Friends in Low Places (SS)

 

“Come on, Vera. I know this stuff’s your favorite,” Sunset said as she outstretched the treat in her arm as far as the orange stray in front of her would let her. A few weeks with her new name hasn't done much to change the pair's relationship, as much as Sunset wished it would.

 

The orange cat carefully backed into her box away from the intruding hand. The narrowed glare between the treat and Sunset told her she wasn’t in the mood today. Usually, a break for a day or two and Sunset would be right back to petting her like usual, but they didn't have the luxury of time anymore.

 

Another thump of thunder against the city made the ground beneath their feet tremble. Sunset winced at the harsh noise and gripped the package even tighter, spilling some onto the cold, uncaring concrete below them. The longer she leaned in, the more the sidewalk sent waves of pain into her uncushioned knees and the smell of the putrid trash of the alley made her stomach churn. The less determined parts of her mind begged her to return home for a rainy nap or a video game session, but Sunset shook away the thoughts for the sake of her furry friend.

 

"Look, I know this is home and it's all you know, but tonight's really not the night to get sentimental about cardboard. If I leave you out here something bad could happen," Sunset said, the statement accentuated with the low rumble of the dark clouds above them. Sunset scooted herself a little closer, prying further into the box. Vera's eyes darted between Sunset and the storm, her back arching and mouth opening for a harsh hiss.

 

Sunset instinctively backed away before the swatting started. A pang of sadness hit her gut at the lack of trust. The thought of just wrapping a towel around her and running crossed her mind—she could probably get her home through the angry scratching—but the idea of the stray losing trust in her made her stomach form into even more unbearable knots.

 

Sunset leaned her head back and let out a frustrated groan. "I'm just trying to help."

 

She sank onto the concrete, rifling through her hoodie pocket through all the cat toys she borrowed. Half the strange shapes and materials she already tried and the other half she knew wouldn’t work. The jumble of treats didn’t hold a candle to the nasty, wet fish paste Sunset already had in her hand either. Sunset closed her eyes and pulled in a slow, calming breath.

 

“Maybe just…” she started with a welcoming smile and her hand turned over and outstretched. Maybe her friend just needed a caring gesture? A gentle smile and a pet? Vera responded by clattering around her cardboard box for a potential escape route behind her, glaring at Sunset with a sharp gaze.

 

Sunset’s arm fell to her side, defeated. She looked over at her friend and could feel just how stressed out she was—hair frazzled and matted, eyes wild and darting between the thundering skies and the unwelcome guest. With the battle lost, Sunset's hand traced against the outline of the cell phone in her pocket. One quick call to Fluttershy and she might have a better chance. Her hand fell away as she thought about how far Fluttershy's house was, and how many previous attempts she'd had that ended up with the cat equivalent of "I'm fine where I am".

 

No, Sunset knew if anyone could change her furry friend's mind, it had to be her.

 

“Please, Vera. What about all the snacks? The pets? We've known each other since I first got here. We've been through it all. Isn't that enough to trust me by now?" Vera's posture eased slightly but still refused to fully relent. "Come on..."

 

The unforgiving concrete finally putting her at her pain tolerance, Sunset shifted back onto her butt instead. She sighed and looked down the long walk towards Canterlot High. Almost every day she'd walk down these steps, whether planning her next scheme, angry at the world, or cursing the names of the people next on her hit list and most days this cute little cat in front of her was there to meet her with her variety of mods. The thought of that constant in her life being gone forever tomorrow made her lean forward with a little more determination.

 

“I mean maybe it was just a few food scraps here and there on the way home, but that was probably better than nothing, right?” Sunset recalled all the half-eaten lunches and table scraps left to her furry friend, though eased back with a light cringe realizing there was quite a while where she thought she was too good to touch a ratty stray. “Probably not the perfect friend a cat could ever have, but... I came around eventually, right?”

 

Vera relaxed her arched back, still glaring at Sunset but with a cautious curiosity rather than her battle-ready gaze. The cat looked between the dropped fish morsels on the sidewalk and Sunset, licking its lips but still holding its ground. Sunset could feel the pat of the rain against her hoodie getting heavier by the second.

 

Another thunderclap made both of them flinch. The scattered sprinkles slowly began to seep through Sunset’s hoodie to the point she could feel the wetness. The storm wasn’t going to give them much time now. Anxiety gripped Sunset’s stomach at the thought of leaving her friend to the elements. That flimsy cardboard box above her would be mush in minutes and it’d be a long run to anything else she could use. Another frustrated sigh forced its way out of Sunset’s nose as she pulled her knees up to her and settled as close as Vera looked comfortable with.

 

“I know how it is. It’s hard trusting people. If all you’ve ever known is constantly fighting for something, everyone else seems like they're just going to get away. Friends are the last thing you could ever rely on," Sunset said, looking down the long path toward Canterlot High.

 

The side of Sunset's mouth turned up, feeling pride at the likely legions of rats felled and the other alley cats that would give her friend a wide berth. “You’re probably the baddest cat around, I bet. On top of the whole world and the food chain around here. Nobody would dare mess with you,” Sunset said, wanting to give a congratulatory pet, but holding herself back.

 

Vera settled onto her paws and gave a slight, triumphant puff of her chest while keeping her cautious eyes focused on Sunset.

 

“Feels good, doesn’t it? At least, for a while. Lonely though, isn't it?" Sunset said, her eyes trailing off to the concrete. "You could have everything in the world, all the respect and fear possible, but nobody ever really gets close. Nobody to really care but yourself."

 

“I’ve been there,” she said, looking back down to her spotty jeans and letting her lips curl up. “Seems like the only life that made sense sometimes.”

 

“I bet you could hardly even imagine what it might be like to be stuck in an apartment, not having the whole world to roam.” Vera gave a quick glance at her surroundings, then gave her paw a nonchalant lick. “I know Celestia could never keep me cooped up in that tower. If all of Equestria couldn’t be my stomping grounds I wouldn’t be very happy either.”

 

“But… I wasn’t really happy anyway. Not as happy as I am now. Had to learn a few lessons on what to really go after the hard way.” Another lightning strike, another jump out of both girls. The rain slowly ramped up, threatening the moment. “...Just like you're about to."

 

Sunset shifted her uneasy stature as the rain pierced her clothing. "I'm sure you've been through hundreds of storms. You'd probably be fine through this one too, but... you don't have to take that chance anymore." The cat looked at her intently. She certainly looked more comfortable in her box now than Sunset felt out in the rain. "Life… life’s a lot better with friends, Vera. Aaaand it’s also much better when you’re not soaked,” Sunset said, whipping off some of the moisture building on her sleeve. A mess of hair was already sticking to Sunset’s face. The stray's eyes traced her up and down, a little bit of sympathy in the green glint.

 

“It’s a big jump into the unknown, believe me. It’s hard to see a life beyond the one you have and definitely hard to trust people you’ve only ever turned your back on," Sunset said, drifting off to let some uncomfortable thoughts fill her head. "But it's worth it. Maybe the most worth it thing you'll ever do."

 

Vera turned her head and gave her paw another lick, though this one was much more uncertain. She looked over Sunset one last time before settling down into her box, much more relaxed now. Sunset's expression twisted in frustration again. Vera looked more than ready to relax for the evening despite the maelstrom outside her cardboard covering. Sunset tried to quiet her anxious mind, looking to her old friend one last time and knowing she'd have to trust her to make her own decisions.

 

“Though I guess, the first step is just trusting yourself enough to let them in… and trusting them enough to not hurt you. Something that can’t really be rushed. I'll keep doing my best, anyway.”

 

The cat settled in, its soft orange fur fading as the night crept in. She shifted and looked toward her surroundings. If the decision had already been made, she could at least do something to help out before she left her friend to her own devices. The encroaching darkness and the even thicker clouds shrouded the alley, but that wouldn't stop her. “I guess I could knock over a trash can for you, or maybe there's a crate or tarp around here? I really should've gotten AJ to help build a—”

 

Before Sunset could finish, her breath caught in her throat. The steady flow of raindrops staining her jeans stopped and in their place, the weight of a certain orange stray replaced the feeling. Sunset gasped, then did her best not to freak out as the massive grin spread across her face. “You… you’ve never come up this close to me before.”

 

Lightning cracked through the sky and Sunset felt the claws dig into her jeans at the noise as she regained her own composure. “Right, nasty storm incoming. Would you… let me pick you up?”

 

Sunset’s hands slowly floated towards Vera, and an uneasy look passed between both of the appendages. "Just gotta get somewhere a little less intense." The claws dug in further as Vera seemed to think about bolting off, but as soon as Sunset’s caring embrace made contact, she tensed and then relaxed into the gentle touch of someone who cared enough to help.

 

“You won’t regret this, I promise,” Sunset said as she stood upright with the cat held tight against her chest. The acceptance came maybe a little too late as sheets of water splashed down on her. Sunset did her best to hold her friend tight and huddle over to make sure her new passenger wasn't the one getting wet. She made for home as fast as she could through it all, fighting her own lack of aerobic ability the whole way.

 

“Once this rolls over… ah… you can go right back to it… ah… or… we could see Fluttershy… and maybe find a better place?” The storm roared overhead, cracking against the sky so often it felt like a war was breaking out. Sunset's mind started to think of all the wonderful possibilities she could bring, but the imminent exhaustion took up her energy limit instead. The storm forced its hand down onto Canterlot as if it was trying to wipe it away with a flood, or at least what it felt like through Sunset's ill-equipped hoodie.

 

The arduous trek back to her apartment was only a few blocks but felt like an eternity as she dodged puddles and did her best not to slip, keeping her precious cargo as dry as possible through it all. Her boots screeched to a stop in front of her building's door and she fumbled around in her pocket with one hand like her life depended on it. Vera clawed against Sunset's hoodie at the sudden lack of support. Sunset winced at the gouging but soldiered on through the hardship to deftly swipe her key into the lock. By the time she could finally shut the door behind her, it felt like a monster banging at the glass as she shut the two of them into shelter at last

 

Lightning cut through the sky and flashed against their surroundings, but Sunset could finally breathe a sigh of relief now that the sound no longer threatened to split their eardrums. Sunset leaned over from her own fatigue and Vera took the opportunity to jump out of her arms and try to shake off the moisture.

 

"Oh... oh man... we made it." Sunset pulled the hood off of her head to let her completely soaked hair fall against her back. She was beyond caring about the sticky strands as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Even with the quick run, both of them were dripping wet and leaving puddles on the floor. A miserable cold overcame Sunset as her clothes settled on her. She started shaking as the feeling crept in, but a sudden warmth against her side came over to help.

 

Sunset melted at the feeling of the soft, gentle, rhythmic purr against her hoodie. The cold clinging to Sunset’s skin was no match for the fuzzy warmth flowing through her now. The orange head affectionately rolled against the one dry spot left on her hoodie. Sunset leaned down to meet the gesture, rubbing her hand across Vera's head and back and letting her cheek further embrace her old friend.

 

Sunset let out a delighted laugh as she walked up the stairs to the shelter. She let out one last happy sigh and looked at those thankful light-green eyes. “Friendship always finds a way.” Vera let out a grateful meow as Sunset did her best to stand herself up and wring out her hair. She started up the stairs to her apartment, ushering her new companion to some real shelter. "Now let's get dried off. Maybe you'll like some of these toys I borrowed from Fluttershy."