Sample of chapter 21 of "Caught and Punished"

Chapter 21 of Caught and Punished is in the final parts of proofreading, but here's a little sample of the first part of it, if you want a sneak peek. All of the remaining chapters are now planned to be out one by one every 2 weeks, so to kinda make up for not going updates weekly anymore like I wanted, I'm thinking of doing this 2 or 3 days before each new chapter is out.

*Starlight’s POV*



I found myself back in my hometown, a small town named “Sire’s Hollow.“ It’s far from Ponyville, yet I barely remembered how I got here. Knew why, though, and it was also why my heart was beating faster than ever.

Before me was my former home; I stood motionless in front of the stairs to its front door, staring up at the door. I was unintentionally acting like a statue for the past minute. I had faced the fears that plagued me for years that I might be rejected by other ponies. I had atoned for my mistakes by saving my friends from Queen Chrysalis. At one point, I was even prepared to sacrifice myself for them if need be.

In short, I had never felt so good about myself. I wasn’t a worthless little filly anymore.

Even so, knowing my mom and dad were in the house towering over me, all of my past good deeds felt meaningless. Was coming back a bad idea? They didn’t care about me.

The answer was simple. Just like anypony, I wanted my parent's love and approval. If I didn’t face them, I wouldn’t be able to say I got over my past. It would tug on my mind like an itch that was never scratched for sweet relief. Even if it's not easy for ponies to scratch with hooves.

Too bad knowing I needed to do this failed to make it any easier to march up those stairs. It’s not like I could knock on the door with magic...or could I? Questions for later.

I willed my hooves to walk up the steps before me - at least it was a short stairway -- and reached my hoof toward the door. I was doing it. Or was, before the door suddenly felt larger and more formidable, forcing an unbearable burst of nerves to stop my hoof right before it touched that door. How my hoof started shaking told me that this would be even harder than I thought. Maybe I should just go back to Ponyville.

No, Starlight. Don't run away. You have to do this. You’re not nothing.

After the progress I’ve made, I couldn’t just flee now. After a very, very deep breath, I again reached out my hoof and tapped on the unusually forbidding door. It was the hardest my fear would let me knock. Then I waited. And waited.

And waited.

How could it take so long to get to the door?!

The door finally cracked open. In front of me was one of the two ponies I wasn't sure I would ever see again.

My mom.

She was my height, yet she felt twice as tall, and her frown and scowl killed most of the strength I was feeling. Her mane was a darker shade of purple than mine. Its style was much like my old one: her horn divided the part of her mane over her forehead into two “bangs" -- what Sam calls them -- but more of her mane also ran down her neck. Her coat color was pink, though slightly paler than Pinkie’s, but the chilling feeling she emitted felt NOTHING like the friendliness Pinkie radiates. The glare in her piercing blue eyes worsened the feeling. I wasn’t in physical danger, but I still took a step back. Barely noticed the sweat running on my forehead.

“Who are you?” my mom asked in an icy voice that chilled my insides, forcing shivers out of me.

I gulped, collected my courage, and answered, “I-It’s me, Starlight...your daughter.”

My mom’s scowl deepened, making my already fast-beating heart skip some beats. “Oh, it’s you. So, you’re back to tell us about something you stressed out about?”

I thought returning might be bad, but not this awful. This is already looking like a mistake. “N-No! It’s not about that!" Don't know why I felt the need to rub the porch with a hoof, because it wouldn't help calm me down. Not that it helps much anyway. "I-I just wanted to see you and dad again.”

“Who’s that at the door?” a male voice from deeper in the house asked. I couldn’t yet see who it was, but I already knew.

“It’s Starlight,” my mom answered, though she kept her icy eyes on me.

“Starlight?”

My mom moved to the side. The living room was the same as I remembered. Two chairs were side by side, with just enough space between them to walk between. A chandelier hung from the ceiling; a square table was in the center of the room with a teacup on it. My mom always loved tea.