//------------------------------//
// Strange 
// Story: The Olden World 
// by Czar_Yoshi 
//------------------------------//

Several hours after dark, the party ended. Gerardo vanished to who knew where, Amber leaving through the window soon after. Maple's dinner had been completely devoured, save for a small bowl for Starlight staying warm on the stove.

Gray slits of light filtered in through the covered windows as Maple stood in the doorway, seeing Willow off with a wave. The silvery mare was the last to leave, poncho hugged tight against the gently pounding rain as she vanished into the night.

Maple waited for a few moments, letting the cool night air cleanse her emotions. As it drifted against her face, she felt the evening's excitement turn into a perfect sense of calm and lucidity. She still felt uneasy around Gerardo, though it was mostly on a superficial level and hadn't prevented her from enjoying his company. Starlight had apparently had a traumatic day, but she was fine now, out of the public eye and sleeping peacefully. Everything seemed to be going fine... which meant it was time to take Starlight her dinner, and then get some sleep herself.

The stairs creaked slightly under Maple's weight as she ascended. Upstairs, only a single light was on. She didn't bother to snuff it as she passed; it would be good to have if she came back out. Instead, she carefully balanced Starlight's bowl on her back and pushed open the door to the bedroom.

A teal light greeted her. Starlight was awake, horn glowing and hunched over sideways. She started when Maple appeared, gasping briefly and looking up.

Maple blinked. "Starlight? Are you okay?"

"I had a nightmare," Starlight muttered, face suddenly downcast. "It woke me up."

"What was it?" Maple asked, minding the bowl on her back as she stepped closer. "Er, if you want to tell me?"

Starlight hung her head. "I dreamt I really wanted my cutie mark."

"Here." Maple set the bowl down and leaned onto the bed, letting it support her as she offered Starlight a hug. "You can want whatever you want, and I'll still love you. Okay?"

"I was older," Starlight continued, not returning the embrace. "I was killing ponies to get it."

"Oh..." Maple felt her insides tighten. "Well, maybe try not to want that?"

"I don't," Starlight protested forcefully. "I'm never getting a cutie mark. Not if it could make me do that. I woke up, and I've been watching to make sure it doesn't come..."

"I don't think it will," Maple said in what she hoped was a reassuring voice. She was slightly unsettled that Starlight would have that sort of dream, but didn't want it to show. "I saved you dinner. It's very good; I made it with you in mind. Want some?"

"Okay. I'm hungry," Starlight said, worming her way to the edge of the bed. "And tired," she added with a yawn. "I want to sleep, but I'm scared if I do, I'll..."

Maple lifted the bowl up to her. "If you do, I'll be here for you when you wake up. I promise."

Starlight didn't bother with utensils, lapping directly at the bowl with her tongue. "This is good," she managed between bites.

"Thank you," Maple replied, leaning against the bed as soft teal light streamed off of Starlight's horn.

Eventually, the filly finished, leaving the bowl completely cleaned. "Nnngh... I feel better..." she yawned, pulling back.

"Better?" Maple took the bowl and set it aside. "Was anything else wrong, besides hunger?"

Starlight yawned again. "I felt fuzzy when I woke up, like I was made of paper or cotton. It's been going away for a while..."

Maple nosed her, climbing into the bed. "You're using your magic. Does that mean your horn feels better, too?"

"I am?" Starlight's eyes crossed upwards. "Oh. Huh. My horn does feel better. I don't know why. Usually it doesn't work for..." she yawned again. "Days..."

"I think somepony needs to get to sleep," Maple murmured, rolling onto her side and inviting Starlight closer. "Or some ponies. But don't worry. I'll be... here if anything happens..."

She closed her eyes, melting into the bed in the darkness of the bedroom. A minute later, she felt Starlight approach, crawling under a foreleg. A minute after that, she was asleep.





Starlight slowly felt herself come to. The room around her was dark, as it usually was. That was right. Maple was next to her, large and warm and softly breathing. That was also right.

As she checked over herself, though, she started to get suspicious. Her head was almost too clear, and she didn't feel any of the usual cramps or grogginess associated with waking up. Her limbs felt like she'd just finished her morning stretches, and she wasn't thirsty. She was always thirsty in the mornings. It was almost as if things were too perfect.

She had just been using magic, too. Her sleep had been so dreamless, it felt like seconds ago... and her horn definitely didn't hurt now. That wasn't right... or, at least, it wasn't normal. She certainly couldn't complain about any of the changes, even if they were seemingly out of nowhere. Still, something had to have caused them...

With a flash of panic, her eyes flew open and to her flank. Her horn lit dimly, but all that was there was blank lilac fur. She sighed heavily. At least that wasn't different.

As she sat there, though, she heard the muffled noise of Maple's voice coming from behind. When she turned, the earth pony's eyes were squeezed shut tighter than normal, her mouth upturned in a frown. She muttered several incomprehensible words.

Starlight bit her lip. Apparently somepony wasn't having nearly as nice of a morning as she was, unusual or not. For that matter, how early even was it? She could never tell, thanks to Maple's darkened windows. But that wasn't really important, right then.

Maple shifted and hugged herself. Poking carefully, Starlight squeezed in such that the mare was hugging her instead... and watched with satisfaction by the dimming light of her horn as her face shifted to a smile.

It was probably early. There was no reason not to go back to sleep. So Starlight did that, letting her light die out as Maple contentedly sleep-snuggled her. There would be time to properly wake later.





Outdoors, the morning light was dim and misty. The sun hadn't yet begun to rise, and within the cover of the forest, all was likely pitch-black. But on the banks of the Yule, next to the waterfall basin where the previous day's collapse had occurred, there was just enough light to see by, filtering in from the exposed eastern sky.

Gerardo Guillaume puttered about in that light, pacing next to the wreck of his boat. It had been left on the shore, the cabin top hammered in by a gigantic beam of wood still partially affixed to it. His cargo had been moved, and was now safe and dry. But he still marched, not feeling the least like sleep.

He spread his giant wings, effortlessly soaring to the top of the waterfall, and resumed pacing along the riverside plaza. The moon sat low in the southern sky, low enough that he could walk in the shadow of the trees and remain nothing more than a wraith in the pre-dawn sunlight. Not that he had any wraith-like business to attend to, of course. Still, it was important to be aware of one's terrain at all times.

Taking wing again, he glided down to the site of the destroyed crane, landing among the wreckage. Splintered gears, shafts and beams were everywhere, the only intact part seeming to be a control platform unattached to any formerly moving parts. He calmly ascended it, picking up and examining a fragment of a massive wooden cog that appeared to have split down a pre-existing fault line. Granted, that line appeared years or decades old.

The far side of the river was a relatively uninhabited place, which was almost surprising to the well-traveled griffon. In a town like this, waterfront space would likely be considered a luxury... or so his experience told him. But here, the jungle grew nearly unimpeded right up to the riverbank, save for a small carved clearing where the crane wreckage stood. Curious, Gerardo began examining the edges of the clearing. Was that really all that was back here? If so, why build the crane on the far side of the river when there was all that space on the town's side?

His hunch paid off. At the back of the clearing, furthest away from the river, he detected the remnants of a trail that hadn't seen use in quite a long time. Foliage pressed in from both sides, though the ground was hard-packed from decades of hoofsteps and proved a reliable guide.

The curious griffon didn't bother hacking vegetation aside with his sword, pushing naturally along the northbound path with his head lowered like a plow. As he proceeded, it quickly became apparent why that side of the river hadn't been settled: the terrain broke up as if it had been raked by a giant, alternating spikes and chasms of rock passing by that would have proved extremely annoying to navigate without either wings or that trail. Gerardo had both, and followed it with relative ease.

The trail seemed to hug the cliff wall that formed the waterfall to the south. Suddenly, it opened onto a flat, well-cleared plane adjacent to the cliff, which looked as if it had seen a lot more recent use and maintenance. The trail continued to the north, broader and better-kept... but the wall in the clearing also bore the entrance to a cave, and lights shown from within. Suspicious, Gerardo prowled closer.

A few paces in, the cave transitioned to a reinforced tunnel, manalights embedded in the ceiling and crates stacked against its broad walls. Gerardo narrowed his eyes, sniffed... and withdrew, taking to the sky to wing his way back. An industrial-looking cave in a town formerly sporting an industrial district was very likely commonplace, but the griffon had seen enough caves to know that caution was always the better route to take regarding them. Perhaps he'd ask someone about it in the morning.