//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Turning the Shadows into Shade, with Laughter. 
// Story: Lost Magic And Betrayal 
// by Politicalunrest2400 
//------------------------------//

	Hope heard whispered voiced on the other side of the door to the small home on the other side. She could make out two distinct voices, though not what their words were. Hope raised a hoof to the door, the two small items in the satchel pressing against her back lightly.
She nocked, three short raps on the door. The voices on the other side fell silent, and nothing happened for what felt like an eternity. Hope raised a hoof to nock again, but before she could bring her hoof down the door swung wide open. 
Nights-shade stood in the door way, eyes red and anger written on his face. “What do you want now you yellow bellied…” he stopped short, realizing it was Hope in front of him. “Oh… Oh hello hope, uh…” confusion at her presence was written on his face. 
“Hope?!” came a voice from behind “Is that that nice nurse mare? Oh let her in Nights-shade let her in!” Daisy, Nights-shade’s mother and the matriarch of the small family pushed the large stallion out of the door way. “Oh dear, it’s so nice to see you! Come in, come in!” Daisy said, grabbing Hopes front hoof and pulling her inside. The door shut behind her with a hard *thunk*.
“Sorry for all of the fuss darling” Daisy said, moving to close the curtains. “It’s just, well… we have had a bit of a problem.” She finished sitting down in one of the sturdy chairs that surrounded the small table.
“Oh… can… can I help somehow?” Hope hesitated. “I am sure whatever it is…” her voice trailed off as she saw Nights-shade move toward the curtains that Daisy had just closed and peered out.
“Oh no…” Nights-shade said, abaonding the curtains and moving toward the door. 
“I know you’re in there!” some pony yelled on the other side as they pounded on the door which Nights-shade braced. “You can’t live here anymore! No job, no rental agreement!” The pony pounded even harder, before seemingly giving up. A few seconds of silence passed before the stranger spoke again “So help me, if you’re not out by tonight, I will have the guards remove you!”
Hope stood up and moved toward the door. “No, Hope don’t!” Daisy whispered harshly, but she couldn’t stop her. Hope shoved Nights-shade aside and through the door open revealing a rather small earth pony, holding a nail and hammer in his mouth, and holding what Hope noticed was an eviction notice one hand. Stunned, the diminutive earth pony let the hammer and nail drop out of his mouth, hitting the hard stone floor with a loud *clang*. 
“And who is this!?” the earth pony shouted having recovered from his earlier shock. “A Sublette?! Well then, that breaks the contract right there! You’re out as soon as I see a judge for sure!” the small, pudgy and red coated earth pony stomped a hoof down as hard as he could as if to prove his point. Hope had to surpass a laugh.
Hope stepped close, putting her nose to nose with the diminutive pony. “You listen to me you pig headed bully. Nights-shade has a job, he has a family, and he has honor unlike you.” She took another step, forcing the smaller stallion back. “Do you know who I am?” she asked, the red earth pony shook his head. “I am nurse second class Hope. I am one of the highest ranking nursing staff in this entire hive, and I regularly meet with Luna herself! So help me, if you try and evict this nice family without cause, I will have you strung up by your hooves until you apologize!” 
“But…” the small stallion began, as a smile grew on his face. “That’s just it. I do have cause.” He pointed behind Hope in the direction of the door. Hope turned her head and saw Nights-shade standing there, expression pained. “He doesn’t have a job by Royal decree he was banished from the forges for being untrustworthy.”
It was hope’s turn to take a step back this time. The confusion that was plain on her face emboldened the tiny tyrant, who walked up to Nights-shade and handed him the eviction notice. “You have until tonight, or the Night Guards will force you out!” The red earth pony turned to face Hope again “You obviously don’t know who I am.” He began, smugness dripping from every word. “I am Luna’s personal estate’s manager of the under caves in this sector. I to meet with her regularly. My name is Iratus, and I will make sure I mention you, Nurse Hope, next time I meet with Luna. Which…” he pulled out a small pocket book out of the brown satchel he was wearing around his neck. “Should be in about an hour.”
Hope watched as the diminutive, angry looking red stallion march away hooves clacking hard against the carved stone of the hallway floor. Hope noticed that his cutie mark was a hammer and nail laid upon a piece of parchment. Fitting, thought Hope as she watched him leave.
“This… this is not good.” Nights-shade said as he handed his mother the parchment. Daisy nodded then turned leaving the doorway and heading further into the small home they shared.
“No… no it’s not. But we have suffered worse. Let’s get packin. Take only food, and what cloths you need for winter.” Hope heard Daisy, as she entered the apartment, the mare’s voice coming from the back room.
Hope looked toward Nights-shade asking “How did you lose your job?” 
“You know that mugger? The one that threatened to kill you?” Hope nodded remembering the fear she had felt as the unicorns knife had been placed at her throat. “Well, he up and died. And apparently the bastard had some brother who is a duke or something in the Crystal Empire. That guy is friends with Princess Cadence who sent a letter to my boss saying I was ‘not trustworthy with such an important job as producing the empires weapons” Nights-shade’s voice took on a fake loftiness. “…or some such nonsense. My boss tried to get an audience with Luna to explain things so she could counter act the order, but he was blocked by some of the Duke’s friends here.” Nights-shade explained as he put the cans of food they had in a small box.
“Now I don’t have a job, which means my rental contract for this apartment is up, and I got to find a new place to live, or find a job in the next…” he looked at the wall clock that slowly ticked away precious seconds. “… Four hours. Before a judge can sign the eviction notice, and Iratus can get the guards down here.” Nights-shade finished packing their meager supply of canned foods and opened the refrigerator. “So no. Unfortunately I don’t think there is much you can do to help.” Nights-shade looked back at her “but thanks anyway.” 
Smiling Hope put a hoof on Nights-shade’s shoulder. “I think I CAN help with that.” As Nights-shade turned around Hope pulled out the parchment she had been sent to deliver, Luna’s Royal seal plainly emboldened in the wax. “You see” she said as she broke the seal and unrolled the parchment. “There is a reason I came by today.” 
Nights-shade took the parchment gingerly cradling it in his hooves as he stared in shock. As he read, a giant smile grew on his face. His eyes misted over with unshed tears of gratitude. “MA!” he yelled, voice breaking slightly with emotion. “Stop packing and let’s make some cookies! We need to celebrate!”
Daisy ran into the room, hooves clacking hard against the stone floor, and was swiftly followed by a much smaller filly, Holly. “What’s wrong?” Daisy asked voice near panic. 
“Here, read this” Nights-shade said grinning. Grabbing the parchment Daisy read out loud, voice near a whisper “Dear Nights Shade, Stallion of the forges of the first hive of our lady of the night of the highest… bla bla bla… We are proud to announce that you have been accepted into the Knights Training Initiative!” Daisy looked at Nights-shade a mix of emotions too complicated for Hope to understand crossed her features. “You were accepted… well…” Daisy’s voice trailed off as she sat down on one of the two remaining chairs that surrounded the small table.
“YAY!” Holly squealed, ran and hugged Nights-shade for all she was worth, nearly pulling the Stallion and the chair he was sitting on down on top of her. “You made it, you made it, you made it! Now you get to be a Knight!” a pensive look took over her features as she hung from Nights-shade’s neck from behind him. “That means… That means we don’t have to leave!” Holly squealed even louder and this time succeeded in pulling Nights-shade down on top of her with a loud *Crash*, the two laughing despite pieces from the broken chair scattering across the kitchen floor.
Hope looked at Daisy trying to get a better understanding of what she was thinking. “Very good… very good…” was all she could get out, her face turning slightly ashen despite what the other two pony’s believed was plainly good news.
“Ma! Help!” Nights-shade said, fake panic intermixed with laughing as Holly started jumping on his back giggling maniacally while sing-songly chanting “your gona be a Kniiiight, your gona be a Kniiiiight”.  
Hope couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Apparently Daisy agreed, sighing in what Hope thought was both relief and acceptance of something the older mare thought unpalatable, she too started laughing slightly.
“WAIT!” Holly yelled, as she darted away from Nights-shade and ran for the back room the homes three inhabitance shared as their bedroom. “Wait, wait wait wait wait!” came the young filly’s voice, muffled slightly through the curtain hung to separate the two rooms. After a few seconds the filly burst from behind the curtain carrying a box that she rattled, smiling and looking pony to pony. “Wana play?”
“What is the game called?” Hope asked smiling, the filly’s enthusiasm was contagious. 
“Cards against Pony Kind!” Nights-shade groans, Daisy’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as she shook her head slightly hiding a smile. “Oh be nice Nights-shade.” She snapped at her older brother who was now standing and grinning while shaking his head. “Anyway” she continued looking back to Hope. “It’s a game about placing cards down that would best fit the situation, and the judge chooses which one wins based on these…” she explained opening the box which contained two sets of cards. One black, which was roughly half the size of the second pile of white cards. “The one the judge chooses then wins that round and gets to keep the black hard. Whichever pony is first to five black cards wins!” 
“And who is the judge?” was all Hope could think to ask, she was truly interested in the game, it sounded fun. 
“Well that changes. Each of us takes a turn being the judge, so every pony gets a chance. So…” she looked up into Hopes face, her eyes large, and lower lip quivering “will you play? Will ya?” she begged.
“Well… there is only one thing I can say to that.” She looked to each of the three other ponies in the room beaming. Arriving back on Holly last she said “Of course!” the little filly squealed with delight again and began dishing out cards to each pony in the room. Nights-shade simply sat on the ground, his size making up for his lack of a chair which was splinters behind him on the ground.
The rest of the night the four spent playing the game, laughing at the absurd situations and horrible implications that some of the card combinations created. Hope blushed furiously more than once as they played, but she discovered something about this small tight nit little family. They laughed more often than not, because if they didn’t they would cry.
More than once the large Stallion sitting next to her, handsome and tall and strong, explained through fits of rib cracking laughter about how someone they knew once had been there or done that. The fact that even one of the situations the card game created could be real struck Hope as tragic in the extreme, but even as he explained it, and the other two ponies laughed abroariasly, she found herself doing the same. She learned a valuable lesson then, that the way you take away evils power to destroy your peace of mind was to joke about it, to laugh away the Demons, the Devils, the Beasties and the Ghostys. With laughter, the shadows would turn to shade.
A nock on the door interrupted their fun and celebration. “You hear that?” came a familiar and angry voice from outside “They have all gone mad! Break the door down and drag them out if you have to!” They all could hear a couple of other voices muffled through the door. “Fine, if you won’t I will!” A few seconds later there was a particularly loud *Thud* against the door which held easily.
Nights-shade walked over and moved the heavy dead bolt lock away from the door. Putting a hoof on the door knob, he opened it revealing a small, and fiercely red bundle of crumpled and dazed stallion. “Oh… it’s only you Iratus.” He said unconcerned. Nights-shade’s attention turned toward the two large, though not as tall, Guards standing just behind the small mass of pony, both were trying to cover their laughter with a hoof. “Hello, how can I help you? I would have come earlier but we were all playing ‘cards against pony kind’ and I was laughing too hard to move very fast.”
The two guards stiffened, giving their very best attempt of being intimidating despite Nights-shades size. “Sir” the Night guard began “We are here to ensure that the courts justice is executed.” The day guard was still fighting back laughter at Iratus’s dazed state, nodded in agreement.
Nights-shade nodded looking down at Iratus “I see… And what did the judge rule?” 
The day guard’s expression turned grim before saying “I’m sorry sir, but it was to uphold Iratus’s eviction notice.” Nights-shade nodded again still unfazed. Hope was impressed at his calm, if it was her who faced eviction from the only home she had she would be shaking in fear.
“Alright then, that’s fine. Can I read the notice?” Nights-shade asked holding out his hoof to Iratus. “It’s my right isn’t it?” he asked. Both Guards nodded, and the only slightly recovered Iratus reached into a small pouch at his side and retrieved a letter with the seal of the royal court. Iratus sneered as Nights-shade took the letter from him.
Nights-shade broke the seal, and began reading the letter out loud. “By Royal Decree of the Court of Luna the high princess of Night, the inhabitance of the abode designated 34543 of the primary hive under the Protection and Ownership of the crown; must hereby vacate. This is due to the irresponsibility of the abode’s inhabitance in not gaining, or being able to maintain steady and lawful employment upon the account of Iratus, hive abode manager of section 34...”
“Yes sir.” Interrupted the day guard. “As you see, we have no choice. Now please let us in to assist you with moving your belongings out.” Nights-shade ignored the slightly irritated guard and continued reading the letter. 
“…IF for any reason this is found to not be true by investigators in the employ of the crown, then this judgment is null and void.” Nights-shade emphasized the last statement, a slight smirk on his face. “Now you gentlemen are amazing, and I thank you, Court Appointed Investigators for coming along to ensure my rights are protected.” Nights-shade turned back into the room followed by the two guards and a very perplexed looking Iratus.
“Here you go gentlemen.” Nights-shade said as he lifted the letter Hope had brought with her earlier that night off the table, and handed it to the Night guard.
“What is that” Iratus said tartly, having fully recovered from his earlier foolishness. 
“Nights shade… bla, bla, bla… you have been accepted into the Knights Training Initiative Program…” the Night guards voice slowly changed, irritation replaced by awe. “You… You are going to be a Knight?” the day guard asked. “Do you know how many times I tried applying?! I mean come on! That one nurse, what was her name…” 
“Nurse Joy…” the Night guard provided smirking. 
“Right that jerk, Nurse Joy. She kept trying to stab me with this vEEeery long needle!” The day guard said incredulous.
The night guard leaned closer and loudly whispered “Don’t mind him, he just hates needles.” 
Nights-shade pointed a hoof at the day guard “you’re that Stallion who ran out of there like a bat out of hell!” amusement plain in his voice. Blushing the Day guard harrumphed and stalked outside, dragging the stuttering, and now bright red, iratus with him.
The Night guard smiled and laughed at his friend’s foolishness. Shaking his head he said “You all have a good Night, I won’t let Iratus bother you again Sir. Knight. Also, I will let Judge Hammer-fall know about all of this.”
Nights-shade nodded his thanks, as he closed the door behind the retreating trio. “That” Daisy said “was very, very satisfying.” Hope saw a smirk appear, then just as quickly vanish from her face.
“Nights-shade, sit down!” holly moaned annoyed at the distraction. “It’s my turn and you still need to pick.” The filly huffed, a fake pout on her lips. Chuckling Nights-shade sat, looked at his cards, and placed one down. “Alright then!” Holly said with delight, shuffling the cards randomly before flipping the first over. “I went to Clouds-dale with…” she said as she read the first card. Smiling and giggling maniacally she said “a zombie horde depowering flesh’! Wow that’s a really good one!”
Holly pulled the second card from the pile and read. “…My special some pony…blah! Come on, it’s like you’re not even trying.” Holly glanced at Hope “you really need to learn how to play this game better. I can tell this one’s your pick.” Daisy leaned over and bit down lightly on her daughter’s ear and whispered something that the other two couldn’t hear. “OUCH! What was that for?!” Holly said rubbing her ear with a hoof. “Oh… ok.” Holly turned to Hope, “sorry bout that, I didn’t mean to be rude, just tryin to encourage ya to play better is all.” Daisy rolled her eyes, but Hope nodded smiling. Hope knew all too well the scolding that the filly must have quietly received having gotten probably the exact same from her mother.
Setting the second card aside she pulled the third. “… A knife, and reveled in the thrill of the kill.’ Wow, this one is dark.” Holly said wearing an expression of mock shock. 
“Well, I really like these two” the filly held up the two death based cards. “…The other one is just too…”
“Sweet?” Hope finished for her.
“Yea. I was going to say sappy, but sweet is good too. Sweet is no fun…”
The two adult mares in the room shared a knowing glance, both smiling; as if to say ‘Sweet could be a LOT of fun’. With the right pony of course, Hope thought to herself, glancing slightly toward the large black stallion sitting next to her on the floor.
“Alright Hope, its your turn.” Daisy said. Hope couldn’t miss the knowing tone that she seemed to use every time she spoke to her. “Take a black card, and remember you don’t add one to the pile.” 
Hope took a black card and read aloud “I had… Oh my um… are we sure this is ok to read with…” Hope nodded toward Holly “… in the room?” and handed the black card over to Daisy. 
Daisy read the card, then glared at the young mare. “Little filly, I told you to get rid of this card. It’s not a topic for someone so young.” Holly dropped her head having been caught.
“yessum…” was all she could squeak out. Daisy ripped up the card and through it in the trash pile, then grabbed another handing it to Hope to read.
Hope took the card feeling slightly embarrassed, then began to read the new card aloud. “Step1, blank, Step 2, bank, Step 3, Profit.” The other pony’s furiously looked at their cards, trying to decide which ones to put down. Daisy was first, followed by Nights-shade, then finally Holly placed hers.
Hope moved the three piles around and purposefully looked the other direction as Nights-shade handed her the first pile. “Alright let’s see… Step One: steal Arnold Swartza-pony’s Knife. Step Two: Play Kill All Pony’s. Step 3: Profit….Not bad, but I don’t see how you would profit.” She said putting down the first set and retrieving the second.
Hopes ears burned as she struggled to read the set. “Step 1: Find a cute cutie mark. Step 2: … eh…” she hesitated. The other three pony’s all looked at her expectantly. “Ok ... uh ...ha ha. Fine. Step 2: Mount it.” Her face burned bright red at the innuendo. “Then I guess step three would be profit!” she started laughing and the other two adults joined. 
“That’s horrible!” Daisy said voice high pitched, laughing hard. Nights-shade laughed uneasily at first, but it slowly turned into a deep belly laugh.
“What’s so funny?” Holly asked. The confusion on her face made Hope laugh even harder, and she fell out of her seat holding her ribs. “Seriously! What’s so funny!” the filly asked, standing atop the table. “It’s my card set, I don’t see how some pony cutting the cutie mark off of some other pony and mounting it is funny!”
The adults paused until she was done, holding their breath. When she finished, stomping her foot hard on the table, they all erupted in even heartier laughter, Nights-shade putting his head down on the table almost in tears, while Daisy gasped for breaths between fits of laughter. Hope was on the floor, rear hooves in the air holding her ribs as the laughter hurt.
The rest of the night Holly never found out why they had all laughed so hard at her morbid joke. When she asked as her mother tucked her into bed later that night Daisy simply smiled again and kissed her on the fore head, promising to tell her when she was old enough.
Hope said her good byes to Daisy soon after Holly went to bed, and Nights-shade walked her home. The two talked the whole way, laughing at the jokes they had shared that night. It didn’t seem that long of a walk to Nights-shade, but by the time they got to the nursing quarters near the top of the Hive he see daylight coming from a few of the caves heading out into the rest of Equestria. 
“Thank you for walking me home. Oh and for letting me play that card game with you and your family, I had so much fun!” she said laughing slightly at the memories. 
“Yea me too.” Nights-shade scratched the nape of his neck with a hoof. “Uh… Would… would you like to do it again sometime? Like… Officially this time?”
“You mean like a date?” she asked, the sound of their voices echoing slightly over the rough huen stone pathways. 
“Yea… I mean if you want to.” He said hurriedly, cheeks growing slightly red.
Hope thought about it, then lifted her head up before saying “Yes. I think that would be fun!”
Nights-shade beamed “Maybe tomorrow? I mean…like, actually tomorrow sense now is tomorrow of last night…”
“You mean Friday?” Nights-shade nodded grinning. Hope nodded before saying “sure, Friday would be lovely.”
“Great! I will… I will uh see you then huh?” She nodded, and then leaned in close, leaving a small kiss on his cheek. “wow…” he said uneasily.
Hope eyes him questioningly, as if saying ‘is that it?’ “I mean… uh… thanks!” he said enthusiastically then opened the door to her small apartment for her. Smiling to herself, and shaking her head Hope thanked him and walked inside.
“Oh I almost forgot” she said pocking her head out again. Nights-shade had to pull hard to stop the heavy oak door from hitting her. “I got your mother a full time care bed at the Hives Central Hospital. So your family will probably be moving anyway. Just… to the hospital rather than to nowhere… if that makes sense.” Nights-shade swooped her up in the strongest embrace that Hope had ever felt. 
“Thank you, thank you thank you.”  He whispered. “You are the most generous pony I have ever met!” 
“Cant…breath…” she squeaked and he released her, as they both started laughing. “It’s my job to help ponies like your mom, I didn't do anything special” she said rubbing her ribs still sore from the night’s festivities.
“Just because it’s your job, doesn't change what you did.” Nights-shade leaned closer and whispered “thank you.” He stood straight, smiled and said “see you tomorrow!” then turned and started down the path home.
As she watched him leave, all Hope could think about was how silly a stallion he was, but also, how he was handsome, funny and awkwardly charming; all good traits for a stallion to have. The other nurses all asked where she had been, what she had been doing all night, and who she had been doing it with. Peppering her with question after question, she was finally able to give her excuses and went to bed.
Nights-shade thought about her, about her kiss as he rubbed his cheek, and about how she had more than likely just saved his mother from cancer, and his baby sister from an orphanage. He arrived home to a dark front room, and a slight glow from the shared bedroom, where his mother had left the small lamp on low so he wouldn't trip in the dark.