"Come on, come on, come on."
Sunset murmured to herself in agitation. Her eyes moved with her hands, passing along through her closet for suitable clothes to wear.
"No. No. No. Definitely not that."
She groaned. Why did her wardrobe have to be nothing but jeans and tank tops?
Otherwise, the few skirts she did have weren't right for a romantic evening in Mareis, and she had only a small selection of boots or tennis shoes for hoofwear.
Her fashion style lay firmly to the persuasion of goth, punk, rocker, and bad girl, not the kind that lent itself to dressing up fancy-like.
Rarity was better with that, obviously, even Twilight. Sunset harbored no doubts the alicorn of her dreams wouldn't be presenting in a gorgeous get-up that would put hers to shame.
She couldn't let that happen. Maybe someone like Rainbow could show up wearing nothing but a sports bra and nylon shorts, but she could do better than that.
She had to. She had to show Twilight she could set aside black leather jackets and ripped denims for a beautiful, sophisticated dress for her if no one else. Was it ridiculous she felt that way when she knew Twilight loved her exactly as she was? Absolutely, but love does funny things to the brain, like making one incredibly, impossibly dense.
"Aha!"
Sunset exclaimed in satisfaction as she found an item of passable quality. It was one of the few tops she owned that could at least marginally pass as pretty - a loose, flowing white blouse that showed off her neckline and collarbones. It wasn't much, but it would have to do. She exchanged her current, dirty teal tank for the blouse. The fabric was remarkably soft, and its looseness allowed her skin to breathe in a way she wasn't often used to.
'Maybe I wear jackets too much,' she reflected and searched for bottoms to pair with her top. Among the worn and torn jeans or yoga pants, she discovered a gift from Rarity given before she'd left Earth. They were a pair of jeans also, but skinny fit and designer-made with stitching at the flanks for her cutie mark.
Lastly, she picked out the least black or silver studded boots she owned. They were a dark sandy color going halfway up her calves, darker brown on the underside, and with half-inch heels. They were plain and not especially striking, but they looked decent, and that was what held importance.
She checked the time on her watch. She would have brought her phone from Earth for the convenience it provided, but she and Twilight had discovered any technology brought past the mirror would be rendered entirely non-functional. They intended to conduct further research on the subject at some point, but that was neither here nor there.
She had to go now. The clock was ticking.
She closed her eyes, brought her palms together, and interlaced her fingers. The motions weren't necessary for performing long-distance teleportation, but doing so, she'd noticed, made the trip go a lot smoother, at least for her. Her breaths came slow and steady, and once she was prepared, she summoned her mana.
Unlike Twilight, Sunset did not possess vast stores of magic to use whenever she needed. She'd be running her reserves dry, but it would be worth it to see the sparkle in those captivating amethyst eyes she'd fallen in love with.
Fortunately, what she lacked in raw power, she made up for with knowledge. Years of study under Princess Celestia was one advantage they both shared. From it, she'd gained a basic understanding of teleportation and what it did to the user. Speaking of.
Briefly, Sunset disappeared from existence.
Those not versed in the specifics of the field sometimes believed teleportation dematerialized a pony before rebuilding them somewhere else, effectively 'ending' the initial instance of the objects and persons teleported. This was not the case. Instead, they entered a sort of limbo, a higher dimension where time and space were trivial matters. There they could take something like an interdimensional ferry, shifting them from their origin point to their destination.
No, the thing Sunset hated about teleporting was the disorientation.
"Gugh."
She groaned as a river of ponies flowed around her. The streets of Mareis were busy in the afternoon, especially on a day like today. None of them particularly seemed to care about the mare's sudden appearance, and that was just fine with her. She had work to do.
While her magical migraine calmed itself down, she slipped between a couple storefronts to rest. The longer a distance traveled using teleportation, the worse a reaction it provoked, and Sunset had just hopped the distance of an entire ocean.
Once she felt sufficiently recovered, she slipped into the passing streams of tourists and city folk. A week ago, she had to come here personally to book a reservation - no internet in Equestria, after all - but at least that meant she knew where she was going. It also meant she didn't have to do math to work out her teleportation spell; she could just recall the location from memory and go there. Good, she thought, because she hated math.
She hadn't arrived quite where she wanted, but close enough. The Unieffel Tower spiraling into the distance made for a handy landmark, letting her know she was getting close. A few turns here, some twists there, and she was at the restaurant doors.
"Do you 'ave a reservation, ma'am?" a mare asked, her voice thick with a Prench accent.
"I do. It's under Sunset Shimmer for six o'clock." She paused. "How did you know I only speak Ponish?"
"Trust me, you lairn to spot zhese sairts of theengs." Glancing down at her clipboard, she waved Sunset forward. "In you go."
Sunset offered a helpless shrug, but followed as instructed. The sounds of conversation and crowds gave way to the ambiance of a fine dining establishment. Customers spoke in polite, moderate tones. Classical Mareopean music filled the space, played by a small troupe of live musicians, and from every direction, there was the quiet clink of wine glasses and forks to platters.
The second she set hoof to carpet, a waiter came around. He was dressed in the kind of clothing you might expect from such a restaurant - a white dress shirt, black bowtie, dress pants, and a black suit vest. He bowed, introduced himself as Silver Platter, and led her to a round table covered with a white cloth. A candle, gently burning yellow, flickered at its center.
She sat down and ordered a glass of water. She would need it, and the complimentary bread basket she was glad they provided, to survive what was coming.
Over the next couple hours, she systematically went through their menu. She got four appetizers, three entrees, and two desserts. It was to her great dismay the ever-increasing number she wrote on her napkin, but she reasoned with herself it was nowhere near as bad as it could be.
For one, she made sure she booked a fancy but sensibly priced restaurant. She despised rich people food, and it was the same on Earth or in Equestria - minuscule portions, obscene pricestamps, and a pitiful flavor profile you could barely detect made with ingredients that were rare for the sake of being rare. Maybe people like Rarity or her friend Sassy Saddles could spend three hundred dollars on a piece of toast the size of her thumbnail, but Sunset wasn't. She wanted real food with real flavor and real substance.
Second, she didn't have to pay a dime - or bit, in her case - on traveling to Prance. She was one among few incredibly potent magical users, so although it tired her out, she could zip back and forth between mainland Equestria and Mareope on a whim.
Was she breaking the law - several, in fact - by not traveling like a normal pony and using a passport? Well, sure, yeah, technically. But who did it actually hurt? Besides, she'd have to go through so much new paperwork and bureaucracy to get a passport processed considering she had essentially disappeared from Equestria for years.
She shrugged. If she got in trouble, she could just ring Celestia.
"Zhee triple Dutch chocolate layair cake," the waiter announced as he set the plate down and lifted the top with a flourish. Beneath it sat the most delicious slice of cake Sunset had ever seen, rich and gloopy with waterfalls of fudgy ambrosia dripping from every corner.
She had to resist taking a bite right then and there. She managed, and smiled graciously at the waiter.
"Thank you, it looks as amazing as everything else."
He nodded and turned on his heel to march back towards the kitchen. When she was sure he was gone, she lifted the cake in all its gooey glory with her magic. Then, to any observers, it was gone.
With each item now packed away, she got up to leave. She hadn't the time to pay with a card, so she laid out the payment - plus twenty percent tip - on the table.
Outside the restaurant, she zapped back to Twilight's castle. The search for the kitchen had begun.
And what a search it was. She ran around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to find it. In stark contrast to the small appearance from the exterior, the Castle of Friendship was an enormous spiderweb of twisting hallways and countless rooms.
"Confound Princesses and their stupid shiny castles," she groused. "Too big, too confusing. Why did I ever want to be a Princess again?"
Panting, she stood in the doorway of the kitchen. Go figure, it would be one of the first rooms in the darned place, right where she swore she already checked. But she found it, and that's what mattered.
She grabbed a plate for each dish she ordered, then slid them into a separate pocket realm. Following were two wine glasses, cutlery, and napkins. It took a little more looking around to find a suitable tablecloth, table, and chairs, but she'd gotten it all.
She huffed. "Back to Prance."
Of all the things on her to-do list, this was thankfully the simplest. Appearing at the top level of the Unieffel Tower, she got to work. After a few minutes, the location was set up for her date.
With some time left, she took one more trip to Ponyville. More specifically, she went to her bathroom mirror. She decided she could use her remaining time as an opportunity to freshen up.
Typically, Sunset wasn't the type for makeup. Oh, don't get her wrong, she liked it on other mares and even herself the few times she'd worn it. Put simply, though, Sunset was a lazy bitch. The reason she wore such similar clothing every day was the same reason she never bothered with prettying herself up.
Twilight did bother with that kind of thing, however. So she would, too, at least this once.
Gazing into the mirror, she splashed warm water and soap onto her face and rubbed it dry with a fresh towel. Then she pulled her long hair back into a high ponytail - both for the style and to avoid tangling up - and brought out her basic toolkit. It wasn't anything near as fancy or varied as Twilight's, and next to Rarity's it was a joke, but it got the job done on the odd occasion she needed it.
Along with basic foundation and light blush, she applied thick eyeliner and a subtle, dark eyeshadow. The final touch was lipstick, a natural, deep shade of reddish-brown that complimented her more vibrant mane and paired well with her orange-yellow complexion. Hand held out, her fingers flexed, and she wondered about painting her nails to match.
A glance at her watch squashed that thought. She'd done more than enough for now. The kit was put back in its place, reflection checked one more time, and she ran out to meet Twilight.
"Right on time," she said as she opened the castle door.
"You know I like to be punctual," Twilight replied, giggling. "I still don't understand why you wanted me to get ready so early, though."
"You'll see," Sunset replied, carrying a purring, teasing lilt through her tone. Then she rushed forward and hooked her arms beneath Twilight's. She reeled her in for a tight embrace, careful not to overdo it and empty the smaller mare's lungs, and pressed their lips together. They parted quickly, but not before Sunset locked fingers. She gave the alicorn's hands a gentle squeeze.
"You look beautiful," she whispered.
And she did. Twilight's long, dark hair flowed freely over her shoulders and back, framing a gorgeous face that had obviously been touched upon by a more skillful, experienced hand than Sunset's own. Her eyeshadow, lipstick, and nail polish matched one another, a dark, glittering amethyst looking like stars in a night sky. Nary a blemish marred her lavender face, but Sunset wouldn't have noticed even if there were a million.
Complimenting her eyes and makeup was the jewelry she wore. Dangly gold earrings glittered in the morning light, shaped like half Fleur de Lis and ending in oval-cut amethysts. Another small amethyst hung from her neck, opaque rather than see-through, connected by a steel chain.
On instinct, Sunset took the pendant into her thumb and forefinger, gently rubbing it. Her other touched at her own matching necklace, where in place of amethyst, she had carnelian. Twilight had given it to her as a gift for her last birthday, and she wore it as much as she possibly could. Although Sunset preferred ruby, the carnelian was no less pleasing. It even had the added benefit of matching her red mane with swirls of light yellow banding.
As far as clothing went, Twilight wore a cocktail dress basic in stitching and anything but basic in appearance. The pattern, similar to her makeup, gave the impression of a starlit evening, as though a pair of scissors had taken to Luna's horizon and snipped out a piece of the heavens for her to wear. It flowed gown-like down, around, and against her curving frame. Beneath the cloth, Sunset knew her figure was mostly average with some extra cute chub, but the dress cut a figure that yearned for squishing. Sunset gladly obliged herself in that yearning and freed her interlaced hands to sink comfortably into the flesh of her partner's hips.
Blushing, Twilight gave her reply. "So do you."
Giggling, they kissed again. Sunset pulled her close once more but kept her there with her arms wrapped around her.
"So, you ready for the surprise?"
Twilight nodded. Sunset grinned.
"Good. Hold on tight, babe. Might be a rough trip."
Twilight's hands, which had taken to mirroring Sunset's, dug into her back a little tighter.
"One more thing," whispered Sunset. She was stooped so her chin rest upon Twilight's shoulder, muzzle an inch or so from Twilight's ear. "Keep your eyes closed until I say so."
A parting squeeze of Twilight's waist, and Sunset zapped them from there to Mareis. She did a cursory scan to ensure she hadn't arrived off-course and, satisfied, released her lover. Eyes still closed, Sunset put her hands on Twilight's shoulders and marched her to one end of the table, next to her chair and facing the city.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Twilight did, and gasped.
"Prance?" she asked, as though not believing what her senses told her. But her senses spoke clearly. The smell of freshly baked bread wafted up from the streets below to her nostrils. The sound and sight of ponies intermingling, the lights switching on as time slowly turned from afternoon to night, the familiar landmarks in the distance except for the most well-known of all. "Hold on, I'll be back in a second."
Twilight flew, rather than teleported, down from the tower's top to the ground floor. Back up again, she hovered in the air before Sunset, hands on the railing as her hooves dangled.
"We're at the top of the Unieffel Tower," she said plainly, and didn't seem as enthused at the idea as Sunset expected.
"Yeah, is that a bad thing?"
"Yes!" Twilight exclaimed and, wings unfurling, hopped over to the floor. "Ponies aren't allowed up here except for maintenance! There's no stairs, no elevators, not even a teleport pad."
Sunset cocked her head. "And that's bad why, exactly?"
"It's illegal! Extremely so!"
In agitation, Twilight furiously flapped her wings. Her chest rose and fell higher and heavier. Sunset knew those were the signs of Twilight about to, well, Twilight. Slowly she stepped forward and placed her hands on either side of Twilight's face, stroking her thumbs against her cheeks.
"Relax, honey buns. You're a Princess and the Element of Magic. I'm the former student of Princess Celestia. If we do get caught - which we won't because I put a cloaking spell up here,"
"You what?" Twilight, aghast, drew away. "So you did know it was illegal!"
Putting her hands in a defensive gesture, Sunset said, "No! I just thought it might be, so I took precautions. Guess it's a good thing I did."
"Oh my stars we are going to get in so much trouble for this,"
Hearing Twilight's panic rev up, Sunset swept in behind. Softly she spoke, and put her massage skills to good use. Within seconds, although Twilight huffed and tried to pull away, she was moaning and trembling in place.
"Again, baby, you're literally one of the nation's rulers. We'll be fine, nopony's even gonna catch us. Nopony did when I teleported here without a passport."
Sunset could practically hear Twilight's eye twitch. After a moment, though, the tension fled from her body, and she sank back into Sunset's arms.
"Okay, okay, fine, you win."
Cracking a smile, Twilight spun about and placed her hands on Sunset's chest. On her tippyhooves, she pecked her cheek.
"This is too beautifully romantic, so I guess I can't be too angry."
"And that's how I getcha," Sunset teased. "Push the boundaries just enough to be a loveable bad girl, but not so far I turn into a criminal."
"I mean, you literally are a criminal, though."
"Yeah, well, nyeh," Sunset countered, sticking out her tongue. Twilight pinched it between her fingers, and Sunset almost - but not quite - bit at her.
"This isn't really what I put the most effort into, though," she continued. "Just today, I've teleported back and forth between here and Ponyville five times. I've also got a nine-course meal and homebrew tequila sunset in a pocket dimension."
Twilight's jaw dropped ever so slightly.
"Oh, water too, if you want that. I know you're so-so on alcohol."
"You managed all that in one day?"
"Try closer to four hours."
Twilight's jaw fell more. "Do you have any mana left?"
"Yeah, about that." Sunset laughed, rubbing the back of her head uneasily. "You're gonna need to teleport us home."
Twilight swallowed. "Sure," she said, and unconsciously began to fidget with her fingers. Attempting to ease her worries, Sunset smiled warmly and laid her hands atop Twilight's.
"I'll be okay, probably just end up with a magical hangover tomorrow morning. Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't the best idea to bring alcohol along. Two hangovers at the same time is not fun, let me tell you." She sighed, leaned back into her chair, and patted her tummy. "Tell you what though, I'm not gonna be fine if I don't get some food in me soon. Mama's hongry."
Snorting, Twilight ceased her fiddling to fold her hands across her lap. As if on cue, her own stomach rumbled. "That sounds like a good idea. What did you make?"
"I ordered it from a restaurant not far from here. As for what I ordered? You'll just have to wait and see. I think you'll enjoy it, though. It's mostly Prench cooking."
"Harumph."
"Oh, hush you. I spent two hundred bits and all my magic to set this up. You can wait a little bit."
Twilight hmphed some more, but grinned.
To start with, Sunset brought out the lightest appetizer - escargot. , then onion tartar, warm and fluffy soft on the inside baguettes - butter besides, naturally - and finally cheese fondue. They shared trout amandine, a seven-layer bean casserole, and ratatouille for the main entrees. Finishing the banquet off was the slice of cake and a crème brûlée with a top burnt caramelized to such perfection Sunset's eyes rolled into the back of her head.
When at last they polished off their plates, Twilight burped involuntarily. Scarlet instantly flooded her cheeks, and she clapped her hand over her muzzle with an embarrassed apology. Sunset, in contrast, belched loudly and proudly. She did, however, loosen her belt.
"That was amazing, thank you," said Twilight.
Sunset waved it off, flicking her wrist. "Don't mention it," she said, and stood up. She pushed in her chair, helped Twilight out of hers, and scooped everything else back into the pocket dimension.
Idly, they moved to the railing. Purple and teal eyes took in the dusk horizon, half shrouded under Luna's night and half lit by Celestia's sinking sun. Yellow and lavender hands intertwined. Amethyst and Carnelian reflected light off the stars. For a long while, they simply observed, no words spoken because no words were needed.
"I love you. And before you say anything, let me finish." Sunset, inhaling, squeezed Twilight's hand tight, then released it. Her eyes shut, and she pointed her chin toward the ground. "I know I tell you that all the time, but I really do mean it. I love you, and I can't express how much you mean to me. Things were bad before you came into my life. You saw the place I was in. After you entered, it got a little better, a little easier, but it was still hard.
"I've had a difficult life. But you," she said, and turned to face the mare she called her own. "You make it better. You're wonderful, and amazing, and perfect in so many tiny ways I couldn't begin to list them all. You make people's lives brighter just by being around them. You certainly changed mine forever. You made me think about who I was and what I was doing, who did I want to be. I know that now, and it's all because of you. Even if this -" She gestured between them "- Doesn't last, you've made me a better person. Even if we don't live together forever, like I hope we do, because of you, I'll never be the same, and I can't give you the universe to repay that."
There was a momentary pause. Twilight, sniffling, then tipped forward and wrapped Sunset into the tightest hug her noodley nerd arms could manage - which was to say not very tight. Sunset smiled regardless and returned the gesture, stroking her fingers through the alicorn's dusky locks.
"It's funny," Sunset whispered. "That we got together, considering the way we met. So many things that needed to happen just the right way. Crazy how the world works like that, huh?"
Twilight spoke warblingly into the crook of Sunset's neck. "I love you, Sunset. My beautiful summer sun."
Sunset, ignoring the ache in her chest, kissed the tip of Twilight's horn. She held her tight, and the force of a thousand hurricanes couldn't make her let go.
"I love you too, my shining star."
Author's Note
This was written for my partner for Valentine's Day. That's about it, really. Love you, babe.
