The summer breeze whispered across the floor of the valley, dry but gentle. The dust pushed up slightly off the ground, creating a slight haze. Up above, the starry sky and the bright, full moon lay upon the village with a cool ethereal light.
Between balancing towers of rock lay two little ponies, a filly and colt, both unicorns. The filly had a pinkish blue coat, like the sky beckoning in the morning. Her mane was darker, pulled up in pigtails, her bangs hovering just above her eyes. The colt, however, had a bright orange coat, with a mane of fire, creamish socks and spot on his muzzle breaking the intensity.
Whoever saw these ponies would notice the stark difference between them. But like the sun and themselves, they were different, but nonetheless inseparable.
"So when did you say the meteor shower would start?" The filly asked, rubbing her eyes.
"In just a couple minutes," the colt replied.
The filly suppressed a snort. A couple minutes could mean just that or another hour coming from him. "Okay," she sighed, yawning.
She glanced at the colt, who was giddy with excitement. Either that or he really had to pee. It could be both. How all of this energy could be pent up inside of this boy at that hour boggled her mind.
Then again, perhaps not. The colt had been figuring things out lately. He started discovering things that he was good at. It was only a matter of time before he got his cutie mark.
"Aren't you excited, Sunburst?" the filly asked.
"Well of course I'm excited for the meteor shower, Starlight!" Sunburst exclaimed. Then he paused for a beat. "That, and I really got to pee. But not until after the shower."
Starlight rolled her eyes. Of course. "No, genius," she said caustically. "I meant about what's been happening recently, about how you might be getting your cutie mark really soon."
Sunburst glanced at his flank. "Well, yeah, I am." Sunburst glanced back up at Starlight. "What about you?"
Starlight sighed. "I haven't been able to figure it out yet."
Sunburst have a warm smile. "Don't worry, Starlight," he reassured with a soothing voice. "You'll figure it out in no time at all! You'll have a beautiful cutie mark, I know it."
Starlight felt heat rush to her face. "Thanks."
Sunburst smiled wider, when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a steak across the sky.
"Did you see that?" she gasped.
"See what?" Sunburst said dumbly, breaking out of a dorky stare.
"There was a meteor," Starlight deadpanned.
Sunburst's eyes lit up. "Really?" he exclaimed, whipping how head toward the sky.
That was when it started. White streaks fell across the sky in rapid succession, filling the sky with a light that Starlight didn't think was possible.
Suddenly there was a shout for joy across the village from them. Starlight jumped, shooting her eyes to the source, but didn't see anyone.
Sunburst cracked up. "Your face! It's priceless!"
Heat rose to her face once again. She lit her horn, sending a spark of energy to Sunburst, shocking him. "Ow! O-okay, okay!"
She felt a demented smile rise to her face.
Sunburst winced. "Anyways, how much do you bet that was Astro getting his cutie mark?"
"Pfft, guarantee it," Starlight blurted. "It isn't like it's in his name or anything."
The next few minutes passed in silence, both of them watching in awe. The number of meteors grew exponentially, at times filling the sky with white.
"Hey, Starlight?" Sunburst asked, shifting uncomfortably.
"Yeah?"
"You've heard about the whole entire 'wishing upon a shooting star,' thing, right?"
Starlight nodded bitterly, a bad taste in her mouth. "It's hogwash. Meteors cannot grant wishes."
Sunburst sighed. "Why do you have to take the fun out of everything?"
Starlight shot a look at Sunburst. "I don't take the fun out, I put the science in. Science is fun."
Frustration furled Sunburst's brow. He took a deep breath. "I just thought that we might try it."
Starlight cocked an eyebrow. "Why? Any wish you think up is going to be futile. What's the point?"
"The point is to have a little faith, Starlight," Sunburst shot back. "Now, come on, it can't hurt."
Starlight sighed, sitting up. "All right." She put her hooves together. "I wish, I wish upon a star, that Sunburst would stop being a doofus and come back down to earth, where all of us are."
Sunburst snapped. "You're being intolerable!" He gathered himself to his hooves.
Starlight raised an eyebrow ever higher. "You're being silly, Sunburst!" she said, voice broken with confused laughter.
Sunburst stomped a hoof. "I was just—aagh!" He blinked, storming off. "This is pointless! Goodnight!"
Starlight's jaw fell open, confounded. "Sunburst!" she called out, but he was already gone into the darkness of the night.
Sunburst sniffed, trying to blink the ever burning feeling behind his eyes away. Why is Starlight so dense? he thought, climbing the stairs to his room. I just wanted to do something special for us, but now...
When he reached the landing, a door next to him cracked open. His mom's face popped into view, squinting. Her coat was a bright orange, her mane a creamy color. "Sunburst?" she said in a near whisper. "How was the meteor shower?"
"It was fine." Sunburst snapped, his words falling flat. He reached for the doorknob.
"Sunburst!" his mom said, a little louder. "Do not use that tone with me. Now turn around."
Slowly, Sunburst withdrew his hoof, and did so.
"Look at me."
He did so.
"Now, dear, what happened?"
His eyes burned more intensely. He couldn't keep being tough with his mom's piercing gaze. He felt his hard anger chip away, exposing raw despair underneath. "It's just..." Sunburst took a shaky breath. "S-Starlight's... just being Starlight."
His mom sighed. "Sunburst, sweetie..." she facehoofed. "Why are you still friends with her, honestly? More and more you come home frustrated, even broken down in tears because of her."
"B-because..." The words choked in Sunburst's throat. It wasn't easy to explain. Most parts, he loved about her. Her intelligence, her sass, and her independence. That's what made her fun to be around. But her skepticism and her pride had been growing exponentially. It was almost as if the filly he'd grown up with wasn't the filly he hung out with now.
It took him a moment to notice the tears running down his cheeks, his breath broken with sobs.
"Sunburst..." His mom extended a hoof and embraced him, pulling him close. "It's all right, sweetie. But you have a choice to make. Either you stay friends with Starlight and hope things will be better between you two, or you sever her from your life knowing that she will not and cannot bother you." She loosened the embrace, picking up Sunburst's chin. "Do you understand, sweetie?"
Sunburst paused. He desperately wanted to stay friends with her for old time's sake. Who knew, maybe she'd change for the better? But what Sunburst was certain of was the hurt he felt over her; the pleasant pony he once knew turned caustic and raw.
Finally, he nodded, and the hard shell of anger dissipated. He sobbed bitter tears into his mom's breast, trembling with despair. Perhaps his mom was right, maybe it was time to let go of Starlight. Lose faith that she'd ever get better and save himself from her.
After a few moments his tears finally dried. His mom pecked him on his forehead. "You think you can go to sleep now?"
Sunburst nodded, his head throbbing with pressure.
"Okay." His mom gave him another kiss. "Goodnight, sweetie. I love you so much."
"Love you too, mom," Starburst reciprocated. His mom gave him one last smile before closing her door.
With that, Starburst turned to his room, entering it and closing the door behind him. It was oddly relieving to see his room like this; a twin abutted against the far corner of the room, a bean bag chair laying at the foot of it with the latest Daring Do sitting atop it. The planets were suspended from the ceiling, one with two perpendicular rings hanging the lowest. It was his favorite one.
Beside his bed was a window, low enough that he could peek his head out of, but high enough that no light shone through while he was sleeping. He glanced out the window, hoping the meteor shower was still going on, but the sky was still. He sighed, flipping open his covers as a stray meteor stroke through the sky. He blinked, and a glimmer of hope sparked in his heart. He knelt at his bedside, putting his hooves together. "I wish, I wish upon a star..."
Ten Years Later
"Ooooh!" Twilight exclaimed, clopping her hooves together. "This is perfect! Not only is this your first celebration of Nightmare Night, but you're celebrating it with your first date with Sunburst, on the night of the Horsieds as well!" She squeezed Starlight, nuzzling her enthusiastically. "I'm so proud of you, my student!" She squealed, squeezing her even harder, something that Starlight thought was impossible.
"I'm proud too," Starlight grunted, struggling to get air before Twilight released her from her death hug. She took a breath. "But one, I'm not your student anymore, and two, I celebrated Nightmare Night last year."
Twilight's ears flopped down, blushing. "Ah-hah... well, I guess so..." Immediately, they perked back up. "But this is your first date with Sunburst, right? You guys were only reunited a few months ago."
Starlight nodded. "Yeah, I guess it's my first official date with him... but it's my first date entirely, so—" She bit her lip. Why on earth did she say that?
Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh! This is only your first date?"
"Well, yeah," Starlight said, heat rushing to her face. "I mean, between being a filly and leading/terrorizing my hometown, I never really had time for guys, you know."
Twilight's face went blank. "Oh. I'm actually surprised. There was the one stallion that was very into you at your village, spoke about you like you knew him personally. I'd thought—"
"Yeah, he's a nutcase," Starlight interrupted. She shivered just thinking about him. "But, just one question, though."
"Yeah?"
Starlight stared at herself in the mirror. "Do I really have to wear this?" The costume she was wearing was a hoof-me-down from Twilight herself. It was in pristine condition, a little tight around the breast, but still serviceable. But she wore a cloak and a wizard's hat, both a nightlike shade of purple, yellowish stars and white crescent moons on each article. Included were bells around the brim and tail of the cloak, and a white beard that smelled faintly of apple cider.
"Uhm," Twilight said, her face a mixture of confusion and disappointment. "Well, you don't have to wear it if you don't want to, but it's customary on Nightmare Night to wear a costume."
"I know," Starlight said, checking her three-fourths. "It's just... I feel so... silly!"
Twilight giggled. "Is that it? You're supposed to feel silly, Starlight! It's a silly holiday!
"I. Am. Afraid. Not!" a British accent sounded from across the room. Rarity walked into view, wearing a sparkly, transparent dress, a black corset underneath. She sported vampiric teeth, her mane somewhat disheveled. "Nightmare Night is one of the most opportune times to show off flair and style!"
"Why is she wearing a corset?" Starlight whispered to Twilight. "Doesn't it defeat the point of a transparent dress?"
"It makes her butt look bigger," Twilight whispered back.
Rarity stopped short of them, looking Starlight up and down. "Say, that isn't the same outfit that Twilight wore a few years ago?"
Twilight shrugged. "I outgrew it. Starlight needed a costume."
Rarity nodded. "Interesting. But darling, you did express last year that you desired to stay inside. Why is this time any different?"
Starlight giggled nervously. She couldn't hide the truth from Rarity, especially anything involving romance. She braced herself. "I... am... going... on my... first date?"
Rarity's jaw dropped; the look of utter betrayal. "Darling! Why didn't you tell me earlier, the entremetteuse naturale?"
"Is she even saying the correct words?" Starlight whispered to Twilight.
"No idea," Twilight admitted. "I only dabbled in French."
Rarity walked over, and squared Starlight up to her with a hoof. "Now, first thing about dates is to be yourself. Nothing more, nothing less. Second thing, love yourself and show yourself off. Let them know of your assets and features!" She paused, taking another solid look at her. "Then again, the costume you're wearing is awfully prude, so maybe we'll skip the assets and features part."
"Okay, Rarity," Starlight said, stopping her from saying any more. "I appreciate the help, but I know the guy. I think I'll be just fine."
Rarity huffed. "Okay. But when you need any more advice, you know where to find me." With that, Rarity left.
Twilight laughed nervously. "Sorry about that."
Starlight waved a hoof. "You're fine."
Twilight's eyes wandered, falling right above Starlight's had and widening. "Hey, uh, Starlight," she said. "When did you say you and Sunburst were going to meet up?"
Starlight cocked her head to the side. "4:30. Why?"
"Horsefeathers!" Twilight cursed. "It's 4:40!"
Starlight gasped, shooting her eyes to the clock. The hands landed between four and five and eight.
"Crud!" she exclaimed, lighting her horn. "ThanksforthehelpTwilightbye!" In a flash she was no longer in the castle, but now at the restaurant they determined to meet at. A screech came from behind her, making her jump. She managed a nervous smile as she met the couple, the startled mare giving her a dirty look. "Sorry..."
She held the stare as she continued into the doors of the restaurant.
"Starlight?" Yet another voice sounded behind her. She turned, and she hardly recognized the stallion in front of her. His costume was a dark purple, with golden bands around his neck and both forelegs. Near his front hooves were floppy lighter purple appendages, whereas his back hooves were paws. A short, dark mane sprouted from around his neck area, with long, pointed ears with a gold earring in his right ear.
However, through the mouth she could see the bright orange coat and long goatee of her date. "Sunburst!" She hugged him, his costume's jaw settling awkwardly on her shoulder. He hugged back, and the rubbery appendages flopped on her back. All things considered, it was the most interesting hug of her life.
She pulled away from the hug. "Sorry for being so late," she said, not able to meet his eyes, heat flooding to her face.
She felt her hat move to the left a little, and saw an orange aura around it. She looked up to see Sunburst smiling warmly. "It's all right," he forgave. His eyes followed the contours of the costume. "You make a rather dashing Star Swirl."
Starlight smiled. "Thanks. And you make a handsome... Ahzui... Achewy..."
"Ahuizotl," Sunburst completed. "I know, it's a hard name to say."
Starlight nodded, but noticed something was missing. She checked his flank. "You're missing the tail."
Sunburst shrugged. "It was a pain to put on. It also hung too low. Became quite the death trap."
Starlight giggled. "Well, it looks like the genuine article." She gestured to the restaurant. "Anyways, let's head inside. Line's not getting any smaller."
Sunburst nodded. "You got that right."
They walked inside the restaurant, the doors open with the rumble of chatter. It was a more formal place, nothing like your local Hayburger, but not a Canterlotian cuisine. Nonetheless, when two ponies came in with costumes, it raised a few eyebrows.
When it came their turn, they walked up to the greeter. She was a shorter pony, with a baby blue coat and darker purple mane. She smiled. "Welcome!" she said enthusiastically. "Table for two?"
"Yes," Starlight confirmed.
The greeter beheld Sunburst's costume in awe. "Aren't you dressed as Ahuizotl?"
Sunburst nodded. "Yep!"
She checked his flank, which made Starlight's expression sour. "You're missing the tail."
"It's a death trap," Sunburst defended. "Don't want to end up like him at the end of book six if you know what I mean."
Starlight gave him a little kick, which made him wince. "Spoilers!"
The greeter giggled. "Anyways, why don't you have a seat?" She gestured to the packed seating area. "I'll be back with you when we have a table available for you."
When she checked the seating area, anxiety prickled in her chest as she realized a problem; there was only one seat.
"I'll take the floor," Starlight volunteered.
"Nope," Sunburst rejected. "I'll take the floor. You take the seat."
Starlight knit her eyebrows. "But your costume is so much more..." She considered her word choice. It wasn't beautiful by any means, and it wasn't necessarily antique. "... expensive."
Sunburst shrugged. "It's nothing that a quick wash won't get rid of. But I insist, Starlight."
Starlight felt a smile creep on her lips. Chivalry might not have been dead after all. So the two took their seats, Sunburst sitting before Starlight.
It came as a surprise when only ten minutes later, they were able to find a seat for them. They stood, Sunburst wincing a little as he did, and followed the waitress to their table. It was toward the center of the restaurant, shattering Starlight's small hope of getting a window seat. They were seated, and mumbling small thank yous to the waitress, they flipped through the menu.
"So, how are things going with Flurry Heart?" Starlight asked. It'd been a while since she'd visited the Crystal Empire.
"They're going great!" Sunburst said enthusiastically. "I mean, of course there are also those times where she has her little... excitements, but overall, she's been getting a lot tamer."
Starlight chuckled at the understatement. "Well, that's good." She scanned through the menu, stopping at a couple items that caught her attention.
"What about you?" Sunburst asked. "Has the Cutie Map whisked you off any place else?"
Starlight shook her head. "No, actually. Last time that happened was when I went back to my village." She knit her eyebrows. She needed to visit again.
Sunburst nodded sympathetically. "Okay." He folded his menu. "So, how is your village? I haven't visited in a while."
Starlight chuckled. Exactly the question she was asking herself. "Well, from the last time I've visited, things are getting a lot better. The community is friendlier, and starting to excel at their own talents." She felt a warm feeling spread in her chest that surprised her. She'd never thought she would feel proud of her own village, but there it was. "They were... actually happy to see me when I came back. It was as if no harm was done. It honestly confuses me now how quickly they were able to forgive me, or that they were able to at all."
Sunburst cocked his head to the side slightly. "Do you forgive yourself, Starlight?"
Starlight shrugged. "I took other's choices away. That in of itself is unforgivable. But while I try to make peace with that, the memory just pops out of nowhere, haunting me when I least expect it."
He nodded. "It isn't easy."
Starlight shook her head. "No."
Sunburst gave a warm smile. "I may not understand where you're coming from, Starlight. But know that you have my whole-hearted support. Just like the old days."
Starlight couldn't help the smile from appearing on her face. "Thank you. But I think I like the present better."
Sunburst chuckled. "Me too."
That moment. It was just a split second, but she saw the pure Sunburst. His kindhearted smile, yet with a dope-ish yet intelligent undertone. His eyes were filled with a child-like wonder that permeated through his adult body. That was the moment that sent her heart aflutter in a way that she hadn't felt before. Never before had she felt this way about him.
The next few moments flew by like a breeze. Despite the rush in the restaurant, the staff was quick and efficient. The moments between bites of food and talking to the staff was filled with Sunburst talking about his blunders with Flurry Heart, them discussing the possibility of her inheriting her alicorn form from her parents, and Starlight talking about events in the castle. It was as if time had gone back, but instead of her unsavory past, it was as if nothing had happened. It was an odd nostalgia that Starlight couldn't shake, but that she didn't want to let go.
By the time that they finished and paid, the curtain of night draped over the sky, the brisk autumn air settling in the streets. The Streetlamps emitted a yellow glow in the square, but it only shined on a few ponies as the square was unusually empty.
"They must be in the outskirts of town by now," Starlight thought aloud. "It's about seven, right?"
Sunburst nodded. "A little past, yeah. But the shower starts at 7:47, so we should be just fine."
They strolled out of the square to the west, a thin sheet of silence growing between them. Starlight wracked her mind for something to say, but nothing came to mind. So she fell back on the most basic question she could think of. "So, aren't you excited?"
"The meteor shower?" he asked. "Well, yeah, but..."
Starlight cocked her head to the side. "But...?"
Sunburst shook his head. "Nothing." He cast his eyes to the floor. "But... the last time we did this..."
"Was the night before you got your cutie mark," Starlight remembered.
Sunburst nodded. "And the day before I left."
Starlight nodded. "You don't think that I still hold that against you, do you?"
Sunburst waved a hoof in dismissal. "I don't. It's just that memory's a cruel mistress. I was being a little silly that night. I shouldn't have overreacted."
Starlight felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Sunburst, I was a little witch back then. If either one of us needs to apologize, it's me. You were right to be angry with me. So was everypony else."
"Starlight..." Sunburst began before Starlight covered his mouth with a hoof.
"Don't worry about it, Sunburst," she said. "The past is the past. Now is now." The last she was surprised to hear in her own voice. That was what Twilight kept telling her whenever she felt sorry for herself. She was two hundred percent sure that she was tired of her boo-hooing that she had just stopped saying it. But now she was saying it, and the words finally meant something; the past was the past, and now was now.
"Pbtarlight," Sunburst said. "Your hoofbt tastebts great, but..."
Starlight snapped out of her daze, withdrawing her hoof. "Sorry!" she yelped.
"You're fine," he said, brushing his lip with the back of his hoof. "And you're right. Let's get to the hill, okay?"
Starlight nodded. "Right."
The hill the town went to to watch the meteor shower was packed. Ponies were brushing shoulder to shoulder, all looking up expectantly toward the night sky.
"Here!" Sunburst announced, stopping in a break in the crowd. His head disappeared into the costume, and he tugged out two blankets out of the chest piece.
Starlight giggled at the unexpected storage compartment. "Good thinking, Sunburst!"
He shrugged. "Glad to have those things out, though. I was dying with those in there."
"And here I was thinking that you got breast implants," Starlight joked.
"Ah, no," he responded. "I'm not that desperate for muscle." He creased his eyebrows. "Except I have been working out at the local pool recently."
Starlight raised her eyebrows. "You? Swimming? I thought you hated the water."
"I hate running even more," he replied, fanning out the blankets and laying them on the ground. "Gotta keep my cardio up for Flurry Heart. She's a taxing little creature."
Starlight chortled. "From what I've heard, I would in imagine."
Sunburst flicked the blanket one final time, laying square. "Perfect!" he said, sitting and patting the space beside him. "Now, we wait."
Starlight nodded, sitting down next to him. She didn't notice from where she was standing how close she was to him now. Despite his elaborate costume, she could still feel his warmth. Their shoulders brushed, and she could feel that he was rigid and dependable. She resisted a sudden urge to melt onto him. What if she came on too strong, and he saw them as only friends?
She could've laughed at herself. Never in a million years did she think that she would be this attracted to him. But everything pointed to it; the warmness in her breast, the butterflies in her stomach -- it all felt so right.
"Hey," a little colt called out to Sunburst from beside him. "A-aren't you dressed up as Ahuizotl?"
Sunburst chuckled. "Yes, I am!"
The colt studied the costume in awe, stopping at his flank and frowning. "You're missing the tail."
Sunburst sighed. "I'm going to get this all night, aren't I?" he asided to Starlight.
"Yep," Starlight confirmed.
Suddenly, Sunburst blinked, shooting his gaze toward the sky. "Did you see that?"
Starlight glanced at him. "See what?"
A giddy smile appeared on his face. "It's starting!"
Gradually, the sky was streaked with shooting stars, filling the sky with bright light. The crowd applauded in excitement as the celestial show started.
It took a moment for Starlight to realize her jaw had dropped. She glanced at Sunburst and saw that he was the same way. She took off her hat, laying it on her lap.
"It's been a while," Starlight said.
Sunburst nodded. He paused for a beat. "You know, that night, after being frustrated to tears, I had a choice."
Starlight glanced at Sunburst. "A choice?"
"I could stay friends with you, or I could leave you behind," he continued. "At least, those were the options my mom gave me."
"Sunburst..."
"So, after I thought I had decided, I went into my room, and saw a shooting star, one of the last ones that night. So, I made a wish. I wished that we could be together, no matter the hardship. But when I left, I thought that wish might not have come true.
"But, imagine my surprise when ten years later, you knock on my door, nervous as all get out. And just like that, we were together again."
"You really wished that?" Starlight asked.
"I know it sounds silly... meteors don't grant wishes--"
Starlight couldn't hide the smile on her face. "I think it's really sweet."
Sunburst glanced at her, and their faces were only inches apart. Despite his orange coat, the deep red blush was plain on his face.
She couldn't get enough of his eyes. They were deep, full of a neverending kindness and knowledge.
Slowly, their faces gravitated toward each other, their lips meeting. She wrapped her hoof around his, not wanting to let go.
"Mommy!" the same kid as before yelped. "Ahuizotl is eating Starswirl the Bearded!"
"Leave the couple alone, honey," the mom said.
They broke the kiss, laughing hard. "That'd be one heck of a book," Starlight managed.
"Can't wait to read that one," he replied.
Starlight scooted closer to Sunburst, laying her head on his shoulder, and for a moment, they thought as one:
I wish, I wish upon a star...
Author's Note
Wow. So that happened. Just thought I'd be punny with the title, and then it turned into a 4.5k ship fic. Excellent.
But hey, hope you guys enjoyed!