Chapter 1
Crescent Sparkle sat idly in the small kitchen that resided in The Golden Oaks Library. He was sitting at the table with his wife, Star Sparkle. He and his wife were foalsitting for their daughter, Twilight, while she and her husband were off enjoying their 10th Anniversary dinner.
Twilight and Soarin’ hadn’t had too much time to themselves ever since they took the responsibility of becoming parents, so he and his wife volunteered to watch over their foals for tonight so they could get some well-deserved time together.
Crescent finished off the last few drops of his dinner, his personal favorite- vegetable stew. He licked his lips with pleasure as he finished his meal, savouring the taste. He thought to himself, ‘I love Star’s cooking... it’s even better than my mothers...’ He thought about that for a moment, '...Okay, I better not say that in front of mother.’
A napkin slowly arose up to Crescent’s lips and gently dabbed at his muzzle, making sure to keep him a gentlecolt as it was Canterlot tradition to always be on your best manners. Star always made sure to keep her husband playfully in-check. She giggled as she watched the foals scarf down their meals face-first as they sat between her and her husband at the table. She couldn’t help but let out a gleeful smile as she remember her days of early motherhood ‘These two little angels remind me of when Shining Armor and Twilight were like when they were foals…’
After just a few moments of ‘eating’ Dusk and Glidin’ each lifted their heads from the bowls, tongues lolling out to the side as they emerged, smiling like the cheerful little foals that they were. They both equally had faces amess with stew and tiny bits of carrot as they looked up at their grandmother.
Star only grinned wider as she levitated her napkin to the foals, cleaning their faces gently one at a time. She had to stifle a giggle as she still saw her own little foals bursting with energy, ‘Mhm... just like Twilight and Shining.’
Dusk let out a low groan as the cloth rubbed against his cheek, but then let out a sigh of relief once the cloth had done it’s job and left. He looked up at his grandmother as she started focusing on cleaning his sister. “Granny, does mamma and daddy love each other?”
Star looked down at the little unicorn, smiling at him sheepishly as she remembered dodging a question of divorce another time. “Yes Dusk, when two ponies love each other very much- they live together and start a family.” She place a light kiss on top of the colt’s head.
Glidin’ lifted her head and looked up at her grandpa, “Dusk and I love each other... does that mean we have to get married?” She asked innocently, still hardly able to grasp the concept of marriage.
‘...Why do I always get these awkward questions.’ He silently groaned to himself, “N-no, I’m talking about a different kind of love, Glidin’... One that’s not about sibling or family...” He looked over at his wife for a short moment, smiling, “It’s the kind of love for somepony special.”
“Oh... That makes sense.” Dusk said even though he didn’t really understand what he meant, “Can Glidin’ and I go play battlecloud?!” He smiled brightly, wanting to play his favorite game.
Star nodded at the little colt, “Yes you may.” She spoke in an absent mind, now staring back at her husband with both shyness and affection.
The foals left the table loudly and galloped off to their rooms, while the couple sat at the table silently. Star and Crescent were both switching from peaking at each other from the table as they sat in silence which felt like it began to drag on for quite awhile until Crescent spoke up.
“Hey Star... do you remember when we first met?” He asked, now shifting his gaze directly to the love of his life.
The grey coated mare then looked up to match her husbands face, her cheeks turning a light shade of blush, “O-of course...” She closed her eyes and began to relish in the memory, “...It was so adorable... and so perfect.”
***
It was a seemingly normal day in Canterlot, the weather control always on their toes and making sure Canterlot always looked it’s best, as the capital of Equestria always should. Starry Night was trotting through the streets, brushing past crowds of fancily dressed unicorns with their noses stuck up in the air. She was on her way to the library, the exams were growing near and she wanted to hit the books hard and get down to business, a colt from her class offered to help study with her today, but she couldn’t quite remember his name. ‘Crest Sky? Something sparkle..? Ugh, I should have asked for a description of where to even meet him... it happened so fast, but I’m willing to take all the help I can get.’ She was nearing the library, ‘Astrophysics is hard...’ She thought to herself as she started to climb the whitestone steps into the library.
She stepped inside, the bookshelves of the massive library towered high, almost reaching the ceiling. This library was mostly exclusive for unicorns, most of the non-unicorn residents could hardly ever reach the higher-up books. She trotted inside, there didn’t seem to be too many ponies in the building at the moment, which almost bewildered her because this library in particular was so beautiful. The red velvet floors were always clean and looking pretty, the walls were a beautiful shade or brown, she always assumed they were spruce but she could never quite tell. The bookcases were labeled with small golden plates, and the books were almost always perfectly align and in the correct places. She continued to trot towards the center of the library, where all of the bookcases seemed to align together in an apex to make a circle with a few tables separating them.
Starry Night reached the clearing and saw a blue colt, alone and sitting at one of the tables with a pile of books next to him ‘I hope thats him...’ She trotted up to him, “Hello? Are you Cresent?” She asked, but in her mind she kept repeating to herself, ‘please get the name right, please get the name right...’
Crescent Sparkle was locked within his book before she came near, indulged within the confines of literary knowledge. But as he heard her voice he shook his head out of his numbly-trance. He looked up at the mare, “Y-yes, that’s me, Crescent Sparkle.” He looked at her, he offered to help her out in the classroom, but he did it hastily to look for a study partner before he quickly left, but now that he had a chance to fully look at her, he felt almost speechless. “Uh...” He could only say, now wondering why someone like her would accept to study with a colt like him.
She put out a hoof to shake, “Sparkle... as in Sparkle’s Quill and Bookstore?” She asked, recalling the name.
He nodded quickly and shook her hoof still happy that she was freely talking to him. “Yes, my parents own that store,I work there on my free time…” he thought quickly, “Wh… what’s your name?”
“Starry Night.” She answered quickly back, smiling and now retracting her hoof.
His eyes shot open. “Night… as in the Night family…?” he asked in shock. While the Night family wasn't too powerful, it’s influence was growing rapidly.
She nods slowly. “Yeah…” she says almost hesitantly. She scoffed her hoof along the desk as the awkward silence ensued.
He quickly tries to remember all the manners his mom taught him. “W-what… what can I do for you Starry…?” he asked with a nervous smile completely forgetting why the mare was here.
“Please just Star… and we were going to study our Galactic Astronomy class together…” she says. She pulled out of the wood seats and sat placing her thick pile of notes in front of her.
Crescent dug through his notes and pulled out a sheet, “Yeah... ok Professor Orion said....”
***
Star chuckled at the memory. They slowly scooted closer to one another as they recalled that day, never breaking eye contact. Now the tips of their snouts were just touching. “You were so nervous that day Crescent…”
A blush spread across his face as he looked away just briefly. “Well… you are the prettiest mare in Equestria… and I couldn’t believe you were talking to me… let alone wanted to study with me” he tried to justify his nervousness.
“I know… you were the best friend I ever made and you still are…” she answers. Her lips slowly move up, and meet his warm coat on the side of his head in a kiss, “Do you remember the day you asked me out?”
“Of course… I was working on my thesis…”
***
Crescent’s small apartment was dimly lit. He sighed as stared at the same data sheet that has been sitting in front of him for almost two hours now. ‘Come on Night… you have staring at these Pulsar observations for two hours… starts writing something… an equation anything…’ He tried and failed to get himself to accomplish anything right now. He fiddle with quil as he tried to find some idea, but his mind was preoccupied. ‘Stop thinking about Star… she is a practically noble… you could never be anything more friend to her… she is going to marry some prince… not the son of two booksellers…’ he thought to himself. He had truly fallen for the mare. She was the best friend he had ever made.
He dug through his notes and pulled out a few of his astrophysics books and opened to a random page. ‘I just need to do some reading… then get back to my research and I can forget about the heartbreak…’ his thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. “Who could that be…” he groaned to himself as he trotted to the door and swung it open. “I’m busy…” he stopped mid thought at what he saw. A familiar grey unicorn mare was standing in the door way. Her eyes were bloodshot from the tears that stained her cheeks. “S-star…” he stammered out as he helplessly watched his best friend and crush sob.
“Crescent….” She says throwing herself into his arms and…
***
“Grandma… Grandpa…” Dusk called out interrupting their thoughts. The energtic colt galloped in and skidded as he stopped next to the couple.
Star’s head shook slightly as she left her trance-like state “What is it Dusk?” the mare asked, as she watched the beaming foal.
“Can you come play Battlecloud with us…” Dusk bounced up and down. “... please…” he says with the best set of puppy-dog eyes.
Star looked to the waiting colt. “Sure… we will be right out…” she said as the colt cheered and galloped back into the his bedroom. She stood up and used her magic to place the dishes in the sink and turned to her husband. “We will finish this story later...” she says with a soft smile. “… After I beat you that is…”
Crescent jumps up from his seat. “I don’t think so Star… I am more than ready to beat you…” he says moving away from the table.
Star playfully pushed ahead of the stallion. “Remember Shining got his tactical prowess from me…” she giggles and looks her husband in the eye. They lock in a gaze and pull in for a short kiss. “I love you Crescent…”
Crescent looked into his wife’s eyes. The love they shared had not faded, he could still feel the passion in their marriage. “I love you too Star…” he said, it still felt like they just got married. He turned his head as the sounds of the waiting foals. “I think they are waiting…” he laughs.
“Yeah… let’s go…”