15 - Adults
Sunburst cleaned up the small mess he had made. He collected the scraps of paper Twilight had dropped in her panic. He set the prop staff aside out of the way and made sure all the books were where they needed to be in the library. It was as if he'd never asked that question, minus still being dressed like how he imagined his acrobat would fashion herself.
He snorted into a mirror, looking himself over. "It doesn't... fit me." She had smooth and silky hair, his mane and tail remained frizzy on the best of days. "Maybe that's why?" No, that was silly. Twilight wasn't scared off by a frizzy mane. There were so many better reasons for panic.
Had he chosen the wrong angle of approach? He thought she would like the O&O theme of things, and she liked being teased mentally, so the workup with the writing should have gotten her going, but it had all crashed down at the last minute, to say nothing of how he had literally crashed. He had pulled that move off before! Once...
"Calm down, what did she say," he counseled himself. She had been asking what to do. She was... scared. She was just as scared as he had been. "She wasn't scared of me." He smiled a little as his glowing horn started pulling lightly at the braids of his frizzy tail, trying to undo them. "She was... unaccustomed to the situation." And so was he! They had something in common. that was comforting in a way.
He sat down in the hallway just outside the room, unsure where to put himself. Did he wait for her? Would she return, or had he scared her into hiding for the day?
"Sunburst?" Twilight peeked around a corner, clearing her throat. "My... apologies, and thank you for still being here." She emerged a step, though still seemed to be using the corner as cover. "So... dating... Have you... dated before?"
Oh, of course, many times! "No..." There went the idea of trying to sound confident. "Have you?"
A princess with no idea how such a basic thing worked? Ridiculous! Of course she-- "No..." She smiled a little. "Maybe... we could figure it out, together?" She pointed past him, to the door that led into the library. "What's one more mystery between good friends? We're making such good progress on one, I bet we'll have this new one down before we even finish the next chapter."
He felt a chuckle bubbling up from deep inside of himself. "Y-yeah!" He tapped a hoof on the crystal floor gently. "I promise I won't bite. You don't have to hide, promise."
She tilted her head. "I was... also worried you were... maybe worried about me? I mean..." She stepped closer a little. "I am a princess, and that... carries expectations..."
He ran a hoof through his frizzy mane, eyes on her. "What stallion doesn't see his mare as his princess?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Mister Cake sees Missus Cake as his partner. Those two are almost enviously even." She came closer another few steps. "Do you really see me that way?"
He blinked softly. "I... don't know. I admire many things about you." He brought up his forehooves to rub them against one another nervously. "But you do too, right?"
"Right." She sat down beside him. "We are two intelligent unicorns, which seems to also mean we're a mess." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Are you sure you want to be involved with a 'nerd', 'book worm', and 'recluse'?"
He blinked at the words chosen to describe herself. "Are you talking about me or you? I'm not sure."
Twilight sank back with a dazed look. "Oh... huh... Well then, I suppose we can be alone, together."
He grinned softly. "You're a princess of friendship and headmare of a school of the same. You're not alone that often."
"But I like to be," she argued. "I've learned that social company is good, but that doesn't stop it from being draining. I'm not Pinkie Pie. I swear, that mare is literally powered by contact with other ponies."
He raised a hoof behind his head. "Give me a nice book and an interesting theory and you've made a good day. So, I mean..." He fidgeted in place a little. "I don't... I wouldn't mind you being there." He cracked a little smile. "You feel safe."
"Safe?" She tilted her head at the curious word.
"That came out wrong." He frowned at himself. "I mean... I feel like I can talk with you and you understand what I'm saying and when you don't, you just ask a smart question to figure it out."
Twilight reached for him, running a hoof through his mane down to the ponytail he had going on. "You look ridiculous... but thank you, for going through all this, for me. I expect this sort of thing from some ponies, but... I bet it was harder for you."
He pinkened along his snout softly. "I... was hoping you might play along. I even wrote a little adventure for us to go on, me and Twibright Sprinkle."
She burst into giggles. "You did not!"
With a pop, a sheaf of papers appeared floating in the air. "I did so," he defended, pointing up at the papers. "I included a branching narrative depending on the actions you decided."
Twilight's horn glowed as she snatched the papers from him, flipping through the papers rapidly. "You did! That is so thoughtful! And I went and ruined it. I'm sorry." She tilted her head left and right. "A little cliche there... Oh, nice twist." She flipped onwards. "It's lovely..."
He rubbed behind his head. "I... it's not as important as... knowing I said it... So, um... What... you know... what do you say?"
She looked up from the papers, confused a moment. "What do I--oh! I mean..." She glanced left and right. "I guess... we could... try?" She flashed a bright smile. "Let's approach this like two eager explorers? I, um, motion we start by making it clear that we'll botch this, often, repeatedly." She shook her head quickly, ears flopping about in the violence of it. "But if we remember that we are friends, we can... maybe get through it, right?"
He reached for her right hoof, cradling it between his hooves. She went stiff as he gazed into her eyes. "Twilight, I... promise to try my best to be your coltfriend. If, um, you ever decide it, we go back to being normal friends, poof, like that."
She yanked her hoof back, her face on fire. "I... ditto."
He smirked at that, chuckling through his own blush. "You'll be my coltfriend? How daring of you."
Her mouth worked soundlessly a moment before it was broken with laughter. "I didn't mean that and you know it! Don't challenge me, mister, or I may take you up on it." She reached and booped him on the nose gently. "Silly stallion."
He poked her in the side. "Silly mare," he returned fire, standing up. "Now that we are, um... settled on that, shall we continue our research?"
"Oh, yes." She hopped up and trotted around him towards the library. "I don't think the current chapter will give us much to work with in your situation, but her findings on developmental pathways for the condition are fascinating."
"I agree." He followed her towards the heavy tome that was the true starting point of their new adventure. "Even if nothing else results, perhaps we could encourage Princess Celestia to enstate some early-foalhood screening to look for and help alleviate the symptoms of the condition from future generations."
The thoughts of romance were cast aside as the two fell right back into study mode without preamble. "It wouldn't be unreasonable to instruct unicorn doctors what to look for. There are steps that can be taken to minimize the effects of this disease." She plopped down at the table, drawing over the heavy tome in her magic. "It's a true crime that this wasn't done long before now."
Sunburst softly shrugged. "We had to 'earn' this knowledge." He gestured at the heavy book. "There's even a chance she tried to bring it up, but the ponies of her time weren't ready to accept the ideas she was putting forward. On the other hoof, Celestia has faith in you, as do many other ponies." He nudged against her. "Your odds are greatly enhanced."
She colored a little before she shook her head. "I refuse." She crossed her forelegs with a huffy expression. "I won't go in front of Celestia unless you come with me. You deserve to be credited with these discoveries as my equal, not my assistant. Why, it could be argued that I am the assistant. You're the one that broke the code to even starting to read it in the first place!"
He fidgeted with his glasses as his eyes darted around. "O-oh, I mean, if you think? She isn't... so bad... Our princesses are nice ponies, like Cadance, and, um, you."
Twilight's nose wrinkled. "Cadance and I are created princesses. We earned it in our own ways. Celestia and Luna are on another level. They were always... amazing." She sighed out in a fit of hero worship. "Treat her respectfully, but you still deserve to be there."
"Of course." He reached with his magic and flipped to the next page. "Shall we continue?"
"Let's."
Spike pulled back from the doorway with a quiet little snigger.
"They in total panic mode?" asked Starlight with a hiked brow. "I don't hear panic from here."
Spike thrust a thumb at the library. "They went back to reading that big book of theirs."
Her eyes rolled slowly. "Really? All of that talk of being boyfriend and girlfriend and they just... go back to reading?"
Spike lifted his shoulders. "It isn't the same. He's sitting even closer to her, and she doesn't seem to mind."
"So they've advanced from studdy buddies to studdy buddies with snuggling privileges?" Her brows went up together. "That feels like a perfectly adorkable thing for the both of them. Well, whatever." She turned away from the room. "If they're not freaking out, then I did my job."
Spike stepped forward to keep up with the retreating Starlight. "So, hey, not upset?"
"About?" she asked without even looking back at him.
"Well, you know." Hiking his thumb seemed to be in high demand that day. "Sunburst, you know, with Twilight? Wasn't he, uh, your coltfriend?"
Starlight stopped, blinking. "He was my friend as a colt, not a coltfriend, there is a difference." She turned to Spike, leaning in at him dangerously. "Ember is a lady dragon and you're friends with her. Are you two a thing now?"
Spike lit up instantly. "N-no! I mean... I think she'd tear me in half if we, uh... tried... that? Besides, my heart still belongs to one special pony." He sighed out softly. "And she's all the mare I need..."
Starlight reached out and poked him right in his pudgy belly. "Well, there you go. He is a friend, but not a coltfriend. I like playing board games with him. I hope, should I ever decide to get one, my future husband will do more than play board games with me." A wicked grin spread on her face. "Maybe we'll exchange mind warping techniques."
Spike blanched at the idea of Starlight Glimmer, but happened to be a stallion. "You have other likes than that, right?" He nervously laughed. "Besides, mind warping spells are, um, not allowed, right?"
"Yeah yeah." She turned back to begin descending the stairs. "I was joking, Spike. Mind spells just makes everypony else get all grumpy. They really should learn to let go and enjoy having someone else in charge for a little while. It can be refreshing."
Spike let her go ahead for a small while, considering what she said. Sometimes, he had to wonder just how thorough her reformation had been.
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"And do you take this mare to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"He does."
Spoiled Rich will be proud that day, and she won't know why...
Starlight's worrying personality traits aside, very good to see that the happy couple doesn't immediately drop everything else to focus on romance. They are more than their relationship. And besides, they have a book to read!
9097764
It's a very geeky acknowledgment of increased familiarity I think. Now they can study while touching without calling foul. Think of the convenience!
9097847
If ever the stars aligned and I ended up with a partner, I would hope we are capable of teasing each other with positive feelings before and after.
9097889
I was... not even aware it was a 'thing'? I write by letting characters do their things. This particular story doesn't even have an outline as I've started doing for other stories. They teased each other because, at least at that moment, they wanted to tease each other in my head, and so they did. I was not trying to 'make them' do anything, other than the overall conceit of 'this is a story in which these two are in close proximity and maybe something sparks?'.
If I have to make a character do a thing, then I don't do the thing. I like my characters. That's why I write them. I don't write for situations. I've had characters rebel against me and refuse to continue if they do not want to be part of a plot, and that's my problem, not theirs. The story goes on with their refusal changing its flow, because my pathetic plans are not worth bending and spindling the characters I love.
9097962
If it helps, part of it is the nervousness of the situation. Twilight is in new situation, and fell to a snarky comment to pop the bubble of tension. He responded to it defensively, but then they laughed about it and got over it quickly, returning to reading.
Another well done chapter. The awkwardness Twilight and Sunburst is very relatable and it's nice to see romance treated as just another step in friendship. It makes it more comfortable to read.
Wow. This seems like a perfect place to end the story, but it's still going. I can't help but wonder what's next
9107313
"Hem." "Haw."