Princess Emerald, Daughter of Solaris

After the royal family arrived back home in Canterlot with Dusk Shine in tow, Emerald happily gave their guest a tour of the entire castle. She dragged him around everywhere, to her parents' amusement, giving the young teenage unicorn the layout of a building he wasn't used to, being raised in a village of two-story houses secluded from larger populations like cities, let alone the rest of the kingdom. Starlight Glimmer was placed in the dungeons to serve out her sentence for everything she'd done, her biggest offense obviously kidnapping the royal family and holding them against their will. Solaris made sure that her sentence, away from the rest of Equestria, wouldn't be as severe as it should, giving her visitation rights with Dusk Shine whenever the colt wishes to talk to her and be treated as comfortably as possible in her cell. As much as she denied getting special treatment like this, Starlight accepted the offer, being given a second chance when she feels like she should rot alone and serve out what should have been a life sentence.

Dusk still felt lost after a couple days of living in a castle, but Emerald was always there to show him the way, even try to get him to play with her to help him feel a little better about his situation. Solaris gave him a guest room not too far from both his quarters and his daughter's bedroom, making him feel as comfortable as possible, and whatever he needed, he can ask him, Trill, or one of their servers. It was different compared to his smaller room back in the town he grew up in: much bigger space, a personal bathroom, a bed that was much softer than his old mattress with silk sheets and a comforter made of wool, pillows as soft as clouds, a couple dressers if he ever had any clothes to put away, and a window with a great view of the city of Canterlot down below. He was going to be learning a whole lot of different things his mother prevented him from knowing under her philosophy for all fifteen years of his life, which both excited him and made him anxious. Including magic as he subconsciously rubbed the inhibitor band around the base of his horn, keeping it on in case he grew frustrated and had a magic surge from his under-developed magic.

"Psst. Dusk," Solaris said with a light whisper. It was early in the morning, almost near six as Dusk grumbled and stirred in his sleep. "Wake up, Dusk." The alicorn gently nudged the teen awake. Roused from his sleep, Dusk squinted his eyes, letting out a questioning murmur. "I know it's a little bit early, but Spring Break is over and Emmy's gotta get ready for school."

"...Ok?" Dusk mumbled, confused and still half-asleep. "...Why are you waking me up?"

"Well, I have some important business to attend to today, and even though Trill's going to take Emmy to school today, I was thinking you'd like to join them and see the city," Solaris suggested. Dusk sat up, rubbing his eyes with a yawn. "Plus, if we're both too busy on weekday mornings, you could help us by taking Emmy to school. You don't have to do it if you don't want to, but it could help us if something came up unexpectedly."

"...Yeah. I...I think I can do that," Dusk said. He got up out of bed, stretching out his limbs. "Shouldn't be too hard. And if I have to make it up to you all for staying here, I guess I can foalsit Emerald while living here."

"You don't have to owe us anything," Solaris reassured the teen, telling him numerous times that his stay didn't need any sort of payment or favor to "freeload" in his castle. "Get yourself motivated and I'll have Trill come get you when they're ready to leave."

"Ok." Solaris left Dusk's room, leaving him to wake himself up and prepare himself for a tour of Canterlot.

Dusk walked into his bathroom, turning on the faucet, and splashed some cold water on his face to wake up more. After he dried his face, he looked in the mirror, his hair a ragged mess, but that didn't matter to him since he was staring at his horn the most. Since his first use of magic, he was afraid of using it again if he could do a lot worse, or cast the same kind of spells his mother used on everypony back at home. He was thankful for the little band around the base of his horn Solaris gave him after that small surge, though it did look a little silly on him. Mussing around his bedhead, he managed to hang his bangs over the base of his horn, concealing the band enough so no one would see as long as he didn't flip his hair while moving his head too much.

"Dusk, you ready yet?" Trill called out.

"Yeah, I'm ready!" Dusk responded, turning off the water and left his room, where Emerald had her saddlebags on and ready to go back to school.

Trill and her happily skipping daughter led Dusk through the castle, out to the main gates, and into the city proper. Seeing the taller, more clumped up buildings up was close was much scarier than viewing it all from the air. At least he didn't have claustrophobia, otherwise he would have thought the city would close in on him and suffocate him. He was a little nervous when he saw some of the ponies up and about at this time of day, some on their way to work or nobles taking an early morning stroll before going about their errands. He tried waving to some who glanced their way, only for the richer elites to respond with a scoff, turning away with their noses sticking straight up in the air.

"Ignore those kinds of ponies," Trill said, having heard the rude snob and saw the dejected look on the young stallion's face. "It's not like your home where everyone's a friend. Best make some friends around your age, and nowhere near first class nobility."

"Yeah. Most rich ponies can be very rude," Emerald chimed in with an angry pout. "Like Gold Plate and Platinum Band."

"Uhh...who?" Dusk asked.

"Two colts in her class," Trill said. "And they're rude little brats who bully Emerald and her friend. They were born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and it shows like the rest of these stuffy adult brats." Some nobles gasped, appalled when they overheard the changeling princess talk about them. She looked at them, meaning to say it out loud to make her point. "Yeah, I'm talking about rich bums like you! If you weren't 'busy' counting your bits from stocks, investments, and Celestia-knows-what, maybe you'd get rid of the 'rich, arrogant, cheapskate' stereotypes you keep proving 'the help' right when you think bits are more important than others less fortunate than you!"

"Well, I never!" one of the noble mares exclaimed with a huff.

"The prince will hear about this, shapeshifter!" a noble stallion threatened.

"Go ahead! He's my husband!" Trill argued back with a smug grin. "And just so you know, he's just as irritated with all your whining when you complain about trivial matters like territory and business wars that should be handled OUTSIDE the castle, not in important meetings involving Equestria's future!" That got the small number of nobles to scoff and storm off bitterly, Trill waving them all off while Emerald giggled. Dusk was a little confused, never expecting someone of royalty to be this rude to their subjects, even if the nobles were haughty and rude themselves. "I know I'm gonna get an earful from Solly if he finds out, but it'll be worth it."

"Umm...aren't you...abusing your power by talking down to them?" Dusk asked nervously.

"At least I'm not like my mother," Trill said, nonchalantly brushing off the colt's worries about how she behaves as a princess. "She tried to take over Canterlot by impersonating Solly's aunt and tricking his uncle into marrying her, using his love to defeat the former princesses and rule."

"Grandma's not bad anymore, though," Emerald piped in. "I wish she came over more. We could have lots of fun."

"...Right," Dusk mumbled.

They reached the school, other parents or guardians dropping off other foals. Dusk wondered how the colts and fillies were able to be handled with so many of them, only to feel silly when there are several teachers keeping tabs on a certain number in the many classrooms inside. As Emerald skipped ahead of her mother and Dusk, her joyful steps quickly skid to a halt when she saw Gold Plate with his mother, Diamond Tiara. He rich colt noticed the young princess, both foals leering at each other.

"Gold, don't even start today," Diamond warned. The colt let out a huff and turned away with a pout, hearing Emerald blow a raspberry at him, irking him more. "And I don't want to hear from your teacher you're getting into fights with a princess again. Behave yourself, or else."

"Ha ha, you'll get in trouble if you pick on me~!" Emerald mocked.

"And don't instigate, missy," Trill added, making the filly wince and quickly stopped. "Sorry. Emerald was so excited to go back to school, but with your boy giving her first day a hard time, especially when she got back home-"

"Don't worry. I gave Gold Plate a stern talking to," Diamond interjected. "And Mrs. Smiley told me what he did on Hearts and Hooves Day. I planned for us to go on a cruise for Spring Break, but the little troublemaker doesn't deserve any leisurely fun if he doesn't keep acting like a bully to his classmates. And that victim happens to be the heir to Prince Solaris and Princess Trill, who we happen to be in the presence of the changeling princess at this very moment." She heavily emphasized Trill's royal status to her son, making the changeling mother's eyes roll. After giving Gold Plate her two bits, she looked back over to the royal family, just now noticing Dusk Shine as he silently listened in on them. "...Who are you?"

"...M-Me?" Dusk asked.

"This young colt is a guest of ours at the castle," Trill introduced, patting Dusk's back. "His name's Dusk Shine. He's from...out of town. WAAAAAY out of town."

"...I see," Diamond said.

"And since he's gonna be staying with us, he's offered to take Emmy to school if Solly or I ever get too busy," Trill added, waggling her eyebrows at the other mare, subtly hinting to other "tasks" the two might get into. "I'll tell you later if you're free today. I'm giving him a tour of the city."

"I have a couple hours to spare before checking into Canterlot's branch of Barnyard Bargains," Diamond said. "I heard you guys didn't make it back after that trip you had during the break."

"Ugh. Long story," Trill groaned.

The bell soon rang as the schoolponies filed into their classes. Before leaving, Trill introduced Dusk to Mrs. Smiley, letting her know that he would substitute for Solaris and herself to pick up and drop off Emerald, which she was fine with, knowing the royal couple's busy schedules. Trill continued guiding Dusk around as they left the school, getting his own bearings while the two mothers talked about the teen's home and what happened, Diamond promising to keep what she hears secret so Dusk didn't feel more alienated than he already feels.

Solaris arrived at his destination, though today, he wasn't on official royal business. He decided to pay a visit to the Crystal Empire and see his relatives. The guards allowed him access in the crystal palace, knowing him well as he made his way down the halls to find his aunt and uncle. While rounding a corner, Solaris bumped into someone, causing them both to grunt and fall back, several books the other pony carried scattering around them.

"Sorry about that," Solaris apologized. He sat up and rubbed his muzzle, helping pick up some of the books.

"Oh, Prince Solaris!" The other stallion the alicorn bumped into was Flurry Heart's Crystaler, Sunburst. The unicorn stallion still wore the same starry blue robe he's had since who knows how long, a pair of glasses on his muzzle, and though his mane and tail were still a bit of a mess, but he kept his goatee long and properly groomed. "I was unaware you would be visiting today!"

"Sunburst, you don't have to be formal around me," Solaris assured the older stallion. "You're practically family."

"I know. Force of habit when you talk to an alicorn who can use dragon fire in combat," Sunburst said with a nervous chuckle. "So, what brings you around?"

"I finally had the free time to come and visit, though I wish I could take Emmy to let her see the Crystal Empire and play with her cousin," Solaris said as both stallions picked up the rest of the scattered books. "I wanted to tell them how crazy of a Spring Break we had. And it wasn't all fun in the sun, either."

"Oh, well, you just missed them," Sunburst said. "Cadence had to take Shining Armor to the hospital."

Solaris grimaced. "Oh no. His forelegs flaring up in intense pain again?"

"Yeah. It was pretty bad. He could barely stand without his forelegs giving out on him from the pain," Sunburst said.

"Ugh. I know he tries to be tough, but if his injuries have been bothering them, he shouldn't keep hiding it," Solaris grumbled.

"Stubbornness seems to run on your side of the family," Sunburst chuckled. "When I tried to feed Flurry Heart mashed peas when she was a baby, she refused to eat it...then proceeded to snatch the spoon from me and paint me with several jars of her 'favorite' food."

"I'm not THAT stubborn," the alicorn muttered bitterly.

Sunburst laughed at the prince's response. The two made their way down the hall, the Crystaler leading the way as they returned the books he had back to the castle's library.

"So, what was so exciting about last week you were going to tell them?" Sunburst asked as he re-shelved the books.

"Well, it's hard to believe, but my family and I were held captive by somepony with really strange morals about cutie marks." The older stallion paused in his shelving, slowly turning to stare at Solaris with a bewildered look.

"Captured???" he asked. "...As in, held hostage?"

"Not at first. You've heard of rumors about ponies mysteriously disappearing without any trace for the last decade or so?" Sunburst nodded, wondering what that bit of news that had been going on for so long without any leeway on the missing ponies connected with Solaris and his wife and daughter's kidnapping. "Well, the leader there, Starlight Glimmer, was actually inviting ponies to stay in this village far on the outskirts of Equestria." Sunburst paused yet again as he listened to Solaris, finding the name of the pony familiar. "She had ponies living there give up their cutie marks with this made up staff, and replacing their flanks were these gray equal signs. She had one, too, but it was faked using makeup, hiding her real cutie mark from everypony. Everypony hit with this spell was basically equal: equal strength, basic levitation for unicorns, average flying speed for pegasi, and she lied to us when the 'staff' was just a stick, and she kept her magic so she could cast the spell to-"

"Hold on," Sunburst interrupted. "Did you say...the pony who kidnapped you was...Starlight Glimmer?"

"...Yes? Why?" Solaris asked curiously. "Do you know her?"

"I knew a Starlight Glimmer when I was a colt, but I haven't seen her since my family moved to Canterlot after I got my cutie mark," Sunburst said. "What does she look like?"

"She's a unicorn, her fur a sort of lightish-pink hue, like a heliotrope color, and her hair was a dark purple with aquamarine streaks." After describing the mare, Solaris noticed Sunburst's face went pale. "...And...that's exactly what your old, foalhood friend looked like, isn't it?"

Sunburst silently nodded, then began pacing around anxiously. "I-I-I can't believe...T-There's gotta be some mistake. Starlight isn't an awful pony," he muttered to himself. "M-Maybe...Maybe it was a different Starlight Glimmer?"

"I don't know if there's another pony with the same name, but she told me about a friend she had who got his cutie mark when they were stacking up books, she made them fall, he saved her and stacked them, getting his mark, then showed his parents and moved away the next day, completely forgetting about her and drove her to taking cutie marks and forcing followers to be equal." Solaris's long-winded summary of Starlight's "tragic" tale made Sunburst's orange face turn as white as the fur streak on his nose, his jaw hanging open in shock. "...Don't tell me...That's how you got your cutie mark?"

"YES!!!!" Sunburst screamed, driven into more panic and nearly making Solaris go deaf. Solaris rubbed his ringing ears, watching the Crystaler pacing and dancing about with anxiety at the realization that his long-lost friend had turned into a criminal. "Oh my gosh! Why did she do all of this!? Starlight's NEVER been awful!"

"Sunburst-" Solaris called out, but the older stallion didn't hear him.

"Did something happen while I was gone!? I know I didn't say goodbye when my parents made us move to-!" Sunburst let out a horrified gasp. "WHAT IF IT WAS MY FAULT!?"

"Sunburst." Again, Sunburst barely noticed Solaris trying to get his attention.

"If she missed me that badly, then it HAS to be my fault if she took other ponies' cutie marks, converted them into a mad cult of equality, and made her that desperate to force the likes of you or your family to join and prove a point about getting my cutie mark before her and making her feel miserable-!" Solaris grabbed the overreactive unicorn stallion, snatching off his glasses, then smacked him hard in the face, silencing his rambling.

"Sunburst! Get a grip, will you!?" the prince exclaimed. Sunburst blinked, instantly calming down as Solaris gave back his glasses. "You had no idea what Starlight got into when you two split up. She admitted she was hurt when you and your family left all those years ago, but she held onto that fear of rejection from new friends, and she made her life that way because of that."

"B-But still, because of me-" Sunburst said, but Solaris had his hoof held up, ready to slap him back to his senses. "Not panicking! Not panicking!"

"Then don't think that," Solaris reiterated. "I'm actually glad I managed to stop her before she could have done anything worse if she escaped. And she was going to drag her own son down such a dark road, and he was as innocent as the foals who were raised in that town she created."

"...She has a son???" Sunburst asked curiously, shifting his glasses so they fit back on his muzzle correctly. "Who...who is her husband?"

"She was a single mom. In a way that made her son, Dusk Shine, question the truth about what his life could have been, she got pregnant after a fling when she was out at a random bar with some random stallion. Even she doesn't know who the father was, and mentioning her own child, who was scared out of his mind and found out his own mother never conformed to her own ideals of equality, was an accident..." Solaris grimaced at the shock he saw on Dusk's face that day, yelling at Starlight and telling her he hated her for lying to him all his life, and that misinterpretation of him being an accident began to turn that tight bond the mother and son shared into a very thin thread threatening to snap. "...He was really upset with her."

"Starlight...said THAT...? To her own foal???" Sunburst questioned in shock, jaw hanging open while his glasses went slightly askew.

"I think she meant that going out to relax was an accident, and despite having conceived Dusk during that one night stand, she still cared about him regardless of who she was with that night," Solaris restated. "If she didn't snap and he snapped right back, Starlight would have tried to escape again and do something far worse if she sought revenge."

Sunburst slowly righted his glasses on his muzzle, taking this all in. It was hard to believe that an old friend in his foalhood, who he thought was always an innocent, happy-go-lucky filly, had turned into a depressed, power hungry, and almost psychotic dictator of equality because of him moving away after getting his cutie mark. Even thought Solaris kept reassuring him it wasn't his fault, part of him did feel responsible for sparking that ire toward cutie marks and the fear of losing a new friend within moments if she and any friends she wanted to make didn't find their marks at the same time.

"...Can I see her?" Sunburst asked.

"She's being held in the dungeons in Canterlot, and she's facing a life sentence," Solaris said, not surprised seeing how worried Sunburst looked. "Do you really want to see her again?"

"Of course I do! Since I was at Celestia's School For Magically Gifted Unicorns during my youth, I wondered how she was doing and if she found some other friends besides just me!" Sunburst said.

"You could have just written letters to each other while you were in Canterlot," Solaris said.

"Well, you have no idea just how prestigious that school was when it comes to its grading system, testing, and study sessions," Sunburst scoffed. "I mean, your own mother was in that very same school when she was a filly, from what Shining Armor has told me, and she was a straight A+ student. I had no time to myself, let alone write to Starlight and check up on her."

"And after you graduated?" Solaris questioned.

"I-I did try, but I didn't receive any letters," Sunburst answered. "I didn't know if she moved when I finally tried to get in touch with her, or if she just ignored me and didn't want anything to do with me." Solaris could see those possibilities being the reason after several years between them since Sunburst moved. And with Starlight's reluctance to make new friends, she didn't know where his family would have been staying during Sunburst's time studying at the the late princess's school, she never tried writing to him and might have moved away when she was old enough to leave her old home. "...She's...probably going to yell at me, but I want us to make up after I left her like that."

"Ok. If you're sure about this." Sunburst nodded without any hesitation, dead set on reuniting with Starlight.

Within minutes through a plume of magic smoke, Solaris teleported himself and Sunburst via dragon fire, appearing at the front entrance of the castle. Sunburst groaned a little at the strange sensation from teleporting through enchanted flames, though less queasy than the usual magic spell after getting used to it the first few times. After the slight wave of nausea passed, Sunburst followed Solaris toward the castle's dungeon. They soon approached the entrance, where the guard stationed there saluted to the prince."

"Good morning, Your Highness," the guard greeted. "Come to check on the prisoner?"

"Yes, and I'm bringing Sunburst with me," Solaris said. The guard gave the unicorn stallion a suspicious leer, tapping his spear against the ground. "He's a friend of the family. He's Flurry Heart's foalsitter and the Crystal Empire's royal Crystaler."

"...Really?" the guard questioned, squinting at the older stallion. "...He doesn't look like he'd be fit for watching a foal of any age."

"Can you keep an alicorn baby from unleashing all sorts of crazy magic surges while also flying around an entire castle?" Solaris asked the guard, continuing his questioning before the stallion could respond. "And need I remind you how much power an alicorn infant has compared to a unicorn's? Like full power magic beams unicorn wizards take DECADES to hone, and could burst through several meters of durable crystal structures, teleportation, magic barriers, and so much more on a never-ending list of spells that even exhaust myself if I tried unleashing that much magic for hours?" Solaris and Sunburst watched the guard's jaw drop as he processed the kind of power Flurry Heart had as a baby. He grimaced after a moment, then stepped aside. "I thought so. Just be lucky Emmy wasn't like that thanks to my baby-safe inhibitor bands."

"R-Right. My...apologies," the guard mumbled, shuddering in fear of an out of control alicorn baby blasting holes all around the castle.

Solaris nodded and entered the dungeons, taking the key to Starlight's cell hanging on the wall around the corner while Sunburst followed him. "Sorry about that, Sunburst," Solaris apologized as the duo headed down the stairs, entering the basement level and walking past the cells that held prisoners behind iron bars. Despite not being used, they were kept in relatively decent condition, sometimes used for those who might have caused trouble during a drunken spree and needed a safer environment to let the alcohol out of their system. "Although I will admit you don't look like the type of pony who watches foals for parents."

"I do a great job watching Flurry Heart, even if I had to keep her magic in check with the Fledgling's Forbearance spell," Sunburst muttered bitterly. "She says I'm the greatest foalsitter ever."

"Maybe when you finally decide to find a mare and have a kid of your own, you could be a great dad, too," Solaris added.

"Heheh...Ehhh, I think I'm a bit too...old now?" Sunburst responded sheepishly.

"You're only a few years younger than my uncle," the prince stated. "Better late than never. I bet somepony would like your intelligence, royal status among the family...your...beard?" Sunburst rubbed his luxurious goatee, humming curiously. "...Maybe add a combing to your mane and tail, and you'd look a bit more presentable."

At the far end of the hall was where Starlight Glimmer's cell was located. Sunburst began feeling anxious again as they got closer, and when they arrived, the cell the mare was in wasn't as cold or barren as they should feel. There was a small shelf with some books, a small lantern on a side table near the bed, where Starlight was currently laying in, which had a decent blanket wrapped around her and some padding on the hard, flimsy mattress to give the mare a little bit of comfort. Sunburst was a little confused by the extra features for a prisoner who committed really serious crimes, but seeing Starlight again after so long drowned any sense of logic for dungeon living conditions.

Solaris tapped on the metal bars, waking the slumbering mare with a groan. "Oh, great," she grumbled as she stirred under the covers. "Can breakfast wait for another hour?"

"It's me, Starlight," Solaris said. Starlight's ears twitched, curling herself more under the covers, turning her back to him. "Not much of a morning pony?"

"What do you want?" Starlight asked in a morose tone. "Did my son send you to send me a message?...I don't blame him if he's not ready to talk to me again."

"He just needs a little time to himself, figure out who he's supposed to be," Solaris said. "I know exactly how he feels. However, my calling in life was thrust on me out of the blue, and I had to adapt to my new life when my long, painful journey finally ended." Starlight remained silent, but her shifting told the two stallions that she was still awake. "If anything, I'm actually jealous of him."

"You're jealous of Dusk?" Starlight scoffed. "You're a prince, married to somepony you love, as weird as your relationship may be, you both had a filly, and she clearly adores you. How can you be jealous of my son, who I brainwashed into thinking cutie marks are bad and my village of equality was the perfect place to live?"

"He grew up with his mother," Solaris answered. Sunburst worried he was going to snap when he responded, but he remained calm despite everything Starlight did. "I never met my mom until I finally set my hooves outside of that cave I once called my home; I had to fight her and ethereal spirits of the Elements of Harmony as my first test. Sounds like quite a disturbing first meeting between a mother and child after being apart for fifteen years."

"...Sorry," Starlight mumbled apologetically, feeling ashamed to turn and look at him after hearing the depressing response.

"It might have been a brief few moments, but I'm at least grateful I finally got to see and talk to her before she faded back to the heavens," the alicorn continued. "I would give anything to be in your son's horseshoes, but I'm content with what I had. And for my daughter, I want her to grow up with both her parents who love her and will always be there for her. I had a family who raised me, and I will always honor their memory for everything they've done for me, but it never felt similar to being raised by a mother and a father, or even just one parent."

"...I guess...I wouldn't really know how that feels," Starlight said. She pulled the covers off of her, sitting up while staring at the wall across from her. Sunburst noticed she had a metal inhibitor around the base of her horn, completely dampening her magic prowess, and it wouldn't unlock without a specific key. "All I had was my dad before I left Sire's Hollow. My parents broke up when I was a teen, and I didn't care since I was still bitter about cutie marks ruining friendships...I bet he'd be real proud of me if he found out I was imprisoned for holding a royal family hostage, then to the daughter of Equestria's ruler while trying to flee." Solaris didn't approve hearing that, even though Starlight's sarcastic tone was meant to take it as a joke over her own stupid decisions that wound her up in more hot water. "So, did you come to make me feel awful? I know I'm going to be stuck in here the rest of my life with no parole."

"I brought someone to see you," Solaris said. "Someone who you haven't seen in what feels like forever?"

"What? Who could you have brought that-?" As Starlight turned her head to face Solaris, when she saw Sunburst standing beside him, she paused, staring at him in shock. She seemed to recognize him, mixed between hurt and excited as her wide eyes looked over the colt she knew all grown up. Ignoring her bedhead, she climbed off the bed and slowly approached the bars to get a better look. Sunburst nervously glanced around while looking back at Starlight on occasion, biting his lower while waiting for the inevitable tongue lashing he would get from his old friend. "...Sunburst?"

"Uhh...Y-Yeah," Sunburst said, giving Starlight a small, sheepish grin. "H-Hiya...?"

Struck with disbelief, Starlight rubbed her eyes, thinking she was still dreaming. She realized this really was happening when she opened her eyes, Sunburst still standing on the other side of the bars with Solaris. Her gazes shifted to the prince, completely baffled.

"...H-How...?" she asked. "...I didn't tell you his name."

"Irony, apparently," Solaris simply answered with a shrug. "I planned on telling my relatives in the Crystal Empire about what happened, but since my uncle had to go to the hospital when I bumped into Sunburst, I told him, and his reactions made it obvious."

Starlight was speechless, excitement, nervousness, and shame conflicting her expression as she looked back at her old friend. "...And...you told him...what I did?" she asked timidly. Sunburst nodded, making the elation she felt quickly turn into fear. Starlight looked away, staring at her hooves as she backed away from the bars slightly. "...Great...Just what I needed to make me feel like the worst creature in all of existence."

"I didn't bring him to make things worse for you," Solaris assured while Sunburst was shocked hearing Starlight felt like she was being punished with his presence. "You missed Sunburst, and he's told me about you two as foals and how much he's missed you."

"Doubtful," Starlight mumbled depressingly, turning away and climbed back into bed, hiding back under the covers.

Solaris sighed, taking the cell keys and unlocked the door. Sunburst thought Starlight would be happy to see him again, not miserable and broken. Solaris opened the door, snapping the older unicorn stallion out of his thoughts as he dragged him inside the cell via magic.

"Well, you two are going to make up for lost time, and this will help you both in the long run," Solaris said, slamming the door shut once Sunburst was inside. Sunburst's jaw dropped when he turned around, watching the alicorn lock the cell door, then step back while twirling the keys around in his hoof. "You two can talk civilly, scream and argue, whatever you both need to say to get off your chest and rekindle the lost relationship you had when you two split. So until you two make up, Sunburst is staying in this cell with you."

"W-What!? Solaris, are you crazy!?" Sunburst exclaimed, Starlight sitting up in just as much shock as the stallion forcibly locked in with her, who approached the bars and stuck his head through the bars. "We can talk civilly from between the bars! This won't help us if you lock me in with her!"

"Sunburst, my wife is a nymphomaniac changeling who might not have been as crazy as Aunt Pinkie or Cherry Pie, but I've never felt more sane in my life," Solaris said with a smirk, leaning back against the wall as he kept his eye on the two unicorns. "Just try not to physically harm each other, otherwise I will have to intervene."

"I'm not a violent pony!" Sunburst exclaimed. Seeing Solaris wasn't going to budge, Sunburst muttered to himself bitterly, wishing he had more magical potential in him to learn how to teleport, or even magically pick the lock to the cell. He turned his head, seeing Starlight was just as peeved, and when they looked at each other, that leer disappeared and she looked away from him in shame. Left with no choice, they were going to have to talk about their issues and be friends again, even though Starlight was going to stay locked away for the rest of her life. Taking in a deep breath, Sunburst approached Starlight. "...So...Uhh, how've you been?"

Starlight pouted, her leer returning, though toward Sunburst from such a dumb question. "I'm serving a life sentence. How do you think I'm doing?"

"I-I...didn't mean..." Sunburst stammered, feeling terrible asking a prisoner how life behind bars fared them, knowing it wasn't a good feeling.

Starlight sighed heavily, pawing at her mattress while staring at the ground. "...I've messed my life up, and I know I'm never going to get out. Even with good behavior," she muttered. Sunburst began feeling more guilty, keeping his mouth shut to avoid angering or upsetting Starlight more than she already is. They sat in silence for a moment more before Starlight spoke up again. "...You never said goodbye..."

"...I know," Sunburst mumbled apologetically.

"Do you?" Starlight questioned. "You moved away the next day after you got your cutie mark."

"You think I had a choice?" Sunburst questioned right back. "My mom always had a plan for everything about my future. You know how stubborn she is about that. I barely had time to pack my stuff when she already had it ready for me and thrust the news on me when she woke me up early in the morning."

"Then maybe you should have stopped by and told me you were going to move and we wouldn't see each other anymore," Starlight said bitterly.

"I wasn't able to think of that when I was abruptly woken up, still tired, then went back to sleep on the train ride to Canterlot," Sunburst argued, slowly getting frustrated being blamed for making decisions out of his control. "I barely had time to try to get in contact with you while I was enrolled in Celestia's School For Magically Gifted Unicorns with all my studies, exams, practicing magic spells I could either barely pull off or failed to cast at all! I sent you some letters after I graduated and could do whatever I wanted without being pressured by exams."

"...You...did?" Starlight asked.

"Yes! Didn't you check your mail back in Sire's Hollow?" he asked.

Starlight grimaced, muttering incoherently while rubbing her forehooves timidly. "...N-No...I...I guess I moved away when you did, so..."

Sunburst sighed heavily. "You didn't read them after all," he mumbled. "Did you at least try to find other friends while I was gone?"

"By force or legitimately?" Starlight asked with a sheepish laugh.

Solaris shook his head, not only feeling sorry for the mare for her fear of making new friends after Sunburst left, but he found it ridiculous that she would resort to forcing others to be her friend like she did with the ponies in the village she created. "Not even one friend?" Sunburst asked.

"No...I-I couldn't!" Starlight exclaimed. "I was afraid of making new friends and then losing them after they get their cutie mark before I did! Even when I got mine, I still felt worried my new friends would just go away and completely forget about me like you did! So I tricked a bunch of gullible ponies to believe me when I hated cutie marks, because I really did believe they tore friendships apart!" She began tearing up, venting out more of her pain she'd bottled up for years to the only pony she had once relied on in her youth. "And when I started getting more followers, I got careless when I took a break away from leading everypony, got pregnant when I relaxed at some bar in Canterlot, and had a son whom I taught about how terrible cutie marks were and hiding him away from the rest of Equestria because I didn't want him to get just as hurt as I did, but I only hurt him more by dragging him along in my escape, and he hates me because I told him he was an accident when I really do love him and I don't want him to leave me too!"

The dam finally broke, Starlight beginning to sob as worst-case scenarios of her son despising her and leaving her alone came to the forefront of her mind. Solaris knew it had only been a week since Starlight was arrested, but to her, it must have already felt like years had passed. Even though he allowed her visits from Dusk while also being told over and over again that he needs some time alone to sum up the courage to face her again, the solitude and lack of knowing how much time passed while held behind bars had broken the hope she was given before leaving the town. Solaris will have to try to convince Dusk Shine to see his mother every now and then so she doesn't feel like she was an awful mother, but it's all up to the teen to decide in the end.

Sunburst felt pity for Starlight. Even though he had no foals of his own, Flurry Heart looks up to him like a second father, but he'd rather call himself the nerdy uncle while she was her unrelated niece. He couldn't imagine how hurt Starlight felt after all these years, and to hear a parent's child tell them they hate them and resent them, especially for something the parent didn't mean to say, it felt far more painful than a buck to the face. His moving away was the spark that made her believe in losing her friends faster than she could blink, only made worse as she continued adding more ponies to her cult of equality, holding Solaris and his family hostage while conforming them to her ways, and lying to her son about hiding her real cutie mark, forcing him to stay with her as they attempted to flee, and blurting out the wrong words to say that caused Dusk to question her beliefs, his birth, and what life he could have had if he didn't follow her every word and lesson.

Sunburst gently reached a hoof out to her, pulling her into a comforting hug, which she immediately accepted, wrapping her hooves around him tightly and cried into his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, rubbing her back while letting her cry it out. Starlight calmed down after a few minutes, part of her dreading to leave Sunburst's embrace as she wiped her tears with her hoof. "I should have tried to reach out to you years ago. If I did, maybe this wouldn't have happened to you."

"I wish you never left," Starlight mumbled. "...I really missed you."

"Me too," Sunburst said. "If my mom didn't force us to move, we could have stayed friends forever." He then sighed, taking off his glasses to rub the bridge of his muzzle. "She's even tried to set me up on dates with other mares to get me to start a relationship, get married, and have foals. Always planning SOMETHING for me, and most of them are so uncomfortable that I've been avoiding all the letters she sends to me."

"Maybe it was your mom's fault all this time," Starlight joked with a sniffle. That got Sunburst to laugh a bit, as well as her. Solaris smiled, seeing things were working out better than he anticipated. Starlight then let out a small sigh. "At least you have your career as a great unicorn wizard you talked about when we were foals. I ruined mine by moping and plotting to turn all of Equestria into a kingdom of equality with matching cutie marks and no special talents."

"It could have been worse," Sunburst said. "You could have tried to go back in time and get revenge, altering history to your liking and changing the present." Starlight gave Sunburst a blank stare while Solaris was just as deadpanned, not wanting him to plant any insane ideas to a mare who could have made that possible if the inhibitor wasn't locked around her horn. "...Heheheh...Just a...theory."

"I'm already in enough trouble as it is. No thanks," Starlight grumbled.

"Sorry," Sunburst apologized.

Seeing they made up enough, Solaris unlocked the cell, allowing Sunburst out. "Alright, I think visiting hour's up for you, Sunburst," the alicorn said.

Starlight was a little disappointed, but she quickly stopped Sunburst before he approached the door. "Sunburst?...Can you...stop by some more? Or...?" She glanced at Solaris, swallowing the lump in her throat as she hoped she'll accept. "...Or...we can write letters to each other?"

"I can allow that," Solaris said, making the mare grin excitedly. "But if Sunburst visits, I'm going to have to keep a watch on you two."

"I'm not going to hurt him," Starlight argued.

"It's not that. I noticed that look in your eyes when you saw him for the first time in ages, and your tail was trying desperately not to flag as it twitched up and down before you went back into a depression." Sunburst balked while Starlight blushed heavily, the mare stammering while trying to counter his argument. "I've been around Trill for too long to know certain signs telling me how 'excited' she isn't feeling, and whether it's because you expected a conjugal visit from Sunburst or you secretly harbored a crush on him, my best guess is on the latter."

Both unicorns gaped in shock, Sunburst's glasses beginning to fog up from the heated blush glowing on his cheeks. Starlight blushed even harder, curling her tail underneath her, her silence and embarrassment making Solaris laugh and proving his guess close or spot on. Sunburst quickly left the cell, stammering slightly while Solaris locked Starlight's cell back up.

"I-I'll...definitely write to you...And if I'm not too busy with foalsitting, I-I'll come visit" Sunburst said while Starlight uttered a squeak and nodded. "O-Ok. B-Bye, Starlight."

"B-Bye," Starlight uttered.

As the two stallions left the dungeons, Sunburst cleared his throat, feeling it constantly closing up in nervousness after knowing Starlight had had feelings for him deeper than just being friends. "D-Does Starlight...? D-Did she really...?"

"She didn't," Solaris snorted. "I was messing with her. But, after the way she reacted..." He smirked, watching the Crystaller get more flustered. "Just so you know, there is going to be no conjugal visits if you two do decide to hook up via long-distance relationship."

"R-Right. I-I mean, obviously," Sunburst stammered. "C-Can we just...change the subject, please?"

After returning to the castle, Dusk had a bit of a better layout of the city, though he had to hear Trill gossiping with Diamond Tiara about everything. He didn't know if mares loved to talk about miscellaneous things all the time all over Equestria, but it was a bit boring hearing them talk about jewelry, random stories about their foals, even cringing as Trill nonchalantly talked about her sex life with a random friend. He'd rather go out in the city by himself and pick up Emerald now than go through that again, and school for her only just started an hour and a half ago.

As Trill and Dusk entered the massive foyer, they found Solaris and Sunburst meeting them halfway. "Sunburst? Surprise seeing you here," Trill greeted. "And Solly, I thought you were going to visit Cadence and Shining Armor."

"I thought he was doing some important royal business," Dusk said. "That 'important business' was...meeting friends?"

"Heh. Well, family, actually, but they're the rulers of the Crystal Empire in the Frozen North," Solaris answered sheepishly. "I was going to tell them what happened, but Uncle Shining was taken to the hospital."

Trill grimaced, unable to imagine the sharp spike of pain he must be feeling in his forelegs that needed immediate medical care. "Ouch. At least it wasn't cracking your head against a wall." Solaris frowned, once again being reminded of that incident many years ago. "And Sunburst is here, why?"

Solaris growled, then sighed irritably, moving on and making sure to give Trill a stern scolding for bringing up what could have been one more tragic loss in his life. "I told Sunburst about Starlight, and ironically, he knew her when they were foals."

Trill's jaw hung open in shock, slowly glancing over at the unicorn stallion. "...Starlight Glimmer?" she questioned. "The same mare who stole ponies' cutie marks, created a cult of equality, and held us hostage and kidnapped our daughter?"

"Yes. They used to be friends, and Sunburst wanted to see Starlight again and make up for leaving her when he and his folks moved away," Solaris summarized.

Curious, Dusk approached Sunburst. "You knew my mom?"

"Your mom?" Sunburst asked, realizing that this colt must have been Starlight's foal.

"Yeah. This is Starlight's kid: Dusk Shine," Solaris introduced. "Dusk, this is an old friend of your mother's: Sunburst. He lives in the Crystal Empire with my relatives and watches my cousin for them sometimes."

Sunburst reached his hoof out to shake Dusk's, but the teen looked skeptically at him. "An old friend?" he questioned. "Another pony mom tricked and stole their cutie mark, but let him recruit more 'friends' for her lies?"

"Uhh, I'm sorry?" Sunburst asked, highly confused. Before he could ask why he'd think that, Dusk dashed over to the stallion's side and lifted up his cloak to see his equal sign cutie mark, startling Sunburst. "Whoa, hey!"

His leer disappeared into surprise when he saw Sunburst's cutie mark: a sun with blue diamond sparkles around it as it shone a few rays of light. "A...unique cutie mark?" Dusk uttered. Sunburst quickly, but gently, snatched back his cloak and covered himself back up, feeling self-conscious when ponies normally don't wear clothes to hide their flanks, rumps, or undersides. Solaris, Trill, and Sunburst gave Dusk an odd look, making him feel nervous like he did something wrong and was going to get punished. "...I-I'm sorry...I-I thought that..."

"Uhh, n-no big deal," Sunburst assured Dusk, straightening his beloved outfit. "I kinda don't blame you after what I heard you go through."

"Sunburst, just take off the stupid cloak," Trill chided the stallion. "We don't need to wear clothes, so who cares if somepony gets a sneak peak at your junk? Everypony looks."

"I-I prefer to have some modesty!" Sunburst exclaimed.

"Like in the bathroom or the bedroom with your special somepony," Trill argued, then used her magic to try to strip Sunburst out of his cloak. "Just take this thing off and let some air in down there!"

"H-Hey! Cut it out, Trill!" Sunburst yelled, clutching onto his clothing desperately.

"What, are you tiny or hung down there that it's embarrassing!?" Trill asked, mostly out of curiosity as she tried to get a peek and also goad Solaris into getting jealous, which his reaction was anything but with his deadpanned glare.

"Solaris, please stop her!" Sunburst begged. "She doesn't understand that some ponies don't like being indecent in public!"

Solaris levitated his wife away from the frazzled Crystaler, flicking her horn before she tried to use her magic to flip Sunburst's cloak over his head, then pinned her down to the floor. "Ooh, are we gonna show Dusk Shine how we 'wrestle'? And out in the open?" Trill teased. Dusk blushed and turned away, not wanting to witness them "wrestle" in the middle of the foyer. "Maybe if Sunburst takes off the dumb cloak, he might feel what it's like for a mare to-"

Solaris lunged his head down and bit Trill's neck, making her gasp in surprise. She was about to tease him, only to pause and cease her squirming when she felt the heat from his mouth grew more intense, almost like he was about to singe her neck. She knew he wouldn't do anything like that to severely hurt her, but his display of dominance immediately got her to shut up and behave herself. The alicorn detached his teeth from Trill's neck, then nipped her ear, getting her to whimper, but stayed compliant to his silent demands.

"Go to our room, and prepare yourself," he advised with a growl, making the changeling's tail and ears twitch with a shudder. "And this is for punishment, not pleasure. Understand, dear?"

"Y-Yes," she uttered.

Solaris gave Trill a hard slap, echoing throughout the foyer as he struck her rump, making her yelp, followed by more whimpers as he bit down on her ear a bit harder. "Yes what?" he questioned, digging his hoof firmly into her cheek, warning her of the next slap that'll have a bit more oomph than the last.

"Y-Yes, my prince. I understand," Trill said.

"Good," Solaris uttered. "You have five minutes." Standing back up, Solaris then blew a stream of green flames on his beloved, transporting her to their room. Almost forgetting they had an audience, Solaris saw Dusk's disturbed, blushing face and Sunburst's relieved gaze, though he seemed just as bashful as Dusk after what they both witnessed. "...Heh. Best get used to Trill's antics. She's constantly a tease and...'really affectionate' at the worst of times, but she's got a good heart and knows the right things to say...when she's not being a nuisance."

"...R-Right," Dusk mumbled. "I-I...I actually thought you two were going to..." He awkwardly tapped his hooves together, his blush glowing brighter. "...R-Right out here..."

"We keep it in the bedroom. Don't worry about that," Solaris reassured. "And we soundproof our room so no one can hear us from outside. She can be a bit loud."

"Over a decade living in a castle, and her manners and behavior are worse than a teenage filly's," Sunburst grumbled.

"I know. Still working on her obedience when I'm not going to promise rutting her into unconsciousness," Solaris said with a chuckle. "I'll teleport you back to the Crystal Empire so you can plan out your next visit to Starlight."

"Please do," Sunburst said. Solaris took in a deep breath, but when the unicorn stallion looked over at Dusk, who was in the process of trying to think of something other than imagining Solaris and Trill's bedroom activities, he stopped the alicorn. "Wait, hold on a second. I want to talk to Dusk for a little bit." Solaris exhaled sans the green flames, looking at the colt, who was a little startled by Sunburst's request, then back to Sunburst and gave him a nod. Sunburst walked over to Dusk, gulping nervously as the expected a scolding for rudely checking his cutie mark and accusing him for his mother's actions he clearly had no involvement in. Instead of getting punished, Sunburst held his hoof back out to him like before. "Since I'll be visiting Starlight once in a while, we'll probably be crossing paths. So, if you ever want to know more about me or your mom, you can ask me whatever you want. Sound good?"

Dusk was speechless, staring at Sunburst's hoof. "...Umm...ok, I guess?" he finally said, grasping Sunburst's hoof and shook it nervously.

"Great!" Sunburst said. "Oh, and, don't be too harsh on your mom for what she's done. She got upset that her first friend, I.E. me, moved away without telling her, and being so young, she took my moving very seriously and thought cutie marks ruined friendships. Sometimes, foals can experience something that doesn't sound troubling to adult or anypony else, but to them, it is, and it can stick with them for years. Starlight made a lot of bad choices, but she does care about you a lot."

"I-I know...But, she lied to everypony...To me," Dusk uttered.

"Well, you could have a much more overbearing mother controlling every little thing in your life," Sunburst said. "My mom did that, and I avoid making any contact with her so I don't have to hear her ramble on about me being single or finding a nice mare to settle down with and give her five grandfoals." Dusk raised a brow, confused and amused by hearing about Sunburst's mother and tried controlling his life since the day he was born. "I mean, I love her, but I swear it can get frustrating hearing her crazy plans when I'm a full-grown adult and can do whatever I please."

"Did you try asking her to stop?" Dusk asked curiously.

"...Uhh...no," Sunburst said nervously, a little surprised to hear his own advice for the colt turning back around to him. "I'll write to her, but if she keeps going, I should...probably visit and explain. If that doesn't work, then...I'll try to figure out what to do from there." Sunburst rubbed the back of his neck, dreading making plans to visit his mother, but focused back on Dusk and his own issues. "But don't be like me and ignore your mother. She's a great mom if she's been able to take care of you, even if she thought she was protecting you from suffering the same pain she had growing up. You mean the world to her."

"...Yeah," Dusk mumbled, slowly nodding his head.

Sunburst gently patted Dusk's shoulder, reassuring him that things will turn out better between him and Starlight if he talked with her some more. After their talk was done, Sunburst walked back over to Solaris, giving the alicorn a nod, and was transported back to the Crystal Empire via dragon fire. Solaris approached Dusk after watching the enchanted smoke rush out of the castle.

"Do you want to see your mom now? I know it's only been a week, but being trapped in an enclosed room for that amount of time made her a bit miserable," Solaris said.

Dusk looked up at Solaris, then down to his hooves. "...I...I'm not ready yet," he uttered.

"Hey, no pressure, Dusk," Solaris reassured. "I just wanted to let you know how your mom was doing. Seven days can feel like an eternity for some." Dusk gave him a nod, understanding him, though he was still reluctant to have another chat with his mother. "Ok. Did Trill give you a good walk around the city?"

"Mhmm," Dusk mumbled with another nod.

"Great. So, you think you can pick up Emmy today for us? I need to teach Trill some more lessons about respecting ponies' personal spaces if they're not as self-confident as she is," Solaris said.

"...Umm...S-Sure," Dusk responded, his blush returning while sheepishly twiddling his hooves.

"Excellent. We'll probably be a few hours," the alicorn said with a sly chuckle. "Her time's up. See you and Emmy at dinner!"

Solaris teleported away to his bedroom to deal with his wife, leaving Dusk to himself. "...Well, what am I supposed to do for the next few hours?" he asked himself, his thoughts slowly drifting to what Solaris was going to do to Trill before quickly shaking his head to get rid of those thoughts. "Gah! Maybe a walk around the castle will clear my head. How does that changeling always talk about sex so casually without getting embarrassed???"