The bell rang signaling the end of another school day at CHS. The students quickly became a swarm, filling the halls as they moved about to pack up their things, head to after-school clubs, hang out with friends, or head home.
Flash Sentry was among them, having already packed his backpack with the things he needed at home and his favorite guitar hanging from his shoulder. He walked with a sluggish gait towards the school entrance, just ready to head home and get the day over with. A dark cloud was hovering over him and nothing he did could shake him free of it. It had been over his head ever since they had all gotten back from Camp Everfree, and it clung to his heart like a lead weight.
He just wanted to get to his car and go somewhere. It didn't really matter where, he just wanted to be away from the school.
“Twilight!” Flash froze in place, as a male voice he'd become all too familiar with called out across the courtyard.
“Timber!” Twilight's voice calls out in return. Flash's fist tightened into a deadly grip, his fingernails digging into his palm. He could feel his anger bubbling inside of him already, realizing he'd stumbled into the very situation he had been hoping to avoid. He should just keep moving, he should head to his car like he planned, stop himself before his emotions boiled over and exploded inside of him.
He turned and looked at where the voices had come from. Timber Spruce had his arms wrapped around Twilight Sparkle, the two of them embracing tightly. Ever since the trip to Camp Everfree, the two of them had started dating. Though Timber had already graduated, he was close enough in age to Twilight that no one really thought much of it.
Flash knew he should be happy for her, he was supposed to still be her friend after all. So what if he had wanted to date her at one point, he wasn't dating her now and she was happy, so he should be happy too.
So why did it hurt so much?
The hug broke apart for just a moment, and then their lips met each other. Flash grit his teeth, his fist clenching tighter. His fingernails would draw blood if he gripped any tighter. Timber's hands caressed Twilight's back, slowly lowering down her body. They were wandering dangerously low, going down to her hips when-
“Timber!” Twilight spoke up as she broke the kiss, playfully slapping her boyfriend's chest, “We're still in front of the school!”
“Sorry, can't help myself with how beautiful you are sometimes.” He chuckles in return. He then slips his arm around her shoulder and the two start walking off together. “I've got a great day planned for us though. A whole day, just for the two of us.”
“That sounds wonderful, I can't wait!” Twilight girlishly giggles in excitement as the two of them head out. They turn the corner and walk around the side of the school, disappearing from sight.
It isn't until the two are out of sight that Flash realizes he was staring the whole time. His hand hurts like hell, but he doesn't care. His emotions are boiling over in his mind and he can't stop them. He storms off towards the parking lot, heading for his car.
He tries for even a moment to wrap his mind around what he's feeling. Jealousy, anger, rage, betrayal, disgust, guilt, self-loathing, angst, despair, sadness, depression. By the time he reaches the side of his car he feels ready to break down crying in the parking lot, unable to handle the turmoil in his head.
He doesn't though. He holds it all in, grits his teeth, and forces himself to try and bottle his emotions. Put them away somewhere they won't hurt him or anyone else.
“Hey Flash, you doing alright?” A familiar voice jolts him from his thoughts. A hand quickly reaches up to his face and rubs it. He hadn't been crying, but he'd been on the verge and he didn't want any trace of that left. He turned to look behind him and saw his ex standing there, a look of worry across her face. “You don't look so good.”
“Ah... I'm fine, thanks for worrying.” Flash forces a smile for her as he turns to his car, pulling out his keys. “I just got a lot on my mind, that's all.”
“You wanna talk about it?” Sunset asks, leaning against the hood of his car, looking at him sympathetically, “It's not good to keep everything bottled inside, you know.”
“I guess you would know.” He says a bit more curtly than he intended, jamming the key into the driver's side door, “I just need to get away from here, that's all.”
“Hey, look,” Sunset speaks up calmly, leaning forward a little, “Why don't you and I go get something to eat and you can tell me everything over dinner? You look like you could use a friend, and it's been a while since just the two of us hung out.”
“That sounds like you're asking me out on a date.” Flash rolled his eyes at the offer, “And we both know how that went before.”
“Hey, come on, I'm genuinely offering this as your friend Flash. I know things with us didn't exactly end spectacularly, but I still care about you.” She gave him a smile before slipping off his hood and walking around to the passenger side of his car, “Besides, I really could go for a burger myself, so let's hit two birds with one stone huh?” She chuckled at that, “Don't tell Fluttershy I said that though.”
Flash didn't want to smirk at the joke, but he found himself unable to stop a snicker from escaping his throat.
“Yeah okay, a burger sounds good.” He finally opened his car door and unlocked her side with the switch, “But as friends, we're buying our own meals, okay?”
“Deal.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“So, tell me what's on your mind man.” Sunset spoke up as she unwrapped half of her burger before taking a bite out of it. The two of them had gone to a local burger joint known for their juicy burgers, and Flash had to admit it was one of his favorite places to stop for lunch or dinner.
“I get the feeling you already know.” Flash shook his head as he unwrapped his own burger. They hadn't said much about his feelings on the trip there, which turned out for the best as it let him calm down a lot. Now he was back to what he called normal these days, a heavy weight pulling down on his chest that felt like it was trying to suffocate him.
“Yeah, I don't think it's that hard to guess.” Sunset shook her head, “But I'm not here to tell you what's wrong with you, it's to listen to you. So you tell me what's wrong, and I'll listen.” She then picked up her drink and took a sip from it.
Flash let out a reluctant sigh as his free hand reached up and brushed through his hair. He knew full well what was wrong with him, and he was sure Sunset knew too, but admitting to it was so hard. He felt like he could trust her, but he didn't know how she was going to react to hearing him say it out loud. He just had to bite the bullet and face it head on.
“I'm... Pretty sure I'm jealous of Timber and Twilight.” He forced out, staring down at his burger. He'd ordered it just the way he liked it, and it was one of his favorites, but he suddenly didn't feel very hungry.
“Had a feeling.” Sunset nodded her head as she bit down on a fry, “Even though this is our Twilight whose in a relationship, you're still feeling this way.” Sunset tilted her head curiously at him, “After all, didn't you have your crush on Princess Twilight?”
“I...” Flash's words jumbled in his head as he let out another sigh, resting his elbow on the table and his face into his hand, “It's complicated.”
“I'm not going anywhere, and I'm used to complicated emotions.” Sunset nodded in understanding. “Just take your time and explain it at your pace.” With that she took another bite of her burger, letting Flash take all the time he needed to organize his thoughts.
She really was different from back when he dated her, it was almost scary. She had always seemed so dismissive of his problems back then, or like they went in one ear and out the other. This was different though, she was actually hearing him out. He didn't take that kindness for granted.
“I just... At some point I kind of started to realize that...” Flash rubbed the back of his head as he tried to straighten his thoughts, “Princess Twilight is, well, a Princess. She comes from another world and helps us with our problems when they get too big for us to handle. She's smart, courageous, funny, and beautiful. The moment I got to know her even a little bit, it felt like there was something there that I didn't even realize before.”
“Mhmm.” Sunset nodded in understanding, chewing her food as she listened.
“But that's exactly it. She comes here to help us, and those are the only times I see her.” Flash sighed, shaking his head. “I like her, I really do, but I have no way to regularly communicate with her, or get to know her better, or take her out on dates or... Or anything you'd expect from two people looking to form a relationship.” He closed his eyes and hung his head, “So when Twilight transferred from Crystal Prep, it sort of felt like the universe was throwing me a bone, you know? It wasn't Princess Twilight sure, but she looks like her, sounds like her, has a lot of her mannerisms, so I thought, maybe...”
“The two of you could have had something.” Sunset nodded her head in understanding. “But, in the end, our Twilight isn't Princess Twilight.”
“Yeah, it's a reality I'm facing the hard way.” Flash sighed again, putting his burger down and hanging his head. “I'm such a jerk... I should be happy for her, really I should. But here I am feeling awful and wishing things were different and that she could be mine... And that makes me an awful person.”
“Come on Flash, you're not an awful person, you're just dealing with rejection.” Sunset smiled comfortingly, “Emotions are a complicated thing to deal with. It's not easy feeling the way you do, especially when the wounds are so fresh. You'll feel better with time. You just need some space to yourself for a bit to let your feelings calm down, and then I'm sure you can be a great friend to Twilight like you want to be. And if not, then at least you tried, and you'll always have a friend in me.” Sunset gave him a comforting smile as she took another bite from her burger.
“And hey, I'm sure some lucky lady will come along and make you happier than you can imagine.” Sunset chuckled, giving a wink, “Princess Twilight is still single too, I'm sure there's still a chance for you two.”
“Yeah, if we can get past the whole 'living in different dimensions' thing.” Flash rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but get a smile on his face too. “...Thanks for letting me talk Sunset, I think it actually is helping.”
“What are friends for Flash?” Sunset returned with a smile. “If you ever need to get something off of your chest, I'll be there for you.”
“I'll keep that in mind.” Flash smiled as he finally picked up his burger and took another bite out of it. It tasted way better now that his mind was a bit more clear. “Hey... You know what would be great after this?"
"What's that?" Sunset tilted her head curiously.
"Something we used to do back when we were dating. Just you and me, having a jam sessions on our guitars," He smiled warmly at the memories. "More than anything, playing on my guitar has been helping me get through all of this, and I can't help but notice how much better you've gotten since back then. So the two of us working on a song together? I'd really like that."
"Heh, sure, sounds like fun Flash," Sunset smiled warmly. "In times like these, it really is good to have some kind of outlet for your emotions like that."
"Thanks Sunset." Flash smiled again. He counted himself lucky to have a friend like her.
Author's Note
I'm not entirely certain what inspired this fic, but I'm pretty sure it had to do with the fact that I've basically been in Flash's shoes before. Knowing there was a girl you liked, only to then see her fall for someone else, but still trying to remain a good friend to her despite how you feel. It's tough. It's a feeling I sympathize with. And since I'm one of the few people in the fandom that doesn't seem to irrationally hate Flash Sentry, this story just came to my mind.
And especially since it's very rare for me to be inspired to write something spur of the moment, and given the limited window that this story will be relevant before Legend of Everfree comes out, it was basically a 'Write it now or never situation' and I went with 'write it now'. For what it's worth, I hope you enjoyed it.
“I get how you feel, really I do,” Sunset couldn't help but give a sad smile herself. “I've been in your situation too after all.”
“Huh?” Flash blinked in confusion looking up at his ex, “You've had unrequited love?”
“Yup. It's not an easy feeling to let go of either. But when you truly love someone, sometimes the best thing to do is to just let those feelings go and move on with your life.” Sunset took a bite out of her burger. “Sometimes you'll be happier that way.”
“Huh, I never thought you'd have unrequited love.” Flash chuckled softly, scratching his cheek at the thought. “Can I ask you who it was?”
Sunset stopped chewing, her eyes widening in surprise at the question. She looked left and right, then back at flash and swallowed her food hard. She suddenly became very sheepish as she seemed to shrink in her seat. Her cheeks flushed as she put a hand up to cover her eyes from the ceiling lights. Flash couldn't help but blink in confusion at her actions.
“...Promise you won't be mad?” Sunset asked quietly, as if afraid of the answer. Flash furrowed his brow in further confusion.
“Mad? Why would I be mad? Who could you possibly have a crush on that would make me...” Flash's thoughts stopped mid-sentence as he connected the dots in his head. “...No way.” He said more to himself than to Sunset, “You have a crush on Princess Twilight?”
Sunset let out a groan as she covered her face. “Look, I'm sorry okay? I can't help it.” Sunset shook her head, “I like her for all the same reasons you do. She's just so... Perfect! What isn't there to like about her.” Sunset let out a sigh as she sat up, lifting her head and looking away from Flash, “But I sort of made peace with the fact that she's probably not interested in me anyway. Plus I don't want to stand in the way of anything you two might have going on. You two are really cute together, you know?” She lowered her head and grabbed a fry. “So uh... Yeah, now you know.”
“Huh.” Flash said, still processing what he'd heard. It wasn't everyday your ex admitted to have a crush on your crush. The both of them were crushing on the same Princess from a different dimension, what were the odds? “I guess it's a shame we can't both be in a relationship with her then, huh?” Flash jokingly chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, a shame we can't...” Sunset started to joke back, before a realization struck her. Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at Flash in shock. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened, and closed again. Flash was very confused with her actions as he sipped his drink, before one word finally slipped from her mouth quietly. “...Herds...”
“I'm sorry?” Flash asked, not having heard her correctly.
“Herds are totally a thing in Equestria.” Sunset blurted out, “It's not strange at all for ponies to be in a polyamorous relationship! We could actually, the two of us, be in a relationship with Twilight.”
Flash stopped midway from taking another bite of his food at Sunset's confession. He lowered the burger in question and looked at Sunset dubiously. “Wait... Are you being serious?”
“One hundred percent.” Sunset nodded her head as she sat back, looking down at her hands as if she was starting to do calculations, “I mean polyamorous relationships can be tricky, sure, but if everyone's happy then there really aren't any downsides to it. Not to mention the way herds work in Equestria, everyone is usually getting what they want out of the relationship and no one gets left out.” She looked back up at Flash with wide eyes, “This is part of Twilight's culture, there's a high probability she'd be okay with it.”
“Are... Are you actually suggesting we both try to get together with Twilight?” Flash asked, unable to believe that this was a real conversation they were having.
“Do you have anything to lose?” Sunset grew a broad grin, “I'd be happy, you'd be happy, and we'd both be making Twilight happy.”
“But what about us?” Flash cocked his head, “The last time we were in a relationship, that ended badly. Are you sure we wouldn't just be making the same mistakes we did back then?”
Sunset hesitated at that, curling her fingers together. “Well... I... Won't deny that... I kind of screwed things up majorly between us...” Sunset rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing as she remembered their time together. “But I really have changed, even you can see that. I think the two of us would work fine together again, especially if we have the common goal of being with Twilight.”
“...This... This is a lot to take in all at once.” Flash shook his head, putting a hand to his forehead. “Are we serious about this? Is this something we're actually going to try?”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained right?” Sunset grinned broadly. “If Twilight hates the idea we can just back off, but she at least won't think it strange that we tried.” Sunset extended her hand to Flash, “What do you say, want to try? Partner?”
Flash stared at the extended hand, unable to believe that it was a real offer being given to him. He mulled it over in his head once more, before shaking his head with a laugh.
“You know what? Why not.” He reached out his hand and shook Sunset's back, “For crazy plans in the name of love.”
“Operation Flashing SunLight is a go!” Sunset grinned as they shook.
“...Operation...” Flash stared dumbfounded, “That's not the first time you've thought of that name.”
Sunset's cheeks heated as she embarrassingly grinned, looking off to the side. “A girl has fantasies sometimes, you know?”
Author's Note
After I had produced the outline and key events of this story in my head, I was satisfied with it. Then my brain instantly started thinking up a humorous alternate ending where everyone ended up happy, with plenty of SunLight too because my brain is fully of shipping trash sometimes 
