After losing a new friend, a young princess leaves home forever.
Stella, a three year old princess, daughter of Princess Luna, was just beginning to enjoy spending time with her new friends at her new preschool when tragedy strikes. Feeling guilty about it, she runs away from home, intending to never come back.
On her first day of preschool, Stella was hiding behind her mother, Princess Luna. They were in the foyer of the school, which doubled as one of the many playrooms. Peering out from behind Luna, Stella saw all the other foals playing everywhere in the room, doing things such as stacking blocks, playing with dolls, and rolling balls to one another.
Luna turned her head to look at Stella. “Do not be afraid, my daughter.” She spread her legs apart, refusing to hide Stella from the other ponies. “You are safe here.”
Slowly, Stella hovered her head into clear view and allowed a purple filly to get a look at her light blue horned face. As soon as the other foal saw her, Stella stepped back behind her mother, her straightish, light blue mane bouncing from the sudden motion, the slightly curled edges flying upward as she moved.
“Oh. It looks like we have a new arrival.” A golden yellow mare whose wildly poofed orange mane almost covered one eye walked over to greet the new arrivals.
Luna turned back to face the mare and nodded, smiling, her eyes sparkling with health. “Miss Orange Block. It is good to see you again on this fine day.”
“It’s good to see you too, Princess Luna. This must be little Stella behind you.” Miss Orange Block peered around Luna to get a better look at Stella.
Stella closed her eyes tightly, grimacing at the noise the other foals were making. She did not want to so much as get near any of them, let alone talk to them. And this new mare in front of was going to make her do just that. She sat down on the floor, hiding her head between her hooves. Too many ponies.
Luna turned back to Stella. “Greet your teacher.”
Stella looked up at Miss Block, but her voice was nothing more than a whisper. “Hello.” She turned her head away.
Luna and Miss Block had a small laugh at the timid response.
Luna lifted a rear hoof, trying to make Stella stop hiding. But even though she only had the shelter of three thin legs, spread widely apart, she still refused to come out. “Daughter, do you not want to play with the other foals?”
“No.” Stella squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. I can't! I don't know these ponies!
Miss Block raised an eyebrow. “But Stella, playing with others is always a good way to make new friends.”
Stella was close to tears. “No.” Even now her heart was racing and her chest was tight. They just don't understand. What if they don't like me? What if I don't like them? What if they're mean? What if I just don't want to make friends, period? I'm just fine playing on my own. That's what I've always done.
Miss Block, because of her many years of experience, knew how to handle students that were just as timid as Stella. All she needs is the proper encouragement to join in the classroom activities. She tilted her head to one side, trying to see all of Stella without immediately approaching her. “Stella, do you know why the sky is blue?”
Stella looked up hesitantly. “No.”
“Do you know where Saddle Arabia is?” Miss Block took a step closer Stella, hoping her questions would distract her from noticing her approach.
“No.” Stella looked down again. I don't know anything. What if all the other fillies make fun of me for it?
Miss Block took a deep breath. Third time's the charm. I hope this works. My reputation willsoar if I hit it off right with her. She took another step forward. “Do you know how to read?”
Stella looked up again, and hesitantly stood up. “Read?” Mom reads to me all the time. Her stories are always so much fun.
Miss Block nodded. She had caught Stella's interest. “Yes. In my class, foals learn how to read.” Now, to build her confidence to join in. “When you know how to read, you can learn lots of fun things that you’d never heard of before.” Miss Block risked yet another step forward. “And you can read fun stories that will take you to all four corners of Equestria.”
Stella took one small step out from behind her mother. She can teach me to read. I want to read. But what about the other ponies? What if they make fun of me for not knowing how to read yet?! She turned to look at Luna, who smiled and stepped out the door. Her heart skipped a beat. Why's Mommy leaving?
Stella's soon forgot about Luna, however, as Miss Block interrupted her thoughts. “Let’s go introduce you to some of the other foals.” Miss Block turned around and pointed to the fillies and colts playing just five yards away.
The… other foals? I don't know…
But as Miss Block gently guided her over to the play area, she saw a toy a colt was playing with that distracted her from worries. It looked like a three dimensional maze inside a clear plastic ball. The colt was turning the ball, making a smaller ball inside it go on the maze.
Stella pointed to the colt and looked up at Miss Block. “What's that?”
“That's a Perplexus. You turn it to make a tiny ball inside go on a track and try to make it cross the finish line without falling off. Let's go get you a beginner’s one. Miss Block led Stella to a creaky wooden toy box and gave her a Perplexus smaller than the one the colt was using. The track was shorter and less complicated, and the sides of the track were higher, to help keep the little ball inside from falling off.
“Why don't you go over to that colt and have him show you how to use this?”
“Um, ok.” Stella walked over to him and sat down next to him. She saw that he was a pegasus with a light orange coat, almost peach colored. Atop his head was a red mane that was cropped into short spikes. I wonder if he farms grapefruit. Maybe he Is a grapefruit. Stella chuckled quietly.
The colt heard her and jolted, his concentration having been broken. The ball fell off the track and he looked up at her. “Hello.”
Stella smiled sheepishly, shuffling her hooves. “Hi. Can-- can you show my how to use this please?
The colt grinned, his orange eyes gleaming. He held out a hoof. “Sure. I'm Copper Flame. What’s your name?”
Stella hesitated for a moment, and shook his hoof. “I'm Ste-- Stella.”
Copper snickered, covering his mouth with his hoof. “Well, Stestella, first you turn the Perplexus so the small ball rolls to the starting line, like this…”
Now, Stella’s first day at school was about to begin.
Playtime had ended, and the foals were all convened at a long table with a white tablecloth covering it. The tablecloth was stained with the remnants of a hundred other colors of paint that the foals had spattered during many hours of hoofpainting.
Stella was seated between two other foals. On her left was a light grey unicorn filly with a darker grey mane that had a slight curl. The filly was keeping to herself, unlike most of the other foals who were talking loudly among themselves.
She seems nice. Maybe a bit shy, like me. Stella cheered up a little at the thought.
Seated to Stella's right was Copper Flame.
Oh. He's the grapefruit I played with earlier. I guess he's fun, if a little cocky.
Sitting across from Stella was the purple filly she saw looking at her when she was still hiding behind Luna. Now that she was closer, Stella could see that the filly was a pegasus with a curly light blue mane and tail with a dark blue stripe. She was talking to Copper. They were teasing each other for something Stella didn't understand. Must be a not-princess thing.
But Stella only paid them a fleeting glance after that. Currently, she was engrossed in the painting that she was working on. So engrossed that she didn’t even notice the grey filly peering over her shoulder.
“Oooo, that’s really pretty.”
Stella jumped slightly, and looked up to see the grey filly pointing at her painting.
Stella smiled fakely. “Uh...thanks!” That's the nice looking one. She's probably just being nice to get something. I wonder what she wants.
Copper stopped talking to the purple filly and looked at Stella's picture. Then he saw Stella. “Hey, you're the filly I played with earlier, aren't you?”
Stella turned, looking Copper square in the face. “Yes.”
Copper leaned over to see the picture better before leaning back into his seat. “Who’re those ponies in your picture?”
Stella became slightly uncomfortable when she realized that she was slowly becoming the center of attention, but answered as best as she could. With a slightly shaking hoof, she pointed to the tall, white alicorn with a rainbow-colored mane. “This is my aunt Celestia.” She pointed to the shorter, dark blue mare with a lighter blue mane. “And that’s my mom next to her.”
“Wow. Your mom’s pretty.” The purple filly across the table pointed at the glitter that Stella had used to decorate her mother’s mane. “Is that you in the middle?”
“Yes…” Stella was sweating a little due to her nervousness.
The purple filly smiled. “What’s your name?”
Stella shyly kicked her hooves under the table. “Stella…”
“Hi, Stella. I’m Star Song.” She pointed to the grey filly. “This is my friend Silver Light.” Then she pointed to Copper. “And it looks like you've already met Copper Flame.”
“We know each other ‘cause we're neighbors, but you can be our friend too.” Silver wrapped her front leg around Stella in a shy hug.
Despite her shyness, Stella felt a small warmth growing within herself. On her first day of school, she made her first friends, and spent the rest of the day playing together with them.
The school day ended, and Stella said goodbye to her friends before boarding the carriage her mother had taken to pick her up.
When Stella took a seat next to her, Luna noticed a drastic change in her daughter’s face. Now she was smiling brighter than the sun, and was nearly bouncing in her seat.
Luna smiled. “I trust you had fun in school today?”
Stella beamed at her. “I did! And I made three new friends!”
The carriage took off.
“Three in one day? That’s impressive. Most foals only make one or two on their first day of school. What were their names?” I knew she could make friends!
“Silver Light, Copper Flame and Star Song. We spent the whole day together. We painted, built blocks, and played house. Star was the mom, Copper was the dad, Silver was the foal, and I was the mailpony.”
Luna grinned, laughing. “The mailpony? Why not the big sister?”
“Cause I wanted to be the mailpony. Can my friends come over tomorrow?”
Luna shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”
The mailpony. Oh, the silly games little fillies come up with.
When they got home, Stella rushed to her room and hurriedly unpacked her saddlebags, throwing everything on the floor, and ran to the kitchen, eager for lunch after her long day at school.
Luna stayed behind to pick up the mess Stella made. I really must teach her to pick up her mess and put things away.
Once Stella was in the kitchen Celestia greeted her. She already had lunch prepared.
They sat down at the table. “Well, look who’s back from her first day at preschool. How were things today?”
Stella didn’t know where to begin. “It was great! I made three new friends and we played together and I learned A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, square, circle, and triangle!”
Celestia giggled. “Goodness. That’s a lot to learn in one day. And what were your friends’ names?”
“Star Song, Copper Flame, and Silver Light. And Mom says that they can all come over for a visit tomorrow.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun. Here.” Princess Celestia scooted a small plate with a triangular piece of bread covered in yellow and red goop over to Stella. “Lunch is served.”
Stella looked apprehensively at what had been placed before her, and poked at it with her hoof. This looks gross. I'm not going to eat it. It could poison me. And then I'd be dead! “Eeeewwww! What’s this supposed to be?”
Celestia laughed. “That’s cheese pizza, silly. Don’t tell me you don’t like it!”
“It’s icky and slimy. And I don’t like it!” Stella pouted.
Celestia raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You’ve had this before?”
“No.” Of course I didn't. If I did, I'd be dead by now!
“Then I suppose you’ll never know the pure delights that come with something so small and simple as this. After all, trying a new food is almost the same as making a new friend all over again.” Celestia grinned slyly as she picked up her own slice and took a bite. “Mm-mm. Like ambrosia, that is.”
Stella jumped to her hooves, her heart beating wildly, ready to run for help if Celestia suddenly collapsed. “No, don't! You'll be poisoned!”
Celestia laughed. “Poisoned? Why would I be poisoned?”
Stella was short of breath. “Pizza… icky… poison!”
“Oh, no, Stella. It's not poisonous. It just looks like this because it's covered in cheese and tomato sauce, that's all. Nothing to worry about.”
Seeing the delighted face of her aunt as she ate the pizza, Stella magically lifted the slice before herself and slowly took a bite, but kept her eyes on Celestia to watch for any signs of food poisoning. That…is the best thing I've ever tasted!
Celestia smiled. “What do we think?” She has to like it now. She can't possibly still think it's poisonous.
Stella didn’t answer in much of a discernable way, only smiling and laughing through her mouthful of pizza. But Celestia knew what her niece was saying.
“Isn’t it just?”
Stella swallowed her bite. “Aunt Celestia, could you make some more of this for when my friends come over to visit tomorrow?”
“Count on it.” Princess Celestia took another bite of her slice.
It was 2:00 PM. Almost time for Stella’s friends to arrive at her house. Ever since Luna left to pick up her friends almost a half hour ago, Stella had been running back and forth from the front door to the other parts of the castle that she wanted to show to her friends. The anticipation was practically killing her every time she saw that nopony had arrived.
The final time she looked out the door, her face lit up at the sight of a golden carriage descending from the sky. They're here!
The pegasi flying the carriage touched down, just as Stella rushed out to greet them.
“Wow. What a trip!” This was Silver's first flight. She stumbled around a bit, trying to lose her sea legs.
Copper flexed his wings. “It’s not so bad once you get used to it.”
“Easy for a pegasus to say!”
Luna opened the door. “Foals, please. Stella is waiting for us.”
That was enough to make the foals excitedly pour out of the carriage. To their delight, there was their new friend waiting for them mere hooves away.
They all greeted her at once. “Stella!”
Stella practically bounced over to greet her friends.
From where she stood, Luna could barely make out the fast-paced, mishmashed greeting her daughter was giving to her friends. In seconds, the entire group rushed inside to begin their play day.
The carriage flew off. “I have a feeling today is going to be eventful.”
Within seconds of their arrival, Stella was giving her friends the grand tour. She brought them all by the throne room, where she showed her friends where Celestia works for most of the day.
The three other foals all marveled at the decorations in the room, taking in every detail of the polished floors and colorful windows.
Next was the dining hall, where Stella showed her friends where she and her family sometimes ate their meals.
“What’s this?” Silver Light pointed to a large platter on the table that was covered with a silver lid.
Stella scratched her head with her hoof. “I don’t know. This wasn’t here earlier.”
“Let’s see what it is.” Copper Flame reached to lift the lid.
“Copper, don’t! It’s not polite to look without asking.” Star Song was always reproaching Copper for his various wrong doings.
It was too late. Copper had already lifted the lid with his teeth, and the sight beneath delighted the foals. There was a freshly baked, perfectly prepared cheese pizza, although it was missing a slice.
“Alright! Lunch!” Copper picked up a slice with his wing.
Star stomped her hoof. “Copper!”
“It’s alright. That’s for us. And it looks like the taste testers already made sure it wasn't poisoned.” Stella divided the slices onto the plates near by.
Silver’s mouth dropped open. “Poisoned?!”
“It’s ok. I don't see any dead bodies, do you?”
“No…”
“Then let’s eat!” Copper’s mouth was already stuffed with pizza.
They all sat down and dug into the pizza. Stella made a mental note to thank her aunt later.
After the pizza was eaten, the tour continued through the palace. Stella didn’t show much else that was interesting: a broom closet, a trash can. But then, the tour took a more interesting turn after they climbed the stairs to the third floor.
“...and this is my room.” Stella opened up a blue door with a grey crescent moon painted on it.
The foals all entered the room, bright-eyed and smiling, hoping that their new friend’s room was just as wondrous as the rest of her home. How disappointed they were.
“Stella, it’s a mess in here.” Silver Light waved her hoof at the mess.
“It’s not so bad.” Stella liked her mess. It was like having a room full of friends.
On her first step into the room, Star Song tripped over a stuffed tiger and fell face-first into an overturned blue laundry basket.
“I’m not sure even ants could live in here.” Star yelped and jumped out of the laundry. “Nevermind!”
“How are we even supposed to play in here?” Copper pointed at the messy floor.
Stella turned her head to look at him. “We could move some stuff.”
“How? If we so much as touch something, everything will come crashing down on us.”
Star raised a hoof, as if answering a question in school. “I’ve got an idea! We could clean the room. Then we can play!”
“I guess so.” Stella was reluctant to clean, even if it did mean more space to play. “If it means we can play.”
“Ugh.” Copper groaned. “Homework. Like I need any more of that.”
“Don’t be such a whiner, Copper. We can do something to make it more fun.” Silver tossed her mane.
The four friends started cleaning, and Star Song started to sing.
“If you just sing a little song Then the work will come along Oh so much faster If you just him a little tune Then the job will be done soon You’ll be a master If you just have to clean your room Then the work will be done soon It’s no disaster”
Star's song helped the work go along and soon they were playing happily in a clean room.
The next day at school, Stella was practically running down her own mother on the way to class.
Princess Luna chuckled. “Stella, slow down. Your classroom hasn’t moved since you came home yesterday.”
Stella’s face had a look of urgency. “But I have to get there quick! My friends are waiting for me!”
“Daughter, you’re fifteen whole minutes early for classes. And you’re not twenty hooves from your classroom door. Believe me, you won’t be losing any time.”
In her many years of life, Princess Luna had quite forgotten that the concepts of time were different to a three year old. Instead of slowing down, young Stella rushed down the hall to her classroom door and hopped up and down to reach the doorknob, in her excitement forgetting that she had only to use her magic.
Her mother facilitated by using her own magic to open the door.
“Thanks mom!” Stella was bouncing with excitement.
“You’re welcome. Have a good day, my daughter.” Luna closed the door and walked away.
Stella looked through the room for her friends, but only saw Copper Flame sitting by himself. This was unusual, considering that so far the four of them had done everything together. Why’s he alone? She walked over to Copper. “Hi, Copper! Where’s Silver and Star?”
“I don't know. I haven't seen them either.” He looked a little worried.
Miss Block was at the edge of the classroom supervising the foals as they happily played about.
“Maybe Miss Orange Block knows.” Stella tilted her head back towards where Miss Orange Block was standing. She and Copper both approached her.
Stella looked up at Miss Block. “Miss Orange Block?”
“Hello, my little ponies. How are you today?”
“We’re fine.” Copper frowned. “But we were wondering where Silver Light and Star Song were.”
“Oh. That…” Miss Orange Block looked suddenly sullen.
Stella scrunched her eyebrows in concern. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But there’s something I have to tell all of you.” This was going to be the hardest part of Miss Orange Block’s day. She walked to the front of the classroom and called to the foals. “Everypony! Everypony, please, eyes on me!”
The foals in the class all slowly stopped their playtime and paid their full attention to Miss Block.
“Everypony, I have some sad news today; two of our friends, Star Song and Silver Light, are in the hospital.”
A whoosh of hushed gasps swooped through the classroom.
Stella's eyes widened. “Oh no! What happened to them?”
“Please, stay calm, Stella.” Miss Orange Block was worried too, but tried not to show it. “I’m not sure exactly what happened, but today, I think, is a good day to take a field trip and visit our friends in the hospital. So, without further ado– please, everypony line up at the door, and I’ll take you to the buses that are waiting for us outside.
Following after their teacher, the students were led outside, where they boarded an extra long carriage that was just big enough for all of them to fit inside.
Stella took her seat next to Copper, and the two foals waited in anticipation to visit their friends.
“This was just after you all visited me yesterday. Do you think it was something I did?”
“Come on. Don’t be silly. I was with you guys yesterday, and I’m fine. They probably just got sick, or something.”
Stella frowned.
I don't know… If it was my fault, I don't know if I could ever forgive myself.
The team of pegasi at the front of the bus spread their wings and took off for the hospital.
After the carriage landed, the foals were all led into the hospital lobby.
Miss Block walked up to the reception desk. “Hello. We’re here to see Silver Light and Star Song.”
“I’m sorry, but Silver Light can’t take visitors right now.” The information pony was a white mare with a pink mane. “She’s been moved to intensive care, and won’t be seeing anypony for a while. But Star Song is available, if you want to see her. She’s in room 207 on the second floor.”
Miss Orange Block led the foals away, not knowing that Stella and Copper had overheard what she discussed with the receptionist.
“What’s ‘intensive care’ mean?” Copper raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term.
“I don’t know. But it can’t be good if she’s not allowed to see anypony.” Stella’s eyes were filled with worry.
The class filed up a flight of stairs, and were led down the hall to the room the receptionist told them about.
There, lying in a tiny bed with her parents by her side, was Star Song.
“Star Song, look who’s here.” Star’s father shared her purple coat but had a dark blue mane and tail.
Star Song turned her head, and smiled at the sight of all of her classmates in the doorway. “Everypony! Come in!”
The entire class crowded around the bed, happily greeting their classmate. Happiest of all were her two friends.
“Are you okay?” Stella was so worried that her right eye was now twitching, a habit she had picked up from Twilight's many visits to the castle.
“Yeah. But I had a bad ‘lergic’ action. I’m itchy, puffy, and my face turned all purple.”
“But you're already purple.” Copper’s remark was tactless as usual.
Stella’s mouth dropped open in surprise. “Copper! You don’t just tell somepony that they're already purple.”
Copper rolled his eyes sarcastically. “Sorry.”
Stella got the feeling that he didn't really mean it, but she let it go. She turned back to Star. “How’d this happen?”
“The doctor said it was an ‘ant-a-flactic’ reaction from bug bites. He thinks it was those ants that bit me yesterday,”
So, it was something that had to do with Stella. Upon that realization she was struck with an incredible guilt. Especially after Star had done so much to make cleaning up Stella’s mess more fun than it was.
But Star didn’t seem quite as bothered as Stella was.
“Anyway, they're gonna let me go in a few days, when my skin gets flat again. But Silver has to stay.” Star was oblivious to Stella's guilt.
The news mildly disturbed some of the students. Stella especially. Silver had been bitten by the ants too when she was helping to clean her room, and a lump rose in her throat when she asked her next question.
“Why not? What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t remember what word he used, but the doctor told me that it means she can’t fight germs, and that even being near other ponies could make her sicker.”