You saw a way to survive and you were full of joy
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You saw a way to survive and you were full of joy
Let it be known that Twilight Sparkle had no room for romance in her schedule. Zero. Zlitch. Nada. Not even a finger's width of wiggle room for a school yard crush.
Her life was already packed as it is thank you very much. She had bell curves to destroy, scientific journals to pick apart, disassemble her latest project, again, and work on her Everton acceptance letter, because she will get in. Her entire life’s plan depends on it.
So, really, she had no time for a high school romance that was only bound to crash and burn from both ends anyway. She had better things planned. Bigger. You don’t become the world’s youngest engineer to ever work on The Large Hadron Collider by getting a boyfriend.
This was very clear and straightforward to Twilight, and therefore, anyone to follow.
So WHY on all of Earth’s particles, and the moons too for good measure, did her mother decide she had to go to this stupid “school spirit celebration” on the boardwalk. It was just another patronizing headpat for the students who got to the upper percentile in the midterms for the district, all the schools in the area participated.
It hardly felt school sanctioned at all! You weren’t required to go, and the teachers hardly even kept an eye on anyone. They mostly just floated around the locked beach entrance, looking wistfully at the waves wondering where their lives had gone wrong.
So no. It didn’t make sense to Twilight why she had to go to this stupid school event, at the stupid boardwalk, in the middle of the stupid night.
She takes that last part back. The night isn't stupid. People who install street lamps that cause light pollution however… She was getting off track.
Mom. Boardwalk. School event.
Apparently you’re not allowed to “hide away in your science hovel every night. Don’t roll your eyes at me, Twilight Sparkle.” Or so her mother put it. What an exaggeration. It was every OTHER night at most.
Nevertheless Twilight had a plan. Arrive at eleven pm exactly when the event begins, spend fifteen minutes giving up the spot in front of her to get armbands to get in, spend another fifteen loitering inside the bathroom after getting inside, grab a churro for spike, call mom and claim food poisoning, and be home and in bed by midnight.
She didn’t even make it two feet.
“Have fun dear. I’ll be back at the end of the event to pick you up. But don’t be afraid to call me if there is an emergency.”
“I know, mom.” Twilight Velvet could be a tad overbearing, especially with her youngest, but it was truly from a place of love.
With a final wave from her soccer-mom sedan, Twilight was left to the most viscous of wolves. High School students.
The boardwalk was already packed till overflowing with cliques of teenagers yelling and chattering over each other. Cars flooded in and out the parking lot under the beady eyes of stadium lights that flickered on and off.
Twilight slowly inched her way to the line, watching every which way for cars and pedestrians. Bumping and excusing herself and she tried not to trip over her mary jane knock offs.
“Oh my god Twilight,” Sunny Flare’s shrill voice caught Twilight from walking straight into her little group. “Do you, like, ever take off the uniform? This is supposed to be a fun night.” True to her word, none of the other crystal preppers were wearing their uniforms. Twilight bunched the ends of her skirt between her palm.
“Dude, maybe she was born in it and it attached itself to her like a nerd parasite.” Lemon Zest yelled over her headphones, giving a goofy hand gesture to mimic an alien attaching itself to her face.
The girls laughed. It echoed throughout the night, much louder than the other teens or even Twilight’s racing heartbeat.
Feeling the blood in the water, Twilight immediately tried to back pedal. “Oh. Um. This is a school event so…”
“So…?” Sour Sweet suddenly closed into Twilight’s space with a mocking sneer, “Didn’t your mommy tell you to finish your sentences before dropping you off?”
“She was probably too busy getting dropped on her head to hear it.” Indigo Zap quickly supplied, not even looking up from her phone.
The girls laughed again. Twilight's skull felt like it was filled with cotton balls.
Sweating like a glass in a summer, Twilight floundered over herself. “I-“
“Twilight!” Cadence Interrupted whatever twist of words Twilight would fumble over next. “Come. Lets get our wristbands.” Cadence pulled her away without discussion, both saving and dooming Twilight as she heard the snickers rise up with her blush.
Twilight jerked her arm away with perhaps a bit more force than necessary.
“Thank you. Cadence.” She roughly emphasized the thank you. “I had it. Really.” She didn’t.
Cadence just sighed, her shoulders collapsing inwards like a book she saw the ending too and didn’t like. “Of course Twilight. Anything for my ladybug.”
She affectionately ruffled Twilight’s hair, getting a squeaky cry of ‘Cadenceeeeee’ before being batted away.
“I was serious about those wristbands though. Don’t think Mrs Velvet didn’t call me about you trying to slip away tonight.”
Crap.
Caught red handed Twilight gave another very overemphasized sputtle of words to try and cover her, apparently, not very well hidden tracks. Cadence just smiled and shook her head good naturedly pulling them to the front of the ticket tolls to get their wristbands.
“Now, I promised I would keep an eye on you tonight but you know how much I love to catch up with auntie Luna- Vice principal Luna,” she quickly covered with a professional cough. “I could lose you easily in the crowd and be none the wiser if you slipped away to say, hide in my car.” Said car key glittered in Cadence's off hand, dangling loosely off a finger.
She was giving her an out, Twilight realized. And perhaps she should have taken it, but doubt coming from boths sides, the popular girls teasing, her mothers worried brow, Cadence already knowing her plan: Twilight felt a sudden urge to prove them wrong.
“Thanks Cady, but… I think I actually want to try and enjoy myself tonight.”
Cadence just smiled, but her eyes held a glimmer of pride and hope. “Whatever you want Ladybug. If you change your mind let me know.” She returned the key to her purse.
With a quick glow-in-the-dark stamp and paper wristband they were let into the boardwalk proper.
Games and lights crowded every corner, fried foods that definitely shouldn’t have been fried, filled the air with a tantalizing smell. Oil crackled, screams of joy echoed, messy faces dripped ketchup and powdered sugar all across the same water rotted wood.
Cadence was immediately pulled away by the small crowd of teachers waving her over, vice principal Luna among them. She gave one final reassuring look over her shoulder before turning to give her full attention to some joke another teacher had made.
Twilight watched as Cadence's form was swallowed by the shuffling crowds, leaving her alone in the middle of the boardwalk.
Yeah. She could do this. She was gonna enjoy tonight and prove everyone wrong. If her name wasn’t Twilight Sparkle-
She was then elbowed in the stomach by some boys playing frisbee, cutting her inner monologue short.
With hardly a passing ‘Sorry!’ The boy excitedly turned back to his friends with the frisbee. Not even enough time for Twilights 'It's okay,’ to be heard.
Like a rock gradually being chipped away at erosion, Twilight was shouldered, bodied, stepped on, and nearly trampled. Pushing and squeezing her onto colliding couples and accidentally stomping on feet.
Worming her way to the relatively calm churro line, Twilight let out a breath of relief. Letting herself fall into the flow of the crowd, she surveyed her surroundings trying to find good exit points when- there.
Across the street. In another world, in another dream, was the girl who would save her a month from then, though she didn’t know it yet.
Freshly cut from thrift store leather, with a sheep-shorn hair cascading down her spike-studded shoulders: she was perched on the side of the street, brow drawn in the impression of a gargoyle, sneering almost apathetically to passersby.
There was an allure about her, despite the danger that billowed off her, in fact, the danger only fueled Twilight’s desire. Something untouchable, something that you had to respect or else you’d be burned. As real and clean as kerosene on an open wound.
There was an unease about her, like one wrong move would send her striking down into sparks of volatile raging flame of either fists or words. Yet she was calm. Leaning against her bike with the same confidence of a Greek emperor seeking audience; she demanded attention, yet blended seamlessly into the crowd.
She wasn’t comparable to poets or playwrights' overturned use of spewing metaphors, or even the modern day ‘love at first sight’ settings. And yet…
And yet Twilight couldn’t help but fall for their tricks when seeing her.
For all her staring and wondering, Twilight was repaid in her own actions. The stranger turned away from watching the crowds of teachers and students and met her eyes from across the boardwalk.
It made Twilight feel as exposed as her namesake. Her viewer’s eyes were a spotlight in the dark, their light drawing across Twilight making her vulnerable and on-edge. Her admirer grinned at her delectable expression, causing every pinprick of hair to rise and goosebumps to race down her skin.
Only the neon buzz of angel halos and tacky strip mall light’s breached her aura. Curling its cigarette arm of light around her jawline, like a lover leaning in for a kiss.
She was a single utterly human point of existence that the entire world seemed to tilt on its axis around. She wasn’t beautiful or handsome like the people in magazines and hallmark movies, she was raw and natural.
Like God creating life for the first time, she was messy. Unrefined. Not yet streamlined. Unburdened by man’s incessant need for perfection.
She fit into her second-hand clothes like adam’s rib and made it her own. Teeth bared to the world in a wicked smile, as if to proclaim, mine. Begging for a challenge, from anyone who dared.
Her high cheekbones were highlighted in the dark by buzzards circling street lamps and the humming of nocturnal cars, smoke framing the scene in Twilight’s eye. She was a bastard sun, reveling in her stolen splendor, fat on the canary caught in her throat.
And heart in her teeth, lips stained red like a well-loved wine glass, Twilight was addicted. Just from the sight of her.
“Your churro, ma’am.”
Twilight squeaked and came crashing down back into reality, fumbling around for her wallet, she could feel the mounting pressure from the listless line behind her. Sweating, she quickly handed over a crumbled bill and snatched the churro.
“Okthankyouhaveagoodnight,” the words rushed and bleed together as she quickly sped off.
Retreating to a hidden alcove that didn’t seem too crowded, Twilight spied a bench and quickly snatched it up. Looking up, she strained her neck to try and find her secret admirer, but couldn’t see over the moving edge of the crowds.
Disgruntled, she wrapped the churro for Spike in a thick bundle of napkins to absorb some of the cinnamon-sprinkled grease, shoving it deep into her backpack.
Maybe she could still make a run for the bathroom, pretty watcher be screwed.
“Hey.”
Twilight jumped, immediately scrambling back from the words blown into her ear and found herself face to face with that mysterious stranger.
Breathless in seeming awe, the stranger straightened up and looked down at Twilight. Who made note of how her head just reached her spike studded shoulders. “…You really do look like her.”
“I’m,” she wet her lips and tried to readjust herself under her skin. “I look like who?”
“Ah. Sorry.” The stranger sheepishly scratched the back of her head, “you reminded me of an old friend.” Gloved hand reached out in a show of friendship, the stranger smiled softly. “Sunset Shimmer. I go to CHS.”
With tremors rattling throughout her body, Twilight took her hand. “Twilight Sparkle. Crystal prep.” She mentally cheered for not stuttering her name.
Still, the stranger, now Sunset, gave a firm handshake and chuckled at the mention of her name. Or maybe it was the school’s name?
“How has crystal prep been going for you? Going to beat us in the friendship games this year?”
“Ugh.” Twilight slid down into a self pity crouch. School rivalry. Of course.
“That bad huh.”
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“Try me.”
Twilight looked up and found Sunset crouched with her as well. Eyes crinkled in the corners in a crooked smile.
Something about her wanted Twilight to scream all her secrets out. To leap into her arms and cry and say everything that has been happening to her. All the weight of her scholarship, the pressure from Principal Cinch, the stupid freaking friendship game drama that turned everyone at school into her personal stress ball.
She was ignored at best, trampled and bullied at worst. And yet she felt safe here. Hunched over by the dirty boardwalk trash can.
Reckless, she could hear the mental Cinch say, a wild child. But wild children aren't so bad, really, not when they hold your hand on dimly lit nights and comfort you in ways you didn’t even know you needed.
“I-“
“Sunset!”
Immediately Twilight leaped at the name, and tried to bury deeper into herself as the spell was broken.
Sunset, meanwhile, had stood up slowly and turned around. Taking care to cover Twilight’s body with her own.
“Hey Sonata. The new job treating you well?”
This Sonata nodded enthusiastically, said crab shack uniform jingling with the movement. “Yup! Thank you so so so much for getting it for me!” She chirped and took Sunset’s hands.
Sunset put on her best customer service smile and chuckled good naturedly. “Of course everyone deserves a second chance.”
Curiouser and curiouser.
Hearing those words, Twilight had just enough courage to try and lean forward to see if this newcomer would shed any more light upon Sunset when they were interrupted.
“SONATA. GET BACK OVER HERE BEFORE I TURN YOU INTO FISH STICKS.”
“Whoops, that's Aria. Better get back before she gets crabby.” Giving one last final hug to Sunset, Sonata waved and turned back. “Come visit us sometime! I can get you half off!”
“Will do!” Sunset smiled and waved back before dropping her hand and laughing at, what Twilight could only assume, was Sonata’s absurdity.
Once the vibrating blue dot was fully absorbed into the crowd, Twilight stood up and brushed her knees.
“Thank you for covering me.”
Sunset smiled a little too knowingly. Turning to walk down the boardwalk.
“‘Course. Don’t want to share you with anyone else just yet.”
Putting that squarely out of mind to freak out about later, Twilight cleared her throat and began: plan become friends with hot girl, side A.
“You seem very popular.”
Sunset grunted and tried to hold back a jaw splitting yawn. “We had a battle of the bands at CHS recently and I… competed.” The yawn won out as Sunset rolled back her shoulder. “They’re still just hyped up from it.”
Twilight didn’t think that was the full story and a part of her brain itched to suss out where the half-truths and white lies met, but this was also the first time a seemingly ‘popular girl’ had actually taken interest in her beyond her grades. And she was hot. So a little lying could be spared, right?
Twilight risked a look at the way Sunset’s leather jacket absorbed light like how street lamps turned inky rain puddles into rainbow oil spills. The shadows and colors accentuated her biceps underneath, strong and steady like a ship's mast in a summer storm breeze.
Yes. A little lying was okay. Between friends.
Still, Twilight indulged her mind a little into the confounding person that is Sunset Shimmer.
It was a bunch of tiny pieces that built a strange but powerful aura around her, like those optical illusions that had a different image if you looked from another angle.
She looked slightly off, skewed, like something was wrong. Her limbs a little too long, her eyes just a bit more vibrant than others, canines just a little too sharp. Even her subtle unidentifiable accent and jerky movements felt like someone trying to mimic being a human rather than learning naturally.
She moved too fluidly, like she was double jointed in every single joint. She practically parted the seas of the crowds around them without lifting a finger or so much as a glance.
She was beautiful, yes, but anyone who looked for more than a glance could tell there was something lurking underneath her skin. Figuratively or literally.
Suddenly she stopped upon a barren grassy knoll. Her eyes bolted to the ground. She turned filling Twilight’s view. Her heart going a mile a minute, Twilight swallowed the flurry of finches that threatened to escape from her throat.
Sunset, still looking down, leaned in low and close. Close enough for the waves of her breath to make shore across Twilight’s chin. Twilight flushed and built the courage to close her eyes and purse her lips when Sunset broke the silence.
“Your shoe’s untied.” Sunset pointed out.
Spell broken and thoroughly embarrassed, Twilight looked down at her knock off mary janes.
Ah. So it was.
Groaning, she stepped back in order to tie it when Sunset stopped her, a sly smile on her lips. Curious, Twilight stood and watched her.
The grass was damp with the beginnings of morning coating it. Still, Sunset kneeled, the rips in her jeans digging into her purple and yellow splotched knees, and she popped the button of her summer-loved gloves off. The click echoing like a final church bell around them.
Digging her teeth into the soft leather of the glove, she slowly pulled them off, finger by finger, with her teeth. As methodical and meditative as taking deep breaths.
Index, middle, ring, pinky.
The glove finally pulled off with a sweat slick swipe, her head jerked back with a drool of black leather clutching to her canines. She looked up at the moon, at Twilight, the bright highlighter blue of her eyes glowing like headlights hunting a deer.
“Raise your leg for me.” No room for pleasantries, no room for the kindness that leaked from this show of weakness. It was a dance and Sunset took the lead. “I’ll tie your shoe.”
Gently, like testing a lake for temperature toe first, Twilight just let the pressure of her shoe drop onto Sunset’s leg. The skin ripples from her weight, goosebumps silenced just as they were raised.
The laces laid across Sunset’s thigh, dropping lop ears that almost whistled silently like chimes in the wind. One ear, two ears, through the hole and back out again.
Sunset smoothed down Twilight’s skirt to keep it from moving in the wind. Keeping one hand held high, like blocking the sun from her eyes, while the other protected her half done lace.
She was beautiful. Handsome. Dashing. A knight willingly sullying her honor for her lady, just for the tiniest bit of safety.
The breeze passed as quick as a dying forest fire, which is to say, very, very slowly. Stood watching on the hill of desire, Twilight looked down upon Sunset, like the moon waiting for the sun’s final breath to wisp across the sky: their only moments together spent saying goodbye.
And with a little time, the wind died away, and Sunset returned to her duty and tied Twilight’s shoe, as diligently as the sun gives way to night, Sunset gave herself to her.
Once, twice, an almost perfect double bow from such calloused hands. Twilight could picture them in her mind. The way they brushed her ankle, gentle and soft.
The way they looked sullied by summer’s heat, an air conditioner digging into her palms as she hefted it to a window. The meat of her fingers kneading pliable dough, globs of butter, sugar, and flour leaking between bouts of laughter and sticking to her fingers. So many futures are capable in those hands.
“You know,” Sunset suddenly remarked, “I think you’re the only person whose shoe I don’t mind being under.”
ABORT. ABORT. ABORT. ABORT.
That charming crooked smile, her orange slice dimples, the gloss on her sending little fractals of light across her knee like a phantom kiss she ached to feel. It was too much. It made Twilight feel dizzy, like her heart had suddenly stood up too fast.
“HAHA. THANKS YOU TOO.” She couldn’t have put her foot more in her mouth if she actually tried.
This was it. Her one chance at a good night: at a real friend and she had blown it! This! This is why she planned everything, everyone was too unpredictable otherwise!
Eyes squeezed shut and steady embarrassment for a chewing out grew by the second. If she had to go, she wouldn’t go down crying at the very least. Not when the bitter cold night would make sure Cadence would notice.
Then warmth. Warmth like no other seeped through the air. Like walking into a toasted house after playing in the snow, or how a well loved quilt tucked its hands under a nightmare ridden mess. It was unexplainable. Something no theorem or paper could elaborate. Something so simple yet so achingly human.
Without realizing, Twilight had opened her eyes, her fear turned to confusion and that need to understand.
Sunset Shimmer was laughing. But not at her. Twilight could hardly tell the nuance on a good day, let alone one as emotionally rampant as this one, but she just knew. It was as easy as breathing.
Her laughter chiseled at Twilight’s heart, rendering stone into soft marble lenins, the kind you could reach out tug at.
It was confounding. Puzzling. Twilight wanted to dissect it to see how it ticked. She had never been more in love.
Wiping a tear from her eye, Sunset gently returned Twilight’s foot to the ground and stood up. The corner of her eyes crinkled in unsplit laughter.
“Twilight Sparkle, you are the most astounding being I’ve met. And I’ve met some pretty impressive ones.”
Scratch that. Now she had never been so in love before.
With an ease and confidence she hadn’t known capable outside a lab setting, Twilight brushed her fingers against Sunset’s. Lacing them at the ends like a promise.
“Astounding enough for a date?”
Her knight chuckled, fully clasping Twilight’s hand and running her thumb over her rushing pulse.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way, princess.”
