Starlight took a breath, stepping into the castle library where Twilight was working. She didn't notice her, too engrossed in the book she was reading by the soft candlelight, the silence momentarily broken by the sound of Twilight turning the page.
"Twilight…?" Starlight began.
"Oh! Starlight! I was just looking up some spells for us to practice together tomorrow." Twilight explained, putting a bookmark into her book and closing it before gesturing to Starlight to sit down. "What is it you need?"
"Well uh, I was hoping to ask you a question. A friendship question." She said, scratching at the floor lightly with her hoof.
"I'm all ears!" Twilight said with a smile and a twitch of her ears for effect. Starlight smiled back slightly, before looking down and taking the offered seat.
"Well it's… I was wondering if there's… How do I put this? Something- Something wrong with our friendship?"
"What? No! Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Well it's… Sometimes, I find myself getting nervous to talk to you, and I even feel a little sick. Something like that used to happen with all of you, the rest of your friends especially, but it faded once I got to know them better. Only now, it's starting again, and I don't know why. Is it just something with me? Have I done something wrong?"
"Just with me? I have no idea what it could be, could you maybe try to explain in more detail?" Twilight said, levitating over a sheet of paper and a quill from her desk and making a quick note.
"Well I can tell it's different from when I wasn't too close to you all. Back then I was scared that you hated me for what I did, or that I'd mess up. But now I feel a lot closer to you all. Actually I feel a lot closer to you than to the rest of your friends. That's why I don't understand."
Twilight wrote something down on her piece of paper. "Huh. Could you maybe try explaining the feeling in more detail for me, Starlight?"
"It feels… Oh I don't know. Kind of warm almost? And… even though I feel sick, I also feel oddly happy and giddy."
"Oh." Twilight said simply, biting her lip and setting down her note sheet. "I think I have an idea of what the problem is."
"You do?" Starlight asked, sitting up in her seat, her ears perking upright too. "Could you help me then?"
"Well it's… I don't think it's something you need help with per se..." Twilight trailed off, her face starting to flush slightly.
"What? So is there nothing wrong with our friendship? Or me? I don't understand Twilight."
"Oh Celestia… I'm not good at this kind of thing." Twilight muttered to herself under her breath. "It's ah… I think you might..."
"You think I might what? So there is something wrong? Do I have some kind of illness?"
"No! No there's nothing wrong with you! It's-"
"Something wrong with our friendship?" Starlight asked, leaning off the edge of her seat a little.
"Well no I- Well I guess so in a way? Nothing wrong but uh-" Twilight tried to find the words, her ears flattened back and her face flushed bright red.
"Twilight? What is it? Please tell me."
"It sounds like you… Like you might..."
"Just say it! I can handle it!"
"It sounds like you might have romantic feelings for me!" Twilight almost shouted, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
"Oh..." Starlight said, her eyes wide. "I- I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for? You have nothing to be sorry for Starlight." Twilight said softly.
"I… I think you're right. It- It makes sense if you think about it like that and... "
"I don't understand what you're sorry for then?" Twilight said, her eyes searching Starlight for an answer. She slowly walked over and took a seat next to her on the chair.
"Because this will ruin our friendship! There's no way it won't be weird now, and after all I've done? You… You couldn't possibly feel the same way. It's a miracle you even wanted to b my friend at all! Or that you even forgave me!"
"You're right on one thing..." Twilight started slowly.
"Of course I am. I knew you hated me the whole time." Starlight sighed.
"No, not about me disliking you. I could never. You're wonderful Starlight. You're a kind, passionate and brilliant pony. You just made some bad choices. The thing you're right about is that… Our friendship definitely won't be the same after this."
Starlight didn't say anything, she just kept her eyes trained on the floor in front of the seat.
"In fact, I don't think it will even be a friendship anymore..."
"Wh- What are you saying?" Starlight asked, her eyes desperate and ears flat against her head.
"I'm saying..." Twilight took a breath, closing her eyes. "I'm saying that I think- I think I feel the same way… And that… And that I don't want you to be my friend, but my marefriend instead."
Starlight looked up at Twilight, her eyes wide and teary. "I- I must have heard you wrong. There's no way you could possibly!? After all I've done!?"
"Starlight! Starlight it's fine! You're fine! You've more than made up for it! What with taking friendship your lessons and even saving us all from the changelings? You're not that same pony anymore!"
Starlight choked back a small sob, her eyes teary but with a big smile on her face. "Thank you Twilight. That… That really means a lot to me. That you feel that way."
With a small laugh, Twilight wrapped Starlight in a hug. Starlight found herself unable to control her smile, and she buried her head in the crook of Twilight's neck.
After a few seconds, Twilight pulled away, a sheepish smile on her face. "So uh… Does that mean yes? To us being marefriends? I'm not good at this kind of thing..."
Laughing a little, Starlight told her all she needed to know. "Of course it does."
Starlight thought that it had turned out to be a good friendship lesson.
