//------------------------------// // We grew stronger through each other // Story: She's Gonna Kill Me! // by Echo 27 //------------------------------// Sunset and I were inseparable the entire weekend, neither of us wanting to be away from the other for more than a moment. I could hardly bear to lose sight of her, my guardian angel from another world- so indescribably, unbelievably perfect. I found myself watching her unabashedly throughout the day, memorizing her every quirk and gesture, sealing them away in my heart as joys to be carried into the future. Her smile was so bright, a moment of wondrous purity that the whole world couldn’t help but stop and take a look. I was fascinated by her eyes, those bright-blue jewels that shimmered with a hidden fire, an everlasting light that could shine even in the darkness. And the softness of her touch, each kiss we shared as soft and as wonderful as the one before, a moment where we could do nothing but stand still and be drawn into another world, where the only thing that mattered was one another… “Have I told you you’re perfect lately?” I asked her, my head lolling off her couch as we waited for dinner to cook. It was a simple affair, just beef and rice we’d thrown together after coming back from the hospital only a few minutes before, but it was a moment we could spend together and that was enough for us. “You might’ve. Once or twice before in the last hour,” Sunset replied, stirring the pound of ground beef we’d tossed into the pot. “You have a habit of repeating yourself, if you want to know.” “Well, you can’t say that I’m wrong,” I said cheekily. “I mean, I could say it a thousand times over and it’d still be true.” Sunset shook her head, looking down on me with pity from her place in the kitchen. “You’re sweet, but sorry to disappoint you- nobody’s perfect.” “Oh, I hear dissidence from the crowd!” I said, faking a bout of anger. “Well, I guess we can’t tolerate mutiny in the ranks. I’ll simply have to drive it into you until you relent!” Sunset’s eyes went wide and she struggled to contain her burgeoning laughter. “Oh, no, you are not gonna-” Oh yes I was. I gave a wicked grin and crowed, “Seems I haven’t told you you’re perfect enough, so I’m just gonna remind you of your perfection because you’re so perfect that I gotta just talk about how perfect you are cause Lord knows I gotta say something to someone so perfect about just how perfect she is-” “Oh my gosh, you cannot shut up,” Sunset said, walking over to me and tying her hands behind my neck, swinging side to side as she looked up at me. “You are the most irritating idiot I have ever known, you know that?” “You know you love it, though,” I said. “Come on, you know that you like it when I talk about you, the whole embarrassment thing is just an act.” “Please, it’s not hard to be embarrassed by you, you’ve developed quite the habit of being really cheesy.” “Well maybe you should do something about that,” I pressed, leaning in a little closer. “You know, you’ve really only got one option at your disposal…” “Unfortunately for you, I’m a little smarter than that,” she teased, putting a finger on my lips. “You want this one? Earn it. Be original and try to wow me.” “That ain’t fair! Just one kiss- just one, that’s all I’m wanting here!” I urged. “No. I’m gonna stand here and get a good one out of you,” she said stubbornly, smirking from ear to ear as she watched me flounder. “You’re gonna let our dinner burn,” I reminded her. “Oh trust me, I will let it get torched if it comes to that,” she replied. “So if you wanna eat tonight and not have the apartment burn down, you better get crackin’.” I stood there with nothing for a moment before I finally conjured up the beginnings of something. “Alright, I think I got one,” I said heroically. “Let’s hear it, then. Don’t keep your lady waiting,” she teased. That was never part of the plan. “You are not just beautiful, you are gorgeous,” I began. “You’re so naturally stunning that the sun doesn’t rise until you wake up. Your voice is like hearing the strings of a harp, and every time you smile you immediately make my hear melt because it means my day is gonna be alright, no matter what happens. Your hair shines like the sun and breathes like a burning fire, and I swear every time you move it makes the world shimmer. And know what? That’s still not the best thing about you. You’re smart, collected, and mature, capable of holding your own even in the worst of situations and you don’t lose your composure. You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met and you’ve proved it because so many people at school have treated you horribly and you still make sure to be nice and warm to them. You’re fashionable and you’re proud of who you are. You don’t let any mistakes you might’ve made in the past hold you back and you always encourage others to do just the same. Guess what? Still not done, I got a freakin’ mental list here. You’re so bright and happy and you make me feel like I could do anything, because so long ago you looked at me like no one ever had before and made me want to be a better person, and that was something no one in this city, in this whole wide world had ever done before. Because of you, because of all the effort you poured into me and all the times you pushed me to become the champion you always knew I was, I am now safe, I am happy, and I am free from the fear and worry that has haunted me my entire life. Because of you, I have a future with the most elegant, most graceful, and most loving girl in the entire world, and I promise you that I’m talking about you. You, my sunshine girl.” She gave me the sweetest smile, shaking her head slowly as her eyes misted over, the fire inside burning softly like a candle’s flame. “I think you earned this one,” she said faintly, leaning in and giving me the kiss I’d sought, her touch still so divine, making me fill with energy and a hunger for more. She pulled away only to kiss me again, lingering a little longer as she put her hands on my chest, giving a soft sound of utter contentment. “What was the second one for?” I asked as we broke apart, still unable to cure myself of the disappointment that came when her lips left mine. “Because I knew you meant every word,” she answered, planting a small kiss on the tip of my nose. “Thank you.” She walked back into the kitchen, sauntering away slowly- almost as if she was letting me get a better look. She was dressed simply, a bright teal mini-dress with a faded pair of jeans, but to me it was as if she’d never looked better… or more enticing. She looked around at me knowing full well I was gazing at every inch of her- and she winked. I could’ve melted right there and then. She could utterly outclass me in this, I having to resort to flowing words and sweeping gestures to accomplish what she could do without even truly trying. I’d never get tired of seeing her, of drinking in her beauty and savoring every moment we had. It was perfect… “Hey! Wake up, sillyhead! I could use you over here!” Huh? I suddenly realized I’d been standing there in a daze for a while and Sunset was laughing at me from her place in the kitchen. “Sorry, what?” “Honestly… you gonna help or what?” she asked, trying her best not to laugh aloud at me. “Yeah, course. Point me,” I said, coming over to her side. Sunset struggled to hold it together as we kept it up, occasionally having to pause from her work in order to regain her composure. “Please promise me something,” she choked out. “Sure, what?” “Never work around heavy machinery.” I fired a look of mock derision. “Cute. Cause, you know, it’s totally fair that you’re that distracting that-” “That you stand there gaping like your brain went for a stroll and never came back?” she suggested helpfully. “I’m standing right next to a sink full of very cold water, you know what I’m capable of here,” I warned her. “What, can’t take a little teasing?” she asked, giving me a playful shove with her hips. “Angry I finally found a way to get you at last?” I gave a grumble and muttered under my breath, though unable to hold back a small smile. It all felt so good, just- just everything. Jester was gone, school was almost over, Octavia and I had finally made peace, Mom was going to recover, we wouldn’t drown in debt, we… we were truly, finally, utterly free. Free… We didn’t feel the need to say much over dinner, content to simply have time together. That, and I still hadn’t fully recovered from the events of the previous few days, and I hardly had much energy to do more than lay around and sleep. I’d quickly found an affinity for being a couch potato- which mostly involved playing Uncharted for hours on end. Sunset, of course, had already beaten it several times over and would point out hidden secrets and extra bonuses all across as I played, having found them herself a long time ago. Unsurprisingly. “You’ve got some clothes, right?” she asked me as she headed to the shower. “I mean, you’ve kinda been wearing the same thing for the past couple days, and they- well, you kinda stink.” “Yeah, I grabbed something,” I said, tossing a worn gym bag next to the couch and watching it plop limply onto the ground. “Not much, but it’ll do for now until Manny gets a free day.” “Have you told your Mom about- actually, hold that thought, I’m dying for this shower,” she said. “And once I’m done, I swear you better get one.” “And if I don’t?” I smirked. “Well that’ll be really gross for one thing. Also, no goodnight kiss.” “That’s a dirty move,” I remarked. “Not as dirty as you are right now,” she replied, closing the bathroom door before I could fire back. Sometimes I wished she wasn’t as smart as she was. I sat on the couch watching TV, returning to my usual habit of flipping through the channels instead of actually paying attention to anything, the atypical smatterings of evening television bleating out as I passed by. “I’m not crazy my Mother had me-” “And for tomorrow’s weather, looks like it’ll be-” “Unless the Warriors somehow falter, they’ll hoist the championship-” “And we focus yet again on our story of failed talks-” “Stocks decreased for the third straight day as negotiations with the Crystal Empire-” “Look, it’s obvious the Crystal Empire isn’t going to listen-” I was noticing a pattern here. I flicked back to the last station I has passed, pausing for a moment and listening as the headline talked of, yet again, discussions with the Crystal Empire. “And now, we have a third failed attempt to make peaceful negotiations with the Crystal Empire,” said some commentator, an old ambassador with a mop of grey hair. “Tensions are rising across the globe because the Empire and its subordinate nations refuse to listen to the outside world and cease their incursions into the airspace of neighboring countries. So with this latest failure, the biggest question still remains: What is finally going to sate the hunger of the Empire?” The screen switched to a map of the region, showing the rate of growth the Empire had accumulated over the years as country after country was consumed and absorbed into the super-nation. I’d always known the Empire had been born out of a collective agreement in East Europe, but I’d never realized how big it’d grown. I knew Octavia was planning to head back overseas, a decision I began to wonder whether or not it was wise. “Hey, shower’s free if you want to go ahead,” Sunset said, exiting the bathroom and looking very cute in a soft red bathrobe. “What’re you watching?” “You remember where Octavia said she was from?” I asked. “Not really,” she answered, leaning over and resting her arm on my shoulder. “Why, what’s the Empire up to now?” “Nothing new- least I don’t think so,” I replied. “Just kinda wondering if she’ll be nearby.” We watched for a little while longer as the discourse onscreen soon devolved into political babble, becoming more of the commentator’s personal opinions rather than genuine information. Sunset shut it off and walked to bed, declaring, “I’d rather not spend my time on something completely pointless,” and leaving me to take a much-needed shower. It wasn’t until I stripped off my clothes did I realize just how long it’d really been since I’d been clean. Good grief, I stank! “Thank God, you look way better now,” she said as I entered her room, freshly clean and changed into less grungy clothing, a simple white t-shirt and grey sweatpants. “You possess such tact, I see,” I remarked drily, falling onto her bed and giving a weary sigh. “It’s been a long week.” “And now it’s over,” Sunset replied, leaning over and putting her arms around me, rubbing her hand across my waist. “It’s over and we’re free. Your Mom’s gonna be OK, you’re gonna be OK, and we have a future together… how’s it feel?” “I still can’t believe you pulled that off,” I said with a chuckle. “You nearly put me into a coma, I had no clue what to do.” “I had to do something, there’s no way I could just sit there,” she replied. “Besides, it was the happiest I’d ever seen you… it was more than worth it.” “And I finally kissed you,” I grinned, a roaring sense of pleasure sending shivers down my spine. “I’ve been waiting for that for ages-” “You took way too long, by the way,” she responded, “Come on, I expected something after we nearly kissed back on Christmas, but no, you had to take your sweet fat time.” “What? I was waiting for a good moment!” I replied. “You had more than that as a good moment.” “Yeah? Like- RIGHT NOW?” I asked, whirling about and grabbing her. “Hey- Aah!” I pulled her down onto the bed and leapt atop of her, leaning in and giving her a slow, lingering kiss. I couldn’t have stopped myself even if I tried- every part of her was shining perfection, and I drunk her in hungrily as I felt her hands tie together around my neck. It was bliss. I finally pulled myself away from her, unable to shed the smile from my face as I looked down on my radiant girl. Her cheeks were flushed, her hair a wet and tangled mess, and those beautiful eyes of hers shining bright- almost as brightly as the smile she wore, the one she reserved for me and me alone. “You are just so beautiful,” I whispered, shaking my head in wonder. “Just… I can’t believe I found someone as wonderful as you.” She didn’t say a word, merely pulling my unresisting body onto hers and kissing me right back, pulling me into a state of delirious happiness. I couldn’t have imagined something as wonderfully perfect as her touch in a million years, no scent more sweet, no single thing on earth as soft or as gentle… “I waited so long for you,” she whispered, relinquishing her grip on my neck to caress my face. “I kept waiting on you for months and now look at us- look at what you’ve done for us...” “We did this,” I reminded her softly. “We never would’ve come this far without each other. I never would’ve made it if it weren’t for you.” “Nor I without you,” she replied. “So can you promise me something?” “What is it?” “Promise me you’ll truly stay away from the fight,” she asked. “Promise me you can walk away and stay with me for good. When we graduate, we’ll head out west, we can completely start over there, and you can leave it all behind. Can you promise me that you’ll do that?” “Yeah. Yeah, anything,” I said, sliding off the bed and coming to rest on my knees before her. “You’ve got my word, everything I told Mom in the hospital I can promise to you. I’m done, babe, I’m sick of it. I- I want to leave it behind, I’ll even drop boxing if it comes to it. I-I-I’m done having to fight for everything, so I’ll find something better to do, anything with my hands that can take the place of what I’ve done. I’ll build houses, I can work at a restaurant, something. I promise you, I will never leave you.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if my words were some marvelous scent she could sense. “I know you will,” she said sweetly. “I just needed to hear it from you- at least once.” “No, it’s all good, I get it.” I got back to my feet and sat down next to her. “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you- Mom’s gotten a lot better and I’m thinking sometime soon, maybe tomorrow or something, once school’s over you and I go and talk to her and try to convince her it’s time to sell the house. I was wanting to wait until she got a little better, and since she starts her rehab on the start of the week then she’s probably well enough to have a serious discussion.” She nodded. “And it gives you more time to start looking for her next home,” she added. “Were you still thinking a home or maybe an apartment?” “Don’t know yet, I need to know what kind of budget we’ll have,” I replied. “I’ll figure that out when we talk to her and then I can start hunting for someplace well away from here. Not in this city is all I can think of.” “Don’t trust it to be safe?” “Sorta,” I said. “Maybe she won’t want to leave and she’d probably be fine long as she’s not in the West End, but I’m a little uncertain. I’ll figure it out.” “You know we’ll need to look at an apartment for ourselves, too, right?” she asked, stretching out onto the bed. “I mean, we graduate literally at the start of May, that’s just a month away. We’ve got that amount of time to find a place to stay near the university, as well as finding a place to work.” “Yeah, you’re right,” I said. “Ain’t really the time to do anything about it, but yeah, we’ll have to get it done. Guess we know what we’ll be doing with our off time for the next couple weeks. So fun.” “It’s fun to me,” she said. “Planning our future, spending our lives together…” “Well, not so bad when you put it that way,” I replied, doing my best to stifle a very heavy yawn. “Jeez, I’m beat. I think I’m gonna go to bed. Night, beautiful.” “Wait, where’re you going?” she asked as I headed towards the bedroom door. “I was gonna sleep on the couch like I usually do when I’m over here,” I replied, stopping at the threshold. “I mean, that’s normal, right?” “Yeah, but…” she hesitated. “Umm…” “Girl, I’m exhausted, you got three seconds-” It only took one. She bounced up and grabbed my arm, pulling me onto her bed. She slid under her covers and gave a sigh of contentment, reaching out for my hand. “When I said I wanted you by my side, I meant it,” she said. “It’s a bit extreme to expect I’ll be with you all the time-” “Look, I love how you’re all classy and respectful and everything, but I’m tired and I want someone to cuddle with and that someone is you, so get your butt in my bed so I can curl up in your arms and actually get some sleep.” I seriously don’t know why I even tried to object to this one, whether it be habit or awkwardness or some other idiotic theory I was going to conjure up, but after her small outburst I was done. I slid in next to her and she immediately snuggled up to me, grabbing my arm and wrapping it across her shoulder. “Oh, wow,” she said pleasantly, “This feels better than I ever would’ve imagined.” She was out almost instantaneously, her breathing slowing and entering a peaceful rhythm just minutes after I turned off the lights. As I lay there next to her, our figures dimly lit by the sliver of moon outside, I couldn’t find a way to relax. My heart was pounding too fast, my mind in a rush of ecstasy as the reality of my future came crashing into me. This is what I had to look forward to- for the rest of my life! Sure, there’d be times when we wouldn’t always get along and we wouldn’t even want to be near each other, but her heart was mine, her lips were mine, the feel of her touch was mine… her gift to me, along with all the love in her heart. For the first time in our life, we had a future set in stone and that was us together, pursuing a dream that we could make in a life alongside one another. It was more than I ever could have dreamed of or even dared to hope for. Wow, life was so good. I was the first to wake, my eyes sensing the creeping light of the early dawn. Sunset was fast asleep, not having moved an inch throughout the entire night, and still beneath my protecting grasp. I had to sit there for a while and simple savor the moment, where the whole wide world consisted of only she and I, the gentle pulse of her heartbeat more peaceful a sound than anything I’d ever heard. It was Monday again, the beginning of another school day- the first school day I’d had in a while now, and the beginning of one of our very last weeks in school period. It was a fantastic feeling. It probably would’ve lasted a little longer if I didn’t feel my stomach ache with hunger. Jeez, I could’ve eaten a horse! Remembering the package of eggs Sunset had in the fridge, I found my mind formulating a pair of omelets- they smelled delicious even if they didn’t exist. As gently as I could without waking her, I slid out of bed and planted a soft kiss on Sunset’s cheek. “I’ve got you covered,” I whispered. Unfortunately, she had no red peppers to speak of –vital for any good omelet- but the shredded cheese, ham, and bacon was enough to suffice, and soon I found my mouth watering over the skillet as I worked on my culinary creations. I was typically horrible at cooking, but I’d spent enough time around Mom in the mornings to know how to deal with eggs. Swiping a bowl from the shelf along with a few eggs and soon enough the kitchen was alive with the sounds and smells of a good meal. I found a package of frozen biscuits in the freezer that’d do, and I let them sit out for a while to thaw for better results once I tossed them in the oven. I switched on the TV for a little while as I waited for it to cook, watching yet another news report on the Empire, it having now been accused of killing- I don’t know, some official out there. Another video of a dirty bomb going off somewhere in Russia, angry protestors on the Empire’s eastern border, just the normality for what we’d seen the past two to three years. It was hard to take them so seriously when they’d been doing nothing new for a while now. Sunset made her appearance just as I was finishing up the omelets, her hair tussled and her eyes still puffy with sleep, her robe barely tied together. It wasn’t hard to see what she looked like, her beautiful form clearly evident. The only thing that bothered me were the burn marks and scars, one clearly trailing down across her chest and down her side. It’d been a while since I’d seen any of them. “Morning,” she said groggily, walking up and kissing me on the cheek. “Sleep well?” “Like a rock. You seemed pretty well out when I woke up.” “Yeah… please tell me you’ve got coffee brewing.” “I wouldn’t dare do otherwise,” I replied, sliding her over a mug. “I mean, how else are you gonna wake up?” “Ha ha- gimme,” she said flatly, snatching the freshly brewed pot and filling her mug to the brim before taking a hilariously long swig. “Oh thank God for this stuff.” “Uh, I’m guessing you didn’t care that what you just drank was roasting hot?” I assumed. “Not yet I don’t,” she answered, downing the rest of the cup in a matter of seconds. “I might when I actually wake up.” “Yeah, I bet you’re gonna,” I muttered under my breath. I’d literally finished brewing the pot just a few minutes before she’d woken up. She’d feel it soon enough. We both set down to eat, Sunset eventually becoming more chatty as the caffeine kicked in- followed momentarily by the realization she’d just downed a lot of very hot coffee and I couldn’t help but laugh as she chugged water to cool her throat. “Oh, don’t be sore, I tried to warn you,” I told her when she gave me a dirty look. “Besides, can’t do nothing about it now.” “Don’t let me do that again, it’s all I ask,” she rasped. “Ow…” I gave another laugh. “Just keep drinking water, all you can do.” “Ugh, if I was back in Equestria, I could fix it almost instantly,” she muttered. “I was always good at healing spells, I could repair the damage instantly.” Home wasn’t something she talked about too much, even now that we both knew her history. I perked up pretty quickly and asked, “Just how good were you?” “Good enough to be arrogant,” she said, playing with the remnants of her omelet. “I might’ve gotten better if I’d just calmed down and not been so pushy.” “Do you…” Sunset noticed I trailed off. “What’s wrong?” “Do- do you ever miss it? Equan- umm, what was it-” “Equestria?” “Yeah, do you ever miss your home? Being a pony, any of it?” I asked delicately. She paused, pursing her lips in thought. “Sometimes I don’t even remember it,” she said faintly. “I’ve grown so much here, I made my first friends in this world, and I found you… there’s so much goodness I’ve encountered here that it feels more like a dream than a memory. But sometimes… when I think of my parents, Princess Celestia… it can still hurt.” “Do you ever… wish that- that you..?” “Oh, I’m glad I’m here, I really am!” she insisted. “I have a home, a future, and- well, you. I may not be the pupil of a ruler, but I’m surrounded by what makes me happy- genuinely happy. It’s the place I was looking for when I didn’t even know it existed.” I smiled, not wanting to say aloud that I was very, very glad she’d come here- it was true, but perhaps a tad insensitive. I mean, she was a beautiful creature from another world, capable of abilities and gifts I couldn’t even imagine. And come to think of it… “Wait, what do you mean you can’t use magic?” I asked. “Hmm?” “Yeah, you’ve used it here before, haven’t you?” I insisted. “There was the time you wore Twilight’s crown, when you fought the Sirens- you even deliberately used it to destroy Jester’s rifle, you saved my neck with it. What do you mean you can’t use it?” Sunset took a bit of her biscuit as she mulled it over. “I don’t really know,” she mused, “I know it’s inherently within me, but… but it’s not something I know how to summon. I can’t use it at will like I used to.” “We should try it again sometime,” I suggested. “Maybe we take a weekend go out somewhere where we’ll be nice and alone and we can see-” “Oh, nice and alone, is it?” she piped up, staring at me intently. “Tell me, what kind of magic were you hoping to see when it’s just you and me?” She got me good on that one. “Uhh… wait, didn’t mean for it to come out like that, I mean it’s a thought more than once throughout the day-” “Is that why I always catch you staring at my chest?” she suggested. “I can’t help but notice you’ve been pretty well zeroed on it since I got up.” “Oh jeez, I can’t help it, you look so perfect and it is right freakin’ there like you’re trying to pull me in-” “Please, if I was gonna pull you in, I’d probably…” she rose from her seat and stared at me, hips sashaying side to side as she her gaze locked me to my chair. “I’d start by coming over to you and taking a little seat…” she walked slowly over, her fingers trailing across the table before she pushed me back and slowly took a position across my lap. “Then I’d have you in my arms, and I’d bring myself in close…” She was almost completely pressed against me, I spellbound as I looked into her stunning ocean-blue eyes, memorizing every inch of her beautiful, perfectly shaped face- and realizing that all she was wearing was one very thin, very revealing robe… “And I’d start by giving you just the sweetest little kiss, sorta like this,” she whispered, cupping my chin in her hand and giving me a soft, prolonged kiss that had me reaching in for more, desperate for the moment to continue. “Wanna know what I’d do after that?” she asked. “Oh yeah,” I said, my mind going into absolute overdrive- she could’ve asked me for anything in the world and I would’ve done it- “I’d remind you that we need to leave in twenty minutes,” she said with a grin. “We’ve got school and we need to go, remember?” I sat there, my raging hormones not having yet realized what she’d just said. “What?” “Yeah, sorry, can’t right now,” she said pityingly, looking genuinely displeased with her decision. “I’ll finish up in the bathroom real quick so you can get what you need to done, OK?” She upped and left me to dry, sitting there and hanging for the next kiss, my mind finally realizing that she had indeed just played an unbelievably cruel joke and I’d been a total sucker for it. I slid off my chair and splatted on the floor, twitching madly as I tried to summon what self-control I had in order not to cry. “Not… cool…” I wheezed. She could play me like a harp. I didn’t say much for most of the morning, feeling a little frustrated I’d been so perfectly teased. She was plenty apologetic about it and admitted herself that it’d been on the mean side, but that didn’t make me feel much better. She knew full well how badly I’d wanted her. Being back in school was a weird sort of mirage, a mixture of real and unreal as events from the previous week had apparently caused a pretty big shock. I’d been far too occupied with taking care of Mom to have come back to school, but it seemed from what I gathered that the shooting had caused a large ripple of shock through the school. It proved yet again at how disconnected the West End was from the rest of the city as we found shootings pretty normal- Canterlot High, on the other hand, was unused to one of their own enduring such an event. Weirder, at least to me, was the level of pleasantness the rest of the school greeted me with. People I’d never even talked to came up and asked me how I was doing, how Mom was holding up, and they all seemed genuinely glad when they heard the good news. Many of them told me of how hard Sunset had worked to help Mom out, just story after story… it was hard to believe this was the same school that had been so heavily against us for so long. “I know you expect the worst from people, but give them a chance and look at what happens,” Sunset told me as we made our way to lunch. “People can do some dumb stuff, but they can be decent, too.” “I guess,” I said uncertainly. “Still kinda weird to me… how are you so cool with it? They were too scared to do much to me, but they beat the tar out of you. Why are you so accepting?” Sunset simply shrugged. “Because it’s the right thing to do. Why should I be mad when they’ve changed their ways?” I could only stand there and admire her maturity. I don’t know how she’d done it, but she’d come so far in such a short amount of time- and it wasn’t because of me but because of her own choices… I didn’t like to think about that much. I’d spent so much time early in our relationship being the one who’d protected and looked after her, but it was almost as if our roles had been reversed. She’d become so strong in so many ways and had –quite literally- saved my life on more than one occasion. Sure, I was still physically stronger than she was, but that didn’t matter. I was alive because of her. It was becoming more and more obvious she was… well, way out of my league. Things felt a little more normal when we were back at our table with the rest of the gang. It was in the back of my mind that this was going to soon become a non-occurrence. Our time in high school was going to come to a close and we’d be off our separate ways- Rainbow had taken a sports scholarship down at Auburn to play soccer, Rarity was headed to LA to work as an understudy for some fashion agency, Sunset and I were going to Stanford for our big reset, Fluttershy was going north to work on a biology degree at Vanderbilt… far as I knew, Pinkie and AJ were the only two that would be staying here and not going anywhere. It was funny, really. I’d spent most of my life without them, yet now these young girls were more a part of my world than anyone had ever been, save for my mother. I’d grown, matured, and become a better person because of being with them. I wasn’t going to miss high school much, and especially not miss this city, but them… these were people I’d love to the very end. “Yo! Wake up, knothead!” I felt a hand slap across my forehead and I found myself next to Sunset and being stared at by the rest of the table. “Uh, how long was I-?” “Not too long, but sheesh you gotta work on that,” Rainbow replied. “Like come on, you’re not enough of an egghead to be spacing out like that.” “Oh hush, no one’s got the time to listen you try and be insulting,” I said dismissively. “Now what’s up, what’d I miss?” “Well you looked a little lost, that’s all,” AJ remarked. “What’s got you so gloomy?” “Hmm? Oh, just… just thinking, I guess…” “Bout what?” Pinkie inquired. “Just… well, I mean… this is it.” “What’s it, darling?” Rarity pressed. “This is it. We’re in our last weeks of high school, we graduate in about three weeks,” I answered. “And I mean, after that it’s over- all of this. We go off on our own journeys, almost immediately. Sunset and I are hoping to get moving pretty much the very next day, Rarity leaves the end of May, and then…” “And then we may never see each other again,” Fluttershy finished quietly, looking defeated. “Goodness, this really is it, isn’t it?” We didn’t say much for a while, the mood deflating like a balloon as the reality sunk in. It was an uncomfortable silence, built upon the fact that our last great goodbye really was coming up soon- and the finality that would come with it. Pinkie’s hair was flat, Fluttershy looked like she’d be perfectly happy retreating into her bookbag and even Rainbow looked a little forlorn. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” I said. “Just cause I was thinking it doesn’t… doesn’t mean…” I gave a sigh and let the words fall flat. “It’s alright, darling. I mean, it certainly is true, it’s just… well, we’ve had our ups and downs but altogether it’s been quite a thrilling ride, wouldn’t you say?” There were murmurs of assent across the table, and the mood began to pick up a little. “Remember when I first got here? AJ, you were the first person I actually talked to,” I said suddenly, eager for the mood to gain momentum. “You helped me clean up and you were probably the first person to be genuinely nice to me.” “Ah remember you stank, too,” she chuckled. “That garbage was disgusting.” “I remember when we became friends again, thanks to Twilight,” Fluttershy added. “And we went to Sugarcube Corner and we hung out like when we were young…” “Oh! Oh! And when we fought those nasty Dazzlings and we beat ‘em with magic and we all got ponyfied and we had a great time!” Pinkie proclaimed. “Or how about Christmas, when we all got together at your house?” Rainbow put in, pointing at me. “I remember you Mom almost cried just at the sight of that turkey, you said it was the best Christmas you’d ever had!” “And it’s probably always gonna be the best one ever,” I insisted, unable to wipe away the smile even if I wanted to. “And I’ll always remember when you skipped out of school just to take care of me,” Sunset added, putting an arm around my waist. “You helped me get better, you told me just how much you cared about me, and you told me I was yours…” “And I’ll always be yours. Forever,” I replied, finishing my words with a quick kiss on the nose. “Jeez, y’all are sappy. When’s the wedding gonna be?” Rainbow asked. “We’ll let you know,” Sunset and I answered in unison, throwing Rainbow Dash into confusion and causing the rest of the table to erupt in laughter. “Oh, I didn’t- uh, so maybe I haven’t been paying attention-” “Rainbow, you never pay attention,” Rarity scolded gently. “I think it’s been fairly obvious where these two would end up- right from the beginning.” “And then, on the opposite end up the spectrum, there’s you,” I couldn’t help but add. “Please, a lady simply has keen senses of observation,” she replied. “Wait a sec! Before y’all get into the usual shenanigans,” AJ interrupted. “So ah’m startin’ to get a hold of an idea here… so, from what I’m guessing since we ain’t been talking about it, none of us were really interested in going to prom, right?” Prom? Oh yeah, that was two weeks from now. Canterlot High had theirs pushed way back on the schedule for seniors as sort of a last hurrah. I’d been too occupied lately to even consider going, and my guess was that Sunset would rather avoid it after the Fall Formal. We all seemed to have our own answer before we turned to look at Rarity. “What?” she asked. “How many guys have invited you?” I asked. “Well… OK, so perhaps one or two have been persistent-” “You said yes or no?” AJ asked drily. “I haven’t said anything yet…” “So here’s what ah’m thinkin, then,” AJ began. “What if instead of going to prom and being at school we go off somewhere ourselves- just us, nobody else! We get all fancy and we take the weekend to ourselves and we have one last big get-together. We just go all-out and spend it only with one another!” The mood was energized, excited even. I was certainly open to the idea, and honestly seemed to fit our image more than being at prom- yes, I liked to show off my skills, but I was sure to have plenty of fun with whatever AJ was planning. “So whadya say- we wanna do this?” she asked. “I say yes!” I roared jovially. “Sunset and I’ll be busy over the next couple weeks, but we’ll be there for certain!” “You bet I’m in! Dances are boring, anyway.” “Rainbow!” Rarity protested, “What? How is that a surprise to you that I think that?” “Look, I’m just gonna guess that we’re all in- what about you, Rares?” I pressed. “Well, I… I, umm… just, you see, I’m a romantic and-” “You can do better than Sandalwood and Jacobs, ah know they’ve been talking to you,” AJ said flatly, ignoring how vividly red Rarity went as the rest of us burst out laughing. “Just say you’re in.” Rarity seemed more inclined to get mad, but was smart enough to know when she’d been pegged. “Oh, just… yes, I’ll be there. A lady’s promise.” “How’s it feel to move?” I asked her. Mom’s face was deep red as she performed her exercises, each breath looking like it took a monumental effort to achieve alongside her movements. “It’s still difficult,” she gasped as she finally righted herself. “I wish it was simpler…” “It’s only difficult cause you took a bullet to the chest,” Sunset reminded her. “You’re doing great for someone who only just started therapy two days ago.” “You don’t know Mom- instant results or nothing,” I joked. “But look, Sunset’s right, don’t push yourself too much. Your face is stupid red right now…” “Oh, not again. Ma’am, we told you that you have to be drinking water in between exercises!” the nurse chided. “I know it’s not very comfortable but it’s going to help you recover faster, as well as maintain your energy levels.” I bore into Mom with a look of anger. “You’re already trying to break the rules?” I asked. “Come on, you’re only going to hurt yourself even more.” She fired back with a fierce glare of her own but she relented nonetheless, taking a slow, shuddering sip from the nearby bottle. “I feel awful,” she breathed. “Then take a few minutes to rest and catch your breath,” the nurse said. “All you need to do today is complete your exercises and then we’re done. Take as much time as you need.” Sunset and I helped Mom to her feet and over to a nearby chair where she could rest, a slow pace as Mom still wasn’t fully steady on her feet. It was hard to bear, knowing that the bullet that had struck her was because of my foolishness. She wouldn’t blame me for any of it, of course, but that didn’t stop me from feeling guilty about the whole affair. “So, what have you two been up to today? School go well?” she asked us. “Went well enough. It’ll be a bit busy since I’m having to catch up on what I missed, but nothing we can’t handle,” I replied. “Look, umm… I need to talk to you bout something. I wanted you to get better before I brought it up, but now- don’t really have a whole lot of time left.” Mom studied me for a minute. “It’s about the house, isn’t it?” “Mom… you can’t stay there anymore,” I said simply. “I mean, Wanyama’s done for but there’ll still be plenty of low-level grunts that are out there and they might try to come looking for you and I again. It’s just not safe anymore. And I know you love the place, but… but it’s just time to go. I’ve been talking with Manny and we’ve been doing some appraisal on the place and we think we can get it sold fairly quickly. So while you’re still here we’ll get the place on the market and see about finding you a new home- preferably not in this city any longer.” “Not here? But this is your home, this is where you grew up- all your friends…” “Mom, come on, high school’s almost over, time’s up. It’s time to head out, get moving, find new places to go. You and I have stayed in one place for too long now. This city has nothing to offer us anymore, you know that. When you first were brought in here, Mr. Rich offered you a place to stay until you can find new housing and even some money to help hold you over, but I think it’s best you move on and find something- whether it be a small house or an apartment, whichever suits you. I can start looking tonight if you want.” Mom didn’t look at me for a while, turning to stare out into the streets below. I could understand her hesitancy. She’d spent so much of her life here, her entire time in the States had been spent here. She’d married, raised a child, and was now being asked to leave her first real home- one that she’d worked so hard to hold together when her own husband and even her child threatened to tear it apart. She’d been the protector of that place. And now, it was over. This was it. “And what will you do?” she asked me. “What are you going to do once you graduate?” “Well…” I turned to Sunset. “Well, I don’t have good enough grades to get into college. I talked to Miss Cheerilee a few weeks ago about that, and… I messed up too much. I know it’s what you wanted from me for a while but- it’s just not gonna happen.” “But… we’ve been making plans for a little while now,” Sunset added. “I’ve been accepted into Stanford and now with school almost over we were thinking that instead of waiting, we’d just head out there straightaway and find a place to live. Both of us can work over the summer and once school starts I’ll go to college…” “So… so you both…” Mom whispered. I felt Sunset’s hand slide across mine and squeeze tight. “I know we’re both still pretty young,” I said hesitantly, “but… we’re a team. We look after one another. And that’s what we’ll always do.” The smallest of tears fell from her eyes. She understood what I meant, what consequences were going to come of our decision. We’d be poor, very poor for a very long time. We’d struggle to make ends meet, finances would almost certainly forbid Sunset and I from traveling much. It’d be a hard life… and one we’d face with only each other for support. Mom now knew what I meant: we’d not only be saying goodbye to our friends, our school, and our city- we’d be saying goodbye to her as well. “Are… are you sure of this, then?” she asked. “We love each other,” Sunset said simply, her own eyes glistening. “I know it’s going to be tough, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ll make it work somehow.” Mom wiped her tears away and gave a short, shallow nod. “I understand,” she said thickly. “I’ll- just- look after one another,” she said softly. “Do your best to keep in touch once you’re out there. Send me pictures whenever you can, you know I’ll always want to hear from you…” “Yeah, of course we will,” I replied. “What did you think we’d do, just cut you off for no reason?” We stayed there until Mom was done with her therapy session, helping her through her various movements and encouraging her each step of the way. It was a bittersweet moment, some of our last hours together were being spent right then and there as the sun fell. Mom was strong, she’d endured more than most could imagine- and now she would have to say goodbye to the last remaining member of her family in only a few short weeks. We’d sell the house. We’d find her a nice place to stay. But I know her heart would always be here, that smallest piece of her still wishing things could have been different. That we could’ve remained a family. The next couple of weeks were the busiest Sunset and I had ever experienced, filled with moving supplies, mounds of schoolwork and endless hours on the computer searching for apartments. Half the time we’d wake up in the middle of the night and realize we’d falling asleep from exhaustion, our work still unfinished. Coffee and Red Bull became habitual. Manny and I moved the stuff out of the house, placing most of it in a cramped storage unit until Mom could decide on her future home. For the most part, I brought with me only clothes and a couple of suitcases which I lived out of for the time being. I practically took up residence on Sunset’s couch, turning it into a makeshift office as Manny and I tried to sell the house as well as plan the logistics for Sunset and I’s cross-country move. Money, what to do with food, furniture, all of it was a nightmare for a kid who hadn’t even moved rooms, much less a couple thousand miles. Thankfully, my old mentor was willing to spend plenty of time over at the apartment giving us advice on what to do and how to prioritize- sell everything you won’t need, bring only essentials. Best piece of advice he gave us was on how to keep a full pantry without breaking the bank. It seemed rice and noodles were going to be our lifeline for a while. Sunset was about as happy as she’d ever been. She had black rings around her eyes from lack of sleep and her dependence on caffeine was reaching nuclear levels, but she always had a smile on her face and she’d always greet me with a hug or a kiss- if not both. More than once I’d wake up in the middle of the night to find her curled up next to me, clinging to me as if I were a lifeline. With a future away from her past sins and I by her side, she practically radiated happiness. It was infectious, seeping into everyone around her until they could barely contain it themselves. I watched her unashamedly, a stupid grin plastered across my face nearly every moment of the day. She’d wear different clothes, try different hairstyles, always reaching out to others and trying new things… it was such a far cry from where she’d once been. Yet no matter what, no matter how much she’d changed, there was always that bright spark in her eyes, that special smile she reserved only for me. She was still the same girl I’d fallen in love with- but no longer hidden away behind a wall of sadness and regret. This was her, the one I’d always known lived within her. Friday evening came and despite our full awareness that we had plenty to do, Sunset and I simply couldn’t find the energy to get up and get to work. We flopped onto the couch almost the exact moment we got home, and I’ll confess I didn’t wake up for a couple of hours. “This week sucked,” I said as we sat there, I grabbing the TV remote and switching to ESPN. “I’m exhausted, I don’t even care that we finally got a buyer for the house- that’d mean working up some semblance of emotion. Way too much effort.” “I finally got a hold of the university, by the way,” Sunset added, either unable or unwilling to remove herself from across my legs. “They offer couples without children 2 bed/1 bathroom apartments, so we’ve got that as an option.” “Let me guess: Expensive?” “About $1300 a month at a minimum… and a $1500 deposit to secure it.” “Jeez…” “We’ll find something, don’t worry,” she said soothingly. “I know you’re worried about it but there’s still plenty out there. I’ve got a liaison at the school that’s been looking around for us as well. We’ll find a place to stay before we go.” “We better, beautiful, we got little more than two weeks.” “Then that’s two weeks of buffer space,” she replied. “Hey, it’s OK. You don’t need to get worked up, we’ll be fine. So what if we have to stay here a little longer? The landlord’s a nice guy, he’ll understand. He’s been decent with me for this long.” “Yeah, yeah…” I began playing with her hair just to give my fingers something to do, my fingers delicately untangling her braid that she’d decided to try out that morning. I found while I liked her wavy look, she was extremely appealing when she put her hair back in a ponytail or a braid. “You know you’re undoing it, right?” she asked. “Yeah, I know. I like the feel of it in my fingers. You keep it really soft.” “I try.” I looked down at her and her up at me, a short simple moment where we were the only people in our world. I loved the feeling that came with it, that aching pull to lose myself in her gaze. Today, however, it brought forth an idea. “Look, how about,” I drawled, “How about you and I sleep in tomorrow? Weather’s supposed to be real nice, real comfortable April afternoon. Remember when I said we ought to test out your magic?” “I remember,” she answered. “I just don’t think it’ll work. I’d notice if I could still utilize it, it was like a second heartbeat whenever it was active.” “It’s still active in you, you’ve proven that. I just want to see what we can accomplish. Besides, if nothing comes of it then we get a nice picnic out in the park, it’ll still be fun.” Sunset mulled it over before nodding. “Sure, I guess we can give it a try,” she said compliantly. “Great! I’ll get everything fixed up for tomorrow, you leave it to me. How about we… order a pizza tonight, watch a movie and just call it?” “I pick the movie tonight,” She said firmly. “I’m sorry, but I’m not entertained by Adam Sandler. We can do better.” “Hey! How dare you speak against Happy Gilmore, the movie’s awesome!” “It’s stupid!” she protested. “It’s not actually funny, it’s just stupidity and you think it’s funny…” We’d gotten into arguments like that before, she and I discussing the merits of entertainment or books and other such things. She’d almost always win. Neither of us could make it all the way through the movie, some British action-comedy she’d picked up called Attack the Block. Plenty good, but with about thirty minutes left to go it was plenty evident we weren’t gonna make it. I don’t know whether it was when I dropped the popcorn bowl onto the floor or when Sunset started snoring, but we decided to call it. She dragged my unwilling butt off of the very soft couch and into her even softer bed and the next thing I knew the sun was peering through the window and I had yet again awoken before her. I smiled, content to gaze at her as she rested peacefully. Content, quiet, untroubled by the world as she walked among dreams. Her hair was untidy and strewn across the bed, her hand across her hips, her chest rising and falling in a gentle, soothing motion. I watched her and knew that today was going to be a good day. I leaned in and kissed her ever so softly, watching as she slowly reentered the waking world, her gaze settling upon me and immediately she broke into a tired, yet happy smile. “Morning,” she said. “Morning, sunshine girl,” I replied, stroking my fingers through her hair. “You ready for today?” “Am now.” It took us a little longer than we’d probably meant, but soon enough we were on our way out of the city center and towards the outskirts, headed to the nearest national park where I knew we’d have plenty of open space- and privacy so as not to be seen. She had admitted to me that if we did successfully elicit her magic, there was no telling how much potency, or how much control she’d have over it. Just to be safe, we ventured in pretty deep, finding a place out in a far-flung field- far enough away from the hiking trails that we wouldn’t be seen. “How come we haven’t been out here before?” she asked me as we walked along. “I mean, yeah, we hooked up in winter and it’s been pretty cold, but still…” “Weirder than that? I’ve lived in this city all my life and not once have I come out here,” I replied. “Homeboy.” “More like poor. I’ve never had a car before.” “So what were you planning, anyway?” Sunset asked, stretching out to let the wind flow underneath her outstretched arms. “Who says we even have to try? I could just stay out here forever- just listen to this place!” We let the silence flow as the sounds of nature overtook our senses: the gentle breath of the wind, the songs of the birds in the trees as the branches shook their leaves, even the nearby stream gurgling could be heard. It was as if we’d discovered Eden. I, however, only had eyes for her. She was wearing the dress I’d bought for her again- uninhibited by the cold, it made her look like a tongue of soft fire, a flame glowing on candlelight. “It really is something,” I remarked, gazing up at the beautiful blue sky, dotted by the occasional wisp of cloud. “Just imagine what we’re gonna see when we head out West. Something totally new.” “You’re really excited, aren’t you?” “Why not? I’ve got you by my side and we’re off- together on a brand new journey! What’s not to be excited about?” “Why not enjoy what we’ve got now for just a little while,” Sunset reminded me. “So… just what were you planning anyway?” “I had a few ideas,” I said hesitantly. “Stand there, OK? Don’t move.” Sunset gave me a look of suspicion. “I’m not standing on anything, am I?” “What? No, just work with me, I’m gonna try to help you out,” I replied, dipping down and pulling an apple out of the cooler. “Alright, let me think… So the last few times you’ve deliberately used your magic, what were the causes?” “When we were fighting back against the Sirens,” she answered. “And then when Jester was going to shoot you-” “Exactly. So I had a thought,” I said, taking a hefty bite of apple. “You may not know how to activate it, but I think I do. Wanna take a guess?” When she remained silent, I swallowed and finished by adding, “You’re reactionary.” I cocked my arm back and threw my apple at her with all my might, aiming straight for her head- “Hey!” she brought up her arms to shield herself from the incoming projectile and sending it flying away from her- right back into my hand without having laid upon it a single finger. After she realized it wasn’t going to strike her, she threw me a very dirty look. “What was that for? That would’ve hurt!” “Yeah, I know, kinda mean- sorry about that,” I responded. “But where’s the apple?” I raised my hand and flaunted her success. “Looks like I wasn’t wrong.” “How did you-” “I didn’t do anything,” I said, taking one last bite and throwing the core into the grass. “You sent it flying away from you, your measure was entirely protective. Your defensive instincts kick into gear.” “So now what?” “Now we try to focus,” I pushed her, feeling a burning sense of excitement. “You told me yesterday that it’d feel like a second heartbeat. Concentrate real hard, is that secondary beat there?” She put a hand to her chest and gave a small gasp. “It’s weak, but… but I think it’s there.” “Alright, now here we go. Try something simple- what’s one of the simplest feats you could use back in your world? Start with that.” Sunset looked down at the ground, her eyes locking onto a small pile of stones at her feet. Her eyes narrowed as she picked out one and stretched out her hand- glowing with an amber aura! Slowly, perhaps more effort than she’d expected, one of the stones began to rock back and forth before rising into the air and hovering before her fingertips. “OK, that’s just plain cool,” I said. “Harry Potter’s got nothing on you.” “It’s- it’s actually working!” she said excitedly, her face absolutely alight with glee. Being able to use her magic again probably felt like a restored limb to her. “It’s a little difficult, but it works, I can feel it!” “Then don’t stop! Gain momentum, push it and see what you can do!” I cried. “Try something a little more complex, see what you can really do!” I yelled. Her face glowed with the thought of a challenger, her eyes absolutely blazing in fiery delight. The air surrounding us changed ever so slightly, that aura that had emanated from her back at the gereza coursing through the environment. I felt my heart skip a beat- I was about to witness something incredible. The very earth bent to her will as she let her power flow freely. I watched a small flower grow massive in size, shooting up into the sky as tall as the nearby trees. She took hold of the entire pile of stones, whirling them about above her head like an earthen halo, each movement, each step she took bringing forth more and more confidence as she entered a world where not even I could reach her, a realm fueled by the connection she’d thought she’d lost. “Give me something to shoot at!” she called. “Throw out targets, I want to see if I can grab hold of them!” I grabbed what I could and began throw a myriad of projectiles, watching in awe as she would toss them aside or bring them to rest at her feet, simple movements flowing with power I couldn’t even begin to understand- “Whoa.” She took a small branch I’d thrown and studied it before causing it to grow right before my eyes, a gigantic tree suddenly rooted into the ground before me- Light was flowing in from all around us, seeking her out and attaching itself to her beautiful form, glowing as brightly as the sun as she slowly began to lift herself off the ground, the very air around her bristling with energy. In a brilliant, blinding burst of light she was transfigured before me- an angel born of fire and light, her very soul ignited by the fires of sunlight. Wings made of pure light burst forth from her back as her form was adorned in a dress the color of the pinkest sunset, a jeweled necklace bearing her colors around her neck. I gave a whoop of sheer joy, the very power flowing from her coursing across the entire area in shockwaves, I barely able to stay on my feet. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Jester’s power, whatever it had been, was nothing compared to this. All too soon it came to an end, Sunset bowing her head and she began to slowly fall to earth- wait a minute, she was going to fall if I didn’t catch her! I ran up beneath her and she fell into my arms. On closer examination, I realized her dress was something ethereal- glistening and flickering like fire, almost like a shield protecting her body from harm. My first thought was that I was going to be burned on contact but I could feel nothing- no, not entirely true. I could feel a gentle pulsating sensation I assumed to be her heart- perhaps the source of the flow of her powers. “Hey, you OK?” I asked, gently setting her down on the ground. “Sunset… hey, can you hear me?” It was as if she’d fallen unconscious, so slowly she woke. “What happened?” she asked wearily. “What happened- babe, look at yourself!” I grinned. “It worked, you were incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it!” “What do you mean- what on earth am I wearing?” she cried, her eyes wide as she caught sight of herself. “I’ve- I’ve got wings, I’m- I’m…” “You look like a queen,” I whispered, laughing with joy at the sight of her. “You look utterly royal.” “I’ve never… I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve never even heard of anything like this,” she whispered. “You’re the first one to ever accomplish anything like this before,” I said. “It’s… it’s amazing. You were so effortless…” “Can you help me up? I’m not sure I can stand.” She was indeed a bit shaky getting up but managed well enough once she steadied herself. She slowly looked herself over, looking a little overwhelmed at the sight. “You look incredible,” I breathed. “It’s like you’re an angel of fire. I mean, even your boots! Your freakin’ boots look like they’re ablaze!” I laughed maniacally, unable to find any sort of suitable reaction. “You are, without a doubt, a princess- you’ve got to be!” She couldn’t help but blush a little at my words- a pretty funny sight when even her hair was still charged with energy. “Come on, don’t you think that’s a bit of an overstatement-” “Uh-uh, don’t even try it! Princess of Magic is your title from here on out!” I did an elaborate, exaggerated bow before her my arms outstretched as if holding a sword. “I give my life to serve, m’lady. If only you would offer me the chance-” “Oh, hush.” I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and I looked up to see Sunset shaking her head, the effects of her magic fading away until everything was normal once more- her fiery form was gone, the wings had dissipated. It was just the two of us out in the middle of nowhere. “I’m no princess, I don’t even want to be one. I’m just me, and that doesn’t sound bad at all.” “Well, you’re a princess to me,” I replied, rising to my feet and taking her hand. “My princess, my sunshine girl, you.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “You will always find a way to sound incredibly stupid,” she remarked. “And you’ll always love that, too. Come on- let’s eat.” We took a seat and enjoyed the scenery, content to simply enjoy the moment. We’d both found what she was capable of, and despite Sunset insisting the magic she’d performed were simple spells, it was unbelievably impressive. She was… well… “What’s up?” she asked, noting my falling countenance. “Something wrong?” “Mm,” I grunted, a little hesitant to speak it aloud. “It’s nothing, don’t worry.” “Hey, don’t be worried, I won’t judge. What’s wrong?” I took the last bite of my sandwich to buy myself time to think. “Why?” She blinked. “Why what?” “Why did- why did you even choose me in the first place?” “Why did I choose you..?” “Yeah. Why, out of all the people in the world, did you choose me?” I asked. “The thug, the criminal, the idiot who was only just beginning to try to get things together. I mean, look at you, look at what you just did- what you’ve done! You’ve fought monsters, endured unreal abuse, you saved this city, and you’re probably the first person in the world to use magic- REAL magic! There’s never been anyone like you to walk this earth! And then there’s… there’s me. I don’t come anywhere close to deserving you.” My words hung in there like a fetid stench, permeating the air and setting it afoul. I felt pretty bad for saying it, but I knew it was the truth- I didn’t deserve her. After all I’d done, with all the acts of violence and cruelty I’d witnessed and committed, she wasn’t just out of my league. I was outclassed. “You wanna know the truth?” she asked me. “It’s gonna sound really stupid, but… well, the first thought I had about you was…” she gave a nervous laugh before adding, “I- I thought you were really hot.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well that’s not too bad a reason. I can take that.” “It was pretty shallow, I won’t lie,” she giggled, “but it made me want to spend time with you, and the more I was around you, the more I began to see just- just how kind you are.” Wait, what? “Wasn’t expecting to hear that, girl,” I said. “I know you’ve never wanted to be described that way, but it’s true,” she said, draping her arms across my shoulder. “You put up wall after wall to make yourself look so hard and tough yet when you let them fall down you were so, so gentle. You hated seeing someone you loved be hurt, and you were so afraid of being like your father that it drove you to tears… just the thought of it caused you pain. And over and over again, I kept watching as you grow, you wanted to be a better person each and every day, and you always thought about me before yourself. You’re willing to sacrifice everything for the ones you love.” “It… it doesn’t make sense,” I replied. “I…” “You were rough, you had edges, but deep down you’re nothing but a softy,” she said playfully. “No matter what, don’t ever believe otherwise. Now, because you asked first, I need to know- why did you even notice me? I mean, we weren’t exactly besties when we first met.” I gave a small laugh. “I dunno, I guess…” I gave a wispy sigh, my mind delving back to all those months ago, so far away that they felt like another lifetime. “I think… it was when you first offered to be my tutor. I’d treated you pretty badly yet you kept trying anyway, and when I finally gave you a chance- you treated me like an equal. No judgement, no anger, nothing. You’d changed so drastically, I finally just saw you as a girl, sweet and innocent and you had such gorgeous eyes. I started keeping track of you in my head, watching every little thing you did, and I was just in awe of how much you’d changed. You had such a soft heart and when it was just you and me, I’d watch you come- come alive. You were so beautiful, so happy and I loved seeing that spark in your eyes. The more I was around you the more I began to realize just how good you were, and I wanted to be someone- someone you deserved.” I felt tears begin to form in my eyes and I tried to shake them away. “And when I’d watch you get hurt it just tore me up because I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to hurt someone so beautiful as you, because how could anyone not see who you were inside? Just how dedicated and smart and talented you were, you could be so beautiful inside and out and I started falling in love with you almost overnight, and then- you finally woke up.” I could feel the tears dripping down my cheeks, a smile growing across my features. “You fought back and you found the strength I’d always known you had, and look what came of it- you saved my life, you saved my mother’s life, you save our future, you’ve done more than anyone could ever do for a person.” I turned to look up at her, unable to stop my tears. “Sunset, you make me want to be a better person, you push me to be something great, and I want to be great because it’s what you deserve. I could never hope to earn someone like you someone so beautiful and talented and loving- I’ll never, ever deserve you. I’m just so glad that you came into my life because I know it never would’ve been anywhere near as good if I hadn’t met you. I love you, more than anything in the whole wide world and I’ll always love you. You’ve got my heart all the way to the end- no matter what.” Sunset’s eyes were wide as she looked down at me, her gaze swimming with her own tears. As she held me in her arms. “Oh… oh, my…” she whispered. I sniffed and wiped my tears away, trying to shake myself back into some semblance of self-control. “I’m sorry, it was too much, and it’s kinda stupid to hear out loud-” “Enough.” She grabbed my face and planted a deep, passionate kiss on my lips. “Stop talking,” she whispered, kissing me again, and again and again. I put my arms around her and pulled her in tight, drinking deeply from her as each kiss ignited a new hunger, an insatiable desire for her touch, for her warmth and comfort. She was more than beautiful, more than anything I ever could’ve imagined- “Don’t stop,” she said hungrily, laying atop of me as she peppered me in a flurry of kisses, each one more desperate and filled with longing than the last. This was different, this was something else entirely. We fell into the grass and for a while, we didn’t say much of anything at all.