This is a Christmas movie?
Sunset leaned against the railing of Applejack’s porch, idly staring out at the three snowmen Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle had made earlier in the week before glancing at her own snow unicorn she had made that beared a striking resemblance to her.
“Hey, hot chocolate,” Rainbow stuck her head outside and frowned slightly. “Yo.”
“Oh hey Rainbow,” Sunset glanced back. “What’s up?”
Rainbow shrugged and stepped outside, shivering and she wished she had thought to grab her coat as she joined Sunset, staring out at the snowy field in front of them.
“Damn, it’s cold out,” Rainbow muttered and Sunset nodded her agreement. “Why the hell you out here in this freezing hell instead of inside with our friends where it’s warm and chocolate.”
“Oh, just thinking about simpler times is all.”
“And you had to be outside to do that why?” Rainbow questioned and raised an eyebrow as Sunset sighed. “Is this one of those times where I need to get Applejack or Rarity because they’re way better at emotional conversations than I am?”
“Nah, you’re fine,” Sunset answered and waved a gloved hand, brushing some hair out of her eyes with the other. “I don’t know. It’s complicated, you know?”
“No, I don’t know. What’s complicated exactly?” Rainbow took a sip of her hot chocolate and handed Sunset the one she had brought out for her.
“Thanks.”
Sunset held the cup closer and inhaled. It always did scare her how Pinkie knew anything peppermint around this time of year was her favorite. Sunset didn’t believe she had mentioned it all. Pinkie just had a way of knowing things randomly.
“I guess I miss home. Hearths Warming is like Christmas. Twilight offered to have me come stay with her in the castle and celebrate with her and Spike, but I turned her down. Said I had plans.”
“Uh huh. Why exactly? Equestria sounds sick from the few times you described it. Now that you mention it, what do you even do for Hearths Warming?” Rainbow asked and Sunset stared up at the sky.
“Well, on Hearths Warming Eve, there’s a pageant to celebrate the three tribes uniting and defeating the evil windigos and stopping an eternal winter. But that’s just an old foals tale, windigos don’t exist,” Sunset waved a hand dismissively in the air. “Record keeping wasn’t eternally something we did back then. We didn’t want to keep a record of the hate the tribes shared. Windigos feed on hate or so they say. Again, foals tale.”
Rainbow hung on her every word and stared at her. Rainbow always had liked hearing more about Sunset’s home as did some other people she knew. Specially Lyra and Fluttershy being the biggest two always asking her for details.
“Why did you turn her down? Sounds like home is where you should visit,” Rainbow pointed out and Sunset frowned, gripping the railing with a hand.
“The last time I went to Equestria, it was to commit a crime and steal her crown. I’m not entirely sure I’d be welcomed there at any Hearths Warming party. Especially not if she is there,” Sunset bit her lip and Rainbow rolled her eyes.
“I’m sure if she invited you that means all past whatever, errors we shall call them are forgiven. And this is a freaking princess of friendship we are talking about. Isn’t being friendly and the whole nine yards kinda her gig?”
Sunset stayed silent and took another sip of her hot chocolate. While Rainbow did have a point, she wasn’t going to admit that because then she would have no excuse anymore. But a small part of Sunset did wish she had said yes.
“Come on,” Rainbow grabbed her arm and Sunset jumped. “Everybody is waiting on us and I can guarantee Pinkie is getting impatient.”
Sunset shrugged.
“Yeah, sure. I might as well soak up all the time I get with you girls.”
“Yeah- wait what? What the hell does that mean?” Rainbow turned to her. “Oh my god. You’re dying. Guys, I think Sunset is- mpfh!”
“I am not dying,” Sunset grumbled and removed her hand she had clapped over her rainbow haired friend. “I’m just gonna stay at home on Christmas. My roommate is out of town visiting her sisters and niece, so it’s just me. I bought myself a couple things I wanted. New Xbox controller, some guitar picks and a few movies.”
Rainbow stared at her with her jaw open as Sunset continued walking inside Applejacks living room.
“What on Earth just happened?”
Rainbow paced back and forth of Applejack’s living room, carefully stepping over Raritys hell spawn of a cat, Opalescence as the white cat hissed.
“It was ridiculous Flutters,” Rainbow flung a hand and narrowly avoided smacking Fluttershy as the other girl yelped and ducked. “It’s like Sunset doesn’t even want to be here with us. Do you know how frustrating it is to try to reason with someone, but get no where at all?”
“No, I have no clue at all what that is like,” Fluttershy muttered and shot Rainbow a glare as she brushed her hair down. “None whatsoever.”
“Exactly!” Fluttershy’s sarcasm going over her head, Rainbow turned to her. “I don’t know, it didn’t sit right with me, is all. Can you imagine spending Christmas alone? And since Cheerilee is out of town, Sunset will have no one unless one of us takes in her for the day. I already texted my mom and dad but you know how they are about last minute things like this.”
“I suppose I could convince Mom and Dad to have Sunset over. Especially since Zephyr’s plane got grounded and he can’t make it for Christmas. Mom and Dad are really torn up about it. This is the first year we’ve all been separate on Christmas since he’s gone to college up in Manehattan,” Fluttershy sighed and Rainbow frowned slightly.
While Rainbow clearly wasn’t the biggest fan of Zephyr, she still sympathized with Fluttershy. It’s not like Rainbow wanted or wished for Zephyr to be separated from them, especially around the holidays.
“I’m surprised she even agreed to have a sleepover here tonight,” Fluttershy mused and Rainbow glanced at the half closed door down the hall where Sunset and the others were sleeping in various spots around Applejacks room. “Do you think she liked the gift I got her for Ray?”
“Yeah. She wouldn’t stop talking for months about how she had to get him a bigger aquarium or whatever it’s called you put reptiles in.”
Fluttershy held her tongue and decided to not correct her on it being a vivarium, not an aquarium. Common misconception people made.
“We should probably head to bed. It’s three am and the others are gonna get suspicious if they wake up. Especially Sunset.”
“Probably. She’s pretty sharp,” Fluttershy agreed and the pair winced at Applejack’s door creaking open as Rainbow kept pushing it open. “She should really get that fixed one day.”
“You know how AJ is. Stubborn as all hell.”
While Fluttershy wouldn’t have quite worded it like that, Rainbow did have a point. Applejack was one of the most stubborn people she knew.
Fluttershy sat down on her sleeping bag, glancing around the room of snoring girls. Applejack was sprawled out on her bed, Pinkie was on the floor hugging her stuffed alligator plushie and Rarity was next to her with Sunset, a thin line of drooling running down Rarity’s cheek, her cat purring on her chest.
Sunset’s leg twitched and Fluttershy stifled a laugh. The action reminded her of how a dog would kick her leg in it’s sleep.
Fluttershy slid inside her bag and pulled up a blanket with a content sigh.
“Just take this left and you’ll be at my house,” Sunset directed and Fluttershy tapped her finger on the steering wheel, ignoring her directions and opted to stay in the straight lane. “Uh Fluttershy? My house isn’t this way.”
“I know.”
“Then where the hell are we going?” Sunset demanded and looked out the window. “Oh god, this is a kidnapping in revenge for me accidentally knocking over the kitty litter at the shelter, isn’t it?”
“What, no. Wait, that was you?” Fluttershy shot her a quick look before turning her attention back to the road. “We’re going to my house and you’re staying the night till Christmas. Which is tomorrow.”
“Absolutely not. I’m not gonna intrude on your time with your family. Take me home,” Sunset folded her arms across her chest.
“No,” Fluttershy answered and turned down a side street. “I already got my parents permission. Rarity and Sweetie are staying with Scootaloo and her aunts, Applejack and her family are going to be with Pinkie and her family. Rainbow has plans with hers so that leaves just you and me.”
I hate this, Sunset thought as Fluttershy parked her little Volkswagen in a driveway of a two story blue house with flowers out front.
“Wow, nice place,” Sunset muttered and Fluttershy shrugged as she opened her door.
“It’s okay,” Fluttershy said and picked up her backpack.
“Just one problem with this whole thing,” Sunset waved a hand around.
“What’s that?” Fluttershy opened her trunk.
“Remember, we had slept at Applejack’s last night. Kinda running low on clean clothes. Guess I gotta go home,” Sunset smiled awkwardly at her and Fluttershy raised an eyebrow.
“You can borrow one of my shirt and pajamas. But uh you’re on your own for underwear. We’re roughly the same shirt size.”
Sunset turned red and rubbed the back of her head before nodding in defeat with a sigh.
This is a horrible idea, Sunset thought as she tugged at blue shirt on over her head.
“Gotta admit, this really does show off my body,” Sunset admitted and looked at her reflection in the bathroom. “Thank God for Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy stifled a yawn as she continued searching on the bookshelf of movies, cursing mentally.
“Well, how does it look?” Sunset asked and Fluttershy looked back with widening eyes and her mouth went dry.
“Wow. You uh look good,” Fluttershy commented and wet her lips. “Every year, we pick a Christmas movie to watch. I think you might like this one.”
Sunset took the movie and flipped it over, and eyebrow slowly raising.
“Die Hard? What the heck is that?” Fluttershy grinned at her and Sunset stared at her. “Fluttershy?”
“Only the best Christmas movie ever.”
“This is a Christmas movie?” Sunset asked incredulously as a guys brains splattered onto a window in a conference room. “A guy just got sent to meet his maker.”
“Yeah,” Fluttershys mom confirmed and Sunset’s jaw dropped. “This and Home Alone is Fluttershy’s favorites.”
Sunset curled up in a ball closer to Fluttershy and Fluttershys dad tossed her a blanket.
“Thanks.”
Sunset still couldn’t entirely believe a movie based on a robbery and killing was Fluttershy of all people’s favorite holiday movie.
“This was probably better than staying home alone,” Sunset admitted and Fluttershy smirked as she hugged Sunset.
“I hope so. And it’s one am. Merry Christmas, Sunset.”
“Merry Christmas, Fluttershy.”
Author's Note
Almost didn't get this done kn time. Merry Christmas! 🎄🎅