After leaving Canterlot and returning to Ponyville by train that night, Starlight and Sunburst went to the Castle in a much sadder mood than they would have ever expected. Luster was fast asleep on her mothers back as Starlight carried her home.
“I can’t believe Shining Armor and Cadence are gone!” Sunburst said. “Poor little Flurry.”
Starlight nodded, she knew that her husband had been close to Flurry, having been her Crystaler for the first few years of her life.
“I’m sure Twilight and her family will take care of her,” she said putting a hoof on Sunburst’s shoulder.
They arrived at the Castle of Friendship and were greeted by Trixie.
“Hello Sun and Star!” Trixie cried out as she looked at them. “Did little Luster get in? Hey!” Trixie took a look at Luster’s flank. “She got her Cutie Mark!”
“Shh! Trixie!” Starlight hissed. “You’re gonna-
Luster suddenly opened her eyes and yawned as the noise awoke her.
“You got your Cutie Mark! Auntie Trixie is so proud!” Trixie said lifting Luster off Starlight’s back and spinning her around. Starlight meanwhile just scowled. “Did you get into the school as well?”
“Y-yes Aunt Trixie,” Luster said, a little dizzy as well as drowsy. “I did.”
“Great! You are going to the School for Gifted Unicorns!” Trixie exclaimed. “We need to have a party to celebrate! Lets have Pinkie throw one in the morning!”
Sunburst shook his head. “Afraid we’re not in the mood for a party right now Trixie.”
“What? Why not?” Trixie asked. “This is a great cause for celebration!”
When they told her about Cadence and Shining Armor, Trixie put her hoof over her mouth.
“Oh no! Poor Twilight! Poor Flurry!” the guidance counselor magician said. “I hope they’re going to be alright.”
Starlight just sighed. “We should just get to bed. It’s been a long day.”
The next day, Starlight and her family sat at the castle table silently eating their meal. Sunburst didn’t say a word or even read a book like he usually did. Starlight thought about Twilight and wondered how her former mentor was doing. Even Trixie wasn’t very cheerful. Luster was the first to finish her breakfast and then ask, “Can we practice magic?”
Starlight looked at her daughter. “Not today, Luster. Mommy and Daddy don’t feel up to it.”
“Aww!” Luster looked down at the table.
Like Trixie, Starlight had expected to spend this day partying. If not for the news of the tragedy she would have gladly been celebrating the occasion of her daughter’s acceptance into the School for Gifted Unicorns. But still, they should at least do something for Luster.
“Hey, why don’t I take you out to the Ponyville Playground?” she asked. “You never get out and play with other ponies, you spend all your time studying magic. I think you deserve to have some fun after getting into the school of magic. You haven’t had time to make friends. It isn’t good for you to be alone.”
“I’m not alone,” Luster said. “I have you, Dad, and Aunt Trixie.”
“Yes,” Starlight agreed. “But we’re your family. Having friends is important too. We’re not going to be with at the school of magic so you need to have other ponies to talk to. Might as well try and make some friends here before you go.”
So, Starlight took Luster to the playground in Ponyville where foals were laughing and playing various games. Sliding down the slide with whoops, or playing tag with each other.
Luster hesitated as she watched the other foals. Starlight gave her a little push forward.
“Go on, have some fun!” Starlight said, managing to put on a soft smile, though her eyes were still sad.
Luster went for the swing, her favorite thing to do on the playground. Starlight stood behind her daughter and gave her a push. Luster giggled as she flew back and forth and the air pushed against her. Then she released her hooves from the swing and allowed herself to propel forward and land on her hooves with a plop.
“Luster!” Starlight exclaimed. “That is dangerous! You could get hurt! You might have landed wrong and hit your head. Don’t do that again! Do you want me to have a heart attack?”
“Sorry mommy,” Luster said.
Starlight sighed. She wasn’t in much of a mood to punish Luster right now.
“Excuse me, Headmare Starlight?” a voice asked.
Another mare approached with a young colt. The colt had a light-yellow body and orange mane as well as the cutie mark of a hayburger.
“Oh hello,” Starlight said. “Do I know you?”
“I’m Swifty Sandwitch. This is my son, Gallop J. Fry,” the mare said. “I’ve put him into your school of friendship.”
“Oh, hello,” Starlight said looking at the colt. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you yet. This is my daughter Luster Dawn.”
Swifty looked at Luster. “Well aren’t you a cutie.”
Luster blushed and shyly hid behind her mother. Gallop meanwhile, just grinned at her.
“Hey, you want to play?”
Luster looked at him for a moment. Starlight levitated her daughter out from under her.
“I think it would be a good idea to play with somepony,” Starlight said. “Go on… say hello.”
“H-hello,” Luster said. “So… um… you want to play?”
“Yeah!” Gallop said, waving his forelegs in the air excitedly.
“Alright… what do you want to do?” Luster asked.
“Race!” Gallop stated. “I love to run! Bet I can beat you to the other side of the playground and back.”
Luster looked to where he pointed with his hoof.
“Well guess I can try.”
“Alright!”
He assumed a ready to run stance.
“Ready set, go!”
He and Luster took off. Luster did her best, but Gallop galloped with incredible speed. He reached the other end of the playground before Luster was even halfway there. He turned around and went past her. When Luster got the end and managed to turn and around finally catch up, Gallop grinned at her.
“Yeah! I won!” he jumped. “You know what I’m gonna be when I grow up? The fastest pony ever! Like Rainbow Dash! But on the ground!”
Luster panted hard.
“Wow you must not do a lot of running if you move that slow. I’ve seen foals that are younger run faster than you,” Gallo said. “What do you do all day, sit around reading books on magic?”
He’d struck a nerve. Luster frowned at him as she continued to pant.
“Yes!” she said through her deep breaths.
“Well you ought to get out more and move! Magic’s a cheap trick!” Gallop said.
“It is not!” Luster objected. “Magic is the most amazing there is!”
Gallop laughed. “For you unicorns. But you spend too much time on it you’re never gonna be a good athlete like me!”
“I- don’t want to be an athelete. I want to be a spellcaster!”
“Oh that’s nice. Are you gonna be a firework pony setting off sparks at parades?”
Luster growled. “No! I’m going to be a hero and help save Equestria like my mother has.”
“Your mother has saved Equestria?” Gallop asked looking in Starlight’s direction. “She’s not Rarity is she?”
“My mother is Starlight! Starlight Glimmer, haven’t you heard of her?” Luster asked. “She saved Princess Twilight and all her friends from Queen Chrysalis!”
“Doesn’t ring a bell,” Gallop said. “You sure your mother wasn’t making up Ponytales?”
“She wasn’t, and it wasn’t her who told me!” Luster shouted, losing all patience now. “My mother is a great expert on magic and so are my father and Godmare.”
“They can’t be that great if I haven’t heard of them!” Gallop said.
“They are! My family is the greatest set of magic users in Ponyville, I bet in all of Equestria!” Luster said. “And I’m going to be just like them!”
Gallop laughed. “Good luck with that! But you’ll never beat me in a race!”
Luster simply huffed and walked off. Racing wasn’t something she was interested in. That was a passion of Earth Ponies. She was going to follow the path of unicorns and develop her magic skills. This whole playground thing felt like a distraction. Making friends might have been a pleasant thing but it wasn’t going to help Luster grow into a powerful spellcaster. Only devoting herself to the study of magic would do that.
“I wanna go home mommy!” Luster said as she approached her mother.
Starlight looked back at the young colt who was now running happily, paying no mind of Luster leaving. “Was Gallop being mean?”
“He said he hadn’t heard of you and that you weren’t a hero.”
“Not everypony about every hero all the time. That’s okay. Hey! Let’s go get some ice cream. You deserve a special treat for getting into the school of magic,” Starlight said.
“Really?”
“Of course!”
“Can I have Ponyback ride?” Luster asked hopefully.
“Alright.”
She formed an aura on her horn and picked up her daughter with her magic. Levitating Luster onto her back before walking to SugarCube Corner. When they entered, Starlight and Luster were greeted by Pound and Pumpkin Cake.
“Oh, Starlight!” they said excitedly.
Starlight smiled at them. They were both much bigger than the babies they’d been for what felt like longer than they should have.
“Hello!” she said. “We’d like a small ice cream Sundae please.”
“Coming right up!” Pound Cake said as he flapped his wings to go to the freezer area where they kept the ice cream.
Pumpkin beat him there. With a pop she teleported to the freezer. Looking at her brother she giggled. “I beat you again, Big Brother!”
Luster’s mouth fell open. If she had known that spell she could have easily beaten Gallop in the race.
“Can you teach me that spell?” she asked the unicorn twin.
Pumpkin looked at Luster. “Sorry, kid. That’s a high level spell. I learned it at the my final year in the school of magic.”
“You went to the school of magic?” Luster asked.
“Yes and I learned a lot there.”
“She was able to fly when she was a baby, Pinkie Pie told me.” Starlight said.
“Ooh.” Luster’s eyes filled up in amazement.
“But I’m glad to be back in Ponyville now. Now that me and Pound are done with Flight and Magic school we can help run the bakery! Pinkie’s pretty busy being the Party Planner for Canterlot Gala’s. She’s there right now.
“She is?” Starlight said.
“Yeah. Discord came by with Fluttershy and the others before teleporting off.”
Starlight sighed with a little relief. Twilight’s friends were all with her. That was good.
“Here’s your Sundae!” Pound Cake said.
Luster, Starlight and Pumpkin had been so busy talking about magic they hadn’t noticed him make the sundae.
“I was gonna do that!” Pumpkin said.
“You need to keep your eye on the prize sis!” he said.
Pumpkin sniggered than used her magic to pick up a cupcake nearby and throw it at her brother who flied away. The twins began a sweet fight as Starlight took the Sundae with her magic and sat with Luster at a table.
Luster looked at her mother. “Don’t you want one mommy?”
Starlight shook her head. “I’m alright. You just enjoy your accomplishments.”
Luster smiled and stuffed her face with the ice cream topped with whipping cream, fudge, and a cherry on top. Starlight smiled at her daughter’s joy then looked out the window through which she could see Canterlot in the distance. She thought of Twilight who was hopefully being comforted by her friends there. She felt sad for not only Twilight’s loss but also for the fact that in a few days Luster would be heading back there. Her daughter wouldn’t be around as much. It wouldn’t be the same, but Starlight was proud and hoped the best for Luster’s future.