The Crystal War Book I: A Spark to Light the Dark

by NatureSpark

Ch.32 Grave Nightmares

~Chapter 32: Grave Nightmares~

Sleep had been a most elusive goal for Star during the night, but eventually she did drift off into dreamland, which was very useful for her as the protégé of Princess Luna. As convenient as it was to send letters through Inferno, speaking directly with her mentor by way of dreams was an even more useful tool. It had been quite the shock for Star when the princess first spoke to her in her dreams, but as time passed and Star honed her skills it became the easiest way for them to stay in touch while they were apart. Now Star was once again walking through the fantastic world that was her own dreams and waiting for her mentor so that she could give her an update of the situation in Ponyville.

Star walked past rows of artifact displays, mirror images of the cases in her own home, and took a seat in one of the chairs lined up before a long table. Luna would often meet her in this place, because it made Star feel relaxed to be somewhere that seemed like home. Star waited patiently for her mentor, knowing that she had her own duties to perform before she would make it into Star’s dream, so she passed the time by trying her best to control the dream world around her. Star began her little exercise with a few simple tasks; changing the color of objects, moving them with her mind and even creating entirely new ones by sheer force of will. This was her world, her creation and she could control it in any way that she wanted to, although she hadn’t known that the first time Luna came into her dream.

Nightmares had been plaguing Star back then, because she was moving to Dodge, away from Princess Luna, and she would be on her own for the first time. It was a moment that most ponies saw as an exciting time in their lives, starting their journeys into adulthood, but Star was not most ponies. She had never been the most confident of mares and the added stress of having a young dragon to take care of hadn’t helped, so she had frightening dreams for the first few nights, but then Luna visited her. She had been having her usual nightmare, one in which she was all alone without even Inferno by her side and lost in a strange place. It had all seemed so real to her at the time, but then she saw her mentor descending from the dark, writhing skies of her own psyche. The princess had told her it was a dream, all in her mind, and that she could control it if she really tried, but there were things that Star had never wanted her teacher to know, things that she had been unable to hide. Now she tried most nights to keep her subconscious in check, so that Luna wouldn’t see how troubled she really was, because how could her princess, so self-assured and perfect, ever want a student who was so scared and weak?

Star sat at the table and conjured illusions of her friends, vague relics of the real ponies that she hoped would provide some small comfort for her as she waited. The sound of flapping wings shook Star from her focus and the shades dissipated as Princess Luna descended through the roof of her safe place, passing through the surreal barriers that her student had formed.

“Discipula Star, it is good to see you my faithful student,” Luna called as she touched down on the wooden floors. “I see you have gotten better at controlling your dreams.” Star sprang up from the table and bowed low to her matriarch.

“Princess Luna, it is good to see you as well,” Star replied. “How are things in Canterlot?” she asked as she stood up and took her seat once again. Luna smiled at her student, starry mane billowing in a nonexistent breeze as she took the seat facing her.

“It has been rather hectic for us at the palace. My sister is troubled by the events in Ponyville and many ponies have been troubled in their sleep, so I have been quite busy as well,” Luna explained, her blue eyes gleaming as she spoke.

“Have you gotten a letter from Inferno yet?” Star asked hopefully. Luna’s strained smile disappeared, which was all the answer that Star needed.

“I am afraid not Star, but I assure you that you will be the first to know when it does arrive,” Luna replied. “You should not worry so much though. I am sure that Spark is doing fine and they are most likely well on their way to the hippogriff homeland.” Star nodded quietly, wishing to believe her mentor’s reassuring words, but unable to cease her pestering concerns. “How is your work in Ponyville coming along? I trust that you found Doctor Suture when you arrived.”

“Yes I did, princess, but there are many ponies that need our help and it will take awhile before the townsponies feel safe again,” Star explained with a frown.

“I have faith in you, my student, and I know that with your help all will be made right again,” Luna assured her. Star wasn’t convinced. It seemed like an insurmountable task that she was facing, but she would do her best to live up to her teacher’s expectations.

“I hope that you’re right, princess,” Star told her. Luna smiled quietly and then stood up from the table and Star followed her lead, knowing what was coming next.

“I would love to see how you have improved in your dream walking,” Luna said as she stepped back from the chairs. Star took a deep breath and focused her mind. “I want you to begin with something easy.”

“How about flying,” Star asked her, eager to begin the lesson and get her mind off of the troubles of the real world for a short time.

“That sounds like an excellent place to start,” Luna chuckled as she pushed off of the floor and hovered above her student’s head. There was no need for magic or wings while in the dream world and Star lifted off of the ground with just a thought. Luna watched as she performed a few simple maneuvers to show her control and focus, before landing back on the floor.

“That was very well done Star.” Luna landed next to her student and proceeded to create two large stones out of thin air. They floated over to Star before dropping to the ground with a loud thud. “You remember how this works I presume?” Star nodded her head and lifted the stones into the air by thought alone. They wobbled for a moment in front of her face before resting perfectly still in the air before her.

“I remember when you first had me do this in real life, as a filly,” Star chuckled.

“As do I,” Luna replied with a straight face. “You were so nervous that when they finally lifted off the ground you levitated them right into you own chin.” Luna finally cracked a smile as they both recalled how Star had fallen on her flank, eyes wide with surprise, and then started crying. Star’s focus wavered and one of the stones dropped a few inches before she stopped it.

“Now what, princess?” she asked once her mind was refocused on the task at hoof. Luna didn’t answer her at first, instead she took a slow breath and Star could see the room shifting shape in the corner of her vision.

“I want you to stay focused on the stones. No matter what happens around you those two objects should not fall.” Star nodded her head slightly, wondering just what her mentor was up to. Her answer came suddenly as the floor beneath her feet fell away. Star gasped as she prepared to fall and the stones wavered from there position before she was able to right them. A quick glance revealed her to be standing over a vast emptiness and Star had a difficult time tearing her eyes away from the sight.

The world shifted again and Star was now standing in the palace, but the usual commotion of ponies moving about the grounds was nonexistent. She stood alone in the vast chamber, until the shadows began to move around her. It was subtle at first, a small glimpse of motion that would vanish before she could fix her eyes on it, but soon there was movement all around her.

“Pr- princess?” she called out to the emptiness. Star felt something brush past her legs and one of the stones fell to the tiled floor as she jumped away from the cold touch. “Princess Luna, are you doing this?” she asked as she whirled around in a circle. The shadowy forms would dart back from her gaze, hiding in the corners and behind pillars just out of her sight, only to reappear behind her as silently as they had left.

Luna was nowhere to be seen, but now Star could hear something. It was faint at first, like a whisper in the back of her mind, but the more she tried to focus on what the voice was saying the louder it became.

“Loneliness!” came a shout from all around her and the remaining stone fell from her mental grip as she shrieked with terror. “Failure!” the voice called again as she took off running through the halls.

Star tried to focus, knowing that she could control this world by willpower alone if she could just stifle her panic, but the twisting shadows were reaching out from all directions and the walls of the palace seemed to be closing in around her.

“Death!” The word echoed through her mind and the halls as the palace walls melted away and fire burned around her. It was worse than any nightmare Star had been through and no matter how hard she closed her eyes and screamed she couldn’t wake from the horrors.

“Enough!” Luna’s voice called from overhead. As the princess descended, eyes glowing with moonlight, the shadows receded and the flames died away. “Come to me Discipula Star. It will be alright.” Star opened her eyes and saw the princess above her and she floated up as she blinked away the tears that had formed in her violet eyes.

“Where d- did you go?” Star choked out. Luna pulled her close as their surroundings returned to the familiar safety of Star’s own home.

“I never left you Star,” Luna softly told her. “I was simply trying to test your focus by allowing a small portion of you fears to creep into your dream, but I had not realized just how much terror you repressed.” Star buried her face into Luna’s mane, enjoying the feeling as the mystical wisps of magic brushed along her coat. “I do not understand where all of these doubts and this fear come from, my faithful student.”

“I’m not sure either, but I try my best to keep it locked away,” Star replied.

“Discipula Star, I have not been teaching you to dream walk so that you may hide from your nightmares, but so that you may learn to face them unflinchingly,” Luna told her in a stern voice.

“I’m so sorry princess. I don’t think that I have what it takes to do that,” Star whimpered. “I’m terrified. I’m afraid that I’ll let my friends down, fail Inferno, disappoint you and…” Star’s words were cut short as she began sobbing into her teacher’s mane. She hated herself for showing such weakness, but facing even that small portion of her fears had frightened her to her core.

“You won’t,” Luna replied in a gentle tone.

“Huh?” Star pulled her face back and wiped more tears from her eyes.

“You must have more faith in yourself Star, like I do. Not just any pony could do the things that you have done. I picked you to be my personal student for a reason and I believe that it is time for you to accept that truth,” Luna explained.

“I’ll- I’ll try,” Star reluctantly replied.

“Good.” Luna smiled down at her student and the room began to shimmer behind her. “For now I must return to my duties. It is not wise for a princess to be off guard in times such as these, but I want you to think about what I’ve said and we will talk about this later.” Star nodded her head as the princess floated up into the slowly fading dreamscape. “Remember, Discipula Star, I have faith that you can do anything which you set your mind to and so should you.” Star bowed low as Princess Luna vanished into the blackness and the dream began to fade away.

Early morning light was streaming through the barn windows and although everypony else seemed able to sleep right through it, Star’s dream had left her unwilling to go back to bed right away. She sat up from her cot and stretched her legs out before dropping to the dusty wood floor. The bed she slept in while staying at Canterlot was a luxury she always missed while she was away, but considering that her friends were most likely sleeping on bare ground, if they were alive, Star felt a little ashamed of that longing for comfort. After a long yawn she grabbed a cloak and picked her way through the maze of sleeping patients and volunteers until she reached the side door of the barn, trying her best not to wake anypony up as she swung it open on rusty hinges.

The sun was just beginning to rise and a cold winter breeze blew across the empty fields. Star shivered as she pulled her cloak tight and sucked a deep breath in her nostrils. The country air was fresh and clean, not at all like the musty barn she had been sleeping in, and it reminded her of home. Dodge was a fair bit larger than Ponyville, especially after the fire had destroyed a good quarter of it, but Dodge also retained most of the small town charm that Canterlot had left behind ages ago. It was the main reason Star had decided to stay in the town, despite her nagging fears and cowardice about being alone so far from Canterlot. Eventually she had grown attached to the small town and now she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else in Equestria.

She let out her breath in a puff of vapor and caught site of her friend sitting at the table where they had eaten lunch the day before. Star had figured that she would be the only one up so early, but it looked as if Doctor Suture had been sitting there for awhile.

“Suture, what are you doing out here all by yourself?” Star asked as she made her way to the table. Suture glanced back with a look of mild surprise before returning her gaze to the sunrise.

“I love watching the sky as Celestia raises the sun in the morning, especially in winter when the clouds are painted so many wonderful colors. The peace and quite relaxes me and it’s even better here than it is in Canterlot,” the older mare explained to her young friend. Star took a seat next to her, facing the direction of the sun, so that they could enjoy the sight together.

“You don’t mind if I stay here and watch it with you, do you?’ Star asked.

Suture smiled and shook her head, saying, “Not at all. In fact I’m sure it will be even better enjoying it with a friend.” Star returned her smile and took another deep breath of the fresh air, while in the distance the clouds changed from white to gold, orange and red. It really was a beautiful sight, Star thought as she watched the show. Even if she was Luna’s student, Star couldn’t deny that her teacher’s older sister was extremely gifted in her own way.

The bottom of the sun finally broke over the distant mountains and Suture sighed as she pushed herself up from the table. It had been a relaxing bit of time that they had spent together, but it was a new day now and there was much for them to do. Patients would be waking up soon and there was breakfast to be cooked and served. Ponies would begin lining up for medical care again and Suture wanted to be ready to treat them as soon as possible.

“I suppose we should get back inside,” Suture said as she started walking towards the old barn.

“Mhmm, maybe we’ll actually get everyone taken care of today,” Star mumbled as she followed her friend to the door.

“Yes, that would be nice,” Suture agreed as she held the door open.

Not long after Star had reentered the barn, other ponies had begun to wake from their slumber, with stiff backs and empty stomachs. Right away there were volunteers sitting by small stoves and cooking breakfast for everypony. Star had a different job however and as soon as she finished with her breakfast Suture put her to work. The doctors had all worked late into the night making sure that anypony with a life threatening injury was healed, but there were still plenty of other medical problems to be dealt with and when she had finished that, Star planned on helping to rebuild the town.

“I’m ready over here,” Star called to a nurse as soon as she had a table set up and her supplies set out. It was dim in the barn and she hadn’t exactly slept well, so at first Star was a little slow, but with the glow of her magic for light and a few soft slaps to her face she was ready to begin. The nurse waved over her first patient, an earth pony stallion just a few years older than her, and she was soon poking, questioning and wrapping patients again. “What seems to be the problem mister..?” she asked as he took a seat on the table.

“Call me Clyde miss, uh,” he paused to let her answer.

“Star is fine.”

“Alright, Miss Star, my shoulder has been killing me for the past few days,” Clyde said, brushing his light brown mane out of the way so she could get a look at the problem. Star pressed gently on the area in question and the sand colored stallion winced at the contact. It didn’t look as bad as most of the wounds she had been dealing with.

“It looks pretty swollen to me, but thankfully I don’t think that it’s broken. You probably just pulled a muscle or something,” She explained to him. Her horn glowed faintly with light as she levitated a sling in front of him. “The most I can do is put it in a sling and tell you not to move your leg around. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied with a smile. Star was about to call over her next patient, until she noticed the stallion hesitating to leave.

He turned around and quickly blurted out, “Would you care to go on a date with me sometime?” Star was shocked for a few minutes by the suddenness of his question.

“I, uh, well I’m kind of,” her tongue stumbled as she tried to come up with an excuse to give him; dating wasn’t exactly something she was interested in pursuing in her current state of mind. “I’m sorry, but I have so much to do around here.” It wasn’t a lie, but Star could tell that he knew she could have made time, had she been so inclined.

“Another time perhaps,” Clyde replied with a polite nod before turning away from Star and walking quickly away from her table. Star facehoofed at her inept social skills, letting out a low groan as she did. She had always made a fool of herself when stallions tried to court her. It was just one of those things that you couldn’t really learn from studying and as such, she had never gotten the hang of it.

“Stupid,” Star chided herself. He had even been pretty cute she realized, not to mention that he obviously thought she was as well. “Next patient,” she called out, ready to move on and put the awkward exchange behind her. Maybe she would see him around again and get the chance to redeem herself, she thought.

Star made it through the rest of her busy morning without anypony else flirting with her, at least not that she noticed, and soon there was only one more patient standing between her and a quick lunch break. As she gazed about the room Star noticed that every bed was full and there were only a few more patients to help. After the serious injuries had been dealt with the rest of the work had been relatively easy. Soon there would be no tasks left in the barn that a few of the nurses couldn’t take care of by themselves, so she would be able to go help rebuild. She couldn’t wait to be out in the fresh air again.

Her last patient was an elderly mare who seemed to have suffered minor burns along her side and was now sporting a blue and grey mane that had been singed quite short on one side. Star helped her onto the table and opened a jar of burn ointment.

“Is there anything bothering you besides the burns?” Star asked as she scooped out some of the mud colored gunk and began applying it to the seared skin with a gentle hoof. The ointment smelled awful, but she had gotten used to it by then.

“Nope, it’s just the burns that need taken care of,” the mare replied.

“Okay, well I’m going to put this salve on them and wrap you up with some bandages. You should be good to go after that, just don’t remove the wraps for a day and they may need changed tomorrow,” Star replied.

“Thank you so much young lady.”

“I’m just happy to help,” Star said as she coated the last of the burns in the thick mixture and floated a roll of cloth bandages into her waiting hoof. “I’m just sorry that there’s nothing I can do about your mane.”

“It’s quite alright. I’ve been thinking about cutting it short anyway,” the old mare chuckled. “It’s become a bit of a nuisance to comb it out every morning.” Star giggled right along with her as she continued wrapping up the mare’s burns.

“That should do it,” Star told her a few minutes later.

“Thank you again,” the mare replied as Star helped her off of the table. “You are a Celestia sent blessing.” Star was going to correct her and say that it was actually Luna who had sent her, but she just nodded her head instead. Her patient left the barn when she was finished and Star began putting away her supplies so that she could take her lunch break. It had been a busy morning and she had worked up a good appetite, but that was no reason for her to leave a mess for somepony else to clean.

“It looks like we’re just about finished here,” Suture said as she walked up beside Star. “I can’t thank you enough for all your help.”

“It was the least I could do,” Star replied as she stuffed the last of the medical supplies into a bag and walked it over to the back wall, where the left over supplies were being stored. Suture followed her from there to the side door, skirting the busy area at the center of the barn, and together they walked out of the building into the cool afternoon day.

“Would you like to eat lunch with me,” Suture asked as she headed for the same table from which they had watched the sunrise that morning.

“I’d love to,” Star answered.

“Great. I was hoping that you’d say that,” Suture replied. They sat down at the familiar old table and pulled out their lunches, a couple of mediocre sandwiches. “So what are your plans now that you’re done in the clinic?” Suture asked before taking a large bite from her lunch.

“Well I figured that I’d talk to the ponies in charge of repairing the town and see if there was anything I could do to help them,” Star replied. She stared at her sandwich, fighting the urge to wolf it down because she was sitting with her friend and it wouldn’t be proper. She took a large bite regardless and ended up dropping crumbs and daisies all over herself and the tabletop. “Figures,” Star sighed, much to Suture’s amusement.

“Don’t worry about it Star. It’s just you and me right now anyway,” the doctor told her with a wink. Star shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to eat her food ravenously, dropping a good bit more of it on her self in the process. “I’m surprised that you aren’t chomping at the bit to get back home and see if Inferno has written you back yet.”

“Star swallowed her mouthful of food, nearly choking on the last gargantuan bite and wiped her mouth off before finally replying, “I already spoke with Luna and there hasn’t been any news from my friends anyway.”

“When did you speak with the princess?” Suture asked with a bemused expression. “I don’t remember you getting a letter.”

“It was, uh… magic,” Star told her, unwilling to delve into the details of her dream walking lessons with the princess. Suture seemed to accept her answer or didn’t feel like pressing her for further information while they were still eating. “Anyway, helping out around here is the only think that keeps me from spending my entire day worrying about all of them, so it’s probably for the best if I keep busy.”

“Alright, I’m sure that they’ll be happy for the extra hoof. There’s quite a bit of clean up to do along with the repairs and rebuilding,” Suture acknowledged.

“Mhmm,” Star mumbled as she fished a container of water from her saddlebags lying on the ground by her hooves. She snatched it from the air and took a long swig to wash down the last remnants of her lunch and sighed with contentment. “Do you think all of those ponies are going to make it? Some of their burns looked pretty terrible.”

“There’s a risk of infection anytime your dealing with burns and that barn wasn’t exactly the most sterile place, but I’m sure that they’ll all pull through just fine.” Suture ate the last of her sandwich, without making a mess as Star had done, and stretched herself out across the table. “I still can’t believe that something like this could happen here,” she sighed.

“I can’t either, but rest assured that the princesses are taking measures to prevent another disaster like this from occurring,” Star told her. “Last I knew, they were sending out guards to start patrolling Equestria’s borders.”

“I guess we’re really at war then,” Suture replied.

“It certainly looks that way.” Star stood up from the table and picked up her bags, slinging them over her back carelessly and using her magic to secure them. “I guess I should go find whoever is in charge of fixing this mess. What are you going to be doing?”

“I still have a few things to take care of here and I’ll probably be busy with that for most of the day,” Suture replied as she picked herself up from the table and yawned. “I’m sure I’ll see you before you leave though.”

Star nodded her head and said, “Of course. I’ll be spending at least one more night here.” She started to leave, but realized that she wasn’t sure where to go. “Umm, any idea where they’re working at?” she asked.

“I’d check the town square. They’re probably going to start there and then work their way out,” Suture told her. Star nodded and gave a quick wave before turning back north and setting off. Suture waved back with an amused smile before heading towards the barn to finish her own job.

Doctor Suture had been correct in assuming that everypony would be gathered near the center of town and Star found the crowd of Ponyvillians gathered around what was left of the large building that had served as the area’s political hub. There wasn’t much left of the building, just a few charred boards that had made up the structure and ashes scattered about in the rubble, but the foundation was still intact. The fire had destroyed everything in its path, but the northern part of the town had fared the worst.

Star made her way to the mass of ponies and slowly pushed her way past them, looking for somepony who was leading the mob, but it was difficult for the short unicorn to see what was going on with so many tall, earth pony stallions and mares towering over her. Eventually she managed to creep through until she was near the front of the pack and could hear the gruff voice of a middle aged stallion barking orders to the citizens gathered around.

“I reckon that we’re gonna need ‘bout half of ya’ll workin’ just ta’ get this mess o’ ashes an’ broken wood cleared outta here,” the large white stallion told them, “so this half can start on that.” He pointed to leftmost part of the group and after a few grumbles and groans they split away from the group and headed off to start their work. “I’ll need to divide the rest ah ya up in three groups. One group is gonna be startin’ on constructin’ the frames for new buildings an’ another is gonna start combin’ the area for anything we can salvage.” The two smaller groups also broke away from the gathering, leaving a small portion of the ponies standing before the stallion giving the orders.

“What do you want the rest of us to do,” the stallion next to Star asked their leader. Star was eager to know as well; she had gotten lumped in with this last group without even realizing that it was happening. It looked as if she would be able to keep busy after all.

“I’m afraid to tell ya that ya’ll got the worst job,” he said in a slightly more sympathetic voice that Star didn’t find very comforting. He removed the dusty hat that he wore and bowed his head slightly. “We need ta’ burry our dead and its gon’ be up ta’ us to do it.” Star felt her stomach twisting up in knots. She was willing to help with most jobs, but she really hadn’t expected to get this one. The stallion looked back up at them with watery eyes and placed the old Stetson back on his head, covering his disheveled, tan colored mane. He blinked a few times in surprise when he caught sight of Star. “I’m sorry miss, I didn’t realize that ya’ll were standin’ right there.”

“That’s alright,” she replied.

“Is there somethin’ that ah can assist ya with?” he asked with a bewildered look as he stepped down from the town hall’s foundation.

“Actually I came here to help you and apparently that means digging holes,” Star told him with a sad smile. “I’m star. What’s your name?” She held out a hoof and the stallion shook it with a hard grip that any working pony would have been proud to have.

“They call me Half Step, but mah real name’s Alabaster,” he replied after releasing Star from his iron grip. “I ‘preciate the offer ta’ help, but I can’t ask a lady ta’ take part in such morbid work. It wouldn’t be right ah me.”

“I don’t mind as long as I only have to help dig holes,” Star assured him. She didn’t think she could hold back her nausea if she saw the bodies being moved, but moving dirt was a task that she could tackle fairly easy using her magic.

“Well thank ya in advance for all your help little miss,” Half Step replied with a tilt of his hat.

“You are very welcome Mister Half Step,” Star replied as she flashed her white teeth to the gruff older pony. “Where are we going to prepare the graves?”

“There’s a cemetery on the west end o’ town. It’s a little small, but there ain’t a whole lotta other places we could dig up, so I reckon it’s our best bet,” Half Step told her. “Just follow me an’ I’ll show ya where ta go.” As Half Step turned to leave Star noticed his cutie mark, a hoof print that looked like the type of burn that a branding iron would leave on somepony, but the only ponies she had ever heard of being branded were all criminals. She decided to keep a close eye on the white stallion just to be safe.

By the time that Half Step and Star got to the graveyard the rest of the ponies were already hard at work digging out holes for their relatives and friends. It was a tough job and every pony wore a grim expression as they scooped the earth out and tossed it into the growing piles around them. Half Step grabbed a shovel as soon as he arrived and took the nearest empty spot. Star watched his muscles tense and his expression turn to stone as he planted the tool into the ground. Star found her place beside him and her black horn flared up with magic as she began scooping chunks of dirt free and started her own pile to the side of the new grave.

Even with the cold winter air swirling around her a sweat soon broke on Stars furrowed brow as she focused on tearing out large chunks of soil and stones. Her horn radiated waves of black magical light in varying intensities as she labored over the strenuous task. Beside her Half Step was working with even more fervor and was managing to dig twice as fast as she was without the help of magic. Star glanced down the line when she stopped for a moment to wipe the perspiration from her face and saw that every stallion and mare in the cemetery was working faster than she was, so she took a deep breath and dove back in, determined to keep up with the earth ponies.

When she had just finished digging her first grave the other ponies were well into their second holes. Star couldn’t believe the stamina that the citizens of Ponyville had. Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth together as she tried to pick up her pace and she was so worried about keeping up that her pile of dirt started spilling back into the hole. She heard a chuckle from behind her as Half Step walked up with a shovel clenched firmly in his teeth. Without any words he pushed the dirt pile further back from the grave and gave a quick nod of his head before walking back to his own spot in the graveyard. Star gave a disheartened sigh and got back to work.

The very second that she finished digging her first grave Star trotted over to the next place in the cemetery plot and got to work on her next one. What she lacked in strength and stamina she intended to make up for with tenacity. She tried her best not to think about what she was doing all of the work for, but since nopony around her was in the mood to talk she couldn’t keep her mind from dwelling on the subject. Star didn’t know how many innocent ponies had died in the fire, but she figured that every hole she dug would stick in her mind and by the time they were done the number of deaths would be burned in her memory forever.

“Alright everypony, let’s take a break,” Half Step called to the crew of dirty ponies, who were all feeling winded by then. “No use in workin’ ourselves to death diggin’ graves. That kind o’ irony isn’t as funny as it sounds.” It actually didn’t sound the least bit humorous to Star, but she was still grateful that he had called for a rest. Her head was aching from the effort she had put in and there was a thick layer of dirt and sweat covering most of her body, but thankfully her dark coat hid most of it from view.

“Is there any water?” Star asked as she dropped herself onto the pile of dirt beside her. It was much more comfortable than sitting on the hard packed earth everywhere else and she was already dirty, so it didn’t matter if she lay in dirt. “I am seriously parched after all that.” Half Step grabbed a flask and passed it to her with a slight smirk.

“You did a mighty fine job out there Miss Star,” he told her as he took a seat in the dirt near her. “I never knew that unicorns were any good at manual labor.”

“Yes, well I must say that it was quite a challenge trying to keep up with you earth ponies,” she replied as she uncorked the bottle. Star took a long swig and immediately spit it out in a fit of coughing and gagging. “What the hoof is this?”

“That there is some o’ the finest scotch in Equestria,” Half Step chuckled. She had been expecting cold water to sooth her dry throat and instead was greeted by the burning alcohol. Star wasn’t as amused by the situation as he seemed to be. “I reckon it takes a bit o’ getting’ used ta, but there’s nothin’ better to help you work hard.”

Star spat the taste out of her mouth and replied, “I think I’ll stick to water. No offense.” Half Step stared her down and for a moment and Star thought she may have actually offended the earth pony, until he started laughing.

“That’s just fine Miss Star,” he chuckled, taking back the liquor and giving her water instead.

It wasn’t long after that their break ended and everypony got back to work. Star’s head was aching from the exertion that digging graves had taken, but she knew that trying to dig using the earth pony method would only prove to slow her down even more, so as the late afternoon sky sank lower on the horizon she continued to push herself. Everypony else finally seemed to be slowing down as well, which was a small relief for her, but they still weren’t doing much talking. The only sound she could hear was labored breathing and the crunch of shovels striking the earth as they all dug the final resting places of ponies they had known most of their lives.

“We’re bringing in the remains,” one of the stallions told Half Step as he trod towards them over the uneven grounds of the cemetery.

“Alright, I think we dug enough graves for ‘em,” Half Step groaned as he climbed out of the hole he had just finished with. “Bring ‘em on in.”

A few feet away Star was climbing out of her own hole and she overheard the news. It had been the hardest day of work she had ever been a part of and every breath she took seemed insufficient to fill her burning lungs, but she also felt accomplished, as if what she had done there had meant something. It was a good feeling and her only regret was that it had been for such a detestable reason.

“You wouldn’t mind if I called it a day, would you?” she asked Half Step as she wobbled over to him on aching legs.

“Not at all,” the white stallion replied with a weary smile. “You did mighty fine work today Miss Star and it was a pleasure ta meet ya. I just wish it’d been under more pleasant circumstances.”

“As do I,” Star responded. She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of wheels approaching them and her gaze fell upon a cart, carrying the first pile of corpses and being pulled by a couple of stallions that she had seen in the crowd around Half Step earlier that day. “Would you mind doing me a favor?”

“That all depends on what the favor is,” Half Step told her.

“I had some friends that were in town around the time of the fire and I’ve been worried that they might not have made it out before the arson.” Half Step fixed her with a knowing look. “Just let me know if there are any pegasus or mule bodies that get buried here tonight.”

“I reckon that I could do that,” the earth pony replied. “There ain’t a whole lotta them ‘round these parts, so they’d stick out.”

“Thank you, it would mean so much to me,” Star told him before she turned to leave. Then she remembered Spearmint’s parents and turned back around again. “Oh, and if you happen to know the colt Spearmint...”

“I believe I’ve seen him ‘round before.”

“Please let me know if his parents are among the departed,” Star finished quietly.

“Sure thing Miss,” Half Step replied with a polite nod. Star thanked him again and turned to leave the cemetery just as the cart rolled through the wooden fence. She could see the burned leg of somepony sticking out from under the blankets that they had covered the bodies with. It was charred black and nearly made her vomit as she stared at it. Star ducked her head and walked quickly away from the disturbing sight, leaving the Ponyvillians to tend to their dead in peace.

The walk back to the barn was long, but Star didn’t mind it in the least. She was grateful to have some time to unwind after a day of digging graves. Her mind was awash with conflicting emotions; sadness, uncertainty and even a little pride in a job well done. She was still concerned about her friend’s wellbeing of course, and until she heard about their fate one way or the other she would be worried, but as the light of the sun receded the black unicorn harbored a slight hope that maybe things would be better in the morning. Tomorrow she would be heading back to Canterlot and that was always a welcome destination for her.

The lights were out by the time the barn came into view and it loomed over the open field creating a dark void in the starry night sky. When a cloud passed over the face of the moon she could almost believe that she was the only pony left in the world because of how quiet everything around her was. It was a sobering feeling and made her pick up the pace of her steps as she approached the rundown structure, the steady rhythm of her hoofsteps contrasting against the stillness of the town. Only the slight breeze rustling the long stalks of wheat in the distance was there to remind her that life still went on.

The old side door creaked as she shoved it open and the distinct smell of the makeshift hospital greeted her as she entered into the dark room. It seemed as if everypony was fast asleep and Star crept carefully around the cots and dreaming ponies as she felt her way to the back wall, where the volunteers had made their quarters. Star thanked Luna when she saw her bed was unoccupied and she removed her saddlebags, placing them under the cot so that they wouldn’t be disturbed if somepony had to get up in the middle of the night. Noiselessly she crawled onto the bed and pulled the lone cover over herself, although with the body heat that was trapped in the barn she knew that the blanket would be kicked aside in her slumber.

Star closed her eyes and listened to the combined sounds of everypony’s shallow breathing as she attempted to will herself asleep, but as exhausted as she was, sleep still eluded her. Concerns about anything and everything troubled her mind and she tossed and turned for awhile before finally opening her eyes with a huff.

“Can’t sleep?” Suture asked from the darkness beside her, causing Star to gasp with surprise. She hadn’t expected anypony to be awake at that hour.

“Not really, no,” Star replied as soon as her brain registered where the voice had come from. It seemed that Doctor Suture had as much trouble with sleep as she did.

“Did you have a bad day?” her friend asked sympathetically.

“No, I just can’t stop thinking about what happened here and about my friends,” Star whispered. “I’m sure that I’ll fall asleep eventually.”

“If you want to talk I’m awake now,” Suture told her.

“Thanks, but I’ll be fine. You just try to go back to bed,” Star replied as she closed her eyes again.

“Well I’m right here if you change your mind,” Suture assured her.

“I know,” Star said with a yawn. “Good night, Suture.”

“Good night, Star,” her friend replied before falling back asleep.

Star lay awake for another hour, trying her best to stop the ceaseless thoughts that plagued her. Not only was she bothered by problems in the real world, but after her talk with Luna the night before, Star was worried about what terrors her sleep might hold for her. She finally drifted off into a restless slumber, filled with graves and shadowy figures. Her blankets didn’t last for more than an hour before being shoved onto the dusty barn floor and Star tossed and turned all through the night, until Luna came to visit with her as she had so many nights before.

Author's Note:

Well, everything seems to be going pretty badly, but Star is going to fix it all... just as soon as she fixes herself. I'd had the idea of Star facing some sort of mental/emotional problem such as this for awhile, but only after the episode Sleepless in Ponyville premiered did I flesh out my plans. Dream walking merged very well with the vauge plot I had in mind.