//------------------------------// // Act 8, Trying To Kiss The Girl // Story: Sunset Shimmer Discovers Her Feet // by TheOneAJ //------------------------------// “Alright, hang tight you two!” Twilight shouted towards the mechanical rowboat from the stage’s breaker box. “Nothing dangerous, this shouldn’t take long. So if you wouldn’t mind waiting, we can pick back up when Chips and I are done.” “Sure thing, Twi!” Sunset shouted back. When Twilight didn’t respond, she looked to Flash. “So, since we probably got some time, what’s the story with the bucket head from yesterday? Don’t tell me Ditzy has you that flustered already.” “Oh haha,” Flash laughed, leaning up against the rowboat. “Er, kind of wasn’t watching where I was going.” He laughed while scratching his neck. “Which to my defense was because I kept her from running into a door!” “Aw, that’s so sweet!” Sunset teasingly coed, clasping her hands. “I’m sure your grandkids will tell that story over and over again at every holiday meal.” Flash reddened and shrank into his seat. “Yeah yeah! Well,” he sat up, smirking. “What about you and Twilight?” It was Sunset’s turn to color. “Wh- I mean, what about us?” she crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “We’re great friends, and,” To her dismay, the music to the current song they were re-enacting picked up where it had left off. You got to kiss the girl, whoa, whoa! “If you say one of the thousands of things I know you want to say right now, I’ll clobber ya!” Sunset warned. “Okay, okay!” Flash exclaimed once his laughter had died down. “But I don’t think your reaction is helping any ‘best friend’ arguments.” Sunset sighed in defeat. “Fine. How likely is it everyone but Twilight knows I have a thing for her?” “Eh, I'd say it’s less obvious than me and Derpy, but maybe just a bit more known than Sonata and that girl from the orchestra she secretly makes out with after practice.” He paused to rub his chin. “Then again, I guess that display of yours may have really pushed you two up the gossip chain. Hey now!” Flash said, reacting to Sunset’s frown. “You’re telling me, Sunset, the Sunset Shimmer, is scared to ask out her crush?” “I am not!” Sunset fumed. Regaining herself, she calmly said, “Well, she means a lot to me. More than any of my other friends. More then, um, no offense, than you did when I asked you out.” Doing so as a means to take over the school aside, it wasn’t as if there hadn’t been more popular choices for her arm candy in that time. It helped convince herself that it hadn’t been a loveless relationship. Which honestly it wasn’t, but it still ate at her. “I see.” Flash nodded. Sunset cringed. “I’m sorry. I know how awful that sounds just to get the point across that I have a lot more to lose with Twilight if things go wrong.” Flash warmly smiled and took one of Sunset’s hands. “Hey, for what it's worth, we dated, we’re the romantic leads in this play, and nothing’s awkward between us now. Can’t say how much that helps, but I’m sure if we’re cool, you and Twilight can handle anything.” Sunset’s face lit up as she recalled the good times she and Flash had together.  The boat then lunged forward. “Is it working?” Twilight called out. “Yeah, Twi!” Sunset jumped, pulled her hand away and let out a cough. “Great job!” “Hey,” Flash said before they continued the scene. “You rock. Any guy, or girl, you date will be happy. And that especially means Twilight. I really mean it when I say best of luck to you.” Sunset smiled. “Thanks, Flash. Same to you.” *art by Pauly Sentry                🚣 💜 🦀 🎶 ♥️  Okay, so things could have gone better, Sunset thought to herself, brushing her hair. Memories of the day played through her mind. After the dance, Twilight made it clear she wanted to go somewhere quiet to get away from the crowds. Sunset was all too happy to oblige, and they soon found themselves on the edge of a lagoon. “I can’t believe it’s still here!” Twilight cried out, walking up to a boat on the dock. “Er, kind of silly, but my brother and Cadence would take me out for rowboat rides when I was a kid if I, er.,. Was having a particularly bad day.” She sighed. “Last time I was out here, I was 13, and Shining was trying to get me comfortable with the idea of him and Cadence getting married, promising he’d still always be my best brother forever.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I, um…” Twilight kicked at the ground. “...don’t do well with change.” Hands behind her back, she asked, “You want to go for a ride?” Sunset had been all too happy. The entire setup was seemingly built just so she and Twilight could have a romantic moment. The best part was, they nearly did! For the entire trip, Twilight had been rather quiet and Sunset was happy to let Twilight be. Yet, every so often, she would look up at Sunset, only to avert her gaze when Sunset noticed. Then the boat drifted into a secluded part of the lake when Twilight pulled the oars in. “I’m, um, sorry.” Twilight said, hands in her lap. Sunset tilted her head. Twilight looked away. “Well, we were supposed to be helping by figuring out where you came from, then things happened, and now we’re no closer to solving that mystery. Ugh! I forgot to put those books back before I left.” She smacked her head. “I know, I’m terrible, aren’t I?” Sunset would have burst out laughing right then and there if she could have. She then would have told Twilight that she had an amazing day, and her past didn’t matter. Instead, she scooted closer to Twilight and took the human’s free hand. Twilight lowered the palm on her face to see Sunset looking firmly at her, trying her best to say without words, ‘I had a great time today with you.” Face heating up, Twilight found her other hand resting into Sunset’s grip. The two stared into each other’s beautiful eyes, faces aglow. They found themselves moving closer to one another, faces inching forward… Then the boat flipped over.   Sure, there was nothing stopping Sunset from trying to kiss Twilight after that. And she did! But with the excuse that it was getting late, Twilight simply took her back to the castle. “How was your da-evening?” Cadance asked when the two walked in. “It was…” Twilight looked to Sunset, then with a nervous smile, answered back. “Good.” Sunset set her dingel-hopper down on the nightstand and sighed. Not a bad day, but after all that, all Twilight could say was ‘good’? It was enough to make her storm off after Twilight and make her re-evaluate her words. Seeing as how acting grumpy wasn’t doing her any good, though, she stood up, went to the balcony, and decided to stare up at the night sky. Why hadn’t she tried to bargain for more days with that damn witch again? Oh, right; because she was a pride-filled, love-sick, angry moron. And now, she only had one day left. Hey, don’t lose hope! It’s not over. You really believe that? She likes you! You know that, right? Really? Then why was her day just ‘good’? She’s just... If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you be just as hesitant? Sunset tried to think of a counter, but couldn’t. Much of her own life had been antisocial due to never fitting in with any of the other mermaids. If only... There was a yelp from down below that drew Sunset’s attention away from the stars. Looking downwards, she saw that Twilight had stubbed her foot on something. After a moment of pain, she looked up to see Sunset looking down on her. The girl gave a nervous wave to which Sunset waved back, doing her best to smile reassuringly. It was nothing more than to try and let her know she wasn’t mad or anything. It then seemed like Twilight was going to say something, but she merely backed out of view, her blush clear as day. Then again, Sunset thought to herself with a smile and yawn. Anything can happen in a day. Still, even if not, it was worth it. She smiled to herself and pulled the curtains closed. Yeah, no matter what happens, it was worth it... Twilight, meanwhile, found herself breathing heavily against the castle walls, reflecting on the day she and Sunset had shared.  “Want to talk about it?” her brother asked when Twilight refused to join them for dinner. “It was a good day, I promise!” Twilight insisted, tugging at her hair. “I see.” Shining nodded. “So, are you two friends now?” Twilight took a minute, but soon nodded. “I...I think so.” “Anyone who could stand up to that brat Cozy Glow is a friend in my book.” He chuckled until he saw Twilight’s horrified expression. “Relax, you’re not in trouble. Knowing the Glow family, they’d rather have this die out than make a big deal about it.” he breathed. “Guess that’s not the issue?” “It’s one less thing to worry about.” Twilight rubbed her hands. “But yeah. I can’t— “You’re thinking too hard about it, Ladybug,” Cadence chimed in, surprising them both. “Sorry.” “It’s okay,” Twilight said. “I...I like her, a lot. Fine, I said it! She makes me happy, but…” Fist clenched, she stood up. “I need some air to think. I— Shining started to protest, but Cadance held him back. “Alright. But some additional food for thought; I know you have your fears and if Sunset is a true friend, she’ll understand. Just don’t think she’ll assume you want to be friends if you keep her at arm’s length.” Twilight said she understood, then found herself wondering outside. She didn’t watch where she was going and stubbed her toe, then saw Sunset from her bedroom windowsill before backing away. Why was it so difficult for her to let someone in? Truthfully, it was the happiest she’d been in a long while. Only... “She’s not the one who saved me.” Twilight told herself. “So I don’t owe... She shook her head and leaned against a wall. Was that really what this was all about? Being honest with herself, even without a voice to confirm it, she felt almost confident Sunset was the one. That was the real reason she first helped her out. She told herself she was being nice for mistaking Sunset for another girl instead of being life-debuted to clear her conscience. That’s all she wanted to do at first ever since she found that girl. Then they got to know one another, they danced together, Sunset stood up for her, made her smile, made her stomach tingle- Twilight held onto her stomach. Was she that afraid to admit that she might have been falling in love? Twilight had never been the most social of people. The idea of letting anyone in absolutely terrified her. She preferred to get lost in one of her adventure novels that couldn’t harm her. To get away from the social games her peers would play to try to rise up, and the dirty methods they would use to gain popularity. More often than not, they used her nervous ramblings as the butt of a joke. Books made her happy! Being alone made her happy! Not having to worry about what people—or a person—thought about her made Twilight happy. At least, she thought so. Then she met Sunset, and in less than two days, the girl had broken down almost every wall she had built up around her heart. It was that last bit of stone that fully kept Sunset out. That one little block years of anxiety had created a deep foundation for. The worst part was, it was one only she, and no one else, could move. Others had tried and eventually gave up. “And what if...” Twilight spoke out loud as she reflected on her sister’s words. “What if she up and leaves tomorrow because she thought I was rejecting her?” She narrowed her eyes. “Like everyone else I push away. But, would that be so bad if she wasn’t in my life, and I just went back to the way things were before?” Twilight sucked in a breath.  Yes, she admitted. Yes! The more she thought about it, the more she hated the idea of not having Sunset in her life! Twilight also knew that, if she didn’t act soon, she’d risk that very outcome happening. “Maybe...” she thought to herself, looking in the direction of the obscured patio, and smiled. “Maybe if she’s still awake, I could show her the stars, or read her another book? Or two?” If anyone was around, her smile would have been infectious. Inwardly, she thought, And maybe I can put the last of my fears behind me and fully let her in. But, do I want to? Yes…yes I do! I really want to, there! I said it. I want to be with Sunset! Her fist clenched tightly. I want to spend more time with her! Forever if I can. I don't care what we do! As long as it’s with her. I want to hold her, to let her hold me, let her kiss me…Oh gods, do I want to kiss her! Those last thoughts warmed her core. Taking in a deep breath, Twilight started towards the castle when a voice rang out in the distance. A rather familiar voice. “It couldn’t be!” she mouthed, walking in its direction just to be sure. Today of all days...not that it changed anything! Still, just because her heart now longed for Sunset, she had to at least know for sure and thank the girl. It would be the bare minimum she could do. She looked down to the beach where the song was coming from and saw a curly haired woman dressed in black, strolling along the sand.  Huh, Twilight thought at first. Voice sounds the same and she kind of looks like Sunset, maybe? A part of her felt sure enough to let the woman be, another, suddenly stronger part, wanted to reconfirm. She walked down towards the beach. As she did so, it felt more as if this lady did match the features Sunset had. But...I was sure her hair was a mix of yellows and golds like Sunset. Can you be sure? A voice in the back of her mind asked. Wasn’t the sun in your eyes? “I guess,” Twilight said out loud. “But, wasn’t her hair at least straight?” No, Twilight waved it off as she got closer. Thinking about it, her hair was definitely curly. Still, something didn’t feel right. It was almost as if she had a picture of two different girls in mind. One being the one in front of her, the other... Wait, who again? Twilight came to a sudden stop, as the past two days started to become fuzzy in her memory. Something’s wrong Twilight realized, holding a hand to her head. Why was it that she was having a hard time recalling what she and Sunset had done all day? It was... It was the best, best... What was going on? Should she leave? Why? a voice whispered. You think someone is using ‘magic’ to mess with your mind? Twilight laughed at the idea. Of course such things were silly, but then why... Why was she so worried about this? She didn’t care about this woman. It was Sunset she wanted to be with. “Girl’s more strong-minded than I thought.” Someone said. “Better try a different approach.” Twilight took a step back. Thinking she should just leave, but still wondering if this really was the person who saved her life than she- “Bingo!” Twilight blinked, and held a hand to her head. Upon pulling away, she felt a sinking feeling in her gut. The woman who saved her life was right there, and she was distracted by something else? How selfish she was. Besides, it wasn’t as if the castle and that other girl who hadn’t saved her couldn’t wait. This was far more important. What mattered now was discovering the identity of the stranger who saved her life! To give her...something. Yeah, maybe it didn’t make sense, but Twilight owed this woman her life, so she could suck it up. It was the least she could do. Besides, she was rather pretty, Twilight thought, as she raced forward to the source of the voice. “It’s you!” Twilight cried, throwing her arms around the women. “I thought you weren't real. I thought...” she pulled back from the hug and frowned. “Weren't your eyes teal on the blue end? Or would that be green? Then again, if we’re talking about the color theory— “Don’t be silly,” Adagio groaned, forcing so much magic upon Twilight’s mind, a tentacle slid out of her dress. “They were always this way. A side effect from nearly drowning. Everyone knows that. Now for goodness sakes, stop babbling you little, um, angelfish!” Only when Twilight nodded in understanding did she allow herself to smile. “Oh? Oh yeah! You’re right.” Twilight smiled, her violet eyes shimmering yellow. “Silly me. Guess I forgot to take into account the side effects of ingesting seawater.” Adagio put a finger to her lips before she could say more. “Just be happy you found me.” Adagio glared before perking up. Twilight nervously chuckled. “Of course.” “Now then,” Adagio coed. “I believe you owe me a favor,” she took Twilight’s hand and forced more magic into the princess' already vulnerable mind. “Would your heart be enough?” “But, I…” Twilight blinked several times. “I love, love...” Taking in a deep breath, Adagio asked, “Who could be more important than the person who saved your life?” Twilight thought about it hard. There was someone else...right? Adagio was about to put more magic into the spell, when she asked, “You wouldn’t want me to leave, right?” “I... I...” Twilight looked downwards, but answered, “No.” Adagio breathed a sigh of relief. “Good girl. Now, be happy.” “Of course.” Twilight slowly nodded as she embraced the woman. “You are as beautiful as I remember.” Twilight cooed, embracing her savor. “I... I don’t know how to thank you.”  “It’s okay,” Adagio said, pulling Twilight in as she tucked her tentacle back into her dress. “I’m here now.”                          🐚 🎶 🐚