Dinner With The Sparkles
As nervous as Sunset was, she could tell that Twilight was far more in her own head. So as they walked, hand in hand, she started casually chatting about a few different things. About Twilight's course work at first, then, when that topic also seemed stressful to her, about the song she was trying to write.
Besides, Rarity's makeover had given her enough of a confidence boost. A short, blood-orange dress and black leggings, for a feminine, almost conservative look, but with low-heel booties and a light parka jacket to still feel like herself, as if she had simply removed a "punk rock" variable from the equation without making it feel foreign to her. Plus the quick touch-up on her makeup and the braids she had weaved into her hair.
Twilight hadn't dressed up as much, rather she had dressed down, in a way, back to the reserved academic style she'd been more prone to in high school. Not that Sunset didn't like that look on her too. She tugged at her skirt and adjusted her ribbon and her glasses multiple times while they were on their way over, getting off the bus about a block away from their destination.
"Okay. Almost there," Twilight said quietly, playing with a spare hairclip in her free hand.
"It'll be fine," Sunset reassured her, despite her own nerves, squeezing her hand gently. "I'll do my best not to embarrass you."
Twilight scoffed. "If anyone is going to embarrass me, it's not going to be you."
"Oh, is that right, Twily?"
"Stooop!" Twilight whimpered, though it was played up. Sunset chuckled and leaned over to breathe a kiss onto her hair.
"It's really not that bad. I think it's cute."
"Oh yeah? What if I called you Sun-Bun every day?"
Sunset looked down at her, making sure she found eye contact. "I'd like that, actually. I kind of like cheesy nicknames. Why not Sunny, though? Princess Celestia always used to call me that when I was a foal."
"I went to Crystal Prep with a Sunny. I'd rather not conflate you with her," Twilight stated flatly, before furrowing her brow. "And... could you not mention princesses and ponies while we're there?"
"Yeah, I know. No Equestrian stuff. That'd be a bit too much off the bat. I'll stick to everything post-portal."
"I had a hard enough time getting Spike to stay quiet. If I have to explain my girlfriend is a magical unicorn from an alternate dimension..." She chuckled, trying to play it off as a joke, but her posture visibly tensed, stopping just at the edge of their destination's lot.
Sunset looked up at the three-story house, whistling quietly as she took in the spire over the entrance way and the stylised star patterns in the windows, before turning to Twilight again and taking both her hands. "For tonight, I'm just your girlfriend. And I'll do my best to make a good impression."
Twilight looked down at her hands and played with one of the rings on Sunset's fingers. After a few moments of collecting herself, she nodded and turned to lead her up to the front door. The porch light turned on by itself as they approached and just as they reached the steps, one of the double doors swung open.
"Twily! Welcome home!" A slender man with short, dark hair stepped out, wearing a sweater vest and opening his arms wide. Twilight's hand slipped from Sunset's as she quickly went up the remaining steps to hug him.
"Hey, Dad." She stayed in the embrace for a moment before she stepped out and gestured down the steps. "Sunset, this is my father, Night Light. Dad, this is Sunset. My... girlfriend."
Sunset's back straightened involuntarily as he looked down at her. What was she supposed to say? "Hi" seemed too casual. "Nice to meet you, sir" felt too stiff. Was she supposed to shake his hand? Before she could make a choice, he had come down two steps towards her and reached out a hand with a smile, closing his other over hers when she took it.
"Welcome, Sunset, we're all excited to meet you! Come on inside!"
"Oh... thanks." She followed him up the steps, feeling her anxiety ease all of a sudden with the warm welcome. She briefly locked eyes with Twilight again as they both stepped inside and Night Light closed the door behind them.
As soon as they were in the hallway, the sound of soft scraping across the parquet flooring came from around the corner, quickly followed by Spike scrambling and darting into the entrance hallway, his tongue lolling out the side and his tail whipping excitedly. Twilight crouched down right away and opened her arms for him to barrel into, swaying a bit against the weight he had put on along with his growth.
Sunset crouched down next to them, starting to scratch his head while he was busy licking the side of Twilight's face and thumping his tail against the floor. "Hey, buddy, been a while," she said quietly.
Spike looked up at her with bright eyes, before the hint of unusual intelligence crept into them and he looked over his shoulder, watching Night Light move deeper into the house to announce their arrival. He coughed softly into his paw. "About time you come for a visit. I barely have anyone to talk to around here."
"I know, buddy," Twilight cooed, rubbing the fur on his back, "but you know we can't keep you in my apartment. We'll both come take you out for walks more often, okay?"
"You better. Sunset owes me months of missed scritches," he said smugly before leaning into their fingers again, quieting down as Night Light's steps came back, accompanied by others.
Sunset stood straight again. As good a first impression as petting a dog was, she'd rather mind her manners during first introductions. Night Light returned with two more family members in tow, a young man in a varsity jacket and a woman in an evening blouse, proudly wearing the grey streaks in her hair, which otherwise showed a clear resemblance to Twilight's.
Hoping to not play passively all night, Sunset quickly pushed herself through to a greeting. "Hi. Um... good evening. I'm Sunset Shimmer." She consciously kept her hands out of her pockets, despite being unsure what else to do with them.
"Hello, honey," Twilight's mother said warmly, gently putting her hands on Sunset's arms. Her smile was elegant, but in a way that seemed somehow distant. "So nice to meet you, finally. You can call me Velvet, if you like. Now, leave your jackets and come in, dinner's ready and I'd like us to eat together while we can."
"Yes, I'm afraid I need to get back to the office one more time," Night Light said apologetically, glancing down at his watch.
Twilight briefly hugged her mother and then made sure Sunset was properly introduced to Shining Armor. They exchanged more casual greetings as they headed across the wide hallway to the dining room. Two tall windows looked out into the backyard, giving a perfect view of the sun setting between the buildings the next street over. The heavy wooden dining table had five places set, with a casserole waiting in the centre, all atop a cloth matching the rest of the decor.
Sunset sat on one side with Twilight, across from Shining Armor and Night Light, with Velvet taking the head of the table, after she had carefully heaped a generous amount of food onto everyone's plate, inviting them to start right away.
It was still a little hot, but not too hot to eat. Evidently, Velvet had timed her cooking to their exact arrival time. Or she'd gotten lucky, but given whose mother she was, Sunset tended towards the former.
"So, Sunset," she said a minute or two into their meal, "how is it?"
"It's great. It's been a while since I had something home-cooked." Wait! Should she really casually admit she didn't cook? She tried to perceive any change in the elegant smile before quickly adding to her response. "...that's this good."
"I'm glad to hear that. Say, Twily mentioned you a few times, but I'm afraid I don't know much about you. What is it you do?"
"Well, I..." She looked up only briefly, casting her eyes back onto her plate when she saw everyone suddenly focusing on her. "Uh... Right now, I work at a diner downtown, which is enough to make rent and save up. I'm... planning to go to college, maybe next year."
She quickly looked to Velvet for her reaction. The elegant smile hadn't changed, making it impossible to read her actual opinion. "I see. What major are you planning to pursue?"
"Psychology." This at least was something she didn't feel hesitant about. She became aware of her posture and straightened herself again. "Someone will always need counselling. I think there'll just be more demand going forward, with stigmas around therapy and mental illness declining." She could have barely rehearsed it better. Wait, did it sound rehearsed?
"That's great. Shining nearly finished his Political Science degree," Night Light chimed in, patting his son's shoulder, pride evident in his expression.
She snatched it up quickly, to have something to say. "You're going into politics?"
"Yeah, well, I'm going to do my best," Shining said with a casual shrug. "I'm just focused on finishing up, first. Then I'll see what I can actually move with it."
"So, psychology," Velvet picked up again, drawing Sunset's attention back. "That sounds like conviction. Or is it more the salary that tempts you?"
"Mom!" Twilight hissed quietly, but Sunset barely even registered her voice. She almost felt like she was sitting in class again, struggling for a correct answer she knew was there and she knew she should know. What was she testing her on? Was it more important to Velvet that she'd provide for Twilight? Or that she had strong convictions?
"I suppose... both," she said hesitantly.
"Mh-hm," Velvet said pointedly, looking back at her plate as she continued to eat. Sunset failed to read what it meant. She resisted the urge to look to Twilight for the answer.
"Well, I need to head off," Night Light announced, cutting through the tension as he got up from his seat, his plate already empty. He quickly stepped around the table to give his wife a kiss on the cheek and pat his son's shoulder on the way past. "See you next time, Sunset," he said with a friendly smile after giving Twilight a quick side hug.
"Uh, yeah, thank you."
Thank you!? What did that even mean in this context? Sunset stared down at her plate and just continued eating to at least justify her silence. She tried to pay attention as Twilight and her mother caught up on something, but all she really registered was the tension pressing in on her. She was doing terribly, she could just tell.
"I'll... get some fresh air," she finally spoke up when her plate was empty, pushing the chair back and standing up.
"You can get to the patio through the living room," Shining said, pointing her to a door behind her.
With a quick thanks, she pushed through the door and crossed the living room, straight towards the glass doors leading outside, Spike right on her heels, slipping out with her.
She sighed heavily as she sat down on the padded bench, leaning back and running her hands over her face and through her hair. "That could have gone better."
Spike put his front paws onto the bench and pushed himself up, sitting down next to her. "It wasn't so bad. The night's only half over."
"Yeah, and I already tripped all over myself." She sighed and started scratching his head while he laid down over her lap. "Celestia knows what she thinks of me now."
"So that's why you suddenly fled."
Sunset almost flinched as she looked up, seeing Shining Armor follow through the door. "Oh, h-hey, I was... just talking to myself."
"It's fine, he's cool," Spike said casually, waving it off with a paw. Shining chuckled and handed Sunset a can of beer before opening his own, sitting down on the other end of the bench.
Sunset sighed in relief and opened the can as well. "So, are you here to ask about my intentions with your sister?"
"Why, should I be worried?" He crossed his legs and took a sip. "Twily is an adult, I don't need to approve of her choices. And I don't think you're bad for her."
"That's good to know. I try to be good for her." She scoffed at herself and raised her can. "Here's to doing our best, huh?"
Shining tapped her can with his own. "Right. Shame my wife couldn't be here tonight. She did really want to meet you, but just couldn't get out of work."
"Your wife?" Sunset took a longer sip, her other hand rubbing Spike's belly.
"Yeah, Cadence. She's the Dean at Crystal Prep. She saw everything that happened at the Friendship Games." He lightly nudged her shoulder. "Including you saving Twily. So your scoreboard looks pretty good to me."
She hesitated for a moment. "Wow, that... must have been a lot to find out about."
Shining shrugged. "I try not to think too much about it. Some strange things happened, the dog started talking, and Twily made a lot of friends. I don't really need to know anything else."
"That's... maybe for the better." She looked up into the sky, at the few stars she could make out already. "Now I just need to convince Velvet."
"I don't know if she needs convincing. I know she seems a little cold sometimes, but she's really just trying to get a read on you, not judging you."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Sunset, I lived here for two decades. I'm pretty sure I'm an expert. Just assert yourself. As long as you make Twily happy, she won't give you any trouble."
"Exactly," Spike chimed in, turning on his side, "and you can't put on an act every time you see her."
"I could," she protested half-heartedly. "But, you're right, I shouldn't. Thanks, guys." She gently shooed Spike up and took a generous sip of the beer before starting to head back inside.
She was halfway through the living room when the opposite door opened and Twilight and Velvet entered as well. She quickly set the can down on the coffee table and cleared her throat.
"Sorry. I got a little too far into my own head. Do you mind if I start over?"
"Alright. I'm listening." Velvet folded her arms expectantly, while Twilight moved over to Sunset's side.
"I'm Sunset Shimmer. I write and play music. When you ask me what I do, that's really the honest answer. But I'm serious about psychology, too. Because it'll pay the bills, sure, but because I really believe in it. I've met plenty of people who could have used more therapy and support in their lives. And I hope I can make a difference that way." She felt herself running out of steam, beginning to falter again under Velvet's unmoving gaze. "And... I love Twilight very much. I want to spend my life with her," she said more quietly, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand while her other quickly found Twilight's.
Velvet's elegant smile cracked, shifting into a less practised, lopsided one. "That's a great speech, honey. But you don't really have any reason to be nervous."
The breath she'd been holding escaped in a light scoff. "Don't I? I'd rather have a good relationship with my girlfriend's mom."
Velvet chuckled softly and closed the distance between them, putting one hand on Sunset's shoulder and one on Twilight's. "That's sweet of you. But I really was just curious. I had no idea I was giving you a hard time until Twilight pointed it out to me. Besides, you're both adults. I don't get a say in this at all. I just want the best for my daughter."
"She is the best for me," Twilight said quietly, with a firm confidence.
"I am?" it slipped out of Sunset before she could stop herself.
Twilight looked up at her with an annoyed look, putting her free hand on her hip. "Of course you are! You made me go to therapy, you make sure I take my medication, you help me through my attacks, you're supportive of my work, you go to conventions with me even when you know you'll get bored, and even now you're trying your best with my mom! And furthermore--!"
"Okay, okay! You're right, I'm sorry." Sunset put her hand on the side of Twilight's head and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead to placate her.
Twilight scrunched her nose, visibly holding in a few more things, before she just quietly contented herself with one more. "You need to get a laundry hamper, though," she muttered, looking down at their hands.
Velvet chuckled again and quickly ran her hand over Twilight's hair, fixing a strand that had slipped free. "I see I don't need to be worried either. Now, it would be a shame to send you home already. Why don't we all play some games while you're here?"
The Sparkle household had a significant collection of board games hidden away in their living room cupboards. Twilight and Shining clearly had their own favourites, so Sunset let them settle it between themselves.
The four of them sat on the couches, arranged themselves around the coffee table, and played a word game, followed by a tile placement game, finally concluding with a cooperative strategy game Velvet insisted on. Round after round, the tension cleared, until all the nerves and anxieties were as good as forgotten.
"Oh, take my ammo, I'll be fine with the bat," Sunset said, handing two of her cards over to Velvet.
"Are you sure, honey? We're rolling three dice for the next wave."
"We have a choke point. As long as everyone can cover me, I should be okay."
The dice clattered over the table. "Twelve zombies," Twilight announced gravely, then pointed to the blood-stained die. "And a complication."
"I'll take that one," Shining volunteered, discarding one of his weapon cards.
They lasted a few more waves, before their gory end, Sunset and Shining describing their brave but futile last stand, before sinking back laughing. Velvet tallied up their score while Twilight packed the cards and pieces away.
"It does not break the family record, but we did pretty well," Velvet finally announced, packing the score sheet away and taking off her reading glasses.
"I don't know when I last had so much fun with board games," Sunset admitted, adjusting the skirt of her dress as she sat up again properly, "Feels like forever ago now."
"Good thing we fixed that, then," Velvet said matter-of-factly. "Do you not play with your family?"
Twilight paused on her way to the cupboard, looking back at Sunset as they briefly made eye contact.
"I, uh... haven't really talked to them. In a long time."
She could feel the silence settling, then Velvet's hand on her shoulder. "Oh, honey... I'm so sorry."
"It's... fine. We're good, I think. They just weren't too happy with me, last time we caught up." Her chest felt heavy all of a sudden, she breathed in a bit more sharply. "Twilight and our other friends are the closest thing to family I have here, I guess."
Velvet moved a bit closer and her arm came to rest around her, her other hand gently rubbing her arm. "You're part of this family now," she said, quiet but firm.
Sunset pressed her lips together, trying to banish the feeling welling up so it wouldn't overwhelm her. She hesitantly put her hand on Velvet's.
She argued with her parents. Loud but stiff arguments, until she broke away. The pressure of studies and bills, juggling with night life and passions. That one meeting that changed everything. The struggle to make it all work, the panic before the wedding, the surprise of the first child. Raising a young boy while she first found success. The second child. Watching her grow up, so bright but timid. Trying to guide her into a better life, less difficult than her own. The fear of not knowing how to help her.
Sunset quickly pulled her hand away again, blinking the tears out of her eyes.
"Thank you."
When Night Light came back home, it was high time for them to leave and they said their goodbyes, with promises to speak again soon. Shining offered to drive them, and so they huddled onto the backseat together, doing their best not to fall asleep, until he dropped them off by Twilight's apartment.
Twilight unlocked the door and put her thin jacket up. Sunset followed suit and put her booties next to her flats as well before following her through to the small living space.
"That went so well. I can't believe we stressed over this," Sunset said casually, sitting down on the sofa.
"I can," Twilight responded flatly, sitting next to her and leaning her head on her shoulder. "Overthinking these sorts of milestones sounds exactly like us."
Sunset ran her hand up Twilight's arm before skipping from her shoulder to her hair, running her fingers through it. "You have a great family, Twily."
"I do." She shifted a little, turning towards her and sitting up halfway. "Speaking of which, that's definitely a family nickname. Maybe come up with something else."
"Okay, then... Twi-twi?"
"That sounds like I'm a songbird."
"Twiggy?"
"Now I'm a tree. Also, where did the G come from?"
Sunset snapped her fingers with confident inspiration. "Twiggles."
Twilight groaned quietly and leaned on her again, closing her eyes. "Just go back to 'babe'."
Sunset wrapped her arms around her and stared at the ceiling, slowly running her fingertips over Twilight's skin. "My star?" she suggested quietly.
Twilight hummed slowly. "That's not bad... ask me again when I'm awake."
Stats
Page generated in 0.012 seconds
Total duration
1,024 users online
1,950,522 hits today, 2,782,760 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
Glad things went well with the meeting.
Also, fun little shout out to all of the fan nicknames for Twilight.
If anything, these two brainiacs might be too good for each other.
Hey! That's our word!
Ah, Zombiecide ... I've spent a number of evenings on that game ....
Honestly, I never had any problems meeting the parents I'm a little disappointed in this in reality so many opportunities. We never got into using pet names but I still find them cute.
You never know. You might do it someday Sci Twi.
Wait, he knows Spike can talk!?!?
Great to hear Shinning.
Thx Velvet.
That was too close.
Still, st least Velvet made things better.