//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: Love's a Roller Coaster Ride // by The Lord Thunder //------------------------------// A neon sign depicting a pair of chopsticks in steaming bowl of noodles hung on one of the buildings across the street. Starlight stopped walking to regard it and the second sign hanging above it that advertised the name of the restaurant. “Dim Sum’s Noodle Shack?” Starlight asked. Her stomach rumbled in anticipation. “That’s different. How about it, Sunburst?” “Sure! I’ll try anything once.” Trixie and Maud watched the unicorns cross the street and enter the restaurant. Once Starlight and Sunburst vanished within, Trixie and Maud trotted across the street. A savory smell of various seasonings greeted Trixie when she pushed open the door to Dim Sum’s. Starlight and Sunburst were already in line at the front counter, preparing to order. Trixie and Maud snuck into a nearby hallway that lead to the restrooms, allowing them to eavesdrop on the two unicorns undetected. “Hmmm. Should we each get our own bowl?” Starlight asked. “It might be cheaper to get the large bowl and just share it,” came Sunburst’s voice. “You and me, sharing the same bowl?” Starlight giggled. “If you say so.” Trixie rubbed her hooves together. How perfect. All she had to do was use her magic to tie some of the noodles together when the waiter brought out the bowl. One big slurp transitioning into an accidental kiss and they’d see how much they were meant for each other! This plan is so perfect they should call me the Great and Powerful Matchmaker Trixie thought to herself with a sly smile. “Excuse me, miss,” said a voice that pulled Trixie from her thoughts. A middle-aged mare stood in front of her with an impatient look on her face. “Yeah?” Trixie asked. “Are you waiting or something?” Trixie tilted her head in confusion as the other pony pointed towards the mare’s restroom door. “She wants you to move,” Maud said. “Sorry.” Trixie stepped aside and returned her attention to more pressing issues. Starlight and Sunburst walked away from the counter, past the dining room tables and out the door in the back that led to the outside dining patio. “What now?” Maud asked. “We do the innocent random customer routine. We just need to blend in; act like we belong here.” Maud nodded her understanding. She and Trixie trotted up to the ordering counter, where a narrow-eyed earth pony mare, her black hair tied  in a bun, bowed a greeting. “Welcome to Dim Sum’s. What can I get for your today?” Trixie scanned her options in the menu and chuckled at one of the items there. “Noodles with Tartarus sauce?” “Oh, it no joke,” the hostess said in an accent from the far east. “Tartarus sauce very intense.” “Then get me a bowl of that.” “You sure? Only toughest ponies can handle it.” Trixie put her hoof to her chest, closing her eyes proudly. “The Great and Powerful Trixie goes big or not at all!” “Ok, then.” The hostess pulled out a piece of paper from somewhere behind the counter. “You sign waiver.” “For what?” Trixie raised an eyebrow. “Insurance purposes. You sign, you no sue.” “It’s really hot,” Maud explained bluntly. “Phhht. Is that all? Trixie’s not afraid of hot!” She grabbed the pen with her magic and signed next to the x. “Bring it on!” “You either very brave or very foolish.” The hostess turned her attention to Maud. “And you?” “I’ll just take a bowl of your classic noodles and a glass of milk.” “Ok, have seat. Waiter will bring it out to you.” Trixie and Maud chose the booth next to the patio window that Starlight and Sunburst had their backs to. A few minutes later, an earth pony waiter passed by carrying a large bowl of noodles and pushed open the patio door. Trixie reached out with her telekinesis and tied several strands of the noodles together as the pony walked past. *** Starlight smiled as the waiter approached their table, carrying a large bowl full of steaming noodles. “Here you are, one jumbo bowl, cooked to perfection with Dim Sum’s signature seasonings. Let me know if there’s anything else you need.” The waiter bowed politely, then left the two alone with their meal. Leaning forward, Starlight took a big sniff. It had a hearty, well-seasoned scent that made her mouth water. “Wow, this smells good.” Sunburst used his magic to grab a fork and dip it into the soup, twisting a lump of noodles around it. Broth dripped from the fork when he lifted it from the bowl. “I’ll bet it tastes good, too! This has been a staple of Neighgasaki cuisine for hundreds of years. They’ve been using garlic since ancient times, at least.” Sunburst blew on the noodles to cool them, then took a big bite. The dimples on his puffy cheeks lifted in a full mouthed smile. He swallowed and licked his lips. “Good?” Starlight asked. “Delicious! Great idea coming here, Starlight. You’re a genius.” “I told you, eating local like this is one of the best parts of travelling.” Starlight scooped up a forkful of noodles and shoved them into her mouth. A warm, salty wave of flavor from the various seasonings danced on her taste buds. “Wow, this is good! These are the most flavorful noodles I’ve ever had.” “Like I said, part of it’s the garlic,” Sunburst  twirled his fork around the pasta. “Did you know that ancient ponies used garlic for medicinal purposes? They used it to treat everything from minor cuts to life-threatening infections.” Starlight tilted her head, once more intrigued by Sunburst’s vast knowledge. “No, I didn’t know that. Where’d you find that out?” “In a book I read about ancient pony civilizations.” Starlight laughed and shot Sunburst a wink. “Oh, and who’s the genius?” Sunburst swallowed hard, nearly choking on the noodles in the process. He laughed bashfully and waved the notion away. “Oh, I’m no genius. I just read a lot.” “Sunburst, you’re one of the smartest ponies I know.” Starlight put a hoof on his shoulder to assure him. Fidgeting with his fork, Sunburst kept his eyes shyly on their bowl. “Okay, maybe I am a little bit of a genius.” “There you go!” Starlight patted him on the shoulder. “See? You don’t have to be so modest all the time. Have a little faith in yourself. I do.” Sunburst turned his head, looking Starlight in the face for a silent moment that brought Starlight a smile she couldn’t have fought if she tried. He returned the smile with one of his own. “Thanks, Starlight.” There was something about Sunburst that made Starlight feel a peculiar warmth radiating from within as she gazed at him. Unsure what to make of it, she turned her attention back to their meal and dipped her fork back into the bowl, playing with it for a bit, mentally searching for something to take her mind off this strange feeling. “Hey,” she said, at the formation of an idea. “Let’s have a noodle race.” “A what?” Sunburst asked, himself only now seeming to come back to reality. “We each take a forkful of noodles, without spinning them, and whoever reaches the end of theirs first wins.” Sunburst narrowed his brow and spun his fork in the air. “You know what, Starlight? You’re on!” Starlight held her own fork aloft, shooting Sunburst a confident glare that said “you’re toast!” “Alright, on three. Ready?” Sunburst nodded in confirmation. “One. Two. Three!” Starlight scooped up a strand of noodles and brought them to her lips, watching them snake their way into her mouth as she slurped. In her excitement, Starlight paid little attention to the fact her noodles curved sharply to the right. She twisted her neck to follow and suddenly found herself nose-to-nose with Sunburst. *** Sunburst sucked up his noodles with a loud slurp, eager to beat Starlight at her own game. Focused on his own efforts, he failed to notice the row of noodles go rigid as they pulled from the opposite side until he felt his nose bump into something soft and warm. His entire body tingled when he realized he was face to face with Starlight, her nose scrunched up against his. As he stared into her feminine features, his heart began to flutter at the realization that the filly he’d known since they were foals had grown into a lovely young mare. He hadn’t paid much attention before, so why was he only now aware of a strange, startling feeling in the pit of his stomach? *** Both opened their eyes wide in surprise, gazing at each other. Starlight’s heart thumped painfully in her chest as she let out a nervous giggle before biting off her noodles and pulling her head back, watching Sunburst’s cheeks flare up. He averted his gaze, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. “Heh. We grabbed the same noodles,” Starlight said to break the awkward silence. Her face went hot as she twirled a hoof in her ponytail. “What are the odds?” “Yeah,” Sunburst mumbled, still unable to look Starlight in the eyes. “One in a million, huh?” Just a couple more inches, and... Starlight felt her cheeks burn; the tips of her hooves tingle. That was the closest she'd ever come to kissing anypony.