The Wanderer's Wife

Chapter Two

Sepia stared at the ghostly white figure, her eyes like saucers. She rubbed them with her hoof and blinked, but no matter what she did, the spirit still stood there, looking towards the town entrance.

        Sepia crept forwards silently, not daring to make a noise in the presence of the mysterious being. When she was just a couple of inches away from the spirit, Sepia stopped and reached out to touch it. She slowly maneuvered her hoof forwards, biting her lip as she did so. Then she stopped; she could feel nothing as she touched the spirit. Sepia gasped as she realised that her hoof had gone straight through it!

She shivered as she quickly pulled herself out of the creature, feeling no resistance as she did so. Before her eyes, the mist began to collect around the hole which she had created. Sepia could no longer see the wound which she had created; she waved away the gathering mist which obscured the hole and blinked. The spirit’s flank was whole again.

        Sepia swallowed as she moved towards the creature’s front. Its face was that of a pony, but there were no defining features: no scars or birthmarks and no dimples or freckles. Even its eyes seemed empty, as if they were perfectly flat pearls. The only distinguishing feature was its horn and long, free-flowing mane.

        “E-excuse me,” Sepia began, “are you that pony that told me to... ‘follow’?”

        The spirit’s gaze was not deterred; It didn’t even acknowledge the pegasus’ question. It stood there with its hooves rooted firmly to the ground, staring at the same spot.

        “Can you hear me?” Sepia asked. She moved herself closer to the pony’s face.

BONG

        The sound of a bell echoed throughout the town— a single, deep ring— and Sepia quickly glanced behind her towards the museum. She spotted the time from the dimly illuminated orange clock face on the front of the building.

        “What am I doing?” she whispered. “It’s one o’clock in the morning and I’m talking to this—”

Sepia stopped. The spirit had begun to trot towards the point at which it was staring, leaving a misty trail behind itself. It was moving down the street while making an almost whisper-like noise, like the sound of wind whistling through grass, as it moved.

        “H-Hey! Where are you going?!” Sepia called out after it. She galloped towards it, but the spirit broke out into a run as she closed the distance. “Slow down!”

        As soon as the spirit reached the town entrance, it stopped, allowing Sepia to catch up. It looked to the sides twice before moving off again. It had slowed its pace, and Sepia could trot alongside it with no effort.

        A couple of minutes later, the cobbled road ended at a gravel path that ran along the edge of the forest, just outside of the town. The tree stump where Sepia met Starflash earlier that day made a silhouette in the moonlight, and the mist from the spirit pony swirled about it as they passed by. The ghost stopped walking as it reached a fence that ran along the roadside, causing Sepia to stop just behind it. It looked to the left into the blackness of the forest.

        Without warning, it dashed into the darkness, weaving through the trees as it galloped. Sepia gasped and started running after it, keeping herself on the mist trail behind the spirit.

        “Wait!” Sepia shouted after it, taking care not to trip over the tree roots. She squinted, her eyes trying to adjust to the near pitch-black conditions. The only sources of light were the trails left by the spirit that created a dust-like stream on the ground, and the moonlight that shone through the treetops in small spots.

        The ghost hesitated for a second, turning towards a lighter area in the forest. Sepia stopped just beside the spirit and rested. When she sat down, she felt something tickle her flank, like a duster.

        “Honeysuckle’s flower patch?” she said. She stared at the plants to her side and smiled. “Well, if this is a sign of some kind...”

Sepia raised her hoof before slamming it down on the tallest shoot, crushing it. The spirit’s gaze had not shifted from the lighter area of the forest, and it was now moving very slowly towards it.

        “The old forest? But nopony has been there for years,” Sepia whispered. “Are you... Are you a ghost from there or something? Did you get lost in there and... well... die?”

        The spirit ignored her and began picking up the pace again. Sepia followed close behind while sticking to the mist trail, and the forest became lighter as the two ponies emerged from the denser area of trees. As Sepia kept her eyes on the trail, she noticed that the glow it had was becoming faint as she followed it.

        The light shining down on the forest floor was slowly becoming weaker as Sepia followed the path. She looked towards the sky and noticed how thick the treetops had became. How far into the forest is she going? she thought. She quickly glanced backwards to check how far into the woods she had trotted, and she spotted the misty trail fading behind her.

        “Better pick up the—”

        She turned back towards the thicker part of the trail, only to find that the spirit was nowhere in sight. The mist suddenly ended at a steep drop a short distance away.

        “—pace.”

        Sepia walked towards the end of the trail, only to find that it continued down the edge of a steep cliff face. She scrambled backwards upon seeing how far the mist stretched, breathing heavily, and she watched the light of the spirit drift through the pitch black woods below where she stood. As it moved away, Sepia glanced at her chest as she noticed a glowing white light from near her; it was coming from the necklace.

She took the decoration in her hoof and watched the illumination fade as the ghostly pony ran into the darkness of the old forest.

        Fading Scroll trotted through the corridors of the museum, his bones aching from the exertion of moving from his office to the astronomy exhibit across the hall. The morning sun was shining through the windows and onto the glossy floor on which he trotted, causing him to squint from the shimmering light. Once he entered the dome-shaped room, he cleared his throat as he looked around.

        “Starflash?” he called out with a hoarse voice. He sat down gently on the bench that ran around the edge of the room and stroked his wrinkled face with his hoof. His ears perked up when he heard a gentle snoring coming from behind a door to his left. “Ugh, not again.”

        He opened the door and jumped back as a mop fell in front of him. As the sound of a wooden handle colliding with the floor echoed throughout the dome shaped room, a blue unicorn with an untamed navy mane emerged with a yawn from the cleaning closet. Scroll shook his head as the pony rubbed his eyes and stretched his legs. A moment of silence followed as the unicorn stared at his aging boss, taking the time to figure out who had disturbed his mid-morning nap. He snapped to attention once he spotted the roll of parchment on the elderly pony’s flank.

        “Hey Scroll,” Starflash said with a slight smile. “You’re up bright and early.”

        Scroll groaned and shook his head again. “Never mind about me. Where’s Sepia?”

        Starflash shrugged. “Haven’t seen her since she ran off to get some extra work in last night. I was going to tell her that it was her day off, but she didn’t hear me. She was supposed to be helping me with sword practise, but Honeysuckle helped me out instead.”

        “Honeysuckle? The flower girl that’s always snooping about where she’s not wanted?” Scroll’s eyes drifted away from the sleepy pony and turned towards the glowing balls, representing planets, circling his head. Some were surrounded with rings, and all of them were orbiting a brighter orb in the centre. “Whatever, it doesn’t matter. If you see Sepia, tell her—”

        “—sorry I’m late,” a voice cut in. Scroll turned behind him and saw an orange pony with a brown mane, which was all over the place. Her eyes were slightly red, and she yawned as Scroll walked towards her.

        “Where have you been?” Sepia prepared to answer, but Scroll raised a hoof to her face and silenced her. “Never mind. You look like a wreck, girl! Have you been researching that artifact all night?” He chuckled, turning towards Starflash. “You could learn to pick up a good habit or two from her!”

        The young stallion rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah... What was it you were researching?” He walked towards Sepia and inspected the necklace that she removed from her neck, prodding the gem and watching it oscillate on the chain. “Pretty nice. What is it?”

        Sepia bowed her head. “I don’t know.”

        “You mean you were up all night and you didn’t find anything on it? Not even a fleeting mention or anything similar?” Scroll asked.

        Sepia bit her lip and looked away before answering. “No. Nothing.”

        “Well, that’s a shame. I suppose we should send it back in the morning. In the meantime, you should take that day off you were supposed to have yesterday. You look like you need it!”

        “But sir, I—”

        “No, no, I don’t want to hear it,” Scroll said, waving his hoof at her dismissively. “Just go home and get some rest.”

        Sepia prepared to argue, but knew that it was pointless. “All right.”

        “Good.” Scroll turned towards Starflash and shot him a sinister glare. “And I’m watching you. If I catch you sleeping when you’re supposed to be working, you’re gone!” He began to walk back towards his office, grumbling something incomprehensible. Starflash stuck his tongue out after him as he disappeared from view.

        “Bet he’ll miss me when I’m gone,” he said, smirking. He poked a hoof into Sepia’s mane and pulled out a leaf which he had spotted before, letting it drop to the floor. “Now then, where did you go last night? Did you fall asleep in a bush or something?”

        “Yes, actually.”

Sepia smiled as she watched Starflash’s face switch back and forth between looks of pure confusion and great amusement.

“How about I explain it over breakfast?”

        The two ponies sat together on the edge of the plaza fountain with a small bag of pastries, watching the townsfolk prepare themselves for another ordinary day. The snow had mostly melted, leaving only a few white patches and slush between the gaps of the cobbled road as a reminder of yesterday’s cold snap. There were no foals playing in the streets, and there were market traders grumbling about how the brief freeze had impacted upon their pockets. Today, it was business as usual.

        Starflash’s mouth had been moving non-stop, and Sepia’s had been doing much of the same. The difference being that Sepia’s was being used to talk, and Starflash’s was devouring sweet treats at a pace of a dozen a minute. Once the mare had finished explaining the events of the previous night, a silence built between the two as Starflash stopped chewing.

        “So let me get this straight,” he said, forcing the words past a wall of pastry. “You fell asleep, had a weird dream with a pony and woke up. You then saw this pony in the town— in this very plaza— and followed it into the forest, got lost and fell asleep in a bush?”

        “Crazy, right?” Sepia said. Starflash shrugged, levitating another pastry towards his mouth. The pegasus batted it away and gave him an irritated look before it touched his tongue.

        “What? So you’ve had a strange dream and ended up someplace else. I’ve done that loads of times. In fact, I’m sure lots of ponies have! It’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

        “No, this is different,” Sepia said. “For starters, I’d expect that from you.” Starflash blushed slightly, and she shook her head. “Besides, I was definitely awake... I even said how it made no sense! Yet I still followed that pony. The funny thing is, this only happened to me after I put on this necklace.”

        “Let me see it again,” Starflash said. Sepia handed it over to him and he held it close to his eye. He noticed how smooth the decoration’s surface was, and that the gem itself was a perfect sphere. He also noticed that there was a small plate where the necklace could be disconnected into one long chain. There were a few small symbols engraved on this part, but he couldn’t make out what they read. The gem gave a dull sparkle, causing him to blink. “It’s quite nice, but I don’t really know what to make of it other than that. Whereabouts did that pony take you?”

        “Just before the old forest near the base of that cliff. I was going to follow it but...” She looked away from Starflash, and he sighed.

        “Good thing too. There’s always a bunch of nasty monsters lurking about after dark down there. I wouldn’t want to see you get hurt.”

        He looked at Sepia’s wing on the side where he sat; part of it was deformed and crooked at the point next to her body, and it was bent at an angle different to her other wing. He quickly shifted his gaze when Sepia looked back at him.

        “I’m just curious to know who that pony was,” she said. “Maybe it was—”

        “The Wanderer?”

        Sepia rolled her eyes and sighed. “Oh come on. So you think that this pony happens to be the one from a fairy tale? The same pony who supposedly roamed the Canterlonian countryside, looking for something? The same pony that heroically vanquished the dark alicorn Glacius, who never existed either?”

        Starflash stared at her. He then grinned before answering. “The elder tells it better, you know.”

        “Listen. There’s no evidence of a so called ‘Wanderer’. Not a painting, not a piece of clothing or—”

        “Jewelry. Maybe you’re the first to find some evidence!”

        Sepia hopped from the fountain, brushing her flank with a quick stroke of her hoof. “I strongly doubt that. Well, I’m going home to take a nap. I’ll see you in the afternoon after work.” She began to trot away towards her home, but turned back and smiled at Starflash. “That is if you don’t get fired for sleeping again while I’m gone!”

        The unicorn rolled his eyes, biting deeply into his final pastry.

Bing Bong Bing Booooong

        Sepia opened her eyes and looked towards the clock, her ears twitching to the sound of a bell chiming four o’clock. She gave a long yawn and stretched her aching legs; sleeping on the sofa wasn’t ideal for her, but the desire for sleep outweighed her need for comfort. She spread her wings— a sharp pain ran through her left side and she retracted it immediately, rubbing it with her hoof.

She stood up and trotted to a wide mirror mounted above a small wood-burning fireplace opposite to the sofa, watching her wings. She spread them both again; the right one looked perfectly normal, the orange feathers seeming as if they were preened perfectly. The left one could only manage to spread itself half the distance of her other wing, and at a different angle at the base.

        Sepia looked into the yellow eyes of the pony in the mirror.

Has it really been that long? I thought that the feeling had completely gone from it. I still can’t fly with it, being as useless...No, it doesn’t matter. You’re happy being on the ground. At least you know how an earth pony feels—

A thundering knocking broke her train of thought and her gaze snapped away from the amber eyes, towards the front door. She went to open it and was greeted by a grinning Starflash with a sheathed sword strapped to his back and padded armour around his body.

        “Sorry if I woke you,” he started, “but I was wondering if you’d like to go for a walk?”

        “Where to?” Sepia said, leaning to the side to catch a glimpse of his blade. “Across a battlefield?”

        “You said that the pony you saw took you to the edge of the old forest, yeah? I was thinking that if we go together, we can find out why.”

        Sepia ushered him inside, her eyes widening. “You believe me?”

        “Of course! I’m a pony whose life revolves around daydreaming and looking up at the stars. It’s only natural for me to believe in some kooky things.” Sepia gave him a raised brow. “That, and I want to see this pony for myself.”

        Sepia practically threw herself at him, embracing him in a choking hug. “Thank you! I would have hated going to the old forest alone, thinking that you thought I was insane... Give me a second and we’ll get going right away!”

        She dashed towards the fireplace, grabbing the necklace that hung from the neck of a porcelain pegasus statue. Before Starflash could tell her to slow down, she had already disappeared into the kitchen, re-emerging with half a satchel full of snacks.

        “Hey, we’re not going on a picnic!” he said. “We won’t be gone for that long anyway. We need to be back before sunset, otherwise the creatures of the old forest might be feeling peckish for pony!” As both he and Sepia prepared to leave, he stopped. “Can I ask you something?”

        “Of course.”

        “Why are you so excited to go with me? I mean, curiosity is one thing but a hug...” He began to blush, causing Sepia’s cheeks to turn a slight red too.

        “Sorry. I guess that I’m just dying to know more about this necklace and that strange pony, but I’m... well... a little nervous about going into the old forest by myself. But with an accomplished swordspony such as yourself, I’m sure I’ll be fine!”

        Starflash chuckled, unsheathing his sword with a glow of his horn. “No need for flattery, Sep. I’m just a novice!”

        Sepia sighed. Just a little sarcasm, Starflash. But it’s not the monsters that I’m worried about. It’s two other obstacles that worry me.

        The short walk to the forest was filled with conversation regarding Starflash’s morning: how he had given the same lecture three times to an elderly visitor on how planets were given their names. How he had rescued a pegasus filly after she had managed to land on the beams that supported the model planets in the exhibit. How he had managed to skillfully earn a few bits for a tip by making up a song and dance routine about the solar system on the spot.

        “Not bad for a day’s work, don’t you think?” he asked Sepia as they trudged through the forest. Most of the snow from the day before still lay on the ground, due to the shelter from the sunlight provided by the treetops, which slowed their progress.

        “Well, thank heavens that I don’t have to embarrass myself like that. I mean honestly, you’re putting on a show for a few bits when you’re supposed to be a tour guide? Typical Starflash.”

        “I don’t mind if I look a little silly! That’s part of the fun that the job brings.”

        A few steps later, Sepia held out her hoof and blocked Starflash’s path, ushering him behind a nearby tree and ordering him to stand on his hind legs. She aligned her body vertically with the trunk, ordering him to do the same.

There’s obstacle number one, she thought.

        “I honestly hate these forest animals sometimes,” she could hear a mare’s voice say. It sounded light and slightly squeaky. “They know that it drives me crazy when they nibble at my flowers!”

        Sepia peeked from her hiding spot, catching a glimpse of the familiar yellow coat and green mane of a pony who was busy gathering a bunch of flowers into a small basket.

        “Honeysuckle,” she murmured. “Wonderful...”

        “Uh, sorry to interrupt,” Starflash whispered, his legs beginning to shake from standing on his hind hooves, “but why are we hiding?”

        “Listen, just be quiet and follow my lead,” Sepia said almost silently as she tiptoed out from behind the tree. Starflash followed close behind, looking back towards Honeysuckle.

        “Keep moving!” Sepia whispered harshly. “I don’t want her to—”

        “—hear you?”

        She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath as the light voice finished her sentence. Sepia turned around, looking directly into the face of a rather smug earth pony.

        “Looks like she heard you,” Starflash said with a smirk.

        Sepia glared at the unicorn, giving him a look that seethed with anger. “Well, you caught us red-hooved. Happy?”

        “Ecstatic!” Honeysuckle gleefully said. “So, what could be so important that you would feel the need to try and sneak by me?”

        Starflash glanced at Sepia, who was mouthing three distinct words at him.

Don’t. You. Dare.

        “Well, it’s really—”

        “—none of your business!” Sepia cut in, blocking the stallion’s mouth with her hoof.

        Honeysuckle shrugged, trotted over to the flower patch and picked up the basket with her foreleg. “All right,” she said, “then I suppose I won’t get in your way. It’s clear to me that your business in the old forest is private.”

        Sepia smiled, surprised at her co-operation. “I’m glad you under—” She stopped, the smile vanishing from her face. “How did you know that’s where we’re going?”

        “Call it a hunch,” Honeysuckle replied with a grin. “I also have an inkling that you’re going there to find out more about a necklace that you’re researching. The one around your neck? You have no idea what it is, who made it or when it’s from, and you also followed a ghostly pony last night and it lead you to the forest... Stop me if I’m wrong!”

        Sepia’s eye twitched, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. The gears in her brain soon clicked and began to grind, causing her to turn her head towards a guilty looking unicorn with an awkward smile on his face.

        “I’m sorry, but I had to tell her! She asked me very sweetly about it, and you know how curious and persistent she can be.”

        The goofy grin was wiped from his face when Sepia almost turned red, her teeth grinding. She recomposed herself when she heard Honeysuckle’s tittering laughter.

        “Oh Sepia... Haven’t you learned anything after all these years? It’s my job to know everything about everypony in town. Call me a ‘current affairs enthusiast’ if you will.”

Public menace, more like, Sepia thought.

        “I only tell ponies what they want to know,” Honeysuckle continued, “and you should feel safe in the knowledge that nopony ever wants to know about you.”

Sepia stared back into Honeysuckle’s grin, which seemed to, in Sepia’s mind, disguise something malicious and sneaky. She dwelt on the words for a few seconds before replying with a sarcastic smile.

        “Good to know. Now if you’ll excuse me... sorry, us,” she said, grabbing Starflash’s tail with her hoof. He was shocked from his daydream, and he frantically looked about.

        “Well I’ve also got some business in the old forest,” Honeysuckle said, trotting past the two ponies.

        “Oh, really?” Starflash asked. “We can go with you if you like! What do you need down there?”

        Sepia successfully resisted the urge to give him a light smack with her hoof; an evening with Honeysuckle was the last thing she wanted.

        “Some mushrooms. These flowers are being made into a tincture, and I need a particular fungus to complete it. And since I have the world’s most talented swordspony and her assistant close by—”

        “Please, enough with the flattery! I’m not some legendary hero!” Starflash said with a blush.

        “No, I mean it! You’re Royal Guard material!”

        Sepia rolled her eyes and began to storm off towards the old forest while trying to stop the irritation inside her from showing in any other way. “Well, if you two are coming then let’s go! I want to be back before nightfall.”

        The two ponies behind her quickly trotted after her. As soon as Honeysuckle caught up, she stopped in front of Sepia.

        “One second, you’ve just reminded me. If you feel tired again, your bed is over there,” she said smugly. She pointed towards a bush with most of its leaves flattened.

        “Very funny,” Sepia said, glaring at her.