> All Things Being Equal
>  by Justice3442
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Dear Starlight,

Just checking up on you! I hope you’re doing well. You know how I worry. I mean, it’s my prerogative to worry, and I do my best not to nag you so much, but sometimes it just builds up and I have to write you a letter. 

Oh my… That was a run-on sentence, wasn’t it? Oh, I can feel your disapproving scowl from here, but you know the look your father gives when I waste ink and parchment, so I guess you’ll just have to scowl at me the next time we see each other.

Oops. That last one was even worse.

Anyhow, yes…. worried… You know… Mom stuff. I’m sure you’ll understand one day. Oh, how’s Sunburst doing by the way? You two still are still in contact, right? I hear he’s a handsome, important, handsome wizard now. I’d hate if you two stopped keeping in touch.

Well, I’ll stop mothering you for a bit. Your father also says ‘hi’, of course. I can tell he misses having you around, but we’re trying to keep busy. I’m sad you left the nest, but it was definitely time I stop coddling my little light and let her shine her light on all the world.

I think I might have just plagiarized that from a book or something, don’t tell anypony.

Hopefully we can all meet up once you get settled. I know you’ll make quite the splash in that little town you’re going to next. Be sure to send me your new address right away. It’s bad enough me trying to fill my time without you around as it is! Don’t take letters away from me! 

Good luck, my little shooting star!

Love,

Luminous Nova





Dear Starlight,

It's so good to hear from you, dear. Never have your father and I thought we'd hear of the day where you finally became mayor of a town that... what did you call your town again?

It doesn't matter. We're just so proud of how much work you've put into making your mark in the world! Granted, we would like to visit you and see how you're doing. You could give us the whole tour, your father would take pictures for memories... oh, I bet it would just be a wonderful time. 

When you're ready, please let us know when we can stop by. Your father's been saving up some money for the train tickets, so we'll be ready to depart the moment we get your invitation.

Don't keep us waiting long, my little shooting star!

Love,

Luminous Nova





Hey Starlight,

Oh geez… Has it really been months since my last letter? Ha Ha. I guess I’m just the worst. Your mom really let me have it in her latest letter. I mean, she still sent treats, but, oh boy, it’s like I can feel her disappointed scowl every time I glance at her letter or have a cookie. Hopefully that’ll go away once I mail this to you.

I really need to work on my time management skills. I thought things were bad when I was still in Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but now that I’m an official wizard, I think my workload has doubled!

Still, that’s no excuse. You’ve been my best friend since we were little and I should know better to just sit with my face buried in books then put off something so important as keeping in touch with you. We’ve been together since thick and thin! I can’t very well just ignore what’s going on with you. What kind of friend would that be?

And, wow! Mayor of your own town? How cool is that! Way to go, Starry! I knew you had it in you! That must have been Equestria’s quickest election. I can’t imagine anyone not wanting you to just prop you up as their leader the moment you threw your name in the ring! 

Hopefully I can buckle down and get through more of my duties here! Wizard work be danged… Hehe… remember when your dad set up that swear jar? I don’t think you got an allowance for weeks. Speaking of the good ol’ days, I’d love to see you soon so we can catch up and maybe break out a few oldies but goodies when it comes to our foal exploits! In fact, I’m looking forward to it.

Your friend forever,

Sunburst.





Dear Starlight, 

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been so busy running your town that you haven’t had time to prepare for a visit, but your father and I understand. It’s just good to read you’re doing so well and helphing all the ponies of your town… I really need to get that name… I bet you’re putting just the biggest smiles on every pony you meet.

Your fatgher and I can’t wait to see you again! Oh, it’s just been tolong since I wrapped my fore1`~gS around you, and I know you’re making that face while you read this! I’m your mama moGZte mother, I’m allowed to get sentimental over my baby girl daugough

dau*##*#<MRG

DAUG%BNM*=

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daughter.

But take your time, my little shooting star. Your father and I can be patient, if we must, even if we really don’t want to.

See you soon, I hope!

Luminous Nova.





Hey Starry,

It’s me again! I’m not going to let it go too long before I write you again! Heh. I don’t want to suffer the wrath of your mommy mom. I’m hearing great things about that town you’re mayor of! Sounds like everyone is so happy to live there and you’ve created quite the little paradise for everypony. You should be proud of yourself, my little shooting star STARRY. 

Again, it’s such a bummer 

disapointment

disapPointment 

that I can’t break awaGISERR/

PDFGHHJ

SDJ&SD#$MUYILFKYUASDNFUOJHLJR


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I’m really sorry I can’t be there for you.

You’re all alone.



Starlight’s head bolted up from the letter she had just ruined. With tears in her eyes, she stared at the massive equal sign, black as midnight and bleeding down the parchment in heavy blotches. Her head twitched in anger as her lips turned up into a sneer. Her horn glowed a brilliant sky blue as a perfectly round bubble of her own design appeared around her, extending only a few feet in any direction away from her, save for the bottom which she stepped on.

The barrier was necessary for what came next.

Starlight threw back her head and screamed. Screamed as loud as she could. Screamed until she thought her lungs might give out, and when she no longer had any more air to give to this feral howl of pain, she jumped off her wooden chair and shot a contemptible glare at it which she shared with the desk she had just been sitting at. With another flash of her horn, the desk and its assortment of letters was covered in another barrier. The chair was next, wrapped in a tight fitting cocoon of magic energy. 

Starlight took a deep breath and rose the chair into the air with her magic. With another blood curdling yowl of sorrow and pain she smashed the chair as hard as she could against the shielded desk. Both barriers held. She repeated the action, again, and again until she was slamming the chair at the barrier around her as well,  hurling it around her with a  dangerous speed. The chair bounced and ricocheted off both the inside and outside barrier, sailing for her as she put up another shield which she wrapped around herself, allowing the barrier around the chair to drop.

The chair splintered and broke into dozens of pieces as it smashed into the barrier just a few hair’s widths away from Starlight’s unblinking face.

Once again, all Starlight could hear was quiet. She dropped all the barriers, picked up the broken chair bits with her magic and quickly stuffed them into a large wooden waste receptacle before she opened a closest, removed an identical chair from it and put in front of the desk. Sitting back down, she let out a soft sorrowful sigh and laid her head on the desk as tears streaked down from her amethyst eyes.

She stared at the letters. Each one penned by her. Not a single word, letter, tear stain, or smudge created or even seen by another living pony. 
Tears still in her eyes, she managed a glare at her last letter and raised it with her magic. She closed her eyes and focused, gripping all but the massive equal sign in her magic before destroying the parchment.

The equal sign floated to the desk surface.

Starlight silently stared at it.

“Starlight Glimmer?” a male voice called from outside.

Starlight quickly whipped tears away from her eyes as she stood up. “Yes?” she replied in an even tone.

“We have visitors!” The voice said excitedly. “Six of them! One’s even a Princess.”

 With a sky blue glow of her horn, the letters were carefully unwrinkled, stacked neatly, and placed into one of the drawers of her desk almost already frilled to the brim with similar parchments. “Be right there!” she said as she forced a smile that was just a little too symmetrical on to her face.

Starlight Glimmer stepped onto all four hooves and walked towards the door, a plain, monotone cutie mark of two equally long lines adorning her flank. Still smiling, she opened the door and stepped out into the light of the day.

She would erase sadness from the world. She would erase pain and suffering. She’d erase all the bad emotions from the planet.

She would erase loneliness.

And when she was done, finally everything would be…

Equal.

The End