Sunset swung her leg over her bike, glad that the day was finally over. Her headache had finally cleared up in her art class, after AJ had convinced her to visit the nurse for some Tylenol at the beginning of gym…but band practice had run long and there had been the issue of Sunset almost melting her guitar. Her poor instrument was going to need some serious TLC, but Vinyl had promised her that she’d take good care of it. Sunset was just going to need to use one of her other ones for practice for a week or two. Lucky for her she had two others, even if she didn't like them as much as the one she’d paid to have done in a custom design. It meant she was looking forward to the long weekend, even if she no longer felt like someone had taken a hoof to her skull right at the base of her horn. As she grabbed her helmet, she heard a voice calling her name.

“Sunset!”

Resting her helmet on her lap, she twisted to see Flash and Lyra jogging over to her. “Hey…” she responded as they got close. “What’s up? I thought you’d have both gone home already.”

“We were gonna, but we saw you,” Flash said, rubbing his neck. “And we…wanted to catch you alone.”

“Is Twilight going to be okay?” Lyra asked in a rush.

In hindsight, she should have expected it, she realized. “I…” she started, then sighed. “It's complicated. “I think she will be, but it's going to take time, and it won't be all better until she transfers here.”

Lyra gasped, and Flash went wide eyed. “She’s transferring?”

Tapping idly on her helmet, Sunset nodded. “Even she recognized she can't stay at CPA anymore…but…she can’t transfer until she can make sure Cinch can't ruin her grades for the year, because she’s…not really in regular math and science classes. She does these projects instead…and that's part of what complicates it.”

“How so?” Lyra wanted to know. “I mean, she always did the stuff that made my head hurt trying to understand but it was usually on space or physics or chemistry.”

“…because she’s trying to study magic, but she has no idea it's magic.” The former bully sighed. “And I can't just…you know…demonstrate. You saw what happened today—I almost torched the magic room. We’re just lucky that the weird rainbow surge warded it, or I’d be responsible for property damages. Again.”

Flash hummed in his throat. “So you have to figure out how to tell her first and then show her safely? Without involving the girls first?” He winced. “I do not envy you.”

Her eyes rolled. “Thanks,” she told her ex. “You're such a supportive pal.”

He had the decency to look a bit apologetic. “Sorry, but I’ve been in the doghouse with an upset girlfriend before.” The look he gave her was pointed and it was her turn to look abashed. “But I’m sure it won't be as bad as you think. Twilight cares about you too much to be too angry or stay that way for long.”

Sunset tried to smile, but it felt like a grimace. “I hope you're right…” She still had to talk to Princess Twilight, and she wasn't looking forward to that conversation either. She wondered in part if it would be easier to have that conversation in person or over the journal. “Anyway…she and I are going out tomorrow with her cousin to get away for a day. I’m hoping that by removing her from the vicinity of the magic for a while, I can destroy any lingering dark magic—that seems to be the one major use of my magic I can do without needing a fire extinguisher.”

Lyra jumped forward and hugged her. “Pass that to Twilight for me, and tell her I’m glad she’s okay. Now get out of here—you said you're running late and that girl gets twitchy about tardiness.”

She didn't have to be told twice, popping her helmet on her head and making sure it was secured. Giving them a thumbs up, she revved the engine and gunned it out of the parking lot.

Fifteen minutes and more traffic than she really wanted to deal with later, she pulled into the driveway, walking her bike until it was pulled up close to the house. Velvet’s car was in the driveway, as was Shining’s. Good. Sunset wanted to see if she could fish for updates from him about what the police were going to do…and that would determine what she could do to help. If she could.

Sunset opened the door, and the absence of Spike told her that Twilight was upstairs in her room. She waved at Shining as she passed by the living room for the kitchen and the delicious smells emanating from it. “Hey, Mrs. Velvet,” she said when she poked her head in.

“Welcome home, sweetheart—how was school?” Velvet turned from the stove where Sunset could see she was finishing up some kind of chicken and veggie dish so it could go in the oven. Next to it was a second, smaller tray that Sunset knew was her meat free portion, packed with a much more complex array of vegetables—she could pick out zucchini and tomatoes, peppers and a few mushrooms, and it made her smile.

“It went okay. I got caught up on what I missed.” She hesitated, then asked, “How’s Twilight? I tried not to wake her when I left. She had nightmares all night.”

Velvet took a moment to slide both dishes in the oven. “It's been a very long and trying day for her,” she admitted, taking a minute to sit at the table.

She looked tired too, Sunset noted, and she retrieved a container from her bag. “Maybe these will help. My friend Pinkie sent them and said she hopes everything gets better.” Inside were chocolate cupcakes topped with cheerful sprinkles shaped like stars—she’d pressed them into Sunset’s hands in art and told her that it was for her friend so they’d feel better after the dark magic. Even without trying, Sunset could feel the faint magic in it that felt like Pinkie.

“Oh!” Velvet perked up noticeably. “Your friend who helped you make those tarts?”

Fetching a plate to bring one up to her girlfriend, Sunset nodded. “That's the one. These are just as tasty—she’s a great baker.” She breathed out a low sigh, then asked, “Guessing she’s upstairs?“

The older woman helped herself to one of the cupcakes. “She has been up there since the detective investigating the vandalism left. He needed to interview her…and that was difficult for her.”

Her heart sank, and she tucked a second cupcake on the plate in her hand. “I’m going to go see if I can cheer her up.”

“I have every confidence in you, Sunset. I’ll call you girls when it is close to dinner or Glamour and her friend arrive.”

Sunset hurried up the steps, worried and wanting to check on Twilight for herself. Had she missed some of the dark magic last night? Maybe she should try and use what she could to make sure she had gotten it all.

She knocked on the door. “Sparky? Can I come in? I come bearing chocolate.”

She heard Spike whining and rapid steps, before the door opened in a rush. “Sunny?” Twilight’s voice trembled, and Sunset’s chest hurt at the stress in it.

Gently, the former unicorn slid an arm around her and walked her back in the room. She nudged the door shut with her heel, and kept moving them until she could set the cupcakes down on the desk. That freed up her other hand and allowed her to pull the shorter girl into a tight hug. “Hey…I’m here…”

Twilight collapsed against her, trying to climb inside Sunset’s skin with how she clung to her. Her breath kept catching, like she couldn't get her diaphragm to do its job properly. Sunset tucked her girlfriend’s head up under her chin. “I’ve got you, Sparky. Let it out…”

It wasn't quite crying…just hiccupping breaths and a shaking series of distressed whimpers. Sunset held her the entire time, rocking back and forth in something that might have been mistaken for an intimate, slow dance under other circumstances, especially because Sunset was soon singing “Shine Like Rainbows” in a low voice, letting her magic bubble up carefully, until the energy filled the room around them. Slowly but surely, Twilight calmed, until her breathing was normal, but…Sunset could feel it now, a faint tendril of something, hiding in her girlfriend’s essence like gum stuck to the bottom of a desk, trying to fight back against her. She switched to humming the intro to the song from the Battle of the Bands, trying to recapture some of the emotion that let her burn out the siren's influence from her friends, but something was missing…

An idea came to her, and she pulled back a little so that Twilight looked up at her. “I know I’ve sung this one enough that you know the words by now,” she teased, resting her forehead to Twilight’s. “Sing it with me?”

Purple eyes were still watery behind her glasses. “…I don't know. I’ll sound bad…my nose is runny and my throat…”

“It's not about sounding good…it's about pushing out the bad feelings for some good ones…and this song is great for that…” Still rocking to the beat in her head, Sunset tried to coax her with the opening lyrics. “…You’re never gonna bring me down…” Twilight’s indecision wavered, and Sunset pressed again. “You’re never gonna break this part of me…”

Hesitantly, Twilight croaked out the first few words of the next line with her, and while it was as bad as some of the Princess’ initial attempts at the counter-spell song, that wasn't the point. It was the missing component needed for the magic in Sunset to respond to. As she drew her companion further into the music, she could feel the conviction and anger again, like she had that day, could feel her magic responding, and the dark thing attached like some kind of parasite to Twilight writhed and dissolved as they reached the chorus…and by the time the last lines of the song faded away—along with the faint, almost Pony-Up that the close proximity had concealed—her girlfriend was even smiling. She could feel the heat left behind by her magic where her horn would be, where her forehead rested against Twilight’s, and the faint sensation of the magic she had let seep in wherever skin touched skin. Twilight shifted, pulling away to rub her forehead with an odd expression on her face.

Sunset was concerned for a minute. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. I just felt weird for a second…” The younger girl lowered her hand and pressed back into Sunset’s embrace.

Lips were pressed affectionately to Twilight’s forehead, an apology and attempt at soothing the reaction she was having from Sunset’s magic. “Better?” she asked after, giving the dark haired girl a lopsided smile. “Or do I need to kiss elsewhere too?”

Lavender fingers slid from her shoulder to the back of her neck, tugging just enough to make her desires clear even before Twilight responded, “…I wouldn't say no to that…we haven't said hello yet…”

“You're right…” Sunset teased, letting Twilight pull her head down enough that their lips brushed. “Let’s fix that.”

It wasn't one of the electrifying kisses they had had a lot of lately, but that didn't mean it wasn't the best thing Sunset had done all day. Even Pinkie’s cupcakes paled next to that familiar mouth working against her own, the faint taste of Twilight’s toothpaste on her lips when the other girl snuck past them with her tongue, and her nostrils inundated with the scent of honeysuckle and old books. Fingers tangled in each other’s hair, they lasted as long as they could, finally parting when the desire to breathe eclipsed the desire to not let anything come between them, not even a pesky thing like air.

Twilight let out a breathless giggle. “…hi…”

“…hey, nerd. How was that…for a real hello?” Sunset rubbed noses with her affectionately. “Satisfactory? Or should we keep trying until we get it perfect?”

Purple eyes gleamed, and she could tell her girlfriend was a little flushed. “…it's always good to practice a skill,” she murmured, toying with a few fiery curls near her fingers.

Practice it was then.

She lost herself in Twilight for several minutes, magic enveloping her senses outside their little shared personal space bubble. Hands wandered, and Sunset started trying to maneuver them to the bed, wanting to get into a position where she could attack the sensitive spots on her neck and ear—she wanted to get Twilight to really relax, and she had learned a number of methods over the last few months to turn her to putty. The added bonus of some of those cute little sounds was just a plus.

In the haze of emotions and teenage hormones, however, Sunset had forgotten about the third party in the room: Spike. Spike, who was not happy about being ignored by his human’s companion, and decided that now was the perfect time to try and rectify that. As Sunset was blindly guiding them towards the bed, Spike yipped and scampered in between their legs, trying to jump up and get Sunset’s attention. What he got was a startled yelp and a squeaky shriek as they tripped over one another and the two teens tumbled onto the bed gracelessly.

They lay there for a bit, at least until Sunset’s brain unscrambled itself. She had ended up on the bottom, and it felt like Twilight’s knee was digging into her leg. “…that was not how I intended to get us on the bed,” she chuckled. “You okay?”

Her girlfriend pushed herself up on her arms, and tried to straighten her glasses. “…I’m not hurt, but I wasn’t expecting that. What happened?”

“Spike,” Sunset jerked a thumb off the bed to where the dog was wagging his tail and trying to jump up. Then the amber skinned teen reached down, hooking her digits into the belt-loops of the jeans Twilight was wearing, and used that to tug her up and into a better, more comfortable position for them both. “Like the outfit, by the way. You look cute. That one of the ones Cadence helped you pick out?”

Twilight nodded, her cheeks darkening. “…you…really think it looks cute?” she asked.

Sunset let her eyes wander, a slow and deliberate up and down as she drank in the sight of the only human to ever make her heart do a gymnastics routine in her chest. There was something about the way the clothing looked that made her girlfriend look…cute. Definitely cute, but in the way that was…enticing, not the kind of cute that one used when referring to animals and children. “Sure do,” she responded with that lazy, crooked smile still on her face. Her back arched a little to lift her up so she could peck Twilight’s lips with a kiss. “Makes me want to kiss you more, just like I said before.”

“I’m not going to stop you…” Twilight leaned closer, until she was almost back to laying on Sunset.

That was invitation enough, and then Sunset discarded thinking for a bit in favor of kissing the girl on top of her. They started out fairly innocent, but it didn't take long for that familiar heat to start building and growing more intense. She nibbled on Twilight’s lower lip, earning an eager little moan from the younger girl. “Sunny…”

Letting go of Twilight’s jeans, she playfully slid her hands up under the hem of Twilight’s shirt, her palms and finger-pads sliding along the skin of her stomach, before breathing in one lavender ear, “More?”

Her girlfriend whined. “…please, Sunny…” she could feel the shiver that passed through her, feel the pulse racing under her lips as she lipped and nibbled her on a lavender neck, the way Twilight’s hands gripped her shoulders for support far more than any kind of control.

She teased higher, touch featherlight and gentle, still exploring and learning this new part of Twilight’s body. Her fingers finally worked high enough to encounter her bra, but instead of soft cotton, she found a silkier textured fabric…and was that lace on the outside? Pulling back in puzzlement, she cocked her head.

Twilight made a disappointed noise. “What? …why’d you stop?”

Smirking faintly, Sunset hooked a finger under the shoulder strap. “…Sparky…what’s this?” she asked, playfully tugging and letting go so the strap snapped lightly against the younger girl’s skin.

A squeak of surprise escaped her girlfriend, and she blushed to the tips of her ears. “…um…I…took some of Cady’s advice when we went bra shopping?” Twilight explained, nervousness making it come out more question than statement. “…do…” she bit her lip. “…do you…like it?”

That got a raised eyebrow, and Sunset sat them both up into a sitting position so she could hike Twilight’s shirt up enough to get a good look. It was still fairly comfortable looking, but the cut was…more like the stuff the redhead had seen on mannequins in the upscale lingerie store Rarity had dragged her into back in December, designed to draw the eye along the curved, rounded flesh, and the fabric—a very pretty dark blue that reminded her of an early evening sky—was soft and covered with lace in a delicate pattern, was far more…visually striking than the plain cotton affairs that Twilight normally favored. So…why…?

The reason came almost as soon as the question, and the former unicorn felt…both awkward and stupid. This lace touched undergarment wasn’t acquired with Twilight in mind. It was meant for Sunset’s enjoyment. What had Rarity said? A different bra for a different purpose? Something like that. And this one, was meant for Sunset’s interest and approval.

To buy herself time, Sunset made a show of running her fingers curiously over the fabric that covered lavender skin and concealed the darker nipples from her vision. “Mmmm…” she hummed in her throat, as if she were studying the whole affair.

It was a strange concept to the former pony—underwear in general was…alien. They didn't have breasts—the teats weren't even in the same location on the body!—and with a lack of thumbs, a completely differing arrangement of certain portions of their anatomy, and the passive magic combined with certain natural…design features…that concealed the intimate details of that anatomy, underwear and bras just didn't really exist. However…as her eyes wandered again over that pretty skin and the fabric that looked nice against it, she was starting to understand…if not the human perspective…then at least a way that she could find it enjoyable.

“…Sunny?” came the anxious voice, breaking through her musings. “…oh, I knew this was a bad idea. It looks stupid, doesn't it? I knew I shouldn't have listened to Cadence, and just stuck with a few more colors of my normal styles rather than think I could ever pull off something that's meant for pretty girls and not someone like me…”

Sunset jerked herself out of her thoughts to deal with the impending spiral her silence had triggered. “Sparky,” she interrupted, cupping the younger girl’s face in her hands. “It doesn't look bad at all—I like it! Really! It looks good on you…”

Twilight trembled under her hands slightly. “…you mean that?”

“I do…I’m sorry I took so long to answer…” Sunset looked away, a tad uncomfortable now. “…this is…you have to understand, a lot of this is new to me…even newer than it is to you. You had Cadence and your mom to talk to…I had…biology and health textbooks. Maybe the occasional scene in a novel…but since I don't read a lot of romance…that’s…less common than you think. There’s…not a lot of fancy bras in mystery novels, you know? Tartarus, I didn't even know there were that many different styles of underwear until Rarity helped me buy new clothes in December and practically had manticore kittens when she realized I just sort of…guessed…at the store and bought the cheap three and six packs to save money.” She laughed a little. “I think the phrase she used was ‘bargain bin Walmart hooker panties.’”

The joke had the exact effect she hoped for. Twilight looked somewhat aghast, but a small giggle still escaped—for which she then looked ashamed. “She said that?”

“Oh yeah. Rarity has some…very strong opinions about clothing,” Sunset said, smiling now. “Though, if you ask me, she’s allowed—her work is beautiful and creative, and she has a fantastic eye for color. I trust her opinions on clothing far more than I’d trust my own, and I could fill a book with all the things I’ve learned from her in six months.” Cuddling Twilight close, she continued her previous train of thought. “The point is…this is something I’m new to, and I…I want to know how I really feel about it so I can answer you truthfully, instead of just guessing at what you want to hear. Sometimes, it might take me a minute to sort it out in my head and find the right words, but I won't lie about something like this. If I don’t like it, I’ll tell you, I promise, okay?”

She nodded slowly, still sounding anxious. “Okay…”

Sunset let her fingers brush along the lace again, drawing an intake of breath from the smaller form in her lap. “I…don't know the word I’d use to describe it…it’s…” She tilted her head down for another look. “It’s…I wouldn't say ‘cute,’ because it's more than just that…but I wouldn't say ‘sexy’ either, because there is something about it that is cute…maybe flattering? Enticing?” She shook her head. “I don't know the word I’m looking for, but it looks good on you…and it makes me feel…feel…happy? Warm? Special? …that you’ve done something like this just for me, wanting to make me feel…good? I guess?” She blew air out her nostrils in frustration at her struggle to articulate exactly what she was feeling.

Twilight smiled shyly, then reached up to slide her fingers into Sunset's hair, the gesture full of tender affection. The redhead leaned into it the touch, and allowed her girlfriend to gently pull her head down until their foreheads were touching again. Even though they had been dating for months and Twilight had copied the gesture that Sunset used fairly readily these days, something about her doing so still caused a rush of heated sensation to course through the former pony, and she let out a throaty nicker from both instinct and habit.

Her girlfriend smiled and pecked her lips briefly with a kiss. “…I…think that makes me feel better than if you said it was sexy,” she whispered, “or hot, or any other description using synonymous adjectives, Sunny.”

One brow arched in curiosity. “I’m glad I said the right thing then, but…why do you say that?”

“Because…” Twilight nuzzled into her, arms draping around Sunset’s neck and hugging her tight. “…me wearing this for you makes you feel good…and that's the best possible outcome. I wanted it to be something that made you feel that way, which is why I picked this with you and only you in mind.”

Humming thoughtfully, Sunset took the chance to kiss Twilight, wishing she could convey what she was feeling through touch alone. “…which means a lot, Sparky,” she said softly, her hand coming up to press to her cheek. “…and it's not just this…I had the same feeling when you sent me that picture of your new outfit. I know you're not usually one for posed shots, or even a lot of selfies, so…that's a pretty special picture to me.”

Silence fell between them, the comfortable, content kind of quiet that was only broken by soft breaths and the rustling of clothing, as they cuddled together and basked in the shared joy of being intimately close and emotionally connected. Sweet kisses were exchanged, wordless affection left behind wherever they touched that left both girls with bright smiles. Sunset found the stress of the day melting off her like snow under warm noonday sun.

Eventually, Twilight let out a happy little sigh. “…That makes me feel better about the outfit Cady helped me pick out for tomorrow,” she confessed.

Sunset made a noise of interest and curiosity. “Oh?”

The dark haired girl nodded against her shoulder. “…it's nothing fancy, since it sounded like we’re just going to have a day out…but technically this is the first date I knew was a date before it was almost over.”

“…I’m not sorry for that—not with how well it went,” Sunset responded, running fingers through Twilight’s ponytail.

Her girlfriend smiled. “I’m not complaining, Sunny. That night was beautiful and it will always be a treasured memory… It's just...this is kind of our first official date, and I wanted to wear something nice for it. I’ll probably do it again for the first official date we go on after…after I tell Mom and Dad about us…but…”

Chuckling, Sunset sat back against the pillows. “I get it, Twilight. You're not the only one who decided to wear something nicer tomorrow.” Amber fingers trailed along a lavender forearm. “Do I get a sneak peek? Or do I have to wait until morning?”

Twilight hopped up, almost tripping over Sunset’s bag in her haste to get to her closet. She glanced over her shoulder. “I’ll show you mine if you’ll let me see yours too?” she asked with barely contained excitement.

One eyebrow arched up, and Sunset was unable to resist the smirk that formed on her face. “Are we still talking about the outfits?” she asked teasingly.

It took about fifteen seconds for Twilight’s expression to go from excited to confused and then from confused to sudden realization…followed of course by her blushing so hard she practically glowed. Twilight started to stumble over an explanation about the accidental phrasing, but couldn't hold back her laughter anymore and burst into giggles. It proved infectious, and soon both of them were laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes.

Once they calmed down, Twilight wiped her eyes. “The phrasing was…perhaps unintentional, but…I would love to see what you picked out for tomorrow.” She retrieved an outfit on a hanger and held it out in front of her. “This was what I planned on wearing.” It was a pair of new blue jeans paired with a t-shirt cut in the style meant for female bodies that Sunset could never get away with wearing—her bust was just too large, and getting one big enough to fit her there meant it was too loose everywhere else—and a short jacket made of a material that Sunset couldn't name, but had a loose spring-like floral pattern to the fabric. “Isn't it cute?”

Sunset pictured it on Twilight and smiled warmly. “It's going to look cute on you,” she agreed. Then she winked, and commented impishly, “I guess this is where I show you mine?”

Her girlfriend blushed again but nodded. “Yes, please?”

Still grinning, Sunset grabbed her bag off the floor and fished inside, retrieving her clothes for the next day and laying them on the bed. “I was going to wear this, with my boots and jacket over it,” she told Twilight, gesturing. Her own choice had been kind of fun to pick out. There was the pair of black jeans she’d bought that Rarity had described as “hugging and accentuating all her curves without looking like they were a size too small” and a top that her fashion-minded friend had actually hand made for her recently, a prettier, not quite dressy number that was in a shade that made her eyes stand out, as opposed to colors that normally called attention to her fiery hair and warm skin-tone. It felt particularly appropriate because Rarity had given it to her with the excuse of it being good for more formal outings or for if Sunset ever decided to try dating again...wearing it on a date with her girlfriend, even if Rarity didn't know that she was doing so, definitely fell under using the garment for what its creator had intended. “My friend Rarity actually made the shirt for me as a gift,” she added.

“That’s your romance obsessed friend, right? The one who keeps dreaming up weird ‘love at first sight rom-com’ scenarios for you to have? The one in your Honors English class?” Twilight asked curiously.

She rolled her eyes. “That's the one. I honestly prefer listening to her talk about sewing and clothes to trying to get me to ‘put myself back out there.’ Took me over a month to convince her that Flash and I were much happier with the friendship we’ve developed and that it’s completely platonic. Then it was another month of her trying to helpfully suggest different guys at school she thought I might enjoy going out with before I got her to give it up.” Sunset huffed. “…and Applejack had to help get her to stop.”

The younger girl wrinkled her nose. “That doesn't sound like a friend who listens to your feelings.”

Shaking her head, Sunset sat back down on the side of the bed. “It's not like that—Rarity means well, and it's because she wants me to form more healthy connections with people. After everything I did, and all of the fallout, she…wants to help me, and this is an area where she’s kind of the only one of my friends with both interest and experience…there’s Applejack, Lyra, and Bon-Bon, but…they don't think about that kind of thing often.” She flopped backwards. “Of course, she’s started up again in the mornings because I let slip some things in a conversation about…well…attraction. So now she’s trying to suggest girls I might want to ask out and try dating.”

“Would…would it just be easier to tell her the truth?” Twilight asked softly, moving the clothes over to sit beside the redhead.

Sunset put her arm around her girlfriend. “Maybe, but probably not. If I told her I was seeing someone, she’d go all ‘Shadow Spade’ trying to figure out who. You should have heard her fishing for details today, when I explained that I ran out of class because I have a friend who had an emergency…and well…she’s…a biiiiiiit melodramatic when it comes to romance, as you can guess.”

Twilight winced. “I can. I have a few cousins like that…and then there’s Glamour’s mother, Summer Breeze. She’s focused on…the more financial aspect of romantic relationships than anything and is constantly giving unsolicited advice on how to ‘snag a rich man.’ She makes a production of everything.” She was quiet for a minute, then leaned against Sunset, peering up at her. “…she’s going to know eventually—I don't want to keep us a secret from everyone forever—and…I think…I would rather have you tell the truth if you need to, rather than be forced into a lie or an uncomfortable situation.”

The former unicorn kissed Twilight on the top of her head. “I appreciate the thought, Sparky, but…it's okay…I can put up with Rarity’s antics for a few months, until we’re ready…”

Her girlfriend sighed. “But Sunny, you shouldn't have to hide things from your friends…not because of me.”

“It's…not just because of you,” she confessed. “I…have reasons for not telling them. Part of it is because…we talked about how you don't think you’re up for the sheer amount of overwhelming friendship they bring to everything they do. And…I’m still working up to…” Sunset hesitated, looking for the words to explain it. “…letting them know about this part of my life. In the beginning, I didn't know if I could trust them with knowing, because I half thought they’d try to take you away from me. And…I guess I’m still a little afraid of what will happen when those two halves of my life crash into each other full on.”

She could tell that Twilight was thinking intently about something—her eyebrows were doing the little scrunchy thing they did when she was analyzing a math problem or a chessboard—so Sunset waited it out. Twilight would talk when she was ready. It didn't take long; not more than a minute or two had passed by when the other teen met Sunset’s eyes again. “…maybe…we can consider a plan to inform your friends…over the summer? That way, I can tell Mom and Dad first, but your friends will still have time to…adjust to the concept…before we start a new year and I’m a student at CHS?” It came out as more a question than anything, her uncertainty obvious, though whether it was about Sunset’s response or just the plan in general was hard to say.

Sunset hugged her against her side. “That actually sounds like a pretty good plan to me. Are you sure though?”

Shrugging, Twilight said, “I’m…I don’t want us to be a secret from everyone forever. That's…not fair to you or to me or to us.” She sniffled a little. “And you’ve been so understanding and patient with me for months about this.”

The redhead tugged her companion into her lap so she could hug her properly. “I’m just doing my best to be a good friend…like I’ve been shown. You’ve respected all of the weird hang-ups and baggage that I came with, and never once pushed me when I wasn't ready to talk about something…”

Twilight turned into the embrace and wrapped her arms around Sunset. “…is it…weird…if I say that you having problems like that actually makes it easier for me?” She bit her lip. “N-not that I’m glad you struggle…but…some of those things you struggle with are things I can help you with, which is not something I’ve ever been able to say before…and…it helps. For the first time, I don't feel like I’m constantly trying to play catch up. I feel like I contribute as much as I take from our friendship.”

“Sparky…” Sunset nuzzled into dark hair. “You have given so much to me since we met. I can truthfully say that if it weren't for you and the support you have given me as my best friend, I’m not sure I’d still be here. You have been my light when I needed one the most. Don't ever believe that you have not given equally to our friendship.”

She nodded, face half smooshed into Sunset’s chest. “…I’d be lying if I said it was hard. Being friends with you…even dating you…sometimes it feels so easy that I worry that I must be dreaming. That I’m going to wake up one day and realize it's still last October.” At Sunset’s curious sound of encouragement, she took a few slow breaths and kept going. “…we click., Sunny. I can understand you without having it explained, and there's so many things about you that just seem tailor made to make my heart jump. Even traits I’d never thought about before…not to mention you are extremely physically attractive, but also smart enough to challenge me intellectually…and we have this relationship where it doesn’t feel like you're doing all the work. It feels like a real partnership, instead of being…lopsided, like all my other interpersonal relationships.”

Laughing softly, Sunset squeezed her. “I can assure you, I don't stop existing when you leave the room.” Her fingers rubbed up and down her girlfriend’s back. “…I think for me…it's easy because I don't worry that you have any issues with the old me. I've told you about how awful I was…but you never saw it. I never hurt you like I hurt every other person I’ve ever known. I can…just be me, and I don't get the painful reminders, or comments that I can't get angry over because they're true. Besides, I seem to recall that someone told me that we were friends and to just accept that.”

“I did not!” Twilight protested half-heartedly. “I just said I was only willing to believe hard data, not anecdotal evidence!”

A smirk played onto her face. “You were also very insistent that you wanted us to be friends.”

She could hear the pout. “…you could have said no.”

More laughter, and she poked teasingly at Twilight’s ribs, making her squirm. “I really couldn't have, Sparky. You were…very set on it. Besides…I needed the push, I think…and I’m glad you did. You're the best friend I could have, and you have been exactly what I needed in my life this year.” Sunset pressed her face into dark hair, still smiling. There were no words to really express just how much she had needed someone like Twilight—and by extension her family—in the aftermath of the Fall Formal and the Rainbow of Light to help pick up the pieces that were left and put some of her back together.

“It's something that I will never forget, Twilight, no matter what happens. The girls may have stopped my reign of terror at the formal, and I may have chosen to turn my back on what I used to be…but you’ve been here to help me figure out who I want to become.”

Sorry about the delay—the holiday left me a bit wiped out and I spent most of Friday asleep.

Not much to say here, really. Hope everyone who celebrates the day of gorging on turkey and potatoes managed to stuff themselves stupid.

To help with that, here’s a somewhat sugary chapter of the girls being cuddly, twilight being adorkably awkward and flustered, and Sunset navigating being in love with a human.

One more chapter to go up before my holiday break. See you next week!