Chapter 2: Singers and Stars

As long as you believe it,

It'll have to come true.

~Hazyheart

The light blue mare's head lifted to look at Noctia. "Oh. Hello there."

Noctia raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Excuse me, ma'am, but would you move off my door step?" The mare's eyes widened and she looked around and got up.

"Oh, I'm so so sorry! I hadn't realized it was yours! Sorry I interrupted you..." the pegasus fretted. Noctia groaned.

"Whatever, can you just leave?" Noctia asked, a bit tired from her heavy saddle bag, and she got rather rude when she was tired. The intruder skipped her attitude.

The pegasus jumped up and spread her wings, ready for flight. This caused Noctia to jump back, sending a few books out of her bag. The light blue mare rushed about, scooping up the books and putting them back in Noctia's saddle bag. "Oh, did I startle you? Here, let me help you..." She paused as she reached the first book and read the cover. "Stars...?" she asked.

Noctia used magic to put the rest of the books in her bag. "Yes, stars, the things that appear at nighttime in the sky? You're a pegasus, you should know that." The intruder seemed a bit hurt, but continued.

"Actually, I like the sea more. It holds more secrets, and pretty things like shells. Oh, I'm Shell Song, I forgot to tell you." Shell Song chatted. Noctia held up a hoof to stop her.

"Are you a good flyer? A fast and lengthy flyer?" Shell Song looked puzzled at Noctia's sudden question, but nodded.

"I usually fly through the Everfree forest when I'm bored."

Noctia grinned. Perfect! she thought. Maybe she could take me--

Her thoughts were interrupted as two fillies rushed up to her, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. "Miss Noctia! We were hoping to see you!" Scootaloo started. And like a well oiled machine, they talked one after another. "We need a favor! Can you help us? Rainbow Dash told us you need to do something for us! You need to get her turtle, Tank, out of a tree! He practiced flying and crash landed! We saw! And Apple Bloom's with him now! We need your magic to get him do--"

Noctia held up her hoof again. "Fine, just be quiet."

Shell Song spoke up after the pandemonium. "Why don't I just fly up there and get Tank for you? It won't be any bother."

Yes, please! Noctia thought. Get you out of my way!

"Okay!" Sweetie Belle chirped, and away they ran with Shell Song in tow.

"Finally!" Noctia groaned, and she headed through her big red door that had the numbers 16 on it in iron. Her cheery house greeted her.

It had soft yellow walls and circular windows on regular intervals. Star charts were pinned on the walls and a big red couch was up against the dividing wall. The room was actually split in two, one side to go to the stairs, the other to the living room. The dividing wall had a section taken out of it, which was made out of the top half of the wall. It served as a shelf for a bunch of little clay dragons, that were posed and shiny.

Hanging her bag on a peg next to the door, she sighed. "Finally home."

Sitting down on her couch, which was posed in front of a brick fireplace, she whisked logs into the grate and lit a match with her magic. Starting a small fire, she looked out the window to the gray skies. Though it was heading towards spring, it was still pretty cold. February just happened to be the heaviest snowfall month.

She shrugged off all her concerns, and dozed in the heat of the fire.

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A knock on her door woke her up with a yawn. "Um, excuse me?" a soft voice asked.

Opening the door with her magic, Shell Song stood there. "Yeah?" Noctia asked, coming over.

Octavia was standing next to Shell Song, and Noctia could see Vinyl Scratch standing at the bottom of her steps, cleaning her sunglasses. Octavia started. "We need a favor."