“Dad!” Solstice called as he entered the mansion and wiped any remaining tears from his eyes and face. “Are you here?”
At first, there was only silence. Then, he heard his father call back from the study, “I am in my study, Solstice! Do you need something?”
“Uh, yeah,” Solstice replied. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”
There was a slight pause.
“Certainly, Son,” came the reply. “I have a good size of paperwork to do still, but you may come and talk with me for a minute.”
Solstice made his way to his father’s study and saw that the door was open. He peeked inside and saw his father sitting at his desk with a pile of papers stacked on top of it on his left. He was looking down through his glasses at one of the papers with a pen in his hoof and his other hoof resting thoughtfully on his chin. After writing something on the paper, he placed it on top of another slightly smaller stack of papers situated on his right. Afterwards, he took off his glasses, placed them neatly right-side up on his desk and rubbed the area between his eyes as he let out a tired sigh.
“Hey, Dad,” Solstice said timidly as he took a step into the study. “I’m sorry, are you too busy?”
His father placed his glasses back onto his eyes and shook his head as he smiled back at him.
“It is all right. I need the distraction anyway.”
He gestured with his hoof towards the empty chair in front of him and added, “Come, sit and tell me what is on your mind.”
Solstice took a seat in the empty chair. He looked at his father’s face—kind and considerate. He fought hard not to cry at that moment. There was only one way that he could know for sure that Mr. Spot On’s claims were indeed correct.
“Dad,” he finally asked, “do you know why Mr. Spot On quit this morning?”
His father looked up at him with a curious look on his face.
“How did you come to learn about that, Solstice?”
“I saw him about an hour ago at the marketplace,” Solstice replied. He hesitated as he added, “He…also told about some other…things.”
Golden raised an eyebrow.
“Is everything all right, Son?” he inquired. “You have been acting rather…odd ever since you came in.”
Solstice shifted in his seat, his voice threatening to break. How was he going to ask him?
“N-nothing…I hope.”
His father rolled his eyes.
“Solstice, you were never a good liar. I can see right through you! There is something wrong!”
He leaned forward and looked at his son with eyes that seemed to burrow into his soul.
“Did something happen at your new workplace today?” he probed.
Solstice shook his head.
“No, everything’s fine there. In fact, it couldn’t be better!”
“Did your brother say or did anything to make you feel upset in any way?”
“No, he’s cool. I can handle him.”
“Is it due to friend or special somepony problems?”
“No, I don’t have that many friends to begin with.”
“Any personal problems?”
“No.”
His father’s eyes widened in frustration.
“Then, tell me what is it that is making you acting strangely!”
The orange-yellow pegasus finally threw his hoofs in the air as he exclaimed in reply, “It’s you, Dad!”
As soon as the words escaped his mouth, his heart immediately sank.
Did—did I just say that to my dad? No—! That’s—that’s not what I meant!
He looked up and saw his father’s eyes—they were sad and downcast.
“Solstice,” he said softly as he swallowed, “if there is anything that I have said or done to make you offended, then I wholeheartedly apologize.”
Solstice shook his head.
“No, no, Dad,” he exclaimed, “it’s not like that! That’s not what I meant! I meant that there’s something I’ve heard about you that’s making me a little…worried, that’s all.”
The golden businesspony swallowed gain. This time, he understood what Solstice was trying to tell him.
“What exactly did Spot On tell you at the marketplace today?” he finally asked.
Solstice took a deep breath, his voice finally beginning to break.
“He—he told me you—you asked Mr. Fancy Pants and his friends for help when we were still living on the streets, but they wouldn’t give it to you. So, you—you took the bits you wanted…and then pinned the blame on Mr. Fancy Pants’ friends, Filthy Rich and Jet Set. He also told me you—you were bribing a Canterlot pony…Ms. Fleur de Lis, to give you Fancy Pants’ bits.”
His chin was quivering as he shook his head and looked directly into his father’s eyes.
“Why, Dad?!” he exclaimed with tears streaming from his blue-colored eyes. “Why would you do a thing like that?!”
For a long moment, his father was silent as he hung his head and stared at the ground. Then, he slowly rose from his chair, walked to the window and looked out at the city lights before him.
“Yes…” he finally said in a sad and grave tone, “it is all true. Mr. Fancy Pants was once a great friend of mine ever since I was a teen-colt. I was alone then and he and his friends soon became the only friends that I had ever known. When they refused to help me, it was as if they all had stabbed me in the heart. Essentially, they were leaving me and my family to live and to starve in the streets! What was I supposed to do? So, I did the only thing that I could do…take the bits that I needed from Fancy Pants. In my mind, he had so many bits that it would not hurt him if I took a small-sized portion…what he had owed me. Looking back on it now, I realize that it was wrong of me to do so. In order to detract any suspicion, I made all evidence point to Filthy Rich and Jet Set as the culprits. And…yes…I anonymously bribed this Ms. Fleur de Lis into giving me the bits that I needed so that all evidence pointing to me as the culprit would fully be erased.”
Solstice sat in a state of utter shock.
“So, all that about you being an ‘honest’ and ‘upright’ businesspony…was just one big lie?”
His father turned and immediately shook his head.
“No, Son! That much is still true! It was only that one time that I was not honest and that was because I had no other choice! Solstice, I would never lie to you! I do hope you know that!”
The young stallion was now conflicted. On the one hoof, he was hurt and angry that his father would do something like this. On the other hoof, now that he had heard the whole story from his father’s own mouth, he understood (in a way) why his father did what he did.
“Yes, of course I do, Dad,” Solstice replied. “You know I love you no matter what. But I can’t just forget about all this and act like nothing’s wrong! Somepony has to say something at that trial tomorrow!”
Golden’s head instantly spun towards him.
“No!” he exclaimed sharply. “Do not say anything about this to anypony at the trial tomorrow!”
Solstice rose from his chair and started for the door.
“I’m sorry, Dad,” he said, his voice quivering, “but I can’t just let this go. This isn’t right!”
However, just as he was about to open the door to leave, his father suddenly dashed across the study and blocked the door, his chest rapidly rising and falling with anxiety.
“Please, Solstice!” his father pled with him, his eyes wide with terror. “I beg of you, do not punish this family for what I did those years ago! What I did…I did it for our family—for our well-being! You must believe me!”
Solstice stepped back. He could see tears appearing in his father’s eyes.
I’ve never seen my dad cry like this before. He must be really scared! Poor Dad! I don’t wanna do this to him, but—!
“Please, Son!” Golden exclaimed, this time falling to the floor before the young stallion. “Please, don’t do this! I beg of you, don’t do this!”
His face, filled with distress, was buried in his hooves as he sobbed, “They will take everything away from us if you tell them these things! They—they’ll laugh at us! For our family’s sake, please, don’t tell them!”
Solstice was beginning to feel panicked. What was he to do? He couldn’t just not say anything but, at the same time,—!
“Promise me, Solstice!” his father cried as their eyes met. “Promise me that you won’t tell them!”
For a long while, Solstice only stood there, torn between doing what was right and doing what was best for the family. What was he to do?
“All right, Dad,” he finally replied as he stooped and hugged his father. “I won’t tell anypony at the trial.”
Golden’s eyes brightened as he smiled and hugged him back tightly.
“Thank you, Solstice! Thank you!”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well, what was I supposed to do—“sorry, Dad, but your feelings don’t matter to me! You’re a liar and a thief, so ‘sayonara’”?! That would've also been very wrong to do and you know it!
Thus was he arguing with himself as he marched up the stairs to his room. But just as he reached his bedroom door, his brother galloped over to him.
“Hey, Bro the Hero!” he exclaimed with a bright smile. “Where did you go after work?”
Solstice turned to face his brother.
“Just went to the marketplace downtown to get some things,” he replied simply.
Then, his ears perked up and his eyes widened.
“Oh, wait! Speaking of which…!”
He reached into his saddlebag, took from it the Flash Sentry necklace that he had bought and gave it to Clap, saying, “Here you go, Bro! Just for you!”
Clap’s eyes widened and his smile grew bigger.
“Oh, thank you, Bro!” he exclaimed as he took the necklace and put it around his neck. It hung down to the lower portion of his chest.
“Well?” he asked as he finished putting it on. “What do ya think?”
Solstice grinned as he nodded his head.
“Looks great on you, Clap! Hope it’s a good fit.”
Clap looked down and held the shield part of the necklace.
“I think so. It’s not too long anyway. Looks fine to me.”
“Good!” Solstice breathed in relief.
He hung his head and uttered another sigh. Clap noticed that something was not quite right with him.
“Is something wrong, Bro? You look pretty tired for some reason.”
Solstice looked up.
“Huh? Oh, nothing. It’s just—”
He stopped and shook his head.
“Clap, can I ask you something?”
Clap nodded.
“Shoot!”
Solstice took a deep breath.
“I have this problem and…well, I know what the right thing to do is, but…what if it’s not that simple?”
Clap’s eyebrow cocked.
“What do you mean, Bro?”
“Well, I mean maybe doing the right thing will end up hurting other ponies instead. I mean, then what? Maybe, doing the right thing isn’t such a good idea after all, you know?”
Clap looked down as he thought for a moment. Then, he looked up and nodded.
“You’ll do the right thing, Solstice,” he said with confidence in his voice. “You always do! Just believe what your heart tells ya!”
Solstice’s expression turned into a skeptical one.
“That’s it? Just like that?”
He let out a snort.
“I wish things were that simple! But what if they’re not? What if I end up doing the wrong thing? What if—?”
Clap put a hoof on his brother’s shoulder, stopping him.
“Whoa, slow down there, Bro! Relax! What does your heart tell ya?”
Solstice looked back at his brother with a petrified expression.
“I—I don’t know, Clap! I honestly don’t know!”
With that, he dashed into his room and shut the door.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
When morning came, Solstice found it very difficult even to open his eyes. He hadn’t slept much that night. For the better part of the night, he had lain awake on his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
“Please, Solstice!” he remembered his father pleading with him. “I beg of you, don’t do this to our family! What I did, I did it for our family—for our well-being! You must believe me! Please, don’t tell them! Promise me that you won’t tell them!”
His mind began turning.
“You’ll do the right thing, Solstice,” his brother had told him the night before. “You always do! What does your heart tell ya?”
Solstice put a hoof over his face and groaned.
Dad’s been trying so hard to provide for us and to become the successful businesspony he is today. Yeah, he did something bad in the past but he’s not that way now! Why can’t ponies like Fancy Pants just leave him alone? Then again…Dad practically stole those bits from Fancy Pants and then blamed other innocent ponies for it. I can’t just ignore that! But if I tell anypony, Dad’s business will fail and we’ll be back on the streets, this time with other ponies laughing at us! But, if I don’t tell anypony—!
He let out another frustrated groan and practically threw himself off the bed.
“What the hay’s wrong with me, already!” he exclaimed. “This should be easy! I know what’s right but—well, what about Dad and Mom and…Clap? What’ll happen to them if I do this? ‘Do what your heart tells ya’—well, it’s not that simple, Clap! It just isn’t!”
He angrily stomped his hoof on the floor, making a loud noise. A few seconds later, he heard a knock on his bedroom door and his mother’s voice calling from the other side, “Is everything all right, Solstice? I heard a loud noise in there!”
“I’m okay, Mom,” he called back. “I just had a bad dream and fell out of bed, that’s all.”
“All right,” his mother said. “Do you have work today?”
“Not exactly,” came the reply, “but I do have something important to do today, though.”
“Okay, Solstice. Don’t forget that there’s the trial at eleven today.”
Solstice nodded.
Yeah…that’s the problem.
Don’t worry, I won’t!” he reassured.
After combing his hair and fur so that they looked presentable, he grabbed his saddlebag and immediately left the mansion towards Red Lightning’s music store. There was something that he needed to do before anything else—something that he was already wondering if he had the courage to do.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“What?!” Red Lightning exclaimed, almost falling out of his revolving chair. “What do ya mean you quit?! I—I don’t understand ya, Boy! I thought you liked it here!”
“I do, Sir!” Solstice protested. “I do like working here! It’s just—well, my Dad, he—”
“He found out, didn’t he,” Red Lightning finished for him, his expression turning into one of sympathy. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Ya know, if—if ya need me to talk to your dad or anythin’, I’d be more than happy to do that for ya.”
Solstice shook his head.
“No, it’s not that, Sir. Thank you, though! It’s because—well, I just don’t wanna keep any secrets from him, that’s all. I don’t feel right doing all this behind his back anymore.”
The red pegasus swallowed as he lowered his gaze towards the carpeted floor of his office.
“Oh.”
Then, he arose from his chair and said, “Well, I haf’ta tell ya somethin’ before your mind’s made up. Before you signed up for this job, I had another young stallion wantin’ this job, too. If you leave right now, the store’ll be short of one pony. So, I haf’ta tell ya right now that if you’re thinkin’ about leaving, I’ll haf’ta hire that other pony right away.”
Solstice hung his head and swallowed. He hated no longer working at the store anymore, but it was something that he felt he needed to do.
“I’m sorry, Solstice,” his boss said in sympathy as he put a hoof on his shoulder. “I just wanted ya to know that before you make any final decisions. I want ya to be absolutely sure of this, ‘cause…once you go, I can’t hire ya back again if you change your mind.”
The orange-yellow stallion nodded.
“I understand, Sir.”
He looked up at Red Lightning and added as he shook his boss’s hoof, “Thank you for the time I’ve had here.”
Red Lightning smiled.
“Anytime, Boy! And if I’ve a spot open here and you’re still out of a job, I know who to call.”
With that, Solstice thanked him once more, turned in his uniform and left the music store, possibly never to step hoof in it again.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
“Come, Clap!” Golden Rocket called from the bottom of the stairs. “We do not want to be late to the trial, would we?”
“Coming, Dad!” Clap called back from his room upstairs.
The father sighed and adjusted his scarlet tie and his long, black suitcoat as he paced anxiously away from the stairs.
“Darling,” he called into the living room, “are you ready?”
After a moment of silence, Glitter’s voice called back, “Yes, Dear! I’m coming now!”
After several moments more, Glitter Rocket appeared from the living room and Clap came and galloped down the stairs. As Clap reached the bottom of the stairs, he glanced around frantically.
“Solstice’s not back yet?”
His father shook his head.
“No. I do not know where he might be.”
He turned to Glitter and asked, “Did you say that he had ‘something important to do’ today?”
The mother nodded with a puzzled look on her face.
“Yes, he said that, but where is he?” she exclaimed. “I told him specifically that the trial begins at eleven today and he still hasn’t returned, yet!”
“Perhaps, he is meeting us there at City Hall,” the father pointed out. “If that is the case, then there is no reason for us to be concerned.”
At this, Glitter sighed.
“You’re right, Dear. He has always been a bit late to things. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if he showed up fifteen minutes late to the trial.”
Golden nodded.
“At any rate, he will be fine—he will show! As for us, we need to hurry! We are scheduled to be there ten minutes before anyway. We cannot delay any longer!”
With one last quick adjustment to his suit, he headed for the door. When he reached it, he turned to the other two and said, “Let us go! I am sure that Solstice will be there when he is finished with his important business…whatever that may be.”
Glitter looked down in hesitation. Then, she looked at her husband’s eyes and she nodded.
“You’re right.”
She walked towards the door and then turned to Clap, who was looking up the stairs at the rooms on the second level of the mansion.
“Come along, Clap,” she said to him in a gentle voice. “I’m sure that Solstice will meet us there later.”
Clap turned and, with a low and melancholic “yeah,” followed his parents out the door.