Stand in the Rain ~Sequel to Breakaway

Reunion

Stardust's POV

I took a deep breath. And another, and yet another. It's been way over an hour when I began to walk my way to where I know Matrix had to still be living. It was weird, knowing I was walking to her house.

It was even weirder that I walked through the bushes to the "real" world. I haven't taken a walk outside of the valley in almost twenty years. Nothing much had changed in the forest. I knew that it would stay constant, like it always has and will. Civilization on the other hand, had to have changed, because it always does. I hardly asked Luna what had changed in society since I had left. I didn't think I would get this far, and Luna hasn't had a normal experience with the outside world for the past fifteen years either.

"Leaving is vital," I whispered to myself. First part done.

But comes with a price, I heard a voice whisper to me back, on the wind. That part, I don't want to find out.

I was getting close now to the edge of civilization. It was a bright and beautiful day, but I wore my cloak and a long dress underneath just in case anybody saw me. Even though wearing the cloak would still look weird with the warm weather, a sparkling furred fox would look even weirder.

With that I drew up my hood, and exited the strip of trees into the little old neighborhood that I knew Matrix would live in. The likelihood of her leaving to live anywhere else is very small. I'm guessing by how Luna explained it to me, her house was left untouched when she was with Luna's father. Matrix probably moved back in without saying a word about it.

Taking another deep breath, I turned into her drive. There was a wild looking garden growing, full of beautiful blooming flowers or all different colors. She must have gained a hobby while I was gone, because she was never much into gardening or anything of the sort before.

How much had she changed?

Without waiting to ponder on anymore thoughts, I rang the doorbell.

There was a pause, and I could hear movement from inside. Then, after a moment's hesitation, the door flew open.

It was Matrix standing there alright. She looked at me with surprised green eyes.

"Hey," I managed to say, "May I come in?"

She seemed to stun to be able to speak, but then she smiled and stepped back.

"Come on in Stardust."

I took a few steps into her house, and she closed the door. I was sure she had done only a little bit of redecorating since I had been gone, changing the pictures from stuff of her parents' -who Luna explained that Matrix had said that they had left and gave the house to Matrix- to her own, which meant there was several pictures of her, Sunny, and I.

I turned back to Matrix, who quickly pulled me into one of her huge crocodile hug. There was a moment where I paused before I gingerly hugged her back.

We stood there for a while, and I thought I heard Matrix sniffle a bit. But before I could tell her not to cry, she pulled out of the hug, and looked at me with misty eyes.

"Long time no see old friend."

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Oh more than that," she said, leading me into the middle of the living room, gesturing for me to take a seat, and I gladly did, taking a seat next to her on her couch. "What brought you down here?"

"I knew I should come," I said with a smile, "it's been long enough."

She smiled and pulled up a scrapbook and handed it to me. I recognized it, because it was very similar to the one that I had made myself, when the three of us sat down and made them years ago. I started to flip through it, and Matrix whispered, "I was just thinking about you, and Sunny."