//------------------------------// // 3 – Making Wishes // Story: Playing House // by Krickis //------------------------------// Chapter Three Making Wishes ⠀ ⠀ Fluttershy inhaled sharply as she awoke. Her eyes shot open and she found herself unable to move. She was clutching one of the pillows tightly, curled into a ball around it. Whether from the cold or the dream that hadn’t fully left her, she was shaking slightly. The feeling didn’t escape when the dream did. She was certain if she turned around, he could still be there. But it was just a dream, and he wasn’t there. She wasn’t in her bed, she was on Sunset’s couch. The air didn’t smell of alcohol, it smelled of pancakes. That was odd, to say the least. It convinced Fluttershy to sit up and look around, which helped dispel the lingering fear from the dream. She quickly scanned Sunset’s living room, noting that Sunset herself was not there. All signs pointed to her being in the kitchen. It was strange to imagine her making breakfast, as Sunset seemed to mainly stick to frozen meals and take out. Removing her blanket only made her colder, so Fluttershy immediately grabbed the jacket she’d left on the coffee table. The floor was frigid beneath her feet as she stood up, but she ignored it. As curious as she was about what Sunset was doing in the kitchen, Fluttershy instead walked to the bathroom. She turned on the sink and stared into the mirror as she waited for the water to come out hot. How long would it take? When would the nightmares go away? It had been just over a week since she moved in with Sunset, but it didn’t feel like it. More like an extended stay at a friend’s house. Any day now, she’d have to go home, and nothing would be any better. She placed her hand under the water and found it too hot, so she turned the hot water faucet back a little bit. Once the water came out suitably warm, she cupped some in her hands and splashed it on her face. It helped pull her away from her worries and wake her up a little bit more. When she was done in the bathroom, she fixed a smile on her face and walked into the kitchen. Sure enough, Sunset was standing in front of the stove keeping an eye on pancakes. “Good morning, Sunset.” Sunset turned to her and smiled. “Morning, Fluttershy. Perfect timing, I just finished with the first batch. Happy birthday.” Fluttershy smiled and looked away. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do this. I know you don’t like to cook.” “It’s not a big deal. Besides, it’s not every day you turn nineteen.” Fluttershy took a seat at the kitchen table. It had been a long time since anyone had made her breakfast on her birthday. “You’re sweet.” Sunset placed a stack of pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup in front of her. “So, last year as a teenager. How’s it feel?” “I don’t know. A little strange, I guess. I still don’t know if I really feel like an adult.” “Eh, nineteen isn’t that old anyway,” Sunset said as she returned to the stove. “That’s easy for you to say.” Fluttershy realized Sunset forgot to get any silverware, so she stood up and got it herself. “You’re still eighteen.” Sunset grinned. “Well, I’m old for my age.” “Yeah, you already had your own place back in high school.” Fluttershy sat down and poured syrup over her pancakes, then began cutting them into bites. “You’ve pretty much been an adult for a long time.” “You don’t know the half of it.” Sunset pulled a pancake off the stove, setting it aside and pouring more batter onto the pan. “But anyway, you’re doing great. You’re in college, which is more than I can say for me.” “But you have a job and a house.” Fluttershy took a bite, savoring the sweet and buttery flavors. “Not because I’m a great adult, though.” Sunset shook her head. “But anyways, that’s a long story. We have more important things on the agenda for today.” Although Fluttershy did think Sunset wasn’t giving herself enough credit, she recognized the purposeful shift in conversation. “I suppose you have a point.” Since there was a chance it was going to snow, Fluttershy had suggested the aquarium as a fun indoors activity. They were meeting their friends there at noon, which gave them a few hours to leisurely eat breakfast and get ready before heading out. “So, uh…” Sunset shifted awkwardly. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t have a birthday present for you yet…” “Oh! No, please don’t worry about that.” Fluttershy frowned at the thought. “You’ve already done so much for me, and well…” She didn’t really want to point out how low on money Sunset was. “I want to get you something, though. I just haven’t had the chance with everything going on. Maybe at the aquarium we’ll find –” “Sunset, please. You made me breakfast, and it’s delicious. I don’t need anything else.” Fluttershy took another bite to accentuate her point. Sunset didn’t seem convinced. “Just… let me know if you see anything. I have a little money set aside.” “I will,” Fluttershy said, even though she knew she wouldn’t. “But really, I’m happy just spending time with our friends today.” “Yeah, alright.” Sunset returned to eyeballing the pancake, and Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel like she’d done something wrong. She suppressed a sigh and turned her focus to her breakfast. It was the same thing whenever money came up. Fluttershy didn’t really know what Sunset’s finances were exactly, but she knew that her friend was trying too hard to make her feel at home and spending too much money to do it. Not for the first time, Fluttershy found herself wondering if she just made everything worse wherever she was. “Glub glub glub!” “You do know they can’t hear you, right?” Completely ignoring Rainbow, Pinkie Pie continued trying to communicate with the fish. She was making fish faces into an aquarium tank as a large and bizarre looking fish stared back at her. Rainbow Dash just shook her head and wandered off. “That is the weirdest fish I’ve ever seen,” Sunset said. She took Rainbow’s place next to Pinkie to see it better, not that she really needed to. The fish was bigger than she was. “It’s a sunfish,” Fluttershy explained. Aquatic animals weren’t her area of expertise, but sunfish were definitely unique enough to remember. “They’re some of the biggest fishes in the world.” Sunset seemed amused by the strange looking fish. “It doesn’t even have a tail end. Looks like half a fish.” “Aww, what’s the matter?” Applejack stepped up behind the others. “Don’t like Sunfish Swimmer?” Sunset turned to her in indignation. “Bitch, did you really just…” Applejack grinned. “Kinda even looks like you!” Fluttershy giggled. “I think Sunfish Swimmer is a nice name.” “Fluttershy!” Sunset folded her arms. “You’re supposed to be on my side…” “I am!” Fluttershy insisted. “Now hold still, I want to get a picture of you and Sunfish Swimmer.” “We’re not calling it that,” Sunset said. “I dunno, looks like it’s already answering to it.” Applejack pulled Sunset’s attention back to the tank, where Sunfish Swimmer had turned to look at Sunset. Applejack seemed amused, while Sunset did not. “Aww, I think she likes you!” Pinkie said. Sunset facepalmed. “Just take the damn picture…” “Okay.” Fluttershy pulled out her phone, then stopped and looked around. She spotted Rainbow at a different part of the same gigantic tank, and gestured for her to come over. “Rainbow, we’re taking a picture with Sunfish Swimmer.” “That’s not its name!” “That is so its name,” Rainbow insisted as she joined the others for the picture. Fluttershy pulled out her phone while everyone got into position. Applejack put her arm around Sunset while Rainbow stood on her other side, hands hooked in her pockets. Pinkie kneeled in front making a fish face, while Sunfish Swimmer floated above the group. There was only one thing missing. “Come on, Sunset, smile!” Fluttershy said. Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes, but she smiled all the same. Fluttershy snapped the picture and flashed a thumbs up. Another memory saved. Ever since Rarity and Twilight moved away, Fluttershy had started taking a lot more pictures on their group outings. She hoped no one else would be leaving, but with high school behind them, who knew what the future held? “Now if we’re all done with Sunfish Swimmer,” Sunset said, rolling her eyes at the name, “maybe we can move on? What’s the next exhibit?” “I think we’ve seen everything,” Rainbow said. “Besides, I’m starving! Let’s go get some lunch.” “I think we should let Shy decide if she’s ready to go,” Pinkie said. “It is her birthday, after all.” Rainbow groaned loudly. Applejack frowned at her. “None of that now, it’s your own fault for skipping breakfast.” “Oh, it’s okay,” Fluttershy said. “Lunch sounds good to me.” “Yes!” Rainbow threw her hands in the air and triumphantly led the way out. Sunset just rolled her eyes. “So where do you want to eat, Fluttershy?” “Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe we could just get something at the food court?” “The food court? On your birthday?” Pinkie asked. “No way! We should go somewhere nice.” “How about Cavallo D’oro?” Applejack asked. “It’ll probably be easier to get something for you and Sunset there, anyway.” That was true; since they were both vegetarians, their choices at the food court would probably come down to a basic salad, or maybe some kind of soup. Going to a real restaurant was sure to open more options, but still… “I, uhm…” “You’re always saying you like that place,” Rainbow said. “Let’s do it, my treat.” “Woohoo! Lunch is on Rainbow!” Rainbow frowned at Pinkie. “I meant Fluttershy’s would be my treat since it’s her birthday. No way I can pay for all five of us.” Although that was half of Fluttershy’s concern with going out to a nice restaurant, there was another problem. She only gave a small glance towards Sunset, but it seemed Applejack caught it. “I reckon I could cover anyone else who doesn’t have enough on ‘em. And Sunset, if ya want I can pay yours since you’re swinging by to give me a hand tomorrow and all.” Sunset shot a surprised look at Applejack, who just smiled. Sunset hadn’t mentioned anything about having plans to help Applejack. More likely, Applejack knew that Sunset wouldn’t want to admit that she would have trouble paying for her own meal, and this would offer her the chance to accept without acknowledging it, as well as a way to repay Applejack so her pride wasn’t hurt. “Guess that sounds fair,” Sunset said, a little uncertainly. Fluttershy smiled, all her worries about going out to eat having been taken care of. “Alright then, Cavallo D’oro it is.” Sunset stopped as they reached the exit. “Hey, Fluttershy, how about you catch a ride with Rainbow and I’ll meet you all at the restaurant. Just gonna run to the bathroom.” “Alright, see you there,” Fluttershy said, a little relieved at the idea. She didn’t want to say so, but riding on Sunset’s motorcycle always made her nervous, and the snow certainly didn’t make her feel any better about it. Everyone’s hands went into their pockets as they left the warmth of the aquarium. The sun was shining, but it wasn’t quite warm enough to melt all the snow covering the ground. They all quickly made for their respective vehicles, where they could once again shut out the cold. Rainbow Dash quickly turned on the heat once they were in her van and the engine was started. While they waited for it to heat up, Rainbow asked, “So how’s staying with Sunset been?” “Everything’s good. She’s been great, really.” “Yeah? So what’s bothering you then?” Of course there was no hiding anything from Rainbow Dash. They’d known each other for far too long. Fluttershy sighed. “I guess… I just worry that I’m intruding. She’s always seemed happy living alone.” “Yeah, but it was her idea. I’m sure she’s cool with how things are going.” “Do you think she’d say if she wasn’t, though?” “Hmm…” Rainbow considered it as she shifted the van into reverse, finally content that it was warm enough to start driving. She didn’t answer until she was pulling out of the parking lot. “Probably not. I think we’d be able to tell, though. She’d probably be dropping hints about figuring out how to get you your own place or something.” “I guess that makes sense, and she hasn’t said anything like that.” “Speaking of it though, have you thought about doing that at all?” Of course she had; the idea of living alone had been on Fluttershy’s mind since the first time she visited Sunset’s house. But lately… “I don’t know… Sunset works a lot, so I’m by myself quite a bit, and… I don’t think I’d like living like that all the time.” Rainbow shrugged. “Sounds like a dream come true to me, but whatever works for you, I guess.” Fluttershy turned her attention to the window, watching the city go by without really paying attention to it. What did she want, really? She had spent the past four years living day by day, just trying to avoid being noticed, but she was done with that. Her hand found its way to the locket around her neck, and she rubbed the little brass heart between her fingers. She was trying her best to stop living in fear, but the future scared her as much as anything. “Shy?” Rainbow asked nervously. “Something on your mind?” Fluttershy pushed the thoughts away as best she could and forced a smile. It was her birthday, and all her friends wanted to have a good time with her. “No, not really. Just thinking about what to get at Cavallo.” It was unlikely Rainbow was actually fooled that easily, but it was clearly a topic neither of them wanted to press, so she went along anyway. “Don’t even talk to me about food, I’m starving over here!” Fluttershy giggled, and the tension quickly dissipated. Although she claimed to not be any good at handling emotional situations, Rainbow always made Fluttershy feel better. What was she worrying so much for? It was a special day out with her friends and she was going to enjoy it. “Oh! I haven’t told you yet!” Rainbow grinned excitedly. “You’ll never guess who showed up for the audition.” It had been a long time since the Rainbooms had performed, and while most of the members were content to move onto other things, Rainbow had decided it was finally time to get a new band together with a bassist she met named Lightning Dust. “Who?” Fluttershy asked. “Remember the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts?” “Of course. Gosh, I haven’t heard anything about them in ages though. One of them wants to be in your band?” “Yeah! Turns out Lightning Dust’s sister was one of the Crystal Prep students. Indigo Zap.” Fluttershy tried to remember who Indigo Zap was, but she couldn’t quite place the name. Although the two groups had parted on good terms, they had hardly been friends. “So Lightning’s sister wants to join the band? Is she good?” “Huh? Oh, no, not Indigo. She just heard we needed a drummer and got one of her friends to come audition. Lemon Zest is the one who actually wants to join.” “Oh.” Fluttershy couldn’t quite place who Lemon Zest was either. “Well, how’d she do?” “She’s actually really good! I didn’t think a Crystal Prep girl would be able to keep up with us, but we’re thinking she might be in.” Fluttershy smiled and shook her head. “Don’t you think it’s been long enough to put the Crystal Prep and CHS rivalry behind us? Anyway, that’s great news. You’ll finally have a full band again.” “Heck yeah! I’m so excited to start working on songs. Still could use you if you changed your mind, though.” “Come on, Dashie, do you really see me being in a punk band? What would I even play? I don’t think the world’s holding out for the great punk rock tambourine player.” “Well, true…” Rainbow admitted, then she just shrugged it off. “But you know, you could sing backup or something.” It was sweet of Rainbow to try and get Fluttershy involved, but they both knew she’d never fit in. “Thanks, Dashie, but I think my place is cheering for you in the crowd.” Rainbow laughed. “That works for me! Just wait, now that we’ve got a drummer, we’re gonna kick some serious butt out there.” “Oh? Decided to let Lemon Zest in the band already?” Rainbow smiled sheepishly as she realized she was getting ahead of herself. “Well, she does seem cool, but you’re right. We invited her to an informal jam session this weekend, we’ll figure out the rest from there.” The conversation stayed on the band for the rest of their trip, mostly about how awesome they were going to sound and how cool it would be to be back on stage. Fluttershy was happy to see Rainbow so excited, and it kept her from dwelling on her own insecurities. They pulled into a spot beside Applejack’s truck, and Rainbow questioned how Applejack beat them there. Leaving the warmth of the van left little room for concerns like that though, so they quickly made their way into the restaurant. Thankfully, that was even warmer than the van had been, and they both smiled as they walked in. Applejack was still waiting near the door as they entered. “They’re gettin’ a table ready for us now.” “Cool, but how’d you get here before us anyway?” Rainbow asked. Well, so much for the warmth being enough to distract her from her rivalry. Fluttershy just smiled as the two went back and forth over who was the better driver, a conversation that continued as a server brought them to their table. “All I’m sayin’ is that it’s gonna be a long time before ya have what it takes to out drive me.” Applejack sat down first, scooting all the way into the far seat on her side of the booth. “Yeah, right!” Rainbow shot back as she took a seat across from Applejack. “No one’s faster than me, and I’m willing to prove it!” Fluttershy sat next to Rainbow and smiled at their server. “We’re, uhm, we’re waiting on a few more friends to show up.” “Got it. I’ll just leave these here for now then.” She left behind menus for them, which Fluttershy looked through as the other two kept bickering. It took longer than Fluttershy had expected for Pinkie to show up, and when she did, she was with Sunset. “Brr, it is freezing out there,” Pinkie said as she took the seat on Fluttershy’s other side. “At least it’s nice and warm in here though,” Sunset said, taking the seat beside Applejack. “You two sure took your time,” Rainbow said as she picked up a menu for the first time. “It hasn’t even been ten minutes, Rainbow,” Applejack pointed out as she did the same. Sunset shrugged off Rainbow’s complaint quickly enough. “There’s snow and I’m on a bike. I’m not getting anywhere quick.” “And I was off getting a surprise!” Pinkie announced. “A surprise?” Fluttershy asked. “What is it?” “Silly, I can’t tell you that! Don’tcha know how surprises work by now, Shy? You’re nineteen years old now, you know!” “Oh, silly me.” Fluttershy shook her head. “But you really didn’t have to do anything, Pinkie. Spending the day with you all is enough for me.” “As if!” Pinkie wrapped her arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “You deserve all the best on your birthday!” “Gotta say, I’m with Pinkie on this one,” Sunset added. She picked up her menu and started looking over it. “If you all know what you want, I can find something real quick.” Applejack shrugged as she turned to her own menu. “Eh, we never really got around to figurin’ that out.” Truthfully, Fluttershy had decided while Rainbow and Applejack argued, but she didn’t mind waiting. Besides, she didn’t want to make Sunset and Pinkie have to rush their decision. So she just pretended to look through her menu while the others figured out their own orders. True to her word even when she didn’t need to be, Sunset made a decision quickly and was the first to set her menu down. She looked around the restaurant casually, looking at the pictures on the wall. Her casual expression fell away in an instant and she quickly propped her menu back up in front of her face. Fluttershy quirked her head to the side, but no one else seemed to have noticed. She looked around, but couldn’t see anything that would’ve caused that reaction. One by one the others made their decisions, leaving only Sunset with her menu open. She kept glancing between it and something else, and it didn’t take long for the others to notice. “You okay, partner?” Applejack asked. “Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m ready whenever you all are.” “You sure you’re okay?” Rainbow asked. Pinkie leaned across the table and studied Sunset’s expression. “Yeah, ‘cause you’ve been looking at our server really weird this whole time.” “Wait, she’s our server?” Sunset asked in a hushed voice without bothering to indicate whom she was talking about. “Yupperoni. And she’s coming this way, so watch out.” Sunset’s menu flew back in front of her face. “Has everyone made their decisions?” the waitress asked. She didn’t look like someone worth hiding from. She was a short girl around their age with light orange-brown skin and darker brown hair. She wore thick square-shaped glasses and a friendly smile. “If anyone’s undecided, I could always make a recommendation.” “Sure, recommend away!” Pinkie said, either oblivious to Sunset’s dismay or ignoring it. “Well, my personal favorite is the carbonara. It’s especially good if you substitute the penne for tagliatelle.” “Ooh, that sounds much better than what I was gonna get!” Pinkie said. “I want that.” “Alrighty, anyone else for the carbonara?” “Oh, uhm… Does that have meat in it?” Fluttershy asked. “Usually, but we can use peas and spinach instead of the pancetta.” “Okay. I’d like to try that too then.” “Pretty sure that’s more substitution than carbowhatever by now,” Rainbow said. “I’ll just have lasagna.” “Think I’m with Rainbow on keeping it simple,” Applejack said. “I’ll get the parmesan chicken.” The waitress nodded as she took down their orders, then turned to Sunset. “Uh, did you need some more time, miss? Or maybe another recommendation?” Sunset sighed and set down her menu. “Uhh… Hi, Frames.” The waitress’s pleasant smile was replaced with a shocked grimace. “Sunset!?” “It’s… been a while.” When the waitress didn’t reply, Sunset continued. “So I guess you’re working here now? Going well for you?” “You never called me!” “I… In my defense, we did break up,” Sunset said. “Break up?” Rainbow looked surprised for a moment before trading that for embarrassment as she realized she had just jumped into a delicate conversation. Sunset shifted in place awkwardly. “So, uh… Everyone, this is Tra i Frame. My ex-girlfriend.” Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Applejack all exchanged awkward looks, but Pinkie didn’t miss a beat. “Nice to meet you, Tra!” Tra i Frame frowned and pushed her glasses up. “What do you want, Sunset?” Sunset looked down at the floor and scratched her neck nervously. “I’m just out with my friends, I didn’t even know you worked here…” “Food, Sunset! What do you want to order!” “Oh!” Sunset glanced back at the menu for a moment. It seemed that despite all the time she’d spent staring at it, she had no idea what was in it. “I’ll just… have the same thing Fluttershy got. Er, the ve–” “I know it’s the vegetarian one!” Tra i Frame snapped. She took a deep breath then turned to address the whole table. Her smile returned in full force, and her voice was bright and cheerful as she talked to the others. “Can I get you all anything else?” No one spoke for a moment, then Pinkie replied just as cheerfully. “Nope, I think we’re all good here!” As soon as she was gone, all eyes fell on Sunset. “Well that was fun…” Rainbow said sarcastically. “She didn’t seem too happy to see you,” Applejack said. “Bad break up?” “Well, not exactly… Things just weren’t working out, and we said we’d stay friends, but then I kinda… started avoiding her.” “So, uh… Want to get out of here?” Rainbow asked. “No, don’t let me ruin things. We came here to have fun, right? So let’s just have fun!” “Sunset, we can go somewhere else if you want,” Fluttershy said. “I really don’t mind, and I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” “Look, everyone, it’s fine!” At least Sunset’s smile certainly looked fine, now that Tra i Frame wasn’t around. “Besides, we already ordered our meals. Let’s just eat here and agree to avoid this place next time.” “She seemed nice at least,” Pinkie said. “To everyone but Sunset, anyway.” Applejack nudged Sunset playfully. “Well if I had to date this thing, it might make me a little ornery too.” Sunset smirked. “Yeah, I can’t say I blame her. We were pretty close for a couple months, but then I basically just jumped ship after the breakup.” It was strange to hear they had been close when Sunset had never mentioned her, but Fluttershy decided to not push the topic. While she was usually open about most things, Sunset had always been somewhat restrained and secretive about her love life. Fluttershy wondered if it was because she preferred dating girls. It was something she wondered often. She was left wondering though, as the conversation turned elsewhere. Always sensible and dependable, Applejack shifted the conversation by complaining about the weather making work on the farm that much harder. While the task of pruning apple trees in the snow was nothing the others had to experience, save when they lent a hand on the farm, the topic of trouble caused by the snow and the cold was something everyone could weigh in on. Of course, it could only keep them preoccupied for so long. Tra i Frame returned with their meals, and the conversation came to an abrupt halt. At least she didn’t show any sign of being upset about having to wait on her ex-girlfriend. “Alright, we’ve got lasagna and chicken on one end, carbonara with meat on the other, and veggie carbonara in the middle.” “Thank ya kindly, miss,” Applejack said with a slight tone of forced politeness. The sentiment was shared by the others as they all thanked her, except for Sunset, who simply stared at the table the whole time. As such, it must have blindsided her even more when Tra i Frame took the seat beside her. “So what have you been up to, anyway?” At least her tone sounded friendly once again. Even so, Sunset looked up with anxiety plainly written on her face. “Pretty much the same stuff as usual. I’m… sorry I disappeared, by the way.” Tra i Frame sighed. “It’s okay, and I’m sorry I yelled at you. I was just surprised to see you again.” Sunset smirked. “Well, I can’t say I didn’t deserve it.” “So are these the friends I heard so much about?” Sunset fidgeted nervously, and Fluttershy could only wonder if it was because she was afraid of what her friends might say to her ex or vice-versa. “Most of them. The ones still in the city, anyway.” “Cool. it’s nice to finally meet you all.” “Same to you, Miss Tra,” Applejack said. Tra i Frame chuckled. “Please, call me Frames.” “Okey dokey, Frames,” Pinkie said. “So how do you two know each other? I don’t think I ever saw you around CHS.” “Oh yeah, I went to CPA,” Frames said. “I met Sunset one day when she was hanging out with Twilight Sparkle, who I kinda knew from school. A little while later, we ran into each other again at a party where neither of us really knew anyone. But Sunset recognized me and we started talking, then things kinda went from there.” Applejack grinned. “Was that the time you woke up hungover with text messages from a girl ya didn’t remember givin’ your number?” “Uh… yeah…” Frames laughed and pushed Sunset playfully. “Wow, you didn’t even remember that night? Rude.” Sunset laughed as well, and some of her nervousness seemed to dissipate. “To be fair, we did kind of overdo it that night.” “Well, that is true.” Frames laughed and Sunset finally seemed to relax fully. “Guess Twilight must be one of the ones who moved away then, huh?” “Yeah, she left town for college.” The question was one that threatened to push Sunset back into awkwardness, but she maintained her composure. “She’s doin’ pretty well, from what I heard,” Applejack added. It wasn’t surprising that she decided to jump in; they all knew it was a sensitive subject for Sunset, who had been really close with Twilight right up until they stopped speaking to each other. “Couldn’t rightly tell ya much ‘bout what she’s studying.” “Quantum physics,” Pinkie answered. “It sounds pretty complicated. She was telling me about thermodynamics the other day and I didn’t really understand anything past ‘thermodynamics is’.” “Oh wow, that sounds like it’s right up her alley!” Frames turned back to Sunset. “To tell you the truth, when we broke up I really thought you were going to try asking her out. I always thought the two of you would be perfect together.” “What, really?” Sunset rolled her eyes. “I mean yeah, we had a lot in common, but there was never anything like that. I don’t even think she likes girls.” “Besides, Sunset and Twilight?” Rainbow asked. “What would a couple eggheads like them even do together?” “Oh, I bet they could do all kinds of stuff!” Pinkie said excitedly. “Here we go…” Applejack sounded exasperated, but she smiled anyway. “I bet they’d be really cute together, and they could work together, adopt a cat, have a big double wedding with a princess couple, discover a bunch of alternate dimensions through a magic portal, and have just the cutest daughter ever!” “Where do you even come up with this?” Sunset asked. “And you do realize that on top of, like, none of that making sense, we wouldn’t even be able to have kids, right?” “What are you talking about, that sounds amazing!” Frames said with a starry-eyed expression. She wasn’t able to enjoy it for long, however, as someone called her from across the restaurant. “Anyway, it was good to see you again, but I should get back to work. It was nice meeting you all, let me know if you need anything!” Frames left the group to themselves, and a smile on Sunset’s face. “How’d someone like you ever wind up with a nice girl like that?” Applejack asked. “Why, want some pointers?” Sunset shot back. “With my help, I bet even you could get a girlfriend.” “Now that’s something I can do without.” “Yeah, a girlfriend might take you away from your apple trees once in a while.” Sunset shook her head solemnly. “We couldn’t have that, now could we?” “Hmm? Oh, I meant I could do without your help. Trust me, you gettin’ involved is the last thing I need in my love life.” “You’d need to have a love life before I could get involved in it. And I feel sorry for whatever poor guy gets stuck with you.” “I think any guy would be very happy to be with someone like Applejack,” Fluttershy said. She knew the two of them always joked like that, but she still worried they went too far sometimes. “Or girl.” That caused Sunset to snicker and immediately made Fluttershy feel guilty. The last thing she wanted to do was add more fire to Sunset’s teasing. It seemed Applejack didn’t mind though, as she just smiled. “Thanks, Fluttershy, but I really am happy being single. And I think it’s safe to say that when the time comes I change my mind, it’ll definitely be with a guy.” Fluttershy blushed, and her gaze dropped towards her food. “Oh, right.” “Are you really sure about that?” Pinkie asked. She didn’t sound quite so upbeat as usual. “Look, I know I ain’t the most dainty of women, but that don’t mean I’m a lesbian.” “Oh no, I know that,” Pinkie answered quickly. “It’s just… do you ever think it can be a little hard to tell sometimes?” Everyone exchanged uncertain looks. “I, uh…” Applejack tried for a friendly smile, but she clearly looked like she wasn’t sure how to handle the question. Sunset stepped in to relieve her. “I guess I wasn’t for a while. I never really had a crush for a long time, and I didn’t really want to. Then the first time I did, it was on a girl. Nothing ever happened with her or anything, but I knew that I wanted something to. I didn’t need to date a girl to know how I felt about them. It was actually guys that took longer for me, I didn’t even know for sure whether I was gay or bi until after I already started dating Flash.” Pinkie looked down at her carbonara and just moved it around with her fork. Surprisingly, it was Rainbow who finally asked her. “So… do you think you might like girls too or something?” “I don’t know…” Pinkie said almost sadly. “Well… that’s okay,” Fluttershy said. She put her hand on Pinkie’s and squeezed. “You can take your time figuring it out.” “Yeah, that kind of thing probably just takes a while,” Rainbow said. “You’re right.” Pinkie smiled and her usual level of cheer returned. “Anyway, we’re here to celebrate! We don’t need to talk about that stuff today!” They didn’t need to talk about that. They were supposed to be celebrating. There was no reason to say anything. Fluttershy’s hand found her locket again. Maybe there was no reason to, but was there really a reason not to? “I think… I’ve always known. Even when I was little.” Everyone’s eyes fell on Fluttershy, but she didn’t meet any of them. “What do you mean?” Rainbow asked. “Even before I knew about stuff like… well, you know… I always knew that I, uhm, I like girls.” Fluttershy barely managed to get the last word out. “Really?” Pinkie asked. After a moment of silence, she threw her arms around Fluttershy. “That’s so cool! ” Applejack nodded. “Yeah, it’s good ya don’t have to worry ‘bout figuring all that out.” “You’ve known all this time and you never said anything to me?” Rainbow asked through a mouthful of food. It seemed that even this news wasn’t enough to keep her from eating. “How come?” Fluttershy smiled and put her arm around Pinkie as well, revelling in the fact that her friends still wanted to be close to her. “I… was worried what you’d think…” “Come on, Shy! You should know better than that!” Rainbow flashed a confident grin. “You’re like my best friend, I don’t care whether you like girls or guys.” Sunset smirked. “I guess Applejack won’t be the one who needs my help getting a girlfriend after all.” Fluttershy blushed, but her smile was wide. “I, uhm…” “Please, Sunset…” Applejack folded her arms and shook her head. “As if Fluttershy is gonna need any help getting a girlfriend if she wants one.” “Yeah okay, that’s a fair point,” Sunset conceded. Fluttershy could hardly believe it. It was what she’d told herself for years – all of her friends had accepted Sunset, why wouldn’t they accept her? And yet, it still felt too good to be true. It was all she could do to keep from crying. “Thank you all so much.” “Don’t mention it,” Applejack said. “But maybe we should eat our food before it gets cold.” They didn’t talk about Fluttershy’s revelation. They talked about Rainbow’s band. They talked about Fluttershy’s work at the animal shelter. They talked about school, about movies, about music, about everything that they always talked about. They knew, and nothing changed. Fluttershy was so happy, and a strange realization crept over her. For years, happiness had only been a fleeting emotion. It had been something she could feel once in a while when she was with her friends, and that was all. It was an animal at the shelter that she could play with, but that could never come home with her. But now, for the first time in years, that might no longer be true. While she didn’t know what the future would hold for her, not every change was a bad one. Today proved that. In fact, as her friends finished their meals and joked around while waiting for the check, Fluttershy reflected that some changes hardly felt like changes at all. It wasn’t the check that came, however. Tia i Frame was carrying a cake, and a whole group of employees followed her out. Fluttershy was already blushing before they even started. “It’s your birthday party, a very special day, “We’ve got a song, it won't take long, we just wanted to say “Happy, happy, happy, happy “Happy, happy, happy, happy “Happy, happy, happy, happy birthday to you!” By the time they finished and everyone cheered, Fluttershy’s head was in her hands. Even so, she was laughing along with the others. “Your surprise?” Rainbow asked. “Of course!” Pinkie answered proudly. “No birthday celebration is complete without cake! That song does feel oddly familiar, though…” Fluttershy opened her eyes to find a cake covered in yellow frosting with pink butterflies. Nineteen lit candles stuck out of it. She closed her eyes for a moment while she thought of a wish, then opened them and blew the candles out. Everyone cheered again, causing her to blush some more. While the rest of the staff went back to their other tasks, Frames passed out plates for cake. “This looks really good. Everyone wants a slice, I take it?” Everyone did, so Frames cut five slices from the cake and passed them around. She made sure to keep a whole butterfly on Fluttershy’s slice. “Would you like some?” Fluttershy asked. Frames’s face lit up. “I was hoping you’d ask!” She pulled out another plate and sat beside Sunset again. She cut herself a slice of cake and took a bite. “Oh wow, this is really good!” “Sugarcube Corner specialty!” Pinkie said proudly. “Sugarcube Corner? I think I’ve seen that place before. It’s by CHS, right?” “Yup! You should stop in some time.” “Pinkie works there,” Sunset explained. “Oh sweet!” Frames said, causing Sunset to facepalm at the pun. “I’ll definitely have to go there sometime soon then!” Sunset’s distaste at puns aside, lunch ended on a high note with good company and delicious cake. Frames ate her slice quickly before returning to work and bringing them their check. They divided it between Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie, and everyone pooled in for a generous tip. Applejack led the way out of the restaurant. “Anyone got any ideas what to do next?” It was getting late in the afternoon, but no one seemed ready to call it a day. “We could go to the movies,” Pinkie suggested. “While that’d be pretty cool, I think my funds are a little tapped out,” Sunset said. “Sorry.” Rainbow shoved her hands into her pockets. “I’m with Sunset. Anyone got any ideas that don’t cost anything? Preferably something inside.” Applejack laughed. “Aww, it ain’t that cold. What’s the matter, Rainbow? ‘Fraid of a little snow?” “Of course not,” Rainbow insisted forcefully. “I just, you know, thought Fluttershy probably wants to be out of it for her birthday.” “Oh, I don’t mind,” Fluttershy said. “I kind of like the snow, actually.” Rainbow looked at her with a look of betrayal. Fluttershy smiled innocently. “Well, whatever we do, I gotta make a stop at y’alls house later,” Applejack said. Rainbow looked visibly relieved. “Cool! Let’s move this to Fluttershy and Sunset’s place!” Applejack looked confused. “Huh? No, I was jus’ say–” “Housewarming party!” Pinkie announced. “I can’t believe we haven’t done that yet!” “Uh…” Sunset looked around at the others. For so long, Fluttershy’s friends had been one of her only sources of happiness. Something that had no place in her home. Never before, but maybe for once, it did. “Uhm, would that be alright?” she asked Sunset. Sunset looked surprised and Fluttershy immediately felt guilty. But then she smiled as she answered. “Sure, if that’s what you want to do.” They quickly made arrangements for Fluttershy to ride with Rainbow again. If she could have talked to Sunset on the ride home, Fluttershy would’ve preferred to go with her; at least she could make sure one on one that Sunset was really okay with things that way. But there would be no talking on the motorcycle, so there was hardly a point. As usual, Rainbow was quick to turn on the heater. Contrary to what she claimed, she had always hated the cold. “You know, I don’t think we’ve all hung out at Sunset’s house before.” “Yeah…” “Well, yours and Sunset’s house now.” Fluttershy frowned. “I guess I do live there, but it’s really still Sunset’s house.” Rainbow shrugged. “Well yeah, of course, but you know.” Seeing Applejack pull out of the parking lot, Rainbow decided to not wait for the van to heat up and followed after her. “So hey, Shy… Why’d you decide to come out now, anyway?” Rainbow asked. She didn’t sound like she found the topic as difficult as Fluttershy did, which she supposed might be a good thing. “I, well… I don’t know, really…” “It’s not because someone caught your eye?” Rainbow was grinning. “Maybe someone a little close to home?” Fluttershy blushed and frowned. “Rainbow!” “Hey, I’m just saying. And you know, Sunset’s cool.” “No, it’s nothing like that.” Fluttershy looked out the window. “Alright, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just – oh come on!” Applejack made a light that Rainbow had to stop for, practically ensuring that they wouldn’t be the first at the house. Rainbow sighed and turned to smile at Fluttershy. “Anyway, I guess I just thought, you know, it’d be cool if you found someone. That’s all.” “There’s so much going on right now that I don’t even want to think about trying to date someone.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “But… maybe that’s why I wanted to, uhm, come out now. Not because I want to date someone, but because things are changing. I guess… I just wanted this to be part of the new Fluttershy.” “Yeah, that makes sense.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and took another deep breath. She swallowed and opened her eyes, staring straight ahead. “I’m gay. And I want to be honest about that from now on.” The light turned and they started moving again. Although Fluttershy didn’t look at her, she could hear Rainbow’s smile in her voice. “Good for you, Shy. I’m happy for you.” That brought a smile back to Fluttershy’s mouth. The drive back to Sunset’s house wasn’t a long one. Predictably, Applejack was already there, so they pulled up behind her on the roadside in front of the house. As they were getting out, Pinkie Pie pulled up behind them. Fluttershy frowned as she realized that unless Sunset had somehow also arrived before them, there would be no way for them to get in. Sunset had said she’d get Fluttershy a key made, but she hadn’t gotten around to it yet. But before she could suggest they wait in the van, the door swung open and Applejack waved to them. “Is Sunset here already?” Fluttershy asked as they entered. “Nah, I let myself in. Hope you don’t mind.” Applejack took a seat at the computer desk. “Sunset gave me a spare key after she locked us out one day back when we were building her shed.” “Of course I don’t.” Fluttershy went into the kitchen to get some more chairs. Along with the chair Applejack was in, two people could comfortably sit on the couch. But since there were two more chairs at the kitchen table, they wound up with the perfect amount. She noticed while she was in the kitchen that there were a few bags of groceries and realized that must’ve been why Applejack had wanted to stop by. She smiled her appreciation, and Applejack nodded. “So what’s the plan?” Rainbow asked as Fluttershy finished bringing out the chairs Fluttershy frowned and realized she hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Well, uhm…” “Ooh! Wait here!” Pinkie said before leaving the house. The others all looked at each other in confusion. “Uh… where else were we gonna go?” Rainbow asked, causing Applejack to snicker. Pinkie was back before long, and she brought in a videogame console, a small collection of games, and a two-litre bottle of soda with her. “I knew having these would come in handy! And they’re all multiplayer!” “You just… kept those in your van?” Applejack asked as Pinkie started setting up the game console. “Of course,” Pinkie said with a shrug. “You know, in case of videogame-related emergencies.” While Fluttershy had to wonder how often videogame-related emergencies came about, at least it answered the question of what they were gonna do. “Uh oh.” “What’s wrong?” Fluttershy asked. The back door opened before she could answer, and Sunset walked in. “Remind me to have AJ pick us up next time we go out in the snow.” She pulled off her snow-covered jacket and set it on the table, then took a look at Fluttershy and picked it back up. “So what’re we up to?” Sunset asked as she brought the jacket into the bedroom to hang it on her coat rack. “We were going to play some video games,” Rainbow said. “But then Pinkie ‘uh oh’d.” “Oh, it’s because you don’t have a plug for this cord,” Pinkie explained. Sunset frowned. “Yeah, that TVs old and cheap. Flash got it used at a pawn shop a couple years ago.” “No biggie.” Pinkie reached into her hair and pulled another cord out. “I always keep a spare AV cord in case of cord-related emergencies.” Applejack facepalmed. “Pinkie, ya can’t store cords in your hair!” “Is there any emergency you’re not prepared for?” Rainbow asked. “I’m not allowed to do medical emergencies anymore.” All eyes turned to her as they wondered if they really wanted to know the reason for that. Since no one asked, it was safe to say they all agreed they were better off in the dark. Since Fluttershy and Rainbow were on the couch, Sunset took a seat on one of the kitchen chairs next to it. “I think I’ll sit out the first round. I’d rather get thawed out a bit first.” “Suit yourself!” Pinkie handed out controllers to the others. Fluttershy was never a huge fan of video games, although she liked them well enough. As the TV screen filled with the opening sequence of a racing game, Fluttershy turned to Sunset and smiled. She stopped when she noticed Sunset’s expression. She wasn’t really looking at any of them or at the TV, seemingly looking at nothing instead. She was frowning and her eyes were half-lidded, and Fluttershy once again felt like she’d made a mistake in agreeing to have their friends over. “Bye! Thank you for coming!” Fluttershy and Sunset were waving to Rainbow Dash, the last of their friends to leave. It had been a fun evening that had gone on longer than expected. They’d played a few rounds of videogames, Pinkie ran out for pizza, then they finished the night with board games. It was the most fun Fluttershy could remember having, especially when Sunset finally joined in and seemed to be having fun as well. Still, when the door closed, she let out a sigh. “I, uhm…” Fluttershy frowned and stared at the ground. “I hope it was okay to have everyone over.” “Yeah, of course it was.” Sunset’s smile looked effortless, but Fluttershy knew better than to always trust it. “Really?” Without answering, Sunset picked up one of the chairs and brought it back to the kitchen. Fluttershy took the other chair and followed behind her. “It was a little unexpected, but it was fun,” Sunset answered finally. She opened the fridge, which was much fuller with the groceries Applejack had brought. “Want any more cake or anything?” “No thank you, I’m stuffed.” Sunset looked around for a minute before finding what she wanted and shutting the fridge. “I guess… It was a bit much. I just, I don’t know, I always feel weird when people come over.” “But they’re our friends.” Fluttershy turned towards Sunset to remind her that their friends wouldn’t care about the house or anything like that, but the words caught in her throat when she saw what Sunset had pulled out of the fridge. Sunset didn’t take notice of Fluttershy’s pause. “Yeah, I know.” She pulled a mug out of a cabinet and removed the cap off a bottle of wine. She filled the mug, placed the cap back on the bottle, and returned it to the fridge. “And it really was fine. Just a little… exhausting.” Fluttershy didn’t quite know what to say. All words fell away from her as she watched Sunset take a drink of the wine. “But just so you know, you can invite our friends here if you want to. Having everyone over all the time would probably be a little too much, but this is your house too now.” “Yeah…” Sunset walked past her, into the living room. Fluttershy took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was being silly. Just because he turned into a monster when he drank didn’t mean Sunset would. Besides, it’s not like she didn’t know Sunset drank, or even like she hadn’t been around while she drank. ‘Just never alone with her…’ She shook her head to shake away the thought and followed Sunset into the living room. She was not going to be afraid of her friend. Sunset was sitting on the couch watching the TV. They had put on a movie that they’d all seen for ambient noise while they hung out and it was still playing. Steeling her nerves, Fluttershy took a seat beside Sunset. “I got you something,” Sunset said. “What?” Fluttershy gave her an incredulous look. “Sunset, I said you didn’t have to!” “Well, of course I didn’t have to, but of course I still did.” Sunset set the mug down, stood up, and walked into her bedroom. She came back out with a small bag that had the aquarium’s logo on it. “Is this the real reason you wanted us to go ahead of you?” “Yeah, it is.” Sunset handed her the bag. Inside it was a small stuffed animal, and Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile when she saw what it was. “Oh, I love it!” “Yup.” Sunset took a seat and rolled her eyes. “Your own Sunfish Swimmer.” Fluttershy looked over the plush sunfish and smiled. “Thank you so much.” “Don’t mention it. Besides, it’s really not much. Maybe later we can –” “No, this is perfect.” “I’m glad you like it.” Sunset picked up the mug again. “You planning on going right to bed? I can get out of your hair if you want.” “Oh, no. Not right away at least.” They both watched the movie for a while. Sunset drank slowly, a far cry from how he would down liquor from the bottle to get drunk quickly. They made light conversation from the movie, and if Fluttershy hadn’t seen Sunset pour it herself, she might have thought the beverage was grape juice for all the difference it made on Sunset’s behavior. “You know,” Sunset said as she set aside her now-empty mug, “I’m really glad you’re here, Fluttershy.” “Really?” Fluttershy asked. She had a hard time believing that, even if she wanted to. “Yeah. It’s been nice having someone around to talk to.” Fluttershy gave a small laugh. “You just like having someone who cooks and cleans.” Sunset’s laugh was much bigger. “Well, I won’t say that part isn’t nice too.” Sunset’s expression and voice turned more serious. “But really, it’s just… I don’t know. Kind of lonely living alone, I guess.” Was the openness coming from the wine? It was hard to say. But whether it was because Sunset had finished drinking it or just because Fluttershy realized there was never any point in being concerned, she felt her worry slip away. “I know what you mean.” Sunset placed her hand on Fluttershy’s shoulder and smiled. “But hey, we don’t need to worry about that now, right? Told you living together would be fun.” Fluttershy smiled as well and nodded. It was fun to have a friend around that she saw every day, but she felt like that wasn’t really what they were talking about. She realized that mixed in with everything else she had felt since coming to live with Sunset, there was a feeling that she hadn’t put much thought into. In the week since she moved in with Sunset, her emotions had been constantly fluctuating between fear and regret; between panic and resignation; between confusion and, occasionally, hope. But she felt something else when she was with Sunset. It was a feeling that things could be okay, and not just in the future. It was a long forgotten feeling that had died along with her mother, but that was now coming back into her life. Fluttershy felt content. She moved ever so slightly closer to Sunset. “Thank you, Sunset. For everything.” “Don’t mention it.” Sunset broke into a grin. “Besides, I haven’t even given you a reason to start thanking me yet! Just you wait, you and I are gonna have to hit the town so I can be your wingman!” “My what?” Fluttershy had no idea what Sunset meant, but she was still smiling anyway. “You know, go get some girls! Lock up your daughters, Sunny and Shy are after their hearts!” Fluttershy giggled. “You’re as bad as Rainbow! And don’t you hate that nickname?” “Sunny?” Sunset shrugged. “I’ve never really liked it, but it had less to do with the name and more to do with the pony who gave it to me.” “Oh.” Sunset very rarely talked about her past, especially the part of her life in Equestria. “But I guess she probably wasn’t really so bad. I was the bitch, after all.” “So does that mean the name Sunny is allowed again?” Fluttershy asked. “Mmm…” Sunset thought for a minute. “I guess you can call me Sunny if you want to.” “Alright then, Sunny.” Fluttershy giggled at the name, and Sunset blushed a little. “You know,” Sunset said, not so subtly changing the subject. “Jokes aside, if you ever do want to try finding a girlfriend, let me know. I’m really not bad at that sort of thing.” “Hmm… You just have trouble keeping them around then?” Although she had worried the joke would be too far, Sunset laughed. “Okay, I’m not always the best at that part.” She put an arm around Fluttershy’s shoulders. “But you would be. I have no doubt about that.” Fluttershy moved a little closer to Sunset, so they were almost directly side to side. “Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind.” They watched the movie quietly, Sunset never removing her arm from Fluttershy. The feeling of contentment only swelled from the contact, and Fluttershy couldn’t remember the last time she felt so happy. Near the end of the movie, Fluttershy realized there was gentle snoring coming from beside her. Sure enough, Sunset had fallen asleep. She wondered if she should wake her, but she just kept watching the movie instead. She looked at the mug sitting on the table and felt very silly for ever worrying about it. How could she feel anything but safe with Sunset? She turned instead to look at her sleeping friend’s face and smiled. By the time the credits rolled she knew she should wake Sunset up. But every time she turned to do so, one look at how peacefully she slept changed her mind. Fluttershy instead leaned against Sunset, who murmured something incoherent before she started to snore again. The couch was really not big enough for them to both sleep on it. But Fluttershy didn’t want to wake Sunset and wasn’t going to steal her bed just because she had dozed off. And, if she was being honest, she really didn’t mind how crowded the two of them were together. She closed her eyes with her head on Sunset’s chest as she held her gift tightly, the rhythmic rise and fall of breathing inviting her to sleep. It was a perfect moment, and Fluttershy found herself thinking of her birthday wish. ‘I wish this feeling could last forever.’