Checking On Family

[Darastrix]

Late on Spirit Night, after everyone in the Moonwing household had gone to bed, the sound of soft footsteps began to echo through the hallway, approaching the wing where the family slept. The footfalls paused outside of Snowflake and Midnight's room, then continued on to Aurora's.

Inside the child's room, a faint glow could be seen under the door, which grew brighter as two semi-transparent figures passed through it. One of the figures was a man who looked very much like Midnight, and even wore the uniform of an Anarlinan royal guard. The other was a dark-haired women in a pink silk gown that whispered along the floor as she drew near to Aurora's bed.

"Aurora," she whispered, reaching out to "touch" the girl's cheek with an insubstantial hand. "Our little granddaughter...."

[Kender Bard]

Aurora, who was a light sleeper at any rate, blinked her eyes open and stared for a few moments unseeing into the darkness as the haze of sleep began to lift from her. She rubbed her eyes with one balled up fist and looked at the woman, confused as she whispered, "Aunt Dusky?" She noticed the man and added, "Daddy?"

[Darastrix]

The woman smiled and shook her head, leaning forward so that Aurora could better see her features. She had the same dark grey hair that her children did, though hers was wavy where theirs was straight, and she lacked the little fringe of bangs covering her forehead that Dusk favoured. She had high cheekbones, dark blue-green eyes, and no Water sign.

Her husband more closely resembled both twins, with his wide, blue eyes, pert nose, and less prominent cheekbones. His own hair, though, was completely black, and pulled back into a long tail, with his bangs parted into long forelocks that framed his face on either side.

And of course, neither of them had wings.

"Your Aunt Dusky is our daughter," the woman said. "And Midnight is our son."

"We're your grandparents, sweetie," the man told her. "We live with the Forces now, but it's Spirit Night. Those who've passed beyond the Veil can came back and visit their loved ones tonight."

[Kender Bard]

Aurora cocked her head; a lot of that didn't make sense to her, but like many little children, she took it on faith and smiled, pushing aside her blankets and sitting up. "Hi!" she greeted them brightly. "I'm Aurora!" There was a pause between 'ah' and 'rora' but she no longer fumbled the pronunciation. She looked at her grandmother and pronounced, "You're pretty." And to both, "I like you!" She grew more excited by the moment. "Play?"

[Darastrix]

"That might be a little hard for us," her grandfather said with a chuckle as he tapped her foot with chill fingers. "We can talk to you, but we can't really touch anything."

"We wish we could," her grandmother added, and grinned. "My Jet would tickle you silly if that were the case."

Jet laughed at that. "No, I think I might save that for our son. He's far too serious these days, wouldn't you agree, Aurora?"

[Kender Bard]

"Yes!" Aurora replied. "Daddy get sad and I get Dusky. Dusky makes Daddy happy, and happy Daddy is fun." Though she was a trifle disappointed that they couldn't play with her, she did amuse herself by passing her hand back and forth through their ghostly-ness. "Ooh."

[Darastrix]

Iris giggled at Aurora's fascination with their state; some people might be fearful at seeing a ghost, even the ghost of a loved one.

"Dusk's our little soldier," Jet said with a fond smile.

"She can't use a sword, dearest."

"Shieldmaiden, then. And I don't mean a literal shield and you know it," he added as he placed a finger against his wife's lips. Iris giggled again and kissed his finger.


In his own bed, Midnight stirred, blinking his eyes open. "Snow?" he murmured, reaching to touch his wife. "Did Dusk come by to spend the night for some reason? I could swear I heard her laughing just now."

[Kender Bard]

Snowflake stirred as well, though didn't open her eyes and instead turned on her side so she faced him, gathering up the covers and snuggling into them more. "No," she sighed, voice slurred with sleepiness. "Juzza dream...?"

Aurora ceased waving her hand through her grandparents and stood up on the bed now, wide awake and ready for fun. "I'mma sol-der," she announced and waved an imaginary sword at Jet.

[Darastrix]

Jet burst out laughing at that. Oh, he wished he could be alive to enjoy his grandchildren all the time. "So are you going to be a guard like me and your father?" he asked. "Or a knight like your aunt Emerald?"


Midnight sat bolt upright. "I know I heard that," he said, starting to get up. "And it sounded like it's coming from Aurora's room." He didn't bother trying to throw on a robe; with his wings, it just got tangled up when he was in a hurry. He grabbed his sword and started out into the hall.

[Kender Bard]

Snowflake, alarmed now, woke up more fully and slid out of bed as well, though she did take the time to grab a robe and toss it on as she tread after her husband hurriedly.

"Iunno," Aurora answered. She didn't understand the difference between one person with a sword and another. "Wanna be like daddy and Dusky!"

[Darastrix]

"A warrior priestess?" Jet suggested with a grin.

"She's got plenty of time to decide, love." Iris smiled at her granddaughter. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."


Midnight paused with his hand on the knob to Aurora's room, frowning. There was someone in there, but Aurora didn't sound scared or upset. And the voices....

"I could swear I've heard those people before," he whispered, mostly to himself. Well, whoever it was shouldn't be there, and it didn't sound like their servants. He tightened his grip on his sword and took a deep breath before flinging the door open.

"What's going on in--"

His parents exchanged a look and turned around to face Midnight.

"For Love's sake, 'Night, put that thing down before you hurt someone with it," Iris said, putting a hand on her hip.

Midnight just stared, wild-eyed.

"Happy Spirit Night, son."

He dropped his sword.

[Kender Bard]

"Daddy!" Auora crowed happily. It was becoming a downright social gathering in her room!

Snowflake hastened her steps when she heard the dull clank of the dropped sword and peered around the doorframe. "Midnig- oh!" She stopped and stared as well, not because she recognized Midnight's parents but because of the simple fact that they were ghosts. "Oh, Love preserve!"

[Darastrix]

"F-father?" Midnight took a hesitant step forward, though his senses were all but screaming at him to run. He wasn't sure he could take another trick like that.

"It's all right," Jet murmured as he looked from Midnight to Snowflake. "We're just here to visit and meet our new grandchildren." He chuckled softly. "Toss holy water on us if you like; we won't burn. Or if it's proof you want, have you told your wife yet about that spot behind your knee--"

"Father!" Midnight put his palm to his face for a moment. That was just like him. He had to be real. And if he was.... Midnight slowly looked over to his mother, who looked younger and so much stronger than she had before her death on Contrasta, and his eyes welled up with tears. "Mother...."

"My dear children," Iris said, smiling at both her son and Snowflake, as she clasped her hands before her.

[Kender Bard]

Snowflake gaped openly at the two ghosts.

"Gamma 'n gampa!" Aurora announced happily.

At a loss of what more to do, Snowflake bowed to the spirits. "It's a-an honor to meet you both."

[Darastrix]

Jet laughed and moved closer to them. "Come now, Snow. Life's too short for that sort of formality with family. And death is too long for it to be bearable. I'm glad that you two found each other."

"Even if it was something of a mess at first," Iris added, shaking her head. "His eyes followed you for years, my dear. I would say I'm surprised Dusk never noticed, but she was too busy watching your brother."