A Story of Heritage

by thecookiewookie

Studies and Sojourns

Sunlit woke late, and immediately sprang into action. He finished bringing in his things, chastising himself for not finishing after taking in his bed last night. Finishing up, he checked the lawn sundial to find it to be eleven A.M.

Satisfied that he would not be too early, he headed into Ponyville proper and towards the library.

Passing through the market, he realized that he hadn't had breakfast yet, and purchased an apple pastry from a friendly looking orange mare in a stetson.

A few minutes later, he approached the library tree and knocked gently.

Moments later, the door was opened by, of all things, a small dragon! Sunlit was stunned, he'd never even seen a dragon before.

Spike waved a claw in front of the stallion's eyes. "Hello? Can I help you?" he asked, trying to be polite with this obvious newcomer.

Sunlit gave an embarrassed smile, realizing he had been staring, and cleared his throat. "I was looking for the Ponyville library. This is it, right?"

Spike nodded and let him in. "So, what are you looking for? I can help you find most things, but I'll have to get Twilight for the really tough stuff." He began to walk away, then stopped and facepalmed. "Oh, sorry, I don't know your name yet."

Sunlit smiled at the little dragon's antics. "I'm Sunlit Hearth. I'm looking for the genealogies."

Guiding him to the section in question, Spike asked, "So, what family are you researching? We've got information on most of the families in Ponyville, and the more important ones from Canterlot and elsewhere, but where would you like to start?"

Sunlit started to answer, then realized his mistake. If he didn't know his family name, how could he look it up? "Actually, I don't know. I wanted to find out about my birth parents, but I never knew them. I was found by my adoptive parents in the Whitetail Woods, in the hoofhills of the Unicorn Range. I lived with them, but I don't even know where I came from."

Spike thought for a moment, then snapped his claws with a smile. "I did say I could get Twilight for the hard stuff, didn't I?" he asked. Sunlit waited as he scampered up the stairs.

A moment later a lavender unicorn appeared, looking excited. This must be that pony Twilight that Spike had referred to.

"Hmm, a stallion of mysterious origins? I wonder who you are! It's just like a puzzle, this'll be fun!" She began crafting a spell as Spike sidled up to Sunlit.

"She's a bit high-strung this morning, and anything confusing that she can solve just excites her more. Stay calm, and she'll relax soon." the dragon said in a low voice.

"Okay, hold still," said Twilight. "This spell is just a basic level one, but it should be plenty. It will reveal an image of your father." She began directing the small sphere of energy toward Sunlit, where it circled him once before beginning to take on a new shape and color. A tall, handsome pony with a deep brown coat, a shocking crimson mane and a kind face came slowly into focus. As his hindquarters began to become visible, a black domino mask befitting a masquerade ball was evident on his flank.

Sunlit was staring in awe at the only image of his true father he had ever known. He was startled out of his reverie by the fluttering and flapping of pages turning quickly. He looked over to see Twilight flipping through one book in particular, focusing intently on the image of the ethereal pony before her as her magic sought a similar image within the book she held. When the pages stopped flipping and she allowed the spell to fade, she looked down, but then frowned confused.

"What's wrong?" asked Sunlit.

"This isn't even a family history, just a census. All it gave me was another pony who passed through Ponyville some time back. I know the spell wouldn't have worked at all if she wasn't related to you...she was probably your aunt, or something of that degree. She was here for a few months, just long enough to be included in the town census, before moving on. Her name was Sable Obsidian. The listing includes her date of departure and includes that she was headed west on hoof." She looked puzzled. "You can't reach Las Pegasus on hoof, you have to go by train to get there safely. Unless..." she trailed off.

Sunlit could see she knew something. "Unless what?" he asked.

Twilight looked up at him. "I could be wrong, but that was about twenty nine years ago, which would coincide with the strange lights and sounds in the hills to the west of Ponyville. Some pony even claimed to have seen a basalt tor that had been half carved away with a tower in the side. No one has had the courage to go there and verify his story, and few even believed him." Seeing Sunlit's skeptical look, she shook her head. "It's probably just coincidence though. I'm sorry my spell couldn't find your parents."

Sunlit was confused. "What's a basalt tor?" he asked.

Twilight looked at him oddly. "A tor is a geological formation which is formed when a hill or small mountain with a stone center has the topsoil eroded away, leaving a standing protrusion of rock from the hilltop. In short, a natural stone tower. Anyway, I'm sorry I couldn't track down any direct relatives for you."

Sunlit smiled. "Hey, you did your best, so that's enough for me. I might find some other way. Thank you!" he said, thinking about what supplies he would need for a hiking trip into the Whitetail Woods due west of Ponyville. As he walked home, he figured that settling in to Ponyville could always wait until he knew this wasn't a false lead.

As he reached his house, he knew something was going on. The hole he had left half-patched in the roof was gone, and the whole house looked in slightly better condition. Whatever was going on, he wasn't about to argue with somepony who fixed up for him. He opened the door.

"Surprise!"

Sunlit started, having been expecting anything else. He stood stunned, staring at the unfamiliar ponies there. Before he could say anything, Pinkie Pie bounced up and stuck a party hat on him.

"Happy housewarming party, Sunlit! Don't just stand in the doorway, come on in and have some punch!"

Confused, he stepped inside. As he looked around, he noticed that the furniture had been unpacked, with his things left respectfully to one side, and there were party streamers in the rafters and a punch bowl on the table. He turned to Pinkie. "What... Why... What's this about?"

The orange mare from the market facehoofed. "Pinkie, did'ja throw him his housewarming party without telling him?"

Pinkie smiled. "No, silly, I told him yesterday! Right after he got out of the hospital. You know I wouldn't just have a party without him even knowing, Applejack!"

Applejack took one look at the puzzled expression on Sunlit's face and put two and two together. "Sunlit, right?" He nodded. "I heard what happened with yer roof. Lemme guess, she told ya while ya were loopy from the healin' spell, and ya don't remember?"

He nodded again. "I don't have a problem with it, though. I could use a party to unwind from the stress of moving. Plus, somepony helped with the last few repairs, so it's worth the unexpectedness."

Pinkie smiled even wider. "I'm glad you like it! Let me get you some punch and introduce you to everypony! Now, you've already met Applejack, and this is Rainbow Dash, and this is Rarity..."

---

As he said the last goodbyes to Pinkie, he looked back at his house. The energetic mare not only knew how to party, she helped clean up, too. The house was spotless, and Sunlit had met several new ponies. The day had turned out very well. As he headed off to bed, he reflected that maybe he ought to stay a little longer before his hiking trip. A few days at home settling in couldn't hurt.

---

Two Weeks Later

---

As he crested the fifth ridge that day, Sunlit looked back on the past two days he had spent hiking. He was running low on trail rations, and he hadn't seen a single basalt rock face. Puffing, he looked up the ridge crest, and his jaw dropped.