Starry was sure she had done something that no one else in her generation could do. Despina had told her as much, but a sense of finality came with those words. As much as she would have loved to take Stone's hoof and retreat to Ponyville, that wouldn't have done anything good.

Her destiny was in Canterlot, she was sure of it. In the back of her mind, she could see the future that awaited her, she could almost taste it, like a dream brought to life. That was what she figured it was like, a dream that started as a nightmare and turned into her reality.

Even as she tried to explain what had happened in her dream to Stone, she could see that he wasn't as sure of it as she was.

She could see it as she explained it, the dream that she was destined to live out with him. The three foals that she would have with the love of her life, the love that they would have throughout their lives, and the peaceful death that she would have, next to him. But there was more waiting for her, a job in the palace, traveling through dreams with Despina herself, a loyal friendship that would form with one of the leaders of Equestria, and the reformation of a society that had almost destroyed her.

Stone only shook his head, baffled, even her family was baffled when they heard what she said.

But that didn't matter.

Starry turned, galloping towards the palace as the sun began to set over the palace. Her eyes shimmered with possibility as she swerved around ponies in the streets, bat ponies and pegasi fluttered their wings as she raced past them. Unicorns, lunacorns, and earth ponies shouted at her as she rushed toward the palace gates. 

Even the birds seemed to swoop out of her way as she nearly slammed into the palace gates, her mane falling over her face and around her horn. She gasped as the bars pressed against her neck and chest, reaching her hooves through the bars.

"Let me in!!" She called out, meeting the gaze of a white unicorn guard ", Let me in! Under orders of the Princess!!"

The guard eyes her suspiciously, cantering toward the gate and standing across from her with harsh eyes. He tilted his head to her and pressed her back from the gates.

"The princesses aren't seeing anypony for the next week-" He started but Starry cut him off.

"No-" She reached up with one hoof to press her mane from her forehead "- Despina sent for me herself. I will NOT keep her waiting."

The guard observed her for a moment before glancing at the mark on her forehead. He almost started, eyes widening ever so slightly before stepping back and glancing from side to side. 

"Wait here-" The guard commanded her, turning away from her and starting towards another group of his fellow guards.

Starry waited, leaning against the bars with a sigh. She didn't want to wait, but she didn't want to make herself more trouble than she was worth. Not when she had a future to look forward to. So she waited, watching as guards spoke to each other, one of them gestured at her. She stiffened as their eyes widened, and she felt a shadow rising over her back. 

Starry turned and she met eyes with Stone, blinking rapidly at the sun on his neck.

He didn't speak a word, only lifting his eyes to stare at the gate before settling himself at her side, his wing wrapped around her side. The overwhelming feeling of love and support that flowed from his blood into her was intoxicating, intense, and fulfilling in every way. Starry knew that Stone had taught her more than she would ever realize, and he was hers, only hers.

"Thank you-" She whispered to him, leaning her head against his neck.

"Don't thank me," Stone smiled back at her, nuzzling his nose into her mane " I'd do anything for you."

And she knew that was true.

They waited there, staring down the gates and the guards wandering behind them. Starry watched, eyeing the stallion who had told her to wait as he spoke to a taller stallion with a scar across his chest. Her hooves wrapped around the bars and she snarled slightly as they turned into the palace, her tail lashing behind her as she stared.

"What happened, Starry?" Stone asked her, tipping his head down.

"I met Despina-" She answered, not taking her eyes off the place where the guards disappeared "- I can walk in dreams. Apparently."

"That's..." He pauses, pondering his words ", new."

"Newer than the other thing?" She asked, turning to him with her brow raised ", Yeah. New."

Stone perked up, his eyes widening. Starry turned as a large stallion covered in armor started toward her, his eyes narrowed at her.

"You're the one the princess wants to see?" The guard snorted as if he couldn't believe that Despina would want to see a simple mare like Starry. He waved his hoof, and the gates slowly began to open. Starry started forward, Stone following after her, but the guard stepped between them. "Not you."

Stone chuffed, stepping forward, but Starry held up her hoof.

"Stone, please-" She quickly started as the guard bolstered forward "- I can do this."

Stone glanced at her and nodded, stepping back and lowering his head, his gaze fixed on the guard. The gate closed behind her and Starry started toward the palace, her legs trembling under her as she started up the steps of Canterlot Palace.

"Bold of you to bring that, pariah here," The guard snarked as he started ahead of her ", With that article against Orion and all. Don't think that ponies aren't connecting the dots. Just because you can take what was his doesn't mean you deserve it."

"I'm not-" She started, turning to face him "- I know what ponies are seeing, I helped put it out there. I'm doing what's right, not what I think will benefit me. Doing what's right takes sacrifice and that's what I'm willing to do."

The guard scoffed, "Sacrifice. Sure. You noble types are all the same."

"I haven't been noble in a year," Starry corrected him ", I'm taking back what should have been mine and making Canterlot better. You'll see."

The guard snorted and started up a grand staircase lined with golden railings and red carpet. Starry glared at the rude stallion, her blue eyes boring into the back of his helmet as he led her up and up the palace. She shook the anger off, even if she wanted to try filling him with emotion, the Royal Palace wasn't the place to do so.

The reluctant pair stopped at a door near the end of the hall. The stallion pressed the door open, revealing the spiral staircase that led to the highest tower in Canterlot Castle.

Despina's private quarters.

"Up the stairs," The guard chuffed ", She'll be waiting for you."

"Thank you-" She snapped sharply at him and began up the twisting stairs. Her hoof steps mutedly echoed up the staircase, ringing louder in her ears even if the sound was softened. Part of her wanted to run, to get everything done and over with before Despina could change her mind, but she knew that wouldn't happen.

Despina was a fair ruler, she always had been with her years on the throne. It was a shame that the noble ponies of Canterlot didn't see it.

By the time Starry reached the top of the spire, she was panting, sun from the small windows along the hall burning her pelt in blistering heat. The door in front of her was already open, letting a breeze sweep through and cool her fur. The mare almost sighed in relief as she raised her hoof to knock on the opened door, but a voice called to her first.

"Come in Starry Specter," The voice of the princess of the moon called out ", I've been waiting for you."