//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11: Equestria 
// Story: Starlight 
// by ThePrinceOfTheNorth 
//------------------------------//

	August 5

"So," Morning Star said, "What do you think?"

After we had arrived in Equestria the previous night, Morning Star had opted that we camp out for the night while the Private went on ahead to tell Luna I was here. The area had seemed like the perfect place for it. A nice, wide open field, with nothing but the stars above to watch over us. I had talked at length about how different the night sky of Equestria was from that of Earth into the wee hours of the morning, and it wasn't until long after midnight I finally had decided to turn in. This morning, we had made our way to a nearby town, and to the train station.

"I'm....just, wow."

Me and Morning Star were the only ones on the platform, the local Equestrian ponies having a tendency to avoid me the moment they caught sight of me. This gave me a picture perfect view of the train as it pulled it, and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

Just like every other part of Equestria, the train had bright, pastel colors. It looked far, far different from the Starlight Express. In fact, I had never seen a thing like it.

"Not your usual Earth train," Morning Star asked.

I let out a short laugh. "Oh, not at all. This looks a lot more....vibrant? Colorful? Cartoonish? There are a lot of words I could use to describe this train, but I still like my train better though."

"Even though your train is slower."

"Yes," I said with a well-intended frown, "It may be slow, but it works, and works well. It'll do. At least, until I find something better, right?"

"Indeed," Morning Star said, a smile on her tired face.

I was quickly learning a lot about Morning Star and her species, informally called 'bat ponies.' From what I'd seen of Morning Star, bat ponies were more partial to the night than day but, like normal ponies, couldn't eat meat. As a general rule of hoof, bat ponies, as the name implied, had bat wings, but didn't have horns. The had cat-like eyes, too, something I thought made Morning Star look very pretty.

I wonder just how different bat pony flying is from my own, or if they have any similar powers?

"You first," Morning Star said as the doors to the train opened.

I gingerly cantered onto the train to find a rather lavish coach, one so very unlike those attached to the Starlight Express. It was bright, and the seats were pony sized, so that a pony, or a least a pony of normal size, could sit on them. For me, it was a bit more....difficult. Still, I managed.

"Morning Star," I began, "Why do the ponies here avoid me? It's kinda making me feel uncomfortable."

Morning Star sighed. "Some time before what you call The Event, an evil pony named Nightmare Moon threatened to engulf Equestria in eternal night. She was stopped by the current Princess of Friendship and her five friends, who were the Element Bearers. You have an uncanny resemblance to Nightmare Moon."

I nodded in understanding. "It seems reasonable. I only wish I had somepony to talk to."

"Ha ha, very funny," Morning Star said as she rolled her eyes, "Still, I suppose it couldn't hurt. I heard that one of the former Element Bearers is in Canterlot right now."

"Canterlot?"

"The capital of Equestria," Morning Star explained, "It's where Princess Luna and Princess Celestia live."

I nodded. "And the Element Bearers?"

"Oh, right," Morning Star said, facehoofing, "The Element Bearers are the six ponies who used to bear the Elements of Harmony."

"Elements of Harmony," I said, "Luna said something about those. Some sort of magical artifacts, right?"

"The most powerful magical artifacts known to ponykind," Morning Star explained, "Their purpose it to restore balance and harmony to Equestria when chaos and discord run rampant."

"Okay," I said. Luna had told me a little bit about these ponies, including their names and what each of them represented, but this new information really did clear up a lot of questions I had, and would have otherwise asked Luna about later. Satisfied, I decided to change the topic.

"Tell me about yourself, Morning Star," I said.

"Tell you about me," Morning Star asked hesitantly.

"Well....yes," I said, "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," Morning Star said, "It's just that....that nopony's ever asked me that before."

"Really," I asked, astounded, "That's....well, that's....huh. Well, could you tell me about yourself, though?"

Morning Star looked down at her hooves, clearly deep in thought. Finally, she sighed, and looked back at me. "I guess so. What do you want to know?"

I shrugged. "Tell me about your past. Where you come from. What motivates you. You know."

Morning Star sighed, taking off her silvery helmet, and setting it down on the seat beside her. "There's not a whole lot to tell. My mother and father were both members of the Royal Guard. My mother died when I was young, and I only remember a little bit about her. After she died, my father, a Pegasus Captain, retired to a high position. Most of my youth was spent playing on the grounds of my father's massive estate, with servants to attend to my every whim. It was good back then, I didn't have a care in the world." Morning Star paused before continuing. "But bat ponies aren't too well liked in Equestria, even less so since Nightmare Moon almost created eternal night. Still, my father loved me, and I was happy with that. When I was only enough, he convinced me to join the Royal Guard, and I did. He was so proud of me."

"He was," I said, somehow knowing that 'was' was more than just past tense.

"He died not long after Luna was restored," Morning Star said, "Left everything to me. The estate, the fortune....everything. I don't visit it too often anymore, though. There are too many memories there of a....happier time in my life, a time that I really don't think will return, at least, not in my lifetime. There is something I did think to keep with me, though."

Morning Star pulled a small box out from under her armor, opening it for me to see it's contents. In it were several medals, all looking fairly important, but one stood out. It looked similar to the pictures I'd seen of the Victoria Cross.

"My mom and dad's medals," Morning Star said, closing the box and putting it away after I had a good look at everything in it, "I figured they're something my mom and dad would've wanted me to keep a close eye on."

I put a hoof on Morning Star's shoulder, and nodded as she looked up to me. "I think you're right."

Morning Star nodded with a small smile. "Thank you, Starlight."

"I do have another question," I started before reconsidering, "But it can wait."

"Ask away," Morning Star said, "There's still a good while until we reach Canterlot."

I nodded. "Well, of you insist. I wanted to know a bit more about bat ponies."

"Okay," Morning Star said, gingerly placing a hoof on her helmet, "To start off, one of the more scientific terms for bat pony is Thestral."

"I've seen Harry Potter," I said, "And you don't look like a thestral, at least, by that standard. Those look more....undead."

"Indeed," Morning Star said with a smirk, "We are generally disliked because of Nightmare Moon. My father was....unlike most ponies. Even before her return, we were generally shunned and disliked. Nightmare Moon's return made it all the worse. I'm glad he didn't live to see it."

"Sounds hard," I said.

"It is," came Morning Star's swift reply, "But I manage, and so do all other thestrals."

"What about magic," I inquired.

"Well," Morning Star began, "Unlike Pegasi, Thestral's can't manipulate the weather, but we can still walk on clouds."

"Weather manipulation?"

"You didn't know," Morning Star asked in a rather mystified tone.

"No, I didn't," I said thoughtfully, "But that does sound quite useful."

"Indeed," Morning star said before she continued, "Thestrals, as you've probably noticed, are creatures of the night. We can also enter he dreams of other ponies, much like Princess Luna, though her ability to do so is far more powerful than any thestral's ability."

"Cool," I said, "Maybe I can enter dreams, too!"

"I wouldn't say yes, but I wouldn't say no, either," Morning Star said as she put her helmet back on, "Just because you look like somepony else, doesn't mean you have the same abilities as said somepony. Then again, stranger things have happened as of late."

A pony, assumedly a conductor, walked up to me and Morning Star. "My ladies, we just pulling in to Canterlot."

"Thank you," Morning Star said, dismissing the pony before turning to me. "So, are you looking forward to meeting Princess Luna tomorrow?"

I nodded in response. "Yeah. I know we've talked in my dreams, but to meet her in person....pony? Whatever. To actually meet her....it's different."

"That it is," Morning Star said as the train came to a stop, and the whistle began to sound, "Well, let's be off, then."

"One last thing," I said, prompting Morning Star to turn to me.

"Yes?"

"Why was I brought here," I asked in as calm a manner as I could, "I don't think Luna brought me for tea time."

Morning Star shook her head. "Many Equestrians have been dispatched to Earth in search of a representative for your....er, former race. Humanity. The pony chosen will essentially become the Princess of Humanity."

"Really," I asked, my curiosity piqued. Then I remembered the dream. It isn't me, though.

Truth be told, I, even before The Event, had always been rather painfully aware of the shortcomings of mankind. We had done so much to harm the world, and would have ended up destroying it and ourselves, if given enough time. From what little I'd seen of Equestria, it almost seemed like it was in the middle of a Golden Age. Those who had fled at my passing had seemed quite happy before they'd seen me. Everything seemed so....balanced. Perfect, even. It was at that moment that realization dawned upon me.

This is what I saw in my dream. I finally think I know what I have to do.

"Quite so," Morning Star said as she began to canter towards the exit. I quickly followed, falling in step with her, "She sent me and Private Perriwinkle to get you because she thought you'd be a good candidate."

"Me," I began, "A good candidate? I....I don't know."

Morning Star nodded. "Of course, there is another good candidate who's currently touring Equestria."

I nodded, stepping off the train, only to almost be trampled by a Royal Guard who I instantly recognized.

"Where's the fire, Private Periwinkle," asked Morning Star as she helped the Unicorn up.

From under his armor, Periwinkle produced a small bag that clinked in his magical grip. "Princess Luna asked me to give you this."

"Money," I asked?

"The proper term is bits," Morning Star explained, "Equestrian money. It seems Princess Luna wants you to go home with at least a few mementos, even if you're not chosen as the 'Princess of Humanity'. Personally, though, from what I've seen, I think it'll be you."

"I," I began, unsure as to how I should respond. Should I? No.... "Thank you, Morning Star. I appreciate your confidence in me, even though I lack it."

"You're welcome," Morning Star said with a smile, "Now then, we best be off."





The remainder of the day was spent walking through the many streets and markets of Canterlot, buying things from any merchant who didn't cower of flee at the very sight of me. It hurt a lot, thinking they saw me as a monster, knowing they believed that I was something I was not. It put into perspective how these ponies felt about the bat ponies, like Morning Star.

At around noon, we had stopped at a rather extravagant restaurant for lunch, the employees of which didn't seem as fearful of me. Morning Star explained that was because Princess Luna sometimes came here.

"I'm beginning to understand how you feel," I said as we waited for our orders to arrive.

"Pardon?"

"The ponies," I said, "They fear me just for how I look. I know this must be far worse than the fear and mistrust they have of you, Morning Star, but I think it's similar enough."

Morning Star sighed. "It's weighing on you, isn't it?"

I gave a curt nod in response. "It hurts. I've always tried to be a good person, even to people I'd never met face to face, nor I would likely ever meet in such a way. To meet so many people, and see them flee...."

Morning Star reached over the table and put a hoof on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Starlight. Not all ponies here are like that. Take the ponies here. They're not scared of you at all. If the ponies who ARE afraid of you knew you'd come from Earth....well, they'd be a lot less afraid of you. They don't though."

"Why not announce my arrival?"

"Not enough time, nor resources," Morning Star explained, "Many of the Royal Guards and Night Guards are on Earth searching for candidates, even now. Besides, to announce the arrival of one pony when there are so many others....it's kinda a waste of time."

I nodded, sighing deeply. "I understand."

I decided to change the topic. "Where's that food already? I haven't eaten since this morning!"