Chapter Text
Sunset jogged down the long driveway of Sweet Apple Orchard hoping she wasn’t the last of the girls to arrive. They all knew she wasn’t a morning person but still, showing up half an hour late with a latte wasn’t the best look. But she needed the caffeine, like really needed it. She’d been up all night, too excited to sleep, just unpacking and repacking her bags to make sure she had everything she might need.
It wasn’t the first time the girls had been to a beach. They’d taken day trips to both the lake near town and the sound a few hours away but this was the first time they’d be staying anywhere remotely tropical. And the first time they’d be staying overnight away from home with no adult supervision.
She rounded the corner of the house to see an all too chipper Applejack loading dozens of bags into the trunk of Big Mac’s van. Years of waking up early for chores must have prepared her for this. The cowgirl was skillfully arranging them like Tetris pieces, working to leave as much space for the girls as possible. As spacious as the boat of a van was it would still be a challenge fitting seven girls, a dog, and an ice chest of road trip snacks inside the metal box.
“Look who finally made it!” Rainbow said, barely looking up from the soccer ball she was juggling. How she managed to be so alert at 6 in the morning was beyond Sunset. Crouched on the ground beside the van were Fluttershy and Twilight, struggling to get Spike into his harness.
“Well, I’m not named Sunrise, am I?” It wasn’t her best joke but she wasn’t firing on all cylinders. Still, it earned her a giggle from Twilight which was all she needed. Her wonderful girlfriend stood and greeted her with a tight hug and quick kiss. Sunset’s powers flared at Twilight’s touch and she was flooded with her girlfriend’s thoughts and feelings. Images of romantic walks on the beach, small swimsuits, and late nights tossing in the sheets of their shared bed had Sunset’s face flushing.
Sunset had been looking forward to this romantic getaway ever since Rarity told them her aunt offered to let them use her beach house as a graduation gift. She and her girls had planed for it for months and had spent many a late night on the phone talking about what they’d do to each other. They had given her a lot to be excited for.
Applejack lifted the duffle bag from her shoulder, shaking Sunset out of her lusty stupor. Her strong friend quickly slid her bag into an almost perfectly sized spot between two huge white and purple zebra stripped suitcases. One guess as to who those belonged to.
“Geez, is there even anything left in her closet,” Sunset playfully asked as AJ set a fairly large zebra printed make-up bag on top of Sunset’s duffle.
“I’m surprised I could talk her down to just these,” Applejack drawled. “My girl’s nothing if not prepared, at least.” Speaking of “AJ’s girl,” Sunset could see her through the open garage door.
Rarity stood hands-on-hips, in full mom mode, lecturing Apple Bloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo. The Crusaders, they called themselves. It was cute. Opalescence loafed in her chic cat carrier, looking angrier than normal.
‘That’s everyone but Pinkie,’ she thought as she joined Rarity in the garage. She was curious as to what Rare was going on about and didn’t want to be in the way of the girls who were packing the van.
“We’re leaving you enough money to get pizza for one night, but Mrs. Granny Smith has meals planned out for the rest of the week.” Clearly she’d been laying out ground rules for a while. “And you’re going to eat everything she prepares and you’re not going to complain about any of it,” she said pointedly to Sweetie Bell.
“Other than that, have fun and behave. Big Mac knows to call us if anything happens.” She punctuated the sentence by giving the girls each a big hug. “And I want you to text the group chat everyday to let me know how you’re doing.”
Rarity noticed Sunset for the first time as she turned toward the van. “Oh Darling!” She grabbed Sunset’s shoulders and kissed her on each cheek. Her powers let her see into Rarity’s mind and it became apparent that she too was looking forward to the same night time activities as Twilight. Sunset resisted putting her hands on the posh woman’s hips, keenly aware of the kids looking on. The Crusaders weren’t stupid, they probably sensed the intimacy between the older girls even if they didn’t fully understand the situation. She doubted any of their sisters had sat them down to explain the nature of the group’s relationship.
Sunset let Rarity hook their arms together and lead her back to the van. She checked her phone and confirmed that, Yep, it was officially time to be on the road. Where was Pinkie? Everyone else was ready to go. Even Spike, now in his harness, was angrily resting in Fluttershy’s arms as she pet his head trying to make amends.
‘Might as well get seated, I guess.’ Sunset popped open the double doors on the van and-
“YOU READY TO GET THIS DOG AND PONY SHOW ON THE ROAD!” Sunset jumped back as Pinkie exploded out of the van.
“What? How did you-”
“You really thought I’d be late to our radical, amazing, bodacious, crazy-awesome, girl’s trip!” Pinkie was vibrating with energy, the massive bag slung over her shoulder doing nothing to slow her down.
“What’s with the bag,” Rainbow asked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know!” Pinkie giggled with a devious eyebrow wiggle.
“Yes. I would.”
“It’s the reason I’m late.” She pulled the shoulder bag around to her front side and looked around suspiciously. She unzipped the bag just enough for the girls to crowd around her and peak inside. Bottles, glass and plastic, line the inside. There was enough alcohol in there to fuel a years worth of Canterlot High parties. Not that the student body were heavyweights.
“How did you get all this?” Fluttershy moved to zip up the bag before anyone else could see, as if there was anyone else around. “You have a fake ID?”
“I have my ways. And that’s not all I have!” Pinkie reached into the pocket of her denim jacket and fished out a baggie. Sunset immediately recognized the fuzzy green substance inside. She was looking forward to the trip more than ever now, but she noticed Twilight stiffen beside her. Sunset was afraid this might ruin the trip for twilight if she wasn’t careful to set the right tone.
“Sounds fun, Pinkie. Just remember; right place, right time. Alright?” Sunset watched the reactions of the others to gage how they were feeling about all this. AJ seemed impressed more than anything, Rainbow and Rarity seemed fine with it, and Fluttershy was surprisingly more relaxed about the weed than the drinks. Twilight still gave a worried look to Sunset.
She brushed her fingers over Twilight’s arm sending her comforting thoughts. ‘I won’t let anything get out of hand. Trust me.’ The lavender girl gave her a small smile. “Okay, I trust you.”
“They’re doing it again,” Rainbow complained. “You know it’s rude to have secret convos right in front of us.”
“Heh, sorry,” Twilight blushed.
“Alright, Ya’ll we’re wasting daylight.” AJ jangled her keys and shut the trunk. The girls piled into the car. Rarity’s girlfriend privileges got her shotgun, Twilight, Sunset, Spike, and the cooler sat in the second row and Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie in the third row. They waved through the windows at the Crusaders and Big Mac as the van clunked down the driveway.
…
The girls twittered excitedly as they neared the interstate. It was going to be a long drive; seven hours from their landlocked home state. AJ pulled into a gas station to top off the tank. Better to do it before they got into a good rhythm on the road. As she filled up the van the rest of the girls flooded out and raced into the mini market to stock up on junk food for the ride.
“You want me to grab a drink for you, Darling?” Rarity saddled up to Applejack, giving her waist a flirty squeeze.
“You know what I like, Sugar cube,” the cowgirl answered bumping her hip into Rarity.
Sunset was jealous of how easily they displayed affection. She didn’t blame Twilight, of course. She knew her girlfriend got anxious when they were in public together. She didn’t want people to see two pretty girls kissing and think it was some kind of show for them. Or get even worse ideas. Still, she wished Twilight wasn’t so worried about everything all the time.
Inside the gas station Pinkie had already collected an armful of candy. Fluttershy followed her, dutifully plucking precariously stacked packs of gummies and cookies out of her overflowing arms and placing them back on the shelves. Rainbow had a sports drink in each hand, looking back and forth between them comparing the nutritional information on the label.
Twilight was studying the chip isle like it was a math test. She bit her thumb nail, eyes desperately trained on the snacks. Her chest rose and fell a little too fast. Something was clearly wrong. Sunset rested a hand on her shoulder.
“Spoiled for choice, huh?” She tired to keep her tone light. She’d been with Twi long enough to know that when she got like this she need to be handled gently. Sunset didn’t need her powers to know the spectacled girl was spiraling. “Is it happening again?”
“I just… don’t know what to choose.” Sunset got the feeling she wasn’t talking about the chips.
“Can I?” Sunset offered her hand. Twilight knew what she was asking and in response she softly rested her own hand in Sunset’s palm.
Images flashed before Sunset’s eyes. Acceptance letters; piles of them. Colleges near and far, offering scholarships and exclusive programs. An iceberg adrift in the sea, breaking away into seven chunks that bob beneath the waves, the water between them growing and growing.
Sunset closes her eyes and lets the thoughts dissipate like mist. She understands. She’d thought about it too; where she’d be in five years, or even just one. She knew how quickly friends could drift apart when they didn’t have a reason to see each other everyday. She’d been writing to Princess Twilight less and less as time passed. Especially now that she was romantically involved with Twilight. This world’s Twilight, she meant. It could get pretty confusing.
Beside the point! She wasn’t going to lose her friends. Or lovers. Or both in this case.
“You don’t need to worry about that,” Sunset squeezed her hand. “We’ll fight to stay together if we have to.”
Twilight nodded but her expression didn’t change. “Why don’t you just grab me one of whatever you get.” She let go of Sunset and made her way back to the van empty-handed. Sunset wasn’t the only one watching Twilight walk away.
“Oh dear. Is she okay?” Even though Fluttershy was whispering Sunset still jumped at her sudden appearance.
“She will be. She’s just got a lot on her mind, with college and all.”
“Then I’ll be sure to be extra nice to her.”
“Hm,” Sunset smiled. “I know you will be.” Fluttershy always had a way of making her heart swell. The girl was just so sweet. Sunset grabbed her chin softly, rubbing her thumb under her bottom lip. “We’ll find a way to distract her,” she winked. Fluttershy giggled and blushed.
Their shopping bags overflowing with snacks the girls crowded back into the van. As soon as everyone was settled in and the van was scooting down the interstate Sunset pulled Twilight up against her side, tucking her cozily under her arm. Now, with a nice warm body cuddled up to her all the hours spent awake last night weighed on her. Twilight rested a hand on her girlfriends thigh. AJ smirked, making eye contact with Sunset in the rearview mirror. Sunset hoped she could sleep the entire way there. Otherwise the anticipation might kill her.
…
Sunset was woken up by the van coming to a full stop. She peaked an eye open to make sure they weren’t at another gas station, like the one she chose to sleep through three hours ago. No, this was definitely their destination if the palm trees and sand-sprinkled road were anything to go off of. She sat up, shifting Twilight from under her chin, and checked her phone. The clock read 4:40pm, they’d made great time. She’d also gotten two texts.
The first text was sent to the group chat four hours ago from Rarity. It was a picture of her and Twilight snugged up together in the middle row. Sunset was dead asleep but Twilight smiled sheepishly for the camera. Behind them their friends posed for the photo. Fluttershy leaned her head on her arms which rested on the back of the second row next to Sunset’s head. Rainbow was on Twilight’s side giving her classic bunny ears and Pinkie was making a heart with her hands, holding them above the sleeping girls’ heads. In the foreground of the picture you could see the corner of Rarity’s head, the one visible eye looking back at her friends.
The second text came a few minutes later. Pinkie sent the same image back, but this time a little sticker of a cartoon Applejack was posted in the foreground opposite Rarity. Being a responsible driver, she wouldn’t have taken her eyes off the road long enough for her girlfriend to pose her. It was a nice addition to the photo and it immediately replaced Sunset’s home screen image.
The girls stumbled out of the van on weak legs and stretched out for the first time in hours. They looked up at the cute beach house, a raised two-story building with pale yellow siding accented with powder blue shutters. Wooden sculptures of fish and shells were fixed to the railing of the porch. The house was clearly designed to be a vacation home. Rarity’s aunt probably rented this place out weekly to families looking for a beach getaway.
Applejack opened the trunk while Rarity fished an envelope out of her purse. She slid a set of keys and a folded note from the letter as she ascended the steps. Pinkie beat her to the front door and bounced eagerly waiting to be let in.
“Alright ya’ll, start taking your bags inside.” Applejack passed out bags to the remaining four girls, saving the heaviest suitcases for herself. Sunset was thankful she’d packed light, the balmy heat made carrying even the lightest bags a hassle. Still, she carried one of Twilight’s suitcases for her.
The inside of the house was thankfully cool. Rattan ceiling fans turned lazily above a spacious living room. Stairs to the rest of the house rose from the left wall of the entryway, and passed them she could see part of the kitchen. The other entryway wall had a door which must’ve lead to a bathroom given the line that had already formed in front of it. A wall of windows provided the house with soft white light, and through them Sunset could see the ocean. Again, the decorations were beach centric.
“Attention ladies,” Rarity called to the group from the center of the living room. “Go ahead and choose rooms, AJ and I have the master. Settle in, then meet back here to hear the ground rules.” She waved to letter above her head for emphasis.
Sunset followed Rainbow and AJ up stairs to a loft that was similarly nautical themed. The left wall had a single door through which she could see a luxurious master bedroom. The right wall had two bedrooms and a bathroom situated between them. Rainbow raced into one, then the other, then back to the first one.
“I call this one! If you want it you can fight me for it!”
“It’s all yours,” Sunset shrugged.
“You don’t want to fight even a little bit,” Rainbow said dejectedly. Sunset was happy to let her have it. Rainbow’d be sharing with Fluttershy and Pinkie so it was only fair she got to choose first.
Sunset brought her bags to the remaining room. It was the smallest of the bedrooms but it had a full-sized bed and that’s really all she cared about. She unpacked as the remaining girls made their way through the loft.
“This is really nice,” Twilight said placing her and Spike’s bags on the bed.
“Yeah, I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.” She gave Twilight a playful spank on the butt.
“Why do I get the feeling you aren’t talking about the beach?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her, smiling slyly.
From the sounds of giggling in the loft, Sunset figured the others were expressing their excitement as well. Either for the beach or … for other aspects of the trip, she couldn’t tell.
The girls meet in the living room a half-hour later. Rainbow was already in a swimsuit and rash guard pacing in front of the glass door to the patio.
“Honestly Darling, we haven’t even gone grocery shopping yet!”
“You can go grocery shopping. I’m not going to waste a single second not in the ocean.”
“Your aren’t going anywhere until you hear the ground rules.”
Rainbow groaned melodramatically before crashing on the couch. “Just get it over with.”
Rarity cleared her throat before reading the letter.
“Dear Rarity and friends,
I’m so happy to hear of your graduation. I hope you enjoy unwinding at my beach house after what I’m sure was a stressful senior year. Before you have fun though, I have a few ground rules to keep you safe and the house in one piece ;)
“semi colon, close parenthesis,” Rarity read before continuing. She read through about seven common sense rules. Don’t steal, don’t let strangers in, bring back anything you bring to the beach. If Rarity’s aunt knew them personally she probably wouldn’t have to say any of these rules.
“I’ve left a guide to local restaurants and activities on the console table as well as instructions for the hot tub. The wifi password is on the fridge. Spare keys are in the bowl on the counter, please return all three by the time you leave.”
After that the note ended with a polite sign-off.
“Finally!” Rainbow stood up running to the patio door.
“I have a few rules of my own to add.” Rarity grabbed her arm before she could get too far.
“Noooo,” Rainbow moaned.
“We need to leave this place as good as we found it. Clean up after yourselves and I’ll be washing all the sheets the day we leave.” After seeing the girls smirk she added, “Don’t be children! You know I would’ve washed them no matter what! Alright Rainbow, you’re free to go.” As soon as she was released Rainbow was out the door.
“Rare and I are going to the store,” AJ said opening a list on her phone. “You’re all free to come with or you can text us what you need and we’ll try to pick it up.”
“I don’t need anything special,” Fluttershy piped up. “I’m gonna make sure Rainbow doesn’t get hurt.” She pulled her shirt off and Sunset’s heart leaped. The tiny pink top was enough of a reason for her to skip out on the shopping trip too. Pinkie wolf whistled, earning her a blush and coy pose from the nearly topless girl.
In the end Rarity, AJ, Twilight and Pinkie went to the store. Sunset, after rescuing the ice chest and snack box from the van changed into her suit, put up her hair, and headed down the narrow wooden pier to the shore.
At 2pm the beach was probably as crowded as it would get all day. Even at the height of the day there was probably only a few dozen families out in the sand and surf. Sunset figured since the private beach was reserved for vacationers renting houses in the neighborhood it would never be even half as populated as the public beach.
Sunset found her girls quickly. Rainbow was easily recognizable both from her hair and the way she hollered when a big, cold wave crashed into her. Fluttershy sat nearby on a towel in the sand, tossing a beachball into the surf for Spike to hunt down. Sunset joined her, parking the cooler behind them so she could lean against it.
“You put on sunscreen yet?” Sunset asked. She pulled a tube from her bag, as much for herself as for Fluttershy.
“It was the very first thing I did.” Between the sunblock, the wide sunhat she wore, and the sheer white sarong tied around her waist she was pretty confident in her sun protection.
“Aww. I wanted an excuse to feel you up,” Sunset faked a pout. Fluttershy snickered at her undisguised thirst.
“Rainbow beat you to it, I’m afraid.”
“Well then could you help me with mine?”
“Gladly!” The shy girl eased the sunscreen from her hand, giving her a tender squeeze. She squirted out a glob into her palm before motioning for Sunset to take the tube back. “I can’t do your front, there’s too many people around.” Sunset whined but applied the lotion to herself none the less. Fluttershy was right of course. Sunset knew how uncomfortable it was to see students macking on each other in the halls of Canterlot. She could look at Fluttershy all she wanted, but until they were alone she couldn’t touch her. If anything that made it hotter.
Speaking of looking, as Fluttershy finished tracing her hands up and down Sunset’s back in what could’ve easily been mistaken as a helpful gesture between good platonic friends, Sunset let herself take Fluttershy in. Her breasts bulged over the top of the tight pink bikini top, the taunt shoulder straps pushing up her cleavage. It wasn’t always obvious when she wore her usual loose, cozy clothing but Fluttershy had the body of a goddess. A busty goddess.
Sunset’s eyes slide over the girl’s curves the way she wished her hands could. The plain of Fluttershy’s smooth stomach begged to be kissed and nibbled. Her bikini bottoms road so low on her hips that Sunset could see the dip in them where her waistband would normally sit. Sunset could imagine grabbing her by those curves and holding her tight while she thrusted into her. The faint outline of Fluttershy’s bulge was disguised by the sarong draped over her waist, but up close there was little she could hide.
“I’m glad you like the suit,” Fluttershy mused, fully noticing the way Sunset drank her in. “I asked Rarity to help me find something that you all would like. It was embarrassing; walking down here mostly naked, but it was worth it.” She pointed to Rainbow who was not so subtly watching them. Sunset winked at her and she fumbled the beachball, looking away. For as much bravado as she usually had Rainbow was easy to fluster. She was fun to fluster too.
Sunset joined Rainbow in the ocean. The water was uncomfortably cold but only for a few seconds before her body adjusted to it. Once she was waist deep she motioned for Rainbow to toss her the beach ball. Rainbow spiked it into the surf, splashing Sunset’s face with cold water.
Sunset jumped on the sporty girl, briefly pushing her underwater. She popped back up, drenched and grabbed Sunset around the waist rubbing her wet hair into Sunset’s shoulder. Out of her friend group there were very few girls Sunset could get rough with. She was rarely in the mood to roughhouse but when she was Rainbow Dash was her go-to.
Rainbow showed a little restraint when wrestling with Sunset. Applejack could take it, but she knew Sunset was smaller and less scrappy than either of them so she was careful to look for signs that she wanted to stop. Dating Fluttershy and Pinkie had taught Rainbow when to be gentle. She was a bit embarrassed about how similar Fluttershy’s way of dealing with her was to the girl’s method of training rowdy dogs. Though she’d never admit it, Rainbow had been domesticated.
Sunset fought to be free of Rainbow’s wet embrace but she didn’t actually want to be let go. Under the cover of the waves she felt safe to touch the other girl intimately. She slide a knee between the runners’ toned legs and let her hands dip under the water to grab her firm ass. Rainbow stiffened as Sunset pulled her forward harshly and bumped her knee against perhaps the only soft part of Rainbow’s body, though it was quickly hardening. Rainbow choked down a moan.
“Can I use my powers on you?” Sunset waited for Rainbow to nod before gently pushing into her mind. Part of Rainbow wanted to pull away, make sure no one saw, and go back to bouncing the ball back and forth. The other part wanted to tackle Sunset like a hungry wolf and devour her. Sunset saw herself pushed down into the sand, waves crashing over her legs as her ravenous fuck-buddy torn at her swimsuit. Sunset indulged her, using her powers to share sensations with Rainbow. The dream version of herself spread her legs, letting Rainbow press against her, then into her.
Then there was a hand on her shoulder. A real hand. “Your ears are showing,” Fluttershy whispered while subtly pushing the two apart. Sunset let Rainbow go, easing her knee from between the other girl’s thighs. The girls both glanced around self-consciously, making sure no one was staring.
“Thanks for telling us,” Sunset said. Fluttershy had waded out into the surf to make sure they stayed in control of their powers.
“No problem. I wish I could’ve watched longer,” she blushed. “Also the ball is getting away.” She pointed to the bright orb floating toward a distant sandbar.
“Shit!” Rainbow hurried off toward it, half running, half swimming as the waves made the water deeper then shallow as they came in and out. Sunset followed Fluttershy back to the beach towel where Spike sat wearing Fluttershy’s hat like a turtle shell.
Eventually Rainbow joined them, having worn herself out retrieving the ball. “Wish I could’ve used my super speed,” she complained as she rang out her long hair. Fluttershy offered her a towel. They sat in the sun for a while and just when Sunset started to feel too hot shadows fell over her.
“Ya’ll staked out a nice spot for us.” AJ held an impressive amount of beach supplies; folded chairs, umbrellas, and a bag of towels. Sunset couldn’t tell if she was using her powers or just her natural strength. Rainbow helped her set up the supplies into a semi-circle of chairs beneath the shade of planted umbrellas. Meanwhile Rarity and Twilight moved the cooler into the center as a makeshift table. In the end they had a lovely little camp.
Pinkie carried a bag full of sand toys to the hard wet sand and began building a large square foundation for a sand castle. AJ joined her, carefully constructing walls and towers. Spike dug a trench. The girls let him believe he was helping.
Rarity laid out in the sun sketching beach themed outfit ideas. Some were subtle, based on umbrellas or the colors of the stucco buildings around the town. Others were wild, shaped like shells or marine animals. She knew she probably wouldn’t make any of these but it was fun to design without having to think about the realistic drawbacks of actually making the clothes.
Twilight and Sunset walked down the beach looking for shells.
“You see this little hole in the calcium carbonate?” Twilight showed Sunset a white V-shaped shell. “They’re made by sea snails that attach to the shell and drill through to get to the soft meat inside.” Sunset loved how much Twilight knew about literally everything. She held her hand as they walked.
As relaxed as Twilight was trying to be she couldn’t hide her feelings from Sunset for long. The empath could tell that below the surface of her calm waters were riptides of worry. She couldn’t stop thinking about her future, her education, the uncertainty of it all for more than a few moments. Sunset wanted her to enjoy their vacation.
When they returned to the camp Sunset opened the cooler and passed her a spiked punch. Sunset had them before. They tasted like candy and they were dangerous, but she could tell Twilight needed one. It would at least make her more comfortable. Based on the half empty bottle of rose and the way she was contently staring at the ocean Sunset figured Rarity was already plenty comfortable already.
Twilight, ever the straight edged student looked at the glass bottle dubiously.
“Just relax,” Sunset eased her. “I promise I won’t let things get out of hand.” That was all it took for Twilight to accept the bottle from her. Sunset didn’t actually know if Twilight had ever had alcohol before. Sunset loved that Twilight trusted her enough to step into the unknown merely at her suggestion.
Sunset would’ve finished the drink in the time it took Twilight to drain just the bottle neck. She was also taking big swigs from a bottle of water, as if the punch wasn’t less than 10% alcohol already. It was probably for the best she go slowly but Sunset didn’t want her to go so slowly that she didn’t feel anything at all.
Eventually though, Twilight’s eyes started to droop. Her eyebrows unknit and her shoulders relaxed. A cool breeze rustled her hair and Twilight smiled, enjoying the feeling.‘Good,’ Sunset thought. ‘She’s finally enjoying herself.’