Sunburst slid up onto a chair, Starlight just behind. "Oh." She spotted his favorite waiting of them. "How nice of you." They sniffed gently, taking in the sweet and savory hints. "Smells like they went all out on it too."
Starlight hopped up onto hers, looking over the table that promised more of a buffet selection of things. "Why did Sunny get their own?"
Shining laughed nervously. "They're the, uh... star of tonight. Sunburst's been through a lot, thought I'd give them a treat."
Cadance reached with magic for some of her own. "We don't know what your favorite is, Starlight. I apologize for that. But you are just as welcome here. We have things to discuss." Her vision was just a little off, examining that glittering thread. The two were fiercely connected.
It wasn't just a thread of enduring warmth of a foalhood friend. It burned hot, quite hot. The two were in love, romantic love. They were in that first phase, where everything probably felt perfect, and all they needed was to be with one another. Cadance could see all of that, as obvious as their swaying tails.
Cadance inclined her head thoughtfully as the group began filling plates, questions warming in her mind even as aromas of roasted vegetables and laden breads filled the cozy nook.
"So, has our visiting magician uncovered more of the Empire's hidden wonders while hosted here or do obligations in Ponyville still beckon before long?" She kept her tone light addressing Starlight while loading a crisp salad.
The aforementioned mare nearly fumbled her levitated spoon mid-dish. "Oh! Well, I admit I hadn't made concrete plans just yet..." She recovered aplomb swiftly, nudging a blushing Sunburst. "Hard to leave such pleasant new company after all!"
Shining perked up through chewing a hearty spinach tartlet. "Oh, I do hope you'll stay on with us for a good long visit at least! It makes me happy seeing Sunny with their smile back." He grinned affably Starlight's way. "Any friend of our Court Wizard is most welcome!"
Cadance nodded with a sip of her crystal goblet. "That ignoring that said friend is also an ally of the kingdom. You'd be welcome here in either event."
Starlight lifted a hoof flat with the two rulers. "Cut it out." Her words sliced through the thinly veiled buttering attempts. "You two are not very subtle. What are you trying to ask? Be straight."
Shining looked to Cadance for support.
She sighed. "You two are..." She glanced between them. "So..."
Sunburst swallowed heavily. "Are we in trouble?"
"No! No..." Cadance reached to pat Sunburst gently. "Quite the opposite. I can see you two are wildly in love. I'm almost jealous."
"Hey."
Cadance nuzzled her bristled husband gently. "We've moved on from that hot spike that starts romance. That isn't a bad thing, but seeing that bright bolt is... It reminds me, is all."
Starlight rubbed at the side of her head. "I forgot you could do that. A little creepy, but alright." She shrugged. "We're in love, not arguing it." She threw an arm over Sunburst, drawing them closer, chair sliding with the motion. "I love this pony."
Sunburst laughed nervously, words failing her entirely.
Shining smiled in what he hoped was a genuine way. "Um, good to... hear it. You two have been friends for many moons now." He turned his gaze to Cadance. "So were we, before we took that next step. She was Twili's foalsitter for years before I said a thing... I, uh... had to work up the courage."
"And it's a good thing he did." Cadance sliced a bit of cake to nibble on. "Or things would have been quite different." She looked between the two new coupled ponies. "Now, I am the princess of love. I'm going to ask some awkward questions, but know that I mean them only with fond support."
"Of course!" Sunburst broke her silence in an outburst. "I mean... yeah. You're our friend, Cadance."
"Glad to hear that." Her eyes went to Starlight. "You're claiming them quite possessively. Do you plan to take this new treasure back with you?"
Starlight shuffled as all eyes turned her way, feeling put on the spot by gentle questions hinting at huge unknowns she was still privately wrestling to reconcile. She took Sunburst's hoof reflexively while gathering scrambled thoughts.
Part of her had to marvel - who figured the fiery Ponyville rabble-rouser would clam up when crystal royalty gave her full attention?
"Um, I guess the truth is, we only just confessed having deeper feelings at all..." She managed finally. "I don't have a clue what future looks like yet through all this. It's kinda scary if I'm honest! But I know I can't lose what we found together now."
She cringed, remembering that time so long ago when she lost Sunburst off to school. "Never again."
Shining smiled. "Well! Then you could move here. We'd be glad to help Sunny get a bigger house, big enough for a new family?"
Cadance relaxed at the idea. "That would be lovely. I'd--"
"--No." Starlight leaned in towards the table with a frown. "I have too much in Ponyville. Twilight would... fall apart, to say nothing of my other friends... That isn't really an option."
Sunburst looked between the two warring sides of that battle. "T-then... I have to make a choice." She tapped her hooves fretfully. "I... I... promise... I'll visit, often..." She leaned closer to Starlight. "But I won't leave her behind, again."
A pensive hush fell around the table as each pony turned inward, visions of roads diverging through memory's mirrored lenses.
An awkward silence fell over the table as everypony turned sorta inward, all clearly thinking over how tricky this whole thing seemed the more they talked it out.
Cadance couldn't help but feel real sad taking in how dead set Sunburst looked on not bailing from Starlight's life again. Made sense they'd still feel messed up leaving such a close friend high and dry way back when. Some scars don't like risking getting torn open again no matter what good might wait on the other side.
And Shining saw plain as day this was eating at Starlight too behind that stare off into space. Whole lotta stuff back in Ponyville probably needed her bad that she couldn't just turn her back on. Even for a real special new romance. He could feel the tough calls like that - duty was duty.
They all slowly picked at the feast spread out without much being said. But hovering silently somewhere in this whole messy situation maybe some kinda hope still squeaked through. Sure their paths got briars whichever way you swung right now, but love found its stubborn way sometimes if you just gave it some patience. Had to believe that, right? Even when the next steps felt tangled as a tumbleweed trap.
Yeah...the crystals shining on the walls couldn't exactly share their wisdom on that tonight though. So the four sat tight letting unspoken questions and compromises simmer slowly.
A little concerned coo emerged from a crystal carriage nearby.
Sunburst hopped to her hooves and hurried over, smiling down at Flurry there, reaching up for them. "Well, hello there. We boring adults are talking big things." She grasped Flurry in her magic, drawing them up for a nuzzle. "But we love you, promise that."
Ignorant of what was being discussed, Flurry hugged Sun's snout with a joyous cry.
Starlight smiled at the two. "Sorry... kiddo. I'm stealing your foalsitter."
Cadance snorted, looking conflicted a moment. "You aren't... We'll have to adapt, but we can, and we will." She sat up, letting out a sigh. "It isn't as if Flurry never had other foalsitters. Sunburst was just... our favorite. Which just hammers in the point you made."
She sipped from a thick coffee. "We can afford to lose Sunburst, as cherished as they are. Twilight can't afford to lose you, and I'd be a terrible sister if I made the choice any other way."
Shining rubbed behind his head. "Yeah, point... As her brother, I have to let you go. I can't leave poor Twi flapping in the breeze without her... you're the counselor, right?"
Starlight beamed. "Yep! I'm the counselor of the school. It's a lot of work, but so worth it. Little kids need somepony to set them straight."
Sunburst sighed, putting on a smile for little Flurry while feeling pretty mixed up inside about everything being discussed. But some stuff was steady dealbreakers regardless - no way was she gonna ditch this kiddo without Cadance naming another good fill-in caretaker. Part of signing on loving this family was committing to this baby's wellbeing.
Cadance gave a little nod, clearly also wanting to be real sure Sunburst didn't feel pressured giving up caring for Flurry to chase other relationships. No reason old bonds breaking needed to mean new ones forming.
"You've always stepped up when life got hairy." She offered Sunburst a kind grin over her coffee mug rim. "However your adventure goes next, we'll get inventive making sure no kid catches the storm."
Shining bumped his wife appreciatively. They bounced ideas on logistics and such while Sunburst and Starlight chatted soft about what pull north versus south meant for them. It was heavy stuff but having things in the open mattered. They ate on slowly hashing details out bit by bit.
Starlight suddenly nipped Sunburst's closer ear. "I told you."
"What'd you tell me?" Sunburst rubbed their mildly throbbing ear.
"They're literally the head ponies around here." She snorted softly. "They can find foalsitters. They won't be you, but they'll get the job done." She pushed away from the table. "Thank you both. It was tasty."
Cadance put out a hoof. "Don't be too hasty. We have other things we could discuss, hopefully lighter things." She smiled gently. "I didn't even finish my awkward love questions. Now that I know your plans, a dozen more come to mind. Indulge me?"
Sunburst looked to Starlight. Starlight pulled herself closer with her magic. "Hit us."
"Lovely." Cadance brought her hooves together silently. "Since you're going to Ponyville together, will you be staying in Twilight's castle, or getting a home of your own there?"
Sunburst blinked at that. "I actually imagined Twilight's castle could use a few more ponies."
"Seriously," gusted out Starlight. "So much space, so few ponies. We have more than enough room to put Sunburst in there." She colored faintly. "With me."
Cadance smiled over interlaced hooves, not missing the hastily covered meaning but letting it lie gracefully. "Well I've no doubt you'll make our dear Sunburst feel wonderfully at home."
Shining stretched with a chuckle. "Yeah, castle life took some adjusting for me too back in the day. But you get used to all the enchanted suits of armor eventually!" He winked playfully at Sunburst. "Though Twilight's place rarely sees the chaos ours hosted regularly in its heyday!"
"I'd hope your school's a bit more orderly than that madhouse!" Sunburst returned volley with a matching smirk. She rather suspected crossed magical currents had catalyzed more palace misadventures than any admitted.
"My kids? Orderly?" Starlight burst out laughing. "I love them but it's a regular crusade keeping their chaos safely contained!" Her eyes softened sharing a smile with Sunburst. "Something tells me this professor will make an expert wrangler though when sparks start flying..."
Sunburst laughed nervously. "Actually... I don't think Twilight has a single enchanted suit of armor."
Shining blinked at that. "Seriously? I thought she was hiding them away when I visited... Not even one?"
Cadance gently set out a hoof ahead of Shining. "Putting that aside, it sounds like there's more than enough room for you both, which is lovely. Now... To the future." Her eyes pierced them both with her gaze. "Do you have any plans for foals? To be fair, we didn't at first, so..."
Starlight went from zero to full-faced red instantly. "H-hey! Um... We haven't talked about... that..." She glanced along at Shining. "I'm not even sure if that's an option? I mean..."
It was Shining's turn to gently wave Cadance back. "That's between you two. You have our full support either way. Be sure to invite us to any foal showers that are coming up."
"And weddings." Cadance smiled at the two increasingly uncomfortable ponies. "We wouldn't miss it."