My aunt Damina

“Hey sweeties! I’m so glad to see you again! And who are the ponies with you?” Damina said to her daughters, as soon as Twinkle Star and the others walked towards her. Of course she quickly recognised Stelline. After all, who didn’t recognise her if they knew her? There was nobody like her after all.
“Stelline… how are you! It’s good to see you!” Damina said, pleasantly surprised. Twinkle Star was amazed how different Damina was from Regala. Damina wasn’t a broken old woman, on the contrary. She looked good, happy. Her red-pinkish mane shone in the light of the sun and her pink coat looked healthy as well. Her light purple pendant was shining and wasn’t dark or hadn’t lost it’s shine. No, her aunt looked good. It amazed Twinkle Star. Just as Regala, she had lost children, but Damina had been able to move on with her live, maybe even a bit like her own mother had been able to. Regina and Damina had always been quite alike, and Twinkle Star realised it was the same with this. Damina had walked towards Stelline.

“I am fine, aunt Damina. It’s good to see you to.” Stelline replied, not really knowing where to look.
 “Mom,” Vesti started when she noticed her mother didn’t recognise Twinkle Star, “Don’t you recognise your other niece?” And she pointed at Twinkle Star, who was standing a bit behind Stelline.
Damina had a good look and then recognised her. “Twinkle Star? Is it… is it really you?”
Twinkle Star nodded a bit nervous.
“It’s me, aunt Damina.” She said softly.
Damina smiled. “It’s great to see you, Twinkle Star. You look great.”

Twinkle Star felt a huge burden falling off her shoulders when she realised her aunt was still her own sweet self. Twinkle Star had been troubled whether her aunt had turned out just like Regala, whether she would have lost her true self as well, ever since she heard Damina was also alive. however, this definitely wasn’t the case. Her aunt smiled friendly and showed no sign of harsh feelings, or painful memories, even though Twinkle Star knew they were there. Of course they were, and Twinkle Star began to wonder why her aunt didn’t show anything at all; but she didn’t want to worry about it for now. She was just happy to see her aunt, she would worry later.
“You look good to, aunt Damina.” She said, “It’s good to see you too.” Damina smiled.
For a second Twinkle Star thought her aunt was about to say something, but apparently she had changed her mind as she walked pass Twinkle Star.

“And who are you?” Damina asked, when she noticed Aline.
“That’s Aline mom, Twinkle Star’s best friend.” Vesti answered before Aline could say anything.
“Hi.” Aline muttered, a little shy, not really knowing what to say.
“Nice to meet you, Aline! May I ask what happened to your hair?” Damina asked, when she noticed Aline’s half-yellow half-brown hair. Even though Aline had washed her hair in the lake earlier, she still hadn’t been able to get the chocolate out. “I think that is something Testi will answer later.” Vesti said, once again before Aline could answer. Damina stared at her daughter and she nodded.
“I’m sure she will.” She said and she walked back to Stelline.
 “Now, all of you must be tired. How about you all have a rest while I prepare some nice food from the oasis?”
They all happily agreed with this. Vesti and Testi walked inside the wooden house with their mother, no doubt talking about what Testi had done and about the purifying water from Fiume.

Twinkle Star walked towards the lake to drink some more fresh water. Twinkle Star was surprised by the freshness of the water. It was extremely cool while everything surrounding it was actually really hot, but Vesti had mentioned there were some strange conditions here which also were responsible for the creating of the jewels, so Twinkle Star figured those would also explain the coolness of the water. While she was drinking she looked at the oasis once again. It was such a beautiful place. The lake was in the centre and oval shaped. The huge palm trees with their yellow branches and large green leaves created enough shade. There were some paradise birds chirping in the trees, but Twinkle Star couldn’t see them. The water was crystal clear and Twinkle Star could see the bottom of the lake where she was drinking. The bottom had a weird pinkish color, which she couldn’t really describe. It was rocky, but not like ordinary rocks. When she was finished drinking she noticed Aline was once again trying to wash her hair, while Stelline was inspecting the place just as she was. She noticed the nice wooden house Damina and her children had build. It wasn’t big and didn’t have any stories, and was build from palm trees; at least the wood had the same color as the palm tree’s branches. In front of the little house were some vegetable gardens growing exotic vegetables and fruits. Twinkle Star liked the idea of growing your own food, living so far away, and for a moment she was tempted to find a place like this for herself; not answering to anyone, not having to care for burdens of the past… but she knew this was impossible, she knew her past would come after her forever and she would always know that she wasn’t living, but just running away. And she knew her aunt wasn’t able to live like that either, no matter how hard she tried to cover it.

Twinkle Star walked towards Stelline. She wanted to talk with her sister for a bit about what happened earlier with the monster, without Aline interfering.
“Hey, Stelline.” She said as he approached her sister. “You okay?”
 Stelline nodded.
“This place is gorgeous, isn’t it.” Twinkle Star said softly and Stelline nodded again.
“It’s beautiful. It’s so peaceful and quiet here.” She said while she stared at the lake. Twinkle Star agreed. “Hey Stelline… I… I just wanted to thank you. For helping Aline and me out earlier and all.”  
Stelline looked up, surprised. “You don’t have to thank me Twinkle Star! Of course I’d help you. That’s what family and friends do, right?”
Twinkle Star smiled. “right.”
For a while they both said nothing, while they were both staring at the lake. Twinkle Star was glad with Stelline’s response. She was happy Stelline saw her as a friend, as family. She hadn’t expected this so soon, but she was really happy Stelline was opening up a little. Stelline had changed so much since the eruption, and Twinkle Star had noticed she could get along much better with her now.

“How did you find out?” Twinkle Star asked after a while, while she heard Aline cursing in the background because she couldn’t get the chocolate out of her hair. “Find out about what?” Stelline asked.
 “About your powers. You know, that you could do mind lock and all.”
“Heh. I guess I found out during the years. I can do more, you know. General stuff. Mind lock, I can read dreams, focus my royal powers in a beam to attack, I can cure certain illnesses. Sometimes the circumstances forced me to use it, like mind lock. I was attacked in a forest by some hungry wolves. I had no where to run and all of a sudden they were like cute puppies, doing whatever I wanted them to. I just found out I could.”

Twinkle Star smiled. Of course her sister had learned her powers on this way. She didn’t have any books, nor did she have any recourses that told her what she could and could not do. Who knows what else she is capable off. Suddenly Stelline gave Twinkle Star a feint smile and she turned around and walked away. Stelline had done this before. Twinkle Star knew it was best to leave it at this. Stelline didn’t want to talk anymore for now. She turned around and she wanted to walk towards Aline, but she noticed Vesti was already helping her with the chocolate.

Damina stood in front of them, staring at Twinkle Star. She winked Twinkle Star to follow her into the palm trees. Slowly Twinkle Star followed her aunt. She didn’t really know where she was going, but Twinkle Star knew her aunt wanted to talk with her some more, without any others hearing their conversation. Twinkle Star wondered what her aunt wanted to talk about. About her, what she had done all this time, or did Damina wanted to talk about herself, or maybe about the Friendship Lands? Would her aunt know about her mother and the new lands?

Twinkle Star didn’t know exactly how, but not much later they were standing next to the lake again, but this time on the north side of the lake. When Twinkle Star looked to the left, she saw the back of the house and Aline and Vesti washing Aline’s hair somewhere quite far away. She could see them clearly, but she couldn’t hear what they were saying.
“I grounded Testi for a few weeks.”  Damina suddenly said.
Twinkle Star looked at Damina, who was standing on her right, simply looking forward across the lake, not looking at Twinkle Star.
“I’m sorry what she did to your friend. I really am. But Testi…I sometimes don’t know what to do with her, you know. I think she is very lonely. She doesn’t know how to act with others, but she wants to, she doesn’t want to be alone here with me and her sister. She is always looking for things to do but when things aren’t the way she wants them to be, she starts acting like a spoiled little girl. She does everything for a little attention.”

Twinkle Star didn’t move. She knew Damina was right, of course. Living here all your life, without any other friends than your sister, must have been very lonely.
“How did you find this place?” Twinkle Star asked. “You know, this oasis? Why have you decided to live in such a remote place?”
 She didn’t knew if this was to improper, but she had asked it before she realised it. She really wanted to know more about her aunt, and what she had done all this time.
“I met an old man in the village. I’m sure you’ve been there too, you know, the little village on the border of the desert. Anyway, I was still pregnant with the twins and I came there, looking for a place to stay. The eruption was like two months ago back then. I felt so alone and lost. Didn’t know about any others surviving. I met the old man in an inn or something. He told me about this oasis, where he would come every so often to check on jewels. I liked the sound of it; remote, with jewels I could sell for a living. Back then I hardly ever thought of the twins growing inside me. All I cared about was finding somewhere where I could be alone. To grieve over the loss of my five children. To be alone.”

“You seem to be a lot better now.” Twinkle Star said and Damine smiled.
“You could say that, yes. Of course I miss my children. Kiu, Seiki, Daiya… You have no idea, Twinkle. But Testi and Vesti… they showed me I still have something to live for. Their first words, their first steps, Vesti’s first smile… It showed me live goes on. And so I did, I lived on, trying to make the best of my life.”
 Twinkle Star just nodded. She didn’t really know how to respond to her aunt, but after a while she carried on without Twinkle Star asking.
“Testi and Vesti helped me through all those rough years. I knew it had to be hard for them, alone out here, but they never complained, not once. I told them about the eruption when they were ten. Of course it wasn’t a real shock to them, they had always known I was hiding something from them. But enough about me. What brings you here, Twinkle Star? What have you done all your life?”

Twinkle Star smiled. “Nothing important really. At least, not till about a year ago when I met my sister.”
“Stelline?”
Twinkle Star shook her head. “No, not Stelline. I only met her a few weeks ago. A year ago I met Crystal, and we went looking for our mother.”
Of course, this really surprised Damina, as it had surprised Regala.
“Regina? She’s… she is alive?”
“Yes, she is. She has founded the new Friendship Lands somewhere else. Doing quite well I think. We were on our way to the new lands when we ran into Testi and Vesti. I guess I just really wanted to meet you again, aunt Damina.” Twinkle Star said softly.
It was all true though, she really did wanted to meet her aunt again. Damina simply nodded.
“Tell me, Twinkle Star. Tell me everything about Regina and the new Friendship Lands.”