> How to Meet Your Daughter
>  by Piemaster128
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Meeting you for the first time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s ok, you are ok. 
It will be FINE. 
All you need to do is walk into a town of earth ponies who have just started accepting unicorns and pegesi as friends and find the pony responsible for bringing magic back to Equestria. 
Simple! 
Then you just need to tell her who you are and why you could never come to see her before and how you met Argyle and how you always made sure to send her a gift on her birthday and how Argyle would always send you photos because you could never be there because of what you are and ohmyancientguardiansofharmonywhyisthissodifficult!? 
Shining Star groaned and plopped down again, her bright blue saddlebags jingling. Out of habit, she gently adjusted her purple glasses. She was so close. She could see Maretime Bay just over the horizon, yet she had spent the last hour just pacing in circles around this small little pond.
Maybe it’s not too surprising that I’m nervous. I guess anypony – wow that still feels satisfying to say and mean all three pony races – would be nervous here, Star thought. Not only was she going into a town that only two weeks ago had been all earth ponies, and very paranoid ones at that, but she was going to meet a pony who had helped restore magic to Equestria! Real, genuine MAGIC, which hadn’t been seen since…her grandmother’s generation at the earliest! Star could practically feel the scientific part of her mind tingling at the prospect of a whole new field of research to explore!  
No pony had been able to study magic in…maybe FOREVER! And now it was back, as were all the possibilities that came with it, thanks to Sunny Starscout.
She was a hero in every sense of the word. 
And she was Star’s daughter. 
A daughter who Star hadn’t been able to interact with for nearly twenty years. A daughter who didn’t even know she existed. A daughter Star had watched grow up from afar. 
All because of one simple fact. 
As if sensing her thoughts, blue magic swirled around her horn, gently winding its way up the curves of the bony protrusion with a gentle aura. It was captivating, like watching water filled with starlight flowing from within herself and taking physical form. It was something that Star had tried to do for her entire life without success. It was also the reason she couldn’t visit her daughter until now. 
After all, how would a town of earth ponies react if they found out that one of their own had a unicorn as a mother? Would they shun her, chase her out of town out of fear? Whisper behind her back and isolate her because of no fault of her own? Keep her locked away from the rest of the ponies due to her mother being a unicorn with the ability to ‘brainwash’ other? It wouldn’t be right. No foal should be judged so harshly because of their parents, especially when their parent’s only crime was being of a different race.
So Star and Argyle had tried to find a solution. They had set up a small house between Maretime Bay and Bridlewood and had spent a few months living there with their newborn daughter. But they quickly realized this wouldn’t work. Their daughter deserved to grow up among other ponies. To have friends, to play with other foals her age, to learn and grow among other ponies. Not hidden away in some hut in the woods because of who her parents were. She deserved to grow up in Maretime Bay with the rest of the earth ponies. 
At the same time, both Star and Argyle hated the idea of having to hide Star’s species from their own daughter. Of needing to lie to her just so Star could stay with them. And so, the two of them had agreed on a plan. One that would hurt no matter what, but one that was the best they could do. Star would stay with them for as long as she could, would spend as much time as possible being a family with Argyle and Sunny, and then she would leave before Sunny’s memories became solidified enough to remember her. Star and Argyle would keep in close contact, he would make sure Sunny didn’t fall into the same paranoid pitfalls as the rest of the ponies, and would do all he could to raise their child right. All the while, Star would continue their research, would keep searching for a way to help reunite the three pony races. 
And so Star had spent most of her daughter’s life watching from afar. Letting her grow up with the hope that one day, somepony (still satisfying) would find a way to bridge the divides that separated ponies. That one day, Star’s research of ancient Equestria might help others see through the prejudices and fear that had consumed so many ponies. That one day, they might see that there was nothing to fear at all.
Receiving news that her daughter had been the one to do just that with a group of friends made up of all pony races had left Star speechless, whether from shock or pure parental pride, she wasn’t sure. But she was proud. Beyond proud, and she knew Argyle would be too, watching over them from beyond the Eternal Hills.
But now she just needed to TELL her daughter that, something that Star just couldn’t seem to bring herself to do. She wanted to, more than anything, but she was so paralyzed by the idea of seeing her daughter. Of trying to explain why she had stayed away, even after Argyle’s funeral. Of why she was coming back now. Wondering if her daughter would even like her as a pony. 
So many thoughts, so many worries, all symbolized by the trail of hoofprints surrounding the pond in a grove of anxiety. 
Take a deep breath Star. You’re ok. You can do this. You know you can. 
Just like her grandmother had showed her, Star gently brought a hoof to her chest, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She held it for a moment and slowly let it out, moving her hoof away as she did so. The knot in her chest started to unravel, just a little, and she took another breath, and then another.
After a couple minutes, her head no longer felt like it was spinning, and she felt calm enough to open her eyes and peek at her reflection in the pond to see just how badly mussed she looked.
Surprisingly, she didn’t look messy at all. Her bright orange coat was still neatly combed despite her stressed pacing. So were her light blue mane and tail, which was even more impressive, since she hadn’t wrapped them in her usual buns and they’d been blowing in the gentle breeze for hours. But what she was most happy to see were her eyes. They weren’t watery or bloodshot at all, like she was worried they would be. They looked fearful, sure, but there was a lot of excitement in them as well. 
She looked…good.
Star found herself smiling as she adjusted her favorite purple glasses - a gift from Argyle, who said they brought out the purple in her eyes – so they settled more securely on her nose. She couldn’t put her hoof on it yet, but she had felt like she looked more…alive now that magic had returned. Especially her cutie mark. Somehow, that gleaming purple star with a rainbow trail seemed to shine in a way it never did before. Either that, or it was just a trick of the light. 
And of course, there was her pendant. A wooden pendant carved with the cutie mark of the Princess of Friendship hanging around her neck, a perfect match to the one Argyle himself had worn. A symbol of their love for one another, made by a special friend who had helped them discover said love all those years ago. 
A friend who had likely greeted Argyle as he passed into the Eternal Hills. 
How she missed them both. 
Yet she could almost feel them cheering her on. Encouraging her that everything would be ok. That her daughter would lover her just as much as Star loved her. 
And yet, to anypony else, it was just a normal pendant, not the symbol of enduring love and hope Star knew it to be. And Star would just look like a normal unicorn with a pair of saddlebags. Nopony would even know that her only daughter just so happened to be an earth pony. An earth pony that, if Star was lucky, would get to meet her mother this very day. 
If only she could get her legs to move in the direction of Maretime bay.
“Hi, new friend!”
“EEEEEEEKKKK!!!” Star squealed as she jumped away from the loud voice as quickly as she could!
POP!
And just as quickly, her hooves were on solid ground again.
On the opposite side of the pond.
Oops! Not again! Why does my horn keep doing that?! I couldn’t even make a spark before, so why am I casting spells that supposedly require years of study to pull off? Did all those books I read on magic actually have some sort of effect on me even when I couldn’t cast?
“Ooooooo, you can teleport?” the voice said excitedly, and Star smoothed her mane out of her face to see a violet unicorn with a wavy blue mane that was somehow both chaotic and organized beaming at her from the opposite side of the pond. “I’m still working on spells like that. So far I can only make things levitate and glow.” She pouted, but almost immediately brightened again, her purple eyes sparkling with a light of happy curiosity that reminded Star so much of Argyle. 
“Though it has made my art projects soooo much easier to finish!”
“Y-Yes, I can teleport, but I don’t actually know…how,” Star said, taking a second to get her heart rate back down to a reasonable number. “I’ve had…surges since I got my magic back, and a lot of the time magic just…happens.” With the pounding in her chest dying down, Star took a moment to observe her guest more closely. 
The unicorn was smiling in a way that remined Star of how happy everypony in Bridlewood had been upon her return, making Star want to smile herself. The unicorn’s dark purple hooves made almost no noise as she happily hopped around the pond towards Star. As she got closer, Star couldn’t help but feel her eyes be drawn to the rather beautiful bracelet made of gems around the unicorn’s left forehoof. The gems were glowing softly in the sunlight, the warm colors filling Star with the same hope she had felt when that rainbow had blasted across the sky and magic had come flooding into her. 
It reminded Star of the crystals back home and how they had all started glowing again once magic had returned. How the previously gloomy and shadowy forest had transformed into a beautiful and enchanting place that just screamed ‘Welcome to a place of wonder!’ It had made her return to Bridlewood amazing compared to the dull trot she was used to.
“Sorry about that,” the purple unicorn said, coming to a hopping stop in front of Star. “You seemed worried about something, so I thought I’d try and help get your mind off it and make a new friend all at the same time! Oh, my name’s Izzy Moonbow! It’s nice to meet you!”
She extended a hoof excitedly and beamed at Star. 
“We’ll it certainly got my mind off it,” Star replied, unable to hide a giggle at the young mare’s enthusiasm. It reminded Star of herself years ago, back when she first began exploring the ruins of old Equestria – young and ready for anything the world would throw her way. “I’m Shining Star.” She took the offered hoof, and Izzy gave her a hearty, yet surprisingly gentle shake. “I will say I wasn’t expecting to see anypony else out here.”
“Me too! I was just on my way to visit some friends in Maretime Bay when I saw you walking in circles. But not in the fun way. And when I walked over you didn’t notice me, even when I wasn’t trying to be medium sneaky. Soooo, are you ok?”
Such a simple question. Yet how would Star even begin to answer that?
“I…don’t know,” Star said, taking a deep breath before sighing again. “I want to go to Maretime Bay too, but…” How much should she tell Izzy? They had just met, yet something about her just made Star feel at least a little bit less anxious. Was it the excitement and joy in her eyes, or her innocent and sweet smile? 
I wonder if Sunny is like this too. So happy and carefree, ready to take on the world. I haven’t been able to get new pictures ever since…Argyle…But maybe Sunny is just as energetic as this mare here? She certainly was when she was little, according to Argyle.
“It’s ok to be nervous,” Izzy said sweetly, pulling Star back to the real world. “I was pretty nervous my first time too. Then I remembered the message I found saying there were friends waiting for me there, and I wasn’t so nervous anymore!” 
“You, found a message? From Maretime Bay?” Star asked in surprise. Why does that tickle my memory? 
“Yep! Turns out my friend Sunny sent it out on a paper lantern when she was a foal with her dad, and I found it and came to Maretime Bay to make friends! And then I met my friend Sunny, and we went on this big adventure and—hey, are you ok?”
Star just nodded, giving Izzy a smile as she lifted her glasses so she could wipe the tear from her eye. 
Argyle, you goofball. Who would have thought that you sending Sunny’s little drawing would be the event that eventually led to the three pony races getting back together? You must have been laughing your head off when you found that out. I’m so glad you sent me a picture of it before you sent if off with Sunny. 
“I’m fine,” Star said eventually. “Just remembering something an old friend of mine did years ago. He always wanted the three pony races to be friends again too.”
“He sounds nice,” Izzy said. 
“He was,” Star said, blinking her eyes several times until no more tears welled up. “So, I’m assuming that you’re the Izzy everypony in Bridlewood was talking about? The one who helped bring magic back?” 
Even if I didn’t stay long enough to hear exactly how you pulled it all off. 
“Yep. It was Sunny, me, her friend Hitch, and the princesses Zip and Pipp!” Izzy happily chirped. “And I was actually on my way back to Maretime Bay to visit them all. I just had to run home for some extra glitter. The store in Maretime bay ran out after the celebration party.”
“Can I…go with you?” Star asked, the familiar feeling of anxiety beginning to bubble below the surface again. She could feel a weight in her chest, her legs twitching slightly as she tried to stay calm.
Relax, Star. Just calm down. You’re just walking into town. That’s all. It might still take some time to find Sunny. Just focus on one thing at a time.
“I…I want to meet with Sunny, if I can,” she said after taking a moment to collect herself. “I’m just…having trouble bringing myself to actually go into town.” 
Her horn’s magic twitched as her anxiety bubbled more intensely, almost as if the magic itself was reacting to her emotions. Still such a strange feeling.
“Sure, I love traveling with company!” Izzy said, with a grin and bounce. “And don’t worry, they’ve already removed most of the unicorn boxes.”
“The what?” 
Argyle had never mentioned those. 
“Oh, they were these pressure plates on the ground that would make a metal box fold up around you when you stepped on them,” Izzy said casually. “They were pretty fun to hop around and avoid when I first went to visit, and even more fun to float around in once you detached one from the ground! I spent the whole day as a box once! Though I don’t think the earth ponies liked them as much as a lot of them kept stepping on them when I first went to visit.” 
Star just blinked, then facehooved. 
That sounds like something Phyllis would come up with, if Argyle’s letters about her were anything to go by. It kinda defeats the purpose if it’s just going to capture the earth ponies running around in a panic too. 
“That’s what Zip did too when she first found out about them!” Izzy happily said, smiling innocently at Star’s facehoof. 
That made Star laugh a little bit, and the tightness in her chest lightened a bit. “Glad to see I’m not the only one who thinks those boxes were silly,” she said, lifting her head and matching Izzy’s smile. She could still feel the anxiety bubbling below the surface, but Izzy’s little tangent made it a bit more bearable.
Though seeing Maretime Bay’s lighthouse right behind Izzy made Star realized that she was still stalling. 
No more of that, Star. You need to go see Sunny and standing around won’t help you achieve that goal. 
“Right. So, off we go?” she asked Izzy, trying to ignore the small spike in anxiety as she spoke. 
Izzy nodded, hopped over next to Star, and began walking towards Maretime Bay at a slow, easy pace that Star was grateful for. Already her legs were starting to shake again, and a voice in her head told her just to go back home and forget this idea completely. But another voice, far louder and backed up by the gentle presence of hope and support found within her pendant, told her to keep going. Sunny deserved to know. 
Star smiled a little, pendant bumping against her chest with each step giving her the boost in confidence she needed right now.
“Don’t worry,” Izzy said, her voice softer than before. “Everything will be fine.”
“You don’t even know who I am, or why I want to meet your friend. How can you be so certain?” Star ask, her anxiety jumping again as Izzy inadvertently interrupted her calming thought process. She winced, looking down in shame. “Sorry. That sounded harsher than I meant it to.”
“It’s alright. Stress can do that to you,” Izzy said sweetly. “I can get a bit stressed too if I’m having trouble finding the parts I need to unicycle a new project. And as for how I know things will be ok…I don’t know how exactly I know, you know?” She looked at the sky in thought. “But if Sunny and our friends can bring magic back, then anything is possible right? Besides, your Sparkle says you’re the kind of pony not to give up easily.” 
That brought Star to a stop, but not out of fear this time.
“My Sparkle? You can see it?!” she asked in shock. The last pony who could see it was…her grandmother.
Can Izzy really see my Sparkle too?! If so, it’s not just a unique skill after all! Maybe now that I – WE – have our magic back, I can try to have Izzy help me figure out how she can see Sparkles! We could experiment, and maybe Sunny can help too! 
No, focus, Star. Science can wait until AFTER you meet your daughter.
“Yeah!” Izzy said happily, pulling Star back to the real world. “It’s like—”
“A nova,” Star finished instinctively. “A purple star shining in the dark, surrounded by an ocean of colored clouds that weave and move through the night sky.”
“That’s right!” Izzy said, looking surprised. “Oohhh, can you see Sparkles too?” she whispered excitedly.
Star laughed a little, the anxiety ebbing once again. “No, no, I’ve never had that ability. My…my grandmother did though. She always said my Sparkle was special compared to other ponies.”
“It’s certainly one of a kind,” Izzy agreed. “Sunny’s is just lavender.”
“I bet it’s still pretty though,” Star said with a small smile. Izzy nodded in enthusiastic agreement. 
“It’s REALLY pretty,” she said as the two ponies began walking again. “Its so bright and lively, and even before we got magic back it looked extra special. Not special like yours, but still special. I bet you two will get along great!”
I really hope so, Izzy. I really hope so, Star thought, but she didn’t feel so nervous as she did before. Izzy’s confidence and bubbly attitude worked perfectly to counter the small bit of anxiety that tried to flare up in Star’s chest.  
“Can you tell me a bit about your adventure with her?” Star asked. It had been so many years, she wanted to hear a bit about her daughter. To see if what she was like now matched up with all of the stories Argyle used to tell her. “I…didn’t actually hang around Bridlewood long enough to get the full story.”
“Sure! So it all started when I left Bridlewood to try and go to Maretime Bay. It was a pretty long walk, and there were so many amazing things to see along the way that I kept getting distracted.”


A short while later…


“It was DESTROYED?!” Star all but screamed in shock. She was vaguely aware that she was drawing a few looks from the ponies of Maretime Bay, but she didn’t care. Argyle had lived in that lighthouse his entire life, as had his family going back generations. To have it be destroyed…it was almost unthinkable. When she had first seen it overlooking the town on her approach, she thought it had just been repainted or perhaps renovated! Not completely broken and then rebuilt! 
I will admit though, I am very impressed and gratefully that they were somehow able to rebuild it so quickly. I hope they didn’t change too much though. Argyle loved it the way it was.
“Yeah, but don’t worry. We were all ok, and everypony pitched in over the same week to rebuild it!” Izzy said, causing Star to sigh in relief. “Phyllis even provided all the supplies for free. I think she felt bad about what Sprout did.”
“Was it rebuilt exactly the way it was before, or did you change it a bit?” Star asked curiously, stopping to look back towards the lighthouse. She could see some new large windows, a few which looked like stained glass depicting the three pony tribes, but it was hard to tell from this distance.
“We changed it quite a bit,” Izzy admitted, “though Sunny had us take some of her ideas for improving it, like some interior crystal designs, ramps to the upper floors, rainbow lights, and mix them with the old design of the lighthouse back before it was destroyed. Then it could be a new beacon for the future, but still acknowledge the past and pay tribute to her dad’s memory!”
That…actually made Star feel a bit better. She might have liked it to be exactly the way it was, but she couldn’t deny that having it be a beacon for the future was a wonderful idea. But hearing that it had been designed to honor Argyle…it made Star’s heart flutter, her magic deep inside sparkling in joy at the care Sunny was willing to show her father. She hoped she would be able to tour the lighthouse someday and see what Sunny had done to improve it. 
“What happened to Sprout after this was all over?” Star asked curiously. Izzy’s animated storytelling combined with Star’s curiosity and made the trip into town pass very quickly, Star only realizing they were here once her hooves began to clack alone the stone pathway that replaced the dirt road. 
“He’s on probation and has been performing some community service to help try and make amends,” Izzy chirped. “He’s really putting a lot of work into it too! Hitch also asked me to hang out with him so he can get over his remaining fears that led to him going all silly.”
“Silly, right,” Star said, but she could at least partly understand Sprout’s behavior. She knew from personal experience that when you grow up surrounded by propaganda, it tends to have an effect, even subtly. Even Argyle hadn’t been immune when she had first met him. 
As the continued to walk, Star continued to admire the scenery, unable to hide the excitement in her gaze as looked at a town that she had previously only been able to enjoy from a distance or in photographs. The brick buildings and bridges, the trolly, the vast view of the sea, the movie theater with a plethora of interesting looking films…everything was just as Argyle had described it, and it made her want to bounce on her hooves like a young filly. But what really made Star’s heart flutter was the three pony races currently milling about together after so many years apart. Star could still see a bit of uncertainty on some faces, which she could understand, but many ponies were talking and learning from one another, and that made her grin and repeat an internal mantra of ‘yesyesyesyesyes’ in excitement. Best of all, three foals, one of each race, where happily playing in the gazebo in the center of town, something that made Star barely able to hold back her giddy squealing. 
It was everything she had ever wanted to see after meeting Argyle. 
“Where could she be?” Izzy questioned, pulling Star’s attention back to…apparently the sky, since Izzy was staring up like she was searching for a very elusive constellation.
“Do you mean Sunny?” Star asked, looking around again. Izzy had mentioned that Sunny was likely in the main part of town rather than the lighthouse, but so far they hadn’t spotted her yet. 
“Yeah. I don’t see her yet. Maybe Zipp and Pip decided to continue with her flight lessons outside of town?” Izzy casually said, prompting Star to stop in place as her brain did a double-take. 
What?
“Flight…lessons?” Star asked, very confused by the concept of why Sunny, an earth pony, would need those. Did pegasi have an invention that let other races fly? Some sort of artificial wings they developed to make up for their own loss of magic? That…actually sounded like an amazing idea! Why hadn’t they made something like that once it became clear only the royals could fly, even if it was later found out to be a lie? 
And now that I’m thinking about it, I would very much want to try it out! Just think of how much easier it would be to explore ruins if I could fly! Or how much easier it would be to get from one remote part of Equestria to another! Maybe we could even use it as a basis of creating flying machines, like boats but in the SKY! HAHA, now THAT would be AWESOME! 
Argyle always wanted to know what it was like to fly, so what better way to honor his memory that to help other ponies fly?
Izzy looked like she was about to answer, only for a panicked shout to cut her off. 
“Sunny, pull up! UP!”  
“I’m tryinnnng!” 
Star’s eyes snapped up towards the voices, and her jaw dropped in shock as time seemed to slow to a crawl.
Sunny, her own daughter, was flying through the air on a pair of glowing yellow WINGS! And she had a glowing yellow HORN! 
What the—
But before Star could process that, Sunny soared overhead, panickily flailing her limbs as she careened directly towards the ONCOMING TROLLEY! The brakes were screeching and the driver was yelling, but there would be no way for it or Sunny to stop in time—
“SUNNY!” Star screamed, her legs moving before her brain had registered what was happening. Her magic flared out and surged forward, trying to grab Sunny, but she was too far away and Star wasn’t closing the distance—
She felt the familiar kick of adrenaline flood her every cell. She needed to MOVE! NOW!
And then she was gone.
There was a flash of blue and suddenly, she was in midair, directly in front of Sunny. Before she could even speak, Sunny smashed into her and the world flashed blue again, and Star had a split second to see Izzy’s still-shocked face before she and her daughter collided with the unicorn and all three of them went tumbling in a ball of flailing limbs. 
“OoooOooOooo,” Star groaned once the three of them stopped tumbling over one another. As her luck would have it, she was the one who ended up on the bottom of the pony pile, and she had lost her glasses in the tumble. 
Why? Why can’t I just do magic on my own instead of it just happening willy nilly? I’m so grateful it helped me save Sunny and I still can’t believe that worked, but is a bit of control too much to ask!? she thought, her heart still racing and her body twitching as the adrenaline began to die down. The last time she had felt that shaken was when she had met Argyle all those years ago.
“Sunny! Izzy! Miss Unicorn, are you all ok?” the voice from before yelled. 
“I’m ok!” Star called out. Thank you for asking even if you don’t know my name, that was very nice of you. Though I’m Mrs. Unicorn, just so we’re clear.
“I’m good too!” Izzy chirped, and the weight on top of Star shifted and lightened as she saw Izzy’s blurry violet form roll off of her. 
“A bit dizzy, but ok, I think. Ugh,” Sunny groaned from Star’s right, and the orange blob next to her started working her way onto her hooves. “Sorry about that, Zipp.” 
How Star had waited to hear her daughter’s voice. It sounded exactly as she had always dreamed it would – so warm and relaxed despite the rather impressive crash they had just endured. Yet, Star could already feel the stress beginning to return. Sunny was right there, right next to her, the closest she’d been in years.
Star’s breathing became a bit shallower as she managed to get back to her hooves. If she could only get rid of the seed of anxiety that was once again blooming in her chest, then maybe this reunion could finally get off on the right hoof. 
Or at least she could once Star had found her glasses. Being farsighted did have its disadvantages. 
“I told you we should have practiced further outside of town,” a new voice called out. “We’re just lucky that unicorn knew how to teleport.”
“How was I supposed to know there would be such strong gusts of wind coming? And I doubt more distance would have helped prevent us from being blown back into town, sis,” the first pony – Zipp, was it? – said. Two sets of hooves landed nearby as Star tried to figure out where her glasses had ended up.
“Did anyone see my glasses?” Star asked, squinting at the blurry shapes around her as she tried to avoid the slowly increasing pounding of her heart. This was her chance. Her first chance to see her daughter standing before her in so many years, to see Sunny’s smiling face as she stood among the three pony races. It was everything she had dreamed about since the day Sunny was born, and the anxiety of anticipation was just getting worse the longer it took for Star to find her freaking glasses!
Maybe I should try those eye surgeries in Zephyr Heights that Star Scout mentioned years ago, Star thought as she let out a snort of frustration. Her heart was racing now. Now that I can go to the city without trouble, it might be worth it so I don’t end up nearly blind without my glasses!  Star saw somepony purple and blue, so probably Izzy unless a new pony had joined them, quickly checking her over for injures, before giving a quick nod in satisfaction and trotting away.
“Oh, here they are!” Sunny chimed, holding out a blurry hoof with a purple blob at the end. Star gave a quick nod as she tried to ignore the now-almost-painful beating of her heart and gratefully accepted her glasses back. 
The moment she put them back on, her eyes adjusted, and she got a sudden close up of her daughter’s smiling face. 
Her heart practically froze, and time itself became irrelevant. 
Sunny had grown up exactly the way Star had envisioned. Her mane was long and flowing, with a small curl just above her eyes sticking down just like when she was a foal. Her braid was there, just like in so many of the pictures Argyle had sent, bound with a special purple hair tie Star had made for her. Her eyes were warm and bright, and still held that joyful spark that Star had seen on the day she was born. The only minor difference was the small band of rainbow that wound its way down Sunny’s mane and through her ponytail. 
She was perfect.
Young, healthy, beautiful, happy. Her eyes were shining with a light that just screamed ‘everything is going to be just fine.’ Something about her…everything just seemed to glow. Star could see it, feel it, even if she couldn’t quite put it into words.
And there, around her neck, was a beautiful crystal pendant that made Star’s eyes go even wider. She recognized the dark blue crystal at being the gem Alphabittle always bragged about in his shop, and she quickly realized the second light green gemstone was the one the queen was always wearing as a part of her crown. But the third piece, the one that fit right in the center of the pendant…was Argyle’s! 
She had seen it so many times, spent so many hours tinkering to see if there was anything special about it…heck, Argyle had incorporated it into the small arch they had constructed for their wedding because of the way it reflected light!
Just that thought nearly brought a tear to Star’s eye as she felt the gap he had left in her heart. A gap that was filled as she remembered just who was wearing Argyle’s crystal now. It was hanging right over Sunny’s heart, almost as if to say that Argyle was still watching over her. Any anxiety that had been trying to worm its way into this first encounter was snuffed out as she looked at her daughter and the final gift her husband had given her. 
Thank you, Argyle, for watching over her, Star thought, watching as the gems glowed and pulsed with a rainbow light. A rainbow light that that looked so much like the aurora borealis that had covered the night sky two weeks ago. 
Could it be? 
“Hey, are you ok?” 
Star blinked, saw that Sunny was now looking at her concernedly, and blushed. She tried to think of something to say, anything, but her mind was blank and her mouth was refusing to move! After a few seconds, she just nodded, trying not to let her leg twitch.
Just calm down, Star! It’s ok just to say hi! There’s no reason to panic! Just breathe.
“Sorry about that, Sunny,” a voice called out, and Sunny flashed Star a quick smile and turned to one of the ponies nearby. Star just barely held back a sigh of relief. Being the center of attention was never her strong suit, and she needed a minute to recover from her daughter, right there, safe and smiling and happy—
“I didn’t realize the wind would be that bad,” the voice continued.
Star shook her head to clear it and straightened her glasses, watching as Sunny approached the two nearby pegasi who were looking over Izzy for injuries. Star immediately recognized them from Izzy’s story. The one on the right with the pure white coat and red mane with a green stripe (Izzy was right, it really did look like toothpaste) must be Zipp, while the shorter one on the left (she wasn’t THAT short, Izzy) with the light pink coat and the purple mane must be Pipp. Star could easily see from Sunny’s smile that they were all close friends, so she slowly began to inch her way forwards to try and remain near her daughter.
“You could have just checked the weather app,” Pipp said, giving Zipp a deadpan look. 
“Right, the app which was barely accurate even before pegasi magic started messing with the normal weather patterns, and that doesn’t have the range yet to predict the weather in Maretime Bay,” Zipp chuckled. “I’d rather practice sensing the weather with my magic, anyway. Besides, aren’t you the one who says practice makes perfect?” 
Given Pipp’s annoyed pout, Star guessed that the answer was yes.
“Sunny!” 
Star’s head whipped around in time to see an earth pony stallion run up to them and immediately start checking Sunny over for injuries. She instantly recognized him from Argyle’s photos and stories as Hitch, Sunny’s childhood friend. If she remembered correctly from Argyle’s letters, Hitch and Sunny had some differences when it came to their thoughts on reunification of the races. But seeing him here now, worriedly looking over Sunny as Zipp and Pipp continued to chime in, made her smile. He was still her friend, and she didn’t need to do more than watch him to know that he cared for Sunny a lot.
However, she was less sure about why two seagulls and a crab were excitedly following after Hitch, even if it was strangely adorable. Especially the little can one of the seagulls wore on its head like a helmet. It almost reminded her of Argyle putting that empty soup pot over his head as he pretended to be her royal escort when she was eight month’s pregnant. She had ended up needing to rest for a while after she finally managed to stop laughing. 
I need to remember to tell that one to Sunny. I just know she’ll get a kick out of it. 
“Morning, sheriff,” Sunny casually joked as Hitch gave her one final check. “Sorry about the scare. I kinda lost control.”
“Given the pony pile you were just been a part of, I’m pretty sure that’s an understatement,” Hitch said, finally relaxing a little bit, taking the words right out of Star’s mouth. “I mean, seriously, how does flight practice almost end in you faceplanting into the trolley?” 
“Exactly what I was saying,” Pipp said, giving her sister a look that just screamed ‘I told you to be more careful’ to Zipp. The latter winced slightly. 
“I said I was sorry! Every other time we’ve practice there we’ve been fine, so how was I supposed to know things would turn out that way? Next time we’ll just be sure to practice somewhere further away. Or maybe we can ask Phyllis if we can do it inside her old factory floor. That place has some crazy high ceilings,” Zipp said, scratching her chin in thought as Pipp deadpanned at her. 
Hitch, meanwhile, just sighed and turned to face Star with a smile. “Well, we have you to thank for the safe landing” he said with a nod. “That was one heck of a reaction time. I haven’t even seen a unicorn that knows how to teleport yet either. You weren’t hurt in the crash, were you?”
Star felt her legs twitch in anxiety as everypony turned to face her. She was never good at being the center of attention, but the fact that they were all smiling at her helped a little bit. “I’m ok,” Star said, trying not to lose her voice as her eyes met Sunny’s. “And ‘know’ how to teleport might be…a bit of an exaggeration. It just kind of, happens. Especially when I’m stressed,” she added, hoping that this conversation wouldn’t become so stressful that she might teleport away on accident. It had to be done, no matter what her twitching legs said. 
“Thank you for intervening, regardless of whether or not it was intentional. You really saved my skin!” Sunny said, prompting Star to smile slightly. Just seeing how her daughter’s eyes seemed to sparkle in joy made her heart flutter, the throb of anxiety fading ever so slightly. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came to mind.
Come on Star, just say you’re welcome! It’s not that hard to talk to your daughter who doesn’t know you’re her mother and—
“I haven’t seen you before,” Zipp said, cutting off Star’s panicked train of thought before it could really get going. “Is this your first time here in Maretime Bay?” 
“Yep!” Izzy said, saving Star from trying to find her voice again. She wrapped her leg around Star like they were old friends. “Her name is Shining Star and she wanted to come visit Maretime Bay! She was a bit nervous, so I was acting as her guide and telling her how we brought magic back!”
“J-Just Star is fine,” Star said, trying to keep the anxiety out of her voice. “Izzy told me who e-each of you are and about your adventure, at least up until the l-lighthouse was destroyed. I-It’s nice to meet you.”
Sunny started approaching her, and Star’s legs started trembling so much that she was certain her magic would teleport her away whether she wanted it to or not. But then Sunny gave her a big, warm smile that almost made Star’s heart burst.
“It’s nice to meet you, Star,” Sunny said, extending her hoof eagerly. Star took it almost on instinct, shaking her daughter’s hoof. Some part of her was panicking worse than before, and yet another, more firm part simply told her to enjoy the moment. To simply enjoy interacting with her daughter after so many years apart and to enjoy the parental pride that came from her daughter somehow achieving the feat of becoming an alicorn.
And then it hit her. Sunny’s wings and horn were gone! Only the rainbow streak in her mane remained! 
What? How? Where? There is no way I imagined those! And everypony was even talking about them! SO WHERE DID THEY GO!?
“What happened to your wings and horn?!” Star asked before she could catch herself, Sunny blinking in surprise before looking up above her head and at her sides before realization appeared to dawn on her face.
“Oh, right. You’re new here, and Izzy didn’t get that far in the story,” Sunny said with a small giggle. “Well, to answer your question…” 
She took a step back, and then— 
NO. WAY. 
Star’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she witnessed something incredible. From within the crystals around her neck, one of which Star could confirm was definitely Argyle’s, a rainbow stream of magic emerged. It gently wrapped around her daughter, condensing and solidifying until it became solid gold wings and a horn, just like they had been before!
“I’m still learning how to use it, and if I lose focus for too long or am surprised badly enough, they vanish,” Sunny said as the magic retracted back into the crystals again. “I can summon them without the crystals too, but I’ve found them to be less…controllable if I don’t have the crystals to help me. I am trying to spend time without the crystal so I don’t need to rely on it too heavily, but for times when I need to use my wings or horn consistently, I tend to keep the pendant close at hoof.”
“And she makes a lot more glitter without the crystals, too!” Izzy agreed, hopping next to Sunny and wrapping her in a quick hug. 
“How?” Star whispered, taking a step forward, any anxiety washed away under the pure force of her scientific mind kicking into overdrive. She reached out, gently touching the crystals and feeling the magic tingling below her hooves.
I was right. Argyle’s crystal wasn’t just a heirloom. I was RIGHT!
“After the lighthouse was destroyed, I…well, I made a final plea to everypony,” Sunny said, and Star quickly picked up on the sorrow in her voice. She felt a pang of sympathy in her chest for her daughter, but was happy to see her friends immediately move closer, with Hitch quickly wrapping a leg around Sunny. Clearly, they had all become very close in the short time they’d all known each other, and it warmed Star’s heart to see that her daughter had so many loved ones. 
I’m so proud of you, Sunny. You’ve done what Argyle and I had been trying to do for years, all on your own. 
“I told them it wasn’t the magic that was important, it was us,” Sunny continued, the joy slowly working its way back into her expression. “That we, as ponies, needed to come together and try and fix things between us. And as a sign that they were willing to try, they all helped fix the picture frame of…my dad.”
Star knew what picture she meant almost instantly. She had a copy of that photo in her bag. 
“And then, once everypony agreed to try and fix things, the crystals just…reacted. They flew out of the rubble, and lifted me into the air and…well, this happened.”
“And then there was a big explosion of magic when the crystals finally joined together, but for real this time!” Izzy said excitedly. “And there were rainbows all across the sky, and horns were glowing, and wings too, and boom, we all had magic back!”
“Flying for real definitely beat those stupid wires,” Zipp said, her wings flapping in excitement. 
“It was like watching a movie! I soooo wish I had been recording it!” Pipp said. 
“It certainly was not what any of us were expecting,” Hitch said, though Star only half heard it as she felt her scientific mind begin to kick into overdrive. 
“When the three are joined, a spark is all that is needed to light the way,” she said, her mouth turning upwards as she remembered the ancient piece of text she had translated. A small laugh bubbled its way up through her chest. “I told him.”
“Told who?”
“Argyle! I told him it was a special crystal, but noooo, he insisted it was just a random family artifact and nothing more,” Star giggled, unable to stop herself from prancing on her hooves excitedly. All the anxiety she had over meeting Sunny was quickly being morphed into excitement at the possibility of the two of them working together to discover the secrets of these crystals. It would be just like her and Argyle researching long into the night! 
Star could remember some of the pictures Argyle had sent her of Sunny trying to help with his research. Of her trying to read his scientific journals and of him telling Sunny some of the legends he had uncovered as bedtime stories. If Sunny still loved research as much as she had in the past, then studying the crystals would be the perfect bonding exercise! 
“But it’s not normal! It was the key I’ve spent YEARS looking for to restore magic! And it was under my nose the whole time! Oh, I need to write this down! Take notes! Sketches!” Star exclaimed!
At the thought, her notebook and pen appeared next to her with a small burst of teleportation. She had no idea how that happened, but was happy it did.
“Perfect!” Star said, grabbing both from midair and beginning to write and sketch madly as her mind began to form all types of questions. She could see it now, her and Sunny studying the crystals, learning the secrets of magic, practicing with magic to learn how their horns worked and would stop just teleporting things (that might just be her though). “Oh, this is so exciting! A new frontier of the old world to study! Sunny, I need you to tell me everything about the crystals! EVERYTHING!” Star said, grinning as widely as biology would allow.
This will be just like that picture of you and Argyle researching Grogar’s bell, only with something that’s still actually magical! EEEEEEE, this will be so much fun!
“I need to know what you know so we can begin our research in earnest!” Star exclaimed, her eyes darting between the crystal and her notebook. “Do the crystals stay stuck together now that they’ve been reunited? Does using your alicorn form make you tired more easily? If so, do you just need to dispel the form to recover, or do you need to eat something and rest for a while? OH! I have a cupcake recipe I can make for you if it’s the latter! They’ll help you get your energy back, trust me!
“Have you discovered how earth pony magic works? I’ve found references to it in ancient text, but Argyle and I could never find much discussing it in detail. I can share my notes with you though if you think it will help! OH, can other ponies use the crystal’s powers too? Or is it just you? If multiple ponies can use it, can I try it? It would be the perfect way to see what they can do! We could learn how the alicorn form works together! Actually, can you use the wings and horn individually or do you always need to use both at the same time? Is the horn as sharp as a unicorn’s? That can be a problem if you run head first into things. Trust me, I know! Have you accidentally gotten anything stuck on it? What—”
“Hey, woah, slow down there! Give us a second to answer between questions at least.” a loud voice exclaimed. 
Star’s rambling came to a screeching halt as she realized that everypony was staring at her with varying degrees of concern and curiosity. Sunny’s eyes were particularly wide in shock and confusion. Only Hitch, the one who had silenced her, looked mildly amused. 
I did it again, Star thought, her face getting so hot she was sure she was as red as her grandmother’s coat. I got to excited and went on a science rant. Why now? Ok, I know WHY, but still! 
“Sorry!” she squeaked and instinctively tried to hide behind her notebook. “I, uh, get over excited sometimes, especially about artifacts from the old world. And magic.”
“It’s fine,” Hitch said, chuckling. “Sunny’s the same way.”
That’s not a coincidence, I assure you, Star thought to herself. She put the notebook down, or TRIED to, but her magic had regained its independence and was scribbling furiously with her pen, finishing a sketch of the crystals. She pushed at it again, harder, but all it did was draw faster.
No, bad magic! I can finish the sketch later! Just put the pen down…I hope Sunny wasn’t too mad about that little outburst, Star thought as her magic finished the sketch and, seemingly proud of itself, finally let Star grab the notebook again.
But Sunny didn’t look mad. Instead, she looked like she was in shock, her eyes wide and her breathing shallow. She opened her mouth as if to ask Star a question, but no sound came out and she closed it again. 
…Sunny? What’s wrong? Star thought as her daugher’s mouth continued to open and close.
“Hey, Sunny, you ok?” Zipp asked in concern. Hearing her friend’s voice seemed to finally help Sunny find the words she was looking for. 
“You…You knew my father?” she whispered.
A lump of ice instantly formed in Star’s chest. The notebook nearly tumbled from her hooves as she realized her mistake.
I said his name. I said his name and I said I knew about the crystal. Of course she would pick up on that, of COURSE.
Star opened her mouth, but just like Sunny, no words would come out. 
Why? Why NOW? She was JUST talking to Sunny, and now she couldn’t say a thing. She closed her mouth and nodded shyly.
Why is this so hard?
“My father knew a unicorn,” Sunny said, soft and distant, as if her mind was a million miles away. “He…He met…a unicorn, and he didn’t tell me.”
“It was to keep you safe,” Star whispered, speaking both to Sunny and herself as their eyes locked. “We didn’t know how everypony in Maretime Bay would react if they found out. We didn’t want you to be hurt or ostracized just because of who your father knew. Or because…” 
And then her voice died out again.
Come on Star, just SAY IT! Just three words! I’m. Your. Mother. It’s simple!
“Who are you?” Sunny asked, her voice uncertain yet demanding answers. 
Star tried to open her mouth, but again no sound same out. Why couldn’t she say it? She had just been taking to Sunny two minutes ago, just as easily as she’d talked with Izzy! So why couldn’t she speak now?! She just needed to say it. Say it, then pull out the photo album to prove it. 
Her horn flashed on its own again, and then there were three photos floating between her and Sunny. 
The only three that mattered. 
“What are those?” Izzy asked, trying to get a look, but Star snatched them out of the air and hug them to her chest before she could see. 
“S-sorry, Izzy,” she apologized as the younger unicorn flinched back. “I just…Sunny needs to see them first. They…They explain why I’m here, and w-who I am.” 
A small voice of anxiety rose up in her mind, desperately trying to tell her to leave. To hide the pictures and just LEAVE!
Only for the voice of her reason and logic to come out of nowhere and suplex the anxiety voice. Sunny deserved to know. Even if it ended badly, she had the right to know that she still had a parent who loved her. Somepony who had known and loved her father just as much as she had. 
And that second voice was right. 
Taking a quick peek to make sure it was right, Star levitated the first picture to Sunny, trying to fight the shaking of her magic so she didn’t drop it. As the photo gently flew through the air, Star could feel the memory it held begin to take shape. That day was perfectly ingrained into her memory. A day unforgettable for all the right reasons…

She stood at the small altar she, Argyle, and their friend had built. The arch above them was lined with flowers that had attracted a flock of butterflies to gently flap above them as the ceremony began. She was dressed in her grandmother’s wedding gown, the flowing white garment perfectly adjusted to fit her. Her mane was brushed into a set of flowing waves and woven with midnight blue flowers. She felt so nervous, but oh so very excited. 
Across from her stood her fiancée, Argyle. He was dressed in a dapper black suit with a large pink flower acting as his corsage. His mane was well combed, and his eyes couldn’t hide the foal-like glee that he was feeling deep inside his heart. Star could still remember how shy he had been when he finally popped the question. How nervous he had been, and how overjoyed he was when she said yes. 
  And finally, standing between them with nothing but an old copy of Princess Twilight’s friendship journal and a bow tie that he absolutely refused to stop tugging at was their elderly and perpetually grumpy pegasus friend, Star Scout. Though today, he was wearing one of his rare ear-to-ear smiles as he prepared to unite his two young friends in marriage.
  Even if they were, in his own words, ‘a couple of young troublemakers that were always roping him into their crazy adventures.’ 
  The ceremony had been short and sweet, Star Scout keeping the two lovers laughing as he added his own silly and somewhat crotchety dialogue to make up for the lack of an audience. He had even managed to grab a marriage license from Zephyr Heights, saying ‘Yes, I know this is unnecessary being a secret wedding and all, but I’m gonna do this right, you goofy ponies!’  
And once the magical words had been spoken and the two newly married ponies had shared their first kiss, Star Scout had presented them with a gift he had made them. 
  A matching set of wooden pendants, each carved with the cutie mark of Princess Twilight Sparkle. The perfect substitute for a wedding ring that showed how love could overcome any boundary. 
 
The memory faded almost as quickly as it had come. Star watched as her daughter took the photo, then nearly dropped it in shock. She sat down hard, the crystal bouncing lightly against her neck as she stared at the picture in her hoof. 
“Sunny?” Hitch asked worriedly. “What is it? What’s the photo show you?” 
Sunny didn’t say anything, her mouth simply hanging open in shock. Star could understand why perfectly, wincing in sympathy for the titanic shift that must be shaking Sunny’s world. It was the same feeling she had felt deep in her chest the moment she realized that she was pregnant.
Sunny took a minute to just stare at the photo, before she silently turned it so that her friends could see it. It was a photo of Star’s wedding day, her and Argyle standing their hoof in hoof with their new necklaces hanging proudly around their necks. It was the first photo Star Scout had taken of the newly married couple.
Their reactions were mixed. Hitch’s jaw dropped just like Sunny’s had, his eyes unable to look away from the photo. Pipp and Izzy both looked as though someone had just proved that the moon was made of cheese and stammering as they tried to find something to say. Eventually, Izzy managed to speak.
“Wow! That’s…that’s an old Bridlewood style I haven’t seen before! And…that’s you?” Star nodded, chuckling a little at the awkward look on Izzy face. But she understood Izzy’s predicament, and could remember at least several instances when she had asked odd questions too when she just couldn’t think of what else to say. 
I still remember that time I asked Argyle if earth ponies had toilets. He just would not stop laughing! 
“That dress is even prettier than my mom’s wedding dress was! Any chance you still have it? It would be a great piece of inspiration for a designer I know back at Zephyr Heights.” Pipp said, prompting Star blink in confusion. Izzy’s stumbling question made sense, but she honestly had no idea how to respond to Pipp’s. At all.
I do still have the dress, but I was saving it to maybe one day give to Sunny. And wouldn’t the picture be enough? Though I am going to need that back too, even if I do have copies… 
Thankfully, Zipp came to Star’s rescue as Pipp’s question immediately broke Zipp from her own stunned pose to look at her sister skeptically. “Really, Pipp? Really?!”
“What am I supposed to say!?” Pipp exclaimed. “It’s not every day a pony shows up with a photo of them in a wedding dress next to one of your best friend’s father!” 
That seemed to break Sunny’s trance, her gaping mouth easing closed as her legs began shaking. Suddenly the humor was gone, the uncertainty and stress clear on Sunny’s face. Star wanted nothing more than to try and reassure her daughter that everything would be ok, but she just didn’t think that words would be enough.  
“You…married my father?!” Sunny stammered to Star, unevenly, as though she wasn’t sure if this was real or not.
“It was one of the best days of my life,” Star whispered, nodding, trying not to let the tears leak out. She levitated the second photo towards her daughter before she could talk herself out of it. 
Sunny’s hooves were still trembling as she passed the first picture to Izzy and took the second, and Star was certain it would only get worse. She could still remember how badly her legs had trembled the day she had learned she was pregnant, barely having the coordination and strength she needed to leave home and tell Argyle the news. Already, Star could see the memory from that day begin to solidify before her eyes, playing like it had just happened yesterday.

Star had never felt so fat, no matter how much her brain reminded her that this was just how pregnancy worked. Six months along, and her belly had become nice and round, the little bundle of joy occasionally making their presence known with soft kicks. Each little kick was a reminder at the love she and her husband shared. It was a wonderful feeling that made being so fat worth it. 
  She and Argyle were relaxing below the large tree with pink leaves a short distance away from Bridlewood, surrounded by a beautifully rolling field on all sides. He was being adorably goofy as always, feeding her grapes as she lounged there in the shade. He would stop occasionally to place his head against her belly and listen for the sounds of their child, rubbing his hooves over her belly to see if he could feel any kicks himself. Star would sometimes pull him away, though, so she could snuggle happily against his fluffy chest as he held her close. 
  Soon she would need to go back home to take care of her house and say hi to her parents, but Star would find a reason to leave again as soon as she could. Pregnant or not, she wanted to spend as much time with her husband as physically possible, swollen hooves be damned. Their trips together were becoming harder because of her pregnancy and all the ‘wonderful’ effects that came with it, but Argyle promised that he would carry her with him if that’s what it took.
Such a loveable goofball. How she wished this could last forever.

“Y-Y-You…Y-You’re,” Sunny stammered, her hooves shaking badly now, the photo trembling in her grasp. Hitch quickly draped a leg around Sunny in comfort, but even he couldn’t stop his eyes from bugging out when he saw the photo. Thankfully however, when Zipp opened her mouth, he quickly held up a hoof to stop her before any questions came out. Star was grateful for that, because right now she couldn’t speak anymore than Sunny could and she didn’t think she or Sunny could handle questions.
She gave Sunny an unsteady nod, trying and failing to stop her own tears as she passed her daughter the final photo. 
The one showing her on the day Sunny was born.

Star was exhausted, more so that she had even been in her entire life. Everything hurt, but the payoff was worth the pain. The moment she had heard the first cries of her daughter as she entered the world, everything else had ceased to matter as much as the small bundle of joy that was currently resting in her forelegs. She was beautiful, perfect in every way, and Star was going to spend as much time with her as she physically could.
  Argyle was right there with her, gently nuzzling Star and their new daughter and jumping up to get anything either pony needed. Star Scout was there too, having nodded off on a pile of cushions just a few minutes ago. Star still couldn’t believe he’d made it. Zephyr Heights wasn’t exactly close for a pony his age. But perhaps she shouldn’t be so surprised – he’d been eager as a young colt to put his clinic volunteer skills to use for her delivery. 
Both he and Argyle had been a wonderful help, calm and collected after the initial shock had worn off. Quite impressive given how Star had gone into labor at three in the morning, but they had been perfect. The training Star Scout had given Argyle had really paid off. And Star had been able to welcome her daughter alongside her two best friends.
  Outside the window of Argyle’s lighthouse, the sun had begun to rise, casting the room in a beautiful orange and yellow glow. A dawn of not only a new day, but of a new life in the world. One that was physical proof that ponies of all races could live in harmony. That friendship and love weren’t restricted by race. A life that only existed because an earth pony and a unicorn had found one another, and a pegasus had helped them realize just how much they love one another.  
If not for Star Scout, it was entirely possible that Star and Argyle would have never reached this point in their relationship. And so what better way to thank the stallion that had brought them together than to guarantee he would live on in their daughter’s name? 
  The newborn filly gave a small yawn and snuggled into Star’s chest, making Star giggle and nuzzle her. 
  She was perfect. Their perfect little Sunny Starscout.

Sunny wasn’t moving. Star wasn’t even sure if she was breathing. She was just sitting there, looking at the final photo with a thousand-yard stare. Then slowly, her gaze rose until her eyes met Star’s once again. 
“Mom?” Sunny whispered, her eyes afraid, curious, uncertain, hoping. So many emotions, all desperately searching for an answer as tears began to form.
“Hi, Sunny,” Star whispered back, everything except her daughter unimportant in this moment. She was crying too, her tears freely flowing as she finally found the voice she needed to speak. 
“l-I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you all these years,” she began, her voice trembling as the memories of the day she said goodbye began to surface in her mind: their final hug, Star giving her one last kiss on the forehead, her soft promise that they would see one another again. “T-That I wasn’t there when y-your dad passed away. I-I wanted to be with you, to see you, but I, I didn’t want to ruin the life you had in Maretime Bay.
“I-I’ve spent years trying to find a way to fix things. T-To bring back magic, or find something that could prove to ponies that we didn’t need to be apart. That we didn’t need to be afraid all the time. T-That what Argyle and I had wasn’t something to be afraid of.”
Star’s head fell and her eyes clenched shut, her mane falling forward as she cried. “I-I don’t know if you want me to be here, i-if you can forgive me for missing so much of your life. B-But I still love you, and y-you deserve to know you still have a family. T-That I’m so proud of you, and I know your f-father would be too. I—” 
Whatever she was about to say was cut off as something rammed into her chest.
Star gasped in shock, falling to the ground as she felt a pair of strong legs wrapped around her. She opened her eyes, and saw something she had always dreamed about. 
Sunny was in her arms. 
Sunny was hugging her with all her might.
Sunny was hugging her and laughing with pure joy. 
She…She’s hugging me. Star though, all other thoughts drowned out as the ice in her chest was replaced with a small sun that grew larger every second. My daughter is hugging me. 
Star moved almost on instinct, her hooves gently wrapping around Sunny and pulling her as close as physically possible. She could feel Sunny’s tears on her chest, but the sound of choked laughter told her everything was all right. 
“I-I-I have a mom,” Sunny sobbed happily to no pony in particular. “A MOM!”
“A-And I have a d-daughter,” Star whispered, nuzzling the top of Sunny’s head.
The outside world was forgotten as the two ponies simply enjoyed the feeling of being together again after so many years.
> Chapter 2: Catching up on a Lifetime Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Star watched the waves of the ocean in front of her, listening to the gentle sound of them breaking against the shore. She had spent so many days doing almost this exact thing with Argyle, just enjoying his presence and the peace they had found away from the world, but never before had she done so from within the town of Maretime Bay. 
It still seemed almost like a dream. To be here, in this town, with her own daughter right there by her side, the two of them enjoying the scenery together. No panic, no fear of Sunny being excluded because her mother was a unicorn, no icy grip of anxiety at the idea of them being discovered. 
Just a mother and daughter, together.
Star was truly glad that Sunny had such great friends. She and Sunny had been so wrapped up in their reunion that neither of them had noticed how much of a scene they were making. In truth, it wasn’t until Pipp had gently suggested that they move someplace quieter that they realized the small pegasus was trying to block them from view with her fluffy wings while Hitch, Zipp, and Izzy tried to keep the gathering ponies at bay. In fact, the crowd was so big that it was actually blocking the trolley, though given how the driver was using his elevated view to try and see what was happening made Star think it wouldn’t be moving much either way.
Rather than stay in the middle of the street, Star and Sunny had moved to one of the benches overlooking the sea near the gazebo in town. And there they had remained. Sunny’s friends gave them space to be alone, making sure to keep anypony else away, at least for the time being. Thankfully, both Hitch and Zipp appeared to be very good at crowd control. 
Sunny hadn’t let go of Star as they moved, and even now she kept her legs wrapped tightly around Star, like she was afraid that Star might disappear if she let go. Star understood the feeling completely, and her legs were wrapped around Sunny just as tightly. There would be time for words later. Right now, Star was perfectly happy just sitting there, absorbing the pure happiness that was flooding her heart at being reunited with her daughter. 
After so long, after so many years, meeting Sunny almost felt too good to be true. It was like the perfect dream, one so flawless and happy that you were afraid it wasn’t real and you would wake up any second. But it wasn’t a dream, and Star wasn’t going to waste this opportunity. Any chance to hold her daughter after so long was one she was going to take.
So here they sat, reunited at last.
“I…I don’t even know where to begin,” Sunny softly spoke after several minutes that were somehow very long and very, very, short all at once. “How do I even begin? I-I remember, when I was little, creating a list of questions to ask my mom if I ever met her, but right now I can’t think of a single one!”
“We can start wherever you want,” Star said gently, pausing a moment to take her glasses off and wipe a tear away. “Though maybe don’t ask one-hundred-and-forty-two in one sitting, ok?” 
It felt so amazing to be able to engage in some light motherly teasing for the first time. She just hoped it wasn’t too early for that.
It wasn’t, was it?
Probably not, given Sunny’s small giggle. 
“Izzy told you about that, huh?” Sunny asked, sitting up a little bit so she could look at Star. Her eyes were filled with joy as they sparkled in the sunlight. There was some uncertainty there as well, a small fear of the unknown, but it was buried beneath her burning curiosity and the unbridled happiness that was clearly spilling forth.
“Yep. And speaking of that list of unicorn questions, I’d love to help answer some of those questions if she hasn’t already, but we can do that whenever you feel ready.” 
Sunny nodded, before leaning down so she could snuggle closer to Star again as they lapsed into silence.
She probably just needs a minute to organize her thoughts, Star thought to herself, letting her eyes drift over the ocean again as she gently rubbed her daughter’s back. I can’t even imagine how hard it might be to pick one question to start with. I’d probably just be spouting them all at once if I was in her place. 
Down on the beach, ponies were enjoying the ocean water. A few foals splashed in the shallows or ran excitedly along the beach. At least two ponies were asleep on beach chairs, though one kept being awoken by an excited pegasus foal using said chair as a launch pad to practice their glides. There were significantly fewer than when Star and Sunny had first sat down, and Star guessed that a good number of them had been drawn up to the road behind them by all the commotion the crowd was causing.  
Though, as her gaze drifted over to the newly refurbished lighthouse, Star couldn’t help but wonder…was Sunny the only pony who had a parent who was a different race? Or was she just the first one that they all knew about? Star supposed only time would tell.   
“How did you meet Dad?” Sunny eventually asked. “I know he went on trips to find ancient Equestrian artifacts, but he never mentioned going to Bridlewood.”
“He didn’t go to Bridlewood proper, at least not until years after I met him,” Star replied, not at all surprised by Sunny’s question. “Do you remember that stone bridge near that large tree with pink leaves? The one near where Izzy cut down the tree? The first time I met him was right next to that bridge.”
“Why were you there? The bridge is a good distance from Bridlewood, right?” Sunny asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
“That…requires a bit of backstory to understand,” Star gently said, giving Sunny a gentle squeeze. Thinking back on those memories still hurt a bit, but Star found they didn’t quite hold the same weight now that magic had returned. “Do you mind if I detour a bit to talk about it? The story is a bit long.” 
Sunny shook her head, leaning into Star’s grip. Star rubbed her back again, feeling cords of tension in her daughter’s muscles. 
It’s ok, Sunny. I’m here, and I won’t be leaving again anytime soon.
“So where to start?” Star asked, to herself as much as her daughter. “I suppose it all began with my grandmother. By the time I was born, I was the second generation of unicorns that had no magic. The loss of magic was more gradual than the return, at least according to the research I conducted. I’m still not quite sure as to why, but that’s how it was. My parents were the first generation of ponies who could never use even the simplest of spells, and I was the same way. However, my grandmother, who lived with us, still could.”
“Really?” Sunny asked, looking up at Star, her eyes brimming with unrestrained curiosity. So beautiful, so innocent, so full of hope. 
That must be how I looked to Argyle whenever I got into a new research project, Star thought with a giggle.
“Really. It wasn’t much – a bit of minor levitation and a light spell – but just that fact that she could use any at all was just…incredible. I was fascinated by the idea of magic from the very first time I met my grandmother, or at least the first time I can remember meeting her. I was five at the time, and I immediately tried to do it myself. It didn’t work, of course, but I didn’t give up.”
She could still remember her grandmother’s warm smile. The way the magic would slowly wrap its way around her horn. The way she made Star’s toy plane gently float through the air. She had wanted to be like her grandmother so badly. She had spent days trying to focus on getting her horn to do something, anything! She would focus on it until she got dizzy from crossing her eyes, try and force something out until she got a headache, but it was never enough. 
“I read every book on magic I could get my hooves on, begged my grandmother for lessons, and practiced well into the night trying to do something, anything, with magic. Even just a spark would have been enough.”
Star could almost see her past self. No matter how often she failed, no matter how hard she worked, her horn had never so much as fizzled. She desperately wanted to make something happen, but she couldn’t. And that started to get to her. Disappointment became frustration, and the grinding frustration slowly evolved into red-hot anger as she continued to fail over and over again. 
She couldn’t cast magic. All she could do was bury the pain deep inside herself with each wasted day.
“But…it never worked,” Star said sadly. She could feel that anger bubbling back up from deep inside her, even though it no longer had a reason to exist. It was frustrating, even if the feeling wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been before she met Argyle. “I could never do anything with my horn. And it just…made me so angry. My parents tried to convince me to stop, to show me that I didn’t need magic, but I couldn’t let it go. It just…”
That empty feeling. That sense that something was broken deep inside her and she could do nothing to fix it. Even with that void now filled, Star could still remember that feeling with perfect clarity. That unexplainable feeling of…violation. The anger that built itself up and up as no pony else seemed to be affected the way she was, or even seemed to care that magic was gone.
“Just what?” 
Sunny’s gentle voice cut through all the noise and pulled Star out of her memory. Her building anger vanished as it had come. She felt her muscles relax, not even realizing they had become so tense. She gave Sunny another squeeze, taking a moment to just enjoy the peace her daughter brought her so easily.
Thank you, Sunny. 
“I felt as though something had been stolen from me,” Star said after a moment, watching as a particularly big wave broke with a gentle crash. “As though some part of my soul was crying out for me to use magic, to cast spells and enchantments and to just, use magic for magic’s sake. But I couldn’t, and it hurt. And that hurt was only exacerbated when no pony else seemed to feel this same sense of loss that I did. 
“And that pain turned to anger. I became withdrawn and would lash out whenever anypony tried to get me to stop. I would spend most of my days locked in my room, just studying and trying to get something to happen. It wasn’t until I snapped at my grandmother during our most recent visit that things changed.”
I can still remember how shocked she looked when I yelled at her, and how quickly said shock morphed into her ‘oh you did not just do that’ face.  
“Grandma wasn’t a pony who angered easily, so it was a blast of cold water on my burning rage when she grabbed me by my ear and all but dragged me out of the house. She dragged me through the entirety of Bridlewood in that humiliating position, only letting go when we had completely left the forest. We only stopped when we were in sight of that large tree with the pink leaves, something which my grandmother always loved to visit. 
“She then proceeded to give me the most intense scolding of my life. She held nothing back, calling out my obsession – and it was an obsession at that point – and how I was pushing away everypony who loved me. How I was letting a simple party trick destroy my life and mental state, and how my anger was just a lazy excuse to cover my own depression.”
“That sounds…really harsh,” Sunny said, wincing. Star chuckled and gently patted her daughter’s head. 
“Oh, it was. It basically reduced me to a sobbing mess, and I was glad my grandmother had made sure we were alone before chewing me out. But no matter how much her words hurt, I needed to hear them. And once she was done, Grandma gave me the biggest hug I had ever received and helped me calm down. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was actually going through the stages of grief.”
“You were grieving?” Sunny asked. 
“Yes, I was,” Star said with a nod. “But rather that grieving the loss of a pony or pet, I was mourning the loss of my magic. My anger was a part of that, and my grandmother verbally ripping me apart finally broke through the stage of grief I was in, anger, and forced me into the next two stages, depression and acceptance. 
“She helped me understand that I was heartbroken over the fact that I couldn’t use magic. That some part of me had been lost and I couldn’t get it back no matter how hard I tried. 
“But she also gave me hope.”
“Hope?” Sunny asked, her eyes shining as she hung on Star’s every word.
You would have been so good at the puppy-dog eyes, I just know it. Star thought with a giggle. In fact, you very well might still be.
“Hope,” she said. “My grandmother said, ‘if unicorns had magic in the past, then maybe the past is where you need to continue your search.’ At first I was confused as to why she would encourage me to do research when that’s what led to me lashing out at her, but she explained that there was a way to conduct research without being swallowed up by it. And she helped me realize that while I had been trying to learn how to use magic, I hadn’t actually been focusing at all on why we had lost it in the first place. 
“I think she knew at the time that I had a penchant for history, even if I didn’t. And despite her worry for me, I think she not only wanted me to get some closure on why I couldn’t use magic, but also for me to see if I could answer some of the questions she still had herself about why she could use magic. 
“Regardless, as we sat there talking, I couldn’t help but look around at the world outside the forest. I had rarely left Bridlewood due to all the supposed dangers, let alone the forest itself. But as we sat there looking at the rolling fields and unobstructed sky, I couldn’t help that think about how empty it all looked. Empty, yet beautiful.  
“And as my eyes passed over my Grandmother’s favorite tree, it was at that moment that I felt as though a light bulb had gone off in my head. We DID have magic in the past! My grandmother was living proof of that, as well as the fact that the loss of magic wasn’t just an overnight phenomenon! So, if I couldn’t use magic on my own, maybe I just needed to stop focusing so hard on trying to use it and shift gears into discovering out what had changed. What was missing that led to the loss of our magic in the first place. And even if the answer wasn’t in Bridlewood, there was a whole world out there for me to explore! A whole unknown full of adventure and potentially untapped knowledge that I could discover! 
“I was so excited I practically tackled my grandmother in thanks.
“And I began to research ancient Equestria. I read every book I could find on the subject, studied every scroll Bridlewood had, gathered every scrap of evidence and began to separate fact from fabrication. But I did my best not to get too wrapped up in it this time. I got a part-time job at the library, I made sure to schedule time to hang out with my friends, I attended the holiday celebrations we had. I wasn’t perfect, but my friend Blueberry would drag me out of my room if I ever got too engrossed in my work again. My grandmother also made sure to stop in frequently to keep an eye on me, and we would sometimes go for walks together near that pink tree. 
“By the time I was nineteen, I had reached the end of what the village could offer, and so I began to venture out into the world in search of some of the ancient sites I had read about.”
“Just like Dad,” Sunny said, her eyes widening so much that Star could practically see an idea brewing below the surface. “Is that how you met him? You were both on your way to go exploring the same ruins and encountered one another on the bridge?”
“Not exactly,” Star said, unable to hide a giggle. “Do you remember how the bridge was destroyed?”

…Many years ago…

Ok, so Zephyr Heights was originally a city built by all three races, though its position doesn’t quite match up with where Canterlot should be. Could it be a mountain further south? It’s really hard to tell, though I’m fairly certain Bridlewood is at least somewhat near where Ponyville used to be. Though why we haven’t been able to find Princess Twilight’s castle, I don’t know, Star thought as she continued to think through her most recent notes. 
She was all alone out here, waking through a field on the way to her next destination. Assuming Bridlewood was near where Ponyville used to be, then the large stone bridge should be near where the supposed ‘Tree of Harmony’ was. She had never seen any evidence of a large crystal tree around this area, but maybe it was underground somewhere? Or perhaps it had changed forms over the years? There was a strangely solitary tree just past the bridge with vibrant pink leaves, and Star could always feel a sense of…familiarity, she supposed, every time she saw it, but she was never able to properly explain that feeling. 
Either way, it was nice to be out of Bridlewood again. Given all she had learned over the last few years, the constant jabbering about the other two races and the jinx behavior was starting to get intolerable. Even Blueberry still couldn’t stop herself from performing the jinx rituals, though her genuine excitement over Star’s findings and wonderful cooking always made up for it. Star would admit that the first time she came out here she was constantly checking the sky for pegesi, but she had never even seen one fly overhead before. 
In fact, whenever she observed Zephyr Heights with a telescope, she hadn’t seen any pegesi flying there either. It got her thinking: if unicorns could no longer use magic, could the pegesi no longer fly too? Could this magic loss be endemic to all the races? 
And if pegesi weren’t the flying monsters everypony back home thought they were, what else might they be wrong about? Everything she had found to be real had suggested the three races used to be friends, so could this separation of races somehow be linked to the loss of magic? Star didn’t see how that could be, but she couldn’t afford to rule out any possibilities if she wanted to find out—
CRASH!
Star jumped as a mighty boom echoed through the landscape. That sounded like it came from the bridge ahead!
“Nonononono!” a voice yelled out, followed by another bang. 
The bridge is collapsing, and somepony is still on it! Was the only coherent thought in Star’s head as her body shot from zero to full speed. She crested the final hill in record time just as the pony on the bridge jumped to avoid another section as it crumbled away. Just hold on! I’m coming!
She was galloping as hard as she could now, pushing well past her limit. She was so close. If she could jus—
CRASH! 
A huge chunk of the bridge gave way. The pony made a last desperate leap for the other side just as Star’s hooves met stone. 
She threw herself forward, digging her back hooves into the remains of the bridge and reaching as far as she could. 
His hooves met hers just in time.
Then his momentum caught up with him and his weight yanked him down and they both crashed into the rugged remains of the bridge. Star wheezed as the stone rammed her ribs, her back and legs screamed in protest at the weight and angle she was being forced into, but somehow managed to maintain her grip.
“Got…You!” Star grunted, her muscles screaming at her, only barely held off by the adrenaline flooding her body. She began to pull, trying to get the pony into a position where he climb onto solid ground. 
And then she looked at the pony she had just caught and a realization struck her light a lightning bolt.
He wasn’t a unicorn.
He was an earth pony.
An earth pony?! What’s he doing so far from their settlement?! Star thought, a chilling bolt of confusion laced with fear piercing her heart. Almost immediately, a part of her brain began to recall all the stories about earth ponies. They were smelly, stupid, violent, and should be avoided at all cost. How would he react when he realized she was a unicorn? What would he do if she managed to save him and he saw her exhausted and too weak to defend herself? Even with everything she had learned about the three races, she couldn’t help but feel that chill of terror running down her spine.
But then, his eyes met hers. 
He had a look somewhere between shock that they were both still alive and terror at coming face-to-face with a unicorn, but Star swore she could see a faint spark of hope in his eyes. A spark that dared to ask if it was really impossible for pony kinds to coexist with one another.
Star felt something new stir in her chest. Something that drove away the paranoia and fear, going so far as to promptly buck that voice of fear into a closet in the back of her mind.
Species didn’t matter!
This was a pony in trouble and she was going to help! 
“Gah!” she groaned, her legs shaking under the stress, not helped by the earth pony trying to get one of his back legs back into a position where they could grip the bridge. She had never lifted this much weight in her life!
Note to self, visit the freaking GYM! Star grunted internally, giving another solid pull. She could feel her muscles scream in agony and she barely managed to take two short steps back before she was forced to relent. But there was PROGRESS!
“USE YOUR MAGIC!” the earth pony called, his back legs still struggling for purchase.
“I CAN’T!” Star yelled back, unable to keep the anger out of her voice as she heaved again. 
Wait, was that pull easier?
“What you mean?! It doesn’t need to be a mind laser! Just a bit of levitation!”
“What kind of NONSENSE did they TEACH YOU ABOUT UNICORNS!? Mind magic was ILLEGAL BACK IN ANCIENT EQUESTRIA! And trust me, I’VE READ EVERY STUPID BOOK ON MAGIC trying to get my STUPID HORN TO WORK!” 
“You can’t use ANY magic?” 
“NO! NOPONY CAN!”
With every response, Star could feel the anger flowing into her muscles as she pulled harder and harder. Every sentence was punctuated with a massive heave, each one raising the earth pony a few inches as they got closer and closer to safety. A small part of her brain worried if she was scaring him with all her screaming, but she was so busy trying to save his life that she couldn’t really care about that right now. 
His back hooves were scraping at the bridge!
They were so close!
“The ONLY THING this pointy nub on my forehead is GOOD FOR IS PICKING APPLES THAT ARE OUT OF REACH, GETTING STUCK ON BRANCHES, AND ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKING THINGS OFF SHELVES! I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING BUT IT WON’T, BUCKING, WORK!”
That thought, that single point of frustration and anger that had haunted her for her entire life, came exploding out. Star let out a wordless scream, releasing that toxic miasma of emotion as she summoned every ounce of her strength. 
Then she fell.
Her back collided with the stone of the bridge, followed by the sensation of the large earth pony falling on top of her. 
She did it. 
She actually did it. 
Every muscle in her legs felt like they were on fire and she could feel herself twitching from the adrenaline high as the earth pony rolled off of her, but she had done it! She had saved him! And she…she was crying. She was crying and shaking even as she felt a bubble of laughter work its way up through her chest. 
The earth pony was ok, and she was happy about that, but she just…She could feel her relief blending with the exhilaration of what had just happened and the raw trauma of that stupid void in her chest and the emotions that tied it to her final scream. Years of repressed anger and sadness had been thrown into the mix of her mind and there was no telling how long it would be before she would be able to get those emotions under control. She couldn’t even tell where one emotion began and another ended, only that she wanted to keep crying yet cheer excitedly at the same time. The only thing she knew for certain was that she had helped a pony in need, and that was something worth celebrating.
Good job, me. Let’s just…take tomorrow off. I’m sure I can get Blueberry to make some of her shawarma if I beg hard enough. Ugh, assuming I can actually walk home with my legs in so much pain…
Is it just me, or is the convulsing in my legs getting wors—EEP!
Star’s train of thought was cut off as the earth pony suddenly grabbed her and tossed her over his back like a sack of potatoes! Her bruised ribs angrily joined the rest of her body in protest, but she didn’t have time to say a word before the tremors grew worse. 
At which point she realized it wasn’t her legs that were shaking. It was the ONE THIRD OF THE BRIDGE THEY WERE STILL STANDING ON! 
Oh BUCK! was all Star could think as the earth pony galloped for both their lives! Already the stone she had just been laying on was beginning to collapse! 
Star wrapped her legs around the neck of the earth pony, holding on for dear life and trying not to squeal in terror as he just barely cleared the bridge before it collapsed completely. Back on solid ground, both ponies skidded to a halt and turned as the last stones of the once great structure fell down the chasm with one final thunderous crash.
Then…silence. 
Nothing but the sound of two very adrenaline-infused ponies panting as their bodies once again began the process of calming down after a moment of sheer terror. Star absentmindedly readjusted her somehow-still-on-her-head-yet-very-askew glasses.
I have no idea how these are still on my face but I am glad I don’t need to try and explain to Dr. Cornea how I lost another pair of glasses. 
“Well, that bridge sure had a horrible sense of dramatic timing,” the earth pony said after a moment. 
Star just blinked. 
Then blinked again.
“Pffffff,” she snorted, trying, and failing, to suppress the giggles bubbling up from deep inside her. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the fact that they had both just saved the other’s life, or maybe it was the fact that she was still sitting on the back of a pony race that was supposed to be the unicorns’ enemy, but she couldn’t help but giggle. “Y-Yeah! Not only that, but the universe even s-spared us a bit of luck to make sure we didn’t lose our glasses! G-Good thing too, or we would have been in REAL trouble.” She exclaimed between giggles before bursting out in laughter. 
The earth pony snorted loudly, his cheeks puffing out before he began laughing too. His laugh was a low rumbling laugh, a fair contrast to Star’s high-pitched squeaking, yet it was a fairly pleasant laugh. Star’s ribs might have protested so much laughter, quite enthusiastically too, but she laughed anyway. A good long laugh that told the world how thankful she was to be alive. 
“Sorry if I was a little rough grabbing you like that,” the earth pony said once their laughter had died down. 
Star couldn’t help but chuckle all over again at that. “I don’t think you need to apologize for saving me from falling off a bridge,” she said as she slipped off his back. Her legs immediately made their still-burning presence known, and she groaned and sat down as quickly as she could without falling. “Also, please don’t go falling off any more bridges. I don’t think my legs can take any more punishment.” 
“I promise to try, at least,” the earth pony said. “I’ve crossed that bridge plenty of times, so I have no idea why it decided now of all times to collapse. Is there another way across?”
“Head east. There is a point where the ravine gives way to a small lake where you can walk along the border,” Star said, rubbing her leg to try and reduce the pain. 
“Thank you. For the directions, and for saving me,” the earth pony said, his voice…hesitant? Star looked up at him, taking a moment to properly take in his appearance.
His mane was dark blue with light blue streaks, windswept and untidy from the ordeal they had just survived. His light blue coat was just as messy, covered in sweat and bits of stone. And his cutie mark…
His cutie mark was a star with a rainbow arc behind it, rather like hers. 
That gave her pause. Sure, cutie marks could share element or images with the marks of other ponies, but the prospect of two supposedly enemy races having cutie marks that shared so many elements of their design…Star couldn’t quite place the feeling, but there was something significant about that. Some unexplainable feeling that their marks being similar wasn’t just luck, but…
Something more.
Star only realized that she had been staring so intensely when the earth pony turned around and their eyes met again. Now that they were on solid ground, she could truly appreciate just how lively his eyes were. A lively purple, made perfectly clear by the adorable pair of brown glasses he wore. But what really caught her attention were the emotions behind them. Fear, relief, caution, curiosity, uncertainty…
Hope. 
So many emotions jumbled together all at once, but hope was the most prevalent one, shining bright and strong through all the rest. 
That same hope that she saw on the bridge was still there, the flame burning even brighter now as he stared at her. His mouth was moving as though he wanted to ask a question, but he just couldn’t find the words. And Star found she couldn’t get her mouth to form any words either.
So many emotions jumbled together all at once, but hope was the most prevalent one, shining bright and strong through all the rest. 
Why is his gaze so captivating?
“Is it true?” he asked, his eyes never leaving hers. “That you…can’t use magic?”
Star opened her mouth to respond, but no noise came out. She knew what she was SUPPOSED to say. That she did have magic, that she just couldn’t use it right now or some other excuse. Anything to hide the fact that unicorn had lost their biggest defense. 
But…
He had saved her without a second thought, just as she had saved him. He was afraid, but his eyes were filled with hope. He was the first earth pony she had ever met, and already he had broken the picture everypony in Bridlewood had painted of them. 
Can I really lie to him? Doing so just feels so…wrong. And, what would even be the point of lying? 
“It’s true,” she said softly, and to her surprise, she actually felt a little relieved. It was as though something in her very soul was happy to finally stop lying to the world. “I can’t use magic. I’ve studied it for years, but…nothing.”
“And everypony else?” the earth pony asked, his voice gentle and…kind. Almost comforting.
“My grandmother is the last pony with magic,” Star said, her relief rapidly being overcome by the heavy sadness, so quickly it was jarring. “No pony of my parents’ generation can use magic, and the same goes for my generation. We don’t have magic anymore…” 
And I hate it, she thought, feeling more tears begin to form. I hate not being able to use magic, I hate the fact that no pony else seems to care or want to fix it, and I hate the fact that everypony is so afraid of the other races to even leave the forest. And I hate that I still can’t get over not having it! I LIKE exploring. I like learning about ancient Equestria, about seeing what the ruins I find might tell me about how ponies used to live. About just being able to go out into the world and see what there is to find, even if it’s just a bunch of ruined buildings! But there’s always just that feeling that I’m no closer to finding out why our magic is gone. That sour disappointment at not learning about the one thing that I just can’t tear my mind away from. 
  And I wish I could just stop thinking about that. 
“The unicorns don’t have magic,” the earth pony said, pulling Star from her own depressing thoughts. He sounded so…
Surprised? 
“They can’t shoot mind lasers, or carry ponies away, or do anything that Phyllis is so afraid of. All of those old lessons were wrong. All of those warnings, no, all of that propaganda! It’s all WRONG!” he exclaimed, sounding as though he had just completed a puzzle that had been stumping him for years. 
Star blinked in confusion. 
“What?” she muttered, looking up at him, only to see the fear and apprehension being eradicated and replaced with excitement. Is he saying that the earth ponies have been taught bad things about unicorns, just like unicorns have been taught bad things about earth ponies? Actually, has he ever met another unicorn before, or is it like me where no pony has never even met another one of the races before? 
  Does…does that mean that they were taught to be prejudice against the other races just like the rest of the unicorns were? All without having even seen any of them before?
“It’s all lies!” the earth pony exclaimed, staring to pace in front of Star, clearly unaware of her own realizations. “I was taught for years, YEARS, that unicorns were dangerous! That you could fry a pony’s brain with just a thought, or could destroy entire buildings with lasers and fire spells and just…it’s all a lie!” 
“Well, we were taught you all stunk like sardines and were really stupid, but clearly that’s wrong too! So, I guess that both our races have no idea what the other is like!” Star said, feeling a bit of the stallion’s energy rubbing off on her. She could feel herself smile a bit as the earth pony nodded in agreement. 
Actually, why the hay would they teach us that earth ponies are slow and stupid but dangerous enough that we can’t tell them that we don’t have magic anymore? Isn’t that completely contradictory? How did I never notice that before?
“Exactly! It’s just propaganda!” the stallion continued. “Lies to keep ponies afraid and apart! I had my suspicions once I started my research into ancient Equestria and the Age of Harmony, but—”
“Wait, you're studying ancient Equestria too?” Star said, her eyes going wide. Not only was he certainly not stupid like all those rumors said earth ponies were, but he was a scholar! One studying the same things she was, no less! Something about that fact made her chest tingle ever so slightly.
“Too? You’re a scholar as well, Miss…I just realized I never even asked your name! You saved my life and I don’t even know what to call you!” 
He started laughing, and soon Star found herself laughing along with him. He was right! They had just survived a horrifying ordeal and they had been so caught up in realizing that they had been lied to for years on end that they didn’t even think to introduce themselves!
His laugh is infectious! And it just, feel so right just laugh at the absurdity of this whole situation. I, I never thought meeting an earth pony would be anything like this. 
“Star. Shooting Star,” she said once their giggles had quieted, extending her hoof.
“Argyle, Argyle Starshine,” he said, accepting her hoof eagerly. 
Star didn’t know what would happen next, or if anypony would ever believe her if she were to tell them about this moment, but she didn’t care about that right now. She had just become friends with an earth pony. Something that everypony said was impossible. And if it was possible for a unicorn and an earth pony to become friends, what other impossible things might just be attainable after all?

Back in the present…

“Not what you were expecting?” Star asked with a small giggle. 
Sunny just nodded silently, gaping in shock. Star found it a testament to her storytelling skills that not only had her daughter been completely enraptured from start to finish, but also that it had left Sunny at a total loss for words. 
I wonder if Sunny would like to try out a Bridlewood-style sleepover with her friends? All of us sitting around a lantern in sleeping bags, telling stories to one another. I bet Izzy would love that idea, and I would love to be able to bond with Sunny and her friends like, Star thought, smiling as her mind conjured the image of her own sleepovers with Blueberry and Willow. Yet the idea of reading stories to her daughter also brought up the image of a newborn Sunny happily sleeping in her crib as Star finished reading her a book about a hungry caterpillar. So much missed time…
“You saved each other’s lives,” Sunny said, pulling Star from her daydream as her daughter finally composed herself. “That just…wow.”
“It was quite the first meeting,” Star said. “Not what I was planning to do that day, but it was a meeting I would never forget. Argyle felt the same way. He always said it was the day he truly began to overcome his prejudices.”
“His prejudices?” Sunny asked, her head tilting to the side in adorable confusion. 
She definitely gets that little head-tilt from Argyle! Star internally squealed. It was even cuter when she did it!
She nodded, grinning. “He grew up in Maretime Bay along with everyone else. Unlike with you, his parents fully bought into the paranoia and fear that was everywhere, even in the schools. As such, he admitted to me that he actually used to be similar to Phyllis, though he was never nearly as extreme as she was. He had such an adorable blush when I told him he was never THAT bad.”
I still remember meeting her a few times while I was in disguise. I wonder how Phyllis is taking all of this, anyway? I thought she was pretty extreme from all of Argyle’s stories at first, but he was pretty insistent that she was just afraid for everypony and wanted to protect them…in her own, confusing way. 
Star could practically see the gears grinding in Sunny’s head as she tried to process this information. Given how much Argyle had changed since then, it was probably pretty hard for her to comprehend such a different version of her father. 
“What happened?” she asked after a moment, looking at Star for help. “How did he become a scholar of ancient Equestria? And meet you? And…all of it?”
“It all started when he received that,” Star said, poking the white circular crystal in Sunny’s necklace. “His dad gave him that gem when he turned eighteen. It was an old tradition that ran through his family as far back as anypony could remember. The gem was supposed to be a symbol of prosperity that would bring its owner a healthy and happy life so long as they kept it in their possession. Argyle’s dad was given the gem when he became a legal adult, and he then passed it on to Argyle in a similar manner. 
“However, what gave the gem extra significance to Argyle was an old book he found as a foal while playing around in the library’s attic. Buried among the old boxes and piles of photos was a perfectly pristine copy of Princess Twilight’s friendship journal. Unlike everything else in the attic, which was covered in dust or had some form of wear and tear, this book was completely clean. Argyle said while he didn’t think any of the stories were true at the time, he still kept the book because he thought it a few of the stories were really funny. He especially loved all of Pinkie Pie’s stories.  
I still remember reading through that book with Argyle, and even reading a few of the sillier stories to you as a foal. Even then, you loved hearing them.
“Then, as Argyle got older, he began to realize that these weren’t just stories. There was too much emotion behind them. Too much love and care put into each adventure and each life lesson for them to just be the figment of somepony’s imagination. And, while he could never explain it, he said that something about the stories began to tickle his memory somehow. As if reading them was reminding him of something from long ago that he just couldn’t seem to remember. 
Then, a few weeks after he turned eighteen, he was rereading the book with the crystal nearby and the light struck the gem. The reflection hit the inside of the front cover in such a way that Argyle could see that something had been sewn into in. And a careful examination, he realized that there was a secret compartment that could only be opened by placing the gem onto the books front cover. It was what was inside that compartment that changed everything.”
“What was it?” Sunny asked breathlessly.
“It was a letter,” Star said, her mind still able to perfectly visualize that old, crumpled piece of paper that had started Argyle on his journey to find the truth. “One written by Princess Twilight herself. It asked that the gem and the book be passed down together from one generation to the next, and that both be kept safe until they were needed. It never said what that need was, but seeing that gem sitting there around your neck, I can’t help but think this is exactly what Princess Twilight was waiting for.”
Sunny looked down at the three unity crystals (that was what Izzy had called them, and Star agreed that it was a very good name), her hoof gently tracing over Argyle’s gem. “Wow…Is…is that letter what made him start to think the three races could be friends?”
“Not on its own,” Star said. “But it was enough that any lingering doubt about the authenticity of the stories in the journal were erased. He didn’t know if the different races could be friends after so long, but he at least knew that they had been friends at some point in the past. Something that was in complete contrast to everything he had been taught as a foal.
“The differences were so significant, he began to conduct his own research into ancient Equestria to try and find the source of the contradiction. And almost immediately, he began to spot the inconsistencies in the history he and everyone else were taught. Dates didn’t match between books, the timeline on the creation of Maretime Bay was wildly inconsistent, some major events were skipped over completely, some events couldn’t have happened so close to others. He could see the flaws in the history he had been told all his life right before his eyes. 
“And things only got worse when he got permission from the head librarian to begin going through books that had been stored away below the library. Those books were labeled as fiction or even as pegasi or unicorn propaganda, but Argyle got the same feeling he had felt when reading Princess Twilight’s journal. And if he did assume that the books were actually true, he uncovered a completely different picture. He found stories and accounts of earth ponies living alongside pegasi and unicorns, of old methods of transportation existing between Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights, or Princess Twilight ruling over ponykind until some unknown event occurred. 
“It completely destroyed what he had been taught for years, and he was so angry that he had been lied to for so long that he practically stormed into the head librarian’s office demanding to know why the heck they were doing this. The head librarian thought he was being ridiculous when he explained all the problems and inconsistencies and told him he should just ignore all that nonsense in the basement. But while a lot of ponies didn’t seem to want to acknowledge the fact that he made many valid points, or would just brush off his questions, Argyle refused to just let this all slide. And thankfully, once he made these inconsistencies known, a few other ponies in the library were willing to try and assist him. 
“One librarian in particular, Arc, was particularly interested in the inconsistencies given his cutie mark in history. They worked together to find out not only what the true, but to find out why such knowledge was being hidden away from everypony. At first, Argyle thought that maybe it was intentional, some sort of secret plot to lie and propagate a fake narrative to everyone in Maretime Bay. But after a few months, he and Arc ruled that out. That may have been the original intention when the books were moved to the basement, but the library cards showed that the books had been in the main library numerous times over the centuries, always in the fiction section or as part of a ‘Dangers of Propaganda’ section. Argyle found that last bit especially ironic. This, combined with the other harmless books down there, like gardening manuals that would be rotated into the main stock every spring, made them realize it was likely just a manner of space and the normal rotation of books. 
“In the end, based on the old records and correspondence saved by the library, Argyle’s best hypothesis was that when the races had broken up, the ponies of the time had moved the books away to try and prevent people from learning about pegasi and unicorns at all. Then, over time, the false narrative they had been taught had slowly formed. With ponies so focused on their hatred of the other races, the stories slowly became more extreme, the earth ponies became more and more heroic, and the true stories and records in the basement were forgotten or simply labeled as being fake. The dates were inconsistent in the earth pony books because they were just stories being passed on from one generation to the next, not actual historical fact. 
“That was satisfying for Arc, who began to write a book on the real history of Maretime Bay. He even managed to get it published despite a lot of ponies not really believing it. But it wasn’t enough for Argyle. There was still so much they didn’t know, so much they didn’t understand, and unlike Arc, he just couldn’t let go of the idea that maybe, just maybe, the three races didn’t need to be apart if they were so close in the past. And, deep down, knowing all that he did about how history had been misconstrued, he still couldn’t help but wonder if the unicorns and pegasi had experienced a similar level of misinformation. 
“So, he began to travel, despite his parents’ insistence that he not leave Maretime Bay. He started visiting ruins, trying to work out where they may have been in ancient times. He began collecting artifacts from the old world, like what he believed might have been Princess Twilight’s feather. As he traveled, he wrote down what he saw, researched more and more, and then wrote papers on what he found. 
“He couldn’t exactly publish his research given the refusal of the head librarian and the mayor to acknowledge his findings, but he did still manage to make at least some progress with at least a few of his friends and family members. Ponies like Phyllis never bought into his work, but other were at least willing to learn and admit that the pony races had been friends in the past, though like Arc, many still weren’t sure if that could be the case again. 
“And despite his hope that the races could possibly unite again, he had trouble conveying that idea because even he had never met another member of the other races. He didn’t want to go into any of the other races’ settlements as he didn’t know how they would react, and he didn’t even know where in the woods Bridlewood was. And he had never seen any of the other pony races exploring the world like he was. So, while he had definitely come to accept that a lot of the history he had been taught was a lie, he still wasn’t able to discern which parts of pegesi and unicorn abilities and mannerisms were real and which were fake.” 
“Is that why he mentioned the horn lasers when you were saving him?” Sunny asked. 
Star nodded. “As far as he knew, unicorns and pegesi still had magic, and he didn’t know what to believe. So in the heat of the moment, he just said the thing he had heard the most. He did apologize for it later, though, especially once I told him more about my struggles with magic.”
“And when he met you, he had a way to finally start learning what was true,” Sunny gasped, and Star could practically see her put the pieces together in her mind. “To learn that unicorns weren’t nearly as dangerous as he thought they were!”
“Something that was helped by the fact that I could barely walk after saving him,” Star said with a giggle. “Seriously, I was exhausted, and even my supply of super frosting cupcakes could barely give me the energy I needed to get moving again. Though, I did share a few with Argyle as thanks for saving me, and he always insisted that they were one of the reasons he knew I couldn’t be a bad pony, because, and I quote, ‘No pony who bakes something this delicious could ever be evil’. He would even playfully collapse on top of me occasionally until I agreed to make him some more! Not to mention he would sneak a few of them whenever he thought I wasn’t looking.”
“Is that where all my cupcakes would go!?” Sunny cried in indignation. “He said that it might have been a unicorn stealing them!”
Star roared in laughter, pulling her daughter close as the younger pony pouted and grumbled to herself about her dad being a ‘sneaky cupcake thief.’ 
Don’t worry, sweetie. I’ll be sure to teach you my own personal energy cupcake recipe once we have a chance to cook together. Not even Argyle knew it!
After a few minutes of hugging and letting her laughter die down, Star continued her story. “Cupcake thievery aside, that day was when both of us began to truly learn about each other’s races. Given how I really couldn’t walk, he was a true gentlecolt and offered to carry me back to his camp on the other side of the ravine so I could recover. He was so sweet and shy about it too, even after I told him it was perfectly ok given how he had just saved my life. Along the way, we took turns asking questions and eating cupcakes.
“We talked about almost everything. What we liked, what our life was like, what other earth ponies and unicorns were really like, what we had each discovered about ancient Equestria. Even when we reached his camp, we just kept talking. The sun set, he helped me set up my tent in case it rained, and we just kept on talking, far into the night as the stars watched over us.”
Star smiled as she remembered that night. The feeling of being with somepony willing to try and look past the propaganda they had been fed their entire life. Of meeting somepony who had the same interest in the ancient artifacts as she did. The feeling of forming a brand new connection that so many others say shouldn’t have existed. It still lit a warm fire in her heart.
And for the first time, that ever-constant sadness about her missing magic faded from her mind completely.
“There was just so much to learn from each other,” she almost whispered. “So much we wanted to say that we’d never been able to before. So much we wanted to share. I shared my struggles of not having magic, of how even my exploration of Equestria was tainted by the knowledge that I wasn’t making progress on finding out what happened to our magic. He shared his struggle with having to come to terms with so much of earth pony history being a lie, of the fact that so many ponies refused to accept that what he was doing had any merit. We were both isolated in our own way, but when we found one another…”
“It felt like a weight had been lifted,” Sunny said, nuzzling Star’s leg. “I felt the same way when I was traveling with Izzy. I had always been friends with Hitch, but I always felt that something was holding us back. With Izzy, I had finally found somepony that was willing to give friendship with the other races a chance. Somepony who could be my friend without any hesitation.
“Don’t get me wrong, I still thought Hitch was a great friend, but there was definitely some tension between us for a while there. He might still be struggling a little bit given all the recent changes, but I feel like I can talk a lot more about the other pony races now than I could before and it’s nice to feel more on the same page about all this now.” 
“I think I understand,” Star said. “Argyle said the same thing about Phyllis, though their gap seemed to widen as he began to learn about ancient Equestria. He tried to reach out, but she was too lost in fear to take him seriously.”
“I wonder what it would have been like if he had managed to convince her to give friendship a chance,” Sunny said quietly. “If they had managed to reconcile before it was too late…”
Star didn’t have an answer to that question. All she could think to do was to gently rub Sunny’s back as their eyes drifted over the ocean. The way the sun reflected off the surface of the ever-churning waters was soothing, the sounds of the waves reminding Star of the first day she had taken Sunny down to the beach from the lighthouse. The little filly had been instantly in love, burrowing into the warm sand, picking up every shell she saw, so excited and curious… 
“Glitter!” Izzy’s voice called out, breaking Star’s daydream and making the unicorn turn around.  
Unsurprisingly, they still had quite a few ponies watching them, including a good number of foals, but Izzy, Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp were still doing a good job at keeping them at bay. Izzy especially seemed to have found her stride and was acting as a very good distraction, performing simple magic on numerous objects to distract and entertain the foals, and some of the parents, too, funnily enough. Meanwhile, Hitch and Zipp looked like they were trying to usher ponies along and away from Sunny and Star, though a good number of ponies didn’t want to leave just yet.  
Sunny really has good friends. Hopefully this won’t be necessary once ponies get used to my presence. I’d hate to distract Sunny from going about her daily life just by being present.
“What happened with you and Dad after you met?” Sunny asked after a while. “How long did it take you to start dating?”
“Well, after we finally fell asleep that first night, we spent a few days exploring the areas both of us had planned to visit anyway,” Star began, smiling. She could still see it so clearly, her and Argyle walking together, picking through ancient ruins, comparing notes. Nothing could compare to that simple joy of exploration. “Along the way, we continued to learn about one another and our homes, and continued to swap and compile our notes on ancient Equestria. It was the most fun I had ever had, and even when we needed to head home, we agreed to meet back up at the large tree a week later.
“From there, we fell into a rhythm. We would spend a few days back at our respective homes so ponies wouldn’t become suspicious, then head out and meet up at the tree, then decide where we could go exploring. We would stay out for a week or two at a time, then split up and head back home. It was wonderful, and we always made sure to visit at least one place that was of interest to each of us each time we met up.
“As for actually starting to date, well…” Star said, unable to hide her embarrassment. “In truth, we both developed feelings for one another that went beyond friendship, but neither of us were willing to take the next step and form a relationship. We were just so nervous that we tried to ignore the butterflies in our stomachs every time we would meet up. It took a chance encounter with somepony who would become a great friend of ours to finally realize how much we wanted to become more than friends.”
“Who were they?” Sunny asked, her eyes practically screaming ‘tellmetellmetellmetellme’. Star smiled. 
“His name was Star Scout,” she said, watching as Sunny’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Star Scout!? Grampa Scout’s first name was Star?! As in…”
“Yep, just like you,” Star said, giving her daughter a quick kiss on the head. “We met him one rainy night near Zephyr Heights. We were exploring the surrounding the mountain area around the city, but got caught in a pretty bad thunderstorm. When it hit, we tried to find our way back to the cave we had set up camp in, but instead…”

In the past…

Star winced as another blast of wind battered her already soaked and shivering form. Argyle leaned against her, helping to steady her. Everything was cold and wet, she was exhausted, and she knew Argyle wasn’t doing much better. It had been perfectly sunny when they had set out that afternoon to explore the mountain, so where the heck had all this rain come from?!
The only bright side was that most of their items – including, unfortunately, their rain coats – were still safely stored in the cave they had found in the side of the mountain, and that Argyle’s bags were waterproof, so assuming they didn’t open them, all of their new notes should be safe. 
Assuming we can find the cave before we freeze, Star thought, grunting as they continued to slog through the muddy trail. The rain was so thick and the night so black she wasn’t even sure if they were still going the right direction. She just hopped they could find some kind of shelter against the storm. 
ANY kind of shelter.
“I think I see something!” Argyle called out, his voice just barely audible over the rain. Star tried to look where he was pointing. 
There was a small light attached to some sort of structure up ahead, though between the rain and her soaked glasses, there was no way for her to tell what said structure was. Still, maybe it was shelter! Even if it was just a small shed or tent, it would be better than nothing. 
They started trudging forward through the mud again until another burst of wind nearly blew Star over. But Argyle was there again, supporting her as they continued to walk forward. He was shivering just as much as she was, but he refused to give up, and so she wouldn’t either. 
A minute passed. Then two. They were closer to the structure. It looked a bit like a house carved into the side of the mountain, but it was still hard to tel—
  KA-THOOOOOM!!!
Star shrieked as a bolt of lightning struck a tree she couldn’t see behind them. She spun just in time to see the flaming structure come crashing down a few dozen hoof-lengths away, casting the entire area in a bright orange from the flaming fall leaves and wood. 
Does Mother Nature hate us or something? First rain, then scaring us half to death with lighting!? What did we do to deserve this?!
“WHAT’S GOING ON OUT HERE!?” a new voice echoed.
Star squealed again, jumping and turning back around to see a large door near the light they had been following was now open, spilling firelight out across the field.
There in the doorway stood a pegasus. Between the bright light behind him and the rain covering her glasses, Star couldn’t really make out any of his features save for two: his wings and his eyes. His wings were open and above his head, protecting him from the rain. His eyes, meanwhile, were a piercing blue, staring into Star’s with an intensity that was both hard yet…familiar. The light of the flames behind her were dancing across his irises, giving him an unnerving look of an approaching predator. 
He stopped the second he saw them. No pony moved save for Argyle and Star’s continued shivering. The only sound was the continued drone of rain all around them, though even that seemed to be letting up rather quickly. 
The silence was only broken when Argyle spoke.
“Uhh, meow?” 
If her hooves hadn’t been covered completely in mud, Star would have double facehooved. So hard. 
So very, very, VERY hard! 
Why, Argyle? Just…why?
Star just settled with giving him the most deadpan expression she could physically muster. Even if he didn’t see because he was nervously smiling at the pegasus, she still did it anyway.
The pegasus blinked, his eyes going from wide in surprise into an annoyed glare that just screamed ‘I’m too old for this nonsense.’
“Of course,” the pegasus groaned, his voice sounding rather old yet clear. Star could see him rolling his eyes while somehow never breaking his glare. “A bunch of young foals out in the worst storm of the last five years, of COURSE they’ve decided NOW is the perfect time to go exploring. Great, just great.” 
“Um, sir?” Star began, only to squeak at his yelled response.
“Quiet! Don’t you know how much trouble you two are causing me? Get your soggy flanks in here before you freeze!”
“What?” Star asked, very confused. Was he...helping them? It was hard to tell with all the yelling. “But, but we’re—“
“You’re two young foals out in a rainstorm!” the pegasus snapped. “No buts! Get in here!” 
He turned around and walked back inside. He did not, however close the door behind him. 
He’s not worried that we’re not pegesi?
Star looked up at Argyle. Given his expression, he was clearly just as confused as she was. 
“QUIT WASTING ALL MY HEAT AND GET IN HERE! AND CLOSE THE DAMN DOOR ONCE YOU STOP STANDING AROUND LIKE STATUES!” the pegasus yelled, causing both Star and Argyle to jump and hurry forward towards the house just as the rain began to pick up in intensity again. Shelter was shelter, even if it was home to a very angry pegasus. 
The moment Star stepped though the door, she immediately felt better. That fire must have been burning for quite a while, because even through the water drenching every hair on her body, she could already feel the heat trying to warm her cold body. 
The sooner I dry off, the sooner I can get warm, she thought, helping Argyle close the door. The moment it closed, the loud pouring noise was reduced to a soft tapping, almost like a soothing white noise.
“Wash your hooves off in the device next to the door,” the pegasus grunted from his spot by the fireplace to the left, pointing next to Star and Argyle. He tossed in a few logs to the dying flames and slowly began moving to a closet nearby. “Just stand in the little pool and it will do the rest. I don’t need to be mopping up your muddy mess tomorrow.”
Said device looked like a small container of water with various metal bits attached. Star had seen pegesi using some form of technology during her observations of the main city, but never anything like this. She looked at Argyle, but he just gave a small reassuring smile and nodded to her. Ignoring the small flutter in her chest, Star hesitantly stepped into the pool of thankfully warm water.
The device let out a little beep, before a few gentle streams of water began to shoot out of the side of the container. It quickly washed away the mud and gunk from Star’s hooves, making a happy-sounding jingle when she was all clean.
That is actually really cool! I wish I had one of these back home. Maybe I can try to sneak into Zephyr Heights and buy one later—
“Quit wasting time and get out so your friend can have a turn!” the pegasus yelled, making Star squeak and jump slightly, quickly stepping out so Argyle could clean his hooves. “Good, now get over here and sit down!”  
Said unnamed pegasus was back by the fireplace. He had just placed a large puffy towel on the floor and was now looking at Star with an expression that practically screamed ‘get your flank over here right now, young filly.’ Star moved towards him, feeling a spike of uncertainty in her chest. She was cold, tired, and weak at the moment, and this pony was a complete stranger. Yes, he had let them in, but he clearly wasn’t happy with them. Heck: he sounded downright furious back before they had come in. 
What if he reports us to the guards we saw walking around the city once the storm lets up? Or what if he thinks we’re dangerous and tries to do something to us while we’re here? We have no idea what he thinks about earth ponies or unicorns, but if it’s anything like what the unicorns or earth pony think about the other races…wait.
Wait, if he was going to turn us in, why would he let us come inside? We can’t get far in that storm, so he could probably just tell the guards that we were nearby and have them come get us. And why would he be making me sit on a towel next to his fireplace? Maybe he, just wants to help? What if—
“Would you quit staring at me like a skittish caterpillar!” the pegasus exclaimed, cutting through Star’s thoughts so sharply she jumped. “I don’t bite, and I wouldn’t even if I still had any of my original teeth! Right now, you need to get dry and warm, so quit making a puddle of water on my floor and move your flank already!” 
Star squeaked, nodded shakily, and quickly walked towards the fireplace, trying not to drip too much water on the wooden floor. 
“Sit. Don’t move,” the pegasus grunted, pointing at the towel. Star sat, grateful that the towel was so close to the fire as she felt the heat begin to truly seep into her coat, beginning to banish the biting cold. The pegasus grunted before turning towards Argyle. “You too, young colt! Take off your bags, sit here with your filly, and don’t move!” 
His what!? Star, thought, a massive blush spreading across her cheeks. She quickly turned and saw Argyle’s face turn just as red as hers probably was, but he didn’t counter the irate pegasus, and to Star’s surprise, when she opened her mouth to say something, no words came out of her either.
Huh.
She didn’t know what to make of that. Or of being called Argyle’s filly, now that the sudden shock had worn off. Or of the fact that both her and Argyle were apparently equally embarrassed by such a claim.
Argyle took off his soaked bags, hung them carefully on the hook above the fireplace, and sat down next to Star. His wet fur brushed against hers and a shiver shot through all the way to her hooves. And that, somehow, made her face decide to become even redder.
She was too tired for this. 
Once Argyle was settled, the pegasus gave a nod and turned, slowly walking away with creaking joints. Star decided to worry about him and his…misconceptions later, focusing back on the fire instead. Right now, she just wanted to get warm and dry. And sleep. 
Yet despite her body’s demand for sleep, Star couldn’t help but look around the house after taking a moment to clean off her glasses with the towel. It was a simple yet elegant home. A small kitchen sat near a window to the right, with a polished wooden table near that. A door on the back wall was open and led towards a bedroom. Off to the left was a roaring fireplace and a comfy-looking couch and well-made coffee table, as well as an empty wooden drying rack. 
The pegasus who had let them in was indeed rather old, his legs a bit skinny and his tail rather thin, yet he still looked perfectly healthy as he grumbled to himself and walked towards the bedroom. His coat was a rare shade of purplish red that Star had only ever seen on a rare flower back in Bridlewood, while his mane was a bright red like the setting sun. His cutie mark was a light blue coffee mug sitting on a white plate next to a donut with chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Despite the uncertainty still floating around her chest, something about seeing such a familiar color on the coat of the pegasus reminded Star of home, while his cutie mark reminded her off all the days she and Blueberry would relax in Bridlewood’s tea shop. Those memories made her feel a bit more at ease. 
Maybe he’s not so bad. It is pretty late, and I would be upset too if I was just about to go to bed only for two ponies to show up at my door unannounced. 
“On the plus side, we’ve finally met a pegasus?” Argyle said uncertainly, moving closer to Star as he extended his hooves towards the fire. Star scooted closer to him as well, ignoring the blush still on both their cheeks. She was just doing this for warmth.
That’s all.
“A very old and grouchy one,” she said, earning a small chuckle from Argyle.
“I’m sure we’d probably be angry if we were woken up in the middle of the night too, even if I’m pretty sure the tree is what woke him up,” he said with a small smile. “At least he’s given us shelter.”
“Agreed. I am thankful for tha—”
Poomf!
Star squeaked as something large and fluffy was suddenly tossed on top of her, nearly knocking her over in surprise. A few moments of panicked flailing later and she escaped its grasp to see that it was another big towel. A similar towel had been thrown at Argyle, causing the poor stallion to topple over in surprise.
“Quit playing around and dry off,” the pegasus snapped, a bit of a smirk playing across his lips as he watched Argyle try and free himself from the towel. “The sooner you dry, the sooner you’ll warm up. Just put them on the drying rack when you’re done.” He headed towards the kitchen before they could respond, muttering under his breath.
You could have just hoofed us the towels rather than throwing them. Jerk, Star huffed to herself. Still, at least now she could get dry. Though she was curious as to why the big blue towel was covered in pictures of coffee mugs.
A few minutes later, both she and Argyle were dry and their towels were hanging up. Meanwhile, the pegasus was still moving around the kitchen, boiling some water, if the soft bubbling noises were any indication. 
“Do you think he might be willing to answer some questions tomorrow?” Argyle quietly asked, gently snuggling up against Star as they continued to warm up. At least they weren’t shivering anymore, if only barely. 
“I have no idea,” Star said. “And we wouldn’t have any paper to write our notes down anyway.”
“We could always write them down later. Oh! Even better! Maybe he has some we can borrow? I mean, this is the first pegasus we’ve ever met! Imagine what he could tell us! He might even know of some old ruins that we’ve never heard of!” Argyle whispered excitedly, that spark of curiosity shining in his eyes and making Star’s heart flutter.
“Is that how I sound whenever I discover a new ruin or book?” Star teased. Argyle blinked, then nodded enthusiastically. 
Such a goofball. But then that what makes these trips so fun! Rainstorm aside—
THUUMP!
  “Gah!” 
A heavy blanket suddenly collided with their backs and successfully knocked both ponies into an impromptu snuggle pile. Star did her best to ignore the renewed heat spreading across her cheeks at the unexpected forced snuggling and tried to get out from under the blanket. 
“There, now stay under there and warm up until the hot chocolate is done,” the pegasus said. Star threw the blanket off her face to see him standing over them with a smug smirk. 
Star, however, had had enough of this nonsense.
“Stop throwing things at us!” she yelled, giving the pegasus her best glare, which he matched it with a very practiced ease.
“Then stop waking me up in the middle of the night so I can stop your sorry flanks from getting hypothermia!”
Whatever Star’s response was going to be completely died on her tongue as the pegasus thrust his hoof at her, perfectly booping her on the nose and causing her muzzle to scrunch up in surprise. 
If he’s so worried about us, then why is he being so rude about it?! You don’t need to be mean to be helpful! You could have just hoofed us the blanket and towels!
“We only woke you up once, and I’m pretty sure that was the tree,” Argyle said, sounding very confused as he emerged from the blanket next to Star. 
“Once is MORE THAN ENOUGH TIMES! And I DID hear that young mare scream her head off, so as far as I’m concerned, YOU TWO woke me up!” the pegasus scolded, turning on a dime and booping Argyle on the nose. Argyle’s eyes crossed adorably to look at the hoof, blinking in a way that said ‘I have no idea how to respond to that, so I’m just going to say blueberry.’ Undeterred, the pegasus continued to speak. “I moved out here to get away from all the terrified wimps back home, and now I’m stuck babysitting a pair of ponies who couldn’t even be bothered to pack raincoats!”
Star was about to say that the storm had come out of nowhere, that they had packed raincoats back in the cave, and that they he didn’t need to babysit them now that they had found shelter, but was interrupted by the whistling of a tea kettle. 
“Bout time! Need to get a new stove soon, one that doesn’t take so dang long to heat up a few cups of water!” the pegasus grumbled, trotting back towards the kitchen. 
“Is he angry every at everything?” Star muttered to herself. 
“Tonight? You better believe it!” the pegasus yelled back. “You woke me up well past the time I typically get to sleep, so you better believe I’m gonna be angry at everything!”
Ok, note to self, old or not, this pegasus has incredible hearing, Star thought as the pegasus came back, holding a small tray with two steaming mugs with his wings.
The pegasus put the tray down in front of Star and Argyle, before pointing at it intensely. “Drink. You need to warm your core temperature back up.”
Argyle was the first to move, picking up a cup and gently blowing on the liquid. Star was a bit hesitant, but the elder pony’s surprisingly soft expression told her that it would be ok. That alongside the gentle aroma wafting from the mug was enough to convince her to at least give the drink a try. 
She gently picked up the mug, blew on it a little, then took a small sip.
!!!!
It.
Was. 
DELICIOUS!
Every other hot chocolate Star had ever had in her entire life couldn’t compare to the smooth blend of harmony that was currently sliding past her tongue. It was the best drink in the world, and no pony could convince her otherwise. Any trepidation she had vanished, and she chugged the glorious drink. The hot drink was creating a core of wonderful warmth in her chest as she drained the entire mug in one long pull. 
“Oh sweet harmony, that was delicious!” Star said once her brain remembered she needed to breathe.
“Ha! I still got it!” the pegasus laughed, pulling Star away from the chocolate-induced haze to realize that both Argyle and the pegasus were looking at her with very amused expressions. Argyle in particular was raising a single eyebrow teasingly as he continued to take much more measured sips from his own cup. The pegasus however looked like he had just won an award in a hot chocolate competition, and for a moment Star thought his cutie mark was almost sparkling. 
“T-Thank you for the drink, Mister…?” Star said, gently placing the cup back on the tray and desperately hoping that her roaring blush might just be attributed to the heat from the hot chocolate. She also belatedly realized that despite everything, they had never actually asked the pegasus his name.
“Scout. Star Scout,” the pegasus said, and he smiled, warm and caring and genuine. In that moment, Star could see the kind heart that existed beneath his gruff exterior. It was as calming as that hot chocolate, and Star couldn’t help but return the smile with one of her own.  

Back in the present…

“He—that—WHAT!?” Sunny exclaimed. “Grandpa Scout was a pegasus!?” Star giggled at her daughter’s ‘How was I never told this!?’ expression. “A PEGASUS!? That’s amazing! And, wait! My father is an earth pony, my mother is a unicorn, and I’m named after a pegasus. Holy Harmony, that’s…that’s…” 
“Amazing? Extraordinary? Seemingly impossible with how everything used to be?” Star suggested. Sunny nodded, swallowing hard.
“Yeah. I just…I almost can’t even imagine it. The three races, coming together again, even if it was just a few ponies. Proof that we could get along all this time,” she said, her voice a mix of amazement and wonder.
“And you were the one who helped unite the three races again,” Star said, nuzzling the top of her daughter’s head. “Something that all three of us had dreamed and talked about for years.” 
She could still see Scout’s smiling face, watching as he and Argyle playfully bantered about the histories of the pegasi and the unicorns. Watching as they got into a playful cookoff, with Star being the one to judge their creations because neither of them would ever be willing to admit defeat. 
And yet, despite the happiness of those memories and her daughter’s excitement at learning about her honorary grandfather, she couldn’t help but feel a slight knot forming in her chest. They were both amazing ponies, and she would give almost anything to spend more time with them. 
Especially now.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Sunny’s voice called, pulling Star back to the real world. She was hugging her daughter tightly, and she could feel a few tears beginning to form under her eyes. 
“Nothing, dear,” Star said gently, nuzzling the top of Sunny’s head. “I just…well, I know that both Argyle and Star Scout would have been so proud of you. For everything you’ve done, for staying true to yourself even when the world was saying you were wrong. I…I just know they can see you, even now…” 
How she missed them both.
“Did…did Star Scout ever get to meet me?” Sunny asked softly, hugging Star a bit more tightly herself. 
Star nodded, trying and failing not to sniffle. “He actually helped with the delivery. He even came all the way out to the lighthouse to stay with us during the last two weeks of my pregnancy despite the distance from Zephyr Heights. I was so happy when Scout knocked on the lighthouse door, especially as by that point I could barely walk down to the beach without getting winded. Even more importantly, he had some experience helping with deliveries from the time he spent volunteering at a community clinic and was even able to train Argyle a little on what to expect.
“And when he saw you for the first time…” 
Star’s voice trailed off as she remembered that day. The way Scout’s eyes widened, the way his mouth had slowly pulled upwards into a happy smile. The way that years of age and stress just seemed to bleed away in that moment that he gently held the crying foal in his hooves. Star could feel the tears beginning to roll down here cheeks. 
“It was as though he was young again,” she continued quietly, watching a few seagulls fly down near the breaking waves. They were diving for fish, and as one surfaced, Star could see a small rainbow reflect across the spray of water. Something about that just made her smile regardless of the pain in her chest. She loved them both, and no amount of pain could deter her from reliving those wonderful times.  “He was so happy, so thrilled to see you, to know that there was a way for ponies to truly coexist. He knew you were special.” 
And I knew you were special too. We all did. Even before I saw the rainbow in your mane, I knew you would be an amazing pony. I could just feel it.
“I wish I could remember him,” Sunny said gently. “He sounds like a really sweet pony.”
“He was, though he could also be pretty stubborn too,” Star said, feeling the pain begin to recede as Scout’s playful smile filled her mind. “In fact, I truly believe that if he had been able to keep making the journey, he would have come to Maretime Bay to visit you. And knowing him, he would have come undisguised regardless of how much chaos it caused,” Star joked lightly, giggling at the idea of an angry Scout yelling at everypony to stop panicking because he just wanted to buy his granddaughter some ice cream. 
Sunny snorted, before laughing a bit at Star’s joke. “That sounds amazing! I wish he COULD have visited me, even if we just stayed in the lighthouse the whole time! I would have had so many questions for him!” Sunny gushed, her eyes practically sparkling at the idea. “And I could have shown him all around Maretime Bay too. Well, I’m guessing dad would ask him to wear a disguise to prevent a panic, but still! Oh oh, did he help name me, too?” 
Star could help but laugh a little at that. Seeing Sunny’s enthusiasm, her pure energy and happiness at learning about Scout helped to fully unwind the knot in her chest. Just seeing Sunny so excited about him made her remember how animated the old pegasus could be. She just knew Sunny and Scout would have gotten along like a house on fire. And speaking of Sunny’s name, Scout had been so conflicted when Star had finally revealed Sunny’s full name, caught between being flattered and grouchy that ‘these young whippersnappers were already acting like I’m dead!’
“Actually, no. We surprised him on that front,” Star said with a quick wink. “But he didn’t object to it, and I’m sure he would be proud that you’ve live up to his legacy of making ponies smile.”
“I’m glad I can carry on his memory,” Sunny said, smiling a little. “What was he like?”
Star laughed. “Grouchy! Don’t get me wrong, he was fun and a very nice pony once you got to know him, but he was also a master as summoning all the angry energy of an elderly pony who ‘has no time for this nonsense!’” 
She said the last bit on her best Star Scout voice, which, in her opinion, wasn’t all that impressive, but Sunny giggled at the impression anyways. “And he was the one who help you and Dad start dating?” she asked.
“Yep. After we had finished our hot chocolate, Argyle and I continued to warm up near the fire. We underestimated how tired we were, and we both fell asleep shortly after and woke up the next morning…”

In the past…

Noooo, no sun! Bad ball of fire! Go away and let me sleep, Star groaned internally as she buried herself further into the fluffy blanket surrounding her. Sleep was good. Sleep was her friend. Sleep would help keep that stupid ball of fire away as she slowly felt herself drifting off once again. 
At least, until the blanket snuggled her back!
Star jerked awake, sitting up and quickly trying to remember what had happened. After Scout had given them hot chocolate, Star and Argyle had continued to warm up by the fire. Between the warmth of the fire and the exhaustion from hiking in the rain, they had been too tired to move and had eventually laid her heads down next to one another. Star didn’t remember much after that, but given how badly she had wanted to sleep, it was clear that she had dozed off in record time. 
However, apparently just sleeping hadn’t been enough, as when she looked down, she realized that not only had she and Argyle scooted close together during the night, but they had both wrapped their hooves around one another. Which meant they had spent the whole night snuggling. 
Star felt her entire face slowly become red, something that only sped up as Argyle yawned and tightened his grip on Star, innocently nuzzling her neck before going still again. It wasn’t a bad sensation. In fact, his gentle movement actually felt rather comforting to Star, but the only thing here brain was capable of thinking was ‘Oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear’ at a rapidly rising pitch.
Why do I keep getting these butterflies, especially these last few weeks? It’s not like we haven’t shared tents before. We’ve done it plenty of times when we were too exhausted to put up the second one or it was really cold out. We’re just friends that enjoy exploring ancient ruins and comparing notes together. So why do I keep feeling like my stomach is trying to backflip out of my chest in a way that would make Spring Board jealous?!
“Morning, sunshine!” a voice yelled from across the room, prompting Star to jump to her hooves. Or at least, that’s what she intended to do, but with Argyle’s sleepy grip on her, she instead jumped towards him, making him wake up and jerk away in surprise. 
Star lost track of what happened next, only knowing that the blanket and towel somehow got tangled up with them, resulting in a large ball of cloth and limbs that eventually ended with Star lying on Argyle’s chest as both of them were partly tangled in their sleeping implements.
Ohharmonyohharmonyohharmonyohharmony!
Star had never blushed so hard in her life, and she was sure Argyle was feeling the same way, given the expression on his tomato-red face. 
“You can kiss after breakfast!” the voice called.
Well, if Star’s face wasn’t the shade of the world’s reddest apple, it certainly was now. 
“Quit playing around in my blanket and come eat something. Young ponies these days. The moment they get a special somepony they become so distractible.”
“W-We’re not dating!” Star practically squealed, rapidly working to free herself and Argyle from the compromising position they were caught in. Now that Scout had made his presence known, Star could faintly smell pancakes coming from the stove the pegasus was standing over.
“Yeah, and I’m a young pony with more flexibility than I know what to do with,” Star Scout said, rolling his eyes and cracking his leg to make his point before turning back to the stove, a spatula gripped in one of his wings. 
“We really aren’t, though,” Argyle said, helping Star get free before standing up next to her. Scout just deadpanned at the two of them, something in his expression making Star squirm uncomfortably. 
“If you’re not together, then you must be at the stage where you have a crush on one another but neither of you is willing to admit it,” the pegasus said with a grunt as he put down the spatula and approached the two of them. Star opened her mouth to retort but was silenced by his glare. “I’m certified to perform weddings back in Zephyr Heights. Have been for years. I’ve seen all kinds of love from all kinds of ponies. And trust me, I can see the connection between you two clear as day. Don’t matter that one of you has a pointy horn and the other don’t got no wings. You care for one another, and that care is just waiting to rise to the next step.”
Star had no idea what to say to that. Some part of her wanted to dispute his claim, yet another voice couldn’t help but think on what he had said. Being with Argyle was always fun, and Star couldn’t deny that in the last few weeks, something had changed for the better. She got this…funny feeling around him. A warm and fluffy feeling that made it harder and harder to say goodbye. Hay, their last trip had lasted an extra three days because neither of them had wanted to leave. 
Could I…actually have romantic feeling for him? Could I really be falling in love with him?! I mean, I wouldn’t mind, given how sweet he is, how much fun we have researching Equestria, how he loves staying up late with me to watch the stars and talk about how we wish the tribes didn’t need to be separated and—
  …oh sweet harmony I AM FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM!
The realization hit Star like a lightning bolt, her tail standing straight as a surge of energy passed through her spine. She DID care about him more than a friend. She did want to take things further than they had before. 
And she had no idea HOW TO DO THAT!
  Please tell me Princes Twilight wrote a manual for dating somewhere and a copy still exists!
“Oh for the love of—” Scout groaned, facehooving, and Star realized that Argyle had gone just as stiff as she had and was trying to look anywhere that wasn’t her. “You, stallion. Ask her on a date.” 
Argyle blinked, not moving and looking as though he was lost in the forest and six years old before something clicked and he turned to face Star. Star turned to face him as well, unable to focus on anything but him and the rapid beating of her heart.
“Star, do—do you…” Argyle began, looking into her eyes, only for his voice to catch and stutter like a skipping record. “You—you—you—” 
Star was so focused on trying to figure out her own response to this that she didn’t even see Scout approach until he gave Argyle a firm smack to the back of the head. “Willyougoonadatewithme!?”
“Y-Yes,” Star squeaked before she could stop herself, her voice at least two octaves higher than normal. “Yes, t-that sounds fun!” 
And she genuinely meant it.
Is it possible to pass out from blushing too much? Because I just might, she thought, unable to think of any other rational thoughts as she stared into Argyle’s eyes. Those eyes that burned with hope and excitement and fear and joy and—
“Now kiss!”
“WHAT!?!?” Star and Argyle both shrieked, jumping away from one another. Star tripped over her own hooves and landed on her flank with a thump, just barely cushioned by the discarded blanket. 
“Hahahah! That NEVER gets old!” Scout laughed, grinning even as Star gave him her best glare while she stood back up. “Don’t worry about kissing now. Do it whenever you feel comfortable enough. Now come on! I ain’t havin’ you two pass out because you forgot to pack any food. Sit down and your breakfast will be done in just a minute.”
GURGLE!!!
Grumpy Scout was back, and Star and Argyle’s stomachs chose that exact moment to grumble as loudly as physically possible, completely derailing Star’s train of thought before it could begin. 
Food would be nice. Even if the pegasus making it is a massive…massive…darn it, I don’t even know what he is! He’s annoying, caring, grouchy, and nice all at the same time! How do you even characterize that?! 
She didn’t know, but having Argyle press up against her side as they walked toward the table made her smile and her heart did a happy little dance. Grumpy or not, Scout had not only helped them out last night, but was willing to give them breakfast today as well, so he wasn’t that bad. Especially since he had just essentially set her and Argyle up on a date, something that made Star’s heart flutter at the mere thought of. 
True to the pegasus’ word, soon her and Argyle each had a full plate of pancakes and a steaming cup of coffee. As both of them dug in, Scout sat down next to them with a simple bagel and his own mug. 
The pancakes were perfect, yet somehow the coffee was even better. Perfectly hot yet not scalding, smooth and rich, and the perfect thing to wake Star up and forget about the minor ache in her flank. 
She just hoped there wouldn’t be any more pranks from Scout. She had been through enough over the last twenty-four hours. 
“So,” Scout said once Star had reached her last pancake. “I take it the unicorns have lost their magic too?” 
Star nearly choked on her pancake, and Argyle looked like he was barely holding back a spit-take of his coffee. 
Where did that come from!? And how did he know?!
“W-What—”
“You haven’t used your horn once since you got here. You didn’t shield yourself from the rain last night, you didn’t use it to levitate the towel into the rack, and you’ve been using your hooves all morning rather than just levitating your fork,” Scout said, before smirking. “So, either you’re being extra considerate to try and not freak me out, or you’re just like the rest of us pegesi: magicless.”
Magicless…it still hurts to think about that. But, we were right? 
“So it’s true then?” Argyle asked quietly. “The pegesi can’t fly?”
“Nope! My dad was one of the last ponies to really fly, but save for the royal family, the rest of us are mostly grounded,” Scout huffed. “Sure, we can glide if we need to get down somewhere quickly and can get some height if there’s a strong updraft, but that’s about it. A number of whiny foals back in the city think the unicorns or earth ponies are to blame, but seeing as none of them have ever even seen one in pony, I doubted that was the case.”
“The unicorns think the same thing,” Star said, sighing heavily. It still wasn’t pleasant to say out loud, but it was oddly…refreshing that she had no hesitation talking to Scout about this, especially since he was being so open with them. Guess I got over that hurdle, she thought, smiling a little at Argyle. She had a feeling meeting him helped her break that ice. 
“My grandmother was one of the last unicorns to be able to use magic. I’ve tried for years to even get my horn to glow, but nothing worked.”
“And the earth ponies are too terrified to even go near the unicorns or pegesi,” Argyle said. “They’re more obsessed with creating highly impractical devices to protect themselves from unicorns or pegesi. They’d most likely panic if they saw a unicorn or pegasus.”
“HA! They’re not the only ones!” Scout laughed. “The whole reason I moved out here was because I was so tired of all that stupid propaganda they kept spouting back in Zephyr Heights. Those big babies would wet themselves at the sight of either one of you! Though I suppose that raises a good question – how in harmony’s name did you two lovebirds ever meet in the first place?”
Star blushed, but chuckled. “Pure luck, actually. We were both studying ancient Equestria, and I just happened to be nearby when the bridge he was on started to collapse.”
“She saved my life,” Argyle said, his hoof gently grabbing her own as he blushed as well. “And after I saved hers, we just…started doing our research together. Trying to find the truth amid all the lies.”
“You two are even more of a sappy couple than I first thought,” Scout said in a completely serious tone, before cracking a grin. “Course, I was no better at your age. Still, next time you decide to have a romantic stroll, make sure to bring your raincoats so I don’t need to help save your sorry flanks!”
  You have got to be the strangest pony I have ever met, Star thought, rolling her eyes, but she still smiled and nodded. Still, it’s nice to know that there is at least one pegasus that has an open mind like us. 
“We promise to try,” Argyle said gently. “And to not leave all our supplies in a cave, no matter how unlikely rain looks.”
Scout snorted. “Good enough, I suppose. But if you two wake me up again, I swear to harmony I’m gonna give you to scolding of a lifetime!”
“Noted,” Star said, matching Scout’s deadpan tone to a T. Argyle chuckled as Scout tried to frown, but Star could still see a small smile playing through that grumpy exterior. 
I’m just glad we met a nice pegasus and not one who was terrified of us or one of the guards we saw patrolling around. Especially one who is kind enough to make us breakfast, Star thought as she took another sip of coffee. Still so goooood. I wonder how he got so good at making coffee?
“So when can I expect to see some foals from you two?”
Star did a violent spit take, choking as Scout laughed his head off.
I take it back! He’s an asshat and he knows it, breakfast be damned! Star thought between coughs as Argyle rubbed her back soothingly. I’m going to get him back for that! I swear to harmony!
“If you’re done playing jokes on my brand-new marefriend, is it ok if I ask you a few questions? And maybe borrow some paper?” Argyle asked as he cleaned up Star’s mess, gently trying to sound neutral between Scout’s continued laughter and Star’s death glare. Star couldn’t help but squirm a little at being called his marefriend. 
It wasn’t a bad feeling that filled her chest at the name. Just…a new one.
And…it felt nice.
“For your research, I’m guessing?” Scout asked once his laughter died down. “Eh, why not? Not like there’s much to do today anyway. You think of your questions while I go get some paper. I’ll even make your mare a new cup of coffee. It’ll be my signature white chocolate surprise as an apology.” 
That actually sounds really REALLY good. Dang it, Scout, stop making me like you just to make me hate you again! Actually, given his cutie mark, I wonder if making coffee might be his special talent. That, or hot chocolate. He didn’t mention what he did back in Zephyr Heights, so that might serve as a good way to learn more about him instead of the city.
“Do you know a lot about coffee?” she asked as Scout moved into the kitchen. 
“I’d certainly hope so!” Scout yelled back, sounding somewhere between grumpy and strangely proud. “I ran a coffee shop for more that forty years back in Zephyr Heights. Was one of those high quality places, not that backwater swill sold at places like Wingbucks! Cheaper too, to the surprise of all the new customers that finally gave me a try. I worked there until I couldn’t keep up with the fast pace of modern life. Gave it to my daughter, Cream. She’s a natural. Runs it better than I ever did. Best coffee shop in Zephyr Heights, or so all those fancy newspapers and channels say.
“Once I retired, I tried just enjoying my days in the city,” Scout continued. “I got my certification to perform weddings, volunteered at the local clinic, enjoyed brewing coffee on my off time, and tried to relax. But those wimps up there soon made that impossible. Besides the fact that there was all this new technology around that everypony has basically become addicted to, which was annoying in and of itself, I started to notice how paranoid everyone was. It was always unicorns this, earth ponies that, they’re so scary, blah blah blah.” He rolled his eyes as he made his way back to the table with a pot of coffee and some paper. 
The scent of the coffee was enough to make Star start to drool. Once Scout had poured her a cup, she gratefully took a sip and moaned at the taste of paradise in a cup. It was as though Twilight herself had blessed her drink, soothing her very soul as Scout continued to talk. 
“Eventually, I just got sick of it all. I’d lived for sixty-three years by that point, and not once had I ever seen an earth pony or unicorn. So why was everypony being such a big baby about ponies we weren’t even sure existed anymore? I even asked my daughter if she had seen one of your kind when she brought it up, and after a month of talking to ponies in the coffee shop, she still hadn’t found anyone who had actually seen one. Not even the guards who came to the shop had seen one!”
“Argyle thought I could shoot lasers and fry ponies brains when we first met,” Star said, winking at her coltfriend (wow, that felt really exciting to actually say!), prompting him to chuckle a little and scratch his head in embarrassment as he looked away from her. 
Scout barked out a laugh. “Sounds more reasonable than unicorns being able to brainwash ponies into becoming their slaves. Or earth ponies being violently stupid and might attack any pony weaker than them on sight. Eventually I got so fed up with ponies rambling on and on about the other races that I bought this house and moved out of the city. I still go back for supplies, to see my family, to keep helping at the clinic and all that, but it’s so much more refreshing to be somewhere quiet. 
“Not to mention exciting. Wild animals, a clear sky without all those lights at night, being able to see lightning dance through the clouds when a big storm rolls through, plenty of thermals to glide around on, it’s fun! Some of my family was worried about me running into ponies like you two, but I told them I wasn’t gonna live in fear anymore. I’m old now, so what’s the point of wasting my life being terrified of everything?”
“It does get pretty annoying,” Star agreed, remembering how Bridlewood was whenever she went home. Sure, a few foals would find her drawings interesting or pretty, but so many ponies would just ask her such stupid questions. ‘Did you see any ponies of another race?’ ‘How did you hide from the pegesi?’ ‘Why do you keep putting yourself in danger?’ It was exhausting, and Star would always get each question at least ten times before she reached home and could finally tell her grandmother about her trip. Assuming, of course, she still had the energy after dealing with all that nonsense. 
“It’s especially annoying once you’ve actually met somepony from the other races and they turn out to be great.” She gave Argyle’s hoof a squeeze, and he squeezed back, grinning. “Because then you just want to try and convince everypony that they don’t need to be afraid, but they just never believe you.”
“And if you try to have them meet somepony from another race, then they’ll freak out long before you can even get a word in,” Argyle agreed. 
Scout chuckled. “Sounds like you two have had some experience with that. And yet you didn’t let that keep you apart. Two ponies who became friends even when everypony else just screams and flails around in a panic. Sounds like something my son would put in one of his books. I love that colt to death, but I swear his books are so sweet that they’d give you a cavity faster than any of the pastries I used to sell in my shop!” he exclaimed, sounding both crochety and proud as a grin played across his face. 
“And don’t even get me started on his screenplays! By harmony, if those things were any sappier, everypony in the show would just be a tree covered in tree sap and yes, I know how redundant that sounds, but it’s the truth! Quite your chuckling!” he snapped as Argyle’s giggling. 
“Hey, I like those romance novels!” Argyle said. “They let us see the connections of other ponies and how different relationships form, even if they are sappy at times.”
“Ha! So you like being a tree then?” 
Something tells me we might be here for a while, Star thought as Argyle and Scout began to engage in a friendly debate about romance novels. She, meanwhile, was much more interested in sci-fi, so she was perfectly happy to just sit here and enjoy her liquid paradise. Especially if Scout kept bringing said paradise and pouring it into her mug. For now, she was just happy that her new coltfriend and their new pegasus friend had found something that they could discuss with one another…