Starlight

Chapter 3-The Letter

Hello!

Above is Starlight. Sorry she's not colored in, but maybe I'll color her later. Also, this is the longest chapter I've ever written, which is pretty fun for me, so I hope you also enjoy it! Thanks for reading!

The next morning, Starlight opened her heavy curtains to let in the sunlight, and as if on cue, a bird tweeted a pretty song. "Today is going to be a great day." she said to herself as Moon woke and flew to her shoulder from the bed frame. "Morning Moon! Let's grab some breakfast!" she said while glancing at her clock; 5:59. It had an alarm, but after waking up at 6 every morning, she usually woke around that time without the alarm. After changing into a deep purple dress and brushing out her long black hair, she climbed down the ladder to the living room.

The living room consisted of a leather sofa and armchair, with a large coffee table in front. On the right side, a small fireplace stood, but it remained unlit since it was summer. Starlight continued to the left side of the room, where it looked as if a square hole had been cut into the floor. (The second story was built a while after the blacksmith shop and the bakery underneath, so the layout was a bit odd.) Starlight descended into the square hole, which was a steep wooden staircase. The staircase went to the back of the blacksmith shop, and under the staircase was the bathroom. 

The blacksmiths shop was oddly empty, since her dad was still sleeping. But she knew Betty would be awake, baking something delicious for her customers, so she went through the door that led to Betty's bakery. Once inside, the sweet aroma of a pie wafted from the oven behind the counter. A couple small tables with chairs were set about the front of the bakery, with lacy tablecloths and intricately carved chairs. Starlight went behind the counter to the kitchen, where Betty was mixing up chocolate cupcake batter. "Good morning Starlight!" Betty said while looking up. "Instead of our usual breakfast, I thought you might want to taste test my apple turnovers. It's a new recipe I'm trying out." She gestured next to the oven on the kitchen counter, where a tray of apple turnovers lay steaming. Starlight picked up a pastry and sat down at one of the tables. As she took a bite, the flaky crust and juicy apples melded together nicely. Suddenly, she had an idea! She jumped up and ran for the staircase. "Before you go to your room, don't forget to eat!" Betty called. "Oh! Right, Thank you!" Starlight replied as she turned and grabbed her pastry. Then she ran back to her room to test out her new idea. But sooner than Starlight would have liked, it was time to deliver more baked goods. 

As she reached the last baked good, she realized it was the same mansion as yesterday. "Maybe I'll see Sunny again!" she thought hopefully. As she rode to the mansion, she heard an odd noise. Twang, thunk. Twang, thunk. She put on the brake and grabbed the pie. She followed the sound behind the house to find Sunny! She had a beautiful wooden bow with a carved sun and little jewels sprinkled about. A target sat in front of a white and gold barn, with arrows in or close to the bulls eye. "Wow! I-I didn't know you were an archer!!" Starlight exclaimed. "Well my brother doesn't believe I am." "Why not? You can hit the... the thingie." "I'm supposed to sip tea at parties and sew. But I don't really care. This is a lot more fun!" Starlight glanced at the pie, and remembered why she was here. "Well, I brought another pie for Mr. Jesmand." "Thanks! I'll get it to him soon." Then Sunny took it and set it on the grass. "Okay. By Sunny!" Starlight replied as she walked back to her scooter. While walking, she tripped on a stone and face planted into the ground. As she picked herself up, her necklace caught on the stone and snapped off. "Oh no!" Starlight cried. 

Her necklace had broken, the setting ripped from the little opal moon, which now lay in pieces. "Are you okay?" Sunny asked. Starlight nodded. "I'm fine, it's just my necklace. it broke." "Well, I'm sure you can buy a new one." "I can't. I don't know where it came from. My dad is the blacksmith, and he said he'd never seen anything like it." "How did you get it then?" "Well, my mother gave it to me. But don't worry about it. It's just a necklace after all." As Sunny looked at the broken pieces cupped in Starlight's hands, she pulled out a scrap of paper wedged in the bent setting. "Do you usually keep paper in your necklace?" "No, why?" "There's this." She said, while showing it to Starlight. "It says Queen Luna." Sunny observed. Starlight's head snapped up, and she poured the broken necklace in her pocket to take the paper from Sunny. Sure enough, the paper looked like a corner of a sheet of paper, but yellowed with age. In elegant cursive, were the words Queen Luna. Then it hit Starlight. "If this is what I think it is, then-then well, I'm not sure yet, but it might change things. A lot of things! Thank you!" Starlight ran back to her scooter, but Sunny stopped her. "Wait, what!?" "Um, you can sit in the back if you want. I'll show you when we get there." Starlight pointed to the box for pies. Sunny jumped in, while Starlight started down the road. Moon flew beside her, barely keeping up with her pace.

Jacob: "Eventually, the scooter screeched to a stop outside the bakery/blacksmith house. Starlight ran around to the back, opened the back door, and went up the stairs. The blacksmith shop was up and running now, but Starlight didn't notice as she flew up the stairs, then up the ladder to her room. Standing on her tiptoes, she groped around on the top shelf, then pulled down an old sheet of yellowed paper. Which was an ancient treasure map!" "No, no it wasn't." "Well, your boring letter isn't very interesting, so I made it better!" "Sigh." "Alright, we'll stick with your letter." ""What's that?" Sunny asked. "It's a letter from my parents who are... gone now." "But I thought you said your dad was the blacksmith." "He's my adopted father, and my mother also adopted me." "I'm sorry." "It's fine. Really. Uh, would you like me to read it now?" "Sure." Starlight began to read,

"My dearest Starlight,

The first thing I want to tell you is that we love you very much. We would have never left you with the Crovers had the situation not become so desperate, but we hope they will take good care of you. This is the only way to keep you safe I'm afraid. By the time you read this, me and your father will have passed, but the necklace you have is something I hope you will remember us by. And before I go, here is a poem I sincerely hope you will enjoy;"

Starlight began to quietly sing the poem (This is where the video might come in handy, because it's to that tune (from Frozen 2). Also, the song is not mine, but the lyrics are.),

"Where the mountains touch the sky

In the foundation of a mountain high

Use the Moon to dig down

And there you'll find a crown

The crown is crafted for royalty

So the Lost Princess will bring back harmony

A balance of night and day

Else the Sun will always stay

Beware of the one who rules the Sun

For the Sun and the Moon cannot be one

Take heed of this warning for it rings true

Otherwise harm may find you

Where the mountains touch the sky

In the foundation of a mountain high

Use the Moon as the key

To bring back harmony"

"Wow, that's beautiful!" Sunny complimented. "Thanks!" Then Sunny noticed something. The corner of the paper was gone, right below the word "Love," where the signature was supposed to be. "Wait, your parents could be royalty! Does that mean you'll get a castle? Ooo, maybe I could visit you!" "Only one way to find out!" Starlight replied as she cleared a space on her desk, laid down the letter, then the torn off corner.