Truthsby Jay DavidChaptersComing OverExplanationsJust a TalkComing OverHe'd been sitting on that step for so long that, quite frankly, he was starting to lose all feeling in his posterior. Nevertheless, Flash continued to look along the street just outside his home, a look of eagerness upon his face as he did so. Every once in a while, he'd see somebody, causing him to shift in anticipation. But, as soon as they drew closer, he knew they weren't who he was looking for, so he'd simply sit himself back down again. Taking a moment, he let out a sigh, glancing upwards at the bright sunny day around him. It was a pleasant enough sight, causing at least a small smile on the youth. But, as was so often the way, his enjoyment of the weather did not last long, as a voice suddenly called out to him. "Hey there, Flash!" Looking along the nearby road, Flash broke out into a wider smile than before, getting to his feet at long last as Rainbow Dash now made her way towards him. Placing his hands upon his hips, the boy watched the girl draw ever nearer, and only when she was a few feet away from him did he finally say something. "Nice to see you made it." Chuckling slightly, the rainbow-haired girl started to answer. "Yeah, sorry I'm late. Had to finish some stuff with Mom before I left." But Flash simply shook his head. "Don't worry about it. So..." He then gestured to the door behind him. "...wanna get started on practice?" The girl nodded, prompting Flash to turn around fully, reaching forward and turning the knob of the door. Before long, both of them were inside, and as soon as Rainbow had entered, Flash closed the door behind her. They made their way further in, and it was here that Rainbow, after looking around slightly, started to speak up again. "So, where's Scootaloo?" Looking over his shoulder, Flash answered. "Out with her friends. Some new movie they wanted to go and see." Rainbow nodded to that, and it was only moments afterwards when the two entered the living room of the house. However, before either of them had the opportunity to say anything else to one another, a third voice started to call out to them from an adjacent room. "Flash? Is that you?" Smiling, Flash nodded in the voice's direction. "Yep, it's me, Mom." A brief laugh could be heard on the other side of the door before the voice of Flash's Mother spoke out a second time. "Has that friend of yours arrived?" Momentarily, Flash looked over to Rainbow, then looked back to the door. "Yeah, she's here too." At long last, the door started to open, and as soon as it did so, the two youths realised what was going on. Flash's mother was indeed there, but in her hands was a fully-laden tray of tea cups, no doubt already filled. But, because of this, Mrs Sentry had to enter by moving backwards, using her back to push the door open as she entered the living room. Seeing this, Flash reacted instinctively, rushing to the door and holding it open for her. This allowed the older woman to turn fully, looking to her son with an appreciative smile. "Thanks, sweetie." Flash nodded, but said nothing as his Mother's eyes began to drift in Rainbow's direction. "Now, how about we give your..." She stopped, for her sights had landed on Rainbow fully. It was as if she'd only just realised who it was that had arrived here, and for just a brief moment, it was like she'd seen a ghost. Naturally, Rainbow herself was a little taken aback by this, but nowhere near as much as Flash, who stood beside his Mother and regarded her with a great deal of concern. "Mom? Are you okay?" His words snapped her out of it, and she returned to her prior smile as she looked to him. "Yes, Flash. I'm sorry. It's just...you never said anything about Miss Dash being the one you were inviting over." Flash took on a look of confusion. "Is...is that...a problem?" Hastily, Mrs Sentry shook her head. "Nope! Not at all!" Then, the woman silently gestured for her so to take hold of her tray for a short while, which he dutifully did. With her hands now free, Mrs Sentry took a few steps over to Rainbow, holding out her hand to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dash." Smiling back, Rainbow took her hand and shook it. "Likewise, Mrs S." Scratching the back of her head, Rainbow let out a brief but nervous laugh. "Hehe...I, er...I hope us practising guitar in the garage won't bee too loud for you?" The other woman laughed right back. "Think nothing of it, my dear. I've been around Flash's band plenty of times. Trust me, this old girl can take it." Rainbow nodded in approval to that, before then looking over to where Flash was. "So...shall we get started?" The boy nodded, but then his eyes drifted down to the tray in his hands. "Sure, but...shouldn't we drink this stuff first?" Realisation crossed Rainbow's face, and she moved closer to him, taking her respective cup form the tray. Mrs Sentry did the same, and with the tray itself now lighter, Flash set it to one side, before then getting his own cup. There was a time of silence between them, during which they simply contented themselves to blow on their tea and then drink it once it had cooled off enough. But, after some time had passed, Flash looked over to one of the nearby doors. "You mind if I head over to get the gear sorted out?" Rainbow looked to him, nodding in agreement to that, prompting the boy to smile in response. He began to walk, his cup still in his hand, and before long, he was out of sight, no doubt going to the garage to sort out whatever musical equipment he had there. As for his Mother, she'd kept her eyes on him as he'd gone off, and now that she was alone with Rainbow, she started to take on a look of nervousness. It was something that had not escaped Rainbow's notice, but for now, the girl remained quiet. Turning, Mrs Sentry looked to her, trying to seem as composed and chipper as ever, as evidenced in her more upbeat tone as she spoke to the girl. "Would it be alright with you if I just got a few biscuits to go with this?" Hearing that, Rainbow smiled to her, giving a single nod. Mrs Sentry seemed to appreciate this, but then got back to the business of walking back where she'd come from, towards the kitchen. After the older woman had closed the door behind her, Rainbow was now left by herself, and after taking a further sip of tea, she started to glance around the room. There was little here that was truly remarkable. It was just a standard-looking living room. What did catch her interest though was the nearby fireplace. Specifically, there was a shelf above it that seemed to have a number of old photographs, lovingly displayed. Curiosity took hold of her, and she moved closer to them. Her first sight brought an amused smile to her face, as it seemed to be of Flash as a young child, holding a toy guitar and smiling to whoever had been holding the camera. "Hehe...cute." She then looked to other photos. There was another one with Flash. One depicting an older couple, perhaps Grandparents of some kind. Others had Scootaloo with her friends. One with Flash and Scootaloo beside their Mother. And then, she came to the picture at the very end of the shelf. It was Flash, looking very young, and standing in front of two adults. One was clearly Mrs Sentry, and the other was a man, whom Rainbow assumed had to be the boy's Father. And here, her smile faded. At first, she rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things. Then, she took a step closer, her eyes fixed completely on the man in the picture. She stared at him for the longest time, before whispering under her breath. "Is...is that...?" Looking around, she found somewhere suitable to put her cup, and swiftly did so. Then, she reached into one of her pockets, pulling out her wallet. After rummaging around inside of it for a few moments, she pulled out a single tiny photograph. Like the previous picture, she stared at it, her eyes drifting from one to the other. After enough time had passed, her expression became one of utter shock. "...No." Her voice was quiet, almost meek when she'd said that, but, for the time being, she said nothing further. Because just then, she was caught off-guard by the clearing of somebody's throat, causing her to snap her head in its direction. There, right in front of her, was Mrs Sentry. How long she'd been standing there, Rainbow could not say. All she knew was that she now had a look of sadness to her. Neither of them said anything, but before long, the older woman moved closer to the girl, reaching out her hand. "Rainbow...if I may?" Rainbow glanced down to the photo in her hand, then looked back up to Mrs Sentry. Sighing, she handed it over, and as the other woman took it, she began to observe it just as intently as Rainbow had done not long ago. Eventually, she closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of her own, before then handing the photo back to her. "...Of course." Taking the photo back, Rainbow seemed to share in the inability to say anything right now. But, both of them turned just in time to see Flash re-enter the room, looking rather pleased with himself. "Okay, Rainbow. It's all set up. We're ready whenever you want to start." But, all that met his words were the silent stares of his friend and Mother. The smile faded from his face at seeing this, and after glancing from one to the other, his gaze settled to his parent. "Mom? What is it?" Mrs Sentry turned to Rainbow, who seemed to be looking at her just as expectantly as Flash was. Then, after shutting her eyes tightly, she began to speak softly. "Flash, honey...there's something...I need to tell you." ExplanationsSilence was the order of the day for both Rainbow and Flash, as they sat quietly together on one of the sofas in the living room. They did not look at each other, even though Rainbow's body language made it clear that she very much wanted to at least glance at Flash right now. As for the boy himself, his eyes were fixed squarely on his Mother, who could still be seen in the nearby kitchen, as the door between both rooms had been left open. She had her back turned to them both, but had her cell-phone held up to her head. Though the older woman was obviously trying to keep her voice as hushed as she could, there were nevertheless times when Rainbow and Flash could hear what she was saying. "Yes...yes...I know, Firefly. But we always knew this could happen. No...no, it's fine. I'll tell her. I'll tell them both. We were lucky to have kept it quiet even this long, if I'm honest." It looked as if she were staring at the ground now. "Okay...thank you." With that, she pressed a single button on the phone, switching it off. Then, after taking a few calming breaths, she turned, re-entering the living room at long last. Flash and Rainbow watched her carefully, seeing her get comfortable in her own chair before, finally, Flash decided to be the one to break the silence between them. "Mom, I don't mean to sound rude, but...please...just tell me what's going on!" Mrs Sentry slowly looked down to the ground, a look upon her face that seemed as though she was having great difficulty in deciding how best to say what she had to say. And all the while, Flash awaited her response, as indeed did Rainbow. Speaking of whom, it was here that Mrs Sentry looked up to the girl, her face one of utter seriousness, much like her tone when she finally spoke. "Rainbow...would you be so kind as to show Flash...the photo?" Rainbow was taken aback by this, but after a request like that, and with Flash looking to her with a great deal of confusion on his face, what else could the girl do but let out a long sigh. "Right...sure." Reaching for her wallet yet again, she pulled it out, and before long, that old photograph was once more in her hands. Slowly, she offered it to the boy beside her, and after just a moment of hesitation, Flash finally took it. Now looking at the thing, the boy saw, to his surprise, that it was his Father. But, he was clad in a distinct military uniform, and was standing alongside several others, men and women, all dressed in the same garb. After staring at the thing for almost a full minute, Flash looked back up to Rainbow. "W...why do you have a picture of my Dad?" A brief grimace formed on Rainbow's face, and when she finally spoke, it was with a great deal of discomfort. "That picture was given to me by my Mom. She was part of that unit. You can see her there, standing next to him." At that, Flash looked once more to the picture. Sure enough, there was indeed a woman standing beside his Father, with spikey blue hair and bright pink skin. As he glanced at it, however, he began to speak up again. "You Mom and my Dad served together?" Looking up, he saw Rainbow shrug her shoulders. "Seems like it," she replied. Flash looked back to the photo, then up to his Mother. "Is...is this what you wanted to talk about?" His Mother was silent, and it wasn't long before Rainbow coughed nervously, gaining Flash's attention again. "Actually...that photo is also kind of important in...in another way, Flash." Flash raised an eyebrow, prompting Rainbow to continue. "You see...my Mom always told me that this was...well...the only photo she had of...my Dad." Silence passed yet again, and Flash just stared at Rainbow for the longest time. The girl herself said nothing, alternating between looking to Flash and looking to the photo. Slowly, the boy turned yet again to his Mother, his face both one of confusion and, for lack of a better word, fear of what was, in his heart, something he knew was about to be said. Recognising this look in her son, Mrs Sentry let out a long sigh, closing her eyes for a time before looking him right in his own. "Flash, honey...Rainbow is...your sister." Gradually, the boy's mouth started to open, only to find itself hanging there, as he was utterly unable to speak right now. As for Mrs Sentry, she quickly took this moment to further clarify herself. "Well...I should really say half-sister...on your Father's side." Rainbow looked to her apparent sibling, and while it seemed clear that she had already figured this out, it was equally obvious that she was having just as hard a time accepting this as he was. Flash, in the meantime, appeared to be grappling with what he'd just learned, his expression changing almost by the second. Confusion, discomfort, even a little anger. But, after a great deal of quiet had come and gone, he said perhaps the only thing he could say right now. "...Explain...please." Sighing, Mrs Sentry nodded. "Of course. Well, I suppose it all started with the three of us. Me, your Father...and Firefly." Rainbow leaned closer, clearly eager to hear about this, and so said nothing as Mrs Sentry continued. "We were friends for as long as any of us could remember. Went to school together, college, you name it." A look of nostalgia crossed her face, but it faded soon afterwards. "But, your Father and Firefly went on to the military, while I did what I did. Still stayed close, still kept in touch. And over time...well...I'm sure I don't need to tell you what happened between your Father and me." Flash nodded, though he still seemed serious. "Okay, but...what about...everything else?" Discomfort crossed his Mother's face, and for a brief moment, she looked away from him. "Well...the day Firefly and your Father...well...when they..." Flash sighed. "Yes, I know what you're talking about, Mom." She looked to him, then to Rainbow, before settling on her son as she continued. "It happened...about a few hours after the two of us...married." To that, Flash's eyes snapped open wide. "What?! You're telling me he cheated on you on your wedding night?!" Here, Mrs Sentry took on an expression that appeared to be equal parts nervousness and shame. "Actually...the thing is...he didn't technically cheat on me, sweetie." Naturally, Flash, as well as Rainbow for that matter, seemed more than a little confused by this. "Excuse me?! Pardon me for saying this, Mom. But he slept with another woman! How is that not cheating?!" As before, the older woman was quiet, and seemed to be having even more trouble answering that question than she had anything else thus far. But, with the pleading look her son was giving her, and her own personal need to speak, it wasn't long before she finally relented, her shoulders slumping slightly before giving her son his answer. "Well...you see, Flash...as I said before, the three of us were as close as friends could be, and so when your Father and I got married, Firefly was there, just as happy for us as we were." She looked away. "In fact...we were so happy that...um...the three of us might have made something of an...error in judgment." Flash tilted his head in confusion, a sentiment that was mirrored in Rainbow's face also. Seeing this, Mrs Sentry clasped her hands together before continuing. "Let's just say...the three of us might have, possibly...gone a little overboard with our...merry-making?" Hearing that, Flash, leaned back into his part of the sofa, raising one hand and rubbing his temples with it, all while letting out an exasperated sigh. "You got drunk? All of you?" Giving off a similar-sounding sigh, his Mother nodded. "Not the best way to go about our special day, but...yes...we did. Which, at the very least, should go a long way to why I've always been eager for you not to do that, son." That, at the very least, gave the boy a reason to nod in agreement, but it was a short-lived feeling, as Rainbow then spoke up. "So...what happened after you three...did that?" Nervously, Mrs Sentry scratched the back of her head, frowning slightly as she started to explain. "Unfortunately, that's where it gets a little blurry. Even now, all these years afterwards, none of us can remember exactly who said it first. But in our state at the time, the...suggestion was made that, since Firefly was our longest friend, that we'd done everything together, that she should...well..." She coughed in an embarrassed manner before looking once more to the two youths. "...join in?" To that, all the colour seemed to drain from Rainbow's face, and as for Flash, he soon buried his own face in his hands. As one would expect, Mrs Sentry herself seemed utterly mortified at what she'd just had to confess to the two of them, and so found it hard to even look at them right now, even as Rainbow, in a somewhat paralysed manner, put the pieces together. "So...that was the night? All three of you together and then...me and Flash soon after?" Mrs Sentry nodded, and like so many times before, there was nothing but a grave-like quiet between the three of them. It lasted for several minutes, with the only real sound being that of their breathing. Eventually though, Flash looked up, his expression not of embarrassment or awkwardness but, to his Mother's surprise, slight anger. "Why? Why didn't you or Firefly tell us about this?" Rainbow, having snapped herself out of her state, looked to her "brother", then to his Mother, and it was here that the latter exhaled deeply, looking her son right in the eye. "Please understand, Flash. None of us ever intended to hurt you or Rainbow by keeping this a secret. But it was decided that, give how the conception occurred, that we should wait until you were both older before sitting you down and explaining things." She looked down at the ground, sadness taking hold in her eyes. "But then...then...your Father died." Flash's anger subsided, and he too took on a look of slight sadness, though he said nothing as his Mother continued. "So...that put an end to that plan. If he'd been here we might have been able to bring you two together to talk about it, but..." The boy nodded, albeit very briefly, and like his Mother, he too now stared at the ground. To say that this was a moment of great discomfort for all involved would have been a massive understatement, as it was very clear from the looks on their faces that none of them had any idea whatsoever about what to say to one another. In the midst of it all, Flash's eyes slowly turned upwards, to Rainbow. She, in turn, looked to him, and for that one moment, it was as if they were looking at each other for the very first time. Mrs Sentry watched this, but said nothing all the same. Then, to the surprise of both her and Rainbow, Flash got up. His expression was blank, and he moved with utter silence away from them both. The other two kept their eyes on him, watching him leave the room, than saw him stop just at the foot of the stairs in the hallway. "I..." His words were hesitant, perhaps even confused, but he said them anyway. "I just...need a moment." And with that, he left, heading on upstairs while the others watched. Then, in that silence, they heard him gently close his bedroom door upstairs. Now, it was just the two of them, and Mrs Sentry, perhaps in some effort to fix what had been done, looked to Rainbow with a soft smile. "For what it's worth...I'm sure my husband would be proud to have a daughter like you, Rainbow." Rainbow didn't know what to say to that, and so, she simply turned, looking once more to the nearby set of stairs. And her mind turned to new and unexpected thoughts. Thoughts, mainly, of the brother she never knew she had. Just a TalkFor the longest time, all Rainbow could do was stare at the plain-looking door before her. She had come all this way upstairs, and now, she found herself incapable of going any further. It was a frustrating situation, as she seemed both eager and terrified to take the next step. Her mind was awash with all the things she'd learned, and these new truths ate at her, giving her conflicting feelings with every passing moment. But, after that long deathly silence had run its course, she sighed, looking up to the door with a determined expression upon her face. "Flash? It's...it's me." There was no answer, and after Rainbow waited even further, she took in a deep breath. "I'm coming in." Reaching for the knob, she turned it, and before long, she was within the room. Flash's bedroom was, in all honesty, about what she'd expect for him. A few posters of his favourite musicians, a desk for him to do his homework, a shelf on one wall, covered in old family photos. And at the centre of it all was his bed, where the boy himself now sat, right at the end. His back was to her, and he did not turn as she entered, softening her expression considerably. Closing the door behind her, the rainbow-haired girl took a step closer, speaking in a tone that most would have expected more of Fluttershy than of her. "Is...is it okay if I sit here?" Flash did not reply, but he did move to one side, creating a space for her. Nodding to this silent invitation, Rainbow moved closer, placing herself at the foot of the bed, just as he had done. With her hands resting upon her knees, she looked over to her unexpected half-sibling, who was now staring at the ground, his expression hard to read. Rainbow seemed just as unable to figure out what to say as anybody else would under the circumstances, so, after scratching the back of her head, she tried to at least break the ice. "So...quite a day, huh?" Again, Flash said nothing, prompting her to carry on. "I mean...this is some pretty heavy stuff, right?" Further silence. "You know, we've been through some pretty strange stuff lately, but...this is probably in the top ten, easily." Her desire to move on from this awkward place the two of them had found themselves in was obvious. And, just maybe, it was that knowledge that led to Flash, at long last, letting out a deep sigh. But while he did speak, albeit in a hushed manner, his eyes remained firmly on the ground. "All my life..." Rainbow looked to him with concern as he continued. "All my life...I looked up to him. I always...always thought he was something I should be...somebody I could live up to." He frowned. "But now? Now...I don't know what to think about him." Rainbow's face softened again. "Hey, come on...I'm sure your...er...our Dad was still a pretty good guy. I mean..." She considered her words before carrying on. "Think about it. Your Mom obviously stayed with him after this, so that must mean he was worth staying for. I mean, given what we've heard, I don't think anyone can really be blamed for this." But Flash shook his head. "That's not the problem. If it was just a case of him having a kid by another woman, I'd forgive him, if only because Mom did. But..." Slowly, he looked to her, clear hurt in his eyes. "...but he never came to you. You grew up never even knowing his name. He...he left you." Rainbow was taken aback by this, and so took a moment to compose herself. "Well...you heard your Mom. They would have told us everything eventually, right?" Flash looked away. "He should have been a part of your life sooner. Now...now that chance is lost." It was clear that the boy was angry right now, even hurt, and so, for quite a while, Rainbow just settled into staring at him. She looked very much like she wanted to say something nice, something encouraging, but every time she thought of a good thing to say, her nerves got the better of her. But, after a good deal of time had progressed, she simply spoke her mind. "Look, Flash...I know you're probably ticked off at being kept in the dark, and you know, so am I. But the truth is...things turned out okay." Flash looked to her, promoting her to continue. "I mean it. I mean, I totally had an okay life without him, and sure, I would have liked to at least meet him, but I can't really bring myself to hate him." Here, Flash seemed taken aback. "I don't hate him, Rainbow. It's just...ugh!" He buried his face in his hands. "I just...don't know what to do with any of this!" Chuckling, Rainbow gave him a quick pat on the back. "Tell me about it. Still, at least you get to say you have two sisters now, right?" Hearing that, Flash looked up again, his face aghast. "Shoot! Scootaloo! How am I going to explain this to her?!" As before, Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, it ain't gonna be easy. But, if we do it together..." Flash turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "You...you'd want to be there?" Folding her arms, Rainbow smiled and nodded. "Sure. I mean...she is my sister, right? And you..." Here, she seemed to struggle, but eventually, she got her words out. "...you're my brother. A half-brother, sure...but a brother all the same." After saying that, her expression began to soften. "And you know...I've spent so long thinking of myself as an only child. Just...just me and nobody else. Now? Now it turns out...I've got this whole family I never even knew about. And...well..." Slowly, she looked him right in the eye. "...that's...kinda awesome to me, Flash." Hearing that, and seeing the completely honest look she bore as she said it, Flash sighed, appearing to relax a great deal in his body language. After looking away from her for a time, he started to smile right back to her. "Yeah...I guess...you can see it like that." He was then caught off-guard by the sound of her laughing, prompting him to look over to her as she started speaking again. "Although...it is kinda weird when you think that the guy I've had a kind-of crush on for so many months turns out to be my own brother." Folding his own arms, Flash raised an eyebrow. "I think "lusted after" was the phrase you were looking for, Rainbow." The girl laughed again to this, nodding in resigned agreement. But then, just as quickly as that smile had come, it vanished, replaced instead by a look of horror as Rainbow clasped her hands onto her cheeks. "Oh geez!" Flash looked to her with worry. "What? What is it?!" Mortification crossed Rainbow's face as she answered. "This means that...that...I've seen my own brother's junk!" Flash's eyes snapped open wide. "What?! When did that happen?!" Rainbow looked to him, still unnerved. "Back during that spa massage a month or two ago? When our towels fell off?" Flash now shared in her mortification. "You said you hadn't peeked!" Rainbow raised her hands in a defensive posture. "I couldn't help it! It just...happened!" Neither of them said a word to each other after that, and only stared at one another in the awkward and uncomfortable silence that fell upon them. Then, after doing absolutely nothing this whole time, both of them, at the exact same moment, began to crack. They could not hold in their smiles and laughs any longer, and together, they burst out into simultaneous chuckles and guffaws. Staying in that same spot they'd been sitting in that whole time, they laughed together at pretty much everything they'd said and learned. In the midst of it, and after the laughter had died down considerably, Flash wiped a laugh-induced tear from his eye. "This...this whole thing is ridiculous, isn't it?" In a similar mood, Rainbow nodded, looking to her brother as she did so. "Yea...it's nuts." The two sighed deeply at one another, looking to each other with at least a degree of affection. The kind of smile one only reserved for family. Then, when the moment had passed, Flash raised a hand and placed it upon her shoulder. "You know...it's getting pretty close to the anniversary of Dad's...passing. Me, Mom and Scoots usually go and visit his grave, so..." Rainbow's smile faded a little, replaced by genuine surprise at the offer now given to her by her newly-discovered sibling. At first, she seemed hesitant, but after mulling the matter over, she started to perk up again, returning to her soft smile and giving a nod. "Yeah...I'd like that." Flash's smile widened, but he was unable to say anything further, as just then, he was distracted by the sound of somebody clearing their throat. Turning, both he and Rainbow saw that it was Mrs Sentry. With everything that had happened, neither youth had noticed that she'd entered the room, and was now looking to her son with uncertainty. "I...I hope you don't mind if I come in, son?" Slowly, Flash's expression became blank, hard to read. He got himself up from his sitting position, walking around the bed and headed straight to his Mother. The older woman saw him coming, and did nothing, simply looking to him as he stopped and stared at her. Then, to her surprise, he stepped forward, embracing her tenderly. Though surprised and taken aback by this, Mrs Sentry soon broke out into a massive smile, complete with happy tears in her eyes. She returned the hug, a sight which brought a smile to Rainbow's face also. Whatever bad feeling or sense of discomfort there might have been in this room now vanished in this one moment, replaced instead by an experience of calm and contentment. Such a thing would surely have been a heart-warming moment worthy of preservation. Sadly, it was a moment somewhat spoiled when Rainbow stood up and spoke. "So...Flash? Are we gonna gloss over the fact that our Mom's totally did it that night?" Remaining where he was, Flash continued to hold his Mother, and she him, and when he spoke, it was with a tone that, understandably, bore a slight sense of annoyance to it. "Well...I was." Taking on a nervous look, Rainbow let out an uneasy laugh, slowly moving to head on outside past the still-embracing pair. "Right, so...see you at the cemetery?" Again, Flash remained still as he held his Mother. "Yes...that would be nice." Nodding, Rainbow did her best to remove herself from this place, and as Mother and son continued to embrace, it was now Mrs Sentry's turn to speak. "Well...I'm sure she'll be a wonderful sister, sweetie." To that, Flash sighed, chuckling a little. "Yeah...we can only hope."
Coming OverHe'd been sitting on that step for so long that, quite frankly, he was starting to lose all feeling in his posterior. Nevertheless, Flash continued to look along the street just outside his home, a look of eagerness upon his face as he did so. Every once in a while, he'd see somebody, causing him to shift in anticipation. But, as soon as they drew closer, he knew they weren't who he was looking for, so he'd simply sit himself back down again. Taking a moment, he let out a sigh, glancing upwards at the bright sunny day around him. It was a pleasant enough sight, causing at least a small smile on the youth. But, as was so often the way, his enjoyment of the weather did not last long, as a voice suddenly called out to him. "Hey there, Flash!" Looking along the nearby road, Flash broke out into a wider smile than before, getting to his feet at long last as Rainbow Dash now made her way towards him. Placing his hands upon his hips, the boy watched the girl draw ever nearer, and only when she was a few feet away from him did he finally say something. "Nice to see you made it." Chuckling slightly, the rainbow-haired girl started to answer. "Yeah, sorry I'm late. Had to finish some stuff with Mom before I left." But Flash simply shook his head. "Don't worry about it. So..." He then gestured to the door behind him. "...wanna get started on practice?" The girl nodded, prompting Flash to turn around fully, reaching forward and turning the knob of the door. Before long, both of them were inside, and as soon as Rainbow had entered, Flash closed the door behind her. They made their way further in, and it was here that Rainbow, after looking around slightly, started to speak up again. "So, where's Scootaloo?" Looking over his shoulder, Flash answered. "Out with her friends. Some new movie they wanted to go and see." Rainbow nodded to that, and it was only moments afterwards when the two entered the living room of the house. However, before either of them had the opportunity to say anything else to one another, a third voice started to call out to them from an adjacent room. "Flash? Is that you?" Smiling, Flash nodded in the voice's direction. "Yep, it's me, Mom." A brief laugh could be heard on the other side of the door before the voice of Flash's Mother spoke out a second time. "Has that friend of yours arrived?" Momentarily, Flash looked over to Rainbow, then looked back to the door. "Yeah, she's here too." At long last, the door started to open, and as soon as it did so, the two youths realised what was going on. Flash's mother was indeed there, but in her hands was a fully-laden tray of tea cups, no doubt already filled. But, because of this, Mrs Sentry had to enter by moving backwards, using her back to push the door open as she entered the living room. Seeing this, Flash reacted instinctively, rushing to the door and holding it open for her. This allowed the older woman to turn fully, looking to her son with an appreciative smile. "Thanks, sweetie." Flash nodded, but said nothing as his Mother's eyes began to drift in Rainbow's direction. "Now, how about we give your..." She stopped, for her sights had landed on Rainbow fully. It was as if she'd only just realised who it was that had arrived here, and for just a brief moment, it was like she'd seen a ghost. Naturally, Rainbow herself was a little taken aback by this, but nowhere near as much as Flash, who stood beside his Mother and regarded her with a great deal of concern. "Mom? Are you okay?" His words snapped her out of it, and she returned to her prior smile as she looked to him. "Yes, Flash. I'm sorry. It's just...you never said anything about Miss Dash being the one you were inviting over." Flash took on a look of confusion. "Is...is that...a problem?" Hastily, Mrs Sentry shook her head. "Nope! Not at all!" Then, the woman silently gestured for her so to take hold of her tray for a short while, which he dutifully did. With her hands now free, Mrs Sentry took a few steps over to Rainbow, holding out her hand to her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Dash." Smiling back, Rainbow took her hand and shook it. "Likewise, Mrs S." Scratching the back of her head, Rainbow let out a brief but nervous laugh. "Hehe...I, er...I hope us practising guitar in the garage won't bee too loud for you?" The other woman laughed right back. "Think nothing of it, my dear. I've been around Flash's band plenty of times. Trust me, this old girl can take it." Rainbow nodded in approval to that, before then looking over to where Flash was. "So...shall we get started?" The boy nodded, but then his eyes drifted down to the tray in his hands. "Sure, but...shouldn't we drink this stuff first?" Realisation crossed Rainbow's face, and she moved closer to him, taking her respective cup form the tray. Mrs Sentry did the same, and with the tray itself now lighter, Flash set it to one side, before then getting his own cup. There was a time of silence between them, during which they simply contented themselves to blow on their tea and then drink it once it had cooled off enough. But, after some time had passed, Flash looked over to one of the nearby doors. "You mind if I head over to get the gear sorted out?" Rainbow looked to him, nodding in agreement to that, prompting the boy to smile in response. He began to walk, his cup still in his hand, and before long, he was out of sight, no doubt going to the garage to sort out whatever musical equipment he had there. As for his Mother, she'd kept her eyes on him as he'd gone off, and now that she was alone with Rainbow, she started to take on a look of nervousness. It was something that had not escaped Rainbow's notice, but for now, the girl remained quiet. Turning, Mrs Sentry looked to her, trying to seem as composed and chipper as ever, as evidenced in her more upbeat tone as she spoke to the girl. "Would it be alright with you if I just got a few biscuits to go with this?" Hearing that, Rainbow smiled to her, giving a single nod. Mrs Sentry seemed to appreciate this, but then got back to the business of walking back where she'd come from, towards the kitchen. After the older woman had closed the door behind her, Rainbow was now left by herself, and after taking a further sip of tea, she started to glance around the room. There was little here that was truly remarkable. It was just a standard-looking living room. What did catch her interest though was the nearby fireplace. Specifically, there was a shelf above it that seemed to have a number of old photographs, lovingly displayed. Curiosity took hold of her, and she moved closer to them. Her first sight brought an amused smile to her face, as it seemed to be of Flash as a young child, holding a toy guitar and smiling to whoever had been holding the camera. "Hehe...cute." She then looked to other photos. There was another one with Flash. One depicting an older couple, perhaps Grandparents of some kind. Others had Scootaloo with her friends. One with Flash and Scootaloo beside their Mother. And then, she came to the picture at the very end of the shelf. It was Flash, looking very young, and standing in front of two adults. One was clearly Mrs Sentry, and the other was a man, whom Rainbow assumed had to be the boy's Father. And here, her smile faded. At first, she rubbed her eyes, making sure she wasn't seeing things. Then, she took a step closer, her eyes fixed completely on the man in the picture. She stared at him for the longest time, before whispering under her breath. "Is...is that...?" Looking around, she found somewhere suitable to put her cup, and swiftly did so. Then, she reached into one of her pockets, pulling out her wallet. After rummaging around inside of it for a few moments, she pulled out a single tiny photograph. Like the previous picture, she stared at it, her eyes drifting from one to the other. After enough time had passed, her expression became one of utter shock. "...No." Her voice was quiet, almost meek when she'd said that, but, for the time being, she said nothing further. Because just then, she was caught off-guard by the clearing of somebody's throat, causing her to snap her head in its direction. There, right in front of her, was Mrs Sentry. How long she'd been standing there, Rainbow could not say. All she knew was that she now had a look of sadness to her. Neither of them said anything, but before long, the older woman moved closer to the girl, reaching out her hand. "Rainbow...if I may?" Rainbow glanced down to the photo in her hand, then looked back up to Mrs Sentry. Sighing, she handed it over, and as the other woman took it, she began to observe it just as intently as Rainbow had done not long ago. Eventually, she closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of her own, before then handing the photo back to her. "...Of course." Taking the photo back, Rainbow seemed to share in the inability to say anything right now. But, both of them turned just in time to see Flash re-enter the room, looking rather pleased with himself. "Okay, Rainbow. It's all set up. We're ready whenever you want to start." But, all that met his words were the silent stares of his friend and Mother. The smile faded from his face at seeing this, and after glancing from one to the other, his gaze settled to his parent. "Mom? What is it?" Mrs Sentry turned to Rainbow, who seemed to be looking at her just as expectantly as Flash was. Then, after shutting her eyes tightly, she began to speak softly. "Flash, honey...there's something...I need to tell you."
ExplanationsSilence was the order of the day for both Rainbow and Flash, as they sat quietly together on one of the sofas in the living room. They did not look at each other, even though Rainbow's body language made it clear that she very much wanted to at least glance at Flash right now. As for the boy himself, his eyes were fixed squarely on his Mother, who could still be seen in the nearby kitchen, as the door between both rooms had been left open. She had her back turned to them both, but had her cell-phone held up to her head. Though the older woman was obviously trying to keep her voice as hushed as she could, there were nevertheless times when Rainbow and Flash could hear what she was saying. "Yes...yes...I know, Firefly. But we always knew this could happen. No...no, it's fine. I'll tell her. I'll tell them both. We were lucky to have kept it quiet even this long, if I'm honest." It looked as if she were staring at the ground now. "Okay...thank you." With that, she pressed a single button on the phone, switching it off. Then, after taking a few calming breaths, she turned, re-entering the living room at long last. Flash and Rainbow watched her carefully, seeing her get comfortable in her own chair before, finally, Flash decided to be the one to break the silence between them. "Mom, I don't mean to sound rude, but...please...just tell me what's going on!" Mrs Sentry slowly looked down to the ground, a look upon her face that seemed as though she was having great difficulty in deciding how best to say what she had to say. And all the while, Flash awaited her response, as indeed did Rainbow. Speaking of whom, it was here that Mrs Sentry looked up to the girl, her face one of utter seriousness, much like her tone when she finally spoke. "Rainbow...would you be so kind as to show Flash...the photo?" Rainbow was taken aback by this, but after a request like that, and with Flash looking to her with a great deal of confusion on his face, what else could the girl do but let out a long sigh. "Right...sure." Reaching for her wallet yet again, she pulled it out, and before long, that old photograph was once more in her hands. Slowly, she offered it to the boy beside her, and after just a moment of hesitation, Flash finally took it. Now looking at the thing, the boy saw, to his surprise, that it was his Father. But, he was clad in a distinct military uniform, and was standing alongside several others, men and women, all dressed in the same garb. After staring at the thing for almost a full minute, Flash looked back up to Rainbow. "W...why do you have a picture of my Dad?" A brief grimace formed on Rainbow's face, and when she finally spoke, it was with a great deal of discomfort. "That picture was given to me by my Mom. She was part of that unit. You can see her there, standing next to him." At that, Flash looked once more to the picture. Sure enough, there was indeed a woman standing beside his Father, with spikey blue hair and bright pink skin. As he glanced at it, however, he began to speak up again. "You Mom and my Dad served together?" Looking up, he saw Rainbow shrug her shoulders. "Seems like it," she replied. Flash looked back to the photo, then up to his Mother. "Is...is this what you wanted to talk about?" His Mother was silent, and it wasn't long before Rainbow coughed nervously, gaining Flash's attention again. "Actually...that photo is also kind of important in...in another way, Flash." Flash raised an eyebrow, prompting Rainbow to continue. "You see...my Mom always told me that this was...well...the only photo she had of...my Dad." Silence passed yet again, and Flash just stared at Rainbow for the longest time. The girl herself said nothing, alternating between looking to Flash and looking to the photo. Slowly, the boy turned yet again to his Mother, his face both one of confusion and, for lack of a better word, fear of what was, in his heart, something he knew was about to be said. Recognising this look in her son, Mrs Sentry let out a long sigh, closing her eyes for a time before looking him right in his own. "Flash, honey...Rainbow is...your sister." Gradually, the boy's mouth started to open, only to find itself hanging there, as he was utterly unable to speak right now. As for Mrs Sentry, she quickly took this moment to further clarify herself. "Well...I should really say half-sister...on your Father's side." Rainbow looked to her apparent sibling, and while it seemed clear that she had already figured this out, it was equally obvious that she was having just as hard a time accepting this as he was. Flash, in the meantime, appeared to be grappling with what he'd just learned, his expression changing almost by the second. Confusion, discomfort, even a little anger. But, after a great deal of quiet had come and gone, he said perhaps the only thing he could say right now. "...Explain...please." Sighing, Mrs Sentry nodded. "Of course. Well, I suppose it all started with the three of us. Me, your Father...and Firefly." Rainbow leaned closer, clearly eager to hear about this, and so said nothing as Mrs Sentry continued. "We were friends for as long as any of us could remember. Went to school together, college, you name it." A look of nostalgia crossed her face, but it faded soon afterwards. "But, your Father and Firefly went on to the military, while I did what I did. Still stayed close, still kept in touch. And over time...well...I'm sure I don't need to tell you what happened between your Father and me." Flash nodded, though he still seemed serious. "Okay, but...what about...everything else?" Discomfort crossed his Mother's face, and for a brief moment, she looked away from him. "Well...the day Firefly and your Father...well...when they..." Flash sighed. "Yes, I know what you're talking about, Mom." She looked to him, then to Rainbow, before settling on her son as she continued. "It happened...about a few hours after the two of us...married." To that, Flash's eyes snapped open wide. "What?! You're telling me he cheated on you on your wedding night?!" Here, Mrs Sentry took on an expression that appeared to be equal parts nervousness and shame. "Actually...the thing is...he didn't technically cheat on me, sweetie." Naturally, Flash, as well as Rainbow for that matter, seemed more than a little confused by this. "Excuse me?! Pardon me for saying this, Mom. But he slept with another woman! How is that not cheating?!" As before, the older woman was quiet, and seemed to be having even more trouble answering that question than she had anything else thus far. But, with the pleading look her son was giving her, and her own personal need to speak, it wasn't long before she finally relented, her shoulders slumping slightly before giving her son his answer. "Well...you see, Flash...as I said before, the three of us were as close as friends could be, and so when your Father and I got married, Firefly was there, just as happy for us as we were." She looked away. "In fact...we were so happy that...um...the three of us might have made something of an...error in judgment." Flash tilted his head in confusion, a sentiment that was mirrored in Rainbow's face also. Seeing this, Mrs Sentry clasped her hands together before continuing. "Let's just say...the three of us might have, possibly...gone a little overboard with our...merry-making?" Hearing that, Flash, leaned back into his part of the sofa, raising one hand and rubbing his temples with it, all while letting out an exasperated sigh. "You got drunk? All of you?" Giving off a similar-sounding sigh, his Mother nodded. "Not the best way to go about our special day, but...yes...we did. Which, at the very least, should go a long way to why I've always been eager for you not to do that, son." That, at the very least, gave the boy a reason to nod in agreement, but it was a short-lived feeling, as Rainbow then spoke up. "So...what happened after you three...did that?" Nervously, Mrs Sentry scratched the back of her head, frowning slightly as she started to explain. "Unfortunately, that's where it gets a little blurry. Even now, all these years afterwards, none of us can remember exactly who said it first. But in our state at the time, the...suggestion was made that, since Firefly was our longest friend, that we'd done everything together, that she should...well..." She coughed in an embarrassed manner before looking once more to the two youths. "...join in?" To that, all the colour seemed to drain from Rainbow's face, and as for Flash, he soon buried his own face in his hands. As one would expect, Mrs Sentry herself seemed utterly mortified at what she'd just had to confess to the two of them, and so found it hard to even look at them right now, even as Rainbow, in a somewhat paralysed manner, put the pieces together. "So...that was the night? All three of you together and then...me and Flash soon after?" Mrs Sentry nodded, and like so many times before, there was nothing but a grave-like quiet between the three of them. It lasted for several minutes, with the only real sound being that of their breathing. Eventually though, Flash looked up, his expression not of embarrassment or awkwardness but, to his Mother's surprise, slight anger. "Why? Why didn't you or Firefly tell us about this?" Rainbow, having snapped herself out of her state, looked to her "brother", then to his Mother, and it was here that the latter exhaled deeply, looking her son right in the eye. "Please understand, Flash. None of us ever intended to hurt you or Rainbow by keeping this a secret. But it was decided that, give how the conception occurred, that we should wait until you were both older before sitting you down and explaining things." She looked down at the ground, sadness taking hold in her eyes. "But then...then...your Father died." Flash's anger subsided, and he too took on a look of slight sadness, though he said nothing as his Mother continued. "So...that put an end to that plan. If he'd been here we might have been able to bring you two together to talk about it, but..." The boy nodded, albeit very briefly, and like his Mother, he too now stared at the ground. To say that this was a moment of great discomfort for all involved would have been a massive understatement, as it was very clear from the looks on their faces that none of them had any idea whatsoever about what to say to one another. In the midst of it all, Flash's eyes slowly turned upwards, to Rainbow. She, in turn, looked to him, and for that one moment, it was as if they were looking at each other for the very first time. Mrs Sentry watched this, but said nothing all the same. Then, to the surprise of both her and Rainbow, Flash got up. His expression was blank, and he moved with utter silence away from them both. The other two kept their eyes on him, watching him leave the room, than saw him stop just at the foot of the stairs in the hallway. "I..." His words were hesitant, perhaps even confused, but he said them anyway. "I just...need a moment." And with that, he left, heading on upstairs while the others watched. Then, in that silence, they heard him gently close his bedroom door upstairs. Now, it was just the two of them, and Mrs Sentry, perhaps in some effort to fix what had been done, looked to Rainbow with a soft smile. "For what it's worth...I'm sure my husband would be proud to have a daughter like you, Rainbow." Rainbow didn't know what to say to that, and so, she simply turned, looking once more to the nearby set of stairs. And her mind turned to new and unexpected thoughts. Thoughts, mainly, of the brother she never knew she had.
Just a TalkFor the longest time, all Rainbow could do was stare at the plain-looking door before her. She had come all this way upstairs, and now, she found herself incapable of going any further. It was a frustrating situation, as she seemed both eager and terrified to take the next step. Her mind was awash with all the things she'd learned, and these new truths ate at her, giving her conflicting feelings with every passing moment. But, after that long deathly silence had run its course, she sighed, looking up to the door with a determined expression upon her face. "Flash? It's...it's me." There was no answer, and after Rainbow waited even further, she took in a deep breath. "I'm coming in." Reaching for the knob, she turned it, and before long, she was within the room. Flash's bedroom was, in all honesty, about what she'd expect for him. A few posters of his favourite musicians, a desk for him to do his homework, a shelf on one wall, covered in old family photos. And at the centre of it all was his bed, where the boy himself now sat, right at the end. His back was to her, and he did not turn as she entered, softening her expression considerably. Closing the door behind her, the rainbow-haired girl took a step closer, speaking in a tone that most would have expected more of Fluttershy than of her. "Is...is it okay if I sit here?" Flash did not reply, but he did move to one side, creating a space for her. Nodding to this silent invitation, Rainbow moved closer, placing herself at the foot of the bed, just as he had done. With her hands resting upon her knees, she looked over to her unexpected half-sibling, who was now staring at the ground, his expression hard to read. Rainbow seemed just as unable to figure out what to say as anybody else would under the circumstances, so, after scratching the back of her head, she tried to at least break the ice. "So...quite a day, huh?" Again, Flash said nothing, prompting her to carry on. "I mean...this is some pretty heavy stuff, right?" Further silence. "You know, we've been through some pretty strange stuff lately, but...this is probably in the top ten, easily." Her desire to move on from this awkward place the two of them had found themselves in was obvious. And, just maybe, it was that knowledge that led to Flash, at long last, letting out a deep sigh. But while he did speak, albeit in a hushed manner, his eyes remained firmly on the ground. "All my life..." Rainbow looked to him with concern as he continued. "All my life...I looked up to him. I always...always thought he was something I should be...somebody I could live up to." He frowned. "But now? Now...I don't know what to think about him." Rainbow's face softened again. "Hey, come on...I'm sure your...er...our Dad was still a pretty good guy. I mean..." She considered her words before carrying on. "Think about it. Your Mom obviously stayed with him after this, so that must mean he was worth staying for. I mean, given what we've heard, I don't think anyone can really be blamed for this." But Flash shook his head. "That's not the problem. If it was just a case of him having a kid by another woman, I'd forgive him, if only because Mom did. But..." Slowly, he looked to her, clear hurt in his eyes. "...but he never came to you. You grew up never even knowing his name. He...he left you." Rainbow was taken aback by this, and so took a moment to compose herself. "Well...you heard your Mom. They would have told us everything eventually, right?" Flash looked away. "He should have been a part of your life sooner. Now...now that chance is lost." It was clear that the boy was angry right now, even hurt, and so, for quite a while, Rainbow just settled into staring at him. She looked very much like she wanted to say something nice, something encouraging, but every time she thought of a good thing to say, her nerves got the better of her. But, after a good deal of time had progressed, she simply spoke her mind. "Look, Flash...I know you're probably ticked off at being kept in the dark, and you know, so am I. But the truth is...things turned out okay." Flash looked to her, promoting her to continue. "I mean it. I mean, I totally had an okay life without him, and sure, I would have liked to at least meet him, but I can't really bring myself to hate him." Here, Flash seemed taken aback. "I don't hate him, Rainbow. It's just...ugh!" He buried his face in his hands. "I just...don't know what to do with any of this!" Chuckling, Rainbow gave him a quick pat on the back. "Tell me about it. Still, at least you get to say you have two sisters now, right?" Hearing that, Flash looked up again, his face aghast. "Shoot! Scootaloo! How am I going to explain this to her?!" As before, Rainbow shrugged her shoulders. "Yeah, it ain't gonna be easy. But, if we do it together..." Flash turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "You...you'd want to be there?" Folding her arms, Rainbow smiled and nodded. "Sure. I mean...she is my sister, right? And you..." Here, she seemed to struggle, but eventually, she got her words out. "...you're my brother. A half-brother, sure...but a brother all the same." After saying that, her expression began to soften. "And you know...I've spent so long thinking of myself as an only child. Just...just me and nobody else. Now? Now it turns out...I've got this whole family I never even knew about. And...well..." Slowly, she looked him right in the eye. "...that's...kinda awesome to me, Flash." Hearing that, and seeing the completely honest look she bore as she said it, Flash sighed, appearing to relax a great deal in his body language. After looking away from her for a time, he started to smile right back to her. "Yeah...I guess...you can see it like that." He was then caught off-guard by the sound of her laughing, prompting him to look over to her as she started speaking again. "Although...it is kinda weird when you think that the guy I've had a kind-of crush on for so many months turns out to be my own brother." Folding his own arms, Flash raised an eyebrow. "I think "lusted after" was the phrase you were looking for, Rainbow." The girl laughed again to this, nodding in resigned agreement. But then, just as quickly as that smile had come, it vanished, replaced instead by a look of horror as Rainbow clasped her hands onto her cheeks. "Oh geez!" Flash looked to her with worry. "What? What is it?!" Mortification crossed Rainbow's face as she answered. "This means that...that...I've seen my own brother's junk!" Flash's eyes snapped open wide. "What?! When did that happen?!" Rainbow looked to him, still unnerved. "Back during that spa massage a month or two ago? When our towels fell off?" Flash now shared in her mortification. "You said you hadn't peeked!" Rainbow raised her hands in a defensive posture. "I couldn't help it! It just...happened!" Neither of them said a word to each other after that, and only stared at one another in the awkward and uncomfortable silence that fell upon them. Then, after doing absolutely nothing this whole time, both of them, at the exact same moment, began to crack. They could not hold in their smiles and laughs any longer, and together, they burst out into simultaneous chuckles and guffaws. Staying in that same spot they'd been sitting in that whole time, they laughed together at pretty much everything they'd said and learned. In the midst of it, and after the laughter had died down considerably, Flash wiped a laugh-induced tear from his eye. "This...this whole thing is ridiculous, isn't it?" In a similar mood, Rainbow nodded, looking to her brother as she did so. "Yea...it's nuts." The two sighed deeply at one another, looking to each other with at least a degree of affection. The kind of smile one only reserved for family. Then, when the moment had passed, Flash raised a hand and placed it upon her shoulder. "You know...it's getting pretty close to the anniversary of Dad's...passing. Me, Mom and Scoots usually go and visit his grave, so..." Rainbow's smile faded a little, replaced by genuine surprise at the offer now given to her by her newly-discovered sibling. At first, she seemed hesitant, but after mulling the matter over, she started to perk up again, returning to her soft smile and giving a nod. "Yeah...I'd like that." Flash's smile widened, but he was unable to say anything further, as just then, he was distracted by the sound of somebody clearing their throat. Turning, both he and Rainbow saw that it was Mrs Sentry. With everything that had happened, neither youth had noticed that she'd entered the room, and was now looking to her son with uncertainty. "I...I hope you don't mind if I come in, son?" Slowly, Flash's expression became blank, hard to read. He got himself up from his sitting position, walking around the bed and headed straight to his Mother. The older woman saw him coming, and did nothing, simply looking to him as he stopped and stared at her. Then, to her surprise, he stepped forward, embracing her tenderly. Though surprised and taken aback by this, Mrs Sentry soon broke out into a massive smile, complete with happy tears in her eyes. She returned the hug, a sight which brought a smile to Rainbow's face also. Whatever bad feeling or sense of discomfort there might have been in this room now vanished in this one moment, replaced instead by an experience of calm and contentment. Such a thing would surely have been a heart-warming moment worthy of preservation. Sadly, it was a moment somewhat spoiled when Rainbow stood up and spoke. "So...Flash? Are we gonna gloss over the fact that our Mom's totally did it that night?" Remaining where he was, Flash continued to hold his Mother, and she him, and when he spoke, it was with a tone that, understandably, bore a slight sense of annoyance to it. "Well...I was." Taking on a nervous look, Rainbow let out an uneasy laugh, slowly moving to head on outside past the still-embracing pair. "Right, so...see you at the cemetery?" Again, Flash remained still as he held his Mother. "Yes...that would be nice." Nodding, Rainbow did her best to remove herself from this place, and as Mother and son continued to embrace, it was now Mrs Sentry's turn to speak. "Well...I'm sure she'll be a wonderful sister, sweetie." To that, Flash sighed, chuckling a little. "Yeah...we can only hope."
