//------------------------------// // A Lovely Sunday // Story: The Twilight to a New Dawn // by Zeroxdoom //------------------------------// As the welcoming sun shined down on Canterlot that Sunday, most would take this time to sleep in, relax and enjoy themselves at the end of the weekend. Alas, one fashionista wasn't feeling nearly so relaxed or satisfied this morning as she found herself at an impasse. She had finished coming up with the designs for the majority of her friends as she wanted to make them some of the best dresses yet since she wanted them to impress the school, and more so any dates they gained this last week. She also took the liberty of making some outfits for the boys. Besides Clyde, it wasn't often she made outfits for any guys for free. While most of them didn't want Rarity to go out of her way, she insisted as this was their last Fall Formal and she wanted to make this one as memorable as the one where Princess Twilight first arrived. Although, at the moment, she was feeling a creative block creeping in. Given the events of Fluttershy’s date yesterday, Rarity was concerned as to whether or not she was planning on going at all. She didn't seem to be interested in going with anyone else and Rarity was worried that if all the others had dates, she'd feel left out. It’s possible that Night would take her if he found out what happened on Monday, but he just as likely might go with Minuette. So she had to think of alternatives for her, just in case. She wasn’t too worried about Twilight as she promised to find a date for her, so maybe Flash Sentry would do, but the concern was still in the back of her mind. “You doing okay Rarity?” A cup of mint tea was placed on the table in front of her as she looked up at the source of the voice to see her boyfriend Clyde. “Just a bit concerned about my friends, darling, but thank you for the morning tea.” Rarity took a sip from it and smiled. “With the Fall Formal coming up this week, I was just worried about the others and their dates.” “Well, not everyone has to have a date to go,” Clyde argued as he pulled up a chair and sat next to her. “Even if it’s the last one, I think everyone would be content with just coming together and having a good time. Don’t you agree?” “True, but given how most of the others are going about it, they’re really looking forward to spending time with that special someone, and I had already promised to find dates for the girls if they don’t have any, aside from Applejack. I don’t wanna bring their hopes up only to shoot them down,” said Rarity. “Knowing your friends, I’m sure they’d understand if you brought up the offer,” Clyde speculated. “But now that I think about it, you girls always do that at the other dances. So I get if you all wanna try something different, so long as you don’t stress yourself out.” “I’ll try my best not to.” Rarity kissed Clyde on the cheek. “But since you’re here, do you think you can help me find a date for Fluttershy and possibly Twilight?” Clyde raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Isn’t Fluttershy going with Zero? He was practically bouncing with joy all day long on Friday that he almost reminded me of Pinkie when she drank coffee that one morning.” Rarity’s pupils shrank at the memory of that incident. “Zero couldn’t possibly have as much energy as she did that day even if he tried. Also, we promised never to speak of that coffee incident again,” she said coldly with a hint of fear in her voice. “Easy now.” Clyde massaged her shoulders. “Just drink your tea and get your mind off of it.” Rarity took another sip from her tea and relaxed with a relieved sigh as she came back to reality. “Much better. And to answer your question, I might have … spied on Fluttershy’s date to the zoo with Rainbow Dash and Zero’s mother. I’ll save the details for later, but in the end, Fluttershy turned down Zero’s offer to the dance. So I was wondering if maybe Tyrone or someone else from your team might be interested in taking her.” Clyde leaned back in his chair and didn’t hesitate to break it to her. “Most of the guys on the squad wouldn’t really be interested in Fluttershy like that. She’s too timid for their taste, and they’ve already have plans and dates in mind from the looks of it. As for Tyrone, he likes more athletic girls like Rainbow so … that’s a no-go for him.” “Drat.” Rarity tapped her chin. “Hmm … perhaps Bulk Biceps could take her. They seem to get along very well and they’re in a few clubs together. That or maybe even Big Mac, although he might have a line of girls already fighting over him, so I’m not too sure,” she giggled. “I could ask Night if he still wants to go with her when I see him tomorrow morning,” Clyde added. “As for Twilight, I can’t really think of anyone who would want to go with her. The only boy I see her with is Zero, and even then, he made it clear that he had other girls in mind if Fluttershy didn’t wanna go.” “I did think of Micro Chips as a strong candidate.” Rarity sipped more of her tea as she finished it. “Although it’s admittedly for a shallow reason as they’re both very intellectual and into scientific research,” she said with a sheepish chuckle before groaning. “I just pray everyone will have a good time with whoever they go with.” “I’m sure they will.” Clyde wrapped an arm around her. “And I’m even more sure you’ll find everyone a good date. But not if you keep trying to bust your beautiful brain about it. You just woke up after all and already got to work.” “You make a valid point.” Rarity nodded. “And I do have till the end of the week before the dance. I’ll just ask around Monday morning and get some results then!” Clyde gave a warm smile. “That’s the spirit and confidence I like to see. While you put that aside, you can focus more on the dresses. In fact,” he sat up and stretched, “I think some Sunday shopping oughta really get some inspiration in you. And we can pick some materials you might need.” Rarity returned the smile as she stood up as well. “Now you’re speaking my language!” she said gleefully, as she could already feel her creative block will going away with the hour. “A bit of fresh air and shopping will do just the trick, and while we’re at it, a dinner date sounds nice, don’t you think?” “Heh, whatever you wish. Just as long as it’s not too expensive like,” Clyde laughed. Rarity waved him off playfully. “Oh, hush you. Worry not, as my friend Saffron Masala will treat us to a more than fair meal. Pinkie introduced me to her some time ago and her cooking is astonishing! You must try it out Clyde,” she praised. “At this rate, you’re working up my appetite if you’re hyping her up,” Clyde admitted. “But let’s save it for later and get ready.” “I’ll head into the shower first. Unless, of course … you wish to join me.” Rarity winked at him playfully. “I have no complaints.” Clyde smirked. Rarity slowly took his hand and led him out of the room and into her private bathroom as they were already off to an intimate start this morning. Night Chase was panting heavily as he lay back against an apple tree on Sweet Apple Acres. Drenched in sweat from the morning workout he had just finished, he took a moment to catch his breath and could almost feel himself about to cough up a lung. Just then, Applejack had just finished one more lap around the field and stopped by Night as she was barely sweating at all. She wiped off the sweat on her forehead as she held out a water bottle to Night as he weakly took it, instantly chugging down the whole bottle until there was not even a drop left. Night gasped as he pulled his mouth away. “I swear, when you’re dehydrated, cold water is like a blessing from the heavens for training so hard.” “Yer welcome, by the way.” Applejack chuckled before drinking some of the water briefly. “Told ya running around the acres would be a darn good idea to improve yer endurance and whatnot. Nobody on our property to bother ya. Nice and juicy apples for you to eat in case you need a break, and the acres goes on for miles!” “Well, it’s not like I ever doubted you,” Night wheezed before looking out at the field as he watched the beautiful sunrise. The other day when Night was talking to Blitz Squall, the top runner on the boys track and cross country teams, he mentioned that he needed a new place to practice other than the track field and was getting a little tired of running down the sidewalk to practice as he found it a bit bothersome. He had to dodge pedestrians and dogs almost every day, that’s excluding the time he scraped his knee and Fluttershy came to his aid by pure chance. It was then where the conversation caught Applejack’s ear as she was nearby and offered him use of the acres. He was hesitant on the idea as she hadn’t asked for anything in return, but Blitz insisted that he at least give it a chance. And honestly, it was the probably the best idea of the century. The beautiful sun beamed down on the acres on a clear day mixed in with the breathtaking serenity rather than the hustle and bustle of the town. It was a nice change of pace, especially compared to his days in Manehattan. And frankly, he almost envied Applejack and her family for having this all to themselves. The only downside was he wished Applejack hadn’t shown him up during the morning run and displayed how much endurance and stamina she has. “Once you stop lookin’ like Winona after a long summer day, yer free to come inside and grab some grub,” Applejack offered. “We’d be happy to have ya, Night.” “Your kindness and hospitality are unrivaled and appreciated, but I think I’m gonna just sit for another minute or two before I go home for the day.” Night leaned back. “Gotta take care of a poem for homework, and I already know it’s gonna make me got to bed with a headache.” Applejack chuckled. “English was never really mah thing either. But at least we get room to express ourselves and be more flexible.” “Fair point.” “At any rate, ah best hurry back soon. Apple Bloom and her friends are gonna get ready to put on a show for us,” Applejack said as the idea alone made her sound more tired than the morning run itself. “A show?” Night raised an eyebrow. “You mean like that performance they did in the musical showcase?” “Nah. It’s just an idea Sweetie Belle came up with for them to try on dresses and get ups to show off for the Fall Formal this weekend with me, Granny Smith, and Big Mac as the judges,” Applejack grouched as she pinched the bridge of her nose. “It starts out fine and dandy, sure, but eventually disagreements happen as Granny gets uptight about how some of them look. It just drags on longer than it should and the whole judging thing loses all purpose. Ya get what I mean?” Night nodded in understanding. “Stay strong cowgirl, you can pull through one more time,” he said until a thought came across his mind. “I know I should mind my own business, but what about you? Are you going with anyone this year?” “Eeenope.” Applejack picked an apple from the tree above them. “Nobody bothered askin’ me, so I’m on chaperone duty for my sister’s gang. Course, I could have another dance-off with Rainbow and show her what for.” She chuckled before taking a bite out of her apple. “.....I could take you to the dance if you want.” Applejack’s eyes widened slightly and she swallowed her apple before continuing. “Say what now?” “You’re letting me practice on your property and you even offered me something to eat without so much as considering the idea of asking for anything in return. I know I helped out with some of the chores yesterday, but I felt like they were miniculse at best and didn’t amount to any sort of repayment in my eyes. Especially when I messed up and let most of the chickens loose on the acres and we spend most of the afternoon searching for them and canceled our little nature hike.” Night looked up at her. He was admittedly bothered that he couldn’t think of a way to repay her properly for her kindness. Even if they were friends and didn’t have to be indebted to each other, he thought this was the best course of action to show his gratitude. While he did consider asking Minuette to the Fall Formal, she was more than likely planning on having a good time with Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. “It’s the least I can do for you. And besides, if you show me some of your moves, we can show Dash a thing or two on the dance floor.” He smiled. Applejack, who gave a small chuckle at the last part, blushed slightly before tipping her hat down a little to hide it. “Aww shucks, Night. Ya don’t have to go and do that for me. It’s fine. And I told ya to never mind about them chickens yesterday. They usually get out every once in a while anyways.” “I don’t have to, but I want to.” Night finally managed to stand up on his feet. “But if you’re not interested, feel free to say no.” “Well….” Applejack began as a smile crept up. “Ah guess there’s no harm in the idea. But if that’s the case, make sure ya have enough stamina after practice tomorrow, cause I expect ya here in the afternoon every day for some brief dance lessons.” “Dance lessons? Now I’m starting to wonder who’s more generous, you or Rarity,” Night joked. “Yer gonna need it if ya wanna dance with this cowgirl.” She smirked as she crossed her arms. “If not, this bull might send ya flying straight out the gym if yer not careful.” Night imagined the idea and was admittedly shaken by the possibility. “I’ll see to it that I get here by five-thirty.” “Perfect!” Applejack patted his shoulder as she started heading back to the farm. “Thanks a bunch, Night. Ah appreciate it a lot. See ya in school tomorrow!” “Try not to bust your brain over the whole judging thing.” Night waved at her before walking off. He took a minute to regain some stamina before going for one last run. As he exited the Apple family’s property and entered back into the busy streets of Canterlot, he found himself feeling eager for tomorrow’s lessons and even more so for the dance. He hadn’t been too thrilled about it before since his plans with Fluttershy fell through. But now, things were quickly starting to look up for him. Just as he turned the corner, Night saw Minuette exiting the nearby boutique carrying some bags. She noticed him quickly and smirked a little. “Well, if it isn’t the running man of Canterlot. What are you doing jogging around on a Sunday?” “Well excuuuuse me, pearly whites,” Night chuckled before slowing down in front of her. “Am I committing a sin of some sort for doing so?” “No, it’s just odd seeing you out like this when you're either sleeping in or playing games with your friends online,” Minuette commented. “What’s motivating you to push yourself today?” “It’s nothing, really,” Night waved off. “Just found a new practicing spot is all.” He took note of the shopping bag and the store she came out of. “You bought a new dress?” “Excellent deduction my dear Watson,” Minuette beamed. “This is what I’m planning on wearing to the Fall Formal! But sorry, no sneak peeks. Not even for childhood best friends.” Night smiled and shook his head. “I figured as much.” “Did you figure out what you’re gonna wear? Or who you’re gonna go with?” Minuette wondered. “As a matter of fact, Rarity insisted on making a suit for me despite my wishes,” Night grumbled. “Frankly, I’d rather buy my own suit and avoid being a hassle to her. But I digress. And I was planning on going with Fluttershy, but that didn’t work out.” “It’s alright. I wouldn’t stress it too much since you’ve got till the end of the week.” Minuette patted his shoulder with a small smile. “Besides, you could always go with me if you want.” “I really appreciate it Minty,” Night replied gratefully before shaking his head. “But you don’t have to worry about me this time around. Just as I was leaving Sweet Apple Acres, I asked Applejack to go with me since she’s always busy being a chaperone.” Minuette hesitated for a few seconds before speaking up. “Really?” “Really really.” Night smiled a little at the idea. “She’s even kind enough to teach me some dance moves after practice tomorrow so I don’t look like a complete dork out there.” “Heh, you’ll always be a dork one way or another,” Minuette giggled before turning away. “Listen, I’ve gotta go meet up with Lyra and Lemon Hearts up the block. I’ll text you later.” “Smell ya later.” Night took off running in the other direction and waved at her. As Minuette walked off and was sure her friend was gone, she gripped her shopping bag a little tighter than normal and gritted her teeth in frustration. She took a deep breath and texted her friends that she wasn't feeling well before changing her route and headed home for the rest of the day. Later that day on the second floor of the Sweet Shoppe, there was immense tension circulating the playroom as Pinkamena Diane Pie stood patiently and quietly in the center, waiting for her prey to make their moves. It was silent now, sure, but it was only a matter of time until they moved or gave away their positions. They can hide all they want, Pinkie thought to herself as she gave a determined glare. I’m the hide and seek champion. She slowly scanned the room for any hint as to where they might be. The two yogurt-covered high chairs weren’t knocked over, so they weren’t near there. The door remained closed ever since Mr. Cake dropped by, so they couldn’t have sneaked out, thankfully. And so far, every toy scattered around the room was accounted for … with the exception of the rubber chicken. Just then, Pinkie heard the faint yet familiar squeaking sound coming from the toy chest. She blitzed over in an instant and opened it to see two toddlers dash out in two separate directions, both of whom were covered in yogurt. One was a brown-haired boy with goldish gray skin and brown eyes, and the other was a bright orange-haired girl with bright yellow skin and blue eyes. She also had a bright blue bow in her hair. “Pound! Pumpkin! You get back here!” Pinkie ran after Pumpkin as the toddler was holding the rubber chicken and giggling. “It’s time for your bath and nap time!!” When she attempted to dive at her, Pumpkin just ducked and made Pinkie crash into a pile of stuffed animals. “I hope you realize this means war!” Pinkie warned half seriously as she poked her head out from the pile. She scanned the room as saw someone hiding underneath a blanket from the other side of the toddler bed by the window. She noticed it wasn’t there before and smirked as she slowly creeped over to it while mumbling some stealth music. Once Pinkie was close enough, she leaped over to the other side of the bed in an instant and towered over him before shouting “gotcha!” and pulling off the blanket. At least, she thought she towered over him as it turned out what she thought was one of them was actually just a pile of toys stacked together. “Very clever, Pound Cake,” she said, sounding impressed. “You’re getting better at this.” Just then, she heard the door to the room open and didn’t hesitate this time. She immediately lunged at the door and went in to grab one of the twins, but she instead crashed into the fourth member of their little gang, Swift, who had just entered. He let out a yelp as he fell on his back with Pinkie on top of him “Oopsie daisy!” Pinkie laughed before quickly shutting the door. “You’re not a toddler.” “Uuuuugh no, but I am finding it hard to breathe,” Swift groaned before looking at her. He blushed when he realized how close she was to him. Pinkie quickly sat up and got off. “I’ll say! You were starting to look as red as a tomato!” “I-I am?! I mean, I was?!” Swift exclaimed before hiding his face. “D-Don’t worry! I’ll be okay now!” He quickly sat up and looked around the room. “Hey, what happened? I thought you were gonna hurry up and get them ready for their bath. I got the tub ready and everything.” “I was just playing with them for a bit to wear them out!” Pinkie explained. “That way we can make sure they’re extra squeaky clean without them struggling or tussling too much in the bath. Plus, they’ll fall asleep quicker!” “I see…. Interesting strategy” Swift said as he quickly had an idea. “But I think I have a simpler approach that’ll make this a breeze. You know if there’s any bubble bath soap?” “Under the sink behind the toilet paper.” “That’s all we need.” Swift looked around the room and cleared his throat. “Pound, Pumpkin, bubble bath!” Pound and Pumpkin poked their heads out from under the nearby play table and dashed past Swift and Pinkie as they raced into the bathroom. Swift smiled confidently as he followed them in there with Pinkie not far behind. He saw the little rugrats were already in the tub and impatiently waiting for the bubbles to be added in. “Works every time.” Swift chuckled and grabbed the bottle from under the sink and poured the liquid into the water. Afterwards, he splashed the water around to quickly make the bubbles form. The twins giggled happily and started playing with them for a bit. Pinkie elbowed Swift playfully. “Wow, you’re pretty good at this babysitting thing so far,” she commented. “I’m really grateful you volunteered to help me babysit the twins today!” “Oh, it’s n-no big deal.” Swift scratched his chin before he crouched down and started washing Pound Cake. In truth, it hadn’t been his idea to do this. Flash tossed him the suggestion after hearing that Pinkie occasionally babysat for the twins, so he thought it’d be a good chance for Swift to try and ask her out once the little ones were asleep and nobody would interrupt them. While Swift wasn’t sure he’d go through with it, he was more than happy to help Pinkie out and spend time with the girl he’d been dreaming of asking out since sophomore year. Sure, he probably never was going to work up the confidence necessary to pull it off since she was way out of his league, but any moment he had to be near her was enough to make him happy. “Actually,” Swift began, “I’ve been doing stuff like this for a while now. Back when I was little, I was always looking after Scootaloo when my parents were busy.” “Awww, that’s such an adorable mental image,” Pinkie giggled as she started cleaning Pumpkin Cake. “Little Swifty and Scoots. What was she like back then?” “You want to hear more?” Swift said, a little surprised. “Well, um … she didn’t know how to stay still, that’s one thing. And anytime I took her to the park, she’d almost always find a way to scratch herself or get hurt. So I had to get used to bringing a band-aid or two. She was a real daredevil, but a tough little booger through and through.” “You’ve gotta invite me over sometime and show me some baby pics!” Pinkie beamed excitedly. “I’ve gotta see how adorable you both look!” Swift’s train of thought immediately went and took a detour towards his teenage hormones once Pinkie mentioned the idea of inviting her over and for a moment his mind went to the gutter. “U-um….” “You don’t need to be embarrassed!” she reassured. “I mean, come on, it’s me you’re dealing with here. Who am I to judge?” “True,” Swift said until he shook his head and gathered his thoughts back together. Calm down, calm down, just keep the conversation going, he thought before quickly getting back on topic. “Actually Pinkie, if you don’t mind me asking, I … don’t know much about your folks, so….” “I’m happy you asked!” Pinkie stated and took out a family photo from her hair and pointed to each member of the family. “My parents are actually in charge of a mining company! And I have three sisters: my sister Marble who's a bit on quiet side and a few minutes younger than me! My older sister Maud who graduated from our school last year and is about to go to Starswirl University this spring to become a geologist. She’s hilarious and always cracks jokes that put mine to shame! And lastly, my oldest sister, Limestone! She’s currently going to the university outside of town to be the next project director for the business! She’s a bit on the grumpy side, but between you, me, and the twins, I think it’s because Maud has a boyfriend and she doesn’t.” Swift just blinked in shock as he was completely surprised by the information he was given and how incredibly different she was compared to the rest of her family, especially with how straight-faced and bored Pinkie looked with the rest of her family back in her childhood. How did Pinkie go from being so stone-faced to … being Pinkie? he thought to himself, realizing he was missing a piece of the puzzle to this info. “So … what exactly made you go from that to … this?” Pinke pondered to herself as she recalled her favorite childhood memory. She gave a smile at the memory. It wasn’t a wide or bubbly one, but it was rather calm. “It was back when we were browsing around the town to buy food. When I was walking behind my sisters, I noticed there was some loud cheering coming from one of the houses nearby. I took a little peek after they stopped and saw Cheese Sandwich throwing a party for his cousin. Back then, I’d never seen anything like it before. It was a small party, but it looked so lively and exciting and happy—completely opposite from how my family looked. So the next week was my mom’s birthday and I decided to throw a party for her since we’ve never thrown birthday parties before.” “Aww, that’s so sweet Pinkie,” Swift praised her. “I never expected Cheese Sandwich to be the one to inspire you. I hope he’s doing well in college. But did the party work out well?” “It went better than I expected! It was the first time we’ve all smiled together back then!” Pinkie said as she finished washing Pumpkin’s hair. “We had all sorts of fun and after the party, things kinda went back to normal. And I hated it, to be honest. Everything was so boring and dull. I love my folks, but I didn’t like how every day played out, especially since we were all homeschooled.” “You were homeschooled?” Pinkie nodded. “Up until the start of middle school. The others didn’t really mind too much, but I wanted to branch out and meet other people. So we finally moved to Canterlot and I started living life the way I want to: To make everyone smile as much as I can and throw such memorable parties like Cheese Sandwich does. Hopefully I can do just as great as him.” Swift smiled at Pinkie and noticed the admiration in her tone. Hearing such a touching story of the girl he’d fallen for made him resonate with her even more than in all his high school years so far. He felt as though he’d fallen for her even more now that he understood the meaning of her smiles a bit more. He thought to himself, Honestly, I think you’re even better than him. Just as he spaced out, Pound put some bubbles on Swift’s chin as he giggled. “Ah! Pound Cake!” Swift yelped as he noticed Pound gave him a long foamy bubble beard. Pinkie snorted as she started laughing until Pumpkin reached over and gave Pinkie a long mustache. Swift and Pinkie looked at each other’s new facial features and giggled at each other before cleaning themselves off and looking at the twins. “I think that’s enough bath time for these two.” “Time to get these two into nap mode with a story!” Pinkie said while taking them out of the bathtub and drying them with a towel. Just as they were heading out the bathroom together, Swift’s phone rang. “You go on ahead and get their clothes on. It’s probably my mom checking in as usual,” Swift said as he motioned for her to on ahead as he sat down in the bathroom and closed the door. He checked his cell phone and saw it was Thunderlane. Raising an eyebrow, he answer the phone. “Thunder?” “So, how’s the babysitting coming along, Swifty boy?” Thunderlane teased with a small laugh. “I heard you and Pinkie were watching the Cake twins alone.” “It’s actually pretty nice. Mrs. Cake said he’s even gonna pay me later,” Swift explained as he drained the water out of the tub. “I should be out of here soon and we can play some Smash Bros at my place.” “Just make sure you don’t screw this one up,” Thunderlane cautioned. “You’ve gotta grab a date to the dance before someone like Caramel steals her from you. Again!” Swift remained silent for a second. He opened the door to the bathroom and peeked out into the hallway just to make sure nobody else was around. With the coast clear, he retreated back into the bathroom and sighed. “I don’t think I’m ever gonna ask her out.” “WHAT?! Why not?!” “Well, crossing out the obvious facts that she’s out of my league and I have so little confidence that even a sixth grader would laugh at me, I feel like maybe I just need to let it go and move on, ya know?” Swift confessed as looked down. “We’re already good enough friends that I’m nervous I might make things awkward between us if I told her how I really feel.” Thunderlane sighed. “Oh come on. Even if that is the case, are you gonna have any closure if you keep it to yourself?” “Maybe some things are better left unsaid,” Swift argued quietly. “Besides, I’m sure she’s gonna be great with some other guy like you or probably even Flash as a boyfriend.” “Flash? Really?” “Flash is pretty cool. Goofy, but still kinda cool,” Swift admitted. “Ehh, to each their own,” Thunderlane dismissed and returned to the topic at hand. “You could at the very least take her to the Fall Formal. I don’t want you to be the only guy there without a date.” Swift chuckled. “I doubt I’m gonna be the only loser there. You and Flash are going after all.” “Hey! I am gonna have a date, so shut it!” “Still though, I guess you're right.” Swift smiled. “I guess we could just go as friends if I work up the courage. It is gonna be one of our last dances, so I-I’ll try.” “And there’s the infamous s-s-stuttering,” Thunderlane joked. “You can’t let such a thicc beauty go to the dance alone. Or else someone is gonna play Mr. Steal Your Girl again.” “Yeah, yeah. Look, I gotta hurry and get back to Pinkie,” Swift said as he grabbed the door handle and opened the door. “So could yo—” Swift suddenly felt like his entire world just stopped as his pupils shrank at what he saw. Pinkie was standing right in front of the doorway and had an expression of shock mixed with disbelief, leading Swift to realize that she must have overheard his conversation with Thunderlane. Swift couldn’t move a muscle and felt the biggest chill go through his body. It looked like Pinkie was in a similar state as she was shockingly quiet. “You still there?” Thunderlane asked over the phone, breaking the immersion. Swift just hung up and put his phone away. With a small gulp, Swift finally asked, “H-How much … did you hear?” “J-Just as you mentioned asking me out,” Pinkie admitted softly. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, I promise. I was coming back to get Pumpkin’s rubber chicken until….” Her voice trailed off as she looked away. “O-Oh,” Swift said before he looked back at the tub. Now that it was drained, he saw the rubber chicken resting on the bottom and he picked it up. “L-Let’s get them to bed before anything else.” Pinkie nodded and the two headed back to the kids’ room. After a short bedtime story and waiting for the twins to fall asleep, Swift and Pinkie headed into the hallway to talk in private. Thankfully, Pinkie didn’t waste any time in getting back to the topic. “You actually meant what you said on the phone?” Pinkie mumbled to him as she stared at the ground, her hands holding her stomach. Swift only nodded, too afraid to speak any further. From Pinkie’s posture and tone, he could already tell that the rejection was coming and that she felt bad about the idea. Already was his world going up in flames and armageddon. “I’m sorry. I didn’t wanna mess anything up.” Swift bit his lip for a moment and leaned against the wall. “If I had just let my feelings go, everything would’ve been alright. Everything could’ve stayed the same. But I just liked you too much and I guess craved being closer to you.” “But why fall for me?” Pinkie asked as she gripped her stomach tighter. “It’s one thing to be best friends or super ultra best friends, but I’m terrible when it comes to romance stuff. I mess up every date I go on and all the guys I go with are even skeptical to be near me sometimes, which makes sense. It’s not that I mind going to the dance with you or … going out. But I’m scared of your feelings for me changing drastically Swifty. I don’t think I’m too great sometimes.” Swift’s eyes widened as he finally looked at Pinkie, not expecting this kind of confession. “Wait, what? N-no … no, of course you’re great! I wouldn’t avoid you over a mishap or accident. You just need a bit of help doing these kind of things, that’s all.” “You say that now, but….” “Pinkie, I’ve known you since sophomore year,” Swift stated with a bit more confidence in his voice. “You know everyone’s birthday and get them a present, you know they’ll like and sometimes throw them parties, you’re the head of the cheerleading squad and the party planning committee, and some of my friends know about your date incidents and wouldn’t mind the punishment, and I feel the same. The list of things you do can goes on. I-I….” Swift gulped and gripped his fist tightly, no longer worrying about his feelings but rather summoning the courage to tell Pinkie something she needed to hear. “I think you’re the greatest girl in all of Canterlot. And you’ve surpassed Cheese Sandwich in my eyes, if anything. I think he’d be proud of you.” Pinkie slowly looked up at Swift as the two locked eyes with one another. Swift’s mind caught up to what he had just said and he blushed violently. It wasn’t long before she blushed as well, but it was quickly followed with a warm smile. “Hey Swift?” “Y-Yeah?” “Do you wanna come with me to the Fall Formal?” Swift felt his heart skip a beat and gasped a little. “R-Really?” “No guy has ever told me that before. And it’s only fair that I go with you if you’ve had a crush on me for a super long time.” Pinkie rejoiced in her usual cheery tone Swift scratched the back of his head and looked away. “A-Are you sure I’m really worth it though? I mean, I’m—” Without any warming, Pinkie leaned in and gave Swift a peck on the cheek, cutting him off once more. “I think you got it backwards, Swift. You're the one who's too good for me.” Pinkie grinned. “So what do you say? Do you wanna go with me?” Realizing that it was all too good to be true, Swift pinched his thigh to see if he was dreaming. When he felt the brief pain and realized it was completely real, he smiled at Pinkie as the moment he’d been waiting so long for had finally arrived. Just as he was about to respond to her, his phone went off again. He chuckled before taking it out and seeing that it was Thunderlane again. “I better take this.” He accepted the call and put it to his ear. “Thunder?” “Yeah dude, you suddenly cut off in the call and didn’t contact me back,” said Thunderlane in an almost annoyed tone. “Heh, sorry about that,” Swift replied. He jolted a bit as he suddenly felt Pinkie holding his hand. He looked at her and the two exchanged smiles. “But everything’s great now.” The soothing sounds of two guitars could be heard strumming together in harmony as Rivet and Rainbow were playing in Rainbow’s room. Being as it was a mellow afternoon, she had decided to invite Rivet over for some guitar lessons since she wanted to see if she could try different avenues of playing it other than rocking out and bursting the neighborhood’s eardrums. Unfortunately, they were putting on a show for two other people. Her parents Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof were in the room with them as they had wide smiles on their faces and were enjoying every note they heard from the two. Her mother Windy was a slender woman who had a light blue skin tone like Rainbow and had light scarlet hair with some streaks of orange in it and cerise eyes. On the other hand, her father was much more muscular with a five o’ clock shadow, short rainbow-colored hair, grayish blue skin and amber eyes. Just as the two musicians wrapped up their little duet, Windy and Bow applauded them and threw in some whistling as if they were part of an actual audience. Rivet gave a bashful blush and waved at them to play along while Rainbow only groaned in annoyance. She hadn’t expected them to be home so early today, and they had immediately raced up to her room so they could hear her play up close. “Encore! Encore!” Windy cheered joyfully. “That was a great duet you two! Even if was just practice!” “Indeed!” Bow agreed wholeheartedly with his wife. “The number one guitarist in Canterlot is sure to steal the show in her next gig. Speaking of which, when is your next gig sweetie?” “It’s a working progress, Dad.” Rainbow said in a bothered tone. “Plus, the girls and I are trying to see if Twilight wants to be our new member, so there’s that.” “I don’t see why she wouldn’t be interested. If I were her and you, the greatest musician in town, asked me to join her band, I’d immediately be awestruck and shout YEEEEES!!!!” Windy shouted as she jumped into the air, startling Rivet and infuriating Rainbow a little. “Mooooom,” Rainbow hissed with a glare. “If you and Dad wouldn’t mind, me and Rivet would like to finish our practice in peace, please.” Bow chuckled and headed for the door. “Sorry, sorry. We’ll be on our way out. Keep on rocking sweetie!!” He did a little air guitar solo before he and Windy heading out of the room. Windy quickly turned around just as she stepped out. “Oh! And you were just as good, Rivet! Keep up the good work!” she said before walking away and giving him a quick wink. Rainbow sighed as she lay back on her bed. “Finally. Why couldn’t we go to your house again?” “‘Cause I think this exact situation would happen except with my sister,” Rivet explained as he tuned his guitar. “Lighty always comes into my room without asking and would probably try to interrupt your lessons. I didn’t want you to feel bothered.” “I guess that’s fair.” Rainbow strummed her guitar casually with sigh. “I hate being the only child sometimes. If I had a brother or sister, at least then they can suffer some of the embarrassment with me and it wouldn’t be so bad.” “I think it’s kinda nice how your parents love you. I mean….” Rivet glanced out the window as he stopped playing. “To be honest, I don’t get to spend much time with my dad. With him in the air force, I barely get to spend any time with him outside of holidays and such,” he said in a somber tone. He noticed Rainbow scratched the back of her head and turned away from him. He immediately read the mood and shook his head. “My bad, I didn’t mean to change the mood with my personal life.” “Nah, it’s cool, I get it.” Rainbow turned back to him. “You have a point though: it’s because of them that I managed to get this far, actually.” Rivet raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. “What do you mean this far?” With a small smile, Rainbow resumed playing. “Long story short, they knew I had the makings to be as awesome as I wanna be. But as a little kid, I was always nervous to prove myself to others. So they signed me up for a kids soccer team and forced me to go to tryouts. I was scared, they gave me a speech on how to be brave, and then before I knew it, I made the team and become of the best players.” “I see. Heh.” Rivet smiled a little. “I guess they just wanna prevent you from retreating back to your doubtful state.” Rainbow nodded. “And it’s cool and all. I really owe them for everything. But sometimes … okay, the majority of the time I’m pretty sure of myself and don’t need them to support me in everything I do, y’know? I just wish they’d dial it back.” “Well, that’s what happens when you have fans. They’re bound to wear you down at some point. Maybe they’ll leave you alone if you give them an autograph.” Rivet gave an awkward chuckle as his own joke. Rainbow shook her head and giggled at his attempt. “They’re more like super fans if anything,” Rainbow corrected before tapping her chin. “Then again, Fluttershy feels like a sister to me if I really think about it.” “Really? What about the other girls?” “Well, I’ve been friends with Pinkie, Rarity, and AJ since freshman year. Sunset was after the big Fall Formal incident, and Twilight just joined us. But I’ve been friends with Fluttershy ever since the first day at Cloudsdale Middle School when one of my old friends Gilda bullied her and I stood up for her. And ever since, we’ve been inseparable.” Rivet thought about it and it made sense considering that, out of the Rainbooms, Rainbow was usually seen walking home or to school with Fluttershy. Likewise, Fluttershy could almost always be seen watching Rainbow at practice more than the other girls. Rivet could only imagine what Rainbow would do if Fluttershy’s “secret admirer” got his wish on taking her to the Fall Formal and starting a relationship. Odds were, they’d either clash or they’d come to a truce. “Speaking of the music and the Rainbooms,” Rainbow spoke up as an idea came to her, “you’re so good. Why not prep a band of your own once the music showcase rolls around? We could use a good boy band! Heck, you could even be the band leader.” “I-I don’t really like to play in front of others too often. Especially if it’s a big crowd,” Rivet commented nervously. “Besides, the others don’t play music.” “Well, they can at least try it out. And so can you,” Rainbow persuaded. “If Fluttershy can manage on stage, I think you can do it too. Besides, it’s all about being brave, eh?” Rivet hesitated as he gave the idea some thought. Although she had a good point, he didn’t really feel ready to come that far out of his shell to do something like that. But the idea itself was an interesting one. “I’ll put a pin on it and suggest it to the others,” Rivet conceded in order to change the subject. “Also Riv, I wanted to ask you something,” Rainbow began as she put her guitar on the side. “Are you going with anyone to the Fall Formal?” Rivet flinched at the question a little as he blushed, caught off guard by the question. “No, why?” “Ever since Thursday, guys have been messaging me left and right about taking me to the Fall Formal. And it felt annoying when most of them don’t even really know me,” she said as a blush started to form on her face as well. “And you’re one of the only dudes I feel comfortable enough to take with me since we get along and hang out enough, so … you feel like going with me?” Rivet stared at her blankly and his expression changed to a warm smile. “You know what’s funny? I was … actually thinking about asking you after practice today. Heck, I wanted to ask you Friday, but I was too worried that I might have bugged you with the question.” “You’re such a worrywart.” Rainbow shook her head at him with a quick smirk. “But I probably would’ve said yes anyways. At least now guys will finally leave me alone. I dunno how Rarity dealt with it before she met Clyde.” “Knowing her, she probably just welcomed the attention. So I don’t blame her,” Rivet speculated before turning to the doorway. Rainbow followed his line of sight and saw her door was ajar and her parents peeking into the room, making Rainbow incredibly embarrassed and livid as she shot up from her bed. “MOM!! DAD!!!” Windy and Bow opened the door all the way now that the jig was up as the two shared a laugh. “Sorry Rainbow. We had a feeling this was coming and our curiosity got the better of us!” Windy admitted. “We promise to not eavesdrop any further!” Bow promised with a grin. “But real quick!” He took out his phone and snapped a picture of the moment. “My baby girl’s last Fall Formal date!” “And congrats on going with her Rivet!” Windy congratulated happily. “With the way Rainbow always talks about you, I’m not—” Windy was cut off by Rainbow flipping over to her in a flash and shoving a pillow in her face before slamming the door shut and locking it. Rainbow gave an awkward chuckle as she looked at Rivet, who was more curious as to what Rainbow’s mother was about to say. “So … back to lessons?” Rainbow asked with a forced smile. Rivet only nodded and pretend he hadn’t heard anything. “Yeah … and we’ll practice at my house from now on.” Soul sighed in complete bliss. He was spread lazily across the living room couch in a blue t-shirt with ketchup stains on it and his Star Wars underwear while marathoning sci-fi movies on his TV with a plate of chicken nuggets and different kinds of dipping sauce. Being as he didn’t have any plans for the day, he thought this would be a good chance to just kick back and enjoy his lazy afternoon. With a small yawn, Soul reached for another nugget. Man, this actually is starting to get really boring, he thought to himself as he glanced outside. He noticed that the sky was slowly changing from blue to orange, notifying him that the afternoon was slowly changing to the evening. And it’s starting to get a little late to actually go out and do anything either. I guess I can ask one of the guys if they want to play online with me. Yeah! That’ll be the perfect way to end the day! Soul reached for his phone but found that it wasn’t next to him. Just as he was about to start searching for it, he heard the doorbell ring. He groaned and rolled off the couch before hopping up to his feet and sluggishly walking over. “Who could it be? It better not be Rainbow trying to steal my bike again,” he huffed, quickly looking through the peephole. He saw it was Sunset standing on the other side of the door. Oh sweet! It’s Sunset, Soul thought excitedly as his lazy mood quickly changed … until he came to a realization. OH CRAP IT’S SUNSET! Why is she here?! How’d she find my address?! I didn’t tell her that yet! He began to panic before he quickly examined himself as he was a complete slob. She can’t see me like this!! I’ve gotta change! He made a mad dash towards the staircase and bolted up to his room to clean himself up and put on some clothes. Within a minute, he heard Sunset knocking on the door again. “I’m coming!!” Soul shouted as he slid down the railing on the stairs, only to go too fast and fall off at the end as he crashed into a nearby table and injured his leg a little. He quickly got up and limped over to the door before opening and leaning against it with a forced smile in order to ignore the pain and look cool. “Sunset! This is a surprise! Wasn’t expecting you to be here!” Raising an eyebrow, Sunset took out her phone. “Umm, you invited me over today and said you wanted to hang out.” She showed him the conversation they had on the phone, proving that Soul had invited her. “I … did?” Soul said as he tried to remember. He hadn’t used his phone in the past two hours since he made his nuggets. In fact, he couldn’t even find it. But right now, it was neither here nor there since he was getting bored and could use some company at the moment, especially if it was Sunset. “Well, whatever the case, come on in!” Sunset smiled and walked inside before glancing at Soul. “Why is your shirt inside out?” “Wait, huh?” Soul looked down and noticed his shirt was definitely inside out. “I, um … I’ll be right back!!” he panicked as he dashed off to the bathroom. With a small giggle, Sunset sat on the couch and waited for her host to return before seeing the nuggets he left on the table. “Oh hey, chicken nuggets,” she said as she took one and dipped it in some barbeque sauce before taking a bite. She hesitated … then reached in for a few more. But as she was eating, she felt a presence behind her as she quickly turned around. She saw a woman standing there with long, dark blonde hair, pale orange skin and light blue eyes. She had her arms crossed as she looked down at Sunset. “So you finally came,” the woman said in an almost stern voice. Sunset quickly put down the nugget in her hand and smiled at her. “You must be Soul’s mom. My name is—” “Sunset Shimmer,” the woman said. “My name is Dawn Writer. I’m the one who invited you here. Not my son,” she said held up Soul’s phone as proof before she down in a chair next to the couch. Judging by her expression, Sunset immediately could tell she wasn’t exactly in the best of moods. “Word on the block is you plan on taking my son to the Fall Formal next weekend and becoming his girlfriend. What makes you think you’re qualified to take my baby boy to the dance given your … history in the school?” “O-Oh … I guess you know about that too.” Sunset turned away and rubbed her shoulder as she started to feel uncomfortable. “Well, first and foremost … I think you meant word on the street, not word on the block.” She gave an awkward chuckle. “I know what I said, missy!” “S-Sorry, Sorry. And secondly, I don’t blame you for being a little skeptical about all the things I did back then,” Sunset began as she gripped her legs tightly. “The blackmailing, the friendships I ruined, the people I framed, all the bullying, the list goes on. Sure, I helped saved the entire school from the Dazzlings, but that doesn’t erase some of the mistakes I’ve made in the past since a few people around school are skeptical about me still. But I choose to not let it weigh me down as I move forward and atone for my mistakes. And I’m a little surprised Soul asked me out, to be honest. I guess he saw the me of today instead of the me I was, which is part of the reason I … kinda like him just as much.” Dawn didn’t budge for a moment before giving an approving nod. “Well, at least you didn’t beat around the bush about it. I appreciate it, though I’m still a little worried.” Sunset nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. If I were you, I’d still be a bit suspici—” “No, no. I mean about Soul!” Dawn said as her demeanor changed from being serious to a bit frantic. “You’re his first girlfriend and I don’t want things to get a little touchy between you too. I mean, who knows what could happen! He’s growing up too fast and I'm too young to be a grandma!!!!” Sunset blinked a few times. She definitely made a turnabout all of a sudden. Just then, Soul rushed back over to Sunset with his shirt fixed and looked more proper. “Sorry! I had to rock Novel back to sleep since I woke her up from a nap…. Mom, why do you have my phone?” Dawn glared at Soul. “After I heard you had a date to the Fall Formal, I wanted to find out more about who you were going with and went through your messages.” “You did what?!” “I didn’t look into too much, I promise.” Dawn tossed the phone back to him. “Also, you need a better password.” “My password is just fine!” Soul exclaimed before putting his phone away. “One, two, three, four, is never a good password sweetie,” Dawn retorted, making Soul quickly change the passcode on his phone. “Moving on, I’m just still taken aback by how much you’ve grown. It’s your last year of high school, and now you’ve finally got a girlfriend.” She started to sniff a little before taking out a small scrapbook of Soul over the years and looked through the baby pictures. “Oh dear god no.” Soul gulped. “It just feels like yesterday you were dressing up as a Jedi while acting out some of your favorite fight scenes in those Star Wars movies.” Dawn wiped a tear from her eye. “Actually, I think it was yesterday.” Soul’s eye twitched and Sunset just snickered as she leaned over to see more of the baby pictures. “He actually used to do that, that’s so cute!” Sunset cooed before turning the page. “Dawwww! What’s this one from?” she asked, pointing to a picture of toddler Soul in a Darth Vader suit sitting on the lap of someone dressed as Darth Sidious. “This one is one of our favorites. That’s when his father took him to go to one of the Sci-fi conventions in town and they met one of the actors of the Star Wars movies,” Dawn explained. “And here’s him taking a bath with Big Mac and Applejack back when they were six! He and Applejack always teamed up during bathtime against Big Mac since he was bigger and tougher than him.” “So that’s what she and Big Mac looked liked,” Sunset giggled before looking at Soul. “Hey Soul, come look at—” Soul was currently collapsed onto the couch as he passed out from the embarrassment. “S-Soul?” Sunset said in a worried tone as she nudged him. “Uuuugh,” Soul groaned. “I really didn’t want you to see those. It’s embarrassing, and I didn’t wanna look like a total nerd.” “Oh, heh, sorry about that.” Sunset scratched her cheek. “But don’t sweat, okay? I think you being a little nerdy is cute, honestly.” “Really?” Soul lifted his head up a little. Sunset smiled. “I already knew you were a bit of a goofball with a nerdy side. But you’re still a great guy. Part of the reason I said yes to going out with you is so I can get to know the real you more and more, and vice versa. And come on, am I really one to judge?” Soul returned the smile. “I guess you’ve got a point. Thanks Sunny…. You’re still gonna look at more of my baby pictures, aren’t you?” “I’m already down the cute rabbit hole and I’m too curious, so yeah.” Soul lay his head back down and groaned. “You have my permission.” Sunset patted his head before sitting back down with Dawn and returned to scanning through the adorable baby pictures once more.