Behind the Bleeding Veil

When the girls graduated, they made a promise that from here on out, each year they would meet at the Cantorlot High statue. It was a way of staying unified. Sure they had all the social media sites a young person in 2016 would ever want; but being together, physically, carried a weight and emotional resonance that no online interaction could ever match. And today was their very first, reunion.

Change is a strange thing. Everything does it yet none do it equally. Some change very little over the course of a lifetime. Physically they might change a great deal - baby to youth to adult to elder to senior to corpse; but personality wise, mentally, almost no difference from their teen years (and some worse still, from their toddler years). Others seem to change in whole fashion nearly every time you meet them. Personalities are like fashion to these people; a new one is dawned with each season. The girls were no different.

Adagio, while still retaining her ascorbic whit and cynical view of life; had calmed down quite a bit, becoming more thoughtful and dare I say tolerant of other peoples existence. Sunset had continued her maturity. She acted every bit her actual age of 33. She was friendly, caring, funny, and helped all she could. Twilight had settled into her new life quite well, relishing just being an average person but still harboring conflicting emotions about her powers and what to do with them. For the most part though she was able to bury those under her domestic life of school and being the Flash's fiancée. Flash was quiet, still had nightmares occasionally about his experience of being kidnaped, tortured, and possessed by Queen Chrysalis. Apple Jack became even more serious as first she became a single mother and then when Big Mac signed most of the farm over to her as he decided to pursue a career in acting. Rainbow Dash became less boisterous, stopped dying her hair, and developed a quiet maturity about her. Pinky Pie and Sonata were still a couple of light hearted, goof balls; but had also gotten quite involved in LGBT rights issues. They even started a campus support group for LGBT students. Rarity, well, she was Rarity. Out of all of them, she appeared to be the least affected and changed.

Then there was Fluttershy.

Fluttershy had been a quiet, mousey girl afraid of just about everything, never speaking up, beaten down by abuse. At first, after she had gotten away from her abusive mother and went to live with Rarity's family as well as getting a boyfriend; she had come out of her shell. She was confident, fun, owning herself and her life. After Morgorith however; she began to go quiet again. This was not a fearful quiet though. This was a dark quiet. A quiet of a mind pushed to it's limit by what was done to it and what it had done to others. It was a quiet of one who has not given up on living but has given up on life. It was the quiet of profound sadness which invariably leads to bitterness. She started dying her hair black, dressed in black, and started listening to the heaviest, doomiest metal out there. She was quick to anger and quick to fight. So far was she from her former self that the two scarcely seemed like they could be the same person. Still her friends kept her tethered to what remained of her former self. Although even that link would eventually snap. Rarity's death a year later might have been the final tug, but the initial fraying of the line began on this night,

After they had all met at the statue, the group went back to Apple's house to have a proper party. Everyone talked, laughed and joked. Their was a real, genuine humor which hung in the air as when old friends come together. No serious talk, just light hearted banter about school, slight weight gain for Pinky and Sonata, reminiscing about days gone by. Adagio and Sonata sharing stories from their long lives. All was good.

As they talked, Adagio couldn't help notice that Flash was a little off. He appeared ok yet there was something about him that made him seem not quite there. After a while he got up and started taking dishes to the kitchen. Apple Jack thanked him and thought nothing more of it. Adagio thought better and said she would help as well. Once in the kitchen she decided to talk to him and find out what was going on.

"Nice seeing everyone together again, isn't it?" It was couched question. One that could be taken at it's face value of merely asking about the happiness of the reunion or it could also be understood as a façade for the real question underneath - are you ok?

Flash shrugged and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. I mean most of us see each other all the time. You, me, Twilight, Sunset, Pinkie, Sonata, we all go out and hang at each others places. Apple Jack as well when she's not busy. Really it's only Rainbow, Rarity, and Fluttershy we don't see anymore. But, yeah, it's cool." Flash's voice was non committal to any emotion. It was sincere but not convincing. It was the tone of a man who was bored but had no where better to be.

"True," Adagio replied, sounding more like a question than a statement. "But just having those three makes it special don't you agree?"

Flash looked at Adagio with an expression that said both; I'm annoyed that you're asking me this and I live you for asking me this. "It's, it's complicated. I love everyone out there, don't get me wrong; but, it brings a lot of weird feelings." He turned away from her and just looked at the far wall.

" I understand. She was in my head too. She tortured me as well. It's a very bitter pill to swallow; losing control of yourself. We've never really talked about it. I'm here to listen, compare notes as it were." Adagio ended with an uncomfortable laugh to show she was both joking yet deadly serious.

Flash shook his head and continued to look at the wall. "Nah, it's not that, not just that, that is. Twilight is a goddess. I mean a literal goddess. You know. I'm not just saying that in a lovey-dovey, boyfriend way. You all, out there, are magical creatures or had magical powers at one point. I'm a nobody. Just a simple human. What am I to all you out there? No powers and the lone male. I'm the outsider, the fifth wheel." Flash then turned to Adagio. "Self indulgent self pity huh?"

Adagio gave him a small, sympathetic smile, walked over, and gave him a hug. "I know what that's like as well. You're not the only one dating a goddess."

Flash laughed a small laugh. "But you also have magical powers. I saw you change as well. But, it's more than that. I see Twilight struggling sometimes with who she is and what she should do in this world, what her responsibilities are. And there's nothing I can do to help her. I'm so far out of that loop, that world. How can I even hope to relate?"

"In some ways you can't. I know I can't, not to all of it. I had or possibly still do have powers. I don't know and frankly, I don't want to find out. That's still not the same as having the powers to reshape or remold reality and being the protector of all that it is, was, or ever will be. The one thing you can do, the most important thing you can do, far greater than any magical powers out there; is to love her. Just love her. Hug her when she needs, let her cry on your shoulder when she needs that as well. Laugh with her, cry with her, just love her. That's what I do with Sunset and that seems to working so far."

Flash smiled and nodded. "What is a mortal in the company of gods?" he asked contemplatively.

"Very special I'd say if he was chosen to be among the divine hosts." Adagio put an arm around Flash and then patted him on the back.

Flask smiled at her and nodded. "Thanks Adagio. You know, you and I should hang out more. If nothing else, then to compare notes as to what it's like to date a deity."

"I'd like that. As for now, we should get back out there before people start to talk."

As they entered in to the main room they saw Rainbow and Fluttershy starting to leave.

"Where are you two going?" Adagio asked curios but not concerned.

"There's this band that's playing down town that Fluttershy wants me to go see so I'm off with her," Rainbow said with a smile.

"Yeah, they fucking kick ass," Fluttershy added enthusiastically. And with that, they left.

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