Downstream (MLP Fanfiction)

Chapter 10

It was a warm day in Ponyville. Luster had just got off the train and made a b-line for her parent's house.

Her parents had just retired from running the School of Friendship that day and she wanted to be there to celebrate while she still had time to herself.

Plus, she had been meaning to catch up with an old friend.

Luster climbed the steps to the castle and opened the doors.

"Honeybun! Oh, I've missed you so much!" Sunburst immediately went to hug her. "Starlight, your daughter's home!"

Starlight poked her head out of one of the many doors in the main corridor and whispered to someone in the room behind her before hurrying to Luster.

"We've missed you, goofball!" Starlight joined the hug. "How's our Griffonstone school doing?"

Luster hugged back. "Great so far, Natyla and I are getting really good results from the students."

"Aw, we knew you'd be an amazing Vice-Headmare, didn't we?" Sunburst looked to his partner.

Starlight smiled warmly "Absolutely. We're so proud of the mare you've become, honeybun."

Luster took her parents in for a hug, and heard someone rummaging in a nearby room.

Luster pulled back. "Oh, I gotta say hi to a certain somepony! I'll be back in a minute, guys."

Luster trotted over to the source of the noise and peered into the crack of the door, spying on the pony inside.

"Loony Roony!" Luster sang, slamming the door open.

Rune jumped several feet into the air, parchment flying everywhere.

"Hey, you! You are so helping me clean this up later!" Rune ran over to hug her friend. "So, finally got a day to yourself?"

Lister sighed happily. "For now. Who would've thought running a school would be this demanding?"

"Hey, try working here. Half the castle's filled with books and I'm the one who's gotta organise them all every day. By hoof."

"Oh, shouldn't you talk to Mother about that? Doing all this without magic can't be easy." Luster gestured to all the piles of scrolls and books strewn everywhere.

"Nah, I like it this way. That horn caused me nothing but grief the entire time I had it." Rune grabbed a few books and got on a kickstool. "Plus, I find it better to do most things yourself," she added, individually putting away the books.

Rune never really discussed her feelings about losing her horn until now, it was almost like she never had one after all this time.

Luster lowered her voice. "But, don't you miss it? Your whole life revolved around magic! How can you be okay with losing that?"

Rune let out a sigh, taking on a more serious tone as she got off the stool. "Celestia gave me a second chance at life itself, Luster. When you lose everything, you will do anything in your power to even have a fraction of your old life back."

Luster sat down as Rune did.

"In my case, I've been happy to just be alive ever since you got me back." Rune's voice was warbling at this point. "But having you around is worth all the magic in the world to me. You know that, right?"

Luster wrapped herself around Rune. "Of course I do, silly. You mean so much to me."

Rune closed her eyes and held back her tears as the two hugged.

Later that night, Luster's parents had their retirement party. Almost every single creature in Ponyville and Canterlot was there, even Princess Twilight herself.

As the party went on, Rune had noticed a familiar face through a window and she slipped away from the party. She went outside and went to search for the pony in the window.

She found the window she was looking through and could only see a few bushes and trees. Then, she appeared.

"Oh, Tia- I- uh... Princess Celestia." Rune stammered, bowing clumsily.

Celestia giggled lightly. "It's nice to see you again. I see you're keeping well."

Rune grinned. "Hey, why are you here?"

"Well, several reasons," said Celestia, bowing to Rune's height. "But the main one is to apologise to you."

"To me?"

"Of course." Celestia motioned for Rune to walk with her. "I thought you were beyond help when I saw how bitter you became in death." Celestia looked inside again, spotting Luster dancing with her parents. "But that little unicorn in there showed me that no one is above redemption, so long as they're willing to do what it takes to better themselves," she said, sitting down. "And I'm sorry I couldn't see that."

At this point, Celestia unfolded a wing, soundlessly inviting Rune to sit beside her.

Rune leaned up against the Old Princess and sat there in silence until the party ended, long into the night.

THE END