Celestia wasn’t sure what had woke her up, though she knew that the clock read three thirty. Slowly getting out of bed she headed toward the stairs and saw the kitchen light on. Keeping quiet as she came downstairs she was surprised to find Sunset rummaging through the cabinets.
“Sunset? What are you doing?” She asked, watching as the girl stiffened up before turning toward her, hands folding behind her as she shifted her gaze.
“Sorry. Did I wake you?”
Celestia was too tired to deal with this, though she made herself to have patience with the teen.
“I don’t think so. Now what was you looking for?” Celestia asked, suppressing a yawn “it’s three in the morning.”
Sunset wrecked her brain for some excuse, something that she could say that wouldn’t land her into even more trouble than she had already been in that month. However nothing came to mind so she forced herself to say the words:
“I couldn’t sleep.”
It didn’t even answer Celestia’s question and she hoped that the woman wouldn’t push even farther.
“Sunset, you have said you’ve had difficulty sleeping lately. Do you have nightmares?” Celestia asked, reaching out to brush a strain of sweat soaked hair out of the girl’s face only to feel her lean into the touch.
“Yeah, I mean I know I should be able to go back to sleep…I know it’s just my mind but…” Sunset began as she pulled away not wanting to appear needy or clingy.
“Why don’t I fix us some tea? Perhaps that will help you calm down.”
Sunset barely manage a nod as she stumbled her way toward the table, taking a seat.
Celestia chuckled when she found Sunset flipping through a cookbook that had been sitting on the table.
“Find something you want to try?” she asked, earning a blush from the former pony who just shrugged
“I needed to preoccupy my mind somehow.”
A heavy silence fell over them, however suddenly Sunset spoke up, her voice wavering slightly as she said “Um…Celestia? Can I ask you something?”
Celestia was surprised by the lack of formality in her tone, though she didn’t point it out “you just did, didn’t you?”
This earned a small smile from the younger female who glanced down at her tea before asking
“Can I invite the girls over here for a sleepover sometime? I mean…We have the room and I swear I’ll clean everything up and I’m sure that the others won’t say anything and I already told Trixie…” Sunset began, earning a chuckle.
“Stop before you worry yourself sick. Its fine Sunset, I never said you couldn’t have people over.” Celestia answered with a soft smile before adding “I expect you to have visitors and phone calls. This is your home not a prison.”
Home, that was a word that Sunset still wasn’t use to thinking in terms of. She still wasn’t sure how to be human, let alone how to interact on a personal level with anyone let alone the woman who had became her appointed guardian.
“Thanks, the girls were thinking about having a Halloween thing but…I am nervous about that. I mean, people think that I’m some kind of demon anyway and I’m afraid to know what people would do if they caught me out.” Sunset confessed after a few minutes of just getting lost in thought.
“Have you told them that? I am sure they would understand.” Celestia stated, watching as the yellow-skinned girl hung her head.
“I’m afraid they won’t want to invite me to anything anymore if I say anything. They are only my friends because of Twilight Sparkle anyway!”
The principal sighed as she reached over and gently squeezed the teen’s hand.
“Just tell them the truth. I will say this, if they get mad over something like this then they aren’t worth being friends with in the first place.”