With Nefertari defeated, Night went scavenging through her stuff and found a jar with Samantha's mother locked inside. "Here you are..." She popped open the lid and the spirit flowed free, liberated.
Samantha rushed up to her mother, tail swaying with building joy. "Mother, there you are. Has she been mean to you?"
"She didn't let me do much." She knelt down and gathered Samantha in a hug. "I'm glad to see you again, my precious daughter."
Night glanced between the friendly spirit and the mad spirit she had conjured. "Let's... find Diane." She knew one person that went by Diane. Was it Surprise? She'd find out by bringing them together. "This way." She lead her family free of that place.
As they went, Samantha perked an ear. "Why didn't you arrest her? Didn't she do enough to warrant that?"
"She didn't, not this time." Night pulled the door shut. "She gave me a test, and I passed. I even plan to continue learning from her, but don't accept her way as a good role-model."
Silver tapped his chin as he looked from toy to toy. The store was full of options, and the foals were delighted to poke and prod at all of them, showing no clear favorites. Which to pick? He couldn't very well take everything... "Shame my computer has no Internet, or I'd download some kid stuff there too."
He saw a salespony and approached them. "Excuse me..."
They both looked over at a crash. Clear Twilight had pulled over a shelf onto herself and caught it in a feat of strength as she scooped a toy off of it and let the shelf fall aside.
The mare gave a smile. "You have very spirited children." Her eyes darted back and forth between the two lunar foals that defied conventions. "What sort of toy are you looking for?"
"I want to encourage both of them, to have fun, but also be challenged." Silver rolled a hoof. "Nothing like a chore, youth is no time for that, not yet."
She went over and gathered up Clear Twilight along with the doll she had picked up. "Let's see what you like, hmm?"
She patiently had them try their little hooves playing instruments and putting together puzzles and other things before she gave her opinion. "Little Clear here clearly wants to learn the piano. She's a bit young for lessons, but you should consider as soon as she begins speaking reliably. Until then, this little play piano will steer her in the right direction." She left Clear hammering away at random keys in something suspiciously like the theme song to the show.
The mare approached Morning Glory only for him to skip past her with a twinkle of magic and bee-lined directly to Silver. Silver laughed a little and picked up his colt. "What's wrong?"
She smiled gently. "It's alright, some children get that way. He wants to explore with you, so I'll take the both of you." She began leading them through toys, plushes, puzzles and instruments, watching Morning Glory's reaction to each. "This may come as no surprise, but your colt likes his magic." She nudged over a small box. "This collection of foal-friendly magic tricks should keep him entertained and challenged, but may cause some headaches for you if you mind being outsmarted by foals." She leaned in. "We're all a little used to it around here."
Silver snorted and nuzzled Morning gently. "I'll take them both. I don't mind the idea of being outwitted by either of them."
Apple Bloom sighed as she led the way back to Ponyville. She’d hoped that her companion would be more talkative on the way back, but after he’d tucked away those whatchamacallits that he’d gotten from Zecora, he’d gone back to peering around the Everfree Forest. Being so totally ignored was enough to make her feel rather put out; even being nervous didn’t mean he had to go and ignore her!
Glancing back over her shoulder, Apple Bloom was about to try and start a conversation again, but something made her pause. There was something about the way he was acting…it didn’t seem quite right. Maybe it was due to how his eyes were narrowed, or that whenever he looked somewhere he stared at it intently instead of reluctantly, but something just seemed off. It was almost like…like…
“Yer lookin’ fer somethin’,” she blurted out as the answer suddenly came to her.
“What?” Her statement was enough to make John stop dead in his tracks, his gaze now firmly on her.
Apple Bloom stopped as well, turning in place to fully face him. “That’s why ya keep lookin’ all over,” insisted Apple Bloom. “It’s cuz yer tryin’ ta find something, ain’t it?”
“You’re mistaken.”
The response was immediate, but what made Apple Bloom suddenly feel uncomfortable wasn’t his words but his expression. Or rather, his lack of an expression; his face had gone completely blank, even as his eyes held hers unblinkingly. It was enough to make her take a half-step back out of reflex.
That seemed to trigger something in him, and the polite smile that he’d had the entire time was suddenly back on his face. “It’s not that I’m looking for anything,” he explained. “It’s just that I couldn’t help but take in the scenery.”
“O-oh, right. The scenery.” Nodding at the answer despite how unconvincing it was – there was nothing but thick forest all around them still – Apple Bloom turned around and started leading the way back again.
Several minutes passed in silence. Apple Bloom glanced back a few more times, but John wasn’t looking around anymore. Instead, his eyes were fixed firmly on her, that same smile on his face.
Now it was Apple Bloom’s turn to feel nervous. Trying to calm herself down, she spoke up again. “So, um, whaddya want those dream-thingies from Zecora fer? I mean, I know ya said that humans’re private ‘n’ all, but Princess Luna’s really great! She helped out me ‘n’ mah friends a whole buncha times!”
There was a long pause before he answered. “Dreamcatchers. And it’s a cultural difference, the same way that humans prefer to wear clothes all of the time.”
Apple Bloom was about to argue that Jake had never cared that Princess Luna might visit his dreams, but her rebuttal died as she glanced back at his unchanging expression again. Letting the matter drop, she instead picked up the pace a notch, suddenly wanting to get back to Ponyville as quick as she could.
Almost ten minutes later, they cleared the woods, causing Apple Bloom to sigh again, this time in relief. “Well, here we are! Guess ah’ll be on m’way now! See ya!”
She started to run back towards the farm…only to find herself cut off as John suddenly darted in front of her, his longer legs easily closing the gap between them. “Not so fast. I want to give you a reward for being such a lovely guide.”
His smile widened as he reached into a pocket. Apple Bloom felt her throat go dry, her previous nervousness spiking into full-blown fear. “Ah, that’s okay. Ah really don’t need anything…” she took a few steps back, only for him to advance on her as she did, refusing to let her get away.
“I insist.” He slowly withdrew his hand, holding something clenched within a fist. Reaching towards her, Apple Bloom bit her lip and leaned back as he opened his fingers to reveal…
A handful of bits.
Momentarily stupefied, Apple Bloom blinked at the coins, her gaze moving from them to John’s face and back again. She slowly held out a hoof, and he deposited the coins in it before stepping back. “Buy yourself and your friends something nice at Sugarcube Corner,” he explained, before giving her a polite nod and turning around to head back to Ponyville.
Apple Bloom watched him go for a few moments, suddenly unsure if what she’d just felt had been her imagination or not…
Night left the castle, leaving Samantha and her mother behind to talk. She had other matters to tend to, namely the spirit that she called. She made it about a quarter of the way to Sweet Surprises before she remembered that such a place didn't exist any longer and she pivoted in the right direction. "Surprise is going to be… surprised…"
“Who is Surprise?” The spirit stopped and considered, “I never knew any pony named Surprise…”
With the burning rage subdued for the time, other ponies marched right past the mad spirit without noticing it, even walking through him without knowing he was there. Night didn't have that choice. Being a shaman was complicated. "She wasn't Surprise before she got here, but she was, you know, Pinkie Pie. Either she's your Diane or she'd know where to look."
“She… she left me there…” the spirit contemplated his place in the living world.
Night approached the hive where she knew Surprise and her family stayed and nodded at the guards. "Hey, here to see Surprise this time." For a moment she was tempted to introduce her new 'friend', but they likely couldn't see him.
“The Pastel family is under guard Mrs. Watch,” the changeling guard countered without humor, “Is this official business?”
“She hasn’t heard!” the other guard chittered frantically.
Night perked an ear at the two of them. "I apologize, I've been a little preoccupied, but I'm certain she'll want to hear what I have to say,"
“Of course,” the guard immediately complied, “But there’s been a riot at the circus… and Train Wreck… he survived…”
Night flashed a fanged smile, equal as the changeling fangs she faced. "That's good news! I know the way." She moved to walk right past the guards and see what's going on. What circus?
“There’s a circus and a riot! “ The guard explained less than helpfully. “We were ordered to keep the Pastel family safe. This way, Mrs. Watch!”
Night perked an ear. "Was anyone hurt?" she asked as she went. "Is Surprise alright?"
“Surprise and Z are fine,” the guard assured, “The Princess and Train Wreck are going to bring Diane home.”
“She lives…” the spirit whispered, “I haven’t failed.”
Night glanced at her invisible friend but went quiet as they approached Surprise's room. She advanced right past the guard and clopped on the door. "Surprise? May I come in?"
“This is a… difficult time…” the voice on the other side of the door was sad and uncharacteristically timid.
An angrier, more assertive voice followed, “Tell the stupid bat pony that Z-978’s family doesn’t have time for what she thinks of them right now…”
Night rolled her eyes lightly, still, she deserved that to a point. "I'd really like to talk to you. A friend of Diane's wants to…" Crap, what should she say? "Can I come in?"
"Diane, It’s Charlie,” the spirit spoke briskly, “You left me to her. I told you she was coming for me, and you promised I would be okay. YOU PINKIE PROMISED!”
Night winced as the spirit's anger began to rise. "You guys are fine." She waved at the guards. "Thank you for showing me here."
“I- I’m sorry. I didn’t think… Know.. I thought when I should have felt…” Surprise wept openly, “But you did it. You found her. You kept her safe. You found our daughter, and you brought us together…”
“Who is Train Wreck?” the spirit turned on Night, “YOU BROUGHT ME HERE!!! Where is Diane?!?! Who is Train Wreck?”
Night heaved a largely internal sigh. "I'm trying to get inside to find out. I'm on your side, so please no shouting, alright?" She looked to the door and gave a little clop. "Can I come in, please?"
Surprised, a red unicorn approached cautiously, “I heard shouting…”
“It’s just blackberry pancakes between old friends,” Surprise explained to her newest ward, “You can both come in if you can restrain yourselves from upsetting my family any worse than they already are. This is a strawberry upside down cake conversation Charlie. So keep your voice down because I’m not sure what Z can hear.”
Night opened the door as things grew more complicated. "I'm not here to ask awkward conversations, just watch one." She nodded at the unicorn before she moved inside. "Can you see him? The one following me?"
“Charlie, are you really just standing right there… I never meant to leave you…”
“You should have had faith… The you that came back… it was Pinkie Pie… but it wasn’t Diane…”
“She’s okay,” Surprise reassured the ghost before her, “I can’t show her to you, but she’s wild and she’s free, and there’s no way anypony could hold her down. She’s safe.”
“Why are you lying to me Diane, WHY are you all LYING?!?!”
Night spread her wings a little. "Calm down. I know you don't want to calm down right now, but we aren't going to get answers like this."
“WHO IS TRAIN WRECK!?!?” the spirit demanded.
“I’m so sorry, Charlie,” Surprise cried freely, “I couldn’t save you--”
"--Enough!" Night cut in, stomping a hoof. "Sit down," she demanded forcefully, her wings going out fully. "I have made every attempt to be cordial. If you won't return the favor, this meeting ends here."
“I do not understand what has happened to me,” the spirit admitted in huff. "This is not the world I died in.”
"But here you are," offered Night. "Now here's a chance to be with those you love in some way. You're dead, and that sucks, but we have to face things as they are. Will you be a force for good or bad in the lives of those who live on?"
“I’m still here.” Recognition played across the spirit’s face, “And so is he. You didn’t trust me. You brought in a cuckoo’s egg. You thought I couldn’t make it back! I don’t need you! Any of you!”
“My family died!” the spirit laughed, “Or left me to watch them die! My slate is clean!”
Night tilted her head. "You just said you're from another world, that's about as clean as it gets." She gestured with a wing at Surprise. "She was from another world, and she's made something for herself. I'd like you to too, if you're willing." She took a slow breath. "Okay?"
“Night… no…” Surprise whispered too late.
“Oh yes,” the mad spirit laughed, “Another world, that excuses everything DOESN’T IT?!?! Have you told your new friend about the nice ch--"
Quite suddenly the spirit vanished, called off by magic alien to Night. She blinked at the empty spot, then turned to Surprise. "Um…" Did she say sorry? What to do in that situation entirely failed her. "He wasn't supposed to do that…"
“He’s… not wrong… I loved Charlie… I wish he could see that…” the green mare’s mane hung painfully straight.
Night approached the pained mare and offered her a gentle hug. "You did what you did. We can't mourn the dead forever."