Meet the Familiesby Jay DavidChaptersThrough the PortalPrincessesCatching UpA More Peaceful MeetingThrough the PortalFlash stared at the statue for the longest time, never moving an inch from where he stood. It was, he had to admit, a strange thing to consider. This statue, which was still a largely-unrepaired mess after the Friendship Games, had been here for as long as he could remember. But within its stone was the power to send you to another world. The thought gave him pause, to know that such magic was right under his and everybody else's noses this whole time. But, he also cracked a smile, letting out a sigh as he let himself dwell on what he knew was about to happen. And speaking of which, his attention was then diverted by the clear sound of somebody clearing their throats. Turning, his smile widened, as he saw the one standing behind him. "You ready?" Sunset asked. Flash nodded, taking a few deep breaths as he once more looked to the statue. "Yeah. I just...I'm not sure what to expect." Returning the smile, Sunset walked beside him, placing her hand upon his arm as she too stared at the portal before her. "Imagine a roller coaster...times ten." Flash looked to her with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you. That makes me feel...so much better." Sunset smirked at that remark, before then taking a clear step forward, prompting Flash to do the same. The former unicorn held out her hand, and Flash, getting the message, took it into his own. With that done, Sunset smiled to him before, at last, practically throwing herself through the portal, with Flash in-tow behind her. It was, it had to be said, pretty much exactly as Sunset had said, with sounds and light rushing past Flash at high speeds, to the point where he could barely take it all in. What he could take in, however, was the massive thud he felt as he emerged from the other side, crashing unceremoniously into a hard floor. "Ugh! That...that will take some getting used to." He reached up to nurse a sore spot on his head, only to stop dead in his tracks when he realised that what now touched that spot was, very clearly, not a hand. Slowly, he turned, and saw, to his utter shock, that an orange hoof now greeted his gaze. He froze in this moment, clearly struggling with the sight before him, but, after a few moments, he instinctively began to move his former hand. Sure enough, the hoof moved, though his face remained one of shock. "And that...I don't think I could get used to." A giggle caused him to turn to its source, and here, if possible, his shock deepened further. "How did you think I felt when I first came to your world?" The voice was as familiar as anything. It was Sunset alright, though the face that looked to him was not the one he had grown accustomed to. It was, just as he'd been told, a unicorn. A real, flesh and blood unicorn, complete with horn. Flash, naturally, struggled as he attempted to get to his hooves, but all the while, his eyes never left Sunset. He looked her over, never saying a word, but just taking in everything about her altered appearance. Her fur, her hooves, her tail, the symbol inscribed onto her hind legs. In the end, he said perhaps the only thing one could say under the circumstances. "So...this is you? The real you?" Looking herself over briefly, Sunset turned back to him and gave a nod. "Yep. Well...in this world anyway." Flash stayed silent for a further few moments, trying to think of what else to say in this situation. Soon, he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Um...you look good." Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Flash, how could you possibly know what's good-looking or not among ponies you've never seen before?" He stumbled for a moment on this, before quickly saying what, in his mind, was the correct answer. "...Because it's you?" The unicorn mare blushed slightly, though it was coupled with both a giggle and a shake of her head at that, rather admittedly, corny thing her boyfriend had just said. Taking a few steps forward, she reached out a hoof, which Flash stared at for a few moments before, finally, just taking it. Sunset then helped him up, eventually getting him on all fours the way a pony was supposed to be standing. His knees were wobbly for a time, which she gave him a reassuring look over. "Don't worry. It'll come to you...eventually." Flash chuckled to that, albeit briefly. "This...this is...um..." Sunset giggled again. "Trust me, you're preaching to the choir on that one, Flash." Here, she took a few steps backward, continuing to look at him in an affectionate manner. "Take your time. Just...try taking a few steps forward." The former human nodded, looking down at his hooves, and still not quite believing all of this. He took a few breaths, before starting to move one hoof forward. Things started well enough, but after just a few steps, he began to stumble. He might have had his face planted into the ground again, had it not been for Sunset, who promptly used her magic to keep him from making that impact. Naturally, seeing himself bathed in a magical aura was quite a surprise for him. "Is...is this your magic?" Sunset nodded, using her power to get him back into a standing position. "Yeah. It's been a while since I've used it though." The aura faded once Flash was standing again, and here, he took a few breaths to clam himself. "I...I'm not sure if I can do this." Sunset rolled her eyes to that, walking over to stand beside him. "Relax. It's like riding a bike. You'll get the hang of it." This time, Sunset stood beside him as he again attempted to walk forward. Every time there was a slight stumble on his part, she reached over for him, helping to stabilize him. This went on for some time, a good five minutes in fact, before, at last, the newly-made stallion seemed to be getting his footing. "Okay, I think...I think I can just about do it now." Sunset's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear it. Who knows? You might even want to try your hand at flying when this is over." Naturally, Flash looked to her with confusion plastered all over his face. Slowly, realisation dawned on him, and he began to turn his head as far around as he could. There, just as he'd suspected, were a pair of wings on the side of his body, feathers and all. In that same slow manner, he turned to look back at his girlfriend, his face utterly deadpan as he spoke. "Sunset? Do I have a pair of wings?" Sunset nodded, prompting him to continue. "...Huh." The mare shook her head to this, before then gesturing to a nearby door. "I hate to sound like I'm rushing you, but...I think they're probably waiting for us by now." Shaking himself out of his still-surprised state, Flash nodded. He kept his gaze down as he started to walk again, making sure to be extra careful with every step. "So...this is a Princess I'm meeting?" he asked. Sunset nodded. "Yes. We were never blood, but...she was the only real family I ever had." Flash looked up to her, seeing the many emotions battle in her expression as she spoke those words. His own face softened considerably as he sighed, reaching out with one hoof and placing it upon her shoulder. When he spoke, it was with as soothing a tone as he was capable of giving. "I'll try not to disappoint you." Hearing that, Sunset was, briefly, taken aback, before simply letting out a small chuckle. "I know you'll do fine, Flash. Though I admit I never imagined a day might come when I'd be introducing a boyfriend to my old teacher." Both youths laughed together at that, and Flash, as ever, continued to make his way carefully towards the door, with Sunset beside him and keeping him steady. In the end, Flash uttered what were, perhaps, the most appropriate words to speak, given everything he knew he was about to be exposed to. "Well...no pressure, right?" PrincessesAt his current pace, and even with the aid of Sunset, it took Flash quite a while to make it down a single hallways in this place. But, his girlfriend was patient with him, and very much sympathetic to his situation, having been in his position herself some time ago. However, just as she'd said to him, he eventually managed to get more confidence in his movements, eventually to the point where he could walk at a fairly decent speed. Though he took great pains to appear as composed as possible, there was no escaping the nervousness plastered all over his face, especially when, at the end of the hall, a magnificent door awaited them. By way of almost a sixth sense, Flash knew what awaited him on the other side, and when he reached it, he stopped, taking a few deep breaths. Standing beside him, Sunset gave him a reassuring look. "You ready?" Sighing, Flash nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." She smiled, before then turning to the door and lighting her horn up. The door's handles became bathed in her aura, and with a single push of her magic, they opened. Beyond was a room both vast and regal, with walls and floors of shining crystal; the central chamber of the Friendship Palace. Naturally, Flash was in awe of this place, his eyes never straying to the ground as he took it all in. Sunset was amused by this reaction to what, to her, was a perfectly normal thing. But, eventually, she cleared her throat, gaining his attention. "Let's not keep them waiting." At first, Flash was unaware of what she meant, but then, after a few moments, the memory of his true purpose here was remembered, and he looked straight ahead. There, in the centre of the chamber, was a great round table, surrounded by seven crystal thrones. And on the far side, two of those thrones were currently occupied. To Flash's eyes, they appeared to be further unicorns, but that notion was dispelled when, after a few steps closer, he realised that the two figures both bore a pair of wings, much like himself. One was tall, a bright white in her fur and a startling rainbow mane, which bore a golden crown atop it. The other was smaller, more Sunset's size, and coloured a light lavender, with a darker purple mane. The former looked to the two of them with seriousness, while the other bore an affectionate smile. "Sunset. Flash. A pleasure to have you both with us." It was the taller pony that had spoken, and her voice, while certainly courteous, was nevertheless cool and reserved. She was analysing him, that much he could feel, leading to a single drop of sweat falling down the side of his head. But, as Sunset approached the table, so too did he, and the whole room was silent as the two drew closer. Eventually, they made their way to the table, and after a bit of difficulty on Flash's part, he eventually took his place on one of the thrones, as did Sunset. There was further silence for a time, during which, the taller pony kept her eyes on the stallion. Naturally, Flash was more than a little nervous over this, but, thankfully, he found that the silence was soon broken, by none other than the smaller of the two before him. "It's...it's good to see you again, Flash." The moment he'd heard those words, his new ears perked up instinctively. His head snapped in her direction, and for the longest time, he stared at her. He looked to her features, her eyes, the shape of her mane, her colours, even the way she looked to him with a degree of affection. Disbelief crossed Flash's face, which eventually morphed into familiarity and shock. "Tw...Twilight?!" The mare blushed slightly, giving a brief nod. "Yeah, um...I guess this is the first time you've seen me...well...like this." Flash stared at her, until he eventually realised that his mouth was gaping open the whole time. Sunset stifled a giggle at this, and the stallion soon shook himself out of that state, looking to his former girlfriend with a mix of both genuine happiness and awkwardness. "It's...it's good to see you too, Twilight." Her smile widened after hearing that, as indeed did his own. But, before anypony could say anything else to each other, they all turned to the sound of somepony clearing their throats. And Flash suddenly felt nervous again as the larger pony began to fix her gaze upon him more seriously. "Flash Sentry, yes?" Gulping, Flash gave a brief nod, prompting the other pony to continue. "Well met. I am Princess Celestia. One of the rulers of Equestria." Flash's eyes darted left, then right, before offering a small smile and a wave of his hoof. "It's...nice to meet you, your highness?" Celestia raised her eyebrow, and Flash, all of a sudden, began to feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh! I mean...your majesty? Your...eminence? Your..." Slowly, he leaned over to Sunset, whispering. "What am I supposed to call her?" Sunset placed a hoof upon her forehead, but before her words could get out, the elder Princess spoke once more. "When I heard that my former pupil was involved with somepony, I knew I had to meet him. And now...here you are." Looking to her, Flash chuckled nervously. "Yes...well...it's an honour to meet you too, your...your Princess...ness?" Again, Sunset slapped her forehead, as indeed did Twilight. But, neither said anything as Celestia continued. "In fact, if what I've been told is true...you have, in fact, courted both of my students in the past, correct?" Flash's pupils shrank slightly, and he glanced over to Twilight, who gave him a gesture that screamed "just say something" to him, which he then elected to do. "Well...yes, I have. I was very happy with Twilight, even if it was only for a brief time. But...circumstances being what they were...we both decided that the relationship...well...couldn't last." Celestia gave a short nod. "Indeed. I have heard the tale. And I trust, Mr Sentry...that you do not plan no ending your time with Sunset anytime soon?" His eyes widened, and he shook his hooves in an almost defensive gesture. "No! I'm not going to leave her!" Celestia kept her eyebrow well and truly up at those words. "Oh? You left her once before, did you not?" Flash stumbled for a moment, doing his best to get his words out. "That was...things were...we were both different people back then!" Celestia continued to stare at him, as if gazing into his very soul, and Flash, for his part, did his best to try and match her, stare for stare. There was a silence as dead as a graveyard during all of this, but, in the midst of it all, Flash began to hear something that, he knew, couldn't be going on right now. It was, without question, the sound of giggling, albeit rather stifled giggles. Slowly, he cast a glance to his left, and saw, to his confusion, that both Sunset and Twilight were covering their mouths with their hooves. Looking to them with uncertainty, Flash then saw them eventually just drop their hooves, and the giggles came thick and fast. After a few moments of this, however, the laughter died down, and Sunset looked to her teacher with a smile. "Princess Celestia, please, you're just torturing him at this point." Flash's head snapped back in Celestia's direction, just in time to see, for the first time, the older pony actually start to crack a smile. After letting out a brief chuckle, she leaned back into her respective throne before starting to speak to him yet again. But this time, things were different. Because unlike before, when her voice was rather cold and somewhat pointed, this time, it was calm, sounding almost like what a Mother might sound like. "I do apologize, Flash. In all my years I have never had one of my student introduce a coltfriend to me. And I suppose I've just always wanted to play the "disapproving parent" role just once in my life." Taking all of that in, Flash's expression was one of both disbelief and confusion. But, in the end, he let out an exhale that was so long that it honestly sounded like he was letting out more air than his body was even capable of storing. At the end of this, he rested his head upon the table, looking, understandably, quite relieved this his interrogation had come to an end. "That...that wasn't nice," was all he could manage to say. Reaching over, Sunset gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. "Sorry, sweetie. I guess we just couldn't help ourselves." Looking up, Flash gave her a brief frown, before simply sighing again. He got back into an upright sitting position, just in time to see Celestia lean close, looking to him with interest. "Sunset and Twilight have told me much about you. If even half of what they say is true, then you are a fine lad, Flash, and one that I'm happy my students were able to find for themselves." A blush crept onto his face at that. "Well...thank you, Miss." Celestia chuckled to that. "Please, just call me Celestia." Here, Flash formed a smile of his own. "You know...we actually have a Celestia back in our world. She's the Principal at our school." Celestia nodded. "Indeed. I have been told as much. Tell me, is she a few thousand years old as well?" Flash paused, staring at Celestia, with disbelief once more his prime expression. After thinking things over for a moment, he eventually just gave an answer. "Erm...I can honestly say she isn't." Celestia nodded. "Hmmm, interesting." Flash thought long and hard about the matter, before looking to the older Princess with curiosity. "She...she does have a sister, though. Do you?" A smirk crept onto Celestia's face. "Indeed I do. In fact..." But, she did not get the chance to finish her sentence, as then, in that very moment, a nearby set of doors suddenly opened by way of further magic. All heads turned in its direction, and Flash saw, to his surprise, yet another winged unicorn made her way into the chamber. This one, however, was of a darker colour, all blues, with what appeared to be the night sky itself within her flowing mane. Naturally, he found this an impressive sight. As the newcomer made her way further and further into the chamber, both Twilight and Sunset gave her a smile and nod in greeting, which was promptly returned by the former. But then, she fixed her eyes upon Flash, and the stallion, of course, suddenly felt his nerves returned with a vengeance. "Ah, this must be the human lover we have been told about." Flash looked around himself, only to remember that it was him that she was talking about. The larger mare approached him, walking around the table to get a closer look, much to the embarrassment of Sunset, who covered her eyes with her hooves. When Luna was finally within reach of Flash's chair, her eyes looked him over very carefully, and she even resorted to starting to slowly walk all around him as she analysed him. As one would expect, Flash suddenly gained a healthy respect for the victims in shark-attack movies in this moment, as Luna circled him with intent. Eventually, and to the relief of everypony there, the Princess of the night finally broke the silence. "Yes...we can see why Sunset would choose you, Sir Sentry." Turning to her, Flash struggled for a moment on how to respond. "Um...thank you?" Luna nodded. "Indeed. You are both handsome and in good health, and your wingspan in most impressive for one of your age." Instinctively, Flash turned to his new wings, glancing at them briefly before looking over to Sunset. "Is...is my wing-size a thing here?" Sunset, as before said nothing just giving him a quite look of comfort as Luna continued her deconstruction of him. "I believe Sunset is most fortunate. No doubt you will be able to provide her with many a healthy foal in your time together." Now, it was largely accepted that the phrase "as red as tomato" was the best thing to say when describing the faces of those who were currently embarrassed about something. But that was by no means the case here. No, for in this moment, the shade that Flash and Sunset now had upon their faces was a different kind of red. The kind of red that seemed to be what you'd get if the universe itself was asked to think long and hard on what the colour of embarrassment and mortification should be. That was their faces, and they stared at Luna with the same expression that, in ancient days, would have largely been reserved for those who had uttered the most obscene of blasphemous statements. As for Celestia, however, she simply slapped her forehead. "Luna! We've talked about this!" The night-mare turned to her sister, raising an eyebrow and, for a time, looking confused. But, as the moments of silence passed by, she seemed to gain a sense of understanding, looking to Flash once more. "Ah...in that case, as the kids would say nowadays...my bad." Flash looked to her with utter incredulity, opening his mouth to speak. But, sadly, he didn't get the chance, as Luna then raised her hoof, halting him. "Apologies, but it seems as if this current discussion is not the kind that should involve you. So, if you'll pardon me..." The stallion would have, naturally, wanted to ask further about that, but, as before, was kept from doing so when Luna's horn began to light up. Before he could do anything to react, he found that a light-blue magical bubble had suddenly formed around his head. Though alarmed, he found, to his shock, that he could no longer hear anything taking place outside of that bubble. And soon afterwards, he watched as all of the mares began to look at each other, discussing matters that, unfortunately, he was unable to take in. He turned, looking to Sunset, who gave him a sympathetic look, reaching over and placing her hoof upon his shoulder. Flash sighed to this, giving a reluctant nod, which resulted in Sunset smiling to him in appreciation, before then getting back to the business of joining the discussion with the other mares. As Flash sat in silence, unable to hear what they were saying about him, he let out a deep sigh within his bubble, speaking aloud his feelings about this entire predicament. "This...this is gonna be my whole day, isn't it?" Catching UpNow, the very idea of a building made of crystal was, it has to be said, something of a novelty to Flash. Now that he had some time to himself, with the others mares doing whatever it was they wanted to do now that the initial meeting had ended, the stallion had chosen to give himself a tour of the palace. Naturally, he found pretty much everything a wonder to behold. The glistening walls, the way the place went on and on like one of those fairy-tale castles in books, or the sheer fact that he was walking around the place as a pegasus of all things. All of this simply kept a big grin on his face with every step. And speaking of which, his walking had more-or-less managed to become about on-par with that of regular ponies, so, to his delight, he no longer found himself tripping over his own hooves every few steps. "Won't have to be used to all this for long though," he said to himself. Eventually, and after much endless walking, he stopped, gazing upon a particular portrait that now hung from one of the nearby walls. Upon it was Twilight, smiling down at whoever chose to look upon the painting, and beside her were many other ponies, including another stallion. This one was bright white, with a dark-blue mane, who had his hooves wrapped around the young Princess with a big smile upon his face. Tilting his head slightly, Flash kept his eyes on that picture, until the moment when a familiar voice called out to him. "He's my brother." Turning, Flash cracked a smile as he saw Twilight approaching him. The sentiment was returned in her own expression, and before long, the former couple were standing beside one another, looking up at the picture together. "You know, I was actually pretty tempted to ask him over here today, so he could meet you." Flash considered that for a moment, before looking to his ex with a raised eyebrow. "No offense, Twilight, but I think things have been awkward enough today without adding protective older brothers to the mix." The alicorn giggled to this, before letting out a sigh and nodding her head. "Yeah, you're probably right. Although..." Looking to the stallion, Twilight bore a slight smirk. "...if you were worried he'd be bad, you should just wait until you met my sister-in-law." Flash turned to her with curiosity. "Oh? Is she more protective or something?" Twilight shook her head. "Not exactly. She just always wanted to meet you. The moment she heard that I had somepo...um...someone in my life, she was ecstatic! Kept going on about things like marriage and stuff." For a moment, Flash was taken aback by that, leading to Twilight raising a hoof to him. "Don't worry, I calmed her down. She just...really has a thing for romances." A brief chuckle escaped the stallion. "What, is she some kind of relationship expert?" A knowing smile crossed Twilight's face. "You could say that. She's...the Princess of Love." There was a pause, and a notable silence between the two, as Flash stared at her with incredulity. "A Princess of...love? So...love is something someone can just have dominion over in this world?" Sighing, Twilight began to rub her temples. "It's one of those things we probably shouldn't think about too much." Flash cracked a smile in spite of his earlier sentiment. "Hard to imagine you not wanting to think hard about stuff." Again, Twilight giggled, and again, there was silence between the two youths. This one lasted almost a full minute, however, and when it ended, it did so when Twilight turned to Flash in a slow manner. She mentally weighed her words carefully, giving him an affectionate look as she finally spoke up. "You know...I really have missed you, Flash." The former human looked to the mare, his expression softening considerably as her words sank in for him. "I...I've missed you too. I mean...we haven't really spoken since...well..." Twilight nodded, still smiling. "I know, not since you told me you and Sunset had decided to get back together." Flash remained quiet, simply giving a slight nod in response to her. A few moments passed, and Twilight turned back to the nearby painting. And it was here, keeping her eyes on that picture, that she continued to speak to her ex. "Flash...I don't want this to be the way things are every time we meet up again. Just...silence and small talk." Flash exhaled, nodding more intently. "I know. I wish it wasn't like this either, but...something things are...just difficult." Twilight turned to him, smiling and reaching forward, gently placing her hoof upon his shoulder. "Flash...we're still friends, remember? No matter what might have gone on between us in the past, we're still friends. And if there's one thing I've learned about friends over the years...it's that being together shouldn't have to feel difficult." Slowly, Flash looked to her, giving a small smile after she'd spoken to him. "I guess we both should have known this meeting wasn't going to be easy. Some things don't really go away. But...yeah, you're right. We shouldn't feel so uncomfortable when we're close like this." Twilight nodded, then, seconds later, her face lit up, and she clapped her hooves together. "Oooh! You know what might be fascinating? Going to meet the other you!" Flash stood there, confused by her words, prompting her to explain. "I mean the Flash Sentry that lives in this world. Having two of the same person meet would be quite a sight!" The stallion looked away, considering that for a moment, before eventually letting out a slight chuckle. "I don't mean to burst your bubble, Twilight, but...I think getting transformed into a completely different species is going to do enough to my head for one visit. Lord knows what'd happen if I met another me." While Twilight's smile faded a little at first, she soon gave a nod to that, giggling slightly. "Yeah. Remember when I met that other Twilight? Just after your Friendship Games? Now that was an experience I'll never forget!" Together, the two shared laughter over this matter, which, as one would expect, did a lot to relieve some of the tension that had been underlying this little meeting. In fact, so engrossed were they in their light-hearted moment together, that they failed to notice Sunset, who was walking right towards them. She smiled at the sight of the two laughing together, and once she was close enough, she raised a hoof to her mouth, clearing her throat to gain their attention. "Sorry to interrupt. But Princess Luna wanted to talk to you, Flash." A look of concern crossed his face. "Oh...really?" The unicorn gave him a sympathetic look. "Afraid so. Turns out she's rather curious about her human counterpart, and wanted somepony to talk to her about her." Flash sighed, giving Twilight a quick smile. "Well...duty calls, I guess." Twilight smiled back, giving him another pat on the shoulders as he, at last, made his way away from the two of them. The mares watched as he walked further and further away from them, looking, understandably, a little confused on where to go after this. But, in the end, he walked off in the right direction, leaving the two alone together. Once they were sure he was out of earshot, however, they turned to one another, with Twilight bearing a slight smirk. "Okay, so...if I recall from your messages...you and he have...?" For a moment, a slight blush crept onto Sunset's cheeks, and she gave a nod. "Yeah...we kinda did." Twilight turned, making doubly sure that Flash was no longer present, before looking back to her, taking a step closer and keeping her voice to a hush. "So...?" Sunset looked around in a likewise manner before speaking in a similar tone. "...Totally worth it." Twilight did her best to stifle a giggle at that. "Oh my. I must confess, I'm rather regretting that I didn't hold off our break-up until a little later." Sunset chuckled in response. "Hey, I'm not complaining." The laughter, though they attempted to keep it quiet, nevertheless carried on for a minute or two, as they both revelled in this juicy bit of gossip they now shared amongst each other. However, when that laughter ended, Twilight smile faded a little as she kept her eyes upon her friend. "Look...about that stuff Luna said...when Flash couldn't hear..." The unicorn nodded to this, already knowing what her companion was going to say. "I know. It was...unexpected." Twilight gave her a glance. "How...how do you feel about it?" Sunset paused for a moment, then sighed. "Well...it's something to think about. I mean, I hadn't really thought about it, but...I can't really say it's a bad idea per se. I suppose we'll just have to play it by ear." Twilight nodded to that, thinking things over for a bit. "I'll admit, I'd have never even thought about it when we were together. But, in fairness to her...it's not exactly unprecedented." But, moments after she'd said that, she shook herself out of her more thoughtful state, before perking up slightly. "Still, there's plenty of time for all that later. There's other stuff to discuss first. For instance...I hear you'll be visiting his family next. How do you think it'll go?" A brief grimace crossed Sunset's face. "I guess...we'll have to wait and see about that too." Twilight giggled. "Oh come on, Sunset. Do you honestly think it's going to be more difficult for you than this visit was for Flash?" Sighing, Sunset looked away from her friend. "I...I really hope not." A More Peaceful MeetingIt was a simple thing. Just knocking on a door. Sunset had done as much many times in her life. Yet now, knowing whose door it was, she found herself somewhat hesitant. She took a deep breath, then another, and another, before, finally, just balling her hand into a fist and getting on with it. Waiting a few moments after her knock, she began to hear the sound of footsteps on the other side, and within seconds, the door opened. There, on the other side, was Flash, who smiled to her as soon as he laid eyes on her. "Glad you could make it," he remarked. Sunset smiled back to him, and noted in this moment that his most notable attire, his jacket, was not on him at present. But that was a small thing. Just something for her to focus on in the face of what was about to happen. As she entered her boyfriend's home, she heard him close the door behind her, and now, standing in the hallway together, the two lovers took a moment to glance to one another. "You'll be fine, Sunset." The former unicorn sighed at that. "I wish I had your confidence." Flash chuckled. "Hey, if I can make it through your world, you can make it here." The sentiment caused her smile to return, and she watched as Flash began to make his way down the hall, prompting her to follow. It took a few moments, but eventually, they made it to what, undoubtedly, was the main living room of the house. Here, Sunset saw immediately the two figures who were here today. One was Scootaloo, who gave a smile and a wave to her as she entered. The other was an older woman, sitting quietly in her chair, but who now stood when she saw her guest. If ever there was a stereotypical image of a Mother, then this woman right here certainly embodied it. A homely look, completely with an apron and her chestnut hair bound in a bun, she smiled warmly as she approached Sunset. "It really is wonderful to meet you, Miss Shimmer." Though taken aback by this greeting, Sunset quickly composed herself, returning the smile and offering her hand to the woman. "It's...it's wonderful to meet you too, Mrs Sentry." Flash's Mother smiled, taking her hand and giving it a quick shake, before then gesturing to the nearby sofa. Getting the message, Sunset nodded in response, and both she and Flash made their way over, sitting down on the comfortable pillows of the thing. The older woman then got back to her own chair, letting out a sigh before starting the conversation. "I had hoped to meet you when you two were dating the last time. But, I suppose circumstances always kept that from happening." A blush crept onto Sunset's cheeks. "Yes...um...I truly am sorry about that." But Flash's Mother merely chuckled. "Think nothing of it, dearie. I'm sure you had a lot on your plate at the time." A nervous laugh escaped Sunset at that. "Yeah...you can definitely say that." Clasping her hands together, Mrs Sentry's smile widened. "No matter. What's important is that the two of you are back together. If the gossip I've heard about you is true, then you are most definitely an adorable couple!" The blush on Sunset's face grew more fierce, and the remark had even caused one to appear on Flash's face. "Mom, I think you're embarrassing her." The older woman stifled a giggle to that. "Nonsense, Flashy. I'm sure it's nothing she can't handle." Her smile grew wider soon afterwards. "In any case, I really am happy the two of you have each other. I know myself how good it feels to have someone special at such a young age." She turned away from them, seeming, for a moment, both wistful and nostalgic about something. While Sunset was somewhat unsure of what to make of this, Flash turned his face away from his Mother entirely, doing his best to hide a slightly pained look. But, he looked back to her, putting on a smile as she resumed speaking to them. "You know, I've been wanting to do this for some time, but...I need to get the camera for this!" To that, Flash slapped his forehead. "Mom!" Mrs Sentry giggled at that moment. "Oh, Flashy, I'm just kidding! You know I wouldn't obsess like that!" The boy breathed a sigh of relief over this, giving his Mother a small smile in response. But, he didn't get the chance to say anything further on the matter, as just then, the older woman hoisted herself up form her chair. "But, you know what? I think our gest could do with a nice cup of tea right now." Sunset's eyes widened, and she raised her hands in a defensive manner. "Oh! You don't need to..." But, she was cut off when Mrs Sentry shook her head. "Nonsense! What kind of host would I be if I didn't even offer you that much?" Sunset opened her mouth to respond, but soon realised that arguing at this point wouldn't really accomplish much. Instead, she gave an appreciative smile, watching as Mrs Sentry began to walk towards the kitchen, stopping to look down at her son. "Flash? Would you mind giving me a hand?" In spite of the sense of slight embarrassment he'd felt earlier, the boy gave his Mother a smile, getting up off the sofa to join her. "Sure thing, Mom." And with that, the two were off, leaving Sunset and Scootaloo in that room together. For a while, the only sound that could be heard was that of the "tick-tock" of a nearby clock, which, naturally, led to a degree of awkwardness for Sunset. She glanced down at Scootaloo for a few moments, who was still sitting on the ground, reading a small book. After a few false starts, the former unicorn eventually broke her silence. "So...Scootaloo...how have things been going?" The younger girl looked back to her, giving a smile in response. "Oh, it's...it's been good." There was something in the way she'd spoken those words that tipped Sunset off immediately. In her life, she had not only heard, but also performed such sounds several times over. So, she recognised forced happiness when she heard it. Realising that the girl was putting on a show, her expression became more serious. "Scootaloo? Is...is everything okay?" Scootaloo looked at her, somewhat embarrassed at being asked such a question, and while she did her best to avoid Sunset's gaze, she could nevertheless feel it on the back of her head. In the end, she let out a deep sigh, putting her book aside and standing up. Sunset watched as she made her way over, sitting beside her on the sofa. There was further silence between them for a time, but it was short-lived, as Scootaloo, in a move that surprised Sunset greatly, looked to her with a concerned expression. "You...you made my brother sad once." Sunset looked taken aback by that. "W...what?" Scootaloo looked away again, clenching her hands into fists upon her knees as she began to explain. "He never said it. He never showed it. But when you broke up...the first time...he got home and...I heard him, through his door." She looked down at the ground. "He cried...if only for a minute or two. You meant something to him...and breaking up with you...it hurt him." Here, Sunset looked away, feeling a great deal of guilt washing over her. The memory of the girl she used to be now forefront in her mind, along with the faces of all those she'd wronged in those days, Flash included. But, she stayed quiet, turning to her right yet again as Scootaloo continued. "I...I never knew my Dad. He...it was just before I was born. So..." Slowly, she looked back to Sunset. "I know Flash is my brother, but...he's also the only Father I've ever had. He matters to me, Sunset. And I hate seeing him sad." Her concern deepened in her eyes. "If there's a chance that things could go wrong between you again..." Sunset, at last, now knew what the young girl was getting at, and it was a thought that was soon confirmed when the she looked to her with saddened eyes. "Just...please be good to him?" For the longest time, Sunset just sat there, thinking over the confession that had been given to her. Long and hard she thought, until, finally, she looked to Scootaloo with a soft face. "Scootaloo...I appreciate that you care for him. He's lucky he's got you to watch out for him. And I appreciate that you have his wellbeing in mind." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "But I promise you...things aren't like what they used to be. Neither one of us is exactly who we were when we first dated. Things are better now. And I can tell you, with absolute certainty..." Reaching out, she gently placed her hand upon the girl's shoulder. "I would never, ever...do anything to hurt him again." For the longest time, Scootaloo simply stared at the older girl, right into her eyes. And what she saw there was nothing but honesty. It took some time, but, in the end, she closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. When she opened them again, she smiled, giving a short nod to her. "Okay. I...I believe you." Relieved, Sunset smiled back. "Thank you." But, neither one of them had a chance to say anything further to one another, as it was here when both Flash and his mother now re-entered the room. And sure enough, they each held a pair of tea-cups in their hands, one for each of the people now sitting in this room. Mrs Sentry offered one cup to Scootaloo who happily accepted, while Flash gave his spare to Sunset, who, naturally, gave him an appreciative smile over it. Everyone sat down, taking a few moments of silence to simply enjoy this quiet and calm between them. They took a few sips of the still-hot tea, just listening to the sound of the clock, still ticking away. But, when all of them were about as relaxed as it was possible to be under the circumstances, Sunset finally broke the silence, looking once more to Flash's Mother. "I have to say, Mrs Sentry...this meeting is going far better than I was expecting." Giggling slightly, the older woman gave a brief nod. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Sunset. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you two are crazy about each other. Besides..." Her smile widened, and she took another sip of her tea before carrying on. "...if Flash has decided that his special one is going to be a magically-transformed unicorn from another world, who am I to get in the way?" Here, it was as if time itself stood still. The words that had just been spoken sank into the youths in a shocking and almost unnatural way. Slowly, both Sunset and Flash glanced to each other, seeing the mutual shock and disbelief they both bore. When Flash looked back to his Mother, he stumbled for a bit, before asking the obvious question. "You...you know?!" Giggling again, Mrs Sentry answered. "Oh, my dear, sweet Flash. If there's one thing you need to know about Mothers, it's that, sooner or later..." A knowing smirk crept onto her face. "...we always find out." The older woman took an innocent slurp of her tea, leaving the young couple just staring at her with uncertainty, until, in the end, Sunset looked to her lover with a nervous smile. "Well...I guess that's good to know...right?"
Through the PortalFlash stared at the statue for the longest time, never moving an inch from where he stood. It was, he had to admit, a strange thing to consider. This statue, which was still a largely-unrepaired mess after the Friendship Games, had been here for as long as he could remember. But within its stone was the power to send you to another world. The thought gave him pause, to know that such magic was right under his and everybody else's noses this whole time. But, he also cracked a smile, letting out a sigh as he let himself dwell on what he knew was about to happen. And speaking of which, his attention was then diverted by the clear sound of somebody clearing their throats. Turning, his smile widened, as he saw the one standing behind him. "You ready?" Sunset asked. Flash nodded, taking a few deep breaths as he once more looked to the statue. "Yeah. I just...I'm not sure what to expect." Returning the smile, Sunset walked beside him, placing her hand upon his arm as she too stared at the portal before her. "Imagine a roller coaster...times ten." Flash looked to her with a raised eyebrow. "Thank you. That makes me feel...so much better." Sunset smirked at that remark, before then taking a clear step forward, prompting Flash to do the same. The former unicorn held out her hand, and Flash, getting the message, took it into his own. With that done, Sunset smiled to him before, at last, practically throwing herself through the portal, with Flash in-tow behind her. It was, it had to be said, pretty much exactly as Sunset had said, with sounds and light rushing past Flash at high speeds, to the point where he could barely take it all in. What he could take in, however, was the massive thud he felt as he emerged from the other side, crashing unceremoniously into a hard floor. "Ugh! That...that will take some getting used to." He reached up to nurse a sore spot on his head, only to stop dead in his tracks when he realised that what now touched that spot was, very clearly, not a hand. Slowly, he turned, and saw, to his utter shock, that an orange hoof now greeted his gaze. He froze in this moment, clearly struggling with the sight before him, but, after a few moments, he instinctively began to move his former hand. Sure enough, the hoof moved, though his face remained one of shock. "And that...I don't think I could get used to." A giggle caused him to turn to its source, and here, if possible, his shock deepened further. "How did you think I felt when I first came to your world?" The voice was as familiar as anything. It was Sunset alright, though the face that looked to him was not the one he had grown accustomed to. It was, just as he'd been told, a unicorn. A real, flesh and blood unicorn, complete with horn. Flash, naturally, struggled as he attempted to get to his hooves, but all the while, his eyes never left Sunset. He looked her over, never saying a word, but just taking in everything about her altered appearance. Her fur, her hooves, her tail, the symbol inscribed onto her hind legs. In the end, he said perhaps the only thing one could say under the circumstances. "So...this is you? The real you?" Looking herself over briefly, Sunset turned back to him and gave a nod. "Yep. Well...in this world anyway." Flash stayed silent for a further few moments, trying to think of what else to say in this situation. Soon, he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Um...you look good." Sunset raised an eyebrow. "Flash, how could you possibly know what's good-looking or not among ponies you've never seen before?" He stumbled for a moment on this, before quickly saying what, in his mind, was the correct answer. "...Because it's you?" The unicorn mare blushed slightly, though it was coupled with both a giggle and a shake of her head at that, rather admittedly, corny thing her boyfriend had just said. Taking a few steps forward, she reached out a hoof, which Flash stared at for a few moments before, finally, just taking it. Sunset then helped him up, eventually getting him on all fours the way a pony was supposed to be standing. His knees were wobbly for a time, which she gave him a reassuring look over. "Don't worry. It'll come to you...eventually." Flash chuckled to that, albeit briefly. "This...this is...um..." Sunset giggled again. "Trust me, you're preaching to the choir on that one, Flash." Here, she took a few steps backward, continuing to look at him in an affectionate manner. "Take your time. Just...try taking a few steps forward." The former human nodded, looking down at his hooves, and still not quite believing all of this. He took a few breaths, before starting to move one hoof forward. Things started well enough, but after just a few steps, he began to stumble. He might have had his face planted into the ground again, had it not been for Sunset, who promptly used her magic to keep him from making that impact. Naturally, seeing himself bathed in a magical aura was quite a surprise for him. "Is...is this your magic?" Sunset nodded, using her power to get him back into a standing position. "Yeah. It's been a while since I've used it though." The aura faded once Flash was standing again, and here, he took a few breaths to clam himself. "I...I'm not sure if I can do this." Sunset rolled her eyes to that, walking over to stand beside him. "Relax. It's like riding a bike. You'll get the hang of it." This time, Sunset stood beside him as he again attempted to walk forward. Every time there was a slight stumble on his part, she reached over for him, helping to stabilize him. This went on for some time, a good five minutes in fact, before, at last, the newly-made stallion seemed to be getting his footing. "Okay, I think...I think I can just about do it now." Sunset's smile widened. "I'm glad to hear it. Who knows? You might even want to try your hand at flying when this is over." Naturally, Flash looked to her with confusion plastered all over his face. Slowly, realisation dawned on him, and he began to turn his head as far around as he could. There, just as he'd suspected, were a pair of wings on the side of his body, feathers and all. In that same slow manner, he turned to look back at his girlfriend, his face utterly deadpan as he spoke. "Sunset? Do I have a pair of wings?" Sunset nodded, prompting him to continue. "...Huh." The mare shook her head to this, before then gesturing to a nearby door. "I hate to sound like I'm rushing you, but...I think they're probably waiting for us by now." Shaking himself out of his still-surprised state, Flash nodded. He kept his gaze down as he started to walk again, making sure to be extra careful with every step. "So...this is a Princess I'm meeting?" he asked. Sunset nodded. "Yes. We were never blood, but...she was the only real family I ever had." Flash looked up to her, seeing the many emotions battle in her expression as she spoke those words. His own face softened considerably as he sighed, reaching out with one hoof and placing it upon her shoulder. When he spoke, it was with as soothing a tone as he was capable of giving. "I'll try not to disappoint you." Hearing that, Sunset was, briefly, taken aback, before simply letting out a small chuckle. "I know you'll do fine, Flash. Though I admit I never imagined a day might come when I'd be introducing a boyfriend to my old teacher." Both youths laughed together at that, and Flash, as ever, continued to make his way carefully towards the door, with Sunset beside him and keeping him steady. In the end, Flash uttered what were, perhaps, the most appropriate words to speak, given everything he knew he was about to be exposed to. "Well...no pressure, right?"
PrincessesAt his current pace, and even with the aid of Sunset, it took Flash quite a while to make it down a single hallways in this place. But, his girlfriend was patient with him, and very much sympathetic to his situation, having been in his position herself some time ago. However, just as she'd said to him, he eventually managed to get more confidence in his movements, eventually to the point where he could walk at a fairly decent speed. Though he took great pains to appear as composed as possible, there was no escaping the nervousness plastered all over his face, especially when, at the end of the hall, a magnificent door awaited them. By way of almost a sixth sense, Flash knew what awaited him on the other side, and when he reached it, he stopped, taking a few deep breaths. Standing beside him, Sunset gave him a reassuring look. "You ready?" Sighing, Flash nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." She smiled, before then turning to the door and lighting her horn up. The door's handles became bathed in her aura, and with a single push of her magic, they opened. Beyond was a room both vast and regal, with walls and floors of shining crystal; the central chamber of the Friendship Palace. Naturally, Flash was in awe of this place, his eyes never straying to the ground as he took it all in. Sunset was amused by this reaction to what, to her, was a perfectly normal thing. But, eventually, she cleared her throat, gaining his attention. "Let's not keep them waiting." At first, Flash was unaware of what she meant, but then, after a few moments, the memory of his true purpose here was remembered, and he looked straight ahead. There, in the centre of the chamber, was a great round table, surrounded by seven crystal thrones. And on the far side, two of those thrones were currently occupied. To Flash's eyes, they appeared to be further unicorns, but that notion was dispelled when, after a few steps closer, he realised that the two figures both bore a pair of wings, much like himself. One was tall, a bright white in her fur and a startling rainbow mane, which bore a golden crown atop it. The other was smaller, more Sunset's size, and coloured a light lavender, with a darker purple mane. The former looked to the two of them with seriousness, while the other bore an affectionate smile. "Sunset. Flash. A pleasure to have you both with us." It was the taller pony that had spoken, and her voice, while certainly courteous, was nevertheless cool and reserved. She was analysing him, that much he could feel, leading to a single drop of sweat falling down the side of his head. But, as Sunset approached the table, so too did he, and the whole room was silent as the two drew closer. Eventually, they made their way to the table, and after a bit of difficulty on Flash's part, he eventually took his place on one of the thrones, as did Sunset. There was further silence for a time, during which, the taller pony kept her eyes on the stallion. Naturally, Flash was more than a little nervous over this, but, thankfully, he found that the silence was soon broken, by none other than the smaller of the two before him. "It's...it's good to see you again, Flash." The moment he'd heard those words, his new ears perked up instinctively. His head snapped in her direction, and for the longest time, he stared at her. He looked to her features, her eyes, the shape of her mane, her colours, even the way she looked to him with a degree of affection. Disbelief crossed Flash's face, which eventually morphed into familiarity and shock. "Tw...Twilight?!" The mare blushed slightly, giving a brief nod. "Yeah, um...I guess this is the first time you've seen me...well...like this." Flash stared at her, until he eventually realised that his mouth was gaping open the whole time. Sunset stifled a giggle at this, and the stallion soon shook himself out of that state, looking to his former girlfriend with a mix of both genuine happiness and awkwardness. "It's...it's good to see you too, Twilight." Her smile widened after hearing that, as indeed did his own. But, before anypony could say anything else to each other, they all turned to the sound of somepony clearing their throats. And Flash suddenly felt nervous again as the larger pony began to fix her gaze upon him more seriously. "Flash Sentry, yes?" Gulping, Flash gave a brief nod, prompting the other pony to continue. "Well met. I am Princess Celestia. One of the rulers of Equestria." Flash's eyes darted left, then right, before offering a small smile and a wave of his hoof. "It's...nice to meet you, your highness?" Celestia raised her eyebrow, and Flash, all of a sudden, began to feel somewhat uncomfortable. "Oh! I mean...your majesty? Your...eminence? Your..." Slowly, he leaned over to Sunset, whispering. "What am I supposed to call her?" Sunset placed a hoof upon her forehead, but before her words could get out, the elder Princess spoke once more. "When I heard that my former pupil was involved with somepony, I knew I had to meet him. And now...here you are." Looking to her, Flash chuckled nervously. "Yes...well...it's an honour to meet you too, your...your Princess...ness?" Again, Sunset slapped her forehead, as indeed did Twilight. But, neither said anything as Celestia continued. "In fact, if what I've been told is true...you have, in fact, courted both of my students in the past, correct?" Flash's pupils shrank slightly, and he glanced over to Twilight, who gave him a gesture that screamed "just say something" to him, which he then elected to do. "Well...yes, I have. I was very happy with Twilight, even if it was only for a brief time. But...circumstances being what they were...we both decided that the relationship...well...couldn't last." Celestia gave a short nod. "Indeed. I have heard the tale. And I trust, Mr Sentry...that you do not plan no ending your time with Sunset anytime soon?" His eyes widened, and he shook his hooves in an almost defensive gesture. "No! I'm not going to leave her!" Celestia kept her eyebrow well and truly up at those words. "Oh? You left her once before, did you not?" Flash stumbled for a moment, doing his best to get his words out. "That was...things were...we were both different people back then!" Celestia continued to stare at him, as if gazing into his very soul, and Flash, for his part, did his best to try and match her, stare for stare. There was a silence as dead as a graveyard during all of this, but, in the midst of it all, Flash began to hear something that, he knew, couldn't be going on right now. It was, without question, the sound of giggling, albeit rather stifled giggles. Slowly, he cast a glance to his left, and saw, to his confusion, that both Sunset and Twilight were covering their mouths with their hooves. Looking to them with uncertainty, Flash then saw them eventually just drop their hooves, and the giggles came thick and fast. After a few moments of this, however, the laughter died down, and Sunset looked to her teacher with a smile. "Princess Celestia, please, you're just torturing him at this point." Flash's head snapped back in Celestia's direction, just in time to see, for the first time, the older pony actually start to crack a smile. After letting out a brief chuckle, she leaned back into her respective throne before starting to speak to him yet again. But this time, things were different. Because unlike before, when her voice was rather cold and somewhat pointed, this time, it was calm, sounding almost like what a Mother might sound like. "I do apologize, Flash. In all my years I have never had one of my student introduce a coltfriend to me. And I suppose I've just always wanted to play the "disapproving parent" role just once in my life." Taking all of that in, Flash's expression was one of both disbelief and confusion. But, in the end, he let out an exhale that was so long that it honestly sounded like he was letting out more air than his body was even capable of storing. At the end of this, he rested his head upon the table, looking, understandably, quite relieved this his interrogation had come to an end. "That...that wasn't nice," was all he could manage to say. Reaching over, Sunset gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. "Sorry, sweetie. I guess we just couldn't help ourselves." Looking up, Flash gave her a brief frown, before simply sighing again. He got back into an upright sitting position, just in time to see Celestia lean close, looking to him with interest. "Sunset and Twilight have told me much about you. If even half of what they say is true, then you are a fine lad, Flash, and one that I'm happy my students were able to find for themselves." A blush crept onto his face at that. "Well...thank you, Miss." Celestia chuckled to that. "Please, just call me Celestia." Here, Flash formed a smile of his own. "You know...we actually have a Celestia back in our world. She's the Principal at our school." Celestia nodded. "Indeed. I have been told as much. Tell me, is she a few thousand years old as well?" Flash paused, staring at Celestia, with disbelief once more his prime expression. After thinking things over for a moment, he eventually just gave an answer. "Erm...I can honestly say she isn't." Celestia nodded. "Hmmm, interesting." Flash thought long and hard about the matter, before looking to the older Princess with curiosity. "She...she does have a sister, though. Do you?" A smirk crept onto Celestia's face. "Indeed I do. In fact..." But, she did not get the chance to finish her sentence, as then, in that very moment, a nearby set of doors suddenly opened by way of further magic. All heads turned in its direction, and Flash saw, to his surprise, yet another winged unicorn made her way into the chamber. This one, however, was of a darker colour, all blues, with what appeared to be the night sky itself within her flowing mane. Naturally, he found this an impressive sight. As the newcomer made her way further and further into the chamber, both Twilight and Sunset gave her a smile and nod in greeting, which was promptly returned by the former. But then, she fixed her eyes upon Flash, and the stallion, of course, suddenly felt his nerves returned with a vengeance. "Ah, this must be the human lover we have been told about." Flash looked around himself, only to remember that it was him that she was talking about. The larger mare approached him, walking around the table to get a closer look, much to the embarrassment of Sunset, who covered her eyes with her hooves. When Luna was finally within reach of Flash's chair, her eyes looked him over very carefully, and she even resorted to starting to slowly walk all around him as she analysed him. As one would expect, Flash suddenly gained a healthy respect for the victims in shark-attack movies in this moment, as Luna circled him with intent. Eventually, and to the relief of everypony there, the Princess of the night finally broke the silence. "Yes...we can see why Sunset would choose you, Sir Sentry." Turning to her, Flash struggled for a moment on how to respond. "Um...thank you?" Luna nodded. "Indeed. You are both handsome and in good health, and your wingspan in most impressive for one of your age." Instinctively, Flash turned to his new wings, glancing at them briefly before looking over to Sunset. "Is...is my wing-size a thing here?" Sunset, as before said nothing just giving him a quite look of comfort as Luna continued her deconstruction of him. "I believe Sunset is most fortunate. No doubt you will be able to provide her with many a healthy foal in your time together." Now, it was largely accepted that the phrase "as red as tomato" was the best thing to say when describing the faces of those who were currently embarrassed about something. But that was by no means the case here. No, for in this moment, the shade that Flash and Sunset now had upon their faces was a different kind of red. The kind of red that seemed to be what you'd get if the universe itself was asked to think long and hard on what the colour of embarrassment and mortification should be. That was their faces, and they stared at Luna with the same expression that, in ancient days, would have largely been reserved for those who had uttered the most obscene of blasphemous statements. As for Celestia, however, she simply slapped her forehead. "Luna! We've talked about this!" The night-mare turned to her sister, raising an eyebrow and, for a time, looking confused. But, as the moments of silence passed by, she seemed to gain a sense of understanding, looking to Flash once more. "Ah...in that case, as the kids would say nowadays...my bad." Flash looked to her with utter incredulity, opening his mouth to speak. But, sadly, he didn't get the chance, as Luna then raised her hoof, halting him. "Apologies, but it seems as if this current discussion is not the kind that should involve you. So, if you'll pardon me..." The stallion would have, naturally, wanted to ask further about that, but, as before, was kept from doing so when Luna's horn began to light up. Before he could do anything to react, he found that a light-blue magical bubble had suddenly formed around his head. Though alarmed, he found, to his shock, that he could no longer hear anything taking place outside of that bubble. And soon afterwards, he watched as all of the mares began to look at each other, discussing matters that, unfortunately, he was unable to take in. He turned, looking to Sunset, who gave him a sympathetic look, reaching over and placing her hoof upon his shoulder. Flash sighed to this, giving a reluctant nod, which resulted in Sunset smiling to him in appreciation, before then getting back to the business of joining the discussion with the other mares. As Flash sat in silence, unable to hear what they were saying about him, he let out a deep sigh within his bubble, speaking aloud his feelings about this entire predicament. "This...this is gonna be my whole day, isn't it?"
Catching UpNow, the very idea of a building made of crystal was, it has to be said, something of a novelty to Flash. Now that he had some time to himself, with the others mares doing whatever it was they wanted to do now that the initial meeting had ended, the stallion had chosen to give himself a tour of the palace. Naturally, he found pretty much everything a wonder to behold. The glistening walls, the way the place went on and on like one of those fairy-tale castles in books, or the sheer fact that he was walking around the place as a pegasus of all things. All of this simply kept a big grin on his face with every step. And speaking of which, his walking had more-or-less managed to become about on-par with that of regular ponies, so, to his delight, he no longer found himself tripping over his own hooves every few steps. "Won't have to be used to all this for long though," he said to himself. Eventually, and after much endless walking, he stopped, gazing upon a particular portrait that now hung from one of the nearby walls. Upon it was Twilight, smiling down at whoever chose to look upon the painting, and beside her were many other ponies, including another stallion. This one was bright white, with a dark-blue mane, who had his hooves wrapped around the young Princess with a big smile upon his face. Tilting his head slightly, Flash kept his eyes on that picture, until the moment when a familiar voice called out to him. "He's my brother." Turning, Flash cracked a smile as he saw Twilight approaching him. The sentiment was returned in her own expression, and before long, the former couple were standing beside one another, looking up at the picture together. "You know, I was actually pretty tempted to ask him over here today, so he could meet you." Flash considered that for a moment, before looking to his ex with a raised eyebrow. "No offense, Twilight, but I think things have been awkward enough today without adding protective older brothers to the mix." The alicorn giggled to this, before letting out a sigh and nodding her head. "Yeah, you're probably right. Although..." Looking to the stallion, Twilight bore a slight smirk. "...if you were worried he'd be bad, you should just wait until you met my sister-in-law." Flash turned to her with curiosity. "Oh? Is she more protective or something?" Twilight shook her head. "Not exactly. She just always wanted to meet you. The moment she heard that I had somepo...um...someone in my life, she was ecstatic! Kept going on about things like marriage and stuff." For a moment, Flash was taken aback by that, leading to Twilight raising a hoof to him. "Don't worry, I calmed her down. She just...really has a thing for romances." A brief chuckle escaped the stallion. "What, is she some kind of relationship expert?" A knowing smile crossed Twilight's face. "You could say that. She's...the Princess of Love." There was a pause, and a notable silence between the two, as Flash stared at her with incredulity. "A Princess of...love? So...love is something someone can just have dominion over in this world?" Sighing, Twilight began to rub her temples. "It's one of those things we probably shouldn't think about too much." Flash cracked a smile in spite of his earlier sentiment. "Hard to imagine you not wanting to think hard about stuff." Again, Twilight giggled, and again, there was silence between the two youths. This one lasted almost a full minute, however, and when it ended, it did so when Twilight turned to Flash in a slow manner. She mentally weighed her words carefully, giving him an affectionate look as she finally spoke up. "You know...I really have missed you, Flash." The former human looked to the mare, his expression softening considerably as her words sank in for him. "I...I've missed you too. I mean...we haven't really spoken since...well..." Twilight nodded, still smiling. "I know, not since you told me you and Sunset had decided to get back together." Flash remained quiet, simply giving a slight nod in response to her. A few moments passed, and Twilight turned back to the nearby painting. And it was here, keeping her eyes on that picture, that she continued to speak to her ex. "Flash...I don't want this to be the way things are every time we meet up again. Just...silence and small talk." Flash exhaled, nodding more intently. "I know. I wish it wasn't like this either, but...something things are...just difficult." Twilight turned to him, smiling and reaching forward, gently placing her hoof upon his shoulder. "Flash...we're still friends, remember? No matter what might have gone on between us in the past, we're still friends. And if there's one thing I've learned about friends over the years...it's that being together shouldn't have to feel difficult." Slowly, Flash looked to her, giving a small smile after she'd spoken to him. "I guess we both should have known this meeting wasn't going to be easy. Some things don't really go away. But...yeah, you're right. We shouldn't feel so uncomfortable when we're close like this." Twilight nodded, then, seconds later, her face lit up, and she clapped her hooves together. "Oooh! You know what might be fascinating? Going to meet the other you!" Flash stood there, confused by her words, prompting her to explain. "I mean the Flash Sentry that lives in this world. Having two of the same person meet would be quite a sight!" The stallion looked away, considering that for a moment, before eventually letting out a slight chuckle. "I don't mean to burst your bubble, Twilight, but...I think getting transformed into a completely different species is going to do enough to my head for one visit. Lord knows what'd happen if I met another me." While Twilight's smile faded a little at first, she soon gave a nod to that, giggling slightly. "Yeah. Remember when I met that other Twilight? Just after your Friendship Games? Now that was an experience I'll never forget!" Together, the two shared laughter over this matter, which, as one would expect, did a lot to relieve some of the tension that had been underlying this little meeting. In fact, so engrossed were they in their light-hearted moment together, that they failed to notice Sunset, who was walking right towards them. She smiled at the sight of the two laughing together, and once she was close enough, she raised a hoof to her mouth, clearing her throat to gain their attention. "Sorry to interrupt. But Princess Luna wanted to talk to you, Flash." A look of concern crossed his face. "Oh...really?" The unicorn gave him a sympathetic look. "Afraid so. Turns out she's rather curious about her human counterpart, and wanted somepony to talk to her about her." Flash sighed, giving Twilight a quick smile. "Well...duty calls, I guess." Twilight smiled back, giving him another pat on the shoulders as he, at last, made his way away from the two of them. The mares watched as he walked further and further away from them, looking, understandably, a little confused on where to go after this. But, in the end, he walked off in the right direction, leaving the two alone together. Once they were sure he was out of earshot, however, they turned to one another, with Twilight bearing a slight smirk. "Okay, so...if I recall from your messages...you and he have...?" For a moment, a slight blush crept onto Sunset's cheeks, and she gave a nod. "Yeah...we kinda did." Twilight turned, making doubly sure that Flash was no longer present, before looking back to her, taking a step closer and keeping her voice to a hush. "So...?" Sunset looked around in a likewise manner before speaking in a similar tone. "...Totally worth it." Twilight did her best to stifle a giggle at that. "Oh my. I must confess, I'm rather regretting that I didn't hold off our break-up until a little later." Sunset chuckled in response. "Hey, I'm not complaining." The laughter, though they attempted to keep it quiet, nevertheless carried on for a minute or two, as they both revelled in this juicy bit of gossip they now shared amongst each other. However, when that laughter ended, Twilight smile faded a little as she kept her eyes upon her friend. "Look...about that stuff Luna said...when Flash couldn't hear..." The unicorn nodded to this, already knowing what her companion was going to say. "I know. It was...unexpected." Twilight gave her a glance. "How...how do you feel about it?" Sunset paused for a moment, then sighed. "Well...it's something to think about. I mean, I hadn't really thought about it, but...I can't really say it's a bad idea per se. I suppose we'll just have to play it by ear." Twilight nodded to that, thinking things over for a bit. "I'll admit, I'd have never even thought about it when we were together. But, in fairness to her...it's not exactly unprecedented." But, moments after she'd said that, she shook herself out of her more thoughtful state, before perking up slightly. "Still, there's plenty of time for all that later. There's other stuff to discuss first. For instance...I hear you'll be visiting his family next. How do you think it'll go?" A brief grimace crossed Sunset's face. "I guess...we'll have to wait and see about that too." Twilight giggled. "Oh come on, Sunset. Do you honestly think it's going to be more difficult for you than this visit was for Flash?" Sighing, Sunset looked away from her friend. "I...I really hope not."
A More Peaceful MeetingIt was a simple thing. Just knocking on a door. Sunset had done as much many times in her life. Yet now, knowing whose door it was, she found herself somewhat hesitant. She took a deep breath, then another, and another, before, finally, just balling her hand into a fist and getting on with it. Waiting a few moments after her knock, she began to hear the sound of footsteps on the other side, and within seconds, the door opened. There, on the other side, was Flash, who smiled to her as soon as he laid eyes on her. "Glad you could make it," he remarked. Sunset smiled back to him, and noted in this moment that his most notable attire, his jacket, was not on him at present. But that was a small thing. Just something for her to focus on in the face of what was about to happen. As she entered her boyfriend's home, she heard him close the door behind her, and now, standing in the hallway together, the two lovers took a moment to glance to one another. "You'll be fine, Sunset." The former unicorn sighed at that. "I wish I had your confidence." Flash chuckled. "Hey, if I can make it through your world, you can make it here." The sentiment caused her smile to return, and she watched as Flash began to make his way down the hall, prompting her to follow. It took a few moments, but eventually, they made it to what, undoubtedly, was the main living room of the house. Here, Sunset saw immediately the two figures who were here today. One was Scootaloo, who gave a smile and a wave to her as she entered. The other was an older woman, sitting quietly in her chair, but who now stood when she saw her guest. If ever there was a stereotypical image of a Mother, then this woman right here certainly embodied it. A homely look, completely with an apron and her chestnut hair bound in a bun, she smiled warmly as she approached Sunset. "It really is wonderful to meet you, Miss Shimmer." Though taken aback by this greeting, Sunset quickly composed herself, returning the smile and offering her hand to the woman. "It's...it's wonderful to meet you too, Mrs Sentry." Flash's Mother smiled, taking her hand and giving it a quick shake, before then gesturing to the nearby sofa. Getting the message, Sunset nodded in response, and both she and Flash made their way over, sitting down on the comfortable pillows of the thing. The older woman then got back to her own chair, letting out a sigh before starting the conversation. "I had hoped to meet you when you two were dating the last time. But, I suppose circumstances always kept that from happening." A blush crept onto Sunset's cheeks. "Yes...um...I truly am sorry about that." But Flash's Mother merely chuckled. "Think nothing of it, dearie. I'm sure you had a lot on your plate at the time." A nervous laugh escaped Sunset at that. "Yeah...you can definitely say that." Clasping her hands together, Mrs Sentry's smile widened. "No matter. What's important is that the two of you are back together. If the gossip I've heard about you is true, then you are most definitely an adorable couple!" The blush on Sunset's face grew more fierce, and the remark had even caused one to appear on Flash's face. "Mom, I think you're embarrassing her." The older woman stifled a giggle to that. "Nonsense, Flashy. I'm sure it's nothing she can't handle." Her smile grew wider soon afterwards. "In any case, I really am happy the two of you have each other. I know myself how good it feels to have someone special at such a young age." She turned away from them, seeming, for a moment, both wistful and nostalgic about something. While Sunset was somewhat unsure of what to make of this, Flash turned his face away from his Mother entirely, doing his best to hide a slightly pained look. But, he looked back to her, putting on a smile as she resumed speaking to them. "You know, I've been wanting to do this for some time, but...I need to get the camera for this!" To that, Flash slapped his forehead. "Mom!" Mrs Sentry giggled at that moment. "Oh, Flashy, I'm just kidding! You know I wouldn't obsess like that!" The boy breathed a sigh of relief over this, giving his Mother a small smile in response. But, he didn't get the chance to say anything further on the matter, as just then, the older woman hoisted herself up form her chair. "But, you know what? I think our gest could do with a nice cup of tea right now." Sunset's eyes widened, and she raised her hands in a defensive manner. "Oh! You don't need to..." But, she was cut off when Mrs Sentry shook her head. "Nonsense! What kind of host would I be if I didn't even offer you that much?" Sunset opened her mouth to respond, but soon realised that arguing at this point wouldn't really accomplish much. Instead, she gave an appreciative smile, watching as Mrs Sentry began to walk towards the kitchen, stopping to look down at her son. "Flash? Would you mind giving me a hand?" In spite of the sense of slight embarrassment he'd felt earlier, the boy gave his Mother a smile, getting up off the sofa to join her. "Sure thing, Mom." And with that, the two were off, leaving Sunset and Scootaloo in that room together. For a while, the only sound that could be heard was that of the "tick-tock" of a nearby clock, which, naturally, led to a degree of awkwardness for Sunset. She glanced down at Scootaloo for a few moments, who was still sitting on the ground, reading a small book. After a few false starts, the former unicorn eventually broke her silence. "So...Scootaloo...how have things been going?" The younger girl looked back to her, giving a smile in response. "Oh, it's...it's been good." There was something in the way she'd spoken those words that tipped Sunset off immediately. In her life, she had not only heard, but also performed such sounds several times over. So, she recognised forced happiness when she heard it. Realising that the girl was putting on a show, her expression became more serious. "Scootaloo? Is...is everything okay?" Scootaloo looked at her, somewhat embarrassed at being asked such a question, and while she did her best to avoid Sunset's gaze, she could nevertheless feel it on the back of her head. In the end, she let out a deep sigh, putting her book aside and standing up. Sunset watched as she made her way over, sitting beside her on the sofa. There was further silence between them for a time, but it was short-lived, as Scootaloo, in a move that surprised Sunset greatly, looked to her with a concerned expression. "You...you made my brother sad once." Sunset looked taken aback by that. "W...what?" Scootaloo looked away again, clenching her hands into fists upon her knees as she began to explain. "He never said it. He never showed it. But when you broke up...the first time...he got home and...I heard him, through his door." She looked down at the ground. "He cried...if only for a minute or two. You meant something to him...and breaking up with you...it hurt him." Here, Sunset looked away, feeling a great deal of guilt washing over her. The memory of the girl she used to be now forefront in her mind, along with the faces of all those she'd wronged in those days, Flash included. But, she stayed quiet, turning to her right yet again as Scootaloo continued. "I...I never knew my Dad. He...it was just before I was born. So..." Slowly, she looked back to Sunset. "I know Flash is my brother, but...he's also the only Father I've ever had. He matters to me, Sunset. And I hate seeing him sad." Her concern deepened in her eyes. "If there's a chance that things could go wrong between you again..." Sunset, at last, now knew what the young girl was getting at, and it was a thought that was soon confirmed when the she looked to her with saddened eyes. "Just...please be good to him?" For the longest time, Sunset just sat there, thinking over the confession that had been given to her. Long and hard she thought, until, finally, she looked to Scootaloo with a soft face. "Scootaloo...I appreciate that you care for him. He's lucky he's got you to watch out for him. And I appreciate that you have his wellbeing in mind." Taking a deep breath, she continued. "But I promise you...things aren't like what they used to be. Neither one of us is exactly who we were when we first dated. Things are better now. And I can tell you, with absolute certainty..." Reaching out, she gently placed her hand upon the girl's shoulder. "I would never, ever...do anything to hurt him again." For the longest time, Scootaloo simply stared at the older girl, right into her eyes. And what she saw there was nothing but honesty. It took some time, but, in the end, she closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. When she opened them again, she smiled, giving a short nod to her. "Okay. I...I believe you." Relieved, Sunset smiled back. "Thank you." But, neither one of them had a chance to say anything further to one another, as it was here when both Flash and his mother now re-entered the room. And sure enough, they each held a pair of tea-cups in their hands, one for each of the people now sitting in this room. Mrs Sentry offered one cup to Scootaloo who happily accepted, while Flash gave his spare to Sunset, who, naturally, gave him an appreciative smile over it. Everyone sat down, taking a few moments of silence to simply enjoy this quiet and calm between them. They took a few sips of the still-hot tea, just listening to the sound of the clock, still ticking away. But, when all of them were about as relaxed as it was possible to be under the circumstances, Sunset finally broke the silence, looking once more to Flash's Mother. "I have to say, Mrs Sentry...this meeting is going far better than I was expecting." Giggling slightly, the older woman gave a brief nod. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me, Sunset. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you two are crazy about each other. Besides..." Her smile widened, and she took another sip of her tea before carrying on. "...if Flash has decided that his special one is going to be a magically-transformed unicorn from another world, who am I to get in the way?" Here, it was as if time itself stood still. The words that had just been spoken sank into the youths in a shocking and almost unnatural way. Slowly, both Sunset and Flash glanced to each other, seeing the mutual shock and disbelief they both bore. When Flash looked back to his Mother, he stumbled for a bit, before asking the obvious question. "You...you know?!" Giggling again, Mrs Sentry answered. "Oh, my dear, sweet Flash. If there's one thing you need to know about Mothers, it's that, sooner or later..." A knowing smirk crept onto her face. "...we always find out." The older woman took an innocent slurp of her tea, leaving the young couple just staring at her with uncertainty, until, in the end, Sunset looked to her lover with a nervous smile. "Well...I guess that's good to know...right?"
