On the way to Karive desert

Twinkle Star sighed. She really, really wanted to sleep, but somehow the twins had decided to get into a major discussion with Aline again this evening and they made so much noise Twinkle Star and Stelline really couldn’t get to sleep. Twinkle Star turned on her other side, but even like this she could still hear the twins and Aline talking loud. Maybe it was because they were so alike, but the twins and Aline really couldn’t get along. They constantly were arguing about things Twinkle Star thought were really unimportant. Both Aline and the twins liked to talk a lot and they both really didn’t like to admit they were wrong, which made them clash quite a few times every day, getting them in heated discussions which Stelline and Twinkle Star really preferred to stay out of. Unfortunately for Aline, she was alone and the twins were together, so more often than not the twins won the discussion, whether they were right or not.

The twins turned out to be, well, rather peculiar. It was obvious Vesti was the smarter one of the two and even though she probably would never admit it, she really looked after her sister, trying to protect her from mainly herself. It was a good thing though. Testi was a little weird; she was obsessed with chocolate and she loved practical jokes. For example she had switched the buttermilk can with the milk can in an inn a few days ago, which Aline really didn’t appreciate when she found out the hard way.

It had been a week ago now, that they had left Aline’s village. Twinkle Star had been relieved when the twins and Stelline had said they really wanted to go to Damina together. The twins really wanted some company on the road, and Stelline wanted to see her aunt again. Aline had hesitated a bit; she had really wanted to go to the Friendship Lands at once and really didn’t want a delay of at least five weeks, but in the end she had agreed to come along as well. Twinkle Star knew Aline never really wanted to travel alone anyway so she was bound to come with them, but Twinkle Star was glad that Aline was with her. She didn’t actually have much to say to the twins, and Stelline, well, she still didn’t say very much.

It turned out Aline had a harder time leaving than she had thought she would. She had to say goodbye to her parents now, she couldn’t run off in an impulse, which turned out to be very hard. After all, Aline didn’t know when she was going to see her parents again. Aline had felt really bad the first two days of the journey, and Testi’s pranks of course didn’t help, even though Twinkle Star had the weird idea it was Testi’s way of trying to cheer Aline up.

They were on their way to Karive desert and Damina. It turned out that Damina and her twins lived in some sort of large oasis with a large lake in the centre, surrounded by trees and grass. This was almost in the centre of the desert. Because of some weird conditions in this lake, there were a lot of jewels under the surface. Usually the twins looked for the jewels, Damina cleaned and polished them, and a few times a year they sold them in a small village on the border of the desert, where a jewel salesman lived who used the jewels in his rings and necklaces and all that. With this money they bought things like furniture and other things they needed except food, as they grew fruits and vegetables themselves in their little oasis.

They had been travelling for a week now. According to Vesti it was about two weeks travelling to the town on the border of the desert, and then two more days through the desert itself, which was of course quite dangerous if they weren’t prepared well, but according to Vesti there were enough opportunities for them to get supplies for that desert trip in the little town, so Twinkle Star wasn’t too worried about that yet. They had been following the trade route the first five days which Twinkle Star had been happy about as they had been able to sleep in inns with nice soft beds. Stelline however wasn’t so happy with it as she had to wear her cape and hat all the time, because it was of course really bus on the main road and they still didn’t want anyone to see she was a unicorn. However two days ago they had left the main road and they had been travelling on this deserted side road since then. They had only met one pony who was heading in the opposite direction in two days on the road. This road was small and dirty and not very well maintained, and they were in some kind of small forest now, where the road was nothing but a small path through the trees.

They still had another week or so to go. Twinkle Star had calculated it would be about three weeks from Karive desert to the new Friendship Lands. She had no idea how long they were going to stay at Damina’s place, or whether Damina and the twins were coming with them. Stelline had told Twinkle Star she had never told Damina about Regina and the new lands, but Twinkle Star figured maybe Damina had found out about it herself. Maybe she wanted to come and see her sister again, but then again, from what Stelline had told Damina really wanted to live in solitude, which was the reason she lived in such a deserted place as an oasis.

Twinkle Star’s thoughts went back to the stone Damina had found. Vesti had told her the stone was completely round and smooth. It was copper coloured even though it was made of some see-through material, and Vesti said it was as if it was clouded, as if there was mist inside the stone, which is what Damina had meant with polluted. The copper color wasn’t clear, it was as if it was really dirty and dusty. Twinkle Star had no idea what it could be. Maybe smoke, trapped inside, or something? She really didn’t know, but she felt she was going to find it out soon.

Suddenly she realised everything around her had gotten quiet. It looked like Aline and the twins had finally stopped arguing. Twinkle Star sighed with relief. She stretched her legs and enjoyed the silent noises of the woods. She could hear an owl far away, and she could hear the soft wind playing with the leaves of the trees. These soft, peaceful noises made her drowsy and it didn’t take long before she fell in a dreamless sleep.

The next morning Twinkle Star found Aline near a little creek where she was refreshing herself. It was a really nice morning. Twinkle Star could hear birds everywhere and rays of the morning sun shone through the leaves of the trees, glittering on the tiny waves in the water.
“Hey there Twinkle!” Aline said cheerfully when she noticed Twinkle Star.
“Good morning. How did you sleep tonight?” Twinkle Star asked while she lowered her head and let her nose touch the cold water of the creek, which felt really fresh and softly cold.
“Oh just fine. I guess I’m beginning to get used to sleeping outside again. How about you?” Aline answered, while she stepped into the little creek to wash her hoofs. It really wasn’t deep, Twinkle Star noticed, as the water hardly touched Aline’s knees. 
“Fine as well, after I was finally able to fall asleep. My oh my, you made a lot of noise with those twins yesterday! What on earth were you talking about?”
“Whether chocolate is good for your hair or not.” Aline answered sober, while she walked around a bit through the cold water.
“Eh?” Twinkle Star was so amazed by this answer that she almost fell in the creek instead of stepping in it.
“I know.” Aline answered. “Testi insisted. Said it was good so it wouldn’t get dry and everything. Like she knows more about hair than I do!”
“Riiiiiight,” Twinkle Star said sarcastically, “You actually argued with her about that?” She put her hoof in the cold water and shivered. It really was cold.
“Hey, I am tired of those two making up crap and making me look stupid!” Aline said annoyed. Right, Twinkle Star thought. Arguing with them about stuff like this isn’t going to make you stupid.
“Anyway,” Twinkle Star said, trying to change the subject, “It’s another week till we arrive at the borders of the desert. I wonder if this road will remain as deserted as this. I really hope so though, for Stelline. It’s good for her that she doesn’t have to wear all those clothes. It’s way too warm for clothes anyway.”
“Yeah. Besides, at least we don’t have to hear those comments on other ponies from those twins anymore.”
Twinkle Star laughed. “You really don’t like them, do you?” She asked.
“Do you?” Aline asked back.
Twinkle Star shook her head. “I don’t know, I don’t really mind them I guess. They annoy me less then you did the first days.”
“Oh come on Twinkle! I wasn’t that annoying, was I?” Twinkle Star stared at Aline for a second, and then they both began to laugh.

Not much later Aline and Twinkle Star were back with the others, refreshed by the creek’s water. The others had already begun on their breakfast, and Testi was complaining about the quantity of the chocolate.
“I mean, I know for sure, we had plenty more yesterday! It’s gone I tell you!” She looked suspiciously at Aline.
“You didn’t use it for your hair, did ya?” She said on a distrustful tone. Aline almost chocked in her orange. “Me? You are the one who thinks chocolate is good for everything! Maybe you should look at yourself first. You sure you didn’t eat it in your sleep?” She said annoyed while she got up and walked to her bag, to get herself some of her own apples. Testi didn’t answer, but only muttered something they couldn’t understand, but of which Twinkle Star was sure wasn’t supposed to be a nice word, and they continued eating.

“Vesti,” Twinkle Star asked, trying to break the awkward silence, “Where does the road lead to next? Is this forest long?”
Vesti shook her head. “I think we’ll be leaving this forest this afternoon. There’s some wild meadow’s ahead. I don’t think anyone lives there actually, but it looks really nice in spring, with all the wild flowers everywhere. Anyway, after that there’s some farmers and a few villages. By then we will almost reach the town we’re heading for, I think. We went faster then I thought we would. I think we’ll be there in five of six days.”
Twinkle Star was glad to hear this. She really wanted to move on. She usually didn’t mind to travel, heck, she has travelled the most of her life, however she didn’t like the atmosphere in the company. It became obvious to her Aline and Testi really couldn’t get along which was affecting the whole group.

An hour later they were walking through the forest. Testi and Vesti were walking in the front, Stelline after them and Aline and Twinkle Star were walking in the back. Twinkle Star really liked this forest. It wasn’t as the forest Kiyoi had been guarding. It was light and fresh, and it didn’t smell so damp and rotten, but more like young flowers, enjoying the fresh water of a spring rain. There weren’t many flowers in this forest of course, but the ground was covered in nice green grass and the trees were proudly showing off their your, green leaves. It all gave Twinkle Star a really nice feeling. It cheered her up somehow, and the whole Testi-Aline thing didn’t seem like such a big problem anymore in this refreshing area.

“Hey Twinkle,” Aline began, “You think those twins are coming with us to the Friendship Lands?”
“I don’t know. I suppose they could. If Damina wants to come, I don’t see a reason why they want to stay behind. But I don’t think they’re going to come along on their own.”
Aline sighed with relief. “That’s good.”
Twinkle Star grinned. “Oh come on, Aline. Don’t make such a big deal out of it. So you don’t like Testi. Don’t hang out wit her. Ignore her.”
“Ignore her? She wants to put chocolate in her hair, for crying out loud!” Aline said angrily and a little too loud, which made Vesti ask if everything was okay. Twinkle Star sighed.
“Come on, Aline. Be a little more mature about it. If everything goes well, it’ll be only be a week until we reach her house and I’m sure she’s going to be too busy to be bothered with you then. Please, don’t spoil this for me. I really want to meet my aunt and I don’t want my best friend to be in a fight with her daughter by then.” Aline shook her head. “I know Twinkle, I know. I’m sorry. I’ll try to ignore her.”