Part I: Moon of Remorse || Chapter 12: Inaugural Sleepover
The next afternoon, after a getting a completely peaceful sleep (as she had suspected she would), Sunset sat on the couch in her pajamas, propped up by some pillows, and attempted to do some of her schoolwork. She continued to be glad that her intellect didn’t seem to have been affected by whatever the Rainbow Wave had done to her. Falling behind on her classes, on top of everything, would have felt almost insurmountable to her. It was now about 4 pm on Friday afternoon, and Sunset had to admit she was actually looking forward to the evening. All of her new friends were coming over and they were going to stay the night. It would be her first true slumber party, and she had no idea what to expect, except that she knew her friends would be kind to her.
Rarity sat on an easy chair across from her, doing some of her homework as well. She was keeping an eye on Sunset, as Celestia and Luna were not done at school yet, and Fluttershy had gone home for a couple hours to take care of her animals before returning for the party tonight. Sunset still felt guilty that one of her friends was basically tasked to hang out with her every day, but she had to admit – being alone would have been terrifying, not only because of the solitude, but because she was still so weak. Plus, her friends didn’t seem to mind. She continued to help them with their schoolwork, which helped her feel a little better as it seemed like she was starting to give something back to them.
Still, it was hard for Sunset to concentrate for very long, as waves of guilt and sorrow would crash over her unexpectedly. She was also becoming conscious that, while she was deeply grateful for her new friends, she was actually missing Twilight. The memory of Twilight’s compassionate face as she reached down to Sunset when she was in the crater was increasingly in her conscious thoughts. At first it was just surprising, but as it happened more and more Sunset noticed that the memory comforted her. And now, as her first full week since the Fall Formal was drawing to a close, she found just plain longed for Twilight’s presence. She wanted to apologize to Twilight properly, to thank her profusely, and to promise her that she was going to do better. And, while this was still a bit hard for her to admit to herself, she deeply longed for Twilight’s approval. The feelings were getting so strong that she felt she had to tell Rarity about it. She just couldn’t keep it inside anymore.
“Rarity?” she asked.
Rarity was in the middle of a trigonometry equation. “Yes, darling?” she responded pleasantly without looking up.
“I…I miss Twilight.”
Rarity’s eyes widened slightly. She looked up and put her pen down in surprise.
“A lot,” Sunset elaborated.
“Well darling. That’s…interesting. I have to admit that’s not what I would have expected.”
“Uh, me either, I guess. But it’s the truth.”
Rarity looked at Sunset for a moment. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Um, yes.”
Rarity smiled at her, trying to encourage her.
Sunset paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “It’s like this. I thought I’d hate her. I thought I’d be angry at her for defeating me, especially in front of the whole school. Plus, I thought I’d continue to resent her for being the student of Princess Celestia who succeeded where I’d failed. But none of that is how I feel at all.” Sunset sat up a bit, her emotions giving her enough strength to become animated for a few moments. “Rarity, more and more I see her face as she reaches down to me in that crater. You couldn’t see it – you were behind her. I’ve never seen a face like that. She…smiled at me. And there were…tears in her eyes. Tears! For me.” Sunset shook her head in wonder as Rarity continued to listen attentively.
After a few seconds, Sunset continued. “Celestia’s helping me to understand what Twilight was feeling, and, I guess, what all of you feel toward me. She said it’s compassion. I have to admit, I’ve only known about compassion from the dictionary, and I used to think it was for the weak. But now – it made Twilight strong, Rarity. So strong. And all of you have the same strength.”
Sensing that Sunset wasn’t finished yet, Rarity just waited for her to continue.
“I want to be like her, Rarity. And I want to apologize to her. And…I want…her to be proud of me,” Sunset admitted, hanging her head shyly. “Does that sound…weird, or clingy, or something?”
“No darling. It sounds perfectly healthy. Twilight did an incredible thing for you, and it’s actually reassuring to me that you feel that way about her. You’re surprising us, Sunset. You’re so…different already. In a good way. In a wonderful way, even. And I think what you are feeling toward her, at least in part, is gratitude.”
“Yes! Yes, that’s a big part of it. Gratitude.” Rarity smiled to herself – there was actually some light in Sunset’s eyes. Rarity’s smiled faded, though, as she saw Sunset’s lower lip begin to twist and quiver.
“And I can’t talk to her, or thank her, or apologize to her! For two-and-a-half years!” A few tears ran down Sunset’s cheeks as she sniffled. She collapsed back down among her pillows and hugged herself.
Rarity wasted no time. She stood up and went over to Sunset, sitting down next to her. Sunset put her head on her shoulder. “Well, Sunset, you are becoming such a sweetheart!” Rarity rested the side of her head on Sunset’s head. “We all miss her, so you are in good company. And I think I should tell you something that may help you to feel a little better. You see, Twilight was worried about you before she left.”
“She was?”
“Yes. She hated that she had to leave so soon. She seemed to sense that you…were hurt and would need help to recover. And she wished she could be part of that. So be encouraged, Sunset. I know it’s hard that we can’t communicate with her for so long, but, until then, I’m sure you’re in her thoughts from time to time.”
“Thanks for telling me that. It does help.” Sunset thought for a moment. Her tears were drying. “It was when our hands touched, Rarity. That’s when it all began to change. It’s like…a new life.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “It’s hard to figure all this out. I’m confused a lot of the time.”
“Don’t pressure yourself. You’re doing just fine. One day at a time, Sunset. Do you mind if I tell the others about how you’re feeling about Twilight? I think they would want to know.”
“Of course. I trust all of you.”
That evening, as the festivities drew to a close, four of the girls sat in a circle in Sunset’s room and discussed their newest friend. Sunset was taking a bath, with some help from Applejack – although her pain was better, she was still just as weak as she had been on her first night. Celestia and Luna had already gone to bed.
Rarity was shaking her head in amazement. “Isn’t it strange? She’s like a little girl in some ways. It’s…actually quite endearing.”
Rainbow made a sour face. “I know! It’s impossible to be angry at her!” she groused.
Rarity smirked at Rainbow. “Darling, perhaps that is a blessing. I’m not sure anger would be all that productive at this stage.”
“I know. You’re right.”
“Do you know what she told me today?” Rarity asked. “She actually misses Twilight, very much.”
“Oh, that is so sweet!” Fluttershy gushed.
“You mean she’s not angry at her and doesn’t hate her, or anything?” Pinkie asked incredulously.
“You see what I mean!” Rainbow grumped, pointing at Rarity.
Rarity gave Rainbow a withering look, and then answered Pinkie. “No – none of that. She understands what Twilight did for her. She wants to apologize to her, and thank her, and…” here Rarity herself shook her head in amazement, “…she wants Twilight to be proud of her. About how she’s changing.”
Fluttershy melted. “Aww…that’s adorable!”
“I still don’t get it,” Rainbow said, looking confused. “How can she have changed so much so quickly? I mean, I get that we beat her pretty bad, and she’s got bruises and scratches and that LCL thing, but…where’s the bitterness? Where’s the anger? The sour grapes?”
“Do you think she’s lying? Or maybe trying to manipulate us, like she used to?” Rarity challenged. Rainbow didn’t respond right away.
“Come on, Rainbow Dash. You’ve looked into those big cyan eyes of hers just like the rest of us. Do you see any lie there?” Rarity asked.
“No, I guess not.”
“And I know Applejack hasn’t.” Rarity pointed out.
“Well, if AJ hasn’t seen anything, then I guess we do have to believe it. I mean, AJ can detect a lie ‘faster than green grass goes through a goose’,” Rainbow drawled in a credible imitation of Applejack. Pinkie burst into laughter and Fluttershy looked a bit nauseated.
“Rainbow, that is disgusting!” Rarity cried, wincing.
“Hey, she says it, not me!”
“But there is no need to repeat it!” seethed Rarity indignantly.
“Girls!” said Fluttershy, trying to restore order.
Rainbow and Pinkie were laughing and slapping each other on the back. Rarity glared at both of them. “In any event,” she said a bit prissily, “I think it’s clear that, hard as it is to believe, Sunset’s new attitude is quite real.”
“I agree, and you know I don’t really want to be angry at her. I just wonder how it happened,” Rainbow mused.
“I don’t know, but I’m certainly not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
There was a moment of stunned silence.
“Oh dear. That was rather terrible, wasn’t it?” Rarity asked with chagrin, smacking herself in the forehead.
Pinkie was laughing hysterically. “Oh, Rares, how do you do that?”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Completely unintentional, darling, I assure you.”
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ROFLMAO
Lol but at the same time never heard that til now