20The Starmaker
Chapter 11- The New Crusader
"So what did you learn, Twilight?" Rarity asked the purple unicorn as their small group left the Ponyville refugees at Zecora's
"A lot," Twilight answered. "Zecora was very helpful. Apparently she's an expert on ancient languages well as potions." "Well?" demanded Rainbow Dash. "Spill the beans!"
"The book does mention the Starmaker. Her name is Princess Nova."
"That's a pretty name…" Fluttershy said with a sniffle.
"Where exactly do we find this Princess Nova?" Applejack questioned.
Twilight nodded and went on. "After the battle with Abysma a few thousand years ago, Nova didn't stay with Celestia and Luna in the Everfree Castle. She went into the mountains beyond the forest, and built an observatory on the peaks, from which she could watch her stars. As far as anyone knows, she's been there ever since."
"She's been there for thousands of years?" Rainbow asked incredulously. "How can we be sure she's still there? How can we be sure she's still alive?"
Twilight sighed. "We can't. But she must be an alicorn, like Celestia and Luna, so she is probably still alive. And the observatory is our only lead right now."
The other ponies nodded in agreement.
"That's not all," Twilight added. "The book said something to the effect of, 'When darkness becomes light, the Corruptor shall rule forever.'"
Applejack scratched her head. "Now what in the hay is that supposed to mean?"
"The eclipse." Gogo stated plainly.
Twilight nodded again. "Yes. Apparently the upcoming solar eclipse sets something…bad…in motion. And Abysma needs Celestia and Luna to carry it out."
"So they're okay," Fluttershy said with relief.
Applejack continued to scratch her head. "But that just brings up more questions! Day and night seem to be passing normally. If Abysma has the princesses, why don't she just force them to make an eclipse all lickety-split?"
"That just tells us wherever they are, the princesses are alive and resisting," Twilight said somberly.
"How much time do we have?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Normally? One week." Twilight calculated. "But we don't know what kind of pressure Abysma is putting on the princesses. If they're fighting and slowing down the process, or…."
"…If she's speeding it up," Rarity finished for her.
There was an awkward silence amongst the ponies, until Twilight set onward.
"C'mon girls. We've got a long way to go."
The ponies continued through the thick forest at a good clip, only occasionally getting glimpses of the mountains in the distance. Suddenly, Gogo, who was bringing up the rear, stopped. It took a moment for the others to notice.
"What's wrong, Gogo?" asked Pinkie.
"We're being followed."
Everypony strained to see what Gogo's mechanical eye had apparently picked up, but saw nothing.
Without even turning around, Gogo called out, "Come out, little ones."
"Aw man!" Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle shuffled out of the nearby bushes.
"I guess we won't be getting our ninja cutie marks," Scootaloo grumbled.
"Why am I not surprised?" Applejack remarked, shaking her head.
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cried. "You were supposed to go with Zecora and the others!"
"But that sounded so boooring," Sweetie Belle groaned.
"Yeah," said Applebloom. "We wanna go with you guys and earn our cutie marks!"
Applejack opened her mouth to say something, but Gogo interrupted her.
"You can come out as well," she said.
"Oh great," Applejack sighed. "Who else came with you three?"
The Cutie Mark Crusaders all shrugged.
"Whoever it is really deserves that ninja cutie mark!" Scootaloo declared.
Everypony watched as a small gray earth pony emerged from the thicket.
"Silver Spoon?" The Crusaders gasped in unison.
"Um, hi guys," Silver Spoon said timidly, shuffling her hooves, then adjusting her glasses.
"Why'd ya follow us?" Applebloom asked, cocking her head to the side.
Silver Spoon adjusted her glasses once more. "I've just…it's just that…"
Fluttershy smiled. "I think what she's trying to say is…that she wants to join you three."
The three young fillies looked incredulously back at Silver Spoon, who was blushing with embarrassment.
"You want to be a Cutie Mark Crusader?" asked Sweetie Belle. "But you already have your cutie mark!"
"You're right… it was a stupid idea," Silver Spoon said, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have come."
Applejack cleared her throat. "None of y'all should have come. Now get back to Zecora and the others right this instant, Applebloom!"
"The same goes for you, Sweetie Belle." Rarity stated.
"You too, Scootaloo," said Rainbow Dash. "This isn't foal stuff."
"But we don't know where Zecora is," Applebloom countered. "They went to a secret hiding place, remember?"
Applejack face-hoofed, and Twilight sighed. "I guess we have no choice. Looks like you're coming with us…."
The Crusaders cheered. The other ponies continued on. Rainbow Dash looked back at the fillies.
"Just try to keep up, okay?"
The Crusaders and Silver Spoon stayed back for a moment.
"Yes!" Scootaloo cried, raising a hoof into the air. "We actually get to go on a quest to save Equestria!"
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle and Applebloom chimed in. "Let's go!"
The three Crusaders started off after the others, but then Applebloom stopped.
"What are you stopping for?" Scootaloo asked, stopping along with Sweetie Belle.
"Guys, look…" Applebloom pointed at Silver Spoon, who was headed in the opposite direction with her head down. "We can't let her go off alone…"
Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Yes we can. Don't you remember all the mean things she's done to us?"
"You heard what she said back at Zecora's. Maybe she's turned over a new leaf, " Sweetie Belle shrugged.
Scootaloo groaned in exasperation. "Fine." She called out to Silver Spoon, "Hey you! Wait a minute!"
Silver Spoon stopped, looking back at the Crusaders. "Yes?"
"You can come with us," Scootaloo grumbled.
Silver Spoon lit up. "Really?"
"Yes, really," said Applebloom. "But you have to follow the rules and be nice. And because you have your cutie mark, your job will be to help us get ours. Got it?"
Silver Spoon nodded.
They heard Rainbow Dash's voice call back, "Hey, pipsqueaks! What did I say about keeping up?"
"Let's go, Crusaders!" Applebloom cried. "All of us," she added, smiling at Silver Spoon.