The baleful gaze of the unknown black creature before Tenure Grace cast her in utter paralysis. It aroused confusion and terror within Grace that flowed wildly through her heart and body. Two feelings she has become acquainted with all of her life, but this was a boundary she wished not to traverse. For nothing she had ever seen in her life has compared to the menacing presence this creature displayed.
Grace could only watch in horror of the creature’s body that was filled with facets of enigmas that defied reality. Its steadily volatile skin that shifted about like kindling flames trickled droplets of its black essence to the ground that dissipated dust. Its constant crackling and snarls pervaded the room, but Grace could not pinpoint the origin. Despite having a mouth that was just as volatile, the sounds appeared more likely to permeate throughout its own body. She would have assumed it to be an extreme illusion to her eyes if not for those cerulean eyes that felt too real and threatening to her very own existence.
Grace had finally snapped from her shock when the creature’s body suddenly deformed and swarmed after. She was quick to respond by diving out of its path as the black blob splattered where she previously stood.
Her fast reaction banged her head upon a crib that was set at the corner of the room, but she cared little for the pain. Grace quickly picked herself up and placed the crib between her and the mysterious black creature.
She widened at the black blob that reformed itself back to its tall pony form. Its cerulean eyes met Grace with a slight lid. Do you think that feeble construction will defend you from my wrath? You insult my strength for believing such foolishness.
Grace witnessed the creature crouch as an abnormal ounce of its essence began to spill from its sides. She can hear its crackling magnifying as its essence attempted to form what appeared like wings. However, despite its genuine strain, the structure fell to the ground dissolved to dust.
Why isn’t this working? The dark creature complained. Its eyes trailed back to the fearful mare that attempted to make itself smaller behind the crib. No matter, I don’t need wings to exact your due punishment.
The dark creature began its tread toward its prey, but at its first step, one of its hind hooves suddenly dissipated. The creature gritted its volatile black fangs as it struggled to balance its body from falling. Curse this body! How am I to exact my vengeance if it won’t listen to me?
Grace wondered if she should take advantage of this creature’s condition. It appears to have problems holding itself together, so eluding it may be possible. However, the creature stood before the only exit in the room and a small range is all the creature needs to get a hold of her. Maybe her best option is to do nothing and wait for it to with away. At this rate, the problem is most likely to resolve itself.
With renewed comfort of her future, Grace was now able to observe the creature with a somewhat clearer mind. Those cerulean eyes. Why does it feel familiar? They appear similar to another filly she—
“Nebula,” Grace guessed in awe. She couldn’t believe the claim she was making, but the idea would stand substantial given what Nebula did earlier. “Nebula,” Grace said again. “Is that you?”
Do not speak the name given by my guardian! The creature trudged its way to Grace with its remaining body parts. However, the creature did not make it far when the door suddenly burst open and a mare suddenly pounced upon the black creature.
Grace immediately recognized the mare as Hope as the grandmother planted the creature to the ground. Hope briefly gazes in awe of the mysterious creature but stomped down the volatile joints of the creatures when it tried to swarm upon her.
“Who and what are you,” Hope questioned the creature with a deathly glare that Grace would have never expect from this jolly mare. She definitely felt more threatening than the creature at this point.
“Hope,” Grace perked her head over the crib. “I think Nebula is in that thing.”
“It ate my granddaughter!” Hope shouted and then venomously glared at the creature. The creature gazed appalled at the anger looming from this old mare. “You will give back my granddaughter this instant!”
Remove yourself from me you hag! You can’t stop me from exacting my— Its words were ignored as Hope appalled the creature by shoving her forehoof into the mouth of the dark creature. Grace watched in utter disturbance as Hope shoved her entire hoof into the creature’s mouth while using her other hoof keeping the creature’s mouth propped open.
“Where are you Nebula?” Hope asked as she shifted her hoof around the insides of the dissipating creature. “There!” Hope shouted when felt a soft figure within the creature that bit on her hoof. Hope then shoved her other hoof inside the creature’s move and grasped upon the soft figure. With a strong heave, she plunged the soft figure out of the creature and fell back to the door. When she looked at what she held in her hooves, she was relieved to learn that she had scooped out her granddaughter, Nebula.
Now without Nebula within the dark creature, its entire form dissolved and disappeared to dust. Grace could not close her mouth at the horrifying yet incredible discovery she had just witnessed. She could not believe that Thestrals were capable of such strange feats.
“I’m so happy you okay,” Hope said as she caressed Nebula within her coat. “Don’t ever scare me like that again okay?”
“…” Nebula could not make any words. All she could manage was gazing at her grandmother in utter shock, still processing what just happened. Did she just lose? Did she just lose to a commoner earth pony?
“Oh no,” Hope gasped. “I’m so sorry you had to experience that Nebula. I promise it’s all okay now. I got you.” Hope began to kiss on Nebula’s forehead. The normal reaction from Nebula is to immediately retaliate against her grandmother. But didn’t happened. Instead, a tear fell upon Nebula’s eyes. It gradually built up and then a hiccup escaped from the filly. and then her emotions finally let out: she began to cry.
It was a sound that was unfounded between the two of them. Hope has never seen her granddaughter, who has shown to be so prideful and violent, bawl in such sorrow. Nebula had lived centuries of torment after failing Luna, but never has she broken down so pathetically as this.
All of the frustration she has worked to hold in, all of her anxiety, all of her anger, she unleashed in a sobbing frenzy. Her grandmother worked to calm her tearful granddaughter hoping that her gentle touch and caring voice would soothe her. But it only came to reconfirm what Nebula was still coming to grips with.
She’s weak. She’s fragile. She’s helpless. Luna could no longer depend on her for protection. Nebula is nothing more than a small baby that can only cry and pointlessly flail her anger without success.
And so she acted as the baby she now was. How her creators have now designed to become; be it out of punishment or necessity. Nebula bawled her despair as loudly as she could before the two mares.
Nebula had cried herself to sleep before Hope swaddled her in a blanket she picked from the crib. Hope had caressed the Thestral filly in Bud’s room while Grace awkwardly waited outside. Grace was worried that she may set the filly off again with her presence and chose to remove herself before any other incident could occur.
Just as Grace snuck out of the room, she noticed Artemis was peering into the room from the side of the entrance. Grace did not bother to interact with the colt since the sight of her struck fear into him. She simply widened the door for him in order to rush inside and then left the family alone to sort themselves out.
After Hope had swaddled her granddaughter, she placed her in the crib to rest in silence. She wished for Nebula’s cry to be therapeutic for her, but the grimace Nebula displayed in her slumber did not show much promise. It saddened Hope that she couldn’t soothe her grandchild. She can only hope that her daughter may fare a better chance.
Hope let out a disappointed sigh and then noticed her grandson was scratching his hooves upon the crib. Artemis had buried his warmth onto Nebula in his best attempt to alleviate his sister’s pain. Such a sweet and caring brother he is. “Do you want to keep Nebula company?” Hope asked.
Hope grabbed another spare blanket in the crib and then swaddled Artemis within it. She then placed her grandson right by Nebula’s side in the middle of the crib. Her grandson leaned his face upon Nebula’s and then two began rubbing the cheeks amongst each other. Hope watched the two warm each other until she was certain Artemis fell asleep as well. When she was, she kissed the forehead of both of her grandfoals and exited the room.
Outside of the room, Hope found Tenure Grace patiently sitting in the living room. She was observing her hooves before she became aware of Hope’s presence.
“Is she okay?” Grace asked.
“I think for now at least,” Hope answered. “Hopefully, a good rest is all she needs.”
“I must apologize,” Grace grimaced. “I never intended for this to happen.”
“Why are you apologizing,” Hope wondered. “I didn’t do anything bad. My grandchildren just reacted badly to you, that’s all. You should just give them more time and I’m sure you’ll grow on them.”
“Still, I did not expect I would draw things to such extremes.”
“Will you stop beating yourself over it already,” Hope said. “We should really be worried about that bite mark of yours.” Hope pointed at the bleeding wounds on both of Grace’s hooves. Her blood had soaked and dried upon a portion of her coat. She didn’t think a baby filly could make her lose so much blood. Just think about the damage she can do to a pony when she matures. “Follow me to the kitchen. My daughter has a first-aid kit we can use.”
“My hooves do require attention,” Grace relented as Hope guided her to the kitchen. Within a bottom cabinet, Hope withdrew a kit that held bandages. Grace at the meantime was washing the blood off of her hoof at a sink. “What about you? Did you get harmed in any way?”
“Nebby gave me a few bites,” Hope answered as she selected a bandage out of the kit. “Don’t worry though, my body is tougher than it looks.” Hope showed her hoof to Grace, revealing not an ounce of blood dampened on her coat. “See?”
Grace simply nodded in confirmation as Hope continued, “I think that’s good enough.” Hope instructed Grace to hold out her hooves as she began to wrap the bandages around each of her hooves. Hope was careful to be delicate after noting how Grace was limping a slight on her way to the kitchen. Her granddaughter must have left a considerable pain on the mare.
“Ms. Hope,” Grace started.
“Just call me Hope,” she responded. “I’m not really a fan of formalities when it’s not necessary.”
“Okay,” Grace relented. “Then Hope. What do you suppose we had just witnessed?”
“Well, I’m guessing it’s a thing that thestrals can do. I still don’t understand it myself, but I’m sure Bud and I will figure it out.”
“I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the filly,” Grace confessed. “I figured the possibility that she was holding some other feats, but never to that extent. It just makes me wonder what else she is capable of.”
“That’s going to a fun and scary experience to find out,” Hope said. “There’s still so much we don’t know about her, which means there’s a lot to learn from her.”
“In order to adapt; I understand that. I just did not predict those qualities to be so extraordinary.”
“Well, it’s not like I have normal grandfoals. They’re one of a kind. It honestly makes me feel more excited.”
“It does?” Grace questioned.
“Everypony needs a few spins in life. Despite some hardships it could bring, it offers chances for us to grow and joys we have never had before. That’s how I see it at least.”
If that’s so, then I must have had the worst luck. When Hope finally finished wrapping the banding onto Grace’s hooves, Grace placed small weight on them when returning to the floor.
“I’m no trained doctor,” Hope said. “But I think it’ll heal up after a few days. The wounds didn’t look all that bad.”
“Perhaps,” Grace said. “But a visit to a doctor is still something to consider at the very least. It’s not often a pony is bitten by a thestral.”
“Well Lazuli got bitten by Nebula and she seemed okay,” Hope pointed out. “So I’m sure you’ll be as well.”
“Precautions is never something to be ignored.” Grace winched she applied more weight to hooves. Walking seems inevitable to be a strain for her for the rest of the day. “But I thank you for the assurance…”
“You look like you have something on your mind,” Hope inquired. “I’m all ears if you like to share.”
“I…,” Grace started but couldn’t find the right words start off with. “You appear to be very attentive…It kind of makes me wonder if you have any ulterior motives.”
“Really?” Hope frowned at the claim. “What makes you say that?”
“That…that’s not really important. You know what, forget I said that.”
“But I really want to know,” Hope gazed at Grace with puppy eyes. Grace didn’t think old ponies could stoop to such underhanded tactics. “C’mon Grace, it’s not healthy to bottle things up. Let it out, I won’t tell any pony.”
Grace sighed and said, “If it bothers you so much then fine.” Grace took a deep breath and carefully decided upon the words she would speak next. “In nearly my entire life, I served as helping hoof to many ponies. Whatever issue that loomed over them, I had a way of resolving, be it domestic or financial. I think came to the clarity that after I earned my cutie mark. Sadly, I’m not particularly fond of it.”
“You don’t like your cutie mark?” Hope widened. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pony say that before.”
“Because my talent is helping ponies,” Grace continued. “I am viewed as dependable or even as a sort of savior to some ponies. But rarely does the world return the same kindness in return. To me, I think ponies see me as a means to an end. But I can’t complain too much about. I’ve come to realize that before I took this job.”
“What about your family?” Hope asked. “Surely they have given you the love and care you deserve.”
“What family?” Grace blurted. “As far as I know, I’ve survived this far because of my talent and perseveran—”
Hope suddenly surprised Grace with a hug and said, “I’m so sorry you had that kind of life. It hurts me to know that a pony struggled so much during their foalhood.”
“I’m not telling you this for pity Ms…I mean Hope,” Grace awkwardly pushed Hope off from her. A slight redness enveloped her face as she patted herself. “My point is to say that you seem different from other ponies I’ve met.”
“Really? I would’ve assumed that many other ponies would be just as generous and kind.”
“Then I have been misfortunate to not meet the ponies that fit that narrative. I’m not surprised however, given my talent.”
“Hey,” Hope laid a hoof on Grace’s shoulder. “I may not know much about you, but I don’t think you should carry that kind of hate of yourself.”
“It’s fine Hope,” Grace assured. “I’ve—”
“No,” Hope snapped. “It’s not. But I can understand that if you’re unwilling to share everything with me. That’s okay. I just hope that you can be more comfortable around us to open up to. if no other pony will bother to give you the love you deserve, then we will.”
“You do realize that I’m the one that's supposed to be helping you,” Grace said. “Right?”
“I know,” Hope said. “But maybe it’s better that you don’t think this as a job.”
“What are you proposing?”
“Hmm,” Hope tapped her chin she appeared to be thinking intently in her mind. Grace was about to demand what was on the mare’s mind before Hope clapped her hooves. “Okay, then I guess a crash course is in order.”
“Huh?” Grace nodded her head to the side.
“For the rest of this week, “I’m going to train you on how to be the best nanny possible for my grandfoals. First, we’ll go over the basics of the necessities of a foal and work to apply and adjust them to both Artemis and Nebula.”
“That will be unnecessary. I am a trained social worker.”
“How about we toss away that title for the week then,” Hope said.
“Toss it?”
“Right now, I see a mare that’s determined to care for the two sweetest foals that ever existed. But doing so will require understanding the rule in approaching each and providing all of their necessary. I think we should start our first lessons with the fundamentals, don’t you agree?”
“Do I have a choice in the matter?” Grace annoyingly asked.
“Of course you do,” Hope smiled. “But I think you might enjoy this more than you think. Especially if you want to get along with Bud and my grandfoals.”
Bud. “…” Grace sighed and said, “If you truly believe that this course will benefit me, then I don’t see much reason to reject it.”
“Oh, this will be so much fun,” Hope cheered. “I’ve always thought of becoming a teacher in the past. From now on, you can call me Prof. Hope.”
“That’s not how that works!”
You sure you don’t want to move to a house,” Lazuli asked as the two made their way up the stairs to the apartment room. “I mean, I get it's kind of early for us leave this place, but don’t you think we should have someplace a bit bigger for them?”
“I’m not all that concerned about aesthetics Lazuli,” Bud said. “Besides, I’ve already made the baby-proofed the house. Do you know how much it cost me to have super-soft carpet for the flooring?”
“I’m just saying that our place is not going to fit them forever. You know they’re not going to be foals forever. At some point, they’re going to want their own rooms.”
“Can we just worry about that later,” Bud said. “I’m more concerned about my foals being left with that social worker.” Bud and Lazuli entered the apartment and were greeted who emerged from Bud’s room.
“You’re back,” Hope said. “So, how was your day?”
“The usual,” Lazuli answered. “Where’s the mare?”
“Her name is Grace,” Hope corrected her. “You don’t have to like her, but you can at least show some kindness in remembering her name.”
“Is she in my room?’ Bud wondered.
“No,” Hope answered. “I sent her home early. Nebula happened to bite her and left a nasty mark on her. We agreed that it was probably best that she gets some rest and let her hooves recuperate.”
“Nebula bit her,” Lazuli voice. “Wished I could’ve seen it. Must’ve been a spectacle.”
“You shouldn’t wish for the harm of others Lazuli,” Hope sighed. “Anyways, I need to talk to my daughter alone in her room. You don’t mind giving us a moment, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I got it,” Lazuli said. “I got somewhere else to be anyways.”
Bud entered her room as Hope closed the door behind her. Bud’s sight immediately trailed to the crib where she saw her foals quietly sleeping beside each other. She was so relieved to see them again as she tossed her saddlebag off and made her way to the crib. “Thank you, mom,” Bud said. “I knew I can always depend on you.”
“Bud,” Hope approached Bud from her side. “We need to talk about something, regarding Nebula.”
“I know mom. We can’t have Nebula going biting ponies to resolve her problems. But I think I can get to her to grow out of it.”
“She did more than just bite a pony. She actually did something very extraordinary today, but not exactly in the good sense.”
Bud perked her head from the crib and faced her mother. “What did she do?’
“Well,” Hope rubbed the back of her head. “I don’t really know any good way to put this, but in short, she transformed into some scary black creature.”
“What!?” Bud widened at her mother’s statement. “What does that mean?”
Hope shared the event that occurred in the morning and as her mother progressed, Bud became astounded at the feat of her daughter. She recalled her daughter mentioning that she served as a shadow of Princess Luna, but she didn’t expect that it would still bear any relevance now that she is a baby thestral. Why didn’t Nebula share this with her? Bud thought she trusted her.
“I think it’s one of her abilities as thestrals,” Hope claimed. “We’re going to have to be more careful with her around the darkness from now on. Though, I think that may be an impossible task if have to be honest.”
The two perked their ears when they head movement form the crib. Within it, they saw Nebula shift about as her eyes gradually began to open. Bud faced her mother and said, “Let me handle this.”
“Are you sure?” Hope asked.
“I am. I’m her mother after all.” Hope nodded and exited the room. Bud picked her waking daughter from the crib and then leaned on the side of her bed to caress her daughter in her coat.
“Wha…” Nebula breathed as her eyes adjusted to the light beaming through the blinds of a window. Bud waited for her daughter to collect herself and then their eyes finally met. “Oh, it’s you.”
Bud took a breath and exhaled before she began, “Your grandmother told me that you transformed into a black creature. I would mind if you explain what she was talking about?”
“Black creature…” Nebula yawned and swiveled her sight around her. “Where’s Luna?”
“Artemis is sleeping in the crib. He’s fine. But right now, I’m more worried about you. How did you turn into a black creature?”
“The shadows…” Nebula grimly remembered. “They fell apart on me when I needed them. It really is true. I can no longer defend myself.”
“Who said that you should be,” Bud questioned. “You have a family here that you can rely on. So don’t go picking a fight with any creature, alright?”
“I hate this,” Nebula grimly complained. “I hate feeling so weak. I’ve already had enough of it from those awful centuries. Those centuries of disappointing Luna when she should feel the most loved pony in the world.”
“Nebula,” Bud start. “I can’t say that I understand what you’re going through. But I want you to know that you don’t need to carry that weight anymore. Do you remember what we agreed on? You placed your trust me to protect you and Artemis. But I’m not the only pony you can also trust. There’s also Hope and Lazuli that are here to protect the two of you as well. I know at least that you’re having a hard time to find strength in yourself because you’re a filly. So, maybe you shouldn’t find strength there at the moment. You could find it in us. We can be your strength.”
“…When did you become so preachy,” Nebula complained as she averted her gaze from Bud. “It’s annoying.”
“I just want you to feel better,” Bud confessed.
“This isn’t something I can ever feel good about,” Nebula sighed. “However, I could take solace that I have you and the others as my meat shield, right?”
“That’s a really dark way to look at it,” Bud said. “But, if that makes you feel better, then I’ll be the thickest meat shield for both of you.”
“Doubtful, but your determination earns you credit.” Nebula waited for Bud to take an issue with her insult, but when she did not hear a response, Nebula craned her sight back to her mother. “Why’re you quiet?”
Bud answered with a peck upon Nebula’s small snout and then rubbed her face across Nebula’s. “I’m so glad to see you back to your normal self. It’s scary to see you so depressed.”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine now. Now, will stop suffocating me!”
“Oh fine,” Bud relented with a pout. “But I still need to know about the black creature that you turned into.”
“It’s simply a collection of shadows,” Nebula answered.
“Shadows?”
“You can recall that before this, I was a shadow of the true princess, right? The remnant stone can alter my appearance all it wants, but it can’t erase what I’m truly am. At least to some extent.”
“How did you do that?”
“Where do you think I collected the shadows from,” Nebula rhetorically asked. “That was actually my first attempt at this since the switch in body, but it would appear my capabilities have been diminished. Despite all the darkness I collected from that mare’s shadow, I could not hold it all together.”
“Well, how about we don’t do another of that gain, okay”
“I don’t see the point in repeating if I can’t control it. Perhaps when this body develops, I can have a greater grasp.”
“Well yes, that. But also not to scare Tenure Grace again. I don’t think she’ll put in a good word if she thinks you’re dangerous.”
“That mare made Artemis cry,” Nebula retorted. “That’s not something that can be forgiven.”
“I get it, but using violence is not the way. Besides, you could have let Hope handle it. I left her with the two of you for a reason.”
“Seeing as how she was so quick to best me, I’d imagine she could make quick work of the mare. Tell me Bud, has your mother been a soldier in the past?”
“My mom? Of course not, she hates violence.”
“Well, she certainly appeared to be an expert of it.”
“Look, there are things in her past that she prefers others not to know about. If you want to know for yourself, then you’ll have to learn it from her.”
“We both know that’s impossible,” Nebula retorted. “She doesn’t understand a word I say.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to ask her when you’re older.”
Grace heavily sighed after finally reaching back to her house. The journey back home proved to be more difficult than the overbearing lesson she endured from her teacher. Nebula had definitely punctured deep into Grace’s hooves to make it such a problem for her to walk back home. Yes, she had aide form a taxi, but the pain that aroused so acutely from slight pressure was all so annoying.
Grace shimmied the saddlebag off of her to the floor and trudged her way to her room. She wanted nothing more to sleep right now. However…
“You’re back early,” Grace heard a familiar voice she preferred not to deal with at the time, or ever for that matter. Again, she found the warden conspicuously on her couch despite providing new locks to her door to prevent this. Who was she kidding? This stallion was always going to find a way in here.
“My services were no longer required for the rest of the day. The foals were fast asleep before I left.”
“I see,” the warden said. “And what progressions have you made from this?”
“The grandmother trusts me,” Grace said. “But the foals will need more time to adjust to my presence. Apparently, they are fearful of me. Well, one of them is.”
“That sounds like an issue you should quickly resolve,” the warden said. “The boss will not show mercy if you fail this task.”
“Why are you always so doubtful of my performance?” Grace retorted. “I know firsthoof what the boss does to ponies that fail him. I have no intention of getting on his bad side. I just need to approach them with baby steps.”
“Baby steps you say,” the warden raised his brow. “And does those steps explain the wound you have on your hooves?”
“As a matter of fact it does,” Grace answered. “You should already know from the reports how Nebula is prone to bite others.”
“Whatever,” the warden swatted his hoof. “As long as the job is done, I don’t care if you lose those hooves. Now, is there anything else you care to report?”
“…No, that’s all I have to give.”