> The Seasons of Earth and Love
>  by RainbowSparkle3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The Hopeful Beginning of Spring and Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a beautiful day in early spring, birds who had recently returned from the south were chirping in the trees above, and the rivers joyfully flowed through the forests after a season of being frozen over. The citizens of the grand city of Canterlot were bustling about, a few hanging out with their friends after a long day of school, others returning home from work, some shopping in one of the many busy malls, and a couple simply taking a walk.
On this particular day, Sunset Shimmer was part of the former, or rather, she was about to be. She had called her friend Rainbow Dash over to meet her at Sugarcube Corner around 5 o’clock. She was going to make a confession she'd been holding back for a long time. It was about her secret crush on Rainbow, and with Valentine's day having passed recently, Sunset decided it was about time to reveal her secret. She was walking along the familiar path that would take her to Sugarcube Corner, nervously glancing around until she finally reached her destination. Taking a deep breath, she walked in, praying she had gotten there before her athletic friend.
After looking around the store for a few moments, Sunset let out a sigh of relief as she had gotten there early enough to prepare. She bought a tea and a coffee for herself and Rainbow respectively. The coffee with some added sugar, just how she knew Rainbow liked it.
After purchasing the two beverages, she sat down at a free table and waited while thinking to herself. Okay, Sunset, you can do this. You've been planning this moment for months. You can't screw up now!...But...what if she rejects you, and after that, we become distant, and then eventually stop being friends!? Sunset bit her lip at the thought and started to panic, but then she took a deep breath and relaxed. Don't worry yourself so much, she is the Element of Loyalty for a reason. Just...try to think about how it could go right! Yeah, that'll prepare me for this. Just gotta think positive! And so, Sunset did just that, thinking happy thoughts for about 10 minutes before Rainbow finally arrived and saw Sunset.
Walking up to her, Rainbow said nonchalantly, "Hey, what's up?" breaking the fiery-haired girl out of her trance-like state.
"Oh, h-hey Rainbow. I'm good, thanks." With that, an awkward silence settled over the two friends for a few seconds, before Rainbow broke it.
"So, you wanted to talk to me?" Rainbow asked, sitting down across from Sunset and noticing the two drinks standing on the table.
"Oh, right. Well..." After a few more failed starts and stumbles, she sighed. "Saaaay, the weather's nice today, huh? I ordered a coffee with a bit of sugar for you, if you want it." Rainbow looked at the drink closest to her, and picked it up, taking a small sip before setting it back down.
"Yeah, yeah, the weather's decent today, but I'm pretty sure you didn't call me all the way over to Sugarcube Corner to talk about that." Sunset gulped. Rainbow was right.
So much for calming myself down, Sunset said to herself, tapping her fingers on the table. "Er, you're right. I didn't call you for that," she admitted. "I wanted to see you here because it would be better if I told you in person...I wanted to say..." Sunset mumbled something Rainbow couldn't hear, and when she asked the former Unicorn to speak up, Sunset raised the volume of her mumbling, however it was still incoherent.
"Come on, Sunset! I don't have all day! In fact, I have soccer practice with Indigo Zap later, as in, really soon!" Rainbow said with irritation, her patience growing thin.
Taking a deep breath, Sunset looked Rainbow straight in the eyes and said, "I love you, Rainbow."
The rainbow haired girl looked at her friend with shock, everything in the world around her seemingly frozen. Her shock only grew when Sunset leaned forward for a kiss. It wasn't a kiss on the cheek, it wasn't a peck on the lips, it was a full on kiss, filled with passion and warmth. Sunset's eyes bolted wide open as she realized what she had done and quickly drew back.
Everything was dead silent for a long time, and Sunset looked away in embarrassment.
Stupid, Sunset, stupid! I can't believe I just did that! Now there's no way she'll-, Sunset's self-scolding was abruptly interrupted when Rainbow, like Sunset, jumped forward and kissed her.
Sunset was taken aback at first, but soon let the moment take her away and she closed her eyes, holding the back of Rainbow's silky, long hair; Rainbow doing the same to her. She, like Sunset, was surprised with herself, but quickly started to relax and focused on this perfect kiss.
After almost a full minute, the two reluctantly separated their lips, and just gazed into each other's eyes longingly for awhile, before Rainbow finally spoke. "Well, that was...something." Sunset nodded her head, a blank look on her face. "Soooo," said Rainbow. "I guess you're asking me out on a date?" Sunset nodded again, her expression now a hopeful one. Rainbow smiled and cheerfully accepted. "Sure! But, before that, I want to tell you a secret." Sunset was intrigued now and leaned forward to hear.
After looking around for a few seconds, Rainbow whispered, "I've actually had a crush on you since before the Fall Formal, back when you were, you know, kind of evil. Don't tell anyone, or else people are gonna start thinking I'm a masochist or something."
Sunset blinked before breaking out into laughter. Rainbow began laughing too, but then she said, "I'm not joking about that first part." Sunset stopped and stared at her.
"Really?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "Even though I was so cruel to you back then?"
"Yeah, you were pretty bad, but the great things about you more than made up for your not-so-good ones. You were strong, smart, pretty, a quick runner, and overall near perfect. Ever since you've stopped being evil, you've only gotten better." Rainbow spoke with an uncharacteristic softness, her tone along with her words pleasing Sunset.
"So, how about we go see a movie?" Sunset asked, a wide smile on her face. She then recalled something and added, "The new Daring Do movie is in theaters now."
Rainbow brightened up and answered enthusiastically. "Sure! I just need to tell Indigo that I have to cancel practice today." Sunset nodded in agreement, then waited while Rainbow texted her fellow athlete. Tapping the send button, Rainbow finally said, "Alright, let's go see that movie!"
And with that, they left to see the Daring Do movie. After that, the new couple ate dinner together at a fancy restaurant, chatting together in between mouthfuls of food. Following dinner, Sunset invited Rainbow over to her house, where they talked some more, played video games (most of which Rainbow won), and watched some more movies (many of which were previous Daring Do films), until it was finally time for Rainbow to go.
Sunset and Rainbow stood by the door, the former looking at her new girlfriend with a frown, and the latter getting ready to head back home. Rainbow said with sadness in her voice, "I guess this is the end of our first date."
Sunset spoke with equal melancholy, "Yeah, but if you're not busy, maybe we could go out again tomorrow?"
The athlete beamed upon hearing this and hastily replied. "Yeah, that'd be great! Same time, same place?" she asked. 	Sunset nodded, and so Rainbow began to make her way out of the house, but before that, Sunset gave her a quick peck on the lips.
Rainbow returned the kiss, and afterwards, she waved and began to walk the short distance back to her home. She turned around when Sunset shouted a quick “ Bye!” in her direction and answered it with a smile before continuing on her way home.
Sunset just watched for a few seconds, before reluctantly closing the door. Despite the fact that their date had ended, she grinned, as this was the start of a hopefully long and happy relationship.
> The Glorious Flourishing of Summer and Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a serene day outside in the middle of Summer. The Sun was shining brightly, but the heat was bearable. Students were enjoying themselves, having not a care in the world. Whether they were swimming in one of the many public pools, playing sports with their friends, having fun at the beach, or simply talking together, all of them were savoring the two short months of vacation from School, and the wondrous season that came with it.
In a small, idle park, Sunset was relaxing on a vast plain of grass, a red and blue tiled picnic blanket underneath her. She had a few baskets of food with her, and was setting them down (while swatting away the flies that came close), when she noticed Rainbow standing at the top of a nearby hill.
Sunset gawked at her girlfriend. A light breeze blew, making the Element of Loyalty's colorful long hair sway back and forth, the Sun above positioned in a way that made Rainbow look like she was literally glowing. She wore a simple light blue top and shorts, but they fit her perfectly. The athlete’s face wore a confident smile, one which Sunset was very accustomed to by now, and no matter how many times she saw it, that beautiful smile always left the red-haired girl stunned.
Rainbow's smile widened as she saw her girlfriend, and shouted, "Hey, Sunset!" Sunset responded with a smile and a wave, and Rainbow quickly ran down to where Sunset was unpacking, and sat down on the soft picnic blanket next to her. She closed her eyes and let out a content sigh while the sun’s warmth flooded her body, a wave of peaceful relaxation following suit. After a few seconds, Rainbow opened her eyes, and turned her attention to Sunset, who was unpacking the various foods and beverages from the baskets she had brought. "You need some help?" Rainbow asked, pointing to the still almost full baskets.
Sunset smiled and answered, "Sure!" With that, the two began to work in silence, basking in each other's company as they slowly but surely set down all the food and drinks on the picnic blanket.
Wiping some sweat from her eyebrow as she did so, Rainbow took out the last box of fruits from the final basket. "Alright! Now that we've got that settled, let's eat! I’m starving," the rainbow haired girl enthusiastically said, licking her lips in anticipation for the delicious lunch laid out before her.
Giggling a little at her eagerness, Sunset replied, "Alright, I am pretty hungry too." With that, Rainbow immediately attacked the large array of food, and Sunset, with a little more grace, began consumption as well.
While Sunset munched on a sandwich, Rainbow stuffed her mouth with some sushi, a ham and cheese sandwich, Caesar salad, some fruits, a couple of shortbread cookies, and a small piece of chocolate cake. Along with this, she gulped down some water, apple juice, and a couple cans of coke.
After devouring her meal, Rainbow sighed with a smile on her face, not caring much about the bits of chocolate stuck between her teeth and coating her lips. "That was great, Sunset! You know, you're a really good cook!" Sunset‘s cheeks took on a slight blush, and she responded with a hint of shyness.
"Well, other than plotting evil schemes, I didn't have a whole lot to do before Twilight reformed me, so I started baking as a hobby."
Rainbow grinned and spoke teasingly. "Well, that's one good thing that came from you being a villain." Sunset chuckled in response, before finishing her sandwich and taking another swig of water from a water bottle.
"I guess we're done with lunch then?" she asked, stretching her body after a long time of sitting down. Rainbow took a look at the remaining food, before nodding her head. "Alright then, I guess we can put all of this away." Sunset said, beginning to pack up the extra food.
"Yup," Rainbow responded tersely, helping her girlfriend. Once they were done, the couple picked up the baskets, and folded up the picnic blanket, which they put in one of the baskets. They then made their way to an unoccupied bench.
Setting the baskets she held down beside her, Rainbow said, "It's kinda hard to believe we only became a thing a couple months ago, huh?"
Sunset answered, "Yeah, by now I can't even imagine what it'd be like without you." Rainbow chuckled briefly and scratched her head while blushing a little.
"Thanks, I'd say the same thing." Now it was Sunset's turn to blush, and when she did, Rainbow leaned forward to kiss Sunset, causing her blush to redden further.
They were interrupted when suddenly, a familiar, bubbly voice spoke out. "Hi, Sunset! Hi, Rainbow!" The couple turned to see none other than Pinkie Pie, happily jumping up and down as she came closer to the two.
"Oh. Hey, Pinkie," said Sunset.
"Oh! I'm sorry if I interrupted you! You get back to what you were doing. I was just looking for Gummy! That little alligator always gets lost. Have you seen him?" Pinkie asked, turning her head sideways.
"Sorry, Pinks', I haven't seen him," Rainbow answered. "Sunset?" she asked, turning to face her girlfriend.
Sunset shook her head. "The only pet I've seen all day is Ray." Pinkie shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh, well, thanks anyways." With that, Pinkie continued hopping along.
"That was...random," Sunset said.
"Did you expect anything else from Pinkie?" Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sunset smiled, and replied, "Good point." She then leaned forward to kiss Rainbow again, and this time, there were no interruptions.
After what felt like eternity, the young couple separated, both wearing a smile. A comfortable silence settled over them, but Rainbow broke it after a little while. "Hey, Sunset, I've been to your house a lot, but we rarely hang out at my place." Sunset thought about that for a little while, before acknowledging it with a nod. "So, how about we do that today?" Rainbow asked. Sunset beamed upon hearing the suggestion and immediately nodded in agreement. Rainbow too smiled widely, and so they got up from the bench, taking the baskets with them.
Upon arriving, Rainbow took out a key from her pocket and unlocked the door before opening it. "Welcome to the residence of the one and only Rainbow Dash!" she shouted enthusiastically. Sunset chuckled and stepped in, smiling as she saw her girlfriend's house again.
The living room was messy, to say the least. Books were strewn all over the tables and floor, dirty clothes littered the area, a couple of video games and CD's were in stacks across the room, and there were even wrappers from numerous snacks discarded, though thankfully not on the floor, since that would cause bugs to be swarming the place.
"Wow," Sunset said, taking a look at everything. "Every time I come here, it seems messier than before." Rainbow laughed heartily at that before answering.
"That's because it is! I can't believe how tidy your house is," Rainbow said, making Sunset chuckle.
"Well, I wouldn't say tidy, but it is certainly tidier than yours," Sunset said jokingly. 
Rainbow shrugged her shoulders, then responded. "Eh, whatever you say. So, what do you wanna do?" 
Sunset thought for a little while, then an idea popped into her head. "We haven't had a good gaming session in a while. I challenge you to a fight in Power Ponies!" 
Rainbow cockily smirked at the suggestion. "Alright, you're on! But don't expect to win, I've gotten better since that last time you beat me," she said confidently.
"Suuuure," Sunset teased. You may have been better back when we first got together, but we both know who's superior now. "If you're so convinced of your victory, then let's play," she said, holding a fist out.
"Right," Rainbow responded, bumping her fist with Sunset’s.
They went up the stairs to Rainbow's room and selected the Power Ponies game. Rainbow chose Zapp and Sunset chose The Mane-iac. An intense battle ensued.
Rainbow had the advantage at first. Sunset was caught off guard by her skill, which had definitely grown since the last time. She wasn't kidding, she's gotten better. I'll have to up my game if I wanna beat her. 
Rainbow claimed the first victory, but by now Sunset was used to Rainbow's improved technique. In the second game, Zapp was forced into non-stop dodging, not even managing to land a hit. Whenever she swooped in for melee damage, The Mane-iac used her hair to block and retaliate. When Zapp used her super powers to summon lightning, The Mane-iac used her special ability to increase the durability of her hair, and completely nullified the strike.
Bored of playing defensive, Sunset went all out, utterly demolishing Rainbow. The second victory went to Sunset. Rainbow glared at her girlfriend, and said, "You won't win! I've got more tricks up my sleeve, which I'll be using to obliterate you!"
Amused at her partner’s eager spirit and stubbornness, Sunset rolled her eyes and lazily responded. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's get this started so I can beat you again." After her confident declaration, she grinned, a determined look in her eyes.
And so, the third match began. First, Zapp flew behind her opponent and sent a bolt of lightning at the Mane-iac. Surprised, The Mane-iac was unable to dodge, resulting in the attack being a direct hit, draining her of 20% of her life.
Sunset groaned slightly at the setback, but quickly pressed the buttons to unleash a counter attack. Under her command, the Mane-iac whipped her hair at Zapp, assaulting her with a devastating flurry of magical hair, draining 50% of Zapp's HP before she could finally escape.
A good attack, as Rainbow begrudgingly had to admit. However, she had been spending a lot of time grinding through the game to beat Sunset lately. She knew her character’s move set to a tee and wasn’t about to go down without one hell of a fight.  “You’re gonna pay for that one!” Rainbow declared to Sunset, her voice overflowing with confidence. Sunset, however, was just as confident in her gaming prowess, and didn’t hesitate to respond. “Oh yeah? Bring it!”
Rainbow didn’t have to hear that twice, and quickly went to work on her controller. Flying above, Zapp's eyes went white, and she summoned a massive storm, and after a few mere seconds, she sent lightning down on...herself? Yes, the electricity struck Zapp, and it surrounded her in a blinding blue and white aura, crackling energy surrounding her body. The bright aura eventually faded, revealing a transformed Zapp! Rainbow put on a smug smirk, rapidly tilting her neck to the side, making the joints crack  "Alright, it’s on!”
Sunset grunted in response and tried to launch a desperate attack. The Mane-iac sent her hair flying at her opponent, who casually slapped it away and then instantaneously created a bolt of lightning, which took away 40% of the Mane-iac's health. Rainbow laughed. In her mind, victory was practically ensured. 
Sunset tried to think of a strategy that would lead her to victory, and ultimately decided that she would need to make use of her own transformation. Luckily, her girlfriend was always one to let her cockiness and pride take over, and so she used the small window opened by Rainbow being too busy thinking about victory to achieve the form by inputting the according combination of button prompts, to which the Mane-iac instantly responded. She wrapped her hair around herself, energy surrounding her, then, when she revealed herself, she too was transformed!
The sudden action on the screen caused Rainbow to snap out of her self-indulgence and once again focus on the task at hand.
The fighters faced each other, staring daggers. Growing impatient and wanting to use her newfound power, Sunset went on the offensive, and so the Mane-iac was the first to attack by flying towards Zapp! Rainbow was surprised at the very sudden and reckless attack. She didn’t know the Mane-iac had that ability. She hastily dodged, the maneuver’s execution being rather sloppy, leaving her defenses open.
Sunset saw the opening, and made the Mane-iac turn around to use her strengthened hair to strike Zapp, beginning to push her to the ground. Just before they reached it, The Mane-iac flew to the side, and Zapp hit the ground, the forceful impact causing a huge explosion. Zapp's health was down to 1%.
Rainbow was in quite the bind and had to think quick. Using the dust as a cover, Zapp stealthily crawled out of the crater her body had created and quickly sent a powerful blast of lightning at the Mane-iac. Sunset didn’t see the blast quick enough and she tried to dodge, but half of her character’s body was caught in the lightning, causing the Mane-iac to scream out in agony. The Mane-iac's health was now at 1% too.
Rainbow and Sunset were both exhausted from the button mashing galore and continuous quick thinking. Both wanted to end this as swiftly as possible, causing the fight about that last percentage of health to start in no time at all.
Zapp created another burst of lightning, but the Mane-iac was ready. She flew out of the way towards Zapp, and the electrical strike completely missed her. Taking this opportunity, The Mane-iac used her hair and whipped it at the shocked Zapp, who flew high up and sent another bolt of lightning down upon The Mane-iac.
Sunset’s reaction time however was instantaneous. She pressed the button responsible for evasive moves. The Mane-iac dodged, the tip of her hooves just barely escaping the lightning. While dodging, Sunset immediately went to input an attack. Rainbow’s character was still locked in the animation of her missed strike, rendering dodging impossible. Zapp fell to the ground, no longer in her super form. Text appeared on the screen “The Mane-iac wins!” With that, the battle was over.
"HA!" Sunset shouted, a wide grin on her face. "I told you I'd win!" Rainbow pouted and folded her arms.
"Yeah, well, I almost won there," Rainbow said stubbornly. Sunset laughed. Neither of the two girls had to say it, but both could not be happier with the current situation. Sure, to an outsider it might seem like they were just wasting an afternoon in front of the TV screen. To the two of them however, the activity itself didn’t really matter all that much. What did matter is that they were together, and as long as that was true, they couldn’t have been happier.
Rainbow grinned and tightly gripped her controller before declaring, "I challenge you to a rematch!"
Sunset smiled too, and replied, "You're on!" 
All was well.
> The Somber Descent of Fall and Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a magnificent day near the end of autumn. The leaves falling to the ground were painted in a brilliant mixture of red, yellow and orange. Accompanying the descending leaves was a hint of snow that marked the transition from fall to winter. Students had recently returned to the monotony of school life, and between sessions of stuffing their heads in a textbook, they glanced outside to witness the awe-inspiring dance of multi-colored leaves and pure white snow.
On this day, after school ended, Sunset walked out the school doors alongside Rainbow, the two holding hands. "Wanna come over to my place today?" asked Sunset.
Rainbow smiled, then answered, "Sure, I've got nothing planned today, so we can spend the whole day together." Sunset also smiled.
"Awesome! Alright then, let's go!" With that, the couple walked over to Sunset's home, and Sunset quickly unlocked the door before opening it. "Welcome to my home for just about the millionth time!" she announced, making Rainbow chuckle. The athlete then entered the humble abode, and as always, was amazed at what she saw.
Everything was perfectly tidy. Objects that could potentially be cluttering the rooms were all stowed away. Whether they were in neat piles, stacks, folded, etc., the room was the tidiest thing Rainbow had ever seen. "Nice job!" Rainbow said, causing Sunset to look at Rainbow confusedly. "You always keep this place well-kept. I don't get how you do it." Sunset smiled at the compliment, then pointed to the television. "How about we watch some TV?" Rainbow nodded, and so they went over and sat down on the comfortable couch, making sure there was barely any space between them. Sunset then switched on the TV with the remote controller.
While the show they were watching played, the couple had a casual conversation. "You know, I heard that back in Equestria, Twilight and her friends had some trouble with something called 'The Pony of Shadows.' It sounded pretty bad," Sunset said, acting as though a major threat to Equestria was nothing more than small talk. "Of course, they won, so no need to worry." Rainbow's eyebrows had creased when she heard about The Pony of Shadows, but then she sighed in relief at the good news.
"I was playing sports with Indigo a couple of days ago, and I beat her!" Sunset looked confused, which prompted Rainbow to elaborate.
"We've been playing to see who could win 100 games first. We were neck to neck, trading point for point, and Indigo was actually ahead by 99-98.  I didn't give up though, and I managed to win two straight games in a row, crowning me the victor!" Rainbow finished with enthusiasm and obvious pride, raising her hands in the air.
Sunset looked at her girlfriend with amusement, chuckling lightly before replying. "That's great, Rainbow. You know, I haven't seen Indigo since the Friendship Games, we should probably meet up sometime soon."
"Oh," Rainbow responded, her features now displaying discomfort. "Best if you didn't. You see, she's still a little bit...unfriendly towards the girls from Canterlot High. Definitely better than before, but it still took me a long time to get Indigo to actually befriend me, and that was made a lot easier by us being so similar. With you being one of the main players of our team in the Friendship Games, and someone so different from her...yeah, not gonna turn out well." 
Sunset sighed. "Okay, but that's too bad. I was kinda hoping that our schools would’ve gotten along by now," she said, slumping sadly into the couch as she did so.
Rainbow patted her back before proceeding to reassure her girlfriend. "It's okay, They'll get along someday. For now, though, at least I've gotten friendly with one Shadowbolt. Victory for me!" Rainbow pumped a fist in the air. Sunset couldn’t help but sigh and roll her eyes. The immense focus on winning and achieving Rainbow possessed was something Sunset initially thought was kinda cute, but after all those months it just started being obnoxious.
"Really, Rainbow, you're always talking about winning. It'd be nice to hear about something else for a change," Sunset lectured.
"Hey, winning is what I’m all about!" Rainbow complained.
"Well, actually, you're all about loyalty. You literally represent The Element of Loyalty," Sunset argued.
"Doesn't matter," Rainbow said, shrugging her shoulders. "Winning is still my thing. And It was definitely a victory when I got you as a girlfriend." Rainbow smirked at Sunset, though that smirk rapidly vanished once she saw Sunset’s reaction.
"Wait, are you saying I'm just a prize you received, another achievement to brag about?" Sunset asked, raising an eyebrow and folding her arms, slight irritation making itself apparent in her voice.
"What? No!" Rainbow passionately defended. "I was just saying that I'm glad I got you."
"There it is again, you 'got me.' As in I'm just something you obtained?" Sunset asked, a little more annoyance in her voice.
"Are you-? Uhhhhh!" Rainbow angrily said, slapping a hand on her face. "I'm just bad at wording things, I'm basically saying you're a good girlfriend, though honestly, you’re not acting the part right now," she scolded.
Sunset raised her eyebrow even further. "Yeah, not convinced. And now that I'm not acting perfect, you’re upset that you’re prize isn’t shining as brightly anymore! You know, after all these months, I think you should view me as more than a trophy!" Anger was very clearly piercing through her voice now, and she scowled at Rainbow.
"But you are more! You're just not letting it get through that thick skull of yours what I'm really saying!" Rainbow shouted, trying to reason with the girl next to her.
"NO!" Sunset yelled. “You’re not getting that you can be insensitive and come off as very rude and mean spirited! You always talk about everything like it’s a competition. You give everything, apparently even people the value of an object and I’m tired of it!" Months worth of pent up annoyance and stowed away frustration now surfaced and flowed freely through Sunset’s mouth.
"YEAH!? WELL-!!!" Rainbow was screaming, when all of a sudden, she face palmed and sighed, then turned away to look back at the TV.
Sunset glared at her girlfriend, who was now ignoring her, and was about to speak, when realization hit her. I've been over reacting. I let my petty complaints get the best of me. Rainbow was actually just trying to be nice. Dammit, now she's mad, and for good reason too. I really screwed up on this one. Sunset now face palmed herself, and with a sad expression, she turned to watch TV.
The couple sat in silence until the end of the episode that was playing. After a few very awkward and rather depressing moments, Rainbow got up and spoke in a calm yet cold tone. "I...need to go. I'm busy today." Both knew that was a lie, but Sunset nodded anyways. She had no idea how to salvage this mess.
They walked to the door, and without saying anything, without any gestures even, Rainbow left.
Sunset frowned while watching Rainbow walk back to her own house, thoughts of guilt and regret filing her mind.	
What have I done?
> The Cold Harshness of Winter and Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a dark, cold day in the middle of winter. Snow assaulted the ground, burying it under a huge, thick mat of wintry whiteness. Though it was only around 5 PM, it was already dark as night outside, and everyone was seeking shelter in their homes, hiding from the relentless blizzard roaring about. It was winter break, thankfully, so the students didn't have to suffer through the storm.
However, two students were out and about regardless of the glacial climate this evening. Sunset and Rainbow.
The couple had just met up at the halfway point between their two homes (which fortunately wasn’t a long walk for either girl), and even though Sunset was wearing a winter jacket with a sweater underneath, thick gloves, two snow pants, and a pair of winter boots, the cold still caused her to shiver quite heavily. Once she caught sight of Rainbow and got within talking distance, she immediately asked, "W-why did you c-call me h-here?" The last couple of times they met was always in either of their homes so they could evade the frigidity of winter. Now that they met outside, Sunset was so cold it was difficult to even speak properly. Rainbow on the other hand was simply wearing a winter jacket and some snow pants, yet she seemed completely unbothered by the cold temperature.
"Well, first of all, we should probably find somewhere warm to sit," Rainbow said, her usually so casual attitude nowhere to be found in her voice. She pointed to Sugarcube Corner, which was conveniently located close by, and they quickly walked in. The couple then went to sit down at the very same table they’d shared when they first kissed all those months ago.
After briefly warming up, Sunset again asked, “So, why did you call me here?”
Rainbow sighed, then abruptly kissed Sunset, whose eyes shot wide open in surprise. She could instantly feel her temperature rising, both because of the kiss pushed onto her lips and the blush now present on her face.
After a few blissful seconds, their lips parted. Rainbow let out another sigh before speaking in a solemn tone. "I had to do that one more time.”
Sunset, still somewhat flustered, said, “What do you mean ‘one more time?’”
"I know this must sound like it came out of nowhere, but..." Rainbow scratched her head and nervously looked around.
Curious, Sunset asked, "Yes?"
Rainbow frowned. Tears started building up in her eyes and her lips trembled. It was clearly not easy for her to speak her mind, which was unusual and got Sunset somewhat worried.
“Well, I…” Rainbow hesitated for a moment, gulping nervously before she finally came out and said it. “I wanna break up.” Sunset froze, her heart seemingly stopped beating momentarily and her gaze turned blank.
After a few seconds, she slowly turned to look at Rainbow, her question almost coming out as a whisper. “You’re...breaking up with me?” Sunset had heard Rainbow very clearly, but she tried to deny the truth. Rainbow hung her head as she replied.
“I’m really sorry, Sunset. But our relationship’s been going downhill for months now! Ever since that afternoon, we’ve been arguing more and more, and I think we’d be better off as...friends?” Rainbow said more as a question than a statement, and she waited for an answer, anxious about how Sunset would react.
An overwhelming amount of sadness rendered her unable to formulate any kind of actual answer. Instead, Sunset began bawling. She tried to hold back her tears at first, but the resistance didn’t last very long. Soon, she held her head in her hands while a nearly endless stream of tears rolled down her cheeks. Rainbow bit her lip and patted the back of her now ex-girlfriend, the usually strong girl also beginning to tear up. "I'll let you think about it. If you don't want to, we don't have to hang out anymore. I understand if you don't, though I'd be really happy if we could remain friends," Rainbow said, standing up.
After hugging the still sobbing Sunset, she reluctantly turned and walked out the store, looking back a few times. She did what she came here to do, and staying around for any longer would likely only make it harder for Sunset, who she didn’t want to cause any more pain to than she already had.
Sunset continued to cry until her throat was sore and her eyes bloodshot. The cold didn’t matter anymore, her grief was colder than anything the world could bring upon her.
After more than 10 minutes of non-stop weeping, Sunset finally managed to subdue her crying, albeit gradually.
Oh, Rainbow, Sunset thought. What made this happen? Sure, our relationship was going through a bit of a rough patch for a while, but I didn't think it was this bad. Sunset looked up to the sky with red eyes, and found herself chuckling dryly.
Oh, what a cruel world this is. Just like the seasons did, our relationship rose and fell. The spring was where it started to blossom, the summer was the height of it’s heyday, in the fall it started to wither away, and winter finally caused it to freeze up. Sunset elicited another dry chuckle. Such melodramatic monologues were hardly her style, but Rainbow always did cause her to act a bit strange.  Rainbow… Sunset frowned at the sky while thinking about the fact that she’d lost her relationship with such an incredible girl. However, a hopeful thought managed to creep into her consciousness. If this really is our Winter, then the seasons should soon cycle back into Spring, meaning that our relationship can blossom once more!
Sunset made up her mind. Crying wouldn’t do anything to help her now.
This relationship was far from lost. She and Rainbow made a great couple, and all the good times they had shared together proved it! Sunset got up from her seat and wiped the last remaining traces of her tears. She was gonna talk to Rainbow, and they would stay more than just friends. Sunset’s attitude turned from devastated to hopeful.
Sunset walked out the door and into the freezing streets, but this time a confident stride carried her through them without shivering, the outside cold cast away by a fire burning within her. A fire ignited by love and hope. She had a clear destination: Rainbow Dash’s house.