The Daylight Star

“Aren't you curious what you will get?”
“Not really. I haven't gotten anything for years. In fact, I never got anything on Batafurai either. I'm already nervous enough as it is because they insist on throwing me this big party.”
Ruki didn't like the smug look on Yuuro's face at all. He knew more about this party than he was telling her, that much was certain.

“Oh yes, because a party with a big pie and lots of ponies visiting is of course a horrible prospect- who would want that?”
Yuuro grinned- of course he grinned. He was just playing with her, and the worst thing was that she had no idea how to escape it. She rolled over so that she lay flat on the grass again, her tummy touching the cool earth.

“It's not about the party, smartass. I don't mind cake or friends or family being happy it's my birthday. It's because this is the first time they want me to be a princess.”
“I thought you wanted to be a princess. Isn't that what you had decided?” Yuuro had rolled over now, too, and he was staring at her with those lavender eyes of his.

The sky was red, marking the departure of the sun once again. Inside the castle, servants were probably busy doing dishes, and no doubt her mother was off doing more work with her grandmother, while Stelline put the kids to bed. Ruki and Yuuro had the evening off, though, so they had decided to enjoy the summer evening before it would fade away into autumn and winter. The thick smell of dry grass hung in the air, filled with the faint fragrant of late summer flowers.

“I did. But it's not easy all of a sudden. It's not as if I instantly became a princess and know how to act like one.”
“You'll learn in time. It's not like you have to be someone else, anyway. Just be yourself and you'll do fine. You've always been a princess.”
“Thanks, Yuuro.” She still wasn't looking forward to her birthday, though. She had always avoided her birthday. In the Asano Bond she hadn't even told anyone, claiming she didn't know when her birthday was. Of course, that had been a lie, but she had never felt like celebrating.

She didn't feel like it now, either, but her family did. Everyone had been so tense the past few weeks, waiting for the daylight star, that they really could use some distraction. So when her father had realized two days ago that Ruki's birthday was incoming soon her mother and grandmother had quickly decided it would be a big party and they had invited loads of ponies Ruki only vaguely knew.

Well, it wouldn't be too bad to have some distraction from staring at the skies all day. Twinkle Star was growing restless- she felt like she was wasting her time. Ruki could see it- her aunt did nothing all day but wander around- or fly around. Her wings were no secret any more. But no one knew when it would come- they only had the prediction of a stone and the panic of a little girl to rely on.

“Maybe we should go inside soon.” Yuuro suggested when the sun had disappeared below the mountains.
“Ah, do we have to?” Ruki didn't want to go inside. They'd make her go to sleep and then it would be her birthday. She'd much rather delay the inevitable a little bit more by staying up late. Yuuro laughed. “Okay, okay. We stay outside here then. What do you want to do?”

“How about we go visit the little cottage we found this winter? We haven't been there ever since, and I'm curious how it looks like in summer, without the snow.” Ruki proposed as she got back on her hooves.
“Yea, sure. Why not? Do you know the way still?”
“I think so. Follow me.”
She trotted off in the direction of the forest, and quickly found the path they had followed that winter. It looked different, of course, but Ruki was positive this was the correct path. There weren't any others, anyway.

“Hmm... Tell me a secret.” Ruki teased as they struggled through the branches and leaves.
“A secret? Why?”
“Because it'll be my birthday tomorrow.” Ruki winked, making him laugh again.
“Okay, okay... let's see... When I was small, I used to think my elder sister would become queen, instead of my brother.”
“But that's not an exciting secret!” Ruki objected.
“It's not, uh...” Yuuro looked disappointed.

“How about this then.” Yuuro smiled mysteriously.
“Before I got here, I generally spend my days studying and doing research into historical documents. I thought it was interesting to see how ponies used to live ages ago. But one day in the library... I got distracted.”
“By what?” Ruki still had no idea where he was going with this story.
“By a girl so absorbed in her reading that it seemed as if her world ended at the edge of the page. Her hair was gold, and her coat was as bright as the sun.”

“You saw me?” Ruki exclaimed.
“Yep. But you were gone the next day. I never saw you again until we met in Zoroaster.”
“But you never told me! Did you recognise me?”
“Of course I did. You're not someone easily forgotten, princess Ruki.”
“Don't call me that.” Ruki told him.
She couldn't believe it. She couldn't remember Yuuro from the short time she had spend in Kin. Well, truth be told she hadn't really been paying attention to the city or anyone inside it.

“Is that an exciting secret enough?” Yuuro asked.
“Yea. I guess. I can't believe you knew me and you never told me!”
It was Yuuro's turn to laugh. “Well, now it's your turn.”
“My turn?”
“Yes. To tell me an exciting secret.”
“I don't have any of those.” Ruki stated, knowing Yuuro wouldn't believe her.
“Don't lie to me. I told you one of mine, now you tell me one of yours. It's only fair.” Yuuro's smile had faded a bit, and Ruki couldn't tell if he was being serious or just joking.

Her secrets... of course the first thing she thought of was Takato. But that was a secret the world was not allowed to know of. Not even Yuuro. So she thought of something else.
“When I was in the Asana Bond... I did some things I shouldn't have. And that I'm not proud of.”
“Like what?” Yuuro asked.
“Promise you won't tell my mother. Or anyone else.”
“Promise.”
“Okay.” Ruki breathed deeply, not quite believing what she was about to say. “I used to break into ponies' houses. And steal stuff. I didn't want to, but... I wanted to help. To be a part of it.”

“Oh... wow, that is... something else.”
Ruki couldn't look at him now. Suddenly, she felt so ashamed of all the things she did. Of all the things Takato had been able to make her do... so when she felt Yuuro's nose against her neck, more than anything she was surprised.
“That must have been hard on you.”
“I guess... I guess it was. But maybe it's even harder now. Knowing that the person on the western throne would go to such extremes to get what he wanted. Even if his cause was right...”

Ruki shook her head. She didn't want to think of Takato now.
“Well, he's far away now. He won't hurt you anymore. I won't let him, anyway.” Ruki smiled gratefully.
“Thank you, Yuuro. That means a lot to me.”
More than he knew... to think there was someone standing between her and Takato now made her able to relax and breathe, finally.

The forest made way to the clearing, and in the fading light they saw the outlines of the house. The sun was setting, and there would be no moon tonight.
“Are there even any stars left?” Ruki wondered out loud.
“I don't know. I can't see any any more. Maybe those that are so far away they are invisible to us are still there.” Yuuro pondered.
“Yes... maybe. Let's hope the daylight star comes soon... or it might be too late.”

The sun was all but gone now. As it was still summer, it was already getting rather late. There wasn't much time left until midnight. Until her birthday. The white building was waiting for them, it's doors gone long ago. Last time they had been here it had been so cold and snowy, but now the grass grew high against the walls and Ruki could see that ivy was growing against the walls. On one side, it even reached the roof where it had found a crack and the plant was now exploring the attic.

“Seems like it's still here, all right.” Yuuro observed. The grass was a lot higher here than it was in the valley in front of their castle, so it was hard to approach the house. Of course there was no path or trail. No one came here. They forced their way through the high grass and finally reached the house.

“You think we can fix it?” Yuuro asked when they stood in the door opening.
“Fix what?”
“This. This house.”
“And why would you want to do that?” Ruki didn't understand.
“It might be fun. It's a cute house, right? And it's been here so long and still in okay shape, so it must be sturdy and well build. We could use it as a guest house maybe. Or perhaps as a living quarters for someone. Who knows? It's not that far from the castle. If we fix the path here, we could walk the distance in thirty minutes for sure.”

Ruki had to admit it would be perfect. Not too far away from the castle and still so enclosed and peaceful. A house for guests who had to stay for a longer period of time, or even a place where they could relax and get away from their duties for a while.
“It might work.” She admitted. “If everyone worked together, we could get it fixed. Yea.”
She could suddenly see it: the house fixed, repainted as white as winter snow, with cute curtains behind the windows and a lovely little garden.

The sky had turned completely dark when they entered the house. The sun was gone, and it was the night of the new moon. There were no stars; only a pitch black darkness that would swallow them all.
“I can't see a thing.” Ruki complained.
“I know. I wish there was a way to make some light, but I don't have any way to make a fire... and to be honest, I don't dare to in here, with all the old wood.” Yuuro said.

“Wait!” Ruki suddenly remembered the Ivy coming through the roof. That probably wasn't the only plant in this house, which meant there had to be prana... and she could make prana glow so strong it would light up. She closed her eyes and focussed on the living plants around her. It was very, very faint, as always in the east, but she found the flow of prana deep in the earth and managed to summon it to the surface.

“There we go.” The ball of light in the middle of the room was faint, but it was so much more than the utter darkness they had been in until now. It surprised her how little focus and energy it cost her to keep the ball shining. “That just keeps amazing me, Ruki.” Yuuro said. Ruki just smiled. It all came so easily now, she didn't quite understand what was so amazing about it.

For the first time, she had a good look around the house. There was some furniture left, but it was all falling apart. The couch had no cushions left to sit on, and the tabletop of the kitchen table had a big hole in it. The floor had almost completely rotten away, and on the ground were some stones mixed with dirt and plants that enjoyed the shelter of the house.

“This will be a lot of work.” Ruki sighed.
“It will be. But it'll be fun. Gives us something to do while the others are busy playing politics, right?” Yuuro winked.
“Yes. That's true.” “
It'll be our project. Let's not tell anyone.”
Suddenly, the prospect of spending days here working on this house together with Yuuro seemed like a fairy tale come true. They would just have fun, not being bound to the laws or to some goal they wanted to pursue. They would simply be here, together.

She became well aware of how close Yuuro was. The house wasn't that big, and he was standing right in front of her, his big eyes lost in hers.
“Yuuro, I...” She whispered, but he objected.
“There's no need to say anything if you don't want to.” He replied. And he was right. There was nothing left to say. They were so close now, so close...

Ruki felt it before she saw anything. The burning sensation in her heart that burned so hot it replaced anything she had ever felt before. Her head became dizzy, and she lost her focus on the prana which quickly fell away into the earth. It was so warm... but it wasn't bad. Like the warm sun on the first bright spring day, the warmth took hold of her entire body.

“We have to go.” Ruki said as she turned around.
“Go? Where?” Yuuro said, not understanding the change in her attitude.
“We have to go back to the castle!” She forced her way through the high grass. She heard Yuuro following her.
“But why, Ruki? I don't understand. Did I do something wrong?”

She didn't have to explain, though. The warmth inside her grew stronger, but it wasn't wrong. It was right. How could Yuuro not feel it? Well, at least he began to see it. Right above them, a star appeared in the sky. A star so small at first, but rapidly growing until it shone brighter than the moon ever had.

“That is... it can't be...” Yuuro stammered. But it was. She not only saw it, she knew it deep inside her soul. This was the star her aunt was named after. This was the star that would open up the heavens and allow them to return the stars to the sky.
“It's midnight.” Yuuro said, calmer now.
“Indeed it is.” Ruki agreed. It seemed her birthday had brought an early surprise.

“The daylight star...” Her path illuminated, Ruki galloped towards the castle.