The Wooing of Sunset Shimmer

by Rose Quill

Chapter Fourteen - Testing a Theory

I woke up and stretched before reaching over to discover that the opposite side of the bed was vacant. Some warmth still emanated from the spot, so Sunshine had apparently recently vacated the spot. I sat up a bit and looked around, seeing the bags we had packed the night before to take back with us. I smiled and started to get out of the bed but Sunshine returned at that moment, two steaming mugs hovering in her azure aura.

"I thought since you made tea yesterday, I'd try my hand...er, hoof at it today," she said. "I hope you like it."

I accepted the mug with a smile and sipped the steaming liquid cautiously. It was weaker than I liked but still good. I took another sip, tasting the hints of cinnamon that she had added to the brew.

“It's not bad,” I said, accepting a nuzzle as she sat down.

She quirked an eyebrow. “So good, but not good enough to propose to?” she said with a mock pout.

“Remind me to show you how to properly make a pot of tea from loose powdered leaves when we get back,” I giggled. "It's a different breed than tea bags. It's all about how you mix it with the amount of water."

Her smile faltered slightly as I spoke and I felt a ripple of nervousness through our bond. I looked at her with a slight worried frown on my face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I can't stop thinking about having to tell my family the truth," she whispered. "I love them and they love me, but will they be ok with knowing everything about us?”

“You mean me,” I said. “They’re pretty ok with the concept of 'us' so far.”

“That’s just it!” She put her mug down and whirled away, stalking across the floor. “What if when they find out you’re a Unicorn, they don’t want us seeing each other anymore? What if they actually re-enroll me in Crystal Prep for the final semester? What if they make me move in with Cadence and Shining Armor? What if…”

I sighed, reaching out and grabbing her with a telekinetic hold, lifting her up. “Twilight,” I said, giving her a soft smile as I rotated her to look at me before setting her down. “Stop pacing, honey. You’re going to wear a hole in our floor.”

She flushed, glancing down in embarrassment.

“I know you’re worried about what your folks will say,” I continued. “But there is no need to worry now about something we haven’t encountered yet. Let's just relax and enjoy our last couple days in here.” I thought for a moment as a sudden thought struck me. “And I think I know a way to ease your worries.”

---

“You want to speak to my parents? What about?” the Princess of Friendship asked.

"Not me, necessarily," I said and tossed my head at Sunshine. “She’s worried about telling her parents about what I really am,” I looked back at the Alicorn. “Her parents and your parents are essentially the same, at least for the purpose of the test.”

Twilight looked unsure. “I don’t know,” she said. “How are you going to approach the question?”

“Well, I thought about confessing to them that I was a Unicorn, but I think they’ll understand that much, being Unicorns themselves.”

She gave me a level look at my glibness. It was one of the few holdovers from before the laser shot to the face a year and change ago.

I smiled, waving a hoof in surrender. “In all seriousness, though, I thought that just you and Sunshine would go see them," I said."Between the two of you, you should be able to come up with a way to ask how they would feel if you had introduced someone to them that was special to you was something other than the pony they appear to be. That answer is all she needs to hear.”

“They’re not going to ask why I’m asking this with a strange Unicorn with me?”

“I know you,” I said. “And I know you,” I said, looking at Sunshine. “One of you is going to spill the beans, and that above all will let them understand the seriousness of the question.”

Sunshine looked at me. “Are you sure you don’t want to come, Sunny?”

I looked at her before giving her a light kiss. “I don’t need the answer, honey.”

---

“Maybe I should have gone,” I said to Applejack as we fixed a light lunch back at my house. “They’ve been gone an awfully long time.”

“Ah’m sure it's nothing, Sunset,” she drawled as she slid the pot pie out of the oven and onto the counter to cool slightly. “Ya know how Twilight is when a problem pokes it’s head out. She’s got to go at it like a bull at red.”

I shook my head. “Still, though,” I said, pouring cold water into the pitcher with the tea I just brewed, bringing it down to a cool temperature. “I play it cool so Sunshine doesn’t freak out any more than she already would, but inside I’m just as worried about it.”

“What's the worst that could happen, sugar cube?”

“Just her parents freaking out and demanding that I leave their daughter alone, worst case scenario. If they don’t try to commit me and put her in therapy.” I dragged my hoof through my mane, licking my lips as more frightening possibilities flashed through my mind. "It's surprising how quickly a mind can come up with horrible reactions."

“Ah think that’s a mite extreme,” the Earth pony took a serving spoon and dished out two helpings of the pie. “Th’ coupla times Ah met Twilight’s folks they’ve been pretty level-headed.”

“They weren’t considering the fact that Twilight was dating something from another reality entirely, AJ.” I looked down and fiddled with my hooves. I felt a hoof on my shoulder and looked up to see the bearer of the Element of Honesty standing next to me.

“Trust me, Sunny,” she said with a gentle smile. “It’ll all work out for th’ best, ya hear?”

I nodded. "I hear you, AJ," I said as I brought a forkful of the pie to me. "It's just nerve-wracking."

The farm pony was about to say something when the front door opened and the sound of twin laughter was heard as the Twilights entered the kitchen.

“Sunset!” Sunshine said, trotting up and nuzzling me happily. “That was a great idea.”

“Glad you think so,” I said. “What happened?”

“It was weird, seeing them,” she said, her smile never lowering. “But it was just like talking to Mom and Daddy, down to the voices.”

Princess Twilight helped herself to some of the pot pie after a glance at AJ for permission. “Technically, if the theories Sunset and I have talked about involving the mirror are true, they kinda are your parents in a sense. You are me, after a fashion.”

“Ah’m just a mite confused,” Applejack said. “What in th’ hay did they say?”

Sunshine smiled and cuddled deeper into me.

Twilight smiled. “They asked a single question, Applejack.”

The farmer looked at her friend.

“Are you happy?”

Author's Note:

I want to thank Aurora Dimmet for the help with Applejack's dialogue. I need to stop ignoring her because I'm afraid of over - or under- doing her accent.

Also thanks to Wolfkin for the idea of how to calm Sunshine down. Still got some good ideas coming up.

Comments

[Wolfkin]

I got mentioned!!

Oh, and good chapter, too!

[Battlecat]

The solution to the confidence problem was brilliant.

Writing for Applejack seems to be a game of balance. Enough punctuation adjustment to convey the accent without making it unreadable. You seem to have struck the balance nicely in this chapter.

[Aurora Dimmet]

When the Applehorse accent is just right.

Riot's off, y'all. Prayers bein' answered and what all it is.

[MySisterBroughtMeHere]

Nice to know the test was successful, but is it enough?

[jwizard]

Funny thing about bulls and red. You could shake a blue flag at one, and it would still charge.

It's not the color, but the taunt.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Seems like Sci twi is less stressed now thx to sunset