Two unicorns landed hard atop the Castle of Friendship, seemingly dumped there out of thin air. Starlight let a loud moan draw itself from her lips as she nursed her pounding head. At the very least it had remained intact this time, allowing her to retain her faculties. Even if her world was a mess of objects flanked by their distorted doppelgangers amidst a sea of fog, it was still there.
“Trixie!” she called out frantically, worry clawing into her tone. If the transportation had been rough of her, then Trixie could be anywhere. Blinking rapidly, she tried to remove the blur from her vision. Her ears flicked, as somepony started spluttering. It was a sound she had heard many times, though she had never been gladder to hear it as she was right then. Her knees almost buckled, but there was no way time to collapse just yet. Fumbling around with her magic, she found a warm body and heaved it out of the small pool of water. She had completely forgotten to remove it after her last chillaxing session with Rainbow, at the very least she hoped it had broken Trixie's fall. It was certainly going to inflame her ire.
The minor grievance of speech making her feel nauseous would barely put a dent in Trixie's compulsion to vent any and all frustrations. If she felt slighted, the world was going to hear about it. The fact that she often did so with the subtlety of a wrecking ball was of no consequence. In her experience, that was simply what it took to get ponies to listen. “Ugh...if that is how Starlight teleports, maybe Trixie would be better off learning from Twilight.” After giving her hoof several disdainful shakes she returned attention to the rest of her body and a cascade of water soon splattered across the roof. Whether the liberal soaking Starlight received was intentional or not, her lips were sealed.
Cutting jibes she was used to, being soaked was probably simple karma, but the frost that layered Trixie's tone caused Starlight to flinch. So, this was how it was going to go. Deep down she had expected it, it was why she had gotten them as far away from town as her magic would allow. Trixie had every right to be angry, the town had no right to gawk. In an attempt to be placating, Starlight gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “Yeah...that was my fault. It's usually not so bad, I just rushed the spell a little- uuh a lot...and...” Another awkward chuckle burst from her lips, doing nothing to thaw Trixie's frigid disposition.
A daggered stare silenced Starlight, letting Trixie take the rooftop stage. “Yes, well Trixie thinks that is currently the least of your...” she fumbled for a good word, lips flapping as she rolled several around in her tongue. Not even Princess Perfect had touched so many nerves that her vocabulary had effectively failed her. Out of habit more than anything else, Starlight made a suggestion, then immediately wished she had kept her mouth shut.
“...Transgressions?”
Whirling around, Trixie pressed her muzzle against Starlight's with such force that Starlight could feel her nose wrinkling. The heat radiating from Trixie made the already uncomfortable situation, almost unbearable. “Yes, that will do. Transgressions. The Great and Powerful Trixie thinks that the Wrong and Dishonest Starlight, has some explaining to do!”
Owing to their extreme proximity, Starlight felt the unrestrained venom dripping from every word as well as she heard it. It was perilously close to coating her face, Trixie had that restraint at least. Until now, she had been prepared to take whatever Trixie dished out. The unflattering title did not simply toe the line, rather it leapt over and stomped all over it. “Dishonest?” she hissed, aghast as she shoved against Trixie's chest in order to create some breathing room. “Trixie, what are you talking about? You think I kept this from you on purpose?”
“How else do you explain it? Trixie gets a visit from Twilight, dragging her to the castle. Then she finds out that her first and best friend Starlight is the mother of a foal and has been for eleven years!” The show-mare growled, her anger rising with every moment. It felt almost alien. She had been angry before and was admittedly a vengeful mare, but a desire to bring Starlight as low as possible buzzed angrily within her. She swallowed hard, trembling as she tried to re-direct her rage towards the matter at hand. “That is a pretty big thing to keep from Trixie!”
“It wasn't on purpose.” Starlight said earnestly, trying to press ahead again. Trixie rebuked her once again, shooting her a glare that betrayed utter disbelief. Sighing, Starlight maintained her distance, beginning to pace back and forth. She had not anticipated Trixie being this angry. They disagreed often, with the occasional spat becoming heated. This was different, the Trixie before her was absolutely livid. “Why didn't you bring this up last night?” The slight crack in her voice almost caused Starlight to whimper. She had to hold this together.
Tossing her head, Trixie gave herself another shake. More water droplets sprayed out in all directions, though none were able to reach Starlight this time. “Hmmph, Twilight practically threatened to ban Trixie from the castle if she so much as mentioned it to you.” Even mentioning the alicorn's name brought a bitter growl into Trixie's voice that was far outwith her usual brash mocking. “Suddenly it seems Trixie is simply not good enough for Starlight?! Is that it?”
Starlight fell backwards slightly, letting Trixie's words play again and again in her head. All of her own irritation fled from her, it was clear to her now. Trixie was a pony who had tried desperately not to care about anyone but herself. Then, Starlight had come along and smashed her attempts to pieces. As boisterous, egotistical and occasionally unbearable as Trixie could be, what Starlight had inadvertently done would be comparable to Sunburst slamming the door in her face at their reunion. Of course, there was the small fact that she had absolute faith Twilight would have mentioned the detail about this being a recent revelation to her as well, in a way. So, either Trixie had not been paying attention or had completely overlooked it. That she could see either being the case had Starlight undecided on whether she wanted to laugh or slam her head into the floor. Either option would have been satisfying but she instead opted for edging towards her wounded friend.
In a final display of stubbornness, Trixie pulled away from Starlight's outstretched hoof and turned her back. Starlight flinched, pulling back. Being friendly was not working, being remorseful was not working and though she was sure that arguing Trixie down would eventually yield results, she had neither the strength nor the desire. The best option was to simply lay down and wait. She said nothing, keeping herself perfectly still. No matter how much her muscles burned and raged at her, she ignored their calls and focused intently on the mare in front of her.
For a while, Trixie did nothing in response but seethe quietly. Her still damp fur was bristling so violently that Starlight was surprised steam had not begun to pour from her. Just as she was beginning to worry that she had grossly underestimated the show-mare's anger, Trixie 's neck turned slightly. The movement was minimal not enough for eye contact but Starlight noticed it immediately. The temptation to speak almost bested her, which would have ruined the whole endeavour. Biting her tongue, she continued to wait.
Another brief glance, this time accompanied by a slackening of the azure unicorn's shoulders. The third time, a small sigh escaped Trixie's lips, drifting on the wind and lingering in the silence. Finally, she turned her body fully, facing Starlight once again.
“You're far too stubborn...” she muttered, shaking her head. Her scowl was gone, replaced by a passive look that almost twitched into a smile more than once.
“I have to be,” Starlight said gently, laying one hoof over the other. “To keep up with you. I also wasn't about to just leave you up here, as angry as you were.”
Trixie huffed, blowing upwards and shifting her wet bang away from her eyes, which narrowed once more. “If you had done that, then Trixie would have raided Twilight's cupboards until there was nothing left.” She averted her gaze momentarily, a rare vulnerability showing in the cracks gouged into her brash demeanour. “You...really didn't mean to keep this from me?”
This time, Trixie did not flinch away when Starlight's hoof reached out to touch hers. The lilac unicorn could scarcely have masked the note of pleading that ran through her voice, even if she had wanted to. “No...I didn't. It wasn't something I ever wanted to reveal to myself. It wasn't ever meant to see the light of day again.” Starlight winced, thanking every star that was listening that Scootaloo had not been around to hear her blurt that out so crudely. Tact was never going to be her strong point. “I'd never keep something like this from you...not intentionally at least.”
A low hum vibrated in Trixie's chest, as she pondered whether or not to relinquish her anger. The burning heat of her friend's slight still stuck to her like a brand, her grudges never faded quickly. She would hold onto them until the perpetrator was grovelling at her feet. More often than not they simply left, rightly deciding that she was not worth the trouble. It was with great shame that she admitted to herself that old habits died hard. Even Starlight had not been immune to this, though after everything they had been through she should have been. There really was only one correct course of action.
Her anger tasted foul when swallowed, similar to bile. She quickly abandoned the thought, shuddering with disgust. Intangible emotions did not have tastes, so whatever she had just shoved into her stomach did not bear thinking about. There were more important things to deal with at the moment and if she knew Starlight, the mare was about to explode with a forced smile on her face.
“Alright... I believe you. And I forgive you.”
Starlight's shoulders slumped as a shaky laugh of relief rolled across the roof. That was another check mark off her rapidly growing list of holes she had to mend. The ground beneath her had collapsed into a crumbling mess, with every foundation she tried to lay quickly rotting away. Gradually, she was starting to win and her patchwork repairs were holding stronger with every reconstruction. It was a good thing too, the next few minutes were going to put their strength to the test. Pressing her lips together, she stood up as if her next steps were going to be through the gates of Tartarus.
“I need to go see Sunburst,” she said suddenly, hearing Trixie move to her own feet with a slight rustling sound. They stood shoulder to shoulder, just as they had against Chrysalis, Princess Celestia, and her village. A void that Starlight had been unaware of filled itself, bringing her attention to another still gaping in her chest.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, Trixie chuckled and bumped against Starlight's flanks. She was still damp, prompting Starlight's horn to glow. The sudden influx of warmth soothed away the remaining bitterness. Without missing a beat, she grinned and put a hoof under Starlight's chin, forcing her to look up. “Don't worry so much. After me, I'm pretty sure Sunburst will be an absolute cinch.”
Starlight rolled away from Trixie's hoof when the contact had lasted just a little too long. Trixie could bounce from one emotion to the next so quickly it made her dizzy. Still, it was good to have the show-mare pushing boundaries, rather than creating them. “You know, sometimes I think you give me a hard time on purpose, to teach me a lesson.” Her lips twitched into a smirk when Trixie's chest puffed out just a little too much. “Then I come to my senses.”
Nimbly avoiding a playful bat on the back of the head, Starlight danced a few steps away from Trixie. She was correct though, Sunburst was certainly more placid, and less likely to lash out. He was far more likely to foist the blame onto himself. Somehow, Starlight was going to have to find the patience to stop him. At least, doing so face to face would be easier than trying to operate on such a slippery slope over a letter. She hoped so anyway.
Finding the orange stallion was easy. Put Sunburst in a building with a book and he would be invariably nestled amongst the largest concentration. Cadance had already rushed back to the Crystal Empire, her duties not permitting her to linger. Sunburst had been given leave to stay as long as was needed, they could handle Flurry Heart in the meantime. Whether the extended stay would be a blessing or a curse, they would find out sooner than Starlight would like.
She heard Sunburst before she saw him, a sign that shook her to the bones. As a foal, Sunburst only ever read aloud when he was trying to block out the world around him. Even when he was teaching her a spell, he would show it to her rather than read to her. Swallowing, she called out into the endless expanse of books. “Sunburst! Are you in here?”
“You have to ask that?” Trixie huffed under her breath, “I can hear him from here.”
“Oh, and what else am I supposed to start with?” Starlight hissed back, freezing immediately when a small stack of books shifted to reveal the dishevelled stallion.
If Trixie could be called upset, then Sunburst was definitely on the worried side of the equation. As soon as he heard the voice of his childhood friend, whatever he had been reading ceased to matter. He threw aside the stack of books, something he would have to apologise to Twilight for later. For a brief moment, he felt like a pegasus, flying over the table, “Starlight! How are you-!” Unfortunately, his overall aversion to athleticism and his unwieldy cloak quickly turned flying into falling. The crystal floor rushed up to meet him, as heavy books crashed down to do the same.
Time seemed to freeze, and the myriad of books stopped their descent just as Sunburst did. He was left staring at his reflection in the crystal floor as book after book whizzed above his head. With nothing to do but wait, his mind began to wind back towards a memory that echoed his current predicament well. He had gotten his cutie mark protecting a much younger Starlight from a falling tower of books. It had been a momentous occasion, that had dragged him away from his oldest friend. Now, years later, that same friend made the same task look absolutely trivial.
Every book marched itself back to its rightful place, or at least where Twilight wanted it to be for that month. Now, if only he could be afforded the same luxury. “Um... Starlight, maybe you could let me down now?” he asked, grinning nervously and looking at the upside down forms of both mares.
“Oh!” Starlight yelped, quickly bringing Sunburst back to the proper orientation and setting him down. His starry cape whirled around, buffeting Trixie in the face. “Sorry, almost forgot I was still holding you.”
“Heh, no worries. I guess a full grown pony isn't much to you is it?” Sunburst chuckled, readjusting his glasses.
“I've held far heavier,” Starlight answered dismissively, shaking her head and pointing at him accusingly. “Maybe we should leave the leaping over tables to the pegasi," She tried to keep a stern face, only to crack into a grin moments later, eyes shimmering brightly. Only on the day when Equestria ended would Sunburst stop being clumsy. Then again, in their younger days, she had been the culprit in most of their mishaps. Maybe it was the ridiculous cape. She almost suggested that he lose it, but saying so with Trixie around would be tantamount to blasphemy.
Despite his friend's joviality, Sunburst felt suitably chastised. Starlight always was scary when she wanted to be. “Yeah, maybe that would be a good idea. Though there is a spell for that. It can give a pony wings for three days. On the downside, they do tend to be rather fragile.”
Having already come across the spell, Starlight had heard about the story in its entirety. With every minute detail, she had gotten closer and closer to mistaking Rarity for Pinkie Pie. “Yeah, Twilight already tried that apparently. Wings just get in the way anyway, I'll stick to levitation.”
“Given how bad your teleportation is, I agree with that idea.” Nimbly avoiding the swift elbow that Starlight sent her way, Trixie retaliated by sticking out her tongue.
“I had one bad teleport, that's all. You'll still be begging me for lessons in a day or two.” Starlight quipped back, shaking her head at Trixie's pitiful attempt to look innocent. Rolling her eyes, she decided to leave the mare to her short-lived denial and get back to their whole reason for being here. “Anyway. I...guess I should tell you both how it went huh?”
“If you want,” Sunburst answered, recoiling rapidly as Trixie practically warped herself in front of Starlight. He ended up with his flank pressed uncomfortably against the hard wooden table, until Starlight forcibly pushed her back to give him space. Shifting his glasses, he nodded gratefully, while Trixie sulked. “I was hoping to at least be able to wish you good luck, but you'd already left.”
“Oh...yeah, sorry about that...” Starlight's hooves shuffled back and forth, suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the room. She had not really considered that. All of them in the tiny office would have been a recipe for another disaster, but she could have allowed them to at least see her off. “I wasn't sure that I'd be able to...y'know.”
“Wasn't sure you'd be able to wait?” Sunburst finished, smiling at her knowingly. Same old Starlight, even with everything that had happened between now and then. “You always were pretty impulsive. Always jumping into every spell before doing the proper reading. As I recall it never got you very far.”
“And you were always too much of a worry-wart,” Starlight shot at him, raising an eyebrow and letting a smirk play on her lips. “Everything always worked out fine in the end.” For a moment, the two old friends were taken back to a time when everything was simpler. They had each other and that was all that mattered. Often, Starlight had wondered if it would be worth it to return to that time. A dry dusty feeling in the back of her throat always stopped those thoughts from becoming any more than mournful longings. “Yeah...it's weird how little has changed...even after everything that's happened.”
The orange stallion squirmed slightly. Twilight had let it slip why Starlight had been in Canterlot in the first place, and he already knew what his cutie mark had inadvertently caused her to do down the line. That day would be cemented in his memory for all of the wrong reasons. If he had wasted a little less time on books and spent a little more time realising just how much he had meant to his oldest friend, then a lot could have changed. Something as simple as a letter would have changed all of this. “Well...you've had a more eventful life than I have. Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns was actually pretty quiet. Then I moved to the Crystal Empire where it was even more peaceful...well, until Flurry Heart that is.” Thinking about the little alicorn he was now partially responsible for, he chuckled lightly. Calling her a handful was a gross understatement.
“Yeah...that foal can make anything exciting.”A sudden chill rolled its way over Starlight's spine as if the Frozen North was creeping up behind her. “Still, we managed to get through everything, somehow.”
A pit carved its way into Trixie's stomach, she could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Blinking once confirmed that she was indeed still awake. There was no way she could not be after the dunking Starlight had inadvertently given her. “Wait....so you aren't mad at Starlight concealing all of this from you? Even though she's your oldest friend?” Her usual cocky drawl was displaced by a gnawing confusion. Her anger had felt so justified and natural but now she was overcome by a hollow numbness.
“Why would I be? It happened a long time ago...after we had drifted apart for years.” Sunburst shook his head, bemused by the very idea. “Plus, didn't Twilight say that Starlight only found out herself a few days ago.” His nose wrinkled, and Starlight could feel a Sunburst spiel coming on. “Memory spells are finicky things, in fact, there are several recorded events of them being completely permanent. One unlucky mage even forgot his own-”
“Okay...Trixie is feeling bad enough as is, a nerd lecture isn't exactly going to make me feel better! Starlight, you have a question to answer.”
Starlight, who had been perilously close to laughter once more, immediately sobered up. If that was not a metaphor for her current predicament then it should be. After every high, there was a horrible low. At least the question was one of the easiest she had had to answer yet. “The orphanage is going to maintain custody of Scootaloo until I...” she struggled to think of a word. What was it she really needed to do?
Flicking her long silver tail behind her, Trixie piped up with something that Starlight had not even considered. “Calm down?”
Calm down, was that it? It felt so simple, yet it was something she had wrestled with for years. The slightest thing pushed her into a fit of nerves, or worse a thrashing, vengeful rage. It would be a start at least. “That...and learn how to actually be a mother. There's apparently classes for that, weirdly enough.”
“There are classes for just about anything,” Sunburst said diplomatically. “Are you going to go through with them? I think it might be a good idea.”
“Anything to keep me from casting another spell...” Starlight cut him off ears pinning her ears back against her head. Thinking about that with a clearer head gave every little grain of the memory painfully gratuitous detail. She had been so close to being so stupid. “And anything I can do to make it up to everyone. You all don't need to be worrying about me all the time, and Scootaloo deserves to be happy...”
“She seemed like she was pretty happy before all of this,” Trixie shrugged, the sentence spilling out of her mouth. Her meaning was obvious, though at the immediate crumbling of Starlight's frame she had to correct herself. “I'm just saying, it doesn't have to be some big bombastic thing.”
“That's coming up a lot actually,” Starlight shook her head, her eyelids drooping from all the oppressive weight of...just about everything. Though it had already been dealt with, she had one more thing left to get off her chest. “I'm really sorry I didn't write to you as soon as I found out. Both of you. I just didn't want half of Equestria getting involved and in doing so...I probably got half of Equestria involved.”
Another slap on her back almost sent Starlight to the floor. Of her two friends, there was no need to waste time guessing who that had been. “Pfft. Screw half of Equestria, and the other half. We're here to help. I can't have my great and powerful assistant teleporting into the middle of nowhere because she cracked under the pressure.”
Each word felt like a blow to Starlight's gut. It was the truth, and she needed to hear it...it just somehow felt even more painful than when Rainbow Dash had her in a vice-grip. “Again with the hard time on purpose thing...”
“What was that?” Trixie asked, head suddenly appearing right next to Starlight's. The sudden intrusion of her personal bubble caused Starlight to jump, scrambling away before she had even gotten back to earth.
“Nothing!” was what she was able to bark out, before having to rub her haunches. Crystal was many things, pleasant to fall on was not one of them. The more she thought about it, the more she wished the Golden Oak's Library had not been reduced to a smouldering ash heap and a hanging chandelier. It would have been much more pleasant if a little cramped. According to Spike he and Twilight had slept in the same room, something that would have driven a freshly reformed Starlight absolutely mad.
Rather than press the issue, Trixie merely shrugged while Starlight pulled herself back to her hooves, with Sunburst's help. When his old friend had dusted herself off, the bookworm stallion asked, “Where's Scootaloo and Twilight now?”
Starlight inclined her head towards the door. “Probably in the castle. At least, unless they took a detour.”
“Awesome!” Trixie exclaimed, rising up to her full height. “I want to go meet mini Starlight. I could always use another assistant.” Without waiting for another word, Trixie marched out of the door. Left in her wake, Starlight and Sunburst looked at each other. Both chuckled lightly, equally as powerless to ever stop Trixie being Trixie. Not that Starlight would ever want to.
“At least it's going to be interesting,” Sunburst tried, hoping to put a positive spin on the eccentric mare's antics.
Starlight let her eyes roll, her entire world spinning far less than it had done in previous days. “It always is that...” A tickle in her throat forced her to cough, dislodging a small question that she could only whisper. “So...how do you really feel about all this?”
For a brief moment, Sunburst looked both surprised and confused. The soft, vulnerable look that Starlight gave him removed almost two decades from her face. He was sure that the abashed glance to the side did the same for him. “You always were the more astute one.”
“No offence, but that isn't all that hard.” She gave him a gentle nudge, letting him know in no uncertain terms that the subject was not about to change. “So...”
“I'm just sorry that I didn't stay in touch. I didn't know how much I meant to you.” The melancholic statement hung in the air, neither pony sure how to follow it. Shakily, Starlight put her best hoof forward in trying.
“I-I think...we were too young to know that. Both of us were. I only figured it out when you left. You were the only good thing in my life, the only thing I could look forward to every day. I shouldn't have put all that on you.”
“Hey, I was happy to have a friend like you. It didn't do me any harm.”
“That's a first,” Starlight tried to joke, but her smile was more of a grimace. Biting her lip briefly, she was just able to restrain herself from chewing on it thoroughly. “Just...promise me that everything's okay... I don't want any of my friends tearing themselves up over this... Any more than has already happened.”
“We'll all feel a bit of regret, we can't stop that,” he replied simply. She had already read him as easily as a book, there was no reason to lie to her, nor did he have any desire to.
It was not the answer she was hoping for but it was one that she could appreciate more than most ponies. Pushing her mane aside, she set her face into a determined half smile. “Okay. Well, I'd better go and... learn to be a mother.” She turned on hoof but did not move. She looked over her shoulder uncertainly, half of her face hidden by her mane. “You coming?”
“Of course I am Starlight,” Sunburst replied with a small smile, walking up beside her. Together, they walked out after Trixie. The royal blue unicorn found herself yanked back into the group, much to her chagrin and her companions' amusement. In the end, all she could do was grumble and chuckle along with them.
***
“And we're back!” Starlight called as they passed the threshold of the living room, cutting in before Trixie could perform one of her grand entrances. If Sunburst was going to be subjected to that, it would be during her shows. Otherwise, there was a certain level of resistance that had to be built up first.
Twilight looked up from the stack of flyers that she was, unsurprisingly, already deeply engrossed in. A bored looking Scootaloo leapt from one of the armchairs. waving frantically. “Awesome!”
“I trust everything is okay?” Twilight asked, a gentle smile smoothing the frown of concentration that had previously marred her brow.
Sitting down on one of the armchairs, Starlight let herself sink into it. “Yup. Everyone's up to speed and I see you already started. How's it going?” Before Twilight could answer, the cushion underneath Starlight shifted. Looking down, she saw Scootaloo sharing her seat, nestling herself into the cushion.
Completely unabashed, Scootaloo just grinned upwards. “You stole my seat.”
“Oh...uh...oops...” Starlight made to move but found herself completely sandwiched into place. How someone a third of her size was able to do that, she really had no idea. To try and save face, she looked up to Twilight. “So...uh...you getting anywhere?”
Smiling slightly, Twilight passed over several leaflets. “I don't know where Merry Heart gets all this stuff. I can read as much as the next pony.” That statement was met with a round of snickers from everyone besides Sunburst. Twilight's face soured briefly, then she simply shrugged and continued. “Have a look at some of these and tell me what you think.”
Starlight let her magic overlap with Twilight's turning magenta into light blue as the leaflets floated over to her. Spreading them out, Starlight let her eyes dart back and forth, focusing first on the large imposing titles and then honing in whenever she felt the need. Immediately, she spotted a problem. “Does your precious tot keep you up all night? Learning how to properly change a diaper... something I never had to do. The proper way to-...also something I never had to do.” With a huff she slammed every leaflet down onto the table, crumpling several against the dark wood. “Twilight all of these are for babies.”
The alicorn chuckled, having discarded several others for the same reason. “Yeah, your situation is a little...unheard of. They may still be able to help us but I think we should keep looking.”
“Why are there so many anyway?” Three leaflets floated over to Trixie, who gave them barely a glance before tossing them aside. It was all nonsense to her anyway, she was just here for moral support. “Did Princess Bookworm have a fit over all the fancy words?”
While Twilight shot Trixie a glare that only made the smug grin widen, Starlight corrected the assumption with a shake of her head. “No, that was me. I figured I may as well take all the help I could get and Merry Heart was practically bursting to give it to me. I guess I may have forgotten that I was potentially making the haystack bigger.”
“Sometimes bigger is better.” Sunburst attacked the pile with far more gusto than Trixie had, books were what he lived for after all and his talent seemed to be providing others with the information they desperately needed. “A bigger haystack means potentially a whole lot more needles. Particularly if the needles were already placed there.”Looking around, he saw several eyes blinking at him, causing him to wilt slightly. His shoulders slumped as no one could give him any more than utter bewilderment. The crushing silence did not help either. “Uh...the metaphor loses something when you try and add to it.”
“Most do,” Twilight offered, standing up and giving herself a small stretch. “I'm going to go and get some tea. Does anyone else want some?”
“That...might be an idea. We'll be here a while.” With a deep breath, Starlight grabbed another set of leaflets. Again, useless so she tossed them aside.
She felt Scootaloo shuffle against her leg. Looking down, she saw the young filly fidgeting slightly. A soft smile came unbidden, but not unwelcome, to her lips. “Bored?” she asked, already knowing the answer. Keeping Scootaloo in one place for too long never ended well. Honestly, Starlight had wondered several times how Cheerilee's classroom managed to stay intact. She almost groaned. If it did break apart...she was now responsible. At least fixing things within about twenty seconds was part of her repertoire.
“Maybe a little bit,” Scootaloo admitted with a shrug, gesturing to the mountain of flyers, pamphlets and advertisements they still had to sift through. “Not really what I usually do on a weekend.”
Starlight chuckled, having a very good idea what Scootaloo would rather be doing. It almost unanimously involved some dangerous stunt involving her scooter or hanging out with the Crusaders. “You don't have to stay you know. I can handle this one.”
Having to assure a young filly that she would be able to handle a couple of leaflets felt degrading but it was something her pride had to swallow. Even so, Scootaloo shook her head. “I know, but I still want to know what's going on. I need to make sure you don't pick something which isn't a total bore... if there even is such a thing.”
“You should try friendship lessons,” Starlight said, winking down at her daughter. “If there's one thing they are not...it's boring.”
“You're still going to have to convince me of that,” Trixie scoffed, interjecting herself into the conversation. Pulling her signature hat out of seemingly nowhere, she placed it on her head with her usual flourish. “So...I take it this is mini Starlight?” she asked, giving Scootaloo a look that would make an x-ray green with envy.
“It's Scootaloo,” the young pegasus answered, leaning back a little bit. Trixie had enslaved the entire town not so long ago. It was in the past, but Scootaloo still found her a little weird.
”You're taller than I thought you would be,” Trixie mused, tilting her head to the side slightly. Without missing a beat, she shot Starlight a cheeky glance before asking, “So, what do you know about fireworks?”
Scootaloo's eyes lit up and she opened her mouth to answer eagerly. Starlight groaned as a small scar that she happened to be sitting on started to burn. She looked to Sunburst for help, but he was far too absorbed in reading... Perhaps it was time to invent a spell that would make her fireproof. Spike could help her with that one.
***
After a quick detour, Twilight was quietly humming in the kitchen as she waited on her kettle to boil. The cups and tray had already been set, precisely on schedule. Unfortunately, the kettle was taking a little longer to boil than she had anticipated. Maybe she should have given more allowance for the energy needed to boil the larger volume of water.
The sound of doors opening stopped her calculations before they could start. With his Rarity plush clutched tightly in one hand, Spike walked into the kitchen. With everyone handling everything, he had squirrelled every single bit of sleep into his system as he could get. There was no telling when he would have to forfeit some in the near future.
“How'd it go?” he mumbled, blearily rubbing an eye with his free hand. He knew nothing untoward had happened, Twilight was far too relaxed for that, but knowing where they stood would be helpful. Then again, he remembered just in time who he was talking to. “Wait. Tell me while I eat breakfast.”
Twilight suppressed a good-natured sigh, waiting for Spike to prepare himself a bowl of cereal. She held her tongue when he brazenly laced it with several gemstones. They all needed a little pick me up to help them through this. By the time he was situated, Twilight had begun pouring the tea. Filling him in was easy, his eating staved off any interruptions. By the time she was finished, a platter of tea was ready and waiting to be carried out.
Spike chewed thoughtfully on his current mouthful, then swallowed. “Huh, so we're not quite out of the woods yet.”
“Not exactly,” Twilight answered ruefully. “It's a good start but I'm still...on edge. Starlight is still a little unpredictable.” Spike snorted at her gross understatement but she made no comment. “I also want her to be ready for any questions Scootaloo might want to ask, down the line I mean.”
“So, prevent a problem rather than fix a problem? That's not usually our style.”
While Spike was snickering, Twilight had to agree with him. She wanted Starlight to make her own mistakes and fix them, provided it was nothing too drastic. It was how Celestia had taught her after all. However, Starlight was soon going to be responsible for Scootaloo. Before that could happen, Starlight had to become a lot more stable. It was progressing, but at a rate that was simply not adequate. Starlight herself probably knew the same thing.
Motion in front of her face snapped Twilight out of her little trance. Spike was waving a spoon in front of her face. Grabbing it, she tossed the dirty utensil towards the sink. After last night, if she never saw another dirty dish, it would be far too soon. Even with Starlight's help, Trixie, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Sugar Belle at one dinner was a complete recipe for disaster. Spike followed her gaze. The few breakfast plates would hardly take Twilight a moment, but the young dragon started the water running anyway. “I'll get that.”
“Thanks, Spike,” Twilight smiled gratefully, reaching over and hugging him gently. She had gotten incredibly lucky the day she gained her cutie mark. Not only had it carried her all the way to Celestia's school and then all the way to alicornhood, it had also given her the best Number One assistant she could ask for. He was always going to be there for her. Without hesitation, she removed something from under her wing. “Do you think this is a good idea?”
Spike took the small business card and looked it over carefully. He remembered it vaguely. Celestia had given it to Twilight not long after her anxieties began to become blatantly apparent. The solar princess had caught her prized pupil studying herself into a frenzy, while stress refused to let anything stick. The ongoing cycle drove the young unicorn mad, the only way she would get sleep was by sobbing herself into it. A few days later, everything had come crashing down and Celestia had found her curled into a ball, drowning in a sea of notes, books and diagrams. The card had been one of many ways Celestia had been able to help Twilight through the gauntlet of her own fears.
“It survived?” Spike asked incredulously, turning it over in his claws. Aside from the singed corners and a small hole through the middle, it had fared an explosion well for something so fragile.
“Yeah...I could hardly believe it either.” Twilight looked down at the battered piece of paper. After so long, it was still with her. A fraction of the help Celestia had offered her in a troubled youth. If only others had gotten the same help, then Equestria could have been a much more peaceful place.
“And you're sure this is a good idea?” he asked, handing the card back to her. She nodded slowly, tucking it back underneath her wing. Spike rotated the tap back into the closed position, then began placing used dishes into the now bubbly sink. “Then suggest it. She knows you only want to help. And...honestly?” He glanced around nervously, living with two mages who could teleport on a whim was enough to instil a deep caution in a young dragon. “She's needed that kind of thing for a while...”
Twilight said nothing, giving her young dragon another hug. He returned it quickly, then shooed her off. “I'll bring in something to eat once I'm done here. You got this.”
“Only because I have you.” Twilight chuckled softly, picking up the tray of tea and walking out of the kitchen. The small anomaly in tucked into her feathers scratched against her side. She would have to present her idea at the right time and with the right amount of tact. It was something that Starlight should have been given years ago, even before the incident in Canterlot and certainly after. Again and again, Twilight found her picture of a perfect Equestria being slowly eaten away.
***
“There you are! Look, this one almost sounds like you” Trixie smirked, shoving the paper under Twilight's nose before she was fully through the door. Shooting the show-mare a disdainful glance, Twilight placed the tea on the only empty spot on the crowded table, then began to read. “This sounds nothing like m-” The words fled from her throat, leaving one of Equestria's princesses a fish jawed mess. Scootaloo, Starlight, Sunburst and Trixie all stared, waiting for some sort of explanation. The most highly strung of the four, Starlight's patience was quickly spent and she aimed a hard nudge into Twilight's ribs. The alicorn jerked violently but her eyes were glued to the leaflet. Letting out a frustrated grunt, Starlight yanked it from Twilight's grasp.
“”Parenting Classes for mothers and fathers of all ages. Bring your child, have fun and learn. Yada yada yada... What are you all going on about?” Trixie was too busy laughing to answer her, Twilight was still staring straight ahead as if she had just seen a ghost. Scootaloo and Sunburst both looked as confused as she did. Grumbling, Starlight looked over the words again. “I don't get it either. Wait... I see it now. Twilight Velvet, that does sound a bit like you...Wait... Uh, Twilight...isn't that?”
“Yup...that would be my mum...” Twilight groaned, slamming her head into the table.
“Wait, your mum gives parenting classes?” Scootaloo asked, hopping off the armchair and trying to get a peek. She grinned when Starlight lowering the page for her, allowing her to actually see what everyone was getting so worked up about.
Lifting her head, Twilight let out another pained groan and shook her head. “Apparently yes... It's the first time I've heard of it.”
“Why would your mum just decide to set up parenting classes?”
Twilight turned to Sunburst, who had asked the question. “Mum gets...bored, a lot. She isn't happy unless she's doing the most out there thing she can think of at the time. I guess it's where I get my creative streak from.” A chortle rose in Twilight's throat, as the memories came back to her. A warm feeling buzzed in her chest. As much as her mum could sometimes be a little much, she would not have it any other way. “There was one time, back when I had still to get my cutie mark. We were supposed to be taking a nice relaxing camping trip at Greenbay Falls. Mum decided to remove the word relaxing.” Another giggle broke up Twilight's story. “I don't think Shining Armour will ever go white water rafting again. It was also the first time I'd ever seen Cadance with a hair out of place. I needed a lot of cuddles with Smarty Pants to get over that one.”
Trixie snickered, drinking in the new material she would have to use as ammunition against Twilight in the future. Scootaloo meanwhile, was listening with unmasked interest, grinning from ear to ear. “Your mum sounds awesome!”
“She is,” Twilight hummed wistfully, eyes glazing over slightly. Maybe, after all of this was over, it would be fun to have another family vacation at Greenbay Falls. She would just have to make sure Flurry Heart kept the forest mostly intact.
Starlight had dipped from the conversation, reading the small, colourful piece of paper again and again. The sad truth was, as much as they wanted to help, none of her friends had the slightest idea about how to be a mother. Twilight had raised Spike, but they acted more as brother and sister than anything else. The closest would be Cadance, but Scootaloo had long since passed the stage that Flurry Heart was at. Wherever he was, Wind Rider would have to hope upon a hope that she did not stumble across him. Not actively seeking revenge was one thing, refusing it when it was handed to her on a silver platter would be quite another.
That left her with two options: go to a complete stranger and potentially end up in Dodge Junction or worse, or go to Twilight's mother and face potential embarrassment from a somewhat friendly face. There was potential in the idea, as long as Twilight was okay with it. The last thing she wanted was to make anything awkward, or worse cause a rift between the two. One other question burned on her tongue.
“Was she a good mother?”
Twilight was pulled out of her blissful reminiscing, having the answer immediately to hand. “Oh, she was the best! She always knew just what to do whenever we were upset, she read us all the best stories and she was always there. No matter what I or Shining Armour needed, she would move a mountain to make sure we were taken care of.” Suddenly realising what Starlight was getting at, she froze, “Wait...you're serious?”
Starlight nodded, busying her magic with making tea. She passed Scootaloo the bottle of Apple juice, by which time she had been able to gather her thoughts. “I am if you're okay with it... I would much rather never set foot in Canterlot again, but I'm going to have to. I haven't found a single advertisement that lists Ponyville, not that we'd need one to find it. I guess I just think it'd be better if I had a little more confidence in my teacher to begin with. You say she's a good mother...then that's what I need.”
“It might not be a bad idea,” Sunburst took the flyer, reading it over. “She seems to be aiming it at parents with foals around Scootaloo's age too. Twilight it's practically perfect.”
“I guess that runs in the family too,” Trixie muttered under her breath. Either no one heard her, or they simply did not deign to react.
Twilight considered the idea for a moment, then flashed Starlight a warm smile. “Yes, I do think this is a good idea. It's going to be a little weird but it can't be any worse than finding out your brother is marrying your favourite foalsitter, who is also a princess, then realising that said princess is actually an imposter who is trying to take over Canterlot and steal all of the love. So I had to rescue the real Cadance from a set of secret underground caverns and...”
Becoming aware that everyone was now staring at her, the third rant petered out into the winds. Twilight hid herself behind her teacup, taking a long draft before coming up again. It burned her throat “Umm... never mind. I guess crazy really does sort of run in the family.”
“Should I be running for the hills?” Trixie asked, already halfway off of her seat. “I think my ears are about to fall off. Too much Twilight in one day is dangerous for one's health and well being.”
The aforementioned alicorn glared at her eternal rival, while Starlight had to resist the urge to mimic Twilight and slam her head into the table. One day, her mentor and her first friend would be on amicable terms. That day was still a distant hope, for now, she simply had to endure. They never tended to throw her into the middle of it, but she still found the whole affair frustrating. Trixie was the only pony who was able to consistently wriggle under Twilight's skin, something she took gleeful advantage of.
“Never did me any harm,” Spike snorted, the closing door behind him perfectly punctuating his sentence, as if the castle was affirming his feelings. He had a large silver tray of cakes, biscuits and other confectioneries clutched in his grasp.
A little more forcefully than was needed, Starlight relieved the young dragon of his tray and placed it down on the table. The audible clank of silver and the tinkle of ceramic stopped any retort Twilight could make. It always seemed that way, she would intervene when Twilight was about to retaliate. Not intentionally, of course, she was just trying to nip it in the bud before it started and Trixie was usually the instigator. Actually, she was always the instigator.
Taking the hint, Twilight quietly settled back into her chair. It surprised her mildly that she had actually risen. Perhaps a good book to de-stress her was in order as soon as possible. Calling Trixie had always been a risk, but she was the one Starlight really needed right now. Coughing to bring attention back to her, she pulled out the small card. “There's something else as well...” She trusted Spike's judgement and her own. It was up to Starlight to decide how much she trusted them in turn. Scootaloo's gaze glued itself onto the small piece of paper. Compared to the explosion of colour they were surrounded with, it was drab and businesslike. Several creases ran along the surface and the corners looked as if they had been used as bucking bags.
Starlight read it quietly, her expression remaining neutral. Of course Twilight would have something like this, preparation was her middle name. She narrowed her eyes. It looked old, very old. It hit her just then, and her knees almost failed her. This was not something Twilight had just acquired, it was something she had used. “Therapy?” she asked, looking up. No one else in the room mattered at that exact moment. Twilight was blasted with the full intensity of her sapphire stare.
There were a lot of arguments Twilight could have made, so many examples she could have dredged up from Starlight's past dealings with ponies. Her tendency to overreact, her over-reliance on magical might and her almost unnerving demeanour at times. All of those would have been viable arguments. All of it felt pointless, Starlight knew it all already. Twilight opted for something a little more personal. “It helped me.”
Looking up, Starlight confirmed what she had already ascertained. She locked eyes with her teacher for a moment, then looked back down at the card. Simple and to the point, it promised an understanding ear, no judgement and as much time as was necessary. The pitch was good but baring herself to a complete stranger went against everything she had been striving for. She turned the card over, though it turned out to be blank on the other side. That was particularly unhelpful. Still, Twilight thought it was a good idea, so did she really need much more? “Alright... I'll give it a shot. Like I said, I need all the help I can get.”
Quietly, she handed the card back to Twilight, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Soft feathers gently brushed against her shoulder, as Twilight extended a comforting wing. “It'll be fine.”
Starlight said nothing, only nodding. She was sure that Twilight would never lead her astray, though could not extend the same confidence to herself. At least, this was something that could potentially help her as well as send her spiralling again.
The quiet was suddenly interrupted by Scootaloo placing her empty bottle next to Spike's untouched platter of sweets. She grabbed one, demolishing it in one bite. “I gotta tell Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle about this. They'll be wondering where I am.”
A quick glance at the clock had Twilight's eyes widening. It was just past noon. They had been here far longer than she had expected them to be. After hugging Starlight briefly, Scootaloo was already halfway towards the door. The lilac unicorn was standing stock still, wrestling with herself silently.
“Umm...can I come?” After her request, Starlight visibly shrunk back. It was a simple question, that held far too much weight. She wanted to take it all back, run away and lock herself up for eternity. Her room was too obvious, but if she chose the right bathroom or broom closet, it could work. Rather than be quite that drastic, she instead started rambling. It was an improvement to locking herself away, though not much.
“I mean, I just thought that it might be a good idea if I...well, sort of anyway. Not really a good idea but not really a bad one either? I want to well, y'know? Never mind, it's fine...I can stay here and do...something. I just...y'know.”
What they were supposed to actually know, Starlight found herself unable to say. How in Equestria was she supposed to explain her burning desire to be involved? She had been exhausted, frightened, manic, desperate and now she was simply out of her element. It was the best she had been so far, and she was not about to sit around waiting for better.
The mad rambling gave Scootaloo ample time to adjust to the oddity of her situation. Having Starlight there would hardly be anything new, it was just strange to be asked in such a way.
“Uh sure...” she answered, not really having any reason to say no. It would also be the first time she and her mother had been able to just talk since the revelation, alone anyway.
“Are you sure? I mean I wouldn't want to...” Starlight almost bit her tongue as she was launched forwards. Without having to turn back around, she knew that at least two horns were aglow, possibly three. She was being ridiculous, she knew it. The literal kick up the flank had been needed, though it was definitely going to come back around to them later.
Seeing Scootaloo trying to hold in her amusement, Starlight straightened herself up. “Okay, let's get out of here before I show you how to turn a couple of unicorns and an alicorn into a teacup.”
Three ponies edged backwards at that, causing Scootaloo's snickers to burst out. Starlight allowed herself a small chuckle as well, before starting towards the door. Scootaloo followed close behind, wings fluttering with a mixture of excitement and nerves. There was a lot to talk about, and even more to do.