The Young Lady has returned to the house, where memories should have been left to die.
The young master hasn't been himself since... Well, he has had enough loss in his life. The staff wondering when the mansion no longer has to feel like a tomb waiting for another coffin.
When things change upon the young lady's return, they wish things had stayed the same.
Unease and masquerading now filling the hallways with renewed life, as the young master clings to the beloved returned to him.
Late night, the sky dark with a heavy cloud cover hiding away Luna’s stars. Every shadow one with the night, no light to reveal the silhouettes of what goes around when the light cannot expose them.
Including a wagon dragged by a heavy earth pony, trotting along the road only able to tell he’s on the right track still by the clopping sound of his hooves against the stones marking the path.
The only light source reveals his destination, light still burning through the windows as he speeds up a little for the last distance there. Eager to finish up and get home to the warmth and light weighting for him. He’s a simple pony, he doesn’t ask what kind of deliveries are needed to be brought out like this, all hush like and with no lights. The less you ask, the less complicated your life can be. He sure never asked questions about his payment, it was always enough.
Trotting the last few meters he can finally make the stop before the gate to the mansion. It is not the only one out here at the outskirts of Canterlot, but the only one still with the lights on this late. The neighbours around the building are either in bed at proper hours or off partying the night away somewhere with more light and noise. Too dark to tell any details in the architecture, the lit windows only making the darkness around them that much heavier. Not his problem, he’s not supposed to be curious anyway.
Being awaited, a pony comes trotting from the building, meeting him at the gate. He doesn’t ask questions, no does he need to answer any. He’s just the muscles, the real talker jumps off of the wagon to meet the pony from the mansion. Hushed words exchanged, a pouch switching pockets.
“All as it should be?” the pony from the mansion asked.
“Everything you need right here,” the earth pony’s employer declares, tapping the side of the wagon with his hoof. Both being unicorns they use their magic combined to gently lift the heavy box from vehicle and onto the cobblestone below.
“Careful!” He’s not sure which one of them says it as something scrambles inside the wooden box as they move it. The combined glow of their magic providing enough illumination to show more details of their surroundings without blinding his eyes adjusted to the darkness around them. A simple wooden box, filled with something loose enough to move around. Perfectly trimmed bushes by the fence, an iron gate. The magic goes out, everything is dark again. He made sure to not look at the customer, being curious is a sure way to lose a steady gig like this.
Without further words his employer leaps back up onto the wagon, now much lighter to drag back to Canterlot. They leave the other pony to his box, once again following the road by the sound his hooves make against the stone below and the lights they can see ahead from the castle looming about the night quiet capital of Equestria. Enough dots to tell him which direction to go until they’ll finally be back to lit streets and soon his bed to rest up until next order has to be delivered to whoever.
Behind them the line unicorn seemingly inspects the delivered box in the darkness. Before getting his staff who are still up to help carry it inside.
The night is not lasting forever and there are a lot of preparations to do.
***
The staff worried for the young master of the house.
He hasn’t been himself since… what happened. Withdrawn to himself in his study, mumbling to himself, rarely finishing up the meals brought to him by the loyal staff.
They knew things had been most difficult for him. The parents’ disapproval of his choices and their passing before they could reconcile. And then…
He had enough loss in his life. Changed a lot of things since then. Lived up for a while, getting new staff after excusing the old while redecorating his old home. Moving on to a new future instead of hanging onto the past.
Then lost that drive again. Only few ponies in the mansion left who had known him his whole life, most of the staff new and young. Still adjusting the new surroundings and learning the habits of the ponies they served. The pony. The pony they served.
Poor lonely thing. Riches and titles seemed only a burden as they watched him draw back to his room.
Rumours had it had reached out with somepony, corresponding for a while although nopony knew who. That stopped at the arrival of… well, nopony among the staff knew what it was. Arriving late at night in a heavy box. He had stayed up late waiting for it, had it delivered to his study and then he sent the rest of the staff straight to bed. To chance to ask questions about the delivery.
Since then he had isolated himself again, letting nopony into his study. Shouting at anypony daring to try the handle on the door when bringing him his meals. Usually his meals were left untouched where they had been left at the door.
Whenever they finally saw him he looked so tired, only eating when out of his room but saying nothing to anypony. Despite his exhaustion, like he hadn’t slept for days, his eyes were bright. A glow to them of determination. Far away in deep thoughts, whatever he was doing in his study seemed to take a lot of consideration and hard work.
Curious staff would sometimes try to put an ear to the door or vent, listening. One swore to hear voices. The master talking to himself it seemed. Was he truly going mad?
One staff member got caught, one of the young maids wasn’t fast enough to skitter down the hall when the young master suddenly blasted the door open and catching her red hoofed. She was let go the same day.
For some reason she seemed more than happy to leave the mansion, a haunted look in her eyes. She never looked back as she walked out with her possessions. Never talked to anypony about the incident, just nodding as if to agree to everything said about how her act clearly showed her lack of trustworthiness and thus why shouldn’t stay.
Rumours began, but quietly. Hushed. The mansion had always been quiet ever since… Usually there were plenty of noise, music and talking, like volume restraint was no worry, sounds washing over noise. Now everypony feared to raise their voices.
One day the young master finally stepped out of his study, a confident grin on his face. He looked like he had solved a puzzle, awaiting a grand reward.
He had a full meal in his dining room, talking to a few staff members about lighting up the mansion from a dark tomb to be much more like in its days of glory. Music, flowers, a throughout cleaning, he seemed to prepare for a guest to show how this mansion truly should feel – alive.
The next day a meal was prepared. Not for one, but two. Dishes the old staff hadn’t prepared for the master and his… not since…
Once all was done and ready, the young master stop at the top of the grand staircase of the main hall. Clapping his hooves to introduce a guest of great importance. But nopony had come through the gate in days, besides those leaving the mansion for groceries to fill the pantry. What guest could it be?
He was soon not alone on the stairs. With great poise and grace, the young mare stepped out from the corridor above to meet him. Raising her hoof for his which had been held up awaiting hers. She was beautiful, graceful, wearing a dress and pearls worthy of a mare with the attention of a pony of status. The young master’s eyes never leaving her.
Then one of the staff members, the oldest one, began screaming, startling everypony from their own shock and confusion.
The old head maid had been laid off, her behaviour declared unacceptable. It was excused with her great age, the young master remembering her as old already back when he first learned to walk. Was only a matter of time before the age would catch up to her, he said. She seemed to have suffered a great shock, the young master paid for the stay at the sanitarium to hope she would be better to enjoy her retirement proper. No mare with ramblings like that could be well.
What few left of the original staff were either let go or simply became very quiet.
If the incident had affected the young lady, she did not show it. Anypony saying anything, asking questions, were shut off swiftly. It was made clear what was not to be mentioned every again, if they valued their job. Anypony laid off did not receive recommendations to take with them, some found it quite difficult to find a new position as words had travelled ahead to other places they had hoped to find open.
Music was back in the mansion, filling the air with welcoming sounds. Fresh flowers removing the dusty smell of the hallways, light let in to let it all feel alive again. No longer a dark, foreboding tomb.
The young lady was chatty and polite, smiling to the staff and thanking them for any small favour or service they provided. Yet most of them couldn’t lift the feeling of unease. But they all held their tongue.
The young master seemed ever so happy, energized and renewed. Finally leaving home again to attend business and renew contact to old friends and acquaintances. The young lady were always excused to stay at home.
“Save your strength,” he would say as he kissed her hoof, smiling with a glint in his eyes.
Her smile would fade as soon he had left and out of sight from the mansion. She would retire to their chambers without further word to the staff. Once he was gone she was quiet and preferred solitude. None of the staff would seek her out; they left her to her peace and quiet.
She never requested food or drinks.
During the meals she always attended as company to the young master but rarely touched her food. Laughing and talking, energetic and charming every moment he was present. Their eyes locked together in that warm gaze of love and longing for one another.
Over time the young lady began changing. Bit by bit she became quieter, even around her beloved, the young master. He would drop a comment and she would quickly reply an excuse of being in thoughts and resume a conversation.
A few maids began gossiping among each other, the noise kept in the mansion, the volume of music, made it feel safe to talk among each other more openly again.
Wasn’t the young lady getting paler?
Didn’t she avoid the light from the windows?
She never touched her food. Before she had least had a few bites, now every dish was left untouched.
One had the ridiculous claim of catching a look from her once. It looked desperate. Pleading.
While the young lady seemed to grow paler, weaker, the young master seemed more energized than ever. A skip to his step, eagerness to see her every time he had been out.
One time she hadn’t been found waiting for him by the door or in the main hall. He had smiled, saying something about being coy and make him go look for her.
She hadn’t done it again after he found her. Ever since she made sure to be first pony he laid eyes on once entering the mansion every time he went out. He smiled so brightly, her smile pale.
She looked fading, like an imitation of a memory slowly washing away. Ready to be let go, yet kept in a tight iron grasp.
The young master nodded to his staff, as his empty plate was removed. The untouched plate removed from the side next to him.
He got up, swiftly pulling back the chair as the young lady got up on her hooves. Her eyes briefly catching the eyes of the servant clearing the table, whom quickly looked away from those pleading wells that felt like they wanted to drown him in misery. Nopony looked her in the eyes in this house, except the young master.
“Come now, dear!” His hoof on her cheek he turned her head to look at him. Smiling, staring deeply into her eyes with that look of his. Love. Want. Possession.
“I see you are tired, we should retire for tonight.” Stated loud enough for the staff to know it as well, a few maids rushing ahead to ensure the master bedroom had been properly cleaned and prepared already.
Resting against his form, he supported the young mare as they made the slow walk up the stairs. A walk taken so many times, he was prepared every time she would stumble, ready to keep her from falling and never slowed their walk further.
Despite their unease, the staff still felt pity for the weak creature. No longer dancing carefree to the music playing, no longer chatting eagerly about any subject coming to mind. Her grace and energy sipped out of her in matter of months.
But nopony said or did anything.
What do you say to a ghost not allowed to go? What can you do for a pony who had left this world and was never meant to be come back?
The young master was more alive than ever, despite the unease hanging heavily through the mansion. So happy, always grinning at his beloved, seemingly only eye for her beauty and presence rather than the state she was in.
He had what he wanted.
Alone in their bedroom, the music still playing in the hallway although changed to something soft and more fitting the preparations of the quiet hours to come.
“Please…”
He had closed the doors, his back to her, as the pleading began. Just like the night before.
“You promised…”
Her voice so different. The musical notes he always saw in his head, like her voice was song itself captured in her every word, now gone. Raspy, a bit more high pitched despite its weakened state.
“I do believe I didn’t let you change,” he said. For a moment his voice as cold as the eyes staring at the door. Turning around, his eyes thawed as he smirked at the creature before him.
“Let me go…”
“No,” was the simple answer.
“I can’t keep this form. Please…” she begged again. “I’m not her, just a memory.”
“Oh, but you are so much better than she ever was!” he cheered gleefully, the joy in his eyes sickening to the creature. “You. You are everything I tell you to be. Because you have to!”
Swallowing dryly black lips parted to continue the weak plea.
“I have to feed…”
“And do so!” he cheered. “That was the deal, was it not? I get my beloved mare back from the grave and you, you can feed all you want!”
The changeling shrunk back, the expensive dress hanging from its black form as it no longer fitted its figure. Starved and weakened, its eyes looking even bigger in its thinning face than when he first laid eyes on it.
It looked so scared of him, yet this never made his grin fade. After all, she had looked at him that way too, back then. Before she found a way to escape him for good, slipping out of his hooves to where he could never reach her again.
The creature trembled. It had thought he had simply been cautious. Protecting himself from being drained, to keep this charade going without losing his position as the one in control. It had been promised to freely feed, as long it played the role. Prepared with details on how this dead mare had looked and acted until he was satisfied with the performance to let it loose into the mansion, to replace this supposedly love of his life with no details on how he had lost her.
Now it stared at him, starved and weak with a haunting look in its blue eyes.
Seeing the same cold void with no love in its heart, since its first arrival at the mansion.
