"You two should know better than to keep a princess waiting," Luna said as Zecora and I walked up the hill we planned to meet at about half an hour later. The sun had already set and the sky, while not quite dark, was still blazing with the brighter Autumn constellations. "'Tis past sunset, you know."

I chuckled and set down my large reflector telescope on the top of the hill. "And I had to carry this and a bunch of other stuff up the hill," I replied, using my magic to set it up as carefully as I could. As I did that, Zecora, who had blankets draped over her back, took them off and placed them beside the telescope. "Didn't mean to be late, though. Sorry."

Luna waved her hoof. "You are forgiven," she said with a small smile. As I finished setting up the telescope, Luna looked it over curiously. "What, pray tell, are these devices?" she asked, pointing to the telescope's remote control.

"Ah, this is the remote," I said. "See, this telescope has a motor inside it that can track the celestial bodies so it doesn't go out of frame. It can also automatically turn the telescope to a specific object in the sky if the inner computer is programmed correctly. Unfortunately, I can't do that since Equestria's current year number isn't like the ones from Earth."

"A pity," Luna said.

"That's why I have this little item," I said, pulling out a planisphere.

"Oh? What is this?" Luna asked, walking up beside me and looking at the stargazing tool.

"It's called a planisphere," I said. "It's a lower tech form of finding out what the night sky looks like on any given time of the year. See, watch." I pulled out my phone and looked at the time. "It's just…past six thirty now, so, we find the arrow between six and seven PM and line it up with today's date, November 1st."

I took out a small flashlight and turned it on. Its red glow illuminated the starmap as I turned the planisphere to the correct time and date. "Now, we find out where the north star is." Looking around the sky, I saw the Big Dipper and followed the two outer stars towards the bright star Polaris. "There we go. Now, the planisphere circles around this point, the north star, so we just need to match the corresponding stars and constellations on here with the proper ones in the sky. Like here." I moved closer and pointed to a large constellation in the east. "The Pegasus constellation is in the east right now." Pulling out a green laser pointer, I looked up at the sky, then used the pointer. "See? There's the star Alpheratz. And there's Markab."

Luna followed the green line, then looked back at the planisphere, then back at the sky. "This is an ingenious device," she said. "I hope I can convince you to allow us to borrow it so we can duplicate it at some point."

"It's simple enough to create, at least, I think so," I said. "Don't you have maps of the night sky?"

Luna nodded. "My bedroom ceiling has a map of the sky," she said. "Celestia had it painted and maintained ever since she moved to Canterlot."

I smiled. "That's really kind of her."

Luna smiled and nodded again. "For a thousand years, she kept my new bedroom just the same as my old one."

"I did notice those bedchambers were bare back at the old palace," I said. "Well, I'm sure Twilight could create a copy of these." Or I could buy one for her from Sunset's world, if I ever get the chance to go, I thought. "I'll show her one and see what she comes up with, although I'd be surprised if she doesn't have something similar."

"Knowing her, I wouldn't be surprised myself, beloved," Zecora said.

Luna chuckled. "Well, my sister's student is definitely a studious one, as are you, my potential student."

I laughed. "Well, I still haven't taken the time to think about it. Although, now that I do think about it, you could teach me more than just some magic lost to time."

"Oh? And what, pray tell, is that?" Luna asked.

"How to properly rule Equestria." When Luna's and Zecora's eyes widened at that, I held up my hand. "Now, hold on, I'm not saying I've accepted Celestia's offer. I just want to know how ruling this nation differs potentially from how kings, queens, emperors, sultans and other rule on Earth."

"Would it not be more prudent to ask my sister about this?" Luna asked.

I shrugged. "Perhaps, but she's extremely busy. You did say you wanted more of a purpose, right?"

"Jethro, my knowledge of ruling is still somewhat out of date," Luna said.

"Your Highness, do not sell yourself short," Zecora said, "you have more experience than my stallion, here. Any experience he could use to make an informed decision would be helpful."

I smiled at her, and she smiled back. Looking back at Luna, I saw that she looked a bit embarrassed. "W-Well, thank you, Miss Zecora," she said. "I appreciate your kind words. Truly."

"It's only the truth," I said. "You've got a bunch of personal experience I can draw on. That, and I believe that you would be a bit more receptive to some of my own ideas when they arise. But for the time being, I believe it's time for us to actually stargaze, correct?"

Luna chuckled, then nodded. "Yes, I would greatly appreciate that. What shall we do first?"

"Let's wait until it gets really dark and just talk before I show you some things through my little telescope," I chuckled as I stretched, then lay down in the cool soft grass. I pat the ground beside me. "Come, ladies, join me."

Luna looked embarrassed again, but nodded. She slowly removed her dark blue shoes, her crown and her necklace. Placing it on the ground beside my telescope, she slowly lay on her back. She used her magic to take one of the blankets and cover herself. I used my magic to grab the other two. However, Zecora lay her head on my chest, smiling up at me. I rolled my eyes, smiled, and covered the two of us with the larger of the two remaining blankets. Luna gazed up at the sky, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "It's been a while since I have met anypony who loved the night as much as I do. And yet, I've met two who love it…and you're not Ponies."

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Not at all. I had all but given up on finding anypony who could appreciate my sky."

"Well, we are pleased that we could make you happy," Zecora said.

Luna smiled. "'Tis a dream come true." We lay there for a while, enjoying the comfortable silence between the three of us. Finally, Luna spoke again. "How was your day, you two?"

Zecora looked at each other, and I nodded at her to start. Zecora looked back at the stars. "Mine was pretty uneventful. I looked over some of my potions, and then for the latter part of my day engaged in some Farasi meditation techniques. Quite relaxing."

"Was one of them where you stood on one back leg with the other raised and your front legs pressed together?" I asked, remembering the scene from the second Trixie episode.

Zecora nodded. "Indeed, it was."

"I'd like for you to train me, sometime," I said.

"I would be glad to, love," she said with a smile, rubbing her nose against mine affectionately.

"Good," I smiled back at her.

"I am pleased your day was so relaxing," Luna said. "And how about you, Jethro?"

"Busy, but it was, in its own way, a relaxing break from all the stuff that's been happening," I said.

"Oh? And what was your day like?" Luna asked, sounding quite curious.

So, I went over the entire day for her, starting with my time spent with Fluttershy and ending with the time spent flying with Rainbow and Scarlet. Both mares listened attentively while at the same time watching the ever-darkening sky as more and more stars came out in all their vast array of glory. When I finished, it was finally total night. "Sounds like a fun-filled day, darling," Zecora said, nuzzling my face.

"Are you not exhausted?" Luna asked.

"Extremely," I replied, "but this is the perfect way to end one of the most relaxing days I've had in a while. No training, no studying ancient rulers, just me spending time with the best friends a guy could ask for in this world. And having fun doing a bunch of different things that I love. I got to eat some great food and dessert, discuss hypotheses for fun, fly around, give a certain fashionista some great ideas, and watch anime. Oh! I almost forgot! We need some mood music!" I pulled out my phone, found my stargazing playlist, and hit play right after casting the stereo spell, as I'd come to call it. Brian Eno's album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks began playing, starting with Under Stars. "There we go. Just listen for a bit."

The new age tracks we listened to for the next fifteen or so minutes sounded around us from invisible speakers, and really put me in the stargazing mood. I focused solely on the stars themselves, and as I did with all stargazing sessions, allowed myself to get completely lost in their majesty. The music only added to my enjoyment, since it sounded just like the cosmos themselves. I didn't realize my mouth was open until a gentle hoof shut it for me, and even then, I could feel them calling out to me, as if I could reach out and touch them.

I didn't even realize I was reaching up towards the stars, completely lost in my own thoughts, until a flowing maned face covered my vision. "A-huh? Wha…?" I slowly came back down to Equestria.

"Miss Zecora and I have been trying to get your attention for the past minute," Luna said, sounding a bit concerned. "Are you…alright? Should we go to a doctor to get your hearing examined?"

"Love? Are you crying?" Zecora asked.

I reached up to my cheek. Sure enough, a tear had escaped my eyes and had fallen down my cheek. I wiped it away. "Sorry, I get like this a lot whenever I stargaze. I just…wanna fly up there among them. The music enhances that feeling."

"I do enjoy this music," Luna said. "Especially this one here."

I looked at the name on my phone. "An Ending (Ascent) is the name. A good track. I personally prefer the first one."

"I wish we could listen to this music more often," Luna said.

"Someday," I said, "I'll find a way for you to be able to. I thought you might like this kind of music. It's ethereal and makes you envision planets, starfields, nebulae, black holes, quasars, and so much more. And speaking of, do you want to look through my telescope now?"

"I would very much like to do that," Luna said, sounding excited now.

"Me too, please," Zecora said.

"Perfect. Let me turn it on and get it as set up as I can, and then we can begin." I walked over, turned the motor on, then after a few quick tests, pulled a red flashlight out of my small backpack and shone it on the planisphere. "Okay then, ladies, let's find a good first object…ah! M31, also known as the Andromeda Galaxy." I moved the telescope around, looking at the small dimly lit dusty spiral I saw in the night sky. When I lined it up, I slowly moved it around in the eyepiece until I centered the nearest spiral galaxy. "Okay, I have it lined up. Now, you can't look quite directly at it. Look slightly to one side in order to get the full experience." I looked through, beaming. "Gorgeous…an entire galaxy…"

When I stepped away, Luna immediately jumped forward and peered through the lens "Let me see! Let me see!" She sounded like a little child when she said it and I could tell her excitement was barely able to be contained. She looked through the eyepiece, her mane and tail seeming to move faster in the ethereal wind. "Wow…truly an amazing sight to behold," she said. After a while, she moved away, looking sheepishly at Zecora. "Forgive me, Miss Zecora."

"Don't apologize, your Highness," she said as she stood carefully on her hind legs to get a better angle at the eyepiece. I stood beside her and took her hoof to help steady her. She looked at me with a loving smile, then looked through the eyepiece. "I have never seen something quite like that. I admit, I never expected to see another galaxy before today."

"Well, why don't we try something a little closer to home next?" I asked, pointing to the rising moon in the east.

Zecora stood back on her four legs, and smiled. "What say you, your Highness?"

Luna looked at once excited and a bit nervous. "I…I think I would like to see that too."

Trauma about staying up there for so long? I thought as I moved the telescope down towards the rising celestial body. When I got the angle of the telescope right, I looked through. "Well…it's certainly nothing like the moon I'm used to," I admitted, "but it's very similar. Craters…which indicate the presence of asteroids in the Equestrian solar system…a few small maria, probably from molten rock hardening…and I think I see mountain ranges and a couple valleys. Hang on." I switched out the lens I was currently using for a more powerful one and slipped it in. "Yeah…there's definitely mountains there. And I think…I see the outline of the mare in the moon from where it was before it vanished."

"Might I see?" Luna asked, approaching slowly.

"Sure," I said, stepping away and letting her look.

Luna kept her eye focused on the view through the eyepiece for a lot longer than she had when observing Andromeda. After a while, she pulled away. "It's…a beautiful sight," Luna said, sniffing a bit. "When Celestia banished me, I was not trapped on the moon's surface, but within it," she explained. "All I could do was think. I created a world in my own thoughts, one that kept me sane. At least, I hope I am still sane." She looked a bit worried. "I never got to actually see the surface."

"Well, if we ever get a space program off the ground, maybe someday you can," I said in my best encouraging voice.

Zecora, who was also looking at the moon now, replied, "This just goes to show you just how similar both worlds can be in many respects."

Luna wiped her eyes a bit. "You're right, Miss Zecora."

"Call me Zecora, please," my marefriend said. "There's no need to be formal with me."

Luna nodded, smiling at the Zebra. "Very well, then…you can call me Luna. I shall allow it since you are a fellow lover of the night."

Zecora, looking a bit surprised at this, nodded gratefully. "Very well…Luna."

I watched the conversation, but somehow had the feeling that there was another one going on beneath the surface. One I had no clue how to pick up on. I looked back at the planisphere. "Hey, who wants to see a globular cluster?" I asked.

"And what, pray tell, is a globular cluster?" Luna asked.

"A globular cluster is a group of stars that are gathered close together and look like a sphere," Zecora explained.

"I'll show you," I said as I maneuvered the telescope slightly north. It took me a few minutes, but eventually, I spotted the gathering of tightly knit stars. "My God…I've never seen them quite like this before…" I stared at them as the music from my phone continued. After a bit, I stepped back. "Ladies, have a look at Messier 15."

Zecora looked through it first, taking her time to appreciate the cluster. Then, Luna looked. She was in awe as always. As they did so, I looked at the planisphere once more. A grin formed as I saw a nebula we could look at next. I waited for Luna to finish, eager to show them this unique galaxy. When Luna stepped back, she had a dreamy look in her eyes. "There's so much…out there," she said as she looked up at the stars. "I just thought the stars were all there were, but to see other objects up close? Forgive me if I seem out of sorts. This is quite a lot to take in."

"Feel like taking one more thing in before we go back to simple stargazing?" I asked, already turning the telescope northwest towards the horizon. I was glad that the hill we were on gave a very good view of the majority of the sky above.

"Well…sure, one more for now," Luna said.

I moved the telescope facing almost all the way up, and after a minute or so, found the last object we'd observe for the time being. I put a more powerful lens in and observed it, beaming. "Gorgeous…" After a while, I pulled away. "Ladies, take a look at Messier 57, or the Ring Nebula."

Luna looked first this time, her tail twitching in anticipation as she looked through. "Wow…it's symmetrical…" she said after a while. "Do you know why that is, Jethro?"

I pulled out my phone and did a quick search, just to be sure my info was accurate. "That is a planetary nebula," I explained after a quick read. "When some stars reach the end of their lives, they release a lot of their gas into space, making this kind of nebula."

"Stars can die?" Luna asked curiously.

"It takes billions of years for them to die, but yes," I said. "I doubt we'll see a star dying in our lifetime here, but it does happen."

Luna nodded absently, continuing to stare at the nebula. She took more time than normal before stepping away and slowly lying back down. Zecora looked through as well, once again with my help to steady her. When she finished, I turned off the motor and joined Luna on the grass. Zecora snuggled up close next to me.

The music continued, and once again as we lay there, my mind wandered up towards the sky. In a way, stargazing was one of my ultimate escapes. Even when I lived in the Everfree and was building up the castle, I would take some breaks and stare at the gorgeous night sky for about ten or fifteen minutes. It helped that I could fly above the forest canopy and see from horizon to horizon.

Just as John Serrie's music began to play, I felt a presence against my left shoulder. Looking down, I saw Luna slowly pressing herself against me, still looking at the heavens. I looked down at Zecora, who smiled up at me. Reaching over, I put a hand on her head and began slowly massaging. Her eyes widened in surprise, then fluttered happily as she snuggled closer. I put my right hand on my lover's head and did the same. I was rewarded by the same response from her as she nuzzled into my hand.

I continued this as I looked up at the sky once more. A small smile formed on my face. A part of me was content to be in this position. I was between two gorgeous mares, staring up at the most beautiful autumn night sky I'd ever seen. Life is good, I thought. Life is very good.

I've posted A Cloaked Heart - Side Stories on FimFiction. I probably won't post it here, though. The stories in there are from different perspectives and will either be canon or non-canon, but all set in the Cloaked Heart Universe.