Part 23 – Safety
As expected, Winter Night-Sky's appearance at Paradise Estate was not met with enthusiasm. Genie and Bright Eyes went in first, Genie pausing to wave Winter Night-Sky forward. Raspberry Jam met them at the door, and on seeing the pale unicorn, gasped.
"No, no. It's okay!" Genie said quickly, "She's on our side. She saved us from this dark unicorn."
Raspberry Jam eyed the pale pony warily. "And if that was a trick to get us to let her in?"
"Then I'll take full responsibility for my mistake. It was my idea, Bright Eyes thought as you do."
Baby Bouncy pushed her way to the front, her ears flattening against her head. She frowned at the unicorn, however said nothing, only moving back out of the way. She took up a spot with Baby Moondancer and Baby Sun Ribbon.
Behind them, Winter Night-Sky lurked in the background. She did not approach the entrance of Paradise Estate, remaining outside in the darkness and cold. She kept her head down, and was surprised to find Genie by her side once again. The young unicorn had barely left her side, staying close to her, talking to her all the way.
"Raspberry Jam, she is right. Winter Night-Sky kept the other unicorn away from us, as well as the others," Bright Eyes told the pink pony. "She told us what they want too, they want to challenge the Princess Ponies."
Raspberry Jam's jaw dropped. Finally, she stood out of the way to let the three ponies into the house.
The group gathered in the living area, Moondancer sat with her daughter and the rest of the baby ponies, a deep scowl on her face. She pulled Baby Moondancer closer to her, though the baby pony did not seem to appreciate this action. She wriggled out of her mother's grip and sat with Baby Bouncy and Baby Sun Ribbon.
Winter Night-Sky sat at the edge of the room, glancing around it to the rest of the ponies. "Genieee issss right. The pale onesss want power, much power. They want to take your Pearly one and craft her into a creature to make the highnesssess tremble."
Moondancer gasped. "What? But how?"
Baby Bouncy cleared her throat. "Through demons. They tried already with Baby Sun Ribbon and it failed."
"They said I was too weak," Baby Sun Ribbon mumbled, swallowing hard.
Winter Night-Sky nodded. "Indeed. There are sssome who have been taken already, ssshells of themselves. Weak power attached to them, not enough to become like me or the othersss."
Raspberry Jam went to Moondancer and sat with her, stroking her mane. "The three of you should rest, it sounds like it's been a long day."
Bright Eyes nodded and wandered upstairs to the bedroom she had claimed for the time being. She collapsed into bed, heaving a deep sigh, her face buried in the pillow. She soon drifted off into a restless sleep, tossing and turning throughout the night.
Some hours later, she was awoken. Her eyes sprung open, and she looked around the dark room.
Knocking. That was what it was.
She looked over to the door. It was rhythmic, three knocks, each with equal pressure and strength behind it. She got up from the bed and crept across to the door. She turned the key in the lock, then took it out. No sooner than she did this, the door handle started to turn.
She waited.
The door handle turned again, slowly. When it couldn't be opened, the knocking started once more.
Bight Eyes backed away from the door, back to the bed. She sat down on it, put the key on the bedside table, and stared at the door. Knock, knock, knock. Infinite patience, knock, knock, knock. Until it lost patience.
There was a roar from the other side and the knocking become hammering. Whatever was there, battered and kicked, and hit, and for a while it sounded as if it were throwing things at the door. It did not let up for what felt like hours. Bright Eyes covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. She only hoped it would go away in its own time.
"Bright Eyes?" came a voice.
Bright Eyes opened her eyes and blinked.
"Are you all right?"
Genie.
She got up from the bed, unlocked the door and opened it. Genie stood on the other side, a look of concern on her face. "I've been knocking on your door for ages."
Bright Eyes frowned. "Something else was hitting it. It tried to get in."
"I thought I heard something."
Bright Eyes opened her mouth to reply when both heard hooves from along the corridor. She stepped out of the room, motioning for Genie to get behind her. Genie obeyed. Baby Bouncy and Baby Moondancer came into sight, Baby Moondancer lighting the way with her horn.
"What are you two doing awake?" Genie asked, moving out from behind Bright Eyes.
"Something was knocking on the cupboard door again," Baby Moondancer told her. "It happened before when Applejack was here."
Bright Eyes sighed. "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to bring Winter Night-Sky here."
Baby Moondancer shook her head. "No, it's been happening even before her."
There was a thud from downstairs, then a cry. Baby Bouncy was the first to move, galloping down the corridor and down the stairs toward it. Baby Moondancer, Bright Eyes and Genie were quick to follow.
They raced through the corridors into the kitchen area. The doors of the cupboards were open, the plates however, removed and stacked neatly on the counters. Cutlery was lined up, bowls placed upside down in the sink, while pot lids were placed carefully next to their matching partner.
Baby Moondancer let out a whimper. Bright Eyes moved closer to her and the little unicorn hid behind her. Baby Bouncy however flew around the room, checking each of the higher cupboards attached to the walls. It was the same there, neatly placed plates, carefully positioned bowls and any other kitchen utensils lined up precisely.
Baby Bouncy landed on the ground once more. "I've never seen this," she said. "That noise…the cry. I kept hearing that in the room across from mine."
"Come on, back to bed," Genie said, "We can figure this out in the morning."
"Not tired," came the reply from behind Bright Eyes.
"And I need to get back. Pearly and Baby Rainribbon will be worried."
Genie frowned. "You can't go back there, not now we know what they're doing."
Baby Bouncy shook her head. "I have to."
Another cry silenced any further arguments from either Baby Bouncy or Genie. Baby Moondancer lit her horn up once more and followed when Bright Eyes started in the direction of the noise.
Knock, knock, knock.
This time, it came from the front door. Bright Eyes and Genie exchanged a glance, then followed it. Bright Eyes went to the window in the living area, scraping away the frost that formed. She looked out and over to the door. There was nothing there.
She stayed where she was however, as another round of knocking resounded. Still nothing.
Movement caught her eye, and she followed it. In the distance, shadowy shapes galloped and danced, flitting back and forth like a moth to a flame. Genie and the baby ponies went to the window and looked out also.
"What are those?" Genie muttered.
"That's what Applejack's shadow used to do," Baby Moondancer announced. "It'd dance and jump from wall to wall."
They stayed at the window, fixated with the shadows. They danced, leapt, galloped and moved.
Thud.
Baby Moondancer cried out. Baby Bouncy flew away from the window and toward the noise. It came from the kitchen once more.
They returned to the room and found the kitchen cupboards shut again. Baby Bouncy checked each one, the plates were as they were before, stacked up in the same manner as whoever put them away.
"I don't think we're getting much sleep tonight," Bright Eyes said with a sigh. She ushered the others to the living area, collecting blankets, snacks and fruit. She tucked the baby ponies in then sat down on one of the chairs.
"Hey, don't I get tucked in?" Genie asked jokingly.
Bright Eyes couldn't help but laugh. She took a blanket, put it over Genie and tucked her in, then pushed a cookie into her mouth.
Genie spluttered a laugh of surprise and pulled Bright Eyes down to sit next to the couch she'd claimed.