//------------------------------// // Seeing Stars Part 2: I'm not doing that // Story: Gazing at the Sky // by Fullmetal Pony //------------------------------//         Dream wasn’t happy. She hated being stuck at her parent’s house. She was an adult mare for Celestia’s sake. So what if there’d been a massive invasion of Equestria? It was over now and she just wanted to unwind from the whole mess. But no, her parents had to be overprotective freaks and force her to stay with them.         “Dad! It’s fine! Can I at least go back to my house and get my stuff?” She looked over at her father, pulling the best fake puppy dog eyes she could.         “Absolutely not! You saw those creatures, what if one of them were to attack you? How do you think your mother and I would feel?”         “For crying out loud, Dad, I’m old enough to be a mother. I think I can take care of myself!”         “That’s the other thing. I’ve been looking around and I think I’ve found the perfect husband for you.”         “Really? Are you bucking real? You’re bringing this up now?! That does it!” Dream’s horn started to glow.         “Young lady, you are not teleporting!”         “Don’t care Dad, can’t hear y–”                  “Ahhhhhhhh...”  Something broke Dream’s concentration and she dropped the spell. “Did you hear that?”         “Now what are you blathering ab–”         “AHHHHHHH...” Dream’s father stopped when he heard the noise too. “What in Equestria is that?” “Sounds kinda like somepony screaming... oh crap.” Dream’s face went white. The screaming got louder as an object in the distance got closer to the house. “Is that a pony?” Dream’s father squinted his eyes at the incoming object as it got closer and closer and was upon the house almost instantly. “What is blazes is he do–” “AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Star burst through the window and fell into the room. “Star?” Dream looked at the pegasus as he shook glass shards off his coat. He rushed over her and glared at her with a maddened expression. “You! You did this!” “Did what?” “Unleashed an unholy tartarus-spawn on me! Not funny!” Star said the last two words between clenched teeth. “What? You mean Cloudy? Star, it’s fine, I honestly feel a little bad for her.” “It is not fine!” Star pushed his face into Dream’s. “If you recall, she’s an evil monster that feeds on love and is trying to... to...” Star’s face turned green. “You’re sick.” He backed away and leaned on a couch for support. “Star, really, if you’d just seen her at the party, you’d understand. She saw Princess Cadance dancing with Shinning Armor and just started crying like a foal. Even Princess Celestia felt a little bad for her.” “Tch, that blast to the head must have fried her brains. So, you fell for her sob story and then what?” Dream looked at the ground. “I might have told her where she could reach you.” “Thanks Dream, thanks a lot.” Star’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “What if she’d killed me? Made me a slave, huh? Would you still feel bad for her then?” “Honestly Star, I really don’t think she remembers any of it. She’s just a mare who lost her way and well... she thinks you can help her.” By now, Dream’s father had recovered. “What is going on? Who are you?” Star ignored Dream’s father and kept his paranoid eyes on Dream. “I don’t believe this. She’s tricked you! I should have known, if that one monster could trick everypony into thinking she was a princess, what’s to stop another one from tricking you into thinking she’s a mare who lost her way?” “Star, it’s not like that...” Dream’s eyes turned to the right. “And I think you should just treat her nicely until we can figure out a solution.” “Your solution could have gotten me killed. I actually kind of wish that happened now, since she walked in on me in. The. Damn. Shower!” “Why is a shower such a big deal? It’s not like we normally wear clothes anyway.” “You wanna know why?” Star brought a feather to his nose and sneezed. “This is why!” she yelled. “W-what?!” Dream’s father coughed. “Ms. Cloudy? What in Equestria are you doing here and where did that ruffian stallion go?” “I am that stallion! Guh, you’ve been such an over-protective jerk of your daughter that I’ve had to come here to meet you like this!” “What?! But I... daughter...” His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he hit the ground. “And you!” Star turned her attention back to Dream. “We are going to go to the Princess right now and have this all sorted out!” “But Star...” “No buts! I don’t care what that monster said to you, she is a changeling and trying to seduce me! Now come on!” “Um, Star.” “What?!” “Behind you.” Dream pointed a hoof to something behind Star. Star turned around and saw herself. Only this version was crying. “So that’s it?” Cloudy cried. “I’m just a monster to you? I... I’m not even the real thing am I?” “Cloudy...” Dream started to trot over to the distraught pegasus. “It’s not–” “Yes it is! Well, you don’t have to deal with me anymore! I’m going back to whereever I came from!” Cloudy dashed out of the room and into the sky. “Look what you did now!” Dream complained. “What I did?!” Star thrusted a hoof at Dream. “You’re the one who just couldn’t let the Princesses deal with it. If you hadn’t sent her to my hotel this wouldn’t have happened. She’d be in some dungeon, away from any other potential vi–” A hoof smacked Star across the face. She looked back and saw Dream in tears. “You’re really a jerk sometimes Star!” Her horn flashed bright and then she was gone. Star was now alone save for an unconscious father. She stomped her hooves to the ground in frustration. “What is bucking going on?!” “Lost love it seems,” a voice called out. Star turned around to see a pink alicorn with multi hued hair. Star bowed immediately. “Princess Cadance! A thousand apologies... I... I’ve been stressed lately.” “I can see why... Aunt Luna has told me some interesting stories about you.” Star slowly got up and looked and the Princess. “W-why are you here though? I thought you’d be on a honeymoon by now.” “I would be, but something has been bothering me since the party last night.” Cadance looked at the hole in the window. “My special talent lies in love and I can tell when it’s genuine. She really did love you.” “But she’s me! Do you know how wrong that is?!” “Well, I did have an evil queen take my form and try to steal my husband.” “Oh...” Star looked down and kicked her hooves. “Yeah, that. Sorry.” “It’s fine, but even if ‘Cloudy’ was a changeling, she still has a broken heart now. We’ve got to fix it.” “How do we do that?” “Well... maybe you could just cu–” “No.” “Couldn’t you ju–” “No.” Cadance rubbed her forehead. “Okay, well do you have any plans?” Star sighed deeply. “Let’s just find her and tell her the truth. I’ll apologize and tell her everything, okay?” “Sounds like a plan...” Cadance shifted her eyes down. “We should probably hurry.” Cadance trotted out through the door and took to the sky. Star followed. “How are we gonna find her?” Cadance’s horn glowed. “I may not be as powerful as my aunts, but I’ve still got a few tricks.” Cadance increased her speed. “C’mon, she’s already covered a lot of ground.” Star picked up her speed as well. At least I can fly faster like this. ~~~         Cloudy was sobbing by the edge of a lake in a forest. One of her wings had lost its feathers and turned black and insect-like. “Why is this happening to me?!”         “It’s changeling nature to be loved for only a short amount of time and then fade back to our original forms,” a voice echoed throughout the forest.         “W-who said that?”         “Child.” The lake bubbled for a second and turned black and reflective. “It is I, your queen.” Two green eyeballs appeared on the lake and glared at Cloudy. The mare backed away from them. “Why do you shy away? I am your queen and you could be the hero of the hive.”         “W-what?”         The eyes softened a little. “You’re the last drone in Equestria, we’re all weak and beaten. We need love to recover, love you can give us.”         Cloudy’s ears drooped. “Then I’m a failure, Mr. Star doesn’t love me, he thinks I’m... I’m...” She broke down into sobs again.         “What is the matter with you?” Chrysalis asked, but all she got were more sobs in response. “Stop it! I did not raise a sniveling whelp like this! Cease you incessant crying and bring me that foal’s love!”         “No! Cloudy yelled. “Mr. Star is mine! You stupid hussy, get your own stallion!”         The eyes went wide for a second, then they narrowed and brimmed with rage. “Those detestable ponies have done something to you. How dare they corrupt one of my drones!” The lake bubbled rapidly and turned green. “Child, you belong to me! I can’t fix everything right now, but go back to you original form! I command you!” A tendril of green energy wrapped itself around Cloudy’s leg and began encircling her whole body. “N-no! Stay away! Somepony! Anypony!” A tear fell down her cheek. “Star!” ~~~         “So is she close?” Star asked as they zoomed down to the forest.         “Yes.” Cadance brought a hoof to her head. “She’s not doing well, we better hurry.” She landed at the edge of the forest.         Star landed beside her and corked an eyebrow. “I thought you you said we needed to hurry.”         “We do, but we need to handle this gently.” Cadance trotted into the forest.         It didn’t take long to find where Cloudy had gone. Cadance held up a hoof when they reached a lake in the middle of the forest. Somepony was crying nearby, but they couldn’t see them. “She’s close,” Cadance whispered. The crying stopped. “Who’s there?” A voice sniffled. It kinda sounded like Star when she was a mare, but it was somewhat distorted. Star nervously trotted forward. “Cloudy... it’s me.” “S-star?” Cloudy stuttered from wherever she was hiding. “Just go away! Please let me just be here alone, I won’t be around long without love or the hive anyway.” “Cloudy, look, I... I said some pretty bad things back there. I was wrong, but understand, when I saw those things before, I was scared. Scared that I would get hurt, or that my friends would.” The bushes near Star and Cadance rustled. A forlorn looking changeling emerged from the foliage. “I really am frightening like this, aren’t I? Cadance trotted over and gave Cloudy a nuzzle. “It is okay, what matters is how you feel, not how you look.” She looked directly at Cloudy’s compound eyes. “You really did love him, didn’t you?” “I... I don’t really know anymore. This all came from a huge misunderstanding and...” Cloudy looked over at Star. “I must have made things very uncomfortable.” “Um...” Star’s face reddened. “Yeah, well, I mean, how would you feel if a female version on you was coming on to you?” Cloudy looked over her body. “I don’t really think I even have a gender right now.” “That’s...” Star trailed as her mind swam, “just making a bizarre situation even more confusing.” Cloudy chuckled a little, it wasn’t the most pleasant sound though. “A transforming pegasus, a changeling who lost her way, and a Princess. We must all be a sight.” Star sighed. “You have no idea Cloudy. Oddity seems to follow me wherever I go.” Cloudy started walking over to Star. “So do you still think I’m a monster?” “No, you’re a scared mare and I just got caught in the mi–” Star was interrupted by Cloudy hugging her. “B-but I’m still freaked about the whole ‘girl-me in love with me’ thing!” “I know that now silly.” Cloudy flashed Star a fanged smile, it was still friendly though. Then a green aura started to envelope her. “How about something different?” In a flash, Cloudy’s form had changed to that of Dream’s. “This better?” She bent down and gave Star a kiss on the cheek.” Star jumped up and backed right into a tree. “T-that is n-not better! For Luna’s sakes, I’m a girl right now! And Dream is just a friend!” “Are you sure?” Cloudy teased while keeping Dream’s form. “Yes!” Cloudy smiled a little. “You need to just relax a little Star, but I still think you’re a good friend.” “I don’t mean to interrupt,” Cadance stepped forward, “but what are you going to do now?” Cloudy reverted to her changeling form. “If it’s possible, I’d like to stay in Canterlot for a little. Maybe I could eventually work to make things more peaceful between changelings and ponies.” “I’m sure Aunt Celestia will be happy to hear that. There’s just one thing, when you go out, it might be best not to look like a changeling for a little. Ponies are probably a little freaked out right now.” “Right.” There was another green flash and Cloudy assumed a new form. She had Dream’s body, Star’s hair (in mare form), but neither wings nor a horn. She appeared to be just an Earth Pony. Although, she did have quite a sense of humor; two mirrors graced her flank. She looked over at Star. “Again, sorry for all the trouble. But maybe... we can all just hang out for fun someday?” “That sounds fine,” Star replied. “Well then, shall we be on our way?” Cadance’s horn started to glow. “I think I’ll just fly back Princess.” Star patted her stomach. “I don’t mix well with teleportation.” “If you say so.” Cadance’s horn glowed brighter. “Star...” Cloudy looked up at Star. “I’m sure you’ll find a real special somepony someday.” She and Cadance then disappeared. Star looked around the now empty forest. “Heh, maybe someday. For now, I’m getting some drinks and counseling.” Star then flew off back to her hotel. “I think I’m gonna need more than an extra day of rest.”