The second changeling attack on Equestria has helped the Royal Crystaller Sunburst in getting a fresh perspective on several aspects of his life. One particular aspect comes into focus when Shining Armor and Cadance offer him a weekend off.
The second changeling attack on Equestria has helped the Royal Crystaller Sunburst in getting a fresh perspective on several aspects of his life.
One particular aspect comes into focus when Shining Armor and Cadance offer him a weekend off, and he's temporarily alleviated from all responsibility of Flurry Heart.
Sunburst, the Royal Crystaller and Magic Advisor to the infant Princess Flurry Heart had just finished putting his charge to bed for the evening, quietly closing the door to her nursery. A guard outside was waiting for him.
"Pardon me, Crystaller Sunburst," the Crystal Guard began, keeping his voice down just outside the nursery. "But Princess Cadance requested a brief audience with you before you retired for the night. She's waiting for you in the throne room."
"Thank you, sir." Sunburst replied. The guard departed with a nod, and Sunburst made his way down the corridor, glancing out the arched windows at the setting sun; the last rays of light glistening off of the dwellings of the Crystal Empire. Approaching the throne room doors, he gave two knocks, then saw himself in. Cadance was standing in the middle of the room.
"Good evening, Sunburst. I trust Flurry Heart didn't give you too much trouble while you put her down for the night?"
"Not at all. What can I do for you, your highness?"
"Well, as you know, Sunburst, things have gotten a bit... Exciting around here recently, what with the changeling attack and all. I've decided that Shining Armor and I could use a weekend off, and we're going down to Ponyville in the morning, and taking Flurry Heart with us. We were wondering if you'd like to come along too. I don't think you've had any time off recently, either. You have been absolutely integral with our recovery efforts here, even as we spent a day in Our Town with Starlight, because, well, that's where Discord transported all of us to. I thought it'd be nice to give you the opportunity to visit with Starlight Glimmer."
"How kind! Yes, I'd love to accompany you down to Ponyville. I haven't seen Princess Twilight's castle yet either."
"Sounds great. The train leaves at seven o'clock tomorrow morning." Cadance informed him.
"I'll be there!" Sunburst said, bidding the Princess of Love good night with a bow, and exited the throne room to retire to his quarters for the night. He hoped to get a good night's sleep now, it would be an early start; and that was if Flurry Heart didn't need attention in the middle of the night.
The castle had been quite the step up from his house in the western suburbs of the empire, but it was essential. If there were any issues or emergencies with Flurry Heart, he very well couldn't be across town if and when he was needed.
The room that had been assigned as the Crystaller's Personal Quarters was in the same corridor as Flurry Heart's nursery, two doors down. His home was now almost entirely barren, for he had moved his entire collection of books and spell tomes to his quarters here; what didn't fit on the numerous shelves in his room supplemented the already impressive castle library.
His bed was simple, with a small night stand and lamp next to it. Next to the lamp on the stand was a picture of himself and Starlight, taken from her last visit to the Crystal Empire, when Thorax made his appearance. Speaking of him, things were bound to get even more interesting, now that the Changeling Kingdom was going to soon be entering into diplomatic relations with Equestria, thanks to Starlight and her group of friends. He was glad Thorax was able to get to her, as he was the ultimate key to his own unwitting coup which saw Queen Chrysalis removed from power. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a bit... Insulted. For when the royal family along with Flurry Heart was captured, the changelings hadn't considered him much of a threat, and had left him incapacitated in the castle.
'Probably because they thought I didn't have a lot of love to feed off of.' He thought to himself.
But when he looked at the picture of him and Starlight, his heart skipped a beat.
Could... Could he use this opportunity? These feelings had erupted out of nowhere in the last few days. Would bringing them up be wise?
Climbing into bed and shutting off the light, he decided he'd sleep on it.
Starlight looked at herself in the mirror and quickly ran a brush through her mane. Celestia had barely risen the sun, and she had hardly gotten up in time to greet their company for the weekend. It had already been an exciting few days; she really hadn't expected the warm welcome back by her former village. Even though animosity was cast aside when she first returned with Twilight some months ago, to want her input on, well, virtually every aspect of the Sunset Festival... It was a bit unnerving. But with the changeling invasion, she found it inside herself to be a positive and effective leader, even without her magic. Upon victory, they returned to the Sunset Festival, where she found herself much more willing to give her input.
She still wasn't sure if she'd be welcome back permanently; her house at the far center of town had been replaced by a rather impressive looking tree in the time she had been gone. At first she wasn't sure how to feel about that, but didn't take too long to figure it was better than letting her cottage sit there and rot. Besides, when her tutelage with Twilight was done; if life did lead her back to Our Town, the last place she'd want to be is the center.
She finished brushing her mane and looked at the clock.
"Nuts, I'm late!"
She dropped her brush on her armoire and rushed out of her room into the western corridor. She turned the first corner to the foyer and had to immediately skid to a halt to avoid colliding with a familiar old friend.
"Whoa!" Sunburst exclaimed as his trip to greet his friend came to a sooner-than-expected end.
Quickly composing herself, Starlight's eyes widened at the surprise visitor, and greeted him with a smile.
"Sunburst! Isn't this a surprise! Twilight didn't tell me you were coming!" Starlight exclaimed happily, rushing forward and throwing her hooves around her oldest friend. Sunburst returned the embrace, blushing lightly at the cheeks.
"Yeah, this was spur of the moment. Things have been a bit hectic up in the Empire, and Cadance invited me just last night. She's right, I could really could use some time off too."
"So you're down here for the weekend? That's great! So what should we do first?" Starlight asked.
"Well, actually Starlight, there's something I should probably say... If I don't do it now, my fears are going to get the best of me so just... Bear with me."
Starlight nodded immediately.
"No worries, what's up?"
The blush in Sunburst's cheeks started to deepen.
"W-Well... The changeling attack made me realize that life can get a bit unexpected, and at any point, anything and everything could change. We don't have all the time in the world, so we shouldn't put off telling ponies we care about how... How we really feel. Feel about them..."
Starlight slowly nodded, showing that she was listening, as her friend was currently failing to maintain eye contact.
"What, what I'm trying to say is... Ugh..." Sunburst continued, only to stumble with his words.
"Just take a deep breath, Sunburst."
The crystaller did just that, and managed to look Starlight in the eyes again while he rubbed the back of his head with his hoof.
"Starlight... I... I like you. A-A lot. Could I... Could I take you out to dinner?"
Starlight was 99.9% sure she hadn't accidentally cast Tempus Praevaricator, but it certainly seemed that time had instantly slowed down to a crawl. She began to feel light headed, her ears started to ring, and the standing figure of Sunburst in front of her began to blur and lean to the left, along with the hallway. The last thing she heard was her friend's panicked voice.
Twilight and Cadance came galloping down the hall when they heard Sunburst's panicked voice echo out into the foyer. The Princesses of Friendship and Love found him standing over a collapsed Starlight, attempting to fan her with his turquoise cloak, although it appeared he was also on the verge of hyperventilating.
"Sunburst, what happened?" Twilight asked, trotting up to him, inspecting her student who was unconscious on the hallway floor.
"Sh-sh-she just fainted!" Sunburst claimed, not pausing in his attempts to fan his friend.
"'Just fainted'? By seeing you?" Cadance asked.
"Well, no... You see, I may have... I... kind of-"
"Yes, of course you can!"
Sunburst was cut off by Starlight Glimmer, who had snapped back to a woken state, eyes bolting open excitedly. Her face then flushed red when she saw that she had indeed passed out, and her first friend, her teacher, and Princess Cadance were now standing over her. As soon as Twilight helped her up to her feet, she didn't even take a breath or utter a word before silently retreating back to her room, leaving the royal duo dumbfounded.
"Alright, what exactly happened?" Twilight asked. Fainting didn't usually last long at all, so this must have all gone down in the last minute.
"Well, you directed me to her room, because I wanted to surprise her, and she nearly ran into me on my way there. Then..."
"Yes...?" Twilight asked, urging him to continue.
"I... I asked her out to dinner!" Sunburst said, his cheeks flushing red now.
"That was it? She fainted because you asked her to dinner?" Cadance asked, raising an eyebrow, doubting that wasn't quite the whole story based on Sunburst's tinted cheeks.
"Alright, alright! I said I liked her... A lot, THEN I asked her out to dinner. I... I think I need a moment." Sunburst added, his blush deepening, before he likewise departed from the hallway back out to the main foyer.
Twilight and Cadance blinked simultaneously, then looked at each other. They were both trying to contain giggles.
"Well, sounds like this little situation may be slipping out of my territory and into yours." Twilight said to her sister-in-law.
"Sounds like it. That first confession... It never stops being adorable. I will admit though, I've never witnessed anypony fainting on a confession before." Cadance said with a chuckle.
"Well, Starlight has quite a bit of social anxiety. This is like... Ten times more of a shock to her than it would be to somepony who grew up with a crush or two by her age. Guess there's no rest for the Princess of Love even on her weekend off. So how do you want to handle this?"
"Let's stick with who we know best. You talk to your student, I'll handle my crystaller."
Cadance headed back out to the main foyer, and Twilight turned and trotted to her student's room. She took a deep breath, wondering what state Starlight was currently in, and knocked.
"Starlight?" She asked, waiting a few moments before opening the door. She found her student over by her bed, breathing into a paper bag.
Starlight eyed her teacher as she came in and closed the door. She took another deep breath into the paper bag, and then let it drop to the floor.
"S-Sorry, Twilight. This is just... So much to take in. I mean... He... Sweet Celestia... He likes me... Like that?!? After all this time?"
Twilight smiled gently at her student.
"It seems that way. I know this is a shock, because you didn't have feelings like that for anypony growing up, except maybe him, and back then you probably didn't know what they were or what they'd develop into."
The tint on her student's cheeks returned.
"If it's any consolation, he's out in the foyer just as frazzled as you are. Cadance is tending to him." the Princess offered.
This piece of information did seem to help Starlight calm down just a bit.
"Well, he seems to be in good hooves then."
"And I'm here if you need me too. Do you have any questions?"
Starlight hesitated a moment, shifting uncomfortably on her hooves.
"Twilight, I'm sorry, I really am, but... Friendship is your area of expertise. This sounds like it's moving a step beyond that. Do... Do you have any dating experience?" Starlight asked uneasily.
"Well... No. I don't suppose I do." Twilight admitted.
"If the circumstances were different, I'd probably go with you, but, really, the Princess of Love is just down the hall. I think I would prefer her advice, especially when it's somepony like me, who really is just getting used to basic friendships. You... I mean, you can understand that, right?"
Cadance found her crystaller constantly adjusting his glasses, pacing back and forth in the foyer. Shining Armor had taken Flurry Heart and went to show her Owlowiscious.
"Hey Sunburst, holding up?"
"I... I-I really think I could have done that better..." Sunburst mused, not stopping in his pacing. Cadance saw fit to wait a moment, then step into his path. When he turned and headed back, he nearly collided with his princess.
"S-Sorry."
"What would be different?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you could do it again. What would you do differently?"
Sunburst looked thoughtful for a few moments.
"I probably would have done it more... Carefully. Not so sudden. I was just afraid of losing the courage to do it if I thought about it too much, and I wouldn't go through with it. I just never thought she'd react, well, the way she did. I tend to forget what kind of past she's had."
"And I'd say aside from that, you didn't do anything wrong, Sunburst. I've seen ponies do it much more sloppily than you, and still get a date, or two, or a relationship out of it. It doesn't matter if it's perfect as long as it's from the heart, and if I recall correctly, she said yes up there, so congratulations!"
Sunburst smiled with a blush.
"So... What now? I mean, like I said, I didn't think about it much. Where do we go from here?"
"If she understood the question correctly, I'd say you two would go to dinner."
That did it, and with a laugh, the tension around Sunburst had been broken.
"I mean like, where to go... What to wear..."
"It sounds to me like you two have a weekend to plan. And Twilight would be the pony to ask, she's lived here for years." Cadance told her crystaller, and on cue, they heard hoofsteps come down the stairs. They turned to see Twilight and Starlight descend into the foyer.
"Sorry, Cadance, but it seems you're the resident authority here. Starlight would like to talk to you, too." Twilight announced to her sister-in-law.
"Thanks for understanding, Twilight. But first, could I have another word with Sunburst?" Starlight asked.
"Sure thing. We'll wait in the library." Cadance said, ushering Twilight away, unable to suppress another giggle. When she was sure they were out of listening distance, and quickly checking for any monitoring spells, Starlight stepped up to Sunburst, who cleared his throat.
"S-Sorry I asked you like that, Starlight. I sometimes forget that you've lead a somewhat different life."
"I'm sorry for reacting the way I did. Especially up there with Princess Twilight and Princess Cadance standing over me."
Sunburst again adjusted his glasses.
"So it would seem that we'd both like a do-over. So, um... Starlight? Would you like to go out to dinner with me this weekend?"
Starlight smiled embarrassingly, her cheeks once again tinting.
A few minutes later, Sunburst and Starlight met the Princesses outside the castle library, and went in separate directions, this time with separate mentors. Sunburst and Twilight went into the library, and Starlight and Cadance walked back out to the foyer, talking as they went.
"Don't get me wrong, your highness. I'm very excited at the potential of this... Date. Excited and nervous. I'm most nervous about it going very well." Starlight told the Crystal Princess of Love.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, Sunburst is your Royal Crystaller, and will be for years to come. Not to mention I'm the student of the Princess of Friendship down here in Ponyville. That's quite some distance, and not one that can be traversed frequently enough for a stable relationship, right? How would we ever get to see each other enough?"
Cadance nodded in understanding.
"That's a very valid concern to have, and it would have more weight if we were dealing with somepony else. But Twilight has told me of your sheer magical ability. Are you really saying that your abilities are beyond transporting yourself to the Crystal Empire in an instant, once a week, or several times a week, or even once a day?" Cadance asked, smiling over at Starlight.
"So this relationship would be built on my transportation spells? That doesn't seem fair to... Normal relationships."
"First of all, 'normal' is subjective. Second, I've seen long distance relationships work all the time with faithful ponies. And third, if your magical abilities can strengthen your relationship, why shouldn't you use them to that end?"
Starlight fell silent, seeing Cadance's argument.
"So, what next?" She asked the Princess.
"Next, let's take a breather from all this excitement, and go see how my husband is doing with my daughter. You can relax for a few moments, because he asked you to dinner. The next part is on him."
"By the way, how did you and Shining Armor meet?"
Princess Twilight Sparkle sat somewhat patiently at the east side of the library's round table, as she tried her best to wait quietly as Sunburst frantically flipped through her copy of A Traveler's Guide to Ponyville: Revised Edition.
"I really should have thought about this some more," Sunburst began as he continued turning pages. "I don't know her favorite foods, activities... I was all like 'Hey I like you, let's eat!' Ugh..." He groaned in frustration, letting the book fall back onto the table.
"Well, before we run off and get Cadance once more," Twilight started, not wanting to be pushed aside again, "Think about what you want to say through your date."
"What do you mean?"
"It doesn't have to be about favorite food; how would you go any place new that way? Part of going out could be seeing new places, trying a restaurant you haven't been to before. Or, if you want to more than sit at a table and talk while your food is prepped by others, maybe do something simple here. Cook together."
"Hm... Combining the arcane and culinary arts..."
The alarm bells in Twilight's head began to go off.
"Orrrrr, maybe, you know, leave as much magic out as possible." She quickly interjected, recalling that Starlight's two food-based exploits didn't turn out so well; Mrs. Cake feared for her livelihood and got a magical instantly-baked cake on the head for her trouble, and baking with Pinkie... She was sure there were still some corners of the castle kitchen caked with grease and flour.
Sunburst returned to the tourist's guidebook on the table in front of him. Perhaps if he concentrated on it hard enough it would reveal its long lost secrets to him of the perfect first date.
"Another thing I have to figure out, tonight or tomorrow? We're here for the weekend."
"Why not both? Something different both nights. According to Cadance, you've been absolved of all responsibilities for these two days. So for all intents and purposes, you are 'off.' Why not make the entire weekend your first date?"
The Princess of Friendship was going to have to stop answering Sunburst's questions with more questions, otherwise she was going to drive the crystaller insane, because now he was out of the restaurant section and now flipping through the entertainment section. Finally, Twilight took a firm, magical grasp on the book and snatched it away.
"There are some things you can't get from a book. Sunburst, this first date isn't going to be perfect, no matter how much you want to plan it out. Take a deep breath."
Sunburst did just that, and awaited more of Twilight's instructions.
"Since you asked her out, the ball's in your court, and I've found that you learn the most about Ponyville by taking a walk through town. It's not even noon yet, so go for a late morning walk and figure out where you'd like to take her. It'll help you clear your mind; you two are obviously still frazzled. Then come back, and maybe start your date with daffodil and daisy sandwiches for lunch."
Sunburst nodded.
"Thanks, Princess Twilight. I guess I am being a bit of a basket case here. Alright, I'll take an hour and see what's around town."
"Sounds like a good idea. And when you get back, I'll see if I can have some suggestions for activities for the two of you. You are not by any means required to take them. Just go and unwind a bit."
Sunburst departed with a nod, leaving Twilight to go after Cadance and her student.
"If I know Starlight, she'll want examples to back up experience... Probably asking her how she met my dork of a big brother..."
"So he sang... Badly... On a float?" Starlight reiterated after Cadance completed her story of how her and Shining met.
"It was simply adorable." Cadance replied with a giggle.
"Was convincing one of his friends to cross-dress equally adorable?"
"Not so much, no. My point is, it was hardly a match made in Canterlot, and neither are you and Sunburst. Most couples aren't. That's an important thing to consider. Unfortunately, I've seen ponies pass up dates and haven't let friendships go to the next level because they're waiting for what they think is their 'perfect match', or because they think they wouldn't be good enough for them, or vice versa. They rarely realize what a mistake they're making until years later, often when it's too late."
Sunburst walked throughout the market as ponies went from shop to shop and stand to stand on their morning errands. The kiosks around the central pavilion were mostly quick-service shops; nothing really suitable for a date, especially a first date. He trotted west to the restaurant district, where all the casual and fine dining was located. It only took him inquiries to the hosts of two restaurants to make him realize something rather important.
He had no idea what Starlight's favorite foods were. And what of after a good hearty meal? What would they do around town?
"What am I doing out here?" Sunburst asked himself. Choosing a place to eat would only do him a favor if he knew Starlight's likes and dislikes, which he didn't. Whenever they had seen each other, they had gotten the other caught up on past events; not what was going on in their lives now; or what they liked to do as a hobby when they had a spare moment or two. No doubt Starlight's was spellcasting or something to do with magic.
He quickly realized that Twilight's suggestion of cooking a meal together, no matter how haphazardly, was probably the best decision. The two of them could cook together in the castle kitchen today, and if they wanted, go out for dinner tomorrow. It was better than spending half the morning out here trying to plan it out perfectly. After all, this weekend was going to be over before he knew it. He might as well spend as most of it with Starlight as he could.
By the time he got back to the castle, he immediately smelled hay and hash from the dining room, where Twilight, Shining, Spike, and Starlight were just sitting down to breakfast. Cadance had finished her advisory to Starlight, and had taken over watch of her daughter from her husband.
"Just in time, Sunburst. We were wondering how long you'd be out there." Twilight greeted, as the Empire's royal crystaller took a seat next to Starlight, who was lightly blushing upon seeing him enter the dining room.
"So did you figure out what you'd like to do over the weekend?" Ponyville's princess continued as she served up a plate to Sunburst.
"I did," Sunburst replied, taking a bite and looking over at Starlight.
"Oh, it would absolutely have to be fancy fries, with the works. Diced green onions, tomatoes, shredded cheese, chives, and all topped with liquid cheese. Thank goodness for metabolism-boosting spells." Starlight answered, after they had the dining room to themselves and Sunburst had asked which of her favorite foods she'd like to try to cook together in the kitchen today.
"So how do we go about it? Should we work together or have a little cooking competition on who can make the better cheesy hay fries?" Sunburst asked, eager for his date's input.
"Don't you remember? Sunburst, we did amazing things when you were a colt. Together, absolutely. Actually, let's try it both ways. Come on, I'll find my favorite toppings and you find yours, and we'll cook together and compare favorite dishes!"
The two of them trotted down the short distance down the hallway to the kitchen, where everything that had been used for breakfast had already been cleaned and put away.
"Impressive." Sunburst commented, looking over the array of cooking equipment and racks of ingredients that were ready for use.
"Yep. Princesss Twilight certainly holds her share of banquets here. For the smaller events, her and Spike whip up a small table of hors d'oeuvres. For larger events she hires an entire culinary team to work here and in the dining hall."
"Alright, let's see here..." Sunburst said, looking over the recipe book shelf. Starlight giggled.
"They're fancy fries, Sunburst. Contrary to their name, they're not going to be in one of these hoity toity recipe books. We wing it!" Starlight said, her horn lighting up and cabinets and drawers began to open and the first thing to hit the counter was cutting boards, followed by raw potatoes, peelers, and chef's knives.
"Not sure about you, but I like mine smaller than most." Starlight commented as she positioned the potato against the peeler and rapidly spun it lengthwise down the utensil.
"Ah!" Sunburst gasped in surprise, as the speed of Starlight's peeling sent the spiraled potato skin airborne and landed on his own horn. Starlight to turned to see what the commotion was, and tried to stifle a laugh.
"Oh... Oh my goodness I'm sorry. Guess I'm a little excited cooking with you." Starlight apologized, magically lifting the peel from her date's horn and tossed it in the waste bin. Sunburst likewise had a laugh as he went for his peeler and potatoes.
"I prefer a bigger bite, but I'm guessing that personal preference doesn't matter as much as the toppings that go on it." Sunburst said, opening cabinets for more ingredients as he peeled his two potatoes.
"You're right about that. It should be super easy to find what you need around here; Twilight labels everything in here."
After they got their potatoes peeled and sliced, they went about preparing their toppings as Starlight pre-heated the frying oil. For Starlight, it was as she said in the dining room; minced green onions, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, chives, and a smooth liquid cheddar cheese. For sunburst, things were a little less dry, as his favorite was a three-bean chili with added onions and cheese. The difference was, he wanted to see what Starlight could do with her magic, so while the two of them prepped Sunburst's chili, Starlight's ingredients just sat there waiting for the homemade fries to come up out of the oil.
"So what would you like to do once we're all done here?" Sunburst asked as Starlight dropped the wire baskets of potato wedges into the cooking oil.
"Beautiful enough day for a walk. Tonight, we could set up the projector in the library if we want to do a movie with some popcorn." Starlight said, giving the baskets a shake to prevent the potatoes from sticking together.
"Hmm, have you seen the Harry Trotter movies?" He asked, taking his small pot of chili off the heat and giving it a final stir, before turning his attention to the sauce pot of liquid cheese still on the burner.
"Oh, I've only seen the first two. I've been looking for an excuse to watch those again!"
Sunburst gave a smile. It looked like they had their plans set for the evening. The fryer's cooking timer went off, and Starlight dumped the contents out onto two separate serving dishes.
"Alright, here we go..." Sunburst brought his pot of chili forward, dipping in a ladle, and slowly pouring the chili over the steaming hot wedges, then immediately followed up with the liquid cheese. Once they were confident that they weren't going to burn their mouths, they each took a chili-and-cheese covered wedge, and took a bite.
"Mmm... You simply can't get it this good in a restaurant." Starlight commented, giving her approval. After several more bites of Sunburst's dish, it was her turn to shine.
"Alright, let's see what that magic of yours can do."
Starlight's horn sparkled to life, and her smaller fries were lifted out of the basket, then all of her chosen raw ingredients began to spin faster and faster around them above the counter. There was a flash of light, and then there was a steaming pile of loaded fancy fries that slowly floated down next to Sunburst's dish, looking equally appetizing. They tried the magic-assisted fries, and the look on Sunburst's eyes gave it away.
"Starlight, this..." Sunburst began, with cheesy bits of hay fries nearly falling out of his mouth. "This is incredible. I mean, you could open a snack kiosk and call it 'Fresh in a Flash' or something."
"Thanks, but I'm still a bit wary of using too much magic around other townsponies. Ponyville was founded by earth ponies, and a distinct lack of magic. So many businesses here in town stay afloat because of what the proprietors do with their hooves, not what they can do with a horn, if they have one."
"Fair enough I suppose, but still... This looks like it was slaved over for hours."
The two of them continued digging into each other's plates of fries for ten minutes, and after the plates were cleared, glasses of cider were had, and everything was cleaned, high noon had given way to early afternoon.
"Well what do ya say we walk that off. Still plenty of daylight left before it's time for the movie."
Their bellies full of cheesy hay fries, Starlight and Sunburst left the castle together to walk about Ponyville under the afternoon sun. Starlight talked about her continued studies with Twilight, and Sunburst told her about life in the Crystal Castle with Flurry Heart.
"So, lesson learned; if you cast a spell that intense on your friends, they're going to be quite upset the next morning as they cope with the magic-induced hangovers." Starlight told her date as they walked past the pavilion.
All the while, Sunburst would keep an eye out for restaurants he thought the two of them might enjoy, but none of them seemed to be the right choice. Like, he was certain that no matter where they chose to eat they would have a good time; no matter where they went or what they cooked themselves in Twilight's kitchen. There had to be something extra to go along with it; something that really hammered the point of "I care about you" home. Even as they had sat down in front of the projector to watch Harry Trotter with a bowl of popcorn, Sunburst couldn't get his mind off of coming up with the perfect way to end their weekend together. When the ending credits rolled and he noticed that Starlight had dozed off in the large beanbag chair they had been sharing, he slowly got up and went to Princess Twilight's study, where he found the Princess half asleep.
"Sorry to bother you, Princess Twilight." Sunburst greeted after he announced his presence with a knock.
"No worries," Twilight began, yawning. "I tell you, that Flurry can really wear you out, how do you do it?"
"I wish I knew." He replied with a chuckle, then cleared his throat.
"We've had a fantastic first day, but I can't get my mind off wanting to put the perfect ending to our weekend. I was hoping that you'd have some advice. We could go anywhere in this town, but I just don't think that would make it special enough."
"Hmm," Twilight began, putting a hoof to her chin. "Well, have you thought about something out of town? You have plenty of future dates to become familiar with Ponyville, but if you want something special... Perhaps I could help you put something together for her."
Twilight's horn glowed, and she floated a parchment and quill over to her, beginning to write.
"Go get some rest, Sunburst. I'll come get you in the morning to tell you whether it'll work or not."
With a smile and a nod, Sunburst turned and headed back down the hall to the projector room, where Starlight had stirred and woken up.
"Hey there, where'd you go off to?" Starlight asked, going over and shutting off the projector.
"Just trying to make plans for tomorrow night. Say, it's supposed to be a bit hotter tomorrow. Want to go swimming?" Sunburst asked as Starlight grabbed the now-empty popcorn bowl and shut off the light before the two of them walked back out into the hallway.
"Sure. Rainbow knows a great swimming hole on the outskirts of town, it has a rope swing and everything. Actually, no, not everything... Just a rope swing. Pretty sure we'd have to bring our own chairs."
After she quickly dashed into the kitchen to rinse the bowl out and set it on the drying rack, the two of them walked down to the residential hall, where bedrooms and guest bedrooms were.
"Alright, well here we are," Starlight said, stopping in front of her bedroom. "So, see you in the morning?" Starlight asked,opening the door to her room.
"Sure thing. Eight sound good?" Sunburst asked.
"Sounds great."
The duo said goodnight with a hug, and Sunburst walked further down the hall towards the guest rooms, and Starlight began to enter her room. At the last moment before closing her door, her heart urged her back into the hall.
"Um, Sunburst?" She called, right before his star-patterned teal cloak disappeared around the corner. The crystaller stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"Yeah, Starlight?" He asked, looking back down the hall at her, when her cheeks began to flush red.
"W-W-Would... Would you like to stay with me t-tonight...?" Starlight stammered, her face growing hot. It didn't take long for Sunburst's face to do the same in return, as words failed him and he silently nodded, coming back down the hall to her doorway. After shaking herself out of her nervous stupor, she stepped all the way through the doorway and stepped aside, allowing Sunburst to enter as well.
What greeted Sunburst's eyes was, honestly, not what he was expecting. Given what Starlight was like, her sheer magical ability, her vast applicable knowledge of the arcane, he imagined something far more mage-like. But what he stood in the middle of looked far more like a little filly's bedroom.
An arch window was center on the back wall. Right below that was a pair of kites, one red, the other yellow, leaning against her nightstand, on which stood a picture frame, which held a photo of the two of them as filly and colt, playing their favorite game; Book Jenga. Next to that on the left was her twin size bed. Continuing on was a bookshelf with a few books, and an hourglass and potted plant on top. To the left of the window was a shorter, wider shelf-dresser combination. Leaning against the left side of it was a bear plush with a mage's cap. On top was a small potted sapling, purple crystal, and a large candle. Hanging above the shelf was a poster of a butterfly, a picture of a cartoon witch, and a castle. On the opposite side of the room, right next to the doorway, was a small desk and waste basket.
"Not what you were expecting?" Starlight asked sheepishly, seeing her date take in his surroundings.
"You could say that. I'd say it reminds me most of your room when you were a filly. I can only guess that's the point, right?"
"Yeah... Twilight said I was free to decorate my room however I desired, and I didn't have any other ideas. I had spent the last few years building a town where every building, every room, was the same, and as ordinary as can be. My childhood was the only thing I had to go off of. I mean..."
Starlight paused, and swallowed to hold back tears.
"When you left Hoofington to go to Celestia's school... I was devastated. My mom and dad were never there for me. They didn't talk me through my separation anxieties that came from losing you. They didn't show me how to make more friends. When I got my cutie mark a year later, I didn't know how to feel or think. I didn't have that excitement that you did. I didn't have anyone to celebrate with. I left town as soon as I was finished with school. I... I just..."
"Starlight..." Sunburst interrupted, sensing his best friend was close to breaking down. He glanced to the picture above her desk, a simple, crossed out equals sign.
"What you did to your villagers... That's not entirely your fault. The blame is also shared with your mom, your dad, and with me. My parents had kept me in such a euphoric high when it came to my potential, my future, that I forgot all about you, and that was wrong of me, especially because I was the only friend you had. We did everything together. When my cutie mark brought an end to all that, you didn't have anyone else, so without guidance, going off and doing what you did... I'd argue that you were a victim of circumstance. You weren't out to purposely hurt anyone. You just got a little lost, and the important thing is you've found your way back, and we've found each other along the way."
Starlight smiled at him, and came in for a hug.
"Thanks, Sunburst. That means a lot."
"Anytime," Sunburst began, releasing her from the hug. "Now I'm glad to spend the night with you, but I have a feeling that it would be more than cramped with both of us on that one bed." He said, pointing to the size of Starlight's twin bed.
Starlight gave him a smirk.
"Just look at who you're talking to." She said, before her horn began to glow. Her twin bed began to sparkle and expand; the sheets and blankets also becoming larger as the bed, frame, mattress; all of it slowly became longer as it expanded to the right, gently sliding the nightstand closer to the shorter shelf. Several seconds passed, and when the magic aura faded, Starlight's twin bed had been enlarged to a full size, with ample room for two ponies.
"Ta-da." Starlight stated, stepping to the left side of the bed, starting to climb into bed.
"Right. Wonder how long it's gonna take me to realize you can tackle problems like these." Sunburst said, removing his cloak and hung it on the bedpost before coming up to the opposite side of the bed, and slid in under the covers. Once they were situated in bed, the duo's cheeks once again began to burn as they looked at each other, heads resting on the pillows.
"So... I haven't had any dating experience at all so... Does this mean that... You know... You want to..." Sunburst nervously said, beginning to sweat a bit.
"What? Oh. Oh! No no no no, not at all." Starlight said, trying to quickly set her friend's mind at ease. "I think that would be moving a little too fast for a first date, or much, much too fast. I just figured if we wanted to spend as much time as possible, this would be a great way to spend our night together."
"Ah. Well... Well, whew." Sunburst stated, relieved that Starlight didn't want to move that fast. He snuggled in closer for warmth. "Well in that case, good night, Starlight. See you in the morning."
Twilight was only twenty minutes behind Starlight and Sunburst, and soon found herself making her way up to her quarters. She was nearly in the bed when she felt her horn tingle, and with a flash of light, a sealed scroll winked into existence in front of her, and fell onto the bed. She untied the seal, and unfurled it, reading the contents:
Dear Princess Twilight
It's great to hear from you again, and it sounds like a great idea! We'll get in touch with you first thing in the morning to get plans laid out.
Starlight gave a cheer as she released her hold on the rope swing and fell into the swimming hole with a splash, not to mention giving Sunburst's top half a generous helping as well.
'Well, that settles it. You definitely win best rope swing dive." Sunburst said, brushing his soaked bangs out of his eyes.
"Do we have time to go for another round? How long do you need to get everything in order for whatever you have planned for tonight?" Starlight asked.
"Actually, we have almost all the time in the world, because Twilight assured me that it would take no planning whatsoever on my part. I asked Twilight what I could do to give this weekend a special ending, and whoever she got in touch with told her they'd handle everything, and to have us just enjoy ourselves today. I guess it'll be more in my hooves when you come up for a date in the Crystal Empire."
"Oh, alright then," Starlight replied, starting a backstroke. "I guess this means we're both in for a surprise tonight!"
"Yep, I guess so." Sunburst said, and making sure Starlight didn't see him smirk, he brought a hoof up just below the lake's surface, and sent a wave of water splashing on top of his floating date, who wasn't expecting the splash attack, and momentarily sunk and came back up out of her stroke.
"Surprised yet?" Sunburst asked, unable to contain his snickering.
"Oh, it is on." Starlight said, as she brought her own hoof back, preparing for her retaliation.
The pair of unicorns spent the better part of an hour in the water, and only came out when their hooves started to prune up. From there, Starlight took them to the rear of the castle to introduce him to her hobby of flying kites.
Meanwhile, Cadance was also enjoying her day off as well, reclining by the fountain on the roof of the castle, next to her sister-in-law.
"So you aren't zipping about making sure their night is going to be perfect? That's not like you."
"Yeah, but I can make this my weekend off too. Besides, they said they'd handle all of it. Just told me to tell them to wear informal attire. Rarity's touching up the first dress she made for Starlight, and Sunburst's cloak will suffice just fine. All he needs is a comb through his mane." Twilight said, getting a giggle out of Cadance.
"Well now, if you've got the afternoon and night free, let's not let that go to waste. Girl's night out!" Cadance exclaimed.
Twilight smirked.
"Oh no. You came down here with Shining and Flurry, and as tempting as it sounds to dump those two on each other for a night, that's not really fair to them. We'll have dinner together!" The Princess of Friendship told her guest for the weekend.
"You're no fun, you know that? Alright then, got anything in mind for after?"
"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. Has Spike ever told you about a game called 'Ogres and Oubliettes'?"
Starlight stood in one of the castle's dressing rooms, looking at herself in a triple full-length mirror. She wore the first dress Rarity had made for her after she accepted Twilight's offer of apprenticeship; a black short-sleeved silk dress that was adorned with white sapphires on the back. As the three beautiful mares in the mirrors stared back at her, she felt herself on pins and needles yet again. Spending the last day-and-a-half with Sunburst had calmed her nerves somewhat, but now that she was just moments away from departing for what was going to be a very special evening, she was becoming a bit anxious. The whole affair was meant to be a surprise, since Twilight had told the two of them absolutely nothing about what was to come except the requested dress code. She couldn't help but wonder what her teacher had done; who had she written to, and what could they have put together for her and Sunburst in under 24 hours?
She double checked her mane, took a deep breath, and stepped off the platform in front of the mirrors, and exited the dressing room. She carefully trotted down the hallway to the main foyer, keeping her pace so she wouldn't trip herself up in the silk. Turning the last corner, she came into the main hall, and saw Sunburst waiting with Cadance and Twilight, and they all looked up at her. Sunburst in particular looked like he had held in a gasp. She descended the stairs to the marble floor, and walked up to her date.
"You... You look absolutely beautiful, Starlight." Sunburst said, trying not to stammer.
His mane had been neatly combed, and his teal mage's cloak had been very recently ironed.
"Not bad yourself, handsome." She replied, positively beaming.
"Well, we're right on schedule, so I hope you two are ready. Your chariot awaits." Twilight announced, beckoning them to the front doors of the castle. They walked side by side, with Twilight and Cadance behind them. As they closed in on the front entrance, Twilight opened the doors, and waiting at the bottom of the steps, was indeed, an elegant, and curiously unhitched chariot.
Sunburst fought through his surprise, and started down the steps first, to arrive at the chariot and open the door for his date. Starlight smiled at him with a blush, then stepped inside followed by Sunburst. The interior was quite roomy, red velvet cushioned seats were on both sides, with more than enough space for two ponies. Once they got situated next to each other, the Princesses of Friendship and Love came up to the door.
"Alright, have a great evening, you two." Cadance told them.
Cadance's horn glowed, and her magical aura gently closed the chariot door. Twilight's horn glowed much brighter, and it's aura enveloped the entire chariot. The glow intensified, and with a flash of light, the chariot containing Starlight and Sunburst vanished into thin air.
The interior of the chariot was as comfortable as can be, but the windows had been tinted from the outside, so the two occupants had no idea where they were headed. After Twilight had whisked them away to Celestia knows where, it started to move forward, and they heard the rolling of the wheels on dirt and gravel.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this, would you?" Starlight asked her date as the chariot angled slightly downhill and continued on it's way. The duo couldn't tell if it was horse-drawn, or if it was magically propelled.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Starlight." Sunburst told her. "If you're really that curious, why not fire up a spell that lets you see through walls?"
"And spoil whatever surprise they've prepared for us? Where's the fun in that?" Starlight replied.
"Mm." Sunburst nodded in agreement.
"Besides, I don't think it really matters what they've got planned for us, because it's going to be wonderful, because it's with you." Starlight said, leaning into her coltfriend.
Sunburst blushed, and put his leg around Starlight's shoulders as the chariot continued to descend. They enjoyed each other's company in silence as the chariot ride continued. A few minutes later, they felt the terrain level out, and not a minute later, the chariot came to a halt, and they heard muffled excited mumbling from outside, followed by approaching hoofsteps. The handle of the chariot's door was turned, and it opened with a barely audible creek, and there stood Double Diamond, who greeted the couple with a smile.
"Starlight! Sunburst! Good evening, and welcome." The earth pony greeted with a curt bow, then stepped aside to let the couple exit. Upon stepping out into the evening air, Sunburst gave a look of mild surprise, but Starlight's mouth immediately went agape, and she was unable to will it to close at the sight she was taking in.
The chariot had stopped at the front of her old village, which the population had officially christened 'Our Town' after her ousting. Now, standing before her, in two lines down the single road into town, were all her former villagers, greeting them with warm smiles. The line continued all the way down to the end of the short road, where her old cabin used to be; having been replaced with a great tree. At the base of the tree, Starlight could tell a table had been set for two.
"Starlight?" Sunburst whispered, snapping her out of her stupor, and she noticed that Double Diamond was ushering the two of them forward. The three of them proceeded ahead at a walking pace.
She remembered each one of her three visits here since she had found redemption with Twilight. First, was nearly the day after she had agreed to study the magic of friendship; she had taken the train here with Twilight to come and apologize, and it had been quite the emotional reunion. The animosity had been set aside, especially between her and her original four founders, but she still didn't believe herself welcome here. So it was quite unexpected when she received an invitation several months later to their new Sunset Festival. Deciding to take Trixie along for support, they arrived at Our Town to the delight of pretty much everypony. They eagerly bombarded her with questions, not only about where she was staying and her studies with Twilight, but also about how their decorations looked, what kind of food they should have at the festival; the fact that they welcomed her input for their new festival stunned and overwhelmed her, and Trixie rushed her away, to everypony else's bewilderment. She wasn't ready to face the fact that perhaps her villagers had missed her and wanted to welcome her back.
It was a good thing they did, though, because upon returning to Ponyville, they unraveled a deceptive changeling invasion, and with the help of Discord and Thorax, they thwarted Queen Chrysalis' attack. Afterwards, the four of them, along with everypony they had rescued, returned to Our Town for the festival, where she apologized for taking off earlier, and was beginning to realize her capabilities as a true and effective leader.
Now here she was again, and she felt her emotions bubbling higher and higher with every warm, welcoming nod she received as they made their way down the receiving line. She smiled back at them, tears threatening the corners of her eyelids.
Lights had been strung up, down, and across the two rows of buildings, illuminating nearly the entire town as the sun dipped below the horizon. When they got to the table, the two of them took in the elegance of the setting.
It was the most proper silverware placement Starlight had ever seen. Even Twilight would've been humbled.
Sunburst's horn lit up, and the two chairs on opposite sides were slid out for them. Sunburst took his seat on the left side, and Starlight sat down on the right. Together, they took in the absolutely exquisite look of the table, and Starlight again had to wipe her eyes; she never saw anything this fine outside of Canterlot. Her village had put this together on less than 24 hours notice.
Each of them had a dinner plate, bread plate, wine glass, tumbler, cloth napkin, and seven pieces of silverware. In the center, two tall candlesticks had been lit and gave off a subtle apple fragnance.
"I don't think I've ever had fine dining this fine before." Starlight commented, as Double Diamond trotted away into the closest restaurant building.
"I'll say. They really went all out." Sunburst agreed, who was currently comparing the tablecloth to his cloak, trying to determine which was the finer fabric. Starlight giggled at him.
Suddenly, their dining area was further illuminated when more lights strung up in the tree branches above them came to life. They didn't stare at it for long, for they heard a noise approaching from the rear of the building Double Diamond had disappeared into. Both pairs of eyes widened when Double Diamond, Night Glider, Party Favor, and Sugar Belle came out not with their meals, but pushing an entire kitchenette on wheels, and parked it in front of the table, giving the couple a prime view of the equipment. With that, Double Diamond came around with a plate with a hot steaming loaf of bread, and a bottle of wine, which he set next to the candles.
"Once again, Starlight, Sunburst, welcome. You wouldn't believe how long we stayed up last night debating what kind of 'dinner and a show' we should put on for you two, when Sugar Belle suggested that dinner be the show. We sincerely hope you enjoy yourselves, and may I say, we're thrilled that you two have found each other." Double Diamond smiled at them, walking back to the other side of the kitchenette. The four of them didn't notice the slight blushes on the pair as they donned chef's coats, and began preparing their meals.
Starlight tore her eyes away for just a moment as she picked up the bottle of wine, and again, her heartstrings were pulled as she looked at the label.
"Would you look at that..." Starlight said, showing the bottle to Sunburst.
"Hoofington Vineyards Red Wine, 975CE. Should we even ask how they got this so fast?" Sunburst whispered to his date after reading the label. Starlight silently shook her head, agreeing that it would be a bit rude. No doubt her villagers had their ways, as Sunburst began to pour two glasses of wine, bottled in their hometown, aged from thier birth year. With wine in hoof, the two of them sat and sipped, watching her four founding villagers prepare their dinner, starting with what appeared to be a soup. Party Favor chopped the ingredients and Double Diamond prepared the broth over the burner, while Night Glider was working on the next course, and Sugar Belle was most likely preparing dessert.
"So let me get this straight," Twilight began, wondering why hordes of ponies played this game. "I can't just cast a spell, I have to cast a spell, roll a 20-sided die, and that determines how effective my action is? My character is a mage! Spells should always be effective!" She argued.
"Yes, but there are defensive rolls too. Your enemy could be good at resisting or deflecting spells. That's why you play; to level up your character and learn more powerful magic. Besides, the rolls are automatic, thanks to Discord."
"Alright, so what's the goal here?" Twilight asked, adjusting the cloak that had been given to her character, Lora.
"This is a new rulebook Big Mac and I picked up last week, called 'Wingdom Hearts 3'. Lora has to gather her allies, fight through hordes of 'Gutless' and rescue Princess 'Can't Dance'. The store owner said it was a highly anticipated release, so it must be good!"
Sunburst's and Starlight's first course was a piping hot and savory cup of minestone soup. After finishing every last morsel, it was immediately cleared away and they were then presented with a lush salad of mixed greens and fruits. It was tricky paying attention to the food in front of them when the spectacle of the next course was also happening right in front of them. Party Favor had gone so far as to juggle the spear fork and knife while the pasta was brought to a boil.
The main dish was a platter of pasta with a creamy white tomato-and-mushroom sauce. When that was finished, Sugar Belle brought forth her exquisitely prepared dessert; chocolate lava cake with freshly churned vanilla bean ice cream. The way the ice cream melted over the steaming hot cake, along with how the chocolate filling oozed out upon cutting it open, was all the convincing their stomachs needed to make just a little more room.
"I hope everything was up to par for a first date." Double Diamond said, her four founders coming up to the table as they finished off their dessert.
"That was the best meal I have ever had. Ever." Starlight said, setting her fork down on the plate.
"Mmhmm. Thank you all so much."
Double Diamond gave a bow.
"It was our pleasure. And now, we'll leave you two be. We hope we made your first date a night to remember."
With that, the four of them wheeled the cooking equipment back to the restaurant it came from, leaving Starlight and Sunburst alone at the table under the tree, the candles having burned about a third of the way down.
Now all that remained was to finish off the wine.
"Okay, so maybe this story would make a little more sense if I picked up the book for Wingdom Hearts 1 first." Spike said, the playthrough of their chosen campaign having been less than stellar.
"Even with Discord's magic, why do I get the feeling that you have to be a diehard fan of two separate franchises to fully appreciate this game? Spike, you should talk to Luna. Doesn't she have one called Haylo or something?" Twilight said.
"Yes, that one starts off well enough," Discord said, snapping his claw and the castle environment began to return to it's normal state before the game had begun. "But by the fifth installment the writer changes and everything just starts to go south."
"Whatever happened to reading a good book? You don't always need interactivity to make things exciting."
Most of the residents of Our Town had retired to their homes for the evening, leaving Sunburst and Starlight out under the starry night sky, laying several feet away from the other side of the tree, an empty wine bottle between them.
"I hope I didn't have too much..." Starlight began, her speech only slightly slurred. "I want to remember this night for a long time."
"I'm sure you'll be fine. We split it nearly in half." Sunburst reassured her.
"Forty-sixty is more like it. Guess I drink when I get this nervous..."
"What would you have to be nervous about? The food was divine, and your company was the best it could be, Starlight."
"It's just that... This weekend has been full of firsts. My first crush... My first date..."
"First kiss?" Sunburst asked, before realizing what he had just said, and his face burned red. No, that had not happened yet.
Starlight looked over at her furiously blushing date, and slowly leaned in closer with half-lidded eyes. Sunburst, eyes, widening, quivering, leaned in as well. Their lips connected softly yet sloppily, and a tingling surged through them from horn to hooves. The kiss lasted only a couple seconds, and they parted and looked in each other's eyes.
"First kiss." Starlight repeated.
Sunburst smiled. This would be a date to remember.
"Are there any other 'firsts' you want to get out of the way tonight?"
"Hm?"
"Well, you did ask about it last night in bed."
"Oh. Ohhhh. Well, um..."
Sunburst fiddled with his hooves and straightened his glasses to buy a precious second or two.
"No. I remember you saying it would be moving too fast."
"It is one night later..."
"Yes, but still. I'm afraid that it would be the wine talking. I want both of us to have an absolutely clear head when that decision is made. Besides, I don't think that would make for a very good story in the morning... Telling everyone how far we got after dinner on the first date..."
Sunburst tried to discern any kind of reaction out of Starlight's expression, but either his intoxication or hers, or most likely a mix of both prevented it.
"And lastly, I think we're perfect for each other, Starlight. I do. But I don't want to remember our first time getting that close to each other to be out in the dirt. I want our first time to be as memorable as that dinner we just had."
Starlight let out a chuckle.
"Alright, alright. Point taken."
"But now that you mention it, there is another 'first' that I'd like to do before we hop back in that carriage." Sunburst said, and came in for another quick kiss.
"I love you, Starlight."
Starlight's eyes widened as that sentence echoed in her ears. Nope, that wasn't the wine talking.
Sunburst stirred as the rising morning sun began to shine onto Starlight's bed. He gazed over at the sleeping mare next to him, and she too started to reluctantly greet the day.
"Morning, Starlight." He said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Morning, handsome." She replied, opening her eyes and taking in Sunburst's considerable bed head.
"You might want to use my brush before you step outside of the room. Not sure Princess Cadance would want to see her Crystaller so... Unpresentable."
The clock on Starlight's nightstand began to ring, and that was their cue to get moving. Cadance's train was scheduled to depart at 7, so they could get back to the Crystal Empire in time for the daily processions to begin and palace life could once again resume.
Sunburst knew it was going to be just a bit more dull now, compared to what this weekend had brought into his life.
"So you really think you're gonna be able to teleport up to the Crystal Empire to see me whenever you want?" Sunburst asked, standing in front of the mirror, running a brush through his hair.
"Easy peazy cider squeezy. You and I could probably set up a rune to make it easier for each of us." Starlight replied. "So the second date really is going to be on you. Don't go running off to Cadance for restaurant advice." Starlight said, chuckling.
"No worries there, I'm a lot more familiar with the Crystal Empire and all it has to offer than I am with Ponyville. Speaking of which, that's your domain. Our first date was special, but now I want to see all the flavors and experiences both our towns have to offer."
"Deal." Starlight agreed.
His mane now decent, Sunburst threw on his cloak and the two of them exited the room and made their way down the corridor to the foyer, where Twilight and Spike were helping Shining and Cadance with their luggage.
"There you are. We were just about to come and get you." Twilight greeted Sunburst as he came down the steps, Starlight behind him.
"Yeah, we had a late night, didn't get in until nearly one. I can catch another hour or so on the train ride home." Sunburst replied with a yawn.
"So you two had a good time?" Cadance asked as the group exited the castle's front doors.
"An incredible time. It's gonna be pretty hard to top, but we're up to the task." Starlight answered.
"How about you guys? Enjoy your, um, 'Guy's Night'?" Sunburst asked.
"It was... Interesting. Definitely room for improvement next time." Twilight told him, earning a disapproving look from Spike.
Sadly, it was only a five minute walk to the train station from the castle, and the train was already steaming and ready to go."
"Thanks for an incredible weekend, Twilight." Cadance said, coming in and hugging her sister-in-law, followed by Shining Armor.
"The change of scenery was great. We should have these getaways more often. I mean, what's stopping us? We are royalty, after all."
"By knowing that as royalty, we serve others, not ourselves." Cadance properly reminded him, though she knew her husband was only poking fun at her.
"You two can come down whenever you want; just be sure to bring this bundle of joy with you." Twilight said, giving Flurry Heart a raspberry on the stomach, getting a squealing giggle out of her.
With that, the trio boarded the train, leaving Starlight and Sunburst on the platform, with Twilight and Spike giving them some privacy.
"Really wish this weekend didn't end so soon." Starlight confessed.
"Same here, but we did a lot. And now there's so much more to look forward to. I mean, I'm going back to work knowing I have a marefriend. How can you beat that?"
Starlight blushed, and gave him a smile before throwing her arms around him.
"This is gonna be the longest week ever, but you're right. It gives us something to look forward to."
The train whistle blew two short bursts, letting them know that staying on scheule meant departing within the next couple minutes.
The duo broke the embrace and gave each other a kiss.
"Make that last until next Saturday." Starlight told him.
"Will do."
With a wave, Sunburst turned and boarded. A few seconds later, the doors hissed closed, and the train pulled away from the platform a few moments later, the whistle signalling the departure. Starlight saw him take the closest seat and wave to her from the window.
As she lost sight of Sunburst and the train chugged off towards the horizon, Starlight didn't feel like she thought she would. She thought she'd feel empty and alone, longing for the next weekend, but that wasn't the case at all. She felt a warmth in her chest, a sense of belonging that felt very close to what it was like being welcomed to Ponyville for the first time. Cadance was right; distance wasn't a factor in this long-distance relationship because if they really wanted to see each other, that was only one rune spell away.
