Family Reunion

by MisterEdd

The Power of Love

"What manner of business is this? Is it a gathering place for jesters and fools?"

Starlight snorted, "No this a place where ponies, mares primarily, go to purchase clothing."

"It is a tailor's shop? Times forsooth doth change indeed."

They passed through the front door, the bell jingling and causing Clover to momentarily freak out. It would seem as though bells on shop doors wasn't a practice in his time.

"Com-m-m-ming!"

The boutique's owner pranced down the steps and briefly posed.

"Welcome to the Car-...oh, hi Starlight!" Rarity then noticed Clover. "And who is your friend?"

"Rarity, this is my ancestor Clover the Clever. The short version is that I used time travel."

Clover took Rarity's hoof and kissed it. "Good day, my lady. A hundred benisons onto thy shop and a hundred moe on thy house."

"He wishes both your business and your family good luck," Starlight translated.

"Oh my, what a gentlecolt." Rarity fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Your wife must be a very lucky mare."

"Towards the contrary, it is I whom am the lucky one. Mine love is the morrow, noon and night. She outshines the stars with her radiance and turns the sun green with envy upon’r spirit."

In all honesty, Starlight was beginning to get slightly creeped out at the goo-goo eyes Rarity was making at her great-great-so-on-great-grandfather. Then again, the devotion and poetry with which Clover spoke about Gusty was actually extremely romantic. She could easily picture Sunburst speaking those words to her.

"Anywaaaay, since Clover is new to this millennium, I thought I'd show him around."

Rarity moved slightly closer to Clover. "Well, if you need anything, you know where I'll be, Darling."

"By Grogar's horns! The hour grows late and we might not but be going would we are to get to that meeting on time." Clover jerked his head towards Starlight, his eyes practically screaming with desperation.

"Oh, right, I almost forgot!" Starlight exclaimed, playing along. "I promised Pinkie Pie that we'd meet up for lunch at Sugarcube Corner."

"Aye! Till we meet again, mine lady. May fortune’s lips smile upon thou."

"Bye Rarity!"

They hurried out the door, leaving Rarity alone. She pouted, "All of the good stallions are either married, wanted criminals or from the distant past."

~*~

"That was quick thinking on your part, Clover. I didn't picture you as somepony that was so at ease with lying, especially to a lady."

Clover scoffed. "‘Twere not lying, merely the advantageous twisting of fact."

"That...still sounds like lying."

Clover stopped to bow and scrape as Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody passed by, causing the latter to blush and whisper excitedly to her companion.

"Is it? We assured thy friend Pinkie Pie that we would meet up again later, didst we not? Besides, ‘i mine experience, ladies don’t crave truth. They do lack empty, handsome words."

Sugarcube Corner was bustling with activity as per usual and for that, Starlight was grateful. The eatery was not just a place to get tasty treats but also to socialize with friends and receive warm service from its owners. Clover commented on the restaurant looking like something out a fairy tale and she had to agree with him. Truly there was no other business like it. They picked out a table and no sooner had they'd sat down did Pinkie Pie zip in to take their orders.

"Hello Starlight and Clover! Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! What would you like?"

"Two medium chocolate milkshakes with whipped cream and cherries."

"You've got it!"

The pink mare zoomed back into the kitchen while Clover fixed Starlight with a puzzling expression.

"By your leave, yet for what hath thou decreed that thy friend shake milk and apply cream and fruit to it?"

"You'll see."

As if on cue, Pinkie appeared once more to deliver their order.

"Enjoy!" She saluted and was gone once more, leading to Clover to stare after her with the expression that everypony has when trying to figure out the mystery that is Pinkie Pie.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, this is what we call a 'milkshake.' It's made up of milk, cream, sugar and ice cream." She placed a straw in each glass. "Try it. It's really good!"

Clover stared dubiously at the straw before taking a sip. He swirled it around in each cheek and swallowed, smacking his lips and licking them. "This is amazing!" He attacked the milkshake with vigor, slurping and sucking on the straw.

"Wait, don't drink so fast! You'll get..."

"Ahhhh!"

"...brain-freeze. Are you okay?"

Clover massaged his temples and peered at her. "It is a naughty trick! It beguiles thou with its sweet taste then delivers pain to thy skull. Wicked, wicked milkshake!"

"I did warn you. Just try to take it slow..."

Once more, Clover was guzzling the beverage down. "And then it beckons thou to return for moe!"

Starlight shook her head as Clover let out another yelp of pain. The cycle, consisting of pain and curses and then more crazed sipping, continued on until his glass was empty and he patted his stomach contently. It was moments like these that Starlight wished that she had a camera. After paying for the milkshakes and thanking Pinkie Pie, the two returned once more to the streets of Ponyville. A nice walk would help them burn off the sugar after all.

"So say to me, Starlight, what is thy connection with Sunburst?"

"Sunburst? Well, I'm known him practically forever. We grew up in the same small town, the kind where everypony knows each other. He's my best friend."

"Doth thou would for there to be moe to thy friendship?"

Starlight skidded to a stop and spun around. "Whoa, wait, what? Me and Sunburst, Sunburst and me?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Clover smirked knowingly. " Thou hast romantic feelings for him, do not thou?"

"I...yes, yes I do."

Clover chuckled and patted Starlight's shoulder. "Thou hast naught to be ashamed of. It is natural for love to blossom from friendship. Gusty and I were foals together 'i the like town and from our closeness came love."

"Really?"

"Indeed."

"But...how do I tell if Sunburst feels the same about me?"

"Look with thy heart and not thy head. The answer shall become clear as day."

Starlight fell forward, her forelegs wrapping around Clover's neck. At first, the stallion stood as stiff as a board, unsure of what to do but slowly pulled her into an embrace.

"Thanks Clover."

"Thou...you art welcome, Starlight."

~*~

Clover's face hovered an inch away from the cutie map's surface.

"Amazing...forsooth amazing. Thou quoth that this was created by the Tree of Harmony?"

"Exactly!" Twilight exclaimed. "Along with this entire castle."

"The master craftsponies of the Crystal Empire could not hast built such a marvel. Then again, the Tree is a source of great mystery, its magic unlike any seen ere 'i this or any age." Clover lifted his head up. "Starlight, were thou present during the castle's conjuration?"

Starlight began to sweat.

"Actually, Starlight didn't arrive until a little later," Twilight answered. "The map actually brought us to her."

"Then fate decided that thou were to be friends." He placed a hoof on each of their shoulders and beamed proudly. "It is good to wot that two such virtuous mares were brought together for the sake of Equestria. I hast no doubts that it is 'i good hooves."

Starlight gently nudged herself out of Clover's grasp. "It's been a long day and I think that I'll have to go to bed. Good night, Twilight. Good night, Clover."

"Good night, Starlight."

"Good night, dearest Starlight. I shall see thee to-morrow."

Twilight led Clover through the castle's halls, stopping every so often to point out a key feature or two. She had to restrain herself to keep from skipping. How many ponies could say that they had a founder of Equestria stay over at their house?

"She is such a gentle mare, such a kind soul," Clover said softly.

"Um, Clover? How much has Starlight told you about herself? Her past, I mean?"

"Not much to be honest, merely that she and Sunburst grew up together."

Twilight looked away. "I see. Well, I should get you set up." They stopped at a guest bedroom, of which there was many. "This is where you'll sleep. The sheets are fresh and the bed is comfy."

Clover bowed. "Thy hospitality is beyond words, Thy Highness."

"Please, call me, 'Twilight.' I'm a little uncomfortable with titles."

"I wholeheartedly understand. Well, good night to thee, Twilight!"

The guest bedroom resembled the rest of the castle, being made out of a foreign multihued crystal. Other than a bed, it also had a nightstand, closet, desk and chair, over which Clover carefully draped his cloak over. Fishing through an inner pocket, he retrieved a hoofheld portrait of himself with Gusty and their daughter. Only a few weeks old and still unnamed, as the couple couldn't agree on what to call her. He smiled and kissed the portrait.

"Good night Gusty, my love. Good night my daughter."

~*~

Starlight laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. She felt guilty about not telling Clover the truth about herself but what could she do? What would he think once he found out that she nearly single-hoofedly brought about the end of Equestria? Petty, selfish reasons aside, the act itself would no doubt horrify the stallion and he'd no longer want anything to do with her. It was strange; Starlight had only known Clover for a few hours and yet held him in high regards.

Hero worship was off the table; the initial excitement about walking with and talking to Clover the Clever had worn out and now he was just another pony. Could it be their familial connection? Maybe but that was still a bit iffy. He died a thousand years before Starlight was even born and since their blood ties were newly discovered, she had no foalhood memories of being dazzled with the tales of her famous ancestor. It could be that Clover's quickness to insert himself into her life and be a positive influence on her was would had her feeling all twisted up.

She manually pulled the covers up to her neck and turned over onto her right side. As a child of an early divorce and growing up as a "latchkey kid," Starlight had quickly grown used to having no adult supervision and thus no guidance, learning how to become self-reliant. Sure, her folks made sure that she was well provided for and always made sure to greet her with a smile, but she still lacked that closeness that all of the foals had with their parents. Now she had her great-great-times-fifty-great-grandfather offering her advice and positive reinforcement so she could feel that old hole in her chest starting to fill in a little. Plausibly, she didn't want to lose that.

"Starlight..."

She threw the covers off and jerked upward.

"Princess Luna?"

The blue alicorn smiled at her.

"Hello Starlight. It's nice to see you again."

"Wait...am I dreaming?" Starlight looked around. "It doesn't look like it."

"Sometimes we fall asleep when we don't realize it and our dreams resemble our waking life."

"That makes sense. Not that I'm unhappy to see you but why are you here?"

Princess Luna climbed up onto the bed and curled up, an almost maternal smile on her face.

"I felt your guilt and shame through the Dream-verse. Would you like to talk about it?"

"Okay. So, I found out that I'm related to Clover the Clever and so I brought him here to the present."

"This I know. Twilight sent Celestia and I a letter detailing the situation. While we don't approve of the usage of chronokinesis, it is a rather impressive feat. Do go on."

Starlight sighed, "So, Clover and I have been getting to know each other and he's a really great pony. It's just that I didn't tell him about my past...about what I did in Our Town or what I tried to do to Twilight and her friends."

"Are you afraid of what he might think?"

"Yes."

Princess Luna wrapped a wing around Starlight.

"I understand. You feel remorse about your past and you're ashamed of it. You feel overwhelmed at Clover's accomplishments and you don't want him to think any less of you. But know this: if you keep this bottled up, it will only hurt the both of you and your relationship. Believe me when I say that secrets hinder us, not help us."

Starlight nodded, feeling herself becoming lighter with the offloading of her worries.

"Thanks Princess Luna. I'll tell him tomorrow."

Comments

[TheAncientPolitzanian]

Interesting so far. I'll have to see where this goes...
:)

[MisterEdd]

10173166
Thanks!

[SuperPinkBrony12]

I foresee Starlight getting sidetracked before she can tell Clover about her past.

[MisterEdd]

10173335
It was a joke to poke fun at all of the Starlight detractors.

[MisterEdd]

10173347
Nope, this is supposed to take place in the show. Think of it as an untold story

[MisterEdd]

10173391
Wouldn't be very fun if it were that straightforward

[titanhades70]

10173416

I know. I'm just making fun of Discord and how he thinks he's so smart, yet does and says a lot of dumb things.

You got him perfectly in character.

[MisterEdd]

10173499
That's fair. I mean, his entire plot in Season 9 was just too stupid for words

[titanhades70]

10173500
I know, right? A child could see how that whole plan was going to turn out. Seriously. Forming a bond between some of their greatest foes. Leaving them unsupervised. Given them the knowledge about and the location of an item that could take him out. Not at least telling someone like Celestia the heads up (Considering she allows these threats to pop up, knowing full well about them, and doesn't say anything to Twilight, she might have gone along with it, but kept it more under control) So many other bad choices..

[MisterEdd]

10173512
That's why I'm in the process of writing my own head-canon universe, one where (spoiler) the real Grogar is the central antagonist of Season 9. I'm early on in the series with my stories When Darkness Falls, The Return of the King and Family Reunion.

[Velvet-Fresh]

you know.. they're kinda dumb for not telling Clover they have a dragonquess 'friend' in advance.. also can't wait for Clover to meet the royal sisters. Sorry just read its based on season 6 lol.. wait after the crystalling?

Ok hope he finds Amore's descendant Cadence and maybe baby Flurry lol

[MisterEdd]

10173608
Yeah, funny how that doesn't come up, huh?

And this takes place after "The Crystalling" but before "A Hearth's Warming Tail"

[Velvet-Fresh]

10174376
Timeline wise, does this Clover already met the royal sisters in his time? His mentor Starswirl did teach those two while they're still rebellious twerps. lol

[MisterEdd]

10174901
Yes, a few times when they were fillies

[RandomGuy101]

"This is amazing!" He attacked the milkshake with vigor, slurping and sucking on the straw.

"Wait, don't drink so fast! You'll get..."

"Ahhhh!"

"...brain-freeze. Are you okay?"

Clover massaged his temples and peered at her. "It is a naughty trick! It beguiles thou with its sweet taste then delivers pain to thy skull. Wicked, wicked milkshake!"

"I did warn you. Just try to take it slow..."

Once more, Clover was guzzling the beverage down. "And then it beckons thou to return for moe!"

Starlight shook her head as Clover let out another yelp of pain. The cycle, consisting of pain and curses and then more crazed sipping, continued on until his glass was empty and he patted his stomach contently.

[silverMEGAlicorn]

I could not help but laugh so hard at Clover trying to drink a milkshake 🤣 That was far too hilarious, and I could barely keep reading

[MisterEdd]

11045768
That was actually my favorite scene to write so thank you 😁