Flash's Secretby GingerSnatchChaptersChapter 1 - First SightChapter 2 - Second GlanceChapter 3 - AwakeningChapter 1 - First SightPresent Day Flash Sentry was running. He didn’t know where to, or what he would do when he got there. He only knew he had to run for as long as he was able. His life depended on it. Behind him was the thunderous sound of an entire fleet of the palace guard slowly closing in, but Flash could barely hear them over the pounding in his head. A blinding, purple light suddenly erupted in front of him. Flash skidded to a halt, panting. He felt his stomach drop as he registered the pony standing in his path. Twilight Sparkle glared at him with all the fury of an angry universe. The guards slowed their chase, brought to a standstill by the look in the princess’s eyes alone. Nopony breathed. “How could you. . .” Twilight whispered, turning her gaze to the ground. Her bottom lip quivered. For a moment, all of her anger melted away and it looked as though she might cry. Drawn in by the sudden tenderness, Flash took a tentative step forward. His hoofstep echoed through the dead silent hall. “Twilight, I never–” At the sound of his voice Twilight snapped her head up to stare directly into Flash’s eyes. All trace of whatever sorrow she had been feeling only moments before was gone, replaced instead with a livid scowl and clenched, grinding teeth. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!” Twilight’s scream echoed off the palace walls, and made the entire hallway tremble with its force. A bolt of purple energy shot from the princess’s horn and flew towards Flash. The stallion ducked, along with the entire fleet of palace guards. Behind them, something exploded. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Twilight’s voice was a low growl. She began to walk slowly towards the terrified Flash, who was now flattened against the ground. The guards slowly began to inch themselves away and out of the hallway. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Flash scrambled in a blind panic to try and get up off the floor. “No. . . no! Twi, I love–” “SHUT UP!!!” Another bolt flew from Twilight’s horn, sending Flash back to his knees. “I never want to hear your voice again.” Twilight’s own voice cracked but she shook it off, trying to rid herself of whatever residual emotion was causing her to consistently lose her composure. She began to pace around the trembling Flash, staring at the floor. “Nothing you could ever say would make up for this, this utter betrayal. How could you keep a secret this huge from me? After all of our years together. . . I will never be able to forgive you. . .” Twilight stopped her pacing and looked back up at Flash with wild eyes. “But maybe if you were to just . . . disappear . . . maybe then I could forget. Maybe all of Equestria. . . could begin to forget.” A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, slowly becoming far too wide for her face. Twilight’s horn began to glow, sparks flying. Flash’s eyes grew wide with terror. “No! No, Twilight, please!” He crawled forward, tears streaming from his eyes, and wrapped a foreleg around the princess’s hooves, groveling. ‘When did it all go so wrong. . .’ Flash thought through the screaming panic of his own mind. ‘I don’t remember when it all went so wrong. . .’ Flash was lying to himself and he knew it. He remembered the day quite clearly. Even now, as he begged for his life, the vision of a cool spring morning and the echoing sound of hooves on tile edged its way into his mind's eyes. And a unicorn. A unicorn with hair like a sunset. Quite Some Time Ago Flash Sentry was running. Running for his life. Okay, maybe not in the “life or death” sense of the phrase, but definitely running for his future. Roll call began in the trainee courtyard at precisely 2a.m., and the clock had struck twice five minutes ago. ‘And what am I doing instead?’ Flash thought to himself. ‘Running through the palace halls like a racehorse – on my third day on the job, no less! You’d think by now I would have gotten the schedule down but nooo–’ There was a sudden metallic clang as Flash collided with an unforeseen obstacle. “OOF!” Flash fell back hard onto his haunches. Wondering if the palace decorators were really dumb enough to put a metal statue in the middle of the hallway, Flash lifted his aching head and squinted through the pain. What he saw, however, was no statue. The metallic clang had not come from his own armor. Sitting only inches away from him, rubbing her horn with eyes shut tight in pain, was one of the most strikingly beautiful ponies Flash had ever seen. Her hair was a breathtaking combination of colors, and her cutie mark was an intricate sun with twisting rays– Flash stood up and to attention faster than he had ever thought possible. He had heard of that cutie mark before, and realized that today might just be the day he made the worst mistake of his life. “I’m sorry I’m late, Princess!” he boomed in what he hoped sounded more like a military shout than a voice elevated by panic. She jumped up like a jackrabbit and spun around, not taking even a moment to look at Flash. She searched behind her for something, before slowly turning back around. Flash felt his mouth turn into a desert. The princess was . . . sneering at him? Interesting, Flash didn’t know princesses could look this sinister. “Do I look like a bucking alicorn princess to you?” she said with notable venom. Flash took a step back. Well he definitely hadn’t expected that response. However, as he took a second look, Flash came to the realization that the red and yellow pony before him had no wings. And from the look in her eyes, the mistake had struck a nerve. “Oh! I’m sorry. With your coloring and cutie mark, I assumed you were the princess of the sun.” The unicorn laughed maliciously. “Wow. You really are a moron. What Equestrian becomes a royal guard and doesn’t know what Princess Celestia looks like?” “I’m new.” “Well obviously.” “Again. . . My apologies for the misunderstanding,” he said as formally as possible, trying perhaps a little too hard to get on her good side. “What are you doing out this early?” Her eyes grew wide and shifted about the hall a moment, before returning to their previous glare. If Flash hadn’t been staring at her like a fine work of art, he would have missed the small break in composure all together. “That’s none of your business, trainee!” She shifted her weight to the side; a confident, knowing look in her eye. “You don’t get to ask me questions. Compared to me you’re a worthless little insect. I could crush you into pony pudding with a single word.” When Flash squinted in confusion, she rolled her eyes with an aggravated sigh. “You really don’t know who you’re talking to.” “No actually,” Flash retorted, “I don’t. What should I call you?” She scoffed at the question for reasons Flash couldn’t fathom. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable one, to him. “You can call me Sunset Shimmer for now, dweeb. But don’t get too attached to it. You’ll be calling me princess again before too long.” With that, Sunset Shimmer ended the conversation and tore down the hall at an entirely unsafe speed. Flash almost didn’t step out of her way fast enough. “My name is Flash!” He called after, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Flash Sentry!” Sunset snorted. “Like I care!!!” He watched until Sunset Shimmer shrank to a pinprick down the seemingly endless hallway. As he turned to continue his gallop to the trainee courtyard, Flash let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Somewhere in the course of their conversation he had lost his will to run. Flash didn’t understand the way he felt. He should be appalled, disgusted, offended at the very least, any normal emotion that came from having abuse hurled at you like snowballs. But all Flash felt was a slight tingling in his chest, and a herd of butterflies having a rock concert in his stomach. Only one thought twisted around over and over in his head like a cyclone: Who was this Sunset Shimmer? The rest of Flash Sentry’s slight canter to the courtyard was uneventful at best. There were no more rampaging unicorns to run into, only the quiet calm of the last few hours before Celestia officially raised the sun. Peaceful. And for the first time in his life. . . Flash found himself hating the peaceful silence. He reached the trainee lineup late as he had expected, but managed to sneak in unnoticed next to his new friend: Silver Spark, a grey earth pony with a white mane and blue eyes that always seemed to hold a mischievous sparkle. As the Co-Captain of the Palace Guard finally passed by them (Flash had somehow managed to sneak in right before the Co-Captain took roll of his row), Silver Spark leaned over to whisper in Flash’s ear. “Where the hay were you this morning?” Flash ignored the question. “Do you know a mare named Sunset Shimmer?” “Aaaand that’s all the answer I need. You were held up by a natural disaster. All is forgiven.” “No, seriously Silv,” Flash bumped his buddy’s shoulder lightly with his hoof. “Tell me about her. Something happened this morning between us and it made me . . . curious.” Silver Spark let out a long sigh. “Okay okay. . . It’s like this.” He was cut off by a yell from the front of the courtyard. Everypony snapped to attention. ‘TELL YOU LATER’ Silver mouthed to Flash, making completely unsubtle hoof motions along with each word. The Co-Captain began dictating the day’s agenda and orders to them. Flash barely paid any attention. It was the exact same ordeal as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. And, in all honesty, learning how to protect his country was the last thing on Flash’s mind. His thoughts were all alive with red, and yellow, and glowering eyes, the soft curl of a sneering mouth and the unexpected musicality of a humorless laugh. Before he knew it, the final order came and Flash robotically stamped his hoof and saluted along with the other three hundred stallions. They marched out of the courtyard in somewhat perfect unison. They were only trainees, after all. Once safely inside the palace walls, away from the Co-Captains watchful gaze, Silver Spark broke formation and brushed up against Flash. “So what do you think the chefs have in store for us today, hmm? Hay? Or oats? Or maybe hay–” “Silv. . .” Flash said, quite serious in contrast to his bubbly friend. “Sunset Shimmer. You were going to tell me about Sunset Shimmer.” Silver sighed and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. “Pony feathers. I was hoping you’d forgotten.” “After five minutes?” “Well a stallion can hope,” he said with a smirk. “I just don’t like talking about her. Nopony does. You know what they say: Speak of the devil and he shall . . . Actually I don’t know the end of that–” “Silver! Focus!” “Finefinefine!” Silver gave in. He took a quick, paranoid look around and then began speaking in a hushed tone. “Sunset Shimmer: Celestia’s personal ‘gifted’ student. She’s an out and out terror, completely self absorbed and convinced of her own importance. There isn’t a single pony in Equestria she thinks is worth the dirt stuck under her hoof. Of course she’s sweet as sugar around the princess. But the second Princess Celestia turns around, there she goes again; tripping some poor earth pony trainee down the hall for absolutely no reason! She’s such a two faced little– Sorry. I’m getting a little worked up. Bottom line is: She’s mean and has no friends. And I would stay away from her. Far away. This isn’t kindergarten, Flash. If she pulls your tail it doesn’t mean she likes you.” Silver Spark chuckled at his own joke. Flash remained silent. “Hey. . .” Silver nudged his friend softly. “You weren’t thinking that, were you? That she liked you? I mean I don’t know what happened between you two this morning but sleeping with Satan is always a bad– Hold up. What did happen?” Flash forced himself out of his silent trance. “Oh! I, uh, ran into her in the hall. Literally. And she called me a moron.” Silver Spark snorted. “Classic. A complete accident dependent on two ponies both being oblivious and she puts all the blame on you. I’ve never met somepony so–” “Well I did mistake her for Princess Celestia.” For some reason, Flash felt like he needed to defend her. When Silver Spark erupted into unrestrained laughter, however, he suddenly wished he hadn’t. “Oh sweet Celestia! I’m sure that just did wonders for her overinflated ego.” He slapped a grey foreleg over Flash’s shoulder. “Well I guess this is the first time I agree with her. You really are a moron!” Flash laughed and pushed his friend off. “Can you blame me? I’ve never been out of my home town before this week.” “Yes!” Silver exclaimed, still laughing. “I blame you for not running away from that dump sooner.” The two stallions stumbled into the mess hall laughing and shoving each other playfully. Luckily the mess hall was already alive with dozens of separate conversations and general hubbub. The two stallions barely made a ripple in the pool of sounds. As he made his way into line to get what could either be mashed hay or severely overcooked oats, Flash couldn’t help but scan the room for a certain red and yellow unicorn. He had no luck. Only trainee stallions packed from door to door. In his mind, Flash swore to find her again despite his friend's warning. In fact, for the some inexplicable reason, Silver Spark had only served to make him like this Sunset Shimmer even more. It was a twisted kind of attraction, but Flash couldn’t deny the way he was pulled to the strange little unicorn. There was something in her that had latched onto him and refused to relinquish its hold. She consumed his thoughts and pranced across his mind's vision. This mare had the potential to infect his very soul. And Flash wasn’t sure he minded all that much. Author's Note And so it begins. I've got a lot of plans for this story, so let me know what you think in the comments. Chapter 2 - Second Glance“This is so exciting!” Silver Spark shouted, springing into the air. He kicked his hind legs excitedly and landed practically on top of Flash, pulling the both of them to the floor. “Ow!” Flash pushed him off and moved back onto his hooves. “Sure it is, but can you try to contain yourself?” He brushed off his coat. “I swear, you’re more excited than I am.” “Can you try to de-contain yourself?!” Silver squealed, deciding to roll onto his back and wriggle in glee instead of getting off the palace floor. Passing ponies couldn't help but stare. “Oh my Celestia, get up.” “Pre-assigned!” Silver sprang from the floor onto Flash yet again, throwing his front legs across his friends back. “You’ve been pre-assigned!” “Why are you so touchy–” “You’re basically guaranteed a job! While the rest of us are marching up and down courtyards, you’ll be in specialized training.” Silver faked a sniffle and wiped his dry eyes. “My little foal is all grown up. I’m gonna miss ya buddy.” “I’m your roommate, you'll see me every day–” “Just don't forget to remember us little ponies while you're off– What are you pre-assigned to, again?” Flash wrinkled his snout as he thought. “There’s like an old, magical thingy. . . And The Princess suddenly needs guards on it at all times. . . I don’t know. I’m going to the library to read up on whatever it is now.” Finally, Silver pushed off of Flash’s back. “Good to know they’ve got capable, well educated ponies on the job.” Flash shoved him. “Shut up.” Silver laughed. “Well, remember me while you’re off being an egghead. I, on the other hoof, have some very serious lap running to attend to.” He attempted to flex a nonexistent muscle. “Equestria isn’t going to protect itself.” Flash laughed. “See ya, Silv.” Ahead, Silver Spark spotted a beige stallion. “Caaare-ah-meell~!” Silver sang. The other pony looked behind him, saw Silver Spark, and began to trot faster. Silver shot Flash a look that said ‘Can you believe this guy?’ and began tearing down the hall after his new target. “Hey! Don’t pretend you didn’t see me! You know you love me!” Flash shook his head and began heading in the palace library’s general direction. Truth be told, he really was extremely happy with his pre-assignment. It was an honor. He got to shadow a professional guard, earn a small salary, and focus on a specific skill set, instead of wasting time learning all things guard related. But pre-assignment also meant more responsibility and extra work, not to mention research on what exactly he was supposed to be guarding. Flash had never seen himself as particularly scholarly or gifted pony. And, in all honesty, he wasn’t sure why he had been chosen. When he walked through the library doors he was greeted by an extremely exasperated, frazzled librarian, who was slouched over her desk, rubbing her face. “Uhm. . . Excuse me?” Flash prodded quietly. “Hmmmf?” The librarian looked up from her face rubbing. “Oh. Yes, how may I help you?” “I’m here to pick up a book?” Flash said, almost a question. The entire situation of being specially sent to pick up a book saved for him by the ruler of Equestria was more than a little intimidating. “Its called. . .uh. . .” Flash pulled a scrap of paper out of his bag and tried to read it down his nose. “Frew the Looking Glash?” Calm washed over the librarians tired features. “Thank Celestia you finally showed up!” She trotted into the back room, still talking. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve had to do to save this for you. Some crazy pony came in here like the Queen of Maneland, demanding it! She looked like she might just slit my throat when I told her it was already saved. Had to fend her off with my letter opener. . .” She emerged, carrying a simple, red book and tossed it across the desk to Flash. “I hope it’s worth it.” Flash smiled apologetically, unable to help feeling that this pony’s misery was his own fault. Running his eyes over the back cover description, he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want it. Sounded like your average, dull users guide to him. A sudden explosion of furious yelling made both ponies practically jump right out of their skin. The librarian rolled her eyes up to the heavens and slammed her forehead down onto the desk. “You’re a guard in training, aren’t you? Maybe you can get her to leave.” The librarian’s request was unnecessary. Flash threw the book into his saddlebag and was already off like a shot by the time she finished. Because he knew that voice. He had heard it only once before, but it’s vulgar tone was seared into his memory like a brand. Flash skidded around a bookshelf and discovered what he already had assumed would be the source of the yelling. “What the buck do you mean, ‘All the books on mirrors and Equestrian History have been moved to the Dark Magic section?! That makes no sense!!” A very scared looking clerk cowered before a red faced, fuming unicorn. “Sunset. . .” Flash breathed. Both ponies turned to stare at him, one thankful and the other incredulous. Sunset Shimmer squinted menacingly and took a step forward. “You again,” she growled. The clerk took the opportunity to sprint away as fast as her hooves would carry her, leaving a pony shaped cloud in her wake. “What do you want? Are you stalking me? If you want to know what I do to stalkers, why don’t you and I take a long, romantic walk down to the Canterlot cemetery, you freak of–” “You were the one looking for the book?” Sunset stumbled back, shock and fury melded on her face. “Did you just interrupt me?” She stomped forward and shoved her nose up against his, snarling. The mare had to lean forward on the tips of her hooves to reach. If her eyes hadn't been so wild, the attempt at intimidation might have almost been cute. “Who do you think you are?! First you ask me questions, and then you interrupt me to ask me a question?! Am I not threatening your life enough?! Do you think I’m kidding, because believe you me: I will rip your–” Flash took a step back, causing Sunset to stumble forward and collide with his chest. He reached back and pulled the book out of his saddle bag, holding it up for her to see. Sunset pushed off his chest and took a deep breath, about to hurl more abuse no doubt, but stopped dead when her eyes landed on the book’s title. Flash smiled, book still between his teeth. “Where did you get that?” Sunset asked in hushed monotone. As casually as possible, Flash slipped the book back into his saddle bag. “The Princess put it on hold for me. Wants me to study it tonight.” He looked back at Sunset with expressionless eyes. “I’ve been assigned to guard a certain magic mirror.” Sunset didn’t move for a minute. Her eyes remained trained on Flash’s saddle bag, but didn’t see a thing. Flash could almost see the gears in her head turning. Calculating. Would she attack him now for the short term goal of the book? Or would she take another route for the long term goal of endless information? When her weight shifted seductively to one side, Flash knew which decision she had come to. She glanced up at him through long fluttering lashes. ‘Well shit,’ Flash thought. ‘There goes my composure.’ “I think we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof here.” Sunset purred, drawing slow circles on the carpet. She moved forward with the prowling step of a cat. “You see, I can get a bit . . .aggressive when I’m attracted to somepony.” A soft blush dusted across her cheeks and Flash wondered where she had learned that trick. It was definitely effective. She leaned against him, her mane coming to rest just above his nose. The sweet smell of citrus filled the air. In spite of himself, Flash felt his heartbeat speed up. “I didn’t mean a word of it. I just. . . have a hard time correctly expressing my emotions. It’s a little quirk of mine.” She looked up into his eyes, blinking rapidly. “So you’ll be all alone tonight? In your room? Studying?” Flash suddenly found it very hard to swallow. “Uh. . .” Was he alone? It was impossible to think with her rubbing up against him like that. A less than intelligent “Yeah. . .” was all he could manage. Sunset pouted. “That sounds so lonely.” She trailed a hoof up his foreleg and leaned in towards his ear. Flash shivered. “Would you like some. . . company?” Flash swallowed far too loudly. “Yeah. . .” He cleared his throat. “Yes, uhm, that would be wonderful, if, uh, you wouldn’t mind, that would, yes.” Sunset giggled girlishly and pushed away from him. Finally Flash could breath again. He had forgotten what normal air smelled like. He didn’t care for it. Sunset had walked over to a discarded saddle bag and pulled out a pencil and paper. “Why yon’t you gif me your room numer?” she said, pencil sticking out of her mouth. Flash almost died. “N-nine twenty two,” he stuttered. Sunset scribbled it down with a smile. “Great. I’ll see you at seven?” Flash could only knodd. She strode out of the library like a vision, hips swaying in a way that made it impossible to look away. He took a few entranced steps forward. ‘How. . . did that happen?’ He thought to himself. ‘Sunset Shimmer is going to be in my room tonight. Just the two of us.’ He began to pant slightly. ‘Wow. I haven’t been this nervous since I took my royal guard entrance exam–’ “Oh my Celestia! Silver!” Flash half screamed aloud. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten about his Sunset-hating roommate. With little regard for any surrounding ponies, Flash ran towards his room. Hopefully, Silver would manage to put aside all jokes and actually take ‘Get out now’ as an answer. The small room rang like a bell as Flash stormed in, throwing the door open so hard it nearly shattered the thin wall. Silver Spark didn’t look up from his comic. “Silver Spark, you need to go. Now” Silver rolled over onto his belly with a puppy dogs pout. “Aw, come on buddy I didn’t mean to set your mattress on fire!” Flash blinked. “What?” “Nothing. I said nothing.” Flash shook his head violently, as if trying to clear his ears. “Whatever, just grab anything you need for an overnight bag and leave. You’re spending the night with Caramel Corn.” Silver Spark laughed from the back of his throat and went back to reading. “Nice one.” “I paid him twenty bits.” “Ah. That makes more sense.” Flash began throwing Silver’s toothbrush and paste into a grocery bag, finally getting Silvers attention. He rolled off his mattress and walked over to Flash. “Whoa whoa whoa. Hold your horses, mate. What’s goin on here?” Silver Spark smiled like a joker and nudged Flash playfully. “You got a hot date or something?” Flash ignored the touch and moved on to gathering his roommates manecare products. “Something like that, yeah.” Silvers smile faltered. “Wha. . . What?” “A . . . mare I met is coming over tonight to study with me. And, I’m not gonna lie, Silv – ” He shoved the now full bag at his friend. “ – I’m hoping for a little more than studying.” Silvers usual happy go lucky sparkle had vanished from his eyes. “But- But I thought . . .” Flash stared at him. “What is it, Silv?” Silver remained silent. “I’m on a little bit of a time crunch here. No offense, but your side of the room is a mess, and I gotta fix that asap.” Silver Spark stared at the ground. “Right. I. . . I, uh, I’ll just go.” He turned and walked to the door. “See ya, Silv.” Flash called in the most upbeat voice he could manage. Silver Spark didn’t respond. His roommates sudden character change worried Flash, but not enough to keep him from preparing for the night. Everything had to be perfect. Well, clean. Everything had to be clean. The room was sparkling, the candles were lit, and Flash was wracked by the ever present paranoia that Sunset wouldn’t show. He paced back and forth, checking the clock every five to ten seconds. One minute past. Five minutes past. Ten minutes past. Flash was beginning to consider blowing out the candles and reading the stupid book alone like a normal pony. And then there were three small knocks on the door. Chapter 3 - AwakeningFlash hadn’t known a knock could be so lovely. The three sharp taps sent an inexplicable shiver down his spine. He walked to the door, perhaps a bit too fast, and pushed it open. And suddenly there she was, head tilted to one side, looking up at him with a soft, shy smile on her lips. She was as beautiful as he remembered her, perhaps even a bit more so than earlier. Her previously untamed mane was pulled into a soft braid, and her normally scornful lips had been glossed with the most delicious light pink. He had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like an eternity. He had thought of her constantly. His heart had fluttered itself into obscurity every time this outrageous unicorn merely crossed his mind. ‘Had’ being the operative word. Right now, as she stood smiling up at him, the oddest calm washed over him. Flash felt absolutely nothing. He shook his head and mentally reminded himself that this was Sunset Shimmer. The Sunset Shimmer. What was the matter with him? “Please come in,” he said, strangely articulate for his current situation. Last time he had seen this mare he couldn’t feel his tongue, let alone use it to form actual words. Sunset giggled sweetly. “Don’t mind if I do.” She stepped through the doorway, brushing up against Flash in the process, and took a wide eyed look around. “What a nice room. And what lovely candles.” Her nostrils flared delicately as she took a deep breath in. “They make the air smell so sweet.” “Thanks,” Flash said, finally shutting the door. “I thought you would like them. They’re called ‘Tropical Citrus Hideaway’.” He hadn’t liked the gaudy name much, but their scent had reminded him of Sunset. Sunset giggled. So much giggling this evening. Flash hadn’t believed she could sound so feminine. “We’ve only met twice and you already know my favorite scent. How sweet.” Her blue-green eyes settled on the book lying innocently on Flash’s expertly made bed. A look came over her, hungry and vicious, a glimpse of the previous Sunset from earlier today. But when she turned her attention back to Flash that look was gone. She smiled at him once again. “I see there are two beds here. I’m guessing that the one with the book is yours, but where’s your roommate?” Flash felt a small pang of guilt. “He’s. . . spending the night somewhere else.” He gestured to his own bed with a tilted nodd, changing the subject as fast as possible. “Would you like to sit down?” Sunset giggled. It was getting annoying. “Why of course.” She climbed onto the bed and scooted over, running hungry eyes over the books worn, maroon cover. Flash followed after, a familiar twinge of resentment in his chest. He had felt this way before. Other mares, silly little things who had somehow found their way into his room and made him sick with their sweet words and feminine laughter, had brought about this same feeling. They were the reasons he had decided to give up on dating; he had assumed there must be something wrong with him. He hadn’t expected to feel the same way now. Sunset Shimmer had made him feel so alive only earlier today. Why was she making him feel so sick right now? Still, despite his ever growing irritation, Flash wanted to make this work. He climbed onto his bunk and slid up next to Sunset. She leaned into him a little. He almost leaned away. “Now then, let’s see what it is you have to study–” Sunset suddenly wrinkled her nose. “What the hell is that? Did you burn something?” Flash sniffed the air. She was right. There was the distinct smell of singed plastic mixed in with the tropical scent of the candles. A realization hit him, and Flash leaned down to smell his mattress. Burnt. “Silver Spark. . .” he murmured under his breath. He should be mad at his roommate for legitimately setting his mattress on fire, he knew that, but in this moment, all Flash wanted was for his friend to suddenly burst through the doorway and save him from this unbelievably awkward situation. “Hmm?” Sunset tilted her head in cute confusion. “Oh,” Flash pulled himself back into reality. “Uh, my mattress was. . . Burnt . . . Somehow.” “How awful! Was there a fire?” “I guess so.” “Well. . . I don’t mind the smell so much. . . as long as you’re here,” she murmured, beginning to nuzzle lightly into her companions neck. “Flash–” “Okay!” Flash cut her off and clumsily jumped up and away from the overly affectionate unicorn. “Haha okay okay oh kay.” He stumbled off the bed. “Look, Sunset, you’re a sweetheart. In fact you’re a lot sweeter than I thought you were. But I just don’t think this is going to work out.” He forced what he wanted to be a pleasantly apologetic smile. He had little hope he’d succeeded. Sunsets eye twitched. “What?” “In the library today, I thought this –” he gestured awkwardly between the two of them “– was what I wanted. But something’s off. I’m a little creeped out, and honesty I would feel better about this whole thing if you would just leave. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.” There was a long, deep silence. Sunset stared at Flash, a pleasant smile frozen on her lips. Flash stood shifting his weight back and forth. Time ticked by at a sluggish pace. A slow laugh crept out from the back of Sunset’s throat. “Ah ha ha. . . ha. . .” She stood up on the bed. “Flash, sweetums. . .” In a single bound she was off the bed and prowling towards him. “I gave you everything you wanted. Your every movement and word begged for my attention, and I gave you all of me. And now that I’ve put myself at your mercy, you reject me?” About a foot from Flash, Sunset stopped. She looked up at him, green eyes glowing with a fury that made Flash’s blood begin to boil. His irises widened as her savage gaze met his own. “You think you can just send me away empty hooved?” Her voice was dangerously low. “That’s not how this is going to work, babycakes.” Sunset’s horn suddenly sparked to life and Flash saw his whole world turn green. His hooves left the ground. The world turned upside down for a split second and then his shoulder hit the floor. The breath flew out of his lungs. The world spun as Flash lay on the ground, disoriented from a sudden lack of oxygen. Dainty hoofsteps raced across the floor, away and then back. Sunsets green eyes and golden fur filled his swirling vision. She placed a hoof on his shoulder blade, pressed him into the floor, and leaned in close. Her nose brushed Flash’s, almost sweetly. Citrus, oranges, and clementine filled Flash’s senses like a powerful narcotic. “I always get what I want, Flash,” she whispered seductively. “Never forget that.” The door slammed shut. Flash remained where Sunset had left him, drowning in a slowly diminishing sea of sun kissed summer fruit. He could feel her hoofprint, etched and burning like a brand into his shoulder. His entire body was boiling from the gradually rising temperature of his own blood. “I think. . .” Flash whispered aloud, falling into a dizzy, dreamlike trance. “I think I’m in love.” When Flash finally pulled himself off the floor, the book was gone. He didn’t have to guess who had taken it. Frankly, it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have been able to get any reading done anyway. Not in the state he was in. No, what he needed was to sort things through, feel out the strange emotional state he had found himself in ever since Sunset thrust herself into his life like a battering ram. Flash thought for a long time, laying on his bed, eyes squinting up at a suspicious burnt mark on the ceiling. But the black mark had no answers, and by the time the sun began to peek over the edge of his window frame, Flash was more confused than he had been before. The soft click of a door lock and timid squeak of a door hinge gave Flash a much needed break from overanalyzing what had happened last night. He rolled over onto his stomach to see Silver Spark peaking through a crack in the door like he was sneaking into the den of a manticore, ears pinned back cautiously. “Uh, Silv?” A small jolt shot visibly through Silver Sparks body, standing his fur on end. “You can come in. You do live here after all.” Silver laughed. Or at least tried to. The strained squeaking that came out of his friends throat was unlike anything Flash had heard before. “Oh yeah I guess you’re right.” His voice was just as strained. “Care-ah-mel was just so hospitable last night; I almost forgot that I lived somewhere else.” He laughed again. Flash decided that Silver had been attempting sarcasm and joined in the eerie laughter. “So Caramel Corn was his usual, detached self?” Silver nodded and threw his poorly packed grocery bag onto his bed. Flash felt a little sting. He hadn’t been thinking of Silver’s feelings. Really, he hadn’t been thinking much at all. He had just thrown his best friend out with a grocery bag of miscellaneous necessities and barely any explanation. “I’m sorry you had to go through that last night, Silv. I shouldn’t have just kicked you out” Silver Spark tried to laugh lightly. “Don’t worry about it!” He said, a little too loud and a little too chipper. “You gotta do what you gotta do. But enough about my night, how did your. . . uh. . . date?. . . go? If that’s what it was? I mean that’s the impression I got when you made me leave – or uh, told me you were expecting. . . things–” Flash had to cut him off, before things got any more awkward. “It didn’t go well,” he said with audible strain. “It didn’t go well at all.” Silver’s ears immediately perked up. “Oh? I’m sorry to hear that. What happened? If you don’t mind my asking, of course!” The sudden change in character caught Flash off guard, but he decided to go along with it. “Su–” Flash caught himself just in time to recover from the almost name slip. “She kind of. . . attacked me?” Flash felt a blush start to cross his cheeks as he remembered the end of his kind-of-a-date-more-of-an-ambush. Silver was silent a moment, just staring at Flash. And then he burst out into a fit of wild laugher. Real laugher. Flash smiled in spite of himself being the subject of Silvers amusement. “Oh my Celestia! You sure know how to pick ‘em! Jee wiz.” “How was I supposed to know she would push me onto the floor and pin me down?” Flash said, elongating the joke in hopes of keeping Silvers mood up. “I didn’t know mares could be that aggressive.” Silver wiped a tear of joy from his eye. “Too bad you aren’t into that sort of thing, huh?” Flash cocked his head, unsure of what his friend was referring too. Silver continued, for Flash’s benefit. “Sounds like a dream date for a sadomasochist.” Flash went pale. Something clicked within his mind. A moment of self realization. ‘Remind me,’ a voice deep within seemed to be saying, ‘when was it that you began to feel attracted to Sunset again?’ In an instant, he was out the door and racing down the hall. He had no destination, only a golden face he had to find. Silver’s voice echoed after him, “Was it something I said?!”
Chapter 1 - First SightPresent Day Flash Sentry was running. He didn’t know where to, or what he would do when he got there. He only knew he had to run for as long as he was able. His life depended on it. Behind him was the thunderous sound of an entire fleet of the palace guard slowly closing in, but Flash could barely hear them over the pounding in his head. A blinding, purple light suddenly erupted in front of him. Flash skidded to a halt, panting. He felt his stomach drop as he registered the pony standing in his path. Twilight Sparkle glared at him with all the fury of an angry universe. The guards slowed their chase, brought to a standstill by the look in the princess’s eyes alone. Nopony breathed. “How could you. . .” Twilight whispered, turning her gaze to the ground. Her bottom lip quivered. For a moment, all of her anger melted away and it looked as though she might cry. Drawn in by the sudden tenderness, Flash took a tentative step forward. His hoofstep echoed through the dead silent hall. “Twilight, I never–” At the sound of his voice Twilight snapped her head up to stare directly into Flash’s eyes. All trace of whatever sorrow she had been feeling only moments before was gone, replaced instead with a livid scowl and clenched, grinding teeth. “HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!” Twilight’s scream echoed off the palace walls, and made the entire hallway tremble with its force. A bolt of purple energy shot from the princess’s horn and flew towards Flash. The stallion ducked, along with the entire fleet of palace guards. Behind them, something exploded. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” Twilight’s voice was a low growl. She began to walk slowly towards the terrified Flash, who was now flattened against the ground. The guards slowly began to inch themselves away and out of the hallway. “Do you think I’m an idiot?” Flash scrambled in a blind panic to try and get up off the floor. “No. . . no! Twi, I love–” “SHUT UP!!!” Another bolt flew from Twilight’s horn, sending Flash back to his knees. “I never want to hear your voice again.” Twilight’s own voice cracked but she shook it off, trying to rid herself of whatever residual emotion was causing her to consistently lose her composure. She began to pace around the trembling Flash, staring at the floor. “Nothing you could ever say would make up for this, this utter betrayal. How could you keep a secret this huge from me? After all of our years together. . . I will never be able to forgive you. . .” Twilight stopped her pacing and looked back up at Flash with wild eyes. “But maybe if you were to just . . . disappear . . . maybe then I could forget. Maybe all of Equestria. . . could begin to forget.” A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, slowly becoming far too wide for her face. Twilight’s horn began to glow, sparks flying. Flash’s eyes grew wide with terror. “No! No, Twilight, please!” He crawled forward, tears streaming from his eyes, and wrapped a foreleg around the princess’s hooves, groveling. ‘When did it all go so wrong. . .’ Flash thought through the screaming panic of his own mind. ‘I don’t remember when it all went so wrong. . .’ Flash was lying to himself and he knew it. He remembered the day quite clearly. Even now, as he begged for his life, the vision of a cool spring morning and the echoing sound of hooves on tile edged its way into his mind's eyes. And a unicorn. A unicorn with hair like a sunset. Quite Some Time Ago Flash Sentry was running. Running for his life. Okay, maybe not in the “life or death” sense of the phrase, but definitely running for his future. Roll call began in the trainee courtyard at precisely 2a.m., and the clock had struck twice five minutes ago. ‘And what am I doing instead?’ Flash thought to himself. ‘Running through the palace halls like a racehorse – on my third day on the job, no less! You’d think by now I would have gotten the schedule down but nooo–’ There was a sudden metallic clang as Flash collided with an unforeseen obstacle. “OOF!” Flash fell back hard onto his haunches. Wondering if the palace decorators were really dumb enough to put a metal statue in the middle of the hallway, Flash lifted his aching head and squinted through the pain. What he saw, however, was no statue. The metallic clang had not come from his own armor. Sitting only inches away from him, rubbing her horn with eyes shut tight in pain, was one of the most strikingly beautiful ponies Flash had ever seen. Her hair was a breathtaking combination of colors, and her cutie mark was an intricate sun with twisting rays– Flash stood up and to attention faster than he had ever thought possible. He had heard of that cutie mark before, and realized that today might just be the day he made the worst mistake of his life. “I’m sorry I’m late, Princess!” he boomed in what he hoped sounded more like a military shout than a voice elevated by panic. She jumped up like a jackrabbit and spun around, not taking even a moment to look at Flash. She searched behind her for something, before slowly turning back around. Flash felt his mouth turn into a desert. The princess was . . . sneering at him? Interesting, Flash didn’t know princesses could look this sinister. “Do I look like a bucking alicorn princess to you?” she said with notable venom. Flash took a step back. Well he definitely hadn’t expected that response. However, as he took a second look, Flash came to the realization that the red and yellow pony before him had no wings. And from the look in her eyes, the mistake had struck a nerve. “Oh! I’m sorry. With your coloring and cutie mark, I assumed you were the princess of the sun.” The unicorn laughed maliciously. “Wow. You really are a moron. What Equestrian becomes a royal guard and doesn’t know what Princess Celestia looks like?” “I’m new.” “Well obviously.” “Again. . . My apologies for the misunderstanding,” he said as formally as possible, trying perhaps a little too hard to get on her good side. “What are you doing out this early?” Her eyes grew wide and shifted about the hall a moment, before returning to their previous glare. If Flash hadn’t been staring at her like a fine work of art, he would have missed the small break in composure all together. “That’s none of your business, trainee!” She shifted her weight to the side; a confident, knowing look in her eye. “You don’t get to ask me questions. Compared to me you’re a worthless little insect. I could crush you into pony pudding with a single word.” When Flash squinted in confusion, she rolled her eyes with an aggravated sigh. “You really don’t know who you’re talking to.” “No actually,” Flash retorted, “I don’t. What should I call you?” She scoffed at the question for reasons Flash couldn’t fathom. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable one, to him. “You can call me Sunset Shimmer for now, dweeb. But don’t get too attached to it. You’ll be calling me princess again before too long.” With that, Sunset Shimmer ended the conversation and tore down the hall at an entirely unsafe speed. Flash almost didn’t step out of her way fast enough. “My name is Flash!” He called after, holding a hoof to his mouth. “Flash Sentry!” Sunset snorted. “Like I care!!!” He watched until Sunset Shimmer shrank to a pinprick down the seemingly endless hallway. As he turned to continue his gallop to the trainee courtyard, Flash let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. Somewhere in the course of their conversation he had lost his will to run. Flash didn’t understand the way he felt. He should be appalled, disgusted, offended at the very least, any normal emotion that came from having abuse hurled at you like snowballs. But all Flash felt was a slight tingling in his chest, and a herd of butterflies having a rock concert in his stomach. Only one thought twisted around over and over in his head like a cyclone: Who was this Sunset Shimmer? The rest of Flash Sentry’s slight canter to the courtyard was uneventful at best. There were no more rampaging unicorns to run into, only the quiet calm of the last few hours before Celestia officially raised the sun. Peaceful. And for the first time in his life. . . Flash found himself hating the peaceful silence. He reached the trainee lineup late as he had expected, but managed to sneak in unnoticed next to his new friend: Silver Spark, a grey earth pony with a white mane and blue eyes that always seemed to hold a mischievous sparkle. As the Co-Captain of the Palace Guard finally passed by them (Flash had somehow managed to sneak in right before the Co-Captain took roll of his row), Silver Spark leaned over to whisper in Flash’s ear. “Where the hay were you this morning?” Flash ignored the question. “Do you know a mare named Sunset Shimmer?” “Aaaand that’s all the answer I need. You were held up by a natural disaster. All is forgiven.” “No, seriously Silv,” Flash bumped his buddy’s shoulder lightly with his hoof. “Tell me about her. Something happened this morning between us and it made me . . . curious.” Silver Spark let out a long sigh. “Okay okay. . . It’s like this.” He was cut off by a yell from the front of the courtyard. Everypony snapped to attention. ‘TELL YOU LATER’ Silver mouthed to Flash, making completely unsubtle hoof motions along with each word. The Co-Captain began dictating the day’s agenda and orders to them. Flash barely paid any attention. It was the exact same ordeal as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. And, in all honesty, learning how to protect his country was the last thing on Flash’s mind. His thoughts were all alive with red, and yellow, and glowering eyes, the soft curl of a sneering mouth and the unexpected musicality of a humorless laugh. Before he knew it, the final order came and Flash robotically stamped his hoof and saluted along with the other three hundred stallions. They marched out of the courtyard in somewhat perfect unison. They were only trainees, after all. Once safely inside the palace walls, away from the Co-Captains watchful gaze, Silver Spark broke formation and brushed up against Flash. “So what do you think the chefs have in store for us today, hmm? Hay? Or oats? Or maybe hay–” “Silv. . .” Flash said, quite serious in contrast to his bubbly friend. “Sunset Shimmer. You were going to tell me about Sunset Shimmer.” Silver sighed and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. “Pony feathers. I was hoping you’d forgotten.” “After five minutes?” “Well a stallion can hope,” he said with a smirk. “I just don’t like talking about her. Nopony does. You know what they say: Speak of the devil and he shall . . . Actually I don’t know the end of that–” “Silver! Focus!” “Finefinefine!” Silver gave in. He took a quick, paranoid look around and then began speaking in a hushed tone. “Sunset Shimmer: Celestia’s personal ‘gifted’ student. She’s an out and out terror, completely self absorbed and convinced of her own importance. There isn’t a single pony in Equestria she thinks is worth the dirt stuck under her hoof. Of course she’s sweet as sugar around the princess. But the second Princess Celestia turns around, there she goes again; tripping some poor earth pony trainee down the hall for absolutely no reason! She’s such a two faced little– Sorry. I’m getting a little worked up. Bottom line is: She’s mean and has no friends. And I would stay away from her. Far away. This isn’t kindergarten, Flash. If she pulls your tail it doesn’t mean she likes you.” Silver Spark chuckled at his own joke. Flash remained silent. “Hey. . .” Silver nudged his friend softly. “You weren’t thinking that, were you? That she liked you? I mean I don’t know what happened between you two this morning but sleeping with Satan is always a bad– Hold up. What did happen?” Flash forced himself out of his silent trance. “Oh! I, uh, ran into her in the hall. Literally. And she called me a moron.” Silver Spark snorted. “Classic. A complete accident dependent on two ponies both being oblivious and she puts all the blame on you. I’ve never met somepony so–” “Well I did mistake her for Princess Celestia.” For some reason, Flash felt like he needed to defend her. When Silver Spark erupted into unrestrained laughter, however, he suddenly wished he hadn’t. “Oh sweet Celestia! I’m sure that just did wonders for her overinflated ego.” He slapped a grey foreleg over Flash’s shoulder. “Well I guess this is the first time I agree with her. You really are a moron!” Flash laughed and pushed his friend off. “Can you blame me? I’ve never been out of my home town before this week.” “Yes!” Silver exclaimed, still laughing. “I blame you for not running away from that dump sooner.” The two stallions stumbled into the mess hall laughing and shoving each other playfully. Luckily the mess hall was already alive with dozens of separate conversations and general hubbub. The two stallions barely made a ripple in the pool of sounds. As he made his way into line to get what could either be mashed hay or severely overcooked oats, Flash couldn’t help but scan the room for a certain red and yellow unicorn. He had no luck. Only trainee stallions packed from door to door. In his mind, Flash swore to find her again despite his friend's warning. In fact, for the some inexplicable reason, Silver Spark had only served to make him like this Sunset Shimmer even more. It was a twisted kind of attraction, but Flash couldn’t deny the way he was pulled to the strange little unicorn. There was something in her that had latched onto him and refused to relinquish its hold. She consumed his thoughts and pranced across his mind's vision. This mare had the potential to infect his very soul. And Flash wasn’t sure he minded all that much. Author's Note And so it begins. I've got a lot of plans for this story, so let me know what you think in the comments.
Chapter 2 - Second Glance“This is so exciting!” Silver Spark shouted, springing into the air. He kicked his hind legs excitedly and landed practically on top of Flash, pulling the both of them to the floor. “Ow!” Flash pushed him off and moved back onto his hooves. “Sure it is, but can you try to contain yourself?” He brushed off his coat. “I swear, you’re more excited than I am.” “Can you try to de-contain yourself?!” Silver squealed, deciding to roll onto his back and wriggle in glee instead of getting off the palace floor. Passing ponies couldn't help but stare. “Oh my Celestia, get up.” “Pre-assigned!” Silver sprang from the floor onto Flash yet again, throwing his front legs across his friends back. “You’ve been pre-assigned!” “Why are you so touchy–” “You’re basically guaranteed a job! While the rest of us are marching up and down courtyards, you’ll be in specialized training.” Silver faked a sniffle and wiped his dry eyes. “My little foal is all grown up. I’m gonna miss ya buddy.” “I’m your roommate, you'll see me every day–” “Just don't forget to remember us little ponies while you're off– What are you pre-assigned to, again?” Flash wrinkled his snout as he thought. “There’s like an old, magical thingy. . . And The Princess suddenly needs guards on it at all times. . . I don’t know. I’m going to the library to read up on whatever it is now.” Finally, Silver pushed off of Flash’s back. “Good to know they’ve got capable, well educated ponies on the job.” Flash shoved him. “Shut up.” Silver laughed. “Well, remember me while you’re off being an egghead. I, on the other hoof, have some very serious lap running to attend to.” He attempted to flex a nonexistent muscle. “Equestria isn’t going to protect itself.” Flash laughed. “See ya, Silv.” Ahead, Silver Spark spotted a beige stallion. “Caaare-ah-meell~!” Silver sang. The other pony looked behind him, saw Silver Spark, and began to trot faster. Silver shot Flash a look that said ‘Can you believe this guy?’ and began tearing down the hall after his new target. “Hey! Don’t pretend you didn’t see me! You know you love me!” Flash shook his head and began heading in the palace library’s general direction. Truth be told, he really was extremely happy with his pre-assignment. It was an honor. He got to shadow a professional guard, earn a small salary, and focus on a specific skill set, instead of wasting time learning all things guard related. But pre-assignment also meant more responsibility and extra work, not to mention research on what exactly he was supposed to be guarding. Flash had never seen himself as particularly scholarly or gifted pony. And, in all honesty, he wasn’t sure why he had been chosen. When he walked through the library doors he was greeted by an extremely exasperated, frazzled librarian, who was slouched over her desk, rubbing her face. “Uhm. . . Excuse me?” Flash prodded quietly. “Hmmmf?” The librarian looked up from her face rubbing. “Oh. Yes, how may I help you?” “I’m here to pick up a book?” Flash said, almost a question. The entire situation of being specially sent to pick up a book saved for him by the ruler of Equestria was more than a little intimidating. “Its called. . .uh. . .” Flash pulled a scrap of paper out of his bag and tried to read it down his nose. “Frew the Looking Glash?” Calm washed over the librarians tired features. “Thank Celestia you finally showed up!” She trotted into the back room, still talking. “You wouldn’t believe what I’ve had to do to save this for you. Some crazy pony came in here like the Queen of Maneland, demanding it! She looked like she might just slit my throat when I told her it was already saved. Had to fend her off with my letter opener. . .” She emerged, carrying a simple, red book and tossed it across the desk to Flash. “I hope it’s worth it.” Flash smiled apologetically, unable to help feeling that this pony’s misery was his own fault. Running his eyes over the back cover description, he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want it. Sounded like your average, dull users guide to him. A sudden explosion of furious yelling made both ponies practically jump right out of their skin. The librarian rolled her eyes up to the heavens and slammed her forehead down onto the desk. “You’re a guard in training, aren’t you? Maybe you can get her to leave.” The librarian’s request was unnecessary. Flash threw the book into his saddlebag and was already off like a shot by the time she finished. Because he knew that voice. He had heard it only once before, but it’s vulgar tone was seared into his memory like a brand. Flash skidded around a bookshelf and discovered what he already had assumed would be the source of the yelling. “What the buck do you mean, ‘All the books on mirrors and Equestrian History have been moved to the Dark Magic section?! That makes no sense!!” A very scared looking clerk cowered before a red faced, fuming unicorn. “Sunset. . .” Flash breathed. Both ponies turned to stare at him, one thankful and the other incredulous. Sunset Shimmer squinted menacingly and took a step forward. “You again,” she growled. The clerk took the opportunity to sprint away as fast as her hooves would carry her, leaving a pony shaped cloud in her wake. “What do you want? Are you stalking me? If you want to know what I do to stalkers, why don’t you and I take a long, romantic walk down to the Canterlot cemetery, you freak of–” “You were the one looking for the book?” Sunset stumbled back, shock and fury melded on her face. “Did you just interrupt me?” She stomped forward and shoved her nose up against his, snarling. The mare had to lean forward on the tips of her hooves to reach. If her eyes hadn't been so wild, the attempt at intimidation might have almost been cute. “Who do you think you are?! First you ask me questions, and then you interrupt me to ask me a question?! Am I not threatening your life enough?! Do you think I’m kidding, because believe you me: I will rip your–” Flash took a step back, causing Sunset to stumble forward and collide with his chest. He reached back and pulled the book out of his saddle bag, holding it up for her to see. Sunset pushed off his chest and took a deep breath, about to hurl more abuse no doubt, but stopped dead when her eyes landed on the book’s title. Flash smiled, book still between his teeth. “Where did you get that?” Sunset asked in hushed monotone. As casually as possible, Flash slipped the book back into his saddle bag. “The Princess put it on hold for me. Wants me to study it tonight.” He looked back at Sunset with expressionless eyes. “I’ve been assigned to guard a certain magic mirror.” Sunset didn’t move for a minute. Her eyes remained trained on Flash’s saddle bag, but didn’t see a thing. Flash could almost see the gears in her head turning. Calculating. Would she attack him now for the short term goal of the book? Or would she take another route for the long term goal of endless information? When her weight shifted seductively to one side, Flash knew which decision she had come to. She glanced up at him through long fluttering lashes. ‘Well shit,’ Flash thought. ‘There goes my composure.’ “I think we may have gotten off on the wrong hoof here.” Sunset purred, drawing slow circles on the carpet. She moved forward with the prowling step of a cat. “You see, I can get a bit . . .aggressive when I’m attracted to somepony.” A soft blush dusted across her cheeks and Flash wondered where she had learned that trick. It was definitely effective. She leaned against him, her mane coming to rest just above his nose. The sweet smell of citrus filled the air. In spite of himself, Flash felt his heartbeat speed up. “I didn’t mean a word of it. I just. . . have a hard time correctly expressing my emotions. It’s a little quirk of mine.” She looked up into his eyes, blinking rapidly. “So you’ll be all alone tonight? In your room? Studying?” Flash suddenly found it very hard to swallow. “Uh. . .” Was he alone? It was impossible to think with her rubbing up against him like that. A less than intelligent “Yeah. . .” was all he could manage. Sunset pouted. “That sounds so lonely.” She trailed a hoof up his foreleg and leaned in towards his ear. Flash shivered. “Would you like some. . . company?” Flash swallowed far too loudly. “Yeah. . .” He cleared his throat. “Yes, uhm, that would be wonderful, if, uh, you wouldn’t mind, that would, yes.” Sunset giggled girlishly and pushed away from him. Finally Flash could breath again. He had forgotten what normal air smelled like. He didn’t care for it. Sunset had walked over to a discarded saddle bag and pulled out a pencil and paper. “Why yon’t you gif me your room numer?” she said, pencil sticking out of her mouth. Flash almost died. “N-nine twenty two,” he stuttered. Sunset scribbled it down with a smile. “Great. I’ll see you at seven?” Flash could only knodd. She strode out of the library like a vision, hips swaying in a way that made it impossible to look away. He took a few entranced steps forward. ‘How. . . did that happen?’ He thought to himself. ‘Sunset Shimmer is going to be in my room tonight. Just the two of us.’ He began to pant slightly. ‘Wow. I haven’t been this nervous since I took my royal guard entrance exam–’ “Oh my Celestia! Silver!” Flash half screamed aloud. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten about his Sunset-hating roommate. With little regard for any surrounding ponies, Flash ran towards his room. Hopefully, Silver would manage to put aside all jokes and actually take ‘Get out now’ as an answer. The small room rang like a bell as Flash stormed in, throwing the door open so hard it nearly shattered the thin wall. Silver Spark didn’t look up from his comic. “Silver Spark, you need to go. Now” Silver rolled over onto his belly with a puppy dogs pout. “Aw, come on buddy I didn’t mean to set your mattress on fire!” Flash blinked. “What?” “Nothing. I said nothing.” Flash shook his head violently, as if trying to clear his ears. “Whatever, just grab anything you need for an overnight bag and leave. You’re spending the night with Caramel Corn.” Silver Spark laughed from the back of his throat and went back to reading. “Nice one.” “I paid him twenty bits.” “Ah. That makes more sense.” Flash began throwing Silver’s toothbrush and paste into a grocery bag, finally getting Silvers attention. He rolled off his mattress and walked over to Flash. “Whoa whoa whoa. Hold your horses, mate. What’s goin on here?” Silver Spark smiled like a joker and nudged Flash playfully. “You got a hot date or something?” Flash ignored the touch and moved on to gathering his roommates manecare products. “Something like that, yeah.” Silvers smile faltered. “Wha. . . What?” “A . . . mare I met is coming over tonight to study with me. And, I’m not gonna lie, Silv – ” He shoved the now full bag at his friend. “ – I’m hoping for a little more than studying.” Silvers usual happy go lucky sparkle had vanished from his eyes. “But- But I thought . . .” Flash stared at him. “What is it, Silv?” Silver remained silent. “I’m on a little bit of a time crunch here. No offense, but your side of the room is a mess, and I gotta fix that asap.” Silver Spark stared at the ground. “Right. I. . . I, uh, I’ll just go.” He turned and walked to the door. “See ya, Silv.” Flash called in the most upbeat voice he could manage. Silver Spark didn’t respond. His roommates sudden character change worried Flash, but not enough to keep him from preparing for the night. Everything had to be perfect. Well, clean. Everything had to be clean. The room was sparkling, the candles were lit, and Flash was wracked by the ever present paranoia that Sunset wouldn’t show. He paced back and forth, checking the clock every five to ten seconds. One minute past. Five minutes past. Ten minutes past. Flash was beginning to consider blowing out the candles and reading the stupid book alone like a normal pony. And then there were three small knocks on the door.
Chapter 3 - AwakeningFlash hadn’t known a knock could be so lovely. The three sharp taps sent an inexplicable shiver down his spine. He walked to the door, perhaps a bit too fast, and pushed it open. And suddenly there she was, head tilted to one side, looking up at him with a soft, shy smile on her lips. She was as beautiful as he remembered her, perhaps even a bit more so than earlier. Her previously untamed mane was pulled into a soft braid, and her normally scornful lips had been glossed with the most delicious light pink. He had been waiting for this moment for what seemed like an eternity. He had thought of her constantly. His heart had fluttered itself into obscurity every time this outrageous unicorn merely crossed his mind. ‘Had’ being the operative word. Right now, as she stood smiling up at him, the oddest calm washed over him. Flash felt absolutely nothing. He shook his head and mentally reminded himself that this was Sunset Shimmer. The Sunset Shimmer. What was the matter with him? “Please come in,” he said, strangely articulate for his current situation. Last time he had seen this mare he couldn’t feel his tongue, let alone use it to form actual words. Sunset giggled sweetly. “Don’t mind if I do.” She stepped through the doorway, brushing up against Flash in the process, and took a wide eyed look around. “What a nice room. And what lovely candles.” Her nostrils flared delicately as she took a deep breath in. “They make the air smell so sweet.” “Thanks,” Flash said, finally shutting the door. “I thought you would like them. They’re called ‘Tropical Citrus Hideaway’.” He hadn’t liked the gaudy name much, but their scent had reminded him of Sunset. Sunset giggled. So much giggling this evening. Flash hadn’t believed she could sound so feminine. “We’ve only met twice and you already know my favorite scent. How sweet.” Her blue-green eyes settled on the book lying innocently on Flash’s expertly made bed. A look came over her, hungry and vicious, a glimpse of the previous Sunset from earlier today. But when she turned her attention back to Flash that look was gone. She smiled at him once again. “I see there are two beds here. I’m guessing that the one with the book is yours, but where’s your roommate?” Flash felt a small pang of guilt. “He’s. . . spending the night somewhere else.” He gestured to his own bed with a tilted nodd, changing the subject as fast as possible. “Would you like to sit down?” Sunset giggled. It was getting annoying. “Why of course.” She climbed onto the bed and scooted over, running hungry eyes over the books worn, maroon cover. Flash followed after, a familiar twinge of resentment in his chest. He had felt this way before. Other mares, silly little things who had somehow found their way into his room and made him sick with their sweet words and feminine laughter, had brought about this same feeling. They were the reasons he had decided to give up on dating; he had assumed there must be something wrong with him. He hadn’t expected to feel the same way now. Sunset Shimmer had made him feel so alive only earlier today. Why was she making him feel so sick right now? Still, despite his ever growing irritation, Flash wanted to make this work. He climbed onto his bunk and slid up next to Sunset. She leaned into him a little. He almost leaned away. “Now then, let’s see what it is you have to study–” Sunset suddenly wrinkled her nose. “What the hell is that? Did you burn something?” Flash sniffed the air. She was right. There was the distinct smell of singed plastic mixed in with the tropical scent of the candles. A realization hit him, and Flash leaned down to smell his mattress. Burnt. “Silver Spark. . .” he murmured under his breath. He should be mad at his roommate for legitimately setting his mattress on fire, he knew that, but in this moment, all Flash wanted was for his friend to suddenly burst through the doorway and save him from this unbelievably awkward situation. “Hmm?” Sunset tilted her head in cute confusion. “Oh,” Flash pulled himself back into reality. “Uh, my mattress was. . . Burnt . . . Somehow.” “How awful! Was there a fire?” “I guess so.” “Well. . . I don’t mind the smell so much. . . as long as you’re here,” she murmured, beginning to nuzzle lightly into her companions neck. “Flash–” “Okay!” Flash cut her off and clumsily jumped up and away from the overly affectionate unicorn. “Haha okay okay oh kay.” He stumbled off the bed. “Look, Sunset, you’re a sweetheart. In fact you’re a lot sweeter than I thought you were. But I just don’t think this is going to work out.” He forced what he wanted to be a pleasantly apologetic smile. He had little hope he’d succeeded. Sunsets eye twitched. “What?” “In the library today, I thought this –” he gestured awkwardly between the two of them “– was what I wanted. But something’s off. I’m a little creeped out, and honesty I would feel better about this whole thing if you would just leave. I'm sorry for the inconvenience.” There was a long, deep silence. Sunset stared at Flash, a pleasant smile frozen on her lips. Flash stood shifting his weight back and forth. Time ticked by at a sluggish pace. A slow laugh crept out from the back of Sunset’s throat. “Ah ha ha. . . ha. . .” She stood up on the bed. “Flash, sweetums. . .” In a single bound she was off the bed and prowling towards him. “I gave you everything you wanted. Your every movement and word begged for my attention, and I gave you all of me. And now that I’ve put myself at your mercy, you reject me?” About a foot from Flash, Sunset stopped. She looked up at him, green eyes glowing with a fury that made Flash’s blood begin to boil. His irises widened as her savage gaze met his own. “You think you can just send me away empty hooved?” Her voice was dangerously low. “That’s not how this is going to work, babycakes.” Sunset’s horn suddenly sparked to life and Flash saw his whole world turn green. His hooves left the ground. The world turned upside down for a split second and then his shoulder hit the floor. The breath flew out of his lungs. The world spun as Flash lay on the ground, disoriented from a sudden lack of oxygen. Dainty hoofsteps raced across the floor, away and then back. Sunsets green eyes and golden fur filled his swirling vision. She placed a hoof on his shoulder blade, pressed him into the floor, and leaned in close. Her nose brushed Flash’s, almost sweetly. Citrus, oranges, and clementine filled Flash’s senses like a powerful narcotic. “I always get what I want, Flash,” she whispered seductively. “Never forget that.” The door slammed shut. Flash remained where Sunset had left him, drowning in a slowly diminishing sea of sun kissed summer fruit. He could feel her hoofprint, etched and burning like a brand into his shoulder. His entire body was boiling from the gradually rising temperature of his own blood. “I think. . .” Flash whispered aloud, falling into a dizzy, dreamlike trance. “I think I’m in love.” When Flash finally pulled himself off the floor, the book was gone. He didn’t have to guess who had taken it. Frankly, it didn’t matter. He wouldn’t have been able to get any reading done anyway. Not in the state he was in. No, what he needed was to sort things through, feel out the strange emotional state he had found himself in ever since Sunset thrust herself into his life like a battering ram. Flash thought for a long time, laying on his bed, eyes squinting up at a suspicious burnt mark on the ceiling. But the black mark had no answers, and by the time the sun began to peek over the edge of his window frame, Flash was more confused than he had been before. The soft click of a door lock and timid squeak of a door hinge gave Flash a much needed break from overanalyzing what had happened last night. He rolled over onto his stomach to see Silver Spark peaking through a crack in the door like he was sneaking into the den of a manticore, ears pinned back cautiously. “Uh, Silv?” A small jolt shot visibly through Silver Sparks body, standing his fur on end. “You can come in. You do live here after all.” Silver laughed. Or at least tried to. The strained squeaking that came out of his friends throat was unlike anything Flash had heard before. “Oh yeah I guess you’re right.” His voice was just as strained. “Care-ah-mel was just so hospitable last night; I almost forgot that I lived somewhere else.” He laughed again. Flash decided that Silver had been attempting sarcasm and joined in the eerie laughter. “So Caramel Corn was his usual, detached self?” Silver nodded and threw his poorly packed grocery bag onto his bed. Flash felt a little sting. He hadn’t been thinking of Silver’s feelings. Really, he hadn’t been thinking much at all. He had just thrown his best friend out with a grocery bag of miscellaneous necessities and barely any explanation. “I’m sorry you had to go through that last night, Silv. I shouldn’t have just kicked you out” Silver Spark tried to laugh lightly. “Don’t worry about it!” He said, a little too loud and a little too chipper. “You gotta do what you gotta do. But enough about my night, how did your. . . uh. . . date?. . . go? If that’s what it was? I mean that’s the impression I got when you made me leave – or uh, told me you were expecting. . . things–” Flash had to cut him off, before things got any more awkward. “It didn’t go well,” he said with audible strain. “It didn’t go well at all.” Silver’s ears immediately perked up. “Oh? I’m sorry to hear that. What happened? If you don’t mind my asking, of course!” The sudden change in character caught Flash off guard, but he decided to go along with it. “Su–” Flash caught himself just in time to recover from the almost name slip. “She kind of. . . attacked me?” Flash felt a blush start to cross his cheeks as he remembered the end of his kind-of-a-date-more-of-an-ambush. Silver was silent a moment, just staring at Flash. And then he burst out into a fit of wild laugher. Real laugher. Flash smiled in spite of himself being the subject of Silvers amusement. “Oh my Celestia! You sure know how to pick ‘em! Jee wiz.” “How was I supposed to know she would push me onto the floor and pin me down?” Flash said, elongating the joke in hopes of keeping Silvers mood up. “I didn’t know mares could be that aggressive.” Silver wiped a tear of joy from his eye. “Too bad you aren’t into that sort of thing, huh?” Flash cocked his head, unsure of what his friend was referring too. Silver continued, for Flash’s benefit. “Sounds like a dream date for a sadomasochist.” Flash went pale. Something clicked within his mind. A moment of self realization. ‘Remind me,’ a voice deep within seemed to be saying, ‘when was it that you began to feel attracted to Sunset again?’ In an instant, he was out the door and racing down the hall. He had no destination, only a golden face he had to find. Silver’s voice echoed after him, “Was it something I said?!”
