Chapters Later that day at recess, Starlight and Sunburst go overt and sit in their corner on the bench under the tree. "I know having your mom abandon you was hard, but are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine," says Starlight. After awhile, she finally breaks down. "Ok, I'm not fine to be honest. It scarred me for life. I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive her. I don't know much about her. Just that she read me stories every night or bandage my boo boos, but until last night I didn't know she hated my father and considered him a coward." She lets out a sad sigh as tears begin to stream down her cheeks.
As soon as two bullies begin to see Starlight cry, they begin to come over and pick on her. "Oh, we're sorry your mom doesn't love you enough to stay!" They say to her meanly before galloping off. This just makes Starlight mad and she goes after them and shoots them in the rear with a bolt of magic and with no teacher around, she gets away with it too. After that, the bullies left her alone for good.
A few minutes later, the students return back to class and take their seats once again. They then begin their math lessons for the day. As she works on her math sheet, all Starlight can think about is her mom running into the woods, leaving her forever. She can't help but think maybe the bullies were right. Eventually, she breaks back down into tears and the teacher pulls her out into the hall to talk.
"What's wrong, Starlight?" Asks her teacher, getting down on her knees to be on eye level with the filly.
"Mommy left us forever. She abandoned me and my daddy," says Starlight with a sniffle.
"Well, I grew up in a single parent home. Dad died in the war against King Sombra. After that, I was devastated, just like you are now," responds her teacher, "so I understand your pain."
"Well, I'm glad somepony does," responds Starlight as she gives the teacher a hug.
"You know what," responds her teacher, "go home early today. I won't mark you absent for it."
"Okay," sniffles Starlight. She then goes and grabs her bag and goes and spends the rest of the day at the book store with her dad, reading every single book in the restricted section. She's just glad her teacher understood her pain right now. To her, that truly means the most to her at the time being.
After a few moments of sitting there, Firelight looks down from his ladder and sees his daughter sitting there. "Hey baby girl, why are you home so early?"
"My teacher let me leave early after a bullying incident occurred," responds Starlight.
"Well, come help me with these books," responds her father with a smile. Starlight nods and levitates a book up to him and he sticks it in its place. She then does this with the remaining pile of books. After they finish up with that, they go to the market, get food, and go home and cook it up together before sitting down to dinner and a nice movie on the couch. Starlight really enjoys this especially after a rough day of school.
It was a stormy night when a slamming door and thud of thunder awoke a young Starlight. She then rose and looked out her window and saw a figure running away into the wood. "Mommy!" Cried Starlight as she watched the figure disappear into the trees. "Mommy! Mommy no, don't leave me!"
A few minutes later, her father, with a depressed, disappointed expression on his face, enters the room. "You okay, sweetheart?" He asks concerned.
"Why'd mommy leave us? Abandon us? Leave me?" Sniffles Starlight as tears stream down her cheeks.
"I don't know, honey," responds Firelight. "I don't know. She yelled 'I hate you' to me before she fled out the door and into the storm. I don't know why she hates me. Maybe I'm incompetent. I wish I knew." He gives Starlight a kiss on the cheek and lays down by her to help her try and fall back asleep. Soon he's out, but scarred beyond compare, the young Starlight stays awake all night continuing to wonder why her mother left her and her father for good.
The next morning, Starlight nuzzles under her father's arm and nuzzles him awake. "Daddy, morning daddy," says Starlight.
"Morning, sweetheart," responds her father, Firelight with a smile. "Ready to go to the bookstore with me this morning before school like you always do?"
"Yes," responds Starlight. The two then get dressed and head for the bookstore. There, they spend an hour enjoying breakfast, tea, and books before an hour later, they walk to the school together and Starlight's father drops her off but not without a hug. Starlight then walks in with Sunburst at her side. The two then sit down at their table together and she spills out all her woes from the night before to him as he does his part of listening to her and trying to comfort her through the pain.
A few days later, a newly grown up sounding and feeling Starlight returns to class and it shocks everypony around. "Why have you become so serious all of a sudden?" Asks Sunburst when Starlight sits down beside him. "Is it because of," he whispers, "your mother leaving?" Starlight just gives him a nod and gets back to setting her book in a straight position on her desk. A few minutes later, she finally says something to Sunburst.
"Wanna come over today and hang out after school? We haven't in awhile." Asks Starlight.
"Sure, can I bring my sister, Sunset with me?" Asks Sunburst.
"Sure," responds Starlight. "That'll be fun."
After school that day, Starlight, Sunburst, and Sunset go to Starlight's house and play board games and card games together. All the while, the three have an absolute blast. They even enjoy several movies together too. After several hours, the three part ways. Sunburst and Sunset return home after being picked up by their mother Solar Flare. As they walk home, they talk about all the fun they had at Starlight's. Eventually, though, when they get home, Sunburst raises his concerns about Starlight to his mother.
"She's been different ever since her mother left her and her dad, so different, so serious, so weird. I'm worried about her mom," says Sunburst concerned.
"Well, give her some time," responds his mother, "she'll move on someday."
"Yeah, hopefully," responds Sunburst before heading off to his room. Sunset, worried about her big brother, follows him to his room and plops down on the bed next to him.
"Sunny, what's wrong?" Asks Sunset wide eyed.
"I'm just worried about Starlight. Ever since her mom left, it's like she's become a completely different pony." He lets out a sigh. "I just hope she'll move on from it someday. I hope she'll be alright."
"She will, Sunny," responds Sunset. "I pwomise." She then gives him a hug and he can't help but smile. Maybe his little sister and mom are right. Maybe, just maybe, Starlight will be over her abandonment issues when the time is right for her. Sunburst, on the other hand, is hoping that time is soon.
That following day at school, Sunburst pulls Starlight aside. “Starry,” he asks, “are you okay? You don’t open up to me like you used to. Please tell me what’s wrong. I want to help. I want to be there for my friend. Starlight, please.”
“I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it,” snorts Starlight. She starts to walk away but he stops her by the pigtails with his magic.
“No, you’re clearly not,” responds Sunburst. “Now please, tell me what happened between your parents? What made your mother leave?”
“I said I don’t want to talk about it!” Yells Starlight as she comes down on her front hooves with a thud, sending a magic shockwave throughout the school getting the attention of the principal.
“Students, School is done for the day,” says the principal. “Starlight, Sunburst, my office, now.”
“Yes ma’am,” they nod as they bow their heads and follow her into her office.
Once in her office, the principal, Miss Honeybottom turns to the two foals. “What was that outside? What’s going on with you two? Magic surges like that aren’t okay around this school. They do more harm than school. Now tell me why I had to cancel school for your foolish behaviors.”
“Not foolish,” responds Starlight, “justified. I got angry. I don’t like talking about why mom left and Sunburst tried to get me to spill and I got mad, so I lashed out.”
“Sunburst, is this true?” Says Honeybottom, her gaze turning to fix on the colt.
“Yes,” sighs Sunburst, “and I’m sorry. I should’ve stopped when she asked instead of kept pushing as I did.”
“Well, now that that’s cleared up, you are both free to go home for the day, just please no more magical surges in my school.” She rubs her head with her hoof as it’s throbbing from a headache. The two foals run out of her office and head for Starlight’s home. There, they are greeted by Firelight.
“Hey sweetest, you’re home early,” says Firelight. “How did school go today?”
“It kinda got cancelled,” responds Starlight, “I may have had another magical surge at school again.”
“And why? If you don’t mind my asking.” Asks her father.
“Sunburst tried to make me talk about mom and I got mad,” responds Starlight.
“Sunburst, just don’t do that anymore, okay,” says Firelight, “we just don’t want to talk about it. Do you understand, colt?”
“Yes, sir,” responds Sunburst. “I won’t do it again.” The two then head upstairs to play while Firelight gets back to reading and organizing his books. He just is hoping and praying this doesn’t happen again anytime soon. He misses his wife as much as his Starlight misses her mother, but at the same time, they both know that she’s never coming back.
