//------------------------------//
// 17 - Girl or Boy 
// Story: Brilliant Sunburst 
// by David Silver 
//------------------------------//

A feast was spread before them on round wooden table. Twilight waved over it as Starlight and Sunburst sat down. "I made this to welcome our new resident. I would have planned more if I had warning." She shot Starlight a cross look, but her smile was quick in returning. "It'll be nice having a little wizarding stallion energy around here."

Sunburst blinked softly. "Oh, um, thanks... But I'm not a stallion." She reached for a carafe with her magic and poured herself a drink, sniffing at the potent stuff as she reached for food. "Just me."

Twilight inclined her head. "Yes... but what is 'you'?" Her eyes dipped down and back up. "You look like a stallion from here."

Sunburst colored. "I do... have..."

Spike buried his face beneath his hands. "Twi! Sweet Celestia, I don't have what you just looked at, at least looking like that, and you still call me a guy."

Twilight rubbed awkwardly at her cheek. "Well, no, but you're a dragon. There are different expectations for a dragon. To assume you adhere to pony anatomical expectations would be quite foalish."

Starlight threw a hoof over Sunburt's tense shoulders. "Twilight, she is both. She has a bit of everything, because she's just that amazing."

"Oh..." Twilight took a gentle nibble of a crusted lasagne like dish. "Mmm... Wait." She sat up sharply, slapping her hooves on the table. "Both?! Is that even possible?!"

Sunburst tapped her hooves nervously. "Not everything... Um... This..."

Spike shook his head. "Twi, dinner. Eat first, ask nerdy questions maybe later, if Sunburst feels like it?"

So Twilight went quiet, at least for a few minutes of eating. "So... What inspired this?"

Sunburst smiled. "Actually, that is an interesting story." They showed no hesitation there, even releived that the conversation had taken a turn.

Twilight leaned forward eagerly at Sunburst's openness to share their intriguing genesis tale. Sensing the palpable tension easing around the table, she opted for an encouraging smile over another outburst of academic curiosity - there would be time for unraveling physiological mysteries later. 

Starlight possessively gripped her girlfriend's hoof, throwing a subtle warning glare Twilight's way over her plate of hay fries. But the princess waved a wing placatingly in silent assurance questioning would remain respectful, not invasive. Spike eyed the silent posturing warily through mouthfuls of gem salad, ready to intervene again if needed between his adoptive sister and the prickly sorceress.

Sunburst took a fortifying sip from her goblet, crystal courage glinting. "I mentioned having a rare inborn intersex condition, yes? Well it seems certain genetic quirks lingered obscured just awaiting a catalyst..."

She shared a meaningfully tender glance with Starlight. "My, um, mother. She decided, when I was a foal, that I would not be in the middle. She picked a side, and that is the stallion you knew." She chewed softly on a roast veggie a moment. "But then, Flurry, you remember her?"

"Of course." Twilight clapped her hooves together. "She is my niece. What about her?"

"She pulled the spell free, not entirely, but enough that I learned I wasn't a stallion... I could suddenly breathe." She took a steadying breath, for emphasis? Or just because she needed one. She didn't say. "And I had a lot to learn, about me... Um, but... to make a long story shorter... I went and got the rest of the spell removed, and here I am."

Twilight's eyes shone with scholarly fascination as Sunburst shared their remarkable account. This glimpse behind the curtain at such rare magic cast on a young foal raised urgent ethical questions - had denying Sunburst self-knowledge been justified in seeking normalcy? 

But she restrained her brimming scholarly zeal sensing her transformed friend was in an awkward place. There would be time to explore the intricacies of such spellcraft another day if Sunburst felt inclined. The gift of this truth alone at their table tonight was privilege enough not to be prodded further now.

Starlight nuzzled against her girlfriend comfortingly, a subtle protective barrier shielding deeper waters than the casual upstairs-downstairs gossip circulating the palace halls revealed. But Sunburst's flowing account showed less of tension's bite and more quiet pride glowing through, a testament to inner strength thriving as fierce as Starlight's around the table.

"I cannot envision how disorienting such fundamental self-revelations must feel," Twilight offered gently once the poignant tale concluded. "But I can say with utmost certainty that your courage revealing this long-shrouded corner of your spirit only magnifies the beauty I see before me now." 

She raised her goblet in a toast, mane catching candlelight. "To embracing destiny's diverse blooms however they unfold before our eyes, even from humble seeds long planted in shadow. The most radiant gardens begin tilling soil in darkness before thorns give way to roses."

The table of creatures raised goblets and cups in time, clinking them together.

Spike was giggling though. "Did you just call Sunburst pretty?"

Twilight blinked, playing back the words in her mind. "I was... just trying to be supportive." Her cheeks darkened at how it could be taken. "Sunburst, um, I'm sorry..."

Sunburst laughed nervously. "I, uh... Thank you?"

Starlight pointed to her eyes, then at Twilight. "I have my eyes on you. You appreciate her from over there. She's mine." She hugged closer to Sunburst, nuzzling a cheek. "We are a thing, officially."

Twilight waved her hooves frantically, cheeks flaming purple as she backpedaled from her unintentional complement. "Oh goodness no, I didn't mean to imply...not that you aren't lovely Sunburst, but just as a friend..." 

Spike dissolved into further cackles seeing his normally articulate sister so flustered. "Aw c'mon Twilight, no need to get your wings in a twist! I think it's sweet you wanna show Sunny she's welcome here with us."

Starlight possessively gripped her very own stunning girlfriend closer, but her jealous pouting held a playful glint Sunburst knew well. "Can't blame a girl guarding such a catch, can you though?" She winked slyly Sunburst's way. 

Sunburst gently booped Starlight's nose in return, both chortling together. "I assure you no guest compliments can sway me from the company I already keep, my dear." Still flushed pleasantly from Twilight's kindly toast, she felt no offense at its effusive phraseology either accidental or no. "T-twilight."

Twilight perked at her name. "Yes, Sunburst? How can I help?" She took her turn with some hay fries with a content noise. "Always a favorite..."

Sunburst smiled nervously as she sat up. "I would like you to study me."

Starlight dropped her fork with a clatter.

Twilight hadn't been holding one, and instead dropped a hayfry from her magic. "Um?"

Spike hiked a scaled brow. "Wow. I did not see that coming."

Sunburst waved over herself. "I mean it. Ponies have been quick to, um, point out how... unique... my, uh, anatomy is. It'd be a crime to not study it and learn from it." She cleared her throat into a hoof softly. "So I'd like to enlist one of the smartest and talented wizardly scholars I know to take up that task."

Starlight snorted, leaning in. "I'm right here!"

"Y-yes, you are." Sunburst inclined her head at the angry-looking Starlight. "But you're also my girlfriend. Um, you're... biased. Studying your own girlfriend is a big ask."

Twilight slowly swallowed what was in her mouth, quiet a moment. She understood Sunburst's scholarly motivations in seeking greater understanding, but hesitated given the uncharted personal dynamics clearly still adjusting around the table.

"I'm...honored you would consider me for such a monumental research undertaking," she began delicately. "And you raise an excellent point - scientifically documenting such a rare biological variation could expand medical knowledge helpfully."

She took a judicious sip of juice under Starlight's laser glare before continuing.

"However, we must be extraordinarily sensitive in handling intimate matters of identity and consent. I would only participate with your enthusiastic blessing at every step after thorough consultations gauging readiness."

Twilight maintained earnest eye contact with Sunburst directly. "I apologize if previous clumsy comments pushed you towards unwanted vulnerability. Please know our care for your whole being always outranks academic curiosity in my eyes."

She offered a supportive smile Sunburst's way. "Consider my library and I resources to aid your self-discovery however you prefer utilizing without pressure. And thank you for your courage just in bringing this to the table tonight."

Twilight lifted her goblet in salute toward the couple. "Now then, who saved room for dessert? Spike's chocolate souffles await!"

Spike raised a hand. "Me, and I'll take a cup of 'What was that?' to go with it." With a grin on his face, he flopped his chin on cupped hands. "You're all being such foals! And you, Twi, are getting super complicated in a defense. It's cute, but cut it out. We're all friends here. Just talk normally."

Twilight flushed, chagrined at her verbose formalities slipping back in witnessing Spike's easy candor nudging them back towards equilibrium. However unintended, her scholar's instinct to arm herself in careful phrases and qualifications clearly saturated the suddenly charged air more than connecting organically.

With an abashed chuckle, Twilight nodded to her number one assistant sharing wisdom as always grounding restless academic tendencies. "You're absolutely right, Spike. I'm sorry - overthinking things instead of just being real." 

She turned a more relaxed smile Sunburst's way, hoping to recapture their initial mood before she stuck her hoof in it overanalyzing everything. "I think what I meant to say is I care about you, strange questions or no, and just want you comfortable however I can help." 

Twilight shrugged, nerves settling into her natural open warmth. "Besides, souffles wait for no scientist pony! Sis could use an extra hoof plating up though if you're so inclined?" She gestured welcomingly towards the kitchen. "But in all seriousness, thank you for trusting me enough to talk about all this. Means a lot having you here."

They both headed off to grab dessert, leaving the two girlfriends behind. Starlight huffed softly. "Are you alright with her poking and prodding at you?"

"If it advances our understanding, yes." Sunburst shuffled a bit, straightening back up. "If it means even one other little pony like me might be left alone instead of what I got... worth it."

Starlight winced back. "Oh... Shoot, now I feel bad." She rubbed behind her head a moment. "What are you hoping she'll find, best case scenario?"

The two returned with trays and plates. Spike took to wings to get the plates where they needed to be as Twilight set the desert in the center and worked on clearing off the dinner trays.

Sunburst continued despite that, "Well, best case scenario... I show a useful middle point." She brought her hooves together. "Understanding that may make it easier to get ponies to it, and past it. Ponies who want to cross the boundary I'm now sitting on may, one day, do it easier."

Twilight hopped up into her seat. "Fascinating! Now, I can't say what may come, or not, of study that hasn't been done." She inclined her head at the dessert. "But I can say, with confidence, that Spike outdid himself with a tasty little morsel right here."

Sunburst laughed at that. "Hint received. Let's enjoy and think about scholarly things later."

With that, they enjoyed the sweet offerings Spike had prepared for them. "Very good, Spike." Sunburst smiled gently. "This is... nice. Do you eat together every day?"

"Every single one." Spike nodded at Sunburst. "Unless Twilight gets caught up in something, then I bring her some food and it's just me and Starlight."

Starlight huffed at that. "I swear, Twi, you are such a character sometimes. You will not keep Sunburst through dinner, ever. Got it?"

"I wasn't planning on it," she murmured defensively. "In any event! Welcome, Sunburst. Here's to a lovely little family we have going, and to future knowledge we can unveil, together."

"I'll drink to that." They met their cups together in a second toast of the evening.