White Stars above Wittenburgh
... shine down on the lands below.
Wittenburgh always had a great view of the night sky (and the day sky, but at day one’s eyes were usually not fixed on the sky) but more or less once a month, the stars would shine brighter than normally, for a reason that had never been figured out.
Oh, ponies had guessed. The most commonly accepted reasoning was that something about the amount of magic used in the construction of Wittenburgh long ago had seeped into the stars, or that a mage who had been far too powerful for their own good had cast a spell on the stars.
It was dark in the room, but the door to the balcony was open. Thus, that was where Spirit found Honoria.
‘’Hello,’’ she said softly as she slipped next to the other unicorn on the bench.
It took Honoria a few seconds to reply, which Spirit didn’t mind at all. ‘’Good evening, sweetheart.’’
Their muzzles met in a soft and warm kiss, drawing the chill of the air out of Spirit’s mouth. When their faces left each other’s touch again, Spirit filled the gap of physical contact by sliding up against Honoria, who was a little taller than her.
‘’Hmm…’’ Spirit sighed contently as Honoria’s warm body touched her colder one. For all that she was a pyromancer and her name was Spirit Fire, Spirit got cold very easily. Any other time she’d have worn a cloak at this hour, but with Honoria next to her it was not necessary to do so.
‘’The stars are bright again,’’ Honoria noted after some time in silence. ‘’And I think they’re brighter than normal.’’
Spirit turned her gaze skywards, at the stars. Not hidden by clouds, they filled the sky in a beautiful spectacle of light. The Moon seemed but a secondary set piece tonight next to the stars, the symbols they formed in the sky all the clearer with their unexplained increase in illumination.
‘’It’s four years tomorrow.’’
Spirit turned her head away from the sky towards Honoria and frowned. ‘’Four years of what?’’
‘’Since I took the throne.’’
Ah. Yes, that would do it.
Spirit reached up with her muzzle and pecked Honoria’s cheek. ‘’You did the right thing, love.’’
‘’I know that, love,’’ Honoria replied. ‘’But so much has happened since then. I have changed Wittenland permanently, and I found you.’’ She pressed her nose against Spirit’s, and for a while they held that contact in silence, simply revelling in each other’s presence.
‘’I’m glad I found you,’’ Spirit whispered finally, quiet words in the air that were almost lost to the sounds of Wittenburgh. ‘’I don’t think I’ve ever felt more whole than with you.’’
‘’And I was lost,’’ Honoria replied in a whisper too, blue eyes locked with Spirit’s golden and teal ones, ‘’until I found you. I was leading Wittenland, but I had no one to turn to until you came to me.’’
Spirit tilted her head up and kissed Honoria again, longer this time. But it wasn’t the kiss her mind was on; the words that Honoria had spoken ran through her mind.
When they broke apart for air, Spirit captured the moment before Honoria could seize her mouth in another kiss. ‘’Let’s watch the stars together,’’ she suggested.
Honoria looked considering for a moment, then nodded. Spirit cuddled up even further against Honoria, and looked back at the stars.
Someone, in the city, began to sing. It wasn’t uncommon practice to do so, but this late at night it usually did not happen, as most had already gone to bed. On this night they had not, and so there was song.
Soon the lone voice was joined by a second voice, and then a third, and a fourth and so on, until it sounded like all the city was singing together, and in harmony too.
‘’I wonder who started it,’’ Honoria mused aloud. ‘’Perhaps I should have them found and rewarded.’’
‘’That doesn’t sound like a bad idea,’’ Spirit agreed.
‘’Yes, I thought so too.’’
They listened again, to the now-multitude of songs that filled the skies with their sounds. Some voices sang of happiness, others of grief. Some told of hope, and others yet spoke of despair and death. Life was a common theme, as were the stars themselves.
Wittenburgh’s air was not usually host to such a collection of voices and tunes, even during these once-a-month nights of brightness, but Spirit did not mind it in the slightest, and from how it appeared neither did Honoria.
There was no central theme to the songs, no single voice or tune leading them. It was a collection of people who sang what they wanted to sing about, without care for others. Still, it was not a chaos, or if it was, it was harmonious, for all those two terms seemed to clash.
Spirit was more than a little moved by some of the songs, and idly wondered if perhaps, this was happening in other places too. The stars, after all, were visible across all of Wittenland, though the effect of their increased light was most obvious in and around Wittenburgh.
Was there even a reason for the singing? If there was, Spirit did not know of it. Perhaps she would go down to the city tomorrow and ask around. Yes, that was a brilliant idea.
‘’Love?’’
‘’Hmm?’’ Spirit looked back at Honoria.
‘’Do you want to go down into the city?’’ Honoria gestured with her hoof. ‘’While beautiful up here, I can’t help but wonder how it would sound down there.’’
‘’Beautiful too, probably,’’ Spirit said. ‘’I wouldn’t mind going down. Even with you, it’s cold up here.’’
Honoria cursed under her breath in some language Spirit didn’t speak. ‘’You should have said something,’’ she chided.
‘’I’m fine!’’ Spirit retorted. ‘’Just a little cold.’’
Light erupted from Honoria’s horn, and comfortable warmth bore away the chill that had settled on Spirit’s body. ‘’Thanks,’’ she said after a moment of revelling in the warmth.
‘’No problem,’’ Honoria said with a gentle smile. ‘’Come on, we’ll go down for a time, and then we’ll hit the bed.’’
Spirit had no objections to that, and, hoof locked with one of Honoria’s, rose from the bench.
Author's Note
Once again, I present an EAW crackfic, while I work on other projects, including but not limited to Piece by Piece.
If you liked this fic, check these out too!
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/499540/piece-by-piece
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/500443/on-the-shores-of-the-west
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/503289/chaotic-love
