Starry woke in the late afternoon hours curled into the bat pony stallion resting soundly at her side, feeling eyes watching her from across the room. Her mane was jostled, and messy from the evening before. She grumbled, pushing her body up and letting her hair fall gracefully over her shoulders.

The lunacorn mare turned, before even acknowledging the shadow of a pony watching her from the other side of the room. She watched Stone breathe for a moment, the steady rise and fall of his chest and wing as he lay there, reveling in him. Starry smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek and lifting the blanket with her magic to cover him better. The stallion twisted in his sleep, his wing reaching out to touch her. 

Starry pressed his wing back to his side, pressing her pillow under his wing and turning to face the ghost of a mare in the room.

"Hello-" Starry said pleasantly to the spirit, her long mane curled at the base of her neck, just above her shoulders. Her dark wings splayed out across her back and along her sides, and her glittering green eyes stabbed into her with interest.

Once again her fur was standing on end, her tail twisting behind her as she took a step toward the spirit of the mare.

Moonchild- The spirit greeted her, tipping her head.

If ghosts could smile, Starry was sure this one would be beaming and wrapping her wings around her thin frame.

"Starry-" She responded, bowing her head to the spirit as she stepped towards her ", I would like to make a cup of tea if you don't mind, then we can speak."

Indeed.

The spirit stepped to the side, leaving the door open for Starry to leave. The mare made her way to the kitchen, boiled the water, and set herself on the couch with a cup of tea. The spirit, a patient and curious creature stood across from her, waiting for Starry to sit. Starry sipped her tea once before placing it on the table across from her.

"Thank you-" She smiled at the ghost ", I always enjoy tea when I wake. I wish I could offer you some, but that would be quite rude, wouldn't it?"

No- The spirit responded, placing herself rather fictitiously on the couch across from her, Don't worry about me.

"Of course-" Starry nodded ", Now. I want to help you. Do you wish to move on? To the next life?"

But the spirit only cocked her head at the lunacorn mare, her bat-like wings fluttering at her side. There was no breeze, but Starry still felt the slightest chill at the movement. Impossible really, but even she couldn't deny that there was something in the air.

"Or... Is there something else..." She started, cutting off after a few moments.

Something about how this spirit looked at her with its fathomless eyes, scared her to her core despite the familiarity.

My son... The spirit whispered, glancing down the hall towards Stone's room, Is he... Okay?

Starry's eyes softened at the spirit as she reached for her teacup, holding it close to her chest as the spirit watched the hall longingly with seemingly sad eyes. The mare wished she could wrap her hooves around the ghost mare to hug her, but she knew that it would be useless to try.

"Your son..." She hesitated ", Stone. He's your son?"

Yes... The spirit seemed to sigh in her mind... My son. Sweet boy. Sad boy.

"He's not as sad as before..." Starry hummed, tipping her head to the side ", I'll protect him from everything I can."

That was the strange thing about spirits, while they had no distinct features except the glowing hue of their eyes and their shadowy forms, they had no twisting faces of emotion. They were shadows of their former selves, faceless and hardly shapes, but just as emotional as the living ponies.

No... The shadowy mare smiled without smiling, He is strong. You make him strong. Be strong together.

Starry nodded at the mare, setting her cup down and starting around the table toward her. The ghost tipped her head to the side as the living mare approached her and Starry took the seat next to her.

"I love him-" Starry told the spirit ", I really do."

I know. The mare nodded. He loves hard. So love him harder.

"I will-" Starry nodded, sucking in a breath before tipping her head to the mare ", But... He hasn't... he hasn't told me about you."

In time, The mare nodded softly, He will.

"Can I know your name?" She asked the dead mare walking.

Dew Rose, The spirit nodded. And you, moon child, are good for him. I approve.

Starry knickered playfully, tipping her nose to the shadow of the bat pony. The ghost mare tipped her own head, cold air brushing against Starry's nose as the form flitted against her fur. Cold. Ghosts were always a little colder than the average winter night, that was how the living knew they were there, even if they couldn't see them.

"Thank you," Starry sighed and the ghost of a wing flitted over her back, but when she looked up, the spirit was gone.

Starry glanced around, but there was no sign of the ghost of Dew Rose.

Standing and lifting her cup of tea in her magic, Starry started back towards the bedroom, the sound of Stone snoring brought a smile to her face. She stood in the doorway of the room, watching as his grey chest rose and fell with his orange-striped name plastered to the side of his face.

Perfect, She couldn't help the thought, He's perfect.