CHAPTER TWELVE: Stars

I watched as Lance's son, Spark, played outside with the other fillies at the schoolyard. I sighed deeply, wishing I felt like they did, happy and carefree. Not having that damn feeling of “You must save the world, but your death must take place first.” feeling, like you know that you must make a great sacrifice in order to save everyone.

“You okay?” Silvermoon asked me, making me jump.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired that's all.” I faked a yawn.

“Then go to bed, you've been up all night.” Silvermoon laid herself on my back. I felt her warm body up against my back.

“I... need to think.” I said. I pushed Silvermoon off my back with my wings.

“Okay, but you won't be thinking so much when this foal is born you know.” Silvermoon smirked, walking away from me. She was right... but I barley had the mind to think as it was.

“Am I... depressed?” I asked myself.

I'm not sure, maybe we'll find out soon.

I don't want to have a foal with a depressed father, we'd be a bad infuelence!

Now you're making me feel bad...

I slumped forward, I couldn't keep my eyelids open for long.

“Tell me what to do...” I groaned, slamming my face onto the balcony edge. Ouch...

I got up and went back into bed. I opened the window and listened to the sounds of the high howling winds as they passed through the swirling curtains. I breathed slowly, taking it all in.

“What stopped me from dying?” I asked myself.

“Maybe it was the thing that saved you...” I answered, great, now I was talking to myself.

“The thing that saved me? Then what could have saved me?”

“Love.”

I bolted up right... how could love save me? It wasn't one of the Elements of Harmony... but it was possible... I put my hoof under my chin, thinking. Was Luna's love... enough to save me? I shook my head, no... or maybe yes... I wasn't sure what to think, I felt lightheaded, Silvermoon was right... I did need to sleep. I made my way back to the bedroom and slid into the bed and drifted off into a deep slumber.

When I woke up, it was late at night. I saw Silvermoon laying next to me, her eyes closed. I smiled at the sleeping body of my lovely wife, I rubbed her back a few times before getting up to go outside and get some fresh air. I walked outside of my house, and sniffed in a big breath of cool night air. I stretched my wings, and took off.

The air ruffled my feathers as I flew high through the air. I looked up to see a full moon.

Did love truly save me? Or something more?

I wasn't sure... but I kept going.

I flew higher, and higher, until it was hard to breath. I saw stars, hundreds of them.

Are stars just like us? They live, and they die, but do they communicate with each other? I wonder what they look like. I know they're just massive space rocks, but what did they look like? Normal everyday rocks? Or like smaller moons.

I slowly descended down back onto the ground, watching the stars vanish behind a thick layer of clouds. When I touched the ground, I began to walk back towards my home. I opened the door, and sat on the couch. My horn began to glow like the tip of a wand, and I began to look around. I picked out a book about the planets and stars, and began to read.

The Next Morning...

I closed the book and looked at the time. It was early in the morning, not yet time someone would usually wake up, so I headed back upstairs to see Silvermoon peacefully asleep. I laid next to her, and wrapped myself around her. I closed my eyes and buried my face into her back, I felt her put her hoof around me.

I didn't see it happen, but we both smiled as we cuddled together in bed. I thought to myself... "Do stars think like we do? Do they have emotions?"

I could only wonder... Next Chapter: Discord, lord of chaos! Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 7 Minutes