One week or so after the events of Amnesia, Sapphire received a letter...
"Dear Sapphire Skies,
We hereby extend an invitation to both you and your son, to attend a meeting of sorts. Please come to the Palace next Saturday, at Seven P.M.
~Princess of the Night, Luna."
"Are we gonna go Mom?" Starry asked excitedly, his good wing fluttering. "Of course. Can't exactly defy a goddess that also happens to be a diarch, now can I?" Sapphire replied, smiling. "Why would anypony want to?" Starry asked. "I haven't the slightest..." Sapphire answered sincerely.
"I can't wait until Saturday!" Starry declared, his wing fluttering again. "Good thing it's thursday, huh?" His mother asked, teasing his mane a bit. "Uh huh!!" he agreed, playfully trying to push her hoof away. "Alright Starry, go get ready for bed." Sapphire expertly redirected his energy. "Okay!" he happily agreed, galloping off through their home.
Two days later...
Sapphire and Starry had slept in all day Saturday, so they would be able to meet Princess Luna bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. They traversed the ten-minute trot from their home to the palace.
"Your Highness, Miss Sapphire Skies and her son have arrived. Shall I bring them in?" A palace guard informed Luna. "At once." she replied, a smile appearing.
"Good evening Sapphire, Starry." Luma greeted, as the pair entered the throne room. Thankfully (for once) Night court was very slow that night. "Hello Princess." Sapphire returned, bowing. "Hi Luna!" Starry greeted happily, before remembering to bow as well, nearly falling over from the unfamiliarity of the action.
"Thank you for coming. We decided last week, that once you were more...acclimated to your old life, We would check up on you. Also, Sapphire, We would like to introduce you to the guard who found Sha-...Starry. And the doctor who tended to him afterward." Luna explained, smiling somewhat sheepishly at her mistake. "That's kind of you Princess, I would love to meet and properly thank them." Sapphire agreed. "I wanna meet them too!" Starry added. "Good. Send in the Captain and the Doctor!" Luna called out, borderline Royal Canterlot Voice Levels.
Moments later, the two earth ponies entered.
The captain was lacking his armor however, revealing his brown coat, short dark brown mane, hazel eyes (as opposed to the piercing yellow of when his armor was donned) and a namesake cutie mark, a silver shield.
The Doctor was not lacking any of his usual apparel, which consisted of an pure white lab coat, and glasses. His jet-black mane was slicked back, matching with his blue coat. His caring orange eyes contrasted with almost everything, however. His cutie mark was obscured by his coat.
"Good Evening Princess." Both Stallions echoed one another, bowing. "And to you as well." Luna replied. "And you must be the Mother." Doctor Anesthesia observed.
"Yes I am. And you must be the doctor that fixed up my little filly." Sapphire replied kindly, playfully rubbing Starry's head. "Indeed I am. Doctor Anesthesia at your service Miss..." the doctor started to return, unbeknownst of her name. "Sapphire Skies. Pleased to meet you." She finished for him, smiling.
"Thank you Doctor Ana...ama...anastatseya." Starry orally fumbled. "Just Doctor would also work. Starry, right?" he asked. The colt hummed an affirmative, nodding as well. "Alright Starry, do you mind if I take a look at your wing?" the Doctor asked. "Uh, sure." Starry answered, trotting up to the stallion.
"And who are you?" Sapphire asked the silent guard, walking over to him. "Captain Steel Shield, Ma'am." he answered, saluting. "You found my little filly and brought him to the Princess?" Sapphire asked. "Yes ma'am." Shield answered. "Thank you." Sapphire said softly, before kissing him on the cheek.
A faint blush appeared upon the stallions muzzle. "Y-you're welcome Ma'am." Shield stammered back, essentially failing his duties as a guard, due to him being caught off guard. "You don't have to call me 'Ma'am'." Sapphire told him, as if nothing had happened. "Y-yes Miss Skies..." Shield said, utilizing a loophole.
"Good news Starry! Your wing is completely healed. Although, due to the nature of what caused the healing process to be significantly sped up, your wing is still...weak. You will need to condition and exercise it before any real flying can be done, alright?" Doctor A. informed the colt. "Really?!" Starry asked happily, his good wing fluttering. "Yes." he replied, smiling as he removed the brace, revealing a rather feeble looking wing.
Starry carefully stretched the feathered appendage, as instructed by the doctor. "Good, now flap a few times." Dr. A. continued. Starry complied, slowly flapping the wing.
"Now just do this a couple times each day, and you'll be ready to fly in no time." the Doctor prescribed. "Great! Thank you Doctor! But...why did my wing heal up so fast?" Starry asked, curious. "I assume because of prolonged exposure to magic, particularly that of multiple unicorns. And a certain Princess." the doc answered.
"Do not speak of Us like We are not here." Luna gently childed, upon being rousd from her daydreaming (a completely voluntary occurrence for her, the ruler of dreams). "I'm sorry Princess." Doc replied, smiling.
"So...would you like toooooo...go out...sometime?"
"Sure! When?"
"When are you free?"
"You are both free. Right now." Luna interrupted Shield and Sapphire, as they were enveloped in dark blue magic and forcibly ejected from the room.
"..."
"..."
"What? Just because Cadance is the Alicorn of Love, does not mean We can not give things...a little nudge..."
"But that's my mom."
"Yes. Good observation. Anything else ?"
"..."
"I thought so."
"Sapphire, we cannot go back in." Shield decided. "Why not? We decided on a better date, and I would like to get back to my filly. Celestia knows what's happening in there." Sapphire argued.
"For the last time, I am not Omniscient!" The Solar Princess countered, all the way from the tower above them. "Sorry Princess..." Sapphire apologized sheepishly.
And with that, The Wise but not All-knowing Princess left her balcony to prepare a Royal Decree pertaining to the use of her name in Expressions of speech.
"So why can't we go back in?" Sapphire asked after a moment of awkward silence. "Because...the guard have a contingency plan for a situation like this." Shield answered, rather ashamedly. "Situation?" Sapphire asked, annoyed. "Y-yeah...situation...If a guard is asked by or asks a pony out on a 'date', and a Princess finds out, she has the right to do one of three things. One, immediately break it up. Two, order that the 'dating' be left till the guard is off duty. Three, immediately evacuate the two ponies from the castle, so that they may continue in solitude. These decisions cannot be denied, counteracted, or undermined. Legally. Therefore, we are not 'Allowed' to go back inside without explicit permission from the Princess who gave the command." Shield informed the mare.
"...That's...but...she......Horsefeathers!!!"
"Believe it or not, that contingency was created as a result of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her husband, Shining Armor." Shield added. "I can't imagine why...but since we've gotten into this 'situation', we might as well enjoy it. It's only...eight o'clock? That's not too bad." Sapphire replied, optimistically. "Especially since one of us is nocturnal." the lunar guard agreed, smiling. "What a surprise. I might as well make the switch. It's not like I actually work during the day or anything like that." Sapphire sarcastically mused. "Uh huh. By the way, what is your job? I'm assuming you're...involved with weather? Isn't that a pegasi's job?" Shield asked. "Yes it is. And no I'm not. I know you've seen my cutie mark, what with you starin' at my flank so much. Yes, I noticed. The only reason I didn't say anything was because my son was there." Sapphire sassily responded.
"I...Uh...erm...well...sorry?" Shield frantically stammered, blushing a bit as he avoided eye contact. "Uh huh. Well, anyways. My 'special talent' is book making. Not the writing, but the actual binding and such." Sapphire dismissed his mistake, with a gesture to her flank, indicating the cutie mark of a half-made book.
"...You can stop staring now." Sapphire casually reminded Shield, whose eyes had lingered a bit too long. "S-sorry..." Shield stammered, ripping his eyes away. "Quit saying sorry. Now, if this first date goes well, I won't mind a little stare here and there. But! Until then, if then, keep your eyes above the neck, alright?" Sapphire layed down the law. "Alright..." Shield replied, ashamed.
"Why does every stallion I like act like a foal?" Sapphire asked herself quietly, walking past Shield.
"Starry? Wake up." Luna told the slowly nodding off colt. "Huh?! I'm awake!!" he quickly stammered, jumping a bit. "Are you tired? It is only eight o'clock. The night has barely even begun." Luna asked. "A little...I'm used...to being...awake during...the...day...again..." Starry answered, threatening to fall asleep where he stood. "Then that gives me an idea. Doctor? Are you tired as well? Be honest." Luna asked, a grin starting to appear. "Exceedingly Your Majesty." Doc replied, maintaining his illusion of being awake. "Then let us have a little nap." Luna declared softly, as her horn glowed.
Three Alicorn-sized cushions materialized on the ground in front of Starry and the Doctor. The Alicorn herself descended from her throne to lay on one of the cushions. She gestured for the other two to do so as well.
Once everypony was comfortable, Luna's horn glowed again. In a matter off seconds (and slight confusion) Starry fell over sideways, asleep. The Doctor copied his actions almost immediatley. Luna's horn continued to glow, until she slowly drifted off to sleep, albeit a result of her own doing.
Starry opened his eyes to see Luna smiling down at him. "Hello Starry. Welcome to the Dream-world." she greeted, gesturing to the...chaotic area around them.
"Wow..." Starry heard from behind him. The colt turned around to see the Doctor standing on a ceiling. "How'd you..." Starry started to ask. "Physics mean nothing here Starry. You could fly without wings, use magic without a horn, or even breathe underwater. Anything is possible, and the possibilities are endless." Luna interrupted the colt. "...wow..." He mumbled.
"I second that." Doc agreed, before walking off of the ceiling to hover next to Starry, still upside down. "This is making my head hurt...almost as much as when Twilight made me read forty-seven volumes of Equestrian Historic Fiqures, and just a bit more than when I had to read Starswirl's books..." Starry complained, rubbing his head. "You read all of that?! In such a short time?!" Luna asked, very surprised. "Twilight cast a Speed-Reading spell on me..." Starry explained. "That explains it. We shall have to inform Our sister to never allow Twilight to become an official teacher. Clearly, she tries to impress her habits onto others, even if unknowingly. We are sorry Starry." Luna apologized, hiding a smile. "It's okay, I still got to meet the CMC." Starry dismissed happily. "The what?" Doc asked.
"The Cutie Mark Crusaders! Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo. They're my first friends since...you know. Actually, did I have any other friends?" Starry explained/asked himself. "We do believe We have heard of some of their antics through Twilight's Friendship Reports. Those 'Tia would let Us read anyway. Well it is good to see you are still making friends, despite all that has transpired. We
are-...Doctor? We believe somepony is in need of your assistance." Luna said, stopping mid-sentence. "How can you tell?!" Doc asked, surprised and instantly alert. "Your ear is twitching. That is your Dream-sign that somepony or something is trying to awaken you. Now, return to the waking world and tell Miss Lacy to bring two tankards of...what was it called again...oh! Coffee! Two tankards of Coffee." Luna informed him, smiling as her horn glowed.
The doctor slowly faded from the dream, going so far as to strike a somewhat heroic pose, before disappearing entirely.
"..."
"Yes, We know, he can be a tad eccentric at times. But, he is great at what he does, and with foals as well. He can give a colt a shot, who would have bucked at any other doctor." Luna chuckled.
"Captain, I really think we should be getting back soon. I'm worried about Starry..." Sapphire voiced her concern. "But he's with the Princess, AND a doctor. What could possibly go wrong?" Shield asked, nonchalantly. "You just had to ask. What if he has a relapse or something?! What if he forgets everything again?! He'd forget me...again...and then he might end up believing that the Princess is his mother...and not want to come back to me...you know how stubborn colts can get...not that Starry was ever like that...but what if his personality got altered...he's already more reserved and shy than before...he might just become the opposite!! An out of control, rebellious, stubborn filly!" Sapphire argued vehemently. "I doubt ANY of that will happen. You're just worried about your son, which is completely natural by the way, and you're immediately assuming the Worst might happen. Calm down, and try to enjoy this nice dinner. It's not often that the Royal Chef agrees to prepare something so nice, for only two. Although, dragging a cello player into the whole thing was a bit much...not that she didn't sound amazing..." Shield countered, glancing over to a grey mare who merely nodded in understanding, as she finished packing up her cello and left the small dining room.
"...Awkward..." Sapphire mumbled, as a pony trotted away with their plates. "What first date isn't?" Shield asked, trying to ease the tension. "A successful one." Sapphire countered, smiling as she got to her hooves and started for the exit. "What are you trying to say?" Shield asked, trying to hide a smile as he followed. "I don't think This date really worked out...maybe we need to have another one some other time. Second dates are usually pretty good, right?" Sapphire asked teasingly. "Usually." Shield replied, laughing.
"Good. So, now that that's out of the way, what would you like to do now, Capitán?" Sapphire asked, playing with the title a bit. "Go check up on the Princess and Starry. Who knows what trouble they've gotten into. Even off-duty, I'm obligated to protect the Princess from any and all threats. Especially those of a small, helpless filly." Shield answered proudly. "A Pegasus that can't even fly? What's he gonna do? Dramatically declare that this was all a disguise, to get close to her, to attempt a coup d'état?" Sapphire joked, as they began the trek to the castle. "You never know. It's the quiet ones you have to look out for..." Shield countered. "Starry couldn't scare a butterfly. Or even Fluttershy." Sapphire playfully countered. "What?" Shield asked, confused. "An exceedingly shy and timid mare I met in Ponyville." Sapphire answered, smiling. "Ah. Well, I still think we need to get back. If anything, to work out the custody agreement." Shield said, completely deadpan, speeding up his pace slightly.
"Custody Agreement?! What do you mean?!" Sapphire asked, surprised. "Over Starry. The Princess has become like a second mother to him since the coltnapping, and probably wants to spend more time with him, now that the Acclimation week is over. She might want Weekends, or maybe even every other week." Shield continued, still emotionless.
"Horsefeathers!" Sapphire cursed. "Hey! I was just joking Saph. While she might want to see him more, I doubt it'll actually involve a Custody agreement. Certainly not every other week." Shield quickly worked to diffuse the time-bomb that is a protective mother. "You better be right...and did you just call me 'Saph'?" The mare asked, a quizzical expression written across her face. "Um...yes?" Shield answered, the courage of a guard vanishing. The unicorn's eyes briefly looked saddened, before she smiled. "Stormy used to call me 'Phire...but...I like 'Saph' better. So, I'll let'cha slide on this." Sapphire told him, walking closer to him now, their sides almost touching. "Thanks..." he mumbled, hoping that she wouldn't notice the faint blush on his face.
A few somewhat silent minutes later, the couple arrived at the castle.
Surprisingly, despite the Protocol concerning Guards and dating, the two guarding the entrance allowed them in without any problems.
Upon arrival into the throne room, Sapphire noticed that it was completely devoid of life. "Where'd they go?" She asked the only other pony. "I haven't got a clue. Maybe they-Hey! I found something. Looks like a letter..." Shield declared, pointing to a piece of parchment laying near a tray of empty tankards. "Oh!" Sapphire exclaimed, a bit of anger in her voice.
The letter glowed with blue magic, floating over to the unicorn.
"Dear Sapphire Skies and Captain Shield,
Starry and We have moved to Our personal chambers so as to be more comfortable. Miss Skies, We have something important to discuss with you, so please come at once. Captain, you can have the rest of the night off if you wish. If not, you may stay with Miss Skies if she will allow it. Otherwise, your shift is already being covered, so you will not be able to truly work.
~Princess of the Night, Luna."
"What's it say?" Shield asked, unable to see the letter. "The Princess and Starry are in her chambers and she wants me there ASAP. You can read the rest." Sapphire replied, barely hiding her emotions as she passed the parchment to him.
"So I have the night off, and I can either go home, or stick with you? IF, you'll let me?" Shield paraphrased. "You can. I don't mind the company." Sapphire replied, finally smiling. Shield smiled as well, and cheerfully followed her to...
"Excuse me, do you know where Princess Luna's chambers are?"
"Down the hall, through the first door on the left." answered a random Solar guard.
"Thank y-"
"Then go up the spiral staircase and through the yellow door."
"Okay, tha-"
"Make an immediate right turn and continue down the hall for five hundred meters."
"O-"
"Then make a u-turn when safe to do so."
"..."
"Jump down the rabbit hole, and DON'T drink from the bottle. Either of them."
"Maybe we should ask somepony-else..."
"Once confronted with the Legendary Black Beast of Aaaaarrrrrrggghhh, you must tell it that it's animator has survived the heart-attack and wishes to meet up over tea."
"Shield! We need to go!"
"0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, 17711, 28657, 46368, 75025, 121393, 196418, 317811..."
"Fiponyacci sequence?!"
"What's that?"
"Shield! Just Run!!!"
"3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971693993751058209749445923078164062862089986280348253421170679..."
"What the buck?!"
"Shut up and run!!"
"...White Knight, standing by...come in Sun Fort...over..."
"This is Sun Fort."
"Black Knight and Black Bishop have been successfully diverted and do not suspect a thing...over."
"Good, return to Sun Fort, over."
"Copy that. White Knight over and out."
"Wheew...we made it..." Sapphire panted, after rounding the corners of more than a few hallways. "And now...we're lost..." Shield commented, not affected by the sudden physical exercise. "Shouldn't you know the way around the Castle, seeing as you work here and all?" Sapphire snipped. "I never had to go to the Royal Chamber wing. Or really anywhere that wasn't the kitchen, throne room, or somewhere in-between." Shield quickly countered. "But you're a 'Palace' Guard!" Sapphire argued. "No. I'm a Lunar Guard. I go where I'm told, regardless of whether it's in the palace or not." Shield proudly corrected. "Same difference...now let's find a Sane pony who can give comprehensible directions." Sapphire redirected, turning to walk down the hall.
"You lost?" A deep disembodied voice asked.
"Uh..."
"I'll take that as a yes. Luna's chambers are straight down this hall, take a left at the intersection, and keep going till you find a big set of double doors with some moons and stars and stuff on it." the voice continued.
"T-thank you?" Sapphire stammered, confused and slightly afraid. "Oh, it was my pleasure." The voice replied as it's owner appeared from a doorframe. It was just a Lunar guard. "Comet! It's great ta see you again!" Shield exclaimed, somehow recognizing the stallion despite the illusionary armor. "Hey Shield. It's good to see you as well. But, don't let me keep you. Luna's a waitin'. Plus, I see you've finally found a little mare for yourself. Quite the catch, eh?" Comet replied, whispering the last two sentences so that only Shield heard them. A faint blush appeared on the latter's face, as he said his goodbyes to his co-worker, and led the way in an attempt to hide it.
"Well it was nice of...Comet, right? It was nice of him to give us directions." Sapphire commented, not noticing Shield's embarrassment. "Yeah, it was." he quickly answered.
There was a knocking upon the Princess' (surprisingly unguarded) doors.
"Enter." came a reply from within. Shield carefully pushed open one, and allowed Sapphire to trot past him, before closing it.
"Welcome, Miss Skies and Captain Shield. We hope your journey was not too tiring." Luna greeted from her bed. "It wasn't." Sapphire answered, sharing a look with Shield. "Good. But just in case, We requested some...Coffee for you two. It seemed to wake Starry up." Luna replied, smiling.
"What?" Sapphire asked, dumbfounded. "Where is that little filly anyway?" Shield asked aloud.
Suddenly, black blur dropped from...somewhere, and latched onto Shield's face. Surprisingly, nopony moved for two whole seconds.
"Hi!" Starry greeted, not moving from Shield's muzzle. "GWAAAH!!!" The Stallion yelped, falling over backwards, as Starry let go. The colt slowly fluttered to the ground, making sure not to overexert his wing.
"IsHeGonnaBeOkay?" Starry quickly asked, trotting in place to alleviate some of his excess energy. "Just fine. You just STARtled him." Luna replied, laughing a little at her pun. Despite what he was just told, Starry jumped onto the Stallion's chest, and looked him in the eyes again.
"YouOkay?" He asked. "Y-Yeah...I'm fine...Uh...can you get off of me?" Shield asked, a little confused. "Sure!" Starry agreed, smiling as he bounced to the floor.
"What was that you said about him being 'Shy' and unable to 'scare a butterfly'?" Shield asked Sapphire with a smile. "Caffeine. I try to keep him away from large quantities if at all possible." Sapphire easily countered.
"Indeed...he is much more...lively now." Luna agreed, her eyes moving in sync with the bouncing filly in front of them. "Exactly my point. Just how much coffee did he drink?" Sapphire asked, smiling. "Two." Luna answered, gesturing to two identical and rather large tankards on a nearby table. "T-Two?! Of those?!" Sapphire sputtered, looking like she was about to have a heart-attack. "Yes. Is there a problem?" Luna asked.
"Yes...Princess, how many can you drink before you become 'Hyper'?"
"Two."
"Starry has drank that same amount. And you are three times his size. That same insane amount of caffeine is coursing through his tiny body. I'm surprised he'd not literally bouncing off the walls." Sapphire further explained. "That took place earlier." Luna informed her with a sheepish smile. "Oh Celestia help me..." Sapphire sighed, rubbing her forehead. "What can she do to help, that We cannot?" Luna asked, a bit jealous. "No, no Princess, it's a figure of speech. I was not really...well...nevermind..." Sapphire quickly scrambled to recover. "We...do not comprehend..." Luna stated.
"Mom'sJustALittleFrustrated! SheSaysThingsThatSheDoesn'tMeanSometimes!" Starry jumped in, still smiling and bouncing.
"How long till the coffee is out of his system?" Shield whispered to Sapphire. "Depends. Princess? When exactly did you give Starry the coffee?" The mare asked. "An hour ago." The Alicorn replied, a tad bit curious as to the reason behind the question.
"Then the caffeine should wear off...in...'sixty minus the square root of the quotient of 97 and X....carry the 1...account for the obvious answer of 42...Y = 37X - Z...solve for Y...and wait for Starry to suddenly fall asleep, A.K.A., Crash in...3...2...1...'" Sapphire replied, smiling as her little filly stopped bouncing on 3, stumbled for a few steps on 2, and finally collapsed on 1.
"Wow...that was...pretty accurate..." Shield mused. "I saw him yawn as I was pretending to solve complex algebra. That's how I knew 'When'." The mare explained, smiling. "Clever." Luna commented.
The colt was enveloped in the blue magic of his mother, and carried to a cushion.
"Starry will not awake for some time, so We believe this is an excellent time for us to discuss some matters at hoof." Luna stated, her smile fading. "Such as?" Sapphire asked, suspicious. "Despite what Shield told you in jest, this does involve Starry and his life. But not Custody. In fact, this is completely up to you and him, whether it will actually happen." Luna answered easily.
"The Stargazers are a group of ponies who have dedicated their lives to Our night sky. They study the stars, create star-maps the prove most beneficial in times of crisis, and most importantly, they keep Us in check. If there is a problem, or change with any part of Our night sky, they inform me. We are telling you this, because the Captain if the Stargazers, Shining Star, is retiring. He is being replaced by his Apprentice, Constellation. She, according to tradition, will most likely take on an Apprentice as well. As far as We know, and We are quite sure about this, Constellation lacks said Apprentice-to-be. Therefore, if you allow it, We would like to offer Starry the chance to be that Apprentice." Luna explained at length.
"How often would I be able to see him?" Sapphire asked, her emotions conflicting. "That would have to be decided between you and Constellation." Luna replied. "But...in the end, it's really up to Starry, isn't it?" Sapphire sadly asked. "No. He does not even need to know. That is why We asked you first." The Princess replied.
"Okay...I've decided to-" Sapphire started to state. "Hold thy tongue, for there is one more thing We wish thee to know...We are sorry for the language...We would like to explain what the full situation of an Apprenticeship would mean for dear Starry." Luna interrupted. "Oookay...But Princess, I-" Sapphire started to reply, before the Alicorn held up a hoof for silence.
"The Apprenticeship itself would require Starry to live with Miss Constellation, and at most, only be able to see you once or twice a week. At least, once a month. It has been discovered that most apprentices end up considering their mentors as extended family at the least. At the most, second parents. In Starry's case, We believe the latter would become true. Much like with his...attachment to Ourself. He has accepted you as his mother, and a friend, but not much beyond that. Please do not be mad, but if given an ultimatum, We do not know if he would pick you...or Us. We do not wish to cause any problems, but...We feel this Apprenticeship may be in his best interest..." Luna explained.
"Princess, with all due respect, and then some, I know what an apprenticeship is. I was an apprentice myself when I was Starry's age. Before the incident, I was actually trying to find him a mentor in something he truly enjoyed. Considering that, I'm actually very happy you found somepony that might actually take him. Sure, I love him, and I really don't want to send him off, but he's proven that book-making isn't his forte. And after what he went through with Miss Sparkle, I'm surprised he can even stand to look at a book. Princess, I decided to let him go, even before you needlessly explained everything. That's what I was trying to tell you, before you cut me off." Sapphire countered, smiling. "Oh...well...then...good. We shall...arrange a meeting with soon-to-be-Captain Constellation." Luna responded, a bit surprised. "I think Starry should meet her first." Sapphire added. "Then it shall be so!" Luna announced rather loudly, trying to get back on top of the conversation. "You don't have to yell Princess." Sapphire kindly reminded the Alicorn. "Nopony but Twilight Sparkle and Our Sister have been this 'familiar' with Us in over a thousand years...Thank you Sapphire..." Luna said quietly, in contrast to just moments before. "You're welcome Princess!" The unicorn replied, smiling.
Author's Note
I would like to personally thank [insert name here] for proofreading.
I would also like to offer the position of proofreader since [insert name here] sucks.
Two weeks later...
Princess Luna was on a small stage, standing next to a light blue unicorn, who had a darker blue mane and tail. Happiness was apparent in her brown eyes that scanned the small gathering of ponies in front of the stage. Her cutie mark was an image of a star shaped formation of stars.
"Due to Shining Star's recent retirement, We hereby declare that Miss Constellation is the new Captain of the Stargazers." Princess Luna announced at the ceremony, celebrating the departure of a well-loved stallion, and the acceptance of an almost equally loved mare. "Thank you, Your Highness." Said mare replied, bowing. "You are certainly welcome. We do have one request, however. " Luna added, once the applause had died down and they had moved off-stage.
"Anything Princess."
"In addition to your new duty's, the Captain of the Stargazers traditionally takes on an Apprentice, as We are sure you are fully aware. In light of this, We would like to recommend a certain colt. He has proven to be a very diligent and loyal pony." The Princess informed her. "Not to be rude, Your Highness, but I think I would prefer to meet and get to know this colt first, if you don't mind. I'd rather not make a hasty decision we might both regret." The unicorn replied. "But of course. Sha-...Starry Skies, please come out now. We would like you to meet somepony." Luna seemingly said to the air.
"Yes Luna?" Starry replied, steeping out from behind some curtains. "This is Miss Constellation. Constellation, this is Starry Skies."
"H-Hello Miss Constelleshon."
"Hi Starry Skies. And it's 'Constellation'. Like the images the Princess creates with the stars. But you can call me Stella. Almost everypony does. Royalty excluding." Constellation cheerfully replied, smiling."We feel it is too...familiar. Maybe if We knew you better, as opposed to only seeing you in the hoofsteps of Shining Star when you were his apprentice." Luna gently childed, smiling. "It's not my fault he kept me busy most of the time. I was always forced to take notes on what he said and whatever he was talking about. Along with any other tasks he would have me do. Magical Multitasking might as well have been my talent with how much of my time was taken by it." Stella countered. "Well, maybe you will spare your apprentice the agony of such things. And such is the reason Starry is here." Luna remarked, gently pushing the filly forward with her wing.
"Um..." Starry mumbled shyly, keeping his eyes on the ground. "So, you want to be my apprentice, eh?" Stella asked, lifting his head up with her hoof. "I-if that's okay..." He very quietly mumbled. "That remains to be determined. I believe an interview is in order, right Princess?" Stella suggested. "Certainly." the Alicorn replied, smiling somewhat mischievously. "Um..." Starry mumbled, seemingly a little worried, upon seeing Luna's smile.
"Favorite color?"
"...blue..."
"Favorite fruit?"
"...apples..."
"If there was one thing you could do to make Equestria better, what would it be?"
"...Uhhhhhh..."
"Anything. Anything at all."
"...um...blue apples?"
"......Next question!! What is your opinion on bananas?" Luna cringed at this question.
"Um...they're okay, I guess..."
"How do you feel about being magically carried around?"
"...Uh..."
"It's a serious question. My mentor used to do to me all the time, like when I was moving too slow."
"Welllll...I think it's kinda fun. Like flying...I think..."
"Who is your favorite Princess?"
"Luna."
"Favorite Celestial body?"
"Moon."
"Favorite constellation?"
"Pegasus."
"What quadrant is it in?"
"NQ4"
"...good job...how many stars?!"
"Nine."
"...Square root of one-hundred and seventy-two?"
"...um...what's a square root?"
"Well, he passed! We'll have to work on his math, but overall, he passed." Stella announced, with a wide grin. "So you will accept him as your apprentice?" Luna asked, expertly hiding her enthusiasm. "After I speak to his legal guardian. And then there's the probationary week. After that, if all goes well, I'll be more than happy to take on Starry as my apprentice." Stella replied, smiling.
"I will arrange a meeting with his mother as soon as possible." Luna told her, smiling. "She's not going to be mad with me is she?" Stella asked. "Not at all. She has been looking for a mentor for Starry for some time now." Luna informed her. "Oh! That makes things easier." Stella replied, relieved. "Indeed..." Luna smiled.
The next night, 'round midnight...
"Miss Sapphire Skies and her son have arrived. Shall I send them in?" A guard asked through the partially open door to Luna's chambers. "Of course..." The Alicorn replied, despite how obvious the answer was. "Well...here we go..." Stella sighed.
"Hello Princess." Sapphire greeted, bowing. "Hi Luna!" Starry happily greeted, before quickly rememebering to bow as well. "Hello to you two as well. Miss Skies, We would like you to meet Miss Constellation." Luna introduced. "Hello Constellation." Sapphire greeted, with a smile. "Hi Stella..." Starry quietly added. "Hello." Stella replied, smiling somewhat nervously.
"So...congratulations on the promotion." Sapphire attempting to break the ice. "Thank you." Stella replied.
"Soooooo..."
Starry looked between the two unicorns, before finally leaving his mother's side in exchange for Luna's. "This has gone on long enough. As much as We love silence, this is unbearable. PLEASE begin with discussing Starry's Apprenticship." Luna took a flamethrower to the ice. "Yes Princess!" both mares quickly replied in unison.
"So Miss Skies...I take it you already know everything an Apprenticeship entails?" Stella asked. "Yes, I do. I was an apprentice ten years ago. Book-making..." Sapphire replied, smiling. "Good...so...down to business. How often would you...Uh..." Stella started to ask, rather awkwardly. "Like to see Starry?" Sapphire finished for her, smiling reassuringly. "Yeah..." Stella agreed. "Once a month at least. More often would be nice, but I understand we both have our agendas to keep." Sapphire answered. "That's...actually perfect. Every month, I get three days off, not including holidays, so what day would you like?" Stella asked. "End of the month okay?" Sapphire asked. "Perfect." Stella replied, smiling.
"Now what about holidays?" Sapphire asked. "How about you get holidays? And birthdays. I understand those are important to you, and I don't want to take them away from you." Stella answered. "Sounds good to me." Sapphire replied, smiling even more.
"Now that that's out of the way, is there anything I should know about Starry?" Stella asked, a quill and notepad blinking into existence. "He's allergic to strawberries, he cannot swim, coffee is a very very bad idea, and finally, if he gives you any problems, I suggest, but this is up to you, Magical Timeout. Basically, put him in a soundproof bubble of magic, and put him in a corner or something. I haven't had to do it since the Incident, but I'm sure it'll still work...And that's just about it. He'll tell you anything else I may have forgotten." Sapphire lengthly answered. A moment later, Stella's quill stopped and disappeared, along with the notepad. "Thank you Miss Skies." Stella said, smiling. "Of course, and you can call me Sapphire. Might as well, since you're going to be taking care of my son. Good luck by the way, not that you'll really need it." Sapphire replied happily. "Then Thank you Sapphire, for letting me mentor Starry." Stella added, just as cheerfully.
"Now that that is settled, We believe a little celebration is in order." Luna announced. "That sounds like a great idea...um...where's Starry?" Stella asked, unable to locate said colt. "He is right here." Luna answered, moving slightly to the side to reveal the starstruck filly. Literally. Starry was just staring at Luna's ethereal tail, unable to look away as stars and galaxies danced before him.
"Starry?"
"..."
"Starry? Are you okay?"
"..."
"Um...Princess?"
"Yes Sapphire?" Luna replied, smiling. "Can you...Uh...stop Starry from staring at your tail?" Sapphire asked, sounding a bit worried. "Yes, We can." Luna answered.
Nopony moved for ten whole seconds.
"Um...Princess? Could you do that soon?" Sapphire asked. "Fine..." Luna laughed a bit. Starry was enveloped in her dark blue magic, before being forcibly turned away from view of her tail. The colt looked a little dazed, but quickly shook it off.
"Huh?" He mumbled, bewildered. "It is impolite to stare at a mare's tail. Regardless of how unusual or fascinating it may be." Luna told him, smiling. "I-I'm s-sorry!" Starry quickly yelped, just realizing what he had been doing, provoking a laugh from all three mares.
"So when do you want Starry to start his apprenticeship?" Stella asked. "Whenever's good for you." Sapphire kindly replied. "Considering I've had ample time to prepare, I could take him today if he had somehow already packed." Stella joked. "Great! I can actually get anything he'd need right now. Magic and all that." Sapphire said, taking her seriously. "Oh! Right! Well then...Uh...alright!" Stella stammered, wondering why she didn't think of that. "Let's see...he's gonna need..."
"A scarf, in case of cold weather..." Sapphire listed, as the item blipped into existence around the colt's neck.
"No need for quills, since he usually can get his own...but he'll need...star maps?" Sapphire asked. "Got those." Stella answered smugly.
"Good...then...Oh! A pony should never be without a journal!" Sapphire exclaimed, as a expertly hoof-made book appeared. The cover was pitch black, with royal blue corners and marks on the spine. "Starry, I made this for you after I got you back." Sapphire told him, as the book hovered next to him. "Thanks Mom." Starry replied. "Sapphire, you made that?" Stella asked, amazed. "It's my 'special talent'. I make a book for everypony I care about. Starry used to have a book just like this one, only white. So, now I'll just use that one for his photo album. Constellation, you should expect a book as well. Might be mailed, might just appear, but you're getting one. Princess, with your permission, I would like to make you one too." Sapphire said. "Of course." Luna replied calmly. "Thank you." Sapphire thanked happily.
"Now...that's just about everything I can think of. Did I miss anything?" Sapphire asked aloud. "Toothbrush." Starry answered.
"Right!" and it appeared.
"Now, I know I got everything." Sapphire declared. "Toothpaste" Starry reminded her.
"Drat!" And it too appeared.
"Anything else? Do I need to send some bits to?" Sapphire asked. "No, that's it." Starry answered her first question. "You do not need to send any money whatsoever. Apprentices are paid for by the government, do you not recall?" Luna reminded her.
"Okay then...I...I guess thats it..." Sapphire sighed, as Starry gathered up his few possessions and wrapped them in the scarf to keep them together, before tucking them under his wing.
"Goodbye Starry..." Sapphire said somewhat sadly as she hugged the young pegasus. "Bye Mom, I love you." Starry replied, carefully returning the hug, so as to not drop his bundle. "I love you too my little Star..." Sapphire sighed, forcing a smile as she pulled away.
"Okay Starry, remember to brush your teeth, wash behind your ears and behave for Miss Constellation. Do whatever she tells you to do, and pay attention to what she'll be teaching you. 'Taking notes never hurt nopony' as Granddad always said. On that 'note', don't forget to write every now and then. I would like to keep up with your life, even if I'm not always in it. And don't forget about your book. It only has about three-hundred-and-fifty pages, so try to make whatever you write in it matter, okay? Alright...I love you Starry...and thank you Constellation..." Sapphire emotionally said, her eyes threatening to cry every moment. "No...Thank you Sapphire. I promise to make sure he...uh...does everything you just said." Stella replied, feeling a little awkward about the whole thing. "Good..." Sapphire mumbled.
"Well, I guess we better get going Starry. It's almost Dawn, and if I'm correct, neither of us want to try to go to sleep after being blinded by that burning ball of unforgiving light..." Stella announced. "At least We are not the only ones who hold that opinion." Luna agreed, smiling. "Good night Princess. Good night Sapphire." Stella said, bowing before leaving the room. "Good night Luna...G'night Mom..." Starry added, coping Stella's motions, before following her out of the room.
"Princess? May I ask you a question?" Sapphire quietly asked. "You already have." Luna replied, hiding her smile. "Excluding that one." Sapphire added. "Yes, you may." Luna answered.
"Do you know where Captain Shield can be found at this hour?"
"He should be heading to the barracks in...about an hour. With the sunrise." Luna answered, slight confusion momentarily appearing upon her face. "Thank you." Sapphire thanked, smiling a bit. "Why, pray tell, didst thou wish to know?" Luna asked, intentionally using ye olde archaic speak. "Mine own house shall-eth be-eth quiet without mine child...Wouldst a Stallion not be-eth welcome in the house of a single and lonely mare?" Sapphire answered with a question, clearly not the best in usage of archaic terms.
"Good attempt. Needs work. But, yes, We understand your predicament and agree with your decision. We assume Captain Shield will as well. Though, We do have one question." Luna assessed. "Shoot." Sapphire replied, smiling. "Who?" Luna asked, with deadly seriousness. "No, I meant ask the question." Sapphire quickly corrected. "Oh. In that case...Are you trying for another foal? To make up for Starry's absence?" Luna asked, without showing a single hint of emotion.
Sapphire's blue face turned redder than...than a...um...
Redder than a Burning barn!
"N-no P-Princess! I am certainly not! Shield and I have only been out on two dates! And even then I...I'm not trying to replace Starry...if anything...adoption would be a better idea than foal-birth...but No! I'm not 'trying' for another foal. I'm just going to be lonely without Starry...and Shield seems like a great candidate to fix that." Sapphire bounced through emotions. "We understand. Go find him." Luna smiled, gesturing towards the doors.
"Goodbye Princess..." Sapphire said to the floor she was bowing on. "Goodbye Sapphire. Do not forget to remind Shield about the next time you will be in heat." Luna returned, smiling even wider upon seeing Sapphire's face go even redder, as she politely Galloped out of the room.
"If only ponies reacted in this manner a thousand years ago..." Luna happily wondered.
