A Candle for a Familiar...
And the candle has passed to Roseate Grimsbane...
Sitting at the dinner table, Roseate looked at the crimson candle that she was holding within her turquoise magic, the flame flickering slightly. As the unicorn mare watched the flame, Roseate felt a tentacle touch her green shoulder as her husband's voice entered her mind.
'Roseate, we need to leave...'
"Shortly," Roseate said, "there is something I must do first."
Gently one of her husband's tentacles pushed aside a stray strand of Roseate's fuchsia mane. While Roseate knew that Arshotua was trying to comfort her, it did little to help fill the hole in her heart.
'Very well...'
As Arsthotua's tentacle pulled back into the inky blackness in the shadows of what remained of their home, Roseate recalled what had happened.
Roseate laughed as she and her husband walked home from their trip to the Muleport theater. While Arsthotua was an eldritch entity from beyond the Fifth Veil, Roseate had cast a ritual from her tome, the Isidria, which gave her alien husband a physical vessel that appeared to be a unicorn stallion.
"That was such a lovely date," Roseate said as she snuggled up to her husband's vessel.
"It was enjoyable," Arsthotua answered, "though I was a bit confused by some of the jokes that the couple made in the movie."
"Well, then maybe I'll show you when we get home," Roseate purred.
With Arsthotua being an eldritch entity, usually he was the one pleasing Roseate in the bedroom. However, since he would be in a pony vessel for another few hours, Roseate could use her skills to satisfy him.
As some romantic thoughts danced in Roseate's head, they quickly came to an end as a large booming sound echoed throughout the town and the streets shook. While the few other ponies who were on the streets that late at night looked around with confusion, both Roseate and Arsthotua knew that something was wrong.
Being a witch, Roseate could tell the difference between an explosion and a magical barrier being torn asunder. Looking in the direction of her home, Roseate watched in horror as a pillar of smoke slowly crept into the sky.
"I-It came from our house!" Roseate said.
Normally Roseate would have been concerned about keeping her identity as a witch a secret, but if the magical barrier protecting her home had been destroyed then that meant there were worse things to worry about.
Waving her horn, Roseate quickly cast a teleportation spell, sending both her and her husband's vessel hurtling through space right to her house.
For a brief moment, Roseate's heart froze as she gazed upon the scene before her. Half of her house was gone, and the area was swarming with ponies, wearing black robes, all brandishing the symbol of a golden halo. As she watched, Roseate saw two of the cultists carrying a glass box from the ruined basement, sloshing with fluid and carrying the unconscious forms of one of her hybrid children.
"No, put them back!!!" Roseate roared as she sent a beam of magical energy toward the cultists. But the beam didn't make contact as it was absorbed by a sphere of shadow.
Looking around, Roseate saw an entity that possessed the shape of a pony. Its body was composed entirely of shadow and thousands of glowing velvet eyes stared back at her. With one of its legs, the monster held one of her children.
Unabated, the cultist continued to carry the boxes to a nearby portal.
"Give them back!" Roseate screamed as she hurled another beam of magical energy at the monster, but once again the creature absorbed the blast.
Arsthotua's vessel crumbled to the ground like a deflated balloon as green tentacles emerged from numerous portals, lashing out at the monster as the jaws of another entity emerged from the sky biting through the large tendrils.
As the remainder of the cultists ran through the portal, the monster walked backwards toward it. Raising a hoof, the entity made the mocking attempt of a waving motion, before it passed through the gateway. Then in a flash of light they were gone.
Roseate gazed upon her ruined home, her heart heavy with loss. "N-no..."
It had been six days since then. Visions of that being composed of shadow and eyes, staring at her while holding one of her children had been haunting Roseate's dreams, resulting in many sleepless nights.
While Roseate wanted to exact her revenge on the cultist who would dare kidnap her children, there was one thing she had to do before she could leave. There was one individual that couldn't follow her, somepony that she needed to say goodbye to first.
Leaving the dining room, Roseate made her way to the front entrance, wrapped a striped green and black scarf around her neck and stepped outside.
Outside it was easy to see the damage that had been done to her home. It looked almost as if a giant beast had taken a massive bite out of the house, tearing through wood, metal and even concrete. At least the fires were gone now.
Walking to the backyard, Roseate made her way to the edge of the fence, where a small grave lay, with a small gravestone on top. Here was where the corpse of Gu'olghathmmphriesan rested, the feline familiar that had given his life to ensure that four of her students could complete a ritual that ultimately saved Roseate's life. While Gu'olghathmmphriesan or Mittenz technically wasn't dead but now somewhere in another dimension, he might as well be. After all, what was the likelihood that he'd ever return to this universe?
"Hey Mittenz," Roseate said as she looked down at the grave.
Naturally there was no response.
"I'm sorry but I need to go," Roseate continued, "something has come up and unfortunately there is no way of me knowing when or if I'll be able to return."
A cold breeze caused the grass to sway and for her candle to flicker just slightly.
"However, it felt wrong not saying goodbye... after what you did for me..."
Like many things, her youth, her innocence, and now her children, Mittenz had been ripped from her life. Tears began to well up in Roseate's eyes, tears of anger, tears of pain and tears of sorrow. For a moment in time, it had seemed that she might have found some peace but once again the universe had stolen it from her.
Gently Roseate set the candle on the gravestone, the light illuminating the name that her students had engraved on it.
Mittenz.
"Farewell, Gu'olghathmmphriesan..."
As Roseate looked down at Mittenz's grave, some movement caught her eye. Looking up, past the fence into the forest, Roseate saw a ghostly blue figure. It possessed the shape of a cat, yet at the same time its body appeared to be made of a thousand butterflies, their wings opening and closing, the eye shaped patterns seeming to be blinking in unison. Roseate adjusted her glasses to try to see it better and then in a blink of an eye, it was gone.
Somehow seeing this strange creature filled Roseate with hope, that even if Mittenz wasn't with her physically that he would be with her in spirit.
Sniffling, Roseate made her way back to the front of the house. There a portal flickered, illuminating the area in a pale blue light.
'It is time...'
Wiping away tears, Roseate put on a face of determination. "Right."
With a step, Roseate passed through the portal, to a distant seaside village. Even after Roseate had left, the candle remained lit. A bright flame to light the way.
And the candle has passed...
Author's Note
This story was written in memory of Ninjadeadbeard who passed away on December 19th from cancer.
As for Roseate, will she make a return in my stories... Only time will tell.
