Sunburst nervously took the train into Canterlot, and once it arrived he headed straight for the bookstore while trying to ignore everypony. He then headed for the romance section and scanned the titles, passing over the ones he already looked at in the Crystal Empire and checking out the summaries of the rest.
Then he finally found the right one. It was about two best friends, a colt and a filly, who had grown up together. However by the time they were adults an enemy was preparing to attack and they had to go on a journey to find the power that could stop him. At least that's what the summary said, so Sunburst skimmed through it to see if it really was the right book. It was, he found out that during the journey the two friends realized that they had fallen in love. Even the ending was perfect. Sunburst closed the book with satisfaction, hoping that the plot would help Starlight see how he feels about her since they shared a few similarities with the plot: two best friends since foalhood - despite the years of separation in Starlight and Sunburst's case - who helped defend a land from an enemy (if you can really call a blizzard an 'enemy').
He made his purchase, had it gift wrapped since he wasn't good with that sort of thing, and left feeling more hopeful than he had before. He even felt a little happy, and so decided to enjoy one of the few nature sections of Canterlot before heading back. He decided on the park, the same park that Twilight had read the legend of the Mare in the Moon at (though of course Sunburst didn't know that).
Once he arrived at the park he sat down under a tree and enjoyed the fresh air.
"Well if it isn't Sun-Worst." An unpleasant voice said.
Sunburst paled. Oh no...
Oh yes, it was one of his old bullies from Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
"What're you doing back here Sun-Worst, forgot how lame you really are?" The bully sneered.
"I was trying to enjoy the park." Sunburst frowned.
"Well enjoy a different park, because a weakling like you don't belong here." The bully glared before pushing Sunburst down.
Sunburst's present slid out of his saddlebags.
"What's this, a present?" The bully smirked, picking it up. "Who do you have to give presents to, other than your mommy and daddy? Or maybe this is for them, an apology present for being such a disappointing son. Even your own sister was ashamed of you."
"Give it back!" Sunburst lunged for the present but the bully pulled it away in time.
"To Starlight?" The bully saw the tag on the present and read it. "Well that ain't your mommy. Who is she, a mare you have a crush on?" He tossed the present into a nearby mud puddle. "Get real, like even an Earthy pony would want to be with you-"
The bully felt a sharp pain in his side and found himself sliding across the grass. Shocked, he looked up and saw a very ticked-off Starlight.
"Get away from him!" Starlight snapped, her horn glowing as if ready to zap him again.
"Wha- Who are you?" The bully scrambled up in fright.
"Sunburst's best friend. Now leave him alone before I fry your tail off!" Starlight's horn glowed brighter. "You have no reason or right to make fun of anypony else, in fact I'm ashamed to even call you a pony! Get out of here before I contact Princess Celestia!"
The bully scrammed, even if Starlight was bluffing about Princess Celestia - which she wasn't - he knew Starlight would just zap him again anyway.
Starlight calmed down and went over to Sunburst, who was just pulling his present out of the mud. She could tell that he was sobbing.
"Is...is this why you never wanted to tell me about your life at the school?" Starlight realized sympathetically.
"Yeah...that was pretty much every day for me. P-Plus the teachers scolding me for not being able to perform most of the spells." Sunburst sobbed.
"Oh Sunburst..." Starlight hugged him, letting him cry into her shoulder. "Don't listen to that lame-brain, you're a much better pony than he'll ever be."
"Even though I can't perform magic well?" Sunburst sobbed.
"Oh that's not important." Starlight scoffed. "It doesn't matter whether your magic is powerful or not, what matters is that your heart is. In fact, your heart is one of the most powerful hearts I've ever seen."
Sunburst gradually stopped sobbing, and pulled away to smile at her with gratitude.
"Oh..." Sunburst studied his present and wiped off as much of the mud as he could. "Here, I got this for you."
Starlight unwrapped it and read the book's summary.
"Thank you." She smiled. "I'm looking forward to reading it. I'm also impressed, coming to a place with bad memories and bullies just to get me a present for no reason."
"Actually, being my friend is the best reason to get anypony a present." Sunburst smiled. "Especially my best friend."
Starlight smiled and put the book in her saddlebags.
"Want to hang out for the rest of the day?" She asked. "I don't have to be back until dinnertime."
"I'd love to." Sunburst smiled.
They spent the rest of the day just hanging out for fun. Randomly visiting stores, dropping into a cafe for a treat, that sort of thing. Then when it got close to dinnertime Starlight walked Sunburst to the train for the Crystal Empire before heading for the train to Ponyville.
"Hello Starlight, how was your trip?" Twilight asked during dinner.
"It was nice, then it became great after I ran into Sunburst. He was there getting me a present." Starlight smiled.
"Really?" Twilight said, sounding happy-yet-suspicious.
"Uh-huh, a book I never read before. I'm going to read it right after dinner." Starlight grinned.
And she did, enjoying it at first. Then she got to the part where the two friends were starting to realize their feelings for each other. Now growing suspicious herself, Starlight continued reading the story even thought it was getting really late. Then she reached the part where the two friends, now a couple, had defeated the enemy. But that wasn't the end of the story, the last chapter was an epilogue...that featured the couple getting married. Starlight couldn't help but blush when she read that, and after finishing the book she thought for a moment.
"Did Sunburst know about the two friends becoming a couple when he got me this, or was the summary mentioning the two friends battling an enemy the only reason why he got it?" She thought, confused and slightly nervous.
She laid down, turned off her lamp, and tried to get some sleep. But she couldn't stop thinking about the book and Sunburst, so it was a long time before she finally did.
She ended up sleeping in the next morning, but no one understood 'staying up late to finish a book' better than Twilight so she just let Starlight sleep as long as she wanted.
When Starlight finally woke up she headed for the kitchen to make herself some lunch. Twilight and Spike came in shortly afterward to make their own lunches.
"Good afternoon Starlight, I'm guessing the book was captivating." Twilight smiled.
"Sort of...I mean it was, but that wasn't the only reason why I stayed up so late." Starlight said, sounding a little worried.
"What's wrong?" Spike asked concernedly.
"Well...sorry for the spoiler, but quite some time after the two friends start their journey they...end up falling in love." Starlight admitted. "They even get married at the end."
"Really- Hey, this could mean that Sunburst does love you!" Twilight grinned.
"I've been thinkin about that possibility too...but what if we're both wrong and he rejects me?" Starlight said. "And even if we're right...then why would he pick me out of all of the mares in Equestria?"
"How about you just talk to him? After all talking to him and admitting things was what repaired your friendship in the first place." Twilight suggested.
"All right...but would you mind coming with me?" Starlight asked.
Twilight just nodded with an understanding smile.
"You two go on ahead, I'll hold down the fort. Or castle rather." Spike chuckled.
"Thanks Spike." Twilight smiled.