The Stars At War

Rubble and metal was strewn everywhere, buildings were gutted by fire or by families leaving in too much a hurry to care about what they left behind. Craters large and small dotted the area, some even as large as whole city blocks. A black and red figure stands amongst the carnage, holding a sign in it's hands. Tears stream down it's face as it holds the sign and looks around, only one word was written on the sign; written in stylised curved writing.

'CANTERLOT'

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

Red Star sits up, sweat covering his body. He reaches up to touch his face but instead of feeling the rough fur, he finds the smooth feeling of skin. Red Star leans over to the bedside cabinet and removes the cover on the lamp revealing the glow flies inside. As the light fills the room he looks down and sees fingers, he lets out a sigh.

Red Star is not startled by finding he had reverted back to his humanoid form. It had been 5 days since Black Stars message and Red Star had found a place to stay at Applejacks. He smiles at the kindness he has received since he arrived. Feeling tired he felt his face again. After finding his form properly restored and topless, he walks to the sink in the bathroom situated just off the bedroom.

“These nightmares are coming so frequent now,” Red Star says to himself, while looking in the large mirror above the sink. “I guess I've never had so much rest, this body had gotten used to being on the alert; I never really had much time to dream before.”

Red Star laughs to himself, if the others could see him now they would think him crazy talking to his reflection. But he wasn't worried about that, he was more worried that the young filly was going to be released tomorrow; and he wanted to be there for that! Red Stars expression changes when he again thinks of what Black Star did to her. In a fit of rage he punches the mirror shattering it into the sink, sighing he looks to his hand and recoils at what he sees.

Shards of glass were sticking out of his skin between his knuckles, “what the hell!” Red Star says to himself. “How is that possible?” He pulls the glass out of his hand and drops them into the sink. He looks at his hand and sees blood trickle down his palm, though after a small thought and a flash of red his hand is healed and the pain is gone.

“Maybe the planet is having an effect on me?...Not the first time.” Red Star says turning his hand in the air. He looks to the mirror again or what's left of it, “I'll clean that up in the morning, but first...” He lets out a yawn, “...I need to rest.” But before he climbs back into his bed, he presses his fingers to the wall getting a red shimmer to appear. “Good the sound barrier is still up!” Red Star thinks back to the first few nights when he woke up screaming, only for Applejack and the rest of the family to come running. “At least this way they can't hear me.”

Red Star chuckles to himself before climbing back into bed and hoping this time for it to be nightmare free.

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

Red Star and Applejack had been standing outside the hospital now for over an hour, Red Star was leaning against the entrance wall while Applejack was just pacing about.

“Applejack, you need to calm down and relax. I'm sure they have a reason for being late.”

Applejack stops a gives Red Star a narrow stare. “Calm down! That little filly is out today and the others are late! Don't you tell me to calm down!”

“Whoa! Whoa! I'm just saying, getting all worked up about it won't help!” Red Star says holding up his hands.

“Look! just because you changed back to your normal form doesn't mean you can boss me around!” Applejack says walking up to Red Star.

“I'm not trying too! I'm just saying, no pony has come to collect the filly; so are we even sure she has family?”

“Well, She did ask for her brother. But now I remember she never asked about her parents!” Applejack replied looking down.

Red Star was about to reply but turned to see the others walking up the road.

“Look see told you they would be here,” Red Star says to Applejack while gesturing to the girls. “Hi, Ladies!” Red Star gives them a wave.

The others wave back, Twilight being the first to approach.

“Hey Red Star, I see you have reverted back to your humanoid form!”

“Yup, this time though I think I might stay this way.” Red Star says, standing away from the wall.

“Really?” Twilight asks.

“Yeah! I think it maybe better this way, besides I need to train and no offence but my pony form was confusing.”

“Confusing eh? Maybe you just need a proper training partner!” Rainbow dash states flying up to Red Star.

Red Star laughs, “Maybe Rainbow, but my training needs somepony or something with magical abilities.”

“But the only ponies that can use magic are unicorns like me and Twilight,” Rarity states.

“And I would never ask a lady to help me combat train!” Red Star says with a wink to Rarity.

“Hey! Are you saying I'm not a lady!?” Twilight replies shooting Red Star an angry glare.

Red Star laughs again as he turns and walks into the hospital.

“This ain't over you know?” Twilight says, Applejack and Red Star chuckle between them.

All seven of them approach the main desk at the hospitals entrance, Red Star was getting several weird looks by the other patients waiting to be seen. Twilight speaks to the white pony sitting at the main desk.

“Oh hi! Nurse Redheart, it's nice to see you again!”

The white pony turns around and gives a smile to Twilight.

“Hello Twilight! I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been?” The white pony says.

“I've been fine, so how long have you been here in Ponyville?” Twilight asks.

“Not long, I come down from Canterlot every month and help out here! It's nice to get away from there every now and again.” The white pony keeps smiling. “Now Miss Sparkle, what can I do for you?”

“Oh! Right yes! We have come to take custody of a young filly called Iris; she is being released today.” Twilight replies.

“Let me see a minute...” The nurse searches through a stack off papers labelled out going. “Ah yes! Her she is! Iris, that's weird we don't seem to have much information on her other than her name! Anyway, if you have come to pick her up I just need your guardian papers.”

“OK, I have them here, all signed.” Twilight says levitating out two sheets of paper.

“Good, these seem to be all in order; now I just need your signature here and we can bring her out to you!” The nurse states.

Twilight signs the form handed to her and the nurse nods before walking to a back room labelled out waiting room. After a few minutes the nurse returns with a scared little filly hiding behind her, until the filly sees Pinkie that is.

“Pinkie!” The little filly shouts.

“Iris, how have you been?” Twilight asks as Iris hugs Pinkies leg.

“I-I'm OK,” Iris looks around. “Where's Red Star?”

Red Star walks forward and bows, “Hello Iris, your looking well.”

Iris looks up to Red Star and she squeals, jumping behind Pinkie as she starts to shake.

“NO! IT'S HIM AGAIN! DON'T HURT ME! PLEASE!”

Red Star just realises that Iris hasn't seen him in this form before.

“Iris i'm so sorry, I didn't realise you haven't seen me in this form before! Dash can I borrow you again.”

Rainbow walks over to Red Star and nods.

“Now watch this Iris,” Pinkie says.

Red Star places his hand on Rainbow and after a few seconds a red energy envelopes them again, the girls stand with a normal expression but Iris looks on in fascination; her eye's widening as the energy gets brighter. Several of the waiting room patients shield their eye's, before to long the light vanishes leaving two ponies; Rainbow and a now familiar shape that Iris knows all to well.

“Red Star!” Iris shouts as she bounds across and tackles him. “That was so cool! But what was that other um...thing!?”

“That was my true form Iris, it's what I really look like.”

“Oh! Sorry I yelled, you looked like that nasty one; the one that hurt me!” Iris says tears forming as she continues to hug Red Star.

“It's nothing you should apologise for, I should have changed before I came here I just didn't think!” Red Star smiles giving her a little kiss on the head. “Now shall we go? I bet your eager to leave?”

“You bet! And Red Star...” Iris looks down before continuing, “...Thank you.”

Red Star looks down to Iris, “What are you thanking me for?”

Iris jumps onto Red Stars back and snuggles into his fur, Red Star just looks at her with a smile on his face.

“For being there for me! I still remember what you said to me that day, did you mean it?” Iris asks.

Red Star Thinks back to the day after Iris woke, when he had visited her alone.

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

Red Star knocks on the door, hearing no response he knocks harder. A small voice was heard saying 'come in'. Red Star enters the room seeing Iris laying on the bed, she had a sleepy look to her like she had just woken up.

“Evening Iris, are you feeling well?”

The young filly looks over to him and smiles.

“Yes, I am better.”

“That's good to hear, are you OK to talk for a few minutes?” Red Star asks.

Iris pushes herself up in her bed.

“Yes, what did you want to talk about?”

“Well, you! I just want to know a little about you, If you don't mind?” Iris shakes her head. “Great! Well first question would be where do you live?”

“I live just inside the Everfree forest, inside of a pony made clearing.” Iris replies.

“Must be a nice place.”

“Well, it is but...” Iris drops her head.

“But?” Red Star says sitting by the bed.

Before Iris continues, the filly launches herself out of the bed and grabs Red Stars neck. Red Star just freezes, but relaxes as he hears sobbing coming from Iris.

“Iris, what's wrong?”

“He's dead! My brother was killed by that...that...thing!” Iris sobs get louder as she now fully breaks down into Red Stars fur.

Red Star puts his front leg around Iris, he knows all too well the pain of losing a family member. Red Star rubs Iris's back.

“Iris, if you ever need me I'll be there for you!”

Iris stops crying and looks up. “Y-You mean that?”

“Cross my Soul Iris, I promise!”

Iris cries again and Red Star unfolds his right wing and puts it around her.

/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\

Red Star snaps back to Iris still staring at him, he smiles as he rubs a hoof on her head.

“You bet I do Iris, I promise.”

“I'm glad...” Red Star keeps watching as Iris slowly falls off to sleep still perched on his back.