Certain Predations

by Bandy

Chapter Five (Epilogue)

The next week, Stygian surprised Twilight at the castle with a silver-wrapped gift box. Inside was a hornwritten sympathy card, a small stained glass pendant in the shape of an owl, and some sweet calming tea.

“You’re a good friend, Stygian,” she said as she admired the pendant.

“Not bad for a pony born before the age of friendship,” he joked.

“It was always in you. Sometimes, it just takes special ponies to bring it out.”

“Or other creatures.”

“Yes.” Twilight put the pendant down. “Them too.”

Together, they adjourned to one of the castle’s many formal sitting rooms. They set some of the gifted tea to steep and settled in for a relaxing afternoon.

“What was your owl’s name?” Twilight asked.

“Stax,” Stygian said. “A similar breed to Owlowiscious. He had a very different personality, though. Less kind to others. Very protective of me.”

“What ever became of him?”

“He’s gone now, same as everyone else I knew. But he was still alive when I was trapped in limbo.” Stygian frowned. “I hope his later years were peaceful. Not like he really needed me to survive, though. Some pets need us to keep them alive. But the ones who don’t--why do they stay?”

“They need us in different ways,” Twilight said. “We’re just as animal as they are on some level. Look at all the crazy things we do for companionship.”

“Do you think they could fathom the freedom they could possess, they’d give up being pets?”

“No. I think they need love just as much as we need it.”

Stygian chuckled. “We’re like owls to mice when it comes to love.”

Twilight chuckled nervously. Stygian tried to imagine the look on her face when she cleaned out the mice cage in the den.

The tea was ready a moment later. As Twilight went to pour some, she accidentally knocked one of the cups off the table.

Stygian reached out with his magic and caught it inches before it shattered on the floor.

“Close call,” she said. “Thanks for the save.”

Stygian smiled broadly. “That’s what friends are for.”

Comments

[Bandy]

10156552 10111967 Oh jeez... all this time I honestly thought Owlowiscious was a girl Thanks for catching that!

[MyLittleBronyDude]

In the first chapter, you spelled Vanhoover with an H instead of a V.

[ponygrad]

How did you make me smile serenely when the twist in the story is that yes, the pet did actually die?

I'm not smart enough to figure out the significance of his dreams, if any, though. Was Owlowicious reaching across time from before he went to limbo?

[Bandy]

10323917 I'm glad you liked it! And yes, you are absolutely correct. Owlowicious called to him through his dreams. In my made-up magical system, limbo exists out of time, so if you're in limbo you aren't necessarily bound by the same linear constraints of time.

[Screw]

Poor Twilight, all around. Finding out, probably in the far future, that Owlicious is gone and never actually making peace or cured of cancer.

I hope Stygian does something that got through to her before his time comes.

[Moproblems Moharmoney]

This was a superb, well crafted, sucker punch to the gut. It hurt, but in a very good way. Grief, pain, acceptance, these are powerful subjects that you not only handled well, but in a poignant and relatable manner. It made me *feel* something, and actually brought me to tears.

I applaud your work.