At sundown, Lightning and all his friends were at the royal palace for a special event. Mykan was present also. They were expecting two special guests today. The Queens from Planet Aris were arriving to sign a treaty of alliance with Starfleet. Sapphire was the most excited out of all the ponies, which was weird.

"Sapphire, why are you so excited?" Pinkie asked. "Usually, I'm the one whose gets excited about this."

"I just can't wait to see them, again."

That part shocked everybody. "AGAIN?!"

"What do you mean, 'again'?" Rainbow asked.

Sapphire was about to answer when the royal fanfare sounded.

“Ay’ Ay’ Ay’! It’s time!” cried Dyno.

“Si,” added Myte “This is so exciting, but he and the others maintained their stance.

The big doors at the other end of the throne room opened wide as the pony sentries stood to the side, and Captain Shaina and her knights stood to the right side of the red carpet, and Lightning and his team all stood at the other side and saluted.

The two royal parties came in.

The first party arrived. They were all hippogriffs; half pony half eagle creatures. The two hippogriff guards were both white with golden armor on and in came Queen Novo, Queen of the Hippogriffs. Her coat was light fuchsia while her mane was brilliant fuchsia and strong mulberry shading. Her eyes were strong magenta. By her side was a yellow hippogriff with a blue mane and tail. Name: Princess Skystar.

Then, the second party arrived. They were all kirin; ponies with dragon scales on their backs and hooves. The leader was the same height as Queen Celestia and Grand Ruler. She was light gray with grayish-white scales on her back and hooves. Her mane was blue with some light blue shading.

By her side was a kirin who was light goldish gray with goldish gray ear tips. Her mane was moderate gold and her scales were grayish green apple. Name: Autumn Blaze.

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As soon as Skystar and Autumn saw Sapphire, they squealed in delight as well as Sapphire. The three ran and hugged each other. “Oh my god, it’s been so long since we last seen you. How’ve you been?” Autumn asked.

“Good. And you two?”

“Excellent!” Skystar tackled Sapphire to the ground and the two friends laughed.

“Ahem.”

The three of them looked and saw their majesties with raised eyebrows.

“Oh, give it a rest!” they all said in unison and laughed together afterwards.

The queens playfully rolled their eyes and bowed to the ponies. “Greetings, I am Queen Rain Shine and I am Queen Novo.”

Everyone bowed to them, and their majesties extended their welcome to them. “We are glad you made it safely, your highnesses.” said Grand Ruler.

“As am I, too.” replied Novo.

“My wife, Queen Celestia,”

Celestia bowed, “My sister, Princess Luna.”

Luna bowed, “Our right hand fighter, Commander Lightning Dawn.”

Lightning bowed politely, “Your grace. We have prepared a welcoming banquet in your honor if you wish to partake.”

Novo nodded softly, “It would be our honor.”

Soon, the entire court was gathered in the large conference room deep in the palace. Everyone sat at their seats which forms a long curving table that arched all across the room. There were all kinds of foods, and drinks to go round, and as the guest of honor, Rain Shine and Novo, sat near the head of the table by their Majesties, where Lightning usually sat, so he sat with his wife and friends at the end of the table.

Sapphire, Skystar and Autumn sat with Lightning and the gang. The queens sat with their majesties at the head of the table. Goldwin and the palace dancers did a special aerial dance in honor of the queens.

Rain Shine found the acrobatic dances to be her favorite, and she applauded graciously when the performance ended. “Thank you,” she said “I have not seen such amazing dance style.”

Goldwin bowed “Thank you, your majesties.”

Meanwhile, Autumn Blaze and Princess Skystar were sitting with Sapphire, Lightning and friends.

"So you really know these two and the queens?!" Rainbow asked, complete amazed and shocked.

"Yeah, me and Snowflake met them years ago. We helped them solve a problem they had."

"What problem?" Lightning added.

Sapphire chuckled. "I'll tell everyone the story, after dinner."

After the feast, and final refreshments, everybody gathered around as Sapphire began to tell her story. "Okay, so it all began about five years ago...

---

*Sapphire's POV*

I was walking with Kyara through a forest-like planet with scattered trees and small rock formations. We both been walking for about two days and it had made us exhausted...

*GROWL*

...and hungry.

I held my stomach as it gurgled in hunger. "Man, am I starved." Me and Kyara haven't had anything to eat in a while. Being on the road sure can make you hungry. "Wanna see if there's any place to get some food?" I asked. "No use traveling on empty stomachs."

Kyara neighed in agreement, feeling hungry as well. Soon we both walked between two cliffs and came out. We both gasped at what we saw. There was a village made out of trees and fruit stands with a fountain in the middle of the village.

(Like this: start at 0.50)

"Woah, beautiful. Wonder who lives here." That's when brushes began to rustle and I saw some figure hiding behind and in the trees. Kyara stepped in front of me with her wings spread, a defensive posture. "Hello? Is anybody there?" I called out.

The bush in front of us rustled and out came two creatures I've never seen before: a hippogriff and a kirin; a pony with dragon-like features. The hippogriff's coat was light fuchsia while her mane was brilliant fuchsia and strong mulberry shading. Her eyes were strong magenta. As for the kirin, she was light gray with grayish-white scales on her back and hooves. Her mane was blue with some light blue shading. They both were tall. "I guess they're the ones in charge."

Then other hippogriffs and kirin of different colors appeared and surrounded us.

However, they didn't look hostile... actually they didn't show any emotions... at all. They just stared at us with blank expressions on their faces.

"Umm.. hello. My name is Sapphire and this is my friend, Kyara." I greeted. Kyara calmed down and returned her wings to the side. "So what's your name?"

The kirin didn't answer.

Feeling a little awkward, I added, "Umm, you wouldn't to... umm... have any food, would you?"

The kirin and hippogriff nodded.

"Can you show us?"

They nodded again and they walked into the village followed by the other kirin and hippogirff.

*POV Ends*

---

"Woah, woah, woah, when you first met them, they didn't say anything?!" Mykan questioned.

"Not a word... or expression for that matter." Sapphire replied.

"But why?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'll get to that part." She cleared her throat and started again.

---

*Sapphire's POV... again*

The kirin and hippogriffs took us to the middle of the village, where they gave me and Kyara some fruits the kirin grew using their magic. "Ummm... thank you." I said nervously with a smile. Frankly, the whole not talking thing was really creeping me out.

When I tried to talk to the other kirin and hippogriff, they just stared at me with blank expressions. "Is there one of you who can talk?"

The kirin and hippogriff leaders pointed to a path that lead into a deep part of the forest. I smiled, "Thank you. " I turned to Kyara, "Kyara you stay here, okay. I'm gonna find the kirin and hippogriffs who can talk and find out what's going on." Kyara nodded.

I walked down the path for a few minutes but didn't see anything. "Odd." The bushes next to me rustled. I moved in closer and out popped... a squirrel.

"Ah!... oh. Phew."

I turned around only to be greeted by another kirin and hippogriff. The hippogiff was yellow with a blue mane and tail. The kirin was light goldish gray with goldish gray ear tips. Her mane was moderate gold and her scales were grayish green apple. "Umm.. hi. Have you seen a hippogriff and kirin who talk?" I asked them.

They shook their heads. "Any idea where I can find them?"

The shook their heads again. I sighed in defeat. What I didn't see was the hippogriff and kirin, smiling.

"Gotcha! Sorry, sorry, but that was too good. Oh, you don't know how much I missed jokes. Hi-larity! Am I pronouncing that right? Some words I haven't said in a will. While! While. Hi, I'm Autumn Blaze and this is my friend, Skystar."

Then Skystar started speaking, "You've just arrived, and perhaps you're tired or hungry or reflective and want to sleep and eat and journal? Which you should do, of course! But first— Oh! Oh, what joy to talk with another creature! It's been so long! You must tell me everything about you! There's so much to say, so much to do! Oh, look at me. I'm going on, and you haven't seen— I mean, have you seen—? W-What am I saying? Of course you haven't. So just— I— yeah— I will j— Follow me." she said.

I just still trying to process everything she said. "...well the they talk alright."

I followed them to a cliffside where there was a makeshift house near the edge. The two of them were skipping up the trail and to the edge of the cliff. I saw the view. There was a rainbow in the distance and clear blue skies. "This is beautiful." I said.

"Oh, you think so, too?!" Autumn said. "The way the light shimmers off everything, like, like it all suddenly woke up the moment you saw it. And you realize maybe the water and the mountains and the forest and the... yes, the rainbow and the stars and the sky are all looking back at you thinking the same thing? That we are a part of the everything. That maybe there's just one thing and we are all it.

I just blinked at her. "...I was going to say it's was pretty. But yeah."

The two of them skipped along the ground, sniffing flowers. "Mmmm! And this is just the first stop on a journey of amazing things to see, smell, tiptoe through." Autumna started, "Oh, I haven't been able to share all of this with any creature in forever! Since they all took that vow of silence. So it's a lot for me to pro-cess. Process? Uh, deal with." Skystar added.

"Woah, woah, woah. Vow of Silence?!" I asked, in confusion.

Autumn and Skystar suddenly looked sad. "That's why they asked us to leave."

Now I know these two must know what happened that made the kirin and hippogriffs go silent. "I hope it's not a touchy subject, but can you two tell me why they went silent in the first place?"

"It's a long story." Autumn replied.

I could see this was a hurtful subject for them. "You rather not talk about it?"

"No." Skystar replied.

"I under-" I was cut off when the two started singing.

"We'd rather siiiiiing."

(It was similar to this)

*POV Ends*

---

"Wait just an apple picking minute!? The kirin and hippogriffs gave up their emotions just to keep from getting angry?!" Applejack said.

"That is correct." Novo answered.

"The last time the Kirin turned into Nirik, some hippogriffs got hurt in the process trying to get them to calm down. To make sure it never happened again, they made every creature go through the Stream of Silence.” Sapphire added.

Mykan turned to Queens Novo and Rain Shine. "And you two exiled Autumn and Skystar cause they didn't want to follow the vow of silence anymore?"

The two leaders rubbed the back of their heads in embarrassment. "That is also true."

The ponies haven't heard anything so crazy in their lives. "But Sapphire, Autumn and my daughter helped us realize where we went wrong." Novo replied.

"DAUGHTER!" Everybody cried.

"Yep, Queen Novo, is my mother." Skystar replied, proudly.

Now that made this even more crazy. Not only did the Queens exile two of their own cause they didn’t want to stay silent, but Queen Novo exiled her own daughter.

Sapphire cleared her throat. "Anyway back to the story."

---

*Sapphire's POV*

I was shocked after hearing Autumn and Skystar explain by song what happened. "That's crazy. No creature should give up their feelings just to keep from getting angry."

"That's what we said, you know when we started talking again." Skystar and Autumn said in unison.

"Well, I was thinking if we just go talk to the other Kirin and Hippogriff, we can get team to welcome you back proper-like. Maybe even convince 'em to take your cure.
Autumn and Skystar liked that plan. "Oh, yes! Yes, of course! Oh, just one small thing." Autumn said. "The antidote from our anecdote? It's gone.

I gasped. "There's no cure left?!"

"We used the last of the foal's-breath flowers to make it. And I-I haven't seen then bloom since." Autumn said.

"I have." Skystar replied.

Autumn and I looked at her with glee. "You have?!"

"Yeah. I'll be right back." she flew off and down the cliff. Soon, she came back up with a handful of blue flowers. "That's it! That's the foal's breath flowers!" Autumn exclaimed with happiness. I smiled too. Now all that was left was to convince the kirin and hippogriffs to take the cure.

"I'll go get your friends to welcome you back." I said as I began to rush back to the village. "Okay. Good luck!" the girls said in unison.

I went back to the village and found Kyara. "Kyara, I found the problem!" I explained to her what I got from Autumn and Skystar, she too was shocked. "We just need them to start talking again."

Kyara shook her head. "No? Why not?"

Kyara walked over to a wall painting. She began neighing. "So the kirin are normally peaceful and calm, but when they get angry they turn into Nirik; creatures made of fire and anger. The last time it happened they accidentally destroyed their village. So they made sure it would never happen again."

"But Kyara, giving up your emotions to get rid of anger is not the way to live."

Kyara neighed. "But fire's are dangerous!"

"I know fires are dangerous, especially in forest. But they won't have to deal with it if they don't turn into fire-breathing kirin in the first place." We didn't notice our arguing attracted the attention of the kirin and hippogriffs.

Kyara neighed in anger. "You're not listening!"

"You're not making any sense."

That's just when we just noticed the kirin and hippogriffs. "Umm.. what are they doing?" The kirin used their magic to lift me and Kyara into the air. "What the-? What's going on?"

They took us to the a hill where at the bottom we saw the Stream of Silence. "Oh no, not the Stream of Silence!"

Just as they were about to drop us in...

"Put them down!"

Everybody looked behind them and saw a Nirik and Skystar.

The Nirik created a ring of fire between me, Kyara and the kirin and hipogriffs.

The Nirik walked through the fire while Skystar landed inside. "Are you two okay?" Skystar asked.

"Yeah, we're okay." I answered.

Kyara neighed at Autumn Blaze. "What'd she say?" she asked.

"She said, 'I thought Nirik were dangerous when their mad, how did you manage to control your anger?"

"I don't know. I guess anger is like other emotions. It's not bad to have them, it's what you do with them." Autumn explained.

"And giving up happiness just to avoid anger is no kind of life." I added.

"Hmm... I guess we'd never thought about it that way." Skystar added.

Autumn went over to her kirin friends. "Fern Flare, you used to love to laugh at everything. And Rain Shine, you sung the most beautiful harmonies. Don't you miss it?"

Skysar went to her hippogriff friends. "Terramar, you used to sing everyday and Mom, you used to sing to everybody, Don't you miss it?"

"I know you're worried about fighting. But friends can disagree without causing a ruckus." I said. "Everyone gets mad sometimes. Even us. We don't always see eye-to-eye. But we never let that get in the way of our friendship.
And if you're really angry, then take some time away to be a Nirik where it won't hurt anyone."

One of the kirin and hippogriff went to Autumn and Skystar.

(Like this)

"Oh you want to cure for the Stream of Silence." Skystar said.

"That's wonderful!" I said.

Luckily, Skystar still had the flowers. We all went to the middle of the village and Skystar put the flowers in the fountain. The kirin and hippogriffs drank the water and they all regained their voices. Queens Novo and Rain Shine approached us.

"Sapphire, Kyara, Autumn Blaze and Skystar, you have given u a gift. The realization that anger in within us but it is our choice how we let it out." Rain Shine started. "Autumn Blaze, Skystar we would very much like it if you both came back to live with us. We cannot express how much we missed your beautiful voices." Novo added.

The two smiled happily and sang a reprise.

Me and Kyara were very happy for the kirin and hippogriffs. We became friend from that moment on.

*POV Ends*

---

Everybody was amazed by Sapphire's tale. "Woah, amazing." Buddy gasped.

"Yes, we are very grateful to Sapphire and Kyara for helping us realize what we do with our anger is more important." Novo said.

Sapphire smiled. Her friends were astounded. "Looks like you taught them a friendship lesson, huh, Sapphire?" Rainbow teased. Sapphire chuckled. "Yes, I guess, I did." Their majesties were proud of Sapphire. She showed them the magic of friendship even before she met them. "You are a very remarkable human, Sapphire Shimmer." Celestia said.

Sapphire blushed. "Thank you, your majesties. Now should we continue this alliance?"

"Yes we shall." Celesto said. And so the alliance treaty went off without a hitch. Now Starfleet had two more to add to their many allies when the time would come when they need their assistance.

Next Chapter: Episode 11: Changeling Test Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 25 Minutes