Cinder Star 2 Of Mice and Mares

by Nocturn Dreamwrite

Rating: everyone
Tags: Romance, Original Character, Adventure, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 15747

Cinder Star begins to settle into her new life as a princess and has adventures along the way.

Cinder Star begins to settle into her new life as a princess, happily married to Prince Majestic. She does her best, but a jealous unicorn mare has other ideas. Cinder Star will need all her wits to return to her true love.

Published 2020-12-18 23:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-12-18 23:20:01 UTC

Cinder Star: Of Mice and Mares

Cinder Star

Of Mice and Mares

By Nocturn Dreamwrite

Once upon a second time, over the young lands that thrived before the founding of Equestria, the moon was soon to reach its peak in the night sky over the Kingdom of Unicornia. It had been just over a month since the wedding of the Unicorn Prince Majestic and the new Princess Cinder Star. Cinder Star was an earth pony and her real name was Star, which Majestic called her, but she was so used to being called Cinder Star that she did not mind being called by that name either.

Cinder Star had not always been a princess. In fact, she was the only pony in Unicornia, and had worked as a servant for her unicorn step-family. By a wonderful twist of fate, she had the good fortune to meet Prince Majestic at a ball held by his father the king. They fell in love with one another, but Cinder Star had to leave the ball quickly, and lost a glass slipper. Majestic found her slipper, and was determined to find her again. He then followed the slipper until it led him to Cinder Star, and they were married soon after. Now Cinder Star was a wife, a princess, and very happy, but she was finding it somewhat difficult adjusting to her new life in the castle.

It was nearly midnight when Majestic stirred from his sleep. He rolled over upon his bed, and only then realized that the other side of the bed was empty. His beloved wife was missing. Sitting up, he looked around the room, and soon caught sight of her in the dim light from the fireplace. Cinder Star had climbed out of bed, and was now lying instead on the floor, close by the fire and near the cinders. Majestic smiled, and sighed as he climbed out of bed. Using the magic of his horn, he pulled the blanket and a pillow off the bed, and joined Cinder Star next to the fire, draping the blanket gently over the both of them. Feeling his warmth next to her, Cinder Star stirred, herself, and looked into the loving, compassionate eyes of her husband.

“Are you all right, my dear?” asked Majestic softly.

Cinder Star gave him a slightly embarrassed smile. “Yes. I’m so sorry, Jes,” she replied. “It’s only that, well…, the bed is so soft. I like it, I really do, but it still feels just a bit too soft, and you know I am so used to sleeping on a hearth.”

“It’s fine, Star,” Majestic reassured her. “There’s nothing to worry about. I understand. Can I get you anything?”

“No thank you, Jes,” answered Cinder Star, as she rubbed her neck gratefully against his. “I am content.” She then gave him a little grin. “And it’s good thing I can stay after Midnight.” Neither of them could help but chuckle at that.

“You can return to bed if you wish,” said Cinder Star.

“I think I’d rather stay here with you,” replied Majestic.

Cinder Star smiled, and they nestled closer together. “Good night, Jes,” said Cinder Star as she lay her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes.

“Good night, my shining Star,” whispered Majestic as he kissed her forehead, then laid his head down next to hers, and fell asleep.

. . .

The next morning, after breakfast, Cinder Star and Majestic made themselves presentable to attend the Royal Court of King Imperial Might. The court was open every morning of the week, with the exception of Sunday. King Imperial Might and Queen Aurora used this time to resolve problems between unicorns requesting an audience, and to receive guests. As they were the future rulers of Unicornia, Cinder Star and Majestic were expected to be present every other day. On occasion, they might even be asked to give their opinion on a certain matter.

Majestic donned his usual royal attire, while Cinder Star put on her royal blue sash, and brushed her mane. When she had finished, she gently picked up the tiara which was resting close by, and held it carefully in her fore hooves as she looked at it. It was a pretty, silver tiara, with one small diamond centered on the front of its curved design. Cinder Star still felt nervous about wearing it. It was undoubtedly very valuable, and, being a humble mare, she felt unworthy to wear it upon her head. Seeing her sitting there, and surmising her thoughts, Majestic walked over to assist.

“It’s yours by right,” said Majestic in a positive voice. He sat down in front of her. “I cannot think of anyone more deserving to wear this,” he said as he gently took the tiara in his fore hooves, and placed it on her brow. “And there is no other princess in this kingdom, save you, Star.”

Cinder Star blushed. “Thank you, Jes,” she replied with a small smile. “Perhaps I will become more used to it in time.”

“Of course, dear,” said Majestic encouragingly.

Before they left, Cinder Star slid her hooves into her glass slippers, and then they walked down the hall, to the throne room, where the Royal Court was held. Cinder Star’s glass slippers were magic. They made her a perfect dancer, but they would also make her want to dance more and more the longer she wore them. However, she had discovered that if she simply removed one, once in a while, their magic would never become powerful enough to over take her, and she could wear them in court without any worries.

When they arrived in the throne room, they stood to the right of King Imperial Might’s throne, as Queen Aurora sat on her own throne to his left. Imperial was already reading the day’s first petition, but he paused briefly to nod his approval when he saw them, while Aurora graced them with a smile. Although the King and Queen had their own schedules to attend to each day, Cinder Star was happy to be as close to her new family as possible and cherished every moment with them.

The rest of Royal Court consisted mostly of lords and ladies from the various corners of Unicornia, while others present held the title of count or countess. There were also several knights present including Majestic’s best friend Sir Light Shield, as well as Cinder Star’s stepsisters Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom, whom Cinder Star had invited to live in the castle as well. Although Majestic had been rather wary about them, as they had mistreated Cinder Star in the past, she had insisted that they had good hearts, so they were allowed to stay. By following Cinder Star’s example, they had become much kinder, and were now good friends and sisters to her. Rose Petal had even developed a love interest in Light Shield, and he with her, so she stood rather close to him as the day’s court began.

As soon as they entered, Cinder Star could hear the whispers spread around the Royal Court. Some were positive, but others were negative, and she knew why. Cinder Star and Majestic’s marriage had indeed caused quite a stir among the court’s members. There was no doubt that the entire court had been surprised when the unicorn prince had married an earth pony. Many soon became pleased with the marriage, but a few others were not. Slowly though, Cinder Star’s kindness was winning over their hearts despite the fact that she was an earth pony.

The Royal Court’s proceedings were typically standard, and Cinder Star was gradually getting used to the order of ceremonies. A unicorn or two would be allowed in, they would make their request or give their case to King Imperial Might, he would discuss the matter briefly with Queen Aurora and his advisors, then finally give his decision whether or not to grant the unicorn’s request, or pronounce judgment of a case. Cinder Star admired how seriously and carefully King Imperial took each petition so he could make the best decision possible.

This day’s court began as usual, but as Cinder Star had learned, no court was ever quite the same as that held the pervious day, and today would prove to be different indeed. The fourth case of the day concerned a dispute between a unicorn stallion and his wife. The stallion was a farmer who tended a large vineyard growing grapes and figs, but there was a fig tree in the midst of the vineyard that had not grown a single fig for the past three years. The farmer wanted to cut it down, but his wife, who had owned the land before they were married insisted that the tree remain, hoping that it might yet bear fruit. They had argued, but to no avail, and had now come before the king to decide between them.

King Imperial Might read their petition, and listened carefully to each of them. He thought for a moment, then turned to his advisors and asked what they thought of the matter. Each of his advisors agreed with the farmer, saying that the fig tree should be cut down. Imperial then asked Aurora how she saw the matter. She had been thinking deeply herself, but instead she replied, “I, myself, would like to hear what Princess Star has to say on the matter.”

Cinder Star jumped. Only on a rare occasion was she specifically asked for her opinion on a case. Usually she and Majestic were asked collectively what they thought, but she quickly composed herself. She had listened to the case, and, though she hadn’t expected to be asked for an opinion, she quickly and carefully considered her answer.

King Imperial nodded his head to Aurora’s request then turned to Cinder Star. “Well, Princess Star,” he asked. “What say you?” All eyes fell on Cinder Star.

“I think…” Cinder Star began nervously, but bravely continued, “I think that both sides are correct with what to do with the fig tree. I would suggest that, perhaps, for this year, let the tree alone. Dig around it, and give it both fertilizer and water. If it bears fruit next year, all is well with it, but if it does not, let it then be cut down. With all due respect, Your Majesty,” she finished with a small bow to King Imperial.

“That…” said Imperial, “Is a wonderful idea!” Aurora smiled with approval, and even the King’s advisors nodded their heads. “Very well,” continued Imperial as he turned to the farmer and his wife. “For this year, the fig tree will stand. Tend it carefully with fertilizer, but if the tree still does not bear fruit, only then shall you cut it down.” The farmer and his wife agreed, and thanked the king for his help then departed well content.

“Very wisely said,” Majestic complimented Cinder Star, causing her to blush.

“It just seemed the best way to make both of them happy,” she replied.

The whispers around the Royal Court were very much in favor with Cinder Star’s advice. Others simply shrugged it off, but there was one who could not stand it, or anything about Cinder Star for that matter. Her name was Countess Destiny. She was a unicorn mare only one year older than Cinder Star, and she hated her vigorously.

“Humph!” muttered Countess Destiny under her breath. “Says the earth pony who can’t even keep her shoes on. I’d expect any earth pony to say something like that. They all work down in the dirt anyway.”

As far as Destiny was concerned, nothing Cinder Star could ever say or do would ever be good enough for her. Destiny had tried for several years now to win Majestic’s affections. She was a bit pretty herself, with her smooth, white coat, ebony black mane, and emerald green eyes. She held the title of countess, but she wanted to be a princess. In a way, she liked Majestic, but she really wanted everything that came with being married to the prince of Unicornia. Now, however, she could only watch with deep jealously as Cinder Star was apparently living the life Destiny coveted. Cinder Star knew nothing of this.

From across the room, Destiny glared at Cinder Star. She could not understand where this ponymare had even come from. Destiny had also been at the recent ball. She had danced with Majestic, only for a mysterious, alicorn mare to steal him from her, and then disappear into the night. Like every other mare, Destiny had tried on the glass slipper, and was disappointed when it did not fit her, but she had figured that Majestic’s search for the mysterious mare would be in vain, and then he would marry her instead.

She was wrong. Majestic did find the mysterious mare, and there she was, married to Prince Majestic, wearing the tiara that Destiny believed was rightfully hers, and everyone called her ‘princess.’ Everything had then happened so quickly, but Destiny had known better than to object at the royal wedding, for that would have been most unwise. The worst part of it all was that the mysterious, alicorn mare turned out to be just an earth pony, and nothing else. It was all too much for Destiny.

“Yes,” she groused, “That phony, pony princess has to go, and when she’s gone, I’ll fill her place. My place.”

The rest of that day’s court was both orderly and cordial to all petitioners, and ended promptly at twelve, noon so that Imperial and Aurora could attend to other affairs. As Cinder Star and Majestic turned to leave the throne room, Majestic paused to speak with his friend, Sir Light Shield, while Cinder Star stopped briefly to speak with Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom. The pair of them bowed their heads in respect to her, but Cinder Star embraced each of them with a warm hug. “Dear, Sisters,” she greeted them.

“Princess Star,” the sisters answered humbly.

Cinder Star laughed. “Please,” she replied, “It’s all right to call me Cinder Star. I haven’t changed all that much.”

That made Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom giggle and they stood more at ease.

“How are you feeling?” asked Cinder Star. “Are you pleased with your rooms?”

“We are well, thank you,” replied Rose Petal.

“And our rooms are most comfortable,” added Cherry Blossom. She hesitated as her face fell, then said, “I… I still can’t believe that you’re letting us stay here, after all we did.”

“We were not very nice to you at all,” agreed Rose Petal shamefully. “We know that now.”

Cinder Star simply smiled and moved closer. “Oh, sisters,” she replied kindly. “You are the only sisters I have. I love you, and I’ve said that I forgave you. Besides…,” she teased, “I might worry about who would take care of you if I was not around.”

All three laughed at that. “Also,” Cinder Star added in a hushed tone, “Now that you’re both here, it should be fairly easy to find each of you a handsome companion. She winked, then looked at Rose Petal and grinned. “If I’m not mistaken, you already have your eye on a special someone.”

Rose Petal blushed, but smiled, “Um… well,” she replied. “I… I think so, or at least, I hope so.”

“Sir Light Shield is a good stallion,” reassured Cinder Star with a smile, “And a good catch. Anyone can see that he likes you.” She turned to Cherry Blossom. “I hope that you shall be just as fortunate as well.”

Cherry Blossom shrugged. “Perhaps,” she replied, but a very small smile appeared on her face, though she tried to hide it. “Perhaps,” she repeated.

“Very well,” answered Cinder Star. She saw that Majestic had returned to her side. “I must go now,” she said, “But I hope to talk to you again later.”

“Of course,” replied Cherry Blossom, as the sisters gave another short bow. “Indeed Princess Star,” said Rose Petal.

As Cinder Star and Majestic walked away, the sisters left the throne room themselves and began to walk down the hallway. Cherry Blossom however quickly realized that Rose Petal was starring at her. “What?” she asked.

“I know that look,” said Rose Petal. “I saw that little smile. I know that means something.”

“It’s nothing,” answered Cherry Blossom, and she tried to look away.

“Come on…,” prodded Rose Petal with a teasing voice. “What is it? You don’t have a secret romance, do you? Huh?”

“Er…, well…,” replied Cherry Blossom as she began to open up. “I just think that Sir Gallant is, um…, rather cute.” She then found herself blushing as she looked slowly up at her older sister.

“The quiet knight?” asked Rose Petal. She was a bit surprised, but a grin slowly spread on her face. Sir Gallant was a large, tall, unicorn stallion with a purple coat and a tan mane. Despite his size, he was quite a gentle giant, and spoke very little.

“W-what can I say?” asked Cherry Blossom defensively. “He’s very nice, and so strong, even if he doesn’t say very much!”

The sisters paused for a moment to look at each other, and then they broke out into giggles as they proceeded down the hall.

…

For the rest of the day Cinder Star and Majestic stuck to their schedule. Cinder Star did her best to assist Majestic in his royal duties, and around the castle in any way she could. She was happy to help and do her part, and also studied well alongside Majestic so she could assist him even more in the future. After all, they were stronger together. Following lunch, they took a walk through the castle gardens, then reviewed a regiment of guards, and finally met privately with a visiting official to help take pressure off King Imperial Might and Queen Aurora’s work load.

Cinder Star was pleased to meet as many unicorn officials as she could and befriend them. She considered that the more friends she had in her new position, the better, so she was happy to serve the part of a hostess, and performed the role very well with kindness and courtesy. For her efforts, she was increasingly gaining their trust and friendship. Cinder Star was indeed an active princess. She saw this as her duty and to help was her pleasure.

As much as they would have liked to however, Cinder Star and Majestic could not remain together for the entire day. Majestic was required to attend some of his meetings alone, so Cinder Star would read a book in the Royal Library, or go out to the castle’s fields to visit with her sheep friends. She would meet up again with Majestic later for dinner, and then they would enjoy a quiet evening in each other’s company. It was indeed a very pleasant life.

It was a pleasant life that Countess Destiny wanted to see come to an end. Ever since Cinder Star and Majestic had wed, Destiny had been trying to come up with a way to get rid of Cinder Star, but to no avail. That is, until now. Since she visited the castle often, she typically stayed in one of the guest rooms. After that day’s Royal Court had dispersed, Destiny had been returned to her room, and was lazily lounging in her sofa when a thought came to her. Why not ask the Royal Wizard for a magical solution to her problem?

An evil idea began to form in Destiny’s head. Magus, the Royal Wizard was the most powerful unicorn in Unicornia. His magic and skills, which he used for good, were unmatched by any other. As it was Presto’s desire to help make the lives of others better, Destiny knew that he would never harm anyone, but… if she could convince him to make a potion for her, she could do the rest herself. A wicked smile appeared on Destiny’s face as she formed her plan. It was so simple and sneaky it just might work. “Yes…” she mused, “That’s just what I’ll do.”

Eager to set her plan into effect, Destiny rose at once and made her way down the castle’s halls to the north tower, where Magus the wizard lived. Upon arriving she used the magic of her horn to open a wooden door, revealing stone steps that spiraled to the top of the tower. Destiny proceeded to climb the stairs, and at the top, found herself in front of another wooden door. On this door, she gave a soft, lady-like knock, but when no one answered, she scowled and knocked harder. “Come in,” she heard from the other side.

Destiny opened the door and found herself in a room that would overwhelm even the most noble of unicorns. Despite the seemingly crowded feel the room had, it was surprisingly tidy and neat. There were shelves lined with books along with various objects and bottles, each containing something different. Assorted maps and sketches hung from the walls, and a telescope pointed out one of the windows. A small cauldron hung over a little fire in a small, stone fireplace, and in front of a table, which held an elaborate chemistry set, and a tall, pointed, purple wizard’s cap, sat the great wizard himself who was watching a mixture of sorts change color.

Magus was a burnt orange unicorn with a white mane, and he was a very clever magician. Although he was known as a “great” wizard, he lived rather humbly. He had very few needs, and preferred to keep to himself rather than show off his magic, unless requested to do so by the king. Aside from this, he would gladly listen to anyone who came to him with a problem, and help them in any way he could. As Destiny entered the room, he calmly looked into a mirror he had placed on his desk and saw her standing in the doorway behind him, and addressed her by name without turning around, as he was watching the results of his experiment. “Good afternoon, Countess Destiny.”

“Good afternoon, Great Wizard Magus,” replied Destiny.

“Please,” replied Magus simply, “Just call me, Magus. No need for any fancy talk here.”

“Very well,” said Destiny. “Call me Countess.”

“As you wish,” said Magus as his experiment ended. Satisfied, he turned and now faced her. “How may I help you?”

“I have come to ask you for some magical assistance,” answered Destiny. “You see, I have a… rival that is annoying me, and has been for some time. I want to pay back my rival once and for all for what they’ve done to me.”

Magus frowned. “So you want revenge, Countess?” He asked. “You know that I do not use my magic to inflict harm on anyone, much less destroy them, and I never make poisons.”

Destiny took a step back. She had to choose her words carefully. “Oh, no, no, no!” she quickly said. “Nothing like that! I simply want to… teach my… rival… a lesson. Yes! Just for a short while, then… they will see my… perspective, and then we will all be the better for it. It’s just that, right now, my rival is a real pest! A bully even!”

“Hmmm,” said Magus thoughtfully. “A bully, you say? The kind that just won’t leave you alone, I take it, and you want to use magic to teach your friend a lesson?”

“Yes,” replied Destiny. “Do you think you can help me? Perhaps you can create a potion or a spell? Something that will… perhaps… make them as small as they have made me feel? Oh, but… not a frog. Ew. I hate frogs.”

Magus was quiet for a few moments, and then finally said, “Yes, I think I can make something for you. This is rather unusual, but I don’t happen to approve of bullies, and I suppose it is for the greater good if all will come out better from it. You said your friend make you feel small? Well, we will just have to give them a taste of their own medicine.” Using his magic from his horn, he summoned a book and began to flip through the pages. “Come back in an hour and I will have what you request.”

Destiny did not like waiting for anything, but she quietly nodded and left Magus to do his work. It was only one hour, but it felt like years for Destiny. Finally, the hour was up, and she returned to the north tower, this time carrying a bag around her neck to conceal whatever Magus gave her. She practically ran up the steps, and then forced herself to regain her composure before she knocked on the door.

“Come in, Countess,” said Magus.

Destiny let herself in, and walked into the middle of the room. “Do you have it?” she asked.

“You’re just in time,” answered Magus as he used his magic to dip a ladle into the pot that was hanging over the small fire, in which contained a mixture of a light blue color. Magus scooped some of the mixture out of the cauldron and carefully poured it into a little, glass bottle. “Here is the potion you seek,” he said, and gently gave Destiny the bottle. “Now, do be careful with this,” he warned her as she put the bottle inside her bag. “This magic is quite powerful.”

“What does it do?” asked Destiny. Magus explained the effects of the potion to her, how to make it work, and that the spell’s result was practically permanent. Destiny couldn’t help but let a small smile appear on her face when he asked her, “Will that do, Countess?”

“Yes,” Destiny replied. “I’m sure it will. Thank you, Magus. You have been most helpful.”

Magus was going to tell her how the spell could be broken, but she left so quickly that he didn’t get the chance to. He didn’t think too much of it though, as he was about to leave the castle for a week to collect leaves and herbs.

Destiny left the north tower feeling very pleased with herself indeed. She had lied to Magus about why she needed the potion, but she didn’t care. She now had what she needed to perform the next part of her plan, and getting what she wanted was all that mattered to her.

. . .

The next day, after the morning Royal Court had ended, Cinder Star decided to go out into the castle’s fields and visit her sheep friends. Majestic had to attend a private meeting with two unicorn counts, so Cinder Star had plenty of time to herself that afternoon. She left her tiara, sash and glass slippers in her room, and then trotted into the grassy fields to find her friends. The three ewes were delighted to see her again. She gave each one a warm hug, and then shared the latest news she had with them.

While Cinder Star chatted with her friends, she noticed a unicorn coming out across the fields to meet her. The unicorn was Countess Destiny. She had met her before several times in passing and knew her name. Destiny did not like walking in grassy fields. She thought she was too grand to do so, but today she had made an exception, and approached with a gentle smile on her face.

Cinder Star greeted her warmly as she came near. “Good afternoon, Countess Destiny!” she called cheerfully.

“Good afternoon, Princess Star,” replied Destiny in a smooth, but pleasant voice. “It is a… rather nice day, isn’t it?” she asked.

“It certainly is,” answered Cinder Star, “A good day to stretch your legs and get some fresh air.”

“Indeed,” said Destiny. Though, when she took a deep breath herself, she immediately looked at the three ewes with disgust, while Cinder Star was looking away. The three ewes, who were silently offended, looked back at her with distrustful eyes.

“So…,” continued Cinder Star, “You wanted to see me, Countess Destiny?” she asked.

“Ah, yes I did,” replied Destiny. “I was wondering if perhaps you would like to join me for tea. We haven’t really been given the chance to get to know each other before, and I thought that now would be a good time, if you accept my invitation, of course.”

“Oh yes! Certainly,” agreed Cinder Star. “Tea would be wonderful. That is most kind of you.”

“Excellent,” said Countess Destiny. “Follow me, my dear. I have so much to tell you.”

Cinder Star did so, after saying ‘Good bye’ to her sheep friends, she accompanied Destiny back to the castle. Destiny led the way back to her room where she politely let Cinder Star enter first, then followed, closing the door behind her. Once inside, Destiny offered Cinder Star a seat, a pillow next to a small table, then turned around to manage the tea that had been prepared earlier by a servant, and left on a stand.

“I’ve heard,” said Cinder Star, “That you know Their Majesties very well, Countess Destiny.”

“Please, Princess,” replied Destiny, “Call me Cou… ahem, I mean, call me Destiny, and yes, I do know them quite well.” She briefly glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Cinder Star wasn’t watching her, before quietly reaching for the small bottle Magus had given her. She quickly opened the bottle and poured its content into the tea cup she would give to Cinder Star, then turned around, carrying the tray with her horn’s magic.

“You see,” Destiny continued, “I have been a regular member of the Royal Court since I was but a foal. I spent many of my formative years around Prince Majestic, and I could tell you some of the most embarrassing stories about him in those days.” She chuckled as she put the tray down on the table, then set Cinder Star’s tea cup in front of her, and lifted her own with her magic.

Cinder Star laughed. “I imagine so,” she replied as she carefully lifted her tea cup in her fore hooves. “I take it then, that you and Majestic were close friends growing up?”

“You could say that,” answered Destiny, taking a small, lady like sip of her tea. She smiled wickedly as Cinder Star drank from her cup. Cinder Star had a little more than a sip, since she was a bit thirsty. Destiny put her tea cup down, and waited patiently.

“I wanted to ask…,” began Cinder Star. “If you could tell me about…,” she stopped speaking as she suddenly began to feel very ill. “Oh…, OH!” she groaned. The ache in her stomach only became worse. She squeezed her eyes shut, and fell upon her side on the floor. The illness seemed to course though her whole body. Then, suddenly, just as quickly as it had come, the illness faded away, and everything was still.

Cinder Star opened her eyes, still in a daze, and looked around. “Whoa!” she said. “What in Unicornia was that?!” She then noticed several large pieces of a broken tea cup. Surprised, she shook her head to clear it, and then looked again. They were indeed the broken pieces of a tea cup, the tea cup that she had dropped, but why were they so big?! She looked around the room. Everything was now much larger than it had been before, and Destiny, who was standing in front of her, now looked like a giant!

It was then that Cinder Star looked down at herself and gasped. Her body was still brown, but her fur was longer. Her ears were now round, and her mane had disappeared. Her hooves had been replaced by four feet, along with very short legs. She still had a red tail, but instead of the flowing hair she knew, it now seemed to be a long rope. Then she realized she was no longer a pony! She was a mouse! That was why everything was so big, because she was so small!

“Oh! Oh no!” exclaimed Cinder Star looked up at Destiny. Panic filled her voice as she cried, “What… What happened? What have you done to me?!”

Destiny simply laughed in a most evil way, and said, “You can squeak all you want, little mouse. It will do you very little good in your last few moments.”

“Last few moments?” asked Cinder Star “What do you mean...? Yipe!” she shouted as she jumped clear just before Destiny’s hoof slammed down on the floor right where she’d been standing.

“Now it’s my turn!” declared Destiny. “You stole Majestic away from me you little pest!”

“But…! But I never…! Yipe!” Cinder Star cried out, leaping out of the way as Destiny repeatedly tried to stomp on her.

“Now, with you out of my way, you silly earth pony, it will all be mine!” growled Destiny. “It’s all mine! I will be a princess!” She now had Cinder Star the mouse cornered.

“No! Wait! Please! I…!” cried Cinder Star, then she stopped talking as she realized that Destiny couldn’t understand her. She had said so herself. Cinder Star was talking, but now that she was a mouse, all Destiny heard from her were squeaks. She looked up in horror as Destiny raised her hoof again. She had to do something and fast! Thinking quickly, Cinder Star did the one thing she could think of. Pushing hard with her hind legs, she leapt straight up at Destiny’s face. She missed, but she did startle Destiny who stepped back and waved her fore hooves frantically.

“AHH! Get away from me!” yelled Destiny.

Not wasting a moment, Cinder Star raced passed her. She leapt for the window, and just caught it with her fore legs. Pulling herself up, she looked over the window’s edge, and her face paled with fear. It was a long drop down to the castle’s watery moat below, especially for a mouse.

“YOU!” shouted Destiny. Cinder Star looked back and saw Destiny rushing toward her. She had no choice. There was only one way to escape. Without a second thought she jumped over the side and fell down into the moat with a splash.

Destiny looked out from the window and scowled. “Well…,” she said, “That is not what I expected, but I suppose this is just as good. She’s gone.” She then fetched the broken tea cup pieces and the small bottle and tossed them out of the window as well. They fell into the moat and sank out of sight. “And no one will ever know,” she laughed to herself as she turned and walked away.

. . .

A moment passed, then two. Finally, Cinder Star the mouse broke the water’s surface sputtering and coughing out water as she waved her little legs frantically. She had never before learned how to swim, and now that she was a mouse, the moat seemed as wide as a river. “Help!” she shouted, or rather squeaked, “Help! I can’t swim! Oh, some one, please help me!”

“I’ll help you, Miss!” called a voice. Over the water, Cinder Star could see a white, field mouse leaping quickly from rock to rock. “Just keep your head above the water, and keep kicking your legs!” The field mouse then dove into the moat and began swimming toward her with expert speed. “Hold on, Miss! I’m coming! Just keep kicking!”

Cinder Star did as he said. She kept kicking at the water, doing her best to keep her head up, and would kick harder when she began to sink. This was, however, causing her to tire quickly, and her breathing became shorter and more rapid.

“Don’t give up!” called the field mouse. He was getting close, but still too far to reach her. “You can do it!”

His words were encouraging, and Cinder Star refused to give up, but she worried that her tiny body might give out on her anyway. Never-the-less, she kept kicking, even as her strength weakened. Every time she felt herself sink, she would kick again, even if in a desperate manner.

Then, just as she feared she’d given her last, she felt something grab her ear tightly, and pull her onto her side. When she looked, she saw that the field mouse had arrived to her aid, and, gripping her ear tightly in his mouth, was towing her back to shore, all while keeping her head up. “Gotcha!” he said. Cinder Star gave a sigh of relief, and began to breathe calmly, but deeply as he slowly pulled her to safety. It did hurt just a little, with him holding her ear in his mouth, but she didn’t care. She was too tired to care.

At last, after much struggling, the kind field mouse pulled Cinder Star onto the shore, opposite the moat from the castle. “Miss?” he asked, “Are you all right? My whiskers! I saw you fall! Are you hurt?”

Poor Cinder Star was too exhausted to say anything except, “Thank you, Sir… thank you,” before she passed out.

“Huh,” said the field mouse thoughtfully, “I have the strangest feeling that I’ve seen her before, but where?” Perhaps he would remember later. Right now, he had to help her. Carefully, he wriggled his way under her, so that she now rested on his back, and then began to walk slowly out into a field of tall grass.

. . .

It wasn’t long before Prince Majestic knew that something was wrong. Cinder Star had not met him after his meeting with the two Counts, and when she failed to join him and the king and queen for dinner, he began to feel uneasy. He first asked King Imperial Might and Queen Aurora if they had seen Cinder Star anytime after the morning Royal Court, but unfortunately they had not.

Majestic then excused himself and went to look for her. He looked in their rooms, where he found Cinder Star’s tiara, sash, and glass slippers, but no trace of Cinder Star herself. He then checked the library, the garden, and even the throne room, but still he couldn’t find her, and with every room he was getting more and more anxious. He even looked out over the fields from a high window, but she wasn’t there either. As he hurried down the hall, he passed his friend, Sir Light Shield, who knew at once that something was troubling Majestic.

“Jes?” he asked, concerned, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s Star!” replied Majestic. “I can’t find her anywhere! Have you seen her?”

“No, I haven’t,” said Light Shield. “Do you think she might have left the castle?” he asked.

“She would have told me if she was leaving,” answered Majestic, “And it will soon be nightfall!”

“Calm down,” said Light Shield. “I’m sure she’s alright. If you’re sure she hasn’t left the castle, then we will search it from top to bottom until we find her, but first we must inform Their Majesties of the situation.”

Majestic took a deep breath, and agreed. They then hurried to find King Imperial and Queen Aurora. As soon as they did, Majestic explained to them that he was convinced that Cinder Star was missing, and that the castle must be thoroughly searched immediately. Both the king and the queen were surprised at this news, and did not hesitate to authorize the search at once.

It wasn’t long before all the knights were called together in the throne room. They were informed that Princess Star was missing and they must search the entire castle and grounds. Majestic led the search for his wife, himself. Worried for their daughter-in-law, King Imperial and Queen Aurora even joined the search. True to Light Shield’s word, the entire castle was searched from the very top to the very bottom. The knights performed their task magnificently, searching every room twice, but their efforts were in vain.

It was late when they all returned to the throne room with nothing to show for their efforts. Majestic was now more distraught than ever. By now, the castle’s entire staff, and inhabitants were aware that Princess Star was missing, so it was no surprise when King Imperial summoned the entire staff, and they all came as quick as they could. Among the crowd were Countess Destiny, who did her best to look innocent, and Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom, who were worried for their sister.

King Imperial addressed them all. “Stallions, and mares,” he announced, “As I’m sure you all know by now, Princess Star is missing. We have conducted an entire search of the castle and grounds, but have not found her. I ask you now, has anyone present here seen her at any time this afternoon or evening?”

There was silence as every unicorn shook their head ‘No.’ “Then,” continued King Imperial, “It distresses me greatly to say, that the possibility of her being foal-napped must now be considered. However, before we extend our search out into the kingdom, have any of you seen anyone or anything suspicious in the castle today, or recently? And I mean ANYTHING! If you have, please speak now.”

At first there was silence, and then a voice cried out, “I think I saw something!” Every one turned to see who had spoken. The voice belonged to none other than Countess Destiny. “I’m sure I saw something that will help,” she said.

“You have!?” asked Majestic, “What did you see!? What was it?”

“Speak,” said King Imperial.

Countess Destiny raised her left fore hoof, as if she were trying to remember, then she said, “Earlier this afternoon, I saw two mares enter the chambers you share with the Princess. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now that Princess Star is missing…”

“Who were these mares?” asked Majestic.

Destiny slowly lifted her hoof again, and then suddenly pointed at Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom. “It was them!” Destiny declared. A gasp filled the room, and the two sisters’ mouths dropped open in shock. “Whatever happened to the princess, THEY must be responsible for it!”

“NO!” shouted Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom together.

Majestic approached the pair with a stern look on his face. He had always been wary of them, and now he looked at them with the gravest suspicion. “Did you do this!?” he demanded. “Did you go into our chambers today?”

“What? No!” answered Rose Petal. “We were in our room all afternoon! I was reading a book, and Cherry was napping.”

“We haven’t seen Princess Star all day!” agreed Cherry Blossom. “Not since this morning’s court.”

“They lie!” called Countess Destiny. “I saw them enter!”

“But we didn’t!” exclaimed Rose Petal.

“We would never hurt our sister!” cried Cherry Blossom.

“Is there anyone who can confirm your story?” asked Majestic.

The sisters looked at each other despairingly, and then solemnly answered, “No.”

“We also know of the past deeds of these two,” said Destiny “How they mistreated Princess Star in her youth simply because she was a pony. Their word cannot be trusted! They must have gone back to their old ways!”

That was enough for Majestic. “What have you done with Star?” he asked in a serious tone. “Where is she?”

The sisters could not believe what was happening, and tears were now welling in their eyes. “But… but… we don’t know. We didn’t do anything,” said Cheery Blossom.

Rose Petal desperately looked at Light Shield, whom she loved. “Light Shield,” she said trembling, “You believe me. Don’t you?” Light Shield opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His mind was now quite conflicted. He wasn’t sure what to think. He was suddenly caught between his sense of duty, and his feelings toward Rose Petal.

At that point, Majestic looked at King Imperial who sighed, then nodded his head. Majestic turned back to Rose Petal and Cheery Blossom. “I cannot believe you two!” he said. “How could you do this? Star loved you. She trusted you, and now you do this?! You won’t even tell me where she is! Well then, perhaps you two can think about changing your mind in the dungeon. Guards!” he called. “Take them away!” Within moments, Rose Petal and Cheery Blossom both found themselves flanked on either side by two guards who firmly led them away, and then down some dark stairs.

Majestic then turned to Light Shield, and said, “Please see to them personally, Sir Light Shield. Tomorrow, I shall begin searching the kingdom for Princess Star. If they will not tell us where she is, then I will find her again myself.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” replied Light Shield with a short bow. He then trotted after the guards down to the castle’s dungeon, where he watched them marshal the sisters into a cell. Light Shield sighed as he took the keys from a hook, and locked the iron bar door behind them. The bars of the cell were enchanted so that unicorns could not use their magic to escape. From the other side, Rose Petal could only look at him sorrowfully. “Shield…” she whispered.

“I’m sorry, Rose,” said Light Shield sadly. “I want to believe you, but I can’t disobey an order.” With that, he walked silently away.

. . .

Meanwhile, above the dungeon, King Imperial had dismissed the knights and the rest of the castle staff for the evening. As the crowd dispersed, Countess Destiny walked quietly back to her room. Once she was inside, she chuckled, and smiled wickedly again. Cinder Star’s stepsisters made the perfect suspects, and the perfect cover for Destiny’s tracks. She didn’t think they belonged in the Royal Court anyway. Destiny had been a trusted member of the Royal Court for years now, so no one had any reason to suspect her of anything, and now that she had tricked them into believing they had their villains, no one ever would. Her plan was almost complete. Of course, Prince Majestic would scour the Kingdom of Unicornia looking for Cinder Star, but this time, when he had failed to find her, Destiny would be conveniently waiting right here to comfort him. Nothing could stop her now.

. . .

Cinder Star the mouse woke up on a small bed of leaves. She sat up and looked warily around her. She didn’t know where she was, or how she got there, but she could see that she was inside an underground burrow. It had been dug out of the ground, and leaves and grass had been brought in to provide warmth. She saw that there were two tunnels that led away from the little room she was in, one of which had to lead up to the ground’s surface. It was quite a cozy little place, but then Cinder Star noticed two empty leaf beds opposite from where she sat.

“H-Hello?” she called nervously. “Is someone there?”

She heard the sound of a creature scurrying, and then a white field mouse appeared from one of the tunnels. When Cinder Star saw him, she thought for a moment, and then recognized him as the field mouse who had saved her from the moat.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re all right!” said the field mouse. “I was beginning to worry about you, Miss. “Honey!” he called up the tunnel he had come from. “Come on down! She’s awake!” Cinder Star could understand him for she was a mouse herself now.

There was another sound of scurrying, and then another field mouse appeared. She looked just like the first, but slightly smaller. “She is?” she asked. “She is! Oh, wonderful! Don’t you worry dear,” she said quickly. “You’re safe here. My husband told me all about your ordeal.”

“This is my lovely lady,” introduced the field mouse, “My wife. I am Mr. Mouse, and she is Mrs. Mouse.”

“I am… pleased to meet you,” said Cinder Star nervously. Somehow she had a strange feeling that she had met them before.

“Do you remember what happened?” asked Mr. Mouse. “I saw you fall from the castle’s window, and then I saved you.”

“I remember,” replied Cinder Star in a quiet voice.

“I must say,” continued Mr. Mouse, “I was surprised when you shouted that you couldn’t swim. I’ve never even heard of a mouse that could not swim, but I wasn’t going to just leave you there either.”

“Th-That’s because I’m not a mouse!” cried Cinder Star in despair. “I’m a pony! I’m supposed to be a pony! Oh, how could this have happened?! She exclaimed as tears filled her eyes and she began to cry.

“Now, now…,” said Mrs. Mouse gently, as she sat down beside Cinder star, and held her close so as to comfort her. “There, there. Everything is going to be all right dear. Take a deep breath.”

“Oh, dear,” said Mr. Mouse. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you, Miss.”

Cinder Star took a deep breath, and stopped crying as she calmed down. She took another then said, “No. It wasn’t you, or anything you said. It’s only that, I-I’ve never been so frightened before. She… she tried to kill me!”

“Shhh…” said Mrs. Mouse soothingly. “Why don’t you start from the beginning dear, and then we will see what we can do about it?” Cinder Star nodded in agreement.

“Forgive me, Miss,” said Mr. Mouse rather sheepishly, “But I’ve neglected to ask you your name.”

Cinder Star looked down at her feet for a moment, remembering how only yesterday there had been hooves, and then she replied, “Star. My name is Star, Cinder Star.”

The mouths of both Mr. and Mrs. Mouse dropped open in shock. “Cinder Star?!” asked Mr. Mouse. “Your name is Cinder Star?!”

“Yes, it is,” answered Cinder Star, a bit surprised at this. “Have we met before?” she asked.

“Indeed we have!” exclaimed Mrs. Mouse excitedly. “We were your little friends!”

“You saved us from your stepmother, and gave us food and care,” explained Mr. Mouse. “Then the Flurry turned us into horses and we had the honor to pull your carriage to that ball, and repay you for you kindness. I thought I recognized you!”

Cinder Star’s eyes widened with wonder. “It is you!’ she gasped with happiness. “I thought that I recognized you two as well. I had hoped that you were all safe and happy.”

“And indeed we are!” replied Mr. Mouse with a smile. “We all returned to these fields from which we came. My lady and I decided to stay together and now we’re married as you can see.”

“I am so glad to hear that,” said Cinder Star. “Where are the other four?” she asked curiously.

“Oh, the twins live in the next field,” answered Mrs. Mouse. “The other two live on the edge of the woods, and they are all very well with homes of their own.”

“It is wonderful to see you again, Cinder Star,” said Mr. Mouse. “We had heard that you and the prince got married, so now you’re a princess, and… oh, dear.” His voice filled with worry as he realized Cinder Star’s predicament. “I suppose we should let you tell us what happened,” he finished quietly.

Cinder Star’s face fell. “Yes,” she replied, and then proceeded to tell her mice friends her story. She told them all that she knew of how Countess Destiny had tricked her and turned her into a mouse, and then of her escape.

“Oh, you poor dear,” said Mrs. Mouse sympathetically, once Cinder Star had finished. “That’s terrible!”

“It most certainly is!” said Mr. Mouse, “And shame on that no-good Destiny! How could she do such a thing?”

“Is…is there any way you can please help me?” asked Cinder Star hopefully. “I know that it’s a lot to ask, but I must get back to Majestic, and find a way to break this spell.”

“Of course we will help you!” replied Mrs. Mouse. “Won’t we?” she asked her husband in a no-nonsense voice.

“Yes, we will,” agreed Mr. Mouse. “But I’m trying to think of how we can help.” He was quiet for a few moments as he pondered the situation, until he finally said, “I don’t think we can help you break your spell and turn you back into a pony. However, we can help you get back into the castle so you can find your husband, but, to do so, you will need to learn something first, something we can teach you.

“What is that?” asked Cinder Star.

“How to be a mouse,” replied Mr. Mouse.

Cinder Star nodded. “I will do it,” she answered determinedly, “If it will help me return to my Jes.”

“Very good,” said Mr. Mouse. “We will begin tomorrow, after breakfast.”

Mr. Mouse was as good as his word. Cinder Star’s lessons began the very next day, and for the next week, Mr. and Mrs. Mouse taught Cinder Star how to be a mouse. There was much to learn, and Cinder Star did her best to master each skill presented to her by her friends in the grassy field and in the town.

It wasn’t long before Cinder Star realized that there were just as many advantages to being as small as a mouse, as there were to being a pony. During the week she learned how to scurry through tight spaces, climb, leap, swim, and even walk on a rope, all on her four little feet. Being small made much of these skills easier to learn, but she still had to practice to be just as fast as Mr. and Mrs. Mouse. They even taught her how to write in the dirt with the aid of a small twig. It also occurred to her that several of these skills could also be shared in common between mice and horses alike.

By the end of the week, Cinder Star could scurry just as fast as Mr. Mouse, and leap as far as Mrs. Mouse. She had even helped them escape, the previous day, from a cat in the town by using her new found skills to wiggle and squeeze under a fence, leap up onto a gate, and unlock it, releasing a dog that chased the cat away. She did not particularly enjoy that little escapade, but she was happy to have helped her friends out of a tight spot. Mr. and Mrs. Mouse were grateful for her help, and just as pleased with the progress Cinder Star had made with her lessons.

It was noon on the seventh day when Mr. Mouse informed Cinder Star that her lessons were complete. “The time has come,” he said. We have taught you everything we can, and you have learned well,” he complimented her. “Now, you are ready to return home.”

Cinder Star was very happy to hear this news. She was excited be going home, but she was still just a little nervous about it as well. “I cannot thank you enough for all that you have done for me,” she replied. “I do feel confident in myself, but I… I still would like to ask, will you come with me?”

“I will,” answered Mr. Mouse, “But I can only go with part of the way. You see, I only know so much about the castle. I can help you navigate through the mouse tunnels in the walls, but beyond that, the rest will be up to you.”

“Thank you,” said Cinder Star. “I appreciate that very much.”

“Of course,” said Mr. Mouse. “We must hurry. We haven’t a moment to lose, and a lot can happen in just one day. Are you ready to go?”

“Yes, I am,” answered Cinder Star with determination. Mrs. Mouse would be staying behind, so Cinder Star said ‘good bye’ and ‘thank you’ to her at the burrow, and gave her a warm, departing hug, and then she and Mr. Mouse set off for the castle. Cinder Star was at last on her way home.

. . .

Just as Cinder Star the mouse was beginning her journey home, a certain unicorn wearing a purple wizard’s cap appeared on the far side of the castle’s fields. Magus the wizard was only now returning from his trip to the woods where he had collected many leaves and herbs for his experiments. He was glad to be home, and was looking forward to a rest before starting his work again, when he noticed three sheep looking miserable not far off in the field he was passing through. Concerned, he turned and redirected his steps toward them to find out what was wrong. “Good afternoon ewes,” he greeted, and then asked, “What seems to be the matter?”

The three ewes looked up and the first answered, “Don’t you know?” she asked. “Our beloved Cinder Star is missing, and no one has found her yet.”

“We are all very worried for her,” said the second ewe.

Magus was surprised. “Cinder Star, as in Princess Star?” he asked in disbelief. “The princess is missing? How can that be? When did this happen?”

“She went missing seven days ago,” replied the third ewe.

“My goodness!” cried Magus. “This is terrible! Princesses do not simply disappear! Something must have happened to her! When was the last time that anyone saw Princess Star?”

“We can not say for anyone else,” replied the third ewe, “But the last time we saw her was the day she disappeared.”

“That’s right,” confirmed the first ewe. “She was talking with us, and then a white unicorn with a blaaack mane led her away to the castle.”

Magus blinked several times as he pondered all of this. Thoughts began to fall into place in his mind. “This unicorn you saw with the princess,” he asked, “By any chance, was her name Countess Destiny?”

“Yes!” replied the first ewe. “It was.”

“We all thought she was a baaad sort,” said the second ewe. “But why do you ask?”

“Follow me!” said Magus. “I’ll explain on the way. We must hurry and find Prince Majestic at once!”

. . .

Meanwhile, inside the castle, Countess Destiny was slyly making her way to Majestic and Cinder Star’s chambers. Seven days had passed since Cinder Star had disappeared. The castle had become a sad, quiet place. The loss of the princess had seemingly drained the life out of everyone residing there. Everyone that is, except for Countess Destiny. She was quite cheerful, but she tried not to show it as she passed through the halls. Cinder Star had now been gone for seven days, and Destiny felt confident that the time had come for her to complete her plan.

Destiny reached the chambers of the prince and princess without any trouble, and quietly let herself in. Soon enough, she thought, this would all be hers. She looked around the room, and seeing the neatly sheeted bed, she decided upon her course of action. Greed filled her heart as she thought of all the things she would do now that she was sure to become a princess.

Halfway to the bed, she stopped when she spied Cinder Star’s tiara sitting on the table where she had left it. Destiny trotted over to it, and grinned as she used her magic to place it on her head. “Mine at last,” she chuckled to herself. She then noticed Cinder Star’s glass slippers close by, and couldn’t resist trying them on. Strangely, unlike before, they fit her as she slid her hooves into them. They were just a little tight, but she didn’t care as she posed in front of a tall mirror. “Now, I really do look like a princess,” she said to her reflection. With a devious grin, she then made her way to the bed, and lay herself down upon it. All she had to do now, was wait for Majestic to arrive.

. . .

It took some time, and a bit of a struggle, but Cinder Star the mouse and Mr. Mouse arrived at the Castle and made their way inside. They scurried across the moat on one of the strong ropes attached to the drawbridge, so as not to be accidentally trampled on. Then they carefully make their way down to the ground, and slipped inside through a small hole at bottom of the castle wall. Once inside, Mr. Mouse took the lead as they began to follow the mouse tunnels inside the walls. The tunnels were dark and damp, but Mr. Mouse knew where he was going so Cinder Star wasn’t afraid.

There were many twists and turns in the mouse tunnels, and twice they had to leap across a gap in the stone work, but they kept going steadily and carefully forward. Finally, they stopped when they came to a small mouse hole, providing an exit into the castle’s dungeon. “This is as far as I go,” said Mr. Mouse. “I’m sorry that I can not do more, but I don’t know how to get around the castle. I hope everything turns out all right Cinder Star.”

“It’s all right,” replied Cinder Star. “Don’t worry. I could not ask you to do more than you already have for me. Thank you so much, my friend.” She then kissed his forehead, causing him to blush. “Is there anything that I can do to repay you?” she asked. “I promise you and your wife can come and live with me in the castle if you wish.”

Mr. Mouse smiled, but shook his head. “No, thank you,” he answered. “We are field mice, and we belong in the field we love. We need no reward. It was our pleasure. Anything to help you, friend.”

“Well,” said Cinder Star. “I promise to come and visit you, now that I know where you live, and I’ll bring some cheese for you as well.”

“That would be wonderful,” replied Mr. Mouse. “I will look forward to it.” He then gave her a short bow as he said, “Good bye, Princess. I wish you good luck.”

“Good bye, Mr. Mouse,” said Cinder Star. “Thank you for everything.”

Mr. Mouse smiled once more, and then with that, he turned and scurried away. Cinder Star watched him until she could see him no more, then she turned herself and approached the small mouse hole. She poked her head out, looked around, and was very surprised with what she saw. There, huddled in the dungeon cell, were her sisters, Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom.

. . .

Cherry Blossom sighed. She and Rose Petal had been locked in the castle dungeon for seven days now, and they were miserable. Every day Sir Light Shield would come by and ask them if they had anything they wanted to confess, and each time Rose Petal would plead with him that they knew nothing about Cinder Star’s disappearance. Today had been no different. Cherry Blossom sighed again, then stood up and began to pace around the little cell. “There has got to be something to all of this,” she said after a few moments. “There has to be! This just doesn’t add up!”

“You’re right,” replied Rose Petal wearily. “We’ve both been trying to solve this mystery, but we keep coming up with no explanation.”

“Yes,” answered Cheery Blossom, “But there has to be something that we’ve missed,” she persisted. “Princess Star wouldn’t just disappear, and she wouldn’t leave us behind to get blamed for her disappearance either. There has to be some dirty work a-hoof.”

“Quite right,” agreed Rose Petal, standing up as well, “But what? Neither of us saw Star that day. We’re certain of that. So what detail are we missing?!”

Cheery Blossom stopped pacing, and sighed for the third time, as she hung her head low. “I don’t know. I just don’t know.” She slowly lifted her head and faced her sister. “But, maybe… maybe this is justice for us. You know how terrible we treated Star back when we lived with mother.”

“I remember,” replied Rose Petal. “There is no denying that. It was because of us that she slept on the stone hearth of the fireplace.” She tapped her hoof on the stone and dirt floor. “And now it looks as though our deeds are justly being repaid to us.”

“Oh, if only we knew what happened to her!” cried Cherry Blossom in despair.

At that moment, the sisters were suddenly surprised when a small, brown mouse popped through a hole in the wall and landed on the stone floor. The mouse looked up at them, and began to squeak.

“Ahhh!” screamed Rose Petal as she panicked, and instantly hopped up onto her straw bed, “A mouse!”

“Help!” yelled Cherry Blossom, “Don’t let it get us!” She quickly joined her sister, and the two of them hugged each other tightly as they both tried to only stand on one hind leg.

Cinder Star the mouse looked up at her two panicking sisters, and quickly tried to calm them down. “No, sisters!” she said. “It’s only me!” She then stopped when she realized once again that they couldn’t understand her. “That’s right,” she said quietly to herself, “I’m still a mouse. All they hear from me are squeaks.”

She looked around the cell, and then smiled when she saw a fair sized splinter that had broken off from one of the straw bed frames lying in the floor. “But they will understand this!” she said as she picked up the splinter in her little hands and began to write letters in the dirt on the floor.

Rose Petal and Cheery Blossom continued to scream in horror for a few moments more before Rose Petal finally had the courage to look down at the mouse once more, and was surprised all over again by what she saw. She couldn’t believe her eyes. “Cherry!” she said. “Look! Look at the mouse!”

“What is it doing?” asked Cheery Blossom, who was too afraid to look.

“The mouse is writing!” answered Rose Petal. “It’s writing something on the floor!”

Slowly Cherry Blossom looked down as saw that her sister was telling the truth. “What… What is it writing?” she asked bewildered.

Rose Petal peered forward, and began to read what the mouse had written. “I… AM…” She gasped at what she saw next. “CINDER STAR!” she finished.

“Cinder Star?” asked Cheery Blossom. “No! That’s not possible!”

“But, look!” insisted Rose Petal. “That’s what it says!”

Sure enough, Cinder Star the mouse had written, ‘I AM CINDER STAR’ in the dirt and was now sitting patiently beside it. The two sisters carefully let go of each other, and made their way down from the bed. They slowly approached, and lowered their heads to take a better look. “It’s true!” exclaimed Cheery Blossom.

The sisters then looked at the little, brown mouse. “S-Star?” asked Rose Petal. “Is that you?” Cinder Star smiled and nodded her head.

Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom’s eyes widened in alarm as their mouths fell open. “Oh no!” cried Rose Petal. “Sister! What has happened to you?!” she asked.

“How in Sewell did you become a mouse?!” asked Cheery Blossom.

Cinder Star picked up the splinter and began to write again. This time she wrote: ‘COUNTESS DESTINY.’

Cherry Blossom’s head shot up at once. “So that’s what happened!” she exclaimed with a stamp of her hoof. “It all makes sense now! She’s the one who accused us, and caused us to be thrown in here!”

“Yes,” replied Rose Petal, “But what can we do?” she asked, and then noticed that Cinder Star had began to write once more. ‘NEED MAJESTIC’ wrote Cinder Star.

“Right!” said Rose Petal, “Of course! We need to get her to the prince, and quickly!”

“What’s going on in there?!” came a familiar voice from down the hall. A few moments later Sir Light Shield appeared. “What’s all the yelling about?” he asked.

Rose Petal bounded over to the bars. “Shield!” she said excitedly. “We found Star! Princess Star! She’s the mouse! We…”

“Hold on!” interrupted Light Shield. “Slow down. Please. Now, what’s this about the princess?”

“She’s a mouse!” answered Rose Petal. “She’s been turned into a mouse!”

“It’s the truth,” confirmed Cherry Blossom. She hurried over back over to Cinder Star, and carefully stretched out her muzzle toward her. “Climb on, sister,” she quickly said. Cinder Star hopped on to Cherry Blossom’s muzzle and Cheery Blossom wasted no time in bringing her over to Light Shield. “THIS is Princess Star!” she said. “She was turned into a mouse by Countess Destiny!”

“And we need to take her to Prince Majestic right away!” finished Rose Petal.

“How do you know this?” asked Light Shield.

“She told us herself,” replied Rose Petal. She walked over to the writing in the dirt and pointed to it with her hoof. “You see?” she asked. “This is what she wrote!”

Light Shield looked down at the words, then up at the brown mouse sitting on Cherry Blossom’s muzzle. This sudden information was very interesting to him, but he was still doubtful. “I… don’t know,” he said. “Either of you could have easily written those words yourself.”

“But we didn’t!” cried Rose Petal. She returned to the bars. “Please, Shield!” she said desperately. “Please. You have to believe me.” She pressed her muzzle against the bars and just managed to touch Shield’s nose with her own. “I’m telling you the truth.”

Light Shield looked into Rose Petal’s lovely, green eyes. He was fighting the conflict within himself. He had his orders, but he loved Rose Petal. There was some reason to doubt this incredible story, but as he looked deep into her eyes, all he saw was pure honesty. “All right,” he said at last. “I believe you.” He looked at the brown mouse on Cherry Blossom’s muzzle. “Princess Star?” he asked. “Is that you?”

“Yes!” Cinder Star squeaked, and nodded her head several times.

Light Shield’s eyes widened. “Oh my!” he said. He quickly fetched the keys to the cell, and released Rose Petal and Cheery Blossom. “Hurry!” he said. “Come with me! We have to find Jes immediately!”

. . .

Prince Majestic was slowly making his way back to his chambers. He was tired and sad. It had been a week since his beloved Star had disappeared. He had valiantly scoured the kingdom every day since then, searching high and low for her in the town and in the country, but his efforts had been in vain. He had even checked to see if she was at her stepmother’s house, but there was no sign of Princess Star anywhere. If only he yfor Star were just about all that he had left to hold on to.

He had now returned to the castle. Although he was tired, he wasn’t about to give up, but he and the knights that had accompanied him had exhausted their supplies, and had to restock before returning to the search. He didn’t want to rest, not until he had found his wife again, but he knew that his knights needed to rest, so had agreed to return, and hold off the search for one day.

Upon reaching the door to his and Cinder Star’s chambers, he opened it, and entered. He was planning to wash his face, and then begin thinking of a new way to find Star when he heard a mare’s smooth voice. “Hello, Jes.”

Majestic turned around fast, and was very much surprised to see Countess Destiny lying upon the bed. He certainly had not expected to see her, of all unicorns, on his bed, but what annoyed him was that she was wearing Cinder Star’s tiara and glass slippers. He frowned with disapproval.

“What are you doing here, Destiny?” he asked. “And take my wife’s things off at once!” he demanded.

Countess Destiny was a little embarrassed by this, since this wasn’t exactly how she had imagined their conversation to begin. She rose from the bed, and used her magic to levitate Cinder Star’s tiara off of her head, but instead of putting it back down on the table, she simply held it behind her with her magic. She just couldn’t let go of it yet. “I’m sorry, Jes,” Destiny replied. “I just saw them, and thought they were so pretty.” She shook one of her fore hooves to kick off the glass slipper on it, but it stuck firmly to her hoof. Destiny simply shrugged at this, and continued to ask with false concern, “Did you find Princess Star anywhere in your travels?”

“No, not yet,” Majestic sighed. “But I have not given up yet either. I will find her again.”

“Of course you will,” said Destiny, using her silk, smooth voice again. “Of course, but, I wanted to ask you, what will you do if you do not?”

“I MUST find her again!” replied Majestic determinedly. “It’s not a question of if, but when.”

“Indeed, Jes,” continued Destiny. Undeterred, she began to move closer to him. “But you know how cruel the world can be. There is a chance that you may not find her.”

“No!” answered Majestic quickly. “I cannot lose Star! She… she means everything to me.” He turned away from her, and had to take a deep breath to calm himself down. Truthfully, he was afraid of the possibility that Destiny might be right.

Destiny knew this. She could tell by just looking at him. “Perfect!” she thought to herself. “I have him just where I want him.”

“It’s all right,” she said soothingly as she came up beside him, and noticed a tear in his eye. She lightly brushed her neck against his. “I understand. Let it all out. I know this is hard for you, but you will recover.”

Majestic lifted his head at that, and then looked at Destiny. His left eyebrow rose. “What are you saying?” he asked.

“I am only saying,” replied Destiny, “That I am here for you, Jes, and I always will be. We have known each other for so long, and besides,” she finished, “She was only an earth pony after all.”

That caught Majestic’s attention. He whirled around, and looked Destiny straight in the eye. “Hold on!” he said severely. “What is that supposed to mean? What do you think this is? What exactly do you think is going on here? Just what do you mean by, “She was only an earth pony?”” he asked suspiciously. “You used the word, ‘was,’ in the past tense, as if Star is gone for good. What do you know about this Destiny?”

Destiny stepped back. Majestic’s reaction had caught her off guard. The tables had suddenly been turned on her! “Well I…I…I only meant…”

She didn’t get to say anymore, for at that moment, Light Shield, Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom burst into the room. “Jes!” yelled Light Shield. “Stop whatever your doing!” He then noticed Destiny also in the room. “And stop her too!” he added, pointing his hoof at her. “She did this! She was behind everything!”

“What do you mean?” asked Majestic, who was rather only half surprised by this intrusion.

“We found Princess Star!” said Rose Petal.

Majestic was now genuinely surprised by this. “What?!” he asked. “You did? When? Where is she?!” He demanded.

“She’s right here,” replied Cherry Blossom, as she stepped forward, and lifted her right fore leg. From the top of her head, a small, brown mouse ran down Cherry Blossom’s neck and then down her leg until she had reached the end of her hoof. The brown mouse then stood up, looked straight at Majestic, and squeaked. “This mouse is Princess Star!” declared Cheery Blossom.

Destiny gasped in shock, but she quickly closed her mouth to hide it. However, in her surprised state, she let go of the tiara she was holding in her magic. It fell and made only the slightest sound when it hit the carpeted floor behind her, but it was enough to make Destiny jump. Majestic’s face showed both wonder and shock as he looked down at the little, brown mouse on Cherry Blossom’s hoof. “R-Really?” he asked with a stutter.

“It’s true,” answered Light Shield. “The mouse before you is Princess Star, your wife.”

Almost instinctively, Majestic lifted his right fore leg to match Cherry Blossom’s. As soon as he did, the little, brown mouse hopped onto his hoof. He then raised his hoof and lowered his head down to take a closer look. There was indeed something familiar about her. “S-Star?” he asked. For a moment, the brown mouse looked up at him with pleading eyes, as he starred back into her own, and then realized that he recognized those eyes. They were the eyes of none other than his beloved Star!

“Star!” cried Majestic, overcome with joy. “It is you! My wife! Oh, Star…” His face then fell as he realized the severity of her situation. “Oh no!” he cried. “What has happened to you, Star?!”

“She happened to her,” answered Rose Petal, pointing an accusing hoof at Destiny. “She turned Princess Star into a mouse to get rid of her, and then made sure that we would be blamed for it!”

Majestic quickly turned, and glared at Destiny. His eyes flashed with anger. “You did this?!” he demanded. “You did this! How dare you!”

“What?! No!” said Destiny, quickly lying to save herself. “I would never… Ow!” She exclaimed suddenly, and looked down at her hooves. The glass slippers she was wearing had suddenly become tighter.

“I thought I told you to take those off!” said Majestic harshly.

Feeling the tension in the room rising, Destiny tried again to take the glass slippers off. She shook her hooves forcefully, and tried to push them off by sitting down and putting one hoof on top of the other, but they wouldn’t budge. “I-I can’t!” said Destiny, as worry and fear filled her voice. “They’re too tight! They’re stuck!”

“Lies hurt. Do they not, Countess?” said a voice. Everyone turned to see Magus the wizard enter the room, followed by the three sheep.

“That’s her!” said the third ewe. “The baaad unicorn!”

“You took away our Cinder Star!” said the first ewe.

“W-What?” asked Destiny.

“Lies,” repeated Magus, “Just like all the lies you told me about needing a transformation potion to teach a bully a lesson. There was no bully! You tricked me! You convinced me to make you a potion, and then you gave it to Princess Star, your rival, so that you could eliminate her as a threat to your plans. Is that not correct, Countess?” he asked.

“No!” Destiny lied again. “It wasn’t me! It was…OW!” she cried out as the glass slippers became even tighter on her hooves. “What is happening?!”

“Those are magic slippers, Countess,” replied Magus calmly. “They can look into your heart. They know you are not their owner, and they know what you did to her. You then tried to steal them, so now they are seeing to it that you do not get away with your crimes. That is why they fit you. Now, every time you lie, they become tighter and tighter on your hooves. Only the truth will set you free, Countess, so I suggest that you start telling the truth.”

“I’m telling you I don’t know what you are talking about!” yelled Destiny. “I…OWWW!!!” she screamed in pain, as she fell upon her side on the floor. The glass slippers were now much tighter than ever before. “My hooves! Oh, my hooves! OH! OH! Make it stop!” she begged.

“Tell the truth, Countess,” said Magus. “I think this is your last chance. Your hooves are going to crack before those slippers do.

There was no other option. Destiny knew that she was defeated. “Oh! All right!" She cried out. "I confess! It was all me! I tricked the wizard into making me a magic potion! I tricked Princess Star into drinking the potion that turned her into a mouse! I then tried to kill her, but she escaped, and I falsely accused her sisters of the crime! It was my entire plan to steal Majestic and become a princess!” At that moment, the glass slippers instantly loosened and fell from Destiny’s hooves, much to her relief.

“Well now, that’s settled,” said Majestic, “We will deal with you later.” He turned to Magus the wizard. “You said she tricked you into making a potion that caused this spell. Is there a way to break it, and restore Star?” he asked, concern rising in his voice.

“Yes, please!” squeaked Cinder Star the mouse, as she leaned forward on Majestic’s hoof hopefully.

“Of course there is,” replied Magus. “The spell has a simple remedy. To break it, all you have to do is give Princess Star true love’s kiss, but she must be touching something that she, herself, owns.

“That’s easy!” said Cherry Blossom. She quickly picked up one of the glass slippers from the floor, and held it up next to Cinder Star, who quickly hopped into it. “There,” she finished. “Now kiss her!”

“That is true,” confirmed Rose Petal with a nod. “Those are hers.”

Majestic sat down on the floor, while Cherry Blossom carefully placed the glass slipper carrying Cinder Star the mouse in his fore hooves. Majestic looked at Cinder Star, and Cinder Star looked at Majestic. Then, without a moment’s hesitation, Majestic raised Cinder Star the mouse up to his lips and kissed her in the way only a true lover’s kiss could be given. There was a flash, and a bright light filled the room. Everyone closed their eyes, and when they opened them, there was Cinder Star, now a brown pony again, with her auburn red mane and tail, and her glass slipper comfortably on her right fore hoof. She was still kissing Majestic who now had his fore legs wrapped around her.

A great cheer went up, even though Cinder Star and Majestic were the last to open their eyes. When they did, Majestic smiled broadly, and Cinder Star looked down at herself. When she saw that she was a pony again, she burst into a smile. “Oh, Jes!” she cried joyfully. “I’m a pony! I’m myself again! I can even talk now! Oh, I missed you so much, Jes!” she said as she leaned into his embrace.

“I missed you too, Star!” replied Majestic as he held her tightly. “My shinning Star!”

“I was so scared, Jes,” said Cinder Star, allowing herself to relax in his embrace. “Oh, thank goodness it’s over at last.”

“I was afraid too,” answered Majestic, “Afraid that I had lost you. I searched everywhere for you.”

“I know, my Jes,” said Cinder Star, as she hugged him back. “I know, but we are together again and that is what matters most.”

After a moment of pure joy and tears of happiness shed, they shared a second kiss, and then they looked to the others. Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom bounded over to Cinder Star. “Princess Star!” cried Cherry Blossom, “We’re so happy to have you back!”

“We were really worried about you,” added Rose Petal.

“I missed you both as well,” replied Cinder Star, as she gave each of them a hug. “Thank you for helping me to get back. Also,” she said sweetly, “You should know that I heard what you said before, in the dungeon. Please believe me when I say the past is all in the past. As I said before, I’ve forgiven you. You’re my sisters and I love you.”

“We love you too, Star,” said Cheery Blossom.

Majestic looked at the two sisters, and sighed. “I am very sorry that I wronged you two for this mess. There was no evidence, but I was just… so worried about Star. At that moment, I would have believed anything. I’m so sorry for putting you through all of this. I hope you will accept my apology.”

“Of course, we do,” answered Rose Petal, “Honestly, though, we really don’t blame you.”

We’re just glad that everything turned out all right,” agreed Cheery Blossom.

“Rose?” asked Light Shield. She turned to face him, and then he continued, “I’m sorry too that I didn’t believe you before. I wanted to, really, but I…” he sighed. “I was only doing my duty, and I was so confused.”

Rose Petal smiled sweetly. “It’s all right, Shield,” she replied. “Everything really was a mess at that moment, but, now that everything has been cleared up…,” She closed the distance between them, and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “I suppose we can pick up where we left off?” she asked.

Light Shield couldn’t help but blush. “I would like that very much,” he said, smiling back at her.

Magus walked up to Majestic, and said humbly, “I must apologize as well. I made the potion, so I am responsible for that, but I had no idea that it was going be used on your wife.”

Majestic simply waved his hoof. “It’s fine, Magus,” he replied. “You didn’t know. You were tricked, the same as the rest of us.”

“Speaking of the trickster,” said the first ewe suddenly. “Where is the baaad unicorn anyway?”

At that moment, everyone looked around, and noticed Countess Destiny trying to slip quietly behind everyone, and escape through the door. When she saw that she had been caught, she dashed away. “There she goes!” shouted the second ewe. “She’s running away!”

“After her!” yelled Majestic. “Seize her! Don’t let her get away!”

Instantly, every one in the room, horses and sheep, stopped what they were doing, and hurried after Destiny. Cinder Star lightly kicked off her glass slipper and joined the chase, same as the rest. Destiny knew how much trouble she was in. She was now running down the castle halls as though her life depended on it. She also knew that she would have to be clever if she was going to escape since Majestic and Light Shield could both run faster than she could.

As she rounded a corner, Destiny saw a suit of armor, and quickly kicked it, causing it to fall over in a heap on the floor. Her plan partially worked because Light Shield didn’t see it in time and tripped over it, falling flat on his chest. Rose Petal and Cherry Blossom stopped to help him get up. Majestic stumbled, but did not fall. He only stopped briefly then gave chase again with Cinder Star, Magus, and the three ewes trailing behind.

Destiny was about to exit the main hall, and thought of another trick. When she got to the end, the used her horn’s magic to pick up the end of the carpet and crack it like a whip, sending a ripple down its length. “Look out!” cried Majestic. He and Cinder Star jumped clear, but Magus caught the carpet’s ripple in his own magic and sent it right back toward Destiny, who just managed to escape it herself. Never-the-less, Destiny had caused all her pursuers to stop in their tracks, so she now thought she was as good as free. She saw the castle gates just ahead of her, and dashed through them, surprising the guards. She might have gotten away, but as she ran across the drawbridge, which had just recently been washed, she slipped on the wet wood.

“Yaaahhh!” Destiny yelled, as her hooves suddenly slid out from under her, and before she knew it, she had tumbled over the edge, and fallen into the moat below with a terrific splash! A few moments later she broke the water’s surface screaming, “Help! Help!” Destiny panicked as she waved her fore legs desperately. “I can’t swim! Help me!”

Just then, Majestic, Cinder Star, and Magus arrived on the bridge with Light Armor, the sisters, and the sheep close behind. Everyone was most surprised when Cinder Star suddenly jumped over the side and into the moat as well. Cinder Star splashed into the water, but, remembering her lessons, she quickly began swimming expertly toward Destiny. “Calm down!” she called. “I’m going to save you! Just keep kicking at the water!”

Destiny did as Cinder Star said. Moments later Cinder Star grabbed Destiny’s mane in her mouth, and she began to pull Destiny toward the moat’s edge. It didn’t take long to get there, now that she was a pony, and soon Cinder Star had pulled Destiny safely back to land. Once their hooves could feel the bottom of the moat’s shallow edge, they walked slowly out of the water. Majestic and the others had quickly hurried across the bridge to meet them. “Are you all right, Star?!” asked Majestic.

“I’m fine,” replied Cinder Star. “Just a little wet. How is Destiny?” she asked.

“She’s been better,” replied Magus, who was examining her for any injuries, “But she will be all right. The ordeal really shook her up!”

Destiny had indeed been shaken up by her watery experience. She took several deep breaths, and then slowly got back on her hooves. She then looked at Cinder Star, completely stunned, and slowly walked toward her. “Why?” she asked. “Why did you rescue me? After everything I did to you?”

Cinder Star smiled. “Because,” she answered, “I believe that you should do unto others as you wish them to do unto you. If I were drowning, I would wish for someone to help me, and I couldn’t just leave you there, not when I know how to swim.”

Destiny was speechless. “I-I…” she stammered, and then gulped. “Th-thank you,” she said at last. “Thank you, princess. You truly deserve to be known as that.” Destiny then straightened up, and for the first time, bowed respectfully to Cinder Star.

“Yes, she certainly does,” reaffirmed Majestic. “Both don’t forget the fact that you are still in a great deal of trouble.” Light Shield was instantly at Destiny’s side. “Sir Light Shield,” said Majestic, “Please escort Countess Destiny to the dungeon at once.”

“With pleasure,” answered Light Shield, as he sternly led Destiny away. Destiny went with him quietly, with her head low. When they were gone, the three sheep finally got a chance to welcome Cinder Star back.”

“We’re so glad you are well,” said the first ewe. “We were worried sick for you, dear Cinder Star.”

Cinder Star gave each of them a hug, and said reassuringly, “Everything is going to be all right now, my friends. There’s just one more thing left to do.”

. . .

King Imperial Might and Queen Aurora were both overjoyed to see Cinder Star again, but they were most displeased with Countess Destiny when she was brought before them the next day, and her crimes exposed before the Royal Court.

“For the crimes of treason, false witness, lying to the crown, and an attempt upon the life of my daughter-in-law, I have every reason to banish you from Unicornia, and a good mind to do it!” bellowed King Imperial. “We do not appreciate this sort of behavior here!” He paused, starring sternly at Destiny, before saying, “You will be banished, unless someone speaks up for you.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Cinder Star said, “Please, let me speak for her, Your Majesty.”

“You, my dear?” asked Imperial. “Very well, we shall listen.”

“Thank you,” said Cinder Star, and then continued. “Countess Destiny, has made several mistakes, there is no denying that, but I do not believe that she is a bad person. She only did these things because she became desperate, and pride blinded her. While I may not like what she did to me, I am still willing to forgive her with all my heart. I beg you to please be merciful to her, Your Majesties.”

King Imperial and Queen Aurora looked at each other. Aurora nodded approvingly, and then King Imperial stood. “Countess Destiny,” he said. “You are very fortunate that my daughter-in-law has such a large heart. Therefore, I will not banish you, but here is my sentence for your crimes. First, you will be stripped of your title of Countess, second, you will spend two whole months in the dungeon, and finally, after such time, you will work for a living in the town as a maid-servant until the end of your days.”

“I accept your sentence,” said Destiny. “What I did was wrong, and I shall try to be worthy of my second chance.” She then looked at Cinder Star, and, with a genuine smile, said gratefully, “Thank you, Princess Star.” Cinder Star smiled kindly back at her, before she was led away.

Everyone felt well afterward. Justice had been done, mercy had been shown, and all were the better for it.

. . .

Later that night, Cinder Star and Majestic were in their chambers. They huddled close together, side by side, as they rested comfortably upon the bed, facing the fireplace which was burning warmly. Majestic’s left fore hoof rested gently over Cinder Star’s right. “You really do make an excellent princess,” said Majestic softly. “You have such a beautiful heart, Star, and so much love to give.”

Cinder Star smiled, and blushed slightly. “Oh, I don’t need any praise for that,” she replied. “I was just being myself.”

“And that is what makes you the wonderful person you are, my dear,” answered Majestic. “I can not think of anyone that I would rather be with than you, Star” he said as he lovingly nuzzled her cheek.

Cinder Star giggled. “And I can not imagine being anywhere except here, with you, my love,” she answered.

“You know…?” Majestic chuckled. “This is actually the second time that I have scoured the kingdom, searching for you.”

“Perhaps,” said Cinder Star with a smile, “Next time, I shall then be the one searching for you.” They both laughed softly as they nestled closer together.

“You know, Jes?” she teased. “I think I might just get used to being a princess after all.” The two then smiled at each other, and shared in a blissful, lovers kiss.

“I love you, Jes,” said Cinder Star.

“And I love you too,” replied Majestic. “My shinning Star.”

The End

Author's Note

The Machina Academy of Magic is owned by Ddraigtanto. https://www.deviantart.com/ddraigtanto