Author's Notes: Whew! Forty chapters! I can't believe how much I've done recently, and how big this story's grown, both in it's actual size, and in how many of you actually read it! 425 reviews and counting...you guys are all unbelievable, and I really can't thank you enough for all the attention and praise you have been heaping!

Now, I believe "PepperjackPegasus" mentioned the slight lack of logic regarding Princess Cadance being related to Celestia and Luna. I'm not sure if Hasbro officially called Cadance as Celestia's niece or not, but since that seems to be accepted as canon by most these days, I decided to roll with it. I think the best explanation is similar to what Lauren Faust gave when asked about Prince Blueblood being Celestia's nephew. Basically, either Celestia and Luna have another sibling that no-one is aware of at this time, or that Cadance is really Celestia's distant niece, several times removed, somewhat like Blueblood is.

Hopefully that cleared up my thoughts on the matter a little bit. As per usual, I won't say much more...way too much potential for plot spoilers everywhere now. Just be patient...all your questions about loose plot elements in this story should be answered...and soon.

As such, I won't delay you any longer! Read on, and thank you again for reading!

---

Chapter 40

Mi Amore Cadenza

For several long, hazy moments, all Starfall could focus on was Luna, and how she looked all dressed up for the Ball. Starfall always believed she was beautiful as she normally was, but this...this was simply beyond stunning. The further she came down the stairs, the more details Starfall could see of her dress, and the more enraptured he became at the sight.

Eventually, the light tap of a hoof against his shoulder help bring him partially back to his senses, the voice of Princess Cadance in his ear snapping him back to reality with a slightly nauseating jolt. "Breathe, Starfall...remember to breathe."

Realising that he had indeed been holding his breath since he first laid eyes on Princess Luna, Starfall finally took in a deep breath, trying to be as subtle about it as possible, blushing slightly as he realised that Princess Cadance had picked up on how Luna's beauty had totally floored him. He looked over at her, trying to read her expression, to see if she suspected anything further, but her attention had already turned back to Luna, a faint smile on her face.

Starfall turned back to face Luna, just as she reached the bottom of the stairs, noticing out of the corner of his eye that most, if not all of the ponies currently in the Entrance Hall had stopped to stare of the Princess of the Night, looking like nopony had ever seen her before. Most of them were stunned speechless, much like he had been, while others appeared to be speaking to each other in hushed tones, likely discussing Luna's outfit, and how it looked on her.

Finally, Luna approached their group, giving a small smile, looking slightly nervous...Starfall knew she had never dressed up for any occasion before, and this must be a new, slightly awkward experience for her. The Princess of the Night turned her attention to Princess Cadance first. "Young Cadance, we hope thou art well?" she asked.

Cadance smiled at her aunt warmly, looking like she was just barely resisting the urge to walk up and hug the Princess, not wanting to ruin the neatness of their dresses so early in the night. "I have been very well, Luna, thank you," she said, as Shining Armor gave her a small bow, apparently retaining his professional formality even in the wake of being married to a Princess.

"Rise, Shining Armor," she said with a hint of a smile. "Thou art a Prince, now...there is no need to bow before us," she said kindly, Shining Armor slowly rising back to his hooves.

After the two exchanged a silent, but no less warm greeting, Luna moved on to Twilight and her circle of friends. "Twilight Sparkle, and thy friends, as well...we are glad thou could all make it tonight."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world!" Rainbow Dash replied emphatically, getting an enthusiastic nod and murmurs of agreement from her friends all around.

Twilight, however, did have a question. "Is Princess Celestia still setting up the final preparations?" she asked simply, clearly eager to meet her teacher and primary role model.

Princess Luna gave a small, slightly hesitant nod. "We believe so, Twilight...we must admit we have avoided her today. We wished this..." she gestured to her dress. "...to be a surprise, both to her and to our esteemed guests."

As if that point triggered the next event, the Princess of the Night finally turned her attention to Starfall, the young stallion fighting the urge to both hyperventilate and go all giddy. From this close, the way the dress enhanced her natural looks was just even more prominent, and it was taking all the self-control he had not to blush like some immature school-colt thinking about his first crush.

"Starfall," Luna said, sounding rather unsure about what she wanted to say, which surprised Starfall. She had invited him as her guest of honour for a reason, right? But then again, he reasoned, that could be the source of her uncertainty, since she had never done this before. "Thou appears unusually quiet, my student. Is something troubling thee?" she asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

Out of the corner of his eye, Starfall thought he saw Cadance trying to suppressed an amused smirk...but it was gone so fast, he was not sure it had even existed in the first place. Clearing his head, he tried to focus on answering Luna's question. "Nothing's wrong, Luna..." he said, pausing briefly as he heard himself stammer a little. He gathered himself, before doing something he had not done in some time...bowing before the Princess of the Night, a gesture which seemed to surprise Luna. "I was just...caught a little off-guard when I saw you, that's all," he explained, trying to be honest without giving the Princess reason to suspect that his feelings for her was even stronger than ever before. "You look...absolutely amazing, Luna. Really..." he forced himself to shut up at that point...even he could hear the awed sincerity in his voice...too much of it, and worried that he had let on more than he intended.

Luna, however, seemed to miss it in her own nerves, and the rest of the group seemed to be too focused on taking in Luna's new appearance, as the Princess of the Night gave one of the brightest smiles Starfall had ever seen grave her features. "Thou flatters us, Starfall, but we thank thee all the same. Thy own appearance has become rather...dashing," she returned with a compliment of her own, Starfall once more ducking his head to try and hide his blush, stammering a muttered thanks.

Luna's hoof against his chin quickly saw Starfall attempting to bring said blush under control before he was forced to look the Princess in the eyes. Fortunately, by the time he slowly raised his head, he seemed to have done enough, Luna still smiling. "Relax, Starfall. Thou hast no reason to fret. Calm thy nerves, and enjoy thyself...that will make this night memorable for thee," she said.

Starfall let himself get lost in her eyes for a moment, before taking a deep, calming breath, nodding softly. "Thanks, Luna..." he said softly, giving her a small smile.

For a few moments after that, things seemed to settle into a comfortable silence among the group, obviously waiting for Princess Celestia's arrival so they get the Coronation Ball started officially. The silence did not last very long, however, Starfall looking over as Cadance stepped forward, clearing.

"Luna, do you mind if a borrow Starfall for a private word?" she asked, making the yellow pegasus in question pause. Why would Princess Cadance want a private work? Luna seemed to have a similar line of thought, raising an eyebrow at her niece in silent query. "I just want to ask him a few things, and would rather not any random ponies interrupting us," she explained simply.

Despite Cadance's explanation, Starfall's sudden feeling of foreboding did not ease at all. He could not help but fear the worst...had Cadance noticed? Was she onto his romantic feelings for her aunt? He tried to keep himself calm, and hope for the best, however...maybe she was curious about a few things, like anypony else? According to her own word, Celestia and Luna had told her a little about him, but there was every chance there were things she wanted to know directly from him...he hoped.

Luna did not seem to find anything suspicious about Cadance's request, however, giving her a small nod. "Very well, Cadance, the door over there leads to a hallway that's off-limits for the Ball," she said, getting the attention of the two guards watching the doorway, giving them a few silent signals, obviously prompts to tell them that Cadance and Starfall were to be given access, before turning back. "Go ahead, we shall send word when our sister arrives," she added.

Cadance gave an appreciative smile, before turning to Starfall. "Shall we, Starfall?" she asked, before turning and giving Shining Armor a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be right back, dear," she assured her husband, before heading off, Starfall following behind, trying not to show his reluctance. He felt like he was walking into a trap...an interrogation involving questions he did not want to answer.

But Cadance's smile never left her as they made their way through the door, into the dim hallway, the guards closing the door behind, leaving Starfall completely along with the pink Princess, still trying not to show his nervousness...at least the poor lighting helped hide the details of his facial expression.

When Cadance finally spoke, her first question caught Starfall totally off-guard. "So, Starfall...what do you know about me?"

The question was so unexpected, so different from what he had feared, that it actually took him a moment to realise exactly what she had asked. "What? I...well, not all that much, I'm afraid. Twilight and Luna have both mentioned you, but most of what they discussed was about your wedding to Shining Armor. Twilight did mention you used to be her foalsitter when she was a filly, though," he added.

Cadance nodded, a nostalgic sort of smile appearing on her face. "Yes...I used to foalsit for many Canterlot families when I was a bit younger, though Twilight was always the one filly I looked forward to caring for the most. But none of them have really discussed anything else about me? What I really do? What my talent is?" she asked.

Starfall was confused by this line of questioning...Cadance did not seem like the type to be vain like this, so why was she so curious about how well he knew her? Still, she was asking, prompting him to shake his head. "I'm afraid not, I guess it just never came up," he said.

Cadance, however, did not seem bothered by this, instead gesturing to the brooch at the base of her neck, the blue crystal heart. "Do you see this?" she asked, getting a quick nod from the stallion. "This brooch is actually the same design as my cutie mark," she explained, Starfall nodding again, though his growing confusion was becoming more an more noticeable, still having no clue exactly what point Cadance was trying to make with all this.

Cadance now smiled, stepping a little closer to him. "You see, I have a talent for spreading love wherever I go. With a single spell, I can make quarrelling couples remember why they love each other, and stop their fights, and rekindle romantics passions that have been suppressed for days, even weeks."

Now Starfall was nervous. The way the subject had suddenly jumped towards love and romance, and the way Cadance was looking at him with that small smirk. It was no coincidence, and Starfall could almost feel his prayers vanishing in that instant. She knew...she knew about him, and his feelings for Luna.

Cadance continued speaking, however her tone had that edge to it, that slight sense of triumph, in discovering a well-hidden secret. "I can also sense feelings of love if the pony is nearby," she said, Starfall now forced to look up at her as she stepped right up to him, unable to tear his gaze away from hers, as much as she wanted. "I can even tell who those feelings are radiating from, and for whom the affection is directed, if the feelings are strong enough."

Starfall swallowed nervously, just barely resisting the urge to turn tail and run. He was busted...completely, totally and utterly busted...by a relative of Luna's no less. Could this possibly get any worse?

Cadance, however, did not seem quite ready to put him out of his misery just yet. "You, my little pony, have been radiating such feelings so strongly, I'm actually surprised everypony else hasn't noticed it yet," she said, Starfall unable to take as much relief from that statement as he would have liked. Everypony else might be clueless now...but when Cadance left this room, it was highly unlikely it would remain that way.

As Cadance looked down at him, Starfall feeling his legs beginning to shake slightly, she finally asked a question that put it beyond doubt that she knew. "So, what I want know is this...how long?" it was a simple, almost vague question, but Starfall knew exactly what she meant.

For a brief moment, Starfall considered lying, or bluffing, trying to find some way of getting out of this impossible situation. But in the end, he knew it was pointless...Princess Cadance was obviously aware he was head over hooves in love, and knew exactly who those romantic feelings were aimed at. There was nothing left to do but come clean, and pray for some small mercy.

Sighing heavily, Starfall finally replied, lowering his head. "I've...liked her, for a couple of months, I guess," he admitted softly, his voice extremely hesitant, barely above a whisper. It was still taking a lot of effort to resist fleeing in embarrassment and shame.

Cadance, however, seemed to be looking for specifics. "And when did that feeling go well beyond like?" she asked again. Surprisingly, the triumphant tone in her voice had eased slightly, and now she sounded almost...gentle?

Trying to figure out why Cadance was taking this so well...or perhaps if it was just a ruse, Starfall hesitated in answering. The hesitation prompted Cadance to speak again. "Starfall...relax," she said gently, putting a hoof on his shoulder...but in a gentle, calming gesture, making Starfall pause. "I'm not here to ruin your night, or Luna's...I just want to know what's going on, especially since you're trying so hard to hide it."

Starfall grimaced...not entirely convinced that Cadance was merely curious, but figured he might as well let it all out now anyway...it was clear that she knew more than enough. "I...I didn't realise I, well...loved her, until a couple of days ago. But...the thing is, Luna found about I kind of liked her a while ago, earlier in our lessons," he said.

Cadance nodded. "Judging by your secrecy and current nerves, I'd say she took it poorly?" she asked, getting a nod from Starfall.

"You have no idea...she didn't want anything more to do with me, but Princess Celestia convinced her to keep teaching me. But that was on the condition that I get over my feelings for Luna, and...well..." he said, not bothering to finish. It was blatantly obvious he had failed to meet that condition. Not only that, but his feelings for Luna had not just resurfaced, but grown even stronger than ever before, and pointedly refusing to slow down.

Cadance gave him a small smile. "It hasn't quite worked out that way?" she offered, Starfall giving a glum nod. Cadance once more gave him a small smile. "Starfall...look at me," she asked, her voice still gentle, but with a slight, firm edge...enough to make Starfall look up, clearly still frightened of what would come of such an obvious exposure.

Cadance's smile, however, never faltered, and now that Starfall was looking directly at her, he could see the kindness extending to her eyes...she wasn't upset or angry over his romantic feelings and hopes towards Princess Luna. "Starfall, if there's one thing my talent has helped me learn, it's that love is something that is very often beyond our control. Celestia asked the impossible of you when she requested that you move on...love doesn't just die like that. But why haven't you talked this out with Luna? You do realise that hiding it does nothing but hurt you in the end, right?" she asked.

Starfall sighed, already having had this argument inside in his own head. As such, he had an answer ready almost the moment Cadance finished her question. "And what of hurting Luna?" he asked back, seeming to surprise Cadance. "She's already said quite explicitly that she's not interested in any such thing with me...she doesn't need me fawning all over her again. Besides, she's an immortal alicorn, and a Princess. I'm just...well..."

Cadance, however, cut over him, clearly trying to steer him away from his line of thought. "You, Starfall, are a brilliant, kind-hearted young pegasus, and Luna thinks more highly of you than I think even she realises at the moment." Her words caught Starfall off-guard, looking up at her again. "Why else would she invite you to this Ball as her honoured guest? Starfall, I may not have been around before Luna was exiled to the moon, but I do know this: Luna has never lead a very...popular life. She's always been forced to live in her sister's shadow, everypony adoring Celestia and her day, while Luna, and the night she works so hard on, are often overlooked and ignored."

Starfall paused, going quiet. He had always assumed, based on the legends surrounding Luna's corruption into Nightmare Moon, that Luna had often been lost in her sister's immense shadow, but to hear it now, from a pony related to the Royal Sisters, really hammered to story home that much harder. The Princess of the Night must have felt so ignored...and so alone. Like he felt in the wake of the Stratos Crossing disaster, when all his friends and family just abandoned him...left him with nothing but himself, and his misery and shame, for company.

Cadance was not finished, however...not even close. "Even after she was freed from the dark magic corrupting her, Luna simply found herself stuck in the same place...lost behind her sister's far greater popularity and reputation, and now in a world that was unfamiliar to her." Cadance paused here in her tale, seemingly deciding what to say next, before turning and giving Starfall a piercing, significant look. "Do you understand now, Starfall? You are the first stallion...no, the first pony...that has come to Luna, and appreciated her for what she is. You have a passion and a talent for the night sky, meaning you are a pony that appreciates what Luna has worked so hard to create...a rare thing for her to personally see. And now, through your lessons together, you have gotten to her for exactly who and what she is, and still care about her...Luna has never had that happen to her, friendship is always something she has struggled with. She now knows she can rely on you to stand by her, no matter what happens."

Starfall blinked, caught off-guard by Cadance's unexpected speech. He had never thought about Luna's struggles to such a depth before, and now that it was all laid out before him, it all made so much sense. Luna had grown to care about him because he was the only pony in Equestria she could really call her friend. But even so...

"But that's just it, Cadance. I'm Luna's friend...and that's all she wants," he explained softly.

Cadance just gave him another smile. "You might be surprised how much a pony's feelings can change in a few short weeks, Starfall. At the very least, I think she would be much more tolerant now if you were to try and explain how you feel," she added, suddenly holding up a hoof as Starfall opened his mouth again. "And before you even think of mentioning the fact that she's an alicorn, and a Princess, take a look at me and Shining Armor. I am an alicorn, no different from Luna, and while I don't have the same status as her, I'm still a Princess. Shining Armor is a perfectly normal unicorn, just as you are a perfectly normal pegasus. It's like any relationship between different kinds of ponies; it doesn't matter what you both look like, or if you have wings, a horn, both, or none. If there is love there, then the couple can always find a way to make it work, if they're willing to look for it."

Starfall opened his mouth to protest further, but stopped when no argument came. Cadance had soundly beaten every one of his protests about the logic of a relationship between him and Luna, and kicked them clean out of Equestria. The only real protest he could throw up was the uncertainty about Luna's feelings, and they had already covered that.

Cadance, however, seemed to notice that he was still unsure. "Look, Starfall, you don't have to talk to her tonight. But it may be one of the best opportunities you'll get...and you have to talk this out with her at some point, even if it's just to re-confirm that she's not interested in you at all, and to start looking at ways of helping you out. But keeping your feelings bottled up is not healthy, and the longer you hide it, the worse it could get when Luna does find out. You know she will, eventually...don't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Starfall finally sighed, giving a small nod. He knew Cadance was right...Luna would eventually figure it out, and as much as the thought of doing so terrified him, telling Luna himself would likely get a better reaction than how she would respond if left to figure it out for herself. "I...I guess you're right," he finally said softly. "I'll have to tell her soon. But...if I may, Princess Cadance?" he asked, getting a nod to go ahead. "You seem very calm...you're not upset or angry at all?" he asked carefully. While he was curious, he also hoped he wasn't just unleashing a hidden monster.

Cadance just gave a soft giggle. "Don't you worry, Starfall...I'm in no condemning your love of Princess Luna. As my love for Shining Armor proves, I have no problem with relationships between alicorns and other ponies. I do believe that it has to be a mutual thing, though, so do not press the issue if my aunt is not interested," she warned, getting a quick nod out of Starfall.

"I..." Starfall started to say something, but was interrupted, jumping slightly when the door back to the Ball behind him creaked open, whirling around to see Twilight poking her head through. "Sorry if I'm interrupting, but Princess Celestia's here...it's time to start the Ball," she called, before retreating out of sight once again.

Starfall sight, before glancing nervously at Cadance, her smile suggesting she knew exactly what he was worried about. "Don't worry, Starfall. Your secret's safe with me until you're ready to talk to Luna. I hope to hear news of what transpired between you two sooner rather than later, though...okay?" she asked.

Starfall gave another nervous swallow, before nodding, turning back to the door and steeling himself, now nervous for an entirely different reason. It was time for Canterlot to see just how highly the Princess of the Night though of him.

As he walked back, Starfall silently realised that Cadance was right, tonight, while the festivities were in full swing, and Luna was in a good mood, would be the best time for him to explain his love for her. He just needed to find an opportunity to get her alone for a private word...and hope that her reaction was better than last time...he already knew that it was too much to hope for her to return his feelings.

As he returned to the entrance hall behind Cadance, he had to fight to keep a straight face as he saw Luna again, beating back his nerves forcefully. He did spare a glance for Princess Celestia, who was the only pony in the room who had not dressed up for the occasion, apparently believing that her golden crown, collar, and horseshoes were enough...which in her case, as ruling Princess, it actually kind of was.

Luna, however, brought his attention back to her as she smiled at him, gesturing for him to stand by her side...to be with her, as her honoured guest, as they opened the Ball officially, her question bringing a nervous smile to Starfall's face as he took his place, and prepared himself. "Shall we get this glorious occasion started, Starfall?"