Sunset and Twilight’s Winter Holidate

Chapters

Zoomin' Right Along
Unicorns on Display
Tunnel of Love
Walls Coming Down
Christmastime is Here
Epilogue: And A Happy New Year

Zoomin' Right Along

"Is this everyone? Just us five this week?" Rainbow Dash's voice crackled through the speakers.

"Not sure..." came Fluttershy's reply.

"Twilight, darling, has Sunset made it over yet?" Rarity asked in a concerned tone as her video feed experienced a digital bleed.

"No... she's been keeping in touch. Traffic is awful."

Twilight Sparkle sat at her desk with her video chat client blown up to fullscreen, her friends' faces staring back at her in two symmetric, algorithmically arranged rows. Clockwise from the top left, it was Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. At least the two absences meant their faces got to be a little bigger than usual onscreen. Though Dash's was partly covered by Twilight's phone, which she had propped against the screen to make sure she wouldn't miss any messages from Sunset.

"Oh, the poor dear." Rarity replied. "And I just got a message from Applejack -- she says she's sorry she can't make it, but she's taken an extra shift at work to make up for what she'll be missing during the holidays."

"Awwwwwwwww..." Pinkie groaned.

"Now, now, we'll all get to see each other very soon..."

"Well of course I know that, silly. Otherwise it wouldn't have made sense for me to put so much time into our winter reunion party!" Pinkie whipped out a party horn and blew it right at the screen -- the trademark noise didn't come off quite right over the chat, but Twilight appreciated the sentiment.

"You're headed back early, right Pinkie?" Twilight asked.

"First thing in the morning! I've been spending all afternoon on my road trip playlist!"

"You mean the same twenty PostCrush songs that are on all your playlists?" snarked Rainbow Dash.

"Laugh all you want, Rainbow Dash, but there's more to a playlist than song choice! I need to think about the order, I need to think about ideal volume, I need to-"

"Alright, alright, you're starting to sound like Rarity!"

"Hey!" came the fashionista's indignant response.

"Um, excuse me, Twilight," Fluttershy piped in, "but who's that behind you?"

"Huh?" Twilight turned around to see her roommate, Bright Blaze, closing the door, looking absolutely exhausted. Finals had been keeping them occupied up to the last day of classes, and it was evident in their uncharacteristically poor self-grooming. Their all-black clothing ensemble -- jacket, dark jeans and a Skull Cruncher t-shirt -- was messy and wrinkly, while their short-but-thick brown hair, normally kept styled, was unkempt and their round face had a layer of peach fuzz glinting in the light. Twilight was glad Rarity probably couldn't see them well. They walked over to their bed and didn't so much lie down as just fall on it. "Oh, it's just Bright."

"Hey girls, don't mind me," they half-shouted, half-moaned in a husky voice.

"HI BRIGHT!" Pinkie's voice burst in cacophonously as Twilight hastily lowered the volume.

"Not so loud, you know my speakers are terrible!" Twilight hissed.

"Sorry..."

"Hi Pinkie," Bright replied without stirring from the bed.

"But anyway," Pinkie went on, "it's been my lifelong dream to set up our big welcome-back party..."

"Pinkie," Rarity interjected, "your lifelong dream was to run onto the field during a baseball game, and you did it last year, remember?"

"Oh yeah..."

Rainbow Dash grumbled. "We had to forfeit the pennant over that..."

"Dashieee..." Fluttershy said softly.

"Sorry, Flutters." There was a brief patch of silence, and Twilight could tell looking side to side at their faces Dash and Fluttershy were both staring dreamily at each other, even if there was an awkward mismatch between where they were looking and their positions on her screen.

"Now, now, lovebirds, you'll have plenty of time for looking deep into each other's eyes soon enough," Rarity said cheekily.

"What? No fair, we didn't complain last week when Sunset was singing a love song for Twilight..." came Dash's reply.

"Hey, you were the ones who wanted to hear her play guitar!" Twilight cried. "It's not her fault you didn't specify what song-"

"Oh my goodness, look at the time!" Rarity's voice burst in. "I hadn't realized we'd started so late! I'm afraid I have to go, I have friends waiting on me! Toodle-oo, everyone, I'll see you all in three days!" Her screen disappeared and the remaining three video feeds rearranged themselves.

"Well, gee that was abrupt- OH GOSH ME TOO!" Pinkie shouted. "One of my classes is having a goodbye party and I'm late! Let me just give control of the room over to Fluttershy and- OK BYE!"

Now it was just Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash left looking at Twilight. "Wow, uh..."

"Not a very tactful exit, was it?" giggled Fluttershy.

"For Rarity and Pinkie?" Twilight laughed. "I'd be shocked if they ever had one."

Her companions were starting to look a little awkward. Twilight sighed internally. Of course I got left alone with the couple that just wants to talk to each other...

"Any word from Sunset?" Fluttershy asked.

"Uh, well..." She hesitated to admit she hadn't gotten any messages yet. "Hey, if you two want to be alone, I should really start keeping an eye out for her. Plus Bright needs to finish packing and... I'll just get out of your hair."

"Oh, no, Twilight, it's okay..."

"Hey, no worries, Twilight, we love having you around!" Rainbow finally spoke, but Twilight still didn't feel comfortable staying online.

"No, it's fine. Really, it's fine. I'll see you soon!" And after a sheepish wave goodbye and a moment to allow them to do likewise, she logged out.

From behind, Bright Blaze finally stirred. "Wait, is Sunset actually almost here?"

Twilight sighed, dejected. "I have no idea..."

Traffic ground to a standstill yet again, and with it came another wall of expletives (a cosmopolitan mix of choice phrases from both the human world and Equestria) from Sunset Shimmer.

Outside her windows, the downtown streets looked gorgeous in their winter finery. The snow-coated sidewalks were illuminated by glittering, multicolored lights decorating the lampposts and buildings; it was the ideal picture of a Christmastime cityscape. That is, if one kept their attention off the accursed city roads, clogged with cars and their irate drivers and slick with black ice and dirty slush.

On a good day, a drive from Crystal Academy of the Arts to the Crystal City Institute of Technology would have taken about 30-40 minutes. Today, it was bordering on an obscene 3 hours. Sunset was on the verge of escaping downtown traffic onto the backroads that would take her right to the CrysTech dorms, but she just couldn't quite make it. She groaned and slumped her head onto the wheel, lightly enough that it didn't set off the horn.

Why was I so excited to learn to drive again? If it weren't for Ray and her luggage, she honestly would've considered braving the cold and distance to just walk over. She was on the fourth loop of her road trip playlist, and each minute that slipped by ate at her.

Her heart ached for Twilight. It had been so long since they'd seen each other in person. Twilight had come by CrysArts to join Sunset at Pinkie's Halloween party, but afterwards classwork had gotten so bad -- especially for Twilight -- that they'd had to spend the rest of the semester apart dealing with school. They texted often, and Sunset tried to call whenever she could (though she was fighting a losing battle against both Twilight's busy schedule and her phone anxiety), but there'd been some weeks where the weekly video chats with their CHS friends -- which they'd committed to attending whenever physically possible -- were the only times they saw each other.

The cars started to move again, and the side street Sunset was waiting for came into view. "Come on, come on..."

Her phone buzzed, and Twilight's name flashed across the car's interface. Sunset frowned. Is the video chat over already? I was really hoping to say hi to everyone... As soon as she hit a red light, she grabbed the phone and looked.

where r u at? getting a little anxious

Sunset texted back. Really close, I swear. If you could come levitate these cars out of the way that'd be great.

Twilight replied right as the light turned green. hahahahaha i’ll watch for u

She stuck the phone back into the cupholder and pulled forward, then turned right and finally ditched the city traffic. I'll be there soon, Twi.

"Okay, she says she's really close," Twilight mumbled to no one in particular as she finished texting back.

Bright Blaze had gotten up shortly after Twilight left the video chat and was finishing packing before their redeye flight home. They had earbuds in and didn't respond when she spoke. But right as they finished zipping up their last bag, they took the buds out and turned around to look at her.

"Hey, Twilight, I'm all packed. I'm just gonna be taking these out to the curb before my driver comes. I'd ask if you could help, but I don't want to distract if you need to make sure your girlfriend..."

"Huh? What, no, of course I can help, she can always just text me and I think she'll need to park pretty close to-"

Suddenly there was a loud honk from outside that made Twilight jump. She noticed Bright stifling a laugh at the sight, but ignored them, instead dashing over to the window and peering out. It took only a moment to spot a familiar car parked just outside the dorm, with an unmistakable head of yellow-striped red hair visible through the glass. The figure inside waved, and Twilight's heart swelled as a grin exploded across her face.

"Sunset!"

Unicorns on Display

Sunset barely had time to step out of her open car door before a smear of color tackled her to the ground at a speed that would have earned a thumbs-up from Rainbow Dash.

"Ooof. Hey, Twi."

"Oh, sorry! Sorry sorry sorry! I didn't meant to knock you down like that, I got too excited and I forgot how slippery it was and it's not like I could really see the ice in the dark and-"

"Hey, it's okay, I'm excited too!"

Twilight got back on her feet and pulled Sunset off the pavement. "It's just been so long, and my head is completely spinning!"

"Mine does that around you too, it's just not usually this literal."

Twilight frowned and rolled her eyes. "That was awful."

"You're awful."

"Shut up!"

"I love you."

"I love you too, now shut up and let's go!"

Sunset laughed. "Go?"

"To the festival!"

"Twi, I know you're excited, but I need to get my stuff inside! I can't leave poor Ray out in the cold!" She pointed to the terrarium that she had strapped securely in the back seat.

"Ray?... Oh no! I forgot to make a space for Ray's terrarium!"

"That's okay, I'm sure it won't be that hard. Say, isn't that your roommate in the doorway over there?"

"Huh?" Twilight looked up where she could see that, indeed, Bright Blaze was there, wheeling two luggage carriers down to the curb. They strode over to Sunset's car.

"Hey Twilight, you left in a bit of a rush. I figured you probably wanted your room key."

"Oh! My bad!" Twilight squeaked awkwardly as Sunset smirked behind her. "Sorry I got carried away, if you still need help with the luggage I can definitely-"

"Ah, I see," Sunset snarked, grinning as Twilight turned back to face her. "You already made a luggage date? Guess I'll just have to carry all this stuff all on my lonesome..."

"Oh, stop it. We can take yours in as we take theirs out, crybaby." Twilight whipped back around to Bright. "Sunset and I will be happy to help."

"Awesome," they replied. "So there’s the famous Sunset Shimmer in the flesh."

Sunset strode over to shake their hand. "Hi Bright, great to finally meet you in person! Would you mind grabbing one of the suitcases from the back? If Twilight grabs the other and I carry the terrarium we should be done in one go."

"Yeah, no sweat. My driver's about 8 minutes out, so I should have enough time." Bright and Twilight walked over to the trunk as Sunset unlocked it with her keys, then removed the straps securing the terrarium to the car seat and carefully grasped it.

"Alright, Ray, let's get you inside!" Sunset beamed as her beloved leopard gecko stirred from its slumber and looked into her eyes.

It took a few minutes to find a good place to stick the terrarium, but, afterwards. the couple grabbed the rest of Bright's stuff, carried it down to the curb and waved them goodbye. The pair then darted back into the room so Sunset could feed Ray while Twilight made sure she had all her winter garb. Just a few minutes later, they were off.

Sunset couldn't think of a less appealing idea at the moment than getting back into a car, and Twilight hadn't been sure how much available parking there would be anyway or how much it cost, so it was a no-brainer that they would simply walk across campus, with the festival just a short ways away from the edge of the grounds. The college courtyards were just as illuminated as the city streets had been, with bright lights strung all around and a number of art installations brilliantly decorated. Sunset marveled at the sight.

"I don't think I've gotten to walk around this place since your orientation, but it just feels so completely different at night and with all these lights," Sunset said. "It's magnificent."

"That's awesome, Sunset. I wish I could see it through your eyes, I honestly feel a bit numb to all the decorations already. The whole campus, to some extent."

"Really? I can't say I feel that way about CrysArts."

"...I mean sure, but you're at an art school, I'm sure they have something new and interesting all the time! Especially with Pinkie there."

"Well, I don't know- hey, how'd the video chat with everyone go? I was so disappointed I didn't make it for that!"

"Oh!" Twilight paused, her eyes darting around; Sunset noticed, frowning. "Well, I mean, it was... fine, it was good, everyone said hi, Rarity and Fluttershy asked about you. Applejack was picking up an extra shift so she wasn't there, but Pinkie talked about heading back to Canterlot early and making her playlists and stuff, and... yeah!"

Sunset was quiet for a moment as they trudged through the snow past the edge of campus into an adjacent park. "That's all?"

"Yeah, I mean, it ended kinda suddenly, we started kinda late and then Rarity and Pinkie both had to leave to do stuff with their friends, and, well, then it was just me, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and they clearly just wanted to be with each other and, um, I didn't want to get in the way or anything, and plus I was trying to keep an eye out for you, so I just, well, I said bye and let them go hang out together!" She laughed nervously as Sunset's confusion morphed into concern.

"So... you just left? Did they ask you to go?"

"No, no, I mean they would never say that out loud, you know them, but I mean it just seemed kinda obvious I'd be the third wheel and, uh... Maybe you're right. I shouldn't have left. That was dumb, that was stupid, that was... ugh!"

Sunset stretched her arm across Twilight's back, snagging her by the shoulder and pulling the girl to her side. "Hey, it's okay, Twi. It's a bit of an awkward situation, I get it! I just wanna make sure you did that because you wanted to and not that you felt like you had to."

Twilight looked glum. "I'm not sure, honestly."

Sunset planted a kiss on Twilight's cheek, and could feel her the tension in her girlfriend ease considerably. "Hey, we don't have to talk about it right now. I can see the lights!"

At Sunset's words, Twilight looked up to behold the enchanting glow of the Crystal City Winter Light Festival. She turned to Sunset with a grin on her face. "Race ya."

Sunset barely had an instant to register what Twilight said before the purple girl darted across the park toward the glow. "Hey, wait!" she cried as she bolted to catch up.

The two raced up a gradual incline, leaving boot marks scattered across the pristine snowscape before eventually reaching a short cliff overlooking the festival. Twilight had a few extra seconds to admire the sight before Sunset staggered up behind her, panting like a dog.

"Geez," Twilight mused, "I thought I was the one who was supposed to be bad at athletics. Don't you go running most mornings?"

"Har har, Twi," Sunset gasped in between deep breaths. "You can't just throw an uphill sprint at me, I'm a distance runner."

"Whatever you say," Twilight laughed, which earned her a punch in the shoulder. "Ow."

"You deserved that."

"Yeah, I did," said Twilight, still laughing. Sunset straightened herself, strode forward and stood next to Twilight, admiring the view. She laid a hand on her girlfriend's shoulder to calm her down before she got hiccups.

"It's really beautiful, Twi."

"I'm glad you think so." Twilight and Sunset turned their faces toward each other at the same time and, without a conscious thought, kissed each other full on the lips. Sunset grasped Twilight's waist and pulled her into a warm, wonderful embrace. Their heads drew back and they beamed at each other.

"You're pretty beautiful too, y'know."

Twilight smirked. "What'd I ever do to deserve such a corny girlfriend?"

"Well, I was gonna say you're breathtaking, but I think the sprint already took care of that."

Twilight shoved Sunset away. "You're AWFUL!"

Even as she recovered from the unexpected push, Sunset couldn't help but laugh at her own terrible jokes. Said laughter soon proved contagious, and Twilight fell into a fit of laughter herself, trudging back over to Sunset and holding on to her.

Sunset managed to pull herself together from her fit of giggles faster than Twilight, looking out over the brilliant festival lights. She could just make out the shapes of the individual displays; there was a huge tunnel at the center, and she also found Santa's sleigh and reindeer, a snowman, a large rainbow, an oddly-shaped horse, a dragon, a...

Sunset stopped and looked back at the horse as Twilight composed herself. That doesn't really look like a horse. The head shape is all wrong, the mane is weird and... hold on. Is that... a horn? WAIT...

"IS THAT AN EQUESTRIAN UNICORN DOWN THERE?"

"What? Where?" Twilight asked as she adjusted her glasses.

"RIGHT THERE!" Sunset grabbed Twilight and physically repositioned her to the direction of her finger. "The one in the bright orange lights! It's, it's... oh horseapples, IT'S ME!"

Twilight's eyes scanned until she saw where Sunset was poiting. She chuckled. "Whaaaaat? No it's not!"

"It is! At least it's supposed to be! They must have gotten it from one of those rotten cruise ship blabbermouths. My unicorn body is not in the public domain!"

"Oh come on, that's not what your mane looked like at all! If you turned those lights white and purple, you could just as easily say that's Rarity."

"Grrrrrrrrrr...."

"Easy, tiger, let's calm down a bit," Twilight cooed as she put a hand on her lover's shoulder. But to no avail -- Sunset had looked over and spotted something else.

"There's another one! Another unicorn! But wait... that one has wings! An alicorn? Is that supposed to be Princess Twilight?" She peered closer. "But those are butterfly wings! That's ridiculous! What pony has ever had butterfly wings? What bonehead-"

She was cut off when Twilight suddenly grabbed her by the arm and yanked her forward, and they both slid down the slight embankment that deposited them just in front of the parking area. Twilight grinned sheepishly at her irate girlfriend. "Sorry, but you'd have gone on all night if I'd let you."

"Alright, alright..."

"Come on, maybe it'll seem better in person. Let's go!" And with that they dashed toward the entrance.

Tunnel of Love

Once inside the festival, it took spectacularly little time for Twilight to find an activity booth offering a free scavenger hunt challenge to all attendees. There were 16 items on the list to find, and a reward was offered for completing the challenge. Sunset was more interested in just leisurely wandering around the festival snapping pictures, but Twilight looked like a kid in a candy store when she got her hands on the sheet of paper. Sunset bemusedly agreed to indulge her girlfriend's desire, since most of the items on the list were simply finding the different light displays; she'd spotted about half from the hillside earlier.

What Sunset hadn't counted on was Twilight operating on overdrive, hurtling from display to display as she methodically crossed out each item on the list and leaving her lover positively winded trying to keep up. It took until about the 12th item before Twilight noticed Sunset practically keeling over against a lamppost.

"Don't... mind me... Twi... I'll... catch up."

"No, Sunset, of course we can stop! I'm sorry! I just got so carried away with this whole scavenger hunt thing, It's a very amateurish set of items, naturally, but it's just such a neatly organized list, I mean I have to admire the work that went into designing and crafting this. It follows the layout of the park so smoothly, and sprinkles in just enough of the hard items to keep it from feeling too simple, and-"

"You would... find... a list... more exciting... than all these intricate... masterfully crafted... light displays... wouldn't you... you nerd..."

"Shut UP!"

Twilight grabbed Sunset's arm and pulled her over to an empty bench nearby, then ran off to a food stand across the pathway. She came back with two hot chocolates with whipped cream, a large bottled water and a cinnamon-coated elephant ear.

"The water's for you, I'll give you the hot chocolate when they cool a bit. I figured we could split this," she said, motioning to the tasty treat. "You've eaten dinner, right? I can get more if you haven't."

"Yeah, I ate some stuff in the car on the way over, I'm good." Sunset opened up the water and downed the whole thing in just a few gulps. She messily tore off a chunk of the elephant ear, managing to fling some cinnamon sugar right into her eyes. "Ack!"

"What's wrong? Oh no, did you get some in your eye?" Twilight exclaimed as Sunset dropped the pastry onto her lap and started frantically rubbing her face. Twilight scooped up the chunk and used a napkin to wipe off some of the butter that had leaked.

"I think I got most of it," Sunset said as she continued gingerly rubbing her right eye. "Really wish I hadn't finished that water so quickly though."

"I mean it couldn't have been that much, I can't imagine it would get inflamed or anything. Should I take you to first aid?"

"What? No. I'm fine, really."

"Hold on a sec." Twilight darted back over to the food stand. She quickly came back with another bottle of water. “This should help.”

“Thanks.” Sunset flushed out her eye with some of the water and downed the rest. “Alright, I think I’m okay.”

She handed Sunset the ear back when she finished. "Sorry this has been such a bad date on your end."

"What?"

"I mean I've been running you ragged, pulled you down a cliff, made you carry my roommate's luggage -- and I even managed to screw up getting you a treat! Some girlfriend I am." She hung her head in shame, only to look up when Sunset put her hand on her back.

"Twilight Sparkle, getting to be alone with you is more than enough to make this not-a-bad date," Sunset declared with a smile. "And you're a wonderful girlfriend."

"Aw." Twilight blushed furiously. They finished up their snack, then each took a hot chocolate and stood up.

"You're sure you're good?" Twilight asked.

"Positive. Shall we?"

"We can just walk this time."

"Works for me."

They set off, now at a much calmer pace, with Twilight actually taking some time to admire the light displays. Sunset, meanwhile, pulled out her phone and started snapping photos, having to hold very still to get anything that wasn't just a smear of colored streaks. The final set of scavenger hunt items took them to the "Equestria-inspired" unicorns and dragons, and Twilight giggled through some more of Sunset's griping.

"...and believe me, I thought it was bad enough when we went to Equestrialand, but at least they were just ripping off the names and not much else. Should I hire a lawyer? I mean... oh wow, I think all those drinks went right through me. I'm gonna run to the restroom."

"Okay, I'll get the last item and meet you in front of the tunnel!"

A few minutes later, Sunset could see Twilight waiting in front of the festival's centerpiece, a huge tunnel composed of numerous semicircular rings of bright light, with each adjacent ring being a different color. Connecting the rings were numerous rows of dimmer bulbs. The effect was spectacular, and the reflection off of the snow made it even better. Twilight was looking into the interior when Sunset gave her a tap on her shoulder.

"Ready to go inside?" she asked with a smile.

"You know it!" Twilight beamed.

They strode under the first ring and let the visual effect of being inside wash over them. It was amazing. It was getting near closing time and a weeknight, so relatively few people were in there with them. As they neared the center, Sunset heard Twilight whispering "wow" and smiled.

"Wow indeed."

"Huh? Oh, haha, you heard?"

"No, I was just saying to myself, 'wow, indeed, I do have the prettiest girlfriend in the world.'"

Twilight giggled. "Stop it."

"Stop having the prettiest girlfriend in the world? I don't know, that sounds kinda tough. I mean I suppose I could have Rarity do some makeup work on my face and design some new stuff for me so that you have the prettiest girlfriend in the world, but even then I'd probably have to knock you into the muck around Sweet Apple Acres a few times just to get you even close on the rating scale."

"Did you just find a way to mix a physical threat into your corny flirting? And have it still work anyway?"

She burst into laughter and leaned over onto Sunset, inadvertently shaking off her glasses in the process. Sunset, in turn, reached around Twilight with both hands, putting them both on her left shoulder and planting a firm kiss on Twilight's cheek.

"What can I say? Guess there's still a bit of villainy in me after all."

"Can't believe I'm dating such a ruffian. What will my parents say?" Twilight asked as she reached down to pick up her glasses.

"Oh, like we haven't all blown up parts of our high school from time to time."

"Shut UP!"

Twilight whirled around to face Sunset, revealing to each other that they both had the same giddy grin on their faces. They stared deeply into each other's eyes, then leaned forward. Their lips met, and it was paradise.

"Congratulations on completing the Crystal City Winter Light Festival official scavenger hunt," Twilight read off a new piece of paper while standing at the activity booth. "This coupon hereby entitles you to 15% off any single-item purchase at the Sugarcube Coffee Spot, located in scenic downtown Crystal City."

She looked over and noticed Sunset starting to fume. Worried for the well-being of the booth attendant, Twilight thanked him and hastily pushed Sunset off to the side.

"15% off one item at some coffee shop?" Sunset shouted. "That's a worse deal than that sushi truck that led us on a wild goose chase with a treasure map at the beach last year! And I didn't nearly get dehydration from doing that!"

"I mean, what did you expect? They can't exactly verify that we didn't just stand off to the side somewhere and check off every item. And anyone can do the challenge -- they can't give everyone who participates a grand prize."

"Hrrrrrrmmmmmmmm......"

"Let's just go, they're about to close and it is pretty late already."

".......fine. I just don't want them cheating you out of anything."

"I'm okay, Sunset! Really! I've been to that shop before, they have good stuff."

"Alright, alright... uh, sure, yeah, I'm ready to head out when you are. Just let me snap one last photo..." She did so, then pulled up her Ponygram as they stepped out into the empty parking lot.

"Uploading already?"

"I haven't gotten to post anything in a while. And I told one of my classmates I was coming here earlier and he said I could never get a decent photo of the lights with my phone. He's about to learn that he owes me 10 dollars..."

"Ah."

They walked along quietly for a bit as Sunset continued uploading on their way back to campus. "I haven't noticed you post in quite a while," she commented. "No fun science experiments to show off? I used to love those videos you did in your lab."

"Oh! Uh, no, I guess I just, well, yeah, no. Haven't had much time to think about that stuff. It's not like anyone would be interested anyway."

Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Twilight seized up. "Well, I mean, of course I know you'd be interested, and maybe some people from back home -- you're right, I should probably take you all into consideration more -- but I don't know if anyone at CrysTech would find it all that exciting. I mean there's loads more cool stuff happening here all the time than anything that I could really do on my own."

"Well, sure you might not be doing the most advanced exciting project on campus, but that doesn't mean no one would be interested in anything you're working on -- you've built autonomous robots! Magic-detecting scanners and collection devices! And... wait, on your own? You're not doing science stuff with any of your friends here?"

Twilight suddenly felt the urge to crawl into a hole and bury herself. "I... uh... uhm, well, I..." She sensed Sunset lay a hand on her shoulder.

"Twi..."

"I haven't made any friends here, okay!" she yelled suddenly as Sunset drew back in surprise. She sniffled as her voice lowered. "Nothing... nothing real. Nothing like Canterlot. Just a lot of casual acquaintances who... don't care that much about doing anything with me."

She looked over at Sunset, tears starting to run down her eyes. "You've all been so good at adapting, at making new friends at your schools, building lifelong bonds... but I can't. I got lucky once, three years ago. But now I'm afraid it's just gonna turn into Crystal Prep all over again..."

Sunset stepped over to the crying girl and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Twi... it's okay. I'm here. It's okay. Let's... let's get you back to the dorm, okay? We'll talk there, out of the cold." She drew back, then watched as Twilight nodded. "Okay then. Let me hold your hand. We'll walk together."

And together they walked across the snowcapped courtyard toward the dorms.

Walls Coming Down

As Twilight sat down on her bed, blowing into a tissue, Sunset opened the roof of the terrarium and extended her arm inside. Twilight watched as Sunset opened her palm gently, allowing Ray to crawl onto it, then lifting it up and gently walking over to sit down beside her.

"Ray wants to say hi."

"Oh?" Twilight looked over to see the spotted yellow creature. She extended her own open hand and allowed the lizard to clamber onto it, giggling as she felt its feet against her skin. Ray quickly ascended Twilight's sleeve and perched on her shoulder.

"All hail mighty Ray," declared Sunset, "king of all he surveys. He shall be Lord of the Dormitory and associated territories, and all who do not submit to his authority shall be banished forthwith!"

"If only I could actually see him from here. I don’t want to move my head and spook him, though."

"Well, watch out, you might get your wish. I think he’s trying to climb onto your face there."

"Ack!" Twilight jolted as the feeling of reptile against flesh suddenly resumed as Ray started to clamber on to her neck. Quickly, she raised her other hand and held it aloft for Ray to climb onto. Once done, she angled it back over to Sunset's open palm, into which the lizard jumped. Sunset carried him back to the terrarium, closed the roof and sat back down.

"So..." Sunset started, but Twilight quickly interrupted.

"I miss Spike."

"How's he doing?"

"He's fine, I mean we talk almost every day. My parents will never be used to the fact that he talks, he's gotten into the habit of pretending to be more like a normal dog around them to keep them comfortable. So he contacts me a lot to vent. It's exhausting, honestly, but it keeps him happy. But it's still not the same as having him here. You're lucky to have such a little friend in Ray..."

"Yeah. Spike used to call me too a few times early on, but it's been a while."

"I mean I can't wait to see him again. I can't wait to see all our friends in person. Visit the shelter with Fluttershy, help Pinkie make a soufflé, get in a snowball fight with Rainbow Dash, help Applejack get rid of Flim & Flam again, collect some of Rarity's this-old-things... but knowing how desperate I am to get back to that just makes me feel like even more of a failure here at CrysTech."

Sunset was oddly silent. After a moment, Twilight asked, "You're not going to try and tell me I'm wrong?"

"Twi..." Sunset looked somberly at her. "There's plenty of things I could try and say to you right now. But I've been in conversations like this before. Usually on your end, so I know just how uncomfortable this can be. I'm not going to ask you to say anything you don't want to... but I think it's important for me to hear everything you want me to know before I try to offer advice. I don't want to just give you a useless platitude -- or worse, a genuinely bad suggestion that doesn't solve anything.

"This is important to me, Twi. You're important to me. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me so you can, I dunno, be a better girlfriend or something. All of this -- everything about us -- started with friendship, and just because we're dating doesn't mean you're not still my best friend."

"I... I understand. I'll do my best to explain. I have to ask, though; why not just use your power? Why not just read my memories?"

"Because reading you isn't the same as learning from you. If I know the kinds of things I'm looking for when I try to read someone, that's all I'm going to find. No nuance, just a skewed picture that I might use to wrongly convince myself that everything's alright, or that all of my darkest fears are true. Trying to get a... holistic picture is incredibly difficult. And it's not honest, either. I don't want things between us now to ever be like Camp Everfree where I had to look into your mind to find out what was going on. I want you to have the chance to decide what's important for me to know."

"I suppose you're right."

"Also, my gem hasn't really been operating at full strength since the seven of us left Canterlot and split up, so I couldn't really do that even if I wanted to."

"Uh huh," Twilight replied, feeling a smirk cross her face.

"Hey, I said even if!"

"Sure. Um... all right. Uh.... well, remember when, uh, Pony-Me talked to us about the first time she met her versions of our friends, and how before then she never thought friendship was very important?"

"Yeah?"

"Well... I was never like that." Twilight swallowed. "I always wanted to have friends. My parents raised me to believe that it was smart, and important, to be social as well as intellectual. So when I first started attending school, I really did try to make friends. But I just couldn't connect with people. It's not that I was uninterested in the things most people liked, but I was just... never interested enough. So I ended up an outcast pretty early on. And when I started to get more desperate to try to make people like me, well, that's right about when the bullying started. So I just gave up. And by the end, even the principal was stepping all over me and making me do things I didn't want to do.

"Meeting all of you was the best thing that ever happened to me, full stop. And I learned an incredible amount about being a friend, a true friend, and the joy it brought me is, like I told Pinkie once, unquantifiable. But I can't say I ever truly learned how to make friends. I came to CHS with the biggest 'in' in the world -- everyone knew my face. Everybody remembered a version of me they'd already met and liked, even if she isn't truly me. And having the six of you to back me up, even after what happened at the Games, made it all the easier for people to accept me."

She sniffled before continuing. "But I never truly realized how easy I'd had it until I came here, alone. For a while I thought I'd at least have Micro Chips as a familiar face, but then he suddenly took that gap year internship... and when I tried to start making friends here, I realized I was floundering just like in Crystal Prep, and all I was getting was, like I said before, a bunch of acquaintances who weren't that interested in me. Even Bright Blaze took weeks to really be able to start casually talking to me, and we sleep in the same room! And then I got so busy with schoolwork, and I didn't want to go to parties where I was never comfortable... and even when I tried joining clubs that I thought would have more like-minded people, I would, well, I'd freak out, because someone would always recognize me from the band, or that movie, or a news story... or worse, the one guy who kept asking about the online rumors he'd read about 'The Devils of Canterlot High'." She nodded somberly as Sunset cringed.

"So I just had to retreat. Again. I feel like I have to keep my head down, or things will just get worse like they did before. And watching the rest of you just get out there and make friends so easily, it... I really, truly hate to say this, but it feels like salt in the wound. But then I always feel so horrible for even thinking that way about the rest of you... it’s awful. And at least at Crystal Prep I still had Spike..." Tears welled up in her eyes and her resolve crumbled, and her body slumped forward as she tossed her glasses onto the bed and tried to stem the flow of liquid. Sunset wrapped her left arm around Twilight's torso and pulled her into another embrace.

"Twi... I..." There was an audible tremble in Sunset's voice. "Why didn't you tell me about any of this?"

"Because... because I should be able to handle this myself. I need to learn how to do this. I thought about telling you, more than once. But every time I tried to picture how, it just felt so pathetic. I shouldn't have to go running to my girlfriend and my high school friends every time I need to fix my social problems. It's not fair to them, or to you."

Sunset withdrew from the hug, tense. "Twi, I don't care about what's fair or not! You know what's not fair to me? Having to learn you were hurting for months because you didn't trust me to respect your problems or take you seriously! That's unfair!"

More tears gushed out of Twilight. "I'm sorry..., please don't hate me..."

"Oh, no, Twi please..." Sunset pulled her partner into another hug. "I'm not angry at you, I don't want this to be a fight. I'm just so upset I had to learn this way... I just got so frustrated hearing you say that because I've let the same thing happen to me before. I should have been able to see it..." She rubbed Twilight's back as the purple girl shuddered against her body. "I'm still here for you. Please believe me."

"I'm so sorry..." The words were muffled by sobs. Twilight convulsed and continued to cry as Sunset sat quietly. After a few minutes, she started to calm down, but she kept her face buried in Sunset's damp shirt.

"For what it's worth, Twi, you're not alone. I haven't been having the easiest time making friends at school either."

Twilight pulled back, her raw eyes looking deeply into Sunset's. "You...? But you're so natural with everyone... "

"I don't find it that hard to make casual conversation with people, you're right. But there's a difference between being able to have a nice chat with someone and making a real connection. And... I don't know. I haven't had much luck with those lately. There's really only about three or four people I hang out with with any regularity, besides Pinkie, and I wouldn’t call any of them close friends. And even with Pinkie, our schedules make it tough to find time. It doesn't help that, like you mentioned, a lot of people are sorta aware of who I am, so everyone finds it either awkward to approach me or too easy to approach me. Be glad it's just one guy at your school who's into the whole 'devil-vestigation' thing."

Sunset took off her gem and fondled it between her fingers. "I've actually had to stop wearing this a lot of the time. When it's at 'reduced capacity' like this, and I can't focus its power, it operates very subtly. And when I would talk to people, a lot of times they'd get really uncomfortable because I'd read some of their feelings without realizing it, and they found it uncanny."

Twilight nodded. "But... but you're okay?"

"I'd be lying if I didn't say I miss the kind of companionship we've all had at Canterlot. But I'm accustomed to being alone, too, and I can carry myself pretty well without it. It can even feel a little freeing, sometimes, to not feel bound to social obligations all the time. But that's partly because I know that, at the end of the day, I still have all my old friends. And you. But Twi... this is eating you alive. I can see it in your eyes. I could feel your turmoil, even at the festival. I'd hoped I was exaggerating things in my mind and you just needed a pick-me-up, but… I think we really needed to have this talk. This kind of loneliness can be dangerous, Twilight. Being invisible is… bad for the psyche."

They both looked downward in silence for a few moments.

"So..." Twilight finally spoke. "What do we do now?"

"Well... the truth is, Twi, I don't have a good solution for you off the top of my head. Because in order for that to be true, I'd need to have one for myself, and clearly I don't." Sunset looked up into Twilight's expectant eyes. "But I think, with the time we'll have together in Canterlot, with friends who know a thing or two about this..." Her lips formed into a wry smile. "I think we'll figure something out.

"But I really, really need you to remember," she went on, "that we’re all still here for you, ready to listen and help. I’m still here for you, and I'm going to keep being the best girlfriend I can be for you. And I hope that’ll be enough to make sure that this will never be Crystal Prep all over again for you."

Twilight nodded, then looked up and, amazingly, smiled. "Can I kiss you?"

"Of course."

With that, Twilight scooted over and practically climbed into Sunset's lap, wrapping her arms around her partner's midsection and meeting Sunset's lips with her own. She felt life breathing back into her as she ran her fingers through Sunset's hair, the warmth of Sunset's breath filling her with a rush of joy and the feeling of their mutual embrace supercharging that inner flame that had burned bright within her since the day the two of them had confessed their feelings for each other.

They stayed like that for some time before eventually pulling apart and laying down next to each other, Twilight reaching over to put her glasses back on.

“I love you so much,” Sunset said softly.

"Me too." Twilight laid back for a moment, breathing calmly and listening to Sunset doing likewise. "Can I make one more request?"

"Yes?"

"Remember that song you sang at the Starswirl Festival? That acoustic piece?"

"'Let It Rain'?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if you could play it for me?"

"Sure. Let me just go get my guitar." She jumped off the bed as Twilight sat up, staring at her as she set up with eager anticipation.

Author's Note

Everything feels like it's just too much
But you gotta let it in, even if it's tough
Know it gets better, know it gets better,
We push through the weather, weather
Let it rain!

Christmastime is Here

Sunset had finished the song, but Twilight kept watching as she continued playing instrumentally, weaving soothing melodies that helped further relieve Twilight's stress. After a few minutes, she noticed Sunset was definitely playing a real song, but she didn't recognize it.

"What's that you're playing?"

"Honestly, I don't know the name of it. It's an instrumental Hearth's Warming melody I used to hear a lot growing up. It never meant much to me growing up; the holiday itself never meant much to me, either. But something about tonight really brought it back to me." She stopped playing and looked up. "I'm so glad I can be here, Twilight. Putting everything else about what's going on in our lives and what we've been talking about aside... I've just missed you. So much."

"Me too, Sunset."

Sunset stood up and put her guitar back in the case, laying it on top of the bed. She stopped for a moment. "Bright gave permission for me to use their bed, right?"

"Yeah."

"Can I..." She grabbed the leg of the bed and pulled; it barely budged. "Hmmph. Any chance you can levitate this?"

"To be next to mine? I can try, but uh, my gem's been pretty weak too, lately. The best I can manage is a couple seconds, and usually not for anything big."

"Ummmm... here, let me hold your arm. Maybe if you have a direct connection to another gem it'll strengthen yours." She strode over to the side of Bright's bed as Twilight stood up, picked up a few items in the way and walked to her. Sunset grasped her arm and, as Twilight began to use the gem's power, she could feel it was stronger than she'd become used to. Bright's bed rose a few centimeters and shifted slightly towards them to avoid colliding with the dresser, then gently floated across the room. Twilight was able to set it down next to her own, still misaligned slightly out of necessity, just before she started to lose control. She then lifted her own bed and moved it to match the other's position.

"I got it!"

"That's amazing!"

"Just don't let me forget we need to move it back before we leave. I won't be able to do it alone later."

"Sure thing." They walked over and plopped down onto now much larger bed space. "How much longer did you want to stay up?"

"Ummmmm..." Twilight looked over at her clock. "It's only just past 11. I can probably stay up an hour or two if you want."

"Excellent. I've got the perfect thing to end the night on a good note. Well, sorta." Sunset walked over to one of her bags and started to rummage through it. "It's my Christmas present for Rainbow Dash, but I thought you'd really appreciate this too, so you're getting a sneak peek."

"Ooooooohh... what could it be?" Twilight asked with wonder.

"Ta-da!" Sunset shouted as she unveiled a videotape. "It's a bootleg copy of The Daring Do Christmas Special!"

Twilight looked perplexed. "Daring Do Christmas special? I don't remember a Daring Do Christmas special."

"That's because the powers that be don't want you to remember it! It was the last-ditch effort by the production company that made the old Daring Do serials to keep the film rights to the character from being reclaimed by the Yearling family, and it was such an embarrassment that they only aired it a single time and it now only exists as bootleg tapes you can find at fan conventions!"

Twilight gasped. "Oh, I have heard of this! I didn’t think it was real! This is that thing where they spend half the special focusing on an ape family and there aren't any subtitles!"

"Yep, and it only gets weirder from there! It's the reason that, when A.K. Yearling took over the book series, she was so protective of it that they could only make that first movie we were in with her stringent oversight. There was a Daring Do fan event on campus a few weeks ago and I found a stand that had a couple of these to sell -- I couldn't believe it, but I made sure to grab it! Rainbow's gonna love having this for her collection..."

"I'm sure, but... how are we gonna watch it? I don't have a tape player in here."

"Oh don't worry, I only pulled out the tape for show. I snooped around the A/V department and got some help making a digital copy of the tape. I can just cast it to your TV!"

"I'll make the popcorn, there's a kitchen down the hall," Twilight said as she stood up. "How long is it?"

"About 90 minutes."

"Bed afterwards?"

"Sure thing, I'm a little tired but I do really want to see this for myself."

"Definitely."

The two of them spent the rest of the evening alternating between uproarious laughter or quiet, abject horror as they watched the monstrosity of The Daring Do Christmas Special unfold before them, with each making sure to steal a few smooches along the way. As the questionably-cast version of Daring Do restored the gem that gave Santa his magic before breaking into a baffling musical number, they turned and smiled goofily at each other before sharing a passionate kiss.

During the last of the special's numerous commercial breaks filled with vintage cheesy goodness, Sunset looked over and noticed Twilight struggling to stay awake. "There's not much left," she whispered. "If you need to go to bed, go to bed."

"Yeah, I think I will." She kissed Sunset on the cheek. "Good night." She changed clothes and crawled under her covers as the ape family ended the special with a bizarre physical comedy routine.

Sunset shut off the TV and looked over at Twilight, who was already asleep and snoring quietly. She crept over to her bag, took out some pajamas and quietly went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came back, Twilight had rolled over onto her side, facing the other bed. Sunset got under her covers and smiled as she watched the sleeping girl.

"Good night, Twilight. Sweet dreams."

Twilight slowly opened her eyes and blinked. It was just past 8 in the morning; light was creeping in through the blinds. She was still on her side and, directly across from her, Sunset was still asleep, facedown in her pillow, sawing like a log, with undignified drool staining the pillowcase around her. She stifled a laugh at the sight. I'm definitely going to have to wash that before we leave.

She rolled over onto her back and let herself get lost in thought for a few minutes before she heard the noise start to fade, eventually dropping to a small whisper. "Twi?"

"I'm up. Kinda."

"How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, really. Better than I have since finals started. It seemed like you were sleeping okay, too!"

"Yeah, no, I had a really nice dream. Still getting used to those. I can't remember it very well, though. You were in it."

"Well, no wonder it was so nice." Twilight smirked.

"Ugh," Sunset groaned, "I thought I was supposed to be the corny one."

"Oh, I'm not even halfway into your league."

"Too bad this isn't one of the timelines where you made your 'deja v-you' joke at the Starswirl Festival so I can hold that one over you forever."

"You've been doing that anyway. And I still say you made it up, I'd never say anything as ridiculous as that."

Sunset lifted up the covers and crawled over to Twilight's bed. "Are you calling me a liar?" she asked, priming her fingers for a severe tickling.

"No! Nononono please don't, I'm sorry! I need to go to the bathroom, don't!"

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook this time." She sat back and watched as Twilight got up and darted to the back, closing the door behind her.
When Twilight returned, Sunset was sitting calmly on the bed, a warm smile on her face. "So..." Twilight began to ask as she stepped back over and sat, facing her. "Was there anything special you had in mind for our one full day here?"

"Well..." Sunset smiled warmly. "I'm not sure if you remember, but... today is the 6-month anniversary of our first date."

"What?! No way!"

"Are you surprised it's been six months, or that it's only been six months?"

"I'll get back to you on that."

"Uh huh. Anyway..." Sunset stood up and crouched, pulling something out from the bed. "In honor of the occasion, I decided to give you your Christmas presents early."

"Sunset, you don't have to... wait, presents plural? As in more than one?"

"You'll see."

"Well, now I'm just gonna look inadequate on Christmas. Especially when you already kinda gave me Rainbow Dash's present already. You better not give me anything for my birthday next month..."

"No promises. Here, open this," Sunset said, handing her a box wrapped in shining green paper with a bow on top. Twilight tore it open and pulled up the flaps on the cardboard box, revealing...

"Is this a music box? Did you make this?"

"I told you I was doing a shop class, right? Well, this was one of our projects, and I decided to hold on to this one. It’s not very ornate or anything, but it’s functional."

"Does it have a song?"

"Open it up!"

Twilight opened the lid and saw the mechanisms inside go to work. A familiar voice started to sing alongside a piano background.

"Nothing stays the same for long,
But when it changes doesn't mean it's gone,
Time will always get away
As it leaves behind another day"

As Fluttershy's lyrics took over, Twilight paused, closing the lid. "I know that’s ‘Friendship Through the Ages’, but… that wasn't the Princess singing just now. That was you!"

Sunset nodded. "Rainbow Dash helped me re-record the part over video chat. It doesn't mix very well with the professionally-recorded stuff they did if you listen to it on clean audio, but it sounds good enough for this. I did ask for Princess Twilight's permission before doing it, and she was happy to say yes. I honestly wasn't sure how quickly you'd notice, we have weirdly similar singing voices."

"What? No you don't! I have the exact same voice as her, and I don't sound like you when I sing!"

"That's because I've normally been pitching my singing voice lower on purpose ever since my first performance with the Rainbooms. It got too uncanny otherwise."

"That's ridiculous... but thank you. Thank you so much, this is amazing."

Sunset went on. "No problem, Twilight. But anyway, the Princess and I were chatting for a little while after I asked her about that and she came up with the idea for another thing I could give you. So really, this is her present to you." She pulled out the second, unwrapped item from under the bed and handed it to Twilight.

"Sunset... this is your two-way interdimensional communication journal!"

"It is. And when we get back to Canterlot, she's going to drop one off just like it at the portal, for you. It'll give you the ability to talk to her, her Spike, Starlight Glimmer... you can talk to them casually, of course, but you'll also have all the resources of the School of Friendship at your disposal. I hadn't meant it specifically for that purpose -- I was thinking more about your scientific and magic-science pursuits -- but I can't deny just how fortunate the timing is after last night. And if you want to bring me into the conversation, there's a new mechanism for connecting to my journal that she'll explain."

Twilight gasped and threw her arms around Sunset. "That's amazing! 24/7 access to another world and its knowledge?! I can't thank you enough! Or her enough! Or... aaaaaaahhh!" She squeezed Sunset tightly.

"Twi... can't breathe..."

Twilight's grip relaxed. "Oops, sorry. I just... wow. Thank you. I'll put it to good use."

"I know you will." She leaned forward and they kissed for a moment.

"We should probably, y'know, brush our teeth and stuff," Twilight giggled.

"Hey!"

"I said we!"

"Yeah yeah..." Sunset stepped over to the window and opened the blinds. "Wow."

Twilight stepped beside her. There had been some more snow during the night; it looked gorgeous. "It's all supposed to melt tonight, right?"

"I hope so, otherwise it's gonna be a rough drive back to Canterlot."

“Ooooof. I hope not. I love having this extra time with you, but I do really want to go back tomorrow and see everyone. And apologize in person to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy for how I was on the chat. I shouldn’t have let Rarity and Pinkie leaving to be with other friends get to me the way that I did.”

“Hey, it’ll be fine. If anyone gets having nerves, it’s Fluttershy. They’ll all understand.”

"You’re probably right, but I still want to. Also, I hope you don't mind, but I was still gonna save my present for you for Christmas Day. Partly because it's not, y'know, wrapped at all."

"That's perfectly fine, Twi. I can wait."

"I was thinking, after we shower and stuff, we could walk over to the Sugarcube Coffee Spot?"

"Yeah, wouldn't want to miss out on that amazing deal," Sunset said as she violently rolled her eyes.

"Sunset..."

"Of course we can go, Twi." She turned and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Twilight Sparkle."

"Merry Christmas, Sunset Shimmer."

And the two of them embraced as they stared out the window into the beautiful, snowcapped campus outside.

Epilogue: And A Happy New Year

As it turned out, the drive back to Canterlot was quite painless, and soon they were reunited with all their old friends. Twilight had a joyous reunion with Spike and, later, made her apologies to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, who, as Sunset expected, didn't think she'd done anything worth apologizing over. Sunset spent Christmas Eve and morning with Twilight and her family; in the afternoon, they had a gift exchange with their friends at Rarity's home. It was there that Twilight finally bequeathed Sunset with her present -- a large custom-designed smart terrarium for Ray with automated temperature control systems and food/water dispensers. As a bonus, Twilight revealed she had been recording video logs during the design and building process that she could now post. Sunset loved it.

Sunset explained Twilight's situation (and her own) to her friends, and Rainbow Dash and Rarity eagerly volunteered to provide some lessons and advice. Meanwhile, Princess Twilight's gift to her counterpart was delayed, as Sunset received a message explaining that she and her friends were managing a parasprite infestation that had threatened to destabilize Manehattan.

New Year's Eve soon arrived, with Rarity seizing the opportunity to hone her new skills acquired at the Zephyr Heights School of Fashion with special outfits for the occasion. Sunset noted a strong retro vibe in the designs, rather ironic for the occasion, which Rarity attributed to mysterious dreams she'd been having where she followed an aspiring singer around Lundyon several decades in the past.

Soon everyone had arrived at Pinkie Pie's, where Pinkie was surprisingly behind on party preparations; she explained that she'd been distracted setting things up for a last-minute guest. As the others started to wonder aloud who it could be, Twilight heard a noise from the stairs and twisted around just in time to see a familiar purple figure, dressed in casual winter clothing, descending towards them.

"Princess Twilight!" Sunset shouted, having followed her partner’s gaze to the staircase.

Sunset and Twilight didn't even have time to move as Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash charged the Princess, effusively greeting her as Pinkie bounced over behind them. The two just sat and smiled as the dimensional transient tried to politely fend off the swarm of friends and make her way to the living room where everyone had been gathered. She peered over towards the sitting couple, pleading for help with her eyes, and the resident Twilight obliged by gently levitating the five back to their seats with her newly re-empowered gem necklace as the newcomer strode over.

"Sorry, everyone, and thank you Twilight," the Princess said as the others cast glares in her counterpart's direction, "but I really couldn't get a word in edgewise! You have no idea how excited I am to see all of you after such a long time! I'm sure you're all wondering what I'm doing here, especially since I didn't contact Sunset beforehand..." She glanced at the redhead, who nodded expectantly. "...but I only just got back from our mission this afternoon and was in a bit of a rush. I was so focused on remembering to bring Twilight's journal that I completely neglected to write in my own!"

Her face fell. "And now that I say that out loud, I realize I should've brought presents for all of you..."

"Darling, you being here is more than present enough!" Rarity interjected.

"Thanks, Rarity. Anyway, I showed up here, and thankfully the portal provided me with a seasonally-appropriate wardrobe so I didn't freeze, but since I didn't have a way to contact anyone -- the new journal isn't connected to Sunset's yet -- I made my way over to Pinkie's place since I remembered where it was from before! And when Pinkie told me tonight was a big holiday celebration, we decided I should just meet everyone here and celebrate with you!"

"Oh, we're so honored!" Rarity cried, leaping out of her chair and wrapping the Princess in a bear hug.

"Darn tootin'," Applejack said as she joined in. Soon the rest of the group, including Sunset and Twilight, did likewise.

"Oh, if only you’d warned me you were coming, I had a gorgeous design in mind when I was working on Twilight’s dress that just didn’t fit her but would be perfect for you…"

"Oh my gosh, you guys, this party is gonna be so amazing!" Pinkie shouted. "Buuuuuuuut I still need help finishing setting stuff up! Can a couple of you go lay out the hors d'oeuvres in the kitchen while the rest of us set up the games?"

Twilight raised her hand. "I'll go handle the food!"

"Me too," Sunset shouted.

"Me three," echoed Twilight's voice from a different direction. The two whirled around to see Princess Twilight also volunteering to join them.

"You know how to lay out human hors d'oeuvres?" Twilight asked.

"Not really, but I don't know much about human games, either," the Princess giggled. "Besides, I haven't gotten to talk to either of you yet!"

"Great!" Sunset said. "We'll get the plates and food out and I can explain where to put everything. Let's go!"

The three of them walked over to the kitchen. After they each washed their hands, Sunset opened the cabinets to take out plates and trays, while Twilight started pulling various meats, cheeses, fruits and veggies out of the fridge. The Princess stood smiling behind the kitchen table, hands folded behind her back.

"I'm glad you made it over okay, but I wish you'd gone back and sent a message," Sunset exclaimed with polite astonishment. "You haven't walked on two legs in years, and I don't think you've ever been here when it's icy. My first winter here was rough."

Both Twilights snickered. "Wait, what?" the one with glasses exclaimed. "You never told me about that!"

"I got bruises! So many bruises! I thought dealing with ice on four legs was bad, but my first year with two was a nightmare!"

"Yeah, no, I slipped a few times and fell once," the Princess cut in. "Thankfully, I landed on my flank in some soft snow. I... I don't know why I was surprised to hear you mention walking on four legs. Sometimes even I kinda forget you aren't actually from here."

Sunset put the stacked plates on the table and started laying out trays. "I've been human over a quarter of my life, now. I barely think about being a pony unless I remember something specific from those days."

Twilight looked incredulously at Sunset as she started laying the food out on the table and motioning to the Princess what goes where. "You liar! The week before college, you made me come over with you to Equestria so you could get one last hayburger before you went too far from the portal!"

"Oh come on, that was just a food thing-"

"Hey, look at me, I'm Sunset Shimmer!" Twilight said in a ridiculous voice that made the Princess guffaw. "I dragged my girlfriend to another dimension even though it's always awkward for her because she looks like an idiot on four legs and everyone thinks she's a member of Equestrian royalty wearing a terrible disguise! And I did it all for a snack!"

"Hey, you thought they were tasty too!"

"That's not the point and you know it--"

"Stop, stop!" shouted the Princess, cackling like a hyena. "I didn't mean to get us so far off track like this!" The other two stared blankly at her, then looked at each other and burst into laughter themselves.

After a minute, they calmed down, and Sunset started to help the Princess put the food on the trays as Twilight finished getting it out of the fridge and cabinets.

"That would explain all the weird gossip I heard that month about me courting potential suitors though..." the Princess mused, as Sunset snorted and Twilight face-palmed.

A wonderful evening of snacks, games and even a raffle Pinkie had devised (the prize being a ticket alongside her to PostCrush — Sunset politely declined to participate due to an "overfamiliarity" with their concerts) passed and, as the final ten minutes of the year started to get underway, Princess Twilight sat down on the couch beside Sunset and Twilight as the others distributed party hats and poured Applejack's sparkling cider.

"It's such a strange concept to me, celebrating a new year like this," the Princess said. "I mean, in Equestria all it is is a date change. It doesn't carry any of the significance of the changing of the seasons, or the Summer Sun Celebration."

"I didn't get it very much at first either," Sunset replied. "But it makes more sense once you realize the rising of the sun and moon, the solstices and the equinoxes all happen by themselves here."

"And if you told me three years ago that there was a world where magic ponies controlled the movements of celestial bodies, I'd have called all of you nuts," Twilight snarked.

Sunset rolled her eyes for the Princess to see. "She says this, and then goes on and on about multiverse theory to me."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that!" Twilight grumbled.

The Princess laughed. "So... this will be your fifth year here, Sunset?"

"Sixth calendar year, but yeah. About five and a half years now."

"Wow... that's amazing. Choosing to live your life in another dimension, in another body even, because of the bonds you've made there... you're a testament to the strength of the magic of friendship, Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset smiled. "Well, not just friendship," she said, putting a hand on Twilight's knee.

The Princess giggled. "Of course. That too. But you've come so far, Sunset. Though I did find it funny when you said you'd chosen to focus on graphic design for your studies; you’ve been into that from the beginning, as I recall."

"Huh?" Sunset stared blankly until the lightbulb suddenly went off. "Oh. Right. I, uh, don't stand by my early efforts at photo manipulation."

The Princess laughed. "All in the past, obviously." She leaned past Sunset to look at Twilight. "I'm so glad you two have each other."

Twilight smiled. "Me, too."

"Pinkie offered to let me stay here for a few days. I was hoping maybe tomorrow morning I could come over and give you your journal? Sunset, too, so we can get them linked properly."

"Sure. I'll send Pinkie a message where to send you. I don't know how smart it is to bring you over to my house, I'm not sure how my parents would react to there suddenly being two of me."

"That's fine. Bring Spike, too, I haven’t seen him since the day we first met! And..." As Rainbow Dash shouted a two-minute warning for the new year, the Princess stood up and walked over to Twilight, kneeling on the floor in front of her and clasping her hand. "I've heard about your struggles at school, and I sincerely hope that I and the School of Friendship can provide whatever help you need. But I want you to be strong, and confident in yourself. I know you said I helped make it easy for you to make friends at CHS, but I wasn't the one who kept those friendships strong and powerful. You did that yourself. You're a true friend, Twilight Sparkle, and you're an amazing human being. I'm honored to share an identity with you, and I can't wait to hear what the future brings you."

Sunset glanced over to see Twilight smiling radiantly at the Princess, water welling up in her eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much. I... y-you're amazing t-too..."

Her eyes darted back to see the Princess smiled a warm smile in return. She stood up as Pinkie shouted a thirty-second warning. "Shall we join them?" the Princess asked.

Sunset and Twilight both stood, and the three of them walked over to where the other five were gathered in the glow of the TV. As the final ten seconds hit, all of them chanted, but Twilight and Sunset weren't looking at the screen; they were staring at each other, with Sunset putting a hand on her partner's cheek as tears of joy continued to slide down Twilight’s face. And where the others were shouting the final three numbers, they were practically whispering them.

As Pinkie, the Princess, Rarity and Applejack leapt into the air shouting Happy New Year while Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shared a joyous kiss, Sunset and Twilight pulled each other into their own euphoric osculation, the fireworks on the screen not even a scratch on those that coursed through them as they shared their first wonderful moments of the year with lips intertwined.

They eventually pulled their heads back to look at each other, without letting go of their bodies, as the cheering of the others went on. Sunset, gleaming, declared, "Happy New Year, Twi."

"And we'll make it our best year yet," Twilight replied, a jubilant smile stretched across her face.

"Without a doubt." And they leaned their heads in once again.