//------------------------------// // 10. glory and us come together // Story: Two Burning Stars Chasing The Day // by FoolAmongTheStars //------------------------------// Monday was weird. The last of the straggling students walked by without sparing him a glance, and when Sunburst looked up, there was no one waiting for him by the school’s gate, no girl with dark clothes and a sharp smile to greet him, just a bare brick wall. Sunburst swallowed with difficulty and climbed the steps to the entrance, his head hanging low. He knew that Starlight wouldn’t be there, but to see it…it drove in the fact that she was gone. The warning bell went off, but Sunburst didn’t hurry his pace. He didn’t want to come at all, but he also didn’t want to stay at home, where the atmosphere was still tense and he still couldn’t bear to look at his mother. He didn’t want to be anywhere, he just wanted to disappear. “Hey.” A soft voice, barely audible, greeted him. Sunburst stopped, the voice familiar and foreign at the same time. He turned, frowning when he saw Flash standing there, looking far more awkward than usual, his confident posture and easygoing smile missing. “How are you feeling?” When Sunburst shrugged, Flash smiled a little before dropping it. He walked with him, matching Sunburst’s unhurried pace as he leaned in to speak in a low tone. “I…I heard the news, the whole school has, I just wanted to give you a heads-up.” Sunburst nodded but wasn’t surprised by the update. He knew this would happen the moment the local news covered the story of the arrest of Mr. Cobalt, informing anyone that hadn’t known by then, which probably weren’t that many, Sire’s Hollow being as small as it was. The news anchor only spent a minute on the story, of how Mrs. Cobalt called 911 and pleaded for help, the police arriving shortly after to arrest a highly inebriated and violent man who attacked the officers that arrived at the scene while Mrs. Cobalt was taken into custody for questioning. Less than five seconds were allotted to inform the public that their daughter was receiving treatment at the hospital. Sunburst watched the evening news and stayed up late to watch the repeat, hoping against hope that there would be an update on her condition, but it was all the same: she was being treated at the hospital. What made it more maddening was the fact that he knew that already, even before the story was picked up by the news. He had been the one to drive Starlight to the hospital, he had been the one to open the door and help her out, he had been forced to stay behind and watch her walk in through the emergency room alone. He stayed there watching the door, in case she walked out, for at least fifteen minutes before he went back to the car, and stayed there for a long time, shivering slightly in his damp clothes. When the rain cleared and the sun beamed down on the peaceful town, he finally turned the engine and went back home. He’s been fighting the urge to run back there and check on her ever since. The only thing holding him back was his promise to her. He blinked when he entered the school’s hallway, the chatter of students and the dim neon lights snapped him out of his thoughts. Flash was still there and he wished he would go away—he instantly felt bad about that. “So, um, where’s Twilight?” He mumbled. “At school,” Flash replied, brows slightly raised. “She doesn’t go here.” Sunburst knew that, he did. He had just forgotten with everything else on his mind. He nodded and headed for class, giving Flash a half-hearted wave as he left, ignoring the stares of the students. News traveled like wildfire around the school, and by lunchtime, everyone was talking about what happened to Starlight. He heard the whispers, the questions, and the speculations, each story wilder than the last, but no one dared to ask him what he knew, not even Flash, and Sunburst was grateful for that small mercy. The days rolled by and blurred; the world turning into a murky picture of black and white. Sunburst’s mother wasn’t of any help, not with the way she smiled and hugged her son, like she was relieved. He told his mother that he and Starlight had gotten into a fight after he figured out the truth—Starlight had been using him, she had been right all along and he was sorry. The words were bitter on his tongue. His mother didn’t believe him at first, he wasn’t surprised, as he spoke the words sounded flat, uttered in such a way that sounded rehearsed even though he came up with the story on the fly. But it didn’t matter, what mattered was that when the gossip reached Stellar Flare’s ears a few days later, she had finally bought his story, and the poor woman’s heart could rest knowing that the troublemaker girl was finally out of her son’s life for good. She was so happy that she couldn’t see her son’s melancholia or tell that his smiles were fake. No one could tell, not even his friends. The only one that seemed to have an inkling was Flash. He never commented on it, but he kept him company when he could, giving him an encouraging smile at lunch before sitting next to him or inviting him to hang out at his place. But even Flash’s company couldn’t fill the hole that Starlight left behind, and he felt it more keenly when he volunteered at the shelter. Fluttershy gave him pitying looks when he recounted what had happened that day—he kept the gruesome details out, to spare the gentlewoman of such knowledge, but the weathered look in her green eyes told him that she knew. Working in this place for as long as she had, she has probably seen what the worst of humanity could do to those that couldn’t fight back and could understand what had happened to Starlight that drove her away. He wasn’t the only that missed her, Phyllis would sniff around the dog pen and look at the door, waiting for her favorite person to come through and refusing to eat. Sunburst would sit with her and pet her, trying to bribe her with soothing words and treats. The dog accepted his attention but didn’t display the same amount of enthusiasm she did for Starlight. “I know, girl,” Sunburst said, scratching the pitbull between her ears and making the decision not to leave her behind. Phyllis had been here long enough; it was time for her to find a home and he had the feeling he could give her one. “But we’ll see her soon, okay?” Soon. Sunburst clung to that word for all he was worth. She hated this. It was like a dam, filling and flooding with water that threatened to overflow at any minute. Starlight desperately wondered how much longer she could hold off, how much longer she could keep herself together without falling apart. Starlight was at the mercy of the system again, and the uncertainty of her future kept her up most nights, questions upon questions that she could not answer filled her brain and made her want to throw up with anxiety, and there was little she could do but wait. The days didn’t go by fast enough. Unlike her inner turmoil, the hospital was peaceful. The food was awful and the doctors were condescending, but the nurses were nice and chatted with her from time to time, even though Starlight knew that their kindness was born out of pity. There wasn’t much to do except watch TV and wait for her wounds to heal: a concussion, two cracked ribs, a fractured leg, multiple bruises and cuts that needed stitching, making her feel like a patchwork doll—or a scarecrow that lost all of its straw. She was thankful that there weren’t any mirrors in the room, or that she didn’t have that many visitors. The police came to question her a few days after she was admitted, much to Starlight’s dread, but she did her best to not let it show, putting on the blankest and blandest expression she could muster as the nurse knocked on her door and let two people in. A woman with black hair tied in a bun walked into her room, dressed in a white blouse and black suit pants, the only dash of color on her was the red tie hanging from her neck. Following her was a man dressed in the town’s police uniform, a hefty guy with beady blue eyes that panted heavily as he walked in, probably winded from walking the halls of the hospital. His face was not one she would soon forget, for he was the officer who arrested her for shoplifting all those months ago. Starlight couldn’t help it. She glared at the man as she gave him the middle finger. The woman’s eyebrows rosed to her hairline while the policeman glared back. “Hello, Miss Glimmer, I’m detective Raven Inkwell…and I guess you know who Officer Chuleta is.” Starlight scoffed and dropped her hand, looking out the window instead. “I see,” the detective said, turning to the officer. “Thanks, Officer, I’ll take it from here, could you wait outside?” Starlight turned her head towards the TV in front of her when she heard the officer leave, but refused to give the woman proper attention. She was still a police officer after all and she didn’t trust any of them. The detective pulled out a smartphone from her pocket. “Mind if I ask you a few questions? I’m going to record our conversation if you don’t mind, it’s for the purposes of our investigation.” “Suit yourself,” Starlight said and turned up the volume of the TV. Starlight hid her shaking hands underneath the blanket, trying her best not to fidget and look like she didn't care when in reality she just wanted to run as fast as possible. There was so much she had to figure out and dealing with her foster father was the last thing she wanted to do. She was more concerned about her situation since CPS hadn’t shown up yet to question her or inform her what was going to happen to her now, and that’s what she hated the most—the waiting, the not knowing. If she didn’t know, she couldn’t plan, each minute she sat there and let the adults scratch their asses as they figured out what do to with her was another minute wasted where she could be doing something. It let her mind wander and come up with terrible scenarios, each one worse than the last, slowly driving her insane. “My daughter loves that show,” Inkwell said after a while, leaning back in the visitor’s chair with ease. “Though she watches it on the computer more often than not, says that the new episodes come quicker there—” “Your kid has shit taste.” The detective said nothing, but she didn’t seem bothered, watching the screen with interest. They were quiet for a few minutes before Starlight’s patience wore thin. “Don’t you have something else to do?” “Yeah, but it’s nice to wind down in between jobs, makes this more bearable.” Starlight turned off the TV and crossed her arms slowly, mindful of her cracked ribs. “What do you want to know?” “Whatever you want to tell me.” “What? Do you want my whole sob story?” “If it helps me understand what happened on the night of the fourth of June, then yes.” Starlight sighed, but relented, uttering the story she had so carefully put together in her head. Despite her earlier jab, she spoked little of her time before she came to live with the Cobalt’s, there wasn’t that much to say, just jumbled memories of crowded houses with kids that came and went as CPS shuffled them around—after a while all those memories blurred into one miserable picture. “I was excited at first when I saw the Cobalt’s big house.” Starlight said, picking at the loose thread on the hospital blanket. “The big yard, the pool on the back, my own bedroom and bathroom, I thought I finally made it, that life was finally throwing me a bone…I should’ve known that everything came at a price.” “And that price was the abuse?” Starlight nodded. “Why didn’t you call CPS the moment it started?” “Because I didn’t have much of a choice, it was either staying there or going back to crowded foster houses.” And because I finally had friend, a true friend, so maybe life did throw me a bone after all, she thought, but didn’t say out loud. “And I was getting older, the older you are, the more limited your options, fewer people willing to foster you…sort of like with a dog, people want nothing to do with it when it’s no longer a cute puppy.” She closed her eyes for a moment as the image of a happy Phyllis crossed her mind, followed by a wave of nostalgia. She never thought of herself as an animal person, but that battled-scar dog stole her heart without her realizing it. She missed her happy barks, her goofy dance whenever she saw her. She missed the shelter, she missed Fluttershy, she missed Sunburst. Not for the first time, she wondered what Sunburst was up to, was he still looking for a university to attend? Had he decided on one yet? Was he waiting for her as she asked? Starlight continued. “Mr. Cobalt wasn’t so bad at first, he drank a lot, sure, but his wife could handle him and I could ignore him, but before I knew it, he was throwing punches at the both of us, screaming and raving like a mad man, and it became a fight for survival…sometimes he would attack her, sometimes it was me, it was hard to tell who he would target when he got drunk.” Inkwell leaned forward, her expression was serious but surprisingly gentle, her voice low as she spoke. “Did he target you that night?” The girl took a deep breath, her hands fisting the blankets. Trying to piece together what had happened, trying to get a coherent picture, figuring out what was real and what was a product of her nightmares took her many sleepless nights. The doctors warned her that the trauma she suffered to the head might have jumbled her memories, though there was no permanent damage, they told her that it would all come with time, but she was perfectly happy not remembering. The only clear memory was Sunburst’s arms around her and the sound of the rain falling around them. It’ll be alright Sunburst, I promise. She’d sounded so sure at the moment, brave when Sunburst was beside her. Now she felt like a hypocrite, feeling her tough act crumble around her that she was truly alone, doubting her ability to keep her promise. “No, not at first,” Starlight said through clenched teeth. “He…He was arguing with Mrs. Cobalt, I heard a scream and then something hit the wall, I ran in and she was on the floor, cradling her face, I wanted to run but she…she looked so scared, I couldn’t just leave her.” Starlight swallowed. “And then he attacked me and it’s all a blur from there…” The woman nodded. “What’s the last thing you remember?” “Waking up in the park,” Starlight lied. The less they knew about Sunburst, the better. “The rain woke me up, and I was in so much pain that I knew that I had to go to the hospital, so I came here.” Starlight didn’t look at the woman, fearful that she would see through her bluff, or ask more questions, and she tried not to sigh too loudly when the detective stood, “That’s enough questions for now.” Starlight slumped on the bed, closing her eyes as she asked. “Do I have to testify?” The detective paused. “Probably, but it’s up to you if you want to go through with it. If Mrs. Cobalt presses charges on her husband, she might ask you to testify in court as a witness.” “What happens now?” Starlight winced when the words left her mouth. She didn’t mean to sound as desperate as she did. So much for staying cool… “Right now, your job is to get better,” before Starlight could scoff at the noncommittal answer, she continued, “luckily CPS found someone willing to look after you as you heal.” There was a knock on the door and it swung open, a woman with long pink hair walked in. Starlight didn’t recognize her at first, seeing that she was wearing such casual and baggy clothing as opposed to her usual formal suit and pencil skirt. Cadance smiled as she walked in, though her expression was gentler and more sympathetic than Starlight expected. “Mrs. Mi Amore here offered to foster you for the time being.” “Unless you have any objections,” Cadance said as she sat down, Starlight noticing the particular way she folded her hands underneath her stomach. Starlight blinked, frowning a bit in thought before her eyes widened. “But Mrs. Mi Amore, you’re pregnant! Aren’t you suppose to avoid stress at all costs? I still have a lot to figure out—” “It would cause me more stress not knowing where you were or how you were doing, and it would be easier if you stayed here in this town, for the time being, that way we can figure things as they come,” Cadance said. “I can help you Starlight, I want to help you, but only if you let me.” Starlight stared at the older woman, old instincts kicking in as she looked for the trap, the voice in her head telling her to be wary—she'd been burned so many times, she couldn’t afford to be hurt again. But Cadance’s smile wasn’t one filled with confidence and jest like the ones she gave at school, she looked a little sad, almost apologetic. When Starlight thought about it, Cadance was the first one to know about her situation, even before Sunburst. Did she feel guilty for what happened to her? Even though Starlight had twisted the facts to minimize the abuse she suffered, it didn’t deny the fact that the teacher should have reported it the moment she suspected that something was up. But she didn’t and Starlight wasn’t sure if it was because she’d begged her not to, or because Cadance understood what it’s like to have no control over one’s life. Starlight met the older woman’s eyes, smiled a little before looking away. “Do whatever you want.” Sunburst stood in his graduation gown, smiling and taking photos with people he would never see again. He was fine with this; he knew that it had to happen. He had chosen his path and didn’t think that it would cross with theirs any time soon. His mother was waving, walking away with the other families towards the rows of seats on the back of the auditorium. Sunburst smiled and waved back, even as he sighed. Though there were times he wished he never listened to Starlight, there were moments like this in which he was glad he had someone there who was proud of him, looking out for him. Just because his mother made mistakes, it didn’t mean that Stellar Flare didn’t love her son. And just because Sunburst loved his mother, didn’t mean that he forgave her for what she did. He followed his class to their seats near the front of the stage. The teachers stood on top of it, behind a long table covered in a green cloth and a banner that said “Congratulations Class of 2021!” The principal stood front and center in the podium, waiting for everyone to settle before he began his speech. Most of the students were chatting, using their caps or the show’s program as fans to mitigate the heat, even though the sun had set a few minutes ago. His last name put him near the back and Sunburst settled in his chair, his class was huge and he knew all too well that it would be a while before he was called. Graduation wasn’t a massive fanfare, and Sunburst found it mostly boring. He tried to listen to the Principal’s vaguely motivational speech, but even with the booming speakers projecting the man’s voice to the crowd, the words failed to stick to him and he only clapped out of obligation. He sighed with relief when they proceeded with the final roll call. Each student was called one by one, ascending the stage with a round of applause as they took their diploma and shook hands with the teachers before going back to their seats. After a while, his hands grew tired from clapping and he wondered what Starlight was doing, especially when the announcer got to the G’s and Starlight’s name was not mentioned. Out of everyone present, she was probably the one who had been looking forward to this the most, and he found it unfair that she was missing out. How would she’d have felt if she had been there? Would she have been happy, relieved, maybe a little sad? Would she have put any effort into her appearance like the rest of the girls present? Or just show up in her casual clothes and toga? But more than that, he was anxious for her future, no one knew where Starlight was or what her situation was at the moment—he suspected the school knew something but were in no position to tell anyone about it. Some of the more curious students approached Sunburst during the last month of school to ask about her, but he was just as lost as they were. He just hoped that she was okay. The person sitting next to him nudged his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze and realizing that his name was being called. Sunburst stumbled out of his chair and smiled bashfully as he reached the stage. He shook hands with the right people, accepted the envelope and scroll handed to him, and gave a small wave at the crowd as he exited, smiling a little when he saw his sister and mother jumping up and down from the stands. And just like that, he was officially graduated. The ceremony went by quickly after that, and while most students lingered around the auditorium for more tearful goodbyes and pictures and hugs, Sunburst made a beeline for his family. Only to be stopped by Flash and Twilight. “You thought you could leave without saying goodbye first?” Flash said with a grin. Sunburst smiled sheepishly. “Sorry…” Flash pretended to be miffed for a second before he clapped Sunburst on the shoulder with a grin. “Nah man, don’t sweat it, I know you got a lot on your plate now, preparing for Crystal U can’t be easy.” “It’s not, but it’s worth it.” Sunburst shrugged. “And the scholarship helps.” “Their curriculum is something else,” Twilight agreed. “But if there’s anyone who can handle it, it’s probably you.” “And you as well,” Flash wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her on the top of her head. “But I guess you were going after prestige when you chose Equestria University instead?” “I wanted to be closer to my family, Crystal U is too far and too expensive for me,” Twilight said, her smile growing wide. “Besides, Cadance and Shining Armor are having a baby! And I want to be close by for when she comes.” “Mrs. Mi Amore is pregnant?” Sunburst asked and looked around the crowd as if the teacher would suddenly appear, even Flash was surprised by the news. “She didn’t look, well, you know…” “Fat?” Twilight giggled at Sunburst’s embarrassed expression. “She’s only like, a month along, still a long while before she starts showing.” “Now I feel bad for not congratulating her.” “I don’t think she’ll mind—but I’m not here to talk about that,” Twilight said, her smile growing wider. “Starlight is staying with them!” Sunburst blinked, shaking his head slightly as if to clear his head. “I’m sorry, what?” “CPS didn’t send her away,” Twilight said, smiling wide. “Cadance convinced them to let Starlight stay with them, so she can finish high school here—her grades weren’t bad and almost all the teachers agreed to give her an extension, she missed the ceremony because she hasn’t technically finished. But she’s been in town this whole time, isn’t it great!” The longer Sunburst stood there, emotionless, the faster Twilight’s smile faded. She exchanged a look with Flash, who only shrugged helplessly. They expected for him to jump with joy at the news, maybe even running out of the auditorium to go see Starlight, but he just stood there, staring blankly at them for a moment too long before finally, his shoulders slumped, like a weight had been lifted and he could relax at last, and he smiled gently. “I’m glad.” The couple exchanged another confused look before Twilight tentatively offered. “I could give you the address if you like, or come with you.” “No,” Sunburst said, his voice surprisingly firm. “Thanks, but no, I’m glad she’s safe.” “You don’t want to see her?” Flash asked. Sunburst laughed. “Trust me, I want to see her, but…” He was suddenly thankful for his toga, that way no one could see how badly his knees were shaking with the urge to run, he folded his arms behind his back so they wouldn’t see how bad his hands were trembling, clutching his papers hard enough to permanently wrinkle them. All this time, he had thought that Starlight had been sent to the other side of the country, he had nightmares of her being sent to some awful place, failed yet again by an overworked and underfunded system to procure her safety, that her stubbornness and impatience would cause to do something stupid or worse. And he would have no way of knowing, sitting there and wondering where she was. While knowing that she was safe and close by put those fears at ease, the wave of longing that washed over almost send him to his knees. His mind was running through plans to go see her somehow, even as he stood there talking, he could picture himself making excuses to use the car that night and driving over to see her, knocking on the door or maybe even climbing up her window to see her and— Sunburst shook his head, he could not do any of those things unless he had the address, giving him a good reason not to ask for it. The temptation would just be too great if he had it, and he knew himself, he was weak when it came to her. And right now, with his mother still watching over him like a hawk, made it too dangerous to risk it. “But I made a promise, and I intend to keep it,” Sunburst said ignoring the strange looks the couple gave him. “Thank you for telling me though, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that she was okay.” Sunburst had a lot of questions—How was she? Was she studying hard? What were her plans? Had she asked about him? Did she miss him as much as he missed her?—but he swallowed them, forcing himself to change the topic to something lighter and after a few more minutes of chatter, he hugged Flash and Twilight one last time, wished them the best, and turned to meet his family. This time, when he smiled and greeted them, his smile was the most genuine one he had shown them in weeks. No matter how many times she came here, Starlight never found comfort in the courthouse. She leaned against the wall outside of the main building, tilting her head back as a July breeze blew past her. Even in the shade, the heat was uncomfortable and she felt the sweat rolling down her back the longer she stood there, but she preferred this to be confined in that miserable place any longer, even though it was air-conditioned. She didn’t want to see Mr. Cobalt for longer than she had to. She hadn’t realized just how old he was until the officers brought him to the courtroom, handcuffed and dressed in a grey jumpsuit. The lights of the room did little to hide the wrinkles on his face, the dark circles under his eyes, looking quite small and pathetic next to the burly officer that brought him in. The withdrawal must’ve hit him hard, for he looked dazed and sullen as he sat there next to his lawyer while she testified. Starlight tried not to look at him while she answered the prosecutors, she kept her eyes on the podium she was forced to sit in front of, speaking into the microphone so that her answers could be heard. Sometimes she would sneak glances at the far wall, or at Cadance and Shining Armor sitting in the audience, who were watching her and smiled encouragingly whenever she caught their eyes. Starlight sunk to the floor and hid her face in her knees, trying to make sense of the whirlwind of emotions inside of her. She just wanted to run, to get away from here, she wanted to see Sunburst so badly— A gentle hand on her shoulder made her look up, thinking, for one heart-stopping moment, that it was Sunburst's hand, but when she turned it was only Cadance smiling gently down at her. “You did great up there,” Cadance said, sitting down next to the wayward teenager, her arm wrapping around Starlight’s shoulder and drawing her close. “I’m so proud of you.” Starlight snorted, trying to ignore the warm feeling tingling her gut. When was the last time someone had sincerely praised her? “I deserve a fucking medal for putting up with all this.” She thought telling the detective what had happened to her was hard—telling it to a room of strangers was even harder. Her stomach twisted and turned as she recounted all the times he laid his hands on her, the words he said that cut her deeper than knives, and the invasive questions that the lawyers asked her and she was forced to answer. Mr. Cobalt’s lawyer had no mercy on her, bringing her troubled past and her criminal record to the forefront because why would they trust the word of a criminal? A troubled girl that got into school fights? There were many, many things she wanted to say to the money-grubbing lawyer, but knew better than to speak up, no matter how hot her anger bubbled underneath her skin. Raven Inkwell had warned her that he would bait her somehow, get her to act out to make her seem bad in the eyes of the jury and judge. The hour she sat there felt like pure torture and she nearly jumped out of her seat when the judge let her go. She didn’t spare a glance to Mr. Cobalt. She never wanted to see him again. “I don’t have one at hand, sorry,” Cadance said, patting Starlight’s head gently. “But tomorrow we can go to the Department of Education to pick up your diploma.” “It’s here already?” Starlight said, sitting up and leaning away from the older woman. Cadance laughed. “It wasn’t easy to get it, but I pulled a few strings and got it underway faster than normal, that way we can look into college options—” “Wow, wow, hold on, who said anything about college,” Starlight said, frowning. “I can barely afford to live on my own with what I have saved up, much less pay college tuition.” “I just thought it would be worth looking into it, seeing as you were looking for housing in Crystal City, around their university campus if I remember correctly.” Cadance gave her a knowing smile, and Starlight fought to keep her blank expression in place. “And you’re right, Crystal U is expensive, but surely there are some community colleges you can look into, maybe you even qualify for some financial aid.” When Starlight still looked unsure, Cadance continued. “You don’t have to make a decision right now, but promise me you’ll think about it? Having a degree is more useful than you think, it could make all the difference somewhere down the line.” Starlight stood up and helped Cadance to her feet, feeling a little bad for making a pregnant woman sit on the concrete with her, but she didn’t seem to mind, simply dusting the back of her pants before she walked down the steps of the courthouse to the street, Starlight close behind. “Cadance.” The woman turned around and Starlight looked at the hedges lining the garden of the courthouse. “Thank you.” “It’s the least I can do,” she said, her smile wide as she made her way to the car, where her husband was waiting for them. Starlight moved to follow her but stopped, turning her head to the side when something caught her eye. She found Mrs. Cobalt at the far end of the parking lot, staring at her with tired eyes, her hand gripping the door handle of her car but making no motion to open it. Starlight had mixed feelings for the woman, but she didn’t hate her, and this was enough for Starlight to smile shakily at her, though it felt more like a grimace. The woman didn’t approach but she managed an equally awkward smile, mouthing a ‘thank you’ before she entered the car. At last, they were both free. It was early August when Sunburst finally convinced his mother to let him move into his new apartment. It took some time because, surely, a student didn’t have to move in so early just to prep books. But Sunburst used the excuse that, since he insisted on taking Phyllis with him, he'd been forced to look for an apartment that accepted animals instead of staying on-campus as he planned earlier, so he needed to learn the layout of the city, figure out his options for transit and his classes among other things. The move-in itself went smoothly enough, all of his things were packed away and placed in neatly labeled boxes that his mother helped him move to his new place. Stellar Flare stood by the door, having spent the past two days helping her son with the furniture and doing last-minute grocery shopping with him. There were tiny tears in her eyes, and her bottom lip trembled a little. “Don’t do that, you’ll make me cry,” Sunburst murmured, hugging his mother. “You’re just…on your own,” Stellar Flare sniffled, smiling. “I know you’ll be fine, but…” The redhead young man nodded. “I’ll be safe, and I’m not alone, Phyllis will keep me company.” “She’s a good dog,” the woman smiled and patted the pitbull on the head, finally letting go of her weariness towards the animal. “But lock the door behind me anyway, okay? And call me every night.” “Really, mom?” Stellar Flare laughed a little. “Okay, maybe not every night, but keep me posted, please?” She reached out, hugging her son one more time. Sunburst let it happen, let the moment be made so it could pass. “I’m so proud of you.” “Thanks,” he whispered as he hugged her back. Stellar Flare pulled back, giving one last watery smile before heading out the door. Sunburst closed it behind her and locked it, knowing his mother would wait outside until she heard the click. He stood in front of it and heard the click of her heels growing fainter, and once they disappeared, he turned around. He put his hands on his hips as he took in the sparsely furnished apartment, the light clutter that made up some areas he had yet to conquer, and the empty boxes piled carelessly in the corners. He sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly before running his hand over his face. He felt the beginnings of his beard on his chin and thought absentmindedly if he should shave, he had to back in high school since beards were against the dress code, plus his mother never approved of them, but now that he was on his own maybe he should let it grow… Phyllis's shrill bark snapped him out of his thoughts. She was pawing at the door and whining, staring at Sunburst with imploring eyes. “Do you have to go girl?” Sunburst said, unhooking her leash from the wall. “Okay, okay, just hold on.” It took a moment to properly harness the overexcited pitbull, and she nearly dragged him away when they stepped out into the street. It took all of Sunburst’s strength to keep the dog in check, but it was a struggle that he was slowly losing. If he had time to think, he would find the dog’s behavior unusual, she was usually so calm and obedient, never straying from him when he took her out, mindful of her strength, she never tugged on her leash like this. She dragged him away from their usual route, towards a street he hadn’t had a chance to explore yet and the leash slipped from his grasp. “Phyllis, no!” Phyllis shot ahead like a rocket, leaving Sunburst chasing after her, running as fast as his long legs could carry him. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the busy avenue up ahead, fearing the worst, but the dog turned left, towards a quiet street, disappearing from his sight around the corner. There was a crash, followed by a yelp and Sunburst skidded to a stop. “I’m so sorry! She’s a good dog, I swear! She didn’t mean to—!” A girl was sitting on the sidewalk, and Phyllis licked her face like there was no tomorrow, her tail wagging a mile a minute. To his surprise the girl was laughing, not screaming or cursing him for letting go of the leash, petting the dog with such familiarity that it made Sunburst pause. And then the girl looked up. Time didn’t stop, but he swore that his heart did. Bright blue eyes stared at him, reflecting his surprise, then they softened as she smiled, the gesture so familiar to him that it vanished whatever doubt he had. It was a little shy at the edges as she stood up and shifted from foot to foot, fiddling with the leash of a panting, but now calm, Phyllis. “Hi.” Starlight said, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I, huh, is Phyllis yours now?” Sunburst took in her face, a little thinner now, but perfectly normal. The light grey shirt she had on looked soft, ideal for the slowly changing weather, along with the ripped jeans and black converse. Her hair was short but long enough to brush her shoulders whenever she tilted her head, and her bangs were replaced with a simple swoop style that brushed to the side, revealing more of her face. Overall, she looked the same, but…different, happier even, and Sunburst could see it in her eyes as she watched him just as closely. “Are you…?” Starlight frowned, taking a step closer. “Okay? I saw your car earlier today, but I had work so I couldn't come and see you, I was on my way to your place, I promised that I—” Sunburst laughed, closing the distance in a few steps and throwing his arms around her in a tight hug. Starlight hugged him back, her arms sliding up his back and her hands fisting in his shirt. She fit snugly in his embrace, his arms low on her back as he hefted her up and hugged her tightly. “You actually came.” He said, a little disbelieving. “What?” Starlight looked at him like he was crazy, and maybe he was, just a little. “You didn’t think I would?” “Well, it’s been—” He stopped, shrugging. Saying it out loud made it all too real, the days that passed with no one climbing through his window, no one to pester at school other than people he didn’t care about, the weeks that passed with no one keeping him company at the shelter. The last time they held each other like this they were crying instead of smiling, making the last few months feel like a bad dream. “Two months,” Starlight filled the blank for him. “I promised that I would find you, and I would have come to you sooner but I had to get my own things in order and—” “I understand,” Sunburst looked down at her. “I still missed you.” “Yeah,” she sighed, hiding her face on his shoulder. “Me too.” It was quiet, tense in a way that shouldn’t be happening even as the seconds ticked on. They knew that the moment they pulled away; things would start crashing around them. They would have to talk, explain what had been going on the past two months, talk about their future and make plans. It all sounded exhausting. Sunburst didn’t want to talk, not yet anyway. They had forever to talk. They had each other now and no one could interfere, her foster father would never lay a finger on her ever again, and his mother wasn’t there to control him. Maybe one day he could convince his mother to remove the blinders from her eyes and see Starlight for who she was. Until then, they had a lot to figure out. But he was confident that they would make it, they come this far, and something had to give. “Starlight,” Sunburst whispered, afraid to move, to break the silence. “I’m glad you’re here.” He leaned in, just a little to the side so that his forehead could rest against hers. Starlight didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. He could hear the traffic speeding by behind him, Phyllis’s quiet panting, the sun warming his neck, and the breeze blowing through the quiet street. He was aware that there was a world beyond this, but it felt far away, minuscule, and he couldn’t care less about it if he tried. His lips pressed lightly against warm skin, barely there, as light as the brush of butterfly wings. He waited, didn’t feel or hear a hitch in her breath as her heart stuttered. He simply waited. Just like he’d always been waiting. Sunburst opened his eyes slowly. Let her hands go from his back to his neck. He didn’t stop her from tilting his chin, her blue eyes searching, asking for some sort of permission that he couldn’t fathom as to why. Because after all this time—after all this waiting and wondering and hoping—Starlight was still cautious, still making sure that, above all else, he wanted this as well. His own hands, still resting around her waist, tugged her closer, feeling the soft cotton tingle the tips of his fingers until the redhead finally had enough and met her halfway. The kiss was quiet, sweet, like two old souls finally meeting for the first time in years. It was familiar and foreign at the same time, the smell and feel of her against him tugging at his memory while the press of her lips was something he couldn’t have even dreamed of properly, no matter how many times he imagined it. It was way better than any fantasy he could’ve conjured, and Sunburst smiled as Starlight deepened the kiss. They were closer than ever before, not even a breath apart as her hands cupped his face and kept him there, never to part again. It was hard to tell how long they stayed like this, but when they pulled away, they were both breathing heavily. Her hands tangled in his hair at some point, and she loosened her grip with an apologetic smile, her cheeks pink. “Do you want to come to my place?” He asked. Starlight laughed, still a little breathless herself. “By this point, I thought you’d never ask.” In one hand, she had a good hold of Phyllis’s leash (who was calm and happy to have her favorite human back) while in the other she laced her fingers in Sunburst’s warm hand as he guided them back to his apartment. With time, he learned what she'd been up to the months they'd been apart, she was planning on going to a community college in the area and she got another job, since the shelter was no longer an option, being so far away. According to her, it had been surprisingly easy to get a job in a big city such as this one, since troubled pasts could easily be left behind and go unquestioned. Little by little he figured out everything that happened between her and her foster parents—all the pain, the quiet suffering, and even beyond that. The many foster homes she lived in, the constant moving, the vague memories of her real father, a man who loved her but tragically died when she was young. The ghost of all that unhappiness haunted her still, and would probably never fade away, but he would kiss her and promise her that he would be there every step of the way, so she could look forward to a bright future. A few months passed before he learned that Mrs. Mi Amore (or Cadance, she would insist he called her since she was no longer their teacher) checked on Starlight from time to time and that the two would talk regularly. Apparently, they enjoyed arguing about music and movies, and when Starlight was stuck or unsure about something, Cadance would call and set her straight. Starlight liked to pretend that she didn’t care for the woman, but he caught the look of pure relief when Cadance’s husband called to tell them that she, as well as their newborn daughter Flurry Heart, were fine. They moved in together after his first year in university, settling into a routine that involved stealing kisses in the evening between late-night studying and caffeine-induced breakdowns. When they had free time, they would go out to bars with their new friends or curl up on the couch together and make fun of really bad movies. Sometimes with Phyllis sleeping between them, sometimes holding hands. A lot of things came later—good, bad, ugly, and breathtaking. There were times where Starlight’s fear and anger would get the best of her and she would yell hurtful things, and there were times Sunburst would wonder if this was worth it and if they should go their separate ways. But the doubt and anger never lingered, and once they passed, the two would hold each other and talk things out, like the team they were. As long as they had each other, they could pull through. And on those rainy nights, when the water poured from the skies like it would never end and the stars disappeared behind a thick cover of storm clouds and thunder, they would hide under the covers and learn about the rest of each other, with kisses and tender touches until the morning light. They aren’t sure what life would throw at them next, or how long they would be together, but at least they were together, finally free to just…be. Not hiding. Not merely surviving. But finally living. And that, above all, made it worthwhile.