Suburst turned. Starshine greeted him, her serene smile almost out of place when contrasted with the armour she was wearing. It was a polished, shiny gilded metal, and Sunburst knew it almost indestructible. But he had no way of knowing just how true that was, he'd never had the limits of his coil tested like that. Not yet at least. "You know the answer to that," he said, his rough tone born more of tiredness than any intended rudeness.
"I might not, though." Starshine tilted her head, and she still smiled. "That's been a thing. It'll continue to be a thing, going forward. I don't really understand it, but you seem to like it." She sat at his side, her armour clattering a little against the cold crystal floor. He'd thought about making it sing out a note when hit, but thankfully he'd stopped himself from doing that. It clattered just as any piece of metal would have. "Don't tell me you're against a bit of conversation though," said Starshine.
Sunburst looked at the army in front of him again. They numbered in the hundreds more than in the dozens, all identical aside from the tribe they belonged to and the weapon they carried. All vaguely male looking, well built, taller than average, wearing the same grey blueish armour. All giving him the same faceless stares. No pain in them, no bodies to be left behind if they were destroyed, and all the tactical military knowledge he'd managed to cram into them. "It turns out a part of making you into your own individual is that you're capable of doing things that go against what I want. I'm not sure how I feel about it, and I'm not sure if it's out of pettiness or out of the weirdness of realising the kind of power I'm playing with."
Starshine leaned against him. He wasn't looking at her, but he could still physically feel her smile, however that worked. "How are you doing, though?" she asked in her friendly tone.
"Mentally, given the situation, surprisingly well." Sunburst fixed his glasses. "It translates to not all that great, but I'm not having any major panic attacks or paralysing anxiety. No one goes happily towards this kind of thing." He leaned on Starshine. "Physically, tired. Nothing a good night of sleep can't fix, as unlikely as I am to sleep well with all this tension, but tired. I didn't think using it could ever be physically taxing, and I'm not sure if I can do more tomorrow. It should be all in order for the big day, though."
"Worried about it?" Starshine asked, draping a wing over his back and gently rubbing it while her horn tapped against his.
"I'd be a fool not to," Sunburst replied. "But knowing I'm helping does help." He nodded towards the artificial army at the ready in front of them. "The emotional part of me would want everyone else away from here. The rational one knows someone needs to be there to protect me if I'm to protect the town. And having read what Twilight had to say, I know we'll need all the help we can get."
"I'll always be by your side," said Starshine. "And I'll help you protect your friends."
"And I'll be by yours," Sunburst replied. "Hopefully one day that won't be just a fact."