The Sum Of Her

Between runes and incantations, Starlight didn’t hear Spike walk into the castle library. His merry whistling abruptly came to a halt. The Canterlot Gazette in one set of claws,along with his “Number One Assistant” mug in the other, almost fell to the floor. For the first time since he and Twilight had taken her in, Starlight had gotten up before him.

Or… had never gone to sleep.

“Uh, Starlight?”

If the state of her mane—as well as the bags under her eyes—were any indication, it was the latter theory that proved correct.

Buried in a book, Starlight muttered something foreign. “Trabea Prospectu… No, that only lasts a few minutes. What about… Versis Mentis…? No, that’s far too strong…”

“Starlight? Hello?”

“Well, there is Faciens Fallacia Verus, but that only applies to illusion charms, specifically for making something appear… bigger than it is, which would only—”

Spike whapped Starlight with the rolled-up newspaper.

“Aaah!” A dusty tome, its cover littered with arcane iconography, landed on the floor with a thud. Starlight spun around. “Oh, uh, h-hi, Spike! I-I was just—” she cleared her throat— “j-just doing some, er, light reading before bed!” She shot a paper-thin grin his way. “Didn’t mean to wake you!”

“Uh, Starlight?” Spike unfurled the newspaper and pointed to the date. “It’s morning. And tomorrow.” He blinked. “I mean, today.”

“R-really?” Scoffing, Starlight waved a forehoof dismissively. “I-I mean, I knew that! I meant—uh—I was going… back to bed! Yeah! A-after I finish this… uh, story, of course.” The ancient spellbook floated up to her face. “Yup, it’s… so… good! Really—compelling! Heh, heh, heh…”

With one eyebrow raised, Spike sipped at his coffee. “‘Mistmane’s Mind-Healing,’ huh? Don’t tell me you’re gonna use mind magic on everypony again. Like when you freaked out and tried to do all those Friendship Reports at once.”

“I am not freaking out!” Starlight stomped a hoof. Several strands of her mane twinged out of place. “And this isn’t for anypony but me!” She paced back and forth, almost wearing a groove into the floor. “I know better than to use mind magic on other ponies, but if it’s just for me, it should be okay, right? After all, I can handle it! I can handle anything! I traveled through time! I faced Chrysalis without magic! So, what’s a little mind magic gonna do? I can handle all of that, no problem, but what I can’t handle is the fact that my—m-my—”

Starlight froze, realizing how dangerously close she was to revealing something that nopony had the right to know. Maybe not even herself. Still, she couldn’t stop completely, resuming her ranting and pacing with only seconds lost.

“I mean, after all—” Starlight added Mistmane’s book to the pile in the corner— “there has to be something, anything, in this Celestia-forsaken castle that could possibly help! Even if it means I have to completely rewire my brain, or permanently cast an illusion spell on myself, or—”

Spike raised a claw. “This… is above my paygrade. I’m getting Twilight.”

Starlight teleported in front of Spike, blocking his path to the door. He yelped, almost dropping his coffee again. “No! Nopony can know what I’m doing, Spike!”

“You realize—” Spike backed away from her— “that makes me want to grab Twilight even more, right?”

“Please!” Bloodshot eyes widening, Starlight clasped her forehooves together. “Spike, please! I’m begging you! Seriously, you can’t tell Twilight about—”

“Tell me about what?”

While Starlight whirled around, her wide eyes growing impossibly wider, Spike took that as his cue. “Perfect timing.” He sauntered out, flipping his newspaper open. “It was bad enough when there was only one neurotic pony living here.” The way Twilight glared at him suggested he should have spoken that last bit under his breath.

Spike pointed over to Starlight, who was desperately trying to reshelve all the books she’d knocked across the floor. “She’s trying to brainwash herself or something. Have fun.” He shut the door behind him, fresh-brewed coffee and morning news a preferable alternative to the storm he had left them to weather.

Twilight cast a suspicious glance her way. “Starlight, what did he mean by that?”

As she levitated the books up to their shelves, Starlight replied with a titter, “What, Spike? Pfft!” She shook her head.“C’mon, Twilight, you know how he gets before breakfast! Always with some crazy idea! Ha, ha, hah—”

Twilight pointed at the books she’d just put away. “You know those are all upside-down, right?”

“Uh.” Starlight smiled sheepishly. “S-s-so they are. Let me fix that.”

While Starlight was fast, without sleep—or sanity—Twilight was faster. She flipped the books with a flick of her horn, then returned them to their proper places. Once that was complete, Twilight wrapped Starlight in her magic, levitating her over to one of her favorite reading chairs. Although she startled, Starlight didn’t fight it, her weary horn resisting the very notion of combating the alicorn’s strength.

As Twilight set her down, Starlight realized how exhausted she was. The seconds that passed between Twilight walking over and taking her own seat felt broken, haphazard. She almost fell asleep before Twilight cleared her throat.

“So… Did something happen between you and Trixie?”

That woke Starlight up. “Wh-what makes you say that?”

“I know that you two had a date last night. Did something go wrong?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “You must have stayed up all night researching mind magic for a reason, right?”

Twilight’s tone was both even and inquisitive—a far cry from how she’d reacted when Starlight and Trixie first met. While the two had their moments of… disagreement since then, Starlight found that Twilight’s attitude had relaxed towards the showmare. Trixie’s role in saving Equestria from the Changelings probably helped. Just a little.

With all of that in mind, Starlight would normally have had no problem answering Twilight’s question. Normally.

“Starlight,” Twilight said with a gentle smile, “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. Whatever it is, I promise I’ll keep it between us.”

The stone and its gravel returned to Starlight’s throat. “P-Pinkie Promise?”

“Of course.” Twilight went over the motions of the famed Pinkie Promise.

In her fog, Starlight wasn’t sure if Twilight had mixed up “hope to fly” with the cupcake in her eye, or if she was imagining things. Either way, she decided not to comment on it. Rather, she took a deep breath. “Al-alright… So… Last night…”

Briefly, Starlight recounted the night’s revelations. She left out the more intimate details, including what had provoked their argument. Mentioning their sex life—or lack thereof—to Twilight, of all ponies, was an idea so mortifying that she couldn’t even entertain it. Instead, she centered the story around Trixie revealing her status, along with being unsure of how she, herself, wanted to proceed. Which was true enough.

Once she had finished, Starlight sighed, feeling no less burdened by the weight of it all. “So… What do you think I should do?”

“Well…” Twilight twiddled her forehooves. “Honestly, I’m not really sure. Friendship problems, I can handle. Certain relationship problems, maybe. But this sounds more like an identity problem.”

Starlight’s ears flattened. “I-I don’t think Trixie is… Well, confused, or anything.”

Twilight raised a forehoof. “No, not at all. I don’t mean that.”

“Oh.” Starlight rubbed at her eyes. “Sorry, I’m… really tired. What do you mean?”

Twilight hesitated, fidgeting again before she answered, “I’m talking about you, Starlight.”

Now Starlight was really awake.

“Me?” Starlight brought a forehoof to her chest. “How?”

“Well, you kind of answered that already, didn’t you?” Twilight gestured to the bookshelf. “‘Mistmane’s Mind-Healing,’ ‘Self-Help Charms For Beginners,’ ‘The Foundations Of Perspective’… You were trying to change your own mind on this, not Trixie’s.”

“Of course I was!” Per usual, Starlight’s lips moved faster than her brain. “I’m the problem, not her!”

“Why do you say that?”

The casual inquiry grated in Starlight’s ears. “Because I’m gay, Twilight! You knew that already!”

“I do,” Twilight said, her calm voice grinding on Starlight’s nerves, “which is why I wasn’t surprised when you two started dating. But that’s the problem, isn’t it?” She frowned. “You’re not seeing her as a mare right now. And it’s throwing everything you knew about yourself into question.”

For better or worse, Twilight Sparkle always had a way of piercing Starlight Glimmer’s armor. Between the weight of her eyelids, the lump in her throat, and the crater of Twilight’s words, Starlight slumped against her chair.

“There are no easy answers here. I—I wish I had a solution for you, Starlight. I want you to be happy. And…” Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “There was a time when I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I want you and Trixie to be happy together, too.”

From the rubble of everything else, Starlight found the will to smile back. “Thanks, Twilight. That… really means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I just wish I could… Give her everything.” Starlight sighed. “You know what I mean?”

Twilight sighed in turn. “Yes, I do. Looking back, now I know why we were able to get the Alicorn Amulet off her so easily. If I had known, I never would have tricked her like that. And if there was a way to make things right for her, I would perform the spell myself.”

Starlight stared down at her hooves. “Me too.”

While Starlight didn’t feel as oppressed by this silence, she struggled under the force of it, unsure of where to go from here.

“You know…” Twilight rubbed her chin. “There is one other pony you could talk to about this. One who might have some better insight than I do.”

“Is… that a good idea?” Starlight asked. “I don’t want to be spreading Trixie’s secret around.”

“She’s somepony you can trust.” Twilight grinned. “Princesses usually are.”

After a moment, Starlight replied, “You don’t mean…”

“I do. And you know what else?” Twilight offered Starlight a forehoof up. “If you go see her, you not only might get the answers to your questions, buuuuuut… you can sleep on the way there, too.”

To her embarrassment, Starlight was more swayed by the second part.

The train’s shrill whistle woke Starlight from her deep slumber. She rolled over to see a large drool stain on her pillow… and the nearby passengers glaring at her, their forehooves and wings at their ears.

“H-heh, s-s-sorry, everypony,” Starlight mumbled, shrinking into her seat. “I guess I forgot to cast my snore-deafening spell…”

Murmurs of “Thought it was a bear,” and “Sleep apnea,” followed. Starlight offered a timid wave as the others passed. Once the coast was clear, she exited onto the platform. The feeling of the warm summer sun on her coat stirred her to stretch and fully awaken. The train gave one last long, mournful cry before it pulled away, leaving her to the Crystal Empire and its promises.

As she made her way from the station to the Crystal Palace, Starlight realized that the city was preparing for a festival. Posters plastered on every shop window, bulletin board, and streetlamp announced the Empire’s celebration of Midsummer. From what she gathered, Midsummer involved plenty of traditional food, ancient hymns, and flowers. Lots of flowers.

Throngs of ponies passed her by, many with luggage. There was a joyous anticipation in the air, excited chatter passing through her ears as she made her way through the streets. If she was here for any reason but this one, Starlight would have stopped to ask questions. Maybe make her own holiday plans.

If things were different, Starlight would have brought Trixie along to celebrate this new holiday together. The two of them would have left Trixie’s wagon behind for a private train cab. An expensive one, with a locking door and a soft mattress. They would spring for the Empire’s finest, most luxurious hotel room once they arrived. One with a hot tub, silk sheets, a balcony overlooking the horizon…

Despite it being summer, Starlight thought a place near the Frozen North wouldn’t make her sweat this much. Pegasi didn’t control the weather in this strange land. There had to be some odd magic at work. Yes, that was it.

Before she realized how fast she'd been walking, the arch of the Crystal Palace lay before her, the Crystal Heart at its epicenter. The crystal spires protecting the Heart were covered in a garden of flowers in every variety and color. When she drew closer, she was greeted by the sight of two Crystal Guard ponies… wearing flower crowns.

“Er, hello.” Starlight tried not to snicker at the sight of the stoic stallions’ helmets, which were adorned with irises and honeysuckle. “I’m Starlight Glimmer. I’m here to meet with Princess Cadance. Spike the Brave and Glorious should have sent a letter announcing my arrival.”

Both bowed their heads, then beckoned her to follow. The guards led her up the palace’s spiraling staircases in silence. They were as dutiful as ever, even with cheerful flowers circling their galea.

When they reached the palace foyer, one of the guards galloped off. “He will fetch the Princess for you,” the other said. “While Her Highness is busy with preparations for tomorrow’s Midsummer celebration, she made it clear that your meeting was a top priority.”

“Oh. That’s… good. I think.” Starlight pawed a hoof at the crystal floor. “Say… Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“What’s with the flower crowns?”

A chuckle escaped the stallion’s chest. “Forgive me, but this is a common question from outsiders.” Sparing a moment to regain his composure, the guard then explained, “Long ago, when the Crystal Empire was new and the Heart had just come into being, Crystal Ponies had gone eons without summer. Many plants and flowers did not grow here. Once the eternal snows were driven back by the Heart, our ancestors were able to grow almost anything under the sun. We commemorate our coming out of the cold and dark with beautiful, bright things. Tomorrow, we will celebrate the longest day of the year with good food, good music, and, of course,” he finished, smiling, “the flowers.”

“Wow.” Starlight asked, “Even the stallions?”

The guard nodded. “It was considered an honor to present one’s beloved with a flower crown. Stallion, mare, or whomever in between.” With a wink, he added, “According to us Crystal Ponies, beauty knows no gender.”

Starlight swallowed the stone in her throat. “R-right.”

To her gratitude, the other guard returned. “The Princess will meet you in her study.” He pointed to a door down an adjacent hallway.

Starlight forced a smile. “Thank you.”

Both stallions gave her one last bow before rushing back to their posts.

Unlike the great crystal doors that led to the throne room, the door leading to Princess Cadance’s study was rather light. It tested Starlight’s telekinesis nonetheless. Last night’s midnight panic session had been more draining than she’d thought.

As she entered, Starlight looked around. The cozy room contained a blazing fireplace, a circle of chairs surrounding a checkerboard, and a small library. A large painting depicting Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor, Princess Flurry Heart held between them, hung above the crackling fireplace.

Starlight studied the bookshelves. While there were a few of the classics, most of these titles sounded like… romance novels. Or, at least, treatises on romance. Different Bloods… A Stallion And His Mare… The Magician And The Mage…

“Hello, Starlight!” Princess Cadance joined her side. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Not at all, Your Highness.” Starlight bowed. “Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.”

With a chuckle, Cadance said, “Oh, no need to be so formal.” She gestured to the circle of chairs. “Please, take a seat. Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?”

Again, the comfortable chair just about swallowed Starlight when she sat down. More sleep would be welcome. “No, thank you.”

A teapot and two teacups appeared in Cadance’s aquamarine aura. She poured herself one, then levitated the other to the table beside Starlight. “Just in case you change your mind.”

“Well, if you insist…” Taking a deep draught, Starlight sighed contentedly, warmth rushing through her aching limbs. The sweetness on her tastebuds tingled, flowery notes dancing across her palate.

“Jasmine, with plenty of sugar. It’s Auntie’s favorite.”

Starlight smiled. “Mmmm. I can see why.”

“Indeed. So…” Once she had stolen her own sip, Cadance asked, “What brings you here, Starlight? I’m guessing it isn’t Midsummer.”

Setting her teacup down, Starlight’s ears drooped. “W-well, no, though I wish it was. I feel like this would be a perfect vacation for my marefriend and I, if… things were different.”

Cadance settled in her chair, bringing her forehooves together. She said nothing, looking back at Starlight with serene interest.

This Princess was not as familiar with Starlight—and Trixie—as Twilight. Thus, as Starlight related what had transpired, she felt far more comfortable telling not just the gist, but the whole story. Details and all. Including what she felt most ashamed to admit.

“The thing is… I love Trixie. I really do. But…” Starlight met Cadance’s patient eyes. “I… I don’t know if I can… really be with her. S-sexually, I mean.”

“Because of her anatomy.”

Slowly, Starlight nodded. “A-and there’s no way to change that. Not unless she just keeps the illusion spell going. But that would mean I couldn’t touch her.” An additional piece of the puzzle clicked together. “I—I think that’s why she pulled away. Why she always pulls away, once I touch her a little too much. I must be… Uh…”

“Arousing her?”

There was that gravel again. “Y-yeah.”

Cadance poured them another cup of tea. While Starlight muttered a thanks, she didn’t touch it, stomach twisting into knots. Perhaps it was a byproduct of staying up all night… or the guilt that wracked through her. Either way, she left her cup tepid.

Some time passed before Cadance spoke. “This is certainly a unique dilemma. I have only met one other pony like Trixie face-to-face. He was a student at Auntie’s school, actually.” She paused, seeming to think something over, before moving on. “Unfortunately, I don’t have much advice for this particular relationship problem. However, there are comparable situations that might be enlightening.”

Starlight perked up. “Oh? Like what?”

“Well, I have counseled couples who have had sexual difficulties for other reasons. Stallions who can no longer perform. Mares who find intercourse painful. Ponies who have been traumatized, but still want to please their partners. Even ponies whose parents expect grandfoals so much that they cannot accept their sexuality. Which, of course, inevitably leads to repression.” Cadance frowned. “In any case, self-hatred is the worst aphrodisiac.”

Though she didn’t drink it, Starlight fiddled with her teacup. “What do you do for those ponies? Th-the ones who can’t accept their sexuality, I mean.”

“The path to self-acceptance is not one I can walk for them. But I certainly start them on it.”

“Oh… You don’t…” Starlight swallowed the tea rising up in her throat. “Y-you don’t have a way of… fixing them?”

Something flashed in the alicorn’s pupils. Something that sent shockwaves down Starlight’s spine. “Fix?” Cadance repeated. While restrained, Starlight could hear the indignation. “There is nothing to fix, Starlight. Such a spell is not only impossible, but would be unethical. It would be… mind alteration. Life alteration.” She shook her head, eyes narrowed. “Who taught you this was something that needed fixing?”

“Nopony!” Starlight raised a forehoof. “I… I was just thinking that…” It fell to her side. “M-maybe… you could…”

Both mares cringed at what remained unspoken.

“Starlight, it’s… commendable how much you want to make this work,” Cadance said, eyes softening, each word a heavy deliberation, “but changing yourself is not the answer. Just as there is nothing wrong with Trixie, there is nothing wrong with you. There is nothing to fix. Nothing that should be changed. You are both yourselves, as you should be.”

“But—”

Cadance sighed. “I know you love her, but—”

“Of course I love her! Why else would I have come here?!” Before Cadance could get a word in edgewise, Starlight found herself spouting off again. “Why else would I have read through Twilight’s entire library last night, trying to find something, anything that could change how I feel? Why else would I have told Twilight about it at all? Twilight barely even likes Trixie! But I told her about it, no matter how embarrassing it was, in the hope that I could find some answer! And you wanna know why?”

Starlight gritted her teeth. “Because I made her cry, Cadance. I hurt her, all because I can’t—I can’t be with somepony with—w-with—” Sputtering, Starlight spat, “Dammit, I can’t even say the word! Because if I say it, th-then I’ll think she’s a stallion! A-and if she’s a stallion, then what am I? Who am I?!”

Though Cadance started to reply, Starlight continued on like a runaway train, her thoughts careening off the rails.

“I’ve known I’ve liked mares, only mares, for as long as I can remember! Before I even knew the word for it, I knew I was different somehow! And I felt so—so alone, so isolated with it, because I didn’t know anypony else like me! Sire’s Hollow barely had enough foals for a schoolhouse, let alone a filly or colt like me! And after Sunburst left, I didn’t trust anypony at all, much less somepony I could have told that to!

“Even in my little brainwashed village, there weren’t any mares like me! Not that it would have mattered, because even I knew better than to sleep with any of them! If I let somepony get close to me, she would see that I was a fraud! A-and even if she didn’t notice, somehow, I would practically be—” Starlight was shaking now, hackles raised— “t-taking advantage of any mare I conned into bed with me! Because I had all the power! I had my magic! They had nothing! And I liked it that way! Because I was a predator, Cadance! A monster!

“A-and I thought I was past that, but now I see that I’m still not! I’m about the lose the love of my life, the one pony who truly understands me, because all I can think about is sex! I had to go and ruin it over my—fucking—libido!” Fire roared in Starlight’s pupils, smoke rising from her nostrils to the ceiling. “I couldn’t just let it go! I couldn’t be happy with how things were! A-and even though she’s not who I thought she was, what’s way worse than that is—is that I’m who I feared I still would be!”

As she ran out of steam, Starlight’s world blurred. Rivers of tears poured down her cheeks. She wheezed, struggling for breath, pinpricks of black dotting her vision. The chair, having once swallowed her, now spit her back up. She collapsed on the floor, all four hooves crumpling on the carpet.

Two strong wings embraced her. Their feathers wiped at her eyes as she released it all. Sire’s Hollow, Our Town, the caravan. Card tricks and fruitless spells and flower crowns. Here, there, and back again. Trixie, Twilight, her. It had always been her.

Without a word, Cadance held Starlight tight in both her forelegs and wings. Dampness marred her pristine coat and perfect preen, but she paid them no mind. The tea grew cold as they sat on the floor. She didn’t speak until Starlight’s cries had died down to wet sniffles and shaky breaths. Then, she chose her words carefully, her voice a steady, guiding beacon.

“Starlight, I’m so sorry for what you went through. While I don’t know the full story, Twilight told me enough for me to know that what you did was driven by deep, unbearable pain.” Lifting Starlight by the chin, she continued, “But you aren’t that pony anymore. You are not a monster. You are not a predator. And you never were—not for having desire.” She shook her head. “So many ponies wrap themselves up in shame and guilt, twisting themselves into knots for the crime of simply wanting. Wanting love. Wanting companionship. Wanting sex. There’s nothing wrong with any of that. And I’m sorry if somepony made you feel like there was.”

When Cadance pulled away, Starlight averted her eyes. Too much swirled within and without her, blocking out the truth from reaching her ears.

“Don’t you see? This is not just about Trixie’s anatomy. It’s about what this all means in relation to your own story.” Reaching over, Cadance took Starlight’s forehooves in her own. “Becoming who you are—both as a mare, and as a pony—was so difficult. Probably painful at times. And you’re worried that, if things work out with Trixie, that story, that journey to accepting who you are, is invalid—whether you really believe that or not.”

Cadance shook her head. “But it’s not, my dear. Your story has a happy ending. You made mistakes, but you owned up to them. You changed. You made friends. You accepted yourself. And… you found love.” A warm smile tugged at the corners of her muzzle. “With another mare. One who you love somuch that you’d do anything to make her happy.”

As Starlight looked up from the floor, something swelled in her chest. Something that felt like hope. She took in a momentous breath, the weight against her heart finally feeling like it could move. “You’re right. I would do anything for her, Cadance. I…” She met Cadance’s eyes, marveling at the compassion reflected in them. It made her own shine. “I don’t want to lose her.”

“So, don’t.” Cadance smiled. “Regardless of the details, or how anypony else wants to view it, you know that she is your mare. Otherwise, you would have never loved her in the first place.” Cadance brought their joined forehooves to rest against Starlight’s heart. “This has not, and will never, lead you astray. Trust its judgment.”

“... You’re right.” Starlight loosened her grip, realizing she’d been squeezing Cadance’s forehooves this entire time. “But…” Crimson blossomed across her muzzle. “Wh-what about… um...” Sighing, she mumbled, “You know.”

With an understanding nod, Cadance answered, “You do whatever you are comfortable with. Whether that’s quite a bit, only a few things, or nothing just yet. Whatever you both are comfortable doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if she has similar worries as you.”

“I—” Starlight bit her lip. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“It’s easy to get stuck in our own heads, but this is something you will have to figure out together. It won’t be easy, but sex rarely is. Especially if you’re both new to it.”

Starlight gulped. “R-right.” Another breath, before she asked a second question. “What would you do if you were me?”

Cadance cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“W-well… What if…” Starlight pulled away from Cadance at last. “What if you woke up tomorrow, and Shining Armor had… the… other parts.”

For a moment, Cadance just stared at her. Starlight balked, an apology already forming on her lips. Despite the informality of their conversation, some things were definitely inappropriate to ask a Princess. This level of faux pas was—

Cadancelaughed.

Before Starlight could respond—though nothing coherent entered her mind as a response—Cadance held up a forehoof. “I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I don’t mean to laugh. A-and I'm not laughing at you, Starlight. It’s… hee hee, it’s just…” She couldn’t hold back a giggle. “Did you really expect the Princess of Love to be straight?”

Though she shouldn’t have, Starlight rolled her eyes. “Well, congrats to you, Princess Pansexual.”

“Ooh, I’ll have to remember that one.” Cadance’s horn sparked. “And speaking of sex… I have something for you.”

While Starlight practiced her best imitation of a tomato, Cadance plucked several books from her bookshelf. They landed on the table beside Starlight’s teacup. “While there isn’t anything specific to your relationship, between these guides, I think you and Trixie should find some… fun things to try.” If she smiled any wider, her face would’ve split in half. “Particularly chapter three of the second one.”

Through a sheen of sweat, Starlight stared back at her, stricken mute.

“You can borrow them as long as you need. Hopefully they’ll be useful to you.”

That wink made Starlight wonder if she’d ever be able to speak again.

Thankfully, her stupor didn’t last long. The rear door of the study flew open. “Honey!” Shining Armor quickly trotted in, Flurry Heart sitting atop his head. The filly held onto his ears for support as she babbled happy noises. “Sorry to interrupt, but the builders want to know where they should erect the maypole.”

Snickering, Cadance said, “Well, that’s my cue.” She rose to her hooves, pulling Starlight up with her. “Before I go, is there anything else I can help you with?”

“N-no,” Starlight said after a moment, her throat feeling far too dry. “But… thank you.” She rubbed one foreleg with the other, an uneasy smile spreading across her face. “I—you have no idea how much you’ve helped.”

“But of course.” Cadance offered her one last hug, which Starlight gladly accepted. “Don’t forget your books. Although, I wouldn’t recommend reading them on the train,” she added, winking again as they pulled away. Starlight tried not to notice.

“‘Books’?” From the rear of the room, Shining Armor said with a cheeky grin, “Don’t tell me you loaned Starlight one of those trashy romance novels you’re always getting in the mail.”

When she met her husband and daughter at the door, Cadance replied, “Worse. The ones I bought for our wedding night.”

If Starlight had blushed before, she blazed now.

“Oh.” As they left, Shining Armor called out, “Try the second book. Chapter three!”

The doors closed behind them, leaving Starlight to burn.

Once she was alone, Starlight glanced at the books on the table. The title of the first one made her heart pound. That of the second… left her breathless. Slowly, carefully, she levitated the second tome towards her, then turned to chapter three...

“O-oh…” The fire on her face seared downwards. “W-w-wow…”

Remembering exactly where she was, Starlight slammed the book shut.

Cadance was right. She wouldn’t want to read these on the train, either. Not without a private cab, a locking door… and a soundproofing spell.

… Perhaps she needed to upgrade her return ticket.