Wolf
Starry settled herself on the bed, wrapping herself in blankets and sobbing into the pillows. It was exhausting, being this upset, it wasn't something that she liked. The anger and the late night before had her so much more tired than she wanted to be.
Tears streamed down her face as she curled into the blankets and pillows, closing her eyes, she drifted to sleep.
. . .
Starry wasn't awake, but she wasn't exactly asleep either.
The realm was open, a forest clearing surrounded by tall oak trees and carpets of moss. In the center of the clearing, a circle of ancient stone stood, the surface glowing with a strange and otherworldly light.
In the circle, a figure sat, her eyes closed with her breaths slowly rising and falling.
It was quiet, peaceful even, full of calm and serenity.
As Starry stood in the clearing, she could see the figure in the center of the circle begin to glow brighter and brighter, a beam of light emanating from within her. With a sudden burst, the light expanded out, enveloping Starry in a warm and bright energy that Starry only felt at night. The surrounding trees and shrubbery twisted and contorted, changing their forms and color until they became part of the dream realm.
Starry glanced up at the sky that opened above her head, revealing a vast array of stars and planets, their colors swirling and changing in a mesmeric dance. The ground beneath the figures' hooves burst open, revealing a world of strange creatures and bizarre plants, all glowing with an inner light of their own.
And suddenly Starry felt eyes on her.
Starry stumbled back as the figure started towards her, wings fluttering anxiously at her side.
"WHO DARES ENTER THE REALM OF SLEEP?" A booming and ethereal voice sounded as the figure made its way toward her. Starry's eyes widened and she dipped into a bow, her legs shaking under her as the figure stopped before her.
She had heard this voice before.
Her eyes flickered up and she saw the pony standing before her, a pony she had seen from afar her entire life.
Princess Despina.
The alicorn mare stared down at Starry with harsh pink eyes, her long curved horn arched up towards the sky with her mane flowing behind her like a nebulous cloud of the sky. The mare was a majestic creature, her pale moon pelt shimmered with the blue and pink lights that the realm created around her.
"P-princess..." Starry gasped, deepening her bow "... De-despina."
The princess of the night softened slightly when she saw the face of a pony before her. Starry shuddered as the princess' wing reached out and brushed her shoulder, leading her up to standing.
"Rise, little pony," The princess of the moon beckoned her ", What are you doing here in the realm of dreams?"
Starry wasn't sure what she was doing, " I- I woke up here, your highness."
Despina rose in height, towering over Starry with eyes that looked in interest. The two mares observed each other with intent and curiosity before the ethereal queen of the night sky turned towards the circle and cantered towards it.
Starry stared as the mare lit her horn in a burst of brilliant pink magic, and slowly began to pull the realm of dreams back into place. She weaved her magic like thread in the hole in the cosmic world, Starry could only watch in awe as the alicorn mare worked.
"Why have you come here, Starry Specter of the House of Clever?" Despina asked her, turning to face her once more ", What has brought you to the realm where no pony walks?"
Starry bit her lip, hesitating before speaking, " How do you know my name?"
"There had been talk in court-" Despina smiled at her, tipping her head to the side ", Marquis Orion has had his hooves full with you and your sister these past few months."
"I suppose we have..." She started then paused "... Is this why you had to cancel meetings this week? Is this why-"
"Calm, Miss Specter," Despina reached out her wing, " This is the reason I was forced to neglect my duties to my ponies. I was needed here."
"Where is here?" Starry asked, glancing around the realm once more.
"The dream realm," Despina answered, glancing around once more ", Few mortal ponies have ever been able to arrive. The last one was about a hundred years ago- Long gone now."
"How am I here?" Starry asked, resting her hoof on her chest. A hundred years was a long time, and if that was how long it had taken for her to be able to arrive here, how long would the next one have to be?
"You must have needed me," Despina chuckled, turning her head down to the far younger pony "When you slept, you found me."
Starry shook her head, there was no time to be confused or worried. If she was here, then there was a reason behind it, she didn't have to be concerned with. Starry cantered up to the princess, her tail flicking behind her as she moved.
"I do need your help, Princess-" Starry started "- My father. He's no longer fit to rule the House of Clever, with the pains caused to a stallion named Stone River-"
"Ah- yes," Despina nodded, tipping her head down ", He dreams of you."
Starry couldn't help the blush that passed over her cheeks at the revelation. Stone dreamed of her.
"My father staged his trial-" Starry continued, pushing past the fluster "- I suspect to cast doubt on you and the other princesses-"
She was cut off before she could explain her theory.
"A staged trial?" Despina snapped, turning to press her face close to Starry's ", That little article. That was what it was about?"
"You know of it, princess?" Starry asked.
"Only from what I read in the article, Miss Specter," Despina growled under her breath ", I never expected my court to attempt to overthrow me."
Starry withered ", That's why I need your help, Princess. The Elite of Canterlot has to change and I want to change it."
Despina looked over her once more and lifted her hoof, pressing it to Starry's forehead. The lunacorn mare closed her eyes, hesitating at the touch of the princess before relaxing. The sense of calm that washed over as intense as a wave in the ocean, was something that Starry felt when she was in bed with Stone, wrapped in his wings and safe.
"Come to the palace, Starry Specter," Despina ordered.
"How will I? The guards will stop me-" Starry responded quietly, opening her eyes and staring up at the princess.
"When you wake," The princess smiled ", You will bear the mark of the moon."
"But-" Starry started before Despina turned away from her, cantering towards the forest. The dream realm twisted around Starry until she no longer felt solid ground under her hooves.
The mare cried out, reaching towards the princess, but her mind was leaving.
. . .
Starry jerked awake, gasping for breath and tossing the covers off her body. She blinked, glancing around the room and reaching up to touch her forehead.
It was a dream.
It had to be.
But she felt a warm sensation across her forehead, just under her horn, and curving down to her nose.
Exactly where the princess had touched her.
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