Chapters The Flash Sentry Tales
“Here I go,” Flash Sentry said. “The start of a brand new adventure.”
With the tines bit of reluctance, Flash opened the door to his car and stepped out. A soft breeze blew against him, and the wind swept away some of the channeled courage he had been storing for weeks. His heart thumped in his chest, and a slight sheen of sweat started to cover his back.
Why was he feeling this way? It wasn’t that big a deal, was it? It was only college.
Only college. He couldn’t help but chuckle.
Flash Sentry took another deep breath, grabbed his school bag, closed his car door, and moved toward one of the many buildings that made up the illustrious Equestia State University. Things would be different going forward. This wasn’t going to be anything like Canterlot High, and that was a small measure of the problem.
For the first two years in high school, Flash was one of the most popular guys in school. That sort of thing never really mattered to him, and so often times, it was one of those disregarded qualities that he carried. Well, after a certain pony princess waltzed in and out of his life, everything changed. In the wake of Princess Twilight’s first departure, things started to change for him.
Unseen hatred and animosity radiated against him from somewhere unknown, and Flash couldn’t help but notice the strength of its ominous aura. His popularity diminished slowly, but again, that didn’t matter to him, well, not at first.
He walked across the parking lot and went into Yearling Hall. Other students around his age, and perhaps a little older, also moved into the building. Most of the people were unknown to him, although Flash did spot a few of the girls from Crystal Prep academy. At least, that’s where he thought they came from. During the Friendship games, Flash didn’t have the luxury of making it very far in the competition, and so he had to watch everything from the sidelines.
It wasn’t until after he attended Camp Everfree the summer between his sophomore and junior years that he truly started to comprehended his insignificance in the scope of the school community. Seven girls, on the other hand, blossomed into being the most important people at Canterlot High. No matter what Flash did, he couldn’t seem to gain a break. Asking out Sunset at Camp had been a failure, and his short, but torrid romance with Aria Blaze during his junior year had left him wondering what his purpose was supposed to be. It didn’t help that the ever present resentment from ghostly figures seemed to follow him everywhere. Why did he receive so much frustration?
It wasn’t until this summer that he had finally constructed enough resolve to make a change.
“Things are going to be different,” He whispered to himself. “I don’t care if a hundred other worlds hate me, I’m going to do my best.”
Flash forced himself to smile, and even give off a little laugh. A few of the surrounding students peered at him curiously, but said nothing to him.
Eventually, Flash found room 312, and he moved into the class room.
About twelve were already seated at various places, and Flash knew none of them. He gave some of them smiles as he moved to one of the far rows and sat toward the middle. A quick glance at his watch revealed that there was still about fifteen minutes before his Equestirian Literature class would start. He reached into his bag and pulled out a thick notebook.
About half of the notebook had been filled with various story ideas and notes. A small degree of delight flickered within him as he cleared his mind.
A single purple-skilled woman stood in the midst of his mind, and she began taking a new form. It was a little awkward at first, because Flash has never seen a pony that had a human face before. Nevertheless, he still conjured up the best possible image of what the pony princess could look like. When she was firmly implanted in his mind, the surrounding background warped and began to take shape and color as well. The princess stood amidst a grassy field, and there were all manner of magical things flying through the sky.
Flash jotted down things he saw in his mind eye. Many of the images had been specks of dreams that he had remembered, and others were brand new wonderings that were birthed from a yearning imagination. Princess Twilight went on adventures, encountered magnificent creatures, and even survived insane obstacles.
Someone shook his shoulder.
“Flash, are you listening to me? Hello?” a soft feminine voice called out.
Flash blinked, and a wave of embarrassment flooded his limbs and chest. He glanced up, and a bacon-haired woman sat beside him in the next row. A soft glimmer shimmered in her blue-green eyes. Her lips formed a wide, amused smile.
“Sunset,” Flash said. “Oh, sorry. Were you talking to me?”
She giggled, and a series of small tremors vibrated Flash’s very soul.
“You’re not already taking notes, are you?” Sunset asked.
Flash chuckled as he closed the notebook. His watch said they still had eight minutes or so.
“No, I was just…” he paused for a moment. “freewriting.”
“Freewriting?” Sunset asked.
Flash replied, “Yeah, I’m just brainstorming on this idea for a story.”
Sunset smiled, and it was if she was incarnate of her namesake. Warmth basked his face.
“I didn’t know you liked to write. Is that feature of Flash 2.0?” She winked.
He locked eye contact with her, and his spirit trembled again. In an instant, he thought to himself. “Stop it Flash. Don’t try again. Just work on yourself, relax, and the right girl will come one day. It won’t be today, and it won’t be her.”
He nodded. “I decided to try my hand at writing during senior year, after that crazy dark crystal guy tried invading the school.”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah… Sombra. Thank goodness that resolved itself.” She stared off into space, perhaps replying those crazy times in her mind’s eye. “So what is this story idea?”
Flash shrugged. “Well, there are a lot of components to it. It’s mainly about friendship, magic, and overcoming evil through the power of goodness.”
“Oh?” Sunset asked. The delight in her smile and her eyes grew a little. “That sounds like a great foundation for a story.
Flash said, “I had seven great muses.” He averted his eyes. “I… I even dated one for a while.”
Sunset gave off an awkward chuckle, but her smile didn’t go away. However, when Flash turned his attention back on her,
“So have you decided on a major?” Flash asked.
Sunset replied, “Not yet. I’m leaning toward physics maybe? It reminds me of some of the stuff we had back home.” She glanced about to ensure no one else looked at her, and then she mouthed the word “magic” silently. “How about you?”
“Its funny you mentioned that,” Flash said. “I think I want to take physics as a minor. I’ve often heard that you can study about other worlds and realities through quantum physics.”
“Other worlds, huh?” Sunset’s eyebrows descended over her eyes, and yet, she still appeared just as amused. “Y-you’re not still obsessed with her, are you?”
Flash replied, “I’ll admit, I think about her a lot, but because of the amazing reality that other worlds actually exist. There are terrible things that are out there beyond the scope of our perception. There are also… beautiful things that have come from other worlds.” His heart thumped a little harder, and in the back of his mind, a tiny voice told him not to say what he wanted to say. It screamed at him with all of its strength. His next set of words came out in a little whisper. “You’re one of them.”
Sunset’s eyes widened a little, but she didn’t break her focus on him. A slight redness had painted her cheeks.
“Sorry, that was st-” Flash started to say.
Sunset interrupted him. “No, it was fine. Thank you, that was sweet of you to say. So, what is your major going to be?”
“Writing,” Flash said. “Some kind of English degree where I can improve my ability to express myself through the magic power of worlds.” He chuckled. “That’s the only kind of magic I actually have.”
Ever so softly, Sunset replied, “In this world, words have even more powerful effects than anything from back home.”
A rather tall fellow waltzed into the classroom, and his appearance made Flash do a double take. The professor had a plaid, sleeveless vest, a pair of bright purple, sequined pants, and a pair of flip flips on. His chin had a long and winding goatee that stretched out in front of him. A crazed and eccentric look whirled in the man’s eyes.
“Greetings class,” the man spoke with a voice that tended rise and fall in arpeggio. “I hope you’re all here for Intro into Equestirian Literature. My name is Professor Discord, and I am going to take you on a magnificent journey! Rest assured.”
***
At the end of class, Professor Discord skipped out of the room with the candor of a small child.
“That… was strange,” Flash said.
Sunset nodded. “Yeah, tell me about it. I can already this class is going to be all over the place.”
The other students got up and moved toward the door, but Sunset remained seated for a moment. Flash made a motion to get up, but once he saw that she didn’t, he remained where he sat too.
“So, I’m not going to lie. I’m not sure how to feel about you writing about… stuff that we encountered.” Sunset said. “I mean, it’s cool that you’re expressing yourself, but I can’t help but wonder if you’re going to get it wrong, you know?”
“Get it wrong?” Flash asked.
Sunset nodded. “You know, since you have never been to where I’m from, you might get the details of Equestria and why things happened to us incorrectly, you know? It’s not a big deal, I suppose. I don’t know why I’m so conflicted.” She laughed a little before she rubbed the back of her head.
Was it Flash’s imagination, or was she blushing a little more. A warm tickling flickered in his mind, right behind his eyes. “W-would you like to see some of my notes, and you could give me pointers?”
“Pointers?” Sunset asked.
“Yeah, or maybe… we could co-write something together that captures the spirit of your world, you, your friends, and … whatever,” Flash said.
She remained silent for a moment. “I think it would be best if you didn’t use our real names. The last thing I would want is to be kidnapped in the middle of the night by Celestia knows who.”
“Celestia?” Flash asked. “You mean like… the principal?”
Sunset laughed a little. “It’s a long story.”
The little voice in the back of Flash’s head yelled again. It pleaded for him to proceed with caution, and yet, his heart thundered all the louder.
Flash swallowed a little harder. “I’d love to hear it sometime. And we could easily change the names and keep it all focused in your home world.”
Sunset smiled. “We?”
“I mean, if you wanted to co-write,” Flash replied.
A long moment of silence lingered between them before Sunset giggled. “I’d have to see you’re writing so far. I suppose I could still tell you more about my world, and about how things are over there.”
“Great!” Flash said. “Maybe we could have coffee sometime?”
Sunset paused for a moment. “I’m free now. My next class doesn’t begin until 2:00 PM.”
“Ah,” Sunset said. She turned her attention away for a moment. Then she grinned. “So, Rarity found out a party that’s going on tonight at the Griffin Manticore Parasprite house tonight. We all planned to go.”
Flash replied, “Oh, I heard a couple of the guys from our school got into that frat. I heard the party is going to be pretty fun.”
“So are you going?” Sunset asked.
Flash frowned. “I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Oh.” Sunset frowned as well for a brief moment. “So…. do you want to? It could be a good chance for us to talk and catch up.”
A fire exploded within Flash’s chest. “Oh, um… sure. I’d love to go with you. I mean… go to the party with you, not –”
She giggled. “I know what you meant. Do you still have the same number?”
Flash just nodded.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll text you when we get there.”
Sunset got up from the seat, and so Flash did as well. They walked out of the room in silence, albeit that silence was saturated in a kind of twisting, wild energy. When they go out of the room, Sunset went one way, and Flash had to go another. She simply waived to him, and then walked away.
Not to appear weird just staring after her, Flash also walked away, and moved out of the building. His mind buzzed with static disbelief. He had managed to walk halfway to the Starswirl building when his cell phone hummed within his pocket.
Flash took it out and stared at the screen.
Sunset: Hey! Just making sure it’s the same.
He drew in a deep breath before replying with the following.
Sunset: Hey! Just making sure it’s the same.
Me: It was great talking to you.
An instant later, he received another text.
Sunset: Hey! Just making sure it’s the same.
Me: It was great talking to you.
Sunset: :-)
Flash chuckled. This really was a new beginning after all. And for the first time in a long time, the shrouded source of hatred and animosity didn’t feel so bad.
Chapter 2: The Party
There is was, the Griffin Manticore Parasprite (GMP) house.
Rhythmic dub-step pulsated on the air, and Flash’s skin tingled with unbridled and unrestricted sonic energy. Internally, his soul gyrated along with the faint notes, and it took more than a few deep breathes to steady his nerves. Men and women stood with one another on the front porch of the house, and they all held red plastic cups. Their bodies moved in time with the music, and everyone appeared entranced with their own conversations.
Flash took out his cell phone.
Me: Hey! I’m here.
After a few moments, he got a response.
Me: Hey! I’m here.
Flash licked his lips, and he moved up to the front entrance. Many eyes fell upon him, and their gazes were filled with curiosity and calculating inspection. He smiled and waved at some of them. Some of the men nodded curtly, while the women just peered at him all the more determination.
One of the men who wore a GMP shirt stepped in front of him.
He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “Hey, you ever consider pledging? We’re still looking for new members.”
Flash beamed an awkward grin at him. “Um… I don’t think frat life is for me.”
“So what?” the GMP brother asked. “You’re just here to drink our booze and that’s it?” He gestured behind him. “The ladies get in because GMP loves the ladies. All of the dudes are either interested in our house, or they’re considering it. We don’t have room for scrubs who aren’t interested in us.”
“Oh.” Flash said.
Sunset waited for him inside, just beyond the door, but tonight would be ruined if he couldn’t even get in. He rubbed the back of his head.
“I suppose I could think about joining GMP,” Flash said.
The GMP brother immediately smirked, the kind of smirk that one might expect from a really dumb dog. “Tartarus yeah!
Flash looked at the cup, then to the GMP brother’s face, and then back to the cup. As the seconds ticked by, the brother’s glee melted like a winter snow.
Reluctantly, Flash took the cup and brought it to his lips. Anticipation grew in the GMP brother’s eyes, and he held his balled fists in front of him. It actually reminded him of someone like Rarity reveling over a new dress or something. Flash winced and tipped the cup backward.
A brownish liquid flowed onto his tongue, and a sour and bitter explosion assaulted his taste buds. Flash winced again, and swallowed.
The GMP brother yelled out, and then draped an arm around Flash’s shoulders.
“Come on, little man. I’m going to introduce you to some awesome bros and hos,” the GMP brother said.
His phone rattled, and Flash pulled it out.
Sunset: where are you?
His thumbs quickly danced across his screen.
Sunset: where are you?
The interior of the GMP house was packed, and once they got inside, the music blared even harder and louder. Constant thumping rocked the air, and he could barely hear himself think, let alone speak.
The room to the left of the hallway had a bunch of people inside, all sitting around and talking, or perhaps trying to talk. Though he did not see Sunset, he did see Fluttershy. The pink-haired introvert had one of those red cups in her hands, and an amused grin plastered her face.
The room on the right had a pair of large speakers, and a female DJ worked the turn table. The DJ wore a pair of crimson colored glasses, despite the darkness in the room. People gyrated in an open space before the DJ, and everyone had the same red cups. The vile taste of the beer still coated Flash’s tongue, and he began to suspect there was more than just beer in the cup. During his brief romance with Aria, she and he had consumed some cheap beer. The taste wasn’t great, but it didn’t have a kick like whatever was in the cup Flash drank from.
Just as the GMP brother had started to lead him into one of the back rooms, a soft hand grabbed his hand. It stopped him, and both Flash and the GMP brother looked back.
Sunset had grasped his hand. The music stopped as she yelled out, “He’s with me!”
In the brief interlude before the start of the next song, the surrounding men and women gave out jeers. Some of them had been from Canterlot High, and a few of them had even went so far as to nudge him with praise.
The GMP brother grinned. “Alright, I’ll let you borrow him for a bit, but I am coming back for him later.” His big arm unwrapped from Flash’s shoulders.
Once he was free, Sunset let go of his hand, and she gestured for him to follow her. The music started again, and the banging of the dub-step notes masked the booms of his heartbeat. His fingers still tingled where their skin had come into contact.
Sunset led him into the room where the rest of her friends clustered. This world’s Twilight Sparkle sat on the lap of her long-time boyfriend, Timber Spruce. Flash only regarded them for a second before noted the other girls. They all had red cups in their hands, although Fluttershy appeared the most affected by it. Pinkie Pie had a cup in each hand.
As soon as Flash had come up, Rarity had cast a predatory grin on him, and she watched him with unblinking eyes. To be honest, several shivers slithered down Flash’s spine.
Sunset grabbed her red cup and took a sip from it. She leaned in close to him, to speak into his ear.
“Are you thirsty? I could get you something,” Sunset asked. “The beer is okay. Not great, but passible.”
She glanced at him with expecting eyes, and so Flash did the only thing he could think of doing. He nodded.
Applejack got close, and her breath had the fragrance of beer on it. “Don’t worry, sugar cube. We’ll protect you from the big, bad frat guys. So they almost lassoed you in to their little den, huh?”
Flash chuckled nervously. “Yeah, they almost did.”
Applejack replied, “My brother told me they did the same thing to him when he went here.”
She leaned in. “It’s passable if you do a little at a time.”
Flash sipped it, and she was right. The initial bite wasn’t as intense, and underneath the ocean of sourness lingered a hint of good taste.
“Crazy party, huh?” Sunset said. “If the deans knew that there was under-aged drinking, then they would be all over the GMP.”
“Yeah.” Flash said. “Surely they do know, and they just don’t care.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Sunset replied. “So, how were your other classes?”
“Good. Thank goodness none of the professors gave homework,” Flash said.
Sunset batted at his chest. “Lucky. I have a five-page paper due on Monday.” She paused for a moment, and then said, “It makes me kind of happy you didn’t fixate on Twilight.”
Without really thinking, Flash replied, “Well, I came here for you.” His eyes widened as he contemplated the meaning of the words.
Sunset just smiled up at him. “You know, back in Equestria, we have alcoholic apple cider, and it’s amazing! They have hard cider here, but it isn’t the same.”
“Oh?” Flash asked. “So do you ever miss home?”
“Not as much as I used to.” Sun set let her gaze drift to the side for a moment. “I’ve been here for so long that I have built a life for myself. Equestria will always have a special place in my heart, but I learned how to open up in this world.”
He leaned closer to Sunset. “So…. why is Rarity looking at me like that?”
Sunset tilted her head ever so slightly and gazed back at the purple-haired fashionista. A small chuckle escaped past
“Mixed feelings?” Flash asked.
Sunset averted her eyes for a moment. “Well, if I tell you this, do you promise not to hold it against us?”
Flash nodded.
“Well, RD, Twilight, and Fluttershy were worried about you obsessing over Twilight,” Sunset replied.
“But I told you -”
Sunset placed an index finger on his lips again. Flash’s soul stirred. Would this be a regular thing between them, her finger on his lips? He kind of hoped so.
“I know that, but can you blame them?” Sunset asked. “Can you blame me?”
Flash peered down into her eyes, those same eyes that sparkled with a renewed sense of radiance. This was not the same Sunset he had first met all those years ago, and it wasn’t the same Sunset from back at Camp Everfree either. Everyone had changed and grown since then, even Flash. Now was the time to show the world, and these girls he wasn’t the same guy as before.
He leaned in really close to Sunset’s ear. “I hope when we hang out in the future, I can show you I’m not the same guy. My only interest in Twilight is in the world that you and her come from. And its not even this Twilight that had stirred my imagination and heart long ago. I promise, I won’t be obsessed with her.”
Sunset arched an eyebrow at him. “So are you only interested in hanging out with me to find out about Equestria?”
The question hung in the air like a guillotine poised for use. One wrong turn of phrase could mean death.
Flash paused for just a moment. “I am interesting in hanging out so I can find out more about you. The stuff about your home is an added bonus, but… even if we never talked about Equestria, magic, or anything like that, I’d still want to have coffee with you.”
“Really?” Sunset asked. Her eyes radiated with an earnest need.
“Really.” Flash gave her his best smile.
The current song stopped, and another powerful dub-step sonata blasted through the air. Pinkie, grabbed Sunset and Twilight’s hands, and she pulled them out into the middle of the room. Other party-goers moved out of the way as the three girls started dancing. Rarity and Rainbow Dash placed their cups down, and they joined the throng. Fluttershy just stayed where she was, but she screamed out what Flash assumed was ‘yay!”
Applejack moved up to Flash. She leaned in.
“So be honest, you’re not tugging Sunset along are you?” Applejack asked.
Flash shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t do that.”
“Good!” Applejack gave him a light punch in the arm. “If you did manipulate her for your own ends, RD and I are already planning on whisking you off in the middle of the night and turning your balls into apple preservative.”
Flash’s eyes opened wider, but he said nothing.
“I assume you understand me clearly,” Applejack said.
“Yes, ma’am” Flash said.
Sunset returned after the next song ended. She breathed heavier, and the top of her forehead was shiny with sweat.
“Everything okay?” Sunset asked, a knowing glimmer resonating in her eye.
From the edge of his peripherals, Flash noticed Applejack’s stern, but amused expression.
“Oh yeah, everything is great,” Flash said.
***
The cool night air soothed Flash’s skin, and he walked lackadaisically on the sidewalks. Sunset strolled beside him, and neither of them had said anything since they left the party.
In the midst of the silence, Flash couldn’t help but smile. Even though his heart thudded in his chest, it wasn’t anything overpowering, and so far, he hadn’t done anything to anger any of Sunset’s brutally protective friends.
“So, there’s something I have to know,” Sunset asked.
Flash peeked over at her. “Oh yeah?”
Sunset giggled. “You and Aria Blaze…”
An embarrassment nuke went off in the pits of his stomach, and his courage withered in the fallout. All he could do was chuckle nervously.
She just strode by him patiently, waiting for an answer.
“That was a long time ago, and I was a different guy back then,” Flash said. “At the time, I was well…” His nervousness intensified, and his bones vibrated beneath his skin. “I was vulnerable back then. So was she.”
“Vulnerable, huh?” Sunset asked. “I don’t understand why. You were always well-liked in school. And she… well, she was a monster, literally”.
“What can I say?” Flash said. “I have a thing for creatures not from this world.”
A brief moment of silence drifted between them.
“Do you still have a thing for her?” Sunset asked. “Just curious.”
“For Aria? No, not at all. I haven’t seen her since graduation,” Flash replied.
Sunset said, “She goes here, you know. I’m sure she could give you all sorts of information about Equestria.”
Flash turned his attention away from Sunset. “That’s how our brief relationship started. She offered me insight into a new world and a new way of thinking. It’s what got me really interested in writing about fantasy stuff in the first place. One thing led to another, and we were in a relationship.”
A plain expression had covered Sunset’s face. “Did you two…” her face winced.
The acid in Flash’s gut boiled. Here it was, the very thing that would derail this wonderful possibility. He closed his eyes.
“Um… yeah,” Flash said.
Another long moment drifted between them before Sunset replied, “I don’t suppose I can really blame you. I’ve been with other people too. It happens. We’re young, and we’re prone to be swept up in the storms of passion.”
His heart and his mind collided against one another, combatting his next response. As per the usual, his heart won out. “I may have been with her, but you will always be the first…” he closed his eyes again. “and the best.”
Sunset giggled and smiled at him. “So how about coffee tomorrow? I don’t have classes tomorrow at all.”
“Me either,” Flash said. “and I’d love to have coffee with you tomorrow.”
“Great!” She pointed to the building beside them. “Here’s my dorm.” For a brief moment, she gazed at him with wonder. “You’re not going to drive, are you?”
Flash smiled. “Oh, no. I walked from my dorm, so I plan to walk back.”
Sunset moved toward the front doors of her dorm hall. “This was fun. A lot more fun than I expected.”
Flash replied, “Maybe tomorrow will be even more fun!”
“I hope so,” Sunset said.
Flash Sentry walked alone to his dorm hall, which was on the other side of campus. Faint dots hung in the vast, black sky. With the city lights being so bright, this was all they could see of the brilliant lunar majesty. Even still, the stars were magnificent companions.
It was only when Flash got into his room and he took off his shirt that a strong, resounding thought came to mind.
Flash took off his pants, as was the normal routine. He hated sleeping in clothes, especially when the summer heat still
Flash closed his eyes.
“Don’t pressure yourself, man,” he whispered. “Just relax, and enjoy the ride.”
Chapter 3 An Unexpected Reunion
Flash’s pen danced across the page, and his imagination flowed out from him like a river. The cool autumn wind zipped around him and chilled him slightly. Ever since the first day of school, he and Sunset had hung out with one another frequently. Most of the time, it was coffee or lunch, and while they laughed and reveled on one another’s company, there was always this perceivable distance between them.
It wasn’t necessarily his doing, but he responded to Sunset’s lead. While she occasionally touched his lips with her finger to quiet him, there were few other actual and meaningful touches or embraces. Something held Sunset back from stepping forward, and something in the air suggested that he should be comfortable with that as well.
Flash stopped writing, and glanced down to his work. His current endeavor was a very short story about a young unicorn who explored an abandoned house on the edge of her town. Great warmth flowed through Flash’s body as he leaned back against the tree. In the midst of their hang-out sessions, Sunset divulged such wonderful secrets to him about her home world. While Aria’s information and lore had been unique, based on her own admission, Aria had been long banished from the world to provide anything of relevant substance.
A soft voice spoke over him. “I thought I’d find you here. So how is today’s story coming along?”
Flash peered up at Sunset, who leaned against the tree, and she gazed back at him.
He handed it to her. “Care to peruse it? It’s not terribly long, and it’s just the start anyway.”
A bit of reluctance waltzed within her eyes. “I would, but I have plans in a bit. I was just walking by when I noticed you.”
A sudden weight tugged down on his heart, and yet, Flash didn’t let that affect his smile. A small truth resounded in his head, one that he didn’t want to actually speak aloud. If he did, then it would make that fact all the more apparent and tangible. Unspoken thoughts were easy to manage, for you could easily just push them to the back of your head and silence them behind a curtain of distracting quandaries, memories, or other such things. However, once you actually said them, then they became more real. This particular thing…. Flash didn’t want it to be real.
“Oh, then I suppose I’ll see you later?” Flash said.
Just like she always did, Sunset beamed that wonderful grin at him. “Sure. By the way,” she placed her hand on her hip and gave him a chiding expression that one might expect over a doting older sister or aunt. “You’re balancing all of this free-writing with your homework, right?”
Flash chuckled. “Yeah, I already finished this week’s assignments for all of my classes.” He gestured to the notebook. “This is how I blow off steam.”
Sunset took several back steps and then started to turn around. “Well, don’t work too hard. Later!”
His breaths became a bit thicker and potent, and he watched her walk away. Most of the time, he just averted his eyes, but this time, Flash couldn’t help but admire her for the strong, beautiful woman that she was. She strode across the open quad with her shoulders back, her head high, and an apparent sense of grace in her steps.
“One day,” he whispered.
When he tried to go back to the story, his creative juices came in select drips. His mind buzzed with delightful images of dancing, cuddling, and kissing. Many of these were memories from a time when Sunset had manipulated him into amplifying her sense of coolness in the eyes of her peers. However, despite the fact that the overall intention had been devious, the small intimate moments when they were alone were different. They had been away from the prying eyes of the school, and during times like those, Sunset had allowed the mask of absolute certainty and control to fall away. How many times did she cry into his shoulder? About as many times as she had asked him to simply hold her without words to distract them.
Flash scoffed. Those times were gone, and perhaps that was for the best. Neither Sunset nor Flash were children any more, and the passage of four years had forced the both of them to adapt to a new and ever expanding world. Sunset clearly blossomed bigger and brighter than he did.
Then again, a person’s blossoming wasn’t comparable to another’s.
Flash took several deep breaths, and pushed all thoughts, including those of Sunset from his mind. His pen started moving again, and he began asking himself several questions.
What is the conflict that’s going to happen in this story? Who is the adversary? How will this unicorn grow from this experience? And what was the overall lesson?
A deeper, richer, and unmistakable voice ripped him from the isolation of his imagination. “Well, well. Why am I not surprised?”
Flash stopped, although he didn’t look up from the paper. A sudden sick and acid sensation coated the bottom of his stomach. He licked his lips and slowly raised his gaze.
The slender woman who stood over him had a pair of long pig tails that extended off of her head and stopped at her waist. Her hair was a brilliant purple color with streaks of light blueish green running through it. She had her arms crossed over her chest, and she had locked her purple irises on him. A smug smirk hung beneath her nose.
“A-aria,” Flash said.
She sat down in front of him with her legs crossed, and she placed her hands behind her to prop herself up. The acid inside Flash’s body started to violently thrash about.
“It’s been a while,” She said. “How are you?”
Flash swallowed hard. “Oh, me? I’m fine… how are you?”
Aria tiled her head to the side. “Why are you acting so nervous around me? I know it’s been a while, and we didn’t part on the best terms.”
A sudden billow of courage swept up within him. “You broke my guitar against a wall and screamed at me.”
She averted her eyes, and her usually dominant exterior wilted, and her shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I’m really sorry about that. I was… going through a lot of stress and other emotional challenges back then.”
Flash replied, “I remember. You had the fight with your two friends, Adagio and Sonata. Did that ever get resolved?”
Flash chuckled. “I don’t know, does the ill will of others actually have a taste?”
She locked gazes with him. “You have no idea. It was marvelous. But I’m not that girl anymore, and neither are the others.” She paused for a moment. “The three of us had to deal with defining our new existence in our own ways. I’m sorry for taking my rage out on you.”
Another soft gust passed between them, and Flash shivered under its pleasurable touch. “It’s not a big deal. It happens. We were both vulnerable back then.”
Aria leaned forward and rested a hand on Flash’s. Her skin was cold, and yet, it radiated with a spark that zapped up his veins. Flash swallowed hard.
“I’d like to start over and try again,” Aria said. “I’ve changed so much, and I think we could be really good for one another.”
“I’m sorry, but I have to be honest,” Flash said. “There’s someone else I really care about. I wouldn’t want to mess things up with her. And it would be unfair to you if I wasn’t 100% committed to actually building something with you.”
Aria crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you talking about Sunset Shimmer?” Venom dripped from each of her words.
A winter-like explosion burst within his heart, and the hidden truth that Flash wanted so desperately to keep locked away crashed into the conscious world. His eyes had widened, and his gut clenched like a fist.
Aria didn’t grin, nor did she reveal any sign of haughtiness or delight. In fact, an awkward sort of pain had painted itself on her face. “I know you two have been spending a lot of time together. As soon as I saw you two out for coffee, I started to feel really bad. I know how you are.”
“What do you mean, how I am?” Flash asked. He couldn’t hide the pain in his words.
Aria’s eyes shimmered with a softer light. “You’re a hopeless romantic fool, and you throw yourself at anyone who shows you a hint of potential love. You did it with Sunset, with Twilight…” she sighed. “and with me.”
Flash shook his head. “No, I’m a changed man. I’m not obsessing over anyone, I’m trying to be the best guy I can be.”
“You idiot,” Aria replied. “There is nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic. The world could be better with more people like you. Take it from me, I was Tartarus-bent on ruining the world with negativity and control. You’re a great guy.”
She reached out and grazed her fingers against his cheek.
Despite the fact that Flash pulled away, Aria didn’t retract her hand, nor did her face scrunch up in disappointment. She left her hand there, floating in the air for a few seconds.
“Once upon a time, you reveled under my touch,” Aria said.
Flash winced. “That was a year and a half ago.”
Aria took her hand back. “Listen, just don’t get too involved or invested in Sunset. If anything, just keep it friendly, because that’s all she’s doing with you. And is that so wrong?”
It took nearly a minute for Flash to respond. “No, I don’t suppose it’s wrong.”
Aria hugged her knees to her chest, and she wrapped her arms around them. “It’s okay to be disappointed. I know how that feels.” She let the silence between them saturate her words. “If you really want to be the best man you can be, then don’t sweat that stuff so much. And if you really want to be with ‘somebody’, I’m right here.”
Flash averted his eyes, and despite his best efforts, he couldn’t think of a thing to say in response.
Aria started to get up. “I have to go to class now.” She turned to the side and took a single step. “D-do you think we could hang out, like what you and Sunset are doing?”
Flash glanced up at her.
Aria said, “Even if it’s just hanging out as friends, it would still be really cool to be around you.”
A wildness and mixture of tension, reluctance, and sorrow danced together, as if a rave were being held in his chest. “I suppose that could be fine.”
Aria smiled. “Do you still have the same number?”
Flash nodded.
“Great,” Aria said. “I’ll text you some time.”
With that, she waltzed away, and Flash watched her go. Much like Sunset had done earlier, Aria moved with a sense of poise, confidence, and strength.
His cell phone buzzed, and so Flash glanced at his screen.
Sunset: Hey! How was the writing session? You don’t have class today, so I assume you’re still there.
Flash’s heart clenched, and he gave off a heavy sigh. What did it matter that Sunset had a boyfriend? After all, did that really change how much he cared about her? A wellspring of bitter disappointment and dashed hopes had opened up within him, and it flooded his insides with murky water.
He replied.
Me: Oh, it was great! I discovered a lot of interesting things.
Sunset immediately responded.
Sunset: That’s awesome. Way to go! Want to meet up at Sugarcube Corner? Professor Discord’s test is on Wednesday, and I would love to get some more studying under my belt.
Flash’s heart clenched, and slight anguish flowed into him from the depths of his soul.
Me: I’m going to have to pass. I’m not feeling good at the moment, and I think I’m going to go home and rest.
Sunset: Oh? Is everything okay? Can I do anything to make you feel better?
For a long moment, Flash just started down at the screen. Only one thing could make him feel better, and it was beyond the realm of possibility at this point.
Me: No thanks. I’m good. I think I just need to go to my room and rest. Good luck with studying.
Flash gathered up his things and he placed them all in his bag. His phone buzzed.
Sunset: Did something happen to upset you?
A sudden chuckle bubbled up from his depths. How was he supposed to respond to that?
Me: I’m fine. How about a rain check? Coffee tomorrow or something?
It took a moment for her to reply.
Sunset: Sure
A heavy weight pressed down on him as Flash moved across campus to his dorm. Why was he feeling this way? It’s not like Sunset misled him. She only gingerly touched his lips with her finger and re-ignited a long-forgotten flame. It was from that flame that the desires for long-passed tender moments soared from. And like Aria had said earlier, there was nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic. Flash had done nothing wrong for hoping either.
He got into his room, tossed the bag to the side, and then laid on the bed. His phone buzzed.
Crazy, psycho ex: Hey! It was nice to see you today. You doing okay?
Flash chuckled a little. He probably needed to change that name.
Me: Yeah, I’m okay.
He paused before he finished the text.
Me: Yeah, I’m okay. It was nice to see you again too.
Chapter 5 Seduction and Surrender
Beams of light flickered against Flash’s closed eye lids. The bindings of slumber released him, and he stirred on his bed. When he tried to move, however, a lump of mass prevented him from rolling away from the source of the light.
Aria clung to his body, and her head was still against his chest. Her breathing was steady, and a slight, cute snore pervaded the air. At first, Flash just stared at her. His mind was a jumble of bizarre images, due in part to the fact that he wasn’t 100% functional yet.
Flash glanced at the clock, which read 7:42 AM. He narrowed his eyes. Today was… Tuesday, wasn’t it?
Gently, he shook Aria a little. “Hey there. Wake up, it’s nearly eight.”
A great groan slithered from Aria, and she stared to cringle and move.
She squinted up at him. “Wha? What are you doing in my room?”
Flash chuckled a little. “You’re in my room, remember?”
Aria blinked a couple of times, and then she sat up on the bed. She rubbed her eyes and then yawned.
“That’s right,” Aria replied. She grinned at him and then caressed his face with her hand.
This time, Flash didn’t pull back.
“I think we both fell asleep,” Aria said. “Are you feeling better?”
Rather than answer right away, Flash averted his eyes and let them go unfocused. A small pang of sorrow still lingered in him somewhere.
“Yeah, I do.” Flash sat up beside Aria. “Thanks again for last night. I really needed that.”
Aria replied, “Yeah, I could tell.” She paused for a moment. “I hope you don’t mind, but I totally looked at your phone when you were asleep.”
A cold rush splashed within him, and his eyes opened a little wider.
Aria winced. “You’re not mad, are you?”
A moment passed, and Flash said, “No, I don’t suppose I am. So now you know.”
“Not really,” Aria said. “I read what you two said to one another, but what happened to cause all this?”
Flash shifted on the bed so that his legs were off the bed. Once he was sufficiently planted on the ground, he explained the unusual event that led to the destruction of his cherished friendship.
Aria listened intently, but she didn’t say anything until it was over.
“I think she was ashamed of you,” Aria said.
White hot discs spun in Flash’s insides, and it caused a kind of vertigo to overtake him.
“Ashamed?” Flash asked.
Aria nodded. “Yeah, think about it. She took you to a party, spent time with you, and even touched you intimately.” She got up, pushed him a little further back on the bed, and then straddled him. She placed her index finger on his lips. “Like this.”
Based on her growing smile, she was well aware of the effect it was having on him.
“She was toying with you when it was convenient for her,” Aria said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “And when you unexpectedly came in contact with her boyfriend, she freaked and told him you were nothing to her. Just a classmate.”
Bitter sourness festered within him, and Flash’s eyes became wetter.
Aria leaned in close and whispered into his ears. “I would never be ashamed of you.” Her moist lips encompassed one of
His body lurched a little, and Aria tightened her grip on him.
“You deserve someone who is going to appreciate you,” Aria said. She blasted hot breath on his neck. “Like me. Sunset made you so sad. You don’t want to feel that kind of grief again, do you?”
Flash swallowed hard. “N-no, I don’t.”
Aria brought her head around so her nose was at the tip of Flash’s. “Then you’re going to do exactly what I tell you. Only I can make you feel good. Only I can take away the pain.” She smiled, and a strange sensation bore its way down Flash’s back.
A hot and uncomfortable tremor wiggled within a larger cloud of urgency and need for touch, tenderness, and passion. Aria’s eyes sparkled with an acute awareness, and Flash trembled in her grasp.
“You have class today, don’t you?” Aria asked. “With you know who?”
Flash nodded.
Aria said, “You should trade seats with another student. Sit as far away from her. If you don’t, you’ll be swept back under her spell. That’s just how you are. She’ll use you again, and she’ll hurt you again. It’s for the best.”
Aria giggled, and she planted a soft kiss on Flash’s neck, right where it merged into the shoulder. “It is a good idea.” She returned her face to where they could look into one another’s eyes. “I’m here for you, and I can make you feel wanted, needed, and important.” Her lips formed a little pout. “You want to feel that way, right?”
It only took a moment for Flash to nod.
The smile on Aria’s face widened. She bucked her hips a couple of times, and things became tighter and harder. She leaned in, and planted a small, brief kiss on his lips. It was a wet kiss, without tongue, but it carried intensity.
She pulled away, but never broke eye contact. “You said it’s nearly eight, right? I have class at nine, so I have to go back to my room.” Aria rose up, but she hunched over a little when she stood.
Her hand gripped the shape of his excited appendage through the outside of his pants. It swelled for a moment, and pulsated with delight and anticipation. Flash just watched her, and a bevy of conflicting thoughts smattered against one another inside his head.
“Do you want to meet up tonight and have a little stress relief?” She asked. “I think it would do both of us some good.”
She back stepped to the door. “You don’t have to answer now. Think about me today.”
The air grew heavier and toxic as the door closed behind her. Flash sat in the empty room, and his skin sizzled with heat. In contrast, his soul spun around in various flight patterns. What was he supposed to do? It felt so good, but…
Was that what was really best for him?
***
Flash had gotten to room 312, and to his delight, it was bacon-hair free. He stopped in the doorway and glanced around the room. Rather than go to his seat, he moved up to a large, dad-bod type fellow. The guy sat in the row closest to the door.
“Excuse me,” Flash said. “Hi there, my name’s Flash Sentry.”
Dad-bod glanced up and then grinned. “Hi, my name is Twinkie Cake.”
“Would you mind doing me a favor?” Flash asked. “Would you mind trading me spots?’
Twinkie glanced over to Flash’s usual seat. “You sit next to that bacon-haired hottie, don’t you?”
Flash winced for a second, and his heart thumped in his chest. “Yeah, I do. So can we switch? I’d rather be closer to the door so I can get out to my next class faster.”
Twinkie shrugged. “Sure. It works out well for me too.” He gathered his things and moved over to Flash’s old seat with rapid excitement.
His gut throbbed, and he couldn’t help but wonder if all of this was a big mistake. Aria had been right though, he didn’t want to feel that kind of anguish or longing again. Flash sat down, and he pulled out his writing notebook.
Rather than focus on any of the pony fiction, he allowed himself to delve into a new story concept. In his mind, he saw a young man cast away from everything that he had come to love. This hero had to start over and find his own sense of purpose, despite where he desperately wanted to be. Putting it into words eased his own tensions, and his breaths became a little calmer.
From his peripherals, he noticed a certain bacon-haired lovely enter the room. Flash didn’t look up, but he recognized the movements for what they were. Sunset had stopped when she noticed where he sat, and then she studied her new neighbor. She remained stationary for only a moment before she sat at her usual spot.
Flash’s heart spiraled into a well of darkness, but Aria had been right. This was what was best for him, wasn’t it?
Professor Discord skipped into class, just as he did at the start of every one of his classes. He smiled and stared to address the students, but then he stopped.
“Wait a moment,” Professor Discord said. “What do we have here?” He crossed his arms over his chest. : A little switcheroo, I see? Well, I like a little chaos as the next interdem- I mean professor, but is there a reason why you’ve relocated, Mr. Sentry.”
A great weight pressed down on him, and it only got worse as the entire class, minus one bacon-haired lovely, regarded him.
He let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s closer to the door, and I can get to class sooner?”
Professor Discord barked out a laugh. “Are you asking me?” he howled with laugher. “No matter, let’s begin.”
The class was just as ‘unique’ as every other one of the professor’s lectures. When class ended, even before Professor Discord could prance out first. Flash gathered his things and zipped through the door. Someone called his name, an unmistakable someone with sweet blue green eyes and a tender index finger, but Flash power walked onward. It was unavoidable that the next class would be awkward, but then again, most of Professor Discord’s classes were awkward in some way.
***
Flash leaned back against the tree, and he let out another sigh. Of all the places on campus, the single tree in the middle of the open quad had been his favorite. It provided great shade, and he could see 180 degrees in front of him. Granted, someone could easily sneak up on him, but that didn’t matter to him.
He set his pen down, and glanced down at his work. The short story that he had been working on had been completely outlined and plotted out. It exemplified his angst, his twisting torment, and his strong desire to find new beginnings. Writing had always been a wonderful outlet, for both rough and raw emotions and the sparkles of imagination. Back before he met the original Princess Twilight, he had poured himself into his music, and he wrote such emotionally charged songs. It didn’t matter that no one cared about them now, all that mattered is that he got those thoughts and feelings out. These little stories served as outlets, and they allowed for complete strangers to step into his soul.
Someone started to cross the great threshold of the open expanse, and Flash locked gazes on them. A woman wearing a pearl-colored top, a purple dress, and a pair of knee-high purple boots waltzed ever closer. The wind blew against her purple locks. She carried what looked like a rolled up purple rug under one of her arms.
Rarity stopped when she stood over him, and Flash just gaped up at her curiously.
She gestured to the spot in front of him. “May I sit down?”
Flash nodded, and Rarity proceeded to unroll the rug in a spot before him. She gently rested in it, as if it were a throne.
“You and I need to have a discussion,” Rarity said. “and perhaps it is a little overdue.”
Flash swallowed. “If this is about Sunset, I didn’t do anything wrong. She doesn’t want –”
Rarity held her hand up, and by instinct, Flash stopped talking.
“It is good that you respect the request of a lady,” Rarity said. “And this discussion has nothing to do with right or wrong. It related to what is, and what is not.”
Flash winced as he closed his notebook and placed it to the side.
“Firstly,” Rarity said. “I’m here to correct several misunderstandings that have been lingering between the two of you. Secondly, if I can, I wish to mend what was shattered.”
Flash averted his eyes. “There is nothing worth salvaging. She wants nothing to do with me.”
Rarity merely shook her head. “Do you really think that’s true? You don’t think she’s torn up about what happened?”
“She said I was just a classmate,” Flash said.
Rarity replied, “Well what else was she supposed to say to her current boyfriend? That you were someone she was having feelings for? I doubt that would have gone over well.”
Flash’s eyes widened. “W-what did you say?”
“You heard me, and I shan’t say it again,” Rarity said. “Why did you think she spent so much time around you? Why did you think she invited you to that party?”
Flash kept constantly turning his eyes away from Rarity’s determined gaze.
She said, “You are well liked, but things are complicated. Life isn’t always so easy.” She gazed off into the distance. “Did you think we didn’t know what was going on? Even Sunset knew. As much as you said you wanted to change, you’re still the same hopeless romantic you’ve always been.”
Flash bawled a fist, and he gently pounded the ground at his side. “I’ve been trying so hard to be a better guy.”
Rarity reached over and cupped his chin in her hands. She guided his face so they were staring into one another’s eyes. “There is nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic. Sunset didn’t tell you to leave her alone at first, did she?
She didn’t decline your invitations out, did she?”
Flash muttered, “No.”
Rarity released his face and sat back in a comfortable position. “I swear men can be so thick sometimes. Here’s something you don’t know.” She glared at him. “Normally, I wouldn’t tell you this, so you’re going to promise me that you’re not going to tell another soul what I’m about to tell you. Are we clear? If you break this vow, I’ll ensure that Applejack and Rainbow Dash proceed with their apple preservative threat.”
“They told you about that?” Flash asked.
“Darling,” Rarity waved a hand at him. “We’re best friends. We tell each other EVERYTHING.”
Flash leaned hard against the tree, and braced himself for whatever universe defining secret he was about to hear.
Rarity said, “Up until you and Sunset started hanging out again, she and her boyfriend were going through issues. He became complacent, you see, and he stopped showing Sunset the little pleasantries that are needed to sustain long-standing love.” She pointed at him. “When you two reunited in class, the way you acted awoke something in her.”
A soft chuckle passed the fashionista’s lips. “When she told us that she invited you to a party, she said she was so embarrassed and nervous. Not in a bad way, mind you. Sunset reveled in having someone long for her.”
Rarity let out a dismissing, discordant sound with her mouth, as if she were about to lay down an epic beat. “Oh please, we’ve known you were over Twilight in that kind of way after you had that little fling with Aria.” Her smile fell from her face. “That reminds me. This new thing with you and Aria. What is it?
“I… I don’t know.” Flash rubbed the back of his head. “She was there for me when I needed her, and it helped ease the emotional backlash I had been feeling.”
Rarity winced. “I suppose I can understand, but be aware that you’re hurting Sunset with this new development.”
Flash glared. “It’s not just about her. I’m hurting too.”
A brief moment passed before Rarity nodded. “I suppose you are. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Things were getting quite bad with her boyfriend, and she was so unhappy. However, after the party, things started to change.”
“How so?” Flash asked.
“I’m getting to that,” Rarity said. She waggled a finger at him. “Honestly, I would have gotten there already had you not interrupted me.” She paused and then smirked. “Things changed, and Sunset started to be happy again. We all noticed it, and it was a welcomed change. Her boyfriend also noticed it too. Sunset started being more animated around him, and so in turn, he became more invested.”
Flash’s soul cracked. “Are you saying I saved their relationship?”
This time, Rarity winced, and she beamed an awkward grin at him. “In short, yes… and then at the same time no. I suppose it would be more accurate to say you extended the shelf life of their time together.”
“What do you mean?” Flash asked.
Rarity said, “Sunset was happier, and so her boyfriend was happier. They began enjoying one another’s company again, and it was like when they had started dating. It wasn’t all the same though. After all, there was you.”
Flash just stared at her, so Rarity continued on.
“Sunset told us that she began anticipating her hang out sessions with you more so then being with her boyfriend,” Rarity said. “It was obvious that you had feelings for her, and she was developing them for you too.”
Flash scoffed and he closed his eyes to hide the tears that started to form. “Feelings? For all your so-called insight and intuition, you don’t have a clue.”
When he opened his eyes, he saw Rarity, staring at him opened mouthed.
“My word,” she said softly. “Do you…” her lips curved upward in a growing visage of delight. “Do you love her?”
Flash swallowed hard again, and he averted her eyes.
“If that’s true, then why are you sleeping with Aria Blaze?” Rarity asked, a hint of harshness in her voice.
Flash replied, “We haven’t slept together, not since high school. Last night, we … cuddled, but that was because I needed someone to hold me together, otherwise I would have truly broken apart.”
Rarity looked away. “We were all in Sugar Cube Corner when we overheard Aria and her friends. She told them she grabbed your…” she scoffed a little. “Well, it doesn’t really matter. She said things and Sunset overheard.”
Flash said, “Sunset has a boyfriend, and me… I don’t have anyone. Aria wants to be more, but I…”
Rarity asked, “Can’t bring yourself to go forward?”
Flash nodded. “To be honest though, I can’t bring myself to stop her either. I’m hurting inside. It’s my fault because I fooled myself into thinking I could have something mature and beautiful with Sunset. I tricked myself, and so I’m in this state because of my own actions.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Rarity said. “If it were different, and she were single, Sunset would have snatched you up. Now, hearing that Aria is rubbing her grimy little hands all over her is tearing her up inside.”
Flash replied, “How do you think it makes me feel to imagine her boyfriend making her moan? Or squirm? I’m dying inside too. I understand you have to look out for your friend, but I have to look out for me. I matter too!”
He had not realized he shouted that last line.
Rarity turned her head away from him, although she still maintained eye contact. “Yes, you matter too. But do you really think that hooking up with Aria is what’s best for you?”
Flash frowned at her. “What am I supposed to do? Wait until Sunset is single and willing to give me another chance? You don’t think I don’t want to wait? You don’t think I don’t want to hold her in my arms right now?”
Rarity watched him for a moment before she started to rise from the rug. Instant coldness swept through Flash’s body.
“Why did you tell me all of this?” Flash asked. “Isn’t that betraying your best friend’s secrets?”
Rarity smiled at him as she rolled her rug up. “Darling, sometimes the best things for our friends is to have their secrets spilled to the right people. I don’t suppose there is any chance of you two making amends, is there?”
Flash said, “I want to, but I just don’t know. How can you be around someone whom you’re in love with, and you know that they like you too, but you know you can never ever be? How is that healthy for either of us?”
Rarity sighed. “There is truth to what you say.” She turned to leave, but then she stopped. “Despite whatever happens, you’re a great guy.”
She started her trek across the open expanse of the quad.
***
A sudden knock at his room door stirred him awake. After his rendezvous with Rarity, Flash had come back to his room to take a nap. His cell phone had several missed texts.
Aria: Hey! What are you up to? (3:45 PM)
Flash turned his attention to the alarm clock by his bed. Sure enough, it said 6:10 PM. Another knock rattled on his door, so Flash went to open it.
Aria stood there, hands on hips and a smug smile on her face. She waltzed into the room, and grabbed him by the shirt. Flash started to speak, but she placed an index finger on his lips, and pushed him on to the bed. Aria threw a back kick and closed the door with more than enough force. Flash’s throat closed up, and he watched as Aria got closer.
She straddled him again, just as she did this morning. Her lips pressed against his, and powerful electricity flowed into him. Aria wrapped around him, securing herself like an octopus. Their lips moved in small circular motions, and their lips parted. Her soft tongue trailed into his mouth and caressed his tongue.
Aria broke the kiss as she whispered in a husky voice. “Oh yeah, baby. I’m going to make you forget all about her. Let me wash away your pain.”
Her. A bacon-haired woman stood in the center of his mind, and she waved and smiled at him. Immediately, the image faded into the black backdrop of his mind as Aria kissed him again. Her tongue moved more passionately, and Flash’s body reacted in kind. He couldn’t help it, it felt so good. Pain had been forgotten, and only pleasure clouded his senses.
Aria tossed her shirt off to the side, and she started to fumble with her bra strap.
It would be so easy to just let this continue. All he would have to do is lay back and let Aria heal him. The pleasure felt so good, and yet…
Once more, Sunset appeared in his mind, smiling at him with that same sense of warmth. She personified her namesake, and Flash was but a flower, soaking in her radiance.
It would be so easy…
The bra started to loosen around her torso.
“Stop,” Flash said. He turned his head away. “P-please stop.”
Aria stopped grinding, but she remained on him. “Stop?” she practically growled at him. She shook her head and stepped away from him, the bra still hanging loosely from her chest. It still covered her breasts, but a gently bounce would dislodge them. “Are you serious?”
Her face became a mask of disgust and anger.
“Could you do it if it were Sunset?” Aria yelled. “When are you going to get it through your thick skull? She isn’t ever going to choose you! You’re nothing to her!”
Flash slowly stood up. Aria slapped him against the face, hard.
“You asshole!” Aria screamed. “Why can’t I be good enough for you? I’m right here, ready to be your one and only. Sunset will never be with you! She will never love you. Damn it, you’re so stupid right now.”
A wild tingling radiated across his skin.
Aria grabbed her shirt, placed it on over her body and moved toward the door. She opened it, but turned back to Flash.
“When you finally realize that you’re nothing to Sunset, call me,” Aria said. “You’ll get it sooner or later. You’re a smart guy. What’s it going to take to show that to you, huh?”
Flash winced as the pain from the slap really started to hurt.
Aria said, “You know she brags to her friends about how big he is? I hear them in Sugar Cube Corner, laughing about it.
She opened the door and started to go out, but then she stopped. Her eyes went wide for a moment, and then she uttered, “Bitch.” Aria left the room, but left the door opened.
Silence descended in her wake, and Flash slowly got up. What could she have been talking about? Who was she talki-
Sunset stood in the hallway with wide eyes, and her hand drawn to her chest. She had a clasped fist, and her other hand hung lifelessly by her side. Great sorrow reflected in her eyes, and yet she didn’t say anything.
Neither did Flash.
Chapter 6 A Beginning Realized
The longer that Flash stood there, the more crushed his soul felt. It didn’t help matters that Sunset stared back at him with the same sense of helplessness. What was she even doing here, in front of his door? Didn’t she have a boyfriend she needed to go rub up on? Anguish buzzed in his ears, and a whirlwind of dizziness spun behind his eyes.
What else was left to be said? What was he supposed to do? No matter what ideas came to mind, they shriveled into obscurity. Flash’s hand rested on the door handle, and it would only take a little effort to gently shut the door in front of him. Impulses zapped down to his hand, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to do that.
Flash opened his mouth to speak, and Sunset’s eyes opened wider in result. His voice croaked. Time stood still, and the longer that she and he remained there, the worse this feeling of uncertainty became.
Sunset’s eyes were just so beautiful, and being in their line of sight sent violent shivers through his skin. Had she been in the hallway when Aria had started shouting?
He back stepped out of the way of the door into the safety of his room, and yet he still held the door knob. The room remained opened to Sunset, although he was concealed. Flash drew in several deep breaths, and he whispered, “Get it together man. Do something. Say something, anything.”
Anxiety waivered within him, and he slowly eased back into view. He just knew that she would be gone. She would have taken his retreat back into the room as a form of weakness, rather than one of gaining composure, and he would be even further from fixing this disaster of a friendship.
Flash jumped back a little. Sunset was in the doorway, gazing at him with a sense of urgency. She had both of her hands clasped together in the middle of her chest.
“C-can I come in?” Sunset asked.
Flash nodded and opened the door wider. Sunset moved inside. Much of the room had become darker, but the fading light from outside cast some illumination. Flash closed the door, and then flipped on the light switch.
Sunset stood in the middle of his room, not looking at him, but at his décor. Instead of disturbing her, Flash placed his back against the door.
“You have a nice room,” Sunset said. Her voice was a little breathless. “It’s tidier than I thought it would be.”
Flash filtered spit into his mouth, as his tongue had become like sandpaper. “Uh, yeah. My mom used to get on to me as kid for having a messy room. She straightened me up good.”
Sunset said, “She sure did.” She kept glancing around the room until she laid eyes on the bed.
The covers were a little disheveled, and she moved over to smooth out the blanket. As soon as it was in order, Sunset sat on the edge of the bed. She still didn’t look at him though.
Flash stayed by the door, and he kept landing his attention on her, but then switched it to another random spot in the room.
“So…” She began.
Flash peered at her, and his breath billowed within him.
Sunset played with some of her hair with her index finger. “I found out what you and Rarity talked about.”
“She didn’t tell me exactly,” Sunset replied. “I… uh… well, it’s complicated.”
“You and your friends use that word a lot,” Flash said.
Several fist-sized knots had formed in his stomach, and they twitched with dreaded anticipation.
Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out a bright red stone. “Do you remember all that chaos that happened at Camp Everfree? Well, I kept this geode as a souvenir…. And it also gives me abilities when I have it with me.”
“Abilities?” Flash asked.
A small laugh escaped her. “Most people would find it hard to believe, but not you. You’ve seen Equestiran magic. Experienced it even. This is related to that, I think. The point is that I can see and feel people’s thoughts and feelings just by touching them.”
Flash narrowed his eyes. “If that’s true, then how did you not know what I felt for you?”
She held up the geode. “I have to have this on me for the powers to work.” She frowned, and then she patted the spot on the bed beside her.
Reluctantly, Flash sat beside her.
Sunset said, “It was after our junior year that I decided to place this thing into a box and forget about it for a while. It was much too easy to just dip into peoples’ heads like they were swimming pools, and I wanted to try and do things the old fashioned way.” She locked gazes with him. “I only just started using it again.”
“Did you decide to use it on Rarity?” Flash asked.
Sunset chuckled. “Actually, I saw her mind by accident.” She drew in a deep breath and then let out a sigh. “I used it on my boyfriend, to see what he really thought about me.” Her shoulders slumped. “It was a big mistake.”
“Why was that?” Flash gazed at her whole-heartedly.
“I saw everything.” Sunset slowly met his eye-contact. “For one, he totally has the hots for Applejack, in addition to the feelings he has for me. He wants to have us both at the same time. Do you know how awkward it is to know that?”
Flash replied, “I can only imagine.” His eyes widened. “I mean about how awkward that is, not about you and A-”
Sunset’s finger rested against his lips. She smiled, and then her eyes flashed with a hue of the brightest white. A deep coldness flooded through him, but it only lasted for a second.
“Oh sorry,” Sunset said. Her cheeks blushed. “I forgot I had the geode.” She didn’t turn her attention away, and her eyes sparkled with unparalleled splendor.
Flash tried to speak, and yet a husky exhale rushed out instead. Sunset grinned, and she even bit her lower lip.
“Did you-” Flash asked.
Sunset said, “Yeah… I did.” She placed the geode on the bed, and then traced her fingertips against his cheek. This time her eyes didn’t glow white. “Were you really thinking about me while you and Aria made out?”
Now it was Flash’s turn to blush, and he tried to avert his eyes. Sunset maneuvered her head around so that they stayed in focus on one another.
“Please don’t look away,” Sunset said. “You don’t have anything to be ashamed about.” A pause lingered between them. “Y-you really do love me, don’t you?”
Flash swallowed hard, and then nodded.
A sudden nervous chuckle escaped Sunset’s lips, and then she laughed a little more. “Man, this is so complicated. I really care about you, but I…” bits of sorrow flecked into her irises. “I can’t say that I love you.”
Flash’s eyes closed for a moment, and his head started to droop.
“I’m really sorry,” Sunset said. Tears welled in her eyes. “I should have been more honest at the beginning. Having you interested in me felt so nice, and I longed for someone to look at me the way that you did. It was really selfish.”
A weak smirk formed under Sunset’s nose. “I’ve come to discover that love is often quite complicated.” She paused. “I’m breaking up with my boyfriend, but I’ll be honest, I would rather have you as a friend.”
The pain inside his chest hummed with vigor, and yet, it had not been as intense as what Flash had expected. Now that it was actually spoken into existence, it was a real life thing. It could be handled, analyzed, and finally… gotten over.
Flash grabbed her hand and gently kissed it. “I would be honored to be your friend. There won’t be any more weirdness between us in the future.”
Sunset tilted her head to the side. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
Flash got up from the bed, and he grabbed his discarded shirt. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have to go.”
Sunset grabbed the geode and placed it in her pocket. “I totally understand.” She paused for a moment. “I hope that Aria is smart enough to give you another chance.”
Flash swallowed hard. “Me too.”
***
Flash gently knocked on the door. His nerved twitched inside him, and an overflow of vomit could spill past his lips any moment.
“Go away!” A muffled voice said. “I’m not in the mood for visitors.”
Flash winced. “Aria, it’s me.” He paused for a moment. “You were right, and I am so sorry.” Tears welled in his eyes. “It’s just that… it’s so complicated.”
The door to Aria’s dorm room swung open, and she grabbed Flash by the front of the shirt. He allowed himself to be pulled inside, and she slammed the door behind him.
“It doesn’t have to be so damned complicated!” Aria said. “I told you I liked you, and I thought you liked me too. Not everything has to be so freakin’ dramatic or overblown.”
Flash replied, “You’re right. And you were right about Sunset.”
A dark glare had creased across Aria’s face. “And so what? I’m supposed to just take you into my arms, just like that? I’m not a second-rate woman! I deserve to be treated with respect! My feelings matter too! I comforted you when you needed me, and yet you still wanted her!” She poked him in the chest. “It doesn’t matter that she turned you down, you’re STILL into her. I don’t want anyone to settle for me. I’m AWESOME!”
Flash grabbed her hands in his. “Yes, you are. You are so awesome. I just had to deal with things in my head and heart, and I won’t lie to you. Yes, she turned me down, and yes I’m still into her.” He winced. “But I want to get over those feelings. Unrequited love is a horrid existence, and I don’t want to live that life.”
Aria didn’t take her hands back, but she still stared at him with uncertain caution.
Flash said, “I want to be wanted and needed. It’s just hard with you and Sunset. She was the first woman I slept with.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed, and her mouth formed a snarl.
“And you were the second and last woman I slept with,” Flash said.
The anger in her eyes dripped away.
She asked, “Really?”
Flash nodded. “I don’t want to just give my body to anyone.” He sighed. “It wasn’t just because I had conflicted feelings for Sunset.” Flash licked his dry lips. “It’s that I’m always a little timid when it comes to actually… going all the way. Don’t you remember the first time we did it?”
Aria chuckled, and sudden warmth resonated within her stance, smile, and eyes. “Yeah. You were so sheepish and adorable. But we’ve had a lot of sex before.”
“Well, yeah, but that was a year and a half ago,” Flash said. “It felt awkward to just jump into it, especially when my heart was pulling in multiple directions. It wouldn’t have been fair to you.”
She didn’t say anything, but she gazed up at him with anticipation. When he didn’t say anything else, she spoke.
Aria asked, “So where do we go from here?”
Flash caressed the tops of her hands with his thumbs. “I want to take it slow. I have feelings for someone else that I am trying to get over,” he paused for a moment. “and I want to develop feelings for you.”
Aria’s eyes grew a little wider and delighted.
“I want to get to know you again,” Flash said. “And one day, it will be more natural to ..” he chuckled. “you know, do more than kissing.”
Aria smiled. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
Flash asked, “So would you like to go out with me some time?”
“How about now?” Aria asked.
From the next room, a woman with an unmistakable voice screamed out quite loudly.
“Just kiss her already, Jeez!!!” Pinkie Pie said.
Aria chuckled, and so did Flash. They looked at one another for a moment before they started to lean in closer. Just as their lips were about to meet, Pinkie Pie screamed out, “Are you kissing yet?!”
“Yes! Now mind your own business!” Aria replied.
She pushed herself up on her tip toes, and their lips finally met. A small trace of awkwardness still flickered in Flash’s mind, but it was overshadowed by a vibrant cloud of eager excitement. Energy flowed into and out of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, and she anchored onto his neck.
When they parted, Flash glanced down at her.
“Well, this is a new beginning,” he said.
Aria licked her lips before she eased herself back up to him.
The End
Chapter 4: The Storms of Conflict
The delicate tastes of hot cinnamon and apple cider splashed on Flash’s tongue with a velvety nature, and the beads of unease and discontent slowly eased their grips on him. He sipped from his cup a little more before he delved back into the confines of his ‘school’ note book. Whereas it took little effort to conjure his imagination from the depths of his mind for his fiction, this project proved to be more arduous.
A history textbook lay open beside the notebook, and he constantly switched his attention between the two.
Sugar Cube Corner was quite busy that afternoon, and yet, Flash didn’t mind the hustle and bustle of the old neighborhood. Most of the patrons had been current students at Canterlot High, although he recognized a few faces. They kept to themselves, which was fine by Flash. He just had to get this paper done. A soft pop song played on the overhead radio system, which suited the quant sweets shop perfectly. Every time the front door to Sugar Cube Corner opened, a tiny bell would either herald the new patrons or give mourning to those who had left. He couldn’t help but peek up every time this happened. This was his neighborhood, and it was such a robust place to call home.
The bell jingled, and Flash glanced up again.
Sunset stood in the doorway, but she wasn’t alone. Her slender arms were wrapped around the large limb of a taller man. A rather handsome, rugged kind of fellow to be specific. The man had a mixture of spikey blond and ocean blue hair, and he wore a mechanic’s jumpsuit. Blond and blue stubble poked out from his face, although it wasn’t thick enough to be considered fashionable. At first, Sunset laughed and smiled, talking to this … person with such comfort.
Her eyes widened, and she immediately stopped talking. Naturally, this caused the gorilla of a man to study Sunset, and then follow her line of sight.
The man asked loud enough for Flash to hear “Is that guy bothering you? Do I need to go take care of him?”
Flash couldn’t help himself. His fists bawled, and his stomach tightened. For all his life, he had been the cool guy, the person all the other fellas looked up to. Never before had he been one to back down from a fight, be bullied, or manhandled. Yeah, Sunset’s boyfriend was bigger, older, and jacked, but Flash wasn’t out of shape, and he wouldn’t be an easy target.
Sunset just stood there, and so the boyfriend started to move toward Flash’s table. The entire restaurant got quiet. No one, not even Mr. and Mrs. Cake said a word, nor did they move. It was as if Sugar Cube Corner had become a saloon in one of those old western films.
Flash started to get up from his chair.
Sunset said loudly, “Stop! It’s not like that. He’s just a classmate of mine. Seeing him reminded me that we have a really big paper coming up. I totally forgot about it.” Sunset’s voice trembled.
The boyfriend turned to regard her. “You forgot an assignment? That doesn’t sound like you at all. You never forget important things like that.” He started to turn back to Flash. “Besides, I don’t like this punk’s attitude.”
Sunset got in front of him, placing herself between him and Flash.
She stared up at him. “I know I said we should go out to eat, but would you mind taking me to your place? I have to start on this paper.” She paused for a moment. “It’s a ten pager.”
The boyfriend asked, “What about dinner?”
“We can get Chinese or something.” Sunset grabbed his hands. “I tell you what, if you help me with the paper, we can snuggle and watch more of that violent TV show you like.”
The boyfriend’s eyes lit up, and he grinned from ear to ear. “You mean Psycho Murder Island Chronicles? But you hate that show.”
Sunset wiggled a little in front of him. “Please?”
The boyfriend peeked over Sunset’s head and gave Flash the briefest of death glares. To be honest, Flash couldn’t tell if he was sending one back or not.
Without saying another word, Sunset dragged her boyfriend out of Sugar Cube Corner. The bell jingled, and she didn’t even look back.
Slowly, Flash sat back down at his seat. Many of the other patrons averted their eyes, but there were a few that openly stared at him and whispered to one another. Flash didn’t pay them any mind though. His heart crackled, chipped, and even splintered, and emotional debris fell within him like a snow storm on an open field.
Flash’s shoulders slumped and he hung his head over his opened textbook. His chest vibrated with a raw aura of pain. It hurt to breathe. Tears welled in his eyes.
Someone placed a plastic cup in front of him, and so Flash looked up.
Mrs. Cake smiled at him, but her eyes carried the true sense of her feelings. She held her hands together against her chest and tilted her head.
“It’s on the house, dearie,” Mrs. Cake said.
Flash opened his mouth to speak, but only silence flowed outward.
Mrs. Cake placed a hand on his shoulder, and she gave him a slight shake. “You don’t have to say anything. Believe me, I have seen enough young people in my years to recognize what just happened.” She paused, and her eyes became a little more motherly. “You may not believe me, but it will get better as the days pass.”
Flash chuckled nervously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. There was nothing going on. Just a big misunderstanding.”
Mrs. Cake’s eyes sparkled with intelligence. “If you say so, dearie. The drink is still on the house.”
Flash turned his attention to the notebook. A deep sigh escaped him. There was no way he was getting this paper done tonight, not with the emotional WrestleMania going down in his soul at this very moment. It was a pay-per-view event, and the combatants were especially feisty. He collected his things and placed them in his bag.
However, he didn’t get up to leave. Flash grabbed the drink, took a sip from the straw, and sank into the delicious and comforting arms of cinnamon apple cider.
***
Flash walked away from his car, and moved toward the dorm entrance. A great numbness had taken hold of him, although a few choice thoughts flickered in the chaos that was his mind. For starters, Professor Discord had not assigned a new paper yet, since he had just collected the last paper assignment during last class period. Secondly, knowing Sunset, she was probably still composing a paper… or at the very least making it look like she was. After she was done… there would be cuddling.
His insides squirmed at that thought, and yet he lacked the mental strength to dissolve such images. Sunset would be nestled against that man’s chest, and his hands would be roaming while the screams of horror and mayhem resounded in the background somewhere. Since they were going out, Sunset wouldn’t stop him, and she might even ease back into more suitable positions to allow for even greater touching. She would moan. He would kiss her on her neck. Buttons would become unclasped, and shirts would be discarded altogether.
Damn it!!! Why was he doing this to himself?! He made a vow that things would be different. Flash moved through the dorm hall front door.
Sunset was his friend, nothing more, and …
He stopped for a moment. No, he wasn’t even a friend. He was her classmate. Boyfriends and girlfriends were the people you tended to get closest to, in more ways than one. If she couldn’t call him a friend to her boyfriend’s face, then was he truly one at all?
Flash started moving again, and he climbed the stairs to his floor.
It didn’t matter. Flash knew what he had to do. He really only had to address one question, what was best for him? What would make him the most happy? This whole Sunset ordeal caused him anything but happiness. Oh sure, it was super happy at the start. Weeks ago, a delicate, yet palpable sense of lightness and hope had lifted him well above any of his other concerns. Just being around her and breathing in the same air made the entire world brighter. It was fake though, or rather, it was all a giant tease. Granted, it wasn’t Sunset’s fault, and it wasn’t his… but his insides still writhed in anguish. This sort of torment couldn’t stand. If he just allowed himself to have the same sort of unrequited love he had back in high school, he’s be the same pathetic, shallow, and undefined person he was before.
This was his chance to start anew. If he wasted it, his whole life would be the same old re-run over and over. Flash didn’t want to be the discarded love interest anymore. He deserved to be the damned hero. It was his life after all.
His phone buzzed as soon as he got to his room.
Sunset: What was your problem?
Flash stared at his phone, and the numbness had taken on a new form. It grew hotter, and the feelings inside became more vibrant and spikey.
Me: What do you mean? I don’t have a problem.
Sunset took a few seconds to respond.
Sunset: Yes you do! You stared at me when I walked in like I had stomped your puppy into mush. What’s going on with you?
Flash sat on his bed, and the longing he had once felt for the bacon-haired beauty rolled around within him, although it wasn’t alone. His longing had taken on a violent lover, a lover named despair. His eyes watered. He typed so many things, but erased them and started over.
Me: You’re the one who led me on to thi- (deleted)
Why were you staring at me li- (deleted)
You’re so confusin- (deleted)
Its because I lov-
He stopped and stared at those words. Invisible hands gripped his heart, and it ripped his precious organ in two. Tears trailed down his face, and the longing became engulfed in the despair.
Me: Its because I lov- (deleted)
As soon as he hit send, his nerve endings became electrified all at one. Flash’s eyes opened wide, and his mouth fell open.
For many long moments, Sunset remained text-silent. In place of her response, the little bubble with the three dots appeared, and then they stopped, and then they started again. This happened for nearly two minutes before she finally responded.
Sunset: Maybe we shouldn’t see one another anymore. Bye.
Any shred of strength left within Flash’s core shattered in a loud and savage kaboom. He tried to blink away the tears, and yet, they still cascaded down his cheeks.
After everything they had been through, it was over. Their friendship had died, and over something so small.
Flash started to text again.
Me: I’m so sorr- (deleted)
He winced.
Me: I love you.
Many moments passed by, and the send button sat at the tip of his thumb. Flash shook his head.
Me: I love you (deleted)
His thumb danced across the screen, and he sent another text.
Me: Hey, are you doing anything at the moment?
A few minutes went by, and Flash just stared at his screen. When his phone jingled in his hands, he nearly dropped it.
Flash swallowed hard, and yet his heart urged him to continue forth.
Me: Can you please come over? I know this is going to sound strange, but I need you to just hold me.
Aria: Are you okay? Did something happen?
Flash closed his eyes, and his prayers went to not only the gods of this world, but to the mysterious Princess Celestia as well. “Please let this be a nightmare. Please help me to wake up. I need to wake up right now. Please!!!”
Flash responded to Aria’s text.
Me: Please.
Aria: I’m already walking into your dorm hall. I’ll be there in a moment.
Flash placed his phone on his dresser, and he closed his eyes again. Despite the blackness that clouded his vision, great strife and sorrow danced in the unseen veil. The barest hint of whispers mocked him, and perhaps it was his imagination.
A knock at the door drew him from the whirlpool of despair, and he moved to the door. Flash had only managed to crack the door open , but Aria pushed herself in. She closed the door behind her, gazed into his eyes, and then wrapped her arms around his body. Aria’s head pressed against his chest, and she squeezed tighter.
“I’m so sorry,” Aria said. “I really wish I was wrong, but I’m here for you.”
Flash embraced her, and he let out one long shutter.
