Chapter 16: Wishing

Strong Wood followed Luna out of Blueblood's house and into the driveway.

"Miss Luna!" Strong Wood called. "Miss Luna." Luna stopped and turned to face him. "Can I ask you something?"

"What do you want to ask?" Luna responded.

"Why is the phantom of the opera under the opera house?" Strong Wood asked. "Was he born there or something?" Luna sighed.

"Meet me at the opera house tomorrow at ten and I will tell you everything," Luna told him.

Strong Wood arrived at the opera house and walked in at ten o'clock. Luna was already in the foyer waiting for him.

"Follow me," Luna said. They walked through the opera house and Luna led him into a her study and locked the door with her magic. The study had several bookcases leaning against the wall and a large window with light shinning through it. "The phantom was not born here. I brought him here when I was a teen."

"What? Why?" Strong Wood asked.

"Me and my friends went to see some gypsies when they were in town one day," Luna started. "One of the entertainments was "the devil's child"."

"The phantom," Strong Wood guessed. Luna nodded.

"Yes," Luna responded. "He was mocked, whipped, and beaten in front of us. I felt great sympathy for him so once the others had gone I unlocked the cage and rescued him. We were pursued but we managed to escape. I brought him here and he's lived here ever since in the caves. He has not been outside since."

"Why was he called the devil's child?" Strong Wood asked. "Was his face burned by acid or something?"

"That...is none of your business," Luna responded. "You have gotten your answer and that is all you need know."

"Miss Luna, is Gus REALLY the phantom of the opera?" Strong Wood asked. Luna raised her eyebrow.

"What makes you think that?" Luna asked.

"Well he WAS found with a cloak on him after the manager died," Strong Wood responded.

"Strong Wood, I believe that you know all that you should know," Luna told him. "Please, don't ask anymore questions."

Fluttershy was dressed in an emerald green cloak and a dress to match and was heading out of the opera house through the back door.

"Where are you going Fluttershy?" Pinkie asked. Fluttershy jumped before calming down when she saw who it was.

"Oh, hi Pinkie," Fluttershy said. "I'm going to visit my father's grave."

"That time of year again?" Pinkie responded. Fluttershy nodded. "Well, stay safe."

"Thank you, I will," Fluttershy replied before walking out to a carriage with a bouquet in her hooves. She hopped into one of the open-air carriages. "To the graveyard please." The carriage driver pony starting running towards the cemetery. He was wearing a black hood and cloak so Fluttershy could not see that it was Gus Tenor!

"Applejack, have you seen Fluttershy?" Strong Wood asked. They were in one of the many hallways and had accidentally run into each other while Strong Wood had been looking for Fluttershy.

"Oh yeah! She was going to visit her father's grave," Applejack said. "Why?"

"I just want to see her," Strong Wood responded.

"You want to see her a lot," Applejack said. "You're here every morning, afternoon, evening, ANY time that's not bedtime. I haven't had a hang out with her just the two of us in almost two months."

"So?" Strong Wood responded. "Problem."

"Yeah, you're hogging her," Applejack told him. "She has other friends, you know." Then the actual carriage driver pony ran up to them panting.

"Wait, why are you here?" Strong Wood asked. "Where's Fluttershy?"

"On the coach with some stranger," the carriage driver said panting. "He jumped me." Strong Wood ran out of the opera house and ran towards the cemetery.

Fluttershy had arrived at the cemetery and was walking through falling snow to her father's memorial. She started sniffling.

"You were once my one companion," Fluttershy sang. "You were all that mattered. You were once a friend and father. Then my world was shattered. Wishing you were somehow here again. Wishing you were somehow near. Sometimes it seems if I just dream. Somehow you would be here. Wishing I could hear you voice again. Knowing that I never will. Dreaming of you won't help me to do. All that you dreamed I could. Passing bells and sculpted angels. Cold and monumental. Seem for you the wrong companions. You were warm and gentle. Too many years fighting back tears. Why can't the past just die?! Wishing you were somehow again. Knowing that we must say goodbye. Trying to forgive. Teach me to live. Give me the strength to try. No more memories, no more silent tears, no more gazing across the wasted years. Help me say goodbye. Help me say goodbye!" She had reached the memorial at this point and was crying in front of it.

"Wandering child," a male voice sang. "So lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance." Fluttershy looked up to see who had sang but did not see any pony.

"Darling or father? Friend or phantom? Who is it there, staring?" Fluttershy sang.

"Have you forgotten your friend?" Discord sang quietly.

"Darling, oh, speak! What endless longings echo in this whisper!" Fluttershy sang nervously.

"Too long you've wandered in winter, far from my fathering gaze," Discord responded.

"Wildly my mind beats against you," Fluttershy sang.

"You resist," Discord sang.

"Yet the (your) soul obeys," they sang.

"Darling, my dear! You denied me, turning from true beauty," Discord sang. "Darling, my love! Do not shun me! Come to your strange angel!" While Fluttershy sang,

"Darling, my dear! I denied you, turning from true beauty. Darling, my friend! My protector! Come to me, strange Angel!"

"I am your friend, my dear beauty," Discord sang. "Come to me, Angel of Music." Fluttershy felt pulled to come closer to where the song was coming from, inside the memorial. "I am your friend, my dear beauty. Come to me, Angel of Music." Fluttershy continued to walk closer towards it. Then Strong Wood came running into the cemetery and then up to Fluttershy.

"NO! Fluttershy stop!" Strong Wood called. Fluttershy stopped and turned to face him.

"Strong Wood?" Fluttershy questioned.

"Listen, this pony...this THING is not your father," Strong Wood responded. He walked towards the memorial and looked to see if he could find Discord. A light emerged from within the memorial and Strong Wood saw Discord. He looked angered and hurt as seen by his face and the fact that was on all fours and his back was arched like an animal ready to pounce. He then snapped his claw and proceeded to melt into a shadow and left the memorial without a word. Fluttershy saw his shadow leave the memorial and felt fear encompass her. The shadow of Discord then disappeared from their eyes.

Almost done! I promise this has a happy ending!