//------------------------------// // Little star chaser part 1 // Story: Little star chaser // by Chloemcg //------------------------------// The night was dark as dusk cast itself like a long, sleek shadow across the small and humble town of Ponyville. The stars twinkled brightly and there were lots and lots of them, the skies were a dark navy blue colour as Princess Luna’s moon had long since risen high into the sky in replacement of Princess Celestia’s sun; truly, it made for a spectacular evening backdrop. The path was long and it seemed to stretch on and on in front of anypony who happened to have been making their way down the cobblestone pathway. Time Turner, better known as Dr Whooves, cantered through those very same streets. The stallion had a brown coat with a spiky brown mane and tail, he had a somewhat muscular build and he had pale blue eyes. He had an hour glass cutie mark sported upon his flank and his hooves were strong and sturdy as he carried himself with such an air of confidence. He had a fine English accent and he wore a green bow tie with a neatly-folded, crisp white collar worn around his neck. It made him look extinguished but modern at the same time. The road continued to stretch right front of him with each step he took as he headed home to spend time with his wife and daughters. Make no mistake, he enjoyed his work and adapting his theories about time and science but he just longed to spend time with his family because he hated having to be apart from them for long periods of time. His research on the workings of time, the laws of physics and other pursuits of science were quite (and literally) time-consuming, especially after sending his reports straight to the Princesses over in Canterlot. Dr Whooves had gotten married to the most special mare in all of Ponyville, Derpy, and then they both had two daughters whose names were Amethyst Star and Dinky Doo; Amethyst was a young adolescent whilst Dinky was a young filly. He felt blessed to have such a lovely wife and a pair of lovely daughters whom were both growing up to become a pair of fine mares. The stallion could feel naught but excitement swell up inside of his heart since he was truly looking forwards to seeing his loving family after a long week of working and toiling away in his workshop. Of course, he loved his job but he loved his family much more then all of the research to have ever been recorded in all of history. Whenever he would have to leave his family and just stay in his office chock full of gadgets and research subjects on time, he could actually feel the days blur into a gooey mass of timey wimey stuff —the days only differing depending on the weather outside and the list of important research he had to do. The stallion eventually made it to his home. The Whooves house was a bit different from most in Ponyville; their house was a simple little detached house that was painted a simple pine colour and it had a large clock on the front. The windows were brightly shining due to the fact that the inside lights were on, meaning that the household was still awake. There was a balcony on the upper deck and a silhouetted figure stood out upon it but it wasn’t all that visible since it practically blended in with the nighttime colours. Doctor Whooves exhumed a long and satisfied breath upon seeing his house, even though his posture slumped due to how exhausted he was. He carried on towards the front door and proceeded to push it open with one hoof, opening it. “Hello, my sweet butter muffin!” The gray female Pegasus greeted as she zoomed out the door as soon as it opened. She wrapped a foreleg around her husband and pulled him in for both a hug and a passionate kiss on the lips that Doctor Whooves couldn’t help but relish in and single time his wife hugged, kissed, snuggled and showed him any kinds of affection, his heart would do a ecstatic loop-do-loop inside his chest. Every single time he’d stare into her bright yellow crossed eyes that looked as jolly and bright as the sun shining, he’d feel his soul take flight like a Pegasus. They could have stayed in their loving embrace forever. Eventually, however, they parted and both stared tenderly into each other’s eyes. “So...how was work today?” Asked Derpy. Doctor Whooves replied “It was wonderful, thank you. Rose luck and myself both did some research during the Breezies migration; we were trying to see whether or not they would float into some void stuff! Rose is turning out to be a good companion and assistant for my research.” Derpy smiled warmly. “That’s nice!” Without saying another word, Derpy stepped aside to allow her husband entry into the house. As the stallion cantered through the main hallway of the house, he decided to pop his head into the sitting room and glanced over to look at his teenaged daughter, Amethyst Sparkler. The purple unicorn lay sprawled out on the sofa, tummy first, with her head bobbing up and down to some DJ-PON-3 music that was playing on the radio nearby. As she did this, she appeared to be clutching a pen in her mouth as she scrawled some writing on a piece of paper laying front of her. One forehoof rested firmly on one corner of the paper in order to keep it still while the other forehoof was folded underneath her. Doctor hooves smiled over at the young purple unicorn. “Good evening, Amethyst, darling!” He greeted. “Oh! Hi, dad!” Amethyst responded, speaking aloud, clearly preoccupied with both her writing and with the loud music bursting through the stereo. “What are you doing there?” Sparkler spared a quick glance over to the brown stallion before resuming her work. “I’m just organising some things for the next festival!” Doctor Whooves nodded. Before Princess Twilight Sparkle arrived in Ponyville, Amethyst Sparkler was the best pony at organising and planning special events. She harboured no grudges against Twilight at all but that didn’t mean that she didn’t at all miss working and planning as much as she had used to. The purple unicorn might have been young but she was talented and fantastic at what she did. “Alright, Amethyst! I’ll come sit with you in a bit!” Doctor Whooves/Time Turner whirled on his hooves but he stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened when a single realisation made his train of thought come to a screeching halt: He hadn’t seen his younger daughter, Dinky Doo! Normally, aside from his wife, she’d be one of the first to come barrelling down the stairs and tackle him, knocking him right off his hooves. But this time...she was nowhere to be seen. Upon realising that something was off, the theoretician of time felt a cocktail of confusion, perplexity and a pinch of concern wash over him like a massive tidal wave crashing against a sandy shore. Doctor Whooves frowned as he gazed up at the empty staircase. Ditzy seemed to notice her husband’s confusion and wrapped a wing around him, draping it over his back, and proceeded to guide him up towards the staircase —presumably so they could have a more private chat without worrying about their other daughter overhearing and it was because of this that Doctor whooves felt his concern for his daughter’s strange behaviour double tenfold. What was going on here??? Once the couple were certain they were out of earshot, Doctor Whooves spoke up. "What's going on with Dinky?" He asked, tilting his head to one side with pure confusion written on his face, “Is something wrong?” Derpy just shook her head, the movement of her head causing her blonde mane to sway from side-to-side with criss-crossed eyes full of concern. She had gained a bit of a reputation (both good and bad) for her clumsiness, her special eyes, her job as the mail pony and her love for muffins. What Turner especially loved about his Derpy was her courage, kindness and her willingness to do the right thing. However the love for her family was something that was indisputable and plain for everyone to see. The Pegasus mare explained about what was happening with her youngest daughter. “I don't know, but Dinky’s been rather withdrawn lately. She’s been sitting out on the balcony while staring up at the sky way past her bedtime and I can't get her to open up to me. I think only you can sort this out, since you know what it's like..." Doctor whooves looked down at the floor thoughtfully. What his wife said was true (if this was about what he thought it was) then it was more than likely that this was a matter that only the bond between a father and daughter could fix. He looked back up and nodded in concurrence with the light gray mare, knowing full well that her words rang true. When he was young, he had a few problems with his...obsession with science and theory such as constantly being bullied by other foals about his way of thinking, having problems with finding out what his cutie mark meant (this was an issue since he turned ten years old) or even being made fun of for strange tendencies such as obsessing over all things time. He recalled painfully as other foals would flat out ignore him, especially when he’d ramble on about his theories about the space time continuum....all except one filly: Derpy. They both attended the same school; whenever little Time Turner would find himself alone, a certain gray Pegasus filly would sit next to him and then listen to all his ramblings with those unique cross-eyes of hers focused upon him and sparkling with enchantment. It was during those times that they had grown close and, eventually, when they grew up, they got married. The brown stallion was only snapped out of his reminiscing when he received a quick peck on the lips. “You go and tuck in Dinky, alright? I’ll make you something in the kitchen.” Doctor Whooves watched as his wife meandered down the steps with her wings fluttering, he smiled fondly at her before he continued to walk up the staircase and traipsed towards the room of his little filly, Dinky Doo. Dinky took after her mother mostly but she was a unicorn and her coat was a pale purple colour and she had a bright yellow mane with a blonde streak halving it; this little filly was special and, on the day she was born, Doctor Whooves could have sworn that he saw shooting stars glint and glimmer inside her eyes. Turner slowly opened the door to his younger daughter’s room by nudging it with his snout and peered into the room. The sight he found made his heart quiver: Dinky stood out on the balcony with her bright yellow eyes glancing upwards at the starry skies, a somewhat saddened look upon her face as she would occasionally peek through her telescope to get a closer view of the twinkling stars dotting the band of constellations above her. The little lilac filly couldn't contain a deep sigh as she kept her gaze focused on the twinkling stars that hung overhead. She didn’t know why but, whenever she stood on the balcony to watch the stars, it always made her feel better about any problems that she would have. Alas the small filly felt so small and diminutive compared to those stars above her, she couldn’t help but feel the slightest hint of envy for how blatantly glorious they were as they shone in the deep sea blue skyline. Dr Whooves slowly walked through the room and stepped lightly on to the balcony, he could feel the chill of the gentle evening breeze smooth over his dark brown fur coat and cause his green bow tie to flutter in the wind. If Dinky noticed her father’s presence, she didn’t show it. She just kept on gazing up at the night sky. Time Turner decided to join his daughter and started to gaze up at the little twinkling stars that dotted the indigo-coloured night sky. He couldn’t help but find the sky so beautiful yet at the same time he wondered why the little unicorn had such a magnetic attraction to it? He noticed that, from what Ditzy had been telling him, little Dinky staying up past her bedtime to watch the stars was not an uncommon occurrence. He could recall when he used to take the little lilac unicorn stargazing when the she was a small foal and even then she seemed intrigued with astronomy. The stars were like diamonds that sparkled beneath the moonlight and the moon itself was full and bathed the world below with its silvery white beams of light, it was easy to say that Princess Luna had put in a lot of effort to create such a marvellous night —a night filled with serenity and calm soothingness. It felt like a century before either pony spoke. “...Your mother tells me that you have been struggling a bit as of late. Care to tell me why?” Dinky visibly tensed up after hearing those words, her eyes wide and hard and full of terror; both of her ears shot straight up and stood erected as her brows made a collision straight to the moon. She finally lowered her gaze and looked at her hooves while she fidgeted where she had sat on her haunches. “My little spark, what is going on?” Whooves asked with a sterner edge in his voice, eyes now focused on the unicorn filly beside him. Dinky hung her head and closed her eyes with shame. “I...I’ve....I’ve been picked on for being a blank flank at school; Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon won’t leave me alone, they either mock me not having a cutie-mark yet or they make fun of you and mama or they even make fun of my wonky magic and my lack of co-ordination...” The brown stallion nodded, urging his daughter to continue but had to bite his lower lip when her magic was mentioned. Dinky was born with magic that didn’t seem to work like most other unicorn’s; instead of having magic surges when she was a month old, her magic seemed to weaken or using levitation or illumination spells first, she would turn furniture into fruit or instead. She seemed to know what spells to cast but it appeared that her horn didn’t want to listen. Indeed, she was a unique little unicorn filly… Dinky stayed silent for a long few moments before she resumed speaking but her high-pitched squeak of a voice lowered a few octaves each time she lowered her head solemnly, her ears flattening against her skull more and more. “I come out here to look up at the stars. I remember when you would take me out to see them when you weren’t so busy and it reminds me of when our family was happier.” A single tear oozed out of her eye as she closed them both, said tear cascading down her cheek and dripping to the stone marble foundation of the balcony. Her sweet little heart crumbled inside her chest and her tail curled around herself, wrapping itself around her front hooves, she snivelled and sobbed in spite of her efforts to hold them back. Her lower lip trembled and quivered. “The stars don’t hurt me, the stars listen to me, the stars don’t judge me...it makes me feel better...” The time-theorist stared down at his daughter as a pang of pain, sympathy and guilt hit him right in the heart like a bullet. It was true that he hadn’t been able to spend much quality time with Dinky on account of his schedule and how hard he had worked and he felt really bad that he wasn’t able to remedy the fact that his youngest filly was hurting due to trouble at school but also how her eyes made her world (quite literally) spin. Dinky rubbed at her eyes with one of her fore hooves to rid them of any lingering teardrops. “I know it’s dumb, but when Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon bully me it hurts...!” Time Turner proceeded to wrap a hoof tightly around his daughter and gingerly rubbed her side up and down in a comforting manner. He could easily relate to Dinky’s pain as he, too, was bullied when he was young —albeit it was more for his way of thinking then anything else but that was besides the point. “I know, darling...I understand. Bullying always hurts but you can always rely on me, your mother and sister to have your back.” Both ponies looked back up at the sky to continue watching the stars, both letting their minds and their imaginations wander and the Doctor and his daughter kept right on gazing up until they both felt the strain pull and stretch their necks until a single star flitted across the sky. “You know, Dinky, sometimes I wonder whether or not I can follow the stars when they fall and then I wonder where it would lead me if I did...?” Dinky looked at her father in wide-eyed awe. “You do?” The older brown stallion nodded whilst letting a reminiscent smile spread across his lips. “Yes,” Doctor Whooves shook his head sombrely. “But I haven’t been capable to follow those falling stars simply because I was....was....” Dinky noticed her father’s hesitation to finish that sentence and gingerly lifted one fore-hoof before placing it atop one of Doctor Whooves’ as a show to unrelenting support from daughter to father. Her eyes enlarged to add to her adorability and she gave a sweet little smile. Doctor Whooves felt his lips curl at his daughter’s gesture of assurance and resumed his sentence. “...I was afraid of what or where’d they’d lead me to and what sort of pony that I’d become if I had. Sometimes the future can be a bit intimidating, you see. Shooting stars can take you to your destiny or they can take you somewhere you never thought you’d be...nevertheless, in my humble opinion, they are worth following…even though I was too cowardly to do it myself.” Dinky looked down at the marble ground of the outside balcony in deep thought but continued to listen to her father. “I want you to promise me that you will keep following where those stars go, Dinky Doo, because I am sure that they will lead you somewhere you nor I could even dream of. Whether that be an actual place or even a pony I don’t know yet, but you will go far as long as you never stop chasing the stars like you always do.” Dinky looked down and pondered on her father’s words for a couple of moments. She didn’t know why but it felt as though a fire ignited inside of her heart and mind when those words were spoken to her, it was like unlocking something that she didn’t even know was there until now. Those words had imbued within her a brand new confidence and determination and she even found that the world had become more mystifying and mysterious after she heard this. The little yellow-eyed unicorn couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she did chase those shooting stars and connect those constellations? What would she find? Would the stars and its constellations guide her to his destiny? Who knows? Perhaps they would even take her to places she (or maybe even no other pony) had never been before! Finally the small filly spoke as the flames of determination spread throughout her entire body. She snuggled up to her father lovingly. “I promise, daddy. I will follow those falling stars until they lead me to a great life...but for now, I’d rather stay here and watch them twinkle with you, mama and Sparkler.” Turner felt his lips curl whilst he playfully rustled Dinky’s mane in a forehoof. “You are my daughter alright...” He chuckled. Dinky sighed softly and contentedly while a soft smile blossomed across her own muzzle. She nuzzled her head into the crook of her father’s neck (making sure to mind her own horn as she did so) and she soaked in the warmth and comfort of his body heat that she had known ever since the day she was born. It was in feeling that warmth and comfort that her body began to feel heavy and her eyes tried to close over. It was clear that sleep was beginning to loom over her. The Doctor stooped down and bit the back of her neck in order to grab and carry her by the scruff. When he lifted the sleepy filly off of her hooves, the Earth pony stallion gingerly whirled on his hooves before he reentered the pretty pink bedroom that belonged to the filly he carried. Dinky didn’t even move as she hung from her father’s mouth by the back of her neck, not hurting her in the slightest, and she gave a soft sigh of contentment as sleep continued to swallow her consciousness whole. Upon reaching the bed, the Doctor lowered Dinky so she could lay on the mattress. After making sure the fatigue-ridden little unicorn was properly laying in bed, Doctor Whooves reached down to grip both ends of the blanket in both hooves and then pulling it over the small prone form of his daughter —Dinky snuggled contentedly beneath the warmth of the blanket and she was quickly losing the fight to keep her eyes open as they started to drift shut. The brown Earth pony stallion’s heart swelled in his chest. He never imagined that he would love another pony as much as he loved his wife, his oldest daughter and his youngest; no word could even come close to describing how much adoration he felt for his wife and children. No such word existed because the love he felt was insurmountable! In fact, his capacity for love was as expansive as his knowledge! Turner’s lips curled up as he bent down and gingerly kissed the little lilac unicorn's brow. "Goodnight, my little star chaser..."