Starlight gets her stallion...maybe
“Ugh, Trixie! Cut it out!” Starlight Glimmer moaned, throwing her hooves over her face. Her mane flapped from the gust the hooves’ movement created. “For the hundredth time, I don’t like Sunburst like that!”
Trixie leaned her head toward Starlight, wearing a smirk. “And for the hundredth time, stop trying to deny it, loverfilly! You’re head over hooves for him!”
Starlight uncovered her face, her eyes reddened from the last five minutes of Trixie’s persistent pleas. “Why do you think I’m ‘head over hooves’ for him?”
Trixie smugly closed her eyes. Her chest puffed out in confidence. “Because a performer's eye is sharp, and I saw how you were looking at him when we played the ‘grown-up’ version of Dragon Pit last week.” Trixie’s eyes opened, her smile darkening. “And need I remind you about when you stole Cutie Marks and even destroyed Equestria over losing him?”
With a growl, Starlight raised a hoof in protest. “Okay, one: I wasn’t looking at him any weirder. Two, before Twilight talked some sense into me and offered me her hoof, I wasn’t trying to destroy Equestria. And three, if it were so obvious that I like Sunburst, Twilight can be...pushy, so why didn’t she say anything?”
Trixie strolled to her wagon resting beside the two arguing friends. She rubbed a hoof against it to remove a patch of dirt covering it. “Considering she’s a princess and still hasn't caught a stallion, maybe she should just stick to giving friendship speeches. Anyway, why won’t you just admit it?” In a more sympathetic voice, Trixie asked, “I didn’t judge you about your Cutie Mark stealing and accidental world-ending days, so why won’t you just tell me?”
“But...I…” She turned away. Yet, despite Starlight looking the other way, Trixie’s stare mercilessly clawed into the deepest trenches of her heart, refusing to relent. Starlight gritted her teeth, swung her head to Trixie, and shouted, “Okay, FINE! I do like Sunburst! I’ve had a crush on him ever since we were foals! There! I said it! Will you leave me alone now?!”
“Uh-huh,” Trixie answered with a nod. “I knew it. Now you just have to ask him out.”
Starlight’s pupils shrank. That was an unthinkable idea! “No! I can’t! What if he doesn’t feel the same way about me? What if things get too awkward between us? What if he stops being friends with me, starts hanging out with Twilight more often, then they date, marry, and have foals?!”
“If it happens, at least alicorns won’t be as rare anymore.”
Starlight screamed and stomped her hooves. “Trixie! This isn’t a joke!” Starlight took a deep, long breath. Her frustration blew away with her exhale, but her ears flopped to the side. In truth, she had wanted to ask out Sunburst ever since they reunited, but how? How would Starlight Glimmer make any romantic moves and not humiliate herself? “Sunburst and I have a good thing going.” She scraped the ground, uprooting some grass under her hoof. “If I ask him out, it could ruin everything.”
Trixie walked beside Starlight and laid a gentle hoof on her back. Her eyes oozed an almost uncharacteristic sense of comfort. “Or, it could give you the stallion of your dreams.” Even if he’s not the stallion of MY dreams.
Starlight’s tense muscles softened, reassurance massaging them, yet the unending feeling of hesitation stubbornly remained buried within. Still, the wall of Starlight's resistance shattered, making her deliver a sharp sigh. “What do I do first?”
“There you go!” Trixie, with a big smile, wrapped a foreleg around her lovesick friend’s neck. “First, you will go to the Crystal Empire. Your days of being a single mare will soon be over!” Trixie raised her free foreleg into the air cheerfully, her grin begging for Starlight to repeat the motion.
Starlight raised a foreleg in the air while forcing a brief, uneasy smile. Maybe I had this coming for my "equality" back in Our Town and apocalyptic magical temper tantrum.
With Starlight wearing one of the most unenthusiastic frowns in Equestria’s history, the two unicorns left to board the Friendship Express.
It was on to the Crystal Empire.
Starlight and Trixie had gotten off the Friendship Express, and they were making their way down the streets of the majestic Crystal Empire. While the redness in Starlight’s eyes had faded, she still bore the same unenthusiastic frown as before and grumpily stomped along.
However, Trixie, on the other hoof, trotted beside her with both a content smile and a small bounce in her steps.
“I still can’t believe you talked me into this.”
Trixie’s smile soured to a stern frown, bouncing in her trotting ceasing. “Don’t try to get out of it, loverfilly. Sunburst is waiting for you.”
“Fine, fine.”
With Starlight “willing” to keep going, the showpony’s cheerful smile and skips in her trotting returned.
Five minutes later, the pair reached Sunburst’s home, a green crystal building with a huge double-door as the front door. It "wore" an orange chunk of crystal that was in the shape of a hat. The "hat" reminded Starlight of a wizard's hat, fitting for the home of a unicorn that longed to be a wizard.
“Okay, we’re here.” Trixie rubbed Starlight’s back with a hoof, as if trying to motivate her. “Are you ready to get your stallion?”
“No,” Starlight answered flatly.
“Come on, you got this.” Trixie pointed the hoof she was massaging Starlight with at herself. “I got your flank. In fact, look at me.”
Starlight turned her head to make eye-contact with Trixie. She internally gasped at the sudden seriousness and genuineness of them.
“Starlight Glimmer, no matter how bad you used to be in the past, you are an amazing mare now, and any stallion will be lucky to have you.” Trixie tapped Starlight on her chest, or rather her heart. ”That is a Great and Powerful promise. Don’t forget that.”
The reassuring words, as well as Trixie’s eyes and gesture with her hoof, drenched some of the fires of fear plaguing Starlight’s heart. A smile curled on her lips. “Thanks. Okay, I’m going in.”
“Good luck. Not that you need it.”
It was time. Trixie ran to the side of the house and watched on.
At the same time, Starlight took a deep breath. Her first steps were wobbly, but Starlight crept up the stairs to the house's porch. With a quivering hoof, she reached for the door.
*knock knock knock*
The fire of fear ignited. Starlight’s muscles tensed. Her pounding heart pumped at a speed a pony’s heart shouldn’t do.
The door slowly opened, revealing a smiling Sunburst. His smile grew wider when the door was fully opened.
“Starlight! What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were coming over.”
“Neither did I–” Starlight shook her head, drawing into her willpower reserves just to not look away. “Uh, that is, I...was just in the neighborhood and thought I’d come by.” Starlight looked down. Even as a filly, Sunburst’s hooves were always free of even a speck of dirt. The main exceptions were the times he and Starlight played together in sandboxes as foals.
“Is...everything okay? You look like you want to say something.”
Starlight sprung her head up. Sweat formed on her brow. “Oh, yeah, I do. I just…uh...nice day, isn’t it?”
Sunburst gazed at the clear blue skies overhead. “Uh, I guess it is. Did you come just to ask that?” He lowered his head and pointed a hoof at Starlight’s forehead. “And why are you sweating?”
Starlight stood straight up. “N-no reason. I...just wanted to ask…” Her heart, somehow, raced even faster. What would she say? Be direct? Leave hints and hope Sunburst picked them up? Play hard to get? What if...he said "no"? What if he laughed? What if he dropped her as a friend?! “Uh...oh, I forgot what I wanted to say. I should be going.”
“Okay…”
Starlight spun around, ran down the steps, and into the city's streets; Sunburst closed his door with a bewildered frown.
A burst of pink light flashed in front of Starlight, stopping her in her tracks. The light vanished, revealing a familiar blue unicorn, bearing a disapproving frown.
“Oh, Trixie!” Starlight smiled and giggled sheepishly. “Y-you have gotten pretty good at tele–”
“Where do you think you’re going, loverfilly?”
“Uh...to use the bathroom?” Starlight answered meekly.
Trixie raised an eyelid. Despite this being daytime, the chirps of crickets sliced through the air.
Starlight let out a defeated groan. Even she knew that lie was pathetic. “Fine! I just can’t ask him out!”
Trixie wrapped a foreleg around Starlight, her lips in a comforting smile. “Of course you can! Sunburst really likes you, so why wouldn’t he like you?”
“Uh...because I’m a little too whiny, reckless, and prone to overdoing things?”
“And supportive. And nice. And one of the most forgiving ponies I’ve ev–”
Starlight covered Trixie’s mouth with a hoof. This was the first time in her life that Starlight didn’t want her good qualities to be brought up. “Okay, okay, I get it. I’m going back.”
After Trixie gave an approving nod, the pair returned to Sunburst's house. Trixie ran back to her hiding spot while Starlight crept back to Sunburst’s door and knocked again.
The door opened. Sunburst’s puzzled frown was not going to let what Starlight wanted to say be any easier.
“Starlight? Did you remember what you wanted to ask?”
She wiped the sweat that had accumulated from before. “Uh, yes, you could say that. I want to ask...uh…” Starlight looked Sunburst up and down, then asked in a deeper voice, “How you doin’?”
Trixie muffled a giggle.
As her own words ricocheted in her head, Starlight facehoofed. Who makes moves on their crushes like that?!
“Uh, I’m good?” Sunburst answered, his frown growing more and more confused.
She shook her head and, in her normal voice, said, “N-no, that’s not what I meant to ask. I really meant to ask...uh...do you have tea?”
“What?!” Trixie shouted in a whisper, followed by a facehoof. Its smack was just low enough to be undetectable to Starlight and Sunburst.
“Tea?”
Trixie dashed from her hiding spot and to the stairs to Sunburst's porch. “Uh, yes! Starlight wanted to...have tea with you, but didn’t know if you had any!”
Starlight turned her head to Trixie, staring heated daggers at her.
“Star–I mean, Trixie?" Sunburst looked at Trixie with a friendly smile. “I didn’t know you were here too, and yes, I do have some tea. Would you and Starlight like any? I had just made some.”
Starlight spun her head back to Sunburst, her glare throwing daggers weakened to a worried smile. Maybe she could still escape. “Well, I also don’t want to impose, so–”
Sunburst dismissively waved a hoof. “Oh, you’re not imposing. I was getting bored anyway, so I’m glad you came.”
"And I'll stay out here so you two can be alone."
Starlight’s smile remained unchanged, but she sighed in her head. “Well, let’s...have some tea.”
After Sunburst moved to the side, Starlight crept past him and into the house.
Inside Sunburst’s house, Starlight sat on a chair, in front of a circular table, in the center of the living room. A pitcher of tea and an empty cup sat on the half of the table opposite Starlight.
As Sunburst levitated the pitcher of tea and poured tea into Starlight’s cup, then to his own, Starlight rubbed the table. Butterflies stormed inside her belly. The pony’s heart nearly tore from its vigorous pumping, almost like it just wanted to make things even harder for its owner. Phrase after phrase crossed Starlight’s mind, but, to her, none of them was good enough to even mutter.
Maybe she could request to read one of the many books on the bookshelf by a wall? At this point, Starlight would take anything that might have good phrases. The picture of herself and Sunburst hanging on a wall, smiling, oddly didn’t relax her. It was taken last week during Sunburst’s visit.
Sunburst levitated his cup and took a sip of his tea. “So, Starlight–”
“Eep!” Starlight jumped in her chair, but she recovered with a smile.
“Are you okay? You look like you're worried about something.”
"I do?" Starlight leaned a foreleg onto the table, hoof pointed upward. She laid her cheek on the waiting hoof, trying to play it cool. “D-don’t know why you think that, because I’m not worried. Everything's cool, good, and uh...cood.”
“Uh. 'cood'?”
She bobbled her head but kept it on her hoof. It's not often that Starlight makes up words. In fact, this was the first time she ever did it. “Y-yep, 'cood'. It's 'cool' and 'good' put together, like how 'chillaxing' is "chilling' and 'relaxing' put together. But, there is something I wanted to ask.”
“Okay, what is it?” Sunburst set down his cup. The air about him screamed patience.
Starlight raised her head off her hoof and lifted her foreleg off Sunburst’s table. Her ears woefully flopped to the side and she bit her lip. Her chest tightened, her breathing quietly sped up. Maybe she could just tell Sunburst “I want to be your girlfriend” and be done with it?
“Um...I...want to...ask if you want to help Trixie out with her shows.”
Sunburst straightened the slight tilt of his glasses. “Uh, I’d be happy to, but why didn’t she ask?”
“Good question. Let me go ask her that.” Starlight jumped out of her chair and ran toward the door. Her tight chest loosened as she fled.
Starlight zipped out of Sunburst’s home, blew by Trixie (who was still in front of the porch), and down a street. Trixie gasped and ran to her until the two were running side by side.
“So, what did he say when you asked him out?" Trixie asked with a hopeful smile.
“He said nothing about it,” Starlight answered.
Trixie’s smile flipped into a frown. “Huh? Why?”
“Because I didn’t ask him out.” Starlight stopped her running; Trixie mirrored the move. The unicorns were now at an intersection of the Crystal Empire’s streets. In a louder voice, Starlight added, “And I’m not doing it! I’m going back to Ponyville!”
“Aw, don’t give up, Starlight!” Trixie wrapped a foreleg around Starlight’s neck again. “You’re so close! All you need is–”
Starlight groaned and flicked Trixie’s foreleg off her. “Trixie, I’ve had enough! What is your deal today?! Why do you want me to ask out Sunburst so bad?!”
The performer frowned and shrank away, her ears drooping. “Well, I-it’s because you like him!”
“Trixie?” Starlight asked in an authoritative tone, her eyes squarely on Trixie’s. “You’re my best friend, but I’m your best friend too, and I know something is going on. What is it?”
“‘It’?” Trixie giggled innocently. “There’s no ‘it’! That’s silly! I-I just–”
“TRIXIE!!” Starlight roared, scowling intensely. Her ears pinned against her head, veins bulged from her neck, and the mare’s chin grew more pronounced.
Ponies in and beside the streets stopped their walking and/or talking, and they stared at the arguing pair. Perhaps due to thinking it wasn’t their place to ask what was wrong, the ponies resumed their activities after a few awkward moments.
Whatever walls Trixie had up shattered. She sighed and scraped the crystal road with a hoof, uncaring of the grains of crystal attached to the hoof. “Okay, Starlight, you win. I want to make up for being a bad friend to you.”
The veins bulging in Starlight’s neck retreated. Her scowl vanished, and the anger raging inside her drained to parts unknown. “Huh? Bad friend?”
“Yes. You were the first pony that gave me a chance to be their friend. But, I ‘paid’ you back by picking on you about your past, and not taking your worries seriously back when I teleported the Cutie Map away.” Trixie tilted her head down, her frown further deepening. “Then, for my ‘encore’, I put all of the blame on you when we were thinking about throwing Pharynx out of the Changeling hive.”
“Oh...I think I understand now.” Starlight said in a sympathetic voice. She had seen Trixie be remorseful over upsetting her, but she never had her best friend be unable to look at her because of it. “I didn’t know you were feeling this bad about it. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Trixie lifted her head to have eye-contact with Starlight again, though now with watery eyes. “Because you would have told me ‘it’s okay’, or ‘it’s fine’.” The guilt-stricken unicorn closed her eyes and shouted, “But it’s not okay or fine! You became my first-ever friend, and all I did was be a pain in the flank! I’m horrible! I...*sniff*...thought that if I could get you together with Sunburst, the pony you have a crush on, I could make up for it. But...even now, all I’m doing is making you upset, as usual.”
A tear flowed from one of Trixie’s eyes, and she looked toward the street again. It was cruelly fitting that she is a blue-coated pony.
Starlight’s mouth widened. Trixie rarely allows access to her deeper, more vulnerable sides that lay beyond the snarky, boastful, and even narcissistic sides she normally displays. At her core, Trixie Lulamoon might be just as insecure as Starlight Glimmer.
“Oh, Trixie. I had no idea. I...I’m sorry.” Starlight reached her hoof out to touch Trixie’s cheek.
Trixie slapped the forgiving hoof away, more teardrops falling from her eyes. “No, don’t be sorry. I've been a Great and Powerful disappointment of a friend. I don’t know why I thought I deserved you.”
With her own eyes watery, Starlight rubbed her chin, digging into her knowledge on friendship. Unfortunately, she drew blanks. This was unprecedented. Twilight’s teachings had never taught her how to handle this kind of friendship crisis, so what could she do? Try to tell Trixie that she forgave her? Give her space to sort out her feelings? Maybe even let her go as a friend if Trixie truly felt she didn’t deserve Starlight’s friendship?
Starlight searched and searched for the answer. The corners of her mouth curled upward. She got her answer. It was so simple.
Not saying a word, Starlight embraced the distraught mare in a hug.
“No, I don’t deserve a hug.”
Starlight tightened her forelegs’ grip.
“I mean it, Starlight. Let me go.”
Starlight’s grip and silence remained unchanged.
A growl rumbled from Trixie’s throat as she gritted her teeth. She raised her head and screamed, “Starlight Glimmer, I’m serious! Let me go right now, or I’ll force you to!”
“Sorry, but I’m not letting you go until you stop being so stupid,” Starlight answered in a firm, yet sympathetic voice.
“Stupid?!” Trixie asked with an offended gasp. “Well, I’ve never–”
“ –Been so stupid? I agree.”
“Why, you...oh, I get it.” Trixie chuckled. Her friend was a clever one. “You’re giving me what I deserve by making me mad.” Her fleeting smile left as quickly as it came. “We could do this all day, and it still wouldn’t make up–”
Starlight gave Trixie a quick, sharp “Stop it!” shake, still keeping her grip tight. “Trixie! It’s not that! It’s stupid that you think that sometimes being a...pain makes you a bad friend. You might make me want to blast you to the moon sometimes, but you can also be as kind as anypony. Most of all, you be there for me when I really need you.”
“Come on, you and I both know you’re just being nice.”
“No, I’m not! Why do you think I picked you, not Twilight, to take with me to the Sunset Festival when I was invited?”
“Uh...pity?” Trixie asked with a genuine guess.
“No! Along with something telling me I should pick you, I trusted you, and you really were the right choice. When I freaked out and froze in my old village, knowing Twilight, she would have wanted me to go back even before I was ready, but did you try to do that?”
“Well...no. When you panicked, all I wanted was to get you back to Ponyville. I would have even told Twilight to back off if she tried to make you go back.”
“See? And who used herself as bait in the Changeling hive to buy me and Thorax time while telling me I’m a good leader?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you!” Starlight answered more playfully. “Besides, I am far from perfect, but you put up with me! I couldn’t ask for a better best friend, and I love you! So, can you stay my best friend?”
“No.” A smile, which further evolved into a smirk, curled on Trixie’s face. She wrapped her hooves around Starlight to finally return her hug. “I’ll stay your Great and Powerful best friend, and I love you too.”
“Good.”
The two best friends remained in a hug for another ten seconds before letting each other go. A few ponies in the area wiped tears from their eyes.
With the strength of her bond with Trixie stronger than ever, a new burst of strength erupted from deep in Starlight's heart. A determined frown slowly emerged on her face. She was still scared, but if she had the support and trust of her Great and Powerful best friend, Starlight would FINALLY do it.
“Now that we made up, I’m going to ask Sunburst out.”
“Really?” Trixie asked with not an excited grin, but a concerned frown. “Don’t do it because you don’t want me to feel bad.”
“It’s not that. Twilight pushed me into doing things I didn’t want to do or was afraid to do, but it always turned out for the best.” Starlight wrapped her foreleg around Trixie. “If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have met you: making a new friend back then was her idea, not mine. Even if…*giggle*... she didn’t plan on it being you.”
Trixie giggled in return. “Okay. I'll stay outside, but I still got your flank.”
“I know you do. As long as you're nearby, it'll be good enough.” Starlight looked in the direction of Sunburst’s home. “Well, time to go get my stallion.”
With Trixie beside her, Starlight marched back to Sunburst’s house. Despite her newfound resolve, Starlight’s heart raced. She couldn’t resist gulping from nerves, but she willed herself to walk up the porch and knocked on the door. Her hoof didn’t shake when she knocked.
Okay. You can do this.
Sunburst opened the door and asked, “Back again?”
“Yep. Can I come in, again?” Starlight answered with little signs of doubt in her voice.
“Uh, sure.”
Starlight walked by Sunburst and into the house. Sunburst closed the door afterward.
Inside Sunburst’s house for a second time, Starlight sat on the chair she had previously occupied. Sunburst went to his chair.
Even with her new wave of courage, Starlight lightly tapped the table, staring at the cup of tea in front of her, just to stare at something. Her heart pumped harder than ever. Her body shook on the inside, and annoying butterflies danced in her stomach again. She was about to actually ask out Sunburst!
Sunburst leaned toward Starlight and asked, “Seriously, Starlight, is there something wrong? You know you can tell me anything.”
“Well…” Starlight focused her stare at her friend. His untidy mane was always appealing to her, though she wouldn’t have complained if he cut off part of his goatee. Sunburst’s blue-green robe, covered with small turquoise stars, emitted the air of a great wizard, yet his glasses added an adorkable charm to him. That feeling was there even as a colt, and it was what drew Starlight to him.
Words were nearly out of Starlight’s mouth, but something trapped the words inside. The surge of strength that had empowered her shrank like an ice cube on a hot day, leaving behind the fear that applied its icy grip on her chest, again. Her breathing quietly quickened, again. She looked toward the door. Maybe she could get away, again.
Starlight Glimmer, no matter how bad you used to be in the past, you are an amazing mare now, and any stallion will be lucky to have you. That is a Great and Powerful promise. Don’t forget that.
The words of her best friend re-fired her flames of determination. The squeeze of her chest weakened. Her breathing slowed to nearly its normal speed as well. Even those pesky butterflies remembered that a pony's belly is a "no-fly zone" and cooled it.
“S-so, Sunburst, what I really, truly mean to ask you earlier is that...” Despite her willpower and new courage, Starlight’s muscles tensed. “I...I...have a crush on you.”
Sunburst raised a hoof to his ear. “Um, come again?”
“I...” Starlight closed her eyes. She gritted her teeth and shouted, “I HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU!!”
Starlight’s eyes flew open and she covered her mouth. Screaming how she felt wasn’t her plan. “U-u-uh, that is, I...have a crush on you.”
Sunburst’s jaw dropped. His glasses tilted.
Starlight uncovered her mouth, but nothing came from it. No sounds came from the room either.
If crickets had started chirping, the following few seconds would have felt less uncomfortable.
“W-wow,” Sunburst finally muttered, straightening his uneven glasses. “I-I...how long?”
“Since we were foals?” Starlight answered, an awkward smile forcing itself out.
“That long?” Sunburst rubbed his goatee. His eyes widened. “Oh...was that the real reason why you wanted to play Dragon Pit with us as foals again?”
“Let’s go with tha–uh, that is, you could say that. You can definitely say that I have a crush on you.” Starlight’s smile grew. If there was a time to try to make herself look cuter, this was it. “So...do you want to be together as boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“Uh…” Sunburst picked up his cup of tea and took a huge gulp from it. He wiped his brow of the little sweat that had surfaced.
Starlight stayed motionless in her chair. She had put herself out there. Sunburst finally knew her true feelings. Now she just had to wait for him to smile and say “yes”, and she would have her first-ever boyfriend.
But there was no smile from the stallion. Sunburst instead frowned.
“Well...you know about how it can be a bad idea for friends to start dating, right? If it were to go wrong, we’d lose what we have.”
Starlight’s ears flopped, a ping striking her heart. The pain of rejection waved over her. As she originally thought. However, she forced a brave smile. She would get over it, as she did many of her other issues, and she still had Sunburst as a friend. “I understand, and we do have something great as fri–”
“Wait, I didn’t say ‘no’.”
The ability to breathe, for a moment, was lost to Starlight. When it returned, she asked, “Y-you’re not?”
Sunburst shook his head and stood up. “I mean, it’s scary, but after I left Ponyville after my visit, I’ve...been thinking about you a lot more.” He looked toward the picture of himself and Starlight on the wall. “I even called ponies by your name by mistake a few times. You should have seen Shining Armor’s face when I called Flurry Heart 'Starlight'." Sunburst let out a chuckle, turning his head back toward Starlight. He bore an especially affectionate smile. “Some of the best times of my life were with you as foals. Remember that time we tried to use your dad’s robe to test a high-level spell?”
Starlight giggled with a hoof over her mouth. She wasn’t always a great mage that could rival alicorns. “I remember. The only thing we did ‘right’ was make my dad mad, and I was grounded for two weeks! Oh, what about the time we tried to make the biggest sandcastle ever, and our parents had to drag us home while we kicked and screamed?”
Sunburst let out a big, hearty laugh. “Oh, that was a good one too! Even long after the moon rose, we wouldn’t stop!” His laughing eased. He strolled to stand right beside Starlight. The fondness in his eyes melted the mare’s insides in warm, fuzzy goodness. “And last week, even if we had...trouble at one point, it eventually made me remember how much I truly loved hanging out with you, and how great a pony you've become. I’ve never met a unicorn that can do some of the things you can, and you might become a legendary unicorn like Starswirl the Bearded.” A faint blush glowed on Sunburst’s face. “Not only that, you’re nice, strong, supportive, kind-hearted, and...one of the prettiest mares I know. So, let’s take a chance and be boyfriend and girlfriend!”
“YES!!” Starlight shouted. Ecstasy flooded her veins, and her body felt light, yet full of wonderful energy. Her voice let out the loudest squeak it had ever made. She leapt off her chair and wrapped her forelegs around Sunburst in a loving embrace, who returned it.
The stallion that Starlight Glimmer had long harbored feelings for had accepted her affections! Trixie would be just as thrilled!
Wait, Trixie.
“Oh! I gotta go tell Trixie the good news. I’ll be right back.”
Starlight and her now-partner released each other, and Starlight left the house in hops. However, right before she opened the door, she put on a serious, stoic face.
Outside, Trixie remained in front of Sunburst's porch. She hadn’t moved an inch. Her heart skipped a beat when Starlight walked out of the house and down the stairs, slowly.
With a frown, Trixie asked, “Oh, he doesn’t feel the same way about you?”
“Actually…” Starlight loosened her fake stoic face with a genuine grinning one. “We’re boyfriend and girlfriend now!”
Trixie squealed and matched her friend’s grinning face. The two embraced in another hug.
“I’m so happy for you, Starlight!”
“I’m so happy for me too! Thank you so much for making me come out here! I really couldn’t ask for a better best friend!”
“You mean a ‘Great and Powerful best friend’?” Trixie asked in a friendly tease.
“Hee hee, okay, I couldn’t ask for a better Great and Powerful best friend.”
“And I couldn’t ask for a better best friend myself.”
The two mares let each other go. Equestria had rarely held a pair of ponies that were oddly fit to be friends, yet their friendship perfectly fit.
“So, are you going to go back in there?”
“Well…” Starlight looked toward Sunburst’s door, then back to Trixie. “I want to stay with Sunburst for a while, but what about you? I don’t want to leave you out here alone.”
Trixie looked down the nearest street and ponies trotting on it. “I can go sightsee while you spend time with your new boyfriend. Maybe the Great and Powerful Trixie can set up a future magic show out here.” Trixie lifted her head, her performer spirit shining like the sun overhead. “These crystal ponies are due for a real show anyway.”
“Okay, Great and Powerful Trixie. You do that, and I’ll go back in with...*squeal*...my new boyfriend.”
Starlight hurried back into the house while Trixie trotted off to explore the Crystal Empire.
Sunburst was already sitting on a couch when Starlight sped back inside. He motioned Starlight to come to him, who immediately ran to sit beside him.
She didn’t have to be asked twice.
However, they couldn't just sit there, like they were just friends. Starlight leaned in to nuzzle Sunburst’s neck. He answered her show of affection by wrapping a loving foreleg around his mare, as if guarding her against anything meaning her harm. He tenderly stroked her soft mane with his other foreleg.
A soft moan rolled out Starlight’s mouth as she bathed in a level of euphoria she never knew existed. Her insides had never felt so fuzzy and warm. The butterflies returned, but this time, they further added to the ecstasy filling every corner of her body. Could things get any better?
Sunburst released his grip. Starlight looked up, wondering if she should even ask why he did. He leaned down and his soft lips met hers. Starlight’s eyes glimmered before they closed in pure bliss. Titters escaped her mouth. This was what it's like to kiss a stallion.
Things did get better.
The ponies’ lips ended their passionate lock, and Starlight laid her head on Sunburst’s chest. He in turn cradled her with both forelegs.
“So...was I good?” Sunburst asked uncertainly.
“If you were bad, I’d take that ‘bad’ every time,” Starlight answered with a giggle. “What about me?”
“If I were to grade your kiss, you’d get an ‘A+’.”
“Good.” Starlight delivered another nuzzle to Sunburst’s neck.
In a somewhat more fondly voice, Sunburst said, “I’m really glad you came and told me how you feel.”
“You’ll have to thank Trixie. If it weren’t for her dragging me here, I might not have ever told you. She wouldn’t take no for an answer!”
“Oh,” Sunburst said with a hint of puzzled amazement. "So, you went through something like that too.”
“Huh?” Starlight’s smile weaned to a confused frown. “What did that mean?”
Sunburst moved one of his forelegs off Starlight and rubbed the back of his neck. “Well...Princess Cadance has been saying that I should ask you out. Then, before I left Ponyville, Twilight begged me to make a move on you after we played our 'grown-up' version of Dragon Pit.”
Author's Note
It seems Princess Twilight is less oblivious to ponies showing romantic interest than Starlight thought. Or at least the Twilight in this story's continuity isn't.
Because the show uses boyfriend & girlfriend over marefriend/fillyfriend & coltfriend/stallionfriend, I went with the former in this story.
