//------------------------------// // Stay // Story: A Place Where The Sun Might Shine Upon Me // by Eggtaro //------------------------------// Hi God, I have a question for you. Is this a test? A test of self-restraint? Because it seems to be a test. A hard one, in fact. I simply cannot believe the situation I'm currently in right now. Here I am, sitting in the dark, with Sunset Shimmer currently clinging on to me as if her life depended on it. What's a guy supposed to do in a situation like this? Well, I can think of many actually. But none of them seems to be the appropriate choice. There is one thing I should be doing actually. Light. I gotta find a light source. This darkness is starting to unsettle me. Not because I'm afraid, no. I had my fair share of darkness before. But because I could feel Sunset trembling...and its not because of the cold. I never knew she was the kind of person who was afraid of the dark. Then again, there're plenty of things which I do not know about Sunset Shimmer. I patted Sunset on the head as gently as I can. Her grip tighten on me. Any tighter than this and my ribs are going to get crushed. My other arm was free though...should I wrap it around her? To give her some sort of comfort maybe? No...just find some source of light. But how am I suppose to do that? In this position, its actually kinda hard to move around. And to tell you the truth...I'm kinda enjoying this. The sweet smelling fragrance that is coming from Sunset's hair is slowly filling my nostrils. Filling me with feelings of peace, calmness...and...and-- I feel a sudden awakening from beneath my boxers. Crap! The dragon is waking up! If I don't cool myself down now, Sunset gonna feel something poking her. Something hard. Speaking of things that are har--No! Stop it man! Focus on your objective, find light. "Sunset?" I felt her face move upwards. I look down. Even in the darkness, I could still see her eyes shining faintly back at me. Or was it watery? I could feel her breath on me. It was soft, moist and warm. "Everything all right?" She didn't reply, but burrowed her face back onto my chest, shaking her head as she does so. After a moment of silence, to which only the sounds of our breathing can be heard. Sunset spoke up. "I...I don't do well in the dark." her voice was faint. "I never really like the darkness. It...it scares me." I felt her hands slowly releasing me, moving, and placed against my chest. I gave a silent thanks to the dude upstairs. At least with her hands on my chest, I don't have to worry about the two hills. If you know what I mean. "Being afraid of the dark is not unusual, you know." This should be the correct thing to say right? I don't do well in this sort of thing. "I mean, I was scared of the dark too." "Are you still scared?" I shook my head, instantly realizing how stupid that was. How can she possibly see me shaking my head in the dark? "Nope. There was this trick which I taught myself, years ago, when I was a kid. The fear didn't just vanish in an instant though." Sunset's hands softly gripped my shirt. "What was the trick?" My lips made a grin. How long has it been since I use that trick? Memories began to slowly fill my head, reminding me of that day, back at my uncle's house. The day when I decided to immerse myself into the art of--- "Whistling." "Whistling?" Sunset repeated. I nodded. Again, instantly realizing that the action was pointless. "Yup, just whistling." "And that helped you conquer your fear of the dark?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit too eager in my opinion. "In a way, yes. Do you know how to whistle?" "I...I never really tried it, no." she replied, sounding downcast. Better think of something. "Well...whenever I feel scared, be it either in the dark or some spooky thing trying to haunt your dreams. I whistle. Sometimes its tuneless, and other times, its songs that I like. It helps me to relax, to be calm." Sunset Shimmer stayed silent. Did my technique sounded dumb to her? Its not that bad...right? I mean, whistling is a good way to help you relax. Just like how some people like to read to unwind, or listening to music to calm themselves down. I always whistle when I'm scared. And I whistle a lot, especially during the times I stayed with my uncle--- "Can you whistle something for me?" The sudden question caught me by surprise. "S-sorry?" "Whistle a song for me." "In the dark?" Wouldn't it be better to just find some light? "Please?" Damn it! She said the magic word! I can't say no to her now. Not when she needs my whistling skills! "O...okay..." I cleared my throat. This whole thing suddenly feels like I'm being asked to give a performance in front of a huge audience. Except that there is only 1 person in attendance. I hope I didn't get rusty. "Here goes..." I took a deep breath, and began to whistle. The song is a favourite of mine. One that I've whistled many times when I was younger. It might be an old song, but it holds a special place in my heart. I was not ready for the next part though. "Will the circle be unbroken" "By and by, by and by?" Her voice was beautiful. I was mesmerized by it. I tried my best to not stop whistling, as we continued through the song, her with her singing, and me with my whistling. When the song came to an end, I could tell that Sunset was feeling more relaxed. "I didn't know you could sing." was the first thing I said. "That was awesome! How long have you been singing?" "I-I didn't really started singing until 2 years ago." "What?! No way. You should have started earlier." It was true, with that voice of hers, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she was a singer. She didn't say anything. Was it a touchy subject? Oh crap, did I mess up? "I never really thought about singing," (Safe!) "I mean, I like to listen to music and everything, but singing never really occurred to me." "So what did made you started singing?" At this question, Sunset giggled, a first, from ever since we lost the light. "Believe it or not, it was during a battle of the bands at my school." "No. Way. Seriously?" "Yup. Seriously. It was during a song. My friends were in a band together and were doing great in the beginning, but then the opposition got the upper hand." "What happened next?" I sounded like a puppy begging for treats. "My friends were losing, and just when I thought we had lost, Twilight and my friends called out to me to help them." She gave a soft giggle. "So I did. I didn't really knew what I was doing back then. But it just felt like it was the right thing to do. So, I sang." "And did you guys win?" I asked, despite already knowing the answer. "Yup. We kicked butt." We shared a laugh together. I was glad that Sunset was feeling better. At least, I hope that she is. I opened my mouth to ask her-- "Thank you." I smiled, feeling glad that I have my answer. "Feeling better?" "Mmhmm." she replied softly. I felt her resting her head on her hands, her palms warm against my chest. "I'm not as scared as I was before." "Did my whistling work?" "In a way, yes." she giggled. "Would it be all right if I move to find some light?" Her hands gripped tightly onto me for a moment, but then slowly began to relax. She nodded. I think. "Okay...lets find your chair." * * * * * * After a bit of difficulty moving about, I manage to find a candle. Turns out, the entire building is suffering from a power failure, causing a blackout. Probably from the storm. I lighted the candle and placed it on the kitchen table. The flame was tiny, but it was enough. At least I could see now. I returned to my seat next to Sunset Shimmer, letting out a sigh as I sat down. "Finally, some light." I mumbled, giving myself a stretch. I turn to look at Sunset, she was seated quite closely to me. Understandable, given the circumstances. We said nothing, quietly staring at the orange flame. I should say something shouldn't I? I glance over to my clock. Even with the limited light source, I can see the hands on the clock quite clearly. It was almost 1:30 in the morning. Wait, 1:30 in the morning? How is Sunset going to go home? Well, obviously she can't. There aren't any buses left at this hour. A cab maybe? Nah... too risky. And rather rude. It's as if I wanted her out of my home. But where she's going to stay? Where's she going to sleep? Oh, right. I'm such an idiot. "Hey, Suns---" I felt something pressed against me. I turned to find Sunset resting her head on my shoulder, her eyes closed, fast asleep. I smiled. No, not the creepy kind of smile. You know, just a nice, normal smile. I slowly and carefully adjusted myself lower in my chair, so that her head can have a better position against my shoulder. I made sure she was comfortable, and returned my gaze to the candle. Her soft breathing was very soothing next to me. It was a pleasant feeling, one that I never experience before. I gently rested my head on top of hers. What? Won't you do it? I hope I don't wake her up. "Stay with me tonight, Sunset Shimmer." I whispered, as my eyelids slowly fall, blocking off the last of the light emanating from the candle, as the sleep master approaches me from it home to greet me with his open arms. "Goodnight."