twilightpony | On The Grass Below The Sea Of Stars

We had the western meadow to ourselves last night. It wasn't a spectacular shooting star event and I guess most ponies aren't as keen on star gazing as I am. Or they chose other places and times to look up at the boundless ocean of stars.

We set out the picnic blanket and the cushions on the big hill. There were fireflies everywhere, blinking and tracing dashed lines of phosphorescent light in the moonlit waves of grass below us. We unpacked the snacks, I set up my telescope and Rarity put out candles all around us, to fit the mood. It was like we were inside our own abstract, immobile constellation in a green sky of hyperactive, flashing stars. Like a crude facsimile of the sky above. I hoped the stars weren't insulted. But after drinking some of Pinkie's blueberry punch and eating a few of Fluttershy's sesame snap cookies, I got over that and I enjoyed the illusion of being adrift among the stars with my friends.

We lay down on the blanket and cushions and watched the antics of the constellations as they chased meteors that whisked by, trailing long sparkling tails and winking in and out like fireflies in the sky. It must be fun to be a shooting star. They look so playful and carefree, galloping and frisking about like that.

The meteors were few and far between and we took turns looking at the fainter stars through my telescope and chatting. Eventually we finished off the tea and the punch and we even ate all of the blueberry rolled oat cake. By the time the shooting stars were beginning to come out in larger numbers, everypony was ready to call it a night. We blew out the candles, collected our things, saddled up our bundles and made our way back through the fireflies and long grass, to Ponyville. Above, a few shooting stars seemed to be escorting us there.

Much later this morning, after I'd started my second pot of chocolate peppermint spice tea, I remembered how nice Spike looked after that time he had his scales waxed and his nails trimmed at the spa. Since tomorrow he'll be presiding over the final contest entry in the Fireworks Festival and the following day he'll be announcing the winner, it would be good that he looked his best. So we went to the spa today and ordered the wax.

I specified the glitter-free wax. Glittery wax would have been too much. We were looking for presence, not a circus act look. The spa ponies did a great job, polishing him up so much that he nearly has a mirror shine. It's pretty impressive. It's late now but I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't still preening and flexing while admiring his reflexion a mirror. I'd better check. We were up really late watching the stars last night and while he fell asleep early on, he might have a slight sleep defecit today. He wouldn't want to spend the evening tomorrow fighting to stay awake.