Twilight rounded a street corner just as she checked the time on her phone. She and Sunset were supposed to meet up in just a couple of minutes.

Today was Sunset’s birthday, and she’d asked Twilight to meet her at the café they liked to go to when it was just the two of them.

With barely a minute to spare, Twilight rounded the final corner and saw her best friend come into view. Surprisingly, she had not picked out a table for the two of them, but was instead waiting for Twilight outside.

“Hi, Sunset!” she waved energetically at the redhead. A few rushed steps later, and she pulled the other girl into a hug. “Happy birthday.”

Sunset ended the hug, but kept holding Twilight’s wrists. “Thanks, Sparky.”

Twilight felt a warmth spreading from Sunset’s touch throughout her body. Before she met Sunset and the other girls, this kind of physical affection had been almost foreign to her. Sunset had been especially affectionate with her since she joined their group of friends, and Twilight relished every little touch.

“I got you a gift,” Twilight continued, beaming.

Sunset replied with a disappointed look, though her smile remained. “I said I didn’t want any big gifts.”

Twilight nodded. “I believe your exact words were ‘this stuff must’ve cost a fortune. You guys are banned from getting me more gifts for five years,’ ” She recited.

Sunset gave her a teasing grin. “Oh, I see. So you did remember that I didn’t want any gifts, but intentionally went against my wishes, anyway?”

Twilight blushed, looking away. “Well, I only got you a little gift. Just a trinket really, it isn’t that much.” She reluctantly pulled her hand from Sunset’s and dug through her pocket. “And, I just couldn’t resist getting you something, okay?”

She pulled the small item out, keeping it hidden in her palm. “Besides, when I saw this in the store, it just seemed so perfect for you.” She opened her palm to reveal a red and orange guitar pick, styled to look like a small flame.

Sunset took the pick into her own hand, then glanced back at Twilight with a smirk. “Okay, I admit, this is really cool.”

Twilight nodded. “I’m glad you like it.” She idly noted that Sunset’s other hand was still holding hers, and she could feel her thumb grazing smoothly over her wrist.

“Thank you,” Sunset said, slipping the pick into her jacket pocket. “Now, c’mon,” she turned on her heel and waved for Twilight to follow her down the street.

“What?” Twilight blinked in confusion, then rushed to catch back up with Sunset. “We’re not going to the café?”

“Nope,” Sunset smirked. “Don’t worry, we don’t have to walk far. The place we’re going is just a couple of blocks from here.”

“Oh? What place might that be?”

“It’s a chinese place that just opened up here,” Sunset said. “Rarity said it was really good, so I wanted to go check it out.”

Twilight nodded. “Chinese sounds good.” She normally let Sunset pick where they went whenever they hung out. They had gotten into this routine organically; Sunset tended to be the more adventurous one, excited to try something new, and Twilight was more than happy to go along with her.

“Thought you might like it,” Sunset said. She pulled Twilight into a sideways hug, her arm wrapping protectively around Twilight’s shoulders. “Tell you what, it’ll be my treat.”

Twilight blushed. “You don’t have to do that, Sunset. My parents give me a generous allowance. Not to mention the bonus they gave me for graduating with top marks.”

“C’mon, Sparky. I insist.”

“But—”

“And, it’s my birthday, so I should get my way, right?” Sunset grinned at her.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she grumbled, before muttering a quiet, “Thanks.”

They walked together in a companionable silence for a while, before Twilight spoke up in a playful tone.

“So, what’s it like, finally being eighteen?” she asked.

Sunset chuckled. “You tell me. You have more experience with it than I do.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Yeah, by two and a half months. It didn’t really change that much for me, except that I can now buy stuff online without having to ask mom for her credit card,” she chuckled.

Twilight cast a furtive glance at her friend. “I kinda figured it’d have more of an impact on you, since… y’know.”

“Since I ran away from my parents and have had to fend for myself for the past three years?” Sunset finished Twilight’s thought.

“Well… Yes,” Twilight said guiltily.

“It actually really does,” Sunset continued. “For one thing, I can now rent my apartment through an actual legal contract. Not to mention that my legal documents no longer list me as living with my parents,” Sunset spat out the last word.

Twilight’s absentmindedly started to fidget with the hem of her shirt. She never knew what to say when Sunset talked about her parents.

“And of course, the best part,” Sunset continued, her cheerfulness returning. “I can now buy stuff online without having to ask you to ask your mom for her credit card.”

Twilight giggled. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled. What about your name? I kinda figured you were most excited about that part.”

Sunset smiled. “Already filed the paperwork. Soon enough, Shimmer will officially be my surname. The sooner I don’t I have to see my parents name on my documents, the better.”

Twilight leaned into Sunset’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you. Not to mention impressed. I can’t image how hard it must’ve been to run away from home at fifteen, to a completely different state no less. How did you even manage, living alone like that for three years?”

“I didn’t, actually,” Sunset replied. “I lived with Flash for about half a year when I first moved here.”

“Your ex?” Twilight asked, trying to recall the few things the girls had said about Sunset’s former boyfriend.

“Yeah,” Sunset nodded. “I’m really glad that I was able to get a place of my own, but I still find myself missing his mom’s cooking from time to time.” She smiled.

“Is it difficult?” Twilight asked quietly. “Living alone, I mean.”

Sunset shrugged. “Yeah, it really was hard. But I got through it. And I came out the other end stronger for it.”

“The most difficult thing I ever had to do was transfer schools,” Twilight grumbled. “And I didn’t even need to fake my parents’ signatures!”

Sunset chuckled. “Are you really complaining that your life isn’t difficult enough?”

“N-no,” Twilight said, her eyes widening. “I mean… maybe. It’s just that you seem so confident, and strong, and independent. And I really admire that stuff about you,” she blushed.

Sunset’s arm slid down to Twilight’s middle back, squeezing her slightly.

“It means a lot to hear you say that, Sparky. Thank you,” Sunset said quietly. “Still, you shouldn’t sell yourself short. Transferring to CHS after the humiliation at the Friendship Games did take strength.”

Twilight groaned, her arms wrapping protectively around her middle. “I still can’t believe you convinced me to throw the competition for you.”

“You know just as well as I do that those stuffy prep students needed to be taken down a peg,” Sunset smirked. “Besides, it wasn’t really your fault. I tempted you with the irresistible offer of spending an entire day at the museum with a cool and intelligent girl like myself. You didn’t stand a chance,” she poked Twilight teasingly on the nose.

Twilight shot her a playful glare, before her expression softened to one of happiness. “Well… you’re not wrong.”

She was rewarded with seeing a rare blush on Sunset’s cheeks.

“S-so, anyway the girls all said they could make it to the party tonight,” Sunset said. “I never actually got around to asking but—” She trailed off.

“Of course I’ll be there,” Twilight replied. ”I’d never miss my best friend’s birthday party.”

Sunset gave a small chuckle, though it sounded… off, somehow.

“Right, yeah. Also, uh, Pinkie decided last minute to combine my birthday party with our graduation party. I think she recently learned about the phrase ‘more than the sum of its parts’ and wants to apply that logic to parties.”

“Oh,” Twilight furrowed her brow. “And you don’t mind that?”

Sunset shrugged. “I wasn’t that excited to celebrate my birthday in the first place. But you girls insisted.”

“Well, of course we did. We can accept that you don’t want gifts this year—” Sunset snorted “—but there’s a line that we won’t let you cross,” Twilight finished, ignoring Sunset’s giggling.

“Yeah, sure,” Sunset sighed. “Anyway, we also decided to have booze there.”

“What?!” Twilight cried. “But we’re not old enough to drink!”

Sunset grinned. “Actually, the law states that we can’t purchase alcohol until we’re twenty-one. However, we are allowed to consume alcohol, under certain circumstances.”

Twilight cocked her head. “So, we’re going to have adult supervision?”

“Pfft, no,” Sunset snorted. “Granted, that would give us a much better case to work with if something happens, but it’ll be totally fine. Nothing will happen, and there will be nothing to worry about.”

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “You’ve had alcohol before, haven’t you?”

Sunset looked at her. "You’re pretty hung up on this, huh?”

Twilight nodded.

“Yes. I’ve had a few beers every now and again since I was sixteen.”

Twilight sighed heavily. “In that case, I trust you know what you’re talking about. But I won’t be drinking. My mom would empty out my college fund if she found out.”

“That’s the spirit!” Sunset shouted, squeezing Twilight tighter in their sideways hug.

When they rounded the corner, Sunset pointed at a lavishly decorated building. “That’s the place.”

Twilight stopped in her tracks, causing Sunset to stop with her. She furrowed her brow in confusion. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

Sunset looked from the restaurant to the bespectacled girl. “Yeah, why?”

“It just looks really expensive.”

“Rarity may have mentioned that it was on the pricier side,” Sunset said hesitantly.

Twilight glared at her. “I changed my mind. I don’t mind you paying for a small lunch, but this place—”

Sunset placed a finger on Twilight’s lips, cutting her off. “Nope, I insisted, and you agreed. That’s final.”

Twilight glared at her. “You planned that didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Sunset smirked.

“Fine.”

Sunset retracted her arm from Twilight’s lower back. She opened the door and stepped aside. “After you.”

Twilight nodded her thanks as she entered the establishment. The restaurant was dimly lit, with candles on each of the tables and the music was almost romantic. It reminded her of a few of the places Timber had taken her to, back when they were dating.

After a quick glance around she noticed that – sure enough – most of the customers were couples on dates. Notably, well dressed couples on dates.

Twilight frantically turned back to her friend. “Sunset! I think we might be too under dressed for this place,” she whispered urgently.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, Sparky, you look great.”

Before Twilight could argue further, a waitress came over to greet them.

“Welcome. Table for two?” she asked, picking up two menus from a lectern.

“That’s right,” Sunset said.

The waitress led them to a secluded table next to a window. Twilight sat down and glanced through the menu. As she suspected, most of it was expensive. Although, the soup looked more reasonably priced.

“Don’t even think about ordering the soup,” Sunset said over her own menu.

Twilight eyes shot up in surprise. “How’d you know?”

Sunset smirked. “It’s the cheapest thing on the menu. And I will not have you ordering cheap on my account.”

Twilight blushed. “Am I really that predictable?”

Sunset giggled. “Sometimes. Anyway, my wallet can take a little beating. I said it would be my treat, so I want you to treat yourself, okay?”

Twilight nodded. “Okay. A few of these dishes do look really good.”

Twilight was busily picking out a dress for her to wear to the party, when she heard a knock at her bedroom door.

Before she had enough time to say anything, the door opened to reveal her mother. She carried in freshly folded laundry and set it onto Twilight’s bed.

“Mom,” Twilight groaned. “When I told you to knock before you enter, I meant knock and wait for me to give you permission to enter.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, I’m only bringing in your laundry, dear,” she said, waving off Twilight’s complaint.

“You could at least let me do my own laundry,” Twilight retorted, folding her arms over her chest. “Then you’d have less reason barge in here,” she added under her breath.

“Nonsense, it’s much easier if I just do everyone’s laundry at the same time,” her mother said. “What with all this?” she asked, noticing the dresses strewn over the bed.

“I’m picking out something to wear to Sunset’s birthday party. Although, now it’s actually a birthday-slash-graduation party.”

Her mother smiled. “Wonderful. You know I’m so happy that you’ve finally made friends to hang out with. I still remember when you’d want nothing more than to stay home and read on a Friday night. Just make sure you’re back by bedtime,” she added as she left the room.

Twilight sighed, rubbing her temple. “Okay, mom,” she called.

She was distracted from her fuming when she heard her phone ringing. She picked up the phone, and was happy to see her old babysitter’s picture on the screen.

“Hey, Cadance,” she greeted.

“Hey, Ladybug. Congratulations on your graduation. I heard you got top marks in your class? Not that I expected otherwise, of course.”

“Thanks. And yeah, I did,” she smiled weakly, not able to muster up the enthusiasm she usually would.

“Everything okay, Twily?” Cadance asked, noticing her glum mood.

“The girls and I are having a party at Sunset’s place. I told mom about it, and at first she was all happy and excited for me, and then immediately followed up with telling me not to stay out past my bedtime, like I was still a little kid,” she groaned, letting herself fall onto her bed.

“Ouch,” Cadance replied with a sharp intake of breath. “Listen, I’ll have a word with Velvet. Hopefully I can convince her to let you actually have a some fun.”

“Thanks, Cadance,” Twilight smiled tiredly. “I wish you were here to help me pick out my outfit, too, though,” she added, glancing at the half dozen dresses she owned.

“Go with your red dress,” Cadance replied immediately. “And don’t put your hair in a ponytail, it’ll match the dress better if you leave it down. Oh, and drop the glasses, too. You still have your contacts, right?”

“I do,” Twilight replied hesitantly. “But I’m not too sure… It’s not like I’m going on a date or anything. There won’t even be any guys there, It’ll just be me and the girls.”

“C’mon, Twilight,” Cadance pleaded. “When’s the last time you really dolled yourself up like this?”

Twilight looked at the red cocktail dress Cadance had bought her when she first started dating Timber. It left her shoulders bare, and didn’t quite reach down to her knees. She’d only worn it once, and she’d felt insecure and uncomfortable about it the entire time.

“My second date with Timber, I guess. So, about ten months,” Twilight answered with a sigh.

“Twilight, I know you don’t really care much for dresses and makeup. But I really think you could use a confidence booster, so I want you to try it. In fact, I’ll bet you twenty bucks you end up liking it.”

Twilight chuckled. “You’re trying to win me over through betting?”

“Well, maybe just a little” Cadance giggled. She then continued in a soft voice. “I worry about you, y’know. After you broke up with Timber, I mean. You two were together for almost a year, and then you seemed to just shrug the whole relationship off as if it never even happened.”

Twilight sighed. “Cadance, I’m fine. I told you, we just had an easy breakup. No fights or anything. He wanted to take our relationship farther, and I didn’t. It just wasn’t gonna work out between us.”

“Oh, Twilight, honey,” Cadance cooed. “I remember the day you brought him over for dinner, and that boy was clearly head over heels for you. It may have been an ‘easy breakup’ for you, but I can guarantee you that kid was heartbroken.”

“Oh,” Twilight said blankly. She wasn’t really sure how she felt about finding out that she’d broken someone’s heart. Guilty, of course. Embarrassed that she hadn’t even noticed. Not to mention sad for the boy who she had quite liked, even though it didn’t work out.

“Don’t worry about it too much, sweetie,” Cadance cooed. “You guys are teenagers, and this kind of thing happens. Especially seeing as he clearly wasn’t right for you.”

After a brief silence, Cadance continued. “You know, It’s kind of a shame this party is tonight. If it was, say, Wednesday I could've helped you get ready in person.”

“What do you mean? Wait!” Twilight shot up into a sitting position. “Are you and Shining coming to town for the summer holidays?”

“That’s right~” Cadance sang. “But unfortunately, I’ll have to rely on pictures to see how good you’re going to look for the party tonight. I just know you’ll look beautiful in that dress.”

“This is because you didn’t get to see me the first time I wore it, isn’t it?” Twilight asked.

“Absolutely,” Cadance replied sternly. “So make sure to take some pictures this time, okay?”

Twilight chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.”

By the time Twilight had put on the strapless dress and brushed her hair, she saw a text from Cadance.

I convinced Vel to lay off a bit. Have fun tonight! ;)

She smiled and typed out her reply.

Thanks, Cadance.

She then went down her checklist to see what was next.

Put on the dress
Brush hair
Makeup
Put in contacts
Pick out a purse
Fill the purse with necessities
Selfie for Cadance

She brought her box of makeup over to her desk. She still had only a faint idea how to actually use any of the things Cadance and Rarity had picked out for her, but she could at least cover up some of her blemishes.

Once her skin looked relatively flawless, she replaced her glasses with her contacts, took a quick picture to sate Cadance, and had her purse ready and waiting. She looked at the time. It was still a little early so she did a quick double check of the checklist. Of course, with so few items on it, she didn’t find anything she’d missed and so she just decided to head out.

“You heading out to that party, Twilight?” her mother asked, before she’d even made it down the stairs.

“Yes,” Twilight replied warily.

“I’d like to talk to you first,” her mom continued.

Twilight entered the living room, seeing her mother sitting on the sofa. Velvet paused at the sight of her dressed up daughter.

“My goodness, you’re looking more dolled up than usual,” she smiled warmly. “You look more like you’re going on a date than to a birthday party.”

Twilight blushed. “It was Cadance’s idea.” She pushed a few stray hairs behind her ear.

“Ah, that explains it,” Velvet nodded. “She also called me a few minutes ago. She said I was being too strict and that I should let you be a ‘reckless teenager for once’, as she put it,” she shook her head. “Honestly, I worry sometimes about how my grandchildren will turn out if she’s raising them.”

Twilight crossed her arms. “I think Cadance would make a great mother. And I should know, she babysat me often enough.”

Velvet chuckled. “I suppose you have me there. At any rate, she convinced me to let you stay out longer tonight. Just… be careful, sweetie.”

“Of course, mom.”

“Good, now come give me a hug before you go,” she stood up, reaching her arms out.

Twilight gave a small smile and gave her mother a hug. “Bye, mom.”

“Have fun, sweetie.”

As soon as Twilight was outside, she took in a deep breath of fresh air. Walking over to Sunset’s place would take a little while, but she wasn’t in a hurry. As she walked, thoughts of Cadance and her mother faded from her mind to be replaced by a reminder that there’d be alcohol at the party.

She felt a little bad about keeping that fact from not only her mother, but from Cadance, too. Besides, she wasn’t going to drink any herself, just watch her friends do it…

Though, as worrying as it was that the other girls would be drinking, Twilight had to admit she did look forward to seeing it. Just a bit.

As she walked, she kept tugging at the top of her dress. It showed off a fair bit more skin than she was used to, and she constantly felt awkward and uncomfortable about it. Luckily, she didn’t run into many people on the way.

I hope I’m not the only one this overdressed, she thought worriedly. Who am I kidding, Rarity’s going to be there. She giggled softly to herself.

As she entered Sunset’s neighborhood, she increased her pace. The rundown buildings and badly tended roads always made her feel uncomfortable. It contrasted so strongly to her own upper class neighborhood.

Once she made it to Sunset’s place, she could faintly hear the music coming from inside. She felt a tinge of nervousness twist in her stomach.

It’s fine, she thought to herself. It’s just the girls. There’s no need to feel embarrassed about what I’m wearing. She tugged absentmindedly at the top of her dress.

She knocked on the door and waited.

The door was answered — unsurprisingly — by Sunset.

“Hey Spa-” The redhead’s words died on in her throat as soon as she saw Twilight’s outfit. She stared at her wordlessly, causing Twilight to blush as her fingers starting to fidget with her purse. Sunset wasn't really dressed up, simply wearing one of her usual outfits, along with her favorite jacket.

“Whoa,” Sunset said, almost inaudibly. She cleared her throat. “Glad you came, Twi. You look… gorgeous.”

Twilight’s fidgeting intensified. “Y-you really think so?”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I’ll admit that I think you look cuter with your glasses, but gorgeous really is the only word that comes to mind.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said nervously rubbing her hand across her bare arm. She looked past her friend, seeing the empty living room. “I’m not too early, am I?”

Sunset shook her head. “No, no, not at all. The girls will all be here in about…” she paused, checking the time on her phone. “Uh, half an hour or so,” she finished weakly.

Twilight groaned. “So, I am early. I’m sorry, it’s just that it didn’t take as long as I thought it would to get ready, and then I didn’t want to just hang around and wait, so I decided to just make my way here. I also thought it’d take a bit longer to walk here—”

Sunset waved her off. “Don’t worry about it, c’mon in. Everything’s pretty much ready, so we can just chat and stuff until the other girls get here.”

Twilight nodded, glad to have her rambling cut off. Sunset’s apartment looked neater than usual. Though, that would undoubtedly change by the end of the night. Twilight also noticed that there were quite a few cans of beer on the kitchen counter.

Twilight frowned at them. “How did you even get those?”

“I know a guy,” Sunset replied simply.

Twilight pouted. “I really don’t approve of this whole thing, you know,” she said.

Sunset gave a pained smile. “I know, Twi. But, I promise I won’t do anything stupid tonight. I’m going to keep my eye on the other’s too, but I can’t promise I’ll be able to stop them from doing something silly and embarrassing.” she smirked.

Twilight rolled her eyes, chuckling. “Fine.”

Sunset came up to her, gingerly tracing her fingers along Twilight’s bare arm. “I’m really glad you decided to come, Sparky.”

Twilight smiled at her. “Well, of course.” She lowered her voice. “And, if I’m being honest, I am a little curious to see how you’re all going to act while drunk.”

Twilight moved over to the sofa, Sunset following her with a can of beer in one hand and sitting down next to her.

Looking around the apartment, Twilight’s thoughts drifted back to last year, when she and the girls had worked together to help improve Sunset’s dour apartment. A flat screen TV, a games console, a PC, an amplifier, and finally a stereo that was currently playing music at a low volume.

Sunset’s apartment was an interesting mix of cheap things she’d scrounged herself, and expensive kit she’d been given by her friends. In hindsight, maybe Sunset’s ‘no gifts for five years’ rule had been reasonable after all.

“Are those plants new?” Twilight asked, pointing to a pair of popped plants on the windowsill. “They really liven up the place.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah, rosemary and catnip. They’re also useful for keeping cockroaches away. Plus, I want to see if I can attract a couple of stray cats I’ve seen around. Y’know, give them some food and a bit of company.”

“Oh. That’s pretty smart,” Twilight nodded.

“So, do you have any plans for the summer?” Sunset asked, after a moment of silence.

Twilight shrugged. “I figured I’d just spend it with you guys. Even with Pinkie and Rainbow going abroad with their families, I imagine it’ll still be fun.”

Sunset took a sip from her can. “There’s actually been a new development there. Turns out ‘Shy’s going with Rainbow. And Rarity got some big internship in Manhattan.”

“Oh. So, It’s just going to be you, me and Applejack then?”

Sunset nodded. “Of course, Applejack’s going to be really busy on the farm all summer, so we won’t see much of her either.”

Twilight nodded. “What about you? Do you have any plans?”

“I was actually thinking about getting a second job. You know, save up a little before college. But that would leave you pretty much alone, right?”

Twilight squirmed in her seat. “No, that’s fine. You need the money, right?” she blushed, feeling awkward about bringing up the subject. “I’d hate to get in the way of your future like that. Besides, Shining and Cadance are coming to town, so I won’t be completely alone.”

“Still, I don’t like the idea of you being bored and lonely,” Sunset offered. She gave Twilight a sympathetic smile and placed her hand gently on Twilight’s bare knee. “It was just an idea, really. I could just stick with one job, and we can do loads of fun stuff over the summer, just the two of us.”

“No,” Twilight shook her head. “I think you should do it. I’ll just find something else to do this summer. Really, if anything, I should be looking into getting a summer job myself,” she added with an nervous chuckle.

“Alright, if you’re sure,” Sunset gave a lopsided smile.

Twilight and Sunset continued to chat right up until there was a knock at the door.

“Care to take a guess who this’ll be?” Sunset asked, standing up.

“Probably Pinkie,” Twilight replied.

“Hmm, Probably, but not alone, though,” Sunset added as she started moving to the front door. “I think she got Applejack to pick up her and Rainbow on the way here.”

Sunset opened the door, and Twilight immediately felt a small tinge of pride as she heard the telltale sound of Pinkie Pie’s voice.

“Happy birthday, Sunny!”

Shorty after, she saw her, Applejack and Rainbow enter the house.

“Aw yeah, free booze!” Rainbow cheered, grabbing a can of beer off the kitchen counter. Applejack rolled her eyes behind her, but took a can for herself as well.

“Hey, Twi,” Rainbow said, plopping herself down in the sofa Sunset had just vacated. “Nice dress. Rarity pick that one out for ya’?”

Twilight shook her head. “My sister-in-law, actually.”

“Hold up,” Applejack jutted in. “Your brother’s married?”

“Engaged, actually,” Twilight clarified. “But, I like to call Cadance that cause she’s already like family to me.”

“Dude, that’s so gay,” Rainbow snickered.

Twilight simply rolled her eyes at the athletes antics. “I see you’re both drinking,” she said disapprovingly. “I expected that from Rainbow Dash, but not you, Applejack.”

The farmer shrugged. “My family makes cider. I was bound to sneak a bottle every now and then. ‘Specially with a friend like Dash.”

“Hey, that was totally just as much your idea as it was mine,” Rainbow complained.

“Hey, Twi!”

Twilight jumped in her seat at the sudden loud voice behind her.

“Pinkie! Don’t do that!” she chided, her hand shooting to her heart.

“Sorry. Ooh, you look great tonight,” Pinkie continued as she came around to take a seat with the girls, filling out the couch.

Sunset returned, and leaned against the nearby wall, looking at her phone. “Rare and ‘Shy are just a couple of minutes away,” she said, before looking up. “You all getting settled in okay?”

“Yep!” Pinkie punctuated her cheer with the distinct sound of a can opening. “Are you not drinking, Twi?”

Twilight shook her head.

“You’re not even gonna try, Twilight?” Rainbow asked.

“No I’m not. I don’t want to get into trouble with my parents,” she replied adamantly.

“Not even just a little taste?” Rainbow prodded.

“Lay off it, Dash,” Sunset said, crossing her arms. “She has her reasons not to drink.”

Rainbow frowned. “But I got a bet going with AJ. I need to get Twi and ‘Shy to at least take a sip.”

Twilight glared at Rainbow.

Sunset looked like she was about to respond when there was another knock at the door. She left to go greet Rarity and Fluttershy.

“C’mon, Twi,” Rainbow insisted, reaching her beer can towards Twilight. “It’s for a good cause.”

“Rainbow, that’s enough,” Applejack chided.

“Hey, you’re just saying that so I have to pay up,” Rainbow snapped.

Twilight, not particularly excited to witness another argument between the two girls, stood up to greet the new arrivals.

“Hi, Rarity,” she called. She was relieved to see that the aspiring fashionista was at least as well dressed as she was, though the rest of the girls had gone for a more casual look.

“Evening, Twilight. My goodness, I haven’t seen you wear that dress since your second date with Timber?” Rarity asked.

“Heh, good memory,” Twilight said, fidgeting with the hem of the dress. “This is the first time I’ve worn it since then.”

Rarity looked from Twilight to Sunset. “So, you girls went to that new chinese place today, yes?”

“Yep!” Sunset responded immediately. “It was great. The food was great. We had a great time. Right, Twilight?”

Twilight frowned at Sunset’s stilted answer. “Uh, yeah. It was really fun.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “I see. Excuse me, but I need to talk to Sunset for a moment.” She grabbed Sunset by the arm, pulling her off to the bathroom before Twilight could say anything.

Twilight wondered at the odd exchange, before she remembered the other girl who’d arrived.

“Oh! Hi, Fluttershy,” she said, noticing the timid girl who had seemingly been hiding behind Rarity.

“Hi, Twilight. Uhm, I like your dress,” Fluttershy replied.

“Thanks,” Twilight said, rubbing her arm self consciously. “You look really good, too. So, are you going to be drinking with the other girls?”

Fluttershy shook her head wordlessly.

Twilight smiled. At least she wouldn’t be alone in that. “A word of warning, though, Dash made some kind of bet with Applejack, and she’s going to try and get us to drink at least a little.”

Fluttershy nodded. “I kinda expected her to do that, actually,” she said with a small smile.

They made their way to the other girls, and Twilight let Fluttershy take her old seat next to Rainbow, while she simply sat on the little carpet by the TV.

Rainbow and Applejack seemed to have just wrapped up their argument. Twilight listened as the girls started to excitedly talk about their plans for the summer.

After a couple of minutes, Rarity and Sunset came back, with Sunset sitting on the carpet next to Twilight.

While the others were busy talking among themselves, Sunset leaned in closer to Twilight, placing her arm around her shoulders.

“I really like your dress, by the way,” Sunset said, as the other girls continued to chat about their upcoming trips.

“Thanks,” Twilight blushed. “I really like your, uhm… jacket.”

“Sparky, you’ve seen this jacket dozens of times,” Sunset grinned.

Twilight shrugged. “It’s still true.”

Sunset’s eyes narrowed. “You just felt like you had to compliment me back, didn’t you?” she accused teasingly.

Twilight giggled. “Well, yes. But it’s still true,” she relented.

“Twilight, darling,” Rarity interrupted, grabbing the attention of both girls. “At the risk of bringing up a potentially uncomfortable topic, I must ask… how are you feeling?”

Twilight furrowed her brow in confusion. “Uhm. Good,” she said, uncertainly. “I’m not really sure what you mean, Rarity.”

“She’s tryin’ to get you to talk about the breakup,” Applejack supplied, receiving a short glare from Rarity.

“Oh.” Twilight frowned. “I’m okay. The breakup didn’t really bother me much.”

“But why did you break up with him in the first place?” Rarity pressed. “The two of you were always so adorable together.”

Twilight shrugged. “Does it sound mean if I say that I just got kinda bored of him?” She looked across her friends’ faces to see a range of expressions from sympathy to bewilderment. “I mean, he was nice. And his jokes were funny, at first. But after almost a year of dating, I don’t know… The truth is, he started talking about our plans for the future and I realized that I didn’t really want to go that far with our relationship. I decided that I shouldn’t lead him on, so I broke it off.”

“I see,” Rarity nodded solemnly.

For a few seconds there was silence, apart from the occasional sipping of drinks.

“Did you at least get in his pants first?” Rainbow piped up.

“Rainbow!” Rarity shrieked. Despite her apparent disapproval, she joined the rest of the girls in staring at Twilight, waiting for an answer.

Twilight wilted under the attention. “I mean, we did fool around a bit. And yeah, we had some fun. Although the first few times were pretty awkward,” she added with a sheepish giggle.

“That’s code for ‘I wanted him to spank me, but he was just too damn nice,’ “ Rainbow stage whispered to Pinkie, who burst into laughter. “Am I right?” she waggled her eyebrows at Twilight.

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Haha, Rainbow,” she deadpanned.

A few of the girls joined in the laughing. Twilight shook her head, but gave a small chuckle as well. Though her mind helpfully flashed an image of the books she kept hidden under her bed. She could feel her face heating up, and desperately hoped her blushing didn’t give anything away.

“So, you say that you just got bored of him, huh?” Pinkie said, cracking open her second can of beer. “See, when I get suddenly bored of something it’s usually because I found something else even more exciting. Then, I just kinda just forget about the old exciting thing, cause I’m always thinking about the new exciting thing.”

All eyes returned to Twilight, who was now positive that she was blushing at the amount of attention she was getting.

“Well, Twilight? Do you have your eyes set on someone new then?” Rarity asked her.

“No,” Twilight said, though her voice came out less convincing than she intended.

“Really? No one that grabs your attention?” Rarity raised an eyebrow questioningly. “No one from our class for instance?” she pestered.

“No,” Twilight reaffirmed, more firmly. “Well… there’s a few boys in school that are attractive and all, but no one I could actually see myself with, y’know like, long term,” she shrugged.

“To be fair, there aren’t many hot geeks at our school. Maybe you’ll have more luck in college?”

Twilight shrugged. “I’m not really sure that’s the problem. I mean, Timber was a bit of a dork, really, even if he isn’t exactly scientist material.”

Rarity leant forward, lacing her fingers together and giving Twilight a firm stare. “So, what you’re saying is that you want someone who you could see yourself with in five, even ten years time? Someone who wouldn’t just be a lover, but a valued friend as well?”

“Uhm. Yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Twilight said tentatively. She squirmed uncomfortably.

“But, surely you have a type though, right?” Rainbow pressed.

“I… Maybe. I don’t know,” Twilight said, her arms raising up to hug her chest. She could feel the gazes of the other girls bearing on her, and hoped that someone would just change the subject.

Her savior then came in the voice of Sunset. “Hey, Rarity,” she said loudly, getting everyone's attention, while at the same time leaning forward in a way that gave Twilight a modicum of shelter from the other girls. “I heard you got an internship in Manhattan of all places.” Rarity promptly forgot about Twilight’s love life, nodding excitedly. “How’d that come about anyway?”

Twilight blocked out the aspiring fashionista’s lengthy description of how she got the job, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Though the back of her mind was still buzzing.

Do I have a type? Do I just have to wait for ‘the right guy’? Do I even need to worry about it in the first place? If things didn’t work out with Timber, who would they work out with?

Twilight managed to avoid being dragged into the spotlight again, and when Pinkie turned up the music, and the rest of the girls pushed the sofa up against the wall to make room to dance, she took the opportunity to do what always made her feel less uncomfortable in these situations. Become a wallflower.

“Hey.”

Twilight flinched at the unexpected touch on her shoulder. She looked around to see Sunset. Beyond her, she could see the rest of the girls dancing in the newly opened space.

“Sorry,” the redhead continued, speaking louder to be heard over the music. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I’m okay,” Twilight responded automatically.

“Are you sure about that?” Sunset furrowed her brow. “You were looking really uncomfortable back there.”

Twilight bit her lip. “Was it that obvious?”

Sunset shrugged. “I thought it was, then again the other girls didn’t seem to feel the need to back off. I guess they have been drinking a bit.”

Twilight kept silent as Sunset went on her tangent.

The redhead shook her head. “Anyway, do you want something to drink? I mean, like, juice or something,” she amended quickly.

“Yeah, sure.” Twilight followed her friend into the nook where she kept her fridge, microwave and desk. The music wasn’t quite as loud here, so they could talk more easily.

Sunset got a plastic cup and a bottle of Sweet Apple Acres branded apple juice from her mini-fridge. She poured the drink and handed Twilight the cup.

“So, do you want to talk about earlier?” Sunset asked, sitting on top of the desk. “I mean, I know they were being pretty nosy, but you looked like you were getting close to another panic attack.”

Twilight hopped onto the desk next to her, and savored a gulp of juice before answering. “I don’t think it was that bad. Besides, panic attacks are in my past. My last one was at the Friendship Games, and I am determined to keep it that way.”

Sunset nodded. “Still, it’s pretty clear that something is troubling you. Is it ‘cause of… him?” she ventured.

Twilight shook her head. “No. I meant it when I said the breakup didn’t affect me much. I guess I just don’t like having so much attention on me.” Twilight explained her feelings as she processed them. “And on top of that, they asked me questions that I don’t actually know the answers to, and now I just… don’t know.”

She took a deep breath and another sip. “I guess I never really thought about it too much, but I have no idea what I’m looking for in a long term romantic partner. Timber seemed like he’d be a good choice, then when he suddenly brings it up, I know that he isn’t what I want without even having to consider it. Like it was instinctual or something. So, I’m back to square one. I don’t know if I want a nice guy, or a smart guy, or a cute guy or just a normal guy. And now I’m starting to wonder if I’ll only be attracted to a guy if he happens to be holding a collar in one hand and a cane in the other!”

Twilight slapped a hand over her mouth as she realized what had come out. She frantically glanced at the other side of the studio apartment, and felt a wash of relief that none of the other girls seemed to have heard her over the music.

Sunset raised an eyebrow at her, raising the obvious question without words.

“I may have read a few too many books,” Twilight explained with a sheepish smile. “Y’know, of that variety.” She paused biting her lip. “Please don’t tell the other girls, Rainbow would never stop joking about it if she found out.”

Sunset put a comforting hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “Your secret’s safe with me. And besides, I’ve read a fair few of those books myself,” she said with a wink.

“Thanks,” Twilight sighed in relief. “And, uh, just to be clear, I’m not actually looking for some billionaire playboy with a fetish.” She furrowed her brow. “At least, I hope not. Urhg. See, that’s the problem, I don’t even know what I want.”

“Hey, hey,” Sunset said softly. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. We all have our little fantasies, but we rarely want them to actually come true. Certainly not to that extent at least,” she added with a giggle.

Twilight slumped and let herself to fall into Sunset’s embrace. “Why is this so hard for me to figure out? These feelings should just be self explanatory, right?!”

Sunset cooed softly, stroking Twilight’s hair. “It’s okay, Sparky. Sometimes, emotions are more complicated than you expect them to be. Sometimes, things that seem like they should be obvious turn out not to be. And sometimes, you expect to find the answer in one place, and it turn out to be somewhere completely different. So maybe… Maybe you’re just not looking in the right place?”

Twilight sat up straight so she could see Sunset’s face. “How do you mean?”

“I-it’s just… I thought maybe…” Sunset opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, then stopped. She bit her lip, looking away. “I-it’s nothing,” she stuttered, taking a gulp of beer and blushing ever so slightly.

Twilight mentally shrugged off the odd behavior, sighing. “Okay… Well, Thanks for listening, Sunset.”

“Anytime,” Sunset smiled.

Twilight nodded, a smile slowly spreading on her feature as well. “Hey, Sunset? Can I have a hug?” She asked timidly. One of the things she’d learned from Cadance was that a good hug from a close friend would always make her feel better.

“Of course, Sparky.”

As soon as Sunset had put her beer can down, Twilight lounged into her embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around the other girl. Sunset reacted with a chuckle, patting Twilight on the back in a comforting gesture.

Twilight held the hug for a good ten seconds before she released her grip.

“Thanks, I feel a lot better now,” Twilight smiled. “Besides, I’m sure I’ll figure this stuff out eventually.”

Sunset nodded, then hopped onto her feet. “Glad I could help. So, do you wanna come dance with us?”

Twilight looked over at the impromptu dance floor, cringing a little. “I really don’t like dancing. I’d rather just watch, if it’s okay.”

Sunset crossed her arms and gave her a teasing smirk. “What if I said that I really wanted you to dance with me. And then reminded you that today is my birthday?”

Twilight giggled. “Then I guess I’d have to do it.”

Sunset beamed at her. She giggled as she took Twilight by the hand. “Well c’mon, then, Sparky. Let’s dance!”

As Twilight allowed herself to be dragged to the open space of the living room, she felt the beginnings of a nervous knot in her stomach. Even so, she couldn’t help but smile at Sunset’s giddy joy.

Author's Note

It's finally here!!

I have been waiting to share this story with you all for months now, and I'm so happy to finally be able to.

This time around, I’m going to be posting a new chapter once a week, Sunday 10am PT. With Sunlit Armor, I posted the chapters much faster than that, but doing so was a little bit too stressful on me, so I’m going try this way now.

I hope you enjoy this unusual fic, and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.