Saturday had come, and both Shadow and Starlight were panicking! They had both been told how to let the other one know how they loved them and how they would know they were loved respectively. But they had no clue how to act on their dates! Shadow called up the guys and asked for how he should act, and they all gave the same response: "Just be you man. That's the person you want her to love. No one else." Starlight on the other hand, didn't have the same unified opinion from the girls. Rarity suggested she act like a proper lady, Rainbow said to tell Shadow about "all things awesome about you", Sunset, Moon, and Sonata were the only realistic ones and told her to just act like herself, and Aj told her to slap Shadow if he so much as tried to "cop a feel". Needless to say, Starlight got pretty confused after hearing all of the conflicting advice. 'Please don't let all this advice mess up our date!', she mentally pleaded as she heard a knock at the door. When she opened it, she found Shadow waiting to pick her up.
"Hey Star! Ready to go?"
'Okay! What was Rarity's advice? Act like a proper lady!' "Of course darling.", Starlight said as she tried to pull of the tone Rarity gracefully pulls off. However, it only confused Shadow.
"Why are you trying to act like Rarity?"
'Ack! Recovery! Recovery!' "Oh no reason!", Starlight said with a nervous smile.
"Okay. Wanna grab something to eat and see where things go from there?"
"Sounds wonderful!" 'Please don't let things get awkward!' The couple grabbed a slice of pizza. As they ate, Starlight had the idea to put Rainbow's advice to use. "So anyway....I've pulled off a really sick top score at the arcade! You should see how good I am at fighting games!" 'Please don't take me up on that!'
"Really? I'd like to go a round with you and see your skills live!", Shadow said with a smile.
'Dang it!' "Oh! No. No you really shouldn't...", Starlight spilled her drink on herself as she was panicking.
"Hold on. Let me help get you cleaned up.", Shadow said as he got some napkins. But as he tried to assist her, Starlight panicked and resorted to using Aj's advice and slapped him. "Ow! If you wanted to do it yourself Star you could've said so."
"I'm sorry! It's just...I've never been in a relationship before. And I didn't know how to act on a date! So I called up the girls and they had different advice! Rarity said to act like a lady, Rainbow told me to tell you how awesome I was, and Aj told me to slap you if you tried to feel me up! Moon, Sunset and Sonata told me that I should just act like myself. Maybe I should have just gone with the last one."
"Is that what this is about? Oh, Starlight. You don't need to adopt some behavior or act a certain way to get me to like you.", Shadow said with a comforting smile. "Being yourself is the best option because that's the you I love. Just like me being myself is the me I want you to love."
"Thanks. I think I needed to hear that. So what now?"
"Well lunch was ruined with our little incident earlier. Might as well salvage it with dessert! Ice cream at Sugar Cube Corner?"
"You read my mind. And I think I'll try that five scoop combo you usually go for."
"Trust me. You won't be disappointed." The two of them went, and Starlight finally saw what made the five-scoop combo Shadow usually got so good. "I think I've tasted ice cream heaven!"
"Just try not to eat it too fast or else you might get..." Starlight hadn't heeded his warning. And now she was facing the consequences. "Brain freeze."
"Nnnh. I'm good.", Starlight said with a weak smile. "Just wish you told me earlier though."
"I won't lie. I'm certainly having a good time with you."
"Because we could make a viral video out of how bad this date's gone?"
"Because I get to be with you." Starlight blushed at hearing this.
"Y-yeah! Me too! Some events may have been less than ideal, but I'm glad I got to be with you."
"No one I'd rather be with Star!" Starlight smiled, but her face soon turned serious.
"Hey Shadow? You love me right? Even despite....what I did?"
Shadow sighed. "I knew you were still hung up about that. But I want you to know that no one blames you. Everyone was willing to accept you and they did. And even if they weren't you still have me and the others. I'll stay with you no matter what people think of you, or what they think of me for standing by you when nobody else will." Shadow pulled her into a hug. "I charged right in to rescue you from Paradox. If that doesn't say that I love you, then this will." Shadow caught Starlight off-guard when he leaned in and kissed her! Starlight was surprised at first, but melted into the kiss. "You'll never be alone with me. I'm your shadow. I'll always be around you, watching over you." Shadow said as he pulled out of the kiss.
"You don't know how much that means to me.", Starlight said with a smile. "So do you wanna see what else we can do before the day ends?"
"Nothing I'd rather do.", Shadow said with a smile.