Sunset Spaghetti

(Prompt:)
>"So, you like her, don't you?"
"What?!"
>"You're looking at her."
"...well, they're playing b-basketball."
>"You're always looking, Anon. Fill me in. Maybe I can help you..."

-------------

>Your heart is racing
>Eyes dart to the grass
>Unable to find the right words, you listen to the bouncing basketball and the banter between Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie
>"Anon..."
"Uhh, y-yeah?"
>"Do you not trust me?"
>Oh fuck
>Now you've gone and offended her
>You look to the now pouting Sunset and your anxiety builds
>This... this is bad
>What can you say?
"I t-trust you, of course."
>She smiles
>"It's nothing to be embarrassed about. Pinkie's really pretty, and a lot of fun."
"Um..."
>"Every time I talk to you, you just end up staring at her. It's really cute."
"I..."
>She stands up, hands behind her back, and leans in close
>It's as though your autism liquefies and pours out of your mouth
"I-W-we-wel-I-er, S-su-........"
>"Anon, I promise. I won't tell her."
"..."
>"I'll help kick start your relationship. I've been her friend for almost half a year now. And, honestly..."
>She turns and faces the girls
>"...she deserves a guy like you."
>Your mind is racing
>Is this really happening?
>How... did it end up like this?
>You keep opening your mouth but have no idea what you can say
>And just when you think you've got something, she spins around with a huge smile and pulls out her cell phone
>"This will be so great, Anon! You know Pinkie, she- ...well I'll tell you later. Here, let's exchange phone numbers."
>She hands you her cell phone and you dig out yours
>Before it leaves your pocket your eyes go wide
".....um... I forgot it. I'll j-just type my number into yours..."
>"Okay! I'll call you tonight!"
>Sunset's phone is red, looks like a relatively inexpensive smart phone
>In an attempt to calm your nerves, you pile your focus onto being a little bit nosy

>She has mostly default apps installed. A few mobile games you've never heard of
>Her wallpaper is Canterlot High for some reason
>That horse statue is off to the right, and a bunch of students you don't know are in the background
>"Uh, you got it?"
"Y-Yeah, f-figured it out. These new uh, new phones are so... di-different."
>"Oh yeah, you have one of those flip phones right? You should totally upgrade Anon, you won't regret it."
>You open her contacts
>...
>It's just Rainbow, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, AJ and Fluttershy
>Is she having trouble making friends?
>...nah, who needs more friends than that, anyway?
>You type in your number and name and hand it back
>"Okay, great! Oh man, I am SO excited!"
"Eheh... he..."
>"Excited about what, Sunset?"
>Rainbow is walking up, and Pinkie is not too far off
>Oh fuck
>"Uh, this new TV show about a Motorcycle gang."
>Rainbow chuckles
>"You know that stuff's totally fake, right?"
>"I- ...oh, I guess. Um..."
>"Did you actually fall for it? All of that reality TV stuff is staged! Ha!"
>Sunset looks uncomfortable
>A little bit of anger wells up inside of you
"She knows it's fake, obviously... s-she's just suspending her disbelief."
>Rainbow's shit-eating grin fades and she looks at you with uncertainty
>"Whoa, are you mad, Anon?"
"Huh? No..."
>"Let me guess, you're a big fan of Cake Boss?"
"What? N-No!"
>Rainbow drops the basketball to point and laugh
>"Coming up on, haha, coming up on Deadliest Catch! We catch ourselves a gullible Anon!"
>Now you're pissed
>You were just trying to make Sunset feel better
>Rainbow always has to do this shit
"Wh-whatever."
>You take off
>"Hold on! Nonny!"
>Pinkie grabs you by the arm and pulls you back
>"It was just a joke Nonny! Don't feel bad!"
>You stare at Pinkie, then glance at the still giggling Rainbow
>"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I was just playing with you Anon. I watch some shows like that."

>"Anyway, I'm gonna take off. My dad gets mad if I'm out late on Fridays, I'm supposed to clean the house in case relatives visit on the weekend."
>Rainbow pats you on the shoulder
>Come the fuck off of it...
>"Don't let me get you down Anon. You're cool."
>You close your eyes and take a deep breath as she walks away
>"See you guys! Good game, Pinkie!"
>Sunset and Pinkie say goodbye
>"I need to go, too. Promised I'd come in to work today and bake some special orders!"
>Uh oh
>The time to act is now
>Your face scrunches up a little bit and you raise your hand
"Hey, I c-can help."
>Pinkie stares at you with this big smile
>For an uncomfortable amount of time
>Sunset lights up like a Christmas tree
>"...help me with what?"
"......baking."
>"......why?"
>Oh god come on, no
>Don't do this
"I heard you say it'd... be tons of work on your own."
>"heh... heh... nonny, I'll be fine. Why don't you-"
>"It's okay Pinkie. He doesn't mind. In fact, he loves to help people!"
>"Wh..."
>"Huh, Anon? And he learns so fast. He's never used a smart phone before, but he figured mine out in like, five seconds!"
>"Really? Five seconds?"
>"It'll be fun. And you know he's been looking for a new job. Maybe he could get hired at the Corner?"
>Pinkie's expression fades, but she raises her eyebrows
>"Well, alright then."
>Sunset is so filled with glee that her ear-to-ear grin almost forces her eyes shut
>"Awesome! Well, I should go too. I wouldn't wanna miss any episodes of my fake Biker shows, haha! See you guys!"
>She dashes off
>You and Pinkie stare until she's out of sight
>And you let out a long sigh

>"Nonny, why'd you-"
"I can't fuckin' believe how stupid I am."
>Pinkie jumps, and rests a hand on your shoulder
"She thinks I'm..."
>You scratch the back of your head
"She thinks I like you, Pinkie."
>She clasps her hand over her mouth
>"What?! Why?"
>You groan
"She says I'm always staring at you when I talk to her."
>"Why would she think that??"
"Because I am. Like, every single time."
>Pinkie's hand slides off of your shoulder and her arms sway by her sides
>"Nonny. You can only like one girl at a time. That's the *rules*."
"I know. Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't like you like that."
>You're both quiet, so you peek over to gauge her reaction
>Thankfully she's smiling
"Like I told you before, I always forget the stuff you tell me to say. And, I don't know, I guess I was looking at you trying to remember."
>"Hmmm... do you remember now?"
"Yes!"
>Your foot hits the dirt hard and you gesture with your hands for emphasis
"It's so annoying. Every time, my mind goes blank. And then you gave me an opportunity to be alone with her, I could've fixed this and I..."
>You rub your face
>God you're such an autist around her
>If you can't ask her to hang out, how are you supposed to clear this misunderstanding up?
"Anyway, she did ask for my phone number."
>"WHAT!! That's huge, Nonny!"
"She only wanted it to help me hook up with you though."
>"THAT'S- slightly less huge, but still great!"
>Pinkie hops in place and claps her hands a few times
>"I mean- I mean, this is actually-"
>She's almost as excited as Sunset was
>"I'm thinking about it and I keep realizing just. How. PERFECT this is!"
"Whoa there."
>You hold her still by the shoulders
"How is this in any way a good thing?"
>"The ball's in my court now! Like- Sunset is Rainbow. I'm Pinkie Pie. And this misunderstanding is the court."
"What, does that make me the ball?"

>"Duhhh! Now, Sunset thinks you want me to dribble you super hard."
"Uh..."
>"And so she's gonna do anything to make sure my hands are all over you."
"G-Go on."
>"So, when she passes it to me, I can just be like, 'oh no the hoop is soooo high.' And ask her to help me."
>You nod
>Even with a metaphor this awful, you get the general idea
>"I'm SO excited!"
>"This is SO perfect!"
>"I have so much control!"
>"TOTAL control of your balls!"
>Pinkie practically stops mid-hop and her eyes shoot open
>You burst into a fit of laughter
>"The ball... control of the ba... anyway Nonny, we need to work out a plan right now."
>Just then, Pinkie's phone alarm goes off
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEwi5ut1qgA [Embed]
>"OOOH! The special orders!"
>Pinkie's embarrassment fades and her enthusiasm pours back in
>As annoyed as you just were with yourself, Pinkie's really picking you up
>Maybe this will end well?
>"I'm heading off. I'll call you when I'm free okay?"
>She starts running again
"Hold on! What if she calls me?"
>She runs right back
>"Just play along for now."
"Play along? What does that mean?"
>She grins
>"It means, act like you've got a crush on me, silly."
>Your expression turns grave
>She gently punches you in the shoulder and gets sort of... close
>"Come on Nonny. Is it that crazy to imagine?"
>Your autism strikes unexpectedly and you just stare at her
>This is probably a time to say words
>Probably
"...no?"
>"Hee hee. She's probably gonna repeat the nice things you say about me, you know."
>Pinkie takes off yet again, and stops one last time
>"I look forward to hearing it!"
>And she's gone
>You watch her hair bounce in the distance, and before you know it, you're standing alone on the edge of the park while people pass by you
>Like a fucking weirdo

>Pinkie's words stick with you on the walk home
>As goofy as that girl is, she's an amazing friend
>To help you with something so pathetic, and to warn you that that any embarrassing things you say about her won't stick with Sunset
>But then you realize that Pinkie probably said that for her own sake, too
>In that case, it's your turn to be a good friend
>Absolutely nothing you tell Sunset will be embarrassing in any way
>Because that totally worked out this afternoon
>"Anon!"
>Your mom pulls you out of your thoughts
>She's in the yard watering her potted plants
"Hi."
>"Sooo? How'd it go? You were gone all day!"
"Oh..."
>You walk up beside her and cross your arms
"I actually didn't go job hunting today. Sorry."
>She gives you a nervous look
>At least it wasn't one of disappointment
"I'll pick up the pace, okay?"
>She shrugs
>"It's no skin off my back. But I know you hate being broke, and having so much free time."
"Yeah."
>You kneel beside the porch and pull a few ugly-ass weeds
>Just a few though. You're a lot lazier than you let on
>"So what did you do today?"
"Oh..."
>You stand up, hop onto the porch and rest your hand on the doorknob
"I was with John all day. Watching an-cartoons."
>"Ahhh."
>You waste no time opening the door
>"Anon."
"Huh?"
>"..........Could you turn the AC off? It's cooled down a lot."
"Sure."
>Phew
>The thermostat is only a few steps from the front door, so that's out of the way
>It's an old system that barely works and shuts itself off all the time
>Might as well never turn it on
>Upstairs it is to relax
"Ahhh..."
>Precious computer chair caresses your ass
>It's a bit late. The clock reads 7:44. Is Sunset going to call you before sunset?
>Instantly, you feel a bit nauseated
"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck."
>You pull your shitty phone out of your pocket and flip it open

>The wallpaper makes you cringe
>Sunset's smiling face, snapped from your yearbook
>Just change it already
>It's one of those things you did and immediately regretted
>...nah, whatever
>You make sure it's not on vibrate, and drop it on your desk
>Before it even collides you hear the default piano jingle ringtone
"...Fuck!"
>Unfamiliar number
"Fuuuuuck!"
>Okay Anon, time to man up
>How fucking hard is it?
>Breathe, in and out
>Raise the phone up
>And SLAP that bitch open
"What's up?"
>"Glad to know you didn't give me a fake number, haha."
>Computer chair wh-why are you sinking
>Heart, slow down
>Come on, words, please
"......"
>Words
".........uh,"
>FUCK
>You slam the phone shut, open it back up and dial
>"Nonny!"
"PINKIE HELP."
>She gasps, and you jump from your chair
"I just hung up on Sunset!"
>"...WHY?"
"I don't know, I panicked!"
>"Well what are you waiting for! Call her back!"
"After that!?"
>"Especially after that!"
>You grunt
>"Okay okay, Nonny, you can do this. Relax."
>Right
>You jump onto your bed and lay down
>"And open your mind's eye!"
>The fuck kind of tulpa bullshit is this
"The hell are you talking about?"
>"You have to SEE inside your mind, visualize Sunset sitting beside you, talking, and you, actually saying words!"
>Oh dear mother, if you only knew about this autism you'd stop your worrying
"I don't think that's going to work, Pinkie."
>"Trust me! I do it all the time!"
"That sounds-"
>"No time! Call her! Now!"
>She hangs up
>Ffffffuuuck
>Alright, mind's eye or whatever. You open the recent calls list and force yourself to hit the dial button
>"......Anon?"
"S-s-sunset."
>"What happened?"
"Er.."
>Got an emergency call
>Phone died
>Accidentally hung up
"Had to go to th-the bathroom."
>MOUTH WHAT THE FUCK?
>"Oh... haha, you could have just said so."
"Yeah..."
>"So! How'd it go? I'm going to need a full report on your romantic bakery date with Pinkie!"

>Oh, right. Sunset thinks you were with Pinkie
>Whoa
>You're suddenly very aware that you can sort of "see" yourself helping Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner in the black void behind your eyelids
>This is...
>Actually really interesting
>You fill the room with cupcakes
>Flood the sink
>Soggy cupcakes are now floating in the waist-high flooded kitchen
>You remove Pinkie's clothes so they won't get wet
>Amazing!
"Ohhohho, it was pretty great."
>"Really? I'm so glad!"
"Yeah, we uh, haha, I helped her with cupcakes mostly. It was really fun."
>Holy
>fucking
>shit
>Just keep thinking about naked Pinkie in waist-high water
"I want to thank you for encouraging me. I probably wouldn't have taken the initiative otherwise."
>"It's nothing! I had a feeling you two would connect."
>Oh yeah, what was she saying earlier?
"You were going to say something at the park..."
>She giggles
>"Pinkie, I think she... likes you."
>Er
>The Pinkie in your mind is laughing at the thought
>"She always brings you up at school."
"...really?"
>"And did you see how nervous she got when you asked to go with her? She's never like that. She has a crush on you, I know it!"
"Oh I don't know about that. But maybe."
>"Either way it doesn't matter. Because we're going to court her."
>Snrk
>"...did I say something funny?"
"No, I just remembered something is all."
>"What is it?"
>...
>Why would you ask that
"Today, Pinkie... she was talking about basketball and how well she could control the ball. But she accidentally said that she had full control of my balls."
>Sunset laughs
>It's adorable
>Her voice even cracks at one point
>You can't help but smile and roll onto your side as you listen
>"Oh man... that's, that's a good way to break the ice, huh?"

>It really is
"Your laugh is amazing, Sunset."
>Silence
>Your eyes open
"...uh..."
>"Really?"
"Yeah. Sorry for... blurting it out, though."
>"It's fine. It surprised me, but made me happy."
"It did?"
>"Uh huh. To be honest Anon..."
>"..."
>"Nah, never mind. Let's talk about Pinkie."
"Wait, what? You can tell me."
>"Well..."
>"I kind of thought you disliked me."
>Your eyebrows contort and you slide out of bed
"Why did you think that?"
>She makes a quiet, nervous moan
>"I don't want to talk about it."
>Your social life flashes before your eyes
>But you can't think of anything you've done that could possibly imply you dislike her
"Is it something I did? It's fine. I want to know."
>After a while, she clears her throat
>"It's nothing, just that..."
>"You kind of treat me the way everybody used to."
"..."
>"Being quiet, stuttering, looking at someone you'd rather be talking to."
>"Waiting for me to go away."
>"It's like you're scared of me..."
"...I..."
>"I mean, it's okay. I don't deserve to have everyone like me after I... uhm."
>"But I really hope that we can be friends."
>"I've heard so much about you, but only from the girls."
>"You don't really talk to me. I hoped... this would change that."
>Your mouth hangs open
>"And I noticed that you like Pinkie, and since she seems to like you too, and no one else even mentioned it, I thought it was my chance."
"........"
>"...uhm, sorry. I made it awkward. Uhm... uhhm, I'm going to hang up. I'll talk to you later about Pinkie. I-If you want to."
"...wait, Sunset!"
>Too late
>Your screen glows white with the "call ended" message box
>Of course she thought that
>What is wrong with you?
>How did it never cross your mind that your autistic bullshit might upset people other than you?
"God. Damn it."
>It can be fixed though, right?
>You raise your cell phone
>But it's shaking in your trembling hand
>Probably not a good idea to call at this moment
"Just... fuck!"
>Pillow, meet cell phone

>Fuck it
>You'll just calm your nerves on 4chan
>If you call you'll just fuck it up
>Once Pinkie calls you'll get her advice
>And, before you know it, your mom pokes through your door and says goodnight
"Going to bed already?"
>"It's about midnight, Anon."
"WHAT?"
>"You need to stop wasting time on that computer."
>"You'll regret it one day!"
>Yeah
>You're regretting it now
"Goodnight mom."
>You wave to her as you step over to your bed
>Why didn't Pinkie call?
>Still busy helping out at Sugarcube Corner, this late?
>Maybe you should have called, but if she was working, you'd just have been an annoyance
"I don't know... what to do."
>The cool blankets form around your limp body
>Your shoes slide off your wiggling feet
>If you hadn't just slammed your face into your phone you'd be really comfortable right now
>Too soul crushed to move it
>Just roll a bit so it's resting on your cheek
>BATTERY LOW
>It's fine
>This is fine
--------
>"son"
>Sleep is so amazing
>You don't have to give a single shit about anything
>"son"
>And sometimes you manage to remember some of your crazy dreams
>"son!"
>Many of which happen to be about Sunset
>"ANON!"
>Mom's shaking you
"Huh?!"
>"Get up. Now."
>Uh oh. She looks pissed
>Did you forget to turn the AC off or something?
"sorry... turned it off, didn't I?"
>"What?! Anon, wake up!"
>You rub your eyes
>"And tell me who. She. Is."
>She?
>What are you
"Is someone here?"
>"Yes. A girl."
>A GIRL
>BESIDES MOM?
"Are you joking?!"
>"No, she-"
>You jump out of bed and grab some clothes out of your closet
>"...Anon, I'm... right here."
>Your mom covers her eyes as you strip down to your boxers and throw on some fresh clothes
"Who is it?!"
>"I... er... I don't know."
>Slip on shoes
>Spray some deodorant
>Run hands through hair
>What a stud
>"Just hold on a minute!"
>Down the stairs you go
>Please don't be Sunset
>PLEASE

>"Rise and shine, sleepy head~!"
"Oh thank god!"
>You jump onto the couch next to Pinkie
>"Whoa! What's up with you?!"
"I thought I was about to embarrass the FUCK out of myself."
>Pinkie jumps
"...oh, sorry."
>"Heehee. It's fine..."
>Hard to remember that Pinkie isn't comfortable with strong language since she's so laid back
>Really need to keep it in mind
"So why are you here? My mom's going to give me a lot of trouble over this."
>"Sorry, sorry. I just HAD to talk to you Anon~"
>"Really? Talk to him about what?"
>Mom is halfway down the staircase
>You make a bit more distance between Pinkie and yourself and rest your feet on the coffee table
>Pinkie sits on her knees to face back at mom and you just wait for this to blow over
>"About... something super fun I'm planning!"
>"Uh huh? Go on."
>"Er. I mean."
>Pinkie glances at you, clearly nervous of saying something she shouldn't
>"It's private~!"
>"Ex-EXCUSE me?"
>oh fuck
>Mom stomps into the living room and crosses her arms, staring right at Pinkie
>"What PRIVATE things are you planning with my son?"
>holy shit
>did you get the autistic behavior from mom or what
"Calm down. It's nothing."
>"Oh, right. Nothing. Just some private stuff you can't tell me about."
"Yeah... it's..."
>"What's your name?"
>Pinkie Pie looks uncharacteristically terrified
>"Pin...Pinkie, ma'am."
"I saw you with Anon before. Are you two dating?"
>"N-No, we aren't, ma'am. Never even held hands."
"Never done anything. We're friends."
>"...we do hug sometimes though."
>....
>What
>The fuck
>Are you doing
>"N-N-Not in a romantic way, I mean, I feel a tiny bit e-excited ma'am, but that's normal... I mean, I'm a girl and he's... ohhhhhkie dokie, I'll be quiet."
>Mom's about to explode
>This isn't the first time she's gotten super suspicious, and the best way to deal with it is let her be alone
"Come on, dork."
>You grab Pinkie's arm and guide her to the front door
>"WAIT! Anon!"
"Yeah?"
>"Don't do anything stupid!"

"We're just. Friends."
>"Ohh I BET you're 'friends'!"
>Jesus
"We're just going to talk about an embarrassing thing that happened at school yesterday, and how we can fix it."
"Have a little faith in your son, will you?"
>She's still scowling but at least she's not yelling
>Yeah, better just go on
>Please don't go crazy and throw away the computer
"Bye mom, love you."
>She doesn't say it back
>"....Nonny, your mom is reeeaaally scary."
"Just when it comes to this. All because- ...er..."
>Can't talk about that with Pinkie the fuck are you doing
"I don't know why. Why'd you come here? I warned you about this."
>"Sorry. I called but your phone was going to voice mail."
"Oh."
>You look both ways and then jaywalk
>"Anyways. We gotta talk!"
"About what?"
>"Sunset. What did you do?"
>Your stomach sinks
"Huh? What do you mean?"
>Pinkie's tone is dire, but she's got that classic smile on her face
>"She called me last night, sounding all urgent. And then we had a super long conversation."
"About me?"
>"No, Nonny, the world doesn't revolve around you!"
>You blush
>"But we talked about you for at LEAST half an hour."
>She playfully jabs your arm
>"Actually, mostly Sunset was going on and on about how fun you are. She told me I should hang out with you more. She's so sweet... but her tactics are super obvious."
>Do you detect some pride in Pinkie's voice?
>"So that's when I did it."
"Did... what."
>"I told her how I want the three of us to hang out together."
"Oh..."
>"Today!"
>You nearly trip over nothing
"ToDAY?"
>"Why not today?"
"Isn't that kind of rushing into this?"
>"We're just hanging out Nonny, it's not like a date or anything!"
"But I can barely talk to her."
>"Nuh uh. She told me that you were talking to her last night. She was really happy about it."
>Pinkie won't like what she'll have to do to make that happen again
>"In fact, I kind of wonder if she-"
"She doesn't like me. She just thinks I have something against her."
>Pinkie looks extremely confused

"She thought I was bothered by the stuff she did... before. You know."
>"Oh..."
"All she's doing is trying to get me to like her. As a friend."
>The two of you make your way down the sidewalk, not yet bothering to specify a destination
>As you turn the corner Pinkie claps her hands
>"Then this HAS to be a super duper fun date!"
>What
"What"
>"...What?"
>You glare at her
>"I know I said it's not a date, but if my plan goes well, it WILL be!"
>"Sunset's gonna be wanting a whole lot more than your FRIENDSHIP buddy boy!"
>She grabs your hand and speeds up
"Where are we going?"
>"My house first!"
>It's a decent little jog before you get there
>Pinkie's house is small, but stands out due to its pink color
>Her parents are suckers
>"Wait here Nonny It'll be one second!"
"Can't I say hi to Maud?"
>"They took her to a dentist appointment, sorry!"
>She pops into the house and returns with a big brown box
>"Come on! Burnin' sunlight!"
"What is that? And where are we going now?"
>"Twilight's house!"
>...
"Well what's in the box?"
>"Special order! You'll see!"
>Thankfully Twilight lives nearby
>Pinkie must be really hyped up, because she's skipping down the sidewalk
>What an efficient, comfortable way of getting around
>Too bad you'd look like a total faggot if you joined in, so you just speed walk the best you can
>"And we're here!"
>Pinkie rings the doorbell
>Once, then twice
>And a third time
>"Hm..."
"Maybe she's not home?"
>"She definitely is. Because of that game."
"Oh"
>Flashbacks flood your mind
>Equestrian Warriors, the MMO through which you met Twilight and Pinkie Pie. They were recruiting for their new guild - "Pinkie Keen" - and put up fliers at school
>You considered such a game to be weird, girly and nerdy back then, but the opportunity to play a game with two cute girls could not be passed up
>Pinkie lost interest in about a week, and you got out after a few years, but Twilight...

>Quiet, frantic footsteps get closer and closer
>The lock clicks
>And they fade away again
>"Told youuuu!"
>Pinkie dashes inside, but you go slowly
>Don't want to step on Spike or something
>"Nonny! Come onny!"
>Twilight's house is absurdly clean
>There's not a single thing out of place
>This house might have the only kitchen you've ever seen without food or utensils left laying around
>At the end of the hall you hear that familiar key mashing and mouse clicking
>"Hello... Anonymous..."
"Hey."
>"One second.... Pinkie...."
>Pinkie sets the box on the desk and looks from the monitor to you, repeatedly
>"....and... Okay! Good! Quick!"
>Twilight swivels around and thrusts her hands into her closet
>And out comes her purse
>But something's weird
"Twilight, why are you dancing."
>"What? I'm... eh."
"Don't tell me."
>"....yes, actually. Okay, here Pinkie! Take however much I owe you."
>She tosses the purse
>"Anonymous, you remember how to play the Alicorn class right?"
"N-"
>"GOOD I'll be back, if I get attacked protect me!"
>She sprints down the hall and you hear a door slam shut
"Dear god. She... should give this up."
>"She can't NOW, Nonny! After... what's it been, six years?"
>It's true, she's been committed to this game for ages
>And she recently announced that Pinkie Keen has placed 6th on the global guild leader boards
>1st place would be impressive - even in this dying MMO - but is it worth it when she's already so busy with school?
>Squeezing in a few stressful hours a day for management and then playing the entirety of your weekend... sounds like hell
>"Hey, Nonny. Look?"
>OH HOLY SHIT THE GAME
>Twilight's being attacked
>Her health is going down rapidly
>FUCK
>You haven't played in years
>You've never even touched this class before
>It's cool, it's just an MMO right? How hard could this be?
>You start scanning her skill bar and it's got 3 fucking monitor-wide rows
>Which one of these heals?
>You plop down in the chair

>Some cheeky baby dragon is breathing fire and shit
>Maybe if you run away?
>Oh, great. Paralysis
"Pinkie."
>"You can save her pony, right?"
"Pinkie... don't let Twilight hurt me."
>You click on the satchel icon
>Items items items
>Zap Apple, Enchanted Horseshoe, Suspicious White Potion, Fresh Pancakes
>There's no time to read the descriptions - you start clicking everything
"It... oh it's working! One of those healed her!"
>"Yay!"
>The baby dragon suddenly turns blue, sprays you with ice, and you can't do anything
>Your health bar is once again falling
>It's over
>...was that a flush?
"I can fix it I can fix it I can fix it."
>A skill - a skill has to undo this
>You patiently read the descriptions of two before going berserk and clicking anything that's not faded out
"Come on!"
>"ANONYMOUS WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
>Twilight's literally pulling on her hair beside you
>"Why did you undo my Ice Immunity?!"
"Huh?! I didn't!"
>"You threw away my enchanted horseshoe, I can see it!"
>You throw up your hands
"Here, I'm sorr-
>She plops down into your lap and clicks the horseshoe repeatedly
"Whoa, Twilight, what the hell!"
>"Please please please... please PLEASE..."
"G-Get off of me..."
>"If I die, I'll lose *so* much experience!"
>Fuck MMOs
>You look over to Pinkie and gesture at Twilight, as if to say 'get a load of this weirdo'
>But Pinkie Pie quickly looks away and goes back to the purse
"...ughh..."
>This is incredibly awkward
>Twilight's kind of heavy for a twig
>And she smells... way better than an MMO addict has any right to
>"YES! I'm unfrozen- grab the horseshoe, come on! GOT IT!"
>She leans back further into you and starts slapping all over the keyboard
>That's what it looks like anyway, but you can see that her character is actually doing shit
"You got it?"
>She sighs
>"Got it... all... good."
>The baby dragon dies
>...
>Fuck MMOs

>Twilight continues clicking away, apparently not bothered at all that her ass is right over your dick
>You start to sweat a bit
"Hey, uh, can you let me... up?"
>"What was that all about Anonymous?"
"Huh? Oh, I told you. I haven't played in years. I'm rusty."
>"Rusty? Rusty?! That's more than being rusty! Why would you ever drop an enchanted horseshoe? Their only purpose now is to grant immunity to an element."
"I didn't know..."
>She leans back hard and facepalms
>"It was in the patch notes like four times."
"I don't READ the patch notes."
>"Why?"
"I stopped playing ages ago!"
>She huffs
>"That's no reason not to read the patch notes..."
>Pinkie comes up on the left and places the purse by Twilight's keyboard
>"Hey, you're kind of squishing Nonny to death, Twi!"
>She gasps, and hops off of you
>"Uhhh, sorry Anonymous."
"Don't worry about it..."
>By some miracle, your dick is *mostly* flaccid
>Perhaps because it knew that you'd never live this down otherwise
>You get up and let Twilight take your place
>"Anyway, Nonny, you wanted to see Twilight's special order right?"
>She opens the box and gestures toward it
"So what's up with the shady unlabeled box and stuff?"
"HOLY HELL what IS that?"
>It's full of slime balls
>"Doughnut holes!!"
>"Precisely. I order them from Pinkie once a week. They're a life saver."
"N-No offense, but... these things look disgusting."
>"Oh, that's the syrup~ and it doesn't help that I soak them in multiple brands of energy drinks!"
>So these are some kind of all-nighter aid?
"That's. Uh. That's interesting."
>"Not only do they help me stay awake, but they taste a lot better than they look!"
>Pinkie nods and pushes the box closer to Twilight
>"Thanks again, Pinkie."
>"No problemo!"
>There, the conversation just dies
>Twilight's 100% focused on her game and there's really no talking to her at times like this
>You motion to Pinkie that they should probably leave her be

>Leaving Twilight's house instantly relieves the awkward mood
>For you, anyway
"So what's next? I think you should brief me on this plan of yours."
>Pinkie's just humming and walking beside you
>And tapping her arm
"...Pinkie?"
>"Alright, mister..."
"What?"
>Pinkie giggles
>"I told you yesterday. You're only allowed to like one girl at a time."
>Does she seriously
>Oh jeez
"Hey, she sat on me. And I told her to get off."
>"Barely..."
>She just waits for you to explain
>To explain why you were molested by Twilight's butt
>The fuck are you supposed to say
"I wasn't going to push her off of me..."
"She's just really comfortable around me. Because, you know."
>"I do know Nonny."
>Twilight was your first girlfriend
>She taught you how to play Equestrian Warriors
>And for the most part that's all you two did together
>It was pretty common for her to sit on your lap and grind with you for hours
>...grind your character
>"Just keep in mind, if you really like Sunset... you can't let girls SIT on you..."
>"It's. KIIINDA naughty."
"Eh... alright, mom."
>She raises an eyebrow at you
"Anyway, come on. Tell me what we're doing today. Rip the band-aid off quick."
>"So impatient!"
>"Fine, I'll tell you."
>She fishes into her pocket and produces a small stack of cash
>"CUH-CHANG! We goin' shopping!"
>Oh
>That's easy enough
>Not nearly as over the top as you'd expect from Pinkie
"Okay. Sounds... acceptable. I don't have any money though."
>"I know that mister jobless! That's why we went here first."
>...
"I'm not taking your money, Pinkie."
>"Anyway, I have to go get ready."
>You honestly thought she was
>But any excuse to delay seeing Sunset calms your nerves
"Where will we be going? I'll wait for you."
>"Uhhh, Maremart cafeteria's fine. I'll bring Sunset with me!"
>She opens her arms up wide
>"Goodbye and good luck hug!"
"Haha... maybe I shouldn't hug you."
>A question mark practically appears over her head
"Don't want you to get a 'tiny bit excited', right?"

>No response; she's just smiling warmly
"Um..."
>As you go in for the hug she lowers her arms and turns around
>...was that a sigh?
>"Good luck Nonny!"
>You should probably say something
>Before she's...
>She's gone
"Uh."
>Sometimes it's hard to know what you can joke about with Pinkie
>She's always so forcefully positive
>Seems like she was really embarrassed about what she said to mom
>Can't be that bad though, right? It's Pinkie Pie
>And besides, like Pinkie said, it's normal
>Like you getting excited from Twilight's nerd butt, except 1/10th as extreme as that
>...
>Better not joke about something like this again

--------

>This cafeteria is rad as SHIT
>Tacos, corn dogs and cotton candy you can't afford
>Multiple crying babies
>And the radio keeps playing the same pop songs over and over
"Come on guys..."
>You're anxious about this, but facing Sunset is better than sitting in this hell
>Pretty sure it's been almost half an hour
>Maybe you should go jump in a TV or something
>"ANON!"
"JESUS!"
>You jump out of your chair and go into a karate stance
>"...pffffbwahahahaha!"
>Rainbow Dash falls onto the table with laughter
>People turn to look...
>Fuck
>You put away your fists of steel and sit back down
"The hell'd you do that for?"
>"Haaahaha, haaah, oh my god... Sorry!"
>After wiping the moisture from her eyes, she sits across from you
>"You looked so bored, I thought I'd wake you up."
"Uh huh..."
>Fuck
>This isn't good
>"What are you up to?"
"Uh, not much."
>"Ah. Me either. Was looking at some bikes."
"Oh yeah?"
>"Mine's like a million years old. Can't deliver papers on a dinosaur anymore, you know?"
>"Don't wanna look lame."
>You nod, but in reality you don't care much about what people think of you
>Except when you go into Mortal Kombat mode, that's too far
"Find one you like?"
>"I don't know. Maybe. You should come give me your opinion."
>Uhhhh

>"Ooh, but first I'm gonna get a soda."
>She gets up and pulls out her wallet
>It has a guitar on it, because of course it does
>"You want one?"
"....That's oka-"
>"Don't sweat it dude. I'm getting you a soda. Buuuut... I get to choose the flavor."
>She grins and walks off
>Oh boy
>You watch her, at the other side of the cafeteria
>She's tapping her foot
>Hey, so are you
>Where are the girls?
>You reach for your cell phone for a third time
>Still not in your pocket
>Not that it's charged, anyway
>You rest your head on the chilly table
"Hughhh..."
>"Anon?"
>Holy shit, that voice
>You sit up absurdly straight and rest an arm on the back of your chair as you slowly turn your head
".....Hi."
>She's wearing a white tank top again
>But this time without the oversized black coat
>It's fine, just... don't stare or something
>She sits down in Rainbow's chair and places her purse on the table
>It's a nice purse
>A beautiful shade of red
>So you just stare at it and ignore the girl in front of you
>"Uhm. Sorry, Anon. I tried to get her to go through with it."
"Huh?"
>"We were on our way here and Pinkie started getting really nervous. Then she faked a phone call with her boss and said she had to work."
>"It didn't even ring... I was sure this was going to be your chance."
>She looks really sad
>Oh boy
>You mentally prepare yourself for the gut-wrenching frustrating stutter, and open your mouth
"It's okay. Don't feel bad about it."
>What
>She smiles
>"...Anon, she was so scared she was dancing in place. She's got eyes for you. It's SOOO obvious!"
"Hehheh, I don't know. I can't imagine her returning my feelings."
>Last night's phone call is on your mind, powering you up
>Your stomach fills with butterflies as you remember how you made Sunset laugh
>You talked, a bunch. And didn't die
>Who would have guessed?
"I can imagine Pinkie doing something as silly as dancing in place though."
>She smiles even harder!

>Adrenaline starts to rush
>Which is pathetic, but boy do you not care right now
>"Oh, Pinkie gave me some money she owed you."
>Sunset pulls some cash out of her purse
>"She also made me promise to tell you to take me to get something to eat."
>"But don't worry about that, haha!"
>You take the money
>God damn it, bubblegum hair
"Ah, the money. That Pinkie owed me. From that time I... lent it to her."
>...
>Maybe talking for the sake of talking isn't a good idea
>As you're stuffing it into your pocket, you notice Rainbow spin around
>She's headed back with two sodas and a big smile on her face
>Which slowly turns into a blank stare
>Oh boy
>"Sunset? What's up?"
>She hands you your drink and leans onto the table
>"Hi Rainbow. Uhm. Were you here with Anon?"
>You look over to her
>And as soon as you open your mouth, she speaks up
>"Yeah. Why are you here?"
>"Uhhm. I'm here to hang out with Anon."
>"...Why?"
>What the fuck do you mean why
>"No reason. Just hanging out."
>".....Since when do you two hang out by yourselves?"
>The mood is suddenly tense
"What, is it a problem?"
>Rainbow shrugs and gulps down some soda
>"Ahh... not everything is a problem or a big deal Anon, geez. I was just curious. Haha!"
>Yeah
>Just curious
>She's going to do the shit she always does to Sunset
>And just thinking about it is pissing you off
>"Anyway, come on Anon. I want to show you that bike. Don't forget your soda. Or Sunset."
>She strolls on out of the cafeteria
"Ugh. I don't know what her problem is."
>Sunset's shoulders droop
>"It's fine. I think she just. You know. Doesn't trust me because of the stuff I did."
>Wait, could that be it?
>You never really considered the idea of people mistrusting Sunset this long after the incident
>Especially with her being so nice, and helping put a stop to those siren twats
>But if Rainbow is still hung up on it, it'd explain her behavior

"I think that might be it."
>She starts to pout
>Heart
>Malfunctioning
>Stomach
>Melting
>Should not have said that out loud
>"Hey! What's up with you guys? Come on!"
"W-We'd better go."

--------

>"Vrroooooom!"
>Rainbow is spinning the wheels on a rather expensive looking bike and making animal noises
>"Whoooosh! There she goes, the fastest delivery girl ever! She had the speed, she had the aim, and now she's got the wheels!"
>You glance at the price tag
>Four hundred fucking dollars
>But it's shiny and has a lightning bolt on it, so it's totally worth it, right?
>You're standing back with Sunset. Rainbow's been doing her own thing
>It's kind of weird
>"She really likes bikes, huh Anon?"
"Yeah. She's a speed demon."
>"Ahh. I like Motorcycles."
"Really? I didn't know that."
>She nods
"So that's why you like that Motorcycle Gang show?"
>Assuming she didn't just make that up
>"No..."
>She closes the distance between you two a bit
>If you weren't staring at Rainbow Dash, it'd probably make you nervous
>"I like how the bikers are all so close. Even if someone messes up... they're forgiven. You can tell they care about each other, even when they argue."
>Hm
>That sounds like an unrealistically lighthearted biker gang
>But you get her point
>"That's what it feels like being with Twilight's group of friends."
>For the most part, right?
>Rainbow turns to make sure you were watching her that whole time
>"So! What do you think Anon? Is this the one?"
"Uhhhhhh. Sure, why not?"
>She smiles, but raises an eyebrow
>And Sunset steps up to the bike
>"It's awesome, Rainbow! Why not go with this one?"
>"......"
>Rainbow covers her mouth to stifle her laughter, and rolls her eyes
>"Uhhh, maybe because it's like four hundred bucks? Wow Sunset! I know you don't have a job, but you should at least know the value of money. Am I right Anon?"

>You feel your eye brow twitch
"Rainbow."
>"...what? I'm just playing around."
>She pats Sunset's shoulder and moves on to the next bike
"...ugh."
>"Ooh! Check it out Anon! This one makes noises!"

--------

>Rainbow insisted on tagging along after deciding she doesn't need a bike right now after all
>Her taste in movies is easily read
>"WHOA Anon, it's that new horror movie. With the horses. Man, I should get this, huh?"
"Uh huh..."
>You sip your drink
>It's Hawaiian Punch
>If that was supposed to be a prank, joke's on her
>You fucking LOVE Hawaiian Punch
>"Uhm, Anon, what TV shows do you like?"
>Sunset is holding some sitcom's DVD case
"Oh. Hmm. What do they have?"
>A shit ton of them, apparently
>DVD cases and box sets everywhere
>From classics that were popular before your time, to the stuff you grew up watching
>The show she's holding is a somewhat sappy sitcom about a bumbling but lovable guy, who marries a know-it-all woman
>No points for originality, but you've seen it
>Well written and well acted
>"Ppffffbbwaha! Sunset, don't tell me you watch dopey sitcoms? About marriage? Nobody watches those."
>"Uhm..."
"I watch them. I love sitcoms."
>Rainbow's like a deer in the headlights
>"Wh-why would you watch sitcoms?"
>Why not?!
"They're fun. Comfy. Easy to pass time with. Why not watch them?"
>"Haha. Because."
"Because isn't an answer."
>That was a bit more hostile than you intended
>But hey
>You love yourself a good sitcom
"Don't just discard something if you don't have a reason, Rainbow."
>"I do have reasons. Anon."
"Like?"
>"........like how they're made for stu-"
>She rolls her eyes and storms off
>"Let's go, I'm bored!"

--------

>"Man, this game's freakin' AWESOME!"
>Some demo on the Haystation has captured Rainbow's attention
>You play as a bird-like ship that's flying through a white desert with obstacles popping up
>It gets to a pretty high speed. You can feel it, and you're not even playing

>Sunset taps your shoulder
>"Anon, I want to know what kind of games you like."
"O-Oh, okay."
>You lead her further down the aisle
>"I've never played a video game before, so uh, try to translate to English!"
"Wh-wait, never?!"
>"...Uhm."
"That's crazy!"
>"Yeah, haha."
>Not even Tetris?
>Not even Pac-Man?
>How has she lived this long?
"Here, you can play one right now."
>You make a huge, dramatic arm gesture toward a few demo consoles at the end of the aisle
>Sunset giggles
>"I take it you like video games a lot?"
>You nod and walk up to another Haystation
>It's got about a dozen demos- but a few of them are just movies
>Fucking hate when they trick you like that
"Pick anything that looks interesting."
>"Ummmm..."
>She cycles through the games
>Part of you wants her to pick the weebish music game, but you'd rather not show that side of yourself to her
>Or anybody
>"What about this one?"
>Some open world crime game's logo pops up
>You point to the "confirm" button
"Go for it."
>Air shoots through her nose in an adorable, nervous way
>"Will you tell me if I do something wrong?"
"Doing stuff wrong is normal in games. It's all about failing, and learning, and then developing useless talents."
>"Oh..."
>The game boots up with some lame rap song
>Soon enough she's standing in some dark alleyway
>"Ohh... uh, I control it now?"
>You just point to the analogue stick
>"Okay, here I go."
>As if the controller were rigged to explode, she slooowly presses the tip of her finger into the side of the stick
>Her character transitions from a calm walk to a sprint
>"H-He's moving! Haha! He's, he's going!"
>You beam
"You're moving. And you can do more than that!"
>"What can I do?"
"Press the X button and find out!"
>Her character reaches the street, and as she mashes the button he jumps high into the air
>And collides with a diesel truck

>Sunset yelps and covers her mouth
>...
"Sunset you're-"
>The both of you burst into laughter
"You're fine. You- you're still alive in real life."
>"Hahaha, oh my gosh. That scared the crap out of me!"
>"WWwooow, did you just die in like ten seconds or what, Sunset?"
>And just like that, the fun has ended
>"Haha, I did!"
>"That's lame dude. I've seen old people play games better than that the first time."
>"Ha... haha."
>"Are you like that with all video stuff? Can you operate a TV, Sunset?"
>Her voice is getting way too loud
>Does she seriously have this much of a grudge?
>"Tell you what, if you need to call someone, I can dial the number for you."
"...Rainbow."
>"Anyway, let me play. I'll show you how it's done."
"Rainbow. Come on."
>Sunset moves aside and Rainbow snatches up the controller
>"What, Anon?"
"Could you..."
>She mashes buttons as the game is loading back in
>"Could I what?"
>There's something
>Wrong with this girl
>You're sure of it
>Just... calmly convince her to let Sunset enjoy this magical interactive medium
"Could you fuck off?"
>...
>Whoa
>You didn't mean to say that
>And Rainbow didn't expect to hear it, judging by her dumbfounded expression
>"...excuse me? You wanna run that by me again?"
>"H-Hey, you guys. It's fine."
"You heard me, Rainbow."
>She looks back at the game's idle character for a few moments before dropping the controller onto the tray, and getting up close and personal
>Her face is all scrunched up, holy shit
>"You got a problem, Anon?"
"...I do."
>"Well? What is it?"

>She's trembling
>Yet somehow still intimidating
>It doesn't matter though
>You have to say this
>There's no excuse for being an asshole to Sunset
>She'll be thankful that you said what she's too kind to say
"You're being rude and annoying."
>"..Wh-WHAT?"
"The way you're treating Sunset. It's got to stop."
>"What... are you TALKING about?"
"Come on! Every time she says something you try and make her feel like an idiot."
>"Is-Is that why you're mad?! Over me joking around? I do that stuff with everyone!"
"You know damn well there's a difference in how you're acting with Sunset."
>"There ISN'T!"
>She's standing on her tippy toes to match your height
>This girl has no right to be scary, but she is
"Can't spot the difference? I'll make it really obvious. With the others, you're laughing WITH them, right?"
>"Yeah?!"
"And with Sunset - or with me if I defend her - you're just a bitch!"
>Her mouth hangs open
>You feel the thrill of shutting her up for a second, before you realize she's tearing up
>That's... not fair
>"Y-yeah? You think so? Then we'll ask her."
"You sure you want to do that?"
>"UH HUH. Sunset!"
>You both look around
>...
>She's nowhere to be found
"Uh..."
>...Fuck
>"Oh good going, Anon. You scared her off."
"H-ugh!"
>Rainbow's fist, right in the gut
>She takes a few big steps away from you
>"Jeez... JEEZ! Maybe if you weren't so freaking dense, this wouldn't have happened!"
"...huh?"
>You stand there holding your stomach
>Everyone in the electronics section is either staring at you, or watching Rainbow stomp away
>Any second now you're going to realize how shitty this turned out
>But you can at least enjoy the thrill of the argument for a while
>...
>No, the thrill is gone
>You begin your walk of shame

>The walk home is agonizing
>You wandered around Maremart for a few hours, unsure of what to do
>So not only do you feel like shit but you're also pretty tired
>Your feet just soldier on and retrace the path back to Pinkie's house
>Should you go in?
>Pretending you're in a good mood to her family doesn't sound fun
"Ugh."
>Just keep going
>And hope Pinkie didn't see you from her bedroom window
>Before you know it you're standing outside of Twilight's house again
>A nostalgic part of you wouldn't mind laying on her bed and chatting with her
>She definitely wouldn't mind it if you stayed here a while
>...but trying to talk to her while she's stuck in that pony game?
>"Ehh."
>Besides, she'll get too comfortable with you and cause problems or something
>Moving on
>Really only one place left to go
>You quietly open the front door and head up the steps
>Beautiful computer chair always knows how to cheer you up
"Ah. That's more like i-"
>Windows lock screen
> 'The user name or password is incorrect.'
>God damn it, mom, seriously?
>She'd never guess it
>You're not about to use your last name like she does with everything
"Hah..."
>After punching in half of your password you realize
>Not even 4chan sounds good right now
>You made Sunset so uncomfortable she just left
>Rainbow's going to be a prick about this. It's a guarantee
>Pinkie's going to be sad that her plan failed
>No part of this isn't depressing
"Fuck it."
>Off with the shoes
>Pants too, fucking summer heat
>The sun's barely going down but it's time for sleep
>Dreams will save you from thinking about your failures
>Goodbye, having-to-give-a-shit

--------

>...
>Someone is shaking you
>For fuck's sake, go away
"Ruughhh... whaaat?"
>The sunlight momentarily blinds you as you roll over
"Wha-eAHH whoa!"
>Mom is standing over you wielding a rolling pin
"Whoa whoa whoa! Innocent until proven guilty!"
>You know she's just holding it to scare you, like when you were a kid
>But you guard yourself anyway
>"ANON."

"Y-Yeah!"
>She shakes her head
>"Tell me what you did. Right now."
"Didn't do anything! Just woke up!"
>"Don't play dumb. You did something to that poor girl."
"...What girl?"
>Mom shouldn't even know who Rainbow is
>"....'Pinkie'. She's downstairs right n-Anon! Hold it!"
>Phew, better just make this quick
>You can cheer Pinkie up pretty easily
>Just reassure her that this wasn't her fault
>From the bottom step, you leap over the back of the couch
>The impact makes her hair bounce
"Hey."
>"...."
>She's...
>Scowling
>With her arms crossed and everything
>It's so un-pinkie-like that she might just be an impostor
"Pinkie."
>"...Anonymous."
>Oh god
>Your heart skips a beat
>She's not even looking at you
>Against all logic, you hope your mom gets downstairs quickly
"I uh. Didn't expect you to be here again."
>She's just staring at the muted TV
"...What's up?"
>"I called Sunset yesterday. She said she had fun with you and Rainbow Dash."
"....y-yeah?"
>"Later, Rainbow Dash stopped by my house."
"......she did, huh?"
>Pinkie sighs
>"Yup."
>Great
>You're just sure you can trust Rainbow to give a fair recap
"What did she sa-"
>"I'm gonna spend the day cheering up Rainbow Dash. She needs it."
"...let me expla-"
>"I think she'd been crying, Anon."
>Really?
>Tearing up is one thing
>But Rainbow, crying? That can't be right
>"She said you called her a b-word."
"...well..."
>She huffs
>"It's true?"
"Yeah, but-"
>"I was really shocked. I can't believe you'd do that... Nonny."
>This is the most serious you've ever seen Pinkie
>You don't know what to feel
>But you're in the right
>Rainbow was being a complete ass
>You're not the bad guy
>Right?

>"We're going to fix it. For now I'm going to get Rainbow back to normal. Then, you're gonna apologize."
>Apologize eh?
>For some reason you don't think Rainbow will apologize to Sunset
"But Pinkie... she was asking for it!"
>"WHO was asking for WHAT?"
>Mom walks up to the side of the couch with her arms crossed as well
>Pinkie looks over
>"Oh, uh."
>"Well?!"
"D-Don't worry about it."
>"Did you cheat on Pinkie?"
>Uhhhhhhh
>"Ma'am, we're n-not dating. I promise."
>"Oh?"
>"Yeah. P-Pinkie swear..."
>"So you'd sit next to a FRIEND while he's in his underwear? This is totally natural to you, is that what you're telling me?"
>"What?"
>Pinkie looks down, and clasps her hands over her mouth
>"...NONNY!"
>And she just keeps staring
"It's boxers. They're practically shorts."
>Although you suppose these sort of shape around your junk
>"That's another thing. 'Nonny'? Do you have cutesy nick names for all the boys you know?"
>"Uhhhh... UHHHH..."
>"How long have you been going out? What all have you done?"
>Part of you wants to fall to your knees and apologize
>And confess that Pinkie is pregnant with your child
>But your mom would probably have a heart attack
"We've been friends for a long time mom."
>"Oh?"
"Well we weren't this close until a year or two ago. But the point is that she's an old friend."
>You wrap an arm around Pinkie and pull her close
>She makes some kind of low whine
"JUST an old friend. She's like my little sister."
>You say that, but having Pinkie so close is kind of getting to you
>She's squirming around
>"N-No-Nonny!"
>Her face is bright red
>"Y-You're be-you're being..."
"What?"
>"LEWD!"
>She pushes you and falls onto the other end of the couch
>Rapid-fire baby kicks land all over your body
"Haha, stop! Stop! Come on!"
>She rolls off of the couch and darts over to the door
>"Hey! Stay here, I'm not through with you!"
>"One g-girl at a time, Nonny! That's the RULES!"

>Slamming the door in mom's face
>That's bold
>Very bold
>She's even gone silent
>...
>Wait
"Don't read into that, mom..."
>"Son."
"She's talking about something else."
>"Son, just..."
>She produces your cell phone and throws it to you
"Why do you hav-"
>"I charged it for you. Turn it on."
>You hesitantly click the power button, and your heart sinks at the sight of Sunset's face
>"Who is that, Anon?"
"Um."
>"Another old friend?"
"No..."
>Embarrassment washes over you
"I have a crush on her, so I put her picture on here is all."
>"That's a little much for a crush, isn't it?"
"Maybe?"
>"You're cheating on Pinkie with her."
"No! I'm not even dating Pinkie!"
>"I'm not stupid."
>For fuck's sake
>This is why you don't tell your mom anything
>Everything's a conspiracy
"Ya fuckin' act like it sometimes, y'know?!"
>Your voice got sort of high pitched and... Scottish for some reason
>She just looks confused
>Perfect, an opening
>You step past her and open the door
>"Hold on!"
"I have like seven friends who happen to be chicks. I've screwed zero of them."
>"...S-SEV-"
"I'm not dad."
>You gesture to yourself
"Putting a girl's face as your wallpaper - that's the most virginy thing you can possibly do. You have nothing to worry about."
>You spin around on one foot and start marching
>That's right
>You showed her just how much of a virgin you are
>She's probably gonna be super embarrassed about this
>Just keep walking
>Keep going...
>This is fine

>You're laying down in the bliss of a house with a modern AC
>The pillow against your face is exactly what you needed
>It sort of smells like dog, but it's nice and cold
"Ahhhh. I kind of missed hanging out here."
>"....me too..."
>Twilight's typing something out. Guild recruitment advertisement or something
>She wants another big push to force her way up to 5th place by the end of the day
>Sounds kind of crazy but if anyone can get that done, it's her
"Sorry for barging in on you."
>"....it's fine..."
>It's like she's in a trance
>You stare for a bit and think back on how lively she used to be when playing this game
>Practically bouncing on your lap every time you got a new skill
>She'd explain all of its applications, write them down for you
>And you'd discuss life while grinding
>Now she treats it like it's her job
"Twilight."
>"....huh..."
"You look miserable."
>"......hm..."
"Staying up all weekend, worrying about your guild - it's a bit insane."
>".....yeah..."
>She's not even listening
>This is starting to worry you
>You get up and lean against the top of her swivel chair
>"H-Hey! Anonymous, you made me make a bunch of typos."
"Oh. Sorry."
>You get off and sigh
>Twilight corrects them, pauses with her hands held above the keyboard and then spins the chair
>"I'm sorry. You came to see me and I've been ignoring you."
"It's fine. I'm intruding. It's not like I didn't know you're committed to the guild on weekends."
>She nods and smiles
>And then looks at your crotch
>"Uh. Why aren't you wearing pants?"
"I left my house in a hurry."
>You thought it'd be fine since Twilight's parents are essentially never home
>"Are you arguing with your mom again?"
>Nail on the head
"Yeah."
>"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"Nah, it's nothing serious."
>"Oh. Okay."
>Twilight's pushing against the floor slowly
>Turning to face the monitor
>Probably praying that you don't say anything else
"So."
>"hnnghyeah?"
"Do I have any pants here?"

>She blanks for a second and then smiles
>"Oh you do actually! They're in my dresser."
>Score
>You kneel down and open the top-left drawer
>Panties of varying colors and patterns
>Oh boy
"The striped ones are really cute."
>".....uh-huh......"
>You close it and move on to the next
>And the next
>Until you reach the bottom-right
>A pair of blue jeans is the only thing in here
>It's got little holes all over, and you tore the legs off half-way to turn them into shorts
>Hardcore shorts
"Haha..."
>Twilight was into it
>You slip them on
"Hey. There's actually something I want to talk about."
>"....mhm..."
>Typing away again
>You don't want to be an ass, but you actually really do
>You grab her shoulder and spin her around
>"GHUNHHHH, I almost hit enter! What are you doing!"
"Can't you take a little break?"
>"...huh? I take lots of breaks."
>Bwaha
>"What?!"
"You were about to have an accident yesterday."
>She blushes and looks back to her monitor
"Your eyes are red. Come on. Take a break. Let's get something to drink."
>".....okay."
>You lead her into the kitchen
"What do you have?"
>"You're going to laugh."
>Probably
>You open up the fridge and find the top shelf full of energy drink cans of various different brands
>Not much else in here
"Seriously?"
>"Give me any of them. I've found that they all work equally."
"Uh huh."
>You grab two and sit down beside her
"Don't tell me you're addicted to two things now."
>"It's not an addiction if it helps me..."
>...
>Wow, she actually is addicted
>You open yours up and just stare at it, while Twilight takes a big swig of hers
>She looks really antsy
>Tapping her fingers and clearly wanting to get back to her game
>Kind of makes you sad
"So uh. I wanted to talk about Rainbow Dash. You know her better than me, so I wanted your opinion."
>"Did something happen?"
>Better be careful
>Don't want to paint her as too much of an ass
"Uh, not really. I just wondered, do you think she has something against Sunset Shimmer?"

>Twilight ponders for a while, tilting her can back and forth
"Sometimes Rainbow goes a bit too far is all."
>You feel a bit uncomfortable with how long it's taking her to respond
>"....I'd be surprised if she didn't."
"Huh?"
>"What Sunset did was a pretty big deal."
"Well-"
>"I forgive her, but it's still a big deal."
>Frustration is suddenly brewing inside of you
>"And the thing about Rainbow is she's very protective of her friends. Remember how she was suspicious of you at first?"
>It's true
>One time she freaked out over you kissing Twilight on the cheek
>As if you had forced her to turn her head and enter kissing range
>Rainbow kicked you right in the ass
>Even after you explained that you and Twilight were going steady, she seemed pissed for a little while
"I guess. But how can she suspect Sunset now? I can't think of a single bad thing she's done since then."
>"Uhhh..."
>She gulps down the rest of her all-nighter juice
>"I guess it's hard to believe people can change is all."
>You're proof of it, Twilight
>Look at those bags under your eyes
>And the messy hair
>It's like the cutest car crash ever
"Yeah."
>You run your hands through her hair
>"What are you doing..."
>After tucking the bit on her face behind her ear, you pat her on the head
>"...who am I? Spike?"
>Her smile makes you happy
>...too happy
"Uh. Anyway, do you want to go back to Equestrian Wa-"
>"Can I?! Thank you!"
>She starts down the hall
>And literally jumps into her computer chair
>You might just need to plan an intervention for this girl
".....I'm going to head out I guess."
>"....Alright.... anonymous..."
>...
>"Wait!"
>You poke your head into her bedroom
>"Get me another drink.... please...."
>She must have finished all of those slime balls
>You bring her your untouched can
"Here you go."
>"Ahh.... thanks, babe..."
>...
>She's back to typing out those obnoxious guild recruitment requests
>...Your heart is beating kind of fast
"See ya."
>"...bye..."
>Nostalgia
>It's just nostalgia

>You take a moment on the sidewalk outside Twilight's house
>Her words are ringing around in your head
>"What Sunset did was a pretty big deal."
>Your first reaction is to roll your eyes
>But when you really think about it...
>...
>Whatever
>It was like four years ago
>They were all thirteen
>And Sunset's so nice now
>Even after what happened yesterday, she told Pinkie that we had a great time
>Wait, does that means she wasn't mad...?
>Just embarrassed?
>Maybe...
>Maybe she was thankful after all
"Hmmm."
>You power on your phone, cringe at the wallpaper and open the recent calls window
>There should be some missed call notifications, but mom apparently hit OK on the them when she was snooping
>Whatever, you don't care
>There's nothing to hide on this phone now
>...
>It's calling
>The uncertainty is making you nervous again
>"........."
>She answered!
"........uh."
>"Hi."
"Hey. What's up?"
>You head down the sidewalk as you wait for a reply
>"Nothing. I'm just sitting around at the park."
>Then you speed up a bit
"Ah... I'm not doing anything. Do you want to hang out?"
>She pauses, and then sighs
>That's not a great sign
>"Anon."
>Sunset...
>"Don't worry about what happened. It's fine."
"Huh?"
>"But please, don't ever do it again."
"I... I was just-"
>She hung up
>Your feet slow down until you're standing there looking at your phone
"I was just... trying to..."
>Before you know it, people are passing by you
>As you stare at your phone with a dumbfounded expression
>At least you're wearing pants, right?

--------

>"Oh, darling, what has gotten into you?"
>You're laying flat on the floor of Rarity's studio
>Which is just Rarity's garage
>She's working away on her sewing machine, and Sweetie Belle is poking the side of your head
>"He doesn't look so good, sis."
>It's because you're not
>This freezing tile against your face and barrage of annoying pokes is a metaphor for your life
>Craaaawling innnn my skiiiin

"Can I stay right here forever."
>Not even supposed to be here when Rarity is working, but she doesn't seem to mind very much
>"I'm afraid not. My father's going to park the car there, you know."
"Noooo..."
>The mind's eye just has to go and visualize being run over, without your consent
>Just stick to naked Pinkie Pie for fuck's sake
"OkayI'mmoving."
>You pull Sweetie's finger off of your head and stand up
>After hobbling over to Rarity, you collapse in one of the nearby chairs
>Sweetie's resting a hand on your arm
>Cute
"I'm fine, Belle. Just feeling a little mopey."
>You smile and she smiles back
>"I thought you were gonna die when you fell on the floor."
"I..."
>Clutch of the heart
>Squint of the eyes
"I shall fight on..."
>"Oh, Anonymous, what is the problem?"
>Rarity switches off her machine and stands in front of you
"Uhh."
>You want to talk about it, yet you don't
"Nothing really. Just got them end-of-the-weekend-blues."
>She frowns
>"It's cleeaarly something. Why, I haven't seen you acting quite like this since-"
>"Him and Twilight went to splitsville?"
>"Yes, I-"
>Uh oh
>Rarity's eyes are starting to light up
>Gossip mode engaged
>She pulls a chair up beside yours and sits down
>"Sweetie, be a dear and collect all the dirty dishes?"
>"What?! I want to know what's wrong with Anon!"
>"I'll tell you later. Just go."
>"Ughhhh."
>She heads off
>"I won't tell her later."
"Uh."
>"Okay, go on. Tell me. Tell me everything."
>Jesus
>Do you want to get your laptop so you can blog about it?
>Why did you go to a busy body to vent your frustrations
>"Is it Twilight?"
"Huh?!"
>"It is, isn't it? That's soooo sweet!"

"What are you talking about."
>She grabs your hand
>"You want to get back together with her?"
>No
>You don't
>Her obsession with that game was too much
>And besides, she seems to have lost interest in you
"No."
>"Oh don't be shy!"
>She rubs your hand
>You must admit it's very soothing
>"I always knew you couldn't stay away forever. She was practically attached to you!"
"Eh..."
>"Always holding your hand in public, sitting on you, laying on your lap at lunch!"
"Please no."
>"You two were just THE CUTEST couple!"
>RARITY
>IT'S NOT PLEASANT TO THINK ABOUT
"I don't feel anything for Twilight alright?"
>She deflates
"She's just a good friend now."
>Rarity looks just about as sad as you are for a second
>Then she perks up again
>"Well that's heartbreaking. But it IS about a girl, isn't it?"
"What? Eh, well yeah."
>"I KNEW IT!"
>She squeezes your hand
>"Are you going to tell me or am I going to have to list them all off?"
"Rarity..."
>"Ooh, it's me?"
"N-No!"
>She giggles
>"I guess we're doing this the hard way."
>What is wrong with you
>This is very uncomfortable
>But please don't stop holding the hand
>"Applejack."
"No..."
>"Fluttershy."
"No..."
>"Rainb-"
"No..."
>"Twilight?"
"NO!"
>"...hmph... Pinkie?"
"Negative."
>"Maud!"
"She's like a dorky sister."
>"That Adagio girl?"
"...She flirted with everyone, not just me. We've been over this."
>"Hmmm. Ready to tell me?"
>You groan
>She's already convinced that this is a romantic thing, so you don't want to say Sunset's name
>Better just let her lose interest if she won't listen to you
>"Don't tell me it's Sweetie Belle."
"......."
>She grins and uses her free hand to pinch your cheek
>"Anonymous. You'd better say no."
"Pffft... I thought you were joking is all."
>She actually looks a bit relieved
>The cheek is released
>"Alright. Well, I can't think of any other girls."
>Really?
>She didn't think of Sunset at all?
"Are you sure? I can think of another girl."
>OW, THE HAND
>"Ohhhhh? Who is it?"

"Rarity, I don't want to talk about it. It's not something I want repeated. I don't even know why I came here."
>"I-...."
>...
>That was too much
>Way too much
>She looks genuinely insulted and her grip on your hand is loosening
>Please don't pout
>Don't do this
"...Sorry. I didn't mean that."
>She's staring at the floor
>Boy are you a fuck up or what these days
"Hey."
>You rub her shoulder
"I'm sorry. Really sorry."
>She nods
>Come on, say something
>Please
>"....it's Twilight?"
>WHAT
"NO!"
>I TOLD YOU
"She's married to a video game!"
>Rarity bursts into laughter and shakes her head
>"Just tell me who it is, Anonymous! I'm dying to know!"
>She drops your hand and tickles your stomach
>"You rreeeaaally wanna get it off your cheeeest!"
>Straight face
>After she lets up, you launch the counter-attack on her tummy
"Nooo I dooooon't!"
>"Ahha-ah, s-stop! Aha!"
>She goes back into it
>The two of you are just wiggling your fingers all over each other and squirming around, trying not to laugh
>You're not even that ticklish but it's a challenge
>"...Sis?"
>"....."
"...."
>Sweetie Belle's poking her head through the doorway
>"Should I put your computer mug in the sink?"
>"Uhhhh, of course Sweetie."
>"Ohhh. Okay."
>...
>"Sis?"
>"Y-Yes?"
>"Are you and Anon gonna date?"
>The life begins to leave your body
>Urge to lay on the freezing garage floor rising
>Rarity's just staring blankly
>Go on Rarity
>You can deny it any day now
>"Maaaaaybe..."
>RARITY
>WHAT THE FUCK
>"Oh my gosh! Oh my GOSH!"
>"I said maybe, Sweetie Belle."
>"What?"
>"Unless Anonymous lets me know which lady is on his mind, I'll have to assume he's got eyes for me."
>"Oh my GOSH!"

>"After all, if he can't bare to admit who he's fallen for, it must be because she's in the room!"
>Rarity
>Stop
>You can't involve a kid
>Kids will say anything to anybody
>They're fucking retarded
>...except Belle
>You stand up and grunt
"Sweetie, can you go deal with the dishes?"
>"Yes~! Hee hee!"
>She skips off
>...
>Great
"It's Sunset."
>Rarity gasps
"Not in a romantic way or anything. Don't get excited."
>She stands up with you
>"Anonymous... going after bad girls now, are we?"
>Don't call her that...
>...if Rarity thinks of her that way, it must be why she never wants to hang out when Sunset is there
"I just made her uncomfortable, and she seems upset with me."
>"Oh dear. What did you do?"
>She's looking at you like you're a rapist or something
>Get off of Tumblr, Rarity
"Uhh, I just made an inappropriate joke."
>"...A joke? Why would that be such a b-"
"A rape joke"
>"...."
"About Sunset"
>Mouth please stop
>She looks disappointed for a while, but you notice her smile is creeping back up
>"...but you're so worried about it. She must be very, very special to you."
>You smile wide
"Nope."
>Perfectly executed lie
>"Ahhh. Fine. Well then, what are you waiting for?"
"Huh?"
>"The solution should be obvious."
>She pushes you all the way to the end of the garage and opens the door
>"Go and do what you must do, Anonymous. Making a lady uncomfortable - it's simply not allowed!"
"Okay."
>"Go! Go on!"
"Okay!"
>The both of you exchange goodbye waves
>Typical Rarity, loses interest as soon as it's not romantic or juicy
"Hm."
>Oh well
>She listened
>And you feel a lot better
>...
>In fact, Rarity might be right
>The solution here is very obvious

>Back in the park
>You feel pretty confident strolling past everyone
>A fine Sunday to face your problems
"I got this. I got this."
>You round the corner of the porta-potty and your legs start to feel weak
>There she is
>Right where she was sitting back when this misunderstanding with Pinkie was born
>What if she gets mad?
>She didn't seem to want to talk
"Oh lord."
>Can't give up, just got to get it over with
"Hey!"
>She looks up at you
"Uh, hey. Uh."
>You scratch your head
"Hey."
>".....Hi."
>You've already made yourself look stupid. Might as well put it all out there
"I w-was wondering if you're mad at me."
>She stares for what feels like ten seconds and finally shakes her head
>"Not mad."
>Oh
>How convincing
>You sit down a few feet in front of her and stare at the grass
"I shouldn't have called Rainbow dash wh-what I did."
>"....yeah..."
"I uh. I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
>The wind picks up
>It's the only sound around
>You wish Pinkie and Rainbow were out there playing basketball again
>"It's not that I got embarrassed."
"Huh?"
>"In a way I was really happy."
>Sunset gets up, walks over beside you and sits down
>Don't panic
>She's just a girl
"U-U-Uh."
>...you resolve to keep your mouth shut as much as possible
>Don't want this to turn into a study of high functioning autism
>"You kept defending me. You got so mad, just because Rainbow was picking on me. It made me feel silly for thinking you hated me."
>Of course you don't hate her
>"But..."
>She pulls her knees close to her chest
>"Don't do that again. Please."
>"I can't take it."
>"I don't want to be the reason people fight anymore."
>"...Okay?"

>...
>As relieved as you are that she's not angry with you, she's not to blame
>Rainbow didn't know when to quit
>But, judging by Sunset's tone, she's not about to listen to you go on about how Rainbow 'totally deserved it'
>You just sigh
"Okay."
>She smiles
>"Did you apologize to Rainbow?"
>Pfft
"No."
>"Will you? Please?"
"Uh. I..."
>"For me?"
>HNNG
>WEAK SPOT
"O-Okay."
>Sunset stands up and stretches
>"Thank you. Please do it soon. Okay?"
"O-O-Okay."
>It's easy to tell that a lot of weight was just lifted off Sunset's shoulders
>Not that she's back to her usual self, but close
>"I had fun with you yesterday."
"Really?"
>"I hope you had fun too."
"I did. Especially-"
>You feel a laugh coming on
"Especially when you went all pro-gamer on that Haystation..."
>"I... haha, I was going to go find a car or something. Hahaha, I was so excited."
"Well, you sure as heck found a car."
>You share a good laugh
>Sunset's blushing
>Perhaps she thinks you'll judge her based on her video game performance
"And trust me, the controller isn't dangerous."
>"It looked expensive. Haha, I didn't want to break it!"
>They are pretty expensive, but it's practically the norm for people to wreck controllers that are on display
>Wait, speaking of money
"Hey, feel like getting something to eat?"
>"Huh?"
"Pinkie wanted us to get something to eat. Never got the chance."
>"Oh. No, no, you should use that on Pinkie!"
"Uh.... right."
>You sigh and stick stick your hands into your pants pockets
>Oh, the money's not even in there
>"I'm gonna head off, okay?
"Okay."
>"I'll be thinking of new strategies to win over that party animal!"
"Haha, me too!"
>"Great!"
"Y-Yeah!"
>She raises her hand
>What the fuck is she doing
>What is happening
>OH
>You return the high-five
>And after giving you one more smile, she walks off
>...
>You touched Sunset's hand
>.....
>It's not a big deal or anything
>You rub your palm with a retarded smile