Lady Marana

“Are you… interested in the Friendship Lands?” Twinkle Star asked, trying not to sound too suspicious. She wanted to find out why Marana was so shocked to hear about Regina and the new Friendship Lands. Of course most ponies that found out were surprised, but Marana reacted a little too strongly to Twinkle Star’s liking.
“Yes, I guess…” Marana replied while staring at her cup, “I mean, it’s such a sad story… what happened back there. When I heard it… and to hear some have survived and moved on, I guess I’m just glad… to hear there are survivors.”

Twinkle Star didn’t believe a word Marana was saying. The tone in her voice and the look on her face said something completely different from what her words were saying. Yet Twinkle Star decided not to confront Marana… yet. She would not tell her the truth if she tried to force it out of her. If Twinkle Star was right, and she had no doubt that she was, Marana would tell them on her own.
“Would you like to visit sometimes? The new Friendship Lands, I mean.” She proposed, and once again Marana’s reaction confirmed her thoughts. Her face suddenly began to shine, as if she was given an opportunity that she had waited for a long time. Yet only a second later, she looked as confused as first.
“I… yes, I would like to do that. But I don’t think I can leave my home for this long. It’s deserted out here, and if someone tries to break into my house… I can’t…”

“She’s lying.”
Twinkle Star had already turned around to tell Câlin to keep still, when she realized Câlin had not moved at all. She was still sitting on the sofa, staring out of the window. She hadn’t talked out loud. Maybe, very softly… but the words had been really clear in Twinkle Star’s head. Of course, every time Câlin spoke, her words were inside Twinkle Star’s head, but she had not yet realized that it didn’t matter how loud Câlin spoke; they would always be in her head where she could understand them perfectly, even if she spoke in barely a whisper.

“Well, if you want to, just come over and go up to the castle. Tell them you are visiting Twinkle Star; they’ll know where to find me.” Twinkle Star said politely to Marana.
They had been inside for quite a while now, but the storm was still raging outside. Apparently Marana had the same thoughts.
“Listen… I don’t think this storm will get any better during the next few hours. I think it is best if you two stayed here tonight. I’m sure it’ll be better tomorrow evening and you can continure your journey.”

“Oh, thank you so much, Marana. That would be wonderful.”
“Yes, thank you.” Câlin said, out loud this time.
“I will go get some blankets, then.” Marana put her cup on the table and disappeared into the hallway. They heard some sounds, and a few moments later Marana re-appeared with some yellow blankets.
“Here. I hope these will do.” She said while she put the blankets on the sofa.
“I’m sure they will. Thank you for all your care, Marana. If it is not too much trouble… is there a place where I can dry the stuff from my bag? It’s all soaked.”

“Oh, sure. Let’s just hang it all out in the kitchen to dry, okay?” Marana proposed.
Twinkle Star got up and grabbed her wet bag from the floor. Câlin remained where she was, staring out of the window. Twinkle Star walked with Marana to the kitchen block, where she opened her bag. Everything was soaked, and she was afraid the invitation from the queen of Madash would be ruined. They took out the two blankets she and Câlin had used first, and hung them on a wooden peg that was attached to the wall.

Next Twinkle Star took out their bowls and spoons that were quickly dried using a towel. She took out the little bag that carried her royal pendant, and she opened it to check whether the pendant was okay and, she had to admit, to see Marana’s reaction. When Twinkle Star dried her pendant, she could see Marana staring at it, but she didn’t say anything. After a while she carefully put it back in the little bag, and continued to dry her stuff.

When they were done Twinkle Star told Câlin it was time to go to bed and she reluctantly agreed. Marana retreated to her own room as well, and there was no reason for Twinkle Star to stay up anymore. The sound of the rain hitting the roof proved to be quite comforting when she was lying on the sofa, and it didn’t take long for her to drift off in a deep, dreamless sleep.

It was still dark outside when Twinkle Star woke up. First she thought something was wrong, but then she found it was simply the rain that had stopped. She sat up and looked out of the window. It was still really dark, and there was no moon or any stars to be seen at the sky, but it was dry. A small movement attracted her eye. There was someone on her left, and even in the darkness she could see it was Marana. Twinkle Star had no idea what she was doing out there in the middle of the night, but she was too curious to just stay in bed.

She got off the sofa softly, carefully so that she would not wake up Câlin. In the hallway she noticed the outside door was open, and she slipped outside. Marana was sitting a few meters from the house in the wet sand. The wind was still there, but it was a lot less than it had been the evening before. The air smelled refreshed, and the rain had temporarily washed away the salty sea smell. The sand was a lot more comfortable to walk in now that it was wet.

“Hello there.” Twinkle Star said when she reached Marana,
“Mind if I join you?”
“I… no, it is okay. Sit down.” Marana said, not looking up. Twinkle Star carefully sat down next to Marana, and they both stared at the white fumes of the sea for a while without saying a word. The wind was still strong enough to make them look as if they were trying to swallow the land and cover it until the end of time. Twinkle Star wondered if she should say something, but she still hadn’t decided when Marana began to talk on her own.

“I’m sorry, Twinkle Star.”
 “Sorry for what?” Twinkle Star asked, a little surprised.
“For lying to you… I know I shouldn’t have. But when I heard your name I couldn’t believe it. But your pendant convinced me.”
“Of what?” Twinkle Star asked, even though she already knew the answer.
“You are a royal pony, are you not? Regina’s third daughter.” Marana smiled when she said this, knowing she was right.
“Yes… I am. I am sorry for not telling you sooner, but I didn’t think it would be such an issue.”

“I still really don’t see why it is.” Twinkle Star said innocently even though she already suspected why. Yes she played along, because she knew Marana would tell her on her own. “Because… I am from the old Friendship Lands as well. I survived and… lived out here ever since. I never thought any of you had survived. I thought the entire royal family had passed away. And now you tell me Regina is still alive… it’s just so hard to believe.”

“I know it is.” Twinkle Star agreed. “I felt the same when I first heard my mother was alive. I had lived without her for so long, it was like a faint dream, like something I had given up all hope for so long ago that it wasn’t even a dream coming true, it was… as if I finally could see why some people believe in miracles, why people believe in some guiding spirit somewhere out there…”
“Yeah, it is like that… though she is your mother. My mother died right in front of me. I’ll never see her again…”
The darkness of the night filled the silence that hung between them. Twinkle Star had seen death that night. The small pony, consumed by flames as if her body was just something to feast upon…

“Câlin, is she your daughter?” Marana asked out of the blue.
“Yes… something like that. I’m not her biological mother but… I raise her. So I guess she is.” Twinkle Star answered.
“I see…” Marana whispered, “You two look a lot alike. I though you were…”
“Her mother is my cousin.” Twinkle Star interrupted. “Reine’s daughter… Illuvia. You probably haven’t heard from her, because she was born while my aunt was already in exile… but Illuvia… passed away last year. I was asked to take care of Câlin by Illuvia’s sister.”

Marana was silent. The wind was playing with Twinkle Star’s long hair while she watched the small pony. “A lot of things happened in the family that I don’t know anything about.” Marana whispered at last, not taking her eyes off the ocean.
“Why should you know anything about my family?” Twinkle Star asked, glad that Marana was opening up.
“Because it’s my family too.” Marana whispered even softer, and for a moment Twinkle Star wondered if she had heard everything right. So Marana was indeed family… She wasn’t surprised in the least, if anything she only had her own thoughts confirmed that she already knew were true anyway.

“How are you related, then?” She asked, even though she already knew this, too.
“My mother was… Queen Medina’s youngest sister. And I am her youngest daughter. I was told I am younger than Regina’s oldest two children.”
“Well, that makes sense… Your mother and Medina had quite an age difference, right? What was her name again?” Twinkle Star asked, not knowing the answer this time.
“Niera. We didn’t live at the castle, and I don’t even think you and I have ever met… Even though I was supposed to meet you.”

“What do you mean?” Twinkle Star asked. It was obvious Marana had trouble talking about this subject, and she was sure she hadn’t talked about it in years. The pain of losing everyone that is dear to you… Twinkle Star knew it only too well.
“Well… I slept at the castle that night. Me and my mother and sisters… we had arrived the evening before, as we were going to be special guests at the spring festival ball. I was finally going to meet my cousins… Medina’s daughters, and all of their children. But it never happened…”

Twinkle Star did recall that the eruption had been only shortly before the spring festival. So it was already more than seventeen years ago…
“How did you get away?” Twinkle Star asked, wondering if Marana would have been able to make it on her own out there.
“I…” Marana started, but she choked on her words. Even in the darkness Twinkle Star could see the tears falling down from Marana’s eyes.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset…” Twinkle Star begun, but Marana shook her head.

“It’s not that. It’s just… I shouldn’t even be here. My mother… she had already died because I couldn’t run that fast and we weren’t fast enough  to escape. I was sure I was going to die but… then someone came to save me. I was so in shock I didn’t realize who it was until we were far away from the mountains of the Friendship Lands. She… it was your grandmother, Twinkle Star.”
“What? Medina saved you?” Twinkle Star couldn’t believe it. She had always thought her grandmother had died with her country.
“Yes… she was, severely injured. She wanted to go back, but she knew she was going to die. She thought… I was the only one of the family she had been able to save. So she made me promise…”
“Promise what?” Marana hesitated, as if she wasn’t sure she was allowed to say this.
“She made me promise… that whatever happened, I would keep her treasure safe. To keep it hidden, to protect it at all costs.”
“Her treasure?” Twinkle Star asked confused.
“Yes… The treasure of the queen. The Queen’s Crown.”