The Thousandth Moon [NaPoWriMo 2019]

by sonofaskywalker

Chapter 4 – Old Friends Part 2

When Starlight had teleported herself away from the Canterlot Library, she’d reappeared on the front steps. She wasn’t sure where to go yet, but she didn’t want to spend any more time down in the restricted section with Twilight. She needed time away from her to think. She’d put the cloak back on and luckily her wings had decided to cooperate and stay nice and concealed beneath it. Hungry again. I guess going four days without eating will do that to you.

She picked up some food and stopped to sit and eat it in a courtyard while she thought about what to do next. She needed to talk to someone and there had only been three ponies in her life that she’d been able to talk to about anything. Twilight, Sunburst, and Trixie. At the thought of Trixie she gently touched the necklace she wore. You always said you’d be with me as long as I wore this. Looks like you may be stuck with me forever, Trix.

Sunburst it is then. After retiring from working at the School of Friendship, Sunburst had moved back to the Crystal Empire to be an advisor once again for Cadance and Flurry Heart. In his spare time, he still was a student of magic; always reading through dusty old tomes or trying some new spell he’d been working on. Although they saw each other just a few weeks ago, it felt like it had been months or years; it would be good to see him again. Starlight finished her snack and prepared to make the trip to the Crystal Empire. No need for a train, I suppose. Her horn glowed and she teleported in an instant to the Crystal Empire, just outside Sunburst’s door.

Starlight knocked on the door and after a few moments the door opened. Sunburst greeted her warmly, “Hey there Starlight! Good to see you! Please, come in. Make yourself at home.” The two friends made their way into the house and Starlight took a seat. “Can I get you anything? Maybe some tea or hot cocoa?”

“A hot cocoa would be great, thank you Sunburst” Starlight replied.

“Coming right up.” Sunburst went to the kitchen and returned a few moments later with a steaming mug of hot cocoa for Starlight and some tea for himself. “Here you go. You know, if you’re cold I can start a fire and you can hang your cloak up by the door.”

“Uh. Okay. Just… just don’t freak out okay?”

Sunburst raised an eyebrow. “And why would I freak out exactly? It’s just your cloak.”

“Okay, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Starlight took off the cloak, revealing her new wings.

Sunburst dropped his tea and the mug shattering on the floor. He didn’t seem to notice. “How did–? When did–? What?! You’re an alicorn?! Wait, are you messing with me? Is this some kind of joke?” Sunburst stepped over and just stared at her wings, studying them. He reached out and touched her wings gently to see if they were real. They are. How can this be? He thought. This is amazing.

Sunburst began to softly prod at other points along her wings for longer than Starlight would have liked, his jaw now slack. The new alicorn began to feel a little uncomfortable; like she’d become the subject of one of Sunburst’s research projects. “Sunburst? You okay there buddy?”

That seemed to snap him out of his trance. “Oh, sorry.” He stopped touching her wing and moved to face her again. “Yes, I’m fine. How are you feeling? I mean, what does it feel like to be an alicorn? This is so amazing! And when did this even happen?! I just saw you a few weeks ago! And… and how is this even possible?”

Starlight raised a hoof to fend off more questions. “Whoa, okay, slow down. One question at a time please.” She smiled softly at her friend. I haven’t seen him this excited in a long time. She could hardly blame him, but she wished she could share in his excitement. “First of all, I’m not sure how I’m feeling. Physically, I feel better than I ever have. I’ve got the energy I had as a young mare. I teleported myself here from Canterlot and before that I teleported myself there from Ponyville with practically no effort. It was quite exhilarating to know I hold that much power now. But emotionally… I… I still don’t know. On one hoof, this is pretty amazing; this may be the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. But on the other…” she trailed off.

“What? What’s wrong Starlight?” Sunburst asked.

“Twilight did this to me.”

“Well yeah, who else would have done it?” Sunburst asked, confused. “You weren’t a student of Celestia or Luna. It makes sense that Twilight would be the one to initiate your transformation. Although I wasn’t a hundred percent sure she had the power to do that in the first place.”

“No Sunburst, I mean, she didn’t give me a choice. She forced this on me.”

“Oh.” Sunburst wasn’t sure what else to say. “That’s… Well… That doesn’t seem like her at all.”

“That’s the problem, she wasn’t herself. She was drowning in grief over Pinkie and was already in a very emotionally fragile state. To comfort and reassure her I told her I would be there for her whenever she needed me. I think the thought of eventually losing me too was what pushed her over the edge.” Starlight recounted for Sunburst the events from the celebration of Pinkie through her confrontation with Twilight in the Canterlot Library. Sunburst sat and listened to the whole thing, fighting the urge to interrupt with one of the many, many questions flowing through his mind.

When Starlight was done speaking there was silence in the room that lingered longer than Sunburst would have liked. But he was still processing what he’d heard and was trying to figure out what to say. Starlight, now done with the story, clearly had nothing else to add and was content with waiting on him. Finally he simply said, “I can’t imagine what that must have been like.” He paused, mind still racing. “So what happens now?” He asked.

“Honestly, I have no idea. Twilight said she was researching the possibility of creating a spell to reverse the change but said that such a spell could take years to create if it’s even possible.”

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. There would be no way to know for sure if a spell like that would work without extensive testing first and there are only a hoof-ful of ponies in all of Equestria that it could even be tested on. Permanent physical alteration of the body to such a degree using magic is a tricky thing already, but now we’re talking reversing the alicorn transformation which is already on a whole different level. Even if a spell to reverse the transformation could be created, you wouldn’t want to use that kind of spell without a one hundred percent certainty that it would work. This is the kind of spell that exists only in theory; it’s simply too dangerous to try.” Celestia, Luna, and Cadance were the only ponies in all of Equestria that that spell could be tested on assuming Twilight was doing the casting. And Flurry Heart wouldn’t be a viable candidate since she never went through an ascension herself. And I bet none of them would be very excited at the prospect of being a test subject.

“Well… it sounds like I should get used to the idea of being like this forever then. It’s just so much to process, I don’t know if I even can. The idea that just a week ago I was thinking that I had only a few decades left and I’m now immortal with all of time ahead of me. ‘Forever’ was a concept that was difficult to wrap my mind around already, and now it’s a reality that I have to live. It’s… overwhelming to say the least.” She paused to collect her thoughts. “It really is quite amazing though isn’t it? Maybe it won’t be so bad; there’s a lot I could do for the creatures living in Equestria and beyond. But I can’t help but feel that this is all wrong and that I don’t deserve it.”

“I can understand where you’re coming from with the whole ‘forever’ thing. Don’t forget, we did briefly discuss it when we were working on that age spell together. And I don’t know if I’d say you don’t deserve it.” Sunburst said. “I would argue your case for being an alicorn is stronger than most. You’ve learned and accomplished so much since… well, ya know…”

Starlight raised an eyebrow, “My village?”

“Yeah, that.” Sunburst said sheepishly, wishing he hadn’t even alluded to it. “Besides, all the research I’ve done about alicorns has led me to believe that while transformations are almost exclusively triggered by another alicorn, the subject of the transformation must also be worthy in order for it to work. So in all likelihood, the fact that you transformed should be proof that you are worthy of it.”

“Huh, I wonder if Twilight knew that. I guess that explains why I saw my own magic during my transformation even thought I didn’t cast anything. That was my ‘worthiness’ manifesting itself?”

“More or less. Aside from the princesses, I may be the most knowledgeable about alicorns out of everypony in Equestria.” Starlight gave him a look as if she thought he may be exaggerating. “Trust me, I did a lot of research when Flurry Heart was growing up. Of course, almost none of it was relevant to her since she was an alicorn at birth, but the knowledge has still come in handy from time to time.”

Starlight gave her old friend a smile, “Well don’t be surprised if I come asking questions from time to time. I know Twilight will be able to answer most questions I will have about being an alicorn, but it’s nice to know I can get a second opinion.” She said with a wink.

“Well I will be more than happy to help in any way that I can, Princess.” Starlight physically flinched in response to being called a princess. “You are a princess now, right? I mean, that’s kinda how it works isn’t it? Alicorns are princesses. I haven’t read of any alicorns that weren’t given the title.”

“I… I don’t know. I mean, I guess I am? It didn’t really come up when I spoke with Twilight. I’ll have to add that to the list of things to ask her about the next time I see her.” The thought of being a princess hadn’t actually crossed her mind. She knew ‘alicorn’ and ‘princess’ were practically synonymous, but she’d been so focused on her physical transformation that she hadn’t even considered the implications it would have on her position in society. She’d always enjoyed working behind the scenes and hoped this wouldn’t force her into a more public position that didn’t allow for as much time to get actual work done. “Princess Starlight Glimmer. Ugh. That will take some getting used to. Starlight Glimmer, Princess of… Nothing. Well at least I don’t have to pick what I’m the princess of.”

“I’m sure Twilight will know. Or you may end up not getting that kind of title at all. Flurry Heart hasn’t become the princess of anything yet and has just gone by Princess Flurry Heart all this time. I’m just so excited for everything you’re going to be able to accomplish as an alicorn. Even though I won’t be around to see most of, I know you’re going to do great things.” Sunburst stepped over and embraced his old friend.

As Starlight returned the hug she said, “Thank you, Sunburst. I wouldn’t be the pony I am today without you. And you know what? I think I can allow myself a little excitement as well. It still hurts that Twilight would do this without warning, but I guess as far as emotional and desperate mistakes go, this one may not end up being the worst. We’ll see if I still feel the same way in a century or two.” Starlight grabbed her cloak and put it on. She still wasn’t ready for everypony to start staring at her just yet. “I should probably head back to Canterlot. I think I’ll take the train though. It’ll give me time to think with no distractions.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Good luck, Princess Starlight.”

Starlight turned and glared at him. “Seriously. Don’t call me that.”