Doctor Saturn at the Gala Chapter 3

The pegasus-drawn flying carriage landed on the outskirts of Ponyville.  Despite being away from the town for years, it still seemed the same, Saturn noticed as he stepped out of the carriage.  Everything looked, sounded, and smelled the same.  But still, there was something a bit off.  As Saturn trotted down the main thoroughfare, Saturn noticed what was different:  there were some new buildings in town, some with a good amount of fairly advanced technology inside.  Trotting up to the house on the outskirts of the main part of town, Saturn sweated a bit nervously.  He hadn’t seen his parents in a long time.  Slowly rapping the door, Saturn lamented the lost opportunities to catch up with his parents.

A few moments later, the door opened, revealing his father Uranus, a weathered old stallion in his 60s.  Eyeing his guest, his tired eyes suddenly sparked with new life.  “Saturn!” he cried happily.  “So good to see you again!”
Saturn nuzzled his father affectionately.  “Hey Dad.  Miss me?”
“You bet your flank I did,” Uranus replied.  He gestured inside.  “Come on in, son.”
Saturn obeyed his father’s request.  Turning around back into the house, Uranus called out, “Andromeda!  Saturn’s here!”
At this summons, the 60 year old mare appeared in the foyer.  Seeing her son, she galloped up to him, nuzzling him so hard that Saturn thought she might rub his head off.  “Welcome back, honey,” Andromeda whispered in her son’s ear.
“It’s good to be back, Mom,” Saturn replied back.

Breaking up the lovey-dovey scene, Uranus put a hoof around his son’s shoulder.  “So, what brings you in town this fine day?” he asked.
“Official astronomy business,” Saturn said.  “I tell you all about it at dinner.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that, honey,” his mother replied.  “I just set the table.”
They all trotted into the kitchen/dining room, where there were two sets of dishes waiting.  Andromeda walked over to the cabinet and pulled out another plate for Saturn.  As she set it down across from hers, Saturn took his seat while his father did the same.

With everypony seated at their proper places, Andromeda walked over the the oven, pulling out the most delicious-smelling creamed spinach casserole ever thought imaginable.  Setting it down on the table, she took her seat across from Saturn.  “Well, since you’re here now, Saturn, would you like to do the honors?”
Even though he hated saying grace, Saturn obediently bowed his head.  His parents did the same.  Saturn recited the prayer.  “Bless us, O Celestia, and these thy gifts, for which we are about to receive, from thy bounty, through you, our Princess.  Amen.”

Everypony raised their heads and dug in.  Between bites, Uranus eyed his son.  “So,” he asked, “what’s this ‘official business’ of yours?”
Saturn looked at his parents with a straight face.  “The Astronomy Guild has asked me to represent them at the Grand Galloping Gala tomorrow night.”
Andromeda gasped.  “Oh my, son, I’m so proud of you!” she cried.
“Me too,” his father added.
“Yeah, well, I’m the only one who’s not excited about it.”
His mother was confused.  “Why not, sweetie?”
He looked at his mother with a worried look on his face.  “You should know that I don’t interact well with others, ever since middle school!” he said exasperatedly.

Uranus leaned back.  “I thought the bullying ended after middle school, Saturn,” he said in a confused voice.
Turning his head to his father, Saturn replied, “It did, but the pain is still there.  It’s made me distant from others.  Ever since the bullying, I’ve wanted to be as detached as possible from everypony else not close to me.”
Andromeda immediately switched into mother mode.  “Saturn, I know socializing with others is hard for you, but sometimes we have to do things that we don’t like.  Look at me and your father, for example.  We’ve had to endure decades of psychological torture from other ponies because of our professions.”
“I know, Mom, but you two were astronomers also.  Things didn’t get better until Princess Luna returned.”

His mother sighed.  This was true.  Mere months ago, Princess Luna, in the form of Nightmare Moon, returned to Equestria to shroud the kingdom in eternal night.  It was only through the efforts of six brave mares and the Elements of Harmony that the evil creature was dispelled from the princess’s body, leaving behind a pure and very sorrowful filly.  Before her return, astronomers were looked down upon in Equestrian society, believed by other ponies to be a cult wishing to bring about Nightmare Moon’s return and Princess Celestia’s downfall.  Only Celestia herself knew better, and thusly treated all astronomers with the same respect that she showed to all of her other subjects.  After her little sister’s return, Celestia decreed that astronomer’s were to be respected as equals and not to be misjudged, something everypony eventually took to heart out of fear of suffering the same fate Princess Luna did.

With this information swimming around in her brain, Andromeda finally spoke up.  “I know all of that, Saturn, but things are, as you said, better.  Sometimes, we have to put our past behind us.  That’s what your father and I did.”
Saturn looked down at his now-empty plate.  Standing up from his seat, Saturn excused himself, picked up his luggage and walked up to his old bedroom.  Opening the door, he found it just the way he left it the last time he was here.  Posters with constellations and galaxies adorned the walls and ceiling.  Between all of the pictures, little glow-in-the-dark stars were pasted to the surfaces, bathing the room every night in a gentle green glow.  After setting his luggage down next to his desk, Saturn flopped onto his bed, opting to stare at the ceiling for the next few hours.  Eventually, his day caught up with him, sending Saturn into a deep slumber.

The school bell rang loudly throughout the town.  Fillies and colts galloped to the schoolhouse to avoid being late.  Saturn, his head hung low to avoid eye contact with his schoolmates, slowly trotted to the playground for morning recess.  Instead of playing with the other ponies on the playground, Saturn opted to sit in the shade next to the school building.  Here, he could watch the other ponies interact and have fun.  Looking at them all, Saturn wished that he could have at least one colt or filly to talk to.  Yet, none of them would.  Being from a family of astronomers, Saturn was ostracized by his classmates from all forms of pony contact.

Well except for one, which managed to slowly lumber its way over in Saturn’s direction.  Seconds later, Saturn found himself under the intense gaze of Rocky, the school bully.  The massive colt lowered his sneering face down to Saturn’s.  An evil fire burned in his eyes.  “Well, well, well, looks like the little Starcolt doesn’t have anypony to play with him--again.”
Rocky’s cohorts snickered at their leader’s jeers.  Saturn, on the other hand, was not amused.  “I already told you, Rocky, I’m sick of your antics.  I’ve already told you billions of times to leave me alone.  Go pick on somepony else,” Saturn retorted.
Rocky recoiled back in mock surprise.  “Oh, look, the little pony thinks he’s tough now,” he said mockingly, eliciting more laughs from his lackeys.  Rocky leaned back forward, his muzzles mere inches away from Saturn’s.  “And if I don’t, then what?” he asked threateningly.
Saturn stared hard at his tormenter.  “Then you can take your flank-kisser posse and shove them up your own Celestia-damn flank.”

Suddenly, Saturn found himself on the ground, a hoof-sized welt forming on his cheek.  He looked up to see Rocky towering over him, his face red with fury.  “You little foal!” he snarled.  “Never take our princess’s name in vain!  If your parents won’t teach you respect for the rightful ruler of Equestria, then maybe somepony else should!”
At this, he hauled Saturn up off his hind hooves, holding him against the school wall.  Rocky’s forehoof cocked back against his head for the punishment that was about to be dished out to his prey.  The hoof came forward and smacked Saturn square in the face.  Everything went black after that.

Saturn woke with a start.  Looking outside his window, he could see that it was already morning.  He untangled himself from his sweat-soaked sheets and slowly crawled out of bed.  Looking in his bedroom mirror, he raised a hoof to his muzzle.  No pain, he thought as he touched it.  So it was just a dream.  Good.  Taking a deep breath, Saturn exited the room to find himself face-to-face with an extremely worried Andromeda.  “Are you alright, honey?” she asked worriedly.  “I heard moaning coming from your room.”
Saturn nuzzled her affectionately.  “I’m alright, Mom.  It was just a bad dream.”
His mother breathed a sigh of relief.  Looking up in her son’s dark brown eyes, she said, “Well, as long as you’re awake, how about some breakfast?”

Saturn trotted down to the kitchen to make himself some oatmeal.  Looking over at the table, he saw his father nose buried deep in a copy of the Equestria Daily.  Without looking up from his paper, Uranus said, “Morning son.”  Pushing a cup of black liquid towards him, he asked, “Coffee?”
Saturn took the cup gratefully.  “Thanks, Dad,” he replied before taking a sip.  Suddenly, his face grew red with heat.  Steam suddenly shot from his ears.  Barely swallowing the lava-hot liquid, Saturn gasped for air.  “Holy moly, that’s hot!” he exclaimed as he cantered over to the freezer to get some ice.
Uranus chuckled softly.  “Sorry, son.  That’s just how I usually drink it.”

“Yeah, I remember,” Saturn muttered as he dropped the frozen cubes in the mug.  As he let the ice do its magic, Saturn went about prepping his breakfast.  Taking a box of Sweet Apple Acres brand instant oatmeal out of the cupboard, Saturn asked over his shoulder, “So, did you hear that Germani 12 landed safely?”
Setting his paper down, Uranus looked at his son.  “Yep, I heard.  By the way, I heard from an old colleague that you were snooping around the Trotson Space Center again,” he said with a playful grin.
Saturn’s face grew a bit red.  “Guilty as charged,” he replied.  Taking the now-finished bowl of mush back to his seat, Saturn continued with his thought.  “Listen, Dad, I was thinking of, you know, applying to be an astronaut.”

Uranus’ head shot up immediately.  His shocked expression slowly curved into a wide smile.  “Go for it, Saturn!” he exclaimed.  “When does the application start?”
“In a few months,” Saturn replied.
Uranus failed to wipe the grin from his face.  “Saturn, I think you should definitely apply.”
Suddenly, his expression turned deadly serious.  “But know this:  thousands of other ponies apply as well, and not everypony is selected.”
Saturn nodded.  “I know, Dad, but still, it’s worth a shot.”
“It most certainly is,” Uranus agreed.
Finishing up his bowl of oatmeal, Saturn stood up.  “Well, I’ve got a busy day ahead.”