//------------------------------// // Chapter Six // Story: Fire of Passion // by Zachurra //------------------------------// “Ugh, it smells like shit out here!” Red Star quickly put a hoof to her nose the moment the trio stepped outside. Their plan was to make a shortcut through the garden, but it appeared that the recently freed mare was not even close to being in a hurry to get anywhere… “I suppose one can lose their memory of what nature smells like when given enough time.” Awestruck said with a small smile. He found the idea rather interesting that most ponies found nature’s scent to be a splendorous one, but when one spends enough time away from it all they suddenly become disgusted the moment such a smell returns. “Let’s just get out of here,” she said, her voice slightly changed from having her nose plugged as best she could with one hoof, “Five minutes outside and I’m already sick of this–” “That reminds me.” Awestruck quickly moved in front of the mare, both to block her path and to make more direct eye contact. “While I may be tolerant of your more vulgar language, I will not allow such to be said in the presence of Her Highness.” Her crimson eyes narrowed, “Listen punk,-” “She is the only reason you are not still rotting underground only to be forgotten. You will remain professional in her presence. Is this understood?” Red Star growled quietly in defiance to his command. Not even ten minutes out of her prison and she was already being told what to do? A tinge of regret hit her heart. At first for even taking their offer in the first place, and then regret for that thought exactly. They went out of their way for her for some reason or another, the least she could do was play by their rules… for now. Her growl faded and she tossed her head to the side. He supposed that was as good of an “okay” as he was going to get. “Excellent. Now let’s get a move on, I’d rather not keep our company waiting.” Awestruck began trotting away with a bit of a skip to his step. Red Star glared at him as he walked away, not ready to move from where she stood. “He’s not always like that.” Red Star jumped a little. She had completely forgotten that Goliath was following them from behind. She turned her head and watched as he came to her side. “Oh, well that’s good.” She said, “At least I know he wasn’t born with a stick up his ass – I mean… flank.” She sighed. This was going to take some getting used to. Goliath merely chuckled quietly. “He’s actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him. It’s just lately he’s been rather… short, with other ponies.” He expected the quick and sarcastic reply that he had come to recognize as her default response. When it never came, he looked down at her only to be met with a glare of his own. His first reaction was confusion, followed almost immediately by realization and then regret. “I mean, um… Listen, I–” “Forget it,” She said a little harsher than she meant to, but nonetheless proceeded to follow after the stallion that was getting further away from them. Goliath pressed his hoof against his face, silently berating himself for letting such a comment slip before quickly following suit. The group arrived at their destination not long after. Awestruck stopped before a large pair of double doors. Red Star and Goliath looked up at the doors, taking in their design. Just as beautifully crafted as the others within the palace, these ones had a difference that set them apart from the others. On the left door was an image of a pony with both horns and wings and the image of the sun rising from behind them. On the right door was a mirrored copy of the pony, but this time with a crescent moon being lifted over the horizon. “Tch, too tacky for my tastes.” Both stallions rolled their eyes before stepping forward to push the mighty doors apart. A creak from both sides alerted those inside that the final members had arrived, much to some’s relief. “Running a little late, are we?” A mare from the right said with a smile that some may take as an arrogant one. She was tall, almost as tall as Goliath. She was certainly taller if one chose to add the height of her horn. Her coat was a proud silver color and her mane almost matched, just being a tad brighter. Unlike most mares, her mane was short and styled rather than long and focused around elegance. Red Star covered her mouth and leaned towards Goliath, “Who’s the tall bitch?” “Lady Saryn,” He said as he too leaned in closer, “About as high class as a pony can get without being a part of the royal family. She practically owns half the city.” “Jeez, how many stallions did she have to–” “Oh, Awestruck!” She said loudly enough to catch the attention of the two whisperers. She quickly made her way towards the group – or more specifically, Red Star. “You didn’t tell me you had a daughter!” “Actually, she’s–” Awestruck tried to correct her, but she paid him no mind. Instead she B-lined straight for the mare and pushed her chin up with her hoof so they could look into each other’s eyes. “How old is she, anyways? She’s so small, she must’ve only just gotten out of school!” If looks could actually shoot daggers, Saryn would have been full of them at this point. Nevertheless, the Unicorn continued, “And such a curious fashion statement she’s making with those shackles. Honestly, if you don’t help her dress proper than she’s going to end up on the rebellious side.” The crimson mare had had enough. She threw away all professionalism that she had been planning to show as she threw a punch straight for Saryn’s jaw. The blow never made it, much to both Red’s surprise and anger. Saryn had moved her hoof and blocked the coming attack with relative ease. “Ohh, feisty.” She almost purred the words. Red’s fury was beginning to overflow. She took both forehooves and planted them in the floor. Her entire body twisted and spun around, throwing her legs outward towards Saryn. Red’s movements were quick, but the Unicorn was faster. She easily and rather gracefully hopped backwards, expecting that the mare’s legs would only reach so far. What she wasn’t expecting, however, were the chains that were still around the mare’s hind legs to swing out with her kick, effectively doubling her reach. The last few links caught Saryn right on her cheek, leaving it bruised and red. She let out a small gasp from the unexpected blow, her eyes going wide as she reached up to touch the wound. Thankfully there was no blood and the bruise didn’t look too serious, but to a mare such as Saryn… “You little bitch!” Her horn lit up like the night sky and a magical blast was fired. Red Star braced herself, but the sound of a quick shuffling caught her attention. By the time the shot was halfway between them, an older looking Pegasus pony landed between them with a sword in his mouth. He sliced right through the magic, cutting it in half and rendering it unable to hold itself together. By the time it reached its target, Red Star only felt a small breeze. Suddenly both mares were wrapped in a magical aura. Red Star was moved rather forcefully back behind Goliath while Saryn was pushed back near the twin thrones that stood at the far end of the room. “That’s enough!” Star Light joined the Pegasus in standing between the two of them. His horn was already glowing and ready to act just in case either should fail to listen to reason. “We were not brought here to bicker! If I must put you in corners, than I shall.” His blue eyes turned to Awestruck, who had not moved during the little event, “I’m sure you and Her Majesty have good reason for bringing this mare here, but I will not hold myself back if she must be restrained.” Without thinking, Goliath stepped forward to put more of himself between the captain and Red Star, “Understood.” Red Star huffed. She was frustrated. Frustrated both because she wanted to teach the prissy mare across the room a lesson and because she had lost her cool so easily. Getting used to normal life again was going to take a lot of getting used to. She looked to the side and noticed that the Pegasus had not said a word during everything that had happened. His coat was grey like a cloud and his mane was a greying orange. He wordlessly slid the sword back into the sheath that hung from his side. Oddly, he kept another sword on the opposite side of the same make and style. Holding a sword with hooves was hard enough, but did he really use two? Behind him was a mare that didn’t appear to be paying attention at all. She wore a cloak that almost looked like a raincoat that covered most of her body. From what was visible, her coat was a vibrant orange and her mane was somewhere between black and a very dark brown. Her horn glowed faintly as she stared at some of the hanging torches on the nearby wall. It didn’t seem like she was doing anything at all besides stare at flames until she realized the flames were flickering and lashing out in perfect unison. In fact, every torch was like a mirror image of the one across from it. Every ear perked at the sound of a throat being cleared, and every eye turned towards the bridge that connected both thrones. There stood a mare unlike any other. Her coat was as blue as the night sky and her mane was ethereal by nature, blowing in an invisible constant wind. Princess Luna stood tall and proud above her subjects, and she smiled as they bowed before her. Well, most of them did at least. The red mare towards the back seemed confused at first before realizing just what was going on. Needless to say, her first attempt at bowing to somepony in the past eight years, possibly the first time in her life, was only slightly awkward and clumsy. Had this meeting come together under circumstances of lesser intensity, she may have allowed a giggle to come through from the sight. “You may stand.” The ponies complied and rose back to their full heights. The Lunar Princess thought she heard one of them give a small sigh of relief. Regardless, she continued, “Our faithful subjects… We have called each of thou here because thou share something in common. Something that has grown to become a rarity amongst the subjects that my sister and I rule over. Thou all stand above the others. Thou are not prejudiced against everything that We have worked so hard to bring to every pony that lives within our borders. Thou are here because thou do not have some nonsensical phobia of the night sky and the dark. Thou do not become frightened little foals when Our sister’s dear sun sinks below the horizon. Thou are all better than that. While some of you may feel thou are not up to the task, or simply too young for such a thing,” Her eyes found their way to New Dawn, who was somewhere between listening intently and simply taking in the majesty of the Alicorn before him, “We do not doubt the ability of our subjects. We know that thou are capable incredible things, each and every one of you. And it is because of these abilities that We… I have decided to name each of thou as members of the Stars.” The Lunar Alicorn jumped and allowed her wings to flutter just enough to get her over the railing. She landed gently and gracefully before them. The ponies looked to her, surprised that she had dropped the use of “We” in their presence. “The name sounds simple, I know. But just because something is simple does not mean it is unimportant. For, as I am sure each of thou knows, Stars shine brightest during the night. While during the day, they are hidden and outshined by the sun’s blinding arrogance.” She practically hissed the last few words. She wanted to remain calm and collected before her subjects, but some matters she simply could not help but feel enraged about. She took a deep breath to cool her nerves before continuing, “Of course, this is not a matter to be forced upon you. Thou are all free to accept or decline. If there are any who do not wish to accept my offer, then thou are free to leave now. Be warned that my plans for you all can become perilous.” Awestruck, as she had expected, was the first to step forward. “I accept.” She smiled to him before turning to the others. “And the rest of you?” “You seek to bring a change, Princess, do you not?” A quiet and somewhat monotonous voice said. All eyes turned to the orange mare in the raincoat that stood farthest from the rest. She looked to hold an expression somewhere between being tired and being bored. “I can see it in your eyes. The essence of your heart is overflowing from your mouth.” The Princess’s eyebrows lifted a little. “Even more observant that I had expected. I applaud you, Morning Dew.” Morning Dew nodded in appreciation before stepping forward just as Awestruck had. Luna’s eyes moved to the aged Pegasus, “Sky Captain Wind Reaver?” Wind Reaver remained silent for a few moments as his gaze turned to the other ponies in the room. All so young and spry and reckless. Perhaps if he was ten years younger… He slowly stepped forward and spoke in a gruff tone, “Somepony’s gonna have to look after these kids.” “Anything for my Princess,” Saryn stepped forward and bowed graciously. Star Light stepped forward without a word. New Dawn was beginning to look nervous as more and more of the others stepped forward while he remained undecided. He knew he was going to have to make a choice soon, but that only further drove his anxiety. He quickly looked around and caught the eyes of Goliath. The larger stallion looked down at the smaller with tinge of remorse. He knew what would happen with the colt if he stepped forward, but at the same time he had come here in the first place. He let out a deep sigh, hoping with all his heart that he wouldn’t regret making his body move forward. “I suppose I don’t have much of a choice,” Red Star said, trying to keep her regular attitude around the others. In truth, she was extremely intimidated by the Alicorn’s presence. There was just something about her that made her feel as cold as she did back underground. Finally, the little colt stepped forward like the others. Goliath couldn’t help but feel regret for the colt’s decision. Perhaps if he had stayed back, New Dawn wouldn’t have felt like he had to do the same as everypony else. “I am proud of you all.” Luna said in a quiet but still commanding tone. “Duty for your Princess has called, and each of thou has answered. While being my Stars is certainly a prestigious title, I ask that everything that has been said and done in this room be kept between us. Even my faithful Night Guard know not of my plans.” The Princess began walking down a side passageway. The newly appointed Stars followed her until she reached a doorway that opened to reveal a simple balcony. The tower they resided in was high enough to look over all the trees in the forest and rewarded quite a pleasant view. “Surely at least one of you has noticed the thickening clouds that are forming around Mount Irelany.” Her blue hoof pointed towards the towering mountain in the distance. It stood high above the plains that surrounded it, piercing the sky with its majesty. It was also known for being practically smack dab in the middle of Equestria. A few stepped forward and confirmed that the Princess was indeed correct. Thick black smog covered the top of the mountain and seemed to slowly flood outward into the afternoon sky. “What is it?” Star Light asked, unable to take his eyes from the almost sickening sight of their beautiful world being defiled by something such as this. Before the Princess could respond, the old veteran stepped forward, “Hmph… Looks like we’ve got ourselves a bit of a dragon problem here.” “What?” Star Light snapped at the first mention of there being a dragon within Equestria’s borders. Neither of them could see the slow smile that was forming on the Princess’s face, and neither would have noticed regardless of her position. “That’s impossible! A dragon wouldn’t come this far within our borders. There has to be some kind of explanation for such a phenomenon–” “Slow down, son,” Wind Reaver held up a hoof half lazily in a defensive posture, “I know a dragon’s smog when I see it. I saw a few occupied mountains here and there while I was overseas.” He pointed the hoof he raised back towards the darkening skies in the distance, “You see how thick it is closer to the mountain, and how it gets thinner as it goes out? And that stuff is much too dark to be just rain clouds. Star Light bit his lip. A dragon? This far in? Before he could speak again, the tallest mare in the group stepped forward. “Wait a moment, I don’t follow.” All eyes turned to Saryn, but she did not falter or stutter from the attention. Only a lesser pony would let themselves be taken over by the eyes of others. “Dragons are extremely territorial creatures. We don’t go near them and they don’t go near us. Neither side has something the other wants. For a dragon to come out this far, it has to have some kind of reason. Either it’s extremely brave or extremely foolish, and judging from the amount that’s circling Mount Irelany, I sincerely doubt we’re dealing with a mere whelp here, too. From the size of the surrounding taint, I’d say it’s not an elder dragon either. Probably just past the adolescence age.” The others looked at her with… genuine surprise. “What? I read a lot of books when I was younger.” She said. One or two of them could have sworn there was just a hint of bashfulness in her voice when she tried to justify her knowledge. Surely they were just hearing things. “Well, would ya look at that? It knows things!” Red Star quipped, earning a hateful glare from the mare. She only smiled, knowing the high and tight mare wouldn’t dare do anything in front of their dear Princess. “That’s enough.” Awestruck said and gave them both a look in hopes to make them finally quit their senseless bickering. “What if…” New Dawn shrank down and tried to avoid the eyes of the others as they all turned to face him. “Go on, kid,” Goliath put a comforting hoof on the colt’s back, causing him to shift his weight around. He took one more look up at the towering stallion before taking a deep breath and counting to three in his head. “What if… what if the dragon isn’t here because it wants to be? What if he wasn’t allowed to be with the other dragons? Or what if he had to leave because there wasn’t any more room?” The others were silent to the suggestions. None of them had thought of such a conclusion and it surprised them because it seemed so… likely. “The possibility cannot be denied.” Morning Dew spoke plainly from the back of the group. “Regardless, why are you bringing this to our attention? I believe such knowledge should be exclusively shared with Guard Captain Star Light and Sky Captain Wind Reaver.” “And it is,” Luna said, finally turning away from the view of the landscape. “However, as I had said earlier, thou are all my Stars and that is enough to make each of thou of equal rank in my eyes. And it is because of thine newfound positions that I am about to ask each of you…” ------------- “You asked us to do the impossible.” Luna said nothing. She only kept her head down. She had long since slipped down to a lying position and turned herself away from the former magician. Her face was covered by her mane, which remained unnaturally still due to the lack of wind. Awestruck moved closer and gently brushed the Alicorn’s coat with his hoof. He noticed the way she shivered and shied away at his touch and it brought a pang of pain to his heart. He pushed the feeling aside, knowing that soon everything would be okay. Everything would be back to the way it was. “You asked us to…” ------------- “You want us to do what?” The others shared Saryn’s reaction to the Princess’s words, but she had been the first to actually vocalize her feelings. “I do not believe I stuttered during my explanation.” Luna said plainly. “Perhaps I should repeat myself: I ask thou all to travel to Mount Irelany and deal the dragon a swift punishment for trespassing on our land.” “Yes, yes, I understood that much, Your Majesty…” Saryn tried to keep a smile on her face while in the presence of the diarch, but the coming feeling of a headache was beginning to prove more influential than her faltering will power. “What I don’t understand is why you are asking us to perform such a task!” Her hoof shot towards the closest thing that could be used as a possible excuse, “A-and besides, he’s still just a foal! You can’t possibly expect a pony like him to be an actual threat to something so… so…” “Thou are correct,” Luna said, interrupting the mare in hopes to end her search for excuses. “Such is why I am sending both Star Light and Wind Reaver. Both are extremely capable and will be able to get the job done. The rest of thou are going because thine objective is to not only eliminate this threat to our land but also to retrieve a special object from it. Tis common knowledge that every dragon has a horde of gems and artifacts of value that they guard with their very lives. They use these hordes to appeal to one another in their culture and attract potential mates. However, there is one gem that every dragon has and keeps close to themselves. These gems are said to hold immense power and is the very heart of their strength. I wish to see if these legends are true.” “And how exactly are we gonna go about finding this ‘super cool gem’?” Red asked with a cocked eyebrow. “You said these things have hordes of the shi – I mean, stuff… How are we supposed to pick one out from the rest?” “Oh, it shall not be hard to find. The gem in question is not a part of the dragon’s horde.” A small smile crept across the lunar princess’s lips, “Tis a part of the dragon itself.” Luna’s hoof slowly made itself up to her chest, where she proceeded to pat her fur a few times. “The gem forms within the dragon’s very heart. Such is the reason why the dragon’s life must be brought to an end rather than simply somehow convincing it to relocate.” “When shall we depart?” Morning Dew spoke the moment Princess Luna had finished her sentence. “Now hold on just a second there kid,” Wind Reaver said, “I think we need to just take a second and think–” Morning’s eyes snapped to Wind Reaver. Her surprisingly intense glare was enough to make him stop mid-sentence. After a moment of neither speaking, Luna came forth once again. “You may depart immediately. If there are any who may wish to stay behind,” The Alicorn’s eyes turned to Saryn, who quickly tried to look away, “Then thou are allowed to stay in the castle until the others return.” Morning Dew and Star Light nodded, the ladder turning to the others and speaking, “Travel to Mount Irelany takes roughly a day’s time by hoof. We should be at least an hour past midday by now, so pack your things accordingly. Those that wish to come shall meet Sky Captain Wind Reaver and I outside the main gates of the city. Unless the Princess has more to say, you are all dismissed.” “Agreed.” Luna nodded, “Thou may all leave, except for Awestruck Wonder. I wish for thou to stay for a moment.” “Yes, Your Highness.” Awestruck bowed and remained in the position as the others turned to leave. He closed his eyes and dared not look up, even as the distant sound of the throne room doors slammed shut. ------------- The sudden sound of the door slamming shut was just enough to break Aurora Lights from her anxious trance. She practically jumped out of her seat and onto the table when the silence was shattered. Quickly trying to collect herself, she rushed to the front door to find the small colt she had been waiting for. “Dawn!” The velvet coated mare nearly tackled the young pony as she took him in a tight embrace. New Dawn tried to squirm and give himself room to breathe, but the crushing strength of a mother was simply too much for him. “Mom… Can’t… Breathe…” Aurora let out a small gasp and pulled back from her embrace. She set down her son but kept him close. “Oh, Dawn… Where have you been? You should have been home hours ago!” New Dawn looked to the side and brushed his hoof along the floor, unable to look into the eyes of his worrisome mother. “Well, I…” Just then, the sound of a pony clearing their throat alerted her that she was not alone in the room with her son. Her eyes shot up and met with those of a pony clad in the golden armor of a guard. His mane was almost as golden as the armor he wore and his coat was like a field of snow that had been yet to be touched. “O-oh, Captain Star Light!” The mare quickly tried to look over herself and ensure that her coat wasn’t dirty or her mane wasn’t a mess. “I didn’t see you there!” “It is quite alright.” He replied simply, “I am here to discuss a matter involving New Dawn. But first, I believe I am at a disadvantage, Mrs.…?” “Aurora Lights,” She said with a weak smile. “You said you were here about my son? He didn’t do something, did he?” “Of course not. Actually, I suppose that is false. He did do something, but I’d sooner praise him for it rather than punish him. “Praise him?” She almost stuttered. The very idea of the captain of the royal guard coming to her own house, completely out of the blue, just to tell her that her son was worthy of praise from him. Him, the captain of the royal guard and adopted son of both Princess Celestia and Luna! The rush was getting to her and she quickly put a hoof to her forehead, “I think I need to sit down for a moment…” “I understand. I apologize for not warning you ahead of time that I would be paying a visit.” He followed closely behind the mare, ready to act should she collapse. “No, no. It’s perfectly alright. I was just a little surprised, is all.” She said as she kept herself steady as she pulled herself onto the couch. She turned, sat, and finished the routine with a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she felt a feeling of reinvigoration. Taking her action as a queue to begin, “Although I would prefer to wait until the father is home, I’m afraid this is a bit of a matter of urgency. I trust you will be able to relay our conversation to him upon his return?” “Well, of course. But I don’t know what could be so urgent that it can’t wait until my husband gets back from work…” “As I am sure you know, I work directly under Princess Celestia and Princess Luna themselves. I like to believe there are few ponies that are closer to our beloved rulers than myself.” Star Light turned towards the window and began stepping towards it as he spoke. “I care deeply for the Princesses. They are my mothers and have raised me since I was a foal. Thus, it pains me when I learn that ponies have begun speaking ill of my mother’s night.” With a swift movement of his hoof, he closed the shades to block any outsiders from looking inside. The sudden darkness that took over the room was a little more than either Aurora or New Dawn had expected. “Wishing it was shorter or that it simply did not exist at all. Foals have begun to develop a fear of the night, believing that monsters live within the darkness.” He turned and began walking towards where the little colt stood. “Earlier today, I overheard a few of the local school children having a conversation while I was making a round through the city. They spoke of how one of the others still believed that monsters and beasts came out in the middle of the night, in his very room. They laughed and laughed before the conversation turned towards the subject of night itself. They said they wished it never came, so that they could stay outside longer and would not have to sleep. I was about to approach them and teach them a lesson on manners, when somepony beat be to it.” Star Light’s sky blue eyes turned towards New Dawn, who couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed. “Care to share what you had said to them?” the captain said, gesturing towards Aurora. “Well, I…” He rubbed the back of his neck, a small blush rising in his cheeks. “All I said was… monsters wouldn’t live in the dark. It’d be silly, because they wouldn’t be able to see. And if it weren’t for night, we’d all be so busy that we’d never be able to come together as families and be with each other. We’d all be working all the time, or sitting in school.” “He defended what Princess Luna brings to our world each and every day. Something that shocked me, as I thought that today’s youth were failing to realize just what kind of gifts they received in their lives. Once your son’s school session had come to an end, I asked him if he would accompany me, as I was currently on my way to see the Princess. He agreed, and was allowed into the meeting. As to what happened within the meeting, I fear the information is confidential. However, New Dawn, along with myself and seven others have been tasked by the Princess to journey to Mount Irelany to deal with a situation that may come to have grave consequences on our growing nation.” “Mount Irelany?” she said, “But that’s so far away! And who are these others? What about his schooling? I’m sorry but I don’t think–” “The decision has already been made.” Star Light’s tone grew heavier with these words, startling the mare. His eyes no longer seemed to bring a feeling of safety, but instead felt like they would pierce through her at any moment. “We were asked whether or not we desired to come along on this mission. We were all given a choice, and we all agreed.” “He’s not old enough to be making those kinds of decisions on his own!” “Freedom of choice is something we all have, no matter the age. You do not speak for him, just as the Princesses do not speak for me. He made the decision of his own free will.” His eyes shot to New Dawn, making the colt jump a little. “Go and pack your things. Pack lightly; we shouldn’t be gone more than a couple of days.” New Dawn took one look at his mother, who looked back at him and shook her head as tears began to arise. With a glance back to those glaring eyes that belonged to the captain, he took a deep breath and ran out of the room. Aurora began to feel her legs shaking. “You can’t take him…” “Princess Luna has already given the order. If you wish to go against her word, I can take you to her myself and you may discuss the next few days of your son’s life from there.” She couldn’t handle any more of it. The mare collapsed onto the couch and covered her eyes. She tried not to let the sound of her own sobbing go past her own ears, but such a feat proved difficult to accomplish. Star Light watched almost expressionlessly at the scene before him. He closed his eyes, pushing away the glare that had taken hold of his eyes. When they reopened, the softness had returned. “If it holds any weight, both I and the Sky Captain will be there at your son’s side. I can promise that I would sooner allow something to happen to myself than let a single bit of harm come to him. For a colt so young to have such compassion in his heart…” He looked to the floor as he tried to find the right words. Much to his relief, Aurora had ceased her crying. She hadn’t moved her legs that covered her face, but at least he knew she was listening. “…You must be very proud of him. If I had a hundred stallions under my command that were as caring as he and could think with a mind like him, then I don’t think I would ever have to worry about the state of Equestria again.” Just then, New Dawn entered the room again. His school saddlebags hung from his sides, bulging a little from the contents within. When he saw the state his mother within, he quickly tried to rush to her but was blocked by Star Light’s hoof. “I think it would be best if we made our way out now.” He wanted to argue and find a reason to comfort his mother, but the captain’s hoof held him back. He sighed and resigned to the stallion’s wishes. If he stayed, he might only be making things harder. With Star Light following closely from behind, the pair made their way to the door. The sun proved itself to be rather blinding after being in such a dark room for so long. New Dawn turned and looked back at the darkened house behind him. From where he stood, he couldn’t see his mother but he had a feeling she hadn’t moved from where she lied. He felt a painful feeling surge through his body as the door was closed by a white hoof. “We had better get going. I’m sure the others will be waiting for us by now.” Star Light began walking in the direction of the city gates. He passed right by New Dawn, whose eyes were still glued to the wooden door. After walking a short distance and knowing that the colt hadn’t moved, Star Light turned his head and spoke, “You have a decision to make. You may follow with us and keep your word to the Princess, or stay behind and remain there. If you choose to stay, I will do what I can to ensure you and your family does not suffer any consequences for betraying the Princess’s orders–” “No… I will go with you.” Star Light raised an eye brow, and was rather taken by the conviction in the colt’s eyes when he turned around. He had a certain fire within him. “I gave my word to Luna. If I went back on my decision, I would be disgracing my family.” The captain smiled. He knew the boy wouldn’t let him down. “Come on, the others are probably waiting for us by now.” He turned to face forward once more and began his journey towards the gates again. The quick sound of hoofsteps was enough to alert him that the colt was quickly making up for lost ground. “But what about you? Shouldn’t you pack some things too?” New Dawn questioned, looking up at the taller stallion as they walked side by side. “Before we came out here, I asked Wind Reaver to pack a little heavier for me. The old stallion wasn’t happy about it, but I’m sure he did it.” New Dawn mouthed an, “Oh,” and the pair continued silently. The silence was an uncomfortable one and the colt kept trying to think of ways to break it. Should he ask about the weather? No, that’d be silly… Clearly the captain wasn’t the kind to go on about himself, so questions about himself probably wouldn’t get him far. Perhaps… “Don’t you have anypony you need to say goodbye to before we leave?” To say New Dawn regretted the question the moment he saw the captain stop dead in his tracks would be an accurate statement. All of the friendliness he had seen in the stallion’s eyes had faded, and now he simply stood there, staring at the ground. “I-I’m sorry, forget that I–” He quickly tried to apologize, but Star Light held up a hoof to signal a cease. “Never apologize for curiosity. It is a part of our nature and drives us to do bigger and better things. Without curiosity, we would never advance as ponies.” He shook his head, “To answer your question, yes, I do. However, we simply don’t have the time if we want to make it far enough towards the mountain to get to a safe region of the forest by nightfall.” With that, he continued trekking forward. New Dawn watched for a moment before sighing and moving to catch up. He hoped he had made the right decision today.