Waning and Waxing

by Calliope Pony

Chapter 2

I’m flying through the cool night sky, the wind combing through my mane. The local weather team left things just perfect when they knocked off for the evening. Below me I can hear the rustling of trees, the quiet wings of an owl, the croaking of frogs near a pond.

Up ahead I can see the softly glowing windows of a village, so I head over in that direction. Ponies are still awake. I can see lights in almost every window, shadows thrown against the curtains. Nopony is out though. No one to enjoy the lovely weather or see how bright the stars are in the clear sky. There are just a few little puffs of cloud scattered here and there. I fly up to one and perch on it.

I was hoping... I don’t know what I was hoping. I knew that there weren’t likely to be any ponies out at this time. I shouldn’t have let those glowing windows get my hopes up. The cloud is just barely big enough to stretch out on, but I flop down on my back and stare upward.

Suddenly, I hear the most wonderful sound: peals of young laughter springing up from the other side of the village. I roll onto my stomach and use a couple flicks of my wings to send the cloud over that way.

Looking down below... there they are! I see two fillies running about and playing in front of a house. They’re very young; they probably won’t get their cutie marks for at least a few more years. Fireflies are dancing through the night air close to the ground, and the fillies are gamboling about trying to catch them. It’s so wonderful to see their joy and hear their laughter. The tight feeling in my chest is gone; I feel so warm and happy inside to see them enjoying my night like this.

The door to the house opens, spilling a rectangle of yellow light across the yard. A mare appears in the doorway.

“Tiddly Winks! Half Note! What in the world are you doing out here so late? Come inside this minute. Your bath is getting cold.”

“Aw, Mom, can’t we stay out just a little longer?”

“Yeah, we’re catching fireflies!”

“Absolutely not. We have a busy day tomorrow, and you have to be up early.”

“Just five more minutes? Please?”

“No, it’s time for you to get ready for bed now.”

“Three more minutes?”

“No.”

“One more minute?”

“No, and if I have to tell you again you won’t have any story tonight. Now march!”

The fillies grumble and moan, but they drag their hooves into the house.

“It’s not fair! Why do we have to go to bed so early? You and daddy get to stay up as late as you want!”

“When you’re grown up you’ll be able to stay out as late as you want, but for now you’re little fillies and you need your sleep.” The door closes, and I hear a bolt slide shut.

Except they won’t. Parents always send their children to bed as soon as it gets dark. By the time they’re old enough to stay out at night they’ve been soundly taught not to.

For a moment I feel a totally irrational urge to fly down to the house and tell that mare off for bringing the fillies inside. That’s stupid though. I can’t go around telling parents how to raise their children.

I launch myself off the little cloud with so much force that it bursts into wisps. I beat my wings hard, flying away from the village as fast as I can.