Acts of Love

by Krickis


21 – Conversations Over Coffee

Chapter Twenty-One
Conversations Over Coffee


In truth, Sunset probably should have ignored the request. She knew that. So what if her mom wanted to meet with her? Sunset didn’t owe anything to Golden Lace.

But… she had a certain morbid curiosity with how her mom’s life after the divorce was going. For example, why had she moved to Sire’s Hollow? Had she retired from her precious company? And what was up with that time she had written an open letter defending Sunset’s marriage?

Golden Lace’s letter had requested that Sunset bring her family, but she had learned her lesson from bringing them to see Brass Badge. There was no telling if Sunset was going to keep her temper in check around her mom, and she didn’t want Morning to see her like that again. Besides, they all had other things to do.

So Sunset found herself getting off the train in Sire’s Hollow alone. She checked the letter her mom had sent for the address, and started walking.

Along the way, a few townsponies took notice of her, but that was expected. Sire’s Hollow was a pretty small town, it wasn’t the kind of place one would expect to see a famous pony walking down the street, and she had come wearing her captain’s uniform. It helped her to think of this as an official visit of some sort rather than some family thing.

After stopping and getting directions a few times, Sunset found herself standing in front of an unassuming house. It wasn’t that Sunset particularly cared if they were meeting in an upscale place or just a cozy country home, but it was strange to imagine her mom retiring to a place like this.

Well, she’d find out what was going on soon enough. She knocked on the door. A few moments passed, then a mare who was not Golden Lace opened it. She was an orange mare with white socks and a reddish-brown mane.

“Uh, hi, I’m looking for Golden Lace?” Sunset said, wondering if this other mare was some sort of hired help. This place wasn’t big enough to need a maid, but her mom was used to being waited on, so it wouldn’t be that strange to imagine she’d hired one anyway.

“Right, I know who you are,” the mare said. “Come on in, Lace is already here.”

Okay, there was no way a maid would call her mom Lace. She was about the same age as Golden Lace, so maybe they were friends? Did… did her mom have friends?

One way or another, Sunset stepped into the house. They passed through a kitchen and into a dining room. It was a nice place with a very homey feel to it, which made her mom look out of place when they saw one another.

Still, there she was. Golden Lace was sipping on a drink of some sort, and she smiled as Sunset entered. The smile also looked out of place on her. “Sunset! Come take a seat, there’s somepony here I’d like you to meet. I see you’ve already met Stellar Flare.”

Sunset did as she asked. The pony she was talking to was a yellow stallion with a two-toned orange mane. He gave Sunset a strange look, almost like he recognized her.

On second thought, of course he did. She was pretty famous, after all. Plus he knew Sunset’s mom, so it made sense he knew about her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Sunset Shimmer.”

“Sunset Shimmer,” the stallion said. He shook his head and grinned. “Sorry, I’m just a little lost in thought. My name’s Sunspot.”

“Wait, I’ll go get Sunburst,” Stellar Flare said. “We should all be together for this.”

Golden Lace looked between Sunset and Sunspot. “I can’t believe it. The three of us all here together for the first time.”

Sunspot nodded. “I never thought I’d see this day.”

Sunset just cocked her head to the side. “What’s going on here?”

“In a minute, Sunset,” Lace said. “We’ll wait until Sunspot and Stellar are here. But where’s your family? I thought everyone would come.”

“Yeah, well, Morning has school and Twilight and Fluttershy have work. We’ve got the Princess Summit coming up, you know. Really, I should be back in Ponyville getting ready for it, or in the Crystal Empire checking on preparations.”

“Thank you for making the time to come out,” Golden Lace said. It seemed odd for her mother to thank her for anything. “You’ll see soon enough, but this is an important meeting.”

“It’s amazing to think you’re a princess,” Sunspot said. “Sorry, I know that doesn’t make sense to you that I would think that, but I’ve been following your story for years. Never thought we’d actually meet though.”

Sunset nodded. She was used to ponies saying things like that to her before, but never quite like this. He was acting like he was personally invested in her story. “Well, it’s certainly been quite the ride.”

Stellar Flare returned with a stallion, and it wasn’t hard to tell he was their kid. He was younger than Sunset, maybe around his mid-twenties. A lighter orange than his mother, though he had her white socks. He also had his dad’s two-toned orange mane, an orange goatee, and he wore glasses and a cape.

“Sunset, this is Sunburst,” Golden Lace said. “He’s Stellar and Sunspot’s son.”

Sunset nodded. “Nice to meet you.”

Sunburst looked at Sunset and adjusted his glasses. “Yeah, the resemblance is hard to miss.”

Sunset scrunched up her face. “Resemblance?”

“We haven’t quite gotten to that,” Sunspot said. “Though now that we’re all here, maybe we should explain?”

“Wait, let me serve dinner,” Stellar Flare said. “Once that cat’s out of the bag, we’ll forget all about the food, and I went through all the effort of cooking it for everyone.”

“I don’t think anything will get in the way of Dad’s appetite,” Sunburst said with a chuckle.

“If anything might, this is it,” Sunspot said.

Sunset cocked her head to the side at that. Sure, she was a big deal, but he already knew her mom… “So we haven’t met before or anything, right?”

“No,” Sunspot said. “Not really, anyway. The last time I saw you, you were still in your mom’s belly. I wanted to see you after that, but… well, I didn’t think your mom would like that much, and I had my own family by then…”

Golden Lace put a hoof on Sunspot’s. “You’re confusing the poor thing.”

Sunset’s ear twitched. She wasn’t fond of being talked to as if she were a child, especially by her mom. “Well, if no one’s going to tell me what’s up, what about you, Mom? How’s life without Dad?”

Golden Lace waved a hoof in the air. “Never been better, dear. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner.”

“Dad said it was seeing us at our wedding that did it. Something about you two talking on the night after.”

Golden Lace nodded. “That’s right. I haven’t had the best opinion of marriage in a long time, but you showed me I was wrong. It wasn’t marriage that was the problem, it was my marriage in particular. So, I decided to break things off with Brass and try to find another way to be happy.”

Sunset nodded. “So you’re dating then? Anyone I should know about?”

Golden Lace blushed and glanced towards Sunspot, and pieces fell into place. “No, no one right now.”

Sunset put on a grin, positive that even if nothing was going on between her and Sunspot, clearly she wanted something to be going on. Had her mom asked her here to be her wingmare? She certainly knew a thing or two about polyamorous relationships, after all.

“I’m sure you’ll find someone,” was all that Sunset said as she debated if she would play along. She didn’t much care about her mom’s love life, but it could be kind of fun. Besides, she had come all this way. Maybe at least for the evening, she could see what she could do.

“Someone want to give me a hoof?” Stellar called from the kitchen.

“Coming, Mom!” Sunburst stood up and walked into the kitchen, leaving the others alone again.

Her mom might have called in help from the right pony, but she really had gone about it in a dumb way. Sunset wanted at least a few minutes to ask her mom some questions in private, to get a feel of the situation. It seemed she’d have to think on her hooves, though.

“So Sunspot,” Sunset said, “how long have you and Stellar been married?”

Sunspot let out a whistle. “I’m glad you asked me that when she wasn’t around to hear. Let’s see… I’m going to guess thirty-three years.”

“That’s impressive,” Sunset said. That gave her a guess into his age, as well. Sunspot and Stellar Flare were probably in their mid-fifties, maybe early sixties, and they were extremely well established in their relationship. And it was true that some older ponies were polyamorous, of course, but Sunset had no idea if they were considering her mom didn’t stop to talk to her about it at all! ‘Great, Mom, way to pick a challenge for me to try and work a miracle on.’

Not like she had much time to work on things. Stellar Flare and Sunburst returned to the room levitating several dishes. It seemed that soup and salad was the menu for the night, and everyone got a bowl of each. It was a simple dinner, but Sunset didn’t mind.

“So does anyone want to fill me in on what’s going on?” Sunset said as she sipped on her soup. Although she was pretty sure she had figured out her mom’s real intentions, everyone else seemed to have some other idea of what was going on.

“It might be a bit of a shock,” Sunspot said.

“But if you really think about it, I think you’ll see this is good news,” Golden Lace said.

“Someone just tell her, or I will,” Stellar said.

Golden Lace and Sunspot gave each other a meaningful look and Sunset couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry, it’s just… Okay, if I’m wrong this will sound really bad, but are you two, you know… together?”

They both blushed and looked away from each other.

Sunset laughed more at that. “Oh man, you are. I was wondering what was up when you said you weren’t seeing anyone. Come on, I’m thirty-seven and have two wives. You can’t think I’m gonna be weirded out because my mom is seeing another stallion.”

Sunburst choked on his salad, and Stellar Flare cleared her throat without saying anything. Sunspot and Golden Lace continued blushing and not looking at one another.

Although she kept grinning, Sunset felt a lump in her throat. “Well, shit. I guessed wrong and now everything’s weird.”

“I… can see why you thought that,” Sunspot said. “But no, Lace and I haven’t been a couple in a long time.”

“Oh. I thought you didn’t date anyone before Dad.”

“I, er, I didn’t.” Golden Lace moved her soup around and frowned.

Sunset went wide-eyed. “Oh shit.”

“I had an affair on your father with Sunspot,” Lace said. She spoke plainly, not dwelling on it in shame, but also not brushing it off as insignificant. She was just stating it was a thing that happened. “An affair that ended with a pregnancy.”

“Fuck.” Sunset looked around the room at the other ponies, noticing a certain resemblance as she did. Suddenly the night was making more sense, at the cost of the entirety of her life leading up to it. “And I’m guessing the pony you were pregnant with was not Sunburst.”

“Nope,” Sunburst said. “I was born after all that was done with. Didn’t even know Dad had another kid until Lace showed up a year ago.”

“I knew,” Stellar Flare said. “I knew about you before I ever started dating Sunspot. But you were a world away from us, all the way in Canterlot being raised by Lace and her husband.”

“I wanted to reach out to you sooner,” Sunspot said. As Stellar had predicted, he set his spoon down in favor of looking longingly at Sunset. “I always did. I didn’t know anything about you until you came out as Princess Twilight’s marefriend, but then I looked into you and learned who your mother is. And the resemblance was easy to see, even though she changed your name…”

“Changed my name?” Sunset looked at her mom instead of Sunspot. As far as she was concerned, it was Golden Lace who owed her answers. “What the fuck does that mean?”

Lace chanced a look at her daughter. “Sunspot – your father wanted to name you Sunrise.”

“Okay, first off, he’s not my father.” Sunset put a hoof to her temple. “Look, you’re probably a nice guy and all, but I’m thirty-seven fucking years old. I don’t need a new god damn dad.”

Golden Lace cleared her throat. “Sunset studied abroad for a number of years. She picked up a… colorful vocabulary.”

“Right, my language is the problem here,” Sunset grumbled. “Seriously, how could you hide this from me!? And what about Dad?”

“Brass Badge knew,” Golden Lace said. “He didn’t know who Sunspot was, but he knew you were another stallion’s.”

“Sunset,” Sunspot said calmly. “I realize this is a lot for you to take in. And you’re far too old for me to come in and try to be a father to you after all these years. But I want you to know you’ve always been in my thoughts.”

She was always in his thoughts, and she didn’t even know he existed. Meanwhile, she’d been told another stallion was her father, one who bullied her into submission at every turn.

It was too much. Sunset stood up and stepped away from the table. “I’m going to get some fresh air.”

No one stopped her as she walked out of the house. She stepped outside and looked around, letting the cool autumn air clear her head a little bit.

What the hell did her mom think she was trying to pull? Okay, so all this shit happened. The pony she always thought was her dad wasn’t, and this pony she didn’t know was, at least on a biological level.

But to invite her here and introduce her to all these ponies and then drop this on her? Why the fuck couldn’t they meet in private for this? Hell, a letter explaining it all would have been better, then she could have taken all the time she needed to sort out her feelings in private and decided if she wanted to meet with these ponies or not.

The door opened behind her, and she sighed. She turned, expecting to see her mom but finding somepony very different. “Sunburst, right?”

“Yeah, that’s me.” Sunburst walked over to stand beside her. “I think they figured you’re probably not mad at me.”

“I’m only mad at my mom, but frankly it’s better you than your dad.” Sunset sighed. “What a fucking thing to learn.”

“Tell me about it. I mean, I’m sure it’s even weirder for you, but finding out my dad had a foal with another mare was like… I didn’t even know who he was anymore.”

“Heh.” Sunset grinned. “I don’t think I’ve ever known who my parents really are. We didn’t have the best relationship.”

“Yeah, Lace told us about that.”

“So your mom seems pretty cool with my mom showing up. What’s up with that?”

Sunburst shrugged. “I don’t know, really. I think… I think my dad was always really upset about not being able to know you, so my mom is just glad he has that chance now.”

Sunset smirked. “Is this the part where you ask me to come back in so your dad can get to know me or whatever?”

Sunburst chuckled. “If I were you? I’d probably already be heading for the hills. I won’t stop you if you want to leave.”

“It’s cute that you think you even could.”

“I’ve read about you. Before I even knew we were, er, related. Your work on the marriage of magic and technology is fascinating.”

“Oh yeah? What about you, what do you do?”

Sunburst blushed. “I’m just a researcher right now. I mean… I’m twenty-five and I live with my parents, so you know… Not exactly making a whole lot of my life.”

“What do you research?”

“Everything! It started with just magic, but your work with Twilight got me really interested in technology too.” Sunburst grinned broadly, then his mouth fell open. “Oh! I mean Princess Twilight, of course.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Hey, it’s fine. I mean… I guess we’re family now, right?”

“Well, yeah, I guess we are.” Sunburst adjusted his glasses as he shifted nervously. “You know, I don’t think anyone wants to force this family thing on you. If you don’t want to see us as your family, that’s fine. It’s just… good for each of us to know the other exists.”

“I guess.” Sunset kicked her hoof idly. If it was just Sunburst, that’d be one thing. Sunset had grown up an only child, but she loved stepping into the big sister role for Spike. Having a brother of her own wasn’t a problem.

But she did not need a new dad. It didn’t matter that she didn’t like the one she had, she was comfortable with her parent situation being exactly what it had always been.

“So… where did you study abroad?” Sunburst asked.

That got Sunset to laugh a little. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“I don’t know, I can believe some pretty crazy stuff. Theoretical magic researcher, remember?”

“I went through a portal to another world. Got stuck there –”

“For fourteen years,” Sunburst finished for her. He was staring at her in awe, but he seemed to take her word as truth.

“Heads up, it’s always a little weird when ponies know things about you just because you’re famous.”

“Sorry. I just read a lot about you when I was studying your work, and I noticed there was a sizable gap in your life. It was like one day you were just gone, then you came back and started making public appearances with Princess Luna.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much what happened. I went through this magic mirror and came out the other side as a human. They’re these weird bipedal creatures, and they’re the dominant species in the other world. Lived there for a long time with no way home, then when I found a way back, I decided to stay in that other world for a while. Long story. After a while, I just figured I was going to make my life there, but a bad break up sent me back here.”

“Wow. That’s incredible!”

“I’ve lived an interesting life,” Sunset said with a shrug. “I’ll tell you more about it sometime. You can come visit me in Ponyville or something, we can compare research notes and all that stuff.”

“That would be amazing!”

“For right now, my mom and I need to have a chat.” Sunset sighed. “And neither of us are going to like it much.”

“Last chance to turn and run.”

Sunset smiled. “I would’ve taken that chance once, you know. But I’ve run away from things a lot, and it never helps.”

Sunburst nodded and led them to the house. He held the door open for Sunset, who walked in to find the others talking. Whatever they were discussing though, they dropped all conversation as Sunset walked back in.

She looked around the room as Sunburst walked in and made his way past her. She took a deep breath and sighed, then got into what she had to say.

“Okay, so I’m sure you’re all great people, but I wasn’t looking for a whole new family. I have a family, and frankly it’s kind of a crazy one already without adding any craziness to it.” She met eyes with Sunspot, who was frowning slightly but who nodded his understanding.

“But,” Sunset continued, “I guess life doesn’t always give us what we want. What I’m saying is I guess I’ll probably never really see you as my dad. But family is more than what we can easily define, and I guess if we all want to get to know each other better, then we can do that.”

Sunspot broke into a smile. “I for one think that would be perfect.”

“That said, I’m leaving. I need some time to think about all of this on my own, and I’m taking my mom with me because I need to talk to her. But you’re all invited as my guests to the Princess Summit in the Crystal Empire. All expenses paid, of course. By then… I’ll be ready to talk to you all about this whole family thing.”

“Th-The Crystal Empire!?” Sunburst sputtered. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Crystal Empire!”

“That sounds really nice,” Stellar Flare said. She stood up and walked over to Sunset. “I think we all understand that you’re not looking for new parents. But we’d all really like to get to know you better.”

“I… think I’d like that too,” Sunset admitted.

Stellar gave her a quick hug, then stepped back. Sunspot also approached her, although he kept it at a friendly hoof bump. Sunset could tell he wanted a hug as well, but she wasn’t feeling very huggy.

That just left Golden Lace. She nodded to Sunset, who nodded in turn. Sunset turned and led them out of the house, with everyone wishing her a hearty goodbye as they left.

Once they were outside, Sunset turned to her mom. “Do you know your way around this town?”

“Yes. I do still live in Canterlot, but I’ve been visiting quite a bit.”

Sunset nodded. “Where can we go for coffee at this hour?”

“Coffee? Well, there is a diner not too far. We could always go for something stronger, if you’d like.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Mom, I’m a recovering alcoholic.”

“You are?”

Sunset sighed. Why had she expected her mom to know that? “Yes, and I’m four years sober. Coffee.”

Golden Lace nodded and led the way. “They really are nice ponies, you know.”

“I’m sure they are.”

“I’ve always thought… if I had gone with Sunspot instead of Brass Badge, we could have made such a nice family.”

That idea just made Sunset angry. “Yeah, well, if you and Dad hadn’t been so awful to me, we could have made a nice family.”

Golden Lace bowed her head and didn’t speak after that.

The walk to the diner was an uncomfortable one, but Sunset preferred the silence to listening to her mom prattle on about how she could have been a better mom. Slowly as she walked, everything that she’d learned sunk in. It was kind of funny; if her mom hadn’t been there, she might have wanted to spend some more time with her new family members.

But as long as her mom was around, Sunset would only be thinking about her. Thinking about her parents was the last thing Sunset wanted to do, so they had better clear the air with all of this stuff as quickly as possible.

“Here we are,” Golden Lace said as they approached a small diner. Sunset held the door open with her magic, and they both walked inside.

“Take a seat, and I’ll be right with you,” a mare said. They took a seat in a corner booth, away from other ponies.

“Don’t suppose you’ve ever been here?” Sunset asked.

“Yes, we get breakfast here when I’m in town sometimes.”

Sunset quirked her eyebrow. “I don’t think you’ve ever eaten at anything but a five-star restaurant as long as I’ve known you.”

“Sunspot and his family have always been working-class ponies. And Sire’s Hollow doesn’t have high society, anyway.”

Sunset smirked. “Bet you hate that.”

“Actually, it’s kind of nice.”

Sunset wasn’t sure what to say, but was saved when their waitress showed up. “What can I get you two?”

“Just coffee for me,” Sunset said. “Cream and three sugars.”

“I’ll have coffee as well. Black, two sugars.”

“You got it, I’ll be right back with them.” The waitress disappeared, leaving Sunset and her mom to talk.

They proceeded to not do that. It had seemed to Sunset that she’d have so much to say, but now…

They sat in silence until their coffee arrived, then they thanked the waitress, and Sunset began sipping on her coffee.

“I’ve never understood how you can drink things so hot,” Lace said. “Just like your… like Brass Badge.”

Sunset had preferred to credit that trait of hers to Celestia, but it was true that her father was the same way. “I’ve learned a lot from him, for better or worse.”

“I suppose you have.”

Sunset sighed and leaned forward. They might as well get into it. “Why now, Mom? You and Dad divorced like a year ago. You could have reached out to me about this at any point.”

“I wasn’t sure I was going to. I didn’t know if I was going to ever see Sunspot again, or if he’d want to meet you. Then it felt like too much too fast to try to do it immediately.”

“Yeah, what about me!? Don’t you think inviting me out here to meet them at the same time as you tell me about them is too much too fast for me!?

Golden Lace sipped her coffee gingerly, then set it aside to cool more. “I know you don’t care for me much. I thought if you met them… maybe you’d like them enough to want to make this work.”

“And what does making this work mean to you?” Sunset narrowed her eyes. “What, you think this is a way back into my life?”

“Quite the contrary. I don’t think you want me back in your life, and I’m not sure it would do me any good either.”

“So what?”

“It’s… for Sunspot. He’s always wanted to know you, and I took that from him.”

Sunset looked at her mom, then sighed and looked away. “For fuck’s sake, you do still love him.”

“Language, Sunset.”

Sunset shook her head and rolled her eyes. “So am I, like, your way into Sunspot’s family?”

“I suppose if I said ‘yes’, you’d hold that against me.”

Sunset smirked. “Honestly, I’d just be glad to know where we stand.”

Golden Lace was quiet for a moment, then she said. “I wish I had been a better mother to you. Unlike Brass, I know I was awful. I’ve always known that. I used to think that made me better than him, but maybe it made me worse. At least he did what he thought was right, I was always the coward who just did what was easy.”

“Yeah yeah, you both sucked in different ways.”

“What I’m saying is I’m sorry. It’s too little too late, but I am sorry for how I was to you.”

Sunset just sipped on her coffee. It was too little too late, but there was no sense in harping on that.

“I am…” Lace sighed. “This isn’t easy for me, and I wouldn’t blame you for refusing, but I’m asking for your help. Sunspot is… he was the one thing I did that was right, for a little while. And there’s something there, there is! I know he still cares about me, and Stellar… Stellar has been my first true friend since, well, since her husband. And… and…”

“Jesus Christ, Mom, do not start crying.” Sunset pressed a hoof to her temple. She sipped on more of her coffee and thought. “Alright, I’ll help you. You wrote that article that one time, and… it actually meant something to me to see you defend us. So to repay you for that, I’ll help you with this. But there are rules.”

“What are they?”

“I’m not at your beck and call. I have my own life. For fuck’s sake, I have a daughter, whom you haven’t even asked about.”

“Oh…” Lace winced. “Morning Glisten, how is she?”

“She’s good. I guess you’ll meet her at the Princess Summit, but that’s rule two. If you do anything to ever hurt Morning in any way, I will never forgive you. You may be her grandma, but you’re not entitled to her love. You’re not even entitled to her time.”

Golden Lace looked like she might protest, but then bowed her head. “Of course. I’m sure you’re a much better mother than I was. I would probably just mess things up.”

Sunset frowned at her for a moment, then sighed. “Ugh, fine, you’re seeing her anyway. Just don’t do anything weird and it’s fine.”

Golden Lace nodded. “Anything else?”

“I’m not helping you get Sunspot to cheat. If they want to do the poly thing that’s fine and I can help answer questions, but cheating isn’t something I’m okay with.”

Golden Lace sighed. “I was young and stupid when I had an affair. I wouldn’t do that again. Not to myself, and not to either of them. Stellar knows what we were to each other, and she still lets me into their home, into their lives.”

Sunset considered for a moment if there were any other rules she wanted to add. This was her chance to get anything she wanted from her mom, after all. “I guess that’s it. So what are you going to do after this?”

“I guess I’ll go back to Sunspot’s house. That’s where I’m staying while I’m in town.”

“You’re staying at their house?”

“They insist. I’m always a guest when I come to visit. What about you? I could ask them if you can stay, though someone will have to sleep on the couch.”

“Nah, that’d be a little too awkward. I’m hopping on a midnight train and getting out of here.”

Golden Lace drank some more of her coffee. “Of course.”

Sunset took a big drink of her own, eager to finish it so she could get going. Although she knew there was another question she needed to ask. “Why did you write that article? You never seemed to care about our marriage before.”

“I may not be a good mother, but I am your mother. I know what ponies are saying about you three, so I wanted to say something of my own.”

Sunset nodded slowly. It was what she had expected. What she had wanted, even. But then, it did bring another question to mind. “Why did you wait until I was an adult to stand up for me? You know what Dad was like to me growing up. I always wanted you to say something to him.”

“I tried. Not as often as I should have, but I tried talking to him about you.” Golden Lace looked away. “But… I was a coward. He was worse with me, you know. He liked you.”

“Never felt like it…”

“I know, but he did.” Golden Lace smiled a little. “At least until you left with Celestia, not sure he liked you much after that. You really hurt his pride that night.”

“I thought that was going to be it, my life would be fine after that. But then Cadance showed up, and suddenly I felt like I needed to be Celestia’s favorite.”

“You think you weren’t?”

Sunset laughed. “I mean, Cadance calls her “aunt”. They’re, you know, family. I don’t mind now, I’m happy being her gifted student, but back then? It was infuriating.”

“She didn’t walk Cadance down the aisle at her wedding, you know.”

“No, but she presided over their marriage.”

Golden Lace sipped on her coffee before answering. “I can only speculate. I don’t know Celestia well. I don’t even know you that well, really.”

“No, I guess you don’t.” Sunset drained the last of her coffee then set the cup aside while she waited for her mom to do the same.

Golden Lace picked up on the cue and finished hers as well, then she stood up. “I’ll pay for the coffee.”

“How generous,” Sunset said with a smirk.

Golden Lace left a few bits on the table, and the two of them left the building. They were headed different directions after that, so they stopped outside of the diner.

“You know the way back to the station?” Lace asked.

“Yeah, I’ll manage.” Sunset sighed. “You know, all things considered, I hope things work out well for you and Sunspot.”

“I’m content to just be part of their lives.”

Sunset nodded. She had felt that way about Twilight and Fluttershy before they had started dating. “Take care, Mom.”

“You too, Sunset.”

There was no hug goodbye. They didn’t even bump hooves. Sunset simply walked away, and her mom did the same.


It was late, and Sunset was tired. She was ready to go to bed by the time the train pulled to a stop, and walking through town didn’t help that feeling any. She longed to be in bed with her wives, but that wasn’t happening tonight.

Instead, Sunset found herself standing in front of a familiar door that she kept hoping she wouldn’t come back to, but that she kept seeing anyway. Without a care for what time it was, she rang the doorbell.

A minute passed in still silence, during which Sunset had the chance to regret her decision. What if he didn’t answer? She hadn’t come all this way to be left on the doorstep. She thought about teleporting inside, which brought a smile to her face. It would frankly be hilarious to scare him by appearing in his house unannounced.

But she was not left on the doorstep. The door opened, and Brass Badge stood before her. He was frowning, and Sunset wondered if it was because of the hour or because of whom he was looking at. Probably both.

“Sunset,” he said. “It’s three in the morning.”

“Yeah, well, I talked to Mom.”

“Oh.” He stepped aside. “In that case, come in.”

Sunset smirked as she walked into the house. He shut the door behind her. “The staff have gone home for the evening, but I could prepare us some tea or coffee.”

Sunset doubted very much that he knew how to properly prepare either, but she appreciated that he didn’t offer to take her to a bar. “Coffee sounds good, but I’ll make it.”

He nodded and led them to the kitchen. They didn’t talk as Sunset got to work preparing the coffee, not until she was waiting for the coffee to boil and didn’t have anything else to keep her attention.

“Did I wake you?” Sunset asked.

Brass Badge had taken a seat at the kitchen table, and he didn’t seem to be too tired. “No. I have difficulty sleeping through the night these days. Getting old isn’t so fun, you know.”

“I’ll try to avoid doing that, then.”

“What about you? You were always up late into the night studying.”

“I thought you didn’t know that,” Sunset said with a smirk. “I was supposed to be sleeping.”

“And I was supposed to be making sure you did sleep.” Brass Badge turned to her with a hard to place expression. It almost looked amused, except he was incapable of ever looking anything but stern, so somehow he combined both emotions into one look. “I guess we both were misbehaving.”

“Guess so. I still stay up late into the night when I’m working on things, although these days I have to try and keep on schedule.”

“Of course, you have a daughter now.” Brass Badge nodded. “How is little Morning doing? Her studies are going well, I take it?”

“Yeah, they’re learning about the history of Ponyville at the school. She’s doing well, although she did get into a fight last week.”

“Did she win?”

“Don’t think so, she walked away with a black eye.”

“Pity.”

Now Sunset was sure they were both amused. The coffee had boiled long enough, so Sunset set it aside to cool. She took a seat while she did.

“So she’s feisty like her mom, eh?” Brass Badge asked.

“Her ma,” Sunset corrected. “We all got different mom titles. Twilight’s Mom, Fluttershy’s Mama, and I’m Ma. But yeah, she’s a lot like me.”

“Ma, huh? Interesting. Sounds like an earth pony thing.”

“Not every country pony is an earth pony,” Sunset pointed out. “But it’s not really a pony thing at all. I was kinda taken in by this family in the human world. They were pretty country, so I figured what the hell, might as well lean into that.”

“I see.”

“Humans, they don’t even have different types. Everyone’s just human. And sure, they find other reasons to hate each other, but it makes you realize that all the separation is bullshit. The whole unicorn elitism of Canterlot, or the pegasus elitism of Cloudsdale, it’s just blatant racism.”

“You’ve grown very worldly, I see.” Brass Badge nodded. “You remind me of my brother in his letters from the zebra lands.”

“It’s still strange to think you had a brother.”

Brass Badge nodded. “I think you’d have liked him. He was a stallion of honor, as well as kind and well-spoken.”

It was strange to hear her father talk so highly of someone. “I know you said you didn’t really know him, but It really sounds like you looked up to him.”

“I was expected to replace him. When he died, I became the only son, the bearer of the legacy. I… did not live up to him.”

Sunset blinked. Her father had always been so proud of his work. “You’ve done so much for Equestria though.”

“At a great cost.”

Was he talking about Sunset? Her mom’s words that Brass Badge had actually liked her rang in her ears. She shook away the thoughts and got them their coffee with her magic so she didn’t have to get up.

He took his without thanking her, and sipped on it carefully. Sunset did the same.

“So I guess now it’s up to me to lead the family legacy, huh?”

“I guess it is. I don’t expect you to care much, though.”

“Honestly? No, I can’t say I do. These days, I care about being a good mom, and that’s about it. It’s hard. I don’t have the best role models.”

“No, I suppose you don’t.” Brass Badge sipped on his coffee.

Sunset sighed. “You know what Mom told me.”

“I do.”

“You could’ve warned me.”

“I… had hoped it would not come up.”

“Why? What, are you afraid I’m going to leave the family legacy now that I know I’m some other stallion’s screwup?”

“No. I’ve figured you left the family legacy for many years now.”

“Then what?”

Brass Badge was quiet for a moment, then said, “I don’t have the words. I’ve never been good at this.”

Sunset sipped her coffee and took a guess. “Is it all that ‘I am your father’ crap? You’re afraid that now I’ll turn tail and leave you behind?”

“I wouldn’t blame you,” Brass Badge said, and Sunset took that as a yes.

She sighed. “Look, you were an awful father. You really were, in so many ways. Mom says you actually used to like me back when I was a kid, but fuck, I didn’t even know that. But you know, you’re still my dad.”

“Even now?”

Sunset sighed. “This really should be apparent given my family, but I don’t give a shit about biology. You’ve always been my dad, and there are a lot of times I wished you weren’t, but that doesn’t mean you’re not. So we can go on not liking each other and being this dysfunctional family, but we’re still family.”

“I never said I don’t like you.”

That caught Sunset off guard. “Are you really saying you like me, even after all the shit I did? Leaving with Celestia, publicly humiliating you at the first wedding, just, like, every fucking word I’ve said to you since I came back to Equestria?”

Brass Badge sighed. “You have not been kind to me, but I do not deserve your kindness. I’ve been watching you and what you do. I’m proud to see your accomplishments.”

Sunset laughed. “I guess whether I care about the family legacy, becoming a successful inventor pays into it well.”

“Not just that. Embracing and defending your love life being what it is. Taking an interest in politics and standing up for what you think is right. Confronting your struggles with alcohol.”

“So you actually know I’m sober now. I was wondering about that.”

“Of course I know. Do you think I drink coffee at three in the morning habitually?”

“I don’t fucking know. That’s kind of a thing, I don’t know anything about you.”

“I suppose you don’t.”

Sunset shook her head and drank some of her coffee. She wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but it was surreal. She’d never had a real conversation with her parents before, and now she was having her second one of the night.

“So what is your story?” Sunset asked. “Not just the military stuff, I know that. But why go into the military in the first place?”

Brass Badge shifted in his seat, and it occurred to Sunset that he looked very old. “Our family has a long history of soldiers and strategists. I happened to be good at the latter, so that’s what I leaned into. It worked. Bronze Star was already in the military, so my joining reflected well on him, and whatever reflected well on him reflected well on the family.”

“Then he died.”

“Then he died, and I became the heir to the legacy.”

“Sounds fun.”

Brass Badge shook his head. “I decided I wasn’t going to have kids.”

Sunset blinked. She had always been so sure she was born specifically to carry the family legacy, it was hard to believe he would ever let it die. “What about the legacy?”

“What about it?”

“You were just going to let it end with you?”

“I was. And then Lace came home pregnant, and suddenly that plan was shot.”

Sunset couldn’t help but smirk. “Look at me, fucking things up before I was even born.”

Brass Bade drank from his coffee. “At the time, I thought it was a punishment. I was abandoning the family legacy, so I had the choice taken from me. I had a daughter, whether I wanted one or not.”

“You could have put me up for adoption, or even convinced Mom to get an abortion.”

“I had tried to spurn the family legacy once. I was… afraid to try it again. And while you’ll find this ‘elitist’ of me, I’m sure, I was not prepared to face the scandal.”

Sunset nodded and sipped her coffee. “So you really thought everything you were doing was for me?”

“I did. I only realized at your wedding I was wrong when I saw Celestia walk you down the aisle.”

“Upset I chose someone who wasn’t you?”

“No. I was happy.”

Sunset wasn’t sure what to make of this. This whole side of her father was one she had never expected was even there, let alone that she’d see it at three in the morning after learning he wasn’t her biological father.

“This has been a hell of a day…” she said.

“I suppose you’ll be staying here tonight?”

“I suppose I will.”

Brass Badge nodded. “Very well. You know where the guest bedrooms are.”

“No, I’m staying in my old bedroom. Don’t worry, I know where that is too.”

“You should know that nopony’s set hoof in there since you left it.”

“I’m not afraid of a little dust.”

Brass Badge nodded. “Very well.”

Sunset drained the last of her coffee. “What do you do with yourself these days? You’re retired, you’ve never had a lot of friends, I’ve never known you to have hobbies.”

“I’ve taken up model making. It’s good to keep busy. There’s the occasional Canterlot garden party, but mostly I just kill time while I wait for time to kill me.”

Sunset nodded. “Look, Dad… I’m glad we had this talk. And I guess I’m not as angry with you as I used to be. But… I don’t think there can ever be a good relationship between us. I’m not looking to make up for lost time or anything, I’m happy with my family being what it is.”

Brass Badge nodded. “I expected as much.”

“But… Morning kinda likes you. I think she might like to have a second grandfather in her life.”

Brass Badge looked down into his coffee. “I would like that.”

“Do you think you can get along with Mom and the stallion who knocked her up?”

“Are they together?”

“No, but they’re close. Mom wants to date him, but he’s got a wife. They’re all friends, it’s kinda weird to see.”

“I’m glad she’s finding some way to be happy. I won’t cause any problems with them.”

Sunset nodded. “Then come to the Princess Summit. You can see Morning there.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. Thank you for allowing me to be in her life.”

Sunset had no obligation to invite her parents, and yet, she’d invited both of them. This had been a weird night… “Yeah, well, just don’t screw it up.”

She got up and stretched. “I’m going to bed. I’ll say goodbye in the morning, but I’m not sticking around.”

“Right. You have a daughter to get back to.”

“That I do. Good night, Dad.”

“Good night, Sunset.”

Sunset left the kitchen, then climbed the stairs to the second floor. She walked down a hall past her father’s bedroom, then entered a familiar door.

It was like her dad had said, everything was the way Sunset had left it. She had brought most of her possessions with her the night she left, so it was pretty sparse except for a few things she’d never cared about or that were easier to replace than to move. A writing desk and her bed, some books she’d lost interest in on a mostly empty bookshelf, a stuffed bear someone had given her just because she was a girl.

She levitated the bear closer to examine it. She had forgotten all about it, like everything else in the room. She wondered if Morning would like it, although she had a lot of stuffed animals already.

She decided to figure out what to do with it after getting some sleep, so she set it on the writing desk and climbed into the bed. Thankfully her parents had given her a large bed when she was a teenager, big enough for a full-grown mare to sleep in.

It was surreal being back in this room, but everything about the night had been surreal. Sunset closed her eyes and found something else to focus on. Morning would be asleep right now, and in a few hours, she’d be woken up for breakfast with Fluttershy before heading out to school.

Everything about the day had been too crazy to really think about, it would need time to sink in. But this was something Sunset could focus on, something that put a smile on her face. That was the world she understood these days, her daughter and her wives, and their strange ever-growing family.