Starfall’s small ring of audience members were stunned. They stayed silent for about a minute after she finished, replaying the words in their heads. Then Morningleaf spoke.

“I talked to you in the Golden Meadow?” she asked. “I don’t remember that, or seeing Spiderwing.”

Starfall nodded in understanding. “I asked Spiderwing about that. He said that since it is the Golden Meadow and there should not be any concern there, the steeds often recall seeing and hearing things that either didn’t happen or that their perspective made it sound very different.”

Morningleaf nodded in acceptance. Then Star, always practical, asked, “So when is this ‘turmoil’ going to be starting, and how will it do that?”

The dappled mare considered this for a few seconds, then said, “No one is entirely sure of what the turmoil will be, but Darkblaze and Nightpearl are probably the leaders the poem was referring to. Speaking of which, weren’t there three black foals?”

Several of the council looked away uncomfortably. Star eventually answered, “Did you see two weanlings, a white filly with lavender wings and a bay colt with gold wings?”

Starfall nodded, not quite sure where Star was going with this.

“The bay colt was originally one of twins. The bay, Flamefrost, was the older one. The white filly comes into this story because one night shortly after their weaning, she flew away to Horsetail Falls. She fell down the falls and the third black foal, Blackstorm, died as he was trying to save her.”

Starfall fell silent for a few moments in sadness. Then she said, “I hadn’t known that. I’m sorry.”

Star, Flamesong, and Redstorm nodded their gratitude. After the tender moment had passed, Redstorm said, “You said your father had been alive on the day you were born. If you’re a messenger filly and the Hundred Year Star has an effect on you, don’t you technically not have a father?”

Starfall considered that. “My mother told me that my father died trying to protect me that night. Now that I think about it, it’s fairly possible that she was saying that to try to make me feel better.”

No one really knew what else to say, but then Morningleaf asked, “Will you be training the two black foals that are still alive?”

Starfall nodded. “I think training should start after their birthday, though. They will have the starfire by then and we can practice with it for whatever happens next.”

Her audience was running out of questions, so Star and Morningleaf dismissed the meeting so its members could get some sleep.