The Seven Castles

Chapters

The Castle of Happiness
The Castle of Rainbows
The Castle of Family
The Castle of Kindness
The Castle of Laughter

The Castle of Happiness

“It’s weird for the river to be frozen in November,” Star Dasher said. “Let me go first and check to make sure it’s safe.”

“Wait, it’s November?” January Joy said, his ears perking up. “Oh my sparkles, it’s November!”

“What’s so important about November?” Star said. She used her mouth to tighten the straps on the last of her four ice skates. She wobbled down the cobblestone stairs that led from the bank to the river’s surface. The ice was solid, at least this close to the bank. But she would have to get closer to the center before deciding if it was safe enough for other ponies. She didn’t mind the danger. They were in the middle of town, so they could easily get her to a warm fire if she fell through the ice.

“Be careful!” January Joy exclaimed behind her. Star glided forward slowly, inspecting the ice as she went. A bitter arctic wind had swept through Glad Valley last week, coating everything in a layer of lacey frost that still hadn’t melted. The sky was gray and overcast, the days were short, and the larches had dropped their leaves. Puffs of smoke rose from every chimney in Joyville, mounted on sharply slanted roofs that still had a dusting of snow on the north sides. Winter was coming, and it was going to be as charming as ever.

“What’s so important about November?” Star repeated. “Tell me, tell me, tell me!” The ice was solid, even as she went farther out. She was a third of the way to the Castle of Happiness already, the arched bridge leading to it visible on her left. The castle was proudly perched on an island in the middle of the river, its brilliant yellow walls visible from anywhere in town.

“Oh, right,” January said. “November Nights’ birthday is this month.”

Star sped up and did a twirling jump. Her skates thudded against the ice as she landed. It was a solid sound, and it looked like the ice held up fine. There was probably water down there, but there was definitely enough ice to skate on. “The ice is fine,” Star called back. She skated to the bank. “Let me show you how to skate. Come on, I know you’ll love it.”

“Okay…” January said, awkwardly stepping down to the ice.

“Hold on to me to start. We’ll just glide along until you get a feel for it.” Star had a whole list of winter activities that she wanted to try out. Things that were new for either her or her friends. She loved anything new! January put a hoof on Star’s solid withers. He wobbled and yelped a bit as Star gently propelled herself forward, taking January with her.

“November Nights’ birthday!” January said. “I have to throw a surprise party for her!”

“Oh? You’ve never done a birthday party for her before.” January Joy was the party planner at the Castle of Happiness. As one might imagine, that was a very important position. His family had been in that business for generations, ever since they founded Joyville. At least, that’s what January said.

“That’s exactly the problem!” January said. He nearly lost his balance, but Star caught him.

“Careful. Spread your hooves apart a little more.”

“Okay… I don’t know when November’s birthday is. Well, I know the month, of course, but not the day. So every year she goes without a party. She’s probably alone and sad on her birthday. This must be rectified!”

That wasn’t true. November Nights only invited her closest friends for her birthday, including Star. She had also asked that Star not reveal the date, which was a week from now. November hated loud social gatherings, and she didn’t like being the center of attention. “Well, you don’t know that,” Star said cautiously. “If she wanted a big birthday party, she’d probably tell you.”

“Wait, you’re her friend,” January said. “Do you know her birthday?”

“Um, why don’t you ask her directly?” Star said, getting nervous. She didn’t want to break her promise, but she didn’t want to hurt January’s feelings, either. January wasn’t just the town party planner; he was friends with everypony in Joyville. If he knew November had a birthday party without him, he might be upset.

“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise! It has to be a surprise. Imagine if after all these years, we surprise her with a massive party with everypony in town! She’ll be so happy!” The red garnet in the center of January’s cutie mark—a blue party hat and noise maker—shined brilliantly, indicating that he was happy.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Star said. January let go of Star’s withers.

He wobbled for a moment, but he managed to stand by himself. “I did it!”

“Wow, good job! Now watch the way I move my hooves.” Star skated a couple of circles around January.

“I need to start planning—oh my sparkles—right now! Her birthday could be today, or tomorrow. It’s already November!” January’s blue eyes made contact with Star’s. “Do you know November Nights’ birthday?”

“Listen, I don’t think she’ll like this party,” Star said. “She doesn’t like big crowds.”

“I know she’s a quiet pony. But I’m sure she’d appreciate knowing how much we all care about her. And think about it; how often do you see her gem shining?”

Star had seen it glowing at November’s last birthday party a year ago. “Um, maybe once or twice a year.”

“Not nearly often enough! That pony needs cheering up. Please, do you know when November’s birthday is?” January’s eyes were gleaming, little hearts reflecting in his pupils. Star could tell that January genuinely wanted to make November happy. He just had a limited understanding of what happiness looked like.

Star tried to answer as tactfully as possible. “If I did know, I’d want to ask her permission before telling anypony. I think it’d be best if you dropped the surprise idea and spoke with her directly before throwing her a party that she might not enjoy.”

January sighed. “I understand.” The light in his gem died out. “Um, can you show how you were moving your hooves again?”

“For sure, you got it,” Star said. She skated forward slowly and deliberately, emphasizing the movement of each of her four hooves. “Now you try it.”

January hesitantly moved forward. He fell, and Star rushed to pick him up. “Are you alright?” Star said.

“Yeah. Let me try again.” January crept forward, gradually putting more confidence into each movement.

“You’re doing it! You’re skating!”

“This is great!” January said as he slowly moved forward.

The white diamond in Star Dasher’s star-shaped cutie mark lit up. She skated excited circles around January. “You got this!” she said. “You can skate! That’s one activity off the list. This is going to be the best winter ever!”

* * *

Star Dasher slipped her yellow knitted leg warmers over her cannons. She stretched in preparation for her daily run. At this time of year, she had shifted to make this an afternoon thing. Star liked lots of things. She was always trying new hobbies and dropping old ones. But one thing never changed: She was an athlete, and her best and favorite event was cross-country running. She finished her stretches and took off at a canter.

She followed a trail that started just outside Joyville and did a loop around a nearby hill. She did this trail most days, except when she wanted to mix it up with some different scenery. She was pretty sure that her daily hoofbeats were the main thing that maintained the trail. She crossed the plain and headed for the hills. She was trying to build up the endurance to cover the whole trail at a canter. She had a feeling that today was the day. Her heartbeat rose and her breathing settled into a rhythm. A chilly wind swept through the plains near the river, whipping her pink and white hair. The bare larches didn’t provide much buffer. A few rabbits fled from the trail as she thundered past, their fluffy white tails receding into the still-green cranberry bushes.

The trail went slightly up as it rounded the hill and went behind it. Star breathed more heavily, but she didn’t break her canter. The trail was muddy a week ago, but now the mud was frozen. She heard a few crows caw as she blazed past. She knew she was about two fifths of the way when she got to the spruce stand. Unlike the larches, the spruces would hold their dark green leaves all year.

“Hello?” a voice called ahead of her. It was so unexpected that she broke her canter and froze. She felt a flash of disappointment at not finishing the loop in a nonstop canter. Curiosity and a smidge of caution came next.

Star walked forward and said, “Hello?” Beads of sweat had formed on her neck from the effort of running. The spruces blocked her view until she was right in front of two other ponies. She stood there for a moment, catching her breath and taking in what she saw.

The thing that really caught her eye was a yellow creature, slightly smaller than a pony’s head, hovering at eye height. It was in the shape of a pony, except for the iridescent wings and white antennae. So three ponies, then, the other two being full-sized ponies, not insectoid like the small one. Star Dasher didn’t recognize them, which was odd because Joyville was a small town and they didn’t get visitors. One was purple with green, pink, and white hair. The other was lilac with deep purple hair with iridescent streaks in it—“tinsel,” hair stylists called it. She had a bracelet with several mismatched charms. Both had big packs, and all three were bundled in winter clothes. “Yes, yes, yes!” the purple one with multicolored hair exclaimed. “Another pony!”

“Hey, who are you? My name is Star…” She trailed off as she noticed something. The purple one had a present for a cutie mark, but there was no gem. The lilac one with deep purple hair had two lanterns for a cutie mark, but no gem. “Are you zombie ponies?” Star whispered, thinking to nursery rhymes of creatures that would take naughty foals’ gems.

“What?” the purple pony said. “No, no, no! We’re earth ponies. My name is Razzaroo.”

“I’m Kimono,” the lilac one said.

“And I’m Silly Lilly!” the flying one said with a high-pitched but male voice. “I’m a breezie.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Star,” Kimono said.

“Star… Dasher. But… your cutie marks, where are the gems?”

“Oh, yours is like Gem Blossom’s,” Razzaroo said. “How precious! Well, we’re not zombie ponies. This is just the way our cutie marks are. No gems.”

Star looked at them, baffled. “Huh… I thought ponies’ gems held their life forces. But I guess I was wrong. Where are you from?”

“Ponyville,” Razzaroo said. “We’re looking for the Castle of Happiness.”

“Well you’re in luck! I live right next to there. Follow me!” Star cantered off, her heart still pounding from the run.

“Wait!” Razzaroo called. “Not so fast.”

Star looked back and remembered that they had those big packs. Her body wanted to run, but she was too curious about these ponies. “I was supposed to be getting my daily exercise now,” she said. “Let me take your stuff.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Razzaroo said. Star stood next to her, and they transferred the pack.

“I don’t doubt your strength,” Kimono said. “But these are bulky, so there’s just not room for two packs on your back.”

“Eh, fair,” Star agreed. She led them down the trail, choosing to complete the loop, since they were about halfway there. She pranced with Razzaroo’s load, still wanting to pump her legs.

Silly Lilly flew ahead of them down the trail, giggling. “Stay with us, Silly!” Kimono called after him. “We don’t want you to get lost.”

“Fine,” Silly said with a sigh. He came back and seemingly for the first time noticed Star’s cutie mark. He flew up to her right rump. “Oooh!” he exclaimed, looking at the white diamond in the center from different angles.

“So how’d you end up out here?” Star said. “I’ve never heard of Ponyville before.”

“That is a good question,” Kimono said. “We have a castle in Ponyville as well, the Castle of Friendship. We found a map in there that told us about six other castles. We wanted to find those castles, see if they’re inhabited, and make friends with anyone there. If the ancient earth ponies knew about other cities, I can’t imagine why they ever lost contact. We could learn so much from each other.”

“That does sound neat! So after here, you have five more castles to visit?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Razzaroo said. “The Castles of Rainbows, Music, Laughter, Kindness, and Family. It’s going to be quite the adventure.”

“You must tell me all about Ponyville, and about your trip!” Star said.

“And Breezie Blossom!” Silly said. “That’s where I’m from.”

That conversation took up the whole trip back to Joyville. The thing they highlighted from Ponyville was their wonderful friends, who had made Kimono’s eight-charm bracelet. Breezie Blossom was right next to Ponyville. At the center of Ponyville was a pink castle with a deep library. Many of the books were written in an ancient language that nopony understood, but Kimono had found a map showing six other castles. The three of them had decided to find these castles, but the map was vague, and they had been meandering towards the Castle of Happiness since the start of fall. They mentioned that they had never experienced such extreme cold before.

Star Dasher laughed. “There’s more where that came from! It’ll get colder, still.”

“I’m surprised, because we haven’t traveled all that far north,” Kimono said. “I suppose we gained some elevation on the trail, though.”

They came within sight of Joyville. There was a momentary break in the cloud cover, during which the yellow castle on the island radiated with light that reflected off the glittery frozen river. “Ooh, it’s so nice!” Silly Lilly said.

“Isn’t it?” Star said excitedly. “Let me show you the town!”

* * *

Kimono followed Star Dasher down the path. Star was a muscular mare with a shiny, dark purple coat and messy pink and white hair. Like most ponies, she had a heart design on her ankle, pink in her case. She was evidently some sort of athlete. She spoke quickly and walked energetically, even with Razzaroo’s luggage. She gladly introduced the newcomers to everyone she saw, but she didn’t linger with any of them too long. The others all had gems in their cutie marks and were equally surprised to see ponies without gems.

Kimono preferred the quiet beauty of nature over the noise of towns and the weird antics of other ponies. She lived just outside of Ponyville for a reason. Still, she couldn’t help but appreciate the pleasing aesthetics of Joyville. The cobblestone streets were narrow and the buildings tall with sharply pointed roofs. Inviting storefronts with friendly signs met them on the ground level, with residencies apparently built above the stores. Occasional parks filled with birches and that strange, deciduous conifer interrupted the tight, cozy town. Elegant black posts with streetlights lined their way. At one street corner, a white pony in warm clothes was perched on a chair, playing the accordion. Star Dasher seemed a little flustered by the music, awkwardly dancing for a moment before rushing on by.

They came on to a pretty bridge supported by a stone arch underneath that crossed a river to access the castle. On the bridge, they ran into a pony that seemed especially excited to see them. He gasped and said, “I’ve never seen you here before! Welcome! My name is January Joy.”

“This is Razzaroo, Kimono, and Silly Lilly,” Star Dasher said.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you!” January said, nuzzling each of them. He was a white pony with red hair with tinsel streaks. He had cute, red and white fuzzy boots, a winter hat, and a scarf. “Where are you from?”

“Ponyville,” Razzaroo said. “It’s about a month east-southeast of here. Or a couple of months, if you get lost like we do.” It was too bad that they hadn’t been able to travel here by hot air balloon. The trade winds didn’t come this way.

“We haven’t had visitors in so long! This calls for a celebration! Oh, but I’m so busy… Well, let me show you around the castle, at least. We’ll have to throw the welcome party later. You are staying, right?”

“At least for a while,” Razzaroo said. “What has you so busy? Maybe we can help. I am a party planner in Ponyville.” Their group of now five ponies crossed a drawbridge to enter the castle. The interior was clean and well-lit by electric lights. It gave a different impression from the Ponyville castle, which was dusty, saw little use, and contained old secrets and tales in its many libraries and tapestries. This castle, by contrast, seemed to see a lot of use. Different signs gave off the impression that the various chambers were used as meeting places for festivities and social events.

“A party planner?” January said excitedly. “Well…” Kimono noticed he glanced at Star Dasher. “I can’t ask you to plan your own welcome party. We’ll get around to it soon enough. In the meantime, you’re welcome to explore the town. We have guest rooms for slumber parties in the castle, so you can stay in one of those. I’ll show you.”

“We’re grateful for your hospitality,” Kimono said.

They arrived at a bedroom with two bunk beds and a wooden floor. There was a fireplace—not in use, yet—a closet, and a narrow stained-glass window that depicted a deciduous conifer turning brilliant yellow, bathing the room in warm light. “You can stay here for as long as you want,” January said. “Honestly, with this weather, I’d be happy to keep you here at least until spring!” Kimono dropped her pack. It had been on her back for so long that she felt strangely light without it.

“Do you have any flowers?” Silly Lilly said.

“Any… flowers?” January said. “No, they’re all out of season.”

“Oh… I guess I can sleep on a bed.”

Star Dasher carefully placed Razzaroo’s pack on one of the beds. “I still feel like running,” she said, rearing back. “Anypony else?” Anypony? Kimono thought. She had never heard that word before. But at least they spoke the same language. She hadn’t been sure that would be the case.

No one spoke up in response. “January, do you have any invitations that need running?” Star said.

“Yes! The invitations for Peri Winkle’s birthday party. They’re in a bag by the mailbox.”

“I’m on it!” Star said, darting out of the room.

“Thank you!” January called after her.

“She’s… energetic,” Kimono noted as the sound of her hooves on the stone hallway receded.

“She gets bored quickly,” January said with a chuckle. “But we love her for it! Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a party to think about.”

“I thought you were too busy to do our welcome party now?” Razzaroo said.

“Oh, yes, because I have another party to plan.”

Razzaroo gasped. “Maybe I can help!”

“Probably not. I don’t know the pony’s birthday, just that she was born in November. So I need to figure out who does know.”

“Can’t you just ask the pony?”

“That’s just it!” January said. “I want it to be a surprise party.”

“A surprise party?” Razzaroo said, getting excited. “Those are my favorites, yes yes yes! I can help!”

“Hmm… I guess it would be nice. I need to figure out a way to get November Nights’ birthday without her realizing that I’m planning a party for her.”

“Ooh, I have some tricks I’ve used for just this sort of thing!” Razzaroo shuffled through her things and got her saddlebag and notebook.

“Brilliant!” January said. “Let’s go to my party planning room. You can tell me once we’re there. Kimono, Silly Lilly, do you want to come?”

“Yes, of course!” Silly said.

“No, thank you,” Kimono said. “I’d like to get settled in, first.”

“Oh… I’ll stay with Kimono,” Silly said. He had been having a hard time since leaving Breezie Blossom, and he had become attached to Kimono to the point of being inseparable. Kimono wasn’t exactly thrilled with the arrangement, but she couldn’t push away Silly in his time of need.

“Okay, we’ll see you later,” January said. He and Razzaroo walked off.

“They hit it off well,” Silly said.

“Yes…” Kimono said. “Did you notice that January Joy didn’t talk about the birthday party until Star Dasher had left?”

“Who’s Star Dasher?”

“The first one we met. The purple one who runs.”

“Oh, right,” Silly said. “Nope, didn’t notice!”

Kimono watched as January and Razzaroo turned a corner. Her intuition told her something was wrong here.

* * *

Razzaroo checked the address in her notebook. November Nights’ shop should be three more buildings ahead. Her idea to learn November’s birthday without arousing suspicion was to do a townwide survey. She hadn’t asked everyone in town, but she had asked enough to make it seem that way. She got to see more of Joyville, which she thought was super cute; they had a bell tower! And hopefully November wouldn’t suspect anything.

Razz had to admit, the cold was biting her ears. She was ready for this survey to be over. Her clacking hoofsteps on the cobblestone echoed off the tall buildings on the narrow street. She stepped up to the shop, which had a painted wooden sign that read quite simply “November Nights’ Tea Shop.” Razz opened the door.

The air inside was comfortably warm. Faint scents of countless teas wafted to Razz’s nose. “Welcome,” a pony at the counter said. “I’ve never seen you here before.” The pony was light purple with striking golden hair like aspen leaves in autumn, the tinsel streaks evoking an image like sunshine sparkling off rainwater.

“I love your hair,” Razz said. The store pony looked down with a blush. “My name is Razzaroo.”

“November Nights,” the store pony said quietly.

“I just got into town. I’m visiting from Ponyville.”

“I thought you were new. Would you like to try a tea?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Thank you!”

“Here’s a list of our flavors,” November said, gesturing to a sign. “Anything tickle your fancy?”

“Hmm… what’s caravan tea?” Razz said.

“It’s a blend of several preparations of black tea. It has a strong, smoky flavor.”

“I’ve never heard of it. I’ll give it a try.”

“I’ll get that ready for you,” November said. She left the counter and headed to the back of the store. Razz got a look at her cutie mark, an orange gem encircled by flowery pink swirls and green leaves. November was gone for a few minutes, during which Razz pulled out a survey slip from her bag and awaited her chance.

November came back with a very aromatic teacup balanced on her head. She placed it on the counter. “Enjoy,” she said.

Razz carefully sipped the hot tea. It was too much flavor for her, but she was courteous. “Hmm, that’s interesting. Hey, would you like to help me with something?”

“What?” November said.

“I’m doing a survey for my first friend here, January Joy. He’s hoping to get his calendar ready before the new year, instead of scrambling at the last minute like he normally does. He wants to get everyone’s birthdays written down, so he can plan more efficiently for next year. Would you mind filling out this little slip?” She put the paper on the counter along with a pen and sipped some tea.

November looked at it and made a soft squeak. “Um…” She grabbed the pen with her mouth. But then she put it down. “I—I’d rather not. I don’t like big crowds. And my family and friends know my birthday already.”

“Oh,” Razz said, disappointed. “I understand.” She didn’t, really. Big parties were the best! But November had given her tea. She had to be friendly.

She finished the tea quietly. November wasn’t much of a talker, it seemed. The tea had an aftertaste, too. Definitely too strong for Razz. She thanked November and left.

Well, Razz’s plan hadn’t worked. It was time to try January’s.

* * *

Star Dasher stopped at the top of a hill, looking down at January Joy. A snowstorm had arrived overnight, and it was still coming down. Everything was quiet. Joyville lay below them, blanketed in snow. The air was cold, but the exercise kept them warm. January couldn’t make it up the hill as quickly as the athletic Star, but he was no slowpoke, either. He made it to the top soon enough.

“Thanks for inviting me to go skiing,” Star said brightly.

“You’re welcome,” January said. “I had to repay your favor after you taught me how to ice skate.”

“You know how I love helping my friends try new things. Especially sporty things.” Star shrugged the skis off her back and laid them in the snow. January showed her how to put the skis on, with two hooves on each ski. They awkwardly shuffled to the slope where they would ski. January started them off on the back side of the hill, away from Joyville, where the slope was gentle and short, leading to a little wooded vale between hills.

January explained how to steer and control speed. “It should be easy for you, since you have such a good sense of balance.”

“Do I?” Star said. “I never win the gymnast stuff during the Games.”

“It seemed like you were balanced when we were on the ice earlier,” January said with a shrug. “You’ll be a natural!” He slowly slid down the hill, showing Star where to go.

Star slid after him. This isn’t too hard, she thought. Well, until she found herself heading off course towards some trees. She swerved too hard to correct, ending up almost perpendicular to the slope. She teetered but managed not to fall. She came to a stop halfway down the little slope, facing the wrong way. “Umm,” she mumbled. She shuffled to straighten herself out and continued to the bottom.

“You made it!” January cheered. “You didn’t even fall.”

“Let’s try again,” Star said. “I’m sure I could do better.” They removed their skis and hiked back up.

“So, what do you have planned for this weekend?” January said as they climbed.

November Nights’ birthday party, Star thought. She needed a lie to avoid making January feel left out. “Um… nothing much,” she said, thinking on the fly. “I have to do some shopping for… winter clothes. This came so suddenly, you know?”

“Hey, Star Dasher, we’re friends, right?” They had reached the top of the hill.

“Of course,” Star said as she started to put on her skis. “Just last week, you let me take you ice skating, and you’re teaching me how to ski! I love it when we hang out like this.”

“Can you keep a secret for me?”

“Um, sure.”

“Don’t tell November Nights, but I still want to throw a surprise party for her.”

Star felt a flurry of emotions. She had advised against this, but January was going ahead anyway? Why? “I told you it wasn’t a good idea. Don’t you trust me on that?”

“Listen, I just want to make November happy. Don’t you trust me to know how to do that? It’s in my name! And I’m having a lot of trouble figuring out when her birthday is. Please, will you tell me if you know?”

Star had crouched down to fasten her skis, while January was still standing. Star didn’t look up to meet January’s eyes. “What makes you so sure that a big surprise party will make a pony as quiet as November happy?”

“Because then she’ll see how much we all care about her,” January said. “She’ll know that we all want to be her friends.”

“Maybe some ponies prefer to have just a few friends.” Star stood up and shuffled to the gentler slope on the back of the hill. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to help with this.” She pushed off and started down the hill.

“Don’t tell November, at least!” January called after her. Star focused on her skiing, swerving gently to get a feel for how to turn. She picked up a bit of speed, and the wind started to whip her mane around and bite at her face. As she got the hang of it, she enjoyed the feeling of gliding on the snow, relying on gravity to do the work. She made it down to the vale without any mishaps. January was right behind her.

“You did it!” January said.

Star Dasher whooped. “That was fun!” she exclaimed, grinning. “Let’s do the big slope on the other side!”

“Already? Sure, if you want to.” They started hiking up again. “Hey, you’re still on for Peri Winkle’s birthday party tomorrow night, right?” January said.

“Oh,” Star said. The skiing had pushed birthdays out of her mind for a minute. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there.”

* * *

January Joy was not a give-up kind of pony. The sooner he figured out when November’s birthday was, the better. Any day now it could be too late. So it was time to try his next plan. For that, he needed Wondermint.

Wondermint was hard to find, though, and time was ticking away. January trotted down street after street, looking for the ever-wandering accordionist. He finally found her at the marketplace, sitting on a stool as shoppers passed by. She grinned at January as he approached. The white pony’s pink and purple hair spilled out of a brown hat that covered her ears. She had probably been out here for hours, playing folk tunes, so she had to dress for the weather. Her front hooves held the accordion, turning to select different notes on the rotating keyboard.

January sat in front of Wondermint, waiting for the end of a song. But she just kept on playing. January heard the distant bell tower strike eleven. “Wondermint, I need your help!” January said over the music. Wondermint nodded and switched to play a slower, much softer song.

January was friends with everypony in Joyville, but Wondermint was a special case. She was his best friend, one pony he could trust with anything. “You’re going to Peri Winkle’s party tomorrow, right?” he said. Wondermint smiled and nodded. “I need you to do a favor for me…”

* * *

Star Dasher lay in wait for Peri Winkle. Everypony who was attending the surprise party had taken up positions hidden in the rocks and spruces surrounding the aptly named Rainbow Spring. It was a hot spring in the hills that had rings of color, starting with azure blue in the center and ending with reddish-brown on the outside where the water overflowed out of the spring and cooled down. It was hot, but not too hot for ponies to bathe in, which made it especially nice when the weather was freezing like today. The sun was just setting, which was when March Mischief was supposed to bring Peri Winkle here. Peri Winkle loved to bathe here more than anypony else, but she didn’t know that there was a whole party waiting for her tonight.

The sun was just setting. Star couldn’t see the sunset from her hiding place, but she could see the streaks of green in the sky nearby. Clouds of steam rose thick from the water, and wind sounded in the trees above them. Rainbow snails lazily moved around the shallow edges of the spring, leaving bare white patches in the mats of colorful bacteria. The scent of mineral water filled the air. Star shivered fiercely. She wanted to be moving or in the water, not freezing her haunches off crouched behind this rock. And this whole not talking or doing anything else while they waited thing? It was driving her insane!

Fortunately, just as she was about to flip her lid and start stretching or maybe singing, Peri Winkle and March Mischief came into view on the path that led to the spring. Moments later, January Joy gave his signal, an uncannily convincing crow caw. Along with everypony else, Star leapt out of her hiding place and yelled, “Surprise!”

Peri Winkle whinnied and jumped straight into the air, her hooves coming up to March’s withers. She landed and laughed. The sapphire in the middle of her cutie mark—an elegant blue and purple swirling pattern—started to shine. “Oh, goodness,” she said, panting. “You got me good.”

“Happy birthday, Peri Winkle!” they all shouted.

They let Peri Winkle get into the hot spring first. Star Dasher took off her leg warmers and left them on a rock. The others all seemed to want to get in at the same place, where the path met the spring, but Star was too impatient to wait in that line. She climbed over some rocks to get into the water elsewhere. She put a hoof in, and pulled it right back out. She hadn’t been here in years, and she had forgotten how hot the water was! But she was cold, and she wanted in, so she tried again.

It took some time to adjust to it, but gradually she was able to step forward and submerge more of herself. Her muscles relaxed in the hot mineral water, and soon she melted into the spring, submerging herself up to the withers. She slowly walked to the others, ready for a night of party fun.

They chatted and bathed until after dark. Star Dasher found that the water was so hot that she had to occasionally get out and cool off. She thought sitting naked and wet in the freezing night air would be uncomfortable, but the water warmed her up so much that she would sit on the rocks for several minutes at a time before getting back in. It was a pleasant cycle of hot and cold that went on for hours while beautiful stars twinkled overhead. Star couldn’t see much of the sky with the trees around, but she did catch the Star of Stars, one of her favorite constellations. It had five stars arranged in a pentagon… or a five-point star, if you used your imagination. It looked a lot like Star’s cutie mark.

The conversation devolved to a game of truth or dare. Star was on the rocks cooling off when Peri Winkle dared Wondermint to cannonball into the water. Wondermint did just that, splashing hot water on everypony. Star laughed, her face feeling hot. She had a massive crush on Wondermint. She was stunning to look at, her sleek white coat contrasting with her silky purple and pink hair, which now floated on the water in a sprawling display. Her cutie mark, a pink garnet with three mint leaves around it, was striking against the white background of her rump. The green heart on the outside of her front left ankle had a similar effect. She was a skinny pony with visible ribs, sharp leg joints, and pronounced withers. Star had a thing for that. But it was more than looks. Wondermint’s personality was enchanting. She literally roamed through the town playing an accordion in public spaces. Star found that incredibly hot. She was zany, she was unpredictable, and she had a unique ability to find the beauty in small things.

Star was starting to feel cold, so she slipped back into the water. To her surprise, Wondermint turned to her with those deep purple eyes and said, “Truth or dare, Star Dasher?”

“Gyah, dare,” Star said. Her heartbeat picked up immediately.

“You always pick dare!” Wondermint protested.

It was true. Star was willing to try just about anything. “Um…” Star had no words.

“I’ll offer you a deal. It’ll be your turn next. If you pick truth, then you can dare me to kiss you.”

What, she knows?! Star thought, panicking. How does she know that I have a crush on her?! “Truth,” she squeaked out, eyes wide. She was shaking and felt lightheaded. Wondermint was going to kiss her?

“What was that, hun?” Wondermint said.

“Truth,” Star said louder.

Wondermint grinned, and there was that crazy glint in her eyes that Star found so attractive. “Okay, here’s the truth you have to tell. When is November Nights’ birthday?”

Star stared at her, slack-jawed. She glanced at January Joy, but he was in a conversation with Razzaroo on the other side of the spring. He must have put Wondermint up to this. Star looked back at Wondermint, who still had that funny, asymmetric grin. Water dripped down her beautiful mane, and her ear flicked expectantly. Another time, Star might have had the strength to say no. But her guard was down. She had relaxed completely in the hot water, it was late and she was sleepy, and Wondermint was just irresistible…

* * *

Star Dasher walked up to November Nights’ Tea Shop. It was the morning—well, almost noon—after Peri Winkle’s party. She wanted to forget it or believe that it was all just a dream. But she knew what she had done, and she had to confess. She walked into the shop.

“Hi, Star!” November said cheerily. “It’s been a while since you were here. What’s up?”

Star sat on a stool and flopped her head onto the counter. “I messed up,” she moaned.

“Hold up, I’ll get you something.” November went to the back and returned with sumac tea.

“Thanks,” Star said, smelling it but not sipping. She gulped and quietly said, “January Joy wants to throw a surprise birthday party for you.”

“Oh, no,” November mumbled.

“I told her—um, him—you don’t like big parties.” Star was still getting used to January’s new pronouns. “He didn’t seem to care, and he’s been trying to find out your birthday for a while now. He must have gotten Wondermint in on it.” Star started to tear up, sobbing between words. “At Peri Winkle’s party last night, we were playing truth or dare, and Wondermint asked me a truth in exchange for letting me dare her to kiss me. She asked me when your birthday is, and I told her. I promised I wouldn’t, but I told her!”

“Oh…” November mumbled. She stood in silence at the counter for a minute. “Well, what’s done is done,” she said, pausing again. “How was the kiss?”

Star whined, “I don’t deserve you as a friend!”

“Of course you do! We all make mistakes.”

Star sniffled. November knew that Star had a crush on Wondermint. They sometimes spoke about their crushes when they hung out—mares for Star, and stallions for November. “It was wonderful,” Star whimpered. It was a short kiss, but it had left Star feeling electrified. Wondermint had kept it brief, but true to form, she had gone all in. Star remembered every sensation. “But I feel so bad.”

“Maybe we can have our party at March Mischief’s house instead?” November said. “January won’t expect that.”

Star sniffled again. “Let’s make a plan tomorrow. I can’t think straight. I need to run.” She stood up, avoiding November’s eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Star left the shop and took off at a flying pace towards the edge of the city. She needed to be somewhere alone where she could cry some more.

* * *

Kimono stood in the middle of a park, meditating. She was bundled up in boots, a hat, and a scarf. The only sound around her was sporadic rushes of wind and distant walking hooves. She felt a dried leaf pass by her face. She had a lot to think about.

She had met a pony named Crystal Lace who claimed to know much of the history of Joyville, preserved in stories told down the generations. Oral history was often inaccurate, and once the Castle of Happiness had contained a great library. Joyville was once ruled by a line of dukes and duchesses, and one had burned all the books in the castle’s library. Apparently different ponies had different interpretations on what happiness meant and how it should be celebrated and maintained, and one duchess’s idea of happiness had been particularly exclusive and destructive.

Crystal Lace had plenty of stories of various heroes and villains in the history of Joyville, and while that was interesting, Kimono was mainly focused on the founding of the castle. The jewel ponies kept the same calendar as the earth ponies; Kimono had kept track since leaving Ponyville, and it was 7 November here and there. That was interesting enough, as well as the fact that they spoke the same language. These towns clearly had cultural ties. But the jewel ponies also added a year: 459. The earth ponies just counted backwards from whatever was the current year. Kimono was born thirty-one years ago, for example. But here, she would say she was born in the year 428.

“What are you thinking about?” Silly Lilly said suddenly.

Kimono opened her eyes and found Silly balanced on a birch branch, staring at her intently with tiny yellow and green eyes. His wings buzzed in anticipation. “It’s hard to think about anything when you keep asking me,” Kimono responded sharply.

“I’m sorry. It’s just, I’m so used to knowing what my friends are thinking.” Silly was a breezie, and breezies were capable of sharing thoughts with each other. Silly had gone on this adventure simply because the Castles of Happiness and Laughter sounded fun. He hadn’t realized how accustomed he was to that constant telepathic information exchange, and he was having a hard time adjusting.

Kimono sighed. “I should be sorry. I was thinking, they call it the year 459 here. It wasn’t until I met Crystal Lace that I knew what that meant. She says that 459 years ago, the Seven Castles were founded. She listed the same castles we have on our map, so that adds credibility to the story. But she doesn’t know much about why or how. How could seven castles in such distant locations all be founded at the same time? And why make castles to celebrate all these different concepts: happiness, friendship, family, kindness, music, laughter, and rainbows? And why did they lose contact with each other?”

“You don’t know?” Silly said. “I thought you knew everything.”

“If that were true, I wouldn’t have needed to go on this journey at all.”

Kimono’s ears flicked. “Quiet, something’s wrong,” she said. Silly said nothing, and his wings even stopped fluttering.

Kimono didn’t know what she had heard for a moment. The park was essentially a stand of birches, larches, and spruces cut through by paths, with a pavilion in the center. Kimono had walked off the path to have some privacy.

Eventually she heard a pony come running into the park and stop somewhere on the path. Not a strange occurrence by itself, until Kimono heard sobbing. So it was her precognition that had warned her that something was ahoof. She walked back towards the path to find the crying pony. She caught glimpses of a purple pony through the trees. She came onto the path to find Star Dasher, lying in the snow and crying. “What’s wrong, Star Dasher?” Kimono said.

Star mumbled into the snow. “I broke my promise and ruined my friendship.”

“What happened? Do you want to talk about it?”

Star gasped and hysterically cried, “January Joy wanted to throw a surprise birthday party for November Nights but she’s a quiet pony who doesn’t like big parties and I promised her I wouldn’t tell anypony when her birthday was but Wondermint let me dare her to kiss me if I told a truth and the truth was November’s birthdaaayy!”

Kimono felt a shiver of indignation go down her spine. She had known January Joy was up to something. And Razzaroo had been helping him since the day they arrived! “Silly Lilly, will you please wait here with Star Dasher,” Kimono said coolly. “It’s time we put an end to this.”

* * *

January Joy was in his party planning room in the castle, writing out invitations for November Nights’ party. Now that he finally knew the date, he had one day to get everything together. A knock sounded at the door, and Razzaroo entered. “Hey, Razz,” January said. “Did you get the ingredients for the cake?”

“Um, no,” Razz said. “I ran into Kimono, and she demanded to speak with both of us. She was stern.”

“Where is she?”

“She told me to meet her in the park on the north side of town.”

January groaned and said, “I wish she had just come here. We’re so short on time.” Still, he stood up and put on his winter hat. They trotted to the park. They wandered the paths a little until they found Kimono. January stiffened when he saw that November Nights and Star Dasher were with her. Star was lying in the snow, staring abjectly at a tree trunk. Silly Lilly stood next to Star’s head, but he took off and landed on a branch when January and Razzaroo arrived.

“What’s going on, Kimono?” Razzaroo said.

January had a guess what was up, and he started to feel sick. He had gone too far, hadn’t he? “I found Star Dasher crying here,” Kimono said. “She told me she had broken a promise and revealed November Nights’ birthday. I’m giving you four the chance to talk to each other and work out your differences.” She sat down.

January felt like his head was spinning. Kimono had pretty much spoiled the surprise, but that was the least of his concerns. He only wanted to make November Nights happy. Instead he had made Star Dasher cry, and he had gotten Razzaroo and Wondermint entangled in it. January looked around and said, “Is Wondermint coming?”

“I wasn’t sure how involved she was,” Kimono said.

“She wasn’t involved at all,” January said. “She just did what I asked, and I didn’t tell her that Star had objected to the idea. Please don’t blame Wondermint. You know how she is; she’d kiss everypony in town if they’d let her.” He chuckled awkwardly. “And don’t blame Razz, either. She’s new here and doesn’t know everypony yet. This was all my idea. If November or Star is going to be mad at somepony, it should be me.”

November looked at him. He swallowed and continued, “I wanted to throw you a surprise birthday party, November. Star told me it was a bad idea because you don’t like big crowds, but I didn’t listen. I needed to know your birthday, but I couldn’t ask you directly or it would spoil the surprise. Razz helped me plan and prepare for the party, but it was my idea to pressure Star into telling me your birthday. And when she wouldn’t give in, I got Wondermint involved because I knew Star liked her.”

January was addressing November, but it was really Star that he had wronged. Star still wouldn’t look at him. “I’m sorry, Star,” he said. “November, please don’t be mad at her, either.”

“Why wouldn’t you listen to me?” Star mumbled.

“I… I just wanted to make November happy,” January said weakly.

Star stood up and snapped, “I told you that kind of party wouldn’t make her happy!” Her blue and green eyes met January’s. “You’re being narrow-minded and stubborn! You thought she was lonely? Did you know that she has a party every year, but she keeps it small? I couldn’t tell you because I was afraid that you’d feel left out. You want to be everypony’s friend, but you never ask what your ‘friends’ want. You just assume you know what’s best for them. Well, newsflash: There’s more than one way to be happy, Mr. Joy!” Star snorted angrily, her ears folded down, her lips drawn back, and tension rippling through her powerful body. Silly Lilly hid behind Kimono’s mane.

January was devastated. What if Star was right? This wasn’t just about November’s birthday. It was about his whole tenure as the Castle of Happiness’s official party planner. Had he forced ponies to be happy his way? “I’m sorry,” January said. “Oh my stars, I’m so sorry. Can I do anything to make it up to you?”

“I have an idea,” Razz said. “We call off the surprise party. Instead we finally plan the welcome party you talked about, and we schedule it for the same day as November’s birthday. We announce it to everyone. Even if someone heard about November’s birthday from Wondermint, they’ll be invited to the welcome party instead. That way, you two can have November’s party without interference.”

Everypony looked expectantly at January. “If that’s what would make you happy,” he said. “November, Star?”

“That would be wonderful,” November said.

Star’s angry posture relaxed. “Okay,” she said. “Thank you.”

* * *

Star Dasher arrived at November Nights’ house at sunset. She went past the shop to the living quarters upstairs. November and March Mischief were already by the fireplace with the tea set ready. “You made it!” March said, standing up. Like Star, March was an excitable pony. He was November’s #1 customer, not surprising given his cutie mark, a steaming teacup with an aquamarine in the center. It was odd that November ended up making friends with such energetic ponies when she was so quiet and reserved. Well, March really liked tea.

“Sit down and join us,” November said. Star sat on a cushion next to the table, soaking up the heat of the fire. Normally she got bored easily and always needed to be moving. But she found it oddly calming to be with November. She sat there, sipping tea, mostly listening to the crackling fire and March’s endless tangents as he tried to tell the story of his weekend camping trip with Juniper Jade. Star noticed November’s orange topaz softly glowing on her rump.

Star cut in and said, “We should do this more often. We don’t have to wait for November’s birthday.”

“Oh, speaking of the birthday pony…” March reached into a bag. That story was never going to be finished, was it? He revealed a gift box.

“Oh, no!” Star said, jumping to her hooves. “In all the chaos, I forgot to get you a present.”

“Don’t worry about it,” November said, reaching up a hoof and pulling Star to sit her down again. “It’s your friendship that I really treasure.”

“Aw, that’s so cute,” March said. “But I’m still giving you this.” He passed November the box, and she opened it. It was a book. Star didn’t recognize the title, but it had a nice red cover with gold embroidery.

“Thank you!” November said. She nuzzled March. “And thank you, Star.”

“What for?” Star said.

“You went through a lot this week. You showed how much our friendship means to you.”

“By breaking my promise?”

“By taking your promise so seriously. By resisting for so long, and by feeling sorry when you messed up. You’re a good friend.”

“Thanks,” Star said, blushing.

November reached over and nuzzled her face. “This is the perfect birthday,” November said, jewel shining brightly. “I’m so happy to be here with you!”

* * *

Kimono looked over the party setup, impressed. The party started at sunset, but no one seemed bothered by the cold. These jewel ponies were hardy. They also had a good sense of décor. It was an ice skating party situated on the frozen river. They set up strings of lights on an arching bridge. Under the bridge were tables with refreshments. Ponies could skate out as far as they wanted on the river, but most didn’t stray too far from Wondermint’s energetic accordion music.

Kimono glided up to Razzaroo and January Joy. “This is a wonderful party,” she said. “I’m glad we could work things out. I hope November Nights and Star Dasher are enjoying themselves.”

“I think they are!” Silly Lilly said, following Kimono around as usual.

“Razzaroo, Silly Lilly, I was thinking, how long do you want to stay in Joyville?” Kimono said.

“Huh, we just got here?” Silly said.

“I know, but I’m planning ahead. We do have five other castles to visit.”

“Oh, you must stay for the winter,” January said. “You can’t travel in this.” It rarely got this cold in Ponyville, and it was still only November. Those last few days of travel before they arrived at Joyville were difficult.

“Perhaps you’re right,” Kimono said.

“I’m not ready to leave our new friends, anyway,” Razzaroo said. “So we’ll head out in the spring?”

“The early spring, I hope,” Kimono said. “As soon as it’s feasible. If we spend several months at every castle, we’ll be gone for a couple of years.”

“Great!” Silly said. Kimono had insisted that he stay in the air rather than skate, for safety reasons. He landed on Kimono’s back.

“I was also wondering if any of you jewel ponies might want to join our quest to see the other castles,” Kimono said. “As we were just discussing, it’d be a big time commitment. It could be dangerous. But there’s a whole world out there that we know barely anything about. And I think there’s a significant mystery to uncover in terms of why these castles were built and why they lost contact with each other.”

“Hmm, I’ll ask around,” January said. “But I can think of at least one pony who I’d bet will go with you.”

* * *

Four months later.

Star Dasher loved new things. That’s why she bore a huge grin as she saddled up her bags for the trip of a lifetime. The weather had warmed up, and the snow was melting. She, Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly were leaving Joyville. Star loved Joyville, but if there were six other towns like it, she had to see them!

January had organized a sendoff for them at the north end of the town. They were heading for the Castle of Rainbows, next. Ponies had gathered to bid them farewell. Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly had become quite popular in Joyville. But of course, saying goodbye to Star Dasher was harder for a lot of ponies, since they had known her for so long. Star Dasher said goodbye to her parents, then she turned to November Nights, who looked sad.

“Cheer up, November,” Star said. “This will be great. I’ll tell you all about our adventures when I get back. It might take a while, but I’ll be back!” They nuzzled each other.

“I’ll miss you,” November said. “Stay safe.”

“Of course!” Star said. “I love you!” She turned and faced the woods.

“Ready?” Razzaroo said.

“Born for it!” Star said.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! This is my biggest fanfic project yet, and I'm looking forward to sharing it.

Feel free to look up the toys by name if you find yourself forgetting their physical appearances. I promise, they are all very pretty!

The Castle of Rainbows

Star Dasher hiked up the hill at a tölt, her preferred gait when carrying a load. The smooth gait minimized any bouncing of her pack, which was easier on her back. The hill was wooded, but the undergrowth was sparse, so Star had no trouble getting through. She rushed past little patches of melting snow in the shadier spots and fresh green grass in the sunnier spots. After months of winter, even this brisk April morning felt warm. The young sunlight quickly warmed Star’s dark purple coat. Birdsong filled the woods. Her heart rate increased, and her breathing settled into that familiar workout rhythm. She felt alive, like she could run forever. Unfortunately, she ran out of hill.

She stopped at the top, which was still wooded. The trees obstructed much of her view, but they were sparse; by moving around, she could catch glimpses of different parts of the landscape. The north-facing slope before her was much snowier than what she had just hiked up. Beyond was a wooded landscape—still mostly bare trees, for now. She took special note of the upcoming topography, since they would have to hike through the landscape before her on their way to the Castle of Rainbows.

Star returned downhill at a canter. She headed towards where she guessed the others would be. She had left them to scout ahead. She paused and neighed, listening for a response. She heard a neigh off to her right. She had come too far, overestimating how far they would have walked without her. She cantered off and found Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly taking a break in a grass patch. “There’s more hills ahead,” Star said. “If we bend right, we should get to the lowest pass I saw.”

“Is that how we get home?” Silly Lilly said.

Star cocked her head. “I thought we explained this yesterday. We’re not going to your home, not yet.”

“What?” Silly said with a gasp. “I don’t remember this.”

“We’re going to the Castle of Rainbows,” Star said.

“That’s northeast of here,” Kimono said. “All the other castles are south of Ponyville, so we’ll pass by Ponyville and Breezie Blossom on our way south.”

“Oh…” Silly said, sounding crestfallen. “That sounds like a long way.”

“Why do you want to go home, Silly?” Star said. “Didn’t you volunteer to go on this adventure?” She walked over to the grass patch and bent over to grab a mouthful. The new spring grass was particularly tender and delicious.

“Well, I did, but I have a… problem,” Silly said. “How did you explain it, Kimono?”

“Silly Lilly is a breezie,” Kimono said, looking at Star. “Breezies all live in Breezie Blossom, and they usually travel together. When they’re close to each other, breezies have a magical connection that enables their minds to exchange information. It enables them to think faster and come to agreements easily.”

“Some breezies can live on their own just fine,” Silly Lilly said. “Others are bad at adjusting. I came along because the Castles of Happiness and Laughter sounded like fun. But this is the opposite of fun! It’s unfun!”

“He has trouble remembering things, and it’s hard for him to think clearly,” Kimono said. “I’m guessing the other breezies did a lot of the thinking for him.”

Star tried to imagine what that would be like. It sounded like Silly had essentially lost a part of his brain. Yeah, Star might want to go home, too, in those circumstances. She swallowed the grass she had been chewing and said, “We’ll get you home as soon as we can. Let’s get moving.” Kimono and Razzaroo saddled up their bags.

* * *

The group followed a stream for a while. Its quiet gurgling brought a sense of calm to the area. Star Dasher avoided leading, not wanting to set a pace that was too demanding for the others. She and Razzaroo were behind Kimono, who had sped up to a trot in the flat, easy terrain by the stream. Unusually, Silly Lilly had landed on Star’s bag, rather than Kimono’s. “Star Dasher,” Razz said. “There’s something I’ve been wondering all day.”

“Oh?” Star said.

“What are you doing with your legs?” Razz said, baffled.

“Huh?” Star looked down at her legs—wrapped in yellow leg warmers, as usual—and saw that she was at a tölt while Razz was at a trot. “Oh, it’s a tölt.”

“A what?”

“A tölt. It’s a four-beat lateral ambling gait.”

“A what?” Razz repeated.

Without the runners’ terminology, Star thought. “It’s about the same speed as a trot, but it’s smoother. I do it when I’m carrying a load, because it bounces less.”

“It’s true!” Silly said. “I can hardly feel her steps up here.”

“How do you do it?” Razz said, watching Star’s hooves.

“I learned it in track and field as a foal,” Star said. “It’s not that hard. It goes left hind, left front, right hind, right front. There’s a half-suspension between each beat.”

“What?” Razz said, fumbling with her hooves as she attempted to change her gait.

“That’s just a funny-looking walk. Pick up your hooves.” Star slowed down to show Razz. “See, right here, I would pick up my right front hoof before putting down the left one. And then I’d pick up my left hind hoof before putting down the right.”

“Um… I think I’ll just stick to a trot for now,” Razz said.

“Yeah, it takes most ponies a while to get used to it,” Star said. They trotted and tölted on.

“You make it look so easy,” a voice behind them said.

Razz and Star both whinnied and instinctively kicked behind them at the sudden, unexpected sound from their blind spots. Their hooves didn’t make contact with anything. Star looked behind her and saw a white pony with pink and purple hair and an amused grin, just out of reach of her hind legs. Wondermint.

“Um, hello,” Kimono said.

“Good morning, compadres!” Wondermint said. She did a showy bow. She had a pack with an accordion strapped to it.

Emotions rushed to Star’s head. What was Wondermint doing here? Star had a crush on Wondermint, and those bubbly feelings of attraction came immediately. But Wondermint had used her charm to get Star to break a promise and reveal a friend’s birthday in exchange for a kiss. January had assured Star that Wondermint knew nothing of her promise, but Star still remembered the bitter emotions after that experience, and Wondermint had never apologized. Star was normally nervous around Wondermint, but since that kiss, even more so. She had mostly avoided interacting with Wondermint since then.

“Wondermint, right?” Kimono said.

“Kimono, Razzaroo, Silly Lilly, and Star Dasher!” Wondermint said.

“What are you doing here?” Razzaroo said.

“I have come to join you in your quest!” Wondermint proclaimed. “Coming out here was a whole decision-making process for me, and I procrastinated until the last minute. I love little, everyday pleasures, like extra whipped cream on hot cocoa, a letter from my grandmother, or a smile from a friend. And most of those things are in the city. But I decided that I might find new little things to appreciate on your epic odyssey.”

“Well… you’re welcome to join us,” Razz said. “Do you have food? A water container? A sleeping roll? A tent?”

“Yes, yes, yes, y—no,” Wondermint said. “I knew I was forgetting something! I don’t own a tent. I never expected to leave Joyville.”

Razz hesitantly said, “Maybe we could go back and ask your friends if—”

“Nah, we’ve traveled almost a whole day,” Wondermint protested. “And catching up to you wore me out.” Her white coat was damp with sweat. Still beautiful, though. She breathed heavily, her rib cage showing with each inhalation. Ah, why so hot? “I’m sure we can work something out. It doesn’t rain most nights. Maybe I could find somewhere sheltered on nights when it does.”

“I have a little extra room in my tent,” Razz said. “And Kimono is really good at predicting the weather. You can share with me on rainy nights.”

“We could take turns, if you’d prefer not to go back,” Kimono said. Star didn’t dare offer to share, as well. Wondermint, in her tiny, one-pony tent? Her face flushed and her ears felt hot just thinking about it.

“Great,” Wondermint said. “Forward, my noble companions!”

* * *

Star Dasher and the others traveled along a lakeshore. To their right was a thick, dark forest of conifers—Star didn’t know what kind. To the left was the lake, its shallows strangled with reeds and aquatic plants with showy purple flowers. There was a narrow strip of grass along the lakeshore where the ponies walked. The ground was squishy, prompting Star to remove her leg warmers. Soon mud was splattered all over her lower legs. There was a light fog in the cool air.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that if your jewel gets dirty, it puts you in a bad mood?” Silly said. He fluttered alongside Star. “Even if you were feeling good before?”

“So they say,” Star said. “I generally keep my jewel clean, like everypony else, so I can’t speak from experience.”

“What about when you lie down?”

“My parents taught me to always lie down on the left side.” Star turned her bare left flank towards Silly.

“Quiet!” Kimono hissed, suddenly stopping. Star stopped, confused. Kimono’s ears pivoted. She whinnied and turned towards the lake. Star jumped back as a tongue of flame leapt out of the reeds towards the ponies. She thought they were toast, but the flame didn’t pass Kimono. A sudden rush of wind blew against the flames, blowing them back and charring the reeds. Star still felt some heat radiating off the nearby fire.

“It’s a salamander!” Star cried, recalling her grandfather’s stories. “Run for the trees!”

They took off sprinting, with Kimono taking up the rear. Star saw behind her that as soon as Kimono turned around, the flames leapt forward. She had stopped them. How? They darted through the trees. Branches caught in Star’s mane and scratched at her face. She didn’t make it far before she had to slow to a tölt. Still, she noticed that she was well ahead of the others. Fighting her instincts, she deliberately slowed down and looked for the others. They were all here, and Star noticed that Kimono’s lovely purple tail was singed.

“Salamanders supposedly never stray far from water,” Star said. “We should be safe.”

They slowed down. It was hard to get through this terrain, and the others were panting already. Star kept looking behind them, just in case. She saw no trace of the salamander. “Are you hurt, Kimono?” Razz said frantically. Star’s heart was pounding, and not just from the run. Her legs were shaky, and she was sweating. Razz looked similarly.

“No,” Kimono said. “It didn’t burn to the dock. I just lost some hair, is all.”

“What did you do?” Wondermint said. “It was like you summoned a gust of wind to hold off the fire. That was crazy!” Star had wondered about that, as well, but she was still too nervous to be very curious.

“Oh, that… well…” Kimono seemed flustered, which was a rare state for her. “Yes, I caused the wind.”

“How did you do it?” Wonder said, rearing up excitedly.

“Well, it starts with meditation,” Kimono said. “It took me years of practice to learn it. When I’m truly at peace with myself and at one with nature, I can move the air, in small ways.”

“I didn’t see you meditate while that salamander was breathing at us,” Razz pointed out.

“Like I said, I’ve been practicing for years. I can access that state of mind in an instant, now.”

So it was a skill that could be learned? That made Star curious, pushing her nervousness away. “That’s so cool!” Star said. “Will you teach me?”

“And me!” Silly Lilly added.

“I can teach you how to meditate,” Kimono said. “But it will take time and dedication to learn to influence the world around you. And, according to the stories, different ponies develop different abilities. In any case, we should figure out where we’re going first.”

The ponies all looked around. This dark forest would be difficult to navigate. A thick layer of fallen needles made the whole scene aromatic. It was deeply shaded, and branches and roots obstructed their way. But nopony wanted to turn back towards the lake and the salamander. “Silly Lilly, would you please fly above the trees and tell us which direction the sun is in?” Kimono said.

“Sure thing!” He darted off.

Silly was gone for several minutes, and Star shuffled her hooves anxiously. “Silly Lilly!” Kimono called. “Silly Lilly, where are you?”

The yellow breezie zipped back down. “I’m here!” he said.

“In which direction was the sun?” Kimono said.

“Oh, um… I forgot,” Silly said. “Can we go home now?”

Kimono sighed. “We’ll go there after the Castle of Rainbows. Here, I’ll help you.” She walked to an area where the trees were less thick and they could barely make out a patch of distant blue sky. A huge fallen log lay in the area. “Fly straight up above the trees,” Kimono said.

Silly flew up. “Keep going,” Kimono instructed, looking up at him. “Leave that pinecone alone. You’re almost there. Good, can you see the sun? Point a hoof at it. Good job, now come back down!” Silly returned to them. “We need to go this way,” Kimono said, starting off.

* * *

“There will be rain tonight,” Kimono said. They were still in thick forest, and the sky had darkened overhead. Star started setting up her small tent. Razz sat to write in her notebook. She was recording everything about their adventures in there, the places they went and distance estimates, weather summaries, descriptions of the flora and fauna. Wondermint sat on a log and played a tune on her accordion. Star found herself swaying to the music, as always. Wonder was so talented…

The music stopped just a few minutes later. That was odd. Star looked over at Wonder’s log. Kimono was saying, “Silly Lilly would like to try to learn meditation, and quiet is best, especially for beginners.”

Star walked over and said, “I’d like to learn, as well!”

“Then come,” Kimono said. The three of them stood in a circle. Aww, Silly was so itty-bitty when he stood on the ground… “Lock your legs,” Kimono said. “Close your eyes. Get to a comfortable, relaxed position.” Star shifted her front right hoof off of a root. “Relax your bodies,” Kimono said. “Steady your breathing. Let your heart rate sink. Relax your muscles. If needed, shift to relieve any tension.” Star thought she felt an ant crawling up her leg. She opened her eyes, but she didn’t see any ant.

“Calm your minds,” Kimono said. “Don’t think about anything else. Just focus on your surroundings. Do you hear the wind in the trees? And the songs of crickets and other insects? Feel at one with the cool, scented air. Imagine your hooves as roots, sinking through the duff to the moist earth beneath. Calm.” Now Star was really struggling. Her mind kept drifting, thinking about the salamander they had escaped from. She had never seen it. What color might it have been? And then she was thinking about how far they had come, trying to guess where they were on their vague map from the Ponyville castle. And then she was thinking about her companions, wise Kimono, organized Razzaroo, scatterbrained Silly Lilly. Oh, and Wondermint… Glitter and stars, that pony.

Kimono had gone silent. “How do we know if we’re doing it right?” Star said.

“Shh…” Kimono whispered. “If you’re asking, you haven’t gotten it yet.” She paused for a moment. “Sorry, that was harsh. Let’s go for another ten minutes or so, then you can ask questions.”

Star tried to clear her mind, but that was harder than she ever would have imagined. Thoughts kept popping into her head. What would she eat for breakfast tomorrow? Should she try again to teach Razz the tölt, or even Kimono and Wonder? How long had it been since she had been on an actual run? Was she going to lose her conditioning on this journey? Had it really not been ten minutes yet?

She needed to move. She needed to run. Her body felt better, she thought more clearly, she felt happier and more alive when she was running. And this was like the opposite of that! “I’m sorry, I can’t do it!” she blurted. She took off at a canter, darting between trees in a big circle around their camp. She did that circle three more times, just to get her blood pumping. When she returned to the camp, Kimono and Silly Lilly were still standing with their eyes closed.

Star loved trying new things, but that didn’t mean she had to like everything she tried. Meditation was cool, but not for her.

* * *

The conifers had transitioned to maples and other hardwood trees. Maybe it was just the advancing spring weather, but Star felt like the climate was turning warmer as they traveled farther northeast. Razz shared that thought, when Star brought it up. Razz described Joyville as “weirdly cold” for its latitude. They were walking in single file. Star had ended up right behind Wondermint. She was doing her best to keep her eyes off of Wondermint’s hindquarters. She ended up staring at the ground instead.

Wondermint came to a sudden stop. Star frantically stopped herself so abruptly that Razz ran into her from behind. At least she hadn’t done the same to Wondermint. “What’s happening?” Razz said. Kimono stopped in the front.

“This flower,” Wondermint said, pointing.

“What about it?” Razz said. They all gathered around it.

“It’s pretty,” Wondermint said. Its stalk sprang from a base with two leaves. The stalk turned and drooped downwards, so the flower was hanging upside down. The six thin, yellow petals curled upwards, and the anthers and stigma hung like ornaments. It was a small but brilliantly colorful flower. There were also thousands more just like it all around them. Wondermint bent down and sniffed it.

“We’ve passed thousands of these…” Razz said.

“But I had never seen this kind of flower until today!” Wondermint said. “I want you all to appreciate this flower. This is a little thing. But it’s making the whole trip worthwhile for me.” She pranced off, taking the lead and humming a tune.

Gah, she’s so hot! Star thought. She blushed and looked away. It wasn’t just her appearance—although that certainly didn’t hurt! It was her charming personality that Star was attracted to, and that flower moment was an enchanting display of it. Which made her feel even more conflicted, since it was Wondermint’s character that kept Star away. To her knowledge, Wondermint didn’t reciprocate Star’s attraction. She gave no indication of even having thought about their kiss since it happened. She was carefree and whimsical, and that’s what drew Star in. But it also scared her.

“Are you alright?” Kimono said. Star was standing, while the others were following Wondermint and had already moved a considerable distance.

“Coming!” Star said, catching up to them at a quick tölt.

* * *

They broke through a line of trees and blinked in the sunlight. They had stumbled upon a gorgeous meadow with fresh, minty-smelling grass. Birds sang and butterflies fluttered. “Snack time!” Star proclaimed. The others nodded in agreement. They had brought some dried food from Joyville, but they relied on foraging for much of their needs.

They discovered with glee that there was not only grass but alfalfa in the meadow. Star ate next to Razzaroo, and they conversed in between bites. At first they were talking about Star’s career as a runner. The competitions she took part in, which events she usually won, her training regime. Of the ponies from outside Joyville, Star knew Razz the best. Kimono was aloof, and Silly Lilly was always with her. Razz was more sociable. But it struck Star that while she knew what had motivated Kimono and Silly Lilly to go on this quest, she did not know what had motivated Razz to leave the comforts of home.

“Razz, I’ve been wondering something,” Star said. Kimono gestured for them to continue on their way. Star and Razz followed, talking on the move. “Kimono left Ponyville to gain more knowledge and uncover the mysteries of why the castles were built and why they lost contact. Silly Lilly left Breezie Blossom because it sounded like fun. But why did you leave Ponyville? You’re a party planner. There aren’t many parties going on in this wilderness.”

“Yes… that’s a good question,” Razz said. She didn’t sound excited about it. “Well… there’s another party planner in Ponyville, younger than me, named Pinkie Pie. She’s very enthusiastic about her work, and she’s doing very well. Everyone likes her. And then… there’s me.”

“What do you mean? You say that like you’re underwhelming.”

“I mean, don’t you ever think I’m a little… weird? I’m not as charismatic as Pinkie Pie. I’m awkward in social situations. Remember, I got so excited about January Joy’s party ideas that I was oblivious to anything else. I didn’t consider your feelings.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Star said. “You were new to town.”

“Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have made that mistake,” Razz said. “She knows how to work with ponies. All I know how to do is keep extensive notes. So, I decided to get out of her way. Go do something else. At least my notetaking skills will be valuable, here. I hope. Maybe I can make a book out of our adventures or something?”

Star didn’t know what to say. Razzaroo sounded down on herself. “Well, I’m glad you’re here,” Star said. “And I don’t think you’re awkward. You’re easier to talk to than Kimono.”

“Well, thank you,” Razz said. “That means a lot to me.”

They walked in silence for a moment, passing under a canopy of budding trees. But Star had another question on her mind. “Can I ask you another personal question?”

“I suppose so,” Razz said, uncertain.

“Is there a story behind the name Razzaroo?”

“Oh, that,” Razz said with a chuckle. “Sure. I don’t know if it works the same way in Joyville, but in Ponyville our parents give us a name, but we choose a new one when we get our cutie marks.”

“Some ponies do it that way in Joyville,” Star said. “It depends on the family. That’s what I did.”

“I already had a name picked out even before I got my cutie mark at age nine. So it has nothing to do with the present on my flank. Razzaroo is just a silly word I came up with as a filly.” Star stopped herself from laughing. “I kind of regret it, but I’ve tried to give it meaning since then. It’s unique, right? Whatever I am is Razzaroo, and Razzaroo is me. Whatever I am…”

“I actually love that,” Star said. “It makes mine look boring.”

“What’s your story? It looks like your cutie mark and name are related.”

“I didn’t have my name picked out before I got my cutie mark. Have I ever mentioned, when I was young I wanted to be an astronomer?”

“No. Really?”

“Yep. I loved stars, constellations, and planets. But I also always loved sports. Anyway, one night I saw a shooting star fly low over the sky. I ran after it, trying to catch it. I was sure it had landed just behind the first hill next to Joyville. I ran all over the forest looking for it. I never found it, but I still had fun. By the time I returned to town and saw myself in the light, this star had appeared on my flank. I named myself Star Dasher after that night.”

“But you didn’t become an astronomer?” Razz said.

“Yeah… It was really hard for me to study. I couldn’t pay attention in school or reading. I decided to be an athlete instead, and now I can say I’m a star athlete. A star dasher, even.”

“Oh, I get it,” Razz said with a chuckle.

“I’m jealous of your notetaking skills,” Star said. “I wish I were good at studying and paying attention.

“I guess we both wish we had other skills, then,” Razz said longingly.

“Hey, at least we’re both good at something,” Star said.

* * *

They set up their tents after another long day of walking. They had gone uphill most of the day, and unfortunately the other ponies looked rather ragged. Razz flopped on the ground before even setting up her tent. Everypony could tell that it was going to rain tonight, with those clouds bringing on early twilight. Humidity was in the air.

Star’s legs and hooves were sore, as well. It wasn’t just today, but the stacking effect of day after day of walking. They guessed they were more than halfway to the Castle of Rainbows, but it was hard to know for certain. In any case, Star still felt better than the others looked, so she went around and helped everypony set up their tents, starting with Razzaroo. Silly Lilly just found a nice big flower to sleep in—something like a rose, although it had no thorns. No meditation or accordion tonight. They were too tired, and they wanted to get into their tents before the rain started.

After eating two biscuits with honey, Star turned to her tent. She opened the door and froze. “Hey, Star,” Wondermint said, with her wild, asymmetric grin. She lay scrunched up in a sleeping bag on one side of the little tent, making room but still somehow relaxed in her pose. After days of wilderness travel, her usually silky hair was tangled and had the occasional leaf trapped in it. Her purple eyes were tired. But somehow her zany energy still shined through, taking on a rustic quality in these circumstances. For a skinny musician, she had borne the hardships of the wilderness well.

“Gyuuhh…” Star was speechless.

“It’ll rain tonight, and I already slept with Razz and Kimono,” Wonder said. “It’s your turn! Unless,” she gasped, “I’m sorry, I never asked if you want to share. Should I leave?”

Star felt panic coming on. Sleeping with Wondermint? That was insane! She knew she found Wonder to be irresistible, so if she went into that tent with Wonder, she’d basically be bound to do anything Wonder asked. But… she wasn’t really a bad pony, right? Star was just being irrationally fearful of her crush. Besides, she didn’t want to be rude. Especially not to that pretty face… “No, we can share,” Star squeaked out.

“Wonderful!” Wondermint said. Star carefully entered the tent, trying to avoid stepping on Wonder. Normally she switched out her set of leg warmers—she had brought two—to avoid them getting too filthy, but she didn’t bother tonight. She started to crawl into her sleeping bag. There was so little room! She didn’t want to touch Wonder, so she scooched up against the wall of the tent. She realized that if she lay down on her left side, she’d be face to face with Wonder! She was too afraid to do that. Her skin felt clammy, and her head was spinning.

She decided to turn onto her right side, lying on her jewel cutie mark and facing the tent wall. As she shifted into the sleeping back, she felt her back brush against something, probably Wonder’s hoof. This made her blush. Just as she settled into her position, legs tucked tight against her body to make enough space, rain started pattering on the tent. No going back now.

“Now that you’re here, I was hoping we could talk a bit,” Wonder said.

“Okay,” Star squeaked, shutting her eyes.

“You’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost,” Wonder said tenderly. “I just want to chat. No kisses tonight.” So she did remember! Well, of course she remembered, but she actually thought about it. Star let her tense muscles relax a bit.

“Wh…what about?” Star said.

“You and me, me and you, the winds of change, and the wheeling of the world!” Wonder said. The answer didn’t exactly put Star at ease, but she still chuckled because it was so wonderfully on-brand for Wonder. “You don’t have to talk if you don’t want to. I hope I don’t come off as presumptuous when I say you have a crush on me.”

Star didn’t respond to that. She had figured Wonder knew. “You’re nervous around me, but it seems like more than just the crush,” Wonder said. “I want to clear the air between us. If you’re upset about me trading a kiss for November’s birthday, I’m sorry. That was wrong.” Star sighed. That made a world of difference for her. It was like her chest had been constricted and now she could suddenly breathe freely again.

“I believe in transparency,” Wonder said. “So let me let you know how I feel about you.” Star’s heart rate shot up, and her muscles tensed again. What a roller coaster it was, just talking with Wondermint! Not even talking to her, but just listening. “Keep in mind, I am so changeable! Ask me again in a week, and this could all be different. I like you. I think you’re cute.” Star blushed again, and even her ears felt hot. Could Wonder see that? No, it was dark.

“But I think that about a lot of ponies,” Wonder continued. “And ever since January Joy transitioned…” She catcalled loudly, probably disturbing the other tents. “Have you seen that boy’s dock? And his chiseled face? January is the pony I want most of all. That’s one of the reasons I hesitated to join this quest. I hope you don’t mind if I’m a little flirty with you. If that makes you uncomfortable, just tell me. But a little flirty is all, for now.”

Star didn’t know what to say. She felt that her strong attraction to Wondermint demanded either commitment or denial, not some awkward in-between space. But she was incredibly grateful for the apology, and that put her at ease. And she still found it hard to say no to Wonder, so she just didn’t say anything. “Hey, Star, are you still awake?” Wonder said.

“Yes,” Star said, her voice coming out in a squeak once again. She would stay awake all night if Wonder kept talking, despite her fatigue.

“D’aww, you are such a li’l bean,” Wonder said fondly. “Well, a big bean, maybe. Them haunches got muscle!”

Star laughed awkwardly. She thinks my haunches are muscly? she thought stupidly.

“Well, goodnight,” Wonder said. Star heard her shift. She opened her eyes and tilted her head to look behind her. Wonder had shifted to lie on her left side, facing the tent wall. A small but welcome change. Star was too nervous to face Wonder directly, but her current position was uncomfortable. That jewel was hard, and it was pressing against her body like a rock. She carefully shifted to her left side, facing Wonder’s back.

“Goodnight,” Star whispered. Of all the things Wondermint had said, it wasn’t the lack of reciprocality that stuck with Star the most. It was the apology. That was a big deal to her. She slept well that night.

* * *

The others had allowed Star Dasher to lead for once, because she was the most surefooted. Following a narrow trail along a steep, rocky ridge was hard enough. To their right was a sharp drop, and to their left was a wall of broken stone that rose far above their heads. The terrain had taken a turn for the mountainous as they approached the Castle of Rainbows. Star had never seen such big elevation changes before. It all got harder when they encountered a waterfall. The path went right through it. Much of the water passed it by, continuing down the near vertical rock face to the valley below. But there was still some water that sprinkled on the trail, giving life to algae and moss.

Star looked around for another way. They’d have to backtrack all the way to the start of the ridge and go by the valley or the spine of the ridge, and either would entail huge changes in elevation at the beginning and end. She crept forward, keeping three hooves on the ground at a time. The trail was reasonably flat through the waterfall, but as Star suspected, the algae was slippery. “Careful!” she shouted over the waterfall. “It’s slippery!”

Water sprinkled on her mane, and presumably on her pack, as she advanced. It was frigid, but hopefully it wouldn’t soak through too much. Step by step, she crossed the waterfall. She reached the other side without mishap. The others had just started to cross, led by Kimono. Star shrugged off her pack and carefully set it on the path. She returned to the edge of the waterfall, proffering a hoof to Kimono. She didn’t take it, keeping her hooves on the ground. But Star stayed there in case Kimono started to slip.

Instead, Kimono came to a stop in the water. She tilted her head, evidently looking at something. Her gaze was drawn to the sheet of water passing by her left. She stared at it with a baffled expression for a few seconds. All Star saw was a little rainbow in the water. “Are you alright?” Star called out. Kimono nodded and continued to walk. Star backed up and got out of her way.

“What were you looking at?” Star said.

“Keep an eye on the others while they cross,” Kimono said. “We’ll talk about it after.” Star nodded and returned to the edge of the waterfall, extending a hoof for Wondermint. Wonder’s eyes went wide as her right front leg slipped out from under her. Star’s heartbeat spiked, and she extended herself forward. She reached to Wonder’s shoulder and shoved her towards the stone wall, away from the drop. Wonder landed on her chest, her hind legs still standing. She looked around in fear.

“Take my hoof!” Star shouted. “I’ll help you stand up!” Wonder did so, shaking violently. Keeping her hoof on Star’s, she hobbled the rest of the way. Her legs were wobbling as she came into the dry part on the other side. She was breathing heavily, and her white chest was smeared with green. Star wanted to stay and comfort Wonder, but she left her with Kimono and went to assist Razz. Razz managed to cross without mishap.

Wonder had lain down on the widest part of the trail, huddling the stone wall. There was enough space for Star to lie next to her, putting her body between Wonder and the edge. “The rainbow in the waterfall,” Kimono said. “There’s no yellow band.”

“What?” Star said, turning her head to look behind her. She hadn’t noticed it before, but the rainbow was… incomplete. Where the yellow band should have been, it was just the white foam of the waterfall. The pink on one side was separated from the blue and purple on the other. “That’s not right.” She didn’t have to second guess herself. This was no trick of the light. That rainbow looked wrong. “What does it mean?”

“It’s almost time for the first rainbow of the season,” Razz said. “Every year, shooting stars appear in the sky for each color of the rainbow. When the last one arrives, the first rainbow of the season appears, and all the rainbow berries become ripe. Yellow is the first shooting star. Did anyone see a yellow shooting star?”

They all exchanged glances and shook their heads, except poor Wondermint who was still staring at the ground. But they were often under tree cover, and there had been clouds last night. “Something is wrong,” Kimono said. “And if there are answers, they’ll be at the Castle of Rainbows, I suspect. I think we should pick up the pace and try to get there before the first rainbow appears. Star, would you lead us?”

Star looked at Wonder and said, “Can you stand?”

“I-isn’t this a… reversal from last-t night?” Wonder stuttered. “Who’s nervous now?” She stood up, shaking.

Star stood with her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “It’s over,” Star said. “Without the algae, this trail isn’t so bad. And look, the slope of the ridge flattens ahead.” Wonder’s shaking subsided. “Ready?” Star said. Wonder nodded, keeping her eyes on the ground.

Star took the lead. She didn’t go too quickly, not until they were on safer ground. Her worries were split between Wonder and the incomplete rainbow they had seen. She couldn’t imagine what that meant, but it probably wasn’t good.

* * *

Fragmented thoughts.

That was reality for Silly Lilly. He… what? Couldn’t think. Except about home. Breezie Blossom. Tulips. His friends. That buzzing in his mind. Where was it? Gone now. Where was he? Why was he—

“Clear your mind of worries and other thoughts,” Kimono said. “Feel, hear, and smell the world around you.” Oh, right. Silly was doing that. It was easy for him not to think, if he remembered to do it. His head was so empty. There was nothing inside. Nothing but breathing and heartbeats. They were steady and calm.

Outside, lots. Lots was happening. Ants marching by. Pollen and the scent of flowers in the air. Dappled sunlight on his back and wings. Cool, moist air. Cool, moist ground. Dark, rich soil underneath. Networks of roots and fungi. Lily flower seedlings. Young, vulnerable, some might not make it. Unless Silly helped them. Filled with love for pretty, growing things, he encouraged them to grow. They sprang up as full-fledged flowers. “You did it,” Kimono said calmly. “Wait, you did it?” Kimono piped, surprised and alert.

“What happened?” Silly said, opening his eyes. Flowers in front of him. The ones he had helped. They were yellow lilies, just like him!

“I felt your magic reach out into the world,” Kimono said. “Like mine does when I cause winds.”

“Oh, I made flowers grow. Oops.”

“You accessed your inner connection with nature. How did you do it so quickly?”

“That?” Silly said, gesturing to the flowers. “All breezies can do that.”

“It would appear that breezie magic is the same as the magic I’ve been using,” Kimono said. “How unexpected.”

“Cool! Hey, I don’t think I’ve ever done that without the other breezies before.”

“Perhaps meditating improves your abilities or awareness,” Kimono said.

For a moment, Silly had felt whole. Now, it felt like something was missing again. Fragmented thoughts, deafening quiet in his mind. Meditate again. Try to be like Kimono. She was smart. Silly was not. She knew what was happening. Silly did not. He needed her.

* * *

They had seen the blue and purple shooting stars. Assuming they had missed the yellow, there was only one more shooting star. If there was something wrong with the rainbows and they wanted to be at the Castle of Rainbows to help, they needed to get there before the last shooting star. At least, so they assumed, because the first rainbow of the season always appeared before the last shooting star. Star Dasher loved watching the sequential shooting stars and the brilliant rainbow streaking across the sky every year, but she didn’t know what would happen if the old pattern was broken. So, they decided to wake up before sunrise the next morning and head out in the dark.

The dawn’s first gleams revealed a mountain ahead. A building with sharp towers and a high dome roof was silhouetted against the slowly brightening sky. “Yes, yes, yes!” Razzaroo exclaimed. “That’s it!”

“I’m glad we got there without wandering around this time,” Kimono said. “That was much quicker than the first castle.”

“All the topography makes it easier to know where we are,” Razz said. They continued hiking towards the mountain as the sun rose. The light revealed a town partway up the slope, with a river running through it and cascading down the cliff which the town sat atop. That was off to their right, and the cliff looked difficult, so they decided to go straight for the castle first. When the light hit the castle at the top of the mountain, it sparkled brilliantly. Only then did they realize that the purple structure had crystals inset throughout it. The entire dome roof was made of crystals.

A light appeared in the sky, and it floated down to the castle. “What was that?” Silly Lilly said. But the others were just as clueless. Moments later, the pink shooting star crossed the sky and flew into the sunrise.

“No, no, no,” Razz said. “The first rainbow of the season is supposed to appear before the last shooting star. What happened?”

They sped up, racing towards the top of the mountain. Star kept with the others for a moment, then she said, “Sorry, I’ll see you at the top!” She took off at a flying pace. She had to know what was happening. The slope of the mountain tired her out quickly, but this was urgent, so she kept going. She noticed as she passed the town that they had white banners hanging everywhere.

As she sprinted, a brilliant rainbow leapt out of the crystal dome, curling down to the town and off to the south. Before her eyes, all the white banners in the town turned to rainbow colors. Was this normal, here? These rainbows had all their colors, she noted. As she ran and got closer to the castle at the top, she heard singing. There must have been some kind of celebration. That light reappeared again, rising from the castle. Now that she was closer, she could see that it was some kind of flying chariot, pulled by a pair of birds. It flew off into the clouds and disappeared.

Star finally reached the castle, panting. Dozens of ponies stood in a flat cobblestone space outside the front doors of the castle. Star immediately noticed that they all had horns on their foreheads. Nopony seemed to notice her at first, as they were all watching the chariot. A purple pony with pink hair was the first to notice her. “Hello, there,” she said, looking a little surprised. “Are you from Ponyville, too?”

“Um, no… but two of my friends are,” Star said, puffing for air. “My name is Star Dasher.”

“And I’m Cheerilee,” the horned pony said. “Welcome to Unicornia. You didn’t come with Rainbow Dash, Minty, and Pinkie Pie. How did you get here?” Other ponies had noticed their conversation, and they were crowding around her.

“I walked, or we walked,” Star said. “Well I ran… the last bit. My friends should be… coming up the mountain. I assume this is the Castle of Rainbows. Is everything alright here? We saw a weird-looking rainbow.”

Kimono, Razzaroo, Wondermint, and Silly Lilly made it up to the top. A good deal of confusion was sorted out. This was the Crystal Rainbow Castle, and they had nearly missed the first rainbow of the season due to the disappearance of the Crystal Princess, but it was all sorted out now. Apparently these ponies were called unicorns, and they had met a group of earth ponies and breezies from Ponyville who had left by flying chariot mere moments before Star had arrived. Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly were sad to have so narrowly missed their friends after not having seen them in so long.

“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like,” Cheerilee said.

“Thank you,” Kimono said. “I’m very curious to learn more about the history of your castle and town.”

“I’ll gladly help you with that!” Cheerilee said.

The carriage from earlier reappeared and approached the castle. Its only occupant was a small pink unicorn with rainbow hair. She landed the carriage and leapt out, levitating a star-shaped wand with her horn. “Hi, who are you, I’ve never seen you here before!” she said excitedly. She looked to be just a filly.

Star Dasher, Kimono, Razzaroo, Wondermint, and Silly Lilly introduced themselves. “I’m Rarity,” the filly said. “Or, Princess Rarity! It’s so nice to meet you.”

“How long will you be staying?” Cheerilee said.

“Not too long, probably,” Razz said. “We have a lot of places to visit, still. And we’d like to go back to Breezie Blossom, before anything else.”

Silly Lilly gasped. “That sounds like a great idea!”

“Oh, you’re going back towards Ponyville?” Rarity said. “It’s a long way. I can take you there, with the Crystal Carriage.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Cheerilee said. “Will you drive responsibly, though? You took off before I could say anything just now. You could have gotten lost.” She sounded like a stern teacher.

“Oh… yes, Miss Cheerilee,” Rarity said.

“Now, if you’d like, we can show you to guest rooms,” Cheerilee said. She looked at Kimono. “Then I’ll tell you what I know about our history.”

* * *

Silly Lilly flew out of the library. Kimono and the unicorn—Cheerilee, right? They were talking about the past. Very distant past, stuff Silly couldn’t understand. He felt bewildered by all this. He wanted to be in the sun. He wanted to meditate.

He left the castle and saw a stream nearby. He flew to it and landed in tall grass, over his head. Shade and quiet. Babbling water nearby. Cool air, no breeze. He closed his eyes. Searching for that inner peace. Why was everything so hard? Why couldn’t he just think? He wasn’t exactly bright when he lived in Breezie Blossom, but he wasn’t nearly this dumb, either.

Peace eluded him. Worries about himself. He had been freeloading off the hivemind, hadn’t he? He was dumb as a rock. The other breezies did the thinking for him, bringing him up to nearly their level. Without the others, who was Silly LIlly?

Stop worrying. Peace, meditation. Heart slowly beating, steady breathing. Antennae swaying in the air, gossamer wings shining. Looking inside, brush away the worries, find the peace. There was something inside. Something unique. Not the hivemind, not Kimono, not even dumb. There was something uniquely Silly Lilly. He just had to understand what it was and bring it forward.

In this peaceful state, he knew that he would not understand himself in an instant or a single meditation session. But he knew what he needed to do. He needed to discover who Silly Lilly was, without the breezies, and without Kimono. Well, Kimono as a friend, but not attached to her by the wing. He felt the desire to stay away from Breezie Blossom until he had this sorted. Until he found what Silly Lilly was good at, what he liked, all by himself.

He opened his eyes. The sun was higher in the sky now. How long had he been meditating? No matter, he needed to find Kimono and deliver the news.

* * *

Kimono quickly learned that the majority of the library in the Rainbow Crystal Castle was written in a foreign language that no one understood, just like the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville. Kimono inspected the books, and the symbols seemed to be the same as in the books in Ponyville. She had put some effort into trying to learn this language, and she had memorized the symbols, but she was never able to attach meaning to them.

What could this mean? It was interesting enough that the ponies in three different, isolated locations spoke the same language, but it was downright bizarre that Ponyville and Unicornia had the same foreign language in their libraries, a language which none of them understood. Perhaps it was the same in Joyville’s library, too, before it was burnt. There had to be some common history here.

Cheerilee showed her the library. It had crystalline windows that let in a rainbow light. It was clean and well-organized, but it didn’t look like it got much use. Cheerilee and Kimono were the only ponies in here, at the moment. There was a small section of books in “Unicornian.” That seemed like a misnomer, as it was the same language they were speaking, and Kimono was perfectly capable of reading it.

Cheerilee added some history from a definitive book written in Unicornian one hundred years ago that had collected oral stories of the unicorns. Kimono asked to borrow a copy. Cheerilee gave a summary of the information that was most relevant to the questions Kimono had about the founding of the castles and how they lost contact with each other. Cheerilee told her that the castle had been founded about five hundred years ago—that more or less lined up with the more precise dates kept by the jewel ponies. She mentioned that six other castles had been founded, which lined up with the map from Ponyville, although she gave them slightly different names—rather than the Castle of Kindness, she listed the Castle of Love, and rather than Music, Song.

Cheerilee said that the Rainbow Crystal Castle had been founded by an empress. Apparently there had once been a United Pony Empire, its capital far to the south from here. The Empire had founded all seven castles at the same time. While Cheerilee wasn’t clear on the purpose of the other castles, she did provide quite a bit of knowledge on the origins of the Rainbow Crystal Castle. Unicorns made the rainbows, and it had always been that way. But the empress had built this castle to help them organize, to have a central location that would keep them all on the same schedule and amplify their magic.

Silly Lilly darted into the library. When had he left Kimono? “There you are!” Silly Lilly said. “I have something… something to say.” He paused and looked at a rainbow that refracted through the crystalline windows onto the floor. He landed by it, checking it out.

“Yes?” Kimono said.

“Oh, um, yeah, I was meditating,” Silly said. “And I decided that I don’t want to go to Breezie Blossom.”

“Oh, really?” Kimono said, surprised. “Why is that?”

“Um… it’s hard to explain, now…” Silly said uncertainly. “It made sense when I was meditating. It was like… I need to figure out who I am without the other breezies?”

“I see. I don’t want you to make this decision unless you’re sure. The unicorns have a carriage that could get us to Breezie Blossom quickly. This could be our last chance for several months.”

“I’m sure!” Silly said, yellow-green eyes beaming. “I can’t explain it, but I feel it.”

“Very well,” Kimono said. “If we’re not going straight to Breezie Blossom, we’ll have to discuss with the others what our plans are.”

* * *

They decided to go for the Castle of Family next. It was the farthest south, on the other end of the map from here. But the unicorns assured them that the Crystal Carriage could take them there quickly. This made Star Dasher curious as to why the unicorns didn’t use the Crystal Carriage to visit Joyville, Ponyville, or other cities. Cheerilee answered that they didn’t know these cities were out there, and the carriage could only be used by the Crystal Princess, whose primary responsibility was making the rainbows.

After the Castle of Family, then they could work their way north, passing by all the other castles on the way back to Ponyville. They’d minimize their return journey this way. Star Dasher and Wondermint would have to walk back to Joyville from there, but they planned to introduce themselves in Ponyville and keep in touch.

They didn’t stay in Unicornia for long. The unicorns had made friends with the Ponyville ponies, and it sounded like there would be contact back and forth between them. That was one of Kimono’s goals with this journey. The other goal was to learn what she could about the history of these castles. Perhaps a detailed search of the library could reveal something hidden, like how Kimono had found the map in the Castle of Friendship, but Cheerilee was already working on that. Kimono cut her tail short before they set out, getting rid of the burnt hair.

They took a couple of weeks to rest before heading out. Star Dasher found the young Rarity to be particularly pleasant company, as they were both fun-loving and easily distracted. They played a lot of games together—tag, chaos with big bouncy balls, roller skating, etc. They all took much-needed baths, and Star washed the mud out of her leg warmers. Wondermint enchanted the unicorns with her accordion. Every day Rarity made another spectacular rainbow with her wand.

Soon enough they were loading into the Crystal Carriage, packs full of food thanks to the generosity of the unicorns. The carriage was open and spacious, just big enough to fit them and their luggage. Rarity used her wand to direct the two yellow birds that pulled the carriage, and Cheerilee came along just in case. They had agreed to drop the travelers off at the Castle of Family and stick around long enough to make sure they were in no danger before heading back to Unicornia.

The carriage lurched forwards as the birds flapped their wings. It easily took off into the air. The wind speed increased rapidly, blowing around Star Dasher’s mane. They were already flying faster than she could sprint! She stuck her head out the side of the carriage and looked down in amazement as everything on the ground became tinier. “Hold on!” Rarity said. “It’s about to get bumpy.”

Star brought her head back into the carriage as Rarity waved her wand again. There was a flash of yellow light that seemed to engulf the whole carriage, temporarily blinding Star. The carriage lurched and shook. After the flash, before she could really see, she noticed that the air was hotter and the sun was strong on her dark purple coat. She blinked the light out of her eyes and looked around. She was astonished at what she saw.

Gone were the mountains of Unicornia, replaced by a flat plain. They must have traveled hundreds of miles! The landscape looked barren and desert, except for a river that cut through the land. Around it, everything was a brilliant splash of green on the sandy background. The river broke into an expansive delta before spilling into a massive body of blue water that sparkled in the sunlight. Star couldn’t see the end of the water, not even from this elevated position. It had to be the sea, which she had never seen before. Several towns dotted the landscape, but they were heading for a castle that sat on the seashore of an island at the end of the delta.

The castle was surrounded by a roofed, open-air structure that made a square around a big central courtyard. At each corner was a tall, pointy tower. It looked like the courtyard was broken up into sections, maybe by curtains or something. The building itself looked small compared to the open-air structure and the courtyard, but as they got closer, Star figured it was about the same size as the Castle of Happiness. It was made of orange stone, with several shiny gold dome roofs covering various parts of the structure.

“Land us in the sand outside the courtyard, Rarity,” Cheerilee instructed. “We don’t want to intrude and give off the wrong impression.” They did just that, smoothly landing in the flat sand. The air smelled like salt mixed with something else, a pleasant and refreshing scent. The heat was anything but refreshing, however. Star found herself taking off her leg warmers immediately. Big waves beat against the sand, making a soothing crashing sound. Strange birds called overhead.

Star had seen ponies in the courtyard of the castle, but the beach was strangely empty. They loaded their packs onto their backs and approached the castle as a group. The open-air structure surrounding the castle had an outer wall, although Star had seen from above that there was no inner wall. The orange wall had battlements at the top and calligraphic symbols in a foreign language etched into it. They followed it to a bright blue gate, where two earth pony guards stood. They wore shining brass armor and had long, pointed sticks with metal tips and banners hanging off the shafts.

The gate was open, but the guards crossed their sticks in front of it as they approached. One of them said something in a language that Star didn’t understand. She looked at Kimono and Cheerilee, but they seemed just as lost. “I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that,” Kimono said. “Do you speak our language?” The guard responded in the same language as before. They didn’t seem interested in letting them into the castle, either.

“Well,” Kimono said, “this might be a problem.”

Author's Note

Sorry if this chapter seems rushed. I'm really mostly interested in exploring the toy-only characters of G3. So this chapter, which features a location from the show, was more about exploring the characters of the main cast. Chapter Three will feature a new location and will be (looks at rough draft), um... twice as long, oh wow. Big things are coming!

The Castle of Family

Star Dasher and her friends were not making any headway at the Castle of Family. They could not understand the guards’ language, and by all appearances the guards could not understand them. The guards firmly stood at the gate, barring the entry of the newcomers. Star and her friends had withdrawn a few paces away to discuss.

“What do we do?” Star Dasher said.

“We could walk along the outside and look for other entrances,” Kimono said.

“Or should we wait and see if the guards will fetch an interpreter?” Cheerilee suggested.

“But we don’t know if anyone here speaks our language,” Kimono said. “We’ve traveled hundreds of miles.”

“Then what will you do if you get inside through another entrance?” Cheerilee said. “Either way you can’t speak to anyone.”

“That’s a good question,” Kimono said thoughtfully.

They hadn’t come to any conclusions when a group of perhaps two dozen earth ponies exited through the gate. They followed a stone path that led to a bridge off the island. Razzaroo went up and tried to talk to them, but they didn’t seem to understand. They looked at her, confused, and seemed to pick up their pace. It was as though nopony here wanted to interact with them. Star Dasher noticed a lot of similar colors amongst the ponies, silvers, whites, and grays. She saw several cutie marks that had to do with wind or clouds.

They were all so distracted with the leaving group and the guards that nopony noticed a stranger approaching them until they were quite close. Star saw an older colt trotting towards them, or perhaps a young stallion. His appearance was striking, with a light blue coat and flame-orange hair. Red tinsel streaks ran through his mane and tail, their shine in the sun giving the impression of fire. At the moment, however, his hair and coat were dripping wet. He wore a conical straw hat and had red goggles around his neck. He had a mesh saddlebag filled with a brown grass-looking stuff that was shiny and dripping wet.

“Hello, I zpeak Ponish!” he said, stopping in front of them. All of Star’s friends turned at the sound of familiar words. “Who are you?” Star had never heard her language referred to as “Ponish” before, but he was definitely intelligible. He spoke with an accent, his “s” sounds being notably off.

“We’re visitors from Unicornia, Joyville, and Ponyville,” Kimono said. “I’m Kimono.”

“I’m Razzaroo.”

“Silly Lilly!”

“Wondermint, at your service!”

“Star Dasher.”

“I’m Cheerilee.”

“And I’m Rarity!”

“You’re going to have to tell me those again,” the colt said. “That’z a lot. I’m Waterfire. I’ve never heared of those plazes before.”

“We came a long way,” Kimono said. “We’re here to make new friends and explore the Castle of Family.”

“The Cazle of Family?” Waterfire repeated, thinking. “Oh, that?” He gestured to the orange structure that took up most of this island. “Is that what you call it in Ponish?”

“At least that’s what it is on our ancient map,” Kimono said.

“You can’t get in,” Waterfire said. “You have to make a… date? Appointment? Yeah. And very few ponies here zpeak Ponish. You should come with me. My parentz will be happy to have you, and I can show you around and zpeak for you.”

The ponies turned to discuss. “This seems like our best option, for now,” Kimono said.

“None of the other ponies even stopped to try to talk to us,” Razz said.

“Then perhaps this is where we will leave you,” Cheerilee said. She and Rarity had to take the Crystal Carriage back and attend to their duties in Unicornia.

They agreed to follow Waterfire, and Cheerilee and Rarity parted with them. They walked back to the carriage. The birds at its front took off, carrying it dizzyingly fast. White light trailed behind it, and in a flash of yellow, it was gone. “Huwah!” Waterfire exclaimed. “That was amazing!”

“It’s a spectacle,” Razz said. “I wonder why more ponies didn’t notice it?”

“Ponies no wait outzide the… Cazle of Family, right—very much,” Waterfire said. “They are inzide, and maybe they can’t zee you, or they are in their hometowns. Ayy, are you five following me?”

“Lead the way, stranger with dazzling hair!” Wondermint said. Star felt a spike of jealousy, although she knew that Wondermint’s compliments were not reserved for herself.

“Oh…” Waterfire said, a blush appearing on his blue cheeks. “Thank you. Yez.” He trotted off towards one end of the island, away from the sea. Still dripping wet, he left a little trail of wet sand behind him. Star and her friends followed him. “Zilly Lilly, I have to azk, what are you?” Waterfire said.

“I’m a breezie!” he said, landing on Waterfire’s hat.

“A breezie?” Waterfire said. “I thought they were juzt a legend!”

“No, I think we’re real,” Silly said.

Thick vegetation—trees, shrubs, and grasses—lined the waterways that separated this island from the next in the river delta. Waterfire led them to a wooden bridge where the vegetation was cleared. As they came closer to the bridge, they saw a group of ponies ahead. “Waterfire, how do I say ‘hello’ to them?” Wondermint asked.

“In their language it’s gjane,” Waterfire said.

“Gyana,” Wondermint said as they passed, her pronunciation off. A couple of the passing ponies nodded to them, but they didn’t stop to talk. This was certainly different to how ponies had reacted when Kimono, Razz, and Silly arrived in Joyville. But there was only one town near the Castle of Happiness, so it was easier for everypony to know everypony. Here they had seen several towns from the air. Maybe ponies didn’t know that they were new?

Waterfire led them across several islands. These were all farmland, lined with crops that Star didn’t recognize. Irrigation channels from the river ran through the fields. The heat had her sweating buckets. At the end of one island, they didn’t go to a bridge. There was a narrow path where the vegetation had been cleared, allowing easy access to the water. Waterfire hopped into the water, confidently wading across the narrow channel.

Waterfire was a little shorter than the rest of them, and the water didn’t quite make it to his withers. Star figured her pack would stay dry if she didn’t splash the water around. The others hesitated at the bank, so Star went in first. The water was warmer than she expected, but still refreshing in this heat. She walked carefully, trying not to splash the water around with her movement. She crossed without a problem.

Wondermint went next. It was now that Star noticed that Razz was shorter than the others except Waterfire. “Razz, I can take your pack,” Star said, setting down her pack and jumping back into the water.

“Yes, yes yes!” Razz said. “Thank you.” She loaded the pack onto Star, whose legs and barrel were wet, but her back was still dry. Star and Razz crossed, then Kimono last. Star thought that in this sun she would dry pretty quickly.

“Welcome to home!” Waterfire said. They were on a tiny island covered mostly in gardens. In the center was a small wooden house. Two ponies were tending the garden, a pale blue stallion with pale orange hair and a sunrise cutie mark, and a blue mare with blue, purple, and yellow hair and a sea star cutie mark. They looked in surprise as the group of strangers approached.

Waterfire spoke in a language that Star couldn’t understand. Then he added, “Ayy, could you all zay your names again?”

They all repeated their names. “These are my parentz… I guez Zunrise and Zeazpray, is the way I tranzlate their names,” Waterfire said.

Waterfire discussed something with his parents. Star wished she knew what they were talking about, as the discussion seemed to get a little heated. Seaspray and Sunrise seemed to disagree on something. Eventually they resolved it and Waterfire said, “They’ve agreed to let you ztay here for a while, if you help uz with the garden and zome other things. We not have room for all of you to zleep, though. But it not rains much thiz time of year, and while the days are hot, the nightz are nize and cool.”

“We have tents,” Kimono said. “We’d be happy to stay with you and sleep out here.”

“Perfect!” Waterfire said. “Zet up your tentz, then come inzide.” They did so, leaving their packs in the tents. While they set up, Waterfire hung up the strange grass in his mesh bag to dry in the sun on a line. They followed Waterfire into the little house, glad to get out of the sun. Star noticed a few brass instruments on the outside of the house, with clock-like faces and words that she couldn’t understand. She also saw a wind sock on a pole. They crowded in a central room with a table and chairs, which Waterfire had to push into a corner just to have standing room for them all.

“You willn’t be able to make an appointment in the Cazle of Family alone,” Waterfire said. “You will have to go with one of the Clans. My parentz are from the Zun Clan and the Zea Clan. I can take you to both of their zities. You should know, those two Clans zpeak different languages, neither of them being Ponish.”

“How do you know Ponish?” Kimono said.

“I love languages!” Waterfire said. “I’ve ztudied zeveral in my zpare time. I’ve been using these.” He pushed past them and ran into one of the bedrooms. He came back out with two books. “Ponish to Cantor, and Ponish to Riverine.”

Kimono looked at the Cantor one and said, “Wait, this is the language that’s in the old libraries up north! I saw these same symbols in Ponyville and Unicornia!” Razzaroo curiously looked through the pages of the Riverine book.

“Cantor is the language of the Empire,” Waterfire said. “They alzo zpeak it in the Zea Clan zity… ayy… Aquaria, I zuppose? Is how I’d zay it in Ponish.”

“The Empire,” Kimono said. “Cheerilee mentioned an empire. Is it still around?”

“No,” Waterfire said. “Ayy, I not think zo. I not know much about it, but there are other ponies who know.”

“One of our purposes in coming here is to learn more about pony history,” Kimono said. “I’d like to meet any ponies you know who are knowledgeable on the matter.”

“Perfect, we should go to Aquaria firzt, then,” Waterfire said. “You’re going to love it!” His blue eyes beamed brightly, seemingly reflecting a hint of orange fire. Star checked behind her, half-expecting something to be on fire. But there was only one of those shiny brass instruments behind her. “We’ll have to zwim to get there, and you’ll need goggles. My family has three. I think I can find my way without the goggles, but ztill, the breezie and one other will have to ztay behind.”

“What?” Silly said, sounding upset.

“Zorry, we not have goggles that will fit you,” Waterfire said.

“I’ll stay!” Razz said eagerly. “I, um… don’t do well with water.”

“Perfect!” Waterfire said. “We eat a znack, then we go.”

The snack turned out to be more of the strange plant Waterfire had brought home, which he called seaweed. Star didn’t like its taste much, but she was still grateful for the hospitality. With much drama, Wondermint parted with her accordion, which she could not take into the water. She gave stern words to Waterfire’s parents about how it must be untouched when she returned, which she made Waterfire interpret. Then they set out.

Waterfire led them to the same beach where they had first landed. At the water’s edge, Waterfire said, “I need to find zomething for you. Wait here.” He leapt into the water and disappeared. Star got nervous, watching for him to come up for air.

“Do you think he’s okay?” she said. “How is he breathing?”

“I think he’ll be fine,” Kimono said. “It seems like he’s done this before.”

“That is one mysterious colt,” Wondermint said.

Several minutes later, Waterfire returned. Star whinnied at his appearance, rearing back. He had a red star right over his face, covering his mouth and nostrils. He took off the star and said, “Calm down, it’z juzt me!” He had more stars stuck to his back. He stood in water up to his barrel. “Come in the water.”

Star bounded forward, splashing in the water. It was much warmer than she had expected. It felt lovely. A wave crashed against her cannons as she walked deeper, making a mellow, soothing sound. The breeze coming in from the sea was cool and refreshing on this hot day. This is a nice place to be, she thought. “What are they?” Kimono said, looking at the stars.

“Magic zea ztars,” Waterfire said. “You’ll need them to breathe. Who is mozt lezz zkittish?”

“Pick me!” Wondermint said eagerly, a moment before Star could speak up.

“Perfect!” Waterfire said. “Put your goggles on. When I put thiz over your mouth, hold your breath for a moment. When I’m done, ztick your muzzle in the water and breathe. It will make you breathe in the water, but you will not can breathe in the air. Do you underztand?”

“Um, that’s uh… Star, you like new things,” Wonder said. “Do you want to try it first?”

Star chuckled. “The least skittish, right?” she said, stepping up to Waterfire and fastening her goggles. She took a deep breath, and Waterfire raised the star to her face. It was squishy as he put it on, and Star realized that it was some kind of creature. It stuck to her face, blocking her nostrils and holding her mouth closed. It felt so wrong. She raised a hoof, almost wanting to tear it off. She controlled herself, just touching it for a moment but not interfering as Waterfire carefully adjusted it. She noticed that the other side of the star was hard and bumpy.

“Perfect, put your muzzle in the water,” Waterfire said. Star carefully did so. For a moment she stood there, head down, holding her breath. Inhale, with her face in the water and this sea star choking her? It was so contrary to her instincts that she hesitated. Finally she forced herself to breathe in. Fresh air rushed through her nostrils.

“Are you good?” Waterfire said. “Take your faze out of the water if you’re having problems.”

Star was too distracted to pay him much heed. She was breathing underwater! She could see the sandy floor beneath them, beat into a little wavy landscape by the action of the water. Sunlight shimmered on the floor, bent by the surface of the water. Bits of grass rose up around their hooves, and tiny silver fish she had missed before swam around. This was so bizarre! Soon the others had their stars on their faces. Star stared at Wondermint, her hair billowing in the water, eyes behind red goggles, and that red star square on her face. It was such a weird look, but somehow it suited her.

Waterfire pulled his head out of the water and spoke. Star’s ears were still above water, so she heard him clearly. “We’re going to zwim to Aquaria. The water is deep enough that we should be careful. We’ll go down zlowly. Not take the zea ztar off underwater, no matter what. If your ears feel ztrange, ztop and move your jaw to fix thiz. If you want to turn back, point towards the zurfaze, and I’ll go up with you, but zlowly. Raise a hoof if you underztand.” They all raised a hoof out of the water.

Waterfire swam off, gesturing for the others to follow. Waterfire moved with incredible grace in the water, seemingly expending very little effort to move great distances. He soon realized that the others had no hope of keeping up and slowed down. Is this what it’s like? Star wondered, thinking of her ability to move so quickly on land.

At first they stayed near the surface, but as the ocean floor descended, so did they. Star looked up at the shimmery, sunlit surface growing more distant. The air was up there! This experience was so surreal. Star found it thrilling. Her ears hurt for a moment before popping, and the water became cooler.

Tall plants grew from the floor all the way to the water’s surface. Star realized it was the seaweed Waterfire had fed them earlier. They swayed in the currents, harboring countless colorful fish. Waterfire stopped at the edge of the seaweed forest, waiting for the others. Star realized she had kept up with Waterfire but left the others behind a little. Kimono and Wondermint caught up with them, and Kimono held up a hoof, signaling for them to wait. Star could see that Wondermint was breathing heavily. Fortunately, she didn’t look panicked, just tired.

After they caught their breath—weird to be doing so far underwater—they continued into the seaweed forest. Star tried to follow Waterfire, but it was hard to see him past all the seaweed. She could only hope that the others managed to follow her. The seaweed closed in all around her, brushing past her face and tangling in her legs as she tried to paddle. The sound of it rustling surrounded her.

Suddenly she came through the forest and saw Waterfire off to her left. But she didn’t look at him for long, for her gaze was drawn ahead. On the ocean floor was a sprawling city. The buildings were organized into a number of neighborhoods, each surrounded by a dome-shaped bubble of air that could only be magical. There were various bubbles of different sizes, all close to each other but not connected. One bubble in the middle was by far the largest, the city center.

Waterfire glanced at Star and smiled. He had a star like everypony else, but no goggles. Kimono and Wonder burst through the seaweed forest. Wonder in particular seemed elated at the sight of the underwater city. She kicked excitedly in the water and hummed a fanfare tune.

They swam for the biggest bubble. Star saw that a structure of maroon coral grew at the bottom of the bubble, making the start of a hemisphere shape. They went to the bottom of the bubble dome, at the edge of the city center. Waterfire swam right through the edge of the bubble, standing in the stone street beyond and taking off his sea star. Ponies came and went at various points around the bubble. A few ponies in the street watched as Waterfire and the others arrived.

Star followed Waterfire’s lead. Surprisingly, she felt completely dry as she came through the bubble. Even her mane wasn’t wet. The air stopped flowing to Star’s nostrils, and her eyes widened. She moved to tear off the sea star, but Waterfire stopped her with a raised hoof. “Careful, you don’t want to damage it as you take it off,” he said. Star hadn’t deeply inhaled before the air stopped, so she waited quite impatiently as Waterfire gently worked off the sea star. Star took a big gasp of air, and Waterfire put both stars in a stone basin full of water on the side of the street.

Wonder and Kimono followed them, and Waterfire helped them remove their sea stars. “This place is amazing!” Wonder exclaimed. Star looked up at the edge of the bubble above and around them. What was holding up all that water? Could it all come crashing down at any moment? They were deep enough that the light was a little dimmer, but still bright enough to see comfortably. The air was humid and salty, and the temperature much nicer than the baking surface. The surreal city was filled with all sorts of urban sounds, the clop of hooves on stone and the chatter of dozens of conversations. There was also a faint musical sound, a distant string instrument of some sort.

“What do I hear now?” Wonder said. “It is the call of my kind! I must respond.” She had a chain necklace, and turning it she revealed that it tied a harmonica to her neck, which had previously been tucked away in her mane.

“You always come prepared,” Star said, giggling.

Wonder played out a minor-key, fey-sounding tune on the harmonica. Star sat and listened to her, heedless to her other surroundings. Wonder finished her song and said, “I wrote that during the swim.” A few ponies had gathered around to listen, and they stamped in approval.

“So quickly?” Star said in amazement.

A pony stepped forward to speak to Wonder. Star stared in amazement at her. Two magnificent, feathery wings sprang out of her back, dark blue at the tips and fading to pale blue at the base. Star looked around to make sure; nopony else had wings like that. She also had a blue gem in the center of her cutie mark, which depicted a sea star and shell. Her body was light blue, her mane pale pink and periwinkle, and her tail aqua. She spoke in a language unfamiliar to Star.

Waterfire jumped in to interpret. “She zays ‘you show great underztanding of… ayy, artiztic expression,” he said. The winged pony spoke again. “You muzt be new here. A pony of your… clazz? Would enjoy the art exhibit in the town zenter.”

“Thank you,” Wonder said. “My name is Wondermint. What’s yours?”

Waterfire interpreted this, and the winged pony responded. “Aurora Mizt.” Star Dasher and Kimono introduced themselves as well. Aurora Mist walked off and looked behind her, saying something. “Are you coming?” Waterfire said.

“Yes, let’s!” Wonder said, looking at the others.

“I was going to take uz to zee zomepony who knows about the hiztory of the cazles,” Waterfire said.

“I think we should do this first,” Kimono said. “We want to make friends and learn more about this place, as well. We’re in no rush.” Star nodded in agreement.

Waterfire spoke in the foreign language, presumably Cantor, and they followed Aurora Mist. Aurora spoke in a soft, smooth, welcoming voice. Star Dasher was grateful to Waterfire, but she imagined that Aurora was more eloquent in her native language. “Our zity, Aquaria, is a zity of artiztz. Artiztz of every kind—poetz, musicians, danzers, writers. Of courze, zome ponies work other jobs, but we all love and appreciate art. Although…” Aurora chuckled in a way that cascaded. “I may be biazed, zince I am a painter, myzelf.”

Indeed, art was all around them. Nearly everything was made of stone, and Star noticed things carved into doors and walls. Etched patterns, shapes of undersea creatures. Statues often awaited them at corners of streets, elegant statues of ponies or other beings. Star noticed that nopony else had wings besides Aurora. They did get some surprised glances from other ponies. Perhaps, like Joyville, they didn’t usually get visitors here.

Eventually they arrived at an open plaza where dozens of stands had been set up. Aurora spoke again, and Waterfire interpreted. “We hold the Grand Art Feztival here onze a week to zee the latezt workz of our great artiztz, and to review old favoritez.” Artists set up their works on easels. Most were on canvas, done in paint, oil, pencil, or ink. Some artists presented sculptures, instead. Star saw distinct styles from every artist. Gentle colors at one stand, harsh shapes at another, realism and other things that Star had no words for.

Aurora spoke and gestured at one stand, proudly flaring her blue wings. “Thiz is my art,” Waterfire interpreted. Her art was done in watercolors, some of them notably thinned out to make a pale shape on the canvas. Star didn’t understand the images; she only saw vague shapes and colors.

Wondermint gasped. “Oh my stars, it’s like modernist abstractions of scenes,” she said excitedly, running in place. “This one is the seafloor seen from somewhere inside the city, so the view is distorted by the water. Oh, and that’s why you use watercolors, because these are all seen through the water! Gah!” Waterfire seemed to struggle to keep up as Wondermint went through each painting and showered praise on it. Star couldn’t tell what any of them were supposed to be until Wondermint commented on them. The moon seen below the surface of the water, a pony swimming with a sea star to breathe. How was Wondermint figuring these out?

In any case, Aurora’s pale cheeks had turned red, and she was smiling bashfully behind her hair. When Wondermint finally finished, Aurora spoke and Waterfire said, “Thank you.” Aurora stuttered in her native language. “You really underztand my art!” Aurora surprised them all by stepping up to Wondermint, pressing her cheek to Wondermint’s, and kissing in the air. Star immediately felt jealous, but she told herself that was probably a normal way of showing gratitude here. Wondermint responded in kind when Aurora did it on the other side.

She spoke again, and Waterfire interpreted, “I was looking for lunch when I heared your music. Feel free to explore, but I muzt excuse myzelf.”

“Wait, can I ask you a question first?” Wondermint said.

“Yez, of courze,” came Waterfire’s interpretation.

“I hope this isn’t a sensitive question, but I noticed that nopony else here has your,” Wondermint’s voice dropped to a whisper, “beautiful wings. I’ve never met a pony with wings before. Where are you from?”

Aurora laughed. “I’m from Aquaria. But my grandparentz moved here from Zanta Amoroza.”

“Is there a castle in Santa Amorosa?” Kimono cut in.

“There is. We call it the Cazle of,” Waterfire paused here, “Amity.”

“Or Kindness?” Kimono said to Waterfire.

“That’z a pozzible translation,” he acceded.

“We’d like to visit Saint Amorosa after we’re done here,” Kimono said. “But we have only a vague map.”

“Marvelouz, I can take you there!” Aurora Mist said. “I’ve been meaning to make a trip to visit my extended family. When are you planning to go?”

Kimono glanced at the others. They weren’t really clear on how they could get an appointment to visit the Castle of Family, or how much they would be able to uncover about the history of this place. “We’re not certain,” Kimono said. “Perhaps a few weeks?”

“What is your businezz here, if you not mind me azking?”

“We found a map in our city with seven ancient castles, and we set out to find them,” Kimono explained. “Our city had lost contact with all these locations, so we wanted to reestablish contact, make new friendships, and try to discover the origins of these castles and why the various cities drifted apart.”

“Zo you like hiztory? You should meet with Aquamarine. She knows all there is to know about our zity’s hiztory. You can usually find her in the zentral plaza.” Waterfire paused as Aurora continued to speak. He responded to her in Cantor, and she spoke again.

“What are you two saying?” Star cut in impatiently.

“She offered to take uz to meet Aquamarine, but I know where she is,” Waterfire said. “I don’t want to keep her from lunch.”

“I want lunch,” Star said with big eyes. She was hungry, and after traveling with Wondermint and Kimono on rations through the wilderness, she knew her metabolism was higher than theirs. She had to call for meal breaks, otherwise the others might put it off until Star was practically starved.

Waterfire said something to Aurora, and she responded cheerfully. “Then we’ll eat together!” Waterfire interpreted. “Follow me.”

They ate at a restaurant that served food unlike anything Star had tried before. She didn’t have names for almost any of the plants—or whatever they were—that were served. Some were green, others brown or red. Some were squishy and slimy, others were brittle. Curiously, it was all served on one big, rotating platter, enabling them to take servings of every dish. The only thing Star recognized was the seaweed she had eaten with Waterfire earlier, although its flavor was far tangier here. But they all had some hint of the same flavor, tasting like the sea smelled.

They made conversation as they ate. “Aurora, can I ask about your cutie mark?” Wondermint said. “Star and I come from Joyville, where everypony has a jewel in their cutie marks. We thought all ponies had jewels until we met Kimono, in fact. But you’re the first pony we’ve met outside of Joyville with a jewel. Do you also trace your ancestry back to Joyville?”

“I’ve never heared of it,” Aurora said, with Waterfire interpreting. The poor colt hadn’t gotten to eat much. “They’re not common, but there are a few ponies with jewels in their cutie markz here.”

“There are two in Ponyville, in fact,” Kimono said. “Gem Blossom and Valenshy. Perhaps Joyville is the ancestral home of the jewel ponies, but some migrated when these lands were all in contact?”

They finished their meal, and Aurora guided them to the central plaza. It was in a busy part of the town. Star noticed that the buildings became increasingly big and elaborate, and the streets were broader. They came upon an open stone square. There were statues and intricate fountains with complex flow patterns. For example, in one the water spilled out of a fluted shell in dozens of different locations, each one running down a different stone channel before joining together. There were even stone basins filled with water and growing things in them.

Some ponies walked through the area. Others came in and out of the various important looking buildings. Some stood around chatting with friends. It seemed that few were giving heed to the sight that immediately caught Star’s eyes. In the very center of the plaza was a slightly raised stone platform with a pony standing on it. Her appearance was unlike anypony Star had seen before. Her coat was a sea blue-green, but all along her body were designs, images of seaweed and fish. Her tail was green and her hair was seafoam. Most striking were her eyes, blue orbs with no pupils or whites. She stood on the platform looking up, perhaps at the air bubble that held back the water over their heads.

Aurora led them to the pony on the platform. She flared her wings and spoke in Cantor to the pony. “These three rezently arrived in the zity,” Waterfire interpreted. “Their names are Wondermint, Ztar Dasher, and Kimono. They not zpeak Cantor, but Waterfire zpeakz their language.” Aurora turned to the newcomers. “Thiz iz Aquamarine. She is rezponzible for holding the air bubble around our zity.”

Aquamarine spoke in a voice that seemed to reverberate as if heard through water. “Welcome to Aquaria,” Waterfire said. Perhaps she was looking at the newcomers, but Star couldn’t tell. Her eyes were rather unsettling.

Aurora spoke again. “Wondermint is a musician. They showed good tazte in art.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Aquamarine said.

“It’s an honor to meet you,” Kimono said after Waterfire’s interpretation. “We come seeking to learn about the past of your city, and the Castle of Family in particular.”

“I zee,” Aquamarine said. “Let uz leave thiz crowded plaza.” She stepped off the platform and led them towards one of the nearby buildings.

Aurora spoke to the travelers, and Waterfire interpreted, “I muzt leave you now. I muzt be with my art at the Feztival.”

“Thank you for welcoming us!” Star said. She pressed her cheek to Aurora’s and kissed in the air. She hoped she had correctly interpreted that as a sign of gratitude. Aurora didn’t seem dismayed and kissed in return on both sides. Aurora Mist spread her blue wings and took off with a great rushing sound and a burst of air.

* * *

Waterfire followed Aquamarine down a narrow passage between two buildings. Behind those buildings was a small building made of gray stone that appeared to be a house. It had a little courtyard in the front with water gardens, stone basins full of seawater and various ocean life. Sea flowers, pink grass, sea stars, anemones, and other such things. They stopped in the courtyard. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Waterfire,” Aquamarine said.

“You’ve never invited me to your house before,” Waterfire said guardedly. “But I suppose I’m welcome as an interpreter, if nothing else.”

“You’re welcome in Aquaria anytime, as long as you don’t cause trouble,” Aquamarine said. Waterfire didn’t interpret any of this for the newcomers. Aquamarine looked at them and said, “What would you like to know?”

Waterfire interpreted for them. “Most of all we want to know the history of the Castle of Family,” Kimono said in Ponish. “Do you know why it was built?”

After Waterfire intepreted, Aquamarine responded, “The history of the castle is tied to the history of the city. So I will tell you that first.” Waterfire noticed that Star turned to look at the water gardens. She didn’t seem as invested in the history lesson as Kimono.

“The Riverine ponies lived here for a long time,” Aquamarine said. “The Sun and Flower clans belong to that group. More recently, within the last thousand years, Cantor ponies started migrating here from the north. They liked the warm weather here. Eventually they founded Aquaria. It was originally a tourist attraction, if you can believe it. By the time the United Pony Empire was formed six hundred years ago, the Riverine ponies had had so much contact with the Cantor ponies that incorporating these lands into the Cantor-led Empire was a natural decision.” With Waterfire interpreting, this tale was becoming long to tell. He knew his interpretation was rough. He loved languages, but this day was testing his abilities and exposing the gaps in his knowledge.

“Four hundred fifty years ago, the Empire was in its zenith,” Aquamarine said. “To celebrate and to ensure the continued unity of these dispersed lands and diverse cultures, the empress of the time decreed the construction of castles in seven of the Empire’s cities, each one to celebrate a positive ideal which made that location special and which brought ponies closer together. Ponies here tended to have large families due to their agrarian lifestyles and the abundant harvests from the river delta, so the castle here was named the Castle of Family.”

“Interesting,” Kimono said. “And whatever happened to this Empire?”

“It fell apart,” Aquamarine said. “Ponies stopped coming from the Capital. They say it happened slowly. No new laws, gradually reduced travel. Whatever went wrong, it originated from the Capital, not here.”

“What castle did they build in the Capital?” Kimono said.

“The Castle of Music,” Aquamarine said.

Kimono asked for a few more details, but Aquamarine had told the basics of the whole story. Eventually they got on the topic of how the air bubble around the city worked. “Oh, that’s my job,” Aquamarine said. “I maintain the bubble. It’s a magical skill that’s been passed from one pony to another since the Imperial days.”

“Interesting,” Kimono said. “I know a—” Kimono spoke a word that Waterfire didn’t know “—that might be similar to yours. I would love to see how you do it.” Waterfire did his best to interpret given the context.

“I practice here,” Aquamarine said, looking at the water gardens. She effortlessly lifted some of the water into the air, moving them in loops like a fountain. Waterfire stared in shock. Aquamarine never let him watch when she used her powers.

“It is the same power!” Kimono said. “But you’re much stronger than me.” Waterfire felt a sudden gust of air, very unexpected in this underwater city.

Aquamarine smiled. “We should meditate together sometime. Being from different lands, our techniques may differ. We could learn from each other.”

Waterfire felt his cheeks flush with anger. He had pleaded to learn with Aquamarine for years. And now she was speaking to a total stranger and foreigner about her powers? “Why her?” Waterfire said. “And never me?”

Aquamarine looked at Waterfire suddenly, as though she had forgotten he was here. “Child, your powers are dangerous,” she said. “Nopony would be safe if you were even stronger with them.”

“Your powers are stronger than mine, but you’re not dangerous. I just need help learning to control them.”

“What are you saying, Waterfire?” Star Dasher said.

“You need to learn to control yourself,” Aquamarine said sternly, ignoring the foreigner. “Your emotions. Once you can do that, you can learn to use your powers.”

“I know what this is really about!” Waterfire said. “It’s my parents. You don’t like that I have fire powers as well as water, because it reminds you that I have mixed lineages.”

“They upset the peace between the clans. They let their emotions get the better of them, just like you do, when they fell in love.”

Waterfire felt like his blood was boiling. “So you admit it! It’s about my parents, not me. I didn’t choose how I was born! And in any case my parents’ love is none of your business. Why do the old traditions matter so much to you, anyway?!”

Waterfire heard a pony whinny in terror in the streets outside. He felt water drop on his face like rain, and he looked up. The air bubble was wavering, its dome shape distorting. Water fell from it in drops all over the city. Water swirled all around his head, and he realized that the water gardens were dry. His powers had activated. He hadn’t even tried to do this, and he didn’t know how to make it stop.

“Enough,” Aquamarine said in a commanding voice. She looked up, her mane flipping behind her head. The water bubble slowly returned to its original shape. As for the water that Waterfire had taken from the gardens, it went out of control, moving erratically before splashing all over the courtyard. Aquamarine turned to him with a dripping mane and cold, empty eyes. “You can’t be here.”

“I’m sorry,” Waterfire said. “It wasn’t on purpose.”

“Go,” Aquamarine commanded. Rather than argue further, Waterfire turned and walked down the alley, head hanging.

* * *

Waterfire seemed reluctant to explain to Star Dasher and the others what had happened with Aquamarine as they walked back to his parents’ house. All he would say was that it was his fault and he should have stuck to interpreting. But Star had seen the water spinning around Waterfire’s head. She thought he had similar powers to Aquamarine and Kimono.

The sun was getting low and the heat was oppressive as they arrived at Waterfire’s house. They found Silly Lilly helping Waterfire’s mother, Seaspray, with the garden. Indoors Waterfire’s father, Sunrise, was cooking, but he kept looking over at Razzaroo, who sat on a table with books and pages of notes. “What’s up, Razz?” Star said.

“Sunrise has years of meteorological data,” Razz said. “I’m using a dictionary to try to understand it.” It was written in a very different script from what Star had seen in Aquaria. Riverine, she supposed.

“Dad loves… ayy, meteorology, that’z it,” Waterfire said. “But he’s never been able to organize the data and analyze it. We never have enough time, zince we have to take care of ourzelves here out on thiz island.” He still seemed glum.

They discussed their plans for the next day. Waterfire agreed to take them to Astral City, the home of the Sun Clan. “I think I’ll stay behind,” Kimono said. “Razzaroo has the right idea with that dictionary. I’d like to study and learn Cantor as quickly as possible, especially if…” she glanced at Waterfire, “if Waterfire is unwelcome in Aquaria.” He hadn’t really explained why he had left the city, but they had no choice but to follow him, as he was their interpreter. “Besides, this is the same language as what’s in the ancient library in Ponyville. We could learn much if one of us could understand it.”

They agreed to this, and Sunrise invited them to eat dinner with the family. They ate, thanked their gracious hosts, and prepared for another eventful day tomorrow.

* * *

They walked to Astral City on a humid, hazy morning. Star’s mane and tail were dripping after crossing the stream to get off Waterfire’s tiny island, and it felt like she would never be dry again. They crossed several more islands on the way to the city, but the others all had bridges, at least. Most of these islands seemed to be covered in farmland. The haze was thinning out as they walked.

It seemed that the haze cleared out and the sun shone through right as they arrived on the island of Astral City. Before them stood a city with several structures taller than any Star had ever seen. Most striking was a tower with a dome roof that looked to be made of copper; its pinkish-orange surface shone in the sunlight. A shorter but still impressive clocktower was also visible. An arched entrance made of brass awaited on the road they followed. Star looked around, full of wonder. Ponies trotted with purpose here, many dressed in fancy clothes like nothing Star had seen before. Some ponies did stop to stare, primarily at Silly Lilly, who flew alongside the group. Probably they had never seen a breezie before.

They were clearly walking down a commercial street. Every storefront vied for Star’s attention. She saw rows of magazines with a young, pink mare in striking makeup. She saw jewelry, hats, bows. Almost everypony had a bow in their tail. She smelled fresh bread, more appetizing than the strange, salty seafood of Aquaria. Many things, however, Star didn’t understand in the slightest. Charts, devices with gears and springs, numbers and dials. Wondermint dashed to a particular storefront, gasping. Star followed her curiously. The window of this store was open, and they had set up a device with a painted ballerina pony who spun. Silly landed and inspected the figure, which was only a little smaller than him. It played a cute song on what sounded like tiny bells.

“They have devices that play music automatically?” Wonder said enthusiastically. The store owner gave Wonder a friendly smile and said something in a foreign language.

“I not think we can get anything here,” Waterfire said. “Ponies here will share their wares with anypony who workz and contributez zomething to the economy of the zity. That wouldn’t be uz. We’d have to trade something of greater value.” It worked similarly in Joyville, Star thought. Not that they had visitors, but some shops would only give out a certain amount to a single pony or refuse service to a pony who was known not to work. “Zo unlezz you’re looking to part with your… inztrument, what you call it?”

“My accordion?” Wonder gasped, stepping back. “Never!”

“Then let’z move on.” Waterfire said something to the shopkeeper in their language. “The zame thing almozt happened to uz in the reztaurant in Aquaria, but Aurora Mizt perzuaded them to zerve uz with her.”

Waterfire led them through the city until he stopped at a poster on a wall. He read it and said, “Oh, that’z lucky. Doctor… ayy, how to translate it… Ztar Tail is giving a lecture thiz morning at the… ayy… planet model? She always ztays afterwards if ponies want to azk her queztions. She zpeakz Ponish.”

“Will Star Tail’s lecture be in Ponish?” Razz said.

“No, it will be in Riverine,” Waterfire said. “But you’ll have to zit through it if you want to meet her without me translating.”

“Um, sitting through lectures might be kind of hard for me,” Star said. “Especially if I don’t understand anything.”

“She willn’t zpeak to you if you not attend the lecture,” Waterfire said. “She’s very passionate about inzpiring young minds. She can be ztern to those who appear not interezted.”

That didn’t put Star’s mind at ease. “Maybe I should stay behind then?”

“She is an important profezzor,” Waterfire said. “She might be able to get you to the Cazle of Family. But it is your dezision.” Star didn’t respond, as she needed to weigh those options. Would she be able to stay focused, or at least fake it for long enough? She felt apprehensive about it.

That feeling dissipated as they approached the tower with the copper dome. All around it, the grounds were landscaped with decorative plants. A stream that looked like it ran through the whole city was split here into channels to keep the decorative plants alive. Most of the ponies here looked like young adults. Star guessed that they were now on the campus of a university. The tower had an extremely fun rotating door, which Wonder and Star went around an extra time before entering.

The sight which awaited them was perhaps as bewildering as the air bubble holding up an entire sea above their heads in Aquaria. A giant device of clockwork occupied the center of the spacious room, at least five ponies tall. It had a number of brass spheres slowly rotating around a larger sphere in the center. The various rings on which the spheres traveled were marked with foreign inscriptions and lines. The ceiling was domed, and although several stories high, Star figured it was nowhere near the top of the tower. It was marked with constellations that somehow seemed to be part of the display.

This piqued Star’s foalhood interest in astronomy, making her quite excited. She noticed that although the stars were arranged in familiar patterns, the ponies had drawn different constellations from them, forming unfamiliar shapes.

Seats were arranged around the mechanical centerpiece. “We’re a little early,” Waterfire said. “I’ll introduce you.” On the other side of the centerpiece was a small stage and a chalkboard. Standing there was a pony of striking colors. Her body was pink until the legs, which shifted from pink to orange to yellow in a gradient. Her cutie mark was a star, but a tail ran from it all the way down her leg. Her shiny, perfectly combed hair was pink with a golden streak. Star was suddenly conscious of her own hair, messy and still wet from crossing the river. Star couldn’t guess the pony’s age, for she appeared at once mature yet young and beautiful. She had fetching gold eyeliner and a golden tail bow. She was strangely familiar… The magazines! She was on the cover of fashion and beauty magazines in the city.

She saw Waterfire approaching and said something in Riverine. They exchanged a few lines, then the pony said in Ponish, “Welcome to Astral City. I am Doctor Comet Tail.”

“Ayy, I translated her name wrong,” Waterfire said. “Zorry.”

This was Dr. Comet Tail? Star Dasher was caught off guard. For some reason she had expected a wrinkled professor whose hair had dulled with age. Instead they were standing in front of an actual model. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Razz said. “I’m Razzaroo.” The others all introduced themselves. She looked at Silly strangely when he introduced himself, but she did not interrupt.

“I suppose this is your first time seeing the Orrery,” Comet Tail said, gesturing to the giant contraption in the center of the room. “I hope you find it impressive.” Her Ponish was clearer than Waterfire’s.

“I love it!” Star said.

“It’s amazing!” Wonder said. “So artistic!”

Comet looked at Wonder, seeming surprised about something. Before she could speak, however, Razzaroo cut in. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how did you learn Ponish? We’ve met so few ponies here who speak it.”

“I have a colleague from a Ponish neighborhood in the Capital,” Comet Tail said. “We were roommates in university, and we’ve published together a few times. I’d love to chat more, but it’s nearly time for the lecture to start. I’m sorry, but it will be in Riverine.”

“Do you mind if I translate for them?” Waterfire said. “I’ll speak quietly.”

“You can try,” Comet said. She gestured for them to take seats. There was a small crowd of ponies, but many seats were still empty. Perhaps this room was used for some bigger events?

The group filed to the nearest seats. They put Waterfire in the center, with Wonder below and Star and Razz on either side. Silly just sat on Waterfire’s withers. “Why is everypony we meet here so pretty?” Wonder quietly said. Star looked at her for a moment, but she had a point. Comet Tail, Aquamarine, Aurora Mist, even Waterfire were all physically striking.

Comet Tail began her lecture, and Waterfire quietly interpreted. Comet explained how she and a group of other scientists had used gravity to discover a new planet, which they had named Chimera. The lecture quickly became more technical, and Waterfire struggled to keep up. He would pause in the middle of a sentence, listen to Comet, then pick back up on a different thought. He seemed to lack the vocabulary needed to explain complex mathematical concepts, as he would explain an idea in simpler words, mash words together into one phrase, or even use words that didn’t sound like Ponish at all.

Soon Star found it hard to focus. This dense math stuff was what had driven her out of astronomy when she was younger. She had to lean close to Waterfire to hear him, and her neck was getting uncomfortable. She started looking around the room to distract herself. She noticed that Razzaroo was taking notes. She watched the Orrery. It was hard to focus on it for long, as it moved too slowly. Star felt the need to move, to run. How was Silly holding up through this? Oh, he had fallen asleep on Waterfire’s back. Star wished she could do that, but she had too much energy. She looked at Wondermint on the seat below, appreciating her silky, beautiful violet and lavender hair. Star started fidgeting in her seat, flicking her tail and tapping a hoof on the stone between her cushion and the next.

Maybe she could get away with a little conversation with Wonder? She tapped Wonder’s shoulder. Wonder looked at her with a glazed expression. She was clearly bored, too. Star leaned over to her and whispered, “How long do you think this is going to last?”

Star’s attention was yanked back to Comet Tail when she heard her name. “Miss Star Dasher!” the professor snapped in Ponish. “If you’re not going to pay attention then why are you here?” Students in the room looked around, confused, but Comet’s eyes bored into Star. She looked away, embarrassed, clueless on how to respond. She decided the best thing to do was leave.

She got up and walked down the rows of seats, her head hanging. “I’m sorry, Dr. Tail,” she said. She briskly trotted past the Orrery to the door. Every eye in the room followed her as her hooves clacked against the tile floor, echoing. Her cheeks flushed. She took off at a flying pace as soon as she passed the door. She didn’t know where she was going, just away. She had made such a fool of herself!

* * *

Comet Tail finished her lecture, and Waterfire finished interpreting a few sentences behind. “I’m going to find Star Dasher,” Wondermint said.

“I’d like to ask Dr. Tail a few questions,” Razz said, looking at her notebook. She had enjoyed the lecture, but there were a few things she hadn’t understood. She was hoping to hear the professor explain it in Ponish.

“I… I’ll go with you, Razzaroo,” Waterfire said. “I would like to learn the words for some of these concepts in Ponish.”

“We’ll meet outside the doors,” Razz suggested. Silly looked unsure where to go, but he didn’t fly after Wonder. He, Razz, and Waterfire took their place in a little line that had formed to speak with Comet Tail. They didn’t have to wait for long.

“I was hoping you’d stay afterwards, Silly Lilly,” Comet Tail said in Ponish. “I didn’t have time to ask before the lecture, but I’ve been wondering this whole time: What are you?”

“I’m a breezie,” he said.

“A breezie…” Comet Tail said pensively. “So they’re not just legend. I wonder what other legends may be true? You must have come from far away.”

“Well, I’m not really sure, because we rode this magic carriage to get here,” Silly said.

“About two thousand miles, according to our map,” Razz said.

“I’m afraid I’ve never heard of that unit of measure,” Comet said.

“It’d be about… two months walking on even ground in a straight line,” Razz said. “Although I doubt the way would be so easy on the ground.”

“Razzaroo, I saw you taking notes. I hope Waterfire’s interpretation was adequate?”

“I did have a few questions, actually.” She asked for some clarifications. She noticed that Waterfire listened attentively as Comet explained the mathematical and gravitational concepts of her lecture in adept Ponish.

When Razzaroo was satisfied, Comet turned to Waterfire. “Hello, Waterfire,” she said, not too warmly.

“You not had to critizize Ztar Dasher like that,” Waterfire said. Razz and Silly looked between the two nervously. They had some history, it seemed. “All she had to ztay engaged in the lecture was my imperfect translation.”

“That was enough for Razzaroo, evidently,” Comet said. “I have little patience for ponies who aren’t here to learn. But I wouldn’t expect you to understand what it is to have a passion for science.”

“What you mean by that?”

“I can’t hold you accountable for taking after your father.”

“Excuse me?” Waterfire said, enraged. Silly hid behind Razz, who looked around uncomfortably. “Zunrise loves zience!”

“Really, is that why he quit college at the top of his class?” Comet said. “Are you implying, then, that she was a scientist?”

“He quitted because ponies ztarted refusing him zervize after the marriage,” Waterfire said hotly. “Not a day goes by that he not look wishfully at his weather data, but he had to stop to build a houze and grow food for his new family!”

“Imagine throwing a bright future away for a Sea Clan filly whose head is full of arts and crafts,” Comet Tail said.

“He only had to throw anything away because of how ponies like you reacted!” Waterfire shouted.

Razzaroo leapt back as streaks of fire appeared around him. To her horror, the flames caught on her saddlebag. She immediately rolled on it to put it out. She gingerly looked inside. Her notebook was scorched! Whole pages were illegible! The map was damaged as well. A few tears leaked from her eyes.

The fires around Waterfire disappeared, and he bolted out of the building.

* * *

Wondermint had spent the second half of the lecture filled with worry for Star Dasher. She had almost left to go after her, but she didn’t want to cause an even bigger scene. Now that the lecture was over, she rushed out the door and took a look around. She didn’t see Star Dasher in the grounds outside the tower. She wasn’t sure which way Star might have gone, and she couldn’t speak Riverine to ask ponies where a running purple jewel pony might have gone.

So what could she do? If she picked a direction and left, she could miss Star. It was possible that Star was going back to Waterfire’s house. Wonder wouldn’t be able to catch up with her, if that was the case. Did Star even know the way back? Wonder wasn’t sure if she could remember, herself. No point in trying and getting lost, then. Star could be wandering the city, but Wonder didn’t like the odds of just randomly bumping into her on the street. So her best chance at finding Star was to hope she would come back here.

Maybe she could help that process along? She sat on a bench in the middle of the grounds and took the accordion off her back. “Sapphire Shores’ Silver Sonata” seemed like the right mood. Hopefully she could remember it… She stuck her forehooves into the rotary slots at each end that selected the notes, and she started to play. It was an enchanting, melancholy song. Wonder didn’t maintain a lot of awareness of her surroundings while playing. Her soul was absorbed into the accordion and the music, her mind focused on the technical side and her gem engaged in the emotions the music portrayed. Still, she managed to notice after a few minutes when a purple pony lay in front of her on the stone and attentively listened. Wonder finished the verse she was on and stopped the song.

“Hey, Star,” she said. “Are you okay?” She noticed that ponies around the square had stopped to stare at her, but not in a warm, appreciative sort of way. When she looked at them, they turned their gaze and hurried along.

“No,” Star said flatly.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Wonder said.

“You saw what happened.”

“Yeah. I just want to know what’s specifically bothering you, so I can try to help.” Wonder felt great concern for Star. It contrasted to her normally carefree attitude. Her mind went back to the journey to the Castle of Rainbows, where Star had comforted Wonder after she had slipped and almost fallen down a waterfall. Maybe she could comfort Star and return the favor?

“I feel embarrassed,” Star said with a sniffle. “And I feel like I can never show my face to Comet Tail again.”

“Well, you don’t have to, then,” Wonder said. “If we interact with her again, you don’t have to get involved.”

“But without her, how will I ever get into the Castle of Family?”

“Sh, shh… you’re thinking too far ahead. As long as Kimono and Waterfire get in, they can tell us what’s in the library there. And honestly, we learned more about the past from Aquamarine than we had from anywhere else. Don’t worry about it.”

“But… why can’t I sit still and listen?” Star said. “Is something wrong with me?”

“You’re sitting still and listening now,” Wonder said.

“This isn’t the same.”

“Maybe not. But there’s nothing wrong with you. Maybe university lectures about gravitational and mathematical principles aren’t your forte. But there are lots of other things we—I love about you.” Star looked up at Wonder’s wording. What Wonder had said in the tent that night was true: She thought Star was cute. Sure, she found lots of ponies physically attractive. Star was on that list, with her glossy purple coat and her athletic build. But there was something else. Wonder liked her personality. “You’re the fastest and strongest of us, but you’re always willing to wait for or help us weaker ponies. Plus, you’re really brave. I haven’t forgotten how you comforted me at the waterfall. And the way you’re always willing to try new things without fear or hesitation—I love that. I admire that. You’re wonderful.”

“Really?” Star said, starry-eyed. “You admire me?”

“Of course I do!” Wonder said, jumping off the bench. “Why don’t you stand up?” Star did so with a sniffle. Wonder nuzzled her cheek warmly. It felt so nice…

Wonder remembered Star’s crush on her. How much did she reciprocate, really? In that moment, it felt like a lot. But there was also January Joy. Wonder really liked January Joy. What to do?

Wonder pulled back. Star was smiling. “Let’s find the others and discuss what to do next,” Wonder said. Star nodded. They returned to the tower, but before they could enter, Waterfire came barreling out of the door. “Waterfire, where are you going?” Wonder said. He ran past them, looking every bit as distressed as Star had been half an hour ago. “Not again…”

“I’ll follow him,” Star said. “Let’s meet back at his parents’ house.”

* * *

The group separated into a long chain as they followed Waterfire back to his home. Each pony stayed in sight of the pony in front of them in this flat landscape. Razz was in the back, walking slowly and without purpose. Silly Lilly had flown back a few times to check on her, apparently forgetting their previous conversations. “Are you okay?” he said again.

Razz shrugged. “Were you hurt by Waterfire’s magic?” Silly asked.

Razz hesitated. Her body wasn’t damaged. Just her most valued possession. “No, no, no,” she said. “I’m fine.”

“If you say so,” Silly said. He buzzed alongside Razz for a while before landing on her back.

At last Razz arrived at Waterfire’s house. Her thoughts turned to him. She was feeling mopey about her notebook, but he was probably pretty upset, too. She entered the house and saw Waterfire in the bedroom, lying stomach-down on a mat on the floor. “I’m not upset at you,” Razz said at the doorway of the room. “It wasn’t your fault. It was just an accident.” At least, so she assumed. Waterfire didn’t respond, but his ear flicked, so at least he heard. With that, Razz stepped out of the house and to her tent. She put down her saddlebag and crawled into her sleeping bag.

Reaching over, she looked through her saddlebag again. It had a hole in it and would need to be replaced. That wasn’t catastrophic. But the notebook… The fire had hit the front cover. It and several of the front pages were completely incinerated. After that were more scorched pages, which Razz carefully flipped through. The text wasn’t legible until they were on the journey from Joyville to Unicornia. Even after that, the top right corner of every sheet was burnt until the empty pages. Months of her notes were gone. It would take her weeks to record it all again, and there was no way she could remember everything. The damage to their ancient map from the Ponyville castle was the bitter icing on this metaphorical cake.

She heard hoofsteps outside her tent. “Razzaroo, can we talk?” It was Kimono.

“Yes,” Razz said unenthusiastically.

Kimono opened the door of Razz’s tent. “Silly told me what happened. How’s your notebook?”

“Scorched. It’s all illegible until a few weeks ago.”

“I’m sorry that happened.” Her eyes settled on the scorched map on the tent floor. “Don’t worry about the map. Aurora Mist was going to take us to the Castle of Kindness. And if not, we can find a new one in one of the cities.”

“It’ll take me weeks to write all my notes again. And there’s no way I can remember every detail. It won’t be the same.”

“It’s a loss, to be sure.” Kimono hesitated. “But you know you’re worth more than just your notebook, right?”

Razz mumbled, “Notetaking is the only thing I’m good at,” but she wasn’t sure if Kimono heard.

“I’m afraid you’ve been defining your value by the things you have or don’t have, rather than by the things you are,” Kimono said, voice full of concern. “Your notebook, the party business in Ponyville. You’ve been too hard on yourself. Everypony in our group adores you for who you are. Your charm, your optimism, your organizational skills. None of those are dependent on whether your notebook is intact.”

Razz hesitated. Kimono’s words couldn’t instantly change her mood, but she saw what Kimono was saying. “Uh, thanks,” she said. “We’ll just have to go into town and get a new saddlebag and notebook—oh, we can’t get stuff from town! Not without Waterfire. How is he?”

* * *

Star Dasher and Wondermint were out gardening with Waterfire and his parents. They had time, and it seemed like Sunrise had insisted on him coming out to help. Waterfire hadn’t said anything after interpreting Sunrise’s instructions. Wonder had tried to make small talk with Waterfire’s parents a couple of times, but he wouldn’t interpret. Star wasn’t quite sure what to do next, besides garden to show gratitude for their hosts. They all had conical straw hats, which made the blazing sun more tolerable. They were digging up deep-rooted weeds.

After a while, Seaspray started to sing. Star thought it was in Cantor. She didn’t know much about music, but it sounded to be in some strange, foreign key. Seaspray’s voice was rich and fey, like no kind of music Star had heard before. Seaspray finished singing words after a few verses, but she continued humming the tune. “What’s that song about?” Wonder said.

Seaspray spoke to Waterfire. It sounded like they were arguing for a bit, then Waterfire said, “It’z about Aquaria.”

“Why is it so sad?” Wonder said.

Waterfire seemed reluctant to interpret, but his mother prodded him again. They exchanged a few lines and Waterfire said, “Aquaria was her home. And now it’z not.”

“I’ve been wondering, why do you three live out here by yourselves?” Wonder said.

“We have to talk about thiz?” Waterfire said.

“If Seaspray wants to,” Wonder responded.

Waterfire reluctantly interpreted again. This time Sunrise responded. “To understand that, you’ll have to hear our family’s whole ztory. It’z a long tale, and a bit zad. But we’ll tell it if you want.”

“Yes, please,” Wonder said. “We have time, and you’ve been such gracious hosts. We would be honored.”

Waterfire looked unhappy about this, but he didn’t resist his parents further. Seaspray spoke, and Waterfire interpreted. “I was born in Aquaria—Zeazpray, not me, Waterfire. Zunrise was born in Aztral Zity. We were both pretty typical members of the Zea and Zun Clans. I was a zinger, and he was ztudying to be a meteorologizt.” That explained her enchanting voice. “Our ztory really begins on the beach near the Cazle of Family. I zwam up there zometimes to compose zongs away from the crowded zity.”

Sunrise spoke. “I had come to the Cazle of Family to do zome rezearch in the library. I had been ztuffed in there for hours, and I dezided to take a break and walk on the beach.”

Star pulled up another weed and said, “I noticed the beach was empty when we were there. It seemed like everypony walks to and from the castle without ever loitering on the island.”

Seaspray responded. “A good notize. Ponies like to ztick to their clans, here. Even inzide the Cazle of Family, they have it all zplit up zo the clans not have to meet.” Star remembered seeing curtains during their aerial view from the carriage. “Because of that, the beach was a good plaze for me to come and almozt always be alone.”

“As for me, thiz was my firzt time walking that beach,” Sunrise said. “Mozt of my rezearch was in Aztral Zity, but for one clazz I had to find zome hiztorical records from the Cazle of Family. Zo there I was, walking on the beach, when I heared a… zeleztial zound. I thinked for a moment that I had falled into a dream. It was coming from behind zome crezcent leaves, zo I quietly walked pazt them and…” Waterfire made a repulsed face and protested to Sunrise in their language. Was it Cantor or Riverine that they spoke at home? Seaspray was blushing the whole time.

Eventually Waterfire acceded and continued to interpret. “I zeed—zaw… a ziren. A beautiful blue mare lying halfway in the water, waves washing over her hair, bitz of zeaweed tangled in her tail. She was zinging with the zame magical voize you juzt heared. She was zo, ayy, charming and ztrange that I thinked she would lure me and drag me in the zea. But I wasn’t afraid, because I was too… dumb? Ztunned, with her beauty.”

Seaspray cut in. “I not heared him, and it was a while before I opened my eyes and zaw him. I ztopped zinging now, and I almozt jumped back into the zea to zwim home. But he called out ‘wait!’ in my language, Cantor. I zaw zomething in his eyes. He thinked I was beautiful. He admired me, even adored me. My mother always telled me to find a stallion that looked at me like that. Zo I waited. He introduzed himzelf. I holded back my name, at firzt. He telled me all about his rezearch. It was zomething about long-term climate trendz. I telled him my name, and he zuggezted that we should meet again zometime.”

Sunrise continued the story. “Zo we did. We keeped zgeduling times to meet on the beach. We falled in love. We both knowed that we shouldn’t. We dezided to tell the whole truth to our clans and try to plan a marriage. Nopony with authority would do the zeremony for uz. And without a marriage in the Cazle, we couldn’t get housing in either zity. But we loved each other, and they couldn’t ztop that. Zo we moved out here. We builded a houze, growed our own food, and raised our own child, Waterfire. That answers your queztion?”

Seaspray added something. Waterfire hesitated. “She zays that I’ve never been welcome in either city. My lookz remind them that I am mixed blood. And once I got my cutie mark and choosed my name, Waterfire, ponies dezided to interpret it as defiant. Ponies liked me even lezz onze I ztarted showing the elemental powerz of both clans without ever being trained. But my parentz aren’t trained in magic, zo they can’t help me control it.”

“Wait, there was one part I didn’t understand,” Star said. “You said you knew you shouldn’t fall in love. Why? It sounds like ponies aren’t happy that two clans would mix. What’s the big deal?”

Waterfire responded without interpreting it back to his parents. “You muzt be from far away. Here, everypony ztickz to their clan. They make it zound reasonable, zaying things like ‘loyalty to your family.’ But really, it’z juzt a tradition. There’s no reason. That’z juzt the way it is.”

“I’m sorry,” Wonder said. “That sounds awful. Maybe there’s something we can do to help. I want to talk to Kimono about this.”

Waterfire sniffed and said something to his parents. Their reply was short, and then Waterfire trotted away, crossing the stream and leaving the island. “I guess he needed a break,” Wonder said. “You three can finish this, right?” She gestured to the garden. It looked like Star was the only one who had kept working through the story. “I need to think. There must be something we can do to help Waterfire.”

“Uh, yeah, we got this,” Star said. It might take a while, but Waterfire’s troubles seemed more pressing. “Good luck.”

* * *

Waterfire trotted towards the castle’s island, tears streaming down his face. Having to translate that conversation had reminded him of all the things that were broken about his life. Previously he was just upset because he had offended Aquamarine and Comet Tail back to back. Now he remembered that it was all part of a larger problem that had been going on his whole life.

He arrived at the island and headed for the beach. He lay down at the water’s edge, letting a wave wash over him. He soaked in the sun and the sea, trying to forget his worries. But they wouldn’t leave him. He had no home. He was welcome nowhere. Everypony thought he was some little monster. And they were absolutely right.

After he had been there for a few minutes, watching the waves, he heard a small voice behind him. “Waterfire, you were crying.” He turned and saw Silly Lilly hovering.

“Leave me alone,” Waterfire snapped.

“When you’re crying is when you need others the most,” Silly said with simple confidence.

“I’m sorry that the first pony you met had to be me,” Waterfire said. “I hope you can find a translator who’s not useless. Maybe you could ask Comet Tail for help.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Silly said. “You’ve been a great help to us.”

“Comet Tail and Aquamarine have a lot of respect and authority in their cities,” Waterfire said. “You should get on their good sides if you want to be welcome in the cities and get an appointment in the Castle. Which means you shouldn’t be with me.”

“I bet Kimono will figure something out,” Silly said. “But whatever happens next, you aren’t useless.”

“It’s not just what happened today and yesterday,” Waterfire said. “I can’t control my powers. I can’t control my emotions. I’m not welcome anywhere. When I was younger, I thought if I studied languages I could go anywhere and be welcome. But I don’t belong anywhere. I have no home.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what that’s like. I have a home, and I feel like there’s a piece of me missing without it. That’s why I’m here. To figure out who I am besides just my friends, family, and town. At least you know that.”

“And who am I?” Waterfire said. “I’m just a little—”

“Don’t say anything mean about yourself!” Silly interrupted with surprising sharpness. “You’re a great translator. You’ve been incredibly generous with your time, food, and space. You’re an amazing pony.”

“I… thanks.”

“As for your powers, I was also born with magic that I never trained to use,” Silly said. “But Kimono knows how it works. Maybe she could help you. Or maybe even we could help each other?”

Waterfire looked at Silly, hovering above the waves, his wings glinting in the sunlight. His tiny eyes watched Waterfire eagerly. “Why… why are you so nice?” Waterfire said.

“Uh… am I?” Silly said.

“It seems like it.”

“Oh my glitter, maybe that’s part of who I am! Thanks for pointing that out.”

“Wait, what are your powers?” Waterfire said. Silly flew to the dry sand. He pranced over an area, and a patch of grass sprang up before Waterfire’s eyes. “Huwah, you created that?” Waterfire gawked.

“No, the seeds were there,” Silly said. There was similar grass elsewhere along the beach. “But I helped it grow.”

Waterfire stood up and walked over. He nibbled off a few blades. Yes, it was real grass. “That’s cool.” Waterfire looked back towards his family’s tiny island. “I guess I should get over my fit and go back home.”

“We’ll figure everything out,” Silly said. “Don’t worry.”

When they arrived, Kimono, Wondermint, Razzaroo, and Star Dasher were all outside, sitting and talking. “There you are,” Razzaroo said. “We were just talking about you.”

That was rarely a good thing to hear, in Waterfire’s experience. “Oh?” he said, stepping back.

“Kimono thinks if we wait here for another few days, she can learn enough Cantor to communicate with Aquamarine,” Wondermint said. “She thinks she could persuade Aquamarine to forgive you.”

“I doubt she’d hold onto a grudge; you are still a child, after all,” Kimono said. “And I’ll inform her that I intend to teach you how to control your powers. If you’re willing to learn.”

“Of course,” Waterfire said.

“We can all talk with Comet Tail,” Wondermint said. “I haven’t figured out who should lead, though. Kimono hasn’t even met her.”

“Razz really hit it off with Comet Tail,” Silly said.

“Is that so?” Kimono said.

“Yes yes yes!” Razzaroo said. “Her lecture was so interesting.”

“Well, then, you can talk to Comet Tail first while I continue to learn Cantor,” Kimono said. “But we’ll only go forward if you want to, Waterfire.”

“Of course I want to!” Waterfire said.

“This will only work if you hold back any outbursts against Comet Tail or Aquamarine,” Kimono said. “It’d be best if you keep your anger in check in general. And if you can sincerely apologize to them yourself, should you get through to them.”

Waterfire wanted to object. They owed an apology to him as much as the other way around. But maybe he needed to make the first move. “I, I understand,” he said. “Let’s do it.”

* * *

Wondermint, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly walked—or flew—down a hallway in Solar University, the same campus with the observatory tower and the Orrery. Waterfire followed them reluctantly. Razz had suggested visiting Comet Tail’s office rather than talking to her after a lecture, hoping to get a more private setting. Wonder wasn’t certain if Comet Tail would see them, as they weren’t students. But they had all agreed to let Razz lead on reconciling Comet Tail and Waterfire, so the four of them approached her office. The door was open. Razz knocked at the frame.

“Oh, Razzaroo,” Comet Tail said. “I was wondering if I’d see you again. Come in.” Wondermint and Silly Lilly followed her, but Waterfire hung back. “I have something I’d like to give you.” Comet searched the drawers of her desk and pulled out a notebook. She passed it to Razz.

“This is for me?” Razz said, amazed.

“Yes, I felt bad after provoking Waterfire,” Comet said. “So I got this at a bookshop, in case you came back.” Wonder glanced over at the door. Waterfire wasn’t visible from here, but he must have heard that.

“Thank you,” Razz said. “I came to talk to you about just that. I want to tell you that Waterfire is sorry for yelling at you and losing control of his powers.”

“If he’s apologized to you, then it’s in the past,” Comet said. “He didn’t hurt me.”

“Well, yes… but no,” Razz said. “There’s clearly some tension between you two, and I’d like to help fix it.”

“I’m afraid that’s beyond your power. It doesn’t involve you.” Waterfire stepped into the room. “Oh, you’re here,” Comet said unenthusiastically.

“I am zorry,” Waterfire said. “I juzt want to be welcome here.”

“I’m sorry for insulting you. I never should have brought up your parents the way I did.”

An awkward silence filled the room. It didn’t seem that anything had been resolved. “You don’t seem too happy with him, though,” Silly said.

“I believe this conservation is done,” Comet said.

Wondermint felt that they needed to do more, and Razz seemed at a loss for words. It was time for a little improv. What did Comet want? She loved science; Wonder had gotten that during the lecture. She was dismissive of those who didn’t want to learn. “He’s a good student, you know!” Wonder blurted. Comet looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “He’s never been to school, but he knows so much. He learned Cantor and Riverine from his parents, and he learned Ponish and a couple of other languages all by himself. And he’s not even an adult yet. Imagine that level of internal motivation to learn for learning’s sake. Language may not be science, but I don’t see why it should count for less.”

Comet paused. “An astute observation, Wondermint. Thank you.” She hesitated and looked at Waterfire. “If you truly are interested in learning, you are welcome to use the library, the Orrery, the observatory, and any other resources on this campus.”

“Thank you,” Waterfire said. Yes, that feels better, Wondermint thought.

“Was there anything else you wanted?” Comet said.

“I think that’s all,” Razz said. “Thank you.” They nodded, as ponies often did here, and left. “That went pretty well,” Razz said. “She even apologized to Waterfire. We didn’t ask for that.”

“And she said he’s welcome on campus,” Wonder said. “Now we can only hope that Kimono gets through to Aquamarine.”

* * *

Kimono passed through the air bubble into Aquaria. The air stopped flowing through the magic sea star over her face. She pulled it off and took a gasping breath. She wasn’t sure she would ever get used to that. Star Dasher and Wondermint followed her, their hair already magically dry, and they put their stars in the water basin.

The other two had come for moral support, but they hardly spoke a word of Cantor. It all fell on Kimono. She had spent a week learning as much Cantor as she could, both from the dictionary and Waterfire’s family. Given how potentially dangerous Waterfire’s powers were in Aquaria, Kimono had decided it best that he not come at all for this first attempt at apologizing to Aquamarine. If she wanted an apology from Waterfire himself, she would get it after Kimono had cleared the air between them as best as she could.

The three of them returned to the plaza where they had first met Aquamarine. Unfortunately, she was not there. However, Kimono suspected that she came here often, as it was a central location from which to observe by far the biggest air bubble that Aquamarine had to maintain. It wasn’t long before Star and Wonder excused themselves to explore the city. Kimono locked her legs and closed her eyes to meditate. The plaza was busy but somehow still peaceful. Underwater, the lighting and air seemed subdued. Ponies here weren’t in a hurry. They liked to stop and think. Kimono wasn’t so badly out of place.

She felt Aquamarine’s presence enter the plaza. Kimono looked and said, “Good afternoon, Aquamarine,” in Cantor.

Aquamarine responded in Cantor. Kimono had to guess her meaning, recalling everything she had tried to memorize. She took Aquamarine’s meaning to be, “I didn’t know you spoke Cantor.”

“I learned this week,” Kimono tried to say, although she knew she had done the brief nicker sound in the word for “week” wrong.

Aquamarine’s next sentence was more difficult. Kimono heard the words for “come,” “home,” and “magic.” Kimono nodded and said, “I wanted to… do magic with you.”

“Come,” Aquamarine said, walking towards her house. She asked a question. Kimono thought it meant, “Where are your friends?”

“Star Dasher and Wondermint are… in town,” Kimono said. She didn’t try to translate their names.

They went through an alley to the small stone court outside Aquamarine’s house. Aquamarine said something, which Kimono understood to mean, “I want to see what you can do.”

Kimono hoped this wasn’t about to turn into a competition. She wanted to gain Aquamarine’s trust before bringing up Waterfire. She closed her eyes and felt the air around her. It was different from the air on the surface. More purified, probably filtered out of the water. She reached out with her thoughts and moved the air in a little vortex between her and Aquamarine.

Before Kimono let it dispel, she felt Aquamarine reaching out with her own magic. Kimono opened her eyes to watch her. Water lifted from the water gardens and joined the vortex. It sprayed around and became foamy. Then, as the two ponies felt each other’s mental presence and became united in purpose, the water and air united into a vortex of mist. Then it flowed around the courtyard, making playful tendrils and waves. Next it coalesced into a shape. It took the form of a pony. His conical hat and the goggles around his neck were familiar. His face was recognizable; they had made Waterfire.

The water rushed back to the gardens, and Aquamarine said something. Kimono didn’t understand the words, but she felt that Aquamarine had learned that the true purpose of her visit was to talk about Waterfire.

“I want to say sorry for Waterfire,” Kimono said, laboring through the words. “He is sorry. I will teach him to… use his magic. Safe… safely. He is not a bad colt. He is… alone. He wants to be welcome here.” Kimono was certain that her grammar was atrocious.

Waterfire said nothing at first. Aquamarine searched Kimono with her solid blue eyes. It was hard to tell where she was looking with no pupils, but Kimono got the impression that Aquamarine was searching Kimono’s soul. She was evaluating the merit of Kimono’s word and the strength of her character.

Aquamarine said a short phrase that Kimono didn’t understand. This was followed by, “He is welcome in Aquaria.” Kimono sighed in relief.

* * *

Wondermint and Star Dasher came looking for Kimono in the plaza where they had met Aquamarine the first time. They had spent a lovely couple of hours exploring this beautiful city. Fortunately, Kimono was waiting for them. “How did it go?” Star said.

“Rather well,” Kimono responded. “She said that Waterfire is welcome in Aquaria.”

“Great!” Star said. “So… what now? We still want to get into the Castle of Family, right?”

“I’ve been thinking…” Wonder said. “Yes, I’ve been known to do that from time to time. While Kimono was cramming an entire language into her head, I thunk a thought. I thunk that we can do more.”

“I’m listening,” Kimono said.

“We didn’t really address the core problem, which is the contempt that the Sun Clan and the Sea Clan have for each other,” Wonder said. “Waterfire struggled to fit in because of it. His parents are practically exiled from their hometowns because of it.”

“Yes, it’s a problem,” Kimono said. “But what can we do?”

“You two have noticed, surely, the passion that ponies have for art down here?”

“Of course,” Kimono said. Star nodded.

“Razz and Silly could tell you how much they love science up in Astral City. That’s the common ground; they both have a passion for something, and I think they could learn to have respect for each other that way. Comet Tail warmed up to Waterfire when I pointed out his passion for languages. Imagine how she’d react to learn just how much the ponies here love their crafts. Or imagine Aurora Mist’s face when she sees the artistry of the Orrery.”

“Perhaps,” Kimono said thoughtfully. “How will we get them to see each other’s point of view?”

“Oh, we won’t,” Wonder said, smiling. “I know the perfect ponies for that.”

* * *

The next day, Waterfire went to Aquaria with his father, Sunrise, and Wondermint. Sunrise had been to Aquaria before, but not since Waterfire was old enough to remember. He looked around in amazement. They went towards the city center, looking for Aurora Mist. If Waterfire saw Aquamarine, he wanted to apologize, as well. “How are we going to find Aurora Mist?” Waterfire said. “The art festival isn’t until later this week.”

“I had an idea for that,” Wondermint said. She stopped at a street corner in a busy part of town and sat on a bench. “Last time this worked…” She had a harmonica hanging on her neck, and she raised it to her lips and started to play. Waterfire locked his legs to stand and listen, and soon a small crowd had gathered. Wondermint finished a song and started the next before a pale blue pegasus came swooping down. It was Aurora Mist.

Wondermint finished her second song to stomping applause. “Wondermint, it’s so nice to see you again!” Aurora said in Cantor. “And hello Waterfire.”

“Good morning, Aurora,” Wondermint said.

Aurora turned to Sunrise and said, “You’re new here, aren’t you?” Waterfire guessed she could tell that he was from the Sun Clan.

Sunrise responded in Cantor; it wasn’t his native language, but he had learned it well enough from Seaspray. “I came here a few times many years ago. But I’m practically new.”

“My name is Aurora Mist. It’s nice to meet you.”

“This is my father, Sunrise,” Waterfire said.

“So you’re the one who married Seaspray. Hmm… I miss her voice.” Aurora sounded wistful. That was better than hostile. “Would you like me to show you the town center? We’re holding an art festival there in two days.”

“Actually, we had something else in mind,” Waterfire said. He looked nervously at Wondermint, but she gestured for him to go ahead. Why couldn’t she do this? She and Aurora were instant friends, but she had insisted that Waterfire lead the conversation, as he was “the bridge between two worlds,” or something. “We were looking for you, because we know you love art, and we thought… you might like to see Astral City,” Waterfire said.

Aurora raised a confused eyebrow. This conversation was all in Cantor, so Wonder couldn’t jump in now. “There’s actually a lot of artistry there,” Waterfire continued. “They make their machines and instruments with great care. And you must see the Orrery. It is basically a giant piece of art, although they call it science.”

Aurora bit her lip, thinking. “Wondermint, have you been there?”

Waterfire translated, adding a bit of context. “Yes,” Wondermint responded.

“You’re an artist,” Aurora said. “A musician, granted, but a type of artist, with a good artistic eye. Is he right about this? Is there artistic merit in Astral City?”

After the translation, Wondermint said, “Definitely. But there’s so much more than just art! Their love for science is inspiring. You’ll see.”

“Well, then,” Aurora said. “Perhaps I can broaden my horizons. I will come and see Astral City.”

* * *

Aurora Mist seemed to have had a fun time in Astral City, but Wondermint didn’t think she had been properly blown away yet. She was sweating profusely, seemingly unable to handle the heat of the surface. The times Wondermint had gone, it had always been pleasantly cool in Aquaria. But Sunrise, who was leading their little tour, had saved the best for last. The sun was setting as they came up to the Observatory Tower on the Solar University campus. The golden light glittered off the copper dome at the top of the tower, which seemed to glow with its own, independent light now that the rest of the cityscape was in shade. They came up to rotating doors, and Sunrise proudly spoke in Cantor. Waterfire interpreted it for Wonder. “Welcome to the Orrery!”

Wonder did an extra round in the rotating door, of course, but after coming through, she saw Aurora looking starry-eyed. Her gaze swept over the various features of the Orrery—the slowly rotating planets, their lines of travel with inscriptions, and the constellations in the ceiling. The rhythmic movement of the clockwork created effortless, untiring music. Aurora spoke, and Waterfire interpreted. “I like to underztand art. What does it all mean?”

Sunrise happily dove into an explanation of the planets, moons, and comets represented by the Orrery. Waterfire struggled to keep up with interpretation, but Wonder didn’t really need it. She could see that Aurora was engaged in the moment, and that was what mattered. Maybe these two estranged clans really could be reconciled. Aurora asked a question. “What do the markings on the zeiling mean?”

“Those are conztellations,” Sunrise responded.

Aurora gasped. “They’re beautiful. We never zee the zky in Aquaria. When we do come up to the zurface, all we really notize is the zun and moon. I know zo little about the ztars and planetz.”

Sunrise smiled. “Would you like to zee them up close? Follow me!”

They took a lift to the top of the tower. It was a slow, noisy ride. “We zgeduled an appointment to use the observatory,” Sunrise said. They entered a door that opened up into a large room with a dome roof. A massive telescope sat in the center of the room, aimed upwards. Clockwork enabled it to move in any direction.

“What is thiz?” Aurora said.

Sunrise put his eye to the eyepiece and adjusted the telescope. “Hold on juzt a moment… There. Put your eye here, and you’ll zee.” Aurora looked into the telescope. “That’z the planet Manticore. Itz clouds, rings, and moons are visible. For zcale, the biggezt moon is about a quarter the… width of Ponyland.”

Aurora was silent for several minutes before she finally whispered something, which Waterfire interpreted as, “Thiz is incredible. Thiz is… I have no words. I… is thiz zience?”

“Yez,” Sunrise said. “Thiz is what we do here.”

Waterfire gasped after interpreting that. He leaned over to Wondermint and whispered, “He zaid ‘we.’ He hasn’t zaid that about the Zun Clan in years.”

Aurora spoke again, and Waterfire interpreted, “It’z beautiful.” Aurora pulled away from the telescope. Tears were in her eyes.

Wondermint’s curiosity was burning her up from the inside. “Do you mind if I take a peek?” she said. Waterfire interpreted for her, and the others stepped aside. She put her eye to the eyepiece. She saw a disk, or probably a sphere. Bands of color streaked across it, pale blue and white. Vortices of white swirled, reminding Wonder of storms. A magnificent, dark ring circled around the sphere, and numerous smaller spheres were visible in orbit around it. The planet dwarfed them by comparison.

The numbers of distance and size that Sunrise had said earlier had seemed impossibly large until Wonder saw it herself. But somehow she grasped the impossible scale of it, now that she saw it herself. She was looking at an entirely different world. She didn’t even know how big her own world was, really; a month ago, she had never left her tiny town of Joyville. This beautiful blue disk was so massive that Joyville probably wouldn’t be visible, even with this powerful telescope enlarging it to fill her whole vision. It made her feel tiny, but it also inspired her and filled her with energy. “Wow,” Wonder said. “Just wow.”

They all took turns looking at it, and then Sunrise took over and showed Aurora a few more things. Wonder was jealous that she didn’t get to see everything, but she understood why Aurora was the priority. Eventually their time was running out. “Thiz plaze is magical,” Aurora said. “Thank you zo much for inviting me.”

“You’re welcome,” Sunrise said. “I needed a reminder, myzelf.”

They heard a knock at the door. Comet Tail came in and looked at Sunrise in surprise. She spoke, and Waterfire interpreted, “Sunrise, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you here.”

“It’s good to be back,” Sunrise said.

Wonder and the others hadn’t talked about how to persuade Comet Tail to come to Aquaria yet, and probably the plan would have involved Razzaroo. But this opportunity was too serendipitous to refuse. Wonder nudged Waterfire and mumbled, “Invite her to Aquaria.”

Before Waterfire could make good on that, however, Aurora Mist spoke. It seemed that she and Comet Tail understood each other, so Waterfire was free to keep interpreting for Wonder. “These three have juzt finished showing me the zightz of Aztral Zity. And beyond, I zuppose. Your zity is wonderful!”

“I’m zo glad to hear it,” Waterfire interpreted for Comet.

At this point, Waterfire jumped in and Wonder lost her interpreter. He and Comet discussed something for a while. Sunrise and Aurora jumped in at points, and Wonder got the impression that all three were trying to convince Comet of something. At last, Waterfire turned to Wonder and said, “She’z agreed to visit the art feztival in Aquaria.”

* * *

Waterfire passed through the bubble into Aquaria. Wondermint, Seaspray, and Comet Tail were behind him. Seaspray helped Comet take off her sea star. Comet looked around with wide eyes. “This is incredible,” she said in Riverine. Waterfire interpreted for Wondermint. Comet stuck a hoof out of the bubble. “The pressure down here should force this air to compress, but it doesn’t feel that way. And if it’s not compressed, how did we not get decompression sickness when we came through?”

“Sadly, I don’t have the answers, besides magic,” Seaspray said.

“I’m also curious if these sea stars work that way naturally, or if ponies have changed them,” Comet continued.

“I’ve heard that ponies found them and bred them to be more effective,” Seaspray responded.

Comet marveled at the entrance to the city, then they continued on. Seaspray led them towards the plaza with the art festival. She stopped occasionally to point out the significance or certain statues or etchings in walls. The seahorse, said to have descended from sea ponies. An anemone etched onto a house door, symbolizing a safe place. Comet Tail seemed disinterested, unfortunately. She kept asking to press onwards to the art festival.

They arrived at the art festival. Seaspray showed Comet one stand after another, each one featuring a different style. Cubism, impressionism, surrealism, and so forth. Comet seemed politely interested, but she suddenly broke off from the group. Waterfire and the others followed her, surprised, and she stopped at a stand. The art here had detailed, almost anatomical sketches of sea creatures and vegetation. “What is that?” Comet said, pointing to one of the drawings. She switched to Cantor, which she was quite adept with, Waterfire had found.

“A sea lily,” the artist said. Waterfire didn’t know how to translate this, and he didn’t have time to explain as the conversation shot off.

“The detail in these drawings is impressive,” Comet said. “You have an eye for anatomy.”

“Thank you!” the artist said. “I believe that nature itself is the best artist. I’m not the only realist artist here, but the others are more focused on beautiful landscapes or portraits. My sketches don’t get a lot of appreciation here.” Indeed, Waterfire didn’t find them particularly beautiful. They looked like they belonged in a textbook.

“I see your point of view,” Comet said eagerly. “Biology is exquisite. It never occurred to me that an artist could capture that.”

“Finally, somepony who understands!” the artist exclaimed.

“Tell me more about this drawing,” Comet said. “Why did you pair these two creatures together?”

“These are actually two stages in the life cycle of the same organism, the violet tunicate…” Waterfire didn’t even hear all the conversation as he tried to keep up with translating for Wondermint. He didn’t have the words in Ponish to explain everything, and he didn’t even know what some of these words in Cantor meant. But Wondermint probably got the point that things were going well.

Eventually they wrapped up at the art festival. Comet was rather reserved with her emotions, so Waterfire couldn’t tell if she was blown away at the same level as Aurora Mist. On their way out, they ran headlong into Aquamarine. “Good afternoon,” she said, looking at Comet Tail.

Waterfire panicked about the idea of the two sternest ponies in his life meeting. He tried to cut between them, saying, “Hey, Aquamarine. We’re just finishing up here.”

Aquamarine paid him no heed and said to Comet Tail, “What brings you to Aquaria?”

“I came to visit the art festival,” Comet Tail said. “Seaspray has been showing me around.”

“It’s nice to see you again, Seaspray,” Aquamarine said.

“Thank you,” Seaspray said.

“My name is Aquamarine. I assume you came from Astral City?”

“Yes,” Comet said. “My name is Dr. Comet Tail.”

“What’s happening?” Wonder whispered to Waterfire.

“They’re either about to become best friends or worst enemies,” Waterfire said nervously. He missed part of the conversation, there. It sounded like Comet Tail had included her profession in her introduction.

“I maintain the bubble around the city,” Aquamarine said.

“Oh, how fortunate,” Comet said. Waterfire was trying to pick up on their moods, but their conversation was quite polite and dry. “I’ve been wondering about that bubble since I got here. Would you mind explaining to me some things about how it works?”

“What would you like to know?”

“My first question is about the pressure,” Comet Tail said. She and Aquamarine started discussing the details of how the bubble worked. Once again, Waterfire missed bits as he tried to keep Wondermint up to speed. Comet Tail was surprised to discover that the air was indeed pressurized down here. She had expected to notice it more. Seaspray interjected that it made a difference for breathing while singing. They were quite engaged in their conversation now. Waterfire hung back and kept Wondermint updated.

“This city is a marvel,” Comet Tail said. “Living underwater lets you experience a whole different world. The different perspectives in the art festival were impactful. Strangely enough, it reminded me of the annual science fair at Solar University.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Aquamarine said. “Aurora Mist told me how much she loved Astral City. Our clans have more in common than I thought.”

“Indeed,” Comet Tail said. “In fact, I’d like to suggest a combined fair displaying the greatest talents of both our cities.”

“And where better to hold it than the Castle of Family?” Aquamarine said. “That is what it’s supposed to be for, after all.”

Waterfire was astonished. “Wait, like for real?” he said. They looked at Waterfire, and he blushed immediately. Why had he said that?

“Of course, for real,” Comet said dryly. “I can pull the strings to make that happen on our end.”

“Aurora Mist is a respected artist,” Aquamarine said. “She can probably stoke up some enthusiasm for the idea. How long do you need to put everything together?”

“Probably about a month,” Comet Tail. “I’ll have to look at the university’s schedule to see what day would be best.”

Waterfire couldn’t believe his ears. His parents’ clans were going to hold a joint fair in the Castle of Family? This was the sort of stuff he dreamed about. “Huwah!” Waterfire yelped in elation. He pranced ecstatically. Flashes of sparks appeared at his hooves with each leap.

“Waterfire!” Aquamarine snapped.

Waterfire held still, front hooves crossed, blushing. “Sorry, I’m calm,” he said.

* * *

While the fair was organized, Waterfire insisted that the newcomers take advantage of the opportunity to study Cantor, as they would need it if they were going to travel farther north to the other castles and eventually to the Capital. Kimono also started teaching Waterfire to control his powers. Razzaroo spent many hours writing what she remembered from the burnt part of her notebook, and Comet Tail helped her get a new saddlebag from Astral City. Eventually, the day of the fair arrived. Waterfire’s family and guests were invited, at last giving them the opportunity to enter the Castle of Family.

They passed through the bright blue gates, Waterfire’s first time in years. Normally the courtyard was sectioned off by curtains, but for once it was all open. Crowds of ponies—Sun ponies with their warm colors and Sea ponies with their cool greens and blues—had gathered. Smells of seafood and the grain-dominated Astral cuisine filled Waterfire’s nostrils. Luckily, the sky was overcast, so the Sea ponies weren’t overheating.

Artists from Aquaria had set up their stands here in place of this week’s art festival. Sun ponies had posters displaying their research and little machines and devices they had brought with them.

Waterfire accompanied his friends from Ponyville and Joyville as they visited the various stands. He wasn’t paying too much attention to his interpretation duties, however, as he was trying to absorb what was happening around him. Ponies mostly stuck in groups of their own kind, but he noticed a few groups visiting the stands of the other clan. He even overheard a mixed-ethnicity conversation in Cantor, which Sun ponies often learned in school but rarely used unless they traveled. They had a long way to go, but this was the most united Waterfire had ever seen his parents’ clans. It was like a dream come true. It made him think about how they might extend friendship to the other clans that lived around here.

Waterfire’s friends went to the food stands for a snack, so he got a break with no interpretation. His heart skipped a beat when he turned and saw Comet Tail and Aquamarine approaching him. “Waterfire,” Aquamarine said in Cantor. “My friend, Comet Tail, mentioned that she had apologized for speaking poorly of your parents. I owe you an apology, too. I was wrong to treat you as I did. Not just the day you got upset and nearly collapsed the bubble. I’ve treated you as lesser for years. I’m sorry.” Waterfire’s cheeks blushed. Where had this come from?

“If she can do it, so can I,” Comet said in Riverine. “I’ve held a grudge against you and your parents for years. I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”

Waterfire didn’t know how to respond, or even in which language. “I… I…” he mumbled in Riverine, the language he had heard last. At last he put together a response in Cantor, the language they both spoke. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

Comet nodded to him, then turned to Aquamarine. “Where to now?”

“Now that we’re near the food, I smell a scent I’ve never experienced before,” Aquamarine said. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s driving me ravenous.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never had sourdough bread before!” Comet said. “We must rectify this!” The two of them trotted off, leaving Waterfire somewhat shocked. All the walls that he had been born on the wrong side of were coming down.

He shook his head and rejoined his friends from Ponyville and Joyville. They were talking among themselves in Ponish. “I’ll take a look at the library,” Kimono said. “But we’ve lingered here for quite some time, and I’d like to press on towards the Capital. Aquamarine’s story of the castles’ creation was fairly complete, but if there are more answers to be had on the collapse of the Empire, they’ll probably be at the Capital.”

“So you five are going soon?” Waterfire said.

“I think so,” Kimono said. “We should visit Aurora Mist’s stand and see if she’s still willing to take us to the Castle of Kindness.”

“I have to thank you all for doing so much good here,” Waterfire said. “This fair never would have happened without you working to unite everypony.”

“We wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without you,” Wondermint said. “Not just because you interpreted for us, but you showed us what makes both cities beautiful, and that was the key to bridging the gap.”

Waterfire wasn’t ready to say farewell to these ponies. He had barely started training with Kimono. Maybe he could persuade Aquamarine to train him? But years of hurts didn’t just disappear overnight. He wanted to see if this change of attitude would last before he got all cozy with ponies from Aquaria and Astral City only for them to turn against him again. “How are you going to communicate once you travel farther north?” Waterfire said. “You were lucky to meet two ponies here who speak Ponish, but it’s rare.”

Kimono fidgeted and said, “We’ll have to rely on the dictionary and what we’ve learned so far.”

Waterfire had lessons with Kimono, and while she was learning quickly, a month simply wasn’t enough time. She spoke well enough to pick up groceries, probably, but not a lot more. As for the others, Razz was the only one who was close to Kimono’s level, but she had a late start because at first she had worked to learn Riverine before switching to Cantor because Riverine wasn’t really spoken beyond the river delta. “What if I… ayy, came with you?” Waterfire said quietly.

“No, no, no, we couldn’t ask you to do that just for us,” Razz said. “You’ve been so generous to us already, and you have your own home and life.”

“Well… is that true?” Waterfire said. “I don’t really belong in either city, and my life has been basically growing or gathering food and learning languages in my spare time. Maybe now I can finally do something with that skill. I won’t miss home much, and we will come back eventually, right? I want to come with you.” He said that last part with conviction that surprised himself.

“We don’t know what we’ll find on the way, or even at the cities with the castles,” Kimono said. “It could be dangerous.”

This didn’t phase Waterfire. It maybe even made him a little excited. “I could help, if I learn to use my powers safely. Plus I’m a good swimmer, if you ever need that.”

“You could be gone for several months,” Kimono said.

“It won’t bother me,” Waterfire said.

Kimono sighed. “We won’t try to stop you coming if you want to.” The others nodded in agreement. “But you absolutely won’t come with us unless both your parents give you permission.”

Waterfire paused. He wasn’t sure how they would feel about this. They were here at the fair, but he figured he’d wait until they were home. “Before that, let’s ask Aurora Mist if she can come with us, and when,” Star Dasher said.

They headed to Aurora’s art stand. Wonder gestured at a painting and said, “That one’s new.” Waterfire interpreted for her. It was a watercolor painting of a blue circle with white streaks across it. A dark ring circled around it, and there were a few smaller gray circles here and there. Waterfire didn’t understand what it represented.

Aurora smiled and said, “I knew you’d notice.”

“It’s the planet, Manticore,” Wonder said.

“That was a lovely night,” Aurora said.

Kimono spoke in rough Cantor. “Thank you by help us. You… are very nice at us.”

Aurora gasped and said, “Oh, your Cantor has grown so much!” Waterfire interpreted this into Ponish, just in case.

Kimono stuttered for a moment, then switched to Ponish. “Would you still be willing to take us to the Castle of Kindness?”

After the interpretation, Aurora said, “Yes, I’ve been meaning to make a trip to visit my family there.”

“How soon could you be ready to set out?” Kimono said.

“Immediately,” Aurora said. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“You’re too kind!” Wonder said. She kissed Aurora’s cheeks.

“I suggest we leave at the end of the week,” Kimono said. “That should give me some time to look through the library.”

The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

“Absolutely not,” Seaspray said.

“What?” Waterfire said. “Won’t you at least consider—”

“You don’t know what you’re getting into,” Seaspray said. “You don’t know what’s out there or when you’ll come back.” Waterfire was trying to convince his parents to let him go with his friends to the three remaining castles. They had met in their bedroom with Kimono.

“But he’ll be with Kimono, Razzaroo, Wondermint, Star Dasher, and Silly Lilly,” Sunrise said. “They’ll take good care of him.”

“It’s not that I don’t trust them, but they don’t know what’s out there, either,” Seaspray said. “They’re still learning the language, too.”

“All the more reason to go,” Waterfire said. “I’ve never felt welcome here, and I’ve studied languages all my life. This is perfect for me. It’s almost like it was meant to be. I was the first pony who saw them land, remember?”

“But it looks like things are changing with the Sea and Sun Clans, now,” Seaspray said. “Don’t you want to be here for that?”

“Wounds don’t heal overnight,” Waterfire said. “If they’re still getting along when I get back, I’ll know I finally have a place to call home. But I don’t want to watch it fall apart, if things go bad. In fact, I could mess things up if I stick around.”

“This could be a great opportunity for him,” Sunrise said, “to learn to control his powers and to use his language skills.” It sounded like he was on board.

“This is crazy,” Seaspray said. “It’s so far. Nopony’s heard from Laughton or the Capital in ages. And how will you get back? Not all by yourself, surely?”

“I… don’t know,” Waterfire said. Aurora Mist was only going as far as Santa Amorosa, and the others’ homes were even farther north. He turned to Kimono. He wasn’t sure how well she was keeping up with the conversation, so he explained in Ponish.

Kimono paused. “Our homes are north of the capital. Yours is south. But we’ll make sure that at least one of us accompanies you back.”

Waterfire interpreted for her, and added, “There you go. I told you they’d look out for me.”

Seaspray looked at Kimono. “You’ve been wonderful guests, and you’ve done so much for our son and both of our cities. But taking care of a child is a huge responsibility. Especially since he forgets that he’s still a child.” Waterfire interpreted this reluctantly.

“I will protect him with my life,” Kimono said firmly. “We all will. And I will help him to control his magic.”

Seaspray hesitated, and tears welled up in her eyes. “I just… I can’t bear the thought of something happening to you, Waterfire. Stay safe, and go before I change my mind.” She reached to hug Waterfire, and she started sobbing. “I love you,” she said, choking. She ran out of the house.

“I love you, too!” Waterfire called after her.

“You’ll do great, son,” Sunrise said. “I believe in you. Mom does, too.”

“Thanks,” Waterfire said. He packed quickly, but Aurora wasn’t meeting them until the next day. He had one last night with his parents. They didn’t interact with the guests much. They reminisced on stories from Waterfire’s childhood. They sang a few of Seaspray’s old songs. They hugged and cried.

Morning came. Waterfire met Razzaroo, Kimono, Wondermint, Star Dasher, and Silly Lilly outside. Aurora Mist flew in a few minutes later. His parents came out to say goodbye again. After that, Wondermint said, “Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?”

“I’m so stoked!” Waterfire said. “Let’s do this!”

Author's Note

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

Sorry about the wait. These phat chapters take a lot of work. Chapter Four is similarly long. I'd say Chapter Three onwards is the real meat of the story. This is the good stuff! (I hope you agree.)

The Castle of Kindness

Star Dasher and her friends followed Aurora Mist down a poorly maintained path in the forest. They had left the desert behind and gone up in elevation. The climate had become cooler and wetter, and Star had decided to finally dig her trademark yellow leg warmers out of her pack. The stony road was broken up by constant tree roots, and in places it climbed steeply. Their view of the road ahead was obstructed, but they continued to go up. The trees became bigger with every mile. Soon they were unbelievably large, wide enough for their whole group to hug around a single tree without reaching around. They stood erect, their height beyond Star’s ability to guess.

The forest became foggy as they continued. By this point, the trees were covered in deep green moss. Ferns dominated the understory, and colorful mushrooms sprang up everywhere. Some tree ferns and mushrooms were large enough to be trees themselves, but they were dwarfed by the conifers that made a thick canopy overhead. The scent of decaying wood and leaves was in the air. The forest was still and hush. Dew beaded on the fruiting bodies of mosses.

The road was better maintained at this point. It passed under a giant mushroom cap whose stalk was wide enough for several ponies to hug around. There was a small wooden platform attached to ropes and a pulley that led up to the rim of the mushroom cap. The path continued onwards, and Star thought she saw a couple of small wooden buildings in the fog ahead. However, Aurora took off and hovered next to the wooden platform. “Most of the city is this way,” she said. “Pull this rope to lift yourself. I can help from the top.”

Aurora flew to the top, and Silly Lilly followed. The five wingless ponies looked at the rickety platform and exchanged glances with each other. That was Star’s cue, as the bold one. The mushroom looked tall enough to be a deadly fall, and the ropes weren’t that convincing. Star chomped on the rope and started to pull. The wood creaked as the weight shifted from the ground to the ropes. The pulleys made it easier, but she was still lifting her own weight plus that of the platform. It became a little easier as Aurora pulled from the top. The whole contraption swayed as she went higher.

Eventually she reached the top. A clamping device locked the rope in place so she could step from the platform to the brown mushroom cap. It was a little springy and surprisingly flat up top. A curious scene lay before her. She knew it was a city only because she saw so many ponies walking or flying about. Some were pegasi like Aurora, and others were earth ponies. For the most part, there weren’t really buildings. Just thatched roofs over different parts of the mushroom cap, where ponies had set up stalls with various food and other things. It looked like a market. Some ponies were gliding down from the distant canopy, barely visible in this fog. Rope bridges connected this mushroom cap to others.

Star looked down at her friends. She had come up far enough that they were just silhouettes in the fog. “I’m up!” she called. Aurora showed her how to unlock the device and lower the platform. One by one, the others hauled themselves up with the platform. Star took Aurora’s place, pulling the ropes from the top to help them along. Wondermint went last. She seemed nervous, and Star ended up doing most of the pulling.

As Wonder was stepping off the platform, legs shaking, a pegasus descended upon them, seemingly appearing out of the mists. He greeted Aurora Mist first, and Waterfire jumped in to interpret. It sounded like Cantor to Star, but she couldn’t recognize more than a few words. “Welcome back, Aurora Mist,” the new pegasus said.

He was purple of a middle shade, similar to Razzaroo rather than Kimono’s lilac or Star Dasher’s dark, shiny purple. His long, silky hair had two shades of pink and tinsel streaks. He had piercing green eyes and a rose cutie mark that seemed to sparkle and glitter even in this dull lighting. His wingtips faded to pink, and they also seemed to sparkle. He was dressed in a prim suit with a red rose pinned to the lapel. “Thank you,” Aurora Mist said. “These are friends I met in Aquaria, although they’re from all over.”

Waterfire jumped into the conversation. He introduced each of them. Star was able to follow that part, as she knew the Cantor translations of their names. But Waterfire spoke so quickly! Soon the topic of the conversation was lost to her again. But Waterfire started to interpret again. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” the purple pegasus said. “Welcome to Santa Amorosa. I am Prince Royal Rose.”

Razzaroo said, “Thank you,” in Cantor.

“You are welcome to stay as long as you like,” Royal Rose said. “I’ll show you to the visitors’ rooms in the Castle of Kindness.”

“Wow, such hospitality!” Wonder said in Ponish. She turned to Star and added in a whisper, “A welcome change of pace from our last reception.”

Royal Rose walked and beckoned the others to follow. Aurora turned to Star’s group and spoke in Cantor. Waterfire interpreted, “I’m off to see my family. I’ll see you around.”

“Thank you for guiding us,” Razz said. Aurora kissed the cheeks of each of them and flew off. Then Star trotted after Royal Rose. He led them across this mushroom cap. Star saw food and other items for sale. It appeared that they ate lots of ferns and mushrooms here, amongst other things. Vendors called out to them in friendly, polite tones. It wasn’t as loud as the market in Joyville.

They reached a rope bridge at the other side of the mushroom. A pony was crossing the other way, and it was narrow enough that they had to wait. The pony quickly bowed to Royal Rose and headed to the market. Royal Rose walked onto the precarious-looking bridge without hesitation. When the others paused, he turned and said, “Not worry, it’s strong. It can hold four ponies at once.” He jumped on it to emphasize the point, but it bowed and creaked when he did.

“Easy for you to say; you have wings!” Wonder protested. Silly Lilly zipped after Royal Rose.

Star followed them uncertainly. She didn’t want to look down, but she had to so she could place her hooves on the narrow wooden boards. She could barely make out the sea of ferns beneath her through the fog. The sight made her feel clammy. One hoof in front of the other. She felt the bridge sag as a pony followed behind her. At last she made it to the mushroom cap on the other side.

She looked back and saw that Waterfire had gone second. Kimono was following him. Razz didn’t start until Kimono was all the way across. Her face looked a little pale, or was that the lighting? Wondermint was frozen on the other side. “Is nopony afraid of heights here except me?” she called out.

After Waterfire’s interpretation, Royal Rose responded, “There’s nothing to be afraid of! These bridges are safe. They’re checked and maintained regularly.”

“Umm…” Wonder was speechless for a while. “Star Dasher, can you come back here?”

“Me?” Star said, surprised. She wasn’t very comfortable with this bridge, but she still found herself squeaking, “Sure.” She started across the bridge again. One hoof in front of the other. The ground was so distant and ominous. But she made it across without mishap.

“You remember when I slipped on the waterfall?” Wonder said, her voice shaking. “I feel like that again.”

Wonder wanted comfort. “You can do it, Wonder,” Star said. “Unlike that time, this is perfectly safe. I’ll be right here.”

Wonder laughed nervously. “Thanks.”

Star stepped onto the bridge again. She looked back at Wonder, smiling, and waited for her to follow. Shaking, Wonder followed her. After just a few steps, they were walking in sync, as each step would cause the bridge to sway. They crossed slowly but steadily. Rose looked at them with concern and said, “Are you alright, Wondermint?”

Wonder just nodded. As they walked across the next mushroom cap, Royal Rose spoke to them again. “Is it rude to ask where you are all from?” Waterfire interpreted.

“No, of course not!” Razz said. “Kimono and I are from Ponyville. Silly Lilly is from Breezie Blossom. Wondermint and Star Dasher are from Joyville. And Waterfire is from, uh…”

“Aquaria and Astral City,” Waterfire added in Cantor. Star had learned those words.

Royal Rose spoke again. “I’ve only heared of those last two cities,” Waterfire interpreted. “You’ll have to tell me where the others are.”

“They’re far to the North, beyond the Capital,” Kimono said. “I don’t know if you have maps that go that far, but we can try to show you.”

They crossed a few more mushroom caps on the way to the Castle of Kindness. They seemed to be roughly equivalent to city blocks. Star hadn’t seen any houses yet, but occasionally a pegasus would come down from somewhere above. Maybe there were houses in the canopy, but she couldn’t really see up there, it was so high. The mushrooms weren’t all at the same height, so some rope bridges sloped up or down. Wonder and Star crossed all the bridges the same way, together and with words of encouragement. Each one was a little easier than the last as they got used to it.

Wondermint, of course, took interest in everything they passed. She would often ask what a place was. Either Waterfire would read their signs or he would ask Royal Rose. They passed restaurants, shops of all kinds, a hair salon, a fuller. Most were open-aired, although some had curtained-off sections. When they passed an enclosed wooden structure, Wonder was curious again. “What’s that?”

“Wishes Spa,” Waterfire. It had a painted sign with smaller text underneath. “A relaxing spa experience and magical fortune telling.”

“Fortune telling?” Star said. “That sounds fun!” She had been into astrology when she was younger. She knew it probably didn’t have any real predictive power, but it was still fun.

Royal Rose spoke, his tone sounding hesitant. Waterfire interpreted, “I’m sorry, I wouldn’t recommend it, unfortunately. They used to be popular, but I’ve heared that customers lately haven’t been pleased.”

“We should go to the castle to drop off our stuff, anyway,” Wonder said. She winked at Star. What did that mean? Probably that Wonder wanted to visit it regardless.

They arrived at a bridge that was a broader, more solid wooden structure. It led from a busy mushroom cap to an enormous tree with an opening to the hollowed-out interior. The tree was a different kind from the others, even wider and more branching. It was a broadleaf tree with magenta leaves, unlike the others, which were green conifers. “Welcome to the Castle of Kindness,” Waterfire interpreted for Royal Rose.

They walked across the bridge and entered the door. While Star’s eyes adjusted to the dark, she noticed that the air was warm and dry. There was a fireplace in a corner. The tree had been hollowed out and the dark wood had been polished. Star was surprised by how much had been hollowed out, considering that there were still leaves on the branches outside. The floor had plush red carpet. This looked like some sort of reception hall, but there were stairs going up and down. There was a reception desk with a clerical-looking pegasus. Royal Rose stepped up to the pony and made a soft-toned request in Cantor. The clerk responded and gave Royal Rose a key.

They went down two flights of stairs. The interior was dimly lit but well-cleaned, with bare wooden floors on the stairs. They stopped at a floor, and Royal Rose opened a door. It was a guest room with two small beds and a window carved into the thick wooden wall. To Silly’s delight, there was a pot of flowers by the window. Royal Rose opened three rooms for them. They decided to mix the Joyville ponies and Ponyville ponies. Star ended up in a room with Kimono. Silly took his space in a flower in Waterfire’s room. Those two seemed to be hanging out a lot. It was late, so they decided to eat dinner and explore the city the next day. Royal Rose invited them to a guest dinner in the castle.

The dining hall they met in was large, although there were only two other guests tonight. Perhaps they used it for special events? A nice glass chandelier lit the table. Two ponies served them a several-course meal that started with a fiddlehead salad. Star had never eaten fiddleheads before, and she was surprised by their nutty flavor. Next came hearty mushroom burgers with potatoes fried in truffle oil. “I love the food here,” Star said between bites. She was enjoying this meal more than anything she had eaten in Aquaria or Astral City.

Razzaroo spoke in Cantor. “Thank you so much for your—” Star didn’t know the last word.

“You’re welcome,” Royal Rose responded.

Razz switched to Ponish and said, “May I ask, what are your responsibilities as prince?” Waterfire had to chew quickly to pick up interpretation. “We don’t want to take too much of your time. Thank you, Waterfire.”

Waterfire nodded and interpreted Royal Rose’s response. “Worry not. To show kindness to others is my main duty. The ponies of Santa Amorosa not need me to micromanage their lives. I spend most of my time organizing activities in the Castle. Open dinners, gift exchanges, things like that.”

“That sounds lovely!” Wondermint said in Cantor, leaving Waterfire to interpret. “This place seems so pleasant.”

“Thank you,” Royal Rose said. “I hope you enjoy yourselves.”

* * *

The next morning, Wondermint woke them all up and insisted on visiting the Wishes Spa. There was no point in protesting; she would not be stopped. Star Dasher and Silly Lilly were also enthusiastic about the idea, but Kimono seemed skeptical. Razz wondered if they would get there too early. Waterfire said that he had seen no posted hours on the building.

Regardless, Wonder had them all marching out soon after dawn. The city was still blanketed in a thick fog. Star wondered if she would ever get a clear view of it. After a few bridges, Wonder hesitated in the middle of a mushroom cap. “I… can’t remember, is it the bridge to the left or right?” she said.

Star tried to think back. They had taken quite a few turns yesterday… “It’s left!” Silly blurted out.

Kimono looked at him, surprised. “Are you sure?” she said. “You don’t have the hive mind to help you, remember.”

“I know, but it’s left,” Silly said, sounding supremely confident.

The other ponies all glanced at each other. “I… think he’s right,” Razz said. “I mean—correct. Kimono?”

“Navigating cities really isn’t my strong suit,” Kimono said.

“How do you not remember?” Silly asked. “It was only yesterday, and we only crossed nine bridges.”

Kimono looked at him, thoughtful. “Either you are overconfident, or you are gifted with a sharp memory for navigation.”

Silly shrugged his tiny shoulders. “Maybe it’s a breezie thing? We fly around a lot, and we have to find our way back to flowers.”

“Regardless, we’ll take a chance and follow your lead,” Kimono said.

Soon enough they found that Silly was spot-on, leading them right to the covered building that Waterfire had identified as the Wishes Spa. Star wondered if perhaps Silly’s mind was getting more used to functioning without the breezie hive mind. He was still scatterbrained, but that was an impressive feat of memory. Silly flew up to the door and tapped on it with a minute hoof. “They might need a louder knock,” Wondermint said, knocking more firmly.

Star heard a voice call from inside the building. “Ayy, I cannot tell what they say,” Waterfire said.

They waited maybe a minute before a white earth pony opened the door. She had silky hair in three shades of pink and a lacy, pink, see-through dress. She spoke to them in a pleasant voice with a tone that suggested she was happy to see them. Waterfire interpreted, “Welcome to the Wishes Spa! My name is…” Waterfire hesitated here, “Wish-I-Might! It’s a pleasure to meet you! Might I ask your names?”

The travelers all introduced themselves in what Cantor they had learned. Wish-I-Might gasped when she saw Silly Lilly. “I’ve never seen a pony like you before! I hope it’s not offensive to say, you’re adorable!” Wish-I-Might said this with much more emphasis than Waterfire’s interpretation.

Silly Lilly giggled. “No, not offensive at all. Thank you!” Waterfire interpreted this, and Wish-I-Might looked between him and Silly, seeming to realize that the others didn’t speak Cantor.

However, she seemed unphased by their foreign tongue. “Please, come in!” she said. Star managed to catch that one before Waterfire interpreted. “And have a chocolate.” She gestured to a side table with a bowl of chocolates wrapped in unmarked paper. They looked homemade. Although, everything had a kind of homey look in this city.

The interior of the spa was warm and dry, dimly lit by a chandelier of candles and windows with translucent golden curtains. The candlelight danced in the beads and crystals of the chandelier, and the room had a musky aroma to it. Potted ferns hung on the walls... “Ooh, this is nice,” Wondermint said.

“I hope you’ll stay for our full treatment!” Wish-I-Might continued. “Although you may have to wait for a bit… My sister flied off this morning, and she not said when she’d be back… But I can give you any spa treatment while we wait for her. My job is to help you relax until your mind is clear enough for my sister to tell your fortune, so we not need her right away. You have any specific requests, or should I just prepare everything for our deluxe treatment?”

“Are we expected to pay?” Razz said quietly. “Aurora didn’t mention how it works here.”

“Could you ask, Waterfire?” Kimono said. “With as much tact as you can.”

Waterfire spoke in Cantor. After a few lines of exchange, Waterfire said, “They’ll do it as a courtesy for visitors to the city.”

“I like this place!” Wondermint said. “How long would we have to wait?”

After Waterfire’s interpretation, Wish-I-Might hesitated before responding. “Not more than two hours. Lots of ponies spend that long in the spa portion anyway.”

“Sounds fine to me!” Wondermint said. “Let’s do the deluxe treatment.”

“Very good!” Wish-I-Might said, not waiting for confirmation from the others. “I’ll get everything ready for you. You’re our first customers today. This will only take a few minutes. Let’s see, the deluxe treatment for six.” She passed through a doorway with a sliding paper door.

This first room had a series of small, low couches for the ponies to lie down on. Star grabbed a chocolate and spread herself on one couch, already feeling relaxed in the atmospheric surroundings. The chocolate was more bitter than she was used to, but there was another flavor that she didn’t recognize which made it more pleasant. “You weren’t eager to come here, Kimono,” Wondermint said. “Why is that?”

“You should know, they probably can’t really tell your fortune,” Kimono said. “I don’t know everything about magic, but nothing I have learned suggests that it’s possible to see the long-term future.”

“Well… yeah, maybe,” Wondermint said. “Or maybe not. That’s the fun of it. It’s about the experience.”

“We might as well give it a try, whether it comes true or not,” Star said. “It’ll be a fun memory. Plus, they could have some magical technique that we don’t know about.”

“Well, I guess if you enjoy yourselves,” Kimono said. “Just don’t put too much stock into what they say.”

Shortly after, Wish-I-Might returned. “We’re ready! Please, enter.” They came into a large, similarly decorated room with a light haze in the air and a stronger fragrance. Star spotted an incense candle on a side table. A phonograph played harp music from the same table.

“Please, help yourselves to our steam room and… ayy, some kind of bath.” Star wasn’t sure if Waterfire didn’t know how to explain the bath in Ponish or if Wish-I-Might had used a word he didn’t know in Cantor. They could speak a different dialect here. “And if you get too hot, we have an ice bath here. I’ll have to treat you to… hoof care and massages one at a time, there being only one of me. Who wants to go first?”

“Me!” Wonder said.

“Follow me,” Wish-I-Might said. “Oh, and Silly Lilly, I found a bowl that should be just your size for the bath.” She gestured to a wooden bowl on a table next to the bath.

“Oh, neat!” Silly Lilly said. He flew into the bowl and landed floating on the water, his wings still dry.

“Perfect, so cute!” Wish-I-Might said with a lot more emphasis than Waterfire’s interpretation. She gestured for Wonder to follow her.

Waterfire looked between them for a moment, but then he jumped into the bathtub, somehow slipping into the water without a splash. He sighed and relaxed instantly, seeming at home in the water. “Can you manage without me for a moment?” he said.

“You’ve been working very hard to help us all communicate,” Kimono said. “You deserve this chance to relax. I’m sure we can manage. Wonder, call for me if you need anything.” Wonder and Wish-I-Might headed to a cushioned chair on the other side of the room. Kimono went for the steam room, and Razz joined Waterfire in the tub. It was big enough for several more, but Star decided to join Kimono in the steam room after leaving her leg warmers in a cubby.

The steamy air contrasted sharply to the dry room they had left. To Star’s surprise, the steam was scented. It came from a boiling pot in the center of the room with green water. It smelled vaguely earthy, but Star didn’t recognize the exact scent. Star lay on a bench, breathing in the hot, humid air. At first Star tried to make conversation with Kimono, but that didn’t go anywhere. She lay back and tried to relax. Her mind wandered and she felt bored at first, but the steam was enjoyable.

Soon they were feeling too hot, and they left the steam room. The air in the main room felt dry and even cold by comparison, although it had seemed warm coming in. Still, Star needed to cool off more. “Do you want to use the ice bath first?” Star said.

“I was just going to cool off standing,” Kimono said. “An ice bath seems uncomfortable.”

“Oh, well, suit yourself.” Star walked past the large tub. Wonder was now in there, too. Silly Lilly was over with Wish-I-Might, who was precisely filing his miniature hooves. Star dipped a hoof in the ice bath. It was shockingly cold. She gradually lowered herself into the water, gasping. Once she was all the way in, it felt nice. Her body heat kept her warm for quite a while. It reminded her of the cold night at the Rainbow Spring, where Wondermint had kissed—well, she tried not to think about that too much.

She noticed that Wish-I-Might kept making comments in Cantor as she was working on Silly’s hooves. Waterfire chucked and called across the room, “She adores you, Silly! She thinks you’re the most cute thing ever.”

“Wow, I’m flattered!” Silly said.

A pony came in from the entry room. She was a pink earth pony with the same three-tone pink hair as Wish-I-Might. She presented herself very differently, however, with all her hair combed off to one side, black eyeliner, laced black boots, silver stud ear piercings, and a spiked choker. Wish-I-Might greeted her in Cantor. The other pony responded, and Star thought she spotted a piercing in her tongue as well.

Wish-I-Might and the newcomer traded a few sentences in Cantor. Star only had body language and tone to go off of, but the newcomer spoke flatly, almost monotone. Wish-I-Might, strangely, put on a friendly face, but Star thought her tone was passive-aggressive. The newcomer stomped off through a door in the back of the room. “Waterfire, what was that about?” Star said.

“Her name is Wish-I-May,” Waterfire said. “She’s the sister Wish-I-Might referenced earlier. She does the fortune telling part. They… fighted a little, as sisters do.”

“Wait… you interpreted Wish-I-Might saying that she flew off this morning,” Razzaroo said. “Are you sure you got that right? She’s an earth pony.”

“Oh, is ‘flew’ the past tense of ‘fly?’” Waterfire said. “Yes, that’s what Wish-I-Might said.”

“That’s so odd,” Razz said.

Wish-I-Might came over to talk to them. Waterfire reluctantly picked up interpretation. “That was my sister. She’ll be telling your fortunes shortly. Please, relax. You have to be totally relaxed for the fortune telling to work.”

They all got back to their spa activities. Soon Star had had enough of the ice bath. By then, Razz and Wondermint were getting out of the tub to visit the steam room. Only then did Star notice Wondermint’s polished hooves, painted green like the heart on her ankle. They looked so pretty, Star gave out an involuntary squeak. Wonder looked at her and sighed. “Make sure to let her polish your jewel. It felt heavenly. An out-of-body experience, really.”

Indeed, the pink gem in Wonder’s cutie mark seemed extra shiny. “I will,” Star said nervously. “Umm… your hooves look wonderful.”

“Ha! I see what you did there. Thanks.” Wonder followed Razz into the steam room.

Star approached the large tub. She noticed that the water was green, the same shade as the pot in the steam room but more translucent. She got in the tub, finding the water to be pleasantly warm. Waterfire was on the other side, eyes closed and breathing deeply. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” Star said.

“I like being in water,” Waterfire said.

“Yeah, you were dripping wet when we first met,” Star said.

“Huwah, that feels so long ago.”

“Razzaroo, Kimono, and Silly left their homes in September.” It was June now. “They must feel like they’ve been traveling forever.” This brought November Nights, Star’s best friend in Joyville, to her mind. She missed November. But she didn’t want to get sad, so she pushed the thought away. They would see each other again, in time. She distracted herself with another thought. “I hope Silly isn’t forgetting things about home. It’s hard to tell how much he really remembers.”

“He sure surprised us today, leading us all here,” Waterfire said.

“Yeah.” Star swirled a hoof in the green water. “Say, do you know what’s in this water?”

“I asked Wish-I-Might while you were in the steam room. She called it forest water. It’s rainwater that slides down a tree trunk. It collects the essence of—ayy, what you call them, the plants that grow on the trees?”

“I’ve seen ferns and mosses here, mostly,” Star said.

“It’s flavored with their essence. Or at least, that’s the base. They add some other herbs to it. I not recognized most of their names.”

“Whatever it is, it’s lovely.”

Wish-I-Might came to check on them. Silly Lilly followed her with freshly painted white hooves, matching his antenna. He flew off towards the steam room. Star watched as Wish-I-Might looked over Waterfire with a gaze that somehow seemed deeply penetrating. Waterfire was oblivious to this. “Waterfire,” Wish-I-Might said in Cantor. Star didn’t follow what came next. Waterfire got out of the bath and toweled off.

“She says I am relaxed enough for the fortune telling,” he said for Star.

“Have fun,” Star said. Wish-I-Might led Waterfire to the same door where Wish-I-May had gone, and he entered. Kimono got into the tub.

“Finally cooled off?” Star said. “You should have tried the ice bath. It was great!” This tub was just warm, not hot enough that the ice bath would be necessary again.

Wish-I-Might came to the tub and in slow, simple Cantor said, “Who is next?” She gestured to the chair where she was doing her hooficures and massages.

“Me,” Star said, climbing out of the tub. She dried off and followed Wish-I-Might to the cushioned chair.

Wish-I-Might washed Star’s hooves in a shallow basin before anything else. She gestured for Star to lie down on her side in the chair, which had a slot for her to place each hoof. Wish-I-Might pointed to hoof polishes of different colors and said something that Star didn’t understand. “Um, yellow, please,” Star said in Cantor.

“Great!” Wish-I-Might said. She got to work clipping and filing Star’s hooves. It was nice having somepony else do this—it was always awkward and difficult clipping your own hooves. And Star’s hooves were quite beat up from all the travel they had done. Star didn’t feel much of what Wish-I-Might was doing, of course, but the rhythmic rubbing of the file was nice. Wish-I-Might moved on to the polish. Star had never painted her hooves before. All the running she did would probably ruin it quickly. But it was pretty! The yellow complemented her dark purple coat, and it matched with her leg warmers.

While Star’s hooves dried off, Wish-I-Might gave her a massage. This was not a new experience for Star. She had occasionally indulged in a massage after a strenuous sports event. Wish-I-Might certainly knew what she was doing, massaging each muscle with firmness but not too roughly.

Wish-I-Might paused Star’s treatment when Waterfire came out of the other room. She looked at Kimono in the tub, then she went to the steam room. She came back with Silly Lilly, and Waterfire agreed to interpret for his fortune.

Wish-I-Might returned to Star Dasher. She said something in Cantor and pointed at Star’s cutie mark. Star heard the word for “jewel pony,” which she had learned to introduce herself. It seemed like Wish-I-Might was asking for permission to do something. “Yes, please,” Star said.

From the cabinet with the hoof polishes, Wish-I-Might revealed an electric rotary tool. Star was a little surprised to see such a technical piece of equipment. Most of what she had seen in Santa Amorosa was simple technology so far. Wish-I-Might activated the tool, which had a cylindrical bit for polishing. She got to work on the white jewel in Star’s cutie mark.

Star didn’t feel the work of the rotary tool directly, of course. It was a soothing experience, though. Although she wouldn’t describe it as out-of-body, as Wonder had. Really, it didn’t feel that different from filing her hooves. Jewel ponies’ souls were supposedly contained in their jewels. Star had wondered if that was really true since she had met ponies without jewels. Well, she wasn’t going to let that bother her today. She let herself relax and enjoy the experience.

Wish-I-Might had just finished up when Silly came out of the other room. “That was so cool!” he said. “You have to try it!”

Wish-I-Might gazed at Star. Seriously, it was like that pony was looking right into her soul. “You look ready,” she said. Star didn’t understand the next sentence, but it sounded like a question.

Star nodded and stood up. She walked into the room, which had a thick, wooden door. The interior was dark enough that Star didn’t see much until her eyes adjusted. The incense was stronger here, but it was a different, headier scent. The only light came from a crystal ball on a tripod. The ball glowed a soft white. Wish-I-May and Waterfire were lying on cushions on the floor, and Star found a spot for herself and lay down.

“Welcome,” Wish-I-May said in a soft, calm tone. Waterfire picked up interpretation. “I sense that you have relaxed greatly in the spa. You have losed many layers of tension. Your body is at peace. Now, you must clear your mind, so that I may see into your future without clouds. Let all thoughts float away.”

This sounded similar to the meditation that Kimon had tried to teach her once. She had struggled with that, but Wish-I-May was right; the spa had put her in a state where she was calm. Maybe she could just sit here and think about nothing. “You… have an active mind,” Wish-I-May said. She spoke in a low drone, now, like she was only half-present. Waterfire’s more perked voice was a little distracting. “I sense that if we continue for too long, you will lose focus. But for all the motion in your thoughts, there is peace. It’s best to begin now.”

Did Wish-I-May know that Star struggled to stay still for long? How had she guessed that? “Calm yourself…” Wish-I-May sighed. She chuckled. “You thinked our magic wasn’t real? Not get excited. Let go. Accept that I can see your thoughts, and I will see your future, too.” Star found it simple to let go of her amazement. Wish-I-May’s soothing voice, the aromatic air, the dark room, it all somehow made her words believable. “Good. Now, not speak, but think of what you want most. Your most deep desire. Take your time.”

That was a big question. Star wanted to see the remaining castles. She wanted to forge lasting friendships with the ponies she had met and would yet meet. She wanted to become an ever-faster runner. She wanted to try new things.

Yes. That was it. Well, maybe… It was so general. Could she be more specific? She had tried painting her hooves, for example. It didn’t seem like the fulfillment of her deepest desire, at least not by itself. It was fun, and it turned out pretty, but not as pretty as Wondermint’s had—

Wondermint. Thoughts of Wondermint flooded Star’s mind. Star wanted everything about Wonder. She wanted to listen to her enchanting music. She wanted to laugh at her ridiculous antics. She wanted to look at Wonder’s beautiful hair and hooves and eyes without having to blush and look away because they were in an awkward place where Wonder knew Star liked her but she didn’t reciprocate in the same way or maybe she did a little bit? She wanted Wonder to gaze at her affectionately and say, “I love you.” She wanted to kiss Wonder, and for both of them to feel comfortable with it. She wanted Wonder to be hers, and she wanted to be Wonder’s, with no other pony to come between them.

Yes, that had to be her deepest desire.

Wish-I-May spoke again, very hushed and low. “What you want is beyond your control,” Waterfire interpreted. “Nothing you can do will change her choices. However, if you continue to—” Waterfire abruptly paused in the interpretation, while Wish-I-May finished the sentence. Waterfire seemed surprised, but he finished interpreting, “—The Castle of Laughter, there you two will take the next step on your journey.”

Star was filled with a hot wave of embarrassment. How had she forgotten that Wish-I-May could see her thoughts? Now she knew how deep her crush for Wondermint ran, and Waterfire probably had a good guess at it, too. Wish-I-May exhaled deeply. When she spoke again, she used a more conversational, less entranced inflection. “You did well,” Waterfire interpreted. “It is not easy for a mind like yours to focus. Your heart has many desires, but I think this fortune will serve you well.”

“Thank you,” Star squeaked in Cantor. “And thank you, Waterfire.” Her face felt flushed. She stood up and tried to calm herself down before leaving the room. Luckily, Wonder wasn’t in the main room, which would have made her even more embarrassed.

Wish-I-Might was massaging Razzaroo. She asked Razzaroo to go to Wish-I-May’s room next. Star went and looked at herself in the mirror. The hooves turned out nicely, and her gem sparkled in the candlelight. Her pink and white hair was a mess after toweling off, but she could deal with that later. Star felt ready to go, but of course they couldn’t until everypony had their fortune told. In any case, she didn’t want to get wet again after drying off considerably between the hooficure, the massage, and the fortune telling, so she just lay down on a cushion next to the phonograph and closed her eyes.

She had dozed off when she heard somepony call her name. “Yeah…” she said, blinking her eyes.

“We’re ready to go.” It was Kimono. Everypony’s hooves were polished in various colors, except Waterfire’s.

“Did you not get a chance to have a hooficure and massage, Waterfire?” Star said. “We can stay longer, if you want.”

“I didn’t want a… hooficure or massage,” Waterfire said. “Being in the water was enough for me.”

“Okay,” Star said, standing up slowly. “Let’s go.”

“Please, come again if you’re staying in town,” Waterfire interpreted for Wish-I-Might. “We recommend booking an appointment for future visits to avoid waiting if others show up. Would you like to book one now?”

“No, thank you,” Kimono said in Cantor. “Have a good day.”

Star squinted as they left the building. The sun had actually thinned the fog quite a bit. The air was cooler out here, but the light was harsh after all that time in dim light. “Oh, I forgot my leg warmers,” Star said. She bolted back into the building.

She heard the Wish sisters speaking in raised voices when she came in. She didn’t understand much Cantor, but she still recognized it as an argument. However, they hushed as Star came in. Wish-I-Might came out to the entry room to greet her. “Um…” Star struggled to find the words in Cantor. “I need my…” She pointed to her legs.

Wish-I-Might seemed to understand. She said something in Cantor, went back to the other room, and came out with Star’s leg warmers. “Thank you!” Star said. She hurriedly put them on and ran back out to join her group.

“Ssoooo…” Wondermint was saying to Kimono. “Was it all hocus pocus like you thought?”

“Actually, I was surprised,” Kimono said. “There is some real magic in what they do, or at least in Wish-I-May’s part. They try to make the customer so relaxed and calm that they enter a semi-meditative state. Then they actually make the customer do a bit of magic, reaching out enough for Wish-I-May to see into their mind with her magic. I still don’t think she really sees the future. She sees your thoughts, and that’s enough for her to say something that seems impressive. It’s not that different from telling your story and asking for advice. The rest is all showponyship.”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Waterfire said.

“Oh, really…” Silly said, sounding disappointed.

“Don’t get too droopy, Silly,” Wonder said. “Can Kimono really know for certain that there was no future-seeing involved? I think there’s a possibility.”

“Wait, they helped us do magic?” Star said excitedly. “That’s so cool!”

“Yes,” Kimono said. “I wonder if they would have been better off teaching magic rather than adding smoke and mirrors to it. Teaching magic is hard, in my experience, and they seemed to be quite good at it.”

“How long were we in there?” Razz said. “It feels like lunch time.” Star didn’t think she had seen any clocks since coming here.

“Perhaps we should get lunch and see more of the town while the sun is peeking through,” Kimono said. “At some point, though, I’d like to visit the library.”

They trotted around the city for a while in the daylight. The canopy still blocked the sun, but it was the brightest and clearest view they had seen of the city and forest so far. The canopy was dizzyingly high, but in this lighting Star could make out some structures way up there. She didn’t see any lifts leading up, though, so maybe that was where some of the pegasi lived.

Wondermint was still jittery around the rope bridges. They found one larger mechanical lift that led to a small cluster of buildings on the ground. Next to it was a busy food kiosk. A pegasus stallion and an earth mare were cooking vegetables on a big grill. “That smells good,” Star said, her mouth watering. The others nodded and got in line. Star got half an onion, an ear of corn, a root vegetable she didn’t recognize, and a bundle of grass with plump seeds in the heads. The vegetables had black lines from the grill and a glaze of tangy sauce.

Star took a bite of hot, juicy, smoky vegetables and exclaimed, “I love the food here!” They went to a series of tables with umbrellas nearby.

They all crowded around one table. “So, what was everypony’s fortune?” Silly said. He had flown off and found a single fiddlehead for himself. “I’ll go first. I wanted to know how I would find myself. Like… what makes me special, and what I’m good at. She told me I would find answers at the Castle of Laughter! Exciting!”

The other ponies all exchanged glances. Star avoided looking at Wondermint, but she still might have blushed a bit. There was no way she was sharing her fortune. “Of course, no one has to share if they don’t want to,” Kimono said, voicing all their concerns.

“I can go,” Waterfire said. “I wanted to know what I need to do to control my powers. She said that the ponies I’m with would help me.”

“That’s cool!” Razz said. There was a space of silence. Star had expected Wonder to be bold enough to share her fortune, but she stayed quiet. Surprised, Star glanced at her. She was looking down at her food, uncharacteristically subdued.

“Well, I suppose the others will remain private,” Kimono said.

“Hmm, that wasn’t as fun as I thought it would be,” Silly said.

* * *

The next day, Star Dasher slept in. She awoke with memories of Kimono tossing, turning, and mumbling through the night. Star looked at the other bed in their room. Kimono was sitting up and stretching. “Good morning,” Star said, still lying down. “Hey, did you sleep okay?”

“Not really,” Kimono said tersely.

“Was it me? Did I snore or something?”

“No, it wasn’t you.” Kimono didn’t seem inclined to elaborate any further.

Star got up, brushed her hair, and went to the castle pantry, which Royal Rose had shown them last night. There she finally found a clock—their bedroom didn’t have one— and she saw with surprise that it was almost time for a meeting that they had scheduled with Prince Royal Rose. Star quickly raided the stash of oats in the pantry and ran back to meet with her friends.

She let them all know the time, and they scrambled to make it to the Prince’s meeting room. “I wonder if the general lack of clocks in Santa Amorosa means they don’t take punctuality too seriously here,” Wondermint said. Razzaroo, however, wouldn’t have it, so they all rushed to make it on time.

They knocked, and Prince Royal Rose let them in. Kimono had asked for this meeting, as a chance to interview the Prince and ask him about the history of Santa Amorosa and the Castle of Kindness. Kimono was especially curious if he knew anything about why the Empire had fallen apart.

With Waterfire interpreting, Royal Rose told them that Santa Amorosa had been founded by a charitable pegasus of ancient legend. It had been an all-pegasus city until the Empire expanded southwards and earth ponies started moving in. By now, however, the earth ponies had been here for many generations and were as accustomed to their forest city as the pegasi were. “So everypony is used to the sketchy rope bridges,” Wonder said.

“I wouldn’t describe them as sketchy, but yes,” Royal Rose said. He also told them that the city had a long history of hospitality and charity, so it was only natural that the empress had given the local royalty’s castle the name of Kindness. The city had always had a royalty, but Royal Rose described the position as being mostly concerned with charity and hospitality rather than administration.

This dry conversation was, of course, difficult for Star Dasher. She distracted herself by observing the room in detail. It had a desk with a chair for Royal Rose and enough standing room for a large group of ponies to meet with him. Like the rest of the castle, it had polished wood walls and plush red carpet. The furniture was made of the same wood, with bronze finish on certain parts such as knobs to the desks drawers. Gray light came in through a window, and a candle burned on the desk. Overall, it wasn’t much different from the rest of the castle. It did have portraits of regal-looking ponies lining the walls, ending with the purple face of Royal Rose framed in shiny pink hair.

“As for the Empire, I’ve done some research into this,” Royal Rose said. Star heard this and tuned back into the conversation. “I flied to the Capital myself once, but the guards turned me away. They say it’s a ‘closed city.’ I not know if the ponies that live there are practically prisoners, or if they just won’t let strangers in. The royalty of Santa Amorosa have tried to maintain contact with the other cities of the old Empire, but the story in the Capital is always the same. The most detailed account was written by my grandmother. The guards gived her more of a conversation than they gived me. I have a copy of it somewhere in here…”

Royal Rose started shuffling through the drawers of his desk. He pulled out an old scroll and opened it. “Let’s see, where’s the part I’m looking for?” Royal Rose mumbled. “Perfect, this is what the guards told her.” He started reading, but Waterfire quickly fell behind on interpretation. He said something in Cantor, and Royal Rose started over, more slowly.

“‘They said that the Empress had… commanded that the Capital was to be a city of music. The ponies there had to… improve their musical skills and perfect the art.’” Waterfire’s hesitation made it sound like the scroll was using a lot of big or archaic words. “‘They would not… allow to enter anypony who had no musical talent. If only I had continued with my mother’s piano lessons. They telled me to return to my home and practice and perfect the art of kindness there. I said that we had been doing that for generations, and I was here to share kindness with them. Some of the guards hesitated at this, but their captain barked, ‘You are not allowed to enter!’ With that, they would say no more to me.’”

Star was quiet, taking this in. The Empress had forbidden entry to ponies without musical skill? What a strange story. “Do you know if this is the same reason they turned you away?” Kimono said. “And do you know how long these orders have been in place?”

“This is the only time the guards have given any detailed explanation,” Royal Rose said. “The records aren’t as detailed this far back, but it looks like this started during Princess Morning Monarch’s rule, about one hundred years after the construction of the castles.”

“How unfortunate…” Kimono said. “You mentioned you try to keep contact with other cities. Have you had any success?”

“We’ve keeped contact with the Castle of Family for generations,” Royal Rose said. “But they are split into Clans there, so there’s not really a leader for me to meet with. We used to have contact with Laughton, where the Castle of Laughter was builded. But the last messenger who entered the city never returned. I sended another one to fly over it, and she finded a magical fog hanging over the city. We first seed the fog last year, and it was still there last time we checked a few months ago. We know nothing more.”

The travelers all exchanged concerned glances. “We had planned to go there next,” Kimono said. “And then the Capital after that. Your reports of both are concerning. We’ll have to discuss our plans further. But in any case, we’ll have to travel in that direction to go home.”

“We never finded Ponyville or anywhere north of that,” Royal Rose said. “We looked, but our maps were vague, and the distances were great. Please, I’d love for you to tell me more about your homelands.”

Kimono, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly gave descriptions of Ponyville and Breezie Blossom. Razz was particularly helpful in describing the locations, although they hadn’t traveled to the Capital yet, and they had used the unicorns’ Crystal Carriage to get this far south, so there was still unexplored land between them. Those three passed it on to Wondermint and Star Dasher to describe Joyville. Then they all described what they knew of Unicornia, having stayed there for only a couple of weeks.

With that, they drew their meeting to a close. Royal Rose thanked them, and they left the room. To Star’s surprise, Wish-I-Might was waiting outside. “Hello, friends!” she said brightly. Waterfire said something to her in Cantor. She responded with two or three sentences, then she entered Royal Rose’s meeting room.

“I asked her what business she has here, but she not had time to explain,” Waterfire said. “She not wanted to keep the Prince waiting. But she said it was nice to see us all again.”

“Wow, that’s neat,” Silly said. “I kind of want to stick around and see what she’s up to. She’s like, one of our first friends in this city.”

“More accurately, we visited her business one time,” Kimono said.

“Well, I’ll stay with Silly to interpret,” Waterfire said.

“I’m off to the library,” Kimono said.

“I’ll come, too,” Razz said.

Wonder and Star exchanged a glance. Their Cantor wasn’t good enough to be reading books without Waterfire’s help. “Accordion time,” Wonder said.

“I guess I’ll go for a run,” Star said. They had been indoors for a while this morning, and she had been on far too few runs since starting this journey. She was definitely losing some conditioning. As they were in a castle, she politely walked to the front door before taking off at a flying pace.

* * *

Waterfire and Silly Lilly didn’t have to wait long before Wish-I-Might was out of her meeting. “Oh, hello again,” she said.

“Hi, Wish-I-Might!” Silly said. “How’s your day?” Waterfire took his customary place interpreting between them. It was a lot of work, but it was also easier in some ways than speaking his own words. He was getting used to it, and his Ponish had improved immensely.

“Aw, it’s not off to a good start,” Wish-I-Might said. “Do you want to hear about it?”

“Only if you want to talk about it,” Silly said. They started walking towards the doors of the castle.

“Well, it’s… I don’t really know how to say this,” Wish-I-Might began. She scanned the hallways and continued quietly. “I’m having… problems with my twin. You met her, Wish-I-May.” Waterfire noticed the dissonance between her apparent hesitation to explain and the fact that she was telling this to near-strangers who hadn’t directly asked. “She ate five slices of our birthday cake, and I only had three.” Silly gasped when Waterfire interpreted this.

“That might not sound very serious to you,” Wish-I-Might said. “I don’t know what things are like where you’re from. But this sort of thing doesn’t happen in Santa Amorosa. It goes against the core tenets of our society. I’ve come to the Prince with this problem, but well… he doesn’t know what to do, either. We don’t really have a system in place for dealing with troublemakers.” Waterfire looked at her with some surprise and confusion as he interpreted this. Silly nodded, wide-eyed, accepting it all without question.

No way to deal with troublemakers? Eating an extra slice of cake went against the core tenets of their society? Getting royalty involved in a dispute between sisters? He wasn’t sure if this whole city was weird or if Wish-I-Might was weird. It made him want to ask the Prince about it if he was present at the castle dinner tonight. “So not only do I have this problem with my sister, but my meeting with the Prince didn’t lead to a resolution, yet. He said he’d have to think about it.”

“Well that sounds serious,” Silly said. “I hope things work out. But have you considered just talking to your sister and resolving things with her?”

“Yes, of course I tried! She said she had only taken four. But the cake had to go somewhere, and I know her well enough to know when she’s lying. And she’s done a lot of that lately; either lying or just not telling what she’s really thinking. I love her, of course, but she’s been guarded and distant. But now I’m off on a tangent.”

“Well… that sounds rough,” Silly said. “But remember to try to see things from her perspective. Maybe she has some reason why she's frustrated with you. Maybe she really did eat only four slices, and someone else took the fifth.”

“I don’t think so…” Wish-I-Might said. “I hope the Prince can come up with something.” They reached the front doors of the castle. “Well, it was nice talking to you again. I hope we see you at our spa again sometime soon!”

“Nice to see you again!” Silly said, waving. “Goodbye!”

Waterfire finished interpreting and watched quietly as she walked off. He wondered if this apparently lovely city might be showing some cracks in its mask.

* * *

Waterfire made sure to sit near Royal Rose’s seat at the castle dinner. The Prince wasn’t there at first. They had discovered that there wasn’t really a set time for dinner. It happened whenever the chef, a sweet earth pony named All My Heart, finished cooking. Today it was scrambled eggs with alfalfa sprouts as a garnish and hay patties. Eventually, Royal Rose did come in. His normally graceful manner seemed a little frazzled as he quickly sat down.

Waterfire didn’t pester the Prince immediately. Star Dasher complimented the food, as always. A little later in the meal, Waterfire turned to Royal Rose and quietly said, “Wish-I-Might told me a strange thing. She said she came to you about a slice of birthday cake which her sister had eaten. Do you often have to settle such personal disputes?” Waterfire noticed that Razz, who was sitting next to him, appeared to be listening in. He wasn’t sure how much Cantor she understood at this point.

“Oh, she told you about that?” Royal Rose said. “No, I don’t normally settle such disputes. We don’t normally have such disputes. I wish she would have kept it more private. It’s not that it doesn’t matter—it may be just a slice of cake, but the principal is important. I just don’t think it’s prudent to gossip to the whole town about it.”

“What’s this about a fight between the Wish sisters?” Razz said in Ponish. Waterfire quietly explained to Razz, hoping not to bring the whole table into the conversation. He added some of the details that Wish-I-Might had shared with him in the morning.

After Waterfire had explained, Razz said, “So this sort of thing doesn’t normally happen here. Do you at least have laws from past incidents that would set a precedent?” Waterfire interpreted this.

“No, not really,” Royal Rose said. “I’m at a loss. Even if I could, it doesn’t seem right to force Wish-I-May to make some kind of restitution. Especially since she denies having done it. How can I know the truth?”

“Have you considered holding a trial?” Razz said after another round of interpretation.

“A trial?” Royal Rose said, looking at Waterfire. “I know that word, but I don’t know what you mean in this context.”

“Like where a court sits down and looks at all the claims and evidence from both sides,” Waterfire said. Royal Rose still looked confused. “You don’t know this?” He turned to Razz and said, “I don’t think they do trials here.”

“Well, you’d assign somepony to represent each side,” Razz said. “The defendant, Wish-I-May, and the plaintiff, Wish-I-Might, in this case. They would each have a pony to help them gather evidence and witnesses to support their claims, that Wish-I-May did or did not eat a fifth slice of cake. They would both have to convince a jury of citizens of Santa Amorosa that Wish-I-May is guilty or not guilty. If there is still a reasonable doubt, then by default she would be not guilty. But if she is proven guilty, I imagine you would act as judge and sentence her to a punishment.”

Royal Rose thought for a moment. “We’ve never done something like that here. But I might be willing to try it. You’d have to explain the process to me more. I’ll schedule a meeting with you, Waterfire, and the Wish sisters. And… bring your whole group, since you’re the only ones who know anything about this trial process. If the Wish sisters agree to this trial, we’ll do it.”

* * *

Razzaroo and her friends were the first to arrive for Royal Rose’s meeting. Before the Prince himself, even. Razz was quite certain that being on time was just a suggestion here. They waited outside Royal Rose’s meeting room until he arrived and let them in. Wish-I-May arrived next. She didn’t say a word as she came in. Wish-I-Might arrived last. She chattered as she came in, and Waterfire interpreted. “Sorry I’m late. The smoothie stand had a line, and none of you deserved to see what I’m like without lunch!”

Razzaroo was impressed with how distinct the Wish sisters were. Waterfire had told her that they were twins. They did appear to be the same age—maybe early thirties—and they had the same hair, albeit styled differently. But they presented themselves so distinctly. May dressed in black and had gorgeous if edgy accessories. Might dressed in pink and looked like she had just come out of a shopping mall. May was quiet, Might was always chatty. May had mysterious magical abilities. If Might did, she hadn’t shown them yet. And Razz suspected she wasn’t one to hold cards close to her chest.

Royal Rose opened the meeting by introducing the idea of a trial and asking Razzaroo to explain in as much detail as she could, with Waterfire interpreting. Razzaroo had never been to a trial herself, but she had read about it. She tried to keep it simple and avoid words that were unique to the justice system.

Royal Rose looked at the Wish sisters and said, “We’ll only do this if you both agree to it. But it seems like the fairest way to settle the dispute, unless you want to come to an agreement between yourselves without my intervention.”

“I not want to be on trial for something I not did,” Waterfire interpreted for Wish-I-May. “But there’s no punishment if there’s no evidence that I’m guilty, right?” Razz nodded. “Fine.”

Wish-I-Might sighed. “You know, May, if you’d just confess, I wouldn’t even ask for anything in return. I just want to know that I can trust you to tell me the truth. We work together, and we can’t do our job without cooperation.” Razz thought it odd that she was appealing to their relationship as coworkers rather than sisters. There must be a lot of friction between these two.

“We’re doing this again, in front of the Prince and a group of near strangers?” Waterfire’s interpretation was level, but Wish-I-Might responded with audible disgust. “We’re stuck as long as you continue to insist on blaming me.”

“Alright, I agree to a trial,” Wish-I-Might said.

“So then, we need to select a jury and ponies to represent each side of the case,” Royal Rose said. “I’ll select a jury randomly, and I’ll remove any ponies who might be biased towards either of you. I’m worried about choosing a prosecutor. Most ponies here not like confrontation. I not know who could commit to making an argument of accusation. Razzaroo, Waterfire, if one of you or your friends could fulfill this role, I think that would be best.”

“The prosecutor has the hardest job, right?” Waterfire said in Ponish. “Proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. They’d have to be detail-oriented. I think Razzaroo fits the bill, if she’s willing.”

Razz blushed. “Me? You think I’d be good for this?” Waterfire nodded. “Well, okay. I guess I can do it.” Waterfire interpreted this.

“You will have some disadvantage because you not know the town or any potential witnesses,” Royal Rose said. “You can coordinate with Wish-I-Might to meet anypony you might need. To be fair, I think the pony representing Wish-I-May should also be from your group.”

Waterfire interpreted this for Razzaroo, then added, “Not look at me. I’m just a colt.”

Razz looked over their group. Silly Lilly wasn’t a good choice. That left Kimono, Wondermint, or Star Dasher. Whoever they chose would have to work with the aloof Wish-I-May. “Any volunteers?” Razz said, looking at Kimono. Their wisest pony could be a good choice.

“I don’t think I should,” Kimono said. “I’m still looking through the library here, and I need to fulfill my commitment to help Waterfire with his magic.”

“Well, it’s just us fun ones left, then,” Wondermint said with a smile.

“I can do it,” Star said. “I was on a jury for vandalism once.”

“Okay,” Razz said. “Any objections to that choice?” Nobody spoke up.

“Very well,” Royal Rose said after Waterfire’s interpretation. “I’ll put together a jury, and then we’ll meet for a first session to introduce them to the case.”

Razz turned to Star and said, “I’m not sure what sort of evidence and witnesses we’ll find. I’ll talk it over with Wish-I-Might, but I think we’ll probably try to account for the eight slices by figuring out the who, when, and where of each slice. If you and I both do that, we can try to find the discrepancies and account for the eighth slice.”

“Okay, I’ll talk with Wish-I-May about it,” Star said. “Good luck.”

* * *

The next day, Star Dasher had a meeting with Wish-I-May. Waterfire accompanied her for interpretation. Wish-I-May had not wanted to meet at her house for fear of her sister overhearing. She had asked to meet at the base of the mushroom that their house was on. Star was discovering that not many ponies came down here. There were a few buildings on the ground right at the center of the city near the big mechanical lift. Soon, however, Star was off the beaten road, wading through ferns, trotting on springy mats of moss, and crossing small streams.

They had brought a map from the castle. They tried to count the mushrooms as they passed under them, but they all looked the same from underneath. They stopped at what Star guessed was the right mushroom and waited near the stalk.

They waited there for a while, keeping a watch for Wish-I-May’s approach. “You think we might be at the wrong mushroom?” Waterfire said.

Just a moment after, however, a pony came descending towards them, borne on translucent pink wings in the shape of hearts. It took Star a moment to process the fact that this was Wish-I-May. Silly Lilly was flying alongside her. They landed nearby, and Wish-I-May’s wings disappeared in a flash of sparkles. Star stared at her, slack-jawed. She had just watched an earth pony fly!

“Um…” Star tried to collect her thoughts. “Hi, Silly Lilly. What are you doing here?”

“I was flying with Wish-I-May,” he said.

“I see that,” Star said. “I thought you were at the castle, still. When did you and Wish-I-May meet up?”

“Oh, right. I was visiting Wish-I-Might, because we’re friends now. And then I started to be friends with Wish-I-May, too. And so we planned to meet and fly around the city.”

“This happened yesterday after I interpreted for Razzaroo and Wish-I-Might,” Waterfire added. “They both think he’s really cute.”

“Well, should we get started?” Star said to Wish-I-May. Waterfire started to interpret.

“Sure,” Wish-I-May said with a shrug.

“So I think the best way to show your innocence is to account for every slice of cake,” Star said. “If we can show that you ate four slices and Wish-I-Might ate four slices, there’s no room for her claim that you took a fifth. So let’s try to account for the four slices you ate. Can you recall what day, what time, and where you ate them? Did anypony else see? If I can verify them with a witness, that will help. Or if we find cake crumbs in the places you ate.”

Wish-I-May said something in Cantor, sounding annoyed. “I guess I can try,” Waterfire interpreted. “Let me think first.” She locked her legs and closed her eyes, mumbling to herself. She spoke again. “I ate the first slice just after All My Heart delivered the cake…”

* * *

Razzaroo and Star Dasher decided to meet and discuss their progress. They couldn’t find anywhere else private, so they met in Star’s bedroom. “So, what did you want to discuss?” Star said. “I’m not really sure what’s appropriate for us to share. Are there, like, rules about this?”

Razz wished she knew. She wasn’t any kind of legal expert. She had stepped up to a role that she wasn’t really qualified for. “I’m not sure. I think we should be fine to discuss what sorts of evidence we’ve found, as long as we don’t share the details of the arguments we’ll make.”

They started to discuss. Razz was particularly interested in accounting for the slices of cake. They shared when each sister claimed to have eaten a slice, where it happened, and which ones were backed up by evidence like a witness or crumbs. In fact several slices did have a witness, mostly each sister seeing the other eat, since they lived together. A couple of slices were eaten at times or places with no witnesses, but the times lined up with each ponies’ story of how many slices there were each day.

“These ponies kept meticulous track of their own slices, and each other’s,” Razz said. “It’s almost like they were each expecting the other to cheat.”

“They may have done just that,” Star said. “There’s a lot of tension between them. Maybe they’ll each get a separate cake next year.”

They had accounted for seven of the slices of cake, with no major discrepancies between their stories. Wish-I-May claimed to have eaten four, and Wish-I-Might claimed to have eaten three. They agreed on when the last slice went missing, but they each claimed that they hadn’t eaten it. “Well, this is tricky,” Razz said. “Either one of them is lying, or someone or something else took the cake.”

“We’ll have to keep looking for evidence,” Star said. “But as things are now, there’s enough doubt that I’d say Wish-I-May can’t be ruled as guilty.”

“I’ll make an argument for the other side, of course, but I think you’re right,” Razz said. “Well, I’ll keep looking.”

* * *

Waterfire sat in a circle with Kimono and Silly Lilly, trying to meditate. Silly had already grown several fiddleheads. Waterfire was finding it hard to access either of his powers on command. They usually happened when he was feeling strong emotions. But Kimono’s approach was almost the opposite. “Calm your mind and clear your thoughts,” she had said.

It had been a while since she had spoken, however. She seemed to be fidgeting a lot as she meditated, and it was distracting Waterfire. Instead he tried to focus on their surroundings. They had gone to the forest floor. His eyes were closed, but he heard trees creaking, leaves rustling, and the calls and songs of frogs, insects, and birds. He smelled the earthy scent of decay and growth in the soil. The air was moist and cool.

“I’m sorry, Waterfire,” Kimono said. She stood up. “I don’t seem to be a very good teacher today. I can’t even feel Silly’s magic.” Waterfire opened his eyes and looked up at her. She seemed to be disheveled, which was not normal for her. “I think it would be best to pick this up another day. I will fulfill my promise to your parents. I’m sorry we’ve made so little progress so far.” She left their circle, heading back towards the nearest lift.

Waterfire watched her, not following. “I still have some time before Razzaroo goes to meet with Wish-I-Might again,” he said to Silly. “You want to keep trying for a bit?”

“Me?” Silly said, looking behind him.

“Why not?” Waterfire said. “You do magic, too. And you seem to be good at it.”

“All breezies do magic. It’s not something I was taught. I don’t know if I could explain it.”

“Okay.” Waterfire sighed and turned towards the lift.

“Well… Kimono said the Wish sisters know how to teach magic,” Silly said, sounding like he didn’t want to disappoint Waterfire. “Maybe we could ask them. Or… or… could you just remember how you felt while you were there?”

“That’s… not a bad idea,” Waterfire said, thinking back to when Wish-I-May had read his fortune. “Well… I was very relaxed. I suppose that’s just what Kimono was telling me to do, though. Ayy…”

“Maybe you just need to try again? Remember that feeling.”

“I… was in the water before. I love water. And I hadn’t been in it for so long. Maybe that would help! I know where to find a spring near here. Let’s try it.”

Waterfire trotted off, and Silly flew alongside him. They reached a spring that Waterfire remembered passing on the way to Star Dasher’s meeting place with Wish-I-May. It was round and big enough for one or two ponies. Waterfire dipped a hoof in and gasped. “It’s cold!” he said. “Well… I can probably stand it for a few minutes.”

He leapt into the water. His body seized up for a moment, and his breath came in short gasps. However, he soon regained his composure. He floated in the water, letting his limbs hang in the weightless sensation of water. His fiery hair spread out in the spring. Now that he was submerged, the cold wasn’t so bad. “Ah, that is nice,” he said.

“Okay,” Silly said from the bank. “Just let yourself relax all the way, then try to move the water.”

Waterfire steadied his breathing. He let go of the tension in his muscles. He swirled a leg in the water. A few little aquatic plants floated on the surface. It wasn’t deep, but Waterfire was impressed with the clearness of the water. It felt clean and pure, like water he could drink. He felt at home; he felt connected to the water.

Without thinking about it too much, he lifted water droplets into the air, making fog rise up from the water. “Whoa, you’re doing it!” Silly exclaimed. He had done it! On purpose, without getting mad or excited.

The fog dissipated. “Neigh, as soon as I thinked about it, it stopped,” Waterfire said. “But I did it! Ayy, how long has it been?” He felt that time had slipped away while he was in the water.

“I’m not good with time.”

“I should probably go find Razzaroo. But thank you, Silly! You’re not a bad teacher!”

“Really?” Silly gasped. “Is that something I’m good at?”

“It’s not for me to say,” Waterfire said, not wanting to get Silly too excited about a skill that he had just tried for the first time. “But thank you.”

* * *

Razzaroo sat at a desk in the castle library, feeling overwhelmed. She had spread out endless pages of notes on a desk. Profiles of witnesses, notes from interviews, sheets of false starts on her arguments. It wasn’t coming together. There wasn’t enough evidence to convict Wish-I-May. Razz was going to lose this case.

That was okay. It wasn’t her job to win, but to do her best. If there wasn’t enough evidence, there wasn’t enough evidence. What really concerned her was that her best wasn’t good enough. She had no idea what she was doing. She felt like an imposter. Who was she kidding, pretending to be a lawyer? She wasn’t qualified to do this. She never should have suggested the idea of a trial. The local ponies would have figured it out in their own way given time.

Razz needed to step away from this task before her thoughts spiraled further. She carefully placed the pages into their respective folders and into the saddlebag she had gotten from Astral City. She stood up and walked out of the library. Maybe she could take some time to study Cantor. She went to her room and grabbed a newspaper from their first morning here. She had been slowly reading through it. She brought it outside and sat on a bench in the busy “plaza” mushroom cap outside of the castle.

She pulled the Cantor to Ponish dictionary out of her bag and a notebook to write new words down. She started on a new page today. She realized with some surprise that this article was about the Wishes Spa. It took Razz a while to figure out what it was saying about the spa. It seemed to be a review, like a critic would write, but the wording was gentle and delicate, like they didn’t really want to criticize.

The writer had interviewed several customers, as well as recording their own experiences. The writer said the fortune telling took a long time, and that Wish-I-May’s instructions had been hard to understand. That hadn’t happened for Razz or her friends. That seemed to be the story for several of the customers, as well.

Razz’s eyes jumped to the Cantor word for “cake” farther down in the article. What could they be saying about cake? Razz forced herself to read up to that word to get the context, rather than jumping ahead. One customer had complained that Wish-I-May had made them wait while she finished a slice of cake before calling her sister and getting things set up.

Razz didn’t remember a customer seeing any of the seven slices they had accounted for. She hurriedly checked the date on the newspaper. It was a little after the last slice had disappeared. Could it be? Was this the missing slice? Had Wish-I-May eaten a fifth and not called her sister to avoid being caught? She stood up and exclaimed, “Yes, yes yes!”

She remembered she was in a busy plaza, surrounded by ponies who didn’t even speak Ponish. She blushed as some of them looked her way. But her embarrassment didn’t distract her for long. She would have to confirm with Waterfire that she hadn’t misread it. But this may be the breakthrough she needed to prove Wish-I-May’s guilt.

* * *

The jury was in silence after the testimony of Windy Wisp, the pony who had written the review in the newspaper and who had seen Wish-I-May eat the fifth slice of cake. “And with that, all eight slices are accounted for,” Razzaroo said. Waterfire interpreted for her. “The plaintiff ate three, and the defendant ate five. Four were admitted in her own testimony, and now we all know what happened to the fifth. All five slices are proven by either physical evidence or a witness. The defendant ate more than her fair share of a shared birthday cake. I rest my case.”

Razzaroo sat down. She glanced across the room at Star Dasher and Wish-I-May. Surprisingly, both seemed pretty cool. Razz may have been the most nervous in the room, as public speaking unnerved her a bit.

Star stood up and gave her rebuttal. She argued that most of the evidence was circumstantial. How different was a crumb of chocolate cake from a piece of chocolate, which Wish-I-Might made regularly? Could they really find Wish-I-May guilty with some slices accounted for by a witness but no other evidence? She made no attempt to assign a fourth slice to Wish-I-Might, but simply to point out that there was still room for a reasonable doubt. She didn’t speak with much evidence, but she was a confident and charismatic pony. She was surprisingly persuasive for a pony who was so scatterbrained.

Nevertheless, Razz was confident that she had made the better argument. The evidence was definitely in her favor. But she wasn’t sure how a jury of ponies from Santa Amorosa would vote. They seemed to be very non-confrontational. Would they find the defendant not guilty by default?

The jury went to a private chamber to make a decision. Razz took the opportunity to congratulate Star on her argument. “You did well, Star,” she said. “I didn’t know you were so capable of public speaking.”

“Am I?” Star said. “I mean, I guess. I’ve heard lots of ponies find it scary to speak in front of crowds. I never understood that. But I don’t think I was any more eloquent than I am speaking to you now. And you had the better argument, in terms of the evidence and such.”

“Well, downplay it if you want, but I’m impressed,” Razz said.

* * *

They had to wait for quite some time before the jury came to a decision. Waterfire was getting hungry for dinner, and he was hoping that Royal Rose would let them all go and continue the case tomorrow. Before that happened, however, the jury came back into the courtroom. They all took their seats again. The spokespony for the jury said, “We have found the defendant, Wish-I-May, to be guilty of taking five slices of birthday cake, more than her fair share.” She spoke with some hesitation and regret.

Wish-I-May bowed her head and sighed. She spoke under her breath, and Waterfire just managed to hear it. “Some birthday, huh?”

“Very well,” Royal Rose said. “Wish-I-May, I sentence you to bake a new cake for Wish-I-Might, which only she may eat. I’ve already spoken with All My Heart, who has generously agreed to help. You will be using ingredients from the castle pantry. Speak with All My Heart to plan a time for it. You may go.”

As ponies stood up and the jury started to leave, Wish-I-Might addressed her sister. “You really did it, didn’t you? You know, all this time I was half hoping I was wrong and we had a cake thief sneak into our house. That would have been more comforting than the truth that my own sister had stolen from me.”

“Wow, all this over one slice of cake,” Wish-I-May said, unmoved. “Real mature, sis.”

“It’s the principle! If I can’t trust you, how can we work or live together?”

Wish-I-May paused. Waterfire felt awkward listening in, but he was right near the center of the room in his interpretation position, and they weren’t speaking in lowered voices by any means. “You still haven’t put it together, have you?” Wish-I-May said. “Do the math! The time and day when I ate the fifth slice. It was right after you chewed me out for being ‘too slow’ with my fortune telling. I was bitter, so I had some comfort cake.”

“Oh, so that’s what this is about!” Wish-I-Might exclaimed with a gasp. She attracted the attention of some ponies in the room. “I told you, it’s hurting our business. Our reputation and popularity are suffering.”

“Oh, shut up!” Wish-I-May snapped. Waterfire had never heard an Amorosa pony shout like that before. “Would you stop talking for once and listen?” The room was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop. Ponies watched on in shock. “I didn’t get to tell you when you chewed me out because you wouldn’t shut up. Fortune telling takes me so long for certain customers because they aren’t sufficiently relaxed after the spa treatments. I have to put them into a trance myself. And do you know what I see when I finally get into their heads? The latest gossip! Always and Forever is dating Candy Heart. The Prince’s coat had a stain on it. They can’t relax because you won’t stop yapping at them!”

Wish-I-Might was quivering. “W-will you please calm down? They can all hear us.”

Wish-I-May just shrieked, and there was a flash of sparkling light. Ethereal wings appeared on her back. She flew right out the window, leaving everypony in silence. The first sound was Wish-I-Might walking to the door. Next Razzaroo came up to Waterfire. “I tried to keep up with the conversation, but I missed some things,” she said. “What happened?”

Star Dasher came near Waterfire, too, and he summarized it all for them.

“No, no, no, that’s not good,” Razz said. “It sounds like the tension between them started well before the cake incident. Holding a trial between sisters never should have been necessary. This conflict is personal, and it needs to be resolved personally.”

“I think they have to do that themselves,” Star said. “What more can we do?”

“Well, we could… no, no, no…” Razz paced. “Well, maybe we shouldn’t…” Her expression lit up. “Yes, yes, yes, that’s it! We can try to persuade them to apologize to each other. I can try talking to Wish-I-Might. And since you represented her in the trial, Star, you’d be the best one to talk to Wish-I-May. And Waterfire, we’ll need your help, of course.”

“Of course,” Waterfire said dryly.

“I’m in,” Star said. “But Wish-I-May seemed upset.”

“Well, let’s wait until tomorrow,” Razz said. “They might both need to calm down some.”

* * *

The next morning, Star Dasher, Razzaroo, and Waterfire walked over to the Wishes Spa. Silly Lilly had decided to accompany them, as well, after hearing what had happened in the trial. As they walked, Waterfire pointed above them and said, “That’s Wish-I-May.”

Star looked up. She had gotten used to ponies flying overhead, but Wish-I-May’s ethereal wings made her profile distinct. She was flying away from the Wishes Spa. “Oh, should I catch her?” Silly said.

“Um…” Razz had her thinking face on. “Yes. We should talk to them separately. Silly, catch up to her and bring her to Star and Waterfire. I’ll get out of your way. She might be bitter towards me for my role in the trial.”

Silly flew off towards Wish-I-May, while Razz walked on towards the Wishes Spa. A few minutes later, Silly came back with Wish-I-May. “Oh, you,” Wish-I-May said flatly. Waterfire quietly interpreted for Star. “That’s what he meaned with the charades.” She hesitantly landed.

“Hey, Wish-I-May,” Star said. “I just wanted to have a quick talk with you. I’m sorry about losing the trial.”

“No be sorry,” Waterfire interpreted for Wish-I-May. “You did your best, even after we all knowed that I was guilty.”

“Thanks,” Star said. Wish-I-May’s understanding gave Star a confidence boost for the next part of the conversation. May’s edgy, no-nonsense personality was off-brand for the kind, friendly town of Santa Amorosa. But that didn’t mean she was a bad pony. “If you’d let me speak as just a pony rather than as your representative, I don’t think the trial or the sentence is really a complete fix to the problem. They found you guilty of wronging Wish-I-Might. But it sounds like she wronged you, as well. That’s a tough cycle to break out of. Given the circumstances, I think it would do wonders for repairing your relationship if you were to sincerely apologize to her.”

Wish-I-May hesitated. “I…” She sighed. “She wouldn’t listen. She never listens to me! And she started it, blaming me for a business problem that was her own fault. And making a whole public scandal out of it! No, you’re talking to the wrong pony. Let her apologize!” In a flash of sparkles, Wish-I-May’s wings reappeared.

“Wait!” Star blurted out in Cantor. At least she knew that word.

“What?” Wish-I-May scowled.

“If she does apologize, please listen to her,” Star said. Maybe Razz would have more luck with Wish-I-Might.

After Waterfire’s interpretation, Wish-I-May rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, of course. I’m not her.” She flew off.

* * *

Razzaroo arrived at the spa and knocked. Hopefully her Cantor was up to a conversation like this. A good while later, Wish-I-Might opened the door. “Good morning, Razzaroo,” she said, sounding deflated compared with her normal perkiness. Her hair was unbrushed, and she wasn’t wearing the pink skirt she usually sported. “We’re closed for—”Razz didn’t understand this word—“today, if that’s why you’re here.”

“Oh, no,” Razz said. “I just wanted to talk with you.”

Wish-I-Might said something that Razz didn’t understand, followed by, “Do you want to come in?”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Razz said. “Thank you.”

Wish-I-Might said something and gestured to the bowl of chocolates. Razz took it as permission to eat one. They each occupied one of the couches in the entry room. “Thank you for helping with the trial,” Wish-I-Might said. Razz had learned some of those legal words recently. “It was your idea, right? I don’t know what we would have done—” The sentence ended in an unfamiliar word.

“Yes, it was my idea,” Razz said. “I wanted to talk to you about that…” She wasn’t sure how to proceed. It seemed strange to tell a pony how she should manage her relationship with her sister. But she had been involved in their relationship for a while now. “The trial was… good.” Razz didn’t know the word for important. “We needed to know the truth. But the problem with you and your sister… Well, the trial doesn’t fix that.”

“I know,” Wish-I-Might said. “Why do you think we’re closed today?”

“Well, um… I’m saying, you should probably try to work on your… friendship with Wish-I-May.” Between the language and the assertiveness of telling a pony she needed to apologize, Razz was really struggling with this conversation. “Her feelings are… She doesn’t feel good about what happened. She… thinks you have the guilt, and if that’s fair or no, it would help for you to say sorry.”

“But she’s the one who stole the cake!” Wish-I-Might snapped, seemingly instinctively.

“But you heard her last night,” Razz said. “She thinks you have the guilt.”

“Even worse, she lied about it!” Wish-I-Might said.

“True,” Razz said. “Well, I don’t know what’s fair. But your friendship will be bad until one of you says you’re sorry. Do you want to be enemies forever?”

Wish-I-Might bowed her head. “No,” she said. “And Wish-I-May won’t—”a word Razz didn’t know—“first. It has to be me, doesn’t it?”

“But try to be… real,” Razz said. “She is… she has a lot of feelings. And she’s good at reading others.”

Wish-I-Might sighed. “You’re right. Thank you. I will try.”

* * *

Wish-I-Might had everything ready by the time Wish-I-May was back from her morning flight. Forest water bath heated, steam room running, incense burning, music playing. Wish-I-May entered the room and wrinkled her nose. “The spa?” May said. “No, I don’t want to today.”

“It’s not for customers,” Might said, pointing to the closed sign she had left in the window. “It’s for you.” May looked at her skeptically. Might exhaled, trying to bring out as much sincerity as she could. Regardless of who was to blame, their relationship needed to heal, and Might had to get this right to start that process. “I’m sorry for criticizing your work when I was part of the problem. I’m sorry for not listening to you. I’m sorry for blowing the cake out of proportion and making a public scandal out of it. And to try to make it up to you, I would like to treat you to a spa day.” She had to squeeze out the words, as she still felt some resentment towards May. But she hoped they were the right words.

May looked at Might with a hard gaze. But then, her eyes softened, and she walked to the steam room without a word. Might hesitated, wondering if she should follow her. Probably not. May liked to have some space. Might sat at the chair where she would give customers a massage and hooficure, thinking over what had happened between her and her sister.

Might had spent so long thinking that May had stolen a slice of birthday cake without provocation. That had infuriated her, especially when May lied about it. The trial had confirmed Might’s suspicions, making her even more aggravated at May. But she had never realized the link between May taking the cake and their conversation about the diminishing popularity and tarnished reputation of their business.

Might took their business very seriously. Like anypony in Santa Amorosa, her access to food and other commodities was not really dependent on her success at work. But she loved her work! She wanted to make ponies feel good with her spa treatments. She spent more time doing this than anything else, so she wanted to do it right. It distressed her that ponies thought poorly of their spa, and the slowness of the fortune telling was certainly a part of that.

May came out of the steam room. Might wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting there, thinking. May did not look at her, but settled into the tub on the other side of the room. May’s side of the story had been surprising to Might. That the customers couldn’t relax because Might was too chatty and distracted them with gossip. As much as she wanted to deny that this was happening, she couldn’t. She definitely chatted with the customers during their spa treatments. Surely not all of them were perturbed by this, but some of the introverts might have been. Regardless, Might had hurt May’s feelings during their business conversation. She had been too harsh that night.

Even worse, May felt that Might would not listen to her. That was crushing. They were fraternal twins. They had been together for all their lives. They had had their differences and fights, but they loved each other. They lived and worked together. They were supposed to trust each other. And Might had failed her sister in that regard.

May climbed out of the bath and toweled off. Without meeting Might’s eyes, she came into the reclined customer’s chair and said, “Shiny black, please.” Might got to work filing and polishing her sister’s hooves. Of course she wanted black. Might didn’t understand why May had to be so edgy about things. She was definitely out of line with the popular trends in Santa Amorosa. That and her mysterious magical abilities made her difficult to approach for most ponies.

Maybe that was why May liked to be alone a lot. And maybe that was another reason why their relationship was so important; despite their differences, Might was a pony who accepted and appreciated May—on a good day. Not so much lately.

May shifted positions for Might to massage her back while the polish was drying. Might worked her sister’s muscles gently, with as much care as if the Prince himself had come to their spa. Might loved her sister. Sometimes she needed reminders of it. May had spent years refining her magic. Without that, their business would not exist in its current form. She was brave for resisting the popular trends. And while quiet, she was incredibly sincere. She never faked an emotion, she never lied about how she was feeling. She rarely spoke critically of anypony, and when she gave a compliment, anypony could tell it came from the depths of her heart.

At the start of their spa day, May had been uncertain and suspicious. Unfortunately, Might was not always sincere. But now, Might could feel the tension leaving May’s body. Might wasn’t able to read ponies’ thoughts as well as May, but she knew when a pony was fully relaxed. “Maybe… I could tell your fortune?” May offered.

“Uh…” Might hadn’t really planned to this point. But if May was offering, she couldn’t refuse. “Yes.” They went into May’s fortune telling den. Might hadn’t started the incense candles in here, but May calmly lit them before sitting down.

“You know how this works,” May said in a low voice. Indeed Might did know. She pushed away her worries and tension, allowing herself to relax completely. She searched within her mind for the thing she wanted most.

The answer came immediately. She wanted to earn May’s forgiveness. She loved May dearly. In the moment, her sister was all Might cared about. Might was starting to see that she had more than her share of blame in this conflict. But how could she possibly prove her sincerity and persuade May to accept her apology?

In the soothing, entranced voice typical of her fortune telling, May muttered, “All you have to do is hug her and say, ‘I love you.’”

Might gasped. She had slipped so deep into relaxation that she had forgotten that the pony she was thinking about was also the pony reading her mind. She blushed and said, “Really?” She scooted to May’s side of the room and wrapped her forelegs around her sister. “I love you,” she said, tearing up. “I really do, even though my actions and words haven’t aligned with that. I’m so sorry.”

May returned the hug, squeezing tightly, and simply said, “I love you, too.”

* * *

Royal Rose had asked to meet with Razzaroo two days after the trial. She wasn’t sure what he wanted to talk about, but she showed up outside his meeting room early just in case. Poor Waterfire had to come with her. They really needed to think of some way to thank him for all his interpretation services. To Razz’s surprise, the Wish sisters were leaving as she arrived. They were walking shoulder to shoulder, and for once both of them were smiling. “Good morning, Razzaroo and Waterfire!” Wish-I-Might said brightly.

“Good morning,” Razz said in Cantor before switching to Ponish. “I’m surprised to see you two together.” Waterfire interpreted.

Wish-I-Might laughed and said, “We are twins, aren’t we? We just meeted with Royal Rose, and he was flexible enough to cancel Wish-I-May’s sentence.”

“Canceled?” Razz said, surprised.

“It was all thanks to you, really,” Waterfire interpreted for Wish-I-Might. “You convinced me to apologize to May. We repaired our relationship, and it no longer feeled right to punish my sister when I had wronged her, as well.”

“Yes yes yes!” Razz said, excitedly trotting in place for a moment. “This is the first time I’ve seen you appear as though you like each other, which sisters certainly should, so I’m glad to hear all this.”

“We certainly do like each other,” Waterfire said for Wish-I-Might. “We just forgetted. I blowed things way out of proportion. I shouldn’t have been so sensitive.”

“And I never should have lied,” Wish-I-May said. “I should have been open about my feelings. Sometimes it feels… banned to be negative here, but it’s important to have open communication.”

“Thank you again,” Wish-I-Might said. “It was nice seeing you.”

“Thank you,” Wish-I-May said. They trotted off together. Razz was bursting with happiness at this. She had actually made a difference for them? That felt amazing!

Razz and Waterfire walked into Royal Rose’s meeting room. “Good morning, Razzaroo,” he said, with Waterfire interpreting. “I just wanted to thank you for your role in the trial.”

“Oh, um, you’re welcome,” Razz said.

“Perhaps the Wish sisters told you that they asked to reverse the sentence, but they never would have gotten to this point without the trial revealing the truth. And they both highlighted to me your importance in their… becoming friends again. You went far beyond what you needed to do. Well done, and thank you.”

Razz wasn’t used to getting praise like this, least of all from a prince. “Um, thank you,” Razz said. “I mean, you’re welcome! But it was up to them, really. They needed to stop being too sensitive and hiding their feelings. It may seem like the kind thing to do, but it can create a vicious cycle.”

Royal Rose sighed thoughtfully. “We try to be as loving as possible here, but that can come with its own complications. I’ve learned a lesson from all this, as well.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“I was wondering, what are you and your friends planning? Are you heading out soon?”

“I think so,” Razz said. “We need to talk about it.”

“If you do, let me know and I’ll see if I can offer you any help.”

“Thank you. You’ve been an amazing host. We’ve never felt so welcome!”

“I’m happy to hear it,” Royal Rose said. “I hope you have a splendid day.”

Razz bowed and left the room feeling wonderfully. She had made a difference here, in her own small way. Not by having just the right detail in her notebook—although her organizational skills had come in handy during the trial. She had helped just by… having ideas and making an effort. By doing something extra, because she cared. By being herself.

She walked to the doors of the castle and breathed in the fresh air of the forest. It felt liberating. In Ponyville, she had pinned her worth to her ability to throw parties. When Pinkie Pie had turned out to be better at it, Razz had left. Then she had pinned her worth to her notetaking and attention to detail. But the praise of Royal Rose and the Wish sisters made Razz feel like there was something more. Like she was valuable for just… being Razzaroo.

That’s what her name meant, after all. It meant her, everything she was as an individual, not just some specific skill or attribute. How had she lost sight of that?

That was what Wish-I-May had meant! In the fortune telling, Razzaroo’s greatest desire had been to find a way to be worthwhile and contribute. Wish-I-May had said, “You once knew the answer, and you will soon remember.” Wow, she really did know what she was doing with those predictions.

Razzaroo let the remembered reality sink in. Razzaroo was worth something. Razzaroo had value.

* * *

Star Dasher met her friends in a cozy lounge in the Castle of Kindness. Kimono had gathered them to discuss their plans. “I’ve learned all I’m likely to learn from the library here,” Kimono said. “Whether we stay here much longer or not, we need to decide what comes next.”

“Definitely,” Razzaroo said.

“We had planned to go to the Castle of Laughter next, and then Music,” Kimono said. “Now we know that Laughton, the city with the Castle of Laughter, is—or perhaps was—blanketed in a magical fog, and that the last messenger to enter the city never came back. And we know that the Capital, where the City of Music is, turns away visitors. Although from what the records here say, a guard implied that they might let in a pony of great musical skill. It’s worth noting that we have a pony of great musical skill, and that the Capital could be the most important place we go in terms of uncovering mysteries from the past.”

“My fortune said that I would learn more about myself at the Castle of Laughter!” Silly said.

“Mine said something good would happen at the Castle of Laughter, too, actually,” Star said. She didn’t care to divulge more than that.

“Oh, about that…” Kimono suddenly seemed to be uncomfortable. “As I mentioned, I’m not sure that Wish-I-May could really see our futures. She could see our thoughts, so she may have tried to impress us by mentioning the place where we planned to go next. That being said, I can’t know for certain that she doesn’t have some ability of foresight, and…” Kimono cleared her throat. “You all have a right to know what she told me. I asked to know what challenges might lie ahead for us in our journey.” Kimono was sweating nervously now. Star remembered Kimono’s sleepless nights, and she realized that they had started after they went to the Wishes Spa. Had her fortune unsettled her that much? “She said that if we continued to the end of our quest, we would change countless lives for the better. She also said that one of my friends would suffer terribly, and that I would feel powerless to help them.”

Chills ran down Star’s spine. Had the room suddenly gotten colder? “I don’t know if these fortunes are real or not, but some of you seem to believe them, so I thought you ought to know.”

Everypony was quiet for a moment. “Well, that changes things,” Razz said. “Even before, I wasn’t hopeful about our odds at either location. But if there’s terrible suffering involved, I say we take Waterfire back to his parents and go home.”

“But she also said we would change countless lives for the better,” Wonder said.

“I not think I believe those fortunes, either,” Waterfire said.

“Maybe I should mention that my fortune already came true,” Razz said. “Um… the short version is that she said I had once known my own worth, and I would soon remember. Helping the Wish sisters reconcile helped me remember that I am valuable, not for party planning skills or notetaking skills, but just for being Razzaroo.”

“Really?” Kimono said, brightening up. “That’s lovely. I’m so happy for you, Razz. Please tell me more about it afterwards.”

“Fortunes or no fortunes, wandering into magical fog not sound ideal,” Waterfire said. “You think they’ll let all of us into the Capital if we’re with Wondermint?”

“I don’t know,” Kimono said.

“I still want to go,” Silly said abashedly.

“Star Dasher, what do you think?” Kimono asked.

“Um…” Star hesitated. After what Razz had said, she was taking those fortunes seriously. She tried to push aside her own fortune about her relationship with Wondermint and focused on Kimono’s fortune, which seemed the most important. Changing countless lives for the better seemed worthwhile, right? But one of Kimono’s friends would suffer terribly… Star wished that May had specified which pony. If it were Star, she could take it. But she would be devastated if it turned out to be little Silly, young Waterfire, or dear Wonder. It almost didn’t seem worth the risk. “I wish we knew who was going to suffer,” she said. “If it were me, I’d say go ahead.”

“Aw, you’re so brave,” Wonder said. “I say we go ahead! I can’t imagine living with the regret of turning back when we knew we could improve countless lives.”

“I think I’m with them, for different reasons,” Waterfire said. “I want to see the Capital. Maybe we stand a chance at convincing them to open their borders and reach out to the rest of the Empire.”

“That may have been what Wish-I-May was suggesting,” Kimono said.

“So, to be clear, we have three votes in favor of walking towards terrible suffering and a magical fog that made a messenger pony go missing?” Razz said.

“Yes,” Wonder said. Silly and Waterfire added their affirmation.

Seeing the courage of these three pushed Star to act boldly as well. “I’ll add my vote to theirs,” she said.

“Although I’d rather skip the Castle of Laughter and go to the Capital,” Waterfire said.

“No, that part’s important,” Silly said. “I started this whole journey to see it, and Wish-I-May said I would figure out who I am there.”

“Well… we can go see it, at least,” Waterfire said. “We’d go right by it anyway.”

“Razzaroo, are you against continuing?” Kimono said. “Don’t feel like you need to agree just because the others want to go.”

“Well… if you’re willing, so am I,” Razz said. “But we should be careful. And I definitely don’t want to go if anyone is too scared to continue. We should keep it as an option to turn back if things get bad. What about you, Kimono?”

“I had already decided my opinion, but I wanted to hear yours before sharing mine,” Kimono said. “I think we should continue.”

“Well,” Razz said with a nervous chuckle. “I guess that’s decided.”

“We should stay here for a few more days, in case anyone has second thoughts,” Kimono said. “And that way we can have a chance to enjoy Santa Amorosa before going on to unknown dangers. Will three days be sufficient?”

They all agreed to this. “Well, I’ll let Royal Rose know that’s our plan.”

“Should we ask Wish-I-May to see our futures in more detail?” Razz suggested.

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Kimono said. “But you can prepare in whatever way you think is best.”

* * *

After three days, nopony had backed out. Star Dasher, Wondermint, Razzaroo, and Silly Lilly all wanted to see if Wish-I-May could tell them about their fortunes, and Waterfire accompanied them as an interpreter. They did the spa experience again, and each of them focused on their upcoming quest during the fortune telling. For Star Dasher, Wish-I-May said, “Strange magic awaits you at the Castle of Laughter. Remember who you are, and stay loyal to your friends.”

At the end, Wish-I-May pulled them aside before they left. She spoke quietly. “I not normally do this,” Waterfire interpreted, “but I should warn you, since you all wanted the same thing: I only get glimpses of the future, and yours is especially chaotic and hard to interpret. I really can’t do much to help you, although I suppose the fact that I saw Wondermint in the Capital means you’ll make it through the Castle of Laughter.”

“Thank you, Wish-I-May,” Razz said. Once they left, they all shared their fortunes. Razz’s and Silly’s were similar to Star’s. For Wonder, Wish-I-May had said, “I see that you will enter the Capital. Stay true to your friends and your principles there.”

Royal Rose insisted on accompanying them to Laughton, although he wouldn’t stay there. He also provided them with detailed maps and travel foods. Soon enough, the day came.

The Wish sisters and Aurora Mist saw them off. They all stood at the edge of the city, looking at the faint road in the misty forest. “Well, forward,” Star Dasher said with as much confidence as she could muster.

* * *

Star Dasher was able to see the magical fog around Laughton from several miles away. Royal Rose had led them to where Laughton should be. They arrived on a clear, sunny day with a breeze, dispelling any doubts as to whether the fog had appeared naturally. They stopped a fair distance away, looking up at the intimidating wall of unnatural mist.

Royal Rose spoke, and Waterfire interpreted for him. “Are you sure you want to continue with this?”

“Yes,” Silly and Kimono responded at the same time. The others nodded.

“Please, go just into the fog and come right back out,” Royal Rose suggested. “As I had mentioned, a messenger went missing here. Her name is Twirlerina. Send her back to Santa Amorosa if she’s still here. This is an earth pony town, so she should be easy to spot as a pegasus. She has a light blue coat.”

Star’s friends all looked at the fog, uncertain despite agreeing that they wanted to continue. Star stepped forward and said, “Let’s go in together. We’ll just step into it and right back out.”

“I’ll come up to the edge and call for you after a few minutes,” Royal Rose offered. “In case you’re lost in there or something.”

Star walked forward, and the others nervously followed her. They stopped a few steps from the edge. “Together,” Star said. “Ready?” She waited for a verbal confirmation from Wondermint, Kimono, Razzaroo, Silly Lilly, and Waterfire. “Three, two, one, go!” They stepped into the fog in unison.

Author's Note

Sorry about the long wait! The life do be lifin'.

The Castle of Laughter

Star Dasher felt… different.

Something was different, but she didn’t know what. She noticed her surroundings. The fog wasn’t as thick now that they had entered, like there was a barrier keeping it in. It was hazy, but she could make out the silhouette of a town ahead. Curiously, she saw the shapes of roller coasters, Ferris wheels, and other attractions.

But Star also noticed small details in her surroundings, things she hadn’t noticed before. Clovers flowered white in the dewy grass under her hooves, growing in clusters that looked like clouds. Had these lovely clovers been there on the other side of the magical barrier? Their scent wafted into Star’s nostrils, mixing with popcorn and candy smells from the town.

But why was she noticing this now? She looked at her companions. They seemed disoriented. Silly Lilly had landed in the grass. Wondermint was staring at Star, looking flustered. Waterfire was looking around, seeming bewildered or overwhelmed. “Is everyone alright?” Razzaroo said coolly.

“No, something’s wrong,” Waterfire said. “I… what is it? This isn’t right.” His accent had certainly smoothed out since they first met him, but Star didn’t detect even the slightest mispronunciation. That seemed strange.

“I… don’t know how to fly,” Silly said. “What’s going on?”

As Star looked over their group, her eyes settled on Wonder’s accordion. Star wanted that. Wasn’t it supposed to be in Star’s pack? “Does anypony else feel really invigorated?” Wonder said, kicking with her hindlegs.

“Maybe a better question, does anyone still feel normal?” Kimono said hesitantly.

“Neigh, I feel the winds of change a-blowing,” Star said, smiling and trying to make light of it. Wonder looked at her, head tilted.

Royal Rose called out to them in Cantor from the other side of the magic barrier. Well, if they could hear him, maybe they could go back to him. “What did he say, Waterfire?” Star said.

“I… have no idea,” Waterfire said, blinking.

“He just asked if we’re okay,” Silly said.

“You understood him?” Razz said. Silly nodded. “This magic has affected our minds somehow. I think our mental traits may be… mixed up. We should leave, as we said we would do. Together.” They all lined up. Little Silly moved slowly on the ground. Razz picked him up and put him on her shoulder. They all stepped back through the magical barrier.

Star tried to gauge if she still felt off. She noticed that those cute clovers were on this side, as well. Royal Rose sighed in relief and spoke in Cantor. “Um, what did he say?” Star said, looking at Waterfire.

“Thank goodness you’re alright,” Silly interpreted. It seemed they were still mixed up.

“Well… I’m not sure about that,” Kimono said. “We’re all thinking and acting differently.”

“I think… I have your personality, Kimono,” Razz said. “And I’m guessing Silly Lilly has Waterfire’s.”

“What do we do?” Waterfire said.

“I suggest we wait here for a while to see if the effects reverse now that we’re out of the magical field,” Razz said. “If that doesn’t work, we must go farther in and find the source of the magic to try to reverse it.”

“Okay, then,” Kimono said, sitting down. “We’ll wait.” Star immediately looked over at Wonder’s accordion, wanting to play it to pass the time. Wonder was looking around and stretching her legs. She set down her pack, accordion included.

Star stepped up to Wonder, who didn’t notice at first. Star tapped her on the shoulder. “Oh hi, Star,” Wonder said bashfully.

“Can I borrow your accordion?” Star said. “I swear on my blood that I will treat it with the care of a mother with a newborn foal.”

“Oh, um, that should be fine,” Wonder said. “I was wanting to go on a quick run, anyway. Now I won’t be leaving it unattended. Thank you!” She took off running through the grass fields around the veiled city. She moved quickly and looked like she knew what she was doing. That gait wasn’t a gallop… What was it called? Star couldn’t remember.

By contrast, Star found that she knew exactly what to do with the accordion. Where to position her hooves, how much pressure to apply. A carnival song even came to her head, inspired by the sight of the roller coasters on the other side of the barrier. She didn’t know where these thoughts were coming from. She didn’t remember learning these things, yet she was perfectly capable of doing them.

She remained lost in the song until Wondermint returned. Her white coat was darkened with sweat. “I am… out of shape,” she said, panting heavily.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you run that quickly, though,” Star said. She carefully closed the accordion and placed it in Wonder’s pack.

“Heh, thanks.” Wonder trotted over to Kimono and Razzaroo. Star followed her and noticed that Kimono was writing in Razz’s notebook. “How long are we planning to wait?” Wonder said.

“Longer than we have,” Razz said. “I was thinking of giving it a day to see if the effects wear off.”

“Oh…” Wonder said, sounding bored.

“I’d rather just go in now,” Star said. “We’re planning to go there either way, right? We had committed to seeing this quest through. There’s a whole city in there, maybe filled with ponies who are affected by this magic. Maybe we can help them… or they can help us.”

“You bring up a good point,” Razz said. “Kimono, Waterfire, Silly, what do you think?”

“I don’t want to wait,” Waterfire said. “This is very uncomfortable. I’d like to fix it as soon as possible.”

“I agree,” Silly added. He still hadn’t flown since the change happened.

Kimono stood up and said, “Well, I suppose that’s settled.”

“I don’t see a need to rush ourselves, but very well,” Razz said, picking up Silly and putting him on her shoulder. They stepped back through the barrier. Star tried to look inwards to see if anything else had changed. Instead she found herself staring covetously at Wonder’s accordion.

“Does anyone feel different?” Razz said.

“I’d say nothing changed this time,” Waterfire said.

“Well, let’s see if we can find the Castle of Laughter,” Razz said.

The atmosphere was somber as they walked towards the city. Didn’t anypony find this a little exciting? “So, I’m trying to figure out who’s who,” Star said. “I think I have Wondermint’s personality.”

“I think I have… yours,” Wonder said.

“I think Razz and I switched,” Kimono said. “So that leaves Waterfire switched with Silly Lilly.”

“Maybe, but I still have memories from Breezie Blossom,” Silly said. “So it might not be so straightforward.”

As they got closer to the town, Star wasn’t sure what to make of it. Everywhere she could see, it looked like one big amusement park. However, she didn’t see any rides running, and some were in an obvious state of disrepair. Some buildings were in an abandoned state, as well, with broken windows, collapsed roofs, and faded signs. But she could see ponies walking around in there, and they all smelled the food. They crossed a poorly maintained stone path in the grass, which led them to an arched entryway that had the Cantor words for “Welcome to Laughton!”

They stepped through into a street with what looked like gift shops, food stands, and carnival games. A few ponies were moseying about, but Star’s attention was caught by a very attractive pegasus with a light blue coat, sparkly pink feathers, and a two-tone pink mane. She wore a pink beret, a bracelet with a heart charm, a white shirt with pink trim, and a schoolfillyish pleated skirt with a plaid pattern. She was tugging a friend—a blue earth pony—towards a larger shop at the corner. The earth pony didn’t budge, seeming disinterested. Star heard the Cantor word for “please.”

This pair noticed the newcomers as they came in. The pegasus gasped and ran up to them, barely stopping an inch from Razz’s face. She spoke excitedly in Cantor. “I don’t know you, and I love strangers,” Silly said, not including the pegasus’s excited inflection. “Are you new to town? Do you want to go to that fancy restaurant on the corner and order dessert first?”

Razz responded in Cantor, and Silly interpreted, “Yes we’re new to town, but no thank you. Would you mind taking two steps back?”

The pegasus took off with a rush of wind and landed in front of Wondermint instead. “So you are new here?” Silly interpreted for her. “Where are you from? What are you doing here? Did your brains get mixed up too?” Star noticed the earth pony approaching cautiously, wide eyes filled with wonder.

Silly said something in Cantor. Star thought he was asking her to slow down because they were still learning Cantor. “Oh, sorry,” the pegasus said. “My name is Twirlerina, and this is Shenanigans.”

“Twirlerina?” Razz said. “Royal Rose was looking for you!”

Twirlerina’s face looked like a deer in a floodlight. “Oooohhhh… Royal Rose… yeah, uhh…” Star didn’t understand the next part, but Silly interpreted. “Could you answer my question first? Did your brains get mixed up? You’d know if it happened.”

“It did,” Kimono said.

“Well… as I mentioned, this is Shenanigans,” the pegasus said. Shenanigans was a stocky pony with blue, pink, and white hair.

“Hi,” Shenanigans said quietly.

“I am her, and she is me,” Twirlerina said. “Ta da! Neither of us can really go back to… what was the city called again?”

“Santa Amorosa,” Shenanigans said.

“That, in this state,” Twirlerina said after Silly’s interpretation. “So, uh, here I am. What about you? What are your names, and what brings you to these parts?”

They introduced themselves. Star noticed that nopony slipped up over their names, even though their minds seemed to be switched. “We’re here to make friends and establish contact with the ponies of Laughton, see the Castle of Laughter, and set things right if we can,” Razz said.

“Oh…” Twirlerina said, her ears folding down. She suddenly seemed subdued.

“Are we stuck like this, to your knowledge?” Razz said.

“Yeah, leaving doesn’t fix it,” Twirlerina said. “We tried. But we’re doing alright as things are, honestly. It’s not all bad. It’s a thrill being somebody else!”

“Well, uh…” Shenanigans started to say something, but she cut herself off and looked down.

“Yes?” Waterfire said.

“Uh… things aren’t all good, either,” Shenanigans said.

“In any case, we’d like to reverse this for ourselves,” Razz said. “Do you have any leads on what caused it?”

“We have some ideas,” Twirlerina said. “But maybe you’d like to see the town first! We can even show you the Funhouse!”

“That sounds delightful!” Star jumped in, before Kimono—or Razzaroo—forced them to get straight to business without any fun.

“Great!” Twirlerina said. She trotted off down the street towards the center of the town. There were a lot of abandoned buildings and overflowing trash cans. “Sorry that the town is a little messy. With everypony switched like this, some jobs just don’t get done anymore.”

“If you’re all switched, couldn’t you just switch jobs?” Kimono said.

“Well, some ponies have,” Twirlerina said.

“It’s hard to… adjust,” Shenanigans said. “It’s not a total body swap. It’s like… you get bits of who you were, and it can be hard to put the pieces together.”

They occasionally passed other ponies, who waved or said a friendly hello. The first street seemed like a commerce center, but once they got a little farther in, they started passing roller coasters and other rides.

“Is the whole city an amusement park?” Star said.

“Yep!” Twirlerina responded. “It’s been a long time since we got many visitors, though. That’s part of why things are kind of run down, although everypony switching certainly made it worse.” It was strange hearing the interpretation in Silly’s tiny voice instead of Waterfire’s accented cadence.

“If you’re from Santa Amorosa, how did you end up switched with a pony from Laughton?” Kimono said. “Did you come into town at the same time?”

“No, uh, I was somepony else, back when this happened two years ago,” Shenanigans said. “But when Twirlerina showed up last year, I suddenly switched with her instead.”

At one intersection, they passed by a bright red blob of slime, about the size of a grapefruit, that watched them with two beady eyes. Twirlerina didn’t seem the least bit interested. “What is that?” Wonder said.

“Oh, the frazzits,” Twirlerina said. “Yeah, you wouldn’t see those outside. They’re uhh…”

“They appeared when the switch happened,” Shenanigans chimed in. “They came out of a place in the Funhouse called the Surprise Room. That room had all sorts of magical goodies and effects. Ponies would basically go in there to get pranked and have a fun time. But one day a barrel full of these frazzits appeared, and once they got out, ponies’ minds started mixing up.”

“Do you know if the frazzits are the cause or the symptom of a wider magical problem?” Razz said.

“Lolligiggle says they’re the cause,” Shenanigans said. “She’s a pony who reads a lot and knows a lot. She says the frazzits are mentioned in old fairy tales, and they had the same effect in the stories. In the stories, if you put the frazzits back in the barrel, their magic goes away.”

“Have you tried that?” Kimono said.

“It’s hard,” Twirlerina said. “You’d have to go all over town to trap them. And what are you going to do with the ones you catch in the meantime? Put them in a cage? It’s hard to say no to those cute little eyes. But the hardest part is catching the ones in the Funhouse… Speaking of, we’re here!” They stopped at a multistory building that seemed to be located in the center of town. The walls were painted with grinning ponies, balloons, and treats in bright colors with a green background. Lights flashed all around, and the entrance was in the shape of a clown with a wide smile acting as a door. Cheery but repetitive organ music played from within.

“This is the Funhouse, also known as the Castle of Laughter,” Twirlerina said, gesturing with a flared wing. “It used to be the centerpiece of the amusement park. Now nopony goes inside. Ever since the frazzits appeared, the inside is impossible to navigate. The layout of the rooms keeps changing. Doors won’t open until you beat games and challenges. It’s a madhouse now. Many of the frazzits are in there, and so is the Surprise Room and the barrel. We’ve tried and tried to set things right and get the frazzits back in the barrel. But it’s just impossible.”

“We’ll probably want to try as well,” Razz said. “I’m not ready to lie down and accept this change as permanent yet. But we can discuss that later.”

“Right,” Twirlerina said. “I guess you’ll be staying for a while, then… You need a place, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Kimono said. Star couldn’t help but gawk at her saying Razz’s catchphrase.

Twirlerina started thinking and pacing. “Maybe we could… no…” Shenanigans walked over and whispered something to her. “Ooh, I like that idea!” Twirlerina said. “There’s an abandoned warehouse near where Shenan and I live. We could clean it up and you could stay there, at least for tonight. Sorry, it’s the best we can think of on short notice.”

“That’ll be fine,” Kimono said. “Thank you! Lead the way!”

* * *

Star sat on a bench outside of their abandoned warehouse. Twirlerina and Shenanigans had graciously dedicated hours towards helping them clean it out and make it livable. Now night was falling over Laughton. The warehouse was on an elevated position that overlooked some of the city. She could see rows of colorful lights shining through the fog, some of them flickering, some burnt out. This place was sad for its lost potential. It must have been so much fun here before. Still, it was beautiful in a way.

Star had borrowed Wonder’s accordion again. The music came to her, and she couldn’t stop it. She was working on modifying a tune whose name she couldn’t quite remember. It was a tune for festivals, but a few tweaks to the melody and tempo made it sound forlorn. She was quite focused on getting it right, so it was a while before she noticed that Wonder had come out to watch her. She was lying on the cobblestone street next to the bench.

Star nodded to her and switched tunes; she felt like that one needed some more workshopping before an audience should be hearing it. Her mind immediately took a turn for the romantic. As she often did, she noticed Wonder’s impeccable beauty. That silky mane, that thin figure, that popping green heart on her fetlock. The two of them were out together at night, alone in a foggy street. Of course a romantic theme was applicable. It had sweeping rises and falls, smooth phrases punctuated by sudden staccatos. Wonder was transfixed.

The song came to an end. “Hey, Wondermint,” Star said with a flirty edge.

“Hi,” Wonder said softly.

“Have I ever told you that you are gorgeous?” Star said.

“What?” Wonder said, her white cheeks flushing bright red. “Um, I think so? I don’t remember.”

“Well you are! Don’t let yourself forget it!”

“Thanks.” Wonder chuckled nervously.

Star looked into Wonder’s purple eyes for a moment. “I like you, and you like me,” Star said. “What if we kissed, right here?”

“What?” Wonder squeaked. Her eyes went wide for a moment, but then she smiled. “Um… I’d like that.” Wonder stood up to be at Star’s level, who was still on the bench. Star leaned her head forward, her heart fluttering with anticipation. Why hadn’t she done this before?

Was something wrong here? Their personalities were switched, yes. She was acting like Wondermint. But Wonder was acting like Star would, so in either way they were both consenting. So what was out of place?

Star paused just before their lips would have touched. “What is it?” Wonder said softly.

Unbidden, Wish-I-May’s fortunes came into her mind. First she had said that the two of them—Star and Wonder—would take their next step at the Castle of Laughter. That tracked. But the second time they had gone… Wish-I-May had said “remember who you are, and stay loyal to your friends.” That first bit seemed relevant, since they had switched personalities. But combined with the second bit… Was Wish-I-May warning her to think what Wonder would want?

Wonder liked Star. She knew that. But… she also liked January Joy. It seemed like Star inherited Wonder’s personality, but not her memories. Maybe that’s why they were willing to kiss now, but not before the switch. Without the memories, the inhibitions weren’t there. “We shouldn’t…” Star said with a sigh.

“Oh…” Wonder said, sounding a little disappointed. “Okay.”

“We’re not ourselves,” Star said. “We should talk about this again once we have our minds sorted out. But for now, let’s refrain.”

Wonder gasped. “That’s what she meant!”

“Huh?”

“When Wish-I-May told my fortune, the thing I wanted most…” Wonder blushed again and hid her face behind her hair, “was guidance on my feelings about you. Since, you know, I also like January Joy. She said to keep a clear head and the answers would come with time. But I suppose my head isn’t clear at the moment.”

“I see,” Star said. “She warned us both.”

“And I didn’t even think about it! I’m sorry!”

“Don’t apologize. Like you said, your head isn’t clear.” Star stretched and stood up from the bench. “We should go to bed before this night gets any crazier.”

“You’re right,” Wonder said.

“But first, come here,” Star said. She lifted a hoof for a hug. Wonder returned it hesitantly. Star hugged Wonder tightly, and held her for a long time. Wonder was a comforting presence for her, that made concerns about the chaotic magic, their possibly permanent mental mixups, and the impending prophecy of terrible suffering seem conquerable. “This is a complex word with a lot of meanings, so I’ll let you take it as you will, but… I love you,” Star whispered in Wonder’s ear.

Wonder gasped. “Uh, thank you!” Wonder said, stuttering. “I mean, uh… good night!” Star finally let her free from their hug. They went back to their warehouse to sleep through a strange night of mixed up dreams, hopes, and fears.

* * *

Kimono ran to cut off the frazzit’s path of escape. It disappeared and reappeared behind her. These things didn’t move very quickly, but they didn’t follow the laws of physics, either. Razz trotted up to her, panting. “This isn’t working,” Kimono said. They both looked at the frazzit, which they were trying to herd towards Wondermint, who had a large sack. The blue blob was farther from Wonder than when they had started.

“I was thinking, I might be able to do magic,” Razz said. “If I have your mental abilities, it should be possible. Maybe I can blow them into the sack.”

“You can do that?” Kimono said. “No fair! But it’s worth a try.” She had already tried doing magic last night, to no avail.

Razz and Wonder positioned themselves with the frazzit between them. Razzaroo closed her eyes and exhaled deeply. Kimono watched the frazzit, hoping for it to be blown towards the sack. It seemed to be taking Razz longer to do magic than Kimono normally would. Maybe it wouldn’t be possible in this mental state.

Kimono shifted her gaze back towards Razz, only she wasn’t there anymore. Wonder stepped back and choked back a startled neigh. “What happened?” Kimono said. “Razz, where are you?”

“I’m right here,” Razz’s voice said. It sounded like she was still across from Wonder, but Razz didn’t see her. The mist was thin today, with sunlight shining through. They were in an open area, a splash pad by the looks of it. She couldn’t have just disappeared!

“I think I’ve become invisible!” Razz said. Again, her voice seemed to be coming out of thin air. Kimono heard quiet hoofsteps from the same direction. “Ohh… the ability to do magic is a learned, mental trait. But the type of magic you do is a physical or inherited trait. I should have realized that. Well, maybe this can work. Wonder, I’m going to try to grab this frazzit. Once I pick it up, bring the sack to me, quickly.”

“Okay,” Wonder said, bouncing on her hooves. Kimono heard Razz creeping closer to the frazzit. It suddenly lifted into the air; she had grabbed it! Wonder rushed forward with the sack and bagged it in one coordinated sweep.

Razz reappeared, causing Wonder to jump back. “Well done,” she said. Kimono felt a wave of disappointment at the fact that she hadn’t been able to help in any meaningful way. She felt like she wasn’t good for anything, which was unusual for her.

Razz turned to her and said, “Where to next?”

“Oh, right,” Kimono said. Razz had given her the notebook, and Twirlerina had given her a pamphlet with a map. Shenanigans was leading another group to cover more ground, while Twirlerina and Star Dasher were preparing another abandoned building to house the frazzits comfortably while they gathered the rest. The others had trusted Kimono to guide them as they combed through the city systematically. But Kimono didn’t feel up to the task.

This had to be Razz’s mental traits coming through. Kimono knew Razz struggled with doubts about her self-worth, but feeling it was something else. “Um, could I speak with you, Razz?” Kimono said timidly. “Alone?”

“Oh, I could wait on the other end of the splash pad,” Wonder said.

“Yes, I suppose you should,” Razz said. “Thank you.” Wonder left them, stepping to a smooth tölt. “What is it, Kimono?” Razz said.

Kimono checked for other ponies around. The area was empty. “I don’t think that I can do this,” she said, exasperated.

“Do what?” Razz said.

“Um… be you?” Kimono said. “I mean, I feel like I’m not helping. I didn’t help catch the frazzit.”

“If you’d like to hold the bag next time, you and Wondermint can switch,” Razz offered.

“No, that’s… besides the point,” Kimono said. “Like, I don’t know what I’m good at. I don’t feel good enough.”

“Oh…” Recognition appeared in Razz’s eyes. “You can help us navigate.”

“I don’t know if I can,” Kimono said, her breaths shallow. “I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed. What do you do when you feel like this?”

“I’ve been feeling better lately,” Razz said. “Even before we switched. I remembered that my worth is not defined by what I have or my skills. The same applies to you. You have intrinsic worth, just for being who you are… Even if you’re somewhat a mix of both of us right now.”

“I understand the words you’re saying, but I don’t feel them,” Kimono said.

“Unfortunately, you don’t have my memories,” Razz said. “You don’t have that moment of fulfillment after the trial and the Wish sisters’ reconciliation.”

“I think I got the worst of each of us,” Kimono said, hanging her head. “Um, no offense. Oh, hoofness! I must sound like I think you’re worthless! I’m so sorry!”

“No, I don’t blame you,” Razz said. “I know this feeling. For now, you might just have to believe me when I say I see your worth. And we really do need you to navigate for us. I don’t think I can do it as well as you, to be honest.”

“Really?” Kimono said.

“Really,” Razz said. “You—or I, normally—are really good at staying organized. And the sooner we catch the frazzits, the sooner we can get you back to normal. So let’s get to it.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Kimono said. She put on a brave face, even if she didn’t feel much better. “Thank you.” She called out to Wondermint, who was chasing after a butterfly. “We’re finished. Let’s get back to it.”

* * *

Silly Lilly looked up at the Funhouse, intimidated. It seemed incomprehensibly large to him, although his vantage point was limited from Razzaroo’s back. He still hadn’t figured out how to fly. They thought they had found all the frazzits around town. Now they needed to go into the Funhouse to find the ones in there, as well as the barrel they had come from. But, as funhouses often are, this place seemed a little creepy, now that they were here. The organ music had already looped a couple of times since they arrived, and who wanted to walk into the mouth of a clown with an oversized grin?

“Hey, I have an idea!” Twirlerina said in Cantor. Silly was still surprised that he could understand it, considering he had no memory of learning it. “Do you ponies remember the fancy restaurant on the corner when you first came into town? Who wants to go there and order dessert first?” Silly interpreted this into Ponish for the others.

“We can all enjoy each other’s company once we’re ourselves again,” Wondermint said. She opened the door in the clown’s mouth and walked in without further hesitation.

“Oh, we’re going now,” Star said nervously. Silly rushed to interpret back to Cantor for Twirlerina and Shenanigans. Razz walked to follow Wonder into the Funhouse. From Silly’s perspective, the whole place was immediately disorienting. He felt like he was spinning, and his ears were ringing. Why were lights flashing everywhere? He lost track of the door and the other ponies, but he clung on to Razz’s mane.

By the time Silly came to his senses, they were in a small study room with a desk, bookshelves, and two doors. “Is everyone okay?” Razz said.

One by one, the ponies all confirmed. Their whole group was still here. Silly looked at the two doors uncertainly. Neither was the size of the one they had come in through. Where were they? Wonder tried one and found that it was locked. Shenanigans rattled the other one. Locked. “How did this happen?” Kimono said. “Where are we?” Silly jumped in to interpret.

“Magic,” Shenanigans said. “This place is overflowing with it. This is what stopped us the last time we tried to catch all the frazzits.”

“So, we need to decide whether we want to try to leave the Funhouse and regroup or press on and look for frazzits,” Razz said. “Although it may not matter which we choose, if we don’t know which way is which.”

“If we can, I’d like to press on and look for frazzits,” Kimono said. “But for now, we need to pick a door. And figure out how to unlock it.”

“Um, I think if we want to go farther into the Funhouse, it’s this way,” Twirlerina said, gesturing to the door that Star Dasher had tried.

“How… do you know?” Waterfire said.

“We’ve been exposed to this kind of magic for a lot longer than you,” Twirlerina said. “You get used to it after a while.”

“Um, for you, I guess,” Shenanigans added. “I’m pretty lost.”

“Well, I’ve been here longer,” Twirlerina said. “Or… you’ve been here longer. Your personality, which I have, has been here longer.”

“In any case, let’s try to get these doors unlocked,” Razz said. “There might be a key somewhere.” She tried to look through the drawers of the desk, but some of them were locked as well.

The others started looking through the room. “I found a chest with a four digit combination,” Wonder said. “Let me know if you see four numbers written on a note or something.”

“We don’t need a chest, we…” Kimono answered, then trailed off. She was looking at a note on the desk. “A cipher? Ohh… It’s a funhouse. This is a game. It’s an escape room.”

“What’s that?” Waterfire said.

“It’s a room that you have to escape from,” Kimono said. “Different secrets are hidden behind locks, combinations, and codes. We have to solve puzzles to get out. Maybe the key is in that chest, or maybe it just has another clue that will get us the key. Search the whole room. Look through the bookshelf, too. Keep an eye out for anything that might be part of the game.”

Waterfire looked around, still confused. Silly felt bad for him. Ever since leaving Breezie Blossom, thinking had been hard for Silly due to his reliance on his mental connection with the other breezies. Now, however, he could think clearly, with several other languages in his head as a bonus. Waterfire had likely inherited Silly’s unfortunate lack of mental abilities. “Hey, Razz, could you put me on Waterfire’s back?” Silly said. He tried buzzing his wings, but he just didn’t know what to do after that.

“Oh, certainly,” Razz said. She lifted him from her back to Waterfire’s.

“Just ask me if you have any questions,” Silly said quietly.

“I still don’t really understand what we’re doing,” Waterfire said.

“Look for anything that might be a puzzle or a clue. I’ll point them out if I see one.”

They all shuffled around the room for a few minutes, with Silly more or less directing Waterfire. He wanted to help Waterfire feel included. They paused when Shenanigans stomped her hooves and said, “Oh, we’re never going to get out of this!”

“Yes, we will get,” Kimono said. “These usually take about a hour. We do fine.” Her grammar was a little rough, but her Cantor was respectable considering how quickly she had learned it.

“No, I mean…” Tears started running down Shenanigans’ face. “We’re never going to be back to normal. I’m never going to go home. Or…” she pointed a hoof at Twirlerina, “you’re never going to go home. And I’ll be stuck with feelings of homesickness for a home that I don’t even know.” She curled up on the floor.

It took Silly a moment to remember that he was supposed to interpret for the others. After he did that, Waterfire responded, “Don’t give up. We all have each others’ brains, but the brain power is still there! My friends are all so smart, and you and Shenanigans know this place really well. Together, we can do it! But we won’t get anywhere if we don’t believe in ourselves.”

Shenanigans kept on crying. Waterfire lay on the ground next to her and nuzzled her. Shenanigans’ sobbing quieted down, but neither of them moved. Silly felt for her, but he thought the best thing for them all would be to keep moving. He couldn’t solve any of the puzzles from here… He carefully walked around the edge of the room to avoid getting stepped on. When he was near Razzaroo, he said, “If you have any codes that need solving, could you give them to me? Maybe my language skills would help.”

“That’s reasonable,” Razz said. She lifted him up to the desk and placed him in front of a piece of paper. “Could you work on this for us?”

They continued to work on solving the puzzles in the room. Shenanigans calmed down enough to rejoin their efforts. Soon enough they had found a key that unlocked the door that Twilerina said would lead back out. They agreed that they wanted to explore more of the Funhouse and try to capture some frazzits, so they kept working until they unlocked the other door.

They opened it and found a room with a door on the ceiling. “This whole place is going to be like this, isn’t it?” Kimono said. Silly interpreted, and Twirlerina nodded. “Well, here we go.”

* * *

They came into a room filled with funhouse mirrors. “Oh no, not this room again!” Kimono said. She pulled out her notebook—she was carrying Razz’s saddlebag at this point. She was trying to make a map of the Funhouse interior.

“Are you sure it’s the same?” Wonder said.

“Yes, it’s the same,” Razz said.

“Oh, ponyfeathers,” Twirlerina said. “Wrong way again.” She walked across the room to the two doors at the end. “This way.” She gestured to the door on the right.

“We went right the last two times,” Waterfire said. “Should we check the left door?” Silly started interpreting.

“No, I’m pretty sure it’s this way,” Twirlerina said. “We need to turn left farther ahead.”

“I’m not so sure…” Waterfire said, walking to the door on the left.

“No, wait!” Twirlerina said with a gasp as Waterfire opened the door. Behind it was a hallway. At the end was a door with a neon sign that said “The Surprise Room” in Cantor. That was exactly where they needed to go.

Twirlerina looked down the hallway quietly. “You knew!” Silly said, feeling a surge of anger.

“What, no I didn’t,” Twirlerina said too quickly.

“You led us astray on purpose, I’m sure of it!” Silly said.

“It seems that way,” Razz said, chiming in with her Cantor.

“What’s happening?” Waterfire said in Ponish.

Twirlerina’s eyes darted between the other ponies nervously. “Fine! I remembered this place from the last time we tried.”

“Why not tell us?” Silly said.

“It’s… complicated,” Twirlerina hesitated. “I… look, before I came here, I was depressed all the time. Could you imagine that? Then I switched personalities with Shenanigans, and now I’m happy. I don’t want to go back.”

Silly stared in disbelief. She was trying to stop them from fixing things? How could she?! “You were trying to stop us?” Shenanigans said. “Is that why you were always so defeatist when I said we should try again?”

“Um… that’s a simplistic way of looking at it…”

“You didn’t even want to get us fixed!” Shenanigans exclaimed. “Now I’m stuck depressed all the time. It’s so crushing, every day. I can hardly get out of bed in the morning, or afternoon, more often. Talking to strangers makes me want to go home and cry. The fear that everypony hates me is only mitigated by the certainty that they can’t hate me as much as I hate myself.”

“You think I don’t know what it’s like?” Twirlerina said, raising her voice. “Why do you think I don’t want to go back?” How could she be so selfish? Silly thought hotly. He was uncharacteristically furious.

“At least you had a home!” Shenanigans screamed. “A city full of loving ponies, family and friends. All I have is this dump!” She kicked open the door that led to the chutes and ladders room they had gone through earlier. “At least you had your beautiful body. Maybe if I had that, I could dan…” Shenanigans looked at the other ponies, seemingly remembering they were here.

In the silence that followed, Star said, “What is that sound?”

Silly started, “What soun—”

A sapling suddenly sprang through the carpeted floor near the door leading to the Surprise Room. It grew into a small tree right before their eyes. As its branches lengthened, they lashed out at Twirlerina and wrapped around her. She screamed and tried to wrench free, but it held on. “Silly, it’s your magic!” Razz said.

“What?” Silly said. “I don’t know how to stop it. I didn’t even know I started it!”

“Wrap your forelegs around me!” Star said, standing next to Twirlerina. She complied before Silly had time to interpret.

Star’s muscular form strained, and Twirlerina cried out in pain. “Careful, you’ll break my fetlock!” Silly hurriedly interpreted this, and Star slackened her grip.

Waterfire leapt forward, and there was a sudden flash of fire. The plant was charred, and Twirlerina easily snapped the branch that had wrapped around her. “Well done, Waterfire!” Kimono said. Somehow, he hadn’t even singed Twirlerina’s tail. He must have inherited Silly’s magical aptitude. However, the tree was springing back, and roots were snaking towards Twirlerina.

“Back up!” Razz said. They ran to the other side of the room, went through the door, and shut it behind them for good measure.

“I’m sorry,” Silly said. He had never been so angry at someone before. Maybe that was how he had lost control of his magic.

“How are we going to get to the Surprise Room now?” Shenanigans said. Silly interpreted for her.

“We won’t, at least for today,” Razz said. “We’ve become a danger to each other, and Twirlerina doesn’t want to help us. We need to work our way out.” If they could remember how to get to it, they had seen an exit earlier. “Then we can come back and try again without her.” No one tried to argue.

* * *

Silly rode on Waterfire’s back as they approached the door of Twirlerina’s house. Waterfire knocked it, and Twirlerina opened it just a crack. “I’m sorry, okay?” Twirlerina said. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Silly tried to keep a cool head, focusing on interpreting rather than thinking about what Twirlerina had done.

“I forgive you,” Waterfire said.

Silly interpreted this and added, “He’s talking, not me.” He certainly hadn’t forgiven Twirlerina.

“What, just like that?” Twirlerina said. “Well, Shenanigans won’t forgive me. I’ve been tricking her for years.”

Waterfire hesitated after Silly had interpreted. Then he said, “Do you want to go to that fancy restaurant and order dessert first?”

“Wh… what?” Twirlerina said. “Yes, I’d like that.”

“Then let’s go!” Waterfire said.

Twirlerina accompanied them to the restaurant wearing four long, mismatched socks, rather than her usual, smart-looking outfit with the skirt and beret. She was skipping as they went down the street, seeming to have forgotten her previous mood. The restaurant was in better shape than most of the city. There were several customers inside. The floors were spotless, and the décor was, indeed, very fancy. They had chandeliers, shiny mirrors, and potted flowers.

They looked at the dessert menu first, and Silly read it out for Waterfire. When the waiter came—wearing a fancy suit, of course—Twirlerina grinned and said, “I’d like to get the triple chocolate cake!”

“And I’d like the cumquat gelato, please,” Waterfire said. Silly interpreted for him.

The waiter tilted his head. “Those are desserts,” he said. “Would you like them after an appetizer, salad or soup, and entrée?”

“Nope, we want dessert first!” Twirlerina said gleefully.

“That is… unusual,” the waiter said. Silly caught a glimpse of his cutie mark under the tail of his coat. It was a wrench. Maybe he was a mechanic before everyone switched. “I should probably check with the manager.”

“We’ll get entrées afterwards,” Twirlerina said. “Don’t worry about it.”

The waiter thought for a moment. “Very well. One triple chocolate cake and one cumquat gelato. Anything else?”

“That’s it for now!” Twirlerina said. The waiter walked off. Twirlerina turned to Waterfire, holding back laughter.

“That was fun,” Waterfire said. Silly jumped in to interpret.

“Yeah,” Twirlerina said. “I’m surprised you wanted to come with me.”

“Why? Getting dessert here was your idea.”

“Because I… you know, misled you all,” Twirlerina said quietly.

“Oh, that,” Waterfire said. “But you said you were sorry. So I forgive you.” It was really that easy for Waterfire? That must have come from Silly’s own personality, but he hadn’t realized how forgiving he was until he watched from the outside. It was rather naïve.

“I feel so bad about it…” Twirlerina said glumly. The waiter brought them their desserts, but Twirlerina just poked her cake with a fork.

“I’d like to invite you to help us,” Waterfire said. “I think you know that what you did was wrong. Helping us will make you and the others feel better.” Twirlerina stared at her cake. Silence drew out for an uncomfortably long time. Silly looked at Waterfire, but he started eating his gelato.

“You know, it’s probably hopeless,” Twirlerina said at last. “Yes, I misled you, but we’re not the only ponies who have tried to make things right. The Funhouse is so hard to navigate. We were lucky to find the Surprise Room, but we would have to go through every room to try to find the frazzits in the Funhouse. If we miss even one, it won’t work. Besides, Shenanigans won’t want to work with me. I’ve been dishonest with her for years.”

“You’ll never know unless you try,” Waterfire said. “You haven’t apologized to her yet, right? I can… what’s the word? Stand between you two?”

“Mediate?” Silly offered.

“That sounds right,” Waterfire said. Silly interpreted the complete sentence for Twirlerina. “And we can’t just give up. If you can lead us the wrong way, you must know the right way, too.”

Twirlerina took a bite of chocolate cake but didn’t respond. However, Silly was feeling so impressed by Waterfire’s reconciliatory attitude that he felt he needed to do better himself. “I’m sorry for attacking you with my magic,” Silly said in Cantor. “It wasn’t on purpose, but I never should have gotten so angry with you to begin with.”

“That’s sweet of you to apologize, Silly,” Twirlerina said. She looked at Waterfire. “Fine, we can try with Shenanigans.”

* * *

Silly and Waterfire approached Shenanigans’ house, and Waterfire knocked. A light was on inside, but the curtain was drawn. The light in the foggy sky was dying. Hopefully they hadn’t come too late. “Who is it?” a voice called from inside. Silly quietly interpreted for Waterfire.

“It’s Waterfire!” he responded in Ponish.

“Give me a minute!” Shenanigans said from inside. Twirlerina stood back, just a figure in the darkening fog. Silly heard orchestral music playing inside, but it stopped.

A while later, Shenanigans opened the door. Her appearance was strikingly different from her normally plain presentation. Her blue, pink, and white mane and tail were pulled into tight, hairsprayed buns covered in glitter. She had mascara, eyeliner, and sparkly pink eyeshadow. “Wow, you look amazing,” Waterfire said with a gasp. Silly interpreted.

“No, I look silly,” Shenanigans said. “Well, not Silly like you, but… ridiculous. I look ridiculous.” She was blushing.

“No, you look perfect!” Waterfire said. “We’ve come to let you know that Twirlerina wants to apologize.” Twirlerina stepped forward, the light from the doorway sparkling in her feathers and tinsel hair. Shenanigans stepped back and started to close the door.

“Wait!” Waterfire said, sticking a hoof in the door. “Just listen.”

Twirlerina cleared her throat. “I’m sorry,” she announced. She was quiet for a while. “That’s all I really had to say. I have no excuse. I didn’t want to go back to, well, being me. I was being selfish, at your expense. What I did was wrong. I understand if you don’t forgive me, but these ponies have a better chance if we work together. You know more about the frazzits than I do, and I don’t get so disoriented in the Funhouse.”

Shenanigans was quiet for a while. “Well, thank you. I’ll work with you to help them.”

There was a pause in the conversation. “Were you dancing?” Twirlerina said.

“Um…” Shenanigans blushed again.

“That’s good,” Twirlerina said. “I remember that was the one thing that made me feel better. I know it’s hard to find the motivation, but dance as much as you can.”

“But… I can’t,” Shenanigans said. “I don’t have your lithe body, your sparkly wings, your shiny hair. I’m just a fat blue earth pony.”

“You’re beautiful, Shenan!” Twirlerina said emphatically. “Don’t ever run yourself down like that! Your hair colors are so nice. And you are perfectly healthy; I’m just skinny.”

Shenanigans smiled slightly. “Thanks. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yep, see you tomorrow!” Twirlerina said. Shenanigans closed the door. Twirlerina and Waterfire started walking down the road.

“Nice work, Waterfire,” Silly said quietly.

“Huh? What did I do?”

“You convinced me to give Twirlerina a chance. And you convinced Twirlerina to apologize to Shenanigans. Your kindness is holding us together.”

“Well, it’s really your kindness,” Waterfire said. “Isn’t it?”

“Well… in a sense,” Silly said. “But it’s your interpretation skills.”

“We’re all doing great, then!” Waterfire said. “We’ll figure this out, I know it.”

* * *

Silly Lilly shook his head, trying to orient himself after entering the Funhouse. It was every bit as discombobulating the second time. He was surprised to find that they were in the Twister room, rather than the escape room, where they had started last time. A Twister board was on the floor, and a spinner was mounted on the wall. Wondermint tried the doors. They were locked, of course. They would have to play through a certain amount of Twister to move on, just like last time.

The spinner turned and indicated right forehoof on red. Silly scrambled to a corner as the big ponies took positions on the board. Star Dasher put down the bag of frazzits that they had brought with them. They planned to find any frazzits in the Funhouse and put them all in the barrel in one go. It seemed improbable, but it was impossible if they didn’t try. “How are we here?” Kimono said. “Isn’t the escape room the first thing after the entrance?” Silly interpreted her words into Cantor.

“The entrance can put you anywhere in the Funhouse,” Twirlerina said. The spinner indicated right hind hoof on green. The ponies shifted, trying not to get tangled with each other.

“Does the whole Funhouse change, or is it just the entrance?” Razz said.

“I don’t know,” Twirlerina said after Silly interpreted. “I can guess, but I don’t understand this place as well as I let on.”

“Um, aren’t we in the same place as where the Twister room was last time?” Waterfire said.

“What makes you say that?” Razz said as she reached for a yellow dot.

“We traveled up to the third floor and ninety feet this way,” Waterfire said, pointing to a corner of the room. “That’s where the Twister room was last time.”

“How… do you know that?” Wondermint said, blinking.

“Oh… he has my sense of navigation,” Silly said, just coming to the realization. He hadn’t noticed when it was so hard to think, but looking back on his hazy memories, it was clear that the big ponies just didn’t have that internal sense of direction and distance that breezies had.

Razz looked over at Waterfire, craning her neck over Star Dasher’s shoulder as they became more entangled. “How confident are you in our whereabouts?” she said.

“I thought it was obvious,” Waterfire said with a shrug.

As Twirlerina reached for her yellow dot, she undermined the balance of their tangled pile of ponies. They all came crashing down. “Thinking back on it, my sense of direction was a lot sharper than you ponies,” Silly said. “I trust him.”

Star stood up and patted Waterfire on the shoulder. “You shall be our fearless leader now.”

“Well, maybe we do have a chance,” Twirlerina said.

Once they got out of the Twister room, they found that Waterfire’s sense of direction was uncanny. He systematically led them through the bewildering Funhouse, taking them to every room to search for frazzits without repeating any. They captured several more frazzits, and it seemed like they might really pull it off.

But then they reached a room that they couldn’t pass last time. It was a dance game with light-up pads all across the room that they had to step on. They had tried and tried with this room, but it seemed to want a perfect score, and none of them had the coordination. They had ended up taking a detour and skipping a section of the Funhouse.

“Oh no, not this again…” Kimono said.

“We have to try,” Waterfire said. “There could be frazzits behind that door.”

“Maybe we just need to pick the right song…” Star Dasher said, stepping up to the jukebox that would start the game.

While Silly’s friends discussed in Ponish, he noticed Twirlerina turn to Shenanigans and quietly say, “We could really use your help.”

“I can’t,” Shenanigans said, sounding depressed. “I’m not you.”

“But you are!” Twirlerina said. “That’s the whole reason we’re here.”

“No, I mean… I don’t have your beautiful body.”

“But you have your beautiful body. You got this.” Twirlerina gasped, and her face turned red. “I mean, I’m not really in a place to be asking anything of you, after I tricked you for all this time. Forget I said anything. We’ll find another way.”

Shenanigans bowed her head. “No, you’re right. I have to do this. For myself, if nothing else.” She pushed past Star Dasher and selected a song on the jukebox.

“Oh, uh, okay,” Star said. “Are you going to give it a try?”

Shenanigans stood in the center of the room. The song started with an intro from some kind of string instrument. It sounded like classical music. “Oh, I know this one!” Star said, taking the accordion off her back.

Floor panels started lighting up, and Shenanigans gracefully moved to them. She danced like a ballerina, twirling and posing beyond what the floor panels would require. Star joined in with the backing track, playing the melody on her accordion. Shenanigans appeared to know exactly what she was doing, seemingly moving towards floor panels before they had even lit up.

Her performance was angelic. The song concluded, and she hadn’t made a single mistake. Tears were streaming down her face, but she had a glowing smile. The door opened. “Are you okay?” Waterfire said. Silly interpreted.

“Yes, I just… I haven’t danced in so long,” Shenanigans said. “I forgot how good it feels.”

“You were beautiful,” Twirlerina said. “Stunning, amazing, perfect.”

Twirlerina tried to give Shenanigans a hug, but Shenanigans turned away. “I’m not quite ready to hug you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Twirlerina hid her face behind her wings.

They found a frazzit in the next room. They continued throughout the Funhouse until they thought they had gone everywhere. It was a long, hard journey, but the building had to be finite. Silly would have been hopelessly lost without Waterfire, but at last he led them to the Surprise Room. They stopped at the door, which was painted with an image of a white pegasus with yellow hair.

“Ready?” Twirlerina said. “Anything can happen in there. It’s crazy, even more than the rest of the Funhouse.”

“I’m ready!” Wonder exclaimed, kicking the double doors open full force with both hindlegs. Silly was on Waterfire’s back as they entered. It was a large, disordered room filled with an eclectic assortment of items. Crates of toys, puppets hanging from the ceiling, a phonograph playing a broken record. They searched throughout the room, sticking close together.

They came across a rather unassuming barrel. “I think that’s it,” Twirlerina said. Silly interpreted.

“So we just put the frazzits in the barrel?” Waterfire said. “And we’ll be back to normal?”

“If we’ve found them all, supposedly,” Twirlerina said. “According to Lolligiggle’s books.” She exhaled nervously. “I guess this is it. I tried to avoid it, but it might be time to be me again.”

“Do you need some time?” Shenanigans said.

“No, I’ve made you wait long enough. And… seeing you dance so joyfully gave me some hope. Having my depressed mind is hard. But I think I can get through it. I’m ready.”

“Great!” Star said, opening the barrel, which was empty. “There’s no time like the present!” She dumped her sack of frazzits into the barrel.

* * *

Silly knew immediately that it had worked. His mind felt fuzzy and dull, like he was only half-awake. All the ponies shifted and looked at themselves and each other, dazed. “It worked!” Silly said.

“Huzzah!” Wondermint exclaimed. They all cheered. Except for Twirlerina.

Shenanigans said something to Twirlerina. Waterfire interpreted it with a light accent. “You… gave up being me. You didn’t try to stop us. You helped us, in fact. I think I’m ready to hug you now.”

Twirlerina wordlessly opened her wings and wrapped them around Shenanigans. “Are you okay?” Shenanigans said.

“I… need to go home,” Twirlerina said.

“But you’ll write me?” Shenanigans said with wide eyes.

“Write you?” Twirlerina said. “Remember, I’m a messenger pony. I’ll come see you myself!”

“Do you think this affected the rest of the town, or just us?” Star said.

“I’d guess it affected everyone, but there’s only one way to know for sure,” Kimono said. “Let’s go.” They worked their way out of the Funhouse. It somehow seemed less confusing now, and they didn’t have to play games to move on to the next room. They were back at the entrance soon enough, and they stepped out into the sunlight.

Shenanigans and Twirlerina gasped in amazement. The city had been shrouded in mist since Silly got here, and probably much longer. But now the mist was gone and a golden sun was setting, the various tall rides casting long shadows over the colorful town. Shenanigans said something, and Waterfire interpreted, “It’s dazzling… Too bright!” She shielded her eyes.

“I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the one who made this all possible,” Kimono said. “Silly Lilly, thank you. We couldn’t have done it without you.”

Silly hovered in front of her, surprised. “What did I do?”

“You interpreted for us,” Star said.

“Well, I meant that he helped us navigate through the Funhouse,” Kimono said. “I know, it was Waterfire that did it, but it was Silly’s skill. So I think he deserves some credit.”

Waterfire was interpreting this all for Shenanigans and Twirlerina. Twirlerina added something, and Waterfire interpreted back. “And Waterfire convinced me to apologize to Shenanigans and help you ponies again. And like I—Waterfire—said, that was your kindness.”

“Well… we both deserve some credit, don’t we?” Silly said to Waterfire. “You were with me that whole time. And your speaking skills were just as good as my direction skills.”

“There’s that kindness again,” Waterfire said. “You are so nice to everypony, it’s incredible. And now I have an idea of how hard it is being you. You really do deserve some credit. You’re incredible.”

“Wh… I’m incredible?” Silly said. “Gah, you’re going to make me blush.” All this praise was making him feel really good. Like, really good. Like, what was that thing…? Something about discovering who he was? “I uh… the thing. I can’t remember how I said it. Kimono, do you remember?”

“I need some more context,” Kimono said.

“I said I wanted to come with you,” Silly said. “Because I needed to… figure out something about yourself.”

“Oh, you wanted to discover who you are without the breezie hive mind,” Kimono said.

“Is this it?” Silly said, eyes wide.

Kimono paused in thought. “I think it might be,” she said. “You are kind without compromise, forgiving without judgment, and insistent in your efforts to uplift others.”

“Uh…” That was a long sentence. “Thanks. I didn’t quite get that. But I feel it.”

“Congratulations!” Razzaroo said. “You’ve come so far since we started our journey. And I don’t just mean the distance. And we’re all super grateful to you too, Waterfire!”

“I’m happy to help,” he said.

“Well, I suppose we should head out soon,” Kimono said.

“Can we stay in the city a little longer?” Wondermint said. “I’d like to see it in the sun, with the ponies restored to their proper selves.”

“I have no objection to staying for a few days,” Kimono said.

Wonder looked at Star and said, “You and I might have some things to resolve, now that we’re ourselves again.” Star nodded in agreement.

* * *

Star Dasher waved at Shenanigans on the ground as the Ferris wheel lifted her and Wondermint into the air. The sun was setting in a clear sky over Laughton. The Ferris wheel was a little creaky as it raised them into a light breeze. “Uh, do you want to start?” Wonder said. “I always do the talking between us.” Her voice was shaky.

“Oh, um…” Star stopped and thought. “I don’t think I have anything to say that you don’t already know. I have a crush on you.” She blushed a little, but she didn’t squeak. After traveling with Wonder for so long, it wasn’t as nerve-wracking being with her. Wonder’s actions were outside of her control, so why worry? “I would love to be your marefriend. But only if you want to be mine.”

“I see…” Wonder said. “I see, I see… Uh, well, you know that I’ve been in relationships with a lot of different ponies. They usually don’t last long. I always mess things up.” She sounded scared and vulnerable as she continued. “I get distracted by somepony new, and I mess things up. Every time.” Star had never considered Wonder’s reputation in that light. “But when January Joy transitioned to be a stallion, he really caught my interest. Since we’ve always been friends, I thought maybe he was a pony I could stick with. I was working up the courage to tell him, when you suddenly left on an adventure and I had to come along. So, um, that’s why I’ve been resistant, but uh…”

Wonder was shaking and sweating at this point. She laughed nervously and said, “We’re high up.”

Oh, was that why she was so nervous? Star gasped. “I forgot you’re afraid of heights. I shouldn’t have suggested this as a place to talk.”

“No, it’s okay,” Wonder said. “It’s not that; I’m deflecting. Um… could you come sit next to me?” They were sitting opposite each other, but Wonder scooted to make room for Star on her side.

“Sure,” Star said, moving to Wonder’s side. The gondola shifted a little, but it wasn’t too bad. Wonder’s warm body pressed against Star. Star’s heart fluttered, but Wonder was shaking heavily. She rested her head on Star’s shoulder.

“I don’t just like you,” Wonder whispered. “I am smitten with you.” Star gasped in surprise. “The longer we’re together, the more I think about you. I would love to be your marefriend. But I’m afraid that I’m just going to mess it up again.”

“That’s… I’m flattered!” Star said. “When you say mess it up, how do you mean?”

“You know, uh… I used to get lovey-dovey with another pony and then have to confess to my marefriend or coltfriend afterwards,” Wonder said. Star couldn’t see her face, but her white ears were turning red. “I’ve gotten better at breaking things up with my partner before I do anything. But it doesn’t usually go over well when after a couple of months I say ‘we need to break it up so I can snog your nextdoor neighbor.’ I think I’m just… not built for relationships. Oh, I’m such a pathetic mess.” Star felt her sob quietly.

“You’re not a pathetic mess!” Star said. “You’re wonderful! Amazing, dazzling, even.”

“But how would you feel if I broke things up as soon as we got back to Joyville to be with January instead?” Wonder said. It was a pointed question. It wouldn’t feel good. Star had liked Wonder for so long… She wouldn’t want their relationship to end so quickly. But she had to consider Wonder’s feelings, too.

“I think… what’s important is that you’re honest with me,” Star said. “The time you tricked me at the hot spring… that hurt. But you’re telling me how you feel now, and I appreciate that. If you want to try it out, to be marefriends for now and let me know if you change your mind, I’d be okay with that.”

Wonder’s ears perked up. “Really?” she said.

Star paused. It wasn’t exactly her ideal dream. But it wasn’t fair to ask Wonder to commit her life. Star knew what it was like to have shifting interests, with all the hobbies she had left behind and picked up over the years. A marefriend wasn’t a hobby, of course. But now that she saw Wonder’s vulnerability, she wanted to give her a chance. “Sure, as long as you’re honest with me,” Star said. “I think my boundary is that you don’t kiss another pony while we’re marefriends. If you want to break it up, that's fine, but let me know first.” Star’s brain caught up with her, and she felt lightheaded. Was she really asking Wondermint to be her marefriend? “Or, you know, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

Wonder was quiet for a moment. Her breathing steadied, and her shaking subsided. “You are awesome,” Wonder said. Star blushed at the sudden compliment. “As in, you fill me with awe. You are strong, and kind, and bold, and patient.”

“Patient?” Star said. “That’s the last word I would use!”

“Remember, I’ve been in your head. Your mind is always on the move, and I know how hard it is, but you still sit through our boring meetings and lectures. It’s the effort that counts. And you’ve been patient with me. How many years have you been waiting for this?”

“Waiting… for what?” Star’s thoughts seemed distant as feelings rushed through her blood.

“I do!” Wonder proclaimed. “I mean… what do you say when…? Gah, turn your face towards me.” Wonder placed a hoof on each of Star’s cheeks and turned her head so they were facing each other. She launched into a big, mouth-to-mouth kiss.

Star felt like she had been shocked. Her eyes went wide for a moment; she hadn’t seen it coming. It didn’t take long for her to melt into the kiss, wrapping her forelegs around Wonder’s bony shoulders. For a moment, Star was oblivious to anything else besides Wondermint. Eventually, however, she heard a pony cheering and stomping their hooves. It didn’t seem important until Wonder pulled away. Star looked around in a daze. They were near the bottom of the Ferris wheel, and Shenanigans was cheering them from the ground. “I’m her marefriend now!” Wonder shouted. “Her Valentine’s, her significant other, her romantic partner!”

Shenanigans called back in Cantor. Star wasn’t sure what she said. Something about “happy.”

“You’re my dream come true,” Star said, feeling dizzy. Their kiss had been short, but Wonder didn’t do anything halfway.

“You’re my everything,” Wonder said. “And I’ll do my very best to keep it that way.”

* * *

Star Dasher and her friends met Twirlerina and Shenanigans at the edge of Laughton. It was time for them to part ways. “Now that Laughton is safe for ponies to visit, I’m sure Royal Rose will want to have regular communication,” Waterfire interpreted for Twirlerina. “So I’ll be back!”

“Well, I’ll be here!” Shenanigans said. “I can’t wait to see you again.” She turned to Star and her friends. “And you are always welcome here. You’ll be treated like royalty if you visit. You saved us all!” She went around the group and gave them each a kiss on the cheek as a sign of gratitude.

“We’ll probably pass through here when we go to bring Waterfire back to his home,” Kimono said. “I’m looking forward to visiting.”

“With everypony in their right minds again, this whole place could be transformed!” Shenanigans said. “I’ve been talking with some friends about getting some of the big roller coasters working again. Maybe we’ll have them fixed in time for Twirlerina’s next visit.”

“Oh, that sounds fun!” Star said.

“Good luck on your travels,” Twirlerina said. “Farewell.” They all said their goodbyes, and Star’s group started on the road that would lead to the Capital.

“I didn’t want to bring this up with them around,” Kimono said as they walked. “But we should consider what’s coming next. We were fortunate to come out of Laughton unscathed. But if we’re putting stock in Wish-I-May’s predictions, I don’t think the one she gave me has been fulfilled. Switching minds was uncomfortable, but did any of you feel like you went through terrible suffering?”

Star’s heart rate increased at the reminder of that ominous prophecy. “No, not me,” she said. The others all confirmed that they hadn’t felt that way.

“So, if her prediction was accurate, that danger still lies ahead,” Kimono said. “And we certainly helped many ponies here, like she said.”

“And I found answers about who I am, just like she said,” Silly added.

“So, do we need to continue?” Kimono said.

“Turn back, after we’ve come so far?” Wondermint said. “Neigh way! Whatever dangers await us in the Capital, we’ll face them together.”

“I… feel we may still have some role to play,” Kimono said. “We didn’t set out to find six castles. Whatever led to the decay of the Empire, it happened at the Capital. There are still mysteries to solve, and maybe we can change something for the better, like we did here and at Waterfire’s home.”

“Then forward!” Star said, rearing up.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Razz said.

“If we can help ponies, of course I’m coming,” Silly said.

“Let’s do it,” Waterfire said. They rode off into the morning, aware of the risk, but willing to face it.