Student 32: Sunset Shimmer

by Show Stopper

Arc 6.3 Chapter 56

It became immediately apparent to Sunset that her three companions had never stalked anyone before. Admittedly, her first hint should have been that they’d been hiding in the bushes.

Her second hint should have been how easily she’d seen them hiding in the bushes.

“Are you sure about this Fire-anechan?” Kotarou muttered as they walked down the street after Negi and Ako. “I mean, isn’t the whole point to stay hidden?”

“No, the point is to stay unnoticed,” Sunset countered, speaking at a normal volume. “And we couldn’t have done that by darting from hiding spot to hiding spot. Even if Ako didn’t see us, other people would have. And what do you do when you see suspicious people darting from hiding spot to hiding spot, spying on someone else?”

“Nothing, because it’s none of my business.”

“Confront them directly about their poor behavior.”

Sunset rolled her eyes before looking down at Chisame. “And the correct answer is…”

“Call the police, or at least security.”

Sunset nodded and turned her attention back to Ako. “That’s the normal response. People might be more hesitant because of the festival atmosphere, but eventually, someone would call in the authorities. And even if we managed to convince them that we weren’t up to anything nefarious, the confrontation would draw attention to us, maybe even expose us to Ako. And if Ako somehow didn’t notice, then she and Wildfire would move on while we were being interrogated and we’d lose them. In order to stalk someone, you have to appear normal to everyone around you, and remain unnoticed by your mark.”

Chisame looked up with a raised eyebrow. “You talk like you have a lot of experience with this.”

“Less experience than training,” Sunset replied. “Guard training back home is pretty comprehensive. Most of my marks in-field were insane apocalyptophiles who couldn’t walk normally down a street if their lives depended on it, so I never really had to worry about bystanders seeing me sneaking around. Thankfully, the basics are pretty simple.” She began counting off on her fingers. “Keep at least fifty people between you and your target. Don’t start a commotion or let yourself be dragged into one. Don’t stand out visually. Don’t let anyone around you suspect you of ill intent. That’s all there is to it, really. And considering that the streets are packed for the festival and there are tons of people in strange and eye-catching outfits, half of that is a cakewalk. All we have to do is act natural, keep our distance, and stay out of any festival insanity that could draw attention to us.” She chuckled. “Of course, those little pills help immensely.”

It turned out that the secret to Negi’s, Kotarou’s, and Chisame’s age-changes had been a bottle of blue and red pills: blue to make you younger, red to make you older. After a quick shopping run for larger clothes, Sunset had popped a red pill. The results were very pleasing. She now had the appearance of a woman in her early 20’s, with curves in all the right places and hair reaching all the way down to her waist. She wore tight jeans, high heels, and a teal button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. A handbag was slung over her shoulder, holding her younger self’s clothes. She felt the eyes of almost every man around on her - not to mention the jealous glares of other women - and reveled in the attention.

Chachamaru tilted her head, confused. “Did you not just say that the point was to not draw attention to ourselves?”

Sunset waved her off. “I’m only drawing attention from those immediately around me, and not for more than a few seconds. Hot as I am, this isn’t the sort of look that would catch the eye a dozen meters distant. And even if Ako does notice me, all she’ll see is a passing resemblance to one of her friends. And since she has no idea about magic, she’ll dismiss it as coincidence. Same as if she notices Kotarou or Chisame.” She gave Chachamaru’s bunny suit a look up and down. “Actually, with your face sticking out of that, you’re the most at risk of being exposed. Thankfully, Ako doesn’t really know you that well.”

“Ah!” Kotarou pointed ahead. “They’re heading for the roller-coaster!”

Sunset slapped him upside the head. “What part of ‘don’t draw attention’ don’t you get?” She looked where he’d been pointing and saw Negi and Ako getting into the rapidly moving line. “No need for all of us to go. Dog-boy, wait until there are at least three people behind them, then get in line. With luck, that should put you near them on the ride. The three of us will hang out down here.”

*****

The date continued in a similar manner as the day went on. Sunset and the others would watch Ako and Negi go to one attraction or another and send one or two to follow them. Chisame to get ice cream. Kotarou to take a horseback ride. Sunset to take lunch in the same diner as the happy couple. They dispersed throughout the crowd when Ako and Negi were snatched up for a “Best Couple Contest.”

Well, Ako seems to be enjoying herself, Sunset mused grumpily as she and Negi walked out on stage in a bride and groom cosplay. And I have to admit, Wildfire knows how to treat a lady. Must be that British upbringing. She frowned as Negi swept Ako up into his arms and carried her bridal-style, earning another round of cheers from the crowd. Still, maybe he’s too good. At this rate, if Ako really does fall for him…

The contest ended with Ako and Negi winning second place, which Sunset considered a horrible injustice. Afterwards, Negi began leading Ako away from the festival proper. Sunset met up with the others again and questioned the tactic.

“It’s almost time for the rehearsal,” Chisame explained. “After that, the old versions of us will find the old version of Izumi while she’s changing, causing her to run out. Then the old us will be searching for her along with Kugimiya. We need to stay out of their way until we have a chance to bring Izumi back to the concert stage.”

Sunset nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. So where are we headed?”

“The abandoned school building,” Chachamaru answered. “Even during the festival, it is unused during the day. It will only be used at night for tests of courage. Negi-sensei will be asking her to play the bass for him.”

“That’ll certainly eat up the time,” Sunset mused. “Ako can get lost in that thing for hours.” They snuck around to the back of the building and - looking around to make sure there was no-one nearby - hid beneath an open window to listen in.

“Still, this situation is dangerous,” Sunset muttered.

“Dangerous?” Kotarou scoffed. “What kind of danger is there in an empty building?”

Sunset and Chisame traded glances and sighed in unison. “Just a dumb brat after all,” Sunset muttered.

Chisame nodded. “Think about it, kid. That brat has been a perfect gentleman all day, not to mention his naturally high specs. Lots of girls would fall for him at a glance. So what do you think is going to happen when he focuses all of that charm onto a single person? If Izumi isn’t head-over-heels for him by now, I’ll swear off the internet forever.” She chuckled. “Good thing she’s a wallflower, eh, Nichibotsu? Otherwise she might confess right now.”

Sunset hissed between her teeth. “Yeeeeah. About that.” At Chisame’s curious look, she explained. “I… might have been working on building up Ako’s self-esteem ever since that incident. At first it was just as an apology, but, well, since we became friends and all…”

Chisame’s eyes went wide, her face pale. “Are you telling me that we just watched these two go on the ultimate lovey-dovey date, let them be alone in a quiet, intimate space together, and that the girl in question has been steadily building up her self confidence for months?”

“U-um, Nagi-san.” Ako’s voice drifted through the open window.

Sunset slowly nodded. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“U-um, we’ve only known each other for a short time, so it might be weird for me to say something like this, but… I, I have to tell you that I… I…”

Chisame leapt to her feet. “Damn it! We’ve gotta stop- ack!”

Sunset yanked her back down and placed a hand over her mouth, muffling her protests. “Oh no you don’t,” she hissed. “I’ve poured months into building up this girl’s self-esteem. I’m not gonna let you take this moment away from her!”

“W-wait a minute, Nichibotsu,” Chachamaru stammered, blushing and panicking. “I-if Izumi-san is going to c-c-confess, then shouldn’t we stop her? ‘Nagi-san’ is merely a fabrication, after all!”

“That doesn’t matter right now,” Sunset countered, struggling to hold a squirming Chisame. “We have to let her do this. Sure, it might end in heartbreak. But that’s life! We’ll help her through it afterward. What’s important is that she has the confidence to confess in the first place!”

“W-w-what about Negi?!” Kotarou seemed equal parts confused and nervous.

“Like I care!”

“I really like you, Nagi-san!”

Chisame went still, her eyes widening. Sunset breathed a sigh of relief and smirked up at the window. Way to go, Ako.

“I… I realize that this is sudden,” Ako’s voice continued, “and you probably can’t give me an answer right now. A-a-and that’s probably for the best! I-I know part of why you did all of this was to help me not be nervous for my concert, a-and I’m really grateful for that. S-so, s-so if you could give me an answer after the concert, I, that is, I mean… I’D BE REALLY GRATEFUL!!!”

“Ah! Ako-san!”

The sound of running steps sounded from the school building. Sunset - still holding Chisame - rushed to the edge and peaked around the side just in time to see Ako running off. “Okay. Chisame. Dog-boy. Chachamaru. Go after her. Make sure she doesn’t run into anyone early, especially the past Wildfire. I’ll stay here and discuss Wildfire’s next move with him.”

Chisame gave Sunset a dubious look but ultimately relented. She, Kotarou, and Chachamaru took off, running after Ako. Sunset watched them leave, wishing she could go to Ako’s side right now. But she had a more important job to do.

“Ako-san!”

Sunset dashed over to the entrance to the building and stuck out her arm. She caught Negi just in time, clotheslining him and sending him sprawling onto the ground.

“Wildfire indeed,” Sunset snarked, snearing down at her prone teacher. “Blazing your way through the tournament, and now stoking the fires of love in the hearts of innocent maidens. I’m impressed.”

Negi stared up in shock. “N-Nichibotsu?!” He blushed a bit when he saw her adult figure but quickly shook it off as he got back to his feet. “Wh-what are you doing? I need to go-”

“You need to stay right here,” Sunset interrupted firmly. “You heard what Ako said. She needs to focus on her concert right now. The last thing she needs right now is to deal with a stuttering, half-baked answer from you.”

Negi looked from Sunset to the path Ako had taken, torn. “But… me and Kugimiya-san…”

“The other three are on it,” Sunset said. “They’ll keep Ako from running into anyone until the time is right. But for her sake, you need to stay here.”

Negi hesitated for a moment more before nodding. “O-okay.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Nichibotsu. What do I do? I had no idea that this would happen!”

That’s because you’re an idiot kid who doesn’t realize the effect he has on people. Sunset shook off her criticism and focused on what could be done now. “Well, it’s pretty simple, really. Broadly speaking, you’ve got three options: keep lying, accept her, or reject her.”

“...eh?”

Sunset held up a finger. “Option one: keep lying. Keep up the facade of Nagi Springfield. Tell her that you’re flattered by her interest.” She stared Negi in the eye, her own eyes hard. “And then crush her hopes.”

“What?!”

“You heard me.” Sunset began pacing back and forth, staring Nagi up and down. “Let me be clear, Wildfire. You’re hot. Like, seriously hot. Drop-dead gorgeous, especially from a middle-school girl’s perspective. Not only that, but you’re a great guy. Dangerously oblivious - and dangerous in general - but kind and gentle and encouraging. You’re strong without being braggadocious, confident without being cocky, and overall the ideal boyfriend. Most of the girls in our class would fall head-over-heels for you in two minutes maximum, and you just gave Ako a lot more than two minutes. Trust me when I say that she’s totally and completely in love with you and tell me something, Wildfire; do you think she’ll be dissuaded from pursuing or pining for you if there’s any chance - even a one-in-a-million chance - that you might reciprocate?”

Negi’s face was as red as a tomato by this point, but he pushed away his embarrassment to consider her point. “Well, I mean, if I just-”

“No way in hell!” Sunset snapped. “What, were you planning on telling her you were returning to Wales? Trust me, that wouldn’t stop her. She’d write you. Weekly, at least. She’d give her letters to ‘Negi-sensei’ and ask him to deliver them. Which leaves you with two bad options. Either you could string her along, pretend to be Nagi and write her back, or you could ignore her, leaving her in limbo wondering why you weren’t writing back. And even if she eventually stopped writing, her heart would ache for ‘Nagi’ for months afterward. And if you ever had to don this disguise again and she saw you…” Negi’s eyes went wide as he took her point.

“That’s why you need to crush her hopes. Say that you have a girlfriend back in Wales. Actually, a fiance would be better. Apologize for leading her on. Say that that wasn’t your intention, that you were just trying to cheer her up. It’ll hurt her. A lot. She might even hate you for it. But it’ll cut off her pining for you then and there.”

“I-I-I can’t do that!!!” Negi cried desperately. “I- That would hurt Ako-san so much!”

“I agree,” Sunset said with a nod. “But better to rip off the band-aid now than to string her along for the next several months or years.

“The second option is to accept her. Of course, you’d have to do so as ‘Negi Springfield,’ which would mean telling her about magic. Tell her about mages, the magical world, me and Asuna and all the rest, everything. And if she still has feelings for you…” Sunset grit her teeth but pressed on. “Well, then either agree to go out with her, or let her down; I recommend the latter.” Seeing Negi starting to panic, she held up a hand. “Gently, Wildfire. Let her down gently. Cutting her off and crushing her hopes would be a terrible idea with this strategy; it would only work with Nagi because she won’t be seeing him around all the time. Just… respond to her like you would if she’d confessed to ‘Negi’ instead of ‘Nagi.’”

Negi stood in silence for a while, pondering Sunset’s advice. Sunset, meanwhile, glared at him and grit her teeth. This freaking idiot! None of this would have happened if he weren’t so freaking oblivious! No matter what happens, Ako’s going to be horribly embarrassed: either for asking out a taken man, or for not realizing that “Nagi” was a fabrication. Agh! Why can’t this idiot kid THINK before he acts?!

You’re being awfully hard on him, chastised a small voice in her mind, a voice that resembled a certain annoying pink alicorn’s. After all, he is just a child.

That’s no excuse! Sunset fired back. Power. Responsibility. They go hand in hand. Wildfire needs to grow up and get that! He could do serious harm to Ako with this stunt if he handles her confession wrong!

But he won’t. You gave him good advice. The worst that will happen is a little embarrassment for Ako, and you can easily help her through that. Honestly, Sunset, you’re overreacting.

Shut up! Sunset began pacing, glaring at the ground. This is one of my best friends we’re talking about here! I realize how ironic that is coming from me, but I’m not going to let this… this idiot hurt my friends if I can help it!

And yet you suggested that he let her down. Wouldn’t it hurt her less if he tried dating her?

Sunset tripped over herself, nearly stumbling to the ground as the notion struck her. ...what? Wait… what? That’s…

Come to think of it, why had she recommended he reject her? Sure, she’d thrown her support behind Nodoka, but if Ako’s feelings for Negi persisted after she learned the truth, then shouldn’t she give both of her friends equal support? Certainly, Ako had enjoyed her time with Negi on their date. And though the notion caused inexplicable irritation to spike, she could imagine them together quite easily.

So, why had she recommended that he reject her.

“Thank you, Nichibotsu.”

Sunset looked up from her musings, blinking in confusion. “Huh?”

Negi was smiling sheepishly at her. “I guess I really didn’t think this through. I’m not sure Ako-san is as in love with me as you say, but she does seem to have feelings for ‘Nagi.’ I… I really shouldn’t have let that happen.”

Sunset hesitated, caught a bit off-guard. “Er, I mean, just going around looking like that might have been enough.”

Negi blushed again and cleared his throat. “I-in any case, you’re right. I can’t leave things unsure. It wouldn’t be right to Ako-san. I’m… still not quite sure how I’m going to respond to her, but I’ll definitely give it the thought it deserves.” He bowed. “Thank you, Nichibotsu, for helping me avoid another mistake.”

It was Sunset’s turn to blush as she turned away. “D-don’t get me wrong. I did this for Ako’s sake, not yours. If you want to self-destruct then be my guest; just don’t take my friends down with you.” She turned back to Negi. “Although, there is one thing we still need to discuss.”

“Really? What’s that?”

“My fee.” Sunset smirked at Negi’s befuddled expression. “I know all about your little time machine. My World Tree shift was this afternoon, but I’ve missed half of it already following you and Ako around. You and I are going to finish out this day, and then you’re going to take me back with you to right after the tournament this afternoon.”

Negi stared at Sunset in shock. “How… how did you know…”

Sunset smirked, opening her handbag and pulling out her change of clothes. “I have my sources.” She popped a blue pill and started to strip out of her now too-big clothes. “Now let’s go. I know there’s three of them, but I don’t trust Kotarou, Chisame, and Chachamaru not to mess up their patrol.”

*****

Sunset needn’t have worried. Apart from one close encounter which she intercepted, Ako didn’t go anywhere near where Negi and Madoka were searching. Sunset kept a covert eye on Ako and her three tails until her friend disappeared backstage.

“Whew!” Kotarou let out a sigh of relief as Sunset walked up behind them. “This sort of spy stuff is surprisingly nerve-wracking. How am I so tired when all we’ve been doing is walking around?”

“Mental strain,” Sunset answered, making all three of them jump. “Tailing someone is all about discipline, and thus mental energy.” She smirked up at Kotarou. “Something that you are sorely lacking in.”

Chachamaru looked away while Chisame snickered. “So,” the third-grader look-alike said, “how’d things go with the kid?”

Sunset shrugged. “Well enough. I don’t think he’s going to ruin her life with some drawn-out fake relationship crap, so that’s the worst-case scenario avoided. He’s either going to shut her down hard or tell her the whole truth.”

“The whole truth, huh?” Chisame nodded. “Makes sense. Where’s the kid now?”

Sunset nodded towards the stands. “He went to get a good seat. We should probably go too. Trust me, you don’t want to miss Decopin Rocket. Something tells me that their performance is going to be spectacular.”

Sunset’s assessment was right. About twenty minutes later, they were enjoying the band’s rock-and-roll performance. Madoka shredded on lead guitar while Misa took lead vocals and added her rhythm guitar. Sakurako pounded enthusiastically on her drums, clearly having a blast. Ako was by far the most reserved of the four on her bass, but Sunset could see the happy smile on her face, free of nerves and full of joyful anticipation. Makes sense, she thought. After confessing your feelings for someone, what’s a performance in front of a few hundred spectators? She looked around the university stage’s seating with a frown. Can’t believe this place was trashed such a short time ago. I wonder if anyone else knows that a demon was killed in these very stands… Sunset shook her head, turning her attention back to the stage. Whatever. The past is past. Right now, Ako deserves my full attention. ...and the other three too, I guess.

*****

“I hate to admit it, but you guys are pretty good.”

Misa and Madoka glared at Sunset as she approached them backstage. The performance had gone off without a hitch, and Sunset had snuck back quickly to congratulate her friend. Unfortunately, she’d run into these three first. “What do you want, Nichibotsu?” Madoka spat while Sakurako looked on nervously. “Only family and friends are supposed to be back here.”

“Good thing I’m a friend then, huh?” Sunset smirked. “Well, friend to one of you at least.”

Misa ground her teeth together. “You-”

“Misa-chan!” Sakurako cried. “She’s right!” She flinched as three shocked faces turned her way. “I mean, she’s here for Ako-chan, right? Not for us. Can’t we just… call it a truce for right now? For Ako-chan’s sake?”

Misa and Madoka hesitated, giving Sunset appraising glares. Sunset returned their gazes, her own expression cool but not confrontational. Finally, Misa sighed. “If she can be civil for once,” she muttered, “I suppose we can simply ignore each other.”

Sunset readied a snide remark but caught Sakurako’s pleading look. She sighed and glared to the side. “Fine. Works for me. Truce.” She hesitated a moment. “I… I did mean it. You guys are pretty good. Ako said you were.”

Madoka chewed on her lip for a moment. “Thanks,” she finally muttered.

Sakurako let out a sigh of relief and brightened up. “Ako-chan’s been telling us about your lessons with her,” she said cheerfully. “She says you encourage her a lot!”

Sunset smiled fondly towards the changing room; the other girls had let Ako have it to herself again so no-one would see her scar, though Sunset knew there was another reason for her wanting to be alone. “She’s a talented girl, and she thinks much too lowly of herself. I’m glad she was able to work up the courage to confess today, even if it doesn’t work out.”

“CONFESS!!!” All animosity was forgotten as the three girls crowded up into Sunset’s face, their expressions full of shock and excitement.

“Ako-chan confessed?!” Misa gaped, disbelievingly.

“To that total hottie from before?!” Sakurako squealed in delight.

“When?! Where?! How?!” Madoka demanded.

Sunset took a step back from the girls, rolling her eyes. Ugh. Teenagers. Always obsessed with romance. “I don’t know the details,” she lied. “I just happened to be passing by when she did it. She ran off before he could give an answer, though. He should be coming by soon to give her his response.” She heard a door open behind her and looked over her shoulder. “Speak of the devil…”

Negi - or rather, Nagi - walked into the room with Kotarou, smiling nervously. “Er, is Ako-san still here? I didn’t miss her, did I?”

The three cheerleaders’ eyes locked onto Negi, their gazes almost predatory. Sunset headed them off by gesturing towards the changing room. “She’s in there. Go on.” She gave him a small glare. “Knock this time.”

Negi blushed and nodded, walking past them and knocking on the door. A nervous “come in” sounded and Negi entered, closing the door behind him.

“Good luck,” Sunset muttered under her breath, staring at the door. After a moment, she realized that Misa and Madoka were staring at her in confusion. “What?”

“You… really do care about her,” Madoka said, astonished.

Sunset sighed and leveled a glare at her. “Sorry to break it to you two, but I’m not a heartless monster. Just because you got on my bad side doesn’t mean that everyone else does.” Madoka and Misa tensed and Sakurako started looking nervous again.

“Um, did something happen between you girls?” Kotarou asked bluntly.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh, nothing much,” she said airily. “They were annoying me while I was trying to study so I tormented them for hours with snide remarks and barely-veiled insults until they finally snapped.”

“And then she drug us all out the the World Tree plaza to insult us further,” Misa growled. “A third of the class, at least.”

Sunset shrugged. “Not my proudest moment, but it worked. Mostly.” She sighed and shook her head. “Look, I get that you two hold a grudge against me. That’s fair. But honestly, I couldn’t care less about you three. If you just leave me be, I’ll do the same for you. We’ll try to ignore each other when we have to be in the same room, and be civil when that isn’t an option. That goes for the twins, too.”

“You expect us to just let it go?” Madoka demanded. “Everything you said? A whole day of mockery and insults? You haven’t even apologized.”

Sunset considered that for a moment. “Apologize?” She hesitated. “I mean, I could, but I don’t think you’d want me lying to your faces. Let me be blunt; I’m not really sorry for what I said. It got you off my back, just like it was supposed to. I guess I could say that I’m sorry that that situation arose in the first place but - as I recall - I wasn’t given much choice in the matter. Really, you should be asking the Class Rep for an apology for sending you on a suicide mission.”

“You little-!”

Misa’s retort was cut off as Negi opened the door behind her, stepping out with a strange expression on his face. He met Sunset’s eye, smiling hesitantly.

“Now if you’ll excuse me,” Sunset said, ducking around the girls and slipping towards the changing room, “I need to go see my friend.”

“NICHI-”

Sunset shut the door behind her, locking it immediately. Misa pounded on it, shouting from the other side. Sunset rolled her eyes before ignoring her, turning to face Ako.

The blue-haired bassist sat on a chair, still in her performance outfit. She stared off to the side, a stunned, contemplative expression on her face. She didn’t react to Sunset’s entry, didn’t even seem to notice her. Sunet pulled up another chair and sat right in front of her, giving her another minute before she cleared her throat. “So, he told you, huh?”

Ako jumped, turning to face Sunset. She stared at her for a moment before blinking a couple of times. “Told me… you knew?” Her eyes widened. “Nichi-chan… you mean you’re also…”

Sunset smiled gently and reached forward, placing a hand on her knee. “It’s a lot to take in, huh? Yeah, I’m a mage.”

Ako stared at her for a moment more before leaning back, staring at the ceiling. “...yeah, he told me. Nagi-san, er, Negi-Sensei…” She sighed and brought up an arm to rest against her eyes. “I can’t believe I fell for someone who wasn’t real.”

Sunset withheld her chuckles and her teasings; Ako needed understanding right now, not further embarrassment. “Come on, Ako. You couldn’t have known. And even I have to admit that Wildfire’s a damn hottie aged up like that. Between that and his natural British charm, any girl in this school would have fallen for him. Trust me, you were the envy of the festival today.”

Ako was silent for a minute before she lifted her arm slightly, glaring at Sunset with one eye. “You were spying on our date?”

Sunset flinched at the accusation. “Sorry. But with Wildfire being the trouble-magnet that he is, I thought I should tag along just in case.” She hesitated for a moment. “Kotarou, Chachamaru, and Chisame were there, too.”

“...sure. Why not.” Ako covered her eyes again. “The more the merrier, right? All the better to make fun of poor, stupid me who fell head-over-heals for a complete stranger who didn’t even-”

“That’s enough!” Ako flinched and sat upright at Sunset’s shout. Sunset held her gaze, her eyes filled with intensity. “You aren’t an idiot, Ako. You couldn’t have known that it was Wildfire pulling that stunt. If anyone’s to blame for this, it’s him. Kotarou’s a brat who doesn’t get all of this to begin with, and Chachamaru doesn’t have a mean line in her programing. As for Chisame, I had to restrain and gag her to stop her from interfering in your confession; she was almost as worried about you as I was. I guarantee that she’s not going to utter so much as a chuckle at your expense.” And if she does, I’ll make sure they never find her body. “And as for me…” Sunset’s expression softened, a hint of worry mixed with hurt entering her features, “...do you really think I’d make fun of you for this?”

Ako looked down, ashamed. “...no. I… I’m sorry, Nichi-chan. I shouldn’t have said that. I know that if you were following us, then you did it for my sake. It’s just…” she sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. “It’s just so frustrating. I mean, I finally did it. I finally took a risk and put myself out there. Took a step to make myself more than just the side character in everyone else’s stories l-like you always t-tried to inspire me t-to d-do. A-a-and it all j-just… j-just…”

Sunset reached out and pulled Ako into an embrace, letting her friend sob quietly into her shoulder as she rubbed her back. “Hey, hey. None of that, okay? It was amazing, what you did. You have nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. If things hadn’t been how they were, I have no doubt that Nagi Springfield would have been over the moon to have you as his girlfriend. Anyone would be lucky to be with you. Shh, shh. It’s okay.”

They sat there for a few minutes, Sunset muttering reassurances to Ako as she cried herself out. Finally, Ako pulled away, sitting upright again and looking away with flushed cheeks. “Um, sorry, Nichi-chan.”

Sunset waved her off. “Hey, that’s what friends are for, right?” She sighed and glared off to the side. “I swear, I’m going to beat that idiot into next week for this.”

“Y-you don’t need to-”

“Yes I do. No-one gets to hurt my friends and get away with it, no matter how good their intentions.” She turned back to Ako. “You… do know that, right? That he meant well, I mean.”

Ako nodded. “Y-yeah, I know. I mean, I was kind of a mess yesterday, er, tonight? Um…”

Sunset chuckled. “Yeah, time travel wreaks havoc on language.” That got a giggle out of Ako, much to Sunset’s relief. “You certainly weren’t a mess this time around. I saw your performance; you were amazing!”

Ako blushed. “I mean, after working up the nerve to confess, performing on stage wasn’t really that hard. And I remembered all of your encouragement about how good I am if I don’t overthink things. I just…” she looked down, her blush deepening, “...I just imagined I was playing for you again.”

Sunset felt her own cheeks reddening at that. Sweet Celestia, Wildfire is a freaking idiot to turn down someone this adorable! What the hell is wrong with him?! “Er, glad I could help, I guess.”

Ako giggled again and looked up, finally smiling. “Yeah, thank you.” They were both quiet for a moment before Ako cleared her throat. “So, um, I guess I should actually get around to changing.”

Sunset stood up, turning away. “Er, yeah. I’ll, um, I’ll tell the others that you’re going to be a minute.” She took a few steps towards the door before pausing. “Er, Ako? I’m, that is, the Library Exploration Club is doing tours of Library Island tonight. The first tour starts in a bit, but we’re running them every ten minutes. Would, ah, that is, would you like to come?”

Ako cocked her head to the side, confused at Sunset’s reticence. “Um, sure. I’ll make my way over once I’ve changed.”

“Yeah, cool. Sure. I’ll see you there, then.” Sunset quickly left the room, speeding past Ako’s angry bandmates and making her way through the festival towards Library Island. All the while, she fought to wrestle the blush from her face, along with a stupid smile.

What the hell is wrong with me?

Comments

[Snowdrifter]

What the hell is wrong with me?

Lightbulb...

[JDunk1971]

Welcome to the wonderful world of raging teenage human hormones, Nichibotsu-san.

[Show Stopper]

11210981
"Welcome back," more like.

[Pinklestia]

You are in a teen girl body instead of your real body so that's messing you up, I mean in the Equestria Girls movie Twilight agreed on dancing with a complete stranger then once she was back at being a pony she completely ignored him.

[Dorath]

What the hell is wrong with me?

🎵Sunset has a crush🎵

[Aemon Targaryen]

It turned out that the secret to Negi’s, Kotarou’s, and Chisame’s age-changes had been a bottle of blue and red pills: blue to make you younger, red to make you older. After a quick shopping run for larger clothes, Sunset had popped a red pill. The results were very pleasing. She now had the appearance of a woman in her early 20’s, with curves in all the right places and hair reaching all the way down to her waist. She wore tight jeans, high heels, and a teal button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. A handbag was slung over her shoulder, holding her younger self’s clothes. She felt the eyes of almost every man around on her - not to mention the jealous glares of other women - and reveled in the attention.

I need a fanart.

Sunset smirked, opening her handbag and pulling out her change of clothes. “I have my sources.” She popped a blue pill and started to strip out of her now too-big clothes. “Now let’s go. I know there’s three of them, but I don’t trust Kotarou, Cisame, and Chachamaru not to mess up their patrol.”

Chisame

_______

I am a bit torn by the end due to me shipping Sunset with Chisame and/or Zazie.