"And then the castle exploded!" Star took a sip of her tea, paling a bit before she tore open another sugar packet to stir into it.
Her great-great-great-grandmother's eyes followed the paper remains of the sugar packet as Star placed it on the pile, which had now overtaken the teapot as the highest thing on the table. "Exploded you say?"
Star nodded, meeting Eclipsa's gaze. "Yeah, all that magic, went pooft." She waved her hands expressively as she kept trying to see behind Eclipsa's smile.
Eclipsa sat back, tenting her fingers. "Well that's a shame, I did always like that castle. Such an adorable little place." Star waited for anything more. But Eclipsa was being unusually quiet today. Given just how troublesome she could be, even when being helpful, this wasn't a good sign. "Well true, but it was either that or, you know, the whole wand thing." Star nodded, trying to push ahead the conversation.
But Eclipsa didn't budge, she was just sat there, hands steepled as she watched Star back. It was infuriating. Star knew Eclipsa's trial couldn't be postponed for too long, and unless she could figure out what - if anything - Eclipsa had planned, it wasn't likely to go well.
But it was clear Eclipsa was just as cunning as her mother had warned her. Or at least wasn't about to immediately confess to some evil plan or anything like that.
Star went to grab her teacup again, but with her attention focused on her great-whatever-grandmother, she instead sent it spinning across the table, syrupy tea splashing over everything.
Including Eclipsa.
"Sorry!" Star shrieked, panicking. Even if Eclipsa was evil, that was no excuse to splash her with tea. She looked around for a napkin, or handkerchief, and when neither of those appeared, she yanked the tablecloth and went around to Eclipsa, to start to dry off her dress.
"It's, it's quite my dear," she attempted to fend Star off, "it's just a bit of tea, nothing to worry abou-" but Star was insistent, dodging Eclipsa's hands and dabbing and pressing the cloth against her chest.
"Don't worry, I'll. Get. It. Out." Star pressed harder and harder, desperately trying to will the tea out of her dress.
"Would you just stop molesting my chest and just leave me alone!" Eclipsa shoved Star, sending her crashing into the table. She looked down at her, her ever-present smile turned into an expression of alarm.
Star stared up at her, jaw dropped in shock. She raised her hand and pointed it at Eclipsa. "Evil!"
"What, no?" Eclipsa backed up a step. "Look, I'm just not feeling too great, and you caught me by surprise. I'm really sorry." She reached down, offering Star her hand.
Star slapped it away. "Evil, evil, evil!"
"Look, I'm not evil. Surely even you've had bad days when nothing goes right."
Star paused, remembering that time Ponyhead had tried to throw her a surprise party, but forgot to throw the party. Or even turn up. And the time Marco had spent all morning in the shower, when she'd lost her wand in the bathroom and her hair was a mess.
"Nooot sure that I do." But maybe Eclipsa had a point, Star thought. After all her mother had always found River to be a pain sometimes. "But, let's just say, for argument's sake, you're not evil."
Eclipsa offered Star her hand once more. This time she accepted it. "Which I'm not, but go on."
"Let's say you're not evil." Eclipsa pulled Star upwards, until they were both standing in the table's wreckage. "Why go crazy like that?. If you managed to stand up to my mom and the others without raising your voice, why shout at me?" Eclipsa's face fell, and she let go of Star "Look, it's... a little personal." She turned away, crossing her arms.
"Personal, like..." Star rolled her hand, trying to make her continue, despite Eclipsa being unable to see it.
Eclipsa went over to a couch, sat down, and sighed. "It's... well, you know how I was frozen in a crystal for all those years?"
Star nodded, "yes. I'm pretty sure I saw you there once."
"Well, I was crystallized very soon after I gave birth to my daughter." Star made an o-shape with her mouth. "But well, while I was able to see things, was aware of everything that was going on in there. My body didn't change."
"Well sure, you're not a bajillion years old for one thing." Star nodded, "but then wh-"
Eclipsa sighed again. "Look, there's certain... expectations for a new mother. Things your body starts to go through to prepare for having a child."
"Uh..." Star's jaw hung open. "I kinda wasn't paying attention when we covered that stuff in school."
Eclipsa rolled her eyes. "I'm lactating Star. My body's making milk for a child who's probably dead by now. My breasts ache, and there's nothing I can do about it."
"Ohhh, like a cow!" Star said, excited. And then froze as Eclipa stared at her. "I mean, in a good way. Lots of good milk!" Then she glanced down at the still stained dress. "So, wait, when I was pressing down there, trying to dry you..."
"You were actually causing not inconsiderable amounts of pain." Eclipsa sat back, trying to relax. "I guess I'm just being a silly old cow, but I just wish I could do something..."
Star started to pace. "Well, have you tried expressing it?"
Eclipsa snorted, "The last time I tried expressing myself I ended up in a crystal for who knows how many years."
"No, I mean, you could just get a jar or cup or something and squeeze out your milk so you're not as tender." Star glanced around, and found the teapot on the floor, its contents soaking into what remained of a rug. "Like this!"
Eclipsa's jaw hung open. "You can, you can do that?"
"You... didn't know?" Star frowned, Eclipsa not knowing something seemed even more wrong than any of the secrets she'd been hiding before.
"Well, I'd always been more interested in magic than motherhood, at least until I met him," she sighed happily. "And the midwives never really covered that."
Star smiled, "well, it's the modern day now. There's all sorts of things that could help. I'll go ask one of the midwiv-"
"NO!" Eclipsa yelped before covering her mouth. "It's hard enough to tell you. I mean, with how everyone looks at me already. I'm sure they'd think of me as some kind of monster."
Star glanced at the teapot she was holding. And then at Eclipsa.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Wha?" Eclipsa stared back, "Do what?"
Star tipped out the last of the tea from the pot and sat down on the couch. "I'll help you express some milk, relieve the pressure." She smiled what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't be as harsh now that I know what I'm doing!"
"But you just said you skipped that in school?" Eclipsa's hands covered her chest protectively.
Star gently took Eclipsa's hands and moved them away, "Sure, but I uh... Marco's family took me to a dairy farm. I kinda know how it works."
"Well," Eclipsa sighed. "I guess if I'm going to be treated like a cow, it might as well be by you." She smirked again, as she left Star unbutton the back of her dress. A slight tug, and the top came loose, exposing her.
"Woooooowwww," Star's eyes sparkled as she took in the sight of her something-grandmother's breasts.
Eclipsa's spades were surrounded by a sea of crimson as she blushed, "Oh come on, I'm sure you've seen breasts before. I mean, you've got your own."
Star nodded, "But mine are tiny, yours are..." she shook her head, reminding herself of what she needed to do. "Uh, sorry about that."
Eclipsa turned a deeper shade of red, as she looked away. "Just... be gentle."
Star took hold of one of Eclipsa's breasts, her hand barely able to get a grip on the milk-swollen breast. She started squeezing it as carefully as she could, from back to front, trying to work milk towards the nipple.
As she did so, Eclipsa stuck a finger in her mouth, biting the crook of it as she held in any sound. Star tried to slow down, to avoid causing her any more trauma than she needed to.
It was slow going, being gentle didn't seem to be working, as she was forced to spend minutes kneeding and teasing the breast, trying to stimulate it into giving even a tiny trickle of milk.
"I'm sorry, I'm going to need to be firmer," she said. Eclipsa nodded, her mouth still clamping down onto her finger.
Star pressed harder, even sticking the teapot between her legs for safe keeping as she used both hands on her grandmother's breast.
And still nothing.
Eclipsa took her finger from her mouth, and gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry Star, it was a good idea. But maybe I'm just not that easy to milk..."
Star shook her head, brow furrowed in frustration. "I said I'd help, and I will, I just need to figure out a way to..." She paused. It was so obvious.
She stashed the teapot on the floor and shifted positions, "turn to face me," she said. Eclipsa obeyed, turning to kneel on the couch facing Star, eyebrow quirked in confusion.
"Wait, wha-" Was all Star heard, as she reached down and engulfed Eclipsa's dark nipple in her mouth.
She started suckling, thinking how obvious it was. If Eclipsa's breasts wanted someone to feed on them, that's all she needed to do!
"Star, I really... oh god, I really think you should stop this." But Eclipsa was making no movement to actually try and stop her; whether paralysed from surprise, or just a sign that Star was doing a good job.
Star continued to suck, her tongue teasing the nipple, trying to will it to start leaking. It didn't seem to be working any better than her hands had, until finally Star felt something creamy trickle into her mouth.
"Ith wortthin!" she tried to say, her words slurred around Eclipsa's nipple. She glanced up at her face, joy beaming from her face - as well as a few tears.
"It is, you're doing so well. Thank you Star!"
Star nodded, and continued suckling. The more she did, the heavier the trickle became, until there was a decent stream into her mouth, even a trace of it leaking from her lips and spreading across her chin. Eclipsa really had been backed up.
Finally, the flow eased off, and Star let go of the nipple, letting it pop from her lips as she leaned back. "I think that's it."
Eclipsa nodded, her hands squeezing her breast, "Yes, that's already feeling a lot better." She glanced at Star's face, chin stained white. "Um, sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Star said, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "You, uh... taste sweet." She smiled.
"Well thank you." Eclipsa, smiled in return. "Uh, would you mind?" She pointed toward her other breast.
Star nodded, "Sure, can't leave you half done," she started rto lean down towards it, only for Eclipsa to stop her.
"No, wait..." she turned back around, sitting against the couch's back and let her legs hang over the edge. "This will be more comfortable, you lay on my lap, and you won't hurt your back either."
"Good idea," Star turned around, laying down onto Eclipsa's lap, her vision completely obscured by Eclipsa's chest.
"Now open wide, and here it comes." Eclipsa used her hands to direct her breast into Star's waiting mouth.
Star started suckling immediately, her mouth forming a vacuum as she grabbed onto Eclipsa with her hands, for Stability.
Eclipsa returned a crooked finger to her mouth, then when it looked like Star was about to ease off, shook her head. "No, do it as hard as you need to. It'll be better for both of us."
Star returned to suckling, pleased when she felt a second trickle of milk start to fill her mouth. Her tongue delicately caressing Eclipsa's nipple to try and increase the flow.
The room became nearly silent, the only sounds were Eclipsa's suppressed moans and sighs of discomfort, and Star's noisy suckling as they continued, minutes stretching as they sat there.
Finally Eclipsa's second breast ran dry, no more trickles of creamy milk escaping to stain her cheeks and chin. She didn't stop, continuing to suckle as if unable to believe the breast was empty.
Only when Eclipsa carefully pulled her nipple from Star's lips did she stop. "Thank you Star," she said, relief shining from her face.
"No problem mommy." She froze, "uh... Eclipsa! Sorry, it's just." Star hid her face with her hands, "the last person I did that with was my mother."
"Don't worry about it," Eclipsa giggled. "A slip of the tongue I'm sure. But I should go fetch you a towel."
"A towel?" Star removed her hands, and looked at them, now sticky from milk. "Oh, right."
She got up, letting Eclipsa head towards a bathroom, a towel draped over one hand. She blushed as she handed it to Star. "If you wouldn't mind... if I find myself backed up like that again..."
Star wiped her face, and then smiled. "Sure, it felt, um... kinda nice?" She handed it back. "And well, if you're cranky like that at the trial, you might get recrystallized by mistake."
"Convinced I'm not evil then?" Eclipsa raised an eyebrow and grinned.
Star blushed, "I'm pretty sure you aren't."
"Good enough for me."
Her great-great-great-grandmother's eyes followed the paper remains of the sugar packet as Star placed it on the pile, which had now overtaken the teapot as the highest thing on the table. "Exploded you say?"
Star nodded, meeting Eclipsa's gaze. "Yeah, all that magic, went pooft." She waved her hands expressively as she kept trying to see behind Eclipsa's smile.
Eclipsa sat back, tenting her fingers. "Well that's a shame, I did always like that castle. Such an adorable little place." Star waited for anything more. But Eclipsa was being unusually quiet today. Given just how troublesome she could be, even when being helpful, this wasn't a good sign. "Well true, but it was either that or, you know, the whole wand thing." Star nodded, trying to push ahead the conversation.
But Eclipsa didn't budge, she was just sat there, hands steepled as she watched Star back. It was infuriating. Star knew Eclipsa's trial couldn't be postponed for too long, and unless she could figure out what - if anything - Eclipsa had planned, it wasn't likely to go well.
But it was clear Eclipsa was just as cunning as her mother had warned her. Or at least wasn't about to immediately confess to some evil plan or anything like that.
Star went to grab her teacup again, but with her attention focused on her great-whatever-grandmother, she instead sent it spinning across the table, syrupy tea splashing over everything.
Including Eclipsa.
"Sorry!" Star shrieked, panicking. Even if Eclipsa was evil, that was no excuse to splash her with tea. She looked around for a napkin, or handkerchief, and when neither of those appeared, she yanked the tablecloth and went around to Eclipsa, to start to dry off her dress.
"It's, it's quite my dear," she attempted to fend Star off, "it's just a bit of tea, nothing to worry abou-" but Star was insistent, dodging Eclipsa's hands and dabbing and pressing the cloth against her chest.
"Don't worry, I'll. Get. It. Out." Star pressed harder and harder, desperately trying to will the tea out of her dress.
"Would you just stop molesting my chest and just leave me alone!" Eclipsa shoved Star, sending her crashing into the table. She looked down at her, her ever-present smile turned into an expression of alarm.
Star stared up at her, jaw dropped in shock. She raised her hand and pointed it at Eclipsa. "Evil!"
"What, no?" Eclipsa backed up a step. "Look, I'm just not feeling too great, and you caught me by surprise. I'm really sorry." She reached down, offering Star her hand.
Star slapped it away. "Evil, evil, evil!"
"Look, I'm not evil. Surely even you've had bad days when nothing goes right."
Star paused, remembering that time Ponyhead had tried to throw her a surprise party, but forgot to throw the party. Or even turn up. And the time Marco had spent all morning in the shower, when she'd lost her wand in the bathroom and her hair was a mess.
"Nooot sure that I do." But maybe Eclipsa had a point, Star thought. After all her mother had always found River to be a pain sometimes. "But, let's just say, for argument's sake, you're not evil."
Eclipsa offered Star her hand once more. This time she accepted it. "Which I'm not, but go on."
"Let's say you're not evil." Eclipsa pulled Star upwards, until they were both standing in the table's wreckage. "Why go crazy like that?. If you managed to stand up to my mom and the others without raising your voice, why shout at me?" Eclipsa's face fell, and she let go of Star "Look, it's... a little personal." She turned away, crossing her arms.
"Personal, like..." Star rolled her hand, trying to make her continue, despite Eclipsa being unable to see it.
Eclipsa went over to a couch, sat down, and sighed. "It's... well, you know how I was frozen in a crystal for all those years?"
Star nodded, "yes. I'm pretty sure I saw you there once."
"Well, I was crystallized very soon after I gave birth to my daughter." Star made an o-shape with her mouth. "But well, while I was able to see things, was aware of everything that was going on in there. My body didn't change."
"Well sure, you're not a bajillion years old for one thing." Star nodded, "but then wh-"
Eclipsa sighed again. "Look, there's certain... expectations for a new mother. Things your body starts to go through to prepare for having a child."
"Uh..." Star's jaw hung open. "I kinda wasn't paying attention when we covered that stuff in school."
Eclipsa rolled her eyes. "I'm lactating Star. My body's making milk for a child who's probably dead by now. My breasts ache, and there's nothing I can do about it."
"Ohhh, like a cow!" Star said, excited. And then froze as Eclipa stared at her. "I mean, in a good way. Lots of good milk!" Then she glanced down at the still stained dress. "So, wait, when I was pressing down there, trying to dry you..."
"You were actually causing not inconsiderable amounts of pain." Eclipsa sat back, trying to relax. "I guess I'm just being a silly old cow, but I just wish I could do something..."
Star started to pace. "Well, have you tried expressing it?"
Eclipsa snorted, "The last time I tried expressing myself I ended up in a crystal for who knows how many years."
"No, I mean, you could just get a jar or cup or something and squeeze out your milk so you're not as tender." Star glanced around, and found the teapot on the floor, its contents soaking into what remained of a rug. "Like this!"
Eclipsa's jaw hung open. "You can, you can do that?"
"You... didn't know?" Star frowned, Eclipsa not knowing something seemed even more wrong than any of the secrets she'd been hiding before.
"Well, I'd always been more interested in magic than motherhood, at least until I met him," she sighed happily. "And the midwives never really covered that."
Star smiled, "well, it's the modern day now. There's all sorts of things that could help. I'll go ask one of the midwiv-"
"NO!" Eclipsa yelped before covering her mouth. "It's hard enough to tell you. I mean, with how everyone looks at me already. I'm sure they'd think of me as some kind of monster."
Star glanced at the teapot she was holding. And then at Eclipsa.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Wha?" Eclipsa stared back, "Do what?"
Star tipped out the last of the tea from the pot and sat down on the couch. "I'll help you express some milk, relieve the pressure." She smiled what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't be as harsh now that I know what I'm doing!"
"But you just said you skipped that in school?" Eclipsa's hands covered her chest protectively.
Star gently took Eclipsa's hands and moved them away, "Sure, but I uh... Marco's family took me to a dairy farm. I kinda know how it works."
"Well," Eclipsa sighed. "I guess if I'm going to be treated like a cow, it might as well be by you." She smirked again, as she left Star unbutton the back of her dress. A slight tug, and the top came loose, exposing her.
"Woooooowwww," Star's eyes sparkled as she took in the sight of her something-grandmother's breasts.
Eclipsa's spades were surrounded by a sea of crimson as she blushed, "Oh come on, I'm sure you've seen breasts before. I mean, you've got your own."
Star nodded, "But mine are tiny, yours are..." she shook her head, reminding herself of what she needed to do. "Uh, sorry about that."
Eclipsa turned a deeper shade of red, as she looked away. "Just... be gentle."
Star took hold of one of Eclipsa's breasts, her hand barely able to get a grip on the milk-swollen breast. She started squeezing it as carefully as she could, from back to front, trying to work milk towards the nipple.
As she did so, Eclipsa stuck a finger in her mouth, biting the crook of it as she held in any sound. Star tried to slow down, to avoid causing her any more trauma than she needed to.
It was slow going, being gentle didn't seem to be working, as she was forced to spend minutes kneeding and teasing the breast, trying to stimulate it into giving even a tiny trickle of milk.
"I'm sorry, I'm going to need to be firmer," she said. Eclipsa nodded, her mouth still clamping down onto her finger.
Star pressed harder, even sticking the teapot between her legs for safe keeping as she used both hands on her grandmother's breast.
And still nothing.
Eclipsa took her finger from her mouth, and gave a sad smile. "I'm sorry Star, it was a good idea. But maybe I'm just not that easy to milk..."
Star shook her head, brow furrowed in frustration. "I said I'd help, and I will, I just need to figure out a way to..." She paused. It was so obvious.
She stashed the teapot on the floor and shifted positions, "turn to face me," she said. Eclipsa obeyed, turning to kneel on the couch facing Star, eyebrow quirked in confusion.
"Wait, wha-" Was all Star heard, as she reached down and engulfed Eclipsa's dark nipple in her mouth.
She started suckling, thinking how obvious it was. If Eclipsa's breasts wanted someone to feed on them, that's all she needed to do!
"Star, I really... oh god, I really think you should stop this." But Eclipsa was making no movement to actually try and stop her; whether paralysed from surprise, or just a sign that Star was doing a good job.
Star continued to suck, her tongue teasing the nipple, trying to will it to start leaking. It didn't seem to be working any better than her hands had, until finally Star felt something creamy trickle into her mouth.
"Ith wortthin!" she tried to say, her words slurred around Eclipsa's nipple. She glanced up at her face, joy beaming from her face - as well as a few tears.
"It is, you're doing so well. Thank you Star!"
Star nodded, and continued suckling. The more she did, the heavier the trickle became, until there was a decent stream into her mouth, even a trace of it leaking from her lips and spreading across her chin. Eclipsa really had been backed up.
Finally, the flow eased off, and Star let go of the nipple, letting it pop from her lips as she leaned back. "I think that's it."
Eclipsa nodded, her hands squeezing her breast, "Yes, that's already feeling a lot better." She glanced at Star's face, chin stained white. "Um, sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Star said, wiping her mouth on her sleeve. "You, uh... taste sweet." She smiled.
"Well thank you." Eclipsa, smiled in return. "Uh, would you mind?" She pointed toward her other breast.
Star nodded, "Sure, can't leave you half done," she started rto lean down towards it, only for Eclipsa to stop her.
"No, wait..." she turned back around, sitting against the couch's back and let her legs hang over the edge. "This will be more comfortable, you lay on my lap, and you won't hurt your back either."
"Good idea," Star turned around, laying down onto Eclipsa's lap, her vision completely obscured by Eclipsa's chest.
"Now open wide, and here it comes." Eclipsa used her hands to direct her breast into Star's waiting mouth.
Star started suckling immediately, her mouth forming a vacuum as she grabbed onto Eclipsa with her hands, for Stability.
Eclipsa returned a crooked finger to her mouth, then when it looked like Star was about to ease off, shook her head. "No, do it as hard as you need to. It'll be better for both of us."
Star returned to suckling, pleased when she felt a second trickle of milk start to fill her mouth. Her tongue delicately caressing Eclipsa's nipple to try and increase the flow.
The room became nearly silent, the only sounds were Eclipsa's suppressed moans and sighs of discomfort, and Star's noisy suckling as they continued, minutes stretching as they sat there.
Finally Eclipsa's second breast ran dry, no more trickles of creamy milk escaping to stain her cheeks and chin. She didn't stop, continuing to suckle as if unable to believe the breast was empty.
Only when Eclipsa carefully pulled her nipple from Star's lips did she stop. "Thank you Star," she said, relief shining from her face.
"No problem mommy." She froze, "uh... Eclipsa! Sorry, it's just." Star hid her face with her hands, "the last person I did that with was my mother."
"Don't worry about it," Eclipsa giggled. "A slip of the tongue I'm sure. But I should go fetch you a towel."
"A towel?" Star removed her hands, and looked at them, now sticky from milk. "Oh, right."
She got up, letting Eclipsa head towards a bathroom, a towel draped over one hand. She blushed as she handed it to Star. "If you wouldn't mind... if I find myself backed up like that again..."
Star wiped her face, and then smiled. "Sure, it felt, um... kinda nice?" She handed it back. "And well, if you're cranky like that at the trial, you might get recrystallized by mistake."
"Convinced I'm not evil then?" Eclipsa raised an eyebrow and grinned.
Star blushed, "I'm pretty sure you aren't."
"Good enough for me."
Moon sighed as she looked at the wreckage in Eclipsa's chambers. A table, totally destroyed. Rugs stained with what she hoped was tea. Already some kind of vermin was licking up sugary patches.
"Acting out your frustrations by destroying your room isn't going to look good at your trial." She folded her arms.
"Oh, that wasn't me. Star and I were just having a tea party when there was a little accident." Eclipsa smiled, utterly content as she raised her cup of tea.
"Star was here?" Moon raised her hand to her forehead and furrowed her brow. "I don't like her hanging out with you like that."
"Worried I'll corrupt her?" Eclipsa put down the cup and rolled her eyes. "She's a big girl, Moon. She doesn't need you looking over her shoulder, second guessing her every decision."
Moon glared at her. "I know Star's older, but I'm still her mother, and always will be. I've got every right to try and look after her... what's so funny?"
Eclipsa tried to hide her grin with her hand. "I'm sorry, nothing important."
"Fine," Moon rolled her eyes and went to leave.
Only when she heard the clink of the locks being relocked, did Eclipsa let herself smile.
"I'm sorry Moon," she called to the door, secure in the knowledge no one could hear her, "but your daughter calls me mommy too."