Stardate: 2261.93

Location: Night Light Family’s House, Canterlot

Twilight Sparkle stared at the doorknob to her family’s house.

It had been a crazy evening, but it didn’t compare to having seen her brother after so many years of separation. Even more so was his insistence that she could do better than her father. Somepony much nobler and more respectable than she was; a pathetic unicorn mare that was a rebel in more ways than one. Very smart, for sure, but she was nothing more than a sorry excuse for the legacy her father had left behind.

Everything now hinged on this moment. To decide to go to the same place her brother and father went before her, or to continue her life as an outcast, known only by her dad’s name. Was she up to it? Would she truly be able to live up to something like that? She didn’t know, and she knew she wouldn’t until she finally did. Breathing and steeling her resolve, she gently lifted her hoof to the door, and pushed it open.

Taking a breath, she stepped in and called out. “Mom? Are you home?”

She could already smell her mother’s old cooking and relished in the scent. She could hear something hit a pan and the rushing of hooves as her mother turned the corner and came into view. They stood there, the mother and daughter looking at each other before Twilight Velvet began to tear up.

“Twilight?” Velvet whispered, and she rushed to hug her daughter. With nothing to lose, Twilight hugged back, and they shared a tearful moment before releasing from each other. Velvet then put her hoof on Twilight’s cheek, looking into her daughter’s eyes. “How long has it been?” Velvet asked, trying to think of when she last saw her precious Sparkle.

“Too long,” Twilight smiled sadly, “It’s been too long.” They hugged again, and then Velvet forced Twilight to sit at the dinner table as she cooked.

“How are you, mom?” Twilight asked, wanting to know what she had been up to. She was also curious as to what she was making, but she kept that question silent. Her mother, however, chose not to answer.

As she rushed around trying to fix everything up, she asked Twilight a question. “Why are you here, Twilight?” she asked, adding some spices to whatever her creation was. “I’m so very glad to see you, but you wouldn’t have come here unless you had a reason.” She floated some plates and utensils over to the table before adding, “A very good reason.”

Twilight stayed silent for a moment. Velvet flicked her ears back in an attempt to hear whatever Twilight might say while she worked away.

“...Shining… I saw Shining Armour tonight…” Twilight breathed, and Velvet stopped for a second.

“Yes… he came by to say hi as well,” Velvet murmured, turning off the stove and preparing the food onto some platters. “He told me you might be coming by soon… and I’m very glad you did.”

“Does that mean… that he…?” Twilight whispered and Velvet nodded, floating the food to the table.

“I’m just glad you’re not hurt more than just a few sore muscles and a stinging horn,” Velvet said in disprovement and Twilight winced.

“I’m sorry, mom,” Twilight gloomed. She watched with disdain as Velvet filled her plate with food. “But Shining… he made an offer. He said I should join Starfleet. That he saw more in me than… than just what I am right now.” Twilight Velvet was now looking at her daughter with a look that can only be described as a mother’s concern.

“He said… he saw my potential. That I might even be able to do… to do better than dad…” Twilight finished, with fresh new tears on her face. She looked up from her plate to her mother, who now moved to comfort her only daughter.

“I’ve always known you can do better,” Velvet whispered, soothing Twilight as she cried into her mother’s embrace. “Call it a mother’s intuition, but I’ve always know you were meant for something more, something special.”

“B-but sh-should I join Starfleet, mom?” Twilight stuttered as she sobbed. “W-what should I d-do? It took Dad away… it t-took Shining away… n-now it’s going to take me from you t-too.”

“You would be a part of something greater, my little Spark,” Velvet cooed, “I will be proud of whatever decision you make, Twilight. But your dad… he was a great stallion, Twilight. He believed in Starfleet. A peace organization that stretched across the stars.” Velvet turned her daughter’s head to look at her. “I will be happy knowing you are doing the same thing your father did… establishing peace among the stars, exploring where no one has gone before. But you must be the one to make this decision, Twilight. It is your life to live. Just like Shining, you must be strong. Just like… just like Night Light, you have to be courageous.”

Velvet smiled into her daughter’s uncertain eyes as she began to tear up as well. “Be the mare you were meant to become. Be Twilight Amicae Sparkle.”

Stardate: 2261.94

Location: The Friendship Express, En Route to Matterhorn Shipyard

Twilight had a lot to think about as dawn broke over the mountains. After a night well rested, Twilight had embarked early on a train to Matterhorn Shipyard, nestled in the refuge of a valley surrounded by mountains.

She stared out the window, looking at the beautiful morning colours spreading across the sky, beams of light breaking on the ground through the mountain range. She would be leaving all of this… leaving her mom, her home, her past…

What would become of her now?

In no time at all, she finally reached Matterhorn Train Station and she stepped out of the train, taking in the shipyard in the short distance. With a little hesitation, she took a deep breath and began to walk. Soon, she made it to the shipyard, and could see the shuttle being boarded by cadets in uniforms of red. Glancing at her own nakedness, she frowned and then shrugged. As she neared the shuttle, she saw the one pony she needed.

“Shining,” Twilight said, “Just watch. I can do it in three.”

Shining Armour could only look at her sister with a proud smile that meant the whole world to her. “I’ll be watching.”

“You better be,” she called out before she boarded the shuttle and saw that most of the seats were taken. Seeing some of the ponies from the night before, she smiled flatteringly, batting her eyes.

“Gentlecolts,” she said as she passed by, and she could hear them snort in indignation. She smiled even wider. As she finally found a seat surrounded by empty ones, she buckled up only to see a polychromatic mane in the same aisle. Apparently, the mare had taken to noticing her as well.

“If it isn’t Twilight Sparkle,” the rainbow-maned mare said. Twilight waved a hoof in greeting at Dash.

“I would like to think so, Rainbow Dash,” she grinned.

“Recover nicely from that pretty cool beating?”

Twilight conspicuously checked a bruise on her foreleg and shrugged. “I’m working on it.” Dash then laughed before turning her attention away to the friends she was sitting with. Twilight’s smile quickly fell before she then heard shouting coming from her left. Straining to understand what they were saying, she turned her head to look for the source.

“-ease sit down, miss!” A formal sounding voice said.

“I’d rather not, thank you very much!” a pony with something akin to a fancy accent stated.

“You need a doctor,” the formal voice said. Finally, they came into view and she saw a uniformed official trying to push a white-coated mare into the passenger area, where everypony was seated.

“How many times have I told you I don’t need a doctor, I am a doctor.” The purple maned pony tried to push past the official but she stood firm.

“Miss, you really need to get back to your seat, now!”

“I had a perfectly fine seat in the bathroom, however unsanitary it was, so if I may get back-”

“I insist you sit down, Miss, for your own safety!” the official commanded.

“I suffer from aviophobia. Do you not know what that is? It means a fear of dying in something that flies!” she argued.

“Miss, there are no excuses, so please, sit down!”

Finally, it seemed that the alabaster mare gave up, seeing that the Starfleet officiator would not budge. Grumbling to herself, she found a seat beside Twilight as they were practically the only one’s left vacant. Twilight quickly began to whistle while looking elsewhere as she buckled up, and it then died as she looked at the mare.

“Just saying,” the white unicorn said as she pulled out a silver object from her saddlebags, “I may throw up on you.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow and motioned to the aircraft around them. “I think these things are pretty tight, literally and metaphorically.” She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion when the purple-maned mare gave a light chuckle.

“Don’t cater to me, darling,” she smiled wryly, “One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in less time than you can say the ABC’s. Celestia might think it funny and cook us in our seats with one of her solar flares. Just wait until you’re sitting pretty with a case of the Canarrion flu. Let’s see how you relax when your insides are melting.” She took a swig of whatever was in her flask before continuing. “Space is a disease. It harbours danger and darkness and silence.”

Twilight looked at the mare sitting beside her with wonder and confusion. “Well… I hate to break this to you but Starfleet does operate in space.”

Rarity, just stared at her flask with an exhausted face. “Yeah? Well, I’ve got nowhere else to go. The lawsuit took the whole damn planet with it. A bratty, spoiled, uncultured…” she sighed as she stopped herself. “Anyway, everything is gone. All I’ve got left are my gems.”

Twilight looked at her with a newfound respect and nodded. The mare then looked at Twilight with a grateful smile before offering her drink to Twilight. Twilight took it in kind with her magic.

“Twilight Sparkle. You can call me Sparks,” Twilight nodded before taking a drink herself and hoofing it back.

“Belle. Rarity Belle,” Rarity introduced, and they shook hooves. After a few moments of awkward silence as they sat waiting for the last of the recruits, her brother’s voice came onto the intercom.

“If you would all buckle in, this is Captain Armour speaking! We have been cleared for takeoff, so sit tight.”

And just like that, the journey of a lifetime began.

Author's Notes:

A little late, but here's the Star Bound chapter of the week!

If you haven't already, please comment on how my story is going! I appreciate every comment and will gladly take criticism!

Stay awesome, y'all!