“So then, Princess Sparkle, has my son been treating you right?” You glanced out from under your hooves at your marefriend, seeing her smiling cheekily at you. Your eyes flicked to the side, where your mother stirred some sugar into her coffee. Twilight gave you a wink, turning to your mother and laying her head on a hoof.

“Oh, sort of. I mean, it’s hard to work a library when a stallion brushes my wings or a tail flicks over my muzzle every five minutes.” You sat up, staring wide eyed at Twilight in disbelief, who just gave you a shrug, lifting her cup and sitting back to watch the fireworks. Fireworks that you wished were a metaphor, as you found yourself on the floor after a bright blue flash, your mother appearing in your view.

“Polter Dawn, I thought you of all ponies would know not to treat a mare as an object for your pleasure. What would your father say?” Your ears splayed back on that, and your mother glanced back at Twilight to see her doing the same, before turning to you. “Polter?” Standing up, you took her into the lounge area and sat her on the couch, then hopped up next to her.

Five minutes later she was bawling her eyes out with her head buried in your shoulder, whilst you ran a hoof through her mane. You looked up when you heard Twilight gasp, both your cutie mark and horn glowing, a bright blue circle appearing on the floor. This time around, it was all your doing, and Twilight watched with amazement as your grandfather stepped into the library.

He sat on the couch next to your mother, placing a hoof on her shoulder, and she changed to press against his spectral body, Twilight gasping in surprise as she didn’t fall through him. Getting up from the couch, you nudged her closer and lifted up her hoof, setting it on on his. “But… he’s solid!”

“That’s the full extent of my talent. If I concentrate hard enough, I can bring a solid body back as well as the soul, but I have to allow it.”

“Polter… you know what you can do.” Twilight jumped back in shock as she heard his voice, her eyes wide with fear. You moved to her side, wrapping her in your forehooves until she calmed down. Seriously, she’s friends with Pinkie Pie, and finds this strange? Mares… Your mother’s sobs finally subsided, and she pulled away from the spirit, giving him a nod. “It can be done, you know this.”

You gave a sigh, turning your back to your mother and grandfather, closing your eyes as your head dropped. “No… I won’t. It’s too much.”

“Polter…” Twilight placed a hoof on your shoulder, but you shrugged her off, walking down into the basement. You went to one box in particular, more important to you than the others, and pulled out some books. The one you were looking for was right at the bottom, and you just sat there staring at it, not noticing the presence next to you. “Please, talk to me.”

“I… there’s…” Giving a sigh, you let Twilight slip between your forehooves, nuzzling under your chin. She watched as you flipped open the tome, searching through the pages, and you could feel her heartbeat quicken as her eyes flicked over the paper, until you left one page open. “I could… enter the spirit world for a while, to see if there is any chance he made it. But… it requires something… precious, of which there isn’t a lot.”

Moving her forehoof, she gently pulled yours down from where it was covering the spell, gasping when she saw what it was you were trying to hide. Wiggling her way from you, she trotted upstairs, and you just stayed down in the basement, staring at those four little words. You heard hoofsteps on the wood a few minutes later, but didn’t look up, until… “Polter?”

Twilight was standing there, several items in her magic, and she set them down exactly as the book showed. The only thing that remained near her was a rather sharp looking knife, and you tried to take it from her, but she just used her magic to keep you in place. You could only watch in horror as she approached the symbol on the floor, raising a hoof. “Twilight, don’t!”

It was too late, the knife cut into her leg, drops of dark red blood dropping to the centre of the circle, a swirling red portal appearing. Her magic cut out, and you ran over, grabbing a towel from a box and wrapping it around her hoof, then pulled her into a tight embrace. “Y-you needed alicorn blood… freely given.”

“You didn’t finish reading it… Twi, you need to come with me.” She gave a gasp and went to read it, but fell limp against you. Slowly lowering to the floor, you kept her in your forehooves, drowsiness assaulting you as the light edged closer.

Standing with your eyes closed and the waves lapping at your hooves, you had a calm feeling wash over you, made even better as you felt somepony brush against your side. You cracked open an eye, seeing Twilight smiling at you, before looking across the ocean. It seemed like you were there for hours before a shade of doubt formed in you mind; there was something you should be doing. “Right then, where do we find him?”

You snapped your eyes open, turning to see Twilight looking around before frowning at you. The memories returned and you stood up, looking at your location. Smoke rose in one direction, the endless expanse of water behind you. To your left was the foothills of a mountain range, and to your right was just more beach, so you settled on the smoke. “Come on, this way.”

Twilight fell into step next to you, cresting a rising dune to find a village, filled with spectral ponies. With your marefriend pressing close to your side, you started down towards it, the spirits stopping to look at you. Surprisingly, they bowed upon seeing Twilight, and she just waved sheepishly at them. You frowned as you noticed the smoke was actually coming from beyond the village, and you felt drawn to it.

The spectres seemed to get thicker the closer you got, until they had almost formed a wall. They parted for you and Twilight, where you came upon a crater in the ground. The closet spirits to it were all unicorns, and in real life would have been using magic to keep a containment shield over the hole; here they were using their willpower. Upon looking down, you saw the figure of the pony you knew to be Sombra, with your father just laughing at his attempts to break free. “Ah… the meddlesome child… and the vessel. Looks like I will be free once again.”

“Nope, not going to happen, Sombrero.”

“Stop calling me that!” Both you and Twilight laughed at your father’s nickname for the evil spirit, before his rage filled eyes focused on you once more. “You want him back? You won’t get him out without setting me loose. You might as well leave.”

“I beat you as a unicorn, I think I can beat you now. Polter, come.” Your resolve steeled by your marefriend’s words, you walked by her side over the edge of the crater, Sombra instantly trying to attack you. With a spread of her wings and a flash of horn, Twilight sent him sprawling to the ground, giving you a nod. “Grab your father.”

You did just that, nudging him out. As you passed Twilight, she backed up, and once the three of you were out she lit her horn even brighter. You stepped back as the unicorns surrounding the crater slowly gained colour, returning to their earthly forms. In such a state their magic would be stronger, Sombra’s head now whipping around in panic as their horns glowed. You shielded your eyes with a hoof as the lights flared brightly, hearing a rather unstalliony scream.

You gave it a few seconds and then looked again, a small stream of smoke rising from where the stallion once stood, and the unicorns had returned to their spectral forms. You stood and walked over to Twilight, who was panting heavily, and wrapped her in your forehooves. “You know, for somepony who specialises in the paranormal, you could at least get the incantation right, son.”

Twilight suddenly pulled away, giving you a frown as you turned to glare at your father, who just shrugged. Narrowing your eyes at him, you summoned your magic and opened a portal back to the living world, but didn’t enter it just yet. Instead your grandfather came through, giving you a nod once he saw you were successful. The tiredness washed over you again, and you felt Twilight fall against your side as you drifted off.

Unlike when you entered the spirit world, Twilight was stood above you when your eyes opened, a rather stern glare on her face. You tilted your head back and saw both your father and grandfather grinning at you, giving a wave just before the portal closed. You turned back to Twilight to see her ire had not left, so tried your best puppy dog eyes. They didn’t work. “You used a spell… and got the incantation wrong? What do you have to say for yourself?”

Instead of a verbal answer you shot your forehooves around her neck and pulled her down, surprising her with a passionate kiss. At first she resisted, but then pressed back and laid down upon your chest, and you began to stroke a hoof between her wings, which slowly unfurled. “I hate to interrupt,” you pulled away from Twilight’s lips, leaning to the side, raising an eyebrow at your mother standing at the base of the stairs. “But aren’t you supposed to keep that kind of thing for the bedroom?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve slept down here.” Your frown disappeared at the thought of things to do with the mare in the darkness, then grinned as you felt Twilight nuzzle your cheek, then climb from you. Thankfully you had control of your body, so nothing was showing as you stood, but a different thing was caught by your mother.

“Polter, why is a patch of your coat on your back a different shade to the rest?” A glanced at Twilight to see her looking away with her ears splayed back, so you returned her nuzzle, the mare giving a sigh a she pressed against your side. You pointed back up the stairs, following your mother with Twilight in step next to you. She took one couch and you took the other, your marefriend pressing against your side.

“A couple of weeks ago there was a misunderstanding including a group of misbehaved stallions, a princess and an incinerating force field. I kinda got in the middle of that. Nothing to worry about.” You saw you mother’s eyes narrow, followed by a spark from her horn, and wrapped Twilight in your forehooves.

The spell was let loose, but it was stopped and absorbed harmlessly by a green shield, confusing you. Once the glowing dome dissipated, you glanced down to see a unicorn filly glaring at your mother, horn glowing and ready to defend against another attack. Your mother blinked a few times, then gasped as she realised what she had just done. “I’m so sorry your majesty, I, um… have a tendency to overreact.”

You were ignoring what was being said, head cocked as you stared at the filly. She seemed to relax a little, turning to look at you, but gave a shriek as you lifted her from the floor with magic, floating her in front of you. “Twi, I didn’t know you had a cute little sister.”

“I don’t, that’s my student.” You let the filly back down to the floor, and she just stared at you in wonder; more specifically, where Twilight and your hooves were. “And Mrs Glow, your apology is accepted. I… still blame myself for not lowering the shield in time.” You snapped back to the conversation, hearing Twilight give a few sniffles. You moved closer and nuzzled her cheek, the mare pressing against you more firmly, then gave the filly a disapproving frown. “Sweetie Belle, what did I say about learning battle magic?”

“Not to study it until colts start getting interested in me.” The filly’s ears were flattened against her head at Twilight’s admonishing tone, something your mother noticed as she lit her horn and floated Sweetie Belle next to her.

“Well, I for one am impressed. You must have a great teacher to be able to form a decent shield at your age.” The filly’s white cheeks turned pink in an instant, and you glanced down to see Twilight had a blush on her face as well. You were about to ask her if she had anymore students when there was a loud knock on the door.

“Twi, ya in there? Ah got a problem Ah could use ya help with.” Recognising the voice of the farm mare, you rose with Twilight and headed to the door. You certainly, upon opening the wooden portal, were not expecting to find Applejack with a forehoof pressing firmly down on a young pegasus stallion, whose wings and hooves were bound tightly, with a rope keeping his muzzle clamped shut. “Ah didn’t bother ya with this before, but we had something stolen a couple o’ weeks ago. ‘e did it.” You were about to help drag him into the library, but the sound of another pegasus landing hard caused you to look around.

“Cage? What the hay are you doing here?” You could see Applejack frowning between the bound stallion and Sky Runner, before the grey coated pegasus was lifted up in a lavender glow and pulled into the library, the two ponies left outside following. You shut the door, turning to see Twilight whispering something to your mother, who then nodded and took Sweetie Belle into the kitchen “AJ, stop.”

You glanced at the mare to see a forehoof raised ready to strike the restrained stallion, but she lowered it to the floor as Sky walked over. He pulled the rope around the other pegasus’ muzzle off, then stepped back, his wings flaring slightly. “Well, that’s one. What about the others?”

“Ya ain’t goin’ anywhere! Ya lucky ya still alive!”

“AJ!” Giving a defeated sigh, the mare walked over to where Twilight was waiting, so you followed her. You weren’t really that interested in what was stolen, but what to do about the stallion she had caught. You overheard something about a ‘zap apple necklace’, but didn’t know what it was as Twilight just nodded along. She then moved towards the couch, Sky stepping back. “And remember, tell her the truth! All yours, princess.”

“Thank you, Sky. Now, where exactly is the necklace?” Unsurprisingly, there was no answer to your marefriend’s question, the pegasus just staring at her nonchalantly. With a lavender glow Twilight pulled over a quill and some paper, writing a quick letter. It was perfect timing as well, as the door swung open to allow Spike entry, Applebloom alongside him, Fluttershy and her colt following. “Ah, Spike. Could you send this to Celestia for me?”

The dragon did as asked, a green burst of flame surprising you as the letter floated away as a pile of glowing ash. The gathered group made small talk, so you decided to see what your mother was up to, trotting into the kitchen to see her and Sweetie Belle surrounded by a pile of ingredients on the table. You felt somepony press against your side, glancing down to see Twilight smiling at the scene for a few moments.

“Uh, Twi, you got a response.” Spike came over and passed her a scroll, which she unrolled in front of you. A small chuckle came from your throat as you saw Luna’s suggestion at the bottom, Twilight joining you with a giggle. She pulled away and whispered to the others, who stepped away from the bound pegasus, leaving you in front of him.

“Hey, I recognise you! You’re that burnt stallion from Canterlot, right? How’s it going… Crispy?” You ignored the taunt, closing your eyes and letting your magic build. At first you thought of bringing your father and grandfather in, but knew that would take a lot of energy. Thankfully, you had other friends on that side. You heard the room go quiet and felt it go cold, then came the sound of a filly giggling. “WHAT THE HAY IS THAT? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PONIES?”

“Hello, Cage. You’ve been a naughty colt, haven’t you?” You opened your eyes, looking down to see the filly from Ravenhoof stood just in front of you, a barely blue spectre in the morning light. She took a few steps forward, and you chuckled as he tried to back away, but just pressed himself deeper into the couch. “See… if you don’t tell them, then you’ll come with me. You’d like that, right? To come and play with me forever? Come and play with me, Cage.”

There were only two ponies in the room who saw what happened next, yourself being one of them, as the little spectral filly changed slightly. Her body was now marred by multiple wounds, each deep and oozing blood. You finally noticed she was a pegasus filly, one of her wings torn off and leaving a deep hole in her back, and eye hanging from its socket. “Come and play with me, Cage, forever,” she briefly flashed back to how she normally looked, then to the rotting corpse as she jumped into his lap. “Forever and ever.”

“ALRIGHT, I’LL TALK! Just… get that thing away from me!” The filly jumped back with a squeal of delight, returning to her usual form as she trotted back over to you. You bent down and felt her nuzzle your cheek, then opened a small portal for her to return back to the spirit world. On looking up you were granted a pitiful sight, the stallion’s eyes darting from corner to corner, his body shaking uncontrollably. “C-can we go somewhere else?”

“Hay no! Yer gonna tell me where mah family’s necklace is right now!” You just moved to the other couch, your part played and completed. You’d have to send Luna something nice in thanks for her suggestion. Maybe another dream would do it.

Author's Note

Before anyone asks, yes that is the injuries the filly sustained during the griffon attack on Ravenhoof.

Why do you think Tia showed no mercy?