> The Love and Times of Sunset and Twilight
>  by RainbowSparkle3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The First Date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I watched Twilight overcoming Midnight Sparkle, and finally getting over her fear of magic. And when she received one of the geodes and transformed, I felt a huge burst of pride inside my heart.

The memory of when I had first realized my feelings for Twilight played back in my head a million times as I stared at Twilight from near the back of the classroom. I gulped.

It had been a few weeks since the incident at Camp Everfree. All this time, I wanted to ask Twilight out, but I could never find the right way or time. And nervousness exists too, I guess. I figured that if I kept stalling, waiting for a perfect opportunity, nothing was ever gonna happen. So it was time to just ask her out.

I saw Ms. Cheerilee turn around to write something on the board, and in that moment, I reached into my pocket and checked my phone. It was 2:54. Only a few minutes left before class ended.

I tapped my fingers rhythmically against the desk and breathed in and out. Come on, Sunset. We've been over this. The worst that could happen is that she says no, and maybe things'll be a little awkward for a while. It'll be fine.

The wait for class to end was torture. I didn't pay any attention to class. The only thing I noticed was Twilight often raising her hand to answer questions. I was too freaking nervous. A dozen butterflies churned around in my stomach, and beads of sweat slithered down my face. Again, I gulped, this time the sensation refreshing my dry throat.

Finally, the bell rang to signify the end of the day. I let out a huge sigh of relief that I'd probably been holding in since the start of 4th period. Now it was time for the really hard part.

I told myself over and over again that nothing bad could happen, which only made things worse, so I shut my mind up. I really couldn't understand why I was acting like this. I hadn't felt so generally anxious since The Dazzlings. I chuckled dryly to myself. I suppose this is what happens when you don't get the first crush thing done and over with until you're in high school.

While I was thinking to myself, Twilight had walked over to me with her backpack slung tightly around her shoulders. When she greeted me with a simple "Hi," I nearly jumped out of my seat.

"Twilight!" I answered back with very forced enthusiasm, a strained smile on my lips. "What a...surprise to see you there!"

"In the class that we share? Even though you could see me from behind the whole time?" Twilight asked with a curious glint in her purple eyes. She adjusted her glasses in classic Twilight fashion, awkwardly moving them from the side, and raised an eyebrow. "Something's not right with you," she said. "What's the matter?"

Here was the big moment. It was time to pop the question. Wait. No, not like that. You know what I mean. "Um...well...I've just...been tired all day! I didn't get much sleep last night," I lied, laughing with as much sincerity as I could.

Twilight's eyebrow raised even higher, but she didn't press me any further, and just said, "Okaaay then. Let's go." She turned around and I slowly felt my chance slipping away.

"Do you want to go out tonight!?" I suddenly blurted. I immediately covered my mouth with both hands. Sweating profusely, I grimaced and slowly turned my gaze on Twilight.

She just stood there, now staring intently at me. It was hard to read her expression. She wasn't frowning or smiling. She just looked baffled. "Did you...say what I think you did?"

I smiled, my teeth spread wide, and I answered, "Yes?"

Twilight blinked. Then she blinked again. Then she opened her mouth. And then closed it again. Finally, she decided on keeping it open and her expression became much warmer. "Of course. When I lost my path, you helped me find it again. Both at the Friendship Games and Camp Everfree. No one else has been so supportive and such a great friend. I'm just surprised. I thought you were out of my league."

At that last bit, I laughed. "Me? Out of your league? You're the smartest, coolest friend I've ever had. If anything, you're the one out of my league."

Twilight shook her head slightly. "Um, according to my calculations..." she pulled out a fancy gadget from her pocket. "Your league is well above mine. At least by 200%."

I smirked and clicked my tongue. "Of course you calculated that. Just what I've come to expect." I paused and hesitated before continuing, running the possible outcomes of my next words through my head. "It's one of the cutest things about you."

Twilight's cheeks flared bright red and stumbled on her words for a few seconds. "Um, I, uh, well..." she cleared her throat before resuming in a somewhat calmer manner. "Th-thank you. It's something people used to call me annoying for."

I frowned at the thought of Crystal Preppers calling Twilight annoying. "They didn't know what they were talking about," I said as I stood up from my chair and rested a hand on her shoulder.

Twilight gave me a small, but meaningful smile. After a moment of silence, Twilight asked a very reasonable question. "So...what place did you have in mind?"

It clicked in my head just then that Twilight had said yes to a date. My heart started pounding and I struggled to remember the idea I had. "Oh right." I recalled the dramatic performance I had in mind, and got into character. "Be prepared for a special pickup at about 6 o'clock. Maybe dress fancily. And ready yourself for a great dinner. Where we're going, I can't say. But that's part of the fun."

Twilight chuckled at my performance and nodded. "I will be ready indeed." She immediately stopped acting and excitedly squealed. "Now I've gotta get ready!" She dashed off with more energy than I'd ever seen in her before.

I realized I was the only one still in the class, besides Ms. Cheerilee. She was sitting at her desk with her head resting on her chin as she watched with amusement. "Good luck," was all she said.

I gave her a thumbs up and left the classroom with confident strides, before I broke out into a jog, and then a sprint as I headed for the front gate where the rest of my friends would be.

"Hey guys!" I called out with great buoyancy as they came into view.

They were all wearing proud smiles, and once I came close enough, Applejack said, "It seems ya' finally caught the bass you were fishin' for."

"So Twilight told you?"

Rarity giggled and flipped her long purple hair back as she answered. "Why yes, darling. And she seemed quite excited. Almost as much as you."

She pointed her finger at me as she finished, and I scratched the back of my head in embarrassment. "Heh, that's saying a lot, considering I'm acting like a filly who just figured out how to use magic." I tapped my forefinger against my chin a few times before I continued. "Though I guess it's a good sign that she's eager."

"It sure is!" Pinkie remarked. "I know you've liked her for a couple of weeks and I know that's not a particularly long time for a crush but I'm still glad that you finally asked her out and she said yes though I'm not sure why I'm calling it finally considering I just talked about how it wasn't a long time and I-," before she could continue any more, Rainbow placed her hand in front of Pinkie's mouth to stop the endless sea of words.

"I think what she means is: nice one. And that's pretty much all I have to say." Rainbow raised her hand, and I copied her motion and clapped.

"Um," Fluttershy mumbled with a few locks of hair covering her face. "I'm really happy for you too, Sunset."

My mouth formed a huge smile and I said, "Thanks. All of you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna take the bus home. I'm gonna need as much time as possible to prepare for tonight!"

In unison, everyone cheered, "Good luck!" I gave them all a thumbs up and hurried back home.

Once I opened my door, I immediately started getting ready. I went through an assortment of different looks, with and without makeup. In the end, I decided to go with a mostly blue dress flaring with orange around the middle and spikes around the shoulder area. I also fancied up my hair a bit, arranging it in a way that made it cascade down only one side of my head, and I tied it up with a hairpin that looked like my cutie mark. It was the same look I wore to the ball at Camp Everfree, and as I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt very satisfied with it.

Ready to head out into the night, I checked how long it would be until I had to leave.

My eyes widened with alarm as I shouted the time in disbelief. "5:54!? How long did I spend picking a dress!?" I frantically grabbed my keys, locked the door, opened my car door and slammed it shut before racing the car to Twilight's place, which was (thankfully) pretty close.

I got there at just about 6, and I pumped my arms harder than I thought was possible as I ran to Twilight's door. I probably looked really stupid running in a fancy dress, but that was hardly my concern at the time.

When I got to the door, I took a moment to grab my knees as I panted, before ringing the doorbell.

The silence that reigned for a few seconds was so tense that I swore it was tangible. I held my breath as I waited, and after what felt like years, I heard the sound of a lock being undone, and the door swung open. There, standing with her arms at her sides, straight as sticks, was Twilight.

I instinctively let go of my breath when I saw her. I was speechless. She also wore the same dress that she was wearing at the ball a few weeks ago. I couldn't believe it took until now to appreciate how beautiful she was in that dress. From the adorable bun, to the star-filled bodice, to even how well the light blue skirt fit her. "Wow," I whispered in awe.

Twilight blushed slightly and commented, "I guess we both had the same idea."

Still a bit unfocused, I said, "Yeah...but you look a lot better than me."

Twilight looked at me for a moment, scanning me like a machine, before shaking her head and vehemently disagreeing with that claim. "No. You're a lot more beautiful than me."

Now it was my turn to blush, and I blushed enough to turn my whole face from orange to red. Not really knowing how to respond to that other than with a simple, "Thanks," I then directed us to the car, walking over to the right side before entering, holding the door open for Twilight.

As she entered, Twilight smiled smugly and said, "Thank you, chaperone."

I rolled my eyes, but let a grin reveal itself, and I then entered the car from the other side. I closed the door and started up the engine.

I started driving, and we were both silent for a while, neither of us really knowing what to say.

Eventually I started a conversation with the worst topic imaginable. “So...the weather’s pretty nice today, isn’t it?”

Twilight looked dumbfounded for a while. Even she couldn’t predict that my topic of choice would be so pathetic. “Um...actually, I prefer the cold weather. Heat’s just a lot more uncomfortable and, well, hot.”

I cracked a smile randomly, and replied, “Honestly, I just said that to go along with the cliche. I kind of agree.”

Twilight nodded. “I thought so. No one actually brings up the weather with their honest observations. Though I’m a bit surprised in your case, considering well, you know.”

“My name?”

“Yes.”

I had stopped at a red light, and so I spared a glance sideways. We simply looked at each for a while before bursting with laughter. 

After that the rest of the conversation was a lot more natural, and we arrived at The Hay Burger feeling very ready for dinner. I saw Twilight glance out the window and at the shop. “Oh, The Hay Burger! I haven’t been there in a long time. I remember really liking the food.” She then looked up in thought before asking, “Are you sure it’s a good first date place though?”

I waved my hand casually in reply. “Fancy first dates are overrated. And the food here definitely balances out any aesthetic advantages those fancy shmancy places have.”

Twilight shrugged in response. “Maybe, but…” She hesitated, before nervously continuing. “Other restaurants do tend to have a more romantic feeling.”

“I hadn’t really considered that.” I bit my lip, wondering if I’d made a mistake bringing us here of all places.

Twilight studied my expression for a few seconds, and said, “It’s fine, Sunset. I’m sure the food will be delicious. Any place that you think is great is one I’m willing to try out.” She smiled sweetly, and I returned it in kind.

I parked us right next to the big restaurant and we exited the car. I appreciated the explosively colored sign that spelt out the name of the place, before going over to the door to hold it open for Twilight, being the gentlewoman I was. “Ladies first,” I said in a silky smooth voice.

Twilight giggled and walked in, moments before I followed. I introduced her to the layout of the shop and after ordering, talked a bit about how this was a special restaurant in that it served fast food. “Why isn’t it a fastfood place, then?” She asked.

“Um, obviously so the food is of high quality. The chefs here are pretty talented, though, meaning…” I waited for the perfect moment, knowing that the food would arrive soon. I saw an arm holding trays of food and I finished. “The food is amazing and relatively quick.”

I simply allowed Twilight to enjoy her Hay Burger, and with amusement, I watched her scarf it down while I calmly ate mine.

“Wow,” She said, licking her fingers. “It’s so juicy and tender and with an amazing richness.”

“Told you you’d like it,” I said with a knowing smile.

“Oh no, like doesn’t even begin to describe how incredible that was. I’m so glad we came here!”

I chuckled. “Me too. No other restaurant has such great food and equally great customer service.”

“You said it.” We fist bumped, ending it in an explosion. After licking off the rest of the oil off her fingers in a way that could only be described as cute (as weird as that sounds), she stared at me and the almost finished burger in my hand. “You know, I’ve never really considered it before, but...how does eating meat work for you, being a former pony?”

I smiled. “I wondered when you were gonna ask that. I think it’s taken you the longest out of all of our friends. But it’s something everyone questions at some point.” Twilight stared attentively at me, and I began. “Well, back in the day, I really just wanted to fit in so I could be cool and not weird, so I kind of forced myself to try out meat. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, since this body is meant to consume meat. Just don’t bring horse meat to me.”

Twilight laughed a little before answering. “Yeah, I really wasn’t expecting you to. Not many people in general eat it.”

After another short conversation, I called the waiter over to pay for the bill. As much as Twilight resisted, I payed for both of us, and after washing our oily hands, we left feeling very satisfied. Or at least, I did.

We entered my car, and once I started driving, Twilight turned to me and said, “This was fun. Thanks for inviting me, Sunset.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” I replied honestly. The next thing to ask was obvious, and I asked without delay. “So, do you wanna continue this thing? Dating, I mean?”

Twilight looked at me with surprise and cheerfully said, “Of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I nodded contentedly, attempting to contain my excitement, and soon, we were back at Twilight’s place. I followed her to her door, and once we got there, we stood still for a while without saying a word. The soft light of the moon and stars painted our faces white, and the warmth of the night was actually pretty comforting in that moment.

After a minute of silence, I said, “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Twilight replied. After another moment of silence, we moved towards each other with painfully slow steps. I noticed the gentle swaying of Twilight’s dress as her legs moved forward one at a time. 

Finally, once we were standing so close that I could feel Twilight’s breath, we pressed our lips together and closed our eyes. Twilight’s lips were so gentle, and I couldn’t help but notice how they felt slightly awkward, clumsily adjusting position. 

Regardless of her kissing skills though, it was perfect. After a little while, my hands instinctively rose to caress Twilight’s hair, and she followed suit.

After a very short minute, we separated and stared into the other’s eyes. “Goodnight,” I said quietly.

“Goodnight,” Twilight repeated.

The next few minutes were very strange. I wasn’t exactly dazed, but the whole ride home and even when I got back, my mind was stuck on that first kiss, and as I settled into bed, a smile formed on my lips. I drifted off into sleep, thinking about how this was just the beginning, and things would only get better from here.
> The Day Off
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Come in," I said as I opened the door to see Twilight, wearing her usual small purple skirt with stars and her lined blue shirt with a cute little bow tie. It had been a few weeks since we'd started going out, and we had planned to hang out all day on this Friday since it was a P.A. Day.

Twilight briefly glanced around. "I see this place isn't any cleaner than before," she said with mild unhappiness.

I followed her gaze and answered, "I don't see a problem with it. Rainbow sure thinks it's clean."

Twilight gave me an unamused stare. "It's Rainbow. Do you really think taking cleaning advice from her is a good idea?"

"Point taken," I admitted, before walking over to the couch and plopping down. I patted the area beside me.

Twilight walked over and sat down, scooching over till we were touching, and we leaned against each other slightly. I relished in the warmth of Twilight's body, and sighed with relaxation.

"So, what do you want to do?" Twilight asked.

I moved my head to rest on Twilight's shoulder, making her slightly blush. "Well, you know how I've been telling you to watch that show for a long time?"

"Power Ponies? Yeah, I know."

"Well..." I glanced back and forth between the old TV in front of us and Twilight, waiting for her to take the hint.

She sighed, and replied, "Fine. I don't think it's my kind of show, but if you want me to that much, I guess I'll watch it. Watching it with you will at least make the experience a little better."

"Just wait and see. I think you'll like it a bit more you think." I smiled, knowing how good the first episode was. I grabbed the remote on the table in front of us and turned the TV on. I then went to Netflix and selected Power Ponies.

Since I'd already watched this episode dozens of times, I mostly paid attention to Twilight. She seemed pretty bored the whole time, to my disappointment. I kept commenting on different cool things throughout the episode, but Twilight responded with nothing more than basic acknowledgment.

Twilight was holding her head up with her fist, and was leaning heavily into my body. "Just about what I expected. It's just a bunch of cliches with cheesy jokes and corny dialogue."

I struggled to come up with a remark to that. "But, but, the action's so cool, and the one liners were all so awesome."

Twilight blinked slowly, then said, "Yeah, but other than that it just sucks." I frowned at that comment. Maybe it didn't matter to her, but those words coming from Twilight cut deep. She must've seen my hurt eyes, because she quickly changed her tone and remedied her statement. "I'm sorry, Sunset. It's fine if you like it. It's just not the show for me." She gave me an apologetic hug, which I returned.

We let go of each other eventually and I asked the obvious question. "Alright...so now that we've decided Power Ponies is not the show for you, what do you want to do?"

Twilight moved her eyes around, thinking about various options. "A trip to get ice cream sounds nice. It is pretty hot today."

It really was. Even inside, I felt the sun beating down on my body, and an ice cream cone sounded like the perfect way to mitigate that heat.

"Sounds good. Let me just grab my wallet and phone real quick." I dashed to my backpack, which contained both essential items, and dashed back.

We headed to the door and after locking up, we began our walk to the nearest ice cream shop a few blocks away. I unceremoniously slipped my hand into Twilight's and we simply walked together quietly for a while. I bathed in the warm sunlight and even heard some birds chirping. All I needed now to complete the scene was to be in bed waking up.

Once we had reached the ice cream store, I turned to Twilight and asked, "Single or double?"

Twilight giggled and stated, "Single, duh!"

I nodded and we entered the shop in unison, still loosely holding hands. Before we got to the woman working at the cash register, Twilight randomly blurted, "I believe I'll pay for the whole thing this time."

I looked at her in confusion. "Um...we can split the bill 50-50."

"I know, but I want to pay for it." Twilight's face told me that that was a lie, but I didn't want to have an argument about it in the middle of a shop.

"Sure," I answered with my eyes slightly narrowed. Something was up. But I would inquire about it later.

I let Twilight pay for the bill and we got a two-scoop vanilla ice cream. I wanted to question Twilight about her sudden decision to pay, but then again, the ice cream could melt...My curiosity can wait. Ice cream comes first!

We dug into the pure white treat together while we walked out of the store and back to my house. We messily ate the desert with no semblance of order. Twilight tried to take a bite from the top but I was too fast and bit off just the top part. She glared at me, before we both burst out laughing with vanilla at the sides of our mouths.

Soon, the whole cone was finished, and as we simultaneously finished the last of the cone, we ate from opposite ends, causing our lips to meet, and we gently closed our eyes.

Let me tell you. Ice cream kisses are definitely interesting. It's pretty sticky, but also kind of incredible and obviously sweet. When we parted lips, we slowly opened our eyes again and wiped our mouths of the remaining ice cream.

I wanted to just enjoy the moment a little longer, but I'd be able to better enjoy myself if I could get the question in the back of my mind out of it. We were almost back at my place, so I decided to wait to ask Twilight. I wasn't exactly sure why it bugged me so much. It was just a simple decision. But something about the secretive face she'd made had me concerned. It was probably nothing. But I had to be sure.

I let us in and this time I led Twilight to the top part of my place where my bed was (get your mind out of the gutter, we weren't nearly at that stage yet), and I directed us to sit down facing each other cross legged. "So," I started. "What exactly is with you paying when we usually split the bill?"

Twilight fidgeted a bit on the bed and briefly looked to the side. "Is that really so unnatural? Couples pay for each other all the time."

"Yeah, but it was just so random, how you suddenly said it right before we got to the desk, as if you realized something that made you want to pay."

"I don't," she began, before sighing. "Alright. I didn't just pay for it because I felt like it. And honest communication is supposed to be an essential thing for relationships." I nodded at both statements, but didn't interject. "Anyways, I guess I just thought back to how crowded and tiny your place is, and how you have to support yourself. Paying for you seems like a good way to relieve some of the burden on your shoulders."

I folded my arms as I contemplated that, trying to project a confident image. But my pride was a bit wounded. It was stupid, but I really didn't want to rely on Twilight. "I see," I mumbled instinctively. "Well, thanks, but I'm not in dire straits or anything. My job and money from the government is enough to support me."

Twilight stared down at her lap, obviously reading my mind. "I'm sorry if I offended you," she mumbled.

I looked at her forlorn state, and smiled, prepared to be the bigger person. I placed a hand on her shoulder, which made her look up, and I said in a soothing voice, "You don't need to apologize. You were just trying to help. I appreciate it."

Twilight smiled back at me and asked, "So...do you mind if I sometimes paid more than you, considering, well, my own financial situation?"

I stared sheepishly at her, not wanting to turn her down again, yet also still holding onto my pride. "Um...well, we can discuss that later."

Twilight grimaced, moving her glasses a bit and looking into my eyes. "I guess if you want." The air was filled with no sound for a second, until she continued. "Well, we're back here now. How about I introduce you to a show now?"

I wanted to talk about Twilight's unsatisfied expression, but realized that topic was over for now and shrugged. "Sounds cool."

We watched a bunch of episodes of a romantic comedy that I was surprised Twilight liked. I also liked it, and so by the time Twilight had to leave, we were almost done the first season and we were both feeling pretty good.

Like always, I walked Twilight back to her house, enjoying a conversation about the show so far with her, until we were at her block. Then I decided to change the topic. "Yeah, I think he's really cool, but anyways, Twilight," I said her name to capture her attention. "About the money thing earlier...I thought about it, and realized...it does make a certain sense. It's not a huge amount anyways, but I guess getting a little help wouldn't hurt. So if you still want, I won't argue with you about paying more often."

"Oh," She responded, rubbing her chin. "I was just about to say the opposite. I know you have a bit of pride, and I should've realized that.” She paused briefly before continuing. “If you want to pay for your own share, I won't stop you."

We were at an impasse, and there wasn't much time left until Twilight entered her house. There was only one way to settle this. Realizing that my choice was logically more sound and my pride was kinda dumb? Nah.

"Rock," we chanted. "Paper..." We moved our fists in time with the beat, until we revealed our choices as I shouted, "Scissors!"

I chose Scissors, and Twilight had picked..."Draw," Twilight declared. We withdrew our fists and stared at each other. "Wanna just go with your thing?" She asked.

"Sure," I responded. "But you should know I'm not just gonna become some sort of penny-pincher."

"I didn't expect that. Just don't pretend to be fine if you're in a rough financial spot."

"Deal," I said, stretching out my hand. We shook, before flaring our hands up into the air and bringing them back together to fist bump, ending in a pretend explosion. We giggled before arriving at Twilight's place.

"See you soon?" I asked.

"See you soon," she affirmed. I started to turn around, before I dashed back. Twilight turned around at the sound of my approaching steps and I planted a kiss on her lips. Her cheeks lit up, then she relaxed and kissed in response.

When we separated again, I waved goodbye and smiled, then began the relatively short walk back. 

To be honest, I was sort of relieved. I was telling the truth when I'd said that I was in an okay financial situation, but it definitely could've been better. And dates cost a considerable amount of money, so Twilight paying even slightly more than me would overall be helpful. But I was gonna try to work harder and get a job with a higher income. I didn't want to rely on her for help. For now, though, I was relatively content with accepting it.
> Exams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I tugged at Twilight's shoulder. "Come on, Twilight. Let's go already."

Twilight sighed with frustration. "I already told you, I need to study before I can hang out."

I groaned with similar frustration, and paced around the room, laying in a variety of places and playing with a few objects strewn around the room.

It was almost time for the exams, and Twilight, being the ever studious person she was, had to study a bunch, even though she could probably get an A if she didn't study at all. I was like that myself, if to a lesser extent, so this studying all seemed pointless.

I was so bored, so I just watched Twilight's dark violet hair waving around as she moved her head to look at different pages scattered on her desk.

I wanted to say something, but I knew that would just make my wait longer, so I grabbed my backpack, opened it up, and took out a book to read. It was an interesting book, but I couldn't really focus on it. I was too eager to do something with Twilight after she was done.

Thankfully, after a few minutes of distracted reading, I heard Twilight yawning and folding up her notes. "Oh, thank goodness," I cried with relief. "I thought you'd never be done."

Twilight frowned while organizing her papers. "Studying is important, Sunset. You need to try it."

"There's a difference between what I should do and what I need to do. And studying is not in the latter category."

"But you need to think about your future. You can get by as you are because you're intelligent, but that won't be enough for university."

I shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. We'll just have to see. But if studying is anything like how I've seen it is with you, I really don't think I will."

Twilight folded her arms with a slightly peeved face and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you know. You've been studying so much that you haven't been making any time for anything else. I feel like we barely hang out anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Twilight exclaimed. "We hang out all the time. We're hanging out right now. Maybe you'd feel better if you studied too."

I bit my tongue as I mulled that over. Finally, I heaved an enormous sigh. "If you really think I should, I guess I can give studying a shot." Twilight smiled from ear to ear, and jumped out of her seat to hug me. With a motherly tone, she said, "I'm so proud of you. You'll see. Studying can be fun! I can teach you some of my techniques right now if you want!"

I winced at the thought of wasting time with Twilight on studying, and passionately refused. "Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. That is really not necessary. I'll just figure it out on my own."

Twilight reassuringly put her hand on my shoulder and claimed, "You can do this. I believe in you. And I'm sure you'll do perfectly on your exams."

I smiled.


-


I frowned. "Ughhh!" I groaned while scratching my head. Ever since I'd gotten those encouraging words from Twilight, I’d started studying like mad to try to meet her expectations. Exams aren't too hard. But when you're trying to learn and memorize literally all of the content, it becomes a bit more challenging.

I scanned the page I was looking at a few more times and felt all the info going over my head. How did Twilight do it? I considered asking her for help, but I was sure any of her studying techniques would require a ton of extra work I was not willing to put in. I really wanted to just stop studying, but now that I'd started, it was impossible to simply stop. And I still wanted to make Twilight proud. 

So if you couldn't guess, I was pretty stressed at the time.

I miserably glanced at the clock and saw it was midnight, so I put all my notes away and turned off the lights before going to bed.

The next day, I felt really off from the moment I woke up to the time school ended. My mind was stuck on how much content there was to take in from all my courses. Why did my semester have to have 4 exams? Why?

I was asking myself this and other similar questions while I walked over to where Twilight was waiting for me. I was really frustrated. Why did I have to suddenly become a stress ball when school had been such a casual thing for me before? Obviously Twilight wanting me to succeed and pride was why, but still, did it have to affect me so much?

Once I reached Twilight, we began our usual walk to the school gate, and Twilight started talking about random stuff, until she noticed that I wasn't really listening and inquired, "Are you okay, Sunset?" She stared at my disheveled hair and weary eyes with concern.

I bit my tongue. I really didn't want to tell Twilight that because of her I was stressing out over exams, but I also didn't want to lie. I just groaned for the longest time, until I finally decided to go with the lesser of two evils. "Um, I just didn't sleep well last night." It wasn't technically a lie, I told myself. 

I knew I really should've just told Twilight what was going on. But I was not in the mood to see Twilight upset right now.

For a week or so, the wild studying continued, and I discovered more and more about why I had never wanted to study in the first place.

By the end of the week, I was completely drained from trying to do my best at studying. My friends had asked me quite a few times why I was like this, and I kept making lame excuses, not wanting to be deterred from the path I had chosen. Now that I'd started, I was determined to see it through to the end.

As usual, I got up from my desk at the end of the day and walked over to Twilight, who was waiting for me with more concern than ever. 

We began walking down the halls, and I was snapped out of my worried state by a voice. "Sunset," Twilight loudly called my name. "You really need to get more sleep. I know studying is important, but it's not worth losing most of your sleep for."

My eyes widened. She'd known all this time why I was so drained? "You've known the whole time why I've been like this?"

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty obvious considering it started right after you agreed to study. I didn't want to discourage you, since I like that you're studying, but you're overworking yourself. You need to get sleep more than anything."

I didn't answer for a few seconds. I looked down, and with tired eyes, I thought again about all the work I'd been putting into studying. All the frustration I'd been feeling for the past week became pent up, and I snapped, "Well, I'm sure that's easy for you to say, Ms. Smarty Pants! But we're not all as smart as you!" I rubbed the bridge of my nose as Twilight leaned away in shock. "Ever since you told me to start studying, I've been working my butt off to make you happy. So don't you tell me to stop it now!"

I breathed heavily, and looked at Twilight's face as it turned from startled, to confused, then annoyed. "Sunset, I'm just trying to help. There's no need to be so upset."

"Isn't there though? Exams are really soon, and you only told me to study recently. Why didn't you make me sooner?" I shouted with arms waved high in the air. "It would've made my life so much easier."

Twilight was visibly angry now. "I didn't make you do anything. You did it all yourself! If there's anyone to blame, it's you!"

My lips curled. I knew that was true, and that's what made me even madder. "You think you're so great? I bet I'll score 10x better than you! Even though you've completely abandoned me to just focus on studying. As if your mark is more important than your girlfriend!"

Twilight looked hurt, and she responded, "That's not true! I've been trying to find a balance between maintaining my grades and my relationship. You can't just expect me to drop everything and spend all my time with you!"

I rolled my eyes angrily. "Of course not, but you can make some time for your girlfriend. And you haven't been doing that at all!"

"What do you mean? Of course I have. We hang out a lot! I explained this all a whole week ago, remember?"

I shook my head. "But we don’t have any meaningful hangouts! Whenever we get together, you always focus on studying this and studying that! Why don't you date one of your books instead? You obviously like them more than you like me!" Not even stopping to see Twilight's reaction, I stormed off in fury.

Once I had gotten far away enough, I wiped a few tears from my eyes, and I breathed deeply a couple of times to calm myself. The brief argument flashed through my mind, and my jaw dropped.

I was appalled when what I had said finally clicked in my head. How could I have said all that? How could I be so rude to someone I loved so much? She must've been devastated. I'd never snapped at her like that. I knew I needed to fix this, but how?
> Changing Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I paced back and forth, trying not to bump into anyone and lose my concentration. What could I do to fix this situation? That was the biggest fight we'd ever had, and really the only big one in general.

I ran my hand through my hair, wracking my brain, and eventually I let out a huge, frustrated breath. There was no easy way out of this. I'd have to just talk to her.

Biting my lip and gulping, I made a mad dash for the front door. I really hoped I could get there before Twilight left. If she hadn't already?

I shook that thought away as I concentrated on weaving between people and corridors to get to the entrance. My chase was cut short, however, when I saw Twilight, with her head low, walking sideways from my perspective. Disoriented from the sudden sight, I crashed into her, sending us both flying towards the floor. "Ah!" We yelled.

I was left lying on the floor face down, while Twilight was sitting in a cross legged position, rubbing her arm with her eyes closed in pain. I scrambled up before she did, and extended my hand. "Sorry," I apologized, immediately making Twilight's eyes fly open.

"S-Sunset," she said, her eyes wide. Neither of us said anything. She merely looked up at me for a few seconds before slowly taking my hand. I helped raise her up, while Twilight picked up her glasses, which had been knocked off during the fall.

We stared at each other for a long while. The air was thick with tension. I saw Twilight shuffle her feet and I myself felt uncertain. A little bit of sweat even began forming on my face, despite the hallways of Canterlot High being relatively cool. 

I just sighed eventually and broke the loud silence. "I'm so, so sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean anything I said. I've just been so stressed out and frustrated lately. I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I know it's not your fault."

Twilight looked like she was about to respond, her mouth open. But she hesitated, and in that moment, I continued speaking, beginning to break down. "It's never your fault. You've always been great. You've always been so nice and supportive, and just wanted to help me all this time. And I took you for granted." I closed my eyes to suppress tears that threatened to spill. "I promise not to do that again. Just please, please forgive me." I lowered my head to face the floor. My willpower broke as tears began flooding down my face.

I was distracted from my own sobbing when I felt arms being wrapped around me, and I looked up to see Twilight hugging me. I smiled, feeling as if the world had been lifted off my back, and returned the hug, crying happy tears on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, too," Twilight said softly.

"Sorry? Sorry for what?” I asked between sniffs. “You haven't done anything wrong. It's all been on me."

Twilight shook her head. "No. What you said wasn't entirely false. I knew almost immediately why you seemed stressed, but I didn't want to bring it up because I wanted you to continue. It was my negligence that made you all stressed out for the entire past week. And I could've at least been there for you. A little extra studying is not more important to me than you and your well being. I really haven't been spending enough time with you. I'm sorry."

I wanted to argue that I was more at fault, but I was just relieved that Twilight wasn't mad. I hugged her tightly, tears freely flowing down my face, and we held each other for a long time.

Over the next several weeks, we tried to maintain our relationship and still study hard, and we decided to have study sessions together as a sort of solution.

It was a warm, starry night, and I was at Twilight's big house, with my arm wrapped around her as we looked at our notes together. It had been 2 weeks since the big fight, and we were blazing through the notes on the Science class we shared. I smiled cockily once we finished the things we were studying that day. "We're gonna ace these exams!"

Twilight clicked her tongue in reply. "The content may seem easy to you, but you're still gonna have to work hard if you want a really good mark."

I sat back in my chair and said, "I guess. It's only bearable because I'm studying with you." I moved my head forward and pecked Twilight's cheek. My eyebrows narrowed in confusion. Why had that kiss felt...drier than usual?

After that study session when it had started, I attempted to figure out why that kiss had felt so different than how it usually did. And pretty quickly (after just a few more study sessions in fact), I came to an unfortunate and frankly annoying conclusion.

"And then I told her, "Let's work on our chemistry!"” We both laughed up a storm at my horrible joke. We were hanging out at my place. Exams had finally ended, and now our relationship could proceed as normal.

...The only slight problem was that I just didn't feel a spark anymore. I still had a lot of fun talking to her, like now, but nothing seemed to reignite the passion from months prior. Nothing had really caused it. I literally cannot think of any specific event that caused this shift. It just sort of...happened. I still cared deeply for her, just not in the same way. I was really trying to cause the flames of passion to flicker again, but beyond brief glimpses, it seemed to be gone.

After I stopped laughing, I really thought hard about this one last time. I had been feeling this way for a few weeks now, but I wanted to be 100% sure before taking action. I'd waited long enough.

I took a deep breath, and started speaking in a serious tone. "Twi." My tone immediately grabbed her attention. Seeing her curious violet eyes momentarily weakened my resolve. But I continued, knowing that it was best to do this earlier than later. "I want to break up." I had considered leading up to it, but I felt like bluntness was probably the best course of action in this case.

Twilight's expression immediately turned stunned. "Wh-what?" She asked, a mixture of confusion and uncertainty in her voice.

I repeated, "I want to break up," and Twilight stared at my face for a long time, no emotion showing on her own.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she said, "Oh. Well...I was...wondering when you were gonna do it."

What!?" I asked incredulously. "You were expecting this?"

"Yeah..." she admitted. "I didn't want to bring it up, but I think your thoughts for the last little while have been the same as mine."

"Well," I said. I tried to think of something, but I was just really surprised. I had expected tears, anguish, and I thought I'd have to comfort her. What I didn't expect was for things to go completely smoothly. 

Since I didn't have any plan for this situation, I just said the first words that came to my mind. "We should...stay friends?"

Twilight gave me a baffled look, before it turned warm, and just like weeks earlier, she hugged me and said, "Of course, Sunset. Always."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around her one last time before our relationship was over. "Thank you for everything," I whispered into her ear.