//------------------------------//
// "Original" Comp. No. 2 
// Story: Starlight's Symphony 
// by Phoenix Heart 27 
//------------------------------//

That same summer also gave Starlight some leeway to explore her world more. Because of the age gap between them and the fact that one preferred to do other things than the other, Starlight Sonata and Melody Star hardly ever truly hung out aside from days when she'd drop her off at the flight camp. While that did deep down, make both fillies a bit sad, they both knew it was for the best. After all Melody was starting to seriously pursue her music career and therefore threw a lot of her time into her band Melody and the Rockettes. Being that both sisters were usually busy with their own endeavours, time together was often very brief and not often. That is until one rare day when both fillies were left home alone.

Strumming her acoustic guitar gently, Melody Star was nearing a “breakthrough” when she heard the unmistakable sound of items falling and a familiar annoyed grunt before her curiosity got the better of her. Putting her guitar down, Melody got up and went towards the source of the sounds. Not surprised to see that they came from her little sister's room, she slowly approached the open door before ducking from a stuffed peacock projectile. The smirk on her face disappeared quickly as she saw the state of her sister's room that she herself, had previously cleaned up. Annoyed, Melody tapped the smaller one that was currently ripping her room apart.

“Starlight Sonata?! What are you doing?!?”, Melody signed.

Not paying her sister any attention, Starlight brusquely lifted and moved her bed over. Gasping in shock and following up with an almost scream, Starlight moved her bed back and went over to her haphazardly opened chest of drawers. Struggling to push her chest aside, she began huffing and puffing.

“WHERE. IS. MY. BOX!!??!!”, Starlight shouted. Too frustrated to turn and ask her sister in sign.

“Woah, woah there girl. Firstly what the fuck did you do to your room that I just got through cleaning up while you were out? Secondly, what are you talking about a box for?”, Melody signed.

Groaning and pulling at her mane, Starlight turned to her sister. A look of absolute fury in her eyes as she began to sign in harsh movements to convey her almost screaming at Melody.

“You did WHAT?! Why would you do that?!? Now because of you, I can't find my cowgirl boot box! Why were you even in here cleaning up?!? You never do that!!”, Starlight fumed as she got closer to her sister.

“Geeze Starry, get a grip! I only came in here to clean because mom asked me to clean the house today while she was at work and you were at your little playdate. Now I'm sure I moved all the stuff that was under your bed to the shed in the back--”, Melody explained before being cut off by a furious looking Starlight.

“MY BOX IS IN THE SHED!?! MELODY, ALL OF MINE, COSMOS AND SPRINKLER’S SAVINGS ARE IN THAT BOX!”, Starlight signed aggressively.

“Well I didn't know! How would I have known that?”, Melody asked in a huff.

“IT. WAS. LABELED IN BRIGHT MARKER ‘Savings for Clubhouse’! HOW COULD YOU HAVE MISSED THAT?!?”, Starlight raged.

“Hey, look I’m sorry Starry, I didn't see it. Honest!”, Melody tried to calm her livid little sister down.

“NO! MELODY NOW BECAUSE OF YOU, I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL PAPA GETS HOME SO HE CAN UNLOCK THE DOOR AND GET MY BOOTS BACK BEFORE---”, Starlight stopped due to she started hyperventilating and seemingly choking on air.

Immediately worrying, Melody tried to get her sister to breathe normally, but that did absolutely nothing. So after finally getting her head together, Melody went and found an old paper bag. Folding it over and holding it to Starlight Sonata’s muzzle, Melody managed to help her little sister through her very first panic attack. A truly frightening experience for both teen and youngster.

“How are you feeling Starlight? Any better?”, Melody signed slowly so as to not overwhelm the foal again.

After a few more deep breaths, Starlight sighed before signing.

“Yes. I'm ok…..however, Melody that was scary. Like really scary. What just happened?”, Starlight asks while reaffirming that she was ok.

“What you just experienced was called a panic attack. It is kind of like when you start to get so worked up with worry and fear that your body kind of makes your body react with a chest that feels like it is being squished by a snake. You will kinda find it hard to breathe. That's why we keep bags on hoof. To help breathing get back to regular. That and a helpful hoof is always a pleasure.”, Melody signed in response.

Nodding in understanding, Starlight finally finding her breathing back to normal, looked about as she sighed deeply before signing.

“I know you meant well Melody, but that specifically was there because it has my saved bits as well as Cosmos’s and Sprinkler’s bits from half of our allowances for the past year and a half. Don't you remember how I told you how the three of us….well now four of us if I include Spirit Chaser, who has recently been accepted into our club. That box has a lot of bits inside. So you see why I got so upset and freaked out when I didn't see it in its place.”, She explained to a slowly realizing older sister.

“Oh--Oh! Oh my goodness. I am so sorry Starry. Hold on, thankfully I can get back in the shed. I will be right back.”, Melody signed in a hurry before zipping back downstairs and out the back door.

Sighing, Starlight went about re-fixing her bedroom to the point where it didn't even look like she’d made a mess. Afterwards she glanced at a nearby clock and noticed that it was only 5:00pm. Shaking her strawberry blonde and purple mane, she casually walked down the stairs and reached “her” conservatory (she knows it's for them all, but primarily it's her that's in there). Before she could reach her piano bench though, she saw that the desktop computer screen in the den was blinking yellow. A smile graced her face as she immediately turned about and went into the den to answer the video call.

“Hi, Spirit Chaser!”, Starlight signed from her end of the conversation.

“Hi, Starlight Sonata! How are you today?”, Spirit Chaser answered from her end.

The two fillies kept on with their conversation for over an hour until Melody signalled into the room (while holding the large box that contained the boots and bits) for Starlight to wrap it up. Giggling, the two young’ns, with the promise that they'd see each other the following week, hung up their video call. Some time later, Melody sat them both down with some boiled carrot dogs and animal-shaped mac ‘n cheese.

After their dinner and a confirmation text from their parents that they’d be out later than they thought and to go on ahead and chill for the rest of the night (with a kind-hearted, but stern warning to keep the house clean from their father/step-father). So they did just that. With Melody in the den watching a movie and talking on the phone with her boyfriend and Starlight in the conservatory finishing a composition that’d taken her a few weeks to get off the ground, but that she was confident that it was now done. Preparing her hooves and body for the incoming vibrations, she began to play a rather slow, almost haunting lullaby. Feeling herself get lost in the music, she didn't notice her sister standing at the doorway with her phone's camera on record. Making necessary commentary the whole time throughout.

By the time she was finished, Starlight looked like she was gonna pass out at any given time, but with a satisfied grin, she placed the newly complete composition in an empty clear paper pocket and slid it into her large composition binder that sat on a table next to the vast black piano. Hopping down off the cushioned bench, Starlight gave a long yawn before shuffling herself out of the room (once her sister had left of course). Too tired to walk, she lazily fluttered up the stairs with Melody following behind. Seeing her baby sister so tired almost made Melody snicker before rethinking that and graciously, she helped her sister get into pyjamas and tucked her into bed. Humming her favorite lullaby as she watched Starlight drift off to sleep.

“Goodnight, Starlight.”, Melody unconsciously whispered despite knowing her sister wouldn't have a clue she said anything as she backed out the room with a tear in her eyes.

“‘Night night….Mellow’”, Starlight unconsciously muttered despite knowing her sister had already left.