Crescent entered the Hay Burger. "We're back!"
She and Sky had paused at the edge of the Everfree to perform the dark spell once more before continuing to the Hay Burger.
"I assume you're friends now?" Spirit asked, placing a hoof on the counter.
"You could say that," Crescent muttered. She turned to Sky. "I'm still ticked off that you broke into my hotel room, though, Sky."
"You broke into her hotel room?" Knight Shields asked, walking out to join his sister at the counter. "Why would you do that?"
Sky opened her mouth and glanced at Crescent.
Crescent quickly shook her head. Don't. Please, Sky, or I swear...
"We" -- Sky hesitated -- "I accidentally teleported to the wrong room, but I was so interested with her stuff, so I stayed for a bit and it looked like I was . . . " Her voice trailed off.
"Uh-huh," Spirit said. She opened a Pony Beat magazine. "Well, we're closed and your shift is off. See you later, Crescent -- and . . . Bright Sky."
Crescent turned away and opened the door, glad the day was finally over.
"Can . . . " Sky sounded hesitant. "Can we talk?" she asked.
Crescent blinked. "Sure." She tilted her head toward the Everfree. "In there?"
Sky glanced at the sky. It was almost dusk. "Don't you think it'd be better if we -- " she began, but Crescent cut her off.
"You aren't scared of the night, are you?" she asked. "Some call me the Night Mare. Mainly just Luna and Celestia and Cadance, because I would stay up into late hours of the night and early hours of the morning, singing to myself."
"I'd love to hear one of your songs!" Sky exclaimed, as the two ponies made their way to the Everfree. "So," she began, "you're friends with Cadance, right?"
Crescent blinked, but nodded.
"Well, I'd love to get to spend more time with her, but she lives in the Crystal Empire and -- " Sky stopped talking as Crescent held up a hoof.
"On my birthday, she did invite me to stay in the Crystal Empire for a week," Crescent said. "I'm sure I can ask her if we can still make that arrangement."
"Really? That'd be great!" Sky smiled. "But I want to do something for you. I learned you like singing not very long ago, but I was already thinking I could maybe help you get a singing gig at the Town Hall."
Crescent's eyes widened in shock. "On stage?" she asked, bewildered. "Sky, that's nice and all, but I-I can't sing on a stage! Not in front of everypony. I sing from the shadows, taking in and emitting positive energy. If I get up on a stage, it will not be pretty."
"You? You have stage fright?" Sky asked, disbelief clear in her voice.
"Yes," Crescent said. "I may be a good singer but that doesn't mean I like to sing in front of everypony! You didn't schedule it yet, did you?"
"No!" Sky replied. "And now I know not to."
"Good. I'll send Cadance a letter saying I'd love to visit with her and I'll be bringing a friend." Crescent took a deep breath to calm herself down. "We'll leave on Monday."
Sky nodded and trotted happily in the direction of the Everfree. "We should do some reading together. Besides, in the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, we can show our wings and not get caught!"
Crescent shrugged. "Why not? It couldn't hurt," she said. "Let's go!"
~~~
Crescent closed the spellbook. "Did you know there's a spell for summoning a dragon?" she asked Bright Sky, who was lying her back, her wings folded, gazing up with disbelieving eyes at a different spellbook.
"Seriously? Why would you want to summon a dragon?" Sky rolled over so that she was sitting up. "Isn't that a bit dangerous?"
"Exactly!" Crescent exclaimed.
"So, I still have yet to hear one of your songs," Sky said. She gave out two loud fake coughs. "Hint, hint!"
"Not now," Crescent said. Her voice sounded fearful. She shuffled her wings uncertainly, staring at the ground in front of her hooves. She was lying on a cushion they had found in the library, while Sky flew around, laughing happily and picking up seemingly any book she found.
"Oh, come on!" Sky persisted. "I want to hear a song! Oh! Maybe the Siren's Song?"
Crescent shuddered. That song did something to ponies. It calmed them down so much they forgot all about what they were doing. If it was heard too much, it seemed to brainwash them, making them forget everything. Clearing her throat, Crescent picked up a book from the top of her stack of books by the cushion.
"Okay," Sky said. "Or not. I get it. So, you do this a lot? Stay up late into the night reading and writing? You should work for the Ponyville Express -- you know, the local newspaper."
"Eh. Maybe. Fire Quill and Ink Shine -- they don't seem to want any help," Crescent said.
"Oh, please! You'd be great at being the one to write short stories for it." Sky's voice was full of encouragement.
"No," Crescent said, more firmly, raising her head. She stared at the wall. "I'm a pony of song, not writing. Besides, for me to become an author -- it was just a stupid dream."
Sky gasped at this and teleported right in front of her. "For you to dream of becoming an author isn't stupid! That'd be like me saying flying and magic are stupid! And I'm an alicorn, not an earth pony! Can't you be a musician and a writer?"
"If only it were possible." Crescent turned her attention to the window, where the moon shone through. "My mother always wanted me to be a writer, but my father wanted me to be a music pony. You know, become a record label or something. Maybe some day sign someone to a record deal -- someone as great as Sapphire Shores or something. He was angry when my mother sent me to Canterlot Academy, but finally decided it was for the best, you know?" Her voice had become softer as she gazed at the night sky.
"My dad and my mom were sad when I left, too." Sky trotted over to the window and waved with a hoof for Crescent to join her. "I had to leave my little brother. We aren't even from Equestria!"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Oh." Crescent sighed. "Everyone -- Twilight and her friends, the Cakes, Ms. Mayor -- they believe I'm just a regular unicorn from Trottingham who attended Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. They think I was sent here by Princess Celestia to study more. But I wasn't." She turned her intelligent brilliant cyan eyes on Sky.
"You . . . " Sky hesitated. "You weren't? Why were you sent here?"
"That is . . . " Crescent sighed. "Confidential."
"My parents sent me here because they want me to see the world. But maybe," she added, hope rising in her voice, "I was sent here for a bigger reason. I met you -- another alicorn with the power to charm ponies with her songs. Maybe we're supposed to help out in some way. Or help each other out."
"Charm ponies?" Crescent laughed. "I'm not a full Siren, Sky. I only help them remain calm. If I see two fighting ponies or an angry crowd, I'll hum just a bit and that will be enough to get them to stop arguing," Crescent murmured. "There is a problem, though," she added, her voice barely over a whisper. "I technically rid myself of all my positive energy. That's why I'm so pessimistic, as you said."
"What was your name back in Canterlot? Selena?" Sky asked.
"Selene," Crescent corrected her. "I never lied to you about my name. To the princesses, I am Selene. To every pony else, I'm just" -- she sighed -- "just Ink Crescent."
Sky blinked. "Just Ink Crescent? I guess that makes me Just Bright Sky, huh?" She sat down.
"I guess so, yeah," Crescent muttered. She knew she sounded bored and dull, but she didn't care. "Something -- " She stopped herself. I promised Luna I wouldn't tell . . . she thought.
And, yet . . .
Had she promised?
Crescent looked at Sky, who was blinking expectantly at her. "Something threatened Canterlot, Sky. That's become like my home, but Luna and Celestia wanted me to be safe. That's why they sent me here."
"A threat?" Sky sounded shocked. "That's horrible! What can we do?"
"Go to Canterlot. I'll arrange a meeting with Cadance, but tell her that we cannot travel so far in fear of my -- our -- secrets being revealed," Crescent said. "I'll tell her we'll come to Canterlot. We're going to find out what this threat is and who made it -- no matter what it costs."
"No matter what?" Sky asked. "Even if we get banished to Tartarus for life?"
Crescent narrowed her eyes.
"No matter what it costs."