//------------------------------// // Morning after // Story: Purple Moon on the Horizon // by Guardian Talon //------------------------------// Princess Celestia sat at her personal desk. She really liked that desk, despite it's age. An exquisite item made of solid oak with a polished granite top. That had wear marks in it from years of use. She finished writing her letter and sent it off with a flash of magic. She scratched another name off the list and grabbed another sheet. To Queen Novo I am writing to you in regards to last night's incident involving the moon. I assure you it was only a minor magical accident and is already being taken care of. I apologize for any hardship this may have caused you or your people. Princess Celestia Queen Novo stared at the letter for a moment longer. "What happened to the moon?" A Yak sat at a drawing board looking at sketches of fireworks and the rocket they made last night. A new drawing was being made. It had different ideas and was missing things, but it was the start of something. Something big. They were going to need a lot more of those 'trashcans full of boom', and yaks brave or dumb enough to sit on them. One orange and blond tatzlpony was feeling proud of herself that morning. Her family had a large number of fruit trees, including several plumb trees. She had sent out her younger sister, a little yellow and red thing, to go play with her friends. ...and talk about how the moon looked like a plumb last night. The results being that she was almost out of plums and her only real competition for providing food being another family of farmers who had some grape vines. A diamond dog wearing iron armour and carrying a short spear had wondered into ponyville and eventually ended up at 'Scopes and Scopes' thanks to some of the less intimidated ponies. The sales pony smiled at his unusual customer. "Yes indeed my good stallion- err sir. This will give you a nice close view of anything you can fit under the lens." "Moon?" "Moon?" The dog picked up the microscope and started trying to look around with it. "Moon!" He pointed it at the ceiling and frowned when he couldn't see anything through the eye piece like he was told. "I see. You're not looking to see small stuff up close. You want to see far away things up close." The dog pointed at him and grunted. "Then you want something from the other side of the store." He grabbed the microscope and set it back on the shelf. A quick gesture with his head and they walked over the the telescopes. "A budding interest in astronomy. Hmm?" He looked his customer over for a moment before grabbing a more rugged, collapsing telescope by the mouthhold. A flick of his head and it opened up completely. "Perhaps start with this one." Two minutes latter the dog had a tight grip on the telescope, clearly now wanting to part with it. "There is still the matter of payment. Do you have bits, or something else?" After thinking about it he pulled the spear off his back and looked between the two items before offering up the spear. A quick look at the gems embedded in the shaft and the pony took it in hoof. "Normally I wouldn't take a weapon as payment but I'll make an exception. Happy stargazing." That night, a diamond dog did indeed enjoy looking at the sky, and telling the others what was up there.