The next morning, my mom drops me off at school, and I walk into the front entrance with Soarin and Caramel waiting for me. Unsurprisingly, they are giving me displeased glares that tells me they already know that Sunset is back, and we made the arrangement with Sonata and Octavia. I bite my lip before I walk over to them, prepared to face the music.
"So," I begin. "How are the girls taking Sunset's return?"
"A little ticked off, but happy to have her back," Soarin says bluntly. "But you know that's not what we want to talk to you about."
"Yeah, I know," I say, sighing. "But, I hope you have something new to the table besides demanding that I choose Sunset now that she's back in the picture."
"Something new?" Caramel says in disbelief. "Okay, how about what the heck were you thinking? I mean, how do you think this...thing between the two of them is going to go? I mean why in your right mind would you -"
"In case you didn't know, Caramel, I've been tortured, shot, left abruptly by my girlfriend, in depression for another two weeks and have that same ex-girlfriend come back and ask me back not two days after another ex-girlfriend asked for the same thing," I snap. "My heart has been crushed and then suddenly started leaping for joy over the possibility of getting back together with either of them. So, it's a little hard to be in my right mind right now."
Soarin and Caramel frown before Caramel reluctantly says, "Okay, that's fair, but how do you know you can trust those girls to respect your wishes when one is picked, and the other isn't?"
"I don't know, Caramel," I say honestly. "I'm just gonna have to trust them regardless of how hard that might be right about now."
"But it should be simple. Pick Sunse -" Soarin begins.
"No, it isn't, Soarin," I interrupt. "The fact is there are two girls who I love and who love me back. It's not something as simple as just one girl that has always been on my mind like you two with Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Is what we're doing right now the greatest way to handle it? Probably not, but can you honestly tell me you guys can't think of a better way that can handle this fairly while deep down you want me to take Sunset back just like the girls who mean the most to you?"
Caramel and Soarin look at each other with reluctant faces before they sigh simultaneously.
"No. No, we can't," Soarin says honestly. "And as much as we're not pleased with this as your best friends, we can't deny that Sonata's probably the best chance you have at handling things in an unbiased way. That being said, we want you to be careful with how you do this, and while we stand with hoping you choose Sunset, we hope that in the end, the girl you choose is the one that's meant to be with you for the rest of your life, buddy."
Caramel nods in agreement, and I smile at both of them.
"I appreciate that, guys," I say sincerely. "Now, let's get to class before the final bell rings."
****************************************************************************************
The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. Teachers are mostly reviewing the material for our finals while Mr. Iron Will is planning something for our last day in his class. Sonata sat with me during lunch alone as we agreed on, but Sunset turned out not to be at lunch or English with Ms. Cheerilee. I guess she hasn't officially come back to school yet or something.
As soon as the bell rings, signaling the end of school for the day, I put away my things and leave Ms. Cheerilee's classroom and take out my phone to text Sunset. Before I hit send, however, my phone vibrates, and I receive a text from her instead.
Sunset Shimmer: Hey, babe. Meet me up on the school roof for our talk.
I look at the text a little confused before I reply.
Me: Okay, sunshine. I'm on my way.
I put my phone away and make my way to the library, where I go up the second level and find the door to the school roof. I open it to find Sunset standing near the edge and watching the sun beginning to set from afar. Next to her is a basket with the items inside covered in a blanket. I walk over to her in confusion as she turns around and looks at me with a smile.
"Hello, you," she says in a flirty tone that makes me blush as she walks over to me. "Can I give you a greeting kiss?"
I think about it for a second before I say, "I don't see why not. This is your day after all, so I'm yours for the evening."
"I hoped you'd say that," she says as she grabs me by the shirt and pulls me in for a deep kiss. When we part, she hums in pleasure and looks at me with a sweet smile.
"I know it was only a couple of weeks, but it feels like forever since we kissed like that, " she says.
"I feel the same," I say with a small smile before looking back at the basket. "A picnic, I presume?"
"Yes, it is," she says, turning her head to look at the basket with her arms still around my neck. "I was thinking about us having a real picnic up here before I went to Vanhoover. I figured this is a nice spot for one before we graduate, but then I decided to do it now for our talk and in case..."
She frowns sadly, and I quickly move her head to face me, giving her a serious look.
"Hey, none of that now," I say. "Let's not worry about that. I know we're going to talk about things neither of us are going to enjoy discussing, but this is also time to be together too. Let's not look that far ahead, especially after you took so much time to prepare a picnic."
Sunset Shimmer sighs before smiling at me sweetly again.
"You're right, babe. Let's not think that far ahead," she says. "Besides, the picnic isn't going to start until the sun comes close to setting, so until then, we can sit on the blanket, and I can start explaining things."
I nod in agreement as she reluctantly removes her arms from around my neck, and we walk over to the edge where she takes the blanket from the basket and spreads it across the floor. We sit next to each other crisscross and enjoy the silence for about a minute before Sunset clears her throat.
"So," she says. "Where would you like to begin?"
I sigh before I say a little angry, "Well first off, what in the world were you thinking?"
Sunset winces as I continue.
"I try to cheer you up after Lyra, and Bon Bon made fun of you, and then you act like everything is okay the next day before you completely disappear from my life? How could you decide to deceive me again? How could you betray me like that?!"
Sunset moves closer to me and takes my hands, looking at me sadly.
"I know. What I did was wrong, and I'm deeply sorry, Rough Draft," she says sincerely. "I thought it was the right thing to do for your safety but -"
"Yes, I know, you made that clear with your letter," I interrupt. "But what hurts more is that you lied to all of us. You made everything look like everything is fine before you just left the day after. I thought you knew better than to do anything like that again, Sunset. I thought we were completely honest with each other. I thought we were past lying to me or anyone else. I thought you would never abandon me like Octavia did."
"I know," Sunset says sadly. "I should have known better than to put you or our friends through any of that. I was just so scared because I couldn't protect you and thought I was doing the right thing. I didn't think clearly, and I put all of you through a lot of pain because of it."
"You did more than that," I say bitterly. "I was so angry with you that I just decided to give up on love altogether."
Sunset Shimmer looks at me, shocked.
"N-no," she says, baffled. "You couldn't have."
"I could, and I did," I say firmly. "I tried to go through the portal and talk some sense to you, but you closed it. I refused to listen to everyone's plea to let them comfort me. You hurt me worse than you ever could have after the Spring Fling. You betrayed everything we built on our relationship."
"I know," Sunset weeps as tears start to run down her face. Her grip on my hands tightens. "I would do anything to undo what I've done to you and our friends. Not a day went by that I didn't cry to sleep or think about you, or Applejack, or Fluttershy, or Rarity, or any of our friends. It took all of my willpower not to scream my head off and race back to you and never let you go for as long as I live."
I frown and look away from her and sigh sadly.
"I want to believe that," I say. "How did you even come back? You said you took your journal with you."
"I lied about that too," she says. "A part of me knew deep down that I was making a mistake and hid the journal deep on the second floor of the library where no one would ever find it. From there, I just had Princess Twilight turn off her machine attached to the portal so you wouldn't follow me."
"So, how do I know you won't do that again?" I challenge.
"I won't," Sunset claims. "This is my home, and I'm not leaving it or you ever again."
"That's more or less what you said when you told me why you came here from Equestria," I point out. "So how can I trust that you're not going to go back on your promise again? How do I know you're not going to pull this again on me and our friends?"
Sunset looks at me sad and hurt from my words. I stare back at her, showing how bitter I still am with my eyes. After a moment, she sighs and says, "Wait here," before she stands up and walks back inside. I wait for about two minutes before she comes back holding something. It takes a moment before I recognize it as her journal. She drops it on the floor, giving me a serious look, which confuses me. Then she stretches out her hand, and with a loud pop and a hiss, a curved sword made of fire appears in her hand. My eyes widen in shock as I see her point the weapon at the journal.
"S-s-sunset," I manage to say. "What are you -"
"Say the word, Rough Draft," she demands. "Just say one little word, and I will destroy my journal right now."
"What?!" I yell.
"You heard me," she says firmly. "If you want proof that I'm here to stay, then I will destroy the one thing that will give me the chance to run away again. All I have to do is stab it right at the center, and the fire will burn it to ashes, and you will know that I will never leave you again."
"You can't be serious," I protest. "What about Princess Twilight or Princess Celestia?"
"They will understand that I had to do what I had to do," Sunset answers. "I don't ever want to leave your side again, Rough Draft, and if destroying my only connection to Equestria is the only way to prove that I never will, then so be it."
"Sunset, you don't have to do this," I say. "I don't -"
But before I can say anything else, Sunset takes the sword and holds it upside down with both hands and prepares to stab the journal. My eyes widen again as I quickly get up, run over to her, and grab her hands before she could destroy the book.
"Let go of me, Rough Draft," Sunset commands.
"I'm not letting go until you lose the sword," I say. "I can't let you destroy your only connection to your homeworld."
"This is my homeworld!" Sunset barks. "And if destroying this journal is the only way to prove it, then I'll tear it to pieces with my teeth if I have to, so move!"
"Sunset, I would never want you to destroy your only way to use the portal, even for me!" I yell, staring at her in the eyes. "You said that one of the reasons why you love me is because I wanted to get to know all of you, both the human and the pony! How could that be when there's no way you can come to Equestria for a long time?! What if you have children, whether I'm the father or not?! Would you want to keep that much about you a secret from them?! This world may be your home, but Equestria is still a part of who you are, and I can't let you take that away from yourself no matter how much you love me!"
Sunset Shimmer continues to stare at me angrily. She's still determined to destroy the book, but I can see that she's also considering what I'm saying. After a minute, the fiery sword disappears, and she breaks down in tears. Her legs give in, and I catch her in my arms. She cries, bitterly on my chest and holds on my shirt as I hold her tightly, trying to comfort her. She continues to cry for a few more minutes before she starts to calm down.
"Oh man," she sighs fatigued. "I can't believe I almost did that."
"Me neither," I say. "What were you thinking?"
Sunset glares and says, "Excuse you, but I've been through my boyfriend getting tortured and shot, getting verbally harassed for not saving him, deciding to leave for his protection, almost didn't after he gave me a necklace, spent two weeks living in a castle before deciding to come back to him, and find him in the middle of rekindling things with his ex, and now am stuck wondering if I'll ever get him back. This hasn't been the best few weeks for me emotionally."
My serious face weakens, and I chuckle nervously at her words.
"Good point," I say, scratching the back of my head. "In hindsight, I should have considered that you were going through a lot the same as me. I'm sorry. Consider leaving me forgiven if you forgive me for putting you on the spot like that?"
Sunset's angry face melts into her signature smirk before she grabs me by the shirt and pulls me in for a kiss. When we part, I'm left in a daze again while she says, "Deal."
I shake out of my daze and smile at her appreciatively. We stare at each other's eyes lovingly before I decide to speak.
"So," I begin. "When did you start conjuring a sword out of your hand?"
Sunset chuckles and says, "Not a sword, babe," before she spreads her arms apart, and with two loud pops, two curved swords appear in her hands. I take a couple of steps back in shock as Sunset proudly shows me her swords.
"Okay, that is awesome," I say, smiling. "But it doesn't answer my question."
Sunset rolls her eyes and answers with a smirk, "I started conjuring them while I was back in Equestria. Princess Twilight caught me transforming with the wings and tail and so wanted to study it. After a while, she started theorizing that I can do more, and so with enough practice, I now know I can also summon swords when I think about how much I love you."
My smile grows at this explanation.
"Well, I'm flattered to know the power of your love can do that," I say, smirking. "Might come in handy too."
Sunset looks at me, confused as her two swords disappear.
"What do you mean?" She asks.
I realize my mistake and frown.
"Sorry, it's nothing to worry about tonight," I say.
"No, really, why did you say that?" Sunset asks.
"I can't tell you yet," I answer.
Sunset looks at me, hurt.
"Rough Draft, you of all people should know you can tell me anything you have to say," she says.
"And under normal circumstances, I would have told you as soon as you came back. You have my word on that, Sunset," I insist. "But what I almost slipped out should be said in a place much more secretive than here. So please trust that now is not the right time to tell you about this just as I'm trusting you not to leave again."
I look at Sunset deep in the eyes with a pleading look. She looks at me with a reluctant look before she sighs in acceptance.
"Okay, babe," she says. "You've never tried to hide something from me before, and it wouldn't make sense for you to start now unless you have a good reason. I admit that I don't like that you're being so vague, but if it's my trust that you want, you have it."
"Thank you, sunshine," I say appreciatively. "I promise what little I'm saying will make sense."
"I believe you," Sunset says sincerely.
We smile at each other for a moment before I clear my throat.
"So, getting back to us," I begin with Sunset smiling and nodding in response to the idea. "Why did it take you so long to come back?"
Sunset frowns and rubs her arm nervously before she answers.
"Honestly, Rough Draft, I wondered that ever since I left," she says. "My heart was screaming to come back to you and all of our friends so much that I was a miracle that I stayed the first night in Princess Twilight's castle."
"So why didn't you?" I ask.
Sunset sighs as she walks over to me, places her hands on my cheeks, and looks deep into my eyes.
"I was scared," she says. "By then, you were already devastated by what I did, and I didn't think you could forgive me or even want to take me back. Well, that and I was also afraid Octavia would have made her move already."
"Already?" I ask, raising my eyebrow. "So, you knew she wanted me back?"
"A little," Sunset admits. "I saw her at the music room the school day after you were shot wearing the necklace we got for her. let's just say what you witnessed yesterday was not our first yelling match."
"Ah. That would explain Octavia saying that she warned you about letting me go," I say with a smirking. "And that would also explain that special kiss you gave me when you came back to my hospital room, I presume."
"Yup, and I'm not ashamed of that kiss," Sunset says proudly. "Trust me, babe, there's more where that came from if we get back together."
I blush at the thought, making Sunset giggle flirtatiously before we both return to our serious expressions.
"So, what convinced you to come back?" I ask.
"Well, that's kind of a long story," Sunset answers.
"So? That never stopped us before," I say. "Plus, we still have a while before the sun starts to set, and we can begin our picnic."
"Good point," Sunset says. "Well, then we better at least sit down while I explain what happened."
I nod in agreement as we both sit down on the blanket next to each other. Sunset not-so-subtly scoots closer to me before she sighs and looks at the sky in thought.
"Alright, where to begin?" She asks herself. "I was staying at Princess Twilight's castle in Ponyville, as I said, and I mostly just stayed in my room most of the time I was there. I would walk around Ponyville every now and then or spend time with Princess Twilight or Spike or Princess Twilight's new student, Starlight Glimmer, but I couldn't bring myself to leave my room for very long because I wanted to be alone and grieve over leaving you and the others."
I nod in understanding before she continues.
"Then a couple of days ago, Twilight convinced me to join her and her friends for a festival in the Crystal Empire. I didn't want to go, but she told me that it's better that I get out more to try to handle the separation better. I was okay with it at first until we got to the train and met up with the pony versions of the Rainbooms. So as you can imagine, that made me miss them a lot. But then I started missing you more when their boyfriends arrived."
"Ah, so the pony version of Caramel, Soarin, Cheese, and Big Mac?" I presume.
"Pretty much," Sunset says with a smile. "Soarin is part of an elite flying group called the Wonderbolts with Rainbow, Caramel is one of the hired help at Sweet Apple Acres, Cheese also travels a lot and - oh! And here's an interesting one for you; Spike and Rarity are dating."
"Wait. What?!" I yell.
"Yup, they're together," Sunset says, smirking. "He held her pile of luggage to the train for her, and she rewarded him with a passionate kiss that turned his eyeballs into little hearts and they were cuddling the whole ride to Crystal City. And before you ask, no. Even in a world of magic and another Pinkie Pie, the eyes-turning-into-hearts thing is not physically possible to my knowledge, so I have no idea how that works."
I stare at my ex as I say, "Okay, I guess that answers several questions and leaves me asking more questions that I know I won't get the answer too."
Sunset chuckles and pats me on the back before kissing me on the cheek.
"Welcome to fantasy, babe," she says, smiling before she continues. "Anyway, the fact that I was with the pony counterparts of our friends was bad enough, but to see them with their loved ones just made me miss you more. Pinkie Pie and Cheese were talking about letters they've been sending to each other, which reminded me of all of our text conversations, Applejack kept making Caramel blush, Spike and Rarity and Fluttershy and Big Mac were holding each other, you get the picture."
I nod yes while a small smile briefly appears on my face at the thought of how much she missed me.
"So, we made it to the Crystal Empire, and while everyone was clearing out of the train in excitement, I walked behind, feeling more depressed than ever," Sunset continues. "By the time I made it to the festival, everypony is having the time of their lives. Twilight noticed my demeanor and asked if I was okay, and I said yes and that she should go on ahead, claiming I needed a minute.
******************************************************************************
Third-person P.O.V.
"Are you sure, Sunset Shimmer?" Princess Twilight asked worryingly.
"Positive," Sunset Shimmer answered with a forced smile. "I'll be right behind you guys."
Princess Twilight still looks at her friend worryingly but reluctantly decided to trust her friend. She started walking away to catch up with her friends, leaving Sunset Shimmer alone to sigh sadly. No matter how hard she tried, she can't keep her mind off of Rough Draft. The train ride watching all of Princess Twilight's friends with their loved ones killed her inside, but she told herself again that she did the right thing for her ex-boyfriend's safety, and Octavia Melody might have already tried to get back together with him right now. She started walking to eventually catch up with the group when she heard a whoosh behind her, and she turned around to see Princess Cadence having just landed next to her.
"Hello, Sunset Shimmer. Welcome to the Festival of Lights," Princess Cadence greeted.
"Thank you, Princess Cadence," Sunset Shimmer said kindly with a forced smile.
Princess Cadence frowned at the gesture before she walked over to Sunset Shimmer and placed her wing on Sunset's back for comfort.
"I know," she said plainly.
"Know what?" Sunset Shimmer asked, confused.
"You miss Rough Draft, and you desire to get him back," Princess Cadence said bluntly.
Sunset Shimmer frowned at this.
"How did you know?" She asked.
"Twilight has been sending me letters about your situation," Princess Cadence answered. "That, and as the Princess of Love, I can tell when a heart is yearning for that which it desires. I can sense from the highest tower of my castle that being away from him is torturing you. Not to mention you have your hoof caressing that necklace constantly."
Sunset Shimmer sighed as she looked down at the rose necklace hanging around her neck.
"Yes, it is," she said. "I hate myself for leaving him, but at the same time I'm scared that he won't forgive me and take me back or worse, we do get back together, but one day I suddenly lose him just because I brought magic into the human world."
Princess Cadence frowned at Sunset Shimmer's confession.
"There's something more," she stated. "Something else that leads you to believe he won't want to get back together with you."
"Heh, there's no hiding from you, is there?" Sunset Shimmer asked with a small chuckle before her frown returned. "There's another girl. He dated her before me, and she wants him back. She agreed not to interfere with our relationship, but she vowed to try to get him back if we broke up."
"Ah, I see," Princess Cadence said. "So, you think she's taken him back by now."
"Yes," Sunset Shimmer said sadly. "He's told me before that he's put his relationship with her behind him, but after what I've done and with how much she meant to him when they were a couple, I'm sure that she has him back by now."
Sunset Shimmer hung her head sadly. Princess Cadence looked at the yellow unicorn with pity as Sunset Shimmer's eyes begin to water.
"I don't think he would be that quick to come back to this other girl, Sunset Shimmer," Princess Cadence said.
"How can you be so sure?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "You don't know him like I do."
"Ah, but does that mean you know he would come back to another girl right away after having just broken up with someone he loves?" Princess Cadence challenged.
Sunset Shimmer hesitated before she reluctantly admitted, "No. No, he wouldn't. I was there when the other girl broke his heart. It took a lot of work to put the pieces of his heart back together before I could start hinting at him how much he means to me."
"Then I don't doubt that it would take at least that long before this girl could do the same after he lost you," Princess Cadence said with a sad but kind smile. "Even if this girl could be trying to get back together with him right now, it will take a while before she can have a real chance to take him back. Do not let her get that chance, Sunset Shimmer. If you let love slip by your hooves while you do nothing, you will regret it forever. If he loves you as much as you say he does, he will forgive you in time, and you two can be together always."
Sunset Shimmer smiled at Princess Cadence's words. She felt encouraged until a thought reenters her mind, and worry takes over again.
"But what if I lose him?" She asked. "What if something happens that results in him dying because of the magic I brought into his world? It almost happened once, Princess Cadence, that's why I left."
Princess Cadence frowned before she pointed to a white stallion with a blue mane and tail happily talking to Princess Twilight.
"Do you know who that is?" she asked.
Sunset Shimmer looked at her confused before she answered, "Yeah, that's Shining Armor. Twilight's brother and captain of the royal guard."
"And my husband," Princess Cadence added.
"So?" Sunset Shimmer asked, still confused.
"There have been many times where I could have lost him because of my position as a princess of Equestria," Princess Cadence said. "The worst of it was Queen Chrysalis, but there was also King Sombra almost covering all of us in darkness and enslavement. Even with Tierek coming for me and my aunts' magic and Shining Armor was there to try to stop him in vain, I always had that fear that Tierek might have done something worse to him than simply draining him of his magic. All of this, I could have viewed as my fault because I am a target to our enemies."
"Then how do you not let that get to you?" Sunset Shimmer asked.
Princess Cadence smiled and said, "Because we are a team. He vowed to be here to protect me through thick and thin. Sometimes he's able to protect me; other times he isn't, but that won't stop him from giving it his all. When we got together and eventually got married, we did so knowing that he wants to face the risks with me. Even if he fails and the worst happens to either or both of us, it will be worth it just to fill each other's lives with happiness until the end. And if we let our fears get the better of us, then we wouldn't be able to experience the best possibilities life has to offer."
Princess Cadence moved her hoof to her stomach and stared at it in fondness. It took a moment before Sunset Shimmer placed the pieces together.
"Y-you're pregnant?" She asked in surprise.
"Twelve weeks in," Princess Cadence said, smiling. "In another eight months, we will have a child to love and raise together. But none of that would be possible without us staying together to whatever end, and I have a feeling you'd like something like that with Rough Draft too."
Sunset Shimmer blushed at the idea, which gives Princess Cadence the confirmation she needed.
"If you love him and want to be with him always, then stop holding yourself back and go get him," she said encouragingly. "I can't tell you what will or won't happen once you do, but if he's the one for you, then you need to take as many chances to be with him forever as you can."
Sunset Shimmer smiled at this. With the last piece of advice given, she knew in her heart what she had to do.
"You're right, Princess Cadence," she said confidently. "I have to go back. For him, for me, for our future. Please tell Twilight I'm sorry and that I'm going back to CHS."
"Will do, Sunset Shimmer," Princess Cadence said, smiling before she frowned in concern. "But it's going to be a while before the next train leaves for Ponyville."
"I don't need a train," Sunset Shimmer said as yellow sparkles began to flow around her, and her body began to glow. "Love is going to take me back to Twilight's castle."
"What do you -" Princess Cadence began before her question was interrupted by a loud pop and two large wings of fire pop out of Sunset's back. Sunset started flapping her wings immediately and called out, "Wish me luck!" before she flies away, leaving Princess Cadence to stare in surprise before a smile entered her face.
"Good luck, Sunset Shimmer," she said as Sunset Shimmer flies away. "May love find a way for you."
**********************************************************************************
Rough Draft's P.O.V.
"So I flew back to Ponyville," Sunset says, concluding her story. "It took the whole day, but I made it back to Twilight's castle and turned the portal back on. When I came back, Soarin and Caramel just happened to be passing by, and they told me where you were, so I summoned my wings and tail again and, well, you know the rest."
I listened intently to the whole story. It was strange yet kind of funny how Princess Cadence has a similar worry for her husband back in Equestria, and that's what brought Sunset Shimmer back to this world and to me.
"So you see, babe, I'm not afraid about what happens anymore," Sunset says confidently. "And if you're willing to face everything with me, then I will be more than happy to do so with you."
I look at her, surprised before I shake my head in disappointment.
"You don't get it, do you?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" Sunset asks.
"I was always willing to face those things with you, sunshine," I say sincerely. "Whether you were able to protect me or not, I wanted to be by your side from the magical problems we were going to face ever since we got together. Why do you think I was so quick to help you however I could during the Friendship Games? Heck, I thought I made it clear when I almost died trying to protect you and Equestria. No matter what would happen, I wanted to face them because I love you, and I want to support you. I know I don't have magic, but I never wanted that to be something that would stop us from being together."
"You really feel that way? " Sunset asks touched.
"Always," I answer. "In fact, while what happens between us is still in the air, I know that if we ever take things further, I will want to see Equestria with you."
Sunset stares at me, surprised.
"Really?" She asks.
"Really, really," I say. "I want to see it all, Sunset. Ponyville, the Crystal Empire, Canterlot castle, even Applelosa, just out of sheer curiosity. I want to know what kind of pony I would be, see the tower where you were studying under Princess Celestia, maybe even see your childhood house and see how silly uptight your fancy baby brother has grown to be. And I mean what I said about showing Equestria to your kids. If I'm the father, chances are I will want all of them to see the world that their mother was born in. Wouldn't you like that?"
At this point, Sunset is shedding tears of joy as I say all of these things. She lunges at me and pulls me into the deepest and most passionate kiss she's ever given me yet. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her back as her lips move against mine. When we part, Sunset caresses both of my cheeks and gives me the most heartfelt smile.
"I want that more than you will ever know," she says sweetly. "We could be together for a thousand years, and you will still have no idea how much I want that."
I smile and chuckle lightly before I tease, "I don't know, I think that kiss gave me a good idea. I think a few more minutes is all I need to get the full picture."
"Well then place your bets, Mr. Draft," Sunset says flirtatiously before we start kissing again passionately for another minute before my stomach starts growling. We pull our lips away and snicker.
"Well, that's one way to end the moment abruptly," I chuckle.
Sunset snorts out a laugh and says. "Yes, it is. But, now that I look at it, the sun is beginning to set, so shall we start our picnic?"
"Yes, please," I say, smiling brightly. "What are we having this time?"
"A feast fit for a Jedi Master," Sunset says playfully as she grabs her basket. "A large container of chicken wings, chips and guacamole dip and plenty of Sweet Apple Acres apple cider."
"Oh, you spoil me, dear lady," I say, playfully back.
"I do no such thing," Sunset says, smirking as she hands me a plate. "Now, grab your half of the wings and eat before the growls from your stomach matches that of a full-grown dragon."
I chuckle and start putting chicken wings on my plate as I ask, "How loud can a dragon be from just growling?"
"From what Princess Twilight has told me having encountered a few of them herself, the mere snore from one can be heard roughly as far back as here to Crystal City if not farther." Sunset answers before she takes a bite of a chicken wing.
I smile at her answer and start eating my food. We eat in silence for a few minutes before a question enters my mind.
"Speaking of Twilight, how did the girls react to your return?" I ask. "I've already asked this to Soarin and Caramel, but I want to hear it from you."
Sunset frowns and puts down the chip she is about to put in her mouth before she answers.
"They were a mixture of happy and angry," she says. "Rainbow Dash was the most pissed off, but even if you left her out, they didn't hesitate to express how they felt about me leaving. I think Twilight was the most hurt out of all of them since I am unofficially her mentor for learning about friendship, so she took the longest to accept my apology. They understand I thought I was doing the right thing, and I didn't want to hurt them, but at the same time, they were happy to see me again."
I give her a small smile before I ask, "What about with school or your apartment?"
"My apartment is still mine," Sunset says after taking a sip from her cider. "My lease somehow wasn't fully terminated, so I was able to move back in today before making our picnic. As for school, Principal Celestia has allowed me to start back in on Monday, provided that I catch up with my school work, which is pretty much what I probably will be doing when you're spending time with you-know-who tomorrow."
"Well, that's nice that you get to sort things out that quickly," I say with a smile. "By the way, I don't think I've asked before; have you thought of where to go to college?"
Sunset gives me a sad smile before she says, "Vanguard University. It is a way from here, so I would only see you on the weekends, but I think it's the best school for me. Though I have to admit, I don't know what I want to major in. I'm still well off financially after selling the bits I took with me here, but I would like to do something for a living that's not fighting forces of magic from another world. Maybe be a counselor or something."
I smile, wholeheartedly at the idea.
"I bet you'd be a wonderful counselor, Sunset," I say sincerely.
"Aw, thank you, Rough Draft," Sunset says, smiling sweetly.
We continue eating until the basket is empty, and the sunset ultimately shows all the stars shining above us.
"So, what now?" I ask.
"Now you lie down on your back," Sunset says in a matter-of-factly tone.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"Go on, lie down on your back," Sunset instructs.
I look at her confused before I reluctantly obey.
"And now I do this," Sunset says before she lies down on top of me, wraps her arms around me, and snuggles on my chest. "And then you hold me and look at the stars with me, never letting go."
I smile as I follow her instructions. She hums in satisfaction as I wrap my arms around her waist, which makes me blush. We look at the stars in silence, wishing the moment can last forever, even though we both know what will transpire tomorrow.
"I love you, Rough Draft," Sunset Shimmer says without looking at me. "I know I said something like this before I left you, but no matter what happens and no matter who you choose, you have my love even if it may not seem that way now and forever."
I smile again and lightly kiss the top of her head.
"I know, my sunshine," I whisper. "And though my heart is torn, don't doubt that a part of it will always belong to you."
"That makes me happy, babe," she whispers back. "More than you might ever know."
I keep my smile as we hold each other close. But after a while, I feel something wet on my shirt, and I look down and see Sunset starting to cry quietly.
"Sunset?" I say.
Sunset lifts her head and realizes that I noticed what she's doing and tries to hide her tears.
"Don't worry, Rough Draft," she says. "It's nothing."
I stare at her unconvinced as she lays her head on my chest again. I feel sad as I watch her struggle to fight the tears. I tighten my hug to try to make her feel better, but deep down, we both know that as long as nothing is clear about what will happen between us, nothing will help the situation we are both in.
What have I done by starting this?