"You wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm starved." Tree Hugger asked as she and Starlight left Easel's studio.
Starlight's stomach answered for her with an irritated grumble.
"I'm pretty hungry, too, I guess." Starlight gave a sheepish grin.
"Far out. I know a really rad cafe nearby if you wanna get something together."
"That sounds nice, actually."
Tree Hugger lead Starlight through a few of Ponyville's side streets until they found themselves in front of a small hole-in-the-wall cafe. Starlight could here soft jazz playing through the open door. A large window revealed a few ponies inside, chatting pleasantly with those they were with or sitting quietly alone and enjoying the atmosphere.
"Vanilla Bean's Cafe. I've never heard of this place."
"I heard about it from Fluttershy. It's got a nice vibe to it."
Upon entering, Starlight was greeted with a scent that could only be described as inviting. She couldn't put her hoof on what the smell was, but it was a strange sort of almost familiar. Like visiting an old friend's home. Tree Hugger and Starlight took a table by the window.
"This place seems nice." Starlight commented as she looked about. "Do you have any recommendations?"
"Vanilla has this far out daffodil salad," Tree Hugger answered. "And the latte's are pretty good, too."
"That does sound good." Starlight admitted.
"Awesome. I'll go order." Tree Hugger stepped away from the table, approaching the counter to order.
Starlight surveyed the room, taking in as much detail as possible. Whoever had decorated the cafe had exquisite taste. Red satin curtains bordered the window she sat next to. Carefully selected paintings adorned the walls. Starlight wondered if any had come from Easel's studio. It was definitely on par with some of the other works she'd seen there. The pristine hardwood floor had been polished to a shine so bright that Starlight could see her reflection when she looked down. If Starlight were honest, this place could have passed for a Canterlot restaurant just as easily as a cafe.
The patrons seemed to just fit the decor of the cafe, in Starlight's opinion. Like she could take a photo of any of the patrons here and hang it on the wall without the photograph seeming out of place. Octavia and DJ Pon-3, two of Ponyville's most prominent musicians, sat at a table chatting pleasantly, smiles and giggles abound. At another table, Mr. and Mrs. Cake were sharing a slice of cake, enjoying a bit of time without the children.
'Wow. This looks like a popular spot for couples.' Starlight thought idly. 'Come to think of it, I think the only ponies with someone that aren't on a date are me and Tree... Hugger.' Idle thought had thrown itself out the window after finding itself replaced with blind panic. 'No, that's just ridiculous! Tree Hugger didn't say it was a date. But what if she thinks it is? What if it is!? Wait, shouldn't I know if it's a date or not?'
"Star?" Tree Hugger's voice, full of concern, pulled Starlight from her thoughts. "Are you all right? Your face is really red."
"I'm fine!" Starlight answered, a little louder than she'd intended. "Er, sorry. I'm fine. I'm just... warm. It is warm in here, right?"
Tree Hugger didn't answer immediately, carefully looking back at Starlight. Starlight didn't enjoy the attention. It felt like Tree Hugger was looking through her, not just at her. After a moment, Tree Hugger smiled.
"If you say you're okay." Tree Hugger said.
"Mhmm! Fine! Eheheh..." Starlight laughed nervously, her mind racing to change subjects. "So, what do you do when you're not in Ponyville?" Tree Hugger's eyes lit up as Starlight deflected the topic of conversation.
"I'm a member of the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures." Tree Hugger explained. "I travel around and study rare animals and make sure they're kept safe. It's like, really fulfilling work to know I can make a difference for some poor animal out in the world, you know?"
"That sounds incredible, actually. Is that how you met Fluttershy?"
"Mhmm. We met at a a protest to stop a land development in Froggy Bottom Bog. We totally clicked on a metaphysical level and we've been friends ever since."
"Huh. Fluttershy never struck me as the protester type. I guess you learn something new every day."
"Okay, you two. Drinks and two daffodil salads." The owner of the cafe, Vanilla Bean, brought Tree Hugger's order to the table, placing the food and tea in front of the mares. "New friend, Tree Hugger?" Vanilla raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Yeah, this is Starlight Glimmer. Star, this is Vanilla Bean, the owner." Tree Hugger indicated with a hoof.
"Good to meet you, Vanilla Bean."
"Oh, please. Pleasure's all mine, sweetheart." Vanilla chuckled. "You two have fun, now." The stallion trotted away with a coy smile.
"He seems... nice." Starlight said hesitantly.
"Vanilla's great. I set him up with another friend of mine, Timber Spruce." Tree Hugger snickered lightly. "He keeps trying to introduce me to friends of his to balance things out."
"Oh," Starlight's heart skipped a beat, though she couldn't explain what caused it. "So you have a buckfriend?"
Tree Hugger shook her head.
"I've never met anypony that harmonized with me, you know?"
"Uhh, sure." Starlight said awkwardly.
"So what do you, like, do."
"I'm Princess Twilight's pupil. I study magic and friendship under her."
"Far out."
The two fell into pleasant conversation after that, enjoying the admittedly delicious daffodil salads. Starlight reminded herself to go here again sometime. All too soon, though, the two finished their meals.
"That was really good. Thanks for suggesting this place. I never knew it existed."
"Right on. I'm glad you liked it." Tree Hugger flashed that serene smile of hers, and Starlight could have melted. For the umpteenth time that day she felt her heart skip a beat. "We should hang out again before I leave."
"I-I-I'd like that." Starlight didn't stumble over her words so much as faceplant after trying to find them blindfolded.
"Righteous. Actually, the reason I'm in Ponyville is because there's an Agogo migration the day after tomorrow. It'd be pretty cool if you came to watch with me." Tree Hugger offered.
"What's an Agogo?" Starlight tilted her head in confusion. Tree Hugger tapped a hoof against her chin as she thought for a moment.
"They're kind of like fireflies. But not fireflies. They're actually cloud sprites, but during migration season they glow different colors. It's a totally amazing experience to watch." She explained.
"That sounds like a lot of fun." Starlight said, genuinely interested.
"Far out. I'll meet you at Sugarcube Corner that night."
Starlight smiled brightly.
"I can't wait."
Starlight found herself grinning as she trotted up to the castle. Had anypony asked her what she was smiling about, Starlight didn't think she could properly explain it. Heck, she wasn't sure if she understood herself. But for some reason, she just couldn't suppress the smile she wore.
She magicked open the door to the castle only to be greeted by Twilight, who wore a grin just as wide as Starlight's. Starlight felt her stomach tighten for a moment before Twilight spoke.
"Oh this is so exciting!" Twilight exclaimed, dancing in place. "Starlight, you'll never guess what just happened?"
"Um... The map is sending you on a friendship mission?" Starlight raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"Even better! I just got a letter from Cadence! She and Flurry Heart are coming for a visit!" Twilight levitated a piece of parchment to Starlight, who took it into her own magic and began reading the letter. "Cadence was on her way to visit Canterlot to meet with a Yakyakistan dignitary to discuss trade negotiations, but the dignitary was delayed and she just found out when she was halfway to Canterlot! So she decided to stop by and visit for a few days until the dignitary can get to Canterlot." Twilight grinned widely as Starlight read the letter that confirmed her words. "I can't wait to see my niece and sister-in-law! They should be here in a few hours!"
"That's great! It'll be nice to see them again." Starlight agreed with a smile.
"And while they're here you can tell both of us all about how things went with Tree Hugger during your friendship lesson today!" Twilight added.
Starlight smiled in an attempt to hide the sudden terror welling up in her.
"I," Starlight paused as she figured out exactly how to word her sentence. "can't wait."