Chasing Stars

Stardust and Seyfert were sitting in their living room talking with their now grown children; Saturn, Elara, Apollo, and Comet. They sat around gossiping and catching up as they waited for the family to arrive. It was the first reunion they had all had in years.

“Yea those two are a hoof full,” Saturn says scratching his head, “Prometheus is always getting into things and Rhea is usually the instigator.”

Seyfert just laughed, “Sounds like a certain group of foals we used to are for.” He smirked, looking to Stardust and smiling, “Wasn’t all that long ago you and your brothers and sisters were getting into things and causing trouble of your own.” He looked back to see Saturn blushing and smiling.

“Heh isn’t that the truth.” He heard Apollo say, “Oh the trouble we got into.”

Elara burst into laughter, “As I recall, you were the biggest troublemaker of all!” Apollo grinned sheepishly, not once denying his rambunctiousness as a child.

“Yea I guess you’re-” He started to say before he was interrupted by a loud crash from upstairs.

Saturn’s ears set back and he rolled his eyes, “Those foals are getting into things again… Sorry mom and dad I’ll go take care of it.” As he started to get up and investigate the noise, Seyfert stood up and raised his hoof.

“No you sit, I’ll go get them,” He smiled, “You could use a break for a change eh?” He chuckled before heading off to see what the foals had knocked over.

As he got to the top of the stairs he noticed a vase lying on the floor broken, water dripping out of it and flowers scattered about. He shook his head as he looked around for the guilty foals but didn’t see them anywhere. He began picking up the larger pieces of the vase and the flowers when he heard a scuffling noise coming from the attic, looking up to see the door was opened slightly. He smiled as he quietly walked to the door and opened it the rest of the way. There was a loud creaking sound as Seyfert looked up the stairs that led to the attic, and he heard the scuffling noises again. As quiet as he could he slowly made his way up. As he looked around he didn’t spot anything right away, but upon taking a closer look he noticed two little tails sticking out from under an old tarp. Seyfert couldn’t help but smile as he slowly made his way to the hiding foals.

“Gotcha!” He said as he pulled the tarp off the foals, causing them to jump back and knock a few books off some boxes.

“Grandpa…it was an accident…we didn’t mean to…” Prometheus started to say, “We were just playing and bumped the table please don’t be mad.” He said tears welling up in his eyes.

Seyfert turned to Rhea who was on the verge of tears, “You’re not mad at us are you grandpa?” She whimpered. The look on her face would have made the toughest stallion cry.

Seyfert just smiled as he sat down and picked her up, grasping her in a hug, “Accidents happen, you just gotta let us grown-ups know about them though, we don’t want you two getting hurt or anything.” He smiled as he kissed her forehead.

Sniffling and wiping her eyes Rhea looked up to her grandpa and hugged him, “Thanks papa.” Seyfert had to fight the tear that was begging to be released.

“Hey grandpa, who are these ponies?” Prometheus asked. “This one looks like daddy but he’s little.”

Seyfert turned to see that the little colt had found a long lost album that Stardust had put together years ago. Seyfert set Rhea down and walked over to Prometheus, not taking his eyes off the album. “Here let me see this for a moment.” He said sitting down next to the child, soon after Rhea joined them and sat on the other side of Seyfert. As he flipped through the album, his mind was sent reeling from seeing pictures of friends and family he hadn’t seen in ages; his crazy cousin Blitz, and his good friend from college, Beak, and so many others.

“So who are all these ponies then grandpa?” Prometheus asked.

“And who’s that weird looking griffon?” Rhea chimed in.

“Why don;t you two follow me down stairs and we can share these pictures with the others eh?” He said with a smile.

“OK!” the foals said in unison, both smiling and happy, they had completely forgotten about the vase. Seyfert took the album in his mouth and motioned for the foals to follow him down stairs to where all the other ponies were waiting.

As they entered the living room Saturn was the first to speak, “So what did my little trouble makers do this time?” He chuckled.

Setting the album down on the coffee table, “Oh it was nothing, just a simple vase, it was just an accident anyways.” Seyfert replied.” And look what we found, or should I say these two found in the attic.” He says pointing to the photo album and winking at the foals.

“Is that what I think it is?” Saturn asks his eyes wide. “I haven’t seen that album since I was a little colt.”

“No way, I remember watching mom work on that over the years, I wondered whatever happened to it.” Apollo added.

The the room got quiet, “That can’t be,” Stardust said surprised as she brought a hoof to her wrinkled muzzle. “Well I’ll be..” She murmured, “I lost that darn thing ages ago, how did you two manage to find it?” Dusty, quite laboriously, stood from her seat on the couch and hobbled over on her bad hip to the table where the book lay.. She blew off some dust off the cover, noticing there was a picture inset in the center. She smiled as a tear caught in the corner of her eye. It was a picture of her and Seyfert nearly 35 years ago. “Sey dear…this is a photo of us during that week we spent in Canterlot when we first met.”

Elara, who had been sitting on the couch next to her mother, leaned forward. “Let me see that mom.” She grinned, reaching forward as the two kids, Rhea and Prometheus also rush to the table side.

“Yea I couldn’t believe it either, I thought it had been lost for good when we moved, but it turns out we just forgot to unpack it.” As the others gathered around his dearest, Seyfert made his way over and looked down at the album. “Hard to believe it’s been that long.” He smiled, “Seems like it was just yesterday.” He zoned out as the memories of that week came flooding back. “That was probably one of the best times of my life.” He said as he and Stardust took a seat on the couch opposite from Elara, and soon after lifting the two foals onto his lap so they could get a view.

“Grama you were pretty back then.” Prometheus said looking down at the picture.

“Heh,” Seyfert laughed lightly, “And she still is.” He gently nuzzled Stardust and got ready to open the album. “Oh geez,” He stopped, “Let’s wait for Blossom, I think she would like to see these as well.”

Stardust smiled, leaning into Sey as he nuzzled her. “why thank you Prometheus, you’re so sweet.”

They continued in idle chit chat until Blossom returned from the kitchen with a glass of water. “Oh, what did I miss?” She asked, as she carefully seated herself next to Saturn. He turned to her, nuzzling her abdomen before returning his gaze back to their two children. Saturn and Blossom were expecting their third child very soon.

Stardust gave a warm grin to her daughter in law before opening the photo album, holding it upright for everypony in the room to see. She pointed to one picture in particular of three ponies sitting on a train. “This is me, your grandfather, and your great aunt Aurora on our way to Canterlot. This is the day I met your pappy, and one of the best days of my life.” She smiled broadly as memories came flooding back with each part of the story she told…