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// Sta Astéria 
// Story: The Little Curiosities 
// by Comma Typer 
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The moon and its stately accompaniment of stars: they hold the gazes of two nightly alicorns, identical in all but clothes.

The one clad in regalia looks to her counterpart, the latter’s horn glowing blue. “It seems that raising the moon is noticeably more difficult than manipulating the stars for you. It is a much more delicate work, after all. Say… have you ever sewn or crocheted?”

A nod comes from the local Luna, adorned with nothing but a spare collar from her vice principal wardrobe. “Yes, I have. My sister was more adept at it, to say the least.”

A star slowly rises, but like a rock too heavy to bounce on the lake, it falls.

“Though, of course, I was adequate at it because I had fingers.”

More stars reach up, ascending but without the glory for they wobble.

The glow on her horn stops; the vice principal, exhausted. The princess could clock her other self’s stressed-out breathing.

“You are overthinking this, Lulu. It is true that they are stars and no mere objects, but you are not supposed to do this on your own.” She taps her own horn: a quiet thunk! thanks to her royal horseshoe. “You are not supposed to hold full sway magic. Remember: let the magic guide you. Direct your magic to the stars and let it take you there: let it help you make what you desire to make.”

A question pops into her head. “Although, what did you intend to make back there?”

The vice principal gives only a knowing grin. “I will let you judge for yourself. For one, it is one of my favorite things since childhood… and yours too, I believe.”

“Oh?” A blink and she is back to her professional teaching self. “Perhaps a good way to aid you is if you close your eyes and only remember the patch of stars over there… perhaps only then will you let go enough of yourself to let the magic flow through you.”

So the vice principal does. With a serene breath and a shutting of her eyes—chilly is the night, and the peace of the dark blue evening: right in her element—her horn glows, the tinkling of magic tickling her ears.

To the princess’s surprise and tears, the stars form a crescent constellation.