//------------------------------// // A Child's Wonder // Story: Shadowed Pasts and Shining Futures // by TheAspiringWriter93 //------------------------------// It was the following morning before the filly was released from the hospital. Having nowhere else to go, Musical offered to give her a place to stay for the time being, which she hesitantly accepted. They walked together in a mutual silence down the path leading toward the cottage. As they neared, the elder turned to the child and said in a quiet voice, “So, the nurse told me you were asking for me before I came to see you.” Columbine merely shrugged at this and kept her gaze straight ahead. Musical continued speaking, ignoring her nonchalant act. “How did you know it was me who brought you there?” “She told me,” was the brusque reply. Musical mentally facehoofed at something so obvious, opting instead to change the subject. “So what do you think of staying with me for a little while?” He asked, testing the proverbial waters. He was rewarded for his efforts with another meaningless shrug. Sighing, he tried another approach. “I have two grandfoals, nearly your age,” he said, glancing at her. She met his gaze briefly before quickly turning back to the path, not saying anything. He smirked slightly at having got her attention. “I’m sure they’d be happy to be friends with you, if you like.” Another non-committal shrug. Another smirk. Minutes passed before either of them spoke, and it was once again Musical who broke the silence. “Speaking of them, I don’t exactly have an extra bed, so I’ll set something up for you in their room for you to sleep on for the time being. Does that sound ok?” Another shrug. More minutes passed, until finally they reached the porch of the cottage. Just before Musical gripped the handle in his magic, he heard Columbine speak up. “That sounds… ok, I guess.” This made him turn and look at her. She stood just behind him, her eyes cast to the wooden deck and one of her front hooves scraping along the surface. He smiled at the shy display and opened the door, allowing them both inside and closing it quietly behind him. “So, you’re probably hungry. Why don’t you sit right here while I make you something to eat, hm?” Musical lead Columbine to the small dining table and pulled a chair out for her, watching her scramble a bit before finally sitting down with a triumphant huff. Smiling, he went into the kitchen to prepare a salad for her. No sooner had he pulled out the first of the ingredients did he hear a knock at the door. Puzzled, he set the bag of lettuce on the counter and made his way back to the door. What he found when he opened it gave him a small start. Two stallions stood on the porch, one grey, one a bright green, both wearing the uniform of Ponyville’s Finest, their badges glinting in the sunlight. After a brief moment of confused contemplation, his brain finally caught up with the situation and he opened the door wider, allowing them inside. Turning back to face the two stallions, he noticed the absence of a particular filly at the table. Before he could comment, the two officers began to speak. “We’re sorry to bother you like this, but we were sent to investigate a missing pegasus filly.” “The ponies who reported her absence said she’d be no older than ten summers old. Light-green coat, pink-on-white mane.” It continued from there; where she was last seen, what day she went missing, who saw her last. Musical answered each question in turn, satisfying the questioners while revealing as little as possible. Finally, after several minutes, they stood and made their way to the door, thanking him for his time. He let them out, stopping as they began trotting down the path back to town and calling after them, “If I see her, I’ll be sure you let you know!” Chuckling slightly to himself, he closed the door and turned, only to be confronted with the largest pair of blue eyes he’d ever seen mere inches from his muzzle. Backing into the door with a start, he took a breath and attempted to catch up with his racing heart. “Columbine! You scared me, dear.” He wheezed, panting slightly. Closing his eyes, he forced his breathing to slow.. Once he was sure he could breathe normally, he looked at the filly once more. “Where had you run off to, young one? Those gentle-colts could have helped you, you know. Why hide from them?” “I guess you could say for the same reasons you told them you hadn’t seen me.” This gave him pause. Blinking several times at the abrupt statement, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Well, uh…” He fumbled for words, opening and closing his jaw several times before sighing in defeat. “Look, Columbine… I get the feeling you’re hiding from something… Something you don’t feel ready to face just yet.” “I’m not hiding from anything!” She snapped defensively. Musical sat on his haunches and held his hooves up. “Alright, alright. Regardless of the circumstances, I figure that you’ll work things out eventually and you’ll come clean on your own. No use forcing something, or somepony, to do something they aren’t ready to.” Columbine was about to retort, but seemed to think better of it. She nodded once, then looked down at her hooves. The unicorn watched her for a few seconds before sighing once more. ‘I have to do something to cheer her up,’ He thought, nodding in determination. “Well, no use dwelling on that now. Why don’t I finish making us lunch, huh? How does that sound?” He asked, doing his best to sound as happy as he could. It seemed to work, if only slightly. The filly’s shoulders slumped less and she nodded, turning and walking back to the kitchen. She sat down at the table quietly once more and look at Musical, who had entered the kitchen after her and resumed preparing their meal. Evening was once again falling on the quiet town, embracing everything and everypony with her soft, fiery glow. Ponies made their way to their homes, tired yet happy from a hard day’s work. Fillies and colts were ushered indoors to prepare for bed and workponies steadily trotted up and down the streets, lighting lanterns to illuminate the approaching night. Streams of brilliant, orange light filtered in through the windows of the cottage, casting elongated shadows across the floor. A small fire was crackling merrily in the fireplace, spreading warmth throughout the room. Musical Elegy sat, once again, in his rocking chair, reading an old favorite of his, the light from the setting sun illuminating the pages and turning them from from an old, worn yellow to a magnificent alabaster. Just as he turned a page, he heard a soft cough from the far side of the room. He set the book down and turned to find Columbine standing in the hallway, her mane and tail still damp from her bath. He smiled and got up, walking toward her. “You all set for bed?” He asked. She nodded and followed him down the hallway to his “grandchildren’s” bedroom. Snowy Dawn and Silent Dusk, a jet-black filly with dark brown mane and tail, were busy packing items of childhood importance into small backpacks. Musical laughed upon entering, watching them scurry about the room looking for their things. “Well, you both seem to be in a rush. What are the plans for the evening?” He asked them. Snowy Dawn came to a halt so abrupt, Silent Dusk nearly collided with him, swerving at the last second and screeching to a stop mere inches from their bookshelf. “We’re spending the night at the Clubhouse, Grandpa! We’re having a slub… a slum…” His eyes crossed as he tried to recall the word. Silent Dusk huffed in frustration and took the cue. “The girls invited us for a slumber party at the clubhouse.” She said, rolling her eyes. Snowy Dawn stamped a hoof on the wood floor with a cry of, “Yeah, that’s it!” Musical looked down at Columbine, who was watching with mute fascination. He chuckled softly and leaned down to look at her. “Would you like to go with them?” He asked. Her eyes snapped open, her pupils the size of pinpricks. She bolted over to her makeshift bed and dove under the sheets, covering herself from head to hoof, leaving naught but her long, pink tail hanging out. Three heads turned at the same time to watch, then looked at each other in confusion. Musical took the initiative and cleared his throat. “Why don’t you two go on. Have fun, and be careful. If anything happens, head straight to the farmhouse with the girls, understand?” They nodded, then grabbed their things and left. He could hear Snowy’s chattering fading into the distance, then silence. Sighing, he walked over and sat down on the foot of the filly’s bed. “Columbine? Are you ok?” He asked, his voice just above a whisper. Silence greeted him like an awkward friend. He tried again, slightly louder this time, “Do… Um… Would you like me to make you some soup?” “No,” Came the muffled response. The two sat there for several minutes in silence. By the time either of them moved, Celestia had already lay her charge to rest for the night, Luna having brought hers above the horizon. Musical sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that night and stood, making his way back to the door. Columbine brought the covers down from her head and watched him. He gestured to a candle sitting on a small table near the door. “Want me to put this out?” He asked. She shook her head vehemently, so much so that he was nearly convinced it would pop off. “Do you need anything?” He asked. Columbine shrugged before responding. “Can… Can I have a glass of water?” Her voice was so quiet, a certain cream-colored pegasus would have had trouble hearing her. The old stallion smiled before calling upon his magic. Several seconds later, a small glass of water floated into the room, spilling not a drop, and deposited itself into Columbine’s outstretched hooves. “Thank you, Mr. Elegy,” She said quietly, before taking a sip. Musical smiled once more before turning to trot down the hall. “Um… Mr. Elegy?” He was back at the door within seconds. “Yes, my dear? What’s wrong?” The young pegasus was looking at the glass and fidgeting slightly. She quickly upended the glass over her mouth, drinking the contents faster than the elder would have thought possible, before setting the cup on the floor next to her bed. She pursed her lips in thought, poking at the sheet a bit before speaking. “I… I want to sleep, but I can’t…” She swallowed, then looked the ancient stallion in the eye. “If I sleep, I dream of bad things… monsters and ghosts…” Musical paused, racking his brain for a solution. “I… um… oh, dear…” He looked at the ceiling in thought. An idea came to him, and he blurted it out before he had a chance to think about it. “I could sing for you.” Their eyes met for a brief second. That second turned into three, then to seven. Both blinked several times, then simultaneously shuddered. Chuckling, the unicorn sat on the foot of the bed once more, another idea coming to him. “Well, how about this? How about you and I tell a story together? What do you think? I’ll tell it, and you can change the story however you want.” He said with a smile. She seemed to consider it, then nodded. “Ok, let me think…” He put his hoof to his chin in thought. He recalled a story from his own childhood and grinned. “Alright, I think I might have something, but it may sound a little… cliche, so bear with me.” He chuckled again, and Columbine smiled slightly and nodded, still keeping the covers drawn up to her chin. “Long ago,” He began, “Longer than even I’ve been around, there lived a farmer… Only this wasn’t an ordinary farm. Sure, he had fruits and vegetables and plants here and there, but what he really did, what he was most proud of, was farm starlight.” Columbine’s eyes widened slightly and she peeked out from under the covers a little. “His job was very important to the ponies that lived in the little village not too far from his farmland. You see, on his farm were these large crystals made to catch the starlight that fell from the sky at night. The crystals had little mirrors that would direct the starlight into a large container, where it would pool and form a sort of… liquid light-” “Ew…” Musical stopped and looked at Columbine, who had drawn the blanket over her head once again. “What’s wrong?” He asked. The blanket around her head swishing from side to side was his only response. “What is it? You don’t like that?” More swishing. “Well, we can change that, if you like. How about… mist? Does that sound better?” More swishing, up and down this time, before the blanket was slowly drawn back down, revealing the small pegasus’ face. “Alright, then. Well, this mist would glow with an otherworldly essence, shining and shimmering almost happily.” “What did he do with the mist?” The filly asked. The unicorn stopped again in thought, allowing his eyes to drift about the room. A glow from outside caught his attention, and he looked to the town. An idea came to him, and he turned back to the child. “He would use the star-mist in the village to light the streets at night when it was too dark to see.” This brought a smile to her face, which quickly turned to a puzzled frown. “Why don’t ponies do that anymore?” She asked, tilting her head to one side. “I guess because Light Crystals were invented,” He replied, pointing out the window to the town. Columbine leaned forward to look, making a sound of understanding before laying back on her pillow, which was propped up against the wall. “But you have to remember, this was long before then, and that’s what worked for them.” He leaned forward a bit, winking at her. “And it was much prettier, too.” She smiled and snuggled into her pillow. “Mommy used to have rainbow lights in the house.” “Rainbow lights, hm? You know, I think I might have one somewhere…” He got up from the bed and rummaged around in the hallway closet for a moment before returning with a crystal held aloft in his magic. He regarded it for a moment, watching the way the light from the candle reflected through the crystal and shone on the walls and ceiling. “Do you know where we got the idea for crystals like these?” He asked after a moment. The filly shook her head. “From the very farmer of whom I speak.” He sat down at the foot of the bed, holding the crystal up for her to see. She shied away from it slightly, before leaning forward with an outstretched hoof. The unicorn smiled before floating the crystal over to her. She grabbed it out of the air and regarded it, turning it this way and that. “It’s warm.” She said, no small amount of wonder coloring her words. “It’s neat, isn’t it?” He replied. “Mommy had lights like this all over the house. They were in the walls.” She sighed. “They were so pretty…” “I can imagine. Crystals are one of my favorite things,” The stallion said, watching her examine the crystal. “It must have been quite the sight to see.” The child hugged the crystal to her chest and burrowed into the bedding, watching Musical with expectant eyes. “You can go ahead and keep that one, if you like. I have more somewhere around here you can look at later.” He nodded to her and she grinned. “Will my crystal keep the bad dreams away?” An idea hit him like the proverbial ton of oats. “It will when I do this.” He said with a grin, levitating the crystal from the filly’s grasp and bringing it to him. He touched his horn to the stone and let his magic flow freely from his mind. The polychromatic stone flickered slightly, then shone brightly, casting rainbow colored lights against the walls. The little pegasus gasped and looked around the room, watching the colors dance and play while the crystal turned in the unicorn’s magical grip. Musical watched, smiling at the unfiltered fascination on the young filly’s face. He reached down with his magic, grabbing the glass and flipping it over. The crystal floated over, coming to a stop just above the bottom of the glass, where it continued to turn slowly, hovering in place. “There we go.” He said with a grin. “How’s that?” Columbine watched it twirl for a moment before looking at her caretaker, nodding once. “Thank you, Mr. Elegy.” She said, smiling warmly for the first time since they met. “You are most certainly welcome, Columbine.” He replied, returning the gesture with a smile of his own. He stood and walked over to the door. “Good night, child.” He said, leaving the room. As he turned the corner, the wick of the candle glowed fuchsia for a moment, and the flame was snuffed out.