The front door to the castle never looked so foreboding. Sunburst probably wouldn’t have had the courage to even approach it if Starlight hadn’t been beside him. She nodded encouragingly when he met her eyes and Sunburst gulped, taking a deep breath before turning the doorknob with his magic and pulling the door open.
“Dad,” Sunburst greeted coldly.
“Hello Sunburst, Starlight,” Sunspot greeted, pleasant as ever. “May I come in?”
Sunburst wanted nothing more than to slam the door in his handsome face, but Starlight’s gentle hoof on his shoulder kept him still. “Please, come in Mr. Sunspot.”
“Thank you.” Sunspot said and followed the pair into the sitting room, but unlike yesterday, there was a tension in the air that the three unicorns refused to acknowledge, which made Starlight and Sunburst's gazes heavy and pointed. Sunspot, seemingly unaffected, sat down and eyed how close the two sat together, almost lazily. “So, you told her.”
“Yes,” Sunburst answered curtly.
“Everything?”
“Everything.”
Sunspot’s smile never faltered as he turned to Starlight. “And you still want him? After all that?”
“I already told you.” Starlight didn’t bother to keep the edge from her voice anymore. “I don’t care what Sunburst did. I trust him, and I always will.”
His purple eyes studied the pair before he let out a dramatic sigh. “I was afraid it would come to this.” Slowly, he reached into the pocket of his brown jacket and pulled out a white envelope. Sunburst tensed beside Starlight when he slid it across the table. “Son, this is for you.”
Sunburst stared at the envelope but made no move to reach it. “What is it?”
His father chuckled, “Why don’t you see for yourself, silly?”
Gritting his teeth, he used his magic to pluck the paper off the table and held it up to his eye level. Starlight leaned in to see as well, but the only markings on the envelope were the return address. To a Sunspot Zenith. “What is this?”
“That is a copy of the letter I will send to Lady Sky Emerald before I board the train to Canterlot this afternoon,” Sunspot nodded at the envelope. “It expresses my sincerest apologies that due to your new obligations, you are no longer in a position to accept their most generous offer to unite our families in holy matrimony.”
Starlight gaped at him. Sunburst’s glasses almost slipped from his nose before he hastily caught them and tore open the letter. With his mouth hanging open, he read the letter, and re-read it just to be sure. But Sunspot was telling the truth. “B-But…but why?”
Sunspot grinned. “Because your mother made it a point to mention just how truly happy you are living and working here, even more than when you were in the Crystal Empire. I came all this way to see that for myself and I’m happy to report that she was right.”
Starlight finally found her voice. “But today…at the restaurant! All those things you said! You…!”
“And for that, I must give you my sincerest apologies,” Sunspot said, bowing his head at her. “But I was not going to let my son throw his life away over any girl, especially after I found out about your past misdeeds.”
Starlight paled, but before Sunburst could jump to her defense, Sunspot raised a placating hoof. “However, it would be remiss of me to ignore all of your achievements and the good you have done ever since Princess Twilight took you under her wing. I pushed you, tried to provoke you, all to see if you were still the power-hungry unicorn you once were, but you handled the situation civilly, all things considered.” Sunspot sighed happily. “You really are an amazing girl, and Sunburst is very lucky to have you as his friend.”
“J-Just like that?” Sunburst asked, fearing that if he pushed his father might reconsider his offer, but his curiosity would not let him be. “What about the family name? You wanted this for me for so long and now you're just…letting it go?”
“Yes, the Zenith name is not what it once was,” Sunspot sighed. “When I’m gone, I won’t be leaving you with much, or not as much as I would like you to have. At first, I wanted you to finish magic school so I could put you in a comfortable job with one of my colleagues, but then you got expelled and marriage seemed like the only way to guarantee you a comfortable future.” He shook his head. “I let you go with the expectation that a taste of reality would make you come to your senses, but you are stubborn like your mother, and you succeeded when I was sure you would fail.”
“You underestimated him,” Starlight said without thinking, slightly angry, but continued when the stallions turned to stare at her. “You know how talented and smart he is, if you just had let him be from the start none of this would happen, he wouldn’t have had to suffer like he did.”
“I don’t expect you to understand my reasons, Starlight, but…a parent’s deepest desire is to see their child succeed, it means that they made it and they will be fine when you’re no longer around. Though, I admit now that my view of success was very narrow at the time.” Sunspot turned to look at his son. “You have gone above and beyond all of my expectations and, all things considered, you hold all the cards here. Even if I had wanted to press the engagement, there would have been nothing I could’ve done to force you.”
“It seems like I overestimated you.” Sunburst conceded. “But…it would have been painful, you are my dad, and part of me will always want to make you proud.”
“Son, seeing how far you come, how happy you are here, and how much trust Starlight has in you, it was what finally convinced me to let go of this matter. I realized I no longer had to find a path for you because you have found your own. Granted, it may not be what I would have chosen, but you can’t imagine just how proud I am of you.” Sunspot smiled, staring at his son with a fond expression. It was the most honest and open look Starlight had seen him give until now. “I have always been proud of you, from the moment you were born, and it was that same pride that made me do what I thought was best, not what was best for you…I know it sounds like an excuse, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive this old fool one day.”
Sunburst blinked back the mistiness that had gathered in his eyes and cleared his throat before speaking. “And what about you? Will you be alright?”
Sunspot laughed. “I’m not in the poor house if that’s what you mean, I have more than enough to live my retirement comfortably. And now I can do it peacefully knowing that you are okay.”
He pulled out his pocket watch. “Well, my train is leaving soon, I’m just going to drop this letter in the Post Office and be on my way. Son, I expect you to write to me once in a while now. If you ever happen to be in Canterlot, my door will always be open for you (and Starlight as well, of course), and do visit Stellar more often, your mother misses you terribly and likes to take out her frustration on me.”
With a small wave, he headed for the front door but stopped when Sunburst jumped to his feet.
“Wait!”
He turned around. “Yes, Sunburst?”
Without another word, he swept the distance between them aside and pulled his father into a tight embrace. Without hesitation, Sunspot returned the affection. “I love you, dad.”
“I love you too, Sunburst. So much.” He whispered, tears shining in his eyes. “And…I’m sorry, for all I put you through. I only wanted the best for you.”
“I know,” he whispered back, “and I found it.”
“Yes, you did.” Sunspot let out a choked laugh as the embrace ended, he hastily wiped his eyes before he fixed his gaze towards Starlight.
Understanding, Starlight rose from the couch and approached him. She still had her misgivings, but if Sunburst was okay with this, then she would support him.
Reaching out, he pulled the short mare into a hug. “Take good care of my boy, Starlight.”
“I will,” Starlight promised. “And I’ll make sure he writes to you.”
Sunspot chuckled and lowered his voice so only she could hear. “You’re going to be a wonderful daughter-in-law someday.” With that, he pulled away, leaving Starlight a blushing mess and the elder stallion gave her a knowing grin. “Until next time, you two.”
Sunburst followed him to the foyer, giving the stallion one last hug before he let him go with a smile. “Bye, dad.”
Sunspot hesitated on the castle steps. “Son, if you ever need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
“Thanks, dad, but I think I have everything I need right here.”
“Are you sure? The jewelry store in this town leaves a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to rings…”
“What?”
Sunspot chuckled, heading for the carriage parked outside. “Nothing, take care!”
Sunburst watched him enter the carriage, and it was only when it disappeared around the corner that he finally headed back inside. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it with a sigh. “Well…that was unexpected.”
Starlight nodded, unable to look at Sunburst in the eye without her blush deepening. Her stomach growled, which sounded louder than usual in the silence that had hung between them all of the sudden.
“Do…do you want to get a hayburger or something? I’m a little hungry myself.” Sunburst asked with a sheepish grin.
“Y-Yeah, I guess all that melodrama worked up my appetite,” Starlight squeaked out, laughing awkwardly. “Should I call the others? I think Maud and Mudbriar are in town…”
Sunburst shook his head, reaching out and pulling her into a tight hug. “No. I think it should be just the two of us today…is that alright?”
Starlight nodded, smiling into his chest as she returned the embrace.
Starlight Glimmer, wife of Sunburst Zenith…she could live with that.