Night had started to fall and dinner was served at the house. However, Starlight Glimmer was still locked away in Sunburst’s room. The meal was a little tense between Sunburst, Stellar Flare, and Firelight. The discussion was light and done best not to pry between any of them.
Afterwards, Firelight went to the hallway in an attempt to convince Starlight to come out. As for Stellar Flare, she retreated to the kitchen to both clean up after dinner and prepare dessert. Sunburst joined his mother in the kitchen to help.
“I do hope Starlight knows we didn’t mean to be so pushy earlier,” Stellar Flare said as she used her magic on the mixing bowl and its contents.
“I’m sure she does,” Sunburst replied as he was washing the dishes in the sink, “I think she just has a lot on her mind. It might be our vacation, but she can’t just take off all the pressure on her shoulders. It’s not who she is.”
Stellar Flare continued mixing the ingredients into cookie dough, her voice was a bit melancholy, “I do hope I didn’t ruin our relationship. She really is a lovely filly.”
Sunburst tried his best to snicker too loudly, “You didn’t think that when I told you we started dating.”
“I-I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sunburst,” Stellar Flare said with a bit of guilt.
“Oh really?” Sunburst spoke as he adjusted his glasses with his magic, “If I remember correctly, you said, and I quote, ‘Starlight is a fine mare and all, but don’t you think she’s a little bit of a delinquent? Wouldn’t you prefer someone nice such as that one filly you went to school with, Riverdream?’ And do you remember what I said to that?” The stallion looked over to his mom to gauge her reaction.
The mare did her best to shrug off what was being said, “I don’t really recall.” Stellar Flare seemed a bit nervous at being reminded of her past statements as she placed a bit of the cookie dough on the baking sheet.
“I’ll be happy to remind you,” Sunburst said with humor in his voice, “I had to explain to you that there were a number of issues, such as Riverdream and I hadn’t interacted since the seventh grade. But the main issue was that she was already married.”
“Oh, that’s right....”
“But that wasn’t the end of it,” Sunburst pointed out as he finished the dishes and turned the water faucet off, “Almost immediately, you said that you would be more than happy to break them up for me.”
Stellar Flare sighed and finally admitted it, “Yes, I remember! You don’t have to remind me of all of that, Sunburst!” She was flustered as she looked at Sunburst laughing at her. Using her magic, she opened up the oven and took out a tray of freshly baked cookies. Quickly, she placed it safely on the counter and then used her magic to then put in a new batch of cookies to be baked. As she closed the oven door she spoke again, “I just want you to be happy, Sunburst.”
“I am, mom. We both are.” Sunburst insisted, “We’re happy to take things at our own pace. All good things require patience.”
With a sigh, the mare nodded as she started taking the cookies off the sheet and to a plate, “I know. I’m just excited for the both of you and want the best. But now I feel like I may have caused a serious rift between Starlight and myself concerning....Firelight and myself....”
“Just give her some time. She can’t stay locked in my room forever.”
“Maybe you can get her attention by standing outside her window and playing her favorite song on a boombox?” Stellar Flare suggested with a smile.
“Mom, I’m not recreating that film,” Sunburst said with a slight chuckle. “However, I have another idea.”
-------------------------------------
“Starlight? Hun-bun?” Firelight knocked on the locked door.
“I already told you: go away, dad!” a voice called from the otherside.
“Please come on out, Starlight. You know I’m not going to just give up.”
“And that’s why I keep asking you to go away!”
Firelight still continued to knock on the door as Sunburst started trotting into the hallway. With his magic, he was carrying a tray which had a small plate of cookies, two plates with a slice of blueberry cheesecake each, and a mug of hot cocoa.
“Any luck?” Sunburst asked as he got closer.
The older stallion simply shook his head, “My little chipmunk cheeks still hasn’t budged.”
“Did she used to do this when she was younger?”
“Oh, all the time,” Firelight answered, “In fact, I remember one time she refused to eat her Brussels sprouts. When I told her that if she didn’t finish her sprouts, she wouldn’t be allowed to have dessert. She stormed off to her room and said she would never come on. Two hours later, she came out and finished the sprouts so she could have her scoop of ice cream.” He reminisced with a smile, remembering his younger daughter.
In response to her father’s story, Starlight gave her commentary from the other side of the door, “I only came back to finish the Brussels sprouts because I was still hungry! I did not accept defeat, I just wanted to finish my dinner!”
Stellar Flare entered at the far end of the hallway and trotted closer, “Oh, are you telling the story about Starlight being a picky-eater? It’s such a cute story, Firelight. You know Sunburst was just the same way? He really didn’t like mushrooms for the longest time, but now he just loves portobellos!”
Before Firelight could start bonding with Stellar Flare about their offspring, Sunburst cleared his throat and silently motioned what he was going to do. Both of the older ponies mimed zipping their muzzles and moved back a little, allowing him to start.
Sunburst knocked on the locked door of his own room. “Starlight? It’s me, Sunburst.”
“What is it?” Starlight asked from the otherside.
“May I come in?”
Starlight answered back, “What makes you think I’m going to let you in?”
Sunburst was prepared for such a question, “Two reasons: one, I have a tray filled with cookies, cheesecake, and a mug of hot chocolate and you haven’t eaten since the Ponyville Train Station earlier this afternoon. And the second reason, this is my bedroom and I’m going to have to get in there sooner or later.”
There was a pause before the voice called back, “....what kind of cookies?”
“Chocolate chip.”
After another pause, Starlight listed a demand, “No parents inside.”
“Of course,” Sunburst agreed as he looked at Stellar Flare and Firelight. Both silently agreed to the terms.
The lock on the door handle was unfastened from the opposite end. Sunburst waited a moment before reaching for the handle. He turned the unlocked door handle and opened the door slowly. Upon entering, he saw Starlight lying on the opposite side of the room on the top of his bed. She was facing towards the door, hugging one of the pillows close to her. Her eyes were fixated on him as he entered. There was a faint sound of music coming from the headphones of a disc player that was in use.
“Close and lock the door,” Starlight demanded.
Without a word, Sunburst obeyed. He then trotted to his desk with the levitated tray. He placed it down near the playing disc player.
The entire time, Starlight didn’t take her eyes off of Sunburst, hoping he wouldn’t betray the trust that she placed in him.
Using his magic, Sunburst offered a cookie to Starlight, “Hungry?”
Still staring daggers at the stallion, Starlight muttered, “Curse this sweet tooth of mine.” Sitting herself up properly on the bed and with one hoof, she reached for the cookie and took a bite of it. She continued to clutch the pillow close with her other hoof.
Sunburst couldn’t help but chuckle a little. He took a seat on the floor, with his back resting up against the bed. “Want to talk?” he asked.
“I’d be happy to,” Starlight started as she raised her voice and turned her attention to the door, “once my dad leaves the hallway!”
“But hun-bun!” Firelight called out from the otherside.
“Now!” Starlight ordered, “And same for you, Stellar Flare!”
The older mare protested from the other end of the closed door, “But this is my house!”
“Mom, will you please?” Sunburst asked.
“Okay, okay,” she conceded, “We won’t be far if you need us.”
“Just let us know if you need anything, pumpky-wumpkin,” Firelight said.
“Alright, now go!” Starlight shouted back.
The two ponies were quiet in the room for about a whole minute (which allowed for Starlight to eat another cookie).
“Think they’re gone?” Starlight asked in a hushed tone.
Sunburst had an idea, “Let me try something.” He then cleared his throat and spoke up, “These cookies taste like concrete and are just as hard!”
Both ponies were quiet in hopes to hear a reaction from Stellar Flare. However, there was silence from the hallway. The only actual noise was the faint playing from the disc player.
“Looks like they’re gone.”
The mare breathed a big sigh of relief, “Oh, thank Celestia. Why can’t they take a hint? Also, that seems a bit mean to say about your mom’s cookies. They’re really good.”
“That’s how I know it would work,” Sunburst explained, “She takes a lot of pride in her cooking. I think that’s why she was a bit heartbroken that you didn’t join us for dinner. She explained that the meal was a bit more special given....their announcement.”
Starlight didn’t say anything. She scooted herself to the edge of the bed to grab another cookie which she took a bite out of.
Watching her, Sunburst smirked a little. This caught Starlight’s attention.
“What?” she asked with a full mouth.
“Nothing, just that I can see why your dad calls you ‘chipmunk cheeks’. You do look a bit like a chipmunk when you eat that cookie.”
Starlight’s face was flushed as she gave a sour look to Sunburst. She quickly kicked him with one of her hind legs that dangled off the side of the bed. “Not funny, Sunburst! If you’re going to make fun of me, then I’m going to do the same with your room! And you give me plenty of fodder with your taste in music!”
“Seems to not stop you from listening,” Sunburst pointed out.
“Of course I’m going to raid your room after I locked myself in here!”
The two unicorns went quiet as the disc player continued to faintly play: ”What if it'll always be this way?/Not comforted by anything you say./We were wrecks before we crashed into each other.”
Finishing the cookie she was on, Starlight asked, “Who is this?”
“Cart Seat Headrest,” Sunburst answered, “I got really into them back when I went to school in Canterlot.”
“What kind of band name is that? I swear, some of the band names just make no sense,” Starlight commented with a small laugh.
“And like any of your favorite bands are any better,” the stallion said.
“Hey, I would say The Curse is properly named, thank you very much.”
“Oh, and what about The Stirrups of Mercy?”
“I kinda haven’t really listened to them all that much in years. But it fits their dark sound beautifully,” Starlight explained, with a bit of smugness, “Which is more than I can say for Death Colt For Cutie.”
“Lecturing me about my music tastes, are you? If I wanted to be called out for being who I am, I could just talk to Trixie,” Sunburst joked.
A hearty and sincere laugh came from Starlight. She lowered her body and sat down next to the stallion on the floor. “If it makes you feel better, Trixie has absolutely no taste in music if you ask me,” Starlight spoke.
Both of the ponies laughed as the player fell silent, reaching the end of the disc.
Sunburst turned to look at Starlight who was chewing away at a new cookie, “Feeling better?”
“Yes, a bit,” she admitted. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
Still clutching the pillow close to her, Starlight asked a question aloud, “I swear, is it mandatory for parents to be embarrassing?”
“I think it’s in the job description,” Sunburst answered.
“That was a rhetorical question, Sunburst.”
“When do I not answer a question I know the answer to?” the stallion replied. “Besides, those two were always hatching schemes. Both separately and together. My mom let it slip that our parents were planning a fake friendship problem to draw us together, and then suggest a number of different rom-com tropes.”
This seemed to surprise Starlight, “Really? Like what, sharing a scarf or going on one of those tunnel-of-love rides?”
Sunburst shrugged, “Probably? I honestly don’t want to know.”
A loud and long exasperated sigh escaped from Starlight as she used her magic to levitate the hot cocoa to her. She took a sip and then spoke, “I’m starting to worry about our parents. I’m beginning to think that they might be completely insane.”
To the mare’s surprise, Sunburst didn’t object or make any comment.
“See, this is where you would normally tell me something along the lines that I’m overreacting or something,” Starlight explained.
“No, no you’re absolutely right,” Sunburst said. He continued, “But I feel insane isn’t the right word. See, saying that they are insane would imply that they are mentally ill and need help. Saying they are insane is letting them off the hook and eluding prosecution for their embarrassing crimes against their children.” The stallion shook his head, “No, these two are not insane, but rather fit to stand trial for their embarrassing atrocities.”
Starlight moved the mug of hot cocoa away from her as she covered her muzzle to laugh at what Sunburst said. The two shared in the laughter for a moment.
“Dealing with such embarrassing parents is such a painful headache,” Starlight commented after a bit of laughter. She then added, “I feel like I should have done other things to rebel. You know: drink, smoke....”
“Dating what daddy hates?” Sunburst interjected with a joke.
A laugh escaped from Starlight, “Oh please, my dad could find common ground with Queen Chrysalis, invite her over for Hearth’s Warming Eve, and then break out the photo albums.”
“True, he did find common ground with my mom, and now they’re....”
Starlight quickly interrupted Sunburst, “Don’t say it! I don’t even want to imagine it!”
A wicked smile appeared on Sunburst’s face, “Too late, I’m imagining it, and now you must too!”
“Noo!” Starlight cried out as she playfully hit the stallion repeatedly with her front limbs. Both of them were laughing.
As the laughter died down a few moments later, Sunburst looked across the room towards his towering bookcase. “You know, maybe we should just let them be and....you know, do what they want....”
Starlight paused in mid-sip of her hot cocoa as she turned to look at the stallion, “You’re joking, right?”
“Hey, I don’t take this whole situation lightly,” Sunburst admitted, keeping his gaze elsewhere, “The thought of our parents together seems a bit....uncomfortable for me. But they’ve been friends for quite a while now. In fact, they’ve known each other longer than we have. But they’ve been friends for so long and then....something just happened, you know?”
The mare was quiet as she turned to look elsewhere.
Sunburst turned to see that Starlight’s head was turned away. “Are you silent because it sounds a bit familiar to you?”
Starlight’s face was a little flushed as she answered with two words: “Shut up.”
Sunburst smiled at Starlight’s comment. The two sat in silence for a while. From the corner of their eyes, both could tell that the daylight from the sun was gone and it was well into the evening. Using his magic, Sunburst pulled the cord of the lamp on his desk, supplying the room with a little extra light.
“Maybe it’s okay....” Starlight mumbled.
“Really? Are you sure?” Sunburst asked, a bit surprised to hear such.
“I guess....” Starlight paused before she started again, “I guess I just don’t know what I want with my dad. He’s always been so embarrassing, he has no sense of personal space, and is always babying me. I know it wasn’t easy for him when my mom left all those years ago, or with me....doing what I did. But I just don’t like either of our parents intruding in our personal lives. It’s our own thing.”
Sunburst nodded, “I understand, believe me. But I do think it’s because they really do care for us. Like with my mom bringing pack lunches to me in the Canterlot Grand Library. Or when she would try to have me take up speed-dating.”
The last comment got Starlight to snort with a laugh, “Are you serious? When was this?”
“Around a few months before we reconnected. I had to lie to her over and over, telling her I couldn’t because of my studies. I’m surprised she bought that line for as long as she did,” Sunburst joined in the laugh.
“It’s always something with parents, isn’t it?”
The stallion nodded. As he used his magic to levitate one of the plates from the tray, he thought aloud, “That being said, I do kind of like your dad.”
Starlight gave a bewildered look to the stallion, “You’re kidding.”
“No, I do mean it,” Sunburst said as she picked up the fork with one of his hooves. He continued as he cut a small bite for himself, “I like how he’s always there for support, embarrassing or not. We always seem to have a fun conversation with one another, and he always has a good joke ready when needed.”
Continuing to hold the pillow, she smiled at Sunburst’s kind words about her father, “Yeah, he always does seem to have a joke ready and waiting.”
Sunburst added before taking a bite of his cheesecake, “And it’s sort of nice to see him as a father figure since my dad’s passing. It’s nice to just talk and spend some time with him, and I’m sure he might see things the same way.”
In a hushed tone, Starlight spoke, “I guess I never thought of it like that.” She waited a moment before adding more to her thoughts, “I do have to admit, I do admire your mom. She is a very headstrong and independent mare who always does what she feels is needed of her. Not to mention she is a wonderful cook.” A thought came to Starlight’s mind right then, “Now that I think about it, what did she make for dinner?”
“Falafel pitas,” Sunburst answered.
“That’s why it smelt so good,” Starlight commented as she used her magic to bring the other plate of cheesecake to her. “I’m sure it was good.”
“There’s still a plate ready for you.”
While Starlight did sincerely think about the offer, she shook her head, “No, I think the cheesecake will suffice for tonight. I rather not go out and be smothered right now.” The last part of her statement was more playful than serious.
The stallion smirked at Starlight’s words, “How do you think I feel when it comes to her?”
Both of them laughed as they enjoyed the blueberry cheesecake.
With the last bite, Starlight did lament, “Why can’t parents just stay parents? Why do they have to become....normal?”
“You mean normal as in creatures with their own thoughts, feelings, flaws, desires, and aspirations?” Sunburst asked as he placed the empty place and fork on the floor in front of him.
Starlight couldn’t help but joke, “Yeah, why can’t they just be....I don’t know, robots?”
Sunburst turned around and threw a jest right back, “Are you sure it’s not just about our parents being in a relationship?”
“No, it’s more than that. But that still sickens me.”
The stallion laughed at Starlight’s comment. Starlight shared in the laughter as she leaned her body against Sunburst. In return, Sunburst wrapped his nearby front limb around the purple mare.
“I’m sure it’ll take some time, but I’ll get used to it,” Starlight commented.
“Maybe this will get them to stop bugging us?”
“Are you kidding, now they’ll be able to team up against us.”
The orange stallion laughed a little at the comment, mostly because he knew it was absolutely true.
“So, when are we going to tell them we’re already legally married and got a courthouse wedding last spring?”
“Not any time soon, Starlight.”