//------------------------------// // A New Flower // Story: Chasing the Stars // by Just A Random Pegasus //------------------------------// Star Chaser flew happily to school the next morning. She couldn't wait to hang out with Rain Chaser some more. As she approached the school building, she noticed many fillies and colts gathered around a filly. "Ooh, look!" "It's a rose!" "Wow!" She heard those word come out from the group, and decided to walk over. When she got up to the filly, she noticed that she had a cutie mark. It was a rose. "Alright, class! Let's get started on today's lesson!" The teacher called as everypony broke away from the group and sat in their respectful seats. "I'm here!" A voice called from the door as Rain Kicker zoomed into the room and onto a seat next to Star Chaser. "Am I late?!" "No, Rain Kicker. Class is just starting." "YES!" Rain then laid back in her seat, getting ready for the day's lesson. "Ugh! Why do we have such long lessons before lunch?" Rain asked while taking a seat at the lunch table. "I don't get it. Lunch is much more enjoyable than spelling and reading." Star Chaser nodded her head. "Well, lunch is one of the best things about school." "One of the best?" Rain rolled her eyes. "You mean, the best?" "I guess so," Star said before taking a sip of her drink. "Well, it is." Rain responded as she took a bite of her sandwich. Her eyes then drifted over to the other side of the cafeteria. "Do you know why that filly is so popular right now?" She asked, pointing to the filly who was circled by others earlier that morning. "She got her cutie mark." Star replied before taking a bite of her sandwich. Rain turned her head. "I have my cutie mark already, and I never got a posse!" She responded, looking back at Star. Rain then realized what she said. "On second thought... never-mind. I don't want the popular fillies following me around all day." Star nodded her head. "Me neither." With that, the fillies and colts were dismissed to recess. "So, you wanna fly?" "Of course!" Star then got into position, ready to spread her wings and take off. On the count of three, both fillies were up in the air, letting the air freely flow through their mane and feathers. In the end, Rain Kicker won once again. Star Chaser wasn't too far behind, though. "That was great!" Star remarked, laying down in the grass. Rain did the same. "Yeah!" She then looked up at the clouds, seeing their fluffy shapes float by. Star turned her gaze to the side and found a filly looking at something in the grass. "What is she doing?" Star wondered out loud. "Who?" Rain Kicker asked as she saw Star Chaser stand up. "The filly who just got her cutie mark." She responded, walking over. The filly seemed to notice Star approaching. She looked up at her. That's when Star Chaser got a good look at the filly. She was an earth pony with green fur and red mane that looked like rose petals itself. She also had light red eyes. "May I help you?" The filly asked as Star nodded her head. "Well, I was wondering. What are you doing staring at the grass?" The filly rolled her eyes. "I'm looking at this rose. I need to make sure that it's in perfect condition before I take it back to my family's flower shop." Star got a grin. "Your family owns a shop? That's so neat!" The filly gave a smile. "Yeah, it is neat." She then picked the rose and put it in a small case. "So... why are you out here alone? I thought you had a lot of friends." The filly's smile dropped. "The ponies that were buzzing around me today aren't my friends. They just think it's neat that I got my cutie mark." She then looked up at the clouds. "My best friend moved to Cloudsdale this year." Star Chaser looked down at the ground. "Oh... I'm sorry." A smile then formed on her lips. "I've got an idea!" "What?" "How about you hang out with me and my friend, Rain Kicker!" Star Chaser pointed back to Rain, who gave a friendly smile. The filly gave a smile. "Thanks! And of course!" She shook Star's hoof. "Oh... I almost forgot! My name is Flora." "Nice to meet you, Flora! I'm Star Chaser!" Star responded as Rain walked over. "And I'm Rain Kicker! Probably one of the coolest ponies in the whole school!" Flora giggled. "It's nice to meet both of you!" She then got a bigger smile. "Do you two want to hang out in my family's flower shop after school?" Rain and Star nodded. "Of course! I'll have to tell my parents, first." "My parents don't care what I do after school. Heck, I could probably have a sleepover, and they wouldn't care!" Rain responded. "Does that mean you could follow me to the shop after school?" Flora asked, her smile growing larger. "Of course!" Rain responded. "I guess I'll show up a little later. I will be there, though!" Star added on, giving a grin. "Yay!" Flora remarked, throwing her front hooves in the air. As Star Chaser entered the flower shop, she was greeted by the nice aroma of all different kinds of flowers. She soon caught sight of her two friends. "Hey!" She called as she walked over to them. "Hey, Star!" Flora greeted. Rain gave Star a hoof-bump. "It smells so nice in here!" Star remarked, taking a sniff of a flower. Flora nodded. "I know, right! This is one of my favorite places to have a nice talk with friends!" "I can see why!" Star responded, giving a smile. "So... I don't think I've ever seen you two around Ponyville." Flora said. "Well, I moved here from Cloudsdale!" Rain responded, flicking her mane back. "Really? Why?" Flora asked. "Well, my sister found a colt-friend here in Ponyville, and my family wanted to stay where she was. My sister was also talking about how nice it was here." "Ooh! What about you, Star?" Flora asked. "I moved here from Fillydelphia. My dad got a job opportunity here in Ponyville, so here I am!" Star responded. "Cool!" Flora responded as she walked over to a few vases of flowers. "Do you two want these? Nopony buys them as much anymore." Star looked at the two vases. They were full of yellow roses. "Sure! How much?" "They're free! My family and I need somepony to take them, since we need to get them off the shelves!" "Thanks so much!" Star responded. Rain nodded her head. "Thanks! I have a feeling my mom would like these!" "No problem! Anything for friends!" Flora responded. The rest of their time was occupied talking about their past memories they had in their hometowns. "...And I was still one of the best fliers in the school, even in Cloudsdale!" Rain Kicker said as Flora giggled. "You love being the best, don't you?" She playfully teased with a small flick of her tail. "Well, duh!" Rain responded. Star Chaser giggled along with her friends before looking outside. "Oh, I have to get home! It's around dinnertime for me!" Star then picked up the vase of yellow flowers Flora had given her. "Oh, already?!" Rain asked as Star nodded. "I have to be back home by dinner. Sorry, girls." Flora gave a small flick of her hoof. "Oh, it's fine. I think my mom would probably want me to help around the shop some more, now that I got my cutie mark and all that." She then proudly looked down at her flank. Rain's smile deflated. "So... you're saying I'm gonna have to leave, too?" Flora gave Rain a teasing look. "Well, unless you want to help me with pretty flowers." Rain nodded her head. "Alright, fine." She then started to walk towards the door with Star, taking the vase of flowers with her. "It was nice to spend some time with you, Flora!" "Yeah! We should hang out here more!" Star added on as Flora nodded her head. "It was nice to meet you two, too! See you in school tomorrow!" Flora responded as Rain and Star walked out the door together. As they were a nice distance away from the shop, Rain looked over at Star. "You want to go to that place every time we hang out?" Star looked over at her friend. "Well, not every time." Star saw Rain raise an eyebrow playfully. "What? I like the smell of flowers!" Rain giggled. "I know." She then stopped and spread her wings. "Wanna race to your place?" Star gave a smile. "Why not?" She then took off into the sky with her friend, watching the sun slide down the sky while making sure not to drop her vase of flowers.