Sunset Shimmer stretched in the bed. It was just past midnight, and Luna was snoring quietly next to her, her bare back pressed against Sunset’s ribs. Sunset gently traced her hand over the scars there. The evening had been memorable, to say the very least. Her swirling thoughts wouldn’t let her rest, and being here next to Luna wasn’t helping her clear her head. With a sigh, Sunset gently disentangled herself from the blankets. Reaching down to the floor, she slipped her panties and shirt back on, to at least provide some cover for herself. While she was sure that Luna wouldn’t mind her parading about the apartment in the buff, her thoughts demanded that she have at least some covering while the ruminated on the events of the day.
Padding quietly into the kitchen, she took a mug down from the shelf and set the kettle on the stove to heat. Maybe some tea would help clear her mind. She rummaged through the cabinets until finding a slightly dusty box of tea. Pouring the water over the bag, the smell of earl grey wafted up from the mug and she walked to the living room. Taking a comfortable looking chair, she wrapped herself in a blanket to sip her tea and think.
The fact of the matter was that she loved Luna. There was no denying that at all. And Luna very obviously loved her. That she had bared her past and all the pain contained therein was proof enough. Not to mention standing up to Celestia.
Was it too fast though? In the space of less than a week her entire world had changed. She went from being a student with a crush, to a woman displaced from her world and finding her place in a new one. Was this the right choice? Confessing her love for Luna on that mountain top had started a chain of events that could easily have destroyed Luna’s future.
“Sunset?”
The younger woman looked up, Luna was standing in the doorway from the bedroom, moonlight framing her as she wrapped herself in a robe.
“What’s wrong love? I woke up and you weren’t in bed.”
“Sorry. I just couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake you.”
Luna nodded as she walked to the kitchen to pour her own cup of tea before coming back and sitting on the sofa. Patting her hand on the empty cushion next to her, she beckoned Sunset to join her.
“What’s on your mind?”
As sunset moved and curled up next to Luna she tried to form her thoughts into coherent words.
“I don’t know Lu. It seems like this is so sudden, and I just feel like a part of me pushed this on you. A week ago, we were just a student and a teacher. And now, here we are. I’m not a student anymore, you standing up to your sister, this…”
Luna nodded. She had had similar thoughts before they had met with Celestia.
“I can understand where you are. I believe that I had similar thoughts just the other day. I wonder if that by being involved with me, that you might be held back in your goals. Am I too old for you? Too damaged?”
The younger woman looked up at her girlfriend.
“We make quite the pair, don’t we? Each wondering if this is a good idea.”
“True. But I had to remind myself that these feelings are there because a part of me is so certain that this is right, and that my own fears are fighting against that feeling. If I feel that us being together is right, then how could it be wrong? Does that make sense?”
“I think so. And I do feel like this is right, but I’m just so afraid.”
“I know you are Sunset. And I am too. But I trust that we can come through this together. We have each had our share of trials in the past, but I must believe that that makes us stronger as individuals, and therefore stronger together.”
Sunset Shimmer nodded. Luna was right. They were both strong in their own ways, and perhaps if they could use that to shore up where the other needed it, then they could work through this.
“Come love, we should go back to bed. The sad truth is that we both have too much to do tomorrow.”
Both women stood and took their mugs to the kitchen before returning to the bedroom.
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The sun streamed down through the glass onto the bed, and Sunset felt a softness press against her lips.
“Good morning Sunset. We need to be up.”
Luna felt Sunset wrap her arms around her back and pull her close for another kiss before shaking her head.
“Nope. I’m staying in bed with you.”
Luna giggled, this was a new experience for her.
“Sadly, we can’t. I have to go to work. Young minds to shape, and a sister to deal with. Besides, I brought you coffee, and it would be a shame for it to get cold.”
There was a groan from the younger woman. Being awake was miserable, but kissing a beautiful woman, and having fresh coffee brought to her in bed made a significant improvement on the matter.
“You’re lucky that you brought me coffee. And that I love you. In that order.”
“You mean that you love coffee more than me?”
Luna teased and stuck her tongue out.
“This early in the morning, yes. Yes I do. Now kiss me again so that I can change my priorities.”
With grins, the pair shared another kiss. Sunset wrinkled her nose a bit as they seperated.
“I think that we both need a shower love.”
Luna nodded in agreement.
“Yes, we do, however there is only enough time for me. Unless…”
Luna walked toward the bathroom, looking over her shoulder with a grin and dropping the robe on the floor.
Catching the hint, Sunset got out of the bed and followed the beautiful woman into the bathroom.
“Need some help washing your back?”
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The mustang roared into the parking lot at Canterlot High. With a kiss, Luna got out of the car and headed into the building while Sunset turned toward home.
As the car sped through the streets, she wondered again if this was the right thing to do. Thinking back to their late-night conversation, Sunset decided to just let things be what they were, and to trust herself, and her partner. Regardless of anything else, they were in this together.
Pulling into her garage, Sunset killed the motor before walking into the house and up to her small office. Flopping down onto her chair, she opened the small filing cabinet under her desk and pulled out several files before spreading out the contents and making notes on a new sheet of paper.
She hated doing financial things, but they were a necessary evil. If she was going to start this gym, she needed to get much more proficient in managing these things. The first step was to see just where her money situation sat before she called her accountant.
Without realizing just how much time had passed, Sunset leaned back in her chair, checking the small clock on the wall. Three hours of financial and business planning. No wonder her brain felt like mush. Grabbing the small stack of notes that she had made, Sunset wandered down to the kitchen. She turned the coffee pot on and grabbed her phone, dialing the number for her accountant.
“Hello. This is Penny Pinch.”
“Hi Penny, it’s Sunset. Is now a good time?”
“You know that I will always make time for you Sunset! How can I help?”
Pouring herself a cup of coffee, Sunset put the phone on speaker and sat down at the table with her notes.
“I want to see what I can do about allocating some of my funds into a business. I think that I have most of the details worked out but I wanted to run the numbers by you and see if you had any thoughts.”
“I think that we can certainly do that. Are you thinking of investing in a business?”
“No, I actually want to start one.”
“Oh! Well that makes all of the difference in the world. I can help with the financial side of things, but I’m not the best when it comes to some of the details of property and the like. I do have someone that I recommend who could help with that though, if you are interested?”
“That would be great! Do you think we could get together today?”
“I don’t see why not. Are you available to meet at my office in an hour?”
“I can do that. I will see you then.”
“See you soon Sunset!”
The young woman smiled. Penny Pinch was a good friend, and had helped get her started when she first came through the portal. While keeping all of her accounts and paperwork in order, Penny also knew enough people that she could address some of the less legal aspects of an entirely new person just appearing in the world. While Sunset tried to keep everything that she did on the right side of the law, there were certain things that couldn’t happen for someone who could not prove that they were born on this world. That was where Penny and her network of clients really came to shine.
Gathering her papers and sorting them into their respective folders again, Sunset packed them into a briefcase and walked out to the garage.
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Pulling up to the moderately sized building on the outer edge of downtown, Sunset parked the mustang in the garage space designated for the accounting office. She hummed to herself as she grabbed her files and walked to the elevator, pressing the button for the fifth floor.
The office of Pinch and Cent accounting was spotless. Penny’s partner, Red Cent was in the front office making some copies when she heard the door open, and seeing Sunset Shimmer.
“Hi Sunset! Penny said you would be coming by. She is in her office.”
“Thanks Red. How are you doing?”
“Oh, busy as always! Like they say, money never sleeps.”
The matronly accountant laughed as she walked back into her own office, leaving Sunset to go through the other door and see Penny Pinch.
Knocking on the open door frame, Sunset walked in seeing the rather plain looking brunette speaking to a mountain of a man in a pinstripe suit.
“Hi Sunset, please come in. This is Brick and Mortar, he helps me out when my clients are looking into starting a business.”
The large man took Sunset’s hand and shook it firmly.
“Hello Mr. Mortar. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Please, call me Brick. So, Penny here tells me that you are looking to go into business for yourself. Now is the time to do it, that’s for sure. What sort of company were you looking to start?”
For the next several hours, Sunset laid out her plans with Penny and Brick, getting the groundwork laid to open her gym.
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Walking up to the school, Luna had a particular bounce in her step. Sharing the morning with her love had been something that she had forgotten. The truth was that of the very few relationships that she had had, this morning was a first for her. While others had stayed with her overnight, Luna had never found herself happy about the prospect, much less inviting further closeness. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she thought back to the shared shower this morning.
“I will definitely need to do that again.”
“Do what again?”
Luna spun around. Her sister was standing directly behind her. Having obviously caught Luna musing to herself, she resolved to meet the problem head on.
“Would you really care to know the answer Celestia?”
The pink haired administrator rolled her eyes.
“Probably not. I see that you left your car here last night, did you have an enjoyable day off?”
“Quite so, yes. We discussed many things, and went to have dinner at the Tasty Treat. It was quite nice.”
She smiled slightly at her sister. It was good to see Luna happy, though her own morals were distinctly offended as to the reasons.
Celestia could not understand these things. Even though Luna was her sister, it was just so… unnatural.
The administrator decided that she needed help to figure this out, and made a silent reminder to visit the church this afternoon to speak to the pastor about this. If there was anyone who could help steer her through these troubled waters, Immaculate Faith was the man to do it.