Sunset's Setupsby n3k1dsk1llzChaptersBulk BicepsMuffinsMuffins 2Sunset ShimmerLimestone PieSandalwoodMuffins 3Muffins Finale Alt.Bulk BicepsBulk Biceps had been sitting across from her just smiling nervously for the past 5 minutes. Sunset couldn't really pin down why he was nervous. It didn't look like fear (she had plenty of experience with that). But it also didn't really look like he was into her either. She decided to just ask a question she was genuinely curious about. “So, Bulk, I've been wondering for a while now...how much can you bench?” Almost instantly, his face shifted. From nervous grin, to slight shock, to deep thought. Sunset chuckled to herself a bit. It was a bit cute. “Oh man,” Bulk started, “Well on my daily work out, I do at least 500 pounds with my regular reps. My personal record, so far, is 725. I did 800 once, but don't really count it since I blacked out after I had it in the air. It was crazy. My spotter saved me though. He said I had done the full lift, so he was able to get it in the cradle before it fell on me. Hehehe I like that story.” He was loud. Too loud for this restaurant. Almost too loud for conversation in general. He noticed her face and grew a little sheepish smile. “Sorry,” he said a little quieter, “I’ve always been loud and can’t seem to do anything about it. I try but my larynx is optimally placed to maximise my sound. Weird but true. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t talk much. Especially at school.” “Huh. Okay. That’s something I never would’ve thought of. But it makes complete sense once it’s explained.” Sunset started thinking about the voice qualities of all her friends. Could be a fun thing to try and analyze about all of them. “So, Sunset, did Fluttershy set this up on your end too? It was really random. And a little confusing. At first I thought SHE wanted to go out with me. Rainbow Dash jumped in to clear it up though. I’ll admit, I was really nervous about meeting you here tonight. The food here is really good, though. It’s quality fuel AND it’s delicious. Isn’t it?” “Huh?” “Well, you haven’t even glanced at the menu since we sat down. I just assumed you were a regular here.” “Oh! No. I’ve never eaten here before. But I’m a vegetarian. I always just get a salad when I go out to eat. It just makes it easier for everyone.” “OH! Vegetarian?! I know EXACTLY what you should get. I’ll order it for you. I’ve been a regular here since I was little, and once, when I was really craving veggies, they let me make my own dish. I always get it when I’m craving a good veggie fix. I’m a bit of a health nut.” His smile was huge. And no longer nervous. Sunset liked seeing Bulk relax. It put her at ease as well. She could do this. She could open herself and find out about others genuinely, all while finding out about herself. The waiter walked up as Sunset finished her thought. “So are you ready to order?” “Yes! I’ll have the salmon with rice and asparagus. The lady will have…” Bulk stopped and looked over to Sunset. “Do you eat eggs?” “Oh. I don’t often, but I have before.” “Do you want the egg?” Sunset couldn’t help but smile. He was genuinely unsure and asking. And not hiding any of it. “Sure.” “Okay. The lady will have the Veggies in Bulk.” He gave the waiter a wink. The waiter jotted their order down and smiled as he took the menus. “Alright. I’ll get the order put in for you.” Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle. “‘Veggies in Bulk’?” Bulk blushed a deep red. “Well, I thought it was a good name for it…” “Oh, Bulk, I’m not laughing at you. I promise. It’s a cute name. And I’m actually excited to try it. Like I said, I usually just get salads when I go out. And that can get really boring. There used to be a falafel truck that would stop on my street every Friday. I would always get really excited for it. But it hasn’t been by in a few weeks. Maybe it found a better spot. Good for them if they did. It was so good though…” Bulk’s confused face caused Sunset to pause. “Um. Is there something on my face?” “Sorry! No. I just…..What’s falafel?” “Oh. Um…..Let’s see….they soak beans, grind them up, and mix it with onions, garlic, and spices. Then they roll it up into little balls and fry it. It’s so good. You gotta try it sometime. I’ll let you know the name of the truck as soon as I remember it.” “Oooh. Sounds tasty.” “Salmon with rice and asparagus for the gentleman, and the Veggies in Bulk for the lady. Is there anything else I can get for you?” “Oh wow! This looks amazing!” Sunset couldn’t respond. She was totally fixated on her dish. She couldn’t stop staring at the carrots. They were glazed. She had no clue that was a thing here. She hadn’t had glazed carrots since her last meal with Celestia. She wondered how the Princess was doing. Sunset picked up her fork and took one of the carrots off her plate. It smelled so good. She took a bite and literally saw stars. The carrots were cooked all the way through, but not at all mushy. The glaze was just a barely there hint of sweet. Sunset would call it perfection. Sunset was pulled out of her reverie by Bulk. “Those carrots are good, right? The head chef here came up with those. I don’t usually like carrots, but those ones are amazing.” Sunset nodded her agreement, as her mouth was full of the deliciousness. She looked at her plate, wondering what she should try next. There was squash, cabbage, broccoli, snap peas, all on a bed of brown rice. It all looked so good. She grabbed one of the snap peas. “Oh wow. Bulk that was AMAZING! I’m stuffed. I haven’t had food that good...since I moved here. It really reminded me of home.” “Was your mom a good cook? Mine was. I can still remember the house being filled with the smells of her spaghetti. She always made it from scratch.” “That sounds great. My mom…” Sunset trailed off. Thinking about her mom was not something she had been expecting to do. She remembered her mom being so proud of her for being chosen as Princess Celestia’s personal student. She had been looking for somepony for over a year before she chose Sunset. Sunset had worked so hard, her mom, of course, pushing her the whole way. Sunset didn’t actually remember ever eating with her mother. She was only ever allowed to eat once she was too exhausted to continue practicing. Usually her mother was off preparing the next round of tests for her while she sat alone, barely able to lift her hay to her mouth. Always hay. Sometimes with a couple flowers. Sunset suddenly noticed Bulk staring at her. His face was worried. She could swear she saw some tears in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” “You went away. I’ve seen friends do that before. Usually to bad places. Did you go to a bad place?” “You mean me staring off into space? Yeah, sorry. I do that sometimes. I have a rather long complicated history. Especially from before I moved here. Looking at things in hindsight, my history actually explains a lot about why I became….what I became. Not that it’s an excuse, but still it was a logical conclusion.” “Okay. But you’re okay now, right?” She smiled and reached over to pat his hand on the table. “Yeah, Bulk. I’m okay.” His smile grew across his face. Sunset couldn’t help but snicker a little at the goofiness of it. He was such a genuine guy. He would never be able to hide his emotions like she did for so long. They stopped outside of her apartment building. Bulk was starting to look nervous again. He was totally not sure about what he should do. Sunset, again, couldn’t help but smile at him. She touched his arm and looked him straight in the eye. “I had a good time, Bulk. And I’m so glad you took me to that restaurant. I’ll definitely be going back there again. It was delicious.” He smiled and his chest puffed out a bit. “I had a nice time,” she continued, “but I think this is gonna be our only date. Sorry. You’re a great guy and I really hope you meet someone that is perfect for you.” Bulk deflated. His smile got even bigger. Then he started laughing. A laugh so loud and boisterous, that it actually hurt Sunset’s ears. He calmed down a bit and wiped a tear from his eye. “He he. I was gonna say the same thing to you. I was just too nervous to find the words. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Actually,” he leaned in closer to Sunset, “I really like Fluttershy. I figured it was a good idea to help her out.” He gave Sunset a wink. Sunset stared at him for a moment. She pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment before speaking. “So, in order to impress a girl you like, you went on a date with another girl?” He nodded. Very impressed with himself. “Um, hate to break it to you, Bulk, but this was probably the stupidest thing you could have done.” Her words cut him down quickly. He slumped over and looked ready to cry. “Really?” “Yeah. Look, if you like a girl, you should just ask her out and see what happens. And you also have to be okay with what she says.” His tears were starting to drop from his eyes. Sunset felt really bad for the guy. “Look, Bulk, I know Fluttershy. She is one of my friends, after all. Just be honest with her. She’ll really appreciate it. But also be prepared for her to run away from you a few times before she actually answers you. She might also just sort of freeze in place. Just be mentally prepared for that, okay?” Bulk Biceps nodded. He was standing a little straighter now. Still a little sad, but with a look of determination as well. “Thanks, Sunset. I’ll do that. Good night. I’ll see you at school.” “G’night, Bulk.” Author's Note Wasn't that nice? I liked it. I'll be posting these up as I finish them, so stay tuned. MuffinsSunset was surprised when the wall-eyed girl walked up to her at the park. She was wearing a cute navy skirt with a white top. It looked quite good with her skin tone. “Hey, Sunset Shimmer. I'm surprised you agreed to this date. I didn't think you and Flash were talking anymore.” “I'm just tr...wait did you Flash? As in Flash Sentry, Flash?” The girl nodded her head, enthusiastically. Then she stopped and her smile faded “Uh oh. Was this a bad idea? Should I leave?” It was then that Sunset noticed she had her face scrunched up, probably in some weird mix of confusion and anger. “No. I'm sorry. I just didn't think Flash would be setting me up on dates. Probably why he didn't tell me about today, himself. But you know what? We're here so let's go!” Sunset grabbed the girl's hand and led her over to the paddle boats. “Have you ever been on a paddle boat? I used to do this a lot when I first moved here. It was one of the few things that relaxed me. I actually came out here after my first fall formal. I couldn't get the boats because they were locked, but it was still nice to be close to them.” “So pretty…” The odd response prompted Sunset to glance in the girl’s direction. She was staring at a butterfly that was right in front of her face. Her smile was large and infectious. Sunset felt her own smile form as the pure joy this girl felt in this moment passed over between them. As the butterfly flew away, Sunset became very aware of the fact that she was still holding the girl’s hand. It was warm and comfortable. The girl squeezed Sunset’s hand. Sunset looked back to the girl’s smile. It had softened, but now included an internal mirth that could probably only be rivaled by Pinkie Pie. The girl suddenly pulled Sunset toward the boats. “Come on! Lets have some fun.” Sunset considered it a lucky day when she found out that the line for the paddle board was really short. They were usually the most popular attraction at the park. They would need a two-seater. Most of the boats were two-seaters, so that shouldn't be a problem. She paid the rental fee at the window and started looking at the boats. It didn't take her long to find her date already sitting in literally the only Forrest Green boat that the park had. Why Forrest Green? Oh well. At least it wasn’t the pink one. As they started paddling out, the girl next to Sunset was just staring at...everything, as far as she could tell. “So, um, I'm just curious. I'm assuming both your eyes work fine, they just,don't line up. Right?” “Oh yeah. I can look at where I'm going and at you at the same time. Hee hee.” Sunset noticed that she was doing just that. It was actually...kind of awesome. “Is it ever hard? I mean...I can't even imagine it.” “Well I've been like this my whole life. I can't say if its hard or not. It's all I've ever known.” The was nothing in her voice but peace about it. And the peace was taking over both of them. They spent the rest of the boat ride in silence, each of them just enjoying the other’s company. It wasn't until they rounded their last turn that Sunset noticed they didn't have to talk to each other to turn the boat. They were in complete synchronization with each other the whole time along their winding path. This made her smile inwardly. Once out of the boat, they started strolling aimlessly through the park. Everyone there seemed so happy. The children on the playground were all laughing and screaming in delight. Their parents were laughing and talking among themselves. “I guess other people thought this was a good place for a date too, huh?” The girl’s comment caused Sunset to notice it too. All around them were couples. Couples holding hands. Couples sitting in the grass. Couples getting hot dogs. Even a couple that thought they were hiding behind a tree. It was a little gross to see, but Sunset certainly wouldn't mind if she had something like that. “Oh~. A fruit cart! Let's get some.” Sunset again was pulled by the girl. She really didn't mind this. In fact, Sunset could see this girl being her special somep… Sunset stopped herself. Logic flooded her mind, awoken by the realization that she was falling for this girl after only a couple hours. How could this be happening? Sure the girl was nice, but Sunset barely knew her. Plus, just a couple weeks ago, she was essentially not interested in dating at all. Then the thing that would probably hang over every single one of these dates if she ever got serious: she was a pony. Sure she had the same type of body as these people, but her heart and soul were still Equestrian. The girl turned around and smiled at Sunset. She was holding two bags. Both were full of cut up fruit. One looked a little more red than the other. “I didn't know if you liked spicy or not so I got one with chili and one without.” “Um...I don't know either.” Sunset reached for the red bag. It was delicious. Sunset had walked the girl home. She actually lived really close to the park. “I had a really nice time. And I think you did too. Wanna try this again next week?” The girl threw her arms around Sunset's neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I would love to go out with you again, Sunset Shimmer.” Her cheeks were beginning to blush. Sunset could feel her own neck starting to warm up. She was excited. She hadn't actually been excited for anything in a long time. Author's Note Suggested by a friend and I had to do it. The idea was too cute. Also thank to that same friend (BronyDude777) for proofreading this chapter for me. I'm trying to release something every week. So next week we'll either see what Sunset does with her new friend or I'll have something entirely new posted up. I've got a couple other stories that I'm actively writing, so we'll see what happens. Muffins 2“Already? I wasn't expectin’ that. Good for you, Sunset.” “Aw. I had someone awesome-tastic-mazing picked out for you, Sunset. Oh well. I'm just happy that you're happy.” “It's just a second date, guys. It's not that big of a deal.” “It's a very big deal, Sunset. In practically no time at all you've gone from having no interest in anyone to gushing about a second date. I've never been more proud to have you as my friend.” “Come on, Rarity. I wasn't gushing.” “Rosy cheeks, tense body stance, eyes as wide as they go, slightly higher volume than normal…..what were we talking about?” “A~nyways, Rarity’s right, Sunset. You were TOTALLY gushing. And I'm happy for you too. I mean, you wanted something and went for it. And it looks like you got it. And you didn't even have to….you know.” All the girls stopped talking and stared at Rainbow Dash. “What? Isn't that a GOOD thing?” Sunset walked up the porch and knocked on the door. She was actually nervous. There wasn’t a logical reason why. They’d already had one date that went really well. She had said yes to this one. So what was the deal? The door opened and there she was. A simple green dress was draped over one shoulder. Her hair, up in an equally simple bun. Her hazel eyes were enhanced to perfection with just a touch of green eye shadow. Her lips, glossed, were plump and supple. Definitely kissable. “Did I over dress?” The girl's question snapped Sunset out of her thoughts. Once back to reality, she realized the implication. Her date, while not fancy, was indeed dressed up. Sunset, in the other hand, was wearing pretty much what she wore on their last date: skirt, a nice magenta blouse, and her leather jacket. She didn't do anything special to her hair or even bother with makeup. “I did say dinner, didn't I?” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck and gave the girl a sheepish grin. “I don't know why I didn't bother dressing up.” Suddenly the girl's eyes lit up. “Oooh! Let me do your makeup and hair really quick! It'll be fun!” How could Sunset say no to that amazing smile? About 15 minutes later they finally left the girl's house. The girl couldn't actually do much with Sunset's hair so it stayed as it was. But Sunset now had some nice makeup. A little bit of eyeliner to give her a bit of cat eye. A strange red-brown eye shadow that worked amazingly with her skin and matched her shirt. And finally, a touch of lip gloss, just like her date. Since the evening wasn't chilly, Sunset also decided to leave her jacket at the girl's house. Just taking it off made her outfit look so much better, she realized. As they were walking down the road, they found each other's hands once more. Sunset could really get used to this. The girl's soft skin against her own. Her warmth radiating into Sunset. They were going to get dinner at the place Bulk Biceps had taken her to. For this being a big city, everything seemed to be really close together. Sunset really wanted that veggie dish again. She looked over at the girl holding her hand. She was smiling and just enjoying the scenery, seemingly content with walking in silence. Sunset didn't mind walking in silence either. It was a really nice evening. Cool and crisp. But not cold. The lights of the city were beginning to turn on. Sunset saw the sun tucking itself down beyond the horizon. It was something she still couldn't completely wrap her head around. She could accept it, but she couldn't understand it. Back in Equestria, the sun could only be raised by Princess Celestia. Sunset had studied how the sun moved when she first got here. She thought it might be a key to power. She learned so much information about space and the universe and astrophysics, she could probably get her doctorate. But she never found a source. Every time she found an answer for one thing, two more questions popped up in its place. A squeeze of her hand brought Sunset back to reality. “Is this the place?” Sunset looked at the sign. She realized that she didn't remember the name of the restaurant. She looked around. She knew where she was. She could get herself home really easily. Sunset looked in the window of the restaurant. It looked like the same place. “Yeah I'm pretty sure this is the place. I've only been here once, though, so there's a chance I'm wrong.” The girl smiled. “Well I'm hungry so let's go in. It's kind of busy so I'm sure it's good at least.” Sunset couldn't argue with that logic. The place looked full, but it wasn't slammed, so they should be able to get a seat pretty quick. The two girls went in and waited for a table. As expected, it wasn't a long wait for them to get their seats. The waiter came to get their drink orders: just a couple sodas. “This is the restaurant that serves the Veggies in Bulk, right? It's an off menu item.” “Let me check on that. I'll be right back.” The waiter left and was as in out of sight. “What's ‘Veggies in Bulk’?” “Oh I'm a vegetarian. Usually I just get salads when I go out to eat, but a date brought me here once and introduced me to Veggies in Bulk. It was so amazing. The best food I've had since I moved here.” “A date?” Confusion filled the girl’s hazel eyes. Sunset was about to explain when her eyes lit up again. “OH! Yeah! Okay. Of course you’ve been on other dates. You’re amazing. I’m sure you have lots of people that want to go on dates with you.” Her smile was even bigger. Somehow. The waiter came back an assured her that they did, indeed, serve Veggies in Bulk. The girl ordered steak with the baked potato and broccoli. As the waiter left, Sunset waited for a reaction. People always had a reaction when they ordered meat after finding out she was a vegetarian. The girl just sat there and smiled at Sunset. “You know, I really like this place. It’s shiny~.” Sunset blinked. She started looking around. It was shiny. She hadn’t noticed it before. There was a lot of polished chrome. Napkin dispensers, lamp shades, bars along the backs of booths...all polished and catching the light. She noticed a busser cleaning up a table. As he finished, he buffed the bars on the backs of the benches. They must have actual chrome bars. If they were plated, buffing it like that all the time would just remove the chrome. That couldn’t have been cheap. Why would a simple diner restaurant like this put that much money into something that didn’t matter much? Sunset just shrugged to herself. She wasn’t going to let it bother her. “Is there something wrong, Sunset?” “What? No. I'm just thinking...random thoughts.” “Psh. I do that all the time. What are your thoughts?” “Well, you mentioned how shiny this place is and I'm thinking it might be too shiny for its own good.” “Why's that?” “Well, it looks like everything is made of chrome. And if that's the case, then it would've been pretty expensive to decorate the way they did. Too expensive for just a diner like this to have done. I dunno, though. Bulk Biceps said that he's been coming here since he was just a little kid. Maybe they're in a better spot than I know.” “Well I like it. I'll definitely be coming back.” The girl smiled that same smile of joy that Sunset was coming to love. It seemed to contain the same levels of happy that Pinkie Pie had, yet at the same time, it had all the restraint and poise of Rarity. Their food was served and everything looked amazing. Sunset was even tempted to try her date’s steak. There wasn't much conversation while they ate. None, really. There were a few soft moans and grunts of pleasure. Occasionally an utterance of “this is so good”. It was as if neither girl had eaten in days. Truth be told, Sunset hadn't eaten anything all day. The last thing she had eaten was a granola bar the day before. Sunset was the first to speak when they were both done eating. “That was so good. I almost want to order another one.” “Me too. It was yummy.” Sunset looked at the girl across the table for a moment. “Let’s get outta here. I feel like walking.” “Okay!” The girl started scooting out of the booth but stopped right before she stood up. “Wait. We need to pay.” Sunset chuckled, “Yes. Yes we do.” _______________________________________________________ The night was beautiful. The moon was full and bright. The two girls walked hand in hand down the street. It was such an automatic gesture at this point. They walked and talked for a few minutes and ended up at the park. It was empty, but Sunset had been there many nights before and led the girl in. “Okay. We just need to watch out for cops. Sometimes they come by and kick people out.” “We’re not supposed to be here?” “Technically, no. But we’re just walking and talking. No biggie.” Sunset gave a reassuring smile. “You’ve done this before?” “Yeah. I used to come here all the time. Literally. All times of day and night. It was the closest thing that reminded me of home. I used to live in a city that was surrounded by nature. Forrests and rivers. Mountains and valleys.” “Sounds nice.” “It was. I would always take a walk through the woods whenever I could. It was just nice to get away for a bit and be by myself. It would allow my mind to think through what I had learned, what I had been through. It always helped me deal with things. And, in hindsight, when I stopped going for my walks was when I got myself in trouble.” “What kind of trouble did you get in?” Sunset froze. She wasn’t ready to get into this. Her logic told her that her date had probably seen enough weirdness here for her to accept the truth of Sunset’s origins. Her pony origins. “Was that a bad question?” “Huh? No! No. It wasn’t a bad question. It was a really good question, actually. I’m just...not ready to talk about it.” Sunset looked at the girl. She was expecting something in her face. Something indicating that she felt betrayed. Or hurt. Or...anything than what she actually saw. The girl was just smiling at her. “Okay!” The girl leaned in and gave Sunset a tight hug. When she released, she looked Sunset in the eye and said, “You’ll be ready when you’re ready.” Sunset didn’t know how to process it. She just stared at the girl. Her cheek started to get cold. The girl reached out and wiped her cheek. Sunset had started crying. But...she was happy. Happier than she could really remember being. She reached out to the girl and pulled her close. Her lips were softer than she was expecting. Sunset felt the girl wrap her arms around her neck and pull herself into the kiss. It wasn’t electric. It was warm. And a little sloppy. Just a little. It wasn’t what Sunset was expecting, but it could possibly be labeled as better. _______________________________________________________ When they were back in front of the girl’s house, they lingered together a bit. Neither wanted the night to end. But it was late and the girl did need to get back in, with her family. Sunset didn’t want her parents to think that she was a bad influence for their daughter. “Tonight was great” the girl said. “I can’t wait to go out with you again.” “Yeah. Me neither. Let’s go out tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have to come back by to pick up my jacket anyway.” The girl gasped. “I forgot about it. I could get it for you really quick.” “Nah. I’m fine. It’s not cold, plus the walk to my place really isn’t that far. Go on. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The girl leaned in and gave Sunset one more kiss. “Good night, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset couldn’t keep the smirk off her face as she watched the girl walk into her house. Author's Note This one was hard for me to write. I kept getting distracted. Plus I had MAJOR writer's block. But I figure only being late by a day isn't so bad. :D Sunset ShimmerThe girls had been really supportive during the week at school. Sunset was hurt but they really helped her work through it. She had even spent a couple nights with Rarity when she was particularly down. It was a good thing that she wasn't alone on those nights. On the weekend, though, she was definitely needing alone time. Pinkie wanted her to come over for baking and a movie. Sunset declined. Applejack invited her to a family dinner. Sunset said no thanks. She avoided the shopping spree with Rarity and the nature walk with Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash was the only one that hadn't tried to get her to do anything. Sunset wondered what she was doing. She pondered to herself all the possible things Rainbow Dash could be doing while she made her coffee. There weren't any games this weekend. Rainbow Dash would've been sure to make sure everyone knew. Were there any new movies she might go see? No. Rainbow wasn't big on movies. She'd sit and watch when the whole gang was together, but Sunset always noticed that Rainbow would get antsy. She wouldn't see a movie on her own. Unless she wasn't on her own. She could've gone with her teammates. After all, Rainbow Dash did have more than one group of friends. Sunset sat in her window seat with her coffee and toast. Her mind emptied as she chewed and looked out her window. But it didn't stay empty for long. The girl popped into Sunset's head as she finished her toast. Her yellow hair. Her goofy smile. Her gorgeous eyes. And her soft lips. “Nope!” Sunset stood up and downed her coffee. It was hot. Thankfully not hot enough to seriously injure her, but definitely hot enough to make her focus on the here and now. “Ow.” Sunset put her mug in the sink and turned off her coffee pot. She got dressed and headed for her parking structure. She was gonna take herself out. She started up her bike and sped out of her structure. She didn't care about tickets today. She drove by her gut. If her gut told her to turn left, she turned left. If it told her to slow down, she slowed down. It it told her to speed through an intersection, she sped through an intersection. Sunset thought doing this was a great idea. She’d end up somewhere random. New. It would be perfect. Perfect, she thought, until she ended up at the park. Why was she at the park? Why was she pulling into the parking lot of the park? Why was she parking? Why did she bring her guitar? Sunset was torn. There was a part of her that wanted to avoid this place. But there was also a part of her that knew better. She shouldn't let one bad experience keep her from enjoying a place that brought her so much happiness in the past. And with that thought, Sunset got off her bike, grabbed her guitar, and took a spot on a bench under the shade of a tall oak. She hadn't been very big on music back in Equestria. Princess Celestia always sent her tickets to concerts of all sorts, but she never went. Sunset figured her time would be wasted doing such things. But when she came to this world, she lost everything. She lost her magic. She had no idea how to get by in this world. But her new body gave her clues. She didn’t have magic, but she could see how people used their hands. They used their hands for everything. She decided she would have to master this new appendage if she was going to take over this world. And, of course, that decision lead to her learning to play guitar. And not only did she learn guitar, she learned it with both hands. It seemed so logical at the time. The practice DID help her survive in this world, though. After “borrowing” her first guitar, she was able to panhandle for money as a street performer. She made sure to never do it for too long in any one area. She also made sure not to do it too close to the portal, as she would need to make the school that stood there her base of operations. The memories started to make Sunset a little sad. Not sad that she had to work so hard, but sad that her goals had been so...pointless. Before she could dive into her misery, she noticed that a little girl had wondered up to her. The girl had a big smile on her face. “Mommy, Mommy! Come here!” As the girl’s mother approached, the girl started to look sad. “Don’t stop playing, lady. Please.” Sunset then realized that she had been strumming mindlessly while she was lost in her thoughts, and only stopped when the girl had approached her. “Ivory. Ivory Spark! Don’t bug that girl. She just wants to relax.” Sunset chuckled. “It’s okay, ma’am. She’s not bothering me. In fact, I was just about to play her a song.” “See mommy? She’s nice. And she makes good music.” The mother looked at Sunset, “Well, if you don’t mind. We are here to have a relaxing day.” Sunset started playing as they sat on the bench next to her. They were both really enjoying Sunset’s happy tune. Author's Note I got this done and posted it straight up. It's basically a rough draft. Let me know if you find things that need fixing and I'll get them fixed :D Limestone PieIt had been a few weeks from the afternoon Sunset came home numb. All her friends were hanging out in her apartment for once. It was a rare treat for her. Though it might become more common now that Fluttershy and Rarity both got their licenses. They were all gathered on her couch and floor in the living room. They had been talking about various life things: hobbies, grades, teachers, parents. Eventually they landed on boys. Rarity, as always, had someone to gush about. Though she never made any moves. She insisted that the boy approach her for anything. Sunset just always assumed Rarity just wasn’t that interested. Rarity wasn’t one to let something she actually wanted pass her by. Applejack always had the same thing to say; she was too busy on her farm to be interested in anyone. Fluttershy...never said anything. She would always just hide behind her hair until the topic passed. Sunset would have to give her a little nudge some time so that the whole group would know about her. Rainbow Dash mentioned something about having to spend nearly all her time either practicing or having to meet with her tutor. Sunset thought she saw the slightest hint of a blush appear before she got up and went to the bathroom. She wasn’t going to push her on it. Rainbow, being a slight hothead, might just blow up at it being mentioned. Sunset couldn’t help but smile to herself. Pinkie Pie wouldn’t stop staring at Sunset the entire time. Sunset had noticed it nearly right away, but chose not to acknowledge it. At least not until she had to. When prompted, Pinkie nearly burst, “I’ve been waiting for Sunset to be ready to go on a date with my sister!” All the girls just stared at Pinkie for a few seconds. Just long enough for Pinkie to start blushing. Finally, Sunset spoke up, “Alright, Pinkie Pie. I think I’m ready. I’ll go on a date with your sister,” she pointed a stern finger at Pinkie, “But no being weird if it doesn’t work out.” “OHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSH!” Pinkie couldn’t stop jumping up and down. “Um, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash had returned, “Isn’t Maud in college? As in, a little too old?” Sunset shrugged, “She’s only about a year older. That’s not too bad.” Pinkie Pie started giggling. And she continued giggling. The girls all looked at each other a little confused. “What’s so funny, Pinkie Pie?” Applejack didn’t sound amused at all. Pinkie wiped a tear from her eye, “Maud is great, but she has a boyfriend. BUU~UT my sister Limestone is amazing too! You two will have a great time together.” “You're late.” Sunset blinked. She checked her phone. She was late. By one minute. Sunset gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry.” “I'm here for three reasons: one, I love my sister. Two, she covered my shifts at the Rock Farm all week. Three, she set this whole thing up,” Limestone gestured around the lavish restaurant, “She's even paying for our bill.” “It was awfully nice of Pinkie Pie to do this for us.” Sunset looked around. It was the nicest restaurant in town. It had at least four giant chandeliers. Clear crystals filled with white light. Pure white tablecloths stood in stark contrast to the black velvet chairs. Bright silverware glistened in the light. Then a thought occurred to Sunset. “Wait, what's a rock farm?” Limestone stared at her for a moment. She looked as if she was about to get up and leave the table. Finally, Limestone let out a long sigh. “The Rock Farm is our family business. We grow and sell custom crystals.” Sunset couldn't hide her look of confusion. “Is that a thing? I haven't heard of that before.” “It's a proprietary technology developed by our sister, Maud.” Limestone cracked a smile. “We've only been in business a couple years and already all of our college educations are paid for.” “Wow.” Sunset was a little too shocked to think of much else to say. Thankfully the waiter showed up to take their orders. Why did they always show up right when she needed them to? “So,” Limestone started after handing her menu to the waiter “Pinkie told me you've been going on dates with a bunch of different people over the past couple months. One of them was even a little serious. Why the sudden urge to go out with me?” Again, Sunset was at a loss. Clearly, Pinkie had told Limestone about Her. This stirred up no small amount of emotion in Sunset's chest. Why would Pinkie share all of that with a person she was setting Sunset up with? “Don't be mad at Pinkie Pie.” This caused Sunset to pause and meet Limestone’s eyes. “Pinkie Pie has a LONG history of oversharing information. But oddly, it all works out in the end. Personally, I think it makes you interesting. Going on a bunch of random dates to figure yourself out is a little weird to me, but hey, at least you're trying.” Limestone lifted her water glass. “Here's to trying to figure this stuff out.” “To figuring it out.” Sunset let out a small giggle and clinked her glass with Limestone's. After a relaxed meal full of friendly conversation, Sunset and Limestone walked out to see a limousine waiting for them. At least they assumed. The driver was standing there with a sign that said “Limeset Sunstone”. Sunset turned to Limestone with a giggle. “Come on, Limeset.” Limestone gave her a glare. “No. We are NOT doing that.” She walked up to the driver, snatched the sign away, and ripped it up. “I don't do cute like that. Its...UGH.” Limestone climbed into the limo. Sunset apologized to the driver and climbed in behind her. They sat in tense silence as the driver started driving off. After a few minutes, Sunset spoke up. “So, no cute stuff. Check. What else she we avoid for the rest of the evening?” Limestone sighed. “It's not that I don't like cute things. I just don't like THOSE kind of cute things. The...lovey dovey cute things.” “I usually think they're kind of funny, but alright. No more cutesy lovey dovey stuff. I'm sure Pinkie Pie just added that because she was so excited.” “That's true. My baby sister. You can't help but love her. And her annoying enthusiasm.” Limestone smiled when she said that. It wasn't a snarky smile and it wasn't forced smile. It was genuine. And seeing it pulled Sunset’s entire being into that moment. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by the driver making an announcement on the intercom. The limo ride came with a bottle of chilled wine. “Nice.” Limestone quickly found the bottle and the glasses. After inspecting the bottle, Sunset barely heard her mutter, “hmm, Pinkie really did her research.” “Um...are you sure we should drink?” Sunset's hesitation only earned a glare from Limestone. After a second, her expression softened. “Look. It's one bottle that we're gonna share. It's really not a lot at all. Sure we'll get a little tipsy, but that's kind of the point. To chill out and relax.” Limestone opened the bottle and poured two glasses. As she handed one to Sunset, Sunset said, “I've never had wine before.” “Well, this is a good first wine to try. It's a nice red blend that's just a hint of sweet. It’s from my favorite vineyard. And it's the perfect wine for just sitting and relaxing. Which is exactly what We're doing. What should we drink to?” “Um...to Pinkie Pie. For setting up this amazing night.” “Eh. Sure. To Pinkie Pie.” They clinked their glasses and took a sip. The flavors danced across Sunsets tongue and twirled down her throat. “Oh wow. This is good.” Limestone smirked. “Told ya. It's a really good wine.” The driver announced that their time was almost up and that they needed to decide on a destination. Their time in the limo had been spent talking and drinking. They'd actually found a second bottle of wine and were almost done with it. Well, Limestone was almost done with it. Sunset had to be cut off after her third glass. Limestone pressed the intercom button and told the driver to just go to her house. After giving him the address, she turned to Sunset and smiled. “Hey lightweight. We're headed to my place. Try not to barf on my rug.” Sunset tried to focus on Limestone's eyes. It was really hard with everything moving around so much, so she settled with looking in her general direction. “I'm not gonna be sick. I feel totally fine.” “Really? You can't even sit straight.” Limestone gestured towards Sunset's rather slumped posture. Sunset responded by sitting up straight in her seat and folding her hands in her lap. “See? I'm not too drunk.” As soon as the words left her lips, the limo took a long, wide turn causing her to lose her balance and topple over, landing face first into Limestone's chest. Sunset popped her head up right away. “Oops. Sorry about that.” Limestone's face was beet red. A vast difference from her usual grey. Oddly, Limestone didn't seem upset by the incident. But before the topic could be discussed, the limo stopped in front of the house. Sunset's head was pretty clear now. She had taken a shower in Limestone's apartment and gotten a chance to sit and collect herself while Limestone took her own shower. As Limestone came out of the bathroom, Sunset couldn't help but admire her body. Even though it was covered by her robe, Sunset could still see her strong legs and sense her toned torso. “What're you staring at?” Limestone's question tore Sunset out of her thoughts. “Oh I'm just thinking about our night that we just had. And how amazing it was.” Sunset got up and wrapped her arms around Limestone's neck, causing her to freeze in the middle of drying her hair. “It doesn't have to end here, you know.” Sunset gave Limestone a small peck on her neck, causing a small twitch through the girl’s body. Limestone pushed Sunset back. “Why did you agree to go on a date with me? You never answered me at the restaurant.” Sunset was shocked. She thought they had been having a good time. She turned and say back down on the bed. “I was actually thinking about that while you were in the shower. I started these dates as a way to find myself, so to speak. But now, I figure I'll just have fun with them and see what happens. I like you, Limestone. I had a lot of fun tonight and, honestly, I'd like the fun to continue. And then, we'll see how we feel in the morning.” Limestone closed the gap between them and kissed Sunset. And she found out just how toned Limestone's torso was. Author's Note This one took me a long time to get together. I think I like how Limestone turned out. But, as always, constructive criticism is welcome. SandalwoodSunset ducked out of the way as the book sailed toward her head. “GET OUT!” Limestone was screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking with the strain. Sunset made it out of the room and closed the door just as another book slammed against it. At least she had her underwear on. “Aaand that’s why I’m wearing Pinkie’s clothes today.” Pinkie Pie nodded her head sagely as Sunset finished her story. The others just stared at her, eyes as wide as saucers. Applejack was the first to break the silence, “Lemme get this straight: You guys had a nice time, you even, ahem, had a nice night, and then you guys fell asleep together all peaceful-like. Then in the morning she just went crazy and threw you naked out of her room?” “Yeah, it was so weird. Pinkie couldn’t explain it either.” Pinkie Pie finished off her second cupcake and solemnly shook her head. “Well, now what? I’m tapped out with suggestions.” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms in a huff. “O-Ho Rainbow Dash, we don’t need to have a new date for Sunset every week. She can have some time off from this journey of hers.” The group nodded at Rarity’s wisdom. All except Pinkie Pie. Without changing her expression, she let the group know that there was a fair at the school and that there was a boy there that wanted to go out with Sunset. Sunset had a blank expression for just a moment, “Well, I’m game. When’s the fair?” With a glint in her eye and a smirk on her lips, Pinkie replied, “Right now.” Sunset didn't know what to expect. She barely knew this guy she was going to meet. What was his name again? Sandalwood? Something like that. All she knew was that Pinkie set her up, and she needed to look for green dreadlocks. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Well, it was harder than she might have expected. She got to the location and EVERYONE had either green hair, or a green hat. What was with that? It was a little strange to her. The location, a small craft fair looking thing, also smelled slightly. She couldn't quite place the smell. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was making her a little light-headed. But she pushed on anyway. She was determined to get through this date. She had to. After that last one nearly broke her again. She wasn't going to let herself be broken like that though. She'd had enough of that. She was going to get through this if it was the last thing she did. Finally, she found him. Maybe. He was slightly taller than her and had green dreadlocks. He was playing hacky sack with someone. She walked up and introduced herself. "Hey. Are you Sandalwood? I'm Sunset Shimmer. Pinkie Pie set us up." "Oh yeah! I was having so much fun with my bud here that I totally forgot!" Sunset did a mental facepalm. This was sure to be a memorable experience, at least. Sandalwood said goodbye to his friend and walked off with Sunset. Sandalwood jumped right into conversation. "So, Pinkie tells me you're on a quest to find your soul mate." Sunset did an actual facepalm in response. "That's...a very simplistic way of looking at it. Yes, I am interested in finding someone that I'm compatible with, but I wouldn't exactly label it as a quest to find my soul mate. It's actually more of me discovering bits and pieces of myself as I'm interacting with new people." Sandalwood stopped and stared at Sunset for a few seconds. Sunset was completely unable to read his expression. Right when Sunset was starting to feel awkward, he finally spoke. "That is the deepest thing I've ever heard anyone say about self discovery. It's possibly the deepest thing I've ever heard. You're completely right. The only mirror of our true selves is other people." Sunset had no response for that. But she knew that, at the very least, she might be able to have interesting conversations with this Sandalwood guy. And she wasn’t wrong. They walked through the fair and Sandalwood pointed out each and every stall, explaining what club set it up and what they were doing. There was the Recycling Club selling art they made from reused items. There was the Gardening Club selling fruits and vegetables that they had canned from their own garden. The Communications Club ran the Information Booth. Fitness Club was giving demonstrations and handing out information. Sandalwood pointed out the Canterlot Leaders in their club shirts, helping people with various things around the fair. There was a Community Outreach tent where you could sign up for various projects. Photography, Cooking, Sewing, Art, Woodshop, even the Band had a booth to promote themselves. Sunset knew all these clubs existed, but had never given them much attention. Then Sunset noticed a booth off in a corner. No one was around it and there was only one person sitting at it. Nurse Redheart. "I guess it’s good they have a first aid booth." Sandlwood noticed where she was looking. “Oh yeah, Probably the most important booth here, but sadly, it’s always the one that gets the least traffic. That’s our Mental Health booth. It’s not a club, but we want to make sure we make the resources available for students that need it.” “Mental Health?” “Yeah. You wouldn’t believe how many students here need a lot of help with that. Well, maybe you would.” Sunset gave Sandalwood an inquisitive look. “Well, I just figured, you know, with your past, you might need a little help sometimes too.” This stirred up strong emotions for Sunset. But her brain kicked in before she blurted anything out. Sandalwood was probably right. “Do you mind if….I go talk to Nurse Redheart for a bit?” “No Way! Go ahead. I’ll be here with my hackie sac.” He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled at Sunset. “Thanks.” Sunset Shimmer walked over to Nurse Redheart. She was nervous. She didn’t know what to do when she got there. She didn’t know what to say. Hell, she didn’t even know why she was going. She just felt the need. “Hello there.” Nurse Redheart’s voice was sweet and welcoming. “Um…Hi.” Sunset just stood there rubbing her arm, not sure what to say next. “Would you like to sit for a bit?” Nurse Redheart gestured to a chair across from her. “No. Thank you. Um…I was just thinking…maybe…I might need some help?” The smile that came to Nurse Redheart’s face was small, but sincere. “That’s why we’re here. Would you like to make an appointment to talk with someone?” “Yes. Please. I think it could be helpful.” “Alright, let’s see what we have available.” Nurse Redheart opened up her laptop and began looking through the calendar. Sunset glanced over to Sandalwood just in time to see him drop his hackie sack. He noticed her and waved back. He was such a friendly guy. “Looks like you have plenty of choices.” Nurse Redheart's voice snapped her back to what she was doing. “We don’t actually get many students seeking this kind of help, so there are plenty of appointments open for you to choose from.” She showed Sunset the empty calendar. “Oh. Okay. I guess let’s do Monday morning at 9am. I’m doing fine in Mr. Doodle’s class.” “Okay, just fill out the form here on the computer.” Nurse Readheart turned the computer around for Sunset to fill out the form. Her basic information was all that was needed. “Okay. You’re all set, Miss Shimmer. See you Monday.” “Thank you.” Sunset started walking back toward Sandalwood. She felt nervous. Like, butterflies and jitters, nervous. She couldn't explain why, either. "Yo, Sunset!" Sandalwood's excited tone brought her back to the present. She needed to practice being in the moment. “Hey, Sandalwood. Sorry I took so long.” “Don’t worry about it. I know those things take time. Talking about it and filling out the forms, all that stuff. On to the next thing. What do you wanna do?” “Um…I am hungry. I feel like I haven’t eaten in ages.” “OOH! There’s this awesome booth selling croquettes. I know the cook. She’s the best cook I know.” Sandalwood leaned in closer to Sunset and whispered, “Don’t tell my mom.” Sunset chuckled at Sandalwood’s comment. “Sounds good to me. And don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” They walked over to the booth, where a girl with bouncy purple hair was laughing and chatting. She glanced over to Sandalwood and Sunset as they approached. “Hello! Welcome to Croquette Corner, where I can take just about anything you want and fry it up to delicious perfection.” “Ha, she’s not kidding either, Sunset.” Sandalwood gave her a slight nudge on the shoulder. “Go ahead and pick something. I’ll wait until you’re ready.” “Um…okay.” Sunset glanced at the menu. There were so many choices. And she felt her body give an inner whinny when she noticed the food was all vegetarian. “I think I’ll go with the Carrot.” “Ooooh.” The cook glanced over at Sandalwood. “I like her. She knows what’s good in a croquette.” “Stop teasin’ her, Sugar Belle.” “I’m not teasing. She genuinely has good taste. So many people skip over the Carrot for all the other ‘fancy’ ones, but simplicity is often the key to flavor.” “Okay okay. You’re probably right. That’s why I always order-“ “Plain Jane! I know. Now let me get to work. I’ll have them done in no time.” Sunset looked up to Sandalwood. “Plain Jane?” “Oh, yeah. It’s just a plain potato croquette. Sugar Belle doesn’t even bother putting it on the menu because people don’t even ask about it anymore. I guess people think it's boring.” “Plain potato, huh?” Sunset glanced back up at the menu. It was indeed missing. “I kind of figured you go for the kale, or something.” “Yeah, a lot of people assume that about me. I actually don’t like kale. I’ll eat it if someone puts it on my plate, but I never go out of my way to choose it.” “Same here. I may be a vegetarian, but kale always got to me. My whole life. I never understood the hype.” “I didn’t know you were a vegetarian, Sunset. That’s cool. I’m still trying to make my way there.” “You’re not? Wow. Really? Mister ‘One with the Earth’?” “Oh, that stings a little." He chuckled, "Yeah, I like to try and unite with nature, but at the same time, my dad is a meat and potatoes cowboy. It’s how I grew up and it’s really hard to stop eating meat. I don’t eat a lot, and I make sure to get the meat my family eats from ethical farms, but I still feel bad for it every time.” Sunset considered Sandalwood’s words. Considering his species’ omnivorous nature, she didn’t see any problems with him eating meat. Sugar Belle called them to pick up their order before she could formulate a reply. They took their trays to a table and sat down. Sunset noticed that Sandalwood was deflated from their little talk. She reached over, grabbed his hand, and looked him straight in the eyes. “You are an omnivore. You eat everything. And that’s okay. I know that there are some farms that don’t treat animals the best, but you also don’t feed into that because you shop from the ethical farms. You are not part of the problem. You are not hurting the earth.” “But…” “No buts. Sandalwood, compare your life to mine. Have you ever tormented people in a play for power? No. Have you ever turned into a literal demon and destroyed a building? No. You are literally the nicest person I have ever met. Well, maybe tied with Fluttershy, but STILL. There’s nothing there to condemn. So smile. And eat your croquettes before they get cold.” Sandalwood did smile. He then took a bite of his croquette and let his smile spread across his face. “Man. These are good. Eat yours too, Sunset. Oh man.” He shoved the rest of the croquette in his mouth. Sunset picked up her croquette and savored its aroma. She could smell the carrots amidst the oil and bread. It smelled wonderful. She took a bite and was instantly brought back to the beginning of her journey. She remembered the Veggies in Bulk and how delicious they were. She remembered the good and the bad. She felt completely at peace with her journey. “Dang, Sunset. They’re good, but I dunno if I enjoy them as much as you.” Sunset opened her eyes, still floating on the flavor. “These are AMAZING. And they’re making me remember everything I’ve been through in the past year. It’s been a lot, but I think I’m coming out of it better than when I started.” “Huh. That’s a lot of introspection coming from one bit of Carrot Croquette.” “Haha, yeah. I guess I just have a lot on my mind. I really have been through a lot and it’s weird to sit back and actually look at where I came from.” Sandalwood nodded solemnly. “I know about that. I used to be so short.” Sunset laughed at that. Sandalwood quickly joined in. After eating, they got up and started walking through the fair again. Chatting about anything that came up. Admiring what the various clubs had put together. They even tried their hand at the pumpkin toss. Sunset was barely able to lift hers. Sandalwood did much better with a decent eight and a half foot toss. But everyone knew they had no chance of winning when Big Mac stepped up. It was worth the disappointment, though, to see him smash his previous record with a 25-foot toss. The whole field exploded with cheers at that. It was a good time. And that, as Sunset found out, was the final event of the evening. As the cheering subsided, she noticed that people made their way to their booths to start breaking them down. Sunset found herself at peace with the evening she had with Sandalwood. She was relaxed and ready to see what her new friend wanted to do next. Sunset facepalmed. “What’s wrong, Sunset? Are you okay?” Sandalwood’s words sent a twinge of guilt down her spine. “I…just realized something.” “What’s that? Did you forget that you have to work on a big school project or something?” “No, I just…” Sunset took a deep breath, “Look, I had a great time tonight. Honestly, it was pretty amazing. But I think I realized that I can only be your friend, Sandalwood. I can’t really go beyond that.” “OH! Is that all? Heh” his amused look confused Sunset slightly. “I figured that out when we were eating the croquettes. I thought you were just being nice, and finishing up the evening.” “How did you know?” “I dunno. Just your vibes, I guess. Don’t worry about it. You had fun. I had fun. No hard feelings here.” His smile put Sunset at complete ease. Sunset smiled back. Her ringing phone grabbed their attention. “Oh hey, it’s my friend. Hang on.” She put the phone to her ear. “Hey Rarity, what’s up?…Oh, yeah we had fun…I could eat. Let me see if he wants to come with me.” Sandalwood politely waved No to the invitation. “Oh he can’t come…okay I’ll see you guys soon…bye.” She put her phone away and looked up to Sandalwood. “Are you sure you don’t want to come for some food? My treat.” “Oh no, I’m fine, Sunset. Let me walk you to your car.” “I actually don’t have a car.” “Really? How’d you get here?” “I have a motorcycle.” “What?! Really? That’s cool.” “Haha I don’t know about that. It’s just transportation. I regret not getting a car sometimes.” “But you can squeeze through traffic really easy. And you get way better gas mileage. It’s better for the environment.” “Well, all of those things are true.” They got to the edge of the parking lot and Sunset’s bike. “Man, I can’t believe I never saw this thing before.” “Well, I usually just walk to school. I just felt like…riding.” “I get it. I probably would too. Alright, Sunset, go have fun with your friends. I’ll see you Monday.” Sunset gave Sandalwood a quick hug. “Thanks for having me join you. I had a lot of fun.” Sunset hopped on her bike and got it started. It was a little loud. She put on her helmet and gave Sandalwood a final wave. He waved back and watched as she rode out of the parking lot. It was a good night with a new friend. Sunset was happy that her life was feeling on track. And she was looking forward to having a late dinner with her friends. Author's Note I”m glad I finally got around to finishing this up. I think I always intended an ending like this. I hope you guys enjoyed the journey. I know there was a super long hiatus, but thank you for finishing. Muffins 3Sunset woke up to a text from Rarity. I can't wait to talk to you at school Monday. Sunset sat up in bed and stretched. As she was yawning, her phone chimed again. Of course, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to talk now. ;) Sunset rolled her eyes and chuckled. She began typing. I'm heading over to her place this afternoon. I left my jacket there last night and I figured we'd grab lunch. oooh. Three dates in two weekends. Sounds like its going good! I'd say so. We ended our night...nicely last night. :) A lady doesn't kiss and tell, darling. ;) EEEEEE ______________________________ Sunset started toward the girl’s house around noon. She decided to take her bike; she figured it would be fun to go riding together. The girl stepped out of her house as Sunset pulled up. She was gripping Sunset’s jacket, wringing it as if it were a wet towel. Sunset pulled off her helmet and flashed the girl a smile. “Hey, you. I figured we could go for a ride.” “Hey,” The girl apprehensively approached Sunset. “So, I was thinking last night,” She was talking a bit slower than usual, as well. “And I was thinking...I’m not ready for this. You’re amazing, Sunset, and I want you to be happy, but...it can’t be with me.” The girl held a stiff arm out to Sunset, handing her the jacket. She took it out of reflex. The girl stood there, shifting slightly from side to side, waiting for Sunset to say something. Sunset stared at the girl. Her brain was frozen. Her fingers started tingling. She felt as if the ground was starting to rock back and forth. The girl looked away for a moment and Sunset was acutely aware that she was making her feel awkward. Sunset brought her hands up, half to test them and half to show her confusion. Finally, Sunset said the first coherent word that popped into her head, “Why?” “It was just….too fast for me,” the girl shrugged her shoulders and looked off again. “I’m not ready to go where you are.” “Okay,” Sunset turned her hands toward herself. “I can slow things down. It’s not like that would be hard to do.” The girl focused both her eyes on Sunset’s eyes, “No, Sunset. That won’t work. Let’s just be happy with what we had and move on.” “But…” Sunset dropped her hands back to her sides. Sunset could see it in the girl’s eyes. There wasn’t anything that would change her mind. “Okay. I’ll go.” Sunset put on her jacket and got on her bike. As she drove off, she realized her whole body was completely numb. Author's Note ;-; This hurt me a bit to write. I hope I did it justice though. If you have any suggestions for people to go on dates with Sunset, let me know. Our heroine isn't done with love yet and thank you to EquestrianGuard for helping to make this chapter good. Seriously, it was awful before I got the help. Muffins Finale Alt.**Sunset has breakdown and walks off on Muffins, telling her that she's(sunset) damaged goods.** The girl tried to comfort Sunset, but Sunset shoved her hand away. “No! You don't get it! I ruin everything! I worked my hooves and horn down to nubs to get in with Princess Celestia. I achieved the most prestigious spot a pony could achieve. And I threw it all away because I wanted more. I came to a brand new universe and could have started over right and made friends and had a good life. You know what happened with that. Sure I was “redeemed” but any day now, any second, I know I'm gonna mess up and lose everything again. So just go. I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have.” The girl just stared at Sunset. She couldn't move. And soon, she wasn't even unable to see. Her tears were big and hot. “Sunset, that's not true. You're changed. I see it. I feel it. If you'd just…” “GO!” “Sunset!” Both the girls looked and saw Rainbow Dash running toward them. “What's wrong? What happened?” Rainbow Dash kept looking back and forth between the two girls, clearly unsure about what to do. Through barely contained sobs, the girl spoke, “I'll go. I'll see you at school Monday.” She ran off in the direction of her house. Sunset and Rainbow watched until the girl was out of sight. Then Rainbow turned to Sunset. “What was all that about?” Sunset Shimmer collapsed on the sidewalk and started shaking. Her soft whimpers, the only sound on the empty street. Author's Note This was a scene I wrote for the end of the Muffins arc. The trouble was, I couldn't add anything else to it, so it sat in my docs for...a long time. I finally decided to just post up the scene. No context other than the previous entries in the story. It was a toss up between this one and the one I used. Sunset is hurt badly in both of them, but it was when I decided on the first one because I just sense that Muffins' level of perception is that of a master. So she just beat Sunset to it.
Bulk BicepsBulk Biceps had been sitting across from her just smiling nervously for the past 5 minutes. Sunset couldn't really pin down why he was nervous. It didn't look like fear (she had plenty of experience with that). But it also didn't really look like he was into her either. She decided to just ask a question she was genuinely curious about. “So, Bulk, I've been wondering for a while now...how much can you bench?” Almost instantly, his face shifted. From nervous grin, to slight shock, to deep thought. Sunset chuckled to herself a bit. It was a bit cute. “Oh man,” Bulk started, “Well on my daily work out, I do at least 500 pounds with my regular reps. My personal record, so far, is 725. I did 800 once, but don't really count it since I blacked out after I had it in the air. It was crazy. My spotter saved me though. He said I had done the full lift, so he was able to get it in the cradle before it fell on me. Hehehe I like that story.” He was loud. Too loud for this restaurant. Almost too loud for conversation in general. He noticed her face and grew a little sheepish smile. “Sorry,” he said a little quieter, “I’ve always been loud and can’t seem to do anything about it. I try but my larynx is optimally placed to maximise my sound. Weird but true. It’s one of the reasons why I don’t talk much. Especially at school.” “Huh. Okay. That’s something I never would’ve thought of. But it makes complete sense once it’s explained.” Sunset started thinking about the voice qualities of all her friends. Could be a fun thing to try and analyze about all of them. “So, Sunset, did Fluttershy set this up on your end too? It was really random. And a little confusing. At first I thought SHE wanted to go out with me. Rainbow Dash jumped in to clear it up though. I’ll admit, I was really nervous about meeting you here tonight. The food here is really good, though. It’s quality fuel AND it’s delicious. Isn’t it?” “Huh?” “Well, you haven’t even glanced at the menu since we sat down. I just assumed you were a regular here.” “Oh! No. I’ve never eaten here before. But I’m a vegetarian. I always just get a salad when I go out to eat. It just makes it easier for everyone.” “OH! Vegetarian?! I know EXACTLY what you should get. I’ll order it for you. I’ve been a regular here since I was little, and once, when I was really craving veggies, they let me make my own dish. I always get it when I’m craving a good veggie fix. I’m a bit of a health nut.” His smile was huge. And no longer nervous. Sunset liked seeing Bulk relax. It put her at ease as well. She could do this. She could open herself and find out about others genuinely, all while finding out about herself. The waiter walked up as Sunset finished her thought. “So are you ready to order?” “Yes! I’ll have the salmon with rice and asparagus. The lady will have…” Bulk stopped and looked over to Sunset. “Do you eat eggs?” “Oh. I don’t often, but I have before.” “Do you want the egg?” Sunset couldn’t help but smile. He was genuinely unsure and asking. And not hiding any of it. “Sure.” “Okay. The lady will have the Veggies in Bulk.” He gave the waiter a wink. The waiter jotted their order down and smiled as he took the menus. “Alright. I’ll get the order put in for you.” Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle. “‘Veggies in Bulk’?” Bulk blushed a deep red. “Well, I thought it was a good name for it…” “Oh, Bulk, I’m not laughing at you. I promise. It’s a cute name. And I’m actually excited to try it. Like I said, I usually just get salads when I go out. And that can get really boring. There used to be a falafel truck that would stop on my street every Friday. I would always get really excited for it. But it hasn’t been by in a few weeks. Maybe it found a better spot. Good for them if they did. It was so good though…” Bulk’s confused face caused Sunset to pause. “Um. Is there something on my face?” “Sorry! No. I just…..What’s falafel?” “Oh. Um…..Let’s see….they soak beans, grind them up, and mix it with onions, garlic, and spices. Then they roll it up into little balls and fry it. It’s so good. You gotta try it sometime. I’ll let you know the name of the truck as soon as I remember it.” “Oooh. Sounds tasty.” “Salmon with rice and asparagus for the gentleman, and the Veggies in Bulk for the lady. Is there anything else I can get for you?” “Oh wow! This looks amazing!” Sunset couldn’t respond. She was totally fixated on her dish. She couldn’t stop staring at the carrots. They were glazed. She had no clue that was a thing here. She hadn’t had glazed carrots since her last meal with Celestia. She wondered how the Princess was doing. Sunset picked up her fork and took one of the carrots off her plate. It smelled so good. She took a bite and literally saw stars. The carrots were cooked all the way through, but not at all mushy. The glaze was just a barely there hint of sweet. Sunset would call it perfection. Sunset was pulled out of her reverie by Bulk. “Those carrots are good, right? The head chef here came up with those. I don’t usually like carrots, but those ones are amazing.” Sunset nodded her agreement, as her mouth was full of the deliciousness. She looked at her plate, wondering what she should try next. There was squash, cabbage, broccoli, snap peas, all on a bed of brown rice. It all looked so good. She grabbed one of the snap peas. “Oh wow. Bulk that was AMAZING! I’m stuffed. I haven’t had food that good...since I moved here. It really reminded me of home.” “Was your mom a good cook? Mine was. I can still remember the house being filled with the smells of her spaghetti. She always made it from scratch.” “That sounds great. My mom…” Sunset trailed off. Thinking about her mom was not something she had been expecting to do. She remembered her mom being so proud of her for being chosen as Princess Celestia’s personal student. She had been looking for somepony for over a year before she chose Sunset. Sunset had worked so hard, her mom, of course, pushing her the whole way. Sunset didn’t actually remember ever eating with her mother. She was only ever allowed to eat once she was too exhausted to continue practicing. Usually her mother was off preparing the next round of tests for her while she sat alone, barely able to lift her hay to her mouth. Always hay. Sometimes with a couple flowers. Sunset suddenly noticed Bulk staring at her. His face was worried. She could swear she saw some tears in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” “You went away. I’ve seen friends do that before. Usually to bad places. Did you go to a bad place?” “You mean me staring off into space? Yeah, sorry. I do that sometimes. I have a rather long complicated history. Especially from before I moved here. Looking at things in hindsight, my history actually explains a lot about why I became….what I became. Not that it’s an excuse, but still it was a logical conclusion.” “Okay. But you’re okay now, right?” She smiled and reached over to pat his hand on the table. “Yeah, Bulk. I’m okay.” His smile grew across his face. Sunset couldn’t help but snicker a little at the goofiness of it. He was such a genuine guy. He would never be able to hide his emotions like she did for so long. They stopped outside of her apartment building. Bulk was starting to look nervous again. He was totally not sure about what he should do. Sunset, again, couldn’t help but smile at him. She touched his arm and looked him straight in the eye. “I had a good time, Bulk. And I’m so glad you took me to that restaurant. I’ll definitely be going back there again. It was delicious.” He smiled and his chest puffed out a bit. “I had a nice time,” she continued, “but I think this is gonna be our only date. Sorry. You’re a great guy and I really hope you meet someone that is perfect for you.” Bulk deflated. His smile got even bigger. Then he started laughing. A laugh so loud and boisterous, that it actually hurt Sunset’s ears. He calmed down a bit and wiped a tear from his eye. “He he. I was gonna say the same thing to you. I was just too nervous to find the words. I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. Actually,” he leaned in closer to Sunset, “I really like Fluttershy. I figured it was a good idea to help her out.” He gave Sunset a wink. Sunset stared at him for a moment. She pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment before speaking. “So, in order to impress a girl you like, you went on a date with another girl?” He nodded. Very impressed with himself. “Um, hate to break it to you, Bulk, but this was probably the stupidest thing you could have done.” Her words cut him down quickly. He slumped over and looked ready to cry. “Really?” “Yeah. Look, if you like a girl, you should just ask her out and see what happens. And you also have to be okay with what she says.” His tears were starting to drop from his eyes. Sunset felt really bad for the guy. “Look, Bulk, I know Fluttershy. She is one of my friends, after all. Just be honest with her. She’ll really appreciate it. But also be prepared for her to run away from you a few times before she actually answers you. She might also just sort of freeze in place. Just be mentally prepared for that, okay?” Bulk Biceps nodded. He was standing a little straighter now. Still a little sad, but with a look of determination as well. “Thanks, Sunset. I’ll do that. Good night. I’ll see you at school.” “G’night, Bulk.” Author's Note Wasn't that nice? I liked it. I'll be posting these up as I finish them, so stay tuned.
MuffinsSunset was surprised when the wall-eyed girl walked up to her at the park. She was wearing a cute navy skirt with a white top. It looked quite good with her skin tone. “Hey, Sunset Shimmer. I'm surprised you agreed to this date. I didn't think you and Flash were talking anymore.” “I'm just tr...wait did you Flash? As in Flash Sentry, Flash?” The girl nodded her head, enthusiastically. Then she stopped and her smile faded “Uh oh. Was this a bad idea? Should I leave?” It was then that Sunset noticed she had her face scrunched up, probably in some weird mix of confusion and anger. “No. I'm sorry. I just didn't think Flash would be setting me up on dates. Probably why he didn't tell me about today, himself. But you know what? We're here so let's go!” Sunset grabbed the girl's hand and led her over to the paddle boats. “Have you ever been on a paddle boat? I used to do this a lot when I first moved here. It was one of the few things that relaxed me. I actually came out here after my first fall formal. I couldn't get the boats because they were locked, but it was still nice to be close to them.” “So pretty…” The odd response prompted Sunset to glance in the girl’s direction. She was staring at a butterfly that was right in front of her face. Her smile was large and infectious. Sunset felt her own smile form as the pure joy this girl felt in this moment passed over between them. As the butterfly flew away, Sunset became very aware of the fact that she was still holding the girl’s hand. It was warm and comfortable. The girl squeezed Sunset’s hand. Sunset looked back to the girl’s smile. It had softened, but now included an internal mirth that could probably only be rivaled by Pinkie Pie. The girl suddenly pulled Sunset toward the boats. “Come on! Lets have some fun.” Sunset considered it a lucky day when she found out that the line for the paddle board was really short. They were usually the most popular attraction at the park. They would need a two-seater. Most of the boats were two-seaters, so that shouldn't be a problem. She paid the rental fee at the window and started looking at the boats. It didn't take her long to find her date already sitting in literally the only Forrest Green boat that the park had. Why Forrest Green? Oh well. At least it wasn’t the pink one. As they started paddling out, the girl next to Sunset was just staring at...everything, as far as she could tell. “So, um, I'm just curious. I'm assuming both your eyes work fine, they just,don't line up. Right?” “Oh yeah. I can look at where I'm going and at you at the same time. Hee hee.” Sunset noticed that she was doing just that. It was actually...kind of awesome. “Is it ever hard? I mean...I can't even imagine it.” “Well I've been like this my whole life. I can't say if its hard or not. It's all I've ever known.” The was nothing in her voice but peace about it. And the peace was taking over both of them. They spent the rest of the boat ride in silence, each of them just enjoying the other’s company. It wasn't until they rounded their last turn that Sunset noticed they didn't have to talk to each other to turn the boat. They were in complete synchronization with each other the whole time along their winding path. This made her smile inwardly. Once out of the boat, they started strolling aimlessly through the park. Everyone there seemed so happy. The children on the playground were all laughing and screaming in delight. Their parents were laughing and talking among themselves. “I guess other people thought this was a good place for a date too, huh?” The girl’s comment caused Sunset to notice it too. All around them were couples. Couples holding hands. Couples sitting in the grass. Couples getting hot dogs. Even a couple that thought they were hiding behind a tree. It was a little gross to see, but Sunset certainly wouldn't mind if she had something like that. “Oh~. A fruit cart! Let's get some.” Sunset again was pulled by the girl. She really didn't mind this. In fact, Sunset could see this girl being her special somep… Sunset stopped herself. Logic flooded her mind, awoken by the realization that she was falling for this girl after only a couple hours. How could this be happening? Sure the girl was nice, but Sunset barely knew her. Plus, just a couple weeks ago, she was essentially not interested in dating at all. Then the thing that would probably hang over every single one of these dates if she ever got serious: she was a pony. Sure she had the same type of body as these people, but her heart and soul were still Equestrian. The girl turned around and smiled at Sunset. She was holding two bags. Both were full of cut up fruit. One looked a little more red than the other. “I didn't know if you liked spicy or not so I got one with chili and one without.” “Um...I don't know either.” Sunset reached for the red bag. It was delicious. Sunset had walked the girl home. She actually lived really close to the park. “I had a really nice time. And I think you did too. Wanna try this again next week?” The girl threw her arms around Sunset's neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I would love to go out with you again, Sunset Shimmer.” Her cheeks were beginning to blush. Sunset could feel her own neck starting to warm up. She was excited. She hadn't actually been excited for anything in a long time. Author's Note Suggested by a friend and I had to do it. The idea was too cute. Also thank to that same friend (BronyDude777) for proofreading this chapter for me. I'm trying to release something every week. So next week we'll either see what Sunset does with her new friend or I'll have something entirely new posted up. I've got a couple other stories that I'm actively writing, so we'll see what happens.
Muffins 2“Already? I wasn't expectin’ that. Good for you, Sunset.” “Aw. I had someone awesome-tastic-mazing picked out for you, Sunset. Oh well. I'm just happy that you're happy.” “It's just a second date, guys. It's not that big of a deal.” “It's a very big deal, Sunset. In practically no time at all you've gone from having no interest in anyone to gushing about a second date. I've never been more proud to have you as my friend.” “Come on, Rarity. I wasn't gushing.” “Rosy cheeks, tense body stance, eyes as wide as they go, slightly higher volume than normal…..what were we talking about?” “A~nyways, Rarity’s right, Sunset. You were TOTALLY gushing. And I'm happy for you too. I mean, you wanted something and went for it. And it looks like you got it. And you didn't even have to….you know.” All the girls stopped talking and stared at Rainbow Dash. “What? Isn't that a GOOD thing?” Sunset walked up the porch and knocked on the door. She was actually nervous. There wasn’t a logical reason why. They’d already had one date that went really well. She had said yes to this one. So what was the deal? The door opened and there she was. A simple green dress was draped over one shoulder. Her hair, up in an equally simple bun. Her hazel eyes were enhanced to perfection with just a touch of green eye shadow. Her lips, glossed, were plump and supple. Definitely kissable. “Did I over dress?” The girl's question snapped Sunset out of her thoughts. Once back to reality, she realized the implication. Her date, while not fancy, was indeed dressed up. Sunset, in the other hand, was wearing pretty much what she wore on their last date: skirt, a nice magenta blouse, and her leather jacket. She didn't do anything special to her hair or even bother with makeup. “I did say dinner, didn't I?” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck and gave the girl a sheepish grin. “I don't know why I didn't bother dressing up.” Suddenly the girl's eyes lit up. “Oooh! Let me do your makeup and hair really quick! It'll be fun!” How could Sunset say no to that amazing smile? About 15 minutes later they finally left the girl's house. The girl couldn't actually do much with Sunset's hair so it stayed as it was. But Sunset now had some nice makeup. A little bit of eyeliner to give her a bit of cat eye. A strange red-brown eye shadow that worked amazingly with her skin and matched her shirt. And finally, a touch of lip gloss, just like her date. Since the evening wasn't chilly, Sunset also decided to leave her jacket at the girl's house. Just taking it off made her outfit look so much better, she realized. As they were walking down the road, they found each other's hands once more. Sunset could really get used to this. The girl's soft skin against her own. Her warmth radiating into Sunset. They were going to get dinner at the place Bulk Biceps had taken her to. For this being a big city, everything seemed to be really close together. Sunset really wanted that veggie dish again. She looked over at the girl holding her hand. She was smiling and just enjoying the scenery, seemingly content with walking in silence. Sunset didn't mind walking in silence either. It was a really nice evening. Cool and crisp. But not cold. The lights of the city were beginning to turn on. Sunset saw the sun tucking itself down beyond the horizon. It was something she still couldn't completely wrap her head around. She could accept it, but she couldn't understand it. Back in Equestria, the sun could only be raised by Princess Celestia. Sunset had studied how the sun moved when she first got here. She thought it might be a key to power. She learned so much information about space and the universe and astrophysics, she could probably get her doctorate. But she never found a source. Every time she found an answer for one thing, two more questions popped up in its place. A squeeze of her hand brought Sunset back to reality. “Is this the place?” Sunset looked at the sign. She realized that she didn't remember the name of the restaurant. She looked around. She knew where she was. She could get herself home really easily. Sunset looked in the window of the restaurant. It looked like the same place. “Yeah I'm pretty sure this is the place. I've only been here once, though, so there's a chance I'm wrong.” The girl smiled. “Well I'm hungry so let's go in. It's kind of busy so I'm sure it's good at least.” Sunset couldn't argue with that logic. The place looked full, but it wasn't slammed, so they should be able to get a seat pretty quick. The two girls went in and waited for a table. As expected, it wasn't a long wait for them to get their seats. The waiter came to get their drink orders: just a couple sodas. “This is the restaurant that serves the Veggies in Bulk, right? It's an off menu item.” “Let me check on that. I'll be right back.” The waiter left and was as in out of sight. “What's ‘Veggies in Bulk’?” “Oh I'm a vegetarian. Usually I just get salads when I go out to eat, but a date brought me here once and introduced me to Veggies in Bulk. It was so amazing. The best food I've had since I moved here.” “A date?” Confusion filled the girl’s hazel eyes. Sunset was about to explain when her eyes lit up again. “OH! Yeah! Okay. Of course you’ve been on other dates. You’re amazing. I’m sure you have lots of people that want to go on dates with you.” Her smile was even bigger. Somehow. The waiter came back an assured her that they did, indeed, serve Veggies in Bulk. The girl ordered steak with the baked potato and broccoli. As the waiter left, Sunset waited for a reaction. People always had a reaction when they ordered meat after finding out she was a vegetarian. The girl just sat there and smiled at Sunset. “You know, I really like this place. It’s shiny~.” Sunset blinked. She started looking around. It was shiny. She hadn’t noticed it before. There was a lot of polished chrome. Napkin dispensers, lamp shades, bars along the backs of booths...all polished and catching the light. She noticed a busser cleaning up a table. As he finished, he buffed the bars on the backs of the benches. They must have actual chrome bars. If they were plated, buffing it like that all the time would just remove the chrome. That couldn’t have been cheap. Why would a simple diner restaurant like this put that much money into something that didn’t matter much? Sunset just shrugged to herself. She wasn’t going to let it bother her. “Is there something wrong, Sunset?” “What? No. I'm just thinking...random thoughts.” “Psh. I do that all the time. What are your thoughts?” “Well, you mentioned how shiny this place is and I'm thinking it might be too shiny for its own good.” “Why's that?” “Well, it looks like everything is made of chrome. And if that's the case, then it would've been pretty expensive to decorate the way they did. Too expensive for just a diner like this to have done. I dunno, though. Bulk Biceps said that he's been coming here since he was just a little kid. Maybe they're in a better spot than I know.” “Well I like it. I'll definitely be coming back.” The girl smiled that same smile of joy that Sunset was coming to love. It seemed to contain the same levels of happy that Pinkie Pie had, yet at the same time, it had all the restraint and poise of Rarity. Their food was served and everything looked amazing. Sunset was even tempted to try her date’s steak. There wasn't much conversation while they ate. None, really. There were a few soft moans and grunts of pleasure. Occasionally an utterance of “this is so good”. It was as if neither girl had eaten in days. Truth be told, Sunset hadn't eaten anything all day. The last thing she had eaten was a granola bar the day before. Sunset was the first to speak when they were both done eating. “That was so good. I almost want to order another one.” “Me too. It was yummy.” Sunset looked at the girl across the table for a moment. “Let’s get outta here. I feel like walking.” “Okay!” The girl started scooting out of the booth but stopped right before she stood up. “Wait. We need to pay.” Sunset chuckled, “Yes. Yes we do.” _______________________________________________________ The night was beautiful. The moon was full and bright. The two girls walked hand in hand down the street. It was such an automatic gesture at this point. They walked and talked for a few minutes and ended up at the park. It was empty, but Sunset had been there many nights before and led the girl in. “Okay. We just need to watch out for cops. Sometimes they come by and kick people out.” “We’re not supposed to be here?” “Technically, no. But we’re just walking and talking. No biggie.” Sunset gave a reassuring smile. “You’ve done this before?” “Yeah. I used to come here all the time. Literally. All times of day and night. It was the closest thing that reminded me of home. I used to live in a city that was surrounded by nature. Forrests and rivers. Mountains and valleys.” “Sounds nice.” “It was. I would always take a walk through the woods whenever I could. It was just nice to get away for a bit and be by myself. It would allow my mind to think through what I had learned, what I had been through. It always helped me deal with things. And, in hindsight, when I stopped going for my walks was when I got myself in trouble.” “What kind of trouble did you get in?” Sunset froze. She wasn’t ready to get into this. Her logic told her that her date had probably seen enough weirdness here for her to accept the truth of Sunset’s origins. Her pony origins. “Was that a bad question?” “Huh? No! No. It wasn’t a bad question. It was a really good question, actually. I’m just...not ready to talk about it.” Sunset looked at the girl. She was expecting something in her face. Something indicating that she felt betrayed. Or hurt. Or...anything than what she actually saw. The girl was just smiling at her. “Okay!” The girl leaned in and gave Sunset a tight hug. When she released, she looked Sunset in the eye and said, “You’ll be ready when you’re ready.” Sunset didn’t know how to process it. She just stared at the girl. Her cheek started to get cold. The girl reached out and wiped her cheek. Sunset had started crying. But...she was happy. Happier than she could really remember being. She reached out to the girl and pulled her close. Her lips were softer than she was expecting. Sunset felt the girl wrap her arms around her neck and pull herself into the kiss. It wasn’t electric. It was warm. And a little sloppy. Just a little. It wasn’t what Sunset was expecting, but it could possibly be labeled as better. _______________________________________________________ When they were back in front of the girl’s house, they lingered together a bit. Neither wanted the night to end. But it was late and the girl did need to get back in, with her family. Sunset didn’t want her parents to think that she was a bad influence for their daughter. “Tonight was great” the girl said. “I can’t wait to go out with you again.” “Yeah. Me neither. Let’s go out tomorrow afternoon. I’ll have to come back by to pick up my jacket anyway.” The girl gasped. “I forgot about it. I could get it for you really quick.” “Nah. I’m fine. It’s not cold, plus the walk to my place really isn’t that far. Go on. I’ll see you tomorrow.” The girl leaned in and gave Sunset one more kiss. “Good night, Sunset Shimmer.” Sunset couldn’t keep the smirk off her face as she watched the girl walk into her house. Author's Note This one was hard for me to write. I kept getting distracted. Plus I had MAJOR writer's block. But I figure only being late by a day isn't so bad. :D
Sunset ShimmerThe girls had been really supportive during the week at school. Sunset was hurt but they really helped her work through it. She had even spent a couple nights with Rarity when she was particularly down. It was a good thing that she wasn't alone on those nights. On the weekend, though, she was definitely needing alone time. Pinkie wanted her to come over for baking and a movie. Sunset declined. Applejack invited her to a family dinner. Sunset said no thanks. She avoided the shopping spree with Rarity and the nature walk with Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash was the only one that hadn't tried to get her to do anything. Sunset wondered what she was doing. She pondered to herself all the possible things Rainbow Dash could be doing while she made her coffee. There weren't any games this weekend. Rainbow Dash would've been sure to make sure everyone knew. Were there any new movies she might go see? No. Rainbow wasn't big on movies. She'd sit and watch when the whole gang was together, but Sunset always noticed that Rainbow would get antsy. She wouldn't see a movie on her own. Unless she wasn't on her own. She could've gone with her teammates. After all, Rainbow Dash did have more than one group of friends. Sunset sat in her window seat with her coffee and toast. Her mind emptied as she chewed and looked out her window. But it didn't stay empty for long. The girl popped into Sunset's head as she finished her toast. Her yellow hair. Her goofy smile. Her gorgeous eyes. And her soft lips. “Nope!” Sunset stood up and downed her coffee. It was hot. Thankfully not hot enough to seriously injure her, but definitely hot enough to make her focus on the here and now. “Ow.” Sunset put her mug in the sink and turned off her coffee pot. She got dressed and headed for her parking structure. She was gonna take herself out. She started up her bike and sped out of her structure. She didn't care about tickets today. She drove by her gut. If her gut told her to turn left, she turned left. If it told her to slow down, she slowed down. It it told her to speed through an intersection, she sped through an intersection. Sunset thought doing this was a great idea. She’d end up somewhere random. New. It would be perfect. Perfect, she thought, until she ended up at the park. Why was she at the park? Why was she pulling into the parking lot of the park? Why was she parking? Why did she bring her guitar? Sunset was torn. There was a part of her that wanted to avoid this place. But there was also a part of her that knew better. She shouldn't let one bad experience keep her from enjoying a place that brought her so much happiness in the past. And with that thought, Sunset got off her bike, grabbed her guitar, and took a spot on a bench under the shade of a tall oak. She hadn't been very big on music back in Equestria. Princess Celestia always sent her tickets to concerts of all sorts, but she never went. Sunset figured her time would be wasted doing such things. But when she came to this world, she lost everything. She lost her magic. She had no idea how to get by in this world. But her new body gave her clues. She didn’t have magic, but she could see how people used their hands. They used their hands for everything. She decided she would have to master this new appendage if she was going to take over this world. And, of course, that decision lead to her learning to play guitar. And not only did she learn guitar, she learned it with both hands. It seemed so logical at the time. The practice DID help her survive in this world, though. After “borrowing” her first guitar, she was able to panhandle for money as a street performer. She made sure to never do it for too long in any one area. She also made sure not to do it too close to the portal, as she would need to make the school that stood there her base of operations. The memories started to make Sunset a little sad. Not sad that she had to work so hard, but sad that her goals had been so...pointless. Before she could dive into her misery, she noticed that a little girl had wondered up to her. The girl had a big smile on her face. “Mommy, Mommy! Come here!” As the girl’s mother approached, the girl started to look sad. “Don’t stop playing, lady. Please.” Sunset then realized that she had been strumming mindlessly while she was lost in her thoughts, and only stopped when the girl had approached her. “Ivory. Ivory Spark! Don’t bug that girl. She just wants to relax.” Sunset chuckled. “It’s okay, ma’am. She’s not bothering me. In fact, I was just about to play her a song.” “See mommy? She’s nice. And she makes good music.” The mother looked at Sunset, “Well, if you don’t mind. We are here to have a relaxing day.” Sunset started playing as they sat on the bench next to her. They were both really enjoying Sunset’s happy tune. Author's Note I got this done and posted it straight up. It's basically a rough draft. Let me know if you find things that need fixing and I'll get them fixed :D
Limestone PieIt had been a few weeks from the afternoon Sunset came home numb. All her friends were hanging out in her apartment for once. It was a rare treat for her. Though it might become more common now that Fluttershy and Rarity both got their licenses. They were all gathered on her couch and floor in the living room. They had been talking about various life things: hobbies, grades, teachers, parents. Eventually they landed on boys. Rarity, as always, had someone to gush about. Though she never made any moves. She insisted that the boy approach her for anything. Sunset just always assumed Rarity just wasn’t that interested. Rarity wasn’t one to let something she actually wanted pass her by. Applejack always had the same thing to say; she was too busy on her farm to be interested in anyone. Fluttershy...never said anything. She would always just hide behind her hair until the topic passed. Sunset would have to give her a little nudge some time so that the whole group would know about her. Rainbow Dash mentioned something about having to spend nearly all her time either practicing or having to meet with her tutor. Sunset thought she saw the slightest hint of a blush appear before she got up and went to the bathroom. She wasn’t going to push her on it. Rainbow, being a slight hothead, might just blow up at it being mentioned. Sunset couldn’t help but smile to herself. Pinkie Pie wouldn’t stop staring at Sunset the entire time. Sunset had noticed it nearly right away, but chose not to acknowledge it. At least not until she had to. When prompted, Pinkie nearly burst, “I’ve been waiting for Sunset to be ready to go on a date with my sister!” All the girls just stared at Pinkie for a few seconds. Just long enough for Pinkie to start blushing. Finally, Sunset spoke up, “Alright, Pinkie Pie. I think I’m ready. I’ll go on a date with your sister,” she pointed a stern finger at Pinkie, “But no being weird if it doesn’t work out.” “OHMIGOSHOHMIGOSHOHMIGOSH!” Pinkie couldn’t stop jumping up and down. “Um, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash had returned, “Isn’t Maud in college? As in, a little too old?” Sunset shrugged, “She’s only about a year older. That’s not too bad.” Pinkie Pie started giggling. And she continued giggling. The girls all looked at each other a little confused. “What’s so funny, Pinkie Pie?” Applejack didn’t sound amused at all. Pinkie wiped a tear from her eye, “Maud is great, but she has a boyfriend. BUU~UT my sister Limestone is amazing too! You two will have a great time together.” “You're late.” Sunset blinked. She checked her phone. She was late. By one minute. Sunset gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry.” “I'm here for three reasons: one, I love my sister. Two, she covered my shifts at the Rock Farm all week. Three, she set this whole thing up,” Limestone gestured around the lavish restaurant, “She's even paying for our bill.” “It was awfully nice of Pinkie Pie to do this for us.” Sunset looked around. It was the nicest restaurant in town. It had at least four giant chandeliers. Clear crystals filled with white light. Pure white tablecloths stood in stark contrast to the black velvet chairs. Bright silverware glistened in the light. Then a thought occurred to Sunset. “Wait, what's a rock farm?” Limestone stared at her for a moment. She looked as if she was about to get up and leave the table. Finally, Limestone let out a long sigh. “The Rock Farm is our family business. We grow and sell custom crystals.” Sunset couldn't hide her look of confusion. “Is that a thing? I haven't heard of that before.” “It's a proprietary technology developed by our sister, Maud.” Limestone cracked a smile. “We've only been in business a couple years and already all of our college educations are paid for.” “Wow.” Sunset was a little too shocked to think of much else to say. Thankfully the waiter showed up to take their orders. Why did they always show up right when she needed them to? “So,” Limestone started after handing her menu to the waiter “Pinkie told me you've been going on dates with a bunch of different people over the past couple months. One of them was even a little serious. Why the sudden urge to go out with me?” Again, Sunset was at a loss. Clearly, Pinkie had told Limestone about Her. This stirred up no small amount of emotion in Sunset's chest. Why would Pinkie share all of that with a person she was setting Sunset up with? “Don't be mad at Pinkie Pie.” This caused Sunset to pause and meet Limestone’s eyes. “Pinkie Pie has a LONG history of oversharing information. But oddly, it all works out in the end. Personally, I think it makes you interesting. Going on a bunch of random dates to figure yourself out is a little weird to me, but hey, at least you're trying.” Limestone lifted her water glass. “Here's to trying to figure this stuff out.” “To figuring it out.” Sunset let out a small giggle and clinked her glass with Limestone's. After a relaxed meal full of friendly conversation, Sunset and Limestone walked out to see a limousine waiting for them. At least they assumed. The driver was standing there with a sign that said “Limeset Sunstone”. Sunset turned to Limestone with a giggle. “Come on, Limeset.” Limestone gave her a glare. “No. We are NOT doing that.” She walked up to the driver, snatched the sign away, and ripped it up. “I don't do cute like that. Its...UGH.” Limestone climbed into the limo. Sunset apologized to the driver and climbed in behind her. They sat in tense silence as the driver started driving off. After a few minutes, Sunset spoke up. “So, no cute stuff. Check. What else she we avoid for the rest of the evening?” Limestone sighed. “It's not that I don't like cute things. I just don't like THOSE kind of cute things. The...lovey dovey cute things.” “I usually think they're kind of funny, but alright. No more cutesy lovey dovey stuff. I'm sure Pinkie Pie just added that because she was so excited.” “That's true. My baby sister. You can't help but love her. And her annoying enthusiasm.” Limestone smiled when she said that. It wasn't a snarky smile and it wasn't forced smile. It was genuine. And seeing it pulled Sunset’s entire being into that moment. Unfortunately, the moment was ruined by the driver making an announcement on the intercom. The limo ride came with a bottle of chilled wine. “Nice.” Limestone quickly found the bottle and the glasses. After inspecting the bottle, Sunset barely heard her mutter, “hmm, Pinkie really did her research.” “Um...are you sure we should drink?” Sunset's hesitation only earned a glare from Limestone. After a second, her expression softened. “Look. It's one bottle that we're gonna share. It's really not a lot at all. Sure we'll get a little tipsy, but that's kind of the point. To chill out and relax.” Limestone opened the bottle and poured two glasses. As she handed one to Sunset, Sunset said, “I've never had wine before.” “Well, this is a good first wine to try. It's a nice red blend that's just a hint of sweet. It’s from my favorite vineyard. And it's the perfect wine for just sitting and relaxing. Which is exactly what We're doing. What should we drink to?” “Um...to Pinkie Pie. For setting up this amazing night.” “Eh. Sure. To Pinkie Pie.” They clinked their glasses and took a sip. The flavors danced across Sunsets tongue and twirled down her throat. “Oh wow. This is good.” Limestone smirked. “Told ya. It's a really good wine.” The driver announced that their time was almost up and that they needed to decide on a destination. Their time in the limo had been spent talking and drinking. They'd actually found a second bottle of wine and were almost done with it. Well, Limestone was almost done with it. Sunset had to be cut off after her third glass. Limestone pressed the intercom button and told the driver to just go to her house. After giving him the address, she turned to Sunset and smiled. “Hey lightweight. We're headed to my place. Try not to barf on my rug.” Sunset tried to focus on Limestone's eyes. It was really hard with everything moving around so much, so she settled with looking in her general direction. “I'm not gonna be sick. I feel totally fine.” “Really? You can't even sit straight.” Limestone gestured towards Sunset's rather slumped posture. Sunset responded by sitting up straight in her seat and folding her hands in her lap. “See? I'm not too drunk.” As soon as the words left her lips, the limo took a long, wide turn causing her to lose her balance and topple over, landing face first into Limestone's chest. Sunset popped her head up right away. “Oops. Sorry about that.” Limestone's face was beet red. A vast difference from her usual grey. Oddly, Limestone didn't seem upset by the incident. But before the topic could be discussed, the limo stopped in front of the house. Sunset's head was pretty clear now. She had taken a shower in Limestone's apartment and gotten a chance to sit and collect herself while Limestone took her own shower. As Limestone came out of the bathroom, Sunset couldn't help but admire her body. Even though it was covered by her robe, Sunset could still see her strong legs and sense her toned torso. “What're you staring at?” Limestone's question tore Sunset out of her thoughts. “Oh I'm just thinking about our night that we just had. And how amazing it was.” Sunset got up and wrapped her arms around Limestone's neck, causing her to freeze in the middle of drying her hair. “It doesn't have to end here, you know.” Sunset gave Limestone a small peck on her neck, causing a small twitch through the girl’s body. Limestone pushed Sunset back. “Why did you agree to go on a date with me? You never answered me at the restaurant.” Sunset was shocked. She thought they had been having a good time. She turned and say back down on the bed. “I was actually thinking about that while you were in the shower. I started these dates as a way to find myself, so to speak. But now, I figure I'll just have fun with them and see what happens. I like you, Limestone. I had a lot of fun tonight and, honestly, I'd like the fun to continue. And then, we'll see how we feel in the morning.” Limestone closed the gap between them and kissed Sunset. And she found out just how toned Limestone's torso was. Author's Note This one took me a long time to get together. I think I like how Limestone turned out. But, as always, constructive criticism is welcome.
SandalwoodSunset ducked out of the way as the book sailed toward her head. “GET OUT!” Limestone was screaming at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking with the strain. Sunset made it out of the room and closed the door just as another book slammed against it. At least she had her underwear on. “Aaand that’s why I’m wearing Pinkie’s clothes today.” Pinkie Pie nodded her head sagely as Sunset finished her story. The others just stared at her, eyes as wide as saucers. Applejack was the first to break the silence, “Lemme get this straight: You guys had a nice time, you even, ahem, had a nice night, and then you guys fell asleep together all peaceful-like. Then in the morning she just went crazy and threw you naked out of her room?” “Yeah, it was so weird. Pinkie couldn’t explain it either.” Pinkie Pie finished off her second cupcake and solemnly shook her head. “Well, now what? I’m tapped out with suggestions.” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms in a huff. “O-Ho Rainbow Dash, we don’t need to have a new date for Sunset every week. She can have some time off from this journey of hers.” The group nodded at Rarity’s wisdom. All except Pinkie Pie. Without changing her expression, she let the group know that there was a fair at the school and that there was a boy there that wanted to go out with Sunset. Sunset had a blank expression for just a moment, “Well, I’m game. When’s the fair?” With a glint in her eye and a smirk on her lips, Pinkie replied, “Right now.” Sunset didn't know what to expect. She barely knew this guy she was going to meet. What was his name again? Sandalwood? Something like that. All she knew was that Pinkie set her up, and she needed to look for green dreadlocks. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Well, it was harder than she might have expected. She got to the location and EVERYONE had either green hair, or a green hat. What was with that? It was a little strange to her. The location, a small craft fair looking thing, also smelled slightly. She couldn't quite place the smell. It wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it was making her a little light-headed. But she pushed on anyway. She was determined to get through this date. She had to. After that last one nearly broke her again. She wasn't going to let herself be broken like that though. She'd had enough of that. She was going to get through this if it was the last thing she did. Finally, she found him. Maybe. He was slightly taller than her and had green dreadlocks. He was playing hacky sack with someone. She walked up and introduced herself. "Hey. Are you Sandalwood? I'm Sunset Shimmer. Pinkie Pie set us up." "Oh yeah! I was having so much fun with my bud here that I totally forgot!" Sunset did a mental facepalm. This was sure to be a memorable experience, at least. Sandalwood said goodbye to his friend and walked off with Sunset. Sandalwood jumped right into conversation. "So, Pinkie tells me you're on a quest to find your soul mate." Sunset did an actual facepalm in response. "That's...a very simplistic way of looking at it. Yes, I am interested in finding someone that I'm compatible with, but I wouldn't exactly label it as a quest to find my soul mate. It's actually more of me discovering bits and pieces of myself as I'm interacting with new people." Sandalwood stopped and stared at Sunset for a few seconds. Sunset was completely unable to read his expression. Right when Sunset was starting to feel awkward, he finally spoke. "That is the deepest thing I've ever heard anyone say about self discovery. It's possibly the deepest thing I've ever heard. You're completely right. The only mirror of our true selves is other people." Sunset had no response for that. But she knew that, at the very least, she might be able to have interesting conversations with this Sandalwood guy. And she wasn’t wrong. They walked through the fair and Sandalwood pointed out each and every stall, explaining what club set it up and what they were doing. There was the Recycling Club selling art they made from reused items. There was the Gardening Club selling fruits and vegetables that they had canned from their own garden. The Communications Club ran the Information Booth. Fitness Club was giving demonstrations and handing out information. Sandalwood pointed out the Canterlot Leaders in their club shirts, helping people with various things around the fair. There was a Community Outreach tent where you could sign up for various projects. Photography, Cooking, Sewing, Art, Woodshop, even the Band had a booth to promote themselves. Sunset knew all these clubs existed, but had never given them much attention. Then Sunset noticed a booth off in a corner. No one was around it and there was only one person sitting at it. Nurse Redheart. "I guess it’s good they have a first aid booth." Sandlwood noticed where she was looking. “Oh yeah, Probably the most important booth here, but sadly, it’s always the one that gets the least traffic. That’s our Mental Health booth. It’s not a club, but we want to make sure we make the resources available for students that need it.” “Mental Health?” “Yeah. You wouldn’t believe how many students here need a lot of help with that. Well, maybe you would.” Sunset gave Sandalwood an inquisitive look. “Well, I just figured, you know, with your past, you might need a little help sometimes too.” This stirred up strong emotions for Sunset. But her brain kicked in before she blurted anything out. Sandalwood was probably right. “Do you mind if….I go talk to Nurse Redheart for a bit?” “No Way! Go ahead. I’ll be here with my hackie sac.” He pulled it out of his pocket and smiled at Sunset. “Thanks.” Sunset Shimmer walked over to Nurse Redheart. She was nervous. She didn’t know what to do when she got there. She didn’t know what to say. Hell, she didn’t even know why she was going. She just felt the need. “Hello there.” Nurse Redheart’s voice was sweet and welcoming. “Um…Hi.” Sunset just stood there rubbing her arm, not sure what to say next. “Would you like to sit for a bit?” Nurse Redheart gestured to a chair across from her. “No. Thank you. Um…I was just thinking…maybe…I might need some help?” The smile that came to Nurse Redheart’s face was small, but sincere. “That’s why we’re here. Would you like to make an appointment to talk with someone?” “Yes. Please. I think it could be helpful.” “Alright, let’s see what we have available.” Nurse Redheart opened up her laptop and began looking through the calendar. Sunset glanced over to Sandalwood just in time to see him drop his hackie sack. He noticed her and waved back. He was such a friendly guy. “Looks like you have plenty of choices.” Nurse Redheart's voice snapped her back to what she was doing. “We don’t actually get many students seeking this kind of help, so there are plenty of appointments open for you to choose from.” She showed Sunset the empty calendar. “Oh. Okay. I guess let’s do Monday morning at 9am. I’m doing fine in Mr. Doodle’s class.” “Okay, just fill out the form here on the computer.” Nurse Readheart turned the computer around for Sunset to fill out the form. Her basic information was all that was needed. “Okay. You’re all set, Miss Shimmer. See you Monday.” “Thank you.” Sunset started walking back toward Sandalwood. She felt nervous. Like, butterflies and jitters, nervous. She couldn't explain why, either. "Yo, Sunset!" Sandalwood's excited tone brought her back to the present. She needed to practice being in the moment. “Hey, Sandalwood. Sorry I took so long.” “Don’t worry about it. I know those things take time. Talking about it and filling out the forms, all that stuff. On to the next thing. What do you wanna do?” “Um…I am hungry. I feel like I haven’t eaten in ages.” “OOH! There’s this awesome booth selling croquettes. I know the cook. She’s the best cook I know.” Sandalwood leaned in closer to Sunset and whispered, “Don’t tell my mom.” Sunset chuckled at Sandalwood’s comment. “Sounds good to me. And don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” They walked over to the booth, where a girl with bouncy purple hair was laughing and chatting. She glanced over to Sandalwood and Sunset as they approached. “Hello! Welcome to Croquette Corner, where I can take just about anything you want and fry it up to delicious perfection.” “Ha, she’s not kidding either, Sunset.” Sandalwood gave her a slight nudge on the shoulder. “Go ahead and pick something. I’ll wait until you’re ready.” “Um…okay.” Sunset glanced at the menu. There were so many choices. And she felt her body give an inner whinny when she noticed the food was all vegetarian. “I think I’ll go with the Carrot.” “Ooooh.” The cook glanced over at Sandalwood. “I like her. She knows what’s good in a croquette.” “Stop teasin’ her, Sugar Belle.” “I’m not teasing. She genuinely has good taste. So many people skip over the Carrot for all the other ‘fancy’ ones, but simplicity is often the key to flavor.” “Okay okay. You’re probably right. That’s why I always order-“ “Plain Jane! I know. Now let me get to work. I’ll have them done in no time.” Sunset looked up to Sandalwood. “Plain Jane?” “Oh, yeah. It’s just a plain potato croquette. Sugar Belle doesn’t even bother putting it on the menu because people don’t even ask about it anymore. I guess people think it's boring.” “Plain potato, huh?” Sunset glanced back up at the menu. It was indeed missing. “I kind of figured you go for the kale, or something.” “Yeah, a lot of people assume that about me. I actually don’t like kale. I’ll eat it if someone puts it on my plate, but I never go out of my way to choose it.” “Same here. I may be a vegetarian, but kale always got to me. My whole life. I never understood the hype.” “I didn’t know you were a vegetarian, Sunset. That’s cool. I’m still trying to make my way there.” “You’re not? Wow. Really? Mister ‘One with the Earth’?” “Oh, that stings a little." He chuckled, "Yeah, I like to try and unite with nature, but at the same time, my dad is a meat and potatoes cowboy. It’s how I grew up and it’s really hard to stop eating meat. I don’t eat a lot, and I make sure to get the meat my family eats from ethical farms, but I still feel bad for it every time.” Sunset considered Sandalwood’s words. Considering his species’ omnivorous nature, she didn’t see any problems with him eating meat. Sugar Belle called them to pick up their order before she could formulate a reply. They took their trays to a table and sat down. Sunset noticed that Sandalwood was deflated from their little talk. She reached over, grabbed his hand, and looked him straight in the eyes. “You are an omnivore. You eat everything. And that’s okay. I know that there are some farms that don’t treat animals the best, but you also don’t feed into that because you shop from the ethical farms. You are not part of the problem. You are not hurting the earth.” “But…” “No buts. Sandalwood, compare your life to mine. Have you ever tormented people in a play for power? No. Have you ever turned into a literal demon and destroyed a building? No. You are literally the nicest person I have ever met. Well, maybe tied with Fluttershy, but STILL. There’s nothing there to condemn. So smile. And eat your croquettes before they get cold.” Sandalwood did smile. He then took a bite of his croquette and let his smile spread across his face. “Man. These are good. Eat yours too, Sunset. Oh man.” He shoved the rest of the croquette in his mouth. Sunset picked up her croquette and savored its aroma. She could smell the carrots amidst the oil and bread. It smelled wonderful. She took a bite and was instantly brought back to the beginning of her journey. She remembered the Veggies in Bulk and how delicious they were. She remembered the good and the bad. She felt completely at peace with her journey. “Dang, Sunset. They’re good, but I dunno if I enjoy them as much as you.” Sunset opened her eyes, still floating on the flavor. “These are AMAZING. And they’re making me remember everything I’ve been through in the past year. It’s been a lot, but I think I’m coming out of it better than when I started.” “Huh. That’s a lot of introspection coming from one bit of Carrot Croquette.” “Haha, yeah. I guess I just have a lot on my mind. I really have been through a lot and it’s weird to sit back and actually look at where I came from.” Sandalwood nodded solemnly. “I know about that. I used to be so short.” Sunset laughed at that. Sandalwood quickly joined in. After eating, they got up and started walking through the fair again. Chatting about anything that came up. Admiring what the various clubs had put together. They even tried their hand at the pumpkin toss. Sunset was barely able to lift hers. Sandalwood did much better with a decent eight and a half foot toss. But everyone knew they had no chance of winning when Big Mac stepped up. It was worth the disappointment, though, to see him smash his previous record with a 25-foot toss. The whole field exploded with cheers at that. It was a good time. And that, as Sunset found out, was the final event of the evening. As the cheering subsided, she noticed that people made their way to their booths to start breaking them down. Sunset found herself at peace with the evening she had with Sandalwood. She was relaxed and ready to see what her new friend wanted to do next. Sunset facepalmed. “What’s wrong, Sunset? Are you okay?” Sandalwood’s words sent a twinge of guilt down her spine. “I…just realized something.” “What’s that? Did you forget that you have to work on a big school project or something?” “No, I just…” Sunset took a deep breath, “Look, I had a great time tonight. Honestly, it was pretty amazing. But I think I realized that I can only be your friend, Sandalwood. I can’t really go beyond that.” “OH! Is that all? Heh” his amused look confused Sunset slightly. “I figured that out when we were eating the croquettes. I thought you were just being nice, and finishing up the evening.” “How did you know?” “I dunno. Just your vibes, I guess. Don’t worry about it. You had fun. I had fun. No hard feelings here.” His smile put Sunset at complete ease. Sunset smiled back. Her ringing phone grabbed their attention. “Oh hey, it’s my friend. Hang on.” She put the phone to her ear. “Hey Rarity, what’s up?…Oh, yeah we had fun…I could eat. Let me see if he wants to come with me.” Sandalwood politely waved No to the invitation. “Oh he can’t come…okay I’ll see you guys soon…bye.” She put her phone away and looked up to Sandalwood. “Are you sure you don’t want to come for some food? My treat.” “Oh no, I’m fine, Sunset. Let me walk you to your car.” “I actually don’t have a car.” “Really? How’d you get here?” “I have a motorcycle.” “What?! Really? That’s cool.” “Haha I don’t know about that. It’s just transportation. I regret not getting a car sometimes.” “But you can squeeze through traffic really easy. And you get way better gas mileage. It’s better for the environment.” “Well, all of those things are true.” They got to the edge of the parking lot and Sunset’s bike. “Man, I can’t believe I never saw this thing before.” “Well, I usually just walk to school. I just felt like…riding.” “I get it. I probably would too. Alright, Sunset, go have fun with your friends. I’ll see you Monday.” Sunset gave Sandalwood a quick hug. “Thanks for having me join you. I had a lot of fun.” Sunset hopped on her bike and got it started. It was a little loud. She put on her helmet and gave Sandalwood a final wave. He waved back and watched as she rode out of the parking lot. It was a good night with a new friend. Sunset was happy that her life was feeling on track. And she was looking forward to having a late dinner with her friends. Author's Note I”m glad I finally got around to finishing this up. I think I always intended an ending like this. I hope you guys enjoyed the journey. I know there was a super long hiatus, but thank you for finishing.
Muffins 3Sunset woke up to a text from Rarity. I can't wait to talk to you at school Monday. Sunset sat up in bed and stretched. As she was yawning, her phone chimed again. Of course, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to talk now. ;) Sunset rolled her eyes and chuckled. She began typing. I'm heading over to her place this afternoon. I left my jacket there last night and I figured we'd grab lunch. oooh. Three dates in two weekends. Sounds like its going good! I'd say so. We ended our night...nicely last night. :) A lady doesn't kiss and tell, darling. ;) EEEEEE ______________________________ Sunset started toward the girl’s house around noon. She decided to take her bike; she figured it would be fun to go riding together. The girl stepped out of her house as Sunset pulled up. She was gripping Sunset’s jacket, wringing it as if it were a wet towel. Sunset pulled off her helmet and flashed the girl a smile. “Hey, you. I figured we could go for a ride.” “Hey,” The girl apprehensively approached Sunset. “So, I was thinking last night,” She was talking a bit slower than usual, as well. “And I was thinking...I’m not ready for this. You’re amazing, Sunset, and I want you to be happy, but...it can’t be with me.” The girl held a stiff arm out to Sunset, handing her the jacket. She took it out of reflex. The girl stood there, shifting slightly from side to side, waiting for Sunset to say something. Sunset stared at the girl. Her brain was frozen. Her fingers started tingling. She felt as if the ground was starting to rock back and forth. The girl looked away for a moment and Sunset was acutely aware that she was making her feel awkward. Sunset brought her hands up, half to test them and half to show her confusion. Finally, Sunset said the first coherent word that popped into her head, “Why?” “It was just….too fast for me,” the girl shrugged her shoulders and looked off again. “I’m not ready to go where you are.” “Okay,” Sunset turned her hands toward herself. “I can slow things down. It’s not like that would be hard to do.” The girl focused both her eyes on Sunset’s eyes, “No, Sunset. That won’t work. Let’s just be happy with what we had and move on.” “But…” Sunset dropped her hands back to her sides. Sunset could see it in the girl’s eyes. There wasn’t anything that would change her mind. “Okay. I’ll go.” Sunset put on her jacket and got on her bike. As she drove off, she realized her whole body was completely numb. Author's Note ;-; This hurt me a bit to write. I hope I did it justice though. If you have any suggestions for people to go on dates with Sunset, let me know. Our heroine isn't done with love yet and thank you to EquestrianGuard for helping to make this chapter good. Seriously, it was awful before I got the help.
Muffins Finale Alt.**Sunset has breakdown and walks off on Muffins, telling her that she's(sunset) damaged goods.** The girl tried to comfort Sunset, but Sunset shoved her hand away. “No! You don't get it! I ruin everything! I worked my hooves and horn down to nubs to get in with Princess Celestia. I achieved the most prestigious spot a pony could achieve. And I threw it all away because I wanted more. I came to a brand new universe and could have started over right and made friends and had a good life. You know what happened with that. Sure I was “redeemed” but any day now, any second, I know I'm gonna mess up and lose everything again. So just go. I don't want to hurt you any more than I already have.” The girl just stared at Sunset. She couldn't move. And soon, she wasn't even unable to see. Her tears were big and hot. “Sunset, that's not true. You're changed. I see it. I feel it. If you'd just…” “GO!” “Sunset!” Both the girls looked and saw Rainbow Dash running toward them. “What's wrong? What happened?” Rainbow Dash kept looking back and forth between the two girls, clearly unsure about what to do. Through barely contained sobs, the girl spoke, “I'll go. I'll see you at school Monday.” She ran off in the direction of her house. Sunset and Rainbow watched until the girl was out of sight. Then Rainbow turned to Sunset. “What was all that about?” Sunset Shimmer collapsed on the sidewalk and started shaking. Her soft whimpers, the only sound on the empty street. Author's Note This was a scene I wrote for the end of the Muffins arc. The trouble was, I couldn't add anything else to it, so it sat in my docs for...a long time. I finally decided to just post up the scene. No context other than the previous entries in the story. It was a toss up between this one and the one I used. Sunset is hurt badly in both of them, but it was when I decided on the first one because I just sense that Muffins' level of perception is that of a master. So she just beat Sunset to it.
