It was the stone in front of his hoof that did it.
Sunburst gasped, wincing, as the glow of his horn dissipated. He snorted, his hoof scraping against the stone of the cave floor. Behind him, there was a rumbling thud as the gate he had been holding open slammed shut with a thud, inches from his tail. There was a rattling crunch as the door slammed down on one of the stones he had kicked into its path.
He wasn’t sure how he had even made it this far. The last time he had tried this, they had caught him at the gate. They weren’t expecting him to go for it - not in the state he was in - but that couldn’t have been his only advantage if they were leaving him alone like this. His gaze flickered back and forth, gazing at the niches in the walls.
He had a long ways to go.
The darkness of the cavern swallowed him as he stumbled into the darkness.
Dear Sunburst,
Are you doing okay? How is Canterlot?
I know you’ve only been there for about a day, but it must be so exciting! I wish I could come. It’s so expensive, though. I have to stay here and ‘mare the fort’, as Old Wrinkly would say.
It’s lonely without you here, though. I hope you can come and visit soon!
Starlight
A small amount of light wisped from his horn - enough for him to see, but not much more. The shadows that were cast by his weak light fell over the walls like shades floating in his light. He looked about nervously, the clacks of his hooves on stone the loudest sound in the dark. The wind whistling through the tunnel cooled his fur, and he shivered.
He paused as he stepped up to a fork. He moved to the right following the upwards slope, the dust in his hoofsteps peeling up from the well worn trail.
As he stepped up the path, he heard a chattering. His ears perked up, and he pressed up against the wall, his horn going out and his dirty fur blending with the grey stone in the darkness.
His eyes scrunched up, and he let out a ragged breath.
Then, he clenched and stopped moving.
Dear Sunburst,
I guess you must be busy. I get it, I guess. Things must be really interesting up where you are.
Have you learned any cool magic? My telekinesis is getting better - I can almost turn the well’s winch. Mom says that I might be able to go catch some water on the next Falling Day.
Crispin has been bugging me for a while - I do not know why he can not just leave me alone. It was different with you here. Be safe.
Starlight
The clattering grew louder, and he opened one eye to see what he was dealing with. His horn lit, he redirected the light around him in a crude form of the basic invisibility spell. The patch of wall that he was sitting in might have been weird, but should have been practically unnoticeable.
A collection of grubs in an opaque tube gave off a sickly yellow white radiance as the group of changelings entered his portion of the passage. Sunburst gazed at the black chitin that made up the group of changelings as they clicked and hissed at each other, making conversation. The leader of the group was animatedly throwing his hooves about as he ‘spoke’. The other changelings laughed at what was apparently a joke.
Sunburst closed his eyes and tried not to whimper as the prolonged spell started to take its toll. He bit his tongue, trying to be as silent as possible.
The changelings didn’t notice him as they moved around the next corner, the glow fading behind them.
He stayed still for another moment, then peeled away from the wall, gasping slightly. His horn given a break, it let go of its link to his rapidly depleting mana pool.
He shook his head. No time. He had to move.
The sound of his hooves once again continued to ring through out the tunnels as he walked.
Dear Sunburst,
It’s been a little while since my last letter. Are you even getting these?
Well, I’ve been as busy as I can be, given the circumstances. It’s Falling Day next weekend - the pegasi are finally getting that spring storm we’ve been promised together. I made a telekinetic net yesterday - Mom’s been spending more time with me lately since you left. It’s been a little boring, to be honest.
I hope you answer soon.
Starlight
Sunburst sat on his train seat with his front hooves dangling over the edge as the train ground to a halt at the next station, the screech of brakes accompanying the reduction in speed. He stared out the window, the moon gleaming into his compartment and the empty planes of dust out of this side of the train.
He still couldn’t believe that he had to leave.
Why did his parents do this to him?
Boarding school. It just wasn’t fair - but here he was, with a sunshine cutie mark and apparently with a destiny in ‘Attending Celestia’s School.’ Stupid.
He decided to stretch his legs at this stop, and he pushed himself out of his chair and walked down the carpeted train hall. He heard several snores and the sound of talking echoing out from some of the compartments as he passed. He stopped near the door and peeked outside on the other side of the train from his compartment. It was fairly desolate out here - aside from a train station and a couple of houses, the place was practically a ghost town. Nopony was visible in the tiny dust ridden street that led up to the station. Why did they even stop here?
He shook his head and turned to go back into the train.
Behind him, there was a clicking sound. He turned to look-
There was a loud clang and several bouts of green flame.
Darkness enshrouded his vision…
...but not before he saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring at him in the moonlight.
Dear Sunburst,
I caught some of the water during the Falling Day today with my net. Mom says that it will be a good year since our chime was one of the first to ring.
I don’t agree. Crispin is being more persistent, and no one else will help me. School is becoming unbearable.
Why won’t you write to me? Is it something I said? Is it because I endangered you before you left? Do you not like me anymore?
Why won’t you tell me why?
Starlight
Sunburst sniffed - the air was certainly getting worse, if he had any inclination. That was good thing, considering the cave’s location underneath a poisonous desert. His path sloped gently upwards, bringing him closer to the surface.
He hadn’t been this close in a long, long time.
He glanced nervously at either side of the path, keeping to the left side of the underground passage. His horn flickered out as he traveled a little farther, coming to a small rise. He kept as close as he could to the edge of the stony corridor, pressing himself to the ground. A glow came from over the incline, and he poked his head slowly over the ridge.
On the other side, a pair of changelings were standing in front of a gate. The cracks on either side and beneath it were lit from within… or, more accurately, without.
He slid back down behind the incline and took a deep breath.
He had one shot at this, and he had better make this count.
Sunburst,
Write to me! Please, just tell me you’re still there. Like you’ve always been there.
Please…
I can’t do this alone.
Starlight
Sunburst breathed for a moment.
All he had to do was make it past the gate. The Badlands were inhospitable for a reason, and despite all the time the changelings had spent down in these caves, they had never found a good way across the poisonous wastes.
Fortunately, he had something that they didn’t - a unicorn horn and a large mana pool.
And the Badlands? One gigantic intermingling leyline.
Travel was easy when you had highspeed teleporting pathways.
He scrunched his eyes shut took a deep breath, the darkness hiding his form. Turning, he grasped the ridge and flipped himself over the rise.
You know what? I don’t need you. I don’t need anypony!
This whole freaking world is just idiotic. I wish you’d never gotten that stupid cutie mark. Maybe you’d… still be here.
Instead of out there.
I’m so alone…
The changeling was not expecting the telekinetic burst in the face. The amber magic slammed it against the back wall, its wings fluttering frantically for a moment. Sunburst pivoted, turning around and slamming his back hooves into its chest. There was a crunch as some of its chitin exoskeleton shattered, and he heard a groan.
Disengaging, he rolled, wincing as some of his not quite healed wounds ground against the stone. He slammed a hoof towards his second opponent.
The changeling ducked and hit him in the side as he turned, striking him on one of his open scabs. He winced, pain shooting through his side. He fired up his horn again despite the throbbing and jammed it inwards. It caught between two sliding pieces of chitin on his opponent and he pulled his head upwards, tearing at the hard substance. Then, he let out a burst of pure thaumic energy.
It tore into the lengthened crack, and the changeling was blown backwards, slamming into the far wall before slumping, its glowing eyes rolling back in its head.
Sunburst let out a gasp, panting. He had to move - he didn’t have much time now that the hive mind had been alerted. Wincing, he let his mana flow out of his horn pull the gate open by brute force.
Light - sunlight - poured into the room.
Why can’t everyone just live together equally? Why did you have to leave? Why couldn’t I go too?
…
You know what? It doesn’t matter. I’ll make new friends.
He winced away from the light as it struck his eyes. He scrunched them shut, and shuffled forwards, away from the dark.
His eyes slowly opened, and behind him the door slammed shut.
He sighed before it caught for a moment, and then he let out a choked up sob.
It had been so long...
Better friends.
Friends that won’t go away like you did.
You’ll see, Sunburst.
The sun was there! He could see it!
He hadn’t seen it in so, so long.
He thrust his head into the air, breathing in the gases waving off of the deserted plains. Right now, he didn’t care if it was a bad idea. He didn’t care if it was poisoned. He didn’t care if he had to leave. For once, one time in such a long, long time, he felt hopeful.
The door behind him crashed open, green sparks leaping out of the gateway.
His horn already charged, he tapped into the leyline beneath his feet…
...and disappeared in a burst of amber.
You’ll see.
There was a letter.
Starlight looked sideways at the letter, unsure. She hadn’t gotten a letter in a very long time. She didn't exactly know anyone who wanted to write to her after nearly destroying Equus. She shrugged and pulled it open, the envelope tearing at the corners and down the side.
She pulled out the piece of paper inside and unfolded it.
Then, she scanned the first three lines.
The content was important, but the hoofwriting - that was what gave it away.
Dear Starlight,
It’s been such a long, long time.
I hope you'll at least let me explain...
Author's Note
Obviously, this was written before the Season 6 premier. The original version was a finalist in the Short Story Writeoff, "Look, I Can Explain...".
Man, did this take me way too long to get around to posting. Excepting some editing and finagling with the ending, it's in mostly the same format as the original version.
