“You sent her a rose, darling. If that is not an indicator of your true feelings, then I do not know what is.” Rarity sat at her drafting table, a fine sheet of drawing paper clipped into place, her rough sketches pinned around the the spare space alongside swatches of fabric and clippings of thread. The figure represented on the paper was shaded in amber, a coif of red hair atop their head. Sunset was always fun to design for, Rarity mused, more daring with how she dressed and confident for the catwalk.
The girl in her company today however, was having something of a crisis of confidence.
“I was dating Timber! I knew Sunset was single and wanted to cheer her up!” Twilight Sparkle paced behind the designer, her hair was falling out of its usual up-do and the collar of her blouse was askew. She was waving her arms around and looking concerned.
“Darling.” Rarity stood and caught a flailing hand, tsking to herself as she took in how out of sorts her friend was. “Darling, you know as well as I; Sunset means a lot to you.” She gently released Twilight's hand and corrected the other girl's collar. “Are you truly sure that it was just a friendly gesture?”
“It isn't like I gave her a red tulip.” Twilight looked at her feet, it was an avoidance tactic, Rarity was perceptive and she could feel her friend seeing right to the heart of the matter.
“You asked me for one.” Rarity kept her tone gentle, but teasing. “Then you worried, because Pinkie Pie and I know the language of flowers and Sunset quite likely is familiar with it herself.”
“I was dating Timber!” Twilight defended again, half-heartedly. She allowed Rarity to lead her to the chaise at the opposite side of the room. Sitting, Rarity beside her, Twilight sighed. “I was dating Timber.”
“Yes, you were.” Rarity had been a listening ear for Twilight throughout her relationship and in the aftermath of the break-up. While Sunset had dated in the past, she would readily admit that it wasn't anything real. The other girls had been far from experienced, so Rarity had given Twilight advice when asked. While it was not public knowledge, Rarity had her fair experience of dating and pining for someone, enough to help her friend.
“At the time, it was a gesture- a gesture I had wanted to make since the Friendship Games.” Twilight mumbled. “I thought about it, before I went to order it.”
“You said you did.” Rarity remembered the morning. Sunset had been sent to fetch more stocks of roses, Twilight had arrived as soon as the other girl had been out of sight. She'd stammered through her request for a flower to be sent anonymously, stumbled over her preference for a tulip; Pinkie's grin rivalled the Cheshire Cat, and then requested the rose. “I also am aware that you had quite the crush on Sunset right into Camp.”
“I thought it was hero worship.” Twilight blushed, sharing a tent with Sunset had almost been too much, it was only how disarmingly nice Sunset could be that kept her from making a bashful fool of herself.
“She saved me.” Her memories of Sunset convincing her that Midnight was not the path to choose were treasured. When they had been stolen and returned, Twilight's feelings had doubled. She wrote out exactly what had happened, how Sunset had saved her. There was a copy in her bag, even now. “I can never get close to repaying her for that and Sunset doesn't even want to take credit!”
“I know, she insists that you were the one who did the 'heavy lifting' as it were.” Rarity took one of Twilight's hands in her own. “How would have you taken her asking you on a date? During, or even before camp, hmm?” Rarity was cheating a little; Sunset had shared her hope for the trip to camp with the designer during a fitting for performance costumes. Explaining that it felt like a good time to ask Twilight out on a date.
“I would have said yes.” Twilight answered immediately. “I am sure of that. If Sunset had asked first-” She paused and blushed, “I probably wouldn't have given Timber the time of day. Wait, that's not fair, I would have been nice at least.” Twilight shook her head.
“But he got there first.” Rarity interjected, once again gentle but not avoiding the point.
“He asked, it was all so much like the stories- Until I started at Canterlot, I didn't even have friends!” Twilight sighed again. “He was a nice boy and he was asking me out, I jumped at the chance. I could only remember all the girls in school mocking me over not having a boyfriend.”
“Never considering a girl.” Rarity added, she had found the female object of her affection to be quite unpleasant in reality, moving on from her had been easy. “After all, the media is rather hetero-normative in its representation of relationships.”
“Exactly!” Twilight shouted, it woke Opal who had been sleeping on the window-sil, the white cat grumbled and hopped from her perch. “All I knew from anything I had encountered had been Boy and Girl. I knew that there was more,” she chuckled a little sheepishly, “Mom and Dad made it very clear as part of their 'talk' that they didn't mind who I brought home, as long as we were happy and healthy.”
“So what is stopping you darling?” Rarity asked, catching her cat as Opal jumped up for skritches and pets from both girls.
“Nothing really.” Twilight said. It had been over a month since her break-up with Timber. A little less time since he had posted his new relationship to MyStable. It had hurt, but her friends had been there for her. Her first instinct had been to seek out Sunset, that was not lost on her. “I was almost jealous when I thought Rainbow was going to ask Sunset out.”
“What?” Rarity looked equally scandalised and curious. Their athletic friend had recently asked Applejack on a date, her method being throwing a baseball to the farm girl 'Date me?' written on it.
“At the party, the one Pinkie had at the farm for me? We spotted AJ and Sunset playing guitar together. Rainbow told me her plan and I thought she meant Sunset.” Twilight was blushing again. “So I was jealous.”
“Darling, to be crass; You got it bad.” Rarity tried not to laugh, but her mirth was clear.
“I know!” Twilight shouted again, laughing this time. “I should ask her. Sunset is probably waiting for me to be ready.”
“She has a rather self-sabotaging noble streak.” Rarity added. This might count as meddling, she had often heard Sunset's concerns and worries over wanting to date Twilight, miring herself in moral quandaries, but it was for the greater good.
“Okay.” Twilight stood up to face Rarity and Opal. “I will ask Sunset Shimmer on a date!” She tried to put confidence in her tones. It helped that Rarity applauded, even if Opal had her usual air of feline indifference.
Getting an update notification for this story is always a treat.
Finally
YASSSSS great chapter as per usual man keep up the great work!! :D
Nice.
i forget who was the first its been so long
any ways nice chapter
10679946
The first was Rarity herself
Have to wonder how a full sized corpse flower would be interpreted.
Always great to see an update from this story
Short but sweet subtle romance helper Rarity is one of my favourite ways seeing her written
10680134
most likely with revulsion
I'm glad to see more from this, I like this entire story, the original and shorts. Would like to see more from Princess Celestia... maybe some day Sunset could introduce her to her new girlfriend. (Wouldn't that be confusing Twilight and Twilight with Sunset) ... Ponies would be confused @.@
Rarity added, she had found the female object of her affection to be quite unpleasant in reality, moving on from her had been easy wait wut? Who did she have a crush on?
isn't that normal for her? I meen
10680134
maybe 'drop Dead'
Oh my god it's happening my ship is about to sail😂
10761304
See, we don't know that. Given lack of context from both the original canon and this particular fanfiction, we have no way to tell the range of the Memory Stone. It is likely not infinite in range, and at the time, Discord was not living with Celestia. It is unspecified as to whether or not Chrys had forgotten her as well, but she also could have been out of range. Either way, there is leeway for an author to decide whether or not Discord or Chrys would retain their good memories of Sunset.
Oh no I'm feeling a dread please don't become another hiatus/cancelled or just plain dead fic pleasr🙏😭
10805056
Not dead yet! Just really hating everything that I am writing as a follow up. I keep on trying, hopefully I will like something that I type!
Also, I am shipping trash, so I keep getting distracted with other fandoms. srsly trashy, me.
10805797
No that is not trashy that is actually just every other author in the planet they go through what you are experiencing too so not trashy just normal😂
I didn't even realize this updated for three months, I just happened apon it as I was looking to reread the part about Far Horizon. I just cant get over this head cannon of him recieving a letter detailing the existence of his long lost daughter, his wife asking what's wrong because he fell into his chair in shock with the letter trembling in his hands. Then just because Equestria is the land of coincidences and by extension Canterlot city, his wife just happens to be an expert hacker who used to work for the hive as one of chrissy's underlings, she does a deep dive on Sunset and immediately recognizes Chrysalis's handywork.
10893677
True that the home alone crooks were idiots but even crazy bad guys aren't that stupid.
Good to know twilight
She has been but wasn't sure how you'd react twi
That a girl!
Is Rarity saying that she, herself, had a crush on Sunset, or is she referring to someone else in canon, or this story's canon? I'm quite sure I missed something.
11381688
There is a few other writers who have it that HumanWorld! Rarity like HumanWorld! Suri Polomare (and it went poorly) so I just headcanon that myself.