Cosmic Star

@@thor9356 "OH, no, I don't have classes on this afternoon either, my last class was right before lunchtime, that's why I went to the library." Her stomach grumbled loudly. "I think my stomach's chiding me for my poor choices right now, just coffee won't make me hold through the day." She giggled awkwardly, finishing her cup.

@@thor9356 She shook her head. "No, you're right. I have to keep on going. It's just school, after all..." She didn't look completely sure or even convinced of her own words. "Say... Do you have classes to go? I don't want to be stopping you from attending your classes..." She looked around for a clock...

@@thor9356 She looked at the colt, and a glimpse of determination could be seen for a second on her eyes. "You are right. I can't just give up. Also... If I go back, then what will I tell my parents and my sisters? I came to here because I was sure, or at least I thought I was sure, of what I wanted to do with my life."

"It's just that.... If it was just school, I'd be dealing okay... Not fine, I mean, I would have difficulties, still... But..." She sighed, and decided to continue. "I just miss so hardly my sisters and my parents... I know it sounds silly, but, some days, I miss them so much, it's impossible to put thoughts together... It just... Hurts...." She lowered her ears looked away.

@@thor9356 "Uh... Well... I mean... It's a long story..." She awkwardly looked around. "You see, until some few year back, I didn't have a cutie mark, even though I was almost completely grown already. It was really weird, everyone got them from foal school, way back, and everything I had tried doing didn't help, even my younger sister had gotten hers already, and my parents were beginning to get really worried, and I was so lost... Then, one day, I met this pony, and then, we got to talk about random stuff, and then, we talked about... Stars and stuff. Which I've ALWAYS loved, you see, since I was a little foal, I've read all about the sky and its stars and such. But that was just like, a hobby... And yet... When I talked to him about Astronomy, that's when my cutie mark finally appeared, to mine and everyone's surprise. That's when I realized that maybe reading about the stars shouldn't just remain as a hobby, but I should pursue actual education on Astronomy, and, I don't know, maybe become an Astronomy teacher? Or professor?" Her face had illuminated while she spoke her story. "But... I haven't been so sure of that as of lately... I don't know... I feel like this is harder than it should be...." She had saddened up once again, and any trace of her joy from some second ago had vanished completely.

Cosmic Star only realized, after her adrenaline rush went away, that her hiding spot WAS on the direction she had just run from. "Cosmic, how stupid you can be!? Ugh!" She shamed herself out loud, but then took into consideration those ponies she had just run from. She had to go around, doing a wide circle around the area she had just witnessed the massacre, and been threatened her life, she had to be as safe as she could. Cosmic only hoped she'd not collapse of exhaustion before she reached the hiding spot, or it'd be her end. She started going, watching her surroundings, for any surprise.

@@thor9356 "Oh..." She didn't know what to say, she didn't know what to do, she wanted to comfort him, but she felt like everything she could say would hurt him in one way or another, so she refrained from saying anything at all. She pulled away her hoof from his, and thought quickly something else to talk about, and spurted it as soon as the thought came to her head. "Um, nice weather we have been having lately, huh?" She smiled, trying to hide how stupid she felt the second after spurting such silly commentary out.

@@thor9356 "Oh, no, I was... I dunno..." She thought about sharing her problems with him, but she then felt like it'd not be a good thing to do. Cosmic looked down at his hoof, holding out for her hoof, and then looked up. "Don't you feel sad about the whole thing? About your brother?"

@@thor9356 Cosmic lowered her ears when she begind hearing the story, and responded. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to nose into your own personal life... I'm so sorry..." And, when she heard the end of his speech, and blushed. "Oh, thank you very much.. But I don't... Know... I mean... Never mind. Just... Yeah, never mind what I've said."

@@thor9356, "I.... Am looking for one... That's not paid..." She chuckled, and continued. "I don't have much money to spare here..." Cosmic Star had a sudden urge. "What happened to your brother?" She blurted out, regretting right after. "I mean, I know it's none of my business, you don't need to tell me..."

"Aw..." Cosmic Star's compassion for Neutron prompted her to share her half. "I am the oldest of my sisters in my family, and I just miss them so much. And my parents as well. We've always been so close to each other, to suddenly find myself all by myself, even if I did want to come to here, I just... It's just so hard..." Then, she added, awkwardly trying to amend for her monologuing. "I think your brother would be proud of you, if he saw how you are right now. I really think so." And smiled.

Cosmic Star ran, and ran, until she lost the other ponies from sight, turning on different directions are every cornering, zigzagging, and even taking unconventional routes. She'd rather be lost from her way to her hiding area, and then spend the time figuring out where she was, and where did she have to go from there, than risk her life in a much more direct way. After all, she did already fail her mission of the day, to find more food, whichever type, and from whatever source she could come accross, she didn't want worse things to happen. When she was exhausted, she slowed down, trying to recompose her ragged breath, and looked around, double checking to make sure that she wasn't followed, once again.

The pony was about to speak something, when she noticed the colt's mood dampening, which made her change her mind. She then spoke up. "Your older brother is very wise." She smiled weakly, and continued. "We shouldn't have things get to us, mainly such silly things."

(OOC: Sorry, had business) Cosmic Star took the moment that Dark turned to see the spy as her chance for survival, and scrambled to her hooves and began making her escape from the forming crowd. She didn't even stop to think as of the risks, all that she knew was that away from the pistol, and from the ponies, was the way to go. She ran down the alley in a frenzy.

"Ahahahahahaha..." She laughed awkwardly, but her laugh died on a down note, as she lowered her head and ears. "Yeah... I'm at the brink of failing my classes, and losing my position..." She sighed, with a distant look on her eyes, and then sipped at her coffee, again.

"OH, so sorry." She said, before realizing she had just done otherwise, and facehoofing herself in consequence. "Oh, I'm... I'm Cosmic Star, n-nice to meet you." She shook hooves with Neutron. "I'm failing Astronomy. UH, I-I meant... Studying Astronomy. Well, I guess it's the same thing." She picked up her cup of coffee, and sipped from it.

Cosmic Star's eyes widened when she saw the stallion approach, but she couldn't even keep herself quiet anymore when she saw the pistol pointed at her. She started whimpering, and scrambled to try to get up, while she stuttered, trying to make cohesive words. "D-D-don't sh-shoot! P-please! I didn't do anything, p-please, spare me!" She begged out loud.

Cosmic Star held her breath at the sight of the mare in the biohazard suit. In her state of mind, Mezra looked like a vision from Tartarus before the pegasus' eyes, and she even forgot for a second about the presence of the guard who had just helped the colt. She stepped backwards before she saw the mare's kind act, and tripped on some leftover thrash, falling over a metallic bin, which tipped over and clattered on the floor of the dark alley. Cosmic Star froze in fear, realizing she had just given away her position.

She was still reading the sign, trying to decide what she was going to order, when she heard the question. She looked at the earth pony, and reflexively replied with a "Hm?" before realizing what Neutron had said. "Oh, so sorry, it took me a while to understand you. I, um, what do you mean?" She seemed to realize something, and hints of fear and embarassment showed on her face. "Did I offend you? I-I didn't mean to, I was-" "Your order?" The pony at the counter was still waiting for Cosmic Star's order, and they didn't seem to be the most patient pony around. She turned to the other pony, apologizing over and over for keeping the pony waiting, and stuttered out her order.

@@thor9356 The invitation sobered up the pegasus in a split second. She inhaled sharply, at the same time as she widened her eyes. "M-me? Cafe?? Um..." She sputtered some nonsense, looking for something to say in response, which she couldn't figure out. She finally took a breath, and, on the exhale, said, "I-I, sure, what's the harm in that?" Which she then proceeded to shake her head in reprovation of herself, and stutter some more. "No- I- I mean, why not? Yeah." She looked away, disconcerted, and quite uncomfortable.

@@thor9356 Cosmic Star woke up, and rose from her book. She looked at Neutron, with the most clueless of faces. "Nngh, what did you say..? Sorry, I was too busy..." She proceeded to look around. "Do you know what's the time? I think I've lost track of it, while reading about... Uh...." She looked down at her book, and then at the title on the spine of the book. "Celestial Mechanics... Huh? I don't remember having started reading that yet?"

In the shadows of a nearby alley, a shocked pony had just witnessed the massacre that had just held place, terrified and horrified. "By Cadance's love, how could they have done that?" She whispered, almost inaudibly. She didn't dare moving, though, nor making a sound, until the last of the guards had gone, in fear of being mixed with the ill. She had been wondering about the more decrepit parts of what was leftover of Canterlot, running from all and any ponies, and she had just run off from another pegasus, who had started coughing next to her. She rapidly looked over her shoulder, to see if that pegasus had actually followed her, and turned back, only to witness a short moment of kindness. She stood widemouthed while witnessing a guard save a small foal, and hide him in a higher store of a nearby building, and almost broke in tears, at the brief reminder of warmer, and sweeter times. She bit her lips to keep herself from tearing up, she feared making a noise.

To get into Canterlot University, the most prestigious school in Equestria, one didn't have to be only intelligent. One had to give all that they could to stay on top of the class, or else they'd fall behind, lost on their own confusion about the subject they were studying. One had to love what they were doing, as they were going to spend countless hours studying about their subject, and suffer countless testing on their knowledge. The professors were there, indeed, to to help you, at all times, open heartedly and willingly, but, much is left up to each pony on their own, to show how much could they potentially shine. "Excellence came from the heart and the mind, as they join together, hoof in hoof," was the motto of this university. And, amidst the student body of this University, Cosmic Star struggled to prove her worth, and uphold her love for the subject of Astronomy. Had the cause of her struggle only been external, the pressure to succeed in this extremely hard University, she'd have handled it better. But, also, she struggled with something else, deeper inside of her. Internally, she confronted herself about the worth of continuing her studies, and walking down the path she felt it was her destiny, or succumbing to her blues of her city, and her family, and leaving the University, to return to familiar faces and places. This internal struggle was already taking its toll on her performance, as she fell behind her class, which, in turn, led her to stay countless hours in the University's library, in her attempts at comprehending the material. Which is the explanation of why, in that late afternoon, Cosmic Star had, once again, fallen asleep in the Library, not so gracefully faceplanted in a book about Celestial Mechanics, surrounded by her attempts at an organization of her homeworks and classworks.