Aline’s loss     

The first snowflakes touched her window, but they did not last long. Within seconds they had turned into watery tears, rolling down the dusty window to end up in the dead grass below. Something so pretty as a single snowflake… it would not last very long. If there was one thing Aline knew for sure, it was that beautiful things were meant to fade, while darkness seemed to linger even after it had disappeared.

Her room was so cold and empty, but no matter what she did, it would not change. It would never be full and warm again. Why she still lingered here, she sometimes did not even know. She simply did not want to return to her own house and look upon the future she and Junai were building together, for she did not want to be alone in this future.

So she lingered at the castle, filling her days thinking of what might have been. Of course everyone had told her multiple times that this would not do her any good, that it would only make her sadder. But she could not do otherwise. Junai’s face did not seem to leave her mind, the picture of her child would not leave her soul. It was all gone now. Nothing had remained, only a vague dream of something that would never be.

Loneliness… She had always thought she had been lonely before she had met Twinkle Star, when she had lived her life in the little village near the plains. But now she knew, she had not been lonely back then. For how could she miss something she had never known before? Only now, when she had experienced what it was like to be loved, did it hurt that it was taken away from her. She would be alone now, forever loaded with a memory and a dream.

“Aline…” Aline turned and saw Ivy standing in her doorway. She had not even heard the door open.
“Ivy.” Aline said her visitor’s name and turned back to the window. She did not want to talk to Ivy right now. Not ever. If she could not be with Junai and her child, she did not want to be with anybody else.
“Please, Aline. You’ve locked yourself up for so long now. Winter has already come and you’re still in here, all alone. Can’t you just… come out, for a moment? Enjoy the first snow with me?”

Aline sighed. She had gotten tired of being angry with everyone who wanted her to enjoy things.
“Ivy, no. I have already told you I don’t want to go out, and I don’t want to now. I’m fine like this, so leave me alone.”
“No.” Ivy replied, and Aline turned again.
“I’m sorry?” How could she not accept her wish?
“I won’t go. If you don’t want to go outside with me that’s fine, but then I will keep standing here until you do.”

Aline sighed and turned to the window once more. Stupid Ivy. She would not give in and argue with her. Why was she doing this? She was no little child who had to be taken care of anymore. If she wanted to be alone, why didn’t they just leave her alone? Aline watched the day pass by outside, ever aware of Ivy standing in her doorway. She did not say anything, nor do anything, ignoring Ivy. Or that was her plan, because no matter how hard she tried she found she could not.

“What is it you want, Ivy?” She snapped, after several hours of silence. The sun had already moved towards the west, and would disappear soon.
“I just want you to come outside with me. You’ve been inside this castle, this room, for so many days now. Let’s go get some fresh air.”
 “What’s the point?” Aline muttered. “There’s nothing for me out there.”
“Isn’t there? What about your parents? What about me?”

Aline turned. Ivy was still standing where she had been standing all day.
 “What about you? Why would you care? You’ve got your own problems.”
“Yes, I do, and I need a friend. And you are my friend, and I know you need me now, too. Why can’t you just come outside with me, for fifteen minutes? You can go right back here afterwards if you want, I don’t care. I just want to walk outside those gates with you for a little while.”

Aline glanced at the window. It sure was pretty, outside. The river was sparkling in the fading light of the sun, and the snow was resting on the ground here and there. And it wouldn’t hurt… And it would get Ivy out of her way.
“Only fifteen minutes.” Ivy grinned.
“Only fifteen minutes.” Aline followed the princess down the stairway, into the garden to the valley.

The grass had yellowed completely and the earth was still black where the battle had been, but the white snow was slowly covering it now. When they would see that part of the world again, young grass would grow there. Life would move on… But for her, she would always be alone. Snow had begun to fall silently again. Only tiny flakes, those that seemed to stick to nothing and only get in between everything.

“It’s nice, isn’t it, the young snow.” Ivy commented. Aline did not bother to reply.
“Well, It is. It is bad enough that almost the entire harvest is gone because of the weird weather we have had. It’s good that we at least don’t have to look at it until spring. I just hope mother will succeed in purchasing enough food to feed the entire country. She tries hard, but…”

Ivy shook her head. “Let’s not talk about those sad things right now. Let’s enjoy the beauty of the moment.”
“Why bother?” Aline asked annoyed.
“It will only fade, in the end. Everything that is beautiful… those things never last.”
“What are you talking about? Of course they do!” Ivy said.
“No, they don’t!” Aline snapped. “Everything that I once considered beautiful and good faded away! In the end it is nothing but memories and dreams!”

“Oh, Aline…” Ivy did not say more, but hugged her. Aline was startled. Why was Ivy doing this?
“Just because your dreams are gone doesn’t mean everything is gone. I am still here, Aline. I’m your friend.”
“Friends don’t last, either. Twinkle Star was my friend, and she left.” Aline sighed. She tried to push back the tears she felt, but she found she could not.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Ivy asked.

Aline did not want to admit it. She knew it was because of her that Twinkle Star was gone. She had asked the queen to punish Câlin, and now she would never see her friend again.
“I… I’m not allowed to miss her. She’s gone because of a request I made.”
“But honey, of course you’re still allowed to miss her!” Ivy said surprised. She let go of Aline and looked at her.

“Yes, she left because you made a request at the queen, but she was still your friend. Of course you miss her. After everything that has happened, it is only logical that you do. But don’t forget that you are not alone now, Aline. We’re all here for you, but you have to let us in.” Ivy told her.
The honesty on Ivy’s face was almost scary. She really meant what she said. Of course, Ivy was her friend. In fact, the last few months Ivy had been a better friend than Twinkle Star.
 “I suppose I could try to… spend a little more time with you. Sometimes.” Ivy smiled.
“That you could, Aline, that you could.”

Rain was surprised to see Aline outside with Ivy. She had not thought Ivy would succeed in getting her out, but she had underestimated her little sister. The poor Aline… It was good that she was outside now. It would take her long to recover from everything that she had lost, but Rain was sure she would get there in the end, with Ivy’s help. The new stewards… They would have to stick together. Both of them had lost something dear… One the one she loved, the other the access to her royal powers. But maybe it would strengthen them, if they were able to get through it together.

Rain turned and smiled at Taira. Their mother talking with Stelline, as she was still the heir officially, though even Stelline herself already began to see Taira as the true heir. It was true that Stelline was already alive inside their mother when Taira and she were taken away. Did she remember, somehow, deep inside? Sometimes Rain was convinced that Stelline knew it was supposed to be like this. Yet it was hard to prove.

Taira sat on the couch on the other side of the throne room, reading one of the earlier journals of the creation of this country. Rain had to admit, it was indeed wonderful what Regina and the other survivors had done here. In only a few seasons they had created this country, a place where ponies could live in peace, away from their dreadful memories. Yes, it was a beautiful country. But there was one thing that did not seem to let Rain go.

“Mother… My queen,” She whispered as she bowed a little before the throne.
“What is it, Hikary?” Regina asked.
“I was just wondering… Do you remember anything about magical stones?”
“Magical stones?” Regina asked confused.
“Yes. Magical stones. Twinkle Star, she… before she left, she asked me about one. I took one from here that she had brought, and I brought it to Aras. He seemed so pleased with it.”

“Oh, that stone… I did not know it was magical. I thought it was just a special stone that held powers.” Regina replied honestly.
“Yes… that is what most thought. But it just doesn’t seem to let me go. Have you never read anything about them in the past, in the old lands?”

While Rain wondered if she was pushing her mother too hard, Regina was thinking.
“Yes… actually, I do. But I have to say, I am not even sure if it was just a tale or something historical. I guess we never paid much attention to it.”
“What was it, then?” Taira asked. She was obviously also interested in this tale. Even Stelline was focusing her attention to this, while she had actually announced she had to get back to her children.

“Oh, I am not very sure… everything is still a bit blurry. All the things that were sealed, I mean. But I remember once, when I was learning about the religion of the guardians… That there was some kind of legend that said each guardian had a magical, indestructible summoning stone that was their connection to both the heavens and the earth. Only the supreme Goddess Vitalia could destroy them and when she did that Guardian was sealed out of the heavens forever. Of course it was only a legend.”

Only a legend… It seemed very plausible all the same. One glance at Taira revealed her that she was thinking the same things. That stone was important. Whether this little story was true or not, the stone was important. But it was gone now, wasn’t it, hidden by Aras. No one could tell them now where to look for it.

“Well, legend or not, I think we should look into these things more, mother. It seems… important.” Taira said to their mother. Rain sensed there was another reason why Taira was saying this, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Regina seemed to agree with Taira.
“It seems to be so. Even Twinkle Star was intrigued by it, and to be honest so am I. But that stone we had… is it truly gone?”

“Technically, no, of course not. If that legend is true, it’s still somewhere. We just don’t know where to look for it, right?” Stelline said.
“Well… Aras had it. He didn’t seem to be bothered by it when he was resurrected. Which leads me to believe it is still somewhere in his lair.” Taira said.
Hikary knew Taira was probably correct. It had to be somewhere there. And it was there… because she had brought it to him.
“We should go look for it.” Taira proposed.
“No.” Rain interrupted at once.
“No?” Regina stared at her in disbelief.
“No. We shouldn’t do anything. You’re needed here, your majesty. And Taira… you should be here. This has nothing to do with anything you ever did. That stone is there because I brought it to him. I will go look for it myself.”