The click-clacking of her mismatched horseshoes nearly drowned out her hoarse singing, both of which were the only sounds echoing through the house, save for the occasional lone howl of a timberwolf or an ominous breeze whistling over the trees. Sunlight poured through the broken windows and cracks in the walls, bathing the old shop in a rather peaceful aura, though she carried with her a small candle held in place with her turquoise-tinted magic. She appreciated the rare light that drifted in along with the sounds and smells of the forest, but she had forgotten the candle in the lobby, and no sunlight would illuminate the attic where she worked nowadays.
She coughed, clearing her throat, before she reached the stairway to the attic. It was run-down when she first ventured up here, but she managed to clear it up so she could move quickly to and fro. The stairs still creaked, but she liked the company of sound that followed her up to her nook. Carefully, she treaded up the old wood and found the metal door, unlocking it with a flick of a spell.
"Sweetie, I'm here!" she called to the open air, stepping into the room and locking the door again. "Oh, it is an absolutely wonderful day outside, you should see it! It's almost springtime you know, the Summer Sun Celebration is not too far away now. The bluejays are chirping, so it won't be long before the flowers are blooming again. Ah! How I miss the colors!" She set the candle down on an old antique table and looked around.
"I brought another candle, dearie, I hope it's okay now. So stuffy up here!" she said as she wrinkled her nose. She took note of the now properly-lit room, eyes dancing around the old furniture. "I must go to town one day and get some more candles, remind me please, sweetie. Now where is that blasted feather-duster!" She trotted around, huffing a sigh of despair when all she found was a broom. Nevertheless, she levitated it over to the dirtiest spots and went about cleaning the room. "We just cannot have all of this dust, now can we? I really need to get you a room, don't I? I keep forgetting! This old brain of mine, ha! I'll make a note about it."
As she resumed humming her tune, and sweeping the attic like she did most afternoons, she spotted an odd little lump in the corner with the most candles near it. She stopped dead in her tracks, crying out in shock as she raced to the bundle. She ripped the cloth off, and quickly set a glare on her face. "You fell again, didn't you! And here I was, completely oblivious, while you didn't say a word! Oh dear, I feared the worst, you know that! You could have given me a heart-attack, sweetie!" she cried, bringing the thing out of the corner.
In the middle of the room, she stood it up properly, her disapproving look slowly turning to one of sadness. It was a simple beige mannequin, one commonly used for designing or fitting clothes onto a real-size doll. It had a large gash in its side, spilling stuffing onto the floor, along with other small stichmarks and places where it had been mended to over the years.
She sighed, pouted, and used a spell to bring a little tin box from a table nearby.
"You were just playing a little game, weren't you? Terribly sorry for my outburst, dear, but I worry about you!" she continued, and looked with a grimace at the side of the mannequin. "But be careful! This is exactly the kind of thing that worries me, these games can get little ponies like you hurt, in the stupidest of ways!" She sighed again, deeper, and opened the little metal bin, taking out a sewing needle and some string. Threading the string through the needle, she continued with a little chuckle. "But I bet you didn't mean to get hurt, nopony does. It's okay, I'll patch you up and you'll be good as new!"
So, she began to hum once more, packing the stuffing back in place and sewing shut the hole. "I'm only hurting you because I love you, dearie, so hold still." she whispered. The string glided through the opposing fabric, and slowly dwindled into nothingness as she sung the endless tune. As she sat on the floor, carefully sewing with the precision of a surgeon, she noticed that the stand the doll sat on was wobbling. She huffed and bit off the remaining string.
"I really must contact my old friend Jinky, he'll fix that loose stand of yours. Can't have you tripping every which way! At least, not until Sunday, that is." she said as she inspected her sewing and stood up, stretching her stiff limbs and staring at the nonexistent eyes of the doll. "I think I've got everything ready, just need the candles like I said. Perhaps I can scavenge some downstairs, because you know that the forest gets a bit active this time of year, and I'd just hate to leave you alone. When this is all over, maybe you can come with me, hmm? You would like to get out, I bet. We'll see..."
With that, she turned around, putting away her sewing supplies and bringing some candles closer to the mannequin. "I'll go get us some tea. Stay here, dear, and don't wander off like last time. I'll see if I can get those candles, and a blanket." she said as she put the tin box away. She took one last glance at the room before unlocking the door, and shivered.
"It's unusually cold up here."
