As Starlight started to drift slowly towards the waking world, she became acutely aware of something soft and warm pressing against her. Groggy, and debating trying to sink back into slumber, she pushed the thought away. However, as she became more lucid, the pieces began to fall into place... Someone was in her bed! Electricity surged through her, jolting her entire body to life. Instinct kicked in, and her magic flared brightly, lashing outwards blindly.
A repulsive barrier expanded from her horn, shoving everything away from her. Simultaneously, a teleportation spell warped her away from the source of her panic. Unfortunately, she ended up with her hooves planted firmly on the ceiling, only for gravity to take offense to her blatant disregard for its laws. The floor came rushing up to meet her and she landed on her hindquarters with a loud thump.
Rear throbbing and ears ringing, Starlight groaned and lifted herself up off the floor. On the other side of her bed, Twilight did the same. Being thrown against a wall was an unpleasant affair the alicorn had experienced many times, and the every time she gained unwanted knowledge of just how many places her body possessed that could experience pain. Realisation struck Starlight like a sack of bricks, colour draining from her face. She had just thrown her mentor, and best friend, against her bedroom wall. Scrabbling around to the other side of the bed, she found a very scrambled alicorn trying to recover from her rude awakening.
Twilight moaned pitifully, her faculties having not quite returned to her. Dazed and disorientated, she looked up at Starlight with an adorable pout forming on her face. It was an expression that would melt even the hardest of hearts, and the quivering bottom lip completed the picture. “Just five more minutes mum... I nearly finished this time.”
Furrowing her brow, Starlight reached forwards and gently poked the end of Twilight's nose. It had the desired effect, and after blinking three times, Twilight seemed to realise what was going on, judging by the fierce blush that coloured her cheeks. A nervous giggle escaped unbidden from her throat, and she realised that Starlight was looking similarly sheepish, ears pinned back and eyes averted. “Sorry. I, got a bit carried away,” she chuckled, looking around at the state of her room. Not a single item was still in its proper place.
Twilight chuckled, soreness all but forgotten. “It's fine. I should have expected it. You must be feeling better if you have that much energy.”
Nodding eagerly, Starlight smiled brightly. Her formerly dull tired eyes now flashed with their usual vitality, and words were no longer an effort. “I'm guessing you had something to do with that?” she surmised, quickly setting her room back to normal. The state of disarray was aggravating.
Twilight dipped her head in confirmation, ducking expertly to avoid a stray picture frame floating just above her head. “Yeah. I tried a sleeping spell, but I decided to stay with you in case well...it didn't work, again.”
“Be thankful it did,” Starlight laughed, letting her horn fade when her room was once again orderly and correct. “Or I would have woken you up in the middle of the night. At least the sun's out this time.”
“True. Though I don't think I'll be recommending you as an alarm clock any time soon.” Twilight chuckled as Starlight pulled a very exaggerated face of feigned hurt. “Most ponies like to wake up in their bed, or at least a bed.”
Dropping the facade, Starlight chortled and made her way over to her mirror. Thankfully, whatever Rarity had done when styling her mane had made it pretty resilient. Running her brush through the strands to clear a very slight bed head, she decided to point out, “Yes, but neither of us are very good at that. The library is more convenient I think you've said more than once.” She took a breath, stopping briefly to work on a particularly irksome knot. “I honestly have no idea how you sleep like that.” Finishing with her mane, she moved over and passed the brush to Twilight.
Taking the offered seat, Twilight gave her own mane a brisk run through to get it in order. No matter how much Rarity tried to convince her otherwise, her mane did not need to be extravagantly styled, just because she was a princess. “Years of practise. I was studying so much even when I was young, it just kind of stopped affecting me. Even so, Shining Armour never ceased trying to break the habit, until his duties in the Royal Guard pulled him away.”
Twilight's face relaxed into a blank dreamy stare as she reminisced. Her days before moving to Ponyville had been lonely in comparison but no matter what, her family had always been there for her. A family which had only expanded with time.
Their banter was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door, which Twilight had personally enchanted to reverberate any summons across the whole castle. A useful spell, though one that was hardly ever used since their most frequent visitors, her friends, simply walked straight in. Technically, this was there castle as well. Placing Starlight's brush back on her dresser, Twilight stood up and gave herself a stretch. “Do you want to go see it is, or shall I?”
“It's your castle,” Starlight shrugged, absently watching Twilight stretch. At least it seemed like her magical mishap had not caused too much damage.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight quietly wondered how someone could be so talented, cunning and oblivious all at once. She stood up and started towards the hallway, looking over her shoulder at Starlight after a moment. “Yes, but I'm pretty sure we both know who it is.”
Mouth sculpting a perfect circle, Starlight let out a small, “Oh.” Straightening herself, she coughed to try and mask her blunder. “Yeah I think I'll take this one.”
Twilight listened to the sound of Starlight's rapid hoofsteps fade into the distance. If all went well, then perhaps the castle would have one more resident arriving soon, a thought which filled her with excitement. The place really was too empty. Starlight herself did go a long way to rectifying that, two powerful mages could certainly make their presence known. Even so, more company was never unwelcome.
Starlight reached the door, just as another round of insistent knocking resonated around the castle. She could almost feel the impatience bleeding through the door, a sure sign that it really was Rainbow behind it. This caused her heart to flutter, forcing her to swallow before the organ jumped out of her mouth. Now that it had the energy to, she was not as sure as she should have been that it would not actually do so.
Yet another bout of knocking pulled her from her thoughts, eyes narrowing in annoyance. Suppressing the urge to magically transfigure the door's hinges so that it would swing outwards and smack Rainbow in the face was perhaps harder than it should have been. Before the brash pegasus could sway her any more towards violent tenancies, Starlight swung the door open. She came face to face with an irate Rainbow Dash, and a Scootaloo who looked perhaps as nervous as she felt.
“Ugh finally!” Rainbow groaned, thrusting her hooves into the air and letting out a loud huff. “We've been waiting here for ages.”
“It's a big castle,” Starlight shot back. “I'm still not convinced that it isn't actually bigger on the inside, but I can't magically prove it. Anyway, you never knock. You usually just barge right in no matter what time it is.” She said the last part rather pointedly, as this habit of Rainbow's had been the cause of more than one very awkward moment.
Completely unabashed, Rainbow dropped to the ground and affectionately ruffled Scootaloo's mane. “Yeah, but Scoots was a little nervous so we thought it might be better to knock. In case you were still asleep and all that.”
The aforementioned filly gave a half shrug, smiling toothily and awkwardly. Smiling softly in return, Starlight chuckled. “To be honest, I almost was, for once.” A cool breeze tousling her mane brought her attention to the fact they were still standing in the doorway. “Anyway! Enough about my sleeping habits. Rainbow sleeps enough for more than one pony anyway. Come in!”
“Wait, you have problems sleeping?” Scootaloo asked, edging her way through the doorway.
Not wanting to add to her daughter's nerves, or her own, with any loud noises, Starlight quietly closed the huge doors behind them. “Uhhh, in a way. It's been getting better but I've never been a great sleeper, ever since I was a filly...” She froze, dread seeping into her tone, and her eyes. “Uh...Please tell me I didn't pass that on to you.”
Waving a hoof, Scootaloo shot the notion down immediately. “Pfft! No way! I sleep like a rock.” Immediately, Starlight sagged slightly as relief flooded her, but Scootaloo was not quite done “Well... most of the time. As long as there's no Headless Horses or Olden Ponies are trying to get me.” Even though the memory was long behind her, and both Luna and Rainbow Dash had helped her face her imaginary fears, her eyes still darted around nervously, lingering on every shadow.
Rainbow sniggered slightly behind a hoof, observing the conversation from her vantage point. She was about to bring up the river incident, but noticed Starlight had donned a faraway look and started veer slightly off her course. Whatever thought had just struck her, she had been sucked so deeply into it that the outside world had ceased to exist. When she finally emerged, her voice was distant. “I...I don't think I've ever actually heard of those.”
Both pegasi did a double take, Rainbow almost fell to earth. Blinking once, Starlight flicked her eyes between them, bewildered. “Uh. What?”
“I thought everyone knew those stories.” Scootaloo admitted, slowing her pace so Starlight could rejoin them. With the ice now thoroughly broken, she found herself able to relax and enjoy the familiarity. “Everyone in class knows about it.”
“I heard them when I was a filly too, and so did Twilight. Even Fluttershy heard those stories, though admittedly she heard them from me.” A touch of crimson passed across Rainbow's face at the unflattering memory. That had not been one of her proudest moments. Furiously, she wiped at her cheeks to remove the red stain of embarrassment from them.
“Huh...I see... The village I grew up in was pretty isolated. So, I guess those sorts of stories never really reached me. Sunburst and I were the only ponies our age and his parents were pretty quiet.” Starlight giggled softly, a tinkling sound of mirth that glanced off the crystal walls. Almost immediately afterwards her eyes darkened, the drastic change startling her two companions. “My parents were... let's just say I don't have fond memories.”
Sharing a nervous glance, Scootaloo and Rainbow tried to silently discuss what to do with that situation. Their success was limited. Suddenly, Starlight straightened up, ears pointing rigidly towards the ceiling. “Anyway, let's not talk about that. Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up. Hmmm...” She tapped the side of her mouth with the tip of a hoof. “Anyway! What do we have to do today? I kind of have a very hazy memory of last night?”
That was a lie, she knew exactly what they had discussed last night, but had no way to recover from her lapse in mood otherwise. This was simply the most efficient way to veer the conversation back in the right direction. Shrugging dismissively, Rainbow and Scootaloo turned back to the unicorn. It was the elder pegasus who spoke up. “Well, we gotta explain what's just happened to the orphanage, Pinkie Pie is probably planning a massive entire town party as we speak, and you two need to hang out.” As she spoke, the cyan pegasus shoved Scootaloo towards Starlight. Taken off guard, Scootaloo was thrown forwards, stumbling all the way. Almost instinctively, Starlight surrounded the young pony in her teal aura and carefully righted her balance.
Glaring at Rainbow, who was wearing a wide, cocky grin, Starlight said flatly. “Not how I'd put it, but yes now I remember. Okay.” She ran a hoof through her mane, pressing the voluminous hair tightly against her head. “First things first..The orphanage. It's only right that they know what's going on. Before Pinkie Pie throws a massive party that will likely reach all the way to the Crystal Empire. Ugh this is going to be fun... I've never even met them...”
“Merry Heart and Golden Roots are really nice,” Scootaloo cut in, having recovered from Rainbow's forceful method of suggestion. “Everyone in the orphanage loves them. I'm sure they'll understand.”
“Well I hope so...” Starlight whispered, smiling at the encouragement. The task ahead was still a daunting one, but every little helped. Before she could say any more, a low rumble interrupted her. This was accompanied by an empty feeling, as if her stomach had suddenly vanished. Eating had been low on her priorities while on her hunt and now her body was protesting, loudly. “Though first I think I need something to eat. Did you two eat already?”
In answer, Rainbow's stomach echoed Starlight's, emitting an audible snarl. Rolling her eyes, Starlight altered their destination to the kitchens. There would probably be leftovers, if not she would have to find Twilight. Or, she could brave the kitchen herself and look the fool. Sighing, she fervently hoped there would be leftovers.
Luckily, the mountain of pancakes she had mistakenly made earlier came to her aid. Twilight was already in the kitchen, helping herself to the stuffed pantry. Seeing the group, she added several extra pancakes to the platter and waved them over. Everyone was ravenous, and the platter was polished off in no time at all.
“Wow, that was good!” Scootaloo exclaimed, leaning back and rubbing her full stomach contentedly.
“Starlight made them,” Twilight immediately put in, before the aforementioned mare could even speak. Feeling herself starting to turn red, Starlight quickly busied herself with cleaning.
Never missing the opportunity for a good jibe, Rainbow cracked an eye open from where she was lounging and let out a chuckle. “I thought you were useless in the kitchen. Pinkie could tell us some tales.”
Not missing a beat, Starlight flicked a drop of soapy water at the pegasus. The startled jump she caused satisfied her and she absently returned to cleaning. “You really think Pinkie would let me live my life without being able to bake? I can make something edible now, just not keep the kitchen in one piece...” Finished with the washing, she expertly shoved the now sparkling dishes into their proper places. “Then again neither can she.”
“Mostly that's just when she gets excited,” Twilight reasoned, before realising what she had just said. Shrugging her wings, she added. “Which admittedly, is most of the time.”
“Exactly,” Starlight laughed, moving back to the table. Restlessness forced her to stand rather than sit, something which was noticed almost immediately. With everyone shooting her a quizzical stare, she sighed and attempted a brittle half smile. “I'm not exactly looking forward to this next part...”
Standing outside of the orphanage, Starlight felt as if her body was going to shake itself apart. Despite the rapidly waxing sun, she was shivering uncontrollably. Below the skin, her blood was running cold. Whatever relief she had felt before was now scattered in the winds, overshadowed by her building fear. Swallowing the recurring lump in her throat, Starlight pushed open the door. The tinkling of a bell greeted her action, echoing into the quiet entryway.
Within only a few moments, a friendly, welcoming voice echoed back. “I'll be right there!” Loud shuffling punctuated the statement, as if a pony had just begun to hurry in their work.
Sitting down did nothing to steady her nerves, but it did stop the shaking in Starlight's legs. Why had she insisted on coming here alone? What false pride had made her do something so foolish? Even as she considered those questions, she could not find it within herself to bail. This was hers to do. In an effort to distract her mind during the wait, she let her eyes take in the scenery. The room was brightly lit, thanks to several large windows allowing the sun to stream in. A large couch and three stools sat against one wall, but Starlight had no desire to go to them. By far the most striking feature, were the multitude of pictures that covered almost every inch of the wooden walls.
Starlight found herself staring at them, every one drawn by hoof. The talent ranged from crayon scribbles, to intricate masterpieces. Even so, none was given pride of place, none were more important than the other. Soon, her vision blurred, blending the individual sketches into a mass of colour. Wiping her eyes, Starlight was not surprised to find that her hoof came back glistening with tears... “Keep it together Starlight. You got this...” she muttered, though her words did little to soothe her. They never did. The sound of hoofsteps caused her to look up. At least she had already dried her eyes.
Standing before her, was a bright royal blue earth pony mare with a sky blue mane and tail, both of which she kept fairly short. However, unlike Rainbow Dash, short did not mean messy and the silky strands were obviously properly taken care of. Her build was fairly average for a mare, though she was slightly shorter than Starlight was. A line-less face that held all of the vitality of youth was betrayed by emerald eyes which had seen years of heartache. Starlight assumed this was Merry Heart.
“Hello dear, is there something I can help you with?” the mare asked kindly, though for a brief moment she appeared bewildered. It was very rare for the orphanage to receive visitors, and those that did appear were all ponies she had known for years, donators and the like. The mare that she now looked upon, was a stranger. Though she had seen her around town, no one in Ponyville really knew anything about her. All anyone knew was that she was the student of Princess Twilight, and was currently living inside the castle. Regardless, she did strive to resolve any complaint or query as professionally and pleasantly as she could, no matter where it came from.
Scrabbling to her feet, Starlight winced as her frantic motions sent a small wooden stool tumbling towards the ground. The loud clatter tore through her ears, intensified by her already raw nerves. Tensing her muscles to stop the quivering of her limbs, Starlight forced herself to smile widely as she magically righted the stool. “Hi...yeah, I think you can. Well, I hope so anyway. It's just a little...complicated. Actually, very complicated.”
That had been pathetic, and she knew it. Her voice was stiff and unnatural, and she had barely been able to stop trembling. Apparently, her outward facade had held more than she assumed, as the mare simply smiled and nodded. “I see. Well, we can talk in my office and I'm sure everything can be sorted. My husband is currently seeing to some of the children. Do you need to see him as well?”
“Huh? Oh...well, no...I don't think so.” Starlight shook her head, a little too vigorously. Merry Heart nodded and turned to move deeper into the building. Starlight followed the older mare down a brightly lit hallway and through the first door, which was graciously held open for her. Several other doors lined the hallways, all adorned with small golden number plates. If she had to guess, Starlight assumed those would be the rooms.
When directed to, Starlight sat in a comfortable looking chair opposite polished wooden desk. Everything about this place was so clean, yet somehow managed to retain a homely feel within the walls. No pictures were present in this room, something she was eternally grateful for. Her racing heart would not be able to take any more cracking right now.
Rather than sitting herself, Merry Heart moved over to a small wooden cabinet and began pulling out the necessary supplies for providing refreshments. She found it made the more unpleasant meetings go more smoothly, and her intuition told her this would be one of those. She really hoped that one of the children had not been causing trouble. Unfortunately such things did happen occasionally. “Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked, beginning to pour one for herself.
“Tea sounds nice, thanks,” Starlight answered, as politely as she could manage. She was still forcing the smile to stay on her face, no matter how much it was starting to hurt.
Merry Heart nodded, and started to pour boiling water into a second mug, asking as she did so, “Do you take milk or sugar?”
By now, Starlight was trying to collect herself, regulating her breathing and loosening her muscles. Now that the mare's back was turned, this would be her only opportunity to momentarily drop her guard. Twilight had stressed to her that she would have to remain calm, which was proving easier said than done. When Merry Heart returned, she set the two mugs down, one for Starlight and one for herself.
For a moment, Starlight did nothing, focused completely on her task. She had been selfish with her emotions, letting them show. Now she needed to keep them in, for Scootaloo's sake. For now, they were her burden and hers alone. Composure now set, insecurity and doubt hidden behind a well practised mask, Starlight raised her head. Merry Heart was quietly stirring her tea, watching her from over the table. Clearing her throat, Starlight lifted her own mug and held it to herself, the warmth pleasant against her skin. “Thanks.”
“No problem dear,” Merry Heart replied, sipping her own tea, laden with milk and three helpings of sugar. “I don't think we've met. I'm Merry Heart.” Removing a hoof from her mug, she extended it over the desk towards Starlight.
Taking the offered hoof, Starlight shook it lightly. As soon as she felt it was appropriate she withdrew back to herself. “Starlight Glimmer. I heard about you from Scootaloo.”
Merry Heart took a small breath, and gave a long, slow nod, as if this was not news to her. “I see. Usually Rainbow Dash is the one who comes in on Scootaloo's behalf. Those two are so good together. What seems to be the problem?” The tone was jovial, but could not quite mask the layer of concern from Starlight's expert ears.
Placing her mug back on the desk with a small thunk, Starlight closed her eyes briefly. The words hitched in her throat, requiring several attempts before she could say, barely above a whisper, “As I said, it's complicated.” She really should have planned this out, that had been too close. Her mask had almost cracked, she had not been ready to do this alone...
Then she thought back to everyone, who had expressed their faith in her. After being convinced that she would not be swayed, they had all been encouraging and supportive, as they had been throughout this ordeal. Folding her forelegs across her chest, she reopened her eyes and said in a slightly stronger voice. “It's actually, well...it's about why she's here.”
That caught Merry Heart off guard. Her eyes widened and the grip on her mug tightened. Regaining herself, she began to study Starlight more closely than before. This was not just a simple complaint, or query. This certainly would be complicated. Placing her hooves on the desk, she pressed them together and pursed her lips into a thin line. “I admit Ms Glimmer, you have me intrigued. What precisely do you mean by that dear?”
Ignoring the slight bristling of irritation she felt at being continually referred to as dear, Starlight wrung her hooves together. The desk hid the motion, allowing her that small modicum of release. To give her hooves something to do before they slipped again, Starlight took a small drink of her tea. She swirled the burning leafy taste around in her mouth. Her throat now wetted, she felt as ready as she ever would. “Well, as crazy as this is going to sound... I have learned very recently who Scootaloo's parents are.” Perhaps dancing around the bush was a horrible idea, but her tongue would not let her say the words she needed to immediately. Not just yet.
To her credit, Merry Heart kept herself composed, despite the outlandish claim. After eleven years, the prospect of reuniting an orphan with her parents became a distant hope. Scootaloo herself had long since stopped bringing the subject up. Her brow furrowed, marring the perfect friendly demeanour she had been projecting. Obviously, this was a delicate matter, and would have to be explored thoroughly. “I see Ms Glimmer... May I ask how you came by this information? This is rather unprecedented, I'm sure you understand.”
Starlight forced herself to take a deep breath, a knotted tightness throbbing in her chest as she did so. Her mug she placed back on the desk, to pre-emptively prevent any breakages. Merry Heart's gaze was weighted, bordering on accusatory, despite the friendly aura the mare still radiated. In a flat tone, ironed clean of any emotion, the unicorn said quietly. “I found out while looking for my own daughter...who I lost eleven years ago.”
Merry Heart was sharp, Starlight had to admit that. Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth, she heard a sharp gasp from across the desk. This was followed by the distinct sound of shattering crockery, as the enamel mug fell from Merry Heart's hooves and struck the floor. Shards of enamel and splashes of hot tea spread all over the wood, though the mess was hidden by the desk and subsequently ignored. A long silence stretched between the two strangers, as Starlight allowed time for her meaning to be fully grasped.
After what felt like hours, the stillness was broken by the harsh sound of shuffling paper. Distressed, Merry Heart had taken to rifling through files in a nearby metal cabinet, eventually pulling out a large plain green folder, unmarked except for a name and date. The name was Scootaloo, the date barely a year after Starlight had given birth. Once more, a hot surge of anger blazed within Starlight but none leaked through her collected mask. Inside, she was beginning to crack, but her outer visage remained as stone.
The next question Merry Heart asked, would put an end to her dancing. It was direct and pointed, leaving no room for deviation. “I see... and how are the two situations related?” The cordiality was still there, but underneath Starlight detected something else. A slight sadness, or at least a level of empathy. Starlight did not know if that made it easier, or harder...
Another involuntary swallow shook her shoulders, defying her attempts to suppress it. She knew what she needed to do, but every other attempt had torn her in two. Forcing herself to remain calm, and logical, she quickly began to filter out every unnecessary detail. It would shorten the ordeal and increase her chances of success.
She knew what she had to say, knew everything that she had to accomplish. The words were running through her head, whirring past in a blur. A blur that quickly overwhelmed her. No matter how much she tried to wrench control back, it continued to slip further and further from her grasp. Panicked, she gripped her head, as if the pressure of her hooves would somehow keep everything together.
Her feeble efforts were fruitless, and no matter how hard she squeezed, her thoughts only became more jumbled. Desperate, she tried to blurt out, blurt out anything that would explain the situations. Instead all she got was a garbled mess, as Merry Heart looked on, at a silent loss for anything to say. The confused, concerned stare burned into Starlight more than a hot scowl of anger ever could.
Still trapped in the throes of her despair, Starlight did something she would regret for the rest of her life. Unbidden, her magic had gathered at her horn, in such a massive concentration that it begged to be released. It had responded to her growing desire to flee, to run. In a moment of weakness, she gave in. She passed the point of no return, and in a blinding flash of light, her body was displaced.
Shaking violently, she continued clutching her throbbing temples, eyes squeezed shut. Before she even felt the cool breeze on her face she knew that she was far away from where she had been moments ago. Her eyelids quivered momentarily, then cracked open. When they did, she almost shut them again. Out of everywhere, she could have thought of...why here? Why had her subconscious mind dragged her here?
She was right in the epicentre of her largest ever mistake, her creation that never should have been. She was standing in a large, perfectly straight street, with a row of houses lining each other sides. The symmetry was perfect, each side having the exact same number of houses. Every house was uniform in size and shape, just as she had ordered it. Without the flamboyant decorations of the Sunset Festival, the place looked far too similar to how it had back then.
Once more, she readied another teleportation spell, no one had noticed her yet...somehow. If she was quick enough then it would all be fine. She could get back to Ponyville and- the thought was interrupted by a sudden explosion. It was as if something had ruptured within her head, radiating a searing heat. Where there had once been a blur of confusion there was now an eruption of agony, sending shards of shrapnel deep into her nervous system. This was worse than anything she had felt so far, it was as if her head was trying to tear itself in two. A myriad of colour flared behind her eyes, accompanied by a crashing waterfall that seemed to rage against her very eardrums. Blind and deaf from pain, she did not hear her own scream or see the ponies rushing towards her...