//------------------------------// // Chapter Ten - Vote // Story: Midnight Sun // by FluxFeather //------------------------------// "You all know what I want." Starlight began. Everyone in the room nodded. "And you know how much I'm asking for it… so, the only thing I can think of for it to be fair is just to vote. Mine and Rainius's votes don't count." "You don't know what you want-!" Rainius said. But Starlight silenced him.  "Shut up." Starlight said to him. Then she turned to Celestia. "Celestia…" Celestia nodded. "For Rainius's sake, I vote yes." She said.  "Cadence?" Starlight asked the pink Alicorn.  "Both Shining Armor and I vote yes." The princess said. "Rainius has always been something special to me." What no pony else in the room knew was that Rainius wasn't actually Cadence's cousin, but was related to her in some other way, meaning that not even Luna or Celestia were her aunts.  "Lylac?" Starlight asked, turning to the bright orange unicorn with a purple mane who was up against a wall, looking as though she really didn't want to be part of the conversation.  Lylac took a deep breath and exhaled before she spoke. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry to the both of you for how I've acted. What you did was very brave. And I'm thankful that you went and rescued my ex, but immortality is not something I would've chosen for myself, I was born with it. I wish there was someone there to vote no for me, so I vote no." She said.  Starlight turned to Twilight. "Twilight?" Starlight asked to see what her old mentor had to say about her decision to become an Alicorn.  "Starlight? You know that I truly think you aren't ready for it, but for Rainius's well-being, I vote yes." Twilight said. "I wouldn't be able to bear him killing himself for any reason."  Starlight nodded slowly. Then turned to Luna who walked forward and stared at Rainius straight in the eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? You know what this means, right?" Rainius asked his mother.  "You've chosen not to live without her. Which leaves me no choice." Luna replied. I won't lose my son, so I vote yes. Which leaves the vote 5-1. Five votes for yes, one vote for no." Rainius didn't say a word of objection, but they all could tell that his expression was of unhappiness. Starlight noticed this as well.  On the way home to Ponyville, Starlight and Rainius were both talking. "I'll wait till after your coronation. To make it easier on you and everyone else." Starlight said before they both we're stopped by Sunburst. "He wants to speak with me." He said. The two followed Sunburst into the forest.  "So, you're still alive for now?" Sunburst snarled, glaring at Rainius angrily.  "He thinks it's me keeping you away," Rainius said to Starlight after reading his mind.  "You stay the hell outta my head," Sunburst growled.  "Look, Sunburst… I know you have something to say to me, but I wanna say something first. If that's alright?" Rainius began. Sunburst nodded. "Thank you… thank you for keeping Starlight alive when I didn't." "No, you didn't. And believe me, it wasn't for your benefit." Sunburst replied.  "I'm still grateful," Rainius said. "But I'm here now, and I'm not gonna leave her side again. Unless she orders me away. Which she can do at any time she wants."  "We'll see," Sunburst said. Rainius and Starlight were going to walk back home, but Sunburst stopped them. "Hey! My turn to talk. I won't allow her to become an Alicorn."  "It's not your choice. This has nothing to do with you, Sunburst!" Starlight snapped.  "No, I won't let you become one, Starlight! I just won't allow it. Starlight, you'll know what we'll do to you. I'll have no choice but to-!" He paused. He didn't want to say the last two words of that sentence.  "Is he gonna hurt me? Read his mind!" Starlight asked Rainius. Rainius didn't say anything which agitated Starlight. She calmed down and walked over to Sunburst, putting a hoof to his cheek. "Sunburst, I love you, so please, don't make me choose. Because it'll be him. It's always been him… goodbye, Sunburst." She walked away from him "Come on, Starlight," Rainius said, grabbing her hoof. "Let's go!" The two started walking away, well, Rainius began pulling her away. Hoping to get her as far away from Sunburst as possible.  "No, you don't speak for her!" Sunburst grabbed ahold of Rainius's hoof that was on Starlight's. Rainius punched him. Sunburst turned into a timberwolf and was about to attack the Alicorn before Starlight jumped in between the two, preventing them from attacking each other.  "Stop! Stop!" Starlight shouted. "You can't hurt each other without hurting me!" Sunburst then ran away. Starlight watched as he became out of sight. "Sunburst…?" But it was too late. She hoped though, that he at least heard her.  "He's right, you shouldn't become what I am," Rainius said.  "I can't do this alone. I want you to be the one to do it. Not Celestia." Starlight said.  "Then please just wait… just give me like five years." He replied. "That's all I'm asking." "That's too long." Starlight complained.  "Fine. Then three?" Rainius tried to persuade her. She shook her head. "You're so stubborn." It was clear to him that she wasn't going to change her mind about it no matter what.  "What are you waiting for?" She inquired, wanting to know why he was taking this long to make her an Alicorn. What could it possibly be?  "I have one condition... If you want me to do it myself." He requested.  "What's the condition?" She asked, curiously.  "And then forever." He said.  "That's what I'm asking." She said. "What's the condition?"  Rainius chuckled. "It'd be a lot more formal if I had a ring and I got down on one knee." He said.  "Rainius, what are you doing?" Starlight asked, perplexed by what he was implying.  Rainius took a deep breath and exhaled through his mouth before he said something that would shock Starlight to the core. "... Marry me, Starlight Glimmer…"