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// 196 - Calling Out 
// Story: Putting on a Silver Robe and Wizard Hat 
// by David Silver 
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Silver and Night found Nefertari attending court, a not-unexpected place to find an ambassador in a foreign country. They slid in as close as they could get, but there were several other courtiers in the way of gaining access to the Anubian.

She glanced towards them, perfectly aware of their attempt, but her attention slid back towards Princess Celestia and the current pony making their case.

Night let out a small huff as she whispered to Silver, "I think we're being snubbed."

Silver looked around subtly while trying to keep his eyes largely on Celestia. "She's waiting to see how we handle it, I think." He reached for his magic, then paused. He was becoming too reliant on unicorn trickery. He was an alicorn! He had more tricks to use than just one tribe's power.

He let out a slow breath as he tried to clear himself, then felt out. There was very little life within the room, at least, besides supplicants. Earth pony magic would not avail him unless he wanted to start tossing ponies around. That would not do...

Or, he could not use magic at all. He leaned in to the left towards one of the ponies in the way. "Is it true what they say?"

The pony jumped in surprise, glancing at Silver, then double-taking. What had Silver heard?! "What?"

"Oh, sorry. I shouldn't be gossiping."

The stallion glanced around, suddenly nervous. He didn't dare pry, but his mind worked in a flurry of a panic. He rose and scooted from the room, wondering how a thousand little things might have gotten out into the public.

Silver slid over to the available seat. "One down..."

Night quirked a smile at that. "That wasn't very nice... Do it again."

Soon they had won their way to Nefertari's side. She seemed quite amused. "For such a peace-touting soul, you can foment discord quite nicely. What brings you to me, or will you attempt to unsettle me? Good luck in your attempt."

Silver wrapped a wing around Night. "I'm just escorting your student."

"Oh?" Nefertari looked past Silver to Night. "What brings you here, pupil?"

"We need to speak."

Perhaps it was the gravity in the tone Night used, but Nefertari rose quietly, and all three left the court and its daily motions behind.

Once outside, Nefertari spun on Night. "Something's changed. Tell me what has occurred."

Night blinked at that. "Can you tell just by hearing me?"

"Not with those words." Nefertari waved it off. "When you were commanding, there is a... steel there."

Night gestured back towards Nefer's room. "I banished your door guardian while looking for y--"

Nefertari grasped Night's cheeks in her clawed hands. "My student has grown! This is a wonderful time, hmm, now I know I said you would be a peer, but that was, perhaps... exaggerating... There is still so much more to learn, but your progress is undeniable. In this, you can take some measure of pride."

Silver nodded softly. "I'm glad to hear that, but we need advice."

Night joined in the motion. "Yes, please. Samantha wants me to contact her mother, and I haven't yet contacted anything but my grandfather."

"Your grandfather's dead?"

Night glanced at Silver, then up at Nefertari. "Please?"

Nefertari clicked her claws together. "That will make a fine test of the new level of power you have reached. Come." She began to stroll back towards their rooms. "We have preparations to make. Keep your ears open and eyes wide, for you will be expected to learn from this effort, succeed or fail."

As Night and Silver fell in behind Nefertari, Silver leaned forward a little. "Is this dangerous?"

"That depends on the inclinations of Samantha's mother." Nefertari curled a finger. "If she is especially displeased to be called, it might become quite dangerous. Will Samantha be present?"

Night nodded quickly. "She wants to talk to her."

"Then it is a matter of whether or not she wishes to be addressed by her daughter. Perhaps she does, perhaps she does not. We will discover..." She grasped the knob of her door and threw it wide. "But first, supplies." She gathered several bricks of incense and a few candles as well as the mirror off the wall, all slung under her arm and ready to go. "We'll perform this in your room, if you don't mind. If it goes poorly, it won't disturb my rest."

Silver rolled his eyes. "You're all heart."

Night let out a little nervous laugh. "R-right. I'll be firm, but polite. Hopefully we'll have nothing to worry about, and she'll be happy to be there."

They arrived at their room to find Samantha had already returned and was bouncing the foals up and down. When she saw them, she set the foals down. "You're back! Oh! NefNef! Hello!"

Nefertari nodded at Samantha. "Blessings of madness. I would disembowel about any other person that used that title." She began setting her supplies around the room carefully. "I'm told we get to meet your progenitor today."

Samantha tilted her head with some confusion. "I thought Night was going to do this?"

"Oh, she is. I'm just here for supervision." Nefertari set the mirror in the center of it all. "Now, besides Night being the shaman of the ritual, we will want you..." She nudged Samantha over to the mirror. "To look into here. You are the focus, the anchor that will call out to the right spirit and draw her here." She raised a brow at the foals wandering about. "You may wish to put them away."

Silver rushed to do just that, plucking both up with magic and taking them off towards the nursery.

Night sat across from Samantha. "What do you know about your mother?"

Samantha shrugged at that. "Not that much, besides she was human. Father didn't like talking about her much."

Nefertari cocked a brow. "She died creating you, did she not?"

"She did."

Nefertari snorted. "Fool of a stallion probably blames you for her passing. No matter. Student, call for her, just as you did for your grandfather, using Samantha's presence to help direct the call."

Night let out a slow breath, inhaling the exotic mix of incenses that Nefertari had lit up. The air was thick with it. "Hello... You were called away so early, but we would ask you return." She spread her wings. "Your daughter wishes to speak to you."

A figure suddenly appeared. In the haze of the incense, it quickly resolved to a lunar pony. Night's grandfather put a wing around her but was silent.

Samantha leaned in closer to the mirror, her eyes going distant a moment. A notepad appeared beside her and began taking notes as her tongue ran over her lips. "Should I do something?"

Nefertari shook her head. "Silence. Stare into the mirror. Let Night Watch work."

Night squirmed a little. "She seeks the wisdom of the past. She never got to ask you so many questions. Can you answer them? Will you?"

The room grew chilly. A new scent tickled at their noses, that of exhaust fumes and the pollution of modern day living. It faded to gentle flowers and forest, then the incense returned. Night chose to be encouraged by it. "Please, come to us. She seeks you as a daughter should. Will you not respond in kind?"

"I didn't ask for her." A figure rose from the mirror, voice like broken glass before the apparition coughed up dust. "I didn't ask, and she took everything away. You call her my daughter, but all I see is the tool of my murder."

Samantha blinked up at the bipedal figure. "Are you my mother?"

Her hands moved to her belly. "You killed me, but... yes. It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault. No one asked you. No one asked me."

Samantha tilted her head, confusion growing. "Didn't you want to have a child?"

"Is that what he told you?" A rueful laugh. "Beneath smiling faces, behind masks of friendliness, these ponies can know wicked cruelty that they will never speak of."

Samantha rolled her ears back. "Tell me?"

"I'm not a pony... am I? I suppose I can. You are a pony."

"No I'm not!" Samantha clopped a hoof on the ground. "I don't understand ponies... Tell me, m-mom."

The figure dropped to a knee and reached for Samantha's face, cradling her. "Despite your words, you appear to be a pony to me. You're just broken... Your father came to me in a moment of weakness, created you."

Night swiveled her ears forward. "You weren't part of that, um, process?"

"A woman that is unconscious can't give consent. He admitted his crime the next day, but the deed was done."

Samantha perked her ears forward. "But... you kept it, me."

"He was so sure you had a purpose..." The figure smiled, a terribly white split of her spectral face as bright tears ran down the smokey skin of her form. "I listened to him, started to believe him. I never asked to have a child, but maybe the magic of the world would make it alright... He planted a dagger inside me, and it cut me when it escaped. I died making you."

Samantha recoiled at the news. Her father had... "A-are you angry?"

"At you?" She stroked Samantha's head over her ears slowly. "I gave everything for you... Are you happy?"

Samantha swallowed thickly. "I have... a stallion, and... yes... I think." She hung her head low. "Mother, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to hurt anypony! Why do I hurt everything around me?" She sank, sniffling.

Nefertari advanced. "Spirit." The human spirit turned to face her. "I bind you. Do you dare to oppose my will?"

Night and Samantha both jerked in surprise, but neither were fast enough to prevent Nefertari from seizing the form of the spirit and forcing it small. When she opened her palms, a brilliant onyx rested in the place of the spirit.

Samantha sat up straight. "Nefnef! That's my mother! What are you doing?!"

Nefer tucked the onyx away in a pocket. "Taking my fee. You have asked your questions, now I take my toll. Good day to you all." She strode out, not even taking the things she had brought with her or giving even a glance over her shoulder.

Night did look over her shoulder, blinking, then returned her gaze to Samantha. "Are you alright?"

"She just took my mother!" Samantha hopped to her hooves. "This is in clear violation of the golden rule!" She scrambled for the door, only to collide with the edge of the incense which had created a solid barrier.

When she ran into it, Night frowned at Samantha, then looked to the nursery, where Silver had never returned from. "She didn't get this to help us, she bottled us up." She rose to her own hooves and began snuffing out the incense one by one. "We've been taken for fools."