• Published 3rd Jan 2017
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The Wooing of Sunset Shimmer - Rose Quill



Sunset and SciTwi continue to explore the depths of their relationship.

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Chapter Nineteen - Bonfire of Memories

I eased off the gas as we pulled into the inner set of apple trees, their branches bare save for the slowly melting snow. It was a bright, sunny day and I had sunglasses on to deflect the glittering reflection of the sun on the snow. My back wheels spun a bit on a patch of loose powder and I corrected gently. Twilight sat in my passenger seat, fiddling with her pendant, marveling at the dual perspectives.

“If you keep playing with it, you might get trapped within, Narcissus,” I teased.

She dropped it back onto her chest, the crystal gleaming in the sunlight.

“I still can’t believe the Princess managed to get the images in there,” she said, leaning back a bit and crossing her legs. “You’ve got to show me that spell sometime.”

I nodded as I took my foot off the gas to coast into the parking area in front of the Apple’s House. I saw Big Mac shoveling a bit of snow away from the barn doors, whistling to himself. I waved as I climbed out of the car, sliding my sunglasses up into my hair to sit like a headband. Twilight clambered out and tapped on the trunk. I hit the trunk release on my key fob and helped as she pulled out a set of small wrapped baskets filled with some of the cooked treats Twilight Velvet and I had made yesterday. She handed me the packages and shut the trunk.

“It’s not a tricky spell to create images using magic,” I said. “It’s the setting it into the crystal that can be tricky. You could run the risk of cracking the crystal matrix by pouring too much mana into it. Maybe by the next time we visit you'll have honed you horn enough to give it a try.”

We walked up to the door, the snow crunching under our feet. Despite the bright sun, there was still a chill breeze, and under my usual leather jacket I wore the sweater Cadence and Shining Armor had gotten me. The locket bumped against my chest, a temporary picture of the bookworm inside and prompted a warm smile as Twilight reached out and knocked on the door.

A few minutes later, the door swung open, Apple Bloom standing behind it in a pair of jeans and a turtleneck. She smiled.

“C’mon in!” she said, stepping aside. “Applejack’s in the livin’ room, so kick off your shoes ’n make yerself at home.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said, unzipping the side zips of my combat boots and setting them to the side where a number of other shoes sat. I recognized the Apple clan’s well-worn boots and shoes and a set of high-top sneakers, indicating that Rainbow Dash was here already.

“Any idea when Rarity, Fluttershy, or Pinkie are supposed to be here?” Twilight asked.

The young girl shrugged. “Haven’t heard,” she said before heading back towards the kitchen.

I found Applejack in the living room, in a fierce competition with Rainbow Dash on some sort of timed tower defense game. The two girls were locked in concentration and didn’t even notice our entry. Twilight and I just sat on the couch, our hands entwined, and watched the eventual breakdown of focused control into the usual antics.

“Consarn it, Rainbow!” AJ swore as the athletic girl ‘accidentally’ knocked the power button on the gaming console. “Ya always do that when Ah’m getting too close to ya!”

“This game was getting boring,” Rainbow scoffed. “It’s kinda lame.”

“It was YOUR game!”

“And I decided it was lame,” the rainbow-maned girl retorted, spinning her controller on the tip of her finger.

“Shouldn’t that mean that you make lame decisions by extension, considering you not only purchased the game, you brought the game here with you?” Twilight asked softly.

Seeing the two girls jump at the unexpected voice was worth the wait.


Applejack set another log in the pit, tilted against a cast iron post. A small fire was already lit in the bottom of the pit, fed by dried pine cones and what was left of the Apple’s Christmas tree. The fire slowly climbed up the piled logs, casting back the shadows of the eventide. All seven of us were seated around the blaze, watching the fire lick and crackle.

“Ah suppose y’all are wonderin’ why Ah invited ya here,” she said, brushing some dirt from her hands.

“The thought had crossed my mind,” I said, warming my hands with the heat.

“Marshmallows? S’mores? Jumbo hot dog bake?” Pinkie produced each of the items mentioned before gasping. “Jumbo marshmallow hotdog s’mores?”

Twilight leaned over to me. “Where did she have the hot dogs?” she whispered.

I shook my head. “I’ve made it a policy to never think too hard about Pinkie’s antics,” I replied in kind, memories of the one trip inside her head leaping to the fore.

“Y’all know as well as Ah do that school’s comin’ to an endin’ fast,” she said. “And some of ya’ll will be movin’ away afterward.” She looked at Rarity and Rainbow, both of who smiled with melancholy.

“Don't get me wrong,” she said. “Ah’m tickled pink that ya’ll got those scholarships to them fancy schools, but that’s goin’ to make it hard t’get together like this. So, thanks to some help from my Uncle Orange, Ah wanted to share my Christmas gift with you girls.” She reached into the pocket of her barn coat and pulled out an envelope. “Over Spring break, we’ll be onboard a cruise ship headin’ down into the southern ocean.”

There was a chorus of surprise and cheers, Pinkie’s slightly muffled from the mouthful of marshmallow wrapped hot dog in her mouth.

“That’s incredibly generous, Applejack,” Fluttershy said. “But is there a reason for it?”

The farmer rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, Ah thought we should do one last thing afore splittin’ up,” she said. “Ah know the last trip we made didn’t go too well, and Ah jus’ thought it’d be nice t’ relax.”

“I think it’s a marvelous idea,” Rarity said. “And it’s true, once I start at the Conservatory it’s going to be difficult to get away regularly, but if anyone of you ever need me, just give me a ring.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow seconded. “I’m just a few seconds away with my cool new powers. If you need help whuppin’ evil butt, just holler.”

“And there’s also breaks in the semesters,” Twilight said. “Manehattan isn’t too far of a drive for a visit.”

“Neither is the Northern Soccer training camp,” I said. “It’s not like we’ll never see each other after graduation.”

Silence reigned for a few minutes. Applejack broke the silence first.

“Ah also want t’ make this a tradition for us,” she said. “Somethin’ to look forward to every year.” She stood and held her hands out to either side. Rainbow grabbed her hand, and one by one we stood and joined hands.

The bond I felt with these six girls was deeper than I realize most times. They helped me from the darkness I had fallen into, and together we had overcome a lot of obstacles, both personal and external. A light glow formed around us, as warm as the fire, and while we didn't pony up, we felt the rush and tingle of the magic our friendship had let us access as it flowed through us.

And in that moment, feeling the love of my closest friends, I made a decision, one that would change the course of my life.

We sat around the bonfire for hours, singing songs, laughing, and telling jokes. We made memories that would last for years to come.

And we made sure that our friendship was as strong as ever.