//------------------------------// // The Soul Singer // Story: Gypsy Tales // by Gypsy The Teller //------------------------------// There were few things in life that made Muscat curse his luck and only one that made him do it on a regular basis, so when he finally swore under his breath after he'd finished speaking with the mayor of Ponyville he made perfectly sure that no one was close enough to hear him. Sun and Moon, he thought in frustration. He always does this to me. He knows I hate it too! The old tan coated earth pony had spent most of the morning making sure that his employer had permission to set up his wagon in town and the mountain of paperwork that came with it. He was surprised to see that the mayor and her assistants didn't seem to mind or even care that his employer was a thestral. It had even seemed like the ponies of Ponyville had already been exposed to some in the past, which he had found strange since his employer's kind had only recently reemerged within the last few years from the mountainous depths that they called home. Muscat shook his head in indifference and made his way back through town. Ponyville seemed to be a good place and he couldn't help but think that maybe he might be sticking around long enough to sell some of the wine he brought from home for a change. That's not really a problem, is it? he thought to himself as he made his way past the shops in the square. Sure, it was less wine in his belly, but the extra money couldn't hurt and Muscatel went well with just about anything sweet. Nah, it isn't. Less problem than all this sunlight. The old tan earth pony raised a hoof to shield his eyes and scowled, ignoring the looks he got from other ponies. Spending so much of his time traveling at night was starting to affect his vision and attitude but he was happy that Gypsy had returned to the vardo last night with a smile on his face. That pink mare he met had left quite the impression on his employer and the cookies were good too. Meeting her again would mean more junk food and that sounded even better now that he thought of the bottles of wine tucked away safely in the vardo. "Muscat," he muttered to no one in particular. "Shut up and enjoy the ride, eh?" ----- Twilight Sparkle had always considered herself a patient pony. She prided herself on always being available for her friends and took pleasure in sharing in their lives and problems. There were times, however, when she remembered the peace and tranquility that came with being a shut-in. Times when she wished she could spend her entire day learning about whatever subject interested her the most at the time. Days long gone when she would get up in the morning and, at her mentor's urging, open herself to whatever teachings that the Princess wished to impart. She remembered days before Pinkie Pie would burst into the kitchen of the Golden Oaks Library before anypony had the good sense to be awake with enough pep to make even a morning pony want to shove the excited mare into a closet and keep her there until they downed enough coffee to finish waking up. "Twilight, Twilight! There's a new pony in town and he's a story teller! He tells reeeeally neat old stories and the one he told me last night had Princess Luna in it!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing in place the way she always did when she'd been waiting for more than an hour to tell somepony something. The weary alicorn sighed into her cup of coffee, and stared into the liquid like she wanted to crawl into the comforting heat it gave off. She had no idea what time it was, but she knew it was too early for this. "Pinkie..." She began tiredly, setting her cup of coffee down on the table. Story teller. Bard, a poet and musician. Her mind was already at work grasping hungrily at the reasoning behind each word as the gears began to turn. Áes Dána, an artist and genealogist. Seanchaí, a bearer of old lore. Old lore. "Did you say he told you an old story about Princess Luna?" A look of confusion spread across the young alicorn's face. She couldn't have heard that right. All of the ancient lore concerning Princess Luna had been long forgotten or hidden away generations ago after the lunar rebellion. Pinkie stopped bouncing in place and nodded. "Uh huh. Maybe he knows more about her because he's a thestral?" she questioned, tilting her head gently to the side. Twilight stared blankly at her friend for a moment, noting that the cotton candy maned pony had a terrible habit of leaving out information that changed the shape of the opinions others would form about the statements she made. This particular omission changed quite a bit. It was rare for a thestral to travel outside of their ancestral lands and even rarer for them to share their folk stories. This could be a great opportunity to- "HelloooOOooo Twilight?" Pinkie asked, leaning in uncomfortably close. "You silly filly! You're staring off into space again. You should pay attention to the ponies you're talking to." The embarrassment spread across the alicorn's face in a rush. "Oh! Um..." she squeaked, resisting the urge to facehoof. "Sorry, Pinkie." she finished, offering a smile that she hoped would help her diffuse the awkwardness of the situation. "Don't worry about it!" Pinkie exclaimed a bit too cheerfully. "So anyway, his name is Gypsy and I wanted to bring him around later tonight to share a story." Twilight nodded. "I'd like that. I'll have Spike help me with something sweet to snack on while we listen." "Great!" the pink mare chimed, picking up her friend's cup of coffee. "You going to drink this?" she asked, before taking a sip anyway. "I have to get back to the bakery! See you later Twilight!" The young alicorn raised a hoof to her face and sighed as the earth pony hurried away, still in possession of her warm and comforting java. Mornings in Ponyville were certainly never boring, especially when her friends were involved but at least the night promised to be interesting. ----- The day went on as it always did, with busy ponies going about their busy lives. The addition of Gypsy's vardo in Ponyville square was met with the usual curious glances and friendly greetings found anywhere in Equestria. In truth, Gypsy could not have been happier about it. The ponies of Ponyville were friendly beyond words and didn't seem to care in the least about his appearance. The evening performance went better than he thought it would, and there was a decent sized audience, including three overenthusiastic fillies that had interrupted him more times than he'd ever been at any other performance. He had to admit, however, that their eagerness to hear and question his story made him feel blessed. With his story complete and Muscat milling through the receding audience for whatever they intended to offer him in return for the story, Gypsy turned to retire to the vardo but found himself face to face with Pinkie Pie. "Boop!" she exclaimed, touching the surprised stallion's nose gently with an outstretched hoof. "Hi Gypsy!" The ashen thestral choked on the yelp of panic that was building in his throat, his eyes wide and wings half flared in shock. "Pinkie!" The curly haired mare leaned back onto her haunches and covered her muzzle with her hooves, trying to contain the giggle that erupted from deep inside her belly and ended with a snort. "I'm so sorry!" she cried, still fighting down fresh laughter. "I didn't mean to scare you, but you should see yourself!" Gypsy could feel the embarrassment creep across his face, his coat doing nothing to hide the widening redness. His wings returned gently to his sides. The way she laughed made it easy to imagine how silly he must look, and a laugh escaped him before he could stop it. The two shared the moment as only friends knew how; his deep rumbling laughter joining her high pitched giggling. "I'm glad to see you are enjoying yourself, my friend, and happier still that you came to see me again. Are you here for another story?" he finally asked when the laughter ended. "Uh huh!" the pink mare exclaimed. "But not here, ok? I wanted to introduce you to my friend Twilight." "Twilight Sparkle? The newly ascended princess?" Gypsy asked, mildly surprised. He had known that the Sun's protege resided in Ponyville, it was hard not to know that there was a famous pony in Ponyville, but he never expected the have the opportunity to speak with her. Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I talked to her already about bringing you over and she said she'd make snacks." "I would be honored to perform for you both." The ashen thestral said with a bow of his head and a flourish of one of his forehooves. "Lead the way, my friend." The walk toward the Golden Oaks Library was a quiet one. Gypsy had a lot on his mind and he was surprised to see that his hyperactive friend could read the mood enough to let him alone with his thoughts. He wondered just what kind of pony Twilight Sparkle was and he couldn't help but feel intimidated. This pony has saved Equestria on numerous occasions, he thought. She's faced off against serious threats and come out on top. She's famous throughout the land, a hero. The ashen thestral glanced at the pink mare beside him sidelong. It did not occur to me that this mare was her friend. Does that mean she's also faced those same threats? A faint smile touched his lips and he couldn't help but shake his head to relieve the tension that he'd felt just moments ago. I hope they'll tell me their stories. I would be honored to tell them to others wherever I go. The pair stopped in front of the entrance to the library and Pinkie knocked some absurd little tune against the door, much to the amusement of her companion. It was a few moments before the door opened to reveal a small purple dragon. "Oh, hey Pinkie." the dragon said warmly. "Twilight is already inside waiting." Gypsy bowed his head in greeting to the little dragon. He had seen a few in the past that were much larger and far more intimidating so he didn't feel any trepidation. Pinkie, on the other hand, grinned cheerfully and bound over him into the library. "Thanks Spike!" she said in passing, leaving the tiny drake behind with a look of embarrassment on his face. "So uh," he began as he moved aside to allow the thestral in to the library. "You're the storyteller that set up outside of Sugarcube Corner?" "Yes," the stallion replied as he stepped inside, glancing back over his shoulder so as not to break eye contact. "I am called Gypsy the Teller, and I am at your service." he finished with another little bow of his head. "Neat." the dragon said awkwardly. "So anyway.. I'm Spike the uh.. dragon?" he grimaced in the way children do when they wanted to laugh at some joke they were certain would be seen as inappropriate. "Twilight said you were going to tell a story tonight?" The drake looked cautiously to the side as the two stood there just inside the doorway. "This isn't gonna be like, nonfiction right? Twilight likes that kind of stuff but I'd rather sleep in my bed, if you get what I mean.." "But of course!" the ashen thestral said, chuckling. "I think I have something suitable to your tastes, my friend." "Great." the tiny drake replied with a grin. He opened his mouth to speak further but was cut off by the high pitched giggling of Pinkie Pie coming from further inside the library and the voice of Twilight Sparkle. "Pinkie! Pinkie wait!" the alicorn's voice filled the hall as Spike and Gypsy moved into the room properly to find the pink mare sitting comfortably on her haunches in front of a low table, spooning out the last of what looked like chocolate pudding from the inside of a long glass. Twilight stood nearby with a mildly exasperated expression on her face. "You were supposed to wait so we could all eat together, Pinkie!" "But Twilight!" Pinkie began with a wide smile. "YouknowIlovewhenyoumakecoffeemousse!" Twilight threw up her hooves and let out a frustrated growl. "You're impossible!" she exclaimed, as the curly maned pony stuffed her muzzle into the glass and tried desperately to lick at what little remained of the mousse. Gypsy couldn't help but smile at the two mares, and looked down at Spike for direction. The drake shrugged as if to say that this sort of thing was a normal occurrence and cleared his throat loud enough for them to hear. "Oh! Hello!" the purple alicorn chirped, an awkward smile on her face. "You must be Gypsy, please come in! I'm sorry but Pinkie started snacking without us." she finished, her frustration with her earth pony friend gone as quickly as it appeared. The ashen thestral shook his head as he moved closer to the pair with Spike following at his side. "There is no need to apologize. She has quite the way about herself, doesn't she?" Pinkie pulled her face out of the cup, licking a bit of the mousse off her nose. "But it was just so good! Like spring showers and gumdrops!" "So it would appear, my friend." the ashen thestral said, smiling. "Come, let us make ourselves comfortable and I will begin." "Oh, just a moment." Twilight said, a violet colored light surrounding her horn as she summoned several similarly glowing pillows from another room and piled them neatly in front of each of the ponies, and the drake, in the room. "I have some more mousse set aside for you, if you want to have it now." she finished and settled down on one of the pillows comfortably, the young dragon resting his head against her barrel. "I'll wait until I am finished." Gypsy said shaking his head. "But, if you do not mind, can you turn off the lights?" A look of confusion spread across the alicorn's face, but it was dispelled by an encouraging grin from Pinkie Pie as the earth pony settled down on a pillow next to her friends. Twilight needed no further encouragement and the light from her horn was soon the only source of light in the room, until that too eventually dimmed to nothing. Gypsy gave his new friends some time to adjust to the scarce amount of light in the room before he finally spoke, taking the time to prepare himself for the storytelling. He could almost feel the clasp on his cutie mark slide open and the book it protected open to its center. "This story," he began, his tone firm and confident. "Is a tale that has been told by my people for more than a thousand years. A story from a time long forgotten, when the power of faith and the science of magic we not so dissimilar." "Now, my friends, listen as I tell you the tale of the Spirit Singer." he finished, flicking his hoof gently to spread his magic sand into the air around them. The magic took hold immediately and the luminescent sands swirled and churned about the ponies, and drake, until it burst and spread outward; appearing as a small village until a starry sky. "Cool." Spike whispered, staring with the wide eyes of youth at the scene before him. It was midnight. The streets of what would become Manehatten grew silent as citizens turned off their lights one by one and go to their well-earned rest. The night was dark, and the wind whispered softly, touching the trees and houses, rattling a window pane here and there. In one house, an earth pony mare sat beside her window, waiting silently for a physician to arrive. Her beloved husband rested on the bed next to her. In the light of a single candle, she could see his emaciated face. He was in terrible pain, which even the medicines given to her to could not abate. The glowing motes of light were quick to follow the direction of the ashen thestral, painting the images into the air as he spoke them. He spared a moment to judge the reactions of his audience and found them watching with curious attention. She clutched his hoof tightly, feeling the cold as it crept through it. He was barely breathing now and she knew that he was slipping away. One part of her was thankful, for she couldn't bear to see him in so much pain. Most of her wanted to scream out in desperation, begging him not to leave her alone. Outside of the house, the soft but unmistakable sound of a feminine voice raised in song echoed throughout the still night, though the language of the song was unknown to all but the singer. Her husband had told her that she would come for him that night, but she hadn't believed him. Hadn't wanted to believe him. Yet there she was, moving slowly up to the front of the house to stop by the front gate. The figure outside of the shimmering home was none other than Princess Luna. She had a look of great sorrow on her face as she sung, though no words could be heard. Twilight watched the scene with a look of rapt curiosity, her young charge resting against her with a pensive look all his own. Pinkie huddled a bit closer to her friends as she listened, wearing a look of sorrow on her face though it looked so very out of place. The sight terrified her and she clutched her husband's hoof tightly. He opened his eyes and smiled feebly at her, trying to squeeze her hoof affectionately. "Is she here?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. She nodded. "I love you." he said to his wife. She leaned down and kissed him, feeling his last breath on her lips. The grip on her hoof loosened, and she knew he was dead. She straightened up, looking tenderly at his dead face through her tears. Pinkie's sorrowful expression turned mournful, as Gypsy had expected. In truth, he appreciated having somepony like her nearby when he told his tales. Her empathy was strong enough that she could be carried off by the images before her, and that in turn was sometimes enough to pull in those around her. Twilight wore an expression of curiosity, a strong desire to ask why. She seemed like she wanted to interrupt, but thought better of it in favor of asking her questions when the story was finished. She was another kind of pony that Gypsy liked to have around when he told his stories. She would ensure that a dialogue would open and the idea behind the story would be discussed. The ashen thestral glanced at Spike, offering a reassuring smile to the young drake. A wisp of light near the door took the grieving widow's attention away from her deceased husband and standing there was the spirit of her beloved. He gazed at his body first and then opened his mouth to say something to her but no sounds could leave the lips of the dead so he just smiled at her. It was then she realized that the singing from outside had ended and from the door came a firm knock. Though she was frightened she opened the door and the Soul Singer entered the home, the soft light of her magic casting shadows about the room. "Be not afraid, my little pony." the singer said, giving the mare a sympathetic look. "The day is done and darkness falls from the wings of night. This stallion will enjoy mine own protection and pass from the world of ponies in peace." The pair then turned from the grieving widow and stepped out into the night. The spirit that was once her husband turned to face her one last time and waved gently, offering a look of regret before turning to follow the singer and slowly the two walked down the lonely street and into the darkness. "Goodbye, my love." the lonely mare called softly when they were finally out of sight. Her husband's pain was over, but her own had just begun. With a heavy heart she closed the door and returned to the bedside where her husband's body remained to weep. Gypsy paused for a moment, letting the image of the crying mare fade with a gentle hissing sound as the magic sands dissipated into nothing. Out of all the stories that he had memorized, this had always been his favorite. It felt so very much like a promise from the Princess of the Night to her people and he was sure that even in her exile she had kept that promise. He offered a reassuring smile to his audience before finally speaking, adding something to the story that he felt belonged. Mourn and know that thou art loved, for the night protects thee and thine until the end of days. "Now, my friends," the ashen thestral began as Twilight turned the light back on. "What did you take from the story I told? What did it mean to you?" "It was pretty cool, but kind of sad." Spike said, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Can Luna really do that? With souls and stuff, I mean." "I'm not so sure about that, Spike." Twilight answered, her mind already at work. "It is true that through certain types of magic a pony can damage their own soul and most of those magics fall into the dark magic category, what this story describes is something a bit more fantastic." "It is reasonable," she continued, completely unaware that she was rambling out loud. "To assume that Princess Luna can use her magic to reach into the astral realm. Ponies once believed that the cosmos was divided into a triple hierarchy: material, celestial, and divine. Material being the kind of magic that any pony could access, such as levitation for unicorns, flight for pegasi, and the more vague natural magics of earth ponies." "Celestial magics involved rituals that required precise mathematical equations and the alignment of certain stars, while divine magics were above the understanding of ponies and therefore something untouchable in nature." she said, pausing to consider for less than a second. "Even considering all of that-" "Boop!" Pinkie exclaimed, tapping her friend on the nose gently. "Equestria to Twiiiilight~!" The alicorn blinked, stunned by the pink mare's touch. "Ah..?" she squeaked, a look of complete bewilderment on her face. "We almost lost you, silly!" Pinkie said, giggling cheerfully. "You were talking on and on about lots of really hard stuff and I don't think anyone knew what you were saying." "Oh," Twilight responded, ears drooping in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry... I got carried away." she said, looking off to the side in an attempt to recover. "What did you take from it, Pinkie?" "Well," she began, a thoughtful look in her face that seemed a bit out of place. "Maybe that death doesn't have to be scary and that the Princess loves everypony enough that she wanted to be there for us when we might be really, really afraid?" "Yeah," Spike agreed. "I kind of like that. Princess Luna guides us all on that last journey." "It is a pretty thought," Twilight agreed. "And it agrees with the belief that some ponies have about Celestia being a representative of the energies of life." she said, smiling. "What do you take from it, Gypsy?" The ashen thestral returned her smile, a nostalgic expression settling in on his face. "I feel in a similar manner to Pinkie." he said gesturing toward her. "From that story, I have always felt love." "Ready for that mousse?" Twilight asked cheerfully. "Yes, I think that I am. Thank you." Gypsy replied, taking a moment to make himself comfortable on one of the pillows Twilight brought into the room earlier. It didn't take long for Twilight's magic to float the treat across the room, tray and all. "Here you are," she said. "And thank you for sharing your story with us tonight. I really enjoyed it." The ashen stallion accepted the treat with a gracious nod and as he enjoyed it he couldn't help but feel happy. The night had gone well and he hoped that, with his new friends, there would be many more to come.