Night Watch clopped twice on the door before opening it and entering to find Nefertari seated in a curious bipedal way. She didn't have haunches, like a pony. Night closed the door behind herself and nodded as she approached. "Sorry for missing yesterday."
Nefer rolled a hand. "And you will tell me why. I have grown to know you better. You would not miss a commitment unless sorely pressed."
Night drew in an irritated breath. "A pony, one of my own kind, attacked Silver. It's handled."
"Is it?" Nefertari raised a brow faintly. "By your own kind, do you mean of your specific tribe?" She gestured over Night. "Leather winged and sharp toothed? Do they use shadow magic?"
Night looked to Nefer with a snap. "You know her?"
"I could feel her dark presence, lurking. She cannot enter here, not without my leave." She sucked in a soft breath. "It was not my place to exorcise this castle of its ghosts. I still feel her. Are you certain this matter is handled?"
Night sat before her mentor. "Silver was involved." A little smile played over her lips. "Forgiveness and redemption happened."
Nefertari nodded. "Before or after he displayed his strength?"
She considered that a moment. "He was cool, collected, and never really ruffled. Looking back on it, I'm proud of him. I think... he could have crushed her, but even without his magic, he grappled her to a standstill at one point. Let's put that aside." She took a slow breath. "I'm ready."
Nefertari wove her fingers through the air, creating a disc of dark energy. "Very well, since you are eager to plunge your head deeper into this. While, ideally, you will interact with spirits that share blood with you, those of your tribe, this is not assured. The more removed a spirit, the less friendly it is inclined to be. Blood ties, unifies, but also separates." Reaching into the pit of darkness, Nefertari drew the shape of another jackal.
The other scowled at Night. "Thief! Skulk!"
That voice... "You're the spirit that was guarding the room."
"Protecting Nefertari is ever my duty for countless years." The spirit jackal crossed her arms. "You, on the other hand, are a thief and scoundrel."
Night figured quickly. "And it's my job to subdue you." She rose to her hooves. "I'm not leaving. I'm a shaman now."
"Pathetic." The spirit drew into a combat pose, legs anchored despite not touching the ground. Her arms were cast out, energy gathering in her paws. "Your contact with the spirit world will just make this hurt all the more. It will be my distinct pleasure to remove you from this place."
Nefertari sat quietly, watching them and not interfering one way or the other.
Night raised a hoof and brought it down with a clop. "Grandfather, come, please."
Emerging from a nearby shadow came the translucent form of an aged lunar pegasus. "What? Is some--" He ducked as the jackal spirit swung at him with an energy-wreathed paw. "Woah! That's hardly polite."
"Your grandfather? So young..." The jackal spirit grinned, teeth alarmingly white against her largely see-through body. "Practically a mewling infant among spirits. I almost feel bad." She advanced on him, energy crackling with fury around her paws.
Night jumped forward, catching a cruel paw meant for her grandfather. Icey pain lanced through her as she grit her teeth and lashed out a hoof, knocking the spirit away several inches, but she had clearly taken more damage in that exchange. Ice clung to her body where she had been raked and Night hobbled back a step, struggling for breath.
Her grandfather's wings exploded outwards, becoming wreathed in cloying darkness as a low and furious growl escaped him. "You hurt my Little Watch." He took a step forward, darkness bursting out from under each hoof as it came down. "Apologize."
"Be as angry as you wish. My eternity of duty is stronger than your path--"
He was on her, striking in a fury of sharp hooves, sharper teeth, and beating wings. The physicality was only there for his reference. The true damage was inflicted as shadow burst on every impact, driving the jackal back under the berserk fury of a angered grandfather. "Apologize!" With a last crushing blow, the jackal spirit discorporated and the grandfather fell to his hooves, panting raggedly despite not truly breathing. He locked eyes on Nefertari, a long trail of shadowy spittle leaking from his creased snout.
Nefertari held up one hand calmly. "We have no quarrel. You are no ancestor of mine, but I have not brought you."
"Brought... me?" He turned to Night Watch. She had brought him. "Little Watch." He shook his head as if to clear it, but the darkness had fogged things too deeply.
Night Watch crashed to her belly. "It's over... grandfather... Thank you."
He moved to her side quickly, shadow still bursting out with every step. He leaned in and nuzzled her, but she cried out with pain when he did, making him recoil from her. "N-no... I didn't..."
Night pushed to her hooves slowly. "Please, just... Wait." She took a slow breath, recentering herself. Her grandfather slowly stopped being a shadowed being of darkness and became her grandfather, as real as anything to her. She held out a hoof and he nervously advanced into her embrace. They hugged gently until Nefertari gave a loud clap.
It was all gone. "You have much to learn." Nefertari clucked her tongue. "That was to see where you stood, pupil. You survived, you won, in the end..." She reached and brushed at the rime frosting on Night's coat. "You have a ways to go before I can declare you ready to stand on your own legs."
"What happened?" Night frowned at Nefer. "My grandfather... he was a monster."
"He lost his own focus, on seeing you harmed." Nefertari clucked softly. "The spirits you deal with often need as much training as you. His rage allowed him a victory, but could have cost you gravely. His love stilled him, and your focus returned him. Do not be angered at him, he is fresh, just like you."
"I'm not angry at him!" Night shook herself vigorously, losing some of the ice to the floor. "It looked like it was hurting him too... Is he alright?"
"You calmed him before any true harm could come to be. There are some..." Nefertari made a slow circling with the finger. "Some shamans rely on that berserk fury. I find it distasteful. You saw the pain you caused your ancestor. What will you do?"
Night let out a chilly breath, still recovering from the experience. "I don't want to do that again. Show me how to avoid that." She looked down suddenly. "He doesn't deserve that..."
Nefertari settled a paw on Night's shoulder. "Our ancestors survived a lifetime of struggle. Let us not add to their burden. In this, we agree. Good."
"What about yours?" Night looked up at Nefertari. "She was... Is she alright?"
"You care about her?" Nefer raised a brow. "I would have thought you glad to see that one suffer."
Night clenched her teeth. "Maybe Silver's having a bad influence on me, but I don't want her to be hurt. She's just doing what she knows, which is..." She rolled a hoof. "Incomplete and out of date."
Nefertari burst into laughter. "Oh, if she heard that... She is fine. I dismissed her when your spirit grew out of control. She likely would have been successful, but the harm to both would have been dire. But we are not that careless, are we?" She smiled, exposing her sharp teeth. "As shaman, we are obligated to the well-being of spirits as we are masters of them. Be as a kind parent."
Night blinked at that. "Father to my own grandfather?"
Nefer shrugged softly. "Time loses its grasp among the spirit. He may have been your parent's parent, but now he is your ancestor. You are his tie to the physical world. He needs you as much as you desire his services, if he wishes to have any part of the world he was forced to part from." She held up a clawed finger. "You are to visit your parents and allow him to see his son and daughter. That is your next assignment. Call him with your own will, as you have done today, keep a gentle but firm hand on him, and see that the visit is gentle and well-received."
Night didn't have a hand, but understood what Nefer meant. She nodded to her mentor. "Alright... I can't just do that right now. Silver do--"
"Alone." Nefer raised a brow. "You are not shackled to your husband. Surely he will understand a visit to your family."
Night raised a questioning brow.
Nefer raised a paw, palm towards Night. "I will not bother him while you are away." She snorted softly. "Your family is too large and crowded as it is."
That much Night could agree with and rolled her eyes. "Fine, but you can help keep an eye on him, please?"
Nefer smiled, a predatory smile. "If you wish. Now go." The door behind Night swung open without obvious effort. "Your ancestor deserves this."
Silver strode into some of the more quiet halls of the castle. Glancing left and right, he called out, "Night Wing?"
She wasn't there, then she was, practically nose-to-nose with him. "What do you want?"
Silver jumped back with surprise. "Oh! Night.... mind if I call you Wing?"
She raised a brow silently.
"Right, so, how much do you know about politics?"
Wing rolled her shoulders. "It's hard to be a Warlock without learning something of the dance. What of it, pretend prince?"
Silver sucked in a breath through his teeth. "I want to address that. Will you help me be a good prince?"
She raised a brow silently.
"Show me what Equestria needs." He took a half step forward. "I'm here, for better or worse. I can be a boon or bane to this wonderful place, and I'd rather be a boon. You've been here longer than me." He dipped his head. "Show me."
She snorted. "First thing, raise your head. You're a Prince, hades take it. Act like it." She sat up, wings spreading wide. "You don't want to learn from me."
"Why not?"
She smiled dangerously. "You learned magic at my hooves. I don't have mercy, and I don't like you very much..."
"That sounds like you're perfect." He rose to his hooves fully. "I want honesty, not kindness. Equestria has a prince, let's give them one worth having."
Night Wing scowled at him a moment. "Is this an amateurish attempt to befriend me?"
Silver shrugged a little. "Is it a bad idea?"
She let out a slow breath. "Fine. We'll start by attending that party you've been invited to."
He blinked in surprised and dug out the card he had forgotten about. It was that night!
She laughed at his expression. "Already ready to miss appointments? Not good, Prince. Prepare yourself and be there. I'll be there." She faded from existence, consumed by the darkness around her.