Login

A Study on Chaos Theory

by Amber Spark

Chapter 4: Failsafes

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Sunset Shimmer glanced at the small timepiece she kept by the bed. It was already half-past nine. She didn’t really need to get up. It was Saturday, after all. And it’s not like she had anything to do today until seeing the Princess tonight.

Nothing save for that one thing she wasn’t especially looking forward to.

Did I have other plans today? she wondered idly. Ugh, does it even matter?

Last night’s conversation replayed through Sunset’s head for the eighty-seventh time. She wasn’t deluded enough to think she might get back to sleep. Then again, the idea of just lying here for a few hours wasn’t too terrible. It prevented her from enduring what was probably going to be one of the most awkward moments of her life.

Which, considering my life to date, is saying something.

Don’t get me wrong, an angry little voice from an equally angry little pony growled in her head. I’m all for cutting that wannabe down. But seriously? You’re going to waste your time getting your best friend hooked up with her? You do have issues.

Aside from voices in my head? Sunset asked.

Yes, aside from voices in your head.

Thanks for the pep-talk.

It’s what I’m here for.

With a groan, she threw herself out of bed. Anything was better than lying in bed while that voice gnawed at her. She could at least do something while being gnawed on.

Before she bothered getting ready for the day, she dragged herself down to the kitchen and threw on the kettle for the requisite cup of Earl Grey. Setting the arcane heating unit beneath the kettle to a slow boil, Sunset proceeded to the bathroom for her usual routine.

Twenty minutes later, her mane finally dry with the aid of a new arcano-tech air dryer—she still couldn’t get a proper drying spell down—she padded into her kitchen just as the kettle began to shriek. Her magic practically worked on its own, preparing her tea exactly how she liked it. Less than sixty seconds later, the world regained its proper colors as the first sip of Earl Grey went down.

At that point, she concluded drinking Earl Grey last night with Moon Dancer probably wasn’t the smartest thing she could have done. It certainly hadn’t helped her get any sleep. Or maybe that had been last night’s conversation.

I really need to take the Princess’s advice and switch to chamomile at night. As long as it doesn’t have any mint in it. Ugh. Don’t know how she can stand mint in tea.

With another surge of magic, she energized a small pre-configured matrix she had designed a few years ago to prepare a simple breakfast for herself. It would only result in oatmeal and some fruit, but it was a fire-and-forget spell and Sunset wasn’t in the mood for anything fancy. So, she sat at her small kitchen table and stared at the book lying there while her spell did all the work.

A Study on Chaos Theory.

“This entire thing is going to be a study on chaos theory,” Sunset mumbled as she scratched her mane. “But it needs to be done. Friendship is all about putting others’ needs before my own. Right?”

The book—unsurprisingly—provided no answers on the subject.

“Why me?” Sunset muttered.

She could feel her resolve crumbling. The more she delayed, the more her determination to do the right thing slipped. She hated this feeling. She was supposed to be the confident and strong one. The one with a plan. The one who knew what to do.

Somehow, she’d ended up being the center of her group of friends. Granted, she was Celestia’s personal student. And the Princess had been training her in everything from economics to diplomacy… but still, whenever she thought of herself as in charge of anything, it made her nervous.

Mostly because it made that angry little pony happy. Anything that made it happy made Sunset nervous.

A bell appeared above Sunset’s head and rang softly before vanishing, letting her know that her breakfast was ready. Without even turning to look, she levitated the bowl of oatmeal and the sliced fruit over to the table. She took a bite of oatmeal. It was decent. Nothing special. Just a bit of cinnamon.

She continued to stare at the book while she chewed.

What am I doing? Sunset wondered. Am I really about to throw away—

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Sunset blinked in surprise and glanced up at the clock. Who’d wander by this early? She stood up with a yawn and wandered toward the set of stairs that led to the foyer.

A second knock sounded. This one was not soft. It was excited and eager.

There was only one pony Sunset knew who had a knock like that.

This is not what I need right now, Sunset groaned in her head as she plodded down the stairs and tossed open the door.

“Hi, Minue—”

It wasn’t Minuette.

Well, Minuette wasn’t in front of the door. She grinned a few feet behind Cheerilee. Cheerilee, on the other hoof, blinked in the light of the morning sun. The earth pony with the soft magenta coat and the two-toned rose mane looked in desperate need of caffeine, but she still had enough energy to give Sunset a warm smile.

“Hello, Sunny,” Cheerilee said wryly. “Apparently we’re having breakfast together.”

“Huh?”

Minuette giggled.

“Miss Perky here decided to pull me out of my very comfortable bed and drag me halfway here before she reminded me we were supposed to get together for breakfast this morning.”

“Oh…” Sunset blinked a few times. So she had forgotten something. Well, at least she hadn’t been the only one. “Right.”

Both of you forgot?” The blue unicorn with the navy and white mane tsked and shook her head. “Girls, we’ve had this planned for like a week and a half! Cheerilee coming in for her conference? It was the only time she had free!”

“I had… a late night.” Sunset gave Cheerilee a brittle smile. “You look like you need some tea.”

“That sounds simply wonderful,” Cheerilee sighed.

“And you?” Sunset shot Minuette a look. “You get decaf.”

“Aw,” Minuette pouted.

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Do I need to remind you what happened last time you had a significant level of caffeine?”

“Princess Celestia told me that she’d make it an offense against the Crown for anypony to sell me anything caffeinated ever again.” Minuette hopped through the door, the words sounding rehearsed. Mainly because they were. “I still say she was joking.”

“I’ve learned never to be too careful when it comes to the Princess and her sense of humor,” Sunset closed the door and led her friends into the kitchen. “You never know what you’ll get.”

“To keep everypony safe, she could just banish you,” Cheerilee said with a little smile.

“Or throw you in a dungeon,” Sunset suggested. She fired up the teakettle again, this time set to a fast boil for her two friends.

“Or banish you and then throw you in a dungeon in the place that she banishes you to,” Cheerilee’s smile became a smirk as she sat down at the second chair at the kitchen table. A yawn promptly replaced the smirk.

Sunset sat down as well, going back to her breakfast.

“For drinking caffeinated tea?” Minuette cocked an eyebrow at both of them, then she levitated a chair from the other room into the kitchen. “Yowza, I think that’s a bit much, girls.”

“It’s a worst-case scenario.” Sunset shrugged and popped a sliced peach into her muzzle. After swallowing, she glanced at the teacher. “You look like you had a rough night yourself.”

Cheerilee put her head on the table and sighed. “Well, after a train ride, the opening ceremonies and the first round of lectures at the symposium at the Department of Education last night, I didn’t really appreciate her pounding on my hotel door at eight in the morning.”

“You ponies need to embrace the morning more! Especially Sunny! After all, sunrise is when the Princess’s day starts!”

Sunset shot Minuette a glare. Minuette shrugged it off and settled herself down on her new chair with a grin.

“Why you so eager anyway?” Sunset asked and pointed her spoon at her perky friend. “As far as you know, nothing special is happening today.”

Cheerilee frowned. “I thought we were going shopping on Rodeo Drive this afternoon.”

“Oh, dang it.” Sunset facehoofed. “I’m sorry… I’ve had a lot on my mind lately…”

“See?” Minuette crowed. “And if I hadn’t remembered for both of you, you two would have totally missed out on that awesome time!”

“Don’t tell me this is another one of your ‘right time, right place’ things?” Sunset groaned.

“No, silly.” Minuette laughed. “This is one of my actually remembering things things! ‘Right time, right place’ is something totally different.”

“Cheerilee, I don’t suppose you’ve ever come across anything—”

“Sunny.” Cheerilee stifled a yawn. “We’ve been over this. I teach elementary school in Ponyville. My knowledge of cutie mark magic isn’t any better than yours.”

“I swear, Minuette,” Sunset said as the teakettle began to whistle once more. “One day, I’m going to figure out your special talent. If not for my sake, then for poor Twilight’s sake! Do you have any idea how worked up she was after the first time you pulled your little ‘right time, right place’ stunt on her? It was everything I could do not to let her snatch you in her magic and strap you onto a gurney to start running tests!”

She had been pretty funny freaking out like that. She’d even spent three days trying to prove her wrong… only to end up proving her right. Oh, that just drove her insane. Her pout was simply ador—

Her brain screeched to a halt as the kettle continued to squeal.

“Uh, Sunny?” Cheerilee asked. “You going to get that or did you want me to?”

“Huh?” Sunset blinked a few times and then registered the sound of the kettle. “Oh, sorry. Got distracted for a second.”

“I’ll say,” Minuette said with an odd tiny smile. It didn’t seem like a very happy smile.

Sunset did her best to ignore it as she prepared two cups of tea: a griffin blend of green tea for Cheerilee and a decaf herbal raspberry tea for Minuette. With a sigh, she floated them over to her friends. Cheerilee gulped half of it down like it was a shot of hard cider, while Minuette just sipped hers.

“How late did they keep you out last night?” Sunset asked as she stared at Cheerilee’s half-empty teacup.

“Past midnight, I think?” Cheerilee muttered and took another swing. “Endless Lecture… was his usual oblivious self. Didn’t care about the time. Only the topic.”

“You know,” Minuette commented as she swirled the tea in her cup. “You two always complain about my special talent and forget it’s not that strange in Equestria.”

“Oh, what are you going on about now?” Cheerilee asked. She resettled in her chair and wrapped her tail around her.

Sunset finished her oatmeal and leaned back in her chair. She munched on her last apple and studied the blue unicorn with a raised eyebrow.

“Uh, hello, silly? You just gave a great example.”

“You’re not making any sense, Minuette,” Sunset replied, rolling her eyes. “As usual.”

Minuette rolled her eyes right back at Sunset. “The name of the lecturer at the symposium last night, of course! His name! Endless Lecture? Haven’t you ever wondered about how ponies tend to be named after either their special talent or their future cutie marks?”

“Oh, there are plenty of examples where that’s not true at all,” Cheerilee said with a wave of a hoof. “That’s just superstition. Old mare’s tales like the Naming Dream.”

“I don’t know,” Minuette said. “I think somepony should do a study.”

“Studies have been done,” Sunset interjected. “They’re usually done by some academic group or another every fifteen years or so. They always come back inconclusive.”

“Anyway,” Cheerilee continued. “I could see that working for you or for me… but what about Sunny here? What does the name ‘Sunset Shimmer’ have to do with her special talent?”

Minuette’s eyes locked onto Sunset. “Well, I’ve been thinking…”

“That’s scary,” Sunset said before taking another drink of Earl Grey.

Cheerilee giggled, but Minuette seemed… hesitant?

“I’ve been thinking…” Minuette repeated and shifted a little more in her seat. “What if the names that don’t follow that convention have some other special importance?” She licked her lips. “Say… like, who they were meant to be with?”

Earl Grey sprayed out of Sunset’s mouth as she nearly choked on her tea. Her chest heaved as her body tried to remember how to process air correctly. Cheerilee leapt up and gently patted Sunset on the back. It took almost a full minute before Sunset could finally look up and fix Minuette with a glare.

“Right time, right place, huh?” Sunset growled.

Minuette went red, though Sunset couldn’t tell if it was because Sunset had accused her or because Sunset was right.

“You okay, Sunny?” Cheerilee asked as she rubbed Sunset’s back. Sunset nodded and took a deep, trembling breath.

“I’ll be fine.” Sunset’s voice was harsh and clipped.

“Look, maybe this isn’t the best time for this,” Cheerilee said quickly. “Sunset, you’ve obviously got a lot—”

“Sorry, Cheerilee,” Minuette interrupted, soundingfar more subdued. “But you need to stay. I need to go.”

Sunset blinked. “Really? You’re going to really do this to me? Drop that little number and then leave?”

Cheerilee glanced back and forth between the two of them, though Sunset could see the comprehension in Cheerilee’s expression. That just made it worse.

“I… look, I’m sorry. I… Sunny, this has been going on for—”

Sunset cut her off with a single swipe of her hoof. “So, you brought her over to confront me about something? Is that it?”

“No,” Minuette said, her tail twitching nervously behind her. “No. It really was for breakfast. But… after we got here, I could see it in your eyes, Sunny. And… I’m not wrong, am I?”

Sunset glowered at her. “I think that special talent of yours is a jerk sometimes.”

“Sometimes… yeah, it seems that way,” Minuette whispered. Her ears were down, but her eyes never left Sunset.

Ugh. Okay, fine. Cheerilee probably is the best pony for me to talk to right now. But did Minuette really need to bring it up like that? That was just mean!

Her angry little pony decided now was a good time to let her opinion be known.

Then tell her off! In fact, kick them both out and tell them you don’t need any help! You’re Sunset Shimmer. You can handle this without the meddling of your so-called ‘friends.’

Buck you, Sunset growled in her head. Anyway, I take it as a good rule that anything you want me to do is probably the last thing I should do.

Then you’re even more hopeless than I thought.

“I won’t stay if you don’t want me here, Sunset,” Cheerilee said quietly. “You’ve obviously got a lot going on and if you need time to yourself, I’m more than happy to—”

“No.” Sunset hung her head. “Minuette’s… not wrong. I do need somepony to talk to.”

Cheerilee looked at Sunset and then up to Minuette, who was still watching Sunset with flattened ears and a pained expression.

“You don’t have to go, Minuette,” Sunset offered, her voice still quiet.

“Yeah, I do. I can tell you need a friend, Sunny. I can also tell it shouldn’t be me.”

With that, Minuette stood and plodded toward the door.

Sunset exchanged a look with Cheerilee. Her friend nodded and Sunset jumped up to follow Minuette.

“Cheery?” Sunset called over her shoulder. “Why don’t you relax? I’ll be back in a moment.”

“If you say so, Sunny.”

Without looking back, Sunset walked Minuette down the stairs and to the front door. With a flash of teal magic, she pulled it open for her friend.

“I’m sorry,” Minuette said. “I… I know that wasn’t fair of me to just throw it out like tha—”

“You all really do know, don’t you?” Sunset said. It wasn’t really a question. She already knew the answer. “About all of us?”

“Yeah,” Minuette admitted and bit her lip. “We’ve known for a while. Sunset… I need to ask… have you considered trying to make it work between the three of you? I’ve heard of other ponies doing stuff like that…”

The angry little pony in the back of her head balked, but more at the idea that Sunset should share anything with anypony.

However, the result was the same.

“I’m just not that kind of pony, Minuette.” Sunset sighed. “Right now… I almost wish I was, but that’s… just not for me. If other ponies can do that, that’s fantastic for them. But not me. I just want one.”

“Sunny, I can see it in your eyes. I can tell what happened. What you already did.” Minuette sounded close to tears. “You don’t have to do it this way. I don’t think things will turn out nearly as badly as you think they might...”

If anything, Minuette’s protests helped solidify Sunset’s perspective on the matter. It reminded her why she was doing what she was doing. Even if nopony else understood or even agreed… she knew.

She could be wrong. Sunset was smart enough—smart enough now—to know that. But… right now… it felt like the right thing to do.

“I’m sure, Minuette.” Sunset’s voice was calm but firm. “I need to do this. I think it’ll be good for them.”

Minuette sighed, but she nodded anyway.

“If you need somepony else to talk to… maybe help you laugh and smile a little afterwards, let me know, okay? Maybe I can put together a special campaign for us. I think Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine are available later this week.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Actually, that doesn’t sound half-bad, even if Lemon Hearts always makes me bring the snacks..

But I need to get through today first.

Minuette gave her tight hug, one that Sunset returned with a long sigh. Some of the tension in her body faded in the embrace of her friend. It wasn’t much, but it helped.

“Your technique wasn’t exactly subtle, Minuette,” Sunset whispered. “But… thank you. I never could have asked on my own.”

“That’s what friends are for,” Minuette said as she pulled back. Her smile wavered. “To help you… even when you think you don’t need the help. Especially then, actually.”

Sunset smiled a little as Minuette trotted out the door. With a final wave, she disappeared around the corner, leaving Sunset in the foyer.

It took a few more minutes before Sunset managed to trot up the stairs. Cheerilee was waiting, watching her warily. She didn’t speak up until Sunset had sat down back down at the kitchen table.

“Sunset, you don’t have to talk about whatever’s bothering you if you don’t want to. I don’t mind.”

Sunset ignored the comment. Cheerilee was trying to be kind and give her a way out. It was a nice gesture, but Sunset knew there were times when she needed a push.

Convenient how Minuette had just provided one.

“So, how’s Ponyville these days?”

Cheerilee blinked in surprise, but seemed to be willing to go along with the sudden change in topic.

“I can see why your friend Lyra moved out there,” she said. “It’s quiet and peaceful. You know, I had intended to simply stay out there a year or two. But the town grows on you.”

“You think you made the right call? I know Dean Clear would have loved to keep you at Gifted Unicorns.”

Professor Clear,” Cheerilee said with a smile, “changed my life when she took me on as a professor at Gifted Unicorns. But you know the tradition.”

“Professor Polish loved to talk about it.” Sunset nodded. “She would go on and on about the two years she taught in… Tall Tale, I think? Always talked about the way it helped keep her grounded to get out of Canterlot. Not everypony follows that tradition, though.”

“I know.” Cheerilee’s smile became wistful. “I remember when I thought ending up as a teacher in a little town was… I don’t know… just confirming I wasn’t worth anything. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade my years teaching at Gifted Unicorns for anything. But… there’s something special about the town. I’m happy there. I’m pretty sure I’m going to stay.”

Sunset smiled. “Then I’m happy for you, Cheery. I’m glad you found your place.”

“Minuette didn’t just leave so you could check on how I was doing in Ponyville.”

“No,” Sunset admitted. “No, she didn’t.”

“Twilight?” Cheerilee said. It wasn’t really a question, even if she phrased it as one.

I can’t believe I am that obvious.

Sunset stared at A Study in Chaos Theory, still sitting in the middle of the table. The enchanted RCA dust jacket had protected it from the spilled Earl Grey. Sunset levitated a couple napkins over and mopped up the remains of her tea.

“Do you have anypony out there, Cheerilee? Anypony… special?”

Cheerilee went a little pink and she took a gulp of her tea before answering.

“There’s… um… there’s a stallion I’ve occasionally spent some time with. He’s a quiet type. Honestly, I doubt I ever would have had the courage to say anything if it wasn’t for you.”

Sunset waved the compliment away. “Don’t try to pin anything on me. You more than anypony know how I feel about that. You are your own pony.”

“Not sure if I agree, Sunny. But… well, it’s not like it’s anything official. We see each other every so often. There might be a future there.”

Sunset nodded absently and swirled the tea in her cup.

“You know, that’s what I’ve been thinking a lot about lately… the future,” Sunset said. “I’ll never understand why the Princess asked me to teach Twilight about friendship. Me of all ponies. Even though she knew we had this… forced connection.”

“You don’t know it was forced,” Cheerilee pointed out.

“Yes, I do,” Sunset muttered. “I really do.”

Cheerilee didn’t push the point. She was pretty amazing like that.

“Have you ever had anypony before Ponyville, Cheerilee?”

“Anypony before as in relationship or anypony before as in interest?”

“Number two.”

“Well, it’s funny that you ask…” Cheerilee blushed again. “But I always had a tiny crush on Ponyville’s current mayor. I went to school with her. Nothing ever came of it. It was all one-sided. All me. We’re still good friends. In fact, she was really happy to see me when I arrived to take over the schoolhouse.”

“Why didn’t you do anything?” Sunset cocked an eyebrow at her. “Why do you say it was ‘one-sided?’”

Cheerilee paused for a moment, staring up at the ceiling as if she could find what she wanted to say up there.

“I think… back then I didn’t want to make things more complicated. We were good friends and I didn’t want to lose that.” She hesitated. “And… well, I was scared. Scared of being rejected. Scared she didn’t feel the same way. So, it was easier to be quiet. It was safer. Simpler.”

Sunset nodded. Thoughts bounced around in her head, becoming nothing more than a jumbled and chaotic mess. Finally, she couldn’t take it. She stood up and started pacing. Cheerilee’s eyes followed her every step.

“Yeah, I definitely understand that,” Sunset said after what felt like hours inside her own skull. “That’s… that’s my problem. Things are already complicated enough.”

“Sunny, tell me the truth. What’s going on?”

Sunset stopped and stared at the teacher. “I thought you already knew.”

Cheerilee shifted her mane over her shoulder and looked up at Sunset. “I know from what the other girls have guessed and what I’ve seen. I don’t know from you. I’d rather hear it from you.”

“You’re really going to make me say it?” Sunset groaned.

“Yes, I am.”

Sunset recognized Cheerilee’s expression. It was one of the classic ’dealing-with-a-stubborn-student’ numbers. And Sunset knew she didn’t have a chance against that.

“Ever since that afternoon in the Stack Vaults, I’ve had feelings toward Twilight.” To Sunset’s surprise, it was easier to say than expected. “But the next—”

“No,” Cheerilee interrupted. “Stop. What kind of feelings?”

Sunset gaped at her. “Really?”

“Yes, really. You need to say it for your own good.”

“You know, I remember Minuette doing something really similar two months ago,” Sunset pointed out.

“Then you should be used to this tactic. Sunny, you keep too much bottled up in that head of yours. You need to let this out.”

“Fine!” Sunset shouted. “I’m romantically interested in Twilight Sparkle! There! You happy?”

“Do you love her?” Cheerilee asked with all the subtlety of a brick to the muzzle.

What?!” Sunset backpedaled until she bumped against a wall. “I’ve only known her for two months!”

“It doesn’t change the question.”

Sunset stared at her friend for a few seconds before her gaze fell to her hooves. “I… I think calling it love would be a bit much. I like her. A lot.”

Cheerilee seemed satisfied with this. Sunset whispered a faint prayer of thanks for that.

“So, the real question… why aren’t you doing something about it?” Cheerilee asked. “Sunset, you’re one of the most stubborn and determined ponies I’ve ever met. When you set a goal, there’s almost nothing that can stop you. Why is a little lavender unicorn making you freeze up like this?”

“Because of the Princess.”

It took almost ten minutes for Sunset to tell the entire story of what Princess Celestia had told Sunset and Twilight in the Royal Observatory. About the fine print of their feelings. About what sort of impact it could have on their friendship.

After Sunset was done, Cheerilee was silent for a long time. She played with her cup a bit, stared at Sunset a bit and stared at her hooves a bit. Finally, she got up and headed toward the massive hourglass in the center of Sunset’s apartment and watched as it turned over when the chimes of the city sounded.

“Sunset…” Cheerilee began after what felt like a few lifetimes. “This isn’t like you. You aren’t hesitant. I know you’re scared. But—”

“Moon Dancer has feelings for her, too,” Sunset interjected as she moved to the window and stared out at the gleaming white city.

“I know.”

Sunset spotted a few pegasi moving clouds into position for the scheduled rainstorm. Sunset chuckled morosely at the timing.

“And I think Twilight might return those feelings.”

“Probably,” Cheerilee replied in an annoyingly even tone. “It wouldn’t surprise me. But you have to know that you and Twilight have a stronger connection.”

“Cheerilee… I can’t!” Sunset finally shouted as she slammed a hoof against the window. “I can’t ruin this mare’s life again! I won’t do it! You said yourself the reason you didn’t do anything with Ponyville’s mayor back in the day is because you were scared it would complicate things! Look at how complicated things are already!”

“You’ve already said all of this, haven’t you?”

Sunset slumped and pressed her forehead to the cool window pane. “To Moon Dancer. Last night.”

“You’ve made a decision already?”

Not for the first time, Sunset couldn’t help but marvel at the teacher. Cheerilee had an incredible knack for seeing into the hearts of ponies. Even if they were raging about one thing, she could always see where the hurt really came from. It was deeper than anything Coloratura could do.

Rara would confront Sunset with the truth.

Cheerilee would guide Sunset to find the truth on her own.

“I’m going to tell Twilight that I think things would be best if we remained friends.”

“Is that the truth?”

And there it was. The real question of it all. Again, Sunset had a flashback to her conversation with Minuette the morning after that disastrous dinner. Minuette had asked her if she considered Twilight a friend. The answer had been yes.

She was still sure about that answer.

Now the question was if Sunset thought of Twilight as more than a friend.

She’s my fellow student. She’s a pony I hurt for a long time. And she’s a better pony than I will ever be.

Sunset sighed and stared into her tired reflection.

This isn’t about me. This is about her. What’s best for her. And what’s best for Twilight is to be with a pony who doesn’t have an angry little pony in her head. Somepony without the baggage and past that I’ll never make up for.

Her angry little pony was oddly silent. Sunset wasn’t sure what to think of that.

And if I ever… if I ever give in to that voice… Sunset steeled herself. I won’t let her get hurt again. If I let her get too close, she’ll get burned.

She deserves better.

And I don’t deserve much of anything, no matter how many times my friends tell me otherwise.

“Yes. I think it would be best for both of us if we remained friends.”

Cheerilee eyed her. Sunset could see the earth pony in the reflection of the window. Slowly, Cheerilee approached her, almost as if Sunset were a spooked wild animal. Sunset almost felt like one. There was a part of her that wanted to run. A part of her that wanted to retreat into those horrible panic attacks. But nothing good ever came from those moments. She fought back the panic attack, because she knew her angry little pony was waiting for her in there. And when she was locked in her own head…

She feared those moments above all others. She feared them because she was afraid they might break her someday.

Cheerilee’s hoof was gentle as it pressed into Sunset’s shoulder. Something cracked inside Sunset and to her surprise, she found tears falling down her face. Seconds later, Cheerilee had her wrapped in a tight hug as the tears continued to fall. Her friend made faint soothing noises, like one would make to a filly who’d had a nightmare at two in the morning.

“I know this is hurting you, Sunset,” Cheerilee whispered. “We’re all here for you. But we can’t make the decision for you. We’ll support you, no matter what you decide to do… but there’s something very important you need to remember.”

Sunset blinked away a few tears and stared into the eyes of her friend.

“You aren’t the only one involved. It’s her decision, too.”

Sunset broke eye contact.

“I want to set her up with Moon Dancer,” Sunset confessed, staring at her tear-stained hooves. “I… I want them to get together. To make up for lost time. I need them to be together. If they’re together… I just know it won’t hurt.” Sunset swallowed hard. “Ever since that dinner, Moon Dancer and I have been growing apart. I don’t want that. I can’t stand it. I want my friend back. And I think… I think they can make each other happy.”

“Are you sure?”

Sunset closed her eyes. “Please don’t ask me that.”

Cheerilee let out a long sigh. “Okay. Then what do you need?”

“Help me.”

“You want us to help you set up Moon Dancer and Twilight on a date?”

Sunset nodded quietly. “I thought… I felt so sure last night that I could handle this. I can’t. I’m too screwed up inside to do this. I still have to go tell Twilight. I’m going to do that no matter what… but after…”

“Sunset, what are you saying?”

Sunset wasn’t the best of ponies. She knew that all too well. She’d destroyed ponies’ relationships, their lives, even taken their dignity and self-respect. But she needed to prove she wasn’t that pony anymore. She needed to prove it to herself.

And that meant she needed to sacrifice what she wanted for somepony else.

It couldn’t be just a momentary sacrifice. It needed to last.

Sunset opened her eyes, swallowed and looked Cheerilee in the face. Even as her stomach twisted, she said the words. The words that might actually give her peace.

“I want you to help make it work.”

Cheerilee’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

“Please.”

Hours seemed to pass before Cheerilee responded.

“Okay. Let’s see what we can do.”

“Really?”

Cheerilee brushed Sunset’s mane back from her face. “Really.”

Sunset could see the doubt in Cheerilee’s eyes, but she didn’t care. Maybe, just maybe… she’d get some peace on this.

And Twilight will end up with a better pony than me.

Author's Notes:

Not even Sunset Shimmer can make a decision like this without second thoughts. At least she has good friends to help her through it.


If you come across any errors, please let me know by PM!

Next Chapter: Dimensions Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 34 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch