The night stretched on around Starlight, her room vibrating faintly around her from the extra strain their speed was putting on the Immortal Dream. She knew it was safe; Shinespark had explained considerations in the boat's construction as they were leaving Stormhoof. It could go even faster if needed. The only limitation was the power source: traveling at this speed would consume harmonic fire from their windigo hearts far more quickly than their usual speed, resulting in much lower efficiency per mile. Fortunately, she never planned on using Nightmare Module emulation mode again, so it wasn't like they needed the hearts for her. A single charge would be plenty to get them to Ironridge for a refuel.
Just because it was safe didn't mean she was at ease. Maple had gotten to sleep beneath her, sandwiched between a pillow and the bed, ears covered and pretending there was nothing amiss in the world. Valey was present too, sleeping on her haunches and leaned against the bed like some kind of sentinel. Starlight alone was awake, her thoughts mingling with the sounds of the wind and the storm and distant distress from down the hall.
That sword was gone, she had been told. The one that should have been Gerardo's, but everyone now believed was hers... She didn't much care. It wasn't a sword she had any emotional attachment to. That couldn't have been it. But something prevented her from joining her friends in sleep, a nameless and lingering unease that not everything was well. Once, she even checked her flanks, thinking she felt a tingle, but it was nothing but an overactive imagination preying on her fears.
Starlight sat up, deciding maybe she was thirsty. It couldn't hurt to go to the kitchen and get a drink. Stretching her legs might not hurt either. And maybe some fresh air as well, while she was at it.
She went through the library on her way to the kitchen, avoiding the rear half of the ship. Nobody stopped her as she filled herself a glass, drained it, filled it again, and sat there looking at the surface of the water. Now that she wasn't separated from the ship by a plush bed and sleeping Maple, the vibrations reached her hooves, distorting her reflection in the surface of the cup and preventing it from forming properly.
"Hello?" Starlight whispered, feeling like she was being watched.
Nobody answered. Starlight's fur prickled, partly from the cold. She knew what was really wrong here: it was happening again. Just like Ironridge, some stupid nation's stupid fight was sucking them in, and someone had just been killed on their airship. All of it was happening all over again.
Starlight shivered, drinking the second glass and setting it down. Maybe if she stood outside? She was already cold, but that was fine. Maybe going back to Maple when she was cold would help her sleep. Or maybe the cold would keep her up. Some sense in her mind was warning her this was a night she shouldn't go back to sleep.
The library was deserted again on her way back up. She paused briefly at the stair landing, listening to the engine room. There was something comforting about its shine... At least everything was likely in order there. But as she stepped up to the door to the deck, she hesitated, realizing it was already open a crack, and peered through.
Two fillies were standing in the storm, facing out over the railing. One was Glimmer. The other was partially blocked by the former in her view, but she was wearing a tidy little dress and definitely not Jamjars. Starlight frowned, watching them, seeing Glimmer's lips move but without even a hope of her words not being carried away by the storm.
Starlight stared, watching curiously as the two carried on without urgency. Glimmer looked equal parts bothered and relieved by whatever they were discussing. Was this the princess? Valey had given her a very brief rundown when she came in, in case Maple woke up or she went anywhere. Felicity and Senescey were back, Senescey had survived, don't trust the sisters too hard, and Gazelle and his sibling were along for the ride as well... She accidentally coughed while watching, but the weather was too loud for either to hear her.
She watched a while longer, almost convinced they were going to stay like that all night long... when suddenly Glimmer stretched, arching her back and moving along the railing to feel her way towards the door. Her duplicate couldn't see her, of course, so she didn't have any hurry to leave.
The other filly saw her instead, pointing a paw.
Starlight winced. Spacing out...! But the two turned to each other, nodded and approached, Glimmer beckoning slightly off-center for her to stay. Slightly apprehensive, Starlight opened the door further and stepped out. "Hello?"
"You're Starlight?" the sphinx filly asked, nodding slightly, a serene grace to her little voice. "I've been told you're someone worth meeting."
Starlight blinked. "I'm not interrupting anything?"
"We were talking, but we're finished," Glimmer explained. "I've had to interact with the Empire from time to time, and we know each other. We were just catching up."
Satisfactory enough. "Oh." Starlight nodded. "I just couldn't sleep. It's nothing important."
"Gwendolyn," the princess offered. "You may call me Lyn, if you want. And I apologize for any role my brother may have had in your sleeplessness."
"Thanks," Starlight replied, hesitant. "Lyn."
Lyn folded her round ears at Starlight's initial reaction, then perked again at the use of her nickname. "I hope this doesn't get us off to a bad start. I've been following you in the news and hearing about you from others, and am sad I had to meet you and your friends thanks to my brother's chaos."
"It's..." Starlight gritted her teeth. She wanted to say it was okay, but it wasn't. "It's not your fault," she went with. "I don't blame you. You've heard about us?"
"Bits and pieces, and enough to decide I'd like to meet you properly," Lyn declared. "Once tonight has been settled and all of you can relax, I intend to offer my hospitality in case you're no longer welcome in Stormhoof. I am the ruler of Grandbell, after all. Hopefully that sets some of your worry at ease."
"That would be nice." Starlight blinked again, relaxing slightly. "I don't know what we're doing after this, though..."
"Everyone will figure something out," Glimmer assured. "I'm getting cold out here, so I'm heading back down below. If you two are staying up, have a nice talk. Otherwise, I'm going to sit with Maple and try to get some sleep myself." She paused, passing Starlight, and lowered her voice. "You have good instincts, by the way. If I were you, I'd trust them."
Starlight's eyes widened slightly. She knew she was feeling uneasy, why she couldn't sleep? Not that it wouldn't have been obvious, given how everyone on the ship knew... but Glimmer was quickly gone, leaving her alone on the deck with the princess.
"So..." Lyn inspected her eyes. "You don't look like you're in a mood to talk with a stranger about whatever's on your mind. You're probably not in a mood for idle talking either?"
Starlight's ears went back. "You know Gazelle, right? What do you think of him?"
Lyn nodded. "He's my big brother. He's precious to me. He also worries me, and does a lot of things he shouldn't. I'm sorry that he worries you, too."
Starlight looked at the ship. "Thanks."
Lyn watched her a few seconds longer, then sighed. "See? This isn't how I hoped I would meet you at all. Maybe we should save talking for later, when we're not all stuck here in the middle of a storm. Unless there's anything important."
"I don't think so." Starlight shrugged, still feeling a faint, worming sensation that something wasn't right that prevented her from focusing on or investing in the conversation. "What have you heard about me? And was it from her?" She pointed at the door where Glimmer had left.
Lyn took a step toward the door. "Some of it. I just heard you were worth knowing. She said we had some things in common, and that we might get along. I got curious. But it doesn't sound like this is a good time for curiosity."
"Sorry," Starlight agreed, frowning at the storm. It wasn't a windigo storm. The clouds were black, not white, and it wasn't snowing. "I can't really focus right now..."
Lyn bowed gracefully in understanding, departing and leaving her alone on the deck.