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

by NatureSpark

Ch.45 One Last Hurrah

~Chapter 45: One Last Hurrah~

As Discipula Star had fallen asleep she’d immediately felt the pull of her dreams and gave in, letting her mind carry her under. Princess Luna was there to greet her on the other side with a worried look as the dream world began to take shape around them. Though she had been exhausted when she’d finally gotten to bed, Star could see that she wasn’t going to be getting much rest before sunrise came around and sighed at the prospect of spending time with her friends when she was half asleep. Her duties to the princess came above all others however, and Star could tell that Luna had something important to speak about; otherwise the alicorn wouldn’t have dragged her into the dream world.

Star bowed to her teacher and Luna nodded back politely as they sat down, two chairs materializing out of the sparkling mist with just a thought. The environment took shape and gained substance around the mares as they each got comfortable at the small table that had formed between them. Star conjured up some tea to help relax her already frayed nerves and give her something to do as she listened to her mentor. The princess didn’t bother creating a drink for herself; instead she sat, thinking about what she wanted to say. Star waited patiently, in no hurry to leave now that she had accepted that there would be no rest for her that night.

“I wanted to thank you, my faithful student, for offering to lend your assistance to Axel if she chooses to build chariots for the military,” the dark blue alicorn finally said, as she stared up into the sky, where the roof had been replaced by stars and a moon, as Luna would often do when visiting her student. “It is good to know that you care so much about Equestria. I just wish all of your friends did as well.”

“I don’t think that is very fair to say, Princess Luna,” Star replied as Luna dropped her gaze back down the young unicorn. “My friends would do anything to protect their fellow citizens. The only reason that Spark is having trouble accepting your request is because of his father’s work for your sister.” Star met her teachers gaze as she took a sip of tea and saw a flash of curiosity in their dark depths.

“Oaken Field made many diplomatic journeys into our neighboring countries,” the princess retorted. “He served his country faithfully for many years and died a hero. Nature Spark should count himself lucky to become even half of the stallion his father was,” she huffed. It had sounded like denial to Star, more than anything else, and the black mare groaned quietly.

“And how many of those diplomatic missions ended favorably for Equestria?” Star asked with a fair bit of sarcasm.

“Every one,” the princess replied.

“And why is that?” Star asked, hoping that her questions would lead the princess to the proper conclusion.

“That is because Oaken Field did whatever he had to in order to ensure that harmony prevailed throughout the world. Him and other loyal ponies like him are the reason that Equestria has risen up, out of the darkness of Discord’s reign and into the majesty of ours!” Princess Luna replied, catching Star completely off guard. “The decisions that my sister and I have made are ours to bear, but we have only done what was needed to keep our subjects safe. Perhaps one day the world will no longer have need of battle or war, but I would refrain from holding your breath until then.” Star stared up at her ruler and mentor in utter disbelief for a moment.

“You knew what was happening all along,” Star mumbled.

“Of course I’ve known, Star,” Luna replied in a soft voice. “I am not some ignorant foal you know. I am an immortal who has lived a long life and no matter how much distaste I have developed for violence and bloodshed over the years, this world is not perfect and I have learned to accept that fact. If we could all learn that truth, then maybe we could all find a way to make this world better.” The princess sighed wistfully as she returned her gaze to the sky once more.

“There has to be a better way than taking lives though,” Star said, her voice sounding almost like a plea as she too looked up into the starry dreamscape, her drink all but forgotten. “How can we hope to make a better world if our methods require violence in response to violence? Where does the bloodshed end?” Star squeezed her eyes shut tightly, not wanting to shed anymore tears, but angry that her teacher had proven to be so much different than she had always thought. “Instead of using force and weapons to combat this new threat, you could just use the Elements of Harmony.” Even as she suggested the idea, Star knew that it was pointless, but it was the only alternative the young unicorn could see.

“You know very well why that will never work, my little pony,” Luna replied. “As much as I would like to take my sister and end this right now, the Crystal Empire would only see it as an act of unwarranted aggression towards them and respond in kind. They have powerful weapons as well and the violence would only multiply, but if we can end this problem quickly and quietly, then maybe we can keep more ponies from dying.” The princess’s logic was flawless and even though Star was still trying to find an argument against it, she wasn’t having any luck.

“The resistance knows the truth,” Star replied hastily, “Downpour and Draft said as much, so wouldn’t they tell the crystal ponies what really happened? They could explain everything for you and I’m sure the citizens would believe it.” Luna smiled at her young student, but it was more out of pity than anything else.

“I know you just want to find another way, but Celestia and I have considered all of the possibilities, Star. If this duke can really manipulate the minds of ponies around him, then he may have done so to other prominent figures in the Crystal Empire’s government. He may have even poisoned the Crystal Emperor’s mind, in which case the war would just continue without him anyway.” Star groaned as her head hit the table in front of her, sending a ripple down its surreal form.

“I hadn’t thought of that,” Star admitted to her mentor.

“Nor have you thought about what he plans to do with the Crystal Empress,” Luna added in a solemn voice. “If he has managed to have an immortal taken prisoner then it means that he must have a plan for her. I shudder to think what twisted form of magic he has used to keep the empress indisposed while he puts his plans into motion.”

“Are you suggesting that his powers are strong enough to rival yours and Celestia’s?” Star asked in disbelief. “That is not possible.”

“Even though alicorns, such as my sister and I, may be immortal, there are still ways to hurt us, my faithful student,” Luna replied. “We may be powerful, but we are not invincible, despite what you may believe.”

“How would Doré Langue have even acquired that kind of power?” Star asked with a tinge of fear managing to show on her face, despite the small mare’s best efforts to prevent it from happening. “How could he find a way to harm an immortal?”

“That is a very good question, my little pony,” Luna replied solemnly. “There is powerful magic all thorough the world, but there is always a hefty price to pay in order to attain such power.” Star got the feeling that the princess was speaking from experience, but chose not to question her mentor further. “I can’t imagine the terrible sacrifice one would have to make in order to wield a magic strong enough to slay an immortal.”

“What do you mean?” Star asked in horror. “Are you saying that he may have found a way to end the lives of alicorns? Do you think he could kill you?” Star could hardly believe the implications of such an idea. The princesses had ruled over Equestria since its beginning and had even locked away Discord, a veritable god of chaos, but now their lives were being threatened by a mere mortal. Star felt sick as she waited for Luna to answer her question.

“There is no way for me to know that, but I think that we would be wise to prepare for the worst,” Luna replied. “That is why my sister and I wish to end this now, before he can put his plan into action and before it is too late to save Equestria. If we were to fall then there would be little hope for our country.”

“I see,” Star said quietly. Though she hated the deception and the violence, Star was finally beginning to understand the need for it. The duke’s power was a greater threat than she could have ever guessed, so Celestia and Luna were willing to do whatever they had to in order to end the threat, even if it put the lives of Star’s friends at risk. It was a purely logical plan and Star knew that it was also the only way to prevent the countless other deaths that a war would lead to.

“If there was another path to follow then Celestia and I would take it, but I’m afraid that at this moment you and your friends are Equestria’s best hope for a future,” the princess explained. “Though our enemy may be strong, I believe that the bonds of friendship shared between you, Nature Spark, Downpour, Backdraft and all of the others are stronger still. If there is a group of ponies in this world who can stand up to Doré Langue’s tyranny and claim victory, it is you and your friends, my faithful student. You have said that you will always trust me, so please; trust me when I tell you this now.” Star stood up from the table and inhaled deeply as she tried to process everything that her teacher had revealed to her.

“I do trust you, Your Highness,” Star replied with a respectful bow, “but that will not prevent me from trying to find an alternative solution to this problem,” she added as she banished the steaming cup of tea from the tabletop. “I will do whatever I can to prevent needless pain and bloodshed.”

“I would have expected nothing less from you, Discipula Star,” Princess Luna replied with a smile. She got to her hooves a moment later, mystical mane billowing behind her as she rose from the slowly vanishing table and chairs. “It will be dawn soon and my sister will be expecting your answers, so I must take my leave now.”

“Before you go, I have something to ask you,” Star replied as the large alicorn stretched out her wings and gave a powerful push with them, launching herself into the dreamy sky. “My friends and I wanted to get a painting of all of us, to memorialize what could possibly be the last time we will all be together.” It was painful for the young mare to acknowledge that she may never see all of her friends again, but the truth often hurt.

“I think that is a wonderful idea,” Luna replied. “What would you ask of me?”

“I just remembered the last portrait you had done was very beautiful,” Star explained, “I was hoping that you might be able to procure the same artist to paint ours.”

“You mean Twinkey Doodle? Of course, my faithful student, she does fantastic work and I would be more than happy to commission her for a portrait of you and your friends,” Luna said with a smile as she continued her rise into the air.

“Thank you,” Star replied as she watched her mentor fly into the shimmering air, until the princess vanished, leaving her alone in an empty dream world. It wasn’t long after that Star awoke from her sleep.

Dim light shone through the tall windows of the bedroom, casting a pale glow over the bed as Star’s eyes fluttered open. She arched her back as she yawned and then rolled over to see her daughter sprawled out across the bed with blankets only half covering her smooth, red scales. Star leaned over and gave Inferno a quick peck on her cheek before reluctantly forcing her body up from the mattress and swinging her legs off of the side. Sleep still clung to the corners of her violet eyes as she made her way to the bathroom. Though she had fallen asleep without any problems, Star didn’t feel any less restless than she had before waking.

The bathtub looked inviting to her as she opened the bathroom door, but Celestia was expecting her and her friends soon, so Star put off bathing for a while longer. Magic enveloped her horn and the faucet as she ran water in the sink and settled for splashing the cold liquid in her face to help wake her up. A shiver ran down her black body as the water made contact with her, effectively jolting Starout of the half asleep state she had been in moments before. Star sighed as she grabbed a towel and rubbed her face dry. The conversation she’d had with her mentor was still weighing heavy on the small unicorn’s mind as she walked back out of the clean, tiled room.

Inferno was still snoring softly; little puffs of smoke trailing from her nostrils with each shallow breath and Star decided it was best to let the young dragon sleep for awhile longer. Her daughter’s presence wouldn’t be required when they met with the princesses, but Star knew that she would still want to see everypony off, if they did in fact decide to leave the next day. Inferno would be staying in Canterlot with her and Axel, of course, but the other’s separate missions would take them away from the capitol for an unknown amount of time. The young dragon would be sorry to see them leave, but Star knew she would understand the reasoning behind their decisions. Inferno was very perceptive for her age, as the young mare knew all too well.

Star glanced out the window, only to see the rising sun peeking out from behind the low hanging clouds in the early morning sky. It appeared that the minor break from the weather that they had gotten would be ending soon, so Star grabbed her old cloak from its place on the floor before she left, wrapping it around her small body as she shut the bedroom door behind her and took off down the cold hallway. She nodded to the only other occupant, a middle aged mare who was busy dusting off some of the various knickknacks on display as she passed.

Suri and Axel’s room was the closest to Star’s, so she knocked on their door first. It took a couple bouts of loud rapping before she heard somepony, most likely Suri, shouting something from the other side of the locked entrance. Star snickered softly as she listened to the sound of the two mares crawling out of bed. Axel opened the door a few seconds later, with a bright smile, despite the dark circles under her eyes. Star grinned back as she peeked over the earth pony’s shoulder and saw Suri stumbling towards the bathroom.

“It’s about time to meet with the princesses,” Star explained to Axel, who nodded as she opened her mouth and let loose an exhausted yawn. “Hurry up and get ready, then meet me downstairs. I’m going to make sure everypony else is up as well.”

“Sure thing,” Axel replied as she pushed back the mess of blonde hair that hung over her face. “We’ll be down in just a minute.”

“Alright, just make sure Suri doesn’t take too long primping herself,” Star added, “I would hate to be late again.” Axel just nodded her head again as Star turned around and headed back down the hall towards Spark’s room.

There were already sounds of movement coming from the blind stallion’s room by the time Star made it there. She could hear her friend humming quietly as he got ready for the day. The black mare tapped her hoof against the door a few times and it opened a moment later as Spark let her in. His horn was glowing softly as he gave a slight smile and stepped back to let her in the dark room. The curtains were drawn and very little light made its way in, the result of her friend’s inability to see anything anyway.

“Good morning, Star,” he greeted her as she walked past him, “I’m guessing that you were up bright and early as well.” His shaggy brown mane was in total disarray and his dull eyes were red in the corners, courtesy of a sleepless night, she figured.

“Yes, well I was talking to Princess Luna and didn’t actually get any sleep, but I guess you’d know all about that,” she replied with a grin that went unnoticed by the larger unicorn beside her. Spark just chuckled as he used his magic to feel his way to one of the four chairs in the room. “It’s sunrise now, so we don’t have long before the princesses will be expecting our final answers on their requests.”

“I thought as much,” Spark stated with a quiet groan. “I suppose this means that I won’t be getting any sleep until tonight… too bad.”

“That will just make it even better when you do fall asleep, right?” Star giggled.

“If you say so,” Spark replied sarcastically as he scratched the back of his head with a hoof. “Is everypony else awake already?”

“I still have to go wake Downpour and Draft, but your sister and Axel should be almost finished getting ready,” Star told him.

“Okay, I guess I’ll meet you downstairs in just a few minutes then,” Spark said as he got up from his seat and did his best to escort Star to the door.

“Okay,” she replied as she followed him, “I shouldn’t be long.” Spark just nodded as she left the dark room behind. The short mare was already walking down the hall when she heard the sound of his bedroom door clicking shut behind her. Star had a pretty good idea of what everypony else’s answers would be, but she still wasn’t sure about Spark. He had appeared to be against helping the princesses any longer, if it meant that he would have to fight and possibly kill, but he could also be very wise and Star thought that his logic might win out in the end.

Downpour, Backdraft and their respective loves had been staying in rooms on the opposite end of the long hallway through which Star was currently trotting. It took a few minutes for her to reach their rooms, which were thankfully side by side, but just as she did one of the doors opened and out stepped Downpour. He looked oddly cheerful for how early in the morning it was and as Star glanced behind him she could see the reason for his smile, as well as his flushed cheeks. The black mare gave an awkward wave in the direction of the large bed, where Strata was splayed out in a most compromising position.

“Meeting with the princesses in just a few minutes,” Star mumbled quickly as she began to blush brightly. Downpour just chuckled as the young mare hurried to his brother’s room.

“Alright, I guess I’ll go hop in the bath real quick, instead of getting some breakfast,” the stocky pegasus replied with a wide grin.

“Sounds fine,” Star told him as she knocked on Draft’s door. Though neither Downpour nor his marefriend seemed perturbed by Star nearly interrupting them, the bashful unicorn was still eager to retreat downstairs, where there was less likely to be any further awkwardness for her. Much to her delight, Ursa answered the door a second later looking as if he had just woken up, rather than having just finished with more intimate activities. The crystal pony rubbed the side of his head with one large hoof and released a deep yawn as he answered her knocking.

“Good morning,” Star greeted him with a smile, hoping that the embarrassment she was feeling wasn’t noticeable to him in his sleepy state. “It’s almost time to meet with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, so make sure Draft is getting up.” Ursa nodded slowly, his shaggy blue mane shaking along with his head before he peered back into the dim room.

“Draft, it’s time to get your cute little flank out of bed!” Ursa shouted back to the sleeping pegasus, who proceeded to wave a dismissive hoof at him before promptly rolling over in the covers. “Don’t worry,” Ursa said as he turned back to Star, “He’s actually pretty easy to wake up, so I’ll get him down there on time.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Star laughed as she turned to leave, using her magic to fidget with her worn clothing in an attempt to keep her face from turning an even brighter shade of red than she knew it already was.

With everypony finally awake, Star was left with a little extra time before their meeting with the royal sisters and she contemplated grabbing a quick breakfast while she had the chance. Unlike last night, Star saw plenty of ponies throughout the castle, attending to their usual tasks with a very respectable vigor, considering that they had been awake and busy long before her. The occasional wave or smile was directed towards the hungry mare as she headed down the stairs and took a left, towards the dining room, and she did her best to reply in kind as she walked through the chilly corridors.

Star paused outside of the large doors for a moment, curious as to whether or not she would just happen to run into Celestia on this day, but as she entered the sweet smelling room, with its long tables and vast quantities of gourmet food, the elder princess was nowhere to be seen. Star shrugged her shoulders as she glanced at the few other ponies scattered about the room and headed for the serving table as her stomach softly groaned its appreciation.

“Discipula Star, it is good to see you up and about so early.” Celestia’s voice startled Star into nearly dropping her plate as the large alicorn somehow managed to sneak up behind her. Star gathered her composure quickly and whirled around, flashing a sparkling smile as she greeted the princess of the sun.

“It is very nice to see you as well, Princess Celestia,” Star returned with a polite bow. “I’ve already woken everypony up, so they should be ready to speak with you very soon.” The princess’s white muzzle broke into a smile as Star occupied herself with sorting through one of the fruit baskets, looking for the perfect orange to have with breakfast.

“That is wonderful to hear, Star,” Celestia replied as she lifted a large yellow banana up from the table and removed the peel with a quick flash of magic. “Luna and I will be in the throne room waiting.” The immortal bit the end off of her soft fruit as she turned to leave and Star began to wonder why the princess seemed to be in such a cheerful mood, considering everything that she’d been dealing with over the past month. It was a strange turn of events that made the young mare a bit wary of the coming talk.

Princess Celestia exited the dining hall as quickly as she had entered, leaving the few other ponies still in the room with Star bowing at her flank as the large doors slammed shut behind her. It was only after the alicorn had left that Star considered the possibility that her show of happiness had been an act she’d put on for the other ponies in the dining hall. Since there were obviously traitors within the government, Star assumed that the princess’s pleasant demeanor was nothing more than a charade, because the confused unicorn couldn’t think of any other reason for Celestia to be smiling.

Star had only to wait in the main hall for a few minutes before her friends began to show up; first Axel and Suri, who were followed by Spark just a moment later, with Draft and Ursa right behind him while Downpour and Strata arrived late, having just gotten around to pulling themselves from their bedroom. Once they had all converged in front of the overly ornate throne room doors, Star figured that it was about time to speak with the princesses and told her friends as much. Everypony’s expressions seemed to be a bit more strained as Spark used his magic to open the doors and they all went in.

On the other end of the room Princess Celestia was already waiting for them with a flat expression in place of her previous smile and Princess Luna was just taking her seat. Star led the way with Spark taking up the rear as they traversed the carpeted distance and stood facing the white dais on which the shining thrones rested with their celestial occupants sitting on top. Star and her friends bowed, as was always customary before addressing royalty and then Luna began to speak.

“Our faithful subjects,” she began as her gaze drifted between each of them, “I hope that you have given deep thought to what we have asked of you and though Celestia and I would be eternally grateful for your assistance, we would never wish you to go against your beliefs, so it is with this in mind that we await your responses.”

“So tell us, my little ponies,” Celestia continued seamlessly after her younger sister, “will you aid us in protecting Equestria, your home as well as ours?” Star glanced to either side of her, trying to read the expressions on her friend’s faces as they prepared to answer their immortal rulers. It was Downpour who replied first, which didn’t surprise Star in the least, as he had been so sure of his choice the night before.

“I, Downpour, will accept your request,” he replied, in a much more formal tone than Star had expected of the ill mannered stallion. “I will travel to Cloudsdale with your soldiers and assist them in taking back the city.”

“As will I,” Draft added right after. The pegasus brothers glanced at one another, passing a silent message in the way that only siblings could.

“Then we thank you for your assistance,” Celestia told them with a simple nod of respect. “The soldiers should be ready to leave by the end of the day. You will travel under the cover of darkness, capture the traitor, Rainbow Strike, and bring him back to Canterlot, where he will answer for his crimes against the crown.” Celestia’s tone was firm, but calm as she spoke, an improvement over the anger that she had shown the last time she had discussed the despicable sergeant.

“I assume that you will be accompanying them to Cloudsdale, Strata Slipstream,” Princess Luna said as she cast a quick glance in the hippogriffs direction.

“I will fly by Downpour’s side,” Strata replied simply.

“And what about you, Alexia Lynn Sapphire?” Luna asked the red earth pony, whose normally cheery face was scrunched up in thought. “Have you decided whether or not you would be willing to build more sky chariots, so that we may control the skies over this war?” Axel paused for a moment and Star leaned in anxiously, for she had already given Luna her word that she would assist Axel, should the mechanic decide to lend her expertise.

“I- I will,” Axel said as she slowly nodded her head. “If you can provide me with workers, material and a place to build them, then I will deliver you your chariots.” Star saw the briefest flash of a smile on the edges of Celestia’s mouth as she heard the earth pony’s answer.

“Thank you, my loyal subject,” Celestia replied. “With your assistance in this matter I believe we can take control of the air back from the Red Eyes. You will have your workers, materials and all of the space that you require, within the week.” Axel mumbled her thanks, but Star could see that her friend wasn’t as thrilled with the prospect as the princess appeared to be.

“Do not forget that you will have my faithful student, Discipula Star by your side every step of the way,” Luna added with a quick wink in the black mare’s direction.

“I suppose that just leaves Nature Spark to give us his answer,” the elder alicorn stated as she looked down to the brown stallion with a look that had made greater ponies fall to their knees. Spark of course couldn’t see this, so the effect was lost on him, but Star nearly dropped into a bow on the spot and Celestia’s eyes were not even on her. “Have you decided whether or not you will fight for your country?”

“I will,” Spark replied in a flat tone with an equally expressionless face. His answer seemed to take everypony, even Celestia and Luna by surprise. Star noticed that her mouth was actually hanging open in shock and quickly closed it as she stared over at her blind friend. Celestia leaned back in her throne with what looked to Star like a smirk as she eyed the group of ponies below her.

“Then it is settled,” Princess Luna stated with a genuine smile on her face. “Nature Spark will accompany my sister’s personal guards into the heart of the Crystal Empire, where they will seek out Duke Doré Langue and put an end to his corrupt rule.”

“Not quite, my princess,” Spark retorted. Any hint of a smirk on Celestia’s face vanished before the words had finished escaping his lips and she sat rigid in her golden throne once again. “I will do my best to put a stop to Doré Langue, but only after I have taken care of some important business. Your guards may do as they wish, of course, but I will be finding my own way of dealing with Equestria’s enemies.”

“NATURE SPARK, WE HAVE TOLD YOU THAT WE WILL NOT STAND FO-” Celestia’s began to reply in the Canterlot voice, until a sharp look from her younger sister caused the elder princess to stop and regain her calm. “If that is the path that you wish to take, then I will not stop you,” she continued in a more measured tone, “but you should keep in mind that unless you are following our explicit orders we will not be held liable for your actions and any mistakes you make will be your own… are you prepared to live with the consequences of your decision?”

“I am, Princess Celestia,” Spark answered as he bowed low in respect.

“Then so be it,” Celestia replied.

“You all know what your duties are,” Luna said, hoping to ease some of the tension in the room, “so you are free to take the rest of the day to prepare and say your farewells, for tomorrow Equestria goes to war.” Everypony bowed to the royal sisters as Luna finished speaking and turned towards the door, in almost perfect harmony. Just as they started to leave however, Princess Luna called out, “Star, I would like a quick word with you before you leave.” Star turned back to the thrones, wondering what else her mentor could possibly have left to say.

“What is it, Princess Luna?” she asked as she approached the dais slowly, panicked thoughts racing through her mind as she took each tentative step. It wasn’t until the doors had closed behind the last of Star’s friends that the younger alicorn finally spoke to her.

“I have sent word to Twinkey Doodle and she will be here later today to paint the portrait you wanted,” Luna replied. Star sighed as the tension left her body.

“Thank you very much, princess,” Star replied with relief, “I cannot wait to tell my friends.” Star looked up to her teacher and thought that she was going to say something else, but Luna seemed to change her mind at the last second, flashing Star a sweet smile instead.

“You may go now, my faithful student. Please enjoy the rest of the day with your companions,” Luna told her as the young mare turned to leave.

“I will,” Star called back as she headed out of the door and into the main hall, where her friends were waiting for her in various states of worry, except for Spark who still wore the same flat expression that he had during the entire meeting. Star trotted over to them with a reassuring smile on her face and they all visibly relaxed upon realizing that there was nothing wrong.

The news about somepony coming to paint a portrait of them had Star’s friends in a fairly good mood after she told them about it, even Spark’s stern countenance had broken into a small grin when her heard. With no clear answer as to when that would be taking place however, they were all stuck trying to find a way to pass the time they had that involved something more than simply sitting around and talking. Although the conversation was flowing just as smoothly as it ever had between everypony, knowing what the next day was going to bring had filled their bodies with a nervous energy that they desperately needed to burn off.

Star excused herself from their heated debate about whether to go grab a drink, which Suri had suggested, or check out the world renowned Canterlot maze in the gardens behind the castle, like Downpour wanted to do. She decided it was a good time to check on Inferno just as the two began flinging insults at one another, which had nothing to do with what they were currently arguing about as far as she could see. The black mare just shook her head in exasperation as she heard the sound of Suri shrieking something hurtful about Downpour’s intelligence and the first part of the colorful name he called her in return. Normally Star would have tried to calm them down, but Spark had assured the small unicorn that they generally acted that way around each other.

Just by glancing out the window Star could tell who was going to win the fight, because the dark clouds that she had seen outside when she woke up had grown darker still and the first flakes of snow were already beginning to drop down on the city. There would most likely be a thick layer by the afternoon, Star judged from how quickly the storm had formed. Though Canterlot didn’t get much in the way of inclement weather, she could still remember the few times that a snowstorm had managed to hit the city. Inevitably a weather team was always dispatched to manage the situation, but with resources such as they were, she wasn’t sure if they would get around to it anytime soon. Just thinking about the bad weather was enough to make the small pony pull the sash of her cloak tighter with a small burst of magic as she reached the top of the stairs and turned down the wide hallway that led to her room, among many other places.

Star had spent an extraordinary amount of time in the castle as a foal, all part of being the princess’s protégé, but even so, the young mare had yet to explore every room. The athenaeum had been one of her favorite places when she was younger, but her studies had, for the most part, moved out of books since then and she never seemed to have time to simply relax and browse the vast collection for something interesting to read anymore. Of course it would be impossible for her to convince the others to spend their last day together reading, but Star certainly wanted to spend a little time on the activity herself, if she eventually got the opportunity to do so, which didn’t seem very likely given the duties she had just been charged with less than an hour ago.

Rather than lament on the fact that she wasn’t going to get the chance to immerse her mind in a good read, Star was going to wake her sleeping daughter and then return to her friends to see if they had decided on how they wanted to spend their last day together in Canterlot. Star pushed open the door to her room and walked inside to see that Inferno had indeed woken up during her absence. The dull light that filtered through the bedroom windows illuminated the messy bed and Star set about making it up again while she waiter for the young dragon to finish her morning routine. A quick levitation spell was all it took to straighten up the pillows and blankets and once that was done she sank into the comfortable couch and decided to write a letter to Suture to help pass the time.

There wasn’t much to tell her friend, Star realized as she pressed quill to paper, except the bad news that she’d had no luck finding the gems they needed to repair Spark’s vision. Aside from that the unicorn wrote down the usual pleasantries and as much about what she would be doing that she could, without giving away any important details that the princesses would want to keep under wraps. The result was just a couple short paragraphs staring back at her as she finished her signature and put away the remaining paper and her writing utensil. Inferno left the bathroom just as she finished rolling up the note and tying a small ribbon around it.

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Star laughed as the chubby dragon walked over to her, looking like she had gotten far more rest than her mother had been able to. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mhmm,” Inferno mumbled as she took a seat next to her adoptive mother, “but you could have woken me up.” Star shrugged her shoulders before wrapping Inferno up in her forelegs with a smile.

“We had to meet with the princesses and I figured you could use the rest,” she replied. “They’ve requested our help with some very important matters last night, so everypony is going to be busy for awhile, but we have the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves before that happens.”

“What kind of help did they ask you for?” Inferno asked. The tone she used made it clear to Star that the dragon was a little unhappy with having missed out on something that sounded so important. Star wanted to tell her everything, but she wasn’t so sure that the princesses would be happy with her if she did. She decided to just tell her daughter the important parts of the meeting, such as the fact that they would be staying in Canterlot to help Axel with something and everypony else would be leaving the city soon, instead of getting into troublesome details.

“I’ll explain on the way,” Star replied with an apologetic smile, “but we should get downstairs before everypony leaves without us.”

“You know as well as I do that would never happen,” Inferno said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“Still, I don’t want to keep them waiting all morning,” Star explained. “Besides, I’m sure that you’ll want to grab something to eat before we leave.”

“Alright,” Inferno huffed as she got up from the couch. Star followed her out of the room, making sure to tuck the letter she had written to Suture in the pocket of her cloak as they headed down the hall. Since Suri’s suggestion that they go to a bar and have a few drinks seemed the most likely activity everypony would agree on, Star figured that she would just drop the letter off to be delivered while they were walking through town.

“So tell me what I missed,” her daughter said as they approached the staircase.

Although Star’s rundown of the two meetings had been fairly brief, Inferno seemed to accept what little information her mother had shared as enough. The red dragon was a bit unsettled to hear that her friends would all be putting themselves in danger, although what kind Star hadn’t elaborated on, but she accepted this as well. She was perceptive enough of course, to realize that she hadn’t been told the full story, but trusted the fact that her mother knew what she was getting into, which was strange to Star, because she wasn’t even sure that she knew what she’d gotten herself into.

“Well I suppose your rush to get back to everypony makes a bit more sense now,” Inferno commented as they entered the main hall, where everypony seemed to have agreed that a bar would be fun, but were now having trouble choosing which one. The little dragon waved at them as she passed by, but only Axel noticed, giving an enthusiastic wave in response. “I’ll just eat something really quick and be right back.”

“Okay, but don’t eat so fast that you choke on something,” Star replied, her newfound maternal instincts showing through once again. Inferno waved a hand in the air as she walked off, as if to say that she was worrying over nothing and Star just smiled as she shook her head slowly.

“Hey Star!” Downpour called out to her from the far side of the large room. “We decided to take a walk around the city and check out the first bar we stumble on.” It sounded like a decent enough compromise, Star thought as she wandered over to the small group.

“Wait a minute… can Inferno even go into a bar?” Draft asked her. It was a question that she didn’t know the answer to, as she had never actually been a big fan of drinking and had never tried bringing her daughter into a bar. “I know that she’s a dragon and they age differently than ponies or whatever, but she still looks a bit young to me.”

“Um, well I guess we’ll just have to take her and see, because I’m not really sure,” Star replied as she walked up. “The worst they could do is telling her to leave, in which case I can find something for us to do while you have a few drinks.”

“But that doesn’t sound like much fun for you,” Axel observed. The earth pony scrunched up her face in thought for a moment, looking exactly as she did whenever she was working on her chariots, until and idea seemed to strike her. “Wait! Why don’t we just pitch in on a barrel of cider and go crazy?” she shouted, jumping up and down out of sheer excitement at the prospect of so much alcohol.

“Doesn’t that seem a bit excessive to you?” Star asked.

“Brilliant!” Downpour and Suri shouted at the same time. They both wore equally mischievous grins that worried Star a bit when she saw them.

“Then we can take it back here and drink the night away,” Axel added.

“I have to say, that actually isn’t a bad idea,” Spark replied. “Not only will we all be able to drink without leaving Inferno and Star out, but that way we also won’t have to stumble all the way back here once we’re drunk.” Star groaned quietly as she considered what her mentor would think of their plan. Princess Luna wouldn’t be pleased with her faithful student getting inebriated in the castle, Star assumed, but it was already too late to change her friends’ minds.

“I don’t drink that often anymore,” Ursa said, just as Star saw her daughter walking out the dining hall doors, “but I have to admit that some good, strong cider does sound mighty tasty right about now.” The emerald green stallion licked his lips after he had spoken, much to the young dragon’s confusion.

“What sounds tasty?” Inferno asked as she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth to clean a trail of what Star imagined was orange juice from her face.

“Everypony decided to pitch in some bits on a keg of hard cider,” Star explained.

“Sweet deal,” her daughter replied with a smile, “I get to have some too, right?”

Maybe when you’re a little older, Inferno,” Star told her, before her friends decided to put their two bits in.

“Aw, don’t be such a stick in the mud, Star,” Axel whined.

“Yeah, it’s not like she’s going to get in any trouble when she’s with all of us,” Downpour chimed in, while Strata nodded her head in agreement.

“Just one glass isn’t going to kill her,” Spark added.

“I don’t know, I think I’m on Star’s side for this one,” Ursa replied. “She’s just a child after all.”

“A child? I’ll be thirteen years old in two months,” Inferno huffed in defiance.

“Isn’t that just a baby by dragon standards though?” Ursa asked in confusion.

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing that we’re in Equestria,” Draft replied with a smile and playful jab to his coltfriend’s side. Star just rolled her eyes with a small sigh after hearing their complaints.

“Fine, you can have one mug of cider,” Star told her daughter.

“Only one?” Inferno complained.

“Okay, two, but I’d better not hear any more whining or it will be none,” Star relented. Inferno grinned up at her with glee as she wrapped her stubby arms around the motherly mare in a hug.

“I promise,” she replied.

“That settles it then,” Spark said as he stomped his hoof on the marble floor for emphasis, “let’s go buy ourselves a barrel of booze!” A chorus of cheers from everypony accompanied his statement as they headed for the door.

“Wait a minute,” Star replied. “Shouldn’t we ask the princesses if it’s okay that we get drunk here?” Spark groaned as he turned in the direction of her voice.

“Considering everything we’re going to do for them, I’m sure they won’t mind if we have a little fun first,” he reasoned. He made a fair point, but Star was still feeling a bit uneasy as they headed for the front doors.

“I guess,” she mumbled in response, “but we can’t get too crazy.”

“Of course not,” Suri said with a laugh as she walked up beside the smaller unicorn, “we will all be on our very best behavior. Won’t we?”

“Absolutely,” Downpour replied with a chuckle.

“Can we go now?” Draft asked from his place in front of the castle doors. Star nodded her head while Suri and Spark pushed against the large doors with their magic, holding them ajar so that everypony could leave. Star followed her friends out into the snowy afternoon, thankful that she had remembered her cloak when she awoke that morning. The sun was completely covered by thick, dark clouds and an icy layer of snow had already coated the ground outside. Her breath came out as small plumes of vapor that were quickly blown away in the cold winds and her hooves crunched through the snow with each step.

“Which way to the closest bar?” Downpour asked as he led the group down the perfectly manicured yard and up to the iron gates that marked the edge of the castle’s property. “Well, the closest bar that will sell us a barrel of cider anyway,” he amended.

“Ugh, just wait for me,” Star sighed as she trotted up to where he was. Star wasn’t sure why he hadn’t let her take the lead in the first place, seeing as how she was one of the two ponies in their group that had spent more than a few days in Canterlot anyway. Axel could have found a bar as well, but the earth pony was bouncing around so much that Star wasn’t sure if she’d have been able to stay focused. Once the black mare was out front however, it didn’t take long for them to find a suitable establishment to purchase their alcohol from and she even had time to drop off the letter to Suture along the way.

The Salty Plot wasn’t exactly the sort of place that Star felt comfortable at, with its sickly yellow lighting and dust covered tables. The air reeked of stale smoke and sweat as she entered and the few other patrons all looked as if they’d been their since the night before, sporting bloodshot eyes and disheveled manes and tails. Star scrunched up her nose, trying to keep the disgusting scent from reaching her senses as she looked back to make sure the pegasus brothers were still following her inside. The dismal bar made her uncomfortable, but a small sign in the window had said that they sold barrels of alcohol. That and the fact that most of the other bars were closed still, made it the best place to get what they’d set out for.

The bartender was a ragged mare who looked like she might have once been tough enough to take Downpour in a hooffight, but had long since drank her way through the glory days, if they had ever actually existed. She shot Star an appraising look before flashing a smile that contained fewer teeth than most foals had. The black mare returned an uneasy smile that she imagined was more akin to a grimace as she walked up the low counter and cleared her throat of the bad taste that had settled inside.

“Now, what’s a pretty young thang like you doin’ in a place like this?” the mare asked in a voice that was surprisingly clear considering her appearance.

“The, um, sign outside said that you sell alcohol by the barrel,” Star replied in a voice squeaking with discomfort.

“That’s right,” the bartender replied, ruffling a set of wings that Star hadn’t noticed before. “What sort of liquor was ya’ll hopin’ ta buy?” she asked a moment later as she watched Downpour and Draft walk up behind the small unicorn.

“We were looking to purchase a barrel of your hardest cider,” Downpour replied, taking over the conversation, much to Star’s relief, “and if you don’t have any of that, then I suppose we will take some dark rum.” The bartender stared back at the stocky pegasus with a blank expression for a few seconds before spitting out a wad of phlegm onto the filthy floor.

“Hey Hops, I need ya ta bring me out a barrel o’ that ol’ cider from the back,” the grungy looking pegasus called over to one of the large stallions sitting at a table in the corner, “and make it snappy or so help me Luna, yer gonna need ta find a new job.” Star glanced back to see him getting to his hooves with a bit of unsteadiness. “…ya worthless piece o’ shit,” the bartender added as her employee headed towards the back door of the small building, griping quietly all of the way.

“Thank you very much, Miss..?” Downpour asked with raised eyebrows as he waited for her reply.

“Don’t bother giving me any o’ that Miss shit,” the surly mare told him, “it’s not going to get you a better price.” Star snickered quietly at her friend’s bewildered expression, as did his younger brother, although a bit more loudly.

“Okay, whatever you say,” Downpour said as he peered over to the back of the bar, where the stallion, whom the bartender had called Hops, was rolling out a grimy old cask. “How much do we owe you?” The pegasus behind the counter fixed him with a slightly annoyed look as she pointed to a large sign above her head, where prices for a variety of alcohol blends in varying amounts were displayed.

“Way to be observant,” Draft chided as Downpour began digging through his saddlebag for the sack of bits that everypony had helped fill.

“Shut up, Backdoor,” Downpour shot back at his brother as he tossed their money on the counter. The stocky pegasus began snickering at something after that, but Star had somehow lost track of what he had found so humorous. It wasn’t until the mare behind the bar left, presumably to lock her gains up somewhere safe, that the oblivious unicorn decided to ask her friend why he was laughing.

“Uh, did I go into a fugue state in the middle of that or something? Why are you laughing?” she questioned. Downpour began laughing even harder after that and couldn’t seem to catch his breath long enough to answer her.

“He thinks he’s a bucking comedic genius because he called me Backdoor,” Draft explained dryly. “Obviously his sense of humor is a bit foalish, but what can you do?”

“Why is that funny?” Star asked the younger pegasus.

“Yeah, Draft,” Downpour managed to choke out, “why’s it funny?” Draft rolled his eyes with an exasperated sigh at his brother’s antics.

“And you’re supposed to be the older brother,” he mumbled as Downpour finally began to calm down. “It was a joke about me being gay,” Draft explained once his brother had finished chortling like a madmare.

“How is backdo-” Star began to ask; until she saw Downpour making an obviously obscene gesture behind his brother’s back. Draft seemed to be aware of this because he kicked one of his rear legs out and caught the shorter pegasus in the shoulder hard enough to make him stop. “Oh!” Star exclaimed as she realized what he was getting at, “Gross, that’s not something you should joke about in a public place.” Downpour just mumbled something in a sarcastic tone before turning back to the bartender who had returned from hiding away her money.

“It’s going to be extra if you want it delivered by tomorrow,” the mare explained.

“That’s okay, we’ll just carry it ourselves,” Draft told her as Hops placed the large cask of liquor beside them.

“Well, it’s been a pleasure doing business then,” she replied with a nearly toothless grin that make Star shudder.

“Yes, likewise,” the black mare returned politely. “Alright, Downpour, Draft, you two carry this thing. I’ll hold the door open.” The brothers nodded in agreement before all three ponies turned away from the bar and walked out the doors of The Salty Plot. Everypony else was outside in the snow, having decided that it was preferable to going in such a dilapidated bar. They all seemed a bit impatient as Star walked up to them with the pegasus right behind her.

“That took a little while,” Ursa commented as Draft and his brother flew over and dropped the barrel onto the snow packed sidewalk.

“Yeah, but it’ll be worth it once were all tossing back mugs of cider,” Downpour answered. “This bucking thing is heavy though, so you’re carrying it.”

“Don’t tell Ursa what to do,” Draft barked at his older brother, “he’s my coltfriend, not yours.” Downpour threw his forehooves up in surrender.

“Fine, you carry it then,” the stocky pegasus replied, “I’m just saying that I don’t feel like hauling it back to the castle because the cold is making my forelegs hurt enough as it is.” Star had nearly forgotten that Downpour had broken his legs in multiple places not long ago. It made sense that the cold would cause them to ache.

“It’s fine, Draft, I actually don’t mind,” Ursa told him. “Can you help me put it on my back though, Star?” The small mare nodded her head as a magical glow radiated from her horn, enveloping the cask in a white glow. Once she’d lifted it onto Ursa’s strong back, Axel helped strap it down with a length of rope that she’d inexplicably had with her. Star didn’t question why, she was just happy that she wouldn’t have to keep the barrel steady all of the way back to the castle.

“I think it will stay now,” Ursa said as he shifted around a bit to see how steady the barrel would be. “Let’s get going.” As soon as he had spoken, they set off, everypony keeping a close eye on the liquor and the large stallions hoofsteps as they traveled through the icy city. One missed step could mean the loss of the entire barrel and nopony wanted that to happen, especially not Suri, who didn’t take her eyes off of the cask once the entire trip, Star noticed.

Besides a few strange looks from some of the guards, it was a relatively simple task getting back to the castle and once inside Star led everypony to a large, empty room on the third floor, which was used far less than the floors under it. They hadn’t been there for more than a couple minutes before somepony tapped the barrel and realized that they still needed mugs to pour the cider into. Inferno volunteered to grab some from the dining hall, mostly because she would get the fewest odd looks from anypony who happened to see her carrying so many of them. Downpour was rather impatient however, so he came up with a slightly different idea.

“Okay Spark, you and your sister hold it up and then I’ll pull the lever and the cider will pour straight into my mouth,” Downpour explained to them. “Then we can get this celebration started. Star groaned as she watched him get into position, head tilted back and mouth hanging open while the two unicorns gripped the cask with their magic and hefted it over him. Downpour winked over at them as he reached up and pulled the lever, sending a stream of alcohol cascading into his mouth as he desperately tried to swallow fast enough to keep from choking. It didn’t work out very well for the stocky pegasus and his chest became soaked with liquor as he coughed, sputtered and released the handle of the tap.

“Ha ha ha, what the buck happened?” Draft asked as his brother stood under the barrel, booze dripping from his damp coat.

“That is some really strong cider,” he gasped in reply, much to everypony else’s amusement. “I’m not even sure you can call that cider. It’s more like moonshine with a hint of apples.”

“Let’s just wait for Inferno to come back with the mugs then,” Star suggested. Downpour nodded his head as he shook off, sending fine drops of alcohol all over his friends as he did. “It should only be a minute.”

“Yeah, that sound like a good idea,” Axel agreed as she peered around the large room. “Hey Star, what is this room anyway?”

“I think it was some sort of work room for somepony at one time, but it never gets used anymore,” the small mare replied as she took a seat at one of the tables. There were a few other tables of various sizes with mismatched chairs stuck around them and some mostly empty bookshelves lining one wall. It was a fairly unremarkable room, but it did have a door leading out to a small balcony, which is one of the reasons Star had picked it out. It had seemed like the perfect place to have some fun without disturbing everypony else in the castle, especially Celestia and Luna.

“Inferno’s back!” Suri shouted as she spotted the little dragon pushing open the door with her tail and stumbling in, the armful of mugs tipping precariously in her grip until Star took hold of them for her. “It’s time to drink!” Everypony joined in a chorus of cheerful hollering as they each grabbed one of the mugs and rushed over to the waiting barrel and even Star found herself grinning like an idiot as she followed them over.

Laughter and conversation filled the room as they all filled their cups to the brim, frothy cider spilling down the sides as they bumped into one another trying to be the first ones served. Star waited patiently for her friends to finish before pouring a mug for her and another for her daughter. Inferno grinned up, meeting her violet eyes as she thanked her mother for the drink. Star just smiled back as she raised a mug to her lips to take her first sip of the strong liquor.

“Wait!” Spark shouted, causing Star to jump in surprise and nearly dump the beverage all over her face. “Before we start, I’d like to say a few words,” he continued, sightless gaze drifting around the room as his horn began to glow with a faint green light. “Some ponies go their entire lives without ever discovering the true joys that friendship can bring and it happens more often than it should, but as I stand here, in the midst of you all, listening to the joyous sounds of laughter and happiness around me I know that I am not one of them. Whatever troubles tomorrow may bring and however short our time together may be, I just want all of you to know that I could travel the whole of the world and never meet another group of friends half as wonderful, not to mention half as strange, as you all are.”

“Hear, hear!” Downpour shouted back to the blind pegasus as they all gathered closer together.

Spark raised his glass into the air above his head and slowly each of his friends did the same, even Inferno, who was clearly tempted to take a sip off of her drink while he was still speaking. “I propose a toast, to the undeniable magic of friendship and the harmony that it is always sure to bring!”

“To friendship!” everypony cheered in unison as the bumped their mugs together, sending a cascade of foam dripping down on their heads. Then one by one they all lowered the drinks to their lips and took long swigs. Inferno immediately leaned forward and began choking and gasping as she tried to swallow the mouthful of unbelievably hard cider. Star found out why as the beverage washed down the back of her throat, leaving a trail of fire that only had the vaguest traces of apple taste to it.

“Whew! That is some good shit,” Draft commented as he shook his head back and forth, as if trying to shake away the taste.

“Damn right,” Downpour agreed, giving his little brother a slap on the back.

“This stuff is nasty,” Inferno told them as she stuck her tongue out and fixed the mug in her claws with a look of disgust.

“Yeah, but can’t you feel that tingling sensation radiating out from your stomach?” Suri asked the young dragon.

“I guess,” Inferno replied.

“Well the more you drink the better it gets,” the white mare replied with a laugh. She was right of course and Star could feel a small buzz already reaching her head and making her grin. The liquor was definitely strong, that much had been clear to the small unicorn as soon as she had taken her first sip, so one cup would be more than enough for her daughter, she decided.

“Does anypony have a deck of cards?” Draft asked as he took a seat at one of the nearby tables, “because we should play a game while we drink.”

“That sounds fun to me,” Ursa replied as he took a seat next to his winged coltfriend, “but I don’t have any.”

“I can go grab a deck,” Star offered. “I usually keep one in my room in case I get bored waiting for Princess Luna.”

“A card game sounds fun,” Spark agreed as he wandered over to them, followed by Downpour and Strata, “but I’m going to need some help,” he added, waving a hoof in front of his face to emphasize the fact that he wouldn’t be able to see what cards he was dealt. “Inferno can be on my team though, so she can play and I’ll do a majority of the drinking. Does that work for you?”

“Mhmm,” the red dragon mumbled as she walked up beside him. Star was glad to see that her daughter was having a good time and thankful to Spark for trying to include her in the fun as much as possible. All of her friends seemed to enjoy the young dragon’s company, but he seemed to be especially fond of her.

“Okay, well I’ll go grab the cards and be right back,” Star said with a smile as she took one last swig from her mug before setting it down and heading for the door.

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to save you a little cider,” Downpour called out after her. Star just rolled her eyes and chuckled at the thought of them even attempting to finish of the entire barrel before she got back. That would certainly be a sight to see, she thought as she stepped out into the empty hallway.

Star was walking past the athenaeum on her way back from grabbing the cards out of her room when she overheard her mentor’s voice coming from somewhere inside the oversized library. She’d tried to avoid the princess when they had all returned from the oddly named bar where they had purchased the cask of cider, but she decided it might be a good idea to make an appearance while she was there. The sound of the younger alicorn’s voice, raised in anger, made her pause just inches from the doorway however, as she listened to the princess’s words.

“What do you mean it’s missing?” Luna’s voice was hushed, but Star could hear a note of panic in it as she spoke. “If that book has fallen into our enemy’s hooves it would explain how he was able to take the empress hostage and why the emperor has fallen ill. I don’t have to tell you what kind of problem that poses for us as well, sister.” It sounded to Star as if both of the princesses were in the room and the sound of Celestia’s voice confirmed that.

“I am aware,” Celestia replied, her tone colder, but much less frantic than her younger sister’s, “but this doesn’t change our plans in the slightest.” Obviously the book in question held the secrets to a powerful magic of some sort, perhaps even the very magic that Luna had warned of in her dreams, Star realized. “The situation in Cloudsdale will be taken care of and Nature Spark has already agreed that he will confront Doré Langue. No matter how he chooses to do so, the duke will likely be forced to use whatever powers he has acquired and then we will know exactly what we are dealing with,” Celestia stated.

“Then you do intend to use the stallion as bait?” Luna asked with a twinge of disbelief. “That is monstrous, Celestia, even for you.” Star could hardly manage to breathe as she pressed herself against the wall, trying to stay out of sight around the corner while simultaneously leaning in as far as she could to listen.

“Perhaps it isn’t my finest moment,” Princess Celestia admitted, “but you know as well as I do that if he figures out the spell then there will be little we can do to stop him. I doubt even the Elements of Harmony would be enough. I may not particularly like Nature Spark-”

“Because he reminds you of his father,” Luna interrupted.

“But if there was any other option I would still take it,” Celestia continued, only slightly put off by the smaller alicorn’s statement. “The fact is that, until we know exactly how many spells in the book he has managed to figure out, it would be folly to put our lives at risk trying to stop him.” Star could hardly believe what she was hearing. Ordering the deaths of Equestria’s enemies to save the lives of their subjects was one thing, but to hear them admit to putting her friend in mortal danger just to save themselves was something altogether more horrid. Star backed away from the wall slowly, having heard enough to make her sick. She took off down the hall at a gallop, accidentally knocking over a vase as she brushed past and most likely alerting the princesses to her presence.

By the time Star made it back to the room that her friends were waiting for her in, she was gasping for air and her face was flush. She was torn between two options; the first being a confession to everypony about what she had just heard, which would most likely end in them changing their minds about helping the princess, and the second would be keeping silent, but living with the knowledge that she had played her own part in their potential deaths. The confused unicorn stood motionless as she contemplated which option would cause the most harm, but she already knew what logic dictated. If she told her friends that the princesses were using them like worthless pawns and they did refuse the duties they had been given it could potentially lead to the deaths of thousand, but they were her friends and rationality was being dwarfed by personal feelings.

“Hey, it’s Star!” Downpour shouted drunkenly as he spied the small mare standing in the doorway. “Did you find the cards?” Star snapped out of her thoughts and smiled as she levitated the deck out to show him. “Great, let’s get this game going,” he replied as she walked over to the table.

“That took you a little while,” Strata commented as she eyed the unicorn with a hint of suspicion.

“Yeah, we thought you might have gotten lost,” Draft joked.

“Oh no, I was, uh, just talking to the princess,” Star lied. “She wanted me to tell Spark something, so can I talk to you out in the hall for a minute, while they get the game set up?” Spark glanced up at her with obvious curiosity in his expression.

“I suppose so,” the brown stallion replied as he stood up from the table, taking care to take his drink up in a magical grip before he started walking towards the door. Star couldn’t help noticing how long he could maintain the constant pulse of magic that he used to maneuver, but she figured that necessity was the best teacher. Star glanced behind her, only to see the pegasus brothers making kissing gestures at them as they left the room. Star just rolled her eyes and turned back around.

“So what’s this really about?” Spark asked as soon as they were a good distance away from the door, “because I know it’s more important than you’re letting on.”

“How could you tell?” Star asked as she looked into his faded eyes.

“It’s amazing the small inflections that you pick up in pony’s voices when your mind isn’t bogged down by sight,” Spark replied with a wry smile. “Now, what has you on edge?” Star shifted from hoof to hoof nervously for a moment before finally gathering the nerve to respond.

“I, er, well I overheard something,” she started in a barely audible voice. Spark didn’t seem to have any trouble hearing her though, so Star continued on. “Princess Luna was talking to Princess Celestia about a book.”

“Okay…” Spark replied. He sounded a bit annoyed that she would pull him away from a mostly full barrel of hard cider for something so inconsequential, but his attitude changed when he heard the rest of his friend’s story.

“Just listen,” Star pleaded with him. “They were talking about a spell book that went missing, something that could potentially imbue whoever studies it with a power to rival that of the elements.” Star saw the brown unicorn’s eyebrows rise upon hearing the news, but his expression was still difficult to read. “They seemed to believe that it could have fallen into the duke’s hooves, which means if you go to him there is a good chance that you won’t come back.”

Spark surprised her by replying, “I already knew there was a risk to confronting him, but thank you for telling me.” It was a calm response, instead of the anger or fear she had been expecting.

“Didn’t you hear me? He could be wielding a power to rival the princesses’,” Star reiterated to her friend, who still wore a flat expression, despite her words.

“And what would you have me do, stay here and cower?” he asked.

“Yes!” Star nearly shouted. “Danger is one thing, Spark, but to face Doré Langue now is pure folly.” Spark took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if trying to find the right words to say.

“When I was in the hippogriff’s settlement,” Spark finally spoke in a calm voice, “I met General Pecktraeus, who told me about the day my father died. He knows the griffon responsible for slaying him and offered me a deal.” Spark’s eyes opened again as he told her this and she saw hate beneath the foggy brown surface of his irises. “If I agreed to stop the duke, who has been supplying the griffons with the wealth and weapons they need to exterminate the last of the hippogriffs, then the general will deliver me the griffon responsible for my father’s death.” Star looked back at her friend as understanding washed over her.

“And what will you do then?” she asked, already knowing the answer, but hoping that she was wrong.

“An eye for an eye,” was Spark’s simple reply.

“So there’s no convincing you otherwise, is there?” she asked.

“No,” he replied.

“What about our friend’s though, should I at least tell them what they’re getting themselves into?” Star questioned him.

“You can if you so wish,” Spark told her, “but I doubt that it will change anything and in reality, it would most likely just put a damper on what would otherwise be an enjoyable evening.” He spoke the truth, but Star wasn’t happy about it. “I’m sure they all have their own reasons for wanting to be involved, aside from their loyalty to the princesses.”

“Fine,” she replied venomously, “I’ll keep quiet and you can seek your revenge, but just remember to dig two graves.” Spark just nodded his head in understanding, which only frustrated her further.

“Now, we’re going to go back inside and have a good time, because these are our friends and we wouldn’t do anything to upset them on what could possibly be our last night with all of us together, right?” Star didn’t get the chance to respond because the sound of hoofsteps came echoing down the halls. Both ponies turned in the direction of the noise and Star saw a white pegasus with a black and teal mane walking towards them, carrying what appeared to be an easel and other art supplies in her wings.

“You must be Discipula Star,” the mare said with a smile as she walked up to them. “My name is Twinkey Doodle. Princess Luna asked me to come here and paint a portrait of you and your friends.” Star had nearly forgotten about the artist’s visit in all the excitement of the day, but she forced a smile and held out a hoof to the newcomer.

“Yes, I’m Star and this is Spark,” she replied with a gesture to her companion. “Everypony else is right inside, if you want to get started”

“Yes, the sooner I can start, the better,” Twinkey Doodle said as she headed for the door, with Star and Spark following behind. The artist was a pretty mare, Star observed, with a unique cutie mark depicting a paintbrush with a ribbon of rainbow colors trailing from the end that spiraled partway down her leg. The black mare sighed as she tried to put on a joyful expression, despite the turmoil in her mind. Her friends needed her to be cheerful and that was exactly what she was going to be.

The portrait took awhile to complete and by the time Twinkey Doodle was far enough along that they could continue with their farewell party everypony was already fairly intoxicated. They all invited the artists to stay and have a few drinks when she was finished, which she happily accepted, and before long the room was once again filled with the sounds of flowing alcohol and laughter as they played a few card games and drank even more cider. Eventually, as the hour grew very late, the buzz Star had been feeling morphed into full blown intoxication and her previous concerns melted away as the liquor settled in her stomach.

The party lasted well into the night, although Star’s memories did not. By the time they all decided to get to sleep, the barrel was nearly emptied and nopony could walk without leaning against one another, even the artists, who was even more of a lightweight than Star. There were a few tearful goodnights exchanged as they all went to their separate room, as well as some overzealous displays of affection between the two couples who were present. All in all the young unicorn couldn’t have asked for a better last night with her friends, but even through her alcohol addled state of mind a feeling of sadness was present and as she and Inferno laid down in bed, a few tears ran down Star’s cheeks. The last thing she could remember was hugging her daughter’s sleeping form tightly as she cried herself to sleep with the knowledge that war would be coming with the sunrise.

Author's Note:

Not much more to say about this chapter; I think it sort of speaks for itself. I certainly didn't make it a completely cheerful conclusion, but that only because there's more to come, right? There's still time for a truly happy ending...