It's Here! My First Longform Story Has Begun · 7:52pm Jun 20th, 2023
She became conscious of the fact that she now really was looking at Sunset. Like, right at her. The rich amber of her face, the lovely cyan of her eyes, the fiery crimson of her hair, that kind, inviting warmth that radiated from her, a gaze that somehow felt as piercing as it was inviting.
Twilight’s eyes quickly darted away, only for her mind to rebel with angry reminders of what needed to be done. She then forced them, with all the effort of dragging a couch across a room – something she wouldn’t have to worry about very much, she noted as she glimpsed the new necklace Sunset still wore and momentarily considered her own – back to Sunset’s.
“I just meant that, um…” she stammered. “I wanted to talk a little bit, before bed.”
Cover art by Avery Day
Okay so this is really, really thrilling. I've had an idea along the lines of this story for a while back, and it's gone through multiple evolutions in my head over the past year. As you can guess from the title, this story is focused on two things -- the budding romance between Sunset and Sci-Twi, and their visit (in an AU that diverges before the events of Forgotten Friendship and Spring Breakdown) to Equestria, which is Sunset's first time returning to her home since fleeing Celestia.
There's some core themes I'm really excited to explore with Together from Canterlot to Canterlot. What does it mean for Sunset to be in a relationship with someone from another world? What does it mean for her to tie herself to the human world so closely? How does she deal with the fact that, at the point where she could be returning to her old life as a pony, she's seemingly chosen not to? What about the ponies she knew -- that she once thought of as family, even? How does Sunset bridge these two lives?
And at the same time, what does it mean for Sci-Twi to attach herself to someone who might not want to always stay in this world? Whose very existence can seem like a magnet for trouble? Where every discovery about her partner's life is a revelation? How does she deal with these mingling feelings of attraction, friendship, gratitude, and scientific curiosity that all collide in Sunset?
In some aspects, this story is a bit of a spiritual sequel to stories like TCC56's First Hoof Account and Sledge115's Sogno di Volare, which are both interpretations of Sunset's time as a youth with Princess Celestia and the young Cadance. Some of the inspiration here is about taking concepts like those presented in those stories and reconciling them with who Sunset ultimately becomes. More directly, Together is set in continuity with two other fics of mine -- The Final Conversation, my own all-too-brief look at Celestia and Sunset's time together, and Milkshakes, Marionettes, and Midnight, where we see Twilight's state in the immediate aftermath of Midnight Sparkle. Neither of these are required reading for Together, but would be a good read if you want a feel for these two characters from before our story begins.
So yeah, this story is a big deal for me. And it's one that will probably take a while to get through. I've written a few chapters at this point, and I'm hoping to publish roughly twice a month. So definitely add this one to your Tracking list!
The first chapter, as you can tell from the preview above, is about that first step, the beginning of the relationship. It's set near the end of Legend of Everfree, so there's a bit of a timeline divergence going on here, which will grow as the story continues. There's also a very short interlude hinting at things eventually down the road, though we still have a lot to deal with in the human world beforehand.
I really hope you'll be able to check out this first chapter, and, if you do, please give it a like and add it to tracking. I hope to bring you more very soon.
Huge thanks to my pre-readers Avery Day, Dewdrops on the Grass, and The Sleepless Beholder!
