"I'm not too sure about this." Starlight frowned as she stared back at her reflection.
"What ever do you mean, darling?" Rarity idly brushed a stray lock of her mane back into place with a hoof, choosing to focus her magic on adjusting the hemline of the dress Starlight Glimmer was wearing. "And do stop fidgeting, please."
"Sorry." Starlight held as still as possible. "But is the dress really necessary? I mean, we're going to be outside. What if it gets dirty?"
"Starlight, a lady should never be afraid to look fabulous. Besides, if you're going on a date you want to impress Tree Hugger."
"I don't know if it's a date, actually." Starlight turned a shade of red that would make a tomato jealous.
Rarity stifled a giggle as she stepped back from Starlight.
"There we go! One absolutely stunning dress, if I do say so myself." Rarity twirled a hoof about in the air, indicating for Starlight to spin in place.
Starlight obliged, admittedly impressed with the work Rarity had done on such short notice. The lightweight, dark turquiose garment hung loosely, allowing Starlight to move freely. At the same time, though, it managed to hug the right curves to show off Starlight's figure without being sultry. Deep topaz stones added a perfect accent, breaking up the color of the dress perfectly.
"Oh, wow." Starlight gasped lightly. "Rarity, you've outdone yourself. This is- I don't even know what to say."
"Don't worry about it, darling." Rarity waved a dismissive hoof. "Now run along. I'm certain you've other things to do before you see Tree Hugger tonight."
Starlight looked over towards where Cadence, Twilight, and Flurry Heart were seated. "Do I?"
Cadence gave Starlight a sly smile. "We could always just stay here. Although, if you weren't at the castle to meet Tree Hugger..." She let the sentence hang unfinished.
"Oh no!" Starlight began running to the door of the boutique, only to find herself a few inches off the floor wrapped in a purple magical aura.
"Starlight, relax. I don't think Cadence was serious." Twilight couldn't help but giggle a little at the sight of Starlight flailing just above the ground.
"I- You're right. Sorry," Starlight blushed furiously as she was gently set down. "I'll try to relax." She forced herself to walk from Rarity's shop, followed by Cadence and Twilight.
"What if I say something stupid?" Starlight paced back and forth, much to the chagrin of Cadence and Twilight. "What if I do something wrong and she doesn't want to be friends anymore?"
Cadence massaged her temples with her hooves, exhaling slowly.
"Starlight. Stop." Cadence said after recollecting herself. "Tree Hugger was the one who wanted you to go with her earlier. She likes you enough to want to spend time with you. Stop stressing."
"You're right." Starlight paused her pacing. "I'm just being silly. I'm stressing over-" A knock at the door interrupted Starlight. "She's here!" Starlight's ears flattened against her head as her pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. "I'm not ready. Tell her I'm still getting ready. I can't- Hey!"
For the second time that day, Starlight found herself being magically lifted into the air. This time, however, it was Cadence taking it upon herself to carry Starlight through the air and deposit her in front of the door. Before Starlight could object, Cadence gently pulled open the double doors with her magic, revealing Tree Hugger.
Starlight's heart leapt into her throat, refusing to allow words past it. She was vaguely aware of Twilight and Cadence excusing themselves, leaving Starlight alone with Tree Hugger.
"Hey, Star." Tree Hugger smiled. She wore a simple, light lavender dress. Her yellow bandana was gone, replaced with a crown of flowers. "You ready?"
Starlight nodded, still having trouble with the whole 'speaking' thing. Tree Hugger giggled lightly and motioned for Starlight to walk with her into the crisp evening air.
"So, how are you doing?" Tree Hugger broke the silence as the two trotted through the mostly empty Ponyville streets.
"Fine. Just fine." Starlight replied a bit too tersely.
"You seem tense..." Tree Hugger slowed her pace to look at Starlight.
"Tense? Who's tense? Not me, that's for sure." A nervous laugh escaped Starlight.
The two sank into another silence as they continued, leaving the shops and buildings of Ponyville behind in favor of an open field. Soon enough Ponyville was a distant sight on the horizon.
"Why did we come so far out? I can hardly see anything out here." Starlight looked over her shoulder back at the town.
"It's cool. You'll get the best view if there's less light."
Before Starlight could ask what Tree Hugger meant, they arrived at their destination. Or, Starlight hoped so. Otherwise they were about to steal somepony else's picnic.
"Here we are." Tree Hugger smiled and motioned a hoof for Starlight to make herself comfortable.
The picnic itself was a simple one. More of a blanket laid out and a few snacks, really. Still, Starlight couldn't help but smile at the effort Tree Hugger had put in.
"This looks lovely." Starlight sat and made herself comfortable, only having a minor heart palpitation when Tree Hugger took a seat next to her.
"Right on. I'm glad you like it."
"So, um, when do they start migrating?" Starlight looked about, seeing no creatures in sight.
"Soon. Any moment, actually."
As if on cue, a small mote of white light winked into existence in the distance. A few seconds later another appeared, followed by a third. Soon the tall grass stretching before the mares had dozens of glowing spots nestled within it. A soft gasp slipped from Starlight's lips as the first of the glowing lights floated from the grass and began lazily drifting skyward.
"Ooh..." Starlight's eyes widened at the sight.
Even as the first lights drifted up from the ground, more started to appear within the grass. Soon the grass looked more like a canvas of the night sky than an open field.
"Why do they do this?" Starlight asked, her eyes never leaving the sight of the agogos. "The lighting up thing, I mean."
"The migration is the start of their mating season. They're like fireflies like that. The lights attract a mate."
Starlight flushed slightly, suddenly realizing how close Tree Hugger sat to her. Warmth seemed to radiate from the green mare, pushing away the chill Starlight had felt earlier.
The two sat in silence, occasionally munching on some of the snacks Tree Hugger had laid out. The Agogos continued to drift upwards, drifting about almost hypnotically. Indeed, Starlight found it hard to look away from the sight.
Starlight was painfully aware of the silence. 'Should I say something? What would I say? I should say she looks nice. That's not too forward, right?' Starlight suddenly found it hard to focus on the migration. 'What if I say the wrong thing though? What if she doesn't like me the same way if I do say something?! What if-'
Starlight's train of thought was broken by Tree Hugger's gentle voice.
"Your dress is far out." Starlight turned her head to look at Tree Hugger. "I like it."
"I, uh, thank you." Starlight managed to stammer out. "I like your dress, too." Starlight hoped she was keeping a calm demeanor, but she couldn't tell over the pounding of her heart. And why was it suddenly so hot outside?
Starlight turned her attention back to the agogos, uncertain of what to say. The dancing motes of light were far above the pair now, resembling oversized stars against the clear backdrop of the sky.
"They're really pretty." Starlight said, staring upwards.
"Just wait until you see what happens next." Tree Hugger grinned, clearly knowing something about the migration Starlight did not.
"What happens next?" Curiosity temporarily buried Starlight's nervousness. "Are they leaving?"
"Not quite." Tree Hugger said cryptically.
Starlight raised an eyebrow, but quickly turned her attention back to the agogos again, not wanting to miss whatever Tree Hugger was hinting at.
Eventually, something did happen. Two of the agogos changed color, a cyan and orange light breaking the white lights of the rest of the creatures. Then two more changed color, though this time to a purple and lavender respectively.
"Why did-" Starlight began, though she cut herself off with a gasp of surprise. As if the first few had started a chain reaction, various colors swept through the rest of the agogos, a blanket of color illuminating the sky. "Oh, wow. It's so beautiful." A breathtaken Starlight managed to say in a voice barely above a whisper.
"Mhmm." Tree Hugger agreed. "I love watching the migration. It's just peaceful, watching part of the cycle of life."
Starlight's mouth hung open a bit as she stared in awe. Her attention was pulled away by a solitary agogo floating down and flitting about in front of her.
"I think it likes you." Tree Hugger giggled.
"Um, hi there." Starlight said, taken aback slightly.
Now that she was close to one, Starlight could see the agogo clearly. It looked like a tiny cloud that had been shaped into a pony, no bigger than Starlight's hoof. It tilted it's head in curiosity, flitting up and down as it quietly hummed a happy-sounding noise.
"They're adorable!" Starlight squealed in delight. She glanced over at Tree Hugger to find the mare with her own look of wonder.
"Radical..." Tree Hugger murmured.
What felt like too soon, however, another agogo flitted down next to the first. This one darted about the first, apparently getting a postive response. After only a few seconds, the two creatures changed colors. The now green and pale lavender agogos floated skyward, joining the rest of the cloud sprites in the sky.
Tree Hugger and Starlight sat in silence for some time, content to merely watch the multi-colored cloud of agogos drift lazily away.
"Hey, Star?" Again, it was Tree Hugger who broke the silence. "Can I ask you something?"
Something in Tree Hugger's voice had changed, though Starlight couldn't put her hoof on what exactly.
"What is it?" Starlight turned her attention to the other mare, briefly forgetting about the migration.
"Is-" Tree Hugger hesitated. "is this a date?"
There it was. The question that had been nagging at Starlight all evening, silently tormenting her. Starlight was pretty sure her heart stopped for a moment. Or maybe it was the world around her stopping as her mind raced at a million miles an hour. Either way, it was a long moment before Starlight was able to form any coherent thoughts. Before she could reply though, Tree Hugger continued speaking.
"Like, you asked yesterday, and I totally bailed before you got an answer. So I've been kinda wondering what tonight is, myself, you know?"
Starlight answered much faster than she expected to.
"I'd like it to be." Starlight's heart was threatening to tear itself free of her chest at this point. A small part of her wished she hadn't said that. Even as the words left her mouth she found herself second-guessing herself, slipping deeper into a panic. Starlight looked up, afraid her face would betray her panic spiral to Tree Hugger.
"Me too." Tree Hugger simply replied.
With those two words, Tree Hugger had somehow managed to end the panic rising up in Starlight. Instead, Starlight found herself smiling, attempting to maintain a semblance of normal despite the fact that her heart was now pounding from sheer joy at those two simple words.
Tree Hugger softly rested her head against Starlight's shoulder, sighing happily.
Starlight smiled as the familiar scent of juniper berries wafted about her. Soon enough, she found herself resting her head against the soft curls of Tree Huggers mane. A light giggle escaped her as the two of them watched the agogos drift further away into the night.