~Chapter 42: It’s Been Awhile~
Discipula Star awoke that morning with Axel’s hoof firmly planted against her black cheek because once again the earth pony had slept restlessly. On her other side, Suri was sleeping with one foreleg casually draped across Star’s chest, making it impossible for her to get out of bed without waking at least one of them. That didn’t stop the small unicorn from moving Axel’s hoof however, though she tried to do it as gently as possible. With that small discomfort attended to, she let out a yawn and resigned herself to relaxing in bed for a little while longer. There wasn’t anything important she had to attend to that morning anyway.
Without getting out of bed and walking around, Star couldn’t tell if the aches and pains in her limbs had vanished, but she was able to peer down at her shoulder and see that the bandages had retained only a small stain of blood, which was a good sign. Seeing the wrapped up wound brought back all of the memories of the previous day and the black mare had to take a deep breath and clear her mind to stop tears from forming. Talking about what had happened with Princess Luna had helped enormously, but her dreams had still been unpleasant, filled with screams and fire enough to keep Star from trying to fall back to sleep as she lay between the silk sheets.
After a few more minutes of enjoying the peace and comfort of her bed, Suri rolled over, her lithe form freeing Star from the embrace that had pinned her to the bed while she continued to snooze. Star took her chance and carefully squirmed her way out of the blankets, doing her best not to nudge either of her friends. Once her body was free, she tiphoofed over the plush mattress and onto the cold tile floor, making sure to step lightly as she entered the bathroom to prepare for the day ahead.
The bathroom door clicked shut, much more loudly than Star would have liked, but leaving her to comb out her mane and tail without waking the other mares. Thankfully, her bath the night before had left her clean and made the grooming relatively quick and easy, so it wasn’t long until she put away her comb and began brushing her teeth. Next, Star took off the bandage and checked her cut, which had healed fairly well overnight and didn’t require anything more than fresh dressing on it. With that last task tended to, she was ready to leave her room and find Brass Heart and Dawn. She had meant to talk to the pegasus after the conversation with her mentor, but it had been getting late by the time they finished, so she decided to put it off, but now that Star had a few moments to herself, it seemed like a good time.
Axel and Suri were still fast asleep as the white owl on Star’s flank vanished through the doorway and she entered the open halls of the castle. Nopony else was around as she made her way to the stairs, intending to leave through the front doors and make her way around to the back of the castle grounds, to a much smaller building where the soldier’s slept while they were on duty. She wasn’t positive that Brass Heart and Dawn would still be there, but because of how late they had arrived the day before, Star figured it was a good possibility. If they didn’t happen to be there though, she did know where their homes were, although pestering them outside of work wasn’t something Star was keen to try unless there was a very important matter she needed to discuss with them, which was far from the case on this day.
“Good morning, Miss Star,” one of the maids greeted her as she descended the stairs into the large front chamber of the palace. It had taken some time for her to get used to the formality with which the princesses’ employees treated her with, but despite her requests that they treat her no differently than they would one another, everypony still called her, Miss Star.
“Good morning to you as well,” Star replied with a smile as she headed straight for the large, imposing front doors of the castle. “Oh, do you think that you could do me a favor?” She turned to face the older mare that had greeted her, deciding that her friends may wonder where she had gotten to if they awoke to find her missing.
“Yes, of course,” the earth pony said as she stopped her dusting to face the small, black unicorn. “What do you need?”
“I have two friends sleeping in my quarters,” she explained to the maid, “if they happen to wake up before I return, could you please let them know that I went to speak with Brass Heart and Dawn Glory and that I will return very soon?”
“I will keep an eye out for them,” the mare replied as she returned to her work.
“Thank you very much,” Star said as she pushed open one of the massive doors with her magic. The morning light was partially obscured by thick clouds, but she still had to squint as she walked outside, into the chilly city. She had forgotten to grab her cloak before leaving, though even if she had remembered, the state it was in would have stopped her from wearing it anyway and so she was forced to trot quickly as she made her way across the frosty cobblestone walkway to the main street.
Every breath Star took resulted in small clouds of vapor as she hurried past immaculately sculpted shrubbery animals and exited through the ornate, wrought iron fence that surrounded the castle’s front yard. When the weather was warmer, she loved to walk the grounds and admire the hard work that the many landscapers put into tending the gardens, but on this day the majority of flowers were already withered and long gone, leaving the grounds rather bland. A gust of cold air rushed by as Star rounded the corner and left the shrubs behind, causing her to shiver and quicken her pace to a near gallop in an attempt to warm her body back up.
“I wish that winter was over already,” Star huffed as she continued down the pathway at a steady clip. Spring was undoubtedly the young unicorn’s favorite season, mostly because the castle grounds looked spectacular for those few months, but it was also due to the much more mild weather that settled in.
It wasn’t long before Star reached the plain, stone faced barracks that guards called home while protecting Canterlot. Most of them also owned houses throughout the old city, but it was far easier for them to live on the castle grounds in the event that they were suddenly called to duty. The barracks didn’t look like much on the outside, sharing none of the decadent charm that the main building held and the inside was no different. Soldiers were offered only the basic comforts, but their strict schedules and numerous duties left them little time for leisure between working hours anyway, so none of them were bothered by the decorations or lack thereof.
Two earth pony soldiers stood guard at the only entrance, faces stoic as they kept watch for intruders, as well as the rare escapee, because not all new recruits could hold up under the strict rules and discipline. Star didn’t recognize either of the stallions, but she smiled at them and received a nod in reply as they uncrossed their spears, so she assumed they must have seen her around the grounds at some point.
“Good morning,” Star said as she walked up to the doors. They merely offered another nod in reply as they pushed open the thick wooden passage for her, but that was to be expected when it came to speaking with soldiers who were on duty. Their superiors frowned on excessive socializing during working hours and everypony followed their orders, rigidly for the most part. “Thank you,” she called back as she entered the building, before they closed the doors behind her.
The front room was by far the best furnished in the entire structure, but still only held a long oak counter, behind which stood a straight faced soldier with slightly fancier armor than either Brass Heart or Dawn wore, a few small tables and some uncomfortable looking chairs. Star ignored all but the former as she made her way to the stallion, busy shuffling through papers, and cleared her throat to announce her presence as politely as possible, although it would have been impossible for the pale grey pegasus not to have heard her enter the barracks. The sound of her steps echoed throughout the entire chamber as she walked.
“Excuse me,” Star addressed him as his sharp orange eyes glanced up at her, “I was just wondering if Brass Heart and Dawn are staying in the barracks at the moment.” The stallion looked back down and continued sorting through various pieces of parchment as if he was far too busy to bother with the unicorn mare, which Star realized might have been a genuine possibility considering the state of Equestria at that time.
“Actually Corporal Brass Heart and Private Dawn Glory are tending to some classified matters at the moment,” the stallion replied in a droll tone, “but if you leave your name then I will be sure to have them contact you when they return.” He slid a piece of blank parchment across the counter to Star and waved his hoof casually towards a container of quills. Star often forgot that Brass Heart outranked his friend because of how casually they acted around one another when working together, but it was only when they were escorting her or while on leave, otherwise Brass Heart was as strict as he needed to be. She took a short quill in her magical grip and jotted down a quick note for Brass Heart and Dawn Glory to find her in the castle whenever they got the chance.
“Thank you for your time, sir,” she said as she finished writing down her name and dropped the quill back into the container with the others.
“Mhmm,” he mumbled without bothering to look up from a very wordy scroll he was staring at. The stallion didn’t seem very fond of his job, but Star figured than any soldier stuck doing deskwork would feel the same, so she couldn’t blame him. Taking his continued silence as her queue to leave, Star turned around and headed back to the front doors of the barracks, which she shoved open with her magic.
It was still early in the morning and Celestia’s sun hadn’t yet completely broke over the mountains to the east, leaving much of Canterlot in shadow still. The air was just as brisk as ever and Star shivered as she left the shelter of the stone walls. Since both Brass Heart and Dawn were away for an undisclosed amount of time, she was left without much to do besides returning to her room and checking on her two sleeping friends, so she made her way back down the cracked, cobblestone path to the front yard, smiling politely at the earth ponies standing guard as she passed by. This time she could swear that they smiled back at her, but when she glanced back they were wearing their usual stony expressions again.
Despite nearly running headfirst into somepony watering the few plants that managed to hang onto life during the freezing winter months, Star made it back to the palace with a fair amount of haste. There were a few other ponies up and about this time, as she made her way back up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Waiting for her, attached to the door, was a small scroll that she immediately took down and carried into the room. Somepony had to have put it there in the little bit of time that she was out that morning and Star was anxious to see who it was from.
Inside the room, Axel had finally gotten out of bed, although Suri was still sleeping soundly. Star wondered just how late the two of them had stayed up, but figured that it didn’t matter much considering that the actress was technically unemployed right then. The theatres in Canterlot would be ecstatic to have a beautiful and talented mare such as her working for them of course, so she wasn’t too worried about her friend taking a few days off to relax. Star walked right in and sat down on the couch at the end of the bed, unraveling the scroll and holding it in front of her face with her magic as she did.
“Morning,” Axel called out as she walked over and took a seat next to the unicorn. “What do you have there?”
“It’s a letter from Inferno and Nature Spark,” Star replied with a big grin as her eyes scanned the small script.
“Oh really? What does it say?” Axel asked.
“She says that they’re going to be arriving back here sometime today,” Star squealed after she had finished reading. Star’s smile grew even wider as she wrapped the scroll back up and levitated it over to her nightstand. She had been waiting for her friends to return for awhile now and was eager to see her daughter again, but the letter hadn’t said when exactly they would be returning, still, after a few weeks, Star was happy just to hear that she would be seeing them soon.
“That’s great news,” Axel said as she wrapped her forelegs around her friend. “I guess that means that I should delay my trip home. I wouldn’t want to miss out on seeing them again before I leave.”
“You don’t have to do that, Axel,” Star told her. “I know that you need to get back as soon as possible.”
“Are you kidding me?” Axel asked as she stopped squeezing the smaller mare. “My house will be fine for another day and besides, I want to get a look at my chariot and see if they’ve been taking care of it.”
“Well, if you insist,” Star replied.
“I do,” Axel said as she stood up from the couch and gave a quick stretch to her legs, “but before that I need to take a bath and get some food in me. Have they started serving breakfast yet?”
“I didn’t check while I was downstairs, but I wouldn’t doubt it,” Star replied. “I can go grab us some food while you wash up.”
“Alright,” Axel said as she walked over to the bathroom. “Make sure to grab enough for Suri too. I’m sure that girl will be hungry whenever she finally decides to get up.” Star nodded her head as Axel slipped inside the bathroom, leaving the black mare alone with her anticipatory energy.
Her previous downtrodden mood from that morning was forgotten as Star got up from the couch and skipped over to the door, humming all the way as she left her room and headed back down the carpeted hallway. She wasn’t sure if Luna had read the letter before leaving it on the door, but Star was eager to tell the princess the good news if she hadn’t. That could wait until after breakfast though, Star decided as she rounded the corner to the stairs and bounded down them as quickly as she could. Today was shaping up to be the best she’d had in awhile.
Breakfast was in full swing by the time Star walked into the dining hall and the smell of food permeated the air. Servants were busy bringing out a wide variety of different dishes as Star grabbed a tray to hold plates for her and her two friends, so she did her best to stay out of their way while she browsed the offerings of fresh pastries and fruit dishes. Once she had piled what seemed like enough food onto the three plates, Star slipped back out of the room as quickly as she had come, while a few other ponies staying at the castle passed by her on their way to get something to eat.
“Discipula Star, are you having a pleasant morning?” Princess Celestia asked as she walked into the large front chamber of the castle, Philomena flying by her side.
“I most certainly am,” Star replied as she gave the best bow she could without spilling the tray that floated before her. “I found out Inferno and Nature Spark are going to be back in Canterlot today.”
“That is wonderful news,” Celestia replied as she continued on her way to the dining hall. Star still remembered that Celestia had been the one who hadn’t told her about receiving letters from the young dragon and most likely already knew that they would be returning, but she was in too good a mood to bother dwelling on the fact at that moment, so she headed up the winding staircase with a smile on her face. The smell of food made her stomach rumble as she topped stairs and headed back down the hall and she brought a small, cream filled pastry to her lips and took a bite as she approached the door to her room.
Using just a bit more concentration, Star managed to let herself in, despite the fact that she was carrying the large serving tray with her. Suri was still asleep as she set the tray on the small table by the couch and Axel appeared to still be in the bath, so Star helped herself to some breakfast while she waited for them. Since nopony was around to impress, she didn’t bother with manners as she took bite after bite from every dish on her plate. The unicorn knew that eventually she would have to get back into the habit of eating like a lady, but that could wait for another day.
The last of Star’s peaches and cream disappeared down her throat just as Axel opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out, looking a refreshed and cute as ever with her damp mane hanging down her neck haphazardly. The earth pony stopped in her tracks, hazel eyes closed as she sniffed the air and let the scent of gourmet food wash over her. Then she opened her eyes and sighed as she walked over to the couch and sat down next to Star.
“That smells amazing,” Axel commented as she slid a large plate of food in front of her on the table. “I love the meals they serve here.”
“Mhmm,” Star mumbled in agreement before washing down a mouthful of food with a gulp of orange juice, “they certainly know how to make a good breakfast.”
Suri didn’t stir from the bed until after Star and Axel had finished eating and she merely grunted a nearly intelligible greeting before holing herself up in the bathroom. She didn’t seem to be much of a morning pony, unless you counted the many nights she stayed up through the sunrise. Both mares ignored their friend’s rude behavior as they tidied up after themselves, even though the maids would have attended to it while they were out during the day. It was just a habit for Star to clean up her own mess and Axel followed her lead. Before long the bedroom was as spotless as it had been before they spent the night in it, aside from Suri’s plate of food which was growing colder by the minute.
“Suri, Axel and I were going to take a walk around town to pass the time,” Star called to the closed door of the bathroom, where the sound of running water could be heard. “Are you about done in there?”
“Yes, I’ll be out in just a minute,” the white unicorn shouted back. “I’ve just have to comb my tail and I’ll be done.”
“Okay, take your time,” Star replied as she returned to the couch to wait with Axel. The vibrant blonde mare had regained her boisterous attitude by the time they had finished eating and was fidgeting impatiently, eager to start her day. The sound of the bathroom door opening was enough to send the earth pony leaping to her hooves.
“Okay, I’m all ready now,” Suri told them as she walked over to the side of the bed and stuffed a comb back into one of her bags. “How do I look?” She gave a twirl, her strawberry blonde mane shimmering in the light as she showed off the extravagant dress she had donned. Star had seen her dragging the silver trimmed, red gown into the bathroom, but the image of Suri actually wearing it was simply stunning. It was cut much shorter than any of the dresses that Star had ever worn, which was a rare occurrence outside of royal balls anyway, but it suited the long legged unicorn perfectly.
“You look spectacular,” Star sighed as she lamented the fact that she couldn’t pull of something so sexy. Suri literally beamed at the compliment.
“Yeah, you look fine,” Axel huffed impatiently, “now can we please go?”
“Sure, thanks for the compliment,” Suri replied sarcastically as she followed the rust red mare to the door. “Where are we going anyway?”
“I don’t believe that we actually decided,” Star said as she got off of the couch. “I think we were just planning on walking around until we found a store to browse through or something, unless you have an idea.”
“Not really,” Suri replied as they headed down the hallway and approached the stairs, “I haven’t spent much time in Canterlot, so I’ll just follow your lead.”
The weather was as nice as could be expected, considering it was winter, as Star, Axel and Suri found themselves walking along a busy street lined with various shops. The sun was bright and there were few clouds to block out the warmth of its rays, although a cool breeze had developed as the mares traveled. With an unknown amount of time to kill and no real destination in mind, Star had decided to lead her friends down to the heart of the city, where most of the stores were located, in hopes that something would catch their interest. It wasn’t long before Suri pointed out a large boutique and they all decided to check it out.
Elegant dresses stood in the large windows of the shop as Star held open the door for the other two ponies, painfully aware of the fact that Suri was much better dressed as she watched the white unicorn’s gown flutter in the breeze as she entered. Inside there were many more ensembles on display in the bright lights overhead. Star saw dresses and tuxes as well as many more exotic outfits as she followed her friends through the shop, examining each piece as they passed them. The quality of the clothing was amazing, but that was only to be expected coming from the capitol of Equestria.
“Oh, this one is just lovely,” Suri exclaimed as she eyed one of the more revealing dresses. The tall mare had a weakness for flashy outfits, Star noticed.
“Only you could pull of something like that,” Axel giggled as she watched Suri lift the outfit to her side in order to get a better idea of how it would look on her. Star couldn’t help but to think that her friend would look stunning no matter what she wore.
“It would certainly draw plenty of attention, I’m sure,” Star acknowledged as Suri hung the gown back on the metal rack she had taken it from, “although I wouldn’t get it myself.” Star was more inclined to dress in something less revealing, despite the fact that she normally wouldn’t even wear clothes. Something about short dresses with low cuts that drew attention to the flank didn’t appeal to her.
“Why not?” Suri asked as she riffled through the other clothes on display. “I’ll bet that you would look great in something like this,” she added, levitating out a skimpy white skirt with gold trim and a matching blouse.
“I don’t know,” Star replied as she examined the outfit that Suri had picked out, “I guess I could try it on.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Suri giggled, “besides, anything would be better than that old cloak you normally wear around.” Star had to admit that the skirt did look cute and that her cloak was indeed very worn out. Star sighed as she unbuttoned the blouse and put it on, along with the skirt. In a few moments she had buttoned the top and stood so that her friends could get a good look at her, giving a little twirl for effect.
“Suri was right, it looks really good on you,” Axel commented.
“Do you really think so?” Star asked as she craned her neck to get a better view of the skirt around her waist. It was more revealing than anything she would have picked out, but she had to admit that it didn’t look bad on her by any means.
“Mhmm,” Suri agreed. “You should definitely buy it and you should get something too, Axel.”
“Yeah, I guess I could,” Axel said as she walked over to another rack of clothes. “I don’t know about a skirt though. I wouldn’t have many opportunities to show it off.” The earth pony began to browse through some less frilly clothing, looking for something that she could work in without any problems. “What about this?” Axel held up a pair of overalls that weren’t flashy in the slightest. Suri shook her head dismissively and Star just laughed at the red mare’s choice.
“Really? That looks like something made for a stallion,” Suri groaned.
“I know, but I’m not really a dress wearing kind of mare,” Axel told her as she threw on a plain shirt and the coveralls. “See, I think they look fine.” They did look cute on her, but once again it was something Star could never see herself wearing.
“It’s a good thing you met me,” Suri sighed as she pulled a different outfit off of the display and tossed it to Axel. “Try this on instead.”
“Fine, if you insist,” Axel replied. “I’m only doing this because you asked though.” After taking off the coveralls and shirt, Axel replaced them on the rack and began struggling with the dress that Suri had given her. Finally she got it on and showed the result to her friends. It was a much longer dress than the one Suri had picked out for herself and was a dark brown color with green trim.
“That looks much better,” Suri said with a smile. “Don’t you agree?”
“I guess,” Axel replied.
“It does look very good on you, Axel,” Star said as she glanced over to the counter, where the shopkeeper, a blue earth pony just a few years older than she was, stood watching them. “Shall we go purchase these?”
“I’m happy with mine,” Suri said as she headed towards the counter.
“I don’t see why not,” Axel replied as she followed after the white unicorn, “I still don’t know when I’d ever wear this though.”
The three mares wore their purchases as they walked up to the counter and Suri was kind enough to pay, mostly because Star hadn’t thought to bring any bits with her. The shopkeeper, who was also the mare that had sewn every article of clothing in the store, thanked them for their patronage and bid them a good day before they left. Suri opted to wear her new clothes as they continued on their walk, draping her second dress across her back for lack of a better place to keep it.
“Where should we go now?” Axel asked as she stepped out into the open air once again. “I’m sure that we still have some time to waste before they get back.”
“Before who gets back from where?” Suri asked, since she had been asleep when Star received the letter from Inferno.
“Oh, some of our friends were away in the hippogriff territory, but they sent me a letter saying that they’d be returning today,” Star explained as they continued down the cold, stone sidewalk.
“Hippogriffs?” Suri asked as she followed after her younger friends. “I’ve never met a hippogriff before.”
“Well, I guess that you will get your chance to later today,” Axel said as she fidgeted in her new clothes, trying to get the dress to hang comfortable as she did her best not to step on it. Star was just glad that the blouse she was wearing didn’t rub against her shoulder wound very much as she walked.
“Why were your friends there?” Suri asked, curious to learn more about Star and Axel’s other friends.
“They were sent by the princesses to rekindle the old alliance we once shared, for the war,” Star explained.
“So we really are going to war with the Crystal Empire then?” Suri asked with a hint of sadness evident in her usually light voice.
“I’m afraid so,” Star replied, “because of the accusations that were made against Princess Luna and the recent attacks by Red Eye mercenaries, there really are no other options for the princesses to take.”
“I still don’t get why anypony would want to start a war,” Axel chimed in.
“Nor do I,” Star agreed, “but somepony is behind this, for whatever reason and now both countries will be made to suffer.” All three mares grew silent as they contemplated the truth of Star’s statement. It had been over fifty years since Discord’s War had ended and the effects were still being felt across Equestria. Towns that were still in the process of rebuilding would be put in danger once again and lives would be irreparably changed by the deaths that war would bring.
“Hey, I know the stallion that owns this place,” Axel said in an attempt to switch subjects and lighten the dreary mood. The earth pony headed for a small shop that apparently sold enchanted gems, much like the kind that she had used to make her chariot fly. “Maybe Gentle Gem has some new enchanted jewels that I can use in another project.” Axel opened the door and hurried in, skipping all the way. Star and Suri followed their friend into the shop, figuring that it would at least pass the time.
“Is that Alexia Lynn Sapphire that I see in my shop?” an old, blue unicorn asked as he peered at the three customers from his place behind the old counter. Axel smiled at him and skipped over to where he was standing. “I was wondering when I might be seeing you again. Did those gems work out all right?”
“They worked amazing,” Axel giggled. “The new chariot is flying like you wouldn’t believe. We took it on a trip clear to Manehatten and back without any problems.”
“That’s great to hear,” the stallion said as he glanced over the earth pony’s shoulder and waved at the two other mares who had followed her in. “Are these two friends of yours?”
“Sorry, yes,” Axel blushed, “Gentle Gem, allow me to introduce Discipula Star and Surinam Cherryblossom.” Both mares gave a small wave as they were introduced before walking up to stand beside their friend.
“It’s very nice to meet you, sir,” Star said.
“Please, call me Gentle Gem,” the stallion chuckled. “It’s very nice to meet some of Axel’s friends. This girl gets so involved in her work that I wasn’t even aware she had any.” Axel shot him a look of mock hurt at his comment.
“Uh, I have more friends than you can imagine,” the red pony replied.
“I’m sure you do,” Gentle Gem chuckled, “so what can I do for you on this fine winter day? Is there something specific that you need?”
“Not that I know of,” Axel replied, “but we had some time to waste, so I thought I’d look around and see if inspiration would strike me.”
“Well take your time,” Gentle Gem replied with a smile, “I’ll be right here if you need help with anything.”
“Sure thing,” Axel said as she turned around and trotted towards the closest display case, where a variety of beautiful gems could be seen, glittering in the light. There were jewels of all sizes, cuts and enchantments. There were call stones, levitation stones and a number of other stones that Star had never even heard of. It seemed as though anypony could pull of many of the spells that Star had memorized if they had enough money to buy a collection of enchanted gems.
Axel took her time, examining every item on display and reading the notes beside the jewels that described what magic they were infused with. She seemed to pay particular attention to the largest of the levitation stones. Star assumed it was for another flying chariot, but knowing Axel, it could have just as easily been for a brand new invention. Suri didn’t seem to find the store as interesting as her friends, which seemed strange considering her obsession with fashion. It may have been because most of the gems weren’t the kind somepony would wear, but she was patient none the less and didn’t complain once while they browsed through everything.
It was after seeing a good sized emerald that Star remembered Doctor Suture’s request for her to find two flawless gems that could be used to repair Spark’s eyes, so she started looking around for suitable diamonds. She looked through every case in the store and though there were many jewels that looked like they would have been suitable, Star couldn’t find two that were alike, nor two that were spell free. She decided to ask Gentle Gem if he had any in storage that would fit what she was looking for before they left.
“Hmm, I’m not really seeing anything that’s jumping out at me at the moment,” Axel sighed, “but I suppose I can check back at another time. Are you ready to go yet?”
“Yes, but I wanted to ask Gentle Gem a question before we leave,” Star replied as she headed back to the grey maned stallion. “Excuse me, but I was wondering if you had two large diamonds that haven’t been enchanted yet.”
“I think I have a few in the back,” the shopkeeper replied. “What exactly are you looking for?”
“I need two large diamonds of equal size and cut, that are flawless,” Star explained. “One of my friends went blind while I was assisting a doctor with a new procedure and the only way to reverse the damage is with the right gems.”
“That’s terrible,” Gentle Gem replied, “but I’m afraid that I don’t have anything here that fits those criteria unfortunately.” Star’s head sagged down at the bad news and the old stallion sighed. “I can certainly keep an eye out for something that would work though, but you have to promise me that you won’t be all depressed until then. I hate to see a pretty young mare frown.”
“That would mean so much to me,” Star replied as she smiled back at him. “Thank you very much.”
“It’s the least I could do for the friend of one of my best customers,” he replied as he glanced over at Axel who was walking up beside Star. “Did you find anything today?”
“No,” Axel huffed, “but I’ll check back in a week or so and hopefully something will catch my eye then.”
“Well, you know where to find me,” Gentle Gem replied as the mares turned to leave. “Have a nice day, you three.”
“You too,” Axel called back as she opened the door to the shop. The three mares left the store behind and stepped out onto the cold sidewalk, wondering where they should go next. Star wasn’t sure what to do, so she started walking further down the road with Suri and Axel by her sides. It was late in the morning, but she figured they could still stand to spend another couple hours in town before returning to the castle. The sun was still shining and the cold breeze had all but quit as they walked past more shops.
It was a bit after noon when Star, Axel and Suri arrived back at the castle with only their new clothes to show for the trip. The three ponies had considered going out to eat, until Axel pointed out that some of the best food in the city was waiting back at the castle, for free no less. Star never got tired of eating the seemingly endless assortment of fine cuisine that the chefs made everyday and Suri had only eaten two meals at the castle, as far as she knew, so the black unicorn was more than happy to save some bits by eating at her home away from home. It would also put them in the vicinity should Inferno and Nature Spark happen to arrive.
The usual hustle and bustle was taking place in the lower floors as they entered through the heavy front doors. Maids and servants wandered around cleaning and tending to various tasks while still managing to keep out of the path of the few aristocrats who happened along their trail. Instead of heading for the stairs and up to her bedroom, Star decided they may as well grab their lunches first, so she led her friends to the dining hall, glad to see that all of the food was still warm and waiting to be eaten. It was no surprise that lunch was still being served, considering how long some of the meetings could run and the fact that there were always many different mouths to feed.
“Whoa, I didn’t realize it would be so crowded in here,” Suri said as she followed Star through the doorway. “Why are there so many ponies eating here?” Star had to agree that there were quite a few ponies sitting at the long table in the midst of eating and conversation. The room was alive with the roar of chatter, so much so that only those who were looking towards the door when the three mares entered even knew they had come inside.
“I suppose it’s because of the new laws that the princesses have been deciding on,” Star explained. “Even though they of course have the final say in all matters, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna always put laws they are having disputes over to a vote, which has been happening more and more recently.” Suri and Axel followed Star to the long serving table along the opposite wall of the dining table. The fact that there were so many different guests busy with different tasks meant that food was available to be taken to whatever room a pony was working in, though most preferred the high class atmosphere of the dining hall. Star was not one of those ponies.
“That doesn’t sound very good,” Axel said as she took a tray that Star passed to her and began scanning the table for something good to eat.
“No, it’s not,” Star sighed. Talking about it was slowly ruining her appetite, but she started piling some food on her plate anyway. “I have no idea why they’ve been arguing lately. It really isn’t like them to disagree so much, but I think the stress of dealing with a nation on the brink of war is beginning to get to them.” Star dropped a pile of mashed potatoes on the plate, next to some other vegetables, as she spoke.
“Shouldn’t they be used to it after the long war they fought with Discord?” Suri asked as she picked through a large basket of fruit, finally selecting the very best looking apple for herself. Her plate held barely any food and Star assumed that was the reason for her being so thin, despite her height.
“I think Discord’s War is part of the reason they’ve been so worried,” Star answered. “I’d imagine the princesses are afraid to start another thousand years of fighting and death.” Star noticed that the conversation wasn’t the best to have before a meal at that moment and decided to change the subject. “I’m sure that they’ll be just fine soon though, so we shouldn’t worry. They have been ruling Equestria for a very long time after all.”
“That’s true,” Axel acknowledged before snatching up the only three cream filled pastries left on the table. “Yes! Good thing I got the last three.”
“That’s okay, I’m not really much of a pastry eater most of the time anyway,” Suri said as she finished filling part of her plate and stood back from the table, waiting for the other two mares to finish.
“That’s good to know, but I got all three of these for me anyway,” Axel said in a completely serious tone that made Star laugh aloud, until she remembered that she was standing in a room full of hyper critical aristocrats and she had a reputation as Princess Luna’s faithful student to maintain. Being so close to royalty did have its occasional drawbacks and the expectations were a major one.
“I’m ready to head back to the room,” Star said as she stifled her giggling.
“Mhmm, I think that I’m ready too,” Axel agreed as she snatched up a grape from the table and popped it into her mouth. Suri was already headed for the door, so Star and Axel caught up with her as quickly as they could manage without spilling food all over the floor, which was easier for Star with her magic. The earth pony seemed to manage just fine though, balancing the plate on her head as she walked across the marble floors.
The commotion in the front hall of the castle was still going on as the three mares slipped up the spiraling stairs and around the first floor corner on their way to Star’s bedroom. There was one maid dusting the different paintings and pottery on stands spaced along the hallway and Star smiled politely as they passed by. The castle had been much livelier over the past few days, from what Star had heard, and it was all because of the government officials who had been staying there while the new laws were argued over. She would be glad when it was all over and life could return to a semblance of its former peace, but that seemed a faraway dream at the moment.
There was no note on the door this time, so Star pushed it open without a second thought and stopped it from swinging shut with a hoof until both of her friends had entered and then she let it slam on its own. The room was just as they had left it and Suri lifted the dress she had been wearing that morning off of her back and tossed it casually to the floor near her bags. It didn’t look as if she cared for her belongings very well, Star noticed, but it could have just been clothes that she treated that way. Many city mares tended to go through dresses and the like fairly quickly anyway.
Axel and Star sat down first and then Suri had to squeeze in next to them, which wasn’t actually much of a problem for the actress. They ate their lunches casually, talking in between bites while they enjoyed the delectable cuisine. Everything seemed normal for awhile as they relaxed and enjoyed themselves and Star could almost imagine that everything was fine when she closed her eyes. It would be even better when Inferno came home, Star thought as she listened to Axel rambling on about possible machines she was thinking of building.
Eventually they finished eating and set aside their plates, content for the time being, but a knock on the bedroom door stirred Star from the couch where she was just getting comfortable. She stood up with a small sigh and made her way to the door, blowing the purple and blue strands of her forelock out of her eyes as she walked. The black unicorn realized that it could very well be that somepony was letting her know Inferno had arrived, so she quickened her pace and threw open the door.
“Good afternoon, my faithful student,” Princess Luna said with a smile. “I just felt I should let you know that Inferno will be here very soon.” Star squeed when she heard the good news. Her daughter would be home soon.
“Thank you for telling me, princess,” Star said as she wrapped her mentor in an impromptu hug, before realizing what she had done and quickly releasing her grip with a nervous laugh. “Um, we’ll be down shortly.”
“Of course, Star,” Luna said with a smile, “I will meet you down there.”
The princess left after that exchange, heading down the hall towards the stairs as Star closed her bedroom door and whirled around with a smile. Suri shot her a questioning glance as she trotted back to the couch. The nervous energy from earlier had come back in full force and the black mare felt as if she were walking on air. She hadn’t realized just how much she had truly missed the little dragon, her adopted daughter.
“The sky chariot should be here soon,” Star practically shrieked as she jumped up and down with excitement.
“Great, well what are we waiting for?” Axel asked as she sprang off the couch, equally excited by the news. Suri just looked over at them and got to her hooves as well, curious as to whom the new arrivals were.
They all headed for the door one after another, still wearing their new clothes as they left the bedroom and headed down the stairs. The princesses were both already there, looking just as majestic as ever with the mystical manes blowing in a phantom wind as the stood waiting. Star, Suri and Axel joined them, looking almost as beautiful as the sisters in their fancy attire, though certainly not as regal. Star couldn’t wait to scoop up Inferno in a hug and stare into her enchanting yellow eyes. It seemed like an eternity since she had seen the dragon’s face, though they had only been apart for a few weeks, but now they would be reunited again.
Nopony had told Star exactly how long ‘soon’ was, but she assumed because of the few words that Luna had spoken before he and her sister left to wait in the throne room, that it might be a little while. It was a good twenty minutes before the front doors of the castle were finally pushed open and time seemed to creep by slower than melting ice as Star stood motionless as the minutes ticked by. Light spilled into the dim hall as a figure walked in followed by another shorter form and then by one last shaped with wings protruding from the sides. As the door clicked close Star blinked a few times before running towards her friends at full speed.
“Inferno!” Star cried as she scooped the red dragon up with her magic and pulled her into a waiting embrace. “I’ve missed you so much since you’ve been gone.” Star punctuated each work with a quick peck on her daughter’s cheeks, ignoring the black spikes jabbing into her forelegs as she did.
“Spark!?” Suri asked in surprise, causing Star to glance up from her affections long enough to notice the perplexed look on the white mares face. She seemed to know Nature Spark, very well judging by her tone of voice. “What the flying buck are you doing here?” Suri walked over to the brown unicorn in a few quick strides and Spark turned his head at the sound of her approaching hoofsteps.
“Don’t tell me that’s Suri,” Spark said as his horn began to glow faintly with a green aura. “For the love of Luna, it is. What are you doing here and where is Star?”
“I’m right here,” Star replied.
“Me too,” Axel chimed in as she bounded over to the group.
“Why is my sister here?” Spark asked as he turned in Star’s general direction. The black unicorn paused in confusion as she tried to figure out what her friend was talking about, until the realization hit her.
“Surinam is your sister,” Star gasped. “I had no idea that you even had a sister.”
“Yes, she is my sister, but why is she at the castle and more importantly, why is she with you?” Spark asked as he took a few steps in his older sister’s direction.
“I met Star in Manehatten and decided to come back to Canterlot with her,” Suri explained in a slightly condescending voice. “How do you know her and where were you anyway.” Suri glanced over to Star as she asked, “Is he your friend that was visiting the hippogriff territories?”
“Yes, Nature Spark accompanied me to meet with my clan and form a new alliance,” Strata spoke up as she walked up from behind the brown haired stallion. Suri jumped back in surprise, but whether it was from seeing a hippogriff or hearing the news that her brother had actually been over seas, Star wasn’t sure.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna asked me to go as representative for them,” Spark explained to his sister, who didn’t seem to be aware of her sibling’s sightlessness at the moment. Spark was looking in her direction, but Star didn’t know how he was able to tell where she was with all of the commotion everypony was making. She did recall Inferno writing about him finding away to move around without help though, so Star assumed that had something to do with it.
“Why would they do that?” Suri asked in confusion.
“Because of who our father was,” Spark explained, but Suri didn’t seem satisfied with his short answer.
“Yeah, he was an advisor for the Princess Celestia, but why would that give them any reason to send you to the hippogriffs for them?” Suri asked.
“Dad was much more than an advisor, but I’ll tell you what I found out about that later,” Spark replied rather solemnly, “for now I could really use a shower and something to eat and then I need to speak with the princesses.” Suri still wasn’t content with her brother’s explanation, but she couldn’t think of a worthy argument, so she bit her tongue for the time being. “Is there a room that I might be able to use?”
“Um, yes,” Star told him, “just have Axel take you to one of the servants and they can show you to an empty room.”
“Axel is here?” Spark asked as his horn began to glow faintly once again. Star noticed that whenever he was looking for someone he began using magic and it almost seemed as if the glow showed him where everypony was in relation to him. It was fascinating to say the least and Star made a mental note to ask him about it when she got the chance. Doctor Suture would most likely be interested as well, she figured.
“I’m right over here,” Axel said as she hopped up and down in place. “Follow the sound of my voice.” Suri glanced over at the display with sudden realization and let out an audible gasp. Axel and Spark headed for the stairs in the back of the hall, leaving the others to sort through the strange development.
“Did Spark go blind?” the white mare asked in horror. Star’s heart skipped a beat as she tried to reply. She was the one who had damaged Spark’s vision and now she was going to have to explain herself to her new friend, Spark’s sister.
“Y-yes,” Star stammered as she stared intently at the red carpet on which she stood, “Doctor Suture and I were trying to fix his eyes so that he wouldn’t need to wear glasses and something went wrong.” Star raised her gaze enough to see Suri staring at her with a mixture of surprise and anger. “I can fix it and I will, I promise you, but first I need to gather some things.”
“Why in Tartarus didn’t you tell me any of this before?” Suri asked, clearly upset at Star’s ignorant withholding of information.
“I had no idea that you even knew who Spark was, let alone that you were his older sister,” Star explained.
“So, you’re Suri,” Inferno said as she finally broke out of Star’s embrace. “He talked about you a little bit, but I couldn’t get much out of him, except for the fact that he hadn’t seen you in years.” Suri turned her gaze down to the small dragon addressing her, probably wondering just who this serpent was, Star imagined.
“Yes I am and you are?” Suri asked as she smoothed her dress with one hoof.
“My name is Inferno, Star’s daughter,” the dragon replied casually, causing Suri to shoot Star a bewildered look.
“I’ve raised Inferno since she hatched,” Star explained as she fidgeted with her skirt. It felt a bit hot in the palace and the clothes seemed to be making things worse, but Star wasn’t about to run off and change right then.
“Well then, it’s very nice to meet you, Inferno,” Suri replied with a forced smile. Star certainly hadn’t expected there would be any tension when she reunited with her friends, but she obviously hadn’t foreseen the complications that had arisen.
“Likewise,” Inferno agreed, reaching out a clawed hand, which Suri shook briefly before turning her attention back to Star.
“I swear to you that I will explain everything tonight, but first I need to get Strata and Inferno settled in,” Star told her friend, “and I may need to speak with the princesses as well,” she added.
“You’d better,” Suri huffed, “because there are plenty of questions I have that could use some answers.” Star nodded her head in agreement before returning her focus to Inferno and Strata.
“We’ll get the sleeping situation figured out later, but I’m guessing that you’d both like some time to clean up and unwind a little before our meeting with Celestia and Luna,” Star said as she walked over to the falcon headed hippogriff.
“Yes, that would be nice,” Strata acknowledged as she and Star embraced one another in a quick hug. “It was quite the journey.”
“I can imagine,” Star replied. “Just follow me to my room and I’ll get the two of you all settled in. Do you want me to bring up something to eat?”
“That would be most appreciated,” Strata replied with a weary smile as she followed the black mare to the stairs. “We haven’t had a good meal in days.”
“Yeah, the food we had went stale pretty quick and sleeping in the sky chariot isn’t much fun,” Inferno sighed. Star was inclined to agree with the red dragon, since she had suffered through the discomfort of trying to sleep during a long flight only a few days before. It hadn’t been the best night of sleep she’d ever had, but it also wasn’t the worst.
Suri stayed downstairs while the other three girls headed for Star’s room. The black unicorn was worried that her friend was upset, but she needed to attend to her daughter and Strata before she could even think of attempting to resolve her issues with Suri. It was definitely shaping up to be a strange night, Star noticed as they ascended the marble steps. The joy of seeing Inferno again was enough to make the awkwardness manageable however and the impact of a treaty with the hippogriffs was not lost on the small unicorn either. She just hoped that the good news would help ease the tension that had been developing between the royal sisters over the past few weeks.
Star had waited patiently why her friends recuperated from their travels, but by the time they had all finished, the princesses were prepared to meet with everypony, so she never got a chance to clear things up with Suri or to talk more with Inferno. Then they had all walked through the halls quietly, except for the occasional comment from Axel and the short reply from whoever she was talking to. Star shoved the doors open for everypony and they all entered one by one into the throne room, which was empty save for the two alicorns upon their seats of power. The door banged shut and Star nearly jumped at the sound as she walked toward the front of the room.
They all bowed to the princesses, who both gave simple nods in reply, before standing in front of the raised dais. The air seemed stuffy to Star, though the room was very large for how few of them there were in it. Every second seemed to carry a heavy weight and she realized that they were on the precipice of war and the meeting they were having could well decide Equestria’s future. Her knees nearly buckled as the room swayed around her, but she managed to stay on her feet. Star had thought that killing one griffon was bad, but war could mean thousands of deaths and there was a high probability of having to kill again just to survive.
“We are very happy to see that you three have made it back here safely,” Princess Celestia began, forgoing her normal Canterlot voice for a more subdued tone. Star snapped out of her panic in time to hear Spark replying.
“As am I, Princess Celestia,” he said. “I suppose that I should start by telling you that the hippogriffs have agreed to the new alliance and are to be expected in a month’s time,” the blind unicorn added flatly. Star sensed something different about the stallion, but she hadn’t spoken with him long enough to decipher what and now wasn’t the time to try and figure it out. Celestia and Luna merely nodded upon hearing the good news.
“My clan will need time to prepare ourselves for war and move our hippogriffs to Equestria, so it will be a month at least,” Strata said in her high pitched tone, though it was somewhat diminished as she tried to keep quiet. “You will have say over when we strike, but not over how we strike. Hippogriffs fight our own way and that is the only condition of our new arrangement.”
“That will be acceptable, Strata Slipstream,” Celestia replied. “I assume that you will be returning to deliver the message right away.”
“No, my clan has faith in your word,” Strata replied, “Because you stand to lose as much as we do if this war goes the wrong way,” she added sternly. Star was beginning to wonder if she should even be a part of the conversation. The princesses had asked her to come, but the small mare had no idea if she should talk or even what she would say if she did open her mouth.
“I see, very well then,” the elder of the royal sisters replied, “I will tell my soldiers to be expecting your assistance.” Star actually wasn’t sure why she and Axel were present, not to mention Inferno. The dragon had accompanied Spark to the hippogriff homeland and most likely was aware of everything that was happening, but she was little more than a child and Star wondered why the princesses wanted anypony besides Spark and Strata present.
“Is there nothing more for you to tell us?” Princess Luna asked. She had been silent for the entire exchange and seemed a little irritated when she finally spoke.
“Nothing that cannot wait, my princesses,” Spark replied.
“Then we may discuss the information we have received from Downpour and Backdraft,” Celestia stated. “The reason we requested that you return to Canterlot immediately, instead of first meeting your friends in the Crystal Empire is due to the fact that a unicorn known as Duke Doré Langue, the next in line for the throne of the empire, is thought to be behind the entire war. He has somehow gotten power over the king and intends to usurp the throne and in doing so, create a war with our beloved country.”
“Furthermore,” Luna said, taking over explanation almost seamlessly after her sister’s brief pause, “the pegasus brothers have made contact with a group of rebels who have been fighting against the duke. They are willing to help us, but have warned of a possible coup within the Equestrian Royal Guard and from what they have gathered; it is someone who holds a fair amount of power.” Star glanced around and saw that everypony, including Axel was still remaining perfectly still as they listened to their matriarchs speak.
“We are looking into the possibility, but have yet to find any truth to the accusations. Still, it is best if we keep what has been spoken here between those of us in this room. If there is a traitor in our government, then we will find them and deal with them most severely,” Celestia explained, her voice growing colder and louder as she spoke of the unlikely deception. Star couldn’t imagine why anypony would turn against the princesses, especially after they had defeated Discord and saved all of Equestria.
“Where are Downpour and Backdraft now?” Spark asked as he stared up towards the ornate thrones, but not directly at either of the alicorns.
“If they were able to cross the mountains safely they should be close to Ponyville by now,” Luna replied, her dark blue eyes softening a bit as she detected the brown stallion’s concern for his friends’ wellbeing. “It is likely that the brothers will be returning to Canterlot in the next couple of days.” The mention of Ponyville reminded Star that she head to break some devastating news to Nature Spark sometime in the near future. The thought of that particular conversation made her feel a bit ill.
“That is very good to hear,” Spark replied. “Is there any other business that we must get to tonight?” The princesses turned to one another and whispered incoherently for a moment before returning their attention to the ponies gathered.
“We are done for the night,” Celestia told them, “but tomorrow we may need to speak with you all once again, so please do not leave the city for a few days.” Star noticed Strata glancing between each of the alicorns suspiciously without saying a word, while Spark simply nodded once in compliance. Nopony would leave the city though, not when they were on the verge of war. “You are all dismissed.” Everypony bowed to the royal sisters before turning to leave in one small group, the sound of their combined steps echoing off the smooth walls and reverberating through the high ceiling. They all walked silently and at the same pace as they left the princesses to speak in private.
The large double doors of the throne room slammed shut behind them once again and Star let out a sigh as she looked to each of her friends, noticing for the first time that Suri wasn’t among them. The small unicorn had been so overwhelmed by everything that was happening; she hadn’t even noticed the older mare was missing. Something told her that Suri was taking the unexpected reunion with her brother worse than she had let on and decided to look in the bedroom for the actress.
“I haven’t slept well in days,” Spark said as he turned to try and face the pony he was addressing, “so I’m going straight to bed, but we can talk tomorrow, Star.” She started to nod her head before realizing her mistake.
“That is perfectly fine, Spark,” she said cheerfully as he turned to leave. “It’s good to have you back here, I missed you.” The stallion stopped in his tracks, but didn’t look back at her.
“It’s good to be back,” he replied quietly before heading towards the stairs with Strata right behind. Axel skipped along after them while Star walked beside Inferno, who rested a hand on Star’s back as they made their way to the bedroom. Nothing else was said until after Spark and Strata had been shown to their separate rooms and Axel closed the door behind her, Star and Inferno. Suri was already lying on the bed half asleep as they all walked in, but she sat up at the sound of the door closing.
“The room right next to this one is open, so I figured that you could share that with Axel,” Star said as she met Suri’s green eyes with her violet ones. “Now that Inferno’s back I think the bed might be just a bit crowded for all of us to sleep in.” She laughed softly, but Suri just stood up and grabbed her bags without saying a word. Star could tell that she was cross, but had no idea how to help the fact. She had wanted to beg Suri for forgiveness, but didn’t feel she should have to. Star hadn’t been aware that they were siblings and it didn’t seem as if they were very close, but for some reason the white mare was acting like she had been severely wronged.
“I’m going to bed right now, so be quiet when you come in please,” Suri said as she walked by Axel, carrying three bags of belongings in her magical grip.
“I’m tired too, so I’ll just go to bed now,” Axel said as she followed after the strawberry blonde tail walking through the door. “Goodnight, Star. Goodnight, Inferno.”
“Goodnight,” mother and daughter replied in unison before the door closed and they were alone in the room. Star took a deep breath and let it out, the tail end of her exhalation forming into an exhausted yawn as she turned towards the bathroom.
“I just bathed when I got here, so I’m ready for bed right now,” Inferno said as she climbed onto the comfy mattress, tiny wings flapping uselessly behind her as she struggled to get up. Star smiled at the dragon before closing the bathroom door and levitating out her tooth brush. After a quick brush and rinse, not to mention a few other necessities, Star left the bathroom, ready to talk with Inferno. The young dragon was already snoring softly though, as Star careful joined her on the bed.
“Goodnight, Inferno,” Star whispered as she wrapped her forehooves around the dragon’s chubby midsection. “Sweet dreams.” Star laid still, listening to the shallow breathing of her daughter for a short time as she tried to slow down the thoughts in her head. The feeling on having Inferno so close to her again was a welcome one for the small mare and she soon calmed down enough to drift off into the dreamland, where the princess of the night happened to be waiting for her.