//------------------------------// // The Castle of Rainbows // Story: The Seven Castles // by Peace Petal //------------------------------// Star Dasher hiked up the hill at a tölt, her preferred gait when carrying a load. The smooth gait minimized any bouncing of her pack, which was easier on her back. The hill was wooded, but the undergrowth was sparse, so Star had no trouble getting through. She rushed past little patches of melting snow in the shadier spots and fresh green grass in the sunnier spots. After months of winter, even this brisk April morning felt warm. The young sunlight quickly warmed Star’s dark purple coat. Birdsong filled the woods. Her heart rate increased, and her breathing settled into that familiar workout rhythm. She felt alive, like she could run forever. Unfortunately, she ran out of hill. She stopped at the top, which was still wooded. The trees obstructed much of her view, but they were sparse; by moving around, she could catch glimpses of different parts of the landscape. The north-facing slope before her was much snowier than what she had just hiked up. Beyond was a wooded landscape—still mostly bare trees, for now. She took special note of the upcoming topography, since they would have to hike through the landscape before her on their way to the Castle of Rainbows. Star returned downhill at a canter. She headed towards where she guessed the others would be. She had left them to scout ahead. She paused and neighed, listening for a response. She heard a neigh off to her right. She had come too far, overestimating how far they would have walked without her. She cantered off and found Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly taking a break in a grass patch. “There’s more hills ahead,” Star said. “If we bend right, we should get to the lowest pass I saw.” “Is that how we get home?” Silly Lilly said. Star cocked her head. “I thought we explained this yesterday. We’re not going to your home, not yet.” “What?” Silly said with a gasp. “I don’t remember this.” “We’re going to the Castle of Rainbows,” Star said. “That’s northeast of here,” Kimono said. “All the other castles are south of Ponyville, so we’ll pass by Ponyville and Breezie Blossom on our way south.” “Oh…” Silly said, sounding crestfallen. “That sounds like a long way.” “Why do you want to go home, Silly?” Star said. “Didn’t you volunteer to go on this adventure?” She walked over to the grass patch and bent over to grab a mouthful. The new spring grass was particularly tender and delicious. “Well, I did, but I have a… problem,” Silly said. “How did you explain it, Kimono?” “Silly Lilly is a breezie,” Kimono said, looking at Star. “Breezies all live in Breezie Blossom, and they usually travel together. When they’re close to each other, breezies have a magical connection that enables their minds to exchange information. It enables them to think faster and come to agreements easily.” “Some breezies can live on their own just fine,” Silly Lilly said. “Others are bad at adjusting. I came along because the Castles of Happiness and Laughter sounded like fun. But this is the opposite of fun! It’s unfun!” “He has trouble remembering things, and it’s hard for him to think clearly,” Kimono said. “I’m guessing the other breezies did a lot of the thinking for him.” Star tried to imagine what that would be like. It sounded like Silly had essentially lost a part of his brain. Yeah, Star might want to go home, too, in those circumstances. She swallowed the grass she had been chewing and said, “We’ll get you home as soon as we can. Let’s get moving.” Kimono and Razzaroo saddled up their bags. * * * The group followed a stream for a while. Its quiet gurgling brought a sense of calm to the area. Star Dasher avoided leading, not wanting to set a pace that was too demanding for the others. She and Razzaroo were behind Kimono, who had sped up to a trot in the flat, easy terrain by the stream. Unusually, Silly Lilly had landed on Star’s bag, rather than Kimono’s. “Star Dasher,” Razz said. “There’s something I’ve been wondering all day.” “Oh?” Star said. “What are you doing with your legs?” Razz said, baffled. “Huh?” Star looked down at her legs—wrapped in yellow leg warmers, as usual—and saw that she was at a tölt while Razz was at a trot. “Oh, it’s a tölt.” “A what?” “A tölt. It’s a four-beat lateral ambling gait.” “A what?” Razz repeated. Without the runners’ terminology, Star thought. “It’s about the same speed as a trot, but it’s smoother. I do it when I’m carrying a load, because it bounces less.” “It’s true!” Silly said. “I can hardly feel her steps up here.” “How do you do it?” Razz said, watching Star’s hooves. “I learned it in track and field as a foal,” Star said. “It’s not that hard. It goes left hind, left front, right hind, right front. There’s a half-suspension between each beat.” “What?” Razz said, fumbling with her hooves as she attempted to change her gait. “That’s just a funny-looking walk. Pick up your hooves.” Star slowed down to show Razz. “See, right here, I would pick up my right front hoof before putting down the left one. And then I’d pick up my left hind hoof before putting down the right.” “Um… I think I’ll just stick to a trot for now,” Razz said. “Yeah, it takes most ponies a while to get used to it,” Star said. They trotted and tölted on. “You make it look so easy,” a voice behind them said. Razz and Star both whinnied and instinctively kicked behind them at the sudden, unexpected sound from their blind spots. Their hooves didn’t make contact with anything. Star looked behind her and saw a white pony with pink and purple hair and an amused grin, just out of reach of her hind legs. Wondermint. “Um, hello,” Kimono said. “Good morning, compadres!” Wondermint said. She did a showy bow. She had a pack with an accordion strapped to it. Emotions rushed to Star’s head. What was Wondermint doing here? Star had a crush on Wondermint, and those bubbly feelings of attraction came immediately. But Wondermint had used her charm to get Star to break a promise and reveal a friend’s birthday in exchange for a kiss. January had assured Star that Wondermint knew nothing of her promise, but Star still remembered the bitter emotions after that experience, and Wondermint had never apologized. Star was normally nervous around Wondermint, but since that kiss, even more so. She had mostly avoided interacting with Wondermint since then. “Wondermint, right?” Kimono said. “Kimono, Razzaroo, Silly Lilly, and Star Dasher!” Wondermint said. “What are you doing here?” Razzaroo said. “I have come to join you in your quest!” Wondermint proclaimed. “Coming out here was a whole decision-making process for me, and I procrastinated until the last minute. I love little, everyday pleasures, like extra whipped cream on hot cocoa, a letter from my grandmother, or a smile from a friend. And most of those things are in the city. But I decided that I might find new little things to appreciate on your epic odyssey.” “Well… you’re welcome to join us,” Razz said. “Do you have food? A water container? A sleeping roll? A tent?” “Yes, yes, yes, y—no,” Wondermint said. “I knew I was forgetting something! I don’t own a tent. I never expected to leave Joyville.” Razz hesitantly said, “Maybe we could go back and ask your friends if—” “Nah, we’ve traveled almost a whole day,” Wondermint protested. “And catching up to you wore me out.” Her white coat was damp with sweat. Still beautiful, though. She breathed heavily, her rib cage showing with each inhalation. Ah, why so hot? “I’m sure we can work something out. It doesn’t rain most nights. Maybe I could find somewhere sheltered on nights when it does.” “I have a little extra room in my tent,” Razz said. “And Kimono is really good at predicting the weather. You can share with me on rainy nights.” “We could take turns, if you’d prefer not to go back,” Kimono said. Star didn’t dare offer to share, as well. Wondermint, in her tiny, one-pony tent? Her face flushed and her ears felt hot just thinking about it. “Great,” Wondermint said. “Forward, my noble companions!” * * * Star Dasher and the others traveled along a lakeshore. To their right was a thick, dark forest of conifers—Star didn’t know what kind. To the left was the lake, its shallows strangled with reeds and aquatic plants with showy purple flowers. There was a narrow strip of grass along the lakeshore where the ponies walked. The ground was squishy, prompting Star to remove her leg warmers. Soon mud was splattered all over her lower legs. There was a light fog in the cool air. “Wait, so you’re telling me that if your jewel gets dirty, it puts you in a bad mood?” Silly said. He fluttered alongside Star. “Even if you were feeling good before?” “So they say,” Star said. “I generally keep my jewel clean, like everypony else, so I can’t speak from experience.” “What about when you lie down?” “My parents taught me to always lie down on the left side.” Star turned her bare left flank towards Silly. “Quiet!” Kimono hissed, suddenly stopping. Star stopped, confused. Kimono’s ears pivoted. She whinnied and turned towards the lake. Star jumped back as a tongue of flame leapt out of the reeds towards the ponies. She thought they were toast, but the flame didn’t pass Kimono. A sudden rush of wind blew against the flames, blowing them back and charring the reeds. Star still felt some heat radiating off the nearby fire. “It’s a salamander!” Star cried, recalling her grandfather’s stories. “Run for the trees!” They took off sprinting, with Kimono taking up the rear. Star saw behind her that as soon as Kimono turned around, the flames leapt forward. She had stopped them. How? They darted through the trees. Branches caught in Star’s mane and scratched at her face. She didn’t make it far before she had to slow to a tölt. Still, she noticed that she was well ahead of the others. Fighting her instincts, she deliberately slowed down and looked for the others. They were all here, and Star noticed that Kimono’s lovely purple tail was singed. “Salamanders supposedly never stray far from water,” Star said. “We should be safe.” They slowed down. It was hard to get through this terrain, and the others were panting already. Star kept looking behind them, just in case. She saw no trace of the salamander. “Are you hurt, Kimono?” Razz said frantically. Star’s heart was pounding, and not just from the run. Her legs were shaky, and she was sweating. Razz looked similarly. “No,” Kimono said. “It didn’t burn to the dock. I just lost some hair, is all.” “What did you do?” Wondermint said. “It was like you summoned a gust of wind to hold off the fire. That was crazy!” Star had wondered about that, as well, but she was still too nervous to be very curious. “Oh, that… well…” Kimono seemed flustered, which was a rare state for her. “Yes, I caused the wind.” “How did you do it?” Wonder said, rearing up excitedly. “Well, it starts with meditation,” Kimono said. “It took me years of practice to learn it. When I’m truly at peace with myself and at one with nature, I can move the air, in small ways.” “I didn’t see you meditate while that salamander was breathing at us,” Razz pointed out. “Like I said, I’ve been practicing for years. I can access that state of mind in an instant, now.” So it was a skill that could be learned? That made Star curious, pushing her nervousness away. “That’s so cool!” Star said. “Will you teach me?” “And me!” Silly Lilly added. “I can teach you how to meditate,” Kimono said. “But it will take time and dedication to learn to influence the world around you. And, according to the stories, different ponies develop different abilities. In any case, we should figure out where we’re going first.” The ponies all looked around. This dark forest would be difficult to navigate. A thick layer of fallen needles made the whole scene aromatic. It was deeply shaded, and branches and roots obstructed their way. But nopony wanted to turn back towards the lake and the salamander. “Silly Lilly, would you please fly above the trees and tell us which direction the sun is in?” Kimono said. “Sure thing!” He darted off. Silly was gone for several minutes, and Star shuffled her hooves anxiously. “Silly Lilly!” Kimono called. “Silly Lilly, where are you?” The yellow breezie zipped back down. “I’m here!” he said. “In which direction was the sun?” Kimono said. “Oh, um… I forgot,” Silly said. “Can we go home now?” Kimono sighed. “We’ll go there after the Castle of Rainbows. Here, I’ll help you.” She walked to an area where the trees were less thick and they could barely make out a patch of distant blue sky. A huge fallen log lay in the area. “Fly straight up above the trees,” Kimono said. Silly flew up. “Keep going,” Kimono instructed, looking up at him. “Leave that pinecone alone. You’re almost there. Good, can you see the sun? Point a hoof at it. Good job, now come back down!” Silly returned to them. “We need to go this way,” Kimono said, starting off. * * * “There will be rain tonight,” Kimono said. They were still in thick forest, and the sky had darkened overhead. Star started setting up her small tent. Razz sat to write in her notebook. She was recording everything about their adventures in there, the places they went and distance estimates, weather summaries, descriptions of the flora and fauna. Wondermint sat on a log and played a tune on her accordion. Star found herself swaying to the music, as always. Wonder was so talented… The music stopped just a few minutes later. That was odd. Star looked over at Wonder’s log. Kimono was saying, “Silly Lilly would like to try to learn meditation, and quiet is best, especially for beginners.” Star walked over and said, “I’d like to learn, as well!” “Then come,” Kimono said. The three of them stood in a circle. Aww, Silly was so itty-bitty when he stood on the ground… “Lock your legs,” Kimono said. “Close your eyes. Get to a comfortable, relaxed position.” Star shifted her front right hoof off of a root. “Relax your bodies,” Kimono said. “Steady your breathing. Let your heart rate sink. Relax your muscles. If needed, shift to relieve any tension.” Star thought she felt an ant crawling up her leg. She opened her eyes, but she didn’t see any ant. “Calm your minds,” Kimono said. “Don’t think about anything else. Just focus on your surroundings. Do you hear the wind in the trees? And the songs of crickets and other insects? Feel at one with the cool, scented air. Imagine your hooves as roots, sinking through the duff to the moist earth beneath. Calm.” Now Star was really struggling. Her mind kept drifting, thinking about the salamander they had escaped from. She had never seen it. What color might it have been? And then she was thinking about how far they had come, trying to guess where they were on their vague map from the Ponyville castle. And then she was thinking about her companions, wise Kimono, organized Razzaroo, scatterbrained Silly Lilly. Oh, and Wondermint… Glitter and stars, that pony. Kimono had gone silent. “How do we know if we’re doing it right?” Star said. “Shh…” Kimono whispered. “If you’re asking, you haven’t gotten it yet.” She paused for a moment. “Sorry, that was harsh. Let’s go for another ten minutes or so, then you can ask questions.” Star tried to clear her mind, but that was harder than she ever would have imagined. Thoughts kept popping into her head. What would she eat for breakfast tomorrow? Should she try again to teach Razz the tölt, or even Kimono and Wonder? How long had it been since she had been on an actual run? Was she going to lose her conditioning on this journey? Had it really not been ten minutes yet? She needed to move. She needed to run. Her body felt better, she thought more clearly, she felt happier and more alive when she was running. And this was like the opposite of that! “I’m sorry, I can’t do it!” she blurted. She took off at a canter, darting between trees in a big circle around their camp. She did that circle three more times, just to get her blood pumping. When she returned to the camp, Kimono and Silly Lilly were still standing with their eyes closed. Star loved trying new things, but that didn’t mean she had to like everything she tried. Meditation was cool, but not for her. * * * The conifers had transitioned to maples and other hardwood trees. Maybe it was just the advancing spring weather, but Star felt like the climate was turning warmer as they traveled farther northeast. Razz shared that thought, when Star brought it up. Razz described Joyville as “weirdly cold” for its latitude. They were walking in single file. Star had ended up right behind Wondermint. She was doing her best to keep her eyes off of Wondermint’s hindquarters. She ended up staring at the ground instead. Wondermint came to a sudden stop. Star frantically stopped herself so abruptly that Razz ran into her from behind. At least she hadn’t done the same to Wondermint. “What’s happening?” Razz said. Kimono stopped in the front. “This flower,” Wondermint said, pointing. “What about it?” Razz said. They all gathered around it. “It’s pretty,” Wondermint said. Its stalk sprang from a base with two leaves. The stalk turned and drooped downwards, so the flower was hanging upside down. The six thin, yellow petals curled upwards, and the anthers and stigma hung like ornaments. It was a small but brilliantly colorful flower. There were also thousands more just like it all around them. Wondermint bent down and sniffed it. “We’ve passed thousands of these…” Razz said. “But I had never seen this kind of flower until today!” Wondermint said. “I want you all to appreciate this flower. This is a little thing. But it’s making the whole trip worthwhile for me.” She pranced off, taking the lead and humming a tune. Gah, she’s so hot! Star thought. She blushed and looked away. It wasn’t just her appearance—although that certainly didn’t hurt! It was her charming personality that Star was attracted to, and that flower moment was an enchanting display of it. Which made her feel even more conflicted, since it was Wondermint’s character that kept Star away. To her knowledge, Wondermint didn’t reciprocate Star’s attraction. She gave no indication of even having thought about their kiss since it happened. She was carefree and whimsical, and that’s what drew Star in. But it also scared her. “Are you alright?” Kimono said. Star was standing, while the others were following Wondermint and had already moved a considerable distance. “Coming!” Star said, catching up to them at a quick tölt. * * * They broke through a line of trees and blinked in the sunlight. They had stumbled upon a gorgeous meadow with fresh, minty-smelling grass. Birds sang and butterflies fluttered. “Snack time!” Star proclaimed. The others nodded in agreement. They had brought some dried food from Joyville, but they relied on foraging for much of their needs. They discovered with glee that there was not only grass but alfalfa in the meadow. Star ate next to Razzaroo, and they conversed in between bites. At first they were talking about Star’s career as a runner. The competitions she took part in, which events she usually won, her training regime. Of the ponies from outside Joyville, Star knew Razz the best. Kimono was aloof, and Silly Lilly was always with her. Razz was more sociable. But it struck Star that while she knew what had motivated Kimono and Silly Lilly to go on this quest, she did not know what had motivated Razz to leave the comforts of home. “Razz, I’ve been wondering something,” Star said. Kimono gestured for them to continue on their way. Star and Razz followed, talking on the move. “Kimono left Ponyville to gain more knowledge and uncover the mysteries of why the castles were built and why they lost contact. Silly Lilly left Breezie Blossom because it sounded like fun. But why did you leave Ponyville? You’re a party planner. There aren’t many parties going on in this wilderness.” “Yes… that’s a good question,” Razz said. She didn’t sound excited about it. “Well… there’s another party planner in Ponyville, younger than me, named Pinkie Pie. She’s very enthusiastic about her work, and she’s doing very well. Everyone likes her. And then… there’s me.” “What do you mean? You say that like you’re underwhelming.” “I mean, don’t you ever think I’m a little… weird? I’m not as charismatic as Pinkie Pie. I’m awkward in social situations. Remember, I got so excited about January Joy’s party ideas that I was oblivious to anything else. I didn’t consider your feelings.” “It wasn’t your fault,” Star said. “You were new to town.” “Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have made that mistake,” Razz said. “She knows how to work with ponies. All I know how to do is keep extensive notes. So, I decided to get out of her way. Go do something else. At least my notetaking skills will be valuable, here. I hope. Maybe I can make a book out of our adventures or something?” Star didn’t know what to say. Razzaroo sounded down on herself. “Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Star said. “And I don’t think you’re awkward. You’re easier to talk to than Kimono.” “Well, thank you,” Razz said. “That means a lot to me.” They walked in silence for a moment, passing under a canopy of budding trees. But Star had another question on her mind. “Can I ask you another personal question?” “I suppose so,” Razz said, uncertain. “Is there a story behind the name Razzaroo?” “Oh, that,” Razz said with a chuckle. “Sure. I don’t know if it works the same way in Joyville, but in Ponyville our parents give us a name, but we choose a new one when we get our cutie marks.” “Some ponies do it that way in Joyville,” Star said. “It depends on the family. That’s what I did.” “I already had a name picked out even before I got my cutie mark at age nine. So it has nothing to do with the present on my flank. Razzaroo is just a silly word I came up with as a filly.” Star stopped herself from laughing. “I kind of regret it, but I’ve tried to give it meaning since then. It’s unique, right? Whatever I am is Razzaroo, and Razzaroo is me. Whatever I am…” “I actually love that,” Star said. “It makes mine look boring.” “What’s your story? It looks like your cutie mark and name are related.” “I didn’t have my name picked out before I got my cutie mark. Have I ever mentioned, when I was young I wanted to be an astronomer?” “No. Really?” “Yep. I loved stars, constellations, and planets. But I also always loved sports. Anyway, one night I saw a shooting star fly low over the sky. I ran after it, trying to catch it. I was sure it had landed just behind the first hill next to Joyville. I ran all over the forest looking for it. I never found it, but I still had fun. By the time I returned to town and saw myself in the light, this star had appeared on my flank. I named myself Star Dasher after that night.” “But you didn’t become an astronomer?” Razz said. “Yeah… It was really hard for me to study. I couldn’t pay attention in school or reading. I decided to be an athlete instead, and now I can say I’m a star athlete. A star dasher, even.” “Oh, I get it,” Razz said with a chuckle. “I’m jealous of your notetaking skills,” Star said. “I wish I were good at studying and paying attention. “I guess we both wish we had other skills, then,” Razz said longingly. “Hey, at least we’re both good at something,” Star said. * * * They set up their tents after another long day of walking. They had gone uphill most of the day, and unfortunately the other ponies looked rather ragged. Razz flopped on the ground before even setting up her tent. Everypony could tell that it was going to rain tonight, with those clouds bringing on early twilight. Humidity was in the air. Star’s legs and hooves were sore, as well. It wasn’t just today, but the stacking effect of day after day of walking. They guessed they were more than halfway to the Castle of Rainbows, but it was hard to know for certain. In any case, Star still felt better than the others looked, so she went around and helped everypony set up their tents, starting with Razzaroo. Silly Lilly just found a nice big flower to sleep in—something like a rose, although it had no thorns. No meditation or accordion tonight. They were too tired, and they wanted to get into their tents before the rain started. After eating two biscuits with honey, Star turned to her tent. She opened the door and froze. “Hey, Star,” Wondermint said, with her wild, asymmetric grin. She lay scrunched up in a sleeping bag on one side of the little tent, making room but still somehow relaxed in her pose. After days of wilderness travel, her usually silky hair was tangled and had the occasional leaf trapped in it. Her purple eyes were tired. But somehow her zany energy still shined through, taking on a rustic quality in these circumstances. For a skinny musician, she had borne the hardships of the wilderness well. “Gyuuhh…” Star was speechless. “It’ll rain tonight, and I already slept with Razz and Kimono,” Wonder said. “It’s your turn! Unless,” she gasped, “I’m sorry, I never asked if you want to share. Should I leave?” Star felt panic coming on. Sleeping with Wondermint? That was insane! She knew she found Wonder to be irresistible, so if she went into that tent with Wonder, she’d basically be bound to do anything Wonder asked. But… she wasn’t really a bad pony, right? Star was just being irrationally fearful of her crush. Besides, she didn’t want to be rude. Especially not to that pretty face… “No, we can share,” Star squeaked out. “Wonderful!” Wondermint said. Star carefully entered the tent, trying to avoid stepping on Wonder. Normally she switched out her set of leg warmers—she had brought two—to avoid them getting too filthy, but she didn’t bother tonight. She started to crawl into her sleeping bag. There was so little room! She didn’t want to touch Wonder, so she scooched up against the wall of the tent. She realized that if she lay down on her left side, she’d be face to face with Wonder! She was too afraid to do that. Her skin felt clammy, and her head was spinning. She decided to turn onto her right side, lying on her jewel cutie mark and facing the tent wall. As she shifted into the sleeping back, she felt her back brush against something, probably Wonder’s hoof. This made her blush. Just as she settled into her position, legs tucked tight against her body to make enough space, rain started pattering on the tent. No going back now. “Now that you’re here, I was hoping we could talk a bit,” Wonder said. “Okay,” Star squeaked, shutting her eyes. “You’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost,” Wonder said tenderly. “I just want to chat. No kisses tonight.” So she did remember! Well, of course she remembered, but she actually thought about it. Star let her tense muscles relax a bit. “Wh…what about?” Star said. “You and me, me and you, the winds of change, and the wheeling of the world!” Wonder said. The answer didn’t exactly put Star at ease, but she still chuckled because it was so wonderfully on-brand for Wonder. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I hope I don’t come off as presumptuous when I say you have a crush on me.” Star didn’t respond to that. She had figured Wonder knew. “You’re nervous around me, but it seems like more than just the crush,” Wonder said. “I want to clear the air between us. If you’re upset about me trading a kiss for November’s birthday, I’m sorry. That was wrong.” Star sighed. That made a world of difference for her. It was like her chest had been constricted and now she could suddenly breathe freely again. “I believe in transparency,” Wonder said. “So let me let you know how I feel about you.” Star’s heart rate shot up, and her muscles tensed again. What a roller coaster it was, just talking with Wondermint! Not even talking to her, but just listening. “Keep in mind, I am so changeable! Ask me again in a week, and this could all be different. I like you. I think you’re cute.” Star blushed again, and even her ears felt hot. Could Wonder see that? No, it was dark. “But I think that about a lot of ponies,” Wonder continued. “And ever since January Joy transitioned…” She catcalled loudly, probably disturbing the other tents. “Have you seen that boy’s dock? And his chiseled face? January is the pony I want most of all. That’s one of the reasons I hesitated to join this quest. I hope you don’t mind if I’m a little flirty with you. If that makes you uncomfortable, just tell me. But a little flirty is all, for now.” Star didn’t know what to say. She felt that her strong attraction to Wondermint demanded either commitment or denial, not some awkward in-between space. But she was incredibly grateful for the apology, and that put her at ease. And she still found it hard to say no to Wonder, so she just didn’t say anything. “Hey, Star, are you still awake?” Wonder said. “Yes,” Star said, her voice coming out in a squeak once again. She would stay awake all night if Wonder kept talking, despite her fatigue. “D’aww, you are such a li’l bean,” Wonder said fondly. “Well, a big bean, maybe. Them haunches got muscle!” Star laughed awkwardly. She thinks my haunches are muscly? she thought stupidly. “Well, goodnight,” Wonder said. Star heard her shift. She opened her eyes and tilted her head to look behind her. Wonder had shifted to lie on her left side, facing the tent wall. A small but welcome change. Star was too nervous to face Wonder directly, but her current position was uncomfortable. That jewel was hard, and it was pressing against her body like a rock. She carefully shifted to her left side, facing Wonder’s back. “Goodnight,” Star whispered. Of all the things Wondermint had said, it wasn’t the lack of reciprocality that stuck with Star the most. It was the apology. That was a big deal to her. She slept well that night. * * * The others had allowed Star Dasher to lead for once, because she was the most surefooted. Following a narrow trail along a steep, rocky ridge was hard enough. To their right was a sharp drop, and to their left was a wall of broken stone that rose far above their heads. The terrain had taken a turn for the mountainous as they approached the Castle of Rainbows. Star had never seen such big elevation changes before. It all got harder when they encountered a waterfall. The path went right through it. Much of the water passed it by, continuing down the near vertical rock face to the valley below. But there was still some water that sprinkled on the trail, giving life to algae and moss. Star looked around for another way. They’d have to backtrack all the way to the start of the ridge and go by the valley or the spine of the ridge, and either would entail huge changes in elevation at the beginning and end. She crept forward, keeping three hooves on the ground at a time. The trail was reasonably flat through the waterfall, but as Star suspected, the algae was slippery. “Careful!” she shouted over the waterfall. “It’s slippery!” Water sprinkled on her mane, and presumably on her pack, as she advanced. It was frigid, but hopefully it wouldn’t soak through too much. Step by step, she crossed the waterfall. She reached the other side without mishap. The others had just started to cross, led by Kimono. Star shrugged off her pack and carefully set it on the path. She returned to the edge of the waterfall, proffering a hoof to Kimono. She didn’t take it, keeping her hooves on the ground. But Star stayed there in case Kimono started to slip. Instead, Kimono came to a stop in the water. She tilted her head, evidently looking at something. Her gaze was drawn to the sheet of water passing by her left. She stared at it with a baffled expression for a few seconds. All Star saw was a little rainbow in the water. “Are you alright?” Star called out. Kimono nodded and continued to walk. Star backed up and got out of her way. “What were you looking at?” Star said. “Keep an eye on the others while they cross,” Kimono said. “We’ll talk about it after.” Star nodded and returned to the edge of the waterfall, extending a hoof for Wondermint. Wonder’s eyes went wide as her right front leg slipped out from under her. Star’s heartbeat spiked, and she extended herself forward. She reached to Wonder’s shoulder and shoved her towards the stone wall, away from the drop. Wonder landed on her chest, her hind legs still standing. She looked around in fear. “Take my hoof!” Star shouted. “I’ll help you stand up!” Wonder did so, shaking violently. Keeping her hoof on Star’s, she hobbled the rest of the way. Her legs were wobbling as she came into the dry part on the other side. She was breathing heavily, and her white chest was smeared with green. Star wanted to stay and comfort Wonder, but she left her with Kimono and went to assist Razz. Razz managed to cross without mishap. Wonder had lain down on the widest part of the trail, huddling the stone wall. There was enough space for Star to lie next to her, putting her body between Wonder and the edge. “The rainbow in the waterfall,” Kimono said. “There’s no yellow band.” “What?” Star said, turning her head to look behind her. She hadn’t noticed it before, but the rainbow was… incomplete. Where the yellow band should have been, it was just the white foam of the waterfall. The pink on one side was separated from the blue and purple on the other. “That’s not right.” She didn’t have to second guess herself. This was no trick of the light. That rainbow looked wrong. “What does it mean?” “It’s almost time for the first rainbow of the season,” Razz said. “Every year, shooting stars appear in the sky for each color of the rainbow. When the last one arrives, the first rainbow of the season appears, and all the rainbow berries become ripe. Yellow is the first shooting star. Did anyone see a yellow shooting star?” They all exchanged glances and shook their heads, except poor Wondermint who was still staring at the ground. But they were often under tree cover, and there had been clouds last night. “Something is wrong,” Kimono said. “And if there are answers, they’ll be at the Castle of Rainbows, I suspect. I think we should pick up the pace and try to get there before the first rainbow appears. Star, would you lead us?” Star looked at Wonder and said, “Can you stand?” “I-isn’t this a… reversal from last-t night?” Wonder stuttered. “Who’s nervous now?” She stood up, shaking. Star stood with her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s over,” Star said. “Without the algae, this trail isn’t so bad. And look, the slope of the ridge flattens ahead.” Wonder’s shaking subsided. “Ready?” Star said. Wonder nodded, keeping her eyes on the ground. Star took the lead. She didn’t go too quickly, not until they were on safer ground. Her worries were split between Wonder and the incomplete rainbow they had seen. She couldn’t imagine what that meant, but it probably wasn’t good. * * * Fragmented thoughts. That was reality for Silly Lilly. He… what? Couldn’t think. Except about home. Breezie Blossom. Tulips. His friends. That buzzing in his mind. Where was it? Gone now. Where was he? Why was he— “Clear your mind of worries and other thoughts,” Kimono said. “Feel, hear, and smell the world around you.” Oh, right. Silly was doing that. It was easy for him not to think, if he remembered to do it. His head was so empty. There was nothing inside. Nothing but breathing and heartbeats. They were steady and calm. Outside, lots. Lots was happening. Ants marching by. Pollen and the scent of flowers in the air. Dappled sunlight on his back and wings. Cool, moist air. Cool, moist ground. Dark, rich soil underneath. Networks of roots and fungi. Lily flower seedlings. Young, vulnerable, some might not make it. Unless Silly helped them. Filled with love for pretty, growing things, he encouraged them to grow. They sprang up as full-fledged flowers. “You did it,” Kimono said calmly. “Wait, you did it?” Kimono piped, surprised and alert. “What happened?” Silly said, opening his eyes. Flowers in front of him. The ones he had helped. They were yellow lilies, just like him! “I felt your magic reach out into the world,” Kimono said. “Like mine does when I cause winds.” “Oh, I made flowers grow. Oops.” “You accessed your inner connection with nature. How did you do it so quickly?” “That?” Silly said, gesturing to the flowers. “All breezies can do that.” “It would appear that breezie magic is the same as the magic I’ve been using,” Kimono said. “How unexpected.” “Cool! Hey, I don’t think I’ve ever done that without the other breezies before.” “Perhaps meditating improves your abilities or awareness,” Kimono said. For a moment, Silly had felt whole. Now, it felt like something was missing again. Fragmented thoughts, deafening quiet in his mind. Meditate again. Try to be like Kimono. She was smart. Silly was not. She knew what was happening. Silly did not. He needed her. * * * They had seen the blue and purple shooting stars. Assuming they had missed the yellow, there was only one more shooting star. If there was something wrong with the rainbows and they wanted to be at the Castle of Rainbows to help, they needed to get there before the last shooting star. At least, so they assumed, because the first rainbow of the season always appeared before the last shooting star. Star Dasher loved watching the sequential shooting stars and the brilliant rainbow streaking across the sky every year, but she didn’t know what would happen if the old pattern was broken. So, they decided to wake up before sunrise the next morning and head out in the dark. The dawn’s first gleams revealed a mountain ahead. A building with sharp towers and a high dome roof was silhouetted against the slowly brightening sky. “Yes, yes, yes!” Razzaroo exclaimed. “That’s it!” “I’m glad we got there without wandering around this time,” Kimono said. “That was much quicker than the first castle.” “All the topography makes it easier to know where we are,” Razz said. They continued hiking towards the mountain as the sun rose. The light revealed a town partway up the slope, with a river running through it and cascading down the cliff which the town sat atop. That was off to their right, and the cliff looked difficult, so they decided to go straight for the castle first. When the light hit the castle at the top of the mountain, it sparkled brilliantly. Only then did they realize that the purple structure had crystals inset throughout it. The entire dome roof was made of crystals. A light appeared in the sky, and it floated down to the castle. “What was that?” Silly Lilly said. But the others were just as clueless. Moments later, the pink shooting star crossed the sky and flew into the sunrise. “No, no, no,” Razz said. “The first rainbow of the season is supposed to appear before the last shooting star. What happened?” They sped up, racing towards the top of the mountain. Star kept with the others for a moment, then she said, “Sorry, I’ll see you at the top!” She took off at a flying pace. She had to know what was happening. The slope of the mountain tired her out quickly, but this was urgent, so she kept going. She noticed as she passed the town that they had white banners hanging everywhere. As she sprinted, a brilliant rainbow leapt out of the crystal dome, curling down to the town and off to the south. Before her eyes, all the white banners in the town turned to rainbow colors. Was this normal, here? These rainbows had all their colors, she noted. As she ran and got closer to the castle at the top, she heard singing. There must have been some kind of celebration. That light reappeared again, rising from the castle. Now that she was closer, she could see that it was some kind of flying chariot, pulled by a pair of birds. It flew off into the clouds and disappeared. Star finally reached the castle, panting. Dozens of ponies stood in a flat cobblestone space outside the front doors of the castle. Star immediately noticed that they all had horns on their foreheads. Nopony seemed to notice her at first, as they were all watching the chariot. A purple pony with pink hair was the first to notice her. “Hello, there,” she said, looking a little surprised. “Are you from Ponyville, too?” “Um, no… but two of my friends are,” Star said, puffing for air. “My name is Star Dasher.” “And I’m Cheerilee,” the horned pony said. “Welcome to Unicornia. You didn’t come with Rainbow Dash, Minty, and Pinkie Pie. How did you get here?” Other ponies had noticed their conversation, and they were crowding around her. “I walked, or we walked,” Star said. “Well I ran… the last bit. My friends should be… coming up the mountain. I assume this is the Castle of Rainbows. Is everything alright here? We saw a weird-looking rainbow.” Kimono, Razzaroo, Wondermint, and Silly Lilly made it up to the top. A good deal of confusion was sorted out. This was the Crystal Rainbow Castle, and they had nearly missed the first rainbow of the season due to the disappearance of the Crystal Princess, but it was all sorted out now. Apparently these ponies were called unicorns, and they had met a group of earth ponies and breezies from Ponyville who had left by flying chariot mere moments before Star had arrived. Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly were sad to have so narrowly missed their friends after not having seen them in so long. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like,” Cheerilee said. “Thank you,” Kimono said. “I’m very curious to learn more about the history of your castle and town.” “I’ll gladly help you with that!” Cheerilee said. The carriage from earlier reappeared and approached the castle. Its only occupant was a small pink unicorn with rainbow hair. She landed the carriage and leapt out, levitating a star-shaped wand with her horn. “Hi, who are you, I’ve never seen you here before!” she said excitedly. She looked to be just a filly. Star Dasher, Kimono, Razzaroo, Wondermint, and Silly Lilly introduced themselves. “I’m Rarity,” the filly said. “Or, Princess Rarity! It’s so nice to meet you.” “How long will you be staying?” Cheerilee said. “Not too long, probably,” Razz said. “We have a lot of places to visit, still. And we’d like to go back to Breezie Blossom, before anything else.” Silly Lilly gasped. “That sounds like a great idea!” “Oh, you’re going back towards Ponyville?” Rarity said. “It’s a long way. I can take you there, with the Crystal Carriage.” “I suppose that’s true,” Cheerilee said. “Will you drive responsibly, though? You took off before I could say anything just now. You could have gotten lost.” She sounded like a stern teacher. “Oh… yes, Miss Cheerilee,” Rarity said. “Now, if you’d like, we can show you to guest rooms,” Cheerilee said. She looked at Kimono. “Then I’ll tell you what I know about our history.” * * * Silly Lilly flew out of the library. Kimono and the unicorn—Cheerilee, right? They were talking about the past. Very distant past, stuff Silly couldn’t understand. He felt bewildered by all this. He wanted to be in the sun. He wanted to meditate. He left the castle and saw a stream nearby. He flew to it and landed in tall grass, over his head. Shade and quiet. Babbling water nearby. Cool air, no breeze. He closed his eyes. Searching for that inner peace. Why was everything so hard? Why couldn’t he just think? He wasn’t exactly bright when he lived in Breezie Blossom, but he wasn’t nearly this dumb, either. Peace eluded him. Worries about himself. He had been freeloading off the hivemind, hadn’t he? He was dumb as a rock. The other breezies did the thinking for him, bringing him up to nearly their level. Without the others, who was Silly LIlly? Stop worrying. Peace, meditation. Heart slowly beating, steady breathing. Antennae swaying in the air, gossamer wings shining. Looking inside, brush away the worries, find the peace. There was something inside. Something unique. Not the hivemind, not Kimono, not even dumb. There was something uniquely Silly Lilly. He just had to understand what it was and bring it forward. In this peaceful state, he knew that he would not understand himself in an instant or a single meditation session. But he knew what he needed to do. He needed to discover who Silly Lilly was, without the breezies, and without Kimono. Well, Kimono as a friend, but not attached to her by the wing. He felt the desire to stay away from Breezie Blossom until he had this sorted. Until he found what Silly Lilly was good at, what he liked, all by himself. He opened his eyes. The sun was higher in the sky now. How long had he been meditating? No matter, he needed to find Kimono and deliver the news. * * * Kimono quickly learned that the majority of the library in the Rainbow Crystal Castle was written in a foreign language that no one understood, just like the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville. Kimono inspected the books, and the symbols seemed to be the same as in the books in Ponyville. She had put some effort into trying to learn this language, and she had memorized the symbols, but she was never able to attach meaning to them. What could this mean? It was interesting enough that the ponies in three different, isolated locations spoke the same language, but it was downright bizarre that Ponyville and Unicornia had the same foreign language in their libraries, a language which none of them understood. Perhaps it was the same in Joyville’s library, too, before it was burnt. There had to be some common history here. Cheerilee showed her the library. It had crystalline windows that let in a rainbow light. It was clean and well-organized, but it didn’t look like it got much use. Cheerilee and Kimono were the only ponies in here, at the moment. There was a small section of books in “Unicornian.” That seemed like a misnomer, as it was the same language they were speaking, and Kimono was perfectly capable of reading it. Cheerilee added some history from a definitive book written in Unicornian one hundred years ago that had collected oral stories of the unicorns. Kimono asked to borrow a copy. Cheerilee gave a summary of the information that was most relevant to the questions Kimono had about the founding of the castles and how they lost contact with each other. Cheerilee told her that the castle had been founded about five hundred years ago—that more or less lined up with the more precise dates kept by the jewel ponies. She mentioned that six other castles had been founded, which lined up with the map from Ponyville, although she gave them slightly different names—rather than the Castle of Kindness, she listed the Castle of Love, and rather than Music, Song. Cheerilee said that the Rainbow Crystal Castle had been founded by an empress. Apparently there had once been a United Pony Empire, its capital far to the south from here. The Empire had founded all seven castles at the same time. While Cheerilee wasn’t clear on the purpose of the other castles, she did provide quite a bit of knowledge on the origins of the Rainbow Crystal Castle. Unicorns made the rainbows, and it had always been that way. But the empress had built this castle to help them organize, to have a central location that would keep them all on the same schedule and amplify their magic. Silly Lilly darted into the library. When had he left Kimono? “There you are!” Silly Lilly said. “I have something… something to say.” He paused and looked at a rainbow that refracted through the crystalline windows onto the floor. He landed by it, checking it out. “Yes?” Kimono said. “Oh, um, yeah, I was meditating,” Silly said. “And I decided that I don’t want to go to Breezie Blossom.” “Oh, really?” Kimono said, surprised. “Why is that?” “Um… it’s hard to explain, now…” Silly said uncertainly. “It made sense when I was meditating. It was like… I need to figure out who I am without the other breezies?” “I see. I don’t want you to make this decision unless you’re sure. The unicorns have a carriage that could get us to Breezie Blossom quickly. This could be our last chance for several months.” “I’m sure!” Silly said, yellow-green eyes beaming. “I can’t explain it, but I feel it.” “Very well,” Kimono said. “If we’re not going straight to Breezie Blossom, we’ll have to discuss with the others what our plans are.” * * * They decided to go for the Castle of Family next. It was the farthest south, on the other end of the map from here. But the unicorns assured them that the Crystal Carriage could take them there quickly. This made Star Dasher curious as to why the unicorns didn’t use the Crystal Carriage to visit Joyville, Ponyville, or other cities. Cheerilee answered that they didn’t know these cities were out there, and the carriage could only be used by the Crystal Princess, whose primary responsibility was making the rainbows. After the Castle of Family, then they could work their way north, passing by all the other castles on the way back to Ponyville. They’d minimize their return journey this way. Star Dasher and Wondermint would have to walk back to Joyville from there, but they planned to introduce themselves in Ponyville and keep in touch. They didn’t stay in Unicornia for long. The unicorns had made friends with the Ponyville ponies, and it sounded like there would be contact back and forth between them. That was one of Kimono’s goals with this journey. The other goal was to learn what she could about the history of these castles. Perhaps a detailed search of the library could reveal something hidden, like how Kimono had found the map in the Castle of Friendship, but Cheerilee was already working on that. Kimono cut her tail short before they set out, getting rid of the burnt hair. They took a couple of weeks to rest before heading out. Star Dasher found the young Rarity to be particularly pleasant company, as they were both fun-loving and easily distracted. They played a lot of games together—tag, chaos with big bouncy balls, roller skating, etc. They all took much-needed baths, and Star washed the mud out of her leg warmers. Wondermint enchanted the unicorns with her accordion. Every day Rarity made another spectacular rainbow with her wand. Soon enough they were loading into the Crystal Carriage, packs full of food thanks to the generosity of the unicorns. The carriage was open and spacious, just big enough to fit them and their luggage. Rarity used her wand to direct the two yellow birds that pulled the carriage, and Cheerilee came along just in case. They had agreed to drop the travelers off at the Castle of Family and stick around long enough to make sure they were in no danger before heading back to Unicornia. The carriage lurched forwards as the birds flapped their wings. It easily took off into the air. The wind speed increased rapidly, blowing around Star Dasher’s mane. They were already flying faster than she could sprint! She stuck her head out the side of the carriage and looked down in amazement as everything on the ground became tinier. “Hold on!” Rarity said. “It’s about to get bumpy.” Star brought her head back into the carriage as Rarity waved her wand again. There was a flash of yellow light that seemed to engulf the whole carriage, temporarily blinding Star. The carriage lurched and shook. After the flash, before she could really see, she noticed that the air was hotter and the sun was strong on her dark purple coat. She blinked the light out of her eyes and looked around. She was astonished at what she saw. Gone were the mountains of Unicornia, replaced by a flat plain. They must have traveled hundreds of miles! The landscape looked barren and desert, except for a river that cut through the land. Around it, everything was a brilliant splash of green on the sandy background. The river broke into an expansive delta before spilling into a massive body of blue water that sparkled in the sunlight. Star couldn’t see the end of the water, not even from this elevated position. It had to be the sea, which she had never seen before. Several towns dotted the landscape, but they were heading for a castle that sat on the seashore of an island at the end of the delta. The castle was surrounded by a roofed, open-air structure that made a square around a big central courtyard. At each corner was a tall, pointy tower. It looked like the courtyard was broken up into sections, maybe by curtains or something. The building itself looked small compared to the open-air structure and the courtyard, but as they got closer, Star figured it was about the same size as the Castle of Happiness. It was made of orange stone, with several shiny gold dome roofs covering various parts of the structure. “Land us in the sand outside the courtyard, Rarity,” Cheerilee instructed. “We don’t want to intrude and give off the wrong impression.” They did just that, smoothly landing in the flat sand. The air smelled like salt mixed with something else, a pleasant and refreshing scent. The heat was anything but refreshing, however. Star found herself taking off her leg warmers immediately. Big waves beat against the sand, making a soothing crashing sound. Strange birds called overhead. Star had seen ponies in the courtyard of the castle, but the beach was strangely empty. They loaded their packs onto their backs and approached the castle as a group. The open-air structure surrounding the castle had an outer wall, although Star had seen from above that there was no inner wall. The orange wall had battlements at the top and calligraphic symbols in a foreign language etched into it. They followed it to a bright blue gate, where two earth pony guards stood. They wore shining brass armor and had long, pointed sticks with metal tips and banners hanging off the shafts. The gate was open, but the guards crossed their sticks in front of it as they approached. One of them said something in a language that Star didn’t understand. She looked at Kimono and Cheerilee, but they seemed just as lost. “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that,” Kimono said. “Do you speak our language?” The guard responded in the same language as before. They didn’t seem interested in letting them into the castle, either. “Well,” Kimono said, “this might be a problem.”