Shadowed Pasts and Shining Futures

by TheAspiringWriter93

Rating: teen
Tags: Other, Original Character, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5721

Musical Elegy is enjoying a nice evening at home when tragedy strikes.

They say the cost of peace can come in many forms, and for Musical Elegy, that is no exception.
On a quiet evening in, he finds that the price he must pay may save the life of another.

Thanks to:
The Parasprite for providing the inspiration behind this fic, as well as allowing me to use his OC.
Abcron for prereading
And finally Jaestring, Brosparkles and Insanity PKlegend for helping me with names. Hope you enjoy!

EDIT: Coverart is temporary until I can get something better.

Published 2013-09-14 03:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-09-14 03:40:01 UTC

An Angel's Elegy

It was a quiet night save for the chirping of crickets in a field near a small village nestled in the valley of a mountain. The normally bustling town was settling down for the evening, many of its inhabitants making their way home while others stayed and admired the scenery from under the glow of the lamplights. As time wore on, so too did these ponies head to their homes to nestle themselves amidst the covers of their beds and slip peacefully into dreamland.

One by one, the lights of the village were snuffed out until only the street lamps remained lit. However, a single hoof-built cottage sitting quietly at the edge of the town stood out in prominent contrast to the night like a beacon of light in a storm of serene darkness. It was a quaint dwelling; four wooden walls, a patio, a shingled roof and a brick chimney poking above, calmly sending forth plumes of warm smoke into the cold air. Warm firelight spilled from the open windows, leaving glowing patches of orange on the night-stained ground.

Within this quiet home sat an elderly unicorn, slowly rocking back and forth in a wooden rocking chair. His mahogany coat gleamed in the firelight, and the book and mug gently floated next to him in his fuschia-colored telekinesis, the turning of pages the only sound aside from the merry crackling of the fire. It was the very picture of a calm night at home.

Unfortunately, fate rarely ever leaves things as they are.

Just as Musical Elegy was about to turn the page and continue reading, he heard a sound so faint, he thought it was just his tired old mind playing games with him. It was only when he heard the sound again did he realize it wasn’t just his imagination; there was somepony at the door. Setting his book and drink aside, he slowly rose to his hooves, his ancient joints creaking loudly in protest, and made his way to the door.

“Yes, yes...” he muttered at the insistent knocking, grasping the handle in his magic and slowly opening the door a crack. Whatever comment about the current hour of the night he had ready was stayed before it even left his mouth by the sight his eyes beheld. Lying on the wooden patio was a tiny pegasus filly. In the light spilling from the fireplace, Musical could just barely make out her features: a light green coat with two-toned pink-on-white mane and tail, the former of which fell over her face, effectively hiding her features. What stood out to him, however, was not her coat, marred with small blood-stains and cuts, nor her mane and tail, tangled with brambles and leaves.

The young filly wasn’t breathing.

Eyes snapping open with panic, Musical Elegy threw open his door, knocking over his coat-rack and sending his bowler hat flying across the room. He scrambled onto the patio, taking care not to further injure the battered filly, and enveloped her in his magic, gently lifting her into the air in front of him and floating her through the front door, closing it behind them. Pupils the size of peas, he quickly, but carefully, guided the filly’s still form across his living room, ignoring the mug and book his hat had knocked over, and onto a sofa on the far side of the room.

Setting her down as gently as his panicked mind could manage, he flipped her onto her back and placed his forelegs on her chest and began pressing down, over and over again, pausing every few presses to breathe into her lungs. He stopped halfway through his care-giving when he noticed something that horrified him to no end. Just above her left fetlock was a dark brown triangle of what appeared to be...

“Glass...?” Musical Elegy thought aloud, mortified. Upon further inspection, he found other such specks of brown amidst her green coat.

‘What could have happened to this poor child to make her end up like this?’ Dark images flashed through his mind, but were instantly cast out. He couldn’t allow his imagination to run rampant now; there was somepony that needed his help. Calling upon his magic, he began working her diaphragm in time with each press. Seconds felt like an eternity before he could faintly hear a raspy breath. Sighing in relief, he picked her up once more in his magic and made for the front door. A single voice stopped him.

“Grandpa? What’s wrong? Is everything alright?”

Stopping in his tracks, Musical Elegy looked over his shoulder, past the rocking chair and fireplace, to the entrance of the hallway leading further into his home. Standing on the wooden floor was a young Earth Pony colt with lemon-colored mane and tail and a pristine snow-white coat. Ice-blue eyes held the elder stallion’s gaze, asking questions his young mind couldn’t put into words.

Musical Elegy stood in the entrance of his home staring at Snowy Dawn, his adopted grandfoal. Finally, he uttered with an increasing sense of dread, “I hardly know, child.”

A pair of wooden double door swung open, revealing a pegasus mare wearing a white coat and a stethoscope slung over her neck. She took a glance about the sparsely furnished waiting room, noting the plain, navy-blue chairs against the off-white walls, the small tables with magazines and potted plants, and the single unicorn sitting in the room. Sighing, she calmly made her way over and sat across from him.

Musical Elegy looked from the drab linoleum he had been slowly boring a hole into with his gaze and into the eyes of the mare facing him.

“Anything?” he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful and failing miserably.

“Well, she’s breathing; that much is certain. What we don’t know is how she got here or why she’s in the state she’s in. They’re doing what they can for her; removing the glass and such. She’s still in surgery getting her wounds stitched up. Should be another few minutes.” She took a breath, gazing intently at him. “She’s gonna have to stay here for the night. I’d advise coming by tomorrow if you really want to see her that badly. There’s no point in waiting here any longer; she’ll be asleep, and visiting hours end in...” she glanced at a clock on the wall, her eyes widening slightly. “...ten minutes ago.” She sighed again and walked back to the double doors. She turned back to look at him. He hadn’t moved an inch. Shaking her head, she opened the doors and left him, knowing he would be there in the morning.

The sun began its slow ascent over the eastern horizon, heralding a new day. Ponies could be seen coming out of their homes in the pre-dawn light. Musical Elegy noted this all from where he sat in the waiting room of the hospital, but none of it registered in his troubled mind. The only thing he could think of was the filly slumbering two hallways away. He, himself, hadn’t slept a wink, too distraught for his eyes to drift shut. He contented himself with passing the time by reading the magazines sitting on the table next to him or staring at the floor.

He could hear the main entrance doors swing open and the sound of hooves on tile. Looking up, the unicorn spotted the nurse from the previous night groggily making her way through the front doors, a small box on her back with a coffee cup balanced on top. Yawning, she slowly walked over to the counter of the lobby and set the items down before stretching her wings and back. Musical winced every time he heard a distinct pop come from the mare. Smacking her lips, she turned half-lidded eyes toward where he was sitting, nodded sleepily, and made her way through the wooden doors that led deeper into the hospital.

Several minutes later, she came back out with her clipboard and stethoscope, looking slightly more awake than before. Mumbling to herself, she walked over to Musical Elegy and sat down across from him, just like the night before.

“Well, she survived the night,” was her opening statement. The ancient stallion could only marvel at her bluntness, but said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

“Her vitals look good, her heart rate is normal, breathing is fine. Everything checks out.” She smiled when he sighed loudly.

“Can I see her?”

“Not just yet. She’s still asleep. When she wakes up, I’ll come get you.” She paused for a minute, looking him over. He was visibly slouched. Bags hung under his eyes from a severe lack of sleep, but he was as alert as ever.

“Have you eaten anything yet?” She asked, concern for him coloring her words. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, a noisy grumble could be heard, and he blushed slightly, shaking his head. The pegasus could only laugh, standing up and walking over to the box she had left on the counter. She flipped open the lid and pulled out a small pastry before walking back to the stallion. “Here,” she said, placing the pastry and a napkin on the small table next to him. Nodding in thanks, he ate the pastry in silence. The nurse turned and walked back through the door, throwing reassurances over her shoulder as she went.

It was nearly an hour later when she came back out to fetch the old unicorn. The filly had awoken and, once she had properly adjusted to her new surroundings and was told how she had come to be there, had begun asking for him.

They walked down the hallway in silence, neither unicorn nor pegasus saying much of anything. It was only once they had come to a stop outside of a door with a large number 42 on it did the mare turn and face the ancient stallion, looking him in the eye.

“Before you go in, there’s something you need to know.” This caught him off-guard, but he nodded, motioning for her to continue.

“Do not ask her about what happened to her. The minute I tried, she locked up and refused to speak until I left. Like I said before, she’s alright now. Tired, maybe, and sore, but alive. But she refuses to speak about anything concerning what happened to her. From what I saw during the surgery, it couldn’t have been good, but I can’t even fathom the circumstances that left her in such a horrid state.” She shook her head in disgust.

“I know how you feel. I’ve been up all night wondering exactly the same thing; who she is, where she’s from, how she got here...” Musical sighed. “But I guess it’s for the best. If she wants to talk about it, she will. There isn’t much point in badgering her about her past if she doesn’t wish to speak of such things.” He placed a hoof on the nurse’s shoulder. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. If she needs anything, I will let you know.”

She nodded and stepped out of the way, allowing him to open the door and cautiously step inside.

The room looked just like the rest of the hospital; plain white walls, tile floor, paneled ceiling. The curtains of the window on the far side of the room were drawn back slightly, allowing a sliver of morning sunlight to filter in from outside. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to see clearly by.

The filly sat in the bed, her lower legs covered in the thin sheets and her tiny wings spread. The aged unicorn could see bandages holding wood against feather and bone and winced. Upon hearing the door open, she had looked up from the sheets and was now staring at the stallion and nurse, who had come in behind him. The mare quickly trotted over to a machine and peered at it, making several marks on her clipboard before stepping out into the hallway, smiling at them both as she passed.

The filly stared at the stallion. The stallion stared at the filly. Neither said a word.

Now that her mane wasn’t covering her face, he could finally see what she looked like. Tiny freckles dotted her green coat and blue eyes watched his every move intently. He noticed something in her gaze that broke his aged heart: fear. There was fear in her eyes, like she was frightened of him, afraid he would attempt to harm her. He cast his gaze to the floor, blinking back tears and forcing the dark thoughts trying to claw their way to the forefront of his attention back down into the deepest recesses of his mind and locked them there. He looked back to the filly, who hadn’t shifted her gaze in the slightest. The curious intent was still there. The fear was still there. Putting on a warm smile, he took a tentative step forward.

The filly flinched and pushed deeper into the pillow against her back, pupils becoming pinpricks.

He stopped instantly, his smile faltering. He took a small step back and, after casting a cursory glance about the room, sat in the only chair available. The stallion met her gaze once again and sighed. ‘Well, this isn’t awkward...’ he thought to himself wryly.

Several more moments passed between them, neither taking their gaze of the other, both of them continuing to study the other. Musical Elegy offered another smile, this one slightly smaller and a little lop-sided, as if worried he might frighten her again. It seemed to have the effect he was hoping for, as she slowly relaxed and leaned out of the pillow she had been attempting to phase through, pupils returning to normal, although no less fearful. He pursed his lips in thought. Unable to stand the silence any longer, he broke it.

“H-hello...” he said softly. She didn’t move. “Um... what’s your name?” he asked hesitantly. She held perfectly still, preferring to remain static, eyes wide and jaw clamped shut. Hoof met forehead as Musical Elegy contemplated his next move. He decided to go with the warm, quiet approach.

“My name is Musical Elegy. I found you unconscious on my patio last night, so I brought you here. You, um... You weren’t breathing. You had me really worried. I was afraid...” he broke off, his gaze falling to the floor once more. “I was afraid it was already too late.” He heard the sheets rustle and looked up. The filly was staring at the sheets again, her hind legs absent-mindedly kicking around while she thought. Emboldened by the slight variation in her demeanor, he pressed on. “I’m glad you’re okay now, though. The nurse said you’d be better soon; isn’t that great?” He paused as she opened her mouth to reply, then seemed to think better of it and clamped her muzzle shut again, lips pressed tightly together.

“It’s ok, little one. You don’t have to speak if you don’t wish to.” The unicorn spoke gently, keeping his voice soft and his expression kind. She spared him a fleeting glance before sinking lower into the sheets and closing her eyes. Seeing that further attempts at conversation was futile, Musical Elegy stood and tip-hoofed as quietly as he could to the door. Just as the handle turned downward in his magic, he heard something that made his heart stop.

“W-wait.”

Time seemed to slow for a brief moment.

The handle ceased glowing, slowly returning to its unbothered position.

The unicorn turned his head and faced the broken child. She was staring at him once more, but with a look that made him wish to leap for joy, if his tired joints would allow it.

The fear was gone.

In the hours that passed since the filly had woken up, she was regularly checked by doctors and nurses. Musical Elegy had tried speaking with her more, but it seemed as though her request had effectively silenced her for the time being. So they sat together in amicable silence, neither saying a thing, yet content in the mute understanding. He was just beginning to nod off for the second time that day when she broke the silence.

“Columbine...”

Startled by the sudden noise, his eyes snapped open and he looked up at her. She was sitting in the bed, a neutral look displayed across her features.

“I’m sorry?” he asked sleepily.

“You told me your name. Mine’s Columbine.” she repeated quietly.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Columbine, though I wish it were under better circumstances.” He replied with a light chuckle. Upon seeing the grimace flash over her features, he instantly silenced himself and took to gazing at the floor again, shrouding them both once more in silence.

A Child's Wonder

It was the following morning before the filly was released from the hospital. Having nowhere else to go, Musical offered to give her a place to stay for the time being, which she hesitantly accepted. They walked together in a mutual silence down the path leading toward the cottage. As they neared, the elder turned to the child and said in a quiet voice, “So, the nurse told me you were asking for me before I came to see you.”

Columbine merely shrugged at this and kept her gaze straight ahead. Musical continued speaking, ignoring her nonchalant act.

“How did you know it was me who brought you there?”

“She told me,” was the brusque reply. Musical mentally facehoofed at something so obvious, opting instead to change the subject.

“So what do you think of staying with me for a little while?” He asked, testing the proverbial waters. He was rewarded for his efforts with another meaningless shrug. Sighing, he tried another approach.

“I have two grandfoals, nearly your age,” he said, glancing at her. She met his gaze briefly before quickly turning back to the path, not saying anything. He smirked slightly at having got her attention.

“I’m sure they’d be happy to be friends with you, if you like.”

Another non-committal shrug.

Another smirk.

Minutes passed before either of them spoke, and it was once again Musical who broke the silence.

“Speaking of them, I don’t exactly have an extra bed, so I’ll set something up for you in their room for you to sleep on for the time being. Does that sound ok?”

Another shrug. More minutes passed, until finally they reached the porch of the cottage. Just before Musical gripped the handle in his magic, he heard Columbine speak up.

“That sounds… ok, I guess.”

This made him turn and look at her. She stood just behind him, her eyes cast to the wooden deck and one of her front hooves scraping along the surface. He smiled at the shy display and opened the door, allowing them both inside and closing it quietly behind him.

“So, you’re probably hungry. Why don’t you sit right here while I make you something to eat, hm?”

Musical lead Columbine to the small dining table and pulled a chair out for her, watching her scramble a bit before finally sitting down with a triumphant huff. Smiling, he went into the kitchen to prepare a salad for her. No sooner had he pulled out the first of the ingredients did he hear a knock at the door. Puzzled, he set the bag of lettuce on the counter and made his way back to the door. What he found when he opened it gave him a small start.

Two stallions stood on the porch, one grey, one a bright green, both wearing the uniform of Ponyville’s Finest, their badges glinting in the sunlight.

After a brief moment of confused contemplation, his brain finally caught up with the situation and he opened the door wider, allowing them inside. Turning back to face the two stallions, he noticed the absence of a particular filly at the table. Before he could comment, the two officers began to speak.

“We’re sorry to bother you like this, but we were sent to investigate a missing pegasus filly.”

“The ponies who reported her absence said she’d be no older than ten summers old. Light-green coat, pink-on-white mane.”

It continued from there; where she was last seen, what day she went missing, who saw her last. Musical answered each question in turn, satisfying the questioners while revealing as little as possible. Finally, after several minutes, they stood and made their way to the door, thanking him for his time. He let them out, stopping as they began trotting down the path back to town and calling after them, “If I see her, I’ll be sure you let you know!”

Chuckling slightly to himself, he closed the door and turned, only to be confronted with the largest pair of blue eyes he’d ever seen mere inches from his muzzle. Backing into the door with a start, he took a breath and attempted to catch up with his racing heart.

“Columbine! You scared me, dear.” He wheezed, panting slightly. Closing his eyes, he forced his breathing to slow.. Once he was sure he could breathe normally, he looked at the filly once more.

“Where had you run off to, young one? Those gentle-colts could have helped you, you know. Why hide from them?”

“I guess you could say for the same reasons you told them you hadn’t seen me.”

This gave him pause. Blinking several times at the abrupt statement, he cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Well, uh…” He fumbled for words, opening and closing his jaw several times before sighing in defeat. “Look, Columbine… I get the feeling you’re hiding from something… Something you don’t feel ready to face just yet.”

“I’m not hiding from anything!” She snapped defensively.

Musical sat on his haunches and held his hooves up. “Alright, alright. Regardless of the circumstances, I figure that you’ll work things out eventually and you’ll come clean on your own. No use forcing something, or somepony, to do something they aren’t ready to.”

Columbine was about to retort, but seemed to think better of it. She nodded once, then looked down at her hooves.

The unicorn watched her for a few seconds before sighing once more. ‘I have to do something to cheer her up,’ He thought, nodding in determination.

“Well, no use dwelling on that now. Why don’t I finish making us lunch, huh? How does that sound?” He asked, doing his best to sound as happy as he could. It seemed to work, if only slightly. The filly’s shoulders slumped less and she nodded, turning and walking back to the kitchen. She sat down at the table quietly once more and look at Musical, who had entered the kitchen after her and resumed preparing their meal.

Evening was once again falling on the quiet town, embracing everything and everypony with her soft, fiery glow. Ponies made their way to their homes, tired yet happy from a hard day’s work. Fillies and colts were ushered indoors to prepare for bed and workponies steadily trotted up and down the streets, lighting lanterns to illuminate the approaching night.
Streams of brilliant, orange light filtered in through the windows of the cottage, casting elongated shadows across the floor. A small fire was crackling merrily in the fireplace, spreading warmth throughout the room. Musical Elegy sat, once again, in his rocking chair, reading an old favorite of his, the light from the setting sun illuminating the pages and turning them from from an old, worn yellow to a magnificent alabaster. Just as he turned a page, he heard a soft cough from the far side of the room.

He set the book down and turned to find Columbine standing in the hallway, her mane and tail still damp from her bath. He smiled and got up, walking toward her.
“You all set for bed?” He asked. She nodded and followed him down the hallway to his “grandchildren’s” bedroom. Snowy Dawn and Silent Dusk, a jet-black filly with dark brown mane and tail, were busy packing items of childhood importance into small backpacks. Musical laughed upon entering, watching them scurry about the room looking for their things.

“Well, you both seem to be in a rush. What are the plans for the evening?” He asked them.

Snowy Dawn came to a halt so abrupt, Silent Dusk nearly collided with him, swerving at the last second and screeching to a stop mere inches from their bookshelf.

“We’re spending the night at the Clubhouse, Grandpa! We’re having a slub… a slum…” His eyes crossed as he tried to recall the word. Silent Dusk huffed in frustration and took the cue.

“The girls invited us for a slumber party at the clubhouse.” She said, rolling her eyes. Snowy Dawn stamped a hoof on the wood floor with a cry of, “Yeah, that’s it!”

Musical looked down at Columbine, who was watching with mute fascination. He chuckled softly and leaned down to look at her. “Would you like to go with them?” He asked. Her eyes snapped open, her pupils the size of pinpricks. She bolted over to her makeshift bed and dove under the sheets, covering herself from head to hoof, leaving naught but her long, pink tail hanging out. Three heads turned at the same time to watch, then looked at each other in confusion. Musical took the initiative and cleared his throat.

“Why don’t you two go on. Have fun, and be careful. If anything happens, head straight to the farmhouse with the girls, understand?” They nodded, then grabbed their things and left. He could hear Snowy’s chattering fading into the distance, then silence. Sighing, he walked over and sat down on the foot of the filly’s bed.

“Columbine? Are you ok?” He asked, his voice just above a whisper. Silence greeted him like an awkward friend. He tried again, slightly louder this time, “Do… Um… Would you like me to make you some soup?”

“No,” Came the muffled response. The two sat there for several minutes in silence. By the time either of them moved, Celestia had already lay her charge to rest for the night, Luna having brought hers above the horizon. Musical sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that night and stood, making his way back to the door. Columbine brought the covers down from her head and watched him. He gestured to a candle sitting on a small table near the door. “Want me to put this out?” He asked. She shook her head vehemently, so much so that he was nearly convinced it would pop off.

“Do you need anything?” He asked. Columbine shrugged before responding.

“Can… Can I have a glass of water?” Her voice was so quiet, a certain cream-colored pegasus would have had trouble hearing her. The old stallion smiled before calling upon his magic. Several seconds later, a small glass of water floated into the room, spilling not a drop, and deposited itself into Columbine’s outstretched hooves.

“Thank you, Mr. Elegy,” She said quietly, before taking a sip. Musical smiled once more before turning to trot down the hall.

“Um… Mr. Elegy?”

He was back at the door within seconds. “Yes, my dear? What’s wrong?”

The young pegasus was looking at the glass and fidgeting slightly. She quickly upended the glass over her mouth, drinking the contents faster than the elder would have thought possible, before setting the cup on the floor next to her bed. She pursed her lips in thought, poking at the sheet a bit before speaking.

“I… I want to sleep, but I can’t…” She swallowed, then looked the ancient stallion in the eye. “If I sleep, I dream of bad things… monsters and ghosts…”

Musical paused, racking his brain for a solution.

“I… um… oh, dear…” He looked at the ceiling in thought. An idea came to him, and he blurted it out before he had a chance to think about it.

“I could sing for you.”

Their eyes met for a brief second. That second turned into three, then to seven. Both blinked several times, then simultaneously shuddered. Chuckling, the unicorn sat on the foot of the bed once more, another idea coming to him.

“Well, how about this? How about you and I tell a story together? What do you think? I’ll tell it, and you can change the story however you want.” He said with a smile. She seemed to consider it, then nodded.

“Ok, let me think…” He put his hoof to his chin in thought. He recalled a story from his own childhood and grinned.

“Alright, I think I might have something, but it may sound a little… cliche, so bear with me.” He chuckled again, and Columbine smiled slightly and nodded, still keeping the covers drawn up to her chin.

“Long ago,” He began, “Longer than even I’ve been around, there lived a farmer… Only this wasn’t an ordinary farm. Sure, he had fruits and vegetables and plants here and there, but what he really did, what he was most proud of, was farm starlight.”

Columbine’s eyes widened slightly and she peeked out from under the covers a little.

“His job was very important to the ponies that lived in the little village not too far from his farmland. You see, on his farm were these large crystals made to catch the starlight that fell from the sky at night. The crystals had little mirrors that would direct the starlight into a large container, where it would pool and form a sort of… liquid light-”

“Ew…”

Musical stopped and looked at Columbine, who had drawn the blanket over her head once again. “What’s wrong?” He asked. The blanket around her head swishing from side to side was his only response.

“What is it? You don’t like that?”

More swishing.

“Well, we can change that, if you like. How about… mist? Does that sound better?”

More swishing, up and down this time, before the blanket was slowly drawn back down, revealing the small pegasus’ face.

“Alright, then. Well, this mist would glow with an otherworldly essence, shining and shimmering almost happily.”

“What did he do with the mist?” The filly asked. The unicorn stopped again in thought, allowing his eyes to drift about the room. A glow from outside caught his attention, and he looked to the town. An idea came to him, and he turned back to the child.

“He would use the star-mist in the village to light the streets at night when it was too dark to see.” This brought a smile to her face, which quickly turned to a puzzled frown.

“Why don’t ponies do that anymore?” She asked, tilting her head to one side.

“I guess because Light Crystals were invented,” He replied, pointing out the window to the town. Columbine leaned forward to look, making a sound of understanding before laying back on her pillow, which was propped up against the wall.

“But you have to remember, this was long before then, and that’s what worked for them.” He leaned forward a bit, winking at her. “And it was much prettier, too.”

She smiled and snuggled into her pillow. “Mommy used to have rainbow lights in the house.”

“Rainbow lights, hm? You know, I think I might have one somewhere…” He got up from the bed and rummaged around in the hallway closet for a moment before returning with a crystal held aloft in his magic. He regarded it for a moment, watching the way the light from the candle reflected through the crystal and shone on the walls and ceiling. “Do you know where we got the idea for crystals like these?” He asked after a moment. The filly shook her head.

“From the very farmer of whom I speak.” He sat down at the foot of the bed, holding the crystal up for her to see. She shied away from it slightly, before leaning forward with an outstretched hoof. The unicorn smiled before floating the crystal over to her. She grabbed it out of the air and regarded it, turning it this way and that.

“It’s warm.” She said, no small amount of wonder coloring her words.

“It’s neat, isn’t it?” He replied.

“Mommy had lights like this all over the house. They were in the walls.” She sighed. “They were so pretty…”

“I can imagine. Crystals are one of my favorite things,” The stallion said, watching her examine the crystal. “It must have been quite the sight to see.”

The child hugged the crystal to her chest and burrowed into the bedding, watching Musical with expectant eyes.

“You can go ahead and keep that one, if you like. I have more somewhere around here you can look at later.” He nodded to her and she grinned.

“Will my crystal keep the bad dreams away?”

An idea hit him like the proverbial ton of oats.

“It will when I do this.” He said with a grin, levitating the crystal from the filly’s grasp and bringing it to him. He touched his horn to the stone and let his magic flow freely from his mind. The polychromatic stone flickered slightly, then shone brightly, casting rainbow colored lights against the walls. The little pegasus gasped and looked around the room, watching the colors dance and play while the crystal turned in the unicorn’s magical grip.

Musical watched, smiling at the unfiltered fascination on the young filly’s face. He reached down with his magic, grabbing the glass and flipping it over. The crystal floated over, coming to a stop just above the bottom of the glass, where it continued to turn slowly, hovering in place.

“There we go.” He said with a grin. “How’s that?”

Columbine watched it twirl for a moment before looking at her caretaker, nodding once.

“Thank you, Mr. Elegy.” She said, smiling warmly for the first time since they met.

“You are most certainly welcome, Columbine.” He replied, returning the gesture with a smile of his own. He stood and walked over to the door.

“Good night, child.” He said, leaving the room. As he turned the corner, the wick of the candle glowed fuchsia for a moment, and the flame was snuffed out.