Sunset Shimmer stared at the trowel in her hand.
She looked up at Vice-principal Luna. “You can’t be serious.”
“I can assure you I am,” said Luna, crossing her arms behind her back. “Does the punishment not fit the crime?”
“You’re right. I can almost see how the three of us can rebuild part of the school,” Sunset smirked. “Have I not told you of my amazing bricklaying ability?”
Luna’s eyes narrowed. “Sarcasm is not as amusing as you teens think it is. And it is far better when kept brief.”
“You don’t say.”
“See, now that is better.” Luna said with a smirk.
Sunset glared at Luna before the V.P. continued.
“But in answer to you remark: no I do not expect you to. Of course, having you do some labor as punishment before professionals are brought in, and the rest of your school life detention begins, seems quite appropriate.”
Sunset opened her mouth, but the retort died on her lips. Somehow she knew that Luna and her sister would find some way to make her life miserable past high school if she pushed her luck.
“Fine, whatever.”
She turned to Snips and Snails, who had already started mixing the mortar, and with a deep breath went to help them.
This wasn’t going to be pleasant.
“Vice-principal Luna!”
Sunset looked back and saw the prissy one… Rarity if she recalled.
“Yes young Rarity?” And confirmation.
The girl stopped in front of Luna and smiled up at her “I would like to discuss the events of tonight with you if that would be all right.”
Luna raised a brow. “I suppose I can spare a minute.”
“Wonderful!” Rarity then grabbed the vice-principal’s arm and guided her away, and out of earshot.
Sunset wished she had learned to read lips.
The other Element bearers walked past her with what Sunset thought were very surprising looks. Surprising in that they were smiling and looked sympathetic. The pink one even bounded over to her and hugged her; she did the same for the boys.
Bunch of weirdos.
Sunset was broken from her confused trance by the sound of the vice-principal clearing her throat. She turned to her and saw Rarity standing next to her with a smile on her face.
“I’ll cut to the chase as it were,” said Luna. "Young Rarity has convinced me that, given the events of the evening, it would be best to postpone you punishment until tomorrow. We wouldn’t want you to hurt yourselves from overexertion. You’re parents will be contacted about your volunteering to help the school with the aftermath of whatever excuse we’ll be using. We’re leaning toward gas leak.”
“And Vice-principal Luna has been kind enough to allow you to attend the rest of the dance if you so choose,” said Rarity.
Sunset cocked a brow. “Really?”
“What young Rarity says is true. I do not wish to be overly cruel. After all, I have a feeling that you’ll have enough trouble with your fellow students in the coming months, if not longer.”
Before Sunset could even start to consider what she would do, Rarity grabbed her by the arm and practically dragged her down the hall.
Rarity waved with her other hand. “You’re too kind vice-principal. I’ll take care of her.”
***
Rarity continued to pull her down the hall until they reached their apparent destination: the Fashion Club’s room.
When they entered Rarity flipped on the lights and led her to a raised platform near a set of mirrors. She examined Sunset with a discerning eye and after a couple minutes nodded to herself.
In a feat of what could only be some kind of magic, Sunset found herself spinning and when she came to a stop she was stripped of all but her underwear.
Sunset blushed and quickly covered herself. “What are you–”
Rarity didn’t even acknowledge her as she went through a door on the other side of the room. Sunset could hear the sound of a shower starting.
Rarity returned and led the slightly stunned Sunset into the room, somehow stripped her of what remained of her clothes and slipped her into the shower. The warm water brought Sunset back to her senses.
“What are you doing you freaking–?”
“Language,” Rarity said in a singsong voice before she closed the door.
Sunset rubbed her temples. “Argh! What is wrong with her.”
“If you wish to be presentable for the remainder of the dance I suggest you clean yourself up,” Rarity said through the door. “Being covered in dirt and whatever else is just not acceptable nor is being half wet and naked, so you should take advantage.”
“Evil witch,” grumbled Sunset.
Sunset took a quick shower; under ten minutes. The idea of being naked around that psychopath for too long was not appealing to her.
The moment she shut the water off the door opened. “Here you go darling, undergarments and a robe. I believe that everything will fit. If I haven’t lost my touch that is.”
The door closed shortly after Rarity finished speaking.
Sunset dried herself quickly before she dressed in the, surprisingly well fitting, underwear and donned the robe before leaving the shower.
She was immediately dragged back to the stand and stripped of the robe. She didn’t have time to cover herself before Rarity slipped her into a dress. Sunset found herself in a black cocktail dress.
Rarity stroked her chin as she gave Sunset a once-over. “Not the best I could do, but I don’t have anything else that quite suits you. And of course, black is always fashionable.”
Rarity nodded in approval.
After a moment of silence due to Sunset’s disorientation at the whole ordeal, Rarity broke the silence. “Well?” she gestured to the mirrors. “Aren’t you going to look yourself over. I do say you look stunning despite my limited options.”
Lacking much else to do, and she seemed to already be deep in whatever Rarity was trying to accomplish, Sunset decided to listen to her.
After a brief look she had to admit, she did look damn good. “Not bad. Of course I make everything look good.”
Rarity smiled. “No doubt. Some of us just have it.”
Sunset was led, with less reluctance on her end, to a chair with a pair of stylish black boots at its side. Rarity sat her down and left for a moment; returning with some makeup.
Rarity got to work applying a light amount of various makeups, Sunset honestly couldn’t keep up. Rarity topped it off with some lip gloss. “Gloss is so much better for these occasions. I wish I hadn’t decided on lipstick, but it is a bit too late to change that without it being noticed.”
As Rarity returned the makeup to its proper place Sunset slipped on the boots. “You just keep my size boots in here?”
“Coincidence, darling,” said Rarity. “We just happen to be of similar sizes.”
Rarity hooked Sunset’s arm with hers. “Now I do believe that the dance has little over an hour left. Just enough time for us to enjoy ourselves.”
***
They arrived at the doors that led to the gymnasium; the music being barely muted by the walls.
Rarity moved them to the doors, but Sunset dug in her heels.
Rarity turned to her and cocked a brow. “What’s wrong Sunset?”
“I’m not going in there.”
“Well given that I did make you presentable I believe that you owe me.”
Sunset scoffed. “Really now? Last I checked you represented Generosity. You did this out of the goodness of your heart.” She unhooked her arm from Rarity’s. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t owe you anything.”
Rarity narrowed her eyes and went to open the doors. The music previously restrained by the walls exploded outward, filling the halls with the beat.
As Sunset started to walk away she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around with an angry expression at the obvious offender.
“I told you Rarity, I’m not going in there.”
Rarity grabbed her forearm and pulled her toward the doors. Sunset was surprised at just how strong the girl was.
Sunset ceased her struggling when she realized that Rarity wasn’t dragging her to the room, but a short ways down the hall. The music could still be heard only slightly held back by the distance and walls. While not quiet by any means it did allow them to talk without have to shout.
Rarity removed her hand from Sunset’s arm and moved to hold her hand instead. Sunset met the fashionista’s eyes when she started speaking.
“Sunset, I know that you can’t be too thrilled about showing your face to everyone else so I won’t force you.” She let go of Sunset’s hand and took a couple steps back. “That being said, I came here to dance and I think you should too. We can hear the music quite clearly from here.”
As if on queue the song changed and upbeat dance music flooded the halls.
Rarity started bobbing her head and swaying her hips. She gestured for Sunset to do the same. Rarity started to move more as she came to better feel the beat.
Sunset hesitated. On the one hand, something about dancing in the hall with just the two of them seemed a bit… weird. On the other hand though, Sunset had become aware that she was tapping her foot to the beat.
Deciding that she might as well, given that she probably wouldn’t have any actual fun for a long time, Sunset followed Rarity’s lead and joined her on the “dance floor.”
Rarity smiled and Sunset couldn’t help but smile too.
As the minutes passed and the songs changed, Sunset found herself moving closer to Rarity until she got to the point where it felt less like two people dancing awkwardly apart from each other and more like real dancing. She glanced over at her dance partner and smiled widely. Rarity was absolutely stunning.
Sunset was lost in the beat and didn’t notice as the song changed and the music slowed. She moved with it as did Rarity.
Sunset didn’t notice when they moved even closer.
Her hands slipped around Rarity’s waist while the fashionista’s arms encircled her neck. It just felt natural; an instinct Sunset couldn’t deny.
Their eyes met as they swayed to the music and Sunset couldn’t look away. She was entranced by the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. She had no time to dwell on the fairly strange thoughts before Rarity leaned forward and captured her lips.
Sunset tensed at first. The sensation of those soft lips against her own was alien and yet somehow right. She leaned into the kiss; lost to the pleasure.
But it was not to last as the rational side of Sunset’s mind kicked in.
Sunset’s eyes widened and she shoved her dance partner away. Rarity’s back impacted against a row of lockers and she winced in pain.
Their eyes met once more. “Sunset I–”
Sunset Shimmer turned and ran.
“Wait!”
But Sunset ignored her and turned a corner, leaving Rarity alone to contemplate what just occurred.
***
Sunset was fuming as she ripped the dress from her person.
She was back in the Fashion Club’s room tearing the place apart looking for her clothes. When she found them she quickly donned them before sitting down to remove her boots.
She glared daggers at the door when she heard the pounding of boots on the floor outside.
Rarity entered and hesitated when she met Sunset’s glare.
“You better have a good reason for following me,” Sunset growled.
Rarity stepped further into the room and quietly shut the door behind her. “Sunset I… well… I think we should talk about what, well you know, happened.”
Sunset tore the last boot from her foot and starting putting on her regular ones. “I think that you should back off if you know what’s good for you.”
Rarity took a tentative step forward. “Look, Sunset, I–”
“NO! You look,” Sunset rose up. “Tonight I got overwhelmed by the Element of Magic twice! I became some kind of freaky demon and then I find myself crying my eyes out in a crater. I’ve been feeling confused since then; like I’m a whole different person! I was… ugh… vulnerable and you took advantage of that!”
“I did nothing of the sort,” Rarity raised her voice. “I admit to feeling sorry for you and I tried to make you feel like you could be accepted. I know what it’s like to be ostracized after what you pulled during the Spring Fling.
“It took me the rest of the school year before people started to forget and it was only after the summer that I was accepted back into the Fashion Club after I was kick out. The club I started mind you.
“How do you think it felt? No friends to help me through it, nowhere to turn, the depressing fact that the person I once had a crush on would do something like that to me, how do you think I felt?!”
Rarity was breathing heavily from her tirade while Sunset was stunned. Rarity’s eyes widened when a certain detail repeated through her head.
“You had a crush on me?” Sunset wasn’t angry at the implication and how it could have led to the kiss. No, she was more surprised than anything.
Rarity blushed and looked away.
“So that was it,” Sunset’s anger returned. “You saw tonight as the perfect chance to get what you wanted. To take something without consent,” she scoffed, “and you lot thought I was manipulative.”
Rarity met Sunset’s eyes again. “I had a crush on you. I thought during freshman year that you were beautiful. Not to mention brilliant and strong. You were also distant, a mystery, an enigma I wanted to unravel. When you were up for Princess of the Spring Fling I voted for you. I saw just how happy you were when you were crowned and I felt overjoyed that I had a role in it.
“And then you changed. It went to your head the rest of the year. Oh I didn’t fault you for that, no, I would’ve likely been the same way were I in your position. I did fault what happened after that summer. When you became so selfish and manipulative. In fact, the reason I put my name up for the last Spring Fling was because I had the delusion that if I knocked you down a peg then you would stop being so cruel to others.”
Rarity started tearing up. “And then you defamed me. Tore me down. Suffice it to say my crush went away. When we danced together tonight and I saw you legitimately enjoying yourself, it rekindled those old feelings and I did something I didn’t mean…," Rarity paused for a moment before she continued. "You know what? I did mean it. There I said it. I didn’t intend to kiss you, but I absolutely meant it. And from how you first reacted, you liked it just as much as I did.”
Sunset was narrowed her eyes. “Get away from me.”
Rarity’s tears began to flow in earnest and she ran from the room; the sound of her feet leading toward the front of the school.
Sunset left the room and slipped into the nearest girls' room just a short distance down the hall.
***
Sunset splashed water from the bathroom sink onto her face in order to remove the makeup; and to remove all trace of what had happened.
She reached for the nearby paper towels and used several of them to wipe the wet makeup-y gunk from her face.
The last towel, used to clean her mouth, caught her attention. Traces of Rarity’s lipstick was present. Sunset stared down at the smudge; the last vestiges of that incident.
She sighed.
She couldn’t bring herself to feel upset anymore. Even her reaction from before felt as if it were forced. To be honest, she was just too tired to feel much of anything.
Why waste the energy, she mused.
She tossed the paper towel at the trash in an off-handed fashion. She missed.
She looked up at the mirror to check for any makeup that may have been left behind.
She screamed.
Sunset flung herself back against one of the bathroom’s stalls and slid down it. She covered her eyes with her hands. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Her breathing was panicked.
She took a few minutes to calm down before lifting herself slightly to take a peek at the mirror.
Her normal reflection stared back at her.
She dropped back down and looked to the ceiling and closed her eyes.
She had seen it. Her other self. The face of the demon she had become. It had flashed before her eyes like a lightning strike; there and gone.
She placed a hand on her forehead and then moved it back through her hair.
You’re losing you damn mind Shimmer, she thought. Just a hallucination brought on by a traumatic experience. Sure, I never saw my face in that form, but that doesn’t mean anything. Okay, it might mean that the Element messed with my head more than I thought, but…
She sighed before slowly making her way to her feet; careful to avoid looking in the mirror. She grabbed her jacket from where she draped it over a stall and pushed her way through the door into the hallway and stopped. She looked both ways down the hall, her gaze ultimately settled on the direction Rarity had departed.
She was tempted to just turn and walk the other way.
“Yeah, because there’s a more convenient way to get to the parking lot than going through the front… gaping hole.”
She sighed. She’d been doing that a lot in the past hour.
“Don’t do it Shimmer,” she thought aloud. “She took advantage of you. She… it… couldn’t have been unintentional it just… she said she meant it though.”
She groaned.
“Why can’t I just walk away and forget about it. She’s not worth it.”
And then she thought about the girl. Rarity was beautiful to say the least; possibly the school's most beautiful girl aside from Sunset herself. Rarity had a sense of strength about her that was fairly appealing. This was a girl that suffered Sunset's wrath and yet still managed to overcome her ruined reputation with grace. The fact that Rarity was trying to give her another chance... it made Sunset feel warm. Rarity saw something in her, something that she was having trouble seeing for herself now, and Sunset pushed her away.
Sunset bit her lip.
With a sigh, she started moving down the hall toward the front of the school on autopilot.
“It’s a bad idea. Just don’t do it.”
***
Rarity sat on what remained of the school’s front steps.
She didn’t know how long she had sat there or how long she had cried. All she did know was that she was freezing. Leaving one of her shoulders completely bare and neglecting to bring a coat was obviously a mistake. Though If she froze to death at least she’d look stunning.
Just as she was about to call it quits and leave without meeting up with the others she felt a weight on her shoulders and a welcome warmth.
Rarity pulled the leather jacket, now draped over her shoulders, tightly around herself. She felt someone bump her as they sat down and she looked to see Sunset Shimmer sitting next to her.
“Thank you.”
Sunset just shrugged.
Rarity looked down and away. “Look, Sunset, I really am sorry. What I did was out of line and I should have been more in control of myself.”
Sunset sat there for a moment before she spoke, “I kissed back.”
Rarity’s eyes widened slightly at Sunset’s bluntness. She was telling the truth finally, but it still felt weird to hear it in such a fashion.
Sunset sighed and chuckled. “I’ve been sighing a lot tonight.” Sunset sat for another moment before continuing. “Look, I’ve thought about it and yeah I know you didn’t mean it, but—”
“I told you earlier,” Rarity interrupted. “I meant it. I just didn’t intend it.”
“Fine, meant to do it. That better for you?”
Rarity looked over a Sunset. “A bit. Still not fond of the choice of words.”
Sunset sighed, again, and looked up at the night sky. “I always liked looking up at the stars. It was like the final mystery of the universe. At least until I saw the mirror to this world, but I think it may still apply.
“I mean, what if this isn’t so much an alternate world as it is a different world. That maybe one of those stars up there is my old home. And maybe every habitable planet up there has bizarre copies of all of us as well.”
Rarity smiled. “I prefer the idea that I’m at least the only one of me in this universe.”
Sunset looked at her with a raised brow. “Oh?”
Rarity nodded. “I’m chic, unique, and magnifique. Especially unique. I can handle an alternate universe me, but I am absolutely this universe’s only Rarity.”
“I can understand that, I guess.”
“May I ask what prompted this conversation?” said Rarity.
Sunset sighed and then pinched the bridge of her nose. “I need to stop doing that.”
Rarity giggled.
“Oh shut up,” Sunset said. “Look, out of the five of you, I can see myself being able to get along with you the best. And I guess I’m sorry for the whole Spring Fling thing.”
“I take it that ‘I guess’ is the best I’m going to get from you.”
“For now,” she said. “My head’s still spinning from all that has happened tonight and I really don't know how to feel about anything really. That thing I became… it wasn't me and honestly I don't know if who I am now is really me either.”
Rarity placed a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “I’ll be here for you if you need help finding out who you are.”
Sunset rested her own hand on Rarity’s and smiled. “Thank you.”
Rarity carefully removed her hand from Sunset’s shoulder and pulled the jacket more tightly around her. “I can’t help but notice that you didn’t technically answer my question.”
“Friends are supposed to share things about themselves, aren’t they?”
Rarity smiled. “You’re right.”
Sunset looked away when she next spoke. “And you’re definitely supposed to share things with your girlfriend.”
Rarity looked at Sunset with surprise. “Beg pardon?”
“I’m not saying I like you that way, I’m not saying that we should become a couple, I’m just saying that I can tolerate you the most and that…”
“And that?” Rarity urged.
Sunset met Rarity's eyes. “And that maybe I might be open to the idea of being with you.”
Rarity smirked. “As I recall, I said that I had a crush on you. What makes you so sure I would even consider being your girlfriend.”
“Don’t know,” Sunset said. She reached into the pocket of the jacket draped over Rarity’s shoulder and removed her phone. She took a moment to look at it before speaking. “But it looks like The Sweet Shoppe will be open for a bit longer. Maybe we could talk more over milkshakes. My treat.”
Sunset stood and offered her hand to Rarity. “What do you say?”
Rarity looked at the proffered hand and smiled before taking it. “I think I’d like that.”
Sunset helped her up, but didn’t let go of her hand.
“There is one other reason I may be interested,” she said.
“Oh?”
Sunset cupped Rarity’s cheek with her other hand and brought their lips together. Rarity’s surprise left her quickly and she returned the kiss in force. Time slowed as their lips remained locked. How much time had passed meant nothing to them. All that did matter at that moment was each other.
They, reluctantly, pulled apart.
“The other reason: I might have liked kissing you,” she narrowed her eyes. “Don’t expect that mushy stuff from me too often. Not my thing.”
“Whatever you say Shimmy,” Rarity giggled and started walking.
Sunset blushed and then shook her head. “And no nicknames.”
She ran to catch up to Rarity and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.
Rarity laid her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “Whatever you say, Shimmy.”
Her eye twitched. “You do realize you’re paying for your own shake now, right?”
Rarity pecked her on the cheek. “I think that’s a fair exchange.”
Sunset couldn’t help but smile. Sigh… great, now I’m sighing in my head. Wonderful. She looked at Rarity out of the corner of her eye.
Maybe doing this won’t be such a bad idea after all.
Author's Note
And there you have it. Hope you all enjoyed.
Bit of a note: I recently learned that the Sugarcube Corner of the EqG world is apparently called The Sweet Shoppe according to one of the books so I decided to make a little edit at the end.
