Moonlight bled through the thick clouds in the night sky and seeped through the window, dimly lighting the train cars. Silence filled the air in all the passenger cars. The only noise to be heard at all was the soft chug-chug-chug-chug the train was making.
The first passenger car held a family of four, soon to be five. The second passenger held an elderly couple and a couple of business ponies, and the third passenger car held a family of three, four farmers and a glum-looking mare who sat away from the others. The family in the first passenger car was comprised of a two daughters, a filly on the way, a mother, and a father.
The train had left from Manehatten at 11:30 that night, and it was now 1:42 in the morning. Most of the passengers were asleep- the elderly couple, the children, the business ponies and half the farmers- while a few stayed awake. The train slowed to a stop at a slightly run down train station. The platform was empty, save for a well-dressed stallion sitting on a bench. The family in the front car gathered their belongings and unboarded the train.
The stallion took notice of the family when he looked up after the train had blown the whistle. Upon seeing the family, the stallion got up with a slight grin on his face and trotted over.
"Hello! You must be Mr. and Mrs. Dusk, it's a pleasure to meet you in person," The stallion spoke as he bowed his head slightly "I'm Mr. Hoovecrest, the lawyer who contacted you a few days ago about the inheritance of the home owned by your parents, Mrs. Dusk."
The mother smiled softly and reached out her hoof without speaking a word. Mr. Hoovecrest reached out and shook her hoof as he gave her a smile in return.
"if you'll just follow me, I have a carriage waiting to take us to the estate," Mr. Hoovecrest spoke as he turned and trotted to the exit platform. The family gathered their bags again and followed him. Once settled in the carriage, Mr. Hoovecrest had the mother and father sign some documents.
"Your parents, more specifically your father, wished for you to their house up their time of death, as you are very well aware. Your parents' will states that you and your brother are given an equal share of money as well," Mr. Hoovecrest said as the carriage swiftly carried them through the small town "your mother wished for you to have everything she ever owned, and your father wished for you to inherit all of his work materials and tools. As for your brother, Mrs. Dusk, he is to get 85% of the rest of your father's belongings. Everything else is to be given to you."
"Thank you, Mr. Hoovecrest. I appreciate everything you've done for us," Mrs. Dusk spoke as she gave him a gracious smile. Mr. Hoovecrest chuckled softly.
"No need to thank me, my dear. It's not only my job, but it's also my pleasure to help ponies such as yourself," He spoke with a warm smile.
Silence fell upon the slightly bumpy carriage after that until they reached their destination: a victorian-esque mansion. The children's eyes widened in awe at the sight of it. To them, it looked like a huge castle where they could play pretend princesses.
The family and Mr. Hoovecrest unboarded the carriage and stepped onto the property.
"Just as big as I remember," the mother whispered nostalgically.
"Eh, a little too big for our little family, though, don't you think?" The father said. The mother began to answer, however, she was cut off by her husband coughing a little violently into the crook of his forearm. Mr. Hoovecrest gave them a reassuring smile.
"I'm sure you'll make use of the extra space somehow," He spoke as pulled out a key ring. Many keys hung from it and jingled and clanked against each other.
"These are the keys to all of the doors except the basement. Each key is labeled accordingly to its corresponding door," Mr. Hoovecrest spoke as he handed over the keys to the mother "I took the time to label the keys for you just in case."
"Well, thank you very much for that," The mother said with a warm smile. Mr. Hoovecrest nodded his head and looked towards the carriage.
"I'd best be on my way before the missus gets too awfully worried," He spoke as he trotted to the carriage "give me a call whenever you get fully settled, I still have a few more things I wish to discuss."
"Will do," The father said. They family watched the kind lawyer leave in the carriage. Turning their attention back to the house, the eldest of the two daughters spoke up,
"Mama, why didn't Mr. Hoovecrest have the key to the basement?"
"Because I already have the key, sweetie. Your Grandpappy gave it to me before he passed." The mother explained, producing an intricate key from the front pocket of one her bags.
"Oooh, okay," The child spoke as she nodded her head "that makes sense."
"Speaking of the basement, you two are to stay away and out of the basement, okay? It's not a place a for children to be playing." The mother spoke in a slightly stern tone.
"Yes mama," the two siblings said in unison.
With that, they gathered their bags yet again and entered their new home. The inside seemed to be much larger than it had looked from outside, and it matched the victorian-esque styling the outside had. The entryway was just a long, wide, rectangle shaped room with two smaller rectangles to the left and right with doors on the northern walls, like a rectangle shaped bird with rectangle wings. The entryway ended with a flight of stairs on either side of the room leading the other sections of the house. Another door, one much larger and intricately designed than the others in the entryway, was spaced in between the stairs.
The floor was covered in diamond checker pattern of light and dark purple. A long, slightly wide rug intricately woven of red and gold decorated the floor from the front door to the door between the stairs. Four chandeliers hung from the ceiling, spaced evenly apart, and lit the room. A long hallway branched off at the top of the stairs on either side. A long rug like the one in the entryway lined the floor.
"Wow, this place is absolutely gorgeous," The father said in awe. The mother smiled.
"Indeed it is, honey," She spoke, "I remember when I was a filly, me and my brother would run around these halls playing hide and seek and tag."
"I'm sure you girls are still sleepy from the long train ride, so let's go on and pick out rooms and get some rest," The father spoke, "we'll finish unpacking tomorrow."
With that, the family gathered their bags once more and trotted up the stairs. Turning down the hall to the right brought them to the first set of rooms. The eldest daughter took the first room, the youngest took the one next door and the parents took the one down the hall and around the corner.
Up until the day her baby was due, the mother spent all of her time down in the basement and refused to let the rest of her family inside. It seems some traditions never change.
