Novo stood in the foyer, watching the double doors at the top of the stairs patiently. Goldenquill was at her side as always, the hippogriff leaning on his glaive.
Finally the doors slowly swung open, the soft clop of hooves on stone echoing above.
"Good morning!" Novo exclaimed, fluttering her wings a bit.
"Morning, Mom!" Selena answered jovially, reaching the foyer floor first. She happily trotted up to Novo, nuzzling against her cheek.
Novo tucked a warm tied paper package into Selena's saddlebag. The little filly cocked her head to the side, so Novo smiled and winked. "I had the chef make it fresh this morning." She delighted in seeing Selena's eyes light up.
Next Sunny slowly approached. Novo lowered her head for the same morning embrace, as she always did, and as always Sunny did not reciprocate. Holding in a sigh, Novo did the same with Sunny's saddlebag before giving it to her, the filly slipping it on and walking past without a word.
It had been a week since their argument, and Novo was at a loss for how to break through to the young filly. She watched as the unicorn joined her sister at the door, bidding the two goodbye with a wave that only Selena returned. As they pushed the door open a shadow fell over them.
"Ah! So these are the hipponies I've heard so much about!" A hearty laugh echoed through the foyer.
"Oro!" Novo perked up, trotting to the door. She had not expected him until later in the week. The zebra was tall, with a long set of dreadlocks draped over his shoulders, each of them sporting a golden bead at their ends; they were beginning to grey at their roots, betraying his age. His eyes were vibrant gold, and despite his apparent weight gain, strong muscle still showed through on his shoulders, chest and legs.
The girls shied away from the boisterous guest, but Novo came to their rescue. "My apologies old friend, but introductions will have to wait till this evening. The girls were just heading to school."
Oro made a show of stepping aside, throwing his hoof out as a gesture to let them pass. "Of course of course, the little princesses are off to become queens," he chuckled. "I apologize for not sending word of my arrival. You know I love surprises."
Novo watched the girls go, Selena fluttering beside Sunny as they wound their way down the mountain. When they passed the palace gates, Novo stepped inside and pulled the door shut sharply.
"Do you have it?" Novo's tone changed from amiable to serious.
"Ah, straight to business then? Very well, very well." Oro grinned and held up a brown paper package, folded and clasped at the top, with a reared zebra stamped on the side.
~~~
"I'm so excited! Master Stormwind said today we're going to start the histories of Gryphonstone." Selena's face was buried in a book on the subject as she flew beside her sister. When Sunny did not respond she peered over her tome. She frowned, watching her sister kick a stone down the road, before kicking it again when she reached its new resting place.
"Sunny?" Selena prompted tentatively.
"Hmm?" The unicorn looked up at her, losing track of her stone.
"Aren't you excited?"
"Not really," she answered bluntly, looking back to the road as they continued to walk.
"Buh, how could you not be? Gryphonstone is a living tree city. No one knows how they made it, not even them!"
"Huh... " Sunny had found another stone.
Selena wilted a bit, going back to her book. Despite her annoyance, she soon found herself absorbed in its contents again. It came as a surprise when she realized she could hear the familiar sound of other hippogriff children chattering and playing above the amphitheater in the center of the city.
As they climbed the hill, Selena waved to many different hippogriffs she'd come to know since starting school. There was Slipstream, her study buddy, Riptide, who she played with after school, and 'Oh!' Dawnbreak and Whirlwind, her backup study buddies who she played with after school.
She noticed Sunny didn't talk to anyone. She hoped Vortex was here today. She seemed to be the only other student Sunny ever stayed around. When they reached the stone steps that descended into the amphitheater, Selena squinted. Instead of the old Master Stormwind, an auburn hen stood in his place, watching the students descend into their places as she organized her materials.
"Huh... I wonder where Master Stormwind is," Selena thought aloud. "I hope we're still gonna talk about Gryphonstone if he's not here.
"Yes!" Sunny suddenly exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"What?!" Selena looked around frantically.
"If Stormwind isn't here, he won't be able to tell on me to Novo." Sunny grinned. "Selena, answer for me when she calls roll." Sunny shrugged off her saddlebags on the top row of seats, turning to walk away.
"What?!" Selena exclaimed in a whisper. "You can't cut anymore, Sunny."
"Watch me."
"Mom said that you'd be in big trouble if you cut any more!"
"Oh did she?" Sunny looked over her shoulder at the slowly filling amphitheater, then back to her sister. A devious smile grew on her face as she then jumped dramatically off the path, trotting briskly down the hill with her head held high.
"Sunny!" Selena exclaimed, taking a few steps forward before stopping at the edge. She looked back and forth between her sister and their class, her wings bristling in worry.
"Sunny!" she called again, but her sister did not stop. She looked down into the amphitheater. Not all seats were filled yet, there was still time to make it before roll call. She flapped her wings, lifting just enough to glide down the hill beside Sunny as she walked.
"Mom already caught you once, she'll ground you if you get caught again!" Selena pleaded.
Sunny snorted dismissively. "She'll never find out. Unless you tell on me again." Shooting her a glare.
"But–"
"Race ya to the wall!" The unicorn suddenly dug her hooves deep, launching into a gallop as fast as her filly legs could carry her.
"Hey!" Selena flapped her wings hard, trying to push herself off with the same speed. Selena's wings would normally help her outpace her sister, even at her younger age, but the twist and wind of the hippogriff settlement was not a course she regularly flew. Not to mention that the weight of her saddlebags did nothing to aid her. She barely kept up, only knowing where to turn by a brief glimpse of Sunny's pink tail.
She finally lost sight of her, banking hard and hoping she'd chosen the right direction. She had, unfortunately. Too fast to realize where she was going, she blew past her sister, who stood beside a hole in the wall. Selena just barely tucked her wings in time as she sailed through.
In a moment she went from a shaded alley to bright sunlight over a green field, which rapidly rose to meet her. She spread her wings just before impact, tumbling face over flank to a stop. She heard her saddlebags clatter and spill ahead of her.
The pegasus spat dirt from her mouth, raising and shaking her head. She became acutely aware of her giggling sister sliding down the dirt embankment behind her.
"Looks like you won!" Sunny exclaimed, trotting up to her. Selena scraped some of the loose dirt up in her wings, whipping around and launching it at her sister.
"First place gets a trip to the bea-Ack?!" Sunny gagged as one of the dirt clods exploded across her tongue. She spat and wiped at her face with the top of her hooves, glaring at Selena.
"What was that for?!" she shouted.
"You tricked me!" Selena shouted back.
"Come on, Selena, it was just a joke. Besides, nopony will even notice we're gone." Sunny trotted up to her. "Let's just play out here for a while. Vortex says there's a lagoon down by the beach where there's all kinds of creatures."
"We're the only ponies in the whole city, Sunny!" Selena exclaimed, throwing her hooves out wide to make her point. "They'll know we're not there! You know Mom will find out!"
Sunny scowled for a moment before turning and walking away from her. "Where are you going?" Selena asked.
"I'm going to the beach. I'm tired of school," Sunny answered matter of factly.
"But Mom says school is important!" Selena called back.
Sunny's ear twinged but she didn't look back. "If it's so important why don't we have it back home?"
Selena didn't have an answer. She didn't remember much about where they came from. Sunny was getting further away. Selena looked back to the hole in the wall, then to her sister. She remembered her mothers words, 'Keep an eye on your sister for me, Selena, she may need you more than I for a little while.'
"Sunny!" Selena called softly, one last attempt at getting her sister to come back. If they went back now they might even sneak in without notice. Sunny continued on.
Sighing, Selena took flight, catching up with her sister as they headed to the beach.
~~~
Novo hummed contentedly as she sipped delightfully hot coffee. A gift from Oro; she had sorely missed it in the years since the snows had come. Native to the Zebra homeland, it was quite the commodity abroad. She remembered the first time she had met Oro and he'd boasted that wars had been fought for the precious brew. That seemed so long ago now.
"When I received your letter it was the first thing I packed." Oro chuckled, blowing softly along the surface of his own cup before taking a sip. "To think you found yourself not one but two daughters and managed not to go mad without it is quite impressive."
"They are quite the clawful. Almost as much as the realm itself."
"Your people seem to have settled well. Mount Aris looks much different than when I last saw it." Oro mused.
Novo cracked a smile. "I'm surprised you remember the last time you saw it. You were scarcely sober during that visit if I recall."
Oro laughed. "I was not on official business then, and it seemed the easiest way to impress these studs of yours."
Novo laughed before taking another sip of her coffee, setting it aside.
"It is good to see you again, Oro." It was an understatement in truth. Novo rarely had moments of respite like this in the last two years – still, there were important things to be discussed.
"And you as well." Oro held up his mug before taking a sip from it. "But while I would hardly blame you for it, I don't think I came here just to bring you coffee."
"Yes, on to the matters at hand." Truth be told, Novo had been rather out of the loop politically for some time now. Their exodus and hurried settling of what was essentially a seasonal retreat had left little time for correspondence with any diplomats. Her court was so full of her own people there'd scarcely been room for anyone else.
As the hours passed, Oro spoke of trade in his homeland, a short civil war in Gryphonstone, and a new Shah of Saddle Arabia. Novo listened closely. As the hippogriffs were now coastal people, these once distant cultures were now practically their next-door neighbors. There were scattered reports of what was going on with the pony tribes. Anything was better than nothing, as it meant the ponies had not yet succumbed to the endless winter.
"Now, the matter of piracy." Oro shifted his tone. He reached into his saddlebag and withdrew several scrolls, lying them on the table. Novo was about to take them when she felt a claw on her shoulder.
"It's time," Goldenquill whispered. Novo nodded and looked back at Oro.
"There is a small personal matter I must attend to, Oro. It won't be long. Surely you must be hungry; we're as far from dinner as we are close to supper. I can have the kitchen make you a meal and we can reconvene in about an hour or so?"
Oro looked to the window, noting how much time had passed.
"That should do. It has been a good while since I've had those delightful sweet rolls." He gestured as if he were wafting their aroma to his nose.
"Wonderful." Novo stood, waiting for Oro to gather his things before they both left the room. After sending him with the castle chef, Novo and Goldenquill quickly took off from the courtyard, gliding down over the mountain and into the settlement below.
The plan was to be there personally to see her daughters home from school. She had decided she had not made herself present enough in Sunny's day to day life. Selena was always coming to her, but the only time so far Sunny had sought her out was when she'd come down with a fever.
She hoped that if she were more present, Sunny might in time come to accept what she'd said about loving them as her own.
They drew close to their destination, Novo and Goldenquill swooping down low and landing with practiced grace at its entrance. There was a small crowd already waiting. A bit flustered, they all bowed at their Queen's unexpected presence, dipping low with their wings spread wide.
"Rise, all of you, please. I am merely here to see my daughters home, like the rest of you. Conduct yourselves as you would any other time." She smiled.
Of course a few of them still approached her – she was the Queen, after all. She regarded them with enthusiasm, be it a simple personal greeting or a matter they'd yet to bring before her. She made her promises that she would see each of them personally in due time, but reminded them today she was just here as a parent.
Before long, the crowd of students began to flow out of the amphitheater. The fledglings, not yet old enough to fly, came marching out in an orderly file, instantly breaking rank the moment they saw their parents. Novo couldn't help but laugh at their excitement. Then the juveniles, most of which flew out in a large flock, some landing before their parents with others continuing on home by themselves. Novo watched, waiting to see the two fillies crest the stairs.
But one by one, more Hippogriff children passed her by, with no sign of her daughters. She shifted in place, her wings fidgeting agitatedly.
"You don't think Selena flew home, do you? Surely I didn't miss her," Novo stated, squinting as she watched the air above the amphitheater slowly clear.
"No sign of Sunny either," Goldenquill added.
Novo scowled a bit. "I told their teacher to inform me if Sunny was not in class. I wonder why he sent no–"
Her question was answered as they heard the clack of adult hooves and talons rising up the stairs. A young female with an auburn coat and golden mane came rising out of the amphitheater, a stark contrast to the seasoned silver Stormwind that normally taught.
"Oh! Y-Your Majesty!" the young hen stammered, clumsily dropping to a bow. "Stormwind did not mention you would be here."
"It is not a normal occurrence, rest assured. Please." Novo gestured for her to rise. She kept her tone friendly as she asked, "And you are?"
"Glitterpeak, your Majesty."
"Well met, Glitterpeak. If I may, where is Stormwind?" Novo looked over the young teacher's shoulder, trying to spot him in the amphitheater below.
"Ah, he's come down with a fever, I'm afraid. Swears to me he'll be right as rain in a week or so. Until then I'm to handle his lectures."
"I see." Novo raised a brow. "Tell me, did he mention any special directions concerning my daughters?"
Glitterpeak shook her head. "None that I remember Majesty. I did think it was strange that both of them were absent today, but I thought perhaps they were sick themselves."
Novo sighed. "Fortunately, they aren't. Unfortunately for them, that means two punishments." She shook her head. How Sunny had enlisted Selena in this cutting was a mystery to her. One she would solve soon enough, though. She turned to Goldenquill, "Goldenquill, return to the castle and bring a small detachment of the guard. Search the city. I want both of my daughters home as soon as they're found."
"And Oro?" Goldenquill inquired.
"Inform him that our intermission will be longer than I'd hoped, but I will return as soon as Selena and Sunny are dealt with."
Goldenquill nodded, taking flight. Glitterpeak stammered out an apology before Novo silenced it, assuring her it was not her fault.
"Send a message if they are absent any further." Novo parted, taking to the skies to find her daughters.
~~~
"I think we're lost, Sunny." Selena looked over her shoulder.
"We can't be lost, silly. It's a beach! Forward is away from where we started, backward is back to where we came from. Hnnnnagh!!" Sunny grunted as she threw a stick she found as far as she could into the ocean. It splashed into the water with a satisfying slap before disappearing into the sea.
"But we should have found the lagoon by now." Selena drifted closer to her sister, pushing against the coastal winds.
"We'll find it eventually. Vortex said she was sure it was somewhere out here." Sunny had taken interest in a small crab now, the little creature clacking its claws as it prepared for battle against the white colossus.
"What do you mean? She's been there hasn't she?" Selena asked worriedly.
"I think so. She said her father told her about it." Sunny answered absentmindedly, prodding at the crab with a twig. The small crustacean fought a battle of the ages against all odds.
"Where'd she say it was?" The worry in Selena's voice was growing.
"Down by the beach somewhere," Sunny responded, growing bored with the crab. The crab held its claws high, clacking victoriously as the beast retreated.
"Sunny?! You have no idea where it is?!" Selena shouted suddenly. "Mom is gonna be so mad!"
"Don't worry about her. We're exploring! We'll find it." Sunny reassured her. Selena was not convinced, her head buzzing with the possible consequences.
What if Mom doesn't let me go to school anymore?!
Suddenly movement beneath her snapped her out of her state. A tiny black shield emerged from the sand, wiggling flippers sprouting from its sides. Then another, and another. Sea turtles! She squealed, prompting her sister to come running.
Selena pressed herself as low as she could to the sand, watching as the baby turtles wriggled free from their buried nest.
"Oh wow!" Sunny exclaimed, stooping low to watch as well. "We should help them!" Her sister made to start digging before Selena pushed her hooves away.
"No no, you might hurt them!" Selena looked between them as one by one they continued to emerge, their little flippers digging into the sand as they pushed themselves towards the sea.
Huoh-huoh-huoh.
Selena's stomach dropped.
"No no no no..." Selena flapped her wings, raising herself off the ground above her sister.
To her horror, a flock of seagulls were rapidly approaching. They bore down on the vulnerable baby turtles, squawking awfully.
"Sunny! They're gonna eat the babies! We have to protect them!" Selena zipped over Sunny's head, charging at the encroaching flock. With speed she did not know she could muster, she blitzed the flock, causing them to scatter. She threw her hooves wildly, trying to make the turtles not seem worth it to the gulls.
They were undeterred, merely squawking as they dove toward the beach. Selena tried to get in their way, shouting and flailing like mad. She looked below her. Sunny charged at the landing gulls like a warhorse, her horn sparking and flashing. Selena worried she might step on the babies but her sister leapt over the fleeing column, shouldering a landing gull back into the sky.
Selena blew through a crowded group of gulls, sending them tumbling trying to regain their flight. By now some had decided the meal was not worth it and fluttered away, squawking angrily at the two fillies. They continued to intercept the diving scavengers, hooting and hollering and kicking up sand.
Slowly, the flock began to thin, angry squawks growing distant along the shoreline as the girls defended the babies. By the time the last of them flew away they were exhausted, their chest heaving as they both collapsed in the sand.
"I...I think we did it..." Sunny wheezed.
Selena was flopped in a heap, her wings feeling like wood. Sunny began to giggle. Selena's ears perked up as she looked at her sister, her eyes widening.
"S-Sunny?" she asked hesitantly. The unicorn continued to giggle as a warm glow slowly enveloped her, the aura sparkling across her coat like glittering gold. Slowly she began to lift off the sand, the aura growing brighter. Still she continued to laugh.
"Sunny?!" Selena shouted, pushing herself to her hooves and taking a step back.
"It tickles!" Sunny exclaimed jovially. Suddenly the glow grew so bright Selena had to look away. When she turned her head back, Sunny was returned to the ground, standing on all fours looking at her flank.
"Oh wow!" Sunny suddenly leapt with newfound energy, prancing in a circle as she kept her eyes locked on her flanks. "I got it! I got it!"
"What? What is it?!" Selena asked.
"My cutie mark!" Sunny stopped, arching her back as she turned toward her. Emblazoned on Sunny's flank was a silver shield, a sigil of the sun sat in its center. It was part of the fur, not just some kind of brand, like it had been painted on.
"...What's a cutie mark?" Selena asked blankly.
Sunny's smile wavered. "You know! It's my special talent! Ponies get them when we figure out what we're good at. Defending those baby turtles, I must be meant to be a knight!" She struck a knightly pose.
Selena shook her head. "Why didn't I get one?" She inspected her flanks, confused.
"Well...cause, I guess that's not your special talent. Don't you remember Mom telling us about them?" Sunny wilted a bit.
"Mom never said anything about cutie marks," Selena responded confused.
"Yes she did, when we were little. I– wait, no, Selena, not Novo. Our real mom! Back home!" Sunny scowled a bit.
"What do you mean? Mom is back home!" Selena countered.
"No no no no! Novo is not our mom! Our Mom is named Starry Night! You have the same coat color as her!”
Although Sunny looked at Selena expectantly, all the younger sister was able to do was give a puzzled look back.
Sunny blinked, and tears began to well in her eyes. “Don't you remember?"
Selena took a step toward her sister but Sunny stepped back.
"She's made you forget them!" Sunny spat, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"I don't remember, Sunny...sometimes I try, I try really hard, but it's fuzzy..." Selena began to cry as well.
"We need to stop pretending," Sunny said eventually. "Novo is not our mom."
"How..." Selena wiped the tears from her eyes. "How can you say that? She gave us our home."
Sunny stamped in the sand. "Novo is not our mom, Mount Aris isn't our home!"
"She's the only mom I have, Sunny!"
"Well I'm your only sister!" Sunny shouted.
For a moment there was silence, Selena wilting under sister's tearful gaze.
"Please, Sunny…don't make me choose. Let's go back…please? I want to go back. Please? Let's go back." Selena was scared now; scared Sunny might leave, scared her sister hated her, scared because she didn't know how to be a pony like Sunny.
It took a moment, but suddenly Sunny's hardened gaze fell into regret. She stumbled forward and hugged her. Their tears mixed against each other's cheek. "I'm sorry, Selena. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to. Let's go back."
They finally broke their embrace, and for a moment they smiled at each other. Sunny began to lead the way back, until a shadow fell over them.
As she looked back to see what it was, Selena's eyes widened, her mouth falling open wordlessly. Sunny turned her head to look before she was yanked into the air by her horn, a frightened yelp escaping her lips. Selena was frozen in fear as she looked up at the gryphon, his gnarled beak twisting into a devious grin.
Suddenly she was trapped, burlap encasing her as her hooves were brought out from under, sending her tumbling into the sack.
"I told ya them weren't just seagulls," a shrill voice cackled.