Monday, December 12, 2016
Twilight was fidgeting nervously as we walked from the school parking towards the portal a bit before dawn. It had been an early start to make sure she got home in time to resume her duties in Equestria and we were all fighting back yawns from the uncomfortable sleep. Waking up with the two girls cuddled against me on the couch had been a pleasant experience but I was aching badly from sitting up all night. The three of us had quickly gotten up when we realized that time was short for getting Twilight on her way home.
We stopped in front of the statue which was radiating the warmth I usually felt from an active portal. Twilight nervously grabbed her upper arm with her other hand and stared at the ground. She was shuffling from one foot to the other; clearly feeling anxious about something. I heard her mumble something but Spark couldn't even make it out.
“What was that Twilight?” I asked.
“Is this the part where we kiss goodbye?”
“Do you want a goodbye kiss, Twilight?” Sunset asked playfully.
Her voice was worried as she quietly explained herself. “Maybe? Yes? No? I’m not sure. I haven't ever been properly kissed by a stallion – or a mare before. Pecks on the cheek don't count according to one book and I think I agree. Still, none of my books covered first dates that were two-night sleepovers and I don't know whether the moment is appropriate or if I missed the chance last night. Or when we woke up together this morning. Should we just wait until the next date? Assuming you want another one that is.”
I looked at her, taking in the nervous posture and her slightly clenched hands.
She isn't comfortable.
Yeah. We almost don't need to be ponied up to hear her racing heart.
Wait. Of course, that's the problem.
I looked over at Sunset. Her eyes had widened at Twilight's uncertain reaction and I was almost certain she came to the same conclusion as me. She inclined her head at the portal with a raised eyebrow. I winked at her and gestured for her to go first.
“Twilight, I think we need to continue this conversation in a more appropriate setting,” Sunset said, turning and walking through the portal.
“Wait, what?” She yelped in surprise as I hooked my arm around her and gently walked her through the portal right behind Sunset.
I was almost getting used to the twisting sensation of the portal adjusting my body to its new form. After a swirl of psychedelic colors, we stumbled out of the portal into Equestria. I instinctively tried to balance on two legs for a moment before falling down on my hooves. Spike was there waiting with Sunset next to him. Spike looked utterly exhausted.
“And there are the other two,” he said sleepily. “You’re back safe; good to see you Twilight. Now I'm going back to bed. This is way too early to be awake.”
“Thank you, Spike,” I said while Twilight levitated the takeout box into his claws. “We got you something to thank you for giving Twilight the time to come visit! There is some cheesecake in there for you.”
“That's awesome!” He said, blinking with surprise. “I'll put it somewhere cool to enjoy later. Night everypony.”
Spike waved his thanks as he wearily tromped out of the room. We stood there in silence while we listened to the clicking of Spike's claws on the crystal floors fade away. Twilight stretched her wings out and refolded them several times. She was looking between us with a baffled expression on her face.
“Why are we here?” she finally blurted out. “No wait, I know why I'm here. Why are you two here?”
Sunset smiled at Twilight. “You’ve only spent a few days as a human and I know you’re not entirely comfortable in that form. I've had years to get used to being in that body and honestly, I'm still getting used to four hooves again. This is who you truly are Twilight and who you deserve to be for your first kiss. Now go to him; I know you want to.”
Twilight took a hesitant step towards me and looked at me inquisitively. “Silver, what Sunset said is true but what about you? You’ve spent as little time as a pony as I have as a human. This isn’t your world or your body. I mean, don't get me wrong, you make an attractive stallion but is this right for you?”
I felt slightly self-conscious my wings twitched and I glanced between the two mares. It was still an odd feeling being so short and yet taller than both of them. I took a moment to admire the distinction between both my marefriends in this world before looked Twilight right in the eyes. She didn't even flinch when she looked into my cat-like Thestral eyes while I tried to explain my situation.
“In a weird way my mind is broken,” I began. “The dagger damaged me in ways I can't describe or even evaluate but when all was said and done, it gave me Spark. We are separate individuals and one single person at the same time. I am always a pony in part even when I am human.”
“But-” Twilight began but I held up a hoof to stop her.
“It doesn't matter anyhow. In both worlds, you are a kind, caring and brilliant individual. Human or pony, it's who you are that truly attracts me. Besides, I honestly think you are stunningly beautiful in both worlds.”
Her eyes were slightly wet as she haltingly took one more step towards me. Twilight was so close I could feel her breath on my face. I caught glimpse of Sunset's hoof going up to her mouth before the rest of the room faded away, leaving only nervous purple eyes framed by lavender fur. My ears twitched on top of my head, picking out every sound in the nearly silent room but mostly it was the sound of both our hearts pounding.
An old memory slipped unbidden through my mind: Twilight looking down at me on the roof of the school, those purple eyes filled with fear and compassion when I was moments from giving up on everything. They were the eyes of the girl who took my hand and pulled me back from the brink. Those same eyes were watching me with nervous hesitation mixed with desire.
Do it, Silver! Come on make it a good one!
My eyes drifted shut as I darted in to close the gap between our muzzles. Our noses bumped and I almost pulled away but then our lips made contact. There was the faint scent of blueberries on her breath and her fur smelled like lavender. Twilight was hesitant but she made no attempt to pull away. As the kiss lingered, her sweet lips explored mine gently. Her touch was more curious, unlike Sunset who was a bit more assertive. I ran my hoof down her shoulder, marveling at the feeling of her fur through the surface of my hoof.
All too soon, she broke the kiss and took a deep gasping breath. Her wings were stiffly unfurled halfway open, her face was flushed and she had a small smile on her face as she looked off into space. I glanced over at Sunset who was blushing and grinning.
“I think you broke her,” she whispered. “That was kind of hot.”
“There's no way I'm that good at kissing,” I said dubiously. “Although, it looks like she's kind of checked out. I'm not exactly sure what to do now.”
Sunset smiled at me nervously. “Mind if I cut in?”
I stepped aside and let Sunset walk up to Twilight who was still staring off into space. Sunset leaned in and nuzzled Twilight's cheek to get her attention. Twilight jumped, her wings flaring as wide as her eyes. She stared intensely at Sunset as if trying to figure out what she should do, almost frozen. Sunset watched her for a moment as the smile slipped off her face. She sighed and turned to walk away. Twilight's horn ignited and a pale pink aura stopped Sunset in her tracks. A phantom for spun her quickly back around to face Twilight again.
Twilight's voice was quiet. “I'm sorry Sunset, you just surprised me. Please don't walk away yet.”
To my surprise, Twilight leaned in and planted a gentle kiss right on Sunset's lips. I could easily hear Sunset's heart start racing. Her eyes widened and then closed as she leaned into the kiss. I watched as the two of them enjoyed the simple contact just as I had a moment earlier. It was obvious Sunset was struggling to keep the kiss gentle and it was strange watching my two marefriends kiss.
They're mirror images of each other aren't they?
What do you mean Spark?
Sunset and Twilight. They're both named for the transition from day to night.
Huh, that is true. What are the odds?
I don't know but it's almost poetic Silver.
What do you mean?
They mark the line between the darkness and the light in name and action.
Wow. So completely out of our league.
Yup. But here we are.
Insane. I think I'm just going to focus on how gorgeous those two mares are.
As your inner Pony, I approve of this plan.
When the two of them separated Sunset had a happy little grin on her face. Twilight's horn began to glow again while she leaned in and whispered something in Sunset's ear. At that moment, all sound from their voices to their heartbeats became inaudible to my sensitive ears. Sunset's eyes widened briefly and she glanced over at me with a confused expression. When Twilight's horn stopped glowing, the familiar sound of their hearts became audible once again.
“How did you do that?” I asked curiously. ““I should have easily been able to hear what you just said.”
Twilight looked embarrassed. “I learned a sound muffling spell recently. I wasn't sure if it would stop your hearing but it was worth a short. No offense, I just needed to say something that was only for Sunset's ears.”
“Fair enough,” I replied. “I accept that my hearing can make private moments a bit less so on this side of the portal. So how are you feeling Twilight?”
Her eyes darted back and forth between the two of us. “Optimistic! Nervous. Worried. A bit confused? But mostly happy!”
Then she yawned. “Oh and sleepy,” she concluded. “Today is a strong coffee day.”
“I'm glad you enjoyed the weekend,” I said, walking over and giving her quick kiss on the cheek. The light fur covering her body felt odd on my lips but nice.
“You too,” she said. “I hope I can see you two again soon.”
“Same here. Let us know if you can stay the night for AJ's birthday!” Sunset said in a cheery voice before given Twilight a peck on the cheek as well.
After a couple more goodbyes, Sunset and I forced ourselves to walk back through the portal. We stepped out on the human side and faced each other. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her tightly.
“I didn't think she'd actually accept me,” Sunset whispered happily in my ear. “I know it's still not a sure thing but that just made me so happy when she kissed me.”
“Same here Sunset,” I whispered back. “I can't believe this might actually work. You ponies have a really different perspective on relationships. I'll admit I felt a tiny pang of jealousy watching you kiss.”
“It’ll take some getting used to,” She giggled.
I stepped back and suddenly did a double take when I saw what Sunset was wearing.
“Sunset, your clothes,” I whispered. “Your new outfit . . .”
“Oh no, Rarity is going to kill me if . . . if-” Sunset trailed off looking down at herself.
My clothes had undergone their usual changes, although I idly noted I didn’t have a new set of bracers on my wrists. Sunset was a different story; her outfit was complete. The blue blouse, wispy yellow undershirt, blue jeans, leather boots and the leather jacket with the orange chevrons all looked exactly as they were before she entered the portal.
“That’s unexpected,” I muttered. “I guess even the portal recognizes you’ve changed.”
“I guess this means Rarity won’t be flipping out,” she giggled before turning serious. “Silver, is there something you want to ask me? One of the things Twilight said while we were in the muffled bubble was that I should give your offer serious consideration.”
I paused and let go of her. This was really important and I was utterly petrified by her potential reaction. My heart just started racing right then as I stared into those stunning aquamarine eyes. “Oh . . . , she told you about that. Spark and I were talking yesterday morning . . . and yeah, I bounced this off Twilight as well . . . How do I put this . . . Umm, would you-”
“Hi, what are we talking about!?” A loud voice exclaimed from behind me.
I swear I jumped three feet in the air and spun around. I'm pretty sure the only reason I didn't pony up at that moment was due to the moment of concentration I seemed to require to properly work with Spark. I came down in a sparring stance ready to defend myself and Sunset if necessary. Instead of a threat, it was just Sonata who had walked up beside us. She had a huge grin on her face.
“SONOVACRAP!” I snarled. “Don't sneak up on me like that Sonata!”
Sonata seemed unconcerned and just laughed. “Oh wow, that like was so cool! You were all whoosh and then you're ready to fight. You're like . . . like a male Aria or something! So what's goin' on? Did you visit Equestria again today?”
Sunset and I stared at her when she gestured at the face of the statue. “Umm, you know where the portal is?”
“Well duh!” Sonata said rolling her eyes. “When we tasted that Equestrian magic back then, the portal was one of the first things we looked for. Dagi always said she was sure there was a permanent connection between the two worlds somewhere on this annoying planet. I didn’t really believe her til' you drew us here with your whole magic thing.”
“You didn’t go back through?” I asked.
“Why bother?” Sonata asked curiously. “The three of us were banished a thousand years ago. Everypony we ever knew is long gone and there’s no point now that we have no magic. Besides, the stupid stone face tried to burn us when we examined it before the Battle of the Bands. Probably a gift left by Beardy to make sure we never returned. Can we talk about something else now?”
Sonata’s dismissive attitude was clearly an act. Her tone and the expression on her face didn’t even remotely match her casual words. Sunset and I exchanged a worried glance.
“We spend the day in Portland yesterday. What did you do this weekend Sonata?” I asked to try and change the subject.
Sonata perked right up. “Oh, I spent Saturday afternoon with Applejack. I got to help her with staking out the route of a new work road before we did some cooking. She’s got an amazing farm and watching her brother is just delicious eye candy! I spent a few hours with Rainbow Dash on Sunday. She’s ok I guess but we don’t seem to have much in common. Hey is that snow?!”
I looked up at the sky and caught a fluffy cold piece of frozen water on my face. She was right; a few snowflakes were drifting out of the sky. Nothing significant but the dark, cloudy sky threatened to change that quickly.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
The light flurries had continued all day and through the night resulting in just enough snow to hide the green grass of the lawns. I was idly thinking about the previous night while waiting for Miss Harshwhinny's English class to start. Sunset and I spent a quiet night monitoring our friend's presence on the Astral Plane looking for signs of changes as dreams came and went. There were subtle changes but we didn't observe anything dramatic, except for Twilight's door. Her door was an anomaly because while I could tell when she was dreaming, it was like it was behind a shield of some sort. My hand just stopped an inch away from the handle. Accessing her dreams while the portal was closed wasn't going to be possible with my current knowledge.
“-I’d almost think she was trying to be unfriendly!” Rarity grumbled. “At least the situation with Aria turned out to be a misunderstanding.”
I was pulled out of my introspection by Rarity's comment. Rarity, Fluttershy, Sonata and I had claimed a cluster of desks in the back corner by the windows. They were the very same windows I had made my insane climb to only a couple months earlier. While we waited for Fluttershy to arrive and class to start Rarity had been talking about her visit with Adagio which sounded like it could have gone better.
“Dagi is slow to trust,” Sonata chirped. “Well, I guess we all are but she’s always been more stubborn.”
Fluttershy had arrived right before class started just moments before she would have been late. She was hiding more in her hair than normal and only gave a very quiet greeting that had me worried.
Miss Harshwhinny had just finished taking attendance and was getting us organized for group discussions once morning announcements were done. However, just a short time before Principal Celestia would begin there was a knock on the door. It was pushed open, revealing Vice Principal Luna and Discord. They glanced around the room and smiled when they spotted us clustered in the corner.
“Good morning, what can I do for you and *ugh* Discord, Vice Principal Luna?” Miss Harshwhinny asked in an even more irritable tone than normal.
Before Luna could reply, Discord gave an unsteady bow with a broad grin on his coarse face. “Ahhh, we were simply discussing a small maintenance matter and thought we could sit with your delightful class for the morning announcements.”
“Precisely,” Luna added. “We will only disrupt your routine for a moment.”
Miss Harshwhinny rolled her eyes and gestured at them to enter the room. Discord made a beeline to our corner with Luna close behind.
“Good morning my dear friends, how lovely to see you,” he exclaimed. “Will you be coming for tea during morning break my dear Fluttershy?”
“That sounds lovely Discord,” Fluttershy whispered.
He turned to me while Luna settled in against the wall next to us. “When are you going to come fight shadows on the roof again Silver? I never get tired of watching you slice at shadows.”
“I wish you had asked about your sparring weapons,” Luna interrupted sternly. “I would have told you they were perfectly fine to use for practice in the gymnasium or on the field as long as you continue to be responsible. Steel Rain and I reviewed the local laws regarding weapons for both his and your benefit. Bladed weapons are prohibited on school property as a matter of course. To my surprise, according to state law, you can walk about Canterlot itself with blades of any length as long as they are unconcealed. Keep your steel in your car while you're at school and we will not have any issues.”
“Huh, I never would have guessed. Thanks, Luna.”
Luna looked like she was going to continue but the intercom crackled indicating the announcements were about to begin. I eyed Luna suspiciously when she glanced over at Discord and actually giggled nervously. Discord grinned and pulled a little box that looked like a garage door opener out of one of the many pockets on his ratty coat.
What are they up to?
“Ksht- Good morning CHS! I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are ready for the week ahead. Christmas is only two weeks away and that means your Winter Ball is even closer. The dance is Thursday, December 22 so please make sure you've obtained your ticket to attend from the event planning committee members! Secondly, I'm-”
Discord pushed the button and the intercom squealed before switching to the most terrible singing I had heard in my life. It was Principal Celestia singing a Karaoke version of Rick Astley's “Never Gonna Give You Up” extremely badly. Like painfully and hilariously badly. A moment in, the entire class cracked up.
“HAH!” Vice Principal Luna exclaimed as pandemonium filled the room. “That's for neglecting to mention the surprise visit from my doppelganger last week! The pranks have now been doubled! Thank you, Discord.”
The four of us stared at Discord and Luna as they bumped fists and hurried out of the classroom. Spark was the only one in class who could hear Celestia's scream from the office downstairs.
“DISCOOORD!”
“- so then Discord and Luna hurried out of the classroom. They’ve been lying low all day,” I reported.
“I wish I could have seen Principal Celestia’s face,” Rainbow Dash cackled. “That was one of the best pranks ever!”
“Well I feel sorry for her,” Rarity shot back. “I wouldn’t want my secrets broadcast to the whole school like that. I can hardly believe Vice Principal Luna would do such a thing!”
The seven of us were gathered around our table for lunch break. Sonata, Aria, and Adagio were still sitting separately at a table on the other side of the room. The school had been abuzz over the prank and the fresh snowfall that had reached half an inch over the course of the morning.
“Honestly, I’m more interested in the snow,” Pinkie exclaimed bouncing in her chair. “It means it’s almost Christmas!”
“Ah love the winter,” Applejack added. “The smell of new snow is so refreshing and it means more time to spend with mah family. So what’s everyone planning for the holidays?”
“Oh yes and don’t forget the hot cocoa!” Pinkie laughed. “My parents and sisters are actually coming to visit! I haven’t seen them in ages!”
Rarity and Rainbow Dash chimed in about their plans to have dinner with relatives, family coming home for the holidays and all sorts of other things. I didn’t even look; I just reached over and took Sunset’s hand under the table. She squeezed mine gently without saying anything but the expression on her face wasn't terribly happy.
“What about you two?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You have any plans?”
“No plans other than the gathering at Applejack’s place after Christmas,” I replied. “I was still in the hospital this time last year.”
“I haven’t celebrated any holidays in a long time,” Sunset said. “Not in a while.”
“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy whispered. She hadn’t mentioned anything about special plans for her holidays either.
“Do you have the same holidays back uh . . . where you came from Sunset?” Applejack asked.
“Not the same holidays,” she replied. “But yeah, everypon- everybody gets together with their families in the winter. Even before I came here I didn’t pay any attention to holidays, I just focused on my studies. Once I came here, well yeah, we all know how that played out.”
I could feel Sunset’s hand shaking slightly in mine. She was more upset than she was willing to let on but in spite of that, she forced a smile for the benefit of our friends.
“Don’t worry about me! I’ve got you guys now.”
“As long as you’re sure darling,” Rarity said uncertainly.
“It’ll be fine,” I said, pushing away from the table. “Anyhow, we need to go meet Wiz Kid before lunch ends. We’ll see you all later.”
Hand in hand we walked out of the cafeteria. On our way to the door, I spotted Gilda out of the corner of my eye. She was wearing a shiny new black leather jacket and was watching the two of us like a hawk. What worried me just a bit was the vicious smile on her face. Before I had time to give it much thought, we were out the door.
“You're not ok, are you Sunset?” I said, guiding her down the hall towards the tech room.
“I hate feeling jealous,” She groaned. “Everything about this feeling of envy reminds me of being the demon again.”
I wrapped my arm around her more tightly and kissed her cheek.
“That's not happening while Twilight and I are around,” I said firmly. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I know they don't mean anything by it,” She sighed, while a tear slipped out of her eye. “It's easy to ignore most of the time but it hurts to hear our friends talk about their families so easily sometimes. My parents abandoned me and I spat in the face of the pony who was practically my mother.”
I brushed the tear from her cheek. “Someday you should talk to Celestia. I think she's more forgiving than you fear. Everyone has two families Sunset; the one we are born with and the one we choose. We've been incredibly lucky with the latter.”
“I know,” she whispered. “Thank you. I just wish I knew something about my parents.”
“Well that's something we can work on,” I replied more cheerfully. “Who knows? Maybe we can find the information by locating your counterpart.”
Sunset stopped dead in her tracks and blinked a couple times. A huge grin appeared on her face and suddenly she pulled me into a passionate kiss on the lips. I let out a muffled gasp of surprise and returned the kiss in kind. I felt her hand run down my side as her lips explored mine with surprising passion. I think she would have kissed me for quite a while if it hadn't been for the catcalls and cheers from the other students in the hall. She broke the kiss and grabbed my hand while I was still bewildered.
“Come on Silver,” She giggled. “We've got places to be.”
She hurried down the hall towards the tech classroom, pulling me along by my arm. I stumbled down the hall behind her, still feeling a bit stunned by the intensity of her reaction. Honestly, it was a bit hard to think.
3:05 pm – Silvy! You have to come to my house tonight!
3:06 pm - What's going on Pinkie?
3:08 pm – Party! Come on, Sunset is coming too, promise. Bring your jammies and a sleeping bag!
3:12 pm - Ok? I have to stop at my house first but I’ll be there in a while.
I arrived at Pinkie’s house at the same time as a massive stack of pizzas were being delivered. Maud was at the door paying when I walked up to the front door through the two inches of snow that had accumulated. I smiled at her even though she simply looked at me with her typical flat expression.
“Good evening Maud,” I greeted. “How are you tonight?”
“I am well,” she replied in her emotionless voice. “This is a lot of pizza.”
“Yeah, would you like some help with those?”
“Yes.”
I had only spoken with Maud briefly the few times we had met and I recalled she was quite taciturn. I quickly took a bit more than half the pile of pizzas and walked with Maud into the kitchen. We put them out on the table. She methodically searched through the pile and glanced at me with a blank expression.
“Mother and Father would not be pleased by your presence at this gathering,” she said simply.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “If it’s any help, their friendship means more to me than anything in this world.”
“Pinkie trusts you,” Maud replied, pulling a box off the pile. “I also trust you. That is enough for me but not for Father. They will be visiting soon and Father will want to meet you.”
I felt my gut clench a bit. “I will put my best foot forward when the day comes. Thank you for the warning.”
“You are welcome,” she said flatly. “I will share this one with Boulder. Good night.”
“Enjoy,” I said politely, turning to face the thumping feet on the stairs as the girls descended.
“SILVY!” Pinkie gasped, running over and wrapping me up in a bear hug. “EEEEEEEE! You made it!”
“Well, of course, I came,” I chuckled. “So what’s the occasion?”
Pinkie began to babble while the others grabbed some pizza. “You and Sunny were so polite at lunch but we saw you were unhappy and so we started talking and realised that you were both lonely because you’re far from home and you don’t have family so we decided we would make this holiday fun for you by having a bunch of really super fun sleepovers at everybody’s houses!”
I blinked and looked at the others who were nodding in agreement.
“That’s right sugarcube,” Applejack said. “Ah know we have a shindig planned for Thursday and the thing after Christmas but it just didn’t feel like enough after lunch.”
“You know I don’t begrudge any of you for having normal family lives right?” I said. “Still, I’m not going to complain about spending more time with my best friends. Hope your parents won’t be concerned about you having a boy at a sleepover.”
I gave them a solid smile to let them know I was joking about that but they mostly laughed. Fluttershy was the only one who looked a bit worried for a moment but that worry quickly vanished. We dug into the pizza before I could ask Fluttershy what had been bothering her all day.
An hour later I was in my pajamas, leaning against the headboard of Pinkie’s bed while Sunset rested against my shoulder. We were both enjoying the peaceful evening, drama-free evening. Rarity had somehow convinced Applejack to put on nail polish, Fluttershy was brushing Rainbow Dash’s hair and Pinkie was working on upping her pizza consumption quantity to absurd.
“How much pizza have you actually had, Pinkie?” I asked.
She started tapping on her fingers while chewing back “Mmph, carry the nine, plus four . . . three and a half!”
Applejack flopped down on her back on the bed by our feet, holding her painted fingers out to dry. “Ah don’t know where she puts it either. Pinkie’s always eaten like she was starving to death but this a bit more excessive.”
“Hey, I’ve just been really hungry since the battle of the bands!” Pinkie said laughing. “Sunset said it was probably just the magic!”
Sunset nodded. “Yeah, I did say that was a possibility.”
“See? She’s on my side”
Before anybody could respond Applejack’s bag started ringing.
“Goldurn it,” she sighed. “Figures, that’s my phone. Can somebody get that for me?”
Sunset leaned off the bed and pulled out Applejack’s phone. She quickly swiped the answer button and put it down on the bed.
“Who is it?” Applejack asked.
“Hey big sis,” Applebloom’s irritated voice came out of the phone. “Granny wanted me to call and make sure you’re doin’ all right.”
“Course ah'm all right, I'm with all my friends,” She replied cheerfully. “Tell Granny Smith to quit her worrying!”
“Yeah AJ's fine,” Sunset interjected. “She's wearing nail polish!”
“All right, all right, ah'm just the messenger!” Applebloom grumbled.
“Hey, Applebloom!” I called out wanting to cheer her up. “You and your friends planning on seeing any movies in the near future?”
“Heck yeah!” She exclaimed, her voice becoming excited. “We were debatin' between Fantastic Beasts, an' Rogue One over text before I had to call ya.”
I chuckled. “Well send me a text if you're having trouble like last weekend. I'll come along if I'm not tied up. We enjoyed your company.”
“Gee thanks, Silver! Ah gotta go tell mah friends. Have a good night Piggly Wiggly!”
The phone clicked shut and Applejack groaned. The other girls cracked up at the odd nickname while Sunset and I just exchanged a confused look.
“Umm AJ, did your sister just call you Piggly Wiggly?!” Sunset asked.
“Ugh, yeah,” Applejack sighed. “She did. Ah was hopin' I wouldn't have to tell this story again.”
The other girls settled into their sleeping bags or on the bed while Sunset and I slid down to the end of the bed so Pinkie could settle in. I noticed it was almost midnight. Applejack seemed embarrassed about the whole thing.
“When I was really young, I used to follow Granny around when she was doing chores. I 'specially loved it when she fed the pigs. So one day I snuck into the pigpen and started playing with the pigs. Granny said I stayed in there for three hours. She started callin' me Piggly Wiggly and it stuck as a family nickname. Applebloom likes to use it when she thinks ah'm gettin' too big for my britches.”
Sunset and I both smiled but didn't offer any comment on her nickname. Applejack was grinning as she thought back on her childhood.
“Well, that's family for you I guess,” She finished cheerfully. “Gotta take the good with the bad.”
We looked around the room and realized our friends had all dozed off already.
“I guess we should get to sleep too,” I whispered.
“Ah agree,” Applejack said, fidgeting nervously. “Ummm, ah know yer still getting used to the dreamwalking Silver but ah' was wondering if I could join in tonight.”
“Sure,” I replied. “I've been meaning to include you ever since we talked but I was running up against endurance limits. I haven't been waking up tired out the last couple days so I should be able to bring you in.”
Applejack smiled and crawled into her sleeping bag on the other side of the bed. I settled down on the floor next to where Sunset was sitting. She was leaning on the wall and pulling out her message journal. She leaned over to give me a kiss goodnight. When we broke our kiss, I gazed up at her and steeled myself for the question. It was now or embarrassment in the astral plane.
”Do you want to move into my house?”
My voice rivaled Fluttershy's shyest moments, making Sunset giggled quietly.
“What was that Silver?” Sunset smirked. “I couldn't quite hear you.”
I rolled my eyes, took a deep breath and the question I'd spent a couple days trying to ask finally poured out of me in a torrent of words.
“Doyouwanttomoveinwithme?”
The smile vanished from Sunset's face when she finally understood my question. She didn't respond immediately so I just started quietly babbling like an idiot.
“I know it's weird but I can install a lock on the master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom so you'll have complete privacy whenever you need and Spark even figures you don't really need to pay rent because the house is paid for and we're not short of funds, especially once work picks up in the spring, we'd just need to buy a bit more food and-”
Sunset put her finger over my lips to stop the torrent of words. “Ok Silver, stop channeling Pinkie Pie. It's weird.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, my voice muffled by her finger.
Sunset pinched her brow, trying to think. “Ok, the first question is, why? We haven't been dating long and moving into your home is a big step”
I took a deep breath and spoke slowly. “Ever since you told me about your living situation I've been trying to figure out a way to help you. Spark came up with the idea yesterday morning after you woke us up.”
“You realize that isn't something that will happen every day, right?” Her voice was worried a she looked down at me.
“No, that's not why we're offering!” I replied, waving my hands nervously. “It wasn’t until you started spending the night on occasion that I realized my house is empty and lonely. I just thought maybe it would give you an option to help your budget and maybe move away from the rough part of town. Twilight even gave the idea her blessing.”
“You told her about where I live?” Sunset gulped. “Silver, you promised.”
“I kept my promise,” I replied nervously. “All Twilight knows is you can’t get a permanent job because you don’t have a proper legal identity in this world and that you had to make ends meet on casual jobs that aren't reliablely available. Not having to pay rent will solve most of the cash flow problems and stretch out your income more. I felt like I had to check with Twilight because of our trio status. If she was uncomfortable with the idea of us sharing a house you wouldn’t be hearing about this.”
Sunset wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at me. Her expression was unreadable but she finally smiled.
“This is an overwhelming offer. I need to sleep on it for a couple nights without the lucid dreams if it’s ok with you.”
I put my hand on one of hers and gave it a squeeze. “Of course, take all the time you need Sunset. This is an open offer. I won’t interfere with your dreams unless I notice you are having a nightmare.”
“Ok. I’m going to send a message to Twilight before I go to sleep. Good night Silver.”
“Sweet dreams Sunset.”
Once I was on the astral plane, I only wasted a moment to glare at the aggravating crate before walking with Spark over to the hallway Spark and I had created the other night. It was lined with the doorways to our friend’s dreamscapes. We stopped in front of the red painted wood doorway with three apples engraved on it. Spark and I pushed it open and paused while we stared at the scene inside.
On the other side of the doorway was a foggy expanse. We could see the faint outline of rows of trees but it was like the whole thing was incomplete. Everything lacked color and definition. We could see Applejack just a short distance away, walking like she had a purpose but there was no destination or scenery in sight.
“What is this?” I said.
“Most people have trouble remembering their dreams, right?” Spark asked. “I’d have trouble remembering this if I woke up from it.”
“Only one way to find out,” I said.
I stepped across the threshold and gingerly put my feet down. To my surprise, there was a surface present. I strode across the invisible field
“Hey AJ,” I said. “What’s up?”
She glanced over at me with a confused expression on her face. “Howdy. Ah’m just checking over the . . . I mean, I was going to . . . Wasn’t ah in the orchard? What’s all this- Woah!”
The instant she began to focus on the missing details of the scene, the indistinct scene came into focus and it was like someone was painting the scene as we stood there. Vague tree-like shapes sharpened into branches loaded with apples and covered in green leaves.
“What the heck just happened?”
“Do you remember what you said the last time we talked?”
She stared at me for a moment “I . . .I asked you to visit mah dream. This is a dream!?”
“That’s right AJ,” Spark chimed in, walking up beside me. “Welcome to the wonderful world of lucid dreaming.”
“Well ah’ll be,” Applejack murmured, taking off her hat. “Ya’ll weren’t kidding about your friend. Are you really separate individuals?”
Spark and I exchanged a look and smiled.
“Yes,” I said.
“And no,” Spark added.
“It’s a bit complicated,” we finished in unison.
Applejack stared at us and then laughed. “You rehearse that much?”
Spark shook his head and held out a hoof. “Not really. Like we said, it’s complicated. I’m always there with Silver when you talk to him but I’m usually the silent partner. It’s nice to meet you in person AJ.”
“Likewise,” Applejack replied, taking Sparks hoof and shaking it. She looked around the orchard. “So where are we? It looks like my orchard but there doesn’t seem to be an end. What do ya do in these dreams?”
“Well I entered your dream, so this is all from your imagination,” I explained. “I suspect if I hadn’t walked in, you wouldn’t even remember this dream. As for what to do; I actually haven’t pushed the dreams too far from reality yet but I suspect our imaginations are the limit.”
“Really?” Applejack asked. Then she floated a foot off the ground. “Well ah’ll be, it worked! So Spark, can ya fly or are those wings jus’ for show?”
We watched as Applejack shot off into the air, leaving us staring with our jaws hanging open. The Spark began to laugh and shot up into the sky after her with a boom. It only took a moment for me to transform into my half Thestral form and then I was into the sky chasing after them.
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
We were all a bit fried when we tromped into school the next morning. Dark circles under the eyes and slightly mussed hair were shared by all seven of us. Pinkie couldn’t stop yawning and Sunset was leaning on me the entire walk in. I had picked up a coffee and was still working on draining it down. A couple students laughed at our appearances but nobody more than Adagio, Aria, and Sonata.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Adagio chuckled when she saw us. “Had a wild party and didn’t invite us?”
“Just a slumber party,” Rarity yawned. “Nothing too crazy.”
“Oooh,” Sonata giggles. “I haven't been to a slumber party in years. Well, I guess ever since they're a new thing and the three of us haven't really-”
“Sis! Sis!” Applebloom interrupted frantically as she ran down the hall towards us.
Pinkie turned to take Sonata aside while Applebloom screeched to a halt in front of us. Applejack was staring at her sister who was gasping for breath after sprinting down the hall.
“What’s got a bee in your bonnet this morning Bloom?”
She took a deep breath and then looked AJ in the eye. “Yer planning on havin’ more sleepovers, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Me, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were wonderin' if we could have a sleepover the same night. We'll stay outta yer way, promise but ah wanna spend some time with ya too. Granny said we had to get your permission.”
Applejack and Rarity exchanged a glance and then shrugged.
“Ah' think it should be fine,” Applejack replied. “As long as you give us our privacy later in the evening I think it's a fine plan. Oh and promise to keep that nickname quiet.”
“Sorry Sis, I promise,” Applebloom said quietly. “I was just jealous that you could just up and have a slumber party like that. My friends and I still need to get permission.”
“Jus' remember you can always ask,” Applejack replied, ruffling Applebloom's hair affectionately. “We're stayin' at Rarity's place tonight, right Pinkie?”
“Yuppers!” Pinkie exclaimed, putting her arm around Sonata's shoulder. “I think we're gonna have lots of extra friends at this one!”
Rarity looked like a deer in the headlights when she saw the grinning faces of Pinkie and Sonata. Aria and Adagio had amused grins on their faces while they watched her reaction. Rarity just stared for a moment, then her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted dead away. I managed to catch her as she slumped backward. I gently scooped her up in her arms before anyone else had time to react.
“So I'll take this one to the nurse,” I muttered to Sunset “See you in math?”
Sunset giggled and kissed my cheek. “See you there.”
Rarity was beginning to regain consciousness by the time I got her to the nurse's office. Ruby took one look at me with Rarity cradled in my arms and snorted.
“Why are you always arriving with semi-conscious women Silver?” She asked in an amused voice. “This is what, the third one since the formal? What happened this time?”
“Fainting spell,” I replied. “We probably didn't get enough sleep last night and she had a bit of a shock. I can help out.”
She gestured at the bed in the back room. “Settle her in with a pillow under her feet and put a cool cloth on her forehead. Stay with her until I can come in to check over. If she doesn't perk up, we'll call an ambulance.”
“Nooo,” Rarity groaned. Her eyes fluttered open as I settled her in on the bed. “No ambulance. I'm ok darling. Oh my, this is terribly embarrassing.”
Ruby closed the door behind me while I put a blanket under her feet and as instructed cool cloth on her forehead. She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes. For a couple minutes, we sat there waiting for Nurse Redheart to come in and check Rarity over. I eyed her pale, ivory skin and put my hand against her cheek. She was warm to the touch which was a relief. I was about to pull my hand away when she leaned her head against my hand and sighed sadly.
“Oh!” she murmured absently. “If it were only another time and another place I wouldst be hoping for a fanciful proposal to follow thine gentle touch.”
Did she just say what I think she said?
I – I . . . ummm I think so Silver.
I blinked rapidly while Spark and I tried to interpret her words. When I realized her meaning I drew in a sharp breath. “My dearest Lady,” I whispered. “Are thine words truth or merely jest?”
Her eyes shot open and she stared at me. She began to blush and looked away from me. However, she did reach up and put her hand over mine.
“My apologies,” she whispered. “Twas an idle thought of no importance, Sir Spark.”
I brushed my thumb gently over her cheek while I held her head. “Prithee speak of thine meaning without fear just as you did on that first day of our friendship. Mine trust in thee is absolute, Lady Belle.”
“Twas merely a passing fancy,” She whispered, blushing furiously. “A simple crush brought about by loneliness and perhaps guilt. Neither is a true foundation for something more . . . permanent. I admit thou art a gentle and handsome man. It would have been bliss to be the flame to thine candle for a time. However, the truth is we would last a scant few months of whirlwind romance before the harsh reality of our lives would crash down about us. The differences between us nourish our friendship but would stifle anything deeper.”
“I am flattered you ever saw me in such a light,” I replied gently. “Perhaps thine prediction is correct and perhaps it is not; there is simply no way to know. We will always be friends Lady Belle, even when thine ambition and skill takes you away from this small city. I must say though, tis a surprise a lady of thy qualities is lacking in affection.”
“Thine words are heartwarming,” She replied, a small sad smile gracing her face. “Sadly knights and princes are simply a rare commodity.”
Poor Rarity. I wish we could help her.
Yeah, we don't exactly have friends we could set her up with, do we?
Not really. Well, there is one offer we could make.
“While there is one individual who has the final say, I don't believe there would be any objections to me sharing a dance with you at the upcoming Winter Ball. Tis a small gesture I know but I hope it might bring some cheer to my dear friend.”
My offer seemed to have the effect I was looking for because it brought a proper smile to Rarity's face. Before she could respond, Ruby pushed the door open and hurried across the room to the cabinets without a word. She quickly pulled out a handful of bandages, gauze, and tape. She glanced over at us briefly and nodded.
“Sorry, but I'll have to check on you in a bit Rarity. Since you're conscious, I have to deal with a more urgent incident first. Silver, please stay with her.”
She rushed back out of the room but left the door open. I heard her giving instructions to someone to keep their hand elevated and hold the bandage on tight. My curiosity was piqued so I leaned over to look out the door. The sighed made my heart stop for a moment. A familiar figure was sitting in the chair at the desk with her arm above her head. Her other hand was holding gauze on the palm of her hand. There were streaks of red staining the clean white linens being wrapped over her hand.
“Sunset?!” I gasped. “What happened? It hasn't even been ten minutes since I last saw you!”
My girlfriend winced while Ruby continued working on her hand. She didn't look at me while she answered. I could see the scuff marks on her cheeks.
“I was- Ouch!” She winced when Nurse Redheart pulled the bandage tight.
“Sorry, but we have to stop the bleeding,” Ruby muttered. “You're a hair short of needing stitches Miss Shimmer.”
“Ugh, no that isn't happening,” Sunset winced. “Anyhow, it was- I mean it- that is, I tripped.”
“You tripped and cut your hand open?” I asked in surprise. "How did you manage that?"
“Ummm, yeah,” Sunset said, though she still wouldn't look at me. Granted, she was wincing every time Ruby put pressure on the bandages so I suppose I couldn't blame her. “Yeah, that's right. Dash shoved a handful of snow down the back of my shirt after you left. I went out back to get some material for a bit of revenge and well . . . umm, there was a sharp rock in the snow and my hand landed on it. Just nnnggh bad luck.”
I hesitated for a moment before answering. Something about Sunset's story and her behavior just didn't add up in my mind. There was no way I was going to call her on it though so I just chalked the weirdness up to the pain and discomfort she was feeling. I nodded at her and reluctantly turned my attention back to keeping an eye on Rarity.
It was nearly ten and I was sitting next to Sunset in Rarity's workroom after what had been a surprisingly successful Slumber Party. Adagio and Aria were the only others who were awake. By some miracle, the addition of Aria, Adagio, and Sonata to the slumber party hadn't resulted in disaster. There hadn't been a miraculous bonding event or anything so magical but there had been some amusing moments. Even Adagio who had been a bit short tempered seemed to enjoy herself.
The Crusaders had gone off to do their own thing in a different part of the house after dinner. The three younger girls were in good spirits and I was glad their concerns had been sorted out so easily. The rest of us had gathered in Rarity's large bedroom. It had been a fun night, especially after Sonata and Pinkie accidentally broke the closet door. Inside the closet was a massive collection of Rarity's rejects and failed projects.
Rarity was all ready to board the door back up but somehow Pinkie had convinced her to let everyone dig through the closet. The next hour had been filled with laughter as the group tried on the bizarre and weird outfits that were piled in the closet. Most of them would pass as Halloween costumes so it was easy to reassure Rarity that her reputation was safe. Everyone ran out of steam pretty quickly after that and one by one the girls had dropped off to sleep. All in all, it had been a good evening.
“What's on your mind, token male?”
Adagio's teasing voice brought me out of my introspective moment. She'd been calling me the token male all evening and I couldn't tell if she was teasing or insulting me. I chose to take it as the former and just smiled at her.
“Just thinking about how amusing the evening was Adagio,” I replied. “How about you?”
“I'm just disappointed everyone fell asleep before we could get on with the fun games,” Adagio snorted. “Honestly, what kind of teenagers fall asleep before ten at a slumber party?”
“Well, there's always next time,” Sunset interjected. “
“There's going to be a next time?” Aria asked. “Cause Dagi's been a bit of a pill.”
Adagio punched Aria in the shoulder but Aria blocked it easily with one arm. She grabbed a pillow with the other hand and thumped Adagio in the face with it. I chuckled at their little fight and smiled.
“Well yeah, AJ's birthday is tomorrow night,” I replied. “It's a sleepover as well.”
“Huh, that's true,” Aria muttered. “Pink's invitation did mention that didn't it? This is so weird by the way.”
Sunset snickered before glancing fondly around the room. “I know how you feel. Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I was that they gave me a second chance.”
“Ugh,” Adagio groaned dramatically and flopped down on her pillow. “Enough touchy-feely stuff. I'm getting some sleep before I get ill.”
Aria rolled her eyes and actually smiled at me briefly before she laid down as well. I leaned over and kissed Sunset on the cheek. She went to pull the journal out of her backpack and gasped in pain when she tried to grab it. She wound up pulling it out with her other hand instead.
“How's your hand,” I whispered.
She held up her bandaged palm and sighed. “It's ok, I'm just glad it was my left hand. I'm going to send a message to Twilight.”
She pulled out her pen and began to write.
Dear Twilight,
Our second slumber party with the girls and I already feel so much closer to everyone. Aria, Adagio, and Sonata even came to this one and I think they're actually warming up to us. Silver is sitting right here with me and we both miss you. I don't know where I'd be without either of you.
Anyway, we should get some sleep but I just wanted to let you know we're thinking about you. Hope we see you soon.
Sunset closed the journal up and we settled down side by side to get some sleep. Sometimes my good fortune was hard to believe but here I was with my beautiful marefriend snuggled in beside me. With a smile on my face, I drifted off to sleep.
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Dear Sunset and Silver,
I am so happy to hear you are doing well! I wish I could attend these parties but I simply cannot get away from my duties. Sadly I cannot attend Applejack's birthday tomorrow but I have a gift for her. Could you please come pick it up at the portal in the morning? Just send me a journal message when you've arrived and I'll send it through to you.
Missing you both,
Twilight Sparkle
With only Applejack along, the dreamscape had been fairly quiet. There were no obvious disturbances in my friend's dreams. One surprise was how easy it was to locate the dreams of the three Dazzlings with their close proximity. I added their doorways to my growing hallways but as per their request, I didn't peek inside. In the morning Sunset seemed a bit shaken but she said it wasn't anything to worry about. Before I could pry further, she said she still needed time to think about my offer so I let it go. Now Sunset and I were standing in front of the portal. She had just sent a message off in response letting Twilight know we were ready. After a couple moments, the stone portal face seemed to ripple slightly.
“ACK!” Sunset gasped in pain, nearly dropping the journal.
A small box then flew through the portal. I deftly caught it and slipped it into my backpack before turning my attention to Sunset. She handed me the book without a word and put her arm over her eyes. I quickly jotted a note to Twilight that we had received the package and stuff the journal in my bag. I put my arm around her and rubbed her back with my hand.
“What was that Sunset?”
She grimaced. “Just a small headache. I hate it when the symptoms include a sudden stabbing sensation. Not exactly how I wanted to start my day on top of that .”
“Let's see if Ruby has some painkillers you can use.”
“Kay, I think she wants to look at my cut again anyway.”
She was right in saying it wasn't a great start to the day. Headaches out of nowhere were no joke and I hoped we could clear the issue up before it got worse. With my arm around her waist, I gently led her into the school, hoping my girlfriend would feel better soon.