"...And he looked just like Alder, too," Starlight finished, having talked for the better part of an hour. "That's why I was surprised when I saw him."
The mares, to their credit, hadn't interrupted once during Starlight's speech. Finally, sensing she was done, the only thing Amber could manage was, "Wow. That's crazy."
Starlight's shoulders slumped. "So now I'm here. I don't want to have to run again. So please don't treat me like anything special?"
"I dunno..." Amber rubbed the back of her neck, staring at the window. "It sounds to me like you're more special than the hundreds of thousands of other ponies who never even dreamed of crossing something like that, let alone actually made it. Wouldn't it be... like... the whole 'not treating you like who you really are' thing to sell yourself short when you've actually done something big?"
Starlight almost considered thinking about it, then vehemently shook her head. "No."
"Suit yourself..." Amber muttered, still slightly confused.
"Do you still have that journal?" Willow asked softly, head tilted. "What you said makes sense with everything else we know about you, but it could be a good way to prove you're telling the truth..."
"No!" Starlight pouted, almost snarling. "I told you, I don't want other ponies to know about where I'm from!" Suddenly aghast at her behavior, she cowered, and added, "Sorry. But I do still have it..."
"I promise we won't tell anyone," Willow reassured. Then, looking concernedly at Starlight, she added, "Are you okay?"
"Yes," Starlight sniffed. "Can we talk about something else?"
Amber darted to her rescue. "Then that's my cue to change the subject! So, the other day I was down by Mulberry's place, and someone said they had caught a giant..."
Starlight instantly zoned out. Unfortunately, her head wasn't the most pleasant place to be at the time, being torn between second-guessing her decision to tell Amber and Willow where she was from, guilt for yelling at Willow, and the knowledge that she wasn't likely to have anything to take her mind off it any time soon. Her throat was getting sore from all the talking she had done, too, which was never pleasant and might have been making her irritable.
She had just begun to properly stew when Maple slunk up beside her, whispering so as not to interrupt Amber's story. "Are you really all right?" the dust-colored mare asked, mouth close to Starlight's ear.
"No," Starlight muttered dismally. "I'm bored."
"Hmmm..." Maple held a hoof to her chin. "What could we do about that...?"
Amber cut herself off, apparently listening in. "Oh, right, I was suggesting things to do! Say..." She looked out the window, musing. "There's probably still a few hours left before dark, and I don't mind being out past then. If there's anywhere you wanted to go, I could probably give you a ride."
"She's pretty fast," Willow added, raising an eyebrow. "It might be bumpy..."
Starlight stared back at them. It was like they knew she had been invited earlier by Arambai, and wanted her to take him up on it. As they all gazed innocently at her, she silently weighed the pros and cons in her mind.
She still wasn't sold on the praise for the stallion, of course, but he hadn't seemed particularly rude, manipulative or creepy when she had met him. The odds that he would do something to give her a reputation in town seemed slim, too. All things considered, the worst that would likely happen was that he wouldn't be interested and send her away. And just perhaps, it could be interesting. "Tonight?" she asked, seeking confirmation.
Amber shrugged. "I don't see why not. Have a place in mind?"
"I was thinking..." Starlight scuffed at the ground. "Arambai told me earlier, I could..."
Maple instantly beamed, with a faint hint of smugness. "You sure warmed to him quickly. I think visiting him is a fantastic idea."
Starlight fidgeted, prompting Willow to lean in and whisper, "The sooner you leave, the longer you can stay, or the faster you'll be back if you don't like it. Besides, I'd like to talk to Maple for a bit."
Starlight sighed, and said, "Okay. Now. Sure. How do youuuaaagh!"
Somehow, Amber had appeared underneath her, standing up and hoisting all four of Starlight's hooves off the floor. The filly flailed slightly, before realizing that she was actually quite well supported by Amber's strong back. Amber turned, winking at her with one eye. "You'll want to hold onto my neck for sure. Anything we're forgetting?"
"My saddlebags," Starlight mumbled, obediently wrapping her forelegs around Amber's neck. "They might be useful..."
"I doubt we'll need them," Amber said, sucking the inside of her mouth, "but sure. Are they in there?" She pointed toward the bedroom. At a nod from Starlight, she trotted in, and soon re-emerged, the filly on her back clad in saddlebags once again.
"Thanks," Starlight said as they walked to the stairs, voice muffled by Amber's fur.
"Save the thanks," Amber answered, grinning as she descended, "until we get there."
Willow hadn't been kidding about Amber being fast, Starlight reflected as her steed charged enthusiastically through the muddy roads of Riverfall. The yellow mare was nearly kicking up a spray as she cantered, causing Starlight to bump up and down on her back and fervently wish she had taken this ride before dinner. Still, she did an admirable job of holding on, and in mere minutes they reached the start of the glass that coated the roadways, making a pleasant break from the squishy, flying muck.
Amber shouted no less than three personalized greetings at ponies she passed and nearly rammed into a cart, at one point banking so hard that Starlight was knocked breathless by the force with which she was pressed into her back. Eventually, they drew to a stop outside a pair of towers joined with several bridges, the base formed into a single room like Sycamore's bathhouse from earlier.
"Hellooooooo?" Amber called at a volume that likely alerted every pony within a hundred meters to their presence. Starlight clumsily hopped down, landing on all fours on the slightly moist roadway.
"Hello yourself, missy," called a weathered old stallion perched in a rocking chair at the edge of the roof spanning the first story. He gazed down at them through a monocle, sporting a droopy gray goatee and a well-treated top hat, rocking idly as if he neither cared nor had anything better to do. "Is that miss Amber I see?"
"No, it's a big hairy walrus," Amber called back dryly. "Is Arambai around? We're here to see him, not for you to hit on me."
The stallion's goatee drooped. "Really? Shucks. I hadn't even gotten started. You know me too well, missy..." He then leaned over his shoulder, took a breath, and bellowed, "Hey, Arambai! Get your caboose up here, you got company!"
Starlight glared suspiciously up at him as he shouted. Eventually, once he had stopped: "You live here too? Really? Who are you?"
"Nah. The view's nice here, though." He worked his mouth as if chewing something. "But what's a pretty little lady like you doing, not knowing who I am? You not from around here, or something? 'Cuz pretty much every pony 'round these parts knows who I am."
Amber cut between them, blocking Starlight from his line of sight with her posture and grinning aggressively. "I'm sorry, who did you say you were, again?"
He gazed mournfully down at her. "Come now, this is no way to treat an old friend..."
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" Amber called back up. "Being around you is inflicting short-term memory loss!" She stuck her tongue out for emphasis.
The stallion shook his head. "If this is about what I said about your mane last week at the bazaar, I still stand by every word of it."
"Hey, Hemlock!" Arambai's voice suddenly growled from behind him on the balcony. "Who made you the welcome wagon for my house, eh? You better not be scaring away any of my guests..."
"Hemlock?" Starlight's face scrunched in recognition. "He's the stallion everyone ignores, right?"
Amber and Arambai both burst out laughing, the muscular stallion pointing a hoof at Hemlock. "Take that, you old coot. From the mouths of fillies!" His dark eyes narrowed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it seems I have some business to attend to."
With a loud thud and accompanying crack, Arambai jumped off the roof, landing sturdily on the ground below. After a second, he straightened up, eying Starlight and Amber. "Well, well. Looks like someone just missed me that much, hmm? Because the odds are ten to one you didn't come here for him." He trotted up to them, extending a hoof. "Welcome back, kid. What brings you here this evening?"
Amber shrugged, answering for her. "Short answer? She was bored." She smiled apologetically. "And no offense, but your place is pretty interesting..."
"Hah! I'd take offense if you said it wasn't." Arambai grinned, then suddenly turned around, saw Hemlock still rocking, and roared, "Hemlock, get off my roof!" He looked back to Starlight and Amber. "Don't mind him. Everyone ignores him, anyway." Lightning his tone, he continued, "So, let me guess. You've found yourself in the middle of nowhere, gotten away from whatever haunted you enough to drive you here, and now the relief is wearing off and you're realizing that no matter what you do, it'll never matter to the world again?"
"Uhhh..." Starlight's eyes crossed. "No. I'm just bored."
"A quick secret?" He leaned down, whispering in his growly voice. "I never really got over that one myself. Ambition is part of what makes ponies ponies! Doesn't matter what we've been through in life, being told you won't amount to anything never loses its sting." He looked up at his roof, which was thankfully vacant. "The entrance is on the second floor. There's some stairs around the back. Follow me."
He set a brisk pace, and Starlight followed him. "Really? Why, what's inside?"
Arambai's lip twitched in a hint of a smile. "You think an old stallion like me would take irrelevance quietly? Nahhh. Come on, I want to show you my workshop. See if you can manage to stay bored then."