Novo stood on one of the many balconies of Canterlot Castle, looking down over the crowd. The celebration had been going for a while now and was slowly winding down. Many had left following Songbird Serenade’s performance, perhaps to assess the damage the Storm King’s forces had done to their homes or property. Others had lingered at the bar, possibly already knowing what had become of their possessions and wanting to forget.
Her daughter was not hard to find. Wherever the pony that Skystar had called Pinkie went, she was not far behind. They would flit from group to group of the remaining guest, giggling like mad before finally settling out on the cliffside with Twilight and the rest of her friends. She was finally talking to someone other than those shells, and all it took was near ruin to the balance of the world itself.
‘Teenagers,’ she couldn’t help but laugh.
She heard the doors to the balcony creak open ever so slightly, cutting her eyes over her shoulder without turning.
“Aren’t you both a little too old for peaking? At least when you were young, your manes didn’t float through the door,” she quipped with a smile. There was a quiet scuffle before the door shut and she heard them both clear their throats. The doors then glowed with gold and indigo magic and opened all the way, Equestria’s diarchs strolling through with dignified posture. Novo turned to face the two, ruffling her wings momentarily to return them to a comfortable position before standing to her full height.
“Queen Novo, we cannot thank you enough for your help during the Storm War.” Celestia spoke first, offering a respectful curtsy.
“We owe you a great debt, Your Majesty.” Luna mirrored Celestia’s curtsy, both of them rising at the same time. There was a heavy silence for a few moments before Novo cocked her eyebrow and smirked.
“Queen? How many times must I tell you, Tia, you don’t call me that. Now”—she sat back and raised her arms—“where’s my hug?”
Luna grinned and bumped Celestia with her hoof. “I told you, Sister.” She quickly pranced forward and embraced Novo, with Celestia’s own royal demeanor dropping at the sight before she joined the group hug herself.
“It’s so good to see you, Mother.” They both spoke over each other, nuzzling against her like they were trying to hide in her off-pink coat. Novo spread her wings and enveloped both of the alicorns, as she had so long ago.
~~~~~
The cold bit at Novo’s talons. It was nearly unbearable now, and the Hippogriffs would soon be frozen in their tracks if they didn’t complete their exodus south. The pony tribes had elected to stay and try to wait out the cold, too concerned with their petty rivalries with each other to look toward the future. Novo wasn’t going to force her people to die over territory that would soon be a frozen wasteland; she could only hope that some ponies in power would come to the same sense.
“Your Majesty!” Nimble Flame, captain of her guard, landed beside her in a bow, rising and removing her helmet. “My scouts have returned. The path ahead seems clear, but it runs through a small village. Appears to be abandoned. They also located a more secluded path through the forest, probably used by the villagers. We might avoid any possible trouble if we travel there, the snow might even be lighter.”
“Even in conditions such as these, Captain, I don’t think stretching our people any thinner than they already are is worth it. If we travel in the open, it will be much easier for the guard to protect all my subjects, should we be threatened by anything. We’ll continue as we have. Perhaps the ponies left something useful behind, hmm?”
Nimble nodded and donned her helm, taking off to relay the Queen’s orders to the column. Novo led her people from the front, but they stretched back nearly over the horizon, huddled close in heavy blankets and furs.
They walked for a short while longer before the village Nimble had mentioned came into view. Nestled between rolling hills and the expansive forest that flanked it, even in the endless blizzard it looked picturesque. A simple stone bridge, wide enough for four hippogriffs to walk across shoulder to shoulder, ran right through the middle, standing just above the frozen river. She could see that a mill had been built on the bank.
‘A farming village, such a pity,’ she thought as she looked out over their snow-covered fields.
As they drew nearer, the details of why the town had been deserted became more apparent to her. She could see doors that had been smashed inwards, windows shattered, carts and storefronts ravaged and strewn about. Bandits...If the conditions weren’t what drove ponies to flee, it was selfishness and greed brought on by desperation. ‘This winter is going to be their end if they—” Ah!” Novo’s thoughts were interrupted as an unexpected lump in the snow caused her to stumble, before she regained her balance. She looked down...then back up again as she began to see how many more lay scattered before her.
The villagers...they hadn’t even been allowed to flee...She breathed deeply, she had to keep her composure. ”Captain!” she called in her royal voice, shaking snow from the edges of the rooftops. Nimble was at her side in no time. “This village was not as abandoned as your scouts thought.” She nodded toward one of the lumps of snow, Nimble quickly realizing. The snow was thick, they must have been impossible to see from the air.
“I want our guard on full alert, no angle of our column left unprotected. Whoever did this may still be close by.” A group of bandits could do no true harm to her people, even if they were stupid enough to try, but she had resolved to not lose a single of her subjects if it was within her power. She would starve before she would see them go hungry, she would freeze before she’d see them cold.
That was when she heard it. The faintest cry...a child. A child was somewhere in this dismal place. She stepped away from the column, looking back to her bodyguard Goldenquill, who seemed confused.
“Lead them ahead, I’ll...I’ll be along shortly.” She turned back toward the sound, slowly walking towards it. Her ears swiveled slowly back and forth, listening intently for any sign of the child again. Silence.
She began to wonder if the storm was just playing tricks on her, but she did not stop searching. Silence. Maybe...maybe it was just the wind. The right breeze through broken glass or hanging tools might sound like a whimper. Right?
As she was about to turn and head back, the faintest moan of pain made itself known. Directly to her right. She heard it plain as day. The house in front of her was small, the door torn off its hinges and the single window smashed.
She stepped forward through the empty door frame, having to duck low to squeeze through. The blizzard had cast snow wherever it could in the house, but the cruel ice could only reach so far. By the time she reached the hearth, her claws were on dry wood.
“Hello? Little one, can you hear me?” She said in the softest, most motherly tone she could muster. No answer. “I won’t hurt you little one.” ‘Is it even old enough to understand me? It must be if it's trying to keep quiet.’
Beside the hearth, there was a large stone woodbox set into the wall. Filled with straw and straps of cloth, it seemed so oddly untouched, considering the rest of the house had been ransacked. She saw it then. The tiniest movement under the straw, and a hint of white became visible. She reached for it, but before she could brush it aside, it exploded outwards with a tiny shriek.
A puny white unicorn filly, standing protectively over the deepest blue pegasi foal Novo had ever seen, grimaced as she mustered all the magic she possibly could. But as she let it go, it only amounted to a pathetic spark, not even enough to start a fire in the straw they stood in. When the unicorn saw that her attack had fizzled into nothing, she pulled her sister close, backing as far away as the woodbox would allow and trying to hide the tears welling in her eyes.
Novo was heartbroken. Their parents must have hidden them there to keep them safe from the bandits, but when they hadn’t returned for them, they’d been here ever since.
“Shhhhh, it’s alright children. I won’t hurt you.” She reached out to them, and with nowhere left to go, the foals couldn’t escape her gentle claw as it caressed their cheeks. She half expected the unicorn to bite her, but all her bravado had fled as quickly as it’d come. The poor thing was terrified. If only she had something to give them, some toy, or food...her crown! The three sky blue feathers that sprouted from it were like silk. She drew her arm back, both of the fillies eyeing her closely, removed it from her head and held it out to them. The indigo filly seemed a little younger, and since she did not understand the situation as well as her sister, she did not fear as much. When she saw how close the bright colored feathers were, she immediately reached out to grab them, scrutinizing them wide-eyed before pulling them close to her chest to nuzzle like a stuffed toy. The unicorn filly took notice and seemed to relax the tiniest bit.
“What is your name sweetheart?” Novo spoke softly, respecting the space between them.
After what seemed like the longest minute of Novo’s life, the unicorn spoke. “S-Sunny Skies.”
“What a beautiful name.” She smiled. “And your sister? What is her name?”
To her surprise, the little indigo foal spoke. “Se-leen-a.” She sounded it out like she’d just only recently begun to talk.
“Sunny Skies and Selena, you both have very nice names. My name is Novo. Would you like to come with me? I’m sure you’re both very hungry.”
The little foals quickly shook their heads. “Oh? Why not?”
“Daddy told us to wait for him!” the little unicorn quickly asserted.
Novo was at a loss for words...these innocent little foals, how could she tell them that their father wasn’t coming back? She wouldn’t, at least not now. They were too young to suffer any of this, too young to understand, and she would not torment them any further.
“Your Daddy sent me to get you both, Sunny Skies. All the snow kept him from making it back, but he knew that with my wings I could fly over all the snow and come here to get you. See?” She spread her wings wide, casting the wall in shadow. “He knew that you’d love the vegetable stew I make for all the little fillies in my caravan. You’d like that wouldn’t you?”
Sunny seemed conflicted. “D-Daddy said that?”
Novo almost couldn’t bear to lie, but there would be another time for the truth. A time when they were safe, when they’d been fed, and wrapped in enough blankets to keep any semblance of cold out. “Yes, Daddy said that.”
She reached out, and ever so gently scooped the two of them up, bringing them to rest against her chest. She draped her wings around them for a short while, letting them warm up before adjusting a bit and walking back out into the cold, back to her people.
‘Whoever you were, I won’t let anything happen to them, I'll keep them safe, I promise you that.’
~~~
One year later...
The break of the waves echoed up the walls of Mount Aris, their steady rhythm never failing to put Novo at ease. It had been a long journey to the south, but they had made it in one piece. The cold had reached far, even into the deserts of the Badlands, but the further they went, it slowly relented. Work had begun immediately turning Mount Aris from the seasonal migration home it was built for into the new bastion of Hippogriff culture. It would take a while before it was a permanent home, but her people were warm, fed, and safe, and that was all that mattered.
A low trill broke the otherwise silent meditation.
"Mmm—what is it, Goldie?" Novo asked without opening her eyes, content to lie under the sheets with Goldenquill for as long as time allowed.
"Selena is home," he answered, softly stroking Novo's midsection. Novo heard it then as well, the flutter of pegasus wings.
Novo lifted her head from their intertwinement, yawning and stretching.
"I suppose it was time we got up anyway," she joked, giving Goldenquill a peck on the cheek before they affectionately clicked each others beaks.
Goldenquill rose and donned his armor, giving his glaive a twirl before turning and bowing to Novo. "Your Majesty."
No sooner than he had left the room an indigo blur zipped in from the balcony, nearly crashing into Novo.
"Mommy, we learned about ponies today in school!" Selena gleefully exclaimed, fluttering just inches from Novo's face.
"That's wonderful, dear!" Novo gently grasped the fluttering filly, setting her beside her in the bed as she craned her head low. She spoke gently as she began to preen the foal’s feathers. Selena was always so excited to rush home and tell her what she'd learned that her feathers were a mess by the time she arrived. "Tell me all about what you learned, I'd love to hear it."
The little filly puffed her chest out, no doubt mimicking her tutor’s posture. "The three tribes are unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies. Earth ponies are really good at agri...argic..."
"
"Agriculture, dear," Novo chuckled.
"Yeah! Anyway, unicorns move the sun and moon, and pegasi control the weather!" Selena bounced in place, Novo narrowly avoiding plucking a feather.
"Did your tutor ask you to show everyone what pegasi can do?" Novo began to work on the other wing.
"Y-yeah," Selena's voice faltered a bit. "She said if I wanted I could bring a cloud down and show everyone."
"Did you?" Novo paused for a moment, noticing her daughter's change in tone.
"Well… no. I wanted to… but I got worried I might not be able to do it. Everyone was looking and..." Selena's shoulders sagged.
"Aww – Selena, you'll never know unless you try. I'm sure everyone would have loved it. Why don't you ask to try tomorrow?" Novo gently nuzzled Selena's cheek assuredly.
"I will," Selena answered, though it did not sound like she was convinced. There was a brief silence before the filly spoke up. "Mommy, if pegasi control the weather, why do they make it snow all the time?"
"What do you mean, dear?" Novo was caught a bit off guard.
"Well, Whirlwind told me that the pegasi made it snow so much that we had to leave home. Why would they do that?"
"I… Whirlwind isn't old enough to remember why the snows came, Selena. He's probably just repeating what he heard someone else say. No one knows what happened; maybe the pegasi lost control of it."
Again there was silence, and Novo didn't wish to have Selena dwelling on such adult matters. "What about your sister? I'm sure she was jumping up and down to show off for the class. Must have been quite a scene, Sunny trying to move the Sun," Novo chuckled, trying to raise her daughter's spirits.
"Um..." Selena shied away from Novo's question, turning her head to hide behind her sky blue mane.
"Oh come now, you were so excited to tell me everything, don't let what Whirlwind said ruin the whole day for you dear."
"Well… Sunny wasn't in class," Selena mumbled, just above a whisper.
"What?" Novo deadpanned.
"Don't tell her I told you!" Selena exclaimed, her wings fluttering. "She just said it was boring and… and..."
Novo sighed, "Where is she now?"
"She said she was gonna go exploring and that I couldn't come." Selena admitted, hiding her shame for her betrayal. "Please don't be mad, Mommy."
"I'm not mad, Selena." Novo finished her preening, standing up and walking to the balcony edge. "I'm going to go find your sister, and we'll discuss this over dinner. Goldenquill!" Novo called just loud enough to be heard through the door, her dutiful guard stepping inside. "Take Selena to meditate with you, I will be back shortly."
Goldenquill nodded wordlessly. Selena still looked worried that she was in trouble, but her time with Goldenquill always made her feel better. She hopped off the bed and waved goodbye to Novo. Goldenquill followed Selena out, shutting the door behind them. When they were gone, Novo turned to look out over the bustling settlement, and took to the air.
~~~
"See that, Sunny? Much brighter than all the others? The Midnight Sapphire. Follow that star, and you'll always find your way home," her Mother's words echoed in her mind.
Sunny's hooves scraped against the clay, a gap through the wooden palisade slowly growing. She'd discovered it a few days before, but hadn't had the nerve to go through with her plan until now. A large section between the structure of the settlement walls filled with clay to quickly plug the gap with little effort.
"Half measures make for short success," Sunny quipped to no one in particular. She'd heard her father say the same thing when inspecting a cart some of the bigger colts had built back home. She wasn't quite sure exactly what it meant. She had an idea, but when she'd asked he'd simply grinned, ruffled her mane and said, "Don't be lazy."
"Just..." she huffed, "a bit more..." 'Pomf!' Her hoof pushed through to the other side. She excitedly dug faster, pulling more clay from the growing breach. Soon two hooves could fit through, then her whole head, then her shoulders, then–!
'Selena...' Sunny thought suddenly. She pulled herself from the breach, turning and looking back. The peak of Mount Aris reached into the sky, no doubt her sister was atop it already, gushing to Queen Novo about all that boring stuff they taught in 'school'.
I can't leave Selena. Daddy would want me to keep her safe...
She took a few steps away from the wall, before her ears drooped, and she looked back towards her escape.
What if someone finds it and tells on me while I'm gone? Then I'd have to start all over again. Novo hadn't said we couldn't leave, just that we shouldn't...
She turned back to the breach, then again towards the castle. Back and forth, her young mind racing.
Queen Novo hasn't hurt us or anything. It's almost been like a visit to a new village! Besides, when I find Mommy and Daddy, I'll bring them back and Queen Novo will have to let Selena come with us. That was what she had said, wasn't it?
Finally, the young filly scrunched her nose and headed for the breach. It was a tight fit, but she wriggled through, plopping out and rolling flank over front down the short embankment.
Righting herself and standing, she shook off the slurry of snow and mud, thinking to look back one last time. She shook her head. It would be a while longer before darkness fell, but she needed to get as far as she could while her absence was still unnoticed.
~~~
'She's just gotten off somewhere hard to spot, that's all,' Novo thought. Her graceful glide betrayed her inner thoughts, growing more erratic as she double and triple checked everywhere she'd found Sunny before. She landed atop a watch tower, scanning the streets below her.
It was not unlike her to be found galloping through the settlement playing with the other fledglings, but this did not feel like her usual excursion. A feeling of dread began to overtake Novo. Sunset was less than an hour away.
"Goldenquill!" she called out, only a moment's pause separating her call and the onyx flourish of her bodyguard landing at her side.
"Nothing, Majesty," he responded, his face grim. "Should I call a search party?"
"It is not like her to hide like this," Novo thought aloud, her wings twitching anxiously. Her eyes darted around for any sign of her missing charge.
Then she saw it. Tiny hoofprints. She launched off the guard tower, sailing down to the palisade and landing with a slide at the outer wall. Goldenquill followed closely, landing as Novo turned to face the horizon, following the hoofprints.
"Goldenquill, see that Selena does not worry for her sister and my absence." Novo spread her wings.
"Majesty, I—" was all Goldenquill could utter before the cold wake of Novo's takeoff swept over him. He thought for a moment to follow, but he knew her tone. She would need no protection, and she had given him an order.
~~~
Sunny's brisk trot had slowed to a trudge, the slurry of snow and mud having tired her out faster than she expected. At first she'd taken the opportunity to run through every puddle she'd found. She'd delighted in the splashes left in her wake, but now she was soaked, and it was growing colder.
The sun was beginning to dip below the horizon, and the star her mother had told her about was growing brighter. A shiver shook her body, and her teeth chattered. She focused, pushing magic through her horn. It glowed softly, occasionally sparking like flint against steel. The warmth was not much, but it did dry her mane at least.
She heard a swoop, looking over her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw Novo descending on her. She pushed off from where she stood, trying to run, but it was no use. Novo landed in front of her, a cool breeze washing over the already shivering filly.
"Sunny, what are you doing out here? Goddess, child, are you trying to freeze to death?" She approached, but Sunny backed away.
"Leave me alone!" Sunny shouted, catching Novo off guard. The hippogriff took a few steps back, a look of shock in her eyes. "I'm not going back!" She shook as she spoke, a mixture of fear and anger welling up inside her.
Novo's face fell as she looked at her. Sunny made to walk around her, keeping her eyes locked on the Queen.
"Sunny, you're freezing, dear. Please, come here before you catch a cold. You remember how miserable you were when you got sick last time, don't you?" Novo turned with her as she circled, but did not approach. "Come, let's go home and talk about this."
"That isn't my home!" Sunny exclaimed fiercely. "My home is with my parents—my real parents—and I'm going back there even if you don't want me to!"
"I..." Novo seemed to be caught off guard, but quickly composed herself with a strange sort of smile. It was the smile she used whenever she thought Sunny was too young to understand something. "I'll watch over you for your parents. Remember, I told you that?"
Novo had told her that, back when she first took Sunny and Selena in from the cold. At the time, it had felt like they were saved. But as time went by... Sunny ignored the whimper that escaped her throat, choosing to narrow her eyes and dig in for all she had. "You aren't my mom!"
"What?" Novo shook her head and her smile fell away. "Sunny, dear, I didn't mean I—"
"A-and you're not Selena's either!" The muddy foal stamped angrily and tears filled her eyes. Yet she stood unwavering.
Novo took a step back, looking genuinely hurt.
"Selena keeps calling you Mommy! She's gonna forget our real mom! Why don't you tell her to stop?" Sunny stamped her hooves, her horn sparking.
"Sunny, please—" Novo knelt lower "—your sister is younger than you. Her memory of your parents isn't going to be as good as your—"
"When is Daddy coming?!" Sunny cut Novo off. This time, the tears that streamed down her face did make her look away.
"Sunny, I… the snow..." Novo stammered.
"You keep saying that!" Sunny gritted her teeth and looked back up at Novo. Another spark arced from her horn, but for all the fire inside of her, all it did was crackle and fade. "The snow has started melting, Daddy should be here by now! I want to go home!" She finally broke, collapsing onto the ground and covering her face with her hooves as she wailed. "I just... just want to go..."
She heard Novo approach, but still she did not touch her. "Sunny please, let's go back and we can talk about your parents. It's too cold out here."
Sunny barely spoke, could barely stand to think the words on her tongue. And yet, she had thought of little else for the past months... Her voice came out as a whimper, barely audible over her sobs. "They're not coming...are they?"
There was a long silence between them.
~~~
Novo agonized. The debt of her lies had come due, and no matter her intent they demanded all the same.
"No, child." She knelt beside the filly, draping her wing over her. The cold bit at her feathers, but she did not care. She had to get Sunny home, and this seemed the only way. "But your parents did not abandon you, Sunny. They hid you and your sister so that you might be spared. They wanted you to live. To grow and see the wonders of this world. The day I found you and your sister, I promised I would protect you. The day I found you, all they wanted for you and Selena became possible."
Sunny continued to weep, and Novo simply held her close, cooing softly to soothe the broken filly. After a while, Sunny's cries had slowly been reduced to whimpers as Novo's wing gently brushed her mane.
"W-why did you lie?" Sunny muttered through sniffles. "Mommy said never to lie!"
"I didn't want to, child… but, you and your sister are so young. This is something no one should ever have to face. I did it because I thought I could protect you with it. Protect you from what you're feeling now; lost, scared, unsure of yourself. I see now that all I did was prolong your suffering, and I can only beg your forgiveness." Novo felt the tears running down her own cheeks as she spoke. Had she already failed her vow?
There was a long silence between them, Sunny still whimpering softly into Novo's chest.
"Sunny, I could never replace your parents. I do not wish to. I only want to keep you and your sister safe. I won't ask you to think of me as your mother, but I will ask that you do not resent your sister if she does. She is younger than you, more vulnerable, easily led astray. She needs you. If you won't stay because I ask you to, will you stay for your sister's sake?"
The question hung heavy in the chilling air. It seemed like an eternity before she felt the filly stir.
"Okay." Sunny said softly, barely above a whisper. It was the best Novo could hope for, for now.
Novo gingerly stood, bringing Sunny close to her chest. With one last gaze toward the north, she spread her wings and made for home.
Novo stood in the foyer, watching the double doors at the top of the stairs patiently. Goldenquill was at her side as always, the hippogriff leaning on his glaive.
Finally the doors slowly swung open, the soft clop of hooves on stone echoing above.
"Good morning!" Novo exclaimed, fluttering her wings a bit.
"Morning, Mom!" Selena answered jovially, reaching the foyer floor first. She happily trotted up to Novo, nuzzling against her cheek.
Novo tucked a warm tied paper package into Selena's saddlebag. The little filly cocked her head to the side, so Novo smiled and winked. "I had the chef make it fresh this morning." She delighted in seeing Selena's eyes light up.
Next Sunny slowly approached. Novo lowered her head for the same morning embrace, as she always did, and as always Sunny did not reciprocate. Holding in a sigh, Novo did the same with Sunny's saddlebag before giving it to her, the filly slipping it on and walking past without a word.
It had been a week since their argument, and Novo was at a loss for how to break through to the young filly. She watched as the unicorn joined her sister at the door, bidding the two goodbye with a wave that only Selena returned. As they pushed the door open a shadow fell over them.
"Ah! So these are the hipponies I've heard so much about!" A hearty laugh echoed through the foyer.
"Oro!" Novo perked up, trotting to the door. She had not expected him until later in the week. The zebra was tall, with a long set of dreadlocks draped over his shoulders, each of them sporting a golden bead at their ends; they were beginning to grey at their roots, betraying his age. His eyes were vibrant gold, and despite his apparent weight gain, strong muscle still showed through on his shoulders, chest and legs.
The girls shied away from the boisterous guest, but Novo came to their rescue. "My apologies old friend, but introductions will have to wait till this evening. The girls were just heading to school."
Oro made a show of stepping aside, throwing his hoof out as a gesture to let them pass. "Of course of course, the little princesses are off to become queens," he chuckled. "I apologize for not sending word of my arrival. You know I love surprises."
Novo watched the girls go, Selena fluttering beside Sunny as they wound their way down the mountain. When they passed the palace gates, Novo stepped inside and pulled the door shut sharply.
"Do you have it?" Novo's tone changed from amiable to serious.
"Ah, straight to business then? Very well, very well." Oro grinned and held up a brown paper package, folded and clasped at the top, with a reared zebra stamped on the side.
~~~
"I'm so excited! Master Stormwind said today we're going to start the histories of Gryphonstone." Selena's face was buried in a book on the subject as she flew beside her sister. When Sunny did not respond she peered over her tome. She frowned, watching her sister kick a stone down the road, before kicking it again when she reached its new resting place.
"Sunny?" Selena prompted tentatively.
"Hmm?" The unicorn looked up at her, losing track of her stone.
"Aren't you excited?"
"Not really," she answered bluntly, looking back to the road as they continued to walk.
"Buh, how could you not be? Gryphonstone is a living tree city. No one knows how they made it, not even them!"
"Huh... " Sunny had found another stone.
Selena wilted a bit, going back to her book. Despite her annoyance, she soon found herself absorbed in its contents again. It came as a surprise when she realized she could hear the familiar sound of other hippogriff children chattering and playing above the amphitheater in the center of the city.
As they climbed the hill, Selena waved to many different hippogriffs she'd come to know since starting school. There was Slipstream, her study buddy, Riptide, who she played with after school, and 'Oh!' Dawnbreak and Whirlwind, her backup study buddies who she played with after school.
She noticed Sunny didn't talk to anyone. She hoped Vortex was here today. She seemed to be the only other student Sunny ever stayed around. When they reached the stone steps that descended into the amphitheater, Selena squinted. Instead of the old Master Stormwind, an auburn hen stood in his place, watching the students descend into their places as she organized her materials.
"Huh... I wonder where Master Stormwind is," Selena thought aloud. "I hope we're still gonna talk about Gryphonstone if he's not here.
"Yes!" Sunny suddenly exclaimed in a hushed tone.
"What?!" Selena looked around frantically.
"If Stormwind isn't here, he won't be able to tell on me to Novo." Sunny grinned. "Selena, answer for me when she calls roll." Sunny shrugged off her saddlebags on the top row of seats, turning to walk away.
"What?!" Selena exclaimed in a whisper. "You can't cut anymore, Sunny."
"Watch me."
"Mom said that you'd be in big trouble if you cut any more!"
"Oh did she?" Sunny looked over her shoulder at the slowly filling amphitheater, then back to her sister. A devious smile grew on her face as she then jumped dramatically off the path, trotting briskly down the hill with her head held high.
"Sunny!" Selena exclaimed, taking a few steps forward before stopping at the edge. She looked back and forth between her sister and their class, her wings bristling in worry.
"Sunny!" she called again, but her sister did not stop. She looked down into the amphitheater. Not all seats were filled yet, there was still time to make it before roll call. She flapped her wings, lifting just enough to glide down the hill beside Sunny as she walked.
"Mom already caught you once, she'll ground you if you get caught again!" Selena pleaded.
Sunny snorted dismissively. "She'll never find out. Unless you tell on me again." Shooting her a glare.
"But–"
"Race ya to the wall!" The unicorn suddenly dug her hooves deep, launching into a gallop as fast as her filly legs could carry her.
"Hey!" Selena flapped her wings hard, trying to push herself off with the same speed. Selena's wings would normally help her outpace her sister, even at her younger age, but the twist and wind of the hippogriff settlement was not a course she regularly flew. Not to mention that the weight of her saddlebags did nothing to aid her. She barely kept up, only knowing where to turn by a brief glimpse of Sunny's pink tail.
She finally lost sight of her, banking hard and hoping she'd chosen the right direction. She had, unfortunately. Too fast to realize where she was going, she blew past her sister, who stood beside a hole in the wall. Selena just barely tucked her wings in time as she sailed through.
In a moment she went from a shaded alley to bright sunlight over a green field, which rapidly rose to meet her. She spread her wings just before impact, tumbling face over flank to a stop. She heard her saddlebags clatter and spill ahead of her.
The pegasus spat dirt from her mouth, raising and shaking her head. She became acutely aware of her giggling sister sliding down the dirt embankment behind her.
"Looks like you won!" Sunny exclaimed, trotting up to her. Selena scraped some of the loose dirt up in her wings, whipping around and launching it at her sister.
"First place gets a trip to the bea-Ack?!" Sunny gagged as one of the dirt clods exploded across her tongue. She spat and wiped at her face with the top of her hooves, glaring at Selena.
"What was that for?!" she shouted.
"You tricked me!" Selena shouted back.
"Come on, Selena, it was just a joke. Besides, nopony will even notice we're gone." Sunny trotted up to her. "Let's just play out here for a while. Vortex says there's a lagoon down by the beach where there's all kinds of creatures."
"We're the only ponies in the whole city, Sunny!" Selena exclaimed, throwing her hooves out wide to make her point. "They'll know we're not there! You know Mom will find out!"
Sunny scowled for a moment before turning and walking away from her. "Where are you going?" Selena asked.
"I'm going to the beach. I'm tired of school," Sunny answered matter of factly.
"But Mom says school is important!" Selena called back.
Sunny's ear twinged but she didn't look back. "If it's so important why don't we have it back home?"
Selena didn't have an answer. She didn't remember much about where they came from. Sunny was getting further away. Selena looked back to the hole in the wall, then to her sister. She remembered her mothers words, 'Keep an eye on your sister for me, Selena, she may need you more than I for a little while.'
"Sunny!" Selena called softly, one last attempt at getting her sister to come back. If they went back now they might even sneak in without notice. Sunny continued on.
Sighing, Selena took flight, catching up with her sister as they headed to the beach.
~~~
Novo hummed contentedly as she sipped delightfully hot coffee. A gift from Oro; she had sorely missed it in the years since the snows had come. Native to the Zebra homeland, it was quite the commodity abroad. She remembered the first time she had met Oro and he'd boasted that wars had been fought for the precious brew. That seemed so long ago now.
"When I received your letter it was the first thing I packed." Oro chuckled, blowing softly along the surface of his own cup before taking a sip. "To think you found yourself not one but two daughters and managed not to go mad without it is quite impressive."
"They are quite the clawful. Almost as much as the realm itself."
"Your people seem to have settled well. Mount Aris looks much different than when I last saw it." Oro mused.
Novo cracked a smile. "I'm surprised you remember the last time you saw it. You were scarcely sober during that visit if I recall."
Oro laughed. "I was not on official business then, and it seemed the easiest way to impress these studs of yours."
Novo laughed before taking another sip of her coffee, setting it aside.
"It is good to see you again, Oro." It was an understatement in truth. Novo rarely had moments of respite like this in the last two years – still, there were important things to be discussed.
"And you as well." Oro held up his mug before taking a sip from it. "But while I would hardly blame you for it, I don't think I came here just to bring you coffee."
"Yes, on to the matters at hand." Truth be told, Novo had been rather out of the loop politically for some time now. Their exodus and hurried settling of what was essentially a seasonal retreat had left little time for correspondence with any diplomats. Her court was so full of her own people there'd scarcely been room for anyone else.
As the hours passed, Oro spoke of trade in his homeland, a short civil war in Gryphonstone, and a new Shah of Saddle Arabia. Novo listened closely. As the hippogriffs were now coastal people, these once distant cultures were now practically their next-door neighbors. There were scattered reports of what was going on with the pony tribes. Anything was better than nothing, as it meant the ponies had not yet succumbed to the endless winter.
"Now, the matter of piracy." Oro shifted his tone. He reached into his saddlebag and withdrew several scrolls, lying them on the table. Novo was about to take them when she felt a claw on her shoulder.
"It's time," Goldenquill whispered. Novo nodded and looked back at Oro.
"There is a small personal matter I must attend to, Oro. It won't be long. Surely you must be hungry; we're as far from dinner as we are close to supper. I can have the kitchen make you a meal and we can reconvene in about an hour or so?"
Oro looked to the window, noting how much time had passed.
"That should do. It has been a good while since I've had those delightful sweet rolls." He gestured as if he were wafting their aroma to his nose.
"Wonderful." Novo stood, waiting for Oro to gather his things before they both left the room. After sending him with the castle chef, Novo and Goldenquill quickly took off from the courtyard, gliding down over the mountain and into the settlement below.
The plan was to be there personally to see her daughters home from school. She had decided she had not made herself present enough in Sunny's day to day life. Selena was always coming to her, but the only time so far Sunny had sought her out was when she'd come down with a fever.
She hoped that if she were more present, Sunny might in time come to accept what she'd said about loving them as her own.
They drew close to their destination, Novo and Goldenquill swooping down low and landing with practiced grace at its entrance. There was a small crowd already waiting. A bit flustered, they all bowed at their Queen's unexpected presence, dipping low with their wings spread wide.
"Rise, all of you, please. I am merely here to see my daughters home, like the rest of you. Conduct yourselves as you would any other time." She smiled.
Of course a few of them still approached her – she was the Queen, after all. She regarded them with enthusiasm, be it a simple personal greeting or a matter they'd yet to bring before her. She made her promises that she would see each of them personally in due time, but reminded them today she was just here as a parent.
Before long, the crowd of students began to flow out of the amphitheater. The fledglings, not yet old enough to fly, came marching out in an orderly file, instantly breaking rank the moment they saw their parents. Novo couldn't help but laugh at their excitement. Then the juveniles, most of which flew out in a large flock, some landing before their parents with others continuing on home by themselves. Novo watched, waiting to see the two fillies crest the stairs.
But one by one, more Hippogriff children passed her by, with no sign of her daughters. She shifted in place, her wings fidgeting agitatedly.
"You don't think Selena flew home, do you? Surely I didn't miss her," Novo stated, squinting as she watched the air above the amphitheater slowly clear.
"No sign of Sunny either," Goldenquill added.
Novo scowled a bit. "I told their teacher to inform me if Sunny was not in class. I wonder why he sent no–"
Her question was answered as they heard the clack of adult hooves and talons rising up the stairs. A young female with an auburn coat and golden mane came rising out of the amphitheater, a stark contrast to the seasoned silver Stormwind that normally taught.
"Oh! Y-Your Majesty!" the young hen stammered, clumsily dropping to a bow. "Stormwind did not mention you would be here."
"It is not a normal occurrence, rest assured. Please." Novo gestured for her to rise. She kept her tone friendly as she asked, "And you are?"
"Glitterpeak, your Majesty."
"Well met, Glitterpeak. If I may, where is Stormwind?" Novo looked over the young teacher's shoulder, trying to spot him in the amphitheater below.
"Ah, he's come down with a fever, I'm afraid. Swears to me he'll be right as rain in a week or so. Until then I'm to handle his lectures."
"I see." Novo raised a brow. "Tell me, did he mention any special directions concerning my daughters?"
Glitterpeak shook her head. "None that I remember Majesty. I did think it was strange that both of them were absent today, but I thought perhaps they were sick themselves."
Novo sighed. "Fortunately, they aren't. Unfortunately for them, that means two punishments." She shook her head. How Sunny had enlisted Selena in this cutting was a mystery to her. One she would solve soon enough, though. She turned to Goldenquill, "Goldenquill, return to the castle and bring a small detachment of the guard. Search the city. I want both of my daughters home as soon as they're found."
"And Oro?" Goldenquill inquired.
"Inform him that our intermission will be longer than I'd hoped, but I will return as soon as Selena and Sunny are dealt with."
Goldenquill nodded, taking flight. Glitterpeak stammered out an apology before Novo silenced it, assuring her it was not her fault.
"Send a message if they are absent any further." Novo parted, taking to the skies to find her daughters.
~~~
"I think we're lost, Sunny." Selena looked over her shoulder.
"We can't be lost, silly. It's a beach! Forward is away from where we started, backward is back to where we came from. Hnnnnagh!!" Sunny grunted as she threw a stick she found as far as she could into the ocean. It splashed into the water with a satisfying slap before disappearing into the sea.
"But we should have found the lagoon by now." Selena drifted closer to her sister, pushing against the coastal winds.
"We'll find it eventually. Vortex said she was sure it was somewhere out here." Sunny had taken interest in a small crab now, the little creature clacking its claws as it prepared for battle against the white colossus.
"What do you mean? She's been there hasn't she?" Selena asked worriedly.
"I think so. She said her father told her about it." Sunny answered absentmindedly, prodding at the crab with a twig. The small crustacean fought a battle of the ages against all odds.
"Where'd she say it was?" The worry in Selena's voice was growing.
"Down by the beach somewhere," Sunny responded, growing bored with the crab. The crab held its claws high, clacking victoriously as the beast retreated.
"Sunny?! You have no idea where it is?!" Selena shouted suddenly. "Mom is gonna be so mad!"
"Don't worry about her. We're exploring! We'll find it." Sunny reassured her. Selena was not convinced, her head buzzing with the possible consequences.
What if Mom doesn't let me go to school anymore?!
Suddenly movement beneath her snapped her out of her state. A tiny black shield emerged from the sand, wiggling flippers sprouting from its sides. Then another, and another. Sea turtles! She squealed, prompting her sister to come running.
Selena pressed herself as low as she could to the sand, watching as the baby turtles wriggled free from their buried nest.
"Oh wow!" Sunny exclaimed, stooping low to watch as well. "We should help them!" Her sister made to start digging before Selena pushed her hooves away.
"No no, you might hurt them!" Selena looked between them as one by one they continued to emerge, their little flippers digging into the sand as they pushed themselves towards the sea.
Huoh-huoh-huoh.
Selena's stomach dropped.
"No no no no..." Selena flapped her wings, raising herself off the ground above her sister.
To her horror, a flock of seagulls were rapidly approaching. They bore down on the vulnerable baby turtles, squawking awfully.
"Sunny! They're gonna eat the babies! We have to protect them!" Selena zipped over Sunny's head, charging at the encroaching flock. With speed she did not know she could muster, she blitzed the flock, causing them to scatter. She threw her hooves wildly, trying to make the turtles not seem worth it to the gulls.
They were undeterred, merely squawking as they dove toward the beach. Selena tried to get in their way, shouting and flailing like mad. She looked below her. Sunny charged at the landing gulls like a warhorse, her horn sparking and flashing. Selena worried she might step on the babies but her sister leapt over the fleeing column, shouldering a landing gull back into the sky.
Selena blew through a crowded group of gulls, sending them tumbling trying to regain their flight. By now some had decided the meal was not worth it and fluttered away, squawking angrily at the two fillies. They continued to intercept the diving scavengers, hooting and hollering and kicking up sand.
Slowly, the flock began to thin, angry squawks growing distant along the shoreline as the girls defended the babies. By the time the last of them flew away they were exhausted, their chest heaving as they both collapsed in the sand.
"I...I think we did it..." Sunny wheezed.
Selena was flopped in a heap, her wings feeling like wood. Sunny began to giggle. Selena's ears perked up as she looked at her sister, her eyes widening.
"S-Sunny?" she asked hesitantly. The unicorn continued to giggle as a warm glow slowly enveloped her, the aura sparkling across her coat like glittering gold. Slowly she began to lift off the sand, the aura growing brighter. Still she continued to laugh.
"Sunny?!" Selena shouted, pushing herself to her hooves and taking a step back.
"It tickles!" Sunny exclaimed jovially. Suddenly the glow grew so bright Selena had to look away. When she turned her head back, Sunny was returned to the ground, standing on all fours looking at her flank.
"Oh wow!" Sunny suddenly leapt with newfound energy, prancing in a circle as she kept her eyes locked on her flanks. "I got it! I got it!"
"What? What is it?!" Selena asked.
"My cutie mark!" Sunny stopped, arching her back as she turned toward her. Emblazoned on Sunny's flank was a silver shield, a sigil of the sun sat in its center. It was part of the fur, not just some kind of brand, like it had been painted on.
"...What's a cutie mark?" Selena asked blankly.
Sunny's smile wavered. "You know! It's my special talent! Ponies get them when we figure out what we're good at. Defending those baby turtles, I must be meant to be a knight!" She struck a knightly pose.
Selena shook her head. "Why didn't I get one?" She inspected her flanks, confused.
"Well...cause, I guess that's not your special talent. Don't you remember Mom telling us about them?" Sunny wilted a bit.
"Mom never said anything about cutie marks," Selena responded confused.
"Yes she did, when we were little. I– wait, no, Selena, not Novo. Our real mom! Back home!" Sunny scowled a bit.
"What do you mean? Mom is back home!" Selena countered.
"No no no no! Novo is not our mom! Our Mom is named Starry Night! You have the same coat color as her!”
Although Sunny looked at Selena expectantly, all the younger sister was able to do was give a puzzled look back.
Sunny blinked, and tears began to well in her eyes. “Don't you remember?"
Selena took a step toward her sister but Sunny stepped back.
"She's made you forget them!" Sunny spat, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"I don't remember, Sunny...sometimes I try, I try really hard, but it's fuzzy..." Selena began to cry as well.
"We need to stop pretending," Sunny said eventually. "Novo is not our mom."
"How..." Selena wiped the tears from her eyes. "How can you say that? She gave us our home."
Sunny stamped in the sand. "Novo is not our mom, Mount Aris isn't our home!"
"She's the only mom I have, Sunny!"
"Well I'm your only sister!" Sunny shouted.
For a moment there was silence, Selena wilting under sister's tearful gaze.
"Please, Sunny…don't make me choose. Let's go back…please? I want to go back. Please? Let's go back." Selena was scared now; scared Sunny might leave, scared her sister hated her, scared because she didn't know how to be a pony like Sunny.
It took a moment, but suddenly Sunny's hardened gaze fell into regret. She stumbled forward and hugged her. Their tears mixed against each other's cheek. "I'm sorry, Selena. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to. Let's go back."
They finally broke their embrace, and for a moment they smiled at each other. Sunny began to lead the way back, until a shadow fell over them.
As she looked back to see what it was, Selena's eyes widened, her mouth falling open wordlessly. Sunny turned her head to look before she was yanked into the air by her horn, a frightened yelp escaping her lips. Selena was frozen in fear as she looked up at the gryphon, his gnarled beak twisting into a devious grin.
Suddenly she was trapped, burlap encasing her as her hooves were brought out from under, sending her tumbling into the sack.
"I told ya them weren't just seagulls," a shrill voice cackled.
Author's Note
Many thanks to Krickis and Krixwell Jace for editing, as well as Pasu-Chan for the new cover of this story!
