Finally the new month has arrived. Ever since Celestia, Luna and Chrysalis delayed their retirements due to the search parties going on in Equestria, everyone’s been a bit uneasy… for more than one reason.
Aita had been trying to stay as comfortable as she can by playing Crystal Cup Buckball, a new collaboration between everyone who worked on Sim Hive last year. Whoever has the time is the one playing with her.
That was until the other day, where Aita and Twilight went to the hospital here in Ponyville. Twilight said something about Aita having surgery, but she didn’t go into ANY detail. That night was the first since Aita moved that it was just me and Spike in the castle.
The next day when the two got home, Aita told us she’s feeling so much better after that surgery, so there’s that. And that was yesterday. Since she came back, her voice has been sounding different compared to before. It’s not so coarse like it used to sound. Maybe the hospital also provided some quick vocal training before she left. She also appears to be wearing a cast that covers the general back area with her legs and tail sticking out.
Today, when I go to the dining room for breakfast, Aita turns out to’ve made it before anyone else since the first summons last month. Since then, I was the first to be there, so that’s good.
“Aita! Oh it’s great to see you here so early.”
“Same here, Starlight. So what do you have going on today?”
“Well, as you can imagine from my announcement, Sunburst and I are dating now. The only thing separating us is the distance. So yesterday, I sent him a letter telling him to meet me at the Ponyville Train Station the next day.”
Aita hovers and gives me a hug. “That’s amazing! I remember seeing you guys reconnect only two years ago, and now you’re a couple?!?”
“All thanks to you, Aita.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Sunburst has you to thank for improving his quality of life by reporting his mother’s behavior, and I have you to thank for Sunburst getting me to open up to Dad. You’ve pulled us closer than I could’ve imagined.”
“Was that why you wanted to move in with him?”
I nod. “If you’d like, you could accompany me at the train station so you could see him.”
Aita takes up my offer to go with me to the train station, mostly because she was curious if Sunburst thought the same way I did.
“Do you think Sunburst would agree with your sentiment?” she asks after I buy me and Sunburst’s tickets.
“No doubt about it Aita. I just hope you’ll be okay without me for the week.”
Aita beams. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll have plenty of company between Spike and Twilight and Dr. Immunity.”
“Immunity? Twilight told me about her once or twice. Who is she again?”
“She’s the pony helping me with training,” answers Aita. “When I left the hospital, she said losing the rasp in my voice made me sound so cozy to her.”
“Yeah I noticed as well, and I’m sure Sunburst will too.”
Right on cue, the Friendship Express comes into view, squealing on the rails as it slows to a stop. When the doors open, Sunburst steps out of the front car behind the engine and spots and runs to us.
“Aita! Starlight!”
“Hi Sunburst!” Aita and I greet back as we hug him.
Sunburst tilts his head, unsure of why Aita is with me. “So did you want to go with us, Aita?”
Aita shakes her head. “I wish I could, but I have to stay home for training tonight.”
“Vocal training?” guesses Sunburst. “Because you do sound different.”
“Yep. Dr. Immunity wanted to make sure I got my training down. I may be a quick learner, but I’ve never had my natural voice changed before. It all comes down to habits.”
ALL ABOARD!!! the conductor suddenly shouts.
“Oh, that’s us, Sunburst!” I exclaim. “Write to us if you want to talk, Aita. Okay?”
Aita nods yes and waves goodbye to us as Sunburst and I step inside the one of the cars. “Will do, Starlight! See you next week!”
When Sunburst and I walk off the train platform at our destination, I immediately notice the gate’s been demolished and removed.
“Whoa, now this is more like it,” I remark. “Last I knew, the gate was still there, but the speaker was decommissioned.”
“Well Starlight, with Mom locked away in the caves in Canterlot, most of her influence has been fading away.” Sunburst suddenly points ahead. “Oh, oh, and new fruit stands have been established where the essence and smoothie shops were.”
As we trot toward the downtown area, none of the businesses that were present when I first returned are standing here anymore. The buildings either have new stores or have been just closed. And as Sunburst pointed out, two fruit stands are fully open. I look past those two stands and see a comic book store that wasn’t there before.
I gasp with interest. “Ooh!”
“Funny how a store from Las Pegasus made its way here after the incidents with my mom,” quips Sunburst.
As we open the door, a bell from above rings, notifying staff that new customers have come in. When we head into the store, to our left houses most of the shelves in the store with six wide aisles. On the right is the counter, a table for reading and a wall with the remaining selves in the store.
An earth pony and a changeling enter the sales floor and accompany the cash register, both appearing to be nearly adults but not quite. The former has a yellow-green coat, sea green mane and tail, and a trio of sea turtles for a cutie mark.
“Welcome!” the changeling cheers, causing me to blush.
“How’s it going, you two?” asks the earth pony, before he pauses and looks more avidly. “Sunburst?”
The changeling momentarily turns to the earth pony. “You know him, Sandbar?”
“Not personally, but everypony who reads the news has heard about Stellar Flare’s son. So, how can Ocellus and I help you guys?”
“We’re just shopping on the fly. We’ll be at the counter soon.” Sunburst and I look around until I see Power Ponies in the middle of the wall shelves to the left of the aisles. “Oh wow! They have it here?!? In Operation Comics?!?”
“I thought you were caught up with Power Ponies, Starlight.”
“Sunburst, that was ten months ago. There’s been a number of new installments since.” I pick up various prints I haven’t seen of the series with my magic. “And that’s ALL of them! Sweet!”
“Sure hope your saddlebags can handle that much paper. I was actually going to look for something for Aita.” Out of nowhere, Sunburst spots a booklet close to the entrance in the front aisle. “Is… is that what I think it is?”
Looking at it myself, it seems to be… “An aerodynamic construction booklet? Come on Sunburst, I have that at home. Y- you know, I’m actually surprised Dad hasn’t asked me about flying kites with him when I did visit.”
“You know what?” Sunburst takes the instruction booklet with his magic anyway. “Why not. This would be the perfect opportunity to learn something you like.”
“Hm. You always were the ‘knowledge is power’ type. Maybe I could find you something.”
I zip to the shelf on the other side of the store and immediately find something interesting. “Huh, what’s this? sFree?”
“Oh that?!?” replies Sandbar as he runs up as close to me behind the counter as he can. “I used to read that comic when I went to school! It’s about this filly named Free Mare who teams up with two friends to host a sideshow. But are you sure that’s educational?”
“I don’t know. Hey Sunburst?” I call, prompting him to run to me with the comics we picked out. “It doesn’t have to be when we get to your place, but do you think you’ll be interested in sFree at any point?”
Sunburst looks at the comic and takes a quick peak. “Hm, lots of behind the scenes stuff. Sure thing.”
We are on our way out, we don’t seem to be heading in the direction of Sunburst’s place, more in the direction of Town Hall.
“Um, isn’t your house elsewhere?” I ask Sunburst.
“Yes, but we’re not going there yet. We need to confirm that place is under my name now.”
“Oh right,” I chuckle nervously.
When Sunburst and I enter Town Hall, we walk into the housing department, where we see no line for the counter. A mostly blue griffon with a yellow underbelly notices us and waves us to come over.
“What’s up, Sunburst,” the griffon greets.
I blink in surprise. “So many young, new faces, yet they all know you. Did everyone read the paper?”
The griffon scoffs. “Oh who? Me? I only saw the wanted poster outside of Town Hall. I’ve been here since the essence stand was established, so I'm not exactly new. I’m Gallus. How can I help you two?”
“Well, I was wondering if my mother’s house is under my name after the incident last month,” Sunburst explains.
“I can find out.” Gallus dashes away from counter and takes out a file from one of the cabinets in the background. With his right claw, he can somehow flip through the contents in a manner one would need two for. He then nods and puts the file away where he took it. “Great news, that was done the moment Stellar Flare was locked away the second time.”
I beam. “Well that was easy. Did he inherit ALL her assets?”
“That’s pretty much how I understand it. Sunburst’s mother is doing lifetime, so what was hers is now his.”
Sunburst’s jaw hangs allowing his glasses to slide to the edge of his muzzle. He slides them back in black with his hoof. “I’m sorry. But there’s no possible way Mom could legally get out of the caves? No bail? No dropping charges? …Not that I would want that.”
“Afraid not there, Sunburst,” answers Gallus. “You wouldn’t have had her possessions if there was.”
“Well, okay,” Sunburst replies. “That’s a plus I won’t say no to.”
So, I guess that means it’s time for Sunburst and I to head out. “Have a good day then, Gallus.”
As we head out, Gallus nods and waves goodbye to us.
When we enter Sunburst’s newly inherited house, we notice most if not all of the possessions come from our first visit.
I look around, astounded by the amount of knick knacks there are. “Whoa… So many decorative items. Do we even need all of this?”
“No, especially these ‘essences’,” Sunburst air quotes with one hoof as we pass by the table of perfumes on the other side of the living room. “Still unbelievable this is all mine now. If I downsize, maybe I could move down here.”
“How would you even do that, Sunburst? Yard sale?” I guess.
When we enter Sunburst’s room on the upper floor, the only thing within the room is a record player under the window and a small shelf of record sleeves by its side.
“Note to self: only keep the record player during the yard sale,” Sunburst tells himself.
Looking at some of the labels, I come across one sleeve depicting the western train tracks - specifically looking north toward Vanhoover and Cloudsdale, another with a supercut of graffiti around the major cities across Equestria, and one more with the pendulum of a grandfather glock crossfaded with a record needle.
Was this really the music Sunburst was into? I wouldn’t expect quite the hippie out of him.
He comes behind me and takes the records and a long pause when he sees them.
“So much for getting rewarded,” Sunburst remarks as he puts the sleeves away, which leaves me a bit confused.
“What?”
“These were pass-me-downs for when I learned levitation as a foal.”
I can see the old scene playing out now, Stellar Flare hauling in the record player with a tall stack of sleeves. She’d set it where it is today, and replace the books on a younger Sunburst’s sole shelf with those sleeves. Now that you’ve taken that first step, Sunburst, why don’t we put it to use by rewarding you with music. These were classics when I was a filly.
“They never really were any good,” finishes Sunburst in the present day.
“I thought so. Seemed like more of our parents’ thing to be honest.”
“I still don’t know what happened to those books that were here before. Could you look around, Starlight? See if I still have ’em?”
I nod and start by looking around the empty room. Seriously, there’s nothing but the record player and the shelf here, not even a bed. Okay, what about the closet… that’s empty too.
“I guess somepony did your room some serious spring cleaning. All that’s in here is the record player, the sleeves and the shelf.”
Sunburst tugs his goatee in thought. “Do you think they’re buried in the house elsewhere?”
I take a quick tour through the house to see if there are any books of Sunburst’s from his childhood. The first stop is Stellar Flare’s room, which I can see hasn’t been in the best shape. From there, across the hall leads back downstairs, which seems to be the next logical place for Sunburst’s books to be if they aren’t upstairs. The hallway, the kitchen, the dining room and the living room - in that order - and I don’t find a single book.
I meet Sunburst at the base of the stairs in the hall. “Nothing?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Either Stellar Flare sold your books or you took them with you when you moved out.”
“Great… it’s probably the former. I bought every book I have back at the Crystal Empire.”
I notice Sunburst hanging his head and immediately hold it back up with my hoof under his chin. “Hey now, we have the book store by my place if you’d like.”
“But you don’t understand, Starlight. Those old books had sentimental value. Dad gave them to me; I would’ve liked to at least know where they even went.”
I wave my hooves to get Sunburst to calm down. “You’re right. You’re right. Not yet. What does Sunspot think? Should I send him a letter?”
So, we send a letter to Sunburst’s father, Sunspot, asking where any of Sunburst’s stuff went. We get the letter after dark, so the lights are on at the time. As it turns out, he moved to Fillydelphia shortly after Sunburst was enrolled in Canterlot, because he divorced with Stellar Flare. As for Sunburst’s possessions…
“She sold ALL of them?!?” I exclaim. “And NONE of those funds went back to you?!?”
Sunburst shrugs. “But good news, Dad can come back here and help out, right?”
“But Stellar Flare shouldn’t be messing with your things! No wonder she had no problem with directly sending you letters!”
“But that doesn’t matter now. She’s thrown her own life away by doing that. She’s never seeing her possessions again, so why not raise enough bits to get a U-Fly? Give her a taste of her own medicine.”
Sunburst’s idea is pretty appealing. But who would we contact?
“But other than Lightning Dust, Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash, who else would’ve had experience with that company?” I ask.
After contacting Aita the next day, I manage to come across a tall aqua coated pegasus stallion with a fancy blonde mane and tail with a cutie mark of a feather adrift in the wind.
When I bring up me and Sunburst’s situation to him as he arrives, he looks beside himself in flattered laughter. “I’m- I’m sorry, Stars. Yo-you’re askin’ vido to help your coltfriend move here to Sire’s Hollow!”
“Precisely,” I answer, Sunburst and me nodding.
“Well don’t you worry, then. I, Zephyr Breeze, will have everything ready by the time that yard sale is over!” Zephyr turns to Sunburst. “And Sunzies, you won’t have t’worry about me at the Crystal Empire. Accompany your good ol’ partner over here, will ya?”
“Oh, okay. I could do that.”
“Now if y’all excuse me, I’mma go get a rental.” Zephyr flies off and heads in the direction of Cloudsdale.
So, after Zephyr’s agreement, I invite Dad to the yard sale, but he isn’t the only one. Sunspot arrives a quarter of the way through to help sell all of Stellar Flare’s stuff. By twilight, we only have the sleeves Sunburst and I found in his room left to sell. Three out of the six tables we have set out are now empty. When dark finally sets in, a white unicorn mare with a blue mane and tail with a note for a cutie mark buys all the records set out. When she leaves, Zephyr Breeze glides in with a chariot packed with boxes of mostly books.
He laughs at the sight of us JUST having sold the last item the moment he comes back. “What did I tell y’all! Stars, Sunzies, I feel real accomplished for such a timely arrival!”
I beam. “I’m pretty sure that’s natural, Zephyr. It’s insane how things like that work out though.”
“I know, right?!?” Zephyr cheers.
Sunburst extends his hoof to Zephyr, who accept. “Thanks for your help, there. Whatever you’d like, you name it, I’m certain I can provide it.”
“Oh Sunzies, you smart stallion. ALWAYS lookin’ out for your compadres… say, you’s a crystaller, huh? Yet you have all that loot behind you from the sale.” Sunburst and I look in the direction Zephyr points, where a large chest of bits lays on the front yard. “After a hard day’s work like that, you’re probably itchin’ for some R ‘n R.”
Dad and Sunspot have our friend’s attention now. “I’m sorry, do you want to be a crystaller?” asks Dad.
“It’s a pretty big responsibility,” Sunburst adds.
“What can I say? I’m a stallion of all trades. Why else is my cutie mark the way it is?”
“Okay, Zephyr, but you’re going to need a place to stay, and I know just the place.” Sunburst now trots to the main entrance of his house. “Meet me tomorrow at the Crystal Palace, and we’ll be able to pass my deed onto you.”
Zephyr Breeze is pleasantly surprised by this proposal. “Y- You will?!? Aw man! Just wait ‘til Flutter-Butter hears about-”
“Oh and that’s the thing. We only tell the residents of the palace. Well goodnight.”
Sunburst teleports one of the items out of the chariot and into his room, probably the mattress, and closes the door once he and Sunspot are in.
Zephyr rubs his shadow with his feather. “Now, that leaves me with one dilemma. Where am I gonna stay tonight?”
“Well, Dad and I have a guest room at our place,” I say.
“I’m sure we could use the company.”
Zephyr hugs me and Dad, an obvious sign he’s down on the offer. “Thanks, Stars. Just imagine what my home will be like tomorrow night!”
And so, the three of us walk over to me and Dad’s place, off to spend the rest of the night sharing cookies, giving the grand tour, and finally get a good night’s sleep at home for the first time since I was an adolescent.