A Road To Friendship

by SunTwi06

Family & Social Distancing

When she finished resting for the day, Sunset Shimmer eventually sat up. While the injuries still stung, she was able to walk with little trouble. After preparing for school, Sunset left the house ready for a new day. Now she felt like a new woman, perhaps for the first time in her life, marked with a genuine smile.

Fifteen minutes later, she made it to school just as the bell rang, with everyone already seated. Twilight’s words rang through her head, as she took her seat. Though still shocked by her behavior, Sunset couldn’t help but chuckle just thinking about it. She soon spotted Twilight Sparkle and sat close to her so they could talk.

“So, you’re an old child?” Sunset asked.

“Actually no,” Twilight replied, shaking her head. “I have an older brother, but he attends another school. We don’t get to talk very often, though.”

“Hmm… Makes sense. Though, you never brought up any family whenever we talk.”

“You never asked,” Twilight replied. “What about you? Do you have family?”

“Two younger brothers,” Sunset replied.

“Well, that must be nice.”

“Sometimes… But they can be a terror to work with. Hard work, for sure, but they’re bold and fun to hang with. You should meet them sometime.”

“Bold and fun, huh…?”

Sunset believed Twilight was still under the impressions the former was angry for piling the workload onto her. But if Sunset was being honest, it didn’t really bother her anymore. She realized Twilight Sparkle had good intentions, so she had no reason to hold it against her. Not ignoring she was partly to blame, being a jerk. But now, she vowed to be a special person for Twilight Sparkle and not some lapdog made to follow orders. Even if they weren’t seeing each other… Just yet.

“Actually, to tell you the truth, I had no clue you were so fast,” Sunset said, smiling into the distance. “Not to mention you would go that far just to help me out.”

Twilight looked out the window, before turning back to her.

“You’re right,” She said, happily. “It was pretty fast, wasn’t it?”

A few minutes passed and they had done their homework together, yet Sunset realized she hadn’t said a word. She seemed to be thinking about something, though what it could be Sunset had no idea. Something was bothering Twilight, Sunset noticed, as she gave a tiny tap on the latter’s shoulder and she jumped like a startled cat.

“You okay?” Sunset asked.

Twilight nodded yes, but she still didn’t say a word. Sunset wanted to understand, but she felt she wronged her for whatever reason, and she was keeping it under wraps just so Sunset wouldn’t worry. Eventually, she got out of her seat and left without so much as a later. Sunset suspected something was eating at her and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

As soon as the bell went off, Sunset walked to her next class… But she wasn’t there. Now this made no sense: She’s the group leader in this class, but Sunset hoped it wasn’t serious.

After the final bell rang, Sunset decided to wait outside so they could walk home together. The sky got darker and soon she realized Twilight wasn’t coming. Sunset got up and started for home herself. Fifteen minutes later, she made it home and entered her room, thinking all the ‘what ifs’.

“Maybe she was just busy tonight,” Sunset thought. “Probably had other plans, no big deal, right? Right!”

Sunset figured she could just sleep on it and everything would make sense tomorrow.

<>

One Week Later…

After waking up and following her usual morning routine, Sunset Shimmer left the house and made a quick beeline for school. It took no longer than five minutes and once again, Sunset didn’t see a soul on campus. She decided to wait at the steps for Twilight… But she never showed. As a matter of fact, it’s been a whole week and still no sign of Twilight. Now, Sunset was getting worried. After all, it was unlike her to be absent before school begins.

At first, Sunset thought nothing of it. But after a while, she came to realize Twilight was acting weirder than usual. A few days ago, Twilight dropped out of her class and had been avoiding Sunset Shimmer like the plague. She distanced herself as far from Sunset as possible, but she didn’t understand why.

“Did I do something wrong?” Sunset thought, disappointed.

<>

Three days earlier…

“Hey Sunset!” Twilight greeted. “Wanna have a group study together sometime? There’s a big exam coming in a few days and I figured it be nice to have a study date together.”

“Ah, that sounds like an awesome idea!” Sunset said, glowing with excitement. “I love it!”

“Oh, I see what you’re planning… You’re trying to get an easy grade without doing the work?” Twilight asked, sarcastically.

Sunset laughed the joke away, never realizing how funny Twilight was. Of course, as they left the school, Sunset would be lying if she said it was ‘untrue’. As they walked together, Twilight suggested she show Sunset her home and Sunset realized she never actually seen what her house looked like. For ten minutes, they’d walk and talk, mostly about school-related stuff, before they eventually arrive at the house.

Of course, it didn’t look like a house but more of an imperial palace. It was unlike any home Sunset had ever seen before. The school looked like an apartment complex compared to this place, and that was barely scratching the surface.

“Now this place is fitting for a king!” Sunset exclaimed.

“Ah, you’re just exaggerating,” Twilight said, sighing.

After unlocking the door, they head inside Twilight’s mansion. Sunset took in the surroundings, staring in awe. Everywhere she looked every corner was decorated with paintings, trophies, and papers ranging from diplomas to degrees in science… ‘All’ of them. Sunset couldn’t help but stare at ‘everything’, inch-by-inch, completely amazed.

“You’re kidding? It’s so spacious!” Sunset said, looking around. “You never told me you were wealthy; I’m kind of jealous.”

“Mm hmm…” Twilight replied, walking ahead. “Mom! Dad! I’m home! I brought a friend over!”

Sunset was still looking at everything when her parents arrived, as Twilight introduced them to her guest.

“Why, hello there,” Twilight’s father greeted, smiling. “I didn’t know my daughter had such an adorable classmate.”

“Oh, you’re too kind,” Sunset said, graciously. “I bet you tell that to all of Twilight’s friends.”

“Actually, you’re the first friend she’s brought over in ages. I hope you two turn out to be the best of friends.”

“Oh, I think we’re well on our way, sir.”

“If you’re staying later, I have a cake in the oven,” Twilight’s mother said, smiling.

“You girls have fun, but not ‘too much’ fun,” Twilight’s father joked.

“Dad…!” Twilight said, flustered.

Climbing to the upper floor, Twilight led Sunset into her room. Compared to her room, Twilight’s was much more, in a word… Spiffier. Well-organized, furnished, and not a speck of dirt in sight. It was here they did their math homework together and the rest played itself out.

“You know, you can be really scary with your ‘acting’,” Twilight said, stunned.

“Well, I’ve been doing it for sixteen years,” Sunset chuckled, cheerfully. “It’s become part of me. But seriously, you have the nicest parents in the world. You’ve really lucked out.”

That got Twilight to smile and laugh, something Sunset liked about her. For the next few hours, they studied together and by the time they were done, the cake was just about ready.

<>

The next day…

The girls went over to Sunset’s house, which was ‘dirty’ compared to Twilight’s mansion. Sunset had to admit she was nervous the closer they got to the house.

“I feel I should warn you,” Sunset warned. “My place… It’s not as good as yours. So, don’t expect too much, okay?”

“I’ve told you earlier, Sunset,” Twilight replied. “Don’t worry about it. As long as we can hang out, that’s all that matters.”

“I know, but still…”

But Sunset left at that, as they arrived at her place and she opened the door.

“I’m home!” Sunset yelled.

“Hey Sunset!” Sunset’s mother called. “And you brought a fri—”

Sunset stopped herself, taken off-guard by Twilight showing herself.

“Hey there,” Twilight greeted.

Sunset looked on silently, at the awkward exchange between her mother and her friend. Of course, Sunset’s mother held nothing against Twilight, though it was uncharacteristic of her daughter to bring someone to their house. Just then, Sunset’s father barged in from across the room, as Twilight smiles and greets herself.

“It’s very nice to meet you, sir,” Twilight smiled. “I’m Twilight, Twilight Sparkle.”

The two parents looked at the duo in amazement, then eventually bowed as a means of being polite.

“Please take care of our little girl,” They said, in unison.

“What’s with this act all of a sudden?!” Sunset asked, annoyed. “I’m sorry, Twi. They don’t usually greet people like this.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Twilight assured. “I like your parents. They’re very nice.”

Leaving it at that, the parents head to the kitchen to speak to each other privately… Privately between themselves and Sunset’s brothers. Sunset lead Twilight upstairs so they could study, but her family’s private conversation turned… Loud.

“At least she has taste for looks, am I right?” Snips asked. “Or maybe, she just wants someone who would follow her lead?”

“Oh great, now they’re making jokes about us,” Sunset muttered, under her breath.

“She was never in love from the start,” Snails added. “Why would she be interested now? She just sees them as ants at the end of the day.”

“Right?!” Snips said, flabbergasted. “She’s demonic when it comes to ‘friends’. I’m still shocked you’re not freaking out over this, pops.”

“Well, I’ll admit I was very surprised,” Sunset’s dad said, calmly. “But you never know when someone like her may appear again. It’s not often we get guests.”

“Oh. So basically, ‘keeping’ her will keep Sunset in check, right?” Snips asked. “Boy, I tell you, parents can be scary sometimes.”

As they continued talking, Sunset grew angrier, her whole face blushing red at the same time.

“Sunset, it’s alright,” Twilight said, trying to calm her. “Don’t worry about it…”

But nothing could be said to soothe Sunset’s anger. Storming her way downstairs, Sunset walked into the kitchen staring daggers into their souls. Her entire family immediately turned toward Sunset, the boys seeing she was beyond angry.

“Why are you guys so dumb?!” Sunset yelled, chasing the boys.

“Run!” Snails said, laughing. “She’s gone mad!”

Sunset chased them all through the house, not realizing that by the time she caught up with them… Twilight Sparkle had just left.

<>

Now that Sunset thought about it, that was very humiliating. But it seemed fun in a way, she knew the boys meant no harm. Before any of this, she never thought she’d laugh with anybody, much less ‘hang out’. Except now… For whatever reason, Twilight Sparkle suddenly treated Sunset Shimmer like a stranger and barely speaks to her.

“So, what happened?” Sunset thought.

After walking for a bit, she saw Twilight Sparkle hanging with their other classmates. Sunset walked over, hoping to strike up a friendly conversation.

“Hey Twilight,” Sunset called out. “What’s up?”

But when Twilight Sparkle turned to her, it felt different. She barely looked alive, barely exchanging a glance.

“What is it?” She asked, coldly.

Sunset was taken aback by the lack of emotion in her voice, but she powered through it.

“Oh, um… I was just… Told to hand this paper to you,” Sunset replied, holding her hand out. “So… Here it is!”

“Thanks.”

But the way Twilight said that, other than taking the paper, she barely acknowledged Sunset’s existence. And just like that, Twilight went back to talking with the others giving Sunset the cold shoulder. Twilight hardly said a word after that, so Sunset left so she can speak with her friends.

Just then, she heard the rumble of thunder and watched as it began to rain outside. As if fate was giving her a sign that she should tell Twilight something. She may not understand what’s going on, but whatever Sunset did she was determined to fix it. As she watched the rain, the sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention. She turned around and there she was: Twilight Sparkle.

Sunset waved with a casual smile, but Twilight just ignored her. Sunset didn’t understand it. Just a week ago, they were just getting to know each other, but now… Sunset was treated like a ghost. It made her very depressed, with more questions than answers and no rational explanation. For the first time in her life, Sunset Shimmer felt… Stupid.

All her life, Sunset pretended to be the good girl for everyone. She never truly knew anybody, so she had no idea what to do or who to go to for advice. She never felt rejection before, never even made such a difficult decision on her own terms. Sunset was not one to speak from the bottom of her heart and rarely involved herself in an argument, if any at all. After all these years, she realized her greatest flaw: She hated losing. She pretended to be nice and never unveiled her true self, only because she didn’t want to lose it. She never dreamed she would be placed in this position, but now that she has… It’s the most painful experience of her life.

Grabbing her umbrella, Sunset proceeds to walk alone on this cold, rainy night. With each and every step she took, her sense of isolation grew. It was difficult to be alive without someone in her life, even when around other people. Sunset thought if she had no weaknesses, she’d be immune to misery, but today she was wrong. Ever since the day she crossed paths with Twilight Sparkle, Sunset learned that everything in her life made no sense anymore. The latter must be having problems of her own… But how?

Unlike Sunset’s family, Twilight’s family is humble, sweet, and everything a girl could ever wish for. There had to be more to it than that. Like Sunset, Twilight played the part of the perfect girl at school. She acts relaxed around her, but when everybody else is around, she’s calm and collected. The more Sunset tried to figure her out, the more stumped she felt, questioning every reason behind her actions.

“If we didn’t have such similar goals, how could she act so perfect?” Sunset asked herself.

Sunset figured Twilight must’ve snapped at some point, sometimes she wondered if she was ever really happy… Or if that was another act. Or maybe, the more Sunset thought about, maybe this whole thing was her own fault. She must’ve spited Twilight at some point. She must’ve felt guilty for confessing in the heat of the moment.

“Perhaps… She’s begun to notice I’m falling for her?” Sunset pondered. “It must be bothering her, that must be it. But why wouldn’t she tell me? It would certainly explain her apathetic attitude towards me… Could it?”

The more Sunset pondered, the sooner she arrived at home. As she entered the house, she headed straight to bed and stared at the ceiling before going to sleep. Starting tomorrow, she was going to confront Twilight Sparkle… And she’s going to fix this.

Comments

[Dramamaster829]

If I wasn't so crazy about social distancing before, I am definitely feeling bad for Sunset Shimmer at this point (The irony of it all is that there's not even a virus involved in this story). It all basically starts with the girls introducing each other to their families, as we can see the contrast between their lifestyles. Twilight Sparkle seems to have it all with the household fit for a king and with some amazing parents that any child can ask for. But then we get Sunset's family style, whom we see the most throughout the entire story, and they are about as rowdy as the household itself... Well, the 'brothers' anyway. And yet it's only after this one embarrassing scenario at Sunset's that suddenly whatever relationship Twilight and Sunset were building took a hard left turn for the oddest reason.

And suddenly, just like that, Twilight not only stops talking to Sunset, much less being in the same room as her, but she barely even knows Sunset is there. Now earlier, Sunset was the one aiming to give Twilight a hard time, just to prove who's the true Queen Bee at this school. But then when Twilight is the one who starts acting cold towards Sunset, it's like a huge slap in the face. And to add fuel to the flame, Sunset was actually starting to care about Twilight Sparkle... Maybe even 'like' like her. I know exactly how that feels.

[ghoul-of-the-background]

Twilight Why!!?
Either Twilights coldness has an ulterior motive or there's something up with her home life.
My guess is she does know about Sunset crush but, feels awkward about it. Considering she made her be her homework mule.

[SunTwi06]

10286748 All will be explained in due time.

10286688 Ironcilly, I didn't even think about the chapter name until you brought it up.

[Dramamaster829]

10286756
It's funny because I was feeling the same way.

[SunTwi06]

10286763 At least I didn't upset anyone so there's that.

[Dramamaster829]

10286764
You can never truly upset anyone. You are an artiste. You have vision and you saw it through. It's all coming together very nicely. And a strong following has grown because of your eye for storytelling.

[SunTwi06]

10288729 Not the weirdest takeaway from this but I thankful you're enjoying it so far

[OmniFox]

Where's Spike?