As the young Sunburst and Starlight trotted through town, their bellies began to rumble. “S-should we return to m-my place for lunch?” Sunburst asked, his mind still on those cruel fillies. They were sure to get their cutie marks soon, he just knew it! Starlight was so smart and funny, if anything, he was sure she would get hers first. He just wished they would stop teasing about his stutter. There was a chance he would grow out of it, right?

“Well, I am rather hungry,” Starlight admitted with a grin. “What do you think your mom has made for us today?” She turned to the right and started trotting down the path to Sunburst’s home. Sire’s Hollow was beautiful this time of year, the perfect, balmy, weather; lush green grasses and hardly a cloud in the sky. Perfect weather for finding out their cutie marks. Even if that hadn’t worked out for them today.

“H-hopefully Mac and Cheese,” Sunburst mumbled, his stomach gave another growl as he followed Starlight. “The p-p-perfect food to h-help us g-get back out there and get our cutie marks!” His ears lowered and he let out a sigh. “D-d-do you think Icing is r-right?” he suddenly asked and bit his lip nervously. “D-do we keep ponies from getting their c-cutie marks? Or worse! T-t-t-take them from th-th-them?” What if that little filly was right? What then?

“Nah, that couldn’t happen!” Starlight said waving the idea away with her hoof. “Have you ever read about such a cutie mark magic in all our books? I know I haven’t.”

“L-lets go to the bookstore a-after lunch t-then? M-m-maybe a book th-there would say something?”

“Sure, I’m always up for some new books. Will just have to make sure Dad left me my allowance.” She rolled her eyes and mumbled a barely intelligible, “if he didn’t forget for the tenth time this year.”

They paused in front of Sunburst’s home, lifting their muzzles to the scent of fresh mac and cheese and garlic parmesan sweet potatoes. Licking their lips, the two hurried inside and to the kitchen, where Sunburst’s mom, Stellar Flare, was just placing a big plate for each of them on the wooden table. She carefully laid down a fork for each of them and a sunny yellow napkin.

“Good timing, you two,” she beamed and slid an apron covered in sunflowers off and onto a hook near the door. “Any luck with cutie marks today?” She turned to Sunburst as his ears wilted once more and he frowned, then shook his head. “You did bring the checklist I made for you, hmm? Of ideas of things to try? I know how hard it can be to think of what you are good at yourself, dear.”

Sunburst sighed and nodded. “Y-yes mom, we d-did. Still no l-luck though.”

“Aww I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough. After all, you two are so smart!” She wrapped a hoof around each of them and gave them a quick hug. “I’ll go make another list of ideas while you eat. Remember Sunburst, chew 32 times before you swallow!” she chirped and with a flick of her tail trotted out of the room.

“I wish my dad was as attentive as your mother,” Starlight sighed, twirling her fork in her mac and cheese before she lifted it and took a bite.

“N-no you don’t. It’s e-e-embarrassing.” Sunburst groaned and took a forkful of sweet potatoes, mentally chiding himself when he only chewed 30 times before swallowing.

“Better than a father who’s never there,” she grumbled. They ate in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the clinking of their forks against their plates, before Starlight spoke up again. “I wish I could do something about those bullies. It’s no fair of them to make fun of your stutter. You can’t help it!”

“M-m-maybe if we just ig-ig-ignore them they will s-s-stop?” Sunburst suggested, even though he knew the idea was crazy. It hadn’t worked in the past after all.

“No,” Starlight shook her head and pounded a hoof on the table. “That has never worked. We need something better, something that will... scare them! Yes! Scare them so much they’ll never bother us again!”

“I-I-I’m not much for the S-s-scary, Starlight, y-you know that.” Sunburst rolled his forehooves together and glanced down at the floor. “I c-can’t even handle s-sc-scary movies.”

“Oh, but it will be us doing the scaring, so we should be fine!” She rubbed her forehooves together and smiled gleefully. Then, she turned back to her meal and began to wolf it down. “Come on Sunburst, hurry and eat! We really need to get down to that bookstore!” She said in-between bites.

“O-okay, b-b-ut I have a b-bad f-feeling about this,” Sunburst mumbled as he tucked into his meal as well.

Author's Note

Written by QueenChrysalisForever.