6 – What Love is Worth
Chapter Six
What Love is Worth
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Although she knew she should go to bed, Golden Lace made herself one final cocktail. She did drink often, though she did not usually drink heavily these days. She was not a young mare anymore.
But something her husband said resounded in her ears, and she couldn’t shake it from her thoughts. He’d asked her if what their daughter was putting herself through was worth it for love. Although she hadn’t answered at the time, she had thought she knew.
No. No, it was not worth it. The scandal could end her, she ran the risk of never being taken seriously again. There was no way that Equestria was going to see her as a princess, not when it wasn’t a legally binding marriage. Her life wasn’t changing in any positive ways from this, all she was doing was opening herself up to ridicule.
But then… what did she know? Oh sure, Golden Lace was positive that this was going to garner a lot of derision from ponies, but what did she know about the worth of love? She had thought she knew something about that once, and what had that got her? Years of a loveless marriage raising a child she might have actually wanted under different circumstances.
She drank her cocktail and thought about the exchange, and what had been said after it. They did not love each other, that much had been clear for years. But to hear her husband lay it so bare was another matter entirely. It had been one of those things – known, but never talked about.
Even more surprising was for the first time that Golden Lace could remember, Brass Badge seemed genuinely apologetic. She drank her cocktail. She couldn’t process that fact without alcohol.
Once she finished, she stood and left the room, leaving the cocktail glasses for their maid to take care of. She made her way upstairs and into her bedroom. It had been years since they’d started sleeping in separate rooms, which was nice on nights like this. She didn’t want to be with anyone else at the moment, least of all her husband.
Plus she had a few things tucked away in her bedroom that she didn’t want Brass Badge seeing. Just a small box which he’d be unlikely to look through even if they did still share a room, but which she felt much better about when it was safely tucked under her own bed in her separate room.
She pulled it out now, sitting on the bed with it and taking the lid off. There wasn’t a lot inside. A small bottle of cheap perfume that had probably gone bad years ago, the only picture ever taken of her as an adult that she actually looked happy in, and a letter.
The bottle of perfume had been Sunspot’s favorite. She bought it on the first trip she’d ever made specifically to see him, and he’d loved it. Of course, it was likely what he’d really loved had been the mare wearing it, but she’d worn it every time she’d seen him.
The picture was more interesting, and she took it out to get a better look at it. She was sitting beside Sunspot, and gosh she looked so young there. Young, happy, and in love. They were at a fair and somepony was taking photos of all the couples. Sunspot had paid for two copies, and at the time, Golden Lace had admonished him for it. What was the point of wasting money on a photo when he had the real thing? She understood now.
And there was the letter. She’d read it countless times, and now she read it again.
My dearest, my Golden Lace, my Sunrise Girl,
I’m writing this letter while watching you sleep, and if all goes well, I’ll tuck it into your things for you to find while unpacking later. I hope it makes you smile when you see it, since I can’t be there to hold you then.
I am, as ever, captivated by your beauty. If only I had the skill, I’d write my own poems with you as my muse rather than just reading the work of others to you. You inspire me so much, I only wish I had an outlet worthy of you. Perhaps I will learn to paint, if only to create your portrait. Or else I may learn to play an instrument, if only to compose you songs.
Just now I watched as you stirred in your sleep. I entertain thoughts that perhaps it is because I’m not in bed with you, and that makes you restless. But oh, I hope it’s not so, for you must be off back to Canterlot today and I to Sire’s Hollow, and I do not want you to be lonely without me. Although Celestia only knows I am lonely without you…
But for now, let us celebrate being together. I am torn, you see – I wish to write you pages upon pages of this letter, so that you might read it while I’m gone and feel as if I’m there with you. But you look so lovely in bed, and I long to join you there.
But I’ve written too much about your beauty, and nothing of the other ways that you captivate me! It is perhaps your quick wit that I admire the most. The way you always have something clever to say.
And so it went on. The damn romantic foal that he was, he actually did take the time to write several pages of a love letter for Golden Lace. She’d panicked when she found it, certain that somehow it was going to be what gave her away to Brass Badge, but she couldn’t bring herself to get rid of it.
Maybe that was because love was worth the risk. Maybe love was worth more than Golden Lace ever gave it credit for. She looked back at the picture of the two of them and thought about their last meeting, wondering how life might have been different for the two of them if she had run off with him like he’d asked her to.
No, the three of them. Sunset would have been born with her rightful name, Sunrise Shimmer, and they would be a happy family. Somehow, that thought hurt. It hurt a lot. Golden Lace had never made much of an attempt at connecting with her daughter, had never really done much at all for her when it came down to it. Early on, she told herself it was because she looked so much like her father, but later…
There wasn’t a good excuse, Golden Lace knew that. She’d been an awful mother. The one good thing she’d done for her daughter was giving her away to Princess Celestia, and even the princess had been unable to undo the damage Golden Lace had done.
Golden Lace sighed and climbed into bed, setting the letter on her bedside table, along with the rest of the contents of the box. Not that he’d have any reason to come into her room, but even if he did, Golden Lace didn’t care anymore. After tonight, she doubted he would say anything against her doing what she liked.
And… maybe it didn’t matter if he did. Golden Lace looked once more at the photograph before turning off her light, and she went to bed with the thought of a happy family dancing through her mind. A mother, a father, and a daughter, the way things should have been.
Warp and Weft had grown substantially in the past thirty-seven years. What had started as a small business run out of a single floor of a rented office had become the biggest textile business in the industry.
Golden Lace was proud of it. It was quite possibly the only thing she was proud of. Certainly nothing in her home life could compare, and she had precious few other accomplishments to her name.
Even so, she found herself unsure at work in the months following her daughter’s wedding. She just couldn’t shake the question of what love was worth, or the regret for how she’d spent her life having never answered it for herself.
She sighed and stood up. She’d been at her desk reviewing the details of a deal that needed her attention, but she needed to stretch her legs and clear her head. Maybe even go out for coffee or something. She could always send an intern to do it, but the fresh air might help her.
In any event, she needed to leave this office for a little bit. She was normally a very diligent worker, a little bit of time away from her desk wouldn’t hurt.
She left her office and decided to first make for the water cooler. She hadn’t ruled out going to get coffee, but maybe just a quick walk to the water cooler would be all that she needed to shake herself free of this lingering doubt, at least enough to get back to work.
There were a few employees already gathered there. She didn’t mind; she was not a slave driver, and she allowed her employees to socialize as long as their productivity didn’t suffer much.
They didn’t seem to notice her, or at least didn’t notice who she was. She lingered slightly, a small smile on her face as she wondered what the latest office gossip was.
“I don’t know, it just isn’t normal,” a stallion said.
The mare he was talking to nodded. “I hear you. I don’t care if she is the boss’s daughter, I don’t trust that Sunset Shimmer. Princess Twilight never would do something so… deviant, not without somepony else pushing her into it.”
Golden Lace scowled and cleared her throat, causing both the other ponies to jump. “Is there a problem with my daughter’s love life?”
“N-No, ma’am!” the mare said. Golden Lace recognized her. She was a good employee, but not someone they couldn’t live without.
“Whether you acknowledge her as a princess or not, Sunset Shimmer is the lover of Princesses Twilight and Fluttershy, as well as the Captain of the Twilit Guard. She is a pony of authority, and she is owed respect. None of this is to mention that she is my daughter.”
The stallion nodded. “Of course. Very sorry, ma’am.”
Golden Lace could fire them, or at least the mare. Of course it would be reported as a conflict of interest, but she could take the hit.
But she knew the mare had a newborn daughter. If for no other reason, she needed her job to look after her. “I don’t want to hear talk like this around the office anymore, understood? What you discuss on your own time is up to you, but here, Princess Sunset is to be given respect.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they both said, looking thoroughly abashed.
Golden Lace nodded and retraced her steps, making her way back to her office. It was pointless to try and do anything else now. After that little debacle, no walk was going to clear her mind enough to work properly.
She got back to her office and closed the door behind her as quickly as she could. Once she did, she let out a sigh and deflated a little. She shook her head, then walked over to her desk.
There was a newspaper nearby. She took hold of it in her magic, and held it out in front of her. The headline read like a tabloid magazine, that’s how ludicrous it was. ‘Secret Royal Wedding’. She’d never believe it if she hadn’t been there herself.
The article went on to talk about how the wedding was not legally binding, only a ceremony to evoke the personal connection that marriage entails, but it was presided over by Princess Luna, which added an air of officiality to the whole thing. When asked for comment, Celestia had declined, but they had sources that claimed she’d been there and walked Sunset down the aisle.
From there, the newspaper featured two opinion pieces, one written in support of the wedding, one written in opposition to it. She’d read both points, and yet she still didn’t even know how she felt about the whole thing.
If it had been anyone else, she wouldn’t have cared. She might even have been on the opposition’s side, even if not strongly. She had never been a political mare; she left the debates of right and wrong to other ponies better suited for it.
But it was not anyone else, it was Sunset. And damn it all, she had never been a good mother, but she was still a mother. Regardless of her own hangups about the situation, she would stand by her daughter’s decision.
That brought a small smile to her mouth, if only for the irony. She’d spent Sunset’s whole life failing as a mother, and only now that her daughter was grown and no longer needed her support, now she found herself standing by her.
Golden Lace sighed. Telling off two of her employees wound up being the single most motherly action she’d ever done. And all because she envied Sunset.
There, that was it. There was no sense in denying it, she envied her daughter. Anypony could see how in love she was with her wives. Meanwhile, Golden Lace had entered a loveless marriage at a young age, and she’d spent most of her life trapped in it.
And it was worth it. She may not like her husband, but dammit all, he was right this time. Everything they were going through, everything they would go through, it was worth it because they might actually have a chance to be happy together.
Golden Lace was supposed to be reviewing the details of a business deal, but she did something else instead. She pulled out a blank sheet of paper and began drafting an open letter.
This was going to be an unpopular move, she knew that. Warp and Weft sold textiles, there was absolutely no need for them to take a stance on a controversial political topic.
And yet, Golden Lace found herself thinking of all the times she had taken the easy path in her life. She had married a stallion she didn’t know because she was expected to marry a pony of high standing and because he had money. She had used his money to start her own business rather than finding a way to secure the funds herself. She had chosen to stay with her comfortable life instead of trying to make a more challenging and more rewarding one work. And she had spent years ignoring her duties as a mother because it was too hard to let somepony else into her heart again.
There was no changing a life wasted taking the easy route, but maybe for once, she could do something challenging.
‘What Love is Worth’ she wrote at the top of the paper. ‘Why Warp and Weft stands behind Princess Sunset Shimmer.’
Hearts and Hooves Day had come and gone. It was a holiday with little meaning for Golden Lace. It marked the end of a busy time for Warp and Weft – there was an uptick in the sale of stuffed animals and nice clothes, the materials for which her company produced, but they had to ship out all those materials months in advance. By the time the holiday actually rolled around, their busy season was behind them.
As for her personal life, she hadn’t had a worthwhile Hearts and Hooves Day since before her marriage. And that had been a long time ago. Surprisingly enough, her fondest Hearts and Hooves Day memory was actually with Brass Badge. During their courtship, they had once spent the day together on a rather lovely date. There hadn’t been much to it, but they’d gone to a nice restaurant and caught a play. They’d strolled through the park in the evening, and at the end of the night, he’d walked her home.
Thinking of that reminded her of how different things had seemed, and how different they could have been. There had been a life for the two of them, it wasn’t entirely naïvety that saw her married. There had been plenty of that, sure. She had married someone she barely knew, after all. But what she did know of him had been promising.
In an odd sort of way, it helped. It was nice to think back on those times and remind herself that for all his faults, her husband was not a monster. He was just somepony other than who she thought he was, somepony who she wound up not being compatible with.
And that was what brought her to this decision. She knocked on the door to Brass Badge’s study, then opened it. “Hey, stranger.”
He looked up from the model he was working on. For want of something else to do, he had taken an interest in constructing model airships. He didn’t seem to think much of his hobby, but he had retired years ago and needed things to occupy his time.
He looked up from his ship, and Golden Lace saw just how old and tired he looked. “Lace.”
She walked into the room and stood before him. He only had one chair in his office. She always thought that was by design – to remind ponies this was his space, and guests were merely tolerated.
She took a deep breath. She was ready for this. “I won’t waste our time. We both know this is a loveless marriage, and it always has been. Which is why I want a divorce.”
He calmly put down his tools and folded his forelegs on the table. “I see. Well, I won’t fight you on it. Have your lawyer draw up whatever papers he needs to, I’ll sign them and we can do the whole thing properly.”
It was good to see he was taking it well. She hadn’t known how he would react to the news, although this wasn’t too surprising of an outcome. “I suppose you’re not shocked, then.”
“No, the only thing that surprises me is that it took you this long to reach this decision.”
Golden Lace frowned a little. “If you knew this was coming, why didn’t you push for one?”
Brass Badge shrugged. “After everything else I did, I wouldn’t want to upend your life if this wasn’t something you wanted. I hope you know I don’t plan on giving up the house.”
Although she expected as much about the house, the rest made her angry. “Oh, don’t give me that holier than thou attitude of staying together for my sake.”
Brass Badge just shrugged and returned to his model. “Just add it to the reasons to get a divorce then.”
Golden Lace pursed her lips, then she sighed. “Fine. I guess that’s all there is to say, isn’t it?”
Brass Badge once again put aside the model and leaned back in his chair, sighing. “If you really want to know, I’ve been comfortable these past ten years. We stay out of each other’s way these days, we don’t fight like we used to because we don’t care enough to anymore, and both of us make more money than either of us need. Then there’s divvying up all the assets, figuring out who gets what, and while you might be young enough to find a new husband, I’m too old to bother to find a new wife.”
“So a marriage of convenience.” Golden Lace nodded. That was a much more satisfying answer than him pretending he was staying with her for her sake.
“Yes.” Brass Badge glanced at his model, no doubt wondering when he might be free to get back to it. “There was no reason for me to divorce you, and as far as I know, no reason for you to divorce me. But if you’ve found a reason, then by all means, I’m not standing in your way.”
“Don’t you think that’s more than a little sad?”
He shrugged. “It’s the reality of the situation.”
Golden Lace looked at the floor. The reality of the situation. That was true, and yet, she couldn’t help but think there should be more.
“Lace, for what it’s worth, I really do hope this makes you happier somehow.”
She put on a small smile, and for one fleeting moment, she remembered the stallion she married. Not who he wound up being, but who she thought he was. “Thank you, Brass.”
The whole thing progressed surprisingly easily. If anything, her job during the divorce was to keep her lawyer in check more than anything else. He knew how wealthy they both were, of course, and he wanted to wring Brass Badge for all he was worth. A decade ago, Golden Lace might have wanted to do the same, but things were different now.
They agreed on things easily enough. Like most things in their lives, they’d kept their finances separate for decades, and neither of them tried to touch the other’s money. The only thing to decide was who got what possessions, but there were precious few things they argued about. Perhaps it was because so much of what they’d acquired over the years meant little to either of them.
The whole process only took around six months, which was very short considering the amount of assets to divide up. The entire time, Brass Badge had given it his full support, and she did likewise. As far as Golden Lace was concerned, this was similar to a business deal.
And then one day, it happened. There was nothing left to divide, and no disputes left to settle. The judge made a decree, and that was that. She walked out of the courtroom a single mare.
When she did, she looked up to the sky. It was strange. Her life had certainly changed in the past six months. She’s moved into her own place in Canterlot, and… actually, that was about all that was different. Occasionally she’d attend events and ponies would try to worm gossip out of her, but she paid them little mind. She’d fallen in social standing ever since she’d decided to use her business to support her daughter, anyway.
She was left wondering what she should do now, what was appropriate under the circumstances, when she was approached by the last pony she’d expected to talk to her – her ex-husband.
What surprised her even more was what he said. “Want to come back to the house for a drink to celebrate?”
She smiled all the same. “I don’t think you’re supposed to celebrate a divorce with the pony you divorced.”
“I’m not celebrating you being gone, I’m celebrating this whole mess being finished. I thought you might feel the same.”
Golden Lace nodded. There was no lingering love in their marriage, and they’d burnt up all their hate over the years already, so there was no hurt. “A drink sounds nice.”
They shared a cab to Brass Badge’s manor, which still felt a little strange to know it was not her own house anymore, even if she hadn’t lived in it for months. When they got out, he offered her a hoof to get out of the cab, ever the gentlecolt.
The two of them made their way to the minibar, where Brass Badge mixed them drinks. Realizing she was just a guest here now, Golden Lace sat and waited.
“So what are your plans?” Brass Badge asked.
“Oh you know, business never stops. I have a nice place on the east end now.”
He nodded and passed her a cocktail, then mixed one for himself. “To your continued good fortune then,” he said as he raised his glass in a toast.
“And to yours.” They clinked glasses and each of them took a sip. Whatever else there was to say about her ex-husband, he made a damn good mixed drink. “What about you? What will you do now?”
“I haven’t known what to do with myself since my retirement,” Brass Badge said. “I don’t suppose this will change very much for me.”
She frowned as she sipped her drink. “On the day I told you I wanted the divorce, you told me you hoped it would make me happy. Well, I hope you know I want you to be happy too. Despite everything, I really hope you someday find a way to be happy.”
“Heh.” Brass Badge cracked a smile, which was a rare sight. “An old military stallion like me? I’m a war pony who never actually fought a war, Lace. I wasn’t built for the civilian life, and I’m too old to be of any use to my country anymore.”
That was what Golden Lace thought, but still… “Well, I hope you someday find out you’re wrong then.”
“Time will tell, I suppose.”
“Yeah, I guess it will.”
They talked about how things were going for a bit, and Golden Lace had to wonder if they had just done this from time to time, if they had just made a little time for each other, if things might be different.
But it was too late now, they both knew that. There was no changing the years that had been, there was only seeing what the future held.
They had their drink, and then they had another, then Brass Badge saw her to the door. Ever the gentlecolt, he walked her as far as the street and waited until she caught the attention of a taxi.
She turned to him to smile before she left. “I guess this is us then?”
“Yeah. This is us. Take care of yourself, Lace.”
She nodded. “You too, Brass.”
There was a certain loneliness to living alone. That was obvious, of course, but there had been a certain loneliness in living with Brass Badge as well. It was different, though, and Golden Lace was not yet used to it.
And thanks to her little stunt of publicly supporting Sunset with Warp and Weft, she was coming under fire at work too. But rather than fold, she dug her hooves in and stood by her decision. This too proved unpopular, and ponies were now saying she wasn’t listening to the needs of her company. She wasn’t even sure they were wrong.
All of which culminated in Golden Lace not being sure what to do with her life, and then it dawned on her. It was the single most obvious answer she could think of, and she was amazed she hadn’t thought of it sooner.
It came to her when she was looking at the recently framed photo on her bedside table. She was so young, so happy, and so in love. And, of course, Sunspot was as well.
It took some time, but that was okay. She pulled in a favor at The Spinning Wheel to find out where Sunspot lived. She learned he no longer worked for them, but they had his last known address, which had been where he’d lived for over a decade before leaving the company. She would just have to hope he was still there.
She used the time wisely. She set up a vacation for herself, tied up loose ends at work, redoubled her public stance on Princess Sunset so that ponies wouldn’t forget while she was away, she dyed the grey out of her mane, and as the finishing touch, she sought out a specific bottle of perfume. It was a miracle that they still manufactured it, and she took it as a good sign.
Everypony noticed how excited she was in spite of all the issues going on with Warp and Weft’s public image, but they attributed it to her divorce. She let them think what they wanted, as she had more important matters to attend to.
When packing, she made sure to bring the photo and the letter. She wasn’t sure what else to bring, but she wanted him to know she’d kept hold of those two important things from back then.
With her things packed, Golden Lace smiled and set off for the train station. It was time to go to Sire’s Hollow and do what she should have done so many years ago.
There was an autumn wind blowing through the small town. Golden Lace bundled up against it, but even if she didn’t have her scarf and cap, she wouldn’t have minded. Nothing could bring her down as she walked through the small town of Sire’s Hollow.
She stopped and asked for directions along the way, the locals all pointing her to what she desperately hoped was still Sunspot’s address. None of them commented on the divorce, or the decision to use her company to back her daughter, or anything else going on in her life. It was nice to be somewhere that no one seemed to recognize her.
Needless to say, her mood was high when she reached the house. She couldn’t contain a giddy giggle as she looked up at the house – the thought of Sunspot still stripping away the years and making her a lovesick filly all over again.
She paused only long enough to make sure her mane and tail were in place, then she knocked on the door. The moments dragged on as she waited, but she kept her mouth firmly in an excited grin.
At least, until she noticed it. There was someone singing inside – a mare’s voice. She frowned, and her first thought was that she must have the wrong house.
That thought didn’t last, however. The other option dawned on her all of a sudden, and it made her feel like her knees might give way. Oh, how stupid she’d been! It had been thirty-seven years since she had last seen Sunspot. What in Celestia’s mane made her think he was still single?
The door opened, and for a moment Golden Lace felt relief. It was another stallion, not Sunspot. Only for a moment, however, then it dawned on her who he must be with his orange fur and red mane. He even had the same white spot on his muzzle.
He adjusted his glasses as he looked at her. “Uh, hi, can I help you?”
Golden Lace blinked a few times and somehow formed words. “Does… Sunspot live here?”
“Yeah, just a minute.” He turned away from the door and called, “Dad! Someone’s here to see you!”
Dad. Sunspot had a kid, and the mare she heard singing was probably his wife. While she’d been buried in the past, he’d made something of his life.
She turned away. She didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to see him, not like this. She started walking quickly, and the only thing that stopped her from breaking into a gallop was the shakiness of her legs.
But before she got too far, she heard hooves behind her. She should have run. Everything told her not to turn around, but she had to. She knew who would be behind her, and she couldn’t avoid seeing her after all these years. She turned to face him.
And then there he was. Older, much older. But undeniably still Sunspot. His mouth was hanging open, and he stared at her in a stupor.
For a moment, they just stared at one another, neither daring to speak. That moment too ended like all the moments before it, and Sunspot murmured, “I can’t believe it.”
The spell broken, Golden Lace brushed her mane back then looked away. “Uhm, hi.”
“Who’s at the door, dear?” A mare stepped out to see them, and there was no denying who she was. She looked quite a bit like her son.
“Golden Lace,” Sunspot said breathlessly. He finally caught up with himself and laughed a little. “Just… wow! Seeing you again after all these years! I never imagined.”
His wife stepped forward, and Golden Lace realized she looked vaguely familiar. Likewise, she was looking at her as if she was trying to place who she was. The other mare realized first, and a slow smile crept onto her face. “The Sunrise Girl?”
It was hearing that name that made Golden Lace realize who she was looking at. She couldn’t remember a name, but the two of them had met once before when she had told Golden Lace where Sunspot was and confessed to teasing him about his crush.
Golden Lace blinked and forced a smile. “Uhm, that’s me. Although… I haven’t really been that for a long time, you know.”
Sunspot’s wife seemed to find that amusing. She nudged her husband playfully. “Well, are you going to invite her in for dinner, or aren’t you?”
He blinked a few times, then smiled. “Yes, of course. Would you, er, like to join us for dinner? We can catch up.”
Golden Lace’s impulse was to decline. She had wanted to come here to see Sunspot, but not to hear about his life with his wife and their son. That would hurt to hear. It would be hard to sit through, and Golden Lace didn’t usually do things the hard way.
But… was it worth it for love?
She nodded. She would take what she could get. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
And so concludes another story! There will be more to come from Golden Lace and Brass Badge, however. 
The next story in this series is Acts of Love, which stars TwiShySet and what's next for them.
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Huh. Well, that was not the direction I was expecting that to go. And it creates a whole new set of complications for the future.
10488511
Curious, how were you expecting it to go?
I'm glad Lace and Brass were able to separate amicably.
Still, Sunspot's taking Lace showing up in his life again pretty well. Still, I'm glad to see that he's still the good stallion that he was all those years ago.
10488519
Yeah, Sunspot's a good guy. I like him quite a bit. His whole family, really.
10488517
I was expecting things to be a lot less amicable between Brass and Lace. And I certainly wasn't expecting to have her return to Sunspot to be so, well, hopeful.
Not a complaint! But I was expecting it to be a much more fraught ending after how things built to start.
10488568
Ah, gotcha. Yeah, I liked the idea of an amiable divorce. Just two ponies who have burnt up all their feelings for each other and realize it's time to end things. As for the hopeful ending with Sunspot, it might have went differently if this were a longer story, but I wanted to end on a hopeful note, especially since this is Lace's first time in a long time taking agency of her life. Although she's more or less been an antagonist of this series, I felt like this step warranted a break for her lol
I'm wondering if lace is going to enter into a three way marriage like her daughter...... Hmmmm
10488659
Only time
and the next ficwill tell!And so that's that. Makes sense that they divorced amicably. There was nothing to argue about. Also not surprised that Sunspot eventually moved on. 37 years is a long time. And his son...is that Sunburst?
10488710
Yeah, the amiable divorce was something I really wanted to do. Sunspot getting together with Stellar Flare was also inevitable from the start
10488748
Is...that where this idea came from? I had no idea that these were actual characters that appeared in the show, but Sunset being Sunspot's daughter?
10488753
I saw someone draw art of Sunset and Sunburst as siblings, which is where I got the idea. It was a fairly popular headcanon for a while, though I'm unsure how many fics went with it. But yeah, Sunspot and Stellar Flare aren't OCs, those are canon characters
Well that ending was an interesting cliffhanger nice way of putting sunburst in there, nice to see Golden lace ( like brass badge)achieve a little wisdom in her old age and finally realize how bad another she was with sunset, she redeemed her self a little when she finally decide to support her daughter and glad to see their divorce end on friendly terms now we got this whole new can of worms with lace just showing back up in sunspots life. What will happen? I guess we'll just have to keep reading to find out . can't wait for the story to continue
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Glad you enjoyed this story and its ending!
As usual you won't be waiting for long, the next story comes out on Sunday and we will indeed see more of all these characters in it
Ah but what if a new wife finds you?
*gasp* what if its Pinkie. That would actually break Sunsets mind in two (again).
No.
No no no no.
You foal!
Okay, read the last bit and I guess I was the foal!
Turns out there are good people/Ponies you just need to turn up and give them a chance. so EQG shy got mad when a former love turned up out of the blue, and I was absolutely expecting the same herebut no the opposite occurred. Like the world's are mirrors of each other or something?
Or maybe there is a Princess pulling the strings here. Maybe Luna saw the selflessness of the open letter and the companies new stance supporting Sunsets love and she visited their dreams and made a deal by which they are nice to her. You see for the greater good of love and stuff.
Or they are just decent folk that haven't been viciously tormented in life much. Yet. Golden Lace knows where they live now. (still not won over by her).
Looking forward to Acts of Love.
Thanks for another splendid fic!
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lol I think if Sunset had shown up out of the blue thirty-seven years after her breakup with Shy and Shy was happily married and over her drama by then, it might've turned out okay like this
But yeah, nothing too bad happening here. This is Lace taking agency over her life for the first time, and I wanted to reward her for that. Not that it worked out exactly as she expected, but few things in life do and it's up to her to make the most of that!
And Pinkie x Brass Badge is not a take I saw coming so congrats on that, I guess
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Yeah you're absolutely right. Apart from the most basic premise, the two turning up out of the blue were completly different. I think I was just still hit by the emotions from the last human Shy and Sunset interactions.
Always nice that these tend to end happily and full of hope. With the idea that no matter what you do or what life throws at you you can always make it at least a little bit better if you try to be better.
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Sunset will meet with both of her parents in the next story coming out on Sunday (though those meetings won't be in the first chapters, so it'll be some time before we see them), but only time will tell how those meetings go! I'm glad you enjoyed the story and its ending
I know I'm not supposed to like Brass Badge, but I do sympathize with him. He did his best, he did care, he just didn't know any better. He approached parenting like it was the military, and that kind of nurturing breeds resentment, anxiety, and a desire to escape. Not his fault, maybe, but he put in more effort than Golden Lace, and he does love Sunset, so he's alright in my book. Maybe things will be better for this family in the future, but all we can do is wait and hope.
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Yeah, that's fair. Actually got a lot of positive response to Brass Badge in particular, which wasn't something I was expecting but is something I'm happy about. One of my proofreaders in particular went from hating him (like all my readers probably did) to citing him as my best character after this story and his appearances in Acts of Love.
This was a good ending to the story. Like the others, I didn't expect an amicable divorce, Going to meet Sunspot also turned out way better than I expected. I didn't recognize Sunburst's dad's fan name, but I figured he'd be Sunburst's dad once it was mentioned he moved to Sire's Hollow.
Alas, this is probably the point where I jump off the Who We Become train. Got too big a backlog to commit to an ongoing long running series.
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lol and you don't even know my reputation for tormenting characters, so it's saying something that you thought the divorce would be a blow-up. And I expected people would pick up who Sunspot was when Stellar Flare was mentioned, but I suppose she did only appear in one episode.
In any event, it was nice having you read for a while, and I thank you for the comments
This... ended surprisingly well. Do I detect a new poly possibility with Sunspot, Golden Lace, and Stellar Flare? I feel like there's one. Also, Sunburst and Sunset need to meet! It's too good not to happen! Brass said he's too old for a new wife, but I'm sure there is something else he can find purpose in, though not a relationship.
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👏thank👏you👏gamer👏
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Congrats on getting caught up! 
All the characters from this fic will appear in The Setting Sun, and that's all I'm saying
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All caught up ON THIS UNIVERSE!
And with that I am all caught up on this universe. I honestly hope to see Sunset's relationship with her parents soften in the future.
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Not quite, Acts of Love remains and that furthers the story of Sunset with her parents
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Yes, I read that one before coming back to read this. My hope is to see it progress even further, having now seen things from her parents perspective
Hmmm. My shipping senses are tingling. A new triad? I’m not even sure I like the not really new her yet and still...
your songs.*
Hopefully.
While it's a shame they're splitting up, I don't blame their decisions.
Well I'll be damned!
To be completely honest, I originally wasn't sure I was gonna like this story. But after giving it another try and reading it chapter by chapter I ended up enjoying it. While there were a few parts I did dislike, I overall enjoyed this story in the end.
Well I'm not really sure exactly what I expected from this fic when going in, but this was a wonderful, complex, and layered ending.
There is a certain degree of wanting revenge/punishment in some for towards the two of them for how they're acted and treated Sunset over years because, make no mistake, Brass Badge and Golden Lace are an awful pair of ponies. In some ways that did happen. I'm having a hard time to coalesce my thoughts into words around this and one that comes to the forefront the most is "bittersweetness".
Brass was able to realize and reflect on his parenting and how it impacted Sunset, there was some realization of the pain he had caused her, but also that mix of happiness and weird pride/not-pride feeling that drove him to tears when he realized she had found happiness and worth in spite of him.
Golden Lace likewise was afflicted with pain of envy because of Sunset's life and how Sunset gets to have the loving relationship(s) that she herself never had in her marriage. Out of it came an action that, while selfless, also resulted in her taking damage (though not total ruin) to her business and social standing.
And the two found some degree of forgiveness towards each other, filed to divorce
('bout time should've happened long ago gawshdarnit')amicably and maturely, and found some measure of peace in the end. Brass with his hobbies, solitude and perhaps a weight lifted off his shoulders - Golden likewise having a weight off her shoulders and a chance to seek out a new happiness in finding and reconnecting with Sunspot again after all these years, wherever that might lead.I enjoyed this story a lot more than I expected.
Also I totes called that song being Landslide the moment I saw the Fleetwood Mac thumbnail I mean what the hell else would it be in this situationAhhh I figured that was Sunburst's dad.
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This story is a favorite of mine. And I almost didn't write it. I've written a lot of things that people don't seem to "get". Not in that they can't understand what is happening, but the complex emotions behind many of the stories... Well, human Shy may remain the most hated character in this series for the rest of its run.
And I wrote this on the heels of The Open Road. At the ending to which, I considered giving up WWB. The vitriol that some readers had towards Shy in that story was hard, and here we had two characters that were universally hated by readers, and for good reason. How would people react to a story focused on them? I was, honestly, afraid to find out.
Obviously I wrote it anyway. And I'm glad to say that the response has been much better than I originally feared. I don't know that I have anywhere I'm going with these thoughts, but I appreciate your comments and these in-depth thoughts on this series, and I wanted to share a little of my own thoughts on it as well, I guess.
Thank you for reading, and especially for commenting along the way