Starlight Rising

by Priestess Kyoko

Chapter Four. The Princess and the Apprentice

"You two take forever to get outta class, you know that?" Indigo said as she took the lead. Behind her Ember and Star ran down the halls as a long bell toll signaled the end of the school day.

"I had to make a list of the books I needed, otherwise I would've been out of history class before the bell rang." Star said as her tiny hooves moved quickly over the polished ground.

"Where do we go now? We've got at least a few hours before sunset, and homeroom's assignment takes all of ten minutes to finish." Ember slowed the group to a halt at the end of the hall. Across the hall, the front doors were nearly unable to be seen behind a mod of unicorns who flocked to the outside world.

"Oh! The castle! I could show you Princess Luna's tower; it's where I'm staying!"

"Living in the castle with the Princesses; lucky filly. I'm in. Ember?" Indigo and Star looked excitedly towards Ember.

"Sure thing!" The colt said, setting the three in motion. The three weaved their way between the older, taller unicorns, and burst out of the front doors right under the hooves of a full grown mare and her two friends. Outside, Star broke into a sprint as her eyes met a midnight blue mare waiting for her. The sea of ponies parted to walk a distance around Luna, giving excited glances and whispered words, wondering why the princess of the night were here at Celestia's school. Luna however, did not seem to notice the glances and whispers, as Star came barreling toward her and nearly collided with her front legs. Luna gave Star a pat on her head as her student stood proudly next to her, before her gaze met the two foals who had followed Star. Ember and Indigo seemed in awe of the princess, who towered over them even more than the other adult unicorn students.

"It looks like your first day went just fine. You've made two friends already, hmm?" Luna said with a smile.

"Mhmm! This is Ember and Indigo!" The mention of their names made Ember and Indigo bow their heads towards the princess. Star bounced from Luna back over to her friends, earning a soft laugh from Luna.

"A pleasure to meet you both. Where are you all off to in such a hurry?"

"I was going to show them the castle! Can we explore it?" Star asked with a bounce in place.

Luna chuckled at the charm Star continued to express, and gave a glance at her two friend who eagerly beamed at her.

"Of course you may-" Before Luna could continue speaking Star jumped up happily with a loud,

"Yes!"

"-but Star," Luna continued, holding out a hoof to regain the filly's attention. "only until sunset. Along with what you schooling calls for tonight, we have somewhere to be."

"Okay! Thank you, Luna!" Star yelled as she and her friends broke off in a sprint for the castle walls.

Luna watched as the trio took off, a smile on her face. This was the best start to schooling that she could have hoped for her little student.

"That's the tower I'm staying in!" Star threw her hoof forward to point at the western most tower which housed Luna's observatory. "There's a whole observatory in there!"

As Ember and Indigo gazed up at the white and gold embellished tower, Star trotted forward and as she approached the massive front doors of the castle, the two guards on either side bowed their heads.

"Good afternoon, Princess." One guard said politely, as the other opened the doors for her.

"Thank you." Star responded just as politely, and gestured with a wave of her hoof for her friends to follow her.

Once inside, Indigo watched the doors close behind her with a short echo into the halls.

"All this to yourself? I should try being a princess sometime." said Indigo as she nudged Star with a hoof.

"Well, not entirely. Celestia and Luna are here too after all. The only place Luna and I have to ourselves is the tower; I don't think Celestia goes there much." Star lead her friends down the halls at a brisk trot, their hoofsteps muffled by the long lengths of thick, soft carpeting. Down one side of the hall, large stained glass imaged detailed pieces of Equestrian history.

Star took the group around one last corner and out of the doorway leading to the tower's spiral staircase. With tiny legs scrambling furiously the trio climbed each step as quickly as possible. Star was the first to reach the top, and pushed open the doors with her front hooves.

"Storm, I'm back!" She called happily as she dropped her saddlebags and her cloak beside the door. As Indigo and Ember reached the top of the stairs and followed Star inside, they found themselves staring in awe at the room before them. Their eyes were locked on the shining telescope that dominated the room. It was the sudden chirping that broke their gaze, and they found a small blue bird hopping up onto Star's foreleg.

"This is Storm, he's the ice phoenix I hatched for my enrollment test; Luna let me keep him!" Star said with a smile as the bird flapped his wings quickly.

"Ice phoenix? Woah." Ember leaned forward on his front hooves, looking closely at the hatchling's shining blue plumage. "I only had a canary's egg for my test! He's so cool!"

"I didn't even know ice phoenixes existed." Indigo spoke slowly as she looked at the little bird, as if she was deep in thought.

"Neither did I!" Star exclaimed as she gently set her pet down. "Come on! I'll show you around!" Star turned and ran towards the most obvious object in the room, the telescope. She stood beside it, dwarfed by its size, and held a hoof up to it as she spoke.

"This is Luna's telescope! She lets me use it at night to look at the stars; I even saw a comet last night!" Just as she finished speaking, she galloped over to the large star chart, and hopped up on the chair next to the desk below it. "And this is where she charts stars! I think every star in the sky is on this, but, I don't know what all these numbers are yet." Star gestured to various numbered lines on the chart.

It was Indigo who took an interest in the telescope, where as Ember found himself lost in the maze of dots that plotted constellations and various other stars.

"I wish I could paint something like this, or even just design something like it! There's so many pieces, I can't believe it," Indigo paused dramatically, turned away with a toss of her mane, "I might cry; that's just gorgeous. Star, you have to let me sketch that sometime." indigo grinned as walked over to Star and Ember, resisting the urge to stare at the work of mechanical art behind her.

"Sure thing, Indigo! Anytime!" Star said happily.

"Having a princess for a friend has it's perks, doesn't it? Thanks, kid." Indigo trotted down the table and Star jumped off the chair. "So what's in there?"

Star looked down the side of the room towards the furthest door on the right.

"Oh, I haven't really been able to look in there much. Everything has these heavy covers on them; I couldn't lift them by myself," Star explained.

"Well you have two other unicorns now, how about we take a look-see?" Star nodded quickly, and looked over her shoulder for Ember. The chestnut foal quickly looked from the star chart to his waiting friends, and followed them as they ran into the side room.

"Woah, when you said 'covers', you really meant it." Ember said as he stopped at the doorway, letting the fillies enter first. Directly to their right was the first covered item, a tall rectangular shape that reached all the way to the ceiling. Across from them at the middle part of the wall appeared to be a table covered in white sheeting. On either side of table shaped object were smaller rectangular shapes covered in the same material.

"Well, let's get to work. Easiest first." said Indigo as she walked to the smaller object on the left of the table. The three lined up side by side, each lowering their horns toward the cover.

"On three. One. Two. Three." Three streams of magic surrounded the cover, easily lifting it up and off the box which now lay revealed on a small table. The box was a dark red that shined even in the dim light let in by the window over the desk. The top was marked with gold symbols, and a single button latch held it shut.

"My dad has a box like that!" Ember exclaimed as he put his front hooves up on the table's edge to get a better look at the box. "It's called a Rune Cage; The blacksmiths use them to sort runes that they put in armor pieces for magic effects. The box is usually enchanted to keep the magic from leaking out of the runes."

"Rune cage. That sounds cool, is there anything in it Ember?" Star asked as she stepped forward and put her hooves up on the table beside the colt.

"Let's see." Ember tapped the button lock on the box and slowly the top swung open on its hinge. Inside, laid neatly in individual place holders, lay several rune symbols carved expertly into smooth, polished stones.

"Aww, they're pretty!" Star giggled as she touched one of the stones with her hoof. "How do they work, Ember?" She asked excitedly.

"Well, from what I've seen my dad do, the stones hold the enchantment until the armor can be completed. Metal doesn't hold magic well by itself, so the blacksmiths use these runes for the enchantment instead. I can't remember why runes hold magic better," Ember paused in thought, "I think it had something to do with, earth? Something like that. Each symbol does something different too, and they're not just for armor; they can be used for weapons, alchemy, even good luck!"

Indigo took a look at the runes and tilted her head at how strange the symbols seemed.

"Hard to believe there's still magic in them, they seem pretty normal to me. Maybe the magic's worn off?" Indigo asked as she pushed a few runes around with her hoof.

"Could be that they were never enchanted -rune cages usually do a pretty good job of keeping the magic in- or maybe they're for alchemy instead."

"Huh, cool either way. How about we see what's behind cover number two?" Indigo put her hooves back on the ground and the three went to the cover across from the box. The second object was similar in size, and pulling down the sheet revealed another box laid over the top of a small table.

Indigo was the first to investigate the box, and found that upon opening it the room was filled with a cornucopia of smells. Inside, stored in small leather bags tied in smaller strips of leather, seemed to be small collections of various plants.

"My bet is on alchemy ingredients. Every alchemist has a storage box like this."

"And is smells amazing." Star said as she breathed in the floral scents emanating from the box. Her wings fluttered as she released her deep breath and followed her friends to the next cover.

As they has guessed, beneath it was a simple large table and chair. The table lacked everything other than small cracks on its edges from the heat let in through the window.

"Well that's boring compared to the last ones. Let's hope we saved the best for last." The trio turned towards the cover that stretched all the way to the ceiling.

"Alright, on three." Indigo said in preparation.

Star planted her hooves firmly on the ground, swishing her tail in anticipation. Ember did the same, and made sure all four hooves were firmly placed before the count of three. On the count all three streams of magic grasped the sheeting and pulled it outwards with as much force as they could gather.

For three small foals who had just begun to familiarize themselves with magic, the effort was met with the reward of the heavy sheet falling to the ground with a think plum of dust.

Indigo quickly covered her muzzle with her foreleg to avoid the sneezing that reached Star and Ember.

"Sheesh this thing must have been covered for awhile." Looking up, they found the sheet had covered a towering book shelf. Stored on the lower most shelf were various glass tubes, beakers and other tools used for scientific works and experiments in alchemy. Further up the shelves were lined with thick books, many of which had scrolls stuffed and laid on top of them.

"Now that is some bookshelf." Indigo said as she stared up at the collections. "Let's see what kind of books you have. I'll pass them to you, Star, and you pass them to Ember. Ember, you put them on the table, okay?"

"Got it." The pair said in unison and they backed away from the shelf. Ember pushed the chair out with his front hooves and hopped up onto the seat. Star took her place between them and readied herself for the first book.

The trio passed a total of three books to the table, and when the last one was laid down, they all gathered on top of the table to look at the books Indigo had taken off the shelf.

"I can't even pronounce some of this stuff!" Star exclaimed as she looked over the intricate book covers. Each had a thick binding with a title in large letters. One even had a jeweled decoration over the letters. "Equestrian Tradition and Cu... Cul..?"

"Culture." Ember said kindly.

"Oh, thanks." Star said with a smile as she glanced from the book to the colt in front of her. "What about that one?" She pointed to the smallest of the books on the table, one with a blue cover and gold lettering, before opening the book of Equestrian culture in front of her.

"Looks like..." Indigo turned the book towards her. "Ah, looks like a book of the things in Equestria, you know, flora and fauna. Except, this one doesn't have any fauna."

"Fauna?" asked Star, tilting her head slightly.

"I heard the teachers talking about it before my enrollment test. Fauna means animals, and I guess since flora sounds like flower, maybe it means plants? Seems like it considering this is a book of plants." A slight pause followed as Indigo flipped through the pages. "That and it's called Equestrian Flora and Fauna, Book One. Fauna's probably book two or somethin'."

"Huh, that sounds cool. What about you Ember? What does yours say?" Star said as she looked over at the book Ember had been flipping through.

"No idea, I can't even read this." Ember said as he levitated the book in front of him, turning it over and over again as if that would help him understand the lettering inside.

"Can I see?" Star asked curiously, and Ember laid it down in front of her. The cover lettering was unrecognizable, but quite beautiful. It was black with murky light blue swirls across the binding. In the middle were the shapes of three different ponies. The middle was a pegasus. It's wings were outstretched behind the trio. On the left was a unicorn, and the blue swirls seemed to originate from its horn. Finally, on the right was an earth pony, and beside it were three small shapes that resembled blooming flowers.

"Nice picture; wonder what it says? Is it short-hoof or something?" Indigo asked as she tilted her head at the strange writing.

"Nah, short-hoof is more... You know; short." Ember said as he sat back on the table. "Maybe it's just something we can't read yet."

"I'll ask Luna what it is when she gets back! Wanna look around more in the meantime? I can show you my secret room!" Star said excitedly.

"I didn't see any other room here though." Indigo said.

"That's because it's secret! I'll show you!" Star emphasized as she turned and leaped off the table, landing on the floor with small thuds from her hooves. In haste to keep up, Indigo and Ember jumped down after her.

As Ember followed after Indigo, his hoof clipped the black book and sent it sliding across the table, where it fell off the back. The foals were already to focused on the possibility of a secret room to notice.

"Alright, so you have to push this stone block right here, and the door opens!" Star said as she put her front hooves on the stone that opened the door to her bedroom. As the stone gave way, the doorway shifted inward, then slid to the side to allow them to pass. Star picked Storm up and set him on her back before leading the group into the room.

"This used to be Luna's room, but she stays in the castle now. She let me stay here while I'm in school." Star walked inside and let Storm hop up onto the bed before she sat down to let her friends look around.

"Sheesh kid, you have everything." Indigo said as she traced the room and its contents; the polished desk with an ample supply of parchment and quills, the bed that was two sizes to big for a full grown mare, and the two bookshelves in the corner of the room.

"Well it's all thanks to Luna; she's so nice!" Star said happily. "She's even letting me be her apprentice! She's going to help me with my magic!"

"Looks like Filly Luck is looking out for you. Only your first day and you're set for life."

Star smiled as the trio sat down on the thick carpet at the foot of the bed.

"Well you guys know pretty much everything about me now, what about you guys? Ember I know you want to be a blacksmith; who's training you?" Star asked as she laid down, tucking her front hooves under her chest.

"My dad mostly, but when he can't I take lessons with the other blacksmith soldiers. I can't do much right now except watch and learn their techniques; I'm not allowed to work with the forge until I'm a little older."

"You should make my armor when I become a guard! It could be practice for you and I'd love for a friend to make it!"

"Well sure I could make it! Only, I don't think we make any armor sets for mares. Come to think of it, I think only the Princesses have armor, and they only wear it when something's really wrong."

"Well I'm a princess too, and I'll need armor too when something's really wrong!" Star urged with a nod of her head.

"Well... Yeah, I guess you would. Alright! I'll make you one someday!" Ember said in his usual friendly tone. Star grinned happily before both of them looked toward Indigo.

"What about you Indigo? Are you anyone's apprentice?"

"Nope!" Indigo said quickly, "I'm teaching myself right now, learning my own way. I like it that way, where it's just me and only me doing what only I want to do, without having to follow someone else."

"Teaching yourself?" Star seemed surprised, and she leaned closer as if to hear more, "But how do you learn new things if you teach yourself?"

"Oh that's easy, kid." Indigo sat back on her haunches with a smile. "I read a lot. Any artist you can think of, designer, painter, sculptor, everyone, they all have books about their pieces. I like reading about how they made each work, especially the fashion designers; I could see myself designing clothes one day, and being a painter of course."

"That's so cool!" Ember said, impressed by the filly's independence. "That must be why you got your cutiemark so early!"

"It's pretty fun." Indigo said thankfully. "And hey, I might just be an early bloomer, you two will be getting your cutiemarks in no time, I'm sure."

"Well then how about we get started on that? We could get homeroom's assignment done before you guys go home." Star offered. Indigo and Ember both nodded in return.

"Sounds good, no homework to worry about is always a good thing." Indigo added as she and Ember set their own saddlebags on the floor and pulled out their Basic Laws of Magic textbooks.

"Be right back then, I left my saddlebags at the door." Star stood up and quickly trotted out into the observatory to retrieve her saddlebags.

As Star grabbed the strap connecting the two bags in her mouth, she immediately jumped and dropped it at the sudden sound of a voice overhead.

Magic is a thing of beauty, but your magic is more than beautiful, Little Star. It is also immensely powerful. You'll find the answers one day, and I will be your guide.

"Huh? H-hello? Hello?" Star looked around the observatory quickly, but saw nothing. The voice seemed to have come from everywhere at once, but only she occupied the room. "Hello?" She asked one more time. Only silence answered her. After a few moment in quiet, Star picked up her bags and backed towards her room. She only turned around when she was in the doorway of her room, where she walked to join Ember and Indigo while looking over her shoulder.

"What's up, Star?" Ember asked as he looked up from his open text book.

"I... I just thought I heard something." Star said dismissively as she shook her head and pulled out her own book.

"It could have been one of the pegasi guards flying by. I would guess a castle is always noisy during the day." Ember reassured her. Star nodded in agreement and she laid down and laid her book in front of her, flipping the pages until she found the categories of magic.

A short study session later resulted in Indigo and Ember both putting their books away after marking the page they found their category of magic on as well as the example that best fit them.

From the windows lining the outer edge of Star's bedroom, large streams of dark orange sunlight streamed in. The sun was hanging lower in the sky, turning it lovely rich shades of pink, purple, orange and yellow.

Star starred down at the final page of examples in her textbook, eyes narrowed as she reached the end of the page. Finally, she sighed and closed the book.

"Nothing." She said flatly.

"Huh? You can't find which kind of magic you are?" Indigo asked as she picked up her saddlebags and swung them over her back.

"Nu-uh. Nothing matches me." Star shrugged her shoulders as she sat up, setting the book aside so that it leaned up against her own saddlebags.

"You sure you're not missing anything?" Indigo asked.

"Yeah, but nothing covers light magic." Star shook her head as she sat up slowly.

"Don't worry Star, you can just ask Ms. Lily tomorrow." said Ember as he smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, I'll do that." Star stood up as the three of them walked out of Star's room and into the observatory. "So, meet you guys tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. How about the front steps again?" Ember asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod from Star.

"Fine by me, we'll see you then. Come on Ember, it's getting late. Goodnight, Star." Indigo gestured for Ember to follow her.

"Cya later Star, 'night!" Ember said with a wave of his hoof as he reached the large double doors of the tower's entrance.

"G'night guys!" Star waved back happily as she sat back on her haunches. A series of chirps made her look down. Beside her, Storm flapped one of his wings in a waving gesture before looking up at Star.

"Think you'll be okay here by yourself when I go to school from now on?" Star asked with a small laugh, tossing her mane out of her face. Storm chirped lightly in response. "Don't worry, I get weekends off and even summer break so we can go outside and play then! You even get to come to school with me for my Nature Magic class!" Star smiled happily as the chick hopped up onto her foreleg and flapped his wings excitedly.

"It appears as if someone had a very good first day of school."

Star looked up to see Luna standing in the doorway, smiling warmly.

"I did! It was so fun!" Star exclaimed as her teacher walked closer to her. She noticed that Luna had her own saddlebags laid over her back. "Do you have school too, Luna?" She asked with a curious tilt of her head. Luna chuckled in reply.

"No, Star. We must recover books left behind long ago, in a place long abandoned." Luna gestured for Star to follow her with a single wave of her hoof. Star let Storm sit on her back as she followed Luna across the observatory and out onto the balcony. There, Luna watched quietly as the sun began to dip just past the horizon.

"Tell me, Star, do you fly yet?" Luna asked as she gazed out over the expansion of land before her.

Star's gaze fell from Luna onto the stone floor.

"Well," Star paused for a moment before sighing heavily, "no." She said quietly while running the edge of her hoof over the ground. Luna looked over at her apprentice, and smiled before laying a hoof on her shoulder.

"It is alright. All in good time, Star. I can carry you this time."

"Where are we going?" Star asked.

"To my sister's castle, the castle where we lived as foals. There are things I wish to retrieve to assist you in your studies." Luna looked towards the horizon as the sun began to disappear behind it. "Watch, Star. This could be what you are one day capable of."

Star looked up as she saw the edge of a crescent moon begin to raise into the sky. Luna's magic made it seem so easy, and Star watched in awe of it.

"Would you mind helping me with the stars? They seem a little dim tonight." Luna asked with a smile. Star grinned widely as she put her front hooves up on the rails of the balcony.

After just a few moments the moon was set in motion, and around it small groups of stars twinkled lively. Constellations painted the now darkened sky.

More than satisfied, Luna knelt down and let Star climb onto her back. On the floor, Storm chirped in attempt to be let on as well.

"I apologize little one, but this time you must stay here." Luna said calmly.

"I'll be back soon Storm, don't worry!" Star said as she reached down to pat his head gently.

Luna unfurled her wings and with a strong downward stroke she lifted herself into the air. She looked over her shoulder to be sure her tiny passenger was alright after the take off, and Star was excitedly looking down at the ground as she loosely held onto Luna's neck to keep still. After seeing that the enthusiastic filly seemed steady, Luna dove from the balcony, letting her wings catch the draft as she glided smoothly over the Canterlot castle gardens.

Star laughed as the rush of wind caught her mane and sent it flying backward. She extended her tiny wings and felt the short feathers catch the updrafts made by each stroke of Luna's wings.

"I apologize in taking so long to give your first lesson, Star. It is something we will have to grow accustomed too; you may have to begin accompanying me more often."

"I don't mind, that sounds fun!" Star replied happily as she looked out over the rapidly passing ground beneath them. Star clambered higher onto Luna's long neck and placed herself right behind her black crown.

"Hold on," Luna smiled as she gave a power downward stroke of her wings and propelled herself very quickly upward. As she did so, she partially tucked a wing inward to twist circularly until she reached a high enough altitude. Star giggled excitedly as she threw her head back and let the wind fly past. As Luna extended her wings again into a smooth glide, Star looked down to see the entirety of Canterlot below them, tall towers and spires appearing as small as her hoof and houses no bigger than her tiny horn.

"It looks so tiny from up here!" Star nearly yelled in her excitement while clinging tightly to Luna's neck.

"I thought so too when I was young. Celestia would carry me over our old castle when I was a filly; that was when I could not yet control the rise and fall of the moon. Over a thousand years ago." Luna's voice trailed off softly as she closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the cold air travel over every feather of her wings.

"So, you didn't always live in Canterlot then?" Star asked curiously, peeking over the edge of Luna's crown as the princess looking back at her.

"Not at all. I didn't live in Canterlot until... well, until I came back to Equestria. Before then, we lived in the Everfree Forest. Look there, you'll see the tallest towers over the trees." Luna and Star looked to the large expanse of trees that marked Equestria's largest forest; Everfree. Star squinted as she leaned forward to attempt to see better. Just over the green canopy she saw two thin gray shapes rising into the dark sky.

"I think I see them! Over there!" Star called excitedly as she pointed a hoof in their direction.

"Keen eyes, little Star." Luna praised with a smile as she gave multiple powerful strokes of her wings to propel them over the forest with speed.

"My mom said that Everfree is "dark and mysterious"." Star said while waving her hooves over her head as if to make her words sound more spooky.

"It was for a very long time. When Discord reigned, the forest contained many Seeds of Chaos that spread roots of darkness over every plant and creature. For many a century no pony would dare venture into its boarders. It was thanks to Princess Twilight Sparkle that the seeds were eradicated and freed me and my sister in the process. Now the Elements of Harmony have begun to heal the damage, though it will be long before the forest can return to the beautiful land it once was."

Star looked down at the shadows cast over the trees, wondering what could be found lurking below them.

"It is for that reason that you must always stay close to me when we enter the forest. While in the castle, we must be wary. The walls are weak and the floors are crumbling. It may be dangerous."

"I'll be careful! I promise!" Star said as Luna began slow herself. Her wings tilted backwards until she hovered in the air, her dark blue eyes slowly looking over the outside of the castle. Once satisfied that it was deserted, Luna let herself gently glide down to the ground and softly settled all four hooves on the grasses that sprouted up at the end of the stone bridge outside of the castle.

Star stayed perched on Luna's neck, suddenly finding herself once again dwarfed by her surroundings. The trees leading back into the forward stretched menacingly towards her. The shadow of the castle fell over her in a heavy black cloak. Star lowered her head behind Luna's crown, her ears falling back timidly. Luna felt the filly's nose bury into her celestial mane, and looked over her shoulder with a gentle smile.

"Do not be afraid Star. Do you remember the darkness of the observatory?" Luna asked quietly. Star looked up at Luna, slowly pulling her head up.

"We're ponies of the night?" Star spoke timidly.

"Yes. The night will always be frightening at times. We are afraid of the stories we hear about the darkness and its creatures. We are afraid of what lurks in the shadows, but something is only as frightening as we allow it to be." Luna stepped onto the stone bridge as she spoke, and gracefully leaped over a large fallen portion as Star seemed to come out from hiding behind her crown. "Whenever something frightened me, I would think about something that I loved, like my sister, the moon, or flying. Why don't you try that? And remember; I'm here."

"Okay, I'll try." Star said quietly as Luna gave a small smile in return. "Well I... I-I love my dad! He let's me come with him on guard duty sometimes!" Star suddenly perked up, looking over the edge of Luna's crown again with a large grin.

"Ah so that's where you're dream of being a guard comes from. You see? Not so scary then, is it?"

"Not really. It's still really dark in there though." Star squinted to try and see past the doorway that seemed to lead to a wall of darkness. One door was crooked and only partially still hinged in place while the other had fallen to the ground long ago.

"It will always be dark when night falls. It is a time to rest for most creatures. You must learn to see past the darkness; your lessons with me will always be at night." Luna stepped forward, unphased by the darkness beyond the arched doorway. Within the castle, Luna's larger eyes saw the outlines of shapes and objects in the darkness, while Star saw only blackness.

"I can't see, Luna." Star whispered as she waved her hoof in front of her face and saw no movement.

Suddenly a soft blue glow emanated from Luna's horn, casting light over the stone interior of the castle. Luna looked towards the end of the opening chamber that once lead to two tall thrones. The thrones were worn, with Luna's being broken half way up the back and Celestia's worn into ruins. Large tapestries hung over them with the few repairs graciously done by Princess Twilight and her loyal friends.One sight that Luna's eyes lingered on for a long time, was a decorative arch between the two thrones. A large chunk had been beaten out of it. Behind it, the wall and large glass window were cracked and shattered, pieces of them lying about the floor of the throne room.

"There can only be one Princess in Equestria, and that Princess will be me!"

The words echoed through me mind until Luna forced herself to look away, letting the archway fall into shadow once more as she turned down a hallway.

"Luna? Luna are you okay? You're not scared are you?" Star asked as she looked down at the princess. Luna smiled and shook her head.

"No, Star. This castle holds many memories of mine. Some are heavier than others." Luna walked down the hallway quietly, though each step echoed slightly in the heavy silence of the castle walls. "I remember the library being... Ah, here." Luna used her front hooves to push open the door, the rotted wood easily giving way and crumbling at the smallest pressure. As dust rose in a cloud around them, Luna stepped into the dark room and sent the light from her horn out in front of them. There it split into multiple orbs of light that spread out over the large library, revealing shelves upon shelves of old books.

"Are the books okay? Everything's so dusty in here." Star said as she covered her muzzle with her hooves.

"Unlike the castle, the books were enchanted to allow them to withstand the ages. The castle we knew would decay, but the books needed to be protected so their knowledge would not be lost."

"What are we looking for then? I can help!" Star said as she hopped down from Luna's back and turned to face her.

"Alright, we need four books tonight. One is called "Ethereal Derived Magic and Alchemy"; a grimoire I used during my years of training as a filly. The other three are simply called "The Nocturnals". You look for the Nocturnal books; they'll be easier for you to find anyway. They should all be black books. The first one has a flower on it, it looks like a white lily."

"Got it!" Star turned and looked at the shelves lined end to end with seemingly countless books all covered in thick dust but otherwise in perfect condition. Her bright violet eyes traced the bottom shelves with the help of the orbs of light shining above.

Luna's decorative shoes sent out echoes with each step as she moved over holes in the floor and leaped easily over fallen pillars and sections of wall. At the back of the library were the ruins of a once beautiful and cozy sitting room. Large cushioned seats and thick carpets were now just distant memories eaten away by insects and time. To one side of the sitting room was a large desk with tall stacks of books lining the back of it.

During her foalhood Luna remembered the warmth of the large fireplace as she and Celestia lay curled up with each other, a stack of books at their side as they read stories of fantasy and adventure. A smile found its way to her face as she glanced over the covers that depicted valiant soldier stallions and beautiful mares of royal blood. Luna looked from the large stacks of foal stories to those scattered about the room, her eyes slowly glancing over the titles to locate the grimoire.

Luna pushed her way around the rotted wooden frame of a large chair, pulling her saddlebags free when the threads caught on the splintered pieces. On a small side table, covered by layers of grime, Luna wiped away the dust and dirt from a decorative cover. Exposed to the light of the orbs, the bright green cover glittered as Luna softly blew the final layer of dust away.

"There you are." Luna said quietly as she lifted the grimoire into the air, her eyes slowly tracing over the elegant gold lettering of the title "Ethereal Derived Magic and Alchemy" before she placed it carefully into her saddlebag. "Right where I left you."

"H-Hey! Luna, I think I found one!" The loud cascade of falling books that followed Star's voice made Luna quickly leap into the air with a powerful stroke of her wings and land heavily on the ground only to find Star partially buried under three large books. "Oops." Star giggled as she wiggled out from under them and shook her mane until it fell correctly to one side again. "See! Found 'em!"

Luna shook her head and chuckled as she walked down the isle between the book shelves as Star pushed two books towards her. Lowing her head, Luna examined the covers of the books. The title was written in a language very different from that of Equestria, and from the lettering extended swirls of light blue. On one cover they formed the shape of a white flower, while on the other they created the detailed outline of a large pair of wings.

"I found these two on the shelf up there!" Star jumped up at high as she could, just barely able to put her hoof up to the second shelf from the ground.

"Only the two? There should be three." Luna said as she looked over the shelf for the missing volume.

"What does it look like?" Star asked curiously while tilting her head to the side.

"The final one should be..." Luna's voice trailed off as she tried to recall the cover of the final book. "I remember it having three ponies on it. A pegasus, unicorn and earth pony."

"Ember found a book like that in the observatory!" Star exclaimed with a excited jump in place.

"Oh?" Luna raised an eyebrow, "Perhaps it was accidentally brought to the castle without the others. You're sure about your friend finding that exact book?"

"Yep, I was gonna ask you about it since we couldn't read it! I forgot though."

"Well then we should return to the castle, it's late enough as it is, and you have school tomorrow." Luna knelt down as Star began to scramble onto her back, and let the little Princess settle herself just behind her crown again. The two walked quietly out of the crumbling castle and out into the night once more.

"Uhh.. Luna...? About school," Star began quietly, as if unsure how to continue.

"Yes, Star?" replied Luna as she unfurled her wings and leaped into the air, her wings catching the soft night breeze and carrying her further into the sky.

"Well, Ms. Lily wanted us to figure out what kind of magic we use. I tried reading the book, but I couldn't find mine. What should I tell her?"

"Star, your magic cannot be found in a book." Luna smiled as she spoke, and looked back at the filly who tilted her head at her.

"I can't?" asked Star.

"The kinds of magic spoken of in school books in common magic; various classifications of magic that unicorns use almost every day. However, over the years that my sister and I have ruled, unicorns have lost much of their magic abilities. Did you know that unicorns raised the sun and moon before my sister and I adopted the task?"

"That's in the Hearths Warming Eve story my mom told me. They really did that? It's not just a ponytale?"

"Oh, far from it, Star. It's our history, though it does sound like it could be a ponytale; it has been more than two thousand years since unicorns possessed magic of that caliber though. Now, while still strong, they are much weaker than they once were. Your magic in unique, remember?"

"But, what kind of unique? I need to tell Ms. Lily what kind it is; it's my homework."

Luna chuckled at Star's statement, and shook her head slowly.

"The only title you could apply to your magic, is Alicorn magic. We still have yet to test the limits of your power; but that will wait until you are older. You must master the basics, before you can uncover the unknown."

"Alicorn magic. I'll remember that." Star repeated quietly as she laid her head down in the celestial mane of her mentor, her eyes heavy as she watched the stars pass overhead.

As the flight to the castle seemed to drag on, Star's eyes fell closed, and Luna extended her wings and let the wind gently carry them home to Canterlot.

Once on the balcony, Luna quietly walked through the dark room only to hear the patter of little feet beside her.

"She's asleep, Storm. I'm afraid you must wait to see her until morning." Luna said quietly, receiving a chirp in reply as she opened the hidden door to Star's room. Without waking her, Luna laid Star gently on her bed and pulled the thick covers over her. In the same silence, Luna left the tower, and resumed her vigil over the citizens of Equestria.

In the darkness of the room, Star turned over in her bed, unaware of the presence that lurked in her doorway.

Oh, little shining Star, I think it's time I finally talk to you. Your mentor's chaperoning along with those friends of yours has kept me from properly introducing myself. Awaken.

"Huh..? Luna?" Star's eyes opened, though she saw nothing but darkness.

Hello, my little one.

"You! H-Hey, where are you? I knew I heard someone!" Star stood up on her bed, sleep still heavy in her eyes despite the eagerness to find out who spoke in the blackness.

Indeed you did. You heard a friend. I've been waiting to meet you face to face.

"W-who are you, I can't see you." Star asked as she squinted and tried to see through the darkness.

As I said, I am a friend. I was once a very important pony, a High Priestess as a matter of fact. I want to help you unlock the secrets of your powers of night.

"High Priestess...? But, Luna's already helping me."

It won't hurt. I can show you what Luna cannot; unlimited possibilities in the realm of Alicorn magic. Your destiny lies with the Nocturnals, little Star. You cannot see me now, but in time, if we help each other, we will meet.

"I-I guess... I guess I can help you, but, I don't know how. Maybe Luna can."

Neither Luna nor anypony else may know I am speaking to you, Star. You must not speak of me to anypony, no matter what.

"But... then-then how do I help you..?" Star sat back on her bed, looking around the room as the voice seemed to surround her.

Simply trust me when I say this; the stars that fall to the earth can still be saved. Unlock the secrets of your magic, and you may replenish the magic lost in them, and return them to the skies when they are ready. Fear not, for I will help you understand when the time comes.

"You mean the shooting stars? My mom and I make wishes on them; I didn't know they were magic." Star said with a tilt of her head.

How else would your magic allow them to sparkle so brightly? You give them power, and they gather it. However, when their supply runs dry, they fall. You can save them however, bring them back here when you find them, and together we will place them back into the sky; and in doing so, become closer to restoring my physical form, then I shall be able to meet you.

"Huh, well if I can save the little stars, then sure! I'll keep a very close eye out for them! Then when you come back, you can show me more of my magic!"

There's a good filly. For now, sleep. You have many years ahead of you before you can gather enough power to help me. Until then, I'll be close. You'll keep my secret for me, won't you?

"Sure! Cross my heart!" Star said as she wiggled her way under her covers again and pulled them over herself.

Good. Then goodnight, little Star. Sweet dreams, princess.

Star snuggled her cheek against the soft pillow as the voice faded, and the presence that woke her then allowed her to fall back into a deep sleep. The night calmly went on, without a single thought of what secret was now safely and innocently harbored.