Sunset Shimmer: The Path of Love and Magic

The last riff resonating through the band practice room as the current owner of the guitar let her feeling vibrate through the notes, it was incredibly liberating for the red and golden haired young woman after everything that had happened the last few weeks.

Sunset grabbed the plastic water bottle from one of the desk while looking around the currently empty room thinking back on all the changes since the battle of the bands. The room had been changed slightly and the walls had been modified so the sound would stay in and won’t bother the rest of the alumni which was great considering Pinkie’s… exuberance while playing the drums. Principal Celestia was all smiles after the whole town was freed from the siren’s enchantment so she used a bit of the school’s budget to help the now renowned Rainbooms have better accommodations, new instruments, better equipment, a better place to play and other things.

Rainbow was all for it but Sunset thought they were a little over the top; at the end she was capable of talking with the Principal and finally settled on the modifications on the room since Vinyl already contributed on the new equipment, apparently because she was now the seventh member of the Rainbooms and only worked with the best, the Wubmobile was proof of that… and of course, the other thing that the Rainbooms received was the price from winning the battle of the bands.

The last one had come as a surprise for the whole band considering they weren’t even thinking about it after saving Canterlot (and probably the world), but Celestia explained why, after all they had defeated the Sirens in a REAL battle of the bands directly from a Hollywood blockbuster, and apparently Trixie have been disqualified later on when the members of her group (or disbanded group since all the others left the band) snitched on Trixie and what she did. The expletives and words coming from Trixie’s mouth were enough for Vice-Principal Luna to give her a whole month detention… once her legs’ cast was removed from the time she felt from the stands.

With enough remembrance Sunset disconnected her new guitar, apparently a gift from the rest of the girls as another ‘We’re sorry from the Anon-a-miss thing’, term coined by Pinkie of course, Sunset had already forgiven them and they had spent enough time talking about the way they should approach their friendships and future problems. Twilight had been more than proud of Sunset and her work healing the rift that still remained on the six friends.

Sunset sighed once feeling a little lonely seeing the room empty while she carefully stored her guitar, practice by herself was well and good when she needed to relax or simply work on her part of a song, but she still missed the way the rest of the girls would banter and talk around her, even Vinyl’s text messages and hand signs were a welcome thing now. The blue neon haired girl could be mute, but she knew how to argue and use sarcasm like the best of them.

All of her friends had other things to do today; between work, clubs and obligations the other members of the Rainbooms little time to interact this week, leaving Sunset with too much time to burn now that she wasn’t actively trying to clean her image, a giant alicorn buck made of magic did  a lot in that department.

Sunset was ready to call it a day and maybe spend the rest of the day like any other high school student, surf the net and maybe watch some movies but the sound of the doorknob being turned took her from the mental list of movies she wanted to watch and instead smiled at the beautiful image in pink and yellow that walked into the room.

“Oh, Sunset, you’re still here? I mean, not that it is a bad thing, I just… you know… didn’t want to say it that way… I’m sorry” the timid lyricist of the band said fidgeting at the threshold while playing with her long flowing hair.

“Is alright Fluttershy, I know what you mean and yeah, I am the only one here, Rainbow was the last one to leave saying she wanted to catch a quick nap before going with her dad to watch a Canterlot Knights match” Sunset said remembering how excited Rainbow was a about the basketball game.

“Yes, Rainbow loves spending time with her dad, but… that means you have been alone in here? Oh Sunset, you should have at least called me, I would have keep you company” the pony turned human simply shook her head at Fluttershy’s words, how could she have ever bullied someone as caring as her?

“Is alright Shy, I used the time to practice a little, it also helps clear up the mind”

“Even so, next time you are practicing call me, I hate imagining you being completely alone in here, I just… after last time I…” Fluttershy started saying before looking at the ground, her hair covering her eyes. Sunset knew what she was referring, that winter day when the other five left her behind thinking that she was Anon-a-miss, after all that Fluttershy still beat herself up at what she did, Sunset didn’t need to be a genius to know that tears were already gathering in the eyes of the quiet girl.

“Shy, you know I already forgave you all… come here” Sunset said while lifting her arms at her sides, the universal sign of a hug according to Pinkie Pie and seemed that Fluttershy already knew it because she practically launched herself at the slightly taller girl.

They stood like that, one girl holding the other, their bodies warming the other against the slight chill of the A/C in the room, their breathing slowing down as they found peace and calm with each other. Sunset took a deep breath finding the smell of wild flowers as soothing as a cup of tea.

“I still think I should be the one giving the hugs, not the other way around… not that I am complaining” the pink haired girl said shyly smiling while she slightly nuzzled Sunset’s neck getting comfortable in the warm embrace of the other girl.

“You silly Little Butterfly, I like giving you hugs, deal with it” Sunset said knowing full well that her devious smirk was back on her face, it had come back after transforming and using… some kind of energy, not even Twilight was sure if she was channeling the magic of friendship or using a new undiscovered Element of Harmony, but it sure felt great to have some parts of her former self now that the confidence had returned.

“Sunset!” the poor girl being hugged said almost screaming, that is, it was barely higher than a whisper “don’t say those things in public!”

“We are in a closed room in an almost empty building, I am pretty sure the band practice room doesn't counts as a public place, besides, I didn’t think you would get so flustered Little Butterfly; don’t you like it when I call you that?”

“Well… yeah, I do, but do you really have to call me that? Not that I am not happy, I mean, it is the first time someone called me that, it has always been Shy or something like that” she quickly went silent trying to get her cheeks to return to their normal coloration.

“You are too damn cute butterfly, even after everything we have done you still get red after a simple pet name, has your mom said anything about all those new candles we got for your room?” and the color went up again after Fluttershy remembered exactly why she needed aromatic candles in her room after the last time Sunset spend the night with her.

“I think she believes I took up aromatherapy, after all, she DOES know Tree Hugger and her gifts usually fall into that category” Sunset had to laugh at the image of the New Age Club president giving Fluttershy all those candles with that same doped smile on her face while this one told Fluttershy that the candles would be able to hide the smell.

“That’s good, I wouldn’t want to arrive at your house and see your mom with her whole gear ready to grill all details out of me and threaten me against ever hurting you... again” thinking about the SWAT team member made her shiver slightly, that was an experience that she was dreading.

“Well, no, I don’t think they know that, I am still their little girl who still plays with ponies and dolls” Fluttershy said with a sigh thinking about her parents and them still seeing her as a little girl “besides, I think we should talk with the girls first, I don’t like the idea of lying to them”

“I know, is important for all of us to stay together, but don’t worry, I know they will not get mad, they would probably tease us and make a party afterwards more than likely” both girls laughed at that knowing well that those two reactions were the most probable “besides, I think they already know something is going on”

“Are you sure?” the pink haired girl only raised her head to look directly at Sunset after hearing those words “oh my goodness, did they said anything?”

“Mostly how they smile whenever the two of us are talking or doing something… well, that and Rarity came to ask me something that made me think they are unto us”

“Really? What did she asked you?” Hook, line and sinker, now for the punch line.

“Well, she asked me if you were a screamer in bed” Just looking at Fluttershy’s face going as red as her hair almost broke Sunset’s dam, but knew that what was next would be better.

“She… she… she what?”

“I had to say no, but I told her you were more of a squirter” Sunset said full grin on her face seeing the full on embarrassed face of her girlfriend.

“SUNSET!” amid the laughter and the embarrassment, there was a warm feeling in both girls, and for now, that was the most important thing.