A Long and Sleepless Night
Fire and ash.
The smell of burnt flesh.
The sight of their friends, injured or dead, scattered all around them.
Deafening silence in place of bloodcurdling screams and clashing metal they heard moments ago.
Countless presences that were darker than the night, emerging from the shadows surrounding them.
In an instant, the figure shot awake with a haunting scream, breathing rapidly and struggling to control their quivering body.
Were it not for the fire-resistant fabric that made up their tent and sleeping bag, these would have been burnt to a crisp before they had even woken up.
Tears streamed down their face as the inconsolable panicked being of shadow and flame tried to slow down their breathing and calm themselves, to no avail.
Instead, they harshly closed their eyes as they crawled outside, and carefully sat down in the dewy grass, praying to the Heavens above that they would not cause yet another uncontrollable fire.
Fortunately, the area was cool and quiet, and the sky was cloudless, allowing the Moon to shine its rays on the area around them.
Only after they opened their eyes to look at the countless stars above did the flames on their head and tail die down, slowly revealing the golden mane that flowed from their head, and wrapped around their neck to their chest.
Then, as the cloven-hooved being emerging from the fire and darkness took a deep breath, their pitch-black coat steadily brightened, until their sky-blue fur, adorned with green scales on their head and back, became visible to the eye once again.
Finally, the horn on their head, curved, branched, and marked in its own unique manner, regained its red colour, completing the Nirik’s transformation back into the Kirin who was now trying to clean their face of tears.
It had been far too long since Healthy Light had slept for a full night without being plagued by nightmares and visions of disaster, yet no being had been able to help them.
Their village was aware of the countless restless nights that they had to endure for years on end.
But to continue being as polite and understanding to others as they were, all while never failing to perform the duty to which they were bound, it was only natural that they asked for some time away.
Now, it had been a few days since they left their home, and set out to the capital of Equestria, where they hoped to find an answer to what had been tormenting them for so long.
Even though their voice had been returned to them years ago by now, thanks to Autumn Blaze and two Elements of Harmony, they had not yet been able to put their visions into words, be it spoken or on paper.
What little they were able to say or write down without losing their composure was collected into a letter so vague, it was almost cryptic, and sent along with a massive pile of packages and documents to be delivered elsewhere.
After a couple of months with no response to speak of, however, they prayed to the Heavens that it had at least safely reached the intended recipient, as they knew of no other being to whom they could send their message, be it of their own kin, or any other.
They had almost given up hope for a reply from the last being that they figured could help them, when the next shipment of letters arrived.
In this massive collection of scrolls, packages, and documents, to their immense relief, they found two letters addressed to them, of which, one that bore the Royal Seal of the Two Sisters of Equestria.
To their surprise, however, the second letter was an invitation from a name they had only heard in passing from Ponies and Dragons, Griffons and Hippogriffs. All visitors who travelled here to meet friends they had made with their kinsfolk.
They were very surprised, and somewhat unsettled to find, then, that the letter contained not only their full name, but even the species of tree and the colours thereof in which their house had been built.
Given that they had neither ventured far outside of the borders of their homeland, nor made themselves known to more than a couple of travellers who briefly stopped to talk to them at their post, at first, Light simply disregarded the letter.
Only after the delivery Pony told them with a chuckle that this was one of at least a small hoofful of Ponies in Equestria capable of the impossible, did they hesitantly take the letter, quietly thank the Mailmare, and headed home.
They had intended to return to their post, only for their companions to tell them that they would take over their watch for a while, and politely asked them to focus on themselves.
With a small smile that carried great burdens, Light nodded to their companions, told them to stay safe, and asked them to let them know if anything appeared, before they returned to their home.
Here, they carefully opened the letter sealed with the Royal Seal, in which they found a letter from the Lunar Princess, who sincerely thanked them for reaching out to her, even if she never expected to receive a message about such a terrible fate, least of all from their kin.
She admitted that she had not heard much news from their village since the Elements of Kindness and Honesty returned from their quest, but the historical records shared with them by Rain Shine, the Eldest, had taught her and her Sister much, and she would be glad to help them.
However, since her duties bound her to the Capital, they would have to travel there to meet her.
For this reason, she formally invited them to an upcoming event at the Royal Castle of Canterlot, where she hoped to make their acquaintance.
The moment they read the sentence that mentioned they were invited there, a golden ticket emerged from the scroll and hovered in front of them, upon which was written their name, as well as a small note in ink that ended in a long streak, as if the ticket was pulled away as she was writing.
Its minuscule size made it hard to read, but after Light gently took the ticket and looked closely, tears started to form in their eyes when they understood what the Princess had written to them:
“We promise thee, Light; this, too, shall pass.”
“Thine, Luna---”
After they wiped away their tears, Light found that the clear writing on the letter was vastly different to the hasty and messy scribble on the ticket, and they wondered whether the Lunar Princess had actually written the letter herself.
Knowing that they were likely just one of hundreds, if not thousands of beings across the world sending letters to the Sisters, they figured that her words were merely transcribed by another Pony.
Thanks to this, the note on the ticket meant even more to them, so they carefully placed it on their chest as they whispered their gratitude to the Princess, before they finished reading the letter.
After they rolled up the scroll, Light looked at a nearby map, and they figured that if they left now, they would have at least a couple of days to spare before they even reached the Capital, but waiting too long to leave could risk delaying them too much.
It took some time of thinking of what to do for Light to remember the second letter they were sent by a Pony they had only vaguely heard of.
Still, the name reminded them of another bearer of an Element of Harmony, as they were told by Miss Fluttershy when she and Miss Applejack returned.
After they slowly opened the letter, they found that it contained a brief letter and a pair of maps.
One circled a location near a town along their path to Canterlot, and the other detailed the grounds of a theme park of sorts, as well as trails of coloured horseshoes scattered throughout.
As they looked over the second map, though, Light realised that the colours of the horseshoes were identical to the colours of their hooves and scales, their coat, and even their horn and mane.
Even the darker-red markings on their horn matched the coloured marks they saw on the red horseshoes.
In response, Light discreetly looked around, fearing they were being watched, before they took the letter that came with the maps.
Instantly, they were stunned, as they read that “you don’t have to look around, I am not nearby”, before the writer asked them to “please visit ‘Pie Park’ if you are in the area. Signed, Banana Pie.”
While a part of their mind told them that it was too strange, and not to trust it, another part said that it was close to Ponyville, where they could visit the Elements, and ask them if they knew anything about this Pony before they continued on their journey to Canterlot.
Perhaps, they figured, it would even be wise to ask the Elements for guidance to Canterlot Castle.
Not only had they never been there before, but they knew nothing about the event that was being held there, and they did not want to make a poor first impression with the Lunar Lady.
Because it was still the middle of the night, they would very much like to continue sleeping, at least until the Sun rose. But their rapidly beating heart, combined with their expectation that they would only be haunted by visions again, told them that it was best to stay awake for a while.
With a deep sigh, Light slowly put a couple of logs on the smouldering fire that laid next to their tent, and poked around at it with their hoof. Although they cared little for the warmth, the light of the flames would at least make it a little easier to read the map they had taken along.
After some careful reading, retracing the path they took over the last few days, and looking at the Palace of Ponyville a mere stone’s throw away from where they were sitting, Light figured that they would reach the Park not long after sunrise.
Despite the pouch of coins they possessed, they did not even know if these would be accepted by any storekeeper. For that reason, as well as the time they arrived the evening prior, and their lack of knowledge about the area, they had decided to set up a small camp near the edge of the town.
When their stomach growled, though, they put the map back in their satchel, and from the same bag, they grabbed an unusually large cauldron, which they hung over the fire. To this, they added a mixture of meats and vegetables, and slowly cooked the stew for a while.
The delicious scent that emanated from the pot brought a sweet smile to their face and tears to their eyes. Even through their exhaustion, it always cheered them up to remember the times they spent doing the simplest of things, be it walking through the forest, or cooking a meal.
They often made the same stew they enjoyed with those closest to them, and they knew the recipe by heart. Still, they had yet to perfectly recreate the exact taste of the stew they made so long ago with the help of their dearest friends, but they were relieved to know they were never far off.
While they enjoyed their stew in peace and quiet under the light of the Moon, however, they stopped before they could fill their bowl again. Then, to make sure that what they were seeing was not a hallucination of sorts, they rubbed their eyes and blinked a few times, but the sight remained.
Floating through the air directly towards the pot of stew was a Pony, unadorned by either wings or a horn like the Bearer of Honesty. Both coat and mane were bright pink, and the mark Light saw on the flank of the Pony was one they recognised as that of the Bearer of Laughter, Miss Pinkie Pie.
However, Light did not dare raise a hoof to the seemingly sleeping and floating Pony before them, and merely watched as a kerchief was tied around her neck, and another bowl was placed in her hooves by little more than faint vapour rising from the pot.
The sight was terribly confusing, but it appeared as though the Pink Mare bore no ill will, and was merely drawn here by the scent of the stew. So, while keeping an eye on her, Light scooped a portion of stew into her bowl, before she slowly floated back to whence she came.
"If the one who sent me the invitation was even half as inexplicable", Light thought to themselves, "I'm in for a treat..."
Author's Note
Looking back at where I started writing over 2½ years ago by now, I've improved a lot. As opposed to the style I had gotten used to over that time, this story will be written with far better formatting.
Out of sheer exhaustion, Light fell into a brief nap, and luckily, they slept until the following morning, when they were suddenly woken up by a figure shaking them by the shoulder, asking them in a calm and deep voice if they were all right.
Unfortunately, they were left harshly squinting their eyes as they tried to make out any details on the horned figure before them, who was standing over them with their back turned towards the Sun.
Only after they sat upright and shielded their eyes with their raised hoof was Light slowly able to see the pale coat, two-tone hair, and metal armour of the figure in front of them, who politely reached a hoof out to help them stand up, which they accepted with a quiet chuckle.
With a big yawn and a weary smile, Light thanked the Unicorn for checking in on them, before they immediately replied that they would pack up and head out to not be a bother. To their surprise, however, he asked them to wait, as he did not mean to drive them away.
Instead, judging by their posture and the bags under their eyes, he had a feeling they had not had a good night’s rest in a long time, so he offered them his hoof again, introduced himself as Solar, and asked them if they needed any help.
As they shook his hoof, Light admitted they had gotten used to sleeping in this manner, but they appreciated his concern. They were unfamiliar in the area, but they only briefly had to rest here, as they planned to head to Canterlot the day after anyway, to meet someone they had asked for help.
Now, they would have some of their stew, pack up, and head to a park that laid close to Ponyville to follow up on an invitation they received. They did tell him it was nice to meet him, and they wished him a nice day, before they got up to poke at the smouldering fire under the cauldron.
At that moment, Solar’s ears perked up, and said that he knew which park they were talking about, as he, too, had received an invitation some time ago. If they needed a hoof, he could help them back up their supplies, lead them to the park, and on their return, maybe even offer them a place to sleep.
After Light stretched their back and limbs, and took a moment to think, they took Solar up on his offer, but added that it would not take them very long to pack everything. In fact, it would take them longer to heat up and eat their stew, so if he still felt like helping, there was plenty to go around.
But just as they put another log on the fire, Light asked Solar whether there was anything he could not eat for any reason, as they were not sure how different their diet was to his. In response, Solar just shrugged, and figured that there probably wasn’t anything in their stew he had to look out for.
Before he ran off, Solar asked Light if it was all right if he took along a couple of bowls for the others he lived with, to which they simply nodded with a small smile. Then, a smile grew upon Solar’s face as he ran around the corner, while Light lit some tinder and blew life into the fire again.
Only a few moments later, Solar reappeared with four bowls hovering behind him, which differed significantly in both design and size, but which all had one thing in common. Light could not believe what they saw, so they blinked a few times to make sure they were not imagining things.
Although the bowls all looked simple and unremarkable from a distance, Light got a better look as Solar slowed his pace, and they were stunned to see the bowls were made of clear crystal, in various hues, so they asked Solar in awe where he had found such incredible works of art.
Oddly enough, Solar just looked at them in confusion, and said that the bowls were actually some of the plainer ones in their collection, and that they often donated their more detailed designs to others in need. Given that these essentially grew on trees, it was not difficult to find or create new dishes.
It took some time for Light to let what Solar told them sink in, but eventually, they shook their head, and admitted that they were not rested enough to understand what he was saying, but perhaps, after they had visited the park, he could instead show them what he meant.
With a simple nod as he sat down for the stew, Solar said that he’d be glad to show them around, when he smelled the delicious scent that had brought tears to Light’s eyes, and a certain pink Mare hovering through the air to where they were cooking the meal.
In return, Light chuckled at the recognisable sight before them, where Solar, like countless others before him, had to physically hold himself back from leaning into the cauldron to grab a bowl of stew as soon as he could, before it was warmed up enough.
Eventually, though, while stirring the stew with a spatula they held with their magic, they had to gently push the Stallion back to make him sit down. As they helped him sit down, however, the armour he was wearing shifted just enough for Light to notice a couple of feathers falling out near his legs.
After they chuckled, they waved their hoof in front of Solar’s face to get his attention, when they mentioned the feathers falling out, which instantly snapped him out of his trance-like state, and into another one of mild discomfort and panic.
They just turned back to stirring as Solar tried to hide the feathers as best he could, but Light did not understand why he got so nervous about such a simple thing. They just figured that the stuffing in his armour must have suffered a tear, and suggested he get it fixed after they returned from the park.
To their relief, their comment seemed to calm down the distressed Pony sitting across from them, so they promised they wouldn’t tell anyone. They had lost count as to how many times that they had to get their cloak fixed after it got damaged by their scales, so a small tear was nothing to worry about.
As Solar awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, Light carefully tasted a spoonful of their stew, and licked their lips in response, before they asked him for the bowls, as there was enough for all of them to get a decent portion, even after their unusual visit by a sleeping Miss Pie last night.
Just as they finished scooping the last chunks into the smallest bowl Solar had brought, figuring the little one it belonged to still had to grow, and confirmed the cauldron was empty, though, Light and Solar both heard an echo surrounding them, which sounded like it came from the empty cauldron.
With a simple glance between each other, the two acquaintances both knew exactly what this meant, so they placed their bowls of stew on the ground behind them, before they carefully peered into the cauldron, where, to their surprise, they only saw the spatula, sitting in a thin layer of stew.
After Light let out a deep sigh and sat down again, they mentioned to Solar that they had heard about Miss Pie’s unpredictable abilities. While they still struggled to believe all the amazing tales they were told, after last night, where she floated by for some stew, they did not know what to think.
In the literal blink of an eye after they uttered these last few words, Light found themselves staring into the eyes of the Pink Mare who had emerged from the mane on their chest, and they froze in place out of fear, before the sight of Pinkie’s smile and the sound of her laughter helped them relax.
It still took some time for Light’s heart to stop racing, and in this time, Pinkie vanished into their mane again, before she reappeared from behind the cauldron, right in front of Solar. Despite this, however, he, too, was stunned into silence at the sight, as he could not see her until they both did.
Luckily, her characteristic endless optimism, bright smile, and infectious laughter as she bounced around the two helped to greatly ease their minds and bodies, and they swiftly managed to unclench their terribly tensed muscles, even if their hearts needed far longer to beat at a regular pace again.
As they picked up their bowl, Light politely wished Pinkie a good morning, before they apologised, and said that there was not enough stew left to give her a decent portion. But the news clearly upset the usually upbeat Mare, as she stopped her bounce in mid-air, and sombrely landed on the ground.
Although their own stomach growled at that very moment, Light offered Pinkie the bowl they were holding in their hooves, and kindly said that they could make another portion later. Pinkie, however, said she would love more of their stew, but if they had not had breakfast yet, she wouldn’t take it.
Instead, she asked Light for the recipe, as she had never before tasted anything like it, which came as a massive surprise to her, as she had even eaten rocks and gems when she was but a filly. While Light didn’t know if what she said was true, they promised to write down the recipe later for her.
For now, though, they wanted to eat their stew before it went cold, but they would be back to give her the recipe after they returned in the afternoon. The once again cheerful Mare agreed to these terms, but before she bounced away, she asked them if they were also going to the park as well.
Hesitantly, Light confirmed they had indeed been invited there, so Pinkie told them she knew the park, as a cousin of her and Applejack had built it in just a few days. She hoped that they had a great time there, and asked them to wish Banana a nice day, and to ask him to come by again sometime.
After Light nodded, Pinkie forcefully shook the hoof of the stunned Kirin before she bounced back to town, leaving them in awe at her strength. It had been a long time since they last met a being with such strong grip, but even that Dragon paled in comparison to her.
As they waved their aching hoof around, Solar took a bite of the stew, before he excused himself with a massive smile on his face, and told Light that he would be back in a moment, as he simply had to bring the others the bowls of stew they poured out for them.
With Pinkie bouncing away in the distance and Solar almost flying back around the corner, Light let out a quiet sigh in the silence that had once again fallen around them, before they started eating their stew, making sure to savouring every bite, as they didn’t know when they could make it next.
Perhaps, after Solar showed them their apparently great collection of priceless crystal bowls, they could ask him about the best stores to visit to buy what they needed. For some reason they couldn’t shake, they feared that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to purchase everything for the stew.
They would not worry about this now, however, as they picked up the cauldron with their magic, still eating their stew, and slowly wandered over to the nearby creek. Here, they filled it with some water to rinse it of the worst stains, before they easily packed it into their satchel.
It wasn’t until they had dropped the cauldron into their satchel that they realised Solar was staring at them from a distance, with his mouth agape, to their confusion. Only after he gestured at the satchel and exaggerated the size of the cauldron did they ask him if he had never seen this spell before.
Without uttering a word, be it due to eating the stew, or confusion at the sight he saw in front of him, Solar nodded, and listened to Light explain the need to travel light. After they chuckled, they said that they still had to take many supplies along, so they were taught this spell for their travels.
Using this spell of Holding, their satchel, which would otherwise hardly fit the spatula they stirred the stew with, was able to safely store items many times its size. This way, they could store their tent, the cauldron and spatula, medical supplies for emergencies, and far more, without issue.
When Solar managed to let everything sink in, he told Light that he had heard of such spells, but he never found much use for them. He did wonder what their duties were that required them to travel for long periods of time on-end, at least before Applejack and Fluttershy first visited their grove.
But Light just quietly sighed, and turned away from Solar to pack up their tent and sleeping bag, which they idly dropped into their satchel, before they said they would rather not talk about it. They struggled to remember much, but the few things they did recall were memories best left unspoken.
Solar quietly gasped, and started to apologise for bringing up the subject, but Light just interrupted him, and kindly said that he couldn’t have known, so they would not hold it against him. With that matter settled, they put their satchel on their back, and asked Solar if he could lead them to the park.
After they threw some sand onto the fire to extinguish the last embers, Light followed Solar as he headed into town, where many Ponies bowed to the two as they walked past the stalls. Eventually, Light heard a familiar voice calling out to them and Solar, and they trotted over to the Apple stand.
The mere sight of one of the two Bearers who had helped them to regain their voice made a bright smile grow upon Light’s face, so they expressed to Miss Applejack how wonderful it was to see her again, and they started talking with her as if no time had passed at all.
Applejack just chuckled heartily, and sweetly told Light “Aw, shucks, sugarcube, it’s darn good to see y’all too, but Ah promise, there ain’t no need to call me by any fancy name. Ya can call me Applejack. Ah just helped y’all like Ah do anybody who’s in need of a helpin’ hoof!”
In response, Light shyly rubbed the back of their head, and kindly said: “Alright then, Miss Appl- I mean, Applejack. I’ll… do my best to remember.” A few moments later, Solar came up right next to them, and nodded to Applejack, who solemnly nodded to him in return, which was noticed by Light.
They just discreetly shook their head as Applejack told the two: “It’s nice to see ya made a friend here already, even if I never saw ya walk past mah farm yesterday. If ya don’t mind me askin’, where are ya stayin’, and where are the both of ya off to?”
Before Light could speak up, Solar told her that “Light’s staying at our place, at least until he’s going to Canterlot tomorrow. He apparentl-” until they suddenly interrupted him, and almost angrily said “Solar, don’t- j-just, don’t refer to me by ‘he’, please”, before they put their hoof on their face.
Only Applejack noticed the wisps of flame and small patches of dark fur on the very end of their tail, but she just smiled, and politely asked Light: “What would ya like us to use, then, sugarcube? Surely there’s a word out there that best fits ya – at least, one that ain’t your name, that is.”
As they slowly took a deep breath, and the flames and dark fur vanished from their tail again, Light politely thanked Applejack, and told her and Solar that “I’d have to say the word that best fits me is whatever neutral word you know. Something that is neither just feels most comfortable for me.”
As she reached out a hoof, Applejack replied with a firm nod: “Then that’s decided. It’s a pleasure to meet ya, Light! And now, Prin- uhm, Solar, where are ya takin’ our new friend? Figured you’d’ve at least let them put down their bag in the room they’re stayin’ in, unless they told ya otherwise?”
A warm smile grew upon Light face as they mouthed “thank you” to Applejack, when Solar replied that “I offered Light to lead hi- them, to the park outside of town, the one built by Pinkie’s and your distant cousin. Apparently he- I mean they’ve been invited, just like I was some time ago.”
The warm smile on Applejack’s face changed to confusion, and she gazed into the distance for a few moments before sighing, and quietly saying “Well, that fella always was an odd one… but knowin’ he’s Pinkie’s cousin too, I ain’t surprised he knows everyone, no matter how far they are.”
“Well”, she added with a sigh, “don’t let me stop ya from havin’ a look around that-there park. But before ya go, would’ya like somethin’ with apples?” Light nodded hesitantly, before they reached into their satchel for their pouch of coins, and asked Applejack if she would accept this currency.
After they carefully placed a few coins into her hoof, Applejack was surprised at the sheer weight of the coins, so she took a closer look, and did not say anything for a few moments. Eventually, she told Light that she did not know if everypony would accept these coins, but for them, she would.
In return, Applejack gave them a small bag of apples, as well as a jar of apple sauce, which she snuck into their bag with a discreet wink and a warm smile. In response, Light quietly chuckled, thanked Applejack, and waved her goodbye with Solar, before they left her booth to go to the park.
As soon as the two were out of sight, Applejack turned to her two Siblings and her Grandmother, and whispered to them: “Alright y’all, hold the fort for a while. I gotta ask Twi about these coins. Somethin’ tells me that one’a these’s worth more than the farm...”