//------------------------------// // Chapter 9. It's just the beginning // Story: A city of a thousand bridges // by DarkKnight_RUS //------------------------------// Two ponies walk down the empty hallway.. Moon light shines through the windows, highlighting the star dust flickering in the air. The two ponies are Blue Sage, magister of the Order of Mentats and the Head Librarian, dressed in his beloved blue cloak. And trainer Bane Fire, whose toxic-green mane was now neatly combed and tucked. They talked casually: "Tell me the truth, Sage" the mare asked, "Were you ready to whip poor Loadstar?" Sage looked calm but his tasseled ears flinched in outrage: "Luna bless your soul, trainer Bane Fire. F'course not. I just wanted to scare her." "Well, you managed to do so admirably. Utterly terrified the little filly, for a moment I was afraid we would need a mop and a bucket... Do you have no shame?" A quick smile flashed across Sage's stoic face: "Not really. It was for her own good." "And did the Princess knew about that?" Bane Fire continued her questioning. To her relief, Sage nodded: "Certainly. That is why she did not intervene. By the Diarchy Edict from way-back-when, no filly can be hurt within these walls. And I have to say, supporting the rumors about physical punishment worked far better than actually upholding them." They finally arrived at their destination, a classroom door, behind which an unusual commotion could be heard: Excited screams, loud voices, rumble, whistles and other noises of pandemonium. Periodically Aria Midnight's hoarse voice could be heard screeching amongst the noise. Blue Sage and Bane Fire looked at each other. Both looked confused. In their extensive experience, even when left alone and with no supervision, young foals never raised such upheaval! A new sound could be heard, someone started to drag the furniture across the floor. Loud bang that quickly followed signified that something big and heavy have just fell to the floor. "I think... they are building barricades," said surprised Blue Sage, "I got this weird feeling..." "...just like that time in the Fufflers cave, huh?" Bane Fire finished his thought. "You didn't had to remind me," The mentat squirmed from the unpleasant memory, causing the mare to giggle, "But you're right, just like then, I do not want to go in." "Naah!" said the trainer, "Just admit it, you're scared. Go, after all, we are all only mortal." "...mhm, that sure calmed me down," the mentat replied sarcastically and pushed the door open. He also prayed (vainly) that the giggling Bane Fire would not notice a heavy protective barrier he cast onto himself. The whole classroom was in chaos. The desks were piled in two opposing corners of the room and a fierce war was fought between these two fortresses. The air was filled with bits of paper, cloth scraps, bits of chalk and other small objects that could be thrown by little hoofs. Books and saddlebags filled the middle of the room, obviously, projectiles that did not make it to their targets. A couple of herds were running around the room, stampeding around and wrecking everything in their way (well, except things that were too heavy to topple). One of the old bookshelves was lying on the floor, its broken legs were close by. Aria Midnight was hiding behind the teacher's desk, apparently she has already abandoned all hope to regain control over the foals and was now protecting the youngest crying foals that huddled around her.  Two of the fiercest flyers carried a heavy pot (with a plant still in it) and dropped it on the enemies 'fortress', impressive, but they failed to turn in time and flew straight into the other bookshelf, causing an avalanche of books and a couple of new bumps on their heads. As soon Sage opened the door a broom was thrown straight for his head. Sage blessed his instincts and the protective barrier they had created. Bane Fire instinctively ducked behind the bigger stallion, latter tried his best to stay calm and loudly proclaimed: "What is going on here?" All eyes turned to him and the room filled with crisp silence, occasionally broken only by someponies sobs, the sound of running water from the broken vase, and a loud bang of the chandelier that (finally) fell from the ceiling. The mentat slowly moved his heavy gaze across the room looking at every single foal, their ears drooping in shame. *What gives? the substitute teacher told them herself that 'playing a part' in her ‘cool history’ lesson is much more fun than just listening to i!. So why master Blue Sage is looking so angrily at them?...* the collective thought ran through the gathered foals’ heads. "Clean this mess!" Sage grumbled, "And after that..." A hoof gently landed on his back. Sage turned and saw Bane Fire's eyes, she looked at him accusingly and expectantly.The mentat realised that it was his own decision to assign Aria as a history class Sub. He expected her to fail, yes. But not that spectacularly. "Fine," he sighed, "after that, you can go home." While little foals (still glancing cautiously at adults) cleaned up the room, Sage finally turned his head to Aria, who was angrily sniffling behind the desk. "Mhm, any comments?" asked Blue Sage, trying his hardest not to smile. Aria smeared her face and looked back at him. "You should have warned me!" she hissed, "These little monsters are uncontrollable! I can guide my flight-squad, t'least I know that they will follow my orders, but these..." Aria looked defiantly at two adults, but neither one tried to stop her tirade. "... go on," said Bane Fire, "We'd like to hear your opinion in full." "In full, huh?" Aria planted her forelegs in her sides. "I'll give you the full. I wanted to make this slog of a class a bit more fun for the little foals, but all my work went to heck when they stopped listening to me and started playing games! Where did you get this unruly bunch? Huh?" Blue Sage rolled his eyes and said: "I ask the very same question every year..." Aria angrily plopped down on her hind and crossed her forelegs on her chest. She was thinking how she could revolt against this uncivilised torture of a punishment and how she, Aria Midnight, will not break so easily when a horrific thought crossed he mind. Blue Sage saw little filly nervously inhale and jump up in air: "Master! Trainer! We have to save Mousy!" The little thestral would have darted out of the room was it not for the Bane Fire's wing stretched just in time to stop her. "Explain yourself, what's wrong?" mare asked. Aria Midnight screamed, her eyes were full with tears: "They'll tear her to shreds!" With that, she pushed aside her mentors wing and galloped down the hallway to the adjacent classroom, classroom that shivering shy Grey Mouse have entered just an hour ago. Blue Sage didn't run after: he followed slowly, keeping his dignity. When he finally entered the classroom where the second filly was supposed to teach hoofs and crafts he was met with complete silence, interrupted only by Grey's soft voice: "...helped us a lot, saving ponies from exhausting task of rotating the wheel themselves!" Aria Midnight (with her mouth flung wide open in awe) sat right next to the door. A class of twenty intrigued foals flocked around Grey Mouse who was enthusiastically pointing at the chalkboard, showing the internal mechanisms of a windmill drawn. A working miniature model of a windmill made of bits and pieces found around the room sat at the open windowsill, slowly rotating its wings in the light breeze. Blue Sage walked part awestruck Aria (gently closing her mouth with his hoof) and lightly pulled her forward with his telekinesis. That seemed to help her snap out of the stupor. "Master... but how... but Mouse... and I... she..." Sage did not reply, just walked closer to Grey Mouse while Bane Fire sat next to Aria: "See, your friend is so full of potential! And you didn't want to have her in your squad. Remember?" Aria bit her lip. She remembered. ... Trainer Bane Fire marches in front of the row of freshmares, little foals that have just finished their prep-school. She stops next to a dark thestral, one that is not looking at the sky craving a chance to fly, but shyly looks down at her hooves. Trainer calls her out in a cheerful bright voice: "Ok... what's your name?" The little filly just lowers her ears and mumbles something in reply. "Huh?" trainer hangs lower over the fearstruck thestral, latter just squeaks in reply. "Why are you squeaking, little mousy?" Row of foals erupts in scoffs and giggles... and Grey Mouse now has a new nickname. ...Later on, trainer Bane Fire forces Aria Midnight to take leadership over the shy new recruit. "No hecking way I'll take her in!" Aria tries to refuse, feeling uncomfortable being forced to do what she doesn't want to. Grey Mouse stands next to Aria and flinches from loud words. Grey has spent most of her life trying to stay away from fierce and brave students, choosing to blend in with the background and not cause any attention to herself. Bane Fire just laughs: "You two will balance each other perfectly. That's an order." Later that day, at the cloud obstacle course (with gale winds added for the exercise) Aria Midnight screams back at Grey Mouse who is struggling to keep up with her new partner: "I can do it myself! Stay back!" Aria huffs, tries, but all for naught: the wind is far too strong for the little filly to stay on course. Right when she is about to quit, someone throws her a hoof and together, four wings beating in unison, they fly through what seemed like an impassable wall of wind. Catching her breath and moving her sweat drenched forelocks away from her eyes Aria sees Grey Mouse. The little thestral just sits in front of her with a shy, vague smile. The little thestral, that Aria will learn to rely on in many adventure they would take later on... Grey's voice brought Aria back to reality, her friends voice was calm and reassuring but not as refined as Loadstar’s who ached for a chance to lecture anyone, still, little foals sat quietly and listened: "...That's all for today. Your homework - think how somepony could use the torque from the windmill." "Thank you, miss Mouse," replies an unorganized chorus of little voices. The little foals started to pack their books and enthusiastically discuss what they just learned, while Blue Sage walked Grey Mouse back to Aria and Bane Fire. "I reckon," said stallion "you too, have learned your lesson." "Yes sir," whispered little thestral, unable to raise her eyes and struggling to suppress her instinct to hide behind her own wings. "That was horrifyingly scary, looking after all of these little foals... What if something would have happened to anyone?" Grey practically squeaked that last sentence. "Uhuh," smirked Bane Fire, "I got like, forty of those each year. Could you imagine?" "Oh-h..." ...When the group went to pick up Loadstar, Aria hugged Grey with her wing while they walked down the corridor, the latter just lowered her head. It felt like Grey just realised what kind of responsibility was entrusted to her today. Sadly Aria could not find any words of encouragement to help her friend. More than that, she herself felt uneasy: after all, right now she sensed something quite similar if not worse: nagging feeling that she has failed and an indescribable joy that nothing bad happened to anyone. Loadstar’s class was quiet. Only a muffled voice of the little mentat could be heard outside of the room. «Out of us four, Loadstar is the only one properly skilled for this task» Thought Aria «but what kind of nerd-magic could force those little foals to sit down and listen?» The answer was quite obvious. In the middle of the classroom chalkboard (pinned with heavy magnets) hung a small map of Equestria. Empty space around it was covered with traced shapes of distant continents and countries. Loadstar’s photographic memory allowed her to memorize and retrace the Moon Pirates’ map. And now She played her trump card: told little foals about lands far from the Spire and tribes that inhabit those parts. Well, at least what she remembered from the books she read in the Captain's quarters while one of her friends worked on the ‘Selena’s’ techno-magical engine and the other lapped around the balloon and riggings of the ship, pretending to be a pirate and a ‘Mighty Thunderstorm that roams the skies’. Aria's heart felt warm remembering those good days. She would have loved to stay aboard the mystical ship but could not bear the thought of abandoning her friends in a foreign town. Blue Sage decided not to interrupt Loadstar’s lesson, leaving her time to finish her story about the tribes of Zebrika, who decided to leave their cities during the age of Discord, preferring to roam the savanna just like their ancient predecessors did: free and unburdened. Ruins of Zebrika cities were now considered to be sacred and forbidden places, and stood empty for the past few hundred years, slowly swallowed by the sands and jungles. Aria glanced at Mouse. They both were thinking the same thing. Loadstar’s speech was so passionate that not a single foal in the room would ever doubt that Miss Loadstar have already went and visited the wild endless savanna that housed the Zebras, striped ponies, that broke free from the shackles of civilization, committed to the enduring traditions and possessed strange magic that took its power from the nature and the essence of life itself... When Loadstar finally finished her class she looked back at the awestruck foals and asked if anyone had any questions. The reply was a chorus of squeaks from excited thestrals and a single loud quivering screech from the only filly in the group that floated in the air during the whole class: "I wanna be a Flyoneer!" Her classmates followed: "Me too! And me! We all do!" Aria felt her ears blush. «Even Curly managed better than me» she thought, trying no to think about her initial failure to realise her true calling. «If the Hornhead too, managed to pacify the foals, that would be a complete Discording disaster!» "...can only be taught at the HyghFlight School," Aria heard trainer Bane Fire raise her voice, "So why give these little foals false hope? Do you really think that if anyone in this room could have qualified to be a Flyoneer, the committee would have missed that?" Loadstar stood her ground: "Uhuh, Everyone told me that magic and studying was my calling, look how well that turned out! I think that everypony should follow their dreams. Or at least try to!" "And not run away from the Academy, preferably," Blue Sage added and Loadstar’s ears drooped. "Although I have to admit that this was an impressive lecture. Come now, we have one more hooligan to collect." ...Approaching the last classroom, Aria gleefully heard the ruckus happening behind the closed doors. Apparently Nightglow lost control over his class, too, and was now struggling to maintain the order. Futile task, Aria now knew that from experience. But her heart felt a bit easier, she was not the only one who failed her punishment. Thought she felt a bit ashamed about that, just a bit. When the door opened, every filly in the classroom (who were talking, running and playing) immediately went silent seeing trainer Bane Fire and a stallion mentat. A loud debate that was happening in front of the chalkboard quilted down too. Sage looked at the classroom that now was completely silent and marched heavily towards Nightglow and one of the colts sitting in front of the chalkboard pouting and crossing his forelegs. Nightglow pursed his lips and looked back at Sage with tears in his eyes. Their debate, it would appear, was at a stalemate and the little mentat was on the verge of losing himself and crying in front of the whole class. And he tried so hard to look mature and smart! "I have three questions for you, Nightglow," said Blue Sage, stopping a few steps away from the two and hanging over them like a mountain. "First - what was the debate about?" Nightglow accusingly pointed to the little colt that was puffing his wings: "He refuses to believe, that little ponies come from mommies bellies!" "Princess Luna brings young ponies" little colt objected authoritatively, "and leaves them by the parents bed." "You see!" Nightglow screamed in despair. "That's absurd! I was the same way but just a couple of days ago when the girls showed me..." The little colt cut him off: "You listen to icky mares, they only lie!" "Yeah!" a few agreeing voices sounded behind Sages back, followed by yeeps of a few mares in the class. "Fine," Sage nodded his head, stopping any further bickering, "Second question - Who started it?" The little colt and his young 'teacher' simultaneously pointed at each other, which caused Sage to sigh heavily. "Third question, Nightglow." said Sage and looked at the little mentat, "Do you have no shame?" The little mentat drooped. He was sure his mentor would support him, the little pipsqueak was wrong after all! But instead Blue Sage just said "Lets go," and turned back to the class. "You are all done for today." Nightglow lowered his ears and head and obediently followed his mentor. He felt stupid and was ashamed that Sage had to see him like that. Back at the corridor, that now was filled with odd groups of little fillies and foals scooting around, trainer Bane Fire stood in front of the row of four hooligans. CMS's and Nightglow looked guilty and repentant, but Sage would not be himself if he missed a chance to lecture someone in order to consolidate the results of the educational process: "I hope these lessons benefited not just the foals, but you four too." he said looking at the group. "And that you now fully realise the weight that lies on the back of every teacher and mentor, ponies that only wish the best for you." "Yes, sir," replied a quieving chorus. Aria (predictably) wanted to object but bit her lip and just dropped on her hind and lowered her ears. A sudden horrible guess crossed her mind. Teachers, trainers and mentors had to go through the same Discordian motion daily, trying not just to control a group of hyperactive little foals but also try to put some knowledge in their tiny heads. «How do they do it?» thought Aria. «Even I and my friends probably look like those dumb foals in Bane’s and Sage’s eyes...» She started to think that CMSs might have not escaped their proper punishment after all. Quite the opposite, Aria pondered if it would have been better to be whipped in front of the Academy. At least it would have been faster and less humiliating. But Aria quickly realised that she herself would have taken the whipping quite stoically, but her friends... «Horny-head, Curly-nerd, and shy-Mouse» she thought. «whipping would have wrecked them emotionally, if not worse...» Buried deep in her thoughts, Aria forgot to listen to Sages lecture, and when he finally finished Aria just sighed with relief. As soon as two adults disappeared behind the corner Aria looked back at her friends and said: "What's with the long faces? The best part is about to start!" Three pairs of quizzical eyes peered back at her and Aria raised her eyebrows in surprise. "C'mon!" she said. "Have you completely forgot? We got our cutie marks! That calls for a celebration!" Meak smiles appeared on her friends faces while their eyes glimmered with tiny sparks of anticipation. After all, with friends - no task is impossible… * * * ...Cuteceanera! One of the most important celebrations in anypony’s life, it signifies that the "blankflank" foalhood ends, and a new adult pony starts its adventure on a new path. But, if you lose all the formal solemnity and vagueness of the "future path" speech, not a lot actually changes in a pony’s life. They still go to school, listen to their parents, eat tasty hay and stay (or at least try to stay) away from trouble. But, the routine will be back tomorrow, tonight is for fun, games and celebrations! Loadstar was very glad that Aria finally got her cutie mark and that now all three could celebrate together. That was so great, and totally worth all the hardships they went through. A lot of ponies came to congratulate the CMS's. The whole Loadstar’s (and Nightglow’s) class, Aria's (and Mouse’s) flight-squad, parents, brothers, sisters... Obviously, the CMS's were in the middle of the crowd's attention. Especially Aria. A perky flight-lead who could now freely admit her singing talent and tell a story about many things that an ancient song can achieve: scare away the enemy, raise everyone's spirits, disarm the trap, and, of course, defeat a herd of hornheads. Loadstar heard that, Loadstar didn't care. Right now she felt too good to pout. Sipping her mint cocktail, Loadstar saw Aria's parents sitting at the table: Moon Guard captain - Midnight Blade and his wife, snow-white day-pegasus - Shiny Sun. Loadstar have seen Shiny Sun before, after all, she worked at the Order of Mentats library and Loadstar practically lived there. Well, she also visited Aria's home that one time, after the Fufflers incident. Noteworthy was the fact that when Shiny Sun replaced Dancing Lights as the librarian, the library reformed and became a neat and tidy place to visit. Dancing Lights was a remarkable mentat, but unfortunately, she was too old to keep order and clean the library in time. But Aria's dad... Him, Loadstar saw for the first time. Grey's parents were here too: decorous looking stallion and mare, judging by the regalia on their coats and bandoleers, both were heirs to ancient and renowned families. Stallion's head was crowned with a leathery dragon comb: same as the thestral horn, inheritance from the wild magical currents that poured over the unprotected islands of the Spire and its inhabitants many years ago. Loadstar realised that she didn't know much about her shy friend’s parents, and that Grey never talked about them. Seeing those two with her own eyes, Loadstar realised the root of Grey’s  weird quirks: strict rules and constant nagging will make anyone shy and uncertain in every step they take. But that thought was quickly overthrown by joy and fun of the party. Loadstar spent hours jumping around and playing with other fillies, basking in bright happy muzzles around her. Right now, with her best friends by her side, Loadstar could say with confidence and certainty that she could not dream of anything better. Even the punishment and grim prospects of daily routine that will start the next day didn't scare her, but felt like a new adventure. Loadstars glanced at the entrance door and her smile disappeared. Two adult ponies entered the cafe at the Starlite Square (where the Cuteceanera was held). Two adults, that Loadstar did not expect to see and quite honestly, preferred not to see at all. New guests were Loadstar’s parents. Ponies that Loadstar specifically tried to avoid after the Academy's heavy doors slammed shut behind her many years ago. The white-maned filly still remembered the shock when she found out what fate her parents have chosen for her… "Loadstar!" echoes mom's voice throughout the house. "You got a letter, sweety. It's from the Academy!" Unsuspecting Loadstar stampedes out of her room and gallops to her mother’s side to read the embossed words on the pretty parchment. She raises her red eyes at her parents who are waiting nearby and asks in a quivering voice: "It’s a boarding school?!" Her parents exchange glances. They have spent countless days preparing for this talk, rehearsing every possible question and reply that might come up... But all of that goes to heck when they see their daughter’s red teary eyes... "We will see you on holidays and spring break!" her mother finally replies, feeling uncomfortable and awkward discussing the topic. Loadstar lowers her head again and continues to read the letter. Despite her young age, she can read better than most adults at the Spire and already frequents the library. Stopping again, Loadstar raises her eyes and looks at her parents, tears starting to run down her cheeks: "Ten to Eighteen years?!" Her mother replies: "Best education you could get at the StarSpire! But... I guess... we could send an enrollment letter to the School for Gifted Unicorns." "Where's that?" "Canterlot. Down at the surface." Loadstar starts to cry. Unable to contain themselves any longer, her parents walk closer and hug their daughter with their wings, which only amplifies the sobbing. Right now, Loadstar hates her loathsome horn, the root cause her parents are trying to get rid of her... Loadstar emerged from her memory when she feels that someone is hugging her. Looking up, the little mentat sees Grey Mouse, sitting next to her. "Why the long face?" asked Grey and Loadstar realised that she could not force herself to utter even a single word in reply. Aria dives down from the ceiling and lands with a loud thud, attracting everyone's attention, including Loadstars parents, that have now saw their daughter, but hesitated to come any closer. In a moment, the fun resumed: fillies continued their games, while adults went back to talking ant snacking. Everyone, except Loadstars parents who now stood across the room from their daughter. "Hey! you two hugging without me huh?..." Aria shouted joyfully but stopped noticing her friends teary eyes. "Curly? Did someone hurt you?..." Loadstar sighed. "My parents came," she replied. "So what are we waiting for?" Aria yelps. "Let's go, introduce us!..." Aria stops, seeing her friends stern look. "No," said little mentat, "I do not know why they came, but I have no intention of talking to them." "How, What, Huh?..." Aria loses her confidence, that appears to jump to her friend. "They are your parents... they came to congratulate you..." "I did not summon them!" Loadstar shouts back, scaring Aria. "They... they..." Sour sadness could be heard in Loadstars voice. Feeling that she experienced a long time ago, when she arrived at the Academy for the first time. A feeling that left a scar in her little heart. "They what?" asked Aria impatiently. Loadstar demonstratively sat down, crossed her forelegs, closed her eyes and replied: "They have abandoned me, all right? Sent me to live at the Academy, out of sight - out of mind, all because I was born different, with a horn instead of wings." "But... aren't all mentats supposed to study at the Academy?" asked Grey Mouse. "No one asked if I wanted to!" Loadstar fumed, ignoring the question. "Just informed me, that from now on I have to exceed everyone’s expectations and become the best mentat in the Spire and all that..." Aria frowned: "You mean, you haven't seen your parents since?" "Didn't, and didn't write to them either." Grey perked her ears: "Are parents not allowed to visit the Academy? What about the weekends and summer break?..." Loadstar lowered her face and awkwardly shuffled her hoof: "During my first year, they flew over every weekend. They brought me presents for my birthday, Hearth’s Warming Eve and other holidays... but I never went out to meet them. Sometimes I even hide from them when they were allowed to enter the yard. For the summer break, I signed up for the exchange program and spent the whole summer in Equestria, at the School for Gifted Unicorns. When I came back I found a pile of mail and parchments from my parents, I sent it all back. Since that day they have not tried to contact me anymore. " Grey Mouse covered her face with her hooves and squeaked: "Loadstar! That was a horribly cruel thing you did!..." The latter didn't even raise her head: "Cruel, huh? But wasn't it cruel what they did to me? Rejected me, and then tried to mend everything with letters and gifts? Yeah, no, thanks..." Aria and Grey hugged their friend. While they talked, the party has died down and other fillies started to gather around the three CMS's. Nightglow broke through the crowd and joined the hug, Loadstar wanted to cry. "I still can not forgive them," she said, suppressing the urge to look at the ponies around her. "That is also one of the major reasons I planned to leave the Spire as soon as I graduate." Aria Midnight lowered her ears from such profound statement and wanted to object and scold her friend but something around them suddenly changed. Loadstar shivered, the quiet strum of strings filling the air sounded early familiar. Loadstar forced herself to raise her head and look at the parents. Her guess was correct, her mom, Miracle Twilight sat in the corner and quietly sang a song. A lullaby, that little Loadstar heard every morning, until that fateful night when her parents brought the invitation-letter from the Academy… Twinkle, twinkle, little star,  How I wonder what you are!  Up above the world so high,  Like a diamond in the sky.  When the blazing sun is gone,  When he nothing shines upon,  Then you show your little light,  Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.  Then the traveler in the dark  Thanks you for your tiny spark,  How could he see where to go,  If you did not twinkle so?  In the dark blue sky you keep,  Often through my curtains peep  For you never shut your eye,  Till the sun is in the sky.  As your bright and tiny spark  Lights the traveler in the dark,  Though I know not what you are,  Twinkle, twinkle, little star. Last words still echoed across the silent room, when Loadstar broke out from her friends embrace and ran to her parents. Burrowing into her mother's coat, the white-maned mentat finally allowed herself to cry, not a single word was said, soon she felt her parents wings hugging her. Aria quietly huffed, but hard enough for the Grey and Nightglow to notice: "Pfah! She just told us she didn't want to see them, and then she runs straight to her mom... OW!" Aria quickly turned back to see the heavy leathery wing that just smacked her head. "Dumbass," said Grey Mouse folding back her wing, "That's - her mom, after all." Aria was dumbstruck and could not reply. She just looked at Loadstar, who was crying in her parents embrace. And although Miracle stopped singing some time ago, everyone in the room could still hear and feel the emotion that the lullaby carried. Loadstar continued to wet her mothers coat, remembering those long days at the Academy when she would spend the whole day crying from loneliness and homesickness. Quietly, careful not to wake up her sleeping classmates. No one could ever know that proud and ever-so-serious-looking filly still missed her parents and exhausted herself with the studies just to avoid the thought about the family that left her... "I wonder," said Aria, staring at the adorable reunion, "How did her parents knew that their daughter is celebrating Cuteceanera, and the place where its held..." "I told them," said Nightglow. Grey and Aria turned to him simultaneously: "You?!" "I," nodded young mentat. "But why?" asked Aria. "Did you plan... I don't even know what you planned for!" Nightglow looked at Loadstar and sighed: "Back at Stalliongrad I heard Starly talk how she hated her parents and I thought, since she already got her cutie mark, no better time to fix old woes and grudges." Aria planted her forelegs in her sides and looked back at Nightglow: "So you decided for her? Huh?" "If only you knew how hard it was to convince her parents! They refused and rejected for over an hour, saying that their daughter would not want to see them! But I'm not blind, I know the truth..." "Oh, and what did you know that convinced you?" Aria persisted. Nightglow raised his head and looked at Aria. "Well, we heard how she cries in her pillow all day," he replied. After these words all three turned to look at Loadstar, who no longer cried, but talked quietly with her parents. "I wonder, what is she saying?" pondered Aria. Grey Mouse replied to that: "Quite obvious, she begs forgiveness." Aria looked at Nightglow. "If they would have not made up," said little thestral, "I would have chewed your ears off, for ruining Curly's Cuteceanera. But, seeing that it all turned out well, you deserve a reward." Nightglow’s head filled with a hurricane of thoughts ending with a final image of Aria kissing him, he momentarily blushed up to the tips of his ears. Will she do it? And in front of Grey Mouse... "The heck are you thinking about, Hornhead?!" Aria exclaimed, noticing the mentats red ears, Grey noticed too, but just blushed herself and giggled. "I am uh... " Nightglow was stumped, "It's. Not. What you thought about..." "Oh yeah? and what did I think about?" Aria persisted but decided to ease up. "Oh nevermind! I know what you thought about. And no. fat chance. What I wanted to say is that for you help you are now an honorary CMS." "What about Loadstar?" asked Grey Mouse. "Should not we ask her..." Aria just waved her hoof and pointed to the reunited family: "She's pretty occupied right now, and I doubt that she would oppose." "Thanks girls," said Nightlow. "I... I do not know what to say..." "Go, while you still have your ears unchewed!" Aria stuck her tongue at him. "You can tell it later to Loadstar, if she decides not to kill you, that is." Nightglow folded his ears and realised that a cup of fruit punch - is exactly what he needed right now. Grey Mouse looked at the young mentat walking away and sighed. She felt that back in the dungeon he didn't have time to tell her something very important. And right now, she was too shy to ask. Grey’s parents were here too. And while they handled themselves with sophisticated aloofness, they allowed themselves to admit before Grey that they were wrong. How couldn't they? No one could go against their fate, and force someone to abandon their calling. Some say that such disposition leaves no place for free will. But ponies’ cutie marks and corresponding talent could be realised in so many different ways that such statement loses its foundation. Especially if that talent - is a wide slice of Mechanics, Engineering and Math. Grey Mouse felt her heart race when she thought about many ways she can improve other ponies lives. All those things she will create... But first she had to do something else. Grey's ears heard a glimpse of Aria's parents conversation: "...expecting an attack, especially here, in the safety of the Spire!" said white pegasi, caressing her 'special pony' with the tip of her wing. Thestral just grumbled something in reply, Grey couldn't make it out, but Shiny Sun did, and gifted the stallion with a light slap on the back of his head: "She ordered you to celebrate your daughter's Cuteceanera. Because you ignored her initial friendly suggestion. Now go on! Go and tell your hyperactive offspring that you're proud of her. She only sees you twice a week as it is." Big thestral pretended to struggle with that idea for a bit more and then took a couple of steps towards Aria Midnight. The latter moved further away from him and continued to tell her story to a group of fillies, telling them about her adventures aboard the flying ship. She was just about to tell the part how she got the title of the 'Mighty Thunderstorm' aboard the 'Selena'. Grey Mouse smiled. She wanted to interject and tell the true story how Aria really got that nickname, but decided not to ruin her friends evening. Unaware of her friends real thoughts, Aria Midnight finished the story and basked in the gazes of awestruck mentats surrounding her, she fixed her forelock and looked around. Mentally congratulating herself with a new victory, Aria was just about to go and join the fillies playing on the other side of the room, when Grey's voice attracted her attention: "I think, you too, should talk to your parents." "Huh? What do you mean?" asked surprised Aria, turning to her friend. "We all live together, remember?" Grey didn't reply but continued to look sternly at the flight-lead, latter one felt uncomfortable. "What now?" Aria asked, fidgeting nervously. "I have never seen you dad before," said Grey Mouse, "Even though I sometimes spend the whole day at your place." "Yeah, he comes home very late from his shift," Aria confirmed. "How late is that? Midday?" Aria agreed: "Sometimes, sure. Sometimes even later than that. He usually leaves before I wake up. He's the Captain of the Princess' Royal Guard, remember?" Aria strained her face to look serious and important, while her brave heart shrunk. Just like every time she thought about her dad, she barely saw him throughout the week. Usually when he was already leaving the house. Grey sighed: "You know, even though my parents were very strict towards me, I still love them. Parents always want the best for their fillies, right?" Aria crossed her forelegs and sat on her tail. "Oh heck no." She replied dropping her serious face, "I don't buy it. If dad values his post more than his daughter - good for him. My mom moved to the Starspire, and it was very hard for her, considering that she can not go outside of the Dome. And he..." "...Serves our Princess," finished Grey, "And I am sure ho does all he can to make sure you and your mom doesn't need anything..." "He can't buy my love!" stated Aria, huffed and lifted her nose. "I do not need toys, I need him, got it? And he's never around!" Grey smiled: "Well... I mean... there he is. Right here, right now." Aria wanted to object, but then she looked at her parents. White pegasi stood out in the crowd like a moon on the night sky, and Aria admitted that without his armor her dad looked almost like a stranger. She pondered that it would not take long for her to forget what's on her dad's head - mane or a leathery comb. "I should... go talk to him, I guess." said Aria quietly, but couldn't hold herself from a sarcastic remark, "When will be the next time I'll get a chance like that!" Grey looked how Aria walked to her parents and winked to the white pegasi, who in turn pushed large stallion towards his daughter. Grey Mouse realised that sometimes we all need someone else to point out simple things for us. With that she remembered her encounter back at the Stalliongrad and her cheeks lightly blushed. What a remarkable feeling, not just finding your calling, but also realising from a wonderful (but terrifying) adventure some deeper understanding of the world around you, something far more important than a cutie mark. ...While Aria approached the massive stallion, who she could not remember without his armor, her confidence started to fade. Apparently, fearless captain Midnight Blade went through the same range of emotions. In the past few years he talked to his daughter what... two-three times? He comes home when the bright sun is high in the sky, and the little filly is deep asleep. Both stopped a few steps away and froze, unsure what to say. Midnight Blade thought that he could not allow himself to be afraid of his own daughter and said: "Hello. Aria." "Hi. Dad." the little filly replied. "How are... things?" stallion continued, realizing how dumb his question sounded. "Alright... I guess." There was a brief pause that soon turned into an awkward one. Father and daughter simultaneously started talking and immediately stopped, allowing the other one to go first. Aria giggled. Lunar Guard, high ranking officer, mighty warrior, had no idea what to say confronted by a little filly. Right now he looked just like those awkward hornheads - Loadstars classmates. Laughing louder, Aria swiftly jumped to her father's side and said: "You first!” Massive thestral faltered, but managed to squeeze out a reply: "I... am proud... of you. Aria." "Uhuh," Aria rubbed her muzzle against his muscular leg, basking in a forgotten feeling of absolute safety. "C'mon, say something less trivial." "We. love you." added the thestral nuzzling Aria's rustled mane. Latter already prepared a witty remark, but decided to loudly yeep, jump upwards and hug her dads neck. Big thestral rocked in surprise but recovered his balance. But Aria was known to finish what she started: "Mosh-Pile!!!" she screeched in her dads hairy ear. Next second the quietness in the room was torn with a new wave of laughter and happy shouts, when Captain Midnight Blade fell under the weight of fillies that jumped onto him. * * * ...But any party eventually ends. When yawning and bloated guests started to disperse back to their homes and dormitories, Four CMS's stood in the cafe's entrance. Grey Mouse was the first one to break the silence, she was the one to voice the same thought they four had at that time: "S... so.... Since we got our cutie marks and CMS's are no more..." her voice quivered, "does it mean that we can't be friends?" "Nonsense!" Aria erupted. "Cutie mark shows entry into adulthood, not the end of adventuring!" Nightglow smiled and asked: "Does that mean that we'll have more?" "Absolutely!" replied Aria in her most serious voice. "What, even twenty years from now?" Loadstar asked. "Hah!" Aria lightly pushed her friends side. "Far sooner then that, I hope!..." Friends stood there, giggling and pushing each other for a while longer, while the morning sun slowly rose above the Spire's horizon. Up here, at unthinkable heights, The sun shone dimly through the protective dome around the Spire, feeling more like dusk. Which still signalled that four young adult ponies should go to their beds. Sleeping until the night: full of hopes, achievements and adventures… * * * Winged ponies born and raised in great floating cities of Cloudsdale, Las Pegasus, and Starspire have an old traditions to date on seperate small floating clouds. But right now, two formal looking adults walked down the promenade, separated from fifteen-kilometer-deep drop only by a thin railing. Down below, Equestria glimmered through occasional breaks in the clouds. And even though it was the middle of the summer, up here in the clouds it was always a chilly, turning into a hoofnumbing cold outside of the protective dome of the Spire. Trainer Bane Fire leaned to the Blue Sage’s side, hugging him with her wing. Just like she used to do many years ago. Right now, after a magical and eventful day they spent together, she could not decide what she wanted to do: jump around him like a little filly or hug him with all of her four legs and not let him go until the sun will drop below the horizon, signifying the beginning of a new night. And a fact that summer break relieved them from the daily classes and training sessions for the young ponies, filled Bane Fire's heart with happy anticipation. Literally a year ago, she would have spent each night of the summer break flying around the Spire hoping to find something interesting to occupy herself with, or exercising back at the flight school, or just spending long lone nights reading books and writing her own soapy stories about unrequited love. Stories that strict trainer then shamefully hid in her drawer. But a day with her past flare, Magister of the Order of Mentats, Blue Sage, made the time fly by. Just like all those years ago. She sighed. If someone would have not been such a blockhead and buried himself in books, dusty scrolls and all that anciens gunk, pretending to uphold the higher cause, she would not have had to spend these past ten years looking for something to occupy herself with. Even flirting with young and prospective stallions brought her no joy, something very important was missing. All because Bane Fire got used to a simple premise - a stallion has to be smart, well read and always having something to tell. Something so interesting, that listening to him, time loses all count. Black mare emerged from her thoughts and nuzzled the mentats neck, stopping his endless rant about three fillies that almost caused a riot back at the Academy and the flight school. "Bane!" the mentat coughed, "Not in front of others..." "Heck em!" mare replied, suppressing an urge to nibble on the magisters ear, "Let em see, let em know..." "erhm... ok then," the mentat smiled and continued. "So yes, these three brought the Academy to the brink of a scandal, and only by pure chance and Her divine intervention..." "Could you just stop talking about those three?" Bane interrupted him. "you kept rumbling about those three fufflers throughout the whole day..." "...Fufflers?" asked Sage surprised. "'Cause they're small, scoot around and cause havoc wherever they go!" laughed Bane Fire in reply. "But right now, they are their parents responsibility, and thank Luna, we got some free time for you and I." Mentat and a thestral stopped at one of the watch platforms overlooking the magnificent view of the fading night sky, faintly highlighted by the rising sun shining on the Celestial Fields, topped with tall towers of the Academy and the Library. "Have I... actually spent the whole day rumbling about those three?" mentat asked, looking at the dimming lights of the Spire. "Uhum!" giggled Bane Fire, "But I gotta admit, thanks to them, I finally found a way to stir you up." "...I Still can not believe those three..." He stopped when Bane Fire poked his side. "Oh stop it, you." she said. "It's the fifth day of the summer break and you still can not forget that little incident!" "Heck no it was no little..." Sage refuted but was quickly stopped by Bane Fire yet again: "I'm gonna bite your ear!" Said ears folded momentarily. "uHmm... fine. Not a word about the three." "Promise? Not a word?" There was an awkward silence interrupted only by the wind howling in the cities towers. Starspire silently floated above the waking Equestria and was preparing to go to sleep. While only a couple of ponies planned to stay awake during the day... Bane Fire and Blue Sage stood in silence, looking at the glowing ground down below. Finally, the mare spoke up: "Blu? I want to say something." "Hm?" He felt her wing disappear from his back and a dark-blue lily appeared in front of his eyes. The flowers color matched Bane Fire's coat. The flower lit up in the Sage's magical hold while he fixed it to his rustled mane. This was an ancient tradition (though, more popular on the grounds down below) that silently showed the relationship between two ponies. And accepting the flower meant (at the very least) interest in something more than friendly chats and weekend hangouts. "You sure?" asked Blue Sage. "We tried it when we were young..." "Pff! We're not that old." the mare chuckled in reply. She lightly blushed and playfully pushed the mentat with her rear. "You didn't answer." Sage noted. "You know," the thestral replied, "I could have said something smart, like: 'If I don't try - then I'll never know and will never forgive myself' or some sort of sappy romantic banality..." She paused. "But?" Bane Fire threw a bang of her toxic-green mane from her face and looked straight into the Sage's eyes. "...But then I realised that trying to outsmart you - is a sure way to disgrace myself, so instead, I will say something else." "And that would be?" an anticipating smile appeared on the mentats face. "I’d say... Since those three little scootlers gave us a second chance, just shut, kiss me, and carry me back to my tower. Because I am not planning on letting you go, got it?" "Loud and clear," Sage replied, feeling his heart brimming with an old and forgotten feeling of affection. Leaning forward for the kiss, Sage noted that they were the only two left on the promenade. And that soon they both will need darkened goggles, the day-star already started to shine lower on the upper towers of the floating city of a thousand bridges...