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- > “Alright, do you see the big dipper?”
- “Yeah, I see it”
- > “Good, now follow the two stars that make up the far end…”
- > You follow your father’s finger as it traces an imaginary line across the night sky
- > “And you arrive at the little dipper, see it?”
- “Yeah… I think so.” You reply, turning your head slightly, “It looks like it’s upside down.”
- > He chuckles slightly, “Yeah, I suppose it is.”
- > “Now, do you see that star on the end of the handle?”
- > You nod in confirmation. The star on the end of the handle sticks out among the others, glowing more brightly than those around it
- > “That’s the north star son. Every star in the sky rotates slowly except that one, which always points north.”
- > “As long as you can find that star, you won’t be lost. You will always be able to find your way home if you can see that star.”
- “Got it dad.”
- > “Good,” he says, placing his hand on your shoulder, “You’re learning fast son, I’m very proud of you. I know you’ll do well.”
- “Can you show me some of the other constellations?”
- > “Yeah, I think we have some time before it gets too late. Let’s see… why don’t we start with Orion…”
- > You bolt upright, your chest covered in a cold sweat
- > You glance around, reminding yourself of your surroundings
- > It’s the middle of the night, you were sleeping under a large overhang of rock you found yesterday.
- > The remnants of a cooking fire smoke and softly crackle nearby
- > You’re still in the woods. You’re still in Equestria
- > You’re still not home
- > Your bury your face in your hands, shuddering
- > You can’t go home. You know you can’t go back. Why do you have to be reminded of that almost every night?
- > You rise to your feet. You need a walk. You need to clear your head
- > Gilda is curled up nearby, sound asleep. Her face tucked under her wing and her chest slowly rising and falling with each breathe.
- > You slowly creep out of the alcove, careful not to wake her.
- > There’s a full moon out tonight, bathing the forest in a pale white light
- > You work your way through the trees. You have no idea where you’re going and honestly, you don’t really care
- > You just needed to clear your head
- > After a few minutes of walking, you find yourself in a clearing at the top of a small hill.
- > It’s a near cloudless night, the stars of the sky in full display
- > The last lights of day have long since faded, allowing even the meekest of stars to be visible.
- > The tiny specks blend together into great streaks of cosmic dust, set against a backdrop of dark blues, blacks, and purples.
- > It was beautiful really, like a gigantic painting, but it was bittersweet. You scanned the sea of lights, hoping to find that one unique star.
- > You knew you wouldn’t find it
- > You never found it
- > Not since you arrived here
- > You sat there for several minutes, just staring at the unfamiliar sky above you.
- > Behind you, you hear the soft sound of claws and paws walking over the dew covered grass
- > “Anon?” Gilda asked, sounding drowsy, “What’re you doing out here?”
- “Nothing,” You reply, “Just…thinking.”
- > “About what?”
- > You’re silent for a few moments as you try to articulate your thoughts
- “Gilda, how do you know which way is north?”
- > Gilda looks at you, confused
- > “This isn’t some bizarre philosophy crap is it? Like that tree in a forest thing?”
- “No,” you shake your head, “I just mean, how do you direct yourself? With the stars and stuff.”
- > Gilda moved forward, sitting beside you
- > “Okay, do you see those three bright stars over there?” she asked, pointing with her talon.
- > You follow her claw to a point a few inches above the horizon. You see three white stars, arranged in an isometric triangle
- > “See how they form a triangle? The top always points north.” She explained
- “But what good is that? The stars change every night.” You point out
- > “Those three don’t. They’re always in the same spot.”
- “Why?”
- > “I don’t know,” she shrugged, “They just are.”
- > You stare at the three stars for a while. It wasn’t much, being able to tell which way was north, but it was something you had missed.
- > It was something that you could do back home, one of the many little things this world robbed from you
- > But now you had it back.
- > Gilda stood up, turning around and walking back toward camp
- “Hey Gilda,” you call back, still sitting on the grass
- > She stopped, looking back at you
- “Thanks.”
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