//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: On My Way Back Home // Story: A Sort of Homecoming // by Closer-To-The-Sun //------------------------------// Spring break had arrived and the entirety of the School of Friendship was empty. The halls had not a single creature roaming, each classroom was vacant, and even the dormitories were empty as each student went home to spend time with their families. However, there was one sound that echoed throughout the school, and it came from the Headmare’s office. In the office, a pinkish purple mare was at the large desk with a dark purple mane with a blue streak. The unicorn had her head down on the surface of the desk on top of a makeshift pillow of papers and folders. Around her body, a dark blue starry cloak was draped over her. A little bit of drool was coming out of her mouth as she loudly snored in her sleep. Coming in from the aside room, an orange unicorn stallion had finished up some paperwork. He looked at the snoring mare and smiled as he silently trotted to file the papers away. The stallion couldn’t help but find the sleeping Headmare adorable. He took great care to not bother her as he took a folder off of the same desk. The doors to the hallway opened, revealing a light blue unicorn. The mare trotted in, up to the other two ponies in the room with a bewildered look on her face. As she got closer, she looked closely at the snoozing mare. “Can you believe that Starlight’s snoring can be heard all the way out by the track field?” the blue unicorn claimed. “Trixie thought she was imagining but coming here proves that she wasn’t losing her mind at all.” “Yeah, she can be pretty loud. Sometimes I wish she would come with a volume knob. Wait, what were you doing by the track field, Trixie?” the stallion asked. “Don’t worry about that, Sunburst,” Trixie insisted, “Also, unrelated, there may or may not be a hive of angry hornets by the field when we get back from spring break.” Sunburst gave a quick glare to Trixie before he looked back down at the sleeping Starlight Glimmer. Taking the folder of files, he went to one of the cabinets against the wall to file it away. He then returned and stood next to Trixie on the opposite end of the Starlight’s desk. Both of them watched as she continued snoring. Trixie was the first to speak, “She’s drooling on that paper.” “Yeah,” Sunburst said, “I don’t have the heart to wake her yet.” “How long has she been asleep for?” “About twenty, thirty minutes? I figured she needed it, so I got to work on the last bit of paperwork for her.” “Aww, that’s so sweet,” Trixie commented, “Looks like the Great and Powerful Trixie was right about you two being the perfect couple!” “Trixie, you literally shoved us together,” Sunburst said flatly. “And the Great and Powerful Matchmaker Trixie told you that you both would thank me!” the mare proudly claimed. Sunburst added, “You locked us in her office.” “You are welcome!” With a sigh and a silent chuckle, Sunburst rolled his eyes. “Did she steal your cloak before or after she fell asleep?” “I draped over her right after the snoring started,” Sunburst explained with a little bashful smile. Trixie couldn’t help but give a playful nudge to the stallion, “Such a romantic. Didn’t know you had a lovey-dovey bone in that body of yours.” “Well, I don’t try to broadcast my private life for everycreature to see,” Sunburst said, and then added with a small laugh, “Besides, each of us have a life that doesn’t include you.” “Impossible!” the blue unicorn proclaimed. Trixie then looked back at the sleeping and snoring unicorn, “So, how should we wake her?” Sunburst shrugged, “I honestly still don’t have the heart to wake her.” “Well, how do you wake her when you two share a bed?” The stallion blushed at Trixie’s words. He couldn’t tell if Trixie was sincerely asking her, or if she was trying to get a reaction from him. Sunburst’s guess was a little bit of both. “Wait, the Great and Powerful Trixie has an idea....” she said as she used her magic to open one of the desk drawers and pulled out a party popper. Sunburst was puzzled, “How did you know that was in there?” “Who do you think Starlight confiscated it from?” Sunburst silently looked down at the still snoring Starlight, before he stared back at Trixie as she readied the party popper. Holding the popper in her hooves and aiming it into the air, she pulled the string causing a loud bang to ring throughout the room. Starlight immediately shot up awake with her eyes wide open and her heart trying to break out from her chest. “Gah, chumbawumba!” Starlight blurted loudly as she looked around her. A small amount of confetti and streamers fell onto her head. She then saw Trixie and Sunburst standing in front of her desk. “And a good morning to you, Starlight Glimmer,” Trixie said with a mischievous smirk. Sunburst couldn’t help but add his own jeer, “Did you enjoy your nap?” The recently awoken Starlight gave both ponies a sour look before asking, “How long was I asleep?” She tried her best to discreetly wipe the drool off from her mouth. “Not long,” Sunburst answered, “maybe about thirty minutes tops.” Trixie added a joke, “Though with your snoring, it felt much longer.” Starlight simply rolled her eyes and did a mocking laugh, “Oh, ha ha. Do I need to point out about a certain showpony who has her own sleep issues, such as reciting her entire stage routine in her sleep?” This caught Sunburst’s attention, “Really?” He smirked a little. “That’s not important right now!” Trixie quickly stated. With a bit of a smile and an eye roll, Starlight changed the subject, “Are we the last ones on the campus?” She looked down at the paperwork on her desk and began moving them around to arranging them into neat stacks. “Trixie has just finished her rounds of the school and can report all students have left, and so have the professors,” Trixie answered. “And the filing?” the purple unicorn asked, looking around with a mild worry. “All taken care of for you,” Sunburst said with a hint of pride. A tired and relieved sigh came from Starlight as she leaned back into her chair. It was then she noted that she had a cloak wrapped around her shoulders. Taking a hoof, she lifted it up to examine it to confirm her curiosity: it was Sunburst’s cloak. The stallion blushed and gave a small nervous laugh, “It seemed like you needed that nap.” “No, what I need is a vacation. I’m so happy it’s finally spring break,” Starlight said as she slid the cloak off to return to Sunburst. She did have a heartfelt smile as she passed the garment over the desk. “Also, I do appreciate that you both helped me finish up everything we had left to do.” “But, of course!” Trixie proclaimed, “The Great and Powerful Trixie is more than happy to assist and lighten the burden of her friends!” “I agree, you already had enough on your plate,” Sunburst agreed as he put his cloak back around his own body, “Especially with having to deal with Gallus and his....issue.” Starlight hit her head on the desk as she recalled the incident, “Oh, please don’t remind me. That whole debacle was a long week.” Trixie shrugged, “Actually, Trixie thought it was funny.” Ignoring her friend, Starlight lifted her head up to rub her forehead with one of her hooves. “Well, for the next week I don’t have to think about anything relating to the School of Friendship and I’m going to enjoy every second.” “Any plans for spring break, Starlight?” Trixie asked, then adding a sly smirk, “Perhaps romantic in nature with a certain orange stallion?” While Sunburst was a bit flustered by Trixie’s question and addendum, Starlight answered, “Are you kidding? Sunburst and I haven’t had a chance to do anything as a couple since we really started dating.” “Excuse me?!” the blue unicorn was shocked to hear this news. She turned to glare daggers at Sunburst, who seemed confused by her look. Raising up one of her front limbs, Trixie hit the back of the stallion’s head. “Ow! What was that for?” Sunburst asked as he rubbed the impact area with his own hoof. “For not treating Trixie’s best friend, the great and powerful Starlight Glimmer, like the amazing unicorn that she is!” Trixie proclaimed with annoyance. Starlight stepped in, “Trixie, it’s not like that. We’ve been so busy with our duties as Headmare and Vice-Headmare that all we’ve been able to do are a few small dates here and there. It’s not that big of a deal.” Sunburst nodded, “We have been planning for something special in the future, but it might not be until summer break.” “Oh, okay,” Trixie nodded, now understanding the situation. She then proceeded to repeat her action of hitting of Sunburst on the back of his head. “Ah! What was that one for?!” Sunburst asked. Trixie spoke smuggly, “Not telling Trixie sooner.” Rolling her eyes at Trixie’s repeated smacking of Sunburst, Starlight then stepped in again, “That being said, we do actually have plans for spring break.” Sunburst added, “We’re going back to visit our parents back home. Both of them wanted to spend some time with us.” “Yeah,” Starlight confirmed, “we’re taking a train tomorrow afternoon. This will be the first visit as an official couple. I’m happy our parents approve of us and all, but I will admit I can do without them being all gushy about it.” Trixie raised an eyebrow, “Your parents were gushy about it?” “Oh, like you wouldn’t believe, Trix,” Starlight said. “After I sent a letter to my dad telling him about us, he sent a letter back filled with confetti and a fourteen page reply of how excited he was for us that slowly devolved into a blubbering mess by the end of it. I think there were actually tear stains on it from his crying.” “And what about you, Sunburst?” Trixie asked, trying not to snicker too loudly. Sunburst sighed a little, “Well, my mom is overbearing, but I think she took it well....” The purple unicorn glared at the stallion, “Sunburst, tell the truth.” Before he could give the correct answer, Starlight turned to look at Trixie, “His mother is hounding us for grandfoals already.” Trixie snorted with surprise and a laugh, “Beg pardon?” “My mom isn’t that bad about wanting grandfoals,” Sunburst insisted. Starlight shot a glance over to Sunburst, “Oh really? How did she respond to the news when we started dating?” The stallion adjusted the glasses on his face a little as he admitted, “Well, she admitted that she wasn’t sure if we were just hiding that we had engagement plans in the works. However, she did state that, hypothetically, if we were engaged, she was disappointed that said hypothetical engagement wasn’t pregnancy related.” Trixie started snickering, raising a hoof up to her muzzle. “I assure you, she isn’t that grandfoal crazy. At least as far as I know,” Sunburst stated. “Well, I’m not looking forward to hearing about her wanting to be a grandmother nine months from five minutes from now,” Starlight said as she sat up from her desk.  Again, Trixie chuckled at the thought while Sunburst had a both defeated and exhausted expression. Starlight continued, “Sunburst’s mother invited us over for the break and, to be honest, I’m a bit worried about it. I feel there’s some sort of ulterior motive behind it.” Trixie seemed surprised at the thought, “Do you really think that?” “Sadly, I believe there might be,” Sunburst admitted. “By the way, Trixie,” Starlight pointed to the blue mare, “I’m trusting you to take care of Phylis for me while we are on vacation.” “You have nothing to worry about, Starlight. The Great and Powerful Trixie is also a Great and Powerful plantsitter!” “I’m not feeling very confident with her abilities,” Sunburst expressed. “I never did.”