The Ash of Fallen Stars

by Wings of Black Glass

Friends

“Note to self. Glass wings make poor fins.” Still trying to get a deep breath, I can’t help but try and laugh anyway. “I’ll be alright. Although, I think I’ve had enough lake for today.”

“Dude, I know you just almost drowned and everything, but you so won.” She had bet she could dive deeper into the lake than me. I guess she conceded when I hit bottom.

“Rainbow Dash, that’s not funny!” Twilight’s voice is full of concern for me, I think. It’s a bit hard to hear clearly through the water still plugging my ears.

“I think maybe that was one bet I didn’t want to win.” Slowly I get my hooves under me to stand. Even once upright, I feel the need to let my lungs and burning muscles relax.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I need a moment to rest, and then I’ll be good as new.”

“Let me get your things, and we can go back to the castle.” Twilight waits until I nod in thanks before flitting over the lake to where we were having our picnic.

“Hey, I’m sorry I pushed you into that diving contest. I didn’t think you’d get hurt.” Rainbow Dash’s apology comes only after the Alicorn has left earshot.

“My friends don’t need to apologize when I make mistakes.”

“I’m actually kind of surprised you think of me as a friend.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Why wouldn’t you what?” Twilight returns, passing me my coat and the rolled scroll I was using for my sketching.

“Consider her a friend.” When I’ve draped the heavy fabric over my blank flank, I already feel more comfortable. The scroll I drop into a pocket, I’ll worry about it later.

“Well, there was the time you exploded at me for getting your name wrong when we first met.”

“Exploded?” I jokingly inspect my own body confusedly. “I don’t feel exploded.” Twilight chuckles.

“I mean the first first time.” Really? I wonder what other little details I’m missing. I shoot Twilight a meaningful glance, but she says nothing.

“I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t remember that.” I head off towards town, letting a mildly confused Dash follow along a moment later. We have to make our way around the lake to get to Ponyville, and I have a sudden thought. “Do you think you can beat me to the other side of the lake?”

“Wha? That’s hardly fair!” Rainbow Dash, of course, thinks she could easily beat me there by flying. She would be correct.

“It really isn’t.” I grin at Twilight. “Even without flying?”

“Ha! Even without wings, I’m still one of the fastest ponies in Equestria!” It seems Dash’s competitive nature has gotten the better of her once again. We both turn to Twilight, already accepting her role in this.

“OK, you two, get ready, and I’ll start your little race. First one to that tree wins.” I nod and crouch, not even bothering removing my coat, which will undoubtedly give me a disadvantage in a hoof race. Dash does the same, wings at the ready, and then she clearly has to remind herself about the no-wings rule and carefully folds them. “Go!” Rainbow Dash bolts ahead, kicking up clouds of sand and dirt. I don’t even try to run, slowly strolling forward. “Uh, Sable? You’re going to lose.”

“A hoof race? Yup.” I grin at her. “Good thing this was never a hoof race.” I concentrate on my destination and cast my spell. Thunder booms as I teleport right there, just ahead of Dash. She skids to a halt right as I lean casually against the tree.

“Hey! That’s not fair!” I can hear Twilight laughing back at the starting line even over Dash’s complaint.

“That’s what I said, Rainslow.” If there was any real anger in her voice, it rapidly gave way to giggles. At least she can take a joke.

---

“We were trying to discuss how to split that month’s rent, but I could tell he wasn’t really paying attention.” Stardust stands at the railing of the palace courtyard, watching the moonlit clouds drift by while he speaks with Princess Luna. “He kept looking over at a red mare and her friend across the park, it was pretty clear he was interested in her. It wasn’t the first time I’d caught him staring at her.” Luna patiently waits for him to finish the story. “After a while, I got tired of his indecisiveness, so I pegged her with a snowball and teleported away.”

“That’s cruel!” Nevertheless, Luna laughs, already having figured out where the story goes.

“She came over and nearly chewed his ear off about it, and he just stood there with this hilarious dumbstruck expression on his face.” Stardust laughs briefly himself, it’s still a bit hollow. “So I nailed him with one too. I swear when she figured it out, she blushed bright scarlet, even considering her fur color. He asked her out on the spot. They’ve been dating ever since.”

“And her friend?” The sly tone in her voice makes the meaning behind her question obvious, and Stardust catches it.

“One double date, it was quite clear we couldn’t stand each other, and it went nowhere.” His gaze drops from the clouds to the ground. “Wave Dasher should be proposing to Ruby Song sometime in the next couple of weeks.” There is a strange certainty to his words.

“I thought you said you have not spoken with him in some months. How can you be sure?”

“That’s… a good question.” His head tips to the side, and he frowns. She eyes him out of the corner of her vision, but he doesn’t answer the question. A few moments later, he shakes his head and changes the subject. “I left Fillydelphia maybe a month later.”

“Was the rent more than you could handle?”

“Not terribly, it was stressful to be sure… but that wasn’t the reason.”

“What was?” He doesn’t answer, refusing to meet her eye to eye. Still secretive, so much more to his story is left unsaid. So she changes the subject herself, in an effort to relieve some of his stress. “You seem to be quite the traveler.”

“All the way up until I settled in Ponyville, I wandered pretty far.”

“Why did you stop? I wandered like that with my sister for a time, so very long ago, it was an interesting experience.”

“I’m not entirely sure myself.” He sighs again, rubbing at his temple. “My funds ran dry again, but that hadn’t stopped me before. My will to keep going… just ran out.” He blinks, glancing her way. “Alright, enough of that, or I’ll get us both depressed. Your turn. Tell me about one of your friends.” Luna considers before responding immediately, thinking over exactly who she considers a friend. That pool is, unfortunately, a shallow one.

“I’m fond of Octavia Melody, refined and elegant, measured of tone and temper.”

“To be clear, this a pony you are speaking of and not a musical instrument?”

“Well, she is a cellist.” They both giggle momentarily. “Although we don’t speak often.”

“I’m beginning to see a pattern with that.” Silently Luna concedes that point. “Is she any good?”

“She plays in the orchestra during the Grand Galloping Gala and a few other events my sister and I sponsor.”

“I guess that answers my question, indirectly.”

“You say you lived in Ponyville?” He nods as his only answer. “She resides there, it is possible you may have met her.”

“In passing, perhaps.” He shrugs. “That’s not a name I recognize from my time there.”

“I suppose that is not surprising, considering how you keep to yourself. It was just a thought, pay it no mind.” Stardust’s eyes drift upward to the skies above, and their conversation lulls to a stop. For several minutes they simply stand there, saying nothing. There is one aspect of the story she has been able to piece together about Stardust she has yet to understand. “May I ask why you left Ponyville?”

“Leave Ponyville?” There is honest confusion in his voice. “Why would I do that? This is my home.”

“Stardust? This is Canterlot.” Now it’s Luna’s turn to be confused. He blinks and glances around, there is no sign of recognition in his face as he scans the city skyline. When he lays eyes on her, he backs away, as if surprised to see her standing there. Luna frowns, worried. “Are you well?”

“I… yes. Yes, I’m alright. I just lost track of what I was thinking.” Now he rubs his eyes and squints as if his vision was blurry. “I must be more tired than I thought.”

“It has gotten late.” Luna glances up at the moon, climbing now to the top of its nightly arc.

“It’s not that. Well, maybe it is. I haven’t gotten much rest recently.”

“Have I been keeping you up?” For an instant, her ears and her mood droops, worrying that Stardust will choose to no longer stay up late to speak with her. When that thought pops into her mind, she knows now that she does actually think of him as a friend. The moment that second thought comes to her, she also realizes she will miss these conversations when he stops staying up late, she’ll be alone again.

“I doubt I’d be sleeping even if I weren’t here.” He pauses to yawn. “I doubt I’d be resting even if I were sleeping.”

“Something in your dreams disturbs you?” Delving into her own memories, Luna searches for any signs of Stardust in the dreams she has seen. Although she doesn’t keep a mental catalog of every little dream she has seen, or indeed dreamer she has visited, Luna thinks Stardust might be recognizable now if she were to look back on them.

“That might be one way to describe them. It’s not nightmares; they aren’t frightening or disgusting. The strange thing about them recently has been how realistic they seem. Almost like a memory, but I know it’s never happened.”

“I’ve had plenty of realistic dreams myself, I’ve seen thousands more.” She’s still looking back to see if she’s seen Stardust in any. She frowns as she realizes she has not. Stardust continues as if he hasn’t heard her.

“When I wake up, it’s almost as if I never went to sleep. How many days has it been since I’ve had a good night’s rest?”

“Stardust?” She sets a hoof on his shoulder, and the touch shocks him out of his near trance. He startles slightly, flaring his glass wings for a moment as he searches for balance. “You are not well.”

“I think you’re right. At the very least, I should really get some sleep.”

“If you would like, I can at least ensure tonight you do not dream.”

“You think that would help?”

“I can cast a spell on you that will let you rest until dawn, your mind at ease. It should allow your body to recover from a sleep-deprived state if that is what you are experiencing.”

“That actually sounds… really appealing.” He even smiles, just a little upturn at the corners of his mouth, but his eyes remain downcast. “How will this work? You enchant me, and when I go to bed it will take effect?”

“Unfortunately, it is not that convenient, the spell will render you unconscious on the spot. Out here in the castle courtyard is not where you would choose to slumber, I assume.”

“You assume correctly.” Slowly he turns towards the courtyard gate. “I guess I’ll have to show you to my new home.”

“Then, you wish to have my assistance?”

“Yes. Please.” The second word there is almost pained. Luna eyes him carefully as he leads them into the city. The stress caused by his sleep-deprived condition must be worse than he previously indicated. Either that or asking for help must be difficult for him. He walks slowly, so much so that he almost drags his feet.

At one point, he trips over an uneven paving stone, stumbling for footing, and Luna catches hold of him with magic. His recoil against her magic is actually more severe than his minor stumble, and his wings clatter as he struggles to stay upright.

Luna recalls how he shied away from her earlier touch. What she had assumed was due to exhaustion may actually be a distaste for being touched. In the future, she will be more careful and only handle him physically if he absolutely requires it, or he asks.

“This is me.” Stardust’s path has taken them across a small grassy park and to a tower not terribly far from the higher quality estates, or the palace for that matter. He leads them up the spiral ramp to the door at the top.

“I had expected something a bit more modest.” Luna glances up, the tower is rather ornate, with marble walls and golden roof. “Didn’t you say you only recently found employment?”

“I don’t actually own the place. My landmare is letting me stay here because she feels she owes me. If I weren’t desperate at the time, I might have turned her down.” He fumbles briefly with the lock, mumbling incoherently as he does so. He’s not particularly quiet.

“Do you not worry about waking her?”

“She doesn’t live here anymore. She told me she essentially abandoned it some years ago.” He scoffs, little more than a grunt. “Lucky me.” The door creaks slightly as he opens it. The interior of the tower is almost entirely open, the kitchen, dining area, and bed all visible from one another. The ceiling, particularly over by the bed, is covered by little glow-in-the-dark star stickers mimicking constellations.

“It sounds as if you do not like her.”

“Oh, I don’t.” Something much stronger than dislike sneaks out of his control, just for that instant. “But there is an old saying, beggars can’t be choosers.”

“Do you mind if-”

“Yes, I do.” He cuts her off, probably correctly guessing she was going to ask who his landmare is. “Drop the subject, please. It’s a sensitive topic, and I’m tired enough to do something else I’ll regret if you push me on it.” Somehow, despite their conversations, Luna gets the feeling he is still trying very hard not to say or do something to offend her. It is something she is also familiar with, as she has been deliberately avoiding the topic of his cutie-mark.

Before he climbs into the bed, Stardust glances at his black coat and surely his blank flank, and then at Luna. He still doesn’t know she knows about his blank flank. She pretends to be interested in the star stickers on the ceiling while he slips under the covers. He shuffles about for a few moments, struggling to get his coat off while underneath the quilt. Fortunately, Luna is actually interested in the constellations on the ceiling; they portray accurate constellations, whoever lived here must have been an avid astronomer.

“Alright. How does this spell work?” Luna pries herself from the stellar stickers and looks over. Stardust’s coat is pooled on the floor, and the stallion has drawn the quilt up nearly to his neck. Exactly how he got it off with his magic wings still present eludes her.

“Now, you make yourself comfortable and close your eyes. Leave the magic to me.” Luna steps over and stands by the bedside. Stardust’s eyes flicker towards her, the Alicorn’s presence nearby him being too distracting to let him rest naturally. Luna washes her magic over him, gently slowing his breathing and heartbeat. “Close your eyes.” She repeats her command softly.

Even when he does so, something about him resists her. For some inexplicable reason, his mind tries to push back, as if he doesn’t want to rest. There’s a force repelling her. It reminds her of a pony in panic when she discovers a nightmare. If this were a dream, she would banish it quickly, but in the waking world, a more delicate touch is needed.

Luna starts to hum a simple melody, enveloping him a bit more deeply with the calming magic. Softly she lets the ebb of the magic rise and fall like the tide, rolling over his mind in soothing waves. His mind, in which she can glimpse only the barest of peeks with this spell, begins to still. Despite this effort, he remains awake.

“Gentle and calm as new-fallen snow.” She starts the lullaby slowly, keeping in time with her humming. “Rest your head upon your pillow. Sleep my friend and close your eyes. Be soft and still until sunrise. Safe, you will be, here by my side. Into the night, I will be your guide.”

“Hmm… very… lovely…” Then, at last, her spell overcomes him, and he sinks into his bed and pillow, breathing slowly and evenly. His face, now familiar to her, relaxes pleasingly as all his stresses fade away. She continues to hum for a few moments longer, to be sure he is fully asleep. Centering her focus on the pony before her, she momentarily enters the dream-world. True to her expectation, she cannot find his dreams.

As quietly as she can, she turns to leave him to rest. Before she reaches the door, she finds herself looking over at a dresser with a pair of silver objects resting atop it. In the dim light cast only by her own magic, she has to lean in close to get a good look at them.

One appears to be the mask he had the night they met, the other… also seems to be that same mask. The two silver masks are nearly identical, save for only two significant differences, the eyes. The one she saw that night had both eyes open; this second mask has its left eye shut, and its right socket broken out. The edges of the almost star-like jagged break appear to be quite sharp.

She lifts them to take a closer inspection and takes them up to the upper floor, so she doesn’t disturb Stardust. The upstairs is an ample open space several stories tall, dominated by a single immense window through which the moon shines. By its light, she can tell they are even more identical than she had thought. Near exact replicas of each other, even down to the tiniest defect. She flips the second mask around to look at the interior. The break over the right eye is offset slightly from where it should be to see through it clearly. She judges that it would be impossible to see if the mask were whole. Why anypony would create a mask you can’t see out of is a question she has no answer for.

Then she recalls how he said the mask was enchanted and decides it would be better not to test her luck on either of them. She sets the twin masks down on a table by the window and glances about the room. The walls are covered in bookshelves, reaching all the way up the high ceiling, ladders allow access to the highest shelves. Although they are mostly bare, stacks of boxes presumably contain the missing books. So the previous resident was not only an astronomer but a well-read astronomer.

The night outside is a cold one, and she finds this place to be comfortable. Instead of returning to the castle, she sets herself by the high window and looks up at the moon in the sky before turning her mind to her nightly duty.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?

[Wings of Black Glass]

10073959
Stardust sounds a bit like Nick Wilde in Zootopia. Specifically like in this scene.

Equinox like an older, kinder, Tywin Lanister.

And there's a couple other faces that show up, who are spoilers. Lets say... I've already answered one of them, assuming you're paying attention to the first scene of each chapter. The other, meanwhile...

[Luckyfanisaac]

“This is me.” Stardust’s path has taken them across a small grassy park and to a tower not terribly far from the higher quality estates, or the palace for that matter. He leads them up the spiral ramp to the door at the top.

0:59

[Wings of Black Glass]

10131524
hmmm... OK? Nice bit of music, I guess. The line reminded you of it?