There was no one, in any world, happier than Twilight Sparkle at the moment. After months of repressing her feelings, to then putting the person she had said feelings for through psychological torment, Twilight could not feel more lucky to be here, walking hand in hand with her girlfriend, Sunset Shimmer.
It had been a few weeks, near enough a month, since they officially began going out, and in that time, Twilight would always try to find a way to keep Sunset as happy as can be, proving to be the definitive girlfriend.
On this day, Twilight and Sunset wanted to spend the day at the mall, doing lunch, looking at things they like, to even looking at potential outfits for their senior prom. Regardless, just being together made the day great. But with any happy beginning, something was bound to come to put their relationship to the test...
"What do you mean Martial Art Mammal 2 was better?" Twilight asked, befuddled by the heinous opinion.
"Uh, hello? Main character forced to relive his trauma while also learning about his lost people and childhood, finding peace in the process? It's probably the greatest arc the studio's over written," Sunset answered, sipping on a milkshake.
"Alright, but counterpoint, the first one is a genius twist on the chosen one story, showing how greatness can come from even the most unexpected place if you're open enough, while also creating a tragic, yet cunning villain that you can completely sympathise with. The movie never wastes time for a single minute, it's so good!" Twilight presented her point.
"Counterpoint, you're stupid." Sunset glared from across the table.
"Counterpoint, you're stupid!" Twilight pointed a finger directly at Sunset.
After an intense moment of staring each other down, the couple could barely maintain their strong exteriors before falling into a fit of giggles. They continued on with their delicious, ice cold beverages.
But before they could finish, a shadow loomed over their table. "Well, well, well! If it isn't ol' Sunset Shimmer," a mysterious newcomer said, drawing the attention of both girls. They turned their heads, and approaching them came a girl with slicked back yellow hair, a biker jacket with yellow stripes running down each sleeve and a pair of goggles sitting atop her head.
Sunset raised her brow in surprise. "Lightning Dust! Long time no see. Where have you been the last few years?"
Before speaking again, Lightning Dust pulled a chair from a nearby empty table and sat herself with the couple. "Same old, same old. Tearin' up the streets, getting the name out there, and always trying out for a spot with the Wonderbolts." It was then that the newcomer took notice of the purple haired girl sitting across from Sunset. "Am I interrupting anything?"
"Little bit, yeah," Sunset answered. She then saw the confused look Twilight was giving, and she figured introductions were in order. "Lightning Dust, this is Twilight Sparkle, my girlfriend. Twilight, this is Lightning Dust, my ex-girlfriend."
Twilight's head snapped back in Lightning Dust's direction, eyes wide. "Ex?"
A devious grin formed across Lightning Dust's face. "I gotta say, Sunny, I didn't take you as one into those kinda girls."
"And what kind of girls would they be?" Sunset asked, crossing her arms.
The intruder gave a shrug of the shoulders. "Last I checked, the Sunset Shimmer I dated was a rebel that didn't take any funny business with anyone. She was actually pretty cool. Just a bit of a shock to find you now going out with cute, little nerds." She didn't hesitate to cast Twilight a wink, causing said nerd to grow beet red in the face.
"Yeah, well, things change, Lightning Dust. You ought to try it sometime."
"Heh. Nah, I'm good." The yellow-haired jock stood up from her chair and helped herself to a couple fries that sat in a tray between the couple. "Anyways, I gotta bounce. Fun catching up, Sunset!" She turned and left with a laugh, leaving the girls completely silent from shock.
As soon as Lightning Dust had disappeared from their sights, Sunset's head fell into her hands with a loud groan. "I am so sorry you had to see that, Twi! I swear, I don't know who she thinks she is."
Twilight just stared, her pupils as small as ants. "I kinda want to know. Who the heck was that?!"
Sunset peaked out of her hands with a rather shameful look. "It's... kind of a weird story. So, you know how I told you I was a very different person before?"
Twilight nodded.
"Well, not long after I started attending CHS, I knew I needed to up my image somehow. So, I had the idea to go out with... let's just say, ruffians. Someone tough to make me look strong. And it just so happened that the first one to catch my eye was, as you saw, Lightning Dust. It worked out pretty well, probably because the whole concept of, 'Woah! A girl dating another girl?!' wasn't normalised much just yet."
"So, what happened?" Twilight asked.
"Barely a couple months after, she got expelled after getting into a fight with someone. After that, I broke up with her. I didn't need my reputation going down the drain along with her," Sunset finished. Despite finishing her story, a thought caused her to chuckle. "Ironically, I think our relationship had a bit of a positive impact, because not long after us, more people in CHS felt good about coming out, so that's pretty cool."
The bespectacled girl was stunned upon listening to the story. "You did all that?" were the only words she could muster.
"It was a long time ago, Twi. Trust me, I know what I want in a relationship now, so don't worry about it."
"I'm not worrying," Twilight responded, something that would quickly become a lie. "It's just, well, say I was like Lightning Dust. Though, probably without the fighting and such. Would you like me the way you do now?"
Before Sunset could answer, she placed a finger on her chin, pondering over the question. Though, she quickly realised it wouldn't help with her girlfriend's clearly growing stress. "I love you for you, Twilight. And believe me, there was nothing between Lightning Dust and me; we never even kissed." Then, Sunset pushed herself up from her chair. "I gotta head to the bathroom. Don't finish those fries without me!"
As she took off for a moment, Twilight found herself in her own world. "We've never kissed," she quietly said to herself. The nerd thought over Sunset's story again and again, feeling so strangely drawn to whatever she saw in a troublemaker like this Lightning Dust. Twilight, herself, could never imagine going out with someone that intense. It made her wonder, was she enough for Sunset?
Twilight began to frantically look around the food court, trying to remember the direction the stranger went. She ran in one direction, hoping Lightning Dust hadn't gotten too far yet. Luckily for her, she found the goggle-wearing girl by a food stand. She was about to make way with her order until she noticed the violet one running towards her.
"Lightning Dust! I need to talk to you about something!" Twilight called as she approached.
"This gonna be long, Einstein? I got places to be," Lightning Dust said.
"I'll only be a minute, promise. So, you dated Sunset for a while. That means that you know what she's into. And there's no denying, you and I are very different, so is there anything I can do to make things, well, better?" Twilight asked, clasping her hands together with a sparkle in her eye.
The ruffian was taken aback by the sudden question. But that shock quickly turned into an idea, one that returned that snarky grin. She decided to play with this so gratefully presented opportunity. "Well, you did the right thing to come to me for advice, Eventide Twinkle-"
"Twilight Sparkle."
"Gesundheit. Now, you wanna be more for Sunset? First, you gotta harden up. Be strong. Let her know you mean business! Rules are made to be broken, and you, my friend, hold the hammer. She'll be all over you then, because the whole..." LD raised and lowered a hand to gesture to all of Twilight. "...cutesy, geeky, science-wiz thing you got going right now isn't gonna make it last."
Twilight examined herself with the other's idea in mind. Now that she thought about it, there was a bit of a contrast between how she and Sunset presented themselves. "You really think so?" she asked.
"Oh, for sure. Sunset says she's 'changed,' but deep down, she likes 'em bad as much as ever. People like her just work like that, and that's a fact!" Dust confidently raised an inquisitive finger in the air.
Twilight's eyes shifted around as she thought of the logic behind that statement. "I'm not sure if that's-"
"Hey! Who's giving the lecture here?" Dust interrupted. "So, as well as toughening up, that wardrobe of yours has got to go."
"But what would I wear?" Twilight asked.
Before saying another word, Lightning Dust struck a pose that showcased everything she wore: a blue t-shirt with a white lightning strike design surrounded by yellow stars. As well as this, she wore a pair of jeans ripped at the knees which Twilight was confident didn't come like that. But above it all, it was the jacket that really stole the show, with how dark it was compared to everything else. Any eyes would be immediately drawn towards it.
"What you need is something that let's people know not to mess with you, while also saying that you don't care about other's opinions or anything," Lightning Dust added. "Basically, just lose the pink and purple, and you've already made a major improvement."
"So... basically just wear black?" Twilight wanted to be sure.
"I said tough, not emo. It doesn't all have to be black. Anyways, wasted enough time here; I've gotta go. You ever need more advice, give me a ring and I'll help anyway I can. Remember to do everything I said, and you'll be the greatest girlfriend Sunset could ever ask for!" And with that, Lightning Dust finally walked off, resuming her daily duties after planting the seeds of what was to be something wonderful.
Meanwhile, Twilight was left dumbfounded. She stared off towards nothing as the ex's criticisms replayed in her head. If she was going to make this relationship last, Twilight had to change, or else... she didn't even want to think about it.
She went back to her date, luckily returning before Sunset did. The rest of the day went by in a flash, and it was a good day indeed. But now, there was no more time for games. Twilight was ready for her metamorphosis.
As soon as she returned home, without even giving the kindness to say hi to her parents, Twilight Sparkle marched towards her bedroom wardrobe and rummaged through all of her clothes.
All kinds of cloth was strewn about the room, some gliding towards the other side and others falling at her feet. One sweater would find itself flying close to her bedroom door, just in time for Twilight's talking pet dog, Spike, to come on in and be buried in wooly darkness.
Luckily, the purple canine was able to escape the cosy confinement and watched as Twilight continued her work, much to his confusion. "Hey, Twilight. What are you doing?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing much, Spike. Just cleaning things out. Out with the old, in with the new, as they say!" Twilight said as she worked.
As the dog watched any and all bits of clothing fly across the room, his eye was drawn towards a denim jacket and spiked bracelets sitting on her bed. "Since when did you have anything like this?" he then asked.
For a brief moment, Twilight turned to see what Spike was referring to, only to immediately get back to work when she found out. "I found that in mom's closet. I figured it would be useful in my current endeavour."
"Which is...?" Spike was full of questions today.
"Well, to make a long story short-" Twilight then proceeded to give Spike every last detail of her encounter with Lightning Dust that day. In doing so, it gave Twilight more than enough time to try out the new outfit she built up.
Meanwhile, Spike didn't look any less dumbfounded once he got his answer. If anything, he was more confused. He scratched his head with his back leg. "So, the reason you're throwing out all of your clothes is..."
"So that I can guarantee that Sunset will have a prolonged interest in me!" Twilight proclaimed while looking at herself in the mirror. The scientist now sported a dark-grey denim jacket, with the sleeves folded up a bit to make room for the plum coloured spiked bracelets. Along with that, she wore a t-shirt of the same colour. As for the bottom half, she found herself a pair of blue skinny jeans, complete with a pair of ankle high block heels.
Twilight was reborn! She felt one with her inner bad girl! But as pleased with the result as she was, there was still something that held it back. Twilight slowly lifted her hands to her face, and slipped off the glasses that sat on her nose. She gave a sigh as she admired her new look, not without having to step a little closer to see better.
She turned around to the purple and green splotch that could only be recognised as Spike. "How do I look?" she asked.
"Different, I guess," was all Spike could think to answer. "Are you sure this is right?"
"If it means being enough for Sunset, I'll do anything." Twilight looked at the mirror once more.
"But you can't see without your glasses."
"I'll live fine enough without them. It's just short sightedness, not like I'm completely blind." Twilight was feeling much more sure now as she stared at herself, all while feeling her rather long hair. Now that she thought about it, LD's hair was pretty short... Another idea popped into her head. "Do you think I should-?"
"Not a chance!" Spike interjected.
The day after, Twilight returned to Canterlot High, and not a single part of it felt natural anymore. She could barely see well, but she could feel the passing glances of so many students she passed. Her heart pounded like a timpani; she wasn't ready to face Sunset, yet she could do nothing but walk towards the inevitable in her loud, tall and blocky shoes.
She quickly paced through the halls and stopped at her locker. She leaned in close, spun the dial to her combination, and pulled on the handle, only for the small metal door to remain in its place. Twilight tugged at it again, just to have the same outcome. She squinted her eyes and looked at the locker's number. It turned out that this was not her locker, but the one three doors down.
Twilight then opened what was definitely her locker this time, taking books from her bag to make space for others. She was prepared as can be for the day ahead, but not a single part of her felt so.
Had it not been for Lightning Dust's voice haunting her thoughts, Twilight would have just given up and gone home. But there was far too much at stake. Give up now, and she subjects her girlfriend to nothing but mediocrity. She knew what she was fighting for, and that was-!
"Hey, Twi!" Sunset called out.
Twilight had about leaped inside her locker the way Sunset's appearance caused her to jump. She slammed her locker door shut, only to immediately get into her unruly stance by leaning her back against the wall, with a foot placed against the side as well.
Sunset was surprised by her girlfriend's sudden movements, but not as much as her change in wardrobe. "Woah. Quite the outfit you got there. That all new?" she asked.
"Yeah, you know how it is. I don't let myself conform to the norms of being a cutesy nerd because society expects me to be," Twilight replied with a low, nonchalant voice.
Sunset tilted her head. "Okay? But where are your glasses? Can you see alright?"
"Decided I was better off without 'em. They only block the way of facing a constant struggle head on. The less I use them, the more I don't need them." Twilight didn't let up with the voice, despite knowing how wrong she was.
"Well... if you're okay." Sunset's confusion was switched to excitement as she held up her phone to Twilight. "There's this new pizza restaurant that opened recently. Rainbow Dash has been there, and she says its fantastic! We gotta try it out!"
"Whatever you want, babe. I'll do anything, as long as it makes ma girl happy."
'Babe?!' Sunset thought as she grew bright red in the face. "W-Well, uhh, how about tonight, after school?"
Twilight clicked her fingers and pointed towards her girl. "Sounds bodacious."
Sunset was left awestruck. Never before did the thought occur that Twilight would act like... well, this. It almost seemed impossible to believe. But before she could get another word in, the school bell rang, starting the day.
Sunset rubbed her arm before making her way to her first class. "Guess I'll see you later. Love you."
"Yeah, whatevs," Twilight replied, which immediately crashed into her heart like a freight train. She placed a hand on top of her chest as she was quickly overtaken by stress. What on earth was she thinking?! Was this really how jerks talked to their girlfriends? If that was the case, it was going to take a lot longer to get used to this than she envisioned. Twilight knew, she had to nail this tough talk yesterday, because this wasn't going to last with current strategies!
"Are you okay, Twilight?" a passerby tapped her on the shoulder.
Then, in the blink of an eye, Twilight jumped back into position, sliding a tool of success out of her pocket. "Yep! I'm at my best when I eat full-sugar lollipops because no one tells me what to do!" She then stuck said lollipop into her mouth. It was a little too sweet for her liking.
It came to the period just before lunch, everyone's favourite subject: maff! It was harsh to keep up appearances in front of everyone, but the more she did it, the more prepared she would feel to face Sunset after the disaster from earlier. If she could get past now, she might feel a little better about things.
Twilight looked for a desk, but every one near the front of the class was taken, so she would have to suffer having to only do her work by listening. She was seriously regretting leaving her glasses at home, but she would pull through.
She travelled to the back of the room and took her stuff out of her bag while others collected in the seats around her.
"Hey, Twi!"
Twilight looked beside her and was met with the realisation: Sunset was in this class too.
"Sunset, hey!" she laid on a bit too thick. Twilight then cleared her throat and leaned back in her chair, pointing a finger gun to her girlfriend. "Wassup?"
Even Sunset had to admit, that was pretty cute. She waved her own gun with a smile. "Keeping up with this little bit, huh?" she asked.
"Don't pretend you don't love it," Twilight replied, resting her chin on interlocked fingers while bouncing her eyebrows.
Sunset blushed from Twilight's display. "It's, uhh... I certainly didn't see it coming."
If Twilight was seeing things correctly, which she almost couldn't do, her plan seemed to actually be working! She has Sunset laughing, and even blushing! Twilight had her totally within her spell. Maybe, with just a bigger push, she could bring it home right here and now.
And right on cue, Miss Cheerilee walked into the class. "Okay, class. I'm going to take register and we're just going to jump straight into chapter seven of your textbooks." The teacher sat at her desk and began reading down the students' names on her computer.
"Amulet Charm?" she called out.
"Here," a student replied.
Miss Cheerilee worked down the list until the came down towards tonight's heroines. "Sunset Shimmer?"
"Here, Miss," Sunset answered.
"Twilight Sparkle?"
This was her opportunity for something good. A simple registration was as good as any chance for good girl points, and Twilight wasn't wasting any chances.
"Here, [REDACTED]," she blurted out with a little too much confidence.
The silence following after, bar a few students trying to hold in laughter, it struck the rebel down like a cannonball to the chest. Sunset was petrified, but witnessing it didn't compare to doing it.
"What was that?" Miss Cheerilee asked. Twilight prayed that was her not hearing that.
"Uh! Here, w-without a hitch!" Twilight tried to save herself. But had the damage already been done?
"That's what I thought." Busted.
Sunset leaned in close. "What... was... that?!" she loudly whispered.
"...Rrrebellion?" Twilight stupidly played off.
All Twilight wanted now was to crawl beneath the floor and wither away, but it was a task that had to be done. Regardless if Cheerilee heard it, what was important was that Sunset heard it, and as shocked as she was now, Twilight figured that if she just pushed things a little more, her frown would definitely turn into a smile. It was too far to fall back down now.
The class went on. Twilight kept her head facing down, holding her free hand over her face to avoid all of the eyes that would stare at her from time to time. She never thought she would be glad for leaving her glasses behind. It was clear her approach wasn't working as well as she had hoped.
But then, a student held up a hand. "Excuse me, miss. I'm having trouble figuring out question four on page ninety-three. Could you help me?" they asked.
The teacher flipped through her own book and looked over the question in question. A smile formed on her face as she found it. "Ah, that one's a tricky one, but it's approach is mainly the same as every one in this chapter." She wrote the equation up on the chalkboard and turned back to her class. "If anyone has solved that one, would they like to come up and walk us through it?" Cheerilee looked across the room of students, noting none of them putting up their hand, until her sights fell on someone who seemed to be intentionally hiding. "Twilight? Could you help solve this, please?"
Twilight looked up and found everyone looking at her again. She slowly stood up with a forced grin as she approached the board. With every step, the writing on the board formed from nothing into a comprehensible equation. She was able to solve this herself, so the idea came to have a bit of fun with it this time.
She looked back. Sunset had faded into a small orange blur. Twilight felt she was left alone up at the front, unable to read her girlfriend's reaction to what she was about to do. Nevertheless, she swallowed her fears and got to writing.
Her writing wrist moved at a blistering pace. Symbols, lines and numbers were strewn all across the board, and yet everyone could barely see the moment they appeared. Miss Cheerilee appeared intrigued by Twilight's approach, it being one she wasn't expecting. In fact, she wasn't sure at all where her student was going with this. She had yet to see the bigger picture.
When Twilight put the finishing touches, she slashed under her work with a long line of chalk, cementing its completion. A trail of smoke emitted from the end of Twilight's tool.
Cheerilee was enamoured with Twilight's work, and confused at the same time. "I must say, that was... impressive, Miss Sparkle, but I'm not entirely sure if that is correct. Do you mind explaining?"
Twilight stared her teacher down with an evil grin. "Well, you see, Miss Cheerilee, if you'd just take a step back, you would find that to find the answer to this question, you have to..."
The two at the front took a step back, only then could Miss Cheerilee see the student's answer. Spelled out by a collective mass of numbers and symbols wrote in big text, 'PUT A SOCK IN IT!' It was then that the class fell into hysterics.
Miss Cheerilee was speechless, unable to look away from Twilight's message. The only sound that left her mouth was constant stammering. "I-I... W-W-What is the meaning of this?!" she finally got out.
"What? Does being a math teacher not require basic reading skills?" Twilight insulted. She turned around with her chin held high, grabbing her things from her desk, prepping to make her dramatic leave, but not before stopping and seeing the... horrified look on Sunset's face.
But why? Twilight was giving it her all. What was she doing wrong? Twilight quickly tucked everything into her bag and made her way towards the classroom door. She left in a flash without another word.
As soon as the newfound bully was gone, every student turned to Sunset Shimmer, talking amongst themselves about the events that transpired. They silently judged her, but Sunset ignored each of them. What they cared about wasn't important to her; she was more worried about her girlfriend. Just what happened to her Twilight?
Something was wrong. There was no other way about it. She wasn't sure what, but she knew she had to get to the bottom of it. The first chance they get together again, Sunset was getting some answers.
Meanwhile, Twilight had a desperate phone call to make.
"And then she said 'Yeah, whatevs!' Yeah, whatevs?! How was I meant to respond to that? I've never seen her like this before," Sunset explained to the lunch table.
Her circle listened intently to her story. They all wore the same one brow lowered, one brow raised expression, while Rarity and Fluttershy rubbed Sunset's back from either side.
"Is this what they call a mid-life crisis?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Guess some people start young," Rainbow Dash added. "Give or take thirty years."
"Hush, you two. Can't you see our dear Sunset is troubled?" Rarity said, lovingly caressing poor Sunset's head. "It's okay, darling. Go on."
"I just... I don't know what's going on with her. Did I do something and haven't realised? Was there something in our milkshakes- Oh my gosh, she's lactose intolerant, isn't she? Of course! How could I not see it?! She's so brave to tough it out just for our date, but I should have-!"
"Calm down, sugarcube!" Applejack interjected, putting her hands on Sunset's. "Ah've a feelin' if that were the case, she'd have told you. Just think. Did anythin' happen yesterday that may have set her off?"
Sunset shut her eyes and looked back on the day before. "I... I don't know. The day was going as well as always, until Lightning D-" She stopped for a moment until it suddenly started making sense. "Lightning Dust."
"Didn't you two date a few years ago?" Fluttershy asked.
Sunset nodded. "She must have intimidated Twilight. That has to be why she's acting like, well, Lightning Dust. I've got to find Twilight, and put an end to this scheme."
Fluttershy looked all across the lunch hall and couldn't see a sign of the purple ponytail girl. "Where is Twilight, anyway?"
Meanwhile, Twilight camped out in the bathroom. After that episode with Sunset, she needed an idea, and she needed it fast. Standing in front of the mirror, she took out her phone and began dialing a given number. She held the device up to her ear, and listened to the ring while holding her breath in desperation.
Soon enough, the one on the other end picked up. "Whaddup?" she asked.
"Lightning Dust? It's Twilight Sparkle, from the mall yesterday."
"Oh, hey! So, you've been following my advice to impress your little ladyfriend?"
"Well, yeah. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I've been following what you said, but it's just gone up in flames so far. Sunset doesn't seem impressed at all! I feel like I'm going about this all wrong," Twilight explained.
"What's been happening?"
Twilight played with her hair with her free hand. "I may have said 'Whatevs' after she said she loved me..." She then shut her eyes tightly, awaiting a good scolding on why she messed up absurdly badly. Instead, there was a moment of silence. She slowly opened her eyes as she waited. Her mentor seemed at a complete for words.
Elsewhere, Lightning Dust had her microphone on mute while she was laying down in total hysterics! She had one arm wrapped around her stomach and the other pounding the floor.
Eventually, she was able to pull herself together and returned to the call. "Okay, so that's not exactly how I would have done it, but you're not far off the page, kiddo. My advice? You'll get better with it in time. Just keep things up and she'll be swooning for you. Guaranteed."
Twilight didn't feel too satisfied with that answer. "How about getting better in time for a date tonight?"
A devilish grin slowly stretch across Lightning Dusts face. How this just kept getting better and better for the jock. "Tonight, huh? Tell me about this date."
"We're going to this new pizza place, but after what happened today, there's no way I can face her! Not without being ready, or some kind of plan."
"Well, if it's a plan you want, I might just have something..."
The school day would soon draw to a close, much to the eagerness of one, but the dread of the other. The sun began to hide behind the tall city buildings, emanating a beautiful pink hue in the sky.
There was one place that was gathering the public's attention, and that was a restaurant part of a mixed-use building. The sign at the top had a graphic of a big Italian chef holding up an okay hand gesture, and beside him was the name written in cursive, with thirds of it coloured in green, white and red respectively, 'Amo La Pizza!'
Inside the restaurant, Sunset sat alone, having come early to secure a table. She nervously tapped the table as she waited for Twilight. There wasn't sign of her just yet, and that was because she stood outside. Twilight peaked through the window and could spy where Sunset was.
"I don't think I can do this," she said to the glass.
"I didn't come out all this way for nothing. Just do everything I say, and you'll be totally fine," a voice came through a single earphone hidden beneath Twilight's hair. Past Sunset, in a booth in the corner, was Lightning Dust, looking over a menu disguise to oversee the dinner. "It's do or die, Nightfall Flicker. Get in there!"
Twilight drew in a deep breath and marched right towards the entrance. The only thing standing between her and success was the fear of failure! ...And the glass door of which she came face first into. She stumbled back and rubbed her nose with a pained groan. No doubt, that was going to be red the whole night.
"I know I didn't see you do that just now," Lightning Dust said with disappointment.
"I'm okay, I'm okay. Did Sunset notice?" Twilight asked.
Lightning Dust looked to Sunset's table, who just stared down at the white tablecloth. "Fortunately for you, no. Now, hurry up!"
"Right." It was take two; Twilight pushed open the opposing doors and strutted inside. She made her way over to her table. It was then that Sunset noticed her arrival, greeting her with a smile and wave as Twilight took the seat across from her.
"Hey, Twi! You're looking well," Sunset happily greeted.
Before Twilight responded, Lightning Dust spoke in her ear, "Okay, you're gonna wanna show some superiority, while also keeping her feeling important. Tell her-"
"This world deserves me the way I decide it does, but I still do it all for you, baby," Twilight repeated, throwing her girl a pair of finger guns.
Sunset hummed curiously. "Uh-huh, and was that what was going through your mind during that episode with Cheerilee?" she asked.
Twilight shrugged. "She had it coming. It was about time someone showed her what they thought about her stupid math."
"But this isn't like you. The Twilight I know is kind and would never say anything like that to anyone."
"Call it an epiphany. The Twilight you knew is stronger now! More than willing to take care of herself the hard way!" Twilight wrapped an open palm around a fist.
However, Sunset still wasn't buying into it. She shook her head. "I think you really should-"
"I know change is hard and all, but it's something we just gotta be ready for," Twilight suddenly interrupted.
"If you would just lis-"
"Give it time, you'll love me more than ever before!" Twilight casted a wink.
"Just stop, Twilight!" Sunset slammed her hands on the table. Total silence befell the two, with Twilight frozen in shock and Sunset panting from her outburst.
Sunset then reached into her pocket and took out her phone, opening an article and turning the screen towards Twilight. "Just... before I say anything else, I need to show you this and tell me what you think."
Unfortunately, the distance between the two was more than enough to render Twilight's eyes useless. All she could see was a white screen. "It... looks good? Uhh... What am I looking at exactly?" she asked.
Sunset took her screen back with a sad look. "Oh, nothing. Just a review going over why Martial Art Mammal 2 is better than the first."
It was then that Twilight shot out of her chair in a sudden, blind, nerdy rage. "Okay, now you're actively trying to get a rise out of me! The first has so many things done better than in the sequel too!"
And then, Sunset's frown turned into a smirk. "There's my Twilight. Now, about this rebellious phase of yours..."
The jig was up. Finally, Twilight was found breaking character. She shut her eyes and fell back down into her seat in shame. "I'm so sorry, Sunset." She could hear Lightning Dust talking in her ear, constantly asking what she thinks she is doing. Twilight elected to ignore her. "I've been a real jerk all day."
"It's because of Lightning Dust, wasn't it?" Sunset asked. Twilight's head shot back up, confirming Sunset's suspicions. "I swear, there's never been a day that girl wasn't anything but trouble. I'm sorry that what she said got to you."
"But she's right, though," Twilight responded. "I'm nothing compared to her! Like a chick against a falcon. You're so cool, and I... I'm not." She paused for a moment to glance back up at Sunset, who appeared heartbroken. Twilight continued, "When you said you and Lightning Dust never kissed, it made me realise that we haven't either, and if even someone as serious as her wasn't enough, what chance did I have? I figured that if I changed, I could be something more worth, more deserving of someone like you. So..." Twilight reached up to her ear and took out the earphone, placing it on the table for her girlfriend to see. "I had her help me."
Twilight had finished, but so many thoughts raced through Sunset's mind, she found it hard to respond. She had the answers she was looking for, yet it failed to make any amount of sense. But she could see her girlfriend was hurting. Sunset shook her head and responded, "When I dated Lightning Dust, it was purely for gain on my end. Never in that time did I seek for any kind of romance. It's not a time I'm proud of, but it's all behind me. I'm so sorry for making you feel like you had to change for me. I meant it when I said I loved you for you. You're super smart, gentle, funny and just the cutest nerd I've ever met! There's not a single thing I would make you change about yourself. Trust me, you are the most important person in my life, and I love you."
A small smile slowly formed on Twilight's face. "R-Really?" Sunset simply nodded. Twilight wiped her eyes from incoming tears. "I love you, too."
Sunset placed an open hand on the centre of the table for Twilight to take. She did so, and then Sunset began to lean over the table, with Twilight doing the same. Was this really happening? The gap between the two was closing. They shut their eyes, putting their trust in each other to come together lovingly. Twilight's heart raced at a million miles an hour; she wasn't sure if she was ready yet, but her body kept moving closer. As it turned out, Twilight was worth her all along. It was finally proven to her: Twilight loved Sunset, and Sunset loved Twilight.
At long last, the couple came together. The passion shared between the girls was cemented with this kiss. After everything, Twilight was worried that Sunset didn't care for her so anymore. It only took some very stupid decisions for her to see how wrong she was. But now, she finally had everything she wanted!
Soon enough, the two withdrew from another, and stared deeply into each other's eyes. They wanted this moment to last forever, but Sunset couldn't help but see the earphone still on the table. As good as that moment was, there was still some business to tend to.
"So, Lightning Dust was helping you, huh?" Sunset asked.
Twilight chuckled embarrassingly, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah... I talked to her while you were in the bathroom yesterday and, well, I think you know the rest."
"Is she here now?"
Twilight nodded her head, glancing at a table behind Sunset. She turned around and spotted someone in the far corner trying to hide behind their menu, but Sunset was able to see those goggles atop yellow hair.
"Wait here a moment. I'll be right back," Sunset said with a smile. However, as she stood up, that smile quickly faded into something darker. Twilight knew already, this wasn't going to end well.
Meanwhile, Lightning Dust kept her menu held up high, hoping, nay, praying that Sunset didn't see her. But then, a finger appeared over the top of her large pamphlet and pulled it down, revealing the bad girl of old right in front of her.
"Heeeeyy, Sunny! Fancy running into you here! Heh..." Lightning Dust tried to play off.
Sunset didn't appear amused, however. Her stone cold stare sent shivers down the jock's spine. "Outside. Now," was all she said. She waited for Lightning Dust to stand before taking her out of the restaurant.
They both stood outside the window. Twilight wasn't able to see much, but she could make out Sunset flinging her arms around. In fact, she could even hear her. Everyone else in the restaurant was watching as Sunset was giving her ex far more than a piece of her mind.
Eventually, Twilight's curiosity would get the better of her, and she too walked out of the pizzeria to see what was happening.
"...Is this what you do for fun now?! Preying on people and messing with their love lives?! I'd have thought you gained a bit of maturity since we broke up, but leave it to you to never cease to surprise me! You really haven't grown a single bit since then! Just pathetic! That's what you are!" Sunset shouted. Twilight knew Sunset when she was angry. She had never seen her this angry before.
"L-Listen. Sunset. It's really not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be," Lightning Dust defended, cowering slightly before her ex's enraged gaze. "It was all kinda just for-" But she was immediately stopped by a finger stabbing directly, but not literally, into her chest.
"If you say you did it just for fun, I am going to go ballistic," Sunset seethed. It was clear she wasn't bluffing.
That promptly shut Lightning up. She instead just stood in complete quiet, waiting to see if Sunset had finished.
And then, the bacon-hair gave a long sigh that seemed to calm the flames, but the look of death remained in her eyes. "I don't want you to come near me or my girlfriend ever again. Do I make myself clear?"
Lightning Dust nervously shuffled backwards down the street. "Ha... W-Whatever. I don't need this anyway. Later, losers." And with that, she was gone, giving Sunset and Twilight some alone time, finally.
That of which the former would come to realise the latter was standing right behind her the whole time. "Oh! Wow. Umm... Did you hear all of that just now?" Sunset asked.
"Uh-huh," was all Twilight could respond with.
Sunset gave a facepalm, now coming to think of how she must have looked to her audience in the restaurant. "Oh, geez. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean for you to see that."
Twilight wasn't sure if she wanted to admit it, but she was kind of into it. She supposed Lightning Dust may have had a point after all. "It's no problem at all. Say, the night's still young. I don't suppose you're still up for pizza?"
Sunset suddenly began to laugh. This date turned out to be crazy. Just having pizza now seemed like the strangest thing about it, but she didn't protest. "I'd love that," she said.
Hand in hand, Twilight and Sunset returned to their table and placed their order at last. The night went on without a hitch, in the words of Twilight. Everything it took to get to this moment, both girls could easily say it was more than worth it.
And while the effort did come with consequences, with Twilight having to spend lunch in detention the following day for what happened in Miss Cheerilee's class, Twilight felt that she could just look back and laugh as well as everyone else (Except Cheerilee, she was still pretty mad). In a desperate effort to prove that she was worth someone as incredible as Sunset, Twilight learned that she herself was the reason Sunset loved her so. Through a wave of relentless anxiety, resulting in possibly one of the strangest days she's ever had, it came together to help strengthen the now found unbreakable bond between her and Sunset.
There still wasn't anyone, in any world, happier than Twilight Sparkle, and that only proved to be more true than ever.
