Glimmering.
Spring Mist walked into the ‘void’ that was Caramel Tart’s living space. The usual, and incredibly disorienting, enchantment on the space was active. The night sky surrounded Mist as he walked to the stop where the stairs typically appeared.
This time, however, they did not appear. Mist stood in place and cocked his head. “Caramel Tart? Are you going to let me up?”
No response came. Mist looked around. All that surrounded him was the open night sky. Stars twinkled softly both near and far. Mist had never noticed before, but there was no moon. “Caramel Tart?” Mist yelled again. Still no response.
Mist decided to look deeper at the enchantment, perhaps see how close he could get to a star, see what it’s like. Mist picked a star at random and started walking. The star slowly grew closer, but not distinctly larger. Mist could only tell he was getting closer because he could move around it. Mist figured that he wouldn’t get anything better, so he sat himself down and just stared. He watched the star softly pulsate, radiating its light outward into the depths of the surrounding space.
“You know, you could just ask the star to grow. If it likes you, it just might do it…” came Caramel Tart’s voice from somewhere nearby.
Mist jumped and let out a yelp. He somehow managed to end up on his back, legs stiff. His body had frozen, his mind running circles.
“How unflattering. I had imagined what your reaction would be, but nothing comes close to this hilarity,” Caramel Tart’s voice chuckled.
Mist’s body was still unresponsive, but he had gained control of his speech, “Funny, Caramel Tart. But really? I can just ask?”
“I thought so. And yes, you can.”
“Alright,” Mist managed to regain use of his legs and flipped himself over, looking at the star again, “Um… If you don’t mind… could you… um, make yourself bigger?”
Mist looked at the star. Nothing happened. It just kept shimmering. Mist waited for a moment, then tried rephrasing the question, “Could you please, um… enlarge? Grow? Please?”
Again Mist stared at the star. Again it did not change. Mist noticed something in the corner of his vision, and turned his head to see Caramel Tart next to him. She was there, no longer just a disembodied voice. And she looked as if she was having a fit. Mist turned to look fully at her. At his confused glance, the dam broke, and Caramel Tart let out some of the most uproarious laughter Mist had ever heard.
The laughing fit continued for several minutes, Mist just standing with a very confused look, and Caramel Tart almost rolling on the ‘floor’ in bouts of her laughter.
“Just ask the star-” she tried to begin, but the laughter cut her off, “Just ask- Wow, Mist. That was amazing. I haven’t had such a good laugh in years. Just ask the star.”
“Oh, by Celestia! That wasn’t funny Caramel Tart. I trusted you,” Mist said with a huff.
“You’re right. It was hilarious. You are so good for a laugh.”
Mist huffed and walked off.
“Where are you going? Can you even get out of here? Mist, stop! I’m sorry!”
“Yes, I can. And no, you’re not,” Mist called back.
He stopped as something bright lit up behind him. He turned to see that the star he was looking at had grown to a fairly large size, its detail astonishing. Flames burned bright, the surface swirled. Mist was instantly mesmerized.
“Okay, I’m sorry about that little joke Mist,” Caramel Tart said, walking around the star, “But you can seriously make them bigger. You just have to learn the spell.”
“I don’t like you,” Mist glared, but he was unable to stay angry, “Teach me?”
Caramel Tart smiled, “Maybe someday. Now, we have business to attend to.”
“More?”
“Of course. There is always business to do. Especially for you. You have a very business-filled job now. You will learn everything you need to know as you go along, but I thought we should begin here and now.”
Mist sighed, “Actually, I wanted to speak to you about tonight.”
“Oh? Have an interesting talk with the Princesses?”
“You could say that.”
“Alright,” Caramel Tart’s horn flashed, and the enchantment dissolved, “Tell me about it.”
Mist and Caramel Tart walked over to a manifested desk and took a seat.
“Well, I spoke to Princess Celestia and she asked me to liaise between the tower and the Princesses’ desks.”
“Ah, yes. So she informed me. She also informed me that you have a… more sensitive project, too. And that I should just let you go about your business.”
Mist groaned and hung his head. “I really don’t like ponies fiddling with my affairs.”
“Mist, Princess Celestia only cares for her ponies, and she only want to help where she can. Now tell me about your talk with Princess Luna. I saw you two running off to some dark part of the castle. Anything… interesting happen.”
“You mean aside from her crying? No, we just had a little conversation about the night. And my position as liaison.”
“Crying? Really? Well done.”
“Thanks.” Mist groaned. “So, what does my job entail from now on?”
“Ah, first thing you’ll do is deliver the reports from the meteor team and the reports you have compiled on Star to-”
“Wait – the reports I have compiled?”
“Yes. Now don’t interrupt. You will deliver the reports to the Princesses desks, and if need be, give a presentation on them, so study up. Now, it might be a good idea to teach you how to write and compile reports.”
Caramel Tart floated a stack of papers over to Mist. Mist looked at them and saw they were a mock-report for him to copy. It was filled with lines of information, none especially foreign to Mist, but still unbelievable in quantity. “I have to learn all of this? How did you even come up with this information? Where did it all come from?”
Caramel Tart laughed, “Yes, you have to learn it all. And it’s more of a learned art than anything else. Though I did know a stallion who had a talent for such things. But I digress. Get to work.”
Mist began poring over the report, learning as much as he could about what it contained, and how he could duplicate it. Hours melted into each other, and soon the sun was rising on a new day. Or so Mist was informed by Caramel Tart. He stood up from the desk, stretching out his stiff legs.
“You know, when I dreamed of being here, I expected more stargazing and less writing and studying,” Mist complained lightly.
“Mist, do you know what ‘scholar’ means? All we do is write and study. Stargazing is a hobby,” Caramel Tart stated matter-of-factly, “There really isn’t a whole lot to discover in the night sky anymore. For hundreds of years, ponies have recorded what they saw in the sky. Not much has changed since then. And you stole the only remarkable thing to happen in our field for those same hundreds of years. ‘Exciting’ now is a meteor landing somewhere nearby. The occasional meteor shower or shooting star is about as ‘new’ as the field gets. Did you ever wonder why there are only a few astronomers left? There is so little interest left. That is why you are so terrific. You love the field, though you have never been in it. It’s a rare passion.”
Mist took in the information cautiously, trying not to let it hit him like a sack of flour. “You know, I can see where Honey Sweetroll gets her demeanor.”
Caramel Tart smirked, “Aye, the only difference between us is that her bluntness has not been tempered with age, and thus is mirthless. She’s me, just no fun.”
“She does seem to enjoy tormenting those she thinks unworthy of her time.”
“Indeed, but that should change with age. Now, I think you have made amazing progress. Perhaps tonight I shall let you loose on the scholars downstairs and you can fiddle around with the telescopes and instruments down there.” Caramel Tart paused before adding, “Actually, I think as a bit of practice, you should collect up any reports that they have written and inquire about their personal studies. It might prepare you for the real challenge.”
“‘The real challenge’? I trust you mean the presentation to the Princesses, right?” Mist asked.
Caramel Tart let out a laugh, “No, no, my dear boy. Something far more terrifying.”
“What? What is it?”
“My dear daughter, of course.”
Oh, now that’s just terrific.