A month has passed since the council meeting at Canterlot with the Wyverns. Chrysalis had taken over the country of Saddle Arabia, but thanks to Starlight and her fiends intervention the Changelings were defeated and a war with the wyverns was averted.
To the surprise of many the changelings had gone through a huge metamorphosis. After convincing several of the changelings that Chrysalis’s way of ruling wasn’t the best a sole changeling took the stand with the ponies against her. His name was Thorax.
Thorax by now was close friends with the ponies and especially Spike and Ember. The changeling showed the other changelings how to share love instead of taking it and in doing so inadvertently changed much of their race. About half of the changelings still remained loyal to Chrysalis believing it to be a deception and helped their queen flee.
Afterwards life slowly returned to normal. The changelings that reformed had moved to various places in Equestria and some even relocated to the dragonlands.
Thorax and many of his fellow changelings moved to Ponyville deep in the gem caves far below. Ponies from Ponyville had been more than less open to the idea of changelings living under the town, but some were not so hot of the idea. Worried parents like the Cakes were worried for their foals sales. Even Button’s mom threatened to move had Starlight not convinced her to meet some of the changelings herself. Specifically she arranged a meeting between Thorax and Mrs. Mash.
After that life was normal once again.
Today Starlight was busy running through Ponyville early in the morning. She made a habit to stay in shape as best she could, and nice cool morning run always helped. After that she returned to the castle and immediately went into the shower to clean herself from any sweat she accumulated from her morning run.
She used her favorite scented shampoo, rose a citrus of some kind. She thoroughly ran her hooves through her mane working up a huge amount of suds before drenching her mane in the water falling from the showerhead. Once she was done she took a long brush with her magic and applied body soap and scrubbed her coat. For a few minutes she brushed until she cleaned every spot in her body. A quick rinse later and she was done.
After drying off Starlight went to her bed and rolled over the soft comforters and stretched her limbs cracking her stiff joints. She laid there on her bed for a while allowing the sun to warm her up and dry the few wet patches of fur she’d missed. She could smell the scented soap she used which was full of lavender. It was a special recipe blend the Princess Luna had made just for her to help with her sleep anxiety.
Overall it was successful in helping Starlight get the deep sleep she’d been lacking for some time now.
As Starlight sunbathed with her windows open she felt the cool breeze pass through and over her fur sending a shiver over her, but was superseded by the warmth of the sun once again. While resting the ghost filly Glitter Heart phased through the ceiling and floated down towards the sleeping mare. Glitter looked at Starlight with a curious tilt of her head. She hadn’t actually thought about sleep since her passing and became a ghost. She knew she slept while she was alive, and all the other things living things did, but what it was like is what eluded her.
She had long forgotten what it felt like to sleep, to be tired, to be hungry, or enjoy a sweet meal, or a bad apple. (She remembered hating apples). Not that she minded, she had friends all over Ponyville. Her favorite friend was Trixie. The two often got into prank wars with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie. The last time they did Rainbow Dash took it too far and it took Glitter, Pinkie and Trixie to get her to stop after a group of foals got too scared during a Nightmare Night prank gone bad.
Rainbow was forgiven after proving to the community and the foals that what she did was just a joke, bad in taste, but still just a joke. Afterwards she made up with the foals and life went on. At this time Glitter Heart became more aware of just how lonely she was. She couldn’t remember her family. She couldn't remember her life, or if she even had a cutie mark before she perished.
She didn't have a family anymore, or if she did she didn’t remember them. For now Starlight was her family and so was Golden Claw. Maybe Thunderclap to an extent, but that’s a stretch. The little ghost floated down towards Starlight and phased her body to be partially solid, a new trick she learned thanks to Twilight. The ghost filly snuggled up against Starlight and closed her ethereal eyes and rested.
Starlight cracked her eye to see the sleeping ghost filly beside her and smiled going back to sleep in the warm sunny rays.
Then there was a gentle knock on the door. Starlight and Glitter were in a deep sleep to notice. The knock came again, but this time the door slid open and a purple muzzle peeked through the door to spot the two sleeping ponies.
Twilight was happy to see Starlight and Glitter together like this. It was nice to have the ghost filly have a positive role model to look at. Twilight walked into the room making sure to use a sound muffle spell to keep her presence secret. She looked down at her student and the ghost filly snoring soundly in their sleep. Twilight smiled and nuzzled Starlight making her smile in her sleep. She did the same with Glitter Heart and got the same result.
Twilight smiled at the sight and put a thin sheet over the two and nuzzled them each once more before leaving them to rest.
Twilight left heading back to the library to catch up on some reading about sea pony culture when she passed by Thunderclap who was passing through a hall at the time.
“Morning Clappy!” Twilight greeted the mare cheerfully trotting pass.
Thunderclap groaned lowering her head as the alicorn passed.
“I hate that name soooo much,” She grumbled continuing on.
The guardsmare finished her rounds and left the castle to patrol Ponyville. Not much was happening. Applejack and Filthy Rich were making a deal for this years cider season. Berry Punch was wobbling around again. Derpy flew overhead to deliver the mail in her brown uniform. Somewhere along the way Thunderclap noticed a tiny brown colt running around like he was looking for something.
She recognized him as Button Mash and he was on a mission. She watched him as he ran from stall to stall peeking around, over, and under everything in his path. Thunderclap cocked her head sideways as the colt stuck his head in a vase only to get it lodged in and couldn’t get out. The colts muffled screams could be heard from all those around him making Thunderclap sigh at the sight.
She trotted over to the trapped colt as three mares, Rose, Daisy, and Lily gasped at Buttons plight.
“Oh the horror! The horror!” Rose screamed.
“Someone save that colt!” Lily cried in a panic.
“Ooohh!” Daisy fainted followed closely by her two friends, Her leg twitched.
Thunderclap rolled her eyes at the three drama mares. She walked up to the struggling colt and used her magic to pop the colts head out of the vase. Button stood in place low like a cat that had been startled and wide eyed. He shook his head making slight rattling sounds as his vision cleared. Button then looked up at Thunderclap who was glaring down at him with the vase in her magical grip.
He smile at her.
“Thanks for the help, Clappy!”
Thunderclap growled baring her teeth at the colt, who didn’t realized he’d angered the beast. In an instant his world went dark as the vase turned over and lunged over his head again. Thunderclap huffed indignantly turning about face and trotted away leaving the colt to his fate, and leaving the crowd around him dumbstruck.
Button unable to see where he was going started to wander with his head in the vase. He had no idea where he was going. All he knew was when he hit something or somepony. To his great embarrassment he could not find a pny to get the vase off him, so he asked for directions on how to get home from where he was.
It was a bad idea.
The colt failed to realize he still needed to see in order to use directions to get home. As far his plan sent him to the opposite side of town. As it was, fortune smiled on Button as he passed by a large mansion donned with silver plates and a fountain that had a center piece that was several spoons shaped like a flower with water spewing from the center.
At this time Silver Spoon and Apple Bloom were walking by when they noticed Buttons predicament. The two fillies ran over to him stopping him with a gentle push to his shoulders.
“Button! What the hay happened to you?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yeah, like why is your head in a vase?” Silver Spoon asked tugging at the vase.
Button gave a long muffled reply, to which neither filly could understand him. They shrugged and helped Button. Silver SPoon grabbed the vase while Apple Bloom pulled button from his waist. Their struggle didn’t last long, for Button’s head popped out easily with two ponies working at it. Apple Bloom fell backwards and landed on her back, while Buttons fell forward on top of Silver Spoon. Their muzzles pressed together and their lips touched making both of the blush with embarrassment.
Silver Spoon grinned at Button, even going so far as to pull him closer. ”Oh my, Button. So forward.” She said with a sultry tone. Quickly Button scrambled to his hooves, ignoring Silver Spoon’s pout. Button offer to help solve rup which she was thankful for the help. After a quick dust off Button helped Apple Bloom up.
“Thanks Button!”
“Heh, no problem girls.” He said shyly looking away from Silver Spoon.
Apple Bloom looked at Silver Spoon wondering about this shy behaviour, Silver shrugged at her feigning ignorance.
“So, what happened to ya?”
“Yeah, like how’d you get your head stuck in that vase?”
Button blushed rubbing his ear like a nervous tick.
“I, uh, I lost my joyboy. I was hoping it was along the path I walked. Heh, guess someone picked it up to claim it,” He said lowering his head. “Well, anyways. I gotta run home. Thanks again for the help Silver Spoon. Apple bloom. You girls doing anything tomorrow?”
“No, am not.”
“Me neither. Why?” Silver asked.
“Oh, well I’m going to the park I wanted to see if you and the others wanted to come along?” Button asked.
Silver Spoon and Apple Bloom mulled it over for a moment.
“Sure a’ll go with you!” Apple Bloom said.
“I’d love to come along as well,” Silver Spoon agreed. “Someone needs to keep an eye on you!”
Button blushed with a chuckle. “Yeah, guess you can do that. Star, will be there too!”
Apple Bloom smiled at the thought of seeing Starlight again, but Silver Spoon frowned. *Evil temptress.* She thought vile nasty things about Starlight all centered around her relationship with Button. It made her sick. She liked Starlight, don’t be mistaken, but there was a silent war between the two. A completely one sided war, but a war between Starlight and Silver either way.
“Well, I gotta go. I’l see you two tomorrow!”
With that Button was off like a shot heading home. Apple Bloom yawned patting her hoof over her mouth.
“Yeah, I'll be head’n home now. Bye SIlver Spoon,” Apple bloom said departing for home.
“Bye Bloom! See you tomorrow?”
“Aw hey yeah! Mah cousin Babs will be here too!”
“Great see you then!” Silver called to her friend.
Silver Spoon watched as Apple Bloom rounded the corner. Once out of sight Silver pulled her saddle bags off and opened one revealing a small blue joyboy inside with the initials B. M. on the top. Silver Spoon gave a wicked smile rubbing her hooves together as she breathed heavily and spoke softly, one word that could make the blood in you run cold.
“Soon…”