Starlight wasn’t sure how to scare a pony but knew it would have to involve magic. Was there anything that was worth doing that didn’t? There was a plan forming in her head. Well not so much a plan but an inkling of a plan. That’s good enough. She looked at her comrade in arms Sunburst as he tried to keep in time with her expedient eating.

Sunburst caught the wicked gleam in her eye. He knew that she wasn’t going to let the idea of scaring the bullies alone. He also knew that whether he wanted to or not, he was getting roped into it. He finished the 32 chews his mother instructed and prepared to leave.

The pair scrambled out the door while Sunburst’s mother called after them. “Wait, Sunburst, you forgot the list! Oh, did you think of an idea yourself? Good luck finding your cutie marks!”

“D-d-do you think we w-w-will get our cutie marks for this?” Sunburst asked tentatively.

“Maybe. Only one way to find out,” Starlight answered as her little legs directed her towards the beloved bookstore.

The bookstore was almost like a second home to Starlight. Or maybe a first home in hindsight. She and her father spent more time there than the humble abode they both shared. The jingling of the small door chime happily announced their presence. And the bookstore owner happily greeted her new patrons. Until she saw who they were.

“Welcome to.. oh, it’s you. He’s in the back. Again. Unless you’re here for yourself this time,” said the owner with a blazé expression. “If so, make sure you put it all back. I don’t want to pick up after two ponies.”

Starlight sighed. She made her way to the back where she knew her father would be. Best to talk to him first rather than waiting for him to sneak up behind her. Again.

“I know what you’re going to, Starlight,” said a commanding voice that Starlight knew too well.

“L-L-L-Lucky Star,” Sunburst stammered. His stutter got worse around her for some reason. Starlight felt a little annoyed by that.

“Sunburst, causing such trouble is unfitting for you,” Lucky Star said, arching her neck high in the air.

“Stop scaring him, Lucky,” Starlight said standing in front of her friend. Sunburst stepped back a few paces. He didn’t like some pony else standing up for him.

“That’s cute. But I’m not trying to scare him, just warn him,” Lucky Star said with a sigh.

“Oh right, you're ‘seeing the future’ thing,” Starlight mocked. She didn’t like other ponies looking down on her or Sunburst. If only everypony treated each other equally.

“I do not ‘see the future’. I just read the stars. That’s where my cutie mark came from.”

“Well if you know the future then you know I’m not going to listen to you and do what I want anyway,” Starlight reasoned, puffing out her chest. It was as sound as any logic she heard before.

“I do know that,” Lucky said with a sigh. “I also know what you’re looking for is on page 263. Bye.”

The obnoxious trotted off with head still high in the air and a look of disinterest plastered on her face.

“Muffin! Is that you?”a well known voice called from behind the book stacks.

“Hi Dad!” Starlight said with enthusiasm. She always liked the pet names he called her. It made her feel special.

“H-h-Hi S-S-S-Starlight’s Dad,” Sunburst greeted. He always had the most trouble with the “s”s.

“You missed lunch again!” berated the annoyed unicorn filly.

“I did?” Firelight said bewildered. He looked at a nearby clock as his daughter stared at him down with that judging gaze. He never gets good judgement from that face it seems. “Oh I’m sorry I got caught up in the history of Galloping Gorge. It’s fascinating! Did you know that it was once a proving ground for young buffalo?”

“Dad! I don’t care about that boring history stuff,” whined the little filly. “I need you to focus. Now go! Eat! The gorge can wait!”

“Oh, uh, sure Pumpkin,” Firelight sheepishly. “What did you want?”

“I already ate Dad! At Sunburst’s house.”

“Oh! Well as long as you’re not hungry..”

“No Dad!” Starlight shouted, the vein in her head pulsing. “Go! Eat! Now!”

She directed him out of the store with her hoof and watched the defeated historian relent. He slowly got up and marched towards the exit. Starlight couldn’t help but notice the sad backward glance he gave the book and not her. It stung.

Starlight took a few calming breaths and turned back to Sunburst with renewed vigor. “Alright let’s find that spell,” she said, rubbing her hooves together.

Book after book, word after word, the search continued. Sunburst was getting antsy. His mother wanted him home precisely at sundown and the sun hung low on the horizon. He was just about to voice his concern when Starlight shouted.

“I found it!”

“W-W-W?”

Starlight didn’t wait until he got the word out. She knew the question. She excitedly thrust a book into his hooves.

“You’ll summon a Peryton!”

“B-b-but I can’t..”

“Oh I'll take care of the summoning but we’ll make it look like you did it,” she interjected again.

“B-b-b-But I can’t even look at a picture of a Peryton,” Sunburst finally blurted.

“Close your eyes then,” Starlight said off-handedly. “When those bullies see that you can summon a peryton with your eyes closed. They’ll never make fun of your stutter again! We might even get our cutie marks in sorcery!”

Sunburst’s head was swimming. Had Starlight lost her mind? A peryton was a deer-headed bird of death! Even the strongest ponies had trouble with those. He would need to find a way to stop her. Or find a way to stop the peryton at least. That might be easier.

“And smarty pants Lucky Star was wrong!” Starlight proudly declared. “I found it on page 265.”

“Uh S-S-Starlight,” Sunburst said, staring at the book. The remark caused an eyebrow to rise from his companion. “The bottom of the page was dog-eared. It was on page 263.”

“Aww horseapples. Well, it still doesn’t mean she can see the future.”

Author's Note

Written by short tale.