Twinkle Twinkle
Remy Rat
May 18, 2017
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is © Hasbro 2010-2017
♪ Twinkle, twinkle little star!
How I wonder what you are
Up above the clouds so high
Like a diamond in the sky!
Twinkle, twinkle little star!
How I wonder what you are! ♫
The voice of the little blue pegasus colt lifted and fell as he sang his nightly lullaby to his beloved stars, for each one twinkled to him all the brighter for his efforts. At least, so he believed. With wings far too small to handle objects like the tips of adult pegasus wings, his tiny hooves swung the end of the telescope this way and that as he gazed upon the stars he loved so much. Is it any wonder that his parents christened him Stargazer?
Of all the stars in the night sky, though, one twinkled the brightest to his nightly melody; this star twinkled a soft radiant lightest blue—a lightest blue like his eyes. One could possibly confuse such a blue for white. Before bed each night, Stargazer made sure to always wish his little blue star good night first before wishing each and every other star goodnight as well; however, his efforts were often for naught as sleep would overwhelm him before he could ever finish. It’s the thought that counts, though, right? Of course, of course. Still, though, he persisted.
To each star he bid goodnight. After every goodnight granted, Stargazer found the weight of the night bearing down upon him. Soon, he curled up with hooves tucked underneath him on his little cloud. Sooner still, the lids of his eyes grew heavier and heavier until he gave the widest of yawns. Eventually, the little blue pegasus’ bids of goodnight faded to small and gentle breaths of a babe in sleep. While in those Elysian fields of dreams where he flew among his precious stars, a figure drew over his sleeping form.
---
Morning Mist smiled softy upon her sleeping colt. Her wingtips reached down and gathered her precious foal into her embrace. She swayed the tiny ball of blue feathers and fur in her bright green wings—being sure to nuzzle her muzzle upon his cheeks and back. She stifled a quiet giggle as one of his little wings flickered at her in his slumber. She reached up and drew her forelegs snug around him before her great wings stretched out.
From his little cloud, she leaped into the currents of the celestial sea which she swam through in great glides. Her long silver and blue mane and tail drifted behind her as she swam through the star ocean that covered Equestria at this time. Her eyes of aquamarine looked to the stars above that her foal loved so dearly. Her eyes caught sight of a Stargazer’s favorite star; the one that twinkled the lightest blue—blue like the glow in his eyes. She smiled broadly, for she had a very special treat for her little foal. And that very special treat involved his favorite star.
---
Earlier that day…
The shrill of a whistle blew through the weather factory! Morning Mist wiped sweat from her brow with a flick of a wingtip. After she made her way off the work floor, she reached her wingtips to her hardhat and removed it. Outside the weather factory, a voice shouted out to her.
“Hello there!”
With a flick of her ears, Morning Mist turned to look up to a white pegasus flying down towards her. Morning Mists smiled to the other mare.
“Er, yes? Can I help you?”
The white pegasus landed and adjusted a large pair of glasses on her muzzle before she trotted her way over.
“If you could! I’m Stella. I’m the curator for the Cloudsdale Observatory. Pleased to meet you!”
Morning Mist smiled, “Likewise. I’m Morning Mist. What brings you to the weather factory?”
“Oh, I was seeing if the weather ponies would be able to make sure the skies over Cloudsdale were clear tonight. I am hosting a very special event.”
Morning Mist tilted her head, “Oh? What do you have planned?”
Stella bit her bottom lip and reached out to hold her hooves at Morning Mist’s shoulders.
“Well! During my recent research on ancient astronomy, I came across a spectacular find! Something incredible is going to happen in the night sky, and it was predicted by none other than Starswirl the Bearded himself!”
The white pegasus gave out an eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee as she shook Morning Mists to and fro! The green pegasus rocked back and forth in the excited pegasus’ embrace before she patted at Stella’s limbs.
“That does sound very exciting, but… what does this prediction involve exactly?”
Stella giggled and waved a hoof about, “Oh that I can’t say or it’d spoil the surprise! All I can tell you is that it involves a very prominent star.”
Morning Mist blinked and furrowed her brow in thought. She wondered, “Stella… out of curiosity… this ‘very prominent star’… would it happen to be the bright blue one? It twinkles rather radiantly.”
Stella blinked back in surprise and nodded, “Yes, actually! You are familiar with that particular star?”
“Yes. Well, my son is. It’s his favorite star. He loves stars; he’s completely fascinated by them.”
Stella’s wings snapped out and the white pegasus lifted into the air, “Oh! You should totally bring him by tonight! I’m sure he’ll get a kick out of tonight’s festivities!”
Morning Mist rolled her eyes in thought—bringing a hooftip to her lip, “Oh, I don’t know… he is quite young and needs his sleep.”
Stella smiled and leaned in with a wink, “Come on! An event like this rarely happens! Trust me, if your son loves astronomy as much as I do, then this is a once in a lifetime opportunity!”
Morning Mist considered for a long moment. Stargazer did love his stars. She looked at the wide-grinning white pegasus and her bright silver eyes under wavy locks of sparkling white mane and gleaming glasses. It was a bit unnerving. With a sigh, she gave a soft smile.
“Alright. I’ll bring him by tonight then.”
Stella threw her forelegs out, “Awesome!”
---
Stargazer’s closed eyes twitched before his little ears wiggled about. Deep sounds resonated around him—drawing the colt from his swim amongst his dazzling stars. Slowly, the colt’s eyes slide open then closed again… then snapped open! He looked around as he found himself in the bleachers of a grand arena of white marbled cloudstone filled with other pegasuses. Curious murmuring reverberated within the amphitheater from the gathered pegasuses. Stargazer glanced up to see his mother holding him. She smiled down at him.
“Hello, Star.”
Stargazer’s ears wiggled as he gazed up at her, “Hi, Momma. Where are we? What’s going on?”
His mother lowered him onto his little hooves, “We at the Cloudsdale Observatory, sweetie. Tonight I have a very special treat for you.”
Stargazer settled on his hooves and looked up at his mother again, “Oh?” His eyes lit up with wonder. Morning Mist nodded, “You know your favorite star?”
“The pretty blue one?”
“That’s right; the pretty blue one. Well, you see all these ponies gathered?”
Stargazer glanced about the arena at all the other pegasuses curiously, “Uh huh.”
“They all came to see your star!”
Stargazer gasped in awe as he looked around again and then looked skyward. High above the heads of the pegasuses, the stars glittered and sparkled. Among them, his star twinkled brightly with its radiant blue light. The little blue colt’s eyes widened as he smiled big and bright!
“Wow~! They all came to see my star, Momma? Really?”
The colt then rubbed his head with a hoof and looked back up at his mother, “But… why?”
Morning Mist chuckled softly and winked down at him, “It’s a surprise, sweetie.”
Stargazer's mouth threatened to split apart the hinges; he could not smile any larger! His little wings buzzed in a blur behind him as he giggled with anticipation. Pegasuses continued to fly into the arena where they perched upon the marbled cloudstone. Stargazer beamed at every one of them; his sapphire eyes radiantly sparkled under the light of the moon. So great was his grin that older pegasuses smiled back cautiously. Stargazer looked up to one of the older ponies; he floated out of his mother’s grip and drifted upon the tips of his hooves.
"Hey, mister!", the cobalt colt squealed, "Are you excited! I'm excited! I can't wait to see the show!"
With a drop of sweat and closed eyes, the pegasus stallion awkwardly smiled back at the over-excited little colt.
Morning Mist's bright green wing crept and wrapped around the vibrating foal; she leaned over and whispered to the colt in her fold.
"Shhh", she breathed softly, "sweetie, don't disturb the other ponies."
Stargazer's enormous grin vanished. He looked up at his mother through wavy locks of his mane, "I'm sorry, Momma; I’m just so excited!"
A small smile bloomed upon her muzzle before she nuzzled her foal between his laid-back ears, "It's okay."
Stargazer closed his eyes and floofed his fur and feathers as he leaned into his mother's embrace. He couldn't help himself, though! For as long as he could remember, he loved stars. How they twinkled, glittered, sparkled, and shined! He would stay up late into the night to watch them, count them, and sing to them. He would watch them all through his telescope seeing if he could find new ones to marvel at and sing to! None he loved more, though, than his favorite!
And that star was the special guest of honor tonight!? His mother informed him that the Cloudsdale observatory had a special announcement about his favorite star. His eyes snapped open to the sound of roaring stomps upon cloudstone that echoed through the arena. His ears perked and swerved towards the center of the arena where a certain tall white mare pegasus in glasses landed.
Stella gazed upon all the pegasuses gathered within the arena around her. She felt the weight of their stares upon her almost threatening to snuff out the words wanting to burst from her throat; however, her excitement over tonight’s event fought back the weight until the words escaped her.
"Mares and stallions!", the white pegasus bellowed, "Fillies and colts of all ages! Welcome to tonight's event! I am Stella, curator of the Cloudsdale Observatory, and tonight I shall be your personal envoy to the heavens above! Tonight, we shall bear witness to something truly amazing--an event foretold thousands of years ago by Starswirl the Bearded himself!”
Pegasuses oo’d and ahh’d at the theatrical speech that flowed from the be speckled pegasus in the center of the arena. Stella rose onto her hind legs as she spread her forelegs up and over her head! She brushed her hoof across the star filled canvas looming overhead as she spoke.
“Tonight, we shall see a star in the sky give a light unlike any star you have ever seen before! Tonight, you shall all see..." She paused as her silver eyes behind her glasses scanned the audience—their eyes wide and gleaming with a curiosity rivaled only by her excitement! She bit her lip to the point she thought she’d taste blood! The words built in her like steam in a tea kettle. When she couldn’t contain it any further, she blew out. "...a supernova!”
---
Stargazer’s little jaws drooped open and he cocked a brow in both wonder and confusion. The colt wiggled a foreleg free from his mother’s embrace and waggled it over his head. Among the murmuring that echoed throughout the arena, Stargazer called out.
“Excuse me! Excuse me! Miss Stella?”
Stella turned to the little colt in the bright green mare’s wings, “Yes? OH! You must be Stargazer!”
Stargazer blinked in surprised, “Uh, yeah… how did you know who I was?”
Stella laughed softly through a wingtip brought to her mouth, “I met your mother earlier today. I asked her to bring you here.”
The little blue colt gave another one of his large smiles, “Really! Wow! Thanks, Miss Stella!”
Morning Mist and Stella exchanged warm smiles before Stella returned her attention to Stargazer, “Now then… what did you want to ask?”
Stargazer’s ears wiggled, “Oh! Right! Um… what’s a supernova?”
Curious murmuring from the other gathered pegasuses echoed the colt’s question. Stella lifted her forelegs and spread her wings. She used both to usher silence from the murmuring spectators as she looked to the foal.
“A supernova is when a star gets really, really, REALLY old… and it gives off a very bright light—the brightest light it has ever given off!”
The crowd oo’d greatly at this! Stargazer’s eyes dialated to great magnitude and his smile was the biggest one of his life!
“And that is gunna happen to my star!?”
Stella smiled back just as big and nodded, “Yeah! And then afterwards, it mysteriously fades away—never to be seen again!”
And just like that… Stargazer’s smile vanished like a candle’s flame snuffed out by a harsh wind. The wondrous awe of the crowd drowned out the breaking of Stargazer’s breaking heart. Stargazer’s little fractured heart pounded in his chest. He found it hard to breath.
“Wh—wh—what?”
Tears blurred Stargazer’s vision before spilling over his cheeks.
“My… my star… my star is… g—gunna.. go… go away? Forever?”
Stella’s smile immediately faltered. Her ears drooped as she looked around. Other pegasuses snickers and some laughed at the adorable blissful ignorance of the colt; however, Stargazer did not find the humor in the situation that the others apparently did. As laughter echoed through the arena, Stargazer cast his eyes into the night sky. He looked at all of his stars until he found his blue star—blue like his eyes. His star. His precious star. It was going to go away? He would never be able to sing to it? Never ever again? It was going to go away forever!?
Suddenly, Stargazer shot out of his mother’s embrace! He bolted high into the sky and flew away as fast as his little wings could carry him! His mother called out to him sharply… But he was already gone.
---
Morning Mist stood there unable to move or breath, for she could feel her foal’s heart break. What mother could not sense such heartbreak? So stunned by shock, that she did not even have time to respond to her son shooting from her grip!
“Stargazer!”
Her wide eyes watched her son vanish into the sky before her gaze leveled upon Stella! Stella stood there with ears wilted and glasses drooped as she leaned back sharply from the force of a mother’s angry glare. Morning Mist leapt out of her seat and dived into the center of the arena as she loomed over the curator.
“What is wrong with you? Why would you say something like that? How did you think this was a good idea? I told you my son loves his stars! He loves them! He sings to them! And you sat there with a smile on your face and told him that his favorite star that I brought him here to see is going to explode and go away!?”
Stella shrank under the mother’s anger with each word whipped upon her! Each sentence whipped cracks within her which finally drew forth tears from the white pegasus.
“I—I just thought that—I mean—I just wanted—I’m so sorry.”
Morning Mist shut her eyes tight. She fought back the urge to smack the glasses off the curator’s face. Her concern for her son finally overwhelmed her before she, too, shot into the sky to search for her precious baby boy—having an idea of where he might have gone.
Stella remained behind. Through thick sniffling, she tried desperately to regain her composure. She adjusted her spectacles and looked around at the scorn boring upon her from pegasuses left in the arena. One by one they began to fly away. Stella stumbled about.
“Wait! Wait! Come back! The show! I…”
Stella wilted her ears again and hung her head. She closed her eyes tight and stamped her hoof upon the cloudstone underhoof.
“Stupid! I’m so stupid!”
Stella slowly lifted her head; she saw that she was alone. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to the stars over her head—to stars she, too, loved very much. Stars had always fascinated her. All she wanted to do was share that fascination with others. She looked around the empty arena; now, she had no pony to share that fascination with. She sniffed… and wondered what to do.
---
Tears flew from Stargazer’s eyes like glitter tossed into the wind. His crying was muffled by the wind breaking past him. His twinkling star--his precious twinkling star--the star he wondered about. The star he loved so much. His star was going to fade from the sky. It was going to go away forever! The foal landed on a cloud to rest and bury his face into the white fluff that was like a tangible cotton to his pegasus hooves. His tears soaked into that pillow of fluff as his little body shook. He wanted to go home. He just wanted to go home and sing to his stars. Most of all, though, he wanted his precious twinkling star to not go away. After a few moments, he felt the tips of prehensile feathers petting his back. The colt sniffled and looked up at his mother standing over him.
“M—Momma!”
Morning Mist drew her colt into both her wingtips where she craddled him. She floofed her chest feathers and held him close. She hummed softly to her son. Stargazer whimpered.
"My star... my star is gunna...please... I... why..."
Morning Mist gently hushed her son, "It's alright, sweetie. It's alright. Honey... listen to Momma." The colt sniffled again and did as bid—his eyes glossy and shimmering under moonlight.
She swayed her body side to side slowly as she nuzzled her son to her floof. She murmured between his ears, “I’m so sorry, sweetie. This isn’t what I thought would happen. I just wanted you to see something special with your stars. I’m so… so sorry. Don’t cry, though; Momma’s here.”
Stargazer sniffled again and reached up with his forelegs to wrap them around his mother’s neck. He nuzzled at her cheek and neck, “…but my star won’t be, Momma.”
Morning Mist nodded and sat on her rear on the cloud as she held her foal in her wings and forelegs.
“Your star won’t be,” quipped a voice from nearby, “But new stars will be.”
Stargazer blinked and he gazed over at the source of the new voice; Morning Mists did the same but with a glare. Stella stood there with ears wilted and a forehoof scuffing at the cloud as she hung her head low—glasses drooping so low they threatened to fall from her face along with her tears. Morning Mist felt venom rise to her lips but her foal cut off the venomous spit.
“What do you mean ‘new stars?’”
Stella looked up again. Morning Mist stared cautiously at the white pegasus—she was just as curious. Stella rose her head up. She gave a small cough and adjusted her glasses before speaking.
“According to my research and what Starswirl wrote… when a very old star dies. It… well… it turns into a very large magic cloud. And, from this cloud, new baby stars are born. It is how stars live. They are born from large magic clouds in the deepest and highest parts of the sky… then they glow for a really, really, really long time… then they die in very bright flashes of light… they turn back into magic clouds… and from those clouds new baby stars are born. The cycle then repeats.”
Stargazer stared at Stella. At first, such a stare was one of deep sadness that drew more tears from his the sapphire of his eyes; however, as he continued to listen to the curator’s words, the colt’s sorrow turned to enigmatic wonder. His little ears perked up as he swallowed then muttered.
“So… my star? It’s gunna turn into baby stars?”
A soft smile crept through Stella’s muzzle. She sniffed and nodded.
“Yeah. Your star is going to turn into baby stars.”
Morning mist blinked at this revelation, for it caught her by surprise as well. She looked at Stella a long moment then casted her gaze to her foal in her embrace. She looked back to Stella as the white pegasus trotted over and looked up to the twinkling blue star over their heads.
“And with your star gone… who will watch over the new baby stars? Who will wish them good night? Who will sing to them?”
Stargazer blinked and smiled softly, "I will!" He then smiled his biggest smile despite the tears in his eyes, "I will! I'll watch them every single night through my telescope! I'll sing them to sleep and—and—and teach them how to twinkle and—and—and I'll take care of them! I’ll take really good care of them!"
Morning Mist burst into tears as she smiled broadly and nodded. She kissed her son between his ears.
“Of course you will, sweetie. Of course you will.”
Stella nodded and looked to Morning Mist. With a heavy sigh, she removed her glasses with the tips of one wing and wiped her eyes with the tips of the other. She looked up to the bright green pegasus, “I’m…I’m so sorry.”
Morning Mist reached out a wing and gathered the other mare to her. She hugged both the young mare and her son, “I forgive you.”
Stella half-laughed and half-cried. She looked to Stargazer, “It’s… it’s almost time. Did you want to say anything to your star?”
Stargazer nuzzled between the two mares and looked to his stars. His eyes reflected their brilliance. He quickly found his precious twinkling star. He stared at the star he loved so much. He watched how it twinkled its rays of light blue light. Stargazer watched with a big smile and tears in his eyes as the star suddenly expanded and flashed! Stargazer's eyes lit up as they reflected the radiance of the star's final moments. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life.
"Good bye. Rest well. Don't worry about your foals! I'll take care of them! I'll watch over them! I'll sing to them! I'll wish each of them good night! And I’ll teach them how to twinkle! I promise!"
Stargazer looked down at the cloud a moment then looked up and beamed the biggest smile he could.
"Good night!"
---
Stargazer sat curled up on his cloud. All around and overhead, the black and blue ocean of stars glittered and sparkled with endless diamonds. Clouds drifted through the sky as seafoam cresting the waves of the celestial sea. Stargazer swung his telescope this way and that until he found what he was looking for: a beautiful blue-white halo where once his twinkling star had been. He couldn’t see them… But he knew that within that halo were cute, adorable, precious baby stars! They weren’t twinkling yet, though. He’d have to fix that! And, of course, of course, he knew just how to do that.
♪ Twinkle, twinkle little star!
How I wonder what you are
Up above the clouds so high
Like a diamond in the sky!
Twinkle, twinkle little star!
How I wonder what you are! ♫