Sunset never liked Christmas – it was just similar enough to Hearth's Warming to make her homesick. And of course, she didn't like Hearth's Warming either. Her friends never remembered the holiday, so the most she ever had to look forward to was a 'Happy Hearth's Warming!' message in the journal. So when Heath's Warming Eve came around, she decided it was better to just drink the night away. Wrapped in a cozy blanket with a bottle of wine, she was prepared to spend her evening scowling at Christmas specials.
Then Fluttershy showed up. Suddenly the holidays didn't seem so bad.
This story has been superceded by Playing House, but left up for those interested in this version.
Thanks to:
ArchAngelsWings, for editing and in general being my partner in crime horsewords.
elmago02, for pre-reading and inspiring me to write about these characters.
Mouch30, for pre-reading and teaching me I never knew how to use a damn comma correctly.
Pasu-Chan, for making the beautiful cover art and pre-reading, since I seem to have gone pre-reader crazy with this one.
Ooh, a SunShy fic?
I'm going to read this the moment I get the chance.
what happened between sunset and RD?
6750999
Underappreciated ship fic go
Let me know what you think whenever you get a chance
6751155
It's explained a bit more in the next couple chapters, but it probably helps to keep in mind Fluttershy and Rainbow are super close in my stories (which are not required reading to understand this one, but all my stories are part of one series) so when Sunset and Fluttershy broke up months ago (referenced in this chapter, but not shown) Rainbow took Fluttershy's side and hasn't got along with Sunset since.
u have my attention, Sunshyne fics r the best
6752682
And Fimfiction could certainly use more Sunshyne 
Glad to hear it
Oh my! What a sweet (and stEAMY) start to what I know is going to be a wonderful little story!
Oh, you're going to make me start shipping Sunshyne if the amount of adorableness continues! I love the tenderness between Sunset and Shy near the end - it makes me itch to find out just why they broke up :(
Here's to hoping tomorrow comes as quickly as possible!
6752701
We shall convert all who oppose into the Sunshyne
Wow, a nice fic that answers a lot of questions that I had about what happened to Sunset, now I see why she feels so lonely... and why she is slightly jealous of both Shy and Twi in the pony world, is a shame Sunset's relationship with her Shy didn't last
6753830
Glad to hear this is answering your questions, I'm hopeful this story will help give people a better understanding of Sunset.
I wouldn't be surprised if things between RD and sunset got worse and resulted in a fist fight
6754995
They shall fight for Fluttershy's honor
A good story so far, I like the little explanations about how everything went downhill for them. I take it Shimmer is going to try to not drink as much if she feels that was one of the main issues that caused the break up. Though I do see Flutters getting a bit irritating with trying to pay for everything. It can't be helping Sunset's pride all that much.
Sunset: "Damnit! I used to be a noble and now I can't even get a job at Walmart!"
It does suck how much of a criminal background she attained in this version. It does make some sense with what she did, at least, the parts that could be explained to the cops and she was able to be found guilty of. And lack of any college is not doing her any favors. It's always kind of weird to see her in these types of situations. In the movies she seems very bright, just bad at anything involving social interaction outside of her friends group. But I guess lack of money and any real ambition beyond survival can do that to you. I do like her in this story, it just seems she lacks a goal or any desire to really become anything. Which is fine, cruising along for some of your life is good, but...I'm going to start talking in circles if I keep this up.
So...yeah, looking forward to more of this.
6755771
You've stumbled upon something I regret enormously.
See, my whole world involves tons of thought out story line that I just haven't gotten to writing yet. It was always my plan to just keep pressing forward with the main story taking place in Equestria (Inner Strength, Finding Home, and its eventual sequels) and do these little side stories periodically. In particular, one of the stories I figured I'd just get to later is the full story of Sunset and (human) Fluttershy. Since I knew it was going to be a novel length story and I wanted to move forward with the Equestria side of things I decided to just come back and write it when the human world characters eventually have a larger impact on the story, because until then it's not relevant plot wise to what's going on in Equestria. I figured expanding on the human characters before they were important would just lead to everyone forgetting about what separates them personality wise to the pony ones, since I'm talking way down the line. But then as I'm writing Finding Home and and especially writing this one (while Warmth works as a stand alone story it's really more of a window into the full story), I came to realize that even if the plot wasn't directly important the events are relevant to Sunset and still impact her actions. I wish I had written that before Finding Home, so readers might have a better idea of exactly who Sunset is in this story, and what brought her to where she is now. Not to mention writing it later will mean readers already know how it ends
Video won't work
6765386
Whoops
Thanks for letting me know, I fixed it
The only thing that makes me stop smiling when reading this story is the knowledge that it will end in heart break.
6765825
I wish I had written the Sunshyne story first before Finding Home for that exact reason. Not this one, but the full story, which starts immediately after chapter 15 of Inner Strength and ends immediately before chapter 1 of Finding Home. I still plan on writing it, but now everyone will know how it ends
Omg! How do they break up?
6766418
The usual way; one of them decided she no longer wants to be with the other
Seriously, I already goofed by writing Finding Home, I gotta keep some plot twists for when I write the full Sunshyne story6766440 Well, the Sunshyne won't have so much impact after knowing that they break up after whatever happens in the story. Maybe you could change it for it to be a big flash back in Finding Home.
6767768
That was sort of my logic. Figured I didn't need to tell the Sunshyne story because it won't be relevant for a while. It will actually be relevant down the road when the EG univers world becomes more important to the main story but that's not gonna be for a long time. Still, I do plan to tell the full story, as I'm rather fond of it and I've been dropping little references to things I haven't written yet everywhere. As far as making out a flashback, it's just not important enough to Finding Home. It's important to the series, but each story also needs to be self contained.
I don't know, the entire fic is good, but I really like this chapter along with its...kinda steamy end. It creates a 'like we were never apart' feel that I really like in any romance story.
7814156
Yeah, honestly this is my favorite chapter from this story. Lol it was the only thing I really had planned from this story when I started writing it too
On another note, I'm very happy to see someone comment on this story
It's been like a year since anyone has.
7815230 I'm what you might consider late to the party, but that just means I can read a lot of stories in their entirety without having to wait. Yours are really good by the way, so if you are still writing, by all means keep it up!
7815716
I am indeed still writing, with most of my stories taking place in this universe. After I finish the story I'm working on now (which won't be for a while, since it's a long one) the next thing I want to tackle is the full version of this Sunshyne story, explaining more fully their history and how their relationship started, and then continuing for some months thereafter.
I typically prefer to come in late for that exact reason
7815834 Good luck to you, then. In the meantime, I have to start thinking of some ideas for my own stories.
You know, Sunset could probably get a grant and attend a local community college, then transfer to a 4 year school. A (juvenile?) criminal history doesn't prevent that path, and this would be a place where having Fluttershy help support her might be able to get past her pride, since it would be hard. Alternatively, she could absolutely stomp the curriculum at a technical school, although those don't give the flexibility of a traditional degree.
Anyone who can go from a early steam age setting to a master of electronic communications in under a year would trounce ITT, and maybe get into MIT or similar.
Ok, babbling. It's the caffiene, I swear.
Eeyup.
Of course, there is one more stubborn pony in that house.
Who could it be, I wonder...
7847040
Not fully explored within this story (which is part of a much larger universe) but Sunset could absolutely do any of that. Hell, she could skip school and apply hey natural talent for social manipulation in a positive way to advance her career (in the store she works at or elsewhere). She's absolutely using her history as an excuse because she simply lacks the motivation to do anything with herself. The limited third person point of view skews the narrator to sort of be an extension of Sunset (it's more or less like a third party that happens to share all of her views and opinions).
I'm still working on fleshing out Sunset's back story in my currently on going story and its eventual sequel (said sequel is going to be a more full version of Sunshyne's relationship, going from the beginning of it too several months after Warmth). The awkward order is because I didn't know how to manage this whole series thing (I'd only ever written short stories before), but once I finish playing catch up with those two stories Sunset's post-graduation apathy will make more sense.
7847063
Not like that's a family trait at all 
Someone else stubborn in the Apple family house? Surely I've never heard such foolishness
Okay, this bit almost cost me a new phone, since I had just taken a big swig of cola while reading. Fluttershy is best comic timing
ponyhuman.7847072
Near phone destruction? I consider that a victory
Does this mean this story is canon with Looking Glass? It would be super cool if it was
~E.B~
8271148
Both of these stories are part of my Who We Become series 
It is indeed, and you're the first person to point out the significance of Sunset's offhand comment here
I'll admit, reading this chapter was kinda painful for me. Reading about where the Mane 6 were and what they were doing with their lives after highschool, how they had moved out or moved on, or even let their friendship deteriorate; it struck upon a few tender spots for me. I guess it just hit a little too close to home, seeing as I'm at that point in my life where I'm watching all my dear friends move away, get married, move on with their lives without me, and I'm helpless to do anything.
sigh
Every meeting must end with a goodbye . . .
8303630
Yeah, I feel you. It was much the same for me (which was the inspiration for deciding to write them this way). It's always sad when life pulls you and your friends in different directions
Oh, Sunny is/was with the EqG 'Shy? Having read Inner Strength, I wonder how much this Fluttershy has been through...
It was nice to see the cultural differences, subtler drama, post-high school EqG six/seven, and a Fluttershy who seems so serene compared to her pony counterpart here. Take my updoot!
I just started reading this because of your new story. It's a really true-feeling kind of heartache, I like it alot. Not necessarily comfortable to read at all, but enjoyable. Thank you.
9190077
Thank you! Realistic and down to earth drama is my favorite thing, I’m glad you’re enjoying it
I can't tell if Sunset's reaction to a deer is from being a city girl, growing up in Equestria where wildlife tends to want to eat you, or both, but I thought it was really good.
So this is a really sweet story. Though from some comments it looks like it doesn't last
But for now, at least, it's a lovely moment.
Getting back together with someone you've broken up with is always going to be challenging. Because there's a reason you were together, but of course there's also a reason you broke up. I hope Sunset deals with her drinking problem. Guessing now since I haven't read the rest of this series, but if there's a problem this time it will likely be a mix of Sunset still being a bit manipulative (deleting the mad text from Dash and lying about it for example) and Fluttershy not giving Sunset enough space. Or, more happily, their lives just took them in different directions. Definitely have to see what happens.
This is an incredibly accurate depiction of the 'we both know where this is going and it's probably a bad idea and we don't care but we aren't ready to admit it aloud yet' conversation. That needs a shorter name because it's definitely a thing.
And, well, the fic certainly lives up to it's name doesn't it. The rest of it is just generally adorable but this bit...yeah.
9192857
lol more so due to the fact that a full-grown northern stag is fucking huge. In the south deer are all pretty small, but deer in the northern parts of the US or Canada can be big enough to trample a person (not to mention the horns)
I do wish there weren’t so many comments around about what happens after this fic
These days I’m proactive about asking people to hide spoilers, but I didn’t do that when I wrote this, unfortunately. In any event, I’m happy you enjoyed this story and hope you enjoy the rest of the series 
9192863
lol that’s because I’ve had plenty of experience with on-again-off-again relationshipsThis first chapter is actually my favorite for that reason. It’s not something I see very often in a fandom that favors true love that lasts forever (understandably so)
9192926
Heh, yes well there’s a reason I recognized it.
Of course, the real kicker is that the two people can fall in love, and never fall out, and still not work.
Another amazing read. I definitely wish these two would have stayed together, because the way you wrote Sunset and Fluttershy was very sweet and emotional. Even though when I read Playing House, what happened destroyed me.
9622917
My ultimate goal is to create a shipping war between team Sunshyne and team TwiShySet. I'm only partially joking
I do love these two, but there's more to their relationship than has been revealed yet. Obviously we've had one majorly bad thing happen to them, but otherwise I've so far mostly been showing the good times, which skews things a bit. Stay tuned to Playing House to see how the rest goes
9623386
I'm looking forward to it. But it was emotional for me to read certain parts.
in mafia voice
"Hmmmmm, very very nice chapter you've got here Krickis, would sure be a shame if someone was to, oh I don't know.... Parody it. "
10116482
Not my precious chapter! How will my fragile ego take such a hit!?