//------------------------------// // Media Songs/Secrets Revealed // Story: Starlight's Symphony // by Phoenix Heart 27 //------------------------------// Most ponies wouldn't say going to the doctor's was a truly likeable experience. This is similarly what Melody Star was thinking as she stepped out into the waiting room of the local health clinic. Her face wrapped in sheer shock. After all, what better way to spend one’s birthday than to be told rather….intriguing news from a doctor. Regardless, she sighed to herself as she dialed up her boyfriend as she took off into early afternoon air traffic. Taking noticeable caution to not fly as fast as she’d normally go, This decision ultimately proved a good one as when she was on her way home, there were at least 2 accidents that she had to skillfully avoid as she was on the phone with her colt. Telling him that she’d get a taxi and see him later on that night, she eventually made it inside the house. However, she instantly regretted doing so as when she unknowingly stepped on a toy robot, it made a sound and all too soon, a flurry of kids came charging towards her. Toy swords and shields strapped to their backs and outstretched hooves as they yelled their attack. The leader was, of course a bandana clad, Starlight with Sunflower dutifully barking and playfully nipping at the heels of the elder pegasus. Immediately seeing this, Melody very irately, shoved the group of 8 off of her and kept moving towards the kitchen. “Halt intruder! You shall not pass!”, Starlight signed with her best attempt at an intimidating scowl. Annoyed, Melody simply shoved her sister aside. “Mel! When I said you can't pass, I meant don't come in here! We're playing Royal Guards and this is the entry hall to the grand throne room of the king.”, Starlight spoke and signed as she indicated to her friend, Pond Skip waving from in the dining room with a crown on his head. “Don’t care. Take your little game outside. Stay out of the kitchen or mama will hear of this! Understand?”, Melody signed in a way that told Starlight that she was ticked off for some reason. “Geez! What's got your knickers in a knot?! We were just having a bit of fun? No need for the harshness, but we'll leave. Mainly because I don't want to get in trouble again with mom.", Starlight signed with a irritated glare at her sister as she picked up her toy spear and left the kitchen. “Wait? What do you mean ’again’? What did you do the first time?!?”, Melody signed/asked her little sister. Stopping in her tracks, Star responded. “Oh….nothing It's stupid really. You wouldn't care. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my fun. You should try it sometime!” Immediately concerned on as to how her (hardly ever gets in trouble) little sister managed to piss their mom off, Melody quickly scooped up the retreating filly. The sharp scream that resonated from her seemed to not register with her company, yet that wasn't the issue. It did however go heard by a 3-year-old Sunflower as she came bounding in from the living room. On high alert and already barking in alarm and warning. Giving Melody a look that simply said ‘try it, mate! Try something and I’ll rip ya apart’, she leapt onto the older foal. Making her drop the younger one onto the kitchen floor. “Ow! Stupid dog! Get off ya mangy mutt!”, Melody shouted as she shook her sister's service dog off her. Grumbling under her breath, she semi-calmly signed to her sister. “What do you mean?”, Melody signed. “Just that both of us are in trouble. Though mostly, it's you that are.”, Star signed back. “Why?”, Melody asked with an incredulous look. “Because I was playing with your make-up and mom caught me. She promised she wouldn't tell you but I had to clean it up. I accidentally knocked your trash bin over on my way out and mom must've seen what was in there. I caught a glimpse of what I think was a bunch of white sticks. What happened next really confused me. Mom, her face went from lilac to white in a split second! Then her face twisted into the most creepy looking smile I’d seen in a long time. From that, I can only guess that you're in bigger trouble than me.”, Starlight explained through signs. All at once, Melody's face went as white as the canopy curtains that hung above her hammock on the ceiling. Shaking, Melody thanked her sister for admitting the truth and told her that she wasn't mad. Taking on the role that she'd signed on for the moment little Star was born, Melody told her sister to gather her friends up and head into the conservatory. No questions and to lock the doors behind them. Once they were all collected in the spacious conservatory, Melody brought them all some food and snacks as well as a few board games and her portable movie player. With explicit instructions to contact herself or Midnight Dream if anypony needed anything, Melody left the group of 8 sat in the conservatory. Starlight already at her piano. Sunflower gently snoozing in a corner. Satisfied that her sister and her friends were situated, she gave Starlight a quick hug and kiss (to which the foal squirmed about when this happened) before leaving. Her face blank as a sheet the whole time before rushing upstairs to prepare for the inevitable. “Okay, while that was weird, now what do we do?”, Sprinkler signed while turning up her own hearing aids so she could talk and sign at the same time. “Oohh! I got an idea!”, said Pond Skip with a excited movement of his hooves and tail. “What?”, Cosmos asked in reply. “How about we play ‘guess the theme song’! It's basically like charades but with music and TV shows as the theme going about it.”, Pond continued, with Sprinkler signing for Starlight's sake. This immediately got a great response as Starlight Sonata went to her piano and did her routine hoof stretches before sitting at her bench. Spirit Chaser, immediately hopping onto the bench next to her….neither of them actually knew what to call what this was. They knew that they loved each other, yet they couldn't exactly put a label on it. So for arguments sake, let's just call them B.P.F.Fs (Best. Pony. Friends. Forever). Anyways, scooting close to Starlight, Spirit casually draped a wing over the young pianist as she began to play an easily recognizable tune. “Oh! I know that one!”, Cosmos said. “What is it then?”, Starlight asked as she turned around. “Easy. It's Spongeboy Boxpants!”, Cosmos replied. “Correct! Next one Starry!”, Sprinkler signed. Nodding, Starlight continued to play songs. Amongst them, she would play a theme song for a show that the boys knew and the girls didn't care for and the theme of a show that they all used to watch when they were younger (and occasionally even currently when they'd have a substitute teacher). “Okay, we’re switching gears now ponies. Now the overall theme will be songs from movies.”, Starlight signed as she began to play a song that she knew would probably stump most of them. “Any guesses?”, Star asked as she stopped. “No, because I know what movie that was! Duh! The Leon King!”, Spirit Chaser signed back with a grin. “Correct! Great job!”, Starlight signed with a smile. With a swish of her mane, they all continued on with their game. Completely oblivious to the discontent going on outside that soundproofed conservatory. As she packed the last bag, Melody sighed. She knew that what her mother saw in her now empty trashcan had been no true accident. After all, for the past few months, the signs had been there plainly! The mood changes. The amazing amount of sleep. The appetite changes. It was only when she had thought a few days ago to check something herself that made her schedule the clinic appointment in the first place. The confirmation made her feel alien and completely confused about what her next move was to be. Now that her mom had found out...Melody was genuinely scared. If things played out the way she expected, then she'd be taking her bags and leaving home...potentially forever. As she heard the sound of cart keys jingle and the tumbler of a lock, Melody steeled herself as she went down the stairs and stopped in the den as both her mother and stepfather came in. Both with incredibly serious looks on their faces. With the most serious face she could muster despite her fear, Melody waited until after her parents sat in the den. The deadly serious looks on their faces never moved. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, Moondance spoke up in a chilling tone. “You know why we’re here?”, she said with a cold tone. “Yes. Also, before you ask it, Starlight Sonata and her friends are in the conservatory playing. They'll be fine while we talk.”, Melody stated. Excusing herself briefly, Moondance went to the locked conservatory. Knocking on the door, a click was heard before the door was slid open to reveal the sound of music coming from Starlight playing her piano. A soothing, yet familiar song was playing. One that Moondance instantly recognized. “Hmmm... Isn't that one from that movie about the stallion who was raised by gorillas? I knew it sounded familiar!”, Moondance spoke/signed with a smile as her own foal came rushing up to her. Giving her a semi-gentle hug. “Was just coming to see if anypony wanted me to order in tonight? I'm thinking pizza? Of course your friends are more than welcome to stay for dinner!”, Moon signed/spoke with a pretty forced smile on her face. The immediate response of ‘yeses’ along with the suggestions of calling parents to ask if they could stay over for dinner was all she needed to hear before telling them to lock the door back behind her as she left. Coming back from checking on the youngsters and calling a local pizza place for delivery, Moondance came back into the den to the necessary sight of her husband loudly chewing out her currently in huge trouble eldest daughter. “If I may interject?” Moon states as she gently pushed aside Rain Whip “Melody Star. Of all the things I've ever seen you do in your 19 years of life, I never would have thought you'd go and do something as stupid as getting pregnant at such a young age. I am appalled by this behavior. As of right now, I am so furious at you, it's a Celestia given miracle that I’m not screaming at you! Much less already packing your father's gun away to prevent him from going after Checker Flag. Now, thankfully we can fix this! Come with me.”, She finished as she picked up her cart keys and gestured towards her cart. Immediately picking up on what her mother meant by “fix this”, Melody Star gasped in fright. Instinct taking over and she unconsciously wrapped her wings around her center in a protective manner. Backing away from the door and letting out a few harsh snorts all the while. “N-N-No.”, Melody stammered out as she backed up. “What are you talking about?”, Moondance asked. “No. No! NO! I'M NOT GOING IN THAT CART! I'M NOT GOING TO A CLINIC AND GETTING RID OF IT! THAT'S JUST HORRIBLE!”, Melody screamed as instinct kicked in and her wings unfurled. She crouched low and a harsh growl ripped out of her throat. “Now, sweetheart.You’ve got to believe that this is...the best decision ultimately--”, Rain Whip tried to reason with his rapidly growing feral stepdaughter. “--FUCK THAT! YOU'RE SAYING AN ABORTION WOULD BE THE ‘BEST DECISION’! WHAT?! DID YOU GUYS EVEN THINK OF POTENTIALLY ME KEEPING THE FOAL? OR PERHAPS ADOPTION?! HONESTLY! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU BOTH!?! THIS ISN'T JUST SOME PIECE OF TRASH YOU DECIDE TO TOSS OUT WHEN IT NO LONGER HAS A PURPOSE! IT'S A BABY! AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M SAYING WHEN I SAY I’LL KEEP HIM/HER. I CAN TAKE CARE OF A FOAL! WELL, CHECKER AND I CAN! WE’LL GET MARRIED BEFORE THE FOAL COMES! HE ALREADY HAS A STEADY JOB AND I CAN JUST BE A STAY-AT-HOME MOMMY WHEN THE BABY GETS HERE. UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, I’LL GET A JOB AND WE’LL BE FINE!!!!”, Melody Star scream ranted. The cold look that both adults sported, cracked and split into one of incredulous shock. Before they could do anything to stop this madness, Melody was already up the stairs and grabbing her four bags full of her most precious belongings and zoomed out of the house faster than either parent could catch. “Uhh...what?”, Rain Whip asked in shock. “My daughter….just ran away….Oh Faust! My baby! How could she?! Wait--what am I saying? Of course she'd run! After all the stress and the fact that I just put her in a difficult situation?! It completely makes sense and--”, Moondance was cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. “I got a delivery! Two Extra Cheese, Extra carrots and bell peppers, Two orders of Bitalian Cheese Bread and a large cream soda!”, the delivery filly called from the other side of the doorway. Prompting Rain Whip to collect the food and pay the 12 bits price plus a 5 bit tip for her wait. Closing the screen door, Rain went back into the dining room and set the food down. Fortunately, Starlight honestly had the nose of a dragon (metaphorically speaking) and as soon as she smelled the delivery filly at the door, she knew the food was here. Gathering up her friends, she gave Sunflower the command to open the door (after Sprinkler unlocked it of course) and all 7 fillies and colts bolted out of the conservatory at the scent of food. Once all of them were situated at the table, Moondance and Rain Whip divided the task of passing out pizza and filling cups with soda. While not the healthiest of dinners, it's all Moon could think of after having to deal with her wayward eldest foal. The last thing she needed was to have any more surprises pop up that day. So, the adults settled down at the lively table and ate silently as the chatter of 7 foals and the expectant whining of Sunflower begging for scraps (which she knew she wasn't getting….yet) filled the room. An Hour Later… “So when we went into the conservatory, Pond Skip suggests that we play ‘Guess the Song’. Right on the first song I thought of, Cosmos guessed it right! So then I realized I had to think of harder ones. While I was sure nopony would guess what one was, there you were mama! And you guessed it right and everything! *sigh* today was good.”, Starlight signed and spoke as she got in pjs for the night. Having already brushed her teeth and combed her mane and tail. “Well I’m glad you had such a fun day sweetpea. Now time for bed”, Moondance responded with a small smile. “Okay. Goodnight mom, I love you.”, Starlight signed sleepily. “Goodnight my little Star. See you in the morning.”, Moondance replied. “Tell Melly I said goodnight too.”, Starlight signed one last time before sleep took her. Moondance looked in slight shock before backing out of the room. Making sure the nightlight was on and Sunflower was resting at the foot of the hammock.