//------------------------------// // Day 2 // Story: When the Sun Kisses the Stars // by Ninjaoftimeandspace //------------------------------// The next morning Twilight and Sunset were getting ready to hit the road once more. Checking the clock on her phone, she noted they were making good time, but the list of activities had been dwindling down to practically nothing. Scratching her head with the end of her pencil the studious girl was growing more frustrated by the second. Tearing out a scrap piece she had been using for further notes, Twilight crumbled it up, and tossed it across the room. Sunset finished buckling up her boots, standing up, she retrieved the ball of paper. She found Twilight's scowl kind of cute. Cute? Really Sunset, what are you thinking? Holding out the ball, she asked, "Want to talk about?" "None of this working,” Twilight groaned, placing a pillow over her head to hide her shame. A soft half smile curved her lips finding Twilight predicament similar to own when she was trying to figure out magic in the human world. Though, this is a bit different as well. This is a vacation, not an earth shattering, life altering event. Taking a seat on the side of the bed Rarity's words echoed in her head just before she left for her internship with Photo Finish. “Now, remember darling, make sure Twilight has fun.” An idea popped in her head. "Mind if I make a suggestion?" Under the pillow Twilight shook her head. "How about instead of worrying about what might come next. We could just always go along with wherever the road may take us?" Peeking out from her hiding place, she asked, "What do mean? Vacations take planning, weeks in advance more often than not. We can't possibly just go down the road, being at the mercy of whatever may show up miles ahead." "This isn't science, it's a road trip, not everything that might happen will be part of the plan or predicted.” "Actually," she pulled out the notebook. "I did have a point and time when the car would either break down or we get a flat tire. By then tension should be at its peak and we have a fight-" Sunset placed a finger on her lips. "Again something, like that can't be foreseen." she sighed, "This is just as new to me as it is to you." "I know," she looked down, playing with the helm of her nightshirt. "I just thought maybe after the magic fiasco all of us could use this trip so I could prove I'm a better person. If everything was planned out to the letter, then maybe I -I. . ." "Twilight, you have already done enough to redeem yourself to everyone at the school.” “Yeah, 'cause the other world Twilight already befriended them making my redemption easy for them to accept. I sometimes think they would rather have her than me shy old me.” “That's not true, Twilight, you have made many friends while at CHS, and no one has ever compared you to Princess Twilight.” Well, besides Flash, but does he really matter? “However, even after you do all that you still have to convince one more person: yourself." Are you talking about her, or yourself, a tiny voice spoke. She looked down at her right hand. "Someone once gave me a hand, when I thought all hope was lost. In return I helped out someone else, a dear friend, who also needed a guide towards the right path. I'm here for you though wherever this road-trip takes, we're friends until the end.” “'Cause we pretty much experienced the same draw to power from another world turning us into monsters of own insidious desires'?” “Yeah, that being the shortened version of what happened,” she replied, rubbing the back of her head. “Of course, that's not the entire reason why we're friends.” For starters, I still feel kind of awful for making you cry during the games. I didn't like seeing my friends almost getting hurt because an introverted, genius who wanted to learn about magic. Only to end up being tempted by the power and if felt like looking I was looking into a mirror when I did that. “Getting back on point, though, what do say, can we give it try” “We will see where your hypothesis goes for today since I have absolutely nothing in our itinerary to do today.” “Excellent, well, you need to get ready and I'll put our stuff in the car, then we'll see what kind of trouble we can get into,” Sunset smiled, slipping on her leather jacket. Twilight looked up at her, violet eyes wide in shock. “Trouble?” At the door with most of their bags in hand, Sunset chuckled lightly, “I'm joking with you Twi.” “Right, joking.” Once the door was shut, Twilight stood up a skirt, blouse, and leggings in her hand. Glancing out of the windows a sad thought crossed her mind, “You never did explain why we're friends.” (Line Break) Twilight knelt down on the fake grass, staring down the dreaded windmill on hole five of an out of the way putt-putt course Sunset spotted while they were driving down a back road. It wasn't on the schedule, but after this morning's conversation Twilight agreed to give it a try for her. With her final calculations of where the ball ought to go completed, Twilight lined up her putter with the purple ball, exactly the way Sunset had showed her back at the first hole. A light coat of blush stained her cheeks upon recalling the closeness the pair had shared during a few practice swings. Sunset's warm breath ghosted along her cheeks and ear, and her hands were over top of her hers along the handle of the putter. It felt different than all the hugs her friends gave her. No, this was indeed different it was . . .intimate. Shaking her head, Twilight went back to concentrating on the task at hand. Focusing once more on the windmill, she waited until the time was right, and hit the ball. It rolled down the grass, easily past the windmill's blades, and sank into the hole. Pushing up her glasses she said, "That's two under par for me," she said, writing down the score for the hole. Examining the scorecard they were pretty evenly matched. There were still thirteen holes, though, so anything could happen. "You're up Sunset." Setting the red and orange swirled ball on the green padding. Sunset lined up her club, watched the windmill just the same as did Twilight, inhale deeply, and took the shot. Entering the hole, the ball slowly rolled along the green, and fell into the hole with a soft clunk. "Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Sunset exclaimed, twirling her putter between her fingers. Rejoining the girl, she glanced at the card. "I'm down by two. It's still early though, shall we keep going?" "Yes," pushing her glasses up, the two arrived at the next hole. "It seems the sixth hole is a par four due to a few sand-traps and a hill with a steep slope." By mid-afternoon the two friends had made it to the eighteenth hole. Twilight lead by negative three points, while Sunset was only down by one. Facing the hole there were two obstacles to pass. The first a large tower with a rising and falling drawbridge. The second a large red dragon blocking the path ensuring that a player couldn't go around it. The goal is to hit the ball up its spiky tail, where it will roll up, then down its back, where hopefully the ball will come out of the beast's mouth, and go into the hole. Setting her ball down, Twilight gazed at the layout before the tower. She counted the time between the opening and closing of the drawbridge. Also, she included which corner would be better to bank the ball off, so it could easily glide into the structure. Sunset was doing the same calculating what would be the best angle of trajectory to hit the ball from. Judging from the position of the entrance and where we are standing. Factor in the light wind, roughness of the grass colored carpet, and finally, the time between the drawbridge. So, that means the answer is. . . "Fifteen degrees," they both said in unison. The girls lock eyes, a light blush coating their cheeks, and they laughed nervously. “Do you know how long it takes the drawbridge to close?" Sunset asked coyly. "Why, yes, it's every twenty seconds on the close and thirty during the open.” Placing her ball on the white marker, Twilight once again lined up her putter with the ball. She intently watched the door while it was closed. Exactly ten seconds later, she took the shot, watched it hit the bank at fifteen degrees, entered the tower, and popped out the other-side. “I'll meet you at the dragon,” Twilight voiced heading off. Sunset quickly took the shot hitting hers a little harder, causing it to roll a little farther than Twilight's. “Well, I guess this it, huh, these final shots will determine who wins. “Quite, and I must admit for this not being a scheduled event this game is actually fun.” “See, I told you, sometimes the best things aren't the things we plan, but what we find along the way.” Ugh, there I go again with the cheesy philosophy. “Now, let's finish this game.” Twilight's ball started to roll up the dragon's tail, making it over, it built up momentum on the downhill slide that it completely bypassed the hole hitting the wooden barrier on the other side. Noticing this Sunset figured she might have a chance at winning this, though she didn't really care since it was meant to be a fun game. “You go ahead and finish this hole, okay Twi! Just don't forget what I showed you.” A mischievous smile curved Sunset's lips recalling Twilight become flustered when she was teaching her how to play putt-putt. She hadn't meant to get to so close, but Sunset felt at ease with the adorable science dork. Sunset stop thinking about your friend in more than friendly manner. “Alright,” she called back, suddenly thinking about what Sunset had showed her. Lining up with the ball, she inhaled deeply, and upon the exhale, she putted. The ball barely rolled two feet becoming mere inches away from the hole. “It seems I miscalculated how rough this patch of grass is.” Checking the balls position from the hole, Twilight nudged it hoping that it would be enough. Yet, to her surprise and sort of disappointed the ball hit the outer ring of the hole before circling around to the other-side. “Well, that was rather particular,” Twilight said, miffed about what happened. Sunset's orange and yellow ball rolled up next to hers. The girl jumped down from the high platform, joining Twilight. She glanced, and said sympathetically, “Ooh, it seems you choked on the last shot.” “Choked? My airways are perfectly clear.” Sunset withheld a small chuckle, “No, Twi, it's another term for you doubting yourself due to the pressure of either winning or losing at the last possible chance.” “Oh, I see. That's does make some sense considering the roughness of the grass threw off my calculations.” Then again I was distracted by Sunset's advice and the memory of it still circling around my mind. Only you Twilight would come with a logical answer ignoring what might be in front of you. “So, you are you going to finish this game?” Glancing down she noticed Sunset's ball was firmly in her hand, Twilight nodded, tapping the ball and it went into the hole. She marked down the score. “It looks you are the winner of this game, Sunset.” “Well, for this being your first game of putt-putt you didn't do so bad yourself there, Twilight Sparkle,” she praised. Playing with her hair, Twilight replied meekly, “I did have a good teacher back at the first hole. Plus, this game has element's of science and math that made it quite enjoyable as well.” Sunset causally placed an arm on the girl's shoulder. “See, wasn't it nice to take a break from lists and schedules and have a little fun?” “Yes, this idea of yours worked nicely actually,” she admitted. “Good, now how about I buy you a drink?” “Sunset,” Twilight began, “you won. I should be the one to buy drinks since it is customary for the loser-” The slightly older girl cut her friend off, “It wasn't a competition, this was just a simple, fun game between two friends are grand adventure. Besides, I'm thirsty, consider it my treat.” Sunset outstretched her hand, “Come on that's what friends are for, right?” Twilight took her hand and the pair walked side-by-side towards the concession stand. Twilight offered Sunset a warm half smile. I'm still so new to everything being shown to me on this trip, but I'm enjoying spending time with you.