The Mediator

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5

Chapter 1

Ever since I was young, I could see spirits. Not only could I see them, I could talk to them. And more often than not, they talked back. Not that that was particularly special in my family. It’s a pretty common trait, truth be told.

“Now, Trickle, carefully fold the dough over and over, and make sure to work in the air. Makes the bread much fluffier!”

“Sure thing, Gramma.” I eagerly set my hooves into the slightly sticky mass, the flower on the counter helping the bundle from sticking to both the wooden surface and myself. Sure, I had a horn, but the feeling of making something with my own body, it was something I felt truly proud of. I kneaded the dough over and over, almost losing myself in the rhythm, before a gentle but firm voice pulled me out of my focus.

“Now, not too much. That should be plenty. Let the dough rise for a little while. In the meantime, why don’t you work on cleaning up a smidge. If your mother sees the mess in here, she’ll have more than I few choice words, I reckon.”

I turn around and wince. Sure enough the kitchen looked like a small herd of yaks had run through. And each of them were made of flower and sugar. Small clumps of dough had even found its’ way onto the ceiling of all places. I could have worn I was being more careful than that.

“Oh, come on! How in the world did that even happen? I was so sure I had it handled…” My head hung low, a deep sigh escaping my lungs. “I guess I’ll get the mop…do you know where the bucket is?”

“Right where you left it, of course.”

“And I don’t suppose you know where I left it?”

“I do.”

We both had a small staring contest, but with her having an unfair advantage, I really had no chance of winning. After a small while, my eyes started watering and I blinked rapidly. Using a hoof, I quickly tried to wipe the water from my eyes, only to get dough smeared all over my face. I heard the sound of laughter from behind me, as I tried to get the sticky mess off my face, in the end only making it worse.

“You really need to keep better track of where you keep things. If we keep helping you, you’ll never learn.” She chuckled again. “Although I suppose if you want to get this mess cleaned up in time, not to mention the kitchen, I can lend a hoof this once, but if I see you slacking, that’s it!” She paused in her tirade, humming thoughtfully to herself. “Now where did I put my apron?”

“Hello, pot, I’m kettle.”

“Oh, shush, you. At least I have an excuse. I lost my mind ages ago.”

“Still not funny, Gramma. You only use that one almost every day.”

“I see that my wit is unappreciated in this time. I guess I won’t help you after all. I’ll just take my unfunny self and…”

“No! No! I didn’t mean it!” I threw myself against her long robes, grabbing at her front legs. I did my best to give her my saddest face, tears welling up in my eyes and my lower lip quivering in my best pout. I stared up at her and dared her to resist my charm. “You’re the funniest, the smartest, the-the wittiest pony I know!”

“You know, if you weren’t covered in batter, I might have been able to resist, but confound it!” She grabbed hold of me tightly, nuzzling the top of my head. “I swear, you’re even cuter than your father when he was your age. Fine, I’ll help you, but no more sass, understood?” She gently pushed me away before turning back around and walking towards the cabinetry. Or at least she would have had a loud clatter not echoed though the room, causing both of us to pause.

“I know I said I’d lend a hoof, but…” She hopped away a couple steps, revealing a bleach white foreleg laying on the floor. “I don’t suppose this is exactly what you had in mind, right?” She waved her stump underneath her robe at me. “But don’t worry about me, I’m all RIGHT now!” She chuckled and sat down on the wooden floor, the twin lights in her eye sockets glowing a pale blue as she chuckled at her own jokes. I walked over and picked up her leg before giving her a flat look.

“Gramma, that’s the fourth time this week that something has fallen off. It’s starting to get a little old.” I walked over to the door and lay the appendage against the frame. “You’ll have to wait until Dad gets back again, so for the time being, you’ll have to leave again until he has a chance to look at you.” I sigh and look at the mess around me. “Looks like I am doing this by myself after all.”

Gramma hobbled over to the door and started taking off her robe, with some assistance by me, revealing her pure white skeleton, sans her left foreleg. Once she had lay down, her eyes suddenly dimmed and her body clattered to the floor like a puppet with its’ strings cut. A light blue wisp emerged from the pile of bones, coalescing into the form of an older mare. She sighed deeply as she floated past me, coming to rest next to me, her ethereal hoof resting gently against my withers. “I know this is most unbecoming after I said I’d help, I swear it wasn’t intentional.”

I give her a smile before getting up and starting to gather the various bowls and utensils I had amassed during my baking foray. “I know, I know, can’t help it when it happens. I don’t think I can put you back together on my own this time. I simply don’t have the reserves for properly rebuild you.”

“Oh, horseapples, you simply haven’t grown into your heritage is all. Your father couldn’t even animate a skeleton at your age, so you have him beat in that regard at least. Just give it time and some practice…wait scratch that, LOTS of practice, and you’ll be a fine necromancer.”

“Lemme, guess, you can feel it in your bones?”

“Drat, beat me to the punch line. Well, for the time being, you had best get a move on. There’s a lot of work to do, and the longer we sit her yapping, the longer it’s gonna take to finish.”

I nod and, with a final sigh of acceptance, start the daunting task of cleaning up after myself.

You see, my family and I are all necromancers. Not by choice really, as we are all born with the ability, but I can’t see myself doing anything else really. I am never alone, and my family is a lot of fun, despite their quirks. Gramma thinks she has the world’s best sense of humor, and Grampa tends to agree, though he’s more quiet and collected. Great Uncle Stone is almost always hanging out in the fields, claiming that just because he’s dead, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have work to do, while his mother constantly chides him for his “workaholic” nature. I have around fourteen members all told, the only living among them being my two parents, Sunny Acres and Harvest Winds. My father is the one who has been teaching me the art of necromancy, since my mother can’t do it.

Before each of our lessons, he always reminds me of the most important rule we uphold: Life is precious and must be protected. Creatures have an eternity to be dead, but only a short while to enjoy life. And as such, he has a small laboratory in the back of the house where he mixes potions and remedies for the populace down the mountain. But sometimes, even he can’t help and somepony dies. After they are buried he always makes sure that the dead can rest. Says that not everyone likes that they die. Many are scared and it’s his duty to make sure they can pass on. I hope to one day be as amazing as he is.

Mom may not be able to speak to the dead like Dad and I, but that doesn’t stop her trying to have conversations through us. She mostly goes through Dad, though. Something about me not being old enough to join in on some conversations. But, despite not having the talents we do, she prides herself on being the best baker alive. She says that bit jokingly, since Gramma insists that she was, in fact, better than she is. But, since today is Mom’s birthday, I managed to convince Gramma to teach me one of her recipes to surprise Mom with. Hence why I am currently wiping up what looks like an explosion of batter. Still confused how I managed to make the kitchen THAT dirty.

Gramma tells me when it’s time to put the loaf in the oven, making a huge fuss over being careful with the hot oven. I roll my eyes, and slide the pan into the oven without incident, sometimes she can be so paranoid. While the, hopefully, delicious bread bakes, I manage to clean up the rest of the kitchen, using my magic finally to get the last few bits from the ceiling. There’s still a bit of time left, so I run quickly to the bathroom, taking a bucket from the counter and dipping it into a small heated tub. I need to be sure to not waste the hot water, since it takes a while to heat up anything up here.

As I scrub the mess off me, I look outside for any trace of Mom or Dad. All I could see was Uncle Stone working on moving snow away from the entrance to our home. I wave cheerfully at him and he waves once back, before returning to work. Not much else to look at though, with us living near the peak of the mountain north of town. Dad says that the ponies down there might be scared of seeing everyone up here, since they’re, y’know, dead. I mean, I guess I can understand, but it seems silly.

I poured the rest of the bucket over my head, shivering slightly, once the cooler air started closing in after the initial rush of warmth. I rushed out, nearly running into Grampa as he made his way down the hall. He reached out a hoof and stopped me before I could rush around him.

“Don’ worry, lad,I a’ready took care o’ yer pasty. Dry yerself off, fore you catcher death o’ cold. Still far too early to have yer soul join ours.” He pulled me back into the bathroom and swiftly grabbed a hanging towel, placing over my head before swiftly rubbing me down. Between the pain of his hard hoof and the embarrassment, I tried to pull away.

“Grampa, I’m already twelve, I can do it by myself!”

“Aye, I’ll believe tha’ when I see it. Says he’s ole enough to do it himself, but runs out while soakin’ wet into the freezin’ halls. Are ye young’re just daft, boy?”

I flush harder in embarrassment, but just let him finish, his methods becoming gentler now that I wasn’t struggling to get away. He was right of course. I look up at his glowing orange eyes, “I’m sorry.”

“I know ye are, but do try to get tha’ head o’ yers on straight. I swear, had I a workin’ heart, I’d be havin’ attacks constantly.” He pulled the towel off me and gave my head a gentle tap. “Yer a brilliant boy, to be sure, but sometimes I wonder if’n you have even a lick o’ common sense. I mightn’t have been th’ sharpest scythe in the shed, but I have plenny o’ sense. Now, enough feelin’ sorry fer yerself, let’s get going to the kitchen and see ‘ow yer loaf turned out.”

I nod and shake myself a bit before trotting next to Grampa towards the kitchen, the smell of cinnamon flowed down the hall and my mouth started watering.

“Oh, it smells so good!”

He nodded and continued into the kitchen, holding the door open for me. I walked past him and saw Gramma hovering over the loaf, inspecting it carefully, poking it with an ethereal hoof out of habit and mumbling to herself. She turned toward me after a few more moments of inspection.

“I do believe that you have yourself an authentic piece of Jubilation Cinnamon Raisin Bread. A little misshapen, but that comes with experience. I would bet my left leg that it will taste amazing”

My face erupted into a huge smile. “You mean the leg you lost?”

She smiled and shook her head. “Getting quicker, I’m gonna need to get some new material to keep you on your toes. But yes, I do believe that your dear mother will thoroughly love this. Dear, would you mind putting it into the bread box on the third shelf? Should keep it fresh enough until Harvest and Sunny arrive.”

With a nod, Grampa lifted the loaf and placed it in said box, gently closing it like it was some precious item. They both approached me, Grampa placing his hoof on my head while Gramma wrapped her ghostly form around my neck. I simply basked in their affection and my pride. I couldn’t wait for Mom and Dad to get back home!

Chapter 2

Waiting is boring. Just a fact of life when you are expecting something, really. But for a young colt, such a wait felt like days of mindless tedium. Sure, both of my parents told me that it might be a long day, but there’s a long day and then there’s a LONG day. I moan and bump my forehead into the table again.

“I wish they would hurry up already. I’ve been waiting for hours…” I sighed and drew random circles against the tabletop. This was torture. Sheer torture. I couldn’t go outside without Mom or Dad there, and I couldn’t practice any magic without them either. And doing more chores than I had to do was completely out of the question. So here I was, staring at the door yet again, the soft sound of snow being shoveled by Uncle Stone being the only break in the agonizing boredom that plagued my mind.

“Trickle, for the love of…it’s been twenty minutes! The floor is still drying for Celestia’s sake!”

Has it really been so long since I had any interaction that I was hearing voices? Surely that meant it was too late for me. I will die here. Hungry. Cold. Bored. Maybe my parents would find me as a skeleton? Just hunched over this very table, having succumbed to the elements. I would leave a message, placed under my hoof, that they would open, teary eyed as they realized what a horrible thing they did to me. ‘Oh, dearest husband! If only we had arrived sooner! Maybe we could have spared our poor, wonderful son such an unfortunate and terrible fate!’ ‘Oh, how I know it, dearest wife! Our tardiness has claimed our son long before his time! If only we had known! If only we had KNOWN!’

“Don’ bother, Plum, y’know how colts’re around that age. All energy, no patience.”

“Well, DO something about it! I can’t very well get through to him like this!” She waved to her incorporeal form, an exasperated look on her face. “Come on, you old bag of bones, help me out here!”

A small chuckle answered her in reply as he walked over and gently bopped me on the head. “Snap out of it, colt. You keep lazing about like this an’ yer nana will never stop pestering me.”

“That’s not the reason he should stop, Granite!”

“It’s a good enough reason fer me.”

“Oh, just you wait until I get my body back in shape, I’ll teach you to-“

Grampa leaned down to me and lifted my head of the table. “As much fun as it is ta mess with yer nana, she is right. There’s plenty ta do ‘round here whilest ya wait. Might as well do ev’rything y’can while you still have the abilty ta enjoy it, right? There’ll be plenty of time to mope and moan once yer dead, might’n as well make the most outta life, right?”

I rolled my eyes, not the first time I had heard that speech, but regardless, he had a point. I suppose I could do SOMETHING to help around the place…

The shoveling stopped and a skeletal head poked his way inside, trying to let in as little cold as possible. “They’re back.”

Salvation! Forget cleaning, Mom and Dad are back! I dash past Uncle Stone as he quickly moved away from the door. I thought I heard Gramma complaining behind me, but it really didn’t matter right now! Goodbye, boredom! I raced through the snow, the very wind unable to keep up with my speed! Snow was no match for me! I caught sight of them as they crested the slope, my face erupting into the biggest grin! I waved as I saw them.

“Welcome b-“ It was at this moment that I remembered that trying to run full sprint in snow while simultaneously waving enthusiastically wasn’t mutually inclusive. That was very quickly apparent as I face plant directly into said snow, partially burying myself in the process. I hear both my parents and my other relatives laughing at me, my face and ears burning with embarrassment. I think I’ll just stay here and die now.

The laughter got closer as I feel a large hoof wrap around my barrel, lifting me out of the fresh powder, the snow clinging to my face and body turning my brown fur into white. Well, red and white actually if the burning sensation was any indication.

“We’re back, Trickle. You ok? You had quite an amazing dive there.”

“…I meant to do that.” I look up at my dad, his tired eyes sparkling at me as he laughed, his beard almost as white as I was from the snow. I sneezed and blew some of the powder from my nose onto him, making him laugh harder.

“Hop on, son, let’s get inside before it gets any colder, shall we?”

I nod as he puts me down, hopping onto his back with practiced ease. Once I am comfortable I rub my nose and smile at Mom. “How was your guys’ trip?”

Mom used a hoof to start brushing off all the snow I had accumulated. Turns out I was brown after all, who knew? Her burgundy coat coated as white as Dad’s was. “Well, it was an eventful trip, to say the least. But like your father said, why don’t we get inside first? It’s freezing out here!”

I shudder and realize that, yes, it is indeed rather cold out here. And I ran out without even grabbing my scarf, let alone my coat. “Yeah, let’s do that. That sounds like the plan we should do right now.” Both my parents shake their heads at me and quickly trot the last of the way home.

Once we were inside, I started shaking myself off again before a sharp cough grabbed my attention and I sheepishly smiled at my less than thrilled mother. She didn’t say a word, she didn’t need to, she simply pointed to the bathroom and I found myself marching. I grabbed a towel for myself and two for my parents (how thoughtful I am!) After drying off for a second time today, I ran back to the kitchen, only to find that they had already grabbed a couple that Grampa had apparently already had prepared for them. I just stared at the two on my back and sighed, walking back to hang them back up.

“I appreciate the thought, sweetie!” Mom called after me as put them away. Making my way back for the second time, I looked over at Grampa.

“Why didn’t you tell me you already had towels out for them?”

“I did.”

“What? When?”

“Durin’ yer little ‘episode’.”

My father looked concerned at that. “What do you mean ‘episode’?”

“Nothin’ ta worry about, lad. Nothin’ nefarious, just him leavin’ ta spend time in his own little world”

“Mind bringing me into the loop? Can’t hear anything, remember? Is everything al-“ My mom was quickly interrupted by Dad kissing her. I gagged slightly at the sight.

“Not to worry, Love, everything is fine. Just him day dreaming again.”

She sighed in relief. “Oh, good. Well!” She clapped her hooves together once. “What have you all been up to today? And where is Plum? I thought she was supposed to watch Trickle today?”

“Well, to answer the second question…” I point next to the door at the pile of bones. “Her body is there.” I pointed to the space directly behind Mom, where Granma was currently floating with her forelegs crossed in disappointment. “And she is currently behind you.”

Mom just chuckled and looked slightly embarrassed. “Yes, I should have guessed as much, she’s never not taken care of things, I should really just start assuming that she has things in hoof.”

Without missing a beat both Granma and I said, “Well, one of them anyway.” We looked at each other and started laughing far harder than was warranted, much to the confusion of Mom.

“O…kay then. What were you two up to then?”

“Well…” I walked over to the counter underneath the cabinets. “Mind giving me a boost, Dad?”

He passed a glance at Gramma who gave a reassuring wave. Dad gave a simple shrug before his horn flared and I started floating upwards. Not quite what I had in mind, but it accomplished the same goal. I threw the cabinets open and gestured up at the top shelf where the bread box was held. A moment later I floated up the rest of the way, grabbing the whole box instead of just pulling out the surprise. I wanted to see their reaction up close!

Once I had a solid grip, I felt Dad slowly lower me to the ground. I turned to them, puffed out my chest and slowly walked to the table, holding the simple breadbox as if it were the container containing the elements of harmony themselves!

Dad rolled his eyes at the theatrics, but Mom had an excited look on her face. Gramma looked really smug for some reason. I set the box on the table and gave my hooves a majestic flourish!

“Feast your eyes on something so amazing, so incredible, so…” My words failed me as my brain froze up, looking to Gramma for help. She chuckled and mouthed a word at me. I nodded and continued. “So MAGNANIMUS that it has never been seen by mortal eyes!”

Gramma leaned towards Dad and whispered, “Technically, he’s telling the truth.”

I flicked the door open and pulled out my magnum opus! Such stunning perfection! Such exquisite aromas! I could only imagine the depth and body of flavor…

“Looks pretty decent, son. Bet it doesn’t taste half bad either! Good job!”

I froze for a moment. His words slowly sinking in. ‘Pretty decent’? ‘Taste half bad’? My eyes began to well up tears.

“You…do you mean it?”

He walked over and grabbed a knife, cutting into the bread and removing a small slice. After taking a bite he passed it to Mom, who excitedly grabbed it before eating the rest of it in a single bite.

“Yeah, it’s pretty good. Get some more practice and you might be able to make one as good as your Grandma.”

Mom looked insulted at him. “’Pretty good’? ‘Pretty good?!’ This is AMAZING! Have you no taste buds?”

“You’ve never had Mom’s bread, Harvest. But for a first attempt, this is pretty good. Good job, son.”

I couldn’t believe it. Dad actually liked it? I mean, Mom likes just about everything I make, but Dad? He very rarely ever complimented anything. So the fact that liked it meant more than the most glowing praise from the princess herself! I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer as I ran and hugged him as tightly as I could.

Dad looked taken aback as he looked around the room. “Did I say something wrong?” Mom just smiled and shook her head while both Gramma and Grampa both face hoofed.

~~~

After my little, umm, moment, Mom and I were surprised by a veritable feast that was brought forth by the rest of the family. I had no idea that all this was being done!

Several types of pies were brought out. Potatoes had been baked in a fire pit out back. Uncle Stone had even made some of his roasted pecans! I was so confused as I had never heard him stop shoveling, but here they were. More and more items were brought in, each of my relatives offering Mom a happy birthday, to which Dad passed onto her. Almost everyone who entered had a body, save for Gramma and Aunty Daisy, who managed to completely lose her body, much to the disbelief of everyone. Once everyone had entered and had sat down at the table, Dad rose and quickly walked out, claiming that he had forgotten something important. After a short minute, the sound of rattling bones and jovial voices ringing out. Mom looked a little uncomfortable since she couldn’t hear anyone, but kept her smile easily regardless.

Dad returned with a single plate and placed it in front of Mom. Mom’s hooves shot up to her mouth, tears welling up immediately as the whole room fell silent. On her plate was a simple salad, topped with three raspberries with a light drizzle of olive oil covering the fresh leaves. My eyes widened, how did Dad manage to get such fresh vegetables and fruits in the middle of winter?

“Happy Birthday, love of my life.”

She threw her forelegs around him and kissed him deeply, tears pouring freely. Everyone couldn’t hold back a small chorus of “Awws” and even a whistle from Cousin Breeze. I simply gagged at the sight. Why couldn’t they be lovey dovey where I couldn’t see it? After a few seconds she pulled back, her face flushed in a mixture of joy and embarrassment. After thanking everyone for the wonderful surprise and having Dad say a quick and quiet prayer for those souls that either couldn’t find peace and joy as they had as well as a vow to help any unfortunate souls they could, Dad raised his glass. Everyone else also raised their cups silently, partaking in our nightly tradition.

“Life is precious and must be protected. Death is inevitable, but not the end. Love those that live and honor those that have passed.”

A chorus of affirmations followed and everyone immediately broke into separate conversations. Only the three living partook of the meal, even though plates had been set out for each individual member of the family. Any leftover food was either saved for later, or in the case of a large feast such as this, Dad would give it to the townsfolk the next day. I really wanted to go there someday soon, Dad always had so many interesting stories to tell.

After the meal was over, everypony mulled about and set about to clean up the place. The dead members of our family refused to let any of us help tonight, claiming that they wanted us to enjoy the warmth of life as long as possible, even going so far to shoo us out of the kitchen entirely and into the family room, pushing us onto the couch and swearing consequences if we so much as tried to get up before they were done cleaning up. So I found myself sitting in between both of my parents, warm and full. We each talked about our day and shared our plans for the next. I bolted upright when I heard Dad’s plan.

“You’re gonna teach me how to make a skeleton?!”

“Yep, I have no immediately pressing matters for the next week or so, so I figured now would be the best time to teach you some more nuanced parts of the family art.”

I’m sure that the smile on my face could be seen from Canterlot. Tomorrow can’t come quickly enough!

Chapter 3

I was awake before dawn. I bolted upright and threw my blankets off me before I ran to the door. Today was the day! Today was the day! I tore down the hall and slammed my parent’s doors open, paying no mind to the unholy hour. I ran the last couple steps before making a mighty leap and transforming myself into a fearsome artillery strike on my unsuspecting targets.

I was strangely disappointed when there were no surprised cries or even a muffled groan. I pawed at the sheets, looking for both of them, but only finding their pillows. I was certain I saw them go to bed last night. I sat there for a few seconds, utterly confused as I scratched my temple. I heard a soft knock on the door behind me and turned around to see Grampa waiting in the hall. He was holding my bright blue scarf and my red coat in his outstretched hoof.

“Yer parents’re already in the Lab ou’ back, been there fer quite a while, actually. They’re expectin’ ya, lad, so ya best get a movin’.” He shook his hoof once. “And fer lan’ sakes, please act like it’s mid winter, wouldja? I can’t even get cold but jus’ lookin’ at ye sends shivers down my spine.”

I once again realized that I was indeed cold, quite cold actually. “Yeah. Yeah, that’s sounds like a good idea…” I buried myself beneath the sheets, only the tip of my nose poking out. “C-can you bring my c-clothes over here? I’m afraid th-that my legs don’t wanna work.”

Grampa looked unamused. “Mebbe ya should start actin’ like the stallion ye’re turning inta an’ accept the consequences of yer actions. Yer effects were laid out right next to yer bed, lad!”

I shuddered and quickly ran over, ripping the clothes away from him and started to quickly get dressed. I somehow managed to get dressed without further incident, despite how badly I had started shaking. Grampa led me to the kitchen, where the coals in the stove cast a warm light through the room. Ducking past the now vacant dinner table, I planted myself in front of the warm embers, rubbing my slightly numb hooves together. Grampa threw in a couple small pieces of wood and after he had stoked the fire, shut the grate and held out a hoof to block me from nearly pressing my face against the warm metal.

“You’ll warm up in a few moments, lad, no need ta burn yerself. Just wait ‘ere and I’ll grab ya somethin’ fer brekkist.” He walked off and I heard the sound of rattling bones and clattering cabinets as I felt the delicious heat start to slowly seep into my frozen body. I slowed down my franticly rubbing hooves and turned to face the skeleton currently slicing a piece of the loaf I made last night.

“Umm, Grampa? Sorry for causing you so much trouble…”

“I ain’t worried about the trouble, lad. I’m worried about YOU.” He stopped cutting and placed the slice next to a couple dried dates and some almonds. “Lad, yer tha brightest foal I ‘ave ever had the pleasure o’ knowin’. Ya have so much potential, such an amazin’ destiny before ya, but I sometimes fear tha’ you’ll never make the most o’ it. I’ve seen it before. We may all have a diff’rent view of death than most folks, bu’ death is still an end in and of itself.” He turned toward me, lifting his leg and exposing the bone beneath his brown robe. “Ah may be able ta talk ta ye, be able ta move and do things like ya can, but there is so much Ah can’t do. One day, ye’ll die an’ join us, bu’, lad…” He walked over and hugged me tightly. “I don’ wanna see it happen fer a long, LONG time.” He sighed and released me. “ Ah might seem like Ah’m blowin’ this all outta proportion, and mebbe Ah am. But, Ah’ve seen lesser ponies fall from similar, simple mistakes. An’ sometimes it’s entirely avoidable. Jus’ promise me ye’ll take care o’ yerself an’ start thinkin’ before actin’. Promise me that, lad.”

I nodded and hung my head in shame. “I promise, Grampa.”

He lifted my head. “Now, none o’ that. Ah didn’t say all that because Ah wanted ye to feel bad, Ah simply wan’ ye to learn a lesson. And there’s no shame in ‘avin someone point out yer flaws as long as ye endeavor to improve. Yer only a pony, lad, and ye’ll make mistakes. Jus’ try to avoid the ones ye know about, right?” He playfully booped my nose, causing me to sneeze once. “Now eat up an’ get goin’! Ye got an excitin’ day ahead o’ ye!”

I nodded and scampered to the table, taking the offered plate from Grampa. We both repeated our creed and I tore into my meal, as a glass of ice cold water was pushed towards me. I thanked him and gulped it down quickly, wiping the droplets from my lips with the back of my sleeve. “All ready, Grampa!”

He nodded and tightened my scarf around me before leading me to the door. As he opened the door, the silent night greeted us. There wasn’t even a hint of wind and the moon shone brilliantly above us, painting the landscape in a gentle and beautiful light. The sound of crunching snow and my soft breathing the only sounds to be heard.

We made our way around to the back of the house where Dad had his lab set up, the light orange glow of a couple lanterns shining softly through the night. Every now and then, I caught a glimpse of blue wisps dancing about. Mom passed by the window and caught sight of us, waving excitedly.

“You’re up even earlier than we were expecting. Your father almost has everything set up and ready to go! Please come inside! It’s freezing out there!”

I nodded and trotted over to the door, opening it and looking back to Grampa who hadn’t moved since Mom called out. “You coming in, Grampa?”

“I’m afraid not, Lad. I can’t follow you any further. Only tha livin’ can enter. One word o’ advice, though: Be respectful.”

I cocked my head in confusion. This was shaping up to be far different than my previous lessons. I watched him as he bowed towards the door and walked off. Mom pulled me inside and I felt myself pass some kind of barrier and any semblance of cold fled completely from me. I looked around in shock, I had never seen anything like that before. Mom removed my coat and scarf, folding them and placing them next to their own. She motioned me to sit down on the bench next to Dad’s alchemy station, his usually full beakers and bags of herbs and minerals strangely absent. Instead, the table was completely bare, save for a simple stone statue that stood in the exact center. It was an extremely simple design, being an oval shape with a large hole in the middle. Every now and then, a small blue wisp flew out and quickly evaporated in the air.

As I sat next to her, I looked around for Dad and quickly caught sight of him as he was chanting something in a language I had never even heard before, although the tips of my ears started itching slightly the longer I listened. I pawed at them to try and help the sensation and Mom chuckled.

“You’ll get used to it , Trickle.” She suddenly turned very serious and quietly whispered to me. “Your father is finishing up the ritual. No matter what you see, stay silent unless asked a question. Make not a sound for any reason. I am understood?”

I was immediately taken aback. Mom had never had this tone of voice before. A knot started forming in my stomach as anxiety started creeping it’s way into my heart. This wasn’t gonna be anything like my previous lessons at all. I could only shakily nod my head as I swallowed. My mouth was suddenly very dry and sweat started beading on my face.

Then I started hearing a sound. It was very faint, almost like I was imagining it, but it slowly became longer. It was the sound of flowing water. An almost chime like bell occasionally rang out every few seconds, and the light in the room shifted from a warm orange to a pale blue, but the warmth remained. Actually it felt a tad warmer now.

Dad finished whatever it was that he was chanting and turned to face the small statue, his head bowed respectfully, my mother doing the same. There was a final chime, this one sounding like it came from right inside my ears, as the statue suddenly glowed a soft blue and a swirling portal opened up. And out of that portal emerged a shadowy…something. It clearly wasn’t a pony. Or anything else I had seen before.

It was an almost formless mass, but having two small appendages floating alongside. In one of it’s arms it held a lantern, a bright blue flame flickering silently inside. As the mass fully entered the room, it began to take on a more solid shape. Golden eyes peered out at us from beneath what looked like a very wide brimmed hat. It had no other facial features and beneath it’s neck it flowed like water, looking like an inky robe that constantly bled out and evaporated into the air around it.

My breath had now completely caught in my throat, my heart seemed to freeze and an involuntary shudder ran down my spine once. My sweat seemed to have turned to ice, and my throat stuck together from it’s dryness. I couldn’t look away. It’s eyes bored into mine and I felt as though I were being judged. It shook it’s lantern once and that chime echoed out through the room, all the shadows seemingly dancing in time with his movement. And then, with a final wave, all the dancing ceased. All the sounds ceased. It was as if time itself had frozen. It turned away from me and towards my dad, him having never moved from his bow. And then a voice rang out, soft and inviting, like the sound of a small foal at play.

“It has been many years, dear Sunny Acres. You have grown handsomely.” He turned to my mother, her head still hung low. “This must be the wife you’ve taken.” He floated over, closely inspecting her as if she were a pie under judgment from Gramma herself. “She is rather lovely, and, judging from her reaction, quite the strong of spirit. A fine choice.”

It then returned it’s gaze to me, those golden orbs once again freezing my very soul. “And this must be your progeny.” He floated closer to me waving his lantern once and letting a small flame emerge. The wisp gently touched my face, forcing me to look left and then right. I kept myself silent, despite wanting to scream. After what seemed like an eternity, the wisp vanished and the apparition clapped it’s hands joyfully.

“Oh blessed we, your son has the gift! And quite potent at that. Surely, such a fine clay I have before me to sculpt! To mold into his own! Oh blessed we!” He spun once, and raised both of his arms. “Now please! Rise! Let’s no longer stand on formality, friends! Today is a day of promise! Of promise!”

Both my father and mother raised their heads. Dad was wearing a very small smile now and Mom simply looked relieved. My father took two steps towards the creatureand bowed once more.

“It has been many years since we last met, Will-o’-the-Wisp. I am glad to see you well.”

“It has felt like but a day since you last stood before me. Time does so love to race.”

Dad looked to me and smiled wider now. “Son, breathe. Everything is fine.”

I suddenly released the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, gasping for air as my eyes refused to leave the Will-o’-the-Wisp. The creature flew next to me and waved it’s lantern once again, a small coal falling out and landing in it’s palm. It placed the small sphere into my hoof, patting it twice.

“Too tense you are. So serious. There is a time to be silent and fearful. But now is not that time. Yet another has been born to your line, born to your promise! Ever faithful your family has been to us, and ever joyful we have been! No harm shall fall to you this day. Make with the day! The day that shows joyous deeds!”The creature waved his lantern yet again and fire erupted forth and snaked around it’s form. A moment later, the creature was replaced by a very young, black foal, it’s mane flowing with the blue flame from it’s now missing lantern. “But mayhaps this form might ease you? Such is a child with the unknown. Pray tell, does this ease you?”

I swallowed and looked down at the coal in my hoof. It was clearly burning, but no pain met that realization, instead waves of calm passed through me. I took a deep breath and looked back at the foal. “Yes.” My voice squeaked and I swallowed trying to loosen my throat. “I mean yes. Th-thank you.”

“Oh, how precious a child you are. Tell me, do you know why I am here?”

I shook my head. “No, sir. I thought Dad was gonna teach me.”

“Sir? Dearest child, do call me ‘friend’ instead.”

“Umm, okay. Friend?”

“Yes! Yes! Long have you and yours been close to us! Friends we are as friends you’ve been!” He clapped his hooves. “Your father will not be the teacher this day. His teacher instead will teach, just as it has been, just as it will be be!”

“And were you his teacher, friend?”

The foal gave a wide smile. “A smart child you are. Such promise, such clay I have!” He walked passed my father and reached into the unlit hearth on the opposite side of the room, waving once and a gentle fire rose as if pulled by strings from the ashes, casting a warm light into the room, the lanterns having gone out after he appeared initially.

“But before such lessons can begin, a story you shall be told.”

“What kind of story?”

The foal laughed, the chiming sound echoing along as he did. “Why, the best kind of story! A story about you and me! A story of friends!”

Chapter 4

“Our story begins as many do.” He waved his tiny hoof and several small sparks flared and died with each movement he made. “A tale of two strangers. One a pony much like you and one shepherd such as I. ‘Twas many a season in the past, when they met. Such a chance encounter that would forever change the fate of an entire bloodline, or maybe it was meant to be. It can be difficult to tell what is Fate’s weavings and what might be merely a slip of her needle.

“A pony found herself in grief, holding the cold, cold form of another, hoping to speak to her love even once more. To feel his warmth if even just once more. And grieve she did. But blessed she was as a friend such as I was near, as ever we are whenever Death takes the his due. She called out and pleaded them to not take her love from her. She swore to do anything, give up anything, if she could have just a moment longer. So piteous was her cry. And her display managed to stall the hand of Fate and the shepherd did take notice.

“‘Why is it that you wail so, mortal? Surely as you live, you will die. You will meet the same fate as he who lays before you as surely as he did.”

“‘Dearest spirit, take pity on me! I have not had enough time with him! Death is too cruel. To steal my love, so soon. Should you take him from me, I fear my heart to break!”

“And her cries, so painful, caused the shepherd to pause. Her agony started to tear her very soul in twain. ‘You wish your love not the rest he has earned? Then so it shall be. But I must have something in return.’

“‘Anything! Ask of me anything and I shall throw it at your hooves without pause!’”

“‘Anything is a very steep price, child.’

“‘And being without my love is steeper still. Anything I shall give, spirit. Merely ask and it is yours!’

“And so the shepherd demanded her blood. Not to be spilled, but to serve. Her children, and her children’s children would serve as shepherds such as he. And without hesitation did she agree. The shepherd waved his lantern and chains pierced her and her love both. ‘No longer need you fear death, but no longer will you rest either. You are now bound to us, to serve both in life and death.’ And it was as he said, her love rose to his feet once more and held her close. But she had yet to realize the price she paid, or the life her love had been given.

“The mare stood horrified as her love turned to dust before her, leaving only his skeleton standing. She pushed him away and cried out once more to the shepherd. ‘Great spirit, what has happened? You promise me my love and yet you take him from me yet again!’

“‘And your love yet remains in his shell. He is now bound to you, and will forever be by your side.’ He looked at the dead pony. ‘His reward is forfeit. As is yours.’

“The shepherd then left her, her wails growing loudly yet again. And vengeance she swore against him, to have tricked her so and so too did her soul fall to darkness.”

I gasped as tears started to well up. The foal stopped his story as he took notice of my stress.

“A sad tale to be true, but the tale has yet to end. The mare walked back home, her lover’s corpse slowly following behind. They were unable to speak to each other, unable to feel each other’s warmth. And so the mare fell to depression. She walked to the kitchen to grab her knife and end her sorrow, when she felt a small jab from within her. She looked down and rubbed her slightly swollen belly, dropping the knife and wailed yet again.

“Months passed. Seasons changed. A child was born to her, and the shepherd did come to her and saw the consequences of his actions. The mare lay on her bed, completely motionless as a small foal suckled from her, her skeleton lover being the only one to have cared for her these past several months. Any will to live had completely left her. The shepherd saw this and was overcome by grief. But a promise made is a promise that must be kept. He reached out and took hold of the child, cradling it closely. The mother finally responded, her sunken eyes falling upon him. She tried to say something, but nothing but faint whispers came forth.

“‘I am afraid there is nothing I can do for you. Your soul has been bound to his, and as his soul cannot rest, neither can yours. I will be unable to shepherd you to peace, but take solace in this at least. For as long as your bloodline yet lives, I shall watch over them and guide them down the path you have thrust upon them.’

“The mare managed to force herself upright, her entire form shaking from the exertion. ‘I curse thee, monster. Take your hollow promises and false hopes and bury them where you buried my heart.’ A dark tendril had begun to seep out of her side and curled around her form, growing stronger the more her hate consumed her. ‘Damn you. Damn you to the blackest pit.’ The tendril started becoming a thick chain that began choking her, her eyes rolling back into her head as she collapsed back into the bed.

“The spirit saw what was becoming of her. Her own hatred was killing her, and should she ever leave her abode, only ill tidings would follow.

“‘I cannot allow you to leave as you are. Fester and let your hate grow if you will, but it shall never leave these grounds.’ And a flame poured forth from his lantern, burning the small cottage to the ground, both unfortunate souls still inside. The spirit quickly fled, taking the newborn with him.”

The spirit walked towards me, lifting a hoof to pick up my jaw from the floor, snapping it shut with a gentle motion. “Do be careful child, lest you fancy eating insects.”

I shook my head and glared at the foal. “Ok, hold up. Two things.” I took a deep breath. “First, it’s winter. There are no insects this time of year.”

The foal looked quite amused. “So it is, dear child. So it is. Quite the astute observation that you bring forth.”

I flushed at that remark but continued regardless. “And secondly, everything you’ve said so far has made you sound like a villain.”

I expected anger at that, or maybe dismissal. But the foal simply laughed aloud, as if he had just heard the greatest joke ever. His mane and tale were sparking pink as he did as well, in time with each of his guffaws. I patiently waited him out, now intensely curious how that was so funny.

After a few more moments, the spirit managed to compose himself, wiping a tear from his eye. “Ah, such is the honor and right of youth: to state the truth as they feel it is, regardless of the consequences. I am very pleased that you have a strong sense of morality as well. That will be necessary to ignore the dark temptations of those who would practice necromancy.” He chuckled once more before sitting before me. “Tell me, child, why do you think what I did was evil?”

I took a deep breath and thought for a few moments, gathering my thoughts. “Well, for starters, you offered her a deal you knew would end horribly for her.”

“I offered her nothing. She wanted something, and I gave her a price. She accepted it without question. Would you fault the shopkeeper for a fool who didn’t understand what it was that he was purchasing? Or the teacher for not teaching the answers to children who ask not questions?”

“But you knew what would happen! You knew she didn’t know what she was getting into!”

“Had I done nothing, child, she would have hated all the same. At least she had an opportunity to learn an important lesson. An opportunity she squandered.” The foal smiled warmly. “But, suffice that we shall leave it at a difference of viewpoints. Is there any other reason you believe my act to be so wicked? Come now, reveal to me how you view the world.”

“O-ok.” This was not was I was expecting, and I struggled to regain my mental footing. “Oh! Yeah! What about taking her child from her?”

He shrugged. “It was the price she paid for her love’s soul. One she accepted without hesitation.”

“You burned her alive!”

“I simply saved those who were near her from a terrible fate. Had her hatred continued to consume her, even her death wouldn’t have quenched it. She would have turned to anyone nearby in her madness and death would be close behind. Fire is a powerful purifier. Just as you boil water over a roaring flame to kill disease, I called a conflagration to remove a potential plague.”

“THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT WASN’T WRONG!”

The room fell silent. Darkness began to creep in around us, drowning out the light in it’s entirety. My heart began to race as I watched Mom silently screaming as Dad held her back, a mist-like fog blocking my view of them after a few more moments. I tried running towards them, but I felt something grab me and hold me in place. I looked back to the foal…no, it wasn’t a foal any more. The spirit floated before me, his lantern the only source of light, burning a pale blue. He floated down next to me, his eyes glowing a fierce red in contrast though. His voice lost all softness, becoming very deep and menacing, the chimes being replaced by the gong of a massive bell as he spoke.

“Tell me, child, exactly what I did wrong. I gave her what she wanted. I took only what she agreed to. Tell me, O wise one, how was what I did evil?”

I don’t know where my courage came from, I simply stared at this creature even as my entire body trembled. I can’t explain it. I just knew that I was right and he was wrong. He could phrase it anyway he wanted it, but...

“So what if you told her everything she needed to know?! So what if she agreed?! You KNEW exactly how it would end and you simply let it happen! Dad, Mom, everypony has told me time and time again that life is precious! That it must be protected despite how bad things look!”

“Oh? And what would you have done instead? Had I done nothing, she would have turned to darkness. You have clearly rejected giving her what she wanted. What would you have done differently?”

“I would have shown her compassion! She was hurting! I would have comforted her as best I was able! Talk to her! Do anything in my power to help her!”

“And what if that didn’t work?”

“Then I know that at least I tried!”

“Ah, so as long as your conscience is clear, it doesn’t matter what the outcome is? How is that any different from what I did? I feel no guilt over her choices. Does that not mean I am in the right?”

“You can phrase it any way you want! Maybe I am a fool! Maybe I couldn’t have done any better than you! I’m just a foal after all! Haven’t even gotten my stupid cutie mark! But I know! I know that what you did was wrong! Maybe it’s just to ease my conscience, thinking I’d do better, but at the very least I’d try!” I panted and sat down, the adrenaline wearing off, my legs shaking and I felt cold, like I had been doused in partially melted snow.

“Well said, child, though still naïve.” The mist immediately pulled away, revealing us to my parents. “Though I said that I felt no guilt, I must confess to an untruth. Or at least, to what is no longer the truth. I felt no guilt for what I did back then, but as I spent time with you mortals I learned and experienced many things. Things that you ponies find so easy to grasp had entirely eluded me. All I have to do is think back, and simply imagine if I would have done the same if one of your blood had been in her place. Would I have done the same thing to your father? You grandfather? I do not believe I would. But I will not regret what I did either.” The spirit reached into his lantern, coaxing out a singular flame, this one a warm yellow. “Though it is selfish of me, the time I have spent among your line, you short lived mortals, has been invaluable to me, and I wouldn’t change a day. The ends may not justify the means, but that doesn’t mean that good can’t come from evil.

“And while yes, this story had a very sad start, I meant it when I said it was a happy tale. Your family has done many great things over the years, and I have grown very fond of every one of you.”

“There is much to learn, child, but, as the hour grows brighter, I must away from this place. I will allow you one week to prepare for your journey down the path of the mediator. Time enough to say your farewells.” And with that, the shepherd left through a window, waving his lantern as he did, the pane swinging open of it’s own accord.

My parents both grabbed hold of me, hugging me very tightly, my Mom still crying as she did. I just felt dazed. Everything had happened so quickly and I hadn’t had time to process it yet. An hour ago, I had believed that I would learn to raise a skeleton from my Dad, now I was being taken away by some spirit for Celestia knows how long in a week’s time instead. I rubbed my temples even as I was slowly being crushed.

Author's Note

Man, I had to write this chapter no less than five times! Sometimes the chapter got way too dark, other times, it simply didn't appeal to me. I think I finally got close to what I had initially envisioned, but if you guys have any questions or notice anything off, let me know! Just like Trickle, I have MUCH to learn!

Chapter 5

Chpater 5

I don’t remember having fallen asleep. I awoke to find myself snuggling my pillow, having been fairly drenched with my drool. I must’ve been dreaming of Mom’s cooking again. I felt something on the tip of my tongue and quickly spat it out; it was a piece of cotton. My eyes widened in surprise and I quickly looked at my pillow. And sure enough, there was a tear in the fabric in the shape of my teeth. Just how hungry did that dream make me? After having wiped the last few pieces of cotton from my tongue using my bare hooves, I looked out the window. The noon sun hung low in the sky, no big surprise given the time of year.

My eyes shot open with a sudden realization. I started panicking, my breathing become more shallow and fast paced. It was past noon, or at the very earliest just before lunch. I had slept through my morning chores. I had slept through BREAKFAST. What had I done? I quickly rushed about my room: making my bed, straightening up the few toys I had laying around the room and brushing out my mane. Maybe I could play it off that I was simply tidying up all morning as a surprise gift for Mom’s birthday? That was my only possible out I could think of. Well, besides simply admitting I slept in, but this plan was the better one of the two.

I walked out of my room, trying to act as nonchalant as I could. As I rounded the corner, the kitchen came into sight. I paused and took a deep breath, calming myself and reciting my story in my head.

“Hey, Mom, guess what I-” My voice immediately died in my throat as I saw Mom sitting at the dining table, her head buried in her hooves. She seemed to be crying. Suddenly all fear I had of my own punishment vanished as I rushed over to her, wrapping my forelegs around her, trying to comfort her. Had my laziness really caused her so much grief? I was the worst son ever!

“Mom, I’m so sorry I slept in! I-I’ll do extra chores for a week-no a MONTH! I can make it up to you I swear! Please don’t cry! I’m sorry!”

Mom sat up suddenly, seemingly startled by my sudden outburst. She shook her head and looked down at me blearily. “Trickle, darling, is everything alright?”

“No! I-I slept in and ate my pillow and missed breakfast and didn’t do my chores and-and,” my brain raced to think of anything else I had done, surely things would get better if I just owned up to my mistakes. That should be just the ticket to get her to stop crying. “I-I, umm, I didn’t brush my teeth last night? No, I did that. Maybe I didn’t-”

“Trickle, calm down.” She looked at me worriedly. Oh, for Celestia’s sake, I must’ve done something horrendous! Did she have to call the guards on her own son? Were they on their way here now? I could see it now, “Local foal devastates family with atrocious deeds.” Or maybe, “‘One hoof too far’, says his tear filled mother. ‘I should have raised him better.’”

“No! You’re the best mom I could ever want! It was my fault, not yours! I’ll go to jail if I have to! But it wasn’t because you are a bad mom!” I suddenly felt a light slap across my muzzle, hard enough to snap me out of my trail of thought. I looked up and into her concerned eyes, her two hooves cradling my head.

“Trickle, what are you going on about? Take a deep breath and talk to me.”

I did just that and spilled everything. The sleeping in, the missing chores, the pillow snacking. Everything laid bare. No punishment was worse than Mom’s crying face. I was prepared for my just deserts. Let the guards come, they shall find me ready to face my crimes. Maybe I couldn’t make her happy by doing what I should have, but maybe if I took my punishment with dignity, it might ease her heart some small amount.

“Sweetie, you aren’t in trouble. I’m not sure why you’d think you were. I mean, yeah, this morning was a lot of information I hadn’t known, and I had no idea you were leaving,” she sighed and shook her head, mumbling something about ‘that stallion’. I was just about to start apologizing again, I knew that the guards were coming, but she cut me off. “You can feel free to talk to me and Dad about it, you know. That was a lot of scary info that our friend,” Mom’s eyes grew slightly hard at that word. “Just threw at us and I’m sure you have a lot of questions or concerns.”

Now it was my turn to act confused. What was she talking about? Friend? Scary? And then it hit me. Everything came to the forefront of my mind. The shepherd, the ‘friend’ as he wanted to be called, had appeared and told us a lot of scary things. I felt the chills crawling down my spine, and I shuddered involuntarily. “Oh yeah, that. That happened.”

“Trickle, do you wanna talk about it?” She hopped off the chair and gently held me, running her hooves through my mane. I was frozen. Everything was flooding back. He had seemed so nice, so friendly. But then the story he told…that was just…

“Evil. He wasn’t a friend, he was evil…” I felt the tears starting to form in my eyes. I remembered now, being carried by Dad back to the house, being laid down on my bed and immediately breaking down, crying harder than I think I ever had before. Dad and Mom tried to comfort me, Mom crying along with me. Eventually I guess I fell asleep, though I don’t remember when. “What he did…why would he do that?”

“Sweetie, I…” Mom, gulped and I felt a few droplets land on my head. “I don’t know. Your father, he…didn’t say much to me last night. But, I do know this.” She released me and looked me in the eye. “I am proud of you. Even though you were scared, you didn’t back down from what you believe in. I don’t think I would have had the courage to do the same. But, there you were, my strong stallion, standing for what was right.” She kissed my forehead several times before nuzzling me.

I took a deep breath. “Do I have to go with him?”

She froze and then started trembling. “I…I don’t know, Trickle. Your father seems to think so, but…I’ll try and talk to him again, ok? I’m sure there’s something we can do. But, for now!” She pushed away after giving me a tight hug. “What do you say to some breakfast? I know it’s a little late, but how does some oatmeal with cinnamon sound?”

I shakily nodded my head, forcing myself to calm down. “Yeah, that sounds nice. Can I have some of those pecans mixed in too?”

“Of course, sweetie! I’ll go and grab those now.” She trotted off quickly, almost tripping over one of the mats that lay under the sink in her hurry.

“There’s no rush, Mom. Don’t hurt yourself!”

“I’m fine, Trickle, but thanks for the concern!” I heard her rummaging through our small walk-in pantry for a few seconds before returning with a small box, small rattles coming from within as she set the box down on the counter. She then reached into another cabinet, this time taking a bit longer before coming back up empty-mouthed. “Guess we used the last of it last night. Trickle, sweetie, would you be a huge help and grab the spare cinnamon from the top shelf where the backups are?”

“I think I can do that.” I walked underneath the cabinet, having found it was easier to be closer to something if I wanted to cast a spell. I focused hard and my horn glowed a soft orange, the cabinet handle glowing shortly after. I poured a little more magic into it and slowly opened it up. I took a deep breath; so far so good. I saw the small glass bottle on the top shelf and once again focused. I never was the best at basic levitation, but that hardly bothered me. I only used it when I had to.

After a few seconds of focus, the bottle gently floated down onto the counter. I released the breath I was holding and smiled. “There you go, Mom! Didn’t break anything this time!”

“Look at you! So grown up now!”

I couldn’t help but beam at that. I knew I was getting better, but hearing it from her just meant the world to me. I hopped onto my little stool next to the sink and placed my hooves on the counter. “Anything I can help with, Mom?”

“At the moment…wait, yes. Can you grab a couple bowls? I’m also feeling pretty hungry at the moment.”

“What about Dad? Will he be having any?”

She paused and gave me a smile. “Sure, honey, go ahead and grab him a bowl just in case.”

I nodded and happily trotted over to the dish cabinet, this one being on the floor so I didn’t have to use magic. I found my favorite bowl, this one having a small chip on the rim, and grabbed it and two others before trotting back to the table. I placed two at the head and then set mine to the right of Dad’s, just like every night. I nodded in satisfaction and then called back to the kitchen, Mom having started stiring the pot using a special spoon Dad made for her. It was shaped like a seven so she didn’t have to have her muzzle as close to the fire. I heard that she had once accidentally set her chin on fire.

She seemed to be working a bit fast though, stirring much harder than she normally did. I watched her for a bit, confused why she was trying so hard. It was only oatmeal after all. “Mom, is everything ok?”

She paused and took a couple deep breaths, returning to her usual rhythm. “Yes,sweetie, just got a little rushed for a bit. Everything’s fine. Everything’s fine.”

I watched her for a few moments, not entirely convinced. But, it she said she was fine, she must be. I looked around the empty dining room. “By the way, where is everypony? Usually Gramma and Grampa are hanging around here at least.”

“Your father is doing something with them I believe. I couldn’t say what it was, just that it was important…” She mumbled to herself again, this time loud enough for me to catch most of it. “Clearly more important…our own son…”

“Did you and Dad have a fight or something?”

She stopped and whirled around, shock on her face. “No, sweetie! We may have had a disagreement, but it wasn’t a fight! Just because we got married doesn’t mean we don’t have different views on some things!” She smiled, though it seemed slightly forced. “We’re still just ponies after all!”

I nodded. That made sense. Sounds like it’d be really boring if two people were the exact same after all. I wouldn’t mind marrying someone different from me. Someone who was interesting and funny and fun to play with. Just none of that gross kissing. I gagged and walked back over to her, just as she was finishing the pot. I could smell the deliciousness inside, my mouth watering uncontrollably.

“Here it is, sweetie, enjoy!” She set the pot on the table and pulled out two scoops of steaming hot goodness before sprinkling some pecans of top. “And just because I feel like it, here’s two extra candied pecans.” I watched as the coveted nut fell into my bowl. I turned back to her, now seeing her for the goddess she most assuredly was. I fell to my knees and grabbed her foreleg, planting a kiss on her hoof. She chuckled and playing bopped my head, “You’re so silly. Now, enough antics, get eating and make sure to rinse out your bowl once you’re done. I’ll be back in a little bit, gonna go clean my face. I’m sure I look like a mess…”

“You’re not a mess, you’re beautiful.” The words came easily to me. It was true after all.

“You’ll have every mare eating out of your hoof if you tell them that.” She chuckled and rubbed my mane softly before trotting off to her room. She shut the door behind her and I turned back around and started eating. It was soooo goooood! She often said she was more of a baker than a cook, but everything she touched seemed to be absolutely delicious. She always smiled at me, called me a charmer, and then went back to whatever she was doing with a smile on her face. I liked it when she smiled. It was much better than the way she was acting earlier.

I paused and slowly chewed the spoonful in my mouth. She said that she would try and convince Dad to let me stay, but she didn’t seem too hopeful about it. Was there anything I could do to help convince him to let me stay and just learn from him instead? I was learning just fine without having a scary spirit teaching me. I set the spoon on the table as I wracked my brain for any ideas. Usually ideas just constantly popped into my head, I never seemed to struggle for them. But at the moment, nothing was coming forth. I just kept seeing that lantern and those eyes under that hat-thing. Well, maybe I couldn’t think of anything right now, but I would for sure later. And if I couldn’t, then my parents would. They always knew what to do. They knew everything.