Ties That Bind

"You wrote that Sunburst used a spell to become a woman." Yep, I can see where the confusion would come in, cuz I never wrote that. :> I wrote that Sunburst and Flash were able to have a biological child (Luster Dawn) together because Flash is a trans stallion (ie. he and Sunburst have bits compatible for baby-making). I've since retconned that into Sunburst and Flash having a child through a surrogate, Starlight Glimmer. Flash is still trans, it just seemed unfair to subject him to a pregnancy.....and I think think this storyline is more interesting.

Lopoddity

I'm sorry, but I don't understand anything. You wrote that Sunburst used a spell to become a woman. He and Flash conceived a child and Sunburst became pregnant. Okay, I get that you've probably dropped the idea. But why? How did Midnight, Irie and other children of same-sex couples come into being?

Shining Armor and Cadence utilized a surrogate for both of their children. :>

Lopoddity

Are there other examples in the Pandoraverse of a surrogate pregnancy? I remember the characters that have been sperm donors like Hoity Toity and Hayseed. It would just be nice to have a healthy example of surrogacy that doesn't carry any weird connotation.

Dragon Turtle

You're spot on about Sunburst tolerating a lot of Starlight's antics out of guilt. He feels AWFUL about having abandoned her to go away to magic school, especially since Starlight often cites that as the incident that "caused" her turn to villainy. I'm not certain if Sunburst would find out Starlight's true intentions behind the surrogacy.....I'm certain he doesn't WANT to know. He wants to believe Starlight is a better pony now, and that she volunteered because she's his friend. I went back and rewatched the episode "Uncommon Bond" to see if I was handling the Sunburst/Starlight relationship correctly, and I was shocked at how incredibly manipulative Starlight still is to her friend. She resents being made to share him with others, frequently breaches his boundaries, and forcibly shapeshifted him into a foal. All that would be forgivable, but when Sunburst hits his limit and blows up at her, Starlight doesn't apologize. She starts to cry, and says she was only trying to bond with him the last way she knew how. Dick move. By her crying, the narrative dismisses Sunburst's (rightful) annoyance to poor Starlight's hurt feels. Sunburst isn't allowed to be the victim, only Starlight gets to be one. In the end, it is SUNBURST who reaches out to bridge the gap, gathering up all Starlight's friends to play a game. Starlight repays this act by dropping Sunburst through the floor as a joke(???). Their friendship is strange. Sunburst puts up with a lot. Even later on, he permits a lot of Starlight's meddling in Luster's life, because (as Starlight will remind him) if it weren't for her, he wouldn't have a daughter in the first place......

Lopoddity

Heck no, trans Flash for life. I am retconning subjecting him to a pregnancy. Between hormones and magic, odds were low of him conceiving/carrying to term anyway

Lopoddity

Twilight: *sprays Starlight with a water bottle* No. Bad. I feel like Midnight would definitely look back on this when she's old enough and realize what her mom was doing. She's incredibly perceptive, and there's no better way to realize your mom never really got over her controlling tendencies than living with her your entire childhood. I can see that possibly increasing the tension between Midnight and Starlight, since Midnight still (though she'll deny it, of course) loves her mother and doesn't necessarily doesn't want to call her out and hurt her, but it's also so. Infuriating. To have Starlight constantly side-eyeing Midnight and her choices when the woman really has no room to talk... Does Sunburst ever find out? I imagine he'd feel incredibly betrayed, but have a hard time holding an actual grudge against Starlight - probably partially due to residual guilt over (accidentally) cutting Starlight out of his life the first time as kids, partially due to Starlight being the biological mother of his child, partially due to his little sister being married to the woman. Would Starlight be at all jealous/resentful of how the child *she* carried to term becomes Twilight's personal magic student? I can see her making little remarks that just... rub Flash the wrong way, and Sunburst has to try and reassure him, no, Starlight would never mean *that*, or mean it *that* way, she's just a little rough around the edges (and the whole time trying to convince himself of the same thing, on some unconscious level).

Colbyr

Ooooof. Starlight is a lil messed up. Does this mean you're retconning flash being trans?

Amber

Luster doooes reasonably look like a starlight/sunburst kid...

TumbleBlunder

Yes, Sunset is Sunburst’s older sister.

Lopoddity

Very interesting. I forget, are sunset and sunburst siblings in your universe?

Maile Greenwell

I doubt she REALLY wants him. She views him as a symbol of her lost idyllic youth, which is why she's so territorial about him, even in the show. By reconnecting with Sunburst, Starlight hopes to return to happier times, when the world was less complicated. Starlight loves her wife Sunset but her fixation with Sunburst persists.....

Lopoddity

I wonder who’s gonna find out what her actual plan is first

Vicky H

Starlight’s still pining after Sunburst still? Oh honey.. 🥺

PrincessMuffinArt

Oh wow some ones been watching soap operas recently 😆

Vio_dacreator

This is after Sunset. Also after Midnight Abyss was born.

Lopoddity

What do Flash and Sunset think? Or is this before Sunset?

MyLittleVerse

Omg I love this!!! If memory serves me right, his daughter is pink so this explains a bit!

Amaris

Oh this...this twisted thing that she would definitely do...I like...

Cam