//------------------------------// // 3. paint them red, those things you said // Story: Two Burning Stars Chasing The Day // by FoolAmongTheStars //------------------------------// Fluttershy was an older woman, probably in her late fifties or early sixties, with long (and Sunburst meant long) pink hair that was greying at the roots, wrapped in a bun on top of her head, with kind green eyes and even kinder smile. Sunburst liked her from the start, surprised by her knowledge about many things (not just animals) and inspired by the way she held her own despite the many difficulties that the shelter faced, a living proof that kindness and strength could go hand in hand. Sunburst wasn’t always proud of what was in his life—his closed-minded mother, his distant sister—but working here was something he was definitely proud of. The animal shelter was housed in a very old building, with a leaky roof, cracked drywall, and furniture that had seen better days. But for Sunburst it had turned into a second home. He walked into Fluttershy’s office with the same ease he walked into the living room of his own house, with Starlight closed at his heels. He knocked on the heavy wooden door and grabbed the girl’s wrist. His touch had been gentle, but she flinched all the same, and Sunburst wondered why she did that at times when he took her by surprise, but he forgot about it the moment Fluttershy greeted them. “Ah, hello Sunburst, I’m assuming this is Starlight?” Tugging her a little, he let Starlight introduce herself, smiling encouragingly all the while. His friend brushed her bangs out of her face, tucking them behind her ear, swallowing thickly before she spoke, and part of him was sure she was blushing underneath the makeup. Starlight had perfected the art of stoicism (or resting bitch face, as she liked to call it) but Sunburst learned to pick up on the little things, the little tics and cues that slipped every once in a while, and boy was she full of them. From how she furrowed her brow when something intrigued her, to the way her lips thinned when she held back a smile, to how peaceful she looked when she was sleeping in his bed, as she would never get a chance to relax like this again. It always made him pause and wonder why that was. Starlight was his best friend and he was hers but… But there were things he didn’t know, things she refused to tell him, which turned into cracks in the foundation of their otherwise solid friendship. More often than not, he felt ashamed of his ignorance. She didn’t know how, but Starlight managed to choke the words out of her mouth and answer the questions given to her. The old woman smiled gently, but she could tell that she was searching, probing her for something that she wasn’t sure she had. When the woman smiled, the relief Starlight felt was instant and huge. The warmth on her wrist tightened—Sunburst’s hand—and she grinned up at him, thanking him with her eyes because she couldn’t say it out loud at the moment. Fluttershy showed them around, Sunburst’s hand still holding on to her wrist as if she was going to bolt at any moment. She wouldn’t, of course, but the pressure was comforting in a way Starlight refused to look at too closely. Sunburst’s presence was a constant and reliable one, she could always count on him, just as she could count that the sun would rise tomorrow. They were opposite in almost every single way—looks, personality, tastes, background—and yet they were so incredibly intertwined that Starlight wondered if the day she left him would be the day she didn’t survive. Sunburst had to let her go to start his own work, and Starlight rubbed her wrist gently as she spoke to Fluttershy, nodding and paying close attention as Fluttershy explained how the shelter worked. Suddenly, the one hundred hours she had to do didn’t seem so daunting now that she had a chance to make things right. She promised Sunburst that she’d make it right. “Sunburst speaks highly of you,” Fluttershy said, her voice gentle and soft as she signed the forms Starlight needed to show to her probation officer that she was working here now. “He trusts you a great deal…and I’ve heard things about you—many things about you,” before Starlight could panic, the older woman smiled. “But I trust his word more than what the townsfolk have to say, I rather not waste my time on petty gossip.” Starlight couldn’t help but smile a little. “You won’t regret this ma’am, I promise.” Watching her was like watching the moon rise in the night sky: weak at first but slowly growing stronger and brighter until it outshined everything. Starlight ran back and forth around the shelter, organizing, cleaning, and doing the occasional heavy lifting. The shelter hosted many animals, mostly cats and dogs, plus the occasional abandoned rabbit and hamster, and Sunburst had to bite his knuckles to stop himself from laughing at the sight of Starlight cooing and smiling at the animals in their cages. She had the warmest smile he had ever seen her give, her features soft and youthful as she took a moment to play with the animals in their cages. There was something funny about seeing tough-as-nails Starlight melt at the sight of puppies and kittens vying for her attention, but also heartwarming to witness. He glanced at the clock and realized that Starlight hadn’t taken a single break in the past three hours. He bent over the desk, pulled out two water bottles from the fridge, and went looking for her. He found her in the kitchen, organizing bags of dog food into neat piles. Her long hair was tied into a messy ponytail at the top of her head, she had taken off her jacket and her dark green shirt was stained with sweat, sticking to her body, the skin flushed where it wasn’t covered, a shade of red that made her look more energized, livelier. Sunburst licked his lips, taking a moment to shove those thoughts back before he approached her. He had gotten good at that. “Hey there,” he said, laughing when Starlight spun around and nearly dropped a bag of food. Her blue eyes were wide, shoulders sagging when she realized who it was. A small smile broke out, flashing her teeth briefly before she hid them behind her full lips. “I thought you’d be thirsty,” he continued, steering away from dangerous thoughts. “My hero,” she muttered, taking the water and gulping down a good half before taking a breath. Her chest heaved in and out with the working of her lungs, a bead of sweat rolling from her temple down her neck with painful slowness. “What’s wrong?” It took him a moment to realize she was talking about his staring. Sunburst took a step back, leaning against the doorframe to stop himself from making a bigger fool of himself. Of all the things he could do, ruining her chances by distracting her was not on the list. And who says you’re going to distract her? But Sunburst knew. He had an inkling at least, pieced together from the many lingering looks and half-smiles she threw his way, only because he did the same thing. It didn’t mean that she was as far gone as he was; Sunburst knew that it would only lead to heartbreak if they went any further. Still, he didn’t think that she’d be repulsed that she’d say no, and the knowledge alone made his chest ache with longing. “Nothing,” Sunburst said, pushing his large glasses over his blue eyes. “You, on the other hand, look disgusting.” Starlight rolled her eyes, turning away so that she could ignore the fact that he had lied to her. He was definitely thinking about something, she knew him too well. The way his eyes would glaze over, when he fidgeted with his glasses, his gaze roaming a bit too much was a dead giveaway. He wasn't overly expressive, but he did little things—tiny things that no one else would notice. But she did. “Yeah, well, maybe if there were proper ventilation in this room, I would look more presentable, not like I’m dying.” He shook his head, blue eyes shooting up towards the ceiling. “You can complain about everything and anything,” he mumbled, but there was no anger in his tone. Her attitude is a thing he learned to accept a long time ago, among other things. She wondered if she should feel guilty about that. A tiny part of her did, recalling the many things she forced Sunburst to do against his will. “But we won’t be here much longer; I head home in about an hour.” Starlight nodded, taking another sip of her water. It cooled her throat and made her body breathe a little easier. “I’m leaving with you?” She knew the answer, but it had more to do with her desire to add to the conversation. Starlight didn’t always know what to say. Sunburst laughed. “Why? Do you want to join the cats in their cages? I’m sure they’ll appreciate the company.” “Well, for one, they are cuddlier than you,” she pointed out, grinning at the indignant pout on his mouth. Sunburst was a force to be reckoned with when he was angry, or even just a bit ticked off. It was a rare thing to witness, and she was a bit smug to be one of the few to have seen it. It made her feel…special like she was the closest one to him. “And how would you know?” he demanded, raising an eyebrow. Starlight stared at her best friend, the one she was maybe a little in love with, and turned around. “When you nap after homework, you practically cling to me.” And if she was lying, well, he didn’t have to know. And if it was maybe the other way around, her clinging to him, well…it was probably better that he didn’t find out. The horror fell on him like a bucket of ice water. No, it wasn’t possible. He never woke up with her in his arms so when…? She was turned away from him, messing with something on the table. Then it clicked and Sunburst couldn’t help but laugh. “You liar, you almost gave me a heart attack!” He walked up to her and nudged her gently on the shoulder, chuckling when she looked at him with a raised brow. “Aha,” Starlight scoffed. “As if I would lie about something so serious,” she grinned though, lips tilted crookedly as she turned back to her task. Sunburst watched as her hands moved over the wood, sliding along the surface to gather the spare croquettes left behind. “We should talk to Fluttershy before we go,” Sunburst said. The implication was clear. She should talk to the older woman before they left. Not that many people took chances on a bad girl like Starlight, a girl who wasn’t really that bad, she just…did things that didn’t make sense to others. No one knew of her secrets, not even Sunburst. “I know, I know,” she replied, with slight exasperation, clearly getting his message. “What are you doing tonight, anyway?” “I’ll have dinner and then do homework, like always, what about you?” Sunburst shrugged, leaving the open invitation for her to take. He knew Starlight never liked to stay at her foster home, although she never explained the reason why. Giving her the option to stay with him wasn’t entirely selfless though, if he was being honest, “My mom is making stew tonight.” “You can’t keep stealing food for me Sunburst, I’ll be fine.” “I’m not stealing, they’re giving it to me and I choose to give it to you,” Sunburst pointed out, trying to hide the hurt from his voice. They had this conversation a thousand times already, it always left him feeling awkward and nervous like they were toeing the edge of something they weren’t ready to face. “Your mom is giving it to you, thinking that it’s you that’s eating it,” Starlight went on. “She would have a fit if she found out the truth.” “Maybe she wouldn’t…” But he trailed off because Sunburst knew that his words would just be wishful thinking. His mother didn’t like Starlight, she was right, his mother didn’t understand them at all. “Do you want me to tell her then?” Starlight laughed, but it lacked humor and it broke his heart. “No, because you and I know that it would end poorly.” She gave him a small smile, putting her hands on his shoulders, looking up at him with her unflinching gaze. Sunburst gulped, not entirely trusting himself to speak. “B-But­—” “And you couldn’t do it,” she pointed softly, gently. “You love her too much.” The torn expression was back, and Starlight squeezed his shoulders gently to get his attention. “And it’s not a bad thing, she’s your mother, of course you love her.” “You make it sound like I’m choosing her over you,” Sunburst whispered back. “And I’m not.” Starlight didn’t say it, but she knew that everyone did in the end. There was always a hierarchy, whether he was conscious of it or not, and she never begrudged him that. It was just life. “Family is family,” she said and stepped back, letting him go. “But…if you could get me some stew tonight, I would make you my official Super BBF for the rest of my days.” It worked, Sunburst rolled his eyes and smiled with a fondness that was almost too much to bear as he waved for her to get back to work. She still had a list of things to do, so long that she was sure she needed an extra one hundred hours of service to complete. But since Fluttershy gave her a chance when no one else would, she would stay later and longer if it meant crossing every task from the list. When it was time to go Starlight made Sunburst smile by talking to Fluttershy and thanking her for the opportunity. They made their way home, and as Sunburst parked, Starlight hopped out of the car and snuck through his bedroom window while Sunburst entered through the front. After talking to his mother and biding her goodnight, he went to his room and shared his stew with Starlight. They talked quietly while he did his homework—she always did hers at night in her foster house. When she was tired of talking, she settled down on his bed and closed her eyes, giving herself the luxury of rest for the time being. Rarely did she ever sleep at her foster house. She wouldn’t risk it. “Didn’t you say that Flash would be there?” Starlight asked, looking at his white ceiling and counting the tiny little cracks on the plaster. “Maybe he switched, I’ll ask him at school tomorrow,” Sunburst replied, glancing at the clock. “Do you want something? A drink maybe?” Starlight raised an eyebrow, wondering where his sudden hospitality came from. He was super aware of those around him, it was probably the reason he came up to her in the first place. “I’m fine, I should head back anyway,” she too looked at the clock, marking the time as nine o’clock. She usually stayed longer, but Sunburst seemed tired and he had finished his homework for the night. “Starlight, why don’t you ever say home?” The words were like a shock to her system, running through her veins and making her freeze on the bed. Her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling above her as she spoke. “I hadn’t noticed.” She hated lying to him, she never wanted to, but it was the only way to protect him from…well, the truth. “Oh,” he sounded unsure, like maybe he crossed some imaginary line, which was absurd, if she were to tell anyone anything, it would be Sunburst. The problem was that she didn’t want him to get involved, not now, not ever. The less he knew, the better. Getting up from the bed, Starlight hugged him, letting out a breath as he wrapped his arms around her. She usually didn’t allow this, but he had sounded so lost and sad that she couldn’t help herself, deciding that she should be the one to offer him comfort for once. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” she asked quietly, holding on to him for longer than what was normal between friends. When she pulled back to look at him, Sunburst had a small and soft smile on his face. “Of course you will, you big dummy.” “Always with the name-calling,” Starlight sighed dramatically. “Very mature of you, goodnight, Sunburst.” Sunburst reached out and, for a second, she thought he would reach out and touch her, close the gap between them just a little more. But the moment passed and he dropped his hand as if nothing had happened. “Night, Starlight.” Grinning at him, she jumped out the window and raced out the backyard. Luckily, Sunburst’s home was a one-story house, making it easier to sneak around like this, but she was careful to avoid the windows, even if Stellar Flare was probably watching TV, it never hurt to be too careful. She didn’t want to ruin the one good thing she had. The moment she was off the property she slowed down, letting her sprint turn into a walk. The longer she took to get back the better because nothing good happened at this hour, but even with her unhurried pace, she got there sooner than she wanted to. Her house wasn’t far from Sunburst’s place, and even though he didn’t live in a bad neighborhood, the difference between them was staggering. Her foster house was a two-story building, with a sprawling front yard and an even bigger backyard, a huge garage for at least three cars, and other amenities Starlight never used or cared to know. Despite how nice it looked on the outside, Starlight knew that a hell waited for her inside. She thought about turning around and walking around the block to kill time, so as to come back much later, but when the man called her name she knew it was too late. His shadow appeared by the living room’s window and stayed there, watching her. Starlight swallowed, leaving Sunburst’s home a half-hour earlier meant coming home a half-hour earlier too. It meant that the old man was still awake and just as dangerous as ever, maybe even more so. But there was nothing she could do now, and she looked at her shoes as she stepped onto the porch. The house was nice, clean, and elegantly decorated. There were pictures on the walls depicting happier times, most of them of her foster parents, smiling at each other and looking very much in love. Maybe they still were, if they were together after all this time. It was just when the bottle came between them—turning him into an angry monster and her into a simpering coward—that love was forgotten. No one could’ve guessed it by looking at the pictures. “You back early, huh girl?” Her foster father called, words loud and slurred. He stood in the hallway when Starlight stepped in, accosting her slowly like he was approaching a spooked horse. When she shut the door, she did so as gently as possible—in case the noise set him off. “Yes, I am,” Starlight replied, keeping her eyes to the ground. “Why don’t you watch the game with me? Grab me a beer while you’re at it.” The man grinned unkindly and Starlight fought down the urge to run. She tried to once. She never would again. Starlight was only vaguely surprised that the old man’s interest held for as long as five minutes before he got bored. He started asking questions, speaking too quickly for her to follow, his words slurred beyond comprehension. Even if she understood a question or two, she never had the right answers, and it only incensed him further. She was scared, but not surprised when the man finally snapped, eyes flashing with anger and veins bulging around his neck as he yelled at her. When the first punch came to her stomach, Starlight barely made a sound, only a gasp as the air left her lungs. It didn’t hurt so much as startle her, there was no blood, no cuts, no broken bones. Those appeared an hour later.