Sunburst lead Starlight twenty blocks away from Dim Sum’s Noodle Shack in a seemingly random path. He didn’t mention where they were going, only a promise that the walk would be worth it.
“Sunburst, where are you taking me?” Starlight asked. A dull pain was building up in her tired hooves.
“It’s a surprise. Don’t worry, we’re almost there. It should be just around the next block.”
Sunburst rounded the corner, glancing around. A sudden smile appeared on his face and he pointed his hoof towards a building on the other side of the street. “Aha, here we are.”
Starlight looked at the building across the street. She saw the sign on the front of the store and gasped at a sudden shot of fillyish enthusiasm. “The Las Pegasus Kite Emporium?!”
Sunburst allowed himself a victorious smile. “I figured you’d appreciate this.”
“How did you find this place?”
“A flier for it blew onto our table while you went to use the restroom. I knew it would be the perfect surprise.”
Starlight flashed a huge toothy grin as she threw her front legs around Sunburst’s neck, hugging him tightly.
“Oh, Sunburst, thankyouthankyouthankyou! This is the best surprise ever!” She let him go and rubbed her chin in thought. “Though it was funny luck that flier just happened to blow onto our table.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. Into the world of kites!”
Starlight leaned close and gave Sunburst an appreciative kiss on the cheek. She pranced across the street and into the store, leaving Sunburst behind rubbing his face in a daze.
A veritable sea of kites, more than she’d ever seen in her life, awaited Starlight when she stepped through the door. Dozens of displays hung from the ceiling, where fans pushed just enough air for the kites’ tails to dance about with grace, giving the illusion that they were gliding in the breeze. The sight of it all made Starlight’s heart flutter; or perhaps it was the impulsive kiss she gave Sunburst. Starlight couldn’t tell which.
Sunburst appeared beside Starlight with a satisfied look on his face. “What do you think?”
Starlight glanced around at this kite lover’s heaven. “Look at this place, it’s huge. I’ve never seen so many kites in my life! There’s so many I think I might faint.”
Trotting down the first aisle, Starlight fought to control her growing excitement. There were big kites, small kites, classic diamond-shaped kites and 3D kites with an Eastern dragon design. There was even a Celestia kite dangling from the ceiling. The blue, green and pink streamers attached to it flowed as regally as the real Celestia's mane. Standing under it, Starlight dared to think that being in its presence made her feel like a princess herself.
“I wonder if Her Highness has one of those,” Sunburst wondered.
Starlight giggled at the mental image of Celestia admiring a kite modelled in her likeness, then turned her attention to the various kites packaged in the aisle.
Among the kites arranged on the shelf was the rare and aptly named Kite-a-Rang, a spring-loaded kite that spun in an arc and returned to the flier on its own.
“Eee-hee-hee!” Starlight squealed in delight as she pranced in place. “It’s a Kite-a-Rang! I can’t believe I actually found one! Ooh, I gotta get it!” She grabbed one of the packages and continued down the aisle. “I wonder what else they got here? There’s just so much to choose from!”
Starlight wandered into the next aisle and drew a sudden gasp at the sight of a star shaped kite attached to a thin, hollow wheel that allowed the star to spin in midair. She sandwiched her face between her hooves, squishing her cheeks with stars glittering in her eyes. “That’s a Peppy Pinwheel! Sunburst, do you know how hard these are to find?”
“Actually, I don’t,” Sunburst admitted.
“I’ve never even seen one for sale before. I gotta get one of these, too.” Starlight took a packaged Peppy Pinwheel and added it to the Kite-a-Rang while Sunburst ambled off, seemingly looking for something. Starlight hardly noticed, however. Like an excited child, her attention was fully absorbed in the rows of kites until she came across an out of stock hole in one of the shelves.
In the empty spot on the shelf was some sort of brochure with a picture of a magic staff on it. Starlight grabbed the piece of paper with her magic and brought it closer to study it.
Madame Mystic’s’ Antique Wizardry Store. Ancient scrolls, arcane staves, forgotten volumes. Whether you’re an apprenticing wizard or an avid collector, we’ve got something for you. Starlight gasped, unable to believe her luck. This is right up Sunburst’s alley! He’d have a field day there. Looks like it’s not too far from here, either. Since he brought me here, I’ll give him a little surprise of my own!
“Hey, Starlight, come take a look at this!” Sunburst yelled from several aisles over.
Starlight glanced around to make sure Sunburst didn’t see her slip the brochure in her saddlebag, then trotted over to the direction of his voice. She found him at the back wall of the store, next to a glass showcase displaying several kites.
“What is it?” Starlight asked.
“The flier I found said there were antiques on display. These must be them.”
Starlight walked up for a closer look inside the display case. Excitement gave way to awe as she laid her eyes on an absolute relic. A blue kite, shaped somewhat like a bird in mid-flight. Perfectly angled wings. Fan-shaped tail. And the giveaway signature “S.B.” stitched in cursive on the right wing. “That’s an original Windblown Wonder!”
“Original?” Sunburst echoed. He turned his sights to the ceiling, watching several almost identical kites flapping about. “So then the ones dangling from the ceiling are just replicas?”
“Right. But this one in here is an original, crafted by the legendary kite maker, Sirocco Breeze! I can’t believe the owner of this place found one. They say nopony else has been able to replicate Sirocco’s craft. These were made with a stitch pattern almost impossible to rip and a perfect angular design so unique to him that nopony else was able to figure it out. It was his masterpiece, the best kite of its time. Maybe ever.”
“By angular design, I assume you mean the shape was precise enough to maximize its aerodynamic properties by compensating for drag and airflow.”
“Uh-huh. Sirocco achieved it by carefully studying flying birds. He even used hollowed out bamboo for the dowels to mimic a bird’s bones. Windblown Wonders were incredibly balanced kites, favored by competitive kite fliers.”
Starlight put her front hooves against the display case, watching the reflection of her eyes glitter with tears of joy. This was a treasure, a piece of kiting history and they only thing between her and it was a thin sheet of glass. Starlight felt she could kiss Sunburst again for the chance to see a Windblown Wonder. “I can’t believe I’m this close to one. It’s so beautiful.”
She stared at the antique kite for a while longer, trying to envision herself flying it. What an experience that would have been!
“Starlight?” Sunburst prodded her after a minute of silence.
Starlight’s hoof shot up to shush him. “Just give me another minute. I want to remember this moment.”
Starlight knew she could spend all day in the kite emporium and it wouldn’t be enough. She also knew they had other things to do, and she was excited to take Sunburst to the antique wizardry story. With some effort, she forced herself away from the display case and started down another one of the aisles.
“That. Was. Awesome!” Starlight yelled. “Now I’ve got to get one of the replicas, just to remind me, and I’ll probably get one of those Celestia kites, too. And a dragon one!”
Sunburst could only chuckle to himself. He may not have been into kites, but it was worth it just to see Starlight this happy.