The door of the house opened with a customary creak, and as Flash entered, he let out a sigh, a clear sign of fatigue. After closing the door behind him, he leaned against it slightly, taking a moment to rub his temples before finally looking around. The place was, for the most part, fairly well-kept, but what struck him most was how quiet it was right now. Raising an eyebrow at this, he slid off the guitar case he'd been carrying around on his shoulder, placing it carefully upon the floor by the door. After walking further in a few more steps, he placed his hands upon his hips, looking around for a few moments before, at last, calling out.
"Mom?"
"She's out."
The arrival of the second voice caught him off-guard, but, as he heard it, he couldn't help but smile. He began to walk in its direction, soon finding himself in the nearby living room. And there, sitting upon the floor, was the one who had spoken; Scootaloo. As Flash walked over to sit upon the sofa within that room, the young girl looked up at him, happy at his arrival.
"You're late today, Flash."
The boy chuckled at that, scratching the back of his head before replying.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Band practise took a little longer than usual."
Scootaloo nodded to that, before then getting back to what she was doing before. It was here where Flash truly started to pay attention to what that was exactly. Kneeling upon the floor, Scootaloo was in the middle of doing some paint work on what appeared to be a banner of some kind. There were a lot of the usual design touches one would expect of a child her age, like stars, but in the middle of it all were the words "Happy Birthday" in bright red. Cracking a smile to this, Flash leaned forward slightly before speaking up to his sister again.
"So...who's it for?"
Still keeping her eyes on her work, Scootaloo answered him.
"It's for Silver Spoon. Me and the girls are planning this big party for her."
Flash smiled at that.
"It's good that you're getting along these days. You and that other girl, what's her name...?"
"Diamond," Scootaloo answered.
"Right, her. You girls have been at it for so long, I'm happy to see you being friends now."
Looking back to him, Scootaloo smiled a little uneasily.
"Yeah...it was kinda weird at first...but I guess it worked out."
Before Flash had a chance to respond to that, Scootaloo developed into a slight smirk.
"Can't be too different from what you've been doing. Getting all chummy with Sirens and Crystal Prep kids?"
Flash let out a dry laugh, nodding to the girl's words.
"Yeah...guess you got me there, Scoots."
While the boy was, for the moment, rather amused at the comeback his sister had just made, and he resumed speaking to her soon afterwards.
"At any rate, I'm happy to see you spending time on something like this instead of being a wannabe daredevil and stuff."
The girl appeared pouty at that.
"Come on, Flash! It's awesome, being able to roll around that fast on a scooter through town! Sweetie and Bloom always think it's great."
Flash looked to her with a disapproving frown.
"Sure, if you're careful. But what about when you're not? I mean, you almost gave Applejack's Grandmother a heart attack the other day, going by as fast as you did!"
Hearing that, Scootaloo took on a look of slight guilt.
"Okay...I guess I could try and...you know...go a little slower next time?"
Looking to her, Flash saw the honesty in her eyes, and knew that she felt a measure of remorse for all of this. Letting out a sigh, Flash's expression softened, and he reached forward, patting her on the shoulder. The girl looked to him, smiling at this understanding between the two, and it was a look that Flash himself returned to her. However, that smile soon faded when he actually kept looking at her. Her own smile had gone, and was replaced with a look of concern, but for what, Flash couldn't say.
"What is it?" he asked.
Scootaloo opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again soon afterwards, looking away and seeming more than a little hesitant. Seeing that, Flash leaned closer, his expression softer than before.
"Whatever it is that's bothering you...you can tell me."
That seemed to be encouragement enough to give the young girl an opening. For she looked at her brother again, finally speaking what was on her mind.
"I didn't know if I was okay to talk about this, but...it's just...this thing you've got going...with Sunset. Are...are you sure it's a good idea?"
Realisation dawned for Flash, and while he was taken aback by her words for a while, he soon resumed his calmer look from before. Letting out a sigh, he patted the spot on the sofa next to where he was sitting, and Scootaloo, understanding his meaning, accepted that silent invitation. Putting down her paintbrush, she got up, made her way over to the sofa herself, and sat down next to her brother. With the girl now next to him, Flash reached over, gently wrapping his arm around her and holding her close.
"I appreciate that you're worried about me. But you don't need to be. Sunset isn't the same person she was when she and I broke up the first time. She's changed. Ever since the Fall Formal, she's done everything in her power to make up for the past and try to be a better person."
Flash took on a reassuring expression.
"She's done enough, Scoots, and she's not gonna just lapse back to being a bad girl if that's what you're worried about."
Slowly, Scootaloo looked up to him.
"I know that, but...what if it goes wrong? The last time it happened, you...you were so sad. I mean, you never showed it, but..."
Flash looked away, nodding.
"You're right...I was. But, like I said, things have changed. Even if things don't turn out well, even if we do break up again...it'll have been worth it, if only because of how much it matters to make something like this last."
Gradually, a smile formed upon his face.
"It's like Dad used to say. If there's something you think should be tried, then try it. And if it doesn't work...then the worst that'll happen is that you end up back where you started."
Scootaloo took in those words, and as Flash looked back to her, he saw her start to form a smile of her own. The brother was, naturally, pleased to see that he had cheered her up, and placed his hand upon her head, casually messing up her hair somewhat. Scootaloo, as one would expect, giggled to this, pushing him away for having done that, before then starting to tidy her hair up again. But, seconds later, Scootaloo looked to him with another smirk
"So...I'm guessing that you dating Rainbow is still off the table?"
The boy rolled his eyes.
"Yes, Scoots. Honestly, I know you like her and all, but me and Rainbow...it's just not gonna work."
Scootaloo slumped her shoulders at that.
"Awww! But it would have been awesome! She's, like, the coolest girl in school! I even thought about making a fan club about her!"
The boy reclined further into the sofa.
"Sure...but we're just friends. And trust me..."
Briefly,. he looked uncomfortable about something.
"...going any further than that would just be...awkward."
Naturally, Scootaloo raised an eyebrow, showing clear confusion and curiosity over her brother's words. Flash, seeing that, chuckled nervously as she did this, probably with the intent of deterring her from discussing the matter further. But then, soon afterwards, noticed that she appeared to look deep in thought about something, and then, shortly afterwards, somewhat saddened. Unlike last time, however, he stayed silent, giving her all the time she needed to get her thoughts in order. And like before, when she finally spoke, it wasn't what he'd been expecting.
"It's just...that stuff you were saying before? About Dad? I...I wish I could've known him."
Though he seemed hesitant to respond at first, Flash soon gave his sister a soft look, reaching over and holding her close once more. Leaning forward, he gave her a tender kiss upon her forehead, before looking down to her with a warm smile.
"He would have loved you. Don't ever doubt that."
For a moment, that seemed to be all she needed to hear, as she smiled to him once more, leaning against him. As he held her close, there was silence between them, one that they seemed to enjoy a great deal, given the looks on their faces. But when it finally ended, Scootaloo moved away from him, hopping off the sofa and kneeling back down on the floor.
"I should probably get this finished."
Flash nodded to that, getting himself off the sofa at long last.
"Fair enough. I'll get us something to eat."
Looking over her shoulder, Scootaloo seemed happy to hear that.
"Ooh! What are we having?"
Turning back to her, Flash smiled.
"It's your favourite...chicken!"
Here, Scootaloo's smile was, for lack of a better word, forced. But, as her brother hadn't really picked up on that, she simply kept it up, speaking in a faux-happy tone.
"Oh...um...thanks?"
The boy nodded to that, before then making his way away from her and towards the kitchen, still oblivious to the less-than-happy mood he'd left her in. When he was finally gone, Scootaloo looked back to her work, a look of contempt upon her face.
"Ugh! Even in my home, that joke won't leave me alone!"
