My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Starlight, Starbright

Chapter 32

Encouragement

After a long, arduous journey fraught with danger; Wyrms, Windigoes, Nightmare Moon, Timberwolves, and a surprise return from Oscurita, they had finally arrived at the home of the Necromancer, the sorcerer or sorceress who will help them find Starlight’s father… if he’s still alive.

The castle gates towered above them, tall enough for that Oscurita fella to come though.

“WOW! This thing is big!” Fire Ruby exclaimed happily. “the Necromancer lives in this place?!”

“that’s what the Leopards said.” Glade said, looking at the castle gates from the air with the rest of the Alicorns and Pegasi. He proceeded to quote the line they gave them. “‘To the north, you will find the Necromancer of your design.’ and this is the only thing to the north.”

Starlight looked up at the gates from the ground. She’s here. She’s finally here. And yet, why does she feel so afraid? Bass snickered and wrapped his hooves around her neck. “You exited, Star? You‘re gonna find your dad.”

“y-yeah. M-my dad.” she shakingly said.

Bass heard the nervousness in her voice. “You okay?”

Starlight shakingly looked to him with sorrow filled eyes. “no… no, I’m not.”

“Why not? I thought this was what you wanted.” Goldie said.

“it is, but…” Star stopped short, having trouble breathing out of nervousness.

“but what?”

Starlight gulped down her nervousness and looked up at the gates again.

Starlight:
♪all my life, I felt like someone was calling me…
All my life, I felt like I was someone else…
All my life, I felt like I wasn’t meant to be…
All my life, I felt like I wasn’t me…♪

Goldie looked to her cousins, wondering if they knew why she’s acting like this. They have nothing.

Starlight:
♪in Ponyville, I felt out of place.
In Canterlot, I felt like a freak.
All my life, I needed answers to why…
Why I was born this way…♪

She looked back up to the gates, trying hard to keep her tears hidden.

Starlight:
♪was I a mistake…
Was I a product of chance…
Was I meant to be me…
Or was I a accident…
These are answers I need to know, answers I’m afraid to take…
Just what was the point of my life…
What was the point of me…?♪

Is that it? Is she nervous to find out why she’s her, why she’s a Alicorn? Why she has power over time? Why she’s even alive? Marian lightly chuckled with a smile.

Marian:
♪is that all, Starlight Sparkle?
Is that all you want to know…?
Does it matter, no it doesn’t,
Because you have friends like us…♪

Starlight looked back to her friends and family.

Goldie:
♪yeah. Just look back on your life, from your filly-hood to now…
Does any of those things you did look like products of a mistake?♪

Windancer:
♪you helped me out when I was sick,
Helping me get better every day…♪

Soarin’:
♪and when I busted my wing,
Who was the first to arrive to help me though?♪

Screw Loose:
♪and if you haven’t run away,
Me and Glade never would’ve met.
You may call yourself a mistake,
But I would call you a miracle…♪

Starlight was suddenly pulled up by Woona’s magic into the air.

Woona:
♪a mistake? Ha! That’s a laugh.
You are far from it…
Could a mistake, as you claim,
Be the best friend I’ve ever had…?♪

It didn’t take long for everyone else to join in.

Mares:
♪You are the best friend we’ve ever had,
Mistake or not, we don’t care…
You are the best friend we’ve ever had,
Within our hearts, that is true…♪

Starlight looked at her friends and smiled tearfully. They are true friends though and though. She feels lucky to have friends like them.

All (minus guards):
♪you are the best friend we’ve ever had,
And whatever happens today…
You will still be our very best friend,
No matter what anyone says…♪

Filigree:
♪no matter what the world throws at us…♪

Bass:
♪no matter what dangers bar our way…♪

All (minus guards):
♪you will stay, forevermore…
Our best friend…♪♪

Starlight tearfully looked at her friends. With a shuddered sob, she wiped her eyes. “*Sniffle* thanks, guys. Thanks… thanks for everything.” everyone looked at her with genuine smiles, knowing full well that they will never leave her.

Filigree gagged then burped out a small puff of green fire. The fire turned into a letter. “a letter?” she commented. “a multi-paged letter?”

Bass grabbed the letter, opened it up, and quickly read it’s contents. Once he finished, he turned to Star. “Star, I think this is for you.”

“Me?” she used her magic to pull it over and read. She read it aloud for everyone to hear.

“Dear Bass Clef…” Star stopped there and looked to him. “Bass?” Bass shrugged, forgotten to tell her he wrote a letter to Twilight. Star gave him a playful look before returning to the letter.

“Dear Bass Clef…

“My name is Twilight Sparkle, the mother of Starlight Sparkle and Goldie.

“I thank you for looking out for my daughters the best you can… though… none of us expected Nightmare Moon to return. We all thought she was destroyed when the humans came. We never expected her to be in the Amulet, Trixie included. She feels so guilty for this whole mess and I’m sure Marian feels the same as well. But I don’t blame either of them for what happened to Goldie. And I’m sure you did the best you could to protect her. Hopefully she’s all right. I don’t know what I would do if my daughters would die.

“if she’s feeling down, please tell Marian that it wasn’t her fault. It was just a… freak twist of fate nobody saw coming.

“and I trust you to look after Starlight the best you can, Bass. You’ve been with her since Baltimare and she’s spoken highly of you in the previous letter. You sound like a very handsome, very capable young stallion. If the picture in my head serves me correctly, you’re also quite a looker.”

Bass blushed out of embarrassment. “next time, I’m sending a picture.”

“now… now with that said, can you please hand this letter to Starlight? I have something I wish to tell her.”

“Me?” Star blinked. She flipped to the next page.

Begin Song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOJ6bzveAlE

Dearly Beloved - Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep version

“Starlight… I honestly hope you’re reading this. If not… then I’m gonna speak regardless.

“when you came into my life 18 years ago… I was scared. I didn’t know what to do or how I would act as a new mother. I thought I was gonna be a failure. But… but Halo helped me though it. I know you don’t exactly have the highest regards for him now, but listen… please…

“when I first got pregnant, Halo helped me see how a accident can be a very good thing. And I was surprised to hear Celestia say she went though the same predicament as me. But Halo stuck by me though it all, helping me whenever I needed it. And Starlight… he was the first to hold you.

“Halo may not be your true father, but he loved you regardless. That’s why he lied to you all these years; he did it out of love. Love for his daughter. A daughter that made him smile and laugh. He never cared that you weren’t his real daughter. He loved you with all his heart regardless. That’s also how I feel as well.

“Starlight… regardless of what you find… regardless of who your real father is… know that me and Halo will always love you. Even if your real father turns out to be the worst stallion in Equestria or a rather cross Gryphon or Dragon… we will still love you regardless. Me, Halo, your aunt Cadence, the off-world humans… everyone.

“we love you and your friends from the bottom of our hearts. That… that is something that will never change.

“Love… your darling mother…

“Twilight Sparkle…”

Tears pattered across the papers, tears belonging to one Starlight Sparkle. “mom…” she said, all choked up. She held the letter close to her heart and let the tears fall “thank you…” A sympathetic Bass tapped her on the back. Starlight looked to him with a smile.

A second letter came via Fili mail. This one was short and to the point. The dragon/pony hybrid read this one.

“P.S. I forgot to mention this. Tell Windancer she just became a aunt! Dinky gave birth 2 hours ago to bouncing baby twins; a male Unicorn and a female Pegasus named Oscurita and Ditzy, respectively. Derpy is taking being a grandma in strides, though you should’ve seen her reaction when she first saw them. Priceless.”

“Whoa! You hear that, Windancer!” Filigree happily exclaimed. The mare heard it but couldn’t believe it. A aunt? At her age? Windancer comedically fell backwards, fainting as soon as she hit the ground.

“I think she heard it.” Marian said. She used her magic to help her up.

“Me… a aunt… a aunt… me…”

“oy. If she’s gonna be like this inside, I vote we leave her out here.” Season said.

“agreed.” Peppy said. Half of the group chuckled and laughed, Starlight among them. She needed this; family. All this time, she had forgotten what it was really about; being with someone who cares for you; who loves you. And Halo did all that for her in spades. And she attacked him. Not exactly a proud father/daughter moment.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Bass, who placed a hoof on her shoulder. “So… ready to find out who your real dad is?”

A feeling inside Starlight’s gut didn’t want to know. So many things could be wrong with him and yet so many things could be so right as well. Besides, if her dad isn’t all she aspired him to be, she still has all her friends and her family to go back on. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She waited for this moment for a long time.

“yeah.”

As if on cue, the massive gate behind them stirred. They creaked open and spread out, allowing them passage inside the castle’s interior. This is it. Do or die.

Gathering up what courage she lost, Starlight was the first to walk in. time to finally get some answers.

Author's Notes:

be honest... how many of you teared up?