And the Stones Showered the Earth

Chapter 3

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Meteor asked Blue.

He was pacing the hallway.

“Yes, I have to talk to Celestia about what to do next.” He said after a short pause.

“Ok, but what are you going to say? Hi princess I was just wondering if you could help me seduce your sister.” She asked sarcastically.

“I don't know, but I've known Celestia for a long time surely she can give me SOME advice.” Blue said, ignoring Meteors insult.

Two royal guards silently walked out, “Come with us, you are next to see the princess.” And lead us to the Meeting hall.

As we walked into the grand meeting hall Meteor just looked around, she always loved the architecture, even as a foal.

We stopped right in front of Celestia's throne and bowed to her.

“Hello there my little ponies, I am to understand that this meeting is urgent.” She said in the voice she used around her guards.

Blue looked up to speak. “Yes, princess, it is. We must speak with you in um...private”

She gave a small nod to her guards. Once they were gone she started to talk.

“Now Blue Moon what is this Urgent business we need to discus?”

“Oh you know--“ Meteor had zoned out at this point, still looking around the at the intricate design.

“Oh its nothing in fact it can wait until next time we meet, lets say, oh I don't know, like a couple hundred years? Yeah that sounds good.” Meteor heard this and stood in his way.

“Oh no you don't. We came all this way so you could ask Miss Celestia your question. I'm not letting you back out now.” Meteor pushed back toward the princess.

“Sigh. You're right Meteor, what would I do without you?” He said turning back toward Celestia.

“Ok Celestia I came here to ask about your sister, Princess Luna, and to tell you of my feelings for her.” Blue stood with his chin up, but his eyes closed in terror. He lightened up when he realized Celestia was doing her best to suppress a giggle.

“Is that what this is about? I have known about your infatuation with my sister for a very long time and I am quite surprised that it took you this long to tell me.” She said, still trying not to laugh.

“Um Miss Celestia, Blue Moon came here to ask for your help at trying to win over Luna’s heart. Considering he couldn't do it the first time.” Meteor said trying to defuse the situation.

Celestia looked at her confused. “What do you mean he couldn't do it the first time? He has never tried asking out my sister.”

Meteor looked to Celestia with confusion. “But he told me he tried, and she turned him down.”

Celestia turned to him. “Lying to your friend is never a good idea Blue.”

“Huh, fine I guess I should tell you the truth. I never really tried to ask Luna to be my very special somepony. Every time I got near her I got really shy and hid. In fact I don't even know if she knows who I am.” Blue said looking at his hooves.

Meteor walked over and gave him a hug, “I understand what you mean,” She then slapped him across his face. “That is for lying to me.”

All he did was rub his reddening cheek.

“Well now that that is out of the way, we can proceed? Blue, I am sorry, but I can't help you it will be up to you to win over my sisters’ heart.” The Princess said apologetically.

Blue looked to her. “I understand princess, come on Meteor we have to head home now. I'm sure the princess has a lot of work to do.”

Without another word we bid the princess farewell and started our flight home.

“Ok Blue, what's going on? Why did we just leave like that, we could have went to Luna or something.”

Blue would only ignore her.

“Hello? Equestria to Blue are you even listening to me?”

Blue sped up

Meteor tried the door to no avail. “Blue let me in. We have to go back so you can talk to the Princess! You need to tell her how you feel”

“No Meteor I can't, I'm not going to. Not right now, no, just give me some time ok?”

“Sigh” “Ok Blue I will give you some time, but we’ll go back to Canterlot and you will talk to Luna.” She said with emphasis on the word will.

“Ok.”

“I got to go Blue, it's getting late. I'll see you in a couple of days. Try to get out or something, you spend all of your time in this house.”

Meteor made it home and went to her bed, she couldn't stop thinking about Blue and Luna.

Meteor was sleeping, but not soundly. Through her dream she was reliving her most frightening, yet favorite, memory

“BOO!” Yelled a colt that snuck up on Meteor Shower, whose scream frightened nearby wildlife.

“What’s wrong Meteor Flower?” The colt taunted. “Oh! I bet you thought I was a frog!” He continued in his laughter. Meteor hated to be reminded of the incident.

It had been nearly a year since it happened. One of her classmates had brought a toad, something she already disliked, to their classroom. Meteor had been reading her favorite story from the book “Equestrian Tales throughout the Ages”. It had taken nearly two years to save up enough for her own copy.

Meteor was midway through “The Mare in the Moon” when she felt it. The toad had been thrown onto her head. She could feel its slick skin as it slid down her face and plopped onto her book, ruining the ink of the entire story with the water it had been soaking in. This was when Meteor realized she had been screaming the entire time. She ran from the building crying, she didn't even bother to grab her belongings.

“Stop calling me that” Meteor said angrily to the colt.

“What are you going to do about it?” He said in response. “Oh. I know what will make me take it back, you spending a night in the Everfree forest!” The colt took off.

“I will! Meet me there tonight!” Meteor yelled back before he was out of earshot.

She quickly ran home.

Meteor climbed up the stairs to their porch. Her dad was sitting on a swing, gazing into what he called “Infinity”.

“Um… Daddy, could I go to…ah um…” She hadn't really thought this far. “Sleep Over!” She blurted out as it came to her head.

“Sure.” Her dad said in his spacey voice. “Just remember your toothbrush.”

Her dad was a dull grey pegasus named Broken Star. His mane was a faded canary yellow; his cutie mark resembled a five line star missing its lower-left point, the lines that did exist appeared to glow faintly yellow. Broken Star was an artist whom could never quite finish his work; however, few ponies found it unique and would buy it for quite high prices. He even took Meteor with him to meet the princess over his work once.

“Thank you Daddy,” She said giving him a hug. “ I'll be on my best behavior.”  Meteor went inside to “pack”.

The sun had begun to set when Meteor reached the main path into The Everfree forest. She heard a rustling behind her.

“BOO!” yelled the same colt from earlier, thinking he had snuck up on her. Meteor slowly turned to face him with a blank look she learned from her dad.

“Heh, I thought you have chickened out. Meteor Flower” The colt said, trying to play it cool.

"I told you not to call me that." She responded, not breaking her gaze. Then, without waiting for a response she ran inside the Everfree forest.

Meteor had been walking for about 2 hours on the only path she could find before running into a dead end. She turned around to look at the path she had followed, when she faced back in her intended direction a clear path had somehow appeared. Meteor stepped into the moonlight wondering how she hadn't noticed this path.

The moon was high in the sky, Meteor was focusing on the distant tree line when she saw a shadow flash on the path ahead of her. By the time she looked up Meteor couldn't see anything that would have caused the massive shadow. She continued walking, it had been nearly ten minutes since she saw the shadow at first. A slightly smaller shadow flashed over the path again, this time with a faint whooshing sound. Again, by the time Meteor had looked up she couldn't see anything. After another few minutes Meteor could hear a rather loud Whooshing sound behind her, it reminded her of her father’s wings as he hovers a bit above the ground. When she turned around that familiarity was immediately replaced with pure horror. Meteor let out such a scream that nearly all creatures in the nearby forested areas scurried into their nests and dens. Inside a wooden hut the scream was twisted and distorted by the Everfree forest, but the zebra inside knew the horror within such a sound.

Zecora bolted into the forest toward the source of the sound. She looked out onto the cleared path in amazement, what she was looking at was so rare few ponies see one. Ahead of her a massive celestial bird was flying above a young foal. She rummaged through her bag shortly before dashing down toward the scene. The bird had captured the foal and begun to drain her energy. Zecora pulled a small reed like plant from her bag. The star-bird's attention immediately went to her. Zecora held it in her mouth and blew through it. The many small holes through the exterior of the plant turned the sound higher than normal hearing. The beast couldn't bear the sound for long and quickly flew off. Zecora dashed down to the foal. She lifted the little pegasus onto her back and carefully started the uphill trip home.

"Nice to see you are awake, I'm sure that scene was quite a shake." Meteor heard a voice as she stirred, but kept quiet.

"No need to feel such fear, with your encounter I am not near." The voice said again. Meteor recognized a tone in it, almost motherly. She could feel a warmth in it.

"Wh-where am I?" Meteor finally sputtered. "And who are you?"