Cosmic Discoveries
Lyric opened the door to the tavern, shivering as she transitioned from the gusting autumn breeze to the roaring fire. Although she wore her cloak, even a relentless wind would chill her eventually. She gave a wave to the tavern keeper behind the bar as she settled in near, but not too close to, the fire. She held her hooves before it for a few moments and rubbed them. It was difficult to play with cold hooves after all.
Ponies had turned to follow her with their eyes as she entered. When she lowered her hood, the regulars cheered and waved, saying, "Hey, Lyric! Glad to have you back!"
"It's been too long!"
"Nice to see you're doing okay for yourself out there."
"You're gonna give us something good, right?"
Most of the ponies who hadn't glanced at her before perked up their ears and turned their heads at this last comment. The rest were elbowed by their friends or by those sitting nearby and finally, if grudgingly, gave the cloaked pony their attention.
When she was warmed, Lyric reached behind her back and removed the instrument strapped to it. It was her lute, and she strummed its strings and hummed a note to tune it to her liking. Although its polish was worn, the notes that sounded into the night were pure and clear. Satisfied, she lifted her head to address the gathered crowd.
"Hello, everypony. It's lovely to see you all here, and to see some familiar faces." Another cheer arose from the regulars. She smiled. "As the autumn nights grow longer, the night sky grows clearer. Not only do we have a spectacular view of the moon, but the stars are shining brightly as well. So here's a question for you... Where did the stars come from?"
"Haven't they always been there?" an indignant voice cried.
Lyric played another note and stated, "That's what I thought, too. But after some extensive research and a few happy discoveries, I have found the truth. And if you would like to hear it, listen close to my tale."
The tune she played was a lighthearted one as she began. "Long ago, when Princesses Celestia and Luna first began their rule of Equestria, they wanted to learn all about the land they had become the caretakers of. But how could they do that when their duties and responsibilities kept them in the Palace? Remember that Equestria itself was still young at this point, and so there was not the extensive history of the land that we have today.
"Well, it was not long before Starswirl the Bearded had the answer: they would send out explorers to discover the secrets of the land for them. The Princesses agreed that this was a wonderful idea, and summoned all the known explorers to come before them. Among these few was a young Earth Pony named Dashing Hoof. Each pony was given a simple-sounding task. 'Head out in different directions and record anything new and of interest,' Princess Celestia told them. 'Take as much time as you need and find as much as you can. You'll know when you have reached the end of Equestria when you no longer feel our magic. When you feel that you have discovered all that you can, or when you are weary and need rest, return to us and report all you have found. Good luck, everypony!' With that, the Princesses spread their wings, gave everypony their blessings, and their quest had begun."
Now the melody became a quick, jaunty one. Some ponies clapped and clopped their hooves in time as all leaned in to hear what Lyric would say next.
"Now it's said that Dashing Hoof took off in a westerly direction, the direction of the setting sun. Light of heart and of hoof, he was proud and humbled to be one of the few chosen for such an important task. He traveled far and wide, seeing much and recording it all with delight. However..." Here her melody started to slow and became somber. "Such a long journey does take a toll. On one particular occassion, a weary and wandering Dashing Hoof saw that the light of day was fading. With no other suitable habitation, he backtracked for a short while to a cave he had passed by. Making sure it was free of dragons, manticores, or any other type of cave-dwelling inhabitant, Dashing settled in for the night. He was lacking wood for a fire and so was forced to eat a cold supper. As he sat and ate, he saw that Princess Luna's moon outside had risen high. But wait, could that be right? He looked around and realized that there was a dim glow inside the cave even without a fire. How could this be?"
The gathered ponies murmured their wonder and astonishment, looking from one to another, through the window to the night sky, and back to the teller of the tale. The notes she played quickened once more and took on a mysterious air.
"Dashing looked around his shelter for the night, and it didn't take him long to see the glowing stones inside the walls, on the ceiling and under his hooves. In awe, he found a few that had fallen to the ground and picked them up, putting them safely into his bag to bring back to the Palace. With that, he curled up to sleep.
"When Dashing woke the next morning, he was so excited to see the glowing stones once more and glanced all around him, but there was a problem. The stones he had seen the night before were nothing more than ordinary rock. He scrambled through his bag for the ones he had gathered, but they too appeared to be nothing special. Disheartened, he placed them back into his bag anyway, hoping to at least share the strange tale with the Royal Sisters and hoping more that they would believe him."
The slow, somber melody played again as Lyric continued. "It was many more days and nights before Dashing was able to begin his journey back to the Palace, and it was many more before he remembered what he had found in that cave. After all, with all he had seen and learned, there were many different thoughts running through his mind and he was deciding what to share with the Princesses first. But when he did remember the stones, he brought them out and hoped he would see the glow. Instead he saw plain rocks once again and sighed, ready to give up on them. Yet as fate would have it, the light began to fade just then and they began to glow. When the moon reached its peak, the glow of the stones did too, and it was the most wonderful sight he could have imagined just then. With his spirits renewed, Dashing jogged toward the Palace throughout the night."
Lyric's hooves danced on her lute's strings to produce a quick, excited melody to match the mood she was sure Dashing had felt on that night so long ago. "An exhausted but satisfied Dashing reached the Palace the next day and immediately requested an audience with the Princesses. When they heard he had returned, they smiled and asked for him to be sent in, excited to hear what this explorer might have found. Dashing bowed before them, dirty and tired, but also elated. 'Princesses,' he began, 'I have traveled far and seen much, but if you would allow me to, I shall start with my favorite discovery.'
"'Proceed,' Princess Celestia told him, and he dug through his bag with a grin. When he produced the stones, the Princesses stared.
"'What are these...?' Princess Luna glanced from the stones to Dashing. 'Why have you brought us ordinary stones?'
"'They may look ordinary, Princess, but I assure you that they are not. I know it is almost time for you to raise the moon, and when you do, you shall discover their secret as I have.'
"The Princesses shared a glance and then nodded. 'Very well then, give us but a few moments,' Princess Celestia stated, and closed her eyes in concentration. The sun lowered in the sky as Princess Luna then closed her eyes and raised the moon. Before she could open them again, she heard Princess Celestia gasp.
"'What is it, dear Sister?' she asked as she opened her eyes. But when she saw the glowing stones in Dashing's hooves, she stared in awe. 'What are these?' she queried, and reached out a hoof to touch them.
"'I do not know, Princess. I only know that I found them in a cave and that they light up in the night.'
"The Princesses stared in awe at this wonder he had found. Princess Celestia said, 'Could you tell us where you found these?'
"'Certainly,' Dashing stated, and described the direction he had taken and the area in which he had sheltered in the cave.
"Satisfied, they nodded and smiled, but soon Princess Luna had a thought. 'Sister, these are beautiful, but what shall we do with them?'
The music floating through the room softened. Everypony was enthralled. Here, Lyric smiled as she imagined Princess Celestia had. "'We shall share them with everypony. They are too beautiful to keep locked away in a vault.'
"'Share them? But how?' It was then that Princess Celestia asked for the stones from Dashing. He held them out, and the Princess of the Sun used her magic to place them into the hooves of the Princess of the Moon.
"'What am I to do with these, Sister?'
"'Well they only glow at night, so let's place them in your sky. That way, they can be seen and enjoyed by everypony along with your moon.'
"And here all three ponies smiled, satisfied with this answer. Dashing watched, amazed as the Princesses lifted his discovery with their magic and trotted with the stones onto the balcony before raising them into the night sky. Everypony below watched in awe, astounded by the new wonder above. Over time, Dashing and the Princesses sought out more of the stones to place in the sky, and they became known as stars, in honor of Starswirl the Bearded, whose idea it was for the expeditions to the far reaches of Equestria in the first place."
Here, Lyric silenced her lute. All but the wooden logs crackling in the fire were quiet in the tavern. She lifted her head to address her audience. "I'm sure you're wondering what else it is Dashing Hoof found on his journey and whatever became of him. Well, he did become a renowned explorer and was essential to the Princesses as they settled into their roles as rulers. As for his other discoveries..." And here she gave her gathered audience a knowing grin. "Those are tales for another time."
THE END