Carnival Rides and Confessions
"Oof." Sunset plopped herself down at the cafeteria table unceremoniously, allowing herself to fold forward and rest against the cool surface. "I'm beat, and there's still half a day left."
"What's up?" Pinkie Pie asked from across the table between mouthfuls of dubious looking cafeteria food.
"Ugh. Where do I even start? Miss Cheerilee surprised the class with a pop quiz, Mr. Doodle wants a two-thousand word essay by Friday, and I've got to do that mile run for PE next period." Sunset waved a hand in the air above her head in weak exasperation.
"You forgot to add that you laid down in mashed potato." Pinkie pointed her spork at Sunset, who groaned in frustration as she sat up, revealing the mashed goodness spread across the front of her jacket.
"Well, I'll just add that to the list of 'things gone wrong today'." Sunset grumbled as she stole Pinkie's napkin to clean her jacket.
"You know what'll cheer you up? We should hang out after school!" Pinkie threw her arms in the air, flinging her own mashed potatoes at another table of students, much to their discomfort. A few of them shot Pinkie angry looks as she blushed. "Sorry!" She grinned sheepishly.
"Sure. I don't have any plans after school. It'll be nice to unwind." Sunset decided she'd cleaned up most of the mush from her Jacket. "What did you have-"
Pinkie squealed in delight and bolted from the cafeteria before Sunset had finished her sentence.
"Well, that was... actually that was pretty normal for her." Sunset said to herself. The girl shrugged before sliding Pinkie's tray of food over and digging in. "Hmm. Not bad."
Sunset didn't see Pinkie for the rest of the day. She tried sending a text message to her, but didn't get any response. After waiting in front of school for a bit, Sunset shrugged and headed home. If Pinkie was busy they could just hang out later.
Getting home was a relief. Sunset slipped her leather jacket off and tossed it onto the couch in the living room. A short walk to the fridge yielded a banana yogurt, which Sunset dove into before she had gotten back to the couch. Sunset managed to take one spoonful before an enthusiastic knocking summoned her to the door.
"Hey, Pinkie. I didn't expect you so soon. What's up?"
"You'll never believe it! The most awesomest thing just happened!" Pinkie was practically dancing with excitement.
"Okay, what hap-"
"Come on!" Pinkie grabbed Sunset's hand and began leading her down the street. Sunset barely had time to close the door behind her.
"Okay. Where are we going?" Sunset tried keeping the delicate balance of being lead down the street and eating her yogurt. She failed. The last sight the dropped yogurt had of Sunset was her apologetic frown as she turned a corner.
"You'll see!" Pinkie grinned.
Thankfully it didn't take long for Sunset to find out where she was being dragged to. Bright lights and a cacophony of sounds assaulted her senses. The smell of fried foods beckoned passers-by to come forward and indulge in delicious treats. Rides spun and swirled their occupants until they threatened to expel the contents of their stomachs.
"A carnival? I didn't know there was a carnival in town." Sunset raised an eyebrow as she let her hand slip from Pinkie's grasp.
"Mhmm! They just set up today!"
"Oh, cool." Sunset stepped forward a bit, scanning the somewhat sparse crowd of carnival-goers. "Are the girls meeting us here?"
"They couldn't make it. Fluttershy and Rarity are working on a dress thingy, Dashie has soccer practice and then a pizza party with the team, Twilight's doing another experiment, and Applejack's at home helping with the harvest so it's just you and me tonight." Pinkie beamed and finally took a breath. "So what do you want to do first?"
"Uh, how about bumper cars?" Sunset pointed to the attraction in question. "Those are always fun."
The line for the ride was non-existent. Pinkie climbed into a pink car across from Sunset, who took a red one. The pink-haired girl grinned manically as she waited for the ride to start. Sunset smirked, accepting the girl's silent challenge.
A loud buzzer sounded the start of the ride, sending both girls barreling at each other. They bounced away, spinning and swirling about the small area, each vying to get the best bump in. Sunset grinned mischievously as she bumped the side of Pinkie's car, only to be nudged a few moments later. The scoreless battle of bumping lasted only a few minutes before the loud buzzer went off again, shutting down the cars and sending them gliding just far enough for the girls to sneak one last collision in.
The two of them stepped off the ride giggling. "You know, that was more fun than I remember." Sunset smirked. "I guess things are just better when you're not trying to angrily cream the other riders."
"Not unless you're trying to ice cream them!" Pinkie snorted, imagining bumper cars driving through mounds of caramel vanilla swirl. "Mmm, so tasty." She shook the thought from her head, scouting for the next ride for them to go on. "Ooh! Let's go on the haunted castle." She started walking towards the ride in question.
"Really? But it's so cheesy. All you do is sit in a car while cardboard pops out at you." Sunset followed close behind.
"Yeah, but it's fun 'cause you don't know when something's gonna pop out and then wham! Werewolf attack!" Pinkie slammed a fist into her open palm for emphasis.
"All right." Sunset rolled her eyes with a smile. "Lets go get scared by fake monsters. I just hope we don't get paper cuts."
"We'll be fine as long as we keep our hands, feet, and snacks inside the ride." Pinkie reassured, missing the sarcasm in Sunset's voice.
The haunted castle ride was pretty much what Sunset had described. The whole thing had a cheesy, B-movie-esque feel to it. A plastic mummy stood stiffly on the other side of the ride's track, arms outstretched. Somewhere near it, a fog machine billowed out it's sole export, hiding Sunset and Pinkie's feet from view. Hidden speakers played 'spooky' sounds; howling, groans, screams, and organ music filled the air. It was all Sunset could do to not roll her eyes. Had it not been for Pinkie's obvious excitement, Sunset would have suggested another ride.
"Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times." A somewhat bored ride attendant said from his stool at the ride's control console.
"Told ya." Pinkie whispered. Sunset snorted involuntarily, trying to stifle her laugh as the ride lurched forward.
"Beware, all who enter!" A deep voice whispered before breaking out into laughter.
Pinkie let out a squeak of either fear or excitement. Sunset couldn't tell which. They hadn't made it five seconds into the ride when a cheap looking zombie popped from a coffin propped up to one side. Pinkie let out a shriek of terror and clutched tightly to Sunset's arm. Sunset jumped more from the sudden contact than from the lame special effects of the ride. Pinkie had gone from screaming to peals of laughter in the span of an instant.
The laughter was infectious, and Sunset found herself grinning despite herself. Pinkie was remarkably good at that; taking something boring, like a bad carnival ride, and making it fun. A giant spider dropped from the ceiling. Even in the dim light of the ride, Sunset could tell the legs were made of pipe cleaner. That didn't stop Pinkie from crying out in surprise and hugging Sunset's arm tighter.
"You're not actually scared of this, are you?" Sunset asked as her fingers went numb from Pinkie's vice-like grip.
"It's fun! Being scared is like... like drinking coffee before math class. It gives you that super-duper shock of energy and makes you giggle so much that Miss Cheerilee sends you to Vice-Principal Luna's office for disrupting the class." Pinkie grinned. "Why?" Pinkie loosened her grip and leaned away from Sunset, squinting to try and see Sunset's expression in the dim light. "Are you not having fun?"
"It's... not my favorite ride. Back in Equestria, when somepony did a haunted house-" A vampire was suddenly illuminated by a spotlight while a fog machine hissed loudly, interrupting Sunset. "when somepony did a haunted house, it was... different. Magical haunted houses are just... better."
"Oh." Pinkie looked down, frowning in thought. She looked back up, her trademark smile back on her face. "We should go see one sometime!"
"Go see-" Somewhere up ahead on the ride a recording of a woman's scream cut through the air. Sunset glared into the dark, tired of being interrupted. "see a haunted house? Like in Equestria?" Pinkie nodded. "I, uh, I dunno. I haven't been back since the whole 'stealing-Princess-Twilight's-crown' thing..." Sunset looked away from Pinkie, letting the sentence hang in the air.
The two sat in silence for the rest of the ride. Whatever magic of the ride that had managed to scare Pinkie had been lost. They stepped off the ride, Sunset deep in thought.
"Have you tried going back?" Pinkie broke the lull in conversation as they walked to nowhere in particular.
"Going back? To Equestria? I couldn't just leave behind my life here."
Pinkie giggled. "Not to stay, silly. To visit. So you can be all like 'I'm sorry I stole Princess Twilight's crown and enslaved a high school to take over your country.'"
"I dunno. I've thought about it, but..." Sunset stopped suddenly, forcing Pinkie to stop to face her.
"But?" Pinkie tilted her head in confusion.
"What if they don't want to see me?"
"Why wouldn't they? You're already friends with Princess Twilight, and you're super cool, and you feel bad for what you did. I know if I were a pony princess I'd forgive you."
"Maybe you're right." A grateful smile made it's way to Sunset's features. "Thanks, Pinkie."
"Of course! Oh, let's go ride the Dizzitron before we eat. You don't wanna eat before that one, trust me." Pinkie skipped off towards a saucer shaped ride that was spinning rapidly. "I learned that the hard way."
Sunset opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. Sometimes it was better to just not ask.
The Dizzitron looked like something out of a bad eighties sci-fi film. Neon lights of all colors flashed brightly, begging people to notice it as synthesized music pounded from speakers hidden underneath it. The ride itself was painted in a purple and green spiral pattern, like one of those cartoon hypnosis wheels. Sunset suddenly understood why Pinkie wanted to ride it before eating; she was feeling nauseous just looking at the eyesore of a ride.
For the third time in a row, there was no line for the ride. Sunset and Pinkie walked on unhindered. The inside of the ride was mostly empty, save for colored pads on the walls, differentiated only by color. Each one looked just large enough to hold one person. The two leaned back against the pads, waiting for the ride to start.
"You really think it would be that easy?" Sunset asked, continuing their previous conversation. Pinkie smiled brightly and nodded. "Hmm..." Sunset lost herself in thought.
Could it really be that easy? Sunset did have the journal at home. She could write Princess Twilight and ask to visit Equestria. Maybe just for a quick visit. To say hi to Twilight. And if things went well, maybe she could see Celestia? What would she say though?
Sunset was pulled from her thoughts when she felt the ride lumber to a start. She looked around in surprise. Apparently, nobody else had gotten on; the only other person on the ride was Pinkie, who seemed to think something was funny.
"What's so funny?" Sunset asked as the ride's momentum started pressing her into the padding.
"I was just thinking you looked c-" Pinkie clamped her mouth shut and turned her head away from Sunset, breaking into a coughing fit. "you looked like you were, um, thinking really hard! Yeah, that's it!" A nervous laugh escaped her.
"Are you okay?" Sunset called out, raising her voice above the rising din of the ride and increasing volume of the music.
"Yeah!" Pinkie struggled to stretch her arm out to give a thumbs up as she grinned. Centrifugal force had other ideas, and eventually Pinkie was forced to let her arm thud softly against the padded wall.
The rest of the ride was too loud to carry a conversation, so the girls entertained themselves by abusing the force of the ride to stick to the wall in funny poses. Pinkie folded her arms out like an Egyptian. Sunset mimed making a snow angel, though the effect was lost thanks to her being unable to move her arms and legs quickly enough. When the ride began to slow to a stop, Pinkie was hanging upside-down while Sunset was striking a yoga pose. As the music died down, the two looked at each other, each breaking into uncontrollable laughter at the other's silliness.
They had trouble acclimating to solid ground as they stepped off the ride. Pinkie laughed as she used a lamp post to keep herself upright. Sunset had unceremoniously dumped herself on a bench next to the light, which was arguably the better choice of the two.
"Oh, man. I can see why you suggested not eating before that ride. Everything's still spinning." Sunset chuckled as she looked at two Pinkies holding themselves up with the lamp post. A quick shake of her head dispelled the fake Pinkie, leaving only one of them still standing.
"Told ya. I know my carnival rides. It helps when you help set them up." Pinkie let go of the lamp post and stumbled her way into a seated position next to Sunset.
"Wait, you helped set up the carnival today?" Sunset looked at her friend with a look that was both mildly surprised and impressed. "Is that why you weren't answering your phone?"
"Mhmm. I know Side Show, the guy who owns this carnival, and asked if he'd need help setting up today. He did, so I worked super-duper hard to make sure everything was set up just right for tonight." Pinkie looked up at the darkening sky. The first pinpricks of starlight were just now starting to remind the world of their presence, winking merrily down on the carnival. "Carnivals are special places. They can take any frown and turn it upside-down. Kinda like how I was on the Dizzitron. And since you said you were having a bad day, I knew this would be a terrific surprise."
"That's," Sunset broke into a bright smile. "really sweet actually. Thanks, Pinkie."
"Eh, don't mention it. It's kinda my thing anyway." Pinkie gave a small smile. "Ooh! We should get some funnel cake!" Pinkie hopped to her feet.
Sunset didn't need to be asked twice. Just in case there was any hesitation, though, her stomach growled loudly with it's opinion.
Soon the girls were tucking into their sweet treats with gusto. Sunset had opted for a simple topping of strawberries. Pinkie, on the other hand, hadn't held back on the toppings. Sunset wasn't even sure there was a funnel cake underneath the mound of whipped cream, chocolate syrup, ice cream, and three types of fruit. That didn't stop Pinkie from devouring the sugary monstrosity with the fervor of a college student back home for the holidays.
"Pinkie, you've got something..." Sunset pointed a finger at her own face, trying to point out where Pinkie had whipped cream on her face. This was less than effective, though, as the whipped cream could have been described as 'everywhere'. Sunset gave up with a laugh, passing a few napkins to her friend. "Here."
"Thanks. Wanna try?" Pinkie offered a fork-full of her funnel cake, somehow managing to fit every flavor into one bite. Sunset leaned forward and took the bite. Her taste buds were immediately assaulted by a cavalcade of flavors that somehow blended into something that tasted good.
"Hmm. Not bad." Sunset offered a bite of her own food. "Want some of mine?" Pinkie accepted the offer, reveling in the simplicity of Sunset's choice in toppings.
A relative quiet fell over them as Sunset and Pinkie finished their food. Afterwords, they were off in search of another ride.
"How about that one?" Sunset asked, pointing to the Ferris wheel. "I don't think I'm up for another go on the Dizzitron right after eating."
"The Ferris wheel?" Pinkie asked hesitantly. "Okay..." She lead the way, though the usual pep in Pinkie's step was missing.
The seating for the Ferris wheel could be best described as cozy. It wasn't cramped, but it wasn't exactly roomy. Sunset supposed it wasn't too bad, though. Pinkie scooched to the other side of the car to let Sunset take a seat next to her. After the generic safety warning of 'keep your hands and feet in the ride', the car started gliding up towards the top of the neon-lit wheel. They slowed to stop once they reached the apex of the ride.
"Hey, I can see my house from here!" Sunset pointed to the apartment complex a couple blocks away. "It's a nice view from up here." She noted.
"Mhmm." Pinkie nodded.
"Hey, who else's house do you think we could see from here? I bet we could find some of the girls' houses." Sunset scanned the skyline. "Hey, there's your house!"
Sunset glanced at Pinkie, only to have to do a double-take. Pinkie sat with her hands clenched in her lap and looking downward. She bore a striking resemblance to Fluttershy.
"Are you okay, Pinkie?" Thoughts of playing spot-the-house were immediately forgotten as Sunset turned her full attention to her friend.
"Y-yeah. Why do you ask?" Pinkie asked shakily.
"Are you afraid of heights or something? We can yell down to the ride operator to let us down if you want." Sunset leaned over the side of the car a bit to try and get the attention of the carnival employee below.
"No!" Pinkie's eyes widened. "I mean, no. I'm not afraid of heights. I've just been... thinking."
"About what?"
"I... stuff, I guess."
"Pinkie, whatever it is, you can talk to me. You're my friend." Sunset placed a hand awkwardly on Pinkie's shoulder.
"I know, but... but what if the thing I'm thinking of is super scary? Like, what if you thought differently of me because of it?"
"Pinkie, that won't happen. We're friends, and that's not going to change."
"Promise?" Pinkie looked up hopefully.
"I promise." Sunset reassured.
"Pinkie promise?" Sunset couldn't stop a snort of laughter from slipping out.
"I Pinkie promise." Sunset confirmed, even going so far as to mime the motions to the promise.
Pinkie seemed a bit less apprehensive after that. Even so, she took a few moments to speak again. "You know how I throw parties and stuff?"
"Yeah," Sunset nodded. "what about it?"
"Well, when I throw parties its because I like making people smile. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, like chicken noodle soup when you feel sick or when you wrap up in a fuzzy blanket on a cold day. But with you, Sunset, it's different. I like your smile."
"Didn't you just say you liked making everyone smile?" Sunset interrupted, tilting her head in confusion.
"I do! But I don't just like making you smile, Sunny. I like your smile. Making others smile gives me warm fuzzies. When you smile, it's like... like I could float up with the clouds." Pinkie had started to turn a deeper shade of pink than usual. "I like you, Sunny. Like, like like you. And I want to make you super happy and do stuff that people do when they're more than friends.
"I wanna go to the movies with just the two of us and snuggle close while we whisper and make fun of the bad scenes. I want to go out to restaurants and share food with you, the way people do where they pretend not to see the person they like sneaking a bite off their plate because they're going to do it, too. I want to take long walks on the beach and hold hands and maybe kiss and have picnics by the creek on the weekends, and to have sleepovers where we stay up late talking about mushy stuff and cuddle to keep warm because the heat went out and we've got fifty-million blankets on us to keep warm but all we need is each other. And I know I haven't really tried to say any of this before, but I didn't want to upset you and now we're together and I can't stop talking and I really needed to say all this because I've felt like I'm going to pop!" Pinkie gasped for breath, looking deep into Sunset's eyes and trying to gauge her reaction.
Sunset opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. She had never thought about any of her friends in a romantic light. Come to think of it she hadn't thought of anyone romantically since she dated Flash Sentry, and even then it had been more to try and raise her social standing rather than for any real feelings.
Pinkie was different. She was a bit random, but funny. She was energetic and always seemed to know how to make Sunset smile when she felt down. Tonight was a perfect example of that. But dating Pinkie?
Would it really be that strange, though? Sure, it would be different from their friendship now, but Sunset had to admit there might be some chemistry between the two of them. Dating Pinkie was far from the worst idea she'd ever had. Oddly enough, the thought of it now sent her stomach back to the Dizzitron.
"It's okay. I didn't think you would say yes. I just needed to get that out." Tears had started to spill from Pinkie's eyes. The girl had seemed to wither under the silence.
"Pinkie..." Sunset frowned.
"I'll be fine," Pinkie forced a smile. "really." She turned away as much as she could from Sunset, though it didn't hide the sniffling.
"Pinkie, can you just... just give me a moment? It's a lot to take in, is all." Sunset took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Okay."
"Okay? Okay what?" Pinkie turned back slightly, her face full of confusion and heartbreak.
"I- Let me rephrase that. Pinkie, you wanna, I dunno," Sunset rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "get dinner with me on Friday? Maybe we could see a movie together?"
"L-like a date?" Pinkie turned to fully face Sunset.
"Well, no, not 'like a date'. A date. A date date, with me and you, together." Sunset let out a nervous chuckle. "Wow, I'm bad at this."
"Y-you're not just saying that?"
"What? No, of course not. Pinkie, you're a good friend. And if I'm honest, there could be some real chemistry between us. Enough of it that, yeah, the idea of going on a date with you sounds like a really fun idea."
Pinkie's mouth kept opening and closing. Sunset was starting to worry she'd broken her friend until Pinkie spoke."
"You really think there's chemistry? I mean, it's not my best subject, so its a little hard for me to know what chemi- mmph!" Pinkie's eyes widened in surprise as Sunset's lips met her own. All her worries were gone, replaced by a bubbliness as Pinkie melted into the kiss. Time only started moving again when Sunset reluctantly ended the kiss.
"Oh, yeah. There's definitely some chemistry here." Sunset smirked confidently.
"Nice." A male voice interrupted. Sunset and Pinkie both snapped their attention to the ride operator. They hadn't realized it, but the ride had ended and they'd been sitting at the bottom of the Ferris wheel for who knew how long. Sunset scowled at the ride operator while Pinkie grinned in embarrassment. "I'll, uh, just send you two back up." He gulped before starting the ride again.
Pinkie and Sunset cuddled close. An involuntary shiver ran through Sunset.
"It's cold up here." She noted. "It's a good thing you're warm," She joked. "you made me leave my jacket at home."
Pinkie giggled and rested her head on Sunset's shoulder snuggling as close as she could.
"That was fun. Thanks for taking me, Pinkie. I had a good time." A faint smile tugged at the corners of Sunset's mouth, one that had been lingering for the last few hours. "You want a drink?"
"Mhmm." Pinkie yawned. "I didn't realize how thirsty I was."
Sunset smiled and stepped into the kitchen. She returned moments later with two water bottles in hand. She found Pinkie fast asleep on her couch already, contentedly smiling.
Sunset smiled and set the waters down, tiptoeing out of the room. She came back with a blanket and slipped next to the sleeping girl, cuddling up close to her. Pinkie murmured something in her sleep and sank into Sunset. Sunset couldn't help but grin at how cute Pinkie was.
Sunset held Pinkie close as sleep started to overtake her. 'Yeah, definitely some chemistry here.'
