Because not every Alicorn prefers to drink tea.
“So,” Rarity crooned, “how did it go?”
Twilight blushed, wilting slightly under Rarity’s intense gaze.
“It was good,” Twilight replied. “I don’t really… well, I haven’t really ‘dated’ as such back in Equestria. I tried to go on a date with Flash—well, pony Flash—but it just wasn’t the same. They were very different pon… uhhh, people, I guess.
“This world’s Flash, though, was a perfect gentleman. He took me out to a lovely restaurant last week, and was even thoughtful enough to eat vegetarian with me.”
“Oh, it’s so romantic,” Rarity said, holding her hand to her forehead. “Star-crossed lovers… true love, their worlds apart, never the twain shall meet!” Rarity swooned, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Well, except once every thirty moons.”
“Duh,” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “she fixed that problem already!”
“Well, it is still an epic tragedy,” Rarity replied. “Wouldn’t you say?” Rarity waited, but no one stepped in to back her up. “Oh, stop ruining my fun!”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “Ah’m sure Twilight appreciates yer pity there, Rares… but Ah dunno if y’all can call it ‘true love’ after one dinner-date. Ah mean, Ah’m glad fer ya an’ all, Twi,” Applejack huffed, shooting Rarity a look, “but not all of us believe in fairy tale romances.”
“Oh, what would you know?” Rarity asked. “I doubt there’s a romantic bone in your body!”
“My favorite bone is the funny bone!” Pinkie added, helpfully.
“My favorite bone is the—” A sharp glare from Rarity silenced Rainbow Dash. “Jeez! Lighten up, Rare. I was just making a joke.”
“Oh, I am well aware of what you consider humor,” Rarity responded with a glower, “but even you must realise it would be highly inappropriate to make such jokes around royalty!”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “I don’t get it… why would a joke about a bone be inappropriate?”
“It’s human slang,” Sunset answered, ignoring Rainbow’s guffawing. “She’s joking about what makes a stallion, well, a stallion.”
Fluttershy, Rarity and Twilight all blushed intensely.
“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Sunset added, a blush spreading across her own face. “They aren’t as intimidating here as they are back home.”
“Thanks fer that image, Sunset,” Applejack said, covering her face with her stetson. “That’ll come in real handy next time Ah gotta help cousin Braeburn studdin’ horses out at th’ ranch!”
Rainbow keeled over with even more raucous laughter.
“Yes, well…” Rarity coughed. “I must say, I am surprised, Twilight. I would have thought the race— err, speciesism would have been an issue.”
“Not really,” Sunset answered for her. “Equestria is actually pretty diverse in species: dragons, minotaurs, griffons… as well as the different types of ponies… interspecieal relations—while not exactly common—do occur. Most Equestrians don’t really think much about them…” Sunset turned to Twilight. “…or at least they didn’t when I left.”
“No, they still don’t,” Twilight added. “We’re a pretty tolerant culture. Most ponies can say they know somepony who has, at the very least, had a cross-specieal crush. I know of at least two…”
“Oh? Who would that be?” Rarity asked.
“Well, first off, there’s… there’s Spike.” Twilight shared a nervous glance with Rarity.
“Ahh yes, I recall his… fondness… I guess you would say,” Rarity replied, with a cough.
“The other is Rainbow Dash—well, I mean—my Rainbow Dash. She told us about a relationship she’d had with a griffon friend once, when she was in flight camp—”
Four pairs of eyes turned towards Rainbow Dash.
“Though Gilda didn’t exactly endear herself to us when she came to visit Ponyville. Rainbow Dash was pretty upset about losing their friendship afterwards, so I guess not all of them work out.”
“Gilda?” Rarity asked.
“Ummm, yeah,” Twilight answered.
“Gilda Ironclaw?” Applejack asked, a grin crossing her face. “Th’ same Gilda Ironclaw that went t’ Air Force Cadets with ya?”
Rarity’s eyes sparkled with glee at the unearthed gossip. “The very same Gilda that came to Canterlot High and caused a big ruckus?”
“It’s okay,” Fluttershy whispered, gently patting Rainbow’s hand. “We won’t think any different of you if you like girls.”
“Yeah,” Pinkie Pie added. “You don’t have to overcompensate for us!”
Rainbow’s face morphed into a scowl. “So, Twilight… Sunset… how big is Flash’s di—”
Rarity gasped and held her hand over Rainbow’s mouth.
“I wouldn’t know!” both ponies-turned-human squeaked.
Twilight turned to Sunset, the two sharing an embarrassed blush. “Oh, I’m sorry, Sunset. I keep forgetting you used to date him. I shouldn’t talk about—”
“It’s… it’s okay, Twilight,” Sunset replied. She looked down at her hands. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was only going out with him for his popularity.”
“So you don’t—”
“I was never interested in him in that way,” Sunset admitted, looking back up at Twilight. “So please don’t feel guilty. He’s a nice guy, Twilight, so I’m glad you two are getting to know each other.”
“Thanks,” Twilight responded, giving her unlikely friend a warm smile.
“Of course Sunset wouldn’t mind…” Rarity tittered. “…not when she has a new beau of her own!”
Twilight gasped. “Sunset, you never said anything in your letters! Oh my gosh, what is he like?”
“Oh, ummm…”
“That’s th’ thing…” Applejack said, watching Sunset as she slowly slumped in her chair. “Ain’t none of us know ‘im. We ain’t met him.”
“Not for lack of trying…” Rarity added.
Sunset could see the beat-up van in her rearview mirror. It had been following her for nine blocks now, and she was starting to get paranoid.
Who are they?
Why are they following me?
Is someone finally out for revenge?
She chanced a look at the van’s reflection in a storefront window.
Why are they driving a Sweet Apple Acres va—
Oh.
Sunset rolled her eyes.
Those fillies won’t take no for an answer, will they?
The lights turned green and Sunset opened up the throttle. As she expected, the van behind her kicked into high gear and gave chase as she sped off.
She dodged and weaved through traffic, trying to lose her friends, but they kept on her. They even ran a red light or two to stay on her tail.
Sunset was surprised that they had managed to keep up with her. She wondered who was driving— it had to be either Rainbow Dash or Applejack; they were the only two who were crazy enough to drive like that.
Sunset had to ditch them… she was low on fuel, and had no idea if she could keep riding until she lost them, or they ran out of fuel themselves. Or they lost interest… but that wasn’t likely to happen. She weaved through the light traffic as she crossed the Canterharbor bridge. A plan quickly came to mind.
Earlier in the week, on her way to school, she had seen a car that had crashed over the concrete dividers that separated the north and southbound lanes, right where the onramp came onto the bridge. Police officers had swarmed the area, and were directing traffic around the hazard. She remembered seeing it on the news later; it had been quite the chase. Probably nowhere near as epic as the one she was having with her fellow Rainbooms right now, but still…
Who ever the madman was that had driven that car into the dividers had given Sunset the escape route she desperately needed.
Assuming, of course, that her pursuer wasn’t Rainbow Dash.
As per any usual road work, the Canterlot City Council was slow to get anything done, and all that the workers had done was put up some token orange safety cones.
This will require some skill… she thought to herself. And I have that in spades.
Sunset slammed on her brakes, whipping the tail of her motorcycle around ninety degrees. She watched the van gaining on her as she waited for that precious break in traffic. Timing here was of the utmost importance.
There!
Sunset opened up the throttle once more and launched herself across the road, narrowly missing an oncoming car. She swerved into the emergency braking lane as she sped down the onramp against the oncoming traffic.
She laughed with glee as she sped off down the street towards home, safe in the knowledge she’d lost her pursuers.
“We would’ve made it if I was driving!” Rainbow Dash growled.
“Ah told ya, Ah weren’t gonna endanger mah friends or mah van just because y’all wanna know who this one is datin’,” Applejack said as she pointed her thumb at Sunset.
“If I recall,” Rarity interjected, “‘y’all’ were the one who suggested we follow her in your van.”
“Umm, technically ‘y’all’ is a contraction of ‘you’ and ‘all’, Rarity, so it wouldn’t work in that case,” Fluttershy whispered, though no one noticed.
“Uh… well…” Applejack stuttered. “Ah believe in honesty, eeyup. That’s right. An’ friends… shouldn’t keep secrets.”
“Oh, Applejack! Go on… admit it,” Rarity laughed. “You were just as interested in Sunset’s little beau as we were. After all, what kind of friends would we be if we didn’t make sure someone is right for our good friend?”
Sunset sighed. “Look, girls… I appreciate the interest—well, actually, I don’t really—but I’ll introduce you all when we’re ready, I promise! Can you please just be patient and trust me until then?”
She was answered with five mutterings of ‘okay’s and ‘alright’s.
“When you’re ready, we’ll have a biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig party!” Pinkie Pie giggled.
Sunset looked across the table at her friend. She was bouncing in her seat, a barely contained dynamo of energy just ready to explode.
“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!” Pinkie Pie squealed, bouncing around. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Sunset paled. Of all the pon—people to have found out, it had to be Pinkie Pie. Sunset held her hand over Pinkie’s mouth, though that did not stop Pinkie from trying to talk.
“Pinkie, you… you can’t say anything about this yet… please, will you hear me out? Promise you won’t say anything, just… just hear me out.”
Pinkie nodded. “Cwaff mw haff am hoff do fwy, swiff a cuffcaff im my eye.”
Sunset removed her hand, and politely wiped the Pinkie Pie slobber on a napkin.
“Pinkie, I will introduce you all, but I’m… I’m just not ready yet. And I don’t know how the others will… you know.”
“Know what?” Pinkie asked.
“Nevermind. Just… please, Pinkie Pie. Can I trust you to keep this secret for me, just a little longer?”
“Okay,” Pinkie replied, looking a little deflated.
“Tell you what,” Sunset said, hoping to cheer up her friend. “When I am ready, you can throw us the biggest party you’ve ever thrown. How does that sound?”
Pinkie Pie’s eyes glittered like diamonds. Sunset began to fear what her words may have wrought.
“The biggest party ever…” Pinkie Pie whispered.
Twilight looked down at her pocket watch, a lovely gift the girls had gotten her last time she had come through to visit. She let out a sigh.
“Well girls, it’s been wonderful seeing you all again,” Twilight said, “but I really must be on my way. The life of a princess is never easy.” Everyone stood from their seats, and the seven girls were pulled into a group hug by Pinkie Pie.
“I’ll visit again soon, I promise!” Twilight said with cheer. “Oh… and Sunset?”
“Yes?”
“Write to me when you’re ready to introduce him to us,” Twilight said, smiling. “I’d love to meet him. Maybe we can even double date! Oooh, I’ve never been on a double date before… wouldn’t that be fun‽”
“Uhh, yeah… maybe.” Sunset let out a weak laugh. “But I will write, I promise. Also, could you say hello to Princess Celestia for me?”
“Of course!”
The seven girls left the coffee shop, each to their own homes (or world, in one particular case).
Sunset sat on her motorbike and smiled.
“So,” she heard Applejack’s voice echo through out the parking lot. “Gilda, eh?”
Sunset laughed and strapped on her helmet as she heard Rainbow’s exasperated groan. She kick-started her motorcycle, and rode out into the night.
“I’m home!” Sunset called out as she entered the small apartment.
Her partner’s dog bounded across the floor and jumped up at her, barking playfully. Sunset picked him up and held him close as he licked her face. “Hey, boy! Did you miss me? Don’t tell me mommy forgot to feed you again!”
“He’s lying!” a voice echoed out from the bedroom. “I fed him hours ago. Don’t let those puppy eyes fool you!”
Sunset crossed the apartment to their room, carrying the puppy with her.
“Have fun tonight?” Sunset asked.
“Yeah, I’m almost done with my paper,” the girl replied. She shook her head. “I don’t know why you don’t apply for entry into my university… you’ve got the grades and the intelligence to get into the advanced stream early like I did. You know you’re… you’re wasting your time at that high school; you could do so much more!”
Sunset set the dog down on the bed, giving him a scratch between the ears for good measure. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s shoulders and pulled her into a hug.
“I could never leave my friends,” Sunset replied, smiling at the irony of her statement. When she first came to this world, she never imagined she’d come to value the magic of friendship like she did now.
“Ugh… I’ll never understand why you’d hold yourself back just for them,” her girlfriend grunted.
“One day you will, Twilight.” Sunset placed a gentle kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek. “One day.”
