Chapter 30. Winter Ball
“I’m so sorry. Please, please forgive me!”
Trixie did her very best to pretend she didn’t see or hear Lyra making a scene. Which was no easy feat given she was prostrating herself before her, in broad daylight, in the middle of the cafeteria!
“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Rarity said, looking at Lyra with both anger and concern. “I do think it’s fair she’s humiliating herself after what she did, but… She’s ruining that gorgeous skirt.”
Trixie bit her sandwich. “Trixie doesn’t know what you’re talking about,” she said without even finishing her mouthful, making Rarity make a face of mild disgust. “She can’t hear, nor see, vengeful, spiteful, and utterly selfish bitches.”
“Please! I beg you!”
Applejack slowly slurped some apple juice. “Ah dun wanna be that girl, but… Are y’all really gonna ignore she looks like a truck hit ‘er?”
“Pcht, I bet I can guess the license plate number of that truck,” Rainbow said, glaring at Lyra with a deep frown. She had been so ready to hit her when she saw her entering the cafeteria, but Lyra had so smartly knelt down and started to apologize. She wanted her to stop, just so she could tell her to keep going.
“Oh! Oh! Is it sixty-nine?!” Pinkie asked excitedly.
“Trixie doesn’t care about people she can’t see,” Trixie said, biting her sandwich again.
“I’m so sorry! I’m a horrible human being!”
“She does sound regretful,” Fluttershy said. “Maybe you could forgive her?”
Rainbow groaned. “How can you say that, Fluttershy? Because of her, Trixie has no home!”
Applejack punched Rainbow in the arm. “Would it kill ya havin’ a little more tact?”
“Don’t worry, Applejack,” Trixie said, not looking at any of the girls. “Words can’t kill Trixie.”
“See what you did?!” Rainbow yelled at Lyra. “She had been speaking like a normal person for weeks! Thank you for ruining it!”
Lyra was about to apologize again, but Rainbow’s comment distracted her, and she could only blink. She shook her head to dismiss the thought. “Trixie, please! I really didn’t mean to get you kicked out!”
At that, Trixie finally turned to look at Lyra. “And how, exactly, do you know that?” She spoke in a low voice, not because she didn’t want the students to know, Lyra had already yelled her situation, but because she was doing her best to remain as calm as possible.
Lyra swallowed and looked around nervously. “I, uh… N-nobody! I just guessed!”
Trixie huffed. “You know what? Trixie was going to be lenient and forgive you once lunch finished, if only to shut you up. But since you now made Trixie the center of gossip for the rest of the year, and not even with good gossip, then you can go get hit by a car, for all she cares.”
“Alright, that’s enough,” Bonbon said as she approached the table.
“Bonnie-”
“Can I talk to you, please?” Bonbon said to Trixie. “In private?”
Trixie glared at Bonbon from head to toe and back, noticing the band-aid on her left eyebrow. “And who are you to think Trixie will give you a private interview?”
Bonbon rolled her eyes and sat down next to Trixie. “Fine, I’ll tell you here.”
“Bonnie I don’t think-”
“Sunset beat Lyra up,” Bonbon said, ignoring Lyra’s protests. “She told her to humiliate herself in order to apologize. And while there weren’t any threats regarding this apology, we don’t really want to upset her any further.”
Trixie stared at Bonbon for five very long seconds before answering. “So what? Should her well-being be of Trixie’s concern?” Bonbon opened her mouth, but Trixie lifted a hand to silence her. “That was a rhetorical question. Of course Trixie doesn’t, and won’t care that you couldn’t hold your girlfriend’s leash. She already hurt Sunset, deeper than anyone can ever imagine, and she still wanted more, so she went and hurt Trixie.”
“Actually-”
“Didn’t you hear?” Trixie interrupted her. “I. Don’t. Care. Of course I’ll stop Sunset from doing anything, let’s say reckless, but it’s up to you two to get the hell out of our lives.”
Bonbon looked down and nodded slowly. “Ok… But, just to be clear, she won’t come for Lyra even if you don’t forgive her, right?”
Trixie huffed and turned to her sandwich again.
“I think you two should go,” Rarity said, placing a comforting hand on Trixie’s shoulder.
Bonbon stood up, helped Lyra up and practically dragged her out of the cafeteria, with everyone staring at them until the door closed. Rarity looked at Trixie, and was surprised to see a very faint curve of her mouth.
“Excuse me, darling, but why are you smiling?”
Trixie closed her eyes, unable to hold back her smile any longer. She put down her sandwich and looked at Rarity. “Trixie knows she shouldn’t be happy, but this situation only means that Sunset still has strong feelings for moi.”
“She beat ‘er up,” Applejack said. “Ah don’t know ‘bout y’all, but that’s never a good sign in a relationship.”
Trixie tilted her head, eyeing Applejack for a moment before turning to Rarity again. “You haven’t told them?”
“Tell us what?” Rainbow asked.
“Please, Trixie, who do you think you’re talking to?” Rarity asked, casually passing a hand through her hair. “In any case, my love for gossip is not bigger than my love for my friends. I’m not telling them anything unless you are ok with it or you tell them yourself.”
“Huh, every time I talk to you, you prove to be a really good friend.”
“Hey! Are you gonna tell us what’s going on?” Rainbow insisted. “I don’t like being ignored!”
Trixie rolled her eyes, but as she opened her mouth to speak, her expression darkened, and she looked down at her sandwich. “Sunset broke up with me.”
Silence followed as Applejack, Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie stopped eating and looked at her with different expressions. Trixie didn’t bother decipher any of them.
“Whaddaya mean she broke up with you?” Applejack asked.
“She said ‘I think we should break up’,” Trixie replied with a frown. “Trixie believes that’s pretty self-explanatory.”
“How did that happen?” Fluttershy asked so low that Trixie thought she had imagined it.
“Yeah!” Pinkie said. “I thought she was all head over heels for you!”
Trixie glared at Pinkie for a moment, then sighed heavily and leaned back. “Trixie doesn’t want to bore her audience with details, but due to some, let’s say stumbles on… everyone involved… Sunset decided she needed some time to, you know, clear her mind…”
Rainbow snorted. “Yeah, right. What did you do?”
“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity scolded.
“It’s ok,” Trixie intervened. “Trixie doesn’t expect much from a brute.”
“Hey!”
“But, she’s right.” Trixie slumped against the chair. “It all was Trixie’s fault…” She inhaled sharply as her body tensed up. “But, that’s besides the point. Sunset is very aware Trixie is sorry and will do anything to make things right. That’s one down.” She leaned over and rested her elbows on the table, crossing her fingers over her mouth. “And knowing Sunset still cares for Trixie enough to do something like that, it means there’s still a way for us to be together again.”
Applejack pointed at her with a fork. “You do realize that sounds like obsession?”
“Trixie is not obsessed!” Trixie yelled. She then took a deep breath to calm herself and straightened up. “She’s being realistic. Trixie likes Sunset and vice versa, she just needs another spark.”
“Now that you mention it,” Rainbow said. “How did you two start dating? Maybe you can get some ideas from then?”
Trixie scratched right beside her eyebrow. “Trixie said: ‘You’re hot, wanna kiss?’ And she said yes.” There was something in Rainbow’s confused and lost expression that almost made Trixie laugh. “But seriously, it’s not exactly something you’d call romantic, so no, Trixie has to think of something else.”
In that moment, Twilight approached the table with a frown of concern. “Hello, girls. Sorry I’m late, I had to reorganize my locker…” She sat down and looked around, noticing the gloomy faces. “What did I miss?”
~~~~~~~~
Apparently, unlike the rest of the girls, Twilight only used MyStable for very specific situations, like talking with family that lived all across the country, or reaching certain tech groups that, much to her annoyance, only gathered in the social network. Because of that, she had been the only one to not know about the photograph, and because she had been busy for the first minutes of lunch time, she hadn’t seen Lyra publicly apologize to Trixie. She was proud to be a pacifist, but she couldn’t help the urge to send death glares towards Lyra every now and then after her friends told her what happened.
Not that Trixie particularly minded. She was glad to have friends that cared so much for her. It made her wonder how could she have been a lone person for the most part of High School. She supposed that was another thing she had to thank Sunset for; without her, Trixie would still be friendless.
A very well known jingle ringed through the speakers all throughout school, and Principal Celestia’s voice spoke moments after.
“Trixie Lulamoon, please come to my office as soon as possible.”
The jingle sounded again, and Trixie could feel the stares of every student that was right behind her. She couldn’t blame them, it was very unusual to be so directly called by the principal if you weren’t the president of a club or Pinkie Pie. She suppressed a sigh and stood up, not even looking at Professor Doodle as she exited the classroom.
As she walked down the empty halls, she tried to lie to herself, thinking she wasn’t sure about the reason she had been called, but it was pretty obvious to her that it had to do with the picture. Principal Celestia was known for trying to also be a counselor for students, so maybe she wanted to offer Trixie an ear or something.
As she got to the office, Trixie took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
“Come in.”
Trixie entered.
The first thing she saw was Principal Celestia’s face, a half smile across her face, and her eyes glimmering with kindness. Then, Trixie noticed there was someone else in the room. A woman, judging by the long, emerald hair that reached the lowest part of her back. Trixie’s stomach feel as she recognized that hair.
“Please, close the door,” Principal Celestia said with a kind yet commanding voice.
Trixie hesitated, but did as was told. She decided to stay at the door at all times, just in case she needed to escape.
Celestia opened her mouth to speak, but the woman moved quickly, standing up and turning around. Trixie had been right, it was her mother, and she had a frown of concern and a smile of relief.
“Oh, Trixie, I’m so glad you’re ok,” Selene said, and her voice was shaky and guttural. “When your father told me what happened I feared the worst!” She closed the distance between them, and before Trixie could react, trapped her in a tight hug. “But you’re alright. You’re alright.”
Trixie’s first thought was to step away, to yell at her mother and vent her frustrations at her, but the warmth of her embrace and the sobs above her head made her feel safe; they made her feel loved. She didn’t hug her back, but she leaned over and closed her eyes, letting her mom hug her as much as she wanted.
After what felt like an eternity, Selene broke the embrace, but kept her hands on Trixie’s shoulders.
“Where have you been?” Selene asked.
“A friend of mine is helping me.” Trixie saw no reason to lie, but still decided to keep Rarity’s identity a secret, just in case. “Her parents are letting me stay with them. Couches aren’t as uncomfortable as you might think.”
Selene smiled guiltily, caressing Trixie’s cheek with her hand. “Well, you don’t have to keep sleeping on a couch.” Trixie’s eyes sparked at that. “I talked to your father and he’s willing to let you back in.”
Willing? Trixie thought, and her heart skipped a beat.
“I made him understand that kicking his own daughter out was very stupid, no matter what.” She passed a hand through Trixie’s hair as her eyes softened. “And he realized how wrong he was.” She smiled and stared deeply into Trixie’s eyes. “You just have to apologize, and that’s it.”
Trixie stopped breathing for a moment, her mouth ajar. “What?”
“Like your cousin, remember? Apologize for making a very naff joke and promise not to do it again.”
Celestia, who had been just watching the scene until that moment, suddenly tensed up. She lifted a hand and was about to interfere, but Trixie beat her to it.
“How can you ask me to apologize to him?! He threw me out! He is the one that should apologize, not me!” Trixie yelled, tears of frustration and anger forming in her eyes.
“Come on, honey, you know how your father is,” Selene said calmly. “This is the only way. Just tell him you were dared to do all of this, kissing your friend and telling him you like girls, and just wanted to know how far you’d get.”
Trixie looked down. Her breathing was fast and erratic; it was hard for her to breath. Her heart hammered inside her chest, and she wasn’t sure if it was out of anger or despair. She gritted her teeth and turned her hands into tight fists.
“No,” she said, barely above a whisper.
Selene leaned closer. “Pardon?”
“I’m not going to lie!” She looked up at her mother with a big frown, pouring all her anger through her voice and glare.
Selene’s eyes widened in surprise, but she took a deep breath and managed to keep her smile. “Oh, Trixie, don’t worry. Unlike your father, I know what you’re going through.”
At that, Trixie’s anger evaporated. “You do?”
“Of course,” Selene answered with a reassuring voice. “I went through the same phase when I was fifteen.”
For a moment, Trixie thought her heart had stopped beating. “Phase?”
Selene giggled. “I know, you don’t think it’s a phase, or refuse to acknowledge it. But I understand you. My parents were very strict with me, too, and me kissing girls was the only way I could think of to rebel against them.”
Trixie gaped at that. She wanted to think that this was a bad dream, but the speed her heart was beating at, the pain of her nails digging into her own skin, and the way her whole body shivered told her otherwise.
She closed her eyes. “This is not a phase.”
“Oh, Trixie. I know you think-”
“This is not a phase!” Trixie yelled. “I’m gay! I like girls! And I’ve liked girls for years!”
Selene lost her smile. “What?”
“Remember Maud? Well, guess what? She wasn’t just a friend I met at the mall. She was my girlfriend!” For some reason, Trixie had expected to feel a weight being lifted from her shoulders the moment she admitted that to her parents, but instead, she felt heavier. “And you know what? I’m not going to return home! Ever! I don’t even want to talk to you again!”
“Trixie!” Selene yelled. Trixie couldn’t help but recoil back at that, since her mother very rarely raised her voice like that. “You can’t just do whatever you want! I’m your mother, and I know what’s best for you. And right now, being home is best!”
“I’m legally an adult,” Trixie replied, and she almost smiled at her mother’s expression. “I don’t have to obey you, I don’t even have to listen to you. I don’t want to have anything to do with people that think I’m disgusting.” She inhaled sharply and looked at Principal Celestia, who, against her best efforts to hide it, had a horrified expression. “If you don’t need me for anything else, I’ll return to my classes.”
Celestia nodded, and Trixie exited the office, letting the door open and breaking into a sprint.
After a moment of silence, Selene turned to Celestia, her expression changed to a stoic one. “I am glad my husband retrieved our statue. I can’t believe you let this behavior happen in your school.” And before Celestia could reply, she turned around and left.
~~~~~~~~
When the girls asked Trixie about Celestia wanting her in her office, she lied, telling them that the principal had only wanted to ask about the picture. She didn’t want to tell them about what had really happened. She didn’t want them to think she was a crybaby.
There was only one person that she knew wouldn’t think that of her: Sunset.
So, she had gone to her apartment right after school, and now they both were sitting on the couch, with the T.V. turned on but the volume almost muted. Trixie had her knees to her chin while she told Sunset about her day; how Lyra had tried to apologize, lying in that she didn’t know why she had a broken nose and half her face bruised, and how her mother had gone to school and what she had told Trixie.
Sunset huffed. She was sitting with her legs crossed, wearing just a white t-shirt and jeans.
“Sorry to hear that,” she told Trixie with a dark expression. “Wish I could do something to help.”
You could kiss me, Trixie thought, but instead opted for a more neutral response. “Just listening is enough.” She deliberately leaned to her side, resting her head on Sunset’s shoulder and immediately feeling her tensing up. “But, you could also get me some performances. I want to pay back the money I owe Rarity.”
Sunset glanced at Trixie for just a second. “Well, I do have some options in mind…” She tried to move away, but Trixie just let her weight fall on her shoulder. “But I have to get my laptop to show them to you.”
Trixie gave her best impression of a whine. “Don’t go, your shoulder’s comfy.”
“Trixie…” Sunset’s voice was low and pleading.
“Oh, don’t start. This is a perfectly normal show of affection between friends. Good friends. Friends that support each other. Friends that-”
“Alright, alright,” Sunset interrupted her, grunting. “But sooner or later, I’ll have to get up to get my laptop.”
Trixie didn’t answer, she just closed her eyes and smiled.
~~~~~~~~
As days passed, things started returning to normal, or at least, as normal as they could get.
Rarity’s parents had been surprisingly understanding with her situation, and didn’t mind her sleeping on their couch. Sweetie Belle had been a little skeptical at first, but she quickly warmed up when Trixie showed her a few cool magic tricks, and since then, she practically stalked Trixie, followed by her two friends, and constantly asked for more tricks.
Trixie never thought she’d have to refuse doing magic, but even she knew that if she complied the girls’ requests every single time, they’d stop being amazed, and she wasn’t going to allow that.
At school, things had also calmed down. Trixie knew they still gossiped, but they were very reticent about bullying her or making fun of her; they didn’t want to end up like Lyra. It hadn’t been hard to figure out that it had been Sunset who beat her up. Curiously, ever since then, Lyra had been attending classes again, hadn’t she been expelled?
Well, not like Trixie cared, she only wanted to get grades good enough to graduate and finally be free.
That, and get Sunset to be her girlfriend again. She wasn’t sure which one would be more difficult, but she had already accepted both challenges.
Only a week after the last time she saw her mother, Trixie was already preparing for another performance. This time, it was just a small birthday party in a residential neighborhood, very close to Rarity’s house. Of course, it had gone perfectly well. Trixie had gone out of her way and prepared an extra trick that impressed not only the children, but all the attending adults as well.
After the performance, when the party had moved on to the candle-blowing part and Trixie was picking up her stuff, Sunset had gone to congratulate her for a job well done. Trixie took advantage of the friendly hug and rested her head on Sunset’s chest, which proved to be easier than before now that she had stopped using heels.
Sunset had flinched at that, and even though Trixie knew she liked it, she had, eventually, stepped away. It was only a matter of time, Trixie had thought, for them to be together again.
With the winter quickly approaching, the end of the school year drew near, and with it, the Winter Ball. As with every social event at CHS, Pinkie Pie was in charge of organizing everything, and Trixie saw an opportunity to really start developing her scheme. Although she liked to call it Operation Make Sunset Realize She Does Want To Be Trixie’s Girlfriend. Or OMSRSDWTBTG, for short.
Maybe she should hang around Pinkie a little less.
“Pinkamina, Trixie wishes to have a word with you!” Trixie announced as she entered the gym. There were a few students there, all volunteers, discussing about decor, music, etc.
Pinkie’s pink cotton candy-like mane suddenly popped up behind the group currently handling what looked to be macaroni and cheese winter landscapes posters. Why this included cheese Trixie wasn’t sure she even wanted to know. Before she could waste any more precious brain cells on it, Pinkie Pie came hopping towards her. “Hello, Trixy-Trix!” She greeted. “What can I do for you?”
Trixie tilted her head towards the door, and Pinkie understood that she wanted to talk more or less in private, or at least, out of eavesdrop distance from the gossipers.
“Pinkie, I need to ask you a favor,” Trixie said. “Despite your random behavior, Trixie knows you’re quite smart, and she needs that intelligence.”
“It’s the ice-cream,” Pinkie said, beaming. “That brain-freeze effect is good for people!”
Trixie did her best to not roll her eyes at that. “Pinkie, listen. You know I want to get back with Sunset.” Pinkie nodded. “Well, I’m thinking on inviting her to the ball. I want you to pull some strings or whatever and make the ambience have subtle hues of blue and yellow. And when I say subtle, I mean it. It has to feel winter-like, but it also has to remind Sunset on how well our colors mash together.”
“Oki doki loki!”
Trixie blinked. “Yes? You’re not going to ask anything back?”
“Nope! Anything I can do to help my friends is for free!” Pinkie said, lending Trixie a piece of paper that she took from her hair. “It says so in my presentation card!”
Eyeing the card for less than a second, Trixie huffed through her nose. “Alright. I appreciate it.”
“I just have one question,” Pinkie said, putting the card back in her hair. “How are you going to make Sunset come? She looked pretty serious with the “no coming back” thingy.”
Trixie smirked. “I have a plan.”
~~~~~~~~
As it turned out, Trixie’s plan was as simple as it was smart, or so she reassured her friends.
“We’re going as a group.”
Trixie waited until lunch, when all the girls were in the same place, to tell her plan.
“That’s your plan?” Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes,” Trixie grunted. “If we go together as a group and not in couples, Trixie believes she can convince Sunset to come. That’ll be the hard part of my plan, so I’ll need you to ask her to come.”
“And then?” Twilight asked. She had a thoughtful expression and a slight frown. “Let’s say we do get her to come. How are you going to make her be your girlfriend?”
Trixie tapped her fingers against the table. “This is where you all come into action. When the lights dim and the music is slow, you’ll already have partners or gone away from Sunset’s sight. That way, we’ll have to dance together, and that’s when she’ll look Trixie in the eye just before kissing her.”
“Aw, that’s so romantic!” Pinkie said chirpy.
“I ain’t sure if it’s romantic,” Applejack said. “But it might work.”
“I do believe Trixie deserves our support in this after all she’s been through,” Rarity added, and there was a round of agreements.
Trixie smiled. “Thank you, girls. You’re the best.”
~~~~~~~~
Convincing Sunset to return to CHS, even for just a dance, had proved easier said than done.
As soon as Trixie stepped inside the Emporium to wait for Sunset to finish her workday and looked into her eyes, Sunset knew there was something up. Trixie was the best at deceiving an audience and telling all kinds of tales, but outside of her performances, she was like an open book.
And when Sunset finished and she and Trixie were walking to the bus stop, Trixie casually mentioned that the Winter Ball was oh so very near.
“Nope, not going,” Sunset had answered with a very neutral voice, although Trixie knew she was concealing a lot of heavy emotions.
But she wasn’t going to just give up.
“Sunset, all of our friends are going,” Trixie had said. “It’s the last event before vacations and we want the whole gang to be together. I understand why you don’t want to return, I really do, but it’s the last time of the year we’ll be able to be together since Twilight will travel to the other side of the country.”
Trixie had begged some more, but Sunset had remained reticent to accept. That is, until Trixie did her best puppy eyes expression, consciously using her height as an advantage, and pronounced one last sentence.
“I’ll do anything you want if you go. I’ll even… I’ll even stop using heels for at least another month.”
~~~~~~~~
Of course Sunset had been unable to refuse, Trixie thought as she hummed a happy tune to herself. She was now standing in the middle of Rarity’s living room/boutique.
“You really are in high spirits,” Rarity noted as she placed a pin in the frill of the strapless dress Trixie was wearing. It was silver with very faint hues of blue, slightly darker strokes spiraled upwards from the bottom, blurring into a heart shape that formed the rim of the bust. “I certainly hope your plan works.”
“It will work,” Trixie said confidently. “If I could convince Sunset to return to CHS by saying I won’t wear heels, then it means there’s ninety-nine percent chance that she won’t resist kissing Trixie when she sees her in this fantastic dress!” She looked down at Rarity, placed the back of her hand to her mouth, and cleared her throat. “That I will pay for, of course.”
Rarity rolled her eyes playfully.
“Pinkie Pie managed to convince Vinyl Scratch to play a certain song: the pony pokey. Once you-”
“The Pony Pokey?” Rarity inquired with an amused grin. “That’s so awfully adorable!”
“Concentrate!” Trixie said with a frown, but the blush in her cheeks betrayed her angry stare. “Anyway, that song’s your cue to casually excuse yourselves. Once it finishes, the slow dance will begin, and Sunset won’t be able to refuse Trixie a dance if she doesn’t see any of you around.”
“A master plan,” Rarity commented offhandedly. “But you won’t even be able to go to the dance if I don’t finish your dress, so please stop moving.”
Trixie smiled guiltily. “Sorry.”
~~~~~~~~
The day had arrived. Classes were officially over for the year, and only a social dance like the Winter Ball was important enough for teenagers to return to school grounds one last time.
Rarity had taken eons to prepare, but even though Trixie had worried they’d be late, Rarity came out just in time. She was wearing a dark purple sleeveless dress with golden details and white gloves that reached barely below her elbows. Her hair had been carefully styled into wide curls that fell nicely along her back.
Trixie couldn’t help the jealousy creeping on her.
And if that wasn’t enough, Rarity had also managed to get a limousine to pick the rest of the girls up. She had also refused to tell Trixie how she got a limousine and a chauffeur, but Trixie had decided to let it slide since she was already helping her a lot.
They first went to Pinkie Pie’s house, and Trixie had casually slipped away from the windows, even when knowing they were very well polarized. The next one was Fluttershy, then Twilight, and then Rainbow and Applejack, who had decided to stay at Rainbow’s for convenience’s sake. All the girls had consciously left a spot next to Trixie so that Sunset would sit next to her no matter what.
And speaking of, Sunset had asked them to pick her up at the bus stop. Rarity had tried to convince her that the limousine could go anywhere, but Trixie talked her out of it.
When the limousine approached the bus stop, Trixie could see Sunset standing there. She was wearing a green dress with yellow and red details, spiraling as a tornado all throughout the fabric. It covered all her collarbone area and widened at the hips just the right amount, falling freely to her dark gray boots with teal heels and sole. Her hair was tied in a complex ponytail that curled to the right of her head, held with a green flower shaped barrette.
Trixie already knew Sunset was a beautiful girl, but in that moment, her heart fluttered as if it was the first time she was looking at her. She was absolutely astonishing.
Of course, she received compliments from everyone once she got in the car, and she just thanked them with a nod and a casual gesture of her hand.
“You look beautiful,” Trixie told Sunset as she sat down next to her. She was going to say ‘gorgeous’, but she supposed it’d be pushing her luck too much.
“Thank you,” Sunset said, glancing at Trixie’s attire. “You look very pretty, yourself.”
Trixie suppressed a groan. Pretty, Sunset had called her. But she reminded herself that Sunset was holding back, and that after that night, they’d be a couple again, so she let it slide.
It wasn’t long before the limousine finally took them to CHS. While the girls started getting out, Sunset remained quiet and still, her eyes darting from side to side. Trixie sneaked a hand over Sunset’s and gave it a comforting squeeze. Sunset looked at Trixie, giving her a grateful smile, and slowly turned her hand to grab Trixie’s.
Trixie blushed at that and her heart skipped a beat. Her plan was working sooner than expected! But, her reverie ended when, as she got out the limousine, Sunset’s hand slipped out of hers to hold the door and didn’t return.
As Sunset stepped into the grass, she immediately looked at the pedestal. It looked sad without the horse upon it. The crack on the surface had been completely erased with some masonry work, but Sunset could still remember it perfectly. It stung on her heart, but she closed her eyes and shook her head. She took a deep breath and decided not to look at it again. She was there to have fun with her friends, not to start dwelling on the past.
They made their way to the gymnasium, and already Sunset could feel the stares upon her, but there was something different to them. The last time she had been at CHS, everybody looked at her with hatred and disgust, but now, there was fear in them, like before the Fall Formal.
Maybe she should have been more subtle with Lyra.
Not that Sunset particularly cared. In fact, it was better this way, as no one was going to try to sabotage their fun.
They entered the gym, and Sunset basked in the beauty of the decorations. Hues of blue and silver danced on the walls like frozen rivers, and the lamps glowed with a yellow light that gave a warm and cozy feeling. That alone would’ve sufficed, but no dance at CHS was complete without Pinkie’s mark: balloons and streamers everywhere. Thankfully, she was also a surprisingly artistic girl, so her decorations blended very nicely with the rest of the ambiance.
Light rock music was playing throughout the gym, and some of the few students that were already there were dancing, while the others just chatted over the snacks table.
As time passed, more and more students filled in the gymnasium. They all looked at Sunset wearily, but the more she remained standing still with an uninterested expression in her face, the more they began to ignore her and mind their own business.
“This is simply divine!” Rarity said, looking around. “Pinkie Pie, you certainly outdid yourself tonight!”
“Thanks!” Pinkie barely managed to say through her mouthful of cupcakes.
“Hey, ya guys fancy some dancin’?” Applejack asked as a new song started playing.
Everyone agreed and went to the center of the gym to dance. Sometimes, they’d just jump to the rhythm of faster songs, sometimes they’d improvise, and sometimes they’d dance in very carefully planned group choreographies. It was the first time, Sunset realized, that she was having fun at school. Whilst all the other times she had been tense because of all the evil plotting, this time she was just enjoying herself in company of her friends.
Trixie, on her part, was having a blast. She liked dancing, sure, but she loved dancing along with friends. She had realized that at the party Pinkie had thrown for Sunset. During the last dances, she had danced alone, showing off her moves to everyone, but deep down she knew that they just ignored her. Now, she could still show off and know that her friends would praise her mesmerizing moves.
And of course, she never let Sunset get away from her for more than one or two friends of distance.
After what seemed like too little time, a certain song started playing: The Pony Pokey.
“What the…” Sunset muttered as the notes played.
All the students seemed to have thought the same, since they looked up for a moment with confused expressions. But after a second, they shrugged and kept dancing.
“Phew, I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly exhausted,” Rarity said, and she, indeed, looked quite tired, with sweat drops running down her forehead and reddened cheeks. “If you don’t mind, I’ll go get myself some punch.”
With Rarity gone, the most complex part of Trixie’s plan had begun. As Trixie and Sunset danced, the girls had to get away without the latter noticing. It was hard, indeed, but Trixie was doing a masterful job at distracting her, smiling and making deliberate mistakes that would force Sunset to go and help.
When the song finished, Sunset was laughing heartily.
“That was incredible!” She said with a goofy smile. “Last time I heard that song I was eight!”
“Really?” Trixie asked. The only sign that gave away she had been dancing all night was her slightly messy hair and the glow of sweat on her face and arms under the light. “I didn’t know you had that song in Equestria.”
“I didn’t know you had it here,” Sunset answered.
She was about to say something else, but then the lights dimmed, and the music changed drastically from fast and upbeat, to slow and romantic. Sunset looked around and quickly found out the rest of the girls had disappeared among the crowd. When she looked back at Trixie, she saw her extending her hand at her and a pleading stare.
Sunset hesitated, slowly sliding her right foot backwards.
“Please,” Trixie said in a neutral voice, but Sunset noticed the faint trail of expectation and hope.
She couldn’t resist, and took Trixie’s hand.
They stepped back, and Sunset carefully placed her hands around Trixie’s waist. Trixie quickly answered by circling Sunset’s neck with her own and leaning back just a little bit. They locked eyes, and for a moment, it was just them, alone in the gym, dancing at the swift rhythm of the music.
Staring deeply into Sunset’s eyes, Trixie felt her heart beat faster, and her stomach flutter. The yellow light, dim as it was, bathed Sunset with a golden glow that looked like an aura, and in Trixie’s eyes, made her look like a divine angel.
Trixie bit her lower lip and looked down. “Sunset, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you…” She took a deep breath. “It’s about what happened… that day…” She felt Sunset tense up, but otherwise, there was no answer, so she continued. “I think you deserve to know, exactly, why I did what I did.”
“I don’t deserve anything,” Sunset replied with a low, shaky voice.
“Yes. Yes, you do,” Trixie said. “I won’t say I had a good reason. In fact, it was the stupidest thing I could’ve ever done, but at the time I was… I don’t know, I think I was stupidly confused...” She inhaled shakily. “That girl you saw me kissing is Maud.”
“Your ex,” Sunset muttered.
Trixie nodded. “Originally, she only came to visit Pinkie, but when Pinkie gave her my message, the one that said I’m sorry, Maud thought I had matured enough to get back together.” She shuddered. “I said no the first few times, but she was being annoyingly insistent. So, that day, I went to Pinkie’s to tell her off once and for all. She was being very pushy, so I… I bargained.”
Sunset raised an eyebrow, but remained silent.
“She was so sure she could win me back that she told me, ‘if you kiss me and you still prefer her, I’ll stop trying’. As you can guess, I accepted.” She shook her head and, for the first time since she had started speaking, she looked up at Sunset as tears formed in her eyes. “Of course I picked you, and she accepted my decision… I… I know it was stupid. I shouldn’t have done that, but I couldn’t think of another way to get her out of my life!” She sniffed and looked down, resting her head on Sunset’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry… If I could go back in time I’d change my decisions…”
“It’s ok,” Sunset said kindly. She used a hand to lift Trixie’s head by the chin, and then a thumb to clear her tears. “I already forgave you…”
Trixie sniffed. “And… For what you did at my house, I think this is the best time to say it: I forgive you.”
Sunset smiled, and Trixie could feel the weight being lifted from Sunset’s shoulders.
They became silent, only staring into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. This was it, the moment for which Trixie had been working so much. She stopped dancing, smiling tenderly, and ever so swiftly raised on her toes, using her arms to help herself. She closed her eyes and leaned over.
But Sunset leaned back.
Trixie stumbled slightly, but her stomach fell like a heavy rock in a lake. A sudden chill spread all throughout her body like lightning, and she couldn’t help but stare confused at Sunset. “What’s wrong?”
Sunset looked away and stepped back. “I’m sorry…” And with that, she ran away.
It took Trixie a few seconds to respond, but when she did, she ran after Sunset.
Managing to get past the wall of students proved harder said than done, but finally, Trixie managed to find the exit door. Sunset hadn’t bothered to close it, so it was easy for Trixie to see her shadow disappearing in a corner.
Trixie followed, and found herself climbing stairs and running through halls she very rarely frequented. Fortunately, she had a better physical condition than Sunset, and so she was able to close the distance enough to not lose her sight. After a while, Sunset opened a metallic door and crossed it.
It was until Trixie crossed the door that she realized exactly where she was: The rooftop.
She saw Sunset walking towards the dome of the library, and jogged to catch up to her.
“Sunset, what’s going on?” She called, and Sunset stopped, placing a hand on the crystal surface of the dome. She noticed that Sunset’s ponytail had come undone, and her hair fell messily over her back. “Why did you run away like that?”
“I’m sorry. I just needed some air…”
“Up here?”
“I like it here,” Sunset said, looking up to the full moon. “Nobody ever comes here. I made sure of that when I was the queen bee. I liked to come here when I needed to think…” She could hear Trixie getting closer. “I’m going to be honest. I really want to be your girlfriend; I want to hug you and kiss you.”
“Then why-”
“Because I don’t deserve you!” Sunset yelled, and she turned around to look at Trixie, who had gotten at a mere foot of distance. “You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in years, and I couldn’t be happier. But I’m still a selfish, manipulative, hot-headed idiot! I lost my mind the other day, and I hurt you… I don’t want that to happen again!”
“Then don’t do it!” Trixie said. “Only a stupid person trips with the same stone twice. And you’re not stupid, Sunset. If you understand what you did was wrong, then you won’t do it again. The same applies to what I did!”
“And what if I can’t control myself next time?!” Sunset asked, and her voice was guttural, as if the words were being torn from her mouth.
“There won’t be a next time!” Trixie yelled.
“How can you be so sure?!”
“Because I know you, Sunset!” Trixie answered, and she placed her hands on Sunset’s shoulders. “I know you’re a good girl, and you can learn from your mistakes. Besides, I’ll never betray your trust again, I’ll never kiss other lips that aren’t yours.” She placed a hand on Sunset’s cheek and gave a slight stroke. “I’ll never hurt you again.”
Sunset’s expression softened as her eyes darted from left to right, unable to decide which of Trixie’s beautiful amethyst eyes to gaze into. She decided, after an eternal second, to not look at them at all. In a quick motion, she grabbed Trixie by the waist, closed her eyes, and locked their lips together.
Trixie sighed through her nose, letting herself fall in Sunset’s embrace. She dug her hand in Sunset’s hair, and it was soft and cold. Their kiss was feral as they unleashed all the desire they had been accumulating up to that moment. Sunset pushed Trixie against the dome, careful not to hurt her, and Trixie only pulled her closer.
Sunset’s hands had a strong grip on Trixie’s waist, as if they were desperately holding on to her for dear life. Trixie didn’t mind, as she had a hand locked behind Sunset’s head and the other on her back, clinging on to her, making sure that she wasn’t going to go away again.
When Sunset finally leaned back, Trixie found herself breathless, as if she had just run a triathlon. She opened her eyes, meeting Sunset’s gaze immediately. She could see fire in them, a fiery blaze that could consume her at a moment’s notice.
And she’d happily let it do so.
But not in that moment, not in that place. She retrieved the hand she had on Sunset’s head and placed it on her chest, marking a clear limit she trusted Sunset wouldn’t cross.
“We should go back,” Trixie whispered. “The girls are probably wondering where we are.”
Sunset shook her head. “They have our phone numbers.”
Trixie couldn’t help but smile. “Does this mean we’re a couple again?”
Sunset opened her mouth to reply, but then closed it as an idea occurred to her. She leaned in and kissed Trixie again. But unlike the previous one, this kiss was tender, and it poured her true feelings. She caressed Trixie’s cheek with a hand, and felt Trixie’s hand returning to the back of her head.
They stood there, just kissing, completely ignoring the pass of time, until their phones started ringing and vibrating. The dance had ended at some point, and they had to return to the main entrance or the limousine was going to leave them there.
Not that they would’ve minded, if it hadn’t started to snow.