Chapter 18: Nighttime Revelations

Twilight Sparkle left the hospital with the help of her friends and felt relieved to hear that Starbright had decided to move to Ponyville. She had been considering asking Princess Celestia to let her stay in the town because of her new friends, but she was worried about how Starbright would react. Knowing that he had decided to come and live in Ponyville on his own eased any concerns she had.

The vague feeling of betrayal that Starbright's letter had left, saying that the Nightmare Moon legend was just a legend, disappeared completely. Twilight now understood that her friend was there to support her and that he also saw the value in being close to his friends.

Twilight learned that Starbright would be staying with her in the library, in the guest room. However, as the days passed, she noticed that Starbright was acting strangely. At first, she thought he still felt guilty about what had happened, so she decided to confront him.

"Starbright, I know you feel guilty, but I want you to know it wasn't your fault," she said one day while they were organizing books in the library. "Everything that happened was beyond our control."

Starbright nodded, but Twilight could see that something was still bothering him. Although he assured her that he was fine, his actions and behavior said otherwise. Determined to get to the bottom of it, Twilight decided to talk to him again five days after he had moved to the town.

That night, after the library had quieted down and Spike had gone to sleep, Twilight approached the guest room where Starbright was staying. She knocked softly on the door and waited.

"Come in," Starbright replied from inside.

Twilight entered and closed the door behind her. Starbright was sitting on the bed, looking out the window with a pensive expression.

"Starbright, we need to talk," Twilight said, approaching him. "I know you said you're fine, but I can't help but notice that you're still acting strangely. Please, tell me what's going on."

Starbright sighed and turned to look at her. "Twilight, I don't want you to worry about me. You've been through so much, and I don't want to add more to your burden."

"Starbright, we're friends," Twilight responded, sitting next to him. "You can tell me anything. I want to help you."

Starbright looked at his own hooves, struggling to find the right words. "Twilight, the truth is... I've realized something these past few days. Something that's been worrying and confusing me."

"What is it?" Twilight asked softly, concerned by the seriousness in Starbright's voice.

Starbright took a deep breath. "I've realized that... I like you, Twilight. More than just as a friend."

Twilight was silent for a moment, processing what Starbright had said. "You like me?" she repeated, surprised.

"Yes," said Starbright, looking up to meet her eyes. "I've realized that my feelings for you go beyond friendship. And I wasn't sure how to tell you or if I should tell you. I didn't want this to affect our friendship, especially after everything you've been through."

Twilight felt a whirlwind of emotions. She hadn't expected this confession, but as she looked at Starbright and saw the sincerity in his eyes, she felt a warmth in her heart.

"Starbright, I... I don't know what to say," Twilight admitted. "This is unexpected, but I appreciate your honesty."

Starbright nodded, feeling relieved to have gotten everything off his chest. "I don't expect an immediate answer. I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Twilight smiled softly. "Thank you for trusting me with your feelings. This is something we'll have to explore over time. But I want you to know that, no matter what happens, our friendship will always be important to me."

Starbright nodded again, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thank you, Twilight. That means a lot to me."

Twilight moved closer and gave him a comforting hug. "We'll move forward together, just like we always have."