“So… you and Spike, huh?” Trixie said as they walked around the park.

Starlight groaned as she gave her friend a dirty look. “You already said that.”

“I know! It’s just so wonderful and a bit hard to believe,” Trixie said. She gave Starlight a sidelong glance before speaking again. “I trust things went well with Rarity.”

“Yeah, I managed to get a lot of stuff off my chest, and I think I feel better now,” Starlight replied, her head high and her gaze fixed forward. The reticence and dread that had lingered over her for the past few days felt like nothing more than a bad memory, and even though she didn’t think she was a hundred percent over it just yet, there was no doubt in her mind things would only get better from now on.

“You definitely look happier,” Trixie noted as she gave her a nudge. “And it was about time. I’m not used to seeing you all mopey.”

Starlight rolled her eyes, but couldn’t fight back the smile spreading over her face. After a few more minutes of walking, they came across an empty bench next to a tree surrounded by a lot of bushes, so they stopped to rest. Neither said anything for a while, simply enjoying the nature sounds of the park.

“So… tell me, how have things been going with Spike?” Trixie asked after a minute, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper.

“I told you,” Starlight said, noting that she sounded more mellow than she had that morning when she told Trixie the good news, “and I know it’s a bit cliché, but I just feel so happy when I’m with him. Despite a few missteps, I think we’re doing alright.”

“No, no. That’s obvious enough,” Trixie was quick to say, waving a hoof in the air.

Starlight frowned with uncertainty. “What do you mean, then?”

Trixie looked around, as if making sure nopony was within earshot, before leaning forward and giving Starlight a look with narrow eyes. “I mean have you two fucked already?”

“Trixie!” Starlight cried out before quickly lowering her voice. “We’ve only been together for a few days…”

The magician quirked an eyebrow. “So? You’ve known each other for years, and it’s not like you weren’t repressing a bit of scaled lust yourself.”

“What? I—” Starlight tried to object, but she was quickly cut short as Trixie kept speaking.

“I mean, others may not have noticed, but I did see how you looked at him whenever he got out of the shower.”

Starlight felt herself blush. On one hoof, she appreciated her friend’s bluntness, since it was preferable to dancing around the issue for days on end. On the other, they were in public. “Trixie…”

“I know, right? I’m not sure what he hopes to accomplish with that little towel around his waist, it’s not like he covers more than half a thigh anymore.”

“Seriously, I don’t think you—Ah!”

“Oh, do you think he does it on purpose? Show just enough to get the imagination going but—Agh!”

Trixie didn’t get to finish that sentence. In a panic, Starlight had grabbed Trixie by the neck and pulled her backwards just as she jumped into the bushes behind them. Though Trixie struggled against her grip, she stopped once Starlight pressed a hoof over her mouth, though she did give her a dirty look.

“Sorry!” Starlight said. “Force of habit.”

Trixie brushed away her hoof with her magic, scoffing as she tried to stand up. “Trixie is not amused!” Her annoyed expression quickly disappeared, however, when she heard a pair of familiar voices.

“…and that’s how it’s been for the last couple of days,” Spike said as he walked down the path with Big Macintosh next to him.

“Oooh, now Trixie is amused,” Trixie said as she made herself smaller behind the bushes, her eyes wide and her ears perked and pointed toward the two friends.

Though Starlight was a bit annoyed at Trixie’s reaction, she was also feeling guilty for reacting the way she did. She wanted to talk with Spike about a lot of things, but having him walk in on her and Trixie talking about sex wasn’t how she imagined it would go down. Besides, it’s not like she wanted to eavesdrop—

“You’ve fallen hard for her, haven’t ya, Spike?”

“Y-yeah…”

—for more than a minute or so. Besides it was obvious they were in the middle of a very important conversation, and it wouldn’t be right to interrupt them. They’d probably keep walking, anyway.

“D’you want to sit down?” Big Mac asked.

“Sure!” Spike replied.

Aw, fewmets…

Starlight heard Big Mac and Spike make their way to the bench. Meanwhile, Trixie couldn’t stop snickering. Starlight shushed her and quickly shut up herself as she made some mental calculations as to how noticeable the glow of a teleportation spell would be and getting disheartened knowing she would be spotted.

The dragon and stallion sat on the bench and after a few seconds, Spike started speaking again. “I don’t know how to put it, Mac. It’s all happened so fast, but it feels so… right.”

“Well, you’ve known each other for a while now.”

“I know! Maybe that’s why I don’t think we’re rushing the relationship. We’ve been friends since she came to Ponyville, and we just got closer and closer together as time went on.”

Spike’s words made Starlight forget the small pang of guilt caused by her eavesdropping. She started smiling as quick images of their time together flashed across her mind.

“I think it just kept building up and up until she asked me out that night… I don’t know, and I don’t think I want to question it, really.” They both chuckled. Starlight hoped Trixie’s chuckles went unheard.

“You think it was gonna happen anyway?” Big Mac asked him.

Spike made a faint humming sound that Starlight interpreted as agreement. “Maybe? I don’t know… you know I didn’t really put myself out there, even more so after Rarity.”

Now it was Big Mac’s turn to hum in agreement, but he managed to carry more emotion in those simple sounds, somehow.

“Do you think it happened because I wasn’t looking for it?” Spike asked, sounding unsure. “Like, I wasn’t trying to look for a relationship with Starlight, but maybe that’s why I was able to just be myself with her. Maybe that’s why she was always herself when we spent time together. Being with her is just great.”

At some point, Starlight had crossed her hooves and was resting her head on them, listening to everything Spike said as she felt a comfortable warmth wash over her. Hearing Spike speak so happily about their relationship made her feel proud, for a lack of a better word. From the corner of her eye, she could see Trixie smiling at her, not smirking, not laughing, not teasing, just smiling an earnest smile as she mouthed what she imagined was an “I told you so”.

“Hey, Mac,” Spike said after a few seconds of silence, catching Starlight and Trixie’s attention. He sounded… meek. Starlight imagined how bashful he must have looked at that moment and wished she could peek through the bushes. “When did you know Sugar Belle was the one for you?”

The only reason Starlight knew she was still alive at the moment was the strength with which her heart beat. Other than that, she felt as if she had transcended the physical world. Big Mac and Sugar Belle were one of the cutest couples she had seen in her life. The two of them just radiated that cosy couple feel. It was no wonder they got married after just under a year of dating, those two already felt like a married couple when Starlight first met them. Spike couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he meant, right?

Big Mac, for his part, took a while to answer. After a thoughtful hum, he replied with a chuckle. “When I was crossing half of Equestria just to see her.” Spike laughed at that, but didn’t say anything else. After a while, Big Mac started talking once more. “It’s not just one moment. I don’t see it that way. Love doesn’t grow overnight, it takes time, patience, care and attention. I think you’ve been putting that in without noticing.”

“Yeah… I think I have,” Spike said, wistfully. “Everything’s so great with Starlight. I mean, I’m always comfortable with her. I don’t feel I have to be anything other than Spike. I can talk to her about anything, I can share anything with her and I know she’s going to at least give it a shot. Like when I introduced her to comics, books, oh, movies too, and—ah, well… certain board games.”

Starlight saw them shiver, and could see an anguished expression flash across Trixie’s face.

They’re all a bunch of pansies, I swear…

“But yeah, Starlight is great. She likes hanging out with me, she laughs at my jokes, she shows interest in what I like. She even tried powdered gems that one time! She said she couldn’t taste a difference, but hey, she tried!” Spike said with excitement dripping from his voice.

Each of Spike’s words sparked a memory in Starlight’s mind. Images of the two of them staying up late in the castle while reading, playing some game, cooking something, or just talking for hours on end. They caused the smile on her face to grow ever wider.

“Plus, whenever you see her you can tell she’s confident and sure of herself,” Spike continued, and Starlight could feel her heart twisting upon itself.

She knew she projected that air of confidence, but she wasn’t sure how much of that was genuine and how much an act, and with how she’d been feeling these past few days, she could barely remember a time she truly had. It wasn’t a nice feeling, so that’s why she almost missed what Spike said next.

“I know she doesn’t feel like that all the time. Heh… maybe not even most of the time. Still, even then, she tries her best to be confident. She does her best every time, even when she doesn’t feel like she can do it, she never gives up. I kind of admire that in her,” Spike said, unaware of how deeply his words had affected Starlight.

In her spot behind the bushes, Starlight fought back a choking sound as she felt a mix of elation, relief, appreciation, and many more feelings she could probably name if she hadn’t been too busy trying to fight back a few squeals of happiness. She wondered if it would be so bad to just jump towards Spike and start kissing him right then and there, eavesdropping be damned. Then again, she had hidden precisely because she felt embarrassed talking about private matters of her relationship in presence of others, and it didn’t feel right to do the same to him.

“Eeyup. You’ve fallen hard,” Big Mac said with the same certainty one says the sky is blue, though Starlight didn’t need the confirmation.

“I don’t want to, uh, rush or anything… this is my first relationship, after all,” Spike said, though it felt as if there were more words were stuck in his throat.

“But…?” Big Mac prodded him.

“But I have. I really have. I’m just happy when I’m with her. It feels so good to be able to love someone and know they feel the same way.”

Starlight felt her eyes getting wet. She wanted to stand up, throw herself at him and tell him just how much she loved him, how much he meant to her. Why was she even bothering to hide? She should just—

“Plus, she’s so hot,” Spike added, his tone flipping instantly.

Huh?

She heard Trixie holding back peals of laughter, and was sure the only reason the other two didn’t hear her was because Big Mac started laughing shortly after. This in turn made Trixie laugh even harder, and had to bite down her hoof to keep herself in check.

“Is she?” Big Mac asked once he had calmed down.

“Yeah! I mean, she’s got perfect proportions. Her flanks aren’t too big, but her hips curve in just the right way to make them stand out. Oh, and when she walks? I don’t know if she does it on purpose, but it’s hypnotic!”

Spike went on and on. While on some level Starlight appreciated the great enthusiasm in his words, it was a bit embarrassing to have him wax poetically about how much he liked her body in public.

Oh, just admit that you like it.

Well, of course it was enjoyable. It was nice to feel desired by the object of her affections. Besides, it wasn’t as though she hadn’t thought at length about how much she enjoyed Spike’s draconic physique. Perhaps she could put up with a little embarrassment if it meant—

“I mean, maybe it’s that she doesn’t do that much physical activity, because her butt is so nice and plump. Do you know how hard it is not to reach out and squeeze it?”

Nope. Mortifying. Absolutely mortifying.

She wasn’t going to deny this was the kind of thing she wanted Spike to say about her, and that she had thought this kind of thing about him on multiple occasions, but she didn’t do so in public! If only because she was afraid her cheeks would set the bush on fire due to the sheer heat they were emitting.

Meanwhile, Trixie continued to laugh in silence, hitting the ground with her free hoof. If they stayed any longer, they were definitely going to get caught. Starlight wasn’t sure what to do, but then the sound of wooden wheels against the cobblestone path reached her ears.

Leaning to the side, she could see Applejack coming closer, pulling a cart with an apple sign on it. Market hours must have come to an end. This was the perfect diversion!

And maybe she’ll get to hear all these juicy details Spike is dropping about your backside.

Shut up!

She patiently waited for either Spike, Big Mac, or Applejack to notice one another and say hi, giving her and Trixie the window of opportunity necessary to get away.

“Howdy Spike! Mac!” Applejack said once she was close enough to notice the two friends.

Oh, thank Celestia!

She’d have to remember to thank her in some way. As the trio exchanged greetings, Starlight slowly crouched and started walking away as fast as she could without making any noise. Thankfully, Trixie had calmed down enough to follow her, but she still had that mocking smirk on her face. She mouthed a few empty threats and walked a safe distance for Starlight to teleport them to the entrance of the park.

As soon as they had reappeared, Trixie started laughing once more. Starlight had to take a few seconds to clear her mind, but she was at least glad of being away from Spike in what was probably the first time in days.

“And here I thought you had it bad, but wow, Glimmer! Your coltfriend wants you almost as much as you do,” Trixie said, resting her hoof on Starlight’s shoulder just before she started laughing once more.

“Drakefriend…” Starlight mumbled.

After a few seconds, Trixie calmed down. Letting go, she sat down on the cobblestone path and gave her a calm smile “Yes, yes. That. Well, at least you know for sure now. There’s nothing stopping Spike from squeezing those sweet buns of yours.”

“He wants more than that!” Starlight chided her, realising too late how poorly she had worded that reply.

“Oh, you bet those perfectly sized flanks he wants m-more than th-tha—” Trixie’s words were cut short by her resurging laughter.

Starlight just groaned at her friend’s antics. The worst—yet great!—part was that Trixie was right. Not only did Spike desire her, he was as in love with her as she was with him.

They really loved each other.

He also wants to fuck you, don’t forget that.

Yes, that too. Spike had made it clear he was also sexually interested in her, and not just for the physical aspect of it. Rarity’s words still rang clear in her mind, and she felt she was ready to enjoy physical intimacy with her partner.

Just say you want to fu—

With a not at all forced smile, she turned to face Trixie and gave her friend’s snout a quick tap, which caused the blue unicorn to stop laughing for a moment and look back at her.

“Laugh all you want, but my drakefriend loves me for who I am, and also desires me, and the sentiment is very much mutual!” Starlight marked her words with a flick of her mane as she turned around and came face to face with Applejack.

“Uh… So I’ve heard,” Applejack replied, looking a bit flustered.

The three of them remained in uncomfortable silence before Trixie once more started laughing.

Well, that amounted to nothing, Starlight thought as her face lit up. With the sound of Trixie’s laughter in the background, she forced herself to look back at Applejack, who—though still visibly uncomfortable—was doing her best to smile.

“Yeah, uh, Spike told me ‘bout you two back there. Congratulations, by the way,” the farmer said, doing her best to not let the situation remain uncomfortable.

“Th-thanks, Applejack.” Starlight managed to say. Knowing she was the reason for the awkwardness, she spoke again, “Listen, about what I just—”

Applejack held up a hoof and spoke normally, as if the previous minute had never happened. “Don’t worry none, sugarcube. What you do with your special somepony is none of my business. Just… be happy and make sure to make him happy too.”

“Oh, she’ll make him happy alright~”

“Trixie, do you need a timeout to calm down?” Starlight said through gritted teeth as she shot the other unicorn a withering look.

Trixie held up her hooves as she took a few ragged breaths. “Sorry, sorry. I’m done.”

Starlight kept her gaze on Trixie for a moment before looking back at Applejack. Letting out a breath, she nodded. “I will do my best and then some. Don’t worry about that.”

“I know I don’t have to,” Applejack said as she gave a satisfied nod. It wasn’t long, though, before her expression soured. “Now… Mind telling me why you were sneaking around Spike and Big Mac back there?”

And then Trixie started giggling. Part of Starlight wanted to wrap her muzzle in magic and be done with it, while the rest was too busy feeling like an insect under a magnifying glass as she stared into Applejack’s stern eyes. As a result, she’d have to put up with a few muffled giggles in the background.

“It was a mistake! We were talking about, uh, Spike, and then we saw him and your brother coming toward us, and I panicked. I didn’t know what else to do, so I grabbed Trixie and jumped into the bushes,” Starlight blurted out.

Applejack remained expressionless for a few seconds and Starlight felt she was looking straight into her mind as if to see whether she was lying or not. Before long, however, she broke into a smile.

“Heh. Figured it’d be something like that. Just don’t make a habit out of it, y’hear?”

Out of the group, Starlight knew Applejack to be the most level headed and down to earth. Which is why she became immensely worried when she saw the earth pony’s smile morph into a playful smirk. “I suppose this is when I should tell you that you better treat him right or else, but I imagine you’ll get enough of that with Twilight.”

Starlight preemptively gave Trixie a warning glance, who was busy whistling and looking away.

“Y-yeah… I can, uh, I mean, I’ll do my best. For Spike,” Starlight replied somewhat lamely, but with earnest feeling behind each word.

“Now that I like to hear,” Applejack said as she gave a satisfied nod. “I’ve got to get going back to the farm, so don’t let me hold you girls back, alright? Take care.”

WIth that, they exchanged farewells and Applejack kept walking towards Sweet Apple Acres. Starlight and Trixie watched her go, neither saying anything until the farmer and her cart were but a small figure in the distance.

“Sorry about that, Starlight,” Trixie said, looking ahead.

“Don’t mention it, Trixie.”

“You’ve got to admit it was kind of—”

“I said don’t mention it, Trixie!”

With a repressed giggle and a groan of frustration, the pair walked away from the park and back to Ponyville in decidedly non-hostile silence. After a few minutes, Trixie started talking once more.

“Hey, Starlight.”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve been cooking more now that you’re with Spike, right?”

“Yeah?” Starlight asked again, though more cautious this time.

Trixie looked at her with an air of mock pedantry. Or at least she hoped was mock pedantry.

“Well, Trixie supposes it would be okay to let you prove your newly acquired cooking skills to her,” she said while turning up her nose.

Starlight didn’t even break her pace as she kept on walking. Being able to read Trixie was a skill that required as much effort as stubbing your hoof and was just as rewarding. But she had to admit she still liked the crazy mare, and besides, she wanted to see how far she’d come on her own.

“How gracious of you. It’d be an honour to cater to the palate of one as great and powerful as you,” Starlight said while making an exaggerated curtsy.

They shared a laugh that helped dissipate some of the tension between them. To be honest, Starlight was glad Trixie had been around for her today. Without a friendly shoulder to lean on, she wasn’t sure she could’ve mustered up the courage to speak with Rarity and would probably be huddled in her bed under several duvets while eating a few tubs of ice cream. Maybe crying a little bit.

Shuddering at the thought, Starlight kept following Trixie as they got near the travelling mare’s wagon. Now that they were there, Starlight started to think about what she could cook. Obviously, she’d have to see what Trixie had available in her small pantry and go from there.

A salad would be the easy way out, but Spike had taught her many ways to spice up the simplicity of it. Just knowing which vegetables paired well made a whole world of difference. A contrast in texture was also a welcome addition. Biting something soft and juicy before moving on to something light and crunchy added a lot to the experience. And that was without getting into the dressings. Just changing the dressing from something thick and creamy to something more watery and refreshing could make it seem like two different dishes.

Oh, but that was just salads. If Trixie had any dry pasta, they could make a sauce out of almost any vegetable combination. They could serve it with sliced vegetables, or mushrooms, which could be served sautéed, stewed, or even raw. Even something as simple as pepper and olive oil would result in a mind-blowing dish when properly made. Emphasis on ‘properly,’ but Starlight knew that if she did her best, they would both enjoy the result.

So, of course Trixie had to go and throw a wrench in her plans.

“Is this seriously all you have?” Starlight said as she once again rummaged through the pantry.

“Listen, just because Trixie remembered the puff pastry the second time you asked, doesn’t mean she’ll somehow remember a new ingredient is hidden in a drawer.”

Starlight closed the little wood door with as much force as possible for her anger to come through, but not so much to accidentally damage it. Putting on her best face of disappointment, she turned to look at Trixie, who was lying on her back, lounging on top of some cushions on the other end of the wagon’s small living accomodations.

“How have you been holding up on the road with just these?” She motioned toward the pathetic array of food she had found. Aside from the puff pastry, there was a couple of jars of condiments, herbs, very few vegetables, a rock hard block of cheese, and one plastic container Starlight had deemed safer to incinerate outside of the wagon.

“It’s not that bad, really,” Trixie said, dismissively, “I often ate at whichever town I was staying, and then usually got a few bushels worth of food after a show.”

Starlight furrowed her brow as she considered a rather sad prospect.

“Did you come back to Ponyville because you ran out of food?”

Trixie’s face was a perfect impression of stoicism as she turned to face Starlight. With her hooves crossed over her chest, she looked at the pathetic pile of ingredients and then to Starlight.

“Maybe.”

Starlight groaned as she fell to her haunches, making the wagon shake a bit. ”What am I going to do with you, Trixie?”

“Feed me?” Trixie replied without missing a beat.

Rather than bothering to reply, Starlight turned around to check the meager ingredients once more. It would be much easier to simply go back to the Castle and check what was available there. However, she took this as a challenge. She was going to cook something for Trixie using these and she was going to like it. Spike had once told her that you had to be able to improvise and adapt on the fly when cooking.

“Well then, what do you use to cook?”

“There’s a little oven in the back. I’ll go get it,” Trixie said as she stood up.

Starlight nodded, and once more went through her mental recipe book in hopes of finding something that could be done with just this.

Her best asset at the moment was the puff pastry. She could do some rolls, or perhaps some empanadas, but she didn’t know if any of those veggies were suitable fillings. Leaving that aside, how else could she use the puff pastry? She could improvise a pie of sorts and use that as a cover, but Trixie probably didn’t have a pie mold. Besides, after Pinkie’s Correct Cake Confection Course, she didn’t think she physically could use an incorrect baking implement. Perhaps focusing too much on the pastry was a mistake; better to look over all the ingredients in detail and see what else came to her mind.

Okay, Starlight, look at the big picture once more. What do you have?

A severe case of scale lust.

“Oh, for Celestia’s sake!”

“What? Are you going to scold me for allowing myself one luxury item?” Trixie said, snatching the small jar Starlight had unknowingly been squeezing in her hooves.

“Eh?”

“So what if Prench mustard costs four times as much as yellow mustard? Trixie happens to like the flavour! And besides! She only ever buys one jar every few months,” Trixie said, caressing the small jar as if it were a pet.

“N-no, that’s not what I…” Starlight trailed off. She remembered something Spike had told her a long time ago about how to balance flavours. She didn’t remember all that much, but she did recall him saying that the sour, tangy taste of Prench mustard paired well with the sweetness of caramelised vegetables. If she made sure the puff pastry got nice and crispy, then she may be able to pull it off.

“Starlight? Are you alright there?”

“Yes,” she replied with the certainty that came with a focused mind. “Now let’s get cooking.”

Trixie blinked a couple of times before breaking into a grin. “Sounds like you have a plan. Lead the way, chef!”

The pair got to work. While Trixie cleaned the nearest working surface, Starlight brought out a knife and opened the package of puff pastry. She pulled out the slices of pastry and laid them flat on a baking tray.

“So, what now?” Trixie asked.

“Well, I was thinking of making a tart. We use the pastry as a base, slather it with the mustard, put some sliced tomatoes on top, and season with all the herbs you have,” Starlight replied as she made some mental calculations regarding flavour balancing.

“Oh, that sounds good.”

“Hopefully it will taste just as well,” Starlight said, lifting the knife with her magic, and started slicing some tomatoes. “Start mixing the herbs.”

With a nod, Trixie started opening some jars and measuring the oregano, rosemary, thyme and whatever else she had available. Even a few bits of lavender she said had been a gift from a family of gardeners she had helped with a parasprite infestation. Starlight could still see the scratched off Barnyard Bargains logo on the label, but decided not to say anything.

After a minute of work, everything was ready. The herbs were mixed, the mustard was ready, the tomatoes were sliced, and the pastry was ready to be pricked.

Much to Starlight’s annoyance, Trixie found that last bit to be particularly funny.

“Okay, what’s with you today?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Trixie squeaked as she tried to hold back her giggles. “Just keep going, I’m paying attention.”

Starlight shot Trixie a stern look. Perhaps it was for the best she didn’t tell her the process was also called docking. Shaking her head, she lifted a fork and started poking the dough.

“You have to poke holes over it so it won’t rise too much.”

“Like a pizza dough?”

“Kind of, yeah…” Starlight said as she moved on to another slice of puff pastry. “Spike said you shouldn’t say that in front of a Prench chef, though. They tend to dislike the comparison.”

“Heh, silly pretentious chefs. Too good to make a pizza, huh? What do they call these, then?” Trixie said as she started pricking another slice.

“Tomato tart.”

“Hah! They can’t even come up with a name for their rationalisations, can they?”

Starlight laughed at that. Despite Trixie’s Trixieness, she found she was having fun. Had she perhaps started linking cooking with having a good time? How odd. And yet, it worked, so she wasn’t going to question it.

“Let’s pop it in the oven first ,” Starlight said once they were done with the pricking.

Nodding, Trixie opened the small oven and, lighting up her horn, started heating it.

“Why don’t you add the toppings now?”

“Well, the tomatoes cook faster than the dough. I’m putting it in first so it’ll get all nice and crispy.”

“Wooo… Look at you with all that chefy knowledge,” Trixie said, poking her on on her side.

“Oh, stop that,” Starlight said in a haughty tone that made it clear she didn’t want the praise to stop. Regardless, she lifted the tray and slid it in the oven. “There we go. Some ten minutes should be enough.”

Trixie said nothing, simply sitting down next to Starlight as they watched the little oven. It had only been a minute, but the heat coming from the oven already made the small wagon feel much more comfortable. After the rollercoaster of emotions that had been the last few days, Starlight felt grateful for this little moment of peace with a friend.

“So, you still haven’t had sex.”

Damn it, Trixie.

“For the record,” Trixie said, turning her face just enough for them to make eye contact, “don’t think I’m trying to tease you. I just can’t help but being curious, you know?”

Starlight kept her suspicious glare on Trixie, though it lasted for only a few seconds before it mellowed out. “We… we haven’t. We’ve had a couple of narrow misses, but not yet”

Trixie arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean near mi—”

“I know what I said, Trixie,” Starlight said, flatly.

“Uh-huh…” Trixie continued to look at her before getting back on track. “But the point is you want to.”

“Yes… Yes I do.” Starlight blushed heavily at her own admission, though she realised it was more out of excitement than just embarrassment.

“Good,” Trixie said, leaning sideways a bit. She then turned to face the small oven with a forlorn look in her eyes. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this kind of happy before.”

Starlight arched an eyebrow, but just as she was about to ask her friend to explain herself, she spoke once more.

“I mean, I’ve seen you happy before. And I think that trip to Acapulcolt was the closest I’ve seen to a textbook example of joy,” Trixie added with mirth. “But the way you look when you talk about Spike? Baby, that’s the kind of happiness that only comes from a content heart.”

There was no fighting the smile that overcame Starlight at that moment. Part bashfulness, part repressed giggle, but mostly happiness. She knew there was a reason she liked Trixie.

“And!” Trixie continued, lifting a hoof in the air. “I’m just happy to see my girl get some action after Celestia knows how long. And with someone you actually love! That’s amazing, Starlight.”

“Thanks, Trixie,” Starlight said as she leaned sideways and rested her head on her friend’s shoulder.

“Oh, come here you big sap,” Trixie replied as she pulled Starlight closer and crossed necks with her. She didn’t object, and after a satisfied hum, she hugged her friend tightly.

Neither said anything for a while, simply enjoying the warmth that came from each other and from the small oven.

“And with the way you always ogled him whenever he was out of the shower, I can’t say I’m surprised you finally caved in.”

“Trixie!” Starlight chided her, though there was no apprehension in her voice. Giving her a playful shove, she stood upright once more. “Way to kill the mood.”

For her part, Trixie just chuckled. “You say that, yet you’re still smiling.”

Shaking her head, Starlight walked towards the oven and crouched to see the pastry inside.

It had started to get a slightly golden shade on the edges, and a few spots of the pastry had swollen. It was probably good enough. She pulled back the tray with her magic and carried it to the working table.

“Well, Trixie, since you're such a big fan of your Prench mustard, you should be the one to spread it,” Starlight said as she floated the jar of mustard towards her friend.

“Sure,” Trixie said, catching and opening the jar in a quick motion.

Starlight was about to give her a spoon, but Trixie quickly took out a scoop of the mustard with her magic. Though on a level she wanted to chastise her, she supposed doing it that way was more sanitary.

“Done!” Trixie exclaimed once she was done slathering the still warm pastry. “Time for the tomatoes!”

Starlight looked at the tart. It had a nice, thick layer of mustard on it and was ready to receive the tomatoes.

“You know, if I had planned this right, I could’ve cut the pastry so that it would fit a slice of tomato without too much extra space.”

“Just cut a slice in two and fill the gaps however you can. This is food, not a painting,” Trixie said dismissively.

“Alright, alright.” Starlight huffed as she started working on the tomatoes. “Just get the salt and the herbs ready.”

A slightly toasted base. A thick layer of Prench mustard, several slices of tomato on top, salt and the mix of herbs on top. On a whim they had checked if that old block of cheese could be grated and, after softening it a bit with magic, found that it grated perfectly. Without further ado, they popped it in the oven, and waited.

“Well, thirty minutes or so and it’ll be done,” Starlight said, sounding satisfied.

“Oh, if only we could talk of something to pass the time…” Trixie replied.

Starlight knew what her intentions were, so she was quick to speak up. “Yes, how about you tell me all about your latest trip, Trixie? I haven’t seen you in a couple of months, I bet you’re full to the brim with stories.”

“Ha!” Trixie scoffed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie sees through your scheming, Starlight Glimmer. She will only comply because you are right!”

They shared a laugh and settled on the cushions at the other end of the wagon. Starlight let Trixie do all the talking, intervening only to make impressed noises, ask for more details, or subtly tell Trixie when she’d made a contradiction in her tale. All in all, she had a good time. It was relaxing, and Starlight wished it would last for as long as possible. Of course, it wasn’t long until it was time for the tomato tart to come out of the oven.

Once they opened the oven’s door, they were greeted by the magnificent sight of golden brown pastry edges, a dry yellowish mustard, and an equally dry yet enticing tomato layer. Not to mention the intense smell of glory that filled the tiny room.

“Ooooh… Starlight, if you’ve gotten this good, I may have to make my stays in Ponyville more frequent.”

“Drop by the castle, I’m sure Spike would like to cook for you, too,” Starlight said as she moved the tart onto a different tray for it to cool.

“Oh, I wouldn’t want to hog your boy toy,” Trixie said, her voice muffled as she rummaged through a nearby chest.

“Don’t call him that, it sounds so—Wait, where did you get that?”

Trixie smiled back at her while holding a bottle of wine in her hooves. “Secret stash.”

“Huh… Well, I won’t say no to a glass or two.”

“That’s the spirit!” Trixie cried out as she removed the cork.

A few minutes later, both mares were sitting down, each with a glass of wine, a small plate with half a tart on it, and a smile on their faces. Starlight took a small sip of wine while Trixie downed half of hers in a single gulp. She giggled at that, but didn’t say a thing. Similarly, Trixie didn’t look as if she wanted to wait any longer before biting down on the tart, so with a quick “Thanks,” she levitated the piece of tart and bit down.

“Mmmmf~”

Starlight took her moans of delight as a sign of success, and upon taking a bite, she was inclined to agree.

“Sweet Celestia, Starlight, this is amazing,” Trixie said between chews.

Despite being a simple store bought pastry, the crust was buttery and light enough to have gotten crispy. The tangy mustard was powerful, but not overwhelming, and it complemented the rich caramelised tomatoes quite well. And it all came together with the flavour of the many herbs.

Pretty damn tasty. Now she wanted Spike to make her a real tomato tart, just to see how much better it could taste.

Trixie chased down another bite of the tart with a sip of her wine. “Honestly, if I knew it was this easy to make things taste good, I would’ve learned to cook years ago!”

“It’s not that hard, really… If I could learn, anyone can,” Starlight said, feeling a small flame of contentment burn in her chest. To be honest, this little boost of confidence made her want to cook something for Spike once more to show him how good she’d become; and as she took another bite of her tomato tart, she knew she could do it.

“So…” Trixie said after chasing down the last bit of her tart with her wine. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so tell me if you don’t want to talk about it.”

Oh, no.

Starlight took another sip of her wine and waited for Trixie to continue.

The blue mare scooted closer and regarded her with wide, bright eyes. “Tell me, is it true?”

A few alarm bells rang in Starlight’s mind. Sadly, she couldn’t blame the wine for not ending the conversation there. Perhaps she could drink a glass more. Feigning disinterest, she poured herself more wine as she asked, “Is what true?”

Trixie’s eyes widened even more, if such a thing was possible. “What they say about dragons, you know…” Trixie rolled her eyes as she got even closer. “Down there.”

Starlight had to stop herself from overfilling her glass. She also had to stop herself from screaming and asking Trixie what in the name of Tartarus did she mean by that. Then again, it was kind of obvious. So obvious Starlight felt more than a bit stupid for not considering it before. Spike was a dragon, he had a dragon’s anatomy, so of course he would be… different. Now she started wondering just how different.

“Wha—” she gulped. Taking a deep breath, she spoke once more, hoping she sounded natural. “What do they say?”

Trixie smiled, biting her lip in excitement as she raised her hooves. “They have two,” she whispered, though she may as well have yelled it straight into her ears. Starlight’s thoughts came to a screeching halt as her mind was flooded with the implications of what Trixie had just said.

“I’ll admit I’ve never seen any, and it’s not like dragons are that common in Equestria. And I mean, what am I supposed to do, go find a dragon in a forest and ask him to whip ‘em out? I’d probably get burnt to a crisp.”

She held the nearly full glass of wine between her hooves, only barely paying attention to it as Trixie’s words echoed in her head.

“You’d think with all those fancy new relationship treaties with the dragons, some would come to Equestria to find a willing mare, wouldn’t you?”

All this time she had never wondered. Not even once. Now she was torn between wanting to run back to the park and spread Spike’s legs, and tucking her tail between her own legs and scream for a while.

“Ooooh, perhaps even mares, plural. If they really have two, then they could probably do it with two mares at the same time, don’t you think?”

Her breathing was even, her face inexpressive, her posture relaxed, and her eyes were frozen in terror.

“Of course, you could try to take both of them on your own, but that could get kind of tricky. Not that I have much experience, but taking it in the back is kinda, you know, not the sort of thing you can decide to do on the spot, it takes some time.”

The nervousness started to spread through her body. On one hoof, wow. On the other one, wow!

“Besides, if you’re going to be taking one in the front and then one in the back, you’re going to be getting quite the stretch. And that’s without even considering the actual shape! I wonder if they’re thicker… Oh, ho ho ho… Whew, I think the wine is getting to my head. Maybe we should make more of that tart, we still have half a bottle to go through.”

Still, she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that maybe she had been worrying about the wrong things all this time.

Just as Trixie came down from her little monologue, she looked back at Starlight and frowned. “Hey, Star, are you alright?”

Well… the voice in her mind said. It seems like somepony will have to make some revisions to her fantasies.

Author's Note

Boy, this chapter was fun to write. And definitely a change of pace after the heaviness of the previous chapter. To go along with that, here's a recipe that is as delicious as it is easy to make.
Try it yourself!
Anyway... the Pandora's Box of draconic genitalia has been opened, and Starlight's scaled lust will only grow stronger from now on.
Look forward to the rest of the story!