Sunset had missed this sort of easy companionship. She felt comfortable helping the other mare with her chores in a way she didn’t when she was with Twilight. This was a calm in the thunderstorm of her past few days. Sometimes they talked, either because Sunset was sharing her story or because Applejack had a question or comment for her. Much of the time, however, they were quiet.

It wasn’t the quiet of the awkward lulls in conversation that Sunset had grown all too accustomed to. Instead, it was an understanding that both mares could be alone with their thoughts but had the choice to start a conversation whenever they wanted. It had all the perks of being alone, but with company. In the calm atmosphere, all Sunset’s previous worries were melting away, like night terrors that seemed so silly under the light of dawn.

After several hours of work, they returned to the farmhouse.

“Y’all could eat here tonight, if you and Twilight wanted,” Applejack suggested. It was the first time either of them had spoken in several minutes. She trotted along the fence to the gate, pausing for a moment to empty the mailbox into her saddlebags. There was a pair of parcels and a few letters, one of which was violently pink. Another brief walk carried them into the house.

“That sounds really nice, Applejack. Thanks for the invitation. I should probably go meet her and let her know,” Sunset said, glancing out the window. There was plenty of daylight left, but to the east the sky was beginning to darken. “She must be done with whatever she was doing in town by now.”

“Not to be blunt, sugarcube, but would you like a shower before you go?” Applejack asked. She had taken the wad of envelopes out of her saddlebags and began reading each one in turn. Sunset felt a flush rise in her cheeks at the accusation before she took a sniff. She was starting to smell like somepony who’d spent a full day in the sun. Her mild indignation transformed into gratitude for the other mare; far better to be mildly embarrassed but be in a position to do something about it, than to wait and have Twilight notice. I suppose honesty can hurt a little, sometimes.

“Thanks,” Sunset said. “Where – ”

“Upstairs, can’t miss it. When you’re done, ah’ll have gone to run an errand. Don’t you worry if the house is empty when you’re done, just feel free to show yourself out. Come back some time after nightfall with Twilight,” Applejack said as she rinsed her hooves in the kitchen sink before shaking them dry.

Well, that was... brusque. Sunset didn’t allow herself to dwell on it, instead heading up the staircase through her friend’s home. It was welcoming, warmly lit, with a sort of lived-in ambiance that Twilight’s library lacked. The Apple household was clean; the library, by contrast, was sterile, every part kept in perfect order like gears in a machine. Perhaps it was because Twilight didn’t technically own the place, as it was town property. Perhaps since ponies could wander in to look through her selection of books any time the library was open, Twilight felt compelled to strip away anything overtly personal from her abode. Sunset wondered what the Golden Oaks Library would look like if Twilight felt free to change it any way she pleased. Would it feel as much a home as this?

Sunset found the bathroom soon enough. She stepped into the shower, drew the curtain and turned the faucet on. Bliss exploded throughout her body. When was the last time she’d had a shower? She hadn’t needed one during her stay in the Crystal Empire, and in the excitement of last night she hadn’t gotten a chance to wash up. Which would meant that, in this form, the last time Sunset Shimmer had a shower was... well over ten years ago.

She sighed. As wonderful as it was, she didn’t want to abuse her host’s hospitality. Sunset allowed herself five minutes to get the worst of the grime out of her coat and mane, five minutes which came and went all too soon. She turned the water off as she took measured breaths, gathering energy into her horn.

The first spell was like a mummification with invisible cloth, and Sunset felt pressure as it wound its way around her body. The second was far simpler. The ethereal bindings shattered like glass, and steam hot enough to scald billowed off her form. Sunset exited the shower unscathed and perfectly dry. Being able to use magic again has its advantages, she mused. Out of courtesy for her host, she directed the steam through the bathroom window. It shimmered green and gold from the combined effect of her magic and the sunlight.

She made her way back downstairs and out the front door, trotting down the little path through the woods. She wanted to see Twilight again. She wanted the tension between them to evaporate like water caught in her spell. Hopefully, if Twilight’s day had been as enlightening as Sunset’s, they could work out whatever issues still plagued them.

The path led into town, and Sunset emerged from beneath the shadows of the trees just as the sun was reaching the horizon. Being in the town, all that remained for Sunset to do was find Twilight. That’ll be a bit more troubling, she thought. Where do I look? Sugarcube Corner, Carousel Boutique, the Library...

She decided on the library. Twilight would probably think that was the logical place to meet up, so she’d be staying there waiting for Sunset to find her. Sunset made her way to the center of the town.

As soon as she arrived near the base of the tree, her guess was vindicated. Twilight was backing out of the door, closing it as she left.

“Hey,” Sunset called.

Twilight turned towards her as her face split into a grin. She bounded across the short distance separating them to embrace Sunset, nearly bowling her over in the process. “Hi, Sunset,” she said. Twilight’s smile was radiant. It hadn’t even been a day, and she’d already started to miss it. “Sorry for running out like that this morning. I needed some time to think. Still friends?”

“Oh, I hope so,” Sunset replied. She allowed herself a moment of weakness, letting Twilight support her, before standing up straight. “Applejack invited us for dinner. If you haven’t made any other plans on that front, we should take her up on her offer.”

“Did she really?” Twilight asked, though she didn’t sound too surprised. One dark eyebrow rising was the only indication that the news had interested her in the slightest. “That sounds wonderful. If she’s waiting for us, we should head over right now.” Twilight stopped hugging Sunset, but still pulled her along by a hoof. She was too startled by the sudden activity to resist, and they began walking the well-trodden path to the Apple’s orchard that Sunset was growing quite familiar with.

“And maybe tomorrow night we could, I don’t know, have dinner together,” Twilight suggested. She was quiet now, almost meek, as if implying that Sunset might have somewhere better to be. She was starting to fidget with her wings, something she often did when she was nervous.

“I –”

Twilight cut her off immediately. “It’s just that I feel like I’ve been pushing you away a little bit. We’ve been together for such a short time but between my brother, Cadance, and now the – er, Applejack’s dinner, we won’t have had any time to be alone. I just don’t think that’s fair to you.”

“If you hadn’t cut me off, I would have told you that it’s a great idea,” Sunset said. “Not to bring up a possibly difficult subject, but where do we go from here? Your proposal sounds suspiciously like a date.”

“Is that a problem?” Twilight gazed at Sunset, looking crestfallen.

“No, no!” Sunset backtracked. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’d love that, really. It’s just... I don’t want to dance around the issue and never confront it. I can’t stand subtlety. I just want to know where we stand, how exactly we’re going to make this work without it being awkward every other minute. Hold on, it’s getting dark, watch your step.” She conjured a green orb to float over them and safeguard them from tripping on roots or holes in the path.

“Thanks, Sunset,” Twilight mumbled. “Whatever you are, you’re a good friend.”

“Well, I learned from the best.”

“You’re a master in your own right,” Twilight said. They walked under the trees once more, and Sunset had to admit it was somewhat intimidating being this close to the Everfree by night. “But back on topic, I don’t think I have an answer for you just yet. I’m sorry, it’s still too confusing.”

“You don’t need to rush anything. It’s fine, really,” Sunset replied, but her heart sank. How long would it be before things could be normal between them?

They walked in silence the remainder of the way. Twilight let them in through the fence gate. She departed from the garden path to walk away from Applejack’s house, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Sunset.

“I would have thought that we’d be going into the house. Do you know something I don’t?” Sunset asked as they walked through the small field in the center of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Oh, Applejack always has these sorts of family get-togethers in the barn. It’s the only place everypony will fit,” Twilight said. The barn in question was a muted red-violet color, the same as the house. Everything was calm and quiet, which struck Sunset as odd. Where was everypony?

“Family get-together? How many ponies did she invite, anyway – ”

Twilight threw the barn doors open with a blast of magic, and everything happened at once.

“Sur-priiiiiiiiiiise!”

The shout came from everywhere. Columns of confetti streamed from a cannon, and hundreds of faces appeared inside, flocked around tables or clusters of balloons. High-strung as Sunset was, thousands of self-defence spells came to her in an instant. Even as startled as she was, she had the presence of mind to dispel the gathering magic.

“Ha! You jumped a full meter into the air! Are you sure you aren’t a pegasus?” cackled a voice from above her. Rainbow Dash floated lazily in the air, grinning at Sunset’s surprise. Before Sunset had much time to study her, Pinkie Pie appeared out of thin air to pull Sunset into the barn. This was not an exaggeration- she’d been looking at the spot where Pinkie materialized, and there had been no intermediate point for Pinkie’s progress to be tracked.

“Well, that nearly gave me a heart attack,” Sunset mumbled, but she smiled despite herself.

Next to her, Twilight giggled. “You knew, didn’t you?” she asked, trying her best to sound accusatory. She suspected that she failed, on that front.

“Yep!” Twilight confirmed, before frowning and qualifying, “Well, I knew that it would happen sooner rather than later ever since I learned you were coming to Ponyville. Everyone gets one. I don’t think that’s what you meant, though. But yes, Pinkie met me around noon and told me she’d do your ‘Welcome to Ponyville’ party tonight. Applejack was told to invite you over, and the rest is history.”

“But how did she have everything ready so quickly?” Sunset asked, casting her eyes around the room. After working together to surprise her, the ponies in the barn – which, if their numbers were any indication, were probably half of the town’s total population – had begun to mill around and enjoy the party. There was a table for food, another for drinks, and a third, larger than the former two combined, for pastries and other dessert foods. Balloons were everywhere. There was a huge banner that read, ‘Welcome to Ponyville, Sunset Shimmer’ draped across the barn rafters.

Twilight was looking between the food and drink tables, apparently trying to decide if she was hungrier or thirstier. “Everypony gets the same welcome,” Twilight said. She cut a path through the crowd to the food table while Sunset followed, still confused.

“But weren’t we supposed to be arriving late tonight or something? How could she have all this set up for now? It doesn’t make any sense! Also, um, could you get me some of what you’re having?”

"Sure,” Twilight said. She’d poured some manner of thick, red soup into a bowl for herself, and repeated the process at Sunset’s request. After giving the bowl to Sunset, Twilight shrugged. “Now might be a good time for you to learn that there’s no way to apply rational thought to Pinkie’s actions. I think she’s passively clairvoyant or something, and she can do things with magic that defy any explanation. I spent a long time trying to figure it out, but trust me, it’s no use.”

They found an empty table in one corner of the barn. Sunset hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she’d been near food, but now it was all she could think about. She tucked in. The soup, she discovered, was some kind of tomato and rice concoction that was absolutely delicious. Sunset had spent much of her life having nobody to cook for her, so she prepared her own meals. This was problematic, since she was a hopeless chef. She’d lapsed into a routine – bagels every day for breakfast, cafeteria food for lunch, canned beans or white rice for dinner. Until she broke the habit on her return to Equestria, she hadn’t realized how much she’d been missing.

This food was even better than what she’d had in the Crystal Empire. It did not last long. “Ohhhh...” Sunset moaned. “There should be laws against making food that good.

Twilight observed her, a rather bemused expression on her face. “I guess you really were hungry. Good thing there’s plenty of food here. Pinkie never does these things halfway.”

Sunset stood to find more food. Much as she wanted to try something new and probably as good as the soup, she was too fatigued to try something new. She poured she noticed a number of interesting things. Rainbow Dash was being a pest, swooping around the rafters and occasionally dive-bombing passerby. Applejack and Rarity were having a heated discussion near the table Sunset shared with Twilight. Fluttershy was trying to convince a petulant rabbit to eat something it apparently wanted nothing to do with. Pinkie’s usual antics were scattering the crowd. All these things on their own were inconsequential, but together they had the effect of keeping Sunset’s corner of the barn as private and quiet as they could hope for. Applejack noticed Sunset watching her, and turned to meet her eye for the barest fraction of a second before inclining her head in a nod.

Until moments ago, despite every bit of evidence against it, some self-conscious part of her mind had thought Twilight’s friends might hate her for potentially driving a wedge between them and their friend. You foal, Sunset. When will you learn nopony thinks as selfishly as you do?

Twilight sat alone, fidgeting with her spoon. She still hadn’t so much as touched her soup. Something about her expression caused Sunset to hesitate in restarting the conversation. When she sat down, she sat down in silence.

Twilight was frowning slightly, eyebrows knitted together as she contemplated something beyond Sunset’s ken. Somehow, despite Sunset, her nearby friends, and all the rest of the ponies at the party, she looked lonely, sad.

Maybe things were still somewhat awkward and unclear between the two of them, but there was no way in hell she’d let Twilight be sad.

“Feeling alone in a crowd?”

“Hm?” Twilight had noticed when Sunset was sitting down, but hadn’t seemed to register her presence until she spoke. Her expression eased somewhat. “Maybe.”

“I know the feeling. So much of the time I never had anypony to talk to, and if I did, I was too proud or stubborn or ashamed to try. But you have your friends, and now you have me. So, tell me what’s wrong.” Sunset leaned in over the table, partially to hear Twilight’s response better through the din and partially to make eating less messy.

Twilight sighed, then took a deep, measured breath, as if fortifying herself. “Sunset... I think there’s something I don’t understand.”

Now it was Sunset’s turn to frown, confused. “About what?”

“About you.”

She closed her eyes, regulating her breathing. To Sunset, it looked like a simple breathing exercise – five seconds in, five out, repeat. Sunset didn’t interrupt. She would find the words she needed in her own time.

“Until a few days ago, I never had any sort of plans for the future. I mean, I was perfect at planning the coming month down to the hour, but it was more for making sure I had enough time and could balance work and social engagements. Since sorting things out last night, and talking with Rarity, I’ve been able to think more clearly. I’m thinking about the next few months, years even, and I can’t imagine any future I’d want for myself that doesn’t include you. How have you done this to me?”

Wordlessly, Sunset stood and walked around the table during Twilight’s monologue. The mare was showing her usual warning signs of hysterics. When she sat down again, she leaned against Twilight, who looked uncertain but did not object. “Is this love?”

Sunset smiled. “I don’t know. But, if we work together, maybe we can find out.”

Everything she’d ever heard or read on the subject told her that a good kiss was supposed to be electrifying, exciting. Sunset always had the opposite impression. Twilight leaned forward as she brought Sunset towards her, pulling the two of them into a passionate kiss. In an instant, the cacophony of the party around them faded to easily-ignored background noise. Nothing mattered but that moment. None of her worries, buried guilts or old shames existed at all. These few intimate moments were the only times she could remember being calm, feeling safe and unconditionally loved.

Like all good things, the kiss came to an end. Conversely, the feeling of being cared for despite all her flaws persisted. As she opened her eyes, she saw that Twilight’s breathing had slowed, as if she’d been affected the same way. It had taken so long for them to understand their own confused feelings, Sunset realized, because they were trying to use their minds instead of their hearts. One of the first lessons on friendship, and they’d both forgotten it when it counted.

For now, Sunset was just too tired to think of the future, like Twilight had been doing. The present was good enough for her.

“Maybe we should get some sleep?” Sunset suggested.

A smile spread across Twilight’s face, and her purple eyes glimmered in the torchlight. “As good as the food is here, I was thinking the same thing. We’ve both had a long day,” She said. Standing up, she offered a hoof to Sunset, who took it.

They passed through the crowd towards the open door, leaning against each other. Twilight spread a wing over Sunset, blanketing her with an air of contentment. Sunset allowed herself a quick peck on her marefriend’s cheek, before breaking apart and saying, “Maybe we can spend the day without avoiding each other. You could show me more of town, or we could stay in, just the two of us...”

They departed down the path through the night, leaving the general commotion of the party behind them. They were quiet the whole way back to the library, the sort of companionable silence that Sunset had been missing. At the library door, Twilight stopped for long enough to wrap Sunset in a tight embrace. “I’d like that,” she whispered, and they walked into the dark library together. Sunset hummed, content.

All was well.

Author's Note

Editing credit goes to Ragnar, for graciously spending his precious writing time to instead try and make this story slightly bearable. And this marks the end of THIS part of Twilight and Sunset's relationship, but I have a sequel planned. I'm going to make a blog post in a few days specifically to gauge interest for it, because it's going to be a much different feel from this and Snow in her Mane. Thanks for putting up with my crap for the last few months!