//------------------------------// // A Family Reunion // Story: Fear Me, for My Name is Twaith! // by Michael Hudson //------------------------------// [I need the author's note at the end, so this is your warning that spoilers for How a Balloon Can Break a Rock are here, and this link will take you there first, if you feel so inclined. It is a new Twaith sequel.] As the first rays of morning broke through the darkness of the night, Twilight slowly floated away from the fields, giving Pinkie one more nod before dashing into the house. Nothing stirred in the house, and Twilight nodded to herself, before floating up. She poked her head through the door she met, and she saw Igneous and Cloudy Quartz laying in their bed. She gently lowered a hoof, and briefly touched their eyes. A trace of dark magic was left upon them, enchanting the couple as they woke up. Twilight smiled slightly, and bowed in midair as they caught notice of the wraith. “Excuse me, but I was hoping you would come with me.” Igneous shook his head, putting one foreleg over his eyes, before checking his vision again. The purple mare was still there. “Are we dead? Are you here to show us where to go?” A small giggle escaped Twilight, before she shook her head. “Nothing like that, I promise. In fact, my intention is to show you the life that sprang from last night.” Igneous’s eyes widened, and Cloudy Quartz shared a glance with him, before he slipped out of bed. “So… you did as I asked? Freed my little filly?” Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin, before nodding. “Something of that sort, but much better than what you suspect. I promise.” The two older ponies exchanged one more look. While the two had their suspicions, and were still uncertain as to what the spirit’s true intentions might be, but she was Pinkie’s friend, and they would follow her for that. The three slowly moved down the stairs, before stepping out onto the porch. Leaning against Holder’s Boulder was Pinkie, snoring. Twilight sucked in her muzzle before holding one hoof up. “Please, just a moment. I need to,” she cleared her throat before screaming, “wake up my friend.” Pinkie’s eyes snapped open, and she almost jumped onto Holder’s Boulder. Looking beside herself, she paled as she realized what she had done, before dismissing it. If Limestone was here, she would be doomed to run laps around the farm, but she should be okay today. Should. Now with the danger out of her mind, she looked over to Twilight, and cocked her head. “What?” Twilight slapped herself with a forehoof, before floating over and turning Pinkie’s head a few degrees. The pink mare blinked a few more times, before her mane exploded, hiding Twilight for a moment, before she grew a large smile. “H-hi!” Igneous sighed, shaking his head as he came off of the porch. “Pinkie, can you please focus?” He glanced up for a moment, smiling as he noted something he rarely got to see, despite his desire to. “I like your mane today. It fits you.” Pinkie blushed for a moment, running a single hoof through her poof. She felt Twilight’s cold hooves push her forwards, and she nodded, swallowing hard. “Well, you see, last night… she still came.” Cloudy looked away at the mention of the spirit, and Pinkie watched as a tear fell from her eye. “But wait, for once I didn’t just sit in my room like a little filly, whining for answers. Well, at least, not for all of it.” Twilight nodded, coming up besides Pinkie, both of them now standing in front of the giant stone. “I got to meet her last night, and at first, well, what’s the best way to put this?” “You tried to brutally exorcise my sister?” Twilight swallowed hard. “Well, while that may be true, I’m not sure if that’s actually the best way to put it. However, yes, that would be accurate. I soon realized though that such a tactic was not the way to go.” She paused, watching Igneous turn away, before letting the breath she had taken in out. “Instead, I decided to seek harmony, and would like to show you the results.” Twilight floated to the side as Pinkie eagerly rolled away, before they both gestured to the boulder. After a long moment of waiting, Igneous coughed from the crisp, morning air. “What are we supposed to be seeing?” Twilight cocked her head, before holding one hoof up. “Please, just trust me for another moment.” She then shot into the rock, and Pinkie found herself once more thanking the fact that Limestone avoided this weekend like the plague. The wraith’s voice could soon be heard from within the rock. “Hey, we rehearsed this.” A silence came in response. “I know it’s been a long time, and they have only seen you as a ghou- as a wonderfully exciting part of their life for the last ten years, but please, they’re your family.” A silence responded again, and Pinkie coughed, before smiling to Igneous, who was so far, unimpressed, nor could he hear Twilight. “Would it help if I reminded that you were super cute? Or maybe gave you a hug?” Finally, a gray and red spirit shot out of the rock, coming to a screeching halt in the middle of the air, breathing hard as she looked around. The grey mare met her parents eyes, before hiding behind her long mane, her cheeks on fire from the idea of her mistress holding her. Cloudy looked up at the spirit. The mare was indeed cute, and familiar, with a small, purple star embedded in her throat. The eyes were what told the mother the truth though, and Cloudy wondered if this was all just a dream. “Marble?” “Mhm.” Pinkie rubbed her eyes with a hoof, smiling as Marble hugged their parents. Twilight floated beside Pinkie, nuzzling against the pink mare’s side, before looking into her eyes. “I’m happy to see you so happy. It was really weird to see you depressed.” Pinkie looked into Twilight’s green eyes, feeling her heart skip a beat as the wraith chuckled nervously. More tears streamed down the party mare’s face as she wrapped her hooves around Twilight, sobbing now. “Thank you Twilight, thank you for everything. You’re the best friend a pony could have.” Twilight wrapped her hooves around Pinkie, and nuzzled back. “I could say the same about you.” Pink wisps escaped Pinkie’s mane. They slowly crossed over Twilight’s robe, before three balloons appeared within the cloak, getting larger and larger, until they finally popped, spewing black strings to permanently repair the hole in her essence.