> Times We Cherish
>  by KalenNighteyes
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Times We Cherish
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I sat in the middle of Sunset’s bed reading a book I’d found in the CHS library. It was something called Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and so far it had been a pretty entertaining book, if a little strange at times. One part I’d just got done with was to do with a caterpiller talking to Alice. It was a very interesting conversation to say the least. As I was about to continue on in the book, the door to Sunset’s room opened slowly and in walked a very worn out and tired looking girl.

I set my book down and stood up off the bed. “Wow, you look like you had a rough time out there.” I could tell by the look Sunset gave me that she was surprised to see me and had totally forgotten I was supposed to be here today, but I didn’t mind. I was able to make a stop at the school library for the book before coming here, so it’s not like I was bored or anything.

Sunset put her hand up to her face and sighed. “I’m so sorry. I completely forgot you were coming, Twilight. I’ve been helping with some of the work down at Sweet Apple Acres since Big Mac got hurt a week ago.”

I gave a concerned look. “Oh no! Is he okay? What happened?”

“Yeah, he’s doing okay. He had a hay bail fall down on him from their hay loft and break his arm, so it’s in a sling for a couple of weeks before they transition him to a cast,” she explained, coughing again.

“And what about you? I’m sorry, but you aren’t looking so good yourself. Are you okay?” She gave me a weak smile and nodded, but I wasn’t buying it. I walked over to her and put a hand on her forehead. “Oh my gosh. You’re burning up!” I exclaimed.

“No, I’m fine. Really. I want to spend some time with you, not sleep for a good portion of your visit.” Another hard, hacking cough.

“No, no, no! You go get into your pajamas right now then you get into the bed and get some rest!”

"But-"

I gave her a stern look. "No. Pajamas. Now."

“Ugh...Okay. You’re right,” Sunset said, moving to the closet and sounding thoroughly defeated by my persistence.

“Good,” I said happily as I moved back over to the bed and crawled into its center, picking up my book once more. I went back to the topic of Sunset working at AJ’s farm. “Well, I’m glad Applejack has such good friends to help her with the chores down there. I just hate that you’ve gotten sick and I’m sorry you’re so worn out.”

I heard her give a weak laugh from inside the closet. “I’m the one who forgot you were coming and didn’t meet you at the portal like I like to. I’m the one who was gone the entire day and got sick, and you apologize to me. There’s something wrong with that.”

I shook my head. “No, there’s nothing wrong with that. I think the girls are lucky to have you now. Imagine how things might be if you’d decided to return to Equestria with me. They’d be short one amazing girl!”

Sunset laughed. “Thank you for saying that Twilight, but we both know that I’ve still got a long way to go before things are one hundred percent for me here. The only thing that makes it bearable is the fact that I do have the girls here for me.”

I looked down when she didn’t mention me being there for her too. I couldn’t blame her though. Even if she and I were together, I had duties to attend to in Equestria and I couldn’t always be here. “I’m glad they’re here for you too. I’m sorry I can’t be more often.”

There was a thump from in the closet and I heard an “ow” fly out from inside. “That’s not what I meant, Twilight. I understand that you can’t drop everything to come here on a whim. I’m okay with that. I wouldn’t have agreed to be in this relationship with you if I wasn’t.”

I swallowed back my guilt and smiled. “I know, but I can’t help feeling guilty for it. It has been two weeks since I last visited. Most couples see each other daily.”

“Stop, Twilight! It really is fine! Don’t make me come out there and tickle you! I’ll do it if you make me feel guilty for making you feel guilty! I already feel guilty enough that I wasn’t here to meet you!” she exclaimed, letting out another nervous laugh.

I gave a giggle of my own as I glanced back down at the book. “It really is okay. I went book browsing at the CHS library and found a book that looked pretty interesting. I was wondering if you’d read it?”

Sunset emerged from the closet in her familiar magenta pajamas with her trademark yellow and red sun on the shirt. “What’s it called?” she asked as she climbed into the bed.

“It’s called Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and it’s actually quite good.”

Sunset yawned, moved up behind me with her legs on either side of me, and pulled the sheet up over herself, letting out another yawn. “Nope. I haven’t read that one yet. I’ve heard of it though.”

I smiled as I felt her arms move around my waist and rest there. It made me happy to know she felt comfortable doing that. I also couldn’t help but feel a sense of security as she held me in her arms. I knew I was safe with her. “Well, it’s about a girl who sees a white rabbit and chases it down a rabbit hole. Little does she know, the rabbit hole leads her to an entirely different world!”

“Will you read some of it to me?” she asked through another yawn that escaped her.

I turned and nuzzled her cheek with my nose. “Of course I’ll read it to you,” I said giving her a small kiss on the cheek, then turned my attention back to the pages of the book, and started reading aloud.

“The Cat only grinned when it saw Alice. It looked goodnatured, she thought: still it had very long claws and a great many teeth, so she felt it ought to be treated with respect.

“‘Cheshire Puss,’ she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name : however, it only grinned a little wider. ‘Come, it’s pleased so far,’ thought Alice, and she went on, ‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to walk from here?’

“‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat. ‘I don’t much care where——’ said Alice. ‘Then it doesn’t matter which way you walk,” said the Cat. “ ——so long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an explanation.

“‘Oh, you ’re sure to do that,’” said the Cat, “‘if you only walk long enough.’” Alice felt that this could not be denied, so she tried another question. ‘What sort of people live about here ?’ ‘In that direction,’ the Cat said, waving its right paw round, ‘lives a Hatter: and in that direction,’ waving the other paw, ‘lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad.’

“‘But I don’t want to go among mad people,’ Alice remarked. ‘Oh, you can’t help that,’ said the Cat: ‘we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.’ ‘How do you know I’m mad?’ said Alice. ‘You must be,’ said the Cat, ‘or you wouldn’t have come here.’”

It wasn’t long before I noticed the light and steady breathing that Sunset had begun to do. Without trying to move too much, I looked over at her and saw that she had fallen fast asleep. I wanted to move and lay her down, but at the same time, I didn’t want to wake her if I didn’t need to. It was so sweet the way she had cuddled up against me, and I really enjoyed that.

With a contented sigh, I gave her another kiss on the cheek then whispered into her ear. “I love you, Sunset Shimmer,” then turned my attention back to the book while my girlfriend slept at my shoulder. Even though she had fallen asleep, I continued to read aloud from the book anyway in case she woke up. This was another perfect moment for us that I wanted to cherish for a long time to come.