Old Friends

The moon hung by invisible strings in a cloudless sky. I walked the old cobbles street path that cut like a knife through two lanes of houses. My cloak wrapped around me and my shoes crunched against the gravel. The bag on my back weighed heavily against my spine and I shook myself awake. I stared at the house of my patient, and pulled the file from the large pocket in my coat. Yep, this was the right address. I stared at the dark house and focused slightly, I felt the familiar spell wrap around me, transforming my body into a slightly darker patch of wind. I glided up to the window and worked my way around the window frame and appearing inside the room. The carpet was soft and muffled my steps. I was invisible to any of these ponies or any animals, except for cats. They always seemed to know where I was, and would approach me and rub against my dark clothes. Luckily I liked cats. I worked my way to the bed where she laid. She was a pony of the Earth variety with no magic or flying potential without the help of machines. She had a terrible childhood, living as a street urchin, living of scraps, fighting with others, and mooching alcoholic cider from passed out drunks at the salt bars.

Then she was taken up by a member of the wealthier class as their own child. She never wanted a family during the first few years of her life though. She hated the rich and even adults in general because of an incident when she snuck into a rich wedding in order to supply her band of urchins with decent food. She was caught and beaten, left bloody for the police force to take. They did not ask questions, for all of the wealthier class had the law in their pocket. That was when she was taken in. The mare was a widow, somewhat wealthy, and was never able to have children. During the first years, the foal resisted, sneaking out and stealing food to feed her clan that still relied on her. One night her mother caught the small foal. She cowered, wondering if her mother was going to beat her like any other of the rich folk. She was surprised though when her mother caught her up in her arms and cried softly. She told the foal that she loved her and that she worried that she would have gotten hurt.

The child told her mother that she was going to her orphan friends. Her mother looked at her, and released her. She stood up and told her foal to bring all of her friends to the house. The foal obeyed, bringing her clan inside the household. Several were skeptical as they hated the rich as much as their leader, yet were surprised when they all came into the dining hall. Hot soup, freshly baked bread and fresh fruit and vegetables laid out on the table. Enough chairs for them all were set and the mother walked in with flour on her face and pies balancing on air with magic. She instructs the children to sit and eat. They do, some shaking their heads as if in a dream, yet they realized that it was not when they began to eat. They all slept in the mother's house that night, and only a couple days later she adopted every single one of them as their own children.

They grew up, they moved, and when their mother died every single one was there to shovel dirt upon her rosewood coffin. All of their eyes shed tears for the fallen mare, their Mother who saved them from a terrible life and guided them to help others. I was here now, now closing the file on this child's life. I stood up and placed my hand on her side. I sighed, knowing what was wrong with her even though she did not. A rib fractured from her beating as a child had regrown deformed and twisted. It had now worked its way into her major organs slowly. She could live for a few more hours in her sleep, yet it would be increasingly painful. My way would be painless.

I reached for her and felt my hand push unbreakingly through her flesh. I reached her center and tugged slightly. Her last breath escaped her and as I withdrew, I looked in my arms. There was a small form, ghostly and yellow in color. I never knew why they differed in color, yet this did not matter to me and I tickled her slightly. She groaned and opened one sleepy eye. "Who are you?" she asked.

"An Old Friend." was my reply. I never knew why I said it, it just felt right.

"Do you know where my mommy is?" she asked with some fear in her voice. "She said she was leaving for a second, but she hasn't come back yet.: She told me as long as I could see her, I should not be scared.

"Do not worry little one," I said as I tucked her in tighter and scratched her head with my chin. "I'm taking you to your mommy now, you never have to be afraid again."

"Ok..." she said and fell back asleep. I wrapped my coat tighter and flashed away in a blink of a shadow. I had to move fast, I had a child who wanted to see her mother again.