Starshot's Stages

by TheStarsGuide

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure
Length: 3964

After a trip turns bad, a white pegasus goes on a trek to return things back to normal.

(Currently under MAJOR reviewing and editing!)

In a small remote town the inhabitants go about their days, uninterrupted by anything. Nothing bad ever happens. Trivial problems are the worst that have come. Yet, for one pegasus, everything changes. A visit to a hill starts a chain of events that lead off the usual warm, sunny days, and replacing them with a descent into madness and a desperate battle against the very aspects of reality themselves. Event after event occurs and they all share one thing in common. They're all her fault.

Join Starshot in her trip to depression, madness, and ultimate destruction in our lovely little story, Starshot's Stages.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2012-01-29 22:22:56 UTC

Chapter One: Starshot

(https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DOQw002GS30Hnj-SCLmLeN7Ip3dvQWMhROkuwf2qPNQ/edit?hl=en_US)

Around the bend here... Then over this and under that... A dusty white blur flashed across the side of a small house. A blue mare, having just opened her shutters, received the full force of a gust that sent her hair whirling in disarray. The blur wove through the yard's fencing, maneuvering between the bars and posts while keeping a high speed.

The shape of a white pegasus soon came to a flapping, hovering stop as she looked around. Her purple tail drooped as she noticed that the other ponies were moving under cover, away from the open. The mare looked up and saw that storm clouds have been moved and gathered on time. A chill rushed down her spine as a particularly cold liquid hit her muzzle. She shook off the drop of rain and looked back up at the darkening clouds.

With a warm smile she began flying up but at a much slower pace than before. The cool sensation felt really nice on her skin, even if the mare had to deal with the wetness that came with it. Rain began pouring down in larger amounts, quickly soaking her hair and mane, making it press down against her body. Much like a big fluffy cat that lost all of its puff from being dunked. Her cheerful look went sour as she scowled at the clouds. A flash appeared far off to the side and a rumble emanated deep within.

It wasn't supposed to-

Instantly, another flash broke and the mare's body jumped as much as it could, the massive connection of electricity coursing through her wing. It rapidly spread through all of her limbs and practically fried her on the spot, feathers and body turning soot gray while her purple hair went black. The crack of thunder was deafening, overpowering the used-to-be white pegasus’ ears as her corpse dropped down, burned by the lightning.

Yet still she perceived; the rain pattered against her sides and face, its icy touch cooling her scorched skin. Managing to look around a bit the mare noticed that her cutie mark; the essence of her being,a picture of her soul; was now just blackened hair, indistinguishable. Her wings were bereft of feathers, most having burnt down to stems in the blast.

The pegasus continued plummeting downwards, houses and roads no longer foggy from the wet air. A single drop of clear built up in her left eye, dripping out as it closed and sending it above her.

Starshot...

Huh? The blackened mare opened her eyes. Seeing the single tear linger near her but slowly moving further away she kept her wounded gaze on it.

Starshot, the voice called again. A very soft rumble that sounded almost like a breath came from the stormy clouds, echoing in her mind.

Starshot! the voice boomed.

Instantaneously the white pegasus snapped her eyes open and sat up, startled. She almost smacked a mare in the face from her abrupt awakening, if it wasn't for the fact that she leaned backwards just in time. After taking a second to realize who it was she took a deep sigh of relief. The deep pink pony smiled and grabbed the sheets covering the bottom half of the mare to pull them away.

"Come on Star, it's time to get up." Her voice further soothed Starshot, who sleepily smiled back at her. It had a certain melodious tone that she really loved. The mare trotted off and out the nearby doorway into the rest of the house, leaving Starshot to follow.

Once she did a pleasant aroma filled her nose, as well as the sounds of a wooden ladle lightly bumping against a pot. Walking out into the large openness of the house gave view to the earth pony messing with cooking utensils. She was by the small stove top and stirring in assorted ingredients into the metal pot. A light yellow apron was strung around her neck to block any and all flying bits of the hot soup. Her faded pink tail was swishing back and forth as a hum just barely overcame the sounds from within the cooking pot. Starshot came up behind her and nuzzled the mare's cheek, getting lightly flushed red cheeks from her though she tried to concentrate on the food.

"Go sit down by the table, Star. It's almost ready." Starshot obliged and seated herself by a pale yellow table. It had a combination of soft pinks and greens on top of it that represented spring, flowers, plants, and a few butterflies frolicking around them. Her ear twitched, hearing the sounds of a certain something being dropped into the mixture. The white pegasus grinned and got herself comfy, waiting for her partner.

Shortly after, Rose brought two cup-like bowls to the table, filled with soup. Although they were brimming, not a drop spilled as they were placed on the decorated table. Starshot placed her hooves around the cup closest to her and brought it to her lips, tilting it just enough so a small amount could be drunk. The hot liquid touched her tongue and she instantly flushed red from the heat. Shivers spread through her body as the wonderful taste stayed.

It took a second but she noticed her partner giggling from behind her own cup. Starshot was about to ask, but after seeing the nod towards her wings, looked at them. She smiled sheepishly and folded them back to her sides, taking another sip of the mixture.

Starshot has always loved the mornings with her acquaintance. The soft rays of sunlight flowed into the room and past the hung blue curtains. If you got up early enough you could see the light sh-

"Star?" the magenta mare asked, putting down her empty bowl.

"Yes?" She quickly turned her gaze from the light to her.

"You haven't been sleeping too well the last few days. Is something wrong?"

"No, not really..." She darted her purple eyes aside and took a gulp from the remaining soup. Rose is right though, she wasn’t getting much sleep.

Her friend raised an eyebrow and gave her a suspicious look. It changed to a smile and slightly lowered eyelids. Getting out of her seat the magenta mare moved beside Starshot, nuzzling her affectionately. Once again her cheeks turned red and the pegasus looked away as she tried not to spill the little amount of what was left inside.

"Stop that, Rose..."

"Tell me~" she cooed to the white mare. Rose continued nuzzling and rubbing, her striped pink hair slightly weaving into the solid purple of Star's.

"Alright, I was," she finally said after another minute of being nuzzled. "I've been having a few bad dreams of that storm awhile ago."

With her rosy cheeks still flushed she turned back to the earth pony, her weak smile being returned with a loving look from the pony. Starshot's eyes went wide and she froze as Rose's lips touched her cheek and left a light kiss.

As the pink pony took the pair of bowls and balanced them on her head, the alabaster mare was turning even redder than she was already. A wink was sent to her and Rose walked to the stove top to place the bowls in a nearby sink and fill it with water.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Starshot." She looked over at her friend and the redness began turning back to white. "I need to go visit the bakery and pick up something. Would you go on and get it while I clean up here?"

"Sure thing, Rose." Starshot smiled and flapped her wings to float from the table to the door across the house.

Opening the door and just stepping out of it Rose called after her.

"Just tell them that I sent ya!"

______________________________________________________________________________

Starshot took a deep, relaxing breath as the door closed behind her. The morning spring air was crisp and cool in the small town. Perfect time to sit around and enjoy the day - if you weren't busy that is. With a smile plastered on her white face she took off trotting down the paved road, looking at the other ponies around. A relative of the well known Apple family was selling all different kinds of desserts, pastries, pies and candies; all made with apples of course; on a small stand. Star moved up to it and waited beside a customer. The unicorn stallion magically grabbed a bag full of sweets and wandered off after paying.

"Hey Applecrush," she said as the mare turned to her new customer.

"Heya Star! Fancy seein' you today." Applecrush was definitely an Apple, complete with the apple based cutie mark and country twang. Orange hooves crossed over each other on the stand as she leaned into it. "Y'all lookin' for somethin', or ya just here to chitchat with li'l ol' me?" A smile crossed the young mare's face, showing that she would prefer the latter.

"I'd love to chat but I've got some errands to run. I'll have some pie though." Her white hoof pointed towards a whole pie, looking and smelling as if it came straight from the oven only a minute ago.

Applecrush nodded understandingly and brought out a wide knife from behind the counter. She skillfully sliced and placed a piece of the pie onto a small paper plate, made disposable if somepony forgot it.

"Ahright, that'll be six bits."

Starshot looked herself over and flexed her wings, facehoofing after realizing that she forgot to bring anything. "Uh, I'm sorry but I kinda... forgot it, at home." She gave a pained look at the young Apple for having wasted her time.

"Oh, don'chu worry 'bout it Star. It's on me today." Applecrush gave a wink to her pegasus friend and smiled, pushing the slice of pie towards her across the table. "Just don' think I'll be givin' ya this everyday. Gotta make a profit for the family, ya know?"

Starshot picked up the apple pie slice and nodded back at her with a smile. "I'll talk with you soon, so don't worry." She trotted away with pie held snugly by her wing, calling back to the stand. "Thanks Crush!"

"Y'all come back now, ya hear?" Applecrush smiled more and watched the pegasus trot off then turned back to a pair of customers that just arrived. "Ah, what'll y'all be havin' today?"

_______________________________________________________________________________

Starshot continued on, changing pace from a trot to a walk, or even to a complete stop to enjoy a bite of the warm apple pie. She wasn't sure how the Apples made their food so good but she also didn't care as she bit into a particularly tasty middle. She swallowed the bite with a sigh of relief and delicious pleasure emanated from her mouth, placing it back under her wing. Glancing around for a second she realized that she arrived at the bakery while in the apple pie induced trance. Finishing the slice with a big bite the white pony walked in. Bells sounded as the door opening wide to announce that someone came.

A brown unicorn was twiddling with her yellow mane before the bell rang. She looked at Starshot entering through and coming up to the counter with a cheerful look. "Hello Star," she said as the mare straightened up and moved a little closer from behind the table.

"Hi Brownie." That wasn't really her name, but everypony was accustomed to calling her that and she didn't mind. It was mostly due to her cutie mark consisting of a couple blocks that they assumed were brownies. "Looks like a quiet day."

"Mhm," the unicorn nodded in agreement. "Now what can I get for you?"

"Well, I wasn't looking for anything myself, but Rose said that she had something held here to be-"

"Picked up." Brownie giggled quietly and reached down from the counter top, a door slightly offside and behind her opening with a glowing handle. She came back up with a small bag and a floating box flew in from behind, slipping into the bag with ease. "I actually forgot about this until you told me. Amazing what spare time can do."

The solid bag slid across the air until Starshot took it with her wing, huddling it close to her. "Thanks Brownie."

"Anytime, dear."

They waved hooves at each other as farewell and the pegasus left the store owner to herself and her ringing door. Walking back the way she came she took in a couple of deep breaths. The delightful morning air was still aplenty.

After a minute of walking a sudden streak caught her attention and she tried keeping her eyes on it. It was a moderate gray with a yellow top and dashed between ponies like a pinball, bouncing from one pony to the next and moving fast enough that she couldn't keep a nice visual on it. Breaking away from a colt it locked onto Starshot and raced towards her.

The pegasus was about to try ducking in hopes that it wouldn't hit her from seeing how straight the gray mass came. But just before she did, the shape instantly came to a stop and flapped in front of her. It was a gray colored pegasus mare with yellow hair. She had golden eyes that felt like they were fixated on Starshot, but they sure didn't look like they were with her cross-eyed stare. A letter was gripped in her mouth and she let go of it, letting it drift down onto Star's open hoof. Star looked back up at the funky mare and thanked her, receiving a friendly salute only a split second before she dashed off again in a blur, curving up to the rooftops and speeding away. They didn't call her the best mailmare for nothing.

Starshot was looking over the letter as she continued walking; thinking of opening it until she saw that it was for her housemate. With a mental shrug she changed pace to a trot, slightly eager to give the package and letter to Rose. A bounce added into her steps as her wings pressed to her body more. She made sure that the box wouldn’t drop from her faster gait.

_____________________________________________________________________________

With a couple knocks on the door Starshot opened it, walking in and letting it close behind her.

“I’m back, Rose!” Her call radiated through the small house and very shortly after the pinkish pony poked her head around the corner leading to her room.

“Welcome back, Star.” Rose walked over to her and looked at the letter and box, both being placed on the spring themed table.

“This is for you.” The pegasus hoofed over the letter to her.

“Thanks Star, you’re free to do whatever you want now.” Rose took it and the box out of the bag, holding onto the letter with her mouth and carefully putting the package on her head. Star watched her as she walked back to her room. After thinking for a short bit she followed in.

Pushing the door open slowly the white pony poked her head around it before knocking softly. The pink earthpony was sitting on her bed with a shaft of midday sun shining through the western window, the ray barely touching the rose pink sheets. Small decorations of varying flowers were placed in the cloth, spaced out nicely so it wasn’t too crowded. Rose turned up from the letter that was in her hooves and shifted her position a bit.

“May I come in?”

She nodded and white hooves pattered softly against the floor, stopping when the alabaster mare sat down next to her. Rose turned back to read the rest of the letter. When she neared the end the silence broke with Starshot.

“Looks like it’s something bad.”

“Why do you say that?” Rose turned her head and looked at her roommate with a ponderous look.

Starshot smiled and leaned over closer with her hoof looping around to the other side of Rose and pulling her gently. “You look sad.”

Rose sighed, her soft pink hair drooping around her. “It’s my mother, she’s been sick for awhile now. Some weird thing she got on her travels has made her pretty ill.” She sighed again and Starshot nuzzled her, gingerly taking the letter from her hooves to place it aside.

“Doesn’t it have a cure?” The pegasus searched her friend's eyes with a face of combined care and worry.

“Not that I know of right now. They have unicorns using magic to find one, but until we get another letter I won’t know.” Starshot couldn’t bear the sullen look of her best friend and hopped off the bed, pulling Rose by her hooves. “H-hey, what are-“

She shushed Rose by a hoof to her mouth and went on through the house, pulling her along behind. She had snuck the small package under her wing just before grabbing the mare. Rose looked back at her home as she was tugged in tow out the door, quickly closing it shut with her hind leg before she got out of range and missed it.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Rose was continually pulled around for what seemed like hours, and circles. She swore they passed that rock and tree many times already. The sun was going down and down yet Starshot still carried her around. Rose was getting dead on her hooves; she wasn't quite the type who could go on for such a long time - even if she was an earth pony.

Starshot eventually stopped and let Rose sit on a flat rock. The sun was setting and casting dark shadows of the few trees beside the two ponies. Taking a few steps forward past the nearest tree she glanced around. They were in the middle of a small clearing, a couple trees across the way showing a small dirt path between them.

"Come on, just a little further, Rose." Starshot walked back to the pink pony who got back to her hooves and painfully followed a little more.

"You're going to make tomorrow horrible with all of this walking," she said with a sore look and voice.

White stayed with magenta as she guided her along the path. She dropped behind Rose and covered her eyes with her hooves.

"Just continue until I say to stop."

Rose grudgingly obliged and stepped forward carefully, waiting for her to say something.

"Anndd stop." She froze in place and her white blindfolds were removed after a second.

Her mouth dropped open. It was an absolutely stunning view from atop this high place. The dusk sun was a wonderful mixture of yellow and orange tones. A few puffy clouds were off in the distance, just above the sun, and shone either orange or a light purple. There were a few bright stars already twinkling above and behind the ponies. Rose sat down on her haunches in place, staring out at the brilliant scene. Star stepped up beside her and sat down the same way, watching her friend's expression.

"You've been kind of busy for a while and with your sick mother and all, I wanted to bring you here. Think of it as a gift, for a good pony who deserves some time for relaxation." Rose still observed the darkening horizon but turned to Starshot. Her eyes were filled with what the white mare could only call twinkling, especially after she brought out the box hidden by her wings for so long. "I also brought this, for you to have tonight."

Rose took the box and opened it up, pulling out a small frosty blue colored cupcake. She recognized it instantly as the one from the box she had ordered from Brownie.

"But Star, this was for you." Her hooves held it out to the purple haired pegasus but only got a shake of her head.

"I don't deserve it as much as you do, Rose." Starshot knew that a cupcake wasn't much of something to present with, especially since it was made to her liking of special ingredients, but it was better than an empty hoof. A smile crossed her face but she was suddenly pushed back a bit by Rose kissing her cheek and hugging tightly.

The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon and most of the stars have come out, twinkling and shining above all. Star flushed a soft red and hugged Rose back with a gentle squeeze.

They stayed in their embrace till the sun vanished and night started. Starshot packed the dessert back in the box and lifted the pony onto her feet.

“Go ahead and start walking back, I’ve got one last thing to do,” she said as she gave the package back to Rose. Rose looked at her with a sad, almost pitiful look. Star smiled and pushed her in the direction of the trees to shoo her down.

“I’ll be with you in just a moment. Don’t worry.” The magenta mare walked off and looked back just as Star floated up to the right tree of the two. It looked as if she melted into the branches and would be barely visible through the dense foliage if it weren’t for her white color. The mare turned around and stepped backwards, watching the bustling tree.

A few seconds later the pegasus popped out of it, leaves and a couple bugs mangled in her mane. She gently held a large plum-purple flower in her mouth and trotted over to the backwards moving pony. Coming up alongside her Star placed the flower in Rose’s hair after she turned back around. It looked much like a hibiscus and it fit her well, popping out of the pink mane it stuck out of.

With a tug the pegasus resumed their trek back down the trail, on their way home. They smiled at each other and walked close together all the way.

________________________________________________________________________________

Later in the night, the moon high above and shining brightly with its crescent, Starshot was relaxed in her bed and looking out the window with curtains drawn aside. The cupcake they brought along remained, but a single bite was taken out of it and placed back in the box. The white mare made a joyful sigh at the beauty of night and the shining stars. She focused her gaze on a particularly bright star and closed her eyes. Making a silent wish she was interrupted halfway through by a quiet knock on the door. Turning around she saw Rose picking her head through as it opened. The new flower in her hair was almost a silver color from the light of the moon.

“Can I spend the night with you, Star?” Rose said quietly with her cheeks turning red.

Star couldn’t help but smile warmly and nodded her head, pushing her large pillow to the side for her. The pony crawled into bed and under the sheets, pressing close to Star. It was mostly because it was a somewhat small bed, but she didn’t mind. She lied back and turned her head to give the pink mare a kiss on the cheek. Starshot carefully took the flower out of her mane and placed it on the bedside table, not wanting it to get crushed as they sleep.

Snuggling herself in the sheets more she looked out at the night time sky again.

I wish that Rose’s mother will get healthy soon, Starshot silently said to the brilliant remote orb.

A single shooting star crossed the dark sky and vanished off the other side of the window right after she opened her eyes. Smiling, Star closed her eyes again and went to sleep…

Only after she thanked the Princess of the moon for listening, in case she was.