"Zephyr, why do stars twinkle?" asked the gray-furred, purple-maned, bat-winged pegasus filly, as she laid on her back in the tall grass of the Canterlot countryside, to another shape lying next to her. Both the young ponies were watching the black, star-riddled sky above, illuminated by the wonderful, silver glow of the full moon; the only other light source coming from the distant lights of the city of Canterlot itself, far behind them both.
"I don't know, Gloamwing," the white-furred, blonde-maned pegasus colt replied back. His blue eyes, previously focused on the moon, and the shadowy, enigmatic shape of the Mare on it, shifting to the objects she spoke of, which littered the sky with their blue, red, and white glow. "But they sure look pretty, don't they?"
"Very pretty," Gloamwing responded, in a sigh. "Back in Labyrinthus, we can't see the sky. The caves we live in blocks it off, and there are usually clouds outside, plus it's really freezing and snowy, too."
When Gloamwing finished describing the bat-pegasi capital, her golden eyes, and the black, vertical slits that made her pupils, moved to her friend, and a mischievous expression came onto her face. With a smirk, Gloamwing silently got to her hooves, and her webbed wings unfolded from her back.
"Ragh!" she roared, playfully, as she jumped up and tackled the unprepared Zephyr, who let out a panicked, but by no means pained shout when he felt the unexpected impact of his friend's fuzzy body against his own. Both burst out into childish laughter as they mock-fought, and tumbled down the grassy hill, the distant, glowing shape of the city of Canterlot disappearing from their field of view. They soon reached the bottom of the knoll and broke off from each other. When the two stood back up, they each wore a competitive smile on their faces, both already plotting their next moves.
"So... what do you wanna be when you grow up?" Gloamwing asked again, after brushing the dirt from her fur, before they both began to pace, circling one another, slowly.
"A royal guard, like my father," Zephyr replied. "So I can fight monsters, defeat evil, and defend good!"
"That's funny..." Gloamwing cackled back, as she stopped moving and hunched over, preparing for an assault. "Because that's what I wanna be, too!"
The bat pegasus lunged forward, through the air, her dark wings flapping rapidly as she became airborne, and her pointy, fur-tipped ears folding back. Zephyr leaped as well, his wings unfurling from his side, meeting her several feet in the air. With a quick motion, the two collided, and fell back to the ground, where they began to wrestle each other further.
"Gloamwing!" a new, deep voice suddenly went out through the night, interrupting the foal's playing. The filly in question's head flew up, and she jumped off of her friend, as she looked around for where the familiar vocalization came from, her eyes scanning the sky.
"That sounds like my daddy..." Gloamwing said, in a lighter, smaller voice, as she continued to swivel her head back and forth, rapidly. "Uh-oh... he sounds like he's looking for me."
"Did you sneak out again?" Zephyr inquired, with a moan.
"Maybe..." she replied, with a nervous giggle. Zephyr let out another, much longer-drawn groan, and looked back at her. His face was curled in partial frustration, foreshadowing what manner of speech he was going to use next.
"You said you'd only come out here if you were allowed to!"
"Don't worry," she laughed, yanking him to the ground with a hoof, where they were partially concealed by the long grass. "As long as he doesn't see us, I'd bet my tail he'll-"
"There you are, Gloamwing," the voice interrupted, causing startled silence to erupt between the two. Ever so slowly, they both looked up to the sound of flapping wings, and saw a large, bat-winged silhouette casting a shadow on them against the shine of the moon.
"Oh, uh, hi... Daddy..." Gloamwing squeaked back as he approached. Her father landed on the ground a few meters away, showing off his muscular, gray-furred body. The only other time Zephyr had seen him, he was dressed in his equally-intimidating dark-colored armor.
"We need to talk," he spoke in a way that easily frightened the colt. Before Zephyr could stop her, Gloamwing walked forward, ready to face whatever punishment awaited her.
"Yes, Daddy?" his daughter asked, her face as cherubic, and innocent-looking as she could muster, complete with a large smile and gleaming, widened eyes. Both foals could see that he didn't seem phased by it in the least, as told by the stallion's still-grim expression. After exchanging a stern, golden-eyed glare to Zephyr, he bent his head over and said something to Gloamwing. It was just loud enough for Zephyr to hear, but quiet enough for him to be unable to make out what he was actually saying. What he did know is that with every word spoken, Gloamwing's face seemed to change for the worse. "I... understand..." she finally responded, once he was done.
She turned, and walked back to Zephyr, who was still waiting with extreme, anxious fear of what was going to come next. When she was right in front of him he could plainly see that her expression was glum. Sad. Miserable.
"I have to... go now..." the filly said, in an extremely pained tone, her brow drooped and head arched. She looked to the ground and pawed at the dirt as she spoke next. "My dad says that... that... we're going back to Labyrinthus... tomorrow."
"I... oh." Zephyr responded, in a very shocked voice. "W-why? You only moved here a month ago!"
"Dad told me that he just got restationed back there again, by Princess Celestia," Gloamwing continued, her voice breaking. "He also wants me back at the house so I can start packing. I... I... goodbye, Zephyr."
She quickly turned, and started back to where her father was in a trot. Zephyr, heartbroken beyond measure and still attempting in vain to properly process this information, could only lower his head in sadness. As he suddenly reheard the sound of hooves over grass quickly coming up to him, he lifted his head again, just in time to see Gloamwing rapidly running back to him, her hooves wrapping around his body in a powerful hug when she approached.
"You're my best friend, Zephyr," Gloamwing said with a sniffle as she squeezed onto him tightly, her eyes closed as she tried to savor the moment. "You're my best friend in the whole world."
"Don't worry, Gloamwing. We'll see each other again," Zephyr spoke, reassuringly, as he began to hug back, placing a hoof around her shoulder. "I know we will, somehow."
"I hope so," she replied, slowly breaking off from the hug and opening her eyes. "If we don't, then... I hope you become a great royal guard."
"I bet you'd become captain in no time," he chuckled back. "I've seen how fast you can fly, and you're the toughest pony I know."
"Well, heh, you're no pushover either," she complimented, her voice trembling slightly but still managing a small laugh. "Goodbye, Zephyr,"
"Goodbye, Gloamwing," he responded, taking his hoof off of her shoulder.
"Gloamwing! Are you coming?" her father spoke up. Gloamwing swiveled her head back to him and saw he was flying in the air, silently hovering a short distance from them.
"Oh, uh, y-yeah..." she replied, reluctantly. She jumped up, and flew to him, before looking back, one final time, and waving her hoof. Zephyr waved back, trying his hardest to smile for his friend. They soon flew off, into the night sky, fading from sight after but a few seconds, leaving only the sound of wind blowing off of the grass to herald what the young colt now felt. What he knew.
Zephyr was alone.