Flurries of snowflakes danced down from the clouds and clung to whatever they met on their descent. A glistening white blanket coated everything on the path from Canterlot High, from the rooftops of each house to the horse statue-slash-portal. The students had poured out of the front doors cheering the moment the final bell had rung.
Now they were all off for two weeks and free to do whatever festive things were traditional for them. Whether it be visiting relatives, gorging chocolate or watching that Bruce Willoats movie that just happened to take place around Christmas.
In the case of Sunset Shimmer, it was setting up the basic decorations around her apartment. Having brought a bagful of bits on her first journey through the portal, it turned out they were worth millions over in this world. As a result, she'd managed to purchase a nice place to reside; not exactly a mansion but a quaint humble abode regardless.
Standing on her tiptoes, the amber girl just managed to place the star ornament atop the tree in the corner of the room. She let out an exhale of content and smiled as she gazed around her room, now glowing with seasonal lights and other holiday decorations.
"Job well done." With those words, Sunset lumped down onto her couch with a satisfied smile. Thinking back, she couldn't help but giggle at how she used to reply to every 'Merry Christmas' greeting she got with 'is it?' or 'and a bah humbug to you'. Thanks to her newfound friendship, however, she'd now grown to see the true meaning if the holidays and celebrate it any way she could.
She cast a quick glance at the clock hung above her television set across the room. The hands pointed towards roughly 4:30.
"Eh, plenty of time for a rest." She muttered, stretching her aching arms above her head before letting them go limp by her sides again. She had about forty minutes or so before she was due to meet the others for their annual shopping spree. She'd even invited Twilight to come along for the evening. The Twilight from Equestria that is.
Peeking at her magical journal on the coffee table, or the 'phone book' as Pinkie called it, a warm smile crossed Sunset's lips.
She really had come a long way. Years ago, she scoffed at the very idea of being with others, either for hangout sessions or yearly holidays. Now here she was, prepped to meet up with her friends. Not to mention one of them was the Princess of Friendship itself.
The one who had brought her out of the darkness in the first place and helped her see the light. The pony who had turned her whole life around for the better.
The friend Sunset felt closest to.
'But... why?' The question pounded furiously like a drum in the back of her mind.
That wasn't to say she wasn't close with Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy or Sci-Twi: she couldn't bare the thought of trading them for anything else. But something about Princess Twilight in particular made her feel at peace. It was as if Sunset was safer when they were together. Her stomach became all tingly inside whenever she got close to her.
'Funny...' Sunset pondered. 'It sorta sounds like when me and Flash were together. Sure, I was just using him but it looked like we were...'
Her blue eyes snapped open. Sunset's limbs and whole body became rigid as she snapped upright in her spot.
"In love."
Staring off into space for what seemed like forever, she finally blinked as it clicked. The silence shattered like glass as four barely audible words left her lips.
"Do I... love Twilight?"
Past interactions between her and Sunset raced through her mind as she wondered. Coming together, it made sense. The way they'd looked understandingly at each other in Pinkie's kitchen. The fact it was Twilight who introduced her to a new life in the first place. The blush that burned her cheeks at the very thought of her. Sunset gave her forehead a smack for not seeing it earlier, a goofy smile plastered on her face as she instantly stood up.
"I don't believe this!" She shouted to nobody in particular, not bothering to hold back her giddy laughter. "I'm in love with Princess Twilight Sparkle!"
Panting heavily, her smile neither widened nor faltered as legions of conflicting thoughts battled for dominance inside her head.
'All this time and I never realised it! Then again, I never really knew what love felt like, what with me using Flash and all. But that was then, this is now. What if she doesn't love me back though? What if she ends our friendship then and there? No, I know Twilight. And besides, most friendships can evolve into something more special. But is she even into romance? I mean, she may be a bookworm so she's gotta read romance novels, right?'
A sharp clap of her hands instantly shut the thousand voices up, snapping her back to reality. Inhaling deeply, her eyes darted around the room as she began thinking once again.
"Okay... how to tell her is the question." She murmured, fiddling with a strand of her hair anxiously. And she only had half an hour left to figure a plan out.
"Okay, how do most people do it?" She asked aloud, now stating to pace around the room. "Poem? Nah, I suck at rhyming. Scavenger hunt? Gag. Heart-shaped chocolates?" Finally she came to a stop.
What was she thinking? This was reality, not a movie or one of those shoddily-written romance books. None of those romantic nonsensical plot devices were Sunset's style. She wasn't some lovesick ditz, she was her. She didn't need a dumb poem or a rose bouquet. She'd do it her own way.
And just tell her.
"I just hope it's all worth it."
