Lunastice

[no_vampires_plz]

As Twilight leads the little foal down the path, the character of the woods around them changes. The trees are bigger, the brambles thicker, and the few plants that are still growing look considerably more... exotic than what one generally sees around Milliways. The most noticeable change, though, is in the weather. The thin layer of snow and frost on the ground is replaced by thick snowdrifts that crunch under their hooves, and the leaden sky of a Scottish winter gives way to a clear dark blue. The setting sun makes the snow gleam gold and pink as the trees thin out and give way to rolling hills.

"Alright. If anyone asks, your name is Sharp Tack and you're a friend of the family visiting from Canterlot."

Comments

[nponyc]

"And this one's for your mother..." Out comes a similar cape hemmed with tourmaline. "And I know you didn't ask for it, but this is just so you."

'This' is a fuzzy wool hat with earflaps and a pompom, in a deep navy blue with bright yellow stars appliqued on. Rarity plops it on Tyler's head and magically ties the chinstrap for him.

[basic_powers]

"Oh COOL!" He's grinning right now. "This is perfect, thanks Rarity! I almost can't wait to get back home and give that scarf to Mom!"

And the hat's doing a very sharp job of getting his head and ears warmed right back up.

[nponyc]

"Oh, think nothing of it, dear," says Rarity. "Consider it my Hearth's Warming present to you. --oh, and here's your lantern back," she adds. "Almost forgot!"

[basic_powers]

"Oh! I almost forgot that too." Tyler's just going to grab up the bag with his neat little lantern and the very chic gifts for his mother and Julie. "Thanks again! I'll let Uncle Ray know you're interested in his opals."

[nponyc]

"You're welcome," says Rarity. "Now, I'd better be getting back to the stall. Time waits for no pony."

"You're not going to go stargazing?" asks Twilight.

"They're just stars, Twilight," says Rarity as she saunters away. "If you've seen one, you've seen them all."

[basic_powers]

No, not really...but Tyler's in no mood to spoil the warm fuzzy feeling he's got right now with arguing about the stars, just looking up overhead past the lights and grinning.

The stars here in Equestria are really quite different than home...

[no_vampires_plz]

And yet there are a few familiar constellations to be seen...

"So!" Twilight stands up from the table. "Speaking of stargazing, we should head up the hill. Owlowiscious will have a spot saved for us..."

[basic_powers]

"Okay, should we stop by your house and grab some quilts and blankets for the night too?" He's going to wrestle that lantern out of the bag and away from the scarves to carry it out proudly. And once Tyler's got it lit he's really looking pleased with himself.

[no_vampires_plz]

"Nah, I had Owlowiscious take care of that too," says Twilight. "He's pretty resourceful."

"Little showoff," Spike mutters.

Twilight gives the dragonlet a sharp look. "Spike, be nice. We've been over this."

"Sorry."

[basic_powers]

??

"...what?" Tyler's just going to look from Spike's slightly sullen expression to Twilight and then back again. "Been over what?"

[no_vampires_plz]

"Long story," says Twilight. "Shouldn't you be getting to bed, Spike?"

"Aww, how come he gets to stay up and I don't?" Spike whines. "I'm not--" he breaks off into a tremendous sulphur-scented yawn-- "tired..."

[basic_powers]

"Cause I've been taking night courses for a couple years and I took a nap earlier?" Tyler offers. "And you've got the warm house to yourself and all quiet tonight too."

[no_vampires_plz]

"That does sound good..." mumbles Spike, blinking sleepily.

"There you go," says Twilight, encouragingly. "Run along now..."

[basic_powers]

"Night Spike." Tyler calls quietly as the little dragon begins toddling through the snow back towards home.

[nponyc]

* * *

When they reach the stargazing hill north of Ponyville, there are already a handful of ponies* sitting there, wrapped up in quilts and nursing mugs of hot chocolate as they look at the stars.

"Who! Who!" calls a small figure, waving a... wing?... from near the crest of the hill.

* If 'handful' is a meaningful concept to a species without hands, anyway.

[basic_powers]

"...uh.." Tyler's actually looking from the ..owl who seems to be waving at them, to Twilight as they make their way quietly around the other star gazers present.

[no_vampires_plz]

"Hey, Owlowiscious!" Twilight trots over to meet the owl as it glides down the hill. The owl lands on her outstretched foreleg and gives her head a friendly nuzzle.

"Owlowiscious, this is Sharp Tack," says Twilight. "He's a friend of mine from out of town. Sharp Tack, this is Owlowiscious, my evening assistant."

"Who," says the owl.

[basic_powers]

"..uh..Hello, how do you do?" He really shouldn't be that surprised by a very intelligent owl. Though he is extending a foreleg in polite formal greeting. "It's nice to meet you Owlowiscious..."

[nponyc]

Owlowliscious doesn't return the gesture. "Who."

[basic_powers]

..???

He's just going to hang there with his hoof out for a little while more, and one mildly confused expression on his long face.

"...uh...I don't speak avian that well..."

[no_vampires_plz]

Twilight chuckles a little. "He says he's pleased to meet you too."

"Who!" Owlowiscious takes off again and flies toward the top of the hill, turning back in midair to make sure they're following. "Who! Who!"

[basic_powers]

Okay, now that he understands just fine. Tyler grins and briskly bursts into a quick trot to follow after Owlowiscious, lantern bouncing with each step.

[no_vampires_plz]

There's a picnic blanket spread across the snow up above, and a large basket set atop it. Owlowiscious flutters down to land on the basket's handle and hoots again.

"Great job, Owlowiscious." Twilight gives the owl a friendly pat on the head before opening the basket and taking out a heavy quilt and a brass telescope, which she carefully begins to set up.

[basic_powers]

Once he catches up, Tyler's going to take his careful time getting onto the quilt. First tapping off one forehoof of snow against the other, then the other forehoof against a hindhoof...then standing on his forelegs to tap both his hindfeet together to get the snow off of them before settling all four clean hooves onto the picnic quilt.

[no_vampires_plz]

"Alright, here we are..." Twilight pulls out the object at the bottom of the basket--a heavy hardbound book entitled The Astronomical Astronomer's Almalac to All Things Astronomy. "I'm glad I thought to bring this along."