The Wooing of Sunset Shimmer

by Rose Quill

Chapter One - Dinner Invitation

I blinked for a moment, pausing as I pulled on my coat. “Come again?”

Twilight looked down slightly, holding her elbow and blushing. “I want to have you over for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night," she said simply. "I know Thanksgiving was last week, and you usually spend it alone, but I thought maybe I could make something for you. But I had to let my folks know and now they insist on meeting you.” She looked away completely. “I told them it was ok, but Cadence and Shining wanted in too. So now, if you still want to have dinner at my place, you’ll have to brave the gauntlet of my whole family.”

I shrugged the rest of the way into my coat and pulled my hair free before reaching out and taking one of her hands in mine and bringing it up to kiss. “If Cadence and your brother are anything like their pony counterparts, then I can probably survive your parents.” I pulled her into a hug. “Besides, it’s nice of you to offer. If you don’t want to go through with it, I’ll understand. I never really got behind the whole tradition anyway.”

She sighed with frustration. “It’s not really fair, though. I mean, they let me spend a week in Equestria with you, and I’ve stayed over at your place a few times. Why the sudden need to meet you? I’ve looked at all the possible reasons, from needing to verify someone before letting them into the house to the psychological desire parents have to protect their children. I can’t justify it in any form...and why are you laughing?”

“Twily, let me ask you one question. When you told them who you were going to be going with to attend my mom’s funeral, how did you describe me to them?”

“That I had a friend that had just lost her mom and I didn’t think she should be alone. They agreed, by the way.”

“But now, instead of me being just a friend, I’m your girlfriend. I’ve gone from harmless acquaintance to a romantic interest that you are inviting over for dinner. That’s likely why.”

She gaped at me before face-palming with both hands, face turning red. “They’re not!” she exclaimed.

“Probably are,” I replied, leading the bespectacled bookworm towards the door. “Empty nest worries are unpredictable. Have you already planned out what to make?”

“Not really, I wanted to make sure it was ok with you first.”

I gave her a peck on the cheek before digging my car keys out of my purse. “Then ask them why before asking them for ideas on what to cook. Involve them.” I stared off into space for a moment, keys held in my hand.

“Sunny,” Twilight sing-songed, breaking me out of my daze.

I shook my head, blinking a tear away. “Sorry,” I said, unlocking the car doors and sliding in. “Memories.”

She slid into the other side. “Thinking about your mom again?”

I nodded. “When she was out of town for work, Dew would watch Glory and me. We’d always decide together what to have for dinner, and Mom would always let us help make menus. I remember her smile from the time, and thought maybe it would be a nice gesture on your part to include them.”

She was silent most of the trip, but I could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind. I dropped her off at her house and gave her a wink before pulling off.

The rest of the night was unremarkable. I got a renewal notice for my insurance which was set to automatically debit from my account. Since I was driving an older car that had a good safety record I paid next to nothing when you compared it to Dash’s sports car or Rarity’s convertible. I still lost out to AJ and Fluttershy though, with AJ’s truck being grandfathered into a lower cost bracket and Shy getting a rebate for driving a hybrid. I also received a notice that I might already be a millionaire.

Later that night, the book stamped with my cutie mark started to vibrate. I opened it up and read the message within.

Dear Sunset Shimmer,

Just wanted to see if you were still going to be coming around for Hearth’s Warming Eve. We’re looking forward to seeing you and Sunshine again. Your sisters have also expressed excitement for you to visit for a bit.

They’re holding a holiday ball in Canterlot this year, and the Princess just happened to leave a pair of invitations for the two of you as well. If you’re so inclined, that is.

It’s a shame you missed out on the last harvest at Sweet Apple Acres. The zap apple jam was amazing and I think this is the best batch of cider AJ has have produced. We have a bottle or two saved back for Hearth’s Warming, though.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Princess Twilight Sparkle.

I smiled and grabbed my pen, letting her know that we still planned to come over for Hearth’s Warming. I asked for more information about the ball and asked her to pass my love to my sisters and hugs from Sunshine and me to her circle of friends. I had no sooner shut the book than my phone buzzed softly.

My, I’m popular tonight, I thought.

It was a text from Twilight, letting me know I had been right about the reasoning, asking me if seven would work, and if I had any dietary concerns or preferences she should know about.

Well, it was a little wordier than that, but you get the point. I responded with a short affirmative and requested something mostly vegetarian. I may have a human anatomy, but my stomach still twists at the thought of eating meat. It just didn’t jibe with my mind, among other reasons.

I went to sleep that night wondering what was in store and what I had gotten myself into by agreeing to this dinner.

I suddenly worried about what to wear, and I made a call.

“Sunset, darling, do you have any idea of what hour it is?” Rarity’s sleepy voice asked.

“Three words: Need fashion advice.”

“What kind of advice?” the Fashionista asked, her voice perking up slightly.

“Twilight invited me to dinner at her place, and her whole family is going to be present. I want to wear something nice, but I’m not sure what.”

“Define nice, dear.”

I frowned for a second, groping for the words. “Warm and slightly dressy, but not too stiff and formal or too casual.”

A yawn came over the line. “I can be over tomorrow to help. What time is dinner?”

“Seven,” I sighed. “I hate to be a bother, Rarity.”

“Pish-posh, darling. I’m happy to help. Provided,” she yawned again. “I get my beauty sleep.”

“Thank you so much, Rarity.”

Comments

[Dave Bryant]

I recommend two edits:
1. “Jibe” (sense 3) in place of “jive”.
2. “Pish-tosh” or “pish-posh” in place of “pish-toss”.

[wiccanminnesota]

Can't wait to see what happens next this was a very good opening can't wait to see how this one turns out.

[Mallory S Nocturne]

Oh, this I've got to see...

[JediWyrm]

When you told them who you were going to be going with me to attend my mom’s funeral, how did you describe me to them?

You don't need the me in the middle.

[FurryBrony]

The whole ponies with an aversion to meat thing is based on a real life misconception. Horses can, and do, eat meat safely. After all, meat to horses is like candy to us. It tastes good, it's not good for us, but it's not overly harmful to have every now and again. Besides, I doubt the pigs and chickens the ponies raise are just for the truffles and eggs. I have a feeling that, like us, they turn some pigs and chickens into food. The only meats I can see Sunset having an aversion to the point of sickness to would be beef, sheep, deer, etc.

[JetstreamGW]

7859798 ponies aren't horses: several flowers shown as food in MLP are poisonous to horses. Also, keep in mind, cows are SAPIENT in Equestria.

That burger ain't so tasty when you shoot the shit with its sister every other day.

[AyanamiRei]

7859798 They wouldn't eat those animals. Nothing on the show has ever been meat. They always eat strictly vegetarian. Hence why they eat HAYburgers. To say that they eat meat is a real stretch.

Now I could see MAYBE Sunset Shimmer eat meat, just on how long she was over in the Human World, and who could have accidentally eaten meat and enjoyed it. That's about as far as I can see.

[Dragonwaz]

7859798 Just because horse's can eat meat doesn't mean they should. They are known to become omnivorous when desperate but comparing meat/horses to candy/humans isn't entirely accurate, it'd be more like grass/humans. We can eat it but we can't digest most of it and it can give us an upset stomach.

Also a large part of the head cannon/dub cannon of a pony's aversion to meat likely stems from the idea of those creatures being sentient or in lesser case almost sentient. Cows, Buffalo, Yaks, Goats, Donkey's, Zebra, Pony's, etc are just some of the sentient races of Livestock/Livestock-esq creatures. There's also dubious sentience from the pets of the main six (I'm not fully counting Gummy from slice of life cause that was most likely played for laughs) even without Fluttershy they show a pretty strong grasp of understanding what's being said to them.

I'd agree that chicken, are pork are probably the least sentient creatures shown but I'd still think outside of griffon influence and a few dark posh nobles there is little to no market in Equestria for meat of any kind.

[Snowdrifter]

I also received a noticed that I might already be a millionaire.

Better get on that, Sunny! It sounds important!

Um, you probably meant 'notice' with no 'd' here, maybe, if you want to that is...

[Rose Quill]

7900456
um, I think I fixed it...that is, if you want to check...eep!

[Snowdrifter]

7901277

YAY!

[BenRG]

I love the idea of Sunset waking Rarity up at Oh-Celestia-Dark-Thirty in the morning because she's panicking about what to wear to dinner the Sprinkle household. It just tells you how important her relationship with Twilight is to her.

[Javarod]

7896002
In my head canon us nox ponies (bat ponies/thestrals) eat meat, but only a little, maybe 10 to 15% of our diets, typically mixed into salad (some restaurants offer so called red salads for us) or added to other more typical pony fare like the donut I offer topped with bacon bits.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

Hope Sci twi's parents like sunset