17. The Weight of Redemption
A soft weight on her stomach and several wet kisses against her cheek roused Sunset from her slumber. The last vestiges of a headache kept her from opening her eyes just yet. She reached a hand out and found Spot, giving him a loving scritch behind the ear.
A fluffy and itchy pressure in her ears drove her to crack her eyes open. She sat up and repositioned Spot into her lap, then reached for her ears and pulled a cotton ball free. She cringed at the sight of dried blood on one side.
How did… Sunset cringed again as her headache gave one last pound to the front of her brain before leaving. She remembered inviting the Sirens in… and then getting an earful of their horrid screaming.
She slumped against the couch and looked at the broken table in front of her. The glass had already been vacuumed up. Sunset could hear activity in the kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the windows. She had been knocked out for the entire night. Selena was probably cooking something, no doubt furious at Sunset.
She had been wrong. She thought she could help the Sirens. She thought they had wanted to change. She thought they were making good progress. And she had been wrong.
A chill ran through her body and her heart sank into her stomach. Her mind replayed last night over and over again. Adagio had mentioned Tempest Shadow, and Sunset could quickly surmise how that meeting had ended. Her brain then jumped to the hypothesis she and Twilight shared. If the Sirens had shown up here after talking to Tempest, Sunset knew what they had been after.
She dropped her face into her hands. This was all her fault. Selena had been right. Twilight had been right. The Sirens had just been using them. She dug her palms into her eyes. She didn’t deserve to cry about this.
“Sunset?”
Sunset moved one hand and looked at Selena. She was drying her hands on a dishtowel, watching Sunset with far less scorn than she expected.
“How are you feeling? Can you hear me?”
“Yes,” Sunset mumbled. She pulled the other cotton ball from her ear then returned her face to her hands. “Go on. Yell at me. I was wrong.”
“I wish you weren’t.”
The couch shifted, and Sunset felt Selena wrap an arm around her shoulder. “You had the best intentions. But some people don’t want to change.”
Sunset frowned inside her hands. She hadn’t wanted to change. She had been forced to change. If the Elements hadn’t intervened, would she have ended up like the Sirens? The thought sunk her heart even deeper.
Selena pulled her into a full hug. “I’m not mad at you, Sunset. You tried to do a good thing.”
“And it blew up in our faces,” Sunset said bitterly. “They took the staff, didn’t they?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“Great. Perfect. Wonderful.” Sunset pulled herself from Selena’s embrace and scooped Spot into her arms. “I’ll be upstairs in my room, regretting my life choices.”
“Would you at least like some breakfast first?”
“Not hungry.” Sunset stood and trudged up the stairs, shoulders hunched. Her stomach did feel empty, but she had no desire to fill it. She passed Shimmer’s door, spotting the woman lounging on her bed, Jörmungandr resting on her stomach.
Shimmer turned her head to Sunset. Surprisingly, she didn’t look angry. She gave a short sigh and said, “Sorry, kiddo.”
Sunset sighed in turn and retreated to her room. She set Spot on the bed and collapsed into her computer chair, resting her face on her desk. Her mind went through everything that had happened between the Sirens showing up on Pinkie’s doorstep and last night.
Where had she gone wrong? Did she not spend enough time with them? Did she pawn the responsibility off on her friends? But Pinkie and Sonata had bonded so naturally. And Rarity chose to spend time with Aria. Maybe she, Sunset, should have spent her alone time with Adagio instead of running off with Twilight and leaving it to Applejack. Not that Applejack wasn’t reliable! Maybe Sunset just would have been better suited. She felt like she had almost gotten through to her in the forest. Maybe?
What am I supposed to tell the others? What am I going to tell Twilight?
Twilight wasn’t the ‘I told you so’ type, but for something this big, Sunset thought it would be justified. Then again, Selena and Shimmer hadn’t called Sunset out, so she doubted Twilight would. She wished someone would yell at her though. She had let three villains walk into their lives, aggravate her friends, wreck her home, and steal from her foster family.
Sunset closed her eyes and groaned. “Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!” Just because the Sirens were in a similar situation didn’t mean things would play out the same. There was one major variable that made all the difference.
Sunset huddled against her desk, riding wave after wave of emotion, oscillating between crushed and furious as her mind spiraled downward, treading ground she thought she had left behind.
A gentle knock came from the door, and Sunset cracked an eye open. Her wall clock told her she had been here an hour already. “Come in,” she mumbled into the desk.
The door swung open and in came all of her friends. Her bedroom was sizable, but with six more girls and a dog, it was a tight fit, especially when said girls all looked like they wanted to pile Sunset in a group hug.
Sunset didn’t bother lifting her head. “How did you find out?”
Rarity closed the door behind them. “Selena texted Twilight, and Twilight texted the rest of us. How are you feeling?”
“Well, I’m not dead. So you know, that’s cool.”
Twilight knelt beside Sunset and placed a hand on her leg. “I’m sorry, Sunset. I know—”
“Stop.” Sunset squeezed her eyes closed and turned her head away. “Just stop. Half of you warned me this was a bad idea. Can someone please just chew me out? Go ahead, Rainbow. I know you’re dying to do it.”
She heard a light shuffle of feet before Rainbow said, “I mean, sure, I said that at the beginning. But, I dunno. It looked like they were being sincere somewhere down the road.”
Pinkie sniffled. “I don’t want to believe it. Tempest forced them to do it. She had to! There’s no way Sonnie would go back to being bad! We made friendship tacos!”
Sunset considered the possibility they had been coerced. Tempest was pretty terrifying. But then why not ask for help? The Sirens had been on her doorstep, they had already mentioned Tempest’s name. And they were already at rock bottom. Sunset doubted Tempest needed to twist their arm to comply.
“Maybe,” Applejack said, beating Sunset to the punch. “But from the way Adagio talked when Ah was with her, Ah doubt Tempest is forcin’ them to do anythin’. More like she has somethin’ they really want and were willin’ to sell us down the river for.”
“What could be better than friendship?” Pinkie cried.
“Power,” Sunset said reflexively. She stared vacantly out her window. “Who needs friends when you could have all your old power back?”
“I suppose…” Rarity said slowly. “I could see Tempest tempting them with something like that. But I do see Pinkie’s point as well. Aria may have a hard exterior, but I really felt like we were starting to connect.”
“You’d be surprised at how quick someone can change their mind if you offer something they really want,” Sunset said.
Twilight moved her hand to rest on top of Sunset’s. “Are you okay?”
“Just… thinking.” Sunset lifted her head but continued to stare out the window. “If things had been a little different… would I have ended up like the Sirens?”
“Of course not,” Rarity said. “You wanted to change.”
“No,” Sunset said with a bitter laugh. “No I didn’t. I had to change. If the Elements hadn’t put a penance on me, I never would have even put myself in a position to be better. I would have avoided you girls like the plague! And if by some miracle you girls did get me to start spending time with you and someone like Tempest came along, I would have stabbed you in the back in a heartbeat!”
Sunset spun in her chair to face her friends. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she had a pained smile plastered on her face. “Don’t you see the difference here? The Sirens never had their free will subverted! I did! We’re virtually the same! People like us don’t change! Not unless we’re forced to!”
Twilight slid her hand away but kept a pained gaze on Sunset. “That’s not true. You did change. You became a better person.”
“Yeah, at metaphorical gun point!” Sunset grabbed the sides of her hair and pulled. “This is why the Elements made me obedient! Because I was so terrible, I would have done exactly what the Sirens just did!”
“But you didn’t,” Applejack argued.
“Because I couldn’t!” Sunset shot up from her chair and sent it tumbling back toward the wall. “I was forced into being a good person because I couldn’t change on my own!”
“Sunset—” Fluttershy tried to interject.
“Sure, the princess asked you to be my friends, but I never would have said yes to any of your hangouts if the Elements hadn’t forced me to do it!” Sunset said louder, heart pounding and chest tightening.
“Sunset—” Rarity tried to speak.
“The Sirens came to us of their own volition, and they still turned out evil! What does that say about me? All of my changes are based off a curse subverting my free will half the time! This entire friendship is based off that! I’m no better than the Sirens!”
“Sunset!” Twilight, back on her feet, grabbed Sunset by the hand and stared into her eyes. “Calm. Down.”
“But—but I—everything—”
Twilight squeezed a little harder pressing her thumb into Sunset’s palm. “Calm.”
Sunset choked out a few broken sobs before managing to take a deep breath. She curled her hand around Twilight’s and breathed again. Her heart and thoughts slowed. Fluttershy wheeled her chair back, and Sunset collapsed into it.
“R-right. Calm. Okay. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She blinked, as if coming out of a daze. “I… I lost it a little for a sec, huh?”
“It’s understandable, dear,” Rarity said. She stepped over and rubbed Sunset’s shoulder. “We know how hard you were advocating for them.”
Sunset rubbed her tears away. “It’s just… if they failed… then that means I would have failed, too.”
“That ain’t true,” Applejack said. “Think, what exactly did that curse make you do?”
“Tell the truth and help people when they said ‘please’ or ‘do me a favor’ or ‘would you kindly.’ Basically, the antithesis of how I used to treat people by lying and manipulating them.”
“Exactly. There weren’t anythin’ there sayin’ you had to be friends with us. Or even be nice to us. Sure, the Elements were a bit heavy-handed in punishin’ you, but it was just to get you to let go of some of that pride and selfishness. You decided to change in the end.”
Sunset looked down at the floor. “I guess.”
Twilight took Sunset’s other hand. “Sunset, really think: when did you decide to change? Forget about whether or not you were there because of the Elements. When did you decide you wanted to be a better person?”
Sunset lifted her head and looked at Twilight. The answer came instantly. “At Halloween. When we talked in the kitchen.” As she said it, she remembered their conversation and all the emotions that came with it in vivid detail.
Twilight beamed at her and reached up to wipe away a few extra tears. “See? You felt remorse that night. You apologized for all those things you did. Applejack is right: the Elements just pushed you into a better place.”
Fluttershy stepped over and put a hand next to Rarity’s on Sunset’s shoulder. “You didn’t have to apologize to me at the animal shelter.”
Applejack tipped her hat. “You didn’t have to help me save Apple Bloom and her friends.”
Rainbow grinned at her. “And you totally could have ditched me to fight Gilda alone.”
Pinkie flopped from the bed and hugged Sunset’s legs. “You had every chance to ruin the Winter Ball! But you didn’t! You made it the best dance ever!”
Rarity nodded. “I know our friendship didn’t start out in the most conventional fashion, but what matters is where we are now. Where you are now. You’re a better person, Sunset. Don’t doubt that for a second. Maybe you needed a little help, but we all do when we want to improve ourselves. And you made the conscious decision to do that.”
Sunset wiped new tears falling from her eyes. “Man, I hate crying,” she said with a wet laugh. “Thanks, you guys. I’m sorry I fell apart like that.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Fluttershy said, “to pick you back up.”
Pinkie climbed higher and wrapped her arms around Sunset’s waist. “Group hug!”
Sunset was well beyond the point of even pretending she didn’t enjoy their group hugs. Her friends came in, awkwardly mashing themselves together around Sunset’s chair. A delightful warmth bloomed in her heart, then spread throughout the rest of her body.
Several smaller lights flashed at once to create a blinding luminescence that Sunset had to shield her eyes from to avoid being blinded. Spot started barking, and Twilight wiggled her way free from the mass of hugging humans.
She put a hand on her chin and squinted her eyes. “Hmm. It is strange though, isn’t it?”
The remaining six broke the hug, all of them glowing and showing off their pony features.
“What is?” Rainbow asked.
“Like Sunset said: the Elements gave her an extra punishment, but it doesn’t seem to have done anything to the Sirens.”
“Well, I’m not sure if what we used against the Sirens was actually the Elements.” Sunset tilted her head toward the ceiling, remembering the astral alicorn that had appeared in the clouds. “Maybe it was? It was definitely harmonious. But, I digress. That blast took away their voices. Maybe that was their punishment?”
Rainbow jumped and hovered in the air. “Without their voices, maybe the Elements or whatever was hoping they’d treat people like equals instead of food.”
Applejack crossed her arms. “Clearly, that didn’t work.”
“I would like to think it did, until someone interfered,” Rarity said glumly.
“What are we going to do about them?” Pinkie asked, her hair losing some of its volume.
The group turned their eyes to Sunset. She rested her elbows on her knees and steepled her fingers. “I don’t know. We have no way of knowing what their next move is. The best we can do is stay on guard.”
Twilight gave a nervous fidget. “You don’t think they’d attack the wedding, do you?”
Sunset furrowed her brow. “I didn’t think I’d get attacked in my own home. I wouldn’t put anything past Tempest now.”
“But, your brother already has some police security there,” Applejack said reassuringly. “Between them and us, what could the Sirens do without magic? Ah don’t think they could take an entire security force.”
“I hope you’re right,” Twilight said.
“Speaking of the wedding,” Rarity said, forcing some pep into her voice, “we all have to get ready for the rehearsal tomorrow, don’t we?”
“Yeah,” Pinkie said, lacking her usual pep. “I just don’t like the idea of possibly being attacked by Sonata.”
Sunset stood up and gave Pinkie a tight hug. “I know how much it hurts. Let’s just try and enjoy the wedding for now. Keep your guard up just in case. And afterward, we can worry about the Sirens.”
“Okay,” Pinke mumbled into Sunset’s shoulder.
Twilight stepped up to Sunset once Pinkie had let go. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
“Yeah, thanks to all of you. A little shaken, but I’ll be fine.”
“Rarity’s right, we should probably get goin’ so we’re set for tomorrow,” Applejack said. She took a look at Rainbow, still hovering in the air. “Er, after all our pony things disappear.”
*******
Sunset came downstairs the next morning with a small bag packed. She found Selena pacing the length of the living room. Sunset set her bag on the bottom step and cleared her throat. “Everything okay?”
Selena stopped and looked at her. “I don’t know. I’m thinking about this whole wedding situation. Part of me thinks the Sirens wouldn’t be dumb enough to attack a hotel filled with people and police. Unless that’s exactly what they intend to do. But I can’t fathom why. And I can’t tell you not to go.”
“You could come with us. I don’t think the whole hotel is booked.”
“And leave Shimmer here unattended?”
“Hey, I thought we had shared a moment the other night!”
Both Sunset and Selena looked up to see Shimmer leaning on the balcony. Selena crossed her arms and said, “Just because I trust you more doesn’t mean I trust you completely.”
“Yeah, that’s fair.”
Selena looked back at Sunset. “And on the off chance that they want us to leave the house completely unguarded, I should stay here.” She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Twilight has her sword, and you have your powers. Promise me you’ll be careful. Never let your guard down. I know you’re supposed to be having a good time but stay alert. And text me often.”
Sunset leaned in and wrapped her arms around Selena. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”
“I can’t help but worry; I’m a mother. To two magically gifted children. Who are magnets for trouble.” Selena hugged Sunset back and laughed softly. “Oh, teenage me would be dumbfounded.”
Sunset’s heart skipped several beats at Selena’s casual acceptance of Sunset as one of her children. Her brain failed to come up with an adequate response, so Sunset just hugged harder.
Selena patted her shoulder and pulled away. “All right. Off you go. Be careful.”
“Promise.” Sunset grabbed her back and headed for the front door.
“And remember,” Shimmer shouted, “the bride and groom aren’t the only ones allowed to have sex during the wedding!”
Sunset heard Selena give an exasperated groan as the door shut behind her. Rarity’s car sat in the driveway. Sunset tossed her bag in the back and hopped into the passenger seat.
“Sunset, do me a favor and pinch me,” Rarity said in a dreamy tone. Sunset did as she was told and pinched Rarity’s arm. Rarity flinched, then yelled in delight and clapped her hands. “Yes! I’m not dreaming! We’re going to a celebrity wedding! Sure, it’s just a local celebrity, but it still counts!”
Rarity pulled onto the street and headed for the freeway. Their destination was the Crystal Lake Resort, almost two hours north of the city. They put on the radio to pass the time, and both girls jumped when they heard a familiar voice come from the speakers.
“Yo, Canterlot, it’s Vinyl Scratch, still filling in for Cadence! It’s almost time for her big day, so just gonna give a shout out to the coolest boss in the world! Hope your wedding day is great! Also, I’ve been asked, again to remind you guys that any party crashers will be arrested. She’s already taken, guys, freakin’ chill.”
“You know, I think this is the most I’ve ever heard her speak,” Rarity said.
It was an odd contrast, hearing Vinyl’s rough and exuberant voice followed by slow, calming love ballads. Nonetheless, Sunset was glad one of their classmates had already found a position in their field of choice.
Rarity bounced through different stations when she got bored with the love songs. Sunset heard five Countess Coloratura hits across three stations on their trip.
“Sorry,” Rarity said, catching Sunset’s eye-roll after the latest one ended. “I’m just a really big fan. I’ve been trying for ages to get tickets for her upcoming show here in Canterlot.”
Sunset waved a hand. “Don’t mind me. I’ve never been a fan of mainstream music. I just don’t see what all the fuss is about over her.”
Rarity looked ready to launch into an explanation, but let out a little gasp when their exit came up. “We’re almost there! Oooh, I can’t wait to see it! I’ve heard the resort is five stars! And the lake is supposed to be crystal clear!”
“Hence the name,” Sunset said with a dry smile.
The highway had taken them around the base of the mountains that bordered Canterlot, but their new road pulled them into a sea of evergreen trees. The sun flittered between the tall boughs, and the loamy scent of lichen and moss filled the car. The road snaked its way through the forest, devoid of the motor activity the freeway had displayed. They had passed only ten cars by Sunset’s count.
Someone honked behind them, and Sunset turned in her seat to see Applejack’s truck. Pinkie hung out the passenger window, waving.
The path opened up to a grassy field that sloped down to a massive lake, blue as the sky above. Trees and mountains bordered the opposite shore, turning the view into something from a still portrait.
A single structure stood on the lakeshore. The central building stretched twelve-stories high and had a front sloping roof. The rest of it curved out from the central tower to make a U-shape; the side buildings reached up to the seventh floor. Pointed spires rose up at both ends, level with the primary building.
The overall structure was a calm baby blue, matching the lake behind it; its purple roof and spires with gold accents gave it a storybook-like quality. The walls looked impossibly smooth, like they were made from marble or even crystal. The side facing the lake had balconies for every room on each floor, all of them with golden railings. Glass made up the front of the main building, allowing sunlight to flood the central atrium.
Rarity held her mouth open in a silent, joyous scream. Sunset couldn’t imagine how much it cost to stay here for a night, let alone host a wedding. They pulled into the parking lot, Applejack pulling to a stop in the stall next to them.
Pinkie got out and gestured emphatically at the hotel. “It’s so shiny! And huge! We get to have a wedding here!”
Rarity vocalized the scream she had held back. “I know! It’s everything I could have dreamed of! Just look at that view!”
Applejack let out a long whistle. “Ah would love to wake up to this every mornin’.”
Rainbow and Fluttershy arrived a minute later. The six of them stood and enjoyed the scenery and cool air that blew in from the lake.
“This is gonna be the best wedding ever until one of us gets married,” Rainbow declared.
“My bet’s on Rarity getting married first,” Pinkie said as the group moved toward the front entrance.
“Really? I’m picking Sunset and Twilight,” Rainbow said.
Sunset’s stomach did a somersault and her cheeks burned.
Pinkie shook her head. “She and Twilight will be too busy getting like, a bajillion degrees to actually have a wedding.”
Applejack bobbed her head. “Ah can see that. They’d be the type to be engaged forever but not actually hitched.”
“You know, I’m standing right here,” Sunset growled.
Rarity winked at her. “We know.”
The girls walked through the hotel courtyard, following the smooth, granite path inlaid with blue cresting waves. Green leafy flamingos stretched their necks over the girls as they neared the central building. Large tropical flowers were planted between the topiary birds. Sunset might have thought she was on an island if she hadn’t just seen the lake.
The glass doors to the lobby slid open. A cool blast from the AC hit everyone’s face as they stepped onto the gold-flecked white marble floors. The ceiling was rather low, held up by Greek ionic columns spread out at wide intervals.
The reception counter sat off to the right, and Sunset could already see one of the well-dressed concierges wrinkle his nose at the appearance of six teenagers.
“Um, did Cadence say what name we check-in under?” Fluttershy asked.
“Oh, girls, over here!” Twilight entered the lobby from an adjacent hall, accompanied by Cadence. The two of them hurried over, Cadence looking especially haggard.
“Good, you’re here. I was starting to get worried,” she said, out-of-breath. “The rehearsal’s in an hour. It shouldn’t take long; it’s really just a quick run through to make sure everyone knows their places and cues, so if you make a mistake here, it’s really not important, as long as it’s only here and not during the actual ceremony. Not that I’m expecting you to make a mistake! You girls did so well during the Battle of the Bands! Except for that one time! So, just… don’t do that! Um, here, I’ll go get your keys for your rooms!”
She hurried over to the reception desk. Sunset followed her with her eyes before looking at Twilight. “Is she going to be okay?”
Twilight gave a ‘so-so’ motion with her hand. “She’s really been doing most of the wedding planning by herself. She wants it to be perfect. So, that on top of family on top of the paparazzi trying to sneak in on top of a few desperate fans still trying to woo her, she’s a little… over-extended.”
“Probably shouldn’t mention the Sirens then,” Rainbow said.
Twilight shook her head. “I warned Shining. He’s already told the security detail to be on the lookout for anyone else looking extra-suspicious. Hopefully, that’ll deter the Sirens.”
Cadence returned and handed a key card to Sunset and Applejack. “The old band needed two rooms to accommodate all of them, so I just shifted it to be under your names. I’m sure you girls can figure out sleeping arrangements, okay?” She gave them a broad, slightly manic smile.
“Yep,” Sunset said, trying to balance Cadence out by giving her a calm, reassuring smile of her own.
“Perfect! Super glad you’re all here! Really, thank you so much for being my band! Now, get your instruments and meet my parents on the far side of the atrium,” she said with a little more snippiness than Sunset was sure she meant to have.
Cadence turned and hurried away, calling for her mom. Twilight gave them an apologetic smile before hurrying after her.
“Well, let’s try to make this as easy as possible for her,” Applejack said.
“Agreed,” Rarity said. “And remember, keep your magic under wraps. Rainbow.”
“Quit singling me out!”
Applejack had carried all their instruments over in her truck. With the hotel staff carrying Pinkie’s drum set, they returned to meet the rest of the wedding party. The front lobby opened up into the central atrium, stretching to the top of the hotel. The light coming from the front glass window gave everything an immaculate golden glitter. A massive fountain sat in the middle: a circular pool of water flanked by a dozen silver swans, necks raised and water flowing from their beaks. A golden three-tiered fountain rose from the center. Lily pads drifted on the surface, and Sunset saw small fish flitting under them as the group passed.
People stood on the inner balconies overlooking the atrium. Most looked like typical residents just trying to get a peek at the wedding-goers, but a few of them wore sunglasses and had a microphone on their shoulder.
Cadence’s parents, Mr. Elm and Mrs. Rose waited by the back exit. Sunset had only met them once, when she spent an awkward Thanksgiving with Twilight’s family. They, however, remembered her fondly and gave her a warm greeting.
“Thank you so much for helping Cadence,” Rose said, generously shaking Sunset’s hand. She stood a head taller than Sunset with a pale green complexion and her red hair tied into a neat bun.
Elm nodded. “She sounded so relieved when she told us she had found a new band on such short notice.” He stood at Sunset’s height and had mahogany-colored skin. His short green hair was neatly combed back and his beard was trimmed short.
Sunset gave off a few ‘You’re welcome’s and ‘no problem’s as they headed down a hall to the backside of the hotel. Everyone stepped out onto a white granite balcony with curving steps that led down to a wide courtyard lined with more Greek colonnades. Streams of garland spiraled up the pillars and hung over the entablature. White and pink flowers bloomed along the large green leaves.
Rows of chairs were set up between the columns. A pink carpet ran down the center aisle and carried on over a small stretch of grass. It came to a stop at the foot of a gazebo, sitting on a short cliff that overlooked the lake. A small bandstand stood just off to the side.
Elm and Rose were kind enough to help the group set up their instruments and run through a soundcheck. Before returning upstairs, they explained the wedding procession and all the cues they would need.
“One of the hotel staff will be on the balcony to give you the signal to start,” Rose said. “Thank you again so much for doing this.”
“Believe me, it’s our pleasure,” Rarity said with a giddy smile.
Sunset stood off to the side, watching the balcony. Since the bridal march didn’t have any lyrics, her job was easy until they played at the reception.
The rehearsal itself went smoothly. A few of the early arrivals took their seats; Twilight Jazz and Orion sitting on one side of the aisle, and Golden Light sitting alone on the other. The Spectacular Seven started to play when the officiant stepped out first, a middle-aged man with a kind smile and wrinkles under his eyes. Followed behind him was, Sunset assumed, the flower girl, a small five-year-old miming tossing flowers behind her.
Then came the actual wedding party, starting with Shining escorted by his mother and ending with Cadence on the arm of her father. Everyone took their places, and the officiant checked the microphones.
They worked through the recession next, Cadence and Shining leading the party out while the Spectacular Seven played. Sunset stayed with them until the last guest entered the hotel. The staff then hurried along to help move Pinkie’s drums to the reception hall.
Said hall took up the ground floor of the left tower. It was a huge, circular room with a number of round tables taking up the front, leaving the back open as a dance floor. An empty buffet table took up one wall, and another bandstand stood across from it.
To Sunset’s slight dismay, there was organized seating. She and her friends had a table to themselves near the bandstand, but Twilight sat at the main table at the front.
When everyone took their seats, Sunset saw Cadence give a deep sigh of relief. Shining leaned into her and whispered into her ear before kissing her forehead.
Cadence smiled. She stood and addressed the small crowd. “Thank you for bearing with that little rehearsal. I think we’re all set for tomorrow. And as a treat for us, I’ve gotten the hotel to give us a little late lunch catering.”
As she said it, the waitstaff came in with trays full of sandwiches, a large salad bowl, and pitchers of water and lemonade. Sunset’s stomach growled, reminding her that she had accidentally forgone breakfast.
Twilight snuck over to join her friends once everyone had grabbed a plate of food. “You girls sounded really good out there!”
Rainbow took a huge bite of her sandwich. “We got dish inda bag!”
“Hmph. The least you could do while you’re here is act like you aren’t children,” an old voice droned.
Sunset looked to her left, her spirits dropping like a rock at the sight of Golden Light. The older woman had her narrowed sights on Rainbow, particularly her hair.
“Beg pardon, but, who are you?” Applejack asked.
“Girls, this is my grandmother on my dad’s side,” Twilight said with a strained smile.
Golden Light shook her head. “I don’t know how my grandson got convinced it was a good idea hiring a bunch of teenagers to play a wedding. I’ll tell you right now, this is a respectable occasion, and you better treat it as such.”
Rainbow dropped her sandwich and pressed her palms against the table. “Okay, lady, first of all—mmmph!”
Applejack covered Rainbow’s face with her hat. “We promise to be on our best behavior, ma’am,” she said, her own smile pulling tight against her face.
“I would expect so.” Golden looked over at Sunset. Sunset had a feeling her default expression was disapproval. “You especially better be on your best behavior. Don’t think I didn’t see that motorcycle when you first stopped by our house.” She turned and hobbled away, aided by her cane. “How Twilight got mixed up with hoodlums, I’ll never understand.”
Something hot stirred inside Sunset’s chest. It rolled through her body like a wave of heat, different from when she normally ponied up. She didn’t pay it too much mind, however; she was busy trying to melt Golden’s back. She also wasn’t aware of how hard she was clenching her jaw until Twilight tapped her shoulder.
“Sunset, stop! You’re glowing!”
Sunset looked down at her arms, seeing the golden aura shimmering over them. She grabbed her cup of water and took a deep gulp before exhaling. The aura and heat faded away, and Sunset slumped in her seat.
“Wow,” Pinkie said, “and I thought my parents could be strict sometimes.”
“Hate her,” Rainbow said flatly, having been released from Applejack’s hat. “Hate her so much. No offense, Twi.”
“No, it’s…” Twilight rested an arm on the table and buried her face in it. “Uuugh, she’s terrible. I don’t know how my dad lived with it.”
Sunset rubbed her back. “You’ll get through this. It’s just two more days.”
“Two long days.”
“Come now, let’s not let one person stop our fun,” Rarity said. “I say we finish our meals and go see the lake! Let’s make the most of our time here!”
Pinkie raised her glass. “Yeah! Super fun wedding adventure!”
Twilight sat up and grabbed her glass. “You’re right. We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves. Here’s to a great weekend!”
The girls all clinked their glasses together and finished their meals. It was late in the evening when they left the hotel and trekked down the path to the lakefront. The sun had dipped behind the mountains, leaving behind a pink and orange glow to light the world before night completely took over. Sailboats and paddleboards were coming to dock at a small pier further west from the wedding courtyard.
The girls walked along the edge of the lake, between the thin sandbar and the slopes leading up to the forest. They found a cache of smooth rocks and started skipping stones across the surface of the water.
Twilight took her time in selecting hers, picking one up, sharply analyzing it and turning it over in her hand before adding it to her pile or dropping it back on the ground.
“There’s actual science applied to skipping stones, you know,” she said, selecting a flat one. “I didn’t memorize the entire article because I never thought it would be relevant, but I do remember the key takeaways.”
“Leave it to the egghead to take something like skipping stones and apply science to it,” Rainbow said, juggling a rock in her hand.
Twilight either ignored her or didn’t hear. She made an L with her hand and examined the lake. “Accounting for the uneven surface of the water and the size of the stone… assuming the velocity lies on a symmetry plane of the same stone… proportional to the surface of the moving object... mass density of fluid…”
Sunset could see the formulas running through Twilight’s head. “I used to shove nerds like her into lockers. Now, this is the highlight of my day.”
“And the magic angle is twenty degrees!” Twilight exclaimed. She stepped up to the edge of the water and shifted her arm back. “Now, set my shoulder, aim for two rotations per second, apply the right amount of torque, and…”
She threw her arm out and flicked her wrist. The stone caught air and sailed over the water, skipping the surface once before sinking to the bottom.
Twilight rubbed the top of her head. “Hmm… maybe I should read the paper again. I might still have it on my phone.”
Rainbow slung her stone out, getting it to hit the water six times before being submerged. “Or, you could just be good at it.”
Pinke snapped her wrist, and her rock shot out across the lake, skipping twelve times before disappearing.
“Or, you could just be Pinkie,” Applejack said with a smug grin in Rainbow’s direction.
“Maud taught me!”
They spent the next hour trying to beat Pinkie’s record. Sunset applied some of Twilight’s scientific method to her approach, accounting for the stone’s rotation and the twenty-degree angle. The rest she left up to chance. She managed to get a good four skips in. When Twilight stopped trying to overthink things, she got her stone to skip three times.
A bright full moon reflected off the surface of the lake and guided the girls back to the hotel. Spotlights aimed at the building made the polished walls glow, furthering its crystal aesthetic. The girls grabbed their bags from their cars and made their way to their rooms. Cadence had gotten their rooms next to each other on the seventh floor.
Sunset, Rarity, and Pinkie took one room, while Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Applejack took the other. Twilight had a single down on the second floor near the rest of her family.
“Sunset, I’m so sorry to bug you,” Rarity said as they got comfortable in their room, “but I think I left my makeup bag in the car. Could you run down and get it for me? I need to make sure all our outfits are nice and tucked away for tomorrow.”
Nabbing Rarity’s keys from the table, Sunset gave her a two-finger salute. “Sure, be back in a sec.”
The view of the atrium from the seventh floor was just as amazing as the view from the ground. With the sun gone, large, sunflower shaped lamp posts hanging from the walls bathed the central building in a soft golden light. Someone was playing a grand piano, sending soft, jazzy notes through the open hallways. The elevator had a glass door, so Sunset could herself draw level with the bubbling fountain.
She was halfway around it when she saw Shining standing between two swans, staring into the rippling water. She made sure to clear her throat as she walked up behind him.
“Nervous?”
Shining turned around, hands stuffed into his pockets. His shaggy hair looked more ruffled than usual. Still, he smiled at her. “Nervous? The day before my wedding? Of course I am. But, it’s a good kind of nervous, you know? I’ve wanted to be with Cadence since high school.”
“I’m happy for both of you. And I hope things turn out well.”
“Thanks.” Shining took one of his hands and ran a sweaty palm down the side of his face. “It’s exciting and terrifying and great and daunting all at the same time. But I guess that’s life in a nutshell. Now, I get to share it with someone.”
Twilight flashed through Sunset’s mind. “Yeah…”
Shining took a breath and shook his hands out. “How are you doing?”
“Me?” Sunset blinked. “I’m fine. You know, just, happy to be here.”
“Yeah. Who would have thought that the girl I pulled over on her motorcycle would save my wedding.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “You’re over-exaggerating. We haven’t saved anything, just lent a hand.”
Shining stuck a hand out. “It’s appreciated nonetheless.”
Sunset reached out to take it, but Shining surprised her with a powerful hug. She couldn’t help but laugh. “I like you a lot more when you’re not doing the overprotective big brother bit.”
Shining released her and coughed into his hand. “That, uh, reminds me.”
“Crap, I had to say something, didn’t I?”
“It’s not bad or anything! I mean… well… it’s just…” A pink tinge rose to his cheeks. “Listen, I know where we are and what’s happening can lead to some… stuff going on. And you and Twilight seem pretty serious, so…”
Sunset’s cheeks were aflame. She sputtered, “What? I—we—I wasn’t—that hadn’t even crossed my mind!”
“Oh! Um… good!” Shining’s face was coated in sweat. “Great! I mean… it’s not like I could stop you. I was just going… but if you weren’t even… uh…”
“Good night, Shining!” Sunset said loudly. She turned on her heel and stalked toward the front entrance with long, quick strides. She let the night air cool her down as she tried to drive out fantasies involving Twilight.
That wasn’t to say she didn’t want to sleep with Twilight. She did. Badly. But she would never do anything she thought would make Twilight uncomfortable. And with everything else going on, plus the fact that they had never had the opportunity, that desire had laid dormant. Usually. Now, they were at a hotel and Twilight had a room all to herself and she was going to be dressed up tomorrow and—
Sunset swore loudly and stomped toward Rarity’s car. She found the makeup bag in the backseat, slammed the door shut, and marched back to the hotel. She fanned herself one last time before returning to her room, trying to distract herself with any thought that wasn’t Twilight laying on a bed.
“I’m taking a cold shower tonight,” she said. She pressed her keycard to the door and pushed the handle in.
“Surprise!”
Sunset jumped back and took a fighting stance before her brain processed what was actually happening. All of her friends were gathered under a banner reading ‘Happy Birthday, Sunset’. The same words were drawn on the red and orange birthday cake sitting on the coffee table in front of them. A small pile of brightly wrapped gifts sat on Sunset’s bed.
“And you thought we forgot,” Pinkie said with uncharacteristic smugness.
“Was kinda hoping, yeah,” Sunset said breathlessly. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her. “I told you, you girls didn’t have to do anything.”
“And we told you we would anyway because you’re our friend!” Pinkie said.
“Since we’ll be so busy tomorrow, we decided to celebrate it tonight,” Fluttershy said.
Applejack spread her arms out. “And we know you didn’t want anything big, so this is it. Just food, games, and us.”
Sunset looked at her friends, at the candles on this birthday cake, and at the presents. Several memories crowded her mind at once. From her parents giving her a tired ‘happy birthday’ and a single slice of cake before crawling into bed, to them having the energy to sing the entire song and gift her the book she had wanted all year. From Celestia leading her into the castle garden to present her with a whole mouthwatering cake and a new telescope, to the strained picnic they shared, where Sunset had the gall to bring up the damn mirror again.
To the three birthdays she had ignored in this world, treating them like any other day.
“Are you okay?” Twilight asked. She stepped around the table and put a hand on Sunset’s arm.
Sunset cleared the lump in her throat. “Y-yeah. It’s just… it’s been a while since I had a good birthday, and…” She laughed, and a few tears leaked down her cheeks. “I hate you girls so much for this.”
Applejack gave a cheeky grin. “Now that’s a boldface lie if Ah’ve ever heard one.”
Room service arrived with a large veggie pizza, and the girls sat down and played card and board games until a quarter to midnight. Sunset beat Rainbow in three rounds of Battleship, then lost to Twilight in a short game of chess.
Sunset ran her hands down her face. “Someday I’m going to beat you.”
“Statistically, yes,” Twilight said, still smiling in triumph. “But I’m going to make sure that day is far off.”
With five minutes to Sunset’s actual birthday, Pinkie lit the candles on the cake, and everyone gathered around to sing. Sunset kept her eyes close the entire time, a watery smile on her face.
I’ve gotten way too sentimental this past year.
She blew out the candles the moment the song was done, remembering only after the fact that she was supposed to make a wish. A few ideas ran through her head, but her heart settled on what it usually wished for: seeing Celestia one more time.
Once the cake had been cut and everyone had their take of chocolate and strawberry-filled slices of heaven, Sunset opened her presents.
Rainbow tossed Sunset her phone. “Happy birthday!”
Sunset stared at it, then at Rainbow, unaware she had taken it in the first place. “What did you do?”
“I downloaded three-hundred of the best rock songs of all time into your playlist. You’re welcome.”
Fluttershy got Sunset a pair of silver sun-shaped earrings to match her necklace. Pinkie got her a handmade mug painted red and gold with a large smiling sun on the front. Applejack gave her a hand-crafted binder full of an assortment of recipes, from casseroles to pasta to pies.
“Ah heard you’ve gotten into cookin’. That there’s a collection of some of the Apple Family’s best homemade foods. All vegetarian, of course.”
Rarity went last, presenting a thin box to Sunset. She pressed her palms to her cheeks and squealed, “I bought this a month ago! You don’t know how much agony I went through keeping it to myself!”
Sunset opened the box and pushed the tissue paper aside to find a new leather vest waiting for her. She lifted it out of the box, her mouth agape. “Rarity, this is…” She ran a finger over one of the gold spikes adorning the collar.
In one fluid motion, Sunset threw the vest over her shoulders and ran to examine herself in the mirror. “Hell yes! Rarity, it’s perfect!”
Rarity sighed, looking pleased with herself. “I knew that jacket would be too hot for you, so I thought this would make a nice substitute.”
Sunset hugged her new leather vest, then looked back at all her friends. “Thanks, girls. All of these gifts are amazing.”
Fluttershy looked over to Twilight. “Wait, where’s your gift?”
“It’s, um, not ready yet,” Twilight said, cheeks a faint pink. “I’m still working on it.”
Sunset walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be great.”
Twilight blushed harder. “W-we should probably all get to bed. The wedding’s in the afternoon, but there’s still a lot of prep work to do.”
“Twi’s right,” Applejack said. “Let’s get some shut-eye before we bug any of our neighbors.”
“Dibs on the couch!” Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing onto the sofa.
“Pinke, these are queen-sized beds. You know we can share them,” Rarity said.
Sunset saw the rest of her friends make their exit. Twilight paused in the doorway and kissed Sunset on the lips.
“Do you want me to walk you down?” Sunset asked.
“N-no, it’s fine,” Twilight said, her cheeks still rosy. “I’ll see you in the morning?”
“Yeah. Thanks for the birthday. It’s the best one I’ve had in a while.”
Twilight leaned up and kissed her again, longer and harder. Sunset lifted a hand and cupped Twilight’s cheek as she pushed her tongue deeper into Twilight’s mouth. She knew it probably wasn’t a good idea to French kiss her girlfriend in the middle of the hall where anybody could see them, but Sunset didn’t care. It was her birthday, after all.
Twilight pulled away first, glasses fogged. “Love you,” she said in a breathless whisper.
“Love you, too.” Sunset watched her turn and go, feeling the need for that cold shower again. She turned back into her room. Both Rarity and Pinkie looked at her with coquettish smiles.
“Shut up.”
*******
Twilight closed her room door behind her, face still hot. She brought a hand to her chest and breathed in, then pushed it away and exhaled. She would need a good book to distract her before bed, otherwise, she’d never get to sleep with all the thoughts racing through her head. Among other places.
She knelt by her suitcase laid out at the foot of her bed. Even with a book, sleep might be impossible. Tomorrow was going to be huge. Her brother was getting married. She and Cadence were officially going to be sisters!
Twilight pulled her pajamas free, her hand brushing against the hilt of her sword buried beneath them. The dreamy smile on her face drooped. Today had gone well, but what if the Sirens were plotting something for tomorrow? Twilight couldn’t see why they would, but couldn’t shake the possibility.
She wished Sunset had been right, and the Sirens had changed for the better. Most of the signs pointed to their improvement. Twilight scowled. Adagio had seemed unwilling to budge though. At least Twilight had an excuse to pay her back for laser tag now.
Twilight stood and practiced her breathing exercise again. “You’re letting her get under your skin, Twilight. That’s exactly what she wants. You’re better than that. Sunset picked you.”
She knelt down and fished a book out. As she set it on the bed, something moved in the corner of her eye. She swiveled her head and jumped at the sight of a humanoid shadow sitting on her balcony railing. She immediately pulled her sword out and slowly moved toward the door.
It opened without a sound. Twilight’s balcony looked over both the lake and the forest, giving her a panoramic view of everything the resort had to offer. The full moon illuminated the lake waves lapping against the shore. It would have been peaceful if not for the silhouetted figure before her.
Twilight’s hand trembled as she grasped the hilt of her sword, edging it out of its scabbard. She stepped fully onto the balcony, the stranger's features becoming recognizable the longer she stared. Their long hair fluttered in the breeze, waving back and forth against the hem of their shirt. Twilight could see the red and purple coloring to it, and her hand trembled harder.
“Moondancer?” she asked, her voice hoarse.
Moondancer looked over her shoulder, one purple eye drinking Twilight in. She gave a small smile.
“Hello, little star.”
Alternate Chapter Title: The Unintended Consequences of Writing About Somone Having Their Will Subverted for 200,000 Words.
Alternate Alternate Chapter Title: Trust Love
Dearest friends, you are hereby cordially invited to the wedding of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza! Festivities shall commence Friday, August 21st, and continue throughout the weekend. We hope to see you in attendance for the Volume III finale, 'The Longest Day'!
Thank you to Jay and Marwile for a little extra assistance for this chapter! 
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Great filler!
And oh shoot that ending.....
Keep going!!!
I really hope Moondancer isn't stalking Twilight.
EEEEEEEE!!! So much excitement! Has Moondancer finally had a change of heart? Are they all going to lose their magic? Is Chrysalis going to attend? So much hype!
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
SPEC-FREAKING-TACULAR.
There is so much to enjoy about this chapter! Poor Sunset is really hurting from the Sirens' choice and making her question her own morality, that she never really changed for the better without being forced to. The Elements' power set over her does bring up some moral quandaries that can mess with a person's head. Luckily, as her friends told her, ultimately it was Sunset who chose to change. Her greatest acts on her long road to friendship were all her own. The Elements simply got her to the places, but everything she did that they love and appreciate about her are all her own.
And it is good to see everyone not giving Sunset a hard time about the Sirens. She really doesn't deserve any hard words in spite of what she herself thinks. She tried to be the better person and to offer what she had to them. Sadly, some people just don't want to change. Though, there may be still some hope for some, but that will have to wait and see. All the comforting words and hugs Sunset got were very much needed and it was great to see "Calm" return.
The party was so heartwarming and really gives Sunset something good again to celebrate. While there is still much to happen on the rest of her birthday to go wrong thanks to Tempest and the SIrens, at least the party with her friends was exactly what she needed. Great way to work in Sunset's other jacket and that works with the season.
And Golden Light can go &%$# herself. She is living in a world that no longer exists and sees things and people as two dimensional, cliched stereotypes being her default opinion. The SIrens do anything, they can have her. But after Sci-Twi gives her a brutal reason you suck speech that will cut Golden Light off forever from the family.
Selena was also very good and motherly, fully embracing Sunset as one of her children. That was so adorable and just what Sunset needed. Her words about teenage her being dumbfounded at all this now makes me want to see a short intermission/story to her teenage years and how she reacted to first meeting Artemis.
And dang, Moondancer showing up is gonna be tense. Is she there to warn Sci-Twi, to get her out of the way while everything goes down? Or trying to manipulate her into doing her dark deeds? This could be a pivotal moment for Moondancer's development and hopefully Sci-Twi will handle it well, while getting more of her feelings out on everything Moondancer has done.
I hereby accept the invitation to the wedding of Shining Armor and Mi Amore Cadenza! Looking forward to the finale!
Oh Sunny. Sometimes, things done with the best of intentions just don't work out. You tried to do the right thing, and it didn't work out. But, never forget that unless you're willing to forgive and let others try to be better, nobody ever will be.
Wonderful stuff as always Albi. Looking forward to seeing where this goes. And how much chaos is going to happen. Because there's no way that this isn't going to have something go awry. Not that I wouldn't mind if I'm wrong in this case.
And of course, the chapter stinger has me very worried. Because where she goes, the darkness follows.
Yeah I kind of assume that something going to happen. I was like you have something planned don’t you. Another thing I keep wondering is the book going to come in at some point
Lots of heartwarming moments in this chapter!
But that ending...
Fun times.
And there it is. The self loathing.
Awful, most likely.
Their magic.
Thank you Twilight.
They were the impetus.
Friendship is great. Magic, even.
See?
No, but Tempest might.
Oh most likely.
The kind of day of which you've dreamed since you were small?
I would imagine.
I got a bad feeling about this.
Ah. The geriatric bitch.
Join the club.
I'm sure you do.
Sadly, only Pinkie can be Pinkie.
I'm sure.
So is this when shit goes wrong? When you split the party?
Same. It's a tired bit.
No, but they wanted to.
You would.
Oh good, you.
And cliffhangered. Goddammit. I swear, you're an evil man, Albi.
I GET IT! I also made it a point to put the Volume 7 soundtrack on my phone since it came out a week ago.
The end is near. Great chapter. The girls are great, Shimmer is too, and Twilight's grandmother is terrible. I hope Sonata comes through....
10374545
The soundtrack is lit and was worth the wait. I can't decide what my favorite song is!
10374590
All of them?
Grip the sword tighter, Twilight. Shit's about to get real.
Oh man, now I almost wish I'd waited for another chapter to come out before reading this one. I don't understand how it happened, but Moondancer has turned into one of the most sympathetic characters for me.
Unlike this guy. Fuck this guy. Mind your own business, guy. Listen, your job here is to give Sunset a birthday present of $400 worth of condoms for her birthday courtesy of Golden Light's debit card, like that Sunlight fic where everyone keeps giving Sunset a roll of condoms and acting like they're the first to come up with that joke, just like I thought I was the first person to come up with that joke when I started writing this sentence.
"What is 'business expenses winky face,'" Golden Light will ask herself, squinting at her monthly account statement.
Merci pour l'invitation ^^
1. Wouldn't miss it for the world, Albinocorn. Thank you for the invite.
2. Shit's about to get all kinds of real.
3. Moondancer. What are you up too? Are you there to warn Twilight? Or are you the first wave of the attack?
Awww yeeeah! Loved your descriptions of the hotel, I could really picture it. Sadly, I too forgot that they were planning a surprise party for Sunset. For better or worse this is about to get Spectacular. (Yes, I did that.)
Great story, great story. Years later. Great story.
So what we learn this chapter is sunset really wants to sleep with sparky, Golden Light is still a BITCH, the sirens might have a chance to change still and Moondancer has gathered the stones to face Twilight again. It just keeps on getting better!
10374399
So in summary: You can lead a Sunset to water, but you can't make her drink.
I’m gonna write the dates on my calendar. I love this story
Awww my greatest thank you Albi I make sure to attend it.
*proceed to ruin my calendar by marking The Day*
10374799
Why you reminded me about this?! I laughed for a whole minute.
With all these hints, imma just say bow chicka wow wow ;)
Aaaaaannnddd cliffhanger! Son of a b
10374799
Omg, what fic is this
10375623
Fixed that for you.
We're about to get Midnight Sparkle, aren't we?
You are a master of the friggin cliffhanger... Will played... Well played indeed...
Also, I am so looking forward to when Twilight comes out and Golden Light goes off on her... because seeing Night Light, Velvet, Shining AND the Rainbooms all go off on her in tandem is going to be SWEEEEEET ... sorry, but I have a very low tolerance for people of that nature.
10375742
Sorry didn't get the joke.
I was waiting this entire chapter for the other shoe to drop. And I was right! You've pulled this trick too many times before... :P
10375643
Pretty sure this is the one. It's not rude to post a fic in the comments of a fic, is it? I hate Shining in that one as well, to be clear.
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/234937/fractured-sunlight
At any rate it's another good sunlight fic, with an interesting alternative approach to sci twi, probably because she's (arguably) the pov character in this one and it's generally advisable for the main character to have a lot of character growth to go through.
10376544
I mean, you're answering my question and not advertising, so I don't think it's rude. Also thanks!
Also wow, I read that years ago....may have to reread it someday since I completely missed the reference.
Thanks again :)
This Wedding is gonna be exciting i can tell. Cant wait,
Idiotic me just realised tempest shadow is the same tempest from the movie. Stupid me
10374770
U said it. The finale is coming. Also, when do u estimate the finale is coming?
I don't suppose Moondancer is at the wedding just to support Twilight and for absolutely no other reason? Maybe? Possibly?
10377497
Im betting it's Friday, August 21st...
10377547
I'll have to wait for 11 days?!?!? KK don't wanna rush the author
10375997
Awwww....
Hopefully I'm not the only one reading that in the dulcet voice of imatoonlink.
"What would DJ 3-Pones do?"
"THE SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE!"
"Of course."
Me: *has absolutely nothing to look forward to in the coming weeks of quarantine hell*
The Albinocorn: *announces that he's dropping another multipart finale*
Wait, I'm caught up? How did that happen?
Looks like I'm going to wait to continue reading on Sunday or Monday. I can handle cliffhangers, but I just prefer not to. Especially with what's about to go down.
10378061
This is why Vinyl never spoke in the show.
Dude I’m so ready for this.
I don't know if it was intentional or not, but when I see "The Longest Day," I think of D-Day, so this is gonna be a tough, close battle.
And it'll be an early birthday present!
That ending of the recent chapter got me the chills dam
Twilight noooo!!! I think she could've ponied up if she had kept hugging Sunset.
👀 👀 👀
The longest day?
At this point i doubt they'll change.
Poor sunset
Don't blame yourself Sunset, you didn't see it coming. But Selena is right sometimes people don't want to change no matter what.
Now my gut is telling me they might do so. But not gonna jinx it.
Yep, she sure isn't much of a talker.
Of course she'd say that
You can say that again, she has wedding stress right now.
How rude, and I still hate her
Phew, that was too close.
How great of them, nearly forgot myself as well.
Sisters in law to be precise.
What. Is. She. Doing here! Sorry I still don't trust her but maybe she's come for a good reason.