//------------------------------// // Chapter V // Story: The Parent Map: TLC Timeline // by AizakkuHorooee //------------------------------// Starlight, Sunburst and I walk over to Firelight’s house, only to see he’s writing on empty paper on a coffee table as we enter the living room. “Well, if you wanna know where I get my ‘going the extra mile’ from, there you go.  Aita, you’ve been around one of our friends’ parents before.  Why don’t you talk to Dad.” Starlight pushes me into view of Firelight, who now sees me. “Oh hey, Aita, right?” “Yuh-huh.  So, you’re making your own report on Stellar Flare, huh?” “Absolutely.  Ambition runs in the family.” I approach the coffee table and look at the paper.  The hornwriting resembles Starlight’s a bit, only neater. “It seems like it… Did you know Starlight wrote her own spell to help make a video game for me?” Firelight releases the quill from his magic, amazed about the anecdote.  “She DID?!?  Now that’s my sugar-plum!  She really hasn’t changed since she left for Manehattan all those years ago, has she?” “Manehattan?  I didn’t know she went to Manehattan.  I know she established a village all by herself, and became Twilight’s student…” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Starlight covering her face. “So… do you live with my honey?” “Firelight, You didn’t know?” “Afraid I don’t follow the news like Stellar Flare does.  Who’s Twilight anyway?” I jump up in the air in shock, putting my hooves on each side of my head.  “WHAT?!?  You’ve never heard of Princess Twilight Sparkle?!?” “...oh, she’s a princess, and you live with her too?” I slump my shoulders upon confirmation.  “Wow, this town really is remote.” “Aaaand done!”  Firelight punts one last period onto the paper, now looking basically like a professional report.  “Now it’s time to contact the sheriff.  If you’d like you could come with me to the post office.  Company can be hard to come by around here.” I shrug at the suggestion as an outward show of open-mindedness.  “Sure.  Why not?” Sunburst and I watch as Dad leads Aita out of the house.  Once it’s just the two of us, we look at each other.  Sunburst’s glasses slide, prompting him to push them back into place. “Did you really go to Manehattan?” he asks. I rub the floor, embarrassed.  “Yeah.  I went so that I could learn how to route my magic through ordinary objects, which was part of the illusion of…” I shake my head to avoid recapping my past… again.  “Anyway, a griffon taught me… well not so much the griffon, more my mother who was momentarily within her.” “Kenko.  And I thought traveling through time was jaw-dropping.  So why is Manehattan embarrassing for you?” “Because it’s something I don’t think Dad would approve of.” “Did you ever ask him about it?” I shake my head no.  “This is my first time home since I moved out.  I know it goes without saying, but I know my dad more than anypony else.  I never did ask him.” “But why?” “Because the both of us know what I did when I first moved was wrong!” I throw my hooves up into the air and slump on the wall when I finish.  Sunburst pats my head. “Starlight… of course we do.  But your father isn’t going to know unless you tell him.  He didn’t even know there was a new princess when Aita announced it.  And if Aita, Spike and Twilight are anything to go off of, Firelight will probably forgive you.” “Do you think that was why I was afraid I’d be treated like a filly more than I actually was?” “Maybe, but we can’t know for sure unless we try.” “...And that’s the story of my whole life,” I tell Firelight as the two of us walk to the local post office.  “You probably already know about today, right?” “Yep.  You got my daisy-cheeks and her childhood friend here to deal with Stellar Flare… Wow, I cannot believe how much I was missing out on, Aita: Chrysalis, the real world, Canterlot High School… It’s all so interesting.” “So, anything interesting about you happen while Starlight was away?” “Oh not a whole lot.  Just living life one day at a time, holding down home, keeping my pumpky-wumpkin’s possessions safe, that kind of thing.” “Wow… couldn’t help but notice you love to use affectionate nicknames for Starlight.  It’s good to see my friends having loving parents like you.” “Well,” Firelight chuckles.  “Thanks, Aita.  I don’t normally get that kind of reception.” “You don’t?  Why not?” “Maybe it’s just the same old thing I’ve done for decades.” Now we’ve entered the post office.  In the midst of all the seating, there is a short line for the counter across from the entrance, only a couple of mares at the counter.  The attendant appears to be a griffon with a similar fur pattern to Gilda.  Only difference is the white is a little closer to grey, and she’s wearing a headband with some sort of… shocked face on it. When the griffon sees Firelight, she motions a pony to take over attendance for the line while she talks to him.  “Hey Firelight!” “Granola!  How’s it going?” Firelight greets, leading me up to the counter. “Not bad, not bad.  Got a paper to send?” “It’s, uh, for the sheriff.  It was this little one’s idea originally.” I get a pat on the head when Firelight refers to me. “A bold move for someone your age,” Granola remarks to me.  “I probably would be caught dead pulling a similar stunt twenty something years ago.” “Well, I have been on a couple of friendship missions.  They really did give me a confidence boost.” Granola chuckles.  “With an attitude like that, you’d be one policy change away from becoming a Wonderbolt.  So Firelight, what has you contacting Sheriff Mangle?” “Well, Sunburst has lost his sense of privacy due to his mother.  Aita set to resolve this by reporting Stellar Flare’s behavior, and I jumped right at the opportunity to help out.” Granola lets out an impressed whistle, then takes the report out of Firelight’s magic.  “Looks like I’ll be out and about for a while then.  See ya later Firelight; you too Aita.” The two of us wave goodbye to Granola as she flies over the counter and out of the post office.  I can’t believe I just met a griffon in the flesh.  This one was certainly nice to be around. When Firelight and I turn around, we suddenly see Starlight and Sunburst at the main entrance, awaiting us. “Aita, Sunburst, you go ahead and find Stellar Flare,” says Starlight.  “I need a moment with Dad.” Sunburst and I nod at Starlight and starting exiting the post office.