The sky over camp Everfree was lit by the moon that evening, the moonlight providing light to the forest below. Festive paper lanterns dotted the path like fireflies from the main camp to the mouth of the Crystal Cave deep within the woods, which glowed brightly from within. Sunset sat alone on a boulder outside of the entrance, watching the moonlit sky.
She was still in her single-piece teal dress with a fiery orange trim running along the jagged hem of the skirt. The shoulders had tiny orange spikes protruding out. Her hair was largely the same, only styled and tied back, with a pin of her cutiemark in place. She was still not used to wearing platform shoes, so she took them off and placed them to the side to help rest her feet.
On any other evening, she and the other campers would be sitting around a bonfire, sharing stories and songs as they roasted marshmallows on sticks for s’mores. Laughter echoed from inside the cave. It felt like it was directed at her.
She shook off the feeling and looked over her shoulder at the festivities within. A large paper banner was taped above the entrance, reading 'Camp Everfree Ball!' in bold strokes of crayon, obviously Pinkie’s handiwork. Sunset smiled at the mental image of her putting it up there. Pinkie took every opportunity to party, but saving a camp from closing and reining in dangerous magical forces was a pretty good excuse.
It would be nice to join all of her friends inside, to hang out with Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack... and Twilight Sparkle.
Sunset bit her lip. No, she reminded herself. Twilight already had someone to hang out with. She shouldn’t get in the way.
Her guitar was resting against the boulder. She picked it up and strummed it idly, then fidgeted with the pegs. The e-string had gone out of tune during their fundraising show.
Twang, twang, twang. She plucked it again and again as she twisted the key to bring it back into tune, then started strumming a few chords.
“Hey, where’d you run off to?”
Sunset recognized the voice immediately and hoped it wouldn’t come any closer. Not him right now, please. It’s the last night of camp. If I can just avoid him for another few hours, we can all go home and this will all just fade away like a bad dream.
A second voice answered Timber’s question, making Sunset’s stomach sink. The voice was Twilight’s. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, but the pair’s shared laughter felt like a punch in the stomach.
“Over here!” Twilight called. “I was just thinking of getting some fresh air.”
“That sounds nice. Mind if I join you?” Timber asked with a sly note in his voice that Sunset recognized all too well.
Hearing footsteps approaching the mouth of the cave, Sunset slid down the boulder to the damp earth. She took a deep breath and peered around the side of the boulder.
Twilight was wearing a glittering, knee-length blue dress with stars running along the bottom. Her hair was fancily tied up in a side bun with a star shaped clip holding it in place. Timber, meanwhile, wore a black suit with broad, notched lapels, a white undershirt, and a striped red tie.
“I’m glad you all were able to stop Gloriosa without hurting her,” Timber said, scratching the back of his head.
“Yeah. We have Sunset to thank, though.” Twilight said, taking a sip of her punch. “If it wasn’t for her pushing us to use magic, I’m not sure we could’ve beaten that monster.”
“Hey, watch it! That’s my sister you’re talking about!” Timber teased, downing the rest of his.
“Still, I’m glad we managed to save the camp,” Twilight said, smiling.
Timber smiled back.
“Your powers were really cool. I knew you were a special girl the moment I met you, but not that special.”
Twilight laughed nervously. “It’s still new to me, but it’s pretty easy to pick up. Still, I’m not amazing, just Twilight.”
“Oh please.” He rolled his eyes. “You were the one saving the day!”
Twilight giggled.
Timber took her hand in his, stroking her wrist tenderly with his thumb. “Not to mention, you won the heart of the dashing young prince,” he said with a sly wink.
“What do you mean—”
He tossed his punch cup aside. Twilight raised her finger, ready to berate him for littering, but he pulled her in by the shoulders and pressed his lips to hers and any objection died in her throat.
“Speechless?” Timber said with a smirk. “Don’t tell me it was your first.”
Twilight nodded. “It was...” She smiled sheepishly. “I liked it though. It’s all just so new to me.”
Sunset’s grip on her guitar tightened painfully.
“Timber!” Gloriosa shouted from the crowd.
“Again?” Timber sighed, making Twilight giggle.
Gloriosa waved him over emphatically. “Come here; someone wants to talk to you.”
“I hate to cut this short, but it sounds like I’m needed. I’ll see you as soon as I’m done.” Timber planted a kiss on Twilight’s forehead and rushed over to his sister.
Twilight’s cheeks were red; her heart was racing in the wake of the kiss. Placing her hands behind her back, she walked out of the cave wanting to get some fresh air.
Sunset kept herself hidden behind the boulder again, taking a deep breath while Twilight approached her. Once she passed the boulder, Sunset muttered.
“Hey.” She waved halfheartedly.
“Sunset!” Twilight jumped, nearly tripping herself. “Um, hi! What are you doing out here?”
“Just needed some time to myself.” Sunset pulled up her guitar, plucking a few strings.
“Okay.” Twilight looked back to make sure Timber was away. “So, you didn’t see—”
“You and Timber kissing?” Sunset huffed. “Yeah, I did.”
“Oh…”
They both fell silent for a few moments, and Sunset went back to tweak her guitar’s tuning pegs again and play a few test chords.
“So. Your first, I hear. Lucky you.” She said. “That’s a very special moment for a girl.”
Twilight crossed her arms. “What’s your point?”
“Why did you lie to him?” Sunset looked up at Twilight. “Him, your first? Relationships being new to you? Seriously?”
“I was hoping we were past this.”
Sunset placed her guitar to the side, standing face-to-face with Twilight. “We were, but to just try and forget everything we had, like it was nothing?” Sunset clenched her fists. “Why?”
“I’m sorry.”
“You said that before, but actions speak louder than words, Twilight.”
“What do you want me to say!?” Twilight stomped her foot. “‘No, actually my first kiss was with a girl who’s one of my best friends instead now, but hey, don’t feel threatened!’ Yeah, I’m sure that won’t send him running.” Twilight sighed and kicked a nearby pebble. “I don’t like thinking about that night.”
Sunset frowned. “When we split?”
“Yeah.”
----------
The light in Twilight’s bedroom was romantically dim; the only source of illumination was a single lamp on the dresser, its brightness set low. Twilight was kneeling on her bed in her pajamas, her back against the headboard. Hugging a pillow tightly, she looked up to where Sunset Shimmer was leaning forward on fingertips and knees at the other end of the mattress.
“Are you nervous?” Sunset asked. She wore a similar pair of pajamas, but without the top, leaving her completely bare above the waist.
“W-what?” Twilight shook her head. “No, of course not.” She blushed.
Sunset smirked, seeing Twilight this nervous almost made her feel bad, but she could tell Twilight was open going forward.
“No, it’s fine. Nervous is normal. I’ll admit, I was nervous my first time too.” Sunset crawled catlike across the sheets, bringing her face close to Twilight’s. “I’ll be sure to go slow and easy,” she said, her tone slipping low and sultry as she coaxed the pillow out of Twilight’s grasp. Then she wrapped her arms around the other girl, bringing their chests together.
“How’s this?” Sunset purred, nuzzling into Twilight’s neck below the right ear.
“F-fine,” Twilight muttered. Deprived of her comforting pillow, she struggled to find something to do with her hands before simply letting them fall to her sides. Gently, Sunset picked up the girl’s right hand in her left, and guided it to rest on her left hip before resuming her close embrace.
Twilight remained still as Sunset wrapped one of her legs around her, drawing their warm bodies even closer together. After a minute of simply holding her girlfriend, Sunset broke the silence.
“You’ve been frozen this entire time,” she whispered.
“Just—just taking mental notes.” Twilight grinned. “Learn from those with experience, right?”
Sunset smiled. “Right.”
She placed two fingers beneath Twilight’s chin, drawing the other girl’s face towards her own until their noses touched. Twilight’s cheeks lit up, but she nodded.
“G-go ahead.” She closed her eyes as Sunset pressed their lips together.
It was only a quick peck. Sunset pulled back and smiled at Twilight, who sat frozen. “Not so bad for a first kiss, huh?” she prodded.
“Hm?” Twilight blinked, shaking off her thoughts.
“Not so bad for a first kiss, right? Don’t tell me you’re already all discombobulated; I know my charms are strong, but that was only a fraction of a full-on Sunset kiss.” She giggled at herself. After a moment, Twilight did too.
“Yeah. I guess it’s all just so new to me, is all.”
“Oh yeah,” Sunset agreed with a hearty nod. “Believe me, I was a mess my first time, trying to figure out what to do. Luckily, I had a lovely lady to guide me through it,” she winked. “Not as lovely as you, of course.”
Twilight blushed, instinctively covering herself even though she was fully clothed.
“And I’m here for you now. Here, let me show you what kissing is really all about.” Sunset pressed her lips to Twilight’s again and held herself there, sucking and tugging gently at Twilight’s bottom lip. The noise she heard back sounded like a moan, so she decided to press further, moving Twilight’s hand over her breast so the palm caressed it. Twilight moaned again and Sunset ran her tongue over her girlfriend’s lips, trying to slip between them.
But then Twilight pushed hard against her chest, shoving her away. “Sorry,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Ow!” Sunset winced, placing her hand over chest. “The heck, Twilight?”
“Sorry! Sorry.” Twilight said, lifting her hands. “Did I hurt you?”
“I'm fine. What's wrong?” Sunset asked.
“I’m not sure how to say it.” Twilight got up from her bed, wrapping her arms around herself and pacing to the center of the room.
“Maybe I was going a bit too fast,” Sunset said, grabbing her shirt off the floor and pulling it back on. “Is this any better?” she asked, gesturing towards her chest.
“It's not that, Sunset.” Twilight paused for a moment, biting her lip. “I think I made a mistake.”
Sunset hopped up from the bed and took a hold of Twilight’s hand.
“Talk to me,” Sunset said. “What’s going on?”
Twilight took a deep breath and exhaled. She turned to face Sunset, but could not meet her gaze. Sunset moved forward to embrace her and Twilight shrank back.
“It’s only a hug, I promise.”
Twilight took a sharp breath and nodded, and Sunset wrapped her arms around her girlfriend’s waist. “It’s okay. It’s okay. What’s the matter?”
Twilight stayed silent for a while, then swallowed and said in a croaky voice, "I don't think I’m into girls like you are.”
Sunset’s mouth dropped.
“W-wait, what?” Sunset released Twilight and took a step back. “You’re serious?”
Twilight sighed. “Please don’t misunderstand. I like you, I do. And I thought that I would like kissing you, too.” She placed her hand over her arm, still avoiding eye contact with her. “But then, when it actually happened, it just didn’t feel right.”
“Twilight…” Sunset frowned, she began to form tears in her eyes, doing her best to not break down in front of her. “Surely the times when we were together, like sitting next to each other at lunch, holding our hands in the hall, our time downtown.” Tears slowly streamed down her face. “Did none of that mean anything to you?”
Twilight frowned.
“I liked being around you, Sunset. You always made me feel at ease and I thought maybe I would like girls more if I stuck close to you.” Twilight forced a weak smile, but it quickly turned into a frown again. “But I would be lying if I said I loved you like that. We should have just remained friends—I just don’t see myself ever having a girlfriend.”
Tears continued to stream down Sunset’s cheeks. She turned away from Twilight and began gathering her clothes off the floor.
“Sunset,” Twilight placed her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “I'm sorry—”
Sunset slapped away Twilight’s hand. “Whatever,” she said, taking off her pajamas and beginning to put on her clothes. “Just leave me alone.”
“Sunset, please.” Twilight clasped her hands together. “We can still be friends, right?”
“We could have been more than that,” she shouted, stomping her foot, “but I guess that won’t happen, because apparently I made a mistake too. I made a mistake asking you out!”
Twilight scrambled back from Sunset and slipped, falling to the floor. Sunset hadn’t yelled at her so loudly since the Friendship Games. Tears welled in her eyes and she tried to sniff them back.
Sunset looked down at Twilight. She looked so helpless crying on the floor. This wasn’t how tonight was supposed to go at all. Twilight wasn’t trying to hurt her, but she had and instead of handling it, Sunset had brought her to tears. The terrifying thing was how good it all felt, taking her frustration out on Twilight. The thought twisted her stomach into knots.
She wiped her tears away with her jacket sleeve and turned around.
“Sorry,” she muttered and walked out of Twilight’s room.
Twilight remained on the floor even after the front door shut. She didn’t move until she heard Sunset revving her bike’s engine, then roaring off into the night.
--------
“Sorry,” Sunset said, scratching the back of her head. “I was pretty nasty that night, huh?”
Twilight shook her head.
“No, I understand. It was my fault for—”
“Twilight, I was. Really.” Sunset sighed. “I’m not happy about how you decided to discover yourself, but I could have handled it better.”
“It could've been worse. I’m glad it didn’t take us long to become friends again.”
“Yeah.” Sunset crossed her arms and leaned back against the boulder. “I’ve never really been happy with just acting like that night didn’t happen. It’s made hanging out with you awkward sometimes, even though it’s all been fun.”
Twilight sat herself up against the boulder, beside Sunset.
“Are you…” Twilight bit her lip. “Are you still attracted to me?”
Sunset looked at Twilight for a moment. She couldn’t lie that she looked adorable when she was nervous. She turned her attention to the night sky, gazing at the moon and stars.
“Of course I am. I mean, how could I not be? You’re incredibly smart, and that look you get when you’re concentrating hard on a problem… it’s adorable. I love the sound of your laugh and the way you’re always willing to help someone, even someone like me that doesn’t deserve it.” Sunset smiled wanly. “You’re still the cutest girl I know.”
Twilight looked away from Sunset and back down at the ground. “I'm sorry for what happened that night.” Twilight grimaced. “I should have been more honest with you early on; we could have ended on better terms.”
“It's fine.” Sunset waved her off. “The important part is that we’re past it.”
“Even though you’re still attracted to me?”
Sunset sighed. She wanted Twilight, to hold her hand again. It felt like all of her problems went away when they were together.
“Okay, so I’m mostly past it.” She shrugged. “I’m jealous if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Is there going to be a problem with Timber?” Twilight asked.
“No.” Sunset shook her head. “I know there’s no way we could end up together again.” She looked back at Twilight, smiling weakly. “And it would be wrong for me as a friend to break up the relationship between you two. Besides, you two do look cute together.”
Twilight inched herself closer to Sunset and wrapped her in a hug.
“Thanks,” she whispered. “You’re a good friend, Sunset.”
Sunset only nodded in response, she looked back up at the moon while Twilight was wrapped around her. It was hard to let go of her past relationship with Twilight, but she didn’t want this to turn into a never-ending conflict, or come between them and their friends.
After a moment, Twilight let go and stepped away, and Sunset made herself smile.
“How about we go back inside and catch up with the rest of the party?” Sunset asked, pointing back to the cave. “I’m sure the others are wondering where we are.”
“And Timber?”
Sunset held up her hands. “Maybe we can have lunch together in the future,” she said, “but for now let’s hold off on that.”
Twilight nodded, leading the way back to the cave with Sunset following behind. This was the end of one chapter in her life, but she was still in high school. There would always be more opportunities after graduation.