The next morning arrives with the morning sun shining through my bedroom window onto my face. I let out a small groan as I pull the blanket over my head. Ever since I became a princess, I’ve been letting myself sleep in a bit longer than usual. I guess Spike’s habit of sleeping in is starting to catch up with me, I thought to myself.

Just as I began to drift off again, a faint but enticing smell reached my nose. The scent of eggs and cinnamon wafted in from the kitchen, growing stronger by the second. My stomach growled in response, coaxing me out of bed with a yawn. Stretching my legs, I lazily made my way toward the kitchen, still half-asleep.

As I got closer, I sniffed the air and smiled sleepily. "Mmm, Spike, you’re really outdoing yourself this morning," I mumbled. But as I stepped into the kitchen, my eyes flew open in surprise.

Instead of Spike, Star Tracker stood at the stove, wearing Spike’s pink apron as he cooked. He looked up when he heard me enter, a slightly nervous smile forming on his face.

"Star Tracker?" I asked, blinking in confusion.

He turned to me, holding a spatula in his hoof. "Oh, um, good morning, Twilight," he said, a little awkwardly.

I walked further into the kitchen, still surprised. "Good morning to you too. I wasn’t expecting to see you here. What are you up to?"

Rubbing the back of his head, Star Tracker gave me a sheepish grin. "Oh, well... I just wanted to thank you for letting me live here and for spending time with me. Honestly, it still feels a bit surreal."

I couldn’t help but smile at his sincerity. My gaze shifted to the pan he was cooking with, and I raised an eyebrow. "And you’re making French toast?"

Star Tracker chuckled softly as he flipped a piece of toast in the pan. "Yeah. I don’t really know how to make a lot of things, so I figured I’d stick to something simple." He carefully placed a few pieces of golden-brown French toast onto a plate and set it on the table. "I hope you like it. I even sprinkled in some cinnamon."

Taking a seat at the table, I smiled. "Honestly, I thought Spike was the one cooking. He usually handles meals around here—well, when he isn’t busy with his griffon friend." Picking up a fork, I took a bite, and my eyes widened as I chewed. "Wow, Star Tracker, this is amazing! You really have a gift for cooking."

Star Tracker’s cheeks flushed as he scratched the back of his neck again. "Thanks. I just try my best."

Just then, Spike shuffled into the room, yawning and rubbing his eyes. "Hey, Twilight, sorry I slept in. I’ll get started on—" He froze mid-sentence, blinking as he took in the sight of the table. "Wait... is that breakfast?"

I giggled at his reaction. "No need, Spike. Star Tracker made breakfast today. Why don’t you sit down and try some? He even made French toast—your favorite."

Spike huffed, a small puff of smoke escaping his nose, but he grabbed a seat and took a bite. His eyes widened, much like mine had, as he savored the taste. "Whoa, Star Tracker, this is incredible," he said between bites. Finishing his first slice quickly, he reached for two more before standing up.

"Where are you going, Spike?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Gabby and I made plans to hang out," he replied casually before heading for the door.

"Alright, you two have fun," I called after him with a smile.

Turning back to Star Tracker, I noticed him eating something unusual—a sandwich made with French toast and eggs. I tilted my head curiously. "That’s something I’ve never thought of before."

Star Tracker blushed slightly, setting his sandwich down. "Heh, yeah. This is actually my favorite meal."

I smiled as I rolled my eyes, taking another bite of my food. After a moment of silence, I spoke. "You know, I think Spike is starting to think about Gabby as more than just a friend."

"What do you mean?" Star Tracker asked, glancing up from his plate. "He’s just hanging out with a friend. If I had a close friend like that, I’d probably do the same."

I smirked. "His 'friend' is a girl—a griffon, sure, but still. And when he’s not with me or Rarity, he’s with Gabby. Half the time he’s with me, he talks about her or what they did."

Star Tracker frowned thoughtfully. "Huh. Guess he’s getting a love interest early. I can’t really relate... most ponies avoid me." His voice trailed off, and his expression grew somber before he quickly composed himself. "Anyway, enough about me. What about you? Have you had any love interests?"

I froze, feeling a blush creep onto my cheeks. Looking away shyly, I stammered, "M-maybe..."

Star Tracker’s curiosity was piqued, and he leaned forward slightly. "Oh? And who’s the lucky pony who managed to win over a beautiful mare like you?"

My blush deepened at his compliment, and I hesitated before answering. "F-Flash Sentry. We met a few times, and we even danced once. I... I kind of fell for him. But it didn’t go anywhere, and it wouldn’t have worked." I avoided mentioning that I was referring to a version of Flash Sentry from another dimension.

Star Tracker looked surprised, then thoughtful. "Wait... Flash Sentry? I knew him when I was in the Crystal Empire. We were friends for a while, but he never mentioned you."

I sighed, feeling a slight ache in my chest. "It’s... complicated," I murmured. I shook my head before turning back to him. "Anyway, what about you? I know you said things weren’t easy for you back where you lived before, but do you have a crush on anypony?"

A blush crept onto Star Tracker’s cheeks, deeper than usual, as he looked down, chuckling to himself. "Y-yeah… I have one."

I perked up, my curiosity piqued. "Oh? Now who’s the lovebird? Who is she? What’s she like?"

Star Tracker’s blush deepened as he fidgeted slightly, his ears twitching. He looked a bit nervous, his gaze shifting away as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I don’t want to say too much right now, but… she’s kind, beautiful, smart… and really welcoming."

I couldn’t help but giggle at his shyness, finding it adorable. "Aww, somepony’s got it bad," I teased playfully before giving him a warm smile. "She sounds like a wonderful mare. I hope I get to meet her someday."

Star Tracker chuckled softly, still avoiding my gaze. "Y-yeah… maybe someday."

I watched him for a moment, noticing the way he shyly played with his hooves, clearly flustered. Something about it made me feel… warm inside. Pushing the thought aside, I stood up with a smile and stretched my wings.

"Come on," I said, offering him a hoof. "You’ve been in Ponyville for a bit now, but you haven’t really seen much of it yet. How about I take you on a proper tour?"

Star Tracker looked up, his nervousness fading into excitement as he quickly stood up. "Really? You’d do that?"

I giggled at his eagerness. "Of course! Ponyville is my home, and all you’ve seen so far is the inside of my castle. I think it’s better if you get to know this place better. After all, this town isn’t just my home—it’s yours as well."

His expression softened at my words, and for a moment, he simply smiled at me, his eyes full of something I couldn’t quite place. Then, with a small nod, he stepped forward. "O-okay then… lead the way, Pri—um, er… Twilight."

I chuckled at his slip-up. "You don’t have to be so formal, you know. Just Twilight is fine."

Star Tracker rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks still slightly pink. "Right… Twilight."

Still smiling, I turned toward the door. "Come on, let’s go! We’ve got a lot to see."

With that, we left the castle together, stepping into the bright morning sunlight, ready to explore Ponyville.
i let out a giggle as we headed towards the door walking out into the town

Author's Note

god dam, sorry everypony did not mean for this chapter to take so long, and i wanted this chapter to be longer but oh well guess the tour is going to be in the next chapter