Shining Together

by Bookish Delight

5: Suggestions

It was a while before Starlight and Sunset broke their hug, but when they did, they both let out sighs of relaxation—Starlight more audibly so.

"Okay," Starlight breathed. "That... helped a little bit. Thanks for not instantly turning me down when I asked to come here."

Sunset chuckled. "You mean, eventually asked?"

Starlight's cheeks tinted. "Okay, yeah, 'eventually'."

"Still, no worries," Sunset said. "I'm always happy to see you. So long as you're not on the run from your princess-slash-mentor. Been there, done that, doesn't really end well even after you take a rainbow to the face... you know what? Let's get out of here." Sunset turned around and started walking, beckoning for Starlight to follow. "So, what brings you over? Heck, what's so urgent that you practically served me a summons?"

Starlight shuffled close to Sunset, her hands in her pockets, as both girls walked the length of Canterlot High School's campus and towards its rear parking lot. "I... just need a vacation. At least that's what everyone tells me."

Sunset thought back to her more recent correspondences with Princess Twilight. "Right. You're still the guidance counselor for her new school, aren't you? How's that going?"

Starlight's face lit up. "Oh, it's perfect for me! A little too perfect." The light was then gone as quickly as it had appeared. Starlight sighed, gesturing with her hands. "Which is a long story in itself, to go along with the long story of why I apparently need a vacation, and I'm still trying to figure out how to put that story into words so I don't look more like a total idiot for coming here than I'm sure I already do—"

Sunset stopped and placed a hand on Starlight's shoulder. "First off, I don't see any idiocy around here. Second..." Sunset took a stab in the dark on a hunch. "Have you ever had a vacation before?"

Starlight shook her head. Sunset hated her hunches. They were all too often correct in the worst ways.

"It's not like I haven't tried? It's just..." Starlight squeezed her wrist. "Hard for me. Whenever I do try, it doesn't... click. It never has. For reasons which are also part of why I'm here." Starlight clutched her forehead with one hand. "And now just talking about taking one makes things worse."

"Hey, don't feel bad." Sunset gently lowered Starlight's wrist before taking hold of both. "I have to convince Twilight that they're not just a huge waste of time, either. Both of them, now that you mention it."

That brought a giggle out of Starlight. "Well, that explains a whole bunch of things."

"You have only some idea. Fortunately, I've taken plenty of vacays, some with permission. So, Vacation Rule #1: from here on out, we take it slow, you especially. Not everything has to... how do I put this... matter. You don't need to have a plan for what to do or where to go, you don't need to answer to anyone but yourself, and you don't need to figure out the perfect words to tell me why you need a vacation. Just tell me how you feel. Raw, with as much bad grammar as you want." She squeezed Starlight's wrists, smiling into her eyes. "And I'll listen."

Starlight smiled back, gushing silently. "Mangling the Equestrian language for fun and healing, huh? That sounds... weird, yet oddly fun."

The two surveyed their surroundings, with Sunset noting that they were close to the school field. Students still milled about, creating a fair amount of noise. "I don't suppose we can talk about it somewhere that's more relaxing, less distracting?" Starlight asked.

Sunset's grin grew wider. "Somewhere you can slouch as far down as you can put your legs up?"

Starlight grinned. "Please and thank you! Which way's your house?"

"Not far, and that's a pretty great suggestion." Sunset's eyes glinted. "But I know the one place in Canterlot City that'll work even better for us."

Comments

[CapNTilfy]

Looks like Starlight still hasn't mastered the art of chillaxing.

[FanOfMostEverything]

I keep trying to upvote after every chapter...

In any case, yeah, Starlight doesn't really have any low gears. Sunset's going to have to show her the fine art of downtime. Hopefully nothing magical rears its ugly head in the interim. I don't see Sunset showing it any mercy.

"We! Are! Having! A! Moment!"

[Bookish Delight]

9701067
I'm so tempted now why would you do this

[twience]

Ah this is so good! It deserves love!

[Bookish Delight]

9701020
She'll get there! maybe

9701159

[Lurks-no-More]

Starlight really is much like Twilight, in the way she tends to be high-strung, tightly wound, and more than slightly neurotic.

Anyway, this is unfolding nicely, and I appreciate the short but frequent updates.

[BenRG]

"So, what's on your mind, Starlight?"

"I'm.... ImafraidthatImayhaveturnedaconfusedfillyintoasupervillain!"

Yeah, I think that I get why Starlight may be reluctant to talk about it. Cosy Glow's 'episode' has that effect on ponies.

[Csquared08]

Sunset hated her hunches. They were all too often correct in the worst ways.

Alas, the curse of knowledge 😔