You Can Be King Again

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1

There was a soft sigh that sounded amongst the various conversations of ponies around Starlight, her hoof stirring her spoon within the teacup. She carefully eyed the ripples spreading throughout the caramel colored liquid, tracing each highlight from the lights overhead with a scrutinizing stare. She’d had pathetic dates before, but this one raised the bar. She couldn’t blame the stallion, though. No. She was the common denominator in the string of romantic misfortunes that had brought her here.

Words went through one ear and out there other; the stallion sitting across from her flapped his lips on and on, speaking of his numerous pets at home. Cats, dogs, rodents, whatever. Perhaps he had so many because they routinely died of boredom. The monotone voice mixed with the high-pitched tone did him no favors. Any information about him came to her in bits and pieces, as her eyes studied everything in the room but him. The pictures on the walls were rather cute, actually, until a tiger painted on velvet reeled her back to her current situation.

What in the world possessed her to think a zoologist would be a good match for her? No, she knew that answer. She was a mare, close to her thirties, with badgering parents wistful for grandfoals. A decent looking stallion approached her, and she decided to press her judgment of his tacky sunglasses aside. A mistake in itself.

Out of politeness, and some worry, she didn’t storm off out of the cafe. Surely word would spread across Ponyville like a wildfire. Yes, her reputation was fine as it was. That wasn’t her main issue though. The disappointed eyes of her mother forced her to go on. Her tolerance wore thin. Locking eyes with, him, she watched his face grow crimson, words coming out as soft mumbles. Starlight could only force a smile. How long had she been thinking for?

She was quickly sucked backed into her thoughts; how come she never blushed back to her date? Maybe something was wrong with her, maybe it was just she never found a stallion to make her feel embarrassed. Well, besides from stallions in those rather racy magazines Twilight did a terrible job at hiding. Or maybe they were Spike’s…? Her muzzle contorted in disgust. The stallion tilted his head. Starlight didn’t care, quickly muttering some random excuse for her expression. Either way, his name already slipped her mind and he certainly did not catch her interest. Fluttershy could be the only one in her life with all the animals.

It’s not like this wasn’t her first time, as stallions before had the same effect: appealing until they opened their mouths. Her eyes kept downward, her magic levitating the tea towards her mouth. When had she really went on a date? A true and proper date with a stallion she was interested in? The smell of her citrus tea wafted up inside her nose, filling her with a pleasant warmth. Perhaps her revenge-addled mind had never put the time aside for her desires. Or had she any desires? No, that couldn’t be it. Right? Right. She nodded to herself, finishing her tea. At least this cafe was pleasant; she could’ve been stuck with a poor date and drink. Well, it wasn’t his fault; in truth, the small talk they’d made wasn’t bad, per say. Not that it mattered, anyways. Twenty-something cats weren't for her.

The tangy taste of oranges still lingered on her tongue, eliciting a smile from her. If there was one thing Twilight had done for her that was most useful, it was switching her tastes from coffee to tea. Something about the wide variety of flavors that came from tea was much more satisfying than cheap creamer poured into hastily made instant coffee. Tea had made her slow down her process in the morning, taking the time to fully wake up and appreciate the early morning. Looking past the stallion through the glass windows in front of the store, she furrowed her brows. What was she thinking, rushing into something such as dating? If she could not rush her morning routine, what in the world possessed her to rush a serious thing like love? She could wait, enjoy her life, cherish the time she had with Twilight and her other friends. Not tie herself down. The image of her mother swiftly faded.

There was a break in conversation, her date falling silent. His eyes pierced Starlight, her ears pricking up; a chance to politely get out of any second dates. Well, as politely as she could muster after an hour of babbling. She raised a hoof to her muzzle, clearing her throat ever so slightly. Her date’s eyes continued to cast towards her, waiting for her words, patiently, quietly. The innocent spark his eyes wasn’t enough to cover up the thousands of animals he surely possessed, alongside their inevitable stench.

“Look, this had been great, but…” Starlight pauses, the stallion’s ears falling down, her words catching in her throat. He was a pony, just as her. Could she really crush him so easily? Maybe she should consider a second date? “...I don’t think we’re compatible.” That wasn’t too bad, right? He pointed his nose down, tracing his forehoof around his coffee mug. No, she couldn’t date a stallion who couldn’t take a simple rejection on a mere first date. Right? Right. Justification enough for her to settle for. Still, she found her hind legs shifting in her chair as a piercing silence befell between them. Seconds passed.

“Oh… alright.” His voice cracked, soft and barely above a whisper. “I suppose I should get going, then? Don’t worry about paying, I’ll handle it.”

“Ah, thank you.” Starlight murmured back, avoiding his sapphire blue eyes while he hopped off his chair and towards the counter. No time for guilt, only freedom. She wasted no time to do the same, briskly trotting towards the door. The sooner she could push this random stallion to the back of her head, the better. Twilight would say something cliche about learning from her mistakes. Shoving the door open, the little ring of the bell sounding above her, she was quickly greeted with the beating sun of a summer day, squinting her eyes through the rouge rays of scattered sunlight. Ponies were buzzing about, walking to and fro in every direction possible. Summer drew ponies out like bugs. A scowl formed on her lips when two ponies passed her with entwined tails. No, she had no time for that. Not when her youth had yet to end, full of possibilities not achievable if tied down by another pony.

She shook her head, then focused on the walk back to the castle. These thoughts of romance were merely brought up by a combination of her parents’ words and Twilight and Spike’s absence; the castle grew big and lonely. Yes, burying herself in distracting things such as her magic and friendship studies would help shove away these ridiculous thoughts. She nodded her herself, straightening her head. Love was for Princess Cadence to manage. No more.

In a thankfully short time, the large purple crystals which made up Ponyville’s castle reached her field of view, her pace growing faster. Twilight would surely wish for her to further her friendship studies during her absence. What was it, three more days until she returned? Furrowing her brows, Starlight quickened her trot, ignoring the slight pieces of dirt that clung to her hooves. Trixie was busy performing in Manehattan. Rainbow Dash was with the Wonderbolts. She clicked her tongue, watching as a butterfly caught her attention; Fluttershy’s invitation for tea with her and Discord was a perfect opportunity. Studying of how bonds develop and grow with time, how small interactions between friends work, the ways opening up to friends about small things can affect a pony. Friendship stuff. There was plenty to be studied, learned, and even taught. A smug smile plastered across her lips, she snickered, the small chuckles creeping up her throat as she reached the castle doors. Imagine herself teaching the princess of friendship a thing or two about friendship. The irony would be priceless.

A quick sparkly flash of her blue magic pushed the heavy crystal doors open, revealing the empty expanse of the castle. Grinning, she closed the doors behind her, looking around. Vast. Empty. Her ears began to droop. What could she do? Her eyes fell upon the cutie mark map. Perhaps she could dig deeper into the connection between the map and Twilight and the other’s cutie marks? Surely there was some sort of deep, magical link to be studied. Yes, there had to be! Starlight galloped towards the map, scrambling up a chair and thrusting her hooves down, a small smack echoing. Something kept this map linked to the element bearers and allowed them to be alerted of other ponies friendship issues. But what was that something? She growled, shaking her head. The student of Twilight had to be intelligent, book smart, able to figure out mysteries such as this.

Starlight craned her head around. “Hey, Twilight-” Her pupils dilated as her mouth slammed shut. Oh. That was right. No Twilight Sparkle to ask for anything. A loud groan escaped her lips. Abandoning all dignity, she let her head fall against the table. How could she study the map without one of the key ponies linked to it here? And one of the ponies who could give her advice on what spells to use or where to look for magical signatures. There was no way, none. She would have to have all the bearers present, anyways. No discoveries to impress Twilight. Fluttershy’s tea was still an option… Dragging a hoof across her neck, ruffling her mane, she bit her bottom lip. Would Twilight want her to explore love…?

“I need to make more friends,” she mumbled, sitting up slowly. Friends did the same things without all the needs. The kissing, cuddling, clinginess. A snort echoed in the room. The last stallion she was close to left her. Not that she was still bitter about that. Romance added more pressure. More things to worry about. Friends were certainly an easier option to sate her lonely desires. Well, easy enough, without the studying and teaching packed on by Twilight. Yes, making more friends would satisfy Twilight also. Not love. Love is stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Her parent's stupid comment about needing a stallion meant nothing whatsoever. Yes, being alone was what was filling her with this unneeded thoughts. Yes, yes, yes.

There was a gentle knocking on the doors, her ears swiveling backward, head following. A visitor and distraction! Starlight’s hooves leaped forward, flinging her body forward into a gallop as she skidded across the marble floor and towards the door. Nearly tripping over her hooves, she halted an inch away from the door, pushing it forward to reveal the potential friend awaiting her.

“Hey, Starlight,” Thorax said slowly, his cheeks red. “I, uh, need to see Twilight?”

Author's Note

Chapter 2

Starlight Glimmer stood quietly, watching Thorax awkwardly shift his forelegs while his wings twitched under his saddlebags. He seemed like he was waiting for a response, but she could only stare slack-jawed, unable to form a coherent sentence or thought. Thorax, king of Changelings, savior of Equestria, was casually standing at her front door. Well, castle doors, anyways. Maybe that made this situation a little less… strange. He also was her friend. They were friends, right? they’d saved Equestria together, that surely made them friends.

But to show up? Out of the blue, no warning? Starlight looked around, hoping to see something to explain the visit, but only noticed a lack of guards. In fact, she saw nothing remotely connecting to his royal status. No carriage, no entourage. Not even a crown on his head. Though he did have big horns that made up for that. Maybe it did. She blinked slowly. Okay, Thorax was here. She had fully processed that. He kind of smelled like flowers.

What now?

Taking a deep breath, Starlight cleared her throat as she prepared her words. She could do this, she could handle Thorax randomly popping over. But shouldn’t he know Twilight was off on a diplomatic trip to see the dragon lord? Didn’t all the leaders have some sort of friendship system where they all sent letters to one another? No, that was ridiculous. They wouldn’t call it a friendship system. Maybe Thorax had to file an application to get in and his membership was still pending. She shook her head. She had to take care of this situation, and fast, as it seemed the ponies out and about were taking notice, one pink mare freezing in place at the sight of him. Why was she freezing up, though? It was literally one week ago when he was here. She smacked a hoof to her cheek. Focus.

“Um… well… she’s gone,” she muttered slowly, squinting her eyes as beams of light reflected off his shiny… everything. Geez, did his transformation have to make him look like a glorified beetle? Still, as his wings fluttered by his sides, shimmering, she couldn't help but stare. The sparklines of his new form had taken her aback at first, though it seemed rather pleasant after a second evaluation. The gems on his chest moved up and down with his breathing, like the jewels on one of Rarity’s dresses glittering in the sunlight. His abdomen was a shade of green resemblant of fresh spring grass peeking through the last snows of winter. Or like emeralds. The way his stance looked tall and proud was pretty good looking too. In a platonic way. It was a bit entrancing, so much so that she didn’t notice Thorax’s words. She did notice his odd, flowery smell.

“Uh, Starlight, did you hear me?” His voice broke her trance, her eyes locking with his. Red leaked into her cheeks as she nervously smiled and bit her lip.

“Oh, no. Sorry.” She turned away from him, dragging her hoof on the marble floor. “But, I should probably invite you in. Manners, y’know?” An awkward laugh forced its way out of her throat. She stepped aside, rubbing the back of her neck with a foreleg. Thorax chuckled, flashing her a grin as he walked in. Her muzzle heated up more. Why was he smiling? Was it because it was humorous how much of an idiot she looked like? Was it because her mane looked funny? Was it-Starlight slammed her eyes shut, gritting her teeth. She had to stop thinking. He probably wants to ask where Twilight is, then go on to do kingly things. That’s all. And internally laugh at her.

She opened her eyes, shoving the door closed with a growl. Of all days to deal with a random king showing up, why today? She craned her neck behind her, eyeing Thorax as he walked further inside, brows furrowed. It wasn't his fault… Sighing, she pressed a hoof to her temple. A few minutes and this surely would be over, allowing her to do friendship stuff.

“It’s amazing how big this castle looks when there aren’t so many ponies in it,” he mumbled, touching the cutie mark map. “We’re still doing renovations to our hive. I wonder if we could make it look as fancy as all of this.” He turned around. “Sorry, I've gotten off track. May I ask where Twilight is? She said she’d like to discuss some things with me today.”

“She didn’t tell you? There was a minor emergency with the dragons” Starlight plopped down on one of the thrones. “It’s Clawchella; Ember asked her to stay for a few more days. She won’t be back until...” Starlight paused, confused by a blush creeping across Thorax’s muzzle. Realizing he was staring at something, she followed his gaze only to discover she had sat down with no consideration of lady-like posture. “Friday,” she finished, sitting upright and tucking her tail between her legs.

Thorax blinked, his blush doubling as he met her eyes. “I’m afraid I wasn’t told about that.” He smiled at her before swiftly finding something to examine behind himself. “I’ve probably made a fool of myself, huh? I’m sorry, I'm still new to this whole ‘king’ thing. I should’ve known; I even forgot to bring guards with me.”

Starlight quickly shook her head. “No, no, It’s fine! Twilight told me all the stories of how nervous she was when she first became Princess. She probably messed up too.” She flinched. “Not that you've messed up.”

He didn't seem to notice her last words. “Really? But she’s amazing. I don’t think I would be doing so well with the hive if it weren’t for her advice.” Thorax’s wings buzzed a sad rhythm as his ears pinned back.

Starlight fidgeted with her hooves, her mind racing for the right thing to say. “Well, why don’t you just stay until she comes back? There’s plenty of guest bedrooms.”

Thorax perked up. “Really? I wouldn’t want to impose.” He paused. “I’d have to inform my drones back home, though. It’d have to go by messenger.”.”

Starlight rolled her eyes while blowing a raspberry. “Please, that’s foal’s play. There are a hundred different spells to do that. Just tell me their name, and I’ll have a scroll setting on their snout in seconds.” She sprang to her hooves and hopped to the floor besides Thorax. “Besides, you’re a hero of Equestria and Twilight and I’s friend, you’re fine,” she continued, leading the way towards the castle’s guest rooms.

Thorax nodded. “I suppose I’ll have to learn more about pony magic.”

“Of course!” Starlight bounced on her hooves, not sure which way she should go first. “Here, I'll get a bedroom ready now, and maybe show you to the library to read up a bit on some spells?” She smiled sheepishly. “I mean, just something to do while I get it ready. I don’t really know what else you’d like to do while you’re here.” Her cheeks were warm and her stomach full of butterflies. She needed to get a hold of herself today.

Thorax trotted aside her as they ascended the staircase. “Well, I would like to see more of Ponyville. I’ve always lived in the north. It would be nice to see a farm first hoof, maybe learn how ponies manage their food.”

Starlight giggled, raising a hoof to her mouth while they entered a hallway. “You haven’t been on a farm?”

It was his turn to blush. “N-no. I’m still new to a lot of things, it seems.”

“Oh my Celestia, the stuff I'll show you!” She turned to face him. “There’s a lot more things I’ll show you than just a farm. In fact, tomorrow there’s supposed to be something going on at Pinkie Pie’s place.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah! Would you want to go?”

“Sure! It's a date.”

Starlight’s hooves froze mid-step, a yelp escaping her mouth as she went flying forward. Her eyes closed, bracing herself for a rather painful collision with the floor. Seconds passed. Her body was oddly... tingly. She slowly looked around and found herself caught in Thorax’s magic, levitated a hoof’s span from the ground.

Looking up, she found Thorax’s worried eyes. Her ears burned as she lost herself in his soft expression.

“Are you okay? Are you sick? Is something wrong?” he asked, touching a hoof to her shoulder.

She instinctively flinched away, her heart pounding and breathing heavy. Her mouth opened, only to stay like that. Thorax tilted his head, his magnificent horns shining in the candlelight. No, not magnificent. Well, they weren’t bad looking. But magnificent?

She shook her head. A date. A date with him. No, that wasn’t right.

“A… date?” she squeaked, brushing her mane in front of her face.

Thorax creased his brows, shrugging his shoulders.“It’s a saying I’ve heard from ponies.” He tapped his hoof to his chin. “Did I use it wrong?”

Starlight’s muzzle darkened to a deep, deep red. “Yes. A-A date means when two ponies wh-who are romantically involved go out and do something,” she in one breath as she stood back up on her own hooves. “I was just a bit shocked when you said that. I’m fine. Let’s go. Yes.”

“Oh… okay?”

Starlight didn’t bother to respond, moving as swiftly as she could muster down the hallway without breaking into a gallop. Why, of all times, would he bring up a datenow? Wait, it made sense. It was a pony saying he was just trying to integrate into his conversation. But right when her mind was still addled with the thoughts her parents and loneliness had implanted in her head? It was like Celestia was trying to give her a rough time, especially after that terrible date lowered her expectations. Not that Thorax was bad. He could be considered handsome, and he didn’t have a bunch of cats. Plus she already had a bond with him.

But dating him? No, impossible! He had a kingdom. And… She stopped in front of library's entrance. Was that seriously the only complaint she had with him? Her heart began clawing at her chest. Thorax and her. What would they be like? Would Thorax take her out on cheesy dated in the park with a picnic basket full of little sandwiches? Would give her flowers and call her beautiful? She covered her snout with a hoof. Would she like that? She liked his flowery smell, that was for sure.

She turned to Thorax. “Here’s the picni-Library.”

Thorax smiled. Starlight tensed.

She liked that smile.

Author's Note

Chapter 3

“Ah!” Thorax said, eyes bright with curiosity as he reached for a book on the shelf. “This looks interesting. It says ‘Pegasus Magic and Weather Making; How it works’.”

“Yes, well, I, uh, probably need to get going to prepare your room,” Starlight muttered back, wasting no time to turn around and escape. The sight of Thorax bent down to look at the lowest shelf was really more that her mind could take at the moment.

“Oh, wait!”

Starlight froze, slowly looking over her shoulder. “Y-Yes?”

Setting down the book, he turned to the saddlebags still strapped around his waist, using his magic to levitate out a large, black piece of apparel.

He wore a self-conscious smile as he unfolded it, revealing it to be a thick, hooded, zip-up sweater. “I bought this on the way here. It looked practical, and the stallion that sold it to me said it was a popular style.” He traced his hoof around it. “Is this something ponies really wear? I don’t want to look ridiculous if he tricked me, but I’m kind of cold. This library’s a bit chilly,” he said, thoroughly examining the clothing.

Starlight’s eyes locked onto the bit of raiment as if she were in a staring contest with the sweater. It was nostalgic in all the wrong ways, stirring memories of her pubescent school years. Old jealousy lit in her gut as the vision of a giggling filly curled into her colt friends jacket bubbled into her mind’s eye.

“I-I think it would look cut-good on you. Just haven’t seen one since school,” she stuttered, turning back forward. She touched a hoof to her temple, her cheeks flushing.

Thorax pressed his lips together, nodding slowly before replying, “Oh, and do you think you could send that letter?”

She quickly uttered a 'yes', allowing for a swift departure. She barely heard his ‘okay’ while trotting down the hall, sighing. It was almost like the teenage years she’d taken for granted was creeping back up on here to make up for lost time.

With a quick retrieval of a scroll and quill, a letter was sent away to some unfortunate drone who’d have no idea it was coming. She left her writing on the desk as soon as the letter vanished and wasted no time prepping Thorax’s room, grabbing for a pillow with a quick spell. Perhaps she’d spent a little bit too much time fluffing a pillow when her mind spaced out, the recent memories of the day replaying like a video looping in her mind.

How could she act upon these feelings? What would she do if she discovered she really, really liked him? The next pillow felt the true intensity of her magic, threatening to tear as she grit her teeth. She didn’t need a special some pony, or a special changeling. Her parents could deal with it; she was a princesses’ student, a prodigy in magic who’d saved Equestria. Why in the world would she want love? A little voice spoke of how she was creating excuses, another part of her mind shoving it away. Yes, there were issues between the two. Not only were they different species, but he also knew nothing about pony culture. Celestia, he barely even knew the castle...

A glance above the door showed the clock tick its way closer towards nighttime. It had taken her a whole five minutes to calm her thoughts of Thorax becoming lost within the castle. A few quick spells finished the room. Nodding to herself, she walked down the hallway, pausing in front of the library. Could she…? A blush quickly spread across her muzzle. No, she couldn’t. Too many things were already racking her mind, and another awkward encounter would only worsen things. Besides, she would look clingy. She went downstairs to the kitchen. Thorax didn’t need her anyways.If Thorax needed anything, she would be right downstairs, drinking her tea and totally not blushing while remembering every encounter she’d had with him like a school filly. Not at all.

Perched on Twilight’s chair, her hind legs securely crossed, Starlight stared with unfocused eyes at the cutie map. Remembering the warm tea in her hooves, she took a thoughtless slurp. What’s wrong with me? . She closed her eyes, allowing droplets of orange-flavored tea to dribble down her snout. Leaning back into Twilight’s throne gave her some comfort; sitting in it made her feel powerful. Thorax... Thorax made her feel weak, shaky, embarrassed.

Her cheeks crimsoned a sun-kissed red, ears flattening against her head. She was overthinking again. Setting her cup down, Starlight leaned forward and massaged her temples. With a sigh, she forced herself to open her eyes. The familiar sight of the overly sparkly castle greeted her, the soft shades of purple flooding her mind while beams of light refracted into her eyes. Her optometrist would have a field day with all the ponies going blind in here within the year.

A castle made mostly of crystal was a hindrance in many ways; the jagged edges of the hallways were not kind to her sides, and the floors could be terrible to walk on when one was drunk out of their brains and blundering about like a newborn foal. But it wasn’t like she had secret meetings with Dash and Applejack to get wasted. And it wasn’t like she was thinking of setting up said meeting for this night because dealing with her emotions made her uncomfortable. She shook head, staring back at the crystal to put her mind in place. It was like Twilight’s castle just ripped off the Crystal Empire. It could’ve been original. Maybe a volcano castle. A volcano would be pretty cool.

Still, unwanted thoughts crept back in her head, rearing their ugly heads. Why was Thorax different, and why was she feeling this way?

Her nose crinkled as a sudden tickle overwhelmed her. Her body contorted, tensing in anticipation of an impending sneeze. Her eyes watered while her nostrils flared, but the sneeze refused to come. After what felt like hours, the release came with a bellowing snort. The blast rocked Starlight back into the throne while her tea rattling towards the edge of the table. Groaning, she rubbed her eyes. Her hoof felt heavy, and there was an ache in her legs and back that wasn’t there moments ago.

Groaning, she looked at the clock. It was only around seven something, surely she couldn’t be that tired… Still, her eyebrows creased as another sneeze made its way out, the teacup courteously provided by Trixie threatening to spill while her hooves pressed against the table. What was coming over her?

She shook her head. Thorax had wanted a day out tomorrow; she needed to get a scroll and quill so she could plan it out. She wanted Thorax’s visit to be perfect, and that meant no more troubling thoughts of… relationships. She shuddered at the word. Her efforts would not be out of anything beyond friendship, of course. She wasn’t seriously considering all the wonderful dates she and Thorax could have together. Dates. Starlight kicked her hind legs out, hooves growing icy cold as the heat in her cheeks flared up. Her heart pounded inside her chest, beating to the rhythm of her quickened breathing. Her ears rang, muzzle contorting.

Why? She’d never felt any of these strange feelings before, especially the confusion that bubbled throughout her when his image popped into her head. Why did she feel so… weird? Were there words to explain it? Was this a... a crush?

It couldn’t be. Pushing her hooves into her lips, she suppressed a noise, tapping her hind leg against the chair. Fillies had crushes. It was a side effect of a young brain raddled by glands producing way too many hormones way too fast. No different from how she craved greasy hash browns covered in cheese and hot peppers after a few shots of that stuff Applejack makes. Grown mares didn’t get crushes. They just didn’t.

It was almost infuriating. She wanted to take Thorax out and make him feel happy and watch him smirk at her with that same genuine smile that made her feel like he was using it just for her and nobody else. Having a bad date along with having an eligible stallion show up who was bright, charming and adorable was not good for her confused emotions. And his smell. A dopey grin spread across her muzzle. Surely it was some sort of changeling cologne. She needed that cologne for… academic purposes.

There was a knocking on the door, tearing her gaze away from the wall. Liquor! She sprung from the chair like a dog rushing towards its owner after a long day alone, thrusting the doors open and smiling from cheek to cheek. An awkward cough ensued from the pony standing before Starlight.

“Trixie is uncomfortable,” the blue mare stated roughly, brushing strands of her hair with a fore hoof. “Your smile is weird. Stop it.”

Starlight’s countenance contorted into a grimace, eyes narrowing.

“You don’t have beer,” she moaned, turning around. “Enter.”

“Doesn’t Trixie feel loved?” Trixie puffed back, deadpanning while closing the door behind her. “Somebody’s a bit frustrated, I see?”

Starlight didn’t bother to face her, wriggling into the chair, hooves instinctively wrapping around her teacup. Only, her hooves caught nothing but thin air, the force of them knocking the cup straight to the floor. Both mares winced, the loud clang of porcelain shattering echoing throughout the large rooms of the castle. Starlight breathed in, an audible sniffle following.

“Great,” she grunted, before sneezing once more. Her ears pricked up at the sound of hooves clamoring down the stairs. She craned her head to the side.

“Is something the matter!? I heard something break,” Thorax said, worry written all over his face as he trotted swiftly down the stairs and towards Starlight. His eyes first landed on the shards of the teacup, before setting his gaze around the rest of the room and eventually on Trixie, eyes widening.

“I'm fine-” Thorax cut Starlight off, beaming.

“Hey! I didn’t expect you to be here, Trixie.”

“Is there a problem with me being here-”

Starlight could only watch while he practically sprinted over to Trixie, scooping her up in a large hug as she struggled against his green hooves wrapping around her. He rubbed his face against her cheek, grinning.

“It’s great to have so many pony friends nowadays!” he commented, still embracing Trixie. “It’s hard to believe that just a few months ago I was living in the freezing snows surrounding the Crystal Empire. To think I’d get to-”

Trixie shoved a hoof to Thorax’s face, forcing him away and breaking their embrace. She growled, wiping herself off with a huff while she turned her snout up.

“Trixie is not in the mood for rambling or long hugs.”

Thorax was quick to crease his brows, looking away. Trixie awkwardly shuffled her hooves.

“B-But Trixie's glad to see you too, anyways,” she added.

His eyes instantly lit up at her words, his wings buzzing about while a shamefaced grin spread across his muzzle. “I do apologize; I guess I’m still in a bit of shock at how fast things have been progressing.” He stepped back, rubbing his face. “I’m just excited to have so many new friends. Pony ones, especially.”

Trixie’s demeanor followed his, a giggle spurting from her lips. “Trixie understands that feeling. Trixie feels the same with Starlight-” Her eyes fell upon said mare. Her brows wrinkled in confusion. “Starlight, are you with us?”

Starlight was sitting, her eyes fixated on Thorax when she noticed Trixie and Thorax’s piercing gazes in her direction. She let out a squeak, spinning around in her chair and quickly burying her muzzle within the safety of her hooves. She could feel the heat coming off her cheeks.

Starlight cursed herself as the image of Thorax in that sweater danced in her mind. Black and baggy with Ponyville written on it in a plain white font and slits cut out for his wings on the back. It was basic. Oh so basic. Basically cute. But the size raised questions. Had the shop pony hoped to sell it for princess Celestia?

There was one thing and one thing only that Starlight couldn’t resist, and that was the softness, comfort, and nostalgic style of a hoodie. She ran her village with one. She would’ve saved Equestria in one. She went to anything professional in one to spite ponies who thought they could control her with rules.

It was a mild obsession left over from her school days. They were popular at the time, used as both a way to keep warm and a marker of relationship status. Almost all of her old school friends would mark their special somepony as theirs with the triumphant claiming of the colt’s sweater. She never got to experience the classic thieving of the sweater. Held hostage for the day, until it was traded back at the price of a kiss. Maybe taken home, with the challenge that he should come get it.

No. She had never gotten to play those games. Instead, she had bought her own and convinced herself it only the jacket’s warmth that she really wanted. But that was a lie. She wanted a colt to grin and complain when she took his. She wanted to snuggle into a too-large sweater that smelled of a colt that quickened her pulse. Her days had been wasted with the bittersweet allure of revenge.

Starlight sighed and shook her head. Those were the games of fillies and colts. She was too old for that silliness now. She had missed her chance for that a long time ago. Or... had she? Maybe Thorax would see the humor in her nabbing his Ponyville souvenir? Platonically, of course. Or not? Butterflies flew in her stomach. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted with a rather noisy sneeze forcing its way out of her snout.

Trixie and Thorax walked up, the latter speaking first. “Are you okay?” he asked, stepping close to Starlight as she squirmed in the throne. “You look kind of red. Are you sick?”

Her cheeks burned brighter, her voice muffled by her hooves. “Y-Yes,” she shakily stated, avoiding his piercing ruby eyes. “I might’ve caught a cold.” She wasn’t entirely lying; she did feel her nose growing stuffy alongside a tightness in her chest. Oh, Celestia, the sweater.

Thorax nodded, pausing as if to think for a moment. “Well, if you’re cold, just take my sweater,” he concluded, his magic aura already wrapping around the hoodie currently resting on his body.

Starlight tensed up. “What?”

He didn’t respond, instead opting to levitate a sweater neatly around her head. Well, neat until her vision was blotched out by the baggy, flowery smelling cloth of said sweater. Trixie’s unmistakable kind of obnoxious laughter burst into her ears while she struggled to fight out of her sweater prison.

“Pft, Thorax, a cold means she’s sick. Heh. Not literally,” she said between chuckles, coming into view as Starlight finally finished sliding her hooves through the sleeves. Thorax blushed.

“O-Oh, I… Didn’t know that,” he stuttered out. He turned to Starlight. “I can take it back-”

“No!” Starlight’s response came out faster and louder than she had intended; her hooves quickly wrapping around herself. She had conquered her high school insecurity, securing the sweater that marked their relationship- no, they weren’t in one… What was she thinking? She used her magic to start pulling the hood over her face. She was putting more meaning into these small gestures than should be done. She should just return the sweater and be done with the situation…

“I’m sick... and cold, I guess.” Celestia darn it, Starlight. You had one job. The hoodie slid back into place over her body.

Thorax shrugged. “Alright.” Why was he so unquestioning?

Trixie cleared her throat. “Ahem. We’ve gotten off track. What I came over here for was a…” she paused dramatically, leaning in. Thorax followed suit, pushing his ears forward as if to listen to her whisper. Starlight leaned carefully from the safety of her sweater cocoon. “...sleepover,” Trixie finished. Straightening up, her voice went from a whisper to a bubbly proclamation. “Twilight’s done it with her friends. Shouldn’t we, as the clearly superior friends, also have a sleepover?” she stated matter-of-factly.

Starlight could only nod and pet the black fabric under her hooves. She felt utterly embarrassed, like she wanted to shrink away into the darkness of the sweater. This wasn’t a relationship thing; it was simply one friend helping another. Yes, nothing else. Just a simple the friendly gesture between two beings who were friendly. She took a deep breath, filling her nose with his sweet scent. A perfectly natural thing for friends to do.

Thorax squealed, his wings flapping frantically. “Oh, I’ve never heard of a sleepover! Is it some sort of pony ritual?” he chirped, coming closer to Trixie, who grinned.

“Oh no. It’s much better than a simple ritual,” she commented, lowering her brows. “We get to hang out and talk overnight. Get to know more about each other.” She locked eyes with Starlight. “The things we get to talk about can be about food, games, crushes.” She laced the last word with deadly intent, simpering like a classic cartoon villain. Starlight froze. “But it's mostly just being together and doing whatever.”

“What’s a crush? Nevermind, I want to go get a book from the library I found most interesting. Is it appropriate to talk about a book in this ‘sleepover’?”

“Of course,” Trixie swiftly said. Thorax nodded eagerly, turning to the staircase. The moment he was gone, Trixie set her focus on Starlight.

“Do you have to be so obvious about it?” she groaned, rolling her eyes. Starlight tugged at her hoodie strings.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she muttered, staring at her hooves.

“Denial doesn’t work.” Trixie crept closer to the throne. “Tell me more. Trixie loves drama.”

“There’s nothing else to talk about!” Starlight yipped back, turning away, pouting. “Sure, he’s kind of cute, but… we… couldn’t…” she shut her mouth, blushing. Trixie grinned.

“We’ll talk about it later. For now, I have a plan.”

Starlight tensed. “Why do I feel like it's a terrible plan?”

Chapter 4

Trixie looked to the ceiling, nodding her snout up and down while tracing a hoof to the grooves of the marble floor, her lips pressed together. “Yes, my plan will be perfect.” She rolled her eyes, snorting. “To start, give me that ridiculous thing.” Sparks of magic tugged at the corners of Starlight’s newly claimed hoodie, forcing a squeak out of the purple mare. Her grip tightened around the sleeves.

Starlight’s brows furrowed. “Why do you need it?” she huffed, glaring at Trixie’s lit horn. Sparks of magic fizzled away.

“If you’d place just a bit of trust in the total love guru Trixie, she will help you find love,” Trixie grunted, pulling harder at the sweater.

Starlight froze for just a second, feeling her hooves wobble. Trixie pursed her lips. Starlight’s muzzle wrinkled, her whole body aching while her nose tickled with each passing moment. She was sick. She needed warmth and comfort!

A second passed, her frown fading. Trixie deadpanned. Surely she could trust Trixie, even if she’d be a bit cold without the hoodie. Her hooves relaxed, allowing for the garment to slip over her head and towards the blue mare. Trixie simpered, wasting no time to bring it to her forehooves. Starlight’s teeth threatened to chatter in the frigid air of the castle.

“Thank you. I’m sure this will work,” Trixie murmured, trotting away from the throne. Starlight stood up, bounding to the ground, a soft clack echoing. She started to move forward. At least, until a blue hoof stretched out in front of her.

“Oh, I’d like you to stay put, by the way,” she said, moving further away while Starlight’s legs froze. “The plan requires it.”

Starlight felt her scowl come creeping back on her face. What kind of plan needed Trixie to trot off with her-Thorax’s sweater? He gave it to her, not Trixie. And she already missed the warmth. She pressed her hoof forward, ready to go after her.

Seconds ticked by. She had turned her glare to her hoof, still stuck in the same spot. This is ridiculous, she thought. Trust in something so stupidly simple should be easy. She was just taking a stupid sweater to do whatever with it. Her hoof back stepped. Trust Trixie. Besides, both her love life and friendship could benefit from this. Even if her one insecurity she’d just conquered was slowly coming back into her mind. A small sigh pressing from her lips, she looked down.

Too many years had been spent in her foal mindset of equality among other things. Even now, as she encountered new things, she was still transitioning to a normal state of mind. This was not high school. This was, on the other hoof, the real world, where friends aren’t snotty teenagers stuck in their own small world views and value appearances over most anything else. Trixie wasn’t plotting something terrible. She was helping. Starlight forced herself to smile.

Just then, her ears swiveled towards the staircase, pressing forward to catch the sound of hooves clicking against the stairs. She raised her head up, trailing the green silhouette of Thorax, book held in his magic right beside the goofy grin plastered on his muzzle.

“Hey! I found this while browsing for my other book and found it to be fascinating,” his voice chirped, tinged with the happiness he’d always carried since she’d met him. Her smile grew a bit bigger. The sound of his cheery voice helped ease her worries. “I still can’t believe how complex ponies are down to the smallest details.”

Her eyes scanned the cover of the book as he came closer.

“Earth pony magic is fascinating. I especially liked the description of how earth ponies experience the crops they work with,” he continued, allowing her to gently hold it with a forehoof. Her brows creased.

“Oh. Earth pony magic?” she questioned, flipping through the pages. A quick read through showed mostly boring descriptions of basic pony anatomy laced with a few earth pony related facts. She stopped on one of the pages, reading a line. It was talking about how corn reacts to earth ponies.

“Uh, no offense, but isn’t this a bit… well, boring?” She closed the book. Surely unicorn or even pegasus magic would be far more interesting? It wasn’t like earth pony magic was bad or anything, but it seemed rather simple in comparison to most other magics. All it worked with was plants, and it was relatively weak in what it could do.

He beamed. “I thought you might say that.” He traced his hoof on the cover. “I personally like how simple it is. It kind of reminds me of how us drones are. Well, I’m not a drone anymore.” His cheeks flushed red. “But even if we-they’re viewed as simple, there’s so much more to how changeling drones work and function. That is if you take individual personality out because that already makes drones unique. The way out magic works, out shapeshifting abilities, everything.” He took the book back in his magic.

“Earth ponies seemed relatively plain to me at first, but after looking at this book among a few other things, I realized how amazing even their smallest magical feats are. Even if they aren’t spectacular or eye-catching, they’re still pretty cool. Just like my drones.” The book twirled in his magic, his goofy smile everlasting. “But you probably already know that. I just wanted to share.”

Oh. That’s right. Starlight’s smile struggled to keep up with his words, threatening to break. The ways Thorax managed to impress her was part of his allure; from becoming king to small things such as his insights. She, on the other hoof, was not like that. She was quick to judge his book, quick to make reckless decisions. She had so many flaws that brought to where she was, even if she was in a better place now. It was the reason she never received a stallion’s hoodie, or why her dates always left her a little more lonely. These thoughts crashed their way into her head all too fast, like the fragile barrier she’d put against them had broken once more. But maybe she was taking too much out of this. She sniffled, rubbing her stuffy nose. “I’m more than happy to listen to what you have to share.”

“Yes! There’s so much more I’d like to get into-” The sound of Trixie’s rather loud voice cut off his thought, drawing both Starlight and Thorax’s attention to her. She came from the other room, bundled up in a certain sweater. Starlight’s pupils dilated, her ears falling back. Thorax perked up, trotting forward.

“Ah! I was just about to ask where you were,” he chirped before his eyes fell on her body.“Oh. How come you have my sweater?”

“Oh, this?” Trixie commented, lifting a hoof draped in black fabric. “I think I might be catching Starlight’s cold, which is leaving me kind of chilly, so she lent it to me.”

“Ah, alright. Yes, a cold, which is a sickness. Though you were also cold.” His brows furrowed. “ I have that down. Alright.” He levitated his book forward, presenting it to Trixie. “Anyways, I was just talking to Starlight about this. I was comparing…”

The rest of the words fell on deaf ears. All Starlight could do was stare, trying to keep her eyes focused on them. She couldn’t resist, not even if she wanted to. She didn’t know why, but there was a memory from her filly days swirling inside her mind’s eye, blotching out most of the world for a minute. It could’ve any of a thousand different memories she had of a similar scene unfolding.

There was a filly, green fur and two red french braids paired with black glasses approaching her. She wore a sheepish grin, backpack strapped to her.

“Starlight, guess who I just talked too…”

The sun breaking through the leaves of a towering oak tree illuminated Starlight’s book, highlighting the words she read while lying by its base. Her eyes moved up, if only for a second. “Who?” The filly was new and had been trying to be her friend ever since. Starlight played along for the sake of not wanting to deal with how she’d react if she flat out told her to bug off.

“Cinnamon,” the filly whispered, narrowing her eyes with a devious smile. In record time, the book carefully placed in purple hooves slammed shut, a small squeak emanating from the bright red filly that was Starlight. One such thing that came with this forced friendship was sharing secrets. Secrets that Starlight was less than proud of.

“C-Cinnamon?” she said, stuttering. “What did you two… talk about?” She struggled to form her words into a coherent sentence, feeling her tongue get caught in her throat. The filly who was probably named Rose snorted, waving a hoof.

“Nothing about you, silly. We’re actually meeting up this weekend to see a movie. The look on your face was priceless though.”

Starlight’s ears fell back. “Oh.” Her demeanor switched in seconds, her book finding its way back in her hooves as she shifted her weight back against the tree, snuggling against it. Rose rolled her eyes.

“C’mon. I know you like him, but it just wouldn’t work out. Anyways, let’s hang out at the new corner store down the road-”

“I think I’m perfectly okay staying right here,” Starlight growled through grit teeth, flicking her tail to the side. “In fact, why don’t you go there with Cinnamon. Then it would be even better to make watch you two go there since you know how much I like him but clearly don’t care.”

Rose stepped back, furrowing her brows. “Geez, angry much? Maybe I will go.” With one a final huff, she turned away, soon becoming a dot in the distance. Resting by her favorite tree just in front of the school, Starlight continued her reading. The new filly was barely here for three weeks and had already betrayed her just like any other “friend”. Whether it was stealing her crush, finding another friend or just flat out starting to hate Starlight, every pony turned out to be the same. They’d find other ponies had better personalities, better clothes, better grades, better looks than her. No “friend” would stick around her when there was somebody better. Or the pony would do her dirty. It didn’t matter how, but they did. A page flipped in her book. Things would be different if everyone was on equal footing. No competition to keep friends or crushes or anything.

The memory faded as soon as it came. Starlight closed her eyes, tuning out the world around her. She wasn’t making another memory to add to the bunch she already had. That moment mixed with the many others of similar nature meant nothing in this situation. Trixie was probably pulling something with her so-called plan. She wasn’t a petty teenager. She was different. She was a real, true friend who wouldn’t sweep away her crush or be taken by someone else. She reopened her eyes. The high school had no place in the real world she had now.

Thorax and Trixie were still talking, and all she needed to do was join the conversation and let Trixie pull whatever stunt she may want. Starlight breathed in the castle’s cool air through a stuffy nose, walking towards the two. Their words began to make sense in her jumbled head.

“...Honestly, though, I don’t really understand what love is despite needing it to survive. All I’ve ever learned is that I need it, not what it does. Cadence gave me snippets here and there, but I really want to know more in-depth details about it.”

“Really? Perhaps Trixie could help you understand sometime.”

Starlight’s eye twitched. Clearing her throat, she sat down beside them in the middle of the throne room. The empty space seemed to close in on her.

“Hey, why don’t we move this somewhere, uh, more comfortable?” She gestured around herself. “The middle of the floor is a bit awkward.” They all looked around the large, relatively empty place there were sitting in.

“Is this not normal?” Thorax asked.

“Yeah, the floor is kind of dirty to sit on. Why not head to the balcony for a bit? I heard the weather is supposed to be nice tonight,” Trixie stated.

Thorax tapped a hoof to his chin. “Would this be fitting for this ‘sleepover’?” He turned to Starlight.

Freezing up, Starlight averted his eyes. “Oh. Yeah.” She looked to Trixie. “There’s a linen closet right next to the library if you guys want to pull out some blankets to lie on. I’ll get some snacks to eat. You can go on ahead.”

“Alright.” Trixie wasted no time springing to her hooves and facing the staircase. She walked forward, giving an oddly sly look to Thorax over her shoulder. “Well, come on. I have some new magic tricks I could show you while we wait.”

“That sounds like fun! Fun is part of a sleepover, I think!” The two quickly disappeared upstairs, leaving Starlight alone, in the middle of the floor. Shivering without her sweater, she stood up quietly and walking to the kitchen with her ears pinned against her head. She froze in front of the countertop, dragging her hoof against it absent-mindedly. Snack, snack, snacks. Would something salty or sweet taste better with betrayal?

Seconds passed. Then, suddenly, her hoof slammed down.

What’s wrong with me? Trixie wasn't pulling anything. Irrational thoughts echoing in the back of her mind said otherwise, but these were just mixed feelings. The same mixed feelings she had for Thorax. What was making her feel so…

Worthless.

Where had that word come from? Her hoof began to slump, growing limp as it dragged against the counter. Right. The school fillies, that didn’t matter, had implanted that word in her head so many ways she could barely remember all of them. Whether it was with betrayal or not, the effects of those methods stayed with her. It was brought up when her parents wished for her to marry. It came when a crush like days before entered her mind. It came up when the fear of her friend betraying her like so many others became her sole train of thought.

This was ridiculous. She was not some special snowflake who had unfixable problems caused by childhood bullying or anything of the like. She was a normal pony who experienced normal pony feelings and, like any other pony, had to get over them. Even if her childhood was just a little bit messed up her her whole ‘equal’ phase.

Her hoof moved to the fridge. She would make snacks. She would treat her guest and friend properly. She would not shove her feelings for Thorax aside and she would face them head on. Even if her cheeks were a little red at the thought. She would tell her parents the honest truth of nearly every stallion or mare out there sounding repulsive to date. Real-world thinking and confrontation. Filly mindsets needed to be gone.

Cheese and crackers; simple, tasty, and the best guess she could come up with for what a changeling might want to eat. Balancing the plate with her magic, Starlight wasted no time trotting up the stairs. Her pace quickened when she saw the balcony doors half open. It wasn’t because she was worried, no, just concerned about her friend’s hunger. Maybe she wanted to see if Thorax was okay too. Rays of moonlight just barely peeked through the doors, though her eyes locked on them like a target while she borderline galloped. Her purple hoof wrapped around the door, pulling it open with just a tad too much enthusiasm.

The view was jaw-dropping. One thing Starlight picked up about Ponyville was how cloudy it could be, from a combination of a small weather team and stray clouds drifting in from the Everfree. But tonight was spotless, allowing for the stars to peek out in their entirety. It was gorgeous, really. Tiny white flecks among the sea of blackness, all seemingly revolved around the glittering full moon on a warm summer night. Even the smell of the newly added flowers in front of the castle doors below mixed with the flowery smell of Thorax. Thorax, who was currently snuggled against a sweater-clad Trixie. Both were among a sea of blankets and pillows.

Her heart dropped while a grimace found its way on her face. Of course, just as always, she had been betrayed. A hot, bubbly feeling boiled in her chest. At least, that’s what she would’ve expected from such a situation happening to her for the thousandth time. Yet what was happening was quite different; she silently put the snacks in front of them, biting her tongue.

Trixie spoke. “Oh, thank you!” She put on a sheepish grin. “We kind of made a mess. Wanna sit down?”

“Sure,” Starlight uttered barely above a whisper, lying down on the edge of the blanket-pillow mix. Her chest felt tight and heavy like weights were tied to it and dragging it down into the ground. Her neck fell down, followed by her head resting on one of the various pillows. She kept her head to the stars. At least they never changed for the worse.

Trixie cleared her throat. “It’s a beautiful night out, isn’t it?”

“Yes, stars look much different than where our hive is.” Thorax fluttered his wings a little. “Fascinating how much I’ve learned about astronomy, especially with Princess Luna’s letters.”

Trixie nodded, snuggling closer to Thorax. Thorax didn’t seem to notice. Starlight inched closer to the edge. The blue mare’s eyes lingered on Starlight through the dark of the night.

“Ah, do tell me a bit more about the constellations here?” Thorax piqued in, turning to Trixie.

“Why don’t we ask Starlight? I mean, her name implies she knows something about stars.” Trixie giggled, turning to the laying mare. Her head turned away from the pair.

“I’m sure Trixie would do a much better job than me,” she spat, rolling her eyes before a sneeze forced its way out of her snout.

Thorax tilted his head, eyes gleaming while his brows creased.

“Is something the matter?”

Trixie quickly shook her head.

“No, no! I just think…” Her ears started to fold back. Trixie stared at Starlight. “Uh… she’s cold! Yes, why don’t you come lie down between Thorax and me?”

Thorax shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll admit it's strange, but if ‘spooning’ as you called it is how ponies keep warm, be my guest.” Trixie stood up, gesturing to the empty spot next to Thorax. Starlight closed her eyes, entirely turning her back on the two.

“I’m sure Trixie likes it a lot more than I do.”

Trixie’s brows furrowed, a sad frown creeping on her face. She turned to Thorax, whose face was speaking of his confusion. Trixie sighed. “Hey Starlight, I have to go to the bathroom. Come with me.”

“I-” She didn’t have much time to respond, instead squawking as a forceful magic tug pulled her to her hooves. Thorax raised a hoof like a colt in class.

“How come she must accompany you?” His eyes sparkled with the star’s reflection in them.Trixie grunted. He was annoying sometimes.

“Oh, it’s a mare thing... Yeah. We’ll be back in a minute, have some snacks.” She shoved a hoof to the plates in front of him. Cautiously, he leaned forward, sniffing a cracker. Neither mare got to witness much more when Trixie proceeded to drag Starlight away, all the way down the hallway until they both were far enough from the balcony to have a private conversation. Starlight’ was bug-eyed, staring at Trixie with her eyebrows raised as high as they could be. Trixie kicked her hoof into the floor.

“What are you thinking?” she exclaimed, leaning close. “I offered you a perfect opportunity to get in with Thorax and you completely missed it!”

“What am I thinking?” Starlight closed the gap between them, shoving her muzzle into Trixie’s with a glower. “You cozied up to Thorax the moment I took my eyes off of you two! And you know I like him. Like I could trust you…” the words came out as a hiss. She turned towards the staircase, making a move to have a rather dramatic exit. Trixie quickly maneuvered around, blocking off any potential escape.

“I just wanted to make you jealous so you’d do something!” she huffed, stomping a hoof down. “You were supposed to make a move or something with Thorax. What the heck is all this?” She gestured toward her. “I actually thought you’d catch on too. This is weird.”

“I-I…” Starlight swallowed, swiftly rubbing her eye with a forehoof. “...oh. That’s obvious now that I think about it. I just got kind of upset. Woops.” An awkward chuckle forced its way out of her, a self-conscious grin set on her face. “I’m sorry. Just jealousy and anger because I like Thorax. Yep.”

“That’s one weird way to be jealous then,” Trixie grumbled, running a hoof through her mane. “At least you admit to liking him now.” She watched Starlight shuffle her hooves. “Is there something else that’s wrong?”

Starlight backed away from her piercing gaze, rubbing the back of her neck. “Just was jealous. That’s all, nothing. Really.”

Trixie pressed forward. “Starlight, you know we’re best friends. You can tell me anything.”

Starlight met her eyes. How was she supposed to tell her any of this? Oh, I just have some unresolved childhood issues that have manifested into a whole bunch of other problems! I feel the pressure of my parents weighing me down along with having no idea how to confront my feelings for Thorax or how to deal with my self-doubt. Yep, that’s all. Nothing else. Perfectly fine. She sighed. Talking about her feelings wouldn’t fix anything. Pushing aside her jumbled thoughts, she forced a smile. “I’m fine. Really.”

“Well, alright.” Trixie shrugged her shoulders, flicking her tail. “We should probably head back to Thorax.”

“Yeah. Right.” Starlight followed behind her, averting her eyes to the floor. Of course, she could trust Trixie. She was her friend. A pretty good one who had saved Equestria with her. What worries were to be had? The bad memories of her childhood have to be purged. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath, shoving any thoughts of high school to the very back of her mind. Sure, she wasn’t nearly as amazing as Thorax was and was probably way out of his league, but she could try, right? For her parents and for herself.

When they came back outside, all they saw was Thorax passed out with his face lying on a plate full of cracker crumbs. Trixie instantly stuffed a hoof in her mouth, suppressing a snort while Starlight grinned. This was a new chapter of romance for her if anything was to happen. Just go with the flow. She turned to Trixie.

“Want to help me carry him to his room?”

Trixie groaned.

“He’s so… big. How are we supposed to carry him?”

Starlight rolled his eyes. “Surely the Great and Powerful Trixie’s magic combined with mine can easily carry him to his bed?”

Trixie grinned. “Of course.”

It may have taken a few minutes, but eventually, Thorax was set up in his room, the mess on the balcony cleaned up. The two mares headed to the kitchen, grabbing a quick midnight snack before heading to bed. Starlight rummaged through the cabinets for chips, leaving Trixie to hang out at the table.

“You know, I can tell something’s up.”

Starlight’s ears swiveled back behind her. “Hmm?”

“But don’t worry; Trixie is here to help you with love!”

Starlight craned her head over her shoulder, cocking an eyebrow. “Just what are you talking about?”

Trixie blew a raspberry. “Trixie is no stranger to emotional problems. You don’t have to talk to me about what’s up, but I know something’s going on with you.”

Starlight waved a hoof dismissively. “Please, I’m fine. I told you, it was just me letting my emotions get the best of me. It’s all cool now.” She turned back to grabbing bowls with her magic.

“Whatever you tell yourself.” Trixie kicked her hooves out from her chair. “I have the perfect plan for you and Thorax tomorrow, though.”

“Oh?”

Trixie nodded to herself, touching her chin with her forehoof, watching as Starlight joined her at the table with chips. A bowl slid towards her. An audible crunch came from Trixie’s mouth.

“I was thinking taking Thorax to the farm. It’ll help him with his curiosity and be perfect for a romantic picnic!” Trixie proceeded to much on more chips.

“Hmm… that’s not bad. Thorax did say he was curious about farms.”

“Then it’s settled!” Crumbs when flying across the table. “Tomorrow, the great and powerful Trixie will be a love guru.”