//------------------------------// // 4. Sunset Saviour // Story: Her Knight in Sunlit Armor // by AliceLiz //------------------------------// When Twilight woke up the next morning, she decided to take a very long shower, slowly washing away the thoughts from last night. Afterwards, she went through her usual routine, and put on a little makeup as well. She still had a few extra minutes before she had to leave for school, and decided to use that time to make herself a packed lunch. Sunset really has the right idea here. Twilight listened to music on the bus ride again. She had chosen Beethoven today, and was reminded that she had agreed to play for Sunset. She was nervous about seeing her again. She wanted to stay friends with Sunset, of course. But a part of her felt like she would somehow know what Twilight did, or that she would give it away somehow. Twilight didn’t run into Sunset on her way to her first class. Thankfully, learning about Ivan Pavlov and Classical Conditioning managed to put Sunset out of her mind during the class. When the bell rang, Twilight realized that her next class was biology, which she shared with Sunset. As the rest of the students left the classroom, Twilight lingered, putting her books away with more care and less hurry than normal. She knew she had to face Sunset again, to look her in the eye and act like nothing had happened, but she still wanted to put it off, even knowing it wouldn’t help. Thus she delayed, knowing that it would do her no good. Twilight decided to take a secluded path to her next class. She preferred to avoid the more crowded hallways, and today, she really didn’t feel like having to deal with the other students bumping into her constantly. When she was nearing her next classroom, she heard a voice call from behind her. “Hey, Sparky, wait up!” Twilight turned and saw Indigo jogging to catch up to her. Judging by her expression, Twilight’s mood was about to get even worse.. “Hello, Indigo,” she said in a neutral voice. When Indigo reached her, she put her hands on her hips. “Sooo, about that essay you wrote for me.” Twilight started fidgeting her hands. “I got a B- for it. Now, I was hoping to get at least a B+. I spoke to the teacher, and if I want to keep my grades high enough to satisfy my parents, I’ll have to do some extra credit. Of course, the soccer tournament will be starting soon, so I won’t have much time to study.” Indigo’s voice was laced with mock self pity. “Since you got me into this mess, I figure it’s only fair you help me out, right?” Twilight felt a bubble of anger towards the bully for blaming her for any problems she had. She tried to force the anger down, it hadn’t helped her the first time, and it would do any better now. She tried, but, her anger still got the best of her. “Well, maybe if you didn’t leave your homework until the last day, I could have helped you more! Or, better yet, maybe you wouldn’t even need to rely on other student’s to do your homework if you actually payed attention in class, instead of constantly staring at Neon Light’s butt!” Twilight was practically shouting at this point. Her eyes widened and her anger withered as she realized what she had just done. Indigo glared at her. Twilight backed up out of sheer instinct, and Indigo followed after her, grabbing her by the shirt and pushing her up against the wall. There was murder in those eyes. “Why you little-” “Hey!” Both Twilight and Indigo looked around at the sudden interruption and Twilight felt a hint of hope at seeing Sunset standing there with her arms folded over her chest. Her normally kind features twisted in a snarl. “Put her down!” She demanded. Indigo let go of Twilight, but she didn’t move away, keeping her trapped against the wall. “You’re the new girl, right? Well, let me give you a little tip for surviving this place. Don’t get in my way.” Sunset laughed. A low, dark laugh that didn’t suit her. Her mouth twisted into a condescending smile, "Listen, Goggles, I may be new to this school, but I have more than enough experience with this particular game.” Taking a few steps closer, Sunset continued. “How about you leave my friend alone, and I don’t make your life a living hell? Sound good?” Twilight gaped at her friend. The same person that she was tutoring, who helped her pick out a cute new outfit, or the person who flinched every time someone mentioned her old school. She looked downright intimidating, and Twilight realized she had been wrong a moment ago. This did suit her. A little too well, in fact, like she was used to it. Indigo looked between Sunset and Twilight a couple of times. “You don’t scare me.” Twilight thought she could hear a faint quiver in Indigo’s voice, but that must have been her imagination. Right? Sunset smirked at Indigo, folding her arms. “Yeah, they all say that at first.” Indigo was looking nervous now. Twilight could she a bead of sweat on her forehead. Indigo kept her gaze locked on Sunset for a few seconds, before the bell rang. Twilight nearly jumped at the sudden sound. Indigo, meanwhile, backed off. “You got lucky this time, Sparky,” she said, keeping her eyes on Sunset backed away and around the corner. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the stars she backed off.” Twilight turned to her friend and noticed that she seemed even more relieved than she herself did. “She looked pretty tough. Sports captain, I assume?” Twilight took a moment to figure out what just happened. “Uhm, yeah. She’s the soccer captain, and she plays for a few other teams as well.” Sunset nodded and pointed in the direction of their next class. “Let’s get moving, so we’re not late.” Twilight followed along, glancing nervously at Sunset every few seconds, wondering what to say. Sunset’s demeanor had returned to normal. Twilight felt her muscles slowly relaxing again. “Thanks for saving me. I really got her angry this time.” Sunset gave her a worried look. “Does she threaten you often?” Twilight thought back to her encounters with Indigo. “No. I usually just do what she wants. It makes things easier.” Twilight drew in on herself as she said this. Sunset put her arm around Twilight’s shoulders. “That’s exactly what she wants you to do. Take it from me, a bully’s worst fear, is for their victims to stand up to them. They thrive on having power over others, if you refuse to give them that power, they have nothing.” “Except their fists.” Twilight muttered. “Have you told anyone about this. Cadance, or the Principal?” Sunset asked. Twilight nodded. They had reached the classroom, so Twilight delayed the rest of the explanation until they had seated themselves in one corner. “I told Principal Cinch about it the first time,” she said, bitterly. “She told me that she felt sympathetic, but that she couldn’t do anything drastic to Indigo, because she was important for the sports tournaments. I assumed she would do something to stop Indigo from continuing to bully other students, but nothing changed. Turns out she cares more about trophies than the wellbeing of her students.” Twilight banished the bitterness from her voice, with much effort. “Anyway, next I went to Cadance, who talked to Indigo’s parents. That didn’t do anything either, so I figured there wasn’t anything I could do.” Twilight kept her eyes locked on her textbook. “Couldn’t Cadance do more for you?” Twilight shook her head. “Cinch stopped her from doing anything that would ‘compromise the sports teams’,” Twilight huffed, just as the teacher entered and began the lecture. Twilight and Sunset stayed silent for the rest of the class, and by the end of it, Twilight was feeling a little better. Sunset seemed to genuinely want to help her with Indigo, and she seemed to know what she was doing. “Hey, Sunset?” Twilight caught her friend’s attention as everyone packed up and left the classroom. “Yeah?” “I was wondering about earlier. When you were standing up to Indigo…” Twilight wasn’t sure how to phrase the question. Sunset looked down. “You’re wondering why I’m so good at playing the bully.” Twilight gave a soft sound of affirmation. Sunset sighed, “that’s because I used to be one, up until about four months ago. I didn’t tell you sooner, because I wanted you to get to know me as I am now. I was worried I might scare you off.” Sunset put her backpack over her shoulders, then met Twilight’s eyes. Twilight saw worry in those eyes. She quickly shook her head, “you don’t need to worry about me leaving you like that.” She gave Sunset her most reassuring smile. “I’ve seen you for who you are now. It doesn’t matter to me who you used to be.” Sunset stared at her wide eyed. She looked to be fighting back tears. Twilight was wondering whether she had said something wrong, when Sunset suddenly burst forward and caught her in a tight hug. “You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that.” Sunset whispered. Twilight froze up like a deer in headlights. She deliberately ignored the feel of Sunset’s breasts pressing against hers, and patted her lightly on the back. “Uhm, you’re welcome, Sunset.” She said hesitantly. Sunset let go of her and the two of them left the classroom, both sporting light blushes. “So,” Sunset said. “What class do you have next?” “Math, you?” Twilight responded. “Physics. How about I walk you to your class, and come get you when it’s over?” Twilight gave Sunset a questioning glance. “You know, in case Indigo tries something.” Sunset clarified. Twilight gave a small smile. “I’d like that.” “And don’t worry,” Sunset said, her voice darkening a touch, “you might think Indigo is untouchable, but she isn’t.” Twilight wasn’t really sure how to respond. She was happy that Sunset wanted to help her, but she didn’t want Sunset to get hurt trying to solve her own problem. Sunset escorted Twilight to her math class before heading off to her own classroom. They didn’t run into Indigo again, and Twilight sincerely hoped it would stay that way. Today’s lecture involved a topic that Twilight had already studied in advance, allowing her to use the time to read ahead in the textbook, and to plan her study session with Sunset. Unfortunately, having time to think brought a particular issue back to the forefront of her mind. What was she going to do about last night? Did she need to do anything about last night? What if Sunset found out and didn’t want to spend time with her anymore? Cadance might know what to do. But I would have to tell her what I did if I want her advice. Twilight agonized over what to do. Was it worth telling Cadance something so embarrassing if it meant she might help her? Maybe. The bell rang, and the students filed out of the classroom. Twilight packed up and was about to leave too, when she remembered that Sunset was going to come to her. It made her feel like a child having to wait for an adult come pick her up. But, while it seemed a little embarrassing, it did make her feel safe, too. Plus, she did enjoy Sunset’s company. The teacher had just finished packing up his things, when Sunset showed up in the doorway. “Hey, Twilight.” She greeted. Twilight immediately stood up and rushed for the door. “Hi, Sunset, how was your class?” The two of them left the classroom and started down the hall. “It was okay. Most of it was stuff I already knew, though. Physics and math come pretty easy to me.” Twilight nodded. “Hey, how about we have lunch in my lab? I’m not too fond of the cafeteria.” Sunset hummed in thought. “We’d probably run into Indigo if we went to the cafeteria anyway, best to avoid that for now.” She nodded. “Great,” Twilight exclaimed, “I brought some lunch from home. I got kinda jealous after seeing yours.” She added in a lower voice. Sunset chuckled. “What did you bring?” They had reached the lab, and Twilight unlocked it, stepping aside to let Sunset in first. “I made a salad.” Twilight replied cheerfully. They sat down at the desk and pulled out their lunch boxes. Sunset eyed Twilight’s salad for a moment. “Vegetarian, huh?” She crossed her arms, “I did say you don’t need to do that on my account didn’t I?” She accused. Twilight squirmed under Sunset’s gaze. “It’s not that. I just wanted to try it too, I guess.” Sunset raised an eyebrow at her. “I was never really that fond of meat to begin with, it just became a consistent part of my diet because my family always fed it to me.” Sunset looked thoughtful for a moment. “Oh. Well, okay then. Do you mind if I have a taste. That salad looks really good.” Twilight nodded as she pushed her lunchbox a little towards Sunset. “Sure, I’m happy to share.” Twilight and Sunset finished their lunch and spent the rest of their break studying. Sunset was a quick learner, and it was looking like she would be all caught up pretty soon. “So, I was wondering about something.” Sunset said, leaning back and taking her focus away from her notes. “When you were shouting at Indigo, you said something about her staring at someones butt.” Sunset’s wore a mirthful expression. “What was that all about?” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Indigo has a crush on this boy, Neon Lights. She thinks it’s a big secret, but half the class can’t help but notice. I have no idea how Neon hasn’t picked up on it yet.” Sunset nodded absentmindedly for a moment. “What’s he like? Is he cute?” She asked. Twilight furrowed her brows. She hesitated for a moment before answering. “Well, he’s pretty popular, mostly because he rides a motorcycle and comes from a rich family. He’s not all that smart, like Indigo, he’s here mostly for his sports abilities. As for if he’s cute, I don’t really think so, but that might just be because he isn’t my type, I guess. A lot of other girls like him, though.” She wracked her brain, trying to find anything interesting about him. “He always wears sunglasses, even indoors, it’s really weird. He’s also really aloof about everyone around him. Though, he didn’t ever pick on me like a lot of the other students did, so I guess while I don’t really like him, I don’t mind him either,” she finished in an almost questioning tone. Sunset just silently nodded while Twilight spoke, then she looked up at the clock. “The bell’s about to ring, we have P.E. now right?” “Yep, last class of the day.” Twilight responded while she put her books away. As they left the lab and started towards their lockers, Twilight jumped when she saw Indigo staring at her from a nearby locker. Sunset stepped up in front of Twilight, crossing her arms. “Don’t you have somewhere better to be?” she asked. Indigo glared at her. “I was just leaving in fact.” She turned and left. Twilight took Sunset’s arm and led her down a different hallway. “Was… was she waiting for me?” she asked. Sunset sighed. “I don’t know.” They reached their lockers and dropped off their backpacks in favor of their gym clothes, then made their way to the P.E. building. Twilight couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t get bumped into as much when she was with Sunset. Twilight found it very difficult to hold up a conversation with Sunset while they were half-naked in the locker room. She let Sunset chat about her classes while giving off occasional nods and hums to let Sunset know she was listening, which she mostly was. They played basketball for the whole period, though Twilight took up her usual tactic of avoiding the ball and other players as much as she could. Until a certain redheaded friend of hers started to encourage her, much like she had done during their dodgeball game yesterday. When they got back to the locker room, and everyone started undressing, Twilight took off her glasses before she got another surprise from Sunset. Not that it helped much, even through her blurry vision, Sunset still looked gorgeous. Sunset seemed to have run out of topics to tell Twilight about, so they showered in gloriously awkward silence. Or maybe that was just how Twilight felt about it, since Sunset seemed to be happily humming a tune that Twilight was unfamiliar with. After leaving the locker room, Sunset and Twilight made their way back to the main school building. “Hey, Twilight?” Sunset asked. “Do you mind if I take a rain check on our after-school studying today?” Twilight hesitated. “Sure, I guess. We did already cover some stuff during lunch anyway. Do you have something you need to do?” Sunset nodded. “Yeah, I do. I’d love to see you sometime over the weekend though.” Twilight smiled. “That’d be great.” Sunset took a step closer and pulled Twilight into a hug. Again, Twilight was unprepared and unsure what to do, but she did eventually return the hug. “I’ll talk to you later,” Sunset waved and went the other way. “Okay, bye.” Twilight waved back, a little flustered from the surprise hug. A few minutes later, Twilight knocked on the Dean’s office and, hearing her old babysitter’s voice, walked inside. “Hi, Cadance. Do you have a few minutes to talk?” Twilight asked. Cadance nodded as she put a few papers away. “Sure thing. Have a seat.” Twilight sat down and fully intended to start talking about Sunset and last night. But instead, no sound left her mouth, and she started fidgeting in her seat. Cadance took notice of this and gave Twilight a comforting smile. “How was your day?” She asked, seemingly in an attempt to get Twilight to relax a little. It did work, after so many years of babysitting her, Cadance knew how to get her to open up. “Well, It was good. Mostly.” She thought back to her encounter with Indigo. She didn’t really want to bring up that lost cause again. “Indigo was teasing me a bit, but then Sunset showed up and got her to back off. She also walked me to my classes after that. The other students don’t bother me as much when she’s around.” “Dawww,” Cadance cooed, “thats so sweet. It’s like she’s your knight in shining armor.” Twilight felt her cheeks heat up. “That might be going a bit far.” Cadance leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. “Did you find anything out about what I mentioned?” Twilight thought back to Cadance’s advice from their last conversation. She shook her head. It had slipped her mind until now. “I was a little distracted actually.” She said, looking away. “Because of Indigo? Cadance asked. Twilight took a deep breath. “Yes, but also something else.” She was practically squirming in her seat at this point. “L-last night I did something that I probably shouldn’t have, and… it’s making it a little awkward to be around Sunset.” She met Cadance’s eyes again. Instead of the repulsion she had been fearing, Cadance’s expression only showed curiosity. “What did you do that would make you uncomfortable around her?” Twilight fought to keep her squirming and fidgeting under control, her eyes locked on the desk between her and Cadance. “I… Umh, I m-masturbated…” She whispered, “While thinking about… h-her in the locker room.” Twilight dared a glance at Cadance’s expression. She looked surprised, but not disgusted or appalled. Twilight sat there, staring and waiting for Cadance to say something. This was a mistake. I shouldn’t have told her that. I shouldn’t have told anyone that. Twilight’s thoughts were interrupted when Cadance stood up and walked around the desk. She crouched down next to Twilight and took one of her hands in both of her own. “Twilight, what you did is nothing to be ashamed of.” Cadance raised a finger to stop Twilight’s protest before it started. “I know you feel awkward about it around Sunset, but believe me when I say that what you did, admiring your crush in the privacy of your own bedroom, is normal. More common amongst the boys, perhaps, but you don’t have to be ashamed of it.” “But Sunset’s my friend,” Twilight said. “And you are a hormone filled teenager. You know better than I what effect chemistry has on the brain. Don’t beat yourself up about this stuff. I can’t say this enough times, so I’ll say it again.” Cadance moved her hands to hold Twilight’s head, forcing her to meet her eyes. “What you did was normal. Okay?” Twilight nodded. Feeling some of her anxiety leaving her. Cadance stood up and walked back to her own chair, smirking at Twilight. “Besides, I think Sunset is the type who would just take that as a compliment if she did find out.” Twilight gaped at her, until Cadance broke down into laughter. Twilight huffed and crossed her arms. “That’s not funny. But thanks for the advice.” Cadance gave Twilight a serious expression. “I want you to find out if Sunset is into girls or not. If you want to start a relationship with her, that’s where you need to start.” Twilight nodded and stood up. Cadance stood up too. “One last thing before you leave.” She walked around the desk and pulled Twilight into a hug. “You shouldn’t worry so much,” she whispered. They pulled out of the hug and Twilight fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. “It’s just been so long since I had a real friend. I’m worried I’ll mess things up and lose her.” Cadance rubbed Twilight’s back as she led her to the door. “She’s not going to abandon you just like that. She obviously likes spending time with you.” Twilight thought about how Sunset had hugged her back in their biology class earlier that day, and again before she left. Maybe Cadance is right, she thought, and a smile crossed her face. After being reassured by Cadance, Twilight decided to go back to her lab and spend some time working on one of her projects. She had been neglecting them somewhat ever since she started tutoring Sunset. Not that she minded, much. Sitting at her desk, she puzzled over the mysterious readings that had been picked up from CHS. She had hoped that taking a bit of time off from it would help her get some new ideas. No such luck, they were as mysterious to her now as they ever were. The only thing she could imagine being the cause, was if some kind of cutting edge piece of technology had been used there, but why would something like that happen at a highschool? Without any knowledge of what had actually happened, all that data only told Twilight that something unusual had occurred. Which was clearly not enough information to write a paper on, no matter how much you stretched it out. Sunset knew something. She hadn’t wanted to talk about it earlier that day, but she clearly knew something. Maybe if I approach the topic a bit better, Sunset will be willing to talk about it. Or I could just go to CHS and ask some of the students there if they know anything. Thinking over her options, Twilight decided to talk to Sunset first. Even if it would be difficult to get her to open up about whatever she knew, it was still much more appealing than trying to interview a bunch of teenagers she had never met before. With that decided, Twilight started working on one of her more mundane projects, on the subject of how Canterlot City went from a small town to a burgeoning city in mere decades. She kept at it until Cadance knocked on her door to give her a ride home.