Chapter I: The Deal
People hardly think about what they have until it’s taken away from them. I guess that’s why it’s so easy for people to not be grateful for what they have. They fail to see what life has given them and instead focus on what life has taken away. It’s easy to fall into that trend. Especially if you grew up with the idea of power being the only goal in life. I try to not let myself lose focus of what’s really important. It’s hard to do that when bad things happen like our apartment getting robbed or the big fight during the Apple Family reunion. Thankfully, everything has been sort of fine since then. It’s been a few months and I definitely feel a lot happier than I was a year ago. September signals the oncoming fall weather and I can’t wait to spend it with Sunset this time around. Sunset and I have had our fights, but nothing has been really major since that reunion. If anything, our fights are mostly about miniscule details like if someone forgot to dry the clothes or such. Those fights usually end in some jokes, both of us laughing and forgiving each other far too quickly for it to be considered a real fight.
The biggest thing that’s been on my mind recently is the fact that Sunset and I haven’t really had a lot of alone time together. Mostly, it’s been due to our jobs… It wouldn’t be like this if Fancy Pants left my schedule in the afternoon, but since I have to wake up so early, I am barely awake by the time we do see each other. By now, Sunset and I have started scheduling times where we can be together. This Saturday is our next movie night and I honestly can’t wait. I keep thinking about what snacks we’ll eat, what movie we can watch and how long I can possibly stay awake just to be with her. For a grown woman, it seems ridiculous for me to blush thinking about the two of us holding hands or cuddling, but it feels really nice. I guess since we don’t get a lot of those moments, just being able to focus on each other is like heaven. I can’t wait to see her smile~ I’ve already bought chocolate ice cream and cherry cheesecake for Saturday night, so this should be a great night.
My walk slows down as a frown slowly comes to my lips. I… love Sunset. A lot. She loves me a lot too, but I can’t help but regret one thing… Every time I think of these cutesy things we do together, I remember that I haven’t really taken Sunset on an actual date before… Everything has either been unofficial dates or things we just do at home. Aren’t two people in a relationship supposed to go on dates? Sometimes, I’m afraid I’m not treating Sunset right by not treating her once in a while. It would be… really nice to take her out to dinner. To save up enough money for the two of us to go somewhere expensive and have a good time, just focusing on each other. Sunset doesn’t think badly of me, right? I don’t think so… But it would still be nice to take her out someday.
Shaking my head slowly, I quicken my pace down the sidewalk, keeping my eyes on what’s in front of me. At least I’ll be able to cuddle Sunset tonight. She’s clearly excited about Saturday too. She circled the day on the calendar with a bunch of hearts. Why does she have to be so cute…? I would thank her parents for raising someone so special, but it seems they don’t really have the best relationship with her… That and they live in Equestria. From what Sunset has told me, her parents were always pretty distant, controlling and didn’t listen to her wants or needs. When she became Princess Celestia’s student, her parents only seemed to enjoy the social status they could gain. In a way, her relationship with her parents seems even worse than mine. I don’t know who birthed me and I honestly couldn’t care less. Sunset still seems to care about them in some way, but she knows how much that environment hurt her. I guess all I can do is try to be the best I can to her. For now, I have to focus on getting done with my lunch break. For some odd reason, Rainbow Dash wanted to have lunch together at some bar. It’s not that unusual for the two of us to have lunch together on the roof of the music studio, but today is a bit different. I’m not sure why, but I guess it’s for a good reason.
Turning a corner, I see the bar that Dash wanted us to meet at. Hopefully, Dash doesn’t make me pay for her food again. She tends to do that. Mostly, it’s just to tease me, but sometimes she legitimately forgets her wallet. Quickly crossing the street, I open the door to the bar, hearing a little bit of chatter from people inside. The smell of steak is almost as strong as the alcohol… Looking around the interior of the restaurant, I quickly spot the rainbow-haired woman, sitting beside a familiar cowgirl. I wasn’t aware Applejack would be here… It’s not that I hate the idea of having lunch with her. I’m just curious why Dash invited her too. Within a moment, Dash makes eye contact with me, waving me over with a smile. Walking over to the bar, I sit down beside Applejack, shaking her hand with a nod.
“How are you doing, Applejack?” I ask her kindly, leaning on the bar slightly to get a better look at both of them.
“Well, I’m doing alright~ Apple Bloom is being mischievous as always, but everything is roughly the same,” Applejack responds to me with a chuckle, nudging my shoulder slightly. “I was just surprised Rainbow asked me here~ It’s been a long time since she and I have had a drink together.” Huh. She doesn’t know why either. Locking my eyes with Rainbow Dash, she nervously smiles at us before leaning back.
“Why do you two always assume that I have some ulterior motive when I invite you out? Maybe I just want to have a good time with you!”
“Dash,” Applejack and I say at the same time, causing us to look at each other and chuckle at our shared doubt.
“Alright, alright. I admit, I do have a reason for this particular invitation. But it’s not for greedy reasons. I promise.” Rainbow Dash raises her hands in the air as if she is surrendering, knowing that she has no option other than to tell us why she brought us here. “I kind of… need help. I don’t really know how to do my best at an interview, so I could use some pointers. Especially since you’re so honest, AJ. And you always seem to know how to conduct yourself, Dagi. It’d mean a lot to me if you guys could help me with this.”
Applejack immediately raises her eyebrow, leaning forward slightly to make sure she’s hearing Dash right. “We’re listening, sugarcube.”
“I sorta have… an interview. I applied to a nearby college and they agreed to interview me. I don’t know why, but I’m just glad they’re considering me in general, you know?” Dash has an interview at a college? It seems like it was just yesterday that she was telling me how her team was pressuring her to take steroids and how it made her feel like a shell of herself. Now, she’s applying for college, fully separating herself from that team. I… feel really proud of her.
“Good job, Dash~” I say quietly, a big smile appearing on my face before raising my hand to try and get a bartender’s attention.
“Well, I’ll be damned!” Applejack states excitedly. This is a pretty big moment if Applejack is using profanity. She hardly ever says any curse word. “Great job, Rainbow! We can certainly help ya out! When is this interview?” AJ speaks on behalf of both of us, assuming what my answer would be. A year ago, I probably would be offended by someone speaking for me, but Sunset’s friend group does it so much that it hardly registers with me anymore. Besides, there’s no way I wouldn’t help Dash with this.
“In a couple weeks, but I thought I should get help soon or else risk not getting your help, you know? I mean, we’ve all been kinda busy.” Smart move. Scheduling something a couple weeks in advance definitely helps with our busy lives. Just as a bartender comes up to me, Applejack pushes my hand away from the bar.
“I’m so proud of ya, Rainbow! As a congratulations, how about I buy us our drinks?” Without waiting for a response, Applejack’s eyes move to the bartender, a determined look in her eyes. “I’ll take your best cider and she’ll take a…” Applejack’s eyes move to Rainbow Dash, prompting her to speak up.
“I’ll take a Budweiser if you don’t mind~” Rainbow Dash says with a prideful expression, leaning back with a smile on her face. When Applejack’s eyes come to me, I can’t help but feel a little conflicted. Honestly, I don’t like using their money, but since it’s a small celebration, I guess it wouldn’t hurt.
“Do you have a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel?”
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The water runs over my hands easily, the heat making this task seem a little less boring. Washing the dishes isn’t my favorite task. I don’t think anyone actually enjoys it, but it’s something most of us have to do. Originally, I was just going to go to bed when I got home, but I decided to wait for Sunset to come home. What better way to wait than to get some miniscule chores done? Rubbing a plate with a sponge, I can’t help but think about what happened earlier in the day. Dash is trying to go to college. She got an interview, which is the first step to actually going. She’s got her foot in the door, now all she needs to do is ace this interview. Thankfully, she didn’t ask Rarity for help. Rarity would have given her advice on how to act like someone she’s not. Clearly, this college is already impressed with Rainbow Dash’s resume, so she should try to be herself. Maybe holding back a few details like how she saved her school from a group of blood thirsty sirens and a couple of demons. That wouldn’t look the best in an interview, even if it is true.
I’m just surprised she wanted my help. She said I’m able to keep myself composed in a lot of situations, but the truth is that I hide my breakdowns. I hide the times where I can’t handle it anymore. The only person I let into that part of my life is Sunset. We decided to meet next Monday after we had our drinks and lunch. I was the one who suggested that date since I didn’t want to reschedule the movie night on Saturday. Hopefully, Applejack and I can help Rainbow Dash with her pre-interview jitters. Mainly, she wants to know how she’s supposed to conduct herself, what she should wear and what to avoid saying. That shouldn’t be too difficult.
The sound of the front door opening is barely audible over the sound of running water, making me turn the faucet off slowly. Walking around the corner, I see an exhausted Sunset leaning against the front door. Her eyes slowly look up at me, a small smile appearing on her face. Despite the fact that this room is dimly lit, I can still see the joy in her eyes. Both of us stay where we are for a while, not daring to move from our spots.
“I’m so happy to see you~” Sunset whispers, finally pulling herself from the door and walking towards me. All the while our eyes stay locked with each other, while she wraps her arms around my neck. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had. It was… so exhausting.” Raising my eyebrow slightly, I sway Sunset back and forth gently, smiling at her.
“Do tell~” I whisper, pressing my nose against hers for a moment. Sunset giggles quietly in response, both of us rocking back and forth slowly.
“It’s just that my classmates get on my nerves at times… And then my internship takes so much out of my day. It’s so frustrating,” Sunset whispers back at me, a smile still on her face as we stand in the middle of this dimly lit room. Both of us keep our voices down, acting as if someone is watching us. There should be no reason for us to be embarrassed to be sweet around each other, but when she still makes me blush every day, how can I avoid being embarrassed in her arms?
“You? Being frustrated? My Sunny who has so much compassion and hope for life? I can’t believe it~” I tease her with a small kiss, my arms holding her close to me.
“It’s true though. I can get angry pretty easily,” Sunset slowly tells me, a guilty look coming across her face. The only times I can remember Sunset getting angry are back during the Battle of the Bands. I don’t think she’s gotten angry at all recently. “I used to get angry all the time in high school. It was so hard to keep my temper in check, but I worked hard at it and… well, now I just don’t show it anymore.” Her eyes connect with mine once more, a solemn tone in them makes me feel a little worried.
“You still get angry?” I ask her slowly, making sure to keep Sunset as close to me as possible.
“Yeah… I am… angry all the time. There are so many things that make me feel frustrated and my mind just wants to let loose, you know? Like I used to. But I know how to keep it at bay now.” Sunset’s eyes look sad for a moment, her hand cupping my cheek quietly. “Sorry if this makes you look at me differently now… To know I kind of have anger issues…”
“Sunset,” I whisper, pressing my forehead against hers. “We’ve been dating for eight months now. I don’t think of you any differently for this. But you know you can let me know when you’re angry, right? I can let you let loose.” Slowly pressing my lips against hers, I let the moment linger for a second longer. “You can always vent to me, Sunny~” Holding anger inside isn’t the best idea… Anger is our most volatile emotion and without some sort of relief every now and again, it’s bound to poison you. To make you feel like there’s no escape. She doesn’t deserve that. She has me now.
“Adagio,” Sunset whispers with a happy tone to her voice, holding onto me as our foreheads stay connected. “You always make me feel better~ Thank you~” Locking our eyes again, Sunset has the biggest smile on her face, a dreamy expression in her eyes.
“Promise me you’ll vent to me sometimes~?” I ask her slowly, extending my pinkie finger. With a small laugh, Sunset wraps her finger around mine, nodding her head.
“I promise~ As long as you don’t judge me for my anger issues~” Both of us share a small chuckle, my cheeks flushing at the moment. “Do you think we can have dinner tonight? Before we go to bed?”
Looking at the clock, I nod my head with a smile, willing to stay up an extra hour to be with her. “Sure~ How about you change into something more comfortable and I’ll get something ready?”
“My Alligator fixing us something to eat? I thought you weren’t able to cook a lot of dishes~” Sunset giggles at her own jab at my ego, despite my pout.
“Very funny, Shimmer. Go change already,” I say with a smile, rolling my eyes in a playful manner. Letting go of our embrace, Sunset leaves me with one last kiss to the cheek, giving me a small wave before making it to our bedroom door. I just give her a slight wave back before she closes the door, my arms already missing her embrace. Dinner… It’s true that I don’t know how to make a lot of things, but I can certainly try to make us something. Taking a couple steps towards the kitchen, my phone begins to vibrate and play my ringtone, causing me to take it out of my pocket. Looking at the contact, I can already feel the smile leave my face, sighing at the number on my screen. Clicking the answer call button, I slowly bring the speaker to my ear, dreading this call. “What do you want, Rich?”
“Dazzle. I was almost expecting you to reject my call~” Rich says with a hearty tone, making me roll my eyes.
“I would have, but you caught me at a good time I guess. What do you want?” I ask quickly, trying to get straight to the point. I’m trying to have dinner with my loving girlfriend and he decides to call now? At this time in the night?
“Alright, I can tell you’re in a hurry, so I’ll make this brief. I just wanted to warn you that the time has come.” A low chuckle comes from the other end of the call, making me worried about what he’s going to say. “It’s time for you to fulfill your end of the bargain~”
Looking towards our bedroom door, I sigh heavily. I was almost wishing that he would forget my end of the bargain. He kept his promise… It’s time for me to keep mine… Please. Don’t tell me it’s on Saturday… “When?”