When Starburst awoke and realized that she couldn’t stretch out her limbs, she began to panic - until the events from shortly before she had fallen asleep came back to her.
Maybe sleeping together in the same sleeping bag wasn’t the best idea, she thought, glancing at the blue foreleg embracing her chest and listening to the soft breathing right behind her. She giggled as she felt Starfall’s breath on her neck. Although, it was certainly a… pleasant idea.
Starburst turned her head around a bit to look at Starfall. Her coltfriend was still asleep, with only his chest moving. As she looked at him, Starburst had a weird sensation of something being off, but it took her several moments - measured by Starfall’s breaths, about three inhales and two exhales - to realize what it was; this was the first time she was seeing him sleeping.
Kinda weird, considering this is the third time we are sleeping together, Starburst thought, then her eyes darted to the side. Ugh, never let the others know about it, they would joke about this being our actual third date.
Despite having no interest in relationships prior to meeting Starfall (not even about those of her friends, actually), Starburst knew what the general opinion was regarding third dates. Which she also knew wasn’t some unspoken real life rule. Having been dragged by Candi to several “girls meetings”, Starburst knew that none of her friends - female friends, at least - had… done those things. Even Claire and Illusion, who have been dating practically since forever. Or Annie, for all her jokes.
Sweet Celestia, Starburst realized with an unpleasant knot in her stomach. Starfall is quite possibly the only pony here with any experience in that field. Won’t make that part of the relationship awkward at all…
But that was something to think about another time; right now, as surprisingly comfortable as it was to lay in a sleeping bag with her coltfriend, forehoof on her chest, she needed to go and work out.
Just as soon as I figure how to leave without waking up Starfall, she thought, frowning at the unicorn. You know, considering that you’re the one who can teleport here, we should have reversed this last night.
Sighing - and trying to not think too much about having her foreleg and wing wrapped tightly around Starfall from behind - Starburst slowly began wiggling her way out of the sleeping bag. The hardest part was getting Starfall’s leg over her wing while crawling out. After that, it was easy. His hoof slid past her flank and hind leg - causing her to blush briefly - and laid on the ground.
Satisfied, Starburst began to stretch out. She flared her wings and arched her back, then after her bones crackled she worked on the joints in her forelegs. She wasn’t doing any of that just to wake up her body, but also to prepare for her work out.
As she was about to be done with stretching, she took a look at Starfall’s sleeping form… and was surprised to see him looking back at her with one eye open.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you…” Starburst began, but then paused. “Wait a second… were you watching me stretching out?” she asked, blushing in embarrassment.
Starfall didn’t reply, which only made her even more annoyed. Heck, he didn’t even move, she thought as the silence dragged on. He’s staring at the same spot… huh?
“Star?” she asked, tilting her head.
This time, she got a reply. A quiet snore.
Her jaw dropped. It took her several seconds to recover, and when she did, she facehoofed.
“I almost fell for it…” she mumbled to herself before she turned to Starfall. “Your eyes were closed earlier.”
The snoring stopped. “Really?” Starfall asked, opening his second eye as well. He rolled over on his chest and looked at her drowsily. “That’s new. I usually sleep with at least one eye open.”
Starburst deadpanned. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Um… yes?” he said, tilting his head. “I wanna say yes...”
“... okay, it’s early, so I’m going to assume you’re not joking to make this easier for myself,” Starburst told him. “I’m pretty sure what you just said is unhealthy; could you stop doing that?”
To her irritation, he shrugged. “I can try.”
“I’m being serious,” she replied.
“You try living for years always expecting the worst to happen every second and sleeping with eyes closed,” Starfall countered.
“Well… fair enough, I suppose,” Starburst said, looking for an argument. “But nopony here wants to hurt you.”
“Yeah, I know that,” Starfall replied, frowning. “But it doesn’t make me stop thinking ‘what if they would want to hurt me’. After so many years, it’s something I do automatically; imagine this going wrong, that going wrong… But on the upside,” he added - as if noticing that Starburst was getting sad and troubled by what she was hearing - grinning “I always have a ‘worst case scenario’ plans prepared. Aside from one instance, they always work.”
Three guesses to what that ‘one instance’ was, Starburst thought, a bit amused.
“Still, that can’t be healthy,” she told Starfall. “Maybe my mom was right and you should talk with somepony about this?”
“No thank you,” Starfall said, dropping the smile.
Starburst rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you’re impossible.”
“Thank you,” he replied, this time sticking his tongue out.
She glared at him, but he yawned at that moment, so he didn’t see it. Starburst sighed. “I have to go work out; could you please try and sleep normally?”
“Like I said, I can try,” Starfall replied, rising to his hooves.
Starburst looked at him confused as he began to circle around within the sleeping bag, before finally laying down in a curled position.
“Seriously?” she asked, amused.
Starfall glanced at her. “What?”
“Nothing, just… you kinda acted like a dog there,” Starburst said, giggling. “And the end of your tail is under your head now.”
“Well? Made you laugh, didn’t it?” Starfall replied, sticking his tongue out playfully again.
“Eighty seven, eighty eight,” Starburst counted, clenching her teeth in exertion as her trembling wings slowly descended her closer to the ground, and then pushed up, “eighty nine, ninety…”
She was so focused on doing her wing-ups, that she had almost missed hearing somepony exit their tent. Starburst paused, her wings straight, and looked around. “Morning Lance,” she said to her cousin, recognizing him easily despite the dawn still being slightly dark, then returned to her workout.
“Good morning,” Valiant replied; Starburst could easily imagine him frowning at her as she counted her wing-ups. “Are you really going to work out during a camping trip?”
Ninety-two, “Why wouldn’t I?” she asked him, continuing to count in her thoughts.
“Well, so that you’d have more time to spend with your friends? Or your coltfriend?”
Starburst deadpanned at him. “For some reason… I’m having a hard time to believe you’d… actually prefer if I’d do the latter option over workout, ninety-six!” she grunted, closing her eyes.
Her muscles were aching in protest; Starburst was afraid if she wouldn’t focus, she would collapse. Only four more...
Despite her concentration, she still managed to hear Valiant sigh. “Alright, I realize that I could have tried better to be nicer to Starfall.”
“‘Could have’?” Starburst said through clenched teeth. Ninety-seven…
“Should have, fair enough,” Valiant corrected himself. “But even if I might be not particularly fond of Starfall, I do hope your relationship will work out.”
“Thanks, that means a lot,” she replied quickly. Ninety-eight… Her cousin hadn’t replied, probably wanting to let her finish before continuing the conversation. “Ninenty-nine,” Starburst muttered, her wings shaking as they raised her. She took a quick breath and lowered herself again. “Three hundred!” she finally exclaimed, happy to finish the third hundred. She fell down on the ground and rolled onto her back, breathing heavily.
“Three hundred?” she heard Valiant ask. She turned her head to see him (upside down from her point of view) looking at her with a mild annoyance. “That’s a bit much.”
Starburst shrugged. “I was busy the last couple of days, didn’t have time to work out properly.” As she said those words, she began to raise from the ground. She had let her gigantic wings lay limp for a few seconds before she folded them. “Also, that was just my warm-up.”
Since her cousin didn’t seem too happy about her working out during a camping trip or the amount of wing-ups she had done, Starburst decided that she wouldn’t mention about sit-ups and squats, which she had done earlier. She could do without another lecture about pushing herself too hard.
After she checked if her lucky ribbon was still tied tightly around her head, Starburst turned to Valiant to tell him she was going for a bit - about an hour - of jogging, but then she paused when she realized that her cousin was stretching.
“You’re going jogging now, right?” he asked her, knowing her usual training routines. “Mind if I join you?”
While Starburst hadn’t planned on having company, her cousin’s offer was a pleasant surprise. “Sure!” she said enthusiastically.
Valiant smiled, then looked at her tent. “Is your coltfriend going to join too?”
Starburst mentally rolled her eyes. Did he ask if he could jog with me just because he wanted to keep an eye on us?
“No, he’s sleeping in,” she replied.
At least, I hope so, she added in her thoughts, frowning as she glanced at the tent. That comment of his about sleeping with eyes open… I’m still not sure if he was kidding or not. Of course, even without that, I would have wondered if he wasn’t listening in, she added, amused and annoyed at the same time.
Starburst was about to say that they should start, but then a thought crossed her mind. A thought that would have befitted better a pony like Annie or Candy, but her cousin’s tries at interfering with her relationship made her want to get back at him.
“Is June going to join us?” she asked Valiant, raising one eyebrow.
To her utter surprise, her question made her cousin uncomfortable. “Um, w-why would you ask that?” he stammered, smiling nervously and rubbing the back of his head. And he blushed.
“Eee… that was a joke?” Starburst explained, tilting her head. “Is everything alright?”
“Of course!” Valiant replied, smiling. “Oh, look at the time, we should start jogging! Come on!” he called as he began to run a bit faster than ponies normally would while jogging.
Confused, Starburst turned her gaze from Valiant to his tent, and then back. “What was that supposed to mean?”
Panting heavily, Starburst barely dodged another strike. She moved back and brought her “training spear” (which was only a stick, one of the two they found that had about the same measurements as the Royal Guard’s weapon) against Valiant’s opening. However, her cousin ducked, causing her attack to pass over him. She had to block his next attack as his stick, held by his magic, aimed for her chest.
She noticed Valiant smile a split second before he pulled his weapon back while moving it at the same time to the side, causing her to loose a grip on her own weapon.
“And that’s three,” Valiant said, smirking. “I win.”
Starburst grunted unhappily in acknowledgement; she had really hoped she would be able to win at least once with him. She was about to ask for one more bout, but she realized how tired she was and instead fell down on the ground, spent. Valiant chuckled, seeing her defeated, and laid down as well, leaning against a tree stump.
They had been jogging around the forest paths surrounding the clearing where they camped near the river for at least an hour. By the time they had found this small flat area between the trees that was perfect for sparring, the dim light of the dawn had become a proper daylight. They then stopped at Starburst’s request, and looked for something that they could use as weapons while they rested. She had been eager to show her cousin how much better she had gotten. And for the better part of the last hour, she did her best to do just that.
But I still couldn’t beat him, she thought, feeling more bitter about it than she know she should.
“You’ve gotten better,” Valiant complimented her after a while.
“But I still couldn’t beat you,” she echoed her thoughts, pouting.
Her cousin chuckled. “Star, I’m the captain of the guard and an alicorn,” he reminded her. “It will take a bit more practicing to beat me,” he added jokingly.
Starburst rolled her eyes. Still nowhere near Starfall’s ego level, she thought, feeling a bit amused at the comparison.
“Meh, I’ll beat you next time,” she declared, waving her hoof nonchalantly.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Valiant replied.
Afterwards, a silence fell around them, broken only by their breaths and occasional sounds of nature. Starburst let herself enjoy if for a few minutes as she rested. She had the unpleasant feeling that what was about to come next wouldn’t be too fun, but she had to ask him.
“So, Lance” she said slowly, carefully choosing her words, “why did you freak out when I asked about June?”
Her question almost made him jump. Valiant looked at her, surprised and abashed. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Starburst snorted. “About how you blushed when I joked about her joining us?” she reminded him.
“Still not-” Valiant begun, but she cut him off.
“If you don't talk with me about this, I will tell Illusion and Claire and let them take care of this,” Starburst said, frowning. She then sighed. “Look, Lance, this is already a bothersome talk for me, so could you just tell me what’s wrong?”
“What made you want to talk about it anyway?” Valiant asked instead.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she corrected him, “but you’re my cousin, and I want to help you. So don’t try to change the subject. Did something happen between you and June?”
Her cousin sighed. “No… Last night, when you and Starfall went to sleep, most of us stayed up only an hour longer,” Valiant began. “June and I were the last to remain by the campfire, even Nidra went to her and Prism’s tent before us. We were just… having such a good time talking.”
Well, Candy will be happy, Starburst commented in her thoughts.
Out loud, however, she said: “So what’s the problem?”
Valiant shifted uncomfortably and looked away. Starburst realized that he was blushing again. “It, um w-well… that wasn’t a problem. The talking part, I mean. But when we went to the tent…” he trailed off.
“... Yes?” Starburst asked when he hadn’t resumed. “What happened in the tent?”
“You know, I really don’t want to talk about this.”
“Oh, mother of Celestia!” Starburst exclaimed, facehoofing. “Lance, you-”
“Hey!” somepony suddenly shouted from nearby. “Leave my Grandma out of this!”
Starburst looked around, startled. The voice belonged to Illusion. It didn’t take too long for her to find him; he was walking towards them through the same forest path they had jogged through. And he wasn’t alone.
“Oh look, Illusion and Claire are here,” Valiant called out, clearly happy about the interruption - and, as Starburst noticed, worried whether she was planning on continuing their conversation.
The funny part is it would have probably been better for him to tell me, instead of waiting for Candy or somepony else to meddle, Starburst thought, annoyed. This isn’t over.
As much as her cousin annoyed her as of late, she knew only too well how Candy could get when she had set herself on some goal. Especially if that goal involved two ponies of the opposite genders. She’d prefered to spare a member of her family from such annoyance.
“Hi guys,” she said to her friends as they approached. “What are you doing out here?”
“Why, darling, we’re having a romantic walk through the woods,” Claire replied. She looked around the small clearing. “I would ask you the same question, but it seems clear you two were training.”
Illusion added: “Plus, Starfall told us you two went jogging, so…”
Huh, so he was listening in, Starburst noted while Claire glared at amused Illusion.
“Anyway,” Claire resumed, turning back to her and Valiant, “it’s likely for the best we run into you. We can prevent you from committing any faux pas when you’d get back.”
“Faux pas? What do you mean?” Starburst asked, confused.
Claire sighed. “A gaffe, a blunder-”
“I know what ‘faux pas’ means!” Starburst interrupted her, irritated. When the other three ponies all chuckled, she realized it was a joke, but she ignored that. “I asked what you mean by us committing it!”
“Well, you see,” Illusion began, looking awkward. “If you’d have waited about an hour before leaving, you’d have learned of it too. Nidra and Prism broke up.”
“Wait, what?” Valiant asked, echoing Starburst thoughts. “How did that happen?”
“We have no idea,” Claire replied. “True, those two didn’t exactly strike me as ‘perfect matches’, but it still came out of nowhere. The best we could get out of them is that they talked last night and decided their relationship wasn’t working out for them.”
Starburst nodded absentmindedly. She wasn’t an expert in these sort of things, but she had thought that Prism and Nidra were doing fine as a couple. Their personalities were even alike to some extent…
What if Starfall and I could break up like that?! Starburst thought before she could stop herself. We have even less in common than those two… What if he’d start thinking that I’m boring? Or I would get too annoyed at something he did?
The other three ponies continued talking, unaware of her sudden panic. “That’s a pity,” Valiant said. “How are they doing?”
“They seem fine,” Illusion said; he’s tone of voice clearly said what he thought of that. “However, Nidra went back to Canterlot.”
“What?” Starburst asked, stopping worrying over her relationship and focusing on her friends. “Why?”
“She said that if both of them stayed, it would make the atmosphere awkward around our camp,” Claire explained, sighing. “We had tried to persuade her to stay, of course, but she was adamant about it. She had also mentioned something about having to finish an assignment one of her tutors gave her…”
“Funny, cause I could swear I heard her tell Aunt Luna that she had finished it already prior to leaving Canterlot yesterday,” Illusion commented. “Regardless, I teleported with her back home. I had hoped that I could talk with her there, but I had no luck getting anything out of her,” he frowned, upset that he couldn’t help his cousin.
“And how’s Prism?” Starburst asked.
“He also wanted to leave,” Claire replied. “But Whirlwind and Hot Head convinced him to stay.”
“Wait, Hot Head?” Valiant asked, surprised and confused. “I was under the impression that he and Prism-”
“Hate each other?” Starburst suggested.
“Despise each other?” Illusion tried.
“Immaturely compete with one another?” Claire said.
“Yeah, that,” Valiant said, not saying which option he meant.
“I guess even most hated enemies can show compassion,” Claire said, shrugging. “When we were leaving, the three of them were having a race.”
“Huh, ain’t that a surprise,” Valiant mused.
“Anyway, when we spotted you, we figured it would be best to warn you, before you asked Prism ‘where’s your girlfriend’ upon returning, or something like that,” Illusion said.
“Also, we thought that it might be a good opportunity to, hm, prevent a possibility of another drama?” Claire added, then turned to Starburst. “So, how’s your relationship?”
“Oh, for the love of Celestia,” Starburst sighed, looking away. I should have seen this coming.
“Hey!” Illusion exclaimed, frowning, though it was clear from his tone of voice that he was amused.
“Oh be quiet,” Starburst told him, before turning to Claire. “Not that’s it any of your business, but Starfall and I are doing fine.”
Claire nodded. “Of course, but you’ll forgive me darling-”
We’ll see about that.
“-about inquiring how come you had went training instead of spending time with your coltfriend?”
“What, are we supposed to be like your brother and Annie, practically being attached to each other?” Starburst asked, irritated. “I wanted to get back on my training routine, he wanted to sleep in. By the way, you said he had gotten up before you left?” she asked, looking between Claire and Illusion.
“Yeah; he was the last to wake up, in fact. A good half an hour after most of us,” Illusion replied. He smirked and continued: “When Annie commented on him for sleeping so long, he replied he was tired, to which Annie asked-”
“I can very well imagine what she asked about, thanks,” she interrupted him, not in the mood.
I’d better find him and make sure he doesn’t joke about Prism and Nidra breaking up, she thought, not sure if he’d do it otherwise or not.
In the meantime, Claire had resumed their earlier topic: “Of course I don’t mean that you two should be inseparable, darling. I was merely trying to bring your attention to the fact that you two have different interests.”
“Really?” Starburst couldn’t help but ask sarcastically. “I didn’t notice. Look,” she said more seriously, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do-”
“No you don’t,” Illusion interjected, smirking.
Starburst turned at him to deny his accusation, but she thought better of it. “Yeah, you’re right. But the point is, Starfall and I are doing fine. We might not have exactly similar interests or whatever, but we have fun talking and doing other stuff.”
“Wait, hang on,” Valiant interrupted her, “what other stuff?”
She sighed and facehoofed, but otherwise she hadn’t acknowledged she heard his question.
“What kind of things you talk about?” Illusion asked instead.
“Lots of things,” she sighed again, too tired to tell them all to go to Tartarus. “I tell him about my friends and Ponyville, he talks about his crazy adventures, like… being swallowed up by a whale, finding a sunken pirate ship, or… “ as her friends were giving her dubious looks at those examples, Starburst thought back to something that actually sounded plausible, “or about his imaginary older sister Dove.”
“Imaginary older sister?” Illusion repeated. “Huh, that’s funny…”
His comment made Starburst frown. “How exactly is that funny?”
Illusion quickly shook his head and waved his forelegs. “Oh no, not in that way,” he assured her. “It’s just… a funny coincidence. You see, when I was in Prance a few months back, there was this magician performing in one of the theaters there, her name was Dove.”
“I’m still a bit angry that you hadn’t taken me with you, Lulu,” Claire said, pouting.
“C’mon, Crys, I was there on diplomatic mission with Mom, I would have been too busy to take you anywhere there.”
“And yet apparently you had the time to see a magic performance,” Claire countered, raising an eyebrow.
“Nah, I just saw a poster from a chariot.”
Starburst rolled her eyes hearing the couple’s discussion. “I think we should leave them alone,” she told Valiant quietly.
Her cousin looked a bit troubled at them as they continued arguing, but since like her he knew their arguments didn’t last long, he nodded. Before either Claire or Illusion could notice, they both took into air and flew in the direction of the camp.
“Hey!” Claire called after them, but they were already far away from them.
“Maybe I should just teleport the both of us?” Valiant asked. “Illusion might try and bring us back.”
“No, I don’t think he cares that much,” Starburst said, shrugging. “I plan to fly around a bit, give my wings some more exercise, do you want to join Lance?”
“I probably should, flying still sometimes gives me problems,” Valiant confessed. “But, um, I probably should get back, deal with some... stuff.”
By the way he said it, Starburst suspected that this “stuff” had something to do with June and whatever was his problem. She wasn’t going to pry about what it was, but she was happy he was going to solve whatever it was quickly.
“Okay, see you later,” she said, waving.
“See you,” Valiant said, and with those words he teleported himself away.
Starburst sighed and continued to fly in the general direction of the campsite, thinking. Truth be told, all those things Claire had said unsettled her more than she was willing to admit to her friends.
She had practically voiced what I had thought when they told us about Prism and Nidra, she thought, flapping her wings slowly. Maybe… I should have talked with Claire? I mean, she and Illusion are pretty different from each other as well, so maybe she would have some good advice for me? Starburst wondered, but when she tried to imagine asking her friend about that, she felt a wave of anger wash over her. No. I don’t need anypony’s advice. Starfall and I can be a great couple on our own.
Her thoughts went to her coltfriend. I wonder if he’s worried too, about us being too different? He had expected me to turn him down when he asked me out... Starburst recalled, thinking of that night. It’s probably something we should talk about… Hm, on that note, I wonder where he is-
The moment - the very instant - she had thought of that, a bright light erupted right in front of her. She stopped mid-air and backed away, startled.
“Yargh!” somepony shouted from one of the treetops below here. “There be my booty!”
Starburst looked down, already knowing who she was going to see. “Your what?” she asked, still startled after his fireworks, but now a touch annoyed… and embarrassed.
The unicorn was standing on one of the highest branches of a maple tree, holding one higher with a forehoof. He had raised his bandanna from his neck to his head, making it look like a pirate headscarf.
He tilted his head. “Um, my treasure? What did you think I meant?” he added, raising an eyebrow.
Starburst frowned, but then rolled her eyes and let it go. That treasure comment was… sort of endearing, she decided with a blush. “What are you doing here?” she asked, descending to be closer to him.
“After I woke up and talked with your friends for a bit, I decided to go do some practice myself,” Starfall said, fixing his bandanna with the help of his magic. “The trees around here are great for my acrobatics training. In fact,” he added, looking at Starburst, “wanna help me?”
“Um, sure,” she replied, surprised but quickly getting into the idea. “How?”
“Just try to catch me,” Starfall said, winking.
“Okay-” Starburst began to say, but Starfall had already jumped down. She smiled as he grabbed a branch from a tree below and swung away. “Alright, it’s on.”
She raced after him, carefully maneuvering between the branches and trees. Starfall was moving from branch to branch as quickly as he could, but she was still faster. She spread her forelegs, intending to grab him… but a second before she could touch him, Starfall fell down.
What the… Starburst began, looking down… and saw a branch below them, which Starfall’s tail attached itself to for an instant before the unicorn moved away.
Starburst quickly changed her direction and flew after him. However, he kept giving her the slip, just before she could catch him, using his tail or a leg to get out of the way she was flying. However, after a few minutes, when they both began to pant from exertion, Starburst had managed to force him into the lower level of the trees, where there weren’t so many branches, and they were further apart from one another.
Gotcha! she thought triumphantly as Starfall leaped to reach the next branch.
The distance was too great, Starburst was going to catch him before he could get to it. She flapped her wings faster and grabbed him…
… except where there should be Starfall there was only air. And something just grabbed her from behind, making her fall down to the ground.
They were only about two feet above it, and they rolled around a bit upon impact, so neither of them was hurt. Starburst had tried to turn around before hitting ground, but all that resulted in was that she was now laying in her back, with Starfall pinning her down.
Both of them were breathing heavily for a moment in silence. Finally, Starburst said: “You cheated."
Starfall grinned. “I hadn’t said I wouldn’t use magic,” he pointed out.
Starburst had half a mind to swat him with her wing until he would admit he cheated, but she found herself not really caring about it all that much. Also, she… weirdly enjoyed being pinned down by Starfall, with those red narrow eyes staring into her from such close distance, with his fangs so close to her muzzle, and feeling his breath on her face. All of that sent weird shivers down her spine.
“So…” she tried to say, feeling suddenly very warm. “Um… we’re all alone here,” she pointed out. “W-wanna make out?”
Starfall didn’t reply at first, staring into her eyes. After a heartbeat, though, he chuckled.
“What?” Starburst quickly asked. Did I say something wrong?
“You were so adorable when you said that,” Starfall told her, smirking.
Starburst blushed more fiercely. “I… I was not!” she said, trying to pout like she had seen Claire do earlier.
“Oh, yes you were,” Starfall argued, leaning close to her muzzle.