Note: This takes place after the Week From Hell arc, and before Suited For Success
It had taken a lot of work, preparation, and frustrations, but eventually, Marjoram had finally whittled Twilight’s resistance down to nothing. She had finally agreed to bring Spike with them.
After the details were ironed out and finalized, Twilight finally allowed herself to be excited. Marjoram and herself were going to be going to the edge of Equestria’s explored lands to the West, toward the ancient site of an old unicorn civilization that had fallen more than a thousand years before.
While history wasn’t one of Twilight’s main areas of study, she still found it fascinating, especially when she could see pieces of it herself. Now she was going to see Marjoram geek out over the remains of the civilization, which excited her almost as much as the thought of being able to touch history did itself.
Despite her worries about removing Spike from society for several months, Twilight also knew that Spike needed to be able to be trusted. Twilight knew that Spike deserved to be given an opportunity to prove himself, especially in Marjoram’s and Twilight’s presence.
Marjoram could barely contain his excitement. Despite his poor health, and general hatred of long-distance travel, he was more excited about the trip than Twilight had seen him be excited by anything for a long time. He had repacked his bags four times in less than a week, packed enough of his tea to last him almost a year, and had reread the book Luna had given him nearly five times. Marjoram had planned the trip down to the last minute, overriding Twilight’s usual expertise in the matter.
Spike was excited as well, as the trip would be the longest trip he’d been on and would take him the farthest away from home that he’d been. He had read the book twice that Twilight knew of, and with each passing day, Marjoram and Spike would grow even more antsy.
As the deadline for their departure grew closer, the more Marjoram became stressed. If they were going to get back to Ponyville in time for the Grand Galloping Gala, they would need to leave soon. There was only one thing keeping them from leaving; they needed another hoof.
Twilight was a scholar, unused to physical labour. Marjoram was also a scholar, hindered further by his illness. Neither of them had the time or ability to be able to pull a heavy supply wagon all the way out to the Heartspire and back. Not if they wanted to get back in time for the Grand Galloping Gala.
So, Twilight and her friends had spread the word. So far, there had been no reply to their request for aid: everypony was too busy, or had others relying on them. The journey would be a long one, almost a month on hoof. Pegasi could cut the travel time in half, and Earth ponies would likely take a little longer while their magic fed off of the earth around them. They needed somepony strong, somepony who could pull a wagon and help in any ways needed-
Twilight’s thoughts were shattered when the door to the library opened, and Kafir walked in. Twilight hadn’t seen Kafir since she’d met Marjoram’s older brother, and hadn’t expected to see him again for some time. Kafir was a mercenary, and the last Twilight had heard, had been out in the Badlands providing relief to some of Celestia’s soldiers on the front lines.
“Guess who decided to show up,” Marjoram snarked from behind Kafir, “Cutting it a bit close, aren’t you?”
“I just got your letter a while ago,” Kafir retorted, “while I was on my way over here anyway. Besides, didn’t you miss your big brother!?”
“Not for at least a decade,” Marjoram replied, stepping around Kafir so Twilight could see him, “I take it you’re here to tell us you’re too busy to help? Even though we offered to pay you?”
A crooked grin, the same one that spread so easily across Marjoram’s face, bloomed on Kafir’s own muzzle, “I’m here to tell you the opposite. You pay me three-hundred bits, and I’ll help you three out. Not only will I help you get to the Heartspire, I’ll provide the wagon you two need.”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The next days were hectic; making sure everything was ready, double-checking lists, equipment, and each others’ resolve. Nopony wanted to go into the expedition half-heartedly, and no dragon either.
However, after the hectic days after Kafir’s arrival, the trip launched smoothly. They left Ponyville before dawn, with Spike still sleeping in his basket tucked away in the back of the covered wagon. Twilight sat up front, her head peering out of the canvas covering. Kafir pulled the cart along the smooth dirt road, his armour glinting in the early morning light. Marjoram, while not fully awake, was unlikely to drift back off to sleep. He stared dreamily at the elegant book Princess Luna had given him, allowing his mind to wander at what wonders he would discover in the ancient unicorn city.
It was one massive tower, everypony who had been there could agree, built largely by magic, but with clear aid of earth ponies. Nopony knew what happened to the proposed millions of earth ponies who had helped build, as the only surviving records from that time period reported no ponies beyond unicorns living under the Heartspire’s influence.
Marjoram wanted to leave Ponyville for a while, explore a ruin and try to piece together what happened. If, at the end of the expedition, Marjoram didn’t know what had happened; he’d ask Celestia and Luna. He hoped he wouldn’t need to, because the hints and clues in the book, if they were accurate, pointed to a very specific event occurring. It was only the exact details that were missing.
Finally, Twilight finished waving goodbye to her friends while Marjoram and Kafir waited. Kafir had just finished getting himself as comfortable as he was going to get while harnessed, when Twilight came back.
“Are we ready to go back there?!” Kafir called.
“I’m good! Marjoram, you alright?”
“Yes.”
“Spike still asleep?”
“Of course.”
“Yes, Kafir. We’re ready to go.”
Kafir nodded, and began to pull his wagon. He pulled it smoothly, thanks to his own strength, and the aid of an enchantment. The enchantment nullified the majority of the weight that would be pulled, and increased the space inside the wagon without it looking any larger than an average wagon. It made travelling much easier, and it helped Twilight add a few extra necessities without needing to worry about the weight.
Marjoram was tired, having been too high strung to sleep the night before, but surprisingly content. It felt weird, being in his brother’s presence again, but refreshing. Nestled in a corner, resting on his bedroll and several pillows, Marjoram fell asleep before the rolling hills of Sweet Apple Acres were completely behind them.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
In a little less than two weeks, the group had reached the last town before the seemingly endless desert that the Heartspire could be located in. It was a small town, maybe a quarter of the population of Ponyville. It was hot, and arid on the edge of the desert, but ponies made a living. How, Marjoram wasn’t sure, but the little town seemed to be moderately prosperous.
“Are you getting excited about the Gala?” Twilight asked him suddenly, from the shaded seat in front of the wagon.
Marjoram tried not to let his real thoughts of the Gala show, “Not really, though I’ve already been to one before. It won’t be very exciting for me.”
“Oh c’mon. What do you want to happen while we’re there?”
“Not get swamped with well-wishes, ‘get better soons’, and marriage proposals,” Marjoram returned dryly.
Twilight blinked, “Seriously?”
Marjoram shrugged, “I’m close to Celestia, and Luna now. It’s an in that many nobles want.”
“You guys chatting about the Gala again?” Kafir called back, slowing to a stop in a public square.
“Yes,” Marjoram stated.
Kafir shook his head, and removed his helmet. His curly mane sprung forth, now free of its confines, “Is it too late for me to get an invite?”
Marjoram shrugged, “You could always be my plus one.”
“We can bring a plus one?!” Twilight cried.
“Of course. Did the letter that Celestia sent with the tickets not say so?”
“No.”
“Well...shit. That would have been helpful, wouldn’t it?” Marjoram rolled his eyes, “Good grief, mare. You could have asked for just one extra ticket, not seven more. Do you think Shores planned for me to bring a date?”
“I hope not,” Twilight replied smugly, “I’ve never seen you look at a mare, or stallion, in that way before much less go on a date.”
Marjoram shrugged, looking away, “I’m not interested in anypony really, not physically anyway. I guess I could see myself in a relationship of sorts, but...no. That’s not the point, I can’t believe none of you asked!”
Twilight ignored Marjoram’s change of topic, “Not interested huh? What about Rarity?”
“She’s younger than me by a significant amount of time, she’s one of your close friends, and while I can admit she is a very pretty mare I am still not interested.”
“Seriously?” Kafir said, halfway out of the harness, “She’s drop-dead gorgeous. You’ve gotta be insane not to feel something,”
“And if she didn’t have standards, you’d have wooed her already,” Marjoram shot back.
Kafir rolled his eyes, fully out of the harness, “Whatever. I’m going to go refill our supplies. You three want to go wandering? Meet back here in an hour or so?”
“Sounds good. Want to wander, Spike?” Twilight asked, poking her head into the dark confines of the wagon.
“Sure, let’s go!”
Soon enough, the two ponies and one dragon were wondering the streets of the small town, wandering from shop to shop.
“I’m going to ask Rarity to fix a button for me. One of the buttons for the dress I’m wearing to the Gala broke off.”
“What dress?”
“It’s not the ugly one is it? The orange and red one with all the ruffles and ugliness?”
“Hey! I wore that dress to my cutcinera!”
“You can still fit into a dress that you wore ten years ago? I wish I could fit into something I had ten years ago.”
“You have your-”
“Don’t say my cloak. Carnation bought it large.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Fine. I’ll chat with Rarity when we get back.”
Marjoram and Spike sighed in relief, “Thank goodness,” Spike said aloud, “I was worried I’d have to try to convince her otherwise on my own.”
Marjoram stifled a chuckle, earning a glare from Twilight. Marjoram straightened, “Oh! Look, books!”
Twilight perked, “Where!?”
Marjoram pointed, and followed after Twilight. Yes it was a distraction, but books were books, and it wasn’t like they were likely to find intact volumes in the Heartspire.
Spike sighed, crossing his arms over his chest, “You two and books!”
“They have comics!”
Spike sighed, slumping briefly before joining them, “Dammit,” he murmured.
“I heard that!”
Spike cringed, but entered the shop anyway. Hopefully we won’t be too long.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Soon enough, the group had restocked on supplies, and a few books, and were standing on the dirt road, looking over the endless horizon.
“This is the last town?” Twilight double-checked.
“Yes,” Kafir replied.
“That’s the last road?”
“Yup.”
“The last tree is in this plain somewhere?”
“Yes, Twilight!” Spike interrupted, “Let’s go! We should travel at night, so poor Kafir doesn’t cook in his own armour.”
Twilight looked sheepish, “Okay. Double checking; do we have everything?”
“Yes,” Marjoram replied, “Now let’s go before you can chicken out.”
“I will not-” Twilight was cut off by the wagon lurching forward, causing her to almost lose her balance at the sudden movement.
Spike giggled, and he could see Kafir’s shoulders shaking in silent laughter. Marjoram rolled his eyes, and laid on his makeshift bed.
“Call me if you need anything.”
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Kafir pulled the wagon until the sun began to rise, and the horrible heat of the day began to set in. He climbed into the wagon, and took off his armour. He curled up on his bedroll, and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.
Marjoram, who had cast a few spells of his own on the wagon, peered out into the bright, and already heating up, world outside the dark and cool wagon. To his amazement, the sands were stained the pale pastel colours of a rainbow, faded to the point where Marjoram could only pick it out in the light.
Fetching seven glass vials, Marjoram found each colour, as faded as they were, and filled the vials with sand. Stained with magic, maybe? Was the weather controlled by unicorns before they were driven out and/or slaughtered? Did the magic of the area just die all of a sudden?
Marjoram shook himself, and climbed back into the wagon. He didn’t need to wake everyone by coughing up a lung because he was outside in the heat too long. He had been awake most of the night, trying to help Kafir navigate after the road had ended, but Marjoram still wasn’t quite tired.
Marjoram lay on his bedroll, listening to Kafir’s obnoxious snores, Spike’s restless sleep, and Twilight’s breathing. The sound of Kafir reminded Marjoram of simpler days, of when he’d shared a bed with his two other siblings because of nightmares.
Closing his eyes, Marjoram could imagine Carnation pressed against him, her soft snores in his ears. That lead to a stream of happy memories. Before he knew it, Marjoram was just as asleep as everypony else.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
The next weeks were difficult. It was hard to navigate a featureless desert. It was painful for them to suddenly be mostly nocturnal. It was arduous to imagine an end to the desert. It was harder still to imagine they would have any supplies left before they reached the Heartspire.
Somehow, the journey that had seemed to take forever was over before anypony thought possible.
A sheer wall of cliffs, stretching on for kilometers, was unbroken except for in one spot; where the Heartspire sat. Kafir knew they were kilometers away, but its enormity was still clearly visible, even at night. It was good to finally have a marker, being able to visually see where they were going. When they had first spotted it, the spire on top had been its only visible part. As the group drew nearer, they began to see the tower’s base and middle.
“So...can I get a souvenir?” Spike asked suddenly, approximately one night away from the entrance to the tower itself.
Marjoram choked on his tea, and Twilight looked appalled. They ignored Spike completely for a moment, staring at each other with wide eyes.
“How could we have raised him so wrong?” Twilight asked.
“I don’t know how he could think defiling important historical sites is a good idea-”
Spike facepalmed, grimacing at the panic in his friends’ voices. Kafir began to laugh loudly, earning ire from Marjoram and Twilight.
“This isn’t a laughing matter!”
“I’m not asking if we can take stuff back from the tower!” Spike stated before the conversation could move forward, “I just want to get a figurine or something from the town!”
“Oh,” Twilight deadpanned, blushing from her overreaction, “Sorry Spike.”
Marjoram had the decency to look apologetic as well, though he said nothing. Spike rolled his eyes, and did his best to look forward, toward the tower. He’d read the descriptions of the tower himself and even that hadn’t prepared him for the life-sized proportions in front of him.
From where they were, the tower reached towards the heavens; past cloud cover that was impossible to see through. Even in the dim light of the full moon, Spike could see wild clouds breaking against the sides of the tower, parting for the only obstacle they could face this far away from pony civilization. The towers smooth walls were interrupted by three grooves that spiraled up the tower, and would have helped give the tower some feel of nature if it weren’t for its unnatural size, and the desert.
Even from far away, Spike could see the gaping entrances into the spire. All three were obscenely large, looking like the mouths of some horrible monsters waiting for them to enter their waiting maws in order to eat them. Looking at the base, Spike could guess that Celestia’s castle would fit within its walls.
Spike hated to admit it, but he felt...off this far away from civilization. The clouds behaved erratically, the cliffs weren’t like any he’d seen, and even the air tasted funny. It wasn’t because of the dry heat, a heat that Spike had learned he liked. Spike strove to describe the difference in the air, but he lacked the words to do so; either because he didn’t know the proper words, or because the proper words eluded him. It was unsettling, and different, and very exciting in comparison to life in Ponyville.
What really got Spike to realize the size of the tower, however, wasn’t the size of the base or the three gaps that signified the entrance; it was the fact that the tower didn’t seem to have a noticeable taper in width until the clouds began to get caught on the towers sides.
Spike was excited about the coming adventure, but he was also worried they would discover what would bring such an obviously powerful civilization to an end.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*
Marjoram sat on the edge of the wagon, craning his neck up to see the tower that loomed above him, so high that Marjoram was unsure if he could ever completely understand its true scope. Only a few more minutes until they reached the entrance of the tower, and they would be inside the Heartspire. Inside a portion of mostly lost unicorn history.
As excited as Marjoram was, he forced himself to sit mostly still. He didn’t want to burn through his energy reserves too quickly when exploring the first room, no matter how fascinating it was. Marjoram had to keep himself cool, calm, collected.
For the first time in weeks, the wheels of the wagon hit smooth stone. It was a gentle incline, flanked by stairs, that allowed entry into one of the largest buildings standing on Equestria’s surface.
In spite of himself, Marjoram hopped off of the wagon, and landed on the hard stone beneath him, “We’ll explore the inside tonight, and get some sleep. Tomorrow morning, we’ll look at the outside, and continue on. It shouldn’t get too hot, not with all the stone.”
Kafir nodded, “Might get a bit warm if we’re near the outside walls, or if any sunlight can get into the tower, but I don’t think we’ll need to worry about the heat like we have been.”
“Look at the flagstones for the stairs, Twilight. They’re massive. Bigger than the ones outside the palace. Do you think any of the other lands know about this?”
Twilight shrugged from her place on the wagon, “I have no idea. We can write to Orchidée*. See if she or her father knows anything.”
“Or her court,” Marjoram replied, “The Prench courts have many unicorns, and they might be fascinated to see how we’ve evolved since this was all built. We’ll have to see if magic was used in the construction, or if the earth ponies did it all themselves, and the enchantments were put on after the blocks were placed.”
“How can you tell it’s not just one stone, carved to be like this?” Spike asked.
“Well, the foundation was probably carved out of the cliff, and I have no doubt the cliffsides were raided for stone. I’m sure if we kept going past the tower, over that way, we’d find massive evidence of quarrying, since we didn’t see any on the way here. But, the cliffs aren’t tall enough for that, and wouldn’t be even before the thousand plus years of degradation because of the sea.”
“Okay, okay,” Spike cut Marjoram off, realizing Marjoram would go into full lecture-mode if not interrupted, “I get it.”
“Good idea, though,” Twilight beamed, taking in the sight of the three arches that loomed ahead, “How long did this take, did you think?”
“Too long. The ponies that lived here were probably corrupt before the final blocks were put in place,” Marjoram replied, “It would have been years, even if large amounts of magic were used in its creation.”
“If the earth ponies were tasked with the building, it wouldn’t be surprising that after a few decades the unicorns would think themselves superior. Not if the earth ponies were doing all of the hard work,” Twilight speculated.
“Not counting the fact that rumours say something else was at work, too,” Marjoram said, walking alongside the wagon.
“We don’t know if those are anything but rumours!”
Marjoram shrugged, “Could be, but a lot of rumour is based in some form of fact-Oh! Are those jewels inlaid into the arch there!?”
Twilight sighed, and hopped off the wagon, bringing Spike with her, “Do you think we’ve lost him already?”
“We lost him the minute we first saw the spire on top of this thing,” Spike returned, “I want to see the jewels, let’s go!”
Twilight sighed, trailing after Spike. The second she saw what Marjoram was pointing out, however, her jaw unhinged. Spike reached up to gently close it, apparently not realizing his own muzzle was hanging open.
A multitude of jewels shone in the light of the moon. Twilight couldn’t tell what kinds they were, not with how far away they were, but many of them must have been ponymade (or dragonmade, Twilight’s mind suggested), because of their size.
“They’re huge!” Twilight breathed.
“They must be worth a fortune,” Kafir stated, startling Twilight with his sudden appearance. The wagon was just inside the entrance.
“They’re beautiful,” Marjoram whispered.
“They look delicious!” Spike said, his mouth watering at the sight, “I’ve never seen jewels like these.”
“On our way out, we’ll see if we can’t get a few out of the inlay. A few small ones. One for Spike to try, to see if he can identify it, and one or two to take back,” Marjoram said, still mesmerized, “Remind me to get the camera in the morning. I want to document everything before we start to tamper.”
“Will do,” Twilight replied, “I promise.”
“I wonder what they look like in daylight,” Spike wondered, licking his lips, “They must be amazing.”
“Probably. We’ll see them in the morning. C’mon, let’s get camp set up, and we’ll go to bed.”
“I think I’m too hungry to go to bed now.”
“Well then, we’ll eat something, too.”
“Think we’ll have to pry him loose with a crowbar?” Kafir cut in, staring over Twilight’s withers at his brother.
“Probably,” Marjoram mumbled, squinting up at the jeweled archway, “I’m going to come inside and look around a little, alright. By all accounts there shouldn’t be anything more than the lights above us and the ramp.”
“I’ll get the bedrolls and stuff laid out. I’m so happy we don’t have to stay in the wagon anymore,” Twilight smiled.
“Me too.”
“Twilight! Spike, come look at the lights! They look just like stars!”
Twilight chuckled, and made her way into the tower proper, past the parked wagon. She had been expecting a large, circular room with a high ceiling, with lights overhead. That description wasn’t entirely false, but it didn’t do the entrance room any justice.
There were paths of stone, wide enough for two wagons with room on either side. Taking up the majority of the empty space was fields. Nothing but patches of sand, a few weak looking plants, and uneven stonework was left of the fields, however. The rest of it would have been worn away by time and lack of upkeep.
What caught the majority of Twilight’s attention wasn’t the fields, the paths, or their varying states of neglect. What caught her attention was the ceiling. It was dark in the room, lit by a few torches Kafir had attached to his wagon, and by a golden orb of light hovering near the entrance. Once the light vanished, it was impossible to see the full scope of the room.
What could be seen, however, were the stars that shone distantly above. They were all faint, and some were flickering. From her vantage point, Twilight saw them only as pinpricks, but she knew them to be much larger.
Marjoram stood away from the lights, barely visible in the gloom. His head was craned back, so he could peer at the lights far above him. As Twilight watched, a layer of golden magic appeared under Marjoram’s feet and began to lift him into the air.
Marjoram ignored the calls of Twilight, focusing hard on the magic that kept him aloft. Slowly, then gaining speed through confidence, Marjoram raced toward the growing lights, being careful of the dark shapes that began to zoom past him.
Soon, Marjoram found what he was looking for: a dormant ‘star’. Marjoram made a point to not look down, because he honestly didn’t trust his chances if he lost focus on the magical field that felt firm underhoof.
The dormant globe, now that Marjoram could see under the light of the still active globes he could tell what shape they were, was a little more than one meter across across. It was made of some type of glass or crystal, as opaque as any metal. Even now, dark and still, Marjoram could feel the magic coming off of it in waves.
They must have been so powerful when they were just created. Probably could still fry me if I came too close to them now. Anything organic coming within a few meters of these probably would have incinerated at once. Creators, what could have made these?
Marjoram’s horn throbbed warning him of the magic overuse that was imminent. Content with his investigations for now, Marjoram left the dormant globe alone, and began to return to the ground. Once his hooves touched the ground, Marjoram let the barrier go.
“What were you thinking?” Twilight demanded, “That was so stupid-”
“It’s okay,” Marjoram soothed, “I’m fine, and now I know I have to go photograph one. I’ll see if I can’t scan it for magic. These things must be ancient, and there’s so many of them. There must be something keeping them all up, and even a few are still active. This is so exciting, a chance to study ancient magic that’s still working-”
“Slow down and sit down,” Twilight nudged Marjoram toward the camp she had set up, “C’mon, you can rest and talk at the same time.”
Marjoram rolled his eyes, but allowed Twilight to push him toward the wagon, “I know, but it’s just so exciting!”
“It’ll be here when we wake up!”
“I know! That’s why I didn’t get the camera before I got up there. You should come with me tomorrow, Twilight. I can teach you the spell I used-”
“Tomorrow,” Twilight said firmly, “Sweet Celestia, is this what I’m like when I’m studying?”
“Yes,” Marjoram and Spike replied in unison, earning a chuckle from Kafir and a glare from Twilight.
Twilight rolled her eyes, “Then take it from me, you don’t want to be trying to explore this without getting some sleep.”
Marjoram grimaced, but acquiesced, “Fine. I’ll get some sleep, if I can. No promises.”
Twilight nodded, “Even if you just pretend to sleep for a few hours, it’ll help.”
“Doesn’t mean I’m going to like it, though.”
“Never said you had to enjoy sleeping in one of the most magically interesting sites known to Equestria. I’m just saying that you have to get some rest. Otherwise you’ll burn out, and we’ll have to leave before we really get started-”
“I know, Twilight,” Marjoram said softly, “I know.”
Twilight offered a reassuring smile, “I promise tomorrow will be awesome. Though it’s probably going to be a long day. We won’t be able to make camp on an incline, not with the wagon.”
Marjoram nodded, “Yeah. We’ll have to spend a day or two in some of the residences anyway. You know, explore, document, and stuff. It’ll be fun.”
“I wonder what’s left of the everyday items,” Twilight said, sitting on her bedroll, “Like pots, pans, combs. Stuff like that.”
“Depending on what exactly happened here, there could be quite a bit preserved. The outside seems almost completely intact, so it stands to reason that the unicorns poured as much power into their objects as they did the main building.”
Twilight shrugged, “Maybe, but they could have just left everything to rot. Look at these fields.”
Marjoram shook his head, “Apparently these weren’t your normal gardens. The book says that each individual field was supposed to house it’s own environment. Tundra, desert, plain, jungle. All within a few meters of each other. Tons of magic would have been used to keep everything alive, so the second that magic stopped, the fields began to deteriorate. This isn’t surprising.”
Twilight nodded slowly, “Let’s hope there are some things left.”
“There will be something, even if it’s nothing more than whispers of the past. I promise.”
“Do you think there are ghosts here?” Spike asked suddenly, peering frightfully past the circle of light that kept them from being totally blind in the oppressive darkness of the tower.
“Not like what you’re thinking of, Spike. There’s no proof of those existing. Are we likely to find hints at what happened here? Of what happened to the ponies who were once proud to call this place their home? Yes. But those are the only ghosts we’ll find; I promise. Just tales of the past.”
Spike nodded, sucking on a ruby Twilight had saved for when they reached the Heartspire. He curled into his basket, and turned away from the looming blackness.
That settled, Marjoram made himself as comfortable as he was going to get while sleeping on the stone floor. In spite of his excitement, Marjoram found himself suddenly very weary. Closing his eyes, Marjoram rolled over to face the darkness so the light wouldn’t bother him. Snuggling the stuffed dog Spike had given him, that Twilight had forced Marjoram to pack, Marjoram found himself drifting off to sleep.
Just a few meters away, Marjoram could hear Spike whispering to himself, over and over like a mantra:
“There’s no such thing as ghosts, there’s no such thing as ghosts, there’s no such thing as ghosts…”