to complain only to get a sharp tug on my mane that felt good, why didn’t it feel painful? It was then that Sekhet started cleaning my face.
“Hello there and welcome to Airship Mauled, this town isn’t very well established yet and we’re just getting started. Outside is the campfire of a rogue sun priest which happens to belong to my wayward daughter who farted. I’m Kurilian La Perm or Kuril if you will, I’m ‘The Witch of Good Taste’ with hungry bellies to fill.” The zebras giggled at Kuril’s words and I found the laughter infectious, maybe it was just Sekhet’s tongue slapping my face periodically. “What you smell is me cooking lunch, but I can easily get started on something for you guys. Over there being cleaned by our local goddess Sekhet is Fizzle and the waiter is Fresh Start. My daughter is currently off gallivanting around somewhere in the world, you’ll know her when you see her as she’s an Abyssinian like no other.”
"Oh that poor dear what happened to her horn, to be without that with which she was born?" The zebra mare made my mood dive steeply.
"Fizzle doesn't like to talk about it." Kuril stated quickly with a strained smile. "So please don't ask, it's really quite a touchy subject."