> A Flight at Sunset
>  by metroid_freak
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Chapter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Canterlot High was, for all intents and purposes, a somewhat…unusual school. Now, don’t take that the wrong way; I’m merely stating a fact. I, for one, rather enjoyed my time under its roof. I mean, there might’ve been a one or two little events that I could’ve lived without but all in all, they didn’t wholly prevent me from generally enjoying the school. The athletic programs were exciting, if one felt so inclined as to participate, the other students were generally on the friendly side, and even the cafeteria food was…actually pretty damn good, thanks to our loving grandmother of a lunch lady.
                
I guess you could say that in a world where abnormal had the habit of being the norm, I was rather…well, normal.
                
A-hem.

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Blue Sky, and I’m a student here at Canterlot High. 12th grader, to be exact, and freshly-minted adult of 18 years. Feel free to call me Sky, though; in fact, I prefer it. Just going by my first name, Blue, reminds me waaaay too much of that pompous snob who proudly wears the title of Principal Celestia’s nephew. People have mixed up our names before and that’s…well, that’s not fun, especially given Blue Blood’s…reputation around here, especially with whom I refer to as the Big Six.

Sure, I could go with “Mane Six” but seriously, we already go to a school called “Canterlot High” and our sports teams are called “The Wondercolts”. I don’t know about you but that’s enough horse puns for me. Anyway, that’s me in a nutshell; pretty average, and that’s okay with me. Let the others save the world and play with magic.

I’d much rather fly.

Heh, guess I’d better explain.
                
Y’see, when I was really, really young, I would look up at the great blue yonder and wish with all my might that I could soar through the air, like a bird or even Iron Man (especially Iron Man). Flying any way I could was all I would talk about, all I would think about! Heck, I even broke my arm trying to fly using a pair of crudely-constructed cardboard and linen wings I had made for myself! I’ll never forget the look on my mother’s face the moment I leapt off the roof of the house with naught but a manic grin and child-like sense of hope that my dream might finally be realized. Suffice it to say that she never left a ladder out in the open ever again. Still doesn’t to this day, actually.

I guess I should thank my dad for my obsession with flight. Like his father, he spent a distinguished career as a pilot in the Air Force. In fact, and this is the really cool part, he was one of the few pilots who flew the Lockheed SR-71, also known as the “Blackbird”. It’s not a story he shares with too many, mostly because it’s still an uncomfortable topic for him, but it’s something I can’t help but be proud of him for.

Now, I know I’ll probably never fly anything that amazing but that’s fine with me. Unlike him, my interests in flying lie outside of the Air Force. I know Dad wishes that I would follow the same path and become a fighter pilot but that`s just not in my character. It`s not that I don`t want to help my country; I`d just rather contribute in a different way. 

Anyway, I was 16 when I finally became eligible to begin my pilot’s training. And train I did. I can’t count the number of times I harassed my dad to take me up in his little seaplane so I could practice and perfect what I’d been taught. After two years of hard work and dedication, and on my 18th birthday to boot, I received my recreational pilot’s license.

It was without a doubt, one of the happiest days I’ve ever experienced. My fellow teenagers could fawn over rice rockets and worship jacked-up four-wheel-drive trucks to their heart’s content; they were nothing compared to the rush of adrenaline granted by flight. Armed with the precious certification, I was up and about every chance I got, joining the other creatures of the sky as I whittled away hundreds of hours flipping laps around the lake our house sat right beside, even puddle-jumping to other nearby lakes during the summer, finding the best little beaches and sanctuaries to just relax and enjoy myself.

Still, even as I reveled in my accomplishment and freedom, I always wanted something…else, something more. It’s not that I wasn’t happy, far from it. I just…wanted someone to share my happiness with.

And that, I suppose, is where the real story begins.


***

        
        It was fourth period, World History class. Worst nightmare to a lot of my peers but nothing short of paradise for me. See, being obsessed with flying machines allowed a nigh-insatiable curiosity to fester within me from a young age, prompting me to study up on my passion. I was chock-full of facts and fiction about famous airplanes and their pilots, and used my knowledge in my classes any time I could get away with it. Like in History, for example.
                
You can probably imagine my delight when Mr. Turner announced that our annual major project would be about the Cold War. Many a groan resonated throughout the room courtesy of my classmates, whilst I rejoiced internally. Thanks to my father’s direct involvement in the latter part the Cold War, his knowledge of that time period would surely prove useful. It’s always nice to know you’re well on your way to an easy ‘A’.
                
At least, it would be if it wasn’t a group project. That’s right, we had to work with a partner. Normally, that wouldn’t be much of an issue but in this case, given the class’ collective enthusiasm towards history, I knew obtaining a decent grade would be an uphill climb.
                
Of course, that depended on with whom I was partnered. There were a couple that I imagined might not be too bad to work with but other than that…
                
Hold that thought, there she is…
                
There she was again, sitting just enough within my peripheral vision that I could admire that back of that delightful head of bacon-hair without looking like a certified creep. Admire and hope, futilely no doubt, that for once in the three years we’d spent in school together, I could finally partner up with her. It seemed like every teacher knew about my mad crush on Sunset and inherently knew to keep us apart like two characters in some lousy short story. Isn’t that always the way?
                
I could only hope that as Mr. Turner read out whom was partnering with whom from the class list, he could finally be the one to buck the trend and earn himself a wedding invite.
                
…Okay, maybe I should slow down a little.
                
I’m not sure what it was about Sunset Shimmer that made my stomach do backflips. Maybe it was how she managed to go from Queen of the Beeyatch Brigade to Angel of Mercy. Maybe it was her powerful intellect and desire to learn as much as she could about what she was passionate about, much like myself. Maybe it was the amazing guitar skills coupled with a singing voice that, quite literally, vanquished evil (So I'd heard, anyway, but I'll get to that).
        
        Or maybe it was the fact that she was smoking hot. Like, seriously. That hair was enough to set my heart aflame and that body…let’s just say it made gym class a lot more enjoyable. Slender but with noticeable (and easily appreciable) curves, she was solely responsible for many a good dream.
        
        I’m gonna go with all three. Intelligent, kind-hearted, and beautiful; a triple-threat worthy of Broadway. And totally out-of-reach. Between uncooperative teachers (see earlier remarks about teacher-sponsored pairings), wildly different schedules (with the exceptions of gym and history class), and the gaggle of rainbow-powered Super Saiyans she called her friends, she just seemed…unreachable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a matter of self-image; I’m decent enough, just…average. Extraverted enough to have a fairly active social life but reserved enough to come across as studious, I suppose. Honestly, up until this point, I had spent most of my free time either studying for my pilot’s exam or going flying with my dad. All in all, I didn’t really have any complaints.
        
        But boy, did I want her.
        
        I have to admit that I whittled many a boring (non-History) class away dreaming of the two of us soaring above the clouds without a care in the world. Just…flying on a sunset horizon and being together. I’d keep the plane nice and steady, cast the occasional glance at Sunset resting her head on my shoulder as we flew off into the setting sun. What I wouldn’t give to make that silly little dream a reality.
        
        “Blue Sky and Sunset Shimmer.”
        
        Well, there we have it. Her name’s been called and once more, I’m stuck with someone who couldn’t care less and is perfectly happy to sit idly-by and coast while I work my ass off just to get…
        
        Wait, what?
        
        If I hadn’t looked up and become entranced by her light-blue eyes, I would’ve missed how they were looking in my direction, almost as if our names had been mentioned…together? As in, ‘paired-up’ together. Nah, couldn’t be. Since when was I ever that lucky?
        
        “Mr. Sky, you still with us?” Mr. Turner asked. I snapped to attention as the rest of the class looked at me, some barely withholding snickers. Even Mr. Turner’s expression betrayed some slight amusement at my reaction. I breathed a mental sigh of relief as Sunset simply looked at me with a slight but warm smile, one of many that had captured my heart like it was some kind of rare collectible monster.
        
        “Uh, yes sir,” I managed to stammer, reddening slightly. “Sorry about that.”
        
        “It’s quite alright, Mr. Sky, you clearly just had your head in the clouds.” he replied without missing a beat. I rolled my eyes as the class tittered. Nice one, teach. Never gets old.
        
        Cloud Nine, to be precise. As the minutes slogged by, my anticipation grew. We were to meet up after class to discuss who would be doing what, where we would be working, how we would proceed in general, and so forth. Given my way, I might’ve gone with ‘dinner’, then ‘movie’, then ‘romantic walk around the park’, then probably ‘love-fueled whirlwind vacation around the world’ but I suppose meeting in the library or something works too. Quiet, intimate, relatively private, and no interruptions, the perfect setting in which to determine whether or not I had a shot in Hell.
        
        I looked up to find Sunset looking down at me, looking a slightly amused.
        
        “Um, Blue, class is over,” she informed me in a tone free of mirth or belittlement, despite the embarrassing situation. “Didn’t you hear the bell?”
        
        “I, uh, I guess not,” I replied, silently (and sarcastically) congratulating myself on a smooth first exchange. “Kinda got distracted a little, I guess.” Ooh, you smooth-talker, you.
        
        “It’s okay, it happens to the best of us,” she assured me, half-sitting on the desk to my left as I gathered my books (and myself). “So…how do you wanna…y’know, do this?” she asked.
        
        Dinner, movie, walk, romantic world tour…no, bad Sky, stick to the topic.
        
        “We could maybe do some preliminary planning in the library, if you want.” I offered, hoping to get to know her better while being an exemplary work-buddy. If all else failed and she completely rejected me, I still planned to do my best to get us a good grade.
        
        “Sure, sounds good to me,” she agreed, coaxing a smile out of me.  


***

                
“So, correct me if I’m wrong but you prefer to be called by your last name, right?” Sunset asked soon after we sat down at a slightly out-of-the-way table on the library’s second floor.
                
“Uh yeah, I do,” I answered, surprised that she knew of my preference. “I don’t mean to sound unappreciative but…how do you know?”
                
“Pinkie Pie told me,” Sunset replied, shrugging a-matter-of-factly. I didn’t pursue that any further; trying to explain how Pinkie Pie did the things she did would only result in a headache. Of course, knowing literally everyone in the entire school helped. “I’m sorry if that seemed abrupt, I just didn’t want to start things off by calling you the wrong name.”
                
“It’s okay,” I assured her. “I’ve been mixed up with Blue Blood so many times that it just doesn’t faze me anymore. Heck, I couldn’t even count the number of times I’ve been asked where my blue dog is and whether or not he has any clues.” In response, Sunset’s hands flew to her mouth, failing to stifle a giggle.
                
“Wow, are you serious?” she asked incredulously. I nodded in confirmation. “Okay, no wonder you prefer Sky. All right then, Sky it is. It’s…a nice name.”
                
“It is a rather harmonious assortment of vowels and consonants,” I agreed with a slight grin, finally starting to feel more at-ease. She offered a brief laugh at my false hubris. “Thanks, though. I appreciate the gesture.”
                
“It’s no problem. I sure wouldn’t want to get confused with Celestia’s nephew either.”
                
We shared quite a few more laughs as the afternoon slowly gave way to early evening, completely catching us off-guard, too caught up in friendly banter completely unrelated to school to bother checking the time. It wasn’t until the librarian informed us of the library’s imminent closure that we realized what time it was. Although part of me was disappointed that my first day with Sunset was coming to an end, I was already looking forward to the next. Hopefully, she shared a similar sentiment, although I knew it was way too early to expect that.
                
Still, a guy can hope, right?
                
We soon found ourselves out in the student parking lot, heading towards our respective vehicles which, by some wonderful twist of fate, were parked only one stall away from each other. I let out a low whistle upon seeing the sleek black motorcycle that could only belong to one person.
                
“Nice bike,” I complimented. She couldn’t have picked a more suitable vehicle if she tried. “Seriously; very cool.”
                
“Thanks,” she replied with a smile that showed only a hint of pride, taking her helmet out of her backpack. “It’s a Kawasaki Ninja. I picked it up used a couple years ago.” She turned to my vehicle, the only other one in the parking lot. “I’m guessing that one’s yours?” she asked.
                
“Sure is,” I confirmed, giving my beloved 1988 Dodge Raider an affectionate tap on the hood.
                
“It’s really cool,” she complimented, making my heart speed up. “You don’t see too many of those around anymore.”
                
“Um, thanks,” I replied. “My parents gave it to me for my 16th birthday.”
                
“Wow! Generous parents!”
                
“Maybe. It’s more likely they didn’t want me to sneak out with dad’s brand-new truck or mom’s kind of-new car.” Sunset chuckled and nodded, prompting me to smile yet again. “I guess they thought that if I was gonna sneak out and drive like everyone else my age, I should at least have my own car so I wouldn’t use one of theirs.” I clarified.
                
“Well, your parents sound really sweet,” Sunset said as she donned her helmet and tightened the backpack around herself.
                
“Yeah, they definitely are.” I agreed.
                
“So…same time tomorrow, library at 3:30?” Sunset asked. “We still have to talk about the project, remember?”
                
Oh, right. That thing. The thing that became completely irrelevant while we got to know each other in the relative privacy of our library table. I guess starting on it sooner rather than later would be a smart move.
                
“Uh, yeah, definitely,” I replied with an affirming nod. “See you tomorrow then?” I hadn’t meant for my parting salutation to sound like a question; maybe it was just my subconscious needing a confirmation from Sunset.
                
“You bet. See you tomorrow, Sky!” she called as her bike roared to life. With that, she flipped me a wave and rode off.


***

        
        Thoughts of how lucky I was occupied my thoughts as I drove the four miles out of town to my parent's lakeside acreage. Our house was quite new, having been built maybe seven years ago so my mom and dad could finally live away from all the hustle & bustle of the city. While I had initially mourned the sudden lack of certain conveniences such as pizza parlors and corner stores being out-of-reach (until I got my license, of course), it wasn't long before I grew to relish my new lifestyle.
        
        In a word, peaceful. The lake itself was only a few miles out of the city and easily accessible via a public gate just off the main highway. Our house was situated lakeside about a quarter mile from the highway with plenty of bush to ensure complete privacy. In fact, the small lockable gates that hinted at our long, winding driveway and the veritable paradise that lay at the end, were barely visible to the untrained eye.
        
        The house itself was on the larger size, possessing a sizeable basement complete with a wood-burning fireplace, guest room, bathroom/laundry room, and entertainment room. The upper floor was fairly typical of a country house, with a room for my parents, myself, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room blessed with three floor-to-ceiling windows that afforded a fantastic view of the lake. I whittled away many a winter evening huddled up in my robe and pajamas while reading to the soft glow of the lamp, occasionally taking a break to admire the gentle snowfall outside (before hefting the snow blower the next day).
        
        I guess it was about as close to paradise as you can get. Lots of work to maintain but I didn't mind most of the time. It always seemed to be worth it in the end. I suppose a part of me wanted someone to share that with, someone who could appreciate how wonderful it could be to have such a harmonious relationship with nature.
        
        Such thoughts, now mixed with those regarding Sunset Shimmer, were at the forefront of my mind as I got out of my vehicle, grabbing my backpack from the passenger seat. How great would it be to sit with her on a cold winter's night in front of those huge windows, a mug of cocoa in one hand, and her trim waist in the other? Or even sharing a swim on a perfect summer's day? We could swim out to the floating platform anchored to the lakebed twenty feet away from our small dock and spend the day pushing each other off it, fighting for lake supremacy! Then maybe reach an armistice over a kiss or twelve…  
        
        "Oh, hey Oreo," I murmured as I leaned down to pet the latest addition to our family. The family cat purred happily as I scratched behind his ears, showing his appreciation by rubbing up against me. He had shown up as a kitten about three years ago, a half-starved little white and black ball of fluff that had captured our hearts the moment we set eyes on him. Even my dad, who had never been much of a pet person, had soon grown rather fond of the little furball. Since then, he'd become a proud member of our family.

I smiled as a memory briefly resurfaced, one in which my dad had been chopping firewood one day and had heard a ruckus in the bush not far from the house. Grabbing his .22 from the garage (just in case it was another coyote), he managed to protect a terrified Oreo as he fled from (you guessed it) a hungry coyote. Although Mom initially chastised him for shooting it, the relief she felt as she held our little fuzzball was palpable. After that, the local critters gave our house a wide berth, for the most part. We still had to fire a warning shot every so often but did our best to scare them away instead of killing them.

"What, did Mom put you on a diet again?" I asked as he led me into the house before heading straight to his food dish. "Mom, did you put Oreo on another diet?" I called as I took my shoes off and tucked them into the entryway closet.

"Why? Is he sucking up more than usual?" she replied from the kitchen. I sniffed at the air and my stomach gurgled. I didn't blame him for being hungrier than usual; mom's famous roast was probably driving the poor guy bonkers. All she had to do was open the windows and every coyote within ten miles would be at our doorstep.

"I think it's the roast," I replied, heading into the kitchen. "Seriously; you'd have to be dead not to smell that and suddenly feel like you haven't eaten all day."

My mother, a thin vertically-challenged woman with bright-red hair and sharp green eyes, smirked at me and rolled her eyes as I set my backpack on the floor next to the table.

"I'll take it you're hungry," she concluded, busying herself about the kitchen. "Was the cafeteria less than spectacular today?"

"No, not at all," I answered, grabbing an apple from the bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen table. "Just…I dunno, lots on my mind," I confessed, knowing she'd wring it out of me eventually. 

"Kind of an exciting day I guess."

"Sunset?" she asked immediately.

"Maybe…"

"Ooh, do tell," she encouraged, stopping to join me at the table.

"Well…" I began. "We were assigned partners for Mr. Turner's group history project."

"And you finally got paired up with Sunset?" she surmised, having known about my crush for as long as I had, maybe even before I truly knew. Mamma knows, child.  

"Uh yeah, that's exactly it," I confirmed, taking a bite out of my apple.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" she exclaimed, grasping my hand in hers. "You've liked her for so long, it's about time something happened!"

"It's not…" I let out a small chuckle. "It's not just about that. I mean, I'm thrilled and everything but…"

"You're nervous," Mom once again summarized as only moms can do. "Don't be too nervous, dear; once she sees what a wonderful and caring young man you are, I'm sure she'll do whatever she can to keep you around."

"Thanks, Mom," I replied with another small chuckle. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate her words, it was just that they were literally the most generic mom-to-son words of encouragement ever. I cleared my throat. "I was, um, actually thinking of bringing her here, y'know, to work on the project. If she…y'know, if she wants to…"

"I think that's a great idea," Mom replied with a smile just as the oven timer went off, signaling the readiness of another famous roast. "I'm sure she'll absolutely love it out here." I nodded and took another bite of my apple. "And then when you're married, you can bring your kids here during the summers!" I promptly spat out the bite I had just taken, mom cackling in victory as I looked at her incredulously.

"Jeez Mom, little early for that, don't you think?" I exclaimed, only halfway-upset as I couldn't help but picture such an idyllic scene. Oh come on, don't look at me like that; we've all done it at some point.

"Maybe you're right," Mom agreed, having regained her composure. "At least wait until you've both graduated." I rolled my eyes. "All right, all right, I'll let you off the hook. Would you run and tell your father dinner's ready?"

"Sure, Mom," I replied, wasting no time escaping from Suddenly the World's Most Awkward Kitchen.

I knew exactly where to find him at this time. He usually got home from the base right around four in the afternoon, at which time he'd putter around the yard, building or fixing sheds, cutting some more hiking trails or extending our current ones, and other outdoorsy activities. I know what you're thinking; how does a guy go from flying the world's most advanced (at the time) aircraft to creating the perfect lawn & garden? Seems like a rather extreme change of vocation, doesn't it? You'd think he'd be bored stiff but I've asked him a few times throughout the years and he always replies with the same statement: "It's peaceful".

Ah well, fair is fair. I guess he got all of the excitement out of his system during the waning years of the Cold War. Something something 'Danger Zone' something something…

I found him in the shop (that also doubled as our garage) inspecting a propeller, which was pretty routine, considering my dad and I each owned a small float plane. I think he made up for the fact that I own an old(ish) vehicle by letting me have the newer plane. I know, I was as surprised as you are! Something about wanting me to have something newer and theoretically, less prone to breakdown or serious maintenance issues. Whatever the case, I'll be grateful for the rest of my life. Best gift ever.

"What's the problem?" I asked, joining him at the large workbench. Years of helping Dad maintain our aircraft gave me a sharp eye, and I zeroed in on the problem quickly. "Looks like the prop's starting to split," I remarked, looking closely at the propeller blade.

"Yep, looks like the water finally got to 'er," Dad concurred with a sigh. "Guess we were lucky enough to get away with not having to replace it this long, huh?" Dad's plane, a 1973 Cessna A185 he'd acquired from (you guessed it), a fellow Air Force retiree (and for a very good price, might I add), had never given us a lick of trouble. But that's the trouble with older vehicles; sometimes, you've gotta replace things on them if you want to keep them running. My plane, a slightly-used 2008 Cessna Turbo Amphibian, hadn't needed anything beyond minor upkeep, reminding me once again how lucky I was.

"Well, considering that's the first part you've had to replace since you bought it, I'd say so," I agreed. "Want me to run by the store and grab a new one tomorrow?"

"Sure, sure, only because I know how badly you want to go," he teased with a slight-yet-knowing smile. He was right; one of my favorite places in the world was Canterlot Aqua & Aerosports, the largest small aircraft/watercraft store and service center for at least a thousand miles. With all the lakes, bush, and of course the nearby airbase, Canterlot was a hub for recreational flyers like us.

"Alright, alright, you got me," I surrendered with an over-dramatic sigh. "I'll stop by tomorrow after school and pick up a new prop for the ol' bird."

"Ol' bird?" Dad exclaimed with false indignity. "Careful, son, or we're trading!"

"Ha ha," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Ah, she's probably too much for you to handle anyway," Dad teased. "Don't worry, there's nothing wrong with letting the plane do all the flying for you."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Tell me; what was harder? Flying a Blackbird or a pterodactyl?"

"Get outta here!" he exclaimed, playfully swatting the back of my head. For a military man, my dad had a decent sense of humor, an attribute for which I was often grateful. Then again, you can't marry a fun-loving woman like my mother and not have a sense of humor. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"Yes sir, roast just came out of the oven." I confirmed.

"Great, I'm starving for something that wasn't served on a stained plastic tray," he replied as we left the garage.

"Lunch on the base wasn't good today?"

"I'll put it to you this way," he answered as we made our way to the front door. "You don't join the Air Force for the chow."


***


Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…
                
"So…the Cold War, huh?" Sunset perked up, breaking the silent monotony that had engulfed the upper floor of the library. Despite our spirited conversation the previous day, it seemed like whatever gas we'd possessed was used up, leaving us in a veritable idea drought. Realistically, we'd only been sitting quietly for a couple of minutes but my nervousness made it seem much longer.
                
"Um, yeah, the Cold War," I echoed, unsure of what else to add. Mentally, I berated myself; this was my chance to shine and prove myself to my longtime crush and yet, here I was, useless as an A380 without wings. As if the weight of my situation had finally dawned on me, I had found myself a lot more nervous around her. It was like my earlier euphoria had worn off, leaving reality in its wake. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't spend our valuable time together flirting or making small talk; we had a project to finish, and a sizeable one at that.
                
"So…what should we do the project on?" Sunset asked, shaking me from my inner monologue.
                
"That's…a good question, Sunset," I admitted. Okay, don't panic, just look through your notebook for any topic that jumps out at you. You take detailed notes for a reason; now's the time to use 'em, I reminded myself as I began to leaf through my notes. "Just…give me a sec here…" I added, stalling for time as she looked at me expectedly.
                
"Here, I'll look through mine too," Sunset offered, retrieving her own notebook from the depths of her backpack. "See if anything jumps out at me," she added with a small smile.
                
"Um, sure," I mumbled as I flipped through my notes, searching for something, anything that we could use.
                
Wait a minute…
                
There it was, right under my nose; a saving grace in the form of a doodle of an SR-71 I'd absentmindedly scrawled on the top-right corner of that particular page. It was so obvious at that moment, I actually face-palmed. Noticing the rather abrupt motion, Sunset paused her own search and look at me with a touch of concern.
                
"What is it? Are you okay?" she asked.
                
"Uh yeah, I'm fine," I assured her. "It's just that…well, I think I found a topic for us to do our project on." She smiled, no doubt pleased to finally have the opportunity to progress. For a moment, I was lost in her smile.
                
"And…" she prompted, motioning for me to elaborate.
                
"Right, sorry," I replied, shaking my head, hoping she hadn't caught me staring. "Anyway, I was thinking that we could do something about spy planes and their pilots during the Cold War, maybe about how they were used by the United States and the Soviet Union."
                
"That's…actually a pretty cool idea, Sky," Sunset said, slowly nodding in agreement. "I don't think anyone else was planning on using that as their topic. Ours will really stand out!"
                
"Yeah, that's exactly it," I agreed, happy to finally be getting my mojo back.
                
"But what should we make?" Sunset asked, quickly jotting out topic down on a blank page in her notebook. "I mean, should we make a poster or a write a paper or what?"
                
"Well…" I began, considering our options. "Mr. Turner gave us quite a bit of leeway regarding creative liberties. I think as long as our information's accurate, we could pretty much make anything we want."
                
"Thank goodness for that, huh?" Sunset asked. "Papers are fine but they're not very interesting to present. I'll bet that if we do something a little flashier, we'll get a better mark."
                
"Agreed," I affirmed with a nod. "So…what do we make? What would really blow Mr. Turner's mind?"
                
"Hmm…posters are eye-catching…but it's hard to put that much information on a piece of paper without it looking too cluttered…" Sunset mused.
                
"We could supplement with a couple of mini-papers," I suggested.
                
"We could but then we're back to writing essays and making a poster, which is what I'm sure a lot of groups will be doing." Sunset reminded me.
                
"True true…how about a PowerPoint presentation?" I suggested.
                
"Not a bad idea at all," Sunset mused once more.
                
That's when it seemed to click.
                
"A documentary!" we exclaimed in unison, looking right at each other. Silence reigned for a few seconds before we fell back into our seats, laughing over the funny coincidence.
                
"Wow…" I stated in disbelief. "I can't believe that happened!"
                
"Me neither," Sunset admitted. "Great minds, huh?"
                
"That's for sure," I agreed, nodding vehemently.
                
"We'd need to find some videos with interviews and stuff," Sunset stated, writing more ideas down. "Any documentary I've ever seen has interviews with people who were involved with whatever the documentary's about." She was right; we needed a primary source for our project, which reminded me…
                
"Actually Sunset, I think I've got that under control." She looked up at me with an inquisitive expression. "Listen," I continued. "I know someone who was involved in the Cold War and I'm pretty sure he'd be willing to let us interview them for our project." Her eyes widened, as did her smile. Another little victory.
                
"Really? Who?" I took a deep breath, hoping that he'd be okay with what we had planned. After all, he wasn't especially open when it came to his Cold War career. I began hoping he wouldn't mind making an exception for us but if it came to it, I would respect his wishes and we'd choose something else.
                
"Well…my dad was an Air Force pilot during the Cold War." Upon hearing this, Sunset's eyes widened again and she listened with rapt attention. "He flew the Lockheed SR-71, also known as the 'Blackbird' up until it was retired in 1990, just before the end of the Cold War."
                
"Wow…are you serious?" Sunset asked incredulously.
                
"I take it you've heard of the SR-71?" She nodded.
                
"I saw it at the Smithsonian during a summer road trip with the girls," Sunset explained. "We were driving through Washington DC and Twilight insisted that we stop and check it out."
                
"Wow…that's really cool, Sunset," I replied, genuinely impressed.
                
"Looking back, I just…I can't believe your dad actually flew something like that!" Sunset exclaimed. I couldn't have been more pleased with how everything was going; now, if I could only get my dad to go along with it, we had a chance to pull this off! "Do you think he'll, y'know…want to talk about his experiences?"
                
"That's the thing," I admitted. "I'm not really sure. He's pretty private about the years he spent in the Air Force."
                
"Well…if he doesn't want to be part of the project, it's okay with me," Sunset assured me. "We'll just find another way."
                
"Well, let's not give up too fast," I suggested. "The least we can do is ask. I mean, the least I can do is ask, asking him's not really your…" I took another deep breath. "What I mean is that you don't have to be the one to ask. I'll gladly do it."
                
"Hey, I don't mind asking him," Sunset said, placing a hand on my arm. I must've looked nervous; nevertheless, the gesture did comfort me. "Maybe if we ask him at the same time, he'll say 'yes'," she suggested.
                
"Sure, we could try that," I agreed.
                
"Great! When should I come over?" Sunset asked, catching me by surprise.
                
"Huh?"
                
"Well, it's pretty hard for us to both ask over the phone," she reasoned. "Besides, I'm sure if we showed him our plan, he'd be more likely to agree." She was right about that; being a military man, the best way to approach my dad was with a thought-out plan in-hand and from the looks of Sunset's notebook page, we had a well thought-out plan.
                
"Um yeah, it's fine with me, as long as you don't mind a bit of a drive," I replied, trying to put what was happening into perspective. Sunset wants to come to my house. It was a little surreal so I had to be sure.
                
"Why? Do you live far?" she asked.
                
"No, not really, just a few miles out of town by the lake," I assured her.
                
"Ooh, you live by the lake?" she asked, sounding genuinely impressed.
                
"Uh yeah, it's a small acreage." I confirmed with a nod. "Would you…maybe like to come over and…I dunno, see the place? We can talk to my dad and after that, I could show you around. It's really beautiful." A second or so ticked by as Sunset seemed to be considering my proposal. "It's fine if you don't want to, I mean, we don't really know each other that well…"
                
"No, no, it's fine," Sunset assured me once again. "I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think it was a good idea." Oh yeah, that's right; she did ask. Hur dur. "Okay, let's do that. First we ask your dad, then I get a tour of your place, right?"
                
"Of course!" I replied, maybe a little too enthusiastically, prompting her to giggle.
                
"Don't tell me you don't get any visitors somewhere that beautiful!"
                
"Actually, not as often as you think," I informed her. "We get the occasional family out there or whatever but other than that, not a lot. My parents really value their privacy; that's one of the reasons they bought a place out there."
                
"I hope they won't mind me coming out there," Sunset replied, a hint of concern present in her tone.
                
"They won't mind at all, Sunset, I promise," I assured her with a smile of my own. "Just…give me a sec to call and let them know you're coming, okay?" She nodded and with that, I made my way to the first floor of the library, dialing the house phone as I did so.
                
"Hello?" my mom answered.
                
"Hey mom," I replied. "Is it okay if someone comes over tonight to work on our history project?"
                
"Sure dear, it's fine with me. Are you on your way home?"
                
"In a bit. Sunset and I are just firming up some details…" I paused as I realized my mistake.
                
"Did you say 'Sunset'?" my dear, sweet, occasionally diabolical mother asked. I could practically hear the smirk and the implications that followed. "And you're working on a 'project' with her?"
                
"Yes, Mom," I confirmed with a groan before holding the phone a little closer. "Just a project for school. So can she come over or not?" I asked, trying to get the awkward call over with.
                
"Oh, it's fine with me and I'm sure your father won't have a problem with it." Mom replied. "Ask her if she likes lasagna, will you?"
                
"Sure mom."
                
"Thanks, dear. See you soon and for God's sake, don't forget to use a con…"
                
"Mom!" I exclaimed, cutting her off. "Jeeze, little early for that don't you think? We're just working on homework together! We might not even hang out again!"
                
"Oh, I'm sure things will work out just fine," Mom assured me. "Just have some faith in yourself and you'll see good things happen." I sighed and smiled in spite of it all.
                
"Thanks, Mom. See you soon."
                
"See you, dear." With that, I hung up and made my way back upstairs.
                
"So?" Sunset asked as I sat down.
                
"Mom asked me to ask you if you like lasagna," I told her, prompting a smile from Sunset.
                
"One of my favorites," she replied.
                
"In that case, I'm ready to head out when you are," I offered, taking note of the time. We hadn't spent as much time in the library as the day before but I also had to factor in a trip to Canterlot Aqua & Aerosports to pick up Dad's propeller. Hopefully, Sunset wouldn't mind a stop on the way.
                
"Sure, just let me grab my stuff." With that, he packed up and headed out.


***

                
After showing her as much of Canterlot Aqua & Aerosports as I could in the limited time we had, we wasted no time heading out to my place, the promise of delicious homemade food urging us on. No matter how many times I glanced at my rearview mirror and saw Sunset diligently following me, the sight gave me a small thrill every time. At long last, I had the chance to spend some quality time with Sunset Shimmer. Even if nothing ever came from it, it was a memory I'd cherish forever.
                
As we pulled up to the house, I saw my dad emerge from the garage. He shot me an inquiring look as Sunset, dressed in her usual black leather jacket and matching helmet, parked beside me. I'll admit that while I was a little nervous about our upcoming talk, I had faith that he'd like Sunset.
                
"Hey Dad," I said as I climbed out of my Raider and grabbed my backpack from the passenger seat. Sunset took off her helmet and joined me on the driveway. "Dad, I'd like you to meet Sunset Shimmer. She's a…uh…"
                
"…a friend from history class," Sunset finished for me, making my heart skip a beat. She called me a friend! Wait; does that mean I'm friend-zoned? "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," she greeted, extending her hand. At that, I let out a silent cheer. Sir; he'd like that. Bonus points for offering a handshake. I watched with baited breath as Dad walked over to us. He wasn't upset or anything; rather, he look…surprised.
                
"Pleasure to meet you, young lady," he greeted, shaking her hand with a smile. "Welcome to our neck of the woods."
                
"It's beautiful, sir," Sunset exclaimed with an appreciative smile. "I can't imagine the work you must've put into it."
                
"It's been a long road but I wouldn't trade it for anything," Dad replied proudly before turning to me. "Did you manage to pick up the new prop?" he asked.
                
"Yep, it's in the back seat," I informed him, gesturing to my vehicle. "Want me to grab it for you?"
                
"No, it's okay, you two go on, I'm sure your mother has dinner on the table."
                
"Sure, Dad." I replied. "Shall we?"
                
"Sounds good," Sunset agreed, following me into the house. We were immediately greeted by the delightful aroma of homemade lasagna, another one of mom's specialties. I grinned as Sunset took a sniff, making her stomach gurgle.
                
"What?" she asked as I chuckled. "You know how long it's been since I had a home-cooked meal?"
                
"You don't cook at home?" I asked.
                
"I'm not much of a cook," she admitted, reddening slightly. "I mean, I practice whenever I can but I still eat out a lot."
                
"Hey, fair enough," I replied with a shrug. "I'm sure Mom would be more than happy to give you the recipe for her lasagna, if you like it I mean."
                
"If it tastes half as good as it smells, I know I'll love it," she assured me just in time for mom to hear us and make an appearance.
                
"Compliments will get you everywhere, my dear," she said, coming over to us. "Hi, I'm Mrs. Sky," she greeted warmly, clasping Sunset's outstretched hand in hers.
                
"Sunset Shimmer, and it's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," Sunset replied.
                
"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Shimmer. Please come in." I let out a sigh of relief; so far, so good. Mom hadn't broken out the photo albums yet.
                
"Your parents are really nice," Sunset whispered as we took our shoes off and set them aside. "I can see where you get it."
                
"Um, thanks," I replied, my cheeks reddening at the compliment. "So um, make yourself comfortable," I offered. "I'm just gonna see if Mom needs a hand with anything."
                
"I can help too, if you need anything," Sunset offered. Who was I to turn her down?
                
"Sure," I replied as she followed me into the kitchen. "Hey Mom, anything we can do to…help?" I paused as I took in the sight. Not only had Mom elected to use our special China dishes, the ones we usually reserved for Christmas and other special occasions, but the table had been adorned with her favorite blue tablecloth (also typically reserved for special occasions). Oh boy, I thought. She might be as excited about this as I am.
                
"I've got everything under control here, just waiting on the veggies," Mom replied as she busied herself about the kitchen. She saw me looking at the table in surprise. "You like it?" she asked.
                
"I do! It's just…what's the occasion?" I asked, knowing full-well what the answer was.
                
"Well, it's not every day my son brings home such lovely company," she replied without missing a beat. Inwardly I cringed and looked over at Sunset, hoping she wouldn't be too weirded out. I breathed a sigh of relief as she blushed and smiled, hiding her grin behind her hand. That's mothers for you.
                
"I think you have me mixed up with the table, Mrs. Sky," Sunset exclaimed, also without missing a beat. "I really like these dishes. Are they real China?"
                
"They certainly are," Mom confirmed. "They were given to my husband by the Air Force years ago."
                
"They're really nice," Sunset added. "I almost feel bad eating off of them!"
                
"Don't worry dear, they're surprisingly durable. They've been in the family for many years. Would you like something to drink? We have pop, juice, milk, wine if you like…" she offered.
                
"Um, wine sounds good but I've got my bike so I'd better not," Sunset replied. "Some water would be great, though."
                
"Sure, dear. Blue, would you grab a glass for Sunset?"
                
"Sure," I answered, handing Sunset a glass. "Water cooler's right there," I added, gesturing to the cooler.
                
"Thanks."
                
I smiled. So far, so good.


***


Dinner had gone well. Really well. Sunset and my folks got along like a house on fire and although they spent most of dinner learning about our impromptu dinner guest, I was content to simply sit back and enjoy the heartwarming scene. Of course, I hoped that Sunset didn't feel like I had put her on the spot but if that was the case, she didn't show it. Rather, she looked as if she was genuinely enjoying herself, matching my mother quip for quip, and listening as my father as he conducted a thinly-veiled 'interview' (as only military men can do).
                
Our meal concluded with a freshly-baked pan of brownies and four very full stomachs. If a perfect meal hadn't prepared us for our impending conversation with Dad, nothing would, which is why we very nearly ambushed him just as he sat down in the living room with his book, as was his nightly custom. I sat down with him and broached the subject. It wasn't a long conversation; basically, it came down to me asking and him considering, with Sunset chiming it when necessary to back me up.
                
"…and this is for a school project?" Dad asked for what seemed like the third time.
                
"Yeah Dad, it's worth about 30 percent of our history grade. So…yeah, pretty important…" I replied after a few tense seconds while my Dad considered it.
                
"We think it would be a great way to stand out from the rest of the class," Sunset added. "Our teacher really appreciates creativity, as long as it's relevant." Dad sighed and closed his book, dog-earing the page.
                
"Discussing…my time in the Air Force during those days…isn't something I'm used to. You have to understand that during most of my career, I was sworn to secrecy. None of us were allowed to speak openly about what we were doing so forgive me if I'm not exactly jumping at the chance." My heart was beating rapidly and I could only guess that Sunset's was as well. Realistically, we did have other plans just in case this one didn't come to fruition but we also knew how much of a leg up Dad's cooperation would give us.
                
"However…" he continued with a sigh. "Maybe it's worth considering if it'll do someone some good. I've always considered history very important to learn because those who are ignorant of the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them. Maybe if enough people appreciated what almost happened during those years, the world would be better off." He then looked up at us and smiled. "For the sake of education…I'll help you guys out. And not just because that sweet young lady asked me nicely!" I shot a quick glance at Sunset, who smiled and nodded in appreciation.
                
"Wow…thanks, Dad," I replied, scarcely believing my luck.
                
"Thank you so much, Mr. Sky," Sunset added. "I really appreciate this. We won't let you down!"
                
"I know you won't," my father replied as he picked up his book and gave us one more look. "Make sure you do a good job, okay? Your work has to reflect how serious the situation was; don't trivialize any of it. That's my condition. Think you can handle that?"
                
"Absolutely." Sunset and I responded together, making us smile in spite of ourselves.
                
"Good. Blue, why don't you show Sunset the fire pit? You like bonfires, Ms. Shimmer?"
                
"Love them, Mr. Sky." Sunset replied eagerly.
                
"Diesel's in the shop if you need something to get 'er going." Dad reminded me before refocusing his attention on his book.
                
"Gotcha, Dad," I confirmed. "Shall we?" I asked of Sunset, who nodded in agreement.
                
We roasted marshmallows and swapped life stories for the next couple of hours. By the time Sunset left for home, I felt as if I was actually soaring through the air, miles above my earthly worries.


***

                
To say that the rest of the week had been serendipitous would be an understatement. Every day after school, without fail, Sunset and I met in the library to discuss and otherwise work on our project. Although we were making excellent progress, the best part (at least to me) was that every day, without fail, we were also growing closer. Frankly, I was amazed at how well everything between us was going.
                
But that's only one side, of course. Even as we continued to work, laugh, otherwise spend our time together, my curiosity regarding Sunset's feelings towards me gnawed at the back of my mind. Did she feel the same way, or was I allowing my optimism to fool me into thinking so?
                
I'll admit that I didn't relish the easy, obvious answer. Simply going up and asking "Hey, I've had a supermassive crush on your for the last two years, wanna go have a future together?" didn't appeal to me. No, if I was going to find out anything, I had to be more tactful than that. I needed something to interest her enough to spend time with me outside of our current academic obligation. The question was; what did I possess that I could share with her? What would intrigue her enough to…

Wait a minute…
                
There it was, right under my nose…again; a familiar saving grace in the form of the doodle of the SR-71 I'd absentmindedly scrawled on the top-right corner of yet another notebook page. It was so obvious at that moment, I actually face-palmed. Noticing the rather abrupt motion, Sunset look over at me with a touch of concern.
                
"What is it? Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been kinda quiet over there."
                
"Sorry about that," I replied whilst hastily hatching a plan in my head. The idea was good but not for a first date. Going to my house to work on homework was one thing but what I had in mind as the ultimate gesture of how I felt was quite another. I had to work up to that. In the meantime, however…
                
"It's fine, just thought you might have something on your mind," Sunset continued. Oh, if you only knew, I thought. "Is there…something you want to talk about?" Dinner, movie, walk, romantic world tour…no, bad Sky.
                
"No, no, nothing like that…" I replied, perhaps a little too hastily. Sunset seemed to think so; as observant as ever, she fixed me with an inquisitive expression. Well, that pretty much seals it, I thought, steeling myself for what I was about to do. It's now or never. I took a deep breath. "I mean…yeah, there is something."
                
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry," Sunset assured me, raising her hands defensively. "You just looked upset is all."
                
"No, nothing like that," I repeated. "Actually…okay, here it is." I looked up into her caring eyes and took another deep breath. "I…I really like you, Sunset. I, um, actually have for quite a while now, and was wondering if maybe you'd like to…I dunno, have dinner with me some night?"
                
Well Sky, you finally did it. Whatever happens now, you can at least rest easy knowing that you did what you set out to do. No one can ever take that from…
                
"How about tonight?"
                
Wait what?
                
"I'm sorry…what did you say?" I asked, daring to hope.
                
"I said, "How about tonight"?" Sunset replied with a smile. "I was…just starting to get hungry anyway, so…good timing I guess?" I resisted the urge to jump for joy and instead opted for clarity.
                
"That's…really great to hear but did you say 'yes' because you're hungry or…" A soft touch interrupted my awkward monologue, and I glanced down to see her hand on mine.
                
"Yes, I'm hungry, and yes, I will go out with you." she answered.
                
No flying machine in the world could've recreated the sensations I felt at that exact moment, and I'm convinced that none ever will.
                
"Really?" I stammered as suavely as I could.
                
"Of course," Sunset confirmed with a nod. "Why wouldn't I? You're a nice, genuine, and interesting guy, and I've really been enjoying the time we've spent together, even if it was originally for a school project."
                
"Wow, um…thanks…" I replied a little sheepishly. I shot a glance at the wall clock, my phone forgotten in the rush of emotions I was riding. "Well…it's almost five already…would now be too early for dinner?" Sunset smiled broadly and let out a laugh.
                
"Eager to take me out?" she asked, knowing full-well what the answer was.
                
"Maybe a little," I replied with a smile of my own. She took my hand, and I instinctively grasped it.
                
"Sounds perfect. Let's go."


***


Sunset Shimmer. Me. Pizza Palace.
                
Considering how many times I'd pictured this exact scenario, being part of it for real was…well, surreal. Last week, if you'd told me I was gonna spend a Tuesday evening munching on the best pizza in the city whilst sitting across from Sunset Shimmer, I probably would've had you committed. It was shaping up to be one of the greatest nights of my life.
                
Unfortunately, it was also shaping up to be one of the quietest ones too. While we had managed to make some clichéd small talk, the change in context had seemingly rendered any more meaningful conversation difficult. Simply put, while we had managed to get on just fine at school, even alone on the second floor of the school library, now that we were on a date, things felt, well…different. While Sunset was being a champ by being so patient with me, I knew I had to make the most out of the opportunity I'd been dreaming of ever since we began high school. Knees weak, arms are heavy, and so forth.
                
Needless to say, the fact that she had called me an 'interesting guy' before ensuing silence of our date added just a wee bit of pressure. So what made me so interesting, anyway? I mean sure, I could fly but…
                
There it was again.
                
"Planes!" I suddenly exclaimed, prompting Sunset to look at me quizzically. "I mean, what do you think of…planes?" I continued, unwilling to allow the silence to continue, despite the abrupt conversation piece.
                
"Oh! Um, I think they're…cool?" Sunset offered. "I mean…yeah, they're pretty amazing if you think about it, right? We don't have them on my w…er, where I come from." There was a pause as I briefly contemplated her slip of the tongue, but ultimately decided not to worry about it. Freudian slips happen to the best of us.
                
"Really? They don't have airplanes where you come from?" I asked.
                
"What I meant to say was that my home town's pretty far away from an airport so I haven't too many opportunities to be around them," Sunset clarified. "Actually, the only things I know about planes come mostly from movies."
                
"Oh, that makes sense," I replied. "I've been around them my whole life so I guess it's hard to imagine not being around them, even if it's someone else."
                
"So…why the fascination with airplanes anyway?" Sunset asked. "I mean, I don't think it's weird or anything. It's just that most people at school really enjoy sports and music, and you don't really seem to be into any of that stuff."
                
"I like sports and music as much as anyone else, I just prefer flying," I clarified. "I've loved anything to do with flight even before I knew what that was. Mom swears that the first time I saw a bird through the window, I started flapping my arms." I couldn't help but laugh as Sunset chuckled right into her root beer, resulting in a funny and awkward face as she struggled not to spill the drink. "Anyway, I was so busy working part-time to pay for my lessons and getting in as much flying practice as I could that I didn't have a lot of time for extracurricular activities."
                
"Oh, that's…too bad…" Sunset offered. "So, I take it you didn't go to the Fall Formal?"
                
"Afraid not. Fell into the lake the night before and caught a wicked cold. It was only a 24-hour bug but still pretty annoying." It’s not like I had a date anyway but that's beside the point.
                
"What about the Battle of the Bands? I don't suppose you made it to that."
                
"I wish. Heard some crazy stuff happened during the last show but I was too busy dying of food poisoning." The worst part was not being able to hear you sing but that's beside the point.
                
"Seriously? That's some brutal timing!" Sunset exclaimed.
                
"That's for sure. Do you remember that chicken recall last year, right around March?"
                
"Yeah, that school had to get rid of almost everything for our lunches that week," Sunset said with a nod. "I've never seen Granny Smith so disappointed; she just hates wasting food."
                
"I remember that," I affirmed.
                
"So that means…oh no…"
                
"Yeah…Mom didn't hear about it until one of her friends called. Fortunately, I had only eaten one piece."
                
"Oh no! That must've been awful!"
                
"You can say that again! Couldn't keep food down for two days after."
                
"Sounds like you've had some of the worst luck ever," Sunset. "Did you at least make it to the Friendship Games?"
                
"Um, no…I…" I sighed. "The week before…one of my dad's old Air Force friends died in a drunk driving accident. The other guy walked away without even a scratch but dad's friend…well, he wasn't so lucky." Sunset's hand on mine prompted me to glance down, then up into her comforting eyes.
                
"I'm really sorry to hear that," she stated softly. "I really hate when that happens."
                
"Me too." There was a contemplative pause. "Anyway, sorry to be such a downer, especially on a…on a date." I added somewhat sheepishly.
                
"Hey, it's okay, I'm having a nice time," Sunset assured me with a smile, squeezing my hand for good measure. "I think we got a little off-topic, though. You were telling me why you enjoyed flying so much?"
                
"Right! Anyway, I think I wanted to learn to fly because all my childhood heroes could do it. Leefe Robinson, Manfred von Richthofen…Iron Man." I explained with a chuckle.
                
"…Maverick, Iceman, Goose," Sunset added with a smirk and eyebrow wiggle. I rolled my eyes.
                
"Ha ha. Laugh if you like but don't mention those around my dad. He hates Top Gun."
                
"Seriously?"
                
"Yep! Calls it the "Greatest Naval Air Force Recruitment Ad Ever".
                
"I suppose it kind of is, huh?" Sunset agreed. "So…you're saying I shouldn't hum Danger Zone next time I come over?"
                
"Only if you want him to take you up in some fighter jet that hasn't been used in 30 years and do barrel rolls until you vomit."
                
"I dunno, sounds exciting," Sunset replied with a smirk. "Don't worry. I like your folks, and I really want them to like me. They seem really great."
                
"Yeah, they definitely are and don't worry, they already like you," I assured her, taking pride in the smile she wore whilst helping myself to another slice of pizza. As much fun as we were having, the food had most assuredly not gone ignored. In fact, it was almost gone, period. "What about your parents?" I asked nonchalantly. There was a pause as Sunset seemed to be struggling with the answer. "Um, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about them for whatever reason…" I offered.
                
"Thanks," Sunset replied with a small smile. "It's just…kind of an uncomfortable topic for me and I'd rather not get into it."
                
"Fair enough," I said with a small shrug. "We don't have to talk about anything you don't want to."
                
"I appreciate it."
                
"It's just that I've been talking about myself almost all evening," I explained. "I'd much rather…hear about you."
                
"Oh! Um, sure," Sunset replied with a small but nervous smile. "There's really not much to tell, to be honest. Kind of boring, actually."
                
"Oh, I don't know about that," I said with a small chuckle. "From what I've heard, you've kind of been at the forefront of all the good things happening around the school. I don't know how I keep getting incapacitated for school events but from what I've been told and seen online…you're anything but boring."
                
"You're too kind," Sunset replied with a small bashful smile before taking a deep breath. "Look, it's been a while since I last dated anyone, so I guess I'm feeling…a little apprehensive."
                
"That's understandable," I agreed. "I mean, that and we've only known each other for about a week." She still looked nervous so I decided to ease her apprehension. "Look, you don't have to tell me everything right away. Just…tell me what you feel like telling me, one thing at a time, okay?"
                
"Thanks, but I'll be okay. Like I said, it's just been a long time since I spent any time with a guy. I'm usually with Twilight and the girls."
                
"Kicking ass and taking names, right?" I asked with a smile, which Sunset returned.
                
"Something like that."
                
We shared our first kiss in the parking lot after dinner. It was relatively quick but I still flew home that night.  


***

                
And so it went throughout the weeks that followed. Conversations, deep and nonsensical. Dates, romantic and carefree. Excursions, purposeful and random. Kisses, short & sweet, and long & sumptuous. Days, imperfect yet perfect. Life at last spent with another at my side. I wouldn't have had it any other way.
                
Sunset, for her part, seemed more than happy with how things were going. While slow to open up at first, and with a little encouragement, she had finally started sharing more and more with me. Every little tidbit shared between us seemed to bring us closer, quite remarkable given how we'd only known each other for about two months. But that was the beauty of it; we were making up for lost time.
                
Imagine my parent's delight when they found out. You think I was happy… 
                
It wasn't long before I grew to truly admire her. Not only was she a friend to anyone in need at school, frequently coordinated friendship and camaraderie-building activities with the rest of the Big Six, but she had practically turned the school's fortunes around. Attendance skyrocketed, grades improved dramatically, and general moral had never been higher. Imagine my delight when she revealed an interest in studying psychology and sociology in hopes of becoming a counselor/psychiatrist for students.
                
In other words, what had begun as a mad crush had transformed into a powerful love, and I hoped with all my heart that the feeling was mutual. With summer fast approaching, signaling the end of our senior year, I found myself determined to show Sunset the extent of my feelings for her. In other words, I had a shot and I was going to take it.
                
The perfect date. Something unique. Something she wouldn't soon forget. And I knew exactly what I was going to do.
                
"No Sunset tonight?" Dad asked as I grabbed my backpack from its usual place on the passenger's seat.
                
"She's got band practice with the Rainbooms tonight," I explained. "It's okay, though; I've got a few things to do anyway." I added, heading to the dock.
                
"Something on your mind?" Dad asked, following me to my destination, the large shed/shop responsible for sheltering our float planes.
                
"You could say that."
                
"Care to share with your old man?" I took a deep breath.
                
"I want to take Sunset flying." I noted my father's silence and kept going. "I've always wanted to take her flying. I mean, it's the only thing I can think of doing that might impress her enough to…you know, want to keep dating me." There was a pause as Dad seemed to be considering my words.
                
"You know, I thought the same thing once. I was sure that once the Cold War was over, the Air Force would be done with me. I mean, all I'd ever thought about was flying, kind of like you. I was sure that because my flying days were done, the Air Force wouldn't have a use for me anymore. But I was wrong. The second the wall came down and we stopped flying so much reconnaissance, my superiors made sure I stayed on. They knew that my experience would be valuable when it came to training new recruits and ensuring that the Air Force would be in good hands."
                
"So…"
                
"What I'm saying is that you're a lot more than just one thing. You think Sunset likes you just because you know how to fly a plane? I can tell you right now that she likes you because you're you, end of story. Being able to fly is just a bonus."
                
"How do you know that?" I asked incredulously.
                
"Because your mom said the same thing when I was having doubts," Dad explained. "And you know what? She was absolutely right."
                
"Like always, right?" I added with a smile, making Dad chuckle.
                
"Smart alec."
                
"For real, though…thanks, Dad. I feel a lot better about things now."
                
"No problem, son. Now got over there and go through those maintenance checks; I doubt that crashes are the way to a woman's heart."
                
"Don't worry Dad, I've got it under control." I assured him.
                
"I know you do. Show that little lady a good time, okay?"
                
"Will do."
                
And with that, I went through everything with a fine-toothed comb, ensuring that everything would be ready for the coming weekend. I had already checked the weather report; warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. I was fortunate that Dad had instilled a rigorous work ethic in me when it came to maintenance; with the exception of storing it for the winter, my plane was always ready to go. When it came to my passion, I was more than diligent. Everything had to be perfect on any flight, special or not. For this one, everything had to be more than perfect.
                
By the time I finished that night, the entire plane looked like it had just rolled off the assembly line. The interior smelled fresh and was virtually free of dust (thanks to close to two hours with a powerful shop-vac), and the wings & fuselage shone under the fluorescent lights of the shed (thanks to almost two hours with a special finish and wax job). I made sure to test the headsets we'd need to communicate during the flight. My plane may have been relatively new but it still made enough noise to necessitate a headset. After a quick test of the engine, flight surfaces, GPS, and other systems, I was satisfied that I was ready to make an old dream a reality.

I only hoped Sunset would be up for it. Guess I'll find out tomorrow, I thought as I locked the shed and headed inside.

The next day…
        
        "A surprise?" Sunset asked, one eyebrow cocked in curiosity. It was Friday afternoon and we had just wrapped up our last session in the library, so the timing seemed ideal for me to propose my idea.
        
        "Um yeah," I replied, nervously rubbing the back of my neck. "I mean, we've been going out for a couple months now and I was hoping I could take you somewhere really cool."
        
        "So…a date?" Sunset pressed.
        
        "More than just a date," I explained. "It's…actually something I've wanted to do for you for a while."
        
        "Something to do for me, huh?" Sunset replied with a small smirk. "I can't say I've ever been propositioned like that before."
        
        "N-no, nothing like that!" I exclaimed, my cheeks reddening as Sunset chuckled. "It's more like…there's a really cool place that I think you'd really like and I want to share it with you."
        
        "It's okay, no need to be embarrassed, I trust you," Sunset assured me with a warm smile, taking my hands in hers. "You've been nothing but sweet and great to me. I'd love to see what you have in store for us."
        
        "Awesome!" I exclaimed, maybe a little too excitedly. "Um, you want to meet at my house tomorrow morning at about 10?"
        
        "Sure," Sunset agreed. "Should I…bring anything?"
        
        "Um, some sunscreen, bug spray, and a swimsuit should do it."
        
        "Ooh, a swimsuit?" Sunset teased.
        
        "F-for swimming!"
        
        "Ha ha, I know, just teasing," Sunset assured me, adding a kiss for good measure. I relished in the feeling of her soft lips against mine and rested my hands on the small of her back, drawing her close as she wrapped her hands around me to do the same.
        
        "Ahem." A cough behind us startled us into separating. We blushed as Ms. Cheerilee rolled her eyes and continued on with an armload of books.
        
        "I hope the spot you've picked out is a little more private than the library," Sunset whispered into my ear, making my heart suddenly start pounding.
        
        "A little bit." Was all I could come up with.
        
        "Looking forward to it." she added, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I don't know about you but I'm hungry. Pizza Palace?" I smiled. One does not simply refuse a suggestion of dinner at Canterlot's premiere pizza purveying parlor.
        
        "You read my mind."


***

                
"Son of a bitch!" I yelled as I jumped out of bed. My phone, the smug little thing, proudly wore a time of 9:46. Bewildered, I checked my settings and discovered that, in all of my excitement, I had set the alarm for 9:00 pm.

Sunset was due any minute and I hadn't even showered yet.

The next few minutes were a blur as I raced to the bathroom and showered and did my best to start getting pretty for my big date, you know, the one I'd only been dreaming of for two years. I glanced at the time as I toweled off; 9:53. I still had time to get presentable. I'd have to inhale breakfast but it was a sacrifice I had to make; I loathed flying on an empty stomach and had no intention of crashing over hunger.

That's when I noticed that my clothes were missing.

I threw my pajamas on and bolted into the kitchen, looking for my dear, well-meaning kleptomaniac of a mother.

"Mom, did you do something with my clothes?" I asked the moment I burst into the kitchen.

"Good morning to you too, dear," she replied nonchalantly as if this wasn't a life or death situation. "I'm sorry but when I peeked in this morning to ask if you'd managed to find the cooler, Oreo was asleep on your clothes. They were so covered in cat hair, I decided to wash them for you. They should be done in the dryer in about 15 minutes." As if to punctuate and mock me further, the little furball chose that exact moment to rub up against my leg and look up at me with a shit-eating grin. I sighed and petted the little furball.

"Thanks Mom, hopefully they'll be done by the time Sunset…"

"Nice pajamas."

I froze and slowly turned around.

There, at the table, sat none other than Sunset Shimmer, munching on a plate of scrambled eggs and French toast.

"Oh. Hi." I stammered.

"Running a little late?" she teased.

"Um…phone…alarm…wrong…I'll be right back!" With that, I ran to the laundry room, just in time for my clothes to be finished. Not only had I set the wrong time on my alarm, I had also forgot to put my laundry away the night before, resulting in the creation of a perfect cat bed. "Off to a great start," I muttered as I gathered my clothes and brought them to my room, taking care to put them on my computer chair and out of reach of the furball.

I was soon dressed and joined a giggling Sunset Shimmer at the breakfast table. I must've looked nervous because Sunset reached over and planted a kiss on my cheek the moment Mom turned her back to flip the French toast. I blushed but managed a smile in return.

"Sorry about this," I half-whispered. "I accidentally set my alarm for 9:00 pm instead of am. Ugh, I still can't believe I did that."

"Hey it's okay," Sunset assured me. "I've done that too, trust me. I'm sure we'll have an amazing day even if we get going a few minutes late."

"Thanks, Sunset," I replied with a smile. "I'll do my best to make it the amazing day you deserve."

"Maybe this will help," my mother interjected, setting the picnic-basket-sized cooler I'd unsuccessfully scoured the house for the previous night down on the table. "I forgot that I had taken it out of the storage room for you to use."

"Ah, that's why I couldn't find it," I surmised as I got up to grab it. "I was wondering where…wait a sec, I don't remember it being so heavy…"

"Well then, you'd better look inside." Mom prompted. I did so, and nearly gasped. Not only had she packed up the sandwiches and lemonade I'd prepared the night before, she had included (in her infinite wisdom) a container of freshly-baked brownies, sliced watermelon, homemade potato salad, and everything else we'd need for the perfect picnic. Plastic camping plates, utensils, napkins, and anything else we might need to enjoy our meal. I sighed and smiled; leave it to Mom to still be Mom, despite how I'd more or less made all the arrangements myself.

"Wow!" Sunset exclaimed as she took a look at the meal waiting for us in the basket. "This looks amazing, Mrs. Sky."

"Well, I can't take all the credit," Mom replied. "After all, it was Blue's idea. I just…'mothered' it for him a bit." Aaaaand there it is, I thought with a slight grimace. Thanks, Mom.

"Well, whatever you did, it's more than okay with me," Sunset stated as she closed the lid to preserve the chill provided by the freezer packs. "Almost ready to go?" she asked as I ate my breakfast as quickly (and politely) as I could.

"Yep. You?"

"Definitely."

"You two go on, I'll finish up here," Mom added as we went to clear our dishes.

"Thanks Mom, you're the best," I replied as I grabbed the cooler. "We'll be home before it gets dark, don't worry." My promise wasn't just for her; flying at night was recommended only for experienced pilots and while I had passed that portion of the test, I still didn't want to push my luck.

"Bye, Mrs. Sky! Thanks again for breakfast and lunch!" Sunset called as she grabbed the blanket.

"Bye you too! Have fun and be safe for goodness sake!"

"We will!" Sunset and I called out in unison before stepping out into the morning sun. We looked at each other and laughed in spite of ourselves.

"Your mom's pretty amazing, Sky. You're really lucky." Sunset stated as she made her way outside towards our parked vehicles.

"Yeah, she really is," I agreed. "Believe me, she reminds us of that every day." I added with a laugh. Sunset did the same as she went to open my passenger door.

"Hey, wanna unlock this for me?" she asked.

Okay, Sky, here we go. Time to find out if this is gonna work out. I took a deep breath.

"I would if we were gonna use it." Sunset looked at me in confusion. "Where we're going, we won't need roads." Wow, dude...

"Okay…" Sunset mused as she followed me towards our hangars. "Oh! Are we taking a boat?" she asked upon seeing the large shed.

"Well, you're half-right," I replied, unlocking the door.

"So if we're not driving or boating then how are we…?" Sunset began before gasping at the sight before her.

Before her eyes sat two float planes, mine and my dad's. I could only imagine what was going through her mind at the time, having never been this close to a float plane before, not to mention who was about to fly it. I had confidence in my skills but did she have enough confidence in them to fly with me? That was the big question.

Well, she agreed to date me, so going up in an airplane with me shouldn't be that much of a stretch, I thought.

"There's a beautiful spot a couple of lakes from here that I found last summer. The water's really clear, there's no bugs, easy place to land and moor the plane, soft sand…" I grew more and more nervous as she didn't respond; rather, she simply wandered around the planes, examining them and even running her hand along each fuselage. "I…I'd like to fly us there, Sunset."

She murmured something but I was unable to catch it.

"Did you…did you say something, Sunset?" I asked gently.

"I said…I've never been in a plane before…" Sunset nearly whispered. My eyes widened as I realized what this meant for her.

"Oh…um…Sunset, I'm sorry, I didn't know. When you said you hadn't been around many planes, I didn't think…"

"It's okay, I wasn't exactly specific," Sunset gently cut in. "But…yeah, I've never been on an airplane before."

"Okay." I said, unsure of what else to say…until my inner voice decided to give me a pep talk. What, so you're gonna give up now? You've been wanting to treat her to something special for years now, so don't you dare give up when you're so close! "Look, Sunset. I know you're feeling nervous about this and if you really don't want to go up, we don't have to. I know of a few spots we can drive to that are pretty cool. But if there's a part of you that does want to try this…then I promise you that it'll be an experience you'll never forget." I waited with baited breath as Sunset took a deep breath and came back over to me.

"Take me up."

"R-really? Are you sure, Sunset?" She nodded.

"I am. You're right; this is something I wanted to experience one day, I just didn't think it would be today. Just…caught me off-guard is all." She leaned in and kissed me softly. "Besides," she whispered, squeezing my hands. "I trust you."

"Thanks, Sunset. It'll be fun, I promise." Inside, I was doing backflips. It was actually going to happen! Alright, time to show the most special girl in the world an amazing time, I thought. "Um, just give me a few seconds to do some checks then we'll get going, okay?"

"Sure."

Unwilling to make her wait and allow her nervousness to build up, I did my checks as quickly as I could, inspecting the floats, water rudders, the loading ramp, and everything else necessary for takeoff. Luckily, it didn't take me more than a couple of minutes due to the detailed inspection the night before.

"Okay, we're good to go. I'll help you get in and then I'll release the loading clamps and we'll be almost ready for takeoff. Oh, by the way, when I release the clamps, we're gonna slide backwards down the ramp into the water. It'll only take a second but I didn't want to startle you." Sunset nodded. "Good. Now, if you'll just come around here, I'll help you up into your seat." She did so, and I helped boost her up into the small but comfortable passenger seat. After showing her the seatbelts and ensuring she was buckled in, I wasted no time taking my place in the pilot's seat. Grabbing one of the headsets sitting between the seats, I handed one to her.

"Here, we'll each need one of these if we want to talk to each other during the flight. It's not that loud but loud enough." I explained.

"Okay!" Sunset replied, putting hers on as I did the same with mine.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready!" Sunset confirmed.

"Alright then, here we go!" With that, I picked up the door control fob sitting in my seat's side pocket and opened the door. Like a garage, the door made its way up and over us and no sooner did it stop, I hit the other button and we felt the plane sliding slowly down the ramp before hitting the water with a small splash.

"That wasn't so bad!" Sunset exclaimed through the headset.

"Glad you think so, 'cause that was the easy part!" I replied as we slid away from the shed. Using one of the float's rudders, I used the momentum to turn us into the wind. It was a gentle wind but it was enough, and with that, I started the engine.

I could see Sunset's eyes widen as the engine roared to life and hoped she wasn't having second thoughts.

"Doing okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry!"

"Good 'cause we're gonna take off soon!" After a quick check of my surroundings and retracting the water rudders, I pushed the throttle to takeoff speed, pulled the stick back, and we were soon rocketing across the lake's surface. As much as I wanted to check in with Sunset, I had to make sure takeoff was a success, so I eased us up into the air as gently as I could. As soon as we had cleared the trees, I spared a glance at Sunset…and smiled.

Not only was she craning her neck towards the cockpit's canopy trying to take everything in, her expression wasn't one of fear; rather, it was an expression of pure wonder. She seemed utterly enthralled by the sight below us. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and relaxed a little, focusing on making the flight as smooth as possible.

"So? What do you think?" I asked through the headset.

"It's…I don't even know how to describe it!" Sunset exclaimed. "I haven't done anything like this since I was back in Equestria!"

"Back where?" I asked, unsure if I had heard her right or if the noise of the engine had distorted what she said.

"Um…never mind! This is really cool!"

"Thanks, glad you're enjoying it!" I replied, easily as excited as she was.

"This incredible!" Sunset shouted excitedly. "It's…total freedom! You can go anywhere you want! It's like having wings!" We shared a laugh at that. Wings; wouldn't that be something to have?

"I wouldn't know what that's like but you're right, this is pretty amazing!" I agreed, making a turn to the north.

"Not that I'm complaining but how long is the flight?" Sunset asked.

"About 20 minutes. I know it seems short but you can't get there by car. The only way to that side of the lake is an ATV trail and ours is in the shop."

"This is way cooler anyway!" Sunset rightly pointed out. "You're really good! It's been super-smooth so far."

"Thanks, I had to practice and study a lot. They don't just hand out a pilot's license to anyone. You've gotta prove that you can handle the responsibility. It's probably a lot like your motorcycle."

"Maybe a little but it's not quite the same!"

"You'll have to take me for a ride on your bike sometime!"

"If I thought you could handle it!" We both shared a laugh at that one.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but how did you get your planes? I'm guessing they're not cheap."

"You're right about that. We sold our house in the city about eight years ago when prices were high and bought the lake lot when they were cheap. Dad's also a carpenter so he built a lot of the house himself to save money. We had to live in a friend's RV for about a year while Dad and some old Air Force friends worked on the house," I explained. "Since they had managed to save so much money, Dad decided to buy an older float plane from an old Air Force buddy so he could keep flying."

"So when you decided you wanted to learn how to fly, they decided to buy you one too?" Sunset asked, prompting me to chuckle.

"It wasn't quite that simple. When I was studying for my test, I think Dad thought I was gonna join the Air Force, so he was doing everything he could to encourage me to do so. Then when I told him I didn't want to and wanted to go to university instead, I thought I would never own a plane."

"But he clearly got over that. I mean, look at you now!"

"He definitely did. Anyway, after we got home from celebrating my 18th birthday, he led me to the shed and handed me a key. I opened the door and saw my plane right there beside his. He had managed to save enough money to pay for most of it. I have to cover the rest by working full-time during my summers but believe me, it's been well-worth it."

"Yeah, I can tell," Sunset agreed. "So, is that what you want to do after school? Be a pilot?"

"If I can, sure," I replied. "I might find something completely different that I enjoy too, though. I'm not ruling anything out but whatever I do, I'll always find time for this. Maybe crop dusting or doing tours or something."

"That's really smart," Sunset commented. "It's always good to consider all your options and not lock yourself into one career path. You never know what'll happen, right?" I nodded in agreement.

"That's for sure."


***

                
It wasn't long before we arrived and made a smooth landing at the spot I'd discovered the summer before, and I was pleased to see that it hadn't changed at all. The beach was still clear of rocks, the tree I tied the plane to was still in the same spot, and if that wasn't enough, the entire lake was deserted. Nice and secluded…
                
I shook my head to clear it of impure thoughts, and focused on guiding the plane into the right spot. As soon as I felt the plane beach itself a couple of feet, I jumped out and secured the mooring tie to a tree about 20 feet up the beach, tying it tightly to ensure that our sole mode of transportation didn't drift out into the middle of the lake. I then ran around to Sunset's side and opened the door, allowing her to disembark.
                
"So, what do you think?" I asked, grabbing the cooler and blanket as she took in her surroundings. "Worth the flight?"
                
"It's…wow…" Sunset murmured. "It's perfect!" With that, she practically tore her socks and shoes off, wasting no time experiencing the soft sand under her feet and the cool, clear water of the lake. "Well? Come on!" she urged as I set everything down on a grassy patch near the beach.
                
"You don't have to tell me twice!" I shouted, hastily removing my sandals and joining her. "Ack! Hey!" I sputtered as Sunset sent a splash of water my way, earning a perfect headshot.
                
"Catch me if you can!" Sunset playfully egged me on, staying just out of my reach as we ran and played like we were children again. Finally, after our initial burst of energy, our stomachs spoke up and we decided to take a break for lunch.
                
And what a lunch it was. While my sandwiches and lemonade were good in the own rights, Mom's additions made the whole experience something special. The brownies were perfectly sweet and slightly chewy, the watermelon was juicy, and the potato salad was amazingly fresh. In other words everything was perfect.  
                
And that's not even including the company.
                
This was it; everything I wanted in one place on one day. As we exchanged glances and smiles, the doubts in my mind began to take a backseat to feelings of optimism and relief. I only hoped that Sunset was having as a good a time as I was. After all, that was the point. It may have been my dream but Sunset's enjoyment had always been my first priority.

Making her happy had become my first priority.

"Hey, something on your mind?" Sunset asked, shaking me from my reverie. "You've been really quiet." Crap; what do I tell her? I didn't want to scare her off by coming on too strong, by saying those three words too fast.

"Nothing really," I answered, hoping she wouldn't press the issue. "Just…"

"Just what?"

"Just…wondering when a good time to go swimming would be," I replied, hoping to throw her off the scent…until I could figure out how to say what I wanted to say.

"Oh! Well then, how about now?" she suggested, standing up. I watched transfixed as she unabashedly relieved herself of her T-shirt, revealing a fiery red and orange bikini top that soon sent my mind into meltdown. She grinned knowingly and tossed her t-shirt onto the blanket beside me. "See something you like?" I blushed hard when I realized she'd just caught me staring.

"I…sorry, I didn't expect you to…"

"Strip right in front of you?" Sunset finished for me. "Relax, it's fine. I don't mind showing off to my boyfriend a bit. Besides, I wore my suit under my clothes just in case there wasn't a place to change and now I'm glad I did." Me too. No, bad Sky!

"Well, I sure don't mind if you don't mind, heh heh," I half-stammered, still feeling a little light-headed from the show and tell.

"Glad to hear it 'cause I'm not swimming in shorts!" There was no further warning as the garment fluttered to earth, landing on top of the previously discarded t-shirt. I looked up just in time to see a bikini-clad Sunset Shimmer bounding towards the water. She turned and waved. 

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!"

Oh Hell yeah.

I don't think I've ever disrobed so fast. Like her, I had also worn my trunks under my shorts, allowing me to join her in the water in short order. I caught up to her and we immediately resumed our pre-lunch battle, only this time we were a lot less 'conservative'. Sunset took every advantage her bikini offered, using my distraction to put me in the water time and time again. However, as my initial shyness dissipated, so did my inhibitions, and soon Sunset was on the receiving end of tickle torture and being put in the drink. While a little smaller than me overall, Sunset's natural athleticism gave her an edge, and after a back-and-forth battle, I admitted defeat.

She celebrated by tackling me into the water, sitting on my lower stomach as we tried to catch our breaths. We gazed into each other's eyes and before I knew it, our lips were locked together, initiating a very different battle. Our breathing became more labored as our making out intensified, prompting us to gasp for breath, which we did before immediately resuming. The softness of her lips and the closeness of our bodies was making my head swim and I wondered, for a moment, how this was going to play out. Would we…take that step after two months of kissing and cuddling? I wasn't in a hurry but a growing part of me was wondering the exact same thing. All I knew was that before we went any further, I had something to tell her.

"Sunset," I gasped as I felt her lips on my neck and collarbone. "There's something…I need to tell you…" She paused her ministrations and looked into my eyes. "Sunset, the last few weeks have been the greatest of my life. I feel like I'm flying whenever I'm with you and…"

"I…I need to tell you something first." Sunset interjected.

I believe my first thought was uh oh. She took a deep breath and stood up. I followed suit as she took a couple steps away before turning to me. She was clearly nervous; her unsure expression said it all, not to mention the fidgeting. Whatever it was has clearly bothering her, so I simply stayed quiet and put placed the situation entirely in her hands.

"I…haven't been completely honest with you," she stammered, wringing her hands. "And before you say it, yes, I like you. I…I like you a lot, so please don't think otherwise. It's just that…what you see…" she continued, gesturing to herself. "…isn't everything that I am."

I believe my next thought was please don't have man parts.

"And I…I care about you a lot. You've become someone who I can trust and depend on, someone who's been nothing but great to me since we met. And it's for those reason that you deserve to know the truth about who I am."

"Sunset…" I murmured, reaching a hand out to her, quickly retracting it when she flinched away.

"I'm sorry…but I'm afraid you won't want to touch me if I tell you the truth."

"You don't know that, Sunset. Just give me a chance. Please." I asked as gently as I could. She seemed to be considering it and after a few moments, took a deep breath.

"I'm not from this world. I'm from a world called Equestria. And I'm not a human. I'm…a pony. A unicorn to be exact. I came to this world frustrated and hungry for power, so I tried to take over the school during last year's Fall Formal. Another unicorn named Twilight Sparkle followed me through the portal after I stole her crown and managed to stop me with her…er, our friends."

Huh.

My next thought was that explains a lot.

There was a lengthy pause as I struggled to come to terms with what I'd been told. Under normal circumstances, believing her would've been next to impossible. I mean, how could any of that be possible? But then…things started to add up. All the strange goings-on that the higher-ups had been trying to contain, all the reports of rainbows and lasers, all the crappy phone footage…was it possible that everything Sunset had just told me was the honest truth?

Instead of answering, I simply walked over and embraced her. Although she tried to shrink away at first, my resolve to hug her won over and she hugged me back, wrapping her arms tightly around me as if afraid I would leave her alone. I don't know how long we stood there but I sure as Hell wasn't going to let her go until she realized…

"I love you, Sunset."

She looked up at me, eyes wide and cheeks flushed.

"W-what did you say?"

"I said, I love you, Sunset Shimmer. Wherever you're from, whoever you are…that's who I love."

Her tears made the following flurry of kisses taste salty.

"I love you too, Sky." she whispered into my ear before pushing her lips to mine once more.

Several hours later…
        
        I'm not sure how long we slept, only that we did indeed sleep. By the time we stirred, the sun was just starting to set and the air was cooler, signaling the onset of early evening. I sat up and yawned, stretching my stiff limbs. I looked down at the still-snoozing Sunset, and then at our clothes piled on top of the cooler, evoking memories of the gentle, yet passionate, lovemaking in which we had participated mere hours ago.
        
        It certainly had been a day of firsts.
        
        Beside me, Sunset stirred, prompting me to lay down beside her once more and hold her close.
        
        "Hey." I murmured as our eyes met.
        
        "Hey." she replied with a smile, meeting my lips in a soft kiss. She glanced down at herself, then at me. "We're still naked."
        
        "Believe me, I noticed," I confirmed. "Is that a problem?"
        
        "Only if we want to get back before the sun goes down," Sunset pointed out with a smirk, followed by a yawn.
        
        "I guess you're right," I agreed, yawning as well, a little hesitant to get up.  
        
        "Hey…" Sunset added, taking my hand as we sat up. "There'll be other times, I promise." I smiled and nodded.
        
        "I hope so. That was…I can't even describe how incredible that was." I admitted, blushing.
        
        "It was amazing for me too," Sunset assured me as we slowly got up to retrieve our clothes. "You accepted me, even knowing certain things about me…thank you. That just made everything so much better. Thank you so much for today. I loved every minute of it." I smiled and gave her one last hug before grabbing our clothes.
        
        "Even your first take-off and landing?" I asked with a wry grin. She chuckled and held my hand.
        
        "Especially that."
        
        "Love you, Sunset."
        
        "Love you too, Sky."
        
        "Wanna get out of here before your dad sends the Air Force to find us?"
        
        "Sure, let's go."


***

        
I did a lot of thinking as we headed home that night. Sunset, completely tuckered out by the day's excitement, slept soundly in the seat next to me, a smile gracing her features. It had been quite the day for both of us, and I was still coming to terms with everything that had transpired on that beach. Sunset's origins, sharing our first intimate encounter, even simply spending the day together…I wondered how everything was going to turn out. Would her friends like and accept me, even though we hadn't exactly spent a lot of time with them? How long would Sunset and I last? Would she ever want to return to her world?

What did the future hold for us?

I smiled and resolved to take this new chapter in my life one day at time and not worry about the future. There's no point worrying about something hasn't happened yet, and I sure as Hell wasn't going to spoil the best day I'd ever had by sweating over what might happen. I was much happier reliving what had happened.
 
After all, it's easy to be happy when you're soaring into a sunset sky.
 
 






THE END

 
 




By the way, we got an A+ on our project.