Fiery woke up the next day and instead of doing his usual morning routine, he stared at the ceiling of the room, thinking of what marriage with Luna would be like, as she soundly slept next to him after having come back from lowering the moon to make way for the sun. Finally, after thinking for some time, he got out of bed and started to head for breakfast, after he bathed and prepared for his morning.

As Fiery walked through the halls, he was continuing to think about what his life would be like when he suddenly ran into a pony when he was turning the corner. He fell onto his plot and began to rub his head with his hoof. “Ow, shit that hurt…” He then looked up to see who he had ran into and saw that a certain pink unicorn mare with purple mane and tail was also rubbing her head as she was on the ground. “Crap, sorry mom. I wasn’t watching where I was going and, well… yeah…”

Starry looked up at her son after she had finished rubbing her head to try to get rid of the pain when she saw her son sticking his hoof out to help her up. She smiled and gladly took it before addressing him. “Well then, just what were you doing that caused you to stop watching where you were going?”

“I was thinking about… you know…”

“The wedding?” Starry asked, and Fiery nodded. “What about it?”

“Well, for starters, I’m not choosing who I wanted to marry, now am I?”

“Well, no you’re not… but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, can you?”

Fiery sighed and began to rub his eyes with his hoof. “Mom, you know I love Luna, right?” Starry nodded. “But I also know that I love ‘Tavi more, right?” Again, Starry nodded. “Then you know the reason why this is a problem, right?”

“Does the word concubine mean anything to you Fiery?”

Fiery looked up at his mom and felt disgusted. “Mom, she’s a girl I love, not some whore who is my sex-slave or something!”

“Whoever said she was a sex-slave? A concubine is a mare who is allowed to live with a stallion who is married but doesn’t have the same status as the wife, but rather a lower status. That means she would be able to live here in the castle, along with the other girls if they would choose to do so, and be with you. This way you wouldn’t technically be cheating on Luna. But perhaps this isn’t something to speak of in public. Let’s go back to my room and continue this conversation.”

Fiery sighed and nodded. “Fine, lead the way.” And with that, the two went back to Starry’s room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the way to Starry’s room, Fiery’s stomach began to growl out of hunger, making Starry giggle some and making Fiery blush. The two just happened to be walking by the kitchen on their way to Starry’s room, and decided to pick up some food for Fiery before continuing to her room and continuing the conversation.

As they entered the room and closed the door behind them, Fiery had placed the food on a nearby table before turning to his mother and speaking. “So mom, how do you know so much about concubines?”

“Well first off, I’ve been living in the Equestrian castles for over two millennia, so you’re bound to pick up a few things. Second, it’s easiest to know when you’re an actual concubine for the king at that time.” She answered nonchalantly.

“Wait… You mean…”

“That I was the concubine for King Prologus? Yes, I was. Why else would I be living in the castle?”

Fiery covered his mouth his hoof and ran over to the trashcan. “I think I’m going to be sick.” He said as he began to gag into the trashcan.

Starry rolled her eyes. “It’s not that bad Fiery.”

“That’s not what I’m gagging over! I can’t believe I’m marrying my sister!” Fiery exclaimed as he continued to gag into the trashcan.

“… What?” Starry asked, then she burst out laughing.

“What?! What’s so damn funny?!”

“You-you-you think you’re marrying your sister?” Starry asked as she gasped for air as she laughed uncontrollably. “Who-whoever said that Luna was your sister? Ahahahaha.”

Fiery blushed once more out of embarrassment when he spoke. “Then you mean he isn’t my father?”

“Of course not! Whatever made you think of such a silly idea?”

“W-Well I mean, y-you said you were-“

“Just because I was a concubine back then doesn’t necessarily mean I got pregnant by King Prologus.” Starry answered as she calmed down and straightened herself out.

“Then… Then who was my father?!”

Starry sighed and walked over to the windows to look outside before answering. “I suppose I do owe you some answers, don’t I?” She closed the curtains, and before answering Fiery, began to walk over to a chest that was by her bed. As she got closer to the chest, she opened it up with her magic and began to rummage through it, looking for something.

“Mom?”

“Aha! Found it.” She exclaimed as she pulled out what Fiery recognized as a sheathed dagger of sorts, its handle golden with various sapphires and emeralds shimmering in the light that was leaking through the curtains.

“What… What is that?”

“It was a gift from your father, before… before he was forced to leave me.” Starry answered with a hint of sadness in her voice. She unsheathed the dagger to reveal it to be made out of diamond.

“Diamond?” Fiery asked, confused.

Starry looked at her son and smiled. “It seems you know your jewels.”

“Oh, well, uh, back when I was staying with Stephen, his wife had a whole bunch of diamond necklaces and such that Britney would occasionally steal and show me when she wanted me to play dress up with her. It was awkward, yes, but it was the least I could do because her older sister refused to play with her younger sister.”

Starry giggled some before she replied to Fiery. “I see then…”

“So if it’s made out of diamond, then wouldn’t that make it extremely weak? I mean, granted diamond is strong in some places, but take a hammer and strike it and it’ll turn into dust, wouldn’t it?”

Starry smiled at Fiery and spoke. “You would think that, as normally you’d be right. However, this was enchanted to be harder than steel, while still retaining its diamond aspects.”

“You mean it’ll cut steel and other things, but it wouldn’t break if I hit it with a hammer?” Fiery asked, and Starry nodded.

“Your father used it a lot while he ‘worked’… It was also the only thing he left me to remember him by… besides you of course.”

“Of course.” Fiery replied as he rolled his eyes. “So why are you pulling it out now?”

Again, Starry smiled and began to walk around the room as she spoke and hovered the dagger above her head. “Before I tell you Fiery, there are some things I must first clear up. First off, when I said I was concubine for King Prologus, that was only partially true.”

“Partially true?”

“Yes, as you see, I was brought in as a concubine, which was very strange, because I was the only mare in it. It wasn’t only that though, as he didn’t touch me at all, and I had no idea why he wouldn’t until years later….”

“You mean grandfather sold you to King Prologus?”

Starry nodded. “Yet I felt no hatred towards him for it, no lust for vengeance, as he did what he was told to. But that’s not what I think he did it for, no. I think he did it because he knew I would be safe in the castle, and that the chances of me surviving in the castle were much higher than if I stayed with him and my brother.”

“Was it really that bad living in the country back then?”

Again, Starry nodded. “More than you can ever think. My mother, your grandmother, was taken from me when I was just beginning to talk, or so my father always told me. She was stricken with an illness that nopony could cure… Not without payment at least. My father and brother did everything they could to help her, but it didn’t matter, as she died shortly after contracting the disease.”

“What… What was it?”

Starry shook her head. “I have no idea, nor will I probably ever know, but father always told me that she passed peacefully, and that the disease killed her painlessly… But enough of my gruesome past, as I should be telling you about your father, right? Right.”

“So mom… I sort of want to know… why did you never tell Celestia or Luna about dad? Celestia told me the night I got my memories back that you would always avoid the conversation whenever she tried to bring it up, and that you would change the subject. So why the big secret?”

Starry looked at Fiery and smiled. “I guess I should explain that as well, huh…? Well, I suppose you could start with the fact that back then, unicorns were usually considered to be elite because of the fact that we could use magic and such.“

“But you and I are unicorns, and yet, it sounds like you were a peasant.”

“I was just getting to that.” Starry answered him, then took in a deep breath and continued. “I was actually an unusual case in my family, as they were all earth ponies. Why was I the only unicorn? I have no idea, but I don’t wish to think about it, fearing the worse and all…. Anyways, as I was saying, unicorns were considered elite, and because of this, usually acted as royalty. Your father on the other hoof, was… different.”

“Different? Different how?”

“Well… For one, even though he was a unicorn, and that he was a noble, he… he felt like he needed to be somepony else.”

“Who?”

“Well, not somepony who should act like a noble, that’s for sure. Even though he acted a like a noble in public, he wouldn’t when it was him alone or when he was with me. I didn’t judge him for who he was though. I loved him for it, not for what he did.”

“So what did he act like when you two were alone…? Wait, on second thought, I don’t want to know.” Fiery commented, earning chuckle from his mother.

“Oh Fiery, it was nothing like that. What I mean is, well, he was a thief.”

“… What?”

Starry giggled a bit more before answering. “Yes, believe it or not, it was actually how I met your father. One night, while I was having trouble sleeping, due to me having just arriving to the castle and missing my home already, he had used his magic to get passed the castle guards and climb onto the balcony outside my room. When he had entered, he began to rustle through my drawers trying to find anything of value, and did.” She then walked back over to the chest and pulled out a necklace that Fiery recognized as a Chinese dragon from Earth made out of emerald, with a background made out of sapphire, and gold encircling the dragon to contain the two gems. “It was a gift from my father. He had gotten it when he was much younger and adventured into the East, as it was meant for my mother.”

“I’m guessing that’s what dad was trying to steal?” Fiery asked, and Starry nodded.

“Indeed. When he was going through my drawers, he had come across it. That’s when I woke up and confronted him.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starry was trying her best to fall asleep, but the constant reminder of the bed she was lying in not being her own made her uncomfortable, and making her long for her home. ‘Why am I here?’ Starry thought to herself. ‘Daddy… Big brother… I just want to go home.’

Just then, she heard a noise coming from the corner of her room. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she looked over her shoulders to see a figure rummaging through the drawers, thinking that it was looking for any clothes that were required of her to wear inside the castle. She tried her best not to scream, afraid of what the figure would do if she did.

As she watched closely, she saw a dimly lit horn show itself as the figure pulled something out of the drawer and spoke softly to itself. “Bingo.” A male from what Starry could tell.

When Starry saw what the figure pulled out, her eyes widened in horror, as she recognized it as the necklace her father had given her as a farewell gift. Without realizing it, she yelled out in protest. “No!” The figure turned around and saw that Starry was staring right at it, crying as she did. “P-Please! Don’t! Th... that’s all I have left of my mother.”

The figure clicked his tongue in frustration at the current predicament, knowing he was caught red-hoofed, and looked at the necklace. “Is that right… It really means that much to you? Not something you won’t miss?” Starry nodded furiously at the question. “Damn…”

“Why… Why do you need to do this?” Starry asked through her tears, not even afraid of what the now recognizable stallion would do to her, so long as he left the necklace behind and would never take it again.

The stallion stepped into the moonlight that was shining through the windows to reveal a deep grey unicorn stallion with a black mane who could be seen smiling through a black mask to hide his face as he walked up to the bed. “Why…? Well, because I get a thrill out of it of course, but sadly that’s not really the main reason I do it…” He answered in a calm and collective voice. “You’re the King’s new concubine, right?” He asked and Starry nodded. “Then you know what it’s like outside the castle walls, don’t you?”

“Y-Yes, I-I do. W-What does that have anything to do-“

“Because even though I’m a noble-“ The unicorn began as he took off the mask to reveal his handsome, noble-like face, only a little bit older than the fifteen year old Starry. “I’m sick and tired of how my fellow nobles treat the ponies who were unfortunate enough to not be born into nobility. That is why I go around the castle, as well as the noble houses, and steal things that they wouldn’t care if it went missing or not.”

“B-But how do you know if they won’t miss it or not?” Starry asked, trying to figure the stallion out.

“Whether they miss it or not is no concern of mine.”

“But wouldn’t that also make you the bad pony? Taking things without their permission, and not caring whether or not they hold it dear?”

The stallion stayed quiet for a while before answering Starry. “… Why do you care for the nobles so? Did you not come from the country? Do you not hold hatred for the ponies who forced you and your family to stay in the ruins, while they sit in their castles comfortably?” Starry shook her head no, while at the same time wiping the remaining tears away. “Odd… You’re the first pony I’ve come across who feels no hatred towards those who keep them down… What of your mother and father? Doesn’t it make you upset that they will never be able to achieve anything worthy and being able to live comfortably like the nobles here do? I’m sure they work night and day just to get by, yet-“

“My father taught me to appreciate life, to never hold hatred to anypony for something they may or may have not done, and my mother… my mother died when I was just beginning to talk on my own…”

“Oh, I see… Um…”

“Can… Can I please have my necklace back please? It’s a gift from my father and… It’s the last thing of my mother’s that’s left.”

“Oh, um, sure…” The stallion answered as he lifted the necklace and placed it around Starry’s necklace as the moonlight shone down on her as well. The stallion smiled as he saw the necklace on her and spoke. “You know, I don’t know why, but it really suits you.” He then began to walk over to the balcony when Starry called out to him.

“Wait! I never got your name.”

The stallion looked back and smiled at Starry. “Want to rat me out?”

Starry shook her head. “I… am I not allowed to know?”

The stallion sighed and shook his head. “Tell you what, if you tell me your name, I just might tell you. Deal?”

Starry nodded and answered. “It’s Starry Skies. What’s yours?”

The stallion smiled once more and answered her question. “Starry huh? A beautiful name for a beautiful mare if I say so myself…” Starry began to blush at the sudden compliment of the stranger. “It’s Shining.” He told her. “Shining Light.”

“U-Um, Shining?”

“Yes?”

“Will… Will you come back tomorrow night? I-I want to talk more…”

Shining nodded as he smiled. “If I can make it, I’ll definitely come.” And with that, he walked out onto the balcony, and then jumped off, causing Starry to rush over to see if he was alright and when she looked over the edge, she saw the stallion completely fine, running away.

“Shining Light, huh…” Starry spoke softly to herself as she walked back to her bed, ready to fall asleep. ‘Is he really a good stallion? Or is that all an act?’ She thought before finally going to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So what happened afterwards?” Fiery asked his mother.

“Well, if you must know Fiery, we began to fall in love with each other. As I said before, every night, he would climb into my room and spend time with me talking. Slowly, I began to understand why he wanted to ‘punish’ the nobles by stealing their things. Apparently when he was young, he would occasionally escape his adult supervision when he was a foal and go into the city, and was disgusted by how everypony was treated by one another, whether or not they were poor or rich. When he was still young and had seen all of these things, he had decided that one day he would steal from the nobles to make them feel how it felt to be poor, and then perhaps they would treat each other with more dignity and then one day, the rich and poor would be able to live in harmony.”

“But he failed miserably I suppose.” Fiery commented, getting a glare from his mother. “What?”

Starry sighed and answered. “Your father had the right intentions, and even though it was a futile thing to do, he never gave up. He would use his noble powers to change everything from the inside, and his thieving abilities to change everything from the outside… or so he hoped. He hadn’t succeeded, because one night, about five years after we had met each other, he was finally caught.”

“I’m guessing he was let go though, right? Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

Starry shook her head. “No, not quite. He was caught in my room, as the other nobles were beginning to learn your father’s patterns and finally decided it was time to capture him. The night he was captured, the nobles had convinced King Prologus to post guards inside my room while I was taken away into another room, so when he came-“

“He would be taken by surprise and captured, right?” Fiery asked, and Starry nodded.

“He struggled heroically for some time before he was finally tied up and hulled to the dungeons. I pleaded to King Prologus to let him go, and told him that your father did nothing wrong, but he never listened. The next night I cried myself asleep, worried that I was never going to see him again. Luckily for me, I was wrong.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Starry had finally fallen asleep after nearly an hour of non-stop crying. Slowly, a large figure, one of grassy green coat and deep blue mane and tail, and a planet for a Cutie Mark, entered the room while trying to its best not to wake the devastated unicorn, at least, not yet.

The figure crept up next to Starry and smiled slightly before gently poking the unicorn awake. After several pokes, Starry finally woke up and turned to be surprised to find the Queen of Equestria, Theodora, smiling at her. “Y-Your highness!”

Suddenly, a hoof quickly silenced Starry as it placed on her lips. “Shh, please be quiet my child. I have simply come here to speak with you, that is all.”

After the Queen took her hoof away, Starry quickly spoke up. “Talk to me about what your highness?” She asked quietly.

“Tell me Ms. Skies, why is it you weep for the captured noble?”

“Y-Your highness?” Starry tried feigning ignorance, but it didn’t work, so Starry sighed and answered. “I’m sorry your highness, but… I’ve fallen for the captured noble, as it was why I protested his capture last night as well.”

“I see… You know what must be done though, correct? For stealing the treasures of nobles, and to terrorize them with his constant thievery?” Queen Theodora asked, and Starry nodded slightly. If there was any more tears she could cry out, she would have cried them out. “Tell me Ms. Skies… Why do you love that stallion so?”

“Your highness?”

“Would you be willing to serve my husband and I for all eternity if it meant that he could live?”

“I… I don’t understand your highness.” Starry answered, and then looked down at the sheets she was laying in before squeezing out a few drops of tears. “I… I suppose I would give up my life if he could live on.” She answered truthfully.

Queen Theodora smiled and nodded. “Very good, come with me then.”

“Highness?”

“Just follow me Ms. Skies, and all will be explained.” Queen Theodora said with a smile, and then began to exit the room, with Starry shortly following behind her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So what happened next?” Fiery asked, and Starry answered.

“Well, for the most part, we walked for what felt like an hour or so through the castle until we got to a small room where a large grey alicorn who I recognized as King Prologus was standing. What happened after that I really can’t explain.”

“Why not?”

“Well… because I don’t know what happened. I was told to close my eyes, and I complied. Next thing I knew, I was hit by some sort of spell, and then the next time I opened my eyes I was back in my room where your father was lying right next to me. He had told me that he was released for one night by special privilege by King Prologus. I suppose you can guess what we did that night.”

“I’d really rather not think about it…. Anyways, mom, there’s actually a few things which I want to ask you about, like how was I born 2,000 years after you two doing you-know-what?”

“Sex?” Starry asked, making Fiery cringe at the thought, causing Starry to giggle some for teasing her son and then answered him happily. “Well, if you really must know, after that night, it wasn’t long before I was showing signs of pregnancy, but unfortunately there were other matters at hoof that needed to be taken care of.”

“What’s that suppose to mean?”

Starry sighed. “To put it simply, Queen Theodora saw that I was pregnant, and didn’t want a newborn be put into the world when war had just broken out-“

“War? What the hell?!” Fiery exclaimed.

Starry rolled her eyes before answering. “Yes, if you must know, war had broken out shortly after that fateful night. A centaur by the name of Tirac began capturing innocent ponies to work in his mines or something like that, I don’t really know all the details. All I do know, is that Queen Theodora didn’t want a newborn in that time, so she asked her husband to see a time that would have been suitable for me to give birth.”

“Wait, what did the king-“

“You don’t need to know right now.” Starry quickly answered. “All you need to know is that instead of being executed for being a criminal, your father was sent to the front lines to fight as a hero instead. The night before he was deployed, he gave me this.” Starry said as she raised the dagger up in front of Fiery to see. “As I said before, it was the dagger he had used while he stole things, mostly to destroy locks and such.”

“That’s… cool, I guess…”

Starry sighed out of frustration and wanted to hit her son, but scolded him instead. “Don’t you get what I’m doing Fiery? This is the only thing I have to remember your father by, and I want you to have it!”

“What? Me?! What in the world do I need it for?”

“Can’t I give you the only thing from your father to you just because?!” Starry nearly screamed, clearly torn up about giving it away.

Fiery saw this and sighed, then began to walk over to his mother and hugged her. “Alright mom, I won’t question about it anymore. If you really want me to take it, I’ll take it, and I’ll promise to keep it safe.”

“Thank you son…” Starry said quietly as she began to tear up, all while holding her son gently.

After a while of silence, Fiery finally spoke up and asked. “So mom… what happened to dad then? I guess he didn’t make it?”

Starry shook her head. “No, unfortunately not. He died alongside the King and Queen when they destroyed the centaur using their magic. The reason why they wanted me to live for eternity was to be there for Celly and Lulu, and to use my powers to help them in their times of need.”

“I see… so he did die a hero then…”

“Yes, he did…” Starry said quietly again as the tears streamed freely from her face now.

After a while of hugging each other, they had finally broken the hug off and smiled at one another. “Hey mom?”

“Yes son?”

“Are there still some things you aren’t telling me?”

Starry was taken back from the question. “Wha? How could-“

“Its fine mom, I won’t push it. I just want to know, that’s all.” Fiery said with a smile, causing Starry to smile back.

“Well, if you aren’t going to push it… Yes, there are a few things I’m still keeping from you Fiery, but right now isn’t the time to tell you right now.”

“Alright then mom…” Fiery answered her, then finished his breakfast before saying goodbye and leaving the room, leaving Starry to herself.

“Shining, why did you have to die that day?” Starry quietly asked herself as she began to tear up again and cry quietly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have nothing really to say other than sorry for this being so short. Hopefully 34 will be much longer. Good day and hope to see you all soon.

Electrons flow through conductive material in the same way any pressure system works. The electromagnetic force of each electron causes a constant repelling force between them, so when one electron moves forward in a conductor, the rest of the electrons move to equalize the pressure across the circuit. A chemical reaction occurs in batteries, leaving a difference in pressure across the circuit, or voltage, that is equalized by forcing the excess of electrons to flow through a conductive material to the opposite end of the battery, where there is an inverse pressure, a vacuum. - CrADHD