The start of this journey was much the same as the first one for Starry. She was still entranced by the wildlife, but couldn’t concentrate on it much, since Compass Rose was always starting a conversation. It wasn’t a bad thing. She had some exciting stories to tell, everything from riding out storms in a cave, to her encounter with an Ursa Minor. “You know, I’ve been talking a lot about myself. I’d like to hear some of your stories.”
Starry began to stutter. She couldn’t remember her life past a couple of days ago. What would Rose think if she found out she was escorting a mythical creature? Buttercup looked over with a concerned look. Before Rose could ask any more, Honey spoke up. “It’s gettin’ to be sundown, Rosie. How’s about we get some shut eye?”
Rose snapped her head to face the group. “Good idea. I’ll scout ahead and look for a good spot.” She dropped her rucksack, revealing the wings on her back, and took off straight up. Once she was out of earshot, Starry let out a sigh of relief.
“Why didn’t you tell her?” Buttercup asked.
“Tell her what?” Starry replied. “Honey spoke up before I could answer.”
“No. You were afraid to tell her the truth. You did the same thing before we set off.” Buttercup’s voice was still soft, but now quite stern.
“Well, what would have thought if I told I was some monster banished by her Princess to beyond the Hadrian Mountains? It can’t be good.” Starry was distressed. She began biting her lip in a futile bid to calm herself.
“Sugar cube, I’ve told you before that it’s you, not what you are that ponies look at. Compass Rose is no different. You’re gonna have to tell her the truth eventually.” Honey Suckle gave her familiar smile, but Starry didn’t buy it this time. Honey was keeping secrets, too. Why should she take advice from a hypocrite? Starry’s anxiety had passed. Now she fumed at her ‘friends’. Starry looked away from Honey, who was taken aback by her hostile reaction.
Before the conversation could go any further, Rose had come back down. “I think i’ve spotted a clearing just off the path. It’ll be perfect for tonight.” She had expect excitement at the news, but was upset by the oppressing atmosphere she had returned to. “Is everypony OK? You all seem a little sour.”
Starry walked by her, without sparing a glance at Rose. “Everything’s fine. Let’s just get over there.” The other two walked by, eyes staring at the ground out of despair.
That night, Starry didn’t sleep. She couldn’t believe that Honey, of all ponies, would tell her not to keep secrets! She won’t even explain a to picture her, and she’s supposed to tell a stranger her life’s story?! The nerve!
Over the woodland ambiance, Starry heard something that nopony can ever forget, the sound of crying. It was coming from outside their campsite. She poked her head into Honey’s tent, but it was empty. Was that her crying the woods?
She followed the sobbing, and eventually, she found Honey, sitting on a log spanning a creek. She was staring at the picture of her and the stallion. “Honey?” Honey wiped her eyes before turning to face her, but they were still tearing up. She did her best to fake a smile.
“Oh, hello dear. What are you doin’ up and about at this time of night?” Her voice was quivering. She had obviously been crying for sometime. Starry walked over and sat down on the log.
“That’s just one question I was going to ask you. Why are you crying? You’re usually the one telling me to cheer up.” Honey was no longer smiling, but Starry could tell she was glad to see her.
“Starry, when you showed up on my porch, I was concerned for your safety. Once I got you inside and in bed, I realized I finally had someone to talk to again. It was almost like he came back to me.” Starry was glad Honey was finally opening up.
“Who? Is it the guy in that picture?” Starry pointed to the picture in her hoof.
“Yes. This is my big brother, Trail Blazer. He and I were the best of friends. We moved out to the homestead together once we’d saved up the money.” Honey glanced back at the picture. “We lived there for a while, but one day, we were out in the woods collecting firewood to make supper, we came by a group of dragons who were stealing phoenix eggs. Blazer was always very protective. He tried to stop them and...” Before she could finish, she stared bawling again. Starry wrapped an embraced her, to keep her from falling off the log.
“I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me before?” Starry asked. Honey forced herself to stop sniffling long enough to answer.
“I stopped talking to anyone after that. except for an occasional trip to town, I stayed away from other ponies. My parents probably don’t even know, if they’re still around. I was afraid that something would come along that would remind me of him. I don’t want to remember that kind of pain.”
Starry felt sadness welling up inside her, now. Her eyes began to water now, too. “You know, I was mad at you when you said I should tell Compass Rose who I really was. I thought you were a hypocrite.” Now it was Starry’s turn to give a comforting smile. “But you feel better now that you’ve told me a secret, right?” Honey nodded, but remained in Starry’s embrace. Starry pushed her upright, holding her by the shoulders. “I know now I shouldn’t have assumed the worst of you, after all you’ve done to help me. I’m going to go tell Rose first thing in the morning.”
“Tell me what!?” Rose burst through the canopy, landing violently on the log. She almost sent the three of them into the creek. Rose stood hoofs apart, almost like she would charge. “You’re not the only one who can hear crying, you know! Now what aren’t you two telling me!?”
Starry knew there couldn’t be a right answer, so she would just use the truth. She placed herself between Honey and Rose on the log. Reaching around, she removed the bandage from her injured wing, revealing the skin, rather than feathers that composed them.
Roses aggression had subsided. She couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing. She kept looking between Starry’s wings and her own, looking for an explanation, to say nothing of her horn. “You...I...wings...horn...What are you?!”
Starry remained stoic as Rose frantically looked for answers. “I don’t exactly know either, but that’s the point of our journey; to find out what I am.”
Rose had absorbed most of her new reality by this point, but still was not comfortable with it. “But, why are you looking in Manechester? There’s nothing there.”
“Manechester ain’t our destination.” Honey spoke up, apparently over her crying.
Rose was even more confused now. “But, Buttercup told me..”
“Buttercup told you the truth; that you were taking us to Manechester.” Starry explained. “The three of us are going over the Hadrian Mountains.”
Roses reaction was surprising. Compared to everything else, she seemed to take it in stride. “Despite being the most believable thing you’ve told me tonight, it’s still crazy. Even I know you can’t go over the mountains. Nopony even knows what’s over there. It’s just stories of...” Her eyes widened and her ears perked. She had finally put all the pieces together. She looked directly at Starry. “This is just...” another Pause. Then began to grin from ear to ear. “Awesome!”
Starry was now more surprised that Rose was. “Awesome?”
Rose was still grinning, fly around Starry, inspecting her from every angle. “Oh my gosh! This is so cool! I had no idea you guys existed. I thought thestrals were just an old foal’s tale! I can’t wait to tell everyone!”
Before she could dash off, Honey grabbed her by her tail. “Hold yourself, Rosie. That’s not a good idea.” Rose was disappointed more than confused.
“Why not! She’s from beyond the mountains. She could tell us all sort of stuff we’d never know before!”
Starry stepped forward. “That’s the problem, Rose. I can’t remember anything about who or what I am.”
“Huh?” Roses feeling were now reversed.
“You see, I woke up in a cave in the middle of the woods. I don’t know how I got there, but Honey said I’d come to her days before, and that I was probably running from somepony.” Starry’s explanation seemed logical, but no less crazy to Rose.
“Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’ll take you over the mountains.” Now it was Honey and Starry’s turn to be shocked.
“Oh no dear, we can’t ask you to do that. Who knows what we’ll run into.” Honey wasn’t quite sure what the best response was, but she knew she didn’t want to risk anymore ponies on this trip.
“Are you kidding? It’s what I live for. My cutie mark tells me I live for trekking the wilderness,” She pointed to the map on her flank. “you can’t afford not to have me with you.”
Starry smiled. She was beginning to like this friendship thing. “If your sure it’s your destiny, I won’t stop you.”
Rose was overjoyed. “Yahoo! This is so exciting! I’ll go down in history; the first mare to cross the Hadrian Mountains!” She looked back to notice Honey and Starry looking disapproving. Rose chuckled. “All to help my friends of course.” This was going to be exciting indeed.