"So... tell me one more time so ah have it straight," Applejack said to Sunset as the seven of them sat at their lunch table. "Trixie pops up in front of you, says she wants to run for princess, asks you out, sayin' it's 'cause you've won before and could help her win, but really you think she might actually be in love with you?"
"Well..." Sunset stammered, "love might be a little strong a word for it. But it definitely sounds like... I don't know. She said something about how I understood her on a deeper level than she thought anyone else did. That we had a connection."
"That's preeeeetty weird for Trixie," Rainbow Dash commented. "She's like the last person I'd ever imagine to have a romantic side to her."
"Indeed," Rarity added. "The only person I'd have ever expected her to date was herself."
"I mean, she did have a point," Sunset replied. "The two of us been pretty good friends for the last few months, but none of you are very close with her. I'm not saying that to blame you or anything, that's just how things worked out."
"That's fair," Twilight noted. "And, well, she did a lot to help you when... when none of us would."
"When none of you could," Sunset replied forcefully. An argument over responsibility for one's actions whilst under the influence of a magic rock was not a discussion priority at the moment. "But Trix can definitely have a bit of a sensitive side to her. We sit together a lot in gov class and... I dunno, she just opens up a lot more around me now that she thinks of me as a friend. But I never imagined it went this deep."
"What are you saying?" Twilight asked.
"I think she's used to always being on the defensive around people, thinking everyone's rolling their eyes at her. Maybe she's still getting a handle on what it's like to not be that way around someone?"
"You think she's confused on the boundary between friendship and attraction?" Rarity said, a concerned look on her face.
"Maybe, but I think it's less confusion, more... experimenting. Testing whether one can become the other."
"What about you, though?" Fluttershy piped in. "Do you think it can?"
Sunset hesitated, trying to collect and arrange some complicated thoughts. "Well... at first, I almost said no, just because I was afraid I'd be humoring her. I didn't want to just string her along through this whole thing if I knew I'd have to let her down at the end. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I'm not exactly an expert on this either. And when I thought about whether I could imagine the two of us actually being, like, a couple... I have to admit it didn't seem impossible."
Pinkie responded with an Awwww!, causing Sunset to blush furiously.
"Really, Pinkie?" Rainbow exclaimed.
"It's cute! I can see it! They're both big personalities, they both play guitar, they both used to be jerks, they both like being in charge, they're both really hot..."
Twilight spat out her drink as Sunset buried her face into her hands, wanting nothing more than to shut herself in a locker and never emerge. "Pinkie, please..." she moaned.
"Well, it's true!" Pinkie said, but softened her tone as everyone at the table side-eyed her. "Sorry. I just got excited thinking about you being in a couple!"
"It's... it's fine." Sunset said, slowly regaining a degree of composure. "I just, um..."
She was grateful when Fluttershy stepped in with a new direction for the conversation. "So does that mean you're riding over to the Formal with Trixie?"
"Oh? Well, um, I guess I hadn't really thought about that. I know this is only our second Fall Formal as friends, but it would feel a little like breaking tradition to go separately from all of you."
"Darling, we can handle it," Rarity replied. "It's not as though we won't see you at the dance itself."
"You should go with her, Sunset," Applejack added. "If you really think there might be somethin' there, then it's important that you find out. If either of ya are right, it could be a big step in your lives."
Sunset nodded, then looked around the table. "D-do all of you think that?"
"Oh, yes, absolutely!"
"Totally! Even if it's with Trixie!"
"Yes! I've already come up with like four couple names for you! SunTrix, Trixset, Lulashimmer and Sunamoon! I thought about Suxie, but then I realized that sounded awful out loud, and..."
As Pinkie continued to ramble, Sunset looked over at Twilight. "Twi? What about you?"
Twilight stared at her for a moment, visibly hesitating, but then smiled. "Of course, Sunset. You know we'll always have your back."
Sunset beamed, and the warmth of her smile made Twilight's own grow.
"Thank you so much, all of you," Sunset said as she looked around the table again. "I'll give it my best. In the meantime, though," she went on, pulling out a large sheet of paper with Trixie's handwriting scribbled all over it, "I have a long, long schedule of public appearances to maintain for Trixie's Princess campaign. So if all of you could come and cheer for us right outside the main entrance just after 7th period..."