Camp Naturally

by Enclave2277


The Best Laid Plans Of Unicorns & Scientists Often Go Awry

Chapter 21

Sunset’s Cabin, Camp Everfree

Twilight let out a loud yawn, blinked her eyes blearily, and scratched an itchy spot just underneath her right breast. Despite a strong desire to stay in bed with Sunset for a little while longer, the purple-skinned scientist knew that she needed to take care of a few things in order to make sure their date would go smoothly later in the day. Thankfully, Starlight and Sunburst had only stayed for a few hours after they’d arrived. Twilight didn’t quite comprehend all of the technical jargon Starlight had used to explain why, but it sounded like they were on a strict time limit due to the unstable nature of the trans-dimensional spell she’d used.

It was just as well, Twilight mused, for their continued presence would have only complicated matters further. Both in terms of her date with Sunset and how Gloriosa would have dealt with even more alien visitors taking up lodging in her camp. After leaning over to give Sunset a quick kiss on the forehead, Twilight padded over to the bathroom so she could pee and tidy up a bit. Like most mornings, she brushed her hair, applied deodorant under her armpits, and a few dabs of perfume. Mostly along the neckline, wrists, and some mixed in with her pubic hair.

One of the places Twilight had never even considered applying perfume before coming to Camp Everfree was her privates. However, since her naked body was now fully exposed to the world at large, Twilight felt extremely self-conscious about how people perceived what she smelled like down there. Especially, after Adagio had so vividly described the essence of her natural musk. The former villain may have been drunk, but she was probably… accurate in her assessment.

“Do my genitals really smell like lavender? Hmm. How odd. Human beings don’t typically have strong pheromone secretions in the first place. Perhaps Adagio is a lot more sensitive to them since she’s not technically a human in the traditional sense?” Twilight whispered to herself.

At the risk of feeling like a complete idiot, Twilight declined to satisfy her curiosity by sniffing her own crotch like a dog. One furious blush later, Twilight shook her head and tried to shift her focus on a less embarrassing topic. While Sunset had been busy catching up with Sunburst yesterday afternoon, Twilight took the opportunity to put in a special request at the canteen for an “on the go” picnic lunch. She hoped that Camp Everfree’s chefs had the time and supplies necessary to make a decent one with only a day’s notice.

Twilight carefully shut the door behind her and took in a deep breath. “Ok, Twilight. Now’s not the time to panic. Wallflower said that making a picnic lunch was no problem, so you shouldn’t worry. It’ll be ready to pick up. Positive thoughts. If it’s not, oh well~ Only the success of the ENTIRE DATE depends on the damned thing being ready beforehand. HAHAHA!!”

“What being ready beforehand, if I may inquire?”

Twilight was so startled by the voice that answered her hypothetical musings that she let out a terrified squawk and fell over backwards right onto her bare rump. With her poor heart thundering in her chest, Twilight heaved a few unsteady breaths to try and calm herself. The purpled-skinned scientist’s cheeks flushed beet red when she realized it was just Lucifer. Even though he wasn’t a human, Twilight awkwardly clamped her legs shut for the sake of propriety. Is this really what her life had come to? Being worried about flashing people at a naturist resort?

“HI, LUCIFER! I-I wasn’t expecting to see you so… soon.” Twilight blurted out.

Lucifer cocked his head. “Ah, yes. Good morning, Twilight Sparkle. I’m terribly sorry for scaring the living daylights out of you. It wasn’t my intention… once again. You’ll have to forgive me. Mistress Adagio often scolds me for being a bit too sneaky for my own good sometimes. Are you alright? No broken bones or sprains, I hope.”

“No, I’m fine. Aside from my butt being a little sore.”

Lucifer shrugged his wings. “Good to hear. I’d offer you a hand, however, I lack the appropriate appendages…”

Twilight giggle snorted. “Thanks for being considerate anyway. To answer your question: I’m heading over to the canteen to retrieve a picnic lunch that I ordered yesterday. Sunset and I are going out into the Everfree Forest later on today for a—um—date, I guess you could say.”

“Is that so? Well, I happen to be headed to the canteen myself. Best way to start the day is with a bloody slab of sirloin steak, I always say. Will you be staying for breakfast too, Miss Sparkle?”

Twilight stood up and brushed the grass off her bottom. “Well, I am kind of hungry. Sure. Why not? Eating breakfast with a talking vulture certainly won’t be the weirdest thing I’ve ever done.”

Lucifer nodded politely and walked beside Twilight along the path to the canteen. Some of the other guests milling about, doing their morning routines, stopped to stare at the spectacle. The turkey vulture didn’t seem perturbed one bit by all the attention, but Twilight wasn’t a huge fan of being stared at by so many eyes at once. She adjusted her glasses (it was a nervous habit) and waved at the other guests, trying to make the whole situation seem less bizarre somehow. A few of them waved back, but for the most part, they responded with looks of disbelief.

Lucifer stopped in front of the door and looked up at Twilight. “Pardon me, Miss Sparkle. But I’m unable to enter the building this way on my own. Would you mind opening the door please?”

“Uh… yeah, no problem. Did you make sure your claws are clean?”

Lucifer let out what Twilight guessed was an annoyed grunt and wiped his claws on the rubber welcome mat. “Indeed, they are. I may eat carrion, but I always keep myself groomed to the highest possible standard. Did you expect otherwise?”

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck. “No—I… sorry. I’m not really sure what to expect, honestly. The vultures I know of generally don’t care about that sort of thing.”

“That would be true for my brethren. However, Mistress Adagio made sure to teach me all about the spread of disease and its danger to humans and other animals. Shall we find a seat?”

The canteen was fairly crowded since it was breakfast time and Twilight hoped that Wallflower was around to ensure that everyone wouldn’t panic due to the vulture walking around the room. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the green-haired waitress scramble from the kitchen over to the entrance. With an awkward chuckle, Twilight greeted Wallflower.

“Let me guess: that’s Adagio’s infamous pet turkey vulture?”

Twilight nodded. “I dunno if pet is the appropriate term to use, but yeah.”

Wallflower sighed and adjusted her apron. “So long as he’s clean, I guess it’s ok for him to eat with you. Rufus comes in here on occasion too. I’ll—ah—let everybody know so they don’t… freak out or go report this to Gloriosa. Be back in a second!”

Unbeknownst to Twilight, the canteen had an intercom system. Wallflower made a quick announcement about Lucifer and told everyone that he was not only clean but also very well behaved. Emphasizing that they shouldn’t panic or rush to exit the building. To punctuate this point, Lucifer bowed and spread his wings out in a gentleman-like flourish. The stunned silence that followed was deafening, awkward, and painful. After a few moments passed, the guests resumed eating their breakfast and carried on with their previous conversations.

Twilight took her seat and perused the menu. Wallflower came back as promised with a notepad and pen in hand. “Before we get started with the order, is the picnic lunch I requested ready yet?”

“Yep. I even took the liberty of packing into a basket for you. Just make sure you put it somewhere refrigerated before you head out for the picnic proper. Coleslaw is nasty when it gets warm. Eugh! Oh, and by the way, good luck with confessing your feelings to Sunset! I know you girls will make an awesome couple.”

Twilight blinked owlishly. “I’m sorry?”

“That’s the whole point of planning a romantic picnic with her in the woods, right? To set up the mood for the big reveal? Classic rom-com scenario. No matter how nervous you might get, just remember to be yourself and keep things casual. It’ll all work out. I’m sure!” Wallflower smiled and gave her two thumbs ups.

Twilight blushed from her cheeks all the way down to the tips of her breasts. “H-how did you come across this information?! I don’t recall ever telling you about my plans…”

Wallflower shuffled her feet. “Shy and I talk about all sorts of stuff. One night, after we—I mean, when we were snuggling in bed, she told me about your crush on Sunset. Don’t worry; I think it’s totally cool! I’m not judging or anything. In fact, I’m rooting for you all the way!”

“I see,” Twilight mumbled, “Then, I suppose you just put two and two together?”

Wallflower chuckled. “Yeah. Sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Twilight swore she saw Lucifer smile. Or at least as much as a beaked creature could. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Miss Sparkle. Love is a wonderful thing. You can only imagine how long I urged Mistress Adagio to figure that out for herself. But she is a stubborn one.”

Twilight smiled despite the nervous butterflies swirling around in her stomach. “Thanks, guys. I really appreciate all of the support. I suppose… this isn’t quite how I’d pictured my confession would play out. Least of all at a naturist resort. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs, huh?”

Wallflower grinned. “Yep! It sure does. I don’t think I’d have ever had the opportunity to talk with Shy if it wasn’t for this place. Well—AHEM—so what do you two want for breakfast?”

“Oh! Sorry, Wallflower. I got a bit caught up in all the excitement. Scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon for me please. And a large coffee too. Ehehe. Gotta make sure there’s not too much blood diluting the caffeine stream, am I right?”

Lucifer somehow managed to tie a napkin around his neck using his claws. “One breakfast sirloin please. Bloody and uncooked. I shall also have a side of hash brown patties. Water is fine as a beverage. Thank you!”

As with most of the meals Twilight had ordered from the canteen, they came out quickly and were very delicious. She didn’t waste any time crunching on the crispy strips of bacon and shoveling her mouth full of fluffy scrambled eggs. Normally, Twilight was not the keenest on table manners but she marveled at how elegantly Lucifer was eating his bloody sirloin. And he wasn’t even using any utensils! After burping quite loudly by accident, Twilight used a napkin to wipe the greasy remnants of bacon flecks from her lips and to hide her growing blush.

“Sorry. I’m not exactly the cleanest eater.”

Lucifer clicked his beak. “No worries, my dear. Mistress Adagio isn’t much better.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “So—um—you talked about love earlier. Does that mean you’ve experienced it before? You don’t have to answer my question if it’s a sensitive subject.”

“I can say, without a shred of hesitation, that I love Mistress Adagio. She is family to me. However, I’ve taken a few mates over the centuries. Unfortunately, my pairing with them never lasted for very long. I am ageless and my intellectual capacity is far beyond their own. I’m afraid that… I am simply not satisfied mating with other vultures anymore.”

Twilight frowned and played with what remained of her eggs. “Oh. That’s so sad.”

Lucifer hopped off the chair and patted Twilight’s leg with his wing. “There’s no need to feel sorry for me, Miss Sparkle. I am quite content with my lot in life. There are times though that I wish I was a man. Heaven knows I have more in common with humans than my own kind.”

Twilight hesitantly reached down and rubbed Lucifer’s bald head. “Who knows? Maybe there’s a magic spell out there that can make your dream come true, Lucifer.”

“Indeed. Only time shall tell.”

Twilight cleared her throat. “Do you have any advice for me?”

“For your upcoming date with Miss Shimmer? The most important thing is to act and converse with her as you normally would. Adopting a different persona will only lead to awkwardness. I honestly don’t believe it will be an issue, Miss Sparkle. You two are already close friends.”

Twilight took a sip of her coffee when she spotted Wallflower padding across the room with a picnic basket in hand. “Hey, Twilight! I’ve got your lunch. Take it whenever you’re ready.”

Lucifer and Twilight sat in comfortable silence for the remainder of their meal, occasionally chatting about mundane topics every so often. After a quick hug goodbye (something Twilight never imagined she would ever do with a turkey vulture), they parted ways and the purple-skinned scientist headed back to Sunset’s cabin. Although she felt a nervous energy swirling deep in the pit of her stomach, it was the good kind of nervous. It meant that she was excited.

Twilight placed her hand on her chest and counted to ten. “Just be yourself, Twilight. That’s all you have to do. No need for fancy gifts, theatrics, or honeyed words. Sunset doesn’t like all of that stuff anyway. The rest, as Lucifer said, will fall into place. Ok. Let’s do this!”


Sunset groaned as she sat up in bed. It annoyed the former unicorn ever so slightly that she wasn’t able to cuddle up against Twilight for a while longer, but she wasn’t surprised to find that her best friend had already left the cabin to get breakfast. A quick glance at the clock told her it was only seven twenty-eight in the morning. Early for a gamer girl like Sunset, who routinely stayed up late to broadcast livestreams. After getting a pot of coffee brewing, she padded over to the bathroom and looked in the mirror at her atrocious bedhead. It came with having long hair.

Begrudgingly, Sunset combed her fiery locks from a mess into something more presentable. Or at least a haphazard style that would be considered acceptable if she were out in public. She wanted something a little fancier for her date with Twilight later on but wasn’t sure exactly what she could do about it. Camp Everfree had many things, but a salon was not one of them. She sighed to herself and continued on with her morning routine regardless.

Even when she still lived in Equestria, Sunset Shimmer had never been a big fan of cosmetics or clothing for that matter. Instead, she preferred to look as natural as possible. Rarity, on many occasions, seemed to agree that this was the best course of action for her. To that end, she squirted a glob of moisturizing skin cream into the palm of her hand and rubbed it all over her body. Some deodorant, and a few spritzes of fruit-scented perfume completed her hygienic routine. A shower would come later. Therefore, she was, more or less, ready for the day. Upon checking herself out in the mirror, Sunset tapped her chin in thought.

“Should I at least wear lipstick and nail polish? I know guys tend to like cosmetics but… what about Twi? Would something like that even matter to her? SHIT! I don’t know! It’s been way too long since I last put myself on the market. I’m SERIOUSLY outta practice…”

In the end, Sunset decided to forgo the effort of painting her nails and wearing lipstick. However, she did make one small concession. She applied a thin layer of lip gloss just to make them look vibrant and shiny. Also, if they happened to kiss, it would make her lips taste better too. Her imagination ran wild at the idea of sticking her tongue deep into Twilight’s—Sunset’s cheeks flushed while she tried to focus on something else before her imagination got carried away.

After pouring herself a big cup of coffee (with lots of cream, of course), Sunset finally felt like she could face the day properly. She walked over to the window with a mug in hand and peered out in the forest. The usual cadre of colorful woodland birds flitted about in the trees, but out of the corner of her eye, Sunset spotted a pair of deer grazing near the edge of Lake Clarity.

For a brief moment, Sunset locked eyes with the beautiful white-coated stag. She swore that she could hear a refined, masculine voice inside her mind say to her: “Well met, traveler.” So far as Sunset was aware, there were no Fae Folk living in the forest beyond Gaia Everfree and she had already fused with Gloriosa by now. Within the blink of an eye, the deer were gone. It was almost as if they’d never been there in the first place. Sunset sat down and rubbed her eyes.

“Ok. That was pretty weird. Maybe I ought to lay off the spicy nachos whenever I play late night streams. Still… it might be a good idea to take a quick walk around the camp in order to clear up my head just in case. Hopefully, the white stag wasn’t some kind of ill omen. HAHA!”

With a healthy dose of caffeine now flowing through her veins, Sunset found that her grogginess had dissipated significantly. A few basic stretches out in front of the cabin ensured that her muscles were nice and limber before she started her walk. The former unicorn had opted to go barefoot, since she didn’t expect to go very far into the forest anyway. Instead, she chose to walk along the sandy shore of Lake Clarity and let the morning sun warm her skin.

Twenty minutes passed before Sunset’s stomach began to rumble in protest. Her pony instincts kicked in, urging her to get on all fours and start nibbling on the grass beneath her feet. But she quickly dismissed the idea as folly. Her human stomach simply wasn’t built to process high amounts of cellulose like herbivores could. Not that raw grass was palatable anyway. It was more of a survival food in Equestria. For ponies roughing it in the wild.

“Well, I guess that’s what I get for skipping breakfast this morning. Eh. Whatever. Maybe I can grab a protein bar when I get back to the cabin or something.”

What Sunset really wanted was a big slab of fried chicken slathered in maple syrup, all resting atop a big, fluffy waffle. The mere thought of such a culinary delight made her mouth water and caused her stomach to growl even louder. Fortunately, Sunset spotted Fluttershy lounging on a blanket a few paces away. If nothing else, striking up a conversation with her animal-loving friend would serve to take her mind off of food for a little while.

Sunset froze when she saw a mountain lion walk up behind her friend.

“Oh! Good morning, Sunset. How are you doing today?”

“Shy there’s a big ass mountain lion right behind you!” Sunset hissed.

Fluttershy giggled and let the mountain sit next to her. She ran her fingers through the feline’s tawny coat. “I know. Her name is Sheagra. I helped remove a nasty splinter in her paw earlier. I think she just wanted to check up on me and say hello. Would you like to pet her?”

Sunset laughed nervously. “Are you sure? I-I mean… mountain lions are known to attack and maul people to death on occasion. She’s… cool with me being here, right?”

Sheagra made eye contact with Sunset and swished her tail back and forth. A low purring sound came out of her throat and she cocked her head, waiting for Sunset to make a choice.

“She doesn’t mind. Go ahead and sit next to her if you want.” Fluttershy said encouragingly.

Every fiber of Sunset’s being screamed at her to run away. This was a dangerous predator, even to humans and she wasn’t as confident around animals as Fluttershy was. Rufus was technically a predator too, but he was still just a baby and freaking adorable to boot. Sheagra was a full-grown mountain lion that could easily tear her limb from limb. After letting out a shuddering sigh, Sunset carefully sat down next to the feline and forced herself to smile.

“Uh… hello there. Would you like me to pet your head?”

Much to her surprise, the mountain lion lowered her head and let Sunset do just that.

“Wow. Your fur is super soft. Haha! You’re just like a big kitty!” Sunset giggled while Sheagra nuzzled her cheek.

“See? I told you it would be fine. Sheagra’s a big softie once you get to know her.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “You’re just about the only person I know who would treat taming a furry death machine as no more unusual than walking a dog.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Well—um—it’s really NOT that big of a deal…”

“Aww~ You’re being too modest! If no one else will come out and say it directly, then I will. You’re a certified badass, Shy. Trust me; I’d know.”

The pink-haired woman blushed even harder. “Thank you, Sunset. SO… what brings you to this part of the forest? I was under the impression that you’d want to spend most of the day with Twilight. Am I wrong or did you two have an argument? Oh, dear. I can’t imagine what—”

Sunset waved her hands. “No, nothing like that! Twi’s an earlier riser and she went off to go get some breakfast at the canteen before I woke up. It’s no biggie. I just wanted to stretch out my legs for a while and… clear my mind. Gotta get my head in the game for the big date.”

“I understand. It takes courage to admit that you love someone. Um—romantically, I mean.”

Sunset laid down on the blanket and lazily ran her fingers along Sheagra’s coat. “Mhmm. You can say that again. To be honest, I don’t think it’ll change our relationship that much. But on the other hand, I’m… terrified about what’ll happen when we decide to be intimate.”

Fluttershy looked over at her friend with concern. “Why’s that? I thought you were bisexual.”

Sunset let out a frustrated sigh. “It’s not me, per say. I’ve had sex with a few girls before. No biggie. Twilight though, she only came out of the closet recently. As a matter of fact, she’s still a virgin. I don’t—I’m not sure what kind of expectations she has.”

Fluttershy reached over and rubbed Sunset’s thigh gently. “Talk with her about it. Knowing Twilight as I do, it’s a pretty safe bet that she’ll overthink the whole situation to the point of anxiety. Unless, of course, you explain to her that it’s ok to take things slow and experiment.”

“Ok. I suppose the best I can hope for is that she doesn’t freak out. I don’t want a friendship that took us years to build to just… crumble apart in a matter of moments.”

Fluttershy giggled. “Now, who’s the one overthinking the situation? Take in a deep breath, count to ten, and relax. Twilight would never do that to you, Sunset.”

Sunset let out an anxious chuckle. “Sorry. I tend to do that sometimes…”

“Mhmm. Yet another reason why you two are going to be a great couple. You’re so alike!”

Sunset twirled a strand of her hair. “Heh. Yeah, we really are despite growing up in completely different worlds and cultures. I—um—do you think I need to do anything special for her today? Like put on some makeup or spruce up my hair?”

Fluttershy tapped her chin in thought. “That’s entirely up to you, Sunset. In my opinion, I think you look fine just the way you are. But… if I want, I could help you braid your hair.”

“You know what? I like the sound of that. Let’s do it!”

Sheagra gave both of the girls a quick nuzzle and went about her way. Probably to hunt or go back to her den for some rest. The whole experience left Sunset considerably less paranoid about the dangerous predators lurking within the Everfree Forest but not any less cautious. At no point did she think that her ability to bond with wild animals would ever come close to Fluttershy’s. Besides, it wasn’t as if the Everfree had that many large predators to begin with.

After getting comfortable, Sunset sat cross-legged on the blanket while Fluttershy took a few strands of her hair and began braiding them in earnest. With practiced ease, the animal lover completed each row while singing to pass the time. Sunset had to stifle a giggle when a few sparrows gathered around Fluttershy just like in Snow White and began chirping along in harmony to her voice. Fluttershy paused for a moment and smiled at her feathery friends.

“Hello little ones. Would you like to keep us company?”

They all nodded and resumed their songs. Sunset chuckled to herself in amusement. “Man, I wish I had my phone on me right now. The internet would gobble this up in a heartbeat. You’d become a star instantly!”

“Oh. Well, um—I don’t think I’d want millions of people to see me… like this.”

Sunset’s brow furrowed in confusion until she remembered that Fluttershy wasn’t used to other people seeing her naked on camera. “Oops! I do most of my livestreams in the nude, so it didn’t even occur to me that you’d be uncomfortable with showing off some skin. My bad.”

Fluttershy rubbed Sunset’s back. “No worries. Being nude around other people here at Camp Everfree is fine. In fact, I’ve come to appreciate and enjoy doing so. Mostly because this camp is a controlled environment with rules in place. But I don’t think I’m quite confident enough about my body yet to show everyone on the internet. Or ever, for that matter…”

“I totally get where you’re coming from. I’m more the exception to the rule than the rule itself.”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Um… did you ever have any problems with stalkers and perverts?”

Sunset let out a tired sigh. “When I first started out, yeah. This was back when I used a streaming service to host my videos. So long as you marked your channel as ‘Mature’, you could post content that contained nudity or just plain old smut.”

“Why did you stop?”

Sunset growled. “Because the admins were a bunch of do-nothing assholes. I got fed up with droves of horny people constantly trying to send me explicit pics. The lewd comments in chat didn’t help matters either. It’s not like I was filming a porno for Celestia’s sake! All I wanted to do was play games and have fun without having to worry about what to wear.”

Fluttershy frowned. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that…”

“Live and learn, I guess. Once I’d earned enough money on there, I decided to start my own website and hire admins who would weed out all of the creeps. I like to think that people enjoy my streams because of the gaming content nowadays but you know how the internet is.”

Fluttershy fixed two yellow scrunchies on the end of Sunset’s braids. “Hmm. It’s difficult for me to judge such a thing. But—um—I’d like to think that’s the case too. Still, I wouldn’t let the occasional pervert get to you. I’d take it as a compliment, of sorts. You’re a beautiful, intelligent, caring, young woman, Sunset. Anyone would be lucky to call you their friend.”

Sunset turned around and embraced her friend. From there, Fluttershy reciprocated, the dam finally broke, and Sunset started crying. “Sorry if I’m getting emotional, Shy. I had major self-esteem issues for years a-and… it feels good to hear someone give me a genuine compliment.”

Fluttershy wiped away Sunset’s tears with a pink handkerchief. “You’re quite welcome. Once you’re finished, I’ll bring out my pocket mirror and you can check out your new hairstyle.”

Sunset snorted with laughter. “How is that even possible? You don’t have any pockets!”

“Not literally, of course. I brought a fanny pack with me…”

Despite having puffy, bloodshot eyes from crying, Sunset couldn’t help but be impressed by Fluttershy’s handiwork. The braids themselves rested just below Sunset’s breasts and, by all accounts, looked professionally done. It was a brand-new look for her, and the former unicorn couldn’t help but wonder if people would have gotten a different impression of her personality had she worn this style earlier. Fluttershy reached down and placed a wildflower in Sunset’s hair.

“There! I’m sure Twilight will love your new look.”

Sunset nodded. “Yeah. You did a great job, Shy. Although, it seems to me that I vaguely resemble one of those anime schoolgirls you and Wallflower are always gushing over. Is that where you drew your inspiration for my hairstyle?”

Fluttershy blushed and rubbed her hands together. “Well, umm—that’s… yes.”

Sunset got up and put her hands on her hips. “Welp, I should probably head back to the cabin now. Again, thanks for braiding my hand and having a chat with me. It helped a lot.”

“You’re welcome. I’m probably going to stay out here for a little while longer and go for a swim. Have fun on your date!”


Twilight Sparkle wasn’t the world’s most flexible-minded girl. Going with the flow, as Tree Hugger called it, was beyond her ability to tolerate in just about any circumstances. In the scientist’s personal experience, waiting only led to the eventual onset of anxiety, then a panic attack. Circumstances she avoided at all costs if the situation would allow. This was one of the many reasons why she viewed punctuality as one of life’s most important virtues and why she was so adamant about sticking to well-planned schedules with contingency plans.

Unfortunately, she needed to wait. Sunset hadn’t left her a detailed note indicating precisely when she’d return from her outing. Not that it truly mattered since they were both on vacation but it was the principal of the thing! Twilight laid back on the couch, kicked her bare feet in the air, and glanced over at Sunset’s cellphone that was still sitting on the coffee table. She wanted to complain. Really, she did. But it would have made her sound like a total hypocrite.

Twilight huffed in frustration. “It’s already ten o’clock. Where could she be?”

A subconscious part of the purple-skinned scientist’s brain wanted to just get this date over with. To move on with the vacation, and by extension, her life. That way, she wouldn’t continue to fret over all the particulars and what would happen in Scenario X, if Variable Y occurred. Try as she might, Twilight Sparkle couldn’t plan something like romance with a list or a schedule. Some things in life just needed to happen organically. Twilight rolled over, buried her head in the pillow, and screamed as loud as she dared. Once she was finished, Twilight sighed.

“Sure, I was nervous back when I first went out with Timber… b-but this whole situation feels TOTALLY different! Why?! Is it because Sunset and I are so much… closer? Because we—have so much more to lose if this whole date goes south? AAAGGGGHHH!!”

A horrible gurgling noise filled the room while Twilight cupped her hand over her mouth. Like it or not, her stomach tended to become upset whenever she panicked about stuff. She raced into the bathroom and promptly puked her entire breakfast into the toilet. It was all so sudden and violent that she crumpled onto the cool, tiled floor afterwards. Weak and feeling lightheaded, she shifted what little attention she could muster towards the door. Someone had come in.

Sunset immediately scooped Twilight up and placed her on the bed. “Twilight, are you alright?! What happened? Sweet Celestia! You’re all pale and clammy. Lemme get you a washcloth.”

When Sunset returned with a warm washcloth in hand, Twilight let out a weak chuckle. “Sorry, Sunset. I didn’t mean to… mess things up so quick. I got anxious and wound up tossing my cookies. It was a good breakfast too. Damn it…”

“Shh. Save your strength and relax. That doesn’t matter.”

Twilight smiled. “Wow. I didn’t notice before… but you changed your hair. S’really pretty.”

Sunset blushed despite the situation. “Heh. Thanks. Shy helped me braid it. Do you need me to get you anything? Don’t worry about the date right now. I just want to make sure you’re ok.”

Twilight tried to hold back her tears but they flowed down her cheeks anyway. After a few moments of crying into the pillow, she sucked up some of the snot that was dribbling out of her nose and blushed. “I’m so sorry, Sunset. Today was supposed to be special and I—”

Sunset wiped Twilight’s nose with a tissue and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Twi, I’m not angry. These sorts of things happen. The important thing is: we’re together. Even though it’s not exactly what we’d planned to do. Rest up and I’ll go get you some ginger ale.”

After a few sips, Twilight’s stomach finally settled down enough that she didn’t feel like death warmed over any more. Even so, she was still weak and needed time to regain her strength. To that end, Sunset sat on the edge of the bed and began stroking Twilight’s hair like her mother would do whenever she got sick. Along with the beautiful lullaby Sunset sang to her, Twilight couldn’t resist closing her eyes. She felt so very tired. Within moments, she was fast asleep.