The crown of the past

“Well… I hadn’t expected to see the castle like this again this year, right Câlin?” Twinkle Star said while she halted on the top of the hill that made her look out over the castle in front of her. The sun was reflected by the glass in the windows, glittering in her eyes so she had to blink several times. Twinkle Star did not really get why, but the castle seemed so small somehow, as if it had shrunk in the time she had been away. But the world around her had been so large for quite a while… she would have to get used to those walls again.

“It’s nice like this. The sun makes it pretty.”  Câlin commented.
Well, she was right… the castle seemed to glitter, as if it had been completely polished to make it shine like this. It was weird, it felt as if she had come home… a feeling she hadn’t had in a very long time.
“Yes, it is nice, Câlin. Well, shall we go?” She asked, and the girl nodded happily. Together, they began to descend along the slope of the hill, towards the castle of Regina.

Their journey home had taken almost only half of the time they had needed to get to Madash. They had flown a lot more, and slept less. She knew Câlin was tired, but she could rest as much as she wanted right now. They were home once again. Twinkle Star didn’t dare to think how her mother and sisters would respond when they would see her right now, and hear her story… How would her mother respond when she would tell her a cousin of her was still alive and she had seen Regina’s mother die, and buried her, and kept her crown safe for all these years?

And Aline would be there, too… Would they be able to make up their fight? Twinkle Star still didn’t know, but she shook the thought off her mind. Now was not the time to wonder about such things. They were home, and she should give her mother the crown. Besides, Aline was probably in the new part of the country anyway, building her mansion… They had crossed her valley earlier that day, but they had not seen any buildings or ponies working on them. They were still working only in other parts, and Twinkle Star couldn’t help but feel grateful that she did not have to confront Aline first.

Now that they were back, Twinkle Star suddenly realized how Câlin had grown. She had, of course, become a bit more muscled from all the walking and flying, and she had seen her wings had begun to change as well. It would not take long for them to take a form of their own, now, and she was a bit curious to see what they would look like. But, of course, it would take years for them to take their final shape… or at least so it had been with her.

The lands looked dry all around her, and Twinkle Star thought it hadn’t rained in days. The grass was yellowed, the trees looked like fall was already upon them and the river in the distance looked dryer than usual. This drought could not be good for the farmers and their crops… How long had it ceased to rain here? Twinkle Star worried about this, but she was sure her mother would have a fine solution. Surely this had happened before; it hadn’t been exactly wet last summer, either. Even though it was weird… the day before they had crossed the borders of the Friendship Lands it had poured as if the heavens were leaking, and here it had not rained for days…

They followed the dusty road that led them to the front of the castle. There was no one outside the walls, but that did not surprise her much; what could they possibly get from these dry fields? But the gate was open and they could enter without any problems. When they got inside, Câlin rushed to her little garden and she was devastated when she saw all her pretty flowers had faded.
“Why couldn’t Tsuyo water them? She promised!” Câlin cried.
“Well… Look around you, Câlin. All the flowers are gone. It’s just too hot and they probably want to save the water for times when they really need it. I’m sure she didn’t do it on purpose.”

Câlin was about to say something when Twinkle Star heard someone yell her name. When she looked behind her, she saw Tsuyo literally dropping her basket in surprise. She had just left the castle and was almost still standing in the doorpost. Twinkle Star waved, but Câlin, upset about her flowers, didn’t show any sign that she had seen Tsuyo even though Twinkle Star was sure she had.

“My, Twinkle Star, what are you doing here! I thought you would be gone until the coming of autumn!” Tsuyo exclaimed while she picked up her basket.
“Yes, I know, that was the plan… But I… met someone, along the road, who told me things I could not ignore. They were far more important than my original mission, so we returned as fast as we could. But do not worry; my old mission is being taken care of.”
“Oh my… well, at least I am glad you are back safely. And how is Câlin?” Tsuyo asked, but Câlin looked away.
“You killed my flowers.”

Tsuyo and Twinkle Star couldn’t help but laugh a bit.
“I am sorry, Câlin, I truly am.” Tsuyo said to the girl. “But the queen ordered to save the water for drinking, and forbid to use it for flowers and plants. It hasn’t rained for so long, now…”
“So I noticed while we walked through the lands.” Twinkle Star said when she saw Câlin still did not feel like responding.
“It’s horrible. There has been drought before, but this beats everything we have had before. It’s not even extremely hot anymore, as it was until a few days ago, but still… it’s as if the clouds are simply passing us by.”

“That’s bad for the fields… right? Well, I am sure rain will come soon. Meanwhile… It is urgent I speak to my mother. Is she at home?” Twinkle Star asked.
“Yes, she is. She’s talking with Ivy right now, I think. In the throne room, but I don’t think it’s something you can’t interrupt.”
“Good. Then I will go to her at once… Meanwhile, can you take care of Câlin, make sure she gets freshened up a bit? We travelled at great speed and we did not have much time to wash ourselves.” Tsuyo agreed and while she was trying to convince Câlin to go with her Twinkle Star trotted towards the door and entered the castle.

It was quite cool inside, and the smell of the castle filled her nostrils. She could smell the freshly baked cake, the wood of the staircase, but most of all, the sweet smell of her family… of home. She walked towards a mirror that hung in the hall and straightened her hair a little bit. She had not seen her own reflection on weeks and she was shocked at how she looked like. She definitely needed a bath herself, too, even though she was pretty sure that was forbidden now… But there was nothing to do about it right now anyway. She had to go speak with her mother.

She walked down the corridor towards the throne room. The door was closed, but she could hear her mother’s voice coming from inside. She knocked on the door, and the voices fell silent. Only a moment later she heard her mother say “come in”. She slowly opened the door, suddenly feeling frightened and doubting her decision. Would her mother also value the crown above her mission?

The throne room looked the same as ever, with couches and tables along the walls and the throne at the far end. Her mother was not sitting on it, though, but instead she was sitting at a table with Twinkle Star’s younger sister Ivy. Ivy looked troubled and Twinkle Star briefly wondered what they were discussing, but it was not up to her to know. Both Ivy and her mother gasped when they  realized who had just entered the room.
“Twinkle Star!” Her mother exclaimed while she got up from the couch. “Good day, mother. Hello, Ivy.” Twinkle Star greeted them, softly bowing to her mother.

“What are you doing here? Were you not supposed to be in Madash?” Her mother asked surprised.
“Yes, I was supposed to. But on our way there, I met someone… who had some very interesting things to share that I judged to be far more important than my original mission, so I returned home at once.” When she saw her mother’s troubled face, she added,
“Do not worry, mother. The mission is well taken care of and not abandoned.”
“Well, I am glad to hear that, and I must say I am curious to hear what it is you have to tell me. Ivy, could you give us some privacy?” Regina asked her daughter, who nodded and got up to leave the room. She smiled at Twinkle Star once before she trotted out of the room, looking somewhat relieved with Twinkle Star’s interruption.

“Twinkle Star…” Her mother whispered when Ivy had closed the large wooden doors.
“Mother… it is good to be home.”
“Yes… I am glad to have you safely here with me again. So… what is it that you judged to be so important?”  Her mother asked. Twinkle Star did not respond but instead walked towards one of the tables and took her bag off her neck. Regina followed her curiously as Twinkle Star opened the bag. She took out a package covered in blankets and put it on the table, and she began to unwrap it.

When she had revealed half of the crown, her mother realized what it was she was looking at. She heard her mother cry out for a split second when she had finally unwrapped the crown and it lay open on the table.
“It cannot be…” Regina whispered with a hoarse voice.
“Is it… my mother’s crown?” Suddenly Regina seemed like a little child, discovering her mother’s jewellery case.
“Yes… it is. Medina’s crown.” Twinkle Star confirmed.

“How… where did you find it?” Regina asked while staring at the beautiful red crown, glittering in the sunlight that entered the room through the large windows on the other side.
“I met… Marana. Do you remember her, mother?”
“Marana? Yes, I had a relative named like that…” Regina’s voice faded away, and Twinkle Star answered for her.
“Your youngest aunts youngest daughter. She was visiting the castle the night of the eruption, with her mother.”

“And she is still alive? How did she get hold of the crown?” Regina asked, and Twinkle Star explained to her Medina had saved Marana even though she was severely injured, and Marana had taken care of the queen until she passed away a few days later. Marana had fled from the Old Lands like most ponies, and she had lived her life in solitude, protecting the crown from harm, as she had promised Medina.

As Twinkle Star had expected, her mother was in tears after she was done telling her story. Maybe, deep inside, Regina had hoped her mother would be out there alive as well, like her daughters had been… but that hope was now crushed forever. Medina would never return, and Regina was indeed the rightful queen, worthy to wear the crown that she had only ever associated with her mother.

“Twinkle Star… I thank you for bringing this crown to me so quickly. But I do not yet feel this was so important it had to come in the way of your mission.” Her mother said at last.
“No, mother, and I agree. When this was all I knew I was still planning to go on. But shortly after something happened that made me change my mind.” Her mother looked at her, obviously not understanding what Twinkle Star was talking about, so Twinkle Star went on with her story.

“At one point, Câlin… she touched the crown. A moment later she fell down in shock and it took her a few days to recover. I still do not fully understand what happened, but there is one thing that bothered me greatly.  She told me, she could not recollect what had just happened. She said it was if the memories were sealed away…”
Twinkle Star could see now her mother understood her actions completely, and she was just as worried herself.

“A mind seal… Do you think…?”
“I don’t know. That’s why I rushed home. I need Stelline to check her, mother. I have to know if that is truly what happened. And if it is… I don’t know what I will do yet…”
“No one does, my dear, no one.” Regina said, and she smiled warmly.
 “I am sure Stelline will help you. Well, I can see you are tired from your journey. Why don’t you go and eat something and refresh yourself? You have told me a lot of things, Twinkle Star, and I wish to think about them by myself for a while. Is it okay I will see you at dinner?”

“Of course it is, mother. I’ll see you at dinner, then.”
Twinkle Star bowed to her mother and silently left the room. She felt bad about being the one to bring news that would upset her mother so. But she just had to tell her, for it concerned her mother more than anyone. While she wondered what her mother would do next, now that she had the Queen’s crown, Twinkle Star entered the kitchen and only then did she realized how much she had missed the great food that was prepared for her here.