//------------------------------// // Special: CMC // Story: Gazing at the Sky // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------// Star couldn’t tell if it was the light creeping through his shutters or the shouting that woke him up, but either way his sleep had been interrupted. He blinked his eyes as he tried to remember what he’d been dreaming about. Then again, he almost never remembered his dreams when he woke up, aside from maybe an odd collection of bizarre images that never matched up. However, he didn’t have time to dawdle on his dreams as the shouting still continued.   “Star! Star!” called a voice from outside. Star pushed open his wooden shutters to look down toward the dusty Appleloosa street. Standing outside was a yellow earth pony. He had green eyes about the same color as Star’s and a mane that looked a little long to belong to a colt. But his defining characteristic was his brown hat that was a little too big for him given his age. “C’mon Star, get up!”   “Ugh,” Star rubbed his eyes a little before looking down, “Braeburn? Is that you?”   “Of course it’s me,” the colt yelled up at Star. “Ah swear, you’re blind without your glasses.”   “Ha-ha,” Star replied as he walked back to the nightstand by his bed to fetch his glasses. “Funny coming from the pony that can’t stand to be seen without his hat.”   “Hey, leave ma hat outa this!” Braeburn reached up and readjusted his hat while he spoke.   Star stuck his head out the window again and looked down, now fully able to see the colt below. He was also able to see that dawn had just broken. Usually, Appleloosa sunrises were pretty, but right now the sky just looked grey with a half-sphere of yellow filling part of the horizon. “Ugh, it’s too early. What do you want Braeburn?”   “Don’t ya remember? Today’s exploring day! Ah finally got a day off from helpin Pa with the orchard and you and Swift Lasso promised ya’d go explorin with me!”   Star was still coming out sleep, so his mind was still a little fuzzy. But then he recalled that he’d made the promise a few weeks ago. “But why are you here so early?” Star yelled down to the pony.   “Because,” a mischievous smile was now on Braeburn’s face, “we’re going to go explore the outback.”   “The outback!?” Star yelled in surprise and fear.   “Shhhh!!” Braeburn raised a hoof to his face, a signal for Star to silence himself. “Ya wanna wake up everypony in town and ruin the exploration?” “Okay-okay I’m coming.” Star tiptoed around his room and gathered up what’d he’d need for a day or exploration and placed them in his saddlebags. Satisfied with his supplies, he drifted out the window and down to the street. Star looked up and down the street when he noticed Braeburn was the only pony outside. “Where is Swift anywa-” Before Star could finish his sentence, there was a bright flash between him and Braeburn and then a light blue unicorn with a slightly darker mane was standing in-between them.   “Oh, heya Swift, was wondering when you’d show up.” Braeburn didn’t seem surprised at his friend’s sudden appearance. Star was on the opposite end of reactions and had nearly fallen flat on his flank.   “Geez Swift! Ya nearly scared me outta my skin!” Star said with a flustered face.   “Heh, sorry, Ah just love trying that out. It’s is so cool! Ya two have no idea what you’re missing,” Swift Lasso apologized.   “I think I’m fine with my wings, besides the skies are cooler!” Star replied enthusiastically.   “And A’m happy being able to grow stuff, recon that’s why Ah got this.” Braeburn gestured to the apple cutie mark on his flank. Out of the trio, he was the only one to have earned his cutie mark. Both Star and Swift were still blank flanks. “Hey, maybe today the exploration will help ya get ya’ll’s cutie marks.”   “Braeburn, remember the last ‘cutie marks’ we got on one of your explorations?” Star said in a slightly exasperated and nervous voice. “Don’t talk about that! I still think I’ve got thorns in my side from last time.” Swift rubbed his flank, remembering the hours all three of them had spent picking thorns out of each other’s sides after they’d fallen into a cactus patch.   “Ya’ll are both just being sore!” Braeburn stomped the ground in playful frustration. “Besides, if ya’ll didn’t want to come ya’d have just stayed in your beds.”   “Okay fine, ya got us. Can we get going now?” Swift complained.   “Sure thing!” Braeburn replied with a smile. “Now here’s a little treat to sweeten the deal.” He stuck his muzzle into his saddle bag and pulled out two apples. “Freshly picked!” “Swift,” Star turned to look at his unicorn friend, “I think he’s got us pretty indebted to him now.” “There ya go again using fancy words,” Swift said as he munch on his apple. “How ya were born in Appleloosa Ah’ll never know.” “They’re not that fancy,” Star retorted. “Ah still think you get your fancy mumbo jumbo  from your Pa, what with him being a... er, what was it called again?” Swift tapped his chin trying to wring the correct word out of his head. “Patenter, he made sure other ponies didn’t steal other ponies ideas,” Star explained. “Um,” Braeburn turned around, “how exactly do ya steal an idea, isn’t an idea just a neat thought?” “Well...” Star stopped trotting and brought a hoof to his muzzle. “I don’t know the really specific stuff, but say your family came up with a new way to water its trees. Wouldn’t ya want to make sure nopony else used that method without your permission.” “Ah suppose ya have a point there. Still seems a little silly though.” Braeburn took a step forward toward the sun. “Enough daddling, let’s go. “Fine,” said both the cowpony’s friends. ~~~         The grey began to clear up and the true Appleloosa sunrise appeared on the horizon. Its streaks of purple, pink, and yellow painted the desert as well as the three ponies that wandered through it.         “Brae, how much water did you bring?” Star asked, his eyes on Braeburn’s saddlebag.         Braeburn gave a small sigh. “Why do ya have to worry so much Star? Ah mean for crying out loud, ma family has been pioneers for generations.” He turned his head around and opened up his saddlebag, revealing multiple bottles and bags of food. “Of course Ah came prepared!”         Star stretched his lips into an awkward smile and scratched his mane. “Heh, yeah... right.” He let out a bit of nervous laughter. “Still a little sleepy.”         “Ah swear Star,” said Swift, “you and a Ursa Major could pull off quite the sleeping contest.” Swift’s eyes widened when he noticed something in Braeburn’s bag. “Brae... what’s the net and rope for?”         Braeburn’s lips turned down for a second, but then rebounded to their usual smile. “Darn, Ah wanted to keep it a secret till we were further out. See...” He reached into his bag and pulled out just a part of the huge net. “Swift, Ah’m really hoping you’re right about Majors sleeping a lot.”         Star pupils sunk into his green eyes, he did a rapid turn, and started back the way he came. “Leaving now! Have fun being torn apart by a Major!”         Braeburn rushed up and blocked Star’s path. “Now just hold up a second Star. Ah looked through ma granpa’s journals and he was able to catch one.”         “The same granpa that thought bunny pajamas and polka dots would help apples grow?” Star retorted.         Braebrun’s face reddened. “Ah told you! Granpa Harrison was trying use ma Granny Smith’s techniques on regular apples!”         Swift raised an eyebrow a little. “Um... Ah still don’t really get that either.”         “Er!” Braeburn stomped a hoof to the ground, it wasn’t playful this time. “Look, Ah read ma granpa’s journal. It’s simple, ya just need this net and a little backup. It’ll be easy. Besides, think of the cool cutie marks you’ll get for it.”         Swift ran a hoof over his chin. “He’s got a point there.”         “You two are insane!” Star nursed his head with a hoof, there was only so much recklessness he could take. “Have fun getting mauled, I’ll stick to reading about Ursa Majors.” Star then began his walk back home. “Ah wouldn’t do that if Ah were ya,” said Braeburn. “Forgot to mention, we’re in buffalo territory now. Other thing ma granpa wrote in his journal was the traveling routes of buffalo. Ah memorized them just in case something like this happened.” Star had Braeburn in his hooves in an instant. “Are you crazy?! I know your parents told you the stories about the buffalo too! You don’t go into their lands unless you have a death wish!” Star’s eyes darted away from Braeburn and into the surrounding landscape. “They’re probably watching us right now, just waiting for the chance to get us.” Braeburn just calmly pushed Star’s hooves off his shoulders. “It’s fine, we’re on a route that’s been guaranteed as safe for ponies to cross. You’d be amazed what a few gems can get ya. However, take one hoof off the path and you’ll be spending the rest of the night with the buffalo.” Star’s wings flared up in response. “I’ll fl—” “Ah wouldn’t recommend that either,” Braeburn calmly stated. “Buffalo are very strict about their deals. ‘Your hooves don’t leave the path’ is what the deal said.” “Brae...” Star gritted his teeth. “You idiot.” His wings drooped and he walked forward. “Aw, lighten up,” Braeburn gave Star a playful slap on the back. “It’s an adventure. The Major will just be a little bonus. Besides, if things look really bad, Swift here can just teleport us out.” “Yep!” Swift smiled. “I need to find less insane friends,” Star muttered. Braeburn trotted ahead to lead the group. “You’d be boring if ya didn’t have us!” “I’d at least be alive at the end of the day.” ~~~         The area around Appleloosa, while not very friendly to life, still held a natural beauty to it. Huge cliffs extended high into the heavens, plateaus seemed to defy nature and twist into every conceivable form imaginable, rocks glistened with the precious materials they were made of. Even under the burning sun, the desert teemed with ancient art.         The three colts traversed all of this, crossing gorges, scaling cliff faces, and treading through the rivers that carved the land. Through a combination of magic, wings, and intuition, they made it through all that the land threw at them.         After the river, they came to a rest by its banks. At this point, the desert gave way to a vast canyon. The cliffs stretched high above the river and provided some much needed shade.         Braeburn laid back and gazed up at the now clear blue sky. “Whew, that was close. Nice work you guys.”         “Well, ya got us through the last pull,” Swift commented as he shook off the water in his coat.         “It was your rope that Ah was pulling on though,” Braeburn replied. “Besides, the proof is in the flank.”         “What are ya...” Swift’s eyes narrowed and slowly traced their way to his flank. What started out as a small crack in his lips turned into an enormous grin. Swift started literally bouncing with joy. A lasso covered in a faint aura had traced itself onto Swift’s flank. “Ah did it! Ah got my cutie mark!”         Suddenly, Swift stopped his bouncing and gazed at the raging river they’d just crossed. “Ma mom lied when she said it’s easy to get one.”         “Amen to that,” Star said while he rested on his side. “Let’s not do that again... please?”         “Well...” Braeburn shifted his hat to block out the sun. “Ah thought this way was best since granpa said buffalo patrol the other way at this time.”         “I’ll risk buffalo before doing that again,” said Star. He got up, readjusted his bags and glasses, and looked toward Braeburn. “So fearless leader, what’s the next trial?” he sarcastically droned.         “Staying quiet,” Braeburn replied. “Majors may be known for sleeping a lot, but if ya drop a needle near their dens their morning breath will be the least of your worries.” Brae trotted to the right where the rocks looked cracked and yellow rather than red like like the rest of the canyon.“Where the cliffs shift and even the rocks quiver, the beast dwells.” He took a step forward. “This is it, remember be quiet.”         Swift trotted ahead with Braeburn. “Whoa.” In front of the three colts lied a vast branch of the canyon that was filled to the brim with holes or varying sizes. Some were not much bigger than a well-built stallion, yet others looked like they could fit a small town within them. “This is amazing. Ah’d be just fine exploring the caves.”         “You’re in luck then,” Braeburn smiled. “We’ll have to explore them if we want to find a Major.”         “Wait,” Star spoke up. “I don’t want to do this.”         “What?” the other two deadpanned.         “Look Star, I know Brae was a little underhanded in getting us here, but we made it this far. Why turn back now?” Swift asked.         Star didn’t face Swift, but rather Braeburn. “You said we’d get our cutie marks by going with you, right?”         Braeburn trotted over and put a hoof over Swift’s neck. “Yep! Swift here is proof Ah was right, ya can’t fault me on that.” He flashed Star a cocky grin that screamed ‘In your face!’         “That’s my point,” Star sighed. “Say everything goes according to plan? We capture a Major, I earn my cutie mark for it, and then what?”         “We head back home... this about getting the Major back with us?” Braeburn asked. “Cause if ya do get a cutie mark for that we can just use that as proof or...”         “Brae.” Star stomped a hoof to the ground. “That’s my point. If my parents see that, they’ll figure out what we did and we’ll get in trouble.”         For a second, both Swift and Braeburn were silent, then they both let out a fit of laughter. Star turned about a dozen different shades of red.         “Whew!” Braeburn wiped a tear out of his eye. “That’s what you’re worried about? Our parents’ll probably be mad at us anyway we spin it, what’s the harm in getting a cutie mark out of it?”         “It’s my mark and I decide what I get,” Star replied. His eyes sharpened and he gave Braeburn the best imitation of his father’s glare that he could. “We’ve had fun, but I don’t want to get my mark this way.”         Braeburn also focused himself to combat Star’s glare. “You’re being ridiculous. If you’re so against getting a mark this way, of course you w—”         The pebbles around them moved on their own. There was a noise, like distant thunder that rumbled around them. The pebbles moved again.         Swift’s eyes moved away from the rocks and over to Braeburn. “B-brae...”         Sweat formed on Braeburn’s forehead as he continued to watch the rocks. “We... we weren’t that close the caves though.”         “B-brae,” Star shook, “w-what if they moved?”         “Star... w-why are you right?” Swift stuttered.         There was more rumbling and then it came into view. They saw its nose first, followed by its long and horrible rows of sharp teeth. Even in the day, it glimmered with the colors of the night. It looked mad.         “N-now guys,” Braeburn said without a speck of his normal bravado, “d-don’t move. Just be quiet and s-stay...”         “Raaaahhhhh!” The beast’s roar echoed through the canyon and sent boulders tumbling into the nearby river.         Star took the air instantly. “The caves! Get to the caves!” He led the charge at blinding speed to get to the smallest entrance. He dared to look back and saw the beast was gaining on Swift. Braeburn was already at the cave entrance. “B-brae, you’re g-gonna owe me a lot more than a-adventuring.”         “Star, w-what are y-you...” Before Braeburn could finish, Star was off, barreling right at the beast.         Star zoomed past Swift. He brought his wings to a sudden halt and unleashed the full force of the sudden stop on the beast’s snout. It blinked as it randomly swiped its paws while it staggered through the hit.         Star went to zoom back to the cave, but saw that Swift still hadn’t moved. “Swift! Get your flank in g—” A paw clocked him in the left wing and sent him hurtling to the ground.         However, a faint glow kept him from making impact. His left wing felt like it was on fire. “Star! I’m sorry I... I...” Swift cried out.         “Just... get to... the cave,” Star said through gritted teeth. By now, the beast was starting to recover. It continued to shake the canyon as it pursued them.         “Hold on Star!” There was a bright flash of light and then the world became even more dark than it had been in the canyon. Star suddenly felt very ill and the hay biscuits he’d eaten on the journey to the caves didn’t agree with him much now. “Sorry, I know teleporting is rough on y—”         A giant midnight blue paw reached out and nearly smashed the two colts to bits.         “Get deeper into the caves!” Braeburn yelled, even though Swift was already galloping at full speed into the darkness.         There was more rumbling behind them. Suddenly, there was the sound as if the moon had fallen on the canyon. Swift lost his balance and dropped the spell he was using to levitate Star. Then, just as suddenly as it came, the noise stopped and the cave became deathly silent.         “Is... is everypony okay?” Braeburn nervously asked as he trotted in the darkness to where he assumed his friends were. His hoof caught on something and he hit the cold ground with a thud.         “Ow!” said two voices.         “Swift, that you?” Braeburn asked.         In response, a small ball of light appeared and illuminated the two colt’s faces. “Yeah,” said Swift.         “W-what about Star?”         “Could somepony turn on the lights?” came a raspy voice.         Swift turned up the power on his spell and revealed his pegasus friend lying on the ground. His left wing was twisted at an odd angle though. “Thanks,” Star croaked.         “Oh my gosh!” Swift rushed over to his injured friend. “Star, I’m sorry! I just froze up and I didn’t know what to do an—”         Star got up and pushed a hoof into Swift’s mouth. “It’s okay. Don’t panic, we need your horn.” Star removed his hoof from Swift’s mouth and pointed at Swift’s horn. “We need to find an ex-Ugh!” Star’s wing twitched and dropped limply to his side. “Ow! That thing really messed up my wing.”         “Okay, Ah think Ah’m done with adventuring, let’s just get home,” Braeburn said, his voice now shaky and timid. “Swift, lead the way. Star, your wing looks out of commision, but how’s the rest of ya holding up?”         Star tapped all his hooves to the ground. “I think I’m good save for the wing. Crud, my parents are gonna kill me. For now, let’s just get out of here.”         “Amen to that,” said Swift. He glared over at Braeburn. “We’re not going on anymore Major hunts.”         “Look!” Braeburn yelled. “Ah know Ah made a mistake! Ya don’t need to rub it in! Ah just... Ah just wanted to have a little fun.” He pulled a leg back and and kicked a small rock that rattled as it shot against the cave walls. “Darn it! We didn’t even see a Major!”         “What?” Star and Swift asked simultaneously.         “Ma granpa’s journal had a few illustrations too. That thing was an Ursa Minor, not a Major.”         “You. Are. Insane!” Swift said through gritted teeth. “No wonder that hat is always crooked, ya haven’t got a head to put it on!”         “Ah said Ah was sorry!” Braeburn retorted. Something glinted in the darkness. “‘Sides, Ah think Ah just found the exit.”         “Good, the sooner I get home, the better,” said Star.         Swift and Braeburn galloped forward while Star slowly trotted to the light as to not disturb his wing. For some reason, the two colts in the lead stopped. “Guys? What’s... wrong...” Star’s ears drooped when he saw that the light was coming from a large hole hundreds of feet above them. “Oh crud.”         “Lets just stay calm,” Braeburn quivered. “This can’t be the only exit.” He twisted his neck and looked back at his pegasus friend. “Star, why don’t ya take a rest here and see how bad your wing is? We’ll go check for some other exits.”         Star trotted forward and eased himself against some rocks, being careful to not let anything disturb his wing. “Sounds good, just be careful.”         “We’ll be back in a second,” Braeburn replied. He switched direction and disappeared along with Swift into the darkness of the cave. Only the light coming from Swift’s horn was still visible to Star and even that eventually faded into the depths of the cave.         Star slowly shifted his saddlebags off and got a closer look at his wing. Where it should have gone down, it instead twisted right at a sharp angle. “Shoot, it’s definitely busted.” He tried to pull the wing down a little, but only succeed in yiping in pain. “Okay, lets not do that,” he sighed. He leaned back a little and made himself as comfortable as he could on the rocks. “Well, might as well get comfortable.” He tapped one of the rocks. “I’m gonna be grounded for a while.”         Swift and Braeburn returned a few minutes later. The drooping ears and downcast eyes weren’t a good sign. “You don’t look good,” said Star.         “Star... how bad is your wing?” Swift quivered.         “Not good,” Star replied, “why?”         His friends’ faces darkened. “We’ve got trouble,” Braeburn croaked. “That darn Ursa took out most of the exits.” He turned his head up towards the hole in the cave. “That may be the only way out.”         “But my wing got busted,” Star replied as his heart started to race.         “Ah know.” Braeburn shivered a little. He then put his attention on Swift. “What about teleporting?”         “Ah... Ah can’t,” Swift trembled. “Maybe if Ah could see the top of the hole, but if Ah can’t see it, Ah could mess up and that...” He pointed his eyes straight into the ground. “That’d be bad.” He looked back up at the hole. “Ah’ve never even teleported that far before.” His lips turned downward. “If we fell Ah... Ah...” He fell to his haunches curled up. “Oh Celestia, we’re stuck.” “We... we’re not stuck!” Braeburn rasped. “Ah... Ah’m sure we’ll find a way out.” His eyes dashed between his two friends and then they locked on Swift’s cutie mark and then his horn. “That’s it!” “What?” Star asked. “Swift’s cutie mark is obviously for using magic and his rope. He can just send the rope up and use it to pull us up!” Braeburn’s ears perked up a little at the thought of his plan. “Ah still need to see whatever Ah’d be tying my rope too,” Swift replied. “Plus, it’s still really far to levitate. One wrong move and... Ah don’t want to think about it.” “Oh.” Braeburn’s ears drooped again, but Star’s perked up. Star pushed himself to his hooves. “Wait, we may not be able to get ourselves out, but maybe we can alert somepony else.” He pointed a hoof at the hole. “Swift, think ya can send up a magic blast or something?” “Well...” Swift nervously tapped a hoof to his chin. “If it’s just magic aimed straight up, I can try.” He trotted forward until he was directly under the hole, took a deep breath, and ignited his horn. At first, his horn glowed like it did when he used it as a light, but the aura around it began to coalesce at the tip and formed a sphere. He gritted his teeth and then sent the sphere flying straight up. It zoomed right out of the hole and into the sky where it exploded in a flash of blue sparks. Swift lied down and took a deep breath. “Okay, that work?” “Ah think that’s the best we can hope for,” said Braeburn as he readjusted his hat. His eyes traced over his friends. “Now what?” “We wait,” Star solemnly stated. ~~~         “I win,” Star droned as he used a rock to carve an x into a three by three grid.         “Hooray,” Swift duly replied. “Ya won best forty-two out of eighty-one.” He glanced up at the hole again and looked out at the night sky. “What time do ya think it is?”         Starn narrowed his eyes and looked up at the night sky and noticed the faint orange tinges near a part of the hole. “Probably a little past dinner time. What do you think Brae? Brae?” Star had to swivel his head a bit before he located the cowpony. He was a few feet away from them and curled up. “Guess he fell asleep.”         “Yeah,” Swift commentated. “Can’t blame him, there’s only so much tic tac toe and charades a pony can take.”         “Hmm...” Star tapped his chin. “Swift, ya think you could send up another flare? It’d probably be brighter now.”         “Sure, no pro—”         “What’s the point!” Braeburn’s form heaved. “Nopony will find us. Nopony is stupid enough to come here!”         Star trotted a little closer to Braeburn. “Brae, you’re awake?”         Braeburn instantly got to his hooves and nearly slammed straight into Star’s face. His face was flushed red and tears ran down his cheeks. “Of course Ah’m awake. How could anypony sleep when they know they’ve doomed them and their friends!?”         “Brae...” Swift quivered, “It’s no—”         “Not what?!” Braeburn shot back. “Not that bad? It is! Nopony has come through here in at least a hundred years, even the buffalo know not to come here. Ah... Ah just wanted to go explo... explor...” Braeburn devolved into a cacophony of sobs. Swift trotted over and placed a hoof on Brae’s back. He looked up at Star with wet eyes. “Star... what are we gonna do? Braeburn was the bravest pony and knew and...” Tears started rolling down Swift’s face as well. “Ah wanna go home!” “Guys...” Star felt tears start flowing down his face too. He bit his lip and held them back though. “Look I know it looks bad, but we’ve got through worse. We crossed rivers, survived Celestia knows how many cacti, we even outran an Ursa Minor. How many ponies have done that?” “So?” Braeburn sobbed. “Look what Ah got ya guys into for doing that!” His form slumped further. “Ah don’t know what to do.” “Shall we sing?” Star said. “What?” Both his friends looked at him with puffy eyes. “I know it’s silly, and that my singing will probably deafen both of ya, but it’s better than just giving up.” “You’ve lost it,” Swift moaned. Star sucked in his breath and began: On the earth and under the sun I planted a seed and a tale was spun The ground swelled and the grass grew I planted more seeds which gave way to bloom Braeburn stopped his sobbing and looked at his friend. “Star what are ya doing?”         Under a meadow, I found a river         I reached out and asked it to deliver         A future of gold and silver and green         In my eyes I saw that dream         “Wait,” Swift ceased crying and turned his attention to Star. “Ah know this song, mom used to sing it when Ah was a foal.”         Star paused his singing and looked at his friends. “Told ya it was silly.” He flashed them a meek grin. “I could use some accompaniment though.”         Swift’s lip quivered for a second before he joined in:         The stars swelled and the moon grew         I took my dream and passed it on to you         Braeburn sucked up his runny nose and readjusted his hat. “You two are the silliest ponies I know.” He then joined the accompaniment:         My time passed and eventually yours shall too...         Thus, three young colts sang a simple lullaby and eventually fell on their backs and gazed up at the stars.         Braeburn raised a hoof up and pointed to a collection of stars near the edge of the hole. “That looks like a big ol’ soup ladle.”         “That looks like somepony’s head,” said Swift as he too raised a hoof and pointed at the stars.         Star squinted his eyes and tried to look for a constellation, but part of it got blocked by a cloud. “Shoot, I can’t make anything out, can’t I just say they look nice?” Braeburn and Swift chuckled a little. Star turned a little red. “What’s so funny?”         “Well,” Braeburn said between laughs, “star gazing is in your name, ya think you’d have an eye for these things.” He fell back to laughing with Swift.         Star turned more red and looked back up at the sky. I’ll show them! He looked up and noticed an odd looking collection of stars that only seemed half formed. “Ah-ha! Take a look at that!” Star jabbed a hoof up at the odd constellation.         “Star...” Swift muttered.         “Yes, I know,” Star replied, placing a hoof on his chest for added bravado, “it’s really neat, right?”         “Star, those ain’t stars,” Braeburn got up but kept his eyes on the hole. “Then what...” Before Star could finish, something fell from whatever was above them and hit the ground, but also remained attached to whatever had thrown it down. “Sweet Celestia, a rope!” Indeed, before the three of them was a rope fashioned into a lasso at the end. Suddenly, two more ropes fell down the hole. “Oh ma stars!” Braeburn exclaimed. “We’re saved!” “Please do not wait,” came a voice from above. “Wrap those ropes around yourselves so we can pull you up. We’ don’t wish to stay here for long.” “Ya don’t need to ask twice.” Swift rushed forward and secured himself into one of the ropes. Braeburn followed and finally Star tied himself in, but was careful not to disturb his wing. They were quickly pulled out of the cave and into the night. Star took a deep breath and looked up at the visage of the mare in the moon. Nightmare Moon can come back for all I care, this night is the greatest thing I’ve ever felt. He then returned to his senses and remembered the ponies that had saved his and his friends’ lives. “Thank you so...” He was looking directly into the snout of a huge buffalo. “Much,” he squeaked. The three colts were surrounded by three large buffalo. Sweet Celestia! They’re gonna hogtie us and take us back to their village and... He gulped. Stampede us. “You and your friends have been very foolish, youngling,” the biggest buffalo snorted. “Only the dumbest of calves would dare venture here.” “I... I...” Star quivered. However, Braeburn rushed in front of him and Swift and stood his ground before the buffalo. “Now look, Ah know we were dumb, but if you’re gonna punish somepony, then take me. It’s ma fault we got into this mess!” All three buffalo blinked and then let out deep billowing laughs. “Ha! Youngling,” said the biggest one, “I don’t know what tales you’ve been told, but even we don’t punish young ponies who are too stupid for their own good.” The buffalo let out more laughter. “We find your own kind have so much more fitting methods of straightening you out.” “So you’re not gonna take us away?” Swift dared to ask. “Oh, we’ll take you away,” said the biggest buffalo with a wicked grin. Braeburn nearly fell back in the hole. “We will take you right back to your homes and let you ponies deal with this.” He leaned closer to Star. Star could feel the heat from the buffalo’s nostrils on his coat. “You are injured.” He bent down. “You ponies truly are a stupid race. You can’t make the trip on your own.” “Are you serious?” Star asked. “About the stupidity? Yes,” the buffalo bluntly replied. “Now hop on Cloudy Star.” Star nodded and got on the buffalo’s back. Surprisingly, buffalo fur was quite soft. “Um, you were a little off, but how’d ya know my name?” The buffalo turned its head but continued trotting. “Are you ponies not named for those bizarre flank etchings you all seem to have?” “What are you...” Star turned around and saw in the moonlight a star, not in the sky, but on his flank and partially covered by a cloud. “My cutie mark! I got it!” Braeburn chuckled a little. “Heh, guess ya musta gotten it while were were singing and we didn’t notice.” “That singing of yours, while not particularly desirable, coupled with that bizarre light was what allowed us to find you,” said one of the buffalo. “You ponies seem to like taking our ideas as well, we thought you were part of the herd until we realized no one used those lyrics and tunes.” “Thank Star here then,” said Swift. “If it hadn’t been for him, well... ya said it yourself, you’d have never found us.” “Hmm,” mused the biggest buffalo. “I have seen many of my own people face similar situations. However, left in the darkness, they succumbed to their fears and lost themselves. Perhaps some of you ponies do have backbones when the time calls for it.” ~~~         The sun was just beginning to rise when the group made it back to Appleloosa. The buffalo carrying Star stopped at the town’s outskirts and bent down. “We will leave you to get back the rest of the way on your own.”         “Thank you so much,” all three colts replied.         “All we ask is that you not mention this to anyone in your town, we’ll be watching to make sure of that. Also, if you are foolish enough to ever venture out like that again, know that help will not come from us again.” The biggest buffalo then turned back to his peers. “Let us go, we have been away from the herd for long enough.” All three of them then galloped away in a cloud of dust, leaving three dazed colts in their wake.         “Guys...” said Braeburn. “Ya think if we told the truth anypony would believe us?”         “Not a chance,” Star and Swift simultaneously replied.         “Besides,” Star cautioned, “no matter what, we’re still in for the grounding of our lives.” Star glanced back at his bent wing. “Literally in my case.”         All three of them had a good laugh. They took deep breaths and trotted back into town. It was said that on that day, the sound of spankings echoed throughout Appleloosa. The three colts were known for weeks afterwards as the ponies with two cuties marks, as the hoof prints left quite nasty bruises. Star vowed he’d never get tangled up with anything crazy again.         He would later imagine that vow was a curse of some sort.