Spring

[WillowWisp]

This is just a little ficlet I decided to write. More or less I wanted to kind of think through some of Willow Wisp's inner thoughts. I usually don't share my writing because I really don't think of myself of much of a writer. But I did promise to share this when it was done. It's only 5 pages long... so it's not much but oh well.

This isn't really based on anything. More or less it's just kind of what I made up in my head.

Oh yeah feel free to make comments or what not. I wasn't expecting this to be a great work of writing, just some creative juice flowing exercise.

'Wisp gets a letter from an old friend and it makes her think about love.'

.....

Spring

It was one of those nights, just perfect for those who enjoyed being out in the lunar glow. The midnight sky was dotted with small twinkling stars and the moon was big and full. Only a few little wisps of clouds broke up the light as they drifted lightly in the breeze. These were the nights she loved and usually spent out exploring. However it was going to waste as the Unicorn spent her time staring at her desk instead. Willow Wisp was letting the night slip away.

The moonlight filtered into the room through the cracked old glass befitting the windows of a 'haunted' house. It trailed in a thin beam along the old floor board, up the the legs of the desk before mixing with the candle light from the flickering lantern. That in turn was faded by her own natural glow, the pale blue ghostly hue that surrounded her in the dark. There on the desk is where it sat, a letter. The words on the paper seemed to be with held her attention so well over the rest of the world around her.

'My Darling Wisp,

Guess who's going to Canterlot? Isn't it just fabulous?'

She shook her head. It was a typical greeting from her friend back home. He was a strong, hard working Earth Pony. But when he started talking, it was like a whole another pony was inside him. He was expressive, somewhat eccentric, and clearly the excitable type. His Cutie Mark was a bit off considering his physique, a Daffodil. Perhaps it was one of the reasons they were friends, they we both a little odd in their own ways.

'The farm is going to be famous! I entered some of my best Daffodils in a flower competition and took first prize. You should have seen all the flowers, it was... STUNNING! Anyway, I guess the Princess heard about the winning blooms and I... to my surprise... have been asked to come to the palace. Princess Celestia wants to have some of my flowers planted in the royal garden... I could just... just DIE!

But enough about me, how are you? Are you moved in yet? If you've just been working on your spooky book and haven't unpacked I will find out... and I will come make you. The first step to a wonderful life is a wonderful looking home.

You know what time of year it is right? Spring! Ah, it's the best season. You know why don't you? Love is in the air. You see it everywhere. The birds in the sky, the small animals in the wilds... even ponies are pairing up. Ah, it's such a wonderful time.

You have to have met some nice Stallions in Ponyville by now... right? Tell me all about them. There is no reason a cute little Unicorn like you should be single. You know I won't allow it.

I hope you right back soon, Darling. This little town isn't the same without our resident spook.

Stay Fabulous,

Dandy Dill'

She'd read the letter at least three, maybe four times at that point. Even in his writing her friend's personality came through. It brought a small smile to her face as she thought back to her hometown and the days she spent sitting under the lone apple tree on Dandy's family farm.

A quill lifted in the faint glow of her magic, dipped into the ink well sitting on the desk corner and then hovered above a blank page.

'D,

I am...'

The quill halted after three words. Wisp was hung up on what to write. She could put how she was doing; that was she moved in and settled. And she could congratulate her friend on his win and success. Those were the easy parts of the letter, but she was stuck on the rest. Spring, love, and more so her relations; when it came right down to it, she was at a loss.

Letting the quill land softly back on the desks top, she let out a sigh before moving away from the desk all together. The black Unicorn followed the trail of moonlight on the floor over to the window, where she pushed open one side so she could lean and the sill. Her red eyes searched the darkness as if the stars could write her letter for her; as if the answers were hanging in the constellations.

It wasn't that she hadn't met anypony. There were at least two stallions she'd at least spoken with more than once. Perhaps it would be good enough to just put their names. But know her friend he'd want details. He wanted to know if she was putting herself out there rather than shying away. Sure she could blame most of that on her sleeping habits, but being a night pony only worked for so many excuses. Even a nocturnal type had to get up during the day now and then.

Willow Wisp closed her eyes, her glasses sliding down on her snout a bit, and a sigh escaping her. Her mind drifted to the first stallion she'd met, Big Macintosh, a member of the Apple Family. It had been a bit of a long shot when she traveled out to the farm, considering what she was looking for. Her bat, Morty, was bugging her for his favorite fruit, and lemons had been hard to find in the market. It was a last ditch effort to see if they had any growing at Sweet Apple Acres.

That's where they had crossed paths. He'd been coming out of the barn as she was walking up and upon seeing his Cutie Mark, she knew he was somepony that worked there. It took a little searching, but he managed to finally track down a couple of lemon trees on the south side of the huge apple orchard. Honestly she was a bit taken back by how much effort he put into looking for her and she was forever grateful. Morty was awfully cranky if he didn't get what he wanted to eat. And from that first bushel on, she returned to farm every week to get more.

Those weekly visits sometimes included a lunch. More or less she just wanted to sit down and speak with the nice stallion that had helped her when she first got to town. Big Macintosh was the quiet type, but when he did speak she could tell he was a kindhearted pony. He even seemed somewhat interested in her studies. She'd even been given permission to snoop around the farm at night to see if she could kind any 'spooks' as he put it.

The thoughts made her smile, but it quickly faded. What would somepony like him want with a Unicorn like her? Big Macintosh was a hard working, get his hooves dirty, pony of the land. He needed a mare who could help him with taking care of the farm. Somepony who was good with plants, or perhaps even animals to help in that aspect. She couldn't do that. She'd probably scare animals if she walked into a dimly lit barn, all aglow. There was no controlling that. And given her magic, if she planted even some simple flowers they'd probably bloom into gnarled vines and thorns; a plant fitting a spooky set rather than a garden.

Opening her eyes she wiggled her nose until the golden frames re-centered themselves. The reflection of the moonlight caught her eyes and she looked over to the large white circle in the sky. The night breeze gently blew past, rustling her short, blue mane, blowing the bangs to the side a little. Wisp drew a deep breath; it sure was peaceful.

The moonlight reminded her of the other stallion, surprisingly enough, also a member of the Apple Family. She'd met him when he'd come to visit his cousins in Ponyville. Braeburn was almost a complete opposite personality wise when compared to Big Macintosh. He was full of energy, ready to talk and rather expressive. She didn't mind that though, it was just funny to see the two of them together and their interactions.

Braeburn lived in the desert, caring for his own apple orchard in Appleloosa. Applejack and her friends had actually gone to visit him first, to deliver a tree. According to what she heard, it had been quite the adventure. It was a few weeks later when the excitable stallion rolled into town. It was a surprise visit, and he just happened to pop up while she was picking up her weekly supply of lemons. The introduction was like a whirlwind and other than his name, Wisp honestly couldn't remember anything he said.

She ran into him a couple times during his week long stay. Though the moment that stood out in her mind was when she surprised him one night out in the fields. He'd spotted a faint glow in the distance from the farm house and went to investigate. She'd been out just doing some of her studies and needless to say, left him rather shocked when he came upon the glowing Unicorn. Most of the night was spent talking about herself then. Braeburn wanted to know why she was glowing, what she was doing out at night, and the more she told him, the most interested he got. Apparently there weren't any ponies in Appleloosa that did that kind of thing.

The evening before he headed back home, she got to hear of a local myth from his town. Those were the types of stories she loved the most, and the ones she always wanted to investigate. The way he told the story, the excitement he usually carried in his voice, it just drew her in. Someday she'd have to go out to the desert herself and see what she could find. Braeburn did say if she ever came that way he'd 'sure as hay' be a guild.

Once again a smile cracked her lips only to fade away moments later. He was another stallion that wouldn't have interest in her. He was a wild and adventurous type. He needed somepony who could help him work his fields and tame the wild land. A pony who was strong and perhaps a little wild herself to reign in his energy. Willow Wisp couldn't even deal with heat all that well. The thought of the desert sun made her cringe; her black pelt would be nothing but a source of overheating. And even though she loved exploring the occult and supernatural, she didn't think of herself as wild. When it came right down to it, she probably couldn't even wrangle the dust bunnies under her bed.

The breeze teased her mane again as she stepped back from the window, finally drawing it shut. She was searching her mind for any other stallions she may have met, but none really stood out. Then again even though she'd been in Ponyville for a few months now, she really didn't get out much. Most of her days she spent in bed, and her nights were spent wandering, even out in the forest. That's how she'd been since she was just a foal. Even in her filly years when the others were cooing over the 'cute' colts in class, her nose was in a book.

Slowly she trotted back to her desk and floated the quill again. As she went over the words in her mind she reflected on her experiences with love, or more so the lack of them. Whenever she was forces to think of the topic it just reminded her that she'd never been of interest to anypony. At least, not that she knew of. She'd never gone out, never tried to vie for the attention, never spent a festival with anypony other than her family or maybe Dandy. Even he had been to a couple of those town events with a date and he had tried his darnedest to get her to be noticed so she'd have a date as well. Wisp just always avoid anything related to such. If another pony liked her, they should like her without her having to walk around in a fancy saddle.

'I am doing fine. Everything is unpacked and in place. Morty even has his favorite perches picked out all over the house. He feels very much at home with all the bats we found in the attic. They're not fruit bats like him, but they still seem to get along.

I'm happy to hear your farm is doing well. It was always so pretty in the spring to see all the flowers bloom... even if Daffodils aren't the best smelling. Oh well, they're still one of my favorites. I hope you plant some of the yellow ones with the orange centers in the royal garden. Those are my favorite of all the varieties.

I've met a few nice ponies here and there are still some afraid to even pass my house. Though I wouldn't change it. What good would a 'haunted' house be if it wasn't scary to some, right? It's a perfect fit for somepony like me.

I hope you have fun in Canterlot. Maybe you'll find some interesting stories there you can share with me. Surely that city must have some great local legends and myths.

Tell everypony hello for me.

Hauntingly your's,

Willow Wisp.'

With the letter finally written, the quill landed back on it's place on the desk. She gave the ink a moment to dry as she prepared the envelope for mailing. Once the letter was sealed up, Wisp trotted out of her room, down the hall and then down the stairs of her home, eventually moving out front. The mailbox was hung on the rod iron fence surrounding the home; guarding it with pointed tips. Once the letter was tucked inside to be picked up in the morning, the Unicorn moved back inside and back up to her room.

The house seemed oddly empty to her at that moment, causing a hint of loneliness to bubble up to the surface. The feeling lingered as she blew out the lantern on her desk, letting room fall into a darkness only broken by moonlight and her glow. It wouldn't be chased off, no matter what she tried to think of to clear her mind.

Deciding to just go to bed for the night as she didn't feel up to going exploring, Willow Wisp moved over to her bed. Images of both Big Macintosh and Braeburn momentarily came to mind until she chased them away. Her brow furrowed as she used her magic to float her glasses off her nose and to the nightstand next to the bed. It was almost ironic, her 'haunted' house didn't have ghosts, unless she counted her Cutie Mark, but there she was being haunted by thoughts and feelings.

As she tucked into the covers, Morty flew down from the beam he'd be hanging from. Bats usually slept during the day, and upside down from their perches, but he wiggled himself between her front legs so she could hold him close. He seemed to know when Willow wasn't happy and it bothered the bat to know his owner was in distress. All he could offer were soft screeches and cooing sounds as she tightened her hold on him, cuddling him close to her body.

'Love is in the air... Spring,...the best season.'

She clinched her eyes shut tight as parts of her friend's letter came to mind. He was right, she'd seen it all around; be it birds, or other animals, even ponies in town. It was that time of year; the time of year she did her best to keep to herself. That's why she struggled so much with her letter until she just purposely 'forgot' to talk about the stallions she knew. It was nopony's fault but her own. She avoided it because she just didn't know who would find interest in her.

Wisp could hear the concerned chatter from her pet as she held her eyes closed, trying desperately to chase off the images and thoughts that were plaguing her now. The lonely feeling that had welled up having completely taken over at that point as she tried to force herself to sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open again for just a moment before she let them close in a more relaxed state, another soft longing sigh exhaled into the night. Morty feel silent then, just curled up against her. There wasn't a sound.

'I hate spring.'