Look to the Starsby GingerLunaChaptersThat Stallion in LineAstronomy That Special SomeponyMint TeaThe Start The Call That Stallion in Line“That Stallion in Line” “Pegasus meeting?” I wondered aloud, my eyes flicking across the flyer. “Wonder what Rainbow Dash wants to do now.” My best friend and co-worker Parasol responded, fluttering her wings happily. “It’ll probably be really fun!” “I hope,” I muttered, my hoof scraping the dirt. For me it just meant one more night that I couldn't go to the field. “Oh darn,” Parasol said, unfolding her wings, “Lunch Break ends in five minutes.” “Darn darn darn!” I responded, flapping my wings and taking to the sky. Parasol did the same and soon we were flying, dodging clouds and riding wind currents, until we cantered to the employee entrance of the Weather Factory. I flung open the door, pulled off my saddlebag and trotted to my station. “Parasol, Merry May,” a strict voice called from behind us. We both spun around, and I felt a jolt of terror course through me. Then I saw the pretty, purplish mare with her curly pink mane, and my fear disappeared. “Rainbow Shine.” I sighed with relief. “Don’t trick us like that!” Parasol nickered. “But it’s so much fun. Anyway, you better hurry. We’re one rainbow behind,” Rainbow Shine called, flying over to her station at one of the large vats full of mixed spectra. I fluttered over to the cabinet that held the giant spoons we used for mixing, grabbed one in my hooves, and flew over to one of the pools of spectra to begin stirring it. “Merry May! Bring me some of that liquid,” a pony called, so I scooped up a spoon-full of spectra and carefully brought it over to the rainbow-making station. We went on like that for a while, until (finally!) I hung up my apron and hat, put my saddlebag on, stretched my tired wings, and flew home. I live in a tiny cottage in the center of Ponyville. It’s not the fanciest house, or the biggest, but I love it. I love its smooth, worn floorboards. I love its soft blue curtains. I love my garden in the back. I love my flower-boxes, and I love my bookcases and my bedroom. My cottage is one of the only things in my life that I love. I sighed, and hung my saddle-bag on a hook near my door. I trotted wearily into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. Once that was done I carried it over to my balcony and sipped at it, lost in thought. It’s such a calming place, with the sweet aroma from my garden drifting up, and the gentle flavor of the tea in my mouth. Once I drained the cup I trotted back into my house, put the cup in the sink, and packed my saddlebags. I would have to eat early if I was to make it to the meeting on time. I fluttered out of my house and over Ponyville until I reached Sugarcube Corner. I landed in front of my favorite restaurant, Sweet Sassafras, and trotted over to my favorite table. “Ahh, Merry May!” the owner said, walking over. “Your usual?” “Yes please.” I responded, pulling my book out of my saddlebag and started to read. My food came in ten minutes or so. It was delicious, hot sassafras and blueberry soup. I slurped it happily, left some bits on the table, then put my book back in my bag and took to the skies. The sky had just started to grow dim by the time I landed at Twilight Sparkle’s library. I took my place at the back of the line of pegasi and waited, because I was a few minutes early. I scraped at the dirt and trotted in place a little, fluttering my wings nervously. “Hi,” a deep voice said from behind me. I turned around to look at him and nearly gasped. He had a dark blue coat and a light blue mane. His wings were pretty big for a pegasus. His eyes were huge, with pale blue irises. But it was his cutie mark that got me. It was a constellation, a complex version of Orion. A constellation I had seen many times. “Umm…hi,” I responded nervously. “My name’s Star Hunter. What’s yours?” he asked kindly. “Mmm…Merry May,” I responded, stuttering a bit. This pony had all I ever wanted. How do you talk to somepony who probably had your dream life?! “Well, Merry May, don’t you work at the weather factory?” “Yeah. But…but I hate working there,” I answered, so incredibly nervous I didn’t even know what I was saying. “Why? It seems like a cool job.” He frowned, flicking his head so his mane flipped just over his eye. “It’s just sort of tedious. Doing the same thing over and over. Plus I live in Ponyville, so it’s a little bit of a hike, even with the right wind currents,” I answered, slowly gaining control of my words. “Oh. I understand. Well, why don’t you do something else? What do you like to do?” he asked curiously. “I…I-” I stuttered, suddenly shyer than Fluttershy. “I like to…ummm…” At that moment Rainbow Dash called out, “Come on everypony! In ya’ go!” I silently thanked Celestia, and trotted into the room full of pegasi. I made my way out of the meeting, excited for training tomorrow and terrified that I would bump into Star Hunter again. I had to see them tonight, I just had to. No matter how tired I was in the morning. I flew home quickly and ran around my house in a flurry, grabbing my journal, maps, telescope, extra quills and ink, a blanket, and a thermos of coffee. Once my saddlebags were packed, I took flight, hiding myself in the gentle cloud cover. I knew the way so well, I could find the hill blind-folded. I slowly descended from the clouds, and landed on the grassy hill. My hill. The stars were out tonight, brighter than ever before. I just sat and stared for a little bit. They were so magnificent, shining brightly from thousands of miles away. They told stories and inspired wonder. Every time I felt doubtful, lonely or sad, all I had to do was look to the stars, and I was reminded that I was not alone. I could barely take my eyes off them to get a quill out of my bag. I eventually forced myself to get my journals and maps, and started recording which constellations were visible. It was relaxing and fun; and I loved doing it more than anything. “Merry May?” I spun around, my ink spilling and staining my hooves black. “Star…Star Hunter?” I asked, my face pale with shock, disbelief, and fear . “What are you doing here?” he asked, trotting over to help me wipe off my hooves. “Are those…maps? Star maps?!” “I guess I’d better tell you everything.” I whinnied sadly, pushing the ink bottle upright with my hoof. Astronomy Astronomy “Astronomy” “It all started when I was a little filly. Only five years old, actually. My mother, she was always travelling so I couldn’t really remember her; I lived with my dad most of the time. I developed a love for the stars and astronomy, and I would look out the window and stare at the stars for hours at a time,” I said. “Oh, so you stayed up past your bedtime? Bad girl,” Star Hunter asked, a smile on his face. “I was five!” I retorted, smiling back. “Anyway, all I wanted was to finally meet my mother. I knew that she would be everything I had dreamed of - nice, kind, inspiring... I just knew that she would care about the stars too, and maybe even help me with astronomy. So when my father said she was coming home, I was so excited! As soon as she arrived I dashed to meet her, and it was nice for the first couple of hours. She nuzzled me, and colored with me. Then when we sat down for dinner, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I told her that I wanted to be an astronomer, mapping stars and such.” “Which you do,” Star Hunter added, grinning. “Which I do now,” I finished, and then took another deep breath. “Anyway, she laughed at me and told me that it was a stupid dream; that I would probably end up working at the Weather Factory, like all pegasi from Ponyville.” “She didn’t!” Star Hunter shouted, shooting to his hooves in rage. “I was born and raised here, and I’m known all over Equestria for my star maps and my work in astronomy! My father Orion and his friends are the official astronomers of Equestria!” “Lucky you,” I replied drearily. His face paled, and he sat down, nuzzling me gently. “I’m so sorry Merry May. I didn’t mean - I was just angry.” “It’s all right,” I answered sadly. “Anyway, it crushed me. I was afraid to trust anyone else with that part of me, with my biggest secret. So I hid my passion, sneaking out here at night to map stars. I work for the Weather Factory, like every other pegasus from Ponyville. I’m just a normal little pegasus with a huge secret.” He wrapped his wing around me. “A huge secret which you now know,” I said, turning to look at Star Hunter. “Please don’t tell.” “Of course I won’t,” he answered soothingly. “But I’m not going to betray you. You could sell these star maps, publish your findings. These are some of the best maps I’ve ever seen - detailed and accurate. There aren’t many pony astronomers, you know. You could make a living like this, and nopony can say you can’t.” “But I’m…I’m scared what ponies will think. I mean, it’s not the most realistic idea. What if I fail, and I lose my job because of it? And what if Parasol…laughs?” I said fearfully. “Who cares what they think? You’ve got to have some faith in yourself,” he reasoned, nuzzling me again. “Maybe, okay? Anyway, it’s late. I need to go or I’ll be too tired to work,” I answered, packing up my belongings into my saddlebags. “Merry May, wait,” Star Hunter said, and I turned around, wings ready to fly. “When can I see you again?” he asked. “Twenty-three Sunflower Street. I get weekends off, and I get home around four-thirty on weekdays. Or call me at eight one six - two three four two,” I answered, already in the sky. “Goodbye!” “Goodbye!” I watched her fly off, unevenly beating her wings through the air. Poor thing. I must have given her a heck of a shock. There’s just something about her. The way she looks at me with those sparkling eyes, or the way she scrapes at the ground when she’s nervous. She’s different from all those crazy fillies I meet at speeches. Maybe it’s because she doesn't want me, and isn't interested romantically. But I do know one thing. She’s the most beautiful mare I've ever seen. I thought she was beautiful before I knew she loved stars. Now, things are different. I just want to be with her so badly, help her complete her story. Is that wrong? It can’t be wrong, can it? But only she can stop the horrible guilt in my stomach. I’m still in shock as I fly away; my wing-strokes are unbalanced, and it’s only out of habit that I remember to fly in the cloud cover. I’m stunned, shell-shocked. I don’t know this stallion! He has no right to go about, telling me what I should do. But some part of me, however small it may be, knows he’s right. I could be famous. I could have everything I've ever wanted. I shake my head, and continue flying towards home. “Umm…Parasol?” I asked into the phone, my hoof quivering a little. “Yes Mers?” she responded cheerfully. “I can’t come into work today. Tell Rainbow Shine, please?” I answered. “Of course! Are you all right?” she exclaimed, worry in her tone. “Yes. I just have a light cough,” I responded calmly. “Okay. Get better soon, all right?” she said, worry still in her tone. “I will. Bye,” I answered, putting the phone back on the receiver. “Bye!” That Special Somepony“That Special Somepony” “So, what’s her name?” my best friend Comet Tail asked, taking a sip of his coffee. “Who? What…what do you mean?” I asked, worry shooting through me. “You’ve obviously met ‘that special somepony’! I’ve never seen you look at one of Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes so intently without gobbling it up,” he answered matter of factly. “Okay, fine. Her name’s Merry May. She works at the weather factory. I…I’ve had a crush on her for a while, and I worked up the nerve to talk to her in the line for the pegasus meeting.” I answered, blushing. “Awww! So you talked to her? What did you say?” he asked, leaning closer to me over the table. “Well, she seemed kind of nervous,” I answered, looking at my cupcake, “but she told me that I could come visit her.” “Maybe she has a crush on you too?” Comet Tail suggested, sipping his coffee as he waited for my reply. “I don’t think she knew I even existed until I talked to her,” I responded, a touch of sadness in my voice. “Oh. Well, you should totally visit her. Oh, and take her something. What does she like?” Comet Tail asked. “I... I don’t know,” I said, but inside I knew exactly what to get her. I woke up the next morning and groggily got out of bed. I had spent the last day wandering around my house, trying to figure out what to do. What if he didn’t keep my secret? What if I became the laughing stock of Ponyville? But what if he did? What kind of relationship would that spark? Would we be friends? Or would he use it to blackmail me? Was the fragile little life I’d built here over? Deep down, I knew he would keep my secret, but that triggered the greatest fear of all. What if he was right? What if I could be great? What if I could do this… as my job? Be an official astronomer? Sell my star maps, and be… sorta kinda famous? I didn’t know what to do. Maybe a day at work would clear my head? Working around the spectra is boring, but calming. I quickly packed my saddle bags and took off, riding the wind currents. “Merry May?” I turned around to see Parasol flying towards me, a concerned expression on her face. “Parasol?” I called, lagging back so she could catch up to me. “Are you okay? I was so worried! Rainbow Shine was totally okay with you missing a day. She didn’t even count it as a sick day,” Parasol whinnied, finally catching up to me. “That’s awesome,” I responded, “she’s such a nice supervisor.” “So, why were you really out yesterday?” Parasol asked. “What do you mean?” I responded, fear flickering in my stomach. “I... I was sick. Why would I lie about that?” “Something big has happened, Merry. That’s why you skipped work yesterday. I see it in your eyes, plus your voice wasn’t scratchy at all over the phone yesterday.” “Oh,” I answered quietly. I didn’t really know how to respond to that. “I’m sorry Merry. I… I just… I feel like we’re drifting apart. We used to be so close! And now you’re lying to me so you can stay home from work? Please Merry, I just want to know what’s going on,” Parasol said earnestly. “Okay.” I sighed sadly. Star Hunter had said that I should do this. And what better test subject was there than my best friend? “I… I love the stars. Almost every night, I sneak out to this special hill and record which star is where, and draw maps of the constellations. Last night, I saw this stallion there. His name is Star Hunter. He… he told me that I should try telling everyone about my passion for the stars, and that I could make a lot of money from it. And I… I just don’t know what to do. I mean, what if I can’t do it? I want to so badly, but what if I become famous? What if all my friends don’t want to be my friends anymore? What if it’s not how my story is supposed to go? I’m just so confused,” I finished, tears in my eyes. “Oh Merry,” Parasol responded, pulling me over onto a cloud. “I think it’s wonderful that you like stars. Your story is whatever you make of it, no matter what anypony else might think. You should totally sell your maps! I don’t think it would be a bad idea at all. Nopony would love you any less for it.” Her words shocked me, and it took a while for them to sink in. My eyes widened as I realized how supportive she was being. She thought it was a good idea! She didn’t laugh! She thought I could do it! Happiness began to course through me, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes. “Really?!” I answered. “You think I should do it? Oh Parasol! That means so much to me!” “I think next time you see Star Hunter, you should ask him if he knows anypony that would publish your star maps.” “Good idea.” I said, taking off from the cloud. “We… we better head to work.” ______________________________________________________________________________ Mint Tea“Mint Tea” “There.” I said, putting one last piece of tape to hold the wrapping down. Merry May would love the starry wrapping paper I had used. I had gotten it at an Astronomer’s Convention, so all the constellations were accurate. Maybe I could go to the next one with her? I placed the gift in my saddlebag and walked to my front porch, then took flight. It was a five minute flight into Ponyville; I lived quite far out of town because the stars were so much better away from the street and building lights. It was nice, quiet, and dark. Once I reached Sunflower Street, I started searching for number 23. I found it, but there wasn’t a front door or anything, just two windows and a little brass “23” in between them. I flew down to the bottom apartment, but it had a little brass “24” on it. This one did have a front door, but when I peered through one of the windows, it looked abandoned; I couldn’t see a stick of furniture, and everywhere was covered in dust. So, Merry May’s must be the top one. I flew across the length of the wall, looking for a door in vain. After about the fifth time flying across it, I decided to look into one of the windows. Inside I saw a cozy little kitchen, a living room, and through a glass door I saw a cute little porch with a table and two chairs on it. There were a couple of hanging plants and some planters attached to the railings, all overflowing with beautiful flowers. That’s it! A porch! I flew around the back and what I saw took my breath away. Her garden was beautiful. There was a little gravel path winding through a sea of incredible flowers. Almost every single one was in bloom, and the riot of color was absolutely incredible. At the end of the path, there was a little patch of lush looking grass, and small little tree with pretty fresh-looking leaves. The flowers smelled wonderful, and I knew that coming to meet her hadn’t been a mistake. This was going even better than I’d imagined. I flew home from work, barely able to contain my joy. Parasol and I hadn’t told anyone about my star maps, not yet at least. We both thought it was a good idea to wait until I had Star Hunter’s opinion on them. I landed on my porch, giggling slightly as I wondered when he’d stop by. Then I saw him. He was sitting in one of my chairs and looked surprised to see me. “Merry May. I… I just thought I’d come early so I could find your house, and I guess I came too early. I’m sorry,” he stuttered, climbing out of the chair. “Oh, it’s fine. You just startled me, that’s all,” I answered, trotting over to the door and unlocking it. “Come in.” He shook his head. “Ladies first,” he insisted, a smile on his face. I smiled back and duly trotted into my apartment. He followed me, pulling the door shut. “Take any seat.” I offered, putting my saddlebags onto a table and trotting into the kitchen. “You like mint tea, right?” I called. “Yes, I love mint tea!” he exclaimed happily, sinking into one of my armchairs. I filled a tea kettle up with water and left it on the stove to heat up. Opening up my cabinets I took out a container of dried mint leaves and shook out a goodly-sized portion into my pestle to crush them up. I mixed a few other herbs in as well, then separated them into two piles. The kettle started to ‘sing’, so I took it off the stove and poured the hot water into two teacups. I stirred the herbal mixture in and let it steep for a moment while I grabbed some cookies out of my cookie jar and put them on a plate. I put the cookie plate and the two teacups on a tray and, balancing it on my wings, walked back into my living room, placing the tea tray on the coffee table. I picked up a cup of tea and settled myself back happily on the couch. Star Hunter took his own cup and added a cookie. “So, Merry May,” Star Hunter said, taking a sip of his tea. “Have you thought any more on what I said about your star maps?” “Yes,” I answered, nibbling on a cookie. “And I want to do it.” “Really?” he whinnied happily, shock and delight spreading across his face. “I had a whole speech planned!” “Well, I asked my best friend Parasol if she thought it was a good idea. She loved it! She thinks it’s really cool that I make star maps, and that really boosted my confidence. So yeah, I’d love to try this and see if it works,” I answered, taking another sip of my tea. “Okay. I’ll talk to my publisher; I’m sure I can get him to publish your maps. I just need some to show him,” he responded. “I’ll go get them from my bedroom,” I replied, putting my tea on the coffee table. I fluttered off the couch and cantered over to my bedroom. Opening the door, I trotted over to my desk and gently grabbed my star maps in my teeth. Trotting back into the living room, I said, “Here they are. Do you want my journal too?” “Oh, that reminds me! I got you something,” he said, opening up his saddlebag and pulling out a flattish gift wrapped in starry paper. “You didn’t have to,” I whinnied, blushing madly. He got me a present! I took the gift from him and carefully unwrapped the starry paper. Where had he gotten it from anyway? All the constellations were accurate. I peeled the last bit of paper away to see… ______________________________________________________________________________ The Start The Start “The Start” A journal! The leather cover was colored blue and decorated with stars. I flipped the cover over to see the inside. Each page held a little chart that let me record the date, constellation, brightness, and coordinates! My face light up at the sight of it! It was the perfect gift for a pony who liked stars, and Star Hunter knew it. “Look on the back,” he suggested, smiling. I flipped it over, and quickly realized what he meant. Imprinted at the bottom were the words: Property of Miss Merry May. If found please return to 23 Sunflower Street, or call 816-2342. I was smiling so hard I must have looked like an absolute idiot. I tried to reposition my facial muscles into a less embarrassing position, but failed miserably. “Thank you so much!” I cried happily, and wrapped Star Hunter in a hug. “I can’t remember that last time that somepony did something this nice for me!” “You deserve it,” he answered, responding to the hug enthusiastically. “I’ve never seen a pony like you before. So brave and beautiful. I mean, somepony has to do something like this for you. Might as well be me.” Excitement flickered in my stomach. “You… you think I’m beautiful?” I asked, backing out of the hug. “Yes. Yes, I do Merry. I think you’re more beautiful than Celestia herself,” he answered, looking into my eyes. “Re…really?” I stuttered, looking at his kind face. Then the unthinkable happened. He kissed me. At first I was so surprised that I didn’t respond and just stood there like a cockatrice victim. Then I realized what was happening. Smart, brave, handsome Star Hunter was kissing me. He loved me, and thought I was beautiful. And I realized that I loved him too. So I responded enthusiastically, kissing him happily. After a minute or two, we broke apart. I sighed happily and looked at him, not knowing what to say. “I… I’m so sorry,” he said, bowing his head and backing up a step. “I just got caught up in the moment. I… I’ll leave now if you want me to.” “No… no, don’t leave!” I implored him desperately. “I… I’ve never had a stallion treat me like this before. You’re so gentle and kind; please don’t leave me alone again.” “You… you feel the same way about me?” he asked cautiously. “I… I think I do,” I answered, taking a cautious step towards him. “But this is all so… so overwhelming. Can we… can we take it slow?” “Of course!” he answered, nuzzling me affectionately. “But I’d better get going. I’ve got an appointment with my publisher to plan.” “When can I see you again?” I asked, helping him strap his saddlebags onto his back. “I’ll call you. Maybe dinner sometime? My number’s 816-4215. And be sure to keep an eye out for my publisher. He’ll probably send you a letter inviting you to lunch or something.” “Goodbye!” I called to him as he walked out the door. Suddenly, he stopped and spun around. “I… I’ve had a crush on you… for a long time,” he admitted quickly. “I worked up the nerve to talk to you in the line at the meeting. And… and it was just luck that I found you at that field. Having you… having you care for me back… it’s all I’ve ever wanted. Thank you, Merry May.” Then he stretched his wings, took flight, and was gone. I landed on my porch and flung my door open. I shut it with a bang, and ran into my living room, collapsing on my couch and giggling happily. Everything I’d dreamed of had just come true. Merry May loved me! She thought I was gentle and kind! I wanted to call Comet Tail, but it was dinnertime and I was starving. Eating would have to come first. I trotted into my kitchen and pulled some carrots, chives, potatoes and noodles out of my fridge. I chopped them all up (except for the noodles) and heated up a small pot of water. Once it was hot enough, I put them all in, added some salt, and waited for my soup to cook. The tempting aroma quickly filled my house. I licked my lips and started pacing to see if that would make the time go by faster. It didn’t. I decided to go outside and look at the stars for a bit. According to my calculations the stars shouldn’t have changed, but I decided to check anyway. At least it wouldn’t smell like soup. The fresh night air felt good on my fur. I shook my mane happily and trotted to the other side of my porch where my telescope sat. I looked through it, reading the coordinates of each constellation off my chart. If they weren’t dead center in the telescope, then my calculations had been wrong and I would have to re-record the positioning tonight. If they were, then I got a break. I brought my telescope to the coordinates for the constellation of Orion, one of my personal favorites. I checked the coordinates, which were off from my calculations by half a degree, but that could mean a lot of things. My coordinates might not be spot on, or my telescope could have moved, or the stars might have shifted just the tiniest bit. I decided to check the rest after dinner to make sure I was right. I trotted inside and over to the pot on the stove. I used a cloth to take the hot cover off, and spooned myself some nice hot soup. I set it on the table to cool and turned the burner off. I blew on my soup to cool it a little more and went to get a spoon. When I returned to my bowl I was pleased to find it was cool enough to eat now. I moved my spoon to my hoof, and happily slurped down the warming broth. Before I knew it the bowl was empty, so I carried it and the spoon to the sink, washed and dried them, then put them back in the proper drawers. This done, I went outside to check on my constellations again. The others were all were true to my coordinates, so I just recorded the new coordinates for Orion, then covered my telescope with its protective blanket. It was late, and I really needed to get some sleep. I hopped into the shower for a few minutes, then dried myself off and snuggled up in bed. I read for a little while, then turned my light off and thought of Merry May until I fell asleep. ______________________________________________________________________________ The Call The Call “The Call” I fluttered happily up to the cloud where Parasol, Star Hunter and Rainbow Shine waited. They all were reading star maps; my star maps. Parasol looked up and noticed me, then all three called to me, welcomed me and congratulated me. They…they were proud of me. The sun was shining, and the air held a nice, gentle temperature. Soft breezes rolled across the sky, and in that moment, everything was just perfect. Then a little green pony flew up and opened her mouth to congratulate me, but all that came out was an annoying ringing noise. She made it again and again, until finally I felt myself drifting out of my dream. I opened my eyes to be greeted by my ceiling. It had just been a dream, and the ringing noise was my phone. I moaned. Why couldn’t the caller have waited just a little bit longer? I clambered out of bed and half-stumbled, half-fluttered over to my phone, managing to pick it up before the ringing stopped. “This is Merry May,” I said, trying to sound as awake as I could. “Hello Miss May, this is Ink Dot, CEO and Founder of ‘Ink Dot Publications’. One of our clients, Star Hunter, recommended you to us,” the caller replied, in a slightly bored voice. It took a minute for me to process this. Shock and excitement rose in my stomach. “Ma’am?” he asked. “Ma’am, are you still there?” “Yes, I am, sorry,” I answered, trying to sound as official as I could. “Star Hunter, he… he mentioned talking to you about my star maps. Did he show them to you?” “Yes, and they were quite exceptional. You have a gift, Miss May. I’m happy he guided you towards this as a career. We’ll be happy to publish them, but we need to meet you first. We’ll also need some identification; a birth certificate and note of recommendation from your current place of employment will work just fine. I’m free for dinner tonight. I know it’s a bit sudden, so if you wish to meet with us later, we’d be happy to postpone,” Ink Dot said, more emotion in his voice now. “No, dinner is fine. I just can’t get the note from my workplace until tomorrow,” I answered. “Oh, that’s fine,” Ink Dot said. “Just send them to us at Forty-Two Inky Avenue. But please don’t use Derpy Delivery. Last time one of our clients used her, the book she was sending got sent to Cloudsdale instead. And the pegasus who got it read the book rather than sending it back, so there was a delay with the release and half of Equestria knew what had happened….it was a financial disaster.” “I’ll just fly it over,” I answered, trying not to giggle. Derpy was a sweet pony, but she got a little confused sometimes. “All right. Where would you like to eat?” Ink Dot asked warmly. “Oh, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s nice enough that you’re taking me out to dinner,” I answered. “I insist, Miss May. It’s a courtesy I extend to all my clients,” he responded. “Well, there is this one little café I love called ‘Sweet Sassafras.’ It’s near Sugarcube Corner,” I suggested bashfully. “Lovely choice. I’ll meet you there at six,” Ink Dot responded. “I look forward to meeting you, Miss May.” “I look forward to meeting you too. Thank you again,” I replied while I still could control my glee. “Of course, my dear,” he said. “Goodbye.” There was a little click as he hung up. I lay on a soft, fluffy cloud, looking over one of Merry May’s star maps. She had done it, she got them published! Then she flew through the air a short distance away! I called to her, welcoming her. I was so proud of her. She’d overcome her fears, and found her courage! She fluttered over to me, and we celebrated together. The temperature was perfect, and gentle breezes played across the sky. For that one second in time, everything was perfect. Just perfect. Then I felt myself drifting away; next thing I knew I was opening my eyes, blinking them several times. I moaned softly. It had just been a dream. I was back in my house, and Merry May’s maps weren’t published after all. Well, not yet. I fluttered out of bed and into my kitchen, fixed myself a bowl of cereal, and was half-way through eating it when the phone rang. I hurried over to answer it. “Hello?” I said. “Star Hunter. It’s…it’s me,” a quiet voice said from the other end. “Merry May!” I responded happily. “Did my publisher call?” “He did!” she answered, “He was so polite. He invited me to dinner.” “Yeah, Ink Dot is super nice. Where are you guys going?” Star Hunter asked. “Sweet Sassafras. It’s this little café that I just love! I’m so excited! Parasol’s coming over, and we’re gonna go dress-shopping!” Merry May ranted excitedly. “There’s this cute little boutique that someone from work’s mom owns, so we’re going to check it out!” “That sounds like fun!” I responded, slightly bored by her girly excitement. “I’m sorry Star Hunter, I’m babbling. I called you to thank you. You’ve helped me and supported me through all of this. You’ve been so caring. And I’m sorry if I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I could have been the other day. I was just in shock. But I’ve thought about it, and I…I’ve realized that…that I think I love you too. You care about me, you’re funny, and you love the stars. You’re the only pony I feel like I can relate to. Do you want to be…my Special Somepony?” Now it was my turn to be shocked. She….she wanted me? She thought I was funny, and kind? And she wanted to be my…my marefriend? “I… I…” I stuttered, unable to make the words I needed. “Star Hunter?” she asked, hurt in her voice. Her pain gave me courage. “I would love to be your coltfriend,” I answered, my voice strong and clear. “I love you, Merry. I’m pretty sure I made that clear. And I’m delighted that you feel the same about me. I’m so proud of you, Merry. You’ve fought for your dream, and soon that dream will become a reality. Just have fun tonight, all right?” “I will. Thanks Starry,” she responded, excitement in her voice. “Call me tomorrow and tell me how it goes.” “Of course! Bye, Starry,” she said. “Bye Merry,” I said, and with a click, she was gone. ___________________________________________ Author's Note This song inspired the Chapter Title.
That Stallion in Line“That Stallion in Line” “Pegasus meeting?” I wondered aloud, my eyes flicking across the flyer. “Wonder what Rainbow Dash wants to do now.” My best friend and co-worker Parasol responded, fluttering her wings happily. “It’ll probably be really fun!” “I hope,” I muttered, my hoof scraping the dirt. For me it just meant one more night that I couldn't go to the field. “Oh darn,” Parasol said, unfolding her wings, “Lunch Break ends in five minutes.” “Darn darn darn!” I responded, flapping my wings and taking to the sky. Parasol did the same and soon we were flying, dodging clouds and riding wind currents, until we cantered to the employee entrance of the Weather Factory. I flung open the door, pulled off my saddlebag and trotted to my station. “Parasol, Merry May,” a strict voice called from behind us. We both spun around, and I felt a jolt of terror course through me. Then I saw the pretty, purplish mare with her curly pink mane, and my fear disappeared. “Rainbow Shine.” I sighed with relief. “Don’t trick us like that!” Parasol nickered. “But it’s so much fun. Anyway, you better hurry. We’re one rainbow behind,” Rainbow Shine called, flying over to her station at one of the large vats full of mixed spectra. I fluttered over to the cabinet that held the giant spoons we used for mixing, grabbed one in my hooves, and flew over to one of the pools of spectra to begin stirring it. “Merry May! Bring me some of that liquid,” a pony called, so I scooped up a spoon-full of spectra and carefully brought it over to the rainbow-making station. We went on like that for a while, until (finally!) I hung up my apron and hat, put my saddlebag on, stretched my tired wings, and flew home. I live in a tiny cottage in the center of Ponyville. It’s not the fanciest house, or the biggest, but I love it. I love its smooth, worn floorboards. I love its soft blue curtains. I love my garden in the back. I love my flower-boxes, and I love my bookcases and my bedroom. My cottage is one of the only things in my life that I love. I sighed, and hung my saddle-bag on a hook near my door. I trotted wearily into the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. Once that was done I carried it over to my balcony and sipped at it, lost in thought. It’s such a calming place, with the sweet aroma from my garden drifting up, and the gentle flavor of the tea in my mouth. Once I drained the cup I trotted back into my house, put the cup in the sink, and packed my saddlebags. I would have to eat early if I was to make it to the meeting on time. I fluttered out of my house and over Ponyville until I reached Sugarcube Corner. I landed in front of my favorite restaurant, Sweet Sassafras, and trotted over to my favorite table. “Ahh, Merry May!” the owner said, walking over. “Your usual?” “Yes please.” I responded, pulling my book out of my saddlebag and started to read. My food came in ten minutes or so. It was delicious, hot sassafras and blueberry soup. I slurped it happily, left some bits on the table, then put my book back in my bag and took to the skies. The sky had just started to grow dim by the time I landed at Twilight Sparkle’s library. I took my place at the back of the line of pegasi and waited, because I was a few minutes early. I scraped at the dirt and trotted in place a little, fluttering my wings nervously. “Hi,” a deep voice said from behind me. I turned around to look at him and nearly gasped. He had a dark blue coat and a light blue mane. His wings were pretty big for a pegasus. His eyes were huge, with pale blue irises. But it was his cutie mark that got me. It was a constellation, a complex version of Orion. A constellation I had seen many times. “Umm…hi,” I responded nervously. “My name’s Star Hunter. What’s yours?” he asked kindly. “Mmm…Merry May,” I responded, stuttering a bit. This pony had all I ever wanted. How do you talk to somepony who probably had your dream life?! “Well, Merry May, don’t you work at the weather factory?” “Yeah. But…but I hate working there,” I answered, so incredibly nervous I didn’t even know what I was saying. “Why? It seems like a cool job.” He frowned, flicking his head so his mane flipped just over his eye. “It’s just sort of tedious. Doing the same thing over and over. Plus I live in Ponyville, so it’s a little bit of a hike, even with the right wind currents,” I answered, slowly gaining control of my words. “Oh. I understand. Well, why don’t you do something else? What do you like to do?” he asked curiously. “I…I-” I stuttered, suddenly shyer than Fluttershy. “I like to…ummm…” At that moment Rainbow Dash called out, “Come on everypony! In ya’ go!” I silently thanked Celestia, and trotted into the room full of pegasi. I made my way out of the meeting, excited for training tomorrow and terrified that I would bump into Star Hunter again. I had to see them tonight, I just had to. No matter how tired I was in the morning. I flew home quickly and ran around my house in a flurry, grabbing my journal, maps, telescope, extra quills and ink, a blanket, and a thermos of coffee. Once my saddlebags were packed, I took flight, hiding myself in the gentle cloud cover. I knew the way so well, I could find the hill blind-folded. I slowly descended from the clouds, and landed on the grassy hill. My hill. The stars were out tonight, brighter than ever before. I just sat and stared for a little bit. They were so magnificent, shining brightly from thousands of miles away. They told stories and inspired wonder. Every time I felt doubtful, lonely or sad, all I had to do was look to the stars, and I was reminded that I was not alone. I could barely take my eyes off them to get a quill out of my bag. I eventually forced myself to get my journals and maps, and started recording which constellations were visible. It was relaxing and fun; and I loved doing it more than anything. “Merry May?” I spun around, my ink spilling and staining my hooves black. “Star…Star Hunter?” I asked, my face pale with shock, disbelief, and fear . “What are you doing here?” he asked, trotting over to help me wipe off my hooves. “Are those…maps? Star maps?!” “I guess I’d better tell you everything.” I whinnied sadly, pushing the ink bottle upright with my hoof.
Astronomy Astronomy “Astronomy” “It all started when I was a little filly. Only five years old, actually. My mother, she was always travelling so I couldn’t really remember her; I lived with my dad most of the time. I developed a love for the stars and astronomy, and I would look out the window and stare at the stars for hours at a time,” I said. “Oh, so you stayed up past your bedtime? Bad girl,” Star Hunter asked, a smile on his face. “I was five!” I retorted, smiling back. “Anyway, all I wanted was to finally meet my mother. I knew that she would be everything I had dreamed of - nice, kind, inspiring... I just knew that she would care about the stars too, and maybe even help me with astronomy. So when my father said she was coming home, I was so excited! As soon as she arrived I dashed to meet her, and it was nice for the first couple of hours. She nuzzled me, and colored with me. Then when we sat down for dinner, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I told her that I wanted to be an astronomer, mapping stars and such.” “Which you do,” Star Hunter added, grinning. “Which I do now,” I finished, and then took another deep breath. “Anyway, she laughed at me and told me that it was a stupid dream; that I would probably end up working at the Weather Factory, like all pegasi from Ponyville.” “She didn’t!” Star Hunter shouted, shooting to his hooves in rage. “I was born and raised here, and I’m known all over Equestria for my star maps and my work in astronomy! My father Orion and his friends are the official astronomers of Equestria!” “Lucky you,” I replied drearily. His face paled, and he sat down, nuzzling me gently. “I’m so sorry Merry May. I didn’t mean - I was just angry.” “It’s all right,” I answered sadly. “Anyway, it crushed me. I was afraid to trust anyone else with that part of me, with my biggest secret. So I hid my passion, sneaking out here at night to map stars. I work for the Weather Factory, like every other pegasus from Ponyville. I’m just a normal little pegasus with a huge secret.” He wrapped his wing around me. “A huge secret which you now know,” I said, turning to look at Star Hunter. “Please don’t tell.” “Of course I won’t,” he answered soothingly. “But I’m not going to betray you. You could sell these star maps, publish your findings. These are some of the best maps I’ve ever seen - detailed and accurate. There aren’t many pony astronomers, you know. You could make a living like this, and nopony can say you can’t.” “But I’m…I’m scared what ponies will think. I mean, it’s not the most realistic idea. What if I fail, and I lose my job because of it? And what if Parasol…laughs?” I said fearfully. “Who cares what they think? You’ve got to have some faith in yourself,” he reasoned, nuzzling me again. “Maybe, okay? Anyway, it’s late. I need to go or I’ll be too tired to work,” I answered, packing up my belongings into my saddlebags. “Merry May, wait,” Star Hunter said, and I turned around, wings ready to fly. “When can I see you again?” he asked. “Twenty-three Sunflower Street. I get weekends off, and I get home around four-thirty on weekdays. Or call me at eight one six - two three four two,” I answered, already in the sky. “Goodbye!” “Goodbye!” I watched her fly off, unevenly beating her wings through the air. Poor thing. I must have given her a heck of a shock. There’s just something about her. The way she looks at me with those sparkling eyes, or the way she scrapes at the ground when she’s nervous. She’s different from all those crazy fillies I meet at speeches. Maybe it’s because she doesn't want me, and isn't interested romantically. But I do know one thing. She’s the most beautiful mare I've ever seen. I thought she was beautiful before I knew she loved stars. Now, things are different. I just want to be with her so badly, help her complete her story. Is that wrong? It can’t be wrong, can it? But only she can stop the horrible guilt in my stomach. I’m still in shock as I fly away; my wing-strokes are unbalanced, and it’s only out of habit that I remember to fly in the cloud cover. I’m stunned, shell-shocked. I don’t know this stallion! He has no right to go about, telling me what I should do. But some part of me, however small it may be, knows he’s right. I could be famous. I could have everything I've ever wanted. I shake my head, and continue flying towards home. “Umm…Parasol?” I asked into the phone, my hoof quivering a little. “Yes Mers?” she responded cheerfully. “I can’t come into work today. Tell Rainbow Shine, please?” I answered. “Of course! Are you all right?” she exclaimed, worry in her tone. “Yes. I just have a light cough,” I responded calmly. “Okay. Get better soon, all right?” she said, worry still in her tone. “I will. Bye,” I answered, putting the phone back on the receiver. “Bye!”
That Special Somepony“That Special Somepony” “So, what’s her name?” my best friend Comet Tail asked, taking a sip of his coffee. “Who? What…what do you mean?” I asked, worry shooting through me. “You’ve obviously met ‘that special somepony’! I’ve never seen you look at one of Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes so intently without gobbling it up,” he answered matter of factly. “Okay, fine. Her name’s Merry May. She works at the weather factory. I…I’ve had a crush on her for a while, and I worked up the nerve to talk to her in the line for the pegasus meeting.” I answered, blushing. “Awww! So you talked to her? What did you say?” he asked, leaning closer to me over the table. “Well, she seemed kind of nervous,” I answered, looking at my cupcake, “but she told me that I could come visit her.” “Maybe she has a crush on you too?” Comet Tail suggested, sipping his coffee as he waited for my reply. “I don’t think she knew I even existed until I talked to her,” I responded, a touch of sadness in my voice. “Oh. Well, you should totally visit her. Oh, and take her something. What does she like?” Comet Tail asked. “I... I don’t know,” I said, but inside I knew exactly what to get her. I woke up the next morning and groggily got out of bed. I had spent the last day wandering around my house, trying to figure out what to do. What if he didn’t keep my secret? What if I became the laughing stock of Ponyville? But what if he did? What kind of relationship would that spark? Would we be friends? Or would he use it to blackmail me? Was the fragile little life I’d built here over? Deep down, I knew he would keep my secret, but that triggered the greatest fear of all. What if he was right? What if I could be great? What if I could do this… as my job? Be an official astronomer? Sell my star maps, and be… sorta kinda famous? I didn’t know what to do. Maybe a day at work would clear my head? Working around the spectra is boring, but calming. I quickly packed my saddle bags and took off, riding the wind currents. “Merry May?” I turned around to see Parasol flying towards me, a concerned expression on her face. “Parasol?” I called, lagging back so she could catch up to me. “Are you okay? I was so worried! Rainbow Shine was totally okay with you missing a day. She didn’t even count it as a sick day,” Parasol whinnied, finally catching up to me. “That’s awesome,” I responded, “she’s such a nice supervisor.” “So, why were you really out yesterday?” Parasol asked. “What do you mean?” I responded, fear flickering in my stomach. “I... I was sick. Why would I lie about that?” “Something big has happened, Merry. That’s why you skipped work yesterday. I see it in your eyes, plus your voice wasn’t scratchy at all over the phone yesterday.” “Oh,” I answered quietly. I didn’t really know how to respond to that. “I’m sorry Merry. I… I just… I feel like we’re drifting apart. We used to be so close! And now you’re lying to me so you can stay home from work? Please Merry, I just want to know what’s going on,” Parasol said earnestly. “Okay.” I sighed sadly. Star Hunter had said that I should do this. And what better test subject was there than my best friend? “I… I love the stars. Almost every night, I sneak out to this special hill and record which star is where, and draw maps of the constellations. Last night, I saw this stallion there. His name is Star Hunter. He… he told me that I should try telling everyone about my passion for the stars, and that I could make a lot of money from it. And I… I just don’t know what to do. I mean, what if I can’t do it? I want to so badly, but what if I become famous? What if all my friends don’t want to be my friends anymore? What if it’s not how my story is supposed to go? I’m just so confused,” I finished, tears in my eyes. “Oh Merry,” Parasol responded, pulling me over onto a cloud. “I think it’s wonderful that you like stars. Your story is whatever you make of it, no matter what anypony else might think. You should totally sell your maps! I don’t think it would be a bad idea at all. Nopony would love you any less for it.” Her words shocked me, and it took a while for them to sink in. My eyes widened as I realized how supportive she was being. She thought it was a good idea! She didn’t laugh! She thought I could do it! Happiness began to course through me, and tears of joy welled up in my eyes. “Really?!” I answered. “You think I should do it? Oh Parasol! That means so much to me!” “I think next time you see Star Hunter, you should ask him if he knows anypony that would publish your star maps.” “Good idea.” I said, taking off from the cloud. “We… we better head to work.” ______________________________________________________________________________
Mint Tea“Mint Tea” “There.” I said, putting one last piece of tape to hold the wrapping down. Merry May would love the starry wrapping paper I had used. I had gotten it at an Astronomer’s Convention, so all the constellations were accurate. Maybe I could go to the next one with her? I placed the gift in my saddlebag and walked to my front porch, then took flight. It was a five minute flight into Ponyville; I lived quite far out of town because the stars were so much better away from the street and building lights. It was nice, quiet, and dark. Once I reached Sunflower Street, I started searching for number 23. I found it, but there wasn’t a front door or anything, just two windows and a little brass “23” in between them. I flew down to the bottom apartment, but it had a little brass “24” on it. This one did have a front door, but when I peered through one of the windows, it looked abandoned; I couldn’t see a stick of furniture, and everywhere was covered in dust. So, Merry May’s must be the top one. I flew across the length of the wall, looking for a door in vain. After about the fifth time flying across it, I decided to look into one of the windows. Inside I saw a cozy little kitchen, a living room, and through a glass door I saw a cute little porch with a table and two chairs on it. There were a couple of hanging plants and some planters attached to the railings, all overflowing with beautiful flowers. That’s it! A porch! I flew around the back and what I saw took my breath away. Her garden was beautiful. There was a little gravel path winding through a sea of incredible flowers. Almost every single one was in bloom, and the riot of color was absolutely incredible. At the end of the path, there was a little patch of lush looking grass, and small little tree with pretty fresh-looking leaves. The flowers smelled wonderful, and I knew that coming to meet her hadn’t been a mistake. This was going even better than I’d imagined. I flew home from work, barely able to contain my joy. Parasol and I hadn’t told anyone about my star maps, not yet at least. We both thought it was a good idea to wait until I had Star Hunter’s opinion on them. I landed on my porch, giggling slightly as I wondered when he’d stop by. Then I saw him. He was sitting in one of my chairs and looked surprised to see me. “Merry May. I… I just thought I’d come early so I could find your house, and I guess I came too early. I’m sorry,” he stuttered, climbing out of the chair. “Oh, it’s fine. You just startled me, that’s all,” I answered, trotting over to the door and unlocking it. “Come in.” He shook his head. “Ladies first,” he insisted, a smile on his face. I smiled back and duly trotted into my apartment. He followed me, pulling the door shut. “Take any seat.” I offered, putting my saddlebags onto a table and trotting into the kitchen. “You like mint tea, right?” I called. “Yes, I love mint tea!” he exclaimed happily, sinking into one of my armchairs. I filled a tea kettle up with water and left it on the stove to heat up. Opening up my cabinets I took out a container of dried mint leaves and shook out a goodly-sized portion into my pestle to crush them up. I mixed a few other herbs in as well, then separated them into two piles. The kettle started to ‘sing’, so I took it off the stove and poured the hot water into two teacups. I stirred the herbal mixture in and let it steep for a moment while I grabbed some cookies out of my cookie jar and put them on a plate. I put the cookie plate and the two teacups on a tray and, balancing it on my wings, walked back into my living room, placing the tea tray on the coffee table. I picked up a cup of tea and settled myself back happily on the couch. Star Hunter took his own cup and added a cookie. “So, Merry May,” Star Hunter said, taking a sip of his tea. “Have you thought any more on what I said about your star maps?” “Yes,” I answered, nibbling on a cookie. “And I want to do it.” “Really?” he whinnied happily, shock and delight spreading across his face. “I had a whole speech planned!” “Well, I asked my best friend Parasol if she thought it was a good idea. She loved it! She thinks it’s really cool that I make star maps, and that really boosted my confidence. So yeah, I’d love to try this and see if it works,” I answered, taking another sip of my tea. “Okay. I’ll talk to my publisher; I’m sure I can get him to publish your maps. I just need some to show him,” he responded. “I’ll go get them from my bedroom,” I replied, putting my tea on the coffee table. I fluttered off the couch and cantered over to my bedroom. Opening the door, I trotted over to my desk and gently grabbed my star maps in my teeth. Trotting back into the living room, I said, “Here they are. Do you want my journal too?” “Oh, that reminds me! I got you something,” he said, opening up his saddlebag and pulling out a flattish gift wrapped in starry paper. “You didn’t have to,” I whinnied, blushing madly. He got me a present! I took the gift from him and carefully unwrapped the starry paper. Where had he gotten it from anyway? All the constellations were accurate. I peeled the last bit of paper away to see… ______________________________________________________________________________
The Start The Start “The Start” A journal! The leather cover was colored blue and decorated with stars. I flipped the cover over to see the inside. Each page held a little chart that let me record the date, constellation, brightness, and coordinates! My face light up at the sight of it! It was the perfect gift for a pony who liked stars, and Star Hunter knew it. “Look on the back,” he suggested, smiling. I flipped it over, and quickly realized what he meant. Imprinted at the bottom were the words: Property of Miss Merry May. If found please return to 23 Sunflower Street, or call 816-2342. I was smiling so hard I must have looked like an absolute idiot. I tried to reposition my facial muscles into a less embarrassing position, but failed miserably. “Thank you so much!” I cried happily, and wrapped Star Hunter in a hug. “I can’t remember that last time that somepony did something this nice for me!” “You deserve it,” he answered, responding to the hug enthusiastically. “I’ve never seen a pony like you before. So brave and beautiful. I mean, somepony has to do something like this for you. Might as well be me.” Excitement flickered in my stomach. “You… you think I’m beautiful?” I asked, backing out of the hug. “Yes. Yes, I do Merry. I think you’re more beautiful than Celestia herself,” he answered, looking into my eyes. “Re…really?” I stuttered, looking at his kind face. Then the unthinkable happened. He kissed me. At first I was so surprised that I didn’t respond and just stood there like a cockatrice victim. Then I realized what was happening. Smart, brave, handsome Star Hunter was kissing me. He loved me, and thought I was beautiful. And I realized that I loved him too. So I responded enthusiastically, kissing him happily. After a minute or two, we broke apart. I sighed happily and looked at him, not knowing what to say. “I… I’m so sorry,” he said, bowing his head and backing up a step. “I just got caught up in the moment. I… I’ll leave now if you want me to.” “No… no, don’t leave!” I implored him desperately. “I… I’ve never had a stallion treat me like this before. You’re so gentle and kind; please don’t leave me alone again.” “You… you feel the same way about me?” he asked cautiously. “I… I think I do,” I answered, taking a cautious step towards him. “But this is all so… so overwhelming. Can we… can we take it slow?” “Of course!” he answered, nuzzling me affectionately. “But I’d better get going. I’ve got an appointment with my publisher to plan.” “When can I see you again?” I asked, helping him strap his saddlebags onto his back. “I’ll call you. Maybe dinner sometime? My number’s 816-4215. And be sure to keep an eye out for my publisher. He’ll probably send you a letter inviting you to lunch or something.” “Goodbye!” I called to him as he walked out the door. Suddenly, he stopped and spun around. “I… I’ve had a crush on you… for a long time,” he admitted quickly. “I worked up the nerve to talk to you in the line at the meeting. And… and it was just luck that I found you at that field. Having you… having you care for me back… it’s all I’ve ever wanted. Thank you, Merry May.” Then he stretched his wings, took flight, and was gone. I landed on my porch and flung my door open. I shut it with a bang, and ran into my living room, collapsing on my couch and giggling happily. Everything I’d dreamed of had just come true. Merry May loved me! She thought I was gentle and kind! I wanted to call Comet Tail, but it was dinnertime and I was starving. Eating would have to come first. I trotted into my kitchen and pulled some carrots, chives, potatoes and noodles out of my fridge. I chopped them all up (except for the noodles) and heated up a small pot of water. Once it was hot enough, I put them all in, added some salt, and waited for my soup to cook. The tempting aroma quickly filled my house. I licked my lips and started pacing to see if that would make the time go by faster. It didn’t. I decided to go outside and look at the stars for a bit. According to my calculations the stars shouldn’t have changed, but I decided to check anyway. At least it wouldn’t smell like soup. The fresh night air felt good on my fur. I shook my mane happily and trotted to the other side of my porch where my telescope sat. I looked through it, reading the coordinates of each constellation off my chart. If they weren’t dead center in the telescope, then my calculations had been wrong and I would have to re-record the positioning tonight. If they were, then I got a break. I brought my telescope to the coordinates for the constellation of Orion, one of my personal favorites. I checked the coordinates, which were off from my calculations by half a degree, but that could mean a lot of things. My coordinates might not be spot on, or my telescope could have moved, or the stars might have shifted just the tiniest bit. I decided to check the rest after dinner to make sure I was right. I trotted inside and over to the pot on the stove. I used a cloth to take the hot cover off, and spooned myself some nice hot soup. I set it on the table to cool and turned the burner off. I blew on my soup to cool it a little more and went to get a spoon. When I returned to my bowl I was pleased to find it was cool enough to eat now. I moved my spoon to my hoof, and happily slurped down the warming broth. Before I knew it the bowl was empty, so I carried it and the spoon to the sink, washed and dried them, then put them back in the proper drawers. This done, I went outside to check on my constellations again. The others were all were true to my coordinates, so I just recorded the new coordinates for Orion, then covered my telescope with its protective blanket. It was late, and I really needed to get some sleep. I hopped into the shower for a few minutes, then dried myself off and snuggled up in bed. I read for a little while, then turned my light off and thought of Merry May until I fell asleep. ______________________________________________________________________________
The Call The Call “The Call” I fluttered happily up to the cloud where Parasol, Star Hunter and Rainbow Shine waited. They all were reading star maps; my star maps. Parasol looked up and noticed me, then all three called to me, welcomed me and congratulated me. They…they were proud of me. The sun was shining, and the air held a nice, gentle temperature. Soft breezes rolled across the sky, and in that moment, everything was just perfect. Then a little green pony flew up and opened her mouth to congratulate me, but all that came out was an annoying ringing noise. She made it again and again, until finally I felt myself drifting out of my dream. I opened my eyes to be greeted by my ceiling. It had just been a dream, and the ringing noise was my phone. I moaned. Why couldn’t the caller have waited just a little bit longer? I clambered out of bed and half-stumbled, half-fluttered over to my phone, managing to pick it up before the ringing stopped. “This is Merry May,” I said, trying to sound as awake as I could. “Hello Miss May, this is Ink Dot, CEO and Founder of ‘Ink Dot Publications’. One of our clients, Star Hunter, recommended you to us,” the caller replied, in a slightly bored voice. It took a minute for me to process this. Shock and excitement rose in my stomach. “Ma’am?” he asked. “Ma’am, are you still there?” “Yes, I am, sorry,” I answered, trying to sound as official as I could. “Star Hunter, he… he mentioned talking to you about my star maps. Did he show them to you?” “Yes, and they were quite exceptional. You have a gift, Miss May. I’m happy he guided you towards this as a career. We’ll be happy to publish them, but we need to meet you first. We’ll also need some identification; a birth certificate and note of recommendation from your current place of employment will work just fine. I’m free for dinner tonight. I know it’s a bit sudden, so if you wish to meet with us later, we’d be happy to postpone,” Ink Dot said, more emotion in his voice now. “No, dinner is fine. I just can’t get the note from my workplace until tomorrow,” I answered. “Oh, that’s fine,” Ink Dot said. “Just send them to us at Forty-Two Inky Avenue. But please don’t use Derpy Delivery. Last time one of our clients used her, the book she was sending got sent to Cloudsdale instead. And the pegasus who got it read the book rather than sending it back, so there was a delay with the release and half of Equestria knew what had happened….it was a financial disaster.” “I’ll just fly it over,” I answered, trying not to giggle. Derpy was a sweet pony, but she got a little confused sometimes. “All right. Where would you like to eat?” Ink Dot asked warmly. “Oh, it doesn’t matter to me. It’s nice enough that you’re taking me out to dinner,” I answered. “I insist, Miss May. It’s a courtesy I extend to all my clients,” he responded. “Well, there is this one little café I love called ‘Sweet Sassafras.’ It’s near Sugarcube Corner,” I suggested bashfully. “Lovely choice. I’ll meet you there at six,” Ink Dot responded. “I look forward to meeting you, Miss May.” “I look forward to meeting you too. Thank you again,” I replied while I still could control my glee. “Of course, my dear,” he said. “Goodbye.” There was a little click as he hung up. I lay on a soft, fluffy cloud, looking over one of Merry May’s star maps. She had done it, she got them published! Then she flew through the air a short distance away! I called to her, welcoming her. I was so proud of her. She’d overcome her fears, and found her courage! She fluttered over to me, and we celebrated together. The temperature was perfect, and gentle breezes played across the sky. For that one second in time, everything was perfect. Just perfect. Then I felt myself drifting away; next thing I knew I was opening my eyes, blinking them several times. I moaned softly. It had just been a dream. I was back in my house, and Merry May’s maps weren’t published after all. Well, not yet. I fluttered out of bed and into my kitchen, fixed myself a bowl of cereal, and was half-way through eating it when the phone rang. I hurried over to answer it. “Hello?” I said. “Star Hunter. It’s…it’s me,” a quiet voice said from the other end. “Merry May!” I responded happily. “Did my publisher call?” “He did!” she answered, “He was so polite. He invited me to dinner.” “Yeah, Ink Dot is super nice. Where are you guys going?” Star Hunter asked. “Sweet Sassafras. It’s this little café that I just love! I’m so excited! Parasol’s coming over, and we’re gonna go dress-shopping!” Merry May ranted excitedly. “There’s this cute little boutique that someone from work’s mom owns, so we’re going to check it out!” “That sounds like fun!” I responded, slightly bored by her girly excitement. “I’m sorry Star Hunter, I’m babbling. I called you to thank you. You’ve helped me and supported me through all of this. You’ve been so caring. And I’m sorry if I wasn’t as enthusiastic as I could have been the other day. I was just in shock. But I’ve thought about it, and I…I’ve realized that…that I think I love you too. You care about me, you’re funny, and you love the stars. You’re the only pony I feel like I can relate to. Do you want to be…my Special Somepony?” Now it was my turn to be shocked. She….she wanted me? She thought I was funny, and kind? And she wanted to be my…my marefriend? “I… I…” I stuttered, unable to make the words I needed. “Star Hunter?” she asked, hurt in her voice. Her pain gave me courage. “I would love to be your coltfriend,” I answered, my voice strong and clear. “I love you, Merry. I’m pretty sure I made that clear. And I’m delighted that you feel the same about me. I’m so proud of you, Merry. You’ve fought for your dream, and soon that dream will become a reality. Just have fun tonight, all right?” “I will. Thanks Starry,” she responded, excitement in her voice. “Call me tomorrow and tell me how it goes.” “Of course! Bye, Starry,” she said. “Bye Merry,” I said, and with a click, she was gone. ___________________________________________ Author's Note This song inspired the Chapter Title.
