> Open Eyes
>  by Lapis-Lazuli and Stitch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Invisible Watching
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The raucous clanging of the bell signaled everyfilly’s favorite time of the school day. Which was to say, the end of it. “Now remember, you need to read chapters eight and ten before Monday!” Miss Cheerilee’s voice tried to rise above the hubbub, and only practice and sheer force of will allowed anypony to hear it. Most of the foals present would probably put that reading off until the very last moment Sunday night, but Dinky had already read the chapters; so she could spend her entire weekend enjoying her new favorite hobby.

Invisible Watching.

Which wasn’t to say she was able to turn invisible and watch things, nor did she try to watch things that were not actually there. Rather, she watched things nopony else could see and tried very hard not to let too many someponies notice. Several had already told her mommy she’d been playing with imaginary friends, and that had caused Mommy to get worried about her having somepony to play with (even if she still spent plenty of time hanging out with Button and Zippy and Sweetie, amongst others.)

Still, Mommy wasn’t gonna be home until dinnertime, which meant Dinky had all the rest of the afternoon to go enjoy herself. First, though… I hope Dusty hasn’t gotten too busy… The strange little pony had a habit of getting wrapped up in her projects almost as often as Princess Twilight did, but Dinky really hoped she wasn’t too busy to go with her. It was always more fun to have Dust Bunny around when she did the rounds amongst the unseen denizens of her fair little town. 

The path leading back to Ponyville proper was actually the home of one such denizen, one who excelled at hiding. Well, he was good at hiding from everypony except her. Today he’d chosen a spot near the break in the path, where the rest of the students were often distracted by farewells and excitedly clamouring about plans for the weekend. She waited patiently for him to reveal himself and did not have to wait long. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were chattering about their party this weekend, very exclusive, only the finest ponies in town invited…

And as they walked past the divide in the road, a slender arm with five sharp talons plucked Diamond’s brand new scarf clean out of her saddlebag. A second arm snatched what looked to be a bunch of paper, bundled up with a ribbon, out of Silver Spoon’s bag. Then both things vanished into the bush with nary a leaf out of place. It would happen several more times, though nopony got as much of his ire as Tiara and Spoon, with only a few papers or an easily lost scrap of this or that vanishing into the bush.

Dinky patiently waited by the side of the path until all the students had gone, with the rough-and-tumble Cutie Mark Crusaders barreling toward Sweet Apple Acres in a bundle of energy and enthusiasm that Dinky wished she could tap into sometimes. They, however, were not assailed by the creature in the bush… But rather, when Sweetie’s schoolbook tumbled out of the back of Scootaloo’s wagon as it rushed past, the claw snapped out to shove the book back in before it could tumble all over the dirty ground. 

Then they were gone, and something between a soft chuckle and a grumble rumbled out from within the bush. “You did not try to warn any of them,” the voice hissed a little, and at last the bush moved… if only just enough to reveal a pair of bright gold eyes, clearly belonging to a pony hidden in the shadows of the leaves. “Do you enjoy my game now too? Will you play it with me ssssometime?” The creature within the bush sounded pretty excited about that idea.

Dinky wasn’t having it, though. “You know I can’t do that, Grumble.” Still, she made sure to temper her chiding tone. He was what he was. He couldn’t help what he had to do, even if it was pretty mean. “But I’m surprised you helped out Sweetie there. What gives?” It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him offer a subtle bit of assistance to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. It was never quite outright helping them, or intervening, but… he was always willing to give them a nudge in the right direction, as opposed to the wrong one.

The creature ruffled the leaves of his bush, huffing. Had Dinky not known that the creature within it - known to foals far and wide as The Grumblegrab - was pretty much completely harmless, she’d have probably been a little intimidated. As it was, she put on her best mommy face and tapped her hoof expectantly. “Isss a part of my story,” Grumblegrab, well, grumbled at her. That was also kind of… new.

“Your story?” she echoed, rubbing her chin. Dust Bunny had said they all had stories to tell, but hadn’t really elaborated on that statement. She’d gotten a bit distracted by the cheese crackers Dinky had just delivered anyway, and there was no talking to that little ball of fluff once she got her jaws on cheese crackers. “Can you tell me about that?” It was hard to not get excited, as half the fun of talking to these strange individuals was finding out how much was myth and how much was fact… and then writing it all down, of course. Maybe nopony would ever believe her but maybe someday, somepony would.

For a full minute, the Grumblegrab was quiet, then it spoke low - almost too low to hear - but Dinky’s ears had gotten mighty sharp lately. “Wasss bullied,” it spoke shortly, so terse that its words barely qualified as sentences. “Pussshed around. Wasss not… normal.” The bush shifted, almost furtively. “Not like all the othersss. Sssso I learned to be quiet. To hide, sneaky sneaky.” The bush shook, and the golden eyes closed. 

For just a moment, Dinky thought he’d vanished on her, but then his eyes opened, and he spoke again. “Got sssoo good at sssneaking that s-s-soon no one could ssseee me.” Its hisses were getting more pronounced, making it tough to keep up with his speech. “And everyone forgot about me. Wasss better then. Got back at the nasties who picked on me. Still get back at other nasties who do it too.” He chuckled in his rough, deep voice that sounded more like an old stallion coughing than actual laughter. “And ssssometimes othersss jussst for fun. But thosssse kidsss…” His voice trailed off for a moment before going quiet.

“The Crusaders?” Dinky tried prompting him, hoping he wouldn’t stop telling his little tale. This was already incredibly fascinating stuff! 

“Yessss…” he hissed happily. “They get bullied… pussshed around by everyone. Mocked when they are not lissstening.” He huffed and his bush shook again, this time with an air of satisfaction. “And they do not care. They keep being not-normal, even though it would be easssier to be normal. They are still happy and bright and shining. Sssso I help a little. Just a little.” And Dinky could’ve sworn she saw a bright white grin of sharpened fangs in the bush. “Mustn’t ruin my reputation. Ssssave my effort for the brat with the crown insssstead. Much more dessserving.” 

There was silence again. “They are good some-ones. I hope they grow to be great some-ones.” The bush ruffled, and once again the creature chucked in that rough way of his. “I talk too much today. I have many things to pilfer and lessons to teach.” There was a pause, and a claw extended tentatively to ruffle Dinky’s mane. “You are also a good some-one, so today I shall not take your quills away. But jusssst for today.”  There was another ruffle of the bush, and silence.

Dinky reached up to where the strange claw had touched her mane. She had felt it physically, which was… ugh, she was going to be late to meet up with Dusty. But still, this was maddening. She had been certain that the invisibles couldn’t physically touch her, yet… Something was definitely different, and it wasn’t just the new experience of having a weird taloned thing running through her mane.

Maybe Dust Bunny would know why.


~~~~~~~~~~


By the time she reached Ponyville proper, the foals of the town had already scattered to the four winds to engage in whatever pastime they could get their hooves around. Most had already gathered in their individual groups and were either in the process of planning or already getting into their favorite hobbies. One such group was Button Mash, Sweetie Belle, Snips, Pina Colada, and Pipsqueak setting up to play Wizards and Windigos.

“Right, everypony ready?” The paper map was spread carefully over the table and weighted down by soda cans and a bag of pretzels. Little pony figurines in armor and robes were set to one side. Hoof-painted ones too. Rumble’s doing without a doubt. Button sat at the head of the table behind a painted screen featuring fierce dragons, strange half-pony half-monster creatures, and gallant adventurers battling them. 

“Yep!” Sweetie Belle chimed in, rattling dice around in her favorite cup and grinning cheekily. “Been waiting all week for this.”

Snips chuckled wheezily as he adjusted the little stack of papers in front of him. “The mighty Wizard Firebahl is ready to kick some goblin butt!” The chubby pony was practically bouncing in his seat in excitement, enough so to make Dinky giggle a little.

Pina and Pipsqueak added a cheer to the general uproar, and Button Mash just grinned at them. His beanie ducked behind the screen as he fiddled with something, then his eyes came up to gaze a little sinisterly over the top of it. “Okay. So you’ve just entered the Swamp Lord’s dungeon…” His words faded away to irrelevance as Dinky passed the table only to stop in her tracks at the sight of a bright violet eye peeking around the corner of the building. For a heart stopping moment, she was entirely sure that Princess Celestia was spying on them playing their adventure game. 

But the eye was soon followed by a head that very much did NOT belong to Princess Celestia. Celestia’s coat was not a vibrant red, for one thing, nor was her mane the color of shimmering gold and silver with sparkles that winked like diamonds. Nor was she quite that short/ and yet somehow this somepony seemed no less majestic and confident for that. Her horn was just as long and elegant, though… and as she tentatively snuck around the building, her status as an alicorn of some kind was without question.

Yet nopony else seemed to notice a princess sneaking into Ponyville unannounced and looking nothing like the four princesses known to everypony who was anypony. Which meant… “You put your hoof down on the stone tile, and it sinks down into the floor!” Button exclaimed darkly, eliciting a groan from Sweetie. “From above you, a rain of sharp spikes tries to skewer you whole! Roll to dodge.” He chuckled, and Sweetie muttered as she dropped a die into her cup…

And suddenly, the strange alicorn’s eyes lit up and a big smile spread across her beautiful face. “Ooo, this should be good,” she whispered in a warbling but actually rather pretty voice, now poised on the edge of the action at the game table. And still nopony seemed to notice her, as Sweetie shook her cup to a rattling racket of a noise before spilling her die onto the table. As it bounced and clattered, the alicorn’s eyes followed its every movement before it slowly rolled to a stop.

“Woo!” Sweetie cheered, throwing her hooves in the air. “That’s a thirty-three to dodge! I tuck, roll, and expertly come up to my hooves out of range of the trap… with a little flare to my landing, just so I can look cool.” She giggled at that, striking a dorky pose.

Button grinned. “Well, you dodged out of the trap, but there’s already a line of goblin archers getting ready to skewer you with arrows! Okay, Sweetie - you rolled into the room about here… everypony else get set up and roll for initiative please.” As more dice began to clatter across the table, the alicorn watched every single one with the excitement most ponies would only have for cider season, or perhaps the Equestria Games.

Dinky just shook her head a little, trying to figure out why this strange somepony was niggling in the back of her mind, and - “Oh!” The stranger spoke in a bright, shocked voice as she looked straight at Dinky. For a few moments she stared in shock, then brightened. “Why, you can see me! How… That’s remarkable! Nopony’s been able to see me since…” Her voice trailed off, still warbling in that distinctly odd way. 

Suddenly, in a flash of gold and sparkles, Dinky’s vision was full of the much-bigger-up-close alicorn. “You simply must tell me, are you familiar with the handsome young colt behind the screen?” It was very hard not to get a little nervous at that sudden closeness… or that somehow they’d been transported into the alleyway where she’d first seen the alicorn sneaking about.  It was a bit scary.

But scary or not, she had been asked a question, and it wasn’t polite to not help new ponies around town get oriented. “Yeah, his name’s Button Mash.” It was pretty easy to keep her tone even, though she was incredibly nervous. She’d never spoken face to face with a princess before, not even when Luna visited on Nightmare Night. “He lives with his mom and big brother, and I think his dad works out of town?” Maybe that was a bit too much information, but she was clearly a princess, so it should be just fine, right? “But um… Can I ask who you are?” She kept it very tentative and respectful. 

The princess (Dinky was now quite sure she was a princess, given that her mane was flowing without wind and only princess’ had wings AND unicorn horns) blinked at her and gently facehoofed. “Gracious me, the first pony to see me in generations, and I go off like a moonstruck farmfilly.” She laughed archly, the strange warble in her tone making it sound rather pretty. “My manners have clearly deteriorated over the centuries. I am Lady Fortuna.” She bowed in a very courtly sort of way, smiling merrily. “Someponies call me Princess Fortuna, The Random Number Princess, Lady Luck…”

Dinky couldn’t stop herself. “Wait, you’re the somepony Button kept asking me about!” She had to work to keep her voice down, but it still came out as a touch excited. “But Princess Twilight said you were just a myth…” And just like that, her voice dropped into the cellar as her tongue ran away with her mind. She was pretty sure that this princess wouldn’t take kindly to being referred to as a ‘myth’ when she was standing right in front of Dinky.

But instead, the princess laughed quietly before speaking in a low and conspiratorial tone. “And I have worked very hard to keep it that way, little filly. When ponies used to believe in me more vehemently, I was getting bothered all the time with requests for good fortune.” Her eyes sparkled in mischief. “It was quite annoying too. Not that many of them did not have good reason, but they were perfectly capable of handling their own problems without my help.” She huffed, like a mother who’d just given her foals a lesson about hard work. 

It was so motherly in fact that Dinky couldn’t help but giggle a little at it. The princess returned the giggle, a sound that strongly resembled what Dinky suspected dice made from bells might be like. “But truly, this Button Mash? That is his name?” She rolled the words ‘Button Mash’ around as she spoke, as though tasting them. “Now he is something special.” In an instant, she went from exuberant to almost shy, reserved. “He never asks for more fortune than he is due, and just as often begs for others to receive greater fortune than himself.” Her smile was like a filly on Hearts and Hooves Day, talking about her very special somepony. Dinky was too in shock to even comment about it as the princess kept speaking, her voice dropping to a confidential whisper. “Did you know he has a little shrine for his dice? He even polishes them! He’s got this lovely little set his mother carved for him, and they’re quite exquisite.” 

“His dice?” Dinky asked in a faint daze, wondering if she was grown up enough to be having this kind of conversation with somepony. Granted, Mommy had always said she should be very attentive if a princess ever did speak to her, so she supposed that she might as well just go with it.

The princess beamed at her. “Yes, and he only rolls them for very important things. Well. Important to a young colt, anyway.” She chuckled brightly at what must’ve been something of a joke that Dinky just couldn’t wrap her mind around. Still, it was pretty obvious she fancied him for some reason, though Dinky wasn’t really sure why.

She shook her head a little. Gosh, she’d really gotten wrapped up in this conversation. “I really need to get back home. I wanted to hang out with Dust Bunny today but…” Dinky paused. Well, Button had asked her, hadn’t he? “Um, Button actually wanted to know if you were real or not. Dust Bunny said I couldn’t really tell anypony about her, but… would it be okay if I told him?” She kept her tone very respectful and tried not to look pained. Dust Bunny had been very clear about her existence being something of a secret, but Dinky hoped it wouldn’t be the same for all the many others.

Much to her delight, the princess gasped dramatically and nodded with great enthusiasm. “Oh goodness! He did? Why yes!” Her mouth turned up into a radiantly beautiful smile. “Yes and… and if it might be possible, would you carry him a message from me? I would be ever so thankful.” She glanced to and fro, practically dancing in place. “But I cannot leave while dice are being rolled or when chance still drifts in the wind… oh crumpets…” 

Dinky laughed softly. “Write it later, I won’t be able to pull him away from his game today anyway.” She reached out to give the princess a friendly pat on the shoulder. Sheesh, she was worse than Princess Twilight when she had an assignment from Princess Celestia. “I’ll see you again, won’t I? I’ve got lots of questions!” It was impossible to keep the enthusiasm out of her voice, even though she probably should’ve been a bit more demure like ponies in the stories.

Princess Fortuna didn’t seem to mind though. “Absolutely! Perhaps we can take tea on Sunday?” She sounded like nothing more than a filly of Dinky’s age now, her warbling drifting up to a much higher pitch that almost came across as squeaky. “I fear I am committed to attend a game of cards tomorrow, though truly there is likely to be very little chance involved. One of my peers wishes me to be present for his own purposes.”

Dinky felt a warm smile come over her. “I’d really like that. And you can bring a note for Button!” At that, Princess Fortuna blushed.


~~~~~~~~~~


Pulling away from the center of town was much more difficult than normal given how much time she’d spent with the princess. But even for that, she was as giddy as she could possibly be. Tea with a princess! Mommy would be astonished! She’d have to get Mommy to make her famous banana nut muffins for the party. Of course, that meant she’d have to get home before getting interrupted again. Which she did manage! Unfortunately, Dust Bunny was nowhere to be found by the time she reached the house. 

There were signs that she’d been waiting, but had probably gotten distracted by something. Most likely a spider or maybe a cheese cracker. Actually, the odds of it being a cheese cracker were substantially high given the amount of crumbs on the floor. “Oh Celestia, did she get into the stash?” Dinky muttered to herself, peering under the box lid to discover naught but the destroyed remains of dozens of crackers and dust particles.

Welp, that meant she’d be bouncing around town like Sweetie Belle on coffee for the next week or two. There was going to be no slowing that little pony down now that she’d had three weeks worth of her favorite treat. Well, I suppose I could do my homework. And if that wasn’t a completely depressing thought, Dinky didn’t know what it was. Sweetie and Button would be busy tonight, so… 

Well... she could go visit Apple Bloom? Mommy would love some fresh apples for her Saturday morning muffins, and Dinky knew she could talk Apple Bloom into giving her a few. That was as close to a good plan as any, and if she timed it right she’d come in just as Mommy was getting home from work, and that’d be pretty cool. With only a few things in her saddlebags (she had to make room for her potential apples, after all) and out the door into the dusky light of early evening.

It was spring, which meant the nights were still longer than the days by a little bit. But Dinky didn’t much mind. Ponyville had a beautifully long sunset that bathed the whole town in a warm golden glow. Kinda like maple syrup on a particularly funny shaped stack of pancakes. 

Mm. Pancakes. 

Sheesh, she was gonna be starving if she kept this up. She’d better get a hoof on, or Apple Bloom wasn’t going to be able to come play for a bit. Of course, by the laws that governed the universe as all foals, fillies and colts ought to know, just when you actually want to get somewhere fast is when something slows you down. “A-hem.” A young - scratch that, slightly older - colt’s voice interrupted her thought processes.  He couldn’t have been older than Princess Twilight, actually. Nice fluffy orange coat, blue eyes, pegasus. He was wearing the standard armor of the town guard and watching her a bit dubiously.

She turned to give him that look right back, and it seemed to startled him a bit. “Ah… and just where do you think you’re going, little filly?” It was weird, why was he so surprised she’d looked back at him? Maybe he wasn’t used to dealing with foals at this time of the day. Or maybe he was just grumpy.

Whatever it was, she knew the rules. “I’m gonna go see my friend Apple Bloom an’ get some apples for Mommy’s muffins!” she proclaimed proudly, holding her head up high. “An’ it’s not dark yet, so I can still make it if I hurry!” She knew the rules same as anypony. Except for certain holidays, nopony under fifteen out after dark. But it wasn’t dark yet and wouldn’t be for another two hours.

“And what would Miss Applejack think about your plans for her apples, hmmm?” The guard asked in an arching tone, cocking a brow at her. “I don’t see any bits bags on you, little filly. Don’t tell me you’ve got some sort of scheme cooked up.” There was a warning tone in his voice that Dinky knew all too well. Her plans had been found out, and that could only mean it was time to fall back on the ol’ reliable.

“I wasn’t gonna steal ‘em or nothin,” she muttered, digging her hoof into the dirt. “I was just gonna ask for a couple, you know?” That was actually very much the truth, but adults weren’t always terribly interested in such things when they thought foals were up to something naughty.

He gave her a beady eye for a moment, then nodded solemnly. “Well, so long as you ask politely, I suppose that’s quite alright.” He gazed about the square for a brief moment, as though he’d forgotten about her. But he turned back as quickly as he’d looked away, a slim eyebrow raised. “You’d best hurry on. It’s going to be dark sooner than you think tonight, and I don’t want you to get into trouble with your mother.”

Now that was weird. Usually ponies she didn’t know told her to be good to both her parents but… well, she supposed everypony in town knew her mommy and by extension her, but she’d never seen this guard before. Well there was no use worrying about it. “Okay, mister, I will!” She nodded, putting on her very best smile. “You have a nice night too. Don’t work too hard!” 

The stallion chuckled ruefully. “It’s been a very long time since anypony said that to me, little one. But don’t worry, I actually enjoy my work.” He winked at her and grinned in a rueful sort of way. “By the way, what’s your name, young filly? I’m afraid I don’t know everypony’s names yet.” He leaned down, a conspiratorial smile replacing his grin. “Between you and me, I am absolutely terrible with names, but you seem to be a very special filly.” 

She smiled back at him. Ahh, that explained everything. He was new in town and just getting started. He probably just assumed her mommy would be the one most likely to be cross with her. “I’m Dinky Hooves,” she proclaimed proudly, reaching out a hoof. “What’s your name, Mister Guard?” She’d like to remember this one. Maybe she could introduce him to her mommy…

He leaned back, smiling faintly. “I’m Guard Sentry, Dinky.” He reached out and solemnly shook her hoof. “You could say I work the night shift a lot, but maybe we’ll run into each other again sometime. I’ll keep an eye out for you, but right now I’ve got to get to my job.” He turned away, marching off with his battered spear in hoof. But just before he turned the corner, she caught a look of wonder on his face… one that Dinky couldn’t figure out.

Maybe he thought she was being cute?  Lots of ponies kept calling her cute, and she was getting a little annoyed by it. She was awesome, not cute. But before her mind wander too much, she realized that the sunset really was coming a lot faster than she’d thought it would, as the syrupy golden glow began to fade into purple and violet shades in the sky. “Oh, muffins!” she huffed quietly. There was going to be no time to go see Apple Bloom at this rate.

Turning for home, she trotted the same way the guard had come, but saw no sign of him around the corner. Only…  right on the edge of her vision, there was what looked like his shadow against the wall. He stood still and silent, but there was no sign of his shadow against the ground. Then it was gone, walking off into town, and Dinky wondered who she had just run into, and why she suddenly felt as though it was important. 


~~~~~~~~~


Mommy arrived home a mere ten minutes after she came back. She was tired as always, but Dinky knew how to make her evenings much nicer. They did as they always did - hugs, homework, dinner, muffins for the morning, then Mommy settled down with her book and Dinky went to her room to get ready for bed. Dust Bunny was curled up under her it around a crumbled cheese cracker, snoozing quite peacefully.

With Mommy and Bunny both squared away, she tugged down her comforter and scrounged up her comb from her little pink box with all her grooming stuff. Tomorrow was the weekend, and she already knew that her encounters with two of the most famous of all spirits today was some kind of sign. But what did it mean for her, and why did she get this itchy feeling that she was being watched?


Well naturally it was because she was being watched. By a glowy-eyed creature sitting cat-like in her windowsill. If she hadn’t been expecting one of the more-evil spirits to visit her by now, she might’ve shrieked like a little filly on Nightmare Night. As it was, she just shrieked like Rarity did when somepony ruined a dress in front of her. It took a lot of willpower to stuff her hooves into her mouth so Mommy wouldn’t hear her, but the sound was still a bit shrill in her ears. The weird figure didn’t so much as bat a glowing golden eye while she let her fright off of its chain, obviously waiting patiently for her to be calm enough to listen. 

She tried to figure out what it was, but the darkness outside her window had yet to be abated by Princess Luna’s moon rising into the sky. The figure’s only sign of presence were those unnaturally glowing eyes and a ragged outline. “I have not come for thee, child,” it hissed in a low, gravelly voice that reminded Dinky of Wacky Tabaccy, that strange stallion who’d told her about how he’d smoked too much over the course of his life. Like somepony had clawed out his vocal chords a few times. “You have not earned my ire by breaking the old rules,” it continued, slowly slinking down from the windowsill and into the dim light coming into her room from the hall.

It was a doll. Or rather, it was a much-patched and worn doll of an earth pony, with a smooth white mane and tail and a mouth made of cross stitches and bright red buttons for eyes. It had the look of a much beloved toy owned by somepony very poor given the variety of colored patches of many different fabrics. The red button eyes gave off a strange unnatural light that only seemed to show up when a shadow fell across them, and Dinky knew instantly who this had to be.

It took all of her willpower not to run for her Mommy as fast as she possibly could. Of all the spirits little fillies and colts knew of and rightly feared, none was spoken of in lower whispers than The Ragdoll. The spirit who swore bloody vengeance on any child who abused and misused their toys and was said to gobble up the guilty whole. The stitches in its mouth were turned up in a sinister sneer and a faint glint of white fangs could be seen behind them. But that sneer softened into something almost like a smile. “Ye have nae need for fear. Ye are a good foal, and thus no target for my fangs.” His wheezing voice was not at all comforting, but Dinky got the odd sense that he was trying very hard to be so.

Well… Dinky knew all too well how treating somepony scary badly could end, given what had happened with Princess Luna last year. So she took a deep breath and tried her best to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I’m sorry,” she responded in as respectful a voice as she’d ever mustered. “Y… Your reputation is a bit um…” She struggled for the word, wondering at the insanity of holding a conversation with the bloody Ragdoll.

“Vicious?” it supplied, those stitches turning up into a warmer, if slightly psychotic, smile. “Understandable, of course. But I come here on the request of somepony far greater than I.” He cocked his head to one side in a limp sort of way, regarding her with an unnerving directness. “The Lady spoke of you highly, as did The Sentry. I wished to see who could possibly hold their interest for myself. That you can see us is… rare.” The way he said the last word sent a chill up her spine, but not moreso than the thrill of fascination. Just how rare was it that she could see them?

But wait. “The Sentry?” she asked, nodding her head to match his. Legends said that if you were polite and respectful, sometimes The Ragdoll would leave you unharmed. So she’d just have to be very polite and very respectful. “Might I ask who you are talking about, sir?”

The doll’s head shook and a greasy chuckle oozed into the room. “He did not introduce himself. How very like that insufferable twit. It is a wonder he does not trip over his own tongue.” The stitches stretched into that evil sneer again. “You know him by other names. The legends speak of him as the Last Sentry, the Shadowed Guardian…” The sneer grew larger, and this time angry. “The Pony In The Dark.”

The name hit her across the head like a beanball. Of course she knew those names. Hay, even her mommy invoked The Pony in the Dark from time to time when she wanted Dinky to feel safe. Some said he’d been the last surviving soldier of an ancient unit of pegasi warriors who had sworn to defend the foals of Pegasoplis until death and beyond.

She’d heard all the stories of little children being directed home, away from danger and peril, by the most strange and coincidental of things. Always attributed to a strange guard who only a very few ever saw and most didn’t believe existed. Everypony agreed he had to be long dead, but nopony could explain why a strange Equestrian guard would appear from time to time, always in the defense of the young and the innocent. 

Wait. Seen by only a few. Vanishing without a trace. A single duty keeping him here and - “Yes,” the growling voice of The Ragdoll stated flatly. “He is very much like us. A spirit bound to the world by his promise and a very large pain in my behind.” The doll made a spitting motion and sound, though no saliva hit the floor. No wonder he’d been surprised. She should never have been able to see him. “He has been even more insufferable since the Sun Queen asked him to keep an eye on the pink princess. Not that they know it is him when he is invoking her magic.” The doll snarled a little and settled down. 

It shook its head limply. “A filly that can see us. How interesting and annoying.” He fixed her with a flat sort of stare. Well, how could it be anything but flat, he had buttons for eyes. “You should be careful who you tell of your ability, little filly. The Sun Queen greatly prizes those who can see the way you do, and she will not want her student knowing she has enlisted Spirits to protect her realm.” He turned and limped toward the window, spryly leaping up to the sill and turning to fix her with a golden gaze. “Still. It will be fascinating to see what you do with that power, regardless. Take extra care of your toys, little one. I wish not to have a reason to devour you too soon,” he said with a grin that glowed white and sharp in the darkness, and then he was gone just as swiftly as he’d appeared. 

Dinky took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “He’s scary an’ creepy. An’ not fun,” Dust Bunny whispered from over her shoulder, trembling against her from behind. For some absurd reason, that made her feel better. At least he scared everypony and not just her. “Did you have a good day today, Dinkydink?” Dusty asked a moment later, prancing out onto her nose in the way she knew Dinky liked best.

Dinky thought about that for a moment. “I think so,” she replied slowly, gazing out the window. “But I wonder if maybe I shouldn’t’ve talked to so many new someponies.” 

“Pfft,” Dusty said with a tiny tongue raspberry. “Grumpy-doll doesn’t like talking to anypony. He was jus’ tryin’ to scare you.” She hopped up and down, a huge smile on her tiny face. “So you talked to a buncha’ bigguns. What’s the worst that could happen?”

~End~