Interstella

by Rust

Stella

S
T
E
L
L
A

---

It begins with a sunset.

A late summer's evening rolls in, and fireflies have come out to play. Shadowy ghosts wither away into an austere sky. Twilight is magnificent, as it always will be.

In a small suburb near the outskirts of Everfree, a lone mare turns from closing up shop to admire the colors chase each other under the horizon. Leathery wings shuffle in place upon her shoulders as a pair of tall, tufted ears swivel to catch the sounds of fading daytime. She turns again, and the shooting stars falling across her haunches seem to shine in the streetlamp.

Like most Fridays, she locks the door behind her, entombing the astronomy equipment behind it for the weekend. This far away from the borders of ordered territory, the stars always dance in greater splendor than other places. Business is good enough to let her take a night off, every once a blue moon.

Tossing her key into a well-worn saddlebag, she begins the trot to her next destination. The warm summer air feels pleasant, so she allows her wings to dangle half-unfurled at her sides. There's no reason to fly; she has plenty of time and the trip will do her some good. She won't admit it, but she's been glancing at herself in the mirror lately. All this time in the shop must have been making her a tiny bit plump.

She slowly ambles down the cobbled road. The stones, baked in the sun all day, are still deliciously warm to the touch. Cricket serenades compete for her attention. It's a sort of racket that she loves.

Just over the distant treetops, she can pick out the spires of the Princess' castle. tall enough even to be seen even in Ponyville. The crystalline keep sparkles, a far-off jewel caught in daylight's last breath.

Her tummy gurgles. She blushes, checking left and right to see if anypony heard. The streets are empty this time of day. She feels a strange twinge, then it passes.

She thinks nothing of it.

A left turn at the second intersection brings her to a bridge crossing the crystal clear canal that zigs and zags around Everfree proper. Most Equestrian cities didn't have a waterway so intimate with their layout, but Everfree had never pretended to be anything but different. The city wasn't built, per se, so much as it was grown. Here, modern steam tramways, skylanes and cobblestone streets mesh almost seamlessly with winding trails and the towering, ancient trees.

At the heart, the old Cathedral of the Sisters still stands at the center of Fluttershy Park, just across the gap that spanned where the canal ran deepest. Some said you could still feel the spark of divine magic in those old stones, but Stella wasn't one to put much stock in old pony tales like the Goddesses.

She takes a sharp corner once past the bridge. Best take the long way home, work off the pudge. Meandering along the canal was quite beautiful this time of year, after all. Small restaurants sit their patrons outside to watch the canal, and the spices of Everfree cooking seduce her nostrils while a live band or two fills the air with pleasant music.

A stray firefly lands upon her snout, and she pauses, scrunching up her face as her eyes cross. It tickles. She sneezes, accidentally launching it out across the canal. It whizzes past the shoulder of a pony she didn't notice before. A melancholy stallion sits at the railing, watching small skiffs poled up and down the waters, lanterns swinging from the bows. His face is obscured by the shadow of an unruly mane.

She trots next to him. "Everything all right, friend?"

"Not particularly," the stallion replies. "I was waiting here for my wife. It's our anniversary tonight, and I had it all planned out. I think something went wrong."

"Oh, um." She's thankful he faces the river while she takes a small step away. Perhaps it was wrong of her to intrude. "I'm sorry to hear that. Did she ever show up?"

"Yes. I hope. But..." His shoulders slump.

The poor dear looked quite out of it. "But?"

"Something went wrong," he repeats. His voice is cracking. "Very wrong."

"Sir, are you sure you're okay?"

"Are you okay?"

The mare raises an eyebrow, glancing down at herself as if she'd missed something earlier. She felt fine. Sure, a little tired from work, but nothing like a good rest wouldn't fix. And maybe a few less chocolates.

"Are you okay?" the stallion asks again, still fixated upon the boats in the river.

"Maybe we should get you some help," she begins, but freezes when he looks at her. The streetlamps strike through the shadows covering his face. Cracked and yellowing bones grin madly at her between hollow sockets. There's nothing there, no flesh, no sinew, just skeleton.

The skull moves, his voice comes out. "Are you okay?"

There's that twinge again in her gut. She can't speak; couldn't even if she wanted to.

It continues anyway. "Stay with me. Please."

The mare stumbles backwards, squeaking as her breath hitches in her throat. Her gaze whirls around. The restaurants are empty! The chairs and tables are deserted, the bands have fallen silent.

They're alone...

"Anything, please. Try anything." The stallion rises to his hooves. His image seems to flicker. "Don't leave."

She turns and runs.

Streetlamps race past. She's galloping harder than she could imagine, eating up the cobblestones. But there, ahead, he stands, the skull face expressionless as he holds out a hoof to her. She sees a small detour coming up --- bolts for it --- darting around parked carriages and trash bins, casting glances behind her.

Even her eyes can't see him in the gaps of shadow, but her ears pick up the sound of another set of hooves on the stone.

"Don't go!" comes the cry.

She bites down a scream and hurls herself onward.

The city melts around her. Signposts drip street names, building facades slump and bend towards her. She feels like she's going faster than ever before, but not moving an inch.

Something's coming up behind her. She can feel it.

A small alley appears. She dives through, tumbling into the shadows and knocking her breath out upon the ground. There. Must be safe now. Have to be...

"Please..."

Stars no.

It's there again, standing at the entrance to the alley, blocking the way out. She scrambles away until her back strikes brick wall.

"I love you. I love you. I love you!"

Each slow, unhurried step accompanied by that declaration. Her eyes scan frantically, looking for some kind of escape, something, anything. They settle on the sky.

There!

She surges forwards, wings snapping out. The ground sinks away, the monster vanishes into the shadows. She breaks over the rooftops, heading in a random direction --- as long as it wasn't here. Her breath is ragged and hoarse. She keeps flying until her wings feel like they'll rip from her sockets. It's hard to see through the tears, but she manages to roughly land on the top of an apartment building, skidding on the gravel roofing.

For a while, she simply lays there, exhausted, chest heaving. Eventually, she rolls onto her back, wiping her face.

She freezes.

"Stella."

The skull's empty sockets burn holes into her soul.

She screams.

"She's coming around!"