"I'll be back, children. I promise. I'm just going to go get some ingredients for breakfast tomorrow."
I promise...
Solstice could barely hear his words echoing inside his head. The rapid beating of his heart and the echoes of his frantic hoofsteps carrying him as fast as they could filled the eerily silent and empty alley, drowning out any thoughts that would occupy his mind. Yet despite his precarious situation, all the dark gray stallion could think about were the happy faces of the children he cared for and, most of all, their smiles. Smiles that exuberated the innocence of their youth. That showed they had not a care in the world. They were safe. They were cared for. As all foals should be.
"Halt!”
Even if there were those who seek to persecute them. Simply for being different. They deserved safety. They deserved peace.
“By order of the Princesses, I command you to halt!” The gruff voice of the Royal Guard pursuing him commanded. His pace quickened, his patience reaching closer to its limit as his quarry continued elude him in this damp, slippery alleyway.. His steps were echoing loudly, heavily.
"Dammit! I can't shake him!" Solstice despaired as he heard the Guard closing the distance between them. Yet no matter what he did, or how fast he ran, the Guard seemed to be closing in all the more. His legs were aching, his chest was burning, his breath was becoming more shallow. How long had he been running? What would it take to shake his pursuer? How did he know which paths he was taking? But above all...
...how did it come to this...?
His thoughts were cut short when he realized he had reached a dead end, a massive wall blocking his path. There was nothing he could use to climb, no windows he could enter. Before he knew it, he heard the slow, heavy footsteps of an armored Royal Guard approach him.
“End of the line.” the gruff stallion stated, “You’re under arrest.”
“On what charge? I’ve committed no crime.” Solstice replied as he turned around to face his pursuer. As he suspected, he was armed with his sword at the ready.
“You’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit treason.” He replied, approaching with a cold look in his eye, his hands gripping his sword tightly, “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
“Do you even know who I am? If my crime is as heinous as you accuse me of, then my name and face would be known all over Equestria. So tell me...what’s my name?”
There was a slight hesitation in the Royal Guard’s approach, a slight flicker of doubt shining in his eyes, “It doesn’t matter. I have my orders. Now get on the ground! Now!”
“I’m afraid that I can’t comply.” Solstice replied, reaching for his inner pocket, pulling out a gold and silver astrolabe, “I’ll ruin my most prized possession.”
That thing from earlier! The Guard mused to himself, “Put that down and get on the ground! Now! I won’t tell you again!”
“It’s just an astrolabe. An instrument that makes astrological measurements…” he said, turning the rete and aligning the star pointers with strange runes that lined the plate.
“Freeze!”
“Do not under any circumstances, let him use that focus! Kill him if he does.” The warning of his commander echoed in his head as he realized what she meant now.
His heart skipped a beat as if he was now realizing that danger was imminent, and without warning, he charged forward with impressive speed, his sword ready to strike down the suspect, “I SAID…!”
“I know, I know…” the runes on the astrolabe suddenly emitted a bright light, and his eyes were glowing a pale blue hue. He outstretched his free hand, an arcane circle lined with runes appearing before him. The brighter the arcane circle glowed, the more the surrounding moisture in the alleyway gathered, until finally, “...freeze.” in an instant, ice particles shot out like a jet, covering the alleyway in a thick blanket of diamond dust.
When the ice cloud settled, it revealed the Royal Guard frozen in place, with a baffled expression.
Solstice let out his breath, the runes on his astrolabe fading and the glow in his eyes dimming. “I apologize for doing this, but you forced my hand.” He said, approaching the frozen stallion, “In case you’re wondering, I’m not going to kill you. That said, I ask that you not come after me again."
With that, the dark gray stallion walked off as he ran his hand through his light blue and white mane to remove the ice, leaving the unfortunate guard behind. It wasn’t often that he had to use his Weaving to stave off his enemies. It drew too much attention. After all, an earth pony wasn’t supposed to be able to tap into magic. Or pegasi for that matter.
“Did you hear that?” a random mare asked.
“It sounded like it came from that alleyway.”
As I suspected, I drew too much attention to myself. Solstice berated himself. He rounded the corner to avoid any onlookers, making sure his tie and blue overcoat was pristine and to avoid any suspicion. Putting his astrolabe back in his inner coat pocket, he continued down the path until he made it to the city street. It didn’t take long for additional Royal Guards to flood the alleys. He let out a sigh of relief, taking the familiar path home, blending in with the crowd with practiced proficiency. He couldn't stay here any longer. It wasn’t safe for him or the children anymore.
As Solstice reached his house, he let out a defeated sigh.
How did it come to this?
Earlier that day…
"Wintermoon! Sunrise Storm! What happened here?! I demand an explanation!" Solstice sternly demanded, "I'm away for only a moment and...and…" the more he saw the scorched wall and cake batter plastered all over the kitchen the angrier he became. He stopped himself and took a deep breath, somewhat calming his nerves. He turned his attention to the earth pony filly and the pegasus colt, "Alright. Answers. Now!"
The two foals in question could only look at the hardwood floor, finding it much more appealing than the wrathful glare of their guardian.
"Well, you see...I-I was trying to bake a cake…" Wintermoon started, her hands behind her back as she drew small circles on the floor with her hoof, her gaze still fixed to it. The way her stylized ice blue mane with white streaks covered her left eye would have been adorable, were it not for the severity of the situation at hand.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Solstice demanded. The filly complied, "And? Go on."
"And...and I...maybe couldn't get the oven started. So I asked Sunrise to help me."
"It's true. She asked me to help her get the fire started." Sunrise Storm concurred, "And when I looked for the matches I couldn't find any…"
"And what have I told you two about dealing with fire?!" Solstice berated.
"To...to ask you for help." the burnt orange colt answered dejectedly.
"And you both deliberately disobeyed me?! Why?! You both could have been seriously hurt!"
"We...we're sorry, Solstice!" Wintermoon sobbed, wiping her free flowing tears from her alabaster face, "We...we just wanted to bake you a cake to surprise you for your birthday."
Solstice was taken aback by the revelation. He felt a lump form in his throat, unable to say anything edgewise.
"We just wanted to do something nice for you." Sunrise Storm informed, "We never celebrate your birthday. We know you say that it's just another day for you, but everyone should feel special for their birthday…"
Solstice let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Thank you for the sentiment. Truly. I admit it's touching that you'd go so far as to try to make me happy." He kneels before the twins, a hand on each of their shoulders, his earlier anger now spent, "But you must understand that the rules in this house exist for a reason. Can either of you tell me why that is?"
"You mean it's not because you're a meanie sometimes?" Wintermoon answered earnestly, still sniffling.
Solstice's eyebrow once again twitched, a deadpan expression on his face, "No. It's certainly not."
"It's because you don't want us to get hurt. It's for our own good. That's what you keep saying to us." Sunrise Storm offered.
"Precisely. We're all that we have left." Solstice confirmed, "Your parents entrusted me to raise and protect you while they’re gone, and I intend to honor their wishes. We may very well be the last of our kind, after all, so we have to look out for one another."
"But there's lots of earth ponies like me and pegasi like Sunny." Wintermoon stated, "I don't know what makes us so special."
Solstice couldn't help but chuckle at her youthful innocence, "Well, it's complex. You're no ordinary earth pony nor is Sunrise a normal pegasus."
"That's right! We're Weavers!" Sunrise proudly declared, taking a superhero pose, "We can use the ambennnet magic around us to create Weaves!"
Solstice smiled at his pupil's attempt to emulate him, "It's 'ambient' magic. And that's correct. We can create Weaves that produce a magical result through the use of the runes on our focuses."
"So...does that mean other earth ponies and pegasi can't use magic at all?" Wintermoon asked.
"Not the way we can, sweetie. It's why…" Solstice's eyes lost their gleam as he stopped himself, his joyful expression falling. He looked at the curious faces of the foals before him, once again feeling a big lump form in his throat.
"Solstice? Are you alright?" Wintermoon asked, her eyes full of worry.
"Um, y-yes, quite so. Now explain to me how the wall got cake batter again?"
The foals once again brought their gaze to the floor.
"Well...when Sunny got the wall on fire, I didn't know what to do. I didn't have my focus, so I couldn't make a Weave to put it out. So I used the cake batter to put it out, but it didn't work. Then I threw eggs at it but the fire got big again!" Wintermoon explained.
"That explains the scorched eggs, then. Wait...you said Sunrise Storm started the fire? How did he manage that when he couldn't find the matches?" Solstice asked.
"Erm...you see, I saw that there weren't any matches, and I tried to...maybe...use a fire type Weave?" Sunrise answered with a nervous chuckle.
"You what?! Storm, you know you haven't found a proper focus yet! Didn't I tell you that obtaining your Cutie Mark was a big first step towards that endeavor? You've yet to earn it, and attempting to use one otherwise would not only destroy the object, but could potentially harm you as well!" Solstice berated. “What did you use as your focus?"
"Ha, ha, I...didn't…?" He answered with a sheepish smile. Solstice gave him an incredulous stare, making the colt laugh nervously.
Wintermoon let out a defeated sigh, "You may as well tell him. He's gonna find out anyways."
"...I don't like where this is going." Solstice dismayed, "...what did you use?"
Storm swallowed hard, sweat pouring off his face, "Y-your...favorite chess piece."
Solstice's heart froze, "...not my…"
"Yup...that one." Storm answered.
"The one made…?"
"Out of glass...and maybe it was in S-Starswirl the Bearded's image."
"...not the one with…!"
"...the removable hat?"
An exasperated scream was heard throughout the house, and the street.
Solstice let out a contented sigh, crossing his arms as he stood back to appreciate his handiwork. The drywall looked as if nothing had ever happened to it, giving away no sign that it was brand new and repainted to blend in with the rest of the house perfectly. Carpentry wasn't a talent of his, but he's used it enough to become decently proficient for small projects as this. For bigger jobs, he'd refer to the yellow pages for real professionals, rare as that was.
"Solstice!" Wintermoon called as she made her way into the kitchen, "I have a request!"
"Oh? And what would that be?" The stallion responded.
"Sunny and I wanna try to bake you a cake again!"
"N-no, please don't! I-it's okay! Truly!" Answered Solstice, frantically waving his arms in protest, "N-not I think you wouldn't do a good job, but I only just finished replacing the wall, and I'd rather not have a repeat of this morning. I'll take a rain check for the cake."
"Oh...okay." the young filly answered dejectedly, disappointment written all over her face.
Please don't give me that look, Wintermoon.
Wintermoon's eyes seemingly grew larger, brimming with tears.
...my willpower may as well be an ice cube laying on hot concrete in the middle of summer when she looks at me like that. Solstice gave the young filly a small smile, "Actually, there is something I'd like for my birthday."
"Really?! What is it?!" She beamed.
"There's nothing that makes me happier than seeing you and your brother smile. As such, I'd like to make you both your favorite breakfast in the morning."
"Aww! But it'll be too late by then!" she groaned.
"It wouldn't actually. My birthday is tomorrow." Solstice answered with a sly grin.
"What?!" Wintermoon dismayed as she ran to the nearest calendar in a panic. Upon examining the partially scorched object, she let out a sheepish chuckle, "um...oops?"
"Quite alright, child." Solstice chuckled as he waved a dismissive hand, "We all make these mistakes from time to time."
"Yeah, like Sunny using your rare chess piece as a…" she stopped cold when she noticed Solstice giving her a baleful glare upon mentioning his now ruined possession, "Uhh...what are we talking about?"
"I believe we were discussing my birthday present for tomorrow." He answered with a cheery smile, his anger all but gone now.
This guy is scary…
"I'm not scary. I just act accordingly."
"Oh, okay. Wait, what?" I'm pretty sure I didn't say that out loud…
"And now you're pondering if you said that out loud."
Gah! How does he do that?!
"I know you, Wintermoon." He said with a wink.
...yup. definitely sca- um… adaptable. I'm just gonna go…
"To your room? That would be an excellent idea. I have to clean this mess up. A is client dropping by soon to pick up her astrolabe she ordered. Be a good filly and keep quiet while she's here. That goes double for Sunrise Storm."
Taking great care in not thinking any thoughts, Wintermoon left the room wordlessly.
After a time, Solstice had cleaned up his workspace, returning the stove to its original spot, tossing the scorched drywall in the dumpster, sweeping and mopping the floor and lighting some scented candles to get rid of the smell of burned cake batter and drywall.
Finally, that's done. He mused to himself, taking a look at the clock. Hm. I still have some time to shower before Ms. Minuette arrives. I'd hate to leave an unprofessional impression with my offending odor. If it wasn’t for her, business wouldn’t be this steady, and I'd hate to risk losing any potential business she may bring my way.
“You know she might like you. She comes by a lot.” said Storm.
“Hm? What are you on about?” asked Solstice.
The young colt placed a small cardboard box on the kitchen counter with a smug smile on his face, “Minuette. You know, she seems to always have a friend that’s just getting into astronomy, or there’s always something wrong with her own astrolabe.”
“Perhaps she truly does have friends that are just getting into astronomy and she’s spreading her newfound passion for it. Have you considered that possibility?”
“I did.”
“But?”
“I dunno. How long ago did she get into astronomy?”
“I believe it was roughly a year ago.”
“And how long have we lived here?”
“A year.”
“How many friends did she make orders for?”
“Around thirty...maybe thirty-five.”
“How many times did she need repairs for her astrolabe?”
“Twenty times.”
“Oh, okay. But how many of them were easy fixes?”
“...That’s beside the point, Sunrise Storm. She’s brought a lot of business to me and I, for one, am grateful for it. She’s responsible for ⅓ of my income this year.”
“But you didn’t answer my question…”
“That’s none of your…”
“All twenty times! I was there every time Minuette came.” Wintermoon revealed.
“Wintermoon!” The stallion berated.
“It’s true! I saw everything!”
“Listen, she’s merely a customer that likes my products and-”
“And you too, apparently.”
“It’s all just a big coincidence you’re telling me. There’s nothing concrete that proves she’s infatuated with me!”
“There is too! She bites her lower lip and wraps her mane around her index finger every time she sees you, like this!” Wintermoon proceeded to bite her lower lip and wrap her mane around her index finger.
“...as adorable as you look doing that, I’m going to have to insist that you stop.” Solstice demanded flatly, “At any rate, I need to shower. Ms. Minuette will be here soon, and I can’t go around smelling like…”
“Like toenails?” Wintermoon and Sunrise Storm said simultaneously.
“...’like this’. I was going to say, ‘like this.’” Solstice deadpanned.
Sunrise Storm and Wintermoon were in their room, each of them reading a book. There was a companionable silence that was between the siblings, save for the sound of running water in the bathroom down their hall.
“He’s doing it again.” Sunrise Storm said flatly as Solstice’s poor whistling skill was echoing throughout the house.
“I believe that with enough practice, anypony can master anything…” as if on cue, Solstice attempted to whistle a high note, but instead let out something akin to a hard blow with a barely audible, low-pitched squeak, “...but I don’t think he’ll live that long.” Wintermoon cringed.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever told him that he’s no good at it.” the pegasus colt commented as he turned a page.
“I did once…”
“And what happened?”
“He just smiled and patted my head and said ‘Then I’ll try harder until I am good enough.’ He’s strange like that. You tell him he can’t do something, but it just makes him try harder.”
“Hmm. Maybe we can tell him that he can’t give us a bigger allowance?”
“Tried that. He didn’t fall for it.”
“Bummer...”
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“I bet that’s Minuette.” Wintermoon commented, getting off her bed. She walked to the bathroom door and knocked. “Solstice! There’s somepony at the door.” Her advisement was met with a botched series of high-pitched whistles. “Solstice! SOLSTICE!” She was met with more whistling. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she walked back to her room, “He can’t hear me! He’s too busy whistling! How can he not hear the doorbell?!” A moment later, the doorbell rings again.
“Maybe you can take her astrolabe down to her. It doesn’t look like he’ll be done in time.” Sunrise Storm advised.
“Alright, but where is it?”
“I think we left it on the kitchen counter. It’s in a cardboard box.”
The filly nodded and rushed downstairs, “One minute, please!” she yelled to the door, rounding the corner to make a beeline to the kitchen. She grabbed the box, looking to make sure it had the unicorn mare’s name on it. Not paying attention to her surroundings, she tripped on the free standing coat hanger near the front door, knocking it over along with Solstice’s coat. “Owie…” she said to herself rubbing her throbbing knee. As she got her bearings again, she realized that during her fall, she dropped the box containing Minuette’s astrolabe. To her chagrin, Solstice’s own astrolabe also fell out of his inner coat pocket. Side-by-side, they looked identical, down to a tee. “Uh-oh…” She picked them both up, panic began to set in. Which one was which?
The doorbell rang again, “Hello? Is anypony home?” Minuette called from outside.
I gotta hurry! Picking one, she hurriedly stuffed it into the cardboard box and picked up the standing coat hanger. She put on her best smile and answered the door.
“Oh, hi, Wintermoon! How are you?” Minuette asked politely.
“I-I’m fine, thank you.” the young filly replied.
“I was wondering if Solstice was in? He said the new astrolabe was finished and ready to go.”
“He’s um, taking a shower right now. He’ll be done…” A loud, horribly executed series of whistles was heard from upstairs, “...after a while.”
“O-oh, I see…”
“Are you getting hot? Your face just turned really red. I can give you a glass of water…” some more bad whistling was heard in increasing frequency, “...if it doesn’t shatter first.” she deadpanned.
“N-no! It’s okay, I’m fine! I wasn’t thinking of anything wrong!” Minuette answered, waving her arms frantically. Wintermoon’s confused expression made the unicorn mare all the more nervous, “I-I can come back later if it's a bad time.”
“No, it’s okay, I have your astrolabe here!” She presented the box happily.
“Alright! Thank you!” Minuette said happily. She had a quizzical look, bouncing the box in her hand a few times, “Huh. It seems heavier than the other astrolabes I’ve ordered before. Anyways, here’s my payment. Make sure your dad gets it.” she said, handing her a large bag filled with bits.
“He’s not my dad. He’s my...what did he say? Leg...legale…”
“Legal guardian?” Minuette helped out, a little more hopeful than she should have been.
“Yeah, that’s it! He’s just taking care of us until our parents come back.”
“Okay. So...do you have another legal guardian? Or somepony that acts as a mommy for you?”
“Nope! Just Solstice. The only one that comes and talks to him is you.” Wintermoon answered.
“I see. S-sorry if I seemed like I was prying.” Minuette apologized, biting her lower lip and twisting her hair around her index finger, “I have to get going. See you later!” she said, walking off happily.
Wintermoon let out a sigh of relief, “Glad that’s over with.” upon stepping inside, she saw Solstice coming downstairs, “You take really long showers!”
“Heh, I suppose I do. Is everything all right?” Solstice asked.
“Yeah. Minuette just left.”
“Oh, dear, did you give her the astrolabe?”
“Uh-huh! She gave me the bits, too!” She said, proudly presenting the payment.
“Well done. My apologies for taking so long. Was she well?”
“I...think so? She looked like she got really hot though.”
“Oh, no. Did you give her some water?”
“No, she said she was fine. She didn’t turn red until I told her you were taking a shower.”
Solstice froze in place, a blush steadily growing on his face.
“Um...do you need a glass of water?”
Minuette hummed happily to herself as she entered her home, unceremoniously tossing her purse on her couch before flopping down on it. She turned her attention to her new purchase, giving it a discerning look. Strange that his is heavier than I expected it to be. Opening the box, she slid the astrolabe out, looking utterly confused. Wha-? I-I didn't order a pure gold and silver astrolabe. What's with these weird markings on the plate? It's marvelous, but... Her line of thought was interrupted when she heard her phone ring. "Hello? ...Hey, Twinkle Shine! ...Yes, I got the astrolabe for you! But, I think he may have given me the wrong order. ...because it's made of gold and silver! ...I can't do that! What if Solstice made this for somepony else? ...I guess I can show you. But I'm gonna take it back right after! ...Let's meet at our usual spot. Okay, see you in five!"
With that, Minuette grabbed her purse and astrolabe, then headed out the door.
Minuette sighed in frustration, debating with herself if she should change her clothes to meet up with her friend or not. She was never one to harp on her attire, and generally wore clothes that she felt comfortable in. After entering and exiting her house a half dozen times she found herself changing in and out of several outfits, from a plain t-shirt with jeans that had some tears on the legs, to a tank top and shorts that barely covered her flank, to a long sleeve that exposed part of her stomach and yoga pants. With every outfit she tried, however, she found herself wondering the same thing:
I wonder if Solstice would like this? She asked herself as she looked herself over in the mirror, sporting a teal fold back crop top dress. For one that didn’t dress up often, even she had to admit that the dress seemed to accentuate her natural curves. The skirt itself reached to her knees and was loose enough to be comfortable. She shook her head. Why am I even considering wearing this?! It’s too formal for a get-together! She quickly got out of the dress, mindlessly tossing it on her bed as she turned her attention to her closet. As she was skimming through the rest of her wardrobe her eyes fell upon a purple, self belted hem top blouse. It had an asymmetrical hem with the back longer than the front. Just then, her phone rang.
“Hello?” Minuette answered,
“Hey, where are you? I’ve been waiting at Donut Joe’s for the past ten minutes!” Twinkle Shine complained.
“Oh, shoot! Sorry! I’ll be there in a minute!” Minuette hastily ended the call, throwing on the shirt and a pair of dark denim blue jeans before heading out the door. A moment later, she rushed back in, berating herself with a few choice words as she retrieved the astrolabe for her friend.
“I don’t get it.” Wintermoon said as she stood before Solstice as he buried his blushing face in his hands, “What’s the problem with telling her that you were taking a shower?”
“That’s a topic we’ll have to discuss when you’re older.” replied Solstice, his face still buried in his hands, “Next time I’m indisposed just tell whoever is looking for me that I’ll be right with them. Okay?”
“Sure, I guess. But it’ll be a dead giveaway if you’re gonna ‘whistle.’” she said, doing air quotations upon saying the word ‘whistle.’
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t wanna be mean, but-”
“Solstice! I found my purpose in life!" Sunrise Storm declared, his voice full of conviction, "I'm going to crusade my talents to find my Cutie Mark!"
"...Sunrise why are you only wearing your underwear and using a towel for a cape?" Solstice asked flatly.
"SUNRISE!!! PUT ON SOME PANTS!!!" Wintermoon demanded, covering her eyes.
"I'm gonna be the next superhero! The Crimson Claw!"
"Crimson Claw is already a comic! You're committing copyright infringement!" Wintermoon scolded.
"Ah-ha! But that's where you're wrong! I found a loophole! In the comics, he wore underwear outside his pants! I don't have any! And I have a towel for a cape! A TOWEL!!!"
"Sunrise! Show some decency for your sister!" Solstice chastised.
"The Crimson Claw has no shame! For him, the Cape of Justice is all- woah, woah, WOAH!!!" The would-be hero was levitating, surrounded by an ice blue aura. He looked to see Wintermoon with her paintbrush in hand, her eyes glowing a pale blue and an ice blue arcane circle in front of her outstretched hand wearing a displeased expression, "Hey! No fair!"
"Put. On. Some. PANTS!!!" The filly demanded, throwing the colt into their room.
A resounding thud and the sound of breaking furniture echoed throughout the house, "I'm okay! My neck broke my fall!" Sunrise called out.
"Wintermoon! What have I told you about using Weaves on your brother?!" Solstice berated.
"You said not to use it on Sunny, but nopony wants to see him in his underwear!"
"Regardless, you know the rules! Hand over your focus! You're grounded for a week! There'll be no painting or recreational reading for you!"
"Aww, but Solstice…" the filly complained.
"Your focus. Now!"
Reluctantly, Wintermoon handed her paintbrush lined with golden runes along the handle. "I'm sorry for breaking the rules." She said dejectedly.
"Don't do it again. Now apologize to your brother. You could have hurt him. While you're at it, gather your books and return them to me."
"...do I have to?" She asked. Upon seeing his stern glare, she let out a sad sigh, "Okay…" she climbed the stairs, making her way to her room.
"Sunrise! Don't think you're off the hook! You're grounded as well for your little stunt!" Solstice called from below.
"Did I mention my neck hurts?" Sunrise answered.
"Then we'll take you to the emergency room where they'll give you a big shot."
"Suddenly I feel right as rain!"
After a time, Solstice was sitting beside Sunrise Storm in his room, icing down his neck. "Are you sure you're okay? We can go to the doctor if you really need to."
"Nah, I'm fine." Sunrise said with a confident smile, "It'll take more than a hard landing to put me down."
"That's a relief. Your sister did throw you harder than she meant to."
"Yeah, about that. Can you try not to be too hard on her? I did annoy her and ignored her when she asked me to change."
"That's not up for discussion. She deliberately broke the rules and now she's going to face the consequences of her actions. You can't just follow the rules when it's convenient for you."
"Oh, okay…" Sunrise replied, turning his gaze to the floor.
"What's wrong, Sunrise? Normally you'd try to argue with me until you run out of rebuttals."
"It's nothing, Solstice."
"Then why can't you look me in the eye?" A moment of silence falls between them. "You can talk to me. I have Wintermoon downstairs writing 'I will not hurt my brother' one hundred times on paper. It's just you and I." He said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
The pegasus colt looked Solstice in the eye for a moment, then let out a sigh, "It's just...I just don't get it. Wintermoon and I are twins, but she already got her Cutie Mark and already found a focus to Weave with. I don't get how I'm having a hard time with it."
Solstice gave the colt an understanding smile, "I get it. You're worried that since you aren't keeping up with your sister that you're somehow a failure. I can assure you that it's far from the truth."
"It...it is?"
Solstice nodded, "Yes, Wintermoon is a special case. She's showing great promise and potential in Weaving, and is quick to learn. She truly is a talented filly." He leans closer to the colt, "but that doesn't mean you're a failure. Each pony learns at a different pace, and you're still trying to discover a part of yourself. You have your own talents that you've yet to discover, and when you do, I have every confidence that you'll make a fine Weaver. But more importantly, a fine young stallion."
"You really think so?" Sunrise asked hopefully.
"I truly do. And I'm not just saying it because I'm your legal guardian, but rather because I see your potential. You study hard, you pay attention to your lessons, and you've shown that you possess tenacity and focus. After all, even when you didn't have a proper focus, you still managed to create a Weave by utilizing the magical particles in your surroundings to power it. Most times when a Weaver tries to force the runes, the Weave fails altogether."
"I...never really thought about it like that. Thanks, Solstice. I feel a lot better now." Sunrise smiled.
"Of course. Study hard, of course, but don't forget to have fun as well. Just be sure you obey the house rules when you do." Solstice replied with a smile of his own, "Now clean your room. And put some pants and a shirt on."
"Killjoy…"
"Do you want me to ground you for two weeks?"
"I-I mean I'll get right on it!" The colt replied, going to his dresser to put on some clothes, "Just one problem. I can't put a shirt on with my towel cape on me like this."
Solstice facepalmed as he let out a groan.
"S'cuse me! Sorry! Didn't mean to!" Minuette repeated as she was weaving between the lunch crowd in the busy Canterlot street, in a hurry to meet up with Twinkle Shine. Under normal circumstances she would have taken the time to bask in the city's glorious beauty, but at the moment, business beckoned. And she was very late.
After skillfully slipping through a multitude of ponies going about their business, she finally reached her destination: Donut Joe's. She took a moment to catch her breath, then entered the establishment, spotting Twinkle Shine in their usual table in the center of the place with a sizable stack of donuts.
"About time. For having an hourglass Cutie Mark, you've been making it a habit of being late recently." Twinkle Shine said playfully
"Yeah, sorry about that." Minuette chuckled nervously, "decided to change my wardrobe at the last minute."
"No kidding. You seem a tad overdressed for the occasion. Just a tad, though." She said with a sly smirk.
“You think so?” Minuette asked, straightening out her shirt, “I just threw it on and didn’t give it a second thought.”
“Uh-huh. You just threw it on?” Twinkle Shine giggled.
“A-anyways, I have the astrolabe you wanted to see.” Minuette said, opening the cardboard box in question and handing the golden astrolabe over to her friend.
“Woah…” She said, taking her time looking it over, admiring the craftsmanship that went into every minute detail that was placed in its creation. She bounced it in her hand a few times, “It’s pretty heavy for its size.”
“I know, right! It didn’t occur to me that Wintermoon might have given me the wrong order.”
"And Wintermoon is Solstice's…?"
"Oh, he's her legal guardian. Her and Sunrise Storm's."
“Oh, right. But, to be fair, how often are precious metals like gold and silver are used in making an objects like this? Normally these things are supposed to be made of brass, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, normally. But what really got my attention were these runes.” Minuette pointed at the runes that lined the silver plate. Unbeknownst to her, a well-built Royal Guard stallion's ears perked up upon hearing of the runes, “I’m no expert in magic, but I can’t help but feel that they have some magical significance of some kind."
“I noticed that, too. I mean, maybe a unicorn who specializes in magic might be able to tell us more about it. Do you think Twilight or Moondancer might be able to help? I doubt Solstice even knows what they mean, seeing as he's an Earth pony and all."
"No, Twilight's been super busy lately, and Moondancer's been studying full time again. At least this time it's because she's trying to become a teacher."
"Excuse me, ma'am?" A gruff voice called, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I couldn't help but overhear your discussion about the astrolabe and the runes that are etched into it. My wife happens to be very knowledgeable about runes and magic. May I have a look?"
Normally, Minuette wouldn’t mind indulging such a request, especially with a stallion that had such strong facial features and an athletic body. However, there was something about the way he approached them that rubbed her off the wrong way. Like he wasn’t sincere, “Actually, I’m just about to leave-”
"Oh, sure!" Twinkle Shine blurted out, her eyes obviously not looking at the Royal Guard's eyes.
"Twinkle Shine!" Minuette scolded, "We can't just-"
"Thank you." The guard said, taking the astrolabe from Twinkle Shine. He took a very close look at the runes, and the construction of the astrolabe itself. "Hm. It's weighty for its size, and from the looks of it, the gold and silver are used for helping the conduction of magic. As for the runes themselves...hmm. May I take a picture to send to my wife?"
"Sure…" Twinkle Shine said in a dreamy voice, clearly smitten with the guard's impressively lean build. Minuette couldn't help but facepalm at the sight before her.
Immediately, the Guardsman took out his cell phone, taking several pictures of the runes and the astrolabe. Gathering the pictures he intended to send, he selected his contact. Commander Spark. I found a suspicious artifact with strange runes on it. Are these the ones you told the unit to be on the lookout for?
"Are you done?" Minuette asked firmly, her arms crossed with a stern, suspicious expression, "It's not our astrolabe to be flaunting around." She couldn't put her finger on it, but something about this guy just didn't sit right with her.
"Aaand sent. Here you go. In a moment she'll be able to tell us what the runes came fro-"
"Thanks, but no thanks." Minuette curtly interjected, snatching the astrolabe from the Guard’s hand, "I'm gonna go, Twinkle. See you later." Without waiting for a reply, she left the donut shop.
"Minuette, wait!" Twinkle Shine called. She let out a sigh, "Sorry about my friend. She's normally a lot more friendly than this."
"It’s fine," the Royal Guard assured her, "I did just eavesdrop on your conversation after all. I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Lancer. And I overheard your name was Twinkle Shine?"
"Yup, sure is! And you're part of the-"
"Hold that thought." Lancer interrupted when he heard his phone chime, indicating that he had a message.
Lancer, these are very much the runes I was talking about! Did you get that from its owner?
Negative. It seems that this astrolabe was given to the mare who had it by accident, and it was crafted by an Earth pony stallion.
Then find out more about him, and apprehend him for Conspiracy to commit treason.
That's a pretty serious charge. What all has this individual done? Last I checked, crafting items isn’t a crime. Are they some kind of code or something?
That's on a need-to-know basis, soldier! Now go out there and find him!
Understood, Commander Spark.
And Lancer. Do not, under any circumstances, let him use that focus! Kill him if he does!
Focus? What’re you talking about? Why would that warrant me to kill him? Lancer was waiting for a response that never came.
"So, was that your wife?" Twinkle Shine asked.
"...I have to go." said Lancer, immediately leaving the shop.
"Wait, what?! Hey!" Before Twinkle Shine could give chase, a crowd of ponies walked through the door, preventing her from exiting for a few moments. By the time she ran outside, the stallion was long gone.
Meanwhile, Minuette was once again weaving in and out of the foot traffic, a sense of dread growing within her with each step she took. The more she thought about the encounter with the Royal Guard, the more her heart was palpitated. She quickened her pace, hoping that everything she was feeling was unwarranted.
“Alright, children,” Solstice started, pointing at a chalkboard he set up in the living room with his trusty, extendable pointer. “As you can see, there is a fundamental difference between the way unicorns cast magic and how we create Weaves. Can either of you tell me what that difference is?”
“I know, I know!” Wintermoon said excitedly, waving her arm in the air, “When unicorns cast magic, they first have to visualize the spell, have a clear line of sight, and they use their horns as a focus to channel magical energy to power the spell!”
“Correct, Wintermoon. Sunrise? Can you tell us how a Weaver creates Weaves?”
“Uh...I think...OH! We have to earn our Cutie Mark to help us find our special talent, because through it, we can find a focus that’s attuned to our inherent magic! Or... something like that.” Sunrise said with a nervous chuckle, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw his sister gave him a proud smile.
“That’s one part of it.” Solstice confirmed.
“And...uhh...aren’t we supposed to find an object that’s related to our special talent and craft runes on them? I mean...I dunno. That part confuses me…” Sunrise said defeatedly.
“Actually, you’re not too far off the mark. We should, indeed, find an object that resonates with us and our talents, but unless the object connects with you, and has special meaning to you, merely selecting an object and crafting runes on them won’t amount to much. Take Wintermoon, for example. She discovered that her special talent was painting, and earned her Cutie Mark. Yet despite that, she couldn’t use just any paintbrush as a focus.”
“Yup! My paintbrush I use as a focus was a gift from mommy. It...was the one I used to find out that painting was my special talent.” Wintermoon said, still upset at the fact that she was grounded.
“So why did you craft the runes using gold? I mean, even your focus was made of gold and silver, Solstice.” Sunrise asked.
“That’s because gold and silver have excellent conductive properties. This is especially true with magical energy.” Solstice answered.
“Okay, but what I don’t understand is how the runes are powered. I know I did it trying to force a Weave, but I just...kinda did it. If the runes are what helps power our focuses, then how come other ponies can’t create Weaves?”
“That, Sunrise, is what sets us apart from unicorns and the other non-Weavers. We have the ability to draw in magical particles that freely float all around us.” Solstice answered, doing a broad sweep of his arm. “These magical particles are naturally occurring much like moisture is in the air, and will replenish over time when we use them. That’s why we etch runes on our focuses, because through the focus we can gather magical particles and use it to fuel the runes, which in turn allows us to create Weaves.”
“But don’t unicorns use the magical particles as well?”
Solstice shakes his head, “No, unicorns use a different catalyst, which most call mana. Magical energy that their bodies naturally produce. The amount of mana varies from unicorn to unicorn, and their mana pool can increase with proper study and practice. And unicorns who specialize in magic tend to have higher and more potent mana pools. That said, a unicorn will eventually run out of mana if they use too much magic and will have to recharge by way of nourishment and rest.”
“Does that mean that we can create Weaves so long as there’s magical particles in the environment?”
“Exactly. There are still inherent dangers if we try to Weave above our level of skill and knowledge, however, and attempting to force more powerful Weaves can still have adverse effects on us, though these vary from Weaver to Weaver.”
“That’s why when you tried to use Solstice’s chess piece as a focus, it shattered and made a big fireball.” Wintermoon offered, “Sometimes a Weave just doesn’t work, or sometimes the Weave backfires.”
“Correct. That’s why one should never attempt a Weave that they don’t quite understand. Still, one should practice often and read as often as you can to get a better grasp of the runes and magic in general. Although the way unicorns and Weavers cast magic is different, the spell structures are surprisingly similar. Reading spellbooks would also help your understanding in magical principals.” said Solstice.
“I have one more question. How come every time I see you or Wintermoon creating Weaves, I see your eyes glowing?” Sunrise inquired.
“Ah, yes. It’s what we call Aura Vision. It allows us to see the magical particles that are within our vicinity, and it also allows us to see the magical structures being used to cast spells. Most unicorns don’t see the spell structures they’re using when they cast magic, but we can. It’s not to say that they’re not aware of it, because they wouldn’t be able to cast magic if they couldn’t, but it also gives us an ability to do something I’ll cover when your Weaving becomes more advanced. For now, I believe a demonstration in basic Weaving is in order. Wintermoon? If you’d be so kind as to fetch me my astrolabe?”
“Okay!” the filly said, hopping off her seat and rushing to Solstice’s coat. She retrieved the astrolabe, running back to the living room to hand it over. “Here you go!”
Solstice frowned when he looked at the object in question, “Sweety, this isn’t my astrolabe.”
“It...isn’t?” she asked fearfully. “Uh-oh…”
Solstice narrowed his eyes. “Wintermoon? Why are you getting nervous?”
“Uh...you see...I may have made a boo-boo?”
Solstice’s widened as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks, “You didn’t! Tell me you didn’t accidentally give my astrolabe to Minuette.”
“In my defense, I was left unsupervised.”
Before Solstice had a chance to chastise her, a knock on the door caught his attention. “We’ll deal with this matter when our guest is gone.” he said as he approached the door. Looking through the peephole, he found the mare in question. “Thank goodness,” he whispered to himself, opening the door. “Minuette, what a surprise. I was about to call you-”
“About the astrolabe? Yeah, I didn’t order a gold and silver one.” Minuette offered, handing it over to him.
“Thank goodness, I thought I had lost it for a moment there. I truly appreciate your honesty, Minuette. This astrolabe has significant sentimental value to me.” he said, handing over the astrolabe she ordered. It was then that he noticed the mare’s attire, and blushed a bit, averting his gaze “I-interesting blouse. It looks good on you.”
“What, this old thing?” Score! He likes the blouse!
“Yes. I’ve always had an affinity for the color purple.” he clears his throat, “A-anyhow, I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you.”
“Oh, it wasn’t a bother at all.” She chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. “But, I’m curious about something: those runes. Are they supposed to mean something? It just seems odd to place them on an astrolabe.”
“The runes? Oh, right, I merely etched them on because I find them aesthetically pleasing. I appreciate a good bit of history, especially the stories of Starswirl and a historical fiction called The Education of Clover the Clever. Reading those stories inspired me to etch the runes on my astrolabe."
"I see." She responded, nervously twisting her mane around her index finger.
"Is there something wrong? You look like you have something you want to say to me."
Minuette bit her lower lip, and lowered her gaze to the ground, clearly debating on what she should tell him next, "Something...something happened on my way over here. I'm not sure if I'm being paranoid or not, but it rubbed me off the wrong way."
"Oh? Do tell. Often times I trust my gut feeling these days, because your gut knows what your head hasn't figured out." Solstice offered.
"Well...I went to meet my friend at our usual spot to show her the astrolabe. I knew it was the wrong order, but I wanted to show her the quality of your work. But as we were talking this Royal Guard just butted in and took pictures of it."
Solstice's expression darkened upon hearing about the guard, "Did he now? Did he mention who he was sending it to?"
"He said his wife knew about runes, and he supposedly sent them to her. I snatched the astrolabe from him because something about him made my skin crawl. I...came straight over here to drop it off to you."
"..."
"Solstice? Is there something going on that I need to know about?"
"Minuette, may I ask you for a favor?"
"Um...s-sure, I guess?"
"May you please watch over the children while I head out for a while? I'll be back before you know it." He replied with a smile.
"Solstice! You're going somewhere?" Sunrise Storm asked.
"Ooo! Can we come with you?" Wintermoon beamed.
Solstice turned to meet their gaze, his eyes softened while wearing a sad smile. He knelt before them, placing a hand on their shoulders. "No, I won't be long. Minuette will be watching over you two while I head out. You be good children and listen to her, okay?"
"But, Solstice…" Wintermoon complained.
"I'll be back, children. I promise. I'm just going to get some ingredients for breakfast tomorrow." Solstice said with as reassuring a smile as he could muster, despite his heart beating a mile a minute."
"Oh, for your birthday?" Wintermoon said happily.
"Exactly. Now do me a favor and clean up the chalkboard. We'll pick up on our lessons tomorrow. And Wintermoon? Here, I believe this is yours." Solstice handed the filly back her paintbrush.
"But...you said I was grounded for a week."
"And now I'm saying you can have it back, so long as you promise me not to break the rules."
"O...okay…" Wintermoon replied, unsure of what to make of her guardian's sudden generosity and leniency.
"Alright, I'm off. I'll be back shortly."
"Solstice, you didn't answer my question." Minuette challenged.
"I'll explain everything in due time. I apologize for suddenly burdening you." Without waiting for a reply, he left, closing the door behind him.
Minuette stared at the door forlornly, wondering if she somehow caused trouble for Solstice.
"Miss Minuette?" Sunrise Storm called.
"Huh? Oh, what's up, Sunrise?"
"Have you ever heard of a hero called the Crimson Claw?"
Outside, Solstice walked around the market square, stopping by several stalls to put up the appearance that he was shopping around. There were a few merchants that made small talk with him, and he humored them with brief conversation, trying to keep an eye out for any Royal Guard that may have tailed him since leaving his house.
He saw several during his walk, but they seemed to be sentries doing their patrol. They weren't the ones he was worried about. At worst, they would just ask if he needed directions or the like. If his suspicions were correct, this Guard would have a different armor set than his lower ranked counterparts. A tell-tale sign of the Guards in question was that they only wore a breastplate and a helm on their upper bodies to encourage mobility. It didn't help that most of the time the breastplates were often imbued with an enhancement of some kind.
As Solstice walked on, he noticed a cloaked stallion that seemed to follow him at a distance. His broad shoulders and rigid posture led him to believe that he wasn't a mere bodybuilder, but rather somepony that received military training. He seemed far too young to be retired as well.
That has to be him just waiting for me to drop my guard. There's too many ponies to have a confrontation here in the open, and he doesn't seem any more eager than I to have too many bystanders in the way. He wouldn't try being discreet otherwise. Either way, my best bet would be to isolate him in case I need to utilize my Weaving.
It was then that he noticed an empty alleyway off to the side. Taking a quick peek behind him, he noticed the stallion in question closing in on him. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, and walked in the direction of the alleyway. He heard his pursuer’s hoofsteps closing in and quickened his pace, until finally, he broke out in a full sprint.
“I’ll be back, children. I promise. I’m just going to go get some ingredients for breakfast tomorrow.”
I promise…
“Halt! By order of the Princesses I command you to halt!”
Solstice opened the door to his house, counting his lucky stars that the confrontation wasn’t worse than it was. No one had to get hurt, and at worst, that Royal Guard would catch a nasty cold. Better that than the alternative…
“Children? I’m home!” He called.
“Solstice!” the children called back in unison, running up to him.
“Welcome back!” Minuette called, “How’d it...go? Uh, I thought you went to go get groceries?”
“Long story, Minuette. Thank you for watching the children for me.” He replied with a smile.
“Sure, no problem, but is everything okay?”
Solstice kneeled before the children, “Listen, I need you two to gather your things. Do you have your emergency bags ready?”
The colt and filly gave each other a worried look.
“Is it that time, again?” Sunrise asked. When the stallion nodded, the siblings went upstairs to their room.
“Solstice, what’s going on? You promised that you’d tell me what was happening.” Minuette said.
“And I said that I’d explain in due time.” he replied, walking past her to go upstairs. He stopped midway, and turned to her, “I’m sorry for being curt and vague, but trust me when I say that it’s better you don’t know at this point and time. ...Thank you for all you’ve done for us, Minuette. It...means a great deal to me. You can show yourself out.”
“Solstice, wait!” Minuette called, but was answered by the sound of a slamming door. She stared at the door in disbelief for a time, not knowing that tears were flowing freely from her face. Her ears drooped, her expression fell and she walked out of the house. I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I caused all of this... she sobbed to herself as she walked away.
After a time, Solstice, Wintermoon and Sunrise Storm found themselves waiting at the train station, patiently waiting for their ride to arrive.
“Solstice?” Wintermoon called, “Where are we going now?”
“Let’s see…” Solstice replied. He had just asked for three tickets for the first train leaving Canterlot, not bothering to look at their destination. He looked at the tickets, “Ponyville. That’s where we’re headed.”
“Do we...have a plan this time? Last time we had to stay at a hotel for a really long time.”
“I’m afraid not, Wintermoon. I didn’t see this happening and frankly, I was caught off guard and was grossly unprepared for this situation.”
“Oh…”
Solstice gave her a sympathetic smile, “I’m sorry. Please bear with me for a while. I’ll try not to keep us at a hotel for too long if I can help it.”
“I hope so. I’ll...try to hang in there.”
“Heh, who knows? Maybe I’ll find my special talent over there in Ponyville!” Sunrise said with enthusiasm.
“You never know. Perhaps we’ll even like it there.” Solstice stated.
It was then that their train was pulling up. Not wasting a moment, the trio grabbed their belongings and boarded the train. Once they put away their belongings, they found their seats and settled in. The children stretched and yawned, both worn out from the sudden move, and quickly found the sweet bliss of sleep. It was then that Solstice noticed a pegasus mare with a yellow coat and red mane sitting across from them. On her lap was a somewhat younger teenaged unicorn stallion, with a dark gray coat and jet black mane, soundly asleep.
The mare turned her gaze to Solstice and offered a friendly smile, “Guess we’re on the same boat, huh?” The mare asked.
“It seems so.” Solstice replied with a polite smile, “Younger sibling?” Solstice asked motioning his head to the sleeping unicorn.
“Yeah, Serin just finished competing in a Judo tournament. Poor guy’s tuckered out.”
“I see. These two troublemakers had a long day themselves. Between studying and moving, they can hardly keep their eyes open.”
A moment later, the unicorn inhales deeply, stretching until he felt a satisfying series of pops in his stiff muscles, “Hey, Goldie Daww. Sorry, I didn’t mean to fall asleep like that.”
“You needed it, Shorty. Between the late night and the tournament, I’m surprised you didn’t fall asleep sooner.” The mare replied with a smile while ruffling his mane.
The unicorn blushed a bit from the attention, and blushed further when his stomach let out an unflattering growl. “D-did I mention I was hungry?” Serin laughed sheepishly.
A sultry smile spread on the mare’s lips, “You know, mom and dad won’t be back for a while. I can make you some tomato soup while we wait.”
The stallion’s eyes beamed, “Really? I love your tomato soup, Golden Dawn! Let’s go!” Serin said happily, grabbing his sister by the hand and leading the way.
“It was nice talking to you.” Golden Dawn stated.
“Likewise. Take care now.” Solstice replied. The doors closed behind them as they exited the train, prompting Solstice to rest his eyes for a while.
Somewhere in Canterlot, Lancer lay in the hospital bed, being treated for a mild case of hypothermia and the onset of a bad cold. The sun had set long ago, and the otherwise silent room was being filled with the sounds of the heart monitor steadily beeping. Nopony came in or out since he was admitted, save for the nurses checking for his vital signs every so often. It gave him ample time to catch some much needed sleep, and he welcomed it.
Feeling nature calling, Lancer opened his eyes in preparation to go relieve himself, only for his gaze to meet his superior officer in all of her intimidating glory, “Commander Spark? How’d you get in here? Visiting hours are over.”
“On the contrary, I have the authority to come any time I wish.” Commander Spark replied, her eyes a mix between concern and focus “How are you feeling?”
“A bit worse for wares, but I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll get straight to the point, did you get a good look at the suspect?” The mare asked, stepping closer to his bedside.
“About that, you seemed awfully dubious when you were giving me orders to apprehend him.” Lancer said, furrowing his brow, “I get the feeling that there’s a lot more about this case that you aren’t telling me.”
“I already told you that it’s on a need-to-know basis!” Commander Spark snapped.
“And I’m telling you that I need to know! He could’ve killed me, but he chose to spare me! Now why would sompony who’s accused of conspiracy to commit treason be so merciful to me?! What’s more, if he’s that damn dangerous, then why isn’t he on any of our databases or on a watch list of some kind?!”
“That’s above your pay-grade, Lancer! Now tell me what I want to know!”
“Hmph! You can go buck yourself. I ain’t saying shit until I-” Lancer was interrupted when the Commander wrapped his muzzle in a green magical aura, and pulled his arms and legs apart with her potent magic, effectively immobilizing him.
“Tsk, tsk. I’m disappointed in you, Lancer. You had such great promise within the Order of the Purgers, but you ask too many questions and demand answers unfitting of a knight of your caliber.” Spark chastised, pulling out a syringe filled with a clear liquid, “First, you’re going to tell me everything you know about this Weaver, and then you’ll be committing suicide. Oh, don’t worry, I’ll see to it that you’ll be buried with full military honors.”
Lancer could only stare in horror as his commander approached him, filling the room with the sounds of muffled screams as he vainly struggled to break free.
