After a brisk trot down the stairs I found the dining hall with relative ease. Breeze was seated right beside Princess Celestia eating his usual breakfast of oatmeal plain. I was glad to see him being well behaved and safe. I decided to sit right next to him grabbing a slice of toast from the ala carte style breakfast.
The sun goddess took note of me and slid a cup of hot chocolate toward me as she sipped her own cup of coffee with cream. I thanked her and we ate in silence, savoring the delicious foods we had chosen for our selves.
It was my brother that broke the silence when he raised his hoof and looked at the monarch with the bright gleam of an idea in his emerald eyes.
“'Pincess Cessia? Milk?” He asked hanging a lip down and looking absolutely adorable.
That caused the silence to be broken with a bout of laughter as the maître d' who was observing this brought out a glass and poured him a stout glass of milk before going back to his duties.
“Highstar your little brother is quite the treat,” Princess Celestia commented as my little brother began to drink the glass slowly, getting some of the delicious cream on his nose.
“Your Highness... He really is,” I said sighing looking toward the solar monarch as she took another ginger sip of her coffee. I waited for her to finish her drink before I decided I needed to get down to the reason we were here.
“I was told you had my mothers will,” I asked testing the waters. Now it was her turn to sigh as she looked down at her empty cup with no way to buy time.
“Check” I thought darkly, remembering using this trick to prevent other nobles from buying more thinking time and forcing them into a decision right there and then. But of course she had been around for thousands of years and knew her way around the politic game. She simply grabbed the pot of coffee and decanter of cream with her magic and poured herself another cup before answering.
“We cannot continue yet. There is one other member we are waiting on,” She explained with grace and tact while stirring her drink.
Just as she finished another pony walked into the hallway at a slow dragging pace. He looked like he hadn't slept the previous night and his dark green eyes were filled with the red veins of crying and sadness.
“Ah, Garlic. Glad that you showed up,” Celestia stated as Garlic sat down besides me.
“Lets get this over with. I still have some mourning to do,” He said sniffling while trying his hardest to fight back more tears. I looked at him and saw those same eyes I saw in my dream and knew he had felt the same sadness my brother and I felt. I then did something uncharacteristic at that moment. I reached across his neck and hugged him tightly and he returned the embrace.
“Highstar... Wind...,” Garlic started softly getting both of our attentions. “I just want you to know your mom said if anything happened to her to look after you two. I tried my hardest to keep you out of trouble Highstar but I began to think you thought of it as challenge... You're way more smart as a foal then I am even to this day. And Breeze...”
He paused as my little brother gave him his full attention. “You will always be safe and happy if I have to suffer in Tartarus for an eternity,” He finished with a smile that made my brother stand up and hug him too.
As we held each other in place I began to feel something I never had before grow inside of me. I had a father who was there most of my life and I didn't even know it until now... and I didn't feel so alone.
After what felt like a brief moment but was a good two minutes long we slowly released and turned our attentions back to Princess Celestia who was smiling warmly.
“Now that we have everyone here we may proceed,” The deity stated before gripping a rolled up document in magic and unrolling while gently clearing her throat. “If you are hearing this then I have passed on in some fashion of either my own choosing or by accident. I want all of you to know I love you and that is was my own fault for becoming what I was, an assassin-” The princess stopped at these words and looked at us shortly before continuing. “-I requested the princess to read this to you in hopes of she being able to answer any of your questions. I leave my sons with my property in Ponyville that I had paid off in the time of my service, and I request that my best friend Garlic Bread take care of my sons and move with them. With the bits I have earned you three should be well taken care of for the rest of your lives. With more love then my heart can express, Heather Breeze.” She stopped and sighed, wiping a tear away from her pure face before setting the document down gingerly.
We all stood in front of the table looking down trying to keep our composer when I remembered something from my dream and got the courage to ask a question.
“Princess Celestia, what is the Celestial Order of the Sun?”
She looked at me and her expression changed to that of slight shock before returning to her normally regal composer. “Highstar... It was the order of assassins your mother belonged too. She protected the world from dark magics not of this world and it's influences by killing afflicted members before there abomination could spread and ravage the land,” As she finished Garlic walked up beside Celestia.
“Highstar... Your mom was a unsung hero of this land.” Garlic said proudly looking from us to Celestia. “I just think she had problems dealing with her actions. She always hated violence... thats what I think made her perfect for the Order.”
“It was indeed why I chose her. She was pure and always tried her hardest to turn the corrupted unicorns from there chosen path,” the Princess said taking another long pull from her coffee.