Nights on Horlick's Hill

by RarityEQM

Night 1

The Black Garden was in full bloom overhead; an endless sea of twinkling flowers that stretched across the sky. The glimmering effect of the bejeweled canopy was not lost on the little orange pegasus below, who feverishly piloted her favorite craft along the outskirts of ponyville. More than once did she find her attention drift towards the cosmos above when she should have been paying attention to the road ahead and more than once Scootaloo narrowly avoided crashing.

The night sky just seemed to pop out of the atmosphere itself, the moon bigger, the stars brighter, and the sky clearer than Scootaloo could remember it being in ages. She idly wondered if that had anything to do with the tiny silver pegasus she was supposed to be meeting on Horlick's Hill.

She was already there, when Scootaloo arrived, laying on her back with her forelegs tucked under her head and her hind legs splayed out lazily in front of her. Diamond Dancer, Errant of the Evening, and personal Errand Girl to the Princess of Shadows. Endlessly Loyal to Luna, Diamond worked tirelessly for her princess, but every now and then, she was afforded a break in her schedule, and that's how Scootaloo had chanced upon her one evening: Lying on Horlick's Hill watching the stars. When Scootaloo poked herself into view, the girl's lips twisted into a wide grin and she sat up slightly straighter, before throwing out an empty hoof, gesturing to the sky above her.

"Sup Scoots! Glad ta see ya!" Diamond offered, her voice, boisterous and enthusiastic as ever, even if it was only the two of them on a lonely hill. Still, Scootaloo met the eager filly's energy with some of her own, flashing a bright gleaming smile, settling down next to her on the hillside.

"Hey D. Any bites tonight?" The orange pegasus asked. Diamond Dancer cast a glance towards the sky, searching vainly for any flicker of movement, but the stars remained stationary. She shook her head.

"Heh. I wish. Nah, it's been all quiet, far as I can tell. You catch any air today?" the silver filly asked, not bothering to glance at Scootaloo. She already knew the answer before she'd asked, but she asked anyway, hoping against hope she might hear something different this time. Scootaloo gave a grim little groan.

"Naw...I did a sick 720 on my board, but...no. No air. How about you? You um...you lose any?" Scootaloo stammered quietly. Diamond gave a dull snort and shrugged her shoulders against the grass.

"Meh I almost made it to Cloudsdale this afternoon. Didn't happen, but I got close. I'll totally bring you back some of that Cloud Candy they make up there. I haven't forgotten, I- I've just been busy, heh, ya know?" Diamond chirped. Her voice had gotten quieter, but then, it always did when she had to admit any failure on her part to fly properly.

"...I know, " Scootaloo said softly. An awkward silence slithered between the two of them, a welcome stage for the crickets surrounding them, waiting for their chance to shine in the evening moonlight. Diamond sadly lifted a blackened hoof and waved it limply at Scootaloo.

"We should start a club for ground-bound pegasi, " Diamond murmured to a curt snort from the other filly.

"It would be the saddest club in the world. Absolutely NOpony would want their hoof stamped to get back in," she giggled

"Yeah, but the only cover charge is your dignity and self-esteem!" Diamond added. Scootaloo rolled onto her back, kicking her legs out, giggling now.

"Our club meetings are just ten minutes of rollcall followed by forty-five minutes of sobbing!" she giggled, the conversation devolving into soft snickers.

"Where would you go...I mean...if you could still fly straight?" pipped Scootaloo suddenly. A question that came from nowhere and burned brightly. Diamond scrunched up her muzzle, frowned and then shook her head.

"I'd...I'd go...to...I don't know. Space? I still wanna catch a star. I know, I've already got one, and it's stupid and impossible, but...I wanna go as high as possible. Ya know?"

"Clouds, "

"Clouds?"

"Yeah. I've always wanted to take a nap on a cloud,"

"That's what you'd do if you could fly? The extent of your flight goals is cloud-based nappery? Clouds aren't super comfortable, ya know."

"They aren't?"

"Not really. They're lumpy and sometimes wet. I mean, sure, a cloud looks dry and then you get up there, you settle down, and suddenly you're soaked! Wet butt-fur for the next two hours," Diamond groaned. She narrowed her eyes at the stars above her, but still, none of them showed any signs of movement. She scowled.

Scootaloo, for the most part, seemed less interested in shooting stars or wishes or any of the things Diamond promised would happen if they managed to see a shooting star. No, Scootaloo just seemed to take the time in vain. Like it was a break from her everyday stressful life. Like these few scant minutes of time alone at night completely refreshed and revitalized her.

"Hey, Diamond, I've got a question,"

"Shoot,"

"The star Luna gave you grants wishes, right?"

"There is a very loose interpretation of 'wish' that can be applied here, but, for the sake of argument, sure."

"If Icarus Syndrome is keeping you from flying, why don't you just, I don't know, wish yourself better, then?"

" Naw, I tried that once,"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I said, ' I wish I didn't have Icarus Syndrome anymore." My big brother got it instead. I spent the rest of the day trying to find a wish to reverse what I did. I told myself if I finally found one, I'd never make that wish again."

"Wow. That is super messed up,"

"Yeah, this thing is more burden than boon sometimes. Speaking of which, do we have a wish tonight?"

"I haven't seen any shootin' stars, I've been thinkin about that one..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I say, if we see a shooting star, we wish for flight!"

"We wished for flight last time!"

"Yeah, I know but if we get it THIS time, NEXT time we can wish for something else!" Scootaloo exclaimed. Diamond frowned, opened her mouth to protest, but fell silent in doing so. No, no, Scootaloo had a point. That made sense.

"Well...Yeah, I guess, but that's only IF we see a shooting star, " the tiny silver pegasus squeaked. The other pony grinned quietly.

"You think we'll see any tonight?" she asked peering into the infinite darkness. Diamond simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe. I'll keep wishin even if I don't see one, though."

"You think that'll work?"

"I wished I had friends, and I ran into you, didn't I?"

Scootaloo could only smile.

Comments

[Olden Bronie]

Awwww!

[GivingSpider]

And now I've got the Feels

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

This was sad, but sweet.