Valentine's Shimmer
Rolling a baby carrot an inch in front of her eyes, Sunset let out a breath. Her fingers on either side of the tray continued to bat the food back and forth as she idly listened to the conversation around her.
“And I’ve picked out just the most darling gown! Of course I’ve had to make some alterations, really just for fun if I’m to be honest, but it’s going to be gorgeous on me!” Rarity stopped and sighed, slumping in her seat. “If he proposes then it’s going to be the most magical night of my life.”
“Didn’t you meet Trenderhoof on-line?” Applejack asked from across the table. “How in tarnation is he gonna be expected to propose on a first date when you haven’t even met in person yet?”
Rarity scoffed and waved a hand in the air. “Please, Applejack, do not dampen my spirits with arbitrary numeral factors. I just know he’s the one!”
“Gimme a break,” Sunset muttered under her breath.
“Something wrong, Sunset?” She turned her eyes to see Fluttershy looking down at her.
“No…” Sunset huffed and sat up, tossing the carrot into her mouth. “I just… nevermind.”
Rarity had stopped and the group’s focus turned to her. Sunset fidgeted in her seat and looked away, their eyes boring into her. It was Rainbow who broke the silence. “What’s up?”
Sunset fidgeted in her seat. “Do you guys have to be so lovesick about this stuff?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day, silly!” Pinkie grinned widely. “Of course we have to be lovesick about this stuff!”
Rainbow peered closer at Sunset. “I think it’s more that Sunny is upset that she’s got nobody while the rest of us do.”
“Well, yeah.” Sunset counted off on her fingers as she listed off her friends. “Rarity is going out with this Trenderhoof guy she met on the internet. Fluttershy got asked out by Soarin’. Applejack is going out with that eco-kid guy. Pinkie asked out that musician that played at Scootaloo’s birthday party.” She paused and turned to Rainbow. “Do you have a date?” Rainbow just nodded. “See? Five for five. I’m the lone woman out. Literally.” Sunset sat back in her chair.
“Don’t feel bad, Sunset.” Fluttershy smiled and patted her on the back. “Dating isn’t everything.”
“Tell that to everyone else.” Sunset held her hand out to gesture to the numerous red, pink, and white hearts and Cupid decorations that had been sprinkled throughout the cafeteria. Slogans like ‘Hug a loved one’ and ‘Today’s a day for twos’ were plastered over each one. “Everyone is obsessed with being with someone… and here I am alone.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “Even Snips and Snails got dates.”
Applejack scrunched her face and tilted her head. “Seriously?”
“I heard they’re double-dating with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon,” Rarity explained. “I understand they lost some sort of bet with our sisters.”
“At least they have someone. Insufferable as either will find the other.” Sunset crossed her arms. “I mean, I’m not even necessarily looking for someone, you know? I don’t mind being alone. But then I see all the advertisements and the posters and the dating…” She stuck her tongue out and made a choking noise.
“Hey, look on the bright side!” Pinkie winked at her. “February 15th, discount chocolates for sale!”
“Goodie, I can look forward to spending the night gorging myself on candy watching cheesy romantic movies alone.”
Applejack snickered. “Or as Rarity calls it, ‘Saturday’. Ow!” She glared at the girl across the table.
Rarity blinked and smiled. “My foot slipped.”
Sunset stood and picked up her tray. “I have to check something before class. I’ll see you guys later.”
“Sunset!” She paused and looked down at Fluttershy. She smiled sheepishly. “You still have us, remember.” The other girls all nodded and voiced agreement.
Sunset smiled and gave a small chuckle. “Thanks, girls. But I don’t think that’s quite the same thing.”
Sunset spun the combination dial on her lock, glaring down at the black-painted steel. Her morning so far had been spent watching what seemed like every other person at CHS making eyes at, kissing, or holding hands with someone else. Everyone was with someone. Even Vice-Principal Luna had been chatting and giggling with someone, a guy with black hair and a red T-Shirt that apparently was a former instructor at Crystal Prep.
Just get through the day and get home, and don’t make eye contact with anyone. Sunset pulled the padlock down and yanked the door of her locker open.
A white envelope came out and floated to the ground.
Sunset stooped down and picked it up. “Where’d this come from?” She stood up, pulled her finger under the flap to unseal it, and removed the letter.
“Dear Sunset, I know you’re upset about being alone on Valentine’s Day. But I know you’ll find someone someday. You’re one of the most beautiful girls I know, and that beauty shows in everything you do. From the clothes you wear to the way you treat others. Anyone in the school would be lucky to have you.”
Sunset paused after reading it. On the one hand, it was mushy sentimentality that almost made her want to gag. But on the other hand, it was nice to hear reassurances like that, to know that even after all that had happened at the Fall Formal, someone in the student body thought well of her.
“Good morning, Sunset.” Rarity stepped into her field of view and saw the paper in her hand. “What’s that?”
“A letter.” Sunset looked the letter over for any kind of identifier or signature and found none. “From a secret admirer, I think.”
“Oh? May I?” Rarity gently took the letter from Sunset’s hand and read it over. She gasped and gave Sunset a coy smile. “Well, someone certainly has a soft spot for you!”
“I guess.” Sunset took the letter back. “If they were really interested in me, they should have signed it or given me some hint to who it is.”
“Don’t be absurd, darling!” Rarity wagged her finger and winked. “You can’t know the identity of a secret admirer, it ruins the romanticism of the idea!”
“Sure.” Sunset rolled her eyes.
“Come on, you can fret about your mystery date later. Class is starting shortly.” Rarity waved her forward and headed down the hall.
Sunset looked at the letter again. Eh, I guess Rarity has a point. She picked up the envelope to put the letter back inside, and paused. Rarity… She looked down the hall at the curled purple hair vanishing in the crowd. Sunset read the letter again. The letter says my beauty shows in the clothes I wear and the way I treat people… That sounded exactly like something Rarity would say to compliment her; fashion and generosity. The letter definitely came from one of my friends. It says that they know I’m upset about being alone. And she did tell me not to question who might have sent it and ran off in a hurry when I mentioned it.
Sunset narrowed her eyes. Could Rarity really have a crush on me? She considered the implications. Rarity was a fine girl. She was beautiful inside and out, with a smile that could melt even the iciest of hearts and a spirit of giving and helping that she never forsook. No act of charity or aid was too great or too little for Rarity to offer it to someone who needed it. She was certainly a romantic, that was beyond doubt. Rarity was the kind of girl who enjoyed candlelight dinners and soft piano music and wine drank from a partner’s glass.
Sunset’s suspicion turned to humor. Rarity… wow. Maybe she’s already deciding to cut her losses on that internet guy? She looked at the time on her phone. Class began in only a few minutes and Sunset didn’t have Rarity in any of them today. I’ll have to talk to her about it later. I’ll see her lunch, can take care of it then. I might just have a date for tonight after all if this letter means what I think it does.
“Everyone open your textbooks to page 145.” Mr. Turner began to draw a graph on the board behind him. “I want you to rearrange the equations in the book to solve for x, and tell me what graphing those equations may look like.” He laughed as he added numerals to the graph’s lines. “If you recall our lessons on cubic polynomials well, you may be a bit amused by what you find.”
Sunset opened her textbook and moved it to the top of the table in front of her. She reached down to her backpack and pulled her math notebook out. She paused when she saw something thin and white fall over in her bag. Another one? She reached down and her fingers came out with a white envelope between them. She snuck a discreet glance around and pulled it open.
“I’m sorry you’re lonely, Sunset. You of all people should have someone on this day. You’re one of the kindest, sweetest, most caring girls in the school. I know someday you’ll find that perfect someone and they’ll make you as happy as you’ll make them.”
She smiled softly. Rarity’s got it bad, all right. One note was a hint, but two notes? This was rather blatant. Rarity might as well have confronted Sunset about this directly.
“Is everything okay?” Sunset turned her head to see Fluttershy watching her.
“Check this out.” Sunset held the letter out. Fluttershy took it and read. She squeaked and cupped her hands to her mouth.
“Oh my, oh wow…” She was blushing furiously and tried to shrink down in her chair.
“I know, right?” Sunset reached down and grabbed the letter. “Seems Rarity has a crush on me.”
“Rarity?” Fluttershy tilted her head.
“Yup. I had a note in my locker this morning, and she just happened to show up when I was reading it. And now, this.” Sunset smiled. “It’s kinda cute. She’s such a hammy romantic but she’s too shy to talk to me directly.”
Fluttershy nodded and went back to her work, her face still as red as a tomato.
Sunset looked at the letter and pictured Rarity slipping it into her bag. The thought gave her pause and she frowned. I don’t have Rarity in any of my classes… when would she have had time to slip this note into my backpack? The note in the locker was one thing, the letter could easily have been slotted through the door crack. But in Sunset’s backpack? Maybe when we were talking in the hall? No, I’d probably have noticed that… She rubbed her chin. Maybe she had someone else slip it to me? I mean, I sit beside Fluttershy in both of my first period classes.
Sunset glanced over at Fluttershy working intently in her notebook. Yeah, it was probably Fluttershy. She’s too shy for this stuff but she’d definitely help Rarity out, she’s too nice to say no. She looked back at the letter. A realization dawned in her mind and she read it over again. Hang on. This isn’t a sequel letter or anything. The person writes it like it’s their first time and it hits the same notes as the first one. She raised her head to look at Fluttershy again. So, I’m ‘the kindest, sweetest, most caring girl’? That sure sounds like a compliment I’d get from someone too shy and afraid to be open with how they feel…
Fluttershy noticed Sunset staring at her. “Sunset? Did I do something?”
Sunset narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know. Did you?” Fluttershy let out a small gasp and went back to work, shifting in her seat to turn away. Sunset turned away as well, her eyes on her notebook. She’s guilty of something, that’s for sure. She wouldn’t be that embarrassed if Rarity had put her up to this. In fact, why would Rarity ask her to slip it in my bag? If it wasn’t her letter, Fluttershy would just give it to me and say so. Wouldn’t she? And there’s still the letter in the locker to think about, but anyone could have slipped it in. Rarity always stops to chat before classes anyway so maybe she just happened by?
She took another peek at Fluttershy. She’s always been beautiful, but not in an in-your-face way like Rarity, or me for that matter. Just, soft, nice features, takes care of herself. Sunset may have presumed that their rather contrasting personalities would put Fluttershy off, but apparently not. What’s the saying, opposites attract? Fluttershy is about the opposite of me these days as I could think of from our group.
She thought back on the events leading up to the Battle of the Bands and how hesitant and unsure she was about talking to the Rainbooms about the problems she noticed brewing. Could that be it? She saw my more vulnerable side and that won her heart without me even intending it. She bit her lip. Or am I overthinking this? Could still be Rarity, of course. I can’t be sure…
Sunset flipped the letter closed and put it back in its envelope. This mystery admirer just upped the mystery.
“Where is everyone?” Sunset looked around the lunch table normally filled with her friends at this point. Her lunch was almost half-finished and so far it had just been her and Applejack.
Applejack shook her head. “Not sure. Ah think they said they had stuff to do over lunch today. Ah know Pinkie’s been around here and there, checking on decorations and such.”
“Right.” Sunset pulled out her phone and called up her contacts list. She began hammering out a text to Rarity asking where she was and hit send. Next, Fluttershy. They all had plans for the night, but Sunset had to talk to them and sort out this admirer stuff first. Best to talk to them both at once to confirm who put who up to what. They were both part of this, the question was which of them was the actual admirer and who was the accomplice.
“Ah’m done here. Gotta make a call home to Big Mac.”
“Sure,” Sunset said absently, typing. She heard Applejack stand and pick up her tray to leave. When she was done with her text she hit send. There. Whichever of this is doing this, I’m gonna get to the bottom of it. She pictured Fluttershy and Rarity getting her text and becoming flustered over Sunset being wise to their plan. Now to hope they do show up to meet me and I can get to the bottom of this. She briefly wondered which of them it was and which she would prefer. Not a good train of thought to be on. Either of them would be a great girlfriend.
Wishing to take her mind off the matter, she slid her phone back into her pocket and turned her attention to her tray to finish what was left of her lunch. A spot of white on the pale blue tabletop caught her eye and she glanced up.
A small envelope was on the other side of the table where Applejack had sat.
Sunset’s nostrils flared and her eyes widened. You’ve got to be kidding me. She reached across the table and looked down at the letter, practically daring her to read it. Deciding that was a dare she would take, she tore the flap open and removed the paper.
“This is a big world, and there are a lot of people in it. Now and then you meet a good one, and they’re one worth cherishing. You’re one of the good ones, Sunset, no matter what anyone says. And I know you’ll find someone who’ll cherish you someday.”
Sunset sighed and let the letter fall to her tray. Applejack is in on it too? She looked at the letter again. No, this can’t be from the same person. The writing is way simpler and it hits a lot of the same notes as the first two. Sunset’s jaw dropped. No way. Applejack wrote this? Same as the first two notes, this could easily be the work of one party using the network of friends to pass them along to cover their tracks. Applejack clearly wasn’t being subtle in this, leaving the note on the table where she had been sitting, making it obvious who had left it.
But that’s her way, isn’t it? Straightforward, honest, blunt. Maybe she just doesn’t have the courage to talk to me directly and this is as good as she can do? Sunset had always admired Applejack’s commitment to honesty and being true to herself, and usually she managed to pull it off without being mean or rude. And she’s got that rough-and-tumble cute cowgirl thing going for her. I know a few dozen boys in this school that would probably have detailed fantasies about seducing her. Granted, Sunset had never subscribed to such thought. But then she’d never seen Applejack as anything other than a friend or an enemy.
I’ve never thought of any of them as anything other than friends or enemies. Rarity, Fluttershy, and now Applejack. Sunset rubbed her forehead. This is giving me a headache for the exact opposite reasons I was getting one at the start of the day.
Coach Will blew his whistle and clapped his hands twice. “Good hustle, everyone! Head inside and get changed.”
The students filed across the field to the double doors into the gym. Sunset wiped the sweat off her brow and jogged a bit faster to catch up to Pinkie Pie ahead of her. “I think that track circuit gets longer every week,” she said between pants.
“Tell me about it!” Pinkie let out a breath. “I’m pooped.” The pair crossed the gym as the students split off to head into their respective locker rooms. Sunset entered the change room ahead of Pinkie and went to her locker. She turned the padlock dial with a small smile as she remembered how her day had started. And soon, I’ll be getting to the bottom of this.
She pulled the locker and swung her door open. And froze.
A small white envelope was on her street clothes.
Sunset sighed and grabbed the envelope to tear it open. She looked down at the letter.
“Sunset, there’s no one in the school as fun or as cool as you. I know if I ever had the chance to make it with a girl like you, I’d take it in a heartbeat. Keep your chin up and don’t get down just because you’re alone. It won’t last, trust me. If I don’t swoop you up, someone else definitely will.”
That’s four now. She looked around the locker room and her classmates in various states of changing. Her eyes zeroed in on Pinkie pulling on her T-shirt next to Rainbow Dash lacing up her sneakers. She read the letter again. Could be either of them. Has to be someone in this room, though. These aren’t assigned lockers so there’s no way they could know which one is mine unless they saw me changing. She frowned. The identity of her unknown admirer seemed to become more obvious and yet more complex as her day continued. Well, I already had plans in place to stop this. I’ll just have to make them more inclusive.
Sunset approached her two friends. “Rainbow, Pinkie.” The two looked up. “Can you guys come to the music room after class today? Just for a few minutes.”
“Sure.”
“You got it.”
“Good.” Sunset turned on her heel and headed back to her locker. She pulled her top off as she thought over what to say in the upcoming confrontation. Someone’s playing games with me. Four notes is just overkill at this point.
The final school bell had rung ten minutes ago, plenty of time for Sunset to get her things and come to the music room to wait for her five friends. At least one of which – possibly more – may have secretly been pining for her. I’ll know the truth soon enough. Pacing back and forth she took a breath. Best to just get it out and in the open. Whoever sent these, one or more of them, just ask them and be done with it.
The door to the room swung open and Sunset looked up. One by one the five came inside, Rainbow gently kicking the door closed with her boot. “Okay, we’re all here, what’s up?”
“And please be quick of it. I need at least two and a half hours to properly prepare myself for this evening,” Rarity added.
“Sure. I’ll make it as quick as I can.” Sunset reached to her backpack sitting on a chair and withdrew the four letters she had received. She fanned them out and held them up to let them see what they were before tossing them on the desk. “Anyone have something they want to tell me?” She looked back at the group. Fluttershy was blushing furiously and looking away, Rainbow was pursing her lip and frowning, Rarity and Applejack seemed confused, and Pinkie was tilting her head back and forth as she looked at the letters.
“Let me clear it up.” Sunset took the letters out and read them one by one out loud. Each time she finished someone else looked more embarrassed and awkward. Sunset turned her head back and forth as the others avoided eye contact. “Anyone? I know someone is behind this, and put the rest of you up to helping her. So let’s hear it, because one letter was cute but four was pushing it.”
At last, Rarity sighed and stepped forward. “I’m sorry, dear. I never meant for this to be a hassle for you.”
“You?” Applejack put a hand on Rarity’s shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t be takin’ the fall for me, missy. Ah own up to mah deeds.”
“Um, I think maybe we overlooked something.” The two stopped and looked at Fluttershy. She slowly lowered her hand. “Well, if you both want to take blame, and I did something too… but we didn’t do everything, did we?”
Rarity paused and looked back at the desk. “…Four letters?”
“Huh?” Applejack followed her look. “Ah didn’t write those.”
“Really?” Sunset walked up to the desk and picked the letters up again. “Someone did.”
“Well, I wrote one, I confess.” Rarity tilted her head. “But, just one. I slipped it into your locker this morning.”
“I wrote one too,” Fluttershy whispered. “I dropped it in your bag during class when you weren’t looking.”
Sunset listened, her mouth hanging open. “No way... did you guys all write me a letter?”
“Ah wrote the one at lunch.”
“Dashie wrote the one at gym!” Pinkie said brightly.
“Pinkie!” Rainbow growled and swung at her with a fist that Pinkie jumped away from.
“Whaaaat, she was gonna get to us sooner or later!”
“But, I only got four letters.” Sunset looked at Pinkie. “If the locker room letter was Rainbow’s, then you didn’t write one?”
“Of course not, silly! I was just gonna throw you a party tomorrow.”
Sunset burst out laughing. “Of course you were.” She stopped and shook her head. “I’ve spent all day wondering if one of you guys was secretly in love with me, and then trying to figure out who it was and how all you guys were in on this… you really didn’t know?”
“I guess we all just had the same idea,” Rainbow muttered.
“Ah’m sorry for giving ya any trouble, hun. We just wanted to cheer ya up.” Applejack came closer and put a hand on her shoulder. “Ah meant every word of my letter. Yer a right fine gal and Ah know you’ll find someone someday to make ya happy.”
Rarity nodded. “Of course she will! I mean, we naturally all have that old fantasy of marrying a high school sweetheart, but true love is not so cliché. Nevertheless, it does exist out there, and you’ll find it.”
Sunset blushed under the praise. “Really wondering how sincere some of those letters were, now.”
“In your dreams.” Rarity sniffed and turned her nose up. She lasted only a second or two before she broke into a grin and started laughing. Sunset joined her, shortly followed by the other four.
“You guys…” Sunset smiled at them. “Thanks. You’re the best friends I could ask for.”
“Same to you,” Fluttershy said softly.
Sunset looked at the time on her phone. “Well, it’s almost four. Shouldn’t you guys be going home to get ready for your dates?”
Rarity gasped. “Goodness, yes! I’ll barely have enough time to get the curve of my coiffure proper after the wash!” She tore open the door of the room and sprinted down the hall.
“I think that’s our cue to leave, too,” Rainbow snickered. “Later.” She waved and left.
“Sunset, are you sure you’ll be okay tonight?” Fluttershy asked. “We could come by your place after our dates, if you want.”
Sunset shook her head. “Thanks, but I’ll be okay. You guys go have fun on your dates.”
“You got it. Let’s go, gang.” Applejack approached the door and waved the others towards her.
“I’ll catch up.” Sunset turned to the desk and gathered up the four letters. She took them back out of the envelopes to read them one by one. With each one her smile grew.
Spent the whole day fretting over these… and it was just my friends trying to cheer me up. Way to worry over nothing, Sunset. She folded the letters back into their envelopes and slipped them into her bag. Well, I have the night to myself. Every place out there will be crawling with couples. Can order in, watch some TV. I’ll be fine. She hefted her backpack onto her shoulders and headed out, closing the music room door behind her.
Sunset walked through the halls to the door closest to the bus stop, the school mostly empty save for the lone student with detention or some after-class assignment. She rounded the corner and was walking towards the doors outside, when something caught her eye. She drifted to the one side of the hall and looked down with a blank expression.
A small folded-up piece of paper was sticking out of the door of her locker.
“Maybe Pinkie just didn’t want to be left out.” She took the note out and unfolded it.
“Sunset. I’m happy you’re feeling better. But I have to confess – my note wasn’t to cheer you up. It was genuine. I’m sorry I don’t have the guts to just come out and say it. But even if the others didn’t mean it, they were right. You’re one of the most beautiful, kind, cool girls I could ever hope to meet. I don’t know if you’re even into girls, much less be interested in me back. I guess that’s why I don’t have the guts to just ask you out. But I want you to know, even if I don’t ever have the courage to say it, someone out there does love you. Happy Valentine’s Day.”
Sunset slowly blinked. Wow… it wasn’t fake? For one of them? She considered pulling out the letters in her bag and comparing the tone and writing to them to figure out who it was. After running through the scenarios in her mind, she smiled and shrugged. Nah. Like Rarity said; it’s more fun when it’s a mystery.
Sunset calmly folded the final letter up and slipped it into her pocket, then walked towards the doors to head home.
