Part 4
Part 4 - During the events of Forever Love
Manehatten, 21 years ago
A young unicorn mare quickly galloped through the pony filled streets of Manehatten. Her wavy pastel purple and sky blue mane waved behind her as she weaved around the ponies.
“I’m going to be late! Ooh, I can’t believe I over slept! Darn defective alarm clock,” Starry Night grumbled as she dodged another pony. It was her first day as a receptionist at Abastor Robotics. She was lucky to have gotten the job, especially with her being a college student in her third year.
Abastor Robotics was a company developed by Kaiser von Abastor over twenty-four years ago. When Kaiser retired, he passed the company down to his son, Donar, who was the current CEO.
Starry continued down the Manehatten streets until she came to a large skyscraper with the name Abastor Robotics. The building was the third tallest in the entire city.
“This is it, Starry. Make it count,” Starry said to herself as she pushed through the doors, eager to make her way in the world.
Ponyville, present day
“Bye, Mom, bye, Nona, I’ll be back tonight,” Moon Glow said as she trotted out the door.
“Bye, sweetie,” Starry called to her daughter. She turned back to the dough she was kneading.
“Mother, how long do I have to do this?”
“Another five minutes. Gently, dear, gently. That’s it. You want the ingredients to come together, but you don’t want to kill it,” Bella Notte said to her daughter, chuckling slightly. Starry had never been able to master the art of Bitalian cooking, so Bella had taken to teaching her to the best of her abilities.
“That’s good enough. Now, dump it out on the counter and shape the dough into a long log about three inches in diameter,” Starry did as she was told. Meanwhile, Bella tore off a piece of plastic wrap with her magic and levitated it over to Starry.
“Take this plastic and wrap it tightly around the dough log and I’ll put it in the freezer,” Bella took the wrapped log to the freezer and set it gently on the middle shelf, levitating several other logs out.
Bella noticed the confused expression on Starry’s face. The older mare laughed and explained,
“You put the dough in the freezer to get it hard enough to cut into cookies. It also helps them not melt when in the oven. At least that’s what my mother said,” Bella laid the three plastic wrapped logs on the counter.
“Okay, unwrap a log and cut it into one-inch-thick cookies. One log should make about sixteen to twenty cookies. Once you’re done, place them on the baking sheets about two inches apart,”
“I never thought making butter cookies would be so hard,” Starry finished placing the cookies on the two baking sheets, she levitated them to the oven and placed them on the second rack. Bella set the timer for fifteen minutes.
“It is a bit, complicated, but once you do it a few times, it becomes easier” Bella smiled.
“Thank you for teaching me this, Mother,” Starry returned the smile.
“It is no problem, dear. You never were very much interested in cooking when you were a filly. I’m glad that you have decided to let me teach you the art of your ancestors,” Bella said. She trotted over to the refrigerator to get out ingredients to start supper with. She levitated out peppers, spinach, and zucchini. Peering in the opened refrigerator, she realized that there were no tomatoes or cream.
“Starry, I need to go to the market to get cream and tomatoes for the pasta tonight,”
“I can go for you,”
“No, no, I can go,” Bella insisted.
“I need to get some things as well. I can pick up tomatoes and cream easily,”
“I suppose I can let you do my shopping. I need half-a-pound of grape tomatoes, a pint of cream, not the sweet kind, the cooking cream,” Bella glanced in the fridge once more. “Oh, might as well get another wedge of parmesan. You know how Moon loves her cheese,”
“Tomatoes, cream—not sweet—and parmesan. Got it,” Starry smiled, pinning her hat to her mane and levitating her saddle bags.
~~~
Starry levitated nine bits to the merchant pony and settled the cream and cheese into her left saddlebag.
“Okay, grape tomatoes,” Starry said to herself. Spotting the vegetable stand, she quickly trotted over, selected a half pound and paid the merchant. She turned around as she levitated the container of tomatoes, only to hit a passing earth pony stallion right in the head.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, I didn’t see you,” Starry exclaimed, bending down to help the stallion.
“It’s fine, I wasn’t paying attention where I was walking,” the stallion smiled. He stood about a head taller than Starry. He had a light blue coat, a darker blue mane and amber colored eyes with a cutie mark of two backwards facing quavers. He glanced down at the ruined tomatoes at his hooves.
“Here, let me buy you some more,” he smiled.
“I can’t let you do that,” Starry shook her head.
“No, I insist. I’m Noteworthy, by the way,” Noteworthy pulled out a small bag and got four bits out, laying them down on the vegetable stand and gesturing to another container of tomatoes. The merchant pony hoofed over the container to Noteworthy, who held it out to Starry.
“Thank you,” Starry said, wrapping her magic around the container. “I’m Starry Night.”
“Your Moon’s mother?” Noteworthy asked.
“I am. You know my Moon Glow?” Noteworthy nodded.
“I’m a cousin of one of her friends, Red Knight. We’ve met a few times,”
“Oh yes, Red. Sweet colt,” Starry smiled. She shuffled her hooves awkwardly. “Thank you, for paying for my tomatoes,”
“No problem. See you around, Starry!” Noteworthy flashed a grin and continued on his way. Starry watched him until he disappeared into the sea of ponies strolling around the town proper.
“Wow…wait,” Starry shook her head. “I have to be at least twenty years older than him.”
Manehatten, 20 years ago
Starry trotted into Abastor Robotics, just as she had done every weekday morning for the past year. She would work until noon, go back to her apartment which she shared with two of her college friends, eat lunch and then take the subway to Manehatten University, where she would sit through her classes until six o’clock.
This morning was just like any other morning. Wake up, eat a bowl a maple sugar oats and drink a giant cup of coffee, shower, fix her hair and makeup, down another cup of coffee, clean up around the apartment and head to work, another giant cup of coffee levitating along beside her.
“Good morning Daffodil,” Starry smiled to a yellow mare who was walking through the doors of the building.
“Hello Starry,” Daffodil nodded.
“How are you today, Briar Bush?” Starry asked a brown security pony.
“I’m well, thank you, Ms. Starry,” the stallion smiled. Starry returned the smile and continued to the elevator. Hitting the number ‘64’, Starry pulled out a magazine and settled in for the ride up the building. The elevator stopped at floor 58, opening for another pony to get on. Starry stepped over to the side to the let whoever was there in, still looking at the magazine. A grey stallion stood in a black suit in front of the doors.
“Going up?” he asked in a deep voice that sounded like melted chocolate, smooth and intoxicating. At Starry’s nod, he stepped into the elevator, punching the same number she had.
The stallion glanced over at his elevator buddy as the elevator lurched and began going up once more. He took in her features. Light blue and purple striped mane, grayish-blue coat, a single five pointed star for a cutie mark.
“So,” he began. “Worked here long?”
“Only a year,” Starry responded. “You?” The stallion chuckled
“Most of my life, really. My father has been grooming me to take his place once he retires,”
“What position?”
“CEO,”
Starry dropped the magazine out of her magic, the pages bending upon impact on the floor. She looked over at the stallion, quickly recognizing the gray coat and slightly darker grey mane of Constellation von Abastor.
“Oh goodness, Mr. von Abastor!”
“Mr. von Abastor is my father,” Constellation chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling. “Please, call me Constellation.” He extended his hoof. “You are?”
“Oh! Uh, I’m Starry Night,” Starry took his hoof and shook it.
“A beautiful name for a beautiful mare,” Constellation smiled, still holding her hoof. The elevator dinged open. Constellation kissed Starry’s hoof and stepped off the elevator. “See you around, Ms. Starry Night,”
Starry stood frozen in the elevator, staring at the place Constellation had kissed.
“Oh. My. Gosh.”
Ponyville, Present Day
The eight friends trotted into Sugarcube Corner in hopes of getting a cool treat on the hot summer afternoon. After placing their orders with Pinkie Pie, they settled at several tables near the front windows, Sea, Sweet Heart and Phoenix sitting beside their coltfriends. Moon Glow and Glacier had bonded a bit more since the spring dance, though the two were not in a full on relationship as of yet. Moon wished to take it slow and Glacier went along with her, though he was a bit disappointed.
Bolt leaned over towards Sea Breeze. “How about we go somewhere private for a little while after we’re done here?” he whispered in her ear. Sea blushed slightly and nodded. Bolt smiled and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Phoenix rolled her eyes as she watched the two lovebirds.
“Seriously, you two. Must you do that in public?”
“Hey, it isn’t my fault that Red isn’t sweet on you,” Bolt smirked.
“Dude!” Red exclaimed. Phoenix ignored her coltfriend and continued looking at her friends.
“Reddy doesn’t have to be all lovey-dovey for me to know he cares,”
“Have you two even kissed yet?” Moon Glow got into the conversation. Phoenix narrowed her eyes and scrunched up her muzzle.
“Of course we have! I’m surprised you even know what a kiss is, miss “Let’s-Take-It-Slow,”
“Proove it,” Skye smirked slyly.
“Do you want me to bruise you again, Racer?” Phoenix glared, referring to when she threw the ball earlier when they were playing soccer/hoofball/dodgeball. She had hit Skye right where stallions do not wish to be hit.
“I’ll shut up now,” the pegasus grimaced. The rest of the group, minus Skye Racer, laughed heartily. Pinkie popped up between Phoenix and Moon.
“What’s so funny?”
“GAH!” Phoenix flinched, her hooves going around Red’s neck. Her actions just made her friends laugh harder, Pinkie joining in as well.
“Haha. Heh. Ha. ZIP IT!” The table silenced immediately, knowing that Nixie was at her limit. Pinkie blinked and glanced around. She then smiled and held up the tray of milkshakes.
“Okay! Here ya go! Two banana, three chocolate, one cookie dough, one chocolate chip mint, one vanilla and one strawberry,” Pinkie said as she placed each shake at the pony that ordered it.
After finishing their cold creamy treat, the group parted ways.
Moon tip-hoofed up behind Glacier and jumped onto his back, placing her hooves on his eyes.
“OOF!” Glacier grunted, nearly stumbling.
“Guess who!”
“Pinkie, I swear I paid for the milkshake,” Glacier said, his lips curling up into a smirk even though he tried to frown.
“You’re crazy,” Moon removed her hooves from his eyes and wrapped them around his neck.
“What happened to the shy Moon who is afraid of showing public displays of affection?”
“I left her at home,”
“I think there was something in that chocolate chip mint shake you had,”
“Whatever it was, it was good,” Moon purred, sliding off Glacier’s back and trotting beside him, leaning into his shoulder. Glacier looked around nervously and stepped over slightly, nearly causing Moon to fall over.
“Hey, what gives?” Moon glared.
“Moonie, is this about what Nixie said?” Glacier asked. Moon frowned, sighing.
“Yeah,” she said softly. Glacier smiled gently and lifted a wing, laying it over Moon’s back.
“Don’t let Nix get to you. I don’t mind taking it slow,”
“But what if we’re going too slowly?” Moon glanced up at the white and blue pegasus.
“Hey, I waited three years for this, I think I’ll live,” Glacier chuckled. Moon laughed softly beside him. Glacier lowered his muzzle and planted a soft kiss on Moon’s mane.
“Want me to walk you home?”
“Please,” Moon nodded.
~~~
Starry Night arrived home just as Moon and Glacier trotted up.
“Hi Mom!” Moon grinned.
“Ms. Night,” smiled Glacier.
“Hello, sweetie, Glacier,” Starry said as she struggled with opening the door with all her shopping bags levitating beside her. Her magic was limited with how much it could do at once.
“I got it, Mom,” Moon wrapped her magic around the doorknob, the door clicking open.
“Thank you, Moon,” Starry levitated her bags through and set them down on a table in the foyer.
“Glacier, would you like to stay for supper?”
“I should be getting home, Ms. Night. Mom probably needs help with my siblings,”
“Oh, what a shame. I guess Moon, Mother and I will have to eat all the fresh butter cookies ourselves. I believe Mother is also making her secret recipe chocolate sauce,” Starry shrugged. “Well, see you tomorrow, Glacier. Tell your mother hello for me,”
“I think Mom will survive for a bit longer,” Glacier smiled, trying to hold back the drool that was now accumulating in his mouth. Moon giggled as Starry trotted to the kitchen.
“You have zero dignity,”
“Hey, butter cookies are my kryptonite. It’s not my fault they’re so darn delicious,”
“It’s a good thing you don’t live Bitaly,” Moon laughed more as they followed into the kitchen behind Starry.
Thirty minutes later, Bella Notte set a large bowl of spinach and tomato Alfredo onto the table. Levitating over the grater with a fresh wedge of parmesan inserted in it, Bella began serving everypony, grating an extra amount of cheese onto Moon’s plate.
Glacier inhaled the heavenly aroma of the cheese, tomatoes and pasta.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you want to marry that plate,” Moon smirked.
“If your Nona keeps feeding me like this I’ll have to start going to the gym,” Glacier moaned as he twirled the pasta around his fork.
“It makes this old mare happy that you love my cooking so, Glacier,” Bella chuckled.
“You’re the best cook ever, Ms. Bella,” Glacier smiled. His eyes widened. “Uh, don’t tell my mom I said that,”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Moon winked.
After the pasta plates were put in the sink, Starry brought out the tray of butter cookies, Moon following with a bowl of Bella’s famous chocolate sauce.
The four devoured nearly all the cookies and chocolate.
“Thank you for supper, Ms. Night, Ms. Bella,” Glacier said as he and Moon stood from the table.
“Thank you for staying, Glacier,” Bella smiled.
Glacier and Moon walked out onto the front porch and sat down on the steps. Moon leaned into Glacier’s shoulder as the two looked up at the stars which were just starting to appear in Luna’s night sky.
“Star gazing reminds me of my Papa,” Moon sighed. “He used to take Momma and me to my grandparent’s cabin in the mountains and we would lie on the ground with pillows and blankets and star gaze for hours. He taught me all the constellations. I can’t remember most of them now, but I do remember his favorite one,” Moon lifted her hoof and pointed to a group of stars, one being brighter than all the other stars.
“That’s Canis Major. It has the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, also known as the “Dog Star”. Growing up, Papa had an all black husky with a large white circle in the middle of his chest. His name was Sirius,” Moon smiled. She turned her head to see Glacier gazing at her, not even looking at the night sky.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” Moon reached up a hoof and wiped over her cheek.
“You’re the most beautiful star tonight,” Glacier said.
“That would work if my name was Star,”
“The moon is a star, right?”
“No. The moon is a satellite. Didn’t you pay attention is astronomy class?” Moon raised a brow.
“You’re named after a satellite?” Glacier deadpanned. “Well, you’re the most beautiful…satellite…tonight,”
“Real smooth,” Moon rolled her eyes.
“Thank you,”
“I said that sarcastically,” Moon giggled.
“Why you little, I guess I’ll just have to tickle you then,” Glacier spread his wings.
“Glacier, I’m warning you,” Moon glared.
“Too late!” Glacier wrapped a wing around Moon and pulled her close, using the feather tips of his other wing to tickle Moon’s neck.
“Haha! Glacier—hahaha! Stop!” Moon laughed, pushing at Glacier with her hooves.
“Say Glacier’s awesome!”
“Never!” Glacier used the tips of his feathers to brush against Moon’s ear.
“AH! Glacier stop!”
“Say it!”
“Fine! Glacier’s awesome!” Moon gasped for breath. Glacier ceased tickling her and smiled in victory. Moon glared at her coltfriend.
“I hate you.”
Glacier feigned hurt, holding a hoof over his heart. “You cut me deep, Moon. You cut me real deep,” he collapsed back onto the porch.
“Drama Queen,” Moon shook her head.
“That’s Mr. Drama Queen to you, missy,” Glacier leaned up, wrapping a hoof around Moon’s shoulders.
~~~
A few days later Starry Night was strolling through the town square. She had her saddlebags strapped to her back and a wide brimmed white hat on her head. She passed by the flower shop, pausing to look at the fresh cut white Irises.
“May I help you?” Roseluck, a light yellow and raspberry earth pony, asked.
“Yes. I’d like a bouquet of these gorgeous Irises,” Starry smiled.
“How many would you like in the bouquet?”
“Nine, please,”
After paying for the flowers, Starry levitated the bouquet to her saddlebags. As she turned to leave, she came close to bumping heads with a familiar stallion.
“Oh goodness,” Starry gasped, her muzzle inches away from Noteworthy’s. Noteworthy backed away, his amber eyes wide with surprise. He smiled as he recognized the unicorn.
“Is this going to become a regular occurrence between us?”
“I suppose so,” Starry laughed, Noteworthy chuckling with her.
“Well, it was nice seeing you again, Ms. Starry,”
“You as well, Mr. Note,”
Noteworthy smiled and continued on his way. Starry watched after him for several seconds.
They certainly grow nice stallions in this town. Starry shook her head.
“Stop it, Starry. You’re old enough to be his mother,” She whispered to herself. She trotted in the opposite direction, setting her mind to getting away from the town square as quickly as possible.
Manehatten, 20 years ago
It had been a week since Starry had shared the elevator with the son of the Abastor Robotics CEO. Since that morning, Starry had not been able to get the handsome and polite Constellation von Abastor off her mind.
Each time the elevator would stop on its way to and from the 64th floor, Starry’s heart would jump, waiting to see if Constellation was the one the elevator had stopped for.
“See you tomorrow, Water Lily!” Starry smiled at her friend and co-worker as she levitated her hat, coat, and scarf and stood from the chair she had been sitting in.
“Have a nice night, Starry Night,” Lily chuckled.
“You, too,” Starry trotted down the hallway to the elevator doors.
As she reached the elevator, she saw that somepony in a black leather jacket and fedora was already waiting. Noticing the ‘down’ arrow was already lit up, she stopped a few feet away from the pony to wait.
With the fedora hiding the pony’s eyes and the jacket obscuring his cutie mark, Starry didn’t realize that her soon-to-be elevator buddy was Constellation.
***
Constellation glanced at the mare as she trotted up beside him. He recognized her to be Starry Night, the pretty young receptionist he had shared the elevator with the week before. He smiled as he faced back forward.
The elevator dinged open. Constellation stepped back and lifted a hoof.
“After you, Miss Night,” he smiled, lighting his horn to push his fedora back from his blue eyes. He chuckled inwardly at the surprise that adorned Starry’s face. She smiled awkwardly and walked into the elevator. Constellation picked up a hint of a blush on her cheeks as she passed by.
Constellation walked in behind her and pressed the ‘ground’ button. They stood in silence for several floors. Constellation decided to break the ice and start up a conversation.
“How has your week been, Miss Night?” Starry flinched slightly and glanced up at him.
“Oh, it’s been nice, though a bit chilly. The weather ponies are most certainly enjoying themselves this winter,” Starry shivered at the thought of walking home in the bitter wind and from what she saw from a window on the 64th floor, she would be shaking snow from her hat and winter clothes once she reached her apartment.
“Aye, I can agree to that,” Constellation nodded. “Do you have any plans for the upcoming holiday?”
“I am going to Ponyville to visit my parents and some friends.” Starry said, adding a few seconds later, “And what you doing this Hearth’s Warming?”
“My parents and I—” suddenly the light in the elevator flickered, the elevator groaning as it came to a stop. The light above the stallion and mare flickered again before completely going out, darkness flooding the elevator. A small red emergency light came on, bathing Constellation and Starry in its red glow.
***
“Uh-oh,” Starry gulped. She looked around the space, a tightness edging its way from her stomach and into her chest, making it hard to breathe. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw the walls of the elevator begin to move closer to her.
“Miss Night!”
Her heart rate increased with each inch of floor the walls consumed, sweat beginning to roll off her forehead.
“MISS NIGHT!”
She dropped to the floor and curled into a tight ball, whimpering loudly. She felt a hoof on her shoulder and heard a voice calling her name, though she couldn’t tell who the voice belonged to.
“Starry! It’s okay,” she heard the voice say. It sounded like a stallion
“Huh?”
“Calm down. I’ll get us out of this,” the voice was definitely masculine. Starry opened her eyes and looked up into the worried eyes of Constellation.
“C—Constellation?” Starry lifted her head and saw that the walls of the elevator were in their original position.
“Are you okay?” Constellation extended his hoof, worry etched across his face. Starry tentatively took his hoof, Constellation pulling her to her hooves. Starry nodded, a blush adorning her cheeks. She was glad the glow of the red emergency light hid her crimson face. Constellation smiled and turned towards the elevator’s keypad.
“I think we’re stuck somewhere between the 34th and 40th floors,” the grey stallion mumbled to himself. He pressed a button and to Starry’s surprise, a small section of the car wall fell away, revealing a compartment which had a telephone. He levitated the telephone and lifted it to his ear.
“Zephyr—yes, I’m in the elevator—I’m with Starry Night—one of the receptionists—the drive system?—how long will it take?—WHAT?--I know, I know--I suppose that will have to do—yes, thank you.” The grey unicorn levitated the telephone back into the compartment and pressed the button once more.
He turned to Starry, a look of regret evident on his face.
“The drive system died. It’s going to be close to two and half hours before they get it back up,” he sunk to his haunches, leaning back on the elevator wall.
“TWO AND A HALF HOURS?!” Starry’s eyes widened in shock. “I’m going to be late for class!” Constellation tilted his head sideways.
“Class?”
“I’m a student at Manehatten University,” Starry said.
“You are?” Constellation shook his head.
“Yes, I am working towards a nursing degree,”
“I believe you will make a wonderful nurse,” Constellation smiled. “I’ll be sure to let the university know what happened,”
“Oh, thank you,” Starry returned the smile.
“I’m sorry,” Starry said softly ten minutes later. Constellation raised a brow.
“Sorry? I should be the one apologizing. It’s my elevator that trapped us,”
“I mean I’m sorry for what happened earlier,” Starry tried to clarify. Constellation furrowed his brows as he remembered what happened.
“Oh. Its okay, Miss Night,” Constellation smiled gently. Starry shook her head.
“No, it isn’t! I made a complete fool of myself. I should have known better. I thought I had gotten over that stuff,” Starry sighed, covering her face with her hooves. Constellation got up from his spot facing Starry and made his way to her, sitting down beside the unicorn mare.
“Claustrophobia is nothing to be ashamed of, Miss Night,” Constellation said softly, placing a hoof on Starry’s shoulder. He chuckled.
“Would you believe me if I said that I am petrified of being alone in the dark?”
Starry lifted her head and stared at the grey stallion. “What?”
“If it had been just me in here, I probably would have lost it.”
“You’re joking,”
“It’s the honest truth!” Constellation chuckled once more, causing Starry to laugh until she snorted. The mare paused, her eyes widening.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I just did that,” she covered her face.
“I think you have a cute laugh,” Constellation smiled. Starry returned the smile and leaned back against the elevator wall.
***
Two hours later the elevator’s lights flickered on and the elevator moved downward until coming to a stop at the ground floor. The doors opened, a white pegasus with a graying orange mane standing outside.
“Hello, Zephyr,” Constellation said as he and Starry stepped off the elevator.
“Good evening, sir,” Zephyr nodded. “Terribly sorry about the wait,”
“It’s perfectly fine, Zephyr. Miss Night and I had a nice time conversing with each other. Isn’t that so, Miss Night?” Constellation smiled at the mare by his side.
“Oh, yes, a grand time. Though, next time we have a meeting, I would much rather it be at a coffee shop,” Starry smiled.
“As do I,” Constellation chuckled.
“Well, I am glad the two of you made the best of the situation. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m sure the wife is wondering where in Celestia’s name I’ve been. Sir, madam,” Zephyr bowed to Constellation and Starry and made his way to the exit.
“He’s nice,” Starry noted at the pegasus left.
“That’s Zephyr West for you. He is bit formal for me, however. Father says that he used to work as a butler before he came here to work as his secretary. The two have become close friends,”
Constellation said. “I’ve tried calling him Mr. West, but the old stallion will have nothing of it. Insists I call him Zephyr,” Constellation and Starry walked beside each other as they exited the skyscraper.
“Well, I should be getting home. Plants to water, questions about class to ask my roommates,” Starry said lightly.
“It is late, isn’t it?” Constellation noted the now dark sky, though it didn’t seem so with all the streetlamps brightly lighting up most of Manehatten.
“Yes,” Starry agreed, hoping to postpone her departure. When Constellation didn’t say anything else, she smiled to hide her sadness.
“Good night, Mr. von Abastor,” Starry said, tugging her coat closer.
“Good night, Miss Night,”
Starry turned and began walking homeward when;
“Wait! Miss Night,” Constellation called, quickly trotting up behind her.
“Yes?” Starry felt her heart flutter in her chest and turned around.
“Would you mind accompanying me to dinner?” Constellation asked. “I know of a wonderful little cafe just down the street.”
Starry’s face broke into a joyful smile.
“I’d be glad to.”
Ponyville, present day
It was the day of the First Annual Ponyville Music Festival. The small town was buzzing with excitement. It was going to be one of the biggest things for Ponyville since Twilight Sparkle becoming a princess.
Starry worked with her mother in the kitchen, getting toegther the many, many trays of Bella’s butter cookies and pitchers upon pitchers of strawberry lemonade, which were to be sold at a food stand owned by one of Bella’s friends. The mares, along with Moon Glow, had been up late into the night getting all the cookies and lemonade prepared for the masses of hungry ponies that would be eagerly buying them.
“Berryshine said that she would have ice for the lemonade,” Bella said as she levitated several pitchers of the sweet citrusy drink into a box.
“You’re going to be helping her at the stand as well, right, Mother?”
“Correct, my dear. Do not worry, I will be in time to see the start of the concert. You remember where we agreed to watch?”
Starry nodded, levitating a box filled with the trays of cookies.
“Are you ready to take everything to Berry?”
“I am,” Bella levitated her box and the two left the house, heading in the direction of Berry’s stand.
~~~
“I can’t believe we never found out about these sooner!” Glacier said, crunching on a piece of fried pickle. Sea Breeze’s sister, Daisy Juniper, had found a vendor who was selling fried pickles, the sisters’ favorite snack. The two introduced Sea’s friends to the fried deliciousness and so far, seven large baskets had been devoured.
“Stone, I don’t think you need anymore,” Sweet Heart said as her coltfriend, Stone Brook, got up to get another basket. He had already had three.
“But Sweetie! They’re so good!”
“You’re going to make yourself sick,” Heart said, standing up from the picnic table. She looked at her coltfriend. “Where did you even put it all?”
Stone shrugged and rose from the table, laying a wing over Sweet Heart’s back as they and their friends made the way to the town square.
All around the town square, going up the streets and even as far out to the fields which surround the town, were food stands, activities for foals and adults alike, and areas where ponies could meet their favorite groups and musicians.
In front of the town hall, a stage was set up, with the town hall acting as the dressing and resting areas for the performers. Currently the curtains on the stage were drawn, though occasionally they would wave and the quickly accumulating crowd could see glimpses of the stage workers setting up the instruments.
Sea’s father, Bass Tempo, was part of one the bands which would be playing. The Delegates had been around for close to twenty-five years. They were one of the few bands of their time that were still together. Though they did primarily rock music, Bass Tempo was known as the best jazz drummer in Equestria and so the group did several jazz gigs together.
The group of friends and Daisy Juniper met up with Sea’s mother, Amethyst Rose and her brother, Lightning Strike. Twilight Sparkle and the rest of the Mane Six, along with Spike, were also there, waiting for the show to begin.
Soon the stage’s curtain pulled back, revealing five stallion; Bass Tempo on the drums, Rock Blues at the keyboard, Step Beat with his bass guitar, Mystic Rhythm with an electric guitar and Eight Note, the lead singer.
Bass started on the drums, Rhythm falling in behind with a few strings on his guitar. Blues hit a few notes on the keyboard, Rhythm once more playing his guitar.
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord?
Oh Lord
Well, if you told me you were drowning
I would not lend a hand
I've seen your face before my friend
But I don't know if you know who I am
~~~
“GOOD EVENING PONYVILLE!” Eight shouted in the microphone, the excited shouts of the audience drowning out his voice.
“We are so glad to be here tonight! We know that many of you traveled a long ways to come to this music festival in one of the friendliest towns in Equestria. But we aren’t the only acts of the night. We have everypony’s favorite DJ, DJ PON3!” Vinyl Scratch trotted out on stage, her trademark purple sunglasses perched on her muzzle.
“Also with us is Sapphire Shores!” the olive colored earth pony strode stylishly on stage and gave Eight a light kiss on his cheek. The red stallion’s ears went up and he shook his head. “Ah, Sapphire, you sly kitty. Better be glad my wife isn’t here.” Sapphire kissed his other cheek in response, causing the crowd to laugh. Eight cleared his throat as the Pony of Pop took her place beside Vinyl.
“Moving on. We have many other great ponies and bands backstage that are excited to perform for all of you tonight.” Sapphire Shores and DJ PON3 walked off stage. “There is also going to be a singing competition. I was told not show any favorites, but there are two particularly great young mares that are going to competing. And I’m not saying that just because they are my honorary nieces.” Eight referred to Sea and Daisy Juniper, as the sisters were going to be performing in the singing competition
“Now, there’s a whole lot of fun to be had, so on with the show!! But first, a song written for one of our close friends who is no longer with us,” At that Bass began a soft beat on the drums. Step Beat, Rhythm and Blues followed with their instruments.
“I know you all will recognize it. It’s a song of living every day as if it were your last.”
Manehatten, 19 years ago
Two years.
Two years since Constellation and Starry Night began dating. The two had become closer every day and after Starry graduated from college, she moved in with Constellation.
“Have you finished packing?” Constellation asked Starry as he picked up yet another suit case.
The two were joining his parents, Donar and Flora von Abastor, and his brother, Nadir, on a mini-vacation to a small mountain town in which Donar and Flora had recently bought a vacation home. Nadir’s marefriend, Iridessa, would be joining them as well.
“Almost,” Starry trotted back up the apartment’s stairs and into their bedroom. Constellation observed the five suitcases. Only one belonged to him. He jumped backwards as another fell from the staircase. He stared at it several seconds before saying;
“You do know we are only going for the weekend, right?”
***
“Constellation! Starry! I’m so glad the two of you made it!” Flora von Abastor smiled as she embraced her son and his marefriend. She was a white unicorn with forest green hair and eyes of the same shade of green. Her cutie mark was two green leaves and a pink tulip.
“Nadir and Dessie should be here soon,” Flora said, referring to her youngest son and his marefriend, Iridessa.
“Where’s Dad?” Constellation asked while levitating his and Starry’s luggage into the house.
“He’s out back. Apparently a few boards on the deck have come loose and he’s trying to fix them. I told him to wait for you or Nadir but he’s stubborn as a mule,” Flora frowned. Constellation chuckled.
“I’ll go give him a hoof,” Constellation settled the luggage on the floor and quickly trotted to the back of the house, where he disappeared through the back door just as Starry and Flora heard a hammer strike hoof and the cursing of an old stallion.
“As I said,” Flora turned to the younger unicorn. “He’s as stubborn as a mule.”
Ponyville, Present Day
Fireworks boomed in the sky as the concert’s finale. On stage, The Delegates, Vinyl Scratch, Sapphire Shores, Octavia Melody, aspiring rock musician Ka-Boom, and many other music artists performed alongside the fireworks.
Soon the fireworks ended, signaling the conclusion of Ponyville’s First Annual Music Festival. The crowd cheered as the performers bowed, the curtain gently being let down.
The ponies began filing out of the town square. Starry and Bella helped Berryshine clean the food stand and said their good-byes to Moon’s friends.
“Now that was a wonderful evening,” Bella commented as she and Starry made their way home.
“Yes, it was” Starry sighed. Bella glanced at her daughter, brow raised.
“Are you alright, mia figlia?” Bella asked. Starry’s ear flicked and she shook her head.
“Huh? Oh, yes, of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“My dear, you are my child. I know when you are feeling down.” Starry sighed once more.
“I…just have a lot on my mind,” Starry quickened her pace, only to feel a hoof over her own. She raised her head to see Bella looking at her with a worried expression.
“Starry, please tell your mother what has you sad,” Bella asked softly.
Starry remained silent for several moments.
“Can we talk at home?” she said finally. Bella nodded.
“Of course,”
Once home, Bella and Starry settled on the couch in the sitting room.
“What is wrong, Starry?” Starry shifted her eyes so she wasn’t looking directly at her mother.
“Momma, how did you get through Poppa’s passing?” Starry asked finally. Bella smiled gently and rubbed her daughter’s shoulder.
“It was a rough few years after your poppa’s death, Starry. We knew it would come one day, but not so soon,” Bella felt a tear roll down her cheek. “The cancer spread much more quickly than the doctors had said. It was a routine checkup when they found it and not even three weeks later, Leonardo was gone.” Bella sniffed and wiped her eyes.
“But how did you get through it? It’s been ten years, Mother. Why do I still feel like this?” Starry cried. Bella wrapped her daughter in a hug.
“Oh, honey. Loosing somepony you care about is the worst thing in the world. Leonardo was my first love, and although it took me many years before I finally said yes to marriage, I never once thought of another stallion except him.
“You and Constellation were a wonderful couple. I remember when the two of you were still dating and the way he would gaze at you so lovingly just filled my heart with joy.” Bella pulled away from the hug and looked Starry in the eyes.
“I know it is hard moving on. It took me many years after your father’s passing. But you have to remember one thing; Constellation loved you with all his heart. If there was one purpose in his life, it was to make you happy. He wants you to be happy,”
“But how can I be happy when I miss him so? We were supposed to raise Moon together. Grow old together. Have the joy of spoiling grandfoals together,” Starry covered her eyes with her hoofs, crying into them. Bella felt her heart break as she watched her daughter be overcome with grief. The old mare pulled her into a tight hug, remembering when she used to do the same thing years before when Starry would go through the trying times of being a teenage filly.
“Let it out, sweetie,” Bella said softly. After a while, Starry sniffed a couple more times and pulled away from the hug.
“Are you going to be alright?” Bella asked.
“I think so,” Starry nodded.
“I’m going to go make some chamomile tea,” Bella smiled gently and rose up from the couch. Noticing the stuffiness of the room, she opened a window before going to the kitchen, a cool late summer breeze ruffling the curtains.
Starry leaned back and rested her head against the cushion. Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew through the open window, somehow causing a picture frame to fall off the fireplace mantle and shatter.
“AH!” Starry gasped. She quickly stood up from the couch and rushed to the broken frame, careful of the glass on the floor.
“Starry, are you okay?” Bella called anxiously from the kitchen.
“Yes, Mother, just a broken picture frame. Can you bring a broom and pan?”
“I’ll right there,”
As Starry waited for Bella to bring the broom and pan, she carefully levitated the picture up from the shards of glass. She flipped it over to see a black and white image of her and Constellation. She was wearing an immaculate dress, Constellation a sharp suit. She had one arm around his, a bouquet of flowers levitating beside her. Starry squinted at the picture, making out a diamond ring around her younger self’s horn.
“Our wedding day,” Starry took a breath.
19 years ago
“Donar, I told you that you should have waited for Constellation or Nadir. We both know how your levitating skills are not as good as they once were,” Flora rebuked her husband as wrapped his bruised hoof with gauze.
“It’s just a bruise, dear,” Donar grumbled. Donar was a dark grey unicorn with a light grey mane that was slowly turning silver, some of it already ice white. He had dark blue eyes and a cutie mark of a hammer.
“It could have been worse,” Flora glared. “Don’t make me have to leash you like a dog,”
Donar rolled his eyes at his wife. “Fine, no more trying to fix things,”
“That’s a good stallion,” Flora smiled, kissing her husband’s cheek. “Now come, our sons and their marefriends are waiting.”
Donar and Flora walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, where Constellation, Starry, Constellation’s younger brother, Nadir and Nadir’s marefriend, Iridessa, talked among themselves.
Nadir had the same dark coat of his father and brother. His mane was black and forest green and he shared his mother’s green eyes. He had a graft cutie mark.
His marefriend, Iridessa, was a pretty little creamy yellow earth pony with a brown mane. She had a stripe of yellow in her tail which was neatly braided and two stripes of yellow in her mane, both tucked behind a mane clip. She had dark chocolate brown eyes, freckles and a cutie mark of sunflower.
Flora smiled brightly as she and Donar came into the living room. “How would you all like to go on a tour around the property?”
“I’d love to,” Starry said.
“As would I,” Iridessa rose from her place on the couch beside Nadir.
“I could go for a walk,” Nadir smiled.
Starry looked back at Constellation, who remained where he had been standing.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I have a few work related things I need to do,” Constellation lied. “Perhaps you and I can go for a stroll tomorrow?”
“I’d like that,” Starry smiled, trotting up to her coltfriend and kissing him lightly on the lips. “See you later.”
Constellation followed his marefriend to the front door and watched the group until they were out of sight. Now he could do what he really planned; preparing for his proposal to Starry.
***
“What a gorgeous view,” Iridessa said, looking out over the mountains.
“Yes it is,” Nadir said, not even looking at the mountains. Instead his eyes were going over Iridessa. The earth pony turned her head quickly, catching Nadir in his admiration of the “view”.
“And just what do you think you’re doing?” Iridessa glared up at the stallion.
“Uh, I, um, uh—Nice view?” Nadir stumbled over his words, praying to Celestia that Iridessa would have mercy. Iridessa held the glare for several moments, each second Nadir deflating more and more. Suddenly the yellow earth pony burst out laughing.
“You’re so easy, Nady!” Iridessa laughed.
“That’s not funny. I thought you were really mad,” Nadir pouted. Iridessa ceased laughing and trotted up to the unicorn, nuzzling his shoulder lovingly.
“I’m sorry, Nadir. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable—AH!” The mare yelped as Nadir whipped her around and planted a kiss on her lips.
“Got you,” Nadir smirked.
“Why you little—” the rest of Iridessa’s sentence was muffled, as Nadir had imprisoned her lips in a deeper kiss.
Starry chuckled softly as the two lovebirds continued making out. Flora trotted up beside the sapphire blue mare and looked at her son and rolled her eyes.
“Nadir! Stop swapping gum with ‘Dessa and come on. Your father and I want to show Starry the vineyard before it gets too late,”
“Mom!” Nadir gapped at his mother with an embarrassed blush on his cheeks, Iridessa giggling behind a hoof.
“What are you waiting for? Move those rumps. You as well, Starry,” Flora turned and caught up with her husband. Starry chuckled at the old unicorn. She was certainly a Germane mare.
The five continued on the path towards the vineyard. Once there, Starry stood with her mouth agape, amazed at the vastness of the vineyard when she was expecting a small one.
“Welcome to Skyview Vineyards,” Flora smiled.
“Flora and I are co-owners of this vineyard. We handle the business part while our friends, Merlot and Muscadine, handle the rest,” Donar said proudly.
“I didn’t know you were into winemaking,” Starry commented.
“We’ve dabbled in since after Nadir was born. After Constellation took over the company, Merlot and Muscadine asked if we would like to become co-owners of their vineyard. Donar and I quickly agreed,”
“That’s wonderful,”
“I think we should head back, Flora,” Donar said, noticing the sun setting. “It’s going to be dark soon,”
***
Constellation finished lighting the last of the candles in the gazebo that sat beside the lake at the edge of his parent’s property. He levitated over a soft blanket and set it on the floor of the gazebo, setting a picnic basket in the middle. His ears perked, picking up the voices of his parents, Starry, Nadir and Iridessa. Smiling he stepped down the steps leading out of the gazebo and trotted to the group.
“Did you all have a nice walk?” Constellation asked as Starry sidled up beside him and nuzzled his neck.
“It was wonderful! Why didn’t you tell me your parents co-owned a vineyard?”
Constellation chuckled. “I was going to tell you, it just never came up in conversation.” He caught Flora’s eye and winked. Getting the idea, the white mare winked back.
“Constellation, why don’t you take Starry to the gazebo at the lake? It is in the perfect place to see the sunset and it’s beautiful,”
“Ooh, can we Constellation?”
“Of course,” Constellation smiled. He took Starry’s hoof and began leading her up the hill to the gazebo.
“Oh, it’s so cute!” Starry gushed as they came over the hill. The two continued up to the gazebo. Starry paused as they came to the steps, gaping at the candles, blanket and picnic basket.
“What’s all this?”
“Just a little surprise for the most beautiful mare in all of Equestria,” Constellation smiled, levitating a small black box from behind a bush beside the gazebo.
“Constellation, you didn’t have to-” Starry turned to the stallion, her eyes widening when she saw the box. “-do all this?”
Constellation kneeled down in front of Starry, opening the box to reveal a beautiful ring with a large diamond in the middle, several smaller diamonds on either side of it.
“Starry Night, I’ll never forget the moment we met in that elevator. You were so beautiful it took all I had not to ask you out right there. Imagine my surprise and great pleasure when we shared the elevator once more a week later. As we got to know each other while trapped in it, I already knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you and these past two years have only made me want that more. Miss Night, will you marry me?”
There was only one word that Starry knew to say.
“Yes.”
Ponyville, Present Day
Starry awoke to the sounds of birds chirping happily. Most ponies found the sound of a bird’s chirp a pleasant thing. Starry thought it was nice as well.
When it wasn’t at the crack of dawn.
“Stupid birds,” Starry growled as she sat up in bed and glared at the shut curtains over her bedroom window.
The birds, oblivious to the unicorn’s displeasure, continued their morning salutations to Celestia’s rising sun.
“I might as well go ahead and get up. Maybe clean house,” Starry cringed. “Uh, no. I would rather cook a ten course dinner for the princesses. How about a walk instead? Yes, a walk would be wonderful.”
After doing her morning routine, Starry made her way quietly down to the first level of the house and, levitating an apple from the basket on the kitchen table, slowly opened the front door, inched out and clicked it shut once more.
Once outside, she trotted down the steps and turned right. The road she was on went past Sweet Apple Acres. Based on what Moon Glow had told her, the Apple family would already be up and out working the orchard. How they got up so early every morning was a mystery to unicorn. From the time she was a teenager she had hated early mornings. If she had the choice, she would be in bed until noon. Her name was Starry Night, after all. As such, she loved the night and staying up late.
Soon the sun was up fully. Starry estimated it was about seven o’clock and decided to head back home. As she was thinking about what she needed to do that day, she didn’t pay much attention as to where she was walking. Not many ponies were silly enough to go walking this early, right?
Wrong.
Caught up in her thoughts, the sapphire blue unicorn didn’t notice the light blue earth pony coming from the opposite direction. Noteworthy, also caught up in his thoughts, didn’t see Starry before the two collided into each other, rolling over one another before they came to a stop, Starry laying on top of Noteworthy.
“Ahh!”
“Oof!” Noteworthy grunted. He opened his amber eyes only to stare into the gray-blue orbs of the unicorn. He chuckled.
“Yeah, I think this is becoming a habit for us,”
“I am so sorry,” Starry quickly scrambled off the earth pony. “I honestly did not mean to run into you,” she grinned sheepishly and added, “Again,”
“It’s perfectly fine, Ms. Night. Really,” Noteworthy smiled.
“Still, this is the third time,” Starry chuckled. “I’m starting to wonder if you are following me,”
“I can assure you that I’m not following you,” Noteworthy said as he and Starry began walking back to Ponyville. Noteworthy glanced down at the smaller unicorn. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I would think that somepony is trying to get us together,”
Starry balked at that, coming to a stop. Her mouth hung ajar and she gaped at the blue earth pony.
“Ms. Night?” Noteworthy stopped as well, turning to the unicorn.
“Noteworthy, I know you mean well, but I’m at least twenty years older than you,” Starry said softly. Noteworthy smiled.
“Well, you look mighty well for a sixty year old,”
“Excuse me? I’m in my early forties,”
“And I’m thirty-nine,”
Starry’s eyes widened. “Come again?”
“I’m only a few years younger than you, Starry,” Noteworthy smiled gently. The way he said her name and smiled at her made Starry go weak at the knees.
“But you said that you’re Red’s cousin. I only assumed that you were close in age to him,”
“I am Red’s cousin, but his grandmother is the sister of my grandfather, meaning that I’m actually cousins with Red’s mother, Fire Agate,”
“Oh,” Starry said slowly.
“You aren’t dejected, are you?” a smirk krept up on Noteworthy’s face.
“Oh! No, of course not! I’m just-” Starry was interrupted by Noteworthy’s lips against her own. Surprised at first, she soon relaxed and melted into the kiss. A few moments later Noteworthy pulled back and gazed down at the sapphire unicorn.
“Ms. Night, would you like to go out with me one night?” Starry smiled and nodded.
“I would love to,”
She looped her arm around Noteworthy’s and the two walked side by side, heading towards Ponyville, and new beginnings.
Out in a field, underneath a lone oak tree, stood a dark grey unicorn stallion with a grey and silvering mane. His light blue eyes watched the unicorn mare and earth pony stallion as they slowly walked down the road.
“That’s my girl,” Constellation smiled. A breeze blew through the leaves of the oak tree and the stallion gradually faded away, until it appeared as if nothing had ever been there.
Starry shivered as the breeze blew through her mane. She paused and looked out at the field, catching sight of the oak tree.
“Are you okay?” Noteworthy asked.
“Yes, I am,” Starry smiled.
The End
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A wonderful ending as per usual SeaBreeze! 12
s/5.
6439872 Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!