10. Heart-to-Heart
“Look, look, look!”
“Twilight, unlike you, my eyes work perfectly fine. I actually can’t read with something shoved against my face.”
Twilight pulled the flyer away from Sunset’s eyes, rolled it up, and smacked her on the head with it, eliciting a laugh from Sunset. “My eyes work well enough, thank you very much.”
Sunset eased the flyer out of Twilight’s hands. “I know. Those glasses make you look very cute, Sparky.”
“Gag me,” Rainbow said from across the table.
Ignoring Rainbow’s usual comments, Sunset unrolled the flyer and read aloud, “‘Canterlot High School’s Music Program is proud to present the Canterlot Junior Symphony. Come see the full orchestral presentation this Saturday at Serenade Hall.’” She looked up to Twilight’s glowing face. “And I’m guessing you’re going to be in it?”
“I’m first chair for the string section!”
Rarity clapped her hands. “Oh, that’s magnificent, darling! I can’t wait to hear you perform!”
Twilight hopped from one foot to the other. “I’m super excited, but really nervous, but also really excited!”
Pinkie gasped. “That means you’re—”
“Pinkie, what did I tell you?” Sunset warned.
“But, Suuuunseeeet!” She threw herself over the table as she whined. “It’s the perfect word!”
“It’s not even a word!”
“Then, let me make it a word!”
“The point,” Applejack said over them, “is that we’re happy for you, Twi. You’ll do just fine, and we’ll be right there to support you.”
“Thanks, girls.” Twilight took the flyer back from Sunset. “I still need to go show Moondancer. Also, we’re going to hang out after school today. Would anyone like to come?” Her eyes were focused on Sunset.
Sunset broke out her faux friendly smile. “Of course.”
“Nope,” Rainbow said, leaning back in her chair. “And it’s not just ‘cause I don’t want to. I’ve got track practice today. We’re going up against Crystal Prep on Saturday, so we have to train harder than ever if we wanna win!”
Twilight gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Yeah. They take all their competitions seriously. Good luck, Rainbow.”
Pinkie bounced up from her sprawled position on the table. “Ooooh! I have two friends to cheer on now! Time to break out my pom-poms!”
“Which begs the question, Pinkie, why aren’t you part of the cheer-leading squad?” Rarity asked.
“Because I’m already the head of the Party Planning Committee and the Spirit Squad!” She pulled a planner out from her hair and opened up to a random page covered in both immaculate writing and random doodles. “Do you know how much work goes into those two alone? Plus all the unofficial parties I have to plan, plus working at Sugarcube Corner, plus hanging out with you girls?” She snapped the planner shut. “Besides, cheerleaders only perform at football games. I spread my cheer to all!” She pointed a finger to the sky.
“Can’t argue with that,” Applejack said. “And sorry, Twi. Ah’d love to go, but Ah’m having some quality time with mah family today. Ah think they’re still trying to make up for the Battle of the Bands.”
Rarity inspected her nails in a nonchalant fashion, but couldn’t contain the giddy grin on her face. “I’m afraid Flash and I have made prior arrangements today.” She looked over to his table and gave him a dainty wave which he returned.
“I’ll go!” Pinkie said. She flipped her planner open again. “I’ve got just enough free time today for friendship hangouts!”
Fluttershy looked tentatively at Rainbow. “I could go I guess, that is, if Rainbow doesn’t need my cheering skills today.”
She waved a hand. “Nah, it’s just practice. Save your voice for the track meet.”
Sunset allowed herself a quiet sigh of relief. At least she didn’t have to deal with Moondancer alone today. Twilight ran off to tell her the good news, meeting Sunset in their trigonometry class. The period progressed as normal, with Sunset and Twilight sneaking in a few kisses between problems.
They joined Pinkie and Fluttershy outside by the statue after school concluded. With Daylight Savings Time starting again, it was still very bright out. Moondancer skipped down the front steps and flowed past them, her long, open sleeves flapping in the wind.
“Ah, can you feel it? The change happening in the air? Tis the advent of spring, the season of rebirth!” She spun and raised her hands. “The flowers shall bloom once more! All the budding flora shall reveal their true selves for the world to gaze upon! The sights and aromas shall be most breathtaking!”
Fluttershy eagerly nodded in agreement. “I love going to the botanical garden in the springtime! If you’re really lucky, you can see some of the flowers bloom right before your eyes! Oh, and all the animals that are getting ready to come out of hibernation!” She sighed dreamily. “Spring is my favorite time of year.”
“A trip to the gardens sounds like a lovely future outing,” Moondancer said. “In the meanwhile, we need to prepare our dazzling star for her performance this weekend!”
Sunset let out a disgruntled sigh. “Does this mean we’re going—”
“To the mall!” Pinkie yelled, pointing a finger in its general direction.
“Of course we are. How very original.”
Moondancer led them to the front curb. “There’s nothing wrong with going to the central hub of cultural activities and exchanges. Besides…” A black limousine rolled up to them. “You’ll be traveling there in style.” She smiled like a cat.
Stars flooded Pinkie and Fluttershy’s eyes, and while Sunset had never traveled by limo before, it being Moondancer’s, her eyes were clouded with disappointment. She climbed in after Twilight, seating herself next to the mini-fridge, fully stocked as Pinkie soon discovered.
“To the mall please, Porter,” Moondancer said to the small window at the front.
“Yes, My Lady.”
Pinkie pulled a veggie plate from the fridge, trying not to look disappointed. “You’re pretty responsible, Moony. If I had a limo with a fridge, I’d stuff it with cupcakes and ice cream.”
“The thought has crossed my mind on many a stressful day.” She took the plate from Pinkie and munched on a baby carrot. “But Twily here was always good at reminding me to stay healthy.”
Twilight played with a lock of her hair. “Good nutrition is part of learning.” She added in an under breath, “Unless you’re Pinkie.”
Sunset patted her on the hand.
Porter dropped them off at the mall, promising to only be around the corner if Moondancer needed him. The weekday crowd wasn’t as bad as the weekend, but the mall still proved busy. Pinkie quickly excused herself to get a churro from the food court, no doubt to make up for the lack of desirable snacks in the limo.
“Now, what would be appropriate for your orchestra extravaganza?” Moondancer asked, circling Twilight in appraisal.
“Maybe something she has in her closet?” Sunset offered, leveling her hand.
“There’s no fun in that. An event such as this calls for something new! Something exciting!” She took Twilight by the hand and led her toward the escalator. “Come, come! I think I have a few ideas!”
Sunset tilted her head back and groaned. The only silver lining to graduation is I’ll never have to see her again. She and Fluttershy followed after, with Pinkie hurrying along, an extra long churro in hand. Just like their outing a few months ago, Moondancer led them into the more expensive stores where the clerks gave them dismissive eyerolls or annoyed greeting hidden behind wide smiles. They were particularly offended when Pinkie tried to walk in, still munching on her fried pastry, her mouth covered in cinnamon and sugar. Sunset volunteered to wait outside with her while the other three ventured forth.
“I don’t get why you’re being such a sourpuss,” Pinkie said. She took a large bite of her snack. “Moondancer’s just showing the depth of her affection for Twilight by buying expensive material gifts that ultimately fade with time. Probably because she has no idea how else to show it.”
Sunset stared hard at her. “I can’t tell if you’re being hopelessly naive, or giving insightful advice in some vague way, and that worries me.”
Pinkie smiled, her teeth stained with sweets. “I’m just saying you need to stop being such a grump to Moondancer. She’s really nice and talks funny a lot. Plus, if Twilight was attracted to her at all, don’t you think they would have hooked up a long time ago?”
“I know that, okay?” Sunset pinched her nose. “It’s not just her touchy-feely and constant hovering and doting on Twilight. Pinkie, you might find this hard to understand, but some people don’t mesh well with others. Me and Moondancer? We’re just not compatible as friends.”
Pinkie blew a raspberry. “Anyone can be friends with anyone if they try hard enough. You two just need to open up to each other.”
“As I have told Moondancer, there is a long list of reasons why I don’t like her and would rather jump off a cliff. Making friends is your shtick, Pinkie.”
A surprisingly morose sigh came from Pinkie. “Fine. But you’re just making this harder on yourself. When you and Twilight get married and have kids, guess who’s probably gonna be the godmother.”
Sunset sputtered. “M-married? Kids? P-Pinkie, what are… we haven’t even… how do you…”
Pinkie made a snort and a laugh while Sunset tugged at her shirt, face red and warm. The other girls came out with Twilight carrying a bag over her shoulder.
“All done,” Moondancer said. “Now, I shall relinquish my spotlight and implore someone else take the lead. I’m sure one of you has a destination in mind.”
“Oooh, oooh!” Pinkie pointed up to the third floor. “Let’s go to the arcade! I have a fever and the only prescription is the Dance Dance machine!” She didn’t wait for anyone to agree or object and headed for the escalator.
The arcade sat in the back of the mall, a darker room lit by the flashing lights and screens of various games and machines. The collective colors against the ceiling made it look like a mini rave. Pinkie followed the obtuse patterns along the carpet to the dance machine. Two metal stages were hooked up in front of it and covered in arrows pointing in eight directions.
Twilight kept a fair distance back. “Oh no, I’m terrible at these kinds of games.”
Moondancer pressed a finger to her cheek. “I do recall the time you stumbled over your own feet and fell off.”
“Moony!”
“It’s a fun memory, dear.”
Pinkie jumped onto one of the platforms. “I bet you’re really good at this game, Moondancer! Come on, play a round!” Her eyes narrowed into a competitive glare that would have made Rainbow proud. “I dare you.”
Moondancer smiled coyly and stepped up. “Well, since the gauntlet has been thrown down, I suppose there is no other recourse but to show you the error of your ways in challenging me to a bout.”
Pinkie tilted her head. “That was a yes, right?”
Sunset sighed. “Just put a quarter in and start.”
Pinkie pulled a sweatband from her hair and pulled it over her forehead. “It’s go time!” She inserted two coins for multiplayer, selected a song, and picked the highest difficulty.
Moondancer folded up her sleeves and made a quick stretch. “While I hardly classify this as dancing, expect nothing less than my very best!”
The song began and arrows flew up the screen, prompting Pinkie and Moondancer to move along with them, stepping with speed and conviction. ‘Greats’ and ‘perfects’ popped up in the corners in rapid succession, both girls never missing a beat.
“Whoo!” Fluttershy cheered in her modest voice. “Go Pinkie and Moondancer!”
Sunset saw the scores ticking up, the numbers tied. She wanted to scream at Pinkie to stomp Moondancer flat, but Twilight’s jubilant bouncing helped keep her mouth shut.
Pinkie ‘danced’ with her usual abundance of energy, bouncing and stomping on the arrows. Her tongue poked out the corner of her mouth as she stared at the screen with a determined smile. Moondancer’s movements were more graceful and refined, even for a video game simulator. Each step landed perfectly in the center of the tiles. Sunset had to give credit where credit was due: Moondancer knew what she was doing.
The song drew to an end with the scores still neck and neck. Both girls received a ‘perfect’ on their last arrow, and the numbers continued to rise even after the music faded. When they finally stopped Moondancer had Pinkie beat by only one-hundred points.
Moondancer took a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her forehead. “And the star of victory shines brightly for me today! I must commend you, Pinkie. You put up an admirable challenge.”
Pinkie had her hands on her knees. “Thanks… you were amazing, too,” she said between pants. “I had a lot of fun.”
“Would anyone else like to try?” Moondancer asked, gesturing to the machine.
“Pass,” Sunset said. “If you need me, I’ll be racing cars.”
“That sounds like it could be fun. I’ll join you.”
Sunset didn’t say anything. She turned for the racing machines and hoped the imaginary engines would be enough to drown Moondancer out. Twilight and the others branched out in the opposite direction, sealing Sunset’s fate. She took a seat at one of the street racing games, Moondancer climbing into the one next to her.
“I’ve never driven a car before. Never had a need to learn.” She inserted a token and examined the controls before her. “So the long pedal is the gas, correct?”
Nevermind, this should be good. Sunset gripped the steering wheel and smiled in superiority. Her red sports car rolled up to the starting line, Moondancer’s purple car appearing next to her. Twelve engines revved as the starting lights changed from red to yellow to green. Sunset slammed her foot on the accelerator and took off, her speedometer jumping to eighty miles per hour.
Ramming a CPU out of her way, Sunset rose to fifth place. She spared a glance to Moondancer, who looked at the screen with a mixture of confusion and focus. She exaggerated every turn, yanking the wheel right or left to its full position.
“One of the competitors hit my car with theirs. Is that legal?”
“Anything goes in a street race.”
“I’m not surprised you would know about that,” Moondancer said under her breath, jerking the wheel again.
“For your information,” Sunset said as she cut to second, “I’ve never been in any sort of race in my entire life. I just like to watch them.”
“Hmph.” Moondancer squinted her eyes. “Why are we driving through a park?”
Sunset almost laughed at how far back she was. “It’s a video game. Calm down.”
Nearing one-hundred and twenty miles per hour, Sunset caught up to the first place position as they came around the corner to the homestretch. She tapped their bumper hoping to get them to spin out. When that didn’t work, she moved up to the side and grinded against them, slowly pulling ahead. The CPU fought back as the finish line neared, pushing against Sunset to try and regain some leeway, but Sunset wouldn’t have it. She pinned them against the railing, making sparks fly. They fell back just as they both crossed the line, Sunset a whole nose ahead.
She rested her arms behind her head and sighed in contentment. “Still got it.”
“You’re finished already?” Moondancer asked. “No wonder I haven’t seen anyone else.” She took her hands off the wheel and shrugged. “This game amounts to unrealistic drivel anyway.”
“You’re just mad ‘casue you’re not good at it.”
Moondancer stood and waved a hand. “There are no practical applications to this. I sincerely hope this isn’t how you learned to drive.”
Sunset opted not to answer that question. She moved onto the skeeball machines, Moondancer still accompanying her.
“Sunset, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite some time,” she said, observing Sunset as she took the first ball.
“Of course there is.” Sunset lined up the hole and rolled the ball up the slope. The machine made a happy buzz as she scored fifty points. “What is it?”
“How, and to a greater extent why, did you come to reside in the care of my aunt and uncle?”
Sunset froze, her arm drawn back in mid-swing.
Moondancer’s smile grew ever so slightly wider. “Did I say something to offend?”
Sunset regained her composure and shook her head. “No. Just surprised you didn’t know. I figured you would have asked Trixie or Artemis about that.”
“I’d prefer to find out from the source.”
Making sure to choose her words carefully, Sunset said, “I ran away from home. I worked for Artemis for a little bit, he found out what happened and offered to take me in.”
“Ah.” Moondancer folded her arms. “Suddenly your little bad girl motif makes sense. As a final act of rebellion against your parents, you ran from home. Sad if not typical.”
Sunset gripped the wooden ball in her hands harder. Moondancer was unaware of how close to the truth she actually was. “You are aware I’m holding what could be considered a blunt weapon, right?”
“Oh, forgive me.” Her lips curled into a smile and she lifted her chin. “Did I touch a nerve again?”
“You know, I’m starting to think there was no difference between you now and you being brainwashed by the Sirens.”
Moondancer steepled her fingers. “I’m just trying to put the picture together. For the life of me, I can’t fathom what Twilight sees in you.”
“Right back at you.” Sunset finally rolled the ball up the slope, grunting as it fell into the ten point hole. “The lonely rich girl who just wants someone to give her the love she doesn’t get from Daddy. Too bad you’re not gonna get it from Twilight, either. You don’t have much room to talk about clichés.”
Sunset looked at Moondancer, gaining immense satisfaction at her shock-filled eyes. “Two can play at this game, Moondancer.”
“Girls, girls, look!” Pinkie bounded over, gesturing wildly to Twilight who stumbled behind her carrying an armful of tickets that extended to the ground and trailed behind her.
“Whoa,” Sunset said, “how did you manage to get all those?”
Pinkie answered for her. “You know that machine that has all those little knobs in a circle and a light that spins around it over and over and over again, and you have to hit the button at the right time to win all the tickets? Twilight got it on her second try! It was super cool!”
Twilight blushed. “I just did some basic probability and analysis the speed of the signal. After one test run, it was just a matter of reflex. I’m actually surprised I got it so soon.”
“So what are you gonna spend it on?” Pinkie asked, eyeing the tickets hungrily.
“There’s nothing up there that interests me.” She handed the tickets to an ecstatic Pinkie. “I just wanted to test a hypothesis.”
“Yeee!” Pinkie skipped toward the counter. “Time for another bear!” They exited the arcade, Pinkie hauling a large blue bear on her back. Sunset had seen Pinkie’s room, stuffed to the brim with stuffed animals, and wondered where she was going to squeeze this latest one.
Sunlight still poured through the multiple skylights. Checking her phone, Sunset was surprised to find it was barely five o’clock. “So, what now?”
Moondancer, having been quiet since Sunset’s return fire, looked over to Fluttershy. “You’ve been fairly silent throughout most of our outing, dear Fluttershy. Is there anything you would like to do?”
“Oh, well, not particularly. I just wanted to spend some time with you all.” Fluttershy played with the folds of her skirt. “I’m happy with anything you want to do.”
Sunset put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, ‘Shy, there must be something you want to do.”
Fluttershy rolled a finger through her hair and looked over the glass railing. Sunset followed her eyes and chuckled to herself as Fluttershy faced them again. “Can we go to the pet store?”
With the stars in Fluttershy’s eyes, Sunset couldn’t have said no if she wanted to. They went down to the second floor and entered the small pet shop, their nostrils attacked by the intertwining smells of pet food and cage padding. Fluttershy ran to the puppy pen first, pressing her face against the screen and cooing while all the dogs scrambled over one another to get a better look.
The store manager allowed the girls to hold and pet some of them, of which Fluttershy took full advantage of, giving each puppy five minutes of her love. “Do you have any pets, Moondancer?” she asked while cuddling a Yorkshire Terrier to her face.
Moondancer sat with a Corgi on her lap. “Sadly, no. I was never allowed to own an animal companion for one reason or another. So I spent my time taking care of my garden and…” She cleared her throat. “Well, I’ve always wanted to have a cat.”
After their puppy playtime was over, Fluttershy found the cat section and gladly gushed at Moondancer about all the different breeds and ways to take care of them.
“I’m glad we could spend a day like this,” Twilight said to Sunset. “Moondancer looks like she’s starting to get along with everyone.”
“Yep,” Sunset said through her painted smile. “Soon, we’ll have to find a new name for our group. Hard to be the Spectacular Seven with eight of us.”
“The great eight? The amazing eight?” Pinkie tapped her chin. “I’ll have to give it some thought.”
They left the pet store, Fluttershy in high spirits and still talking to an enraptured Moondancer about animals. The skylight in the mall’s center told them they still had plenty of daylight to burn.
“So, who wants to choose next?” Pinkie asked. “I kinda wanna go to the party store to restock on supplies, but it’s Sunset or Twilight’s turn to pick!”
“To be fair,” Moondancer said, “my pick was for Twilight. I haven’t chosen anything that piques my interest yet. There’s a cute little pottery store back on the third floor though.”
“Tell you what,” Sunset said, sliding a little closer to Twilight, “how about you girls continue to shop, while Twilight and I go grab a quick bite?”
Twilight looked at her with curiosity and eagerness. “Really?”
Pinkie made her eyebrows roll like a wave. “If you two wanted some alone time, you could have just asked.”
Moondancer pinched her lips for a moment, then quickly brightened up with a light in her eye that made Sunset wary. “A fine idea! We three can do a little more bonding! And I enjoy hearing your deep reserves of knowledge on animal care, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy hid half her face behind her long bang. “Oh, it’s not much,” she said with a giggle.
“You’re far too modest, sweetie.”
“Then it’s settled.” Sunset took Twilight by the hand. “We’ll meet up in an hour or so. Have fun!”
Twilight let out a giggle as Sunset led her away, but shifted nervously as they got to the ground floor. “I feel a little bad ditching them like that.”
“We’re not ditching them. We’re just splitting up for a second.” Sunset moved her hand to around Twilight’s waist. “Is it a crime to want more dates with my girlfriend? And I mean ones where we aren’t inside, studying.”
“Study dates are fun!”
“And you wonder why I call you a nerd.” Sunset planted a kiss on Twilight’s forehead, then continued to steer her to the food court. She made a dramatic sweep with her arm. “Well, Your Nerdiness, take your pick.”
Twilight nudged her in the ribs, then took stock of the open stalls. “I kinda want a milkshake.”
“Seriously?” Sunset recalled their very first outing to the mall together, back when she could barely tolerate Twilight’s presence.
Twilight appeared to be on the same wavelength as her. She shrugged guiltily. “I know. It’s just… certain situations create stimuli in your brain that make you crave things to repeat the situation again if it was enjoyable.”
Sunset pretended to think, tapping a finger against her chin. “So what I’m hearing is, you liked feeling my boobs up?”
Face redder than hot coals, Twilight flailed her hands. “N-no! I didn’t! I mean, I did! I mean, not in that way at the time! I was just trying to help and they happened to be there!”
Sunset doubled over, her loud laughter catching the attention of several passerbyers.
Twilight slapped a hand back and forth against her shoulder. “You-are-the-worst!”
“Yes, but I’m the best at being the worst!” Sunset caught her breath and grinned cheekily at Twilight. “Look on the bright side, Sparky. If you want to feel me up now, all you have to do is ask.”
Twilight huffed and turned her back to Sunset. “I was going to pay for you, but now, you can just watch me eat.”
Sunset came up from behind and rested her head on Twilight’s shoulder. “Awww. You’re gonna let your girlfriend staaarve? I’ll wither away to nothing without you!”
“Maybe I’ll change my mind if you apologize.”
Sunset kissed her on the cheek. “I’m sorry you’re so adorkable and easily embarrassed. I just can’t resist an opportunity to make you blush.”
Twilight turned her head in a vain attempt that Sunset wouldn’t catch the red returning to her cheeks. “That wasn’t an apology.”
“Well…” Sunset spun Twilight around and pressed their bodies close together. “We could have a sloppy makeout session right here, right now. Would that be enough of an apology?”
“Umm, umm…” Twilight shifted her eyes left and right. “Sunset, there are people watching.”
Sunset inched closer, wiggling her eyebrows. She wasn’t sure where this surge of playfulness was coming from. Perhaps it drew from her attempt to have as much fun with Twilight before they parted ways. “I’m willing to give them a show if you are,” she purred. She could feel the heat radiating off Twilight’s face.
“Okay, okay, apology accepted!” Twilight scrambled a step away from her giggling girlfriend. “I’ll get you back sooner or later.”
“I’ll be waiting with bated breath.” Sunset also considered this payback for everything Twilight had beaten her in. Maybe she couldn’t win a chess game against the purple brainiac, but Sunset could embarrass her until she was pinker than Pinkie.
Their exchange had turned Twilight off of milkshakes, so instead, they got a large basket of fries to share. They picked a small booth and got cozy next to each other, occasionally feeding each other a french fry.
“I just remembered something,” Sunset said, nibbling on a fry.
“What?”
“Most of the time we’re like this, I end up spilling some sort of secret about my past, or some emotional trauma. Well, I’m fresh out today.” She smirked. “But you never did tell me any of your secrets when we were on the mountain.”
Twilight turned away. “I told you, I don’t have any secrets to tell.”
“Come on, Sparky, everyone has secrets. It doesn’t have to be anything life changing. Come on, I want to get to know you.”
In the intervening silence, Sunset dug deeper at the question of why she was doing this? Why try and deepen this bond? Twilight was leaving, and the closer they got now, the more it would hurt when they were torn apart. Yet, Sunset couldn’t stop herself from asking—from wanting to know everything she could about the Twilight Sparkle curled against her shoulder.
Twilight played with a fry as she answered. “When I was four, Shining bought this stuffed horse for me. It wasn’t even high quality or anything. It has buttons for eyes, and a pretty cheap mane. But I was just so happy to get a gift from my big brother, that I kept it and named him Smarty Pants.”
Sunset shoved a few fries in her mouth to stop from laughing and interrupting Twilight.
“I can hear you snickering,” Twilight said with a quick chuckle of her own. “It gets better. I used to have classroom sessions with Smarty Pants, trying to teach him whatever I learned in school.”
Sunset allowed her mirth to escape, laughing softly as she cuddled against Twilight. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Twilight’s ears turned red. “When I get scared at night, I still pull him out and sleep with him.”
A loud snort came from Sunset. She was glad she hadn’t taken a sip from her soda. “So you sleep with a doll sometimes? Boy, you should be glad you didn’t know me a year ago.”
Don’t you talk to a doll?
Nobody asked you!
Twilight faced her again, an embarrassed smile on her face. “That’s the only secret you’re getting out of me today.”
“Which means you have more.” Sunset twirled a finger around a lock of Twilight’s hair. “That’s fine. It gives me something to look forward to.”
Twilight stuck her tongue out. “Okay, your turn.”
“I told you, I really don’t have anything left.”
“Then… tell me three things you like. Things that aren’t obvious.”
Sunset tilted her head to the high ceiling. Three things she liked? What did she like that Twilight couldn’t be able to guess? What were things she liked in general? She had a long list of things she hated or got on her nerves.
“I like… the smell of pancakes in the morning,” she started softly. “Whenever my dad got weekends off, he would make pancakes for breakfast. Then, when I was Celestia’s student, she would make these amazing decorated pancakes! Now, Selena makes them every once in a while. So… just smelling them cooking reminds me of… family.”
Twilight pressed herself a little closer, and Sunset leaned into her.
“Let’s see…. Despite thinking most music in this world sounds like garbled noise with some lyrics thrown in, I do have a soft spot for classic rock and roll. And of course, the music we made,” she added, looking down at Twilight’s raised eyebrow.
“And number three….” Sunset closed her eyes, feeling a somber nostalgia wash over her. “I… spent so many years making people miserable that… I forgot this one. I loved making Princess Celestia smile. The way she looked at me… I felt like I was the only pony that mattered. But, having friends, I realized… it isn’t just her I like to make happy. I want to make sure all of you are happy. Not in the way Pinkie does it. Just that you’re all okay and can go through life without having to worry. If I have the power to get to the heart of what’s upsetting any of you, then I’ll do it and make it go away.”
Twilight placed a hand against Sunset as she leaned up to kiss her. “That was beautiful,” she said as she pulled away.
As she settled back down and rested her head against Sunset’s chest, Sunset laid her head atop Twilight’s and asked, “So, what are three things you like?”
“Hmmm… I like… laying in the grass at night and looking at the stars. Not cataloging them or looking for anomalies, just watching them and imagining what it would be like to be in space. I like using the satellite maps online to look at places around the world.” She giggled. “And, I like watching any anime or cartoon that takes place in space.”
“You’re quite the space girl, aren’t you, Sparky?”
“Yeah, I guess I’m pretty ‘out of this world,’ huh?”
“You just had to go and ruin the moment, didn’t you?”
“Payback for earlier.”
Sunset let out a defeated sigh and nuzzled her cheek against the top of Twilight’s head. Go on, say it! Sunset knew she was in the perfect position. A heart-to-heart with Twilight curled against her. A warm light rising from her core, flooding her entire body with positive vibes. She felt something. Was it love? Pure, honest, non-hormonal love? If she was being honest with herself, yes, it was.
The words stayed planted in her heart, never sprouting up to pass her lips. Her mind kept fast-forwarding to their farewell, whenever it would be. For it would come eventually; whether it be in a few months when Twilight left, or a few years when Sunset went home.
“Sunset?” Twilight said meekly.
“Yeah?”
She hesitated. Sunset could feel Twilight tensing up against her. She relaxed her shoulder again and said, “I… I’m glad we did this.”
Sunset held her tighter. “Yeah. Me too.”
*******
Moondancer folded her arms behind her back and dug her nails into her skin as she watched Sunset whisk Twilight away. Fury and longing stirred unpleasantly in her breast. But, she smiled like always, and tried to think of happy thoughts to help her stay in character.
“They’re so cute together!” Pinkie said, putting her hands together against her cheek.
“Indeed they are,” Moondancer said with a dreamy sigh. “I can only hope I find love like that someday.” The best lies told had a grain of truth in them.
“They’ve both come so far,” Fluttershy said. “Twilight was almost as quiet as I was, and Sunset… well…”
“She’s a lot more fun now that she isn’t a miss grumpy-pants anymore!”
Moondancer innocently cocked her head. “What do you mean?”
Pinkie raised her arms and place them behind her head. “Weellll, I dunno if Twilight told you or not, but Sunset wasn’t always the nicest cupcake on the display table.”
Is this where the last puzzle piece falls into place?. “Truly? I know she isn’t the smoothest stone on the beach, but she seems well-mannered and well-meaning all the same.”
“She had a really big change of heart after the Fall Formal,” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Interesting. I simply can’t imagine her acting malicious in anyway. It must have been quite the ordeal.”
Pinkie led them toward the party store, walking backwards and gesturing wildly with her hands. “Oh it was! It was the craziest thing to ever happen to us! Until the Sirens came along later. But before that, it was the craziest! See, Sunset used to be really, really mean! Never understood why though. But she would do all kinds of terrible things to people! Then, she stole a magical crown from her world, but a princess came after her to get it, but Fluttershy found it and gave it to Principal Celestia thinking it was just the ordinary crown for the winner of the Fall Formal—”
“Pinkie!” Fluttershy clapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks red. In a quieter voice she said, “I’m sorry, Moondancer. That isn’t a story we should be telling.”
Pinkie let out an uneasy chuckle, her cheeks darkening as well. “Yeah, sometimes I forget that’s supposed to be a secret. Umm, please don’t tell Sunset I almost blabbed.” She gave Moondancer a puppy-dog pout.
“Fear not, dearest, Pinkie, my lips are sealed,” Moondancer said, inwardly drowning in a sea of disappointment. Then again, not all had been wasted. She now had concrete proof that Lamia’s vague fable had been correct all along. Sunset was indeed not from this earth.
A literal interloper seeking power from magical artifacts. Was her elimination of the Sirens just to remove any competition? But still, what was that entity she was so scared of?
Moondancer lingered silently behind Pinkie and Fluttershy as they did their shopping. She felt vindicated, yet confused. Sunset had wanted magical artifacts, wielded magic at the Battle of the Bands, but now, she seemed scared of it?
What was the missing piece no one wanted to talk about?
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Sunset and Sci-Twi are just so cute together! I really see a lot of me and my girlfriend in them; I love to make her blush and she reacts like Sci-Twi. It was really nice to see them have a nice talk, deepening the bond and showing this is true love.
And boy, is Pinkie gonna need to learn to be more self aware. She doesn't realize the true depth within Moondancer's schemes and almost blabbed about everything. Good thing Fluttershy was there. Definitely gotta wonder how Moondancer will react once she learns her missing piece. She keeps wanting to see Sunset as the power hungry villain, even while her common sense tells her that doesn't mesh.
Spectacular chapter and I cannot wait for the next one. I also hope things are going well for you.
I like how Moondancer is always just sliiiightly one step behind.
Like she constantly is almost about to have the full picture, and then misses the crucial 'Been working to become a better person' bit.
I mean I get it, Characterwise and such, its just fun to see from the reader perspective :)
It's those subtle character lines that I enjoy about your work. :)
I loved the date scene. It was sweet, cute, and heartwarming. Moondancer, on the other hand, still needs to get her head out of her own ass. Her relentless pining over Twilight isn't going to end well for anyone, and it makes whatever Tempest's objectives are that much more dangerous.
Daaaamn, so many unread chapters, I need to get my dose of SciTwiSet ship
I'm pretty curious to see what Moondancer could actually do with any of this information. Like yeah, she could make Sunset's life harder in general by exposing her as not an original human, but she could have done that a while ago.
Can't wait till this arc is finished. I know Albinocorn has a penchant for drama based upon the first story and first part of this story and I can't take the tension and waiting for each chapter so don't want to start reading until the arc is finished. Comments give me tid bits of whats to come.
Is it sad that I look forward more to this story updating every Saturday than I do the new season 8 episodes?
For the record, that arcade game is actually rigged. They have a setting that can artificially increase or decrease the probability of landing the winning lightbulb. It isn't actually really skill based. It's a matter of being lucky enough for the machine to decide that your press gets to be the winning one.
See you, Space Horsegirl...
I realize that this is a minor quibble but there is no way Twilight--especially Sci-Twi--is in trig in her senior year. I took calculus my senior year of high school and there was a junior in the class. Twilight, being cartoon-smart, should be at least a year ahead of that and thus should have taken trig in about seventh grade.
The only way she should be in a trig class in high school is if she is teaching it.
Man, this story has gone downhill.
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I want to buy it a little coffin and give it a dignified funeral.
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This. I agree with this. Not that it matters to much. I took trig when I was in 9th grade. And I’m currently in AP BC calculus as a sophomore. Twilight should definitely be higher based on what we know about her intellectual ability. Though, we don’t necessarily know what type of school curriculum CHS has.
I hope you know that I live for the way you write SunLight.
Also, really looking forward to the day Moondancer realizes that magic is not to be tampered with.
The Hammy Rival and Nerdy Girlfriend Social-Links leveled up!
Sunset obtained two Hope Fragments.
Nice!
So what?
She has a point. She's crazy, but she's not a slacker.
I shouldn't show this to Fluttershy. But I will. Because I am a terrible person.
Why not both?
You, do know that's not how that works, right?
Alas.
Hm...
She's faking it. She has to be.
So?
Not, exactly.
You're a freaking nerd. But we love you for it.
Cats, can be, interesting. They've lovely and when they show their affection, you'll know. That said, they can be, temperamental and tend to do exactly as they please and if you try to stop them, they'll be at it again as soon as they can. And, since they're carnivores, their claws and teeth are really fucking sharp and if they dig one or the other into your flesh, you may very likely bleed.
Fair enough.
And yet you're still dating her.
Which is more fun.
That's not so bad.
Think you'd ever have the courage to go back and reconcile?
BOO!
Odds are, she knows too.
Oh this is going to end poorly.
Thank you.
Someone who was for all intents and purposes, her mother.
You may yet find out.
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See, since the author is very bad at math, he thought the highest you could go in high school was trig. Granted, Twilight could actually be taking college classes right now...
Don't mind me, I'm just over here pelting Moondancer with petrified dog turds...
Moondancer finding out about Sunset's 'raging she-demon' phase can go one of two ways. 1) She tells Twilight and Twilight goes like (paraphrased) 'yeah, I've known since day one, and it doesn't bother me,' finally destroying Moondancer's hope of ever getting together with Twilight. Or 2) she somehow manages to RUIN Sunset's life without ever getting Twilight involved, and when Twilight learns of what she did, she'll finally see Moondancer for who she really is. Either way could result in Moondancer's reformation, which I hope she doesn't get. The more we find out about Moondancer, the more I find myself disliking her.
Welp, I think I had to call Liberty at least three times during this one, good work, dear author. Seriously, that was a nice chapter. Moondancer's scheming should always take a backseat to our adorable couple's quality time. Obviously that can't happen or we'll never see this resolved... but it's a nice reminder of what we're invested in when they do get the chance to spend time together.
Seriously Moondancer... mocking a runaway? Even, or maybe especially, an alien runaway? Now, if Sunset was actually the person you seem to think she might have hit you with 'yeah thanks for that, my dad molested me but sure, tell me all about how 'typical' it all is... you're a real piece of work'.
Careless, too... all it takes is one of her friends (some of whom think they're your friends, too) overhearing you saying something that insensitive and stupid and bam, you're done. ...So hey, keep it up! I'll borrow Pinkie's would be pom poms and cheer you on.
...I honestly don't wish the same bad end for this brat that some commenters do, but she definitely needs to lose, hard, the same way Sunset did (err, not literally the same way, I don't think an Element blast is going to help her).
By the by... the exchange about Smarty Pants/the unicorn Twilight doll of Sunset's? Wonderful stuff. Nice to know Sunset's mild insanity has good comedic timing.
Again, really good chapter here: good character interactions and some touches of strong emotion from several directions. Wasn't expecting that from a mall trip. See ya next time!
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: tiny farm town, limited options. When we moved to that town I was academically ahead of most of their classes, but that didn't matter because they only offer what they offer. Senior year I repeated Advanced Algebra just to improve my grade; it was either that or take another study hall (which was tempting, I admit). Twilight is brilliant, and no doubt learns plenty on her own, but the classes she's had available to pick from aren't completely up to her.
Yeah, you said it; it's more what the school can offer than her intellect. Sure, Crystal Prep would certainly have had options beyond Trig. CHS probably does too, but, if she transferred to Crystal Prep from a school where she'd been on a slower track, due to curriculum limitations... For example, my high school didn't offer calculus at all
Lovely chapter! It's always a wonderful surprise to see sunny and twi having some alone time as girlfriends
i hope when school ends they get to go on lots of dates before twi has to leave for college!!
I don't know whether or not to be concerned about how much moondancer knows.... Though if she tells Twilight she might understand, or at least get it through her head, that Sunset's past actions are very much a footnote in twilight's eyes
finger's crossed!!
Oh God, Pinkie I love you, but you just had to open your mouth! This sweet & wonderful relationship is now in even more damage now that Moon has this new information!
Are you going to Ship Pinkie and Moondancer? Because it would be hilarious
if Moondancer becomes attracted to Pinkie after the later gives her some accidental fan-service!
Moondancer's mother was a "witch" and she always wanted a pet cat. Well it's apropos if nothing else. I've got to say I didn't see that coming.
*Experiences RWBY flashbacks*
That's ok, though, at least it's not Beginning Of The End or PvP...
Trixie!
ok so Sunset is still a wise cracking teasing half asshole with a heart of gold and Moondancer is still a love sick bitch who has her tits in a twist cause Tempest has her by the balls and now has to work with the human version of Sunset Shimmer...and Twilight likes anime....bonus!
Neeeeeeerd!
Black n Nerdy and ya love me girl; anyway onto the next chapter
Moondancer really does think Sunny the bad guy, that her purpose is power. It used to be, but not anymore.
As much as I hate Moondancer in this fic . . . damn. That must hurt.
At least we can depend on Dash not to shade the truth.
So the math teacher ships them too!
This is Pinkie, so probably both.
Awww.
*baited, I think?
Everyine should be so lucky to have friends like this.
See, now I'm hoping that Moony gets to meet Demon!Sunny and learn the
follypower of the dark side.Gosh I love SunLight.
I love it because Moondancer could learn that the demon is still there and corporeal when most everyone thinks it's just a thing that got rainboomed and removed
Cute
Figured she would.
Sometimes it's harder than you think pinkie.
Darn, and I thought pinkie would of won, should of not bit more than I can chew with what I hoped to see happen.
I can already tell she's not gonna keep her promise.
Also, you got really lucky, as those machines are generally coded to only pay out a jackpot every so often. It's variable by the premises operator.