Project Starlight
Fortune City was particularly hot that day. It was a record-breaking 110 degrees. All of those that were braving the outdoors were wearing hardly anything. Short jogging shorts, crop tops, some of the guys were even going topless, whether they could pull it off or not.
However, this weather did not affect Starlight and Asher. Starlight was a SunStarshroom, so she absolutely loved days like these. The sunshine was her bread and butter, her fuel, her reason for getting up in the morning. Asher, however, was not as keen on sunshine, but whatever Starlight liked, she liked. Whatever Starlight wanted to do, she’d tag along and do. Anything Starlight wanted, well, he’d try, but she wasn’t made of money. Come on, man.
The two were walking down the business district. They were holding hands and walking through town without a care in the world. “Did I mention how beautiful today is?” Starlight was holding back from skipping down the sidewalk and frolicking.
“Yes,” Asher stated, smiling at her wonderful girlfriend, “so many times.” She grabbed her hand tighter and pulled her in. “Calm down, Star. You’re gonna get in the road.”
“Well, it’s such a beautiful day; how could I not dance around?” The sun always boosted her mood, so hot days like this simply made her high on life. She began skipping down the street; her yellow tail swishing behind her. Skipping to the end of the street, she turned around and skipped back to Asher. A SunStarshroom in pink denim overalls with a bee on the pocket and a star-tipped tail skipping down the business district. Quite the unusual sight.
Asher stopped walking and felt his stomach. It had a case of the rumblies. “I’m hungry, are you?”
Starlight skipped to his side and rubbed Asher’s stomach. “You are hungy, Ash.” She felt the rumblies in his tumblies. “Lucky for us,” she pointed to the building he stopped in front of, “we’re near foods.”
“Ooh, subs.” Asher had stopped in front of a submarine sandwich shop. The neon sign mounted on the window read Captain Jim’s Subs. The clear windows in front of the shop showed that the place was packed. No one was standing in line, though; they were just standing around. “I could go for a sub.”
“Silly, you’re a sub.” Starlight booped his nose and ran inside laughing.
“AM NOT!” She ran in after her. “You are.” He happily chased her inside.
The two ran inside but stopped abruptly, almost running into someone. The place was packed. Just as it looked outside, no one was in line for food. They knew exactly why as soon as they were inside, too. The A/C was on full blast. Everyone was fanning themselves and enjoying the cool environment.
The place was an odd combination of a sandwich shop and a seafood restaurant. Nautical-themed knick-knacks line the walls, along with large taxidermized fish. Clashing with these nautical decorations were pictures of sandwiches and the standard restaurant fare. It almost seemed like the owner took all the stuff from their boat and shoved them on the walls of their restaurant because they had no place to put them. Sea shanties played over the speakers.
“OI!” An old-looking man came out from the back and stood behind a counter. His raggedy-looking grey beard and balding head looked straight out of a cartoon. One of his eyes looked false. “If ya ain’t buying somethin’, scoot!” His wrinkled skin could have told many stories. He spoke like a pirate, perhaps he was THE Captain Jim.
With an onslaught of groans and complaints, the crowd left. The building was empty now except for one dragon sitting at a corner table, working on a massive-looking submarine sandwich. The man looked to Starlight and Asher. “You too!”
“But we want food.” Asher stood his ground.
“Oh, well, if that be the case.” The man walked to the side of the counter closest to them and started putting on gloves. “What’ll ye have?”
They looked at the menu above him. The two were only four feet tall; they could barely see above the counter and barely see the menu. They all seemed to be standard menu items. An Italian sub, cheesesteak sub, rotisserie chicken sub, and the other standards. “I’ll have the Pizza sub.”
“Would you like that The Captain’s Way?” He had a huge grin, the false eye bulging out of his face.
“What does that mean?” Asker looked at him worriedly. The only time he ever saw that face on anyone was in movies.
“The way I wanna make it!” He cackled as if he told the best joke in the world.
Asher thought about that. He had to have a bad pizza sub. What could you possibly mess up? “Why not?”
“Excellent!” He looked to Starlight, “And what about you, lassie?”
She was looking at all the options, but nothing was calling to her. “Well…”
“Know what? Ye seem like a discerning young lady.”
“Yeah.” She said this as if she was just learning it. “I guess I am.” She nodded.
“Ye look like a lassie of taste.”
“I AM!” She thrust her hands into the air.
“Ye look like ye enjoy cheese.”
Her eyes grew wide and sparkly. “I do!”
“I’ll make ye the Cheesy Combo, Captain’s Special.”
She had never heard such words in her life. The words echoed in her head. “YEAH!”
“Oh, will that be footlong, you two?”
“HECK YEAH!” Starlight answered for them both.
“Star, calm down, sweetie.” Asher held her hand. Captain Jim, assuming he was anyway, started pulling out small bins of slices of cheese. He was a man on a mission. He slapped the footlong loaf of bread on the cutting board and sliced it open. He didn’t waste any time in piling on the cheese. Slice after slice of cheese, piling higher and higher. Cheddar, American, Mozzarella, Provolone, Havarti, Gouda, Goat cheese nuggets, and more that Star didn’t recognize.
She couldn’t help but stare at the mound of cheese when Captain Jim started putting the bins of cheese away, taking deep breaths. He slid a pizza peel underneath the cheese mountain and tossed it into the toaster behind him. She was so excited and started to bounce in place. Asher squeezed her hand. “Ok, I’m zen.” She stopped bouncing and squirming. Jim started working on the pizza sub.
“I’d be careful if I was you.” The dragon in the corner was calling to the two. She had a stick southern accent. Her red crop top left nothing to the imagination, nor did her denim shorts that were too short for her. Her body was way too big for any of the tables, so she stood out like a sore thumb. “I’ve had the Cheezy Combo before. I was backed up for weeks. Wreaked havoc on my stomach for days too. It’s way too much cheese.”
“That won’t be a problem for me.” Starlight said kindly. “Cheese is my life.”
“I’m lactose intolerant though,” Asher raised a finger, “so I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She continued eating her sandwich.
“Ahoy, lassie!”
“YES?” She was about to ask what’s up, but she saw it. Her footlong cheesy combo. The melted cheese was dripping and oozing over the edge of the bread. The smell emanating from the masterpiece was driving her crazy.
“Ye want veggies?” The counter in front of them held a variety of veggies that would usually be delicious on a sandwich.
However, Starlight had other plans. She was looking at the sauces further down the line. “Hmm… She saw it: the bottle labeled Galic Aioli. “Oh. Slather it with Garlic Aioli.”
“Cheesy garlic bread then? I like it.” Jim grabbed the bottle and added line after line of the savory, pungent, garlicy sauce all over both sides of the cheese. Her mouth was watering, her face pressed against the glass. Jim knew what she wanted. He seasoned it with Italian herbs as well. “There, She’s ready.” He closed the sandwich, a wave of garlic aioli dribbled over the side and onto the parchment paper underneath it. As he sliced it, more aioli oozed from it. “Easy there, lass. You’ll break the glass.”
She was drooling so heavily that she was starting to slide off the glass. “Ash! I want it now!”
“Ok, go ahead, I gotta get mine anyway.” Jim handed her the sandwich, wrapped in fresh parchment paper. The leaking aioli was soaking through it. She grabbed it gingerly. “I shall wield this with great care and responsibility.” She then ran to a table. Every table she looked at was dirty or had remnants of someone else’s feast on it. The only table that was clean was the one next to the dragon lady.
She didn’t care though. She climbed into the chair and sat down. With no regard for her surroundings, she began to rip the paper like a child opening a gift on Christmas. “Come here, my sweet.” The hot, steaming sandwich, with cheese dripping down the sides, and oozing with garlic aioli wouldn’t stand a chance against a hungry Starlight. She grasped one of the halves and looked it over, coating her little nubby hands with garlic aioli. “You’re mine.” She practically unhinged her jaw for her first bite.
Aioli oozed out the other end of the bread, as did a copius amount of cheese. It had tasted exactly how she thought it would. The aioli was garlicy and soaked into the bread. The cheese was greasy and gooey. The combined flavors swirled in her mouth and made the whole thing taste like cheese garlic bread. She was so disappointed when another certain submarine sandwich chain had introduced the option to turn their bread into garlic bread then discontinued it due to supposed ‘dissatisfaction’ amongst customers. She chomped away at it, hardly taking time to chew, pausing here and there to slurp up the garlic aioli and cheese that spewed from the other side.
“Geez, Star, you couldn’t even wait?” Asher walked over with his sub in hand. He tossed it up onto the table and climbed into his chair. “I hate being small sometimes, I could hardly see the counter.” Starting to unwrap his sandwich, he paused to look at star who had already eaten her first half. “Geez, slow down, Star. That’s too much cheese to just hork down like an animal.”
“Bah!” She spit crumbs and tiny flecks of aioli on Asher’s face. “The aioli is lubricant.” She grabbed her other half and started biting into it ravenously.
“You know, if you’re gonna eat like animal, I’m gonna treat you like an animal.” He pulled several napkins from the dispenser on the table and tossed them to her, saving one for himself. After wiping his face with the napkin, he unwrapped his food and began eating. “I probably have a collar somewhere.”
She stopped chewing and smirked. “Oh, rearry?” She couldn’t talk with that much food in her mouth. She quickly chewed, swallowed, and continued. “I didn’t know you were into that, Ashy.”
Asher blushed, he had thought about giving her a choker, but good luck finding one that would fit a mushroom. A collar though? He tried to keep eating. “I-I-I-I’m not onto that at all.” He took a small bite, thinking about Star with a collar.
“Ashy, you’re so easy to read. Ever since you started taking your estrogen pills, you’re so easy to tease.”
“Hey,” his face grew hot, “no I’m not.” He set his sandwich down and twiddled his fingers under the table.
“Hehehe. I love you sweetheart.” She continued demolishing her food.”
“Say, you remind me of someone.” That voice again. Star and Asher looked to the dragon that sat at the table next to them. She was crinkling up her paper, picking up crumbs of her sandwich. “Oh, where are my manners?” She reached out a hand, “Name’s Ember. You have any family around her? Other mushrooms?”
Star reached as far as she could and shook her large hand, in comparison to her stubby, small one. “Starshrooms or Sunshrooms?” She loved talking to strangers. She always had a good judge of character, very rarely was she wrong about someone. “I mean, there’s my mommy’s but I haven’t seen them in forever.” She put her hand on her chin and thought about her parents. She never knew her father, but she remembered a few things about her mothers. One was a Starshroom and the other was a Sunshroom. One as short and one was really tall, as far as mushrooms go. She didn’t remember much else though, it had been so long.
“One of them really short?” She gestured down to her thighs. “The other taller?” She raised her hand up to her waist.
“Maybe. It’s been so long.”
“The ones I’m thinking of are Sammy and Mia. Ring any bells?” Ember placed her arms on the table and looked at Starlight with serious eyes.
“I.. I’m not sure.” She shut her eyes as tight as possible and tried to remember something, anything about her parents. Out of the blue memories came flooding her brain. Faint images of two mushrooms, one tall, blue mushroom in a blue dress and a short orange mushroom in red overalls. They were both looking down on her. We did it, Mia. This is our daughter! The short one picked her up and held her in her stubby little arms. This is her, our Star, our light, she held her up high, our Starlight.
The setting changed abruptly to a living room. She was seeing everything from behind the bars of a crib. The orange mushroom was sitting on a green couch, hands on her face, sobbing and shaking. The Blue mushroom came from out of her vision, circled the couch, and sat next to her. It’s alright, Sammy. We’ll get through this together.
Now, she was sitting in a car in the back seat. She had no idea where she was going, but the two mushrooms were in the front seats, the orange one in the passenger seat, sobbing. The blue mushroom was driving, trying to comfort her. It’s ok, Sammy. This is for the best.
“Mom?” Starlight opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, everything a blob of colors.
“Star? You ok?” Asher was merely eating his food as the two were talking before, but now he was getting involved. “What’s wrong?”
“I remembered some things about my mom. Well, moms.” She turned around to face Ember. “Is the short mushroom Sammy?”
“Oh yeah, she’s a goofy one.”
“What about the tall one?” She hopped out of her chair and sat with the Ember. “She must be Mia, right?”
“You got it. She’s the one that wears the pants in the relationship.”
“What about me? Did they mention me at all?” She was desperate, standing on her chair and leaning forward on the table.
“I seldom heard ’bout ya. When I do though, things get all quiet and somber.” She put her hand on her chin, thinking about something. “You know what, let me give them a call.” She got up and walked into the bathroom, sneakily taking a photo of Starlight by peeking her phone’s camera above her shoulder.
“Star, I don’t like this.” Asher started balling up his greasy paper. “We don’t even know this woman.”
“She knows my moms!” Starlight spun around in her chair and looked at him. “I wanna find them. You know how I haven’t seen them in years.”
“Star, it sounds like they abandoned you.”
“No, they didn’t.” She pounded the back of the chair. “They just…” She was never sure about what happened. Her whole life she lived in a boarding school. Summer, holiday breaks, year-round. That school was her home until she was 18 years old. “They just forgot or something.”
“No one forgets their child for that long, Star.” Asher was looking at her with a serious look, concerned about how she was grasping at straws.
Meanwhile, the dragon had excused herself to call Mia and Sammy. She jumped into a bathroom stall and sat down. That Philly cheesesteak was working right through her, so this was a two in one deal. Sammy wouldn’t mind if she called her on the toilet. She dialed the number and listened to it ring.
“Ember?” Sammy picked up the phone. Her perky voice was cheerful as usual.
“Hey, Sammy. What’cha doin’?”
“Takin’ a dump.” She sounded so pleased with herself.
“When are you not?” She should have known. Nine times out of ten she was on the toilet when Ember called. “Is it a big one?”
“Yea, hehe, it’s a big egg shaped one.” She had the best dumb laugh, but Ember was in no mood to hear it right now
“Glad to hear that, Sammy.” They had gotten into the habit of sharing info on eachother’s poops. It started as a joke to gross eachother out, but it had turned into a serious scat fetish over time. “Say, I got a dumb question for you.”
“Hold on.” Ember heard her straining on the other end. Ember thought she was being rude, calling Sammy from the bathroom.
“Must be a real stinker.” She had grown accustomed to toilet humor around Sammy. It was her favorite thing in the world to do. She liked being able to empty herself. She was a very small mushroom with a very large stomach, so when she was full you better clear the room.
She continued making strained noises, as if she was trying to inflate her muscles with sheer will power. “You know it.”
“Anyways, you know how we avoid the subject about that little girl of yours?” She had to handle this delicately.
“Ember, not now.” She continued straining herself.
“Well, I might have found her.” All noise on the other end stopped. Sammy had abruptly stopped. “Sammy?”
“Ember.” Sammy sounded serious, as serious as she could with her cute voice. ”You interrupt my poop to tell me lies? Starlight is gone. We’ve told you this.”
“I’m serious.” She lowered her phone and looked through her gallery. “Look, I’m gonna send you a picture. I’m at that weird sandwich shop in the business district. She just walked in with some other mushroom.” It was a little blurry and obscured, because she took it covertly, but Starlight’s tail was in plain view. She sent the photo and waited.
There was a pause. “Oh my stars…” She said it so quietly, Ember could hardly make it out. Ember heard something clatter to the floor; Sammy dropped her phone. Sammy had began crying. “Mia,” She was sobbing, calling for Mia. “MIA!” She was growing hysterical.
All Ember could hear was Sammy sobbing for a minute. There was a cluttering sound, then a different voice came from the other end. “Hello, Ember, how are you?” Mia must have came in to see what was happening.
“I’ve been better.” She let out a loud sigh. “Listen, I just made Sammy cry.” She scratched the back of her head nervously.
“That’s not hard to do, you know? There, there, sweetie.”
“Mia,” Ember took a breath, “look at the photo I just sent.”
“Hmm?” Mia gasped. The phone fell to the floor again, but she could only hear Sammy crying. Mia, keeping her composure, picked up the phone again. “Ember, who is this?”
“You know who it is, Mia. I can prove it too.”
“SHE’S ALIVE!” Ember held the phone away from her ear. Sammy was in pieces. “STARLIGHT IS ALIVE!”
“Ember. If this is true, and it really is our Starlight, please bring her to us.” She sniffled then continued. “I want to know if it’s her.”
“You know I will, Mia. I’m sorry I made Sammy cry.”
“STARLIGHT!”
“I’ll take care of this. You get her here.” She was trying to hold back tears herself, but she was failing. “Bring our little girl back.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Ember hung up the phone. She still had her business to take care of.
“What’s taking her so long?” Starlight was bouncing up and down in the chair, using the table as leverage.
“You ladies take forever to use the bathroom.” Asher had grabbed a soda while he waited. She slurped it loudly.
“You’re a lady too, dingus.” Asher still hadn’t kicked her old habits yet.
“Oh yeah.”
The door to the bathroom opened. “I’m back. Sorry that took so long.”
“What did they say?!” She jumped out of the chair and ran over to her.
“Ya’ll comin’ with me.”
She covered her mouth, eyes beginning to tear up. “I’m gonna see Mommy?”
“They want to see you so badly.” Ember held back her tears, seeing Star’s hopeful face. Kneeling on one knee, she got down to eye level. “I’m gonna get ya there.” Star lunged forward and hugged Ember’s left leg. Ember reflexively hugged her back. “Let’s get going, kiddos.”
“Finally, let’s just go.” Asher slid out of his chair and headed toward the door.”
“Fank you.” Ember rose from the floor and started walking. Star was clinging to her leg in gratitude, unable to let go. “Fank you!” She pried her face from Ember’s leg and spoke clearly and non-muffled. “Thank you!”
“We’re not there yet, kiddo. Don’t thank me yet.” They walked out the door, Ember picking up her left leg so Star wasn’t dragged across the floor.
It was still hot outside, no surprise. The sun had moved only a little westward, making Fortune City a mere degrees cooler. “God, it’s still hot.” Asher tried to cover his eyes as he looked up to the sky. “Tell me you have a car with AC.”
“Pfffft,” Ember dismissed the question, “of course I do. You’re right in front of it.”
Asher turned around and looked at the supposed car. “Holy cow!” Behind her was a black vintage firebird. Of course, it was custom painted to her style. The phoenix on the front was purple with a yellow torso. Asher peeked inside through the window. “What did you do to get this thing?”
“Hard work and discipline.” She pulled out a key fob from her tight pockets and auto-started the car. Asher jumped back in alarm, nearly falling over. “The only downside is it’s a little tight for me.” She opened the passenger door and raised her leg. “Hop in, kiddo.” Star released her arms from Ember’s legs and flopped into the back seat. She squirmed to the far side of the back seat, and Asher followed suit.
“Is this leather?” Asher felt the black leather-looking seats. She didn’t know too much about cars, but she recognized a nice car when she saw one.
“Nah, I couldn’t do that.” Ember shook her head aggressively. “My girlfriend is a cow, you see. If I had leather anything, she’d be pretty upset.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” She sat in the seat and buckled up.
“Alright, kiddos.” Ember climbed into the driver’s seat and shut the door. “Let’s get you delivered to your parents.” She inserted the fob into the ignition and turned it. The engine roared to life, echoing around the business district. She flipped her right blinker and pulled onto the road. “Oh, I almost forgot. She pressed some buttons on the dashboard. “You want your AC.”
Cold air filled the car instantly. Asher breathed a sigh of relief as it flowed over her body. “That’s the stuff.” She slumped into the seat and savored the cold air.
“Ember, tell me more about my moms.” Starlight leaned forward as best she could with the seatbelt restraining her.
“Well.” Ember thought about what to say, still watching the road. “Sammy is a little sensitive. Don’t be surprised if she bursts into tears and wails when she meets you.”
“Sensitive like?” She tilted her head curiously.
“She’s just a softie is all. Big softie and full of affection.”
“That’s sweet.” She clasped her hands together.
“Just like you,” Asher commented.
“I’m not sensitive though.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Am not.”
“Fine, you do you.” She slumped over again, relishing the AC.
“Mia is a hard worker. A real motherly type. Kinda old fashioned, though. I don’t know why she wears bloomers.”
“Bloomers?” Star didn’t know what those were.
“Never mind.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You and Sammy share a fashion sense, though. You two wear denim overalls.”
She was elated at hearing this. “NO WAY!” She looked down at her own overalls. “Mom wears them too?” Knowing this gave her a warm fuzzy feeling inside as if she had a part of her mom inside her all along. She had a thought that shattered her happy feeling. “Wait, does that mean she’s, like…” she had to tackle this delicately, “one of those diaper people?”
“Oh no.” Ember laughed at her question. “She just enjoys looking cute.”
Starlight was instantly hit with stomach pain. Not any stomach pain, a very distinct one. She knew all too well what this meant. “Hey, Ember? Can we stop at a bathroom?”
“I told you all that cheese would mess with you.” She laughed. “We’re almost there.” Ember turned left, and everything shifted inside Starlight’s stomach. This did not help at all. She was a ticking time bomb, and every shift cut some time off. “Just gotta find that tree.”
“They live in a tree?” Asher asked quizzically.
“Yeah, a rainbow tree. They’re very in touch with nature. Oh!” She slowed down, and Starlight complained about the sudden shift. “Here we are.” Ember pulled over and parked. Ember jumped over the car with her powerful legs; she didn’t like getting into the road. Starlight was unbuckling her seatbelt as Ember opened the door for them. “Welcome home.”
Starlight hopped out and held her stomach. She looked in front of her, then looked to the sky. The Rainbow Tree was unlike any tree she had seen. The trunk's diameter was as long as a shack, but the tree was very tall. Probably five stories if Star had to guess.
The leaves on the top of the tree were, as Ember had described, a Rainbow. Each leaf was a different color—not just the seven colors of the rainbow, either, but the whole spectrum of colors. The leaves themselves looked like hearts and stars.
“They live in this?” Asher had jumped out of the car and ogled at the tree as well. There were round windows spotting the tree’s trunk. They couldn’t see anything inside from this height, though. There was a small door at the very base of the trunk with another rounded window built into it. A mailbox stood next to it.
“Yes, they do. They tell me it’s made of Pearlwood or something. Never heard of it, so I’ll take their word for it. In Fall, this is the prettiest yard in the world. All them leaves fallin’, the lawn covered in rainbow and stuff. Real purty.” She took a moment and took a deep breath. “Come along, you two.” The two toddled along behind her, their legs moving very quickly to keep up.
“Are you coming in with us, Ember?” Starlight asked as they reached the door.
“No, she can’t go in. She’s way too big.” Asher pointed to the door. The door was only four and a half feet tall, a fraction of Ember’s almost seven-foot stature.
“I can fix that.” Instantly, Ember vanished into a pool of dark purple goo.
The two began to panic. “What just happened?” Asher was backing up, trying to avoid stepping in the purple goo that was spreading on the ground. Her expression was one of fright.
“She melted!” Star had her hands on her head in panic. “What did I do to deserve this?! What eldritch god did I upset?!” She fell to her knees, grasping her stomach, holding it in. “No, I’m not losing another one!” She leaned over and started gathering the goo into a pile. This was a fruitless effort, though, as the goo merely ran off her arms and continued to pool. She rose from the ground. “She’s dead, Jim.”
“No, I’m not.” The goo started to gather in the center of the pool. It began to mound, forming something.
“What’s it doing?” Asher approached again, arms up, acting as a shield.
“I think…” Star was looking at it and trying to guess. The mound looked like a mushroom now, with a round body and a wide, semicircle-shaped cap. “I think it’s a mushroom.”
“You’re telling me that thing is becoming a mushroom?” Two horns popped out of the cap. Tiny limbs came out of the body, resembling theirs. “That’s not a mushroom. That’s a.. a…” Two large mounds appeared on the front of the body. “Ember!”
“Really? You recognize her by her breasts?” Star shot Asher an unamused look.
“Horns, large breasts, if wings come out, it’s guaranteed.” In truth, she was infatuated with her large breasts. She was jealous, but she wasn’t going to tell Star that. She just started Estrogen pills; it would take time.
“She’s right, you know.” A tail and wings sprouted from its back. “Thought I’d surprise ya.” More color started to appear on the goo. Her yellow underbelly, the cap turned black, and red cybernetic markings appeared all over her new mushroom body. She now resembled Star more than anything but with draconic features.
“Since when can you do this?” Star was flabbergasted.
“Five years ago. But that’s for another time.” She rang the doorbell. “You ready?”
“NO!” She was hyperventilating. “What if they don’t like me? I’m not wearing my best overalls today. I should run back and change!” She started to turn around when the door opened.
There was a loud audible gasp. Starlight turned around. Standing in the doorway were her parents. Sammy was in front, her eyes already teary and sparkling in the sunlight. Mia was behind her, a hand in her head to keep her calm. Sammy was also wearing overalls, but they were red and had a cute looking sun on the pocket. Mia was wearing her usual blue dress with white bloomers underneath.
Starlight’s eyes met with the two mushrooms in front of her. This was it, no going back now. She turned around to face them. Her tail had lost all life and was flat on the ground. “Mom?” She looked at Sammy. Then she looked at Mia. “Mom?”
Sammy stepped forward meekly but stopped after a few steps. “Starlight?” Her eyes started to tear up. “Is it really you?” She didn’t want to get her hopes up again. Many times she had thought some other mushroom was her, and she was devastated for weeks.
“Yeah, it’s me.” She stood there, unsure of what to do. This wasn’t the heartfelt meeting she had thought it would be. All the videos online of military dudes coming back from overseas, dramatic movies, and soap operas had tainted her idea of what this would be.
Ember snuck up behind her. Abruptly, Ember spun Star around and showed her tail to Sammy and Mia. Ember pulled on it, making Star wince in pain.
This was all she needed to be sure. Sammy had started bawling. “IT IS YOU!” She blindly ran for her, arms outstretched. Ember spun Star around again just in time for Sammy’s flying embrace. Sammy would not stop crying. “I can’t believe it! We thought you were gone forever!” She had a very ugly crying face. Her crying was that ugly crying. Nose running, red eyes, red face, just a real shit show. She didn’t care right now, though.
Star didn’t know what to say. She gave her a hug back but was still trying to process all of it. Mia approached the two at a walking pace. “We never thought we’d see you again.” She was looking her up and down through her glasses. “And look at how you’re grown.” You’re the image of your mother.” She nodded to Sammy. Mia embraced her as well. “We truly missed you, dear.” She started to cry as well, but she was not as loud as Sammy was.
Starlight looked to Asher, who was standing by the door, ready to jump in when she needed to. She waved and continued to stand there. “I uh…” As soon as she started to speak, the situation hit her. Her eyes began to well up. “I missed you so mu-u-u-u-uch!” She started bawling as much as Sammy. There they were, three mushrooms, embracing each other, crying their eyes out.
She let go a little too much. Before she could stop herself, she felt it. The Wrath of the Cheezy Combo. Her pants began to fill with the soft, sticky logs. “NOOOOOO!” She was crying out of embarrassment now. There was no point stopping. She gave up and let it all out. She could feel her overalls stretching as she released all that pressure she was fighting back earlier.
Mia stopped sobbing. “You are like your mother, Sammy, that is.” She couldn’t help but laugh.
“Don’t laugh!” Star’s face was already red from crying, but she could tell it was getting redder.
“No, it’s fine,” Sammy spoke up. “I mess myself sometimes too.” She continued to hug her long-lost daughter, but now without the tears. She was just happy that Starlight was back, and they already had something in common.
“Guess Ember was right about that Cheezy Combo.” Asher approached. She looked at Sammy and Mia. “She told her not to eat it and that this would happen.”
“Ash, shut up.” She was looking at the ground now. Messing her pants in front of her parents. She was an adult, damn it!
“Oh,” Sammy looked at Asher with a mischievous grin, “Who’s this?” She ran over to him, circling her and checking her out. “Who’s this young man.”
“Young lady, please.” Asher knew he still looked masculine, but there was nothing he could do about that yet. “My name’s Asher.”
“Oh, she’s even found a girlfriend!” Mia walked over to her. She whispered into her ear, “Trans?”
He whispered back, “Yeah.”
“You’ll fit right in, dear.” She looked down at Sammy, who was circling them both and making kissy noises. “That one is, too.”
“Starlight and Asher kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
“Sammy, enough shenanigans.” Mia placed a hand on her mouth. “Be nice to our guests. She’s a wonder young lady.”
“Fine. No more shenanigans.”
Star was watching the whole scene and couldn’t help but laugh. “How about that, Ash? You won’t have any trouble with in-laws.”
Ember approached them. “Why don’t we go inside and talk? I’m sure we have a lot to talk about.”
“Yeah!” Sammy grabbed Starlight’s hand and dragged her inside. “You’re gonna remember everything if it’s the last thing I do!” Mia walked inside behind them, talking to Asher about how the two met.
Later, after Starlight had gotten a shower and a change, they were all sitting down in the living room. There were five levels inside the hollowed-out tree, and the living room was on the third. The walls were littered with pictures, mostly selfies of Sammy and Mia. The fireplace had three pictures that were face down though, that was mysterious.
Sammy and Mia were sitting on the green couch that Starlight had seen in her flashback. Asher and Starlight were across from them in recliners. Ember came in with them to act as a mediator in case anything happened. The coffee table had soda and chips, just what a heartfelt reunion needed.
The tension was palpable. You could cut it with a knife. Starlight sat there with her hands in her lap. What do you even say to people you haven’t seen in 14 years? Asher was munching on chips, not sure what to do in this situation.
Mia let out a sigh. “So, Starlight, I’m sure you’re confused about some things.” She looked at Sammy; she was still sniffling. “We have a lot to explain.”
“Ok.” Her usual outgoing and bright personality was purposely being contained for now. This was no time for goofy behavior.
“Well, fourteen years ago, we sent you to Boarding School. Then we never saw you again. That is what we know.” Mia recalled this in a matter-of-fact manner. “Do you have any inkling of what happened?”
“No.” She looked down. “I just remember going to school and wondering why no one came to visit or get me for holidays and summer.” She looked up at them. There was no malice, no hatred. She wanted answers before any accusations were gonna be made.
“But we didn’t send you away lightly.” Sammy was looking down now, tears falling. “It was because of me.” Her voice wavered, and she was on the brink of breaking down again. “I was struggling with my depression. I couldn’t properly take care of you,” she looked up, her eyes wet and glistening, “hell, I couldn’t even take care of myself! Mia was doing all the work.” She thrust an arm in front of Mia. “She was doing everything to take care of me spiraling and take care of you. We had to make a choice.”
“We were gonna send you away for just one year. Until we figured out what was going on here,” she laid a hand on Sammy’s head, “then come get you. But the day after we sent you off, we got the news.”
“What news?” Star looked at them both with curiosity, but she didn’t like the sense of dread in the room.
“We got the call that the school burned down.” Mia pulled out her phone. “We kept a picture of the article in the paper too.” She handed Starlight her phone. Star read it.
The community is distressed about the sudden fire at Good Egg Academy last night. Any observer can tell that the fire ravaged the building and left nothing in its wake. Reporters have yet to learn whether any survivors have been located. Sources report that the fire was caused by an electrical short in the breaker room, sending fire through the asbestos lining the walls. It is well known that asbestos has been outlawed in construction for many years, but it appears that Director Maxine Bellini, the original director of Good Egg Academy, was not told this. We have yet to get any comments from the authorities on this matter.
More on page 7b
“But my school didn’t burn down.” Star looked surprised. “I still attended for 14 years.” She did, too; she went to an all-girls academy and was paid for by the state. “How is this even a confusion?”
“You don’t mean St. Catherine’s, do you?” Ember jumped in. She was sipping her soda, listening, trying to make sense of the situation. “The school four blocks away from Good Egg Academy?” Mia and Sammy nodded.
“We didn’t want to send her to a religious institution. We heard from our friends that they were awful strict. Starlight was a rambunctious child, and we knew she wouldn’t bode well there. Good Egg Academy seemed just the place, even if it was a bit run down.” Mia explained this quickly as if to not linger on the subject. Sammy was still crying, after all.
“But how did I get there if I was supposed to be at Good Egg Academy?” Just as before, her brain suddenly and conveniently remembered what happened that day:
* * *
She had just been dropped off at Good Egg Academy. The worn-down brick building was four stories high. The statue of the founder, Dir Franscis Heart, had chips and cracks all over it. The clock on the front of the academy was yellowed and showed its age. The pavement sidewalk had weeds popping up between the cracks.
A crowd of children had been gathered in front of the school a teacher was in the middle trying to manage them all. Mia and Sammy hopped out of the car and opened her door. “Alright, Starlight. This will only be for a little bit ok?” Mia bent over and looked her in the eye.
“Yes, I know.” She stood there in her lavender overalls with little flowers printed all over it. She had her large bag with all the clothes she would need for a whole year at school. They were awful heavy, but she insisted on carrying them herself.
“I want you to be good, ok?” Sammy was on her knees, arms outstretched for a hug. “Don’t you ever forget that we love you. We love you SO MUCH.” She grabbed Starlight and held her tightly. She started to cry. “WE LOVE YOU.”
“I wuv you too.” Starlight hugged Sammy and sniffled a bit. Mia had to pull Starlight out of Sammy’s arms.
“It’s time to go. Go join the group, ok? We’ll write to you and come get you for Christmas and summer.
“O’tay.” She grabbed her bag and started walking towards the group. Everyone in the group was taller than her, she was just a little thing. This was a big moment in her life and she was gonna take this step proudly. She heard the car drive off.
Out of nowhere, a butterfly flew into her vision. “Oh, pwetty.” She set the bag down and followed it. Unlike most butterflies, this one was on a mission. Rather than flutter around in a zigzag pattern, it was flying directly away from the school. Without any regard for what she had to do, Starlight followed it. “Come back!” She followed it through the tall grass, the large mud puddle on the north side of the school, and the weeds that designated the boundary line of Good Egg Academy and St. Catherine’s.
Before she knew it, she had attracted the attention of some nuns working in a garden. One of them had started running over to her, an avian of some kind. “Child, are you alright?” She looked Starlight over. Her once-clean overalls were caked with mud and grass. She looked at her with an alarmed expression. “Have you been wandering around for long?”
“No.” Starlight was taught no not speak to strangers. She didn’t know who Nuns even were.
“You brave soul. Oh, Sister Mary!” A female canine came over from the garden. She was wearing an apron to protect her knees from the soil. “Bring this child inside. She needs our assistance.”
“Yes, Sister Choco.” The dog reached down and grabbed her hand. “Come with me, child.”
* * *
“You’re kidding me!” Asher was looking at her with an absolutely disgusted face. “How is it that you keep remembering things at such convenient times? And what the hell was that?”
“You’re telling me,” Sammy stopped crying but was looking wide-eyed at Starlight, “that the Nuns lowkey kidnapped you?”
“If they didn’t, I would ACTUALLY be dead, Mom.” She stopped. She called Sammy mom. Sammy was smiling so wide that you’d think someone was stretching her face. “Anyway. That solves that.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Mia said. “Why didn’t they look into your family tree, heritage, or whatever at all?”
“I don’t know, that’s a question for them.”
“Well, we certainly will ask.” Mia was upset by this turn of events. She was overjoyed that Starlight was alive and well, but the reason was not what she expected. “Anyways. Starlight, why don’t you live with us?”
Sammy was all for this idea. “Yeah! We kept your room just the way it was for you when you got back. But you never did.”
“We’ll probably need to renovate it a bit, Mom.”
“We’ll get on that,” Mia said promptly. “That is if you want to.” She looked away. “Why would you want to live with parents that thought you were dead for years, right?”
“No,” she stopped them, “I want to.”
“Asher too, of course,” Mia said. “We don’t want to separate you two.”
“I’ll call and ask Mom. I haven’t moved out yet.” She hopped down from the couch and descended the stairs to the first floor.
“Mom, mom.” She looked at the two of them. “I forgive you for thinking I was dead. I’m not mad at you. I’m just so happy to have finally found you.” She got down from the couch as well. “I wanna be with you two for a while. Get to know you again.”
Sammy and Mia were tearing up. Sammy practically leaped off the couch and dove into Starlight’s arms. “That’s my girl.” For the umpteenth time that day, Sammy cried in her daughter’s arms.
“We’ll have a lot of work to do.” Mia also got down from the couch and gave her a hug.
“We’ll, I know when I’m an extra wheel.” Ember got up and started walking to the stairs. “You three have a wonderful time. Keep in touch, ok?”
“Wait,” Starlight broke from their hug and ran to Ember. “Thank you, Ember.” She hugged her, too. It was certainly different than hugging her leg when she was in her original form. “You helped me find my moms again.”
“It’s no big deal.” Ember ran her hand through her hair out of habit with kiddos, but since there was no hair to be had on a mushroom, she ended up giving her head pats. “Don’t be a stranger, ok?” She melted into a puddle again and oozed down the stairs. There was a scream from Asher on the first floor; she must have scared her.
“Well, where do we begin?” Sammy looked to Mia.
“Let’s talk renovations.” The three walked upstairs and started discussing plans for the future. A future filled with family and love.
