Ch 10 - First Stroke of Bad Luck

----------(SOMEWHERE IN AN UNDERGROUND DIM-SUM¹ RESTAURANT IN QILIN TOWN, 11:00 PM)----------

The underground criminal atmosphere within the seedy restaurant was positively celebratory with the clapping kirin and Far Eastern Equestrian audience. The underground area was brightened up with glowing yellow-tinted oil lanterns hanging from the ceilings and mounted on the ebony panel walls. Just like with any other typical dim-sum restaurant, an inlaid golden dragon was embedded into a hard red velvet-covered wall at the south side of the restaurant. At the north side of the restaurant was a stage with a middle podium, in which a plugged-in microphone was placed on top and connected to two surround-sound loudspeakers. Among the crowd, there were around nine to ten well-dressed kirins and/or Far Eastern unicorns seated at one of each 12 large round tables covered with a white silk tablecloth. Each restaurant table had a large round spinning lazy Susan² with a pot of pink and red roses in the middle.

Within the underground restaurant, each table also had a serving of one large glass green bottle of champagne, in which each guest was given as they held out their respective crystallized wine glasses. Each guest was given a white ceramic plate, a pair of chopsticks, napkins, silver spoon and a silver fork to help chow down on their dinner meals. The food that was being served at the underground restaurant is the type of delicacy that would be illegal to sell open wide, as most of the foods were either meats of exotic/endangered species or foods that were under strict regulations in terms of production and sale. Those taboo foods included chimera game meat, poisonous snake meat deep-fried in gutter oil³, boiled penises from manticore meat, fried bufogren eyeballs, roasted bugbear paws and spitroasted cockatrice. Each dish was garnished decoratively with a variety of fruits, such as oranges, tangerines, papayas, honey melons and winter melons to give the delicacy an added unique bedazzling touch.

As every creature was enjoying their illicit brunch meals, one butler kirin dimmed the lights of the ceiling and wall lanterns and announced that the Dragon Head of the Ginseng Triad, his posse and his new godson Sonny Boy will be arriving at the entrance and ordered every gangster, escort girl, mob wife and mistress to give a round of applause when they entered through the door. As soon as the main entrance doors on the west were widely opened, one kirin standing on a stepladder activated a bright spotlight spell from his red horn to shine a limelight on the criminal celebrity known as Ginseng Dragon, his right-hand deputy Delft Blue and his new godson Sonny Boy.

For this special occasion, Ginseng Dragon wore his special white suit and pants decorated with parallel vertical grey lines. Delft Blue was wearing a silk shirt with patterned blooming petunias and black pants, as well as sport his blue-tinted round eyeglasses over his eyes. Lastly, Sunny Boy had a very sleek and short orange mane, wore orange mirrored sunglasses, an orange-and-blue jersey jacket over his white shirt and a pair of green camouflage pants. Every creature who witnessed the new member of the Ginseng Triad and the supposed lost godson of the biggest kirin crime boss in Equestria started applauding cheerfully and calling out "Sonny Boy" as the trio entered the restaurant.

As the kirin bodyguards took their stance behind the trio, every creature gazed at the handsome cool new member and were constantly calling out the godson's name, in hopes that they would catch their attention. However, out of respect, most mature guests called out their crime boss' name first to congratulate him on finding his "long-lost godson", before welcoming the "Sonny Boy" back to his home. To help sell off his lucky boy as his new successor of his criminal empire, Ginseng Dragon wrapped his shoulders around with his right arm as he escorted him to the VIP table, where the highest ranking Triad officers and allied crime bosses, as well as the hottest kirin and Easter Equestrian mares, were honorably seated.

"OH! Please, no 'Sonny Boy'! 'Sonny' alone is just fine", nervously requested the godson as he took a seat at the VIP table.

"See how popular you are with my fellow friends, my godson! All of this could be yours someday!", hollered Ginseng as he sat down and pour a glass of sparkling wine for his godson.

"I SAY that we ALL propose a toast to my long-lost godson, every kirin and every pony!", cried the cheerful Ginseng Dragon as he raised his half-filled wine glass and cried out to the whole restaurant crowd. Every creature started cheering even more loudly and demanded that the boss give a momentous speech at the staged podium.

Honored by the Triad members' kind gesture, Ginseng Dragon and Sonny Boy, with their glasses in hand, went up to the podium, alongside his kirin bodyguards and his right-hand deputy man Delft Blue. As climbed up on the carpeted stage, Ginseng called out to every creature, "Every Triad member, come onto the stage with me! NOW, on your hooves! Quickly now!"

Out of enthusiasm and obedience, every kirin and everypony started to come up to the stage and surround Ginseng Dragon who was occupying the podium. However, since almost every guest in the underground restaurant mostly consisted of Ginseng Triad members, all that was left at their seats were a few foreign black-market business mares, a few butlers still serving the tables and some scantily-dressed buxom kirin escorts in their tight latex dresses. As more gangsters started coming up to the stage, one eccentric white-coated and spiky black-maned gangster stallion with sleek sunglasses decided to stand to the left side of Sonny Boy. He was wearing his tacky radial rainbow shirt and three gold-chained necklaces around his neck as he posed graciously for the nearly non-existent audience.

"WELCOME, every kirin and every pony!", shouted Ginseng Dragon as he addressed the very sparse crowd, while his gangsters crowded around him on the stage.

"For years, I had searched every corner of Equestria in search of my distant godson! This fine stallion unicorn here was to be given my throne to my triad empire once he has become of age!"

Ginseng Dragon continued with his speech, pausing at each highlighting moment to give emphasis for each point

"Now that he has been found, I humbly ask that all of you members assist in his ascension---by taking well care of him like your own son---guiding him through thick and thin---AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, cherish the future memories you will have of him as he ascends to be the New Dragon Head!"

Every creature both behind and in front of Ginseng Dragon started to cheer and clap about his heartfelt speech; even the low-class butlers, waiters and escorts started to congratulate their new future leader of the Ginseng Triad.

"NOW, let us all party while the night is still young!!", bellowed the elated Ginseng Dragon as he raised his glass with the gangsters and every creature yelled "CHEERS!!" before gulping down their vintage champagne.

----------(ONE HOUR OF PARTYING, OPIUM SMOKING, KARAOKE SINGING, EATING AND HEAVY DRINKING LATER)----------

As every imbibed creature exited out into the concrete street parking lot via single brown steel exit door of a Canternese pawnshop in Qilin town, all the D-cup to F-cup kirin escort girls in their racy dresses, skirts and tube tops were gathering around the Dragon Head, his Deputy Officer and the Godson as they express gratitude over tonight's debauchery.

"I feel so deliciously happy as a fat emperor with his concubines! DO YOU FEEL HAPPY TOO, my dearest godson??!!", cheered the drunken Dragon Head.

"YES, I never felt SO alive in my entire life!! I am so glad to be part of this wonderful family!", hollered the deliriously soused Sunburst as he wrapped his arms around two busty kirin girls, who were also being followed by the eccentric spiky-maned stallion.

As the party crowd walked across the nearly empty parking lot surrounded by bricked gardens, one griffon was stalking from within her running grey Stanley 735 Steam car⁴. As the posse walked drunkenly to the right of her version (perpendicular to her line of sight), she cocked her new compact steel crossbow and loaded with her poisonous arrow.

"I know this will all come as a shocker to you at first, Sonny Boy! But when we get back home, everything will fall into place as we work together to build your new future and eventually, you will learn where your true destiny lies!", hollered the stumbling and cloudy-headed Dragon Head as he held on the shoulders of his godson.

"Everything here in Far Eastern Equestria and beyond! Ponyville! Manehattan! Vanhoover! Even Canterlot! All of that is right now under my control, but soon you will inherit my empire once we trained you to be the proper king!", the Ginseng Dragon continued as he slurred his speech.

"HEY, Saan Jyu!! Your Doble⁵ is ready!", shouted the drunken Delft Blue after he revved up the steam boiler with his ignition spell from his red horn.

As the ladies opened all four side-doors, the drunken Ginseng Dragon offered to let Sonny Boy ride the shotgun seat, but out of respect for the new Triad member, Sonny Boy insisted Ginseng get in first. Soon a friendly squabble between godfather and godson began, before Sonny Boy finally gave in and decided to ride shotgun, in exchange of taking a puff from Blue's opium pipe.

As the Griffon Huntress sees her designated target who was now dressed up as a rebel boy, she slowly pulled over next to the Dragon Head's Doble car, took out her crossbow and took aim as the lucky stallion godson entered the dashboard seat of the car.

As the Huntress pulled the trigger on her crossbow, a freakish gust of wind, a sudden slip of a banana peel by Ginseng Dragon (who was behind Sonny Boy at the time) and a sudden push into the shotgun seat by the forward-slipping godfather caused Sonny Boy to miraculously dodge the arrow shot that was meant for him. As Sonny Boy was accidentally pushed quickly into the shotgun seat, the freakish wind steered the arrow away from Sonny's Head and actually found itself piercing through Ginseng Dragon's two butt cheeks as the godfather was in mid-air during the banana slip.

As soon as everybody realized what was going on, every escort lady started to scream and the kirin bodyguards took notice of the griffon Huntress, who started to make her quick getaway as fast as she could!

"Every kirin!! COVER SAAN JYU!!", cried Delft Blue as every escort girl rushed into the boss' Doble car, while Ginseng Dragon himself painfully side-waddled into the back seat with the ladies, clenching hard as the poisonous arrow remained pierced at the side through his two butt cheeks.

While Delft Blue revved up the Doble to make the getaway, every Far Eastern soldier and kirin bodyguard of the Ginseng Triad stood behind at the parking lot and pulled out their percussion single-shooters, pepperboxes and revolvers. As the Huntress drifted wildly across the concrete ground, the triad soldiers started firing wildly at her Stanley as they chased after her vehicle from behind.

Suddenly, the Huntress hit the brakes and quickly rotated her car around into the other direction and started revving up the pressure of the steam boiler to accelerate towards the Triad members, causing them to retreat in fear of being ran over by the ruthless Huntress.

"EVERY KIRIN! Fall back and split up!!" ordered one of the kirin bodyguards, before the gang separated into opposite directions and ran as fast as they could to avoid the oncoming Stanley. Those who were still loaded with deadly buckshot began firing back at the charging Stanley, causing the Huntress to duck down as her frontal windshield got shattered by the speeding lead bullets.

As a final blow to the Stanley, one adept kirin guard started powering up the chi energy on his fists with his magic, before performing a slam dunk punch on the concrete ground. The brutish magical force caused a train of upward concrete spikes to form and chased after the swerving Stanley. Once the Stanley steam car was struck from underneath by the erecting concrete spikes, the Stanley car became totally wrecked and immobilized by the huge spike piercing through the backseat and the roof. Fortunately, the Huntress inside her vehicle remain unscathed but was shivered to the core by the sudden earthly attack move.

"YOU, OUT OF THE CAR!! NOW!!! 唔好做傻事! (Hm Hoe Joe Zhaw Ji!)⁶!!", yelled one of the kirin who had his percussion pistol pointed point-blank next to the Huntress' head.

As more Triad members surrounded the totaled car and pulled out their percussion guns, the Huntress admitted that she had nowhere to flee and accepted her unconditional surrender by raising her talons up.

Meanwhile, as Delft Blue swerved the boss' Doble car across the sparsely occupied and curvy street roads of Qilin town, he frantically apologized as escort girls at the backseat, sitting with the agonized Ginseng Dragon, scream to the top of their lungs.

"I'm SORRY you had to suffer such an unsuspecting night like this, Saan Jyu!!!"

As the Dragon Head desperately held onto his buttocks and struggled to find himself at a more comfortable position for his pierced butt cheeks on the constantly rocking backseat, his godson Sonny Boy shouted from the front seat

"It's all right, Godfather!! We are all out of the danger zone!! Let's get you back home and see if there's anything in your medicine cabinet that could fix your buttocks!!"

----------(THE NEXT DAY IN SIRE'S HOLLOW, 10:00 A.M. AT FIRELIGHT'S HOUSE)----------

Today was a rather slow but calming day at the Glimmer Household. Inside Firelight's office living room, there stood a center wooden table, where Starlight was struggling very hard in writing down her own name and drawing her own cutie mark from memory in her own original handwriting, while her father tried to cheer her on as positively as he can. Under the table lied a fluffy blue carpet with a dark blue circle surrounding the legs of the wooden table, and a green sofa couch stood at the southwest corner of the blue rug. North of the wooden table where Starlight was sitting stood two columns of four bookshelves in one bookcase, though there weren't too many books filling up the shelves. Two political banners with Firelight's color scheme, violet and teal, flanked the open east entrance of the living room. On the west side of the living room was an open window with wide-opened curtains letting in the bright sunlight. Finally, at the south side of the living room was Starlight's own office desk with piles of paperwork stacked, stored and shelved in metal cabinets, bookshelves and boxes standing behind the office desk. It was naturally lit by another transparent window on the south wall of the office living room, though at night time, they could be also lit by the two green-shaded ceiling oil lamps and the table oil lamp on the desk.

"It's all right, my little chipmunk! Take all the time you need in practicing your handwriting! You'll get it right in no time!", assured Firelight as he gently tapped on Starlight's quivering shoulder.

"Dad, I can't concentrate with you calling me embarrassing names like that! I already told you that I'm still a grown mare inside! Were you always like this to me even after I grew up?", grunted Starlight as she struggled with her scribbled and wavy handwriting.

"Sorry!", cried the saddened Firelight. "It's just that---after finding out you were involved in that cart crash-----I just can't fathom the fact that I was JUST close to losing you again! And this time, it would be permanent, instead of you running of on your own to your homemade fantasy world! I didn't know if you could survive at that time of the crash......it was like losing a part of you all over again, just like with that Equality Cult Village!". Firelight shook as he tried to maintain composure and held back his dripping tears.

".....I may not know you much about anything right now, since that I am still completely lost in my own foggy world....but seeing at how you are treating me.....I bet that you were the most caring dad in Equestria and that you did your utmost best in trying to look out for me......I bet the Starlight that I once was must feel the same way about your well-being, but she was too shy to show it....but--what do I know----I'm just an alternative version of your real daughter right now...soon, my mind would just become a drifting anomaly that will dissipate in my subconsciousness", muttered Starlight as she tried to write her own name and her cutie mark on paper once again. As she looked down on her paper with tears in her eyes, Firelight grabbed her chin and slowly lifted her head up.

As Firelight sniffled, looked up at his daughter's sad eyes and gave out a heart-warming smile, he told her in his trembling voice, "No....thank you, sweetie....I needed that...."

"I can't believe she even forgotten to sign her own name AND her own cutie mark! This IS worse than what the Princess had imagined...", muttered the sniffling Master Zhi as he peered into the west window from outside Glimmer's front yard.

Yona, who was standing right beside Master Zhi, sniffled and sobbed as she stared at her poor amnesiac Headmare. "All because of our fault! Me and Yellow Master rode past heavy cart! Cause cart and barrels to hit Headmare and Vice-Stallion!"

Mr Tang, who came up to the two sorrowful creatures, gave out a heavy grunting sigh and said, "It's not entirely your fault, OKAY?! SIGH-----maaayyybee you were right about me being a BIT way too rash with the kirin!", he muttered as he scratched the back of his head as he tried to feign taking partial responsibility of Saturday's events.

"OH REALLY??!!", shouted Gallus as he flew down with his talons planted onto his feline hips. "I never knew your incompetence with a slingshot would trigger a whole cascade of downright up-fuckery!"

Just like that, the condescending remark triggered an intense finger-pointing squabble between the griffon boy and the old stallion unicorn.

"How the hell am I supposed to know they were gazing from the hilltop gazebo??! I could barely see them from the apple tree canopy and large nets blocking the view of the hilltop!"

"MAYBE if you were more considerate about what you were shooting and where you were aiming---!!!"

"I would've been all those kirin and ended the chase early if you hadn't held me back in the first place!!"

"We wouldn't not had that fight first if you didn't try to kill that fast flying bat with a stone instead of focusing on the bats by the trees with your sleeping pellets!"

"DON'T LECTURE ME, you lousy gruff!!"

"Stubborn old banana horn!"

"GUYS GUYS GUYS, PLEASE!!! This isn't helping!! Arguing never solves anything!! Friendship School taught me that!", shouted Tiny Turnip Head as he flew in and interfere the argument from above.

"Yona no want any more fighting! Make Yona so scared! Yona begging and pleading for you to stop!", the crying shuddering nak girl muttered as she placed her cloven hands over her head.

"HEY, no critch ever asked you two to butt in, especially you, hairy oaf!!"

"Every creature, SHUT UP, RIGHT NOW!!", bellowed Young Master Zhi as he broke the silence with the loudest scream in the group. He later continued in a scolding manner, "Look, what's done is already done! We're ALL remorseful about what happened to the Headmare! Right now, we need to focus on our current mission! Mr. Firelight, the Headmare's father, brought us over here to help regain her former memories! In spite of what we did to lead to her current predicament, he chose us as our only hope of fixing back what we had broke! If we start fighting each other over who's to blame, we'll NEVER get her memories back! So quit dicking around and let's get your heads in the game, all right??!"

As silence befalls within the front yard of the Glimmer household, the front door of the house opened and out came Minty Mocha, who was now wearing her reading glasses.

"Uhhhh, Master Zhi, Mr Tang, Gallus, Yona and.....uhhh...", Minty Mocha called out each name, before pointing to the tiny white pegasus boy with the purple bowl-shaped mane and green Qing cap. As she was stuttering over what his name really is, the white pegasus posed in a straight flying stance with gave out a salute

"TINY TURNIP HEAD!! At your service!!", the tiny white pegasus boy exclaimed as he introduced himself gleefully.

"Riiiigghhhhttt, Mr. Firelight would want to see all of you very soon. When you're ready, please follow the signs to his office across the hallways." said Minty Mocha before heading back inside.

As more silence began to reign for only a couple seconds after the door was shut, Mr Tang was the first to speak out to break the awkward tension.

"Soooo, remind me again why we brought Tiny Turnip Head to Sire's Hollow in the first place?"

Master Zhi later replied, "Well, after he managed to score over 1000 bats in five minutes back at the park, he was given an early release from his work schedule, and decided to come along with Yona and Gallus for the party rally"

"ALL RIGHT, this is going to be SO much fun here at this new town we never explored!!", cheered Turnip Head as he raised his hands up in the air, while doing a fancy loop in the air.

"Sooooo, you must be the new foreign exchange student, huh?", Gallus spoke as he flew behind Tiny Turnip Head with his arms crossed. "Silverstream and Smolder told me all about you the day you first arrived! You're even more chipper than I thought, more so than Silverstream! Name's Gallus, by the way", he greeted as he extended his claw out for Turnip Head.

"I thank yee for the compliment, Gallus the Hot-headed Catbird!", shouted Turnip Head as he violently shook his talon out of excitement.

"😡HEY, I am NOT that hot-headed!! I just---😤never mind😤---I just prove myself wrong here....my apologies", Gallus screamed before stopping himself to calm his own nerves.

"And you're Yona, right??!!", shouted Tiny Turnip Head as he swerved his head towards the sad yak. "Yona the Rampaging Yak!! We met at the memorial park before, right??!!"

Yona was still feeling a bit depressed over yesterday's crash. Seeing her being unresponsive as her spirits were down in the dumps, Tiny Turnip Head rapidly flew over to her face, lifted her heavy chin and graciously yelled,

"Hey---it's going to be all right, Yona! Yaks are strong, right? Yaks will over overcome every obstacle, no matter how big! Yona did say yaks and pony people stronger together, yes?! SO---let's be strong as horses and yaks together and help Miss Headmare in her time of need until she gets better!! This, I swear!!"

As Yona teared up at the tiny smiling pegasus boy, Yona started to grin a bit harder and cried, "Yona will be strong for little white pegasus! With friends, we will find Headmare's memories---TOGETHER!!". Yona then proceeded to hug the little pegasus boy tightly, causing him to lose his ability to breathe.

"HEY, don't forget about us griffons too, Turnip Boy!", shouted Gallus as he roughed up Turnip Head's mane with his talon.

"It's TINY TURNIP HEAD, silly!", exclaimed the upset white-coated pegasus boy.

"BAH, whatever!!", Gallus jokingly replied.

"That was faster than I thought. He seems to be getting along fine with his new classmates...", Master Zhi complimented as Gallus, Yona and Tiny Turnip Head hug out their tensions together.

"BLLEEHH!! Can we just go meet the future mayor of Sire's Hollow now before I die from this sappiness??", complained the grouchy old Mr Tang.

Master Zhi clapped his hands loudly to get the young creatures' attention and cried out

"OKAY, fellas! That's enough affection for today! Time for you creatures to learn the magic of politics!"

----------(MEANWHILE, BACK IN FIRELIGHT'S OFFICE)----------

Firelight turned his attention from Glimmer's bad handwriting to his assistant manager and asked, "So---any news from Stellar Flare and her son Sunburst?"

Minty Mocha gave out a huge sad sigh and replied, "Sunspot wouldn't want to give out the details to me, thinking you'll use that information as ammunition against her campaign. Despite his protests not to have contact with his wife, I telegraphed Stellar Flare about the breaking news. She told me she had already reached out to the Ponyville hospital and was told that her son wasn't admitted to the hospital. Before I could ask for more details, her husband decided to butt in and cut the telegraph from her office. Sunspot told me that when he confronted me about my interaction with her."

"No Sunburst? That can't be right....he was with Starlight at the time of the accident, right?", questioned Firelight as he stroke his chin. Minty Mocha later answered,

"Sounded strange to me too, I know...that's why I personally reached out to the Ponyville hospital myself and they confirmed that nopony named Sunburst had ever been written on the hospital list during that day of the cart crash. I showed them the photo of Sunburst and his cutie mark, and the reception took three frustrating hours to confirm that one orange-maned stallion was admitted to the hospital, but his flanks were badly scraped from the cart crash and half his face was also bandaged. Thus, there was no way they could confirm whether this was the stallion Starlight was hanging with at that time."

"Any way we could obtain more information about this stallion?", Firelight asked.

Minty Mocha shook her head and told her boss, "Unfortunately, due to privacy reasons, I couldn't get information on whether he was admitted to the same hospital at the same time as Starlight nor whether he was involved in the same cart crash as your daughter. So we can't confirm whether this stallion was actually Sunburst or not. All we know was that the unknown stallion had left the hospital early with some known long-lost friends before the orderlies had a chance to send him to the resting ward to heal his injuries..."

"Where has he gone off right now?", Firelight asked again, before Minty Mocha responded

"His location is right now unknown. I contact with any possible former colleagues of Sunburst in Canterlot, but none of them actually knew where he might had left off.....it's like---he kind of disappeared off the world map..."

Firelight started to ponder and speculate as placed his thumb over his mouth.

"Hmmmmm.......that is strange......if he really was concerned about Sunburst----he would've came over here to see Starlight for herself----it's strange for him to be giving Starlight the awkward silent treatment-----call it a hunch----but I think he may had suffered the same fate as Starlight....if that were true, then that means---"

"OH, no time for speculations now! You got special guests at your office right now! Time to greet them!", hollered Minty Mocha as Master Zhi, Mr Tang, Tiny Turnip Head, Gallus and Yona were about to enter the office living room.

"Just wait right here for a moment, please! I need to speak to Mr. Firelight about something important. It'll be quick, I promise...", requested Minty Mocha before the new guests entered. As Minty Mocha walked straight up to Firelight, she positioned herself close to Firelight's ear and whispered her advice

"Look, as much as you wanted to see Sunburst back with Starlight again, I can't afford to spend my time and resources away from your campaign. I know you and Stellar Flare had a strong friendship bond and your daughter has a strong relationship with her son, even though both your political views conflict with each other. However, if we focused too much on investigating Sunburst, your supporters will think you had switched political sides and the opposition will accuse you of trying to dig dirt against your rival's son. Do you understand what is at stake here?"

Firelight stood in silent for a moment before giving out a sad sigh and said, "SIGH.....I understand, Miss Mocha.....I'll---try to leave the investigation to the police for now.... I'll focus on finding her son once I become elected as mayor, to show that even rivals need to stand together to brace against the harshest times."

As soon as their talk was over, Firelight signaled the guests over to enter the living room. Still going along with social tradition from back home, Master Zhi, Mr Tang and Turnip Head all bowed in respect to the future mayor.

"Greetings! Please to meet you, Mayoral Candidate of Sire's Hollow!", said Master Zhi as he tipped his head over and jut out his bum.

"CAREFUL, if you bow too much, you might end up accidentally bumping some creature off their balance..."

"WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT??!!" cried Master Zhi before he later regain his composure when he realized who's office he was in.

"RELAX! I'm was just joshing, Master! I know it was all an accident, okay?! Silverstream and Greta from the Friendship School told me about what they saw from the tower during that dreadful day...", Gallus responded in jest as he stood near the entrance.

"HEY, let's not bring that grimdark newspaper topic back in our heads! Let's focus on what we are here for!", called out Tang as he tried to get every creature to focus.

"RIGHT!" responded Firelight as he stepped forward to shake Master Zhi's and Mr Tang's hands. "As you two already know, I invited you two here to congratulate you two for being my daughter's saviors. As for you three students of the Friendship school, I like you to help out my daughter, aka your Headmare, to help regain her memories as help her out as much as she can, before she can resume her passionate job as the leading example of her school"

"Wait, I run a school?? As Headmare?? You never told me that!", responded the surprised Starlight Glimmer after she ceased her handwriting practice.

"OH, right...uhhh, sorry. I was too focused on trying to catch up with your past first. I was going to tell you that later once we were nearing the present", chuckled the nervous Firelight as he placed his hand over the back of his head.

"Hello, Starlight Glimmer." greeted Gallus as he walked up to Starlight. "You may not remember me, but I was the student who attended your school....as much as I hate to recall it, you were the one who suspended me, right? You know, for taking that saucy picture of one of our Professors?"

"And no forget about Yona! You gave me volunteer work at Applejack's farm! You remember??", questioned Yona as she sat by her side. "Me glad that you feeling better now! Sad you no remember us anymore..."

Starlight Glimmer started to sweat profusely at the griffon and yak, being a little intimidated at their large presence.

"OH, right! I forgot...you're not used to seeing other creatures yet....I know this is all too much of a sudden for you right now....you may not believe it, but you were the mare who became the heroine that now runs a school to teach friendships for all types of creatures...", sighed Gallus as he hung his head.

"NO, it's okay...I should be the one who's sorry", apologized Starlight Glimmer as she rubbed her head in an attempt to clear her head. ".....I can't seem to remember all of you right now....everything's still a blur to me now...It's hard to believe, but----I never knew I would grow up to work at a school for both Equestrians, yaks AND griffons!"

"Hey hey hey, now! Let's not skip TOO far ahead in the future.", nervously called out Firelight as he waved both his hands. "It might end up giving her a panic attack from taking in all that new information and she might end up blacking out before her memories set back to zero". He later walked up to behind his office desk and sat down on his brown vinyl chair.

"So, what do you suggest we do?", asked Tang in his rough grouchy voice.

"How's about you fellas take a seat and discuss about your new friendship tasks for today?", suggested Firelight as he clasped his hands. "You can talk to Starlight Glimmer about her past once she's done with practicing her signature, okay?"

"Welllll, all right then...", agreed Gallus as he and the other guests pulled up their chairs in front of Firelight's office desk.

"WOAH WOAH WOAH!!", cried Yona as she was about to tip over forward from the imbalanced stool she was sitting on

"I GOTCHA, Yona! Next time, don't charge into the seat like that, all right?", said Gallus as he caught Yona's horns on his right side and set her straight onto the correct sitting position.

"Let's make this quick, sir! I have a lot of things to catch up on with our Headmare!", demanded Gallus.

"HEY, since you and Master Zhi AND Mr Tang are like---close friends right now---, is it all right that they just call you Firelight instead?? You know, just so they get to know you better!", shouted Tiny Turnip Head with excitement!

"AHEM! You guests are to only address the mayoral candidate as 'Sir' or 'Mr Firelight'", snapped Minty Mocha as she stood by on the left of Firelight's office desk.

"It's all right, Minty! It's just a name! Gotta be connected with both the locals AND the foreigners somehow, right?", replied Firelight as he smiled and raised his eyebrows.

"YES, of course! Informal names are how we personally show our true inner selves, right?", Zhi agreed as he nodded his head.

"SO, what kind of job does the future mayor have in mind?? Don't tell me we have to tattoo your slogan on our faces and butts!", joked Mr Tang as he leaned to the left to get a better view of Minty's tight double-flanks. The assistant manager had her back turned as she bend over to receive some papers in the lower cabinet.

"Heheheheh,butts. Just like the one you're staring, Mr Tang", chuckled the childish Tiny Turnip Head as he snitched on his old friend

"AHEM!! If you don't mind!" shouted Minty Mocha as she immediately stood up and turned around to menacingly stare at the guests. After they all froze in fear, Minty Mocha laid out the printed paper, pushed it forward towards Mr Tang and said

"Please go over this speech for us! You two heroes will have to memorize it for the press conference to hear at Firelight's political rally at noon!"

"All right, sounds easy enough. Lemme take a look-see", said Mr Tang as he grabbed the speech paper from the desk to read its contents.

Then all of a sudden, Mr Tang's brain suddenly went into overdrive as his horn and eyes started glowing into a bright violet color. Like a fast laser scanning machine, his eyes started quickly perusing each line of the page, taking in every script of the word and storing its textual information in his hippocampus, the brain region responsible for declarative and episodic memories!

Gallus, Yona and Tiny Turnip Head gaze in wonderment and shock over Tang's fast reading speed, gaping in awe at the glowing head spectacle. As soon as Mr Tang reached the end of the line, a ringing alarm sound went off in his head and a flash of bursting light blew out of his horn, before he immediately ripped the paper in half in front of Firelight and Minty Mocha. Before the two adult Equestrians could respond, Mr Tang quickly recited

"The Equestrian standing on this stage before you today is greater than the wise all-knowing Starswirl the Bearded, more influential than the Princesses of the Sun and Moon, more philanthropic than all the Elements of Harmony and more loving than the Princess of the Crystal Empire!"

"WHAT THE---??!! You memorized ALL that with just a single glimpse of the paper??!!", shouted the wide eye-opening and gaping Gallus. "I can't even remember the Equestrian alphabet, despite reading it over a 100 times!!"

"YAAAAYYY, go Mister TANG!!" cheered the elated Turnip Head.

"Yona no have words right now!", bellowed the gobsmacked nak girl.

"WOW, you managed to memorize ALL of those descriptions about me in less time it takes for me flip a coin on its head!", complimented the amazed Firelight.

"WAIT, this was for all about YOU??!! What about us??!!", questioned Master Zhi as he was aghast by that ludicrous speech.

"Don't worry! I'll praise you two first when I get up onto the podium at the rally!", assured Firelight as he gave a big smile.

"And you really expected us to then tell the press about that bullshit lie about you in return?!", swore Mr Tang as he stood up from his seat.

"HEY, watch your language in front of these children!", warned Minty Mocha as she slammed her fist on Firelight's desk. She later continued, "Also, we're not asking for you to lie, we're just telling you to read what's on the paper---which you carelessly ripped out in front of us..."

As Minty Mocha picked up the two ripped pieces from the floor, all of the guests responded in disapproval in unison

"NUH-UH!! NO WAY!! No no no no no no no no no no no no no!!"

Minty Mocha later replied, "If you agreed to say what was on the speech, I'll give all of you 100 food coupons for you to use at Sire Hollow's Mall Food Courts"; in response, all the guests responded with approval in unison

"REALLY??! Well, then YES!! Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes YES, please!!"

"DO THE SPEECH, DO THE SPEECH!!", chanted Yona and Turnip Head as they smile and salivate with their mouths open as they thought over all the types of fast food they could eat from all the food courts in the mall.

"OH, maaann", groaned the daydreaming hungry Gallus as he thought about griffon cuisine. "Just think about all the delicious bird seed granola bars, hay burgers and cinnamon scones we could eat!"

"Not to mention steamed rice, ramen noodles and red bean buns we could ravage in", mumbled the swirly-eyed Turnip Head as he thought about all the dim-sum foods.

"Yona want all vanilla cakes, tree-nut stew and yogurt she can get!!", slobbered the bedazzled Yona as he placed her cloven hands on her cheeks.

"LOOK, DAD! I finally did it!" cried Starlight from behind as she raised her paper in the air. All the guests started to turn their heads around to see what Starlight had done.

"I finally managed to remember how to sign my name properly AND draw out my cutie mark from memory!", Starlight cheered as she show an inscription of her signature, as well as her dark purple/teal swirls and stars of her cutie mark.

"ALL RIGHT!! Ya did it, Miss Headmare!! Way to go!!", cheered Tiny Turnip Head as he leapt and flew from his seat

"Yona so proud that Headmare is closer to remember more of one self!", the teary-eyed nak girl cried.

"All right!! Go Headmare Starlight!! Now we can finally catch up with some lost time!", applauded Gallus as he clapped his talons loudly and pumped his fists.

"Very GOOD, honey bump---ERRR---Miss Starlight!", cheered Firelight as he got off from his seat and handed him another piece of paper to Starlight, before pointing a spot near the bottom edge of the paper. "Now, do me a favor and sign over right there for me..."

Both Starlight and the guests cocked their heads in confusion over what he was implying.

"Awww, it's just a contract that will ensure my home remains a historical monument for all of the ponies in Sire's Hollow to admire---AND we still get to stay here until our deaths! Your old man wouldn't do a nasty trick to my dearest pumpkin, would he?", implied the strangely behaving Firelight as he pointed his finger on the spot to be signed.

Seeing nothing wrong with his implication, Starlight reluctantly agreed to sign the bottom line of the paper with both her name and her cutie mark.

"Now there's a good girl! Thank you so much, Starlight! Really appreciated it!", thanked Firelight as he smiled and placed the paper in his envelope, which was lying on the table.

"Call it a hunch, but Firelight's now acting strange in front of his daughter now, even at his standards...", whispered Master Zhi as he positioned his voice next to Mr Tang

"You and me both", agreed the quiet and suspicious Mr Tang.

"All right, now to catch up with some quality with Headmare Starlight!", cheered Gallus as he jumped from his seat and wrapped his arms around the nervous Starlight

"HEY, no forget about Yona! Me wanna share memories with Headmare!", Yona cried as she rushed on over to follow Gallus.

"ME TOO, ME TOO! I wanna hear ALL about Miss Headmare's past story!", cheered Turnip Head as he flew over to the travelling group as they exit out of the living room

"Bye bye for now, Miss Headmare!!", Mr Tang shouted farewell to Starlight Glimmer from his seat

"再見 (Joy geen)!" shouted Master Zhi as he waved goodbye.

"NOW HANG ON, kids! I still need to escort you all, in case things get pretty hectic! You don't wanna give my boss' daughter a fainting trip, would you?!" cried the flustered Minty Mocha as she rushed to outside the house to chase Starlight Glimmer and the children.

"HEY, remember to be back by 11:00 pm, so Starlight Glimmer can spend time memorizing that speech I prepared for her!", hollered Firelight after he rushed to the front door to remind his assistant manager.

"Hehehehe, kids....so eager to push their luck to the limits...", commented Firelight after he closed the door and head back to his office in the living room.

Then, to his horror, he was horrified to see Master Zhi and Mr Tang reading the paper that he had slipped into the envelope. Knowing about Mr Tang's ultra fast reading style, he immediately rushed on over to the round table.

"HEY, what are you two doing snooping through my stuff?? GIve that back to me!", Firelight shouted as he used his levitation magic from his horn to swipe the paper from Master Zhi's hands.

"YOU SNIVELING DEVIL!!! You tricked her into signing up to a marriage contract!!!", shouted Mr Tang as he berated at Firelight.

"And you took advantage of her lost memories to force her into an unconditional bondage to some stranger she doesn't even know about!", scorned the ticked-off Master Zhi as he wagged his finger at Firelight.

"You said that this contract would ensure this house won't be sold off and be treated as a historical monument for generations to witness! You lied to us!", Mr Tang continued to berate at Firelight.

"It WILL save our house from being sold off! This marriage contract is for a certain rich banker in Canterlot, who will agreed to pay off all the debts I collected in my historical preservation projects, in exchange for marriage with my daughter!", snapped the upset Firelight as he shoved the marriage contract into his envelope.

"Siiigghhh, I shouldn't be even telling you this! This is NONE of your business! This is between ME and my daughter, and I'm only trying to secure our future here!", grunted the upset Firelight.

"None of our business??!! Our concern for her well-being is what makes it our business! YOU don't have any business either in her life choices!", snapped Mr Tang with a witty comeback.

Not wanting to spoil his chances of improving his political image, Firelight decided to play his role as a humble father, took a deep breath and calmly said, "Look, I highly appreciate for your deepest concerns for my daughter, but as of now, I had ran out of valid financial options that will erase my debt entirely. I'm only doing this as a duty as her father by saving this house as my pumpkin's future household when she decides to move in or retire..."

Not convinced of his inexcusable arguments, Firelight decided to offer him a better deal.

"As of right now, I need you two to help me with setting up the stage for the rally. If you forget about what you saw here and you help out at the rally, I'll give you an extra 50 coupons from my newspaper stash. How's that sound?"

".......Better make that 75 and you got yourself a deal!", begrudgingly spouted the grouchy Mr Tang.

"As you wish, sir!", agreed Firelight as he pulled out the coupons from his suit pocket.

---END

Author's Notes:

1. Dim-sum (点心): style of Chinese brunch cuisine involving small bite-sized portions of traditional foods served in small steamer baskets or on a small plate; also known as 饮茶 or yum cha (meaning "drink tea") as tea was always served alongside the dishes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dim_sum

2. Lazy Susan: a round glass spinning turntable platform on a kitchen or restaurant table for serving foods without having to reposition the food or the consumers around the table; known as 餐桌转盘 (chanchua jinpoon) or 'dinner-table turntables' in Cantonese
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazy_Susan

3. Gutter oil: illicit cooking oil derived from recycled waste oil from restaurant fryers, grease traps, slaughterhouse waste and even sewers; also known as 地沟油 (day-gow yow) or 餿水油 (sow-soy yow) in Cantonese (meaning "trench oil" or "sour water oil" respectively)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutter_oil

4. Stanley 735 Steam Car

5. Doble E-20 steam car

6. Cantonese for "Don't do anything stupid!"
https://www.bing.com/translator?ref=TThis&&text=Don%27t%20do%20anything%20stupid!&from=en&to=yue