Chapter 151: Visiting Adopted Parents

Stardust and his brothers went up stairs to Lunarstar's room, they stopped and knocked on the door.
"Lunarstar, let us in," Stardust yelled through the door, "It's important."
Suddenly the door opened. Stardust walked in and saw Lunarstar on the bed facing away from him. He noticed the glow from her horn dimming. He guessed she used her horn to open the door.
"Lunarstar, I hear you miss your parents," Stardust commented.
"Yes," Lunarstar muttered.
"How would you like to see your parents tonight?" Stardust asked her.
Lunarstar sat up and turned her head, "Really?"
The boys could see she had been crying. Her eyes were still watery and her face was wet.
"I did promise you I'd take you back. King Sea Mist said you could go but just for a visit. Me, Skyview, Starfire, Buster and Charades will go with you," Stardust replied, "Now cheer up. You wouldn't want your parents to know you've been crying."
Lunarstar faced away from him, she felt embarrassed that they had seen her crying. She wiped the tears from her eyes and climbed off the bed and walked to her dresser. She brushed her hair and then followed the boys outside.
"Why visit? Couldn't I just stay there?" Lunarstar asked once they were outside.
"It's still not safe outside the walls. Star Cluster has others working for him. You haven't forgotten those Apetons and Alfeo Castle, have you?" Stardust asked.
"Oh," Lunarstar sighed. "But..."
"Lunarstar, trust me. He will come after you eventually. You are safer here with us. We won't risk losing you to Star Cluster your...too important," Stardust explained.
Lunarstar looked away towards the ground, sadly.
"Cheer up, Lunarstar. At least you'll get to see your parents!" Starfire exclaimed.
Lunarstar smiled. She was sad that she couldn't stay, but happy that she was finally going to see her parents.

They walked to the gate and meet up with Buster and Charades who were still wearing their metal leg bands and a sword at their side.
"Your going like that?" Lunarstar asked them.
Charades smiled, "We don't plan to stay, it's just for a visit."
"Oh."
When the gates opened, they walked through it followed by Banner and a small group of soldiers. They followed the dirt road to a turn, but they continued walking into the forest. The sun was setting fast and by the time they arrived at the Gate, the sun was almost gone.
They sat and waited till the sun was gone and the full moon shined brightly. Lunarstar watched with fascination as a rippling mirror image appeared in the center of the gate.
"It's open, so lets hurry and go through it!" Charades said.
He and Buster walked through the gate first then, Stardust, Lunarstar and his brothers. Banner and the rest of the soldiers sat around the gate and watched as they waited for their return.

Charades led them through the ruins along the trail and down the steep hill. Their glowing coats made it easier to see where they were going. They walked through the forest and stopped just short of the edge of the forest.
"There's her house," Charades pointed at the green house.
Lunarstar smiled greatly.
"Don't go anywhere without us, Lunarstar," Stardust quickly said, sensing her eagerness to go home.
"So how do we get there without being seen?" Starfire asked.
"Seen by who?" Skyview asked, "There's no one outside. We should be able to just walk over there."
"He's right," Stardust agreed, "Lets go."
Buster and Charades walked ahead to the house and knocked on the door while Lunarstar and the black ponies followed them.

Booster answered the door and was shocked to see who was standing at their door.
"May we come in?" Charades asked. He noticed his worried look while staring at the black ponies. "It's alright, they're with us. Please we have to talk."
Booster opened the door wider and let them in. Lunarstar couldn't stand it any longer, she ran out from the black ponies and up to her father. Booster stood on his hind legs and hugged her tightly.
"Lunarstar...We...we thought we'd never see you again," Booster muttered.
Starfire shut the door since he was the last one to walk in the house. Booster continued to hug Lunarstar. He then picked her up still hugging her.
"Rosebud!" Booster cried.
Rosebud was upstairs when she heard Booster call for her.
"Hurry, it's Lunarstar!"
Rosebud dropped what she was doing and hurried out of the room. She ran downstairs the instant she saw Lunarstar in Booster's arms.
She stood on her hind legs and hugged Lunarstar as tears poured from her eyes.
"My little girl...Lunarstar. Oh, I missed you terribly!" Rosebud muttered in Lunarstar's ear.
Stardust stood and watched. He felt his heart ache and felt terrible for kidnaping her. He could tell her adopted parents truly loved her.
Booster looked up and noticed they were standing their waiting for him. Booster handed Lunarstar to Rosebud and then showed his guests to the livingroom. Rosebud sat on the stairs still crying and hugging Lunarstar. She didn't want to ever let Lunarstar go.
Lunarstar was crying as well. She too was happy to see her mother. Neither one of them could talk for awhile.

Booster took them to the living room and then he stopped. He turned and faced them with curiosity and a bit afraid of the black ponies.
"Booster," Charades began to say, "You remember the black ponies we told you about, well they have changed sides and has joined us."
Stardust stepped forward, "My name is Stardust and there's a lot I must tell you before we go back."
"Go back?" Booster asked.
"Yes, we are here visiting. Lunarstar will have to go back with us. It's too dangerous for her to stay here," Stardust replied.
"What do you mean! You three were the only ones after Lunarstar!" Booster exclaimed.
"Can we sit first?" Stardust asked.
"Oh, sure," Booster sat on the floor while the others sat on the couches.
"Star Cluster has most of the Kingdoms working for him. The three of us weren't the only ones sent to catch her. She would be safer with us in the other world where we can watch her," Stardust paused, "I apologize for kidnaping Lunarstar. I feel bad about it, but it was probably a good thing I did. I don't think I would have left Star Cluster if it wasn't for her."
Stardust continued to explain from the time he kidnaped Lunarstar until now. The boys sat quietly, listening.

Rosebud and Lunarstar had calmed down a bit and were able to talk.
"Mom, can I call my friends?" Lunarstar asked.
"Yes, they would love to hear from you. They're very worried about you," Rosebud replied.
Lunarstar stood up and walked to the living room with Rosebud by her side. When they got the living room, Rosebud gasped at the sight of the black ponies. Lunarstar looked up at her mother, "It's alright. They're my friends now."
"Friends?" Rosebud asked surprisingly.
"Yeah. Stardust is actually nice and his brothers decided to join us. I heard it had something to do with Star Cluster chasing them away. Well, I have to hurry and call my friends," Lunarstar left her and quietly walked around the couches to the small table where the phone sat. Lunarstar picked up the phone and carried it to the dining room where she was sure she wouldn't disturb anyone in the living room.

While Lunarstar called her friends, Rosebud stood and stared at the black ponies.
"Honey, it's ok," Booster quickly said once he noticed her standing there. Rosebud walked into the living room and sat next to him.
"Hi," Stardust replied, "I'm Stardust and these are my brothers, Skyview and Starfire."
"Umm...Hi," Rosebud replied.
"I'm the one who took Lunarstar and I want to apologize for it. We had orders to take her to Dream Castle, but at the last minute I changed my mind."
"It's a good thing he did to. We all love Lunarstar. She's such a sweet little pony," Skyview added.
"Yes, she is a very sweet little pony," Starfire agreed.
While they talked, Buster could hear Lunarstar talking excitedly on the phone. He smiled watching how happy she was.
"Hurry, because I don't know how long I'm going to be here!" Lunarstar exclaimed.
"Ok, I'll get the others and we'll be right over," Starlight replied then she hung up the phone.
Lunarstar took the phone back to the living room.
"So did you talk to your friends?" Buster asked in a whispering voice.
"I sure did. They'll be here soon," Lunarstar replied with a smile.
"Sit and wait until they get here then," Buster suggested.
"Buster," Charades whispered, "I think she's too excited to sit and wait."
Buster chuckled.
Lunarstar walked behind the couch and whispered in Skyview and Starfire's ear. "Let me show you around. I'll show you my room too."
Skyview and Starfire smiled.
"I suppose we can let Stardust do all the explaining," Skyview replied.
"Where are you two going?" Stardust asked when he saw them standing.
"Lunarstar wants to show us around," Skyview replied.
"Do you mind if we look around?" Starfire asked Booster and Rosebud.
"No, go ahead," Booster replied.
Lunarstar smiled greatly. "Well, come on!"
She took them to the kitchen and then the dining room and to the rest of the rooms on the first floor. Then she hurried upstairs and took them to her room. Lunarstar jumped on her bed and laid down, "I miss my bed."
Skyview and Starfire chuckled at Lunarstar's excitement over her bed. They looked around her room while she laid on her bed. Skyview noticed a thick book on her dresser.
Lunarstar watched as Skyview picked the book up and quickly flipped though the pages.
"I got that book for my birthday. It was from Buster and Charades. I haven't had a chance to read it though," Lunarstar explained.
"I don't think I read this book. It looks interesting though," Skyview replied.
"They all looks interesting to you," Starfire remarked as he peeked through her curtains.
"Not all of them, just most," Skyview replied.
"I'm sure you read every book in Dream Castle."
"No I haven't, just a few" Skyview replied.
"Starfire, don't you like to read?" Lunarstar asked as she got off her bed.
"I don't mind them if I can stay awake long enough to read them."
"Oh, are they that boring?" Lunarstar asked.
"Yes, most of them are," Starfire replied. Just then he noticed a small group of ponies hurrying up the street, "There's some little ponies coming this way."
Lunarstar peeked though the curtain under Starfire, "They're my friends!"
Lunarstar hurried out of the room and down the stairs. She opened the door before they could knock. They stood happy and surprised at the same time.
"It's true!" Melody exclaimed happily.
"Your back!" Patch cried.
The girls hurried inside and gave Lunarstar a group hug.
Rosebud stood up and quickly shut the door.
When the girls were done, Lunarstar took them to the living room. They gasped the minute they noticed Stardust sitting on the couch.
"What...what's he doing here?" Clover asked.
"He's my friend and his brothers are here too," Lunarstar replied.
"Where? I don't see them," Melody replied.
"Here," Skyview answered, standing behind them.
The girls gasped and quickly stood aside.
Skyview smiled at them, "You girls have no need to be afraid of us." Skyview and Starfire walked past the girls and into the living room.
"Stardust we should be going. We can't keep Banner and the soldiers waiting for too long," Skyview said.
"He's right, we have to be going," Stardust told Booster.
"When will Lunarstar be back?" Booster asked.
"Be back?" Rosebud and the girls asked.
"Lunarstar can't stay," Stardust replied, "It's not safe yet. It won't be safe until Star Cluster is defeated. We'll bring Lunarstar back to visit when the gate opens again."
Stardust stood up from the couch and walked to the girls smiling at them, "It's nice to see you girls again."
The girls just stood and stared at them, they even noticed Buster and Charades wearing leg bands and swords.
"What are you wearing?" Sweetheart asked them.
"We are soldiers. Wearing these things are necessary for a soldier," Charades answered.
"Oh," the girls replied still staring at them.
"Wait, I want to bring some things with me!" Lunarstar exclaimed. She winked out, then a few minutes later she winked back in with her school bag around her neck.
"What's in the bag?" Skyview asked noticing the bumps on the bag.
"A book and some pictures," Lunarstar replied.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, Booster," Stardust looked at Rosebud, "It was nice meeting you too." He turned to Buster, Charades and his brothers, "Lets go."
Lunarstar turned and hugged her parents then she folloed the boys out the door.
They carefully walked out of the house making sure no one was around.
"Bye!" the girls cried as they watched Lunarstar leave.

Lunarstar and the others hurried into the forest. Lunarstar was happy to have seen her parents, she was relieved that they wouldn't be worried about her now that they know she's safe at Moonlight Castle.
As they walked through the forest, Stardust looked down at Lunarstar, "Luna, are you excited to come back next full moon?"
"Oh yeah, I can't wait!" Lunarstar replied.
"Stardust, why did you call her Luna?" Skyview asked curiously.
"I...did?" Stardust asked not realizing it that he had said it.
"Yes, you did," Starfire replied.
"I must have heard the name from somewhere," Stardust guessed.
"Lunarstar's best friend, Prism called her Luna," Charades pointed out.
"I don't think Stardust ever heard Prism call me that," Lunarstar guessed.
Stardust was silent for awhile, "Then where did I hear it from?"
"The question is why did you call her that?" Skyview asked.
Neither one of them knew why. Stardust knew he heard the name and was sure it wasn't from one of Lunarstar's friends. They continued walking to the gate while Stardust kept silent pondering on what he had just said.