Two Days Before We Graduate

by LateToTheParty

One Day Before We Graduate!

Twilight woke up three people short of when she’d gone to sleep. Applejack, Sunset, and Pinkie’s things have been put away, large sections of floor vacant from where they’d lain.
She hears Rainbow groaning from beside her, Fluttershy close with a cup of water and two gel tablets.

“Ughhhhhhhh. My head.” She moans.

“I would hope that it teaches you a lesson in moderation, however, seeing as this isn’t even the fifth time, I’ll assume it won’t be the last.” Rarity tuts.

Rainbow Dash dismisses her with a hand. “Shhhh…Rarity. Not so loud. Please.”

The fashionista narrows her eyes, opens her mouth and closes it with a sigh.

“But Rarity’s right, Rainbow.” Fluttershy counters, a heavy frown weighing down the edges of her lips. “I just hate seeing you this hurt but you still keep doing it to yourself.”

Rainbow squints under the flap of her sleeping bag, holding out her hand for the gel tablets. “Alright.” Her voice sounding akin to a frog’s croak. “I won’t drink so much next time.”

“Right. Not like you’ve said that before or anything” Twilight mutters under her breath.

Rainbow ignores her, zipping herself back into the dark, quiet confines of her cloth sanctuary. Fluttershy locates a lump that feels like a head and begins to caress with gentle hands. “Sunset should be back soon with food from Sugarcube. I’m sure that you’ll feel much better when you get something in your stomach.”

Rarity crosses her arms, briefly halting her motions of putting her things in a neat bundle. “I should hope so. We still have fittings for the graduation party and Applejack expects you at the farm later this afternoon.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine by then. Won’t you, Dashie?”

A pitiful groan mixed with a sob answers her.

“And this is why Sunset hates alcohol at our sleep overs.”

Twilight allows a giggle to slip through her. “True, she usually blocks Dash at the door until she can make sure she’s patted down.” Events from the night prior flood through Twilight’s memories, from the surprising impromptu invitation, the hilarity that always came with a Rainbooom gathering, and then the midnight conversation. Warmth crawls upward from her neck, wrapping around her face from ear to ear and she can’t help but relish in it.

“Speaking of which, what is keeping her? It’s been a while since she’s left for a food run.”

Twilight’s ears perk up. “Has it?”

Rarity glances at her sparkly, gold encrusted wrist watch. “Well past an hour now.”

“It’s not like her to disappear for so long.”

“A longer line than usual, possibly?” Fluttershy offers.

Twilight frowns, memories still flowing but tinted with a different light. The distinct feel of Sunset’s lips causes a slight laps into a daydream but she fights to keep her head clear.
Just tell me what’s wrong

You’re sweet, Twilight.

I guess there is something I’ve wanted to tell you.

I’ve been in love with you for a long time now.

She recalls Sunset’s easy smile. Even through the blush she remembered how she’s spoken, how cool she sounded. Too cool. The words flowed like turning a faucet. It kind of felt like…A sick twist in her gut causes Twilight’s jaw to clench. Was she…just saying those things to get me to stop questioning her?

Twilight shakes her head. No. Sunset’s not like that… She remembers the way Sunset’s breath had hitched, the tentative slowness in the way she’d opened her eyes. There was no act there. Not an outright lie at least, but still a diversion. Though traces of that same disruptive bitterness lay in her belly, Twilight feels it lessen to a slightly more manageable degree.

“Twilight, darling, are you alright? You’re looking a bit…peaky.” Rarity had drifted close, looking her over as she thought, that deep frown still on her face. She keeps her gaze on Twilight curiously.

Twilight blushes at the proximity. “I’m fine,” she says. “But Sunset’s been strange lately, right? It’s not just me?”

Rarity exchanges a glance toward Fluttershy. The yellow teen’s bright cyan eyes radiate concern and apprehension.

Fluttershy contemplates the question. “Well, she did volunteer to work at the animal shelter with me last Tuesday, but she was really standoffish. It was really strange. It was almost like she didn’t want to be there even if she was the one who asked.”

Rarity nods her head. “I know what you mean. She offered to be a model the beginning of this week but there was obviously something else on her mind.”

Enticed by the conversation Rainbow Dash pokes a blood-shot, squinty eye to join into the discussion. “Do you think it’s another person who’s gone crazy with magic? We haven’t had one of those in a while,” she says.

“Did you spend some time with Sunset this week, Dashie?” Fluttershy asks.

Rainbow nods. “Helped me with my runtimes and I know for a fact that she helped AJ and Pinkie this week too. I really hope it’s someone we can blast. It feels like it’s been forever.”

“Oh, pish-posh, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity furtively backhands the air around her. “Sunset has never hidden magical happenings from us before. It has to be something else.” She gasps, her eyes lighting up. “Unless it’s magic that has something to do with us!”Her eyes light up with a familiar excitement Twilight had long ago dubbed the Shadow Spade State. She stands on her feet to pace around the room. “There’s a mystery afoot, ladies,” her voice pitches downward, “and it’s a big one. I can feel it.”

“Ugh. You’re gonna make this a huge deal aren’t you?” Rainbow asks. Her expression is flat and unamused as she watches Rarity travers a path only Rarity could see.

The fashionista turns to look at the other three in the room, her night dress flaring around her as she pivots. “This concerns our dear friend! I shall make a ‘huge deal’ about it, as you say, because it is a huge deal!”

“We could just ask her,” Fluttershy offers.

“Ask me what?”

The three jump, variations of the sound “Ahhh!” making Rainbow groan as she places her hand on her head.

Sunset hops backward, the reaction surprising her, reflex almost flinging the brown paper bag and coaster tray across the room. “What’s going on?”

Three of the four girls exchange glances before resting their sights on Twilight, message clearer than IV fluid. Ask her.
Twilight attempts to relay her own message but the impatience in Sunset’s stern stare causes her to sigh in resignation. “We were just wondering about…well…we talked about it yesterday…”

The glare on Sunset’s face redirects itself to an innocent plant on her window sill. “I told you. It’s nothing,” she responds.

Twilight summons her own glare, rivaling Sunset’s own. “And I told you. It’s not nothing. Just because you…,” she pauses and recollects. “Just because you distracted me yesterday, doesn’t mean the issue disappeared.”

Rarity raises a brow but holds her tongue. Sunset takes a furtive glance at the other three in the room, watching them with bated breath, Rainbow fighting her raging hangover from her place beside Fluttershy.

She turns back to Twilight tightly, speaking through her teeth in something that could have been covert if all the attention wasn’t already on her. “So you think that I said and did all that just to trick you.”

Twilight takes a moment to examine Sunset’s face, being careful not to look too hard into her eyes. After a moment she responds, “yes.” There wasn’t a single trace of hesitation in her voice.

“Time out. What are you guys talking about?” Rainbow asks.

Twilight blushes, looking down at her lap

“I confessed to Twilight yesterday.” Sunset’s voice rings proudly, in that too cool, easy way that made Twilight’s gut clench. Her heart races for a completely different reason and she bites down on her lip.

Rarity and Fluttershy gasp.

“God,” Rainbow says. “Save some air for the rest of us.”

Her words go ignored as the two rush toward Sunset.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy squees, taking Sunset’s arm.

“Congratulations!” Rarity takes Sunset’s other. “You will not believe how long we’ve waited for you two to get together.”

“You were waiting for us?” Sunset asks, her brow raising as she smirks.

Twilight remains silent, crossing her arms. Sunset is the only one that notices, her shoulders tensing uneasily.

“Darlings, you are hardly the most secretive of flirts.” Rarity throws Sunset a wink as Fluttershy giggles.

Rainbow grumbles, reaching out her hands and grabbing at the air in Sunset’s direction, “give me food or give me death.”

Rarity rolls her eyes, Fluttershy drifting back to her perch next to Rainbow’s side. Sunset just chuckles, being careful not to look in Twilight’s direction despite the two holes that were steadily burning through her skull from Twilight’s stern glare.

The teen makes a silent vow to herself as she watches the wavy locks of red and yellow swaying with Sunset’s subtle movements. Even with Sunset’s uncanny talent, she swears that she wouldn’t be derailed. Not again. She was going to figure out what was going on, even if it came to prying Sunset's mouth open.

Author's Note:

Help!

If someone is willing to be an editor for this, I would be very grateful.

Comments

[BlueSupernova]

I’m loving this, it’s so cute but so tense at the same time! I can’t wait to read more!