“I can’t believe that YOU were behind that whole ‘tennis ball’ nonsense!” Zipp exclaimed as she hovered overhead. “Thunder Flap still carries one with him! It drives Zoom crazy!”

“I still don’t understand why he wanted to carry one alongside that new shield the royal guards are trying out,” Pipp agreed, her hoof tapping her phone as she continued to take notes. Star was struggling to keep from staring at her as she worked. She could still remember Star Scout’s cell phone, but that one didn’t have a touch screen or the ability to create live videos. It was amazing how different the current phones were from Scout’s flip phone. Star would definitely need to get one of her own when she had a chance.

“They do make it a bit harder to cast though, so they aren’t truly useless,” Izzy pointed out, happily bouncing alongside Sunny. “Plus, it’s not the strangest thing I’ve gotten stuck on my horn. Remind me to tell you the story of the pumpkin!”

“It was Argyle’s idea for a costume, so feel free to blame him for that,” Star laughed, nuzzling the top of Sunny’s head lovingly.

After Sunny’s loud outburst (and once Star’s laughter had died down), both of their stomachs had let them know that it had been hours since they had last eaten. As a result, the two of them had decided to go ask Sunny’s friends if they wanted to join them for lunch – which worked out perfectly as they had been coming over to check out the disturbance regardless.

Sunny was still a little bit blushy at first (especially when Izzy had immediately hugged both Star and Sunny while squealing about how exciting this all was), but things had calmed down as Star had begun to talk with the ponies who had helped her daughter change the world. Star also couldn’t help but notice how Sunny’s friends stood on either side of the mother-daughter-pair, creating a bit of protection from the nearby crowd.

Only a few weeks and they already care so much about Sunny. It’s so wonderful to see.

Just like with Sunny, all of them had plenty of questions to ask the older unicorn. A few of them were the same ones Sunny had asked, but they had plenty of new ones too. Izzy, much to Star’s amusement, had wanted to know what Sunny had been like as a foal, something that sent Sunny into another bout of embarrassed blushing. Meanwhile, Zipp, Pipp, and Hitch had been eager to learn more about Star Scout and Star’s journeys into Zephyr Heights.

While Sunny did answer a few of the questions herself, she seemed happy to let Star do most of the talking as she leaned up against Star’s right side. The physical contact created a soft, warm feeling in Star’s chest as they walked, a feeling that reminded her so much of those wonderful few months raising Sunny all those years ago.

Harmony, I’ve missed this.

Now that she wasn’t nervous about meeting Sunny, Star took the chance to look around Maretime Bay as they walked and talked.

Not a lot had changed since her last visit almost twenty years ago. The buildings were still just as quaint and colorful as she remembered, though a few pegasi and unicorns were already starting to set up shops as well that had some pretty funky signs (Pipp’s salon looked like nothing Star had ever seen, so she definitely needed to check that out later). The planters hanging from each streetlight provided a soft flowery scent that mixed well with the faint salt in the air.

And then there were the ponies. While their expressions clearly said that they were still getting used to things changing, many of them looked far less stressed than Star remembered. Before, there had always been this air of uncertainty hanging over everyone in Maretime Bay. A lingering fear and paranoia that had permeated the whole town like a thundercloud ready to burst. Ponies jumping at any shadow flying overhead that was too big. A constant whisper to be on the lookout for unicorns or pegasi sneaking around. All those exaggerated posters depicting the other races as demons (Star couldn’t help but feel a flutter of pride that Sunny had taken to drawing over them whenever she got the chance, just like Argyle did occasionally when no pony was looking).

But that was all gone now, replaced with a cautious optimism. Ponies talking with members of other races. Foals running and playing as they always had, but now with knee-high horns and wings in the mix. Star even heard many of them happily chirp that there were so many new friends to meet. A few adult ponies were laughing or sharing meals with each other at one of the many outdoor restaurants. A pegasi was helping an earth pony water the planters lining one of the building’s windows. A unicorn was showing an earth pony and a pegasi one of the many (MANY) jinxy dances and explaining why she did it. A few different ponies helping to hang a new poster with a map to Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights.

It was exactly as Star had always envisioned it. Sure, she knew that there would likely be some bumps along the way, but seeing the progress that had already been made was reassuring on so many levels.

We just need to take it one step at a time. So long as we keep talking and interacting with one another, we can find our way through this. Towards a better Equestria.

But then, of course, there was the small mob of ponies that was currently following their little group. Granted, it wasn’t nearly as big as the mob that had first gathered after Star’s dramatic rescue, but she was surprised that there was still a mob at all. It had been HOURS, after all.

Star didn’t know if it was because of what Pipp called her ‘social media presence’ (Star still wasn’t sure what that was, though Zipp promised to explain it in more understandable terms later) or just because of how public her and Sunny’s reunion had been, but clearly the news of a unicorn with an earth pony for a daughter had been spreading rapidly through the town. Though given how dramatic their reunion was, perhaps it wasn’t too surprising.

She wasn’t even sure if these were the same ponies from earlier or if these were new ponies drawn by the spreading word. Either way, it was very weird. And it didn’t help that most of the ponies behind them had their phones out. Some were trying to be subtle. Others were very much not doing that, though they had enough awareness not to approach the group. On top of that, several passersby would see their group walking down the street and stop and stare, whisper excitedly to one another, occasionally pull their own phones out, or, in one unfortunate case, get so distracted that they walked right into a utility pole with a solid clang.

Note to self – always be sure to pay attention when using your phone once you get one. Just like when reading and walking, you don’t want to crash into anything while doing it. Especially since it’s harder to keep reading while you have a headache.

Though I do hope all this attention doesn’t last too long. I wonder if doing an interview or that podcast thing Pipp mentioned would help ponies calm down? Pipp seems to think so, but Zipp thinks that would only make it worse since then I would be even more popular.

I wonder how long it will be until other mixed couples come about? If Argyle and I could form such a wonderful bond, it’s only a matter of time until other ponies do too. Maybe doing an interview or podcast could help show other ponies that love doesn’t need to be constrained by a pony’s race? I’m sure Argyle would approve of me helping push that bit of societal development along.

“So, did you have any idea what you actually wanted to eat?” Hitch asked, pulling Star back to the conversation.

“I was content just to look around given how long it’s been since I’ve eaten here, but honestly? Now I’m starting to crave pizza,” Star said, thinking back to her first trip to Maretime Bay with Argyle. She had been a bundle of nerves when she first came into town. So afraid that somepony would see through her disguise, would question who she was or where she came from, would accuse her of hiding something. It wasn’t until Argyle had bought her a pizza for lunch that she had truly been able to relax and just enjoy her time in Maretime Bay. “Argyle loved to treat me to pizza. It was the first thing he ever shared with me outside our picnics.”

“Well then, good thing we’re right near the perfect place!” Sunny said, her voice bubbling with excitement as she nudged Star to the left. Right there was a familiar brick building, the second floor painted to look like a giant pizza. The large glass windows let her see that the place was bustling, yet not overcrowded. The outside tables, also painted to look like pizzas, were nearly full.

The restaurant was just as popular as it had been so many years ago, maybe even more so now, and aside from a fresh coat of paint, the building hadn’t changed in all these years.

Of all the places, what are the odds that we would end up here completely by accident?

“Right you are!” Hitch said, excitedly pushing open the door. “Welcome to Maretime Bay’s most popular pizza shop, The Slice is Right!”

“Glad to see it’s still going strong all these years later,” Star said, following Hitch inside. The smell of cheese and garlic sticks hit her immediately, bringing back a powerful memory. Of her and Argyle sitting near the window in their favorite corner booth, notes and pizza spread out before them as they continued to work. The setting sun shining through the windows as they made plans for their future trips, all before heading back to the lighthouse for the night.

A memory filled with longing for a time past, yet still filled with the love and care the two had shared. A love reinforced by her daughter still pressed up against her side.

Argyle would be so happy to see me back in this building again. Nothing could help him destress faster than a good old Mushroom Mix. I wonder what I should order? Ohh, they still have the Cheesy Supreme! That’s always a good choice. Or maybe the Veggie Surprise?

“Hitch? Since when do you come in here on shift? And who’s the new mare?” a voice called out. Star felt Sunny tense slightly, and as Star turned, she instantly felt a spark move up her spine. She recognized that pony. He had been in a few of the pictures Argyle had sent her of Sunny as well as mentioned in his letters when discussing Phylliss and her latest crazy inventions.

Sprout Cloverleaf was sitting there, a mostly-eaten slice of pizza in his hoof. He was wearing a bright yellow helmet that covered most of his yellow mane, and his dark red coat was a bit matted. Star was a bit surprised that he apparently hadn’t heard the news of her and Sunny yet. Had he been working for the last few hours? If so, that could easily explain it.

The fond memories of times long past were swiftly overtaken by a new, conflicted feeling. This was THE Sprout Cloverleaf. The pony who had become essentially a dictator over the course of a week, had tried to stop Sunny and her friends from reuniting the crystals, had nearly ran over Alphabittle with his invention, and had DESTROYED Argyle’s lighthouse! That wasn’t even counting the fact that Sunny, Izzy, and Pipp had still been INSIDE the lighthouse when it came down, and it was nothing less than a miracle that none of them were injured, let alone killed.

Seeing the stupid colt sitting there so innocently nearly made Star glare daggers, but she held back as both Izzy and Hitch approached him.

Izzy’s said he’s trying to do better, and Hitch said that he’s currently serving his community service. Try to at least give him a chance. You can be upset over the lighthouse but be willing to forgive him too.

Star shot a quick glance at Sunny. She appeared calm, but Star could feel her press up against her a bit more, as if trying to reassure Star that everything would be ok.

Funny. That’s supposed to be my job. Argyle really did a good job, didn’t he?

“Hey, Mr. Grumpy Pants!” Izzy greeted with endless enthusiasm as she bounded forward. “Did you like the surprise I left you this morning?”

Sprout frowned slightly at the name, but it did morph into a small, nervous smile rather quickly. “Yes, Izzy. I found the muffin you made me. Thank you for that. And for leaving out front rather than hanging around on my window’s balcony this time.”

“Yay!” Izzy exclaimed, hugging the now-slightly-panicking Sprout.

“Hey! Come on, at least let me eat my pizza if you’re gonna try and crush me!” Sprout cried as he was buried in Izzy’s massive mane.

Ok, that is a little bit funny. Star thought with a giggle.

“It’s just a hug, silly Grumpy Pants,” Izzy said, smiling innocently as she released the earth pony.

“To be fair, your hugs can be pretty strong,” Hitch said with a playful chuckle. “And I thought you were helping at the factory as part of your service today, Sprout. What are you doing here?”

“We had to take a break when the power blew,” Sprout said, sounding a bit defensive as he went back to his pizza slice. “They don’t know what caused it, so they told me to come back in an hour once they had a chance to look around.”

“Don’t worry, Sherrif. I’m keeping an eye on…” a new voice called out, only to trail off slowly. Star turned and could immediately feel a pit form in the depths of her stomach.

The mare in front of her was none other than Phyllis Cloverleaf. Argyle’s estranged friend, the source of so much hate and fear for the longest time, and Sprout’s mother. She hadn’t changed much at all appearance-wise since last Star had seen her. Blond mane done up in a massive blob above her head. A string of pearls around her neck, sitting snugly against the pink coat. Bright pink glasses framing her light blue eyes as they stared intently at Star.

Star knew that look. It was the look of somepony who had forgotten something and was trying to remember because they knew it was important, but they didn’t know why.

Ok, so not only did we choose to go into The Slice is Right because this is where Argyle and I used to go all the time, but this also just so happens to be the place where Sprout and his mother are having lunch? I know this place is popular, but this surely can’t just be a coincidence, can it?

And the look she’s giving me. It can’t be because she still isn’t used to seeing unicorns. And I doubt it’s because I’m with Sunny and her friends. But why is she looking at ME if she’s forgotten someth—

Wait…Wait wait WAIT! I met Phyllis in pony before. Not often, but there were at least two times Argyle and I ran into her while I was in disguise. Does she—

“I know you,” Phyllis said, her eyes going wide.

She remembers me, Star thought, her body tensing despite the soft touch of her daughter’s coat against her own. So much for putting this encounter off until things have calmed down. She gulped slightly, never taking her eyes off Phyllis’ as the unicorn’s eyes darted up to Star’s horn, then back to her eyes. Star could see the mix of shock, confusion, and uncertainty written as clear as day on Phyllis’ face, but there, surprisingly, wasn’t any hostility.

Yet.

“You do?” Sprout, Hitch, and Sunny all asked at the same time, while Zipp, Pipp, and Izzy shot them confused looks.

“Yes,” Phyllis said softly. “Years ago. You were with Argyle. Not always, but, whenever I saw you around town, you were always with him. Always talking with him about his trips, about his research. Always by his side as he guided you through town…Always wearing a hat.” Her eyes looked up again, and Star could quite literally feel the magic move through the groves of her horn as Phyllis gazed at it. A faint glow lit up her horn, as if Star’s magic was acknowledging the attention and demonstrating that it did, in fact, exist. “You’re a unicorn. You WERE a unicorn. A unicorn was visiting Maretime Bay, decades before Izzy came to town…and nopony noticed. I didn’t notice! How—what—why?”

“Nopony thought that a unicorn would try to hide in plain sight,” Star said, her voice calm despite the squirming of her stomach. She…didn’t know how to feel right now. This was the pony who had fomented so much of the fear and hate in Maretime Bay. Who had always criticized what Argyle was trying to do despite once being his friend. Who Argyle had put in his will to request she make sure the lighthouse was maintained until Sunny came of age. Who had recognized her mistake, and whose commitment to try and make peace with the other races had led to the return of magic.

Argyle always said that he had wanted to renew their friendship if she would just stop with the anti-unity propaganda. How would he have felt about her trying to turn over a new leaf so many years later?

“Who are you?” Phyllis asked.

It wasn’t loud. It wasn’t forceful. It wasn’t accusatory.

It was the voice of a pony who had just learned something that fundamentally threw a world they thought they knew into question. It was the same tone Star had used when she had first talked with Argyle all those years ago, as the lies of Bridlewood slowly began to unravel before her.

Star opened her mouth to answer, but just like when meeting her own daughter, no words came out. How did she even begin to answer that question? She was a scientist. She was Argyle’s wife. She was a unicorn. She was a pony who had searched for a way to end the separation of the tribes for decades. She was one of the only unicorns who cared about bringing magic back. She was, as far as she knew, the only pony aside from Argyle to explore all three settlements well before Sunny had reunited the crystals.

I’m a scientist, an explorer, a unicorn, but none of those feel quite right…

She was—

“Her name is Shining Star,” Sunny said, her voice firm and strong, “and she’s my mother.”

Phyllis’s mouth dropped open in shock, while Sprout began choking on the crust of his pizza. Hitch gave the poor colt a good smack on the back to dislodge the blockage, but even that didn’t stop Sprout from almost fully focusing on Star.

“Your mother is a unicorn? You’re Argyle’s wife?!” Phyllis exclaimed, her hoof pointing sharply at Star as if to ensure that she wasn’t misunderstanding Sunny’s words.

“Yes,” Star said, almost on instinct. “Widow, technically, but…yes. On both counts,” She draped a leg over Sunny’s back, taking comfort in her daughter’s presence as the familiar tang of loss invaded her chest. Sunny leaned into the grip, letting out a content sigh. Phyllis, meanwhile, looked even more unsure how to react than she had a few minutes ago.

But she doesn’t look upset or angry. She mostly looks…at a loss. Like she didn’t know this was even possible. As if some things suddenly make sense yet don’t make sense at the same time. I’ve seen that look before from when I first met Argyle and, to a lesser extent, Scout. I probably look like her too right now.

“Well, that explains a lot,” Sprout said, causing all heads to snap towards him. It was also then that Star realized that they had, once again, attracted quite the audience, as everypony in the building was currently staring at them. Even the cooks had come out of the kitchen, likely to see what was causing the disturbance, and were now watching the exchange in awe. Star really hoped this excess of attention didn’t last forever.

“It does???” almost everypony exclaimed all at once. Even Phyllis.

“Well, yeah, kinda. I mean, no offense Sunny, but your ideas have always been a little bit…out there.”

“Hey!” Sunny protested, her face morphing into an annoyed glare.

“I’m not saying you were WRONG!” Sprout exclaimed, holding up his hoofs in defense before muttering “Even if I think all this unity stuff is going too fast.” He shook his head before speaking normally again. “But you did always look at things differently than everypony else. Even before everything when crazy when Izzy came to town, you constantly tried to convince everyone that unicorns and pegasi could be our friends. And you persisted for years despite everypony telling you it wouldn’t work or could be dangerous. You even let Izzy out of the unicorn box knowing it would cause everypony to start panicking again!”

“You included,” Sunny said, a sly playful smugness leaking into her tone. Sprout blushed slightly but didn’t appear to be deterred.

“Well, yeah! No pony had ever seen a unicorn before! Even now, Izzy is a bit…much, sometimes. And trust me, given Hitch’s ‘Friendship Lessons,’ I would know. Even if she does get me a pizza at the end of our time together and sometimes helps me with my community service, just being around her can be exhausting. Errr, no offense, Izzy.”

“None taken! The unicorns back home used to say the same thing all the time,” Izzy said with far more cheer than Star thought possible.

She really does enjoy being somepony who breaks the mold. I wonder if that’s why she decided to come to Maretime Bay after finding Sunny’s lantern.

“But the point is,” Sprout continued, “you and your dad always viewed things differently than everypony else. And if your dad was married to a unicorn, then that would explain so much about him! Why he was always researching, why he always had all these stories about Twilight Sprinkle—

“Sparkle,” Sunny and Star corrected simultaneously.

“Whatever. But so much of what he was saying and why he didn’t believe in what we were taught finally makes sense now! I’m still trying to get used to this…magic stuff, but I can see why he at least wanted us to give it a chance.”

He gave a shrug, and as though on cue, his stomach let out a loud grumble. “You know, I wonder if he knew any new pizza recipes from the unicorns. Scary magic or not, pizza is pizza, and I would love to try some of those once that new pizza place opens across town.”

“He did, though he always preferred the Maretime Bay ones,” Star said, needing to suppress a small giggle. “He always thought ours had too much moss.” Sure, he didn’t hate moss, but Star could understand how it was a more acquired taste after trying earth pony and pegasi food.

“So much that…I didn’t know about him. That I never bothered trying to know,” Phyllis said, bringing her hoof to her forehead as her eyes slowly drifting back to Star. She could tell that Phyllis was feeling overwhelmed.

It’s always hard at first, Star thought sympathetically. Learning that the world isn’t what you think. It takes time to adapt, to learn to roll with all the changes the world is throwing at you.

There was also a look in Phyllis’s eyes that Star couldn’t quite place. A…mourning perhaps? A regret over words not spoken? A sadness at not being able to make amends?

Whichever it was, Star felt something stir in her chest as she gazed into those eyes.

She and Argyle were friends once. But they never managed to reconnect before it was too late. And now she knows why he was uncompromising in his support for unity. Because of me. Because of Scout. Because of Sunny, a pony whose mere existence is proof that we can be united despite everything that separates us from one another.

Maybe…I can do something for Phyllis. Give her some closure, at least. I know Argyle would want me to help her. To make sure she has the best chance in this new world we were working for. After all, unity was always meant to make things better for everypony, no matter how against it they may have been in the past.

“Sunny, can you go order me a Cheesy Supreme?” Star asked, looking at her daughter gently. Sunny looked up at her in surprise. “And place orders for everypony else too? I think Phyllis and I need to talk for a little bit. At least until the pizzas are ready. If that’s ok with Phyllis, at least.”

“I…Yes, I think we need to talk,” Phyllis said, her voice still full of uncertainty. “Maybe not all at once, but…”

“Even a small step of progress is still a step forward,” Star said. She couldn’t help but feel she had read that line somewhere before, though for the life of her she couldn’t remember where. But that wasn’t important right now.

“I…ok,” Sunny said, her voice hesitant as she looked between Star and the order counter. “Just…don’t go too far, ok?”

Star just smiled and hugged her daughter again.

“I’ll be right over here. I promise I won’t be going anywhere.” It was only by some miracle that Star didn’t cry as she spoke. The dreadful memory of the day she left bubbled to the surface of her mind, the heartbreak of having to leave her husband and daughter behind as she returned to her old home almost impossible to bear at the time.

But it never had to happen again. Thanks to Sunny, she never had to go through that again, and that simple fact relieved so much of the stress that old memory stirred up.

“Sprout, why don’t you go order another pizza?” Phyllis’s voice asked, pulling Star back to the real world as she released her daughter. “I was coming over to let you know I got a text saying the power won’t be on for another hour at least, and you were working very hard today. And please order me one as well. Something tells me I might need it.”

“Oh, uh, sure thing, Mommy,” Sprout stammered, quickly slipping out of his place in the booth and retreating over to where Hitch had gotten into line. Star smiled slightly at the sight, and after giving Sunny a last nod of encouragement, began to walk towards the booth.

Sunny still looked uncertain, but Izzy was quick to bound up next to her and whisper something in her ear. Star couldn’t hear what she said, but given how Sunny relaxed a little bit, she could only assume it was something reassuring, if a bit silly.

Joking around earlier or not, I am glad that Sunny and Izzy have such a good friendship. I get the feeling that they will be looking out for each other for years to come.

“Have you…had the Cheesy Supreme before?” Phyllis asked hesitantly as Star sat down opposite her. The bench was just as plush and comfy as Star remembered, and her positioning let her see out the large window at the front of the building. The mob was still out there recording everything, watching intently through the glass even though Star was sure they wouldn’t hear anything.

I wonder if anypony out there can read lips…No, focus, Star.

Though given the number of ponies inside that were also subtly watching her, Star was sure that stories of what was said would soon be spreading just as quickly as news of her relationship with Sunny.

The only known unicorn with an earth pony daughter speaks one-on-one with the pony who used to create unicorn traps and other anti-non-earth pony devices and whose son nearly started a war. I can almost see the headlines now.

“This was the first thing Argyle bought for me when I came to Maretime Bay,” Star said softly, noticing a small twitch of Phyllis’ right leg at the mention of Star’s visit. “He had already visited Bridlewood, and he wanted me to see how his favorite foods compared to mine.”

“The Cheesy Supreme was always one of his favorites,” Phyllis said softly. “Right behind the Mushroom Mix. He always used to get one or the other when we came here after school. But…things changed. It was slow at first, with him asking a few questions, pointing out a few inconsistencies in our textbooks, things like that. But the changes just kept growing in intensity. He started his research, started questioning everything we had been taught, started questioning…if the other races were dangerous.”

“And from what he told me, that led to arguments. Am I recalling that correctly?” Star asked.

Phyllis nodded. “It did, but…not right away. Things were…civil. At first,” she said, sighing softly. “I was always set to inherit Canterlogic from my father, a factory whose entire purpose was to create tools to stop unicorns and pegasi. Between that and the fact that my family was always talking about how we needed to protect the town, the idea that the other races were dangerous was always just something that I assumed to be true. All the staff talked about it, the city board would talk about it whenever they came to visit, ponies would talk about it during our showcases. It was always a part of the conversation, but Argyle…one day we were here, and he just got up and left when the topic came up. He seemed…I’m not quite sure. Uncertain? Frustrated? Both, maybe? Then, when it came up again at a party a few days later, he asked how we knew that.

“How did we know the other races were dangerous? Had we ever seen a unicorn or pegasi? Had our parents? He wasn’t hostile or rude, but he seemed like there was something bothering him. Like there was some nagging doubt in the back of his mind that he just couldn’t overcome. I tried to ask him about it, but he always just said he was probably overthinking things. That he was just tired of the topic being brought up so frequently – in his defense, ponies did talk about it a lot. I told him that he could talk to me about it, but he didn’t seem interested in sharing his thoughts on the matter, at least with me. I kept the offer open to him and moved on, not thinking anything would come of it at the time. However, when he turned eighteen…”

“He started his research,” Star finished, nodding. “He began pointing out all the problems with what you thought was true. Poking holes in things that many earth ponies had assumed were true.”

“Yes, and all because he found what he said was an ancient letter written by Princess Twilight. One that he refused to turn over to anypony. He took a photo of it to give to the library so ponies could read it, purely for documentation, or so he said, but he refused to let anyone see the real document. He didn’t even budge when the librarian Arc tried to convince him to let the library analyze the letter to see if it was real. Nor did he say where he got it or where he kept it.”

“It was in the book his dad gave him,” Star said. It felt odd to say after so many years of keeping it a secret for Argyle, but some part of her deep consciousness told her that Argyle would want Phyllis to know this after so long. “The old journal detailing Princess Twilight’s adventures with her friends. It was hidden in a secret compartment that could only be opened with the earth pony crystal.”

“THAT’S where it was?” Phyllis exclaimed in shock, a flash of realization spilling across her face. “Once he started his research, he started carrying that book around with him sometime. I once saw him reading it right here in this restaurant and taking notes on it. He was oddly protective of it, and I never understood why he cared so much about a bunch of old fairy tales. That book – he kept it safe more than anything else he owned.”

“Because he knew it wasn’t just a bunch of stories,” Star said with a nod. “It was an ancient piece of history, written by ponies who lived through the adventures detailed within. One that nopony would believe.”

“Me included,” Phyllis said with a sigh, sagging slightly in her seat. “It was around this time that I was starting to work more at the factory and more closely with the city board that runs Maretime Bay. Argyle…he had started to change, even needing to be escorted out of the library one day for yelling at the head librarian. But even after apologizing and being let back in, he still had this…anger in him that I had never seen before. His father was worried about it and being a new member of the city board in town, I began to worry about it too.

“I tried to talk to him, but, looking back, it was more like I was trying to stop him. He just wanted to learn the truth, to learn why our history was so jumbled and confusing, no matter how uncomfortable that truth might be. I couldn’t understand that, or I didn’t want to, it’s hard to tell. And for a time, longer than I probably deserved, he was patient with me. He was systematic, trying to talk through my counter points, trying to make his argument in a calm and rational way. They were more like debates.

“But he only had so much patience, and as he worked his way through all that we had both been taught, as he pointed out the flaws in my arguments, I became less respectful. I became frustrated and defensive, unwilling to see that his points had merit. And one day, I just, snapped at him. I yelled at him for being so difficult and unreasonable. He responded in kind, shouting that we didn’t know that the other races were dangerous. That we had no proof because no pony had ever seen a unicorn or pegasus. That the company products might be defending us from a threat that didn’t even exist.

“It was jarring to hear him lose his cool like that. I remember being so shocked that I couldn’t respond for a few minutes when he finally stopped. Things changed after that. Our talks became arguments, and just mentioning that pegasi or unicorns were dangerous would be enough to get him to shut down a conversation cold. Or, if I were to yell at him, he would start yelling back at me. I usually ended up screaming that so many ponies couldn’t be wrong, at which point, our conversation was over…”

“You weren’t the first one to think that, and you certainly won’t be the last,” Star said as reassuringly as she could. Argyle had told her about these fits of anger, about how he would try to bottle up his feelings until they would eventually explode out, usually around Phyllis or other ponies who tried to convince him to stop. They had been most prevalent during the early days of his research.

Arc the librarian had been the one to help Argyle with this problem. Arc was willing to listen to Argyle’s frustrations and concerns without judgement, taught him exercises to calm down, and worked with him to direct his frustrated energy into more productive tasks like his research or household chores. He has also assisted Argyle with clearing his jumbled thoughts on what they had discovered during their research, going so far as to aid Argyle in coming up with his theory that the three races had once been friends, but that he wasn’t sure if they could be again.

It had been that uncertainty of whether unity could happen again that convinced Argyle to continue his research outside of Maretime Bay.

“And it was a frustrating time for both of you,” Star continued. “Argyle because he felt that he had been lied to for his entire life and that almost no pony seemed to care, and you because you were raised to maintain the status quo and Argyle was disrupting that, intentionally or not. That’s what he always told me, at least, when he talked about Maretime Bay during his foalhood.”

“That sounds about right,” Phyllis said, nodding. “My father always told me that the role of Canterlogic was to protect ponies. To keep them safe. But with the questions Argyle was asking, it worried ponies, the city board and the mayor especially. And that worry only got worse once he started on his trips. His dad was in shambles when he left for the first time, and I barely slept until he came back a few days later. I was just so worried something might happen to him. Almost nopony else had left town before, and despite our arguments, I couldn’t stand the thought of him being hurt.

“But then he left again. And again. And soon ponies began to worry not only about his safety, but if he might lead something back to us unintentionally. And the city board couldn’t figure out what to do about that. Some ponies wanted to just pass a law saying ponies weren’t allowed to leave the town, but a majority of the city board and my family refused to support such an idea. It just wouldn’t be right, and some worried it might lead to other oppressive rules down the line if there was a precedent like this. Plus, a few ponies did technically leave the borders of the town to get flowers or materials for their shops or livelihoods, so it wouldn’t be fair to punish them just because of concerns about Argyle.

“So, because I knew Argyle, because I had grown up a good friend of his, the city board asked me to try and talk some sense to him. Though at the time, they made it sound more like I was to give him an intervention. To show him that his actions were causing problems in town and get him to stop, at the least, if only to try and protect everypony else. It…was a lot to ask, and looking back on it…I feel like they almost forced the role onto me. But…I was told I was doing what I could to protect Maretime Bay…so, I did it. And…I tried, I really did. I met with him whenever he came back, I did my best not to mention the other races, I tried to learn about what he was studying so we could rebuild our connection…

“And he made an effort too. He tried showing me his work, tried explaining what he had found out in the world, tried to show me that I didn’t need to be afraid. But it never truly worked. I just couldn’t overcome my own fears. Couldn’t accept that everything my family had worked for had been for nothing. We just…couldn’t go back to what we had before…And even when I thought I might be getting close to convincing him, something changed in him…

“I…he came back from one of his trips, and I just knew that there was nothing I could do to convince him. A time when, a few years after he first left Maretime Bay, he changed in a way I couldn’t understand. Something had solidified in his mind, something that proved to him that he was right. And when that happened…I knew Argyle wasn’t going to stop searching, wasn’t going to stop his research, wasn’t going to give up. Even if everypony in town was against him, he wouldn’t stop trying to prove something that…that I never could have imagined being true. That almost nopony would have been able to imagine as being as true. I used to think that he was just too stubborn to see reason. That he was putting himself at risk for a fantasy. The shift was so intense that some part of me even thought he might have been brainwashed by a unicorn. Only now…

“Now I see it wasn’t stubbornness, it wasn’t a fantasy, and it certainly wasn’t brainwashing. It was knowledge and determination. He never gave up on unity because he knew something nopony else did. Not me, not the city board, not the mayor, not even his parents. He knew you.”

“It’s easier to hate a faceless enemy, rather than one you have gotten to know,” Star said, nodding gently. “I was in the right place at the right time. We saved each other’s lives, and once we started talking, we knew that things could never go back to the way they used to be for us. And in truth, it wasn’t just me.” Phyllis’ eyes widened in confusion, and Star gave her a little grin. “A few months after we met, we were saved from a bad thunderstorm by a pegasus named Star Scout. He was old, grouchy, and a bit of a goof, but he became one of our best friends.”

“Star Scout,” Phyllis muttered, her gaze drifting over towards the counter. Star followed suit, chuckling softly at the sight. Sunny and the others had almost reached the front of the line. Sprout was trying to edge away from the excitedly bouncing Izzy, only for her to bounce ever so slightly closer with every step he took away. Pipp and Zipp were in deep discussion and kept pointing to different pizzas on the menu, while Hitch kept trying to impose himself between them and direct their attention to the custom pie option. Sunny was the only one who looked fully ready to order, though she chose that exact moment to look back at Star with a bit of concern on her face.

Star wasn’t sure if it was concerned over Phyllis or just to make sure Star was still there, but regardless, Star just nodded reassuringly, earning a soft, warm smile from her daughter in return. It made Star’s heart flutter with motherly love.

If only Scout and Argyle could be here to see that smile.

“Scout was more than just a friend,” Star continued, turning back to Phyllis with a surprising amount of difficulty. “He was somepony who helped Argyle and I realize that we wanted to be more than friends, oversaw our wedding ceremony, and helped to deliver Sunny. He was old and retired, but just like us, he had begun to notice the cracks in the lies we had all been told and, deep down, wanted to know the truth of the world. Without him, Argyle and I might never have realized just how much we cared for one another. And Sunny…”

Star didn’t need to finish her sentence. She could see the understanding deep within Phyllis eyes. The look of a mother who couldn’t imagine a world without her children.

“I never did find out from Argyle who Sunny’s mother was,” Phyllis said softly, staring down at the table. “She was just…there one day, riding in a foal carrier on his side. A small little filly, only a year old at most, yet nopony had seen her before. I don’t know what Argyle told his parents, or didn’t tell them, and I don’t know how things worked out between them when this all came to light. All I know is that Argyle had a DNA test done to confirm that Sunny was indeed his, though he only ever told me and his parents about that, and that they accepted her as their granddaughter and gave her all the love they could. He would never say where she had come from to me.

“Rumors swirled for almost three years. That he had found her in the wilderness, left to die by the pegasi or unicorns. That he had found another town of earth ponies and fell in love with somepony there. That he found an ancient artifact powered by unicorn magic that gifted him with a foal as a single wish. A lot of them were crazy, and yes, I know how ironic that sounds given what Canterlogic used to make, but as time went on and she grew up like any other foal, the rumors slowly died out. It helped that Argyle’s parents were defensive of Sunny and made it abundantly clear that they accepted her. But…nopony was even close to realizing the truth…”

“Not many would guess that her mother was a unicorn, even if they did guess that I had willingly left Sunny and Argyle for years, regardless of the reason,” Star said, shuddering slightly at the memory of returning to Bridlewood with nothing but a few photos and a fake, painful smile. ‘For years’ could very well have turned into ‘forever’ if the races hadn’t been reunited. The idea of never being able to see Sunny again without potentially upending her life was one of the things that had kept Star searching for a way to reunite the races far more than any other. “Was she…treated differently because of that lack of clarity?”

“Not that I know of,” Phyllis answered, and Star could hear the honesty in her voice. “My thought was that he had fallen in love with another earth pony, possibly one who traveled from some other, unknown settlement, and had needed to take care of Sunny after something happened to the mother. Not fully incorrect, I suppose, but nopony ever even considered that she might have a parent who wasn’t an earth pony.”

“I’m still sense a ‘but,’” Star said softly. She could hear it Phyllis’ tone. A sense of regret, of shame.

“There is,” Phyllis sighed, slumping further into her seat. “Argyle stopped traveling so much once Sunny was here in Maretime Bay. Not completely, but he left far less frequently than he did before and always made sure to have someone to watch Sunny for a few days when he did. I thought that, maybe, this would mean that he would stop his research. Stop pushing his idea that the three races didn’t need to be enemies. That Sunny would help him see that the world could be dangerous, and that he needed to focus on keeping her safe.

“Looking back, he did keep her safe, but not in the way anypony was expecting. He homeschooled Sunny, refusing to let her go through the same education we had when we were foals. The city board was uncertain about this at first, but when she scored at the top for Equish, science, and math, it was clear that he was teaching her the essentials. She wasn’t the first pony to be homeschooled, and so long as she continued to meet the necessary milestones, there wouldn’t be any grounds for moving her into the public school. I am glad that Hitch and the other foals were still willing to try and befriend her, however, especially seeing as she was the only pony being homeschooled at the time.”

“Only Earth Pony History was a problem, if I recall correctly?” Star said curiously. “I’m surprised the city board didn’t do anything about that.”

Phyllis nodded. “Argyle was teaching her what he had learned, what his research had discovered, what Princess Twilight and her friends had supposedly been like in the distant past. He did teach her about the town’s past based on what he and Arc had discovered, but the city board and school system were split on whether that should count as a passing grade. It…ponies had concerns, but with how well she did in every other topic, and because Arc’s book was technically the town’s history, it was decided by the city board to let that issue slide. Nopony thought anything would come of it. At least, not until she started causing trouble at Canterlogic’s annual showcase a few years after Argyle…well... But by then, Hitch had become the new sheriff, and he was certain that she would come around to how everyone else thought with enough time…

“It…didn’t stop him from needing to lock her up occasionally for taking things a bit too far, such as when she replaced the Canterlogic banners with banners spreading her message, if only to give her a warning about her behavior. But those stays in the police station were usually quick, and she never made the same mistake twice. She’s smart and she refused to change her outlook on unity. She refused to accept that the other races might be dangerous, no matter how many times everypony told her otherwise. She was just as dedicated as her father, if lacking the subtlety he developed over time.”

“Don’t count me out of the blame for that side of her,” Star said somewhat jokingly. “I was pretty darn stubborn when I was young too. I spent years trying to learn magic, and even after I met Argyle, I was typically the one that suggested things that got us into trouble most often.”

“What kind of trouble?” Phyllis asked, her head tilting curiously.

“Well, let’s see…” Star hummed in thought. “Getting lost in the rainstorm was partly my fault as I wanted to explore around the base of Zephyr Heights and didn’t want to wait until the next day. I was the one that suggested and later insisted on sneaking into all three settlements so we could search the libraries for information, which may have resulted in the Zephyr Heights guards carrying tennis balls around. There was that time I got stuck in the basement of a dilapidated house when the first floor collapsed and Argyle had to spend half a day digging me out. Then there was that incident with the Crystal Swamp that ended with us both stuck in mud for a good three hours until a horned toad came by and jumped in the mud and knocked us loose.”

“Wow. When you mention all that, I think I can see why you and Argyle got along so well,” Phyllis said, smiling softly. “He always had this sense of adventure and discovery about him, whether it be a new book he was reading or the stars up in the sky. He…he would have been so proud of Sunny for all she’s done.”

Star could feel the grief in her words. She could see the sadness deep in Phyllis’s eyes. As she spoke, Star could feel a sympathetic tug deep inside her heart. Argyle had held a place in both their lives, and there was a void without him that never truly went away.

“It’s odd,” Phyllis continued, gazing down at her own hooves, “but for the longest time, I envied Sunny. Argyle’s death hit her so hard, but she still managed to bounce back so well as time went on. She never forgot him, never stopped loving him, but she never let that feeling of loss hold her back. Never let it stop her from doing what she thought needed to be done, even if the whole town was standing against her. If anything, it motivated her to work even harder, to push for unity even more passionately, to never stop working for a world that she thought was possible.

“For years, I worked to protect the town the way I thought I had to. I had the support of the mayor, the city board, the sheriff’s department, but looking back on it…so much of that support came out of fear, while Sunny was able to support herself based solely on the memory of her father and the hope of a better world. The hope that everything he had taught her could be true.

“I never questioned my role. Never tried to look past the fear that drove me to run Canterlogic the way I did. It was only when I saw how much Spout was preparing for war that I began to see how much he internalized my rhetoric about the other races, and that I began to have any doubts. But even then, it was only when Sunny told everypony that unicorns and pegasi didn’t have magic that I finally realized how out of control things had gotten. That I was finally confronted with the fact that all that preparation and paranoia had been against ponies who didn’t even pose a threat to anypony.

“I…I still blame myself for what happened. Years of fomenting hate and fear, of pushing for the kind of mob-think that Sprout got swept up in, all because of Canterlogic and our silly inventions. All the while, the other ponies were helping each other. Hitch and Zipp were trying to stop the machine, Queen Haven shielded Alphabittle from the goo bombs, and Sunny saved Izzy from falling out of the lighthouse. It’s why I jumped in front of Sprout’s machine. So that I could try to at least stop the damage I had caused from getting any worse, to try and clean up the mess I had helped create. I…I failed in that regard, but…”

Star could see something in Phyllis’s eyes when she finally looked up. A spark of some kind. A belief that she had seen something incredible, even if it defied explanation.

“But then, when the lighthouse was destroyed…Something happened,” Phyllis whispered. “When Sunny was speaking, when she was asking for us all to finally try and put all this hatred behind us, when she was showing us how destructive this mindset could be, I…I saw him. I…I don’t know if I was hallucinating, or if it was some sort of memory brought on by all the emotions and adrenaline, but…but I could see Argyle. He was standing there, right behind Sunny, looking at me. I…I could almost hear his voice as Sunny spoke.

“He…I got this feeling in my chest that…he forgave me…and that he was sorry. That he forgave me for all those years of stoking fear or us throwing thinly veiled insults at each other. That he was sorry for all those times he was disrespectful or passive-aggressive with me. That despite how bitter our interactions were at the end, that he didn’t want that to define our relationship. That he wanted me to give the other races a chance. That he was still…”

She paused for a moment, her legs shaking slightly against the table and her breathing unsteady. Star didn’t know what to say, so she kept silent and just gave the earth pony some time to center herself. She watched as Phyllis took a few deep breaths, closing her eyes until her legs calmed. After about a minute, the earth pony continued, “That he was still my friend. After that, after everything Sprout and I had both done, I…how could I possibly say no to his child? How could I go back to doing what I had always done after so much chaos caused because of my company and my own fears? And then, when the crystals activated, when Sunny gained her new abilities, I could…I could almost hear him thanking me. Could feel him hugging me as the rainbow of magic spread as far as the eye could see.

“I…I still don’t know if he was really there, or if all the adrenaline and guilt was getting to me, but despite all the changes and all the worry I still have, I think that I made the right choice. I want to say I know I did, but…it’s still just so hard to be sure. To throw off so many years of thinking you were doing the right thing, to accept a new world that is nothing like you thought it would be. Not knowing if you’re taking the proper steps. I was wrong so many times, and I just find it so hard to trust my instincts anymore…Do…do you think Argyle would approve of what I’ve done so far? And the fact that I am trying to be better?”

Star took a moment to think. We’ve just met, and yet you’re already willing to open up to me so much, she thought, a slight chill running up her spine. More than that, you already think I know Argyle better than you do. You are asking me to speak on his behalf because you think that I know him far more than you ever did. You’re questioning whether or not you knew the real him despite all the time you spent together. That’s both touching that you are acknowledging how much I loved him and a bit sad that you are doubting yourself so much.

“I know that he would have approved of what you’ve done since magic returned,” Star said, slowly reaching across the table and gently placing her hoof against Phyllis’. It was shaking slightly, but it was warm to the touch, and though Phyllis’ eyes widened at the contact, she didn’t pull away. “Even years after you split, he always viewed you as somepony he wanted to reconnect with, to overcome the barriers between you and become friends again. He always regretted being unable to find the words to convince you about unity or that would allow the two of you to agree to disagree on your views. He wanted to apologize for all the snark he gave you, that he struggled not to respond defensively to your dismissal of his views. That he didn’t realize how much his rebuttals were driving you away.

“He wanted to let you know that he wasn’t mad at what you had done in the past, and he and I were always searching for a way to show everypony that our lives didn’t need to be defined by fear. For that perfect piece of irrefutable evidence that couldn’t be explained away, even by the stubbornest of ponies,” Phyllis let out a soft chuckle at, clearly knowing who Argyle had been referring to. “I can’t say for certain if you really saw him or not that day, but I know he would be happy to see you working to cast off that weight of terror that had followed you for all these years.

“He still saw you as a friend, and even if the way forward might not be fully clear, he would be proud at you for taking a leap of faith for Sunny, and for all ponykind. He would trust you to keep moving forward, and to help others do the same.”

Phyllis was crying, but Star could see a subtle change in her eyes and posture. An acceptance of sorts, as if a lingering uncertainty over her decision had been erased. She didn’t fully understand what Phyllis had gone through in the wake of magic returning, but Star had a sense that her words had helped the mare find at least a little bit of closure, both to what she had seen that night and her own history with Argyle.

Thank you, my Star…

A pulse of feeling flared through Star’s horn, and the flame of love she and Argyle had shared suddenly burned brightly in her chest, expanding faster by the second.

That voice!

Her heart jumped into her throat as she tried to look around. To find where that voice had come from. To follow the feeling in her soul to find the source of the fire inside her. The flame that rapidly caused the world to suddenly snap into focus even as her vision became blurry with tears. It was as though she could feel an energy in the air itself, trace it as it swirled around and into the ponies nearby, follow it without the need for her eyes or ears.

What…what is this?

“Star?” Phyllis asked uncertainly. “Are you alright?”

“I…yeah. I just…thought I heard something. It’s nothing,” Star said, taking off her glasses so she could wipe her eyes. Phyllis moved to do the same. Yet…

That voice. Was that…Argyle? No, no it couldn’t be. He’s dead. It’s just me getting too swept up in our conversation. Or maybe my magic playing tricks on me. After all, it has been randomly teleporting me all over the place, so there’s no way yet to know if there are any other side-effects. Especially given how powerful my magic is compared to the other unicorns I’ve seen so far.

“Pizza time!”

Izzy’s perky voice yanked Star back to reality, and before she could stop it, her horn flashed, and she and Phyllis swapped glasses.

Really, horn? REALLY!? Now is not the time for crazy teleport shenanigans!

“Izzy!” the rest of the group of ponies chided.

“What? I’m just announcing that lunch is ready?” Izzy said innocently as she plopped a large tray with six personal pizzas and one full-sized pizza down on the table before the two mares.

Oh harmony, that smells so goooooooooooooood, Star thought, her mouth almost instantly starting to water.

“Well, that’s new,” Phyllis muttered to Star, pulling the unicorn’s glasses off her nose and staring at them. “What…did you DO, exactly?”

It was said mostly casually, but Star could hear a subtle undercurrent of tension in the earth pony’s voice. She’s still nervous around magic. That’s understandable. Heck, I’m still a bit nervous about my own magic, though that’s more because I can’t seem to control it!

“That was… accidental teleportation. Sorry about that,” Star said, gently levitating the glasses off her face and back to their owner as Phyllis hoofed Star’s back to her. “My magic appears to take a different form than other unicorns, at least from what I can tell. I have no idea why, but I’m hoping I’ll be able to find some more information back in Bridlewood. Assuming we have books on different magic types, at least. In short, teleporting things – and myself – has become distractingly common, though it usually seems to happen when I get startled. I think it’s a kind of fight-or-flight reaction.”

“That would track with you teleporting in front of the trolley I was about to crash into,” Sunny said with a small giggle. “Though that wouldn’t explain the notebook or the photos.”

“Maybe it’s linked to strong emotions?” Zipp said, humming to herself in thought. “I mean, she was pretty excited to study the Unity Crystals and the photos were very emotional. It could be worth looking into if strong emotions could trigger magical occurrences.”

“That might be a good idea,” Hitch agreed as Star and Phyllis got out of the booth to let the others slide in. “We don’t want someone to lose control of their magic and cause any more problems.”

“Any more problems?” Star asked in mild concern.

Has anypony else been having random spell effects happen? Or is he referring to something else?

GRUMBLE!

“On second thought, why don’t we start eating before we get into that topic?” she amended as her stomach let out a mighty rumble. Phyllis nodded in agreement as she let Sprout enter the booth. Star smiled, her stomach grumbling even more loudly as she caught sight of the Cheesy Supreme.

It looks even cheesier than I remember!

A bit of moving around later, and everypony was seated in the booth and the food was distributed. Star wasted no time grabbing the first bite of her pizza and was immediately in heaven.

It was the perfect blend of fluffy crust, gooey cheese, and warm white sauce all blending together in a familiar nostalgic taste that brought back so many memories. Her and Argyle enjoying lunch by the sea. Grabbing an early pizza breakfast before leaving on their next trip down the coast. Argyle bringing her slices whenever her pregnancy cravings demanded one for her. For some reason, her cravings had only been directed towards Maretime Bay food, pizza and ice cream specifically, which had made her time back home even more difficult during those months.

I wonder if Sunny still loves ice cream as much as she did in all of Argyle’s letters? Star thought to herself, watching as her daughter dug into her own Cheesy Supreme with gusto. Would she be interested in any of the recipes I’ve learned over the years? I could show her how to cook them, and then we could have dinner together with her friends. Or just the two of us.

Whichever she prefers.

Focus, Star. Conversation first, daydreams about cooking with Sunny later.

“So, Hitch, what were those problems you were talking about?” Star asked before taking another bite of her pizza. With her hunger actively being satiated, her curiosity was beginning to gnaw at the back of her mind.

“It’s mainly just problems associated with getting used to having magic, or being around ponies with magic,” Hitch said, frowning slightly. “Pegasi crashing into things as they try to learn to fly or because they’re using their phones while flying, unicorns levitating things and not paying attention to where they are floating or putting too much power into it and causing the item to go flying…”

“Hitch getting covered in fruit when my delivery pegasus crashed,” Sunny giggled.

Hitch grumbled in embarrassment.

“He’s a fruit magnet! Or at least he was during Zipp’s flight school,” Izzy chimed, happily chomping on another piece of her pineapple pizza. “Oh, and when I was trapped in a box that one day, I maaaaaay have caused a bit of damage when I was levitating it around.”

“That was more my fault for not making sure all the traps were disabled,” Phyllis admitted. “Though thankfully only Izzy and Hitch were caught in them before we realized the problem. Still, the problems haven’t been nearly as bad as I thought they might be, though I know some ponies aren’t too happy regardless.”

“They just need to be a little patient,” Pipp said with an eye roll. “The ponies Zipp trained have been helping other pegasi get a handle on their flying, and I even made a few flight tutorial videos to help speed up the process. I’m not too sure about the unicorn magic, but I’m sure they’ll be able to learn control with some time too. I mean, Izzy hasn’t had any incidents since getting her magic back, save for the box thing, of course.”

“What about all the things she’s somehow managed to get stuck to her horn?” Sprout asked, his voice a mix of sarcasm and playfulness. “Apples, tennis balls, that one potted plant, those balls of yarn. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Cabbage Patch be so confused when she got those three cabbages stuck to her head. And don’t even get me started on that time she tried using a pogo stick and got stuck under the bridge.”

“That’s less of a magical problem and more just Izzy being Izzy,” Zipp said with a chuckle. “Still, we should be careful though. If Mom has taught me anything, it’s that ponies can be really resistant to change, even if said change is for the best.”

“Trust me, I know,” Hitch said. “Both from the number of complaints that are already building up in the station, and from the number of times I’ve had to scold Sunny over the years.”

“Hey!” Sunny exclaimed, her cheeks going red.

“Good thing Sunny’s mom is here, then. Now she can scold Sunny instead!” Izzy said happily.

“IZZY!” Sunny squeaked in surprise as Star let out a loud snort of surprise.

Oh dear harmony, I can’t tell if Izzy’s joking or not, but that was actually pretty funny, Star thought as everypony – save Sunny – laughed. Sunny, on the other hoof, groaned and buried her face in her hooves. Star just smiled and gently rubbed her back, trying her best not to giggle at how cute her daughter was when she was embarrassed. That did seem to help, as Sunny leaned into the touch, a small smile working its way across her lips.

“On a more serious note,” Star began once the laughter died down. “Once I’ve settled in a bit, I could help you with trying to address some of the complaints. Given my experience with all three pony races, I might be able to help calm ponies down a bit while everypony gets used to magic coming back.”

“Do you know where you are going to stay?” Phyllis asked curiously. “I would imagine that the redone lighthouse might have enough room, but I could help set you up with something in town if you prefer.”

“Well, if there’s enough room – and if it’s okay with Sunny and her friends, of course – it would be nice to stay at the lighthouse for the time being,” Star said, smiling as she saw a flame of excitement ignite within Sunny’s eyes. “I want to be close to Sunny after so many years apart. Thank you for the offer, though.”

“I would love to have you stay at the light house with us,” Sunny said enthusiastically. “Would that be ok with the rest of you?”

“I’d be fine with that,” Zipp said.

“Same here,” Pipp agreed.

“We can exchange stories about Bridlewood!” Izzy said, nodding in glee.

“Thank you, everypony,” Star said, a warm feeling bubbling in her chest. “I appreciate your willingness to accept me on such short notice. Besides, given my magic’s…let’s say unpredictability, it’s probably better if I live a little bit outside of town for the moment. The last thing we need is me being startled so badly that I teleport into another pony’s house on accident.”

“Yeah, let’s not let that happen,” Sprout agreed as he finished off his pizza. “We get enough jump-scares from Izzy exploding out of random places—wait, where did she—”

“Surprise!”

Star jumped slightly, her magic teleporting a napkin onto Izzy’s horn as she popped up from beneath the table. Sunny grabbed onto Star in surprise, while most everypony else flinched.

Sprout, on the other hoof, squealed like a little filly and launched clear out of his seat before falling into the – thankfully empty – booth behind them with a loud smack.

“I got you another muffin!” the unicorn exclaimed, blissfully unaware (or maybe unfazed – Star wasn’t quite sure) of Sprout’s sheer panic. She placed the confection on Sprout’s empty plate, vanished back under the table, and popped back up between Sunny and Zipp, chomping into her last piece of pizza with a satisfied smile on her face.

“SEE!? Case and point!” Sprout exclaimed dramatically, only his hind hooves and tail visible over the booth’s back. The rest of the table just laughed, with even Phyllis appearing to be holding back a small chuckle as she shook her head in exasperation.

This is the way things should always be, Star thought, wrapping her leg around her daughter as she looked around the table. Everypony coming together. Living alongside one another and sharing in all that life has to offer. No matter what the future holds, we will get through it so long as we stick together.

Author's Note

At last, my next chapter is complete! And honestly, it has been one that I have wanted to write for quite a while.
If anyone saw my last blog post, you know how I feel about G5 ending. And you also know that the biggest problem I had with G5 was just that some of the characters or ideas just didn't get the development they deserved. And while I wanted to try and get this chapter out to coincide with the last episode of Tell your Tale, I am glad that I took the full time to edit it (thank you, Angel, the worlds best fiancee/editor).
But yes, Phyllis makes an appearance, and I hope I was able to give her some of the development that was missing from the main show. I tried hard to make her more than just a Karen causing problems, and to take the light of hope we see at the end of the movie and expand it into something new. I don't know how much of a role she will play in future chapters, but I was glad that I at least managed to give her a bit of development in my own universe.
I hope you enjoyed reading, and a link to my discord can be found below as well as my twitch if you are interested. I hope you all have a wonderful day.

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