I Waited

"Starlight? ... Starlight~?"

"Mmmnn..."

Starlight stirred in her sleep, eventually enough to slowly force herself awake, and found herself surrounded by me and the girls.

"... Wha? W-Where am I?"

"Back home, darling, " Rarity answered. "You passed out."

"We were going to bring you to the hospital, but they told us you just needed some rest," Twilight added.

Starlight sighed with relief. "Good. I don't think I'd be able to pay it off, hehe."

Twilight waved it off. "I would've paid it if that was the case."

"You don't have to do that... but thanks anyway."

The two exchanged smiles. Starlight adjusted her position in bed and was awake enough to see she really was home.

"How long have I been out for?"

"Twelve hours," I told her.

She was shocked. "Twelve hours?"

"Mm-hmm. Not gonna lie, I started to get a little bit nervous after the first ten hours. I guess the one thing keeping me from going into panic mode was the fact that you were mumbling and moving in your sleep. Coma patients don't exactly do that."

Starlight took light of that and giggled heartily.

"I never thought I'd ever be called a coma patient in my life."

"Hopefully you never have to." I nuzzled her cheek, and she was more than content in nuzzling back.

As she got up from her bed with a yawn, there was a poof near the door, and Discord and Trixie was standing in view.

"Starlight!" Trixie embraced her friend in a joyful hug and wrapped her tightly in her arms.

"You're okay!"

"Nnngh, yep!" Starlight struggled. "Um, Trixie? You're crushing me."

Immediately, the show mare pulled away, exchanging a sheepish grin before stepping away and composing herself, adjusting her hat.

"Well, isn't this nice?" Discord gleamed. "The gang's finally altogether! One big happy family! ... Well, minus one."

"Thorax?" Starlight realized. They all nodded.

"Clanks too," I added. "It's gonna take a while to rebuild his legs."

"And the changelings have a lot of rebuilding to do," Twilight added. "Meanwhile, we'll just focus on getting things back to normal."

"Right... normal."

Starlight's face turned into a frown as her eyes met mine. Her mouth hung open, and then she turned to Twilight.

"Twilight... about..."

"We know," Twilight said. "He already told us."

She glanced at the others. "Oh."

Twilight understood, just as Luna once told me. She couldn't believe it, at least not at first, but once the initial and overall shock was gone, there was that interest of wanting to know more. She never changed.

The others had a harder time keeping their own grip on it, the realization of it... but they too understood, even if there was that ping of guilt.

But did she?

I went to her bedside and held one of her hooves. "I was gonna tell you one day. I just didn't know how."

"I know," she said as she nuzzled my hoof. "I know."

The air grew quiet. Even Discord said nothing as Starlight and I held each other close for a moment, savoring the feel. Firmly, I looked her in the eye, pretending just for a moment that she was the only one in the room.

"I promise you: From now on, I will always tell you the truth. No more lies. Anything you want to know, I'll tell it."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I gave her hoof a kiss, and then Starlight exchanged with me a warming grin, one that easily could've melted my troubles away.

But this grin wasn't real. I didn't tell the others, though, but I made sure she knew that I knew.

"Maybe later."

She pulled away before any emotion took over. "So! Discord, since you can take us anywhere with a snap of your paws, do you think you could... take us somewhere?"

"Anything for my dear friend," Discord stooped down with a grin. "Anywhere you'd like."

"Just one place in particular..."

Once we were all ready, we all chose to return to Our Town. Starlight was quick to explain to the townsfolk the reason she left the day before. It all boiled down to the fear of leadership. Nopony who made mistakes in the past would want to do it again, even if willingly.

But now Starlight was ready, especially now that she has all of us to accompany her. She was no longer afraid.

The festival kicked off, albeit already having kicked off, with a mishmash of activities, music, dancing, and cider to wash the day away afterwards.

Everypony mingled with one another, even if they never met before. Music filled the air as the hours ticked by and the sun slowly soared to the horizon. I stood near the food stand, looking at the linear layout of the town itself, but something caught my eye that hadn't the other day.

"Hey, Night Glider," I called to the nearby pegasus. Taking a quick swig of her drink, she eyed me.

"Yeah? What's up?"

I pointed in the direction that interested me. "That tree, right over there. Didn't there used to be a house there before?"

"Yeah, it used to be Starlight's house. We tore it down after she left because, well, it wouldn't really make sense to have a vacant house taking up space, you know?"

"I guess. I figured you would've kept it until someone came along and wanted to buy it."

"Not many ponies come to visit very often anymore, at least not after Starlight left."

"Why is that?"

"Dunno," she shrugged, "but it's not like ponies stopped coming period. Obviously, the festival brings in visitors every year."

"That's good." I took another glance at the tree. The base around it was a different color from the rest, implying it was just recently planted there. That didn't mean it wasn't cool regardless.

Night Glider didn't leave just yet. Instead, she asked me something, something she overheard but wasn't entirely sure of.

"So, I hear you're dating Starlight? Is that true?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I didn't tell you guys when we came here the first time?"

"Not that I can remember," Glider shrugged. "Well, anyway, I just wanted to say congratulations to you two. I know we've all had our ups and downs with Starlight... but she's definitely worth it. Trust me."

"She's more than worth it," I said, giving Starlight a subtle glance from afar. She exchanged a smile with me before finishing her talk with some other ponies and started walking over to me.

Glider noticed this and grinned. "Speaking of which, I better let you two get back to it. Catch you later?"

I smiled back and nodded. Night Glider wandered off to mingle with other folks as Starlight came up to me.

"What were you two talking about?" she asked.

"Oh, the usual: how lucky I am to have you."

"Is that so?"

"Yiss," I answered in a playful tone, nuzzling her snout. But the mare wasn't very responsive back, giving me a faint returning nuzzle, but not much else. Her fake smile still showed.

"Hey," I whispered, holding her chin up with a hoof. "You okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I think I'm just... stressed from everything we've been through for the past two days."

"Do you need anything? Anything to help with that?" It was a genuine question. There were plenty of ways to solve it.

Starlight shook her head. "I think I can last another hour."

"Why? What happens in an hour?"

"That's when the kids all go inside, and us adults get to spike the cider."

I chuckled, but then my face went blank with curiosity. "I didn't even know there were kids here."

"Well... there used to be a lot more when I was here, needing a place to stay. I guess they were put in better hooves after I left."

"At least you were able to give them hope... even if it wasn't the best kind of hope," I answered honestly.

She laughed at that. "They're doing okay, though—the other kids. They have families now."

"That's good." I pulled her in for a hug. "That's real good."

I could feel her smile against my body.

An hour later, the fillies and colts of the town were all whisked inside for the rest of the evening, and the cider was given that extra kick to really spice up the nights. That's what made the festival so lively, it seemed, at least according to them.

But tonight, I chose not to have a sip. I was already having enough fun with Starlight. Despite her waiting for the cider, she decided not to drink in the end either, instead wanting to play some of the activities with me, like Pin The Tail On The Griffon, or bobbing for apples. In no time at all, she was smiling and giggling like a filly on sugar.

As the sun went down and night fell on the town, the girls all decided to head home, citing either business matters or merely tiredness. Eventually, the only ones of the group that chose to stay was Trixie, simply out of care for Starlight, and she was having just as much fun entertaining the masses with her trickery.

She was really cute with the kids too before they went to bed.

However, as the party began to die down by midnight and the residents all slowly went off to bed—or other affairs—Starlight and I chose to do the same, but we wanted something more than an old sleeping bag and some blankets. Sugar Belle was more than content.

"Sorry, Trix," Starlight apologized to her friend, but Trixie only laughed.

"No worries, Starlight. It's not like we're going very far, anyway."

We all exchanged our goodbyes before heading into Sugar's home. Oddly enough, the bedroom we were staying in wasn't on the second floor, but the basement.

"Sorry there's no great view, but hopefully this makes up for it?"

The room was surprisingly really clean and proper, almost looking like any other bedroom. There was a bathroom nearby that held a toilet, sink, and shower—no bathtub.

"If there's anything you two need, don't be afraid to let me know," Sugar added with a grin. The two of us grinned back, and the mare excused herself to her own bedroom.

Looking up towards the front wall, I could see a window. My first instinct was to check what was outside. I hopped up on a nearby nightstand and looked outside.

"Well, she wasn't necessarily wrong about the 'great view,' but even here it looks nice."

Some ponies were still outside chatting and drinking, while everyone else had gone off to bed. I looked over to Starlight, only to see that she was sitting on the side of the bed, sighing and staring at the wall with a nervous expression.

"You alright?" I asked her, sitting down beside her.

She nodded, but I wasn't entirely convinced. It wasn't until she spoke up again that I realized what she was somewhat anxious about.

"You said earlier today that you weren't going to lie anymore, right? That you were going to tell me the truth from now on, no matter what?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Well... I wanted to wait until night to say anything, until we were alone... well, I want to ask you some things, things that I need to know just to, you know, close the gap."

"Sure, okay."

"Of course, I'll be asking you a bunch of these questions a lot from now on, but..."

I laughed quietly. "I know."

But the tone became serious as quick as it became light. Starlight exhaled a quick breath and shot.

"Why did you lie? About how long you were gone, I mean...?"

I hesitated for a second, but was insistent on giving her the answer.

"I was scared. There's really no other way to say it. I was scared of how everyone was gonna take it, respond to it—hell, how the paparazzi were gonna take advantage of me from that. But I think most of all... I was scared of how you were gonna take it."

She seemed to understand, but her eyes told me she wanted to know more.

"I mean, just looking at your face when I said I was gone for six months... I couldn't even comprehend what could've happened when you would find out I was gone for almost twenty billion years."

The number alone made Starlight shiver faintly. It was such an uncomfortable thing to hear, and I couldn't blame her.

"I was afraid you were going to shutter yourself away and try to work to prevent it from happening, or... beat yourself up because of it... or take your—"

I didn't finish that sentence. She knew what I meant, and I could see Starlight's face change quickly upon realizing it. She held a hoof up to my cheek. I closed my eyes and embraced it.

"I never wanted to lie to you about that. I wanted to tell you so much, one day, in a way that you would be okay with it. But I knew I was making it worse by not telling you first."

She looked at me with curiosity through her sorrow. "Did someone else know?"

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Celestia, it was an accident—she wanted to know how I managed to use magic. Luna, she found out from Celestia. Hmm... I'm surprised Clanks never mentioned it to you."

"I don't think you two were ever around me long enough for him to spill the beans."

I laughed again, and Starlight laughed with me. The emotion dimmed again.

"Another question..."

"Of course."

"... What would've been my future?"

I gently put her hoof down, but continued to rub it with my own.

"After I disappeared, you spend the first three years trying to find me. During that time, you pushed everyone away, including Twilight. After the two of you fought, and after your... breakdown, you left town and tried to disappear. You didn't see Twilight or any of the others for fifteen years. Fifteen years after that, so about... eighteen years after I disappeared, you and Twilight made up. ... You accepted that I was gone."

I could see Starlight doubting that in her head. No way, I would never give up on him, never in a million years! But she did.

"It never stopped you from wanting to try." I closed my eyes. "You spent fifty years trying and failing, but never giving up... but never pushing anyone away this time."

"Did I ever...?"

I shook my head. "You died without ever finding me. You were ninety-one. Surrounded by friends and family, your grandchildren. Never married. Spent your dying breaths begging for me to come back."

The answer shook her again, but then there was the confusion. "But... who did I have children with...?"

I knew the answer. I swore I would never tell her, at least not verbally. That alone was to make her know how. She covered her mouth with a hoof and, with a sigh, was quick to stop the questions, her hoof never leaving her mouth.

"I-I..."

Gently, I rubbed her back and helped her relax. Knowing that would've been hard on anyone if it happened to them. Eventually, after a while, she was calm, but was done with questions—all except for one.

"Do you love me?"

It was my turn to be confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well... you know everyone. You know everyone who ever was, is, or will be. Every mare, stallion, filly, and colt who either is alive now or will be born soon. You know them all, inside and out... sometimes literally."

That last part made her blush, knowing that even she was part of that group. She accepted that a while back.

"What about that, though?"

"What I mean is... there are so many mares out there that would be perfect for you... and yet you chose me instead. Why?"

I smiled faintly. "Because they're not you."

"What does that mean?"

I grabbed her hooves in mine and spoke the truth.

"I may know who and what someone is, but until I've met them, I truly don't know them. Not like you. You were the only one in the world who never gave up on me, never stopped trying to save me. You spent years of your life to find this one stallion, to bring him back from wherever he was. Not many ponies do that anymore... and they certainly wouldn't for me."

One of my hooves touched the bottom of her chin and raised it, just so she can look me in the eyes.

"I love you, Starlight Glimmer. I love you with all of my heart, and I don't care what the universe can throw at me anymore—nothing's ever gonna change that. Do you understand?"

Her eyes began to tear up as she nodded her head, understanding everything. Starlight was quick to hug me tightly against her, letting out her cries in my chest, and I hugged her right back. Tears were flowing down my face now, but I let them fall. The two of us sat there for a minute, not moving away.

"How... how's that for sappy, huh?"

Starlight and I both laughed through our tears.

"I love you too," she said. I rubbed her back again, and I could feel her push against it to take in the feeling.

When we finally pulled away, Starlight looked at me again, in the eyes. They were shiny and wet with tears. Genuine, real tears.

Our lips met without hesitation, slowly and gently brushing against each other and savoring the taste, whether it was lipstick or the cider.

As the time went on, the kiss grew with further lust, our mouths opened more and our tongues played. She moaned aloud, but not loud enough to be noticed by the others. I bit her lip carefully, and her hoof rested on my chest, but didn't push me away. When I pulled away, she was staring into my eyes again.

"No foreplay, just... just fuck me."

Never would I expect to ever hear her say it. But gods, was it rewarding.