//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Infatuating Acceptance // by PixiePony //------------------------------// To say Twilight Sparkle was excited was an understatement. The Christmas Formal Dance was finally here and this would be her first dance at Canterlot High. Her first real dance, well with actual friends, that is. As much as Twilight missed the academics at her old school, Cristal Prep Academy, she was thankful for her transfer to CHS. It was events like these that she wanted to learn from. To help her socially and with friend relationships. This dance was deemed to be much different than the bash Pinkie Pie had thrown. It was in a large gymnasium with music and fancy dresses. She didn’t think it would be as casual and wild as the other party had been. Plus, there would be teachers around and that gave her some comfort as well. She looked over her checklist of things she needed for the night. This app she had found years ago was a life saver. No more excess of paper was needed when everything was digital. She muttered as she went down the list. “And I think the rest on the list is up to Sunset.” She had asked Sunset to bring a few things, including an extra leather jacket. Twilight simply didn’t have anything suitable for the ride over and she wanted to be safe and warm on her first motorcycle ride. Sunset Shimmer had offered to give her a ride to Rarity’s where everyone would be meeting. Since she lived so far into the city, she felt she was imposing but Sunset had insisted she wasn’t. The girls had all agreed to meet at 5 o’clock since the dance started at 8, which gave them ample time to prepare, much to Twilight’s delight. As the time drew closer, she could hardly contain the excitement that almost overpowered her nervousness. Most of it being from the idea of actually preparing for the dance, and what she would do when she got to the dance, but she also had a bit of excitement thinking of the ride over. She had never been on a motorbike before. Twilight wondered how the ride would go. She would be sitting right behind Sunset; presumably there would be some sort of seat belt, and she assumed Sunset would bring an extra helmet for her. Then they would head over to Rarity’s. Would they talk or would there be too much noise around them to hear each other. Nervousness began to take over as her mind slowly started to think of all the possible scenarios they could find themselves in. If they were to talk, she would be distracting her as a driver and they could end up crashing. Or perhaps Sunset would look back and miss a signal and crash into someone. Motorcycles were known to be very dangerous. Her thoughts were instantly interrupted by headlights shining through the windows and the loud rumble of a motor. Taking a peek outside, she saw Sunset turn off her bike, climbing off of it. Even in the dark light of the setting sun, she could see Sunset’s long hair cascade out of her helmet. The color of it almost seemed to glow around her as she shook her head from its confinement. Thoughts of danger began to subside as she looked on. Twilight felt heat on her cheeks for reasons unknown and she pulled the curtains closed, heading towards the door. Waiting patiently for her guest to knock, she bounced on her heels. There was a good solid few knocks and Twilight opened it immediately, momentarily forgetting her thoughts of calmness. “Hello Sunset!” She beamed at the girl in front of her, who blushed as she respectfully walked in. “Hey, Twilight.” She held up an extra jacket and smiled. “Are you ready to-” Cut off, Twilight ran into the other room. “Oh yes, I’ve got everything here.” She came back with a bag of stuff and showed Sunset her list app she was so very proud of. “Everything I think I’ll need for the outfits and the dance, all listed and checked off.” She looked to Sunset with pride. “Nothing can go wrong when there are list’s involved!” Sunset blushed and mumbled into her fist. Twilight tilted her head but didn’t say anything. She hoped it wasn’t anything she had done that caused for discomfort. Her excitement seemed to be getting the best of her tonight and she hoped it wasn’t a bother. Before heading outside, Twilight made sure Sunset had brought everything she had asked and pulled the rough jacket around her. It smelled of leather and a scent she could only label as Sunset. Smiling, she locked the door and they headed towards the driveway. Sunset then offered her a helmet and told her to put her belongings in the small compartment on the back. Figuring out how the helmet buckled was a puzzle in itself and she struggled with it a second before finally latching it tightly. It fit awkwardly over her glasses, but fit none the less. Sunset mounted her bike and turned to Twilight who was now eyeing it over, skeptically, the anxious statistics flooding back into her mind. “Umm, Sunset… doesn’t this have buckles of some fashion?” Sunset laughed but paused when she saw the uncertainty grow on Twilight’s face. “I’m sorry, no Twilight. Motorcycles don’t have seatbelts.” She patted the seat behind her. “You’re just gonna have to hold on.” Twilight stepped back a bit, looking from Sunset to the seat. Sunset sat up straight and dismounted, still holding her helmet in her hands. “Twilight,” She tried looking to her eyes under two layers of glass. “I promise it’s safe.” She put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Do you think I’d put you in purposeful danger?” Twilight wringed her hands together and looked at Sunset. “Of course not, but studies have shown that motorcyclists are 35 times as likely to crash and die compared to car drivers.” Sunset smiled. “I ride this all the time, Twilight. It’s safe and you can trust me.” Twilight took a breath. There was a lot of truth to her words, and Twilight had never had any reason not to trust her. Her entire existence at CHS was to learn trust from others. After weighing her options, she nodded firmly. It would take everyone longer for any of the other girls to pick her up and, as much as the social aspect freaked her out, she really didn’t want to miss out on this dance. Watching how Sunset mounted the bike she tried to do the same, wobbling a bit as she did. Thankfully she had the forethought to wear jeans. She knew how to sit on a bike, after all. Sunset put her helmet on and turned around slightly. “Now just hold on to me and everything will be fine.” Twilight looked at her hands and softly put them on the shoulders in front of her. She heard Sunset laugh. “Silly filly, you have to hold on more than that.” Sunset proceeded to grab Twilight’s hands and tug them around her waist, forcing Twilight to push her body against her friends. “Don’t worry, I won’t go too fast.” She heard the muffled voice of Sunset before the engine roared to life. Instinctively Twilight’s grip tightened and she felt Sunset’s back stiffen slightly. Hoping she wasn’t stepping over any boundaries, she kept her hold secure as they began to move out of the driveway. The vibration mixed with the warmth of their bodies was actually quite comforting. She had her eyes closed for most of the trip but when she decided to open them she wasn’t regretful. The sun was almost done dipping over the horizon and she could see the beams of red and orange spread across the outskirts of the city. It was a beautiful sight and Twilight smiled. Perhaps the ride wasn’t as bad as she feared. She rested her head on Sunset’s back and sighed, though inaudible to the pair. She felt the warmth of her friend radiate across her skin. Though they both were wearing jackets, Twilight's hands were still buried under her friend’s chest and all that was between them was the thin blue shirt she always wore. A blush came to her face as feelings from the kiss they shared arose. How warm her body had been against Sunset and how similar it felt to her current situation. Her body began numbing over and she could feel her blood pressure rising. Twilight hadn’t thought of the effect it had on her in a while. But being so near to the friend that caused them was surfacing feelings she had only begun to question. It wasn't necessarily a bad feeling, but Twilight wasn't quite sure what that meant. The feelings and thoughts would just have to wait. Twilight saw Rarity’s boutique, which she practically lived in, and began to remember the reasoning for the ride. As the bike came to a halt, Sunset cut the engine. The quiet afterwards was almost deafening if not for the sound of the small city around them. Running off of adrenalin from the ride and previous thoughts Twilight jumped up and dismounted, once again beaming, with a slight nervous twitch. “Oh my gosh, it's really starting to dawn on me that the night is actually here!” Sunset smiled at her, chuckling slightly at the struggle to take her helmet off. “Here, let me help.” Twilight suddenly felt cold leather gloves brush against her neck, she gave a shiver, presumably from the cold. As the helmet was pulled off, so were her glasses, ending up in a bundle in her hair. Twilight made a sound of discomfort and Sunset only laughed as she began untangling them from the purple hair. Twilight patiently waited, her hands awkwardly halfway down, not sure if she should be helping. With a sound of triumph, Sunset succeeded and gently placed them on Twilight’s nose, her gloved fingers tangling in her hair slightly. When the image of Sunset cleared, Twilight realized how close her face was and a blush creeped to the surface. Both felt frozen as their breath mingled in cold clouds around their lips. Sunset was the first to break the spell they had seemed to be put on, clearing her throat and removing her hands suddenly. She shyly smiled and motioned for them to head inside. Packing their helmet’s in the compartment and grabbing their belongings, the two girls made their way to the door. Almost instantly they were bombarded with hugs. Rarity strode over to them. “Oh darlings, I just can’t wait for you to see the dresses I’ve made!” Rarity and Fluttershy had already begun to get ready, the remainder of the girls had yet to show up. Once inside they dropped their belongings and were ushered towards the rack of dresses Rarity had made for the occasion. Twilight was eager to see and try her dress on. It was a deep purple and the top half littered with silver jewels. The color complimented her hair and she couldn’t hold back a wide smile. “Rarity,” Twilight said, almost breathless, “This is beautiful.” It was unlike anything she had ever received before. Twilight’s family was very wealthy and able to afford all sorts of fancy clothing. But there was nothing that compared to the detail and work her friend had put into the dress she held. Work done for her. As a gift. Twilight looked at Rarity and gave her a hug, whispering thanks into her ear. Rarity began to tear slightly, her smile unfaltering. “Dear, this is the reason I love making gowns.” She let go slowly, flattening out any wrinkles they may have caused to the dress. “You’re very much welcome, Twilight.” Twilight then eagerly headed to the dressing room. While she was changing, she could hear the other girls enter the store. An audience was sure to be waiting, and Twilight felt her social nerves flutter. She had to stop and remind herself that these were her friends, and a part of her was looking forward to and hoping for some positive attention. When Twilight exited she was beaming. The dress fluttered around her ankles and she felt like the princess everyone saw her as. As she suspected, all attention was brought to her and Twilight held a breath as they stared. After a moment, she lightly exhaled. “I-I love it!!” She looked to the girls and saw a blush on Sunset’s face. Not wanting to think too much on it, she looked to the creator of the dress. “Rarity, this really is stunning!” Rarity was also beaming and came close to give her a hug. “Thank you, Twilight. It looks just as beautiful as I thought it would on you.” The others nodded in agreement, Sunset failing to push down a smile. “Now,” Rarity pulled on her arm. “Time for makeup and hair!” With an up-do securely coiffed on her head and some beaded jewelry to accent the dress, Twilight made her way towards the dressing rooms. “Hey Twi, could you help me with this?” Sunset said stepping out of the dressing room. She held her hair back, draping it across the front of her shoulder. Twilight blushed at seeing so much skin. The dress itself was strapless, which was an interesting contrast to her usual biker jacket look, and had thick beading all around the edges. The blue color of the dress made her eyes pop and the added low dipping back showed more skin than Twilight realized she was ready for. Twilight hesitantly moved to latch the thin straps along her lower back. Her fingers brushed against Sunset’s skin and she felt her shiver. “Sorry, my hands are a little cold.” Sunset let out a shaky breath. “I-it It’s alright.” Finally latching the last one, Twilight stepped back. “All done!” Sunset spun around, letting the dress flow around her ankles. Twilight was sure it was her imagination, but it almost seemed like she turned in slow motion, a glow surrounding her. Sunset did look quite stunning. Twilight looked her up and down and felt warmth raise to her cheeks. “It looks beautiful.” Sunset blushed as well and smiled. “Thanks.” A small silence settled between them. Sunset suddenly coughed, “Well, I think it’s time to style my hair.” She smiled and glided past Twilight. Briefly, Twilight felt the warmth radiate from Sunset and she tilted her head curiously when she shivered. Once each girl had finished their beautifying, Pinkie Pie pulled out her phone. “Selfie time!” and she proceeded to wrap her arms around everyone while still holding up her phone somehow. They took several different pictures and Twilight had never felt so loved. She had never been a part of any so called ‘selfies’ and it was just as fun as it looked. At one point her face got smashed between Sunset and Fluttershy and she could feel herself blushing as Sunset’s curls fell around her shoulders. She hoped it wouldn't show in the photo. It was soon stated that they were going to be late ifen they didn't move their keisters. Pinkie deflated for a moment but was lit again by the prospect of the dance. “Alright,” Rainbow moved to the door. “Who's riding with who? We don't have the luxury of a limo this time.” Twilight tilted her head. “A limo?” Fluttershy beamed. “Oh yes, for the fall formal last year we all took a limo that Rarity’s parents payed for.” Pinkie cut in. “It was super-duper fun!” She bounced on her feet as she walked out the door behind them. Closing the door and locking it Rarity followed. “Yes, but my parents told me it was unreasonable to have one every dance. So, since we already had one this year, our own cars are the options now.” Twilight saw Sunset and Applejack lifting her bike into the back of Applejack’s truck, which was a feat for even the farm girl considering they were both in full length dresses. Twilight mentally sighed, relieved another bike ride was out of the question and glad her belongings would be safe in the truck. Hopping down from the bed of her truck Applejack smoothed out her dress. “You better not ruin that dress,” She heard Rarity scold from behind her. “I worked hard on it, you know.” Applejack just waved her comment off “yeah, yeah, now who's riding with me, I've got about 4 spots in my truck.” Rarity huffed a bit but let Applejack’s carelessness slide. “I've also got about 4 spots in my car.” Rainbow Dash threw her arm around Applejack. “You know I've got dibs on shotgun!” Applejack smiled and felt another arm on her other side. “Then I call back seat!” Pinkie said beaming. Twilight looked over and saw Fluttershy raising her hand slightly. “I can go with you Rarity, if that's ok.” Rarity smiled, nodding. “Of course, Fluttershy.” Twilight looked to both Rarity and Applejack and then to Sunset. She hoped she'd be able to ride with Sunset but wasn't sure she'd be so lucky. Sunset was probably wanting to be in the same car as her motorcycle but that would mean it would be a tight fit if she was in the truck as well. But if she went with Rarity, she wouldn't get to ride with Sunset. Deciding for the less socially awkward situation she spoke up. “I can ride with you all, Rarity.” Before Rarity could say anything, Sunset spoke up. “I think I will as well, I trust Applejack with my baby” She looked over and winked at Applejack. “Sure thing, Sunset. I gotcha.” Twilight couldn't stop the small smile that formed on her lips. The ride over was mostly uneventful, besides the air of excitement from everyone. Twilight was lucky enough to be placed in the back next to Sunset. It gave her time to think about why being so near her was muddling her mind. Every look, every small touch gave her a tight pull in her chest. Twilight had read that something like that usually meant infatuation. It was true she was fond of her friend. Certainly more than the others, but infatuation seemed a little strong. Twilight glanced beside her. Sunset’s face was glowing with excitement. She smiled but wasn't listening to what was being said. Twilight let her gaze roam over her features. She could admit how pretty she was but still found it hard that what she felt was infatuation. As they rounded a corner Twilight was thrown against Sunset’s side and flusteredly apologized. The skin contact of their bare arms was enough to make Twilight blush, though she saw no such reaction from Sunset. Yet again she felt her stomach lurch at the warm feeling. Sunset almost didn’t seem to notice, pausing briefly before continuing the conversation. Through the rest of the ride over, Twilight kept her arm tucked close and muscles tensed. She didn't dare relax them for fear of leaning too much on Sunset’s arm. She didn't want to overstep any boundaries. If she applied the right pressure and kept her arm up slightly, she would avoid awkward glances from her friend. Though the burning sensation of skin against skin had almost been too much for her brain to take. Twilight became lost in her thoughts as she stared out the window at the passing cityscape. What if what she felt was, in fact, infatuation. What would that mean? For their friendship. They already had such a strong bond, it seemed. Though the small lingering fact that had been brought to light earlier gave her visions of doubt. Sunset was keeping some secret from her. One that she was willing to tell her other friends, or at least Rainbow Dash. Perhaps it was something that she didn’t trust Twilight with. She sighed slightly. Friendship was very new to her and still hard to figure out. Her thoughts circled back to infatuation and the fact that if they were real, how would she deal with them. She thought for a moment and felt that perhaps telling Sunset was out of the question. At least for now. There was no sense potentially ruining a friendship over something that may only be a simple crush. Twilight’s thought’s paused. Is that what this was? A crush? Her face began to darken and she gave a quick glance to the girl beside her. Shaking her head, she decided to set those thoughts and feelings aside. This was a night about having fun. Not worrying about a potentially evolving friendship. As they neared the school Twilight’s worried emotions became more focused on the dance itself. She was going to a school dance, which meant there would be dancing, and that meant she was most likely required to dance as well. Twilight had always enjoyed dancing but never in the public view. It was never something encouraged at her old school. Perhaps though, her friends might be willing to let her dance the way she loved to. Pulling up, Twilight’s excitement bubbled to the surface, almost rivaling her anxiety, and she again became as animated as her friends.