On the edge of the Everfree Forest, in a small cottage, a black figure prowled. The lights had hours previously been extinguished and the coals in the fireplace were dark. Soft hoof steps tapped across the upper hall, drawing no attention from the aged dog laying at the the base of the stairs. Slinking quickly across the main length of the hall the silhouette gazed around, dragging something shapeless behind it.
A near silent breath escaped the figures lips as it first pressed a hoof against the door, then its ear. Two sets of breath, no light from under the door. The figure pulled away from the door, hesitant. Should they wake them? Was it really right? Well, right or wrong it needed to be done. They needed what was in there.
The shadow pushed the door open with a creak. Inside on the large bed two figures shot upright. The shaky hoof of an elderly mare reached for the bedside table and clicked on the lantern there, casting light against the figure.
“Peep, what are you doing up?” came the quiet voice of the mare, whose tangled grey mane shot in all directions on her peach head. Next to her, a wrinkled stallion felt about on the side table for his spectacles.
“I couldn’t sleep, and Watson said he heard thunder and I don’t like thunder so...so...” trailed the blinking filly, eyes adjusting to the light. She rubbed a hoof over her eyes and pushed curly locks of orange yellow mane out of her face. She lifted the object she had carried with her up, a plush ursa minor with a small bowler hat. “ Watson doesn’t like thunder either!”
“Why can’t you sleep dear?” asked the grandmare as she tossed the covers aside in a grey stream of magic, patting the mattress lightly with a hoof. The cocoa brown filly trotted across the room eagerly and worked her way up the foot to the spot next to her grandma, shooting her grandpa a smile which he returned - minus his teeth.
“Mommy always used to read me a story. Whens mommy gonna be back?” Peep said quietly, her R’s becoming W’s. She hugged Watson close to her chest. The two grand ponies looked over their grand daughters head at each other, eyes sad.
Peep Hole was recently orphaned, her parents killed in a tragic train crash on their way back from Manehatten. The small unicorn filly was old enough to wonder, but young enough to not understand the answer. Having a lack of other relatives her grandparents took her in just two days earlier. She had seemed to settle quite well, no real issues until the past night where she had problems falling asleep.
Grandma Bobin worried that it would become a common occurrence and scar their grand daughter for life, while Grandpa Rowdy thought that she just needed a good scaring while awake to drive away the nightmares. Grandpa rarely won this argument.
“Well... Peep dear they-” started Bobin, before being cut off by the voice of her husband, who had found his teeth.
“-Had to extend their business in Manhatten a few months. But with school ending soon and summer starting, the time will fly. They will be back before you know it.” Rowdy stated, earning a glare from his wife. Peep seemed appeased by this answer, and turned to her grandpa.
“Grandpa Rowdy, can you tell me a bedtime story?” she said, giving the best puppy dog eyes as she could muster. The aged stallion smiled, dentures shifting a bit in the process.
“Well Peep dear...” started Rowdy, eyes on his wife. “ I would love to but I don’t think your grandma will let me tell you anymore stories after the uh... Headless Horse story...” he trailed off.
“I can tell you one dear, I know plenty of sweet stories that will lead you to the sweetest dreams.” Bobin spoke as she turned Peeps head towards her. Peep’s eyes feel for a moment before perking. It wouldn’t be one of grandpa’s exciting and scary stories, but at least it was something.
“Okay granny,” she said as she wiggled her way under the blankets between the two seniors. “Ready when you are.”
The two chuckled as Rowdy lifted her from under the blankets and set her down.
“Now now munchkin, you have a bed, a real nice one. There is no need for you to be staying in our bed, ya’ hear?” he said simply, in a kind scold.
“I guess not...” Peep muttered and looked down at Watson before perking up and shooting off the bed. “Wait! Granny does that mean you are gonna read me one of these stories you always talk about?” Peep called, standing in front of her grandmothers bookshelf.
“She doesn’t even seem tired...” Bobin sighed, rubbing her cheeks lightly.
“Oh come now hon, you can’t expect her to use up much energy reading all those detective books all day long.” Rowdy joked before pecking his wife on the cheek and laying back down.
“We could read Little Mares, or The Old Stallion and the Sea or-” sang the filly, picturing all the wondrous adventures that had to lie within that bookshelf.
“Or- or I could read you a story that my grandma told me, and her grandma before that. A classic.”
“Yesyesyesyesyes!” she yelled, jumping up and down and spinning around with Watson. The two grand ponies chuckled and Bobin climbed out of bed, smoothing out the blankets in her place. Levitating a large plastic clip from her bedside table, she swirled her mane up and clipped it out of her way before heading for the door.
“Wait granny! You forgot your glasses! I got em!” Peep said loudly before sprinting to - and nearly into - the bed side table. She stared at the thin pair of wire glasses, focusing. She grunted quietly as she focused harder, horn sputtering, tongue poking out of her mouth. Small shoots of magic leaked out of her horn before in a quick flash, she held the glasses shakily in her lime magical grip.
“Very good job Peep!” Rowdy said as he clapped his hooves in his laying position. Peep beamed at her grandma.
“Yes, quite an improvement to your last attempt where you compacted them down to a lump of wire.” Peep grinned nervously, about to apologize yet again when her grandma stopped her. “ Now, how we go to your room, and I can read you a story?”