My daughter Câlin

Twinkle Star smelled the dawn when she softly opened the door of the little house. Or, her little house. She could not believe she was actually living here right now. The evening and night before had been nothing but a long dream. It had been so nice last night. Kiyoi was already crazy about Câlin and she seemed to enjoy his company as well. According to her he even made the best hot chocolate in the entire world. And when she received her own little room… or actually, the room where Twinkle Star had slept her previous stay, and she saw she had a clear view of the trees, she actually jumped with joy.

Twinkle Star had wanted to explain everything to Kiyoi once Câlin had gone to bed. What had happened after she had left, about her finding her aunt, her sisters, about how she met Câlin, what had happened with Aras… but he did not want to hear of it. Well, he did, but not that evening. He just wanted to enjoy her presence and so they talked about absolutely nothing at all and instead they just looked at each other and Twinkle Star had to giggle like a little girl.

After that… everything was a blur. Kiyoi had been so sweet and tender to her… She had never felt so loved in her entire life. He was still sleeping now, while she had been up watching him for at least two hours. She loved him… with all her heart, she loved him. She actually jumped in the morning dew because she felt so good, a feeling she had not ever quite understood in others.

She slowly walked off the square to the right. There she saw the other path that did not lead into the forest but out into the meadows. Beyond those lay a small village where Kiyoi traded some things from the forest for other items he needed. That moment on the bridge, now almost two years ago… She would never forget it. The world had seemed so beautiful back then.

“Good morning, Fiume.” Twinkle Star whispered when she saw the river. “I’m sure it will be another wonderful day.” She smiled, but the river did not respond, not even when she put her hoof into the water. The dew floated above the water like a soft blanket covering the river a little longer from the coming daylight. Yes, today… everything had changed. Her live was hers now, to do whatever she wanted instead of what was expected of her.

She sat down into the high grass on the river bank. The large meadows stretched out in front of her. What lay beyond them… Some more villages, a small kingdom, and then, the breach. Twinkle Star had seen it, once, the breach in the earth that separated east from west. She had never crossed it, and she doubted she ever would. What lay beyond the breach… Twinkle Star doubted even her mother knew.

“Good morning, pretty.” Twinkle Star almost jumped into the water because she was so startled by the voice.
“Kiyoi! I didn’t hear you coming!” She said.
“I’m sorry for scaring you, pretty. I just wanted to surprise you. What are you doing out here this early?” Kiyoi asked. His head was still sleepy, and he yawned as he sat down beside her.
“I just… wanted to see the new sun rise.”

“That won’t happen if you keep staring into the west, you know.” Kiyoi smiled.
“No, of course not… The sun doesn’t set there, I know. It’s just an expression. I wanted to see the light of my new life appear.” Twinkle Star explained, but she couldn’t help but smile a little herself, too.
“Good. Just remember, the west is where the light disappears.” Kiyoi added.
Twinkle Star stared at her boyfriend for a moment. What did he mean by that? Yet other things appeared in her mind that were more urgent. She still had to explain everything to Kiyoi. About Câlin, his brother, Aras…

“Listen, Kiyoi… I have to explain everything to you. And I have to do it now. I can not live with myself unless I do so.” She said while she looked at the river.
 “All right, go ahead.” Kiyoi agreed when he detected the urge in her voice to get it all out.
“Right. Well… I don’t really know where to start. When I left you… I indeed met my aunt. She send me to the old Friendship Lands where she had seen my sister. It was on that journey I met Aline… the girl who married your brother. No, let me go on,” She said when she saw Kiyoi was about to interrupt her.

“Anyway, I did find my sister and I went home, back to my mother and her new land. Once there… After a while we set out for a royal visit to the northern kingdom of Kin. There we found our niece, who seemed to have her memory sealed. I left with my sister Crystal for the kingdom of Madash, where they had experience with this kind of magic. We did not find anything, but when I got back after a detour… I found someone had taken over the New Friendship Lands and killed my sister.

This was Illuvia, Câlin’s mother, daughter of my aunt Reine. She wanted the princess crown, to combine it with a magical stone she had found, and she succeeded in the end. However a blue pony appeared who killed Illuvia and took the crown and left. Chifre, Illuvia’s sister, told me to take care of Câlin as I was the only one who could protect her. I did not understand that time, but I took Câlin in.

A few months passed and at one point my mother send me and Câlin on a trip to Madash. I never got there… in a stormy night I ended up with a cousin of me who actually had the original queen’s crown. I took it back to my mother, but it did not take long for it to be stolen. Câlin was gone, too. I looked everywhere for her and one day I decided to search outside of the country for her. But right when I left three ponies came… the blue one who had stolen Illuvia’s crown, a yellow one and Aras, their lord and master.

They covered the entire kingdom in darkness. They attacked my sisters, my mother…who went out to fight them. I had decided to go back, and when I arrived, my sisters were losing their battle. Câlin was there, too. It turns out she was Aras’ daughter and she had left us to see him. He was a semi-god, cast from the heavens. He wanted to break the gate to the Heavens open to have his revenge. Câlin told me to break the seal on the blue and yellow ponies, who turned out to be my older sisters Hikary and Taira. Nobody remembered about them as Aras had sealed everyone’s memory.

Taira defeated Aras in the end. I thought everything had returned to normal, but… You see, Aras… He used my Câlin for something horrible. I still don’t know why her, but he used her to kill someone… to kill your brother, Kiyoi.” Kiyoi gasped.
“Junai… he is… Dead?”
“I’m really sorry. I wasn’t there, I couldn’t stop him. No one present could. He used Câlin to force his powers upon Junai. However, Aline… She was convinced Câlin was to blame for all of this. So she asked my mother to punish Câlin, and now she is banished from the Friendship Lands for eternity.

So I left with her. I would not send my girl away. She is my daughter, Junai. I have finally understood Chifre’s words. Only I can keep her safe, because she is my daughter. I don’t know why or how, but I will always be there for her. I have to protect her, because she is vulnerable and special. She is… a daughter of a guardian.” Twinkle Star did not know what else to say. Would Kiyoi accept her, now that he knew about Junai?

“I… I understand, Twinkle. I don’t know what it is, but there is a connection between you and Câlin that no one could or should break. And I don’t think I could ever blame Câlin for what happened to Junai. She was used by this black pony. I can see why Aline would accuse her. If it really was through her… But if you believe in her innocence, then so will I. The one who killed my brother is already defeated. I have no grudges. Just… sadness, I guess.” Kiyoi tried to smile, but he could not cover his tears.

Twinkle Star held him close as he began to cry. His little brother… he would never see him again. Twinkle Star knew he had always thought Junai would return one day, even if only for a visit. But he had not, and now he never would again.
“It’s okay…” Twinkle Star whispered. How long they sat there, Twinkle Star did not know, but when Kiyoi finally looked up with red eyes, her coat was soaked with his tears and she had missed the sunrise.

“I’m sorry, pretty.” Kiyoi whispered.
“No, you shouldn’t be sorry. It’s okay to cry. And I’ll always be here to comfort you.” Twinkle Star said.
Kiyoi blinked a few times, and then said, “I love you, Twinkle Star. I really do. And I know this might not be the right time or place to ask you this, but… Will you marry me, Twinkle Star?”
Twinkle Star gasped. She had not seen this coming, but it didn’t even take her a second to begin smiling. “Yes. Yes, I would love to marry you, Kiyoi. I… love you, too.”

It was Twinkle Star’s time to cry, now. Married… she would actually get married to the man she loved. She had not even dared to dream something like this. She kissed him once more so  she did not see or feel Câlin approach.
“Is everything all right?” Câlin asked, startling both her and Kiyoi, when she saw both of them had cried. The girl was holding her little plush bear and it was obvious she had just gotten out of her bed.

Twinkle Star smiled at her daughter and let go of Kiyoi.
“Yes, dear. Everything is just fine. Kiyoi… he just proposed to me. We are getting married.”
“Can I be bridesmaid?” Câlin asked immediately, smiling. Twinkle Star could see she immediately approved of this new turn of events, and she was glad. She did not know what she would have to do if Câlin had not been happy with this.

 “Of course you can, Câlin.” Kiyoi replied.
“So… we are going to live here now, forever?” Câlin asked.
 “Yes, I guess we are. If that is okay with you.” Twinkle Star replied.
“It is perfect.” Câlin smiled. Of course it was perfect to her. So close to the forest, the meadows, the river… Life was all around them, something that Câlin so deeply needed.

“Shall I go inside and prepare breakfast?” Kiyoi proposed. After Câlin had demanded another cup of his hot chocolate Kiyoi left them, going inside his, or actually their, little house. Twinkle Star stared after her fiancée. She had never felt this happiness before… And yet her thoughts were forced to wander back to Aline. She had lost her Junai… and she had probably loved him as much as Twinkle Star loved Kiyoi. She would never approve of Aline’s actions, but she suddenly understood Aline’s despair, her sadness, when she heard she had lost both Junai… and her child.

“This place is so lovely. Can we go back into the forest later today? I want to see the trees.” Câlin asked
. Twinkle Star had not noticed the girl had sat down next to her. They were both staring over the meadows to the horizon now. It was a fine morning in early winter.
“Of course we can go back into the forest. Maybe Kiyoi can take us, he knows a lot more about this forest than I ever will. He will be able to tell you everything you want to know.”

“I hope so. I’d like to know more… about this world. Especially now.” Twinkle Star looked up.
“What do you mean, especially now?” She asked. Câlin stared at her, but she did not say anything. Twinkle Star got the feeling Câlin knew something she did not, and she was proven right.
“You do not know?” Câlin asked, surprise obvious in her voice.
“No, I do not know. What is it I should know, then?” Twinkle Star asked, a little annoyed that her girl was teasing her like this.

“The new soul that joined us last night. Didn’t you feel it?” Câlin asked. The new soul… Did they have a visitor? She looked around immediately, but she saw no one.
“A new soul? Where, then, Câlin? Do we have a visitor?”
“No, silly. This one will stay, won’t she?”  Câlin replied, and Twinkle Star was now completely lost.
“Look, Câlin, you totally lost me. Who and what are you talking about?”

“The new soul that lives inside you. The girl… Is she my sister?” Twinkle Star gasped. A soul inside her…
“Câlin… do you mean to say I am pregnant? I am going to have a baby girl?” And she literally jumped with joy when Câlin nodded. Her child… Kiyoi’s child… Câlin’s little sister.