The next day Starlight and Sunburst met in his room for breakfast, then they made their way to the throne room. Shining Armor and Cadance were there, but not Twilight or Flurry Heart.
"Twilight's foalsitting Flurry Heart." Cadance smiled. "And congratulations you two, I can tell that you're a couple now."
"Yeah...Twilight didn't tell you?" Starlight was surprised.
"No, I think she figured that you'd want to tell us yourselves." Shining Armor chuckled. "And may I offer my own congratulations."
"Thank you." Sunburst smiled.
"So, what are your plans for the future? Will one of you be moving or...?" Shining Armor hesitated.
"Oh I'm not moving here, we decided to go with a long-distance relationship for now." Starlight said. "Truthfully I think that would be good for our relationship, considering Sunburst gets busy often. Might as well get used to not seeing him all the time you know?"
"I think that's a good idea." Cadance approved.
"Me too, especially since Starlight deserves to live in the Castle of Friendship so I don't want to take her away from it until she's completely ready." Sunburst agreed.
Starlight kissed him on the cheek for the compliment, causing him to blush.
"Very well, but when you are ready to move into the Crystal Empire then Cadance and I will be happy to welcome you into the court." Shining Armor smiled.
Starlight dropped her mouth open.
"The court? Really?" She said, touched and surprised.
"Of course. Admittedly we will have to give you a few tests to see which jobs you're best suited for, but otherwise you have powerful magic and a strong heart." Cadance smiled. "So we believe you'll be a great addition to the court."
"I-" Starlight choked up, so she just went over to them and hugged them. "Thank you."
"Oh hello- Did I miss something?" Twilight asked, just entering with Flurry Heart.
"Shining Armor and Cadance just invited Starlight to join the court once she's ready to move into the Crystal Empire." Sunburst explained.
"Oh. Congratulations Starlight, I'm very proud of you." Twilight smiled.
Starlight turned to smile at Twilight.
"Thank you Twilight...for everything." She said.
"Aw forget it, I'm always willing to help my students and friends and you're both." Twilight grinned. "Heck if there's anything else you need, feel free to let me know."
"Um...well there is one thing." Starlight admitted.
She left Shining Armor and Cadance to go closer to Twilight. She then took a deep breath.
"There's actually one step left in putting the past behind me...my parents." Starlight admitted. "I haven't seen them since I left home."
"Ah, and you want me to help you find them?" Twilight guessed.
"Yes, I don't know whether they stayed home or moved away."
"Say no more, once we get back to Ponyville I'll start searching for them. Speaking of which, would you like to leave today or would you rather spend more time with Sunburst?"
"Well, truthfully even though I want to see my parents again I'm also nervous about it." Starlight admitted. "So I'd rather get it over with."
"Gotcha. We'd better start packing then." Twilight went over to give Flurry Heart to Shining Armor and Cadance. "Oh, Starlight would you like Sunburst's support with this one? That is if my siblings can spare him for a while."
"I think so, no new births coming up or anything." Cadance nodded.
"Right, and there's nothing going on in court that really needs Sunburst's attention right now." Shining Armor added.
"Hm...maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea. The news of my past might be easier for my parents to handle if they know right away that I was able to rekindle my friendship with Sunburst." Starlight considered. "What do you think Sunburst?"
"Well, I'm gonna have to 'meet the parents' anyway now that we're dating." Sunburst chuckled. "Plus truthfully I'd like to see them again, they were kinda like second parents to me."
"Then it's settled." Twilight smiled.
Then they - Sunburst included - packed up and headed for the train station, with Shining Armor, Cadance, and Flurry Heart walking them there.
"I'm looking forward to you moving here Auntie Starlight." Flurry Heart smiled.
"So am I." Starlight smiled, affectionately ruffling Flurry Heart's mane.
They then said their goodbyes, and Twilight, Starlight, and Sunburst got on the train. It turned out leaving for Ponyville now ended up working out because Trixie had recently arrived for a visit.
"Starlight!" She waved from the train station.
"Trixie! When did you get here?" Starlight rushed off the train to greet her.
"Just a couple days ago, your other friends told me you were visiting Sunburst." Trixie smiled.
Twilight wasn't going to say it out loud, but she was glad that Starlight's friendship humbled Trixie enough to not speak in the third person anymore.
"I was, because I had to tell him something: I've fallen in love with him." Starlight grinned.
"That's...wonderful. From the look on your face Trixie is assuming he returned your feelings?" Trixie smiled, though didn't seem that happy.
Twilight facehoofed. So much for becoming humble. Then she lifted her hoof away...maybe there was now a significance to Trixie using the third person versus using the first person.
"He sure did."
"That's even more wonderful." Trixie smiled more sincerely this time.
"Are you okay?" Sunburst asked, just reaching them.
"Uh, yeah, why wouldn't Trixie be?" Trixie shrugged.
"Because I've already learned that when somepony is acting hesitant and nervous it means they're hiding something, not matter what they say." Sunburst said.
"Sunburst is right...we both learned that back when we were hesitant in telling each other the truth about our pasts." Starlight agreed. "Is there something wrong?"
"Not really, I...well, I guess I'm just a little sad and jealous." Trixie admitted. "I mean you found your very special somepony..."
"And you haven't?" Starlight guessed sympathetically.
Trixie shook her head sadly.
"I'm on the road a lot and given my past I doubt anypony would want me for his very special somepony." Trixie sighed.
"Hey, my past was way worse than yours yet Sunburst fell in love with me." Starlight chuckled, trying to cheer Trixie up.
"Yeah but you two knew each other since you were both foals so he already knew what's really in your heart." Trixie pointed out.
"Oh yeah..." Starlight winced.
"Trixie, Starlight has told me a lot about you and from what I've gathered you've reached the point where you actually do deserve a very special somepony." Sunburst said. "You just have to be patient. I mean you do travel a lot so you meet more ponies than me, Starlight, and Twilight combined. Based on that you're sure to find your very special somepony one day."
"Well, while I wouldn't have said this before Starlight befriended you: Sunburst is right." Twilight spoke up. "You really have put the past behind you. With all the stallions in Equestria I'm sure there's at least one who likes traveling and working behind the scenes of a stage performance. You just have to keep your eyes - and your heart - open."
Trixie looked at Twilight and tears almost formed in her eyes.
"Thank you...princess." She smiled, touched.
"Oh call me Twilight, frankly I can only handle the princess title during formal events. And I mean very formal, not regular formal." Twilight scoffed amusedly.
Sunburst, Starlight, and even Trixie chuckled at that.
"So, from what I've heard Sunburst rarely leaves the Crystal Empire." Trixie said. "Meaning that this visit must be significant. Planning on telling the rest of your friends the good news?"
"There'll be a bit of that, yeah, but actually we're going to search for my parents." Starlight said. "I haven't seen them since I left home."
"Really? I can't imagine what that's like, I see mine every time I visit Canterlot." Trixie said sympathetically.
"You lived in Canterlot?" Twilight said. "I don't recall seeing- Oh what am I saying, I barely acknowledged my old friends so of course I wouldn't remember seeing you."
"You barely acknowledged your old friends?" Sunburst couldn't believe this. "But you're the Princess of Friendship."
"Don't rub it in, I already went on that guilt trip." Twilight rolled her eyes. "But yeah I was too focused on my studies back then to even consider friendship that much. Moving here and defeating Nightmare Moon was what opened my eyes, and my heart, to the idea."
"Ah."
"Anyway, we're first here so that I can start searching for Starlight's parents, since we don't know whether they moved or not. How about the three of you hang out in town while I start searching?"
"Okay, I was planning on telling the rest of my friends the good news about me and Sunburst anyway." Starlight smiled before chuckling. "Oh yeah, almost forgot: better brace yourself for a major party from Pinkie Pie Sunburst."
"Oh great." Sunburst facehoofed. "Never was fond of being the center of attention."
"If it helps I can ask Pinkie to limit the party to closest friends and host it in the castle."
"That would help a lot, thanks."
Trixie giggled.
"What's so funny?" Sunburst asked.
"The irony of Starlight having a very special somepony who doesn't like being the center of attention and a best friend who does." Trixie grinned.
Starlight chuckled.
"That is ironic, but also fitting since I'm kind of in the middle." She said. "I do like being the center of attention at times, but I also don't mind letting others have the spotlight instead. So, which friend should we tell first?"
"I think Pinkie so that she has plenty of time to set up the party in the castle." Twilight said. "The others you can just tell as you meet them."
"That works." Sunburst agreed.
With that, Starlight, Sunburst, and Trixie headed into town to tell the others the good news while Twilight headed for the castle to start searching for Starlight's parents.
"Hey Twilight, where's Starlight?" Spike greeted her.
"She, Sunburst, and Trixie are telling the rest of our friends the good news." Twilight smiled.
"Ah Sunburst returned Starlight's feelings, that's great! I hope Sunburst will be staying with us for a while, I've been wanting to get to know him a bit more."
"He will, especially since he's going to go with Starlight when she leaves to talk to her parents. That's why I'm here, to start searching for them."
"I hope Starlight will be more open to that idea than she was to the idea of rekindling her friendship with Sunburst."
"Actually this was her idea. She decided it was time to finish putting the past behind her."
"Oh. Never mind then. Want me to help you?"
"Sure, I'd love some help."
"Good, I want to help since I can understand wanting to officially reunite with your parents. Or at least your mother."
So Twilight and Spike started searching for Starlight's parents. Fortunately Starlight already told Twilight the name of her hometown plus her parents' names, so Twilight and Spike had a good starting point. A really good starting point, because it turned out that Starlight's parents hadn't moved away at all. They hadn't even changed houses let alone towns.
Later on of course there was a party thrown by Pinkie. Everyone had fun at the party, and Arbor and Trixie enjoyed becoming friends with Sunburst.