The Secret Lives of Stars
I was floating, high above Equestria. It should have been impossible, but I could see every blade of grass. I could see ponies walking towards me. I could feel their pain and hopelessness. I could hear the the moon poking me and saying "Twilight. Twilight, wake up. Hello? Twilight!"
I stood up and promptly fell off the table in my throne room. Rainbow Dash was standing above me, laughing. "What are you doing here?" I demand.
"Um, I have a room here? And we had a slumber party last night." She points towards the ceiling, where a large 'Crysta! Cast!e S!eepover!!!!!!'
"Why did Pinkie replace the l's with exclamation marks? Never mind, I don't think I want to know. Slumber party, I remember we went through a good dozen barrels of cider, but not much else."
Rainbow Dash snickers. "You mean You drank 12 barrels of cider. Then started making out with your reflection."
Oh, right. I was testing how much cider it took to affect alicorns. "At least I didn't confess my undying love to the beautiful Fluttertree." I threw towards my now blushing friend.
"Um, didn't we all agree not to bring up anything that happened last night, ever again?"
"Fair enough, I should probably get some breakfast. Would you like to join me?" I gesture towards the dinning hall.
"Nah, I only came by to drop off a letter that came for you. Here." She hands me a scroll sealed with blue wax.
"Thanks. I wonder who it's from?" I wander towards the dinning hall while opening the letter. Rainbow dash said something before flying out, but I couldn't tell what it was.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
My sister has informed me that as co-founder of the royal mages university, I am allowed to privately mentor one student of my choosing. In our previous conversations, you had mentioned that the night fascinated you. Therefore, I hereby declare you to be my protegee in the study of the night and it's mysteries. Your first lesson will be one week from today. I will send study material shortly.
Princess of the night,
Luna
"Wow, I get to learn from both Princess! Spike! Bring me any letters you get as soon as possible! I have to rewrite my schedule for this week."
"Twilight! Letter from Princess Luna!" Spike hollers from downstairs.
"Bring it up!" Finally! The study material for tonight! I've been waiting for it all week! *SQUEE* Did I really just do that in my thoughts? And why are they italicized? Hmm, note to self, research why inner-monologues take the form of written speech, possible link with obsession for books and knowledge. Compare findings with how others view their thoughts. Possible candidates include Rainbow Dash, Cherilee(P.S. Check spelling), Pinkie Pie. No, never again am I asking about anything related to her mind. Note to self, find out why Spike is poking me and asking if I'm alright. Oh, right the letter. Thank you, Spike. Why is he not hearing me? Oh right, talking inside my head. I shake my head clear. "I'm fine, Spike, just got caught in my thoughts. Thanks for bringing the letter. Can you handle any visitors for the rest of the day? I have some work to do for Princess Luna."
"Sure thing, Twilight. You can count on me. And when you get back from your date with Luna, Rarity wants you to tell her all the juicy details." He walks out as I sputter something about it not being a date.
Opening the letter, I found a small card addressed to me and a small scroll.
Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,
The small scroll that came with this card is a transcribe of certain entries I need you to read before our lesson tonight. There are a few things you need to know about prior to our meeting. These entries will be instrumental in understanding the night sky. Please record all questions you want to ask. I hope to talk with you soon.
Your Friend
Princess Luna
"No, it can't be. The Journal of Forgotten Death? One of the few books with details of the pre-discordians times! I really hope this means I can now read the entire thing." I pick up the scroll and start reading.
§_§_§
Entry 182,562,486,373,158
I killed more ponies today, a lot of them. I set up large cases of plastic explosives in the basements of skyscrapers, and blew them up. Why do I keep doing these things? Every time one I kill somepony, I somehow get their memories. I relive their lives, the good days and the bad days. I learn their greatest hopes and darkest secrets. I feel every single things that happens to them, up until they die. I hear their last question: why? It's a question I can't answer. After each murder, I gather up the bodies and bring them outside the city to be buried. Every timei make the trip, I have to travel farther. The graves streach on for kilometers, rows of ponies I know intimately. They're preserved forever in my memory, tormenting my every waking moments
I stopped counting long ago how many have died.
Its funny, none of the detectives or royal guards ever notice me. They always arrest someone else and convict them of murder. I walk into their cells and kill them too. I don't know why I keep doing these things. I don't know why nopony stops me or even sees me. I don't remember who I was before the killing started. I don't even know my own name.
Entry 182,562,486,373,173
The Royal Pony Sisters came to me today. They apologized for not finding me sooner. They explained that when Discord rose power, he killed Thanatos, the Alicorn of Death. All of his power when to the nearest living thing it could find, me. I became the Envoy of Death. Unfortunately, since I wasn't an Alicorn, the power wiped my memories and physical body away. I became an empty shell, forever doomed to send the souls of the deceased to the After. They thanked me for my sacrifice, and said they would return.
Entry 182,562,486,373,529
They came again today. They offered me a choice. I could have my soul released to the After, be returned to a mortal life with no memories of this existence or become an Alicorn with the powers and responsibilities there of. They gave me three dys to decide. I am so torn over what to decide. I want to be normal, live my life like all of my victims lived theirs. But, I can't bear to forget them, their hopes and dreams. Who they left behind and who they looked forward to seeing in the After. I gave a lot of thought into the matter, and decided to follow the North Star. I will
§_§_§
"Follow the North Star? What does that have to do with making a choice? Spike! Get me all the books we have on the North Star!" I lean back in my chair. Why did Princess Luna send me these papers? I asked for some study material for her lesson on the night sky tonight. Maybe she made a mistake? I doubt it, the accompanying letter said the journal entries would be instrumental to my lesson. And why does it stop before saying what he did? I take a deep breath. Before I can ponder anything else, Spike comes through the door with a pile of books. I'll have to ask Princess Luna later. For now, study.
I stare at my notes. This makes no sense. Half the books don't have the North Star in their charts. How can half of the worlds star charts be wrong? I trott downstairs. "Spike! Do we have any books on the legends of stars?"
Spike jumps, dropping his bowl of gems. "Twilight! Why are you still here? You're lesson starts in five minutes! You must have gotten wrapped up in your studies. I'm sorry for n—"
I cut him off. "Don't apologizes. It was my fault. I'll see you after my date... I mean lesson. I meant less—" I disappear in a flash of royal purple magic, Spike's laughter ringing in my ears.
"Twilight! Are you alright? You were not ten minutes early. After five minutes I grew worried and teleported you here. Do I need to get the royal physician? Are your friends in danger? Muster the ar—"
I teleport out of Princess Luna bone-crushing hold and put my hoof in her mouth. "None of that is needed, I got caught up in my studies."
Princess Luna takes my hoof out out of her mouth. "Hm, tastes like coffee. I forgot how much you get into your studies. Doubtless you have many questions, mostly about North Star."
I stare at her. "How did you know?"
Princess Luna walkes out the balcony doors, I follow her. "Look at the stars, and tell me what jumps out at you."
I search the night sky, looking for anything that might be of interest. What am I looking for? The moon seems larger, the constellations really jump out tonight, Polaris is... "Missing! The North Star is missing! But it was there last night? The only time I remember it moving was when it and a few other stars released you from the moon and hung in the sky—"
"Above the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. We both followed it there the night you freed me from my Nightmare." Princess Luna finishs.
I start pacing. "I though you had moved the star that night. But if it lead me to the place my destiny manifested and you were saved, maybe it wasn't an accident all those charts didn't have Polaris in them. And why the author of the Journal of Forgotten Death followed the North Star for his decision."
Princess Luna puts a hoof on my shoulder. "North Star has another name. The Going Home Star. North Star is the guide of lost souls, wandering around blindly in life. The sun shines so bright sometimes, blotting out their destinies. At the darkest point in their lives the Going Home Star leads them out of their nightmare and into the loving embrace of the night."
I sat down, stunned with the information I had just received. "So, is North Star a pony?"
Princess Luna smiles. Not a 'I'm happy' smile. Not a 'I have a secret' smile. It was more of a sad, wistful smile. "She use to be."
Author's Note
Criticism is welcomed. Please point out any mistakes in a private message.
