//------------------------------// // ACT 1: The One That Gave Me Life // Story: The Vanishing Star // by NocturneD85 //------------------------------// The Vanishing Star by NocturneD Like I said before. I went to Sparkle household. Well, my parents house to be exact. It was still pretty early in the between nine and ten AM but felt it was right to do it now. I made some pretty stupid decisions in my life and had some regrets. But what really brought me back was dreaming about my mother; Twilight Velvet. My sister explained that after I disappeared, she went through some emotional trauma. Over the course of fifteen years before my own brother Shining Armor was born and after my sister Twilight was born; they were still trying to build a family. Out of the nine times mom was pregnant. Only three of us survived. Two died from miscarriage, one was still born, one was killed as mom had a bad fall down the stairs, one died shortly after birth and another was born without a heart valve. She treasured us. But all we ever did was give her a head ache. We drove her to drink sometimes because our fights were pretty bone breaking. Well my bones. Dad would yell, hit us, or just walk right past us grumbling. Mom just sat there in a daze waiting for it all to end. Sometimes I wonder if she is even aware that she goes into those states? As a writer herself, it must be hard to maintain ideas, a steady writing period and take care of a family at the same time that drives you crazy. Or into a state of depression. I was only familiar with a few books she wrote through manuscript form, only a few of them ever got published. But I bet after this fiasco some publishers refused her hard work. Now that I looked back on this. I think she suffered the most. So now. I return home for the first time in years. Everything looked familiar except maybe a new coat of paint and some remodeling done. Think some new windows put in. New door knocker changed from the scary old style gargoyle head to now some weird gold oval shape. Well one nice improvement. I noticed multiple carriages out front, but did not really care who they belonged to. Probably had guests over or something. Or maybe they own them all. Ah who cares? I stepped up to the stone stairs and knocked on the door with the knocker a few times. Three times precise slowly. Each knock, came with my stomach tightening more and more like I was being squeezed by a huge snake. Sweat dripped from my forehead, I was trembling. I heard talking among the ponies inside. Figured they must be all confined in one room or something. Slowly I heard some voices raised to get the door, some said they were too busy to even try. Just then. The door finally opened. My mom standing there with a pot muttering to herself before she looked up at me. She blinked and chuckled friendly, "Oh Mr. Fade Away. The party is not until tonight." Never the less she kept her expression, "What brings you here?" I looked behind myself. Swan just nodded her head to me. I turned my head back to my mother and took a deep sigh. I saw Twilight in the kitchen, my voice caught her attention as she stopped what she was doing. Waiting for what I was going to do next. Nodded my head slowly with a weak smile. "I'm home mom..." It was an awkward silent fifteen seconds. Her mouth was wide open, her eyes filled with confusion. The pot was dropped just as soon as I called her by her title. What looked like pasta salad spilled all over the welcome mat near my hoofs. Her hoofs covered her mouth, her hoofs trembling. Something was in my thoughts saying I must have clicked something to make her tremble. To trigger her past memories of her run away child, leading the resistance to leave her care because he could not take the horrible family life anymore. I knew she wanted to see a little eight year old blue colt with middle parted dark hair with a white star as a cutie mark, but all she saw was a light brown twenty eight year old stallion with jelled spiky black hair. My mark was of a transparent star with what seemed to be like fog surrounding it signifying the star's fading away from obscurity. My eyes remained the same. Blue. She would always say I had eyes that she could always admire, saying it was like the day time sky. She remained silent. Her hoofs still to her mouth. I had to have triggered something with being in this state. Twilight came from the back and towards us. Gently she slid her arm around her mother to ease the tension. "Mom." Twilight gently lowered her mother's hoofs away from her mouth. "It's really him. Mr. Fade Away was really Vanishing Star this entire time." Mom still heaved, getting all choked up, "H...how?" My eyes wandered, by now you all know the story. But would it be easy to explain it to your mother if you been missing for quite sometime? Your adopted family raising you into what you are today? "I guess I should drop the get up then..." I muttered. My horn glowed into my signature bluish color and engulfed my body. My brown coat then reverted back to its original blue. Now it was up to mom to decide if she wants to take me back or not. Some part of me doubted she would at first. But this is my mother for crying out loud. The same mare who carried me inside of her for eleven months. The mare I had to trust for the first eight years of my life. She just... did not respond. I felt that I broke her. Or sent her into a state of shock. Was she scared? *Sigh* Of course. She saw me as a ghost of her dead son. I tried to inch closer but she was still silent. Twilight looked at her, trying to nudge her closer to me. Like a proper daughter, she tried to help her mother see the light. "Mom, I know it's hard... but Van was okay all these years. He grew into a successful business pony." I nodded in agreement. "I... I'm sorry for everything mom." And with that... Mom just turned around and ran upstairs. Away from Twilight. Away from me. Just then I heard a door slam from upstairs. I shook my head in frustration. Twilight slowly walked up to me with apologetic eyes. "Van... I'm so sorry..." I did not know what to do. I was upset. Angry, "Damn it... I knew it was too good to be true." Swan came up close behind me, "Baby you tried... Maybe it was just too much." "Son of a bitch... Just..." I shook my head, "I worked up my courage to come here today..." This caught the other relatives attention. Just eye balling me from the back and the living room who decided to just watch TV instead of helping. I saw children who must be my cousins or children of my cousins who were no older than a foal's early age. Relatives I have not seen in years just looking at me. "I should never have came back..." I muttered. I could have made my mother hysterical for Celestia's sake for just showing up and revealing myself. "Um... Every pony this is..." Twilight tried to introduce me to the rest of the family. "Don't bother..." I muttered as I walked up the stairs. Not knowing what to do next. I atleast owed her an explanation. Some small talk could be heard as I walked up the stairs, some confusion I bet. Swan and Twilight walked up after me. "Any idea which room she could have gone into?" "Well her bedroom or her study is a good bet." Twilight panicked. "You think this was too much for her to handle?" Swan asked. "Maybe... I mean..." Twilight heaved. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have pushed my brother into this." I said nothing. I searched at one end of the hall while Swan and Twilight looked into the other rooms. Quickly trying to peer into the rooms. Only one of them was locked. And... it was my old room of all the places she decided to lock herself in. I grabbed the knob and tried to open it but it did no good. Twilight knocked on the door, but mother only cried. "Mom!" I banged on the door. "Mom!" Twilight also did, "Please open up!" Well... this went on for an hour. Parked outside of my old room. My mom still cried on how she tried to have babies but they either ended up dead or taken away. I was frustrated. I did not know what to do. Was not long until we were joined by Cadence, thinking I was some new pony but I would explain later. "MOM!" I banged. "Please!" "MOM!" Twilight yelled. "MOM! ANSWER ME!" I yelled. A bit more of this and... I was about to give up. I had my back to the door. Swan was next to me though she tried her best as well trying to talk mom out of the room. I seriously hated myself. I let the back of my head bump into the door one last time. I sighed. "Alright mom... I'll leave.." My head lowered in shame, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for running away.. but..." I growled, "You have to face facts that you were a shitty parent at times too." Twilight gasped when I said that. "VAN!" "No let me speak!" I turned to the door, "I trusted you for the first eight years of my life and I had no choice. Sure you were trying your best. I'm sorry that you could not be the mother you wanted to be but that's life mom. It hurts and its a very mean and nasty place!" I growled, "But you can not just try to drown out what is going on around you! When dad was beating me when I was little. YOU...DID...NOTHING!" I knew my mom's back was against the other side of the door. I just knew. "I...wanted to..." "MOM YOU WERE FREAKING OBLIVIOUS! You just let it happen!" I yelled. "You just took it how it was! You drank to escape the yelling, the fights and when we yelled! And you were wondering why all this suddenly came crashing down!" Twilight was shocked. "I LEFT BECAUSE I COULD NOT STAND IT! I WAS SICK OF DAD'S BULLSHIT! I WAS SICK OF SHINING ARMOR'S HARASSMENT! I WAS SICK OF TWILIGHT BEING A SPOILED BRAT! AND I'M SICK OF YOU NOT DOING ANYTHING!" I yelled. "I'm not a brat!" Twilight yelled back. "Oh give me a freaking break Twilight!" I countered. "You were a spoiled brat wanted something every time we went somewhere! YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT AND YOU DIDN'T HAVE ANY FRIENDS BACK THEN BECAUSE OF IT! YOU JUST SAT IN YOUR ROOM LIKE A GOON!" She stared at me in a defeated way. Saddened. Hurt. I turned back to the door. "The best times mom... The best times are when you finally put down the bottle and started talking to me. We had a lot of the same interests. You shared me your stories and I read them. We started taking classes together for fun. We listened to music together. You tucked me in at night. You finally started to defend me when dad was being too harsh. We even had a favorite song... You're my Sunshine remember?" I hummed a few bars, "Remember when you used to sing that to me whenever I felt lonely? Hmmm..." Slowly my hoof slid down from the door. I was fighting a losing battle, probably ended up screwing her up even further. " "You're my sunshine my only sunshine... You make me happy when skies are grey... You never know dear how much I love you... Please don't take my sunshine away..." I started to hum another few bars to get her to calm down. Though not very informative right now but I always favored the Elizabeth Mitchell cover version of this, was the closest thing to mom's voice. Mom was quiet now... I started to get worried... "You told me that you loved trying for miracles... But every time you tried something happened." I sniffed. "I don't think you should have stopped trying. You told me yourself the best feeling in the world was being a mom... Even more than your writing and publishing. Well... I finally understood why you liked miracles, took my awhile to figure out what you meant..." "But... I guess if you don't want to talk to me anymore..." I looked down sadly, "Then I'll leave... And never come back if that will help you recover..." Swan hugged me from behind. "But... there's just one last thing I want to say..." Then I looked at Twilight, then to the little audience who crowded the staircase, then back to the door. "Swan and I... are going to have a miracle of our own. We just found out a few days before the ceremony. She's pregnant with my baby... your future grandchild." I sniffed. I sighed. "Goodbye mom..." I pulled out a wedding invitation for my wedding and slid it under the door. I looked at Twilight and walked over to her. I said some pretty hurtful things to her just now. I gave her a hug, "I'm sorry for that... You were just trying to help." I pulled out another invitation just for her. "If you don't want to come I'll understand. But here." She was crying as she looked at it while I gave her back the little music box I fixed not too long ago. I saw Cadence next, with Shining Armor. Shocked to see me and was lost in thought. I gave them one as well. For the other relatives, I'm sure I caused enough of a stir as it is. I took Swan by her hoof and walked down the stairs. And out the door... Eh watch out for the pasta salad I warned her. It was raining hard outside. Great I did not have my umbrella on me. "Well... I made peace with them somewhat." I said. "What about your dad?" She asked. "Buck Orion. He was not even there." I growled. "Tex is my dad." We barely made it out of the driveway. Then suddenly I heard... "VAN!" "VAN!" Mom shouted louder. I turned around to see her poking her head out my window. Crying no doubt. She pulled her head back into my room, gave herself a head start, galloped and flew out my window. The power of motherhood I guess gives you no fear. She landed on one of the carriages parked outside then jumped off of that one. "VAN!" And with that. I started running back to her. She looked like hell. But I can't blame her. She was running to me. "VAN!" She cried. "MOM!" I shouted racing to her. And with that. I slowed down. With open arms. She had hers open as well. She welcomed me back into a big hug. Her face crying into my chest as I slowly patted her back. She continued crying heavily. Soon I saw from the front porch. Shining Armor and Cadence just staring admirably at us. Twilight was in between them, smiling. Dad was walking up from the street back to the house with some groceries mom must have sent him out for. He stared at me, trying to add this all up. But I did not care, let him stare as confused as he could. Not even he can ruin this for now. I saw from the distance that Ghendi and Synn were out for a walk. Talk about timing...Then the rain stopped... Bright and sunny. I looked back at Twilight. I guess she that little angel on my shoulder after all... Please Review! Note: Originally this chapter was supposed to be kind of a song fic where I sneak in some lyrics but apparently FimFiction really is giving me problems because I wanted to start indenting paragraphs and half of the lyrics get pushed over that it doesn't line up right. So I took some stuff out, added a few things in as well as the version of the song, "You Are My Sunshine" I heavily favor out of any versions. It's sweet and I had to put that in here. So, pretty much depending on how fast or slow of a reader you are. Technically that song is supposed to go with this story starting with that link from then on out. It might not be an ideal song but I figured its a nice one.