Vengeance at nightfall

(chapter 55) sisters

The next day, right after the night her father had invaded her son’s room, she had asked her sister if they could talk in the gardens after breakfast. So almost directly after they had finished eating, they told Mantis and Sapphire that they could play in gardens. And soon after settling down far enough to give the two some space, while still being able to watch them, she began to explain what had happened.

“and he was still asleep during all this, so he couldn't have heard the horrible things he was saying, but still,”

Nightshade sighed, as she furrowed her brow, keeping her eyes glued on her young.

“what would have happened if I was too late?”

Angel turned her attention to her niece and nephew,

“I don't know him as well as you, but I do know one thing,”

She turned to her sister and grabbed her hoof, holding it tightly,

“our birthday is in a couple days, if he's threatening our family, no matter how strange it is, he's threatened all of us,”

Nightshade held her sister's hoof, it was comforting to know that she was just as worried as she was, but she felt the slight pain of sadness fill her heart.

She and her sister have just gotten their father back, and to hate him rather than love him made her feel confused inside.

“should we take any precautions? I mean, if he's going to be around he might just ruin how safe and peaceful it has been. And I know this is a bit harsh, but I don't want him to be around while we celebrate,”

Angel nodded, and pulled Nightshade into a comforting side hug.

“I understand how you feel, you want to protect your family and spend time with them at the same time, it's a risk worth taking,”

Nightshade rested her head on her sister's shoulder, as they watched Sapphire and Mantis play: chasing butterflies and birds, play tag and hide and go seek, it was peaceful.

“I can't wait to see the lunar lilies bloom, they will be beautiful,”

Angel smiled, and ruffled her sister's mane with a hoof,

“the whole family will be there too, silly, it'll be more than just beautiful,”

She giggled softly and Nightshade joined in on the laughter, hugging her sister as well. But the feeling soon faded, as a familiar magic choked out the joy, and Sapphire and Mantis stopped playing. And instead ran to the two sisters, Mantis staying close to Nightshade as Sapphire sat on Angel’s back.

Seconds later, Sombra strutted into the gardens, but instead of wearing a smile her grimaced.

“what are you doing here?”

Nightshade said coldly, as the both of them stood up in unison, which made him smirk slightly.

“I was simply checking up on how my daughters were doing, what? Is that a crime to the new princesses too?”

Nightshade pressed her lips shut, glaring at him in silence as she refused the urge to give in and respond.

“we were just fine, thank you father, you can carry on with your life now,”

Nightshade nodded, and she felt her protective urge and rage brimming at the edges of her control. The moment it reached her eyes and changed them she shook her head, trying to change them back before he saw.

But it was too late, he was already grinning a malicious grin.

“I see, the young prodigy still has trouble with her rage, how wonderful to see a familiar behaviour,”

As he said this, he walked up to the lunar lilies, noticing that they were about to bloom.

“t-that’s none of your business! It was never any of your business!”

Nightshade shouted, holding her eyes shut as she folded her ears back and lowered herself to be closer to Mantis. She felt the pain of hate begin to leave her, as she opened her eyes to look at him.

The little colt had a bold face, cold and unhappy, yet he clung to her hind leg so tight that she could sense his fear.

“you see, changelings are horrible at keeping their emotions inside, always leaking them and being weak. This is why I don't value their lives as much as I value vampire ponies, now those are some honourable ponies,”

He ran his hoof over a tiny Lilly that was puny compared to the rest, and continued,

“changelings are like this lily, tiny and weak, there is nothing good about one dead bud surrounded hundreds of beautiful and strong blooms,”

He plucked it from the ground violently, and stomped it into the dirt.

“worthless weed,”

“don't touch those!”

Nightshade shouted, once again, she leaned down and tried to repress the rage inside of her. She heard his hoof steps getting closer, but the sound of a magic shield being put up cut them off, and she slowly opened her eyes.

“it's ok, I know you're mad, I am too, just know that you're not alone this time,”

Angel held a hoof out to her sister, and Nightshade took it with no hesitation, and they teleported away from their father.