Mending Light

by Kiromancer

73 - Ivory

We weren’t clear of danger yet, though what exactly was the biggest threat, I couldn’t say. The thugs had been lying in wait, a trap clearly intended to catch us. They were a known threat, at least. The zombie ponies that Dusky had directed to ‘rescue’ us had been equally, if not more, horrifying to me.

Above it all was the spectre of whatever was behind it all, the demon that haunted Dusky’s dreams. The thing that had somehow summoned those thugs here to find her, and which even now could be waiting for us up ahead. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, threatening to explode. It was bad even even without pushing ourselves to sprint through the woods to… wherever we were heading.

Our pace wasn’t exactly panicked—both of us were too exhausted to do much more than keep going along the tiny trail that only led us deeper. What had created this trail, I couldn’t say. This forest didn’t seem as foreboding and ominous as the Everfree, but considering all I’d seen today, I was ready for anything. Every tree concealed some threat, every shadow disguised a monster of some sort or another. We’d fled from one danger into another, I just couldn’t be sure where the next strike would come from.

Dusky slowed down ahead of me, pointing a wing forward at a gnarled tree stump that sat just beside the path. “That stump marks the halfway point. There’s a small break in the canopy ahead. Why don’t we take a moment there?”

I peered about the path, pausing to cast a look behind us. No signs of pursuit. If that meant anything at all. “Are you sure we have time?”

“We’ll have to make some. We still have to cover this distance again.” She smiled tiredly, looking more exhausted than I could imagine. I knew that I needed to catch my breath just as badly as she did. “If we don’t take a breather, we’ll collapse before we make it to Ivory’s.”

Taking a quick breath, I sighed. She was right, of course. “Alright.”

As Dusky promised, the forest broke not much further ahead, the tall tree canopy breaking away to reveal a bit of open sky, even if the clearing wasn’t exactly all that ‘clear’. The sunlight still felt good as we walked carefully through the thick forest growth to stop in the center.

I took a long breath, looking up to the sky, realizing just how strangely claustrophobic the forest had felt. It was like a trap, from which we were only now breaking free.

Dusky turned back and stepped in close, pressing her muzzle against the forelock of my mane before looking into my eyes. She sighed deeply. “Sorry. You really deserved better than that. I know you know I didn’t do it on purpose, but I should have put more thought into it. I should have trusted you. Instead, you got the scare of your life.”

“I forgive you.” The words came out quickly. Apparently too quickly, as Dusky immediately raised an eyebrow, but how could I not? Not that long ago, I’d been making a very similar apology to her in Ostfriesen for all the trouble I’d dragged her into. I laughed quietly in that isolated little alcove. “It’s only fair. Celestia knows you’ve put up with all my regrets.”

The pain in her expression melted away into a much more welcome smile. “This is such a Terra statement, but I guess that just proves how compatible we are.”

Had I not been so exhausted, and perhaps after giving her forewarning, I’d have lunged forward to hug her tight. For now, I just mirrored her grin. “Guess so.”

The sudden sound of hooves through the forest returned me to the dire stakes we faced. Dusky’s ears went up, and she fell into a ready stance, prepared to fight. I fell in right alongside her, training kicking in as best it could, even through my exhaustion.

The noise grew closer. Running. Noisily, too. Whoever they were, they made no attempt at concealment, and they were definitely coming right towards us. I tensed, but to my surprise, Dusky almost seemed to relax her stance. She stepped aside as if to give the assailant an opening, and then leaned in to watch.

A pony emerged from the opposite side of the clearing from which we’d entered, galloping through the woods. They had a silvery-white coat, but any other features were concealed by a dark cloak. With a bit of movement, they saw us and turned, pushing into the clearing.

“Dusky!” A mare’s voice emerged from with the cloak, It covered her head, only her snout and the tip of a unicorn's horn emerging from the within. Despite her hidden appearance, she seemed relieved as she called out. “What happened? Are you okay?”

Dusky practically dropped there, her stance fading away as she smiled. “Yeah. Sorry for tripping your sentries like that, but a rather large band of ruffians decided they didn’t want to play nice.”

“Sentries?” It was the first word that stood out to me. There hadn’t been any sentries. Only the ‘ruffians’, and… the dead.

“Not those. Well, yes those, but more importantly the dark pres—” The unicorn suddenly clenched her jaw, staring at me like an unwanted rain cloud. “Who is that?”

There was a moment’s hesitation before Dusky pointed a hoof back at me. “This is Night. Night, Ivory. Ivory, Night.”

Ivory. So this was her. I glanced at Dusky, unsure how I should respond, then back to Ivory. “Um, hi.”

“Oh! The boyfriend!”

I blushed a bit, suddenly feeling more awkward than I could have imagined.

Dusky grinned at me. “Fiance now.”

“What? Since when?” Ivory almost seemed ready to lunge forward at me, her stance going rigid, when just as quickly she dismissed it, waving a hoof. “Never mind. Tell me later. We should get you back to my cottage. To be honest, you two look like you were dragged a mile under a cart.”

It wasn’t too far from the truth, and Dusky seemed almost embarrassed. “Yeah… it’s, uh, been a rough few days. There’s been a lot going on that we don’t understand. Speaking of which, what was that about a dark presence?”

“Later. The details are going to be long and you should get some rest first.” Turning without flourish, Ivory stepped back onto the path and led us onward. “Just know that you are safe from it for the time being.”

I raised an eyebrow. Just what kind of pony was Ivory anyways? Dusky seemed perfectly at ease with her, the two clearly speaking to one another like old friends. Ivory seemed like a pony cast to play Starswirl the Bearded in a school pageant, and wore the mystique as easily as she wore her cloak.

We walked on in silence until we came around a long bend into a wider pathway that lead straight through to a cabin set amidst the woods. It was a simple log cabin, no color and no decoration, just a single building without anything significant, save for its location this deep into the woods.

With a glow of magic, Ivory opened the door and lead us inside. The most striking feature within was the small hearth that burned along one side of the cabin, welcoming both in its warmth and the pleasant crackling of the flames. Bookshelves lined the wall, crammed full of bound books and sheaths of parchment and rolled scrolls. Beyond that, there was a well worn dining table and chairs.

Her head bobbing about, Ivory orchestrated her magic to pop open a white cabinet set beside the book cases and pull out a pair of cots, levitating them out towards the fireplace. Once they’d opened up and been set into place, she at last lifted her head to let her magic pull back her cloak.

Ivory’s face was lined with age and a fair share of sorrow. Her shimmering white coat was balanced by a black mane, darker than Dusky’s own charcoal coat. Her eyes settled on me first and she started to say something, then stopped and started again. “I know it isn’t much, but I hope you can forgive the sparse accommodations. Beds are a bit hard to come by out here.”

I felt like I could cut the awkward tension with a knife. I kicked a hoof and dipped my head. “Oh, it’s, um, fine.”

Dusky nodded. “He’s no stranger to camping on the road.”

“Good.” Ivory lifted her head and smirked. “I can’t imagine anypony with less fortitude being your fiance. Now, get some rest, both of you.”

Frowning, Dusky pursed her lips. She started to open her mouth, but closed it as Ivory shook her head.

“Sorry, Dusky. I understand you must have many questions, but trust me, you will want to be well rested and coherent for this discussion. It will be long and the solution will not be easy.”

“That’s… ominous. But, well, okay. I’ll do my best to make sure I’m prepared.” Dusky looked towards the bed for only a moment, then back at Ivory with a grim look. “Just one thing: would that dark presence be able to touch dreams?”

I glanced at Dusky, suddenly worried as well. Ivory said we were safe here, but did that just mean against the thugs and that darkness? If Dusky was still vulnerable in her dreams, this was no better than the hotel in Crystalside had been.

Ivory raised an eyebrow. “Quite the specific question.”

“I’ve been having nightmares,” Dusky frowned, nodding to me before returning her attention to Ivory. “ones that I suspect are being magically tampered with.”

Watching Dusky carefully, Ivory narrowed her eyes. “What makes you says that?”

“Mostly, a hunch. The intensity is well beyond anything I’ve ever felt. Everything about it just seems wrong.” Dusky’s voice faltered towards the end. It was a little hard to blame her, considering how little we knew and how tired we both were.

Ivory managed a smile, bowing her head into a slight nod. “Given what I’ve gleaned thus far, you are probably right. Were it any kind of curse or enchantment, I would at least be able to detect it, and you, Dusky, are magic- free.”

With a heavy sigh, Dusky smiled back, hesitant, but the relief was obvious. “Thanks, Ivory. I’ll see you in the morning.” She smiled at me and at last moved to the cots. As she climbed onto it, and set down her head, she must have fallen asleep immediately, nearly two days of exhaustion and terror behind her.

I glanced at Ivory, but she was already moving towards her bookcases, beginning to levitate out several books. I sighed, and climbed into the second cot. I looked back towards Ivory as I drifted off, and found that she was looking back, watching me before turning her attention back to the books. Following Dusky’s lead, I let my exhaustion drag me into sleep as well.

---

It sadly didn’t last. For a long list of reasons: the Cartel, zombies, the dark presence that stalked Dusky’s nightmares, and foremost of all, Ivory herself: sleep came and went. I don’t know how long it was, but I found myself returning to consciousness. Tossing and turning, I tried to let the exhaustion overwhelm me again, but at some point, I simply couldn't take it. I pulled the blankets off and stepped out of the cot to stretch my legs at the very least.

Dusky, thankfully, slept deeply with a look of contented exhaustion on her face. She needed a peaceful rest far more than I did, and I was happy to see her get it. I took a moment to watch her for any signs that she might be struggling, that she might be trapped in a nightmare once again, but there was nothing.

I leaned in, brushing a strand of her mane out of the way to kiss her forehead.

"You should get more rest while you can." Ivory's voice came from the far end of the room.

She sat on a woolen rug, surrounded by several piles of books as she went from one to the next. She would flip through each tome quickly, only occasionally stopping when something caught her interest, then she'd levitate a quill towards a scrap of parchment, make a note, and move on.

Quietly stepping away from Dusky, I moved closer, stopping short of her ring of books. "I couldn't sleep now even if I wanted to. Too much on my mind... her especially."

Ivory set her current book down to look at me, an expression that I couldn't quite place. She was trying to read me, but her own emotions were hard to place. She’d acted so familiar with Dusky, but now she was nervous, not quite afraid, but certainly unsure. "She's safe here.”

I smiled as warmly as I could. Concern for Dusky's wellbeing was a very strong common ground. "I know. That’s at least one burden off my mind, for now.”

After a pregnant pause, Ivory returned a somewhat awkward smile. "I'm glad she has somepony like you."

Nearly laughing, I shook my head. Somepony like me. Who was I? Night Light. "I'm glad she has somepony like you too. She put a lot of faith into you in coming here. Thank you for helping her."

Ivory tensed slightly, the smile falling away. "She is one of the very few ponies who has been willing to look past my title."

"Necromancer."

She flinched as I said it, as if I'd just threatened to strike her, but her eyes went hard, and I realized that she hadn't been nervous about me, at least, not entirely. She was afraid of what I would think of her.

"A year ago, I wouldn't have believed such a thing existed." I took a step closer to Ivory, extending a hoof towards her. "Dusky trusts you, Ivory. She trusts you with her life. That puts you into a very, very special group, which I would be honored to consider a friend."

Watching my hoof carefully, she at last lifted a hoof to press against my own. She relaxed slowly, letting a far more natural smile break across her face. "She's a very special pony."

I sighed as I looked back at her, sleeping calmly. "She is... If it's not too personal to ask, how did you meet her?"

Ivory's smile faded again, and she sighed, walking out from within her books to walk towards her fireplace, levitating out a very welcome-looking pot. She glanced back at me and waved me to her table. "Come. Sit down. Do you drink tea?"

"I, err, yes! All kinds. Whatever you've got." I followed over and sat at her table while she put a kettle over her fireplace.

"Chamomile, mint or black tea." She dipped her head apologetically. "It's not much, just what I grow myself."

"Chamomile, then."

She set out some mismatched cups from a nearby cabinet and silently worked to mix some leaves into them. When the kettle nearly came to a boil, she pulled it out before it could whistle. Without flourish, she poured hot water into first her cup, then mine.

I watched the tea seep, blowing slightly as its color deepened. I blew the steam away after a moment and took a careful sip, savoring the taste of the garden-grown tea leaves.

"Dusky and I met years ago. She always carries a weapon on her, and my..." She hesitated for just a moment, swallowing her words a moment before she continued. "My sentries mistook her for a bandit. She crashed in the forest, twisted one of her legs. I had her brought here. I mended it as best I could."

I winced. Every pegasus had a crash story at some point in their life. They were never fun, not to mention the terror of seeing the 'sentries'. I’d had Dusky to at least give me some reassurance that they weren't the enemy. Dusky had been attacked by them.

Ivory sipped at her own tea and took another breath before she continued. "She was scared, of course. She'd heard the stories about the Necromancer in Pasture, I couldn't blame her. But then she surprised me. She started asking different questions, opening up and asking about me, instead of about the Necromancer."

"That doesn't surprise me at all... not anymore. Deep down, she's curious. She wants to know everything, see everything. It's what I love most about her, the look on her face when she sees something new, and her mind starts working through all the possibilities."

Ivory nodded. "Curiosity and kindness, tempered by hard life lessons... she and I are kindred souls in that respect."

I set my tea down, frowning. "Are... other ponies really that afraid of you? I mean... you're clearly not the monster whatever stories they tell in Pasture say you are."

"They fear what they don't understand. The appearance of my undead does little to help alleviate their concerns." Her ears dropped, and so did her voice. "And there are some who hate me for their own reasons."

I slumped in my seat. "I... admit, I had trouble seeing through my own misgivings of you at first. Dusky didn't tell me what to expect, and of course she didn't foresee whatever is causing her nightmares, which meant we rushed in to get here. I didn't know what to think, save that Dusky said that you were important to her."

She smiled again, staring down at the table. "You're better than most. There are few who are inclined to give me the chance, let alone share tea at my table, even with Dusky vouching for me."

"She's never lied to me. I trust her, and... she trusts me. We have to, after everything we've been through."

Ivory nodded. "I understand completely. But you have to know, if you stay with her, there will be more hardship to come."

I chuckled. "Well, too late for that warning. If she's cursed to face hardships, then I took that curse upon myself the moment I proposed. I plan to face them by her side. It's the least I can do for her."

She raised an eyebrow at me. "You have an odd idea of 'least'."

“And you?” I glanced over at all the books. “I’m guessing you don’t spend most nights doing this much research.”

The edge of her mouth crept up. “It’s the least I can do for her.”

I sipped the tea, thinking to myself. Ivory seemed content to let the silence linger on, and I realized just how lonely her life must be. Dusky was one of, if not the only pony to have given her a chance, to learn who she was and judge her on that, rather than on rumors and fear. Ivory was alone, save for these precious moments when Dusky visited on her trips.

I closed my eyes. “I have to assume it’s not over. What do we need to do?”

“I’m still looking, but I have the beginnings of a plan. She’s safe so long as she’s here, but I know her. She would feel caged here before long. This research is to find a way to resolve the issue at its source, but it’s better if I fill you both in at the same time.”

I sighed. Ivory was right on all counts. “She would, yeah. If… if there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word, Ivory. For her… but also for you.”

She stiffened slightly, watching me again, but nodded. “Thank you, Night Flurry. For now, I think, you should get back to sleep. The hard part will come later.”

My eyelids had been growing a bit heavy from the tea, and after stifling a short yawn, I smiled. “Dusky was right. When you put it like that, it’s a little too ominous to say right before someone goes back to sleep.”

Ivory gave me a sad look. “Sorry, I don’t get much practice hosting guests.”

“It’s fine. Thank you for the tea, Ivory. And, well… everything.” I rose from the table, stepping over to give her hug before I wandered back to the cot.

She stiffened again, and I feared I’d overstepped myself. started to stammer out an apology when she began to return the embrace. “Thank you, Night Flurry.”

Just as quickly, she let go, and I leaned back and nodded. “Thank you. I’ll go take your advice now. Good night, Ivory.”

She nodded, setting her tea cup down and glancing back to the piles of books. Her reply was unexpected, but lacking any sort of irony. “Sweet dreams.”

I glanced at her curiously, not quite sure if it was a joke or not, then decided to just laugh it off. Tiredly, I walked back over to the cot and slid under the covers.

Comments

[Yami Vizzini]

Aww. That went pretty well! Friendship begets friendship and really does count for a lot in these situations.

[Kiromancer]

9044473
They both care about Dusky a lot, each for their own reasons. It's not just quite friendship yet, perhaps, but Night accepts who she is, at least. In-as-much as Night understands what Ivory is, at least. She's a pony, who's good friends with Dusky. The rest... well, they'll sort that all out eventually.