The waking world faded in slowly, supplanting fragmented dreams of a soft voice murmuring love in her ears and soft touches that left her heart full to bursting with the distant sound of morning traffic and something tickling her nose....the fading scent of grass mingling with aged paper giving way to clean linen, a faint hint of honeysuckle...another smell that she couldn’t place—nothing bad, just foreign...but somehow familiar...to her. Sunset drowsily pried open one eye as sunlight fell onto her face.

It took her a moment to shake off the fractured memories of her sleep, of the feeling of fingers running through her mane and down her neck and shoulders, and realize where she was: the bedroom that she’d been given, rather than Twilight’s familiar bedroom. She had only the vaguest recollection of how she had gotten there, of Twilight being there as a comfortable presence the whole time.

Speaking of Twilight...

Blue-green eyes could see the tousled head of dark hair, feel the pressure of it resting on her chest, the other girl pressed tight against her side. She looked so peaceful, snuggled up like that, one hand curled into the fabric of Sunsets shirt, soft snores indicating she was still deeply asleep. A smile crept onto her face, the arm that wasn’t holding Twilight moving so she could brush some of the hair out of her girlfriend’s face. Twilight’s forehead creased, and she nuzzled more firmly into Sunset with a quiet little noise, as if seeking refuge from the minor disturbance.

Sunset relaxed, not wanting to wake Twilight—there was something extremely satisfying about the mornings that she managed to wake first and got the chance to bask in the warmth, touch, and affection she felt for the girl in her arms. Once Twilight stirred, she would have to get up and get ready for school, and it would see Sunset left to her own devices.

So the former unicorn enjoyed the time she had, feeling more rested and content than she had in weeks. It was enough to make her focus briefly turn inward, taking stock of how she felt. The exhaustion and fuzziness from the previous day was completely gone, leaving her surprisingly alert and clear headed despite having just woken up. More than that, the strain on her magic and magical reserves was gone, as if she’d just come out of a week long bed rest in the Canterlot palace. It was troubling, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it; it honestly felt like the more she explored magic in the human world, the less she actually understood.

In Equestria, magic had laws the same way physics and mathematics did, well established, tested, studied, and experimented with over thousands—and even tens of thousands—of years. In a sense, it was a grounded field of study the way basic physics or chemistry was for humans...and Sunset had been well versed in the field, comparable to a human working towards a doctorate. Yet all of her knowledge, all of those theories, all of that study was almost useless in the human world. Even the parts that started out looking and feeling like the magic she knew were playing by a new set of rules—including her own innate magic—and it left her floundering.

Think, Shimmer, she told herself. Back to basics, and throw out assumed data to gather observations from scratch. She sighed heavily, and really took the opportunity to analyze how she felt. Her magic levels were up, and she felt incredibly energized, and she felt fantastic...too fantastic, she realized. Even if she had been gorging on the energy bars Princess Twilight had brought through, she shouldn’t have recovered this fast without some kind of direct mana infusion.

But she hadn’t had a mana infusion, and more than that there was not enough magical energy in the human world to provide even a tiny, natural one....but energy could not normally manifest out of nothing at all. It had to come from somewhere...

Or someone, a part of her mind whispered, images of the Sirens drawing magic out of the students via emotions that resonated with their gems coming to her mind.

Except she wasn’t a Siren, a Windigo, or a Changeling, so there was no way she could get energy that way...right? Ponies didn’t do that, and humans were without magic for the most part, so a magic leeching human made little sense.

Her eyes flitted worriedly to Twilight, who almost never slept longer than Sunset. The other teen was much more a morning person, cheerful and bright eyed within minutes of waking. What if her still being asleep had some kind of magical cause? What if Sunset had somehow done something?

Much to her relief, Twilight chose that moment to stir, as the wandering beam of sunlight finally moved to fall on her face. She scrunched her nose up with an unhappy noise and nuzzled her face into Sunset’s chest in a futile attempt to get away from it. Most of the worry left the redhead alongside an amused giggle, which made purple eyes open sleepily.

“...Sunny?” The smaller girl blinked at her owlishly.

An amber skinned arm fumbled with the nightstand and retrieved her girlfriend's glasses, gently settling them on Twilight’s face. “Hey,” she greeted. “How’d you sleep?” She needed to make sure Twilight didn’t feel unnaturally fatigued, just to be sure.

Twilight rubbed her face against Sunset’s chest, seemingly oblivious to what her cheek was pressing into, a sound not unlike a purr escaping her. The redhead could feel the way she arched her back and stretched without relinquishing her grip on Sunset. The question seemed to register in a somewhat belated fashion, her eyes suddenly unable to meet Sunset’s. “Oh!” It came out as a half squeak. “I slept great!” Her cheeks darkened with embarrassment. “...really, really great...”

The former unicorn couldn’t help the smile that curled at her lips, and the hand that had been resting on Twilight’s back moved lazily upwards to tangle in dark hair. “You must’ve,” she teased lightly. “You didn’t take your hair-tie out. Usually that bugs you.”

A mock pout was sent back. “That’s because someone insisted I stay last night. You wouldn’t even let me change into my pajamas.”

“Did I?” Her brows furrowed. She did vaguely remember telling Twilight she wanted her to stay close, so she could keep her safe...but the memory was clouded by sleep. “I...sort of remember that. I’m sorry, Sparky—you probably could have changed and I would have gotten over it.”

The giddy smile hiding behind the pout broke through, and lavender cheeks were still dusted with a blush. “...I didn’t fight too hard,” she whispered, scooting up Sunset’s body enough to peck her on the lips. “I was tired myself...getting upset like that...always leaves me feeling awful and wrung out and I usually have trouble sleeping.”

“Nightmares?” Sunset asked worriedly, her brain already running another line of thought. She had sensed dark, foul magic in her vision the day before...was dark magic responsible for Twilight acting the way she had? And if so...how long had it been a problem?

“Sometimes,” the younger girl admitted. “The stress of it sometimes makes me sick too, and I can end up feeling like I’ve got the early stages of a cold or flu.”

Sunset eyed her. “Like...how so?” she probed.

“Very similar to how you feel right before you get a bad cold. You know how that feels, I’m sure...sometimes a headache, or extremely tired like you just want to sleep, or tension in your muscles and joints, and sometimes it feels like your sinuses and inner ear are affected? It always makes me go through a day or two where the world feels...skewed.”

Could be stress...or a touch of exhaustion brought on by an encounter with unpleasant magics, the unicorn-turned-human thought. She kissed Twilight, using it as an excuse to throw her magical senses open wide, feeling for any traces. Relief hit her like a flying tackle from Rainbow Dash at full speed—she could find no trace of the foulness, only the bright, shining nature of Twilight herself. She smiled into the kiss before pulling back slowly. “How about today?”

The dark-haired girl laughed softly, nuzzling close to Sunset again. “I feel wonderful, Sunny. You’re like some miracle panacea—I slept great, I feel good, and I feel like I could take Spike for a mile jog and still have enough energy to take apart and put your bike back together!”

“I’m suddenly glad I had to leave my bike at school, nerd,” she told Twilight playfully. “My principal wouldn’t let me drive yesterday.”

Her girlfriend frowned. “What exactly happened yesterday? Mom said something about a potential concussion...did someone hit you in the head?”

Shrugging while prone and pinned down by Twilight Sparkle was an interesting experience, but Sunset managed. “I wasn’t paying as much attention as I should have, and it turned into a choice of taking the hit or letting it hurt a friend. It wasn’t a hard choice, and I’ve had worse.” She rubbed noses with her companion affectionately. “Besides, I feel great today. I think I just needed some sleep.”

Twilight’s concerned frown deepened. “Sparky...look at me,” Sunset coaxed. When purple eyes met hers, she hugged her tighter. “I really do feel much better...better enough that I was thinking maybe we could finish what we started on the couch yesterday?” It was only half a ploy to get Twilight to stop worrying—the other half was purely the selfish desire to have Twilight melt into her arms while she kissed her senseless.

Purple eyes studied her intently, searching her face for so long that Sunset was beginning to wonder if Twilight didn’t believe her. Slowly though, her frown transformed into a smile, and she brought her face closer to Sunset’s, kissing the tip of her nose. “...that sounds like a brilliant way to start the day, Sunny,” she murmured, bringing a hand up to brush some tangled, messy curls away from Sunset’s face.

Sunset tugged her down so that the other girl was sprawled atop her. Lips met heatedly, earning her a low moan from Twilight and the sensation of fingers digging into her shoulders for support. Nickering in her throat, she rolled them, putting Twilight under her, just like Sunset preferred. Another moan, a little louder than the first, escaped into the air when the redhead’s mouth moved down to nip at the lavender skinned throat before traveling up along her jawline to nibble playfully at an earlobe.

She blew lightly across her girlfriend’s ear, earning a shiver from the smaller body. “How long before you have to get ready for school,” she breathed, letting her lips just barely brush against Twilight’s skin.

Fingers clawed against her shirtsleeves briefly, as Twilight’s brain struggled to process the question amid the other signals bombarding her. “...I...don’t have to...” she panted, relaxing her hands and rubbing her palms up and down amber skinned arms. “...I’m...all yours today...consider it part of my apology...for what happened last night...”

Lightning lanced through her insides, and she treated Twilight to another deliberate nibble of her ear. “You’re skipping school? That’s some apology, Sparky...”

Nails dragged along her arms, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to register to her nerves and leave slightly darker lines on her skin. Smirking, Sunset nuzzled her affectionately. A softer, breathier moan fell from Twilight’s lips. “...you’re worth it to me, Sunny...” she whispered. An insistent tug brought their foreheads together. “Never doubt that, please...”

Sunset kissed her briefly. “I don’t,” she responded. “...and I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

“I know...” Twilight kissed her back. “Mom originally suggested the idea because your principal said you shouldn’t be alone today, but she has some necessary errands to run...but I wanted to spend the day with you...” She bit her lip. “...maybe focus on us today instead of getting distracted by my anxiety or your nightmares or things that happened at school...or me getting wrapped up in my project, which I promised I wouldn’t do until after I talk with Mom and Dad tonight.”

Sunset found her eyes prickling, and she quickly blinked away incipient tears, drawing in a shaky breath. How many times as a filly had she seen other ponies off enjoying themselves with loved ones, knowing it would never happen for her? She could remember plenty of times seeing a shop closing early because the owner wanted to surprise their mate with a special night out, or members of the castle staff or CSGU taking time off from their duties for a birthday or celebration, and even other foals missing a day of school because they were having a special day with a parent or grandparent. Always knowing that Princess Celestia was far too busy with important duties to even waste precious time with the alicorn to ask for that kind of impossible and selfish favor...feeling lucky that the Princess even managed to take time each summer for a private birthday dinner with Sunset. To have someone do that for her now, for Velvet to think of it, all on her own without Sunset saying anything, and more than that, for her girlfriend to agree? That was something she would never have considered, especially because school was so important to Twilight—missing school was the closest one could get to an act of sacrilege for the nerdy girl...

Yet here she was, happily giving up a whole day for Sunset, wanting to devote that time to the two of them spending time together... The emotion that filled her in that moment settled into one of the cracked, broken places in her soul, easing a hurt that Sunset hadn’t even realized was there. She buried her face in the crook of Twilight’s neck, pressing as close as possible to the warm body beneath her.

“Sunny?” Twilight asked worriedly, a hand resting between her shoulder-blades.

“Can we? Just forget everything else for the day? Just have it be you and me and us?” Sunset hated how badly her voice trembled, but it was at least better than bursting into tears.

Twilight’s throat vibrated with a soft sound that Sunset could feel just as much as she could hear it. If another pony had made it, she might’ve called it a comforting whicker—from a human it was somewhere between a grumble and a hum. Regardless, it made her feel good, especially when it was paired with Twilight rubbing small circles on her back. “Absolutely, Sunny,” she murmured. “Maybe...if you want...we could just spend the day in pajamas, cuddling? Maybe make some snacks and stay in here or in my room, just us, doing whatever feels right? We never did finish reading that book we bought, you know...”

“The one on myths? I liked that one,” she mumbled into dark hair. “I liked you reading to me, and how you always add in the little asides about the culture and historical contexts...it makes sense when you explain it.”

Her girlfriend’s joy leaked into her voice. “Would you like to cuddle and read then? Mom is going across town to this fancy market where she can get a lot of fresh food and she usually brings home special treats or a special lunch to whoever is here to help bring in groceries...and it probably means she’ll want to make someone’s favorite meal for dinner.” She laughed. “And since you’re here, she’ll pick one of yours to try and entice you into staying.”

Sunset snorted with amusement. “It’s a good method—her food is delicious.”

The former unicorn felt Twilight press a kiss to the side of her head. “Maybe you could stay again tonight and we could watch more movies? Mom says you’re welcome to, and...I know you said you feel better, but statistically, head injuries are erratic and affected by innumerable variables, and I don’t want you to be all alone and have something turn out to be wrong.”

The other girl sounded so concerned and yet hopeful that Sunset couldn’t say no. “Alright...one more night. You’ve convinced me...but just the one.” She inhaled the scent of Twilight’s hair, already losing herself again in the private world that they found themselves in under the covers, where nothing mattered except the two of them and the kisses she wanted to press onto lavender skin.

“Are you partial to any kind of myth? A particular culture or place of origin?” Twilight had her laptop balanced while they cuddled close together on the couch, finally on the main floor after a morning spent indulging in quiet, intimate affection.

Sunset nuzzled her pajama clad shoulder. “Not really. Though it would be cool to get different stories than the ones you read.” They were mostly new stories to Sunset anyway, and regardless of culture, the very fact that they were of human origin would make them vastly alien to anything she’d heard before. “I do like the ones with magical monsters though. The one about the sirens was...intriguing...” Secretly, Sunset wondered if the sirens in the story had any connection to the three sadistic Equestrian exiles. “I also didn’t expect the one about the pegasus, or the Minotaur...” The one about the pegasus was gross fabrication, of course. Pegasi foals were born the same as any other pony, not from the severed neck of a gorgon. There hadn’t even been any gorgons for centuries, ever since the minotaurs had hunted them to extinction in the wilds around their kingdom. But the similarities in some of the myths to actual Minotaur culture were fascinating, and she wondered if other myths might overlap with other cultures native to her world.

Her girlfriend smiled at her, stealing a brief kiss. “Monster legends, huh? Like what? Dragons? Shapeshifters? Talking animals? Unicorns? Mutant demigods? Sea monsters?” She tapped the screen. “Most cultures have monster myths and stories, usually as some attempt to explain the unknown, or a phenomenon they couldn’t grasp, or trying to explain an unusual animal.”

Maybe it was ego talking, but some part of her was interested in myths that referenced her kind. She’d learned that humans had stories about unicorns, but that they seemed to revolve around things she was tempted to refer to as cheap imitations of Princess Celestia—sans the wings, obviously. “Maybe...dragons, unicorns...and a few of the ones from different cultures?” Dragon legends could be a fascinating thing to pass along to Princess Twilight and her Spike, since the young drake would find few stories about his kind among pony literature.

Twilight hummed thoughtfully as she typed, narrowing some of the search parameters in a window that looked nothing like the default browser windows Sunset was used to using. “It could actually be fun for us to compare the different regions’ myths and how the different cultures develop their own stories about similar creatures.”

Teeth nibbled lightly at Twilight’s ear. “As long as we can read it together, we can perform whatever detailed cultural analysis you want...” Sunset teased, even as she wondered about what her girlfriend might think of some of the legends from Equestria. “Maybe I can even tell you a few myths you’ve never heard before...” After all, a few of the more vague monster myths could be passed off as some kind of local variant from a human place that wasn’t Canterlot, right?

Her girlfriend let out a happy little noise, a pleased shiver going through her. “Sunny...not too much. Mom’ll be home soon...and I don’t want her to find out about us because she walks in on us kissing...and when you do that, I really want to kiss you some more.”

The former unicorn pulled back, straightening up and away from the warm body she wanted nothing more than to melt into, without a thought spared for the moon-banished consequences. “Right...” she said softly, frowning.

It niggled at her, chewing on her awareness and her thoughts followed the unpleasant sensation. She still struggled to really grasp a lot of the social intricacies on the subject of human relationship preferences and how they were judged externally by others—a ridiculous concept in any world, but for it to be over the gender of the parties involved? It was as stupid as tribalism. Even the aristocracy’s classism made some measure more sense than that, and it was something that a pony only really found in certain cities.

Sunset wasn’t one of those ponies who felt the need to advertise to every creature within earshot about her relationship. Nor did she feel the compulsion to talk to anypony—or anybody—who would listen about her struggles with deciding if this relationship she had begun with her best friend meant she had found her Very Special Somepony or if it was just something comfortable that was an extension of their friendship—not something that humans usually did, but she was still a mare at heart despite her outward appearance. At the same time, however, Sunset was in no way ashamed of how she felt, or of her romantic relationship with the girl sitting next to her. It wasn’t her nature and it wasn’t her culture—she’d never felt the need to pursue anypony in Equestria for a variety of reasons but feeling shameful about the way her eyes had preferred the softer, rounder curves of a mare’s flank and barrel to a stallion’s harder lines, or for the fact that stallion musk smelt unpleasant compared to the much milder scent of other mares had never been part of it.

In the end, she wasn’t sure if she could survive long term in any kind of relationship where it was treated like a terrible secret. It reminded her too much of some of the awful attempts and malicious games from CSGU, where once in a while, another student would approach her, claiming they wanted to be friends, but would almost immediately make it apparent that if they did become friends, it would be a secret friendship. No one could know.

The amber coated unicorn had sent every single one of them packing with a blistering diatribe singing their ear fur.

“...nny?” Twilight’s worried tones shook her from her thoughts.

The redhead turned towards her girlfriend. “Sorry, Sparky...what’d you say?”

Twilight laced their fingers together, bringing Sunset’s hand to her face so she could press her cheek to the back of it. “What’s wrong?”

She exhaled slowly, trying to find a way to word it that wouldn’t trigger another panic attack or make Twilight feel like she was being attacked. “...I...I don’t want to upset you,” she admitted. “...I...” she paused, licking her lips and collecting her thoughts. “I want to let you know that I am not pressing you to start telling people about...us...but...”

“...but...?” came the response, lips brushing her knuckles tenderly.

“...are you ever going to tell your parents about us? Maybe not now or even soon, but ever? Or is...is this it for us, always hiding, always sneaking around afraid that someone else might get it into their head that we don’t act in a way they think is acceptable?” Sunset curled in on herself a fraction. “Your family has been so nice to me....I don’t want to lose them any more than I want to lose you, and I feel awful just...lying to them.”

Those eyes were watching her closely, and Twilight squeezed her hand. “Give me a minute to organize my thoughts and feelings?” she asked.

“Yeah, take your time. I don’t want you to think I’m upset or angry or being pushy, I’m not...” Sunset relaxed when Twilight scooted closer, pressing up against her side. There wasn’t stress or anxiety or anger in her girlfriend’s countenance, only a distracted sort of thoughtfulness and the quiet that said the nerdy girl was analyzing both what she’d heard and her own feelings.

At last, Twilight took a deep, slow breath, her other hand drawing in and away from her chest in time with the measured breathing. “Okay...I...I want to try putting this into words, and if I am not making sense, let me know at the end? Getting it out is...hard, and complicated, but I’m doing my best.” When Sunset nodded, she continued. “I...you are right—I am not ready now to come out. I’ve...I’ve tried, a few times recently to Mom, and I just can’t at the last moment.” Another breath. “But...I don’t want it to be a secret forever. I’ll never be able to hide, to pretend to be interested in men or completely disinterested in the appeal of a gorgeous woman. I want to one day be able to tell my parents about a date I went on, or cuddle up on the couch here without being afraid of being caught when you kiss me.” She leaned over and kissed Sunset to punctuate her statement.

“I’m...just not there yet, and I realize that my fear is irrational and illogical...possibly a result of my hypersensitivity to how atypical I am compared to our peers...sometimes it feels like my sexuality would be ‘just one more thing’ to make people stare and judge me for...and I...I cant face that right now, Sunny, and I hate that my irrational phobia is making you feel that way...”

The redhead looked away. “I...that makes sense. I just wasn’t sure if you were okay with this always being a secret...I...” Deep breaths, Shimmer, and just say it. “I don’t want to be a shameful, dirty secret for you, Sparky.”

Twilight made a noise like something heavy had been shoved hard into her gut, her face contorting into an expression of such pain that Sunset instinctively moved to hold her. The action was forestalled with a lavender hand, fending off the embrace firmly, leaving the taller girl to stew uneasily as Twilight sorted through her inner turmoil.

When the dark haired teen spoke, her voice was unsteady and thick with emotion, but there was no mistaking the determination that pushed her past that. “...you’re right, Sunny...I have to admit that much, even if I hate having to confront that about myself. I...never meant it to be that way or make you feel like that...but that is how I’ve been treating you, treating our relationship...and I want to apologize for that.” She took another of those slow breaths to control her emotions, fist pressed against her chest. “I—That’s not right, or how you should treat someone you care about, especially in a relationship.”

There was such a heavy note in those words that Sunset felt her heart stop, a painful lump growing in both her throat and her stomach, making her feel like she wanted to retch. Fear and a familiar sense of resignation gnawed at her senses—was this it then? Was Sparky about to say this part of them was at an end?

Sweet sunfire and shining moonlight, she pleaded internally. Don’t let it be that... It hurt to even consider, with how mixed up her own feelings were and how uncertain she was about her own wants and desires involving Twilight, and if things ended like this, she wasn’t sure she’d handle losing everything that had come to mean so much to her about Twilight, about the rest of the family, and even about the house itself. She couldn’t breathe, waiting for the crushing blow and hoping it would never come.

Mercifully, Twilight spoke again before Sunset got too twitchy. “...saying sorry doesn’t feel like it’s good enough, for making you feel that way, Sunny. You mean so much to me, more than I can effectively tell you... I...I think this phobia has gone on too long. I’m going to talk to Dr. Soft-Spoken at my next appointment, and specifically address this...are you okay with me telling her about us being together?”

Sunset felt so overwhelmed with sheer relief that all she could manage to do was nod. Twilight reached out to her then, tentative and careful, and it was all the redhead could do to hug her slowly and not pull her into a crushing embrace. “Can...can you bear with me a little longer, Sunny?” Twilight breathed against her neck. “I promise you, I’m going to be working to overcome this, and even though I’m still not ready right now, I want to find a way to be ready soon...”

Still unable to talk around the boulder lodged in her throat, Sunset nodded again, her grip tightening on the smaller figure pressed against her. The pain and fear faded slowly, leaving her queasy and trembling and fighting back heated tears. Twilight pulled back a bit, hands coming to rest on Sunset’s shoulders. “Sunset?”

“‘M s’ry...” she croaked, “...you just got so serious and I thought...maybe you were...going to tell me to leave...for making things difficult.” She couldn’t get out more than that, couldn’t voice how it had shaken her, and how relieved she felt when that wasn’t how it turned out...all because some part of her expected it. Things always went pear shaped for Sunset Shimmer, somehow.

Twilight brought her hands up, pressing palms carefully to amber skinned cheeks. “Sunset...” she said, her voice filled with a soft emotion that Sunset couldn’t quite identify. “Look at me? Please, Sunny?”

Blue-green eyes flicked to Twilight’s face, vision still blurred by the tears that wanted to fall. A thumb carefully wiped away the first one to start making a track down her face. “Sunny...I promise...you are my very best friend, and no matter whether we stay together as more or not, you will always be my very best friend, and part of my family. This is your home, for as long as you want it to be, and no one can take that from you.”

“But...”

“No buts.” Twilight’s tone was firm. “Just simple truth, and no amount of fighting or stress or stupid fears will change that.” She tugged Sunset’s head down until their foreheads touched—the unicorn turned human could feel herself relaxing at the gesture, and a tiny, sniffling sigh escaped her. “You aren’t making things difficult at all—we’re in this relationship together...or...at least I hope we are?”

“Yes!” Sunset couldn’t respond with an affirmative fast enough. “...if I didn’t feel so much...it wouldn’t hurt so bad...” she added. “...I didn’t feel anything with Flash...he was just...part of a plan for popularity...”

A quiet hum came from the smaller teen, and she pecked Sunset’s lips. “This is twice in a week that you’ve mentioned this ex of yours. Remind me to ask for some stories about that.”

Oh ponyfeathers. There was another awkward talk to go into, but also a topic Twilight deserved to hear the truth about. Sunset gave a nervous sounding chuckle. “Yeah...sure....”

“On topic, though...” Twilight continued carefully, picking up her previous point, “we are in this relationship together, Sunset, and that means that both of us matter equally. Your needs, desires, and feelings are no less important or valid than mine.”

“I...” Sunset swallowed hard. “...I don’t want to make it all about me,” she whispered, turning her face away from Twilight’s in shame.

Once more, lavender fingers turned her back to look at her girlfriend. “Can you explain what you mean by that?” she asked gently.

She closed her eyes. “I spent so long being so selfish and self centered, only doing things for myself and never considering how I made others feel, how my actions affected them...and I’ve worked so hard to put that Sunset Shimmer behind me. I don’t want to be her anymore, especially not with you.”

Arms went around her, holding her close. “There’s a very big difference between being a selfish person and telling me that something I’m doing is bothering you.” Fingers scratched at her scalp.

“It doesn’t feel that way,” the redhead mumbled into her girlfriend’s shoulder.

“Maybe an example would help?” she murmured close to Sunset’s ear. “Using the current topic...would you go behind my back and out me to my parents just because you don’t like hiding our relationship from them?”

“What?! No!” Sunset jerked back, horrified by the very suggestion. “I could never do that to you! Even when I was an awful person, I never did that to anyone—there are lines even I wouldn’t cross. Yeah, I don’t really understand the whole fear, but...I could never hurt you like that.”

Twilight made a soothing noise, hand still tangled in fiery curls. "That’s what I mean. A selfish person wouldn't care about all of that. They'd just do what they want and expect the other person to live with it." She pulled back so she could tap Sunset on the nose with one finger. "Or, to flip it around, a selfish person would expect her girlfriend to keep hiding their relationship, regardless of how it made that girlfriend feel.”

“I...see what you mean,” the former unicorn acknowledged, wrinkling her nose.

“Good.” Twilight gave her a bright smile. “And since we have established that neither of us are that kind of selfish, immature, and self-centered person...we are going to do the mature thing, which is communicate and compromise. I'm going to actively work towards conquering this fear of mine, and you are going to keep me on track by reminding me just how nice it would be to do this without worrying about someone walking in on us."

With those words still hanging in the air, Twilight Sparkle drew Sunset Shimmer into a searing, intense kiss that was nearly indescribable, desire igniting between them that made the flame-haired girl's toes and fingers curl in response. As she found herself pressing back, tongue flirting with her girlfriend’s bottom lip, she wished dearly the two of them were somewhere entirely more private in the house than the living room sofa.

Hmm....Maybe you should be a little more concerned, Sunny. On the other hand....Girlfriend cuddles. Those ARE pretty distracting.

Little more insight into Equestrian Magic and culture, hope everyone enjoys that...

Also, yes, they're both nerds. Its half the reason I think they're so much a good match. Because under all the bad-girl-in-leather, Sunset's a chess-playing, book reading dork just as much as Twilight is.

As for the conversation about coming out...I hope I did that one justice. I wanted to encapsulate some of that frustration with the closet, with the secret romance, and just some of the problems that come from being different, loving different, or just not fitting the standard mold that society tends to demand, particularly with Sunset being the "outsider" in this case who has no concept of being ashamed for a same-sex relationship.

Aaaand of course, ending with some nice fuzzy warmth. Because I like you guys, and thought you'd enjoy the high note.

While it lasts.

*Ominous laughter*