The one figure might have been mistaken for a bird, with its legs tucked close and forgotten to a body whose only purpose seemed to be to anchor the two perfect, yellow wings that tilted and spread in the wind. But the second pegasus flew in the classic manner, its dazzling white wings beating steadily and rhythmically to match the legs cantering on the empty air.
As Sunsparkle watched, their wings folded back in perfect unison and they dove, the yellow pegasus with its limbs still held tightly to its chest and the white one with its front legs outstretched. Sunsparkle held her breath, waiting for them to land . . . but with a sudden swoop, the white pegasus dove lower than its fellow, then spread its feathers, catching an updraft. Forced out of its plunge, the yellow pegasus half-opened its own wings and performed a flawless barrel roll.
They were stallions, judging from their size, Sunsparkle decided, watching as they beat their wings absent-mindedly in the manner of a swimmer treading water, leaning towards one another to share a conversation swept away by the wind. She stared at them with intensity as the wind ruffled their manes and pulled at their tails. Dark pink, yellow, green, and sapphire blue . . .
"Rainbow ponies," she heard Moonlight whisper in awe from amongst the small group of ponies now crowded in the door. "They are Rainbow ponies."
Yes, they are. Sunsparkle's heart thumped louder. Ponies born under a rainbow . . . only they would have that hair. They are Rainbow ponies. And that means magic . . . They say even pegasi can have magic if they are true Rainbow ponies. Even earthlings. Could they have come to stay? Oh, please . . .
The yellow pegasus nodded to something the white one said, tilted his wings, and caught a rush of wind that carried him up, up, up, until he was only a speck in the sky, flying away.
No, no! Sunsparkle thought desperately as the ponies behind her exchanged dismayed murmurs. Now the other one will leave as well and we'll be back to the beginning! Oh, we were so close!
But the second pegasus did not leave. He fell into a slow descent, extending his wings so that the morning light shone through them, silhouetting each shaft and creating more opaque ovals wherever the feathers overlapped. His tail spread behind him with the colors twisting over each other while his mane flowed from his neck like a banner . . . or a rainbow. Between beats of his wings, Sunsparkle could catch brief glimpses of his symbol. It was gold . . . gold and circular . . . maybe a sun.
His wings swept upward as he landed, rearing, his hind hooves touching down first and his tail streaming. Sunsparkle scarcely dared to breathe. His symbol was not a sun, but an eight-pointed star.
She stared at him with open amazement that bordered on rudeness, but the pegasus either did not notice or pretended not to. He glanced about, taking in his surroundings and displaying his profile. He had what Queen Starshadow would have called "an old face", with high cheekbones and a narrow nose that sloped straight down from his forehead, without the gentle, rounded stop found on most ponies. He looked like he had just stepped out of a legend. He had stepped out of the legends, legions of them, all of which Sunsparkle had heard as she sat at her mother's hooves.
The young queen gathered her wits and closed her mouth, which had somehow fallen open. "Gr-eetings." Her voice skipped in an embarrassing manner and she hastily cleared her throat before going on. "Greetings, Lord Starshine."
His delicate nostrils quivered ever so slightly. "I am no lord." Thankfully, his tone seemed to imply.
"Oh dear. I'm sorry. No, of course you aren't," Sunsparkle said, her cheeks darkening to an even deeper shade of purple. Of course he wasn't a lord! What was she thinking?? But all the same, the old nursery rhyme ran through her head . . .
Starshine white, starshine bright,
Starshine, lord of all the night.
But he IS Starshine, anyway, she thought in awe. Not that I believe those silly nursery stories about him! No one is older than the sun . . .
"May the Rainbow of Light illuminate your path," he said after a few minutes of awkward silence, bobbing his head at the word "Rainbow."
Sunsparkle realized she was gaping again and snapped her jaw shut. "And may it guide your way," she returned automatically. Introductions, she thought. Introductions. "Starshine, I welcome you to our humble fief. Our shelter is your shelter, our drink is your drink." You would think the greeting would mention food, but ponies often felt drink was the more important aspect. "I am Sunsparkle, queen of Ponyville."
Starshine's head tilted, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You?" he demanded. "Ponyville," he added in a disbelieving undertone.
"Y-yes . . . You see . . ." Sunsparkle faltered. You see, my mother named it Ponyville. You see, there was this horrible plague. You see, everyone died and I was the only one left and I did lead as best I could, and I can't help being young . . . It all flashed through her head, but she stood mutely, caught in the pegasus' cold blue eyes.
And Minty saved the day.
"Your majesty?"
Sunsparkle turned to the green pony in a daze, only to discover that he had pushed his way out of the huddle of spectators by the door and now stood with his head bowed so low that his nose nearly touched the ground.
"Shall I lay an extra setting for our guest?" Minty asked deferentially.
"That would be wonderful, Minty," she replied, feeling a sudden rush of gratitude towards him. "Please do so."
The green stallion sank down on one knee, a little awkwardly, then stood and trotted off, presumably to set the table.
"Your majesty?" This time it was Kimono, of all ponies. "Shall I lay out a sleeping pallet for our guest?"
"That would be exellent, Kimono." A sleeping pallet? She wasn't even sure if they had any spare bedrooms--clean ones, anyway. Oh well. "And don't forget to use our finest linens."
"Yes, my queen," Kimono replied in a servile tone, sinking into a bow, like Minty . . . only much more graceful.
The other ponies quickly followed suit, a situation which filled Sunsparkle with both embarrasment and gratitude, though she hid both emotions as best she could. Starshine watched with his head cocked, assessing. Perhaps he was reconsidering the situation. Then again, perhaps he was wondering why the last pony to leave, Pinkie Pie, had asked Sunsparkle if she could "polish the forks." There weren't any useful chores left to ask for by that point.
"I hope you will find everything satisfactory during your visit," she told Starshine as Pinkie Pie hurried away. "Please do stay as long as you wish."
"Only for one night," he said.
Her heart sank. He wasn't going to stay. He had never intended to. "But you've come so far," she said uncertainly.
He shrugged with his wings. "I am always traveling." He clipped up the steps towards the castle, then looked back at Sunsparkle, who was hurrying after him.
"Mainly," Starshine added, "I come here with a warning." And with a flick of his rainbow tail, he strode through the door.
Just what we need, Sunsparkle thought. More trouble.
~*~*~*~
Author's notes:
I just wanted to note that G1 ponies in general are not "bygone" at this point of time. Fizzy, Firefly, and the others are still happily living in Dream Valley and the G3 ponies in Ponyville are simply a slightly smaller type of pony--not even a separate breed, really.
Starshine is considered extraordinary because he's extremely old compared to everyone else, G1 and G3 alike . . . not just because he's a G1. ^_~