Sunny felt as if the entire world had fallen away. Her excitement levels only peaked as she approached the strange equine. Most of her uncontrollable shakes were due to simple curiosity. The stranger was a mystery, and she considered herself a great lover of the mysterious and unsolvable. However, she also felt some glimmer of hope. The pony looked vaguely familiar, as if Sunny had seen whoever it was before. It was a broken image…one that rested in the farthest stretches of the new Princess’s imagination; or, perhaps, her own insanity. Either way, Sunny knew one thing: she had to get to this stranger. In those moments, her entire life practically depended upon finding their identity.
Somewhere, she registered her friends’ desperate pursuit. But, as much as she loved them, she simply could not stop. Her mind begged for answers, and she was bent on satiating her thoughts. This pony could be key in unlocking some strategy to defeat Scarlet Wing once and for all. They might be some brave, strong warrior, sent from a great realm beyond to help the ponies in their hour of need. But, above all else, Sunny hoped that this pony might be the missing piece to her lifelong search for her mother. She’d been unable to come up with any on her journey through the forest, and it clawed at her mind like never before.
“Wait! Stop!” She cried as the Earth Pony stranger rounded a corner. Following closely, Sunny suddenly realized that the alley they’d turned into was a dead end. Two buildings rose up sharply on either side with a third wall in front. The adjoining structure just so happened to be the First Maretime Bay Bank, with walls three feet thick. Nopony got in or out without their top notch security force knowing about it. So, for all intents and purposes, Sunny and the stranger were walled in together. This delighted the Princess, who knew she could ask questions without interruptions. So, she spread her wings to their full span and walked toward the now quivering stranger.
“P…please,” the stranger, who turned out to be a mare, said, “…don’t harm me.”
“Who are you?” Sunny asked, “and why did you make such a mad dash away from me after cheering louder than anyone?”
“I guess I’m just like that sometimes,” the mare said, “especially when I see somepony I love so deeply succeed on such a level.”
“Love?” Sunny asked.
The mare nodded. “Yes, my dear Sunny. I love you…very much.”
Sunny looked deep into the other mare’s eyes. She saw a kindness and a compassion there that she’d never known before. It was almost as if some type of familial bond existed between them, though she knew that would be impossible. For, after all, they’d only just met…or had they? Upon a second glance, Sunny couldn’t help but notice how much the stranger looked like her. They shared the same orange fur, the same purple mane, and the same aqua eyes. Really, the only difference between them were their unique cutie marks and Sunny’s Alicorn abilities.
It was then that reality slammed into Sunny like one of Maretime Bay’s biggest tram cars. The impact was deepened when the other pony smiled. Sunny hadn’t seen this smile in years, and tears immediately filled her eyes. It was one of those moments where premonitions and presumptions collide, creating a mental soup. In other words, it was just a gut feeling. But Sunny knew that this pony was the right pony. In her eyes, she saw the same love and joy that her father had always brought her. She knew that this pony…was her long lost mother.
“…Mom?” She asked hopefully.
“Yes, my sweet filly,” the mare responded.
Sunny immediately threw her hooves around the other pony. The two cried waterfalls down each other’s backs, overjoyed at being reunited. Sunny thought she’d never see her mother again. The way her father had told her the story…it had all seemed hopeless. But hope never truly died away in her heart, and now here she was, standing in an embrace she had so desperately longed for. There was a new lilt to her voice as she stepped back and beamed towards her mother. She didn’t need to be told how proud her mother was of her. The look in the eyes that scanned her spoke for a thousand volumes.
“I…I never thought I’d…” She began, then stopped when she choked up.
“Neither did I,” her mother said.
“Please…what’s your name?” Sunny asked.
“Argyle never told you my name?” Her mother asked.
Sunny shook her head. “No, he didn’t. He’d always get ready to…and then he’d break down and cry. He really loved you.”
“…and I really loved him,” her mother said. “I miss him terribly.”
“Did you know that he’d been killed?”
“Yes, I did,” her mother said, ears drooping. “See…I was captured by Scarlet Wing, and…well…they did it. I remember watching from my prison when the raiding party returned, satisfied that they’d slaughtered more innocent lives. When Luster asked them who they’d killed, they showed her the pictures. She then held Argyle’s over my head, taunting me and asking me if that was my husband. I told her the truth, and she cackled all the more.”
Sunny saw her mother’s face fall as she relived the terrible memory. The daughter crept closer, putting a loving wing on the older pony’s back. She nuzzled her mother, trying to reassure her that she wasn’t alone any more. Scarlet Wing, while not destroyed yet, would one day be wiped out. She was certain of it.
“Thank you, my love,” her mother said. “I’m feeling stronger now that I’ve got my beloved daughter back. My little Sunny…oh, how you’ve grown! I remember the day you were born. Argyle and I were so thrilled, and we decided to give you a name that represented the cheer we saw in your little face.”
Sunny blushed a bit. “Oh, Mom…”
“It’s true,” her mother said, brushing a hoof through her mane. “Then, we gave you a second name that represented both my own and your father’s sense of adventure and wonder.”
“Starscout?”
“Yes, indeed,” her mother said. “But…only the Scout part. Star came from my own name.”
“What is it?” Sunny asked, eyes wide.
“My name…is Astral Flare.”