Closerby Jay DavidChaptersNext StepsThe Morning AfterSpeculationThe Principal's OfficeCalmNext StepsThe feel of the room was cosy and comfortable, and the two youths sitting at the dinner table could feel it, warm smiles plastered over their faces. Sunset and Flash were both here together, in the former's apartment, looking to each other from opposite ends of the table, appearing more than a little satisfied. A contented sigh escaped them both, and they leaned into their chairs, smelling the sweet aroma that continued to drift around them. After what seemed like an age of simply relaxing in this one moment, Flash finally broke the silence between them. "Wow, Sunset, that...that was one of the best meals I've had in ages." The former unicorn's smiled widened upon hearing that, and she could not help but blush a little. "You're just saying that." But Flash shook his head, leaning forward in his chair before speaking up again. "No! I mean it! That pie, it was just...oh! I'm not gonna get one that good for a long time, I just know it." Sunset chuckled, leaning forward herself. "Yeah, well, I figured I owed you one. You know, after that whole beach thing." Letting out a brief laugh, Flash nodded slightly. "Well, consider us more than even." Another silence passed between the two, during which, they once more continued to simply let the relaxation of the moment wash over them. At the end of it, it was Flash to spoke up yet again. "Even if you hadn't made dinner, I...I still would have enjoyed being here, Sunset." Looking to him, Sunset's smile was a warm one. "You too, Flash." The youths just carried on smiling to one another, until, finally, Sunset looked over to a nearby sofa in the living room section of her apartment. Gesturing to it with her head, she got up from her chair, and Flash, getting the message, began to follow. It didn't take them long to get there, and, rather unceremoniously, they both sat down upon the soft cushions of the sofa, exhaling deeply as they did so. "You know...this is nice," Sunset remarked. Flash turned to her and replied to that. "Yeah. I mean, with all the stuff that goes on most of the time...it's nice to just...you know..." Sunset leaned back further into her sofa, nodding. "Yeah...I do." Time passed., and for a while, all they could hear was the steady breathing of the one beside them. Then, at the end of it all, Sunset looked over to her boyfriend, looking more than a little curious. "You know...I haven't asked how things have been with you when you're not with me." Chuckling slightly, Flash answered. "Nothing special. Just the usual stuff. School, band practise, that kind of thing. Normally, I don't really do anything all that exciting unless I'm with your or the other girls" Sunset gave a brief nod, then took on a more cheerful expression. "So...how's Scootaloo?" At the mention of his sister, Flash regained his earlier smile. "She's as happy as can be. I mean, sure, the stuff she gets up to with her friends can be a little trying at times, but...I wouldn't have her any other way." Sunset smiled to this, happy at seeing the boy more upbeat than before. But, her smile faded when she saw, just for a moment, that his did too. At first, she was hesitant to bring it up, but, in the end, her curiosity won out over her caution. "Flash? Is something wrong?" For a moment, the boy seemed angry with himself that he'd let that tint of sadness show in him. But, after letting out a brief sigh, it was clear that he wasn't going to hide what was on his mind, and so spoke in a slower tone than normal. "It's just...the other day? Father's Day? I took Scoots to...to visit him." Immediately, Sunset's face became one of regret, and she mentally kicked herself for bringing it up. But the line had already been crossed, and there was no going back now. "How...how was it?" she asked. Flash gave a single nod before answering. "About as well as could be expected. No need to clean the stone this time. The groundskeepers are usually pretty good about that. As for Scoots, she..." In spite of everything, Flash actually cracked a smile. "...she started having this conversation with him, like he was really there. Reminded me of what I used to do, back when I was her age." But, as quickly as his smile had come, it faded soon afterwards. "When I think of how he went out...like all those others...I..." He sighed, leaning forward and staring down at the ground. "He did his duty. He was a soldier. He knew this might be the way he went out, but...for my sister to never even know him? That..." Sadness and anger wrestled for control in his expression, and as he placed his hands upon his knees, Sunset saw them clench. She hesitated for a moment, but, ever so slowly she reached forward, placing her hand upon his shoulder. He turned, looking her right in the eye, and in the seconds that followed, they said nothing to one another. Then, at the end, Sunset spoke, in a tone not too dissimilar to how Flash had been talking mere moments ago. "I...I never knew my parents." The melancholy in Flash's eyes subsided, and he listened with curiosity as his girlfriend continued. "When I was little, I...I was found by Celestia. I mean, Princess Celestia, not the one from this world." Flash nodded in understanding, prompting Sunset to carry on. "She'd heard I was better at magic than the other kids at the orphanage, so she took me in. She raised me, nurtured my talents, gave me everything." Slowly, her face became one of bitterness, an echo of the girl she once was. "But...I threw it all back in her face! I said things, did things, and tore her and me apart! I was denied my mother and father, and the one pony who could have filled that hole in my life...I treated her like dirt!" Here, she topped, taking a few calming breaths, before, finally, looking up to the boy once more. "I know that what we both went through isn't the same thing, but...I like to think I understand what it means to lose someone important." Whatever sadness there might have been in Flash's face was gone now, replaced instead by a sympathetic, and even appreciative look. He nodded to her, forming a warm smile as he reached forward and, in a move that mirrored hers, placed it gently upon Sunset's shoulder. "Thank you, Sunset. I...I know that can't have been easy to say to me." At first, she was taken aback by his words, but, after some time had passed, she returned the smile. "I...I don't talk about it very often. I don't even like to think about it, truth be told. The way I was before...and the things I did...I guess I just made myself think that I didn't have a right to talk about my life like that." To that, Flash frowned slightly. "You have every right, Sunset." Sunset looked him right in the eye, seeing the honesty there as he kept on speaking. "I can't claim to know what went on with you and everyone else in that other world, but...whatever it was, you're not that person anymore. You're a better person. A good person. A person we all want to be friends with." A sly smile crept onto Sunset's face. "Just friends, Flash?" Flash returned the look. "You know what I mean. You've changed, Sunset, and for the better. And wherever your parents are, or this Princess Celestia..." Slowly, his face became a warm and affectionate one. "I know, they'd be proud of you. Just like all of us are." To say that she was taken aback by his words would have been a great understatement, as she sat there, looking at him with surprise plastered all over her. But, as time passed, and she looked into his eyes, she saw, yet again, that there was nothing but honesty there. Gradually, her expression softened, and she scooted a little closer to him on the sofa, before, in a move that surprised the boy, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Flash. I...I appreciate that." Though surprised still by this action, Flash soon recovered, smiling back down to her and wrapping his arm around her, holding her closer to him. It was, naturally, a pleasant moment between the youths, and one that was enjoyed and embraced by both of them. But, after a few minutes of staying together like this, Sunset pulled away from him, looking into his eyes again. Flash looked down to her and, to his confusion, saw that her smile was diminishing. Instead, it was replaced by a look of uncertainty, prompting him to break the silence. "Sunset?" Hesitation flickered in her eyes, but only for a moment, and afterwards, to Flash's eternal shock, she lunged forward, planting her lips right upon his. His eyes widened at this, and Sunset blushed a great deal as she carried on with the kiss, but, as time passed for the two of them, the awkwardness of those first moments began to melt away. Flash slowly started to close his eyes, and when that was done, he raised his arms and wrapped them around the girl, holding her to him. Sunset moaned into the kiss slightly, her blush less than what it was before. And the two remained like this, never moving from that position until, after two minutes, their lips parted. Their breathing was heavy to begin with, and they stared into each other's eyes for a while. But, when it was done, it was Flash who spoke up. "Well...um...I wasn't expecting that." Sunset giggled to that. "Neither was I, honestly. But...here we are." The two laughed together, but it was a quiet laugh, intimate and for the two of them alone. Sunset continued to look at him, and during it, she once more gained that look of uncertainty. Flash saw it, and like before, stayed silent, giving her all the time she needed to get her thoughts together. Then, as the boy kept quiet, he watched as his girlfriend rose from the sofa. She took a few calming breaths, and then looked right at him, determination upon her face. Reaching forward, she offered her hand, which Flash looked at for a second before, gently, accepting it. He stood up, knowing that was what she wanted him to do, and before long, she started leading him across the apartment. While he was, at first, unsure of what was going on, his eyes widened with shock when they reached their destination; a door on the other side of the room. "Sunset?" For a brief while, the former unicorn said nothing, then, as she looked from the door to him, she smiled. "Shall we?" Here, it was Flash's turned to look hesitant. "Are...are you sure this is what you want?" Smirking slightly, Sunset leaned closer and gave him another quick kiss upon the lips. When they parted again, she broke the silence. "Does that answer your question?" Still stunned by the second kiss, Flash soon composed himself, thinking things over. "Well...yeah, it kinda does." Sunset laughed briefly, before then looking to her boyfriend in a more affectionate manner. With her free hand, she reached for the door, opening it up and revealing the room within. Flash, naturally, gulped at all of this, and remained quiet as the girl led him in, and once within the room in earnest, he looked back, seeing her close the door behind them, speaking one final utterance. "Yeah...this is gonna be a good night." The Morning AfterThe first thing that struck her was just how warm it was, far more than on most mornings. Slowly, Sunset cracked one eye open, taking in everything around her. It was her room, just as it always was. Light was pouring in from behind the curtains of her window, bathing the place in a warm glow. There were clothes strewn about on the floor, in a manner more disorganized than she normally liked, and it was here that her eyes widened a little. For there, mixed in with her own clothes, were the clothes of another. Letting that fact sink in, she couldn't help but smile a little, especially when, at long last, she truly felt the arms that were wrapped around her. As slowly as possible, she turned over on her bed, taking a moment to enjoy just how soft they felt this morning. Once turned fully, she saw him; Flash. Unlike her, he was still fast asleep, and bore a look of utter contentment upon his face. He was holding her close, just as he had all night, and Sunset gazed upon him in an adoring manner. For a time, she merely stayed there, counting his breaths, until finally, she reached forward with her one free arm. A few stray strands of blue hair had fallen in front of his face, and she gently swept them aside. Naturally, this motion caused him to stir slightly, before, finally, opening his eyes. Like her, he took a moment to get his bearings, and when he did, his smile widened. "...Hey." "...Hey," she replied. As was usual for a just-woken-up moment, Flash found himself letting out a long yawn, and it was here that he finally let go of his lover. When the yawn subsided, they stared into each other's eyes, in a manner one could not describe any way other than "loving". But, the silence did not last forever, and in the end, it was Sunset who broke it. "So...that happened." Flash chuckled. "Yeah. I...I gotta admit, Sunset, I...I wasn't expecting that." She continued to smile at him. "Me neither. But...I'm glad it did." For a few seconds, Flash seemed happy at that. But, as time passed on, his expression became somewhat more sly than most would normally expect of him. "I have to say...last night was very...educational." In a manner befitting the girl she once was, Sunset raised an eyebrow, smirking as she did so. "Oh? Pray tell, Flash, what did you learn last night?" Continuing to smile at her, Flash scooted a little bit closer, bringing their faces just an inch away from one another. "Well, for one thing, I learned just how long you Equestrians can just go on and on and on." In spite of herself, Sunset giggled. "Yeah...probably should have warned you about that. Still, you kept up pretty well." As one would expect, a remark like that gave Flash licence to look more than a little relieved, much to Sunset's amusement. But, that was not the end of it, as Flash then spoke up once more, looking a little bit more mischievous than before. "You know...I did learn other things last night." Again, Sunset bore a curious look. "Oh?" Flash nodded "Yep. I learned... In a move done too quickly for Sunset to react to, he leaned closer and gave her a tender kiss upon her neck. The effect was immediate, as the girl took in a sharp breath, biting on her lower lip as the feel of that kiss ran through her like a lightning bolt. Pulling away from her, Flash looked very pleased with himself. "...just how much you enjoy that." Sunset needed a few moments just to cool off from that, and when she did, she looked to her boyfriend with as much annoyance as she could muster under the circumstances. Which was, naturally, not very much. "I hope you're not going to try that on me in public, Flash." The boy considered that for a moment, his smirk never leaving him. "Well..." She knew he was only making fun, but even so, Sunset found herself playfully pushing him away, eliciting a laugh from the boy. She too joined in on that laughter, which culminated in him moving closer and giving her a proper kiss, right on the lips. They held each other close, just as they had done last night, and when they at last parted, they looked to each other with that same loving look they'd become so accustomed to. Then, Sunset watched as Flash finally moved out of the bed, making his way over to the nearby window. Sunset kept her eyes on him, leaning her head against her pillow as she saw him pull back the curtains. The light pouring in was almost blinding, but the two quickly got used to it. And, more to the point, it gave the former unicorn a chance to look her lover over, since he hadn't bothered to actually dress himself before going over there. "Who'd have ever guessed...that there was all that under there?" Looking over his shoulder, Flash gave a sly grin. "Says the pot calling the kettle black?" Sunset chuckled. "Hey, let's be fair now, Flash...my great ass was obvious to anyone." The two laughed, much like they'd done moments before, and as Flash walked over to the bed again, he sat upon the side, looking to his girlfriend with a smile. But, that smile faded when he saw her appearing deep in thought. As always, he gave her all the time she needed to get her thoughts in order, and when she finally spoke, it was with a slower tone. "If...if I hadn't been the kind of person I was, back then...we could have had this already." Flash seemed saddened to see her upset over the memories of her past self, but, as ever, remained silent when she spoke. "I didn't know what I had...even after I'd lost it. If only...if only..." Sighing, Flash leaned forward, reaching out and gently placing his hand upon her shoulder, gaining her attention. As Sunset looked up to him, she saw him smile as he spoke. "It's in the past now, Sunset. All of it. What matters...is that we have this now." She stared at him for a time, seeing the honesty in his eyes, before finally cracking a smile. "Right...should have known better than to argue with you about this." A dry laugh escaped Flash at that, and as he shuffled further along the bed, he gave her a quick but affectionate kiss upon her cheek. When it was done, Sunset finally leaned up in the bed, making sure to hold the sheets up to her chest as she did so, lest they fall down and expose her. "You know...we're probably going to have to tell them about this, you do know that, right, Flash?" The boy nodded, sighing as he did so. "I know. But..." Looking back up at her, he offered a warm smile. "...just for a moment...couldn't we, maybe...have this be just for us? Just for a little while?" Sunset pondered that for a time, then returned his smile, leaning closer and giving him a soft kiss upon his lips. When they parted, she titled her head to the side a little, causing some of her hair to drop down in front of one eye, and gave him a half-lidded look in her eyes as she spoke in a soft and amorous manner. "Sure. There'll be time for truth later. But for now? This...is for us." SpeculationThe hustle and bustle of the school cafeteria was about on par with what most students expected of it, with many of them having difficulty even hearing themselves think over all of the chatter of the different groups packed in here. But, in spite of that, things were of a friendly tone here today, with not a sour face to be seen amongst the large crowd of youths eating their lunches. In the middle of it all, at their usual table, Rainbow, Applejack and the rest of the group locally known as the "Rainbooms" were all happily sitting beside one another, as they usually did at this time. After a good deal of silence amongst them, however, it was Rainbow who finally broke it. "So, I hear you've got some big gig coming up, eh, Rares?" Rarity cracked a smile to that, sweeping aside some of her hair before replying to her friend. "Indeed I do! Coco has been very kind to put my name forward for a local fashion showcase being held in the city. With any luck, I'll be catching some noteworthy eyes here and there." Looking to her companion, Pinkie broke out into her usual wide grin. "That's super-great, Rarity!" And, as expected, the pink-haired girl moved closer and embraced the young fashionista in a tight hug, which the latter, at this point, took in stride, much to the amusement of their friends. But, moments after the hug had ended, it was then Fluttershy's turn to speak, having scoured the rest of their table beforehand. "Um...has anybody seen Sunset?" It was as if they'd only now realised the absence of their former unicorn colleague, as many of the girls started looking around themselves, a look of surprise upon their faces. "Huh...now that you mention it, I guess I haven't, Flutters," Rainbow replied. But, before anybody else had a chance to say anything, Applejack, with a smile of her own, pointed ahead and spoke first. "Hold up, y'all. There she is!" The girls all turned in unison, and sure enough, there she was. Sunset was just a few tables over from where they were, and while they were, at first, confused as to why she was not sitting with them, they soon got their explanation. For it was mere seconds later that they noticed that she was not alone over there, as Flash, her boyfriend, was seated beside her. Realising this, Rarity let out a sigh, observing the couple with an almost admiring glance. "Well, far be it from me to interrupt a happy couple." Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah. Sunset spends a lot of time with us, so I guess it's only fair she spend lunch with her BF every once in a while." There was a round of nods to that statement, which ended when the girls all noticed that Pinkie, in a rather uncharacteristic fashion, was looking to the far-away couple with some confusion. "Hmmm...is it me...or are they really happy over there?" As before, the group turned, and saw, just as Pinkie said, that there was indeed a jovial tone to Sunset and Flash over there. They were leaning close to each other, whispering a few things, even laughing together. Looking back to Pinkie, it was Rarity who spoke next. "Well, they are dating, Pinkie. It's only natural for them to have that kind of joy around each other." Pinkie nodded, but kept her more serious expression. "Yeah...but I know happy, and that over there is really happy." It was as if curiosity had suddenly taken control of the group, as they yet again looked over to their two friends across the lunch room. They couldn't put their finger on it, but there was something about their interactions that seemed even more close than what they were used to seeing from them. It was made all the more suspicious when, all of a sudden, Flash leaned closer to Sunset, whispering something in her ear. Sunset covered her mouth afterwards, playfully pushing him away, all while stifling a giggle of her own, with a blush right across her face as she did so. Seeing that, Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Huh...that does seem a bit more...chummy than usual." While there was yet again a chorus of agreeing murmurs amongst the group, none of them said anything. No, that duty went to the one who now approached their table without them noticing. "Yeah...they've done it." Immediately, all girls turned, and saw that it was their ex-enemy, Aria. The Siren had her hands upon her hips, looking out to Sunset and Flash, and wore a knowing smirk. "That kind of stuff? And at their age? Oh yeah, we've got some action going on there." Many of the girls seemed utterly shocked to hear such a thing, Rarity especially, who stifled a gasp before looking to Aria in a somewhat indignant manner. "I'll grant you that they seem a touch more...affectionate than normal, but...that's no reason to go and assume that they've...done that sort of thing." Looking to her, Aria let out a dry laugh. "Trust me, Rares, if there's anyone who's going to recognise a just-done-it face, it's a Siren." Naturally, none of the others seemed willing to accept the kind of massive news their friend had just bestowed upon them. But, as they turned once more in the direction of Sunset, they did so just in time to witness yet more affectionate behaviour between her and Flash. Sunset had taken to looking down at her plate of food, which contained, at this moment, a small cherry tomato. She gave Flash a look that could only be described as sultry, before picking up her nearby fork and picking up the tomato with it. Carefully, she offered it to Flash, who gave her a similarly sly grin, before opening his mouth and just letting her put the thing in. As one would expect, this led to blushes and hanging jaws for all of the other girls. "Okay...I'm no relationship expert, but...that seems like a pretty big red light to me," Rainbow commented. This time, Rarity seemed to stumble. "Well...erm...I suppose. But...maybe she just felt Flash hadn't eaten enough?" She was stretching at this point, as evidenced by the incredulous look Rainbow gave her. But, she didn't get the opportunity to respond, as yet another unexpected voice suddenly spoke up. "What's that about my brother?" All heads turned, and beside their table, they saw Scootaloo, looking up at them innocently. "Scoots?! How long have you been there?!" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders. "A few seconds. Why?" Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, only to be shot a dark look by her other friends, Aria included, which prompted her to shut herself up. Instead, she scratched the back of her head in a nervous manner, before speaking to the youth in a similar tone. "Um...so Scoots? Have you noticed anything, you know...odd about your brother?" Scootaloo then tilted her head. "Flash? Er...no, not really." There was a round of unsure glances around the table, which ended when the younger girl spoke up again. "Although...there was that time earlier this week when he stayed over at Sunset's." The moment she'd spoken those words, all of the girls widened their eyes. "Um...stayed over?" Fluttershy asked nervously. Scootaloo nodded. "Yep. Must have been doing some kind of study thing or something." As before, nervousness was the order of the day on the faces of all the other girls. That is, except for Aria, who simply bore a clear and unmistakeable "I told you so" look about her. The Siren gave the others a little wave, then started to move off, looking very pleased with herself. As for the others girls they stayed silent for a bit, only to be interrupted when Scootaloo spoke up in a more urgent tone. "Oh! I see Sweetie and Bloom over there! Gotta go!" And go she did, running off in the direction of her friends, leaving the Rainbooms alone with their thoughts. After almost a full minute of silence amongst them, it was Applejack who finally said something. "Well...that about settles it." Pinkie looked to her and nodded. "Yeah, but...why wouldn't Sunset tell us about this?" Turning, Rarity spoke in a softer tone. "Well, as much as I trust you girls, I must confess that, were I to have a lover of my own, I would feel at least somewhat inclined to keep it to myself, for a time anyway." Fluttershy nodded. "Maybe...they just wanted to have this to themselves for a bit?" Leaning back into her chair, Rainbow sighed. "Yeah...makes sense, I guess." Then, slowly, a smirk crept upon her face. "So...they finally bumped uglies? Nice." Rarity snapped her head in her direction. "Rainbow!" The athlete chuckled. "Hey, I'm just joking! Besides...I know you want to talk about it!" Turning away, Rarity gave a little "hmph" before answering. "Yes, well...I like to think I'd do it with a little more grace than you." While Rainbow would have probably spoken further on that point, she was briefly interrupted by Twilight, formerly of Crystal Prep, who had been silent for this entire conversation thus far. The spectacled girl clasped her hands together and had a look that would not have been out-of-place with stars in her eyes. "Oooh! This is so exciting! I could write an entire thesis on this! The effects and outcomes of inter-dimensional relationships and breeding! Think of the grants!" But, her joy was short-lived, as she glanced around the table, seeing the incredulous look on the faces of all of her friends, leading to her smile fading somewhat. "Or...maybe...you know...just let them have their privacy for a bit." A chuckle emerged from Rainbow at that, and she gave the girl a friendly pat on the shoulder, much to her appreciation. Soon afterwards, the girls, after looking at each other awkwardly, started to huddle closer together, with looks of hesitancy and excitement abound for each of them. Many things were discussed between them, like what this might mean for the two lovers, or even, on Rainbow's part, what kind of jokes they can make in future. But, as they discussed the matter, they failed to notice that, even with all of the chatter and noise of the cafeteria around them, the ears of the surrounding tables were not as dull as they would have hoped. The Principal's OfficeIf there was one place, above all, that a student was likely to fear, it was the Principal's Office. To be there meant one thing; that you were in trouble. Granted, this fear was less prevalent at CHS, since Principal Celestia had gained such a reputation as being friendly and accommodating to her students. But even so, to be here now, without being told why, was cause for concern for any youngster at that school. Such was the case now, with Sunset and Flash sitting beside one another, quietly awaiting the older woman. In the silence, they looked to one another, hoping that the other might have some inkling as to why they'd have been asked here. But it was for naught, as neither seemed to be any less clueless than the other. But, that waiting came to an end when the door behind them finally opened. "Thank you for coming on such short notice." The two turned to see the warm face of Principal Celestia, who promptly closed the door behind her before taking her usual place, at her seat on the opposite side of the desk. For a time, there was yet another awkward silence between them all, during which, Celestia seemed to be studying the two youths before her. Briefly, Sunset could have sworn that her Principal seemed to be struggling with something, as if thinking of the right words to say. But about what, she had no idea. "Principal Celestia? If I may ask...what is this about?" Celestia let out a deep sigh after having been asked that, and she clasped her hands together upon the desk, staring at it for a time before looking up and gazing at Sunset straight in the eye. "Sunset...Flash...I want to say right now that neither of you are in any kind of trouble." Naturally, words like that caught them off-guard, and they gave one another a quick glance before looking back to their elder, who began to continue. "However...it has recently come to my attention that there is...something of great importance regarding the two of you that we should perhaps discuss." And here, at last, realisation began to dawn upon both of their faces. Slowly, they once more cast each other a look, but kept their mouths shut as they did so. Celestia looked from one to the other, analysing them carefully, but nevertheless giving them time to get their thoughts in order. In time, Sunset turned to her again, clearing her throat a little before speaking u in a nervous manner. "I'm...not sure as to what you're referring to, Principal Celestia." Celestia raised her eyebrow slightly, responding with a more stern voice than before. "Oh, I think you do, Sunset. You are probably unaware of this, but...certain rumours have reached my ears recently and...well...I wanted to hear it from you." That settled it, and Sunset gave her boyfriend a guilty glance, one he returned soon afterwards, before sighing and giving a brief nod of her head. "If it's what I think you mean, then...yes. The two of us, we...yes, it's true." Celestia took a moment to take that in, letting out a deep sigh of her own. Almost a full minute of quiet followed this, ending when Celestia reverted to her previous softer tone. "Look...I understand that this is a delicate topic for all concerned. I understand too that...at the end of the day...you're both young. You have a history and you're comfortable around each other. And that, coupled with your recent rekindling of your relationship, well...it's not hard to see something like this happening." Slowly, she looked to each of them, never looking on with judgement or disapproval, like they'd feared. "However...as your Principal, I feel it is my responsibility to make sure that things are okay with you. The fact that this has apparently reached school-level rumours is going to be difficult enough for you. But there are also...other matters to discuss." At first, Sunset genuinely didn't know what she meant by that. But her confusion was short-lived when Celestia spoke up once more. "I don't need to remind you of what happened with Miss Derpy, do I?" Sunsets eyes widened, and she and Flash started weaving their hands in an almost defensive way, with the boy finally speaking up himself in all of this. "Oh! You don't need to worry about that, Principal Celestia! We were careful about that. Protection and everything." Celestia looked to him and gave a brief nod. "I'm glad to hear it. But..." She glanced over at Sunset again. "I would hope that, even with all of that...the two of you know to keep such things more...private in future." A blush formed on Sunset's face, and she nervously scratched the back of her head. "I...I suppose we might have been a bit too obvious in public." A smirk crept onto Celestia's face. "I was young myself once, Miss Shimmer. So believe me, I understand what young love feels like." But, her smirk then faded, replaced instead by a more serious expression. "But I trust you understand that, even in a school as accepting as ours, there are certain levels of...restraint we expect our students to adhere to." Sunset nodded, understanding all over her face. "We do, Principal Celestia. And I apologise that Flash and I weren't exactly discreet about it. But I promise you, we'll try and hold back a bit while we're here." Celestia smiled, giving a brief nod. "That is good to hear. I do not tell you all this to discourage you, Sunset. I know you and Flash are responsible people, and I know what it is to feel that strongly about someone. If the two of you are happy together, then I'm happy for you." She leaned forward, gently placing her hand upon Sunset's. "Just...try not to be too obvious about it in future, okay?" Chuckling slightly, Sunset nodded, as did Flash. The older woman gave them each a nod, followed shortly by her gesturing to the nearby door. The two youths got the message immediately, and gave her a brief nod, getting up and making their way over. They opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, closing the thing behind them. And here, having finally left the office, they let out a simultaneous sigh of relief over the whole matter. Gradually, they looked to one another, sharing a sense of embarrassment over all of this. But, before they had the chance to say anything, they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They turned in time to see Rainbow, Applejack and their friends walking up to them, guilt plastered all over their faces. "Guys?" Sunset asked. When the girls finally reached them, they looked to one another, as if silently asking each other to be the first to speak. When that silence ended, it was Applejack who did the honours, holding her trademark hat in both hands before speaking in an apologetic tone. "We're...we're sorry...about letting this stuff slip." Sunset knew what they meant by that, as did Flash, but neither of them looked to them with anger. Instead, and after giving each other a quick look, they simply smiled, with Sunset responding to her friend's words. "It's okay, Applejack. Everything's fine." The farm girl, as well as everyone else for that matter, didn't seem to believe that Sunset or Flash could be so understanding about all of this. But, that was indeed the case, and when they saw nothing but honesty in her expression, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, not dissimilar from the one the two young lovers had given not so long ago. But, when that was done, Sunset suddenly found herself face-to-face with Rarity, who was practically giddy over all of this. "Well, if that's settled, then let's get down to the business of details!" Here, Flash slapped his forehead. "Oh, please don't!" But Rainbow walked up to him, slapping a hand down on his shoulder, and gave one of her customary cackles. "Sorry, bud. But ya should have seen this coming." CalmThe two simply sat upon the sofa, staring out of the window on the opposite side of the apartment. As Sunset and Flash stayed together like this, neither of them said a word, merely counting the moments as they passed by. One would look at this image, and could not help but think the word "awkward". Nothing but silence, for minute after minute, broken only when Flash, after letting out an exasperated sigh, spoke up. "Well...quite a week, eh?" Sunset cracked a smile, nodding. "Yeah...never quite pictured it going like this." Flash gave a nod of his own. "I hope you didn't tell the girls too much about...you know." His girlfriend turned to him, seeing him blush slightly, before giving one of her smirks as she answered. "Don't you worry about that, Flash. That stuff...that's all for me." The red in his cheeks grew, but even so, he gave genuine laughter to that, leaning forward and giving the former unicorn a tender kiss upon her cheek. She smiled warmly to that, and promptly scooted over, leaning her head against his. Silence returned, but this time, it was far shorter, ending when Sunset spoke in a soft tone. "If there's one thing this whole week has taught me...it's that it really is official now. This has really happened. You...me...us...again." Flash continued to smile as he looked down at her, and using one free hand, not only wrapped it around her body, but also carefully stroked her hair. "If you'd have told me a year ago that this was going to start up again...I'd probably not believe you." Sunset chuckled. "Preaching to the choir on that one, Flash." Slowly, she looked up at him. "But now that it has...I'm...honestly happy." She glanced down at the ground as she continued. "I never admitted it to myself back when...when we were first together, but...I actually did miss you when we broke up." Then she looked right back up at him. "You were the one thing about being in this world I actually found myself being fond of. I had no friends, no family, just...you." Gradually, her smile returned. "And now...I have you again." Flash's smile widened in turn. "And I have you. It might have taken a bit...and as few odd things along the way...but we're together again." Sunset smirked slightly as she leaned into his shoulder. "Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry. Back then we were the couple that everyone gossiped about." Flash raised an eyebrow. "We kind of are again, but...you know...for different reasons now." A fierce blush crept onto Sunset's face. "Ugh! Don't remind me! To think that all those boys and girls are gonna be talking about us like...like that! It just..." "I know," Flash finished. Sunset looked up to him, seeing him smile down at her, and the annoyance that had been with her suddenly left her, replaced instead by a warmer feeling. She smiled and leaned forward, and together, the two shared a loving kiss upon each other's lips. It lasted for almost a full minute before, finally, they parted from one another, with Flash looking particularly pleased with himself. "I'll say right now...I will never get tired of doing that with you." Sunset couldn't help but let out a giggle. "You're not the only one." The two shared a laugh together, filling the apartment with a pleasant atmosphere for perhaps the first time today. However, when it died down, Flash looked down at his girlfriend with a look of uncertainty. "Now I just need to keep girls like Pinkie and Lemon from giving me flirty looks all the time." To that, Sunset gazed up at him again, smirking as she did so. She gave the boy a quick peck upon his cheek before speaking in a determined tone. "I can't blame them for it. But even so...just let them try." Though at first taken aback by that fierce look in her eyes, Flash eventually morphed into a knowing smirk of his own. "Now there's the bad girl I love to love."
Next StepsThe feel of the room was cosy and comfortable, and the two youths sitting at the dinner table could feel it, warm smiles plastered over their faces. Sunset and Flash were both here together, in the former's apartment, looking to each other from opposite ends of the table, appearing more than a little satisfied. A contented sigh escaped them both, and they leaned into their chairs, smelling the sweet aroma that continued to drift around them. After what seemed like an age of simply relaxing in this one moment, Flash finally broke the silence between them. "Wow, Sunset, that...that was one of the best meals I've had in ages." The former unicorn's smiled widened upon hearing that, and she could not help but blush a little. "You're just saying that." But Flash shook his head, leaning forward in his chair before speaking up again. "No! I mean it! That pie, it was just...oh! I'm not gonna get one that good for a long time, I just know it." Sunset chuckled, leaning forward herself. "Yeah, well, I figured I owed you one. You know, after that whole beach thing." Letting out a brief laugh, Flash nodded slightly. "Well, consider us more than even." Another silence passed between the two, during which, they once more continued to simply let the relaxation of the moment wash over them. At the end of it, it was Flash to spoke up yet again. "Even if you hadn't made dinner, I...I still would have enjoyed being here, Sunset." Looking to him, Sunset's smile was a warm one. "You too, Flash." The youths just carried on smiling to one another, until, finally, Sunset looked over to a nearby sofa in the living room section of her apartment. Gesturing to it with her head, she got up from her chair, and Flash, getting the message, began to follow. It didn't take them long to get there, and, rather unceremoniously, they both sat down upon the soft cushions of the sofa, exhaling deeply as they did so. "You know...this is nice," Sunset remarked. Flash turned to her and replied to that. "Yeah. I mean, with all the stuff that goes on most of the time...it's nice to just...you know..." Sunset leaned back further into her sofa, nodding. "Yeah...I do." Time passed., and for a while, all they could hear was the steady breathing of the one beside them. Then, at the end of it all, Sunset looked over to her boyfriend, looking more than a little curious. "You know...I haven't asked how things have been with you when you're not with me." Chuckling slightly, Flash answered. "Nothing special. Just the usual stuff. School, band practise, that kind of thing. Normally, I don't really do anything all that exciting unless I'm with your or the other girls" Sunset gave a brief nod, then took on a more cheerful expression. "So...how's Scootaloo?" At the mention of his sister, Flash regained his earlier smile. "She's as happy as can be. I mean, sure, the stuff she gets up to with her friends can be a little trying at times, but...I wouldn't have her any other way." Sunset smiled to this, happy at seeing the boy more upbeat than before. But, her smile faded when she saw, just for a moment, that his did too. At first, she was hesitant to bring it up, but, in the end, her curiosity won out over her caution. "Flash? Is something wrong?" For a moment, the boy seemed angry with himself that he'd let that tint of sadness show in him. But, after letting out a brief sigh, it was clear that he wasn't going to hide what was on his mind, and so spoke in a slower tone than normal. "It's just...the other day? Father's Day? I took Scoots to...to visit him." Immediately, Sunset's face became one of regret, and she mentally kicked herself for bringing it up. But the line had already been crossed, and there was no going back now. "How...how was it?" she asked. Flash gave a single nod before answering. "About as well as could be expected. No need to clean the stone this time. The groundskeepers are usually pretty good about that. As for Scoots, she..." In spite of everything, Flash actually cracked a smile. "...she started having this conversation with him, like he was really there. Reminded me of what I used to do, back when I was her age." But, as quickly as his smile had come, it faded soon afterwards. "When I think of how he went out...like all those others...I..." He sighed, leaning forward and staring down at the ground. "He did his duty. He was a soldier. He knew this might be the way he went out, but...for my sister to never even know him? That..." Sadness and anger wrestled for control in his expression, and as he placed his hands upon his knees, Sunset saw them clench. She hesitated for a moment, but, ever so slowly she reached forward, placing her hand upon his shoulder. He turned, looking her right in the eye, and in the seconds that followed, they said nothing to one another. Then, at the end, Sunset spoke, in a tone not too dissimilar to how Flash had been talking mere moments ago. "I...I never knew my parents." The melancholy in Flash's eyes subsided, and he listened with curiosity as his girlfriend continued. "When I was little, I...I was found by Celestia. I mean, Princess Celestia, not the one from this world." Flash nodded in understanding, prompting Sunset to carry on. "She'd heard I was better at magic than the other kids at the orphanage, so she took me in. She raised me, nurtured my talents, gave me everything." Slowly, her face became one of bitterness, an echo of the girl she once was. "But...I threw it all back in her face! I said things, did things, and tore her and me apart! I was denied my mother and father, and the one pony who could have filled that hole in my life...I treated her like dirt!" Here, she topped, taking a few calming breaths, before, finally, looking up to the boy once more. "I know that what we both went through isn't the same thing, but...I like to think I understand what it means to lose someone important." Whatever sadness there might have been in Flash's face was gone now, replaced instead by a sympathetic, and even appreciative look. He nodded to her, forming a warm smile as he reached forward and, in a move that mirrored hers, placed it gently upon Sunset's shoulder. "Thank you, Sunset. I...I know that can't have been easy to say to me." At first, she was taken aback by his words, but, after some time had passed, she returned the smile. "I...I don't talk about it very often. I don't even like to think about it, truth be told. The way I was before...and the things I did...I guess I just made myself think that I didn't have a right to talk about my life like that." To that, Flash frowned slightly. "You have every right, Sunset." Sunset looked him right in the eye, seeing the honesty there as he kept on speaking. "I can't claim to know what went on with you and everyone else in that other world, but...whatever it was, you're not that person anymore. You're a better person. A good person. A person we all want to be friends with." A sly smile crept onto Sunset's face. "Just friends, Flash?" Flash returned the look. "You know what I mean. You've changed, Sunset, and for the better. And wherever your parents are, or this Princess Celestia..." Slowly, his face became a warm and affectionate one. "I know, they'd be proud of you. Just like all of us are." To say that she was taken aback by his words would have been a great understatement, as she sat there, looking at him with surprise plastered all over her. But, as time passed, and she looked into his eyes, she saw, yet again, that there was nothing but honesty there. Gradually, her expression softened, and she scooted a little closer to him on the sofa, before, in a move that surprised the boy, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Flash. I...I appreciate that." Though surprised still by this action, Flash soon recovered, smiling back down to her and wrapping his arm around her, holding her closer to him. It was, naturally, a pleasant moment between the youths, and one that was enjoyed and embraced by both of them. But, after a few minutes of staying together like this, Sunset pulled away from him, looking into his eyes again. Flash looked down to her and, to his confusion, saw that her smile was diminishing. Instead, it was replaced by a look of uncertainty, prompting him to break the silence. "Sunset?" Hesitation flickered in her eyes, but only for a moment, and afterwards, to Flash's eternal shock, she lunged forward, planting her lips right upon his. His eyes widened at this, and Sunset blushed a great deal as she carried on with the kiss, but, as time passed for the two of them, the awkwardness of those first moments began to melt away. Flash slowly started to close his eyes, and when that was done, he raised his arms and wrapped them around the girl, holding her to him. Sunset moaned into the kiss slightly, her blush less than what it was before. And the two remained like this, never moving from that position until, after two minutes, their lips parted. Their breathing was heavy to begin with, and they stared into each other's eyes for a while. But, when it was done, it was Flash who spoke up. "Well...um...I wasn't expecting that." Sunset giggled to that. "Neither was I, honestly. But...here we are." The two laughed together, but it was a quiet laugh, intimate and for the two of them alone. Sunset continued to look at him, and during it, she once more gained that look of uncertainty. Flash saw it, and like before, stayed silent, giving her all the time she needed to get her thoughts together. Then, as the boy kept quiet, he watched as his girlfriend rose from the sofa. She took a few calming breaths, and then looked right at him, determination upon her face. Reaching forward, she offered her hand, which Flash looked at for a second before, gently, accepting it. He stood up, knowing that was what she wanted him to do, and before long, she started leading him across the apartment. While he was, at first, unsure of what was going on, his eyes widened with shock when they reached their destination; a door on the other side of the room. "Sunset?" For a brief while, the former unicorn said nothing, then, as she looked from the door to him, she smiled. "Shall we?" Here, it was Flash's turned to look hesitant. "Are...are you sure this is what you want?" Smirking slightly, Sunset leaned closer and gave him another quick kiss upon the lips. When they parted again, she broke the silence. "Does that answer your question?" Still stunned by the second kiss, Flash soon composed himself, thinking things over. "Well...yeah, it kinda does." Sunset laughed briefly, before then looking to her boyfriend in a more affectionate manner. With her free hand, she reached for the door, opening it up and revealing the room within. Flash, naturally, gulped at all of this, and remained quiet as the girl led him in, and once within the room in earnest, he looked back, seeing her close the door behind them, speaking one final utterance. "Yeah...this is gonna be a good night."
The Morning AfterThe first thing that struck her was just how warm it was, far more than on most mornings. Slowly, Sunset cracked one eye open, taking in everything around her. It was her room, just as it always was. Light was pouring in from behind the curtains of her window, bathing the place in a warm glow. There were clothes strewn about on the floor, in a manner more disorganized than she normally liked, and it was here that her eyes widened a little. For there, mixed in with her own clothes, were the clothes of another. Letting that fact sink in, she couldn't help but smile a little, especially when, at long last, she truly felt the arms that were wrapped around her. As slowly as possible, she turned over on her bed, taking a moment to enjoy just how soft they felt this morning. Once turned fully, she saw him; Flash. Unlike her, he was still fast asleep, and bore a look of utter contentment upon his face. He was holding her close, just as he had all night, and Sunset gazed upon him in an adoring manner. For a time, she merely stayed there, counting his breaths, until finally, she reached forward with her one free arm. A few stray strands of blue hair had fallen in front of his face, and she gently swept them aside. Naturally, this motion caused him to stir slightly, before, finally, opening his eyes. Like her, he took a moment to get his bearings, and when he did, his smile widened. "...Hey." "...Hey," she replied. As was usual for a just-woken-up moment, Flash found himself letting out a long yawn, and it was here that he finally let go of his lover. When the yawn subsided, they stared into each other's eyes, in a manner one could not describe any way other than "loving". But, the silence did not last forever, and in the end, it was Sunset who broke it. "So...that happened." Flash chuckled. "Yeah. I...I gotta admit, Sunset, I...I wasn't expecting that." She continued to smile at him. "Me neither. But...I'm glad it did." For a few seconds, Flash seemed happy at that. But, as time passed on, his expression became somewhat more sly than most would normally expect of him. "I have to say...last night was very...educational." In a manner befitting the girl she once was, Sunset raised an eyebrow, smirking as she did so. "Oh? Pray tell, Flash, what did you learn last night?" Continuing to smile at her, Flash scooted a little bit closer, bringing their faces just an inch away from one another. "Well, for one thing, I learned just how long you Equestrians can just go on and on and on." In spite of herself, Sunset giggled. "Yeah...probably should have warned you about that. Still, you kept up pretty well." As one would expect, a remark like that gave Flash licence to look more than a little relieved, much to Sunset's amusement. But, that was not the end of it, as Flash then spoke up once more, looking a little bit more mischievous than before. "You know...I did learn other things last night." Again, Sunset bore a curious look. "Oh?" Flash nodded "Yep. I learned... In a move done too quickly for Sunset to react to, he leaned closer and gave her a tender kiss upon her neck. The effect was immediate, as the girl took in a sharp breath, biting on her lower lip as the feel of that kiss ran through her like a lightning bolt. Pulling away from her, Flash looked very pleased with himself. "...just how much you enjoy that." Sunset needed a few moments just to cool off from that, and when she did, she looked to her boyfriend with as much annoyance as she could muster under the circumstances. Which was, naturally, not very much. "I hope you're not going to try that on me in public, Flash." The boy considered that for a moment, his smirk never leaving him. "Well..." She knew he was only making fun, but even so, Sunset found herself playfully pushing him away, eliciting a laugh from the boy. She too joined in on that laughter, which culminated in him moving closer and giving her a proper kiss, right on the lips. They held each other close, just as they had done last night, and when they at last parted, they looked to each other with that same loving look they'd become so accustomed to. Then, Sunset watched as Flash finally moved out of the bed, making his way over to the nearby window. Sunset kept her eyes on him, leaning her head against her pillow as she saw him pull back the curtains. The light pouring in was almost blinding, but the two quickly got used to it. And, more to the point, it gave the former unicorn a chance to look her lover over, since he hadn't bothered to actually dress himself before going over there. "Who'd have ever guessed...that there was all that under there?" Looking over his shoulder, Flash gave a sly grin. "Says the pot calling the kettle black?" Sunset chuckled. "Hey, let's be fair now, Flash...my great ass was obvious to anyone." The two laughed, much like they'd done moments before, and as Flash walked over to the bed again, he sat upon the side, looking to his girlfriend with a smile. But, that smile faded when he saw her appearing deep in thought. As always, he gave her all the time she needed to get her thoughts in order, and when she finally spoke, it was with a slower tone. "If...if I hadn't been the kind of person I was, back then...we could have had this already." Flash seemed saddened to see her upset over the memories of her past self, but, as ever, remained silent when she spoke. "I didn't know what I had...even after I'd lost it. If only...if only..." Sighing, Flash leaned forward, reaching out and gently placing his hand upon her shoulder, gaining her attention. As Sunset looked up to him, she saw him smile as he spoke. "It's in the past now, Sunset. All of it. What matters...is that we have this now." She stared at him for a time, seeing the honesty in his eyes, before finally cracking a smile. "Right...should have known better than to argue with you about this." A dry laugh escaped Flash at that, and as he shuffled further along the bed, he gave her a quick but affectionate kiss upon her cheek. When it was done, Sunset finally leaned up in the bed, making sure to hold the sheets up to her chest as she did so, lest they fall down and expose her. "You know...we're probably going to have to tell them about this, you do know that, right, Flash?" The boy nodded, sighing as he did so. "I know. But..." Looking back up at her, he offered a warm smile. "...just for a moment...couldn't we, maybe...have this be just for us? Just for a little while?" Sunset pondered that for a time, then returned his smile, leaning closer and giving him a soft kiss upon his lips. When they parted, she titled her head to the side a little, causing some of her hair to drop down in front of one eye, and gave him a half-lidded look in her eyes as she spoke in a soft and amorous manner. "Sure. There'll be time for truth later. But for now? This...is for us."
SpeculationThe hustle and bustle of the school cafeteria was about on par with what most students expected of it, with many of them having difficulty even hearing themselves think over all of the chatter of the different groups packed in here. But, in spite of that, things were of a friendly tone here today, with not a sour face to be seen amongst the large crowd of youths eating their lunches. In the middle of it all, at their usual table, Rainbow, Applejack and the rest of the group locally known as the "Rainbooms" were all happily sitting beside one another, as they usually did at this time. After a good deal of silence amongst them, however, it was Rainbow who finally broke it. "So, I hear you've got some big gig coming up, eh, Rares?" Rarity cracked a smile to that, sweeping aside some of her hair before replying to her friend. "Indeed I do! Coco has been very kind to put my name forward for a local fashion showcase being held in the city. With any luck, I'll be catching some noteworthy eyes here and there." Looking to her companion, Pinkie broke out into her usual wide grin. "That's super-great, Rarity!" And, as expected, the pink-haired girl moved closer and embraced the young fashionista in a tight hug, which the latter, at this point, took in stride, much to the amusement of their friends. But, moments after the hug had ended, it was then Fluttershy's turn to speak, having scoured the rest of their table beforehand. "Um...has anybody seen Sunset?" It was as if they'd only now realised the absence of their former unicorn colleague, as many of the girls started looking around themselves, a look of surprise upon their faces. "Huh...now that you mention it, I guess I haven't, Flutters," Rainbow replied. But, before anybody else had a chance to say anything, Applejack, with a smile of her own, pointed ahead and spoke first. "Hold up, y'all. There she is!" The girls all turned in unison, and sure enough, there she was. Sunset was just a few tables over from where they were, and while they were, at first, confused as to why she was not sitting with them, they soon got their explanation. For it was mere seconds later that they noticed that she was not alone over there, as Flash, her boyfriend, was seated beside her. Realising this, Rarity let out a sigh, observing the couple with an almost admiring glance. "Well, far be it from me to interrupt a happy couple." Rainbow chuckled. "Yeah. Sunset spends a lot of time with us, so I guess it's only fair she spend lunch with her BF every once in a while." There was a round of nods to that statement, which ended when the girls all noticed that Pinkie, in a rather uncharacteristic fashion, was looking to the far-away couple with some confusion. "Hmmm...is it me...or are they really happy over there?" As before, the group turned, and saw, just as Pinkie said, that there was indeed a jovial tone to Sunset and Flash over there. They were leaning close to each other, whispering a few things, even laughing together. Looking back to Pinkie, it was Rarity who spoke next. "Well, they are dating, Pinkie. It's only natural for them to have that kind of joy around each other." Pinkie nodded, but kept her more serious expression. "Yeah...but I know happy, and that over there is really happy." It was as if curiosity had suddenly taken control of the group, as they yet again looked over to their two friends across the lunch room. They couldn't put their finger on it, but there was something about their interactions that seemed even more close than what they were used to seeing from them. It was made all the more suspicious when, all of a sudden, Flash leaned closer to Sunset, whispering something in her ear. Sunset covered her mouth afterwards, playfully pushing him away, all while stifling a giggle of her own, with a blush right across her face as she did so. Seeing that, Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Huh...that does seem a bit more...chummy than usual." While there was yet again a chorus of agreeing murmurs amongst the group, none of them said anything. No, that duty went to the one who now approached their table without them noticing. "Yeah...they've done it." Immediately, all girls turned, and saw that it was their ex-enemy, Aria. The Siren had her hands upon her hips, looking out to Sunset and Flash, and wore a knowing smirk. "That kind of stuff? And at their age? Oh yeah, we've got some action going on there." Many of the girls seemed utterly shocked to hear such a thing, Rarity especially, who stifled a gasp before looking to Aria in a somewhat indignant manner. "I'll grant you that they seem a touch more...affectionate than normal, but...that's no reason to go and assume that they've...done that sort of thing." Looking to her, Aria let out a dry laugh. "Trust me, Rares, if there's anyone who's going to recognise a just-done-it face, it's a Siren." Naturally, none of the others seemed willing to accept the kind of massive news their friend had just bestowed upon them. But, as they turned once more in the direction of Sunset, they did so just in time to witness yet more affectionate behaviour between her and Flash. Sunset had taken to looking down at her plate of food, which contained, at this moment, a small cherry tomato. She gave Flash a look that could only be described as sultry, before picking up her nearby fork and picking up the tomato with it. Carefully, she offered it to Flash, who gave her a similarly sly grin, before opening his mouth and just letting her put the thing in. As one would expect, this led to blushes and hanging jaws for all of the other girls. "Okay...I'm no relationship expert, but...that seems like a pretty big red light to me," Rainbow commented. This time, Rarity seemed to stumble. "Well...erm...I suppose. But...maybe she just felt Flash hadn't eaten enough?" She was stretching at this point, as evidenced by the incredulous look Rainbow gave her. But, she didn't get the opportunity to respond, as yet another unexpected voice suddenly spoke up. "What's that about my brother?" All heads turned, and beside their table, they saw Scootaloo, looking up at them innocently. "Scoots?! How long have you been there?!" Rainbow asked. Scootaloo shrugged her shoulders. "A few seconds. Why?" Rainbow opened her mouth to speak, only to be shot a dark look by her other friends, Aria included, which prompted her to shut herself up. Instead, she scratched the back of her head in a nervous manner, before speaking to the youth in a similar tone. "Um...so Scoots? Have you noticed anything, you know...odd about your brother?" Scootaloo then tilted her head. "Flash? Er...no, not really." There was a round of unsure glances around the table, which ended when the younger girl spoke up again. "Although...there was that time earlier this week when he stayed over at Sunset's." The moment she'd spoken those words, all of the girls widened their eyes. "Um...stayed over?" Fluttershy asked nervously. Scootaloo nodded. "Yep. Must have been doing some kind of study thing or something." As before, nervousness was the order of the day on the faces of all the other girls. That is, except for Aria, who simply bore a clear and unmistakeable "I told you so" look about her. The Siren gave the others a little wave, then started to move off, looking very pleased with herself. As for the others girls they stayed silent for a bit, only to be interrupted when Scootaloo spoke up in a more urgent tone. "Oh! I see Sweetie and Bloom over there! Gotta go!" And go she did, running off in the direction of her friends, leaving the Rainbooms alone with their thoughts. After almost a full minute of silence amongst them, it was Applejack who finally said something. "Well...that about settles it." Pinkie looked to her and nodded. "Yeah, but...why wouldn't Sunset tell us about this?" Turning, Rarity spoke in a softer tone. "Well, as much as I trust you girls, I must confess that, were I to have a lover of my own, I would feel at least somewhat inclined to keep it to myself, for a time anyway." Fluttershy nodded. "Maybe...they just wanted to have this to themselves for a bit?" Leaning back into her chair, Rainbow sighed. "Yeah...makes sense, I guess." Then, slowly, a smirk crept upon her face. "So...they finally bumped uglies? Nice." Rarity snapped her head in her direction. "Rainbow!" The athlete chuckled. "Hey, I'm just joking! Besides...I know you want to talk about it!" Turning away, Rarity gave a little "hmph" before answering. "Yes, well...I like to think I'd do it with a little more grace than you." While Rainbow would have probably spoken further on that point, she was briefly interrupted by Twilight, formerly of Crystal Prep, who had been silent for this entire conversation thus far. The spectacled girl clasped her hands together and had a look that would not have been out-of-place with stars in her eyes. "Oooh! This is so exciting! I could write an entire thesis on this! The effects and outcomes of inter-dimensional relationships and breeding! Think of the grants!" But, her joy was short-lived, as she glanced around the table, seeing the incredulous look on the faces of all of her friends, leading to her smile fading somewhat. "Or...maybe...you know...just let them have their privacy for a bit." A chuckle emerged from Rainbow at that, and she gave the girl a friendly pat on the shoulder, much to her appreciation. Soon afterwards, the girls, after looking at each other awkwardly, started to huddle closer together, with looks of hesitancy and excitement abound for each of them. Many things were discussed between them, like what this might mean for the two lovers, or even, on Rainbow's part, what kind of jokes they can make in future. But, as they discussed the matter, they failed to notice that, even with all of the chatter and noise of the cafeteria around them, the ears of the surrounding tables were not as dull as they would have hoped.
The Principal's OfficeIf there was one place, above all, that a student was likely to fear, it was the Principal's Office. To be there meant one thing; that you were in trouble. Granted, this fear was less prevalent at CHS, since Principal Celestia had gained such a reputation as being friendly and accommodating to her students. But even so, to be here now, without being told why, was cause for concern for any youngster at that school. Such was the case now, with Sunset and Flash sitting beside one another, quietly awaiting the older woman. In the silence, they looked to one another, hoping that the other might have some inkling as to why they'd have been asked here. But it was for naught, as neither seemed to be any less clueless than the other. But, that waiting came to an end when the door behind them finally opened. "Thank you for coming on such short notice." The two turned to see the warm face of Principal Celestia, who promptly closed the door behind her before taking her usual place, at her seat on the opposite side of the desk. For a time, there was yet another awkward silence between them all, during which, Celestia seemed to be studying the two youths before her. Briefly, Sunset could have sworn that her Principal seemed to be struggling with something, as if thinking of the right words to say. But about what, she had no idea. "Principal Celestia? If I may ask...what is this about?" Celestia let out a deep sigh after having been asked that, and she clasped her hands together upon the desk, staring at it for a time before looking up and gazing at Sunset straight in the eye. "Sunset...Flash...I want to say right now that neither of you are in any kind of trouble." Naturally, words like that caught them off-guard, and they gave one another a quick glance before looking back to their elder, who began to continue. "However...it has recently come to my attention that there is...something of great importance regarding the two of you that we should perhaps discuss." And here, at last, realisation began to dawn upon both of their faces. Slowly, they once more cast each other a look, but kept their mouths shut as they did so. Celestia looked from one to the other, analysing them carefully, but nevertheless giving them time to get their thoughts in order. In time, Sunset turned to her again, clearing her throat a little before speaking u in a nervous manner. "I'm...not sure as to what you're referring to, Principal Celestia." Celestia raised her eyebrow slightly, responding with a more stern voice than before. "Oh, I think you do, Sunset. You are probably unaware of this, but...certain rumours have reached my ears recently and...well...I wanted to hear it from you." That settled it, and Sunset gave her boyfriend a guilty glance, one he returned soon afterwards, before sighing and giving a brief nod of her head. "If it's what I think you mean, then...yes. The two of us, we...yes, it's true." Celestia took a moment to take that in, letting out a deep sigh of her own. Almost a full minute of quiet followed this, ending when Celestia reverted to her previous softer tone. "Look...I understand that this is a delicate topic for all concerned. I understand too that...at the end of the day...you're both young. You have a history and you're comfortable around each other. And that, coupled with your recent rekindling of your relationship, well...it's not hard to see something like this happening." Slowly, she looked to each of them, never looking on with judgement or disapproval, like they'd feared. "However...as your Principal, I feel it is my responsibility to make sure that things are okay with you. The fact that this has apparently reached school-level rumours is going to be difficult enough for you. But there are also...other matters to discuss." At first, Sunset genuinely didn't know what she meant by that. But her confusion was short-lived when Celestia spoke up once more. "I don't need to remind you of what happened with Miss Derpy, do I?" Sunsets eyes widened, and she and Flash started weaving their hands in an almost defensive way, with the boy finally speaking up himself in all of this. "Oh! You don't need to worry about that, Principal Celestia! We were careful about that. Protection and everything." Celestia looked to him and gave a brief nod. "I'm glad to hear it. But..." She glanced over at Sunset again. "I would hope that, even with all of that...the two of you know to keep such things more...private in future." A blush formed on Sunset's face, and she nervously scratched the back of her head. "I...I suppose we might have been a bit too obvious in public." A smirk crept onto Celestia's face. "I was young myself once, Miss Shimmer. So believe me, I understand what young love feels like." But, her smirk then faded, replaced instead by a more serious expression. "But I trust you understand that, even in a school as accepting as ours, there are certain levels of...restraint we expect our students to adhere to." Sunset nodded, understanding all over her face. "We do, Principal Celestia. And I apologise that Flash and I weren't exactly discreet about it. But I promise you, we'll try and hold back a bit while we're here." Celestia smiled, giving a brief nod. "That is good to hear. I do not tell you all this to discourage you, Sunset. I know you and Flash are responsible people, and I know what it is to feel that strongly about someone. If the two of you are happy together, then I'm happy for you." She leaned forward, gently placing her hand upon Sunset's. "Just...try not to be too obvious about it in future, okay?" Chuckling slightly, Sunset nodded, as did Flash. The older woman gave them each a nod, followed shortly by her gesturing to the nearby door. The two youths got the message immediately, and gave her a brief nod, getting up and making their way over. They opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, closing the thing behind them. And here, having finally left the office, they let out a simultaneous sigh of relief over the whole matter. Gradually, they looked to one another, sharing a sense of embarrassment over all of this. But, before they had the chance to say anything, they were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. They turned in time to see Rainbow, Applejack and their friends walking up to them, guilt plastered all over their faces. "Guys?" Sunset asked. When the girls finally reached them, they looked to one another, as if silently asking each other to be the first to speak. When that silence ended, it was Applejack who did the honours, holding her trademark hat in both hands before speaking in an apologetic tone. "We're...we're sorry...about letting this stuff slip." Sunset knew what they meant by that, as did Flash, but neither of them looked to them with anger. Instead, and after giving each other a quick look, they simply smiled, with Sunset responding to her friend's words. "It's okay, Applejack. Everything's fine." The farm girl, as well as everyone else for that matter, didn't seem to believe that Sunset or Flash could be so understanding about all of this. But, that was indeed the case, and when they saw nothing but honesty in her expression, they breathed a collective sigh of relief, not dissimilar from the one the two young lovers had given not so long ago. But, when that was done, Sunset suddenly found herself face-to-face with Rarity, who was practically giddy over all of this. "Well, if that's settled, then let's get down to the business of details!" Here, Flash slapped his forehead. "Oh, please don't!" But Rainbow walked up to him, slapping a hand down on his shoulder, and gave one of her customary cackles. "Sorry, bud. But ya should have seen this coming."
CalmThe two simply sat upon the sofa, staring out of the window on the opposite side of the apartment. As Sunset and Flash stayed together like this, neither of them said a word, merely counting the moments as they passed by. One would look at this image, and could not help but think the word "awkward". Nothing but silence, for minute after minute, broken only when Flash, after letting out an exasperated sigh, spoke up. "Well...quite a week, eh?" Sunset cracked a smile, nodding. "Yeah...never quite pictured it going like this." Flash gave a nod of his own. "I hope you didn't tell the girls too much about...you know." His girlfriend turned to him, seeing him blush slightly, before giving one of her smirks as she answered. "Don't you worry about that, Flash. That stuff...that's all for me." The red in his cheeks grew, but even so, he gave genuine laughter to that, leaning forward and giving the former unicorn a tender kiss upon her cheek. She smiled warmly to that, and promptly scooted over, leaning her head against his. Silence returned, but this time, it was far shorter, ending when Sunset spoke in a soft tone. "If there's one thing this whole week has taught me...it's that it really is official now. This has really happened. You...me...us...again." Flash continued to smile as he looked down at her, and using one free hand, not only wrapped it around her body, but also carefully stroked her hair. "If you'd have told me a year ago that this was going to start up again...I'd probably not believe you." Sunset chuckled. "Preaching to the choir on that one, Flash." Slowly, she looked up at him. "But now that it has...I'm...honestly happy." She glanced down at the ground as she continued. "I never admitted it to myself back when...when we were first together, but...I actually did miss you when we broke up." Then she looked right back up at him. "You were the one thing about being in this world I actually found myself being fond of. I had no friends, no family, just...you." Gradually, her smile returned. "And now...I have you again." Flash's smile widened in turn. "And I have you. It might have taken a bit...and as few odd things along the way...but we're together again." Sunset smirked slightly as she leaned into his shoulder. "Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry. Back then we were the couple that everyone gossiped about." Flash raised an eyebrow. "We kind of are again, but...you know...for different reasons now." A fierce blush crept onto Sunset's face. "Ugh! Don't remind me! To think that all those boys and girls are gonna be talking about us like...like that! It just..." "I know," Flash finished. Sunset looked up to him, seeing him smile down at her, and the annoyance that had been with her suddenly left her, replaced instead by a warmer feeling. She smiled and leaned forward, and together, the two shared a loving kiss upon each other's lips. It lasted for almost a full minute before, finally, they parted from one another, with Flash looking particularly pleased with himself. "I'll say right now...I will never get tired of doing that with you." Sunset couldn't help but let out a giggle. "You're not the only one." The two shared a laugh together, filling the apartment with a pleasant atmosphere for perhaps the first time today. However, when it died down, Flash looked down at his girlfriend with a look of uncertainty. "Now I just need to keep girls like Pinkie and Lemon from giving me flirty looks all the time." To that, Sunset gazed up at him again, smirking as she did so. She gave the boy a quick peck upon his cheek before speaking in a determined tone. "I can't blame them for it. But even so...just let them try." Though at first taken aback by that fierce look in her eyes, Flash eventually morphed into a knowing smirk of his own. "Now there's the bad girl I love to love."
