This Is Awkward

Roseluck took a sip of her water as she and her sisters continued working on the garden.

“Can you hoof me those Marelachian tulips, Lily?” Daisy asked and Lily shoved the box over to the other mare. “Hey, thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Lily answered dismissively and set down her scissors. “Hey, where are Sunset and Silverspeed going?”

“Canterlot,” Roseluck told the two and stretched out her forelegs. “Lucky Clover is watching Silver Spoon for the week. Blossomforth is sick and she couldn’t.”

“How long are we going to be hiding in here?” Flitter asked and frowned as she peered out through the blinds.

“Until Silverspeed leaves town for the next few days. I had to lie and say I was sick so I didn’t have to watch Silver Spoon. That filly is cruel. The last time I watched her, she was insulting my cooking,” Blossomforth said and closed her wings. “Would you shut those already? Is she on the train?”

“Getting their tickets now. I thought you and her were friends?” Flitter shot her a questioning look.

“We are. Oh Celestia, I lied to my friend!” Blossomforth covered her face with her wings and Flitter sighed, rolling her eyes.

“Thank Celestia we decided to not take Cherry Berry’s balloon,” Sunset commented as she paid for her ticket. “Two tickets, please. I hate heights. I don’t know how you can handle it.”

“I guess it’s easier because I was born with my wings. In Cloudsdale, you don’t have time to worry about stuff like that. I will admit, certain heights do make me worried,” Silverspeed answered as she accepted her ticket before shoving it into her saddlebags. “You sure you wanna sit with other ponies?”

“Of course. And besides, there’s no cabins available unfortunately according to the sign outside,” Sunset explained as she sat down at a window seat, tapping a hoof on the spot next to her. “Sit.”

Silverspeed tucked her legs under her and propped her head on the window sill.

“I love trains,” Sunset mused as she hoofed her tickets to the conductor pony. “Thanks sir.”

“Only been on a train once before now. This is a second for me. I’ve always been interested in them though,” Silverspeed admitted and Sunset settled against her and Silverspeed wrapped a wing around her. “Comfy?”

“Mhmmm. It’s about a five hour train ride so we might as well get comfy,” Sunset smirked and nuzzled Silverspeed. “I’m gonna rest. You can stay awake if you want.”

“Yeah,” Silverspeed coughed and turned pink. “I’ll stand watch if anypony tries anything.”

Sunset didn’t entirely think anypony would. She did have a large, intimidating looking pegasus at her side, after all.

Sunset curled closer and closed her eyes, passing out in the warm furry wings.

Silverspeed took a sip of her coffee she had managed to get off the snack cart that went through, making a face and shrugging before setting it down in her cup holder. Cheap coffee was always awful in her opinion. She much rather preferred Derpy’s coffee.

“Five minutes to Canterlot,” a pony called out over an intercom and Silverspeed shifted her weight as she glanced at the unicorn sleeping inside her wing. She decided to let the other mare sleep and rested her head against the train cars cushion.

Her second ever train ride was decent, she guessed. Kinda bumpy and loud. Most ponies were sleeping, a few were talking quietly. Most were ponies from Ponyville that Silverspeed recognized.

“Thirty seconds till we’re stopped. Makes sure to grab all your belongings from the train,” the same voice said again and Silverspeed sighed.

“Hey, wake up,” Silverspeed shook Sunset for a few seconds. “Sunsettttt. We’re here.” Silverspeed tensed slightly as the train slide to an abrupt stop.

“Ugh,” Sunset grumbled and rolled out from under the wing. “Joy. Did you sleep at all?”

“No.”

Sunset rolled her eyes as she stood up. And she thought Trixie was stubborn. The doors opened and the two stared at the large city before them.

Even though she was born here, the sight of Canterlot still took Sunset’s breath away. The large towering castle in the distance with the gold paint on the spires, the waterfall pouring over the side of the mountain, the crowds of ponies all mingling. Pegasi, unicorns, earth ponies.

The royal guards trotting around or standing guard at the castle gates.

“I never will get over this view,” Sunset muttered as she stepped off the train. “No matter how many times I see it, it still blows me away.”

“It’s beautiful,” Silverspeed agreed readily as she joined her. “You should see Cloudsdale one day. Rainbows everywhere, the weather factory jutting in the sky. It’s something else. Just makes me appreciate the simplicity of Ponyville more. Earth ponies truly are amazing.”

Sunset nodded in agreement and stretched out her legs.

“We need to find a hotel or a empty room in the castle before I can show you around properly. My mom doesn’t really know I’m here,” Sunset confessed. “I’d rather keep this on the down low.”

“Interesting.”

Silverspeed glanced around in slight confusion as they walked down through Canterlot. All around them, ponies either knelt down to bow or royal guards saluted Sunset.

“What is going on?” Silverspeed whispered in Sunset’s ear and the mare jumped slightly. “Sorry.”

“I’ll tell you at the castle or hotel. But castle is closer since I’m banned from one of the hotels that is nearby,” Sunset grumbled and rolled her eyes. “Actually fuck it, I’ll tell you now.”

“Okay because this is getting awkward,” Silver muttered as some more ponies bowed and two royal guards pulled open the castle gates, saluting after.

“Imagine how I feel. You’ve only been dealing with this for five minutes. I’ve been dealing with it my entire fucking life,” Sunset shot back and scowled. “Alright, as we know, I’m Princess Celestia’s daughter, blah blah blah. Which technically makes me a princess because of that said fact. So Canterlotians tend to bow or salute or wave a lot to me. Especially the upper class families like Twilight Snarkles or Moondancers. Lyra, Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine etc. Their families too.”

“I’ve never actually thought about it that way but it does make sense. Am I supposed to bow or salute now?”

Sunset snorted and shook her head before bumping her flank against the other mare.

“Nah, I’d rather you didn’t. It’s okay I guess for strangers to bow and all, but not my friends. I don’t really like the guards doing it either. I mean, I grew up with half of these stallions and mares. It feels awkward.”

“I can imagine. So how you plan on sneaking into the castle? I can personally tell you there’s hundreds of guards in there.”

“You’ll see,” Sunset grinned and Silverspeed groaned.

“This isn’t gonna end well.”