Warning: Awkward Nerd Love
The bell tinkled as Twilight stepped into the café. She inhaled deeply at the smell of fresh bread and warm coffee, and her shoulders eased in tension.
The young mare behind the register’s counter took notice and quickly straightened up from her slumped position. “Princess Twilight! What an honor! Welcome to Crystal Café!”
Twilight stepped up to the counter with a smile, albeit a nervous one. “Just Twilight is fine,” she said kindly, keeping her voice soft.
Thankfully the mare took the hint and lowered her voice. “Oh, sure thing, Your Highness,” she whispered loudly, showcasing her bejeweled braces as she grinned from ear to ear. “Name’s Topaz. What can I get for you today?” While Twilight glanced up at the menu options, Topaz continued, keeping her voice down. “Our specials today include sunflower seed salad in a bowl, lemon meringue pie, and my personal favorite, pumpkin flavored doughnuts. Yum.”
Twilight tapped her chin. “Hmm. I think I’ll just have a daisy sandwich and some hot tea.”
“Excellent choice, Princess. Tea is just the thing to warm you up on a cold and dreary afternoon like this. It’s supposed to storm this evening, you know!”
Twilight glanced out of one of the windows in dismay. “It is?”
“That’s what I heard! All sudden like too! Your order will be ready in a bit, Princess!”
Twilight sighed and moved out of the way when another pony walked up to place his order. That would explain the train delay, she thought, glancing around at the other customers. I should just cancel my order and…!
The sight of a bright orange mane and blue cloak brought her thought process to a sudden halt. Twilight craned her neck and squinted her eyes to be sure. Yep, it was Sunburst alright, sitting hunched over a book with a steaming mug and a half-eaten muffin in front of him.
Twilight’s first instinct was to turn tail and run, but her hooves refused to obey her brain. A middle-aged waitress sauntered by, pausing to give Twilight a concerned once-over. “Hon, you’re standing in the middle of the aisle.”
Twilight processed the waitresses’ words, but her hooves still refused to move.
Sunburst…here!
It was inevitable, she supposed. She would have to face him again sometime.
Over the several months she had known him, Twilight had started to build her own friendship with Sunburst. Ever since they discovered that antiquing was a shared favorite hobby of theirs, they started spending more time together. With the usual train visits, she and Sunburst would often trade books and discuss things like royal duties, old relics, and what Flurry Heart managed to swallow this time.
Starlight used to be the one to bring them together, but nowadays, the two kept finding each other on their own account. There was a time when it occurred to Twilight that she had been thinking about Sunburst a lot more than usual. Even when she was doing something as simple as grading papers, Twilight’s mind would wander back to the bespectacled unicorn. She had no idea why.
On more recent visits, whether it was at the Empire or Ponyville, she and Sunburst would hold full conversations in Old Ponish whenever they found themselves alone. Twilight would giggle like crazy at the awful jokes Sunburst would tell her in the ancient language.
A few weeks ago, however, things took an awkward turn.
While Shining Armor and Cadence were busy with their own duties, Twilight and Sunburst had agreed to read Flurry Heart one of her favorite bedtime stories.
To make it more fun, she and Sunburst acted out the entire book, from slaying the fire-breathing dragon to rescuing the princess from the ivory tower. Twilight had quite the time acting as both the dragon and the princess, but Flurry Heart loved every minute of it. It wasn’t long before they nearly reached the end of the book, but Sunburst and Twilight’s acting stopped there.
Flurry Heart had pouted and pointed at the next to last picture with no small degree of insistence. The picture showed the knight and the princess kissing.
Sunburst chuckled, and said to Twilight in Old Ponish, “I’m starting to think that acting out the entire story wasn’t such a good idea after all.”
“Yes,” Twilight giggled, ruffling Flurry’s curls. “I don’t think kissing each other would be too appropriate. Not that I’d mind it.”
“Me neither.”
A few seconds passed, and their relaxed smiles dropped from their faces. Twilight sat motionless, partly stunned. Did she just say what she thought she said? And did he…
Well, no matter. She would just laugh it off like a joke, and Sunburst would join in, then everything would be normal. But with every passing second, Twilight realized that she couldn’t find it within herself to laugh. But she had to do it now, or else—shoot! It was too late now; her window had passed! The pause was too long, too silent!
Sunburst’s face was reddening, and Twilight’s mouth quickly transformed into a desert wasteland. Somewhere in her subconscious, a part of her was begging her to say something, anything at all, but she found it difficult to even conjure up vowels in her mind. “Uh…I…er….”
“It…well…um…” Sunburst stammered, fidgeting with his collar of his cloak.
Flurry Heart stared up at them with growing impatience, peeved that her bedtime story had stopped. She tapped loudly on the page, snapping them from their stupors.
“The End!”
“Time for bed!”
Sunburst slammed the storybook shut while Twilight snatched Flurry up. After the foal was tucked in her crib and the storybook placed back into its proper shelf, Twilight and Sunburst turned out the light and closed the bedroom door behind them. Twilight turned to him to try to explain herself, but Sunburst was already backing away.
“I should…probably go…I…have…a thing...”
“Yes. Yes, and I…. uh…”
They stared.
“Books!”
“Spells!”
They turned and ran in opposite directions.
From that day on, things hadn’t been the same between them, and Twilight was more confused than ever. What she had meant to say was that she wouldn’t be strongly opposed to the idea of kissing Sunburst. She didn’t want him thinking otherwise and hurt his feelings. But the more she thought about it, the image of her and Sunburst kissing seemed less and less far-fetched.
She tried to clear her mind of the thought and get back to business as usual. Attending to her school, going on friendship missions via map, signing documents and papers. Though at night, Twilight would often find Sunburst making appearances in her dreams, speaking only in Old Ponish.
Sometimes, she’d find him lying draped across her bed with an open book beside him, surrounded by rose petals. “Come, Twilight,” he’d purr in foreign tongue, patting the space beside him. “Let us discover the secrets of the universe together. And perhaps even…” He leaned in and whispered in her ear. “The secrets of magic itself.”
And then she’d wake up both flustered and mortified, knowing that Princess Luna had probably seen everything at this point. It was all getting to be too much too soon!
Then the time came when Twilight accepted the invitation to spend the weekend with Shining, Cadence and Flurry as a family. It had been a long time since any of them had clear schedules, so Twilight was happy to spend time with them uninterrupted. Though, she was slightly nervous at the possibility of running into Sunburst again. The last time they saw each other…it wasn’t her finest moment.
As soon as she had walked through the entrance of the palace, there he was, on his way out. After a few moments of staring at each other, Sunburst had given her a nervous smile. “It’s a…really good thing Flurry doesn’t understand Old Ponish.”
Twilight laughed, and the knot in her stomach started to ease. “Definitely.” She glanced at his saddlebags. “Um…going somewhere?”
“Yes—home. I’m planning to do some paperwork over the weekend. I need to catch up on some things. It’s better I do it there, because…well. I didn’t want to intrude with your family bonding.”
“To Flurry, you practically are,” Twilight said with a small smile. “Family, I mean.”
Sunburst chuckled. “Yes, well. I can’t quite compare to her aunt Twiliy. Have a good weekend, Twilight.”
“You too, Sunburst.”
With some hesitation, they crossed paths. But before Twilight could get further inside, Sunburst spoke up from the front steps. “Twilight?”
She turned and blinked. “Yes?”
The unicorn wavered for a moment, then spoke slowly, almost like he was struggling with his words. “You…look…nice!” Then his face lit up and he trotted away, leaving Twilight’s face turning redder than a tomato. Something had been established then, though Twilight was still trying to figure out what it was.
And now, here he is again, sitting just ten feet away from her. Twilight’s mind buzzed with questions. Should she leave or stay? And if she stayed, what could she possibly say to him?
“Hellooo,” the waitress said, waving a hoof in front of Twilight’s eyes. “Equestria to Highness. Anypony in there?” Twilight shook her head and blinked twice. “You alright there, hon?”
“Oh, this is silly,” Twilight finally said. “What in Equestria is wrong with me?”
“I’m tryin’ to figure that out myself,” the waitress said.
“I fight monsters and best villains every other week! Why should I be afraid of just talking to somepony? It’s no big deal, right?”
“I dunno, why would it be?”
Twilight turned to the waitress. “Running away won’t solve anything. I should just go up and talk to him. It’s the reasonable thing to do, right?”
“Sure, sure!” the waitress smirked. “Glad we’re gettin’ somewhere!”
Twilight gave a firm nod. “It’s settled, then.” She gave the waitress a small hug. “Thanks for talking some sense into me!”
“I’m glad somepony was able to!” the waitress called as she strode down the aisle.
As she approached him, Sunburst’s brow furrowed, and he glanced up. “T-Twilight!” he exclaimed, closing his book.
Twilight smiled in greeting and gestured to the other side of the booth. “Do you mind if I…”
“Yes! I mean, no!” He cleared his things to the other side of the table, and Twilight sat her saddlebags down before sliding in. “What, uh, what brings you here?”
“Well, I was about to head back to Ponyville, but my train got delayed. I planned to stay here and wait until it showed up, but it looks like I’m not going anywhere. The pony at the front just told me about the storm.”
“Storm?” Sunburst repeated. He glanced at the window beside them and saw the sky darkening. “Hmm. I guess you’ll be heading back to the palace then?”
Twilight nodded. “I just hope Spike and Starlight won’t worry too much. They expected me home this evening.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t fret about that. Everypony knows that if anypony could handle themselves in a storm, it’s you.” Twilight felt her insides warm, and Sunburst cleared his throat. “Speaking of Starlight, how is she lately?”
“She’s doing alright. I’m a bit worried about her, though. The day I left, she was sniffling and sneezing. She kept telling me she was fine, but I’m worried it might be a cold.”
Sunburst’s eyes tinted with concern. “That doesn’t sound good. I hope she’s inside the castle and wrapping up properly. It’ll only worsen otherwise. Though, knowing her, she’ll probably be too stubborn to admit that she’s sick. Starlight never liked staying in bed for too long.”
“Well, it’s a good thing the Spike’s more stubborn than she is,” Twilight smiled. “Especially when he’s in caretaker mode. You should see him take care of me when I’m sick. Even my own mother pales in comparison!”
Sunburst’s expression was dreamy as he rested his chin on his hoof. “I would have loved to see that. Was it always you and Spike, together?”
“Not completely. I hatched him from an egg when I was a foal, and Princess Celestia watched over him until I was big enough to take care of him myself. But yeah, we’ve been inseparable ever since.”
“Here’s your order, Highness,” the middle-aged waitress from earlier said, placing her daisy sandwich and hot tea in front of her.
“Oh—thank you!” Twilight had forgotten all about her order. “And please, call me Twilight, Miss…” She squinted at her nametag. “Emeraldine!”
Emeraldine gave her an unreadable glance and nodded. “Sure thing, hon.”
As Emeraldine left, Twilight turned back to Sunburst. “What about you? How long have you known Starlight?”
“Oh, practically since birth. My earliest memory of her was the two of us fighting over a pacifier. She was getting too old for hers, so she decided if she couldn’t have one, nopony could. She fascinated me.”
Twilight giggled, but something odd formed in the pit of her stomach. “And…what about now? I mean, are you and her…I mean, is there….” She trailed off, too embarrassed to ask much more, but thankfully, Sunburst was gracious.
“Me and Star? Well, of course we’re close. But uh, anything more than that…no, not at all. In fact, if I had a sister, she’d be the one!” He chuckled, though he suppressed a small shudder. “She’d definitely be the one,” he murmured, raising his mug to his lips.
“Oh, well, uh…. good. I mean, that’s nice.”
Sunburst set down his mug, and he spoke more seriously. “Twilight, about that visit a few weeks ago—”
“Oh, Sunburst, yes. I’m so sorry I acted the way I did after I…said what I said.”
“There’s no need to apologize,” Sunburst said. “I just wanted to tell you that I knew what you meant, and I should have said so. I’m the one who should be sorry.”
Twilight was quiet for a moment; then she folded her hooves under her chin. “…I really wouldn’t mind it, you know. The idea of…kissing you.”
Sunburst blinked in surprise, but quickly recovered and raised his mug again. “Twilight, you don’t need to say that. It’s alright, I knew what you meant on that day; you don’t need to spare my feelings.”
Twilight tilted her head, studying him. Then she said in Old Ponish, “But what if I mean what I say right here, right now?”
Sunburst choked mid-swallow, and Twilight felt a smile creep across her face as he scrambled to wipe coffee from his cloak and goatee. “T-Twilight, uh, no, no, you couldn’t possibly!”
“Why not?” Twilight passed Sunburst some napkins, her eyebrows scrunching together.
“Well, Twilight…need I say? You’re a princess, and I’m…” He paused from fanatically scrubbing napkins against his cloak and gestured to himself. “Well—self-explanatory.”
“A sweet pony who spills his coffee?” Twilight said with a soft smile.
Sunburst’s face exploded with color, and his voice trembled as he spoke. “Y-You flatter me, Twilight, b-but this, this…whatever it is, it can’t work. It won’t work. Surely there must be some kind of law, or decree, or footnote about who you should …’spend your time’ with!”
“No there isn’t,” Twilight said shaking her head. “I’ve looked into it and Princess Celestia doesn’t expect anything of me. I don’t even have to marry anypony if I don’t want to.”
“Twilight, uh…oh, dear. Twilight, we’re both very intelligent ponies, so let’s be rational about this. I’m practically a nopony!”
“Wha…nopony? Since when is the one who saved the Crystal Empire and the teacher of the first baby alicorn, my niece, a nopony?” She sighed, but her eyes were understanding. “Sunburst, if you don’t like me in that way, then you should just say—”
“No!” Sunburst said quickly. “No, of course not! I like you very much Twilight, and I would want nothing more than to…but I’m not entirely sure how it would work out. I mean, to actually date a princess…” He let out a weak laugh, beside himself. “I just don’t know.”
Twilight frowned. “Since when do you refer to me as ‘princess’? You never did that, not even when we first met. Leaders of other kingdoms call me that, nobles call me that, strangers call me that. But not my friends, not my family…not you.”
“Well, it’s…it’s kind of hard to ignore, Twilight,” Sunburst said, looking a shade guilty. “Make no mistake, I’d love to be with you…” He exhaled sharply at his bold declaration but pressed on. “But there are very, very, very few ponies in the world who could ever be worthy of you, and I’m not exactly one of them.”
“But…why not?”
“Why not?”
“Yes! Why not?”
Sunburst looked completely aghast. “Because…because you’re you! Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia’s former student, element of magic, hero of Equestria, the Princess of Friendship—take your pick!”
Twilight stared blankly. “But why not?”
Sunburst was getting hysterical now, and Twilight had to levitate his coffee away from him in case he spilled it over. “I know it’s sudden, but I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened…about you.” She ducked her head bashfully and traced her hoof along the rim of the mug. “I know that I can be shy, and…maybe I’m a little…out of sorts when I’m stressed and under pressure. And you’re so calm and level-headed when things come your way. I wish I could be that composed. In fact, I…actually had to work up all of my courage just to walk up to you.”
Sunburst was near speechless. “…You were nervous to talk to me?”
Twilight’s gaze dropped to the table. “I wish I wasn’t,” she admitted. “I never had been. But that was before that bedtime story.” She doesn’t mention that she also hasn’t had a normal night’s sleep since then either.
Something seemed to relax in Sunburst. “You know…I’ve come to know a lot of royalty since I became Flurry’s Crystaller. Nobles, dignitaries, barons and baronesses—I’ve met quite a few. Some are warm and welcoming like Shining and Cadence, as well as the royal sisters. Others are cold and condescending. But none are like you. I wouldn’t think that anypony else besides myself would have any sort of interest in antiquing or Starswirl the Bearded, or even the language of Old Ponish. Yet, all three turn out to be some of your favorite pastimes. You’re one of the nicest, most open ponies I’ve ever met…and when you’re hailed as a hero, you’re always quick to mention your friends before yourself. But even that’s not what I like most about you.”
With a small bit of hesitation, Sunburst reached across the table and placed his hoof over hers. “For somepony as important as you are, you’re always so pleased in the little things. That’s…. special…unique….” He gave her a direct, sunny smile. “Beautiful.”
Flushing, Twilight started giggle-snorting, something she hadn’t done in a long time.
Sunburst beamed at her. “And you have a superb laugh, if I may add,” he said in Old Ponish.
“You flatter me, Sunburst,” Twilight replied as her laughter subsided.
Their ears suddenly perked up at a sound—or rather, the lack of it. The two ponies glanced at the rest of the café and found that multiple eyes were on them. Some whispered to one another, while most ponies simply stared, unfazed by the fact that they were caught spying.
Sunburst blanched, but calmly grabbed a nearby menu and discreetly held it open, obscuring his and Twilight’s faces. The two leaned in and Twilight lowered her voice to a whisper. “Sunburst, if we do decide to spend more time together, will you promise me one thing?”
“Of course.”
Twilight took a breath. “The ponies I meet sometimes…they forget that I’m just a pony. Some ponies treat me like me, like they do in Ponyville…and others tend to call me by my title rather than my own name.” She gave him an earnest yet pleading look. “Please do me a favor, Sunburst. No matter what…call me Twilight. Never princess. Don’t put me on a pedestal.”
Sunburst thought a moment. “But if you’re to be my special somepony, I’m supposed to put you on a pedestal, aren’t I?”
Twilight chortled. “You know what I mean. Don’t be intimidated by my title, that’s all!”
“Well, princess or not, it’ll be a challenge not to just be a little intimidated,” he smiled. “But I do think I can find my way around it.”
There was a flash outside the window. “Lightning? So soon?” Twilight pondered in surprise, turning her face to the sky.
Sunburst set the menu down. “We’d better get going then, before the storm hits!” They quickly paid for their meals and calmly exited the booth. “I know a perfect route back to the castle in time, but we’re going to need some coordination…” There was a rumbling sound from outside, and the other ponies in the café were quick to follow their lead.
“Come again soon!” Emeraldine called out to the departing customers. Among them, a young pony pushed through them with a camera in her hooves. “Prism, what’re doing out here? Didn’t you hear about the storm?”
“Storm? What storm? Who cares about storms when Princess Twilight’s in town?”
“Oh, Twilight? Yeah, she was just here,” Emeraldine said, nodding toward the exit. “Strange, but sweet as punch. She just left with her friend.”
Prism smirked. “Yeah, well I just got a shot of her and her ‘friend’ snuggling in a booth together.”
Topaz, who was just closing up the register, whirled around and gaped. “You mean her and that unicorn with the glasses? Together? Aww, and he was so cute, too.”
“I can see the headlines now: ‘The Princess and the Crystaller’. A secret romance, and right under Prince Shining Armor’s nose too? It’s brilliant, brilliant, brilliant I tell you!”
Emeraldine’s glare was full of reproach. “Now, Prism, you don’t know that for sure. And even if they were in a secret romance, that ain’t your business or anypony else’s. Kids entitled to a little privacy.”
“Privacy? For a princess? No such thing, Ma.” She turned to Topaz and held out a hoof. “Y’got an umbrella? I need to catch those two before they disappear, quick!”
Topaz sighed and reached under the counter, still lamenting the loss over the dashing pony with the blue cloak. “Some ponies get all the luck,” she muttered, handing the Prism the umbrella.
“Prism, you’re a mad mare if you’re thinking of going out into an incoming storm just to get a few photos!”
“For the greater good, Ma, for the greater good.” With that, she turned and barreled through the door, almost knocking the bell loose. “Keep an eye on the papers tomorrow! I’m gonna be famous!” she called over her shoulder.
Emeraldine shook her head. “She’s a true journalist alright. C’mon, Topaz, let’s close up and get outta here.”
The storm wasn’t as bad as Twilight thought it would be. In the Crystal Empire, there weren’t any trees that were in danger of being knocked over, or rooftops that weaken under the rain’s brutal assault. The Empire held firm all through the night; a kingdom made of hard crystal did have its advantages.
Shining Armor and Cadence had eagerly welcomed both her and Sunburst to stay overnight, and the four of them spent the evening trying to calm Flurry Heart down—she enjoyed storms—perhaps too much. And when it was time to go to bed, Twilight had stayed up having soft, quiet conversations with Sunburst. Only this time, they didn’t discuss their jobs or current responsibilities. They talked about their thoughts and feelings, their relationship, and their modest aspirations; Twilight’s eagerness for the next Daring Do book, and Sunburst’s new furniture coming in next week.
They conversed most of the night away, and after a brief period of sleep, the two got right back up in the morning to catch Twilight’s train. They stood alone at the train station, watching the sun rise.
“Twilight…what about your brother?” Sunburst asked, looking a little nervous.
“Shining? What about him?”
“Well, what would he think about you and me? I mean, do you think he’d mind?”
“Oh, Shining Armor wouldn’t mind!” Twilight laughed. “He doesn’t care who I’m dating…” Then her mouth twisted into a frown. “At least I don’t think. I’ve actually never dated anypony before.”
“Mm. Oh dear…perhaps I should ask for his blessing?”
“Blessing? You’re not marrying me, Sunburst!”
“I know, I know. But consider. Training the captain/prince’s daughter is one thing—dating said captain/prince’s little sister is another thing entirely.”
“Sunburst, you don’t need to ask my brother anything. In fact, he should owe me for that whole wedding fiasco.” She smiled. “Plus, he already likes you. I can’t imagine him saying no.”
Sunburst looked seriously doubtful. “Never underestimate the power of a protective older sibling, Twilight. You’ll always find out too little too late.”
They lapsed into silence, staring ahead at the train tracks. Birds chirped in the distance.
“…You know, I’ve never dated either, Twilight. In fact, I’m not even sure how to be a…boyfriend.”
Twilight gazed up at him. “I’m not sure how to be a girlfriend either.”
“Well…I’m glad we’re on the same page, then. We’ll figure it out. We’ll date, and spend more time together, and…. Twilight?”
“Hmm?”
“By never dating anypony before, am I correct to assume that you’ve never…kissed anypony either?”
Twilight gulped. “Well…there’s been a few almost’s,” she admitted. “But no, never. Do you…want to? Here?Now?”
Sunburst lifted his shoulders with a smile. “Well you’re about to leave—aren’t I supposed to give you a kiss goodbye?”
Twilight blushed. “I-I guess so. Sure! So, uh, how do we…”
They faced each other, inching their faces closer together. Twilight was so nervous, she shut her eyes and went for it quickly, but ended up kissing his chin while he kissed her eye. They burst into giggles, their coats turning beet red.
“Sorry.”
“My bad.”
Twilight’s heart hammered in her chest as Sunburst leaned in to try again. Oh, pony up, Twilight! Just go for it, go, GO!
Gulping, Twilight grabbed Sunburst’s cloak and pulled him in while bringing up her wings around him, obscuring their faces. Their lips pressed together half-puckered, their eyes squeezed shut.
After a few seconds passed, Twilight finally let go and stared into Sunburst’s eyes. “Oh, my,” she said breathlessly, covering her red face with her hooves. She turned around and giggled airily while Sunburst melted into a puddle.
“Is this your card?”
“No.”
“Is this your card?”
“No.”
“Is this your card?”
“No! Trixie, you’ve gone through the entire deck, and you still haven’t found my card!”
Trixie frowned at the stack of cards in her hooves and started peering at one card after another. “But that’s impossible!”
Starlight sighed and blew her nose. “Ugh. Stupid cold.”
“You would’ve been better by now if you had taken care of it sooner,” Trixie hummed as she examined her cards. “Now you’re being locked inside a castle, guarded by a fierce, ferocious, apron-wearing baby dragon! Life’s funny sometimes, isn’t it?”
Starlight’s mouth formed a line. “Yeah. Hilarious.”
There was a knock at the door. “May I come in?”
“Twilight!” Starlight piped, sitting up in her bed. “You’re back! We were kind of worried about you when we heard about the storm.”
Twilight crossed over, setting her saddlebags down. “My train got delayed way before then. You were sick after all, weren’t you?”
Starlight sighed dramatically, rolling her bloodshot eyes. “Yes, I was wrong, you and Spike were right. I should have taken the medicine, happy?”
“Only if I see you take another spoonful,” Twilight chirped. She used her magic to tuck Starlight further in and the unicorn groaned.
Trixie, however, was staring at Twilight. “You seem awfully chipper this morning.”
“Me? Chipper?”
“Yeah,” Starlight said, looking Twilight up and down. “You must have had a great vacation.”
“Oh, yeah, I did. Had picnics, played games, went to plays. Family stuff.”
Trixie didn’t budge. “No…no, it’s not that. There’s something, something else. It’s almost like…a glow.”
Twilight took a step back. “Glow? What glow? There’s no glow.”
Trixie turned to Starlight with a smirk. “I think our princess is being coy.”
Starlight was interested now. “Did something happen?”
“Somepony you met, perhaps?” Trixie purred.
“W-what? Me?” Twilight did look like she wanted to say something, but her mouth twisted at Trixie’s smirk.
Starlight gasped in excitement and sat up even more. “You did meet somepony, didn’t you? Was it a stallion? What’s his name? Is he cute?”
“Knowing her, I bet its somepony who hasn’t even been out in the sun,” Trixie mused, rubbing her chin. “Maybe a little studious. Glasses, maybe?”
“I have to go!” Twilight squeaked, bolting from the room. “Things to do, papers to grade!”
Trixie gave a sly grin. “Suspicion.”
“Ah, we’ll get it out of her soon enough. Now come on, let’s see that deck. My card’s in there somewhere.”
As she and Trixie sorted out the cards, a breathless Spike came running in. “Guys! Guys!”
“Oh, hey, Spike, you just missed Twilight.”
Spike barely heard Starlight, rushing up and leaping up onto the bed.“The paper,” he wheezed, weakly waving a rolled-up newspaper in his fist. “Twi…she…this mor…”
“Twilight’s in the paper? Lemme see.” Starlight took the newspaper from Spike and Trixie moved in to see. When she opened the paper, however, their faces turned white, especially Starlight’s. “S…Sunburst!?”
Meanwhile, Sunburst stood outside of the royal dining room where Shining and Cadence were eating with their daughter. He exhaled, looking down at the flashcards in his hooves. After a long time of writing and rewriting his special request, he was finally ready to face Shining Armor. “Okay, Sunburst. You can do this,” he murmured. “You can do this...” He pushed the door open. “You can do this.”
Shining and Cadence were at the dining table, pouring syrup on pancakes and filling mugs with coffee. Their manes were tousled beyond hope, and their eyes were bleary.
Flurry was seated in her high chair, gleefully consuming orange slices. She made a happy gurgling sound when Sunburst approached the table. “Hello, my dear,” he greeted, patting her head. “Good morning, Cadence, Shining Armor.”
“Morning,” Cadence yawned, her whole plate drowning in syrup.
“You take Twily to the station?” Shining asked tiredly, scratching at his chin.
“Yes…” He stood up straight and adjusted his spectacles. “Ahem. Speaking of Twilight, I’d like to talk to you about her.”
“Your morning paper, your majesty,” an attendant said to Cadence.
“Thank you, Saffron.”
“Uh…sure, Sunburst,” Shining said, his eyebrows raising in surprise. “What about Twily?”
Sunburst drew a breath. “Well, your sister and I…we’ve known each other for a while, and recently, we—”
“Um…Shining?” Cadence said, her eyes glued to the paper. “Have you seen the paper this morning?”
“Sorry, just a minute, Sunburst. No, see what?” He leaned over while Cadence positioned it in front of his eyes.
He stared for a long moment, then slowly took the paper from Cadence’s hooves. “…. Sunburst?”
“Yes, Shining Armor?”
Shining turned the paper around, revealing the front page. “…. what’s this?”
Author's Note
And Starlight's worst fears have been realized!
NNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEERRRRDDDDDSSSSS!
Well now, my heart still lies with StarBurst, but it kinda hurts to know that TwiBurst has so few fics. So let's just have some fun with this one! Hmm. Maybe after this, I could ship both ships!
Can you do that? Ship both ships?? I think you can! Both sound tasty, so either way is a win, right?
