A Group of Stellar Friends

Chapter-3 in the barracks

Once they got to the barracks they all noticed something interesting, the large room looked a lot like the inside of a summer camp cabin. It was full of bunk beds with just enough room to put luggage, and pretty much all of them were already filled. So they naturally went to the last empty one and set down their things, Daisy called the bottom bunk while Stellar flew up to the top one. And unfortunately, the only place left for Hocklift was the bunk under Enferno, who seemed to be reading a dictionary rather intently.

“so, what do you think will be our first task? I bet it'll be a cool one,”

Daisy said, once she had gotten comfortable in her new bed.

“I hope it has something to do with flying, I need lots of practice with that,”

Hocklift said, with a nervous giggle.

“I could teach how to control your own flight, it shouldn't be too hard if you get help,”

Stellar offered, which made her smile.

“thanks Stellar, it means a lot,”

She smiled up at the bat pony and was about to say something else, but before the words could leave her lips she was cut off by a gruff voice above her.

“Stellar huh? Your that strange looking bat pony right? What exactly is up with your tail and wings?”

Enferno said, leaning over the edge of her bunk to face her.

“well, apparently there's a gene that causes bat ponies look more bat like on my father's side. And he told me it skips two generations so I got it,”

She pointed a hoof to herself as she finished explaining, and smiled a calm smile.

“and you're a changeling that just happens to look a lot like a pony?”

Enferno said, as she directed her attention down to the bunk under Stellar and met Daisy's pink eyes.

“half pony actually, I just look more like a pony now because of the cure for our kind’s hunger problem,”

She said with a shrug, before remembering her manners and saying.

“my name is Daisy by the way, that trick you did with that fire was really cool by the way. You wouldn't happen to be part dragon would you?”

“you sure catch on quick, I am part dragon,”

She smiled, and her pride radiated off her like warm sunrays.

“hi, my name's Hocklift, and I hope you don't mind me asking but why are you reading a dictionary?”

Hocklift said, jumping into the conversation and making her presence known.

“oh, I'm a Hippogriff by the way,”

“oh this? I'm just trying to educate myself with the Equestrian language, we only speak draconic where I'm from,”

Enferno said, looking at the dictionary again before sighing and setting it down beside her.

“not much help to be honest,”

They all fell silent until Daisy said something, it wasn't understandable to Stellar and Hocklift though.

However, Enferno nodded with a shocked expression on her face, and responded in the same reptilian noises that Daisy had just made.

“how did you do that?”

Hocklift said, her eyes wide as they were glued to Daisy, who just shrugged it off as if it was nothing.

“it's a changeling gift, we get taught foreign languages at a young age so manipulation is easier,”

Enferno sat up, her interest now peaked as her red eyes didn't leave the changeling pony in front of them.

“you wouldn't happen to be able teach me proper Equestrian, would you?”

Her question was met with a bright smile, which made the air feel thick with warmth once again.

“why of course, it would be an honour,”

Enferno smiled back, and in that moment of silence they noticed that the once active and loud barracks was now filled with the sounds of quiet snoring. And the four mare's looked around for a moment before giggling to themselves.

“I guess we should be getting to sleep as well,”

Daisy said, before laying her head down on a pillow and saying a quiet goodnight to them.

And one by one they each said goodnight, leaving Stellar alone to look out the window near her bed.

It's been good so far, I promise I'll come home a guard mom and dad, I'll make you two proud. And with a soft sigh, she herself began to give in to her own tiredness as she shut her eyes.