Even if Bridlewood was her home, Izzy always enjoyed coming to Maretime Bay. It was where she almost always met up with her friends to hang out, Sunny Starscout especially. Heck, Izzy had even taken a liking to Sprout (he wasn't so bad once he let go of his blind hatred for pegasi and unicorns).
It seemed like it would be another fine day for hanging out as far as Izzy was concerned. She'd already met Zipp and Pipp on the outskirts of town, and they'd all agreed to meet up with Sunny and Hitch as soon as possible. The unicorn did find it kind of odd that Sunny hadn't already shown up and didn't seem to be anywhere in town. It wasn't like Sunny to be late.
"Oh well, guess nopony's perfect," Izzy thought to herself. "Sunny probably just overslept or something. I'm sure I'll either run into her eventually or catch up with her when she finally decides to show up." So she set off to find Hitch, hoping that he wasn't too busy doing sheriff related things (even if nowadays it mostly meant polishing his badge).
Unknown to Izzy, Zipp or Pipp, Sunny had other things on her mind for today. Today was a very important day to the young earth pony mare and had been for years. She'd made sure to get up bright and early so she could look her best. A day like this demanded nothing less. After spending a lot of time fussing over her appearance and enjoying a quick breakfast, Sunny had already strapped on her roller skates and taken off. She had a destination in mind, but there was one stop she had to make before then.
Skidding to a halt at a small flower stand, Sunny eyed the assortment of colorful bouquets and inhaled the sweet smelling aromas that wafted through the air (and tickled her nose). She wanted to get the absolute best. "He demands nothing less." She thought in the back of her mind, her smile briefly morphing and contorting itself into a frown as the mare reminded herself of the reason for her visit.
At last, the earth pony spotted the most beautiful set of violets she'd ever laid eyes upon. They would be perfect! So, quick as a flash, she scooped them up, plopped down the bits necessary to pay for them and departed after giving the earth pony working the stand a quick "Thank you". Everything was all set now.
"Don't worry, Dad," Sunny thought to herself as she skated her way through town, taking care not to drop or damage the violets she'd just picked up. "I'll be there soon. I promise. Nothing is going to come between you and I today." It was hard to believe it had been so long already since that day, the day he'd left her. She could still remember that dreadful day as if it had just been yesterday. After all, it wasn't every day that you had your life unexpectedly and suddenly altered.
So why did Sunny now have the nagging feeling that she was forgetting something? Like there was somewhere else she was supposed to be today?
Unaware of Sunny's whereabouts or what she was up to, Izzy arrived at the designated meeting spot. Hitch was already there, sitting at a lone table overlooking the bay.
"Hi ya, Hitch!" Izzy cheerfully chirped as she trotted over to join him. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting."
Hitch only smiled. "Of course not, Izzy. But you know, I'm sure you could teleport now. So why do you seem to insist on walking to places?"
The unicorn simply answered. "'Cause it's more fun that way. Duh. Besides, using magic isn't as easy as you might think. It's actually really really hard."
"Tell me about it!" The familiar haughty voice of Pipp called out as she and Zipp landed on the ground in front of their friends. "Flying for real isn't the same as when we were just faking it with wires."
Zipp simply grinned. "But it feels so much better doing it for real." She and Pipp quickly joined Izzy and Hitch at the table and sat down. Now they were just waiting on Sunny.
In fact, it seemed odd to the three mares that Sunny hadn't already shown up. She never missed out on any of their meet-ups. Even if she didn't have much time she would always skate by and say hi to them.
Something had to be up.
Izzy was the first to make her feelings known on the potential problem. "So, where's Sunny?" She asked aloud. "I thought for sure she'd have shown up by now."
Hitch's smile seemed to fade. He suddenly started to nervously shuffle his hooves and stare down at the ground, almost like he knew something his friends didn't. Yet the stallion and off-duty sheriff didn't say a word. He just sat there with that far off look in his eyes.
Pipp quickly picked up on the change in Hitch's expression. "What's the matter?" She asked him. "Did something happen to Sunny that we didn't know about? Is she sick or something?"
"No, it's nothing like that," Hitch hesitantly and vaguely replied as he looked back at his friends. "She's fine. It's just... well..." He trailed off, unable or willing to say anything more.
"Is it trouble with Sprout again?" Zipp inquired with a glare. "I thought you and Sunny talked sense into him. What's he done this time?"
Far off in the distance (or so it seemed) a voice shouted back! "I heard that! For your information, I haven't done anything! My mommy says I'm still grounded for what I almost did to you ponies."
"So if it's not something Sprout did and Sunny isn't sick, why isn't she here?" Pipp commented with concern. "Doesn't she know it's rude to keep other ponies waiting without a good reason?"
"W-well," Hitch started up again even as he stammered. "I... don't know if I should be telling you all this. It's not something Sunny really likes to talk about, even with me."
Izzy let out a gasp! "Oh, I get it!" She put her hooves up to her cheeks. "Sunny's seeing somepony and didn't wanna tell us because she thought we might be jealous. Well, we're not. If she's looking for a special somepony that's perfectly fine."
Pipp was quick to add. "I promise I won't take any pictures or anything like that. I know ponies like to keep those things personal. Besides, you don't know how hard it is to have a special somepony when the paparazzi are always trying to catch you in the act." If one looked closely they could see her cheeks faintly flush.
But the off-duty sheriff just shook his head as he sighed deeply. "It's not that either," And reluctantly, he decided that the only way to get the mares to stop asking questions was to come clean and tell them the truth. "I guess you were going to find out about this sooner or later. I was kind of hoping Sunny would be the one to tell you all."
From the tone of voice Hitch was using, it quickly became clear to the trio of mares that what their friend was about to share would be anything but pleasant. "Tell us what?" Zipp nervously asked even though she was already starting to have an idea of what it would be.
"It's about her dad," Hitch finally confessed. "He's... well... no longer around."
"You mean like he just left Sunny all of a sudden or something?" Izzy asked with a gasp.
"No," Hitch replied. "I mean he's dead. Has been for a long time." The confession struck his friends head on, rendering them all speechless!
Zipp was the first of the mares to find her voice again once the shock of the stallion's statement had worn off. "Sunny's dad's been dead?"
"I'm afraid so," Hitch sadly confirmed. "In fact, today's the anniversary of the day he died. Sprout and I, we were there when it happened. And we were still kids too."
Now it was Pipp's turn to gasp! "That's horrible! Nopony should ever lose a parent when they're just a kid! Zipp and I, we lost our dad in an accident when we were young. But at least we still had our mother," And that prompted her to ask. "Whatever happened to Sunny's mother? Wasn't she there when it happened?"
"I don't know what happened to Sunny's mom," Hitch confessed. "All I know is that she wasn't ever around when Sunny, Sprout and I were growing up. And Sunny's dad, he never talked about it. I couldn't even find any pictures of what his wife might have looked like. If I had to guess, I'd say Sunny's mom either died in childbirth or left as soon as she'd finished giving birth to Sunny."
"I can't believe we never knew this," Izzy somberly spoke up. "Even I told Sunny about how it felt like my parents were never around, how they didn't seem to understand that I was different from all the other unicorns. If it wasn't for Alphabittle, I probably would've run away from Bridlewood when I was still just a blank flank filly."
All Hitch had to say in reply was. "It's not something Sunny likes to dwell upon, and it's not something Sprout and I like to talk about either. That was the day we all learned about death, how anypony's life could unexpectedly end at a moment's notice."
"No wonder Sunny kept changing the subject whenever we wanted to talk about family," Zipp realized. "She didn't want to discuss it because it would remind her of her father."
It was then that Izzy stood up from the table as a look of fiery determination began to flash in her eyes. "Well, there's only one thing to do, then! We're gonna have to visit Mr. Starscout's grave. That way we can let Sunny know that we know about her secret and that we'll always be there for her."
"I'm pretty sure she already knew about that last part, Izzy." Pipp commented with a skeptical and concerned look.
Izzy shrugged off the comment. "I know, but it never hurts to remind her of that fact. That's what friends are for, right?"
Zipp hesitantly responded. "I... guess so."
"Good! Then it's settled!" Izzy firmly declared! "Let's go find Mr. Starscout's resting place, wherever it is!"
"Shouldn't we maybe get some flowers first? You know, as a way of paying our respects?" Pipp pondered.
Izzy quickly spun around and locked eyes with Pipp. "Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that," Then she turned to Hitch. "Do you know where we can find flowers here in Maretime Bay?"
Hitch nodded quite firmly as he got up from the table. "Probably better show you than to tell you. Follow me."
As Hitch was leading Izzy, Zipp and Pipp towards the flower stand he knew Sunny always frequented, Sunny had already arrived at her destination. It was a lovely little spot secluded from the hustle and bustle of Maretime Bay, a little hill with a lone tombstone to mark a particular spot over a patch of dirt.
And on that tombstone was some short writing that had become worn and faded over the years, but Sunny could still make out the words as clear as day. The words read:
Argyle Starshine Starscout
Beloved Husband, Father and Archivist
Kneeling down, Sunny carefully placed the fresh violets beside the tombstone. Then, for a moment or two, she just stood there in silence. She spoke not a word and not a word needed to be spoken. The silence was a language unto itself. She proceeded to close her eyes, listening to the subtle shifts in the wind as it whistled past.
A lone tear came into Sunny's left eye. She could still picture him clearly in her mind, still hear that sweet voice of his calling out to her or speaking to her as he shared his research with her. It was like she was just a filly again, listening to his stories about the reign of Princess Twilight and her friends. That long ago, long forgotten period in Equestria where the three pony tribes had gotten along.
If only he could see what was happening to Equestria now. See how the old days were finally coming back as the pony tribes learned how to live together in peace again. He'd never given up hope that harmony might be achieved in such a fashion. He would be so proud to see what had become of his only child.
"Hey, Dad," The mare slowly spoke even as she kept her eyes closed. "Just checking in to see how things are with you. Sorry it's been so long since our last visit. But I'm sure you know how busy I've been."
Suddenly, the silence was abruptly distilled as the earth pony heard the sound of four familiar voices in the distance. Opening her eyes, she turned around in time to see Hitch leading Izzy, Zipp and Pipp right to her. And all of them gasped as they realized what their friend had been doing! They'd unintentionally interrupted her at the worst possible moment.
"Sorry," Izzy sincerely apologized as she saw the tear still in Sunny's left eye. "Hitch told us about your dad and we wanted to come by to pay our respects."
Hitch reluctantly spoke up. "They wouldn't stop asking about you, Sunny. I had to tell them."
But Sunny just wiped the tear from her eye and trotted over, embracing Izzy, Zipp and Pipp in a big hug. "It's alright. I'm glad you're all here. Dad was probably just about to tell me that I should tell you. He's always right, you know."
"But he's not here. He's... gone." Pipp somberly replied in confusion.
Sunny shook her head from side to side. "Maybe in body but not in spirit. I know it probably sounds silly, but when I come here and stand by his grave, it's like I can still hear him and see him. When I talk to him, it's like I can picture him talking back and hearing what he has to say. In a way, he's always with me even if I can't see or hear him."
Zipp only commented. "It's too bad we never got to meet him. Hitch told us everything. Your dad sounds like an incredible stallion."
"Oh he was. He raised me all by myself," Sunny happily replied as she fondly recalled the memories she had with him. "I can't imagine it was easy for him to be a single parent on top of being the town outcast. Phyllis wasn't the only one who thought he was crazy for studying the past and not buying into what everypony else in Maretime Bay thought. But he never let it bother him, at least not when I could've seen it. He just threw himself into his work. He didn't care if he was the only pony who wanted to know about the past, or if he believed the pony tribes could be united again when nopony else thought so."
Reluctantly, Pipp sought to ask the unfortunate and uncomfortable question. "How did he die? Hitch only told us that it happened when you were young."
The earth pony mare willingly confessed as she began to recall memories that she would've rather forgotten. "It was all so sudden, really. It wasn't anything dramatic. He'd been sick for a long time. At first it was just a cough, then he'd start getting tired more easily. He kept saying he was fine, really. But I could tell he wasn't, I knew something was wrong with him even if he was trying to put on a brave face for my sake. Then, one day, he just didn't wake up. He'd passed away in his sleep."
By now, the three other mares were starting to tear up. And Zipp found the words to say what they all felt. "I'm sorry. At least I guess it's a good thing it was peaceful."
Sunny firmly nodded as a tear formed in her right eye as well. "I've learned to live with it, as hard as it may seem. It doesn't make his absence any easier to deal with. But as much as it hurts on the inside and the outside, all I can do is just keep going on. It's what he would want," Then she looked back to the tombstone. "Seeing as you all came here, the least you could do is go and introduce yourselves. I've told him about you, but it's not the same as him getting to meet you himself."
"Even if he's... you know...?" Pipp nervously asked and received firm nods from Sunny and Hitch that erased any doubts she might have had.
Izzy was the first one to volunteer. "I always like meeting new friends. And I can feel his presence in the wind. It's like his sparkle," She slowly trotted up to the lone grave and stood by it. Surprisingly, she found it easy to speak even if it was just to herself. "Hey there Mr. Starscout. You probably know who I am. I'm Izzy," She paused for a moment as her normally cheerful look seemed to fade. "Sunny's told me a lot about you already, and I'm sure there's more she hasn't told me yet. I wish you could be here in pony to see all of this. I think you'd really like it, and I bet it would do wonders for your research."
Zipp came up next, standing beside Izzy as Sunny and Hitch looked on with encouragement. "H-hello there... um... Mr. Starscout," Compared to Izzy she was having a much harder time getting the words out that she wanted to use. "I... know what it's like to lose a parent. My own dad died when I was young, but I had a sister and a mother to lean on and to cry on. I can't imagine what it must've been like for Sunny when she lost you. But you've raised a wonderful daughter. Thanks to her, magic has come back to Equestria and everypony's getting along again. It's probably everything you always dreamed of."
Finally, Pipp approached the tombstone and stood next to Zipp and Izzy. She opened her mouth to speak, yet she found that no words would come forth. For what felt like an eternity she stood there in silence, wanting desperately to speak but unable to bring herself to do so. At last, just as she was ready to declare it a lost cause and turn and leave, she found a courage she hadn't known until now and began to speak. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Starscout. I... feel kind of guilty for saying this, but Sunny's really lucky to have known you. I barely even knew my father before the accident that claimed his life. Still, just as I'm sure my father loved me with all his heart, I'm sure you had and still have a similar love for Sunny. Wherever you may be now, I hope you're watching over us with pride as we carry on your legacy."
As soon as Pipp had finished speaking, there came another subtle shift in the wind.
Sunny looked back to her friends with a smile even as the tears were now flowing freely from her eyes. "Do you hear that?" She asked Izzy, Zipp and Pipp. "That's my dad. It's his way of letting us know that he hears us. And he says 'Hello'."
"Really?" Pipp asked in a hopeful tone of voice.
Sunny's smile grew brighter as she slowly wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Yes, really. He doesn't talk much, but he doesn't need to. He's a good listener."
Hitch just watched the whole scene from afar with a sad yet happy expression upon his face. "I still remember the promise I made to you, Mr. Starscout," He thought to himself as he slowly went over to join his friends in silent reflection. "But now you know that Sunny has other friends who will always be there for her. I know you would've given anything to see this moment with your own two eyes. I can only hope we'll continue to make you proud every day."
Author's Note
What happened to Argyle is loosely based on the fic Hitch's Heart, it's more or less my headcanon for why Argyle isn't around anymore.
I know at least one fic like this has already been made, but I wanted to try and do something different. I also created my own headcanons for the families of Zipp and Pipp as well as Izzy.
Yes, I know that official media calls him Argyle Starshine. But it's confusing how he can have Starshine for a last name when Sunny's last name is Starscout. So that's why Argyle's last name here is Starscout.
