//------------------------------// // Stellar Introductions // Story: Friendship Kita!!!! // by cyberlord4444 //------------------------------// Luna wandered the dreamscape, looking for anypony who needed her aid when a figure approached her. It was a pure white unicorn as tall as she was, with a cutie mark identical to her's except black. Luna smiled, she knew who this was, even though they could never meet in the waking world. "Noctia, a pleasure to see you." Noctia smiled, "It is good to see you as well mistress, it has to long since we've spoken face to face, so to speak." Luna pouted, "You know I hate it when you call me that." Noctia grinned, "Why do you think I call you that?" After a few tense seconds, both of them laughed. "So," Luna asked, "what brings you here, other than to make fun of me of course." "I found something I think you should see," Noctia said as they walked towards a door. On it was a cartoon image of Fourze's helmet. "So," Luna asked, "what is your newest resident dreaming about that you find so interesting?" "See for yourself," Noctia said, gesturing at the door. Whatever Luna expected when she opened the door, it wasn't what she found. Instead was what looked like a cross between a courtroom and large theater. They entered at the top of a tiered set of seats, each with a desk carved of a dark hardwood. In front of this was another, larger desk with a throne-like chair behind it. The ceiling was painted with a stylized rendition of the night sky, albeit one without her moon. Luna had never seen anything quite like it, but she knew exactly what it was, "The Stellar Forum." "Looks like it to me," Noctia replied, "the place where the Shepherd of the Stars holds court, and the spirits of the constellations gather." "Does that mean?" Luna asked. Before Noctia could reply, they were interrupted. "Hey, could one of you explain what's going on." Luna and Noctia turned to see Jack walking up the stairs towards them. "Jack," Luna said, "apologies for intruding on your dream, but my friend thought it might be prudent." Jack waved her off, "Not that, I know this is a dream of some sort, we can discuss what you're doing here later, I was asking about them." Jack pointed towards the front row. Luna followed his finger to see five other ponies were sitting there. First was a silver pegasus mare with a darker orange mane, her cutie mark was a 1 superimposed on a rocket. Second was a dark blue earth pony stallion with a black mane. His cutie mark was strange, a black rectangle with two small triangles on one side, with the number 2. The third was a yellow earth pony stallion with a scruffy black mane, with a cutie mark of a drill with the number 3. The fourth was a black unicorn mare with a silver mane and glasses. Her cutie mark was stranger than 2's, two triangles and a semicircle with the number 4. The last was a tan unicorn filly with a darker brown mane with a red and green stripe, her cutie mark was a camera similar to the one she clung to herself protectively and the number 6. "I believe I know who they are," Luna said, "even if their cutie marks are strange." "Oy," said the orange pegasus, "are you saying that we're weird?" "Calm yourself," said the unicorn with the glasses, "it's not her fault that she's ignorant of their meaning, even if she's already seen what they represent." "I have?" Luna asked. "Yeah," Jack replied, "their, cutie marks I think you said, are the same as the images on some of my Switches, specifically my Rocket, Launcher, Drill, Radar, and Camera Switches." As he explained, he pointed to each of the ponies in turn. "What Luna meant to say," Noctia interjected, "is that she was expecting cutie marks based on their constellations." "Two questions," said Jack, "first, what do you mean constellations, second, who are you?" "My apologies," Noctia replied, "I am Noctia, spirit of the moon, and unless Luna and I are very much mistaken, those are five of the many spirits of Equestria's constellations." Jack looked dumbfounded as the orange pegasus spoke, "You betcha, I'm the spirit of the Flyer, based on the first Wonderbolt." The blue earth pony continued, "Spirit of the Guardian, based on General Stonewall, hero of the Siege of Trottingham." The yellow earth pony was next, "Spirit of the Rock Breaker, based on the pony who invented rock farming." The black unicorn continued, adjusting her glasses, "Spirit of the Scholar, based on Delilah Decimal, mother of modern libraries." The unicorn filly peeked out from behind her camera, "Spirit of the Image, based on one of the two ponies who founded the first newspaper." Jack shook his head, "Man, this is... damn." "Quite," replied Noctia. "Yeah yeah, can you give us our names already," said the Rocket pegasus. "Come again?" Jack asked somewhat incredulously. "One of our duties," Luna said, "is to name the spirits of our charges. Since it appears that the stars have chosen to serve you, it is your responsibility to give them names." "Yeah, so make with the names already," said the Rocket pony, "I'm sick of being called 'The Flyer'." Jack sighed, then got a contemplative look on his face, "How about Apollo? after the first manned mission to the moon, on my planet anyway." "Not bad," Apollo said, "I'll take it." Jack turned to the Launcher pony, "Let's see, don't know much about the battle of Trottingham, but how does Broadside sound?" "It will serve," Broadside said simply. Jack turned towards the Drill Pony, "Well, I don't want you all to have names based off your switches, so how about Geode?" Geode thought for a minute before nodding, "Sounds pretty good to me." Jack thought long and hard before deciding what to call the Radar pony, but eventually he came to a decision, "What do you think of Decima, after the Dewey Decimal system?" Decima grinned warmly, "Sounds like a lovely name." Jack turned to the little Camera filly, "Now, how do you like the name Shutter little one?" Shutter smiled and nodded, before taking a picture, "Memory!" "That it is," Jack chuckled before turning back to Luna, "now what was it you said about me watching over the stars?" "To be honest, they could just be latching on to your Cosmic Energy," Luna replied, "I'll talk to my sister about it, but I'd get used to having them around." "Figured as much," Jack sighed, "why can't anything be simple?" "Because then it wouldn't be fun?" Shutter asked inquisitvly. Noctia giggled, "Aren't you clever little one?" "Well," Jack sighed, "as long as we're here, think we can get a group photo?" Shutter nodded, "I can print it out when I'm back in Mr. Burger." "Sounds good to me," Jack said as she set up her camera, "everypony say Fourze." "FOURZE!"