seen from United Kingdom
seen from China
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Indonesia
seen from Indonesia
seen from Germany
seen from Indonesia
seen from Indonesia
seen from United States
seen from China
seen from Hong Kong SAR China
seen from China
seen from Russia
seen from Russia
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Russia
seen from Senegal
Child Management
Kitten: [Link]
Braveface: [Link]
Pampering: [Link]
Snowballing: [Link]
Study: [Link]
Business Casual: [Link]
Schism: [Link]
In Her Own Hooves: [Link]
Pellicle: [Link]
Blended: [Link]
Smooth Sailing: [Link]
Weird Science: [Link]
Dog-Eared Page: [Link]
Peach Skin: [Link]
Peach Pit: [Link]
Unique Perspective: [Link]
Ginger and Lemon Tea With Honey: [Link]
Boxing Day
After taking some time away to let her have her space, Luster Dawn’s grandparents were invited over again to start anew on the custody discussions. But when they got there, they found their granddaughter with the Princess of Love and a lawyer to make arrangements on her behalf. The filly explained that she was old enough to choose for herself, and not only did the lawyer agree but Empress Cadence was ready to officiate things if they could come to an agreement.
Luster soon came to the conclusion that she would stay close to home in the Crystal Empire, visiting her grandparents only when she wanted to. Ultimately, the decision was in her hooves, just as it always should have been.
~~~~~~~~~~
Previous: Schism Next: Pellicle
Collaboration with Dusty-Nutz
Background by Magpie-pony Luster Dawn’s cutie mark by Parcly-Taxel
Photo albums were scattered all over the floor of the Shimmer household, all of them filled with years of memories made throughout the family’s lives—from the childfree years all the way up to adolescence. Honey Lemon and Moonlight Raven had gotten them all out to share with their newest family member, their niece, who would soon join them in these memories.
“Oh my gosh, how could I forget the science museum! That was one of our best, we have to take you there sometime! The exhibits are AMAZING!”
Honey excitedly pointed at pictures in the album Luster was holding, letting her read all the scientific facts she wrote down as well.
“Maybe there’s like, a magic museum you can take us to as well.”
Moonlight offered her own suggestion.
“Yeah, I know of a few! There are science museums in Equestria too. But I’d really like to see what the one in your world is like.”
Luster gazed at the mostly-hairless, bipedal creatures in the photos, so foreign to her yet bearing an unmistakable resemblance to her new family members.
It was strange, she hadn’t even set hoof (or foot?) in this world, she had only just met all the ponies…er, people in the pictures. But the scenes before her seemed so familiar, the happy smiles of the family creating a warmth she hadn’t felt since she was with her dads.
Her aunts could sense that she was feeling pensive, so Moonlight spoke up.
“We can totally go to all of them. And wherever else you want. We can like, create more memories and stuff.”
“YES! We have lots of room for you, you’re part of the family now!”
Honey held up a couple empty albums which she was referring to when she said there was lots of room.
But Luster took something more out of it. At long last she had a place in this family, after so long of feeling stranded on her own. Not only someone—multiple someones—to help her through the bad times, but also a family to create happy moments with.
This was what Luster was missing, and now it was like a hole was filled.
“Hey, are you okay?”
Luster didn’t even notice the moisture on her face until it was pointed out to her, but this time she wasn’t wracked with the pain and regret of before. She even chuckled, drying her eyes with a smile.
“Yeah! Don’t worry, these are happy tears.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Previous: Unique Perspective
Celestia’s sun shone brightly in the sky on this summer afternoon, bathing the world in a warmth that was toasty but not sweltering. A soft breeze blew over the land, creating a ripple along the lake’s surface. Anypony who peered into the lake would find their reflection distorted by the waves—a humorous sight.
Much like the aunt and niece relaxing on its beaches now.
“There’s a version of my Dad in your world? And he had a crush on Queen Twilight!?”
“Yeah! I almost can’t believe it myself!”
The two sat there talking and laughing, catching up on a whole lifetime they’d missed out on. A lifetime that was filled with so many joys yet so many sorrows. But now they finally had time to talk about it.
“But he’s a really nice guy, he stood up for the people he cared about when it counted and he sure was fun to be around. He was in a band…maybe he still is. And he had quite the sense of humor. If the Flash Sentry here was anything like that, I can see why Sunburst would have liked him.”
Sunset Shimmer chuckled to herself, reminiscing back to her high school days and long before that, when she was young and carefree and close with her little brother.
“I think he did mention being in a band at one point!”
Luster Dawn laughed along. The pain of her loss wasn’t gone, it would never go away completely, but for once she could also feel joy while remembering the ones she missed so dearly. Like they were still alive, in memory.
“He was in the royal guard, he had to be all serious for his job but when he was with us he was nothing but fun. Papa could be stressed a lot of the time but Dad was always making him laugh, it was almost embarrassing.”
She felt a deep pang of guilt remembering the last time she saw them.
“And well…I wish I hadn’t been so embarrassed. I didn’t want to be around them, I said a lot of things I wish I could take back, and—“
“So did I.”
Her aunt suddenly broke her spiral, taking her hoof in hers with a compassionate but wistful smile.
“I was an awful pony when I was younger. An awful person. Nothing was ever enough for me, I was always looking for more power—“
She stopped, not wanting to delve into her whole backstory.
“Anyway, my relationship with Sunburst suffered for it. I said a lot of things I wish I could take back too. I regret it all the time…”
Sunset started to feel choked up, but she focused back on the niece who needed her so much.
“I know exactly how you feel.”
These words meant the world to Luster, knowing she finally found somepony who understood her situation perfectly. Somepony older and wiser, who could help her get through it.
“How do you live with it?”
She asked, desperate for a nugget of wisdom.
“It can be hard. Really hard.”
Sunset admitted.
“But the version of me that was so nasty back then isn’t here anymore, I try every day not to be like her. And I hope that the ones I’ve lost would be proud of me, and the ones I meet in the future will know who I’ve worked hard to become. Just look at you!”
She pointed to Luster’s reflection in the water, her eyes focused on the real filly before her.
“I’ve only just met you and I already know you’re an amazing filly.”
“Really?”
Luster was humbled by this, she had spent so long wallowing in her regret that she often forgot to think about all the good qualities she had.
“Yeah! Witty, smart, talented, where do we even begin?”
Both of them laughed together, a weight lifting off their shoulders as they finally allowed themselves to just be.
It was a few minutes of just wordlessly enjoying each other’s company before Sunset spoke up again.
“You know, I’ve always wondered how my brother’s life turned out. If he was happy, if he ever found ‘the one’ or accomplished everything he wanted to. But I don’t have to wonder anymore.”
“Hm?”
“Because your dads raised you, and that’s all I need to know about them. They would be so proud.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Previous: Peach Pit Next: Ginger and Lemon Tea With Honey
Aunt Sunset wasn’t going to be leaving very soon, and Luster couldn’t spend forever hiding in her room. As awkward as she felt around these new relatives, it was getting lonely hiding from them, plus she had to admit it was a bit rude. So Luster decided to finally come out and show herself.
She’d heard quite a bit about her Aunt Sunset before. How smart she was, how close she and Sunburst used to be, that kind of stuff. Mostly good things…and then she ran away for some reason. Luster didn’t know why and finding out wasn’t one of her priorities, but it did make her wary about the kind of pony Sunset was.
The only thing she could do was find out for herself.
“Look who finally decided to come out!”
Her Nana Stellar chirped out wryly, her “welcome” only making Luster more uneasy.
Sunset wasn’t having it, she shot her mother a dirty look and gestured for her to zip it. To go easy on the poor filly who surely must have been through enough.
Then she turned to greet said filly herself.
“Hello Luster! It’s so nice to meet you!”
Luster stared up at this stranger, this aunt she’d never met, and almost didn’t know what to say.
“Um, hi. It’s…nice to meet you too.”
She had hardly a clue where to start, she barely knew anything about this mare at all. But if there was one thing she learned from her studies, it was to start with the things she did know.
“I uh, I’ve heard a little bit about you. From…Papa. Like that you used to be really close before…I don’t know.”
The mention of her deceased father only made her feel even more crummy, so she did her best to shove that thought down and shift the topic elsewhere.
“And also that you used to be Queen Celestia’s student? That’s…cool.”
Luster forced a smile to show that she really did mean it despite her nerves.
Sunset could tell that the filly was having a hard time warming up to her. She didn’t want to talk about her dead brother either at the moment. Or…really anything from her past. There was so much she regretted that she didn’t want to get into it with her niece who she’d just barely met.
She could empathize with Luster’s unease, she felt it too, but her eagerness to get to know her kind of overpowered that as she started to fawn over her. She was overcome with nostalgia at meeting her brother’s foal, and she didn’t really know how else to connect with her in that moment.
“I did! And Mom—I mean, your Nana tells me you’ve been studying with Twilight Sparkle! She’s a really close friend of mine, you’re lucky to have her as a teacher. And I’m sure she’s lucky to have you as a student! I have no doubt that you’re a bright learner, it runs in the family. And also—“
As Sunset rambled on, Luster had trouble keeping up. It was nice that, for once, she had a relative who seemed to be treating her like her own pony and not just an extension of…them. But it was still so overwhelming, she barely knew Sunset at all yet Sunset was acting like she knew everything about her.
She didn’t know that deep down, Sunset was having a lot of the same doubts. All she could think about was how she was going to get acclimated to her new cousins on top of everything else going on.
~~~~~~~~~~
Previous: Pellicle Next: Smooth Sailing
Before she knew it, Luster Dawn was whisked away to spend a week with her Nana. She didn’t ask for any of this yet it was sprung on her so suddenly, having to choose a home even with everything else going on. She didn’t even have any time to let...the news set in.
Nana’s home was familiar, at least. Luster had visited her a number of times before everything happened. She could get around Sire’s Hollow just fine but it still didn’t feel like her home, it wasn’t where she belonged.
Stellar Flare herself was acting more like a tour guide than a family member, dragging Luster all around town to show her everything, including touring the renovated buildings and introducing her to her business partners. And they were only halfway through the itinerary! It was like she was trying to sell the town more than letting Luster explore it for herself.
When could a filly get a break?
This was the least busy day in the itinerary, with nothing planned until later in the afternoon, but Stellar seemed to be dedicating that time to acting as tour guide of the house.
“And this is your Papa’s old bookshelf, which I re-organized just last week! He was an avid reader you know, just like you. Look around, pick out the ones you like!”
Luster scanned the shelf and was almost overwhelmed by all the books she saw. She cared about her studies too but her Papa went hard in his; she didn’t know if she’d ever be able to live up to that.
She picked out a few that caught her eye, some which just looked interesting but others she remembered her Papa reading for her.
That was suddenly a lifetime ago...
As Luster ran her hooves over the old books it began to sink in. She’d never hear his voice reading to her again. She’d never again have her dads come together to make up stories for her. She thought it was a childish game when she last saw them but now, what she wouldn’t give to go back to that...
“It feels like just yesterday Shimmy was reading these to him!”
Luster’s thoughts were interrupted by her Nana reminiscing herself, holding a photograph in her magical grasp.
“It’s such a shame she couldn’t see him before he passed. It’s been so long since she’s come home, I would have loved to see them together one more time. Especially after how she left.”
Luster said nothing. She’d never met her Aunt Sunset but she knew her Papa did miss her. But there was nothing she could do about it. Maybe Sunset was doing fine wherever she was, anyway. Luster sure wasn’t.
“There’s plenty of room on these shelves, for all the books you could possibly want. Why, you could get into the best magic schools with all this studying! If you live with me I’ll make sure you do. Just like I did for your Papa.”
Magic school wasn’t even on Luster’s radar right now, not after what happened. She wasn’t ready to think about a future without her dads. Her life as it was was already torn apart. She didn’t really want anything to do with this but she made herself appease Stellar anyway.
“I’ll think about it, Nana.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Previous: Snowballing Next: Business Casual
Stellar Flare’s cutie mark by cheezedoodle96
Luster Dawn felt kind of bad about blowing up at her dads that night. It was true that she DID need to set some boundaries, she wasn’t a little filly after all. But even she had to admit that yelling at them was a little much. At least she’d get to apologize and talk to them about it when they got back from their business trip.
For now, though, her grandparents had come over to spend time with her for the weekend. She mostly only saw her Nana, Gramma, and Grampa on holidays and special occasions only, but “just because” seemed to be the occasion for now. Not that she minded too much.
Her Nana Stellar Flare leaned over her shoulder as she studied.
“I heard you’ve been learning some new spells in school! Do you mind telling me about them?”
“We heard from the grapevine that you’re studying under Queen Twilight! That’s a really big honor!”
Gramma Honey Bee chimed in from across the room.
“Put in a good word for us, will you?”
Honey nudged her husband, Ironwing, playfully as he said this.
“You’re just looking to get pardoned!”
This was the same overbearing behavior that Luster had gotten angry at her dads for, so she was a little peeved that her grandparents were doing it too. But she didn’t have to deal with them very often so for now the least she could do was entertain them.
“I’m not studying under her yet, I still have a couple years to go and more exams to prepare for. But hopefully I will. Right now I’m just learning basic transformation spells, like turning apples into oranges.”
But her grandparents still acted like she was already studying under royalty.
“That’s wonderful dear! You were always such a smart cookie!”
Stellar pinched her cheek.
Luster tried to play along.
“Well thanks, I’m going to try to perfect the apples-to-oranges spell so I can show my dads when they get home.”
There was a sudden shift in the room as she said this, the faces of all three of her grandparents dimming as if their smiles were masks falling off.
Stellar put on another smile which seemed a lot more forced.
“I’m sure they’ll love it...!”
Honey suddenly broke out into sobbing.
“Oh, I can’t take this anymore! Your parents aren’t coming back, Luster! They’re dead!”
“Honey, you weren’t supposed to tell her that!”
Stellar’s own eyes filled with tears as she pulled Luster into a desperate embrace.
“I’m so sorry, baby.”
Luster’s eyes were still dry. She was shocked. Was she hearing this right? Were they really...?
“W-what? How? When?”
Ironwing cleared his throat, delivering an explanation through his own tears.
“We found out last night. There...there was an accident. An avalanche. It took out the whole crew, including...”
He stopped, unable to go on.
Stellar shot a tearful glare at Honey and Iron.
“You two should be ashamed of yourselves! She wasn’t ready! WE weren’t ready!”
Luster barely listened to this exchange, she barely felt their attempts to comfort her. Instead those two horrible words kept ringing in her ears.
They’re dead.
They’re dead.
They’re dead.
~~~~~~~~~~
Previous: Braveface Next: Snowballing
Background from the MLP Wiki
