#shadows and starlight

[the-lady-auri]

Shadows and Starlight Novel

Oops, my hand slipped and the prologue is now up on Royal Road!! This chapter was only available to my kofi supporters before now. I will be uploading chapters a good while after they have been available to kofi people, onto Royal road. it will be a slow upload process with no set schedule at the moment! As most of the current chapters I have written are still drafts and need some serious editing. But for now, have a prologue <3 Shadows and Starlight

For early access to chapters as I work on them, please see my ko-fi page and be sure to link your discord to it!

[shadows-starlight]

Shadows and Starlight

Book 79: The Butterfly Ball

-

The first day of spring had arrived in the forest of Ebonvale, and with it, the Annual Butterfly Ball.

See, every year, on the first day of spring, butterflies from all corners of the world flocked to the Glen near the edge of the forest and a grand celebration would take place. The host was none other than Madame Butterfly herself.

Not the Madame Butterfly from Giacomo Puccini's opera. This Madame Butterfly was the ruler and protector of all the butterflies across the world, and every year, she would make her grand entrance for the forest-goers to see.

Two of them being a veteran, our very own Malakar, the sorcerer, and a first-timer, his baby daughter, Aurora.

Now, if there was one thing that Aurora has come to love since living in Malakar's lair, it was butterflies. She loved the way they fluttered and floated around the garden, landing on the brightly colored flowers to gather nectar.

So, taking her along with him to the Butterfly Ball was a no-brainer, especially since it had been years since he attended the ball as a young boy. They made their way down a winding forest path into the heart of the Glen. The Glen shimmered with the vibrant colors of wildflowers and people had gathered to watch the butterflies make their colorful entrance.

"Are you ready for your first Butterfly Ball, little one?" Malakar asked, gently brushing one of her auburn curls from her face.

Aurora cooed and gurgled in response. Malakar chuckled at his daughter.

By the time they got to the Glen, a soft melody of harps and flutes began to fill the air. Then, the trees began to part revealing an entire swarm of butterflies flying out into the Glen. There were butterflies of all shapes, sizes, colors, and species; Peacocks, Painted Ladies, Swallowtails, Mourning Cloaks, Blue Morphos, Monarchs, Goliath Birdwings, and so many more.

Aurora was amazed.

She had never seen so many butterflies in one place before.

“Ah, Malakar! My old friend!” A voice rang out.

The sorcerer turned to see a graceful figure gliding towards them. This was Madame Butterfly, herself. True to her name, Madame Butterfly had colorful wings sticking out from her back and had a gown that shimmered from delicate butterfly wings. She had kind, sparkling eyes that could melt any stone-cold heart.

"Madame Butterfly," said Malakar, giving her a little bow and planting a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, "it's a  pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise," replied Madame Butterfly. Her eyes settled on the tiny bundle in Malakar’s arms.

“And who do we have here?” she cooed, bending down slightly to take a closer look at Aurora.

Malakar replied with pride, "This is my daughter, Aurora and this is her first Butterfly Ball."

"Well then," said Madame Butterfly, gently taking the baby in her arms, "Welcome to Ebonvale's Annual Butterfly Ball, Aurora. This is where butterflies of all shapes and sizes gather together to celebrate the arrival of spring and the time when some of them will call the Glen their home for the spring and summer."

Madame Butterfly reached out her hand, and as if drawn by her presence, several butterflies landed on her fingers, their wings shimmering. One butterfly fluttered off and landed on Aurora's tummy. She giggled as its delicate little legs tickled her.

Malakar smiled sweetly at his daughter as she played with all of the butterflies. Elves, sprites, and faye folk followed in Aurora's example and the ball went into full swing. Some conversed with the butterflies while others simply basked in the beauty of the event as music played gently in the background.

All throughout the day, people danced, sang, mixed, mingled, laughed, and played amongst the butterflies and wildflowers of the Glen.

Madame Butterfly placed a flower crown she made from the wildflowers on Aurora's head, which caused some of the butterflies to land on it, making the crown a lot more enchanting. Aurora clapped her hands and squealed at the sight of the crown.

The festivities of the Butterfly Ball lasted all day long until the sky became littered with sparkling stars. Aurora rubbed her little eyes and Malakar knew in an instant that it was getting close to her bedtime.

Malakar picked Aurora up, while she was still wearing her flower crown, and she nestled against his chest as the peacefulness of the Glen lulled her to sleep.

"You’ve made memories today, both of you," she said softly. "The butterflies will remember your daughter just like they remembered you."

Malakar nodded. "Thank you, Madame Butterfly. This place will always be a sanctuary for us."

With a final smile, Madame Butterfly fluttered away, her figure blending with the butterflies as they began to settle into the Glen for the night.

As Malakar began the journey home, the gentle flutter of butterfly wings followed them, carrying the magic of the Glen into their dreams.

[h0oty]

twilight's evil bisexuals

[volcaberg]

Unsorted mlp art I've made over the last few weeks :3c

[theywerebothgirls]

gang but they are reformed unicorns

[winterpower98]

So, I made more ponies.

It's a bunch of evil girls

Alright bye

The main 6 Cadence and Shining Armor The Princesses

[98chao]

spire of deceit & truth: soul revue

[shadows-coffeebeans]

Starlight masterpost

[acourtofmishapandmistakes]

I’ve been on a big “Bat Boy Baby” kick recently. So here is Uncle Az enjoying some time with his favorite bat baby nephew, Nyx!

P.S. this is the first time I’m sharing any of my artwork on the internet, normally it’s just for me but I couldn’t resist sharing this time.

[dapper-lil-arts]

Best redeemed Unicorn poll... the Sequel

[the-lady-auri]

"Remember who you are..."

Narmun in the moment that he realizes he is the original moon god. The one who was murdered by the usurper god Sylvanus. Now, who was reborn as son to the usurper god. He already had cause to end Sylvanus tyrannical hold on the pantheon and the worlds at be. Now, vengeance added to the list for the wrongs done to him in his previous life.

The moon has risen again, and it is angry.

Prints available here: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/theladyauri/rememberance/

If you want to read more of the story as I write it, please consider a monthly sub on my Kofi, or if you like this and my art, a tip is always appreciated: https://ko-fi.com/auriel

Commissions are open as well: https://theladyauri.carrd.co/

[shadows-starlight]

Shadows and Starlight

Book 78: Friends of Fur and Four Legs

-

It was sunset.

The sun was lowering in the sky as it displayed its orange, pink, and blue hues across the world.

A majority of the inhabitants of the Ebonvale forest were already at home doing their evening routine. However, for Malakar, sunset was the perfect time to pick some blackcurrants. His raven, Corvus, loved blackcurrants. He loved them so much that he would eat an entire pile in one sitting.

So tonight, while Aurora, Grimble, Flord, Tibber, Corvus, and Pippin were back at the lair, Malakar went off into the forest to pick some black currants.

Suddenly, Malakar heard the sound of howling and some rustling in the bushes. He decided to investigate what the sound was. The sorcerer pushed through the thick foliage and his eyes fell upon the source. A large, shaggy dog was trapped in a thorny rose bush, howling in pain. Her blue brindle coat was matted and covered in burrs.

The dog stopped howling long enough to gaze up at Malakar, her kind, dark brown eyes gazed at him, filled with a mixture of fear and hope.

"Easy now, girl," Malakar murmured, "I'll get you out of there."

Carefully, Malakar took out a dagger he would often use to hack how way through thickets and bushes, and gently cut the thorns of the rose bush, which allowed the dog to limp out of the bush, revealing that her fur had been covered with thorns and burrs. She was a massive creature, almost as tall as him when standing, not Clifford the Big Red Dog tall, but she was indeed taller than most dogs.

Malakar immediately recognized the breed of the dog.

 It was an Irish Wolfhound and she looked like she was around two years old.

There was no collar, indicating that she was all alone.

He would worry about that matter later, for now, his job was to get the thorns and burrs off of her fur. With a gentle hand, he started getting all of the thorns and burrs from her matted fur, being mindful of her flinching every time a thorn scraped her skin.

The dog lay still on the grass, too tired and weak to resist.

“There we go,” he said, finally freeing her from the last of the thorns. The dog slowly stood up on wobbly legs, her tail giving a tentative wag.

Malakar gently ran a hand along her back. "You’ve had a rough time, haven’t you?"

The dog whimpered in response.

Malakar took out some black currants from his satchel and offered them to the dog, "Here, have some. You need to regain your strength."

The dog sniffed the black currants in the palm of Malakar's hand, and without hesitation, ate them in one mouthful. She panted happily and barked with delight, licking Malakar as if to say thank you.

Malakar chuckled and said, "Come with me, my furry friend. You'll have a home with me and my daughter would be delighted to see you."

The dog nuzzled Malakar and with that, they began the walk back to the lair. As they approached the lair, Malakar pushed open the oak door, only to be greeted with the sound of laughter and playful squeals.

Inside, Grimble, Flord, and Tibber were entertaining themselves with a juggling competition, which ended up with the juggling balls landing on their heads, bonking them.

Aurora was watching the competition on her spot on the floor with amusement, laughing as the juggling balls hit the henchmen as they fell.

Corvus perched himself on the dining room table and Pippin, who was inside his little mouse house that Malakar had constructed a few days before, was busy feasting on some pieces of cheese and a few stray grapes.

At the sound of the door opening, the henchmen turned to find not just Malakar himself, but the large dog as well, her massive frame filling the doorway. “What is that—?” Grimble started.

The dog, sensing the presence of the henchmen, got excited and rushed inside to greet them, giving them big, slobbery kisses with just a lick of her tongue.

"Eww!" Flord grimaced, "Puppy germs!"

He sputtered and spat as he tried to wipe the dog slobber away from his face.

"Boss," said Tibber, nervously poking up from his hiding place from under the dining table, "wh-what is that?"

Malakar chuckled, patting the dog’s head. “Not to worry, my friends. She's really quite harmless. I found her in the woods while on my blackcurrant hunt. She was all alone and she's going to be living with us from now on."

Aurora, upon seeing the dog, let out an excited squeal and crawled towards the dog. The dog perked up, and with a wagging tail, she bent down, laying down on her stomach, and sniffed the baby gently.

The baby reached out to touch the strands of the dog's shaggy fur. The dog, seeing how friendly Aurora looked, gave her a big slobbery kiss with her tongue. She laughed and clapped her hands.

Then, Aurora hugged the large dog and the dog nuzzled her gently in return.

“See?” Malakar said with a grin. “They’re already fast friends.”

The henchmen looked at Aurora and the dog as they interacted and got to know one another.

"I've never seen a dog this big before," said Tibber, looking a little less nervous.

"She's so big," said Flord, "way bigger than any of us, by far!"

"She's big enough for Aurora to ride on like a horse," said Grimble, smirking, "maybe we should test out that theory!"

Malakar laughed softly. “That's alright with me.” He looked down at the dog, scratching behind her ears again. “But first, let’s get her cleaned up.”

In the bathroom, Malakar, Grimble, Flord, and Tibber piled inside along with the dog to get the grime and dirt off of her body. Working together, they washed her tangled fur with warm water and soap. Slowly, the grime washed away, revealing her beautiful blue brindle pattern.

“You’re quite a beauty under all this mud,” Malakar remarked as he rinsed the last of the soap from her coat.

The dog shook the water off of her body, causing everything and everyone to get wet. However, instead of getting angry, Malakar and his henchmen burst out laughing.

Once she was dried and brushed off, Malakar led her to the kitchen, where he filled two bowls with fresh meat and water. She devoured it hungrily.

While she was eating, Malakar went to the dining table and started to craft a collar for her.

With steady hands, Malakar painted the leather collar with a bright pink base and added delicate red roses with green leaves surrounding the name, which he inscribed with crimson ink: Roisin.

He stepped back to admire his work, a satisfied smile on his lips. “Roisin,” he said, turning to the dog, who had finished her meal and was watching him curiously, smacking her lips with her tongue. “A fitting name for a rosebush survivor.”

The dog wagged her tail, already in love with the name.

Malakar fastened the collar around her neck, making it tight, but, not too tight. The bright pink stood out against her blue brindle fur. “There we are. Now, you’re officially part of the family.”

After the dog, now dubbed Roisin, stood tall and proud as she showed off her new collar. It made her look very grown up.

Roisin then made her way to the nursery where Aurora was playing with some blocks. Aurora squealed with delight at the sight of Roisin.

"Well then, Aurora," said Malakar, picking Aurora up, "how about that horse-dog ride theory, ey?"

Aurora liked the sound of that.

Malakar gently placed Aurora on Roisin's broad back. The baby squealed with delight, her tiny hands gripping Roisin's fur as the dog stood perfectly still, seeming to understand her new role as the baby’s steed.

Then, Roisin trotted around the room as if she really was a horse and Aurora couldn't stop laughing.

It looked like so much fun, so fun, that Grimble, Flord, Tibber, Corvus, and little Pippin hopped along for a ride. Fortunately, the dog was strong enough to hold all of them on her back.

Malakar, on the other hand, watched the fun with a smile.

"Welcome to the family, Roisin," he murmured, content with the dog finding a place in his little family.

[inkrrred]

Best team ever

[shadowsandjasmine]

art 🎨 by sugargun_

[banished-away]

[the-starlight-project]

"Don't you think this photo is a little old?" "Nah." "Oh? Not willing to take it down just yet? I didn't take you for such a sentimental guy~" "Hey! It's nothing like that! It's just..." "Nice to see us together like this?" "... Something like that."