A couple days after Christmas, Twilight was at Sugarcube Corner with her friends. They were all enjoying the time off from school, though Twilight couldn't help but feel slightly out of place amongst the other couples without Sunset next to her. She absentmindedly checked her phone. Upon seeing no new messages, she replaced it in her pocket. A gentle hand on her arm made her jump.
"How's she doing?" Fluttershy asked.
"Last I heard she was going to a movie with her mom and uncle. I was just checking to see if they were out yet."
"And?" The shy girl pressed.
"No dice." Twilight said glumly.
"Dice? I thought you were waiting on a text!" Pinkie said from a few seats over.
"No Pinkie, it's just a... you're joking. Sorry, my mind’s not right at the moment. I guess I miss her more than I thought I would."
"Come on Twilight, it's only been a couple days. You'll be fine without her till she gets back." Rainbow slapped her back jovially.
"You're one to talk, remember a couple years ago when Applejack went to that family reunion and you-" Pinkie's mouth was stuffed with a cupcake before she could finish her sentence.
With a hearty laugh Applejack pressed the issue.
"Ah didn't know about this. What'd you do sugarcube?"
"Nothing! It doesn't matter." Her cheeks were flush with color at this point.
"Now, ah know you wanna tell me." A sly smile spread across her lips as she started tickling Rainbow's sides.
"Hey, stop that! Come on, this isn't fair." She said between laughs.
"You know how to make this stop." AJ teased.
"Alright, alright. Just stop tickling me!" She cried once she could catch her breath, "I had a hard time when you went to see your family a few years ago. I missed you, and there was other stuff going on that compounded the whole thing." She looked away embarrassed.
Applejack squeezed her tightly. "Ah missed you too baby. It's nice to hear that you had a rough go of it. When ah came back you didn't look especially bothered."
"I don't wanna talk about it anymore." She huffed.
"Oh don't be like that." Rarity chided. "It's nice to see you being vulnerable. You're always so brash and overly confident."
"Stop developing my character!" She buried her face in her hands. "I'm awesome and that's all anyone needs to know!"
The table erupted in laughter. This all helped to brighten Twilight's mood considerably. She looked around at the smiling faces of her friends and thought back to when she first started at CHS. She had prepared to go through this whole year friendless and alone. Now, she had a group of the best friends she could ask for and a girlfriend she cared for so deeply.
She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and smiled.
"Just finished the movie! Babe, when I get back we're going to see it! I know you're not big on musicals but The Greatest Showman was amazing!"
"Alright, but I get to choose a movie you might not be crazy about!"
"Deal! How's everyone else? Tell them hi for me! I miss all of you! But I miss you the most ;)"
"Sunset says hi!" Twilight said with a smile.
"Hi Sunset!" The group said in unison
"They say hi back! When are you coming back? I miss you."
"I should be back in time for New Year's Eve. Keep me informed where and if the group is having a party :) gotta go, we're going out to dinner now. I'll talk to you when we're done."
"Alright, tell your mom hi for me. Talk to you later."
"Sorry, didn't mean to ignore you all." Twilight apologized.
"It's alright, we understand." Cheese chuckled as he wiped a bit of frosting from Pinkie's nose.
"Thanks everyone." She smiled.
They took the next few hours to talk about their individual Christmases and their favorite gifts they received from their parents and significant other.
"I just adore my new winter coat!" Rarity beamed when it was her turn.
"How come you didn't wear it?" Pinkie asked.
"That's easy darling, I knew I was going to order a jelly donut and there was no way I was going to risk sullying the lovely coat Fluttershy gifted me." She took a bite of her treat.
Fluttershy kissed her cheek which caused Rarity to blush.
"What was your favorite gift Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked through her giggling.
Pinkie told them about the anime series she received from her parents and how she was excited to watch them with Cheese. He explained that he hadn't ever really gotten into anime, but was willing to give it a shot.
"I trust Pinkie's taste, so we'll see how it goes."
The conversation wound down until Applejack spoke up.
"Alright y'all, Granny Smith asked that we find a different location for this party. She's still finding decorations from Halloween." She arched an eyebrow at Pinkie, who rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"I guess I did go a little overboard." She said.
"Luckily, I asked my parents if we could use our house and they gave me permission to host our New Years soirée." Rarity said happily. "They will be at a party of their own so the only stipulation is that we don't burn the house down." She turned her gaze toward Pinkie.
"What?" She said, her mouth full of cookie.
The group talked about who would bring what to the party. Rarity pushed for a semi-formal dress code.
"I want to see skirts or dresses. No pants." She said sternly. "Oh, except for you Cheese."
"Darn, now I have to find a whole new outfit." He joked.
They cleaned up their area shortly after that and parted ways for the day. Twilight wandered the town for a bit, stopping at the shopping center to browse one of the multiple stores she had gift cards to. Not finding anything she wanted she made her way back home, catching a bus just in time. On the ride home, she thought more about what Cadence had said.
Sunset's time with her mother was coming to a close. The last six days had been so much fun. The three of them were taking it easy after a massive homemade lunch. Dawn had convinced Sunset to let her paint her toenails. An episode of Friends was playing in the background as they reminisced about the past week.
"What was your favorite thing we did Sunnybuns?" Dawn asked.
"I think it's been playing games with you guys. I forgot how fun card and board games can be." She smirked. "Especially when I win."
"I still say you cheat at Monopoly." Silver huffed.
Sunset stuck her tongue out at him.
"Lord help us, you are just like your mom." He chuckled.
"That was my plan all along!" Dawn let out an exaggerated evil laugh.
Sunset looked down at her toes, one foot already finished. Dawn had gone with a purple color that reminded Sunset of Twilight's violet hair. She felt her heart ache at the thought. She was starting to miss Twilight more than she thought. She pulled out her phone.
"Whatcha doin'?" Dawn looked up from what she was doing.
"Calling Twilight. Hey babe!" Sunset said looking at Twilight's smiling face on her screen.
Dawn smiled at her daughter and returned to the task at hand. She dipped the brush into the bottle when she heard Twilight's voice over the phone speaker. She liked hearing the excitement in the girl's voice while talking to Sunset. The two girls talked for several minutes when Sunset said something that piqued Dawn's interest.
"Hey, want to meet my mom?" She asked.
"Sure! I'd love to." Twilight said.
"Alright, here she is!" Sunset began turning the phone toward her mom.
"Gah! Sunset, let me at least put my hair up so I look presentable!" Twilight protested.
The girl on the screen was fussing over putting her hair in a bun when it faced Dawn. Dawn chuckled to herself.
"Hi, Twilight! So you're the one responsible for making my Sunnybuns so happy." Dawn said. "I'm Sunset's mom, Shimmering Dawn, but you can just call me Dawn.
"Hello Ma'am, I'm happy I get to meet you." She rubbed the back of her neck shyly. "She shares the same responsibility though. I'm very happy with her."
"Ooh I like you." Dawn smiled. "So, tell me a bit about yourself."
"There's not much to tell really."
"Oh I'm sure that's not true." Dawn encouraged.
"Well, I'm going to Canterlot High, and I love science!"
Twilight went on to explain her relationship with her parents and brother. She talked about her hobbies and most importantly how Sunset had impacted her life.
"She's really helped to bring me out of my shell. I used to be really timid, especially before we moved. It helped that I decided to try to be more outgoing when I started CHS. Sorry, I'm rambling. I've never met a girlfriend's parents before."
"That's right, Sunset mentioned that this is your first relationship. I think you chose a good first." She turned her attention to her daughter. "And you're done. What do you think?"
Sunset looked at her painted digits and smiled. "They look so good, thanks Mom!" She wiggled her toes slightly.
"Careful sweetie, you don't want to smudge them." She said.
"Smudge what?" Twilight asked.
"My mom painted my toes." She adjusted the phone to face her feet.
"Oh they look so cute!" Twilight mused. "Don't let Rarity find out, she's been trying to convince you to let her give you a pedicure for a long time."
"I know, it took a lot of convincing and a little light motherly guilt to get her to concede." Dawn said.
"Hey, it's not like I fought you." Sunset protested. "I just don't like my feet being touched."
A mischievous smile appeared on Dawn's face. "And why is that Sunnybuns?"
Sunset frowned exaggeratedly and gave her mom a wide eyed glare. "Don't you dare." She said slowly.
"Dare? Dare to do what?" Dawn asked innocently. She looked at Twilight on the screen. "By the way, did you know Sunset has really ticklish feet?"
As she was saying this, she trapped one of her daughter's feet and tickled the sole with her other hand. Sunset immediately started laughing and squirming, trying to get away.
"Nooo! Think of the polish, you worked so hard!" She tried to reason between laughs.
"I can redo it."
Dawn released her daughter shortly after. She had actually managed to not ruin the nail polish at all. Sunset picked up the phone she had dropped in the assault to see her girlfriend laughing.
"Why do you laugh at my suffering?" She said dramatically placing her arm to her forehead.
"Because it's funny." She winked. "I'm definitely keeping that in mind though."
"Twilight's super ticklish behind her knees!" Velvet called from somewhere behind Twilight.
"Mom!" Twilight said incredulously.
"What? I think the playing field should be even." She approached the screen. "You're welcome Sunset."
Sunset recovered from her laughter. "Thanks Velvet!"
"How's the visit going?"
"Great! My mom's right here if you want to say hi." She offered.
"Sure!"
Sunset passed the phone to her mom so the two could get acquainted. After a minute or two Dawn passed the device back to her daughter.
"Alright, I'm going to the guest room where I can feel safe." Sunset joked with her mom.
After closing the door Sunset laid down on the bed and positioned a pillow to rest her chin on while she talked to Twilight.
"It's so good to see your face, Twi. I miss you."
"I miss you too. Just a few hours before I get to see you in person again." Twilight said.
"What do you miss most about me?" She asked with a grin.
"Hmm, let me think." She said as she made her way to her room. "I miss your hugs."
Sunset's smile grew wider. "I miss your kisses."
"I miss cuddling with you."
"Hey, you took mine." Sunset laughed.
"Should have been faster." Twilight winked.
The young couple talked for another hour. Sunset asked how the others were doing and what they had all done over the break. Twilight told her about snowball fights and more sledding. Twilight had even tried her hand at ice hockey using supplies Rainbow Dash provided. They made plans to go ice skating together before winter ended.
"Well, I should probably let you go. I've got to get packed, we're heading to the airport in a little bit."
"Alright." She said glumly. "Thanks for calling. I can't wait to see you. My mom and I will be there to pick you guys up around five."
"You don't need to worry about it we can get an Uber." Sunset protested.
Twilight tut-tutted. "I don't want to hear it missy, we're picking you up and that's final."
"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." Sunset blew a kiss and winked. "Bye."
"Bye." She said with blushing cheeks.
Sunset rolled off the bed and made her way back to the living room to begin packing her things.
The drive to the airport was lively as ever. The three of them were singing along to an eighties power ballad as Dawn pulled up to the gate. They all exited the car to unload the bags. Dawn gave her brother a tight hug.
"Don't be a stranger. Come and visit again, okay?" She looked into his eyes, tears building up.
Silver scooped her into another hug. "Don't worry, we'll make our way here again."
Once she was released from the embrace she looked at her daughter. She carried herself with a maturity that made her proud.
"Mom don't cry, you'll start me up." Sunset sniffled.
"I can't help it, you're so grown up." She pulled Sunset close. "I'm so proud of the woman you're becoming."
Sunset's eyes brimmed with fresh tears. She hadn't realized she needed to hear that from her mom, but it meant the world to her.
"Next time bring Twilight. I'd like to get to know her better."
"I'd like that too." She hugged her mom again. "We'd better get going. I love you mom, kick school's butt."
"I love you too. You do the same Sunnybuns." Dawn watced her two favorite people in the world enter the terminal and immediately started thinking of things to do for their next visit.
Twilight was flipping through her wardrobe trying to find an outfit for the party that evening. She wanted to choose something that would really 'wow' Sunset. She wanted to look good for her first New Year's kiss. After the fifth time through, she still couldn't find an outfit she liked. With a frustrated groan she flopped onto her bed.
There was a knock on her door. "Everything alright sweetheart?"
Another groan. "Yeah, I just can't decide what to wear tonight. Which by the way is a problem I never thought I'd have. I never used to care too much about what I wore."
Velvet sat next to her with a chuckle. "Yeah, that'll happen when you find someone you love. You start caring more about how you look in front of them. Have you narrowed it down to anything?"
"I thought about a skirt with a button down shirt, but it's a little too 'schoolgirl uniform'." She sighed heavily. "Why can't I have an eye for fashion like Rarity?"
Velvet smiled down at Twilight. "I think I have an idea. Come with me."
Velvet guided her to her own closet and after moving several items to the side pulled out a black cocktail dress.
"Try this on, it should fit you."
Twilight did as she was asked. After changing and looking over herself in the mirror she was stunned by how well the dress fit her. It hugged her form, accentuating her curves
"I look hot!" She blurted out before she could stop herself.
Velvet stifled a laugh. "I'm sure Sunset will love it. What time is she getting in?"
Twilight hugged her mother. "Thank you! I promise I'll take good care of it. I think their flight leaves at four and lands at six-thirty."
An alert sounded from her phone. Twilight retrieved it from her pants pocket on the floor.
"Oh no."
"What's wrong?" Velvet questioned.
"Sunset's flight is delayed."
"Did she say for how long?"
"She's not sure. It sounds like there was an issue with the plane."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, most delays aren't much longer than an hour or two. She should still have enough time to get back."
It was four hours after the announcement of the delay and Sunset was stringing an array of expletives together in her mind. They had to change gates for their flight and were now just waiting for the previous passengers to depart and the plane to refuel. The one good thing to come from the situation was they were bumped up to premium seating. She was rereading the last few messages she had sent to Twilight.
"We're still grounded :("
"Do you want me to wait for you to go to the party?"
"No, you go ahead without me. I'll get there when I can. I'm so sorry Twi.”
"It’s okay. I'll see you when you get in."
She hated feeling like she was letting Twilight down. As soon as the last arrival was off the plane Sunset was gathering her things and standing in line to be let on. Once the plane was in the air Sunset played a movie on the provided screen, but barely paid attention to it. She kept doing mental math in her head to map out whether or not she would be there before midnight.
"If I run inside to change and don't shower, as long as the driver agrees to wait for me I should get there just in time." She said under her breath.
Those thoughts became her mantra to keep herself sane during the flight home. She was preplanning her outfit for the night when the plane finally landed. The second she had reception she pulled up Uber on her phone. She was glad she did because they were only waiting for a minute or two when their driver pulled up.
"Thank you, so much. The faster we can get there the better your tip." Sunset said as she buckled in.
"But safely please!" Silver said.
The party had been fun so far. Rarity had some games to play and music to dance to. Rarity invited a few more people from school that she was able to get to know better. She had received many compliments on her dress which made her feel great. As the clock ticked closer to midnight Twilight couldn't stop the longing from creeping back in. Twilight began pulling away as the night went on, not wanting to feel like a bummer for the others. She sat on a chair against the wall anxiously tapping on the side of her glass of sparkling cider.
"You alright sugarcube?" Applejack asked, sitting next to her.
"Yeah, I just wish Sunset was here. I haven't heard from her since she took off."
Applejack placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Ah'm sure she's doing everythin' she can to get here."
"I know, it just sucks that she was delayed."
"Ah know sugarcube, but try to have fun till she gets here."
"You're right AJ." She smiled. "Thanks."
Twilight took her friend's advice and took part in more games and activities. She talked music with Vinyl and Octavia. She got the recipe from Sweetie Drops for her homemade sweets. As she was talking with her classmate she noticed another classmate watching them from the corner of her eye. After her conversation with Sweetie Drops wound down she approached the girl she'd seen earlier.
"Hey Lyra, how's it going?" She asked.
"Oh, I'm doing alright. What were you and Sweetie Drops talking about?"
"She gave me the recipe for the candy she brought. They were really good and I wanted to try making them."
"Isn't she just an amazing confectioner?" Lyra said excitedly.
"She really is. I bet she could give Pinkie Pie a run for her money."
"We should set that up some day. I don't know if I could be unbiased though."
A dreamy look came over her face as she watched Sweetie from across the room. Sweetie noticed her stare and smiled and waved at her dear friend. Lyra waved back, blushing at being caught.
Twilight smiled at the two. "So do you have any resolutions in mind?"
"I dunno, haven't really thought about it. You?"
"Same, I never really put too much stock in resolutions though, but I've always liked the idea behind celebrating the start of a new year. It can mean a lot of things you know? A new you, if you want to change something about yourself, maybe a new relationship..." She gave a smile.
"That obvious, huh?" Lyra asked.
"I don't know about obvious, but you two remind me of Sunset and myself in the beginning."
"How did you two figure it out?"
"I took a chance and it worked out." She told her. "Just because that worked for us doesn't mean it will every time."
"Thanks, Twilight." Lyra smiled and stood to join her friend on the dance floor.
Twilight checked the time to see that it was five minutes to midnight and still no sign of or word from Sunset. Twilight felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes. Rarity saw her friend and chose to investigate why she looked so upset.
"What's wrong darling?" She kneeled down to look her in the eye.
"Nothing, it's stupid." She said, dabbing at her eyes.
"Is it Sunset?" She asked.
"Yes, I don't know why I'm so upset. I know she would be here if she could. I guess I put too much onto this New Years kiss." She bit the inside of her cheek, hoping to stop any more tears.
Rarity considered for a moment before offering a solution. "If you won't have a New Years kiss, none of us will. It's a silly tradition anyway." She said.
She smiled at her friend's attempt to cheer her up. "No, don't do that. I'll be okay, I just need a minute. Go to Fluttershy, it's almost time."
She squeezed Twilight's hand. "Alright, as long as you're sure."
"I am."
She watched as her friend made her way to her significant other and they exchanged some words. The countdown started moments later and Twilight stepped outside onto the patio. She closed the door as the cheers of 'Happy New Year!' rang out in the room.
Breathing in the cold night air, she watched her breath form a cloud in front of her. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she had remembered to bring her coat. She was calmer about missing her New Year's kiss than she thought.
This will still be a great new year. She thought to herself.
"Hey gorgeous."
Twilight's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Sunset's voice. She turned and smiled at the girl in front of her. She was frozen in place for a moment in surprise. Twilight had accepted that she wouldn't see her tonight so to have her here was a wonderful surprise. She leaped into Sunset's arms. Sunset wrapped her coat around Twilight's back and zipped it up, sealing them both in the warmth it provided.
"I'm so sorry I'm so late." Sunset apologized.
"It's fine, I'm just so happy you're here. Why didn't you tell me you landed or were on your way?"
"I was in a hurry and didn't think to text you until I was in the car over here and by that time my phone was dead." She said. "By the way, I ran into Lyra on my way in. She said to tell you 'thank you' before walking off with Sweetie Drops. What did you do?" She smiled.
"I just gave a little helpful advice. I'm glad it worked out."
Sunset grinned at the bespectacled beauty in her arms. "Well look at you miss matchmaker. Also, you look incredible in that dress."
Twilight giggled and sunk into Sunset's arms. She closed her eyes as they swayed together to the music which could faintly be heard coming from inside.
"I want to just stay here forever." Twilight said.
"So do I." She rubbed Twilight's back. "I missed you so much. I don't want to let you go. I'm sorry we didn't get our New Year's kiss."
"Don't worry about it." She snuggled into Sunset's neck.
She kissed the top of Twilight's head. "You know, I'm technically an hour behind. We can still have our kiss."
Twilight chuckled. "Yeah? You think it'd count?"
"I say it does." Sunset said.
Sunset pulled her into a loving embrace and rested her chin on Twilight's head. Sunset thought back to the first time she met Twilight. She was so sure Twilight had been sent by Adagio to mess with her. After talking with her that first day Sunset was smitten by this violet haired beauty. She had gone home and called her mom after their first kiss. It was different with Twilight, she didn’t feel like she needed to be someone else around her, she felt supported in anything she tried, which was something she’d never felt with Adagio.
Her heart started beating faster as she came to a decision.
"I love you." She said quietly.
Twilight raised her head to meet Sunset's eyes. "What did you say?"
"I-I love you." She stammered
Twilight kissed her then, holding onto her tightly not wanting to let her go. When the kiss ended she looked at the fiery haired girl in front of her.
"I love you too."
They were the happiest they had ever been in that moment. They held each other in the chilly night air, barely noticing the cold. Fireworks lit up the night sky as they basked in this one perfect moment.
"Happy New Year, Twilight."
"Happy New Year, Sunset."