//------------------------------//
// Our Story Begins 
// Story: Star-Crossed Lovers 
// by ShootingStar81 
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     The sun was just reaching it's peak that afternoon in Ponyville, casting only short shadows at it's height, and leaving very few places to shelter from the light.  Thankfully, being so close to Hearts and Hooves day, the weather remained relatively cool despite the exposure, yet warm enough to encourage most of the villagers to come outside and tend to whatever tasks they fancied that day.  It was, perhaps, among the reasons that Rarity and Twilight Sparkle were out and about, though the pair were clearly traveling together.  In fact, they had a specific destination in mind, the new workshop of one Shooting Star, who had moved into Ponyville only a few weeks prior, but was already making quite a name for himself as a crafter of fireworks, and to a far lesser extent, as an inventor.

The workshop itself was a somewhat squat building, more elongated in appearance, like a low shed, but as long as a barn.  It's exterior walls were a dull-gray metallic color, and were indeed made of metal, which had seemed odd to more than one pony.  This, of course, was to protect those outside the shop from potential...mishaps from within.  When one dealt with literally explosive materials, it was best to be cautious.  The roof was similar in material, though domed in design, affording a more spacious interior without actually making the shop any taller.  This worked out rather well for Shooting Star, giving him all the room he needed to work, designing and creating ever more spectacular fireworks, from rockets to sparklers.  Of course, Rarity, and to a lesser extent, Twilight, were already familiar with the shop's outward appearance, having seen it being built and completed.  Neither had yet to see the interior, though.

"Do you think he'll be up for it?" Twilight asked, though she kept her gaze forward-facing.  

Rarity looked thoughtful for a moment before she replied in kind.  "Oh, I do hope so.  I've seen some of his work already, and it was simply magnificent!  I can hardly imagine a more skilled pony to bring a fireworks display to Ponyville."  

Twilight spared an incredulous look at Rarity's words, not readily able to recall a time that she spoke such praise of a pony she barely knew.  Well, a pony outside of fashion, anyway.  Either she was a bit over-enthusiastic, or this Shooting Star truly possessed remarkable skill with fireworks.  The latter was starting to seem more likely, too, given that he was gaining quite the reputation in Ponyville already.  Of course, just what that reputation was for might still be up for debate.

As if to accentuate this thought, they heard a desperate voice from inside the shop as they drew near, apparently shouting at somepony.  "Wait, did what?   No, Pi—"  A sudden, small explosion cut off the statement, rattling the walls, as well as the roof,  leaving the two ponies a bit worried as they glanced at each other.  Without a word between them, Twilight sprang forward and pushed open the workshop's double door.  

"Is everypony al...."  Her words trailed off as she surveyed not chaos, but a room almost completely pitch black.  As Rarity trotted up alongside her, they both looked about intently; so black was the workshop's interior that they could make out almost no detail, much less the bearer of the voice they'd heard only moments before.

Moments later, a pair of eyes blinked open against the blackness, followed quickly by a second, who then coughed a small, gray cloud of smoke.  "That...was...awesome!," exclaimed an all too familiar voice, coming from the first pair of eyes, before that pony fell to the floor with a familiar giggle-snort.  The other pair of eyes narrowed in annoyance before a sigh followed, the pony then shaking their head and body to clear off the ash and soot, revealing the form of a nightly-purple hued stallion, with a longer blonde mane, and goggles atop his head.   As the other pony laughed it up on the floor, they, too, became free of the ash, revealing the brilliantly pink form of Pinkie Pie.

"Ah, Shooting Star," Twilight began, taking a step forward as she continued.   "I hope you weren't hurt by that explosion?"  

"Wouldn't be the first one..." he muttered under his breath before clearing his throat.  "But yes, I'm fine.  Well, this time, anyway.  What brings you to my shop?"  

At the query, Twilight smiled and nodded.   "Actually, we were hoping to find you here.  You see, Mayor Mare, along with the rest of us, were hoping you might be willing to put your talents to work with a fireworks display on the evening of Hearts and Hooves day.  Might you be interested?"  

As she finished, his ears perked straight up, eyes widened for a brief moment as if in disbelief.  Initial shock past, he grinned broadly, nodding vigorously.  "Yeah, yeah!  I'd love to!  In fact, I'd be ready now if SOMEpony,—" at that word he glared at Pinkie "—Would stop setting off my fuses!"  

Both Twilight and Rarity spared their friend a stern gaze, at which her incessant giggling paused.  Casting her gaze up at Star, she sported her most innocent smile.  "Awww, come on, Star!  At least it was funny, right?  I mean, it's not like you have a short fuse!"  

For several moments, he sported a blank, narrow-eyed expression, as if to say 'are you serious', which elicited concerned looks from the other two ponies.  Eventually, his facade broke, and he nodded vigorously.  "Ok, yeah, it was pretty funny, but still!  I'll never get this new fuse right if you keep blowing up my fireworks INSIDE the shop."

Twilight was the one to step forward in this case, as Rarity didn't care much for getting her hooves dirty.  "Pinkie, you really should let him work, don't you think?  If he's going to get this done in time..."  

Pinkie simply smiled and nodded, rolling back up on her hooves.  "Yes indeedy, Twilight!  Best behavior now...Pinkie promise!"  With that, she went through the motions of said promise as they all had at some point or other, eliciting a warm smile from her friend, and an affirming nod from Rarity.  

For his part, Star sighed in relief, walking back up to his workbench, which was nearly invisible thanks to the ash of that last blast.  "Well, with that settled, you all are in for the kind of show you've never seen before, not even in Canterlot!  I've been working on this new kinda fuse for a staged rocket...it'll make for some awesome displays, I can promise you that."  

At those words, Rarity emitted a small 'ooo' of awe, having seen some of his works before, and Twilight simply smiled and nodded as Pinkie moved to join the now trio.  "Well, that sounds...actually, I don't know how that sounds.  I hate to admit it, Star, but you seem skilled in a field in which I've hardly studied at all."

Looking thoughtful for a moment, he eventually shook his head and chuckled.  "You flatter me, Twilight.  From what I hear, with you an' your books, there's not much you haven't at least dabbled in."  

"Well, that's not entirely true, you know," she replied as he picked up an un-blackened cloth between his teeth and began to wipe down the table that ran down the center of the workshop.  "I have learned a lot, yes, but as my friends have proved to me on many occasions—" she smiled at both Rarity and Pinkie, who returned the gesture in kind "—there's always so much more to learn."  

Releasing his hold on the cloth, Star lifted his head up, a distant look in his eyes as he considered her words.  "Huh..." was all he said at first before turning his gaze on her.  "Pretty wise words, Twilight.  Looks like you're more than just smart, eh?"  

Chuckling softly, she bowed her head in reply.  "Friends will do that to you.  Shall we?" she asked as she turned to lead the way back outside, all three of the other ponies moving to follow her lead as they abandoned the somewhat dimmer interior of the shop for the rather bright outdoors.  "So, Star, have you been enjoying yourself here in Ponyville?" Twilight asked, continuing on with the more cordial conversation they'd been having inside the shop. 

He almost beamed at the query, grinning as broadly as he could manage.  "Oh, yes, this place is fantastic!   Smaller than Manehattan, of course, but you can't beat the ponies.  Everypony is so friendly and helpful that I've been able to accomplish so much in a quarter of the time it would have taken me before.  It's awesome!"  

Both Rarity and Pinkie smiled at his enthusiasm, and Twilight followed suit.  His cheer was contagious, it seemed.  "Well, that's good to hear.  I remember learning much the same when I first came here, although my experience was perhaps a bit more...—" she looked up as if in search of a particular word "—unusual," she finally settled on with a nod.  It didn't seem appropriate to elaborate on that fiasco at the moment.  

"I don't doubt it," he replied, still grinning.  "If my own experience is any proof, it's a trend.  You know, everypony being so friendly and all that.  Thanks to all of the help setting up the shop, I've even been able to try my hoof at inventing more than just fireworks."  

"Oh?" Twilight replied, tipping her head his way as if to listen more intently.  

"Yep!"  He replied enthusiastically.  "Although, I must confess, most of my inventions so far have met a similar end to that er...disaster you walked in on."

The two unicorns both glanced back at Pinkie as if that statement alone was a declaration of her guilt, at which she stopped her prancing, eyes popping open in surprise.  Blinking as if she had missed the point, she let out a low 'ohh' as it dawned on her.  "You think I blow up his inventions, too?  Oh, nonono, not that.  Fireworks, yes.  Inventions, nooo."  She shook her head vigorously as she declared this.  "I would NEVER mess that up!"  

Casting their eyes his way, he nodded in turn.  "She's telling the truth this time.  Keeps blowing up my firework projects any time she's in the shop, but hasn't had a hoof in the disasters my inventions cause.  Just...not as good at it as I'd like to be."  Twilight turned a narrowed gaze on her white-coated companion at that comment, as it seemed to imply he wasn't quite so good as she had earlier stated.  This, of course, prompted a further clarification from the stallion.  "At inventing, I mean.  I'm not that good at inventing.  Fireworks?  I'll blow your mind!  And uh...I don't mean with like, explosions.  Or maybe with?  Like, you know, fireworks explode, and not ponies?  Kinda losing the point here."  

Pinkie giggled as he started to trail off, clearly amused as his point got away from him.  "Oh Star, you're such a hoot!"

Clearing her throat, it was Rarity's turn to chime in.  "So, Star, we obviously know you make fireworks.  How did that come about?  Family business, perhaps?"  

The stallion looked thoughtful at her query, then simply chuckled, briefly bowing his head and closing his eyes.  "Well, yes, actually, but it's more than that.  My uncle Razzle makes fireworks in Manehattan.  I found that making them was my talent, though.  That's when I found my cutie mark, after all."  

Pinkie, being behind the trio, eyed said cutie mark, emitting a small 'ooo' as she did so.  "It's like a shooting star with a rainbow tail!" she exclaimed, bouncing up excitedly as she often did.  

Star nodded in reply, grinning at the pink pony's enthusiasm.  "Dead on there, Pinkie Pie.  Fireworks can be a lot like shooting stars themselves, so that's the mark I got.  The whole story's bettern' that, but I'll save that for another time."  

Twilight gave a curt nod at that, lifting her head up in that almost 'regal' manner of hers when she was making a point.  "Well, we certainly know more about you now.  However, I think it's about time we go over the details, such as it is."  It was then Star's turn to nod in agreement, affording her the chance to continue.  "Now, Mayor Mare has offered to pay for the service, at the least to cover for your supplies, but you can take up the details of that with her." 

Star moved up alongside her so as to listen better.  Chuckling, he tilted his head back so as to face the sun, letting in shine on his face, though he closed his eyes so as not to simply blind himself.  "Well, I'd do it for free for a day like Hearts and Hooves, but a bit of help with supplies will be good all the same.  Though, if I could just get help rounding up the materials, I won't even need the bits to pay for it."   

Twilight beamed at those words.  "Well, that would be rather generous of you, Star.  It sounds like you'll be fitting in nicely here in Ponyville."  

Lowering his head, Star turned his gaze back on Twilight, and though he opened his mouth to speak, something caught his eye.  Suddenly, he stopped dead in his tracks and just stared, seemingly at Twilight, before emitting a sharp gasp, then darting behind the nearest building, planting his back against the wall with a foreleg to either side of his body. 

For a moment the trio looked extremely confused.  "What was THAT about?,"  Twilight asked, casting her gaze around as she tried to figure out what it was he had been staring at, if not herself.  

"I've no idea, really.  How peculiar," Rarity replied, joining Twilight in her search.  

"Maybe he's just so excited that he got like, super nervous, and he was so nervous it made him all shakeyshakey, so he's taking a breather!" Pinkie chimed in as she continued to bounce along in the fashion only she could manage.  

A few moments later, Rarity spotted a familiar figure that looked rather similar to Fluttershy, but she quickly recognized as someone else.  "You think maybe he saw her?," she asked, pointing a hoof at the passing mare.  

Twilight followed her indication and, brow furrowed in confusion, voiced the obvious question.  "Is that...Fluttershy?"  

Rarity shook her head.  "Oh, nonono.  That's Autumn Breeze.  She‘s...well, a lot like her, but newer to town.  Its really no surprise you don't know about her yet.  She's been here longer than him, though," she says while nodding toward Star's hiding spot.

By then, Autumn had walked out of view, leaving the pair confused, Pinkie having pranced off.  "What do you know about her?"  Twilight asked, at which Rarity managed a small shrug.  

"She's an artist.  Spends a lot of time at my shop, but hardly talks  to anypony, even me.  Maybe he knows her?"  

"Of course I know her!" came his curt reply from around the corner, though his voice was strained, as if he was trying not to cast his words too far.  This only seemed to confuse them further.  

"Know her?  Then why are you hiding like that?," asked Twilight, turning to face...well, his hiding spot.  When he didn't initially respond, she gained an annoyed expression.   A few moments later, she chimed in with "She's gone now."

With that, Star peered cautiously around the corner, and once sure she was right, inched his way back out.  His reappearance only met with stern glares from both mares, though as usual, it was Twilight that spoke up first.  "So, what was that all about?"  

For a moment, he simply fidgeted nervously, glancing around as if afraid she might pop out again.  When it seemed such wouldn't happen, he swallowed hard against a lump in his throat, then spoke.  "I...I haven't seen her since I was a little colt.  Lost track of her back in Manehattan...didn't even know her too well back then.  But..."  

It was Rarity's turn to comment this time, as she was quick of perception on this one.  "But?  Oh, but you like her, don't you?"  

At the white unicorn's words, his face flushed an almost furious red as he shyly ducked his head down, kicking at the dirt with a fore-hoof.  "Yeah...,"  He muttered under his breath.

Rarity squealed in delight, Twilight sending an admonishing gaze her way.  "I need details!" she continued, prancing excitably in place.  

Kicking at the dirt again, Star sat on his haunches, offering a shrug as he looked up, though he didn't lift his head.  "Not much to it, Rarity.  I just...she's special to me.  Can't really tell you how.  I just...I don't know what she could see in me..."  

"Well!  That is quite enough of that!"  Rarity chided, stamping a hoof down, and quite effectively cutting off Twilight as she looked about ready to lecture him herself.   Such a stern response startled him into sitting upright again, blinking in surprise at the unicorn.  "Surely there's something going for you, isn't there?  After all, your work with fireworks is..."  she let out a soft sigh.  "Divine."  

For a moment he looked complacent, poking at the dirt with a hoof as Twilight gave her friend a concerned look, hoping she wasn't overstepping.  It wasn't long before his head shot right back up, though, looking as if a light bulb flicked on for an amazing idea..

"I got it!," he exclaimed excitedly, catching the attention of both ponies.  

"And?," they asked simultaneously.  

"I'll prove myself!" he proclaimed excitedly as he all but beamed.  "I'll find a way to show just how special I can be, and then she'll see!"  

Twilight and Rarity darted a worried look to one another, but when Rarity turned back to speak on the thought, he had already galloped off, clearly intent on doing...something.  "Oh, I hope he doesn't get himself into trouble," Twilight chimed in.  

"You and I both, Twilight.  I didn't think he'd be so...excitable,"  Rarity replied, perhaps a hint of concern in her voice.  

"Time will tell, I suppose," Twilight continued before glancing sidelong at her friend.  "Well, seeing as he's taken off for the time being, care to join me for lunch?"  

Casting her hair back as only she could, Rarity began to trot her way toward the cafe.  "But of course, dear friend."  With that, the pair headed off to lunch, and to wait and see just what Star might be planning.