Gays and Gems

On a snowy winter day in Ponyville, a voice echoed across the streets.

“Welcome to Sunset Shimmer’s Six Days Before Hearth’s Warming Party!” Pinkie shouted through the door to Sugarcube Corner as it opened. The pink mare stuck her tongue out. “Oh, Sunset Shimmer, you’re finally here!”

Sunset Shimmer the unicorn rubbed her ears with her hoof. “Hey, Pinkie. I suppose this is the first time we’re meeting.”

Pinkie smirked conspiratorially. “Or so you believe. Well, come on in! Have some punch!”

Sunset took in the colorful decorations as she stepped in. It was only that morning that she told Twilight she wished she could go to a good old Equestrian Hearth’s Warming party without having to miss out on celebrating with her old high school friends; she should have figured that Pinkie would have something set up so soon.

Being in this place with so many other ponies felt warm and nostalgic. That said, it was pretty awkward seeing so many ponies that resembled people she knew but were definitely distinct beings. Rather than dealing with all that, she spent some time catching up with the two ponies she already knew well—Princess Twilight and Starlight Glimmer—along with a quick chat with Spike. However, once those options were exhausted, she found herself lingering near the punch bowl.

While sipping, she spotted Twilight talking to another mare. Was that… Rarity? She always considered the Rarity she knew pretty, but no matter how much time she spent as a human, she only had a weird secondhand appreciation of human aesthetics. However, seeing her all dressed up for a party and as, well, a pony, she was suddenly struck right in the deepest parts of her brain that holy crap she’s really pretty.

Sunset looked away. Having not been a pony for a while, she hadn’t fully gotten used to how her pony body acted. This Rarity was a complete stranger and she shouldn’t make it weird. It was best to avoid her if she was going to have thoughts like this.

However, she ended up not having a choice. “Sunset Shimmer, is it? My, you’re even prettier than I’ve heard.”

Rarity looked at her with a simple smile while holding her own cup of punch in one hoof. She wore a frilly red and white dress and had her hair up. And she was standing quite close.

Sunset’s face slightly reddened. “Oh, thank you. You look really nice too.”

Rarity laughed. “Well yes, that’s to be expected. I’m Rarity, by the way, though I know you’re already friends with another me. Truly fascinating.”

“Yeah, it is kind of weird being friends with everyone here yet also not. Except for Pinkie, because I’m pretty sure she was hinting she came to the human world and met me at some point.”

Rarity sighed. “I wouldn’t put it past that girl. She’s always off doing the strangest things. Is it the same with your Pinkie?”

Sunset was happy to see that she hadn’t, in fact, turned into a blubbering mess after an extended conversation. In fact, she felt quite comfortable. She got some more punch. “Oh yeah, definitely. Like there’s this one time—actually, I probably need to explain some things about the human world first.”

She proceeded to tell stories about her time in the human world, with Rarity often interjecting to comment or ask for more details. This continued on for a while and even started shifting to other topics, until they heard an “ahem” from below them. Both mares looked down to see Spike with his arms crossed.

“Look, I hate to do this,” Spike said while shaking his head, “but you two are kind of hogging the punch, so can you move?”

Sunset and Rarity looked around to see that a long queue had formed behind them. Both unicorns flushed and, with an awkward smile, moved to another part of the room.

“Well, that was awkward,” Sunset said with a laugh, then took a big sip of her punch.

Rarity sidled up against Sunset, practically pressing into her. She froze with her mouth still full of punch. It took a second for her to remember to swallow.

The white unicorn casually looked down and stirred her drink. “So, my lovely mare, I’m curious if you’re available sometime in between all your parties.”

Sunset’s mind went blank. “For what?”

Rarity separated a bit, but only so she could wildly lift her free front leg. “Why, for a tour of the human world, of course! It’s just so fascinating, with all their clothes and their two legs and their ability to actually make pants fashionable.” She waved her leg and narrowed her eyes. “Honestly, so many fashion designers have tried to make pony pants work, and it so rarely does. But in a world where so many, er, people wear pants, surely someone must have figured it out!”

Sunset nodded. “So you… want to learn about pants?”

Rarity’s eyes widened in excitement and she waved her legs in a way Sunset was sure would have spilled everything in her cup—though she soon noticed Rarity now carried it with magic. “Pants and so much more! But it isn’t just about fashion, I also have a general and genuine curiosity about the world you spend so much time in.” She settled back down. “There are just so few opportunities, and Twilight is far too busy to give tours. And lo and behold, here you are!”

Sunset hummed. “Well, there is a holiday party I’m having with all the girls—the human girls I mean. You might have fun talking to your other self.”

Rarity’s expression immediately changed as she waved her hoof in dismissal. “Ack, no. Two Rarities in a party are a dangerous combination. We’ll suck up all the attention, leaving nothing for anypony to do but fawn over us.” Her expression changed again as she smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. “Although, a mare like you might just be charming enough to counteract us.”

Sunset turned her head away and scratched the back of her head. “Oh, uh, thanks.”

Rarity really was complimenting her a lot, but… that was normal for Rarity, wasn’t it? There wasn’t any reason to look into it more. Nonetheless, Sunset felt her cheeks turning a bit more red.

After sufficiently getting her thoughts under control, Sunset turned back to Rarity. “So, what did you have in mind then?”

“Just you and me on a whirlwind tour of the human world! I’d find it very enjoyable to spend personal time with you.”

Sunset tilted her head. “Well, the entire human world is out of the question, but I can show you a small part of one city.”

Rarity nodded. “Day after tomorrow, then?”

Sunset’s eyes widened. “Uh…” That was indeed a day she didn’t have any parties, but that was one she set aside for… other purposes. She even kept it free of her friends. Still, Rarity looked at her with wide eyes and was giving her an adorable little pout. With a lot of hesitation, she ultimately finished her sentence with, “... sure. Sure. Let’s meet before lunch and I can show you around.”

Rarity clapped her hooves together. “Lovely! It’s a date! Now, if you pardon me, I must make sure Rainbow Dash isn’t, hmm, doing anything uncouth.”

Without waiting for a response, Rarity turned and walked away, then beelined for the back kitchen, leaving Sunset to figure out what she just agreed to.

Was this a date?

Sunset shook her head. No, that’s probably just what this Rarity calls a friendly outing.

Sunset walked in circles in front of the Canterlot High School statue. She wore a black, red, and orange patterned jacket and black pants. This close to noon, it was relatively warm, so she wore her jacket open, revealing an orange top. All the walking was keeping her warm too.

It was always awkward to come back to Canterlot High like this after graduating, and she was meaning to talk to Twilight or Starlight about finding a way to move it. But really, it was this “friendly outing” with Rarity that was making her nervous. She certainly knew how to handle human Rarity, but unicorn Rarity just felt different. Was it just the fact that she saw her as a unicorn? Or the fact that she was single?

Sunset shook her head. No. Friends. That’s all Rarity wants to be. They just had one conversation, after all. She shouldn’t read too much into it.

The base of the statue wobbled, showing that the portal was now active. Sunset stopped and quickly looked over her clothes for anything off. She didn’t see anything, but brushed off her jacket with her gloved hands regardless.

Then out of the portal stumbled a Rarity that very much looked like the one she knew, but with an ever so slightly different air to her. Older perhaps? Though Rarity would probably prefer “more mature”.

Rarity wore a solid white coat that went to her mid thighs and a purple pair of pants. Sunset couldn’t help but notice the sewing patterns in both, showing that these were high-end items. She almost considered praising Rarity before remembering these were summoned out of the aether by the portal. Another thing she meant to talk to Twilight about. Rarity also had a large brown purse dangling off of one shoulder, likely something she brought from Equestria.

To Rarity’s credit, she didn’t fall over as she transformed into a human, and instead wobbled on one foot until she finally settled down and stood on two feet with her arms out. She looked down at herself curiously before looking up and Sunset and waving with a bright smile. “Sunset! That’s you, isn’t it?”

Sunset laughed. “Yup, it’s me, Sunset Shimmer the human.” She walked over and grabbed Rarity’s bare hands, immediately making her face turn red. Sunset chose not to read into that too much, since turning into a human for the first time made the body do weird things. “Now, let’s get started with walking like a human. The important thing to remember is that you do it on two legs.”

Rarity stammered. “O-oh! Sunset, there’s no need to—I can walk just fine!” She pushed Sunset’s hands away and proceeded to march around with her knees lifted high. “See! I’ve actually been practicing.”

Sunset hummed. “I guess Twilight would have told you what to expect. Well, once you got walking down, the rest seems to come naturally, so I think we’re good to go.” Sunset fiddled with her jacket’s zipper. “Now, about the tour. This world’s Canterlot isn’t exactly a tourist destination, but there is a pretty nice museum. However, I think you might even find the normal everyday places interesting, like a clothing store—”

Rarity extended her arm forward. “Say no more, Ms. Shimmer! A clothing store is exactly where I want to go first.”

“I figured as much. There are a bunch near my apartment, including the store this world’s Rarity runs.”

Rarity gave a low hum. “Let’s not go there.”

Sunset grinned. “Because of too many Rarities in one place, right?”

“That is true, but it’s more that I want to understand human fashion on my own terms.” She spread her hands. “It just wouldn’t do if I cheated off of myself!”

“I suppose that makes sense. Well, like I said, there are a bunch of places we could go. Now if you follow me, I’ll show you what will bring us to our destination.”

They walked to the curb and Rarity stared incredulously at the strange red and black machine before her. She slowly stepped closer while also reeling back. “Good heavens, this thing is what will take us there?”

“Yup, it’s a motorcycle, also called a bike. You already know this world has machines that can move on their own, right? This is one of them, and she’s my baby.” Sunset proudly put her hand on the handlebar.

Rarity tilted her head. “This is going to move?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle everything. I’m going to sit down, and you’ll sit behind me and hold onto my waist. It’s going to be loud, and we’ll be moving kind of fast, but it’s completely safe, so you don’t have to worry.” Sunset sat down and patted the seat behind her.

With a lot of hesitation, Rarity sat down behind her.

“Oh, and you’ll want to put on this helmet,” Sunset said, handing her one from a saddlebag attached to the bike.

Rarity glared at her. “This doesn’t sound ‘completely safe’ to me.”

Sunset shrugged as she put on her own helmet. “It’s really more for legal reasons. I’ve had to avoid monster plants, I can handle city traffic.”

With a grimace, Rarity put on the helmet, making sure to fit her hair underneath.

Sunset winked. “Trust me, this’ll be fun. Now hold on!”

Once Rarity had the proper grip, Sunset started the engine.

Rarity was screaming before they even pulled away from the curb.

By the time they got into the city proper, Rarity had thankfully calmed down, though she still gripped Sunset with her life. Now that she didn’t have to deal with the screaming, Sunset took some shameless pleasure in the feeling of Rarity against her. However, that quickly came to an end as Sunset reached her apartment’s parking lot and stopped in her usual spot.

Sunset half expected Rarity to still be holding her, but instead she was immediately on her feet and adjusted her helmet-free hair with a smile as though she hadn’t been terrified a moment ago. “So this is the human world’s Canterlot! It feels more like a smaller Manehattan or Fillydelphia to me.”

Sunset leaned on her bike. “Here, Canterlot is just a small city. The Manehattan in this world is even bigger than the one in Equestria.”

Rarity waved her hand dismissively. “Well, it only makes sense when humans are bigger than ponies.” She pointed forward, albeit with her hands still in a fist. “Now come! We must get a look at human fashion! What places do you like, Sunset?”

“Well, I usually just go to Rarity’s—Human Rarity’s—when I need clothes, but if you insist on not going there, there’s someplace else nearby that should be good.”

Rarity nodded. “Splendid!”

They walked onto the main street and Sunset glanced at Rarity, expecting her to be gawking at all the people and their clothes. Instead, she had her fingers to her chin and was frowning.

Sunset walked to her with her hands in her pockets. “What’s up?”

Rarity sighed. “Everyone is dressed so boringly! They’re all wearing jackets and sweaters, and so many of them are solid gray or black or white or blue or brown!”

Sunset laughed under her breath at the long list of colors but still looked around. Indeed, she was practically the only person wearing anything that wasn’t a solid color. “Well, it’s chilly enough to wear a jacket, but it isn’t really snowing right now, so people aren’t bringing out their heavy duty winter clothes.”

Rarity looked around and into a store window, where she gasped not upon seeing what was inside, but at her reflection. “I’m wearing solid white too!”

Sunset smiled nervously. “Well it looks good on you at least.”

Rarity pushed away from the window and dramatically placed the back of her hand on her forehead. “I know it does! But I don’t stand out enough! This must be addressed posthaste!”

Rarity hummed and stared at Sunset’s patterned jacket, making her pull at it self-consciously. “Look, we’ll be at the store soon, then we can address this fashion faux pas,” she said, shaking her hands in a teasing way.

Stopping in the middle of unbuttoning her coat, Rarity rolled her eyes and said. “Fine, fine, but I insist this coat would highlight your hair quite well.” At that, they continued down the street.

After several minutes of Rarity commenting disapprovingly on what people were wearing—to which Sunset kept laughing and pointing out that they could hear her—they finally arrived at their destination.

Rarity gasped. “Oh my, what a remarkable storefront.”

The purple building had two large windows that displayed art with stylized cloud patterns, with raining hearts and lightning respectively.

Sunset brushed hair from her forehead. “Wow, I’m surprised they still have that art up. But I suppose Flanksy art is still in high demand.”

Rarity blinked. “Flanksy?”

“An anonymous painter who leaves art all over the city, without ever taking credit. Rarity used to work at that store and she couldn’t come up with the right display, but then Flanksy just happened to leave some art there and her career was saved. Or at least that’s what Rar—Human Rarity says.”

Rarity clasped her hands together. “It’s very charming! And I’m sure a charming and lovely mare must have drawn it,” she said with narrow eyes, nudging Sunset with her elbow.

Sunset blushed. “I, uh, don’t see why it would be a mare when any pony—person could be Flanksy.”

“Oh please, darling. Twilight already told me you’re an artist and there’s no way someone who wasn’t friends with Human Me would just happen to help her. Plus, that looks just like something you’d draw.”

Sunset put her hands up. “Alright, you got me. I am indeed the mysterious anonymous artist known as Flanksy.” She scrunched her eyebrows. “Though wait, you’ve seen my art?”

Rarity shook her head. “Nope, but I am an artist too, Sunset.” She formed her fingers into a frame and looked at Sunset through it. “Wispy clouds, dripping rainbow colors, I can see it all in you.”

“I’m, uh, kind of surprised you can see that so easily. It took a while for me to find it in myself.” Sunset scratched her cheek.

Rarity smiled. “What can I say? It’s a gift of mine. Now what are we waiting for? Fashion awaits!” She barged into the store, and with a shrug, Sunset followed after.

Sunset had offered to help Rarity pick clothes when they came in, but the fashionista absolutely insisted on figuring out human fashion on her own. As such, Sunset found herself with nothing to do but check her phone as Rarity darted in and out of the changing room.

After half an hour—much sooner than Sunset would have bet—Rarity shouted, “Alright, I’m ready!”

Rarity stepped out of the changing room, posing with one arm behind her head. Sunset blinked. She wore a sleeveless white shirt with “I<3MH” printed on it, made out of fancier material than the usual tourist fare, but it still looked the same from a distance. Matched with that were a pair of jean shorts that almost looked normal, until you took into account all of the metal chains that didn’t seem to serve any purpose. Her black boots were fashionable, but she chose to wear mismatched thigh-high holiday socks under them, one with a red and green pattern and the other with an image of Santa in a sled knitted into it. Rather than a thick coat, she wore a thin blue windbreaker that was unzipped—or rather, had an inoperable zipper—and hung off of her upper arms. To top it off, she wore a white baseball cap backwards and wrapped a scarf around her neck with a magenta, purple, and blue stripe pattern.

Rarity smiled with half-lidded eyes. “How do I look?”

Sunset could have told Rarity that this was a garish clash of different styles that wasn’t appropriate for the weather outside in any case. But that would be a lie, because somehow, Rarity looked stunningly beautiful.

But she couldn’t say that either and instead stood there with her mouth open. “Uhhh…”

Rarity clasped her hands together with a big smile. “Exactly what I was going for! I believe we’re done here, so I’ll go ahead and pay for these.

Rarity walked past Sunset while she remained frozen in place. Finally, her mind caught up with her. “Wait, pay? Rarity, they don’t take bits here!”

Rarity looked back over her shoulder as the cashier desperately told her that she can’t wear the clothes she’s purchasing out of the store. “Oh, I know that, dear. I have it covered.” She reached in her purse, pulled out an emerald as large as her hand, and plopped it onto the counter. “Here you go, I believe that should cover everything.”

The cashier shut up immediately, staring at the humongous gemstone before her.

With an embarrassed smile, Sunset pushed Rarity out of the way and plopped onto the counter, credit card in hand. “I’m so sorry! She’s from, uh, out of town. Here, I’ll pay for it.”

After taking a moment to get back to business mode, the cashier took the time to scan everything Rarity had on, then turned her screen around for Sunset to look at.

Sunset made a sharp intake of breath upon seeing the total price. She looked at Rarity, then back to the screen, then back to Rarity.

On one hand, there was a good chance that Rarity the unicorn would never wear these clothes again, making this investment completely pointless. On the other hand, Rarity was giving her a really cute look.

Sunset sighed. She’d make Human Rarity pay her back. She gave the cashier her credit card, and after it was approved, she quickly helped Rarity remove all the price tags from her clothes. Rarity gave her an apologetic smile and they headed out in silence.

The cashier sighed and sank down.

Suddenly Rarity ran back and tossed her the emerald. The cashier’s eyes sparkled, and with a wink, Rarity headed back out.

Sunset shivered as she stepped back onto the street. “Yeesh, it’s close to noon but it’s still pretty cold.”

Rarity adjusted her scarf. “Indeed.”

Sunset blinked. “Aren’t you going to put your coat on?”

Rarity scoffed. “Darling, the entire point of that exercise was to make sure I wouldn’t have to wear that.”

“Actually, where is your coat anyway? Did you leave it in the store?”

She gasped. “Sunset, are you accusing me of leaving my clothes around for any ruffian to pick up? Everything I wore is packed neatly in here,” she said, patting her purse.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “That purse?”

Rarity nodded. She reached in and, breaking the laws of space and physics that Sunset was familiar with, pulled out a coat that was much larger than her purse, which unfurled as though it wasn’t compressed at all. Then she quickly folded it and put it back inside without any fuss.

Ultimately, this didn’t come as too much of a shock to Sunset. Though Pinkie was the worst about it, she’s known all of her friends to break a natural law or two.

Sunset shook her head. “What I’m saying is, aren’t you cold?”

Rarity blinked at her and lifted one end of her scarf. “Why would I be? I have this on.”

Sunset immediately understood. Back in Equestria, a scarf was often more than enough to keep a pony warm in the winter months. That shouldn’t apply at all to a human, but if Rarity’s ignorance of this fact was keeping her warm, then it would be best to leave her be.

Sunset put her hands up. “You got me there.”

Rarity still seemed confused, but smiled and shrugged. “In any case, before we get lunch, I’m interested in that store over there.”

She pointed to one with a large sign displaying a ring.

“A jewelry store, huh?” Sunset said. “It must be new, I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”

“Human jewelry sounds absolutely fascinating!” Rarity took Sunset’s hand and, with a smile, led her down the street. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Rarity, I thought I was the one giving you a tour.”

“Destiny is what guides us!” Rarity declared dramatically. She looked back and smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on making you pay for anything. Just going to look… unless there’s something I absolutely must have, that is,” she added.

They stepped into the store and found many rings, necklaces, and other accessories with precious stones embedded into them, all behind glass containers.

Sunset felt overwhelmed by all the wealth around her. She spotted an especially regal necklace with a red ruby and mustered up the courage to tell Rarity “no”. However, with a mix of relief and confusion, she noticed that Rarity actually looked unimpressed.

She spent several minutes examining the store’s offerings in silence before finally walking back to Sunset. “These gems… don’t they seem small to you?”

Sunset looked around. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, just compare them to this.” Rarity reached into her bag and pulled out a gigantic ruby that Sunset could have sworn was bigger than every gemstone on display combined. The other patrons of the store took notice and gasped.

Sunset once again had to think back to how things were in Equestria. “I guess gems here are pretty small compared to Equestria. I think I noticed it when I first came here, but I just sort of figured they must have just looked bigger as a pony.” She sensed a scowl out of the corner of her eye, and turning to look, she saw a man behind the counter in a business suit. The owner, perhaps. He really didn’t look happy.

Sunset reached out and moved Rarity’s hand back into her purse, hiding the gem. “Anyway, if you’re done here, how about lunch?”

Rarity smiled. “I have become rather famished. Lead the way, my lovely sunshine!”

Sunset blushed at the nickname. “Oh, so you’re going with that, huh.”

“Well, Sunset is a bit of a problem for nicknames. I personally know five ponies named Sunny, so that’s right out.”

Before Sunset could respond, she nearly ran into someone when stepping out the door. “Ah, sorry.” When she recognized the cyan-and-white-haired woman, she added, “Oh hey, Lyra! What’s up!”

Lyra Heartstrings wore a coat with interlacing blue and gold stripes, with a plaid skirt and black leggings. She waved a gloved hand. “Sunset, Rarity, didn’t expect to see you here! What are you two up to?”

“Just showing a friend around. By the way, Lyra, this is Rarity, but not the one you know. She’s from Princess Twilight’s dimension.”

Rarity blinked in curiosity at the new but familiar person, then smiled and clasped her hands together. “Oh my, you really are Lyra, aren’t you? How remarkable!”

Lyra hummed and examined Rarity. “You do look a bit different from the Rarity I know. So you’re a pony, right?”

Rarity nodded. “A unicorn! You’re one back in Equestria too.” Rarity reached up as though she was going to boop her nose but stopped at the last moment, possibly realizing they were strangers.

Lyra nodded. “Fascinating, fascinating. I would love to see what it’s like there one day.”

Sunset rolled her eyes. “Lyra, stop acting like you haven’t snuck into Equestria. We’ve all seen the portal logs.”

Lyra shrugged innocently.

Deciding not to press her, Sunset said, “Anyway, what brings you here?”

Lyra’s eyes widened. “Oh right. I’ve been meaning to get Bon Bon a special present, besides what I’m already getting her, and seeing this place, I thought there could be something nice.” She rubbed the back of her head. “Since you guys were just in there, was there anything good I could get for, say, a hundred dollars?”

Sunset shook her head. “Sorry to say, they’re charging a real premium even for the smallest stuff.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up. “Oh, but if you’re looking for something nice, I’ll just give you this.”

She brought out a diamond larger than every other gem she pulled out of her purse.

Lyra’s hands shot up to her cheeks. “Holy crap, are you serious?!”

Rarity nodded with a simple smile. “Absolutely serious. This is for your special somepony, after all!”

Lyra’s eyes sparkled as much as the gem. “Thank you, thank you!” She used both hands to hold the diamond and rubbed her cheek against it for a few seconds. “Special somepony, huh? I think I’ll start using that with Bon Bon.”

Sunset tilted her head. “Yeah, probably better if you don’t.”

Sunset felt an evil presence behind her. She turned her head to see the same suited gentleman from before standing at the window, with one hand pressed against the glass. He pulled out a cell phone and started speaking into it with a grimace.

Probably best if they didn’t find out who he was calling.

Sunset took Rarity’s hand. “Well, Lyra, it was good seeing you, but we need to go. I recommend you leave too.”

Lyra looked into the window and immediately understood. With a nod, Lyra went one direction and Sunset and Rarity went the other.

A couple blocks away from the unfortunate jewelry store, Sunset and Rarity settled at a small cafe and had lunch. Sunset shared stories about the human world while Rarity told her about her customer-related misadventures from that week. Following that, Sunset told her about her art and, after some prodding, what the next Flanksy work would be.

Soon Rarity thought out loud about human dresses and started drawing figures on a napkin with a pen. Though Sunset wasn’t a dressmaker by any means, she had enough understanding to help Rarity work through some of the differences from pony clothing.

Their sandwiches long finished, they sipped from coffee and tea for many hours and many many napkins, until…

“So saddles truly aren’t part of human fashion?” Rarity asked incredulously.

Sunset shook her head. “No, and now that I’ve been here for a while, the fact that ponies wear saddles is actually kind of messed up.”

Rarity gasped dramatically. “My word, I can accept not liking saddles—though I vehemently disagree—but thinking they’re messed up? Why, Sunset, why?”

Sunset briefly wondered if it was right to show Rarity this, but she figured she had to learn at some point about what horses in this world were like. “Hold on, let me get a picture…”

When she opened her phone, she finally noticed the time and she jumped up.

“What? How did it get so late?”

Rarity looked up and noticed the sun was low. “Oh my, time certainly flew. Well, I still have plenty of time to spare for you.”

“But I don’t! I mean, I have something I need to do really soon.”

Rarity frowned. “Oh, I see. Shall you be dropping me off at the portal, then?”

Rarity had her elbow on the table and rested her cheek on her hand. Sunset looked back at her phone. It would be cutting things close, but she could maybe drive Rarity to the portal and then drive to her destination in time. But there would be no time for goodbyes, and it felt like there was still so much more to do with Rarity. What had they even seen of the city? One clothing store, one jewelry store, and one cafe. Hardly a worthwhile tour.

But what options did that leave her? Not even her human friends knew about what she was going to do. She couldn’t bring Rarity with her… could she?

Sunset shook her head. What was she even doing?

“Actually Rarity,” she said, her face brightening, “how about you come with me? But just keep in mind, you can’t tell Twilight or Starlight or any of my human friends, or anyone!”

Rarity blinked and then smiled widely and shamelessly. “Oh my, a secret! What is it?”

Sunset looked around warily, then sat down and said, “Well, you see, when I first came to the human world, it’s not like I had anyone to stay with. And while Canterlot High has a shockingly lax entrance policy, I couldn’t exactly live there. When I was looking around for a place, a nice woman came across me and brought me to an orphanage.

“I was one of the older kids there and none of them had my ambitions, and I was, well, not what I am now, so I was a complete jerk to everyone. The caretakers, the other kids, you name it, I insulted them all. And that’s when I was even there; I spent most of my time plotting at the school. Still, no matter how I acted, they still took care of me and gave me a place to sleep.

“I left as soon as I could afford a place of my own and I forgot all about it. Up until I met Twilight and I got hit by a friendship laser beam. Then all of a sudden, I felt horrible about how I acted there. I went back to apologize, and everyone accepted my apology, but I didn’t feel like that was enough so I started helping out when I had the spare time. Eventually I set particular dates aside for that, and today is one of them.”

Sunset rubbed the back of her head. “I’m, uh, actually supposed to dress up as Santa and give presents to the kids today. This is really really embarrassing, so again, please don’t tell—”

Sunset froze when she saw Rarity’s expression. She had the biggest eyes she had ever seen on a person or pony, and used both hands to squeeze her cheeks into puffs. “Awwww!”

Sunset turned red. “Rarity, stop it, it isn’t cute, I’m just helping kids who are orphans like me—wait, did I tell you I’m an orphan yet?”

Rarity tilted her head and squeezed her cheeks harder. “Awwwwwww!”

Sunset shut her eyes and nearly yelled, “Rarity, do you even know who Santa is?”

“No, but awwwwwwwwwwww!”

Sunset huffed. “You know, maybe I’ll drop you off at the portal after all.”

Rarity smiled. “No you won’t.”

Sunset paused then looked away. “No, I won’t.”

The two unicorn women went to the orphanage, where Sunset dressed up as Santa and gave presents to the younger kids. Rarity chose to simply sit and watch, smiling and waving whenever Sunset looked at her.

All things considered, the entire event didn’t take too long—it was certainly shorter than their lunch together. Still, it was dark outside and the street lights were on by the time they finished. They stepped outside and Rarity smiled at Sunset. “Well, that was fun.”

Sunset smiled back. “Yeah, the kids seemed to really enjoy it. I noticed the older kids seemed pretty drawn to you.”

Rarity laughed lightly. “Well you know how into gossip teens are. This is the first time you’ve ever shown up with a beautiful woman, after all. I told them the juicy gossip that I’m friends with multiple princesses, but they seemed incredulous for some reason.”

Sunset scoffed playfully. “I can’t imagine why.”

“And also—” Rarity stopped mid-sentence as her teeth chattered. She then hunched over and rubbed her upper arms. “Dearie me, it seems like—” she shivered “—my scarf isn’t working well.”

Without hesitation, Sunset unzipped her jacket and handed it to Rarity. She blinked and warily held onto it.

“Darling, are you sure?”

Sunset waved her hand. “It’s fine. I’m wearing a long-sleeve shirt.”

Rarity smiled appreciatively and put the jacket on, sinking into its fabric. “Ah, this is much better. And so warm.”

“Yeah, you gotta remember that humans don’t have—” she wrapped her arms around herself and suppressed a shiver “—natural coats like ponies do. Woof, it’s gotten really cold, huh?”

Rarity reached into her purse and pulled out her white coat. “Please take this.”

“Oh thanks—hey wait a minute!” Sunset said as she grabbed it. “You had a coat the entire time!”

Rarity closed her eyes and spun. “Let’s not worry about that. The important thing is, this jacket does indeed look wonderful on me. And I’m sure you’ll find the same applies to my coat and you.”

Sunset couldn’t deny that Rarity looked nice in the jacket. She sighed and rolled her eyes playfully. “Fine, fine.” She put the coat on and immediately felt warmer. “Anyway, let’s head back to the portal.”

Rarity sighed. “Over already, I see.”

“It’s been a fun day, but it has to end sometime.”

They walked down the street in silence for several minutes.

Out of nowhere, Rarity grinned slyly and said, “They all assume we’re dating, you know.”

Sunset blinked. “What?”

“The teens at the orphanage, I mean. Though they also follow the Rainbooms—which I hope they don’t mean literally—so they all assumed I’m my other self. I said I wasn’t, but they took that as well as my princess line, so you might have to do some damage control later.”

Sunset blushed and scratched her cheek. “So, what did you tell them about us dating?”

“I told them it was just a first date, so we aren’t really dating, per say.”

“What?”

Sunset stopped in place and Rarity stopped too. Rarity examined Sunset’s surprised face with curiosity, then glared. “Darling… did you not realize this was a date?”

Her face red, Sunset shook her head violently.

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Even though I explicitly called it a date.”

Sunset’s eyes darted around. “Uh, well, I…” She smiled uneasily and raised her shoulders. “I just sort of assumed it was like… a friendly date?”

Rarity glared at her for a moment longer, then broke into uproarious and unladylike laughter. “My goodness! What exactly do they teach you in Magic School that you all end up like this?”

“No, I mean…” Sunset sighed. “What I don’t get is, why would you even be interested in me? Sure, I’m good friends with you from another dimension, but Pinkie’s party is the first time we’ve ever really talked. We barely know each other!”

Rarity, while doubled over, forced herself to quiet down and wiped a tear from her eye. “You’re curious why I’d be interested in a beautiful mare who’s a friend of a friend and who everyone says is wonderful?” She shook her head and stood up straight. “Darling, did you forget that dates don’t have to be between friends forged in fire that fought monsters together?”

Sunset stiffened. “Uh, well, admittedly, that’s the case for everyone in my friend group.” She shrugged with an uneasy smile. “I guess the concept of dating to get to know the other person kind of fell out of my mind.”

“And in the process of this date, I’ve certainly gotten to know you, Ms. Shimmer.” She counted down with her fingers. “You have an artist’s soul, you’re very considerate, you’re willing to splurge on my clothes, you’re very smooth when you aren’t a blushing mess, and…” Rarity moved her last finger around then leaned over and touched Sunset’s nose. “... You’re very cute when you are.”

“I, uh, don’t know what to say.”

Rarity tilted her head. “You can say yes to date number two.”

Sunset’s eyes widened and she smiled uncontrollably. “Really?” She then blinked and coughed, then stretched her arms coolly. “I mean, I think you’re pretty neat, so I’d be willing to go on another date.”

Rarity giggled and backed away. “It’s good to hear I’m neat.” She turned around and resumed walking down the street, with Sunset catching up quickly. “Now, you mentioned before that you were having a holiday party with your human friends. I decided I’d like to attend that after all.”

Sunset hummed. “Weren’t you saying before that two Rarities would be dangerous for the party?”

Rarity waved her hand. “That was only if it was just me and her. But it won’t be! It’ll be Rarity—her—and then Rarity and Sunset—us! I did say before a mare like you could match us, but you with a Rarity would be unstoppable!”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that still distract everyone else? Wasn’t that the original point you were making?”

Ignoring her, Rarity continued. “Who is my other self dating again? Applejack?” She exhaled dismissively. “My my, it won’t even be a contest. I feel sorry for myself. It almost makes me not want to go to that party after all, but the bandage needs to be ripped off at some point.”

Sunset laughed. “I’m a bit concerned how excited you are to show yourself up.”

Rarity grinned. “How many other ponies get this kind of opportunity?” Her expression changed as she spotted a clock on a storefront. “Oh my, it’s gotten quite late, hasn’t it?”

Sunset checked her phone to confirm the time. “Do you think you can handle the bike ride back to the portal? Or would you prefer to walk back?”

“Alas, I have some commitments tonight, so it’s best if we do not linger too much. And I’d hate for you to have to walk back home alone.” She sighed. “And I really was hoping for a long romantic walk back to the portal.”

“Yeah, but can you handle it?”

Rarity scoffed. “I’ll have you know I was merely surprised by that machine before. Now that I know what it’s like, I can handle it just fine.” She stood up. “Now, not a moment to waste! To the motorcycle!”

Rarity did not, in fact, handle it just fine.

By the time they reached Canterlot High, Sunset’s ears were ringing. When Rarity once again stepped off as though she hadn’t been screaming the entire way, Sunset wondered if Rarity was messing with her.

Any scorn she felt fell away once Rarity turned back with a smile. “Well, so long for now, my lovely sunshine.”

Both women stood in front of the portal. Sunset immediately felt an emptiness, even knowing they’d reunite within days. Sunset took her hands and looked into her eyes. “Rarity, I…”

Her words fell away as they continued exploring the other’s gaze. She slowly leaned forward and—

Rarity held her finger to Sunset’s lips. “Hold on there, Missy,” she said with a frown. “I may have a greater appreciation for how humans look now, but kissing is still beyond me at this point.”

Sunset blushed. “Oh, I, uh, sorry.”

Rarity smiled, turned and stuck her arm into the portal, then looked back over her shoulder. “But a date in Equestria would be another story.” She winked.

Sunset blinked, then smiled. After a goodbye, the two mares went their separate ways.

Rarity looked up from her phone. “Ah, this must be the new jewelry store!” She squealed to herself, excited about finding a red ruby to give to Applejack for Hearth’s Warming.

However, as the woman stepped up to the door, she stopped when she saw something very bizarre.

Herself.

On a sign.

With a red circle around her and a line through her.

And text saying she was banned from the store.

Rarity blinked. “What the fuck?”

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