3:00 am The same night…
Tossing and turning in her sleeping bag, Starlight Sonata simply just couldn't fall back asleep. It probably didn't help that it was a full moon out and for the strangest reasons, literally everypony in her family just had the roughest nights for sleep on those nights. Perhaps it was because she was still wired from the party and just couldn't calm her body down. Maybe it was a bad combination of all of that. However it was, put plainly, Starlight couldn't fall back asleep. Abandoning what could have been a rather comforting spot on the floor in their mismatched cuddle pileup, Starlight silently got up and floated about (so as to not wake up the others). Eventually reaching the attic door, she hesitated before flying back downstairs and to the den where everypony was asleep. Laying back down proved a bit difficult due to her depth perception being thrown off (due to her hearing aids recharging in the living room and thusly, making her landing a bit hard) and she landed promptly on top of Sprinkler and Spirit Chaser.
“Ow...”, Both fillies moaned as they were prematurely awoken by the force that landed upon them.
“Sorry girls. I had got up for a sec and flew around. Guess I didn't calculate my landing right.”, Starlight signed as she swiftly flew off the pair of them.
Accepting the apology, the Pegasus and Earth filly both let out a silent laugh as they all got up and quietly snuck out towards the kitchen to talk.
“Couldn’t sleep again?”, Sprinkler asked Starlight.
“Yep. By Luna’s mane, this happens every month on the nights of Full Moon! I swear in past lives, my family were Thestrals!”, Starlight Sonata replied with a huff. Which earned a good chuckle from all 3 young ones.
“Okay, so since the three of us are now awake and are not likely to go back to sleep. What do we do now?”, Spirit Chaser asked as she stretched her wings and yawned.
The other two simply shook their heads. Neither sure as to what to do at 3 in the morning with everypony asleep.
“I could probably play us a lullaby? So long as it's on the keyboard on your deck, Sprinkler. Anything to help us go back to sleep.”, Starlight signed as the idea popped up in her head.
Agreeing with their friend, Sprinkler climbed onto Spirit Chaser’s back and the three of them flew out to the back where the covered deck lay. A decent sized keyboard stood resting near a wooden picnic table. Letting Sprinkler off her back, Spirit stretched and yawned again as Starlight began to play a soft, soothing song.
By the time she finished the melody, Sprinkler was out like a light. Spirit Chaser was still awake, but looking at Starlight Sonata with an awestruck glazed gaze.
“How was it? Clearly I know how our hostess liked it.”, Starlight joked as she picked up the deeply sleeping Earth Pony.
Flying back inside the house, Starlight deposited her friend back into her sleeping bag before returning to the deck. When she got there, she was met with a sight that made her breathless for a second. There half-splayed out onto the table and looking up at the stars, was Spirit Chaser. Her Auburn mane cascading down her back and tail tucked slightly to herself. Her Amber eyes looked almost crystalline in the moonlight as her focus was elsewhere. Starlight Sonata knew that staring was impolite, but she simply couldn't bring herself to look away. However it was this moment that made inspiration strike her. With a semi-loopy look on her face, Starlight returned to the keyboard and sat on the chair before beginning to play a smooth tune. Absently, the juvenile started to sing as well.
I stand at your gate and the song that I sing is of moonlight
I stand and I wait for the touch of your hoof in the June night
The roses are sighing a Moonlight Serenade.
The stars are aglow and tonight how their light sets me dreaming.
My love, do you know that your eyes are like stars brightly beaming?
I bring you and I sing you a Moonlight Serenade
Let us stray till break of day in love's valley of dreams.
Just you and I, a summer sky, a heavenly breeze kissin' the trees.
So don't let me wait, come to me tenderly in the June night.
I stand at your gate and I sing you a song in the moonlight
A love song, my darling, a Moonlight Serenade.
To say Spirit Chaser was shocked would be a lie. She was floored by the performance (primarily because she had never heard Starlight actually sing before). While she was aware that her speaking voice sounded absolutely normal, she had no idea that her friend could actually sing. Once the shock wore off though, Spirit Chaser came closer to Starlight as she got up from the chair and shook her wings.
“Starlight? That was absolutely beautiful! I had no idea you could sing so well?!”, Spirit Chaser praised in sign. A smile plastered on her face.
“Oh that? Yeah that really wasn't anything. I knew that was an old favorite song of my grandstallion’s on my dad's side. He once told me he used that song on an old record to propose to my grandmare, Hurricane Blitz...may she rest in Paradise. Every once in a while when I go to visit him, he’d have on the record and I’d be at the gramophone feeling the vibrations and ‘listening’ as he would rock us back and forth in his rocking chair. That song meant so much to the two of us and me especially and...well I wanted you to hear it. While I know what we said a few hours ago might still be fully digesting in your brain and I'm not making much better sense by rambling like an idiot right now, but what I meant to say back there was I don't just like you like you I...I...IthinkImightbeinlovewithyousopleasestopmyramblingself!”, Starlight Sonata signed and said all at once with very little breaks.
Starlight Sonata suddenly found herself being pulled in close by a alabaster hoof. A Pegasus hug in which only one party was visibly blushing.
“Okay that calmed me a bit. Thanks for that.”, Starlight thanked.
“No problem. Now do you wanna repeat that last part again? I didn't quite get that. You went too fast for me.”, Spirit Chaser asked as she let go briefly. Never stepping back.
Gathering the courage of a Leo (as that is her astrological sign), Starlight gave a deep breath before speaking.
“I said, I think that I might be in love with you.”, She spoke without breaking eye contact and without losing her nerve.
Relieved that Starlight said this, Spirit Chaser breathed a sigh of her own before giggling uncontrollably.
Unfortunately, Starlight took her body language of giggling as a negative and instinctively pulled away. Folding her ears back and frowning as she did. That is, until she got pulled back close by Spirit.
“Bu-But the giggles?! I-I-I thought that when you heard that, that you’d though--”, Starlight stammered before a hoof was raised to her mouth to quiet her.
“You thought that I was giggling in a bad way? No! No I was giggling because I find the irony hilarious.”, Spirit Chaser said.
“What irony?”, Starlight asked/signed.
“That you admitted that before I got the chance to do the very same thing. I swear! I was gonna wait a few weeks before school started and then I was gonna just play it a bit more smoothly. I guess that's now gone though.”, Spirit Chaser explained with an airy chuckle.
“So, you mean to tell me that you’ve been feeling the same way I’ve been too?”, Starlight asked/signed in confirmation.
“Yes. Yes, I love you too, Starlight Sonata.”, Spirit Chaser replied.
With a no-so-quiet whoop of joy (followed by a not subtle shove to shut up by Spirit), Starlight leapt up and did a loop-de-loop before completely losing her marbles! In a bold move, that would shock the 11 year old and 10 year old, Starlight gently grasped Spirit Chaser’s face and kissed her! Quickly realizing what she did, Starlight backed up into the railing.
“Woah!”, both young mares said in unison as they held each other. The full moon's light cascading over the pair of them like the perfect natural spotlight.
What Melody Star was thinking when she briefly stopped at her uncle’s apartment in West Detrot (which was a good 2 hours’ flight...for a grown pony. Needless to say, it took her 2 and a half hours due to a slight traffic jam), nopony knew. The only response Lunar Star got from his eldest niece as to why she was there was an out of breath half-explanation that included the mentioning of a fight with her mom. Completely understanding (as he knew better than to go against his twin sister and her temper), Lunar Star simply drew his niece close for a hug. After getting her some water and ordering the pair of them some take out Bitalian food, Lunar Star and Melody Star sat at his “dining room” table (a tiny little card table with two chairs) and talked about anything (for it had been a rather long time since either of his nieces had come to visit him) and everything. Melody even managed to show her uncle some of the many videos of Starlight at her piano, Misty performing her little heart out or restlessly scribbling onto a composition paper with her pencil in mouth. Her hooves moved like lightning across the Ebony and Ivory keys of her baby grand piano.
“You’re sister's doing great! I told your mom that this filly had the look of a musician in her eyes from the moment she was born...or at least, from the moment I first saw her when she was two days old. I told her the same thing the day you were born too!”, Lunar Star laughed.
“No. You didn't!”, Melody laughed in reply.
“I did! I was there with your mom and dad the day you rushed into this world. I say rushed, because you came 2 weeks early and while you were otherwise healthy, I swear that's why you're so impatient. Because your dad and my best captain, was just the same. Always in a hurry to get things done. Maybe that's why you're so impatient and ready to strike out on your own? Of course, that's just my opinion Mel.”, Lunar Star said with a smirk.
Walking over to her duffel bag, Melody grabbed her Polaroid and quickly came over to her uncle.
“What are you doing?”, Lunar asked.
“Proof that I was here at some point in the night. Say cheese!” Melody explained as she snapped a picture “And one for Starlight Sonata because she's gonna be mad that I came here without her.”, She finished as she snapped another photo.
“Okay, photo ops aside, We both know that you're not staying around for much longer. Where are you headed this time?”, Lunar asked as he stretched and glanced at the wall clock that read 3:00 am.
“Oh, just to a friend's house. You remember my friend, Tap Happy right? Well she lives nearby. I'm crashing with her tonight. I’ll come back soon.”, Melody replied as she once again strapped her guitar case onto her back and sling her duffel in the same secure manner before leaving out the fire escape. Waving a quick good-bye to her uncle as she disappeared once again into the cool, yet muggy night.
Half an hour later…
Finding herself in the hooves of her boyfriend, whilst playing her guitar, was NOT how Melody Star intended on spending her night. However it was exactly what she needed. Suddenly, feeling a strange sense of bravery come over her, as well as a bit of stubbornness (being that she's a Taurus, that's expected), Melody got up after she finished. She then proceeded to set her guitar down and slowly (and with a subtle hint of seductive purpose) climbed back over to her boyfriend.
“Uhh...baby? What's up?”, Checker Flag asked. Rather confused that his normally docile and sweet girlfriend was being so assertive and bold all of a sudden as she not-so-gently pushed him onto his back on the cushions of the dirty old couch.
“Just shut up and let this happen.”, Melody whispered seductively into his ear as she purposely started grinding down onto a certain part that was currently making its presence known between their legs.
“W-We don't have to do this if you don't want--”, Checker Flag said in a huskier tone than he intended before being stopped by a hoof to the lips.
“--Watch my mouth: I want to do this. Besides, you love me right?”, Melody interrupted with a smile.
“You already know the answer to that! I'm just making sure you're not going to regret this decision. You get me?”, Checker stated in control for a brief moment.
The response from his mare was a welcome deep kiss. As the kiss turned more heated, Checker Flag picked up his (surprisingly light--even for a Pegasus) girlfriend and together they moved onto the bedroom. Neither looked back.