Dead Heart

by Leila Drake

Level 17 - A Royal Visit

"Nightmare Night, what a fright,

give us something sweet to bite!",

yelled five Crusaders at the door of Golden Oaks Library.

Spike squinted and picked his wooden sword up from the ground. "Sheesh, tune it down a little, okay?!"

"Sorry", said Sweetie Belle through her bandages.

The library door opened, revealing Twilight and Fluttershy. Twilight was already wearing her Clover the Clever costume. The bells on her hat rang with every step she took. Fluttershy had put on a flower crown and a pretty green dress that looked like large pointed felt leaves stitched together.

"Hi everypony! Did you have fun so far?", asked the Princess.

"Yeah, it was awesome!", squeed Button. "Everypony loves my scythe!" He waved his scythe at Twilight. The blade was made of paper and it was scaled to fit his size but aside from that it looked rather realistic. Button himself was wearing a dark cloak, the hood concealing most of his face. He seemed to be doing some kind of Grim Reaper impression.

Scootaloo's costume was a little harder to recognize. She had painted her entire coat light blue, making her look like a pony popsicle. Some spots on her back were blank, though. Maybe the paint had already been rubbed off there. Twilight guessed that the pegasus had a Windigo in mind.

"We're going to give a candy off'rin' to Nightmare Moon after your door!", said Applebloom. Her accent and bow gave her identity away, the rest was hidden beneath a bedsheet with two large holes cut out for her to see through.

Derpy and Turner smiled. The mailmare added, "We're going to get Mara and the others after that."

"I guess I should tell Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow it's almost time", said Fluttershy quietly and flew off.

Twilight floated a basket of sweets closer to the door and let the Crusaders pick some of them. They assaulted the basket, then dashed off, laughing and cheering, Spike and Dinky's parents trying hard to keep up.

"When did Dinky get so fast?", wondered Derpy, a little out of breath.

Turner laughed. "I suppose it's gotten rare that we have to actually run after her."

- - -

The only pony left at the library door was Twilight. She smiled and closed the door.

Every time the Crusaders left it felt as if a storm had passed.

Where is Priest anyway? Didn't he want to join in the festivities?

She frowned and shook her head. Maybe he's had second thoughts. But why isn't he at home then?

A Who made her look up.

"Hello, Owliscious. Did you see where Priest went?"

"Who."

"He's still gone? That's odd. Maybe he's at the marketplace with Rarity and the others. Come to think of it, I haven't seen Pinkie Pie either."

"Who?" The owl widened her eyes, then narrowed them.

"You're right, I should be more patient. Oh well, let's wait until everypony comes for the storytelling. If he still doesn't show up, I'll ask Rainbow Dash if she can look for him."

- - -

Princess Luna waited until the children were gone, then dropped her Nightmare Moon disguise.

"Well now", she said to one of her guards, "It seems that this Nightmare Night has been a success, more so than last year. 'Tis hard to stay composed with all those happy faces around. Hast thou noticed the Grim Reaper?" A not-so-dignified squee escaped the Princess.

The guard, a bat pony called Still Leaf, nodded, a small smile on his face. Princess Luna still kept mixing the old and new speech sometimes but he knew when to hold his breath. He rustled his leathery wings. "Yes, your Highness. Quite impressive for a young colt's costume... Do you wish to return to the castle?"

She frowned. "You may fly ahead without me. I shall go to Ponyville and visit Princess Twilight. There is something urgent I need to take care of."

"Your Highness." Still Leaf saluted and he and the other guards took off, Luna's sky carriage in their tow. They were already out of the Everfree Forest so it wasn't necessary for them to stay with her anymore, if only to watch her back.

Luna sighed and made her way to town, deep in thought. Her mane and tail flowed in the arcane breeze, a night sky below the night sky.

Her recent encounter with Priest was still occupying her mind. There was something about that human that made her uneasy, like a cold veil that nopony could see. The feeling had been weaker when she had been in his dream but now it was back again. Celestia had said it was probably him being undead. Maybe that was it... but maybe not.

- - -

Pinkie's hooves moved a small rock across the carpet. It had been a gift from her sister Maud. She liked to play with it on the rare occasions that she was not in the mood to go into town and be with her friends. This time, one particular friend needed her and if it involved staying indoors being bored it couldn't be helped.

"How are you doing in there?" she asked tentatively, shifting Rocky (her imagination had improved in the years after recieving the gift but she had kept the name for her pebble) from one corner of the carpet to the opposite one. "Anything I can do to help? Something to drink maybe?"

"Uh, thanks, not really. I just... can you stay here for a bit?"

"Of course!" Priest could hear Pinkie's smile in her voice. "If there's something you need, just tell me, okay?"

"Yeah."

Rocky went to the middle of the carpet to get a better view of the staircase.

"Pinkie?"

"Yes?" She jumped up and pressed her ear against the door.

"Have you ever... Did you ever feel like your friends don't really need you?"

Her ears splayed back. "What makes you ask that?"

She could hear some shuffling inside the bathroom.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

"Nope!"

"It was an accident. I'm not really of any use here, you know. I wouldn't go back if I could but... ever since I came here I've just caused trouble..."

Pinkie frowned. "Don't be so hard on yourself! Nothing bad that happened here was your fault! Except if you can secretly manipulate the thaumaturgic spheres, resulting in a feral spirit haunting Ponyville but somehow I don't think that's the case, do you?"

"Er. Pinkie, what you said didn't make any sense."

"Neither do you! And believe me, I've been in your position, thinking that nopony likes me. Look, Priest, I know that sometimes things look sad and scary but there's always a way through if you trust your friends to stand by your side. You have been a really good friend, everypony here that knows you thinks so."

Priest sighed and leaned against the door with his back, then slid down to sit on the ground. "I just don't know what to do."

"Well", said Pinkie, "I suggest you flush properly and wash your hands and then we can go and join the others. Don't you think that would be much nicer than hugging a toilet seat? It seems a teensy little bit suspicious to me that you started getting sick the second that Spike was busy with the Crusaders, you know."

"Ouch."

"Sorry." She grinned apologetically, then remembered he couldn't see it through the door.

"But you're probably right", said Priest.

- - -

A knock at the front door made Twilight jump, then rush over to open it.

"Welcome back, I just - Princess Luna? I mean, Luna! Er, how are you?"

"I am fine, Twilight Sparkle", smiled Luna. "Are you enjoying Nightmare Night so far? Are your friends not here?"

"They are closing the stalls right now. I suppose they will arrive any moment... please, come in..."

"Very well", said Luna, entering the library, "this is quite fortunate for I need to discuss an urgent matter with you before I return to Canterlot."

Twilight frowned. "Is something wrong? Did everypony treat you all right this time?"

Luna waved dismissively. "'Twas a splendid celebration. No, this is about something else entirely. Somebody, to be exact."

She sat down on one of the pillows that Twilight had spread on the floor and let her gaze wander. "Your decoration is very unique. Is this Rarity's doing?"

Twilight nodded, "She helped a lot. Oh, right! Would you like anything to drink or some candy maybe?"

Luna chuckled. "Come, sit with me, Twilight. Your courtesy is appreciated but I have to give your little friends from Ponyville credit – I am stuffed."

"Right." Twilight grinned sheepishly. "So, about the problem...?"

Luna cleared her throat. "I suppose you are aware of my dreamwalking duties?"

Twilight nodded.

"Well, last night I was doing just that, like I always do. But yesterday's dreams were quite... unusual." She frowned.

"Unusual? I always thought that dreams were kind of surreal anyway...?"

"They still abide to certain rules", stated Luna. "They are defined and shaped by the dreamer's mind. But this time, something else took hold of a dream."

Twilight's eyes widened. "What could do something like that? Could it be the Nightmare?"

"I am afraid it is not that simple. I believe it is a ghost." She glanced at Twilight. "You do not look surprised."

The purple alicorn looked down. "I wrote a letter to Celestia about the ghost that attacked Ditzy. She sent me a book but... we didn't really get anywhere."

"I see. She told me about your encounter. I am sure that the ghost in the dream matches the description of your ghost."

"I... I didn't give you a description."

"Ah, no, you did not, but you know the dreamers. Mara Dust and Jonathan Baker? And I recognized the shape of the spirit. It is unlike the ghosts that ponies usually imagine after a scary bedtime story but instead it is, as they say, the real deal."

Twilight's jaw dropped. "Why d-did you not tell me that you have encountered ghosts before?", she stammered.

Luna raised an eyebrow. "What good would that have done? I only know what they look like because somepony used to dream of spirits a thousand years ago! I do not know how to deal with them, much less how to vanquish them. Why didst thou think we sent Mara to Ponyville in the first place?", she chided, slipping back into the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Twilight instinctively pulled her head back and squinted her eyes, her ears splaying back.

Massaging her temples, Luna sighed. "I had hoped that she would find out more about the spirit and investigate whether Priest could help vanquish it. Look at the mess we have now. Both are scared of it and it managed to harm one of our subjects! I am concerned for your safety - more so now that I do not know where Priest is standing."

Twilight swallowed, then, with a detemined expression, she declared, "Priest is my friend. He really wants to help us. We just need more time to figure this out."

"We may be running out of time", warned Luna. "To-night is a special night for a reason, Twilight. The veil is thin this time of the year. The ghost might return this very evening. You must be ready to vanquish it!"

"But – how?"

Luna hung her head. "I wish I could give you better advice than this. Arcane magic cannot affect spirits. Even our alicorn magic is useless against them. But Mara can see the spirit and may be able to communicate with it. Priest can see it as well. So they should work together and look after the pony that got attacked lest the spirit returns and strikes again. I tried to convince them to do that in their dream but I am not sure whether I succeeded. It is not as direct as a waking conversation."

"I see. I'll make sure to inform my friends of the situation. We invited Ditzy over tonight so we can keep her under our protection anyway. She does not know that certain reason, though." Twilight scrunched her nose and looked up. "Should I tell her?"

Luna shook her head. "The fewer ponies know about this danger the better. It might feed on fear like the windigoes."

"Oh."

But aren't ponies afraid of the unknown, too? On the other hoof, in this case I suppose they'd be more afraid of a ghost.

Luna stood up. "I must go now, Twilight. Remember to reassure Mara. She is our hope. If she fails I have to take the matter into my own hooves and make arrangements for Ditzy's safety. I would hate if it came to that. Do not hesitate to contact me if the need arises... though I still wish I could help more than just give vague advice."

Twilight sighed and nodded. "It's okay, Luna, I'm sure we can deal with it somehow. Thank you for warning us."

"Good luck to you and your friends." Luna hugged her, then departed in silence.

Comments

[CoastalSarv]

EEEEEEE GAWD THEYRE SO CUUUUUUUTE... erh, and scary, of course.

[medictf2]

very good

[Mother3Forever]

I like Button's and Dinky's costumes.

[Zemez]

Dinky's and button's costumes actually look real.

[Wolfblood2203]

The picture in the authors note aren't working

[Leila Drake]

10304807
/Rarity voice "This just won't do!"
Thanks for pointing it out.
I think I fixed it. Did it work?

[Wolfblood2203]

10306082
Yeah its fixed, cool picture

[Teraunce]

Hey! A picture that actually works! Now I have cuteabeetus from it!