Chapter 45: Family History
Twilight had finished walking Sunset into the lounge room, where Starlight and Sunburst were still waiting. The childhood friends were bonding over some tea, before noticing Sunset entering the room. They gave friendly waves, as Twilight was happy she accomplished her mission in bringing Sunset and Sunburst together. The princess now had to leave in order to take care of her royal duties in Saddle Arabia, so she gave everypony a nod before waving goodbye and exiting the castle. Sunset trotted over to this Sunburst stallion she had vaguely been hearing about for a while, and took a good look at him before introducing herself.
Beyond the glasses, cloak, and coat markings on his hooves and face, she noticed they both shared more common traits visually, other than the attribute of 'sun' in their names. Sunset and Sunburst were both unicorns with a light orange coat, similar eye colors, and even the patterns of a wavy sun's fire in their manes and tails. Despite this fact right off the bat, Sunset still didn't particularly recognize Sunburst as anypony she'd be familiar with, not even from her youth. The only reason she knew of his existence at all was because Starlight brought him up, and she had barely guessed at the idea of him having any possible connection to herself as far as growing up with a single father. Even if there was no connection, she still felt interested in meeting this pony who did somewhat resemble her own appearance, and began to do formal introductions.
"Hello there." Sunset greeted Sunburst, as Starlight sat nearby. "Sunburst, right?"
"Yes, ma'am." Sunburst affirmed before trotting over to shake Sunset's hoof. "Sunset Shimmer, I presume?"
"That's me." Sunset replied. "Nice to officially meet you. I'm guessing Starlight and Twilight have already let you know of why I was interested in scheduling a meeting with you?"
"Yep, we already gave him the full rundown of everything, so there's no need to explain anything, Sunset." Starlight confirmed. "Plus, he was already interested in making friends who were mutual with me. Remember Trixie and Maud, Sunburst?"
"Yeah, we've all had some pretty good experiences together." Sunburst recalled. "But anyways, I was admittedly intrigued myself when Starlight called me up and told me about you, Sunset. I can definitely already tell that we do share some similar traits, visually. Your fur, mane patterns, and eye colors, I can see somewhat of a resemblance between us. The only things you seem to be missing are these distinct coat markings, and well of course, this stylish cloak."
"That's what I was thinking myself just by looking at you too." Sunset noted. "One of the main things I did want to ask you about is regarding your father, if you don't mind?"
"Sure, I'm happy to talk about my family." Sunburst said, enthusiastically. "Well, just a fair warning, my mom does still occasionally tend to embarrass me, let's just say."
"Same could be said about my dad." Starlight related.
"Well, speaking of your mother, Sunburst?" Sunset began. "We don't have to go too far into details if you're not comfortable sharing your experiences. I was mostly just curious, is your mother's name 'Solstice', by any chance?"
"Uhh, no?" Sunburst said, rather confused. "Her name's Stellar Flare, so I'm afraid you're way off. But since you brought that name up, I almost vaguely remember hearing dad murmur something about a solstice from time to time when I was just a colt. It's probably completely unrelated, however."
"Well all right, perhaps there's legitimately more to this Solstice pony I still don't quite understand." Sunset continued brainstorming. "What about your dad, though?"
"Admittedly... dad's not really been as involved in my life as much as my mom." Sunburst realized. "In case you're wondering, his name's Sunspot. Does that name ring a bell to you, Sunset?"
"Not at all, but the problem here is that... I don't actually know my own father's name." Sunset explained. "I just vaguely remember I grew up somewhere in Ponyville with my dad before I moved to Canterlot to become Princess Celestia's pupil. Since I was never particularly close with my actual family, I've kinda just forgotten what my dad looked like, what his name was, or where he lived after I moved away."
"Starlight's mentioned something like that about you." Sunburst recalled. "I was rather astonished when realizing that your past admittedly sounded rather similar to mine. Right after I discovered my talent for magic and got my cutiemark, I kinda just moved away from my dad's home in Ponyville, and lived out my life at Canterlot attending the School For Gifted Unicorns. I kinda got separated from both of my actual parents since it was a boarding school I had attended, and I was looked after by Princess Celestia. After this move, I didn't really hear much from my dad, though as I've hinted to earlier, mom's sent me plenty of letters asking about my future career path."
"Wait, you mean that even before you officially moved away, you actually never lived in Sire's Hollow with me?" Starlight asked, rather surprised.
"Technically, I did and I also didn't." Sunburst began explaining, as the two unicorn mares looked rather confused. "See, to my understanding, shortly after I was born, my parents had for some reason separated, and I seemingly bounced back and forth with living with them in different places, as if they were fighting for custody over me. I didn't really think much of it back then, I just humorously believed my parents were rich enough to afford two separate mortgages."
"Huh, I didn't even know that, and I guess that explains why we didn't see your dad anywhere in Sire's Hollow during that time we were both called there for a friendship problem." Starlight said upon hearing this revelation. "Sunburst, I'm your oldest childhood friend, and even I never got a single hint of that. You and your parents always seemed like such a happy and connected family who were inseparable."
"Well I may or may not have kept plenty of secrets from you during our youth." Sunburst replied. "To be honest, since you were also the first friend I've ever made, I guess I never really said anything out of fear that you'd take the news rather harshly, almost as if I was moving away. Ponyville is rather far from Sire's Hollow. Ironic how I say that now, given what you ended up doing with most of your life after?"
"You can say that again." Starlight agreed. "The village and the removal of cutie marks to fighting Twilight nonstop in a time travel spell, just because I was heartbroken at my first friend leaving me. But thinking back to that day you did save me from that stack of books and got your cutie mark, now I feel confused. You mentioned that your parents separated long before that incident? Because I definitely remember that when I saw you step out of my house to show everypony else, both of your parents were there, Sunspot AND Stellar Flare."
"Well, I'd just chalk that up to coincidence, since dad did sometimes come to visit me in Sire's Hollow." Sunburst speculated. "The point being, I definitely lived in two separate places and alternated back and forth. With dad in Ponyville and mom in Sire's Hollow. I still don't understand why they were living separately, but all I do know is, they were both incredibly proud when I did get a cutie mark."
"That... might explain why your mother acted the way she did whenever I used to knock at her door to see you." Starlight finally understood. "For some reason, she always seemed somewhat nervous when I wanted to come see you and you supposedly weren't there, and just brushed it off like it was nothing. Saying things like... you were on vacation or you were busy doing a fundraiser selling cookies. Needless to say, I always found it strange that you never mentioned anything like that to me during our play dates."
"Huh?" Sunburst raised an eyebrow. "I've never sold cookies in my entire life. So that's what she told you? I guess she didn't want you to find out the truth behind our family whenever I was living with dad. I never really asked her to tell you these white lies, but I guess she got the idea when she did overhear me telling dad that I'd be worried about how you'd feel, Starlight."
"As you and Sunset both know now, it's kinda funny to imagine how this small miscommunication between me and your family almost caused the complete decimation of Equestria in its entirety." Starlight reflected, as Sunset and Sunburst both looked toward each other in astonishment of how correct that statement was. "Well, moving past this, does any of this information help your case, Sunset?"
"Well, I'm definitely getting more of an idea after putting the puzzle pieces together..." Sunset continued to process the information she was just told. "So from what I can understand, Sunburst did actually grow up with a dad separate from his mother, and this father also lived in Ponyville. As much as I'd like to believe there's a connection somewhere, I might still be overthinking things when it's simply a coincidence. After all, plenty of ponies live in Ponyville, and unlike me, you actually knew your mother too."
"That's true, but Starlight brought up that you'd possibly want to also meet my father?" Sunburst reminded. "I haven't kept in touch with my dad, nor have I visited him at all since I moved away. That said, you were hoping I could introduce you to him?"
"Oh, yes!" Sunset said with enthusiasm. "So far, none of these facts really point toward concrete evidence regarding who my father truly was, but I still have yet to meet another pony with 'sun' in their name. It's entirely possible that this Sunspot dad of yours could be a friend or relative of my own father, so I'd really love to learn if he knows any vital information. But if you don't mind me asking, how come you didn't really keep in touch with him after you moved to Canterlot?"
"Well to tell you the truth, I didn’t really have that close of a relationship with my father." Sunburst reflected. "He and I just didn’t really have much in common, we didn’t share many interests, and he wanted me to be somepony I wasn’t. I mean, it wasn’t a bad relationship per se, we just never really did much together, unlike my mother who was definitely more involved. It was her idea to send me off to magic school and pursue this career in magic, which I have had genuine passion for since then. Plus, even as a grown stallion now, she still encourages me to become a huge success."
"Your dad wanted you to be somepony else?" Sunset questioned. "I'm not quite sure what you mean by that?"
"Well, it's kind of hard to explain." Sunburst tried his best to elaborate. "Long before I got my cutie mark, I almost vaguely remember overhearing him telling my mom about how he's always wanted to raise a daughter. I don't quite know if he was talking about me, or if he was simply talking to her about having another baby, thus giving me a sister. But the biggest thing I definitely remember from the earlier days was that... dad really didn't seem supportive of my dream in studying magic. I don't recall what he actually wanted from me instead, it's just that I had no interest whatsoever in comparison."
"I could definitely also understand this kind of frustration." Sunset said, as this sounded similar to what Lemon Zest mentioned about her own father back on the Manehattan ferry. "Somepony else told me she's had a similar experience with her dad, but I helped her realize that he simply wanted what was best for her."
"Yeah, deep down, I guess dad always just wanted me to follow a career that would help me live a good life." Sunburst surmised. "But even then, this pushy nature of his was still enough for me to not really be as close with him as much as mom. She might be an embarrassing parent from time to time, but I still felt she was always more supportive of my life choices than dad. That said, dad still wanted me to live with him for a little longer before he moved to Canterlot, and I did."
"I'm guessing he was really going to miss you moving away and wanted some time to spend with you before you were gone for quite a while?" Starlight speculated.
"Precisely." Sunburst confirmed. "Like I've said, he and I weren't that close, but I knew he still loved me. I think I only lived there for about a week before I went off to Canterlot. It was pretty nice to have one last opportunity to live with dad before I took an indefinite period of time to focus on my magic studies, and I still remember our very last exchange when that final week was up..."
Sunburst then began to share a flashback of what had happened from his perspective. He was still the little colt Starlight remembered, residing at his father's Ponyville home, and was rather excited for his new life studying magic at Canterlot after passing his entrance exam. His father, Sunspot, noticed that his son had just finished packing his suitcase and looked rather eager to board the train heading for the new school. This was exactly the problem, as in his eyes, Sunburst seemingly had no care in Equestria over leaving his parents for many years. Sunspot had already decided against the idea of Sunburst studying magic ages ago, and now he was not only going down that exact path, but even abandoning his family.
"Sunburst..." Sunspot said to his son, as the little colt finally closed his suitcase. "Are you sure you really want to go study at Canterlot for the next decade or so?"
"Of course, dad." Sunburst said firmly. "I wouldn't have packed my things or studied for six hours straight to pass that entrance exam to get in if I wasn't. Plus, mom's been so supportive of my decision to study magic since the very beginning. I thought you'd be too, as far as getting accepted by the school and earning my cutie mark recently. Aren't you happy for me?"
"Absolutely..." Sunspot replied. "Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of your academic achievements and recent discovery for your talent, but I mean... are you willing to be separated from your mother and I for at least several years while you're attending this boarding school? Canterlot is incredibly far from both Ponyville and Sire's Hollow, and you'll most likely be too occupied with schoolwork to even get a good opportunity to visit us again."
"Relax." Sunburst tried to assure his father. "If it helps, I'll be sure to write you letters to give you updates every so often. Heck, after I left mom's place last week, she's already written me two letters even before I've left for Canterlot. I'm sure everything will be fine as long as we keep in touch. It's not like I'm abandoning anypony by just following my dreams."
"What about me?" Sunspot quickly blurted from pure instinct. "What about your mother? How about Starlight? You don't believe any of us would miss you? Your mother and I would also feel sad in never getting the opportunity to watch you grow up."
"I'd understand you would all miss me, but like I've said, I'll at least write and try finding opportunities to visit whenever I can." Sunburst said. "Why are you making such a big deal out of this, anyways? It's just a higher level school that'll help me grow and demonstrate my talent in magic. My exam instructor even wrote back that I might be proficient enough to become Princess Celestia's pupil, if she's looking for one."
"...Is that so?" Sunspot said with an ounce of sadness. "I'm happy for this honor you received, son, believe me. I'm just reluctant in willingly letting you go, knowing it may be the last time I'll see you for quite some time. Plus, I really would not want to make the same mistake twice..."
"Huh?" Sunburst said, rather confused. "When have you made a mistake like that before?"
"Err, let's just say it's not important anymore." Sunspot quickly brushed it off. "The point being, I'm just not sure if this field of study is absolutely what you should pursue. I might be good with magic myself, but I never ended up strictly studying magic as a career. I guess as a good form of reassurance, I'd like to at least get an idea of how things are holding up during your first week there. Do you promise to write back to me as soon as you arrive at Canterlot?"
"Alright." Sunburst agreed. "But I do hope this means you're now accepting that I've chosen this new life and path when it comes to my talent with magic. I genuinely want to do this, it's a fascinating study, and I'd be willing to take the time and energy to learn plenty of new spells on the road to success, like mom would want for me."
"...Yes." Sunspot finally agreed, albeit reluctantly. "I'm sorry if you feel like I haven't been supportive of your decisions, son, it's just... I really want what's best for you, and the last thing I want to do is lose my family because of a decision we'd regret on hindsight."
"I'm always willing to work with you and be with you no matter what, dad." Sunburst affirmed. "If you support what I genuinely have passion for, that's all I want from you. I'll send you a letter right away after I've gotten accustomed to this new school. I've heard it's got good ratings, given it is the School For Gifted Unicorns in Canterlot."
"How... wonderful." Sunspot said, but notably felt uncomfortable at his son bringing up that school's name. "All right, as long as you're sure you're willing to write back, I'll be with you til the end. If you really are sure you'd want to study magic and learn all sorts of new spells while you're there, then that's what I'll put your tuition toward. I mean, your mother and I have obviously already paid the school all the fees and tuition, but you get the idea, of course?"
"Absolutely, and no problem at all." Sunburst said with confidence. "I'll be sure to write enough times to where you'll never even notice I'm gone. With that said, we really have to catch the train now, since I wouldn't want to make a bad first impression to my mentors by being late."
"As you wish, Sunburst." Sunspot agreed, as he walked his son out the door, ready to head over to the train station, before muttering something under his breath. "I just really hope nopony at that school brainwashes my son too..."
"What was that, dad?" Sunburst said, rather perplexed.
"Nothing, nothing." Sunspot quickly brushed off his last statement, before closing his door and accompanying Sunburst to Canterlot.
The two ponies boarded the train heading for Sunburst's new school. Along the way, Sunspot didn't really say anything, but Sunburst did notice that his father seemed distraught, as if something at the back of his mind was still bothering him. After arriving at Canterlot, Sunburst took his suitcase and waved goodbye to his dad, before heading off to the student dorms. Although Sunspot also waved back, Sunburst could still read a negative emotion from his father's expression, and that was the last image the little colt saw of his father, before he went off to pursue his studies. Before even entering his boarding school, Sunburst noted he was still confused about his dad's behavior, as his flashback then ended.
"...And that was the last I ever heard or saw of my dad." Sunburst finished. "It's also kinda funny to think dad was in some ways right about me eventually regretting that decision. Even if I had interest in studying magic, I flunked my courses for not being able to perform it. I was so ashamed over my failure, that I just didn't know what I was going to do with my life after."
"Well, I guess it is a little more comforting to know that I wasn't the only one who was severely hurt by you moving away." Starlight reflected. "But now I'm confused from you mentioning that final week you spent with Sunspot was the last you ever heard or saw of him."
"Yeah, same." Sunset said in mutual agreement. "Did you end up keeping your promise in writing to him and keeping in touch?"
"I did for sure." Sunburst affirmed. "Dad and I might've had some disagreements regarding this decision I made, but the last thing I am is a liar to my parents. After my first week at the school, I wrote my very first letter and mailed it to his old home address in Ponyville. But here's the really strange thing. I waited days, to weeks, to months, to even years, and I never heard back from him. He didn't send any letters addressed to me himself, nor did he ever reply to that very first letter I sent."
"Hmm, I'm not really sure why he would do that, since from what you've shared, he was really adamant on staying in touch with you, Sunburst." Sunset noted.
"Well... did you by some chance happen to write anything in the letter that would've potentially offended or upset him?" Starlight suggested.
"It's been ages since I've sent that particular letter, but to tell you the truth, not really." Sunburst recalled. "All I really said was that I was having a good time with my new teachers, classmates, and sessions to study magic. Mind you, this was long before I had realized my struggle in being able to cast spells, and was on the verge of flunking out. I also made it particularly clear that I already missed him, and would be willing to schedule a time to visit him sometime during winter break. Other than that, I asked how he was doing and if he had any plans over break himself, but nothing too specific. That's about it, yet he never wrote back in replying to my first letter, nor did he even send me outside letters letting me know he didn't receive my first one."
"Are you sure that he really didn't write back to you?" Sunset questioned. "Maybe he actually did, but you somehow missed it?"
"Trust me, Sunset, that's impossible." Sunburst debunked. "If he did, I definitely would've gotten it, since I always keep track of any mail sent by my parents, like the 5,685 letters my mom's sent me over the years."
Sunset and Starlight looked to each other in amusement at how obsessive Stellar Flare was toward her son, before thinking of a logical explanation as to why Sunspot never wrote back.
"Well... is it entirely possible that he, for whatever reason didn't receive your first letter at all?" Starlight asked. "Did you write and mail any further letters to him after that?"
"Not really, actually." Sunburst reflected. "I had pretty much always waited for a response to that first letter, and it never arrived in my mailbox. Plus, I was more focused on my schoolwork, and replying to the numerous letters my mother sent me. Well, whether he received it or not, it doesn't seem like it matters now. He never kept in touch with me himself for one reason or another, so I'd say it's all water under the bridge. And given how I never wrote back to Starlight since I was so ashamed for failing my classes, I wouldn't have had the motivation to let dad know I was flunking out later on either."
"Well, going off of what you had shared earlier, two things in particular stood out to me." Sunset began dissecting Sunburst's story. "I definitely agree with your confusion as to why he constantly seemed so reluctant about letting you go off to study magic in Canterlot, but it sounded like to me, he was brushing off a few things that have a much deeper meaning. Him letting you go off to pursue your education at that school would be him somehow making the same mistake twice? And he believed that the ponies running the school would 'brainwash' you?"
"Yeah, I didn't know what to make of it either." Sunburst speculated himself. "Unless maybe he was just referring to himself? It is possible he decided to go off to a boarding school when he was a colt, and he ended up having bad experiences, to where he didn't want me to live out a similar life of misery? It wasn't like that at all during my earlier school days. Everypony was really nice and supportive, and even Princess Celestia herself commended me for how quickly I was learning. I was deemed to be one of the most knowledgeable students in the school's history, even if I was having difficulty actually casting said spells."
"I'm not sure if that seems likely, as your father did mention he never strictly studied magic." Sunset recalled. "I highly doubt he would've attended a magic school himself if that was the case."
"Unless that was just a lie?" Sunburst continued speculating. "Ugh, but then that would mean anything else he said during our last week together might've been false information too. I'm not sure we're getting anywhere at this rate..."
Sunset, Sunburst, and Starlight all sat around, still trying their best to connect the dots wherever they could. They had ideas here and there, but the overall picture was still missing too many puzzle pieces to make out the main image behind everything. However, after some deliberating, Starlight eventually came up with an idea that would shock the two other ponies.
"...Unless he was talking about his first daughter, that being you, Sunset?" Starlight suggested.
Sunset and Sunburst froze for a second, before thinking the idea seemed absurd.
"If that were so, how would that explain why Sunset and I don't recognize each other as anypony from our pasts?" Sunburst questioned.
"Same here, I've never even heard of anypony named Sunburst until you mentioned that name at Twilight's coronation, Starlight." Sunset added.
"Well, just hear me out." Starlight requested. "Sunset, you mentioned to me that you only lived in Ponyville with your dad before you went off to Canterlot to become Princess Celestia's pupil. You also mentioned that you didn't really keep in touch with him, as you were never really close with your family. But then, when you entered the mirror and became trapped, due to the portal only opening every 30 moons, wouldn't it have been likely that Princess Celestia had to deliver the hard news to your father? Anything could've happened to you in the human world, after all."
"...Huh." Sunset began to agree with Starlight's logic. "I never really considered the possibility that Princess Celestia would have had to report to my family, everything that happened when she removed me as her pupil and I made my way into the human world. She would've definitely had to get the word out if my family wanted to come visit me. Well, at the very least, my dad, since he was the only true family member I recall."
"Right." Starlight continued her explanation. "Obviously, since Princess Celestia was responsible for looking after you, I'm sure your father did not take things well. He would absolutely be against the idea of sending his children to boarding schools to learn magic, based on what happened to his daughter under the care of the school and princess. You said that you don't remember having a mother in your life at all, not even when you were living with your dad?"
"I'm afraid I lack even the vaguest memories." Sunset replied. "Which is telling me that either my parents divorced, or she had unfortunately passed shortly after I was born."
"Then that would line up with your father remarrying, if he found Stellar Flare and she gave birth to Sunburst." Starlight further elaborated. "Now, fast forward years later to that exchange Sunspot had with Sunburst before he went off to study at Canterlot. Making the same mistake again could be referring to letting his new son go off to the same magic school, thus separating his custody of you. That may even be applicable to the whole 'brainwashing' comment he muttered, if he was talking about Princess Celestia brainwashing Sunset to end up in the human world."
"That... is somewhat true, admittedly." Sunset reasoned. "It was because of Princess Celestia constantly telling me I wasn't ready to learn about that mirror that furthered my interest. Sure, it was my own decision to end up going into the human world and inadvertently trapping myself for 30 moons, but at the same time, I feel I wouldn't have done so had she given some solid answers to quench my ever growing curiosity."
"And that brings me to my final point of speculation." Starlight began to close her case. "What if when Sunspot was hesitant on letting Sunburst go off to Canterlot to study magic, he was afraid the same thing that happened to Sunset would then happen to his son? Both of you would've been cases of his children going off into the care of a school to learn about magic, only to one day discover, he might never see his children ever again. What if... he was afraid Sunburst could've been brainwashed by Princess Celestia one way or another, and end up regretting his decision, just like when he allowed Sunset to go to the School For Gifted Unicorns."
Sunset and Sunburst sat there, rather intrigued by how brilliant Starlight's theory sounded. If everything she described really was true, that would perfectly explain Sunspot's rather unusual behavior shortly before he accompanied his son to Canterlot. Regardless, there were still a few questions remaining that needed answers.
"That would explain why dad was acting that way before I left for my school." Sunburst reasoned. "But that still doesn't explain why Sunset and I haven't known each other, and I also still don't quite understand why dad never wrote back to me. Neither of my parents have even hinted at the possibility of me having a sibling. Those unusual comments he made during that last week before I went off, he didn't explicitly mention anything about him having other children, it could've been something else entirely."
"Realistically... maybe my dad wanted to start a new life and family after I disappeared into the human world." Sunset believed. "Considering my mother seemingly wasn't around either, he wanted to leave behind his old life and move on after things didn't work out. After all, without a wife or daughter in his life anymore, what else was he going to do?"
"Considering how he split up with my mom too, I guess raising a child on his own was a consistent theme with him." Sunburst added. "Even then, we don't really know if this is truly the case. Maybe Stellar Flare is your mother too, Sunset? Or maybe we both have completely separate parents, and we've gone absolutely nowhere?"
"I feel like there definitely has to be a connection somewhere, based on why Sunspot was so hesitant on sending his son to a school that teaches magic." Starlight said.
"We haven't really met this Sunspot pony yet, so perhaps we should do so before we come up with any other possible leads?" Sunset proposed. "Starlight's ideas do seem to somewhat line up with what me and Sunburst both know about our own father, but we've only been discussing theories thus far."
"That's probably a good idea, since I think we've only been fixated on vague facts rather than solid evidence." Sunburst agreed.
"I have a feeling that if I look at him myself and don't recognize him, or if he doesn't react unusually to my presence, nor me bringing up the name, 'Solstice', he's not really my dad." Sunset reasoned.
"Your guess would only be as good as mine." Sunburst said. "Regardless, even if this entire discussion went nowhere in regards to your parents, Sunset? I'm still glad we got to meet and know each other for a while. It's pretty interesting how much we both have in common, after all. Growing up with single parents, going off to study magic at the same school in Canterlot, and even our own appearances. This is admittedly the first time I've met another pony whose mane and tail remind me of the blazing sun, just like myself."
"Yeah, same." Sunset said, mutually. "It was certainly nice to meet you as well, even if our theories behind everything don't really end up amounting to anything significant. Obviously, we still need to meet Sunspot to get some closure over this whole mystery."
"I think for all of us, 'meet' would be a pretty appropriate term, considering Sunburst hasn't really visited his dad since then." Starlight said. "I haven't really met Sunspot either, even when I was living in Sire's Hollow as a filly."
"That's true, since the last time I've ever seen or heard from dad really was that last week I stayed with him in Ponyville before I left to study at Canterlot." Sunburst confirmed. "I guess since mom's been more involved with my life, I didn't really question why dad never wrote back to me. I suppose that's another question I could ask him myself when I visit him too. Unless of course, he got the word that I had flunked out and became too ashamed and disappointed to continue keeping in touch."
"So just to clarify, you both would want to accompany me in meeting Sunspot?" Sunset asked.
"Sure, I'd be happy to learn a little more about my first childhood friend's father." Starlight said, happily.
"And I'd be ecstatic to revisit him, and maybe get an explanation as to why he never wrote back." Sunburst added. "You know, Sunset? If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have really thought to visit my dad again. He wasn't really as involved in my life as much as my mother, so I kinda feel like over the years, combined with the fact he never wrote back to me, I've almost just forgotten about him altogether. Because of your quest in finding clues regarding your own parents, you might've unintentionally inspired me to spend time with somepony whom I haven't seen in ages."
"Happy to see I was able to bring you closer to your own family, Sunburst." Sunset smiled. "So we know he lives in Ponyville, but do you have his exact address?"
"Sorry, I really don't remember it, as it's been so long since I've wrote that first letter." Sunburst sighed. "I think we can ask my mom, though. Reason being, even if they for whatever reason separated, my mom told me the other day, that while she was setting up a business deal in Ponyville, she unintentionally ran into dad. They didn't exchange many words, but she made it clear she saw him entering his old home, while she trotted away. We can find my mom easily, since I know exactly where her home is in Sire's Hollow."
"It seems as if forgetting about our dads' whereabouts runs in the family." Sunset joked. "Well, assuming we are siblings, of course."
"I'd definitely be surprised if that was the case, but of course, we have yet to meet my dad before making that assumption." Sunburst chuckled.
"It'd also be cool to learn even more about your family history, Sunburst." Starlight added. "I've actually learned a few things about you during these conversations that I never knew myself."
"Then it's settled." Sunset agreed. "We'll head over to Sire's Hollow to question Stellar Flare, and then we'll head toward Ponyville to meet Sunspot."
"Sounds good to me." Sunburst leveled with Sunset. "So I guess we should get ready to go to the train station?"
"Taking the train might not be as effective at the moment, due to the fact they're still trying to figure out a way to deal with a giant boulder that's blocked off the tracks somewhere past Canterlot's station." Sunset explained.
"A boulder, you say?" Starlight interjected. "Well, Sunburst? I think we both know the perfect pony to deal with something like that?"
"Oh yeah." Sunburst recalled one of the few friends he's made recently. "I guess if they're still having trouble getting rid of that big rock, we could call Maud for help. I don't think combining unicorn magic would be enough to make it budge even the slightest."
"Yeah, if we're talking about a big boulder, there'd be too much mass, and unicorn magic has its limits, after all." Starlight added. "But I'll tell you what unicorn magic can do. Sunset, Sunburst, could you grab one of my front hooves real quick?"
The two ponies did so, as Starlight closed her eyes, and started up a spell in her horn. Sunset and Sunburst were confused at first, until they realized she was doing a teleportation spell, specifically to their destination to meet up with Sunburst's mother. In an instantaneous poof of magic, they teleported from the castle's lounge room to the front door of Stellar Flare's home in Sire's Hollow.
"It must be pretty awesome to master teleportation to where you don't have to worry about always paying for train tickets to cover traveling long distances." Sunset said in amazement.
"True, but like I've said, even my magic has its limits too." Starlight explained briefly. "I may not have trouble teleporting shorter distances, but teleporting an incredibly long distance from my current position takes up a lot of energy. This means, I can really only pull off such a spell a maximum of three times a day."
"That makes sense, as I can still remember teleportation can be draining if you do it too much." Sunset reasoned.
"Well, now that we're here, other than getting info on dad's whereabouts, I guess I can also introduce you to my mother, Sunset?" Sunburst offered. "You never know, she could be your mother too."
"Oh, well that would be nice." Sunset accepted. "I just feel as though... if her name's not Solstice, then it's not likely."
Sunburst knocked on her mother's front door and waited on the porch with Sunset. Moments later, Stellar Flare had opened the door, happy to see her child again.
"Son, how nice of you to come visit your mother!" Stellar Flare said, ecstatic, before noticing Sunset accompanying him. "And who's this you brought with you? Are you already getting married too? Oh, you little ponies grow up so fast!"
"Err, no." Sunburst quickly denied. "If I was, then I definitely would've written to you about it. This is my new friend, Sunset Shimmer."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Sunset held her hoof out to shake things out.
"Charmed." Stellar Flare shook back, but notably felt displeased that her son wasn't getting married after all. "What brings you to see me this fine day, Sunburst? Would you like me to take you to that magic convention you've always wanted to attend?"
"No, mom, it's not that." Sunburst said. "I was just wondering, since you wrote to me about how you saw dad in Ponyville the other day, could you by any chance let us know where he is? We kinda want to go visit him."
"Well, I may know his exact address, but may I ask why you would want to visit your so-called father?" Stellar Flare questioned. "You and I both know he was never as involved in your life or aspirations to study magic. Like you've told me before, he never even bothered writing you letters back, while I've been on top of it every single week you've been studying and pursuing your dreams. You could however, make better use of your time by spending it with your wonderful, more caring mother instead. I still supported you even when you had flunked out of the School For Gifted Unicorns, remember?"
"It's just that... I haven't visited dad in a while, and I want to check in with him for a bit." Sunburst proposed. "Plus, I've already visited you at least three times in the last week alone. I haven't even seen dad at all ever since I was a little colt, so I'd feel it'd be nice to do so after all these years."
"Very well then." Stellar Flare sighed, before taking a piece of paper, writing down Sunspot's home address in Ponyville, and handing the paper to Sunburst. "There you are, Sunburst. But don't say I didn't warn you, your father can be a hurtful stallion. Let's just say, there's a reason he and I split up ages ago."
Sunburst looked over the paper, as it looked like Stellar Flare was ready to close the door. Before the mother was about to head back into her home, Sunset stopped her.
"Wait, ma'am!" Sunset used her hoof to prevent the door from closing. "I also wanted to ask you some things myself."
"Yes...?" Stellar Flare groaned in annoyance. "What could you possibly want to know?"
"Well, do I look familiar to you by any chance?" Sunset asked. "Is it entirely possible that I'm your daughter too?"
"Preposterous!" Stellar Flare blurted out. "Having more than a single son with my ex-husband would've been the last thing I wanted. Much as I resented him for what happened between us, I'll always still love and care for my baby. He's always been a good and caring son, unlike his father. Plus, just look at yourself. You don't even have these distinct coat markings anywhere on your body, unlike Sunburst. What makes you think you could possibly be part of the family?"
"Well, I guess it was a bit of a stretch, and only coincidental that your son and I both have similar fur and eye colors, as well as sunny patterns in our manes and tails." Sunset admitted. "Out of curiosity, though? Does the name 'Solstice' mean anything to you?"
What happened next was incredibly unexpected. As soon as Sunset mentioned that name to Stellar Flare, she just froze. Her pupils shrunk, her left eye began to twitch, and she just momentarily deepened her frown. Sunset and Sunburst were initially confused at this unusual reaction, before they began to flinch back at what would follow soon after.
"GET OFF OF MY PORCH!!!" Stellar Flare screeched at the top of her lungs, shortly after her face turned red with rage. "SUNBURST! I FORBID YOU TO BRING THIS SUNSET PONY BACK TO SIRE'S HOLLOW EVER AGAIN!!!!!!"
The mother then slammed her door super hard, which had in impact so immense, it cracked a nearby window. Sunburst, Sunset, and Starlight were all taken back from this sudden, extreme reaction to Sunset mentioning that name to Stellar Flare. Regardless, it was time to visit Sunspot, so Starlight got ready holding hooves with the two other ponies to teleport them all to Ponyville.
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Soldier: well that went pear shaped fast.
How come you never respond to comments?
Well... looks like Sunset's touched a nerve...
Maybe, if Sunspot is Sunset's dad, he was having an affair with Sunset's mom, who may or may not be named Solstice, had Sunset before Sunburst and kept the whole thing secret from Stellar, his wife, hence why Stellar flipped out just now.
(Of course I have this super crazy idea that "Solstice" was Celestia in disguise, had Sunset in secret, and kept close to her in Canterlot, but that's just my Momlestia and "Celestia is Sunset's mom" headcanon talking. Probably not even close)
Suffice to say, if Starlight's right, Sunspot's about to find his two grown-up foals on his doorstep.
There is one glaring issue with the most recent chapter:
Sunburst went to Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and was doing horribly there. THAT is why he didn't write back to Starlight. He was ashamed.
He moved to the Crystal Empire after it reappeared, which was only a short time (no more than a year) before Twilight encountered Starlight in 'Our Town'.
Jeeeeeez. Oh boy. Why do I have a feeling what we’re about to uncover is going to cause horrifying consequences?
Your missing a " in the first sentence.
Celestia's*
Wait what!?!?
Your missing a " at the end of the paragraph.
Holy crap that's a lot of letters!
mother*
A period is missing in the last sentence of the paragraph.
Agree, this is definitely getting them somewhere.
Your missing a " in the last sentence of the paragraph.
Stop trying to change the subject woman!
I have so many questions after what just happened.
Sweet Celestia, Stellar's reaction genuinely scared me...