Rising for Sunset [Part 6 - Saturday]


                                            >Late Saturday afternoon.

                                            >You do a quick comb of your hair.

                                            >Your outfit is still pretty casual.

                                            >You did put on a jacket, though.

                                            >You take out your phone to check the time.

                                            >It's about that time.

                                            >You step outside and start walking.

                                            >After a short while, you arrive outside of her home.

                                            >You walk up to the door and knock.

                                            >After a few moments, it opens.

                                            >"Oh, hey Anon. You're right on time."

                                            >She's wearing a blue top that really brings out her eyes.

                                            >Are there no limits to how badly she can captivate you with just her looks?

                                            "Are you ready to head out?"

                                            >"Yeah. Let's go."

                                            >She steps out and you take to the sidewalk side by side.

                                            >It's a mostly quiet, but pleasant walk.

                                            >As you travel, the edge of the sun reaches the horizon.

                                            >Eventually, the fair grounds come into view.


                                            >You're greeted by a variety of sights and sounds.

                                            >There are lights all over, coming from tents, strung up along the midway.

                                            >A commotion of people talking, playing games, and what even sounds like live music.

                                            >You approach the admissions area and pay for both of your tickets, handing Sunset hers.

                                            >When you enter, you're greeted by a seemingly endless variety of things to see and do.

                                            >Games of all kinds, food, caricatures, curiosities.

                                            >You both look around in wonder and try to figure out what to do first.

                                            >As you make your way through the fair grounds, the music gets louder.

                                            >A large open area at the center of the event seems to play host to a stage.

                                            >"He's always been pretty good at playing the guitar, hasn't he?"

                                            "Yeah, well... I don't like to say so. No need to let his head get too big, right?"

                                            >You both decide to stay and listen to Flash Drive play for a while.

                                            >As you listen to him rock out, you scan the area around you.

                                            >You spot that catches your interest.

                                            "You hungry at all?"

                                            >Sunset nods to you.

                                            >"Actually, it would be nice to try some of the food."

                                            "I'll go grab us something then. I'll be right back."

                                            >You hurry off, as not to keep your date waiting for too long.

                                            >Your date.

                                            >Just thinking about that makes you smile.


                                            >After a quick jog, you reach it.

                                            >You've had the food from this stand before during previous years.

                                            >It never disappoints.

                                            "Hey there, Applejack!"

                                            >She gives you a welcoming smile.

                                            >"Howdy, Anon!"

                                            >Despite being a high schooler, she always manages this stand.

                                            >There are shelves of all kinds of freshly made apple goods.

                                            >Everything looks so good.

                                            "Two apple fritters, please."

                                            >She gathers them up from their shelf and sets them out on the counter.

                                            >You go to reach for your wallet, but she puts up a hand to stop you.

                                            >"There'll be no need for that, Anon. Let's just call us square for the trouble I caused ya earlier this week."

                                            >You give her a smile and a nod before picking up the desserts.

                                            "Thanks, Applejack."

                                            >As you turn to leave, she calls after you.

                                            >"Y'all have fun this evenin'!"


                                            >You return to Sunset to find her trying hard not to laugh and failing.

                                            >Flash is showboating HARD.

                                            >Power slides.

                                            >Jump kicks.

                                            >Trying to play with his teeth.

                                            >You can't help but bust out laughing at the sight.

                                            >However, you do manage to get ahold of yourself.

                                            "Here, Sunset."

                                            >You hand her an apple fritter.

                                            >"Good choice, Anon. Applejack always comes through when it comes to good food."

                                            >She takes a bite and you can see the satisfaction creep into her expression.

                                            >You both hang out and enjoy the fritters while poking fun at Flash's showmanship.

                                            >Eventually, the number that he's playing ends.

                                            >"Thank you! We'll be back for another set later!"

                                            >Flash Drive clears the stage.

                                            >The stage isn't vacant for long though, as a certain party-wild friend of yours drags up and starts up a player organ.

                                            >Sunset shakes her head with a smile.

                                            >"Pinkie Pie is so random."

                                            "You're telling me."


                                            >The two of you return to the midway and browse the attractions again.

                                            >There are a lot of games here that you could play to try to win Sunset a prize.

                                            >Ball throw, ring toss, test your strength...

                                            >Definitely going to pass on that last one.

                                            >Your attention is grabbed when a softball flies past you and crashes into a tower of bottles.

                                            >"Aww, yeah! Chalk up another win!"

                                            >It looks like Rainbow Dash is dominating the games, one at a time.

                                            >"Hey there, Rainbow Dash!"

                                            >After Sunset calls out, she turns to look at the two of you.

                                            >"Sunset and Anon, eh? Having fun?"

                                            "It's been pretty good so far. I see you've found a way to challenge yourself."

                                            >Rainbow smirks.

                                            >"Yeah. I mean, these games aren't THAT hard. It's all either strength or skill, right?"

                                            >As if to prove her point, she walks over to the ring toss, pays for three throws, and immediately manages to get one to land."

                                            >She makes it look so easy.

                                            >When she throws the second one, you're watching closely.

                                            >It's not random.

                                            >She throws the third one.

                                            >She's snapping her wrist to spin the rings.

                                            >"Too easy. I think I'm gonna take a break for a while. You two 'lovebirds' have fun."


                                            >You know that Rainbow only said that to give you two a hard time.

                                            >It still doesn't change the way that your heart flutters when you see Sunset blush a little bit.

                                            "Come on, Sunset. Let's try out some of the games."

                                            >She nods to you.

                                            >"Alright, Anon. You're on!"

                                            >First, you both try the ball throw.

                                            >Though you generally like to think that you have good aim, you don't quite knock all of the bottles over.

                                            >Sunset on the other hand manages to beat it.

                                            >"Nice!"

                                            >You chuckle.

                                            >She looks around, then her attention is taken by a nearby whack-a-mole game.

                                            "Go ahead. I'll catch up to you in a minute."

                                            >As she picks up the mallet, you turn to go for your own target.

                                            >You put down some money at the ring toss booth.

                                            >The attendant hands you three rings.

                                            >You carefully take aim and toss the ring, trying to copy Rainbow Dash's technique.

                                            >It fumbles on contact with the bottle, but just barely manages to catch around the neck.

                                            >You take in a deep breath and exhale.

                                            >You throw the second ring, which manages to land on its bottle more easily than the last one.

                                            >Picking up the third ring, the tension is on.

                                            >Getting the last thing right in a series is always the hardest for some reason.

                                            >You focus in and throw the ring.

                                            >It seems to fall in slow motion.

                                            >You're relieved when it lands.

                                            >"Good job, Nonny! You won a prize!"


                                            >You double-take.

                                            >Did you not notice that she was the attendant?

                                            >Or has she somehow inexplicably replaced the the person that was here before?

                                            >You shake it off and look at the prize shelves that Pinkie is gesturing to.

                                            >There are stuffed animals, cheap "jewelry," all kinds of random junk...

                                            >Something catches your eye.

                                            >It's a necklace.

                                            >It's nothing spectacular, it looks like the pendant is some kind of colored glass.

                                            >But when you see that red and gold swirl, you know that's the one.

                                            "I'll take that necklace there, Pinkie."

                                            >She picks it up and holds it out to you.

                                            >"Good choice. I bet she'll love it."

                                            >You hope that she likes, it anyway.

                                            >Giving Pinkie a quick wave goodbye, you go to rejoin Sunset.

                                            >Then you hear something.

                                            >"Psssst..."


                                            >You freeze for a moment.

                                            >Then you hear it again.

                                            >"Psssst..."

                                            >When you look around for the source of it, you spot a hand waving you over from behind a nearby stall.

                                            >As you cautiously approach, you find yourself being addressed directly this time.

                                            >"Anonymous, darling. Over here."

                                            >Rarity is trying to quietly get your attention.

                                            "Rarity? What do you want?"

                                            >"Just trying to lend you a hand, darling."

                                            >She looks away from you, then makes a gesture inviting you to look that way.

                                            >You follow her gaze.

                                            >And then you smile.

                                            "Thanks, Rarity."

                                            >"Think nothing of it, darling. Just a romantic trying to do her part."

                                            >She winks at you before leaving.

                                            >With a smile on your face, you head back down the path to meet with Sunset.


                                            >She's still playing the same game.

                                            >She seems to be really into it.

                                            >It looks like this round is wrapping up, though.

                                            >Time to act.

                                            >As the timer runs out, you sneak up behind her.

                                            "Pretty good job, Sunset."

                                            >You throw your arms around her in a hug.

                                            >"A-Anon..."

                                            >She sounds surprised, but she doesn't seem to mind too much.

                                            >After a few moments though, she squirms a little bit.

                                            >"You can let go now."

                                            "Fiiine."

                                            >As you retract your arms, you take the chance to clasp the necklace that you won earlier around her neck.

                                            >Sunset turns around to face you, then looks down at your gift for her.

                                            >She lifts it up to get a better look at it.

                                            >"You won me a prize? That's so sweet of you."

                                            >She looks up at you with a big smile.

                                            >"Thanks, Anon. I love it."

                                            >You put off having a heart attack from how cute that was and grab onto her hand.

                                            >"Anon, what-"

                                            >You grin.

                                            "You'll see..."

                                            >You drag Sunset along with you to your next destination:

                                            >The Ferris Wheel.


                                            >The two of you excitedly get in line and are let onto the ride in a pretty short time.

                                            >Now for the rough part of the ride...

                                            >Waiting for it to finish getting loaded up and start.

                                            >The wheel turns to let passengers into the next empty car.

                                            >"So, Anon. How about you tell me a bit about yourself."

                                            "Like... what?"

                                            >"Well, I know what you're like at school. How about something from your past?"

                                            >You think.

                                            "This is probably going to sound really lame, but there's probably not a lot to tell."

                                            >She doesn't buy it.

                                            >"Come on, Anon..."

                                            "Well..."

                                            >You take a moment to think.

                                            "You've even noticed for yourself that I tend not to stand out. I've done a bunch of things, been in lots of different clubs, but there aren't really any stories to tell."

                                            >She looks at you like she expects more.

                                            "I mean, I learned a lot of practical skills and stuff, but I wasn't really on top anywhere I went. To be honest, I don't really mind it."

                                            >She smiles softly.

                                            >"Well, you're a pretty special person in my book, Anon. And after this week, my friends probably think you're pretty cool too.

                                            >Hearing her say that warms your heart.

                                            >You've never had a lot of friends.

                                            "So... how about you, Sunset? What was your life like before you came to Canterlot High?"


                                            >Sunset doesn't say anything.

                                            >She averts her gaze.

                                            >After a moment, you can tell that maybe that's an uncomfortable subject.

                                            "Sunset? If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. It's okay."

                                            >She looks into your eyes.

                                            "No, Anon. It's fine... It's just... a little bit strange."

                                            >She takes a moment to collect her thoughts.

                                            >"You know about all of the magical things that have happened around here recently, right?"

                                            >You nod.

                                            >"That magic came from the place where I'm from."

                                            "Okay... And where is that?"

                                            >"I'm from a world that's called Equestria."

                                            "Okay, I'm still following you."

                                            >You can tell that she's getting a little more hesitant to keep going, but she continues.

                                            "What is it, Sunset?"

                                            >"It's just... There aren't any humans in Equestria, Anon."

                                            >Okay...

                                            >"Anon, I'm..."

                                            >You reach out and gently grasp her hands.

                                            >She takes a deep breath.

                                            >"Anon, I was born and spent almost my whole life as a unicorn."


                                            >Before she can manage to shrink away from her, you pull her into a big hug.

                                            >"Wha- Anon?"

                                            "It's fine, Sunset... Really."

                                            >She's stunned.

                                            "I don't care if you're from another world, or if you're a unicorn, or whatever. You're here now, and I like you no matter what you used to be."

                                            >After a moment, she throws her arms around you.

                                            >You can feel your shirt get a little bit wet as she buries her face into your shoulder.

                                            >You stay like this for a while until she finally lets go of you.

                                            >"Thank you Anon... I was worried that you might think I was weird and-"

                                            "Sunset, we've talked about this before. Your past isn't as important to me as who you are."

                                            >You gaze deeply into each other's eyes as the ride shifts again.

                                            >Now you're at the top of the ferris wheel.

                                            >The colors in the sky paint a beautiful picture around you as the moon begins to rise and the last glowing colors of the sun begin to fade out as it sets.


                                            >You hold each other closely as the ride starts up, enjoying both the view and each others' company.

                                            >With each rotation, the evening shifts more and more into night, until the light of the moon and the fairgrounds are everything.

                                            >Eventually, the ride comes to an end and you both step out of your car.

                                            >Now that it's night, the fair has come to life in a completely different way.

                                            >When you arrived, it was a little bit slow, but now there are tons of people here.

                                            >You feel Sunset reach out and grab your hand.

                                            >The two of you look at each other and gently smile before continuing off into the fairgrounds together.

                                            >The whole place is bustling with people.

                                            >Noise fills the air.

                                            >The lights that are strung up cast bright colors onto the people below.

                                            >Good smells permeate the air as the food vendors become busy.

                                            >However, the two of you still manage to find a more quiet corner in the event.


                                            >There are some animal pens set up.

                                            >Rabbits, goats, sheep...

                                            >That's when a quiet voice speaks up.

                                            >"Hello, Sunset. Hello, Anon."

                                            Sunset speaks up first.

                                            >"Hi there, Fluttershy. Running the petting zoo this year?

                                            >"Yep. You know how much I just love taking care of little animals."

                                            >You both smile.

                                            >Fluttershy is so quiet and kind.

                                            >It makes her outward happiness infectious.

                                            >You and Sunset hang around the petting zoo for a while.

                                            >You even get some things from Fluttershy to try feeding to the critters.

                                            >When you look over at Sunset, she's gently stroking a pony's muzzle.

                                            "Wow, Sunset, you're really good with horses."

                                            >She turns and gives you a look that says "Really?"

                                            "Oh. Right..."

                                            >You reach into your pocket.

                                            "Do you want a sugar cube?"

                                            >"ANON!"

                                            >Fluttershy lets out a quiet yelp as you dash past her, Sunset in hot pursuit.


                                            >You rush through the fairgrounds, being chased by your date.

                                            >You're both laughing so hard.

                                            >"Get back here Anon!"

                                            "NOPE!"

                                            >As you pass through the center of the fair, you see that Flash and his band are back and finishing up another song.

                                            "FLASH!"

                                            >He looks your way just in time to see you give him a series of hand signals.

                                            >Then you look back.

                                            >Sunset is gaining on you.

                                            >Quickly, you dash into the fun house.

                                            >Shortly after, Sunset arrives inside.

                                            >"Where are you Anon?"

                                            >You don't answer.

                                            >This is a hall of mirrors

                                            >And you're in the lead.

                                            >Outside, the music changes.

                                            >A soft rock ballad pours in through the walls as Sunset slowly starts navigating the room.


                                            >Every now and then, you purposefully send your reflection towards her, leading her further along.

                                            >"Come on, Anon. Where are you?"

                                            "Psssst..."

                                            "Hey, Sunset!"

                                            >"Anon, where are you?"

                                            >She tries to follow your voice, but she's having trouble figuring out where you are.

                                            "Hey... Hey... Pssst..."

                                            >She's getting closer to you.

                                            >"I'm going to find you, Anon."

                                            >She's still playing along as you continue to string her along.

                                            "Hey, Sunset!"

                                            >"What, Anon?"

                                            "Guess what?"

                                            >She turns a corner to find you suddenly standing in front of her.

                                            "I love you."

                                            >You lean in.

                                            >Your lips meet hers.

                                            >After a moment of surprise, she melts into the kiss and puts her arms around you.

                                            >"I love you too, Anon."


                                            The End.