Rose’s wings clamped to her side the second she entered the house, and what lay before her was among the last things she had expected.

The wooden floor wasn’t covered in dust, the furniture not covered with sheets or the windows to be cracked or missing behind the outer boarding. Instead the floor was scratched and grooved as though something had been sharpening it’s long claws on it, though a large, and quite tacky, multi-colored shag throw rug covered a majority of the floor. The walls were a bright maroon with black, heavy-looking, curtains completely covering the windows, letting no light in and completely hiding the boards. There was a single lantern in the corner of the room near a doorway with a few scattered papers around it. A ratty couch and a couple similarly broken chairs were the only real furniture, not counting a wooden crate that sat next to the couch, presumably in place of a table. It looked forlorn and rather empty, but didn’t give off the abandoned and haunted vibe she’d been expecting.

“Did we just break into a squatters house?” Rose mumbled, looking Whisper who was peering through a doorway. Following her lead she trotted over to get a look, coming to find a kitchen that showed signs of recent use. Though there was no table or chairs the counters were, once again, clear of dust, a few dishes were piled in the sink and a half full can of garbage sat between two curtain-covered windows. The chill of the house still lingered in the air despite the glow of a dying candle.

Spotting a doorway off the kitchen she headed to it, her curiosity bypassing her initial fear, only to stop dead in her tracks a moment later. A cold shiver ran along her spine as a low whine sounded from below them. She quickly bolted up the ceiling as the floor vibrated with the sound, giving her a good vantage to scan the room with wide eyes. Quickly she spotted Whisper pressed into a corner, her horn alight with a blue aura that lended to the creepy atmosphere but illuminated the darkness all the same.

Gathering her bravery as more whining joined the first she glided down to the unicorn, pressing herself against her rigid side and wrapping a comforting wing over her friend. Both ponies were still as the noise faded out, holding their breath for several moments, straining to listen for any sign of… Well anything.

Rose nearly jumped out of her fur when Whisper let out a breath. “What in Celestia’s name was that !?” The gray mare hissed, breaking the thickened silence and bringing forth the obvious question. The pegasus ruffled her wings and forced them to stay neatly against her sides as she tried to gather herself enough to speak.

She wouldn’t get a chance to however as the slow, steady sound of hooves on wood began to ascend from somewhere below them. Flaring her wings she was about to fly off when a bright blue light came from Whisper’s horn. “We came all this way.” The unicorn hissed, a sudden bravery in her voice. “We know what to do, and cowering is not the answer!’ Slightly stunned Rose hesitated as her friend boldly marched toward the general area of the loudening sound, her magic grabbing hold of the salt in her bag.

They entered the main room and though she hesitated Rose followed Whisper’s silent motions to stand, hidden, on the other side of the doorway by the lantern. She barely had time to take a breath before the sound of hooves was just out of eyesight in the hall beyond.

Rose always figured that she would be a warrior in the face of danger, that she would tap into her family’s instincts and go up against any danger head on. She never expected that she would freeze entirely when the hoofed creature did appear.

It all happened in a blur. A bright flash of blue magic hit the figure head-on, the salt scattering everywhere in a blast due to the impact. Rose quickly closed her eyes and covered her head with a hoof, the burst fighting her fear and making instinct take over. There was a lot of commotion during her momentary blindness, but when it quieted she was hesitant to look up.

“What is wrong with you?” Rose’s ears pricked at an unfamiliar mare’s voice, her first thought being that they had just attacked a squatter. She opened her eyes and looked up, only to discover that the lantern had gone out, probably having been knocked over. What she could make out before her was the shadowed figure of a tall pony who’s outline didn’t match her voice at all.

Rose suddenly remembered Whisper and her eyes scanned the room, ignoring the mare. She quickly spotted her friend laying in a heap on the floor near where she had been standing just moments before, and without a second thought Rose rushed to her side.

“Whisper? Whisper, are you okay?” Rose felt her heart pounding with a fear greater than anything she’d felt all night. Her friend was hurt and she didn’t have any idea of how to help her. Her mind was racing, a million thoughts rushing through her mind, but in that brief moment she was still acutely aware of the other pony in the room. Her fear shifted to anger in a second and she spun around to find the tall mare nowhere to be seen. Panic began to set in again at the thought of contacting a ghost but her fear was suddenly gone when she heard the tap in the kitchen. Anger flushed back through her. How dare she cause this and then go about her merry way? Rose flared her wings and bolted to the kitchen, ready to buck the mare to the moon.

Rounding the tight corner she smacked straight into her and didn’t hesitate, didn’t even register as she slammed her hoof into the mare’s chest. One. Two. Three times she felt her hooves connect and on the last she heard a sharp crack and a high pitched yelp from the one beneath her. Without warning she suddenly felt paralyzed, a burning sensation so hot it nearly felt icy surrounded her. She cried out in terror, not realizing that there was no pain associated with the feeling.

The dark mare below her growled and crawled away, righting herself as an icy blue, flame-like aura surrounded her. It only lasted a second before it flickered out leaving the mare trembling and panting. Rose knew she was tired, and hurt, but her stance didn’t show it for long before her form stood up straight and faced her. She may have been imagining it, but for a second Rose thought she saw a flicker of blue from one of the mare’s eyes before darkness covered her again.

“Seriously, what the buck is wrong with you? I come upstairs in my house and get attacked? Repeatedly?” The mare’s voice was off in tone. While Rose could normally sense another pony’s emotion this mare was almost completely neutral. She’d been expecting pure rage, or hatred, but the coldness didn’t tell anything. “Are you suddenly mute? You talk enough in class for twelve ponies but when it matters, cat’s got your tongue?”

“You stalked me?” Rose hissed. She decided to give up on trying to read the shadow before her and approach this like any other pony would. “I guess that gives me right to attack a creep like you!”

“What?” The mare suddenly barked out a laugh, turning away from Rose and bending down to get something off the floor. A piece of cloth it seemed. “You sit in front of me you idiot.” She walked away to the sink, running the cloth beneath that tap and wringing it out, fussing over it for some reason.

“I would know if there was a freaky mare like you in my class.” Rose was starting to become more paranoid as the mare approached with the cloth. “Are you going to kill me with that?” The pegasus tried her hardest to fight the paralyzation that caged her body, but to her dismay the mare only laughed.

“Naw, I’m not about that life, but tell you what, I’ll let you free if you promise not to kill me.:” The mare didn’t even give her a chance to answer before she felt her limbs giving out beneath her. Rose fell to the ground ungracefully but quickly got her bearing. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down here, not now.

“Look,” The mare pushed by her and headed for the heap that was Whisper, “you came and attacked me, the most you can do is give me the benefit of the doubt here.” Rose bolted around her and stood adamantly by her friend’s side. The mare sighed and stomped a hoof, blue sparks crackling as Rose was suddenly flung aside by some force from beneath the floor. Her shoulder slammed against the wooden floorboards as she landed across the room, shocks of pain filling her leg and back, causing her to gasp for breath.

Rose was never a fighter, she cursed her weakness as she struggled to her hooves, wishing for a moment to have the strength of a royal guard who could fight on despite their injuries. As she got back onto her shaking hooves she saw the mare pressing the cloth against Whispers forehead. She would have tried to stop it but the pain stopped her from doing anything rash, forcing her to watch for a moment.

With this chance she noticed something she’d overlooked before. As the mare gently wiped Whispers forehead he noticed her friend begin to stir slightly. Fear and anger turned to confusion as she watched on, realizing that perhaps this mare truly had no ill intention, maybe she was being genuine but if that were the case why would she have been following them at school? She wracked her mind as she pictured all the mares who taught there, but none were so tall and lanky, and none would live in such a place for that matter. She didn’t have a chance, or the breath, to ask as she noticed a small voice though missed the words as Whisper mumbled something.

The tall mare pulled the cloth away, giving her some space to breathe, “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to hit you.” Rose finally heard the concern in her voice and with the slight comfort her legs gave out beneath her, she caught herself just enough to fall into a semi-comfortable laying position and pretend that she had meant to do that. It went unnoticed to the other mares however.

She watched as Whisper nodded, her horn flickering back to light up the space around them. Though the light was dim, Rose still had to shield her eyes after the darkness. Her ears however remained active. “Shadow?” Whisper’s voice was quiet but was clear as a bell, causing Rose to prick her ears and giving her a reason to squint against the light instead of playing nice with her pupils.

There was no way to mistake it now, that was absolutely Shadow. Long legs, a scruffy purple coat, her navy-blue and yellow mane completely ungroomed, but… “You’re a mare?!” The words flew out before Rose’s filter could catch it, and immediately regretted it as the look she got was almost ready to shoot daggers. She began to sputter out an apology but a long, sharp, cry sounded from below, instantly reminding her why she was here in the first place. Her eyes widened in fear, as she scrambled back to her hooves, not wasting a second in fluttering her wings, thankfully finding them to be painless save for a slight ache. Within seconds she was hovering and ready to bolt if she had to. Her eyes instantly locked with Whispers who was on her hooves already and once again braced for attack. She almost forgot about Shadow entirely but a small bit of laughter from the mare drew her attention back.

“What is wrong with you two? Have you never heard a wolf before?” At Shadows words Rose’s jaw dropped, wolves ate ponies, and the smug look on the tall mares face did nothing to ease her newfound dread. “I’d take you to see them, but they’re in a mood today.”

Oh of course they are. Rose looked to the door and then to Whisper, a sudden glow of light illuminating the dim room for a second. The pegasus shielded her eyes again but only for a moment before her jaw dropped. Right before her eyes she saw her friend, standing proud and tall, with her new cutiemark as a badge of her destiny. She looked over the picture, a blue candle with a matching flame in a silver tray, she wasn’t immediately sure of it’s meaning but she didn’t have to ask as Whisper was very eager to state her realization.

“And here I thought I would never truly know my calling,” Whisper’s voice sounded renewed, full of life and energy, “but now I understand, I was always afraid of unknown, and I never did try to overcome my fear. Maybe if I had I would have known I could bring light to the darkness.”

Rose tilted her head and limped forward, she had to give her friend a hug. Wrapping her hooves around her neck, the coldness in the room faded and she could feel Whispers energy flowing through her in a wave similar to that of a summer breeze. “I’m so proud of you.” She murmured. The two had often had long, late night, talks about who they could turn out to be. Sometimes they would end in sadness with a feeling of empty hopelessness at the prospect of not being able to get their marks because their destiny was out of their reach, but then other times… Rose smiled at the fond memory of how they would fall into hysterical laughter after suggesting the most ridiculous ideas of how Whisper was destined to make smoothies on the moon for an alien race, or how Rose was supposed to be riding unicycles over turtles shells on Thursdays. “I guess that means you don’t have to go to space then.” She couldn’t resist adding the joke and as she pulled away from her friend and made and eye contact the two once again fell into a fit of laughter.

When they calmed down Rose remembered where they were and somehow the light air didn’t fade from the room. She turned back to Shadow who smiled in return before looking to Whisper. “Congratulations on your mark, though I’m unsure what you mean by ‘bringing light to the darkness’.” Rose was worried Shadow’s words would put a damper on Whisper but her friend wasn’t fazed in the least.

“Well here we are, in a place that everypony was afraid of. That I was afraid of, but now that I’ve come here and discovered the truth, I know it’s nothing to be afraid of and…” The unicorn trailed off with a cheeky grin, “Okay so maybe the wolves are a bit scary, but so are spiders to many ponies even if they mean no harm.” Both Rose and Shadow grinned at this, and before Rose could really process, Whisper launched herself at the taller mare, embracing her in a hug. “Thank you.”

Rose could sense the taller mare’s awkwardness, but that too faded back into the grayness that the mare seemed to let off. “I’m glad I could help, and actually,” The two mares split apart, “I’m glad you discovered that here and not in a place of real danger, even if I-” Shadow’s eyes locked with Rose, a look of regret on her face, “I’m really sorry I hurt you. I have a bit of a short fuse sometimes, especially when I’m on edge.”

Rose nodded, she knew the mare was sincere, or at least she thought she was, and after the energy she’d gotten from Whisper she was only a bit sore, the pain having faded into a very dull ache. “It’s okay, we shouldn’t have just broke in either. I’m sorry, too.”

Shadow nodded, silently accepting the apology. “Would you like me to heal your shoulder? It is your shoulder right?”

“No it’s…” Rose paused, Shadow’s wording was kinda vague, and if she wasn’t mistaken, healing was a unicorn thing, while an earth pony might’ve been able to… Well she wasn’t exactly sure, but earth pony doctors and nurses existed, even though they couldn’t just cast a spell and heal in seconds. “What do you mean exactly?”

Shadow scratched a blue hoof against her leg, looking at the ground and not answering immediately but after a moment she sighed and looked up. “I can use magic like a unicorn and know a few healing spells that could help.”

Even though Rose was expecting a similar answer with what she’d recently seen and just heard, but hearing it from her mouth was rather shocking. An earth pony with unicorn magic? It was unheard of! Or at least was very rare as Rose had never heard of it in legend or passing.

“Don’t tell anyone though.” Shadow’s gaze became hard and serious, “I only told you because you’d seen it. It’s technically not even my own magic and it’s borrowed from a nightmare making it illegal or banned, or just plain frowned upon and Celestia would banish me, or take my magic, or send me to the moon or…” Shadow paused to breathe giving Rose a chance to cut in before… Well she wasn’t sure but she felt it necessary.

“We won’t tell anyone, I promise.” Rose looked to Whisper who gave an affirmative nod. “We’ve got your back on this, okay?” Shadow nodded and let out a breath just as a wolf let out a bark from downstairs causing Whisper to jump. Rose put a comforting wing over her friend but the mare seemed to be okay still.

“You know what guys?” Whisper looked at the two mares, settling her eyes on Rose. “I wanna do this more, I think… I think I wanna leave school now, now that I know my destiny I don’t have to search, I don’t have to learn and find opportunities for greater things now, because… Well because I know what I want.”

As proud of her as Rose was she felt a twinge of sadness at the thought of her friend leaving. They’d been together since the pegasus moved to Canterlot and met her at a party many years ago. “You do what you need to, but I’m going to miss you.” She was trying to be supportive, but couldn’t help let her worries show.

“I don’t wanna leave Canterlot just yet!” Whisper went wide-eyed as though the idea hadn’t even crossed her mind. “I’ve only just figured myself out and… I think sticking to Canterlot for now would be wise, you know? Besides, you can always come with me Rose, you said you wanted to travel and get a change of scenery again right? We could plan it out and go together. That offer is for you too, Shadow.” Whisper added the last part to Rose’s surprise, they hardly knew the mare after all, though leaving Canterlot in hopes of ‘bringing light to darkness’ didn’t sound that unappealing of an idea.

“I’ll think about it.” Rose said as she began to smoothen her mane, trying to hide a sudden grin. “Maybe while we’re exploring Canterlot’s crypts.” She saw the excitement bubble up in her friend, feeling the burst of energy that was about to come grow before the unicorn jumped for joy, her horn sparking in response. She couldn’t help but giggle at the foalish excitement.

“Do you wanna come too?” Whisper turned to Shadow with a big grin. Clearly nothing could faze her excitement and joy right now and Rose had a feeling that the tall mare was on the same page.

“That sounds fun, I like discovering spooky things,” No surprises there, Shadow did live in a creepy house after all. “but it’ll probably be a lot more dangerous than this.”

“Actually…” Rose held her breath, was her friend actually going to go back on this? “I’d be disappointed if they were’nt!” She chuckled and wagged her tail. Rose could only smack her hoof against her head. This mare was crazy, and now Rose knew that nothing would stop her from following her destiny. Even if it got them all killed.

Author's Note

Aaaaand that's a wrap. Tell me what you think guys, my first completed fanfiction and the start of a series. Even if a majority groans at this idea, my writing, or whatever, I'll likely continue as I've got a hundred and one ideas for these guys~