Sunset found herself waking at the crack of dawn. A cautious glance at the neighboring bed showed that Twilight was still unconscious, and drooling. The sight would have brought a small smirk to her face in normal circumstances, but all she could do was stare for a moment before hopping out of bed and moving to the window to look outside. The town was painted in an amber glow as if it and the water below was born of fire and flame. Looking down at the street, she could see a pegasus, missing a wing, playing with a small unicorn foal, pretending to be slain when she bopped him on the head with a rubber ball. It was a good memory; one full of joy and happiness.
She didn’t look long.
Sunset instead turned back into the room and walked into the hallway. As Sunset felt the carpet under-hoof, she could see an excited filly running up to her dad with a sloppy macaroni painting she’d managed to get stuck to her hoof unknowingly. A small smile barely got to her face. She remembered crying that day as her dad tried his best to get the art piece off of her.
Bittersweet was closer, but not quite how she wanted to feel.
Looking down the stairwell as she got closer to her father’s room, she could see a young mare arguing with the same stallion from before, though older. She could understand the anger, feel the frustration, and hear the venom from the exchange. That was... the day before she left, leaving only a note behind to apologize for the words said.
And there it was; that regret she wanted to feel.
Regret that she hadn’t spent any time to try and write.
Regret that she didn’t spend holidays in the company of her only known blood relative.
Regret that she wouldn’t have any more time to do so.
“Your face will get stuck like that if you don’t stop frowning.” Sunset jumped as her head whipped around to face her dad, who had a wry smirk as he stood next to her and looked down the stairs. “Not sure what you’re looking at right now. Stairs haven’t exactly changed in recent history. Or do they have magical moving ones and are putting them in everypony’s homes without us knowing?”
Sunset looked down the stairs again and focused on the memory she could see in her mind. “Do... Do you know how long you have left?”
“Nope.” Her dad plopped down next to her and put his wing over her back. “Course, I’m pretty sure nopony does. All I really know about my own time is it’s getting pretty darn close. Tartarus, even without this lung of mine, I’d be betting on the next ten years or so. I’ve already outlasted your grandpa in how old I am.”
Standing up and stepping away from Hot Air, Sunset glared at him. “H-How can you be so jovial right now!? You’re dying, dad!”
Matching his daughter, Hot Air stood and held his head high, giving her a disapproving stare. “And?” Sunset flinched back at the bite in his voice, before he sighed and nuzzled her. “Sunset, I lived a happy life. I met your mother, fell in love, had you, and even if she didn’t get to be here for any of it, she would be proud of you. I can guarantee it because I know I sure am.” Hot Air gave his daughter a hug before the mischievous glint from last night returned to his eye as he nodded his head back down the hallway, and headed to the room Twilight was still slumbering within.
It was then, Sunset noticed he was carrying something on his side. “Uh, dad? Why do you have a megaphone?”
He took a quick glance at Sunset, wiggling his eyebrows, before poking his head into the room and clicking the megaphone on. While Hot Air might not have been able to get his voice very loud on his own, the megaphone covered what slack he had. This all led to one single fact to be proven right that morning.
Sunset’s father was a Troll, and he enjoyed it. “RISE AND SHINE, PRINCESS!”
Sunset was privy to hearing Twilight Sparkle, The Princess of Friendship, Savior of Equestria multiple times over, and the mare who stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life, squawk like a bird as she fell out of bed. Poking her head into the room herself, Sunset caught sight of lavender hooves and wings flailing uselessly as they struggled against the bedding entrapping them.
If asked about it, she would tell you with utter honesty that the sight was probably one of the funniest ones she’d ever seen.
Twilight’s head eventually managed to get out of the covers as her wild eyes looked about in panic. “I’M UP!” The sight was too much for Sunset, and she broke down into a fit of giggles that got the lavender princess’s attention. “Um... Morning?”
“Morning to you too, your highness.” Hot Air casually quipped as he pretended to lift a hat off his head. “I must say, that was the most elegant way to wake up I have ever seen. Such form and grace, it will be remembered for centuries.”
“For Tartarus’s sake Dad, stop!” Sunset got through her giggles before the sight of Twilight’s deadpan sent a new wave through her.
At least, until a smirk of her own crossed her face. With a roll of both her body and eyes, Twilight got to her hooves and moved to the doorway, raising an eyebrow at Sunset. “Good to know you’re in a better mood.”
Hot Air raised a hoof and smiled. “T’is my duty as a father.”
The two of them shared a chuckle before Twilight’s smile fell down into a sadder iteration. “So... You said this might take the whole day, right?” The topic instantly sobered Sunset’s joy, reminding her of present troubles. Knowing that intentionally or not she had stopped her friend’s laughter hurt Twilight, but this was a task that could not wait.
Sighing, Hot Air nodded as he led the two back down the hallway and down the stairs. “I did.” As they descended, Hot Air kept his gaze forward.
Only for him to stop at the bottom and hesitate in thought.
Sunset came down the steps and stood next to her father in concern. “Dad?”
Hot Air rubbed the back of his head as his lips pulled into a thin line. “Say, uh, Sunset? I know I promised to tell you today, but... Would it be alright with you if we went on a small trip first? Just a few stops around town.” He twirled a hoof against the ground and shrugged a bit. “Spend some time with my little sunshine.”
Sunset’s eyes narrowed as she tapped her hoof. “Dad, you said we’d be talking about mom.”
“And we will be,” Hot Air hastily added with a nervous smile, “I just, think it’d be nice to show you some of the things she liked; to help explain her better.” When his daughter’s glare failed to subside, he sighed. “I promise this is going to involve me telling you about your mother. I just didn’t want your entire time here to be only about her. I want to hear about what you’ve been up to.”
For an uncomfortable amount of time, Sunset stared at her father. The silent judgment of her gaze was making both Hot Air and Twilight nervous, and Twilight wasn’t even the subject of Sunset’s ire. It was with a drawn-out sigh that the amber unicorn closed her eyes for a moment. “Fine, but you are going to tell me about her.”
It was as Sunset’s father nodded and headed for the front door, that she felt a hoof land on her shoulder. Looking to meet Twilight’s gaze, Sunset could feel the concern radiating off of the princess. “It’s alright Twilight. I figured he’d do this before telling me anything.” The amber unicorn smiled a bit as she tilted her head towards the door. “Now come on. Even if he keeps dodging the question, I can at least give you a small tour of Baltimare at the same time.”
Nodding, Twilight followed her friend outside before they walked over to where Hot Air was waiting for them. “So, where are we going first?”
The same grin from when he woke up Twilight crossed Hot Air’s face as he started down the road. “I figured the first part about Sunny Days to explain would require some assistance, so we’re going to see some friends of mine.”
“Well, while on the way there, you can still answer a few questions,” Sunset added as she trotted to get closer before slowing back to a walk. “For one... What was she like?”
“Alright, I suppose that’s fair.” Hot Air chuckled for a moment before looking up in thought with a hum. “Where to start? Your mother was a really curious mare, both in personality and how she acted. She found everything she saw fascinating, and I mean everything.” The three rounded a corner, passing a street performer juggling a bunch of rings. “She would go crazy over the littlest of things; ice-cream, paved roads, and most of all, magic.”
Sunset blinked in surprise, before looking down in thought as she walked. “Really? I mean, I always had an interest in learning about magic, but I never thought Mom would have.”
“It’s not that surprising.” Twilight shrugged her wings a bit and smiled. “When Trixie first showed up in Ponyville, a lot of the town gathered for her performance. After all of that and the Ursa incident, I’d have a few ponies come by asking to see some tricks. Even now that I’m a princess, there are a few who stop by.”
Hot Air smirked a bit. “That may be true, but Sunny Days was something else. She’d watch ponies going about their days with starry eyes and a beaming smile. Even simple feats of levitating a cup of coffee made her light up brighter than a star. Really unnerved a few ponies out before I got her to tone it down some.” As trees started being seen at the far end of the street, Hot Air’s ears perked up. “We’re almost at our first stop!”
Hot Air wasted no time leading Sunset and Twilight to the far edge of town, where instead of water and docks, a mild amount of forestry rose from the dirt. The path they walked looked well worn, but Twilight continued to ponder just where the stallion was taking them. “Sunset, do you know where we’re going?”
Sunset glanced over and shrugged for a moment. “Honestly, I have no idea why dad’s bringing us out here. Last time I was here, it was just some clearing.”
Hot Air chuckled as the sounds of merriment could start being heard behind the trees. “Well, there’s been a few new faces in town since you ran off and got yourself under the princess’s wing.”
Twilight and Sunset shared a confused glance before the three ponies turned down the last bend in the road. The Princess and former student both went wide-eyed as they beheld what now resided in the once-abandoned clearing.
Tents, stalls, benches, and a few ponies filled every inch of land. Each pony present was dressed in old-timey tunics and sacks. Some donned capes, others caps, but all were talking in fake uppity knightly accents. Hot Air walked to stand in front of his daughter and waved a hoof towards the crowd. “Welcome to the local Renaissance Faire!”
“Baltimare has a Ren-Faire!?” Sunset’s jaw dropped as she dumbly walked forward, she let her eyes land on a stall serving roasted vegetables on sticks.
Chuckling, Hot Air tossed them a few bits, and they happily gave him a roasted corn cob, which he gave to Sunset. “Yep, it started thanks to the friends of mine I want you to meet.”
Twilight was looking around with a twinkle in her eyes as she smiled. “The accuracy here is astonishing! I mean, sure, there probably were a lot fewer tents like these, but the details in clothing and food are incredible!”
A snort escaped Hot Air as he walked forward. “Sunny buns would readily agree with you there princess.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow, even as her corn cob hung from her lips for a moment, before floating away in her magic. “Uh... This food’s good, but not that good.”
Hot Air blinked for a moment before rubbing the back of his head. “I um... Meant your mother, Sunset. Not you.”
A hot blush grew across the amber unicorn’s face as she went back to eating her corncob, though at a much more sedate pace.“Oh.” At her friend’s raised eyebrow and smirk, the amber unicorn waved her corncob at her in aggravation.
Through her chuckles and dodging of rouge corn, Twilight perked up a bit and walked a little closer to Hot Air. “So, Sunset’s mom enjoyed being here?”
Hot Air gave a small nod and kept leading them through the Faire. “I took her once to a Ren-Faire over in Manehattan, and she stared slack-jawed at nearly everything. She told me of all these stories she’d been reading of knights and princesses, swooping in and whisking them away to a happily-ever-after. She was completely giddy about near everything she saw.”
The lavender princess nodded for a moment before a stray thought crossed her mind. With a mischievous smirk, she glanced at Sunset before turning back to Hot Air. “So, I take it she liked the fact you were in the guard?”
A wistful smile crossed Hot Air’s face. “Part of the reason she loved running around Equestria with me. Loved seeing me in uniform almost as much as she did seeing me out of it.”
“Can we, I don’t know, not talk about my father’s romantic life?” Sunset heavily blushed and scowled as she finished off her corncob and chucked the stick in a nearby bin.
“Oh come now, it ain’t that bad.” Hot Air chuckled.
A voice from the side caught their attention. “You're right, it ain’t that bad.”
Looking over, Twilight and Sunset noticed a somewhat chubby blue earth pony and a lanky red unicorn leaning against a pole. The two stallions were both getting along in their years, but still had some vigor in them. “That thick-skulled buffoon would need one in the first place!” The latter of the two quipped before they both broke into boisterous laughter.
“Oh haha, very funny.” Hot Air rolled his eyes before looking towards his daughter. “Sunset, Princess Twilight, meet Line Writer and Stage Play.” He turned back to the two and gave a small glare. “As for you two bozos, this is my daughter and her friend.”
The chubby one, Stage Play, tipped an imaginary hat and grinned. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, your royal highness.”
Line Writer did likewise, but paused and gave a casual wave to Twilight. “Oh, and you too, Princess Twilight. An honor.”
Sunset snorted a bit as she suppressed a chuckle at the sight of Twilight’s deadpan. It was after a small nudge from the amber unicorn that Twilight at least rolled her eyes and cracked a small smile herself. “It’s nice to know my dad’s not turned himself into a hermit.”
“Not for lack of trying.” Stage Play snickered as he rested a hoof over Hot Air’s shoulder. “I swear, Line and I had to pull his stubborn flank out of that house more times than we could count since we moved into town.” He frowned a bit at Sunset with a raised eyebrow. “Course, you hightailing it to Canterlot and never writing back certainly didn’t help.”
Hot Air frowned as he jabbed Stage Play in the side. “Hey now, go easy on my daughter. She was probably studying hard as ever.”
Sunset pursed her lips and looked to the side nervously. “Uh, yeah... Studying.” A few beads of sweat were starting to trail down the side of her face as she tried to casually not talk about that particular topic.
Line Writer smiled as he rubbed his chin, like some Machiavellian villain going over his latest scheme. “So, old friend, what brings you to our slice of the world? You’re not planning on joining our performances tonight, were you?”
Hot Air chuckled as he waved a hoof. “Nothing like that. I was just wanting to ask for some help explaining some stuff.”
The two blinked and shared a glance before smiling softer than their previous grins. “I take it it’s about Sunny?” Hot Air’s head fell a bit, but he nodded, and Line Writer shook his head in disbelief. “Wow, first the daughter you two had, then you talking about your wife. Today’s sure full of surprises, ain’t it Stage?”
“Sure is.” The two sat down and looked over to Sunset and Twilight, motioning them over. “So, what say you, fine mares, to a bowl of ice-cream while we spin our story?”
Twilight and Sunset both shared a quick nod before they and Sunset’s father followed the two over to the concession stands.
~ Meanwhile, back at CHS ~
Star student Twilight Sparkle trudged her way towards the main entrance’s steps. Bags were heavy under her eyes, even as one twitched in time with the strands escaping her usually neat hair. Her usual dress was at least in an acceptable state but was still rather unkempt for her.
It was with a long sigh that she plopped down onto the steps and rested against them, staring towards nothing, even as she pulled her notes out of her bag, and let Spike poke his head out. “Spike...just...how? How, can it be possible, for someone to hide this much of their history? I couldn’t even find her age on the school’s homepage!”
Spike scratched his ear and raised an eyebrow. “Well, maybe she just asked for some privacy regarding age? I don’t see what’s the big deal.”
Rubbing her head with a tired groan, Twilight adjusted her glasses. “Spike, this complete lack of findings is driving me nuts. This could take me forever just to find her age if I stick to online searching, and Sunset’s going to be back in a week!”
He tilted his head curiously. “You could always just ask the girls to help you figure this out. I’m sure they’d do it in a heartbeat.”
“No.” Twilight’s shoulders went stiff for a moment, and she found herself feeling almost as insecure as she did in Crystal Prep. “I... I owe them a lot. I don’t want to ask for more.”
Spike stared at her, brow furrowed and lips pursed before he sighed and shook his head. “Alright, but I still think you should talk to them.”
The studious young scholar smiled and gave the puppy a quick hug. “Thanks, Spike.” Letting the canine hop back into her bag, Twilight put her notes away before standing back up. “Now we just need to wait for the others to show--”
The moment she turned to look forward, she let out a squeak of terror. A mass of pink hair stood before her, with a single tired eye glaring through her at something off in the distance. However, her cry also seemed to knock the entity out of its daze, as the eye blinked a few times before focusing on Twilight. “Oh, good morning, Twilight. Did you sleep well?”
Twilight took a moment to get her heart back under control before taking a second glance and recognizing the face behind the hair. “F-Fluttershy!? What’s with...?”
A yawn left the butterscotch girl’s mouth as she staggered towards the front of the building. “Zephyr made a mess of the house. Had to clean it. Couldn’t get any sleep after. Everything smells of burned onions.”
Twilight followed Fluttershy up the steps and watched in concern as her friend tried to push open the pull doors. “Maybe we should take you to the nurse.” When Fluttershy failed to respond, Twilight frowned. “Fluttershy?”
A soft snore was all the answer Twilight got as Fluttershy’s head leaned against the door’s glass.
“Well dang, by the looks of you two, Ah ain’t the only one that couldn’t sleep a wink last night.” Twilight turned around and saw Applejack walking over from the parking lot. Her eyes had the look of someone who’d spent the past few hours wrestling with a wild animal before being forced to get ready to show up somewhere, showing just how tired she really was.
“Make that four of us, darlings.” Rarity walked over wearing a pair of shades. At first glance, she looked as awake as ever, but the moment she stood close enough and turned to the side, the bags under her eyes were noticeable. “I stayed up all night trying to come up with something for Sunset, but I couldn’t think of anything.”
“At least you had something to think about.” All but one turned to look at Rainbow as she joined in on the conversation. “I kept tossing and turning all night. I even tried that one thing Rarity told me about. Uh... What was it called? Camel Mile Tea?”
Rarity rolled her eyes for a moment, before wincing. “Chamomile?”
Rainbow blinked for a moment before smiling and looking at her friend. “Yeah, that stuff! I made a cup, and it didn’t really help, so I ended up dumping it in the sink. Turns out I’m not that much of a tea drinker.” Shaking her head, Rarity let out an exasperated sigh.
“Well, anyone seen Pinkie yet?” Applejack scratched the back of her head, letting out a yawn. “Usually she’s the first one here.” A moment later, the pink girl in question was spotted rounding the corner at a sedate pace.
And all four of the conscious girls felt their jaws drop.
Pinkie’s hair was almost completely smooth as it fell limp over her face. Only the very tips of hair held any curls, and her color looked muted from how it usually was. Even her clothes looked duller than usual; the hot pinks and baby blues looking more like her sister Maud’s frock.
When she got close enough, Pinkie gave them all a small wave and smile. “Hey girls.”
“Dang Pinks, you feeling okay?” Rainbow frowned as she reached out, only to hesitate in putting her hand on Pinkie’s shoulder.
Pinkie lost her small smile and sighed. “Not really.” The girls all shared a concerned glance with each other before Pinkie shook her head. “I just need some time by myself. I’ll be alright.”
“You sure, Sugarcube?” Applejack frowned, eyes filled with worry.
Pinkie’s small smile returned as she nodded. “Yeah, I talked with Maud about it last night. I’ll be fine.” The sedate party girl walked over to the doors and helped wake Fluttershy for a moment. “I’ll see you girls at lunch.” The remaining four frowned to each other before sighing and heading in themselves.
As they each split off to go to their lockers, Twilight sighed. Looks like it was a good call not to ask. I might just be on my own for this one. Movement inside her bag made her amend that last thought. Well... Not totally on my own.