The Child of Sun and Moon

by Darkest Night

Worst Kept Secrets

It was a day filled with endless opportunity.

Summer Dawn drifted awake in her bedroom, the winter sunlight streaming in through the large windows on the other side of the room, and her very first thought was about last night. She’d gotten home well after midnight, spending hours just sitting on that cloud snuggled up against Starjumper’s side, as they shared a long, quiet, magical night of just being together. A night without words, a night without distractions, and a night where the last of Starjumper’s walls had come down.

She hadn’t been planning anything like this, but she certainly wasn’t unhappy with the result. Most ponies in Canterlot didn’t understand Starjumper, not the way she did, and that was just fine with her. Over the weeks and moons she had known him, he had very slowly, very carefully let down his guard around her, letting her see inside the fortress of his private self little by little, and the more of it he revealed, the more she liked what she saw. He had some rough edges, there was no question about that, but they were a part of what made him so special…so beautiful. At his core, he was actually a very shy, introverted pony who used his size and his appearance as a bluff, a bluster to make ponies leave him alone…even as he held out hope that they wouldn’t be afraid of him. He had spent almost his entire life hiding a secret, a secret that made it so hard for him to be open with other ponies, and yet despite all that, all his attempts to push ponies away, he had always held out hope that he would find a Summer Dawn among them, a pony that would push right back and push herself into his life. A friend of Starjumper had to be patient and understanding, had to be assertive without being pushy.

She’d never really planned to fall in love with him, but everything about him was a mystery she couldn’t resist, and the more she came to know him, the more she came to respect and admire him. She supposed that her admiration and respect had blossomed into something more. And lucky her, the fact that she was the only pony in Canterlot he would allow anywhere near him had made it fairly easy. She’d had no competition for his affection, and among mares, that competition could be both fierce and savage.

There were significantly more mares than stallions in Equestria, and there was an old saying that went timid mares are single mares. And that statement was oh so true. There was almost no doubt that any stallion a mare had her eye on was also in the sights of at least one other mare, so the social conventions of dating and romance were often full contact sports when it came to mares jockeying to catch a stallion’s attention. And once a mare had a stallion, she had to fight to keep him…and sometimes that meant literally fight. There were more than a few stories about even Canterlot elite mares getting into physical altercations over stallions, and her own mother had more stories like that about her than about any other mare in Canterlot. Her mother had literally fought for her father, and then fought to keep him once she had him. The fact that Starjumper was the only stallion in Canterlot that the mares weren’t eyeing had made it that much easier for her to swoop in and capture him for herself. In a way, that had really helped, because it put no pressure on either of them. They were able to go at a slow, easy pace, giving him time and opportunity to conquer his fear and reach out, which would be the only way a mare would catch Starjumper Astra.

Starjumper thought she was so demure and gentle…he had no idea just how much like him she could be if she was suitably provoked. And another mare trying to muscle in on her stallion would definitely be one of those triggers.

He was intelligent. He was powerful, both physically and magically. But he was damaged. His secret made him skittish, shy, suspicious, and really, the only way a mare was going to get anywhere near him was the way she had, very slowly, very carefully, almost like a pony trying to help an animal that had suffered abuse. What he was was nothing to be ashamed of, but his need to hide it had made him almost crippled in social situations. Every pony around him was a potential threat, an enemy, and that made it awfully darn hard for him to find a marefriend, or even a regular friend.

She knew just what to do. She knew him better than he thought, almost as well as he knew himself, and she knew how to both make him happy and keep him by her side…and it would be so simple. She just had to be kind. She had to be kind, be gentle, and above all, be patient, even now, even after he had accepted her affection and shown him his own…at least in his way. This was all new to him, and probably a little frightening as well given his personality, so she had to let him ease into the idea of it slowly until he was comfortable. In many ways, Starjumper was as skittish as a cornered mouse, and she had to carefully and patiently work around that aspect of his personality. She’d had to move carefully to insert herself into his life as her friend, and she had to be just as careful to allow him to adjust to idea that she was his marefriend. Change would come to them, as their relationship shifted from friendship to romance, but it would come in its own time, at its own pace. And she only needed to be patient enough to allow it to bloom on its own. And when it did, it would be a flower as beautiful as anything in the Royal Garden.

Keeping him would be easy. All she had to give him was what had been missing from his life without trying to change it too much, to show him the kindness that no other pony had, and he would never leave her side. She would be the same companion she had been to him since he started tutoring her, to not let this change in their relationship change their relationship. Yes, she loved him. Yes, he loved her. But that didn’t change the fact that they were friends, and that friendship had to endure for their love to flourish. Starjumper could not function in a “love-hate” relationship, a relationship filled with fiery drama and fights and silliness like many relationships in Canterlot tended to be. He also wouldn’t function in a relationship where either of them tried to force change. That wasn’t how Starjumper worked, and for that matter, that wasn’t how she worked either, so in that respect they were quite compatible. She was her own pony. He was his own stallion. They were who they were, and it was who they were that had caused them to fall in love. They didn’t need to change, either of them. Things would change in their lives, but those changes would come slowly, as they adjusted to each other, and they would be changes that happened naturally, not as the result of active force. Like two vines sprouting side by side, they would entwine with one another as they grew without any help, until they were one.

He was really that simple of a stallion, and that simplicity made him so real to her, far more substantial than most of the stallions in Canterlot. All he needed was gentle love without frills, without blaring trumpets or ridiculous displays. A love that accepted him for what he was even as it demanded that he accept her for what she was, to have her love him the same way she liked him…kindly, patiently, and reservedly.

She was just so glad that he never had to feel like he was alone now. He had her, and what was more, he had real friends in her parents, and even her own friends who had accepted him. He didn’t have to be alone anymore…and now she just had to convince him to stay close to her, maybe even stay in Canterlot. Which might not be that hard, given last night. She would demand he stay close so they could see each other, and his very clever hidden home was the perfect place for him to do just that. There, he would be secret and he would be safe, and he just might decide to stay there with the enticement that she lived just at the bottom of the waterfall from him.

After fully waking up, she nearly floated down to the kitchen, where Withers was already at work on dinner, preparing some of the ingredients he would use later when he started cooking in earnest. “Good morning, little miss,” he said with a smile. “You look to be a in a good mood.”

“I am, Withers,” she replied with a radiant smile. “Where are Mom and Dad?”

“I believe that they are out with the Astras,” he answered. “They debated waking you for your lessons, but given how late you got in last night, they felt you needed the sleep.”

“What time is it?”

“Nearly eleven,” he answered.

She gasped. “I am so late! He’s gonna kill me!” she blurted, turning a circle. “Where is my saddlebag? No nevermind, I left it in his place. I gotta go!” And before he could respond, her horn blazed with intense pink magic, and she teleported herself out of the kitchen in a circular burst of magic.

She appeared in a pitch dark room, mostly quiet but with the very faint humming sound from the waterfall cascading down the mountainside not far from the cave, which vibrated through the stone. She formed a point of light at the tip of her horn and looked around, wondering where he was, then she thought to look up. He was hanging off the ceiling at the very top of dome, right beside Rocky’s perch, hanging from the stone by the end of his tail, his back legs just resting but his front legs clinging to his chest, his hooves pressed against each other and his forelegs clinging to his chest so they didn’t dangle over his head. He was asleep!

Well, that was no surprise. Last night, their quiet, private time was rudely interrupted by Moonshade, who had somehow tracked them down and scolded him for being late for wingblade practice. He’d most likely been up all night training. His armor was laying on one of the couches in the middle of the room, a couple of the pieces on the floor, showing that he’d taken it off without much care for where it ended up, betraying how tired he must have been. He was too much of a neat freak to tolerate such sloppiness unless he was utterly exhausted. She nearly jumped when something landed on her back, but when she heard the deep-pitched squeak and felt the claws dig into her shoulder a tiny bit, she realized it was Rocky. “Hey Rocky,” she said in a low whisper. “Has he been asleep all morning?”

He gave a low squeak, which she really didn’t understand, then she turned when she heard the latch on the door unlock. That had to be either his parents or her parents, nopony else knew how to open the door. No, wait, they’d just teleport in, so that meant that it had to be Princess Celestia! She was the only one that actually used the door! And sure enough, as light flooded into the apartment, the flowing multicolored mane of Princess Celestia preceded her as she stepped just inside. Summer Dawn winced against the light, raised a foreleg and shaded her eyes, at least until the Princess closed the door. She too conjured a faint light at the tip of her horn and advanced towards her with surprising stealth, given she was wearing metal horseshoes. “I see he’s still asleep,” she whispered. “Did you only just arrive, Summer Dawn?”

“Yes ma’am,” she whispered back. “We should let him sleep, he hasn’t had much rest the last couple of days, and we’re leaving tomorrow morning. He needs to rest before we leave, it’s going to be a long trip for him. He’s going to be flying a long way.”

“I agree,” she nodded. “We can retire to the palace, my young one, and I’ll walk you through the last of the variants of the spell. You’re ready for the journey now, but I think he’d be quite pleasantly surprised to find that you’ve learned aspects of the spell he didn’t teach you,” she said with a smile and a wink.

“Please, your Highness!” she whispered eagerly. Yesterday she’d found that she learned well under Princess Celestia, she had a very laid back, easy-going style of teaching that Summer Dawn found quite pleasant. And she learned well from her, because just like Starjumper, the Princess didn’t tell her to read a book. She used magic as she taught, and had her use magic as well, and that was how Summer Dawn learned best. She was a doer, not a reader.

But she still far preferred to learn from Starjumper. He understood her, and every lesson with him was challenging, satisfying, and fun.

“Would you like to come as well, Rocky?” the Princess asked, looking over Summer Dawn’s shoulder.

In answer, the rock bat took off from her back and flew up to his hanging perch, then settled in just beside Starjumper and wrapped his wings around himself.

“I guess not, your Highness,” Summer Dawn whispered with a smile, then she looked to the side and caused a piece of parchment and a quill and ink pot to float over from his writing desk. “We should leave him a note.”

They returned to the palace the same way Summer Dawn arrived, as the Princess teleported them into one of the many rooms within the structure, a room holding two large bookshelves full of books and a large writing table, along with a huge pair of windows that looked out over the valley to the west of Canterlot, Cloudsdale just visible in the distance. It was the Princess’ study, and it was here that she’d tutored Summer Dawn yesterday while Starjumper was asleep. She took a seat on a frilly padded stool by the large, ornate writing desk as the Princess sat on the cushioned seat before it, and then they got to work. The Princess was teaching her the variants of the spell that Starjumper hadn’t, mainly the permanent version of the spell, and time suddenly seemed to both stop and speed up at the same time as she got engrossed in her lesson. The Princess was a good teacher—though she was no Starjumper—so Summer Dawn was able to quickly grasp the differences between a charged shrink spell and a permanent one. She had her practice the spell on several objects her guards brought in, then they took a break for lunch.

It was mid afternoon when a guard escorted Starjumper into the room. Summer Dawn’s eyes lit up at seeing him, a warm glow flushed through her, and she had to resist the urge to run up to him and nuzzle him in greeting. He maintained his stoic expression, but his eyes did soften when he looked at her, and he gave her a very slight smile. “Did you rest well, Starjumper?” the Princess asked as he bowed to her.

“I slept entirely too long, your Highness,” he answered. “How is she doing?”

“She has something to show you,” she smiled in reply, giving Summer Dawn an expectant look. Summer Dawn grinned and turned her head to a vase, then she cast the permanent version of the shrink spell upon it, causing it to shrink down to the size of a toy.

“Well done,” he said with a nod of approval. “She picked that up quickly.”

“It’s not really that hard,” Summer Dawn said modestly. “I don’t understand why you didn’t teach me the permanent version first.”

“It seemed easy because of what you learned before that,” he replied calmly. “Your Highness, since Summer Dawn is ready, we should leave tonight. I can fly the first leg of the trip and give Moonshade a chance to get some sleep. She looked tired last night, and we both have some long days ahead of us.”

“I—well, I guess we could,” Summer Dawn said. “But Mom and Dad were making a big meal for us before we go.”

“We can still eat, we just can’t stay all night. We can’t leave right at sunset anyway. I want to reach Manehattan right before dawn so we have a chance to buy anything we may have forgotten or overlooked before we start across the sea. So we’ll be leaving two hours before midnight, and we’ll reach Manehattan just before dawn.”

“A well-reasoned plan,” the Princess said approvingly. “And since your regular tutor is here, my young one, I’ll release you to his charge. I’m sure the two of you have much work to do before you leave tonight.”

“Well, we have most of it done, but there are some things I want to talk about,” Summer Dawn said, giving him a warm look.

“I’ll have a chance to go over our supplies one more time, just to be sure,” Starjumper added.

Summer Dawn stepped over to him. “I guess we’ll see you when we get back, your Highness?”

She shook her head. “I want to speak to you before you leave,” she said. “So come to the palace. You’ll be beginning your journey from here.”

“We’ll be here three hours before midnight, your Highness. That should give us enough time to go over things with you and Moonshade before we leave.”

“I’ll tell the guards to expect you,” she agreed.

“By your leave?” he asked.

“Feel free, Starjumper,” she smiled.

Without preamble or warning, the entire world flashed in golden magic, and they were standing in the utter darkness of his cave home. He lit one of the lanterns with his magic, then leaned down and nuzzled her gently. She returned it with a thrill chasing through her. “Did you sleep well?” she asked, rubbing her muzzle and cheek against his.

“Yes, thank you for letting me. I think I needed it,” he replied, then he led her towards the sitting couch. “And thank you for being discreet in front of the Princess.”

“I know you, Star, I know you’d find it…embarrassing if I showed you any affection in public,” she told him easily. “You’re a very private pony, and I’d be a poor marefriend if I stomped on your feelings that way.”

“I’m glad you understand,” he said with relief in his voice. “But we need to decide what to do about our parents.”

She had to laugh. “My mom and dad aren’t going to care, Star. They like you. They really like you. They know who you are, and they respect it. You don’t have to worry at all about them having a fit or anything.”

“Even though I’m a Lykan?”

“They don’t care that you’re a Lykan, silly,” she retorted immediately.

“They might if I’m more than your teacher. I mean, they’re society ponies, Summer, and I’m not exactly good for their reputation.”

“Starjumper,” she chided. “They have stood by you this entire time, even when it was hurting their social standing.”

“It’s a little different to defend me as just some pony than it is to defend me as the stallion dating their daughter,” he said delicately. “I’m sure most of Canterlot society wouldn’t see me as society material even if I wasn’t a Lykan.”

“Well, it’s a good thing I don’t care what society thinks about you,” she said simply. “I’m not going to be a socialite when I graduate from school. I’m going to be a magician. I’ll be too busy with magic to care about parties or gossip or whatever.”

He had to laugh. “Now you sound like me.”

“Are you complaining about it?” she challenged, which made him laugh harder.

“Not at all,” he said with a warm smile down at her. They reached the couch, then he set down her pillow on the floor. She sat down on it without prompting as he sat on the stone in front of her…just much closer than usual. She noticed that he could touch noses with her if he leaned down. “As far as my parents go, I think you’d better be ready for it.”

“For what?”

“For the interrogation,” he warned. “Especially from Mom. I think you may have noticed, but my mother has a very different idea of what’s proper than other ponies. That applies to…well, to more delicate subjects as well. Expect her to ask a whole lot of nosy questions that may embarrass the hay out of you, and do it in front of the family, both mine and yours,” he warned. “Thestrals have a very different society with very different social boundaries, Summer, and no matter how long my mother lives in Equestria, she is a thestral. Be ready for it, and warn your parents about it.”

“So, she won’t object?”

“Of course not, she adores you,” he replied with a shake of his head. “She’s been harping at me to find a marefriend since I was a colt, she’s always felt that I wouldn’t feel so isolated if I’d just let a pony in. And the irritating thing is, she was right,” he growled, almost in annoyance, which made Summer Dawn laugh.

“She was. Now, no matter how alone you may feel, you will always have me, Star.”

“I’ll never need anypony else,” he replied earnestly, his heart in his eyes as he looked down at her, and he did lean his head forward. She was more than happy to meet him halfway, and they rubbed noses affectionately.

“Now, back to business,” he said abruptly as he pulled his nose away, sitting fully erect in front of her and taking on a very serious expression, the tone of his voice making her giggle despite herself. “Let’s go over what you learned from the Princess while I’ve been either too busy to teach you or sleeping.”

They nearly finished going over the three different variants of the shrink spell Summer Dawn learned from the Princess before their parents arrived, all four appearing in an azure flash of magic. Comet Tail wilted a bit after they appeared in the cave, betraying the fact that he was the one that cast the spell, but then he perked back up as some of his strength returned. “I see you’re awake, Starjumper,” Fleur de Lis said. “Did Summer Dawn tell you about dinner?”

He nodded. “To warn you, we’ll be leaving late tonight instead of in the morning,” he answered. “I want to time it so we arrive in Manehattan right at dawn, so we have a chance to buy anything we may have forgotten or overlooked before we start out over the eastern sea.”

“A sound plan, son,” Comet Tail nodded in approval.

“Well then, I think we should be moving this little party to the house,” Nightsong declared. “I helped with the dinner, made some authentic thestral dishes for you to try, Fleur.”

“She and Withers have kept us out of the kitchen all day,” Fancy Pants chuckled.

“Surprises aren’t very surprising when you know what they are,” she replied, then she looked to Starjumper. “How did your practice go last night?”

“Moonshade is a taskmaster,” he replied. “My wings were so sore by sunrise I was almost glad to be rid of them.”

“I thought you were used to the weight of the armor,” Fleur de Lis said.

“I am, but using wingblades creates an impact against my wings when they connect with the target,” he explained. “Doing that a few times, you don’t notice it, but doing it again and again for half the night, by sunrise my wings felt like they’d been stomped on by every yak in Yakyakistan. I’m sure they’re bruised from the elbow all the way to the wingtips along the leading edge.”

“I’d never considered that,” she mused.

“I hadn’t really either, until I started to feel the pain,” he agreed. “Well, if we’re going to go, we’d better get going,” he prompted. “I think five is a bit too much for you, Dad.”

“I’m not sure I could manage five either,” Fancy Pants admitted.

“I don’t know any landing points inside the house, but I don’t really need to. Summer can do it,” Starjumper said confidently.

“Me? Five?” she almost protested.

“Easily,” he said with a calm dismissiveness that gave her actual confidence. If he believed in her that much, then she could do it. “Just don’t get exotic.”

“Okay,” she said, putting a hoof out and nudging him. “We all need to be standing together. I’m not as good as you are.”

“Are you sure she can handle this, Starjumper?” Fancy Pants asked.

“Positive,” he replied.

A moment later, she proved that his confidence was not misplaced. In a brilliant burst of pink magic that covered her eyes and that curious sensation of heat passing over her, she managed to teleport them from Starjumper’s cave to the main parlor in the house, a room large enough for all five of them to fit without having to move anypony, and doing it without getting anypony’s mane singed. Starjumper didn’t so much as blink, he just took a few steps forward as soon as they appeared and looked around. “Nice,” he said appreciatively.

“I always did like this room,” Fancy Pants said with a bit of pride. “My father decorated it, and I’ve left it be. This room reminds me of him, and those are good memories,” he said with a musing smile on his face.

Summer Dawn noticed that Starjumper quite effectively split them into two groups by convincing his parents to go with him to look at the gardens, leaving Summer Dawn with her mother and father, leaving her to tell them in private. They walked down the long hallway towards the dining room, and she didn’t waste any time. “Mom, Dad, I do have something to tell you,” she said abruptly as they walked down the wide hallway, with a thick blue rug down the center and small stands and tables along the walls holding small sculptures, glassware, or floral arrangements. “Last night, me and Star, well, we decided to start dating,” she announced.

They both looked at her, and her mother grinned while her father laughed. “Oh, so you finally stopped dancing around each other, you silly mare?” her mother asked.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you made that decision long before we met him, and you’ve been so busy working to make him see it that you didn’t see that he felt the same way,” she replied. “I could tell in the way you acted after the thestrals attacked him, and how he acted towards you. Nightsong actually wanted to make a bet to see how long it would take for you to admit it to each other.”

She blushed a bit. “I wasn’t—I mean, we weren’t—“

“Ponies can say much more with actions than words, my girl,” her father said. “Especially when the ponies watching know them. We know you, Summer, and it was all but a trumpet blaring from the top of the palace how you feel about him. Ten minutes after watching you with Star, we both knew that you saw him as far more than just a teacher.”

She had to give an embarrassed laugh. “Well, I feel stupid now,” she admitted. “I told him that you wouldn’t care about him being a Lykan.”

“Of course not. Who he is is far more important than what he is. Starjumper is a fine stallion, my girl, intelligent, educated, gifted, and with tremendous strength of character, and you won’t find better in Canterlot.”

“He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you, Summer,” Fleur de Lis agreed. “He made you a strong, confident, formidable young mare with his lessons, and he truly, truly cares about you. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re planning a wedding this time next year,” she announced with a smile.

“Moooom,” she protested, which made her parents laugh.

“And I don’t think we even have to tell you that you have our blessing,” Fancy Pants continued. “Starjumper is a fine, fine stallion, and I think I can say that his parents have become some of our best friends over the last few weeks. Those are in-laws I will enjoy having around,” he chuckled. “Comet Tail is just as deceptively formidable as his son, a crafty businesspony, a talented and accomplished magician, and very, very smart, and Nightsong is quite interesting.”

“She’s as spicy as the food she cooks,” Fleur de Lis laughed. “She certainly makes spending time with her an adventure.”

“I like her too,” Summer Dawn agreed with a laugh. “But it’s good to hear that you don’t object. I’d hate to have to run away from home.”

They both laughed. “Not from this home, you will not,” Fancy Pants challenged. “The Waterfalls will be yours someday, my girl. And I think it will be the perfect place for one of Equestria’s most talented magicians to master her craft.”

“Aww, thanks, Dad,” she smiled up at him.

“We’re already started making plans to build a new library, make it more suited for a pony who’s going to need lots and lots of books,” Fleur de Lis told her. “We’re going to convert your wing of the house into a library for you, Summer, knock the walls down between the rooms and create a large open space with lots of room for bookshelves, and all those windows will give you a place with good natural lighting so it always feels bright and cheerful. We’re going to incorporate your bedroom into the library itself, so you’re not far from your bed when you get tired.”

“Wow, really?”

She nodded. “The current library isn’t really designed for a serious student of advanced magic,” she said. “So we’re going to create a space more proper for a pony that wants to follow that path.”

“And we don’t really use those rooms anyway,” Fancy Pants agreed. “When’s the last time a guest used the rooms in Summer’s wing? Three years ago? All that space is basically wasted, my dear girl, so we’re going to put it to use in the best way possible, by supporting your dream to be a magician.”

“Awww, thanks Dad, you guys are the best,” she declared, stepping over and nuzzling him as they walked.

“You’re more than welcome my dear. We’re going to have the work done while you’re on your journey, so don’t be surprised too much when you come home and find your room gone,” he smiled.

“Just don’t throw my things away,” she laughed.

They met back up with Starjumper and his family in the main parlor, and the fact that Nightsong all but galloped over to her betrayed the fact that he’d told them the truth. “Welcome to the family, my girl!” she said loudly, throwing a wing over her back and hugging her. “Now, how soon are you gonna make me a grandmare?”

Summer Dawn blushed furiously and gave Starjumper a stricken look, but he just shrugged his shoulders a bit…he had warned her, after all.

“Gee, can we go out for a while and maybe get married first, Nightsong?” Summer Dawn protested.

“Too much of a waste of time!” she declared. “I’m not getting any younger, and Silver Moon has failed in his duty as first born to be the first to give me grandfoals to spoil!”

“Well, we’re not on your schedule, so you’ll just have to wait,” she said primly, which made her laugh and also made both Starjumper and Comet Tail give her an approving look.

“Game on, ducky. Game on,” Nightsong threatened with a grin.

The special dinner that Withers and Nightsong had prepared was amazing. Withers had made some of her favorite dishes, and Nightsong had prepared several thestral dishes that were all spicy and delicious, in varying combinations. Their parents talked about the upcoming journey as she and Starjumper sat side by side and stayed more or less silent, him showing his affection subtly and quietly by wrapping the end of his tail around her own. That was his way, and it was part of why she loved him. Sitting there with Starjumper, with their parents, Summer Dawn felt incredibly good about everything, how well things were coming together both with them and their families. It almost felt like this was the way it was supposed to be, like the last pieces of the puzzle being put into place in her life, and she felt a wave of pure contentment wash through her. Studying magic with Starjumper, them improving each other in their magical skills, having him in her life, and knowing that him coming into her life would enrich it not just for her, but also for her family, it was a wonderful feeling.

Her mother had often told her when she was younger that the true test of a relationship was how it made a mare feel with the idea of being by a stallion’s side every moment of every day, day after day, month after month, year after year…and the idea of that, of spending her every waking moment with Starjumper, made her feel nearly giddy with anticipation. Starjumper was exactly the kind of stallion with whom she could spend her every moment, for the rest of her life.

But the revelry of the dinner had to yield to hard reality, and the reality was, they were on the eve of a long journey, and maybe something of an adventure. But there was no feeling that what was coming was going to be fun, she knew better than that. They were going to the Nightlands to save the thestrals from Moonshade’s mother’s insanity, which would in turn save Equestria from having to fight a war against Sombra and the thestrals he had under his control. But, given the rather clever plan they’d come up with, she didn’t feel like she’d be in any excessive danger. If they did it right, they’d be stealing the Night Stone from miles away, Starjumper using his amazing skill with teleportation to teleport the Night Stone right out of the castle from a long way away, and then be out of the Nightlands before the Night Queen could even call for the guards. So, while what they were doing was potentially dangerous, she felt that the danger was going to be in getting there, not in pulling off the heist.

Heist…but that was what it was. They were going to the Nightlands to steal something, so in a way, that made them bandits. Or thieves. But she’d take that title if it meant protecting Equestria.

Halfway through dinner, Starjumper changed into a thestral, and it hit her again how normal that felt to her now…and not just her, but also her family. It didn’t seem odd or exotic to her at all that he changed into a thestral at sunset, it was just who he was, part of normal life with him, and it was a fact that both she and her parents had accepted without any problems. They knew the truth of him, knew that his Lykan condition did not in any way change who he was inside, and it was who he was inside that she loved and her parents liked and respected.

After dinner, they got to work. They relocated to Starjumper’s cave home, and Starjumper and his father went through their supplies one more time with a checklist, making sure everything on the list was there. Summer Dawn managed to get her first look at the Stratus Barrel as they went through the supplies. It was much smaller than she expected, a very small cask about a foot feet high when sitting on its end and around a foot in diameter, with bronze bands and a wooden bottom but a silver top. There was a small, stout tap on the top of the cask, which she figured was how the cloud the cask carried was let out and put back in. The tap made the cask look like a water barrel, not a somewhat rare and valuable magical object. It was so small, she realized, that Starjumper and Moonshade wouldn’t be carrying it on their backs, they’d instead be carrying it either over their necks or in the saddlebag pouch they could easily reach, which she realized was sorta necessary. They had to be able to access the barrel without assistance to let the cloud out, and they couldn’t very well do that if it was strapped onto the pack saddle.

Her mother and father intruded on the inventory process when they came up to Starjumper’s home, and managed to pitch in a hoof without getting in the way. And given how much they were taking, more than enough food and supplies to last them a month all shrunk down to make it easy to carry. Starjumper was going under the assumption that they would have no chance to resupply once they left Equestria, and for one, she thought that was a smart way to go about it. Since she and him could shrink and unshrink their supplies as needed, it allowed them to carry enough to last the three of them two months without it weighing them down. They’d have plenty to eat, had three spare pack saddles in case the one they were using broke, and had all the equipment and supplies they needed to both set up camp on the cloud in the Stratus Barrel and camp out wherever they landed when they stopped.

She wasn’t left out of the inventory work, since she had her own things she was taking, and she and her mother went through them to make sure she had everything on her list. The most important of those items was the pegasus feather charm that would let her walk on clouds and the two heatstones that would keep her from freezing to death while shrunk and once they got to the Nightlands, which was high mountains currently in the middle of winter. That meant that the weather there would be like the arctic landscape around the Crystal Empire, outside the influence of the magic of the Crystal Heart that kept the Empire warm all year round. It took her nearly an hour just to go through her own pack, meticulously checking that every single item was there, was packed for carrying, and was organized so she knew where it was. She’d be carrying all her equipment in one side of her twin saddlebags, and the other bag would be what she used to carry her personal food and water for when she was shrunk.

She may be eager to go on this journey, but she understood that it was serious business, so she was treating it with the respect it was due.

Once they had everything checked, organized, and packed, it was time for them to go the palace. She had a long hug with her parents after they helped her put on her saddlebags, which were a bit heavy with everything she had in them. “You be very careful, my girl,” her father told her seriously. “And listen to Starjumper and Moonshade. They have experience with these kinds of things.”

“I will, Dad. And when they need me for my magic, I’ll be there for them,” she promised. “I won’t let them down.”

“We never doubted you would, daughter,” Fleur de Lis said proudly, giving her a hug.

She got even more hugs from Comet Tail and Nightsong when they joined Starjumper and his family, and Starjumper also didn’t get away unscathed. Her mother gave him a fond hug as his parents both hugged him. “You be careful out there, ducky,” Nightsong ordered, her voice much more serious than normal.

“I will, Nightsong, I promise,” she replied, patting the mare’s back and shoulder with her hoof. “I’ll spend most of the trip in a saddlebag looking out a little mesh window. I should be safe enough.”

“Don’t fall into that trap, ducky,” she warned. “When you cross the border into the Nightlands, you will be in enemy territory. Be ready to fight at any time, and make sure you’re rested and ready for action in case you do. Not every thestral you meet may be your enemy, but don’t trust anypony unless you’re absolutely sure you would put your life in their hooves.”

“I won’t,” she said, looking her in the eye after stepping back.

“We’ll be staying here in Canterlot until you return, right here in the cave,” Comet Tail told her after giving her a fond hug. “We’ll be homesitting and taking care of Rocky while you’re gone. Silver Moon is more than capable of running the shop for a while, and besides, it’s good practice for him for when he takes it over from me.”

“What about the fillies?”

“We didn’t want to pull them out of school, so they’ll be staying with Silver Moon,” he answered. “He’ll keep them under control.”

She had to smile. “Those two? I think he’ll be sending you a letter begging you to take them in a week.”

“You don’t know Silver Moon as well as we do, Summer,” Comet Tail chuckled. “Trust me, he can keep the fillies in line. Without Nightsong there to encourage them, they’re actually fairly well behaved.”

“Obedient foals are boring foals,” she said shamelessly, which made Summer Dawn giggle.

Once the goodbyes were exchanged, it was time to go, and Starjumper didn’t waste any time. He had her step up to him, both of them wearing their traveling saddlepacks, then she teleported them out of the cave and to the front gate of the Royal Palace, a place she knew well enough to choose as a landing point. The guards wasted no time opening the gates for them, and one of them escorted them into the throne room, where both Princesses and Moonshade were waiting, standing at the base of the dais holding the Royal Sisters’ thrones. The two regal alicorns started down the steps as they approached, and they bowed to them once they reached them, halfway into the hall.

Moonshade set the tone almost immediately. “Why aren’t you two in your armor?” she demanded.

“Equestria is friendly territory,” he replied evenly. “We’ll put it on before we leave Manehattan.”

“We’re actively working against my mother. There’s no such place as friendly territory until she’s off the throne,” Moonshade answered strongly. “If you think it’s beyond my mother to send thestral soldiers into Equestria to kill us, then you’d better rethink yourselves in a hurry. Both of you, put on your armor.”

“In this situation, it might be the best thing to do,” Princess Celestia said gently.

Summer Dawn didn’t say anything, and neither did Starjumper. They took off their packs and unpacked the armor, then she proved that she learned her lessons with it by putting it on in a matter of minutes. She left the helmet off, and since Moonshade wasn’t wearing her helmet either, she felt the thestral had no right to complain about that. Once that was done, the Princesses took them to an antechamber holding several large maps hanging on the walls, and Princess Celestia suggested a route for them. “The narrowest crossing of the Eastern sea is along this line,” she began, holding up a piece of white yarn with her magic, stretching it from where Manehattan was on the map to the opposite shore. “Once you reach the shore, turn slightly south and that will put you on course to reach Marette, the capitol of Maretonia. Deliver the message Moonshade is carrying to the Duke, and then make your way for Crystallon, the capitol of Unicornia. Here,” she said, picking up a pointer with her magic and touching another icon on the large map. “Deliver the message to the King, and then make your way for the Nightlands.”

Moonshade stepped up and took the pointer with her hoof, clinging to it, then she unfurled her wings and rose up to reach where the Nightlands was on the map, a good ten feet off the floor. “I’ve already plotted out our route through the Nightlands. We’ll be stopping at safe points approximately every twenty miles to establish points where Summer Dawn will teleport us when we make our escape with the Night Stone. These points are as close to a straight line as I could manage when I planned this out. Here, here, here, and here,” she relayed, touching the pointer to places on the map along a fairly straight course. “We need to time our arrival in the Nightlands so we cross into them from Unicornia as close to sunset as possible,” she stressed. “Thestrals are primarily nocturnal, but virtually all thestals sleep through the night during the winter, because of the cold. I’ve budgeted us two days to cross the Nightlands, stopping at this point for a quick rest, camping at this point during the daylight hours to stay out of sight, then stopping over at this point before we reach this one. When we get to point four, we’ll be within sight of the dome of darkness that covers the peak holding the castle,” she warned. “We hold up at this point until we’re ready to make our attempt on the castle itself, which means we wait until the right time so I can make my move with minimal resistance. If we’ve managed to get that far without detection or rousing my mother, I can bluff my way into the castle, get to the Night Stone, and set the mirror. If we’ve run afoul of the thestrals or my mother knows I’m coming to stop her, I’ll have to use an alternate plan to get in. I know the castle better than just about anypony, I grew up in that castle, and that means I know how to sneak in if I have to. I did it enough times as a filly and young mare, and I don’t think any other thestral in the castle knows about those old abandoned tunnels and passages. I’ll get into the chamber and set the mirror, then Starjumper does his thing. Once we secure the Night Stone, whichever of you will teleport us back to Unicornia in stages, as you said you could.”

“Easily,” Starjumper nodded. “Summer Dawn will be teleporting us out of the Nightlands, because most likely I’ll be too tied up with the Night Stone to do it.”

“That’s why I’m here. My magic will be there for us on our way to the Nightlands if it’s night and Starjumper can’t use his,” Summer Dawn nodded, “and I’ll get us out once we have the Night Stone.”

“It is wise to plan it so,” Princess Luna agreed with a nod. “Summer Dawn will not have the burden of the Night Stone upon her, and can devote all her energy and concentration to the task.”

“Precisely, your Highness. Summer won’t let us down,” Starjumper nodded, which made Summer Dawn beam a bit.

“And that’s more or less it,” Moonshade concluded. “It’s a fairly simple plan, but it doesn’t need to be complicated for us to do what we need to do. As long as you unicorns can back up your boasting when it comes to your magic, then this will be much easier than it would be without it.”

“We’ll get it done,” Starjumper declared.

“Then you are ready to go,” Princess Celestia declared in a grave voice. “Are you prepared?”

“As soon as Moonshade adds her equipment to the packs, we’re ready,” Starjumper answered.

That only took a short time. What she had were things the Princesses gave to her for the journey, things they thought she may need, including gear for camping in cold weather. Once that was all done, all the packs were checked, and the Princesses were satisfied with their preparations, they were walked out onto a large balcony off the throne room that overlooked the grand square, the balcony from which the Princesses often addressed the city during official functions. It felt a little strange to her to be up there, looking down over a cold, snow-swept, empty plaza beyond the fence. “Alright, Summer Dawn, it’s time,” Princess Celestia prompted. “Good luck to all of you, and safe journey.”

“Yes ma’am,” she replied. The Royal Sisters took a couple of cautionary steps back as Summer Dawn stepped up to Moonshade, then she cast the permanent variant of the shrink spell that the Princess had taught her. The world blurred and turned huge in the span of three heartbeats, and then they were the size of grasshoppers. Moonshade spread her wings and lifted into the air, put her hoof on the back of Summer Dawn’s armor, then picked her up and carried her up Starjumper’s now gigantic body, into the open flap of the bag designed to carry them. The inside had a flat bottom insert that gave them a stable base, and had already been prepared with things like three tents literally sewed into the foundation arrayed in a semicircle around a heat stone that would get hot enough to boil water, so they could cook hot meals and also warm the inside of the bag to keep the water they carried from freezing. They heard the Princess’ voice, now deep and loud and booming to their tiny ears, and they saw her looking through the mesh on the forward-facing side of the bag so they could look out and see where they were going, and would also allow air to flow through the bag so they didn’t suffocate. “Are you two alright?” she asked, her eye bigger than Summer Dawn’s shrunken body.

Knowing that the Princess couldn’t hear them in reply, she gave an exaggerated nod as Moonshade unbuckled her packs and set them down near the central area, where the heatstone that would serve as their campfire was inset into the false bottom, with a metal and ceramic ring around it to keep its heat from bleeding into the material around it.

“You should arrive at Manehattan just before dawn, Starjumper,” they heard Princess Luna say. “And arrive in time to decide if you need to stay over there to buy anything you think you may need. Is the Stratus Barrel full?”

“Yes, Princess,” they heard him answer. “It has a fairly good-sized cloud inside, more than large enough for three ponies.”

“Remember to show Moonshade how it works when she takes over flying,” the Princess said.

“Yes ma’am.”

“Moonshade is carrying the letters you are to deliver to Maretonia and Unicornia,” they heard Princess Celestia say. “I want you to write us a short letter concerning your journey and leave them with the Duke and the King, and they will send them on to us, so we are kept apprised of your progress.”

“I will, your Highness.”

“Are you ready to go, Starjumper?”

“Yes ma’am, I’m ready.”

“Then safe travels to all of you.”

Summer Dawn felt the bag shift and move, and then cold air started blowing in through the front-facing mesh, a constant steady breeze that pulled at her mane and tail, but wasn’t distracting. She looked out the rear-facing mesh and looked down and saw that they were in the air, Canterlot quickly retreating under them. They were on their way. They were actually on their way! She felt almost a little excited over the idea of it, the fact that they were now actually doing what they’d been planning, but she’d already been warned that a journey like this was actually going to be quite boring. There was very little for them to do riding in the bag, which was why they’d packed plenty of books to keep them entertained for the trip.

She came back over and sat at the “campfire” beside Moonshade, who was laying on her belly with her front hooves tucked, her eyes closed. She looked entirely comfortable laying there with her armor, and didn’t look in any way unsettled or excited…or much of anything. She had the same stoic expression that Starjumper often wore. And it occurred to her that she really didn’t really know her, or how to talk to her. She was so different from Starjumper, and acted nothing like the only other thestral she knew, Nightsong. All they’d ever talked about since they started planning this mission was just that, the mission. Moonshade never talked about anything else, as if the mission was the only thing that mattered and any frivolous conversation detracted from the mission.

Nightsong said that Moonshade was a soldier. That she was actually the paramount thestral soldier, what other thestral soldiers aspired to be, which meant that she was exceptionally skilled, highly disciplined, and Summer Dawn supposed that also meant that she didn’t have much of a life outside of the army…or that the army was her life. But, despite her total focus on the mission, Summer Dawn did kind of like her. “Now that we’re out of Starjumper’s hearing,” Summer Dawn said quietly, which made Moonshade open her eyes and look over at her. “Do you think he’s ready in case we run into trouble? As a thestral, I mean.”

“He should be alright,” she answered. “He’s not very skilled, but he has a lot of natural talent, and he has that Longwing strength. The question is, are you ready? If we end up in a fight, we’re gonna need you. Do you have what it takes to use your magic against another pony, fully knowing you may kill them?”

“I’m not sure that’s a question that any pony can answer until they face it for themselves,” she said sagely. “I’d like to say that I’m ready, but how could I really know? All I can say is that if I have to decide between us and them, I’m going to choose us.”

“Good attitude to have,” she said with a slight nod, closing her eyes again. “And smart of you to understand that you won’t know what you can do until you have to do it. But I think you have it in you. You certainly weren’t afraid to use magic against us when we came after Starjumper.”

“If he’d have taught me any real battle magic, I’d have used it,” she admitted. “So I guess I do know. If I have to hurt somepony to protect Star, I will.”

“Did he teach you any of that battle magic for the trip?”

“There wasn’t time,” she said. “But there are a few spells I already know that I can use in a fight, like the freezing spell. Its ultimate form is a beam of utter cold that instantly freezes anything it hits, and I think that would be a weapon if I used it against a pony.”

“Go for the wings,” she said simply. “The wings are the most vulnerable point on any flyer, and without them, they’re out of the fight. Freeze a thestral’s wing, and he’ll drop like a rock. That, or you could just shrink them to this size. They won’t be much of a threat.”

“That’s true,” she agreed with a bit of a laugh. “I should warn you, I can be a little noisy. It’ll be too dark for me to read in here, so I’m going to use a spell that makes a magical voice read the book to me. I’ll keep the volume down.”

“It won’t bother me,” she assured her. “A bivouac is never entirely quiet, so I’m used to sleeping with background noise.”

“There…there is one thing I was hoping you could do while we’re on the way,” she said. “I’d like to learn a little Thestralla. Just the most basic of the basics. If you and Star talk to any thestrals in the Nightlands, I think it would be best if I can at least understand a little bit of it. You know, important words that should put me on guard, words like fight, or arrest, words like that. Words that would warn me something’s about to happen.”

She opened her eyes and looked over and up at her. “That’s a good idea,” she replied. “And I suppose it will give me something to do when I’m not flying. I’ll just warn you right now.”

“What?”

“Thestralla is nothing like Ponish,” she said. “It’s a very hard language for ponies to learn, because it’s so different. That’s why we learn Ponish and use it, because so few ponies can speak Thestralla.”

“Hard how?”

“In just about every way, Thestralla is different from Ponish,” she replied. “When you say I walk down the street, the closest approximation to how you say it in Thestralla is I street down walk. The heatstone is red, so it’s a red heatstone. In Thestralla, it’s a heatstone red. Thestralla also doesn’t have phrases like down the street or inside the bag. It’s street down and bag inside. In Ponish, you can do this thing and do that thing, I think the teaching term for it is a clause. There’s no clause in Thestralla. There’s no way to connect different actions together in the same sentence. A sentence will only have one action, one verb. The only way different actions in a sequence are connected is that they come one after the other. When you say I do this and I do that in Ponish, in Thestralla, it is I this do. I that do. So, if you were to say I went to the store this morning to buy something in Ponish, the closest you get in Thestralla is I during morning store went. Something bought. But we don’t use anywhere near that many words, since Thestralla is a language that assumes that the listener is smart enough to put the pieces together without having everything explained to them. This is how I’d say that in Thestralla: Magra do mitri azu. Kadelu. Word for word, I morning towards-store went. Bought.”

Summer Dawn gave her a look, then gave a bit of a rueful laugh. “Wow, that is different. But it sounds really interesting,” she said earnestly. “If you don’t mind teaching me, I’d like to learn.”

“Like I said, it will give me something do when I’m not sleeping,” she said evenly.

And she started immediately. Summer Dawn was a bit surprised, but she settled quickly and eagerly into the lesson, learning the most basic of Thestralla words and phrases, and passing a good couple of hours. But the lesson ended nearly as abruptly as it began when Moonshade decided she needed to sleep, and Summer Dawn retreated to a discreet distance so she could do so without being bothered. She tried her hardest to stay awake as long as she could, because she wanted to sleep when Starjumper was sleeping so it maximized the time they could spend together, so she spent the rest of the time she was awake sitting by the mesh window facing the side, not the front, looking through it and watching the forests south of the Foal Mountains go by in the moonlight below. The air was crisp and cold, but the heatstone she wore made it feel almost delightful, a constant steady breeze blowing through the bag to circulate air, and the late hours, the constant pleasant breeze, and the rhythmic motion of the bag as Starjumper flew was a combination that caused her to drift off to sleep fairly quickly.

It was the sudden jarring that startled her awake.

She snapped her head up and saw through the mesh that they were on the ground, that Starjumper had landed, and he had landed on what looked like a road. He turned a little, and that movement let her see the city of Manehattan on the far side of a bridge, and that was enough for her to know where they were. The road led to Baltimare, running along the coast, and that bridge was known as the Ten Span due to the ten heavy support arches that ran underneath the deck, crossing an ocean inlet that separated Manehattan from the mainland. Half of Manehattan was actually an island just off the coast.

It was time for her to do her thing. Moonshade was awake and standing, looking in her direction, and she stepped up to her and looked up, her horn flaring with magic. She opened the flap above, feeling the heavy drain on her using her magic in a shrunken state, then Moonshade flew out of the bag carrying her, a hoof on the back of her armor. When they were on the ground, she reversed the shrink spell, and Starjumper went from a titan that loomed over them to being normal sized in a shimmer of magic.

“Star, how do you feel?” Summer Dawn asked, stepping up to him.

“A little tired, but otherwise alright,” he replied. “It’s about ten minutes until dawn. Did you two sleep well?”

“Yes. The inside is actually pretty comfortable,” Moonshade answered. “Go ahead and take off the main pack. I’m ready to take over.”

He gave a single nod, and Summer Dawn did the honors for him. She unbuckled the pack for him with her magic and lifted it off his back, then she floated it over Moonshade’s back. She opened her wings and held them low and straight out from her sides, then gave Summer Dawn a single nod. She set the pack down on her back very carefully, making sure not to foul up her wings, then she buckled the straps both under her belly and around her chest. “Is it seated right?” Summer Dawn asked.

Moonshade nodded as she tentatively flapped her wings a few times, then held them in a raised posture. She couldn’t fold her wings with the pack on, but the pack wouldn’t interfere with her ability to fly. “I’m good,” she said aloud. “And I can reach the Stratus Barrel.”

“We’re here, so we need to decide if we’re staying long enough to shop,” Starjumper declared. “Did you think of anything we may need on the flight over that we don’t already have?”

“No,” Moonshade answered. “Your father did a good job packing everything we may need. There was even a blanket and pillow in the tent inside the bag.”

“There is one thing we could get,” Summer Dawn suggested. “A filling breakfast that’s not out of our packs. There are quite a few bakeries and diners in Manehattan that are open right now, and we don’t have to stay and eat unless Moonshade wants to. We can buy what we want and take it with us.”

“That’s not a bad idea, actually,” Moonshade said after a moment. “A hot, filling meal before a long flight makes the journey easier. And we have time.”

“It’ll be our only real chance for days,” Starjumper agreed. “We won’t see land again until Thursday, let alone a restaurant.”

“Cool. I know the perfect diner, I’ve eaten there before when my family visited Manehattan,” Summer Dawn offered. “They have great food, and they never close. We can get in and get a booth before the morning rush.”

“We can go after I change,” Starjumper said.

After he traded his wings for his horn, Summer Dawn led them confidently over the bridge and into Manehattan. She’d been to the city many times before, mainly to catch shows on Bridleway during the season, so she knew the city very well. She led them unerringly to a large, well-appointed diner not far from Bridleway that already had nearly half its booths and tables filled with early risers, which let them get in and get a booth without waiting. Summer Dawn was a bit surprised at how much food Moonshade ordered, enough for three ponies, more than Summer Dawn could even eat. Starjumper ordered quite a big breakfast for himself, no doubt famished after flying all night with little food or water, and it made her feel good about herself that both of them liked her idea. It made her feel like she wasn’t a fifth wheel on this journey.

Moonshade ordered enough for three ponies, and she ate all of it. Every bit of it. Summer Dawn almost stared in shock as the thestral just continued to eat and eat and eat and eat, even drank three cups of coffee and a large cup of orange juice. Seriously, where did all that food go? Moonshade was a thestral, so she was pretty big for a mare, kinda like Nightsong, but not even a pony as big as Starjumper’s brother could eat that much and still move afterward! Yet she cleaned every single plate and all but hopped out of the booth, then flagged down the waitress and ordered even more, to be boxed up to go! She gave Starjumper a nearly stunned look, but he just shrugged. “Soldiers eat a lot,” was his only explanation.

“A soldier never knows when or where they’ll get their next hot meal, so we enjoy it when we get it,” Moonshade agreed with a slight smile. “And we work far too much to get fat, no matter how much we eat.”

After that little adventure, including bringing along enough donuts and pastries to last them the entire day, they moved to a rooftop so they had plenty of room and a little privacy, and Starjumper did the honors. The entire world seemed to grow into a giant sized version of itself as he used his magic to shrink himself and Summer Dawn, then he picked both of them up with his magic and floated them up to the top of the saddlebag. Moonshade looked down at them, her eyes steady. “I’ll stop around noon for lunch,” she said, her voice deep and booming and barely understandable to her in the shrunken state. Starjumper gave her a single nod, then they dropped down into the saddlebag.

She felt Moonshade take off from the roof, and she trotted over to look out of the mesh. They left Manehattan behind in moments, and there was nothing but endless blue sky and blue sea extending to the horizon.

They were on their way. They were leaving Equestria, and they were truly on their way.

She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel, but she knew that she felt…excited. And nervous. And maybe a little scared. This was an adventure, a real, honest to Celestia adventure. They were leaving Equestria on a mission, a very serious mission to try to save the Nightlands and the thestrals from their own queen, who had devised an insane plan to expand her power that would end with her own death and the rise of a tyrant of legendary proportions, a pony that was the very epitome of evil. A master of dark magic, a magic that was fueled by pain, suffering, and misery and could only inflict harm, Sombra had been so powerful that he had made the entire Crystal Empire vanish for a thousand years. And if they didn’t stop them from bringing Sombra back, it would trigger a war that might spread across the entire world. With the thestrals under his complete control, and if Moonshade was any indication of a typical thestral soldier, Sombra may very well have a military force that could threaten the entire eastern kingdoms…and then Equestria.

Starjumper stepped up beside her and looked down through the mesh. She couldn’t resist leaning against him, pushing her muzzle up under his chin. “I never thought this day would come,” he said quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“I never thought I’d leave Equestria,” he answered, looking past her and down at the water below. “I knew what it meant, that it may start a war with the Nightlands. And now here I am with a thestral soldier, going to save the ones that have tried to kill me my entire life. What a world,” he said dryly.

“Well, you have a good reason,” she smiled up at him. “What do you think it’ll be like? Maretonia, and Unicornia, and the Nightlands?”

“Maretonia looks so much like Equestria you may not notice the difference,” he replied. “Dad’s been there, he described it. They use the same architecture, speak Ponish, and they’re actually Equestrian ponies, they just moved there a long time ago and established a new country. Unicornia, that will look a lot different. Their architecture is actually more pegasus than pony, with lots of marble and crystal and columns and sweeping arches and whatnot. Dad said that Crystallos is like a miniature Crystal Empire, they've put crystal cladding on many of their larger buildings to make them, I dunno, more grand I guess. Dad said they just look gaudy. And the unicorns there look more like my family than yours. Tall, stocky, physically imposing, which I guess isn’t a big surprise since we know that they’re related to the thestrals. Dad passed through Unicornia on his way to the Nightlands on the trip where he met my mother, he said it was a the most beautiful place he never wanted to visit again.”

“Wow, really? Why?”

“They were very suspicious and unfriendly,” he answered. “They think everypony that comes into their kingdom is a thestral spy, and Dad said that they’re seriously stuck up and arrogant. We won’t be there long. Moonshade won’t be welcome there, and they’ll treat us like enemies because we’re with her. We’ll deliver the Princess’ letter to the palace, then leave.”

“It’s too bad we can’t stay after we finish,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to go to Saddle Arabia, and if I remember right, it’s just on the other side of the mountains.”

“Much further south, but more or less, yeah,” Starjumper nodded. “Dad went there once too, buying Saddle Arabian carpets. He said that they’re very friendly there, but he had a lot of trouble due to the language barrier. They don’t speak Ponish, so he had trouble talking to many of the merchants.”

“I didn’t know they didn’t speak Ponish. By the way, Moonshade taught me some Thestralla last night. She said it’d be a good idea if I could understand at least a little bit, for when we get into the Nightlands.”

He looked down at her, a smile showing one of his fangs. “And what did you learn?”

“That Thestralla is hard,” she admitted. “It’s so different from Ponish, in ways I didn’t think a language could be different! I never once in my life thought a language would have an adjective come after the noun!”

“A language is a reflection of the creature that created it,” he told her. “The way they think, they way they do things. What did learning some Thestralla teach you about the thestrals?”

She gave him a surprised look, then looked out the mesh and thought for several moments. “That…they say much more than words do,” she said uncertainly. “Thestralla is a language of…well, it’s a language of implication You don’t need to say everything because you know the listener will fill in the gaps on her own. You say just enough to build a frame, and the listener fills it in. And Moonshade is something like that, too. She doesn’t say much, but there’s always more behind what she says. But…it’s also a direct language, which is kinda a paradox,” she said hesitantly, trying to find the right word. “It’s not flowery or prosaic or poetic. It’s minimalistic, efficient. You say what you mean, and mean what you say, in as few words as possible. Moonshade is like that, too. She’s blunt and efficient. And so is the language she speaks.”

“Well reasoned,” he said with an approving nod, which made her beam. “And what does that tell you of Thestralla and thestral culture?”

“That I won’t truly understand Thestralla until I understand the thestrals. Much of what they don’t say, what they leave unspoken, is tied up in their culture and society, so I won’t be able to fill in the gaps until I understand where the thestral is coming from. I don’t have that common knowledge they use as a basis to leave something unspoken. It’s not a language you can learn just by learning words and rules. You need to learn the essence of what it means to be a thestral to truly understand it.”

“Very good, Summer,” he said with a proud look. “And because you do see that, you’ll be able to learn Thestralla much more easily than other ponies.”

“Aww, thanks, Star.”

“What did you think of Moonshade, having your first chance to talk to her with it just being you two?”

“She’s a little intimidating, and she doesn't talk much, but she’s also very smart. I like her.”

“Do you trust her?”

“Yes,” she answered after thinking a moment. “She’ll be there if we need her, and she’ll trust that we’ll be there if she needs us.”

“You’re right about that,” he said, then he gave a wide yawn. “Now I hope you don’t mind, but I need to get some sleep.”

“I tried to stay up so I could sleep at the same time as you, so we’d have as much time together and awake as we could,” she told him. “I was going to have you teach me about magic this afternoon, but I think I’d rather you teach more Thestralla.”

“I’d be happy to,” he said with a slight smile. He turned and went back to the little fake camp with its heatstone “fire” and tents set up around it, and instead of going into a tent, he instead laid down by the heatstone and closed his eyes. She watched him for a moment, watched as his breathing slowed and he drifted off to sleep fairly quickly, then left the mesh window and walked over to him. She laid down on her belly beside him, her side touching his, then settled her head between her hooves and closed her eyes.

And fell asleep within moments.