The Wooing of Sunset Shimmer

by Rose Quill

Chapter Three - Day After

I wound up staying rather late at the Sparkle household. After the revelation that not only did Twilight’s parents feel all right with us dating but had invited me to Christmas Eve festivities, I felt warm in a way that had nothing to do with the flames crackling in the fireplace.

Cadence swept into the room with a tray laden with mugs that were steaming and surrounded with a rich chocolate smell. She handed them out and sat down, crossing her legs over Shining Armor’s, smiling behind her mug as she cradled it with two hands around its barrel.

I looked into mine, smirking as I saw a snowflake shaped marshmallow floating in it. I crept up on the scalding drink, taking a gentle sip. Talk had started to die down, the time of night leading to drowsiness. We all laughed at silly stories told by Cadence and Twilight paled and protested when her mother pretended to get the family photo album.

“We’ll show you sometime,” Twilight Velvet whispered as her daughter calmed down.

“That’s ok,” I said. “No need to have the bookworm die of embarrassment.” We all shared a laugh as Twilight pouted, her cheeks puffing up in annoyance. I gave her a squeeze and a peck on the cheek, but she didn’t seem placated.

Twilight Velvet turned to Cadence. "Have you heard any more about Abacus and her continued employment at the school?"

"She decided to take the offer of early retirement," the Dean of Students said, sipping her cocoa. “Though members of the board weren't pleased that they didn't have the votes to just terminate her employment. Apparently, they took her attempts to continue the streak of CPH winning the Friendship Games by any means necessary to be a little extreme and overreaching the bounds of her authority.”

“Any mention of magic?” I asked. I was still trying to figure out how it worked here and didn’t need anybody poking around where they weren't needed.

“None that I heard of through official channels," she shook her head. "mostly rumor and speculation, but nothing concrete. You know how the rumor mill works."

“Yeah,” I said, a flash of the Annon-A-Miss events rising to the surface, but I managed to keep a neutral face. “Did they suggest anyone for the position?”

"They have a list of five candidates and they'll be conducting a round of reviews and interviews over the winter break to see who will take over in the spring semester."

"I can't believe they won't just give the position to you, Cadence," Night Light said. "You've been doing her job since she was suspended and doing splendidly."

“I was one of the possibilities,” she admitted. "But I'm up against some pretty well-qualified individuals."

"How are they with magic?" I asked. "Demon students, man-eating vines and the like would be a good way to test a candidate's capabilities."

Shining Armor shook his head. "Cady's just being modest," he said just before his fiancé swatted him on the belly. "She told me she was the front-runner according to the superintendent."

“Congratulations! I think the school is in good hands,” I said, my mind’s eye overlaying an image of the Alicorn Cadence over her human form. “Especially since most of Twily’s former classmates have actually proved to be decent people.”

Twilight had dozed off during the exchange, as had her father.

“Sunset,” Twilight Velvet spoke up softly. “It was wonderful having you over tonight.” She reached over and poked Night Light, waking him. “But I think some of us are overdue for bed.”

I smiled and looked down at the dozing girl who had fallen asleep holding my left arm. I poked her nose, causing her to scrunch up her face adorably.

“Whyya do tha?” she slurred sleepily.

“Time for me to go, Sunshine,” I said. “And for you to go to bed.”

“But comfy,” she said, waking up reluctantly.

“Twilight,” her mother said firmly but warm.

“Ok, ok,” she said, sitting up. She picked up her empty mug and mine and placed them on the tray sitting on the coffee table. We all started collecting our things, Night Light giving us all hugs before climbing the stairs to his room. Twilight Velvet took the mugs to the kitchen, Shining Armor following to help clean up.

“Twilight, thanks for inviting me. And thank you, Cadence, for giving her the advice,” I said as I pulled on my boots. “This was nice, I had fun.”

“And we had fun having you,” Cadence said. “It's good to see her involved in something that doesn’t have wires and transistors.”

“That was how we met, though,” I joked, standing and hugging the taller woman. She smiled and left me and her former charge alone in the foyer.

“I’ll let you know when I get home,” I said, pulling my coat on.

“Ok, she said, a small smile on her face. She glanced around, nervously.

“What’re you…”

She put her fingers on my lips, then replaced them with her lips in a warm kiss. I wrapped my arms around her waist as hers snaked up around my neck. We broke and we touched foreheads, smiling.

“OOooooh,” Cadence cooed from around the corner.

We both flushed red.

“Good night, Twilight,” I said, pulling my keys out.

“Good night, Sunset,” said Cadence as she led the embarrassed girl back indoors, Twilight’s jaw working in silent words.

---

I slid the deadbolt home as dropped my keys on the table next to the door. Coat and purse were dumped onto the couch and I trudged into the bathroom, fatigue starting to catch up with me. I shot Twilight a text before taking my face off and taking the pins out of my hair, watching as the curls and waves started bouncing around my shoulders, evoking a memory of Adagio the Siren.

I wondered briefly what had happened to them as I stumbled to my bed and sat down. The last time I had seen them, my temper and the way the building they lived in made me feel had made me speak and act in a way I wasn't proud of.

But I was too tired to contemplate it further. I pulled my boots off and swiveled backward onto the bed, not bothering to crawl under the comforter.

I don’t remember hitting my pillow.

---

Cheery, fast-paced bubblegum pop woke me up the next day. I crawled part-way out from my blanket cocoon and fumbled for my phone, slapping it to my face to silence the music. I adjusted my grip on the device and growled out a “What?”

Civility from me requires at least a minute of consciousness. That part of me had never changed from foal-hood.

“Morning Sunny!” Pinkie’s voice piped through the speaker, unperturbed by my rude answer. “Are you still coming along?”

I clawed through the fog of sleep for what she was talking about. “Flea Market?” I asked while sitting up and peeking through my blinds at a freak snowfall, the flakes swirling around in the strong wind. “Today?”

“It’s the best time to get a good deal! And then we’re going ice skating.”

“How about I meet you at the rink?” I asked. “I’m still not awake and that snow makes me want to hibernate.”

“But you’re a pony, Sunset. Not a bear, silly,” she paused for a beat. “Do magical ponies hibernate?”

“This one does, Pink.” I yawned. “Skating at three?”

“Okie Dokie Lokie!” she said before hanging up.

I put my phone back in its cradle and burrowed back under my thick comforter. Nothing got Pinkie down for long, if at all.

A few hours later I woke up naturally, stretching languidly. I rolled out of bed and padded into my kitchenette to brew up some tea. I had no sooner stirred in my cream than my phone started going off again.

“Hi, Rarity,” I said.

“Sunset, darling,” she cooed. “Please tell me how it went.”

“Like clockwork, Rarity. Her family likes me and invited me over for Christmas.”

“Oooh, that sounds lovely! But will you be back in time? I know you were going to visit your sisters for Warm Hearth.”

“Hearth’s Warming, and it’s about a little more than a week before Christmas so we should make it.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “I’m due to go skating with Pinkie in a bit, so I should probably start getting ready. Could you do me a favor and ask the girls to meet me here around five or so?”

“Is everything all right, Sunset?”

“Yes,” I said. “But it’s something that I’d rather talk about in person and only once.”

Comments

[optimusprime142]

Le gasp, what could she be talking about at the end?

[Dash32]

MORE SUPER SOON!!!

[MySisterBroughtMeHere]

Loved the moments at the beginning. Now, I'm curious as to what Sunset has to talk to the others about.

[BenRG]

"Pinkie, I absolutely know that you wouldn't wake me up this early in the morning, so I'm going to hang up this dream call now and, in an hour's time, when I'm awake and have some coffee in me, the real you will call me for real."

[Indigo Tornado]

I wondered briefly what had happened to them as I stumbled to my bed and sat down.

ooh I see why u included that fluttershy chapter

[Storm-Chaser]

I smiled and looked down at the dozing girl who had fallen asleep holding my left arm. I poked her nose, causing her to scrunch up her face adorably.

“Whyya do tha?” she slurred sleepily.

“Time for me to go, Sunshine,” I said. “And for you to go to bed.”

“But comfy,” she said, waking up reluctantly.

That actually sounds like something my own girlfriend would say.

[CryoWolf]

9074839
My girlfriend always tells me to go night-night, so it seems that our girlfriends have similar mindsets when it comes to sleeping.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Glad Sci twi patents aren't upset over the two of them dating, and judging by how the chapter ended I think sunset is telling her friends on something to do with her mom