Songs of Innocence

Chapter 37: Day & Night

Fluttershy's cottage, many moons later

"Sun had finally found the key to her past, waiting at her doorstep. Amidst the nightmares and grief, she found a shining beacon of hope: Sunburst. A unicorn pony just like her. They were siblings in every way but biologically. I wish I was there when she saw him, because she was so, so happy... But... she was a little surprised with how much he'd changed."

Outside Sun's house, many moons ago

"Well, ah'll be a leaf-eatin' pangolin! You're Sunburst's cousin?" Applejack was overjoyed as she asked Sun. She would've never guessed that Sun and him were related, but it made so much sense now that she realized it.

"Uh, you know Sunburst, Applejack? He didn't always look this nerdy, did he?!" Sun winced, looking at this dorky unicorn that she knew was her beloved cousin.

"'Course ah know 'im! And hey, that's no way t'talk about yer cousin, is it?"

"It's the way to talk about him if he looks like this much of a nerd!" 

"And what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, actually. I'm just... a little surprised. I don't remember him looking like this, that's all." Sun was, indeed, surprised. She truly had no problem with how he looked, but she just liked to exaggerate her shock at seeing him. She didn't remember him having a pair of glasses, a wizard robe, or that quite frankly awful tuft of hair on his chin last time they saw each other... although, Sun wasn't quite sure when the last time they met was.

Hearing Applejack's voice, Sunburst turned around to see her. He beamed, but only when she noticed his favorite cousin beside her. Not even a second passed before he started to gallop towards them. "There you are!" he called out to her in an even dorkier voice than Sun expected. Nonetheless, she was as ecstatic as he was. "I was starting to wonder if I'd gone to the wrong house. I-I'm surprised to see you with somepony like Applejack, Sol."

"S-Sol?" Sun's eyes widened. In was in that moment when she remembered an old cringe-inducing (at least, to the current her) nickname of hers. "Oh, man. I completely forgot about it. Don't call me that, Sunburst... I made it when I was, like, a little kid."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Wait a second... Sol? You mean Sun?"

"Yeah!" Sunburst nodded. "Sun used to ask me to call her that so we won't get confused at how similar our names are. We eventually landed on 'Sol' as her nickname."

"No kiddin'! Gosh, that's adorable. Ah think ah might start callin' you that, Sun!"

"Sweet Celestia, please, no." Sun whimpered.

"Aw, buck up. Ah know you'll start rememberin' everythin' with him around, right?"

Sunburst's expression became puzzled. "What do you mean, 'remember'? Did something happen, Sol?"

"Sun!" she corrected. "Uh, yeah, somethin' happened. I'm not sure what happened, but I kinda... forgot everything before I came to Ponyville. Before you sent that letter saying you were visiting, I had no idea you existed, and I especially had no idea you were my cousin."

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "You have amnesia?!"

"Ah think it might be a li'l more than that." Applejack chimed in. "Sun, ah remember that you didn't even know who the royal sisters were when you came here. What kinda pony doesn't know Celestia and Luna? Somethin' tells me that this ain't no normal amnesia."

Sunburst stammered trying to respond, in complete disbelief at what he was hearing, and only growing even more dumbfounded as they elaborated on his cousin's situation. And on top of all of that, he was astounded that Sun looked completely fine despite all of this. He always knew her to be a fragile, childish filly who was a bit of a crybaby, and yet, when she should feel so lost and alone (in his eyes), she was fine. She showed not a single sign of distress. In fact, he was the one who started to get emotional, thinking about how she must've felt going through it all.