The Lost Path 14

Hey guys.

Sorry for the delay. My two guinea pigs died this week-end, from a stupid cold of all things. These tiny creatures are way too frail, and it's way too easy to grow extremely attached to them. Can't say I've been alright these past few days.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. Beginning of the end! Well, more like of discovering the truth. Still six chapters left.

Enjoy~

XxxX

"They're so cute!"

"They're rabbits. This kind specifically lives in holes underground, to get away from the heat. They quite often loose some of their fur to fight the heat."

"It's very soft. Do you think we could gather the fur they lose and make pallows-pellows-mellows- out of them?"

"Pillows. I've already started." Staria says, and she takes out one from behind her. It is small, very small, and not quite a pillow, as she doesn't quite know how to turn wool fur into cloth. She just tied the bundle of fur together, and some falls out each time it is squeezed. It is not much, but it is a beginning. She's seen more than a few ponies who were quite adept with their hooves. She knows they will eventually figure it out.

"Will we keep them? We could create more pillows for the others with their fur or trade them with other villages!"

Trust Firefly to be thinking always a step ahead. So young, and so smart already. She'd briefly explained the concept of trading to him a few days prior, and already he'd gotten it, and imagined how it could help them. He'd be a true asset to them all once he was grown up; she couldn't wait to see how he would turn out.

"Yes, that's what I'm trying to do. These rabbits struggle to find food, too; if you feed them, they will stay around, and you can gather the fallen fur."

"And we'll make pillows together! But it doesn't look like it will last long. See? It's already falling apart."

"I know. That's something the others will have to figure out on their own."

"Oh. Well, you've helped us a lot already, so it's okay, I think."

She smiles. He never complained about anything. A part of her is saddened to think he was cheated out of his childhood because of the harsh conditions they live in. He is too mature for his age, too calm and proper, like an adult. He never had the opportunity to get in trouble, to make mischief like all foals do. But she knows the next generation will be able to.

At least, the wonder and fascination with the simplest things only foals have is still there. And it is further proved when, later in the day, he asks her with hopeful eyes:

"Will you watch the night sky with me?"

The question is so familiar it hurts. But what hurts more is the facts that she can't remember the last time she actually took the time to do it.

She agrees as the past threatens to engulf her.

And long afterwards, as an exhausted Firefly falls asleep in her hooves not five minutes after he'd asked her to stay with him, she can't bring herself to regret it.

She knows this is what peacefulness is.

XxxX

"What happened to 'being careful'?"

Staria sighed. Trust her General to always have his nose stuck in matters that did not concern him...

"Eavesdropping now, General? So unlike you." He only snorted in reply.

"I know you decided not to judge her, but I believe we know enough. They should not stay."

Staria turned her back on him. Outside, the sun would rise soon. She still had much to do before that. The alicorn closed her eyes, and her horn lit up with a gentle blue glow. One by one, the stars started vanishing from the sky. It would take quite some time until they were all gone from above their heads, until the next time the sun set and allowed them to rise.

"I have yet to convince her I don't want to leave," I've yet to even breach the subject, she mused silently. "Besides, I owed them an apology."

"You owed them nothing and you know it," Starseeker argued, frowning. "And you should have sent them on their way already, as you always do. Why are they different?" Staria opened her eyes, a far-away look in them.

"Twilight Sparkle craves knowledge. Beneath her adoration of my sister and the obliviousness it causes her, she seeks to understand the world around her in an honest desire to know -and nothing more. I can't blame her for that." Starseeker eyed her warily.

"This is dangerous, your Highness. You know they won't stop until they know...everything." Staria straightened and stared at him from the corner of her eyes. Starseeker stared back, unflinching.

"This fact is one I will never tell and you know it. I don't need some self-righteous ponies judging me for something they do not understand, and I will not stand for it."

Starseeker did not reply, electing to bow instead, but he knew. The bat ponies had always seen her as their rock, the one who could withstand everything and protect them all from the outside world. She was their protector, their Defensor. She was everything and they adored and respected her for it. Staria did not have secrets. Not to her ponies. If they wanted to go outside, then she merely warned them of the dangers they risked and made them promise to be careful. If there was a conflict, then she listened to everypony until she had a close idea of the truth. She was a Goddess in more than one pony's eye.

But the truth was so different.

Staria had weaknesses, deep weaknesses only the General knew about. She was no Goddess. She was just a mare, trying to keep them safe. She had always tried to keep everypony safe.

Her heart had always been too big for her own sake, but she had never accepted to let go. It was who she was, the pony who cared too much, who felt too much.

And now, one of the deepest wounds she had ever gotten had been brutally ripped open one more time. She could say it was healed all she wanted, Starseeker knew such wasn't the case. And it would stay this way until their unwanted guests had left.

The other alicorn had to go.

Starseeker turned away.

"I know. But they have to leave all the same," he paused, glancing back at her. She wasn't facing him. "I'll tell them to leave tomorrow."

The door closed behind him. For twenty years now, he'd helped her protect the bat ponies, their people. He'd seen more than anypony else, he had seen her at her worst and at her best...but he hated seeing her like that. Insecure, uncertain, hesitant, though it was artfully disguised beneath a mask she usually didn't need to wear. This was not who she was. She was the strong alicorn, who had found her way in life against all odds. She had forged her own path. She had created her safe haven, and had opened it for all of them. After a thousand years, how could her past's shadow still haunt her so? Would she ever stop regretting and blaming herself?

There was a noise on his left, in the hall they'd named 'Memory Lane". Starseeker did not pause before following it.

XxxX

Twilight took cautious steps forward, listening intently for anypony to be walking towards her. Not hearing anything, she walked further into the shadows, eyes carefully scanning the walls for information, but what she saw did not help her in unravelling the bat ponies' mystery -or Staria's untold secret. Anywhere she looked, she could only see portraits.

Cloudstrike, as kind of heart as his soul was pure.

Firestone, 27th General and fiercest protector of our ponies.

Dream Garden, strong and loyal to a fault.

Night Tune, 26th General and herald of Hope.

Who were these ponies? It reminded her of the great gallery back in Canterlot, where Celestia had hung the portraits of the important ponies of the kingdom -and the ones she cared about. Was it Staria's gallery? The portraits of the ponies she deemed important, or had cared about? But if it was purely sentimental, would it help her in her search? She didn't see how, but if the end of the gallery dated to back when Staria had joined the bat ponies, then perhaps it would lead to some information. It was worth a shot, and it wasn't like she had anywhere else to search.

The hall seemed to stretch on forever, losing itself in the shadows. Portraits littered the walls, side by side, and facing each other left and right. They had all been painted by a sure hoof; the details were extremely clear and precise, as if the paintings were about to come to life. Every single one of them was protected by an anti-deterioration spell, and Twilight briefly wondered who had painted them over the ages. The overall style seemed to suggest the same painter for every portrait, but she found it hard to believe, especially as she went back further in time with each portrait. Celestia had never said anything about Staria painting. But then again, her sister seemed to have a knack for hiding things.

Twillight hurried her steps, only ever glancing at the dates below the paintings. She barely read the names of ponies much older than she was, and who had walked this world long before she had. All of them were bat ponies, but she had a feeling if she got to the first painting, it would at least offer her some answers.

Either the ponies Luna had originally taken away were indeed bat ponies, or they weren't.

And if they weren't...then Staria had some serious explaining to do.

It was at the very end of the hall that she found what she was looking for.

Shimmering Sand, beloved friend and mother to all.

Silver Dust, our rock in the storm and the wisest of us.

These last two paintings –which actually were the first to be painted- represented two mares, one looking quite old, the other rather young. They both sported matching smiles, but the lines of stress and exhaustion couldn't be erased from their soft features, nor the vague traces of malnourishment. But neither of these facts were what made Twilight pause.

Silver Dust was a bat pony.

Shimmering Sand was not.

There, she had it, plain as day. As she thought, the first ponies Luna had originally taken were not bat ponies. They were regular ones, pegasus, unicorn or earth ponies alike. The bat ponies had indeed been born in this very cave, and if Staria was at the origin of it all, then she had to know how they came to be.

But if not, then why pretend they'd always been bat ponies? If she'd just met them somewhere and offered to let them live here, why not just say it? And why had every single bat pony they'd ask eluded the question? Just what the hell had Staria done? Try as she might, Twilight couldn't find another explanation than the most terrible of them all. But it was forbidden! Alicorns, despite their impressive powers, had no right to interfere with nature in such a way! Why had she done this? Had she really done this, or was the truth something completely different -and she was stressing for nothing?

No, it's not. It would explain why she's so secretive about it. But if it's true, Celestia has to know about it. We can't allow her to do whatever she wants like that.

The young mare was about to turn around, but as she raised her head, she suddenly realised there was a door in front of her. A tall, heavy, wooden door, protected by strong spells she could sense even from here. Her curiosity and suspicions immediately skyrocketed. What else would need such protections than the proof of what she's done? Twilight didn't care anymore whether she was overstepping her rights as a guest. She had to know, for Equestria's sake. An alicorn who broke the rules was a threat to them all. Mind made up, she lit up her horn, and fired a spell to destroy the protections.

It only bounced uselessly against the wood, and Twilight scowled.

There was a spark behind her, and she blanched before whirling around.

Staria stood behind her.

She was in trouble.

XxxX

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