Star had finished making his case and was at that moment entering the carriage that was going to take him to the academy where he would spend the next academic year. To accompany him was Melody, Purple Smoke and Heartbeat (the latter had insisted), so he tried to say goodbye to his parents and sisters.
"Farewell, my son" Twilight said as she hugged Star. "Good luck at the academy."
"Thanks, mom" Star thanked, finishing the hug. "I'm going to miss you."
"Let everypony know what you got, champ" Blue said.
"I will, dad" Star replied.
Midnight and Sunny weren't too happy to see his brother leaving.
"We don't want you to leave" Sunny said.
"Yeah, we want you to stay" Midnight said.
"I know, but I have to go to be able to learn a lot of things" Star said. "But don't worry. I come back home on the weekends and holidays. You’ll see, it will be as if I had never gone."
He hugged his dear sisters and then said to his family:
"Goodbye."
And then he went into the carriage. Before it left, Golden Paladin said to his three siblings who were with the young prince in the carriage:
"Take care of him."
"Don't worry, Goldy” Heartbeat said. "Everything will be fine."
"I hope so" Golden Paladin said. "I'm counting on you three."
"Well, come on" Purple Smoke said. "It's better we get to the academy in time for the opening ceremony."
Star waved to his family one last time and they returned the gesture. The carriage then began to move forward. Seeing the carriage moving away, Twilight was very tense. Realizing this, Blue put his hoof on her shoulder and said to her:
"Everything will be fine."
"I hope so" she replied. "I really hope so."
The carriage advance in the direction of the Enchanted Forest. While advancing, Heartbeat asked Star:
"Nervous?"
"A little bit, yes" Star admitted. "I've never been so far away from my parents and from the Light Kingdom for so long."
"You don't have to worry about, Prince Star Knight" Melody said. "We'll be around if you need us."
"Yes, and if you have a problem with the classes, all you have to do is come to me" Purple Smoke said. "After all, your faculty adviser."
"Yes, but don't forget that I'm a teacher, dear brother" Melody said. "That is far more important."
Purple Smoke was going to respond, but Star said:
"You know, I'd like to know why you three are coming with me to school. I have a feeling that is more to take care of me."
The Generals tried to find an answer, then Heartbeat said:
"You know your parents, Star. They care about you. They just want to ensure that you are well and, when they knew that there were vacant posts at the academy, they decided that Melody and Purple Smoke should occupy them."
"What about you?" Star asked.
"You know me, I would never leave my best friend. Besides, I like the Enchanted Forest. It is quite beautiful and... enchanted. Not to mention that it is quite difficult to prevent me from doing what I want."
Star thought in what Heartbeat said and then said:
"Okay."
And he turned his attention to the landscape. With a whisper, Heartbeat said to her brother and sister:
"And this is why I’m coming, to ensure that everything goes as planned. I think this makes me even more important."
That made Melody and Purple Smoke glaze over their eyes.
Soon it was then they went in the Enchanted Forest and then get to the academy. The entrance was filled with students, new and old, who were ready to begin a new school year. Star left the carriage carrying his case and looking around. Seeing so many students in the academy and how they don't even noticing him, except his luminous coat of light pony and the fact he was an alicórnio, Star felt completely comfortable, more than he would ever be in the Light Kingdom. Don’t have to see the cold looks that the light ponies gave him was something that Star really needed. It was then he heard a familiar voice calling him:
"Star!"
He turned and saw Jonagold approaching, bringing with him his bag.
"Jona!" Star exclaimed, overjoyed, approaching his best friend and bumping hooves with him. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, Ah knew ya'd come tah this school, so Ah ask’d mah folks an’ they, knowing from yers how this school was, they decid’d tah enroll me" Jonagold answered.
"I'm glad you're here" Star said. "It will be much easier to settle with a familiar face beside me."
"Prince Star Knight" a voice said.
Thistlewit approached, making him a bow, and said:
"I'm so glad I found you. On behalf of myself and of my sisters, I would like to welcome you."
"Thank you, Miss Thistlewit" Star replied with a nod.
"Well, here's your schedule and the key to your dorm" Thistlewit said, waving her wand and making a piece of parchment and a key with the number thirty-five on it to appear. "I hope you have a great year full of knowledge and joy."
"Thank you" Star thanked, getting his schedule and key.
"And don't forget" Thistlewit said. "Once you settle in your room, there will be a reception for the new students in the Great Hall."
And Thistlewit moved away. Jonagold noted his friend’s key and said:
"Damn, looks like we won't be roommates. Mah room is the forty-three."
"What a coincidence" a voice said. "Mine, too."
The two friends turned and saw a young griffon of their age who had brown coat, light amberish gray head feathers with grayish amber tinges, dark gambogeish gray wing feathers and talons and brilliant gold eyes.
"Gunter?" Star asked, recognizing the young griffon. "You’re here too?"
"Yes" rGunter replied. "My great-uncle also studied in this school and told my parents that it would be a good place for me to meet new friends."
"Gunter is the son of King Gael and Queen Greta of Griffonstone" Star explained to Jonagold. "I met him when his parents were crowned after King Guto abdicated. We became friends since then. Gunter, this is the friend I told you about, Jonagold."
"Hello, Jonagold" Gunter greeted. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Tha pleasure is mine, Gunter" Jonagold said. "And if we're goin’ tah be roommates and friends, as we are both friends of Star, ya can call me Jona."
"All right... Jona" Gunter replied.
Star was approached by Generals and Melody told him:
"Prince Star Knight, since you got company, we're moving inside. We need to meet with the other members of the staff."
"Sure" Star said, turning then to Heartbeat. "Where do you go, Heartbeat?"
"With them, no" she replied. "I can't wait to explore the surrounding area. It's been a while since I've been in the Enchanted Forest."
"Okay" said Star. "See you later."
And, after the three Generals had made a bow to Star, Melody and Purple Smoke headed to the academy, while Heartbeat moved away with her extraordinary speed.
"Wait, the generals will be our teachers?" Gunter asked.
"At least Melody, if we had Enchanted Music" Star said. "Purple Smoke will be a faculty advisor and Heartbeat… Well, she basically does what she wants."
"Wow, Ah never thought Ah'd get one of tha Generals of Order as a teacher" Jonagold said.
"Yes, neither did I" Gunter added.
"We'd better go put our stuff into our rooms" Star said. "I'm curious to know who is going to be my roommate."
And the three headed to the tower where the male dormitories were and each addressed to their respective room. Star arrived to his room and used the key to open it. When he opened the door, he came across with Bramble at one of the halves of the room.
"Hello" Star greeted. "You're Bramble, aren't you? We met when we came to take care of our enrolls."
Bramble acted timidly when Star spoke to him, but he managed to overcome this shyness and said:
"Yes, I remember you. You are the son of the rulers of the Light Kingdom."
"Yes, my name is Star Knight" Star said, extending his hoof to greet him.
Bramble hesitated at first, but then he eventually bump his hoof with Star’s. After that, the prince deer said:
"I hope you don't mind that I have already chosen a bed."
"Of course not" Star said. "For me, it doesn't matter."
And Star put his case in another bed and then said to Bramble:
"Look, I know you're not very comfortable with who you don't know, but I liked you and I could be friends. After all, we will spend a lot of time together as roommates. What do you say?"
Bramble looked a bit hesitant, but he could see that Star seemed to be a nice pony, so he smiled and said:
"All right. We can be friends."
"Perfect" Star said. "And, as you're my friend, you can also become friend with some of my friends who came to the academy."
Bramble was quite apprehensive. After all, he wasn't the type to make many friends at once, but he knew that maybe he could be less shy in that way.
The two left the room and met with Jonagold and Gunter.
"Guys, I want you to meet my roommate, Bramble" Star introced. "He is the son of King Aspen."
"You're the son of the king of Thicket?" Gunter asked. "Cool. I've heard of him."
"Bramble, this is Gunter, son of King Gael and Queen Greta ofGriffonstone" Star introced. "And this is my best childhood friend, Jonagold. He lives in Ponyville and his parents are great friends of my parents."
"It's a pleasure tah meet ya, Bramble" Jonagold greeted. "Ya can call me Jona, if ya want."
"It's nice to meet you" Bramble said, struggling not to let the shyness get the best on him.
"Personally, I wish Bramble to spent time with us" Star said. "You know, as he and I are roommates and everything."
"Of course, Star, ya know Ah love making new friends" Jonagold said.
"Yes, beyond that it seems that we are a group of princes who are great friends" Gunter said, turning then to Jonagold. "Sorry, Jona, I forgot that you're not a prince."
"Ya don't have tah apologize, Gunter" Jonagold said. "But Ah think ya will be surpris’d tah know that, in fact, Ah am technically a Prince. Mah mom is from another dimension and there she was a princess, so…"
"But who would have thought of that" Gunter said. "So it looks like we are a group of princes.
"A group that was supposed to go to the reception in the Great Hall" Star remembered.
"Yeah, we better get goin’" Jonagold agreed.
And they went to there. Despite not knowing the school very well, they just had to follow the old students and then they arrived to the Great Hall. There, there were already lots of students, new and old, waiting for the start of the reception. Soon the academy staff appeared in the back of the room that was elevated and the three fairies managed to draw the attention of students. Knotgrass said:
"Welcome, dear students, old and new, to another new school year."
"We hope you have a year full of joy and happiness, which can create great memories" Thistlewit continued.
"Without forgetting that we hope you enjoy everything you will learn" Merryweather added.
Students applauded the words of the three headmistresses. When the cheering stopped, Knotgrass said:
"Now the usual ads. School rules are posted on the bulletin board, while we are counting on the older students to warn the new ones."
"Students are also free to visit Leafgreen, the nearby village, in their spare time" Thistlewit said.
"And since today is the first day, we will allow everypony to visit Leafgreen" Merryweather said.
That earned the standing ovations of all students. While all this was going on, Melody called:
"Heartbeat."
And she appeared on the edge of Melody and Purple Smoke and asked:
"What?"
"You stay on watch to Prince Star Knight" Melody said.
"And why does it have to be me?" Heartbeat asked.
"Because Melody and I have work to do" Purple Smoke replied.
"In Melody’s case I believe, since she's a teacher" Heartbeat answered him. "But I don't know what kind of work a faculty advisor can have of so importance when there are no students in the school to counsel."
Purple Smoke was going to answer her, but Melody said:
"Heartbeat, you're the one that wanted to come to school without having any work. So, I suggest you start doing your job as General."
The General of Affection sighed and replied:
"Okay, I will. But just because today is the first day."
So, all the students went visiting Leafgreen. It was a nice little village full of shops and cafés. Ponies and deers were walking through the streets happily, shopping and relaxing on the terraces of the cafés. Star and his three friends looked fascinated everywhere.
“Wow, amazin’!" Jonagold exclaimed. "Not even Ponyville is so agitat’d."
"That's because there are more shops here than in Ponyville" Star replied.
"I think the other griffons in Griffonstone wouldn't be able to hold themselves on, if they saw so many shiny things without trying to get them" Gunter said. "Of course I’m not included in that group."
"It's even more amazing than I had imagined" Bramble said.
That made the others look at him and Jonagold asked:
"You mean you've never been here?"
"Well… no" the young deer replied.
"But your father is the king of this place" Gunter said.
"That doesn't mean that I have visited all Thicket" Bramble said. "To tell you the truth, I'm not an outdoor deer."
"So it looks like the four of us will share the moment of being here for the first time" Star said. "So where should we start?"
And Jonagold, Gunter and Bramble said at the same time:
"Candy store."
"Pawn shop"
"Observe wild plants."
That made everypony exchange glances with each other. Star realized that would be hard to find something they could do together, so he said:
"And if we do what we want to do individually and then meet here?"
The others agreed and then followed their respective paths. Star then headed out to walk through town and see everything despite being more inclined to go to a bookstore. Watching him from afar was Heartbeat that said to herself:
"I can’t believe and stayed with the first watch. I like Star, but I have better things to do than keep watching him."
That's when a sweet aroma caught her attention.
"Wow, what a delicious smell!" Heartbeat exclaimed. "It smells like fresh bread..."
With water in her mouth and feeling a great desire to follow that smell, Heartbeat prepared to do so, when she remembered what she had to do.
"No, I can't!" she exclaimed with great determination. "I am a General of Order and I have to act like one. I can't let me be seduced by the sweet aroma of fresh bread. I have to ensure that Star don't get out of control. I’m strong. I'm tough. I'm..."
But her mind went back to get hypnotized by the sweet aroma and Heartbeat completed the sentence she was saying:
"…completely in love with this delicious smell..."
Heartbeat took a step to follow that scent, but stopped and said:
"But what if something happens in the meantime? Well, what are the odds of that happening?"
She prepared to move, but she stopped again and said:
"Wait, usually when somepony says that, the thing that somepony hopes that doesn't happen eventually happens."
But the desire to follow that delicious aroma eventually dominate Heartbeat who said:
"I think I'll take a risk."
And, having said that, she advanced to the source of that aroma.
After a while, Star met with his friends, but only found Jonagold and Gunter.
"Do any of you know where's Bramble?" he asked.
"I think he hasn't returned from his search for wild plants" Gunter said.
"We can go lookin’ for him, if ya want" Jonagold said.
"No, I do it" said Star. "You can go back to the academy."
And Star pulled away to find Bramble in the woods that surrounded Leafgreen.
"Bramble!" Star called. "Where are you?"
Then, when he reached a small clearing, he found Bramble, stopped and looking to a dead plant. So the young deer opened the barrel that was at his neckless and took from it a hint of a golden dust that he poured the dead plant with. Out of nowhere, that plant simply regained the vitality that it had lost, returning to be green and lush again.
"Wow!" Star exclaimed, approaching, amazed. "It was just... wow!"
Bramble startled, noticing Star’s the presence, hasting to close his barrel.
"Star?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I came for you" Star replied. "It's time to get back to the academy."
"Wow, I think I got distracted a bit" Bramble said.
"Ok, would you want to tell me what just happened?" Star asked. "It’s just this plant was dead moments ago and you just give it its life back."
Bramble was undecided whether he should tell or not, but, feeling that Star was trustworthy, especially being the son of Princess Twilight and Prince Blue Sword, he said:
"My kind has always had two important works. One of them, given that our kingdom is located at the border between the Enchanted Forest and the Pony World, was watching the foreigners who enter in our realm and ensure that they are not dangerous. The other job is to eliminate any anomaly that arises."
"Anomaly?" Star asked, a little confused. "What do you mean?"
"I'm talking about sudden failures in the vitality of the forest" Bramble explained. "Fairies ensure the vitality of the Enchanted Forest with their fairy dust, that they produce from special diamond, but sometimes there are anomalies and it’s up to us, deers, to take care of them."
"How?" Star asked, increasingly curious.
"The powder from our antlers has revitalizing capabilities" Bramble said. "During winter, our antlers fall and that's when we are able to produce a large quantity of powder to use then when spring arrives. But since Falancia, the main kingdom of the Enchanted Forest, was taken by the Lord of Chaos centuries ago, the rest of the realm hasn't been the same. The anomalies began to appear more frequently and the dust from our antlers is no longer enough. It just manages to revive plants, not bring them back to life.
"So, how..." Star started, pointing to the plant that before was undoubtedly dead.
"I used a special dust that my father gave me" Bramble answered. "It's thanks to it that deers have been able to ensure the vitality of the Enchanted Forest, because it comes from the Heart of the Forest."
"The Heart?" Star asked.
"It is the source of all life in the Enchanted Forest" Bramble said. "Without it, this realm would die. The Heart is located in Falancia, that's why it was the main kingdom. But my ancestor, the king of time Falancia was dominated by Chaos, managed to connect to the Heart and thus get its special dust. So, now Thicket is the main kingdom... at least until Falancia is released from the influence of Evil."
"I see..." Star said, impressed with that story. “And I presume that, as future King of Thicket, you will be the next to have a responsibility to get the dust from the Heart."
"I think I have to" Bramble said. "And that makes me nervous. I've seen my dad do it and it is a very demanding process. There must be harmony between us and the Heart and... I don't know if I will be able to do it."
Realizing the insecurity of his friend, Star put his hoof on Bramble's shoulder and told him:
"You can do it. I know you can."
That made Bramble smile and say:
"Thank You, Star. You're a good friend."
It was then that they heard a grunt and a chimera appeared. It was a very frightening creature with the head and the front body of a lion, antlers and the back body of the goat and a serpent as a tail. The creature growled at them fiercely.
"A chimera..." Bramble said, shaking in his hoofs. "We are finished..."
"Relax, Bramble" Star said. "Everything will be fine."
"Chimeras are one of the most bloodthirsty creatures that exist" Bramble said. "They won't quit until their prey is killed."
Star knew that, since he had already read about chimeras. But he had an idea about how to deal with it.
"Bramble, run" he said.
"What?" the deer asked.
"Go to the village and ask for help" Star said. "I entertain it."
"But, Star..." Bramble started.
"Don't worry" Star said. "I'm an alicorn, have you forgotten? I can fly. I have that advantage. Go ask for help."
Despite not wanting to leave Star alone, Bramble knew this was the only way to deal with the situation where they were. He waved.
"Okay, when I say" Star started. "Now!"
And Bramble began to run out of the clearing. Seeing the young deer running away, chimera began running toward him.
"No way" Star said, flying in the direction of the chimera.
But when he approached, the head of the chimera’s snake tail was quite fast and bit one of Star’s forelegs. He felt an immense pain and then was thrown against the ground. Bramble, seeing the creature approaching, was paralyzed with fear. Seeing his friend about to be attacked, Star was filled with despair and anger, and exclaimed:
"NO!"
Quickly, steam appeared around Star, while he got up. The intensity of the steam was such that caught the attention of the chimera that turned to him. Bramble, seeing that, got freed of his paralysis, getting too amazed with what was happening. It was then the steam turned into an intense red energy that surrounded Star in spiral. The force was so great that split the ground around it.
Star directed his gaze to the chimera, but his eyes and his expression were totally different. His eyes that used to be glaucous and filled with light were now red and full of anger and savagery. His pupils were even split, as if they were the eyes of a wild animal. Lines similar to feline whiskers were drawn on his face and fangs appeared. On his hooves, claws appeared, getting similar to the hooves of pony-wolves and pony-panthers. When he found himself, Bramble returned to his state of paralysis, but, this time, was not for being afraid of the chimera, but Star.
Suddenly, the energy released built up in the air and took the shape... a fox head. In addition, the wound that was made by the tail of the chimera began to heal quickly.
In the village, Heartbeat was leaving the bakery after being delighted with a delicious bread, saying:
"This was the best bread I've ever had since... well, ever. I don't think Purple Smoke would do something like that."
And, it was then that Heartbeat was able to feel something. She felt something awfully familiar, a thing of the past. It didn't take long until she realized it was Nine-Tails.
"No…" she said, not wanting to believe. "It can’t be..."
The energy that formed the fox head dissipated, while Star coat ruffled and he started growling and put himself in a position of attack. The chimera, feeling threatened, also put itself in a position to attack. Star then advanced against the chimera with an immense speed. It managed to escape, but Star managed to make a tight curve and reached the chimera. The tail struck again, but Star dodged it, but, in doing so, he allowed the chimera to attack again, but this time with its claws. However, Star managed to catch the claw the chimera was going to use with one of his hooves and, with the other, punched the chimera that was launched far away.
Bramble remained where he was, shocked by what he had just seen. Star had managed to defeat a chimera with his own hooves. However, his appearance was what scared the young deer the most. Star turned to him and his fear grew, fearing he was going to attack. But that didn't happen. Star just stared at him.
Suddenly, Heartbeat appeared between the two of them and she, seeing Star, told him:
"I’m sorry, Star. It's my fault that this happened. But now that the damage is done, it's time to fix it."
And she charged her horn with magic and tried to use her empathic power in Star. Heartbeat could feel the anger around him, the rage that was just giving more power to the energy of Nine-Tails that coming through the cracks of the seal created by Golden Paladin. But her magic proved to be effective, as the anger began to decrease gradually. The changes on Star's body started to recede, while his eyes regained the color they had before.
When the young alicorn prince returned to who he was, the accumulated exhaustion made him to faint. After that, Heartbeat turned to Bramble and, with her empathy, managed to calm him down, although he remained awake. With the problem already solved, Heartbeat turned to Star and said, talking to herself:
"I think I'm in deep trouble."