It's the day after the concert and school just ended. Soarin and Rainbow Dash have practice again for their long-anticipated first playoff game this Saturday, and I decide to watch them from the bleachers while doing homework. As I work on my math homework, I give the team a couple of glances and notice how devoted Rainbow Dash is in keeping the team in good shape while occasionally making glances with Soarin when their teammates aren't looking, which makes me smile. Caramel and I agree that we've never seen him in such bliss in all the time that we've known him.
But as I watch them admire each other while preparing for their big game, I frown a little as I think about my dilemma. Ever since the concert last night, Sunset Shimmer has been stuck in my mind. All day I have been debating with myself about how I feel whenever I talk to her, when we were flying or whenever she hugs me. I think I know why, but I'm scared to admit that it's a possibility.
"Hiya, Rough Draft!"
I jump in surprise to find Sonata standing right next to me with a gleeful look on her face.
"Sonata, what are you doing here?" I ask.
"Well, Applejack and I are dropping off some apple ciders for the team, and I just thought I'd say hi," she answers, pointing to Applejack, who is at the front of the stands, setting up a table for cider. "What about you? You looked like something was troubling you."
I chuckle nervously at her question.
"Was I?" I ask.
"Yeah, you looked like you couldn't tell if you should be smiling or worrying about something," she says. "Are you thinking about the next Star Wars movie, cause that's still like, forever and a half away."
I smile at her question until I consider what she's asking. I don't want to bring this up to Caramel or Soarin yet, and I don't want to bring any of the Rainbooms into this since they're Sunset's closest friends. So, if I was to talk about this to anyone, it probably should be Sonata.
"Okay, I'm gonna tell you something, but you can't tell anybody," I say.
"Ooo, a secret just between the two of us?" Sonata asks excitedly.
"Yes, and it's important that you don't say a word," I say.
"Don't worry, Rough Draft, my buddy," Sonata says cutely with a salute. "I will be as silent as I am incapable of singing."
I give her a sad smile, knowing that she wishes she can sing again before I sigh and speak as cautiously as I can.
"So, I think I have a crush on someone," I say.
"Ah, so you finally realized your feelings for Sunset Shimmer?" Sonata asks bluntly.
"What? How did you guess that?" I ask, shocked.
Sonata makes an adorable laugh before she answers.
"Aw, come on, Rough Draft, it's obvious," she says. "You've been hanging with her a lot over the past couple of weeks, and you guys did decide to stay behind last night."
I think about her statement for a moment before I chuckle.
"Yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious when you put it that way," I say.
"Are you kidding? It's as obvious as Rainbow Dash without her rainbow hair," Sonata says. "First, you couldn't tell that Octavia was so deeply in love with you, then you only realize now how things are going between you and Sunset? I realize you were a major outcast in Applelosa and so spent like, zero time with any girls, but come on. In fact, why are you only realizing this now?"
I hesitate at that question, remembering that I promised Sunset that I wouldn't tell anyone about her new transformation.
"Well, last night, we were talking about the concert and the song she made for me, and then we had a heart to heart chat about how things have been improving between us," I say. "And whenever she hugged me, I didn't 't want it to end. It feels as comforting as when Octavia and I would hold each other endlessly when we were together, and that's when it hit me."
"Awww, that's so cute," Sonata coos. "Are you gonna ask her out?"
"Uh, I haven't thought that far about it," I admit scratching the back of my head. "I don't even know if I want to believe that I think this way about her."
"Why not?" Sonata asks.
I sigh, reluctantly before I ask, "Did I ever tell you what happened when Sunset and I first met?"
"Well, no, but Applejack told me," Sonata says.
"She did?" I ask, surprised.
"Yeah, she pretended to be in love with you so that you would sabotage Rarity at the Spring Fling, and that's why you were so mean to her before you and Tavi broke up," Sonata recites.
I sigh sadly.
"Yeah, well, I think that would keep us from trying anything," I say. "All that bad blood on top of all the hatred for Sunset even after she changed could get in the way."
Sonata frowns suspiciously at this.
"I think you're lying," she says. "Are you sure your hesitation doesn't have to do with your feelings for Tavi?"
I chuckle sadly at that question.
"You can be unusually observant when you want to be, Sonny," I say to Sonata, who responds with a pleased smile. "But yeah, it does. I'm not depressed about what happened anymore, but part of me still misses Octavia and hopes that she will see the error of her ways, dump Treble Clef and take me back. I also feel like she would be right all along if Sunset and I get together, seeing as thinking I cheated on her with her was what led her to dump me. Plus, I still wrote on my note attached to her Christmas gifts that I would be waiting for her, and I feel like I should be keeping that promise."
Sonata's frown deepens at this.
"Rough Draft, I know you still love her, and I know I said things would hopefully work out in the end between you and Tavi," she says. "But you also said you moved on from her and I think you should stay that way. Don't get me wrong, part of me also wishes that this whole Treble Clef thing is just some big misunderstanding like the video and you two will get back together and live happily ever after, but the rest of me wants you to let her go completely, and I think Sunset is the right girl to help you do it. After all, you do like her, don't you?"
"Well yeah," I admit. "How can anyone not like her? She's kind, fun, smart, trusting, supportive -"
"And hot?" Sonata interrupts teasingly.
"Beautiful," I correct without missing a beat. "In fact, that's something that I always thought about Sunset even when I hated her. Her cyan eyes have this thing about them that shows how time with her is so exciting and fun. Even now, they have a way of showing how she's become so compassionate since the Fall Formal. And then she has that fiery red and yellow hair that's now in lighter shades that show she's a force for good and when she smiles it's so -"
I stop talking for a moment when I realize what I'm saying. Sonata is giving me an amused look that makes my purple cheeks turn red.
"Thank you for proving my point," she teases. "Face it, buddy, you're starting to go crazy about her."
I sigh in defeat
"Yeah, but I don't want to be," I say.
"Why not?" She asks. "Who cares about what Octavia would think if you fell in love with Sunset Shimmer? She still dumped you and moved on with another guy just like that. If there's one thing Granny has taught me about love, it's that it's not something that you throw away when it's inconvenient. I'm not saying Tavi didn't love you, but she dumped you and then found someone else like, less than a month afterward. Sunset was at least willing to forgive you when you came to her regretting the mean things you said about her. She was the one who wanted to help you with Rarity acting so cold to you and wrote that song that got you out of your depressed state. Plus, the way Applejack tells it, she was pretty persistent with trying to make peace with you. Octavia has made no attempts to talk to you at any point after Christmas, whereas you just admitted all the time you've been spending with Sunset. Wake up and smell the apple pie, Rough Draft."
I give her a small smile before I say, "You've probably been living with the Apples a little too long if you're saying phrases like 'wake up and smell the apple pie.'"
Sonata giggles cutely before she replies, "Well, I can't help it if I haven't found an apple-related thing that I don't like."
"Hey, Sonata, we're heading home," Applejack suddenly calls out from the bottom of the stands.
"Okay, AJ," Sonata calls back. She stands up and starts walking a few steps before she turns to me and says, "Think about it, buddy. There's nothing wrong with getting together with someone who can make you happy again."
With that, Sonata leaves with Applejack, and I start to think about what she said. I have been hanging out with Sunset a lot ever since she performed that song with the Rainbooms on my front lawn. She trusted me with her secret new magic, she was so happy with that rose I gave her, and she was so appreciative that I came to her concert just like...
...just like Octavia.
On the other hand, something with Sunset would be nothing like how it was with Octavia. She was also so kind and supportive, even when she didn't have to be. She encouraged me to improve as a writer, she defended me against Blueblood, and it was always a blessing to watch her play her cello beautifully. Not to mention how she is stunning; her long black hair, her violet eyes that showed sincerity whenever she spoke, and when she smiled. It felt like everything I ever do of love for her was worth it. There's nothing like being together with Octavia, and there never will be anything like it.
But maybe what I need shouldn't be something like what I had with Octavia. Perhaps I should be pursuing something that could be better. Sunset is a special girl with all that she has done and how much she changed. She does tend to smile a lot whenever she sees me, and she was very persistent in earning my forgiveness, and I do enjoy the time we spend together. Maybe we can go further than just friends.
Suddenly, I get an idea for a new story. I hesitate with the idea of taking it further, but at the same time, my mind grows persistent in wanting me to do it. I check the time, and I realize that Soarin and Rainbow Dash still have about a half-hour left of practice, so I can use the time to get started.
I grab my notebook and flip through the pages until I find a section that has not been used for notes and take a deep breath. I pause for a moment and smile when I realize that this will be the first time that I write a story since Octavia and I broke up. I shake the thought off before I take out my pen and begin to write.
********************************************************************************************
Two weeks have passed since Rough Draft's encounter with the Gray Woman at Acht-To. He told the Jedi Council that there was nothing on that island but the ruins of the first Jedi temple, and they took the news with disappointment. It later turned out to be for the best as the Republic needed his help once again. It turns out that a particular group of Sith cultists are trying to cause mayhem in the core world of Alderaan.
Officially, Alderaan is a Republic world, but unofficially, the planet has been facing nothing but civil unrest. Ever since their queen died, the people of Alderaan have been fighting a between its three main houses of political power; House Organa who are loyal to the Republic, House Ulgo, an army of assassins, and House Thul who sympathize with the Sith and their quest for control over the galaxy. Any new group of Sith who wants to succeed where Darth Blumblood did not starts their conquest with an alliance with House Thul in exchange for assistance with their pursuit to destroy House Ulgo and especially House Organa.
Author's note: The civil war between these three houses is in legends continuity during the events of Star Wars: The Old Republic, which takes place approximately thirty-seven hundred years or so before the events of the Skywalker saga.
The Jedi Order has been informed that a new group of Sith cultists called the Marauding Krayts have joined an alliance with House Thul and have become a threat that might turn the tide of Alderaan's civil war. A large group of Jedi have already jumped into the call of battle, but very few have survived fighting against these Sith cultists. Word has spread that they also have a special warrior of sorts to hunt down and destroy any Jedi that goes into enemy lines. Since say this special Sith can decimate people in seconds and brainwash them to do the Marauding Krayt's bidding. The Jedi council is perplexed about this unique being who can cause that much death that they decide to send Rough Draft and find out what he can.
Rough Draft was uneasy about this new mission. Judging by the council's demeanor when they gave him this assignment, it sounded like this will be unlike anything he ever encountered before. He began to doubt what he can do against the likes of this unusual foe, and yet he knew in his heart that there is nothing else he can do but follow his duty to the Jedi and the Republic and trust in the Force. Thus, he went back to his ship and charted a course to Alderaan.
When he arrived, he was immediately hailed on his comlink by Hania-Adag Organa, a well-respected senator for House Organa. She requested that he came to her office as soon as he made it to the planet. She didn’t say more as she didn’t want to risk whatever information she has on the halo for fear of it being tracked by House Thul or the Marauding Krayts. Thus, he flew down to the city where the House of Organa resides. As soon as he landed his ship on a landing pad, a small group of Organa soldiers arrived to escort him to the senator’s office, where she was pacing back and forth in worry before she saw him.
“Master Draft. I was getting worried that you wouldn’t be coming,” she said anxiously.
“Forgive me, Senator Organa. I came as fast as I could,” Rough Draft said respectfully. “You said you have some information for me that I assume has to do with the Sith’s special warrior?”
Hania-Adag Organa hesitated before she answers.
“More rumors than real news,” she answered reluctantly. “From what our spies from House Thul have told us, there’s a situation between the Marauding Krayts.”
“What kind of situation?” Rough Draft asked.
“Well...” Hania-Adag began hesitantly. “I know an expert on these dark force users like you would find me crazy, but they say that their special warrior defected.”
Rough Draft stared at Hania-Adag bewildered.
“D-defected? A Sith defected?” He asked.
“That's right,” Hania-Adag confirmed. “They say that their special warrior is this powerful Sith apprentice who is running away from her master. The Sith are trying to keep this quiet from the higher-ups of House Thul and get the apprentice back quietly.”
Rough Draft stared at Hania-Adag perplexed by this. He’s heard tales of some Jedi convincing allies of the Sith to come to the light side like bounty hunters and imperial officers, but for a Sith to run away and supposedly defect from their dark ways on their own has never been heard of. The Sith are not known to show any sympathy or interest in those who follow the light, and this could very well be a trap to lure more Jedi into their deaths.
But then he remembered the words of the Gray Woman; “if you live in ignorance of what you consider to be your enemy, you and the people around you are in greater danger to the dark side.” It seemed like a risk to trust the words of someone long dead, but maybe she was right in that there is more to the Sith than what he, the Jedi Order or the Republic know. His instincts tell him that this is a foolish thing to consider, but his heart tells him that maybe The Force was using his journey to Acht-To to guide him into helping this deserter find the light.
“Well, then if that’s so, then I must find this apprentice and -” Rough Draft began.
“Are you crazy, Master Jedi? That’s suicide!” Hania-Adag exclaimed. “We’re talking about a Sith that has destroyed dozens of your fellow Jedi like they were nothing, and this could very well be a trap!”
“Perhaps,” Rough Draft admitted. “But if there’s even a chance that he can be turned to the light and be used against his former masters than we must -”
“She,” Hania-Adag corrected. “The winged demon is a woman.”
Rough Draft looked at the senator, confused.
“Winged demon, Senator?” He asked.
“That’s what those who have survived call her,” She explained. “A winged Sith pureblood.”
Rough Draft stared at the senator, unable to believe what he just heard. Sith purebloods are humanoid, red aliens known as Sith, where the first Dark Jedi created their dark order known as the Sith. Sith purebloods have never been known to have wings any more than a human or any other humanoid species. You may as well be saying you can teach Tuskin Raiders to perform in an opera on Coruscant.
"No disrespect, Senator, but are you sure that none of your men have been drugged or have their minds meddled in some way by the Sith?" he asked.
"There has been no sign of my men under any drug influence, and Jedi Master Bonnia assures me that she has found no sign of meddling with their minds while she's been treating them," The senator answered. "As for where this warrior could be, we have reason to believe she could be hiding inside the Killik colony east from here. The Kyrats have searched and found nothing, but maybe you will have better luck, Master Jedi. Be warned, however, this winged woman is dangerous."
"So am I," Rough Draft said before he bows to the senator goodbye and exits the office.
After renting a land speeder from a nearby port, Rough Draft traveled east to the Killik nests, where the bug creatures tend to live in solitude so long as outsiders do not attack them. He parked his speeder a couple of klicks away from the nests and hid it behind a bush before he began sneaking his way into the nests. The large nests serve as good hiding spots, so he goes from nest to nest in search of this mysterious Sith padawan without being detected by the Killiks. For about an hour or so, he searched for any hint of Sith activity in the area and found nothing.
Suddenly, as he was about to leave, he felt a very strange presence in the Force. He sensed a heart filled with hate trying to whip out its sudden feelings of sympathy and regret. Before he could think further about this strange presence, however, he felt something coming straight towards him. Quickly igniting his green lightsaber, he turned around in a defensive stance to find what was indeed a female Sith pureblood with large, black wings. She was wearing Sith battle armor and was charging at him with two yellow-bladed crossguard lightsabers.
Author's note: A crossguard lightsaber is the kind of lightsaber Kylo Ren has.
The winged Sith pureblood screamed in anger as her lightsabers began clashing with Rough Draft's.
"If you do not wish to become one with the Force in pieces, Jedi, you will leave this place at once," she hissed as she presses on her attack.
"I have not come to harm you, Sith, I merely wish to talk," Rough Draft said calmly as he deflects every blow with ease.
"Oh, spare me your lies," she screamed as she continued to strike at the Jedi. "Do you expect me to believe you aren't here to avenge the Jedi I have already cut down?"
"If you wanted to kill me, you would have done it already instead of threatening me to leave," Rough Draft said as he parried every attack. "Sith are not the kind of people who give anyone such opportunities."
"It's because I am no longer among the Sith that I haven't easily overpowered you and chopped your head off, Jedi. Don't push it," she claimed.
"And I have cut down Sith with ease no matter what kind of lightsabers they wield," Rough Draft replied. "And in case you are not aware, I could have cut you in half just for showing any alliance to the Sith, but I'm giving you a once-in-a-lifetime exception that I would never have given the likes of Darth Blumblood or Morphan-itis."
At that moment, the winged Sith stopped attacking and stared at Rough Draft in surprise. She looked at him deep in her yellow eyes before she let out an amused chuckle.
"Well, well, well," She said. "If it isn't Master Jedi Rough Draft, the Sith Cleaver."
Rough Draft chuckled lightly in response.
"Is that what your Sith cultists friends call me over at House Thul, Sith?" He asked, amused.
"I am not Sith," she hissed before she looked at him puzzled. "But no, this isn't right. The Master Rough Draft I'm told of slaughters Sith Warriors with ease, overpowers assassins and sages like they have the force powers of a wompa rat. If even half of the stories I've heard about you are true, I should have been cut down by now."
"I'm as skeptical about you as you are with me, my winged friend," Rough Draft replied. "I've heard nothing but how you're some monster that killed many of my Jedi brothers and sisters with ease since before I left the Jedi temple, and yet as soon as I land on Alderaan, I hear something about you defecting, and then you attack me with little conviction to kill me. It appears neither of us are what we have been led to believe."
The winged Sith pureblood frowned skeptically and asked, "What do you want, Master Jedi?"
"I already said," he answered. "I wish to talk."
The winged Sith pureblood raised her eyebrow at this before she sighed.
"Not here," she said. "I have a camp inside a cave not far from here. But if you think of trying to stab me in the back, you'll be dead before you touch your sword."
"Funny, I could say the same thing to you," Rough Draft said with an amused smirk.
The Sith pureblood nods her head in understanding as they quietly leave the Killik nest and hike to a cave inside the mountain. Since it was getting dark by the time they arrived, the pureblood turns on a heater next to a sleeping pat, and she and Rough Draft sit by the heater to warm themselves from the cold.
"So," Rough Draft begins. "You seem to be very familiar with my name, but I can't say I know yours. What do I call you?"
The winged Sith pureblood thinks about it before she answers, "I won't give you my real name, but if you must call me something, then you can call me...Aruetyc."
Rough Draft chuckled as Aruetyc is Mandalorian for 'traitorous.'
"Very well, Aruetyc, why don't we try getting to know each other. Set the record straight on some rumors," he suggested.
"Such as?" Aruetyc asked suspiciously.
"Well, if I may be blunt, all I know about you apart from having killed many Jedi is that you supposedly defected from the Sith and that you do indeed have real wings even though Sith purebloods are not known to possess wings. Care to shed some light?"
Aruetyc looked at him suspiciously before she impatiently answered.
"If you must know, I was experimented on by my master, Darth Barmas," she said. "He discovered a few experiments that Darth Blumblood attempted to make before his death, and one of them had to do with combining Sith DNA with other species to make the perfect Sith warriors."
"So somehow Blumblood's brainwashed army was only the beginning," Rough Draft said to himself quietly before lifting his head to face Aruetyc again. "And he made you be a part of his own attempts at completing Blumblood's work?"
"I chose it," she said firmly. "My former master is a skilled alchemist, and if there was a chance to gain my own kind of power, I knew - or I thought back then, I should take it."
"You thought it was wise to do that?" Rough Draft asked.
"It's the way of the Sith," she defended. "You of all people should know that we will do whatever it takes to get what we want to achieve. Through our passion we can gain strength, through strength, we gain power, through power -"
"Through power, you gain victory, and through victory, your chains are broken, thus, the Force shall set you free," Rough Draft finished. "Yes, I am well aware of the Sith code, but I think there's a line between being persistent and being a little reckless to get what you desire."
Aruetyc smirked at Rough Draft.
"No offense, but I think all the Jedi I have faced would strongly disagree with you," she said boastfully. "I'm stronger, faster, and my wings give me the high ground when dueling against anyone, I can bend the will of lesser men to do my bidding."
"Yet I sense great conflict with you, Aruetyc," Rough Draft said. "I felt it before you attacked me. There's something foreign to you that holds you back from continuing your dark ways. Something that kept you from having any true intentions to kill me."
Aruetyc raised her eyebrow again.
"My, my, my, and I sense there's more to you than an eagerness to destroy all Sith," she said. "Seems we both have decided to betray our reputations."
"Indeed. Now, why is it you are defecting from the Sith?" Rough draft asks.
"You first," Aruetyc demanded. "I've already started with explaining my wings."
Rough Draft frowned as he hesitantly thought about the best way to answer without revealing the secret of the mysterious Octavia Melody on Acht-To. At the same time, however, he didn't want to lie to Aruetyc since she appeared to trust him at least a little bit.
"Well, if we must be honest, it's not something I can explain because it contains a secret best left unknown to the galaxy," he began to answer. "But the short answer is a...good friend recently told me that peace is no good to you if your only means of obtaining it is destruction. You could say this friend gave me a good argument that helped me try to put that idea into practice after hearing of your desertion."
Aruetyc looked at the Jedi skeptically before she gave a small nod as a way of saying that is a good enough answer for her.
"Now it's your turn again," Rough Draft declared. "What kept you from trying to cut me into pieces with your nice crossguard swords?"
Aruetyc smirked briefly before she frowned again. She stared at the heater for a minute before she answered with her eyes still glued to it.
"It was during our latest ambush against a group of Jedi," she began. "They were hoping to investigate on the Marauding Krayts, not knowing that we had a trap set for them. Before they able to ignite their lightsabers, I had cut at least a dozen of them down. Those who survived my sudden attack fought gallantly against the other warriors and me. We killed about twenty of them before they started running away. My master ordered me to pursue them, and I chased them down with my wings, picking them off one by one. Finally, all that was left was this twe'lik woman. She defended herself with all the strength she had left, but it wasn't long before she was relieved of her weapon. I expected her to plead for her life. But she didn't. She just stared at me, and she slowly sat on both knees and said, 'I'm sorry.'"
Rough Draft looked at Aruetyc, confused to which she continued with a smirk.
"Yeah, I didn't expect that either as you would imagine," she said. "When I asked her for what, she said 'that all you know is the darkness.' I didn't know what to think. I felt like I should be disgusted by her strange act of kindness, but somehow I felt comforted, which I've never felt before. I wish I was able to ask why she would say such a thing, but before I could, my master caught up with us and ordered me to kill her. I tried to think of a way around it, but he kept ordering me to do it, and the twe'lik Jedi had her eyes closed, accepting her fate. I held my breath and sadly cut off her head, thinking it best that she died painlessly. But for the first time, I hated killing someone. It was as if my eyes were opened, and I started to see that my enemies weren't just my enemies; they were living beings with better, purer reasons to live than to gain power. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I'm starting to," Rough Draft answered honestly, giving Aruetyc a kind smile that she returns.
"Hmm, subtle,"
"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"
*******************************************************************************************
I jump so badly that I drop my notebook and pen. I turn around to find Soarin giving me an amused look as he sits on the bleacher behind me.
"What the heck, man?" I exclaim. "I thought you're practicing."
"Dude, practice ended ten minutes ago," he says, pointing at the empty field. "You really need to be careful how you get deep into your writing in public."
"Well, that doesn't mean you can read behind my shoulder," I ridicule.
"Why not?" He asks with an amused smirk. "Don't want anyone to read your new adventure about you and your girlfriend?"
I blush furiously before giving him a deathly glare.
"Sunset is not my girlfriend!" I bark.
"I didn't say it was Sunset," Soarin says. "But it's obvious she's Aruetyc in that story."
"No, she isn't!" I claim.
Soarin chuckles and shakes his head.
"Rough Draft, I love you like a brother, but as glad as I am that you're writing again, you still clearly stink at subtlety," he says. "A female character with dark red skin and yellow eyes and wings just like when Sunset was a she-demon and Jedi Rough Draft having an open mind that she's turning over a new leaf, which you wish you did sooner, and something possibly going on between the two of them? Not to mention the rose you gave Sunset on Valentine's Day and you guys staying behind to talk after the concert last Friday? That tells me that either you two have the most platonic relationship ever, or you've started to have actual feelings for her."
My blush remains as I turn away to try to hide it. But even as I look away from my friend, I know the deed is done.
"So, wanna talk about when you started feeling this way?" Soarin asks.
"Not really," I say.
"Aw, don't be such a spoilsport, Rough Draft," Soarin says. "Clearly, you got something for Sunset, and it's eating you up."
"You can't prove that," I claim, still not looking at him.
"Buddy, you're writing a fanfiction story about you and a girl. You've only done that once before, and that was when you and Octavia were together," he points out. "You're taking a special liking for Sunset Shimmer again. You like the person that she's become."
I sigh, reluctantly before I turn to face my friend.
"Okay, yes, I've started to like her, like her," I admit.
"I knew it," Soarin says, smirking. "Which brings us back to my original question, when did you start feeling this way?"
I sigh before I reluctantly spill it out.
"Honestly, I think I've felt this way for a while now and only started to realize it after the concert," I say. "I know I already grew to admire her for everything she's become since the Fall Formal; so kind, considerate, devoted to her friends and all that jazz, but I guess looking back, I've realized how I'm always glad to see her whenever it's at lunch or in English class or when we do stuff together with all of our friends like the concert or the Valentine's Day hang out. Lately, I've started to enjoy seeing her smile or whenever she hugs me tightly or feel special whenever she wants to talk about her life before she came to our world. I guess I want more of that, and I wish I knew what I could do about it apart from just writing another story."
Soarin rolls his eyes at the last thing I said.
"Well, it's obvious what you do, man," he says. "Ask Sunset on a date. Maybe ask her to a movie or something."
"I don't know. That's what we did when we first met," I say.
"Exactly," Soarin says. "When you guys did that, it was a get together that was fake from the start, and something you both regret. So, you guys could do it all again only this time it's real."
I hesitate before I think of his suggestion to make it real and smile.
"You're right," I say. "If I want to do something with her, it should be something we've done before when she was pretending to like me only this time it's genuine. Maybe that way I'll know for sure whether or not this is just my mind playing tricks, or I really want to be with her in that way."
"Awesome," Soarin says. "So, how are you going to ask her?"
I scratch my chin before an idea pops into my head.
"I think I know just how to ask her, but I'm going to need your help," I say.
"Oh boy, please don't tell me you're thinking of some over-the-top gesture just to ask a girl to the movies," he says concerned.
"Oh, Soarin, my dear boy, have a little more faith in me," I say, smirking. "I have something a little more sneaky in mind, a test if you will that involves the story I'm writing."
Soarin looks at me for a moment before he smiles and moves to the seat next to me.
"Oh boy, this is exciting," Soarin says, grinning. "Oh, and by the way, really? You had to have Aruetyc boasting about always having 'the high ground?'"
I roll my eyes at my best friend's criticism.
"Oh, shut up and listen closely," I order.