9. A Stuttering Confession
The next day, Twilight was surprised to see Sunset waiting for her in front of Crystal Prep. She had healed from her injuries quite well overnight, but the bruise on her cheek was just barely visible under the makeup if you knew to look for it.
“Hey, Sunset,” Twilight greeted as she approached. “I was half expecting you to take the day off school today.”
Sunset pulled Twilight into their customary greeting hug as soon as she was in arms reach. “It wasn’t as bad as it looked. Besides, I already spent almost a week being behind on schoolwork, I don’t want to go straight back to that now.”
Twilight gave her a smile as they made their way through the doors. “I’m just glad you’re feeling well.”
Sunset walked Twilight to her first class of the day — maths — and left with a promise to see her after the class. The two of them didn’t share any classes on Wednesdays, but they did both have a free period just before lunch.
Math class was rather mundane. Though, if Twilight were to be honest with herself, all her classes had started to become rather mundane after she started spending time with Sunset and especially after Sunset started telling her about magic.
After the class ended, Twilight sat doodling in her notebook until Sunset showed up.
“Whatcha drawing?” She heard her friend’s teasing voice over her shoulder.
“Nothing!” Twilight hastily closed the book, but she was sure Sunset had gotten at least a decent look at it first.
Sunset laughed. “I think it’s cute that you’re drawing little unicorns, but you really could use some practice.”
“I was just wondering what you might look like on the other side of the portal. I’m trying to picture ponies that can talk, and it just seems so silly.” Twilight blushed.
Sunset started leading Twilight out of the classroom and down the hall. “I guess you’ll just have to wait until I take you to Equestria,” Sunset replied, her teasing tone all but gone. “The ponies in Equestria really aren’t like the ones here. We’re much softer and cuter for one thing,” she added with a hint of bragging.
Twilight giggled. “Now I’m even more curious!”
“Yeah, there’s nothing quite like cuddling up to a pretty pegasus mare, with her soft wings wrapped around you like a warm blanket.” Sunset looked wistfully into the distance.
They walked in silence for a few moments, before the moment was broken by Sunset’s phone.
Sunset looked at what the new message said, then rolled her eyes and sighed.
“What was that all about?” Twilight asked.
Sunset waved her hand in a dismissive motion. “Nothing worth wasting our time with.”
Twilight frowned, but let the matter be. “So, I was thinking, since we both have a free period before lunch, we could spend that time together? I was hoping to get more help from you on some of my projects. We could even have our lunch in the lab.”
Sunset winced. “That does sound nice,” she said, tentatively. “But I was actually going to spend the lunch period with Neon today. Just the me and him, if that’s okay with you?” She added. They stopped walking, having reached Twilight’s next classroom.
Twilight prevented her smile from faltering too much. “Of course. I mean, I really like hanging out with you, but it’d be unfair of me to demand that you spend all of your time with me instead of your boyfriend.” She laughed nervously. “So, you still want to spend the free period with me?” Twilight started twirling a lock of hair in her fingers.
“Well, yeah,” Sunset said. “Neon has a class then, so I’d just be reading in the library all by myself. There’s no fun in that.”
“Hey,” Twilight huffed. “Good quality reading time is fun.” She pouted, crossing her arms.
Sunset chuckled. “Okay, Twilight, you win. I can’t disagree with that cute face of yours.” She ruffled Twilight’s hair.
Twilight blushed furiously. “Y-you think I’m c-cute?” she half-whispered.
Sunset nudged her shoulder. “Of course I do. I’d have to be heartless not to.” Twilight was sure she had a stupid smile on her face, but try as she might, she couldn’t get rid of it. “So, I’ll see you after class.” Sunset waved and started towards her own classroom, leaving Twilight standing there, still smiling like an idiot.
Calm down, Twilight. She’s just a friend, it didn’t mean anything. Friends compliment each other all the time, she tried to convince herself as she took her seat and the bell rang. Stop reading so much into it!
Twilight didn’t usually have trouble focusing on physics, but by the end of the class, the page in her notebook was filled with more doodles than notes. Twilight blushed as she furiously erased the various hearts and stick figure unicorns.
By the time Sunset came to pick her up, Twilight had gotten rid of the embarrassing ‘evidence’ and stuffed her notebook into her bag.
“You ready?” Sunset asked from the doorway.
Twilight nodded, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and joining Sunset. “So, I was thinking. If you told me about the basic theory of how magic functions, I might be able to develop a way of measuring it!”
Sunset chuckled. “I probably should have seen this coming. I’ll try to remember what I can from CSGU, but I was always more for the practice than the theory.”
“CSGU?” Twilight asked.
“That’s ‘Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.’ Magic school in layman’s terms,” Sunset smirked. “Although, a fair warning; I tried to study magic in this world directly a little while ago, and it did not end well for me. I have reason to believe that magic works differently here than in Equestria, so I don’t know how much help I’ll be.”
Sunset left to go spend her lunch break with Neon, while Twilight just sat and ate her lunch alone. She didn’t use to mind that so much back when she did it every day.
Well, almost every day. She would occasionally have Cadance bring her take out and the two would eat together here in the lab or in Cadance’s office.
Thinking about it, she hadn’t done that in a while and decided that she might as well do so now.
She closed the lunch box containing her mostly uneaten noodles and started through the hallways towards the Dean’s office.
She stopped, however, when she heard a familiar voice around the corner. She was in a secluded part of the school where very few students would be — especially during lunch period.
“I see you’ve recovered pretty quick.” Twilight heard the unmistakable voice of Indigo Zap, laced with superior pride.
“I see you seem to have gotten off easy on your punishment. Did Cinch even bother to give you so much as detention?” That was unmistakably Sunset’s voice. She didn’t have the ‘bully’ voice she had used on Indigo before, though her voice was filled with confidence.
Twilight didn’t want to just leave them, in case Sunset needed her help. But she didn’t really want to reveal herself either. After yesterday, Indigo was a lot scarier than before.
“Detention for four weeks, minus the days where I need to practice,” Indigo said in a smug voice.
“Let me guess,” Sunset deadpanned. “You have practice every day, don’t you?”
Twilight heard Indigo laughing.
“In any case,” Sunset groaned. “I actually wanted to apologize for a few things.”
Twilight froze, and from the sound of it, so did Indigo.
“What? Really?” Indigo chuckled.
“Yes. See, I knew you were interested in Neon when I asked him out. I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but it’s clear that what I did caused you more pain than I realized.”
Twilight was shocked. Sunset really sounded sincere about this. Almost as if she actually liked the bully who beat her up only a day before.
“I’ve also come to realize,” Sunset continued after Indigo had been silent a few moments. “That Neon and I aren’t really working out. So I was hoping to offer you an olive branch.”
“What the heck are you talking about?” Indigo sounded very confused. A feeling Twilight could associate with in this moment.
“I’m gonna break up with Neon today, and if you do a little favor for me, I’ll give him a little shove in your direction.” Sunset’s voice was getting a hint of mischief.
“What favor?” Twilight didn’t need to see her face to know that Indigo was clearly holding back her anger.
“You leave me and Twilight alone. Simple as that.” Sunset responded.
Indigo laughed again. “You think I need your help?”
“Well, I could also tell him the truth about what happened to me yesterday… he was pretty upset to hear I’d gotten hurt, you know. A few well placed words and fake tears, and he’ll never give you the time of day. He is such an impressionable boy, after all” Sunset finished. Twilight could practically hear the smirk in her voice.
Twilight had to repress a shudder. She couldn’t help but remember a conversation she’d had with Sunset the day before.
Intimidation, manipulation, even blackmail. Those were the tools that let me control an entire student body. I like to think I’m pretty good at them by now.
Could this have been her plan from the start?
“You bitch!” Indigo yelled.
“Don’t be too hasty, now. Cinch may be able to let off with a slap on the wrist, but she can’t help you with your little crush, now can she?” Sunset’s voice softened a bit. “You should count yourself lucky that I have a good role model these days. By my standards, this is generous.”
Twilight stood frozen in place, just waiting.
“Fine. You two nerds aren’t worth the trouble, anyway.” Indigo spat the words at Sunset.
Twilight heard footsteps getting farther away, then a deep sigh coming from Sunset, before her footsteps started approaching the corner Twilight was hidden behind.
Twilight snuck away as fast as she could and hid in a bathroom nearby. She would probably have to confront Sunset about this later, but getting caught eavesdropping didn’t seem like the best way to start that conversation.
She sat in one of the stalls for a few minutes, before walking out into an empty hallway. She decided to go back to her lab. She needed to think some things through. Besides, she didn’t have much of an appetite anymore.
Twilight sat in her lab, waiting for the bell to ring. She had two classes left today, and after that she was going to talk to Sunset about this whole mess.
Did she actually get a boyfriend just so she could get Indigo to back off?
Twilight ruminated on this until Sunset came back.
“Hey. Bell’s about to ring, let’s get to class,” she said, waving her hand in a ‘come on’ motion.
Twilight stood up and followed after her. “So, uhm…” While she wanted to bring up Neon and Indigo, she knew that conversation would take much longer than the time it would take them to get to class. She had to hold off on that topic until after school. “Are you doing anything after school?” She asked.
Sunset shook her head. “Nope. You have something in mind?”
Twilight fiddled with the hem of her skirt. “I was thinking we could go to that café from the other day. It’s not too far from here, and I thought it’d be nice to just sit and chat for a bit.” She did her best to keep her voice sounding innocent, not wanting to give anything away.
Sunset gave her a smile. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”
They reached Twilight’s classroom and said their goodbyes. Twilight distracted herself with her classes as best she could, with mild success.
A couple hours later, Twilight and Sunset had their drinks and pastries, and took their seats in the same café where Twilight had found out Sunset had a boyfriend. Well, technically she found out on the way here, but the symbolism kinda worked.
This time they decided to take a couple of window seats. They were sitting next to each other facing the window, their eyes glancing between the snow covered streets outside and their food.
Sunset dug into her cake slice. “Mhm, this is really good!” she said.
Twilight held off from her own treat. Deciding to get straight to the point she said, “I heard what you said to Indigo during lunch.”
Sunset stopped chewing, and looked up at Twilight. She swallowed her bite. “Oh.”
“I kinda eavesdropped on you guys. But I didn’t mean to!” Twilight added, hastily. “I mean, at first I just didn’t want to leave you alone with her after what happened yesterday, and then I was just curious, and then I had been hiding there for so long it was feeling weird…” Twilight stopped to take a breath.
Sunset reached over to put her hand on Twilight’s. “It’s okay, Twilight. I’m not mad at you. But I clearly owe you an explanation.”
Twilight nodded. “Did you… did you plan that from the start?”
Sunset chuckled. “Getting right to the heart of the matter, huh?” she took a sip from her coffee. “Yes, I did.”
Twilight gaped at her. “A-and so you broke up with Neon? And he’s gonna go out with Indigo? How did you manage that? How did Neon take that?!”
Sunset looked away. “Yeah, pretty much… He wasn’t too surprised when I broke up with him, I dropped a few hints early on that it might happen.”
Sunset poked her cake slice with her fork. “I had also been talking a bit about Indigo around him. About how I thought she just needed someone to help her make better choices in life. It was pretty obvious to me that Neon did like her, at least a bit, so I made sure to keep it that way,” she looked down at her food, idly playing with it. “I wasn’t lying when I said he was impressionable. And I honestly think he’ll be good for her.”
Twilight idly stirred her tea. “You seem to be taking this whole thing very casually.”
Sunset took on a more serious expression. “Yeah. That’s what happens when you spend years being a self absorbed bully, seeing people only as tools and obstacles.” She looked guiltily up at Twilight. “I told you before that I was used to using people in pretty awful ways. Honestly, I enjoyed being able to use him and give him a good time while I was at it.”
Twilight blushed. “That almost sound like you, uhm…”
“Hey, I’m not that easy,” Sunset chuckled. “I just mean that we had fun going to the movies and stuff. And the odd kiss here or there.”
Twilight started eating her cake, trying to distract herself from various mental images she had unwittingly brought upon herself.
“You don’t think I went too far, do you?” Sunset continued. “I mean, this plan was by far the least malicious one I came up with.”
“Uh, that’s usually not the best justification for, well, anything.” Twilight said, giving her friend a worried look.
Sunset held her cup with both hands, staring into it. “Do you think I went too far?” She repeated in a soft voice.
Twilight took a sip of her tea. “Compared to what she did to you? Not even close. But it does look like Cinch might get into trouble herself. Hopefully Indigo will get actual punishment then." Twilight looked out the window. "Honestly, I just have a hard time seeing how someone could look at a relationship as, well, a tool.”
“Well, it wasn’t the first time I did something like this,” Sunset said, chuckling halfheartedly. “Shortly after I came here I started dating a boy named Flash. I didn’t really see much in him, to be honest. I only went out with him to become popular at school. And because he taught me a bunch about this place actually. Oh, and his mom would always feed me when I came over. I think she knew I wasn’t eating properly, and did everything she could to fix that.” Sunset smiled at a distant point somewhere outside the window.
“He taught me how to play guitar. At first I just wanted to get better at using fingers. That was also why I started drawing, by the way.” Sunset flexed hers for emphasis. “It was only later that I really started to enjoy them both for the art.”
Sunset chuckled, coming out of her reverie. “But even I was a love-sick teenager once too, you know. When I first dated someone, she was all I could think about for months.”
Twilight was about to take a bite of her cake, when her fork froze in mid air. “Uhm. She?”
Sunset nodded. “This was way back in Equestria. There was this cute pegasus mare who worked at a café I liked to go to after school.” Sunset smiled. “She was such a sweetheart, and at the time, she was the only thing that could get me to look up from my magic studies.”
Sunset paused to take another sip. “That lasted for a few years and we eventually drifted apart. I wonder what she’s up to these days?” she mused.
“So, you’re not straight?” Twilight ventured.
“Nah,” Sunset said. “I’d probably say I’m pan. So long as I can have an intelligent conversation with someone and I enjoy their company, I’ll at least consider them.”
Twilight felt her heart skip a beat. I might have a chance, she thought. I might actually have a chance! She could feel her heartbeat getting more frantic, her mind getting a little hazy. I don’t know what to do, I need Cadance!
She pulled out her phone, “Uh, hold on, let me just answer this real quick.” It was technically a lie, she had no message to answer, but she did have one to send.
Cadance! Sunset is single and pan. What do I do?!?!?!
“Sorry about that,” Twilight placed her phone face down on the table. “Cadance wanted to know what my favorite color is. I think she’s trying to buy my birthday gift ahead of time or something,” she laughed nervously.
“I don’t mind,” Sunset mumbled through a mouthful of cake. Her eyes widened, and she quickly swallowed with the help of her coffee. “Sorry, that was rude of me.”
Twilight heard the telltale sound of a vibrating phone. She snatched hers up in an instant to check her new message from Cadance.
I’m going to want to know what happened with her and Neon, but I guess that can wait. For now, ask her if she’s interested in you!
Oh, and good luck, Twily!
Twilight gulped, then turned to face Sunset fully. “So, uhm. Y-you said you could consider b-being with anyone who you could have an intelligent conversation with a-and whose company you enjoyed… would that by any chance include, uhm… me?” Try as she might, Twilight couldn’t keep the stutter from her voice.
Sunset looked at her with a pondering expression. Then, a smile spread across her face. “Well, we do tend to have some pretty engaging discussions every now and then.” She turned in her seat to face Twilight fully, leaning her head on her hand. “And I do really enjoy your company.”
Twilight stared at her for a few moments, smiling uncontrollably, before realizing Sunset was waiting for to say something.
“I-in that case…” Twilight hesitated.
“Yes?” Sunset encouraged, leaning forward a little.
She knows. She knows what I want to say, and she’s smiling. Just get the words out, Twilight, now is not the time to be a stuttering mess!
“I was w-wondering if maybe,“ Twilight had to stop to take a breath. Her breathing was far from even.
“Go on, Twilight. I’m not gonna bite.” Sunset smiled and put her hand on Twilight’s again. The smile was a reassuring one, but Twilight was convinced she saw a hint of mischief in there.
Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “If maybe you’d like to go out with me?” she managed to get the words out without stuttering, but her voice was still wavering a bit, and a few pitches higher than normal.
Sunset giggled lightly at Twilight’s display, but not in mean way. She squeezed Twilight’s hand for a moment. “I’d love to, Twilight.”
Twilight stared in amazement. “Okay,” she breathed.
Sunset chuckled at her.
Twilight couldn’t blame her. She must’ve looked pretty silly sitting there with wide eyes and a goofy smile plastered on her face.
Sunset returned to her food, and Twilight shifted to face the window again. “So, did you have anything in mind?” Sunset asked.
“What?” Twilight blinked, finally managing to shake some of the haze from her mind.
“For our first date?” Sunset said.
“Oh,” Twilight blushed. “I was kinda hoping you’d pick. You’re probably a lot better at it than me.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, usually the person who asks is the one to plan the date. But I’ll let you off the hook for this one. But you will have to plan some of the dates,” Sunset pointed her fork at Twilight. “I’m curious what you’d come up with.”
Twilight nodded. “Deal.”
Twilight’s phone vibrated with a new message.
Well?!?!
She smiled as she typed her reply.
I have a date!!
After she put her phone away, there was a brief silence while they focused on their food. Then Twilight, in a burst of daring, dragged her chair a little closer to Sunset, her eyes locked on her food.
Sunset noticed, and raised her eyebrow at the other girl.
Twilight blushed. She kept her eyes on her food, but she could see Sunset’s grin in her periphery.
Sunset chuckled, then moved her own chair to close the distance between them, until their shoulders were just barely touching. And the two of them leaned into that touch.
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Excuse me while I scream to the heavens. YEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!
9114236
Your not the only one. These two are such the cute couple.
9114236
9114268
Here, here!
The ship has sailed!
Hope in a sequel indigo tries something and gets a worst punishment
What if she asked nicely? Eh?
9114346
My first thoughts at that line, too!
FUCK YEAH GO TWILIGHT YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SQUEEEE!!! !
I await the sequel eagerly. I knew Sunset was doing things on purpose, and glad she has a good influence in Twilight. I hope they eventually do reconcile with the others.
"Too", not "to".
I was half expecting Cadance to burst in after a few minutes, snap a photo of them together and offer Twilight a high five.
9115318
"I have the evidence! I have it!" cadance shrieked as she ran in snapping pictures. Twilight looking like she could die right now.
Like that? :P
I was enjoying this fic, but the confirmation that Sunset was just dating Neon to have potential ammo against Indigo and the frankly too-forgiving reaction from Twilight has kinda put me off. It's manipulative and really unfair to Neon, and the way it just kinda gets brushed aside and then Twilight asks her out immediately leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well. There's no shortage of Sunlight out there.
Twilight’s confession scene had me smiling like an idiot.
9123184
Considering she was crushing on the girl and hoping things would fall apart anyway, I can understand why Twilight was so quick to forgive Sunset.
9123184
It helps that it seems Sunset was up front with Neon from the start that she wasn’t looking for anything serious.
That was not what I expected from this but I'll roll with it.
Nope, not awkward at all.
Not yet anyway😉
That was probably the most awkward way to get a date I've ever seen but so gloriously Twilight. I'm a mess when I like someone so she's already got one over on me
I'm also pan so thanks for the representation
9941907
I've heard this term 'pan' before, but i have no idea what it means. Would you mind filling me in?
9958007
To put it simply Cross,
"Pan" is the shortened term for pansexual
The meaning is that,
A panseual person will date anyone of any sex, race, religion, or whatever/whoever they feel comfortable with.
Hope that cleared up a few things.
10090422
So busexual+?
That literally embodies "I didn't think I'd get this far."
11411985
no, not bisexual, bisexual is dating someone of the 2 genders
See that, that right there would be a good indication that she's pan. If Twilight would pick up on those kind of cues