Night Owl

Stargazer was your typical bat pony. She was in Luna's guard, she slept in a cave, and she liked her fruit soft and her men hard, even if she usually got the former than the later. Her one difference was in her mane. It was a extravagant, gleaming gold, and rested on the left side of her head, covering the eye. This style was her idea, for Luna's training was harsh, and no pony got out without at least one scar. Stargazer was still unlucky, for her wound left her left eye gray, and worthless. Even with this handicap, she was the head watchpony, given a telescope and a lance.

Her cutiemark was also a telescope. When she was just a filly, she wanted to be an astronomer. She loved watching the stars move across the sky, with the moon in the center. She watched and saw all the stars a pony's eyes could see, except one. Being a bat pony, she was nocturnal, meaning she hadn't seen the biggest and brightest star in the sky, the sun. She would have continued her research, but all bat ponies were forced into guard training, so she could not continue her dream.

Twenty years have passed since she started her training, and ten years since she had become a guard. Ten years of watching sleeping aristocrats, with no cares in the world. Ten years of a telescope covering her good eye. Ten years of watching the stars. All but one.

Bat ponies work every night, except one of their choosing. Stargazer chose Sunday, not for the symbolism, but for the ladies night at the tavern. She still hung to her old beliefs, so drinking was her one way of escape. Being a forced guard doesn't pay much, so a day when it cost less just fit her perfectly.

One particular time at the bar, she overheard a drunk rambling. Normally she would disregard this, being they usually only talk about bar debts or the waitress, but he mentioned neither of these things. He was a brown pegasus, yelling about how he can't sleep here, and how the sun affects his hangover. She just had to speak up.

"Excuse me, sir. Did you just mention the sun?"

"Yes I did," shouted the drunk, "What's it matter to you fruit sucker!?"

"Law forbids me from kicking your flank so I'll be blunt, what is it like?"

"To be bad mouthed by a lesser pony? Pretty feathering bad!" The drunk tossed his drink at her general direction, obviously without aiming.

Being a pony without depth perception was hard for Stargazer, for she didn't realize the drink was inches from her face. Suddenly, a glow surrounded the glass, as some words were coming from the crowd.

"Treat a lady with some respect you worthless bum!"

It was an amber unicorn, with an olive green mane. "Now go terrorize some other bar!"

Stargazer approached the defender. "Thanks for helping me. Some ponies just can't handle their cider."

"I've come to realize that. Say, what's your name?"

"My name is Stargazer. May I perchance learn yours?"
"The name's Quench!" He took her hoof and shook. "I know we're gonna be good friends!"

"Friends?" Stargazer gulped. She thought to herself, "I've never had a 'friend' before." She glanced over his flank and saw his cutie mark was a three leaf clover.

"Excuse me, but what does your cutie mark mean?" she asked, even though it is considered rude.

"This thing? I means I'm lucky, but not always or in a big way. It's in a 'right place at the right time' way sort of luck."

"You mean like just now?" she inquired.

"Yep. I don't know how it works, it just does."

Just as Quench finished his sentence, Stargazers alarm went off.

"Oh buck! Sorry to cut this short but I need to get to my barrack. See you next time?" She grinned as she asked.

"No problem! Catch you on the flip side!"

"The flip side of what, exactly? Forget it, I'm already late!" Stargazer ran out the door into the night.
______________

Monday evenings always came so early to Stargazer. The alcohol was never completely out of her system, and the thoughts of the upcoming week filled her head. But not that night. No, that night her head was full of her new friend, Quench. That word, friend. Sure, she had bunk mates and cabin buddies, but she wouldn't call them her friends. Friends equal an amount of caring and trust. There was a lack of both at base.

Another shift of sitting and looking through a telescope. It almost seemed insulting to Stargazer. They gave her military training and a weapon, and no use for either. That's how the nights passed. Wake up, look around, go to sleep. Every night for a week. Stargazer was practically bouncing on Sunday on her way to the tavern.

Quench was waiting right outside. He had a worried expression on his face.

"What's the matter Quench?" Stargazer stopped bouncing.

"There you are! I haven't seen you all week!" Quench said in a huff.

"Sorry, I work every night except Sundays." She said rubbing her head.

"Really? You Bats are worked hard."

"How many days you work then!?" Stargazer burst.

"I work Monday through Friday." Quench said with a smirk.

"Don't get smug. That's just one more day than me."

"Point taken. Anyway, lets go somewhere else."

Quench took her hoof and they dashed towards a fountain. The stars glistened off the surface of the water, which was wavy through the stream of water coming from the top. They sat on a nearby bench, leaning back and enjoying the trickle of the water. Stargazer pulled out her telescope and started observing the sky.

"Whatcha lookin at?" Inquired Quench.

"The vastness of the cosmos."

"I once knew a guy named Cosmos. I think he's in Manehatten now."

"Quench, I don't enjoy small talk."

"Oh, sorry." He huffed in defeat. "Have you seen all the stars?"

Stargazer snapped back to attention. "No, only the ones visible at night."

"Oh yeah. Bats are nocturnal. Guess that goes for the ponies that are like them." He said laughing.

"That's what I asked the drunk."

"What?"

"Last week, when you saved me. I asked the drunk what the sun was like."

"Oh." Quench thought for a while. "It's bright."

Stargazer rolled her eyes. "That's pretty helpful information. You could use that, maybe tell Celestia and she'll give you a metal, for so perfectly describing the one thing I've ever wanted to see with an expression used when somepony turns on a lantern suddenly. Pretty nice."

"Thanks. It took me a while to think of that."

Stargazer rolled her eyes again and looked towards the ground. They sat in silence, hoping the awkward moment would end itself. It didn't, so they decided to do something. Stargazer pulled out a couple bits and tossed them into the fountain.

"I wish to see the sun..."

Quench then slugged her arm lightly. "Why didn't you say so! I'll help you. You just need to take a week off work."

Stargazer frowned. "Luna doesn't enjoy those who miss work."

"She'll get over it. Come on, we'll go to my place and I'll put some caffeine in your system."

They went to Quench's house. It was a moderate home, two stories tall, purple paint on the outer walls, which was peeling slightly from needing a touch-up. They walked in, and the interior showed that Quench wasn't in often. The floor was covered in dust, with cobwebs and assorted neglectfully tossed items. At that moment, Stargazer realized it was going to be a long week...

Author's Note:

This is my first fanfic so be as harsh as you want critiquing it. I wish to learn so I can be better.

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