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                        First Dates                        
                -by Canterlot High Friend-                 
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                          Sci-Twi                          
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Sci-Twi
"Okay, Flash, calm down. It's just a regular date. Just an ordinary time at the milkshake bar between a boy and a girl. Nothing strange and nothing to get worked up about."
A mere second passed before Flash started to counter himself.
"...Except that it's a date with a girl who's the spitting image of the last girl you had a crush on and that just really, really complicates stuff and...ugh!"
He planted his face square on the table in his booth.
"Oh, what am I going to do?"
"Flash?"
Immediately, the guitarist sat upright, turning to see that, sure enough, Twilight Sparkle had indeed arrived, looking to him with more than a little concern.
"Are...are you okay?"
Flash, naturally, wanted to put his date at ease, and so put on a smile for her.
"What? Oh, yeah! Sure! I'm fine! Nothing to worry about here!"
Adjusting her glasses, Twilight seemed doubtful.
"Really? Because you've got a pretty big bruise on your head right now."
Nervously, Flash reached up and felt that she was right. There was indeed a slightly painful bruise on his forehead. No doubt it was from him hitting his head against the table just now. Gulping, he maintained his smile, for her benefit if nothing else. Though still uncertain, Twilight took a seat, and the two teens proceeded to simply stare at one another in silence. It wasn't the most invigorating date, to be sure, but after a while Twilight decided that they'd had enough quiet, and so started to speak.
"So...been waiting long?"
Flash shook his head.
"Nope, got here just a few minutes ago."
She smiled to that.
"Early. I like that."
The boy chortled.
"Well, didn't want to make a bad first impression."
Twilight giggled.
"You haven't. Although..."
She tilted her head slightly.
"...I was surprised when you asked me to join you here. I mean, I know we've been spending some time together a lot lately, what with our chemistry club and stuff, but..."
Flash nodded, sighing briefly before starting to explain himself.
"Well, I've been thinking about asking you out for a while now. I guess...I just took a while to get around to it."
She smiled, reaching forward and giving him a pat on his hand.
"I'm very flattered that you'd be interested in me. I know I'm not the most appealing girl at school, but..."
However, upon hearing that, Flash frowned.
"What, you think guys wouldn't be interested?"
Reaching her hand up, Twilight tucked a bit of her hair behind her ears, looking out of the window rather than at her date.
"It's just...I've never been much of a dater. So, I guess I just got it in my head that I wouldn't really be noticed like that."
Slowly, Flash developed into a soft smile.
"You might not have been out on many dates, but I know you're a special girl to be with."
Twilight looked to him, surprised by his choice of words, but otherwise saying nothing, instead choosing to let him continue.
"You're smart, you're a good person, you're passionate about everything you get involved with. I mean, the way you get sucked into our chemistry work? It's like you're almost glowing, you're that into it!"
Twilight again giggled.
"Well, hopefully not literally glowing! We usually reserve that for fighting Equestrian baddies!"
The two shared a laugh, and the mood of the date elevated considerably as a result. Twilight, having been on the receiving end of a fair few compliments by him now, decided that it might be worth sending a few back his way.
"And believe me, I'm grateful to be dating you, Flash."
Flash, like her a moment ago, seemed surprised, but he too held his tongue as she spoke.
"You're always so...so nice to everyone. It's like you're physically incapable of being impolite to people. I don't think I've ever met anyone who had a bad word to say about you."
Flash smiled, blushing slightly at her kind words.
"Thanks, I...I appreciate that."
But then, to Twilight's confusion, his smile faded, and he started to look a little bit worried. Why this was, she didn't know, until he finally turned to look at her, his expression far more serious than it had been throughout this meeting so far.
"When you told the others you were coming here for a date with me...how did Sunset take it?"
Understanding, Twilight gave a short nod, her own face one of thoughtfulness.
"You mean because the two of you used to date?"
Flash nodded, prompting her to continue.
"Well, I'd be lying if I said she wasn't surprised. I mean, you and me? That sort of came out of nowhere. She took a moment to really get her head around it."
Flash's face softened.
"And she was okay? In the end?"
Twilight, touched that he felt concern for his ex, resumed her smile, giving a quick nod.
"She was. I think she came to terms with her feelings towards you a long time ago. The two of you are friends now. She's let you go, and she wants you to be happy."
Flash, relieved at having heard that, smiled yet again, looking to his spectacled date and sounding a little bit more chipper than before.
"They want us both to be happy I think."
Twilight too smiled.
"They do, and I love them for that."
A moment of quiet came for the two of them, for a waitress had just arrived, ready to take their orders. The teens made their requests, just a pair of regular milkshakes with their respective favourite flavours, and then, after bidding the waitress goodbye, they got back to looking at one another. And it was here that Twilight, rather similarly to what Flash had done shortly before, looked to him in a rather serious way.
"Now, can I ask you a question?"
Though uncertain about her tone, Flash nevertheless gave a nod of consent, watching her as she cleared her throat.
"Does it bother you? That I look like, well...her?"
Flash didn't need her to explain who she was talking about, as it was something that he'd been dreading even before this date began. In fact, even now, he reached up and felt that bruise that, for the time being, would serve as a testament to just how worried he'd been about this particular subject. After a while, however, he sighed deeply.
"I'm gonna be honest with you, Twilight...yeah, it's been on my mind for a while."
He looked away.
"You're not her. And when I asked you out, I didn't want you to think I did so just because I wanted to get back with her or something."
Looking back to her, he frowned.
"You wouldn't have deserved that. Nobody would have. You deserve someone who wants to be with you for you, and that's what I want to try and be today."
Twilight leaned forward, having listened intently to that.
"So, your feelings for her...?"
She'd left the question open-ended, but Flash had picked it up, giving a nod.
"Yeah. Sunset was right, back at Camp Everfree. The Princess and me, it's not gonna work out. You know, different worlds and stuff."
Twilight knew he was struggling with this, and so decided to perk her date up a bit with a smile.
"From what I've heard, she was quite something."
Flash, in turn, regained his own smile, looking to her with a measure of appreciation.
"Oh, she was. I really had fun with her, even though we only really had a few days knowing each other."
He laughed, but only briefly.
"I'll always think of her fondly, but, like with me and Sunset, I know those days are behind me."
In an act that mirrored Twilight's towards the start of this date, Flash reached out, taking her hand into his own.
"But I want to have fun with you, Twilight, not just recapture the feelings I had for the Princess. I want to do things that you find fun, that make you laugh, take you on other good dates. I want memories of our time together."
Twilight's own smile widened, and she held his hand in earnest.
"I want the same. But be careful about asking to join in what I consider fun. You may regret that choice."
Flash again laughed.
"Twilight, if there's one thing I know about relationships, it's that they require compromise. So...lay it on me. What do you find fun?"
Twilight giggled, then reached into the back-pack she'd brought with her, pulling out what looked like a book containing some very complicated equations. Though Flash, at first, had the instinct to just grimace at a sight like that, as most high-school students would, he suppressed it, instead keeping up with his smile.
"Alright, let's do it."
Twilight looked to him with surprise.
"Really? You want to look at this stuff?"
Flash nodded.
"I said I wanted to be part of your interests, and I meant it. So, let's look through some equations!"
His enthusiasm had been sweet, even if Twilight knew deep down that this would be a struggle for him. Still, she was grateful, and after going through a few pages of her book, she glanced back up to him.
"In that case, maybe I'll listen to a few of your songs when we're done here. Sunset tells me you play a mean guitar."
Flash once more smiled to her.
"Miss Sparkle, it would be my pleasure."
Author's Note
Okay, so I was looking through a bunch of Flash fics a while back, and I stumbled across one called "Flounce". It's a really good story and I totally recommend you check it out, but it got me thinking. Flash, whenever romance gets used with him in fics, usually has one of two things happen to him. He either gets together with Princess Twilight, or he rekindles his past relationship with Sunset Shimmer.
Now, I love both of these pairings, but when I read Flounce, and saw him being paired with Pinkie, I suddenly realised that he actually worked well with her. So, that got me thinking, and I decided to write this fic here. Basically, this will serve as a "what if" sort of thing. Each chapter will concern Flash going on a date, in this same milkshake bar scenario, with someone who largely isn't associated with him in other fics.
So with every chapter, the slate will be wiped clean, and the events/dates of the previous chapters will no longer have happened. So if you're wondering about why Flash isn't talking about his dates with other girls, this will be why.
So, I hope you all enjoy this little collection of stories I make.

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                        Aria Blaze                         
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Aria Blaze
Flash was having a nice time with his milkshake, which he was downing pretty steadily until the expected brain-freeze caught up with him. As he nursed his sudden headache, he was oblivious to the bell-sound that signalled the arrival of someone new in the café. Though he heard the sound of someone's footsteps behind him, he paid no attention, that is until this new arrival suddenly parked herself on he opposite side of his booth.
"Ugh!"
It was a girl that, from the looks of it, was about his age, decked out in a dark green hoodie and having long purple hair that was tied into pigtails. She also appeared to be remarkably annoyed right now, though why, Flash couldn't even guess. But he didn't even get the chance to ask, as this mysterious stranger suddenly reached forward and, without a word, yanked what remained of his milkshake right out of his hand. As the boy stared at his now-empty hand, the girl slurped her new drink, and before long, Flash finally broke the silence between them.
"So...can I help you?"
She didn't look at him, instead scowling out of the window while she grumbled.
"One day...can't even go one day without bickering."
Her tone was one of clear irritation, the kind of way people usually talked when they'd had a bad time, and though still uncertain about having some unexpected company, Flash nevertheless spoke to her again.
"Rough day, eh? Some trouble with your friends?"
To that, the girl laughed, though it was dry and devoid of humour.
"Friends? I don't even know if I can call them that."
Here, she finally looked to him.
"Do you have any idea what it's like to have to put up with someone who just gets on your nerves day in and day out?"
Flash scratched the back of his head.
"Sometimes...but I usually get on pretty well with people."
The girl rolled her eyes.
"Well, lucky you."
She again slurped her drink, but Flash, seemingly unbothered by her abrasiveness, smiled, reaching out his hand.
"I'm Flash."
The girl looked to him with incredulity, looking from his hand to his face and then back again. A moment or two passed, but she soon sighed, reaching out and taking his hand to shake it, even though she clearly wasn't in the mood for his attempts to make nice.
"Aria."
It was obvious she'd only given her name out of the barest of courtesies, but even so, it was something, and Flash was appreciative of it.
"So, Aria, you live around here? I don't think I've seen you around."
Aria shrugged her shoulders.
"We come along this way every once in a while, but not often. We tend to stay on the move."
It was a statement that said nothing good about her home life, whatever it was, but Flash continued to maintain some semblance of friendliness as she spoke again to her.
"Well, welcome to town, for what it's worth."
His companion for the evening frowned at him.
"Look, buddy, I appreciate that you're trying to be all nice and cheer me up and stuff, but please, just let me be grumpy, will ya? I like my grumpiness. It's kind of my thing."
Flash chuckled.
"Hey, if I see someone looking down, I'm not gonna just leave things be. Not when I can help."
This time it was Aria's turn to laugh, though again it did not sound like she was in any way amused by this.
"Nice guys finish last, Flashy. Didn't anyone ever teach you that?"
Flash nodded.
"Sure...I just never believed it."
The girl snorted, then, to Flash's slight confusion, she hoisted herself up and out of her chair, walking alongside his side of the booth.
"Alright then, if you're really that Hell-bent on making me feel better, come on."
Flash raised an eyebrow.
"You...want me to come with you? Where?"
She looked out of the window.
"My...my friends and I passed a motel on the way here. We can probably shack up for the night there. So come on."
Aria began to walk out, but as soon as she reached the door, she paused, looking back. As she'd suspected, Flash was still there, sitting down, looking to her with a mix of both confusion and worry. Groaning, Aria walked right back to him.
"Okay, maybe I didn't make myself clear the first time. You. Me. Motel. Shack-up. Any of this getting to you?"
Flash nodded.
"Yes, I understood perfectly."
Aria put her hands on her hips.
"So, you do know what I'm getting at?"
Again, Flash nodded.
"Yeah...I just don't think it's a good idea."
Aria blinked slowly, looking to him like he'd just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.
"You...you know I'm talking about sex, right?"
The boy frowned.
"Oh, I got that much. But you and I have only just met. Don't you think that's a little...um...quick?"
Aria, sighing deeply, slowly walked back over to her side of the booth, sitting herself back down and giving Flash the biggest look of annoyance yet.
"Of all the guys I had to meet up with tonight, I had to land myself the chivalrous one!"
In spite of the mood, Flash gave a quick laugh.
"Look, I respect that you're comfortable with...well...that sort of thing. But if I'm being honest, I'd much rather prefer just..."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"What...talking?"
Flash considered that.
"Well...yeah."
A moment of silence passed, and Aria eventually leaned back into her side of the booth, letting out a long and tired-sounding groan.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuugh!"
Then, as she sat back up again, she began to study Flash for a time, looking him over.
"You know...most guys wouldn't have said no like that. You do realise that you probably just missed out on one Hell of a night, right?"
Flash smiled.
"Maybe...but I think that, if something like that does happen between us, it might be better if we actually know one another first. And, not to put too fine a point on it, but we know nothing about each other."
Aria gave another shrug.
"Does it matter? I'm good-looking, you're good looking, and we've both got nothing better to do, so..."
Leaning forward, Flash continued to smile.
"...What kind of music do you like?"
Aria blinked at him.
"...What?"
Flash gave a shrug of his own.
"A simple enough question. What sort of music do you like? Any songs? Instruments maybe?"
Realising that her companion was set on this, Aria sighed once more, leaning back slightly. After a while of showing more than a little reluctance, she gave a slightly softer look.
"...I like to sing."
Flash looked to her with renewed interest.
"Sounds neat. How are you at it?"
Aria smirked, reaching down and fiddling with the red pendant that hung from her neck.
"Oh, trust me, people pay attention when I do it."
"You enjoy it?" Flash asked again.
"Oh yeah, I definitely enjoy it," Aria responded.
She grimaced.
"Not as much as I used to, but yeah, I still like doing it."
Flash's smile resumed.
"I have a guitar myself. Never really felt I had the voice for singing."
Aria chuckled.
"You're a weird one, you know that?"
Flash laughed back.
"Hey, if I got you to laugh, I'd say a little weirdness is something I can tolerate."
The two shared the next laugh, and when it was over, Aria gave a slow nod to him.
"Okay...maybe talking isn't so bad...weirdo."
Flash gave a happy grin to that.
"That's the spirit...sort of."
Aria, as before smirked.
"Okay, I guess I can cope with a little niceness for one evening. I mean it's not like we're gonna meet each other again after this, right?"
Author's Note
For the record, this one takes place before Rainbow Rocks. And possibly before even the first EG film too.

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                           Derpy                           
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Derpy
The girl looked at her date nervously, her mis-matched eyes going from him to the nearby window and back again. She seemed to be a mixture of excitement, surprise and worry all at the same time. Flash, who was largely oblivious to these feelings she had, reached forward, offering her a milkshake.
"Here. I got one ready for you before you arrived."
Grateful, Derpy accepted it, smiling back to him.
"Th...thanks."
She took a quick slurp of it, then got back to her prior look of concern. And here, Flash finally noticed.
"Is something wrong?"
Derpy raised a hand to her cheek, scratching it slightly.
"Well...this was kind of a surprise. I didn't really expect you to ask me out like this."
Flash chuckled briefly.
"Hey, why wouldn't I? You're a great girl, Derpy. And we've known each other since we were kids."
Derpy smiled to that, recalling fond memories of their days playing as children.
"Yeah...but I never expected you'd want to be more than friends, Flash."
The boy sighed, giving a quick nod.
"If I'm being honest, it's only recently that I started to think of you that way."
He took on a thoughtful look.
"Whenever something went wrong in my love life, you were always there, ready to help lift me up with a smile or a pat on the shoulder. After a while, I started thinking..."
Slowly, he looked right back to her.
"...maybe I was wrong to look to other girls all this time. Maybe the one I should have been paying attention to...was the one who was always there."
Derpy blushed to that, taking another slurp of her milkshake while desperately trying to avoid looking at her date.
"That...that's really sweet of you. But I was just trying to be nice. I never did it because I thought you'd notice me or anything!"
Flash's smile returned.
"Maybe not...but I did notice you, Derpy."
Calmly, he reached forward, carefully placing his hand upon hers and holding it gently.
"And I'm glad I noticed you."
As expected of a girl like Derpy, this romantic gesture on Flash's part caused her blush to grow even more, to the point where her face was almost entirely red. She struggled to get her head in order, instead just babbling incoherently.
"I...well...er...you see..."
Flash laughed in a good-humoured way, giving her hand a quick pat before releasing it.
"It's okay, Derpy. You don't need to say anything if you don't want to."
The girl looked to him, frowning slightly.
"But I do want to say something. Flash, you..."
She hesitated again, but only for a moment.
"...you've always been nice to me. Even when others made fun of me for...well..."
Raising her hand, she pointed to her eyes.
"...for this. You were there, telling them to leave me alone. I don't think I've ever had a better friend than you."
Her blush returned, but this time it was far less pronounced.
"And...maybe, deep down, I sort of have been hoping that something like this might happen between us."
Flash smiled sweetly to her.
"Well then, I'm glad I could make that happen for you. Sorry it took a while though."
The two shared a laugh, and Derpy, if only a little, felt better than she had been so far. Then, as the two of them enjoyed their quiet moment together, Derpy glanced to the side, seeing a few other teens enter the café. While most didn't really pay them any attention, there were one or two that looked over to them, seeing that Flash was dating Derpy, and actually laughed among each other because of it. Derpy, understandably, seemed upset by this, and Flash, having picked up on that, looked to her with worry.
"What's wrong?"
Derpy sighed.
"It's just...I'm sorry."
Flash took on an expected look of confusion.
"Sorry? What for?"
Holding herself, Derpy gave a shrug of her shoulders.
"I...I know that you're pretty much the eligible guy of Canterlot High. I know in the past you've been out with girls like Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle."
She grimaced for a few seconds.
"And now, you're...you're dating me."
Again, Flash didn't understand, and so Derpy continued to explain.
"I'm just...sorry. After being with so many other incredible and pretty girls, you're...you're with someone like me now."
Here, Flash finally understood, and he cast a quick glance at the teens who had entered, many of whom now looked away, lest he realise that they'd been looking in their direction. The boy's frown deepened, but then his expression softened shortly afterwards, as he once more looked to his friend and date.
"Derpy...look at me."
Slowly, Derpy did just that, and Flash looked to her with warmth.
"Yes, I've dated some great girls, and I've had fun with both of them."
He smiled.
"But you and I can have fun too. This, what we have right now, it can be just as special as any relationship. We've been close for as long as we can remember, and I can think of no reason why this can't work out."
He again reached forward, taking her hand into his own.
"You may think you're some kind of downgrade...but I assure you, you're anything but."
Derpy was naturally touched by this confession on his part, but even so, she still seemed doubtful, and looked away from him, almost ashamed for some reason.
"But...but...my eyes..."
Flash shook his head slightly.
"Derpy...your eyes have never been an issue for me. They didn't bother me when we were playing together as kids, and they don't bother me now."
With the same gentleness that he'd been holding her hand with, he reached up, placing his fingers under her chin and guiding her face so as to be looking at him again.
"And for what it's worth...you are pretty, Derpy. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."
Derpy was at a complete loss on how to respond to that, and she again struggled to speak.
"I...I...I...I don't know what to say."
Flash smiled.
"Well...let's have a fun date together. I think that's all either of really wanted out of this, right?"
Sighing, Derpy smiled warmly at him, giving a nod.
"Yeah...I'd like that."
Flash nodded.
"Good. Now, you were telling me about a new recipe you wanted to try out at the baking club?"
Derpy's face lit up, and she spoke up with more enthusiasm than before.
"Oh! Right! Yes, I wanted to try this new type of cake I saw on that cooking show a week ago. I think it'll be pretty good."
Flash gave her a thumbs up.
"Neat! Next time we're baking together we can try it out."
Derpy, in a clear display of nervousness, poked the ends of her fingers together.
"And...you'll be okay with that?"
The boy gave a determined nod.
"Derpy, you have never baked something I haven't enjoyed eating. I have total confidence in you here."
His date blushed again, nodding right back at him.
"In that case...I look forward to it."
Flash's smile widened.
"Good. Now..."
He again took her hand.
"...would you say you're enjoying the date so far?"
In complete contrast to the hesitation she'd been feeling so far, Derpy gave a confident smile, raising her own hand and placing it over Flash's.
"Oh yes...I am."

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                          Trixie                           
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Trixie
"Haha! Behold, citizens of Canterlot! I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, now sit here, in this humble café, successful in obtaining for herself a date with the beloved and popular Flash Sentry! Many have coveted him, many have desired him, but it is I who have him! Look upon us now and weep, for none shall ever again reach this absolute height of quality pairing ever again! So sayeth the Great and Powerful...TRIXIE!!!"
Slowly, Flash blinked at his date's declaration.
"So...I take it you're happy to be here?"
Getting herself back into her side of the booth, Trixie folded her arms, looking to her partner with a smirk.
"Oh yes, very much so!"
Flash nodded.
"Good, because..."
He turned, looking upon the stunned, embarrassed and just downright confused expressions on the faces of the cafe's other patrons.
"...I think we might need to tone it down a bit after that."
Trixie rolled her eyes, waving him off.
"Pfft! Don't worry about it! Besides, when you're a couple like us, why not flaunt what you've got?"
Nervously, Flash took a sip of his milkshake.
"Trixie, I know you like to put on a show, but...do you really have to do that when you're on a date?"
The girl looked to him with a measure of incredulity.
"Oh? I'd have thought you'd know by now that this is the kind of thing I like. I mean, did you seriously expect to ask a girl like Trixie out on a date and not witness something like this?"
As Flash considered that, he sighed, nodding slowly.
"Yeah, good point. I probably should've seen that one coming."
Trixie put on another triumphant smirk.
"Good. Now that that's settled with, I assume you'd like to talk with Trixie about...you know...date stuff?"
Flash looked to her in silence for a time.
"Um...date stuff?"
Trixie nodded, suddenly looking like she was feeling hesitant about something.
"Yes, you know, the kinds of things boys and girls like to talk about when on dates."
Flash scratched the back of his head.
"Well, don't you know from all the other dates you've been on?"
To that, Trixie didn't actually answer. Instead, she looked away, as if ashamed of looking back at him. It took him about a minute, but eventually, Flash's eyes widened with realisation.
"Wait...I'm the first guy you've ever dated?!"
His surprise was clear, as indeed was Trixie's embarrassment as she waved her hands in front of him.
"Shhhh! Not so loud!"
Flash, looking around, understood.
"Oh. Right. Sorry."
Slumping down into her chair slightly, Trixie sighed, then gave a nod.
"If you must know, yes, you are the first guy I've ever dated."
After slurping some more of his drink, Flash looked at her with what could only be scepticism.
"Sorry for being blunt about this, Trixie...but you're a pretty good-looking girl."
Chuckling, Trixie swept aside some of her hair.
"Guilty, as charged."
But Flash frowned soon afterwards.
"My point is that it seems odd that you wouldn't have had at least some guys asking you out."
Trixie's smile faded, and she turned, staring out of the window.
"Let's just say that some boys don't approve of Trixie's...how shall I put it...exuberance?"
Flash titled his head just the tiniest amount, but it was enough to communicate his confusion. Grunting a little, Trixie looked back to him.
"I have a big personality and they're put off by it."
It took a moment, but Flash soon nodded to it.
"Ah, I see. Yes, I can understand how that might be a problem."
But then he smiled.
"Well, I wasn't put off by it at least."
Trixie gave a dry laugh to that, then looked to her date with interest.
"And that reminds me...why did you ask me out? You've never really shown that much interest in Trixie before."
Again, Flash nodded.
"Fair point. But after everything you did helping Sunset out with that memory stuff, I figured maybe you're someone I and others should spend some time with."
It was a genuine sentiment, and one that Trixie soon found herself softening over.
"Well...Trixie also considers you someone worth being with. After, all, it was nice, what you did for Trixie a while back."
Flash once more showed some confusion, prompting Trixie to elaborate.
"At the mall? When you helped Trixie with her crystal ball? It would have probably shattered into a million pieces if you weren't there to catch it."
Now remembering what she was talking about, Flash blushed slightly.
"Hey, I was just in the right place at the right time."
But Trixie shook her head to that.
"There's a time and a place for modesty, Flash, and today is not it. Most would not have been so helpful had they seen me."
A smile came to her.
"The magic show I was planning would have been ruined if not for that little bit of help you gave."
Flash smiled right back at her.
"Well, I hope your show ended up okay."
Leaning back into her chair, a somewhat smug look came to the girl.
"Oh, trust me, it was spectacular!"
She cackled a little.
"I can still see all the amazed faces of the crowds I'd brought in. All the oooooh's and aaaaaaaah's. I tell you, nothing is quite so sweet as being able to wow a crowd like that!"
Flash, happy at seeing his date return to her infamous enthusiasm for magic, raised his milkshake to her.
"Having seen your shows myself here and there, I can definitely vouch for them being impressive."
Trixie, continuing to be in her showman state of mind, smiled and gave a slight bow to that.
"You're very welcome, Mr Sentry!"
The two shared a laugh, with Trixie raising her own milkshake and gently putting it against Flash's in a silent toast. As they gulped down all the remained of their beverages, Flash soon looked to his partner with curiosity.
"Tell me...what made you want to get into magic to begin with?"
A nostalgic look came to Trixie after that.
"Oh, it was definitely my Dad. He used to put on magic shows all the time back in the day. Stopped after I was born, but he still taught me a trick or two."
She smiled to herself, looking out of the window.
"I do sometimes wonder what things would have been like if he'd kept it up though. The great Jack Pot, performing once more!"
Flash looked to her, stunned.
"Wait...the Jack Pot?!"
Trixie looked back to him, eyes wide.
"You've heard of him?"
Flash gave a hearty laugh.
"Oh, I've heard of him alright! My Mom used to be a big fan of his shows! When I was little, she showed me this old VHS recording of one time she went to see one of them. I loved seeing those tricks of his! The disappearing act, sawing the assistant in half..."
Trixie smirked.
"And the escaped from underwater trick?"
Flash sighed, himself now looking similarly nostalgic.
"Oh, that was my favourite!"
Pleased at this, Trixie tried to put on a more aloof attitude.
"Well, maybe if you're good, the Great and Powerful Trixie will demonstrate it for you."
Flash certainly seemed interested in that suggestion.
"In that case, give me a call if you ever need help in one of your shows."
Smirking again, Trixie tapped her chin with her finger, looking her date over, before giving a nod.
"Well...a good magician does always need an attractive assistant after all."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                         Maud Pie                          
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Maud Pie
Of all the girls Flash Sentry had ever spent time with, this one right here was probably the hardest to read. Maud Pie had always been known for being far more reserved than her bubbly younger sister, Pinkie, and yet, sitting opposite from her now, Flash truly came to grips with just how reserved she was.
"So...um...are you having fun, Maud?"
The girl didn't even blink as she gave her answer.
"I am. The milkshakes are nice and you're being very polite to me so far."
Flash cleared his throat.
"Yes...well...I certainly try to be."
He glanced around, desperately trying to think of something to say to her. Then, realising that there was one thing he knew about her for certain, he looked back to her with a smile.
"So, I imagine living with Pinkie must be quiet something."
Maud gave the barest of nods.
"She's an incredibly excitable girl who always strives to be as happy as possible. Living with her is delightful."
The expression she wore as she'd said that was, as usual, utterly emotionless, and for a brief moment Flash actually wondered if she'd meant what she'd said. But he dismissed the thought, instead leaning onto his side of the table between them, continuing to smile at her.
"I'm sure you've got a lot of interesting stories from when you two were growing up. I mean...is Pinkie as happy at home as she is at school?"
Maud paused as she considered that, then gave her date his answer.
"No."
Flash seemed surprised.
"No?"
Maud shook her head a little bit.
"...She's even happier."
Flash said nothing for a moment, then gave a dry laugh.
"Yeah...guess I sort of set myself up for that one."
Then, inspiration came to him, and he again smiled at her, speaking with a more upbeat tone than before.
"You know, I saw your geology tour at the museum the other day. It was pretty interesting."
Maud, for just a short while, didn't answer, instead taking her own milkshake and giving it a quick slurp. When she did finally speak, it was with the same monotone as always.
"Thanks. I'm sure having Pinkie and her friend add their little flourishes certainly helped you watch it."
But surprisingly, Flash shook his head.
"No, I wasn't talking about that one. I'm talking about your other tours, when Pinkie and the other girls aren't there."
If Maud was taken aback by that, she didn't show it.
"Most people found my explanations of the rock displays to be...less than thrilling."
Flash laughed.
"Maybe...but I found it all pretty interesting. I mean, even if you don't speak with the same energy as Pinkie might, stuff like how some rocks came out of volcanoes is pretty neat."
As before, Maud gave another micro-nod.
"I appreciate your kind words. I know I'm not exactly the most interesting of girls, so it's nice to have someone say that to me."
Flash's smile faded a little.
"Who says you're not interesting?"
Slowly, Maud glanced out of the nearby window.
"Some of the other people who come to the museum."
Her date frowned.
"Well they shouldn't. You are interesting, Maud."
Maud looked back to him.
"You're nice...but you don't have to say things like that just to try and make me feel better."
Flash shook his head.
"I meant it! Maud, I know you're not like other girls, I know you know that, but you have a lot to offer! Your love of geology is just as big as Pinkie's love of parties, or Rainbow's love of sports, or even my love of music!"
He regained his smile.
"So what if you don't have a lot of emotion in your voice or expression? You still feel it! Other people might think that about you, but you're not some robot or something!"
Maud gave another slow blink.
"...Thank you. Your words make me feel a deep sense of appreciation. I am utterly overjoyed to know there's someone besides my sisters who is able to see the deep passion I have in my soul."
Flash gave a slow blink to that, rather taken aback by her sudden use of words. Then, after a while, he cracked a smile.
"Wow, you could write a few poems with stuff like that."
Maud took a second slurp of her milkshake before answering.
"Thanks, but I prefer my stand-up stuff personally."
The boy was surprised at that.
"Oh? You do comedy stuff?"
His date nodded.
"Not very often, but yes. Every few Saturdays I like to come to places like this café and tell some jokes."
Now looking interested, Flash's smile widened, and he leaned back into his chair.
"Neat. Got any right now?"
Maud took a brief look down at her now-empty milkshake cup, thinking on some joke to give to her companion for the day. Then, after about a minute of waiting, Flash watched as she looked up to him again.
"There is one. You might need to take hold of yourself though, just in case your sides split from laughter."
Flash chuckled.
"Now I'm really excited to hear it. Go on."
Balling her hand into a fist, Maud raised it to her mouth and cleared her throat, before finally unleashing her great joke to her lone audience.
"Alright...two geologists are working at the museum together. They've had a long day analysing lots of metamorphic rock samples. When the day ends, they get their coats and head on outside. When they shake hands at the end and part ways, one of them says..."
She paused, no doubt for dramatic effect.
"...it was gneiss to work with you today."
Flash watched her, seeing that the joke had now ended, but his expression made it very clear that he just hadn't got it. Maud, for her part, recognised this ignorance straight away, and so started to explain herself.
"Gneiss. G, N, E, I, S, S. It's a common form of metamorphic rock, and it's pronounced the exact same was as the word nice."
Now understanding, Flash let out a hearty laugh.
"Oh, yeah, that was pretty funny."
Maud again looked to her empty cup.
"You don't have to pretend to find my jokes funny if you don't want to."
But again, Flash shook his head.
"No, I did find it funny! I just, you know, needed to understand it first. If I'd have known about gneiss stuff before, then trust me, I'd be bawling with laughter right now!"
It took a while, but Maud eventually nodded.
"...Thank you."
Flash smiled.
"And hey, at least your love of rocks is something we have in common."
Maud gave a tiny tilt of her head, leading to Flash elaborating.
"Well, I am a...rock musician after all. Huh?...Huh?"
Maud blinked.
"...That was funny."
Flash sighed.
"Thanks. I kinda worried I'd be digging my own grave with that one."
The girl shook her head.
"You weren't...I'm not the kind of girl to be so...coal-blooded about it."
Flash snickered.
"After we finish our time here, we should head over to the local grocery store. I hear their vegetables are...on shale."
"I doubt our date is in any risk of...eroding," Maud added.
"It's a good thing we got to this café early. You know their policy...be there ore be square!" Flash continued.
They carried on this this for some time, until finally, one of the nearby patrons leapt out of his chair, screaming his head off and running out of the café.
"GAH!!! I can't take it! Make them stop!"
Flash and Maud watched him go, and once everything had gone quiet, they looked again to one another.
"What bug crawled up his butt?" Flash asked.
Maud paused, then gave her thoughts on the matter.
"It's sedimentary, my dear Flash...some people have no sense of humour."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                       Limestone Pie                       
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Author's Note
Okay, I wanted to keep this Pie sisters train rolling, so here's Limestone. Oh, and for those wondering what sort of look she has, I found this awesome EqG version of her (http://fav.me/d9t2i36) on DeviantArt.
Limestone Pie
Flash waited patiently at his usual spot in the local café, silently slurping his drink for a while, as he eagerly awaited his date. He didn't have to wait long, as the doors of the place soon burst open, and through them marched a very serious-looking girl. Flash watched as she scoured around, eventually finding him, before making her way over and sitting on the opposite side of the booth from him. Before the boy could even get a word out, she cut him off.
"Alright, buddy, here's how it works. I'm only here because my little sister said it'd be good for me to get out on a nice date. So we're gonna sit here, we're gonna chat for a bit, we'll have just enough fun to satisfy her, and then I'm walking on out of here, alright?"
Flash was, understandably, taken aback by her abrasiveness, but nevertheless gave a nod.
"Okay...understood."
Limestone nodded, then narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, and before you ask, no there's not gonna be any funny business between us!"
Instantly, Flash blushed to that remark.
"I...I wasn't going to suggest...!"
But again, he was cut off.
"Yeah, yeah, sure you weren't!"
Realising that this date had started off on a very bad note, Flash cleared his throat a little, then put on a smile for his date's benefit.
"Would you like me to order you a milkshake?"
Limestone frowned.
"Why? You think I can't do it without any help?"
Flash stumbled here.
"No, I just..."
He sighed.
"Look...I realise this isn't really your sort of thing, going on dates and stuff, but I want you to know that I want to at least try and make this good for you."
Folding her arms, Limestone took on a look of suspicion.
"Oh yeah? What made you want to date me in the first place?"
To that, Flash gave a quick shrug of his shoulders.
"Well, it was your sister, if I'm being honest. I never really gave you much thought until Pinkie came along and asked if I'd be okay coming here on this date with you."
Limestone slapped her forehead, letting out a grunt that betrayed her frustration.
"Ugh! Pinkie! I always knew that shipping streak of hers was gonna get me into trouble one day!"
Flash chuckled.
"Hey, it might not be so bad. Pinkie said a lot of good things about you, so I've actually been looking forward to this."
Looking to him, Limestone raised an eyebrow.
"Really? What good things?"
Flash paused for a moment as he recalled what had been said to him.
"Well, for one thing, she says you're probably the hardest worker out of all your sisters. Heck, from the way she tells it, you pretty much run your family's farm."
For the first time in this date, Limestone cracked a smile, but it was really more of a smirk than anything else.
"She's not wrong. Maud's got her geology studies, Pinkie does...whatever it is she does these days, and Marble isn't really on my level when it comes to our work."
She folded her arms.
"Couple all that with the fact that Mom and Dad don't really do as much has they used to, and yeah, I pretty much do run the show back home."
Flash nodded, looking genuinely interested.
"Must be pretty stressful. A lot of responsibility?"
Limestone turned, looking out of the window.
"I cope."
Her date's face softened.
"And...not a lot of time for fun or dates and stuff?"
Limestone continued to stare at the pedestrians outside.
"Pretty much."
Flash, having taken in all of that, resumed his smile.
"Well, Pinkie certainly seems to think the world of you, and she's not usually wrong about people."
The girl let out a dry laugh.
"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly her favourite sister. That honour goes to Maud."
Flash too laughed, though his was a touch more good-humoured.
"She still loves you, I'm sure. And hey, I'm sure you must have some fun if you're living with a girl like her."
Limestone fell silent for a time, as though uncomfortable with continuing this conversation. But after a while, she slowly looked back to him.
"Well...she likes us all to play eye spy at the dinner table. That's pretty fun...sometimes."
Flash smiled.
"Well, at least you have some fun here and there then."
Turning to face him in earnest, Limestone took on a measure of curiosity.
"And you? Any family?"
Flash shook his head.
"Nah. Aside from my Mom, it's just me."
Limestone raise her eyebrow again.
"No brothers? Sisters?"
Again, Flash shook his head, and Limestone, after showing some genuine hesitation, asked her next question.
"...Your Dad?"
Flash's smile faded, and he too took to looking out of the window.
"No. It...it was a car crash. I was about five at the time."
Limestone's face softened.
"I'm...sorry."
But Flash just looked back to her with another smile, albeit a much smaller one.
"Hey, it's no problem. It was a long time ago."
Realising that she had probably soured this date up a little, Limestone thought on what other questions she could ask.
"So...any friends?"
Thankfully, Flash's face perked up a bit.
"Yep. My band mostly."
Leaning back into her chair, Limestone started to look a touch amused.
"You're a musician?"
Flash laughed again.
"Oh yeah. We play rock music all the time, even took part in this big school music contest a couple of years back. Didn't win, but hey, we got close."
Then, he too started to look amused.
"You know, I guess this means we have something in common, since I..."
Sadly, he was prevented from saying anything else when Limestone raised a hand.
"Let me stop you right there. Because if you were about to give a rock pun please know that you're dating the wrong Pie sister for that."
Flash nervously scratched the back of his head.
"Hehe, right, sorry."
Thankfully, Limestone didn't seem at all irritated by his almost-terrible joke, and instead turned to look at a nearby approaching waitress. In a move that was long overdue, she took a moment to order herself a milkshake, which the waitress was eager to go and get for her. Now alone again, the girl turned to once more face her date.
"So, getting back to your social circle..."
Flash smiled.
"Well, I've taken to spending time with Sunset Shimmer a lot these days. She's a pretty good friend."
Limestone looked incredulous.
"Isn't she your ex? Are you okay just being friends with her?"
The boy shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, she's not the person she used to be. Things might not have worked out when we were dating, but they certainly seem to be now that we're friends at least."
Limestone nodded, again turning to see that her milkshake had arrived. She gave a nod to the waitress after it had been brought for her, and after taking a quick slurp, she gave a quick nod.
"Hmmm...not bad."
Smiling, Flash leaned forward slightly.
"You know...how about I help you on your family's farm when we're finished here?"
Limestone seemed surprised by that.
"Seriously?"
Flash nodded.
"I mean it. My day's pretty free and, well...I was thinking maybe I could lend a hand or something."
Limestone blinked, seeming very much surprised by the offer. But as she looked to him, seeing the sincerity in which he'd made that offer, she gave him, for the first time today, a genuine smile.
"That...might not be entirely irritating."
Flash gave a hearty nod.
"I'll take it."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                          The CMC                          
//-------------------------------------------------------//
The CMC
Flash Sentry was not looking happy right now. Now, this was unusual in itself, as he was a typically upbeat sort of guy. But right now, in this moment, that upbeat nature was instead replaced with an irritation and annoyance, which was firmly focused on the trio sitting opposite from him in his booth. Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, otherwise known as the CMC. Their being here was clearly not something Flash was pleased about, and after a long and incredibly awkward silence, he finally sighed and started to speak.
"So...I come here, expecting my friends from my band, as per the message I got in my locker, and instead I find...you three."
Apple Bloom gave a nervous chuckle, scratching the side of her cheek a little.
"Yeah...well...we figured you'd probably not say yes to this if y'all really knew it was us!"
Flash frowned.
"Gee, I wonder why?"
The boy rubbed his temples, then looked to them with at least a modicum of calm
"Girls...I really hope you can understand why this is a bad...really bad position for me, right?"
His sarcasm was palpable, as indeed was his continuing irritation at having been brought into this unexpected and unwanted date with the three young girls. Sweetie, the most romantically-inclined of the three, put on a smile and then tried to explain their side in this.
"Okay, so we know everyone's big on dating, so we figured we'd..."
"No," Flash said firmly.
Sweetie blinked.
"Yeah, I know this maybe isn't the most appropriate thing, but..."
"No," Flash repeated.
"...But maybe, once you get to talking to us we can..."
"No."
He stood up.
"N...O. No! Nope! Nopesies! N, O, P, E! Nopety-nope-nope-nope! All of the nopes! A nope that will forever be etched in stone! Just...plain...nope!"
The girls looked to him, seeing this increasingly uncomfortable situation, with Apple Bloom finally asking the obvious question.
"So...what do we do?"
Letting out another sigh, Flash folded his arms.
"Leave this cafe...wait a few years...start dating other people, pending permission from your sisters and elders...and never try to trick me into a date again."
The girls all nodded, silently agreeing to those terms. But then, as ever, one of them had to cross the line, and it just so happened to be Scootaloo.
"Okay...but if you had to pick one of us..."
"Go home, girls."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                        Indigo Zap                         
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Indigo Zap
There was a time, not so long ago, when the idea of students from Canterlot High and Crystal Prep hanging out together would have been unheard of. Laughable even. And yet, this was the sight that now graced many of the patrons of the café, as Flash Sentry was currently sitting opposite from Indigo Zap, one of the most noted athletes of the prestigious school. And speaking of whom, the girl was currently downing her milkshake with great enthusiasm, much to Flash's amazement.
"You know...I've seen plenty of girls enjoy their shakes here...but never that much! It's like you think it's a contest or something."
Having finally set her glass down, Indigo gave a hearty chuckle.
"Rule numero uno about dating me, Flashy boy...everything's a contest!"
Flash raised an eyebrow.
"What, are we gonna compete over who leaves the café first when we're done here too?"
Indigo folded her arms, lookign to her date with incredulity.
"Wait, you weren't planning to do that?"
Flash sighed, but then perked up slightly.
"You know, I was surprised you were willing to come out here and join me. I know our schools aren't exactly enemies anymore, but still..."
Indigo's smile returned.
"Hey, what can I say? A nice afternoon out, some sweet shakes, having fun? Who wouldn't say 'yes' to that?"
Flash smiled.
"Well, glad you're having fun at least."
The girl snickered a little.
"And hey, if nothing else, at least I can add this to my school's list of wins."
Flash looked to her with no small measure of confusion.
"Um...what?"
Indigo shrugged her shoulders.
"You know. Flash Sentry, the hottest, most wanted guy at Canterlot High...and a Crystal Prep girl gets to date him? Oh yeah, we'll be gloating about that one for months!"
Hearing that, Flash frowned, prompting another chortle on Indigo's part.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"
Leaning forward, she retained her look of amusement.
"You'd think a guy who has the likes of Pinkie Pie as a classmate would learn how to take a joke!"
In spite of his earlier irritation, Flash did indeed smile back.
"Well, someone has to be the serious one around these parts. In case you hadn't noticed, it can get pretty crazy these days."
Indigo nodded.
"I'll say! My friends and I are still buzzing about what happened back at the Friendship Games!"
She scooted to the edge of her seat, so as to be closer to her date.
"So...what's it like? Living with magic at that school all the time?"
This time, it was Flash's turn to shrug his shoulders.
"You know, it's actually okay most of the time. All the really big magic stuff only come around every once in a blue moon. The rest of the time we just a normal high school."
Hearing that, Indigo let out a frustrated grunt before leaning back into her side of the booth.
"Ugh! That's so laaaaaaame!"
Flash, slightly amused by his date's reaction, gestured to her.
"Well, maybe I can talk to Pinkie Pie for you. You know, ask her to show you some of her blowing-up magic?"
Immediately, Indigo regained her interest.
"Now that's more like it!"
The two laughed together, and when it was done, Indigo looked to the boy with curiosity.
"So, besides your whole 'bad boy guitarist' thing, you do anything else?"
Flash nodded while smiling.
"Yep. I'm part of a couple of clubs. Chemistry, baking..."
Indigo grimaced.
"Don't even remind me of you guys baking! I still remember how hard a time Cinch gave us when we lost that event in the Games!"
Flash frowned.
"She wasn't exactly the friendliest Principle from the looks of things."
Indigo rolled her eyes.
"Buddy, you have no idea!"
But then, Flash's smile returned.
"Still, you guys did pretty good on the woodwork challenge. I think you were part of that, right?"
Indigo looked to him with a smirk.
"Oh yeah, me and Sugarcoat totally nailed it! But hey, we're both on our school's woodwork club, so I guess we had kind of an edge."
Flash gained a curious look himself.
"So...how has the school been since Cinch left?"
Indigo's smile widened.
"Dude, it's been great! It's like having been stuck in some stuffy room for years and then bam, we go out into the fresh air!"
Her date smiled to that.
"Principal Cadence is doing well I take it?"
Indigo chuckled.
"Yep! Best Principal ever!"
Leaning back into his own side, Flash took on a smirk of his own.
"I dunno, Principal Celestia is pretty good."
Indigo looked to him in a mischievous manner.
"You keep telling yourself that, friend."
As before, they shared a laugh, and when it faded away, Indigo again spoke to him.
"So...you into any sports? Soccer maybe?"
Flash shook his head.
"Not really, unless you count me taking part in track every once in a while."
Indigo's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, only to be halted by a raised hand from Flash.
"And before you ask, no, I don't want to race you when we're done here."
Indigo's shoulders slumped.
"But it'd be fun!"
Flash chuckled.
"Maybe for a born winner like you. Me? I'm fine just going at my pace."
Indigo took a moment to try and wrap her head around the notion of someone who didn't want to try and beat someone in a contest of speed. Flash, for his part, found this difficulty of hers somewhat funny, but quickly hid that train of thought when she finally spoke to him again.
"So...what do you wanna do when this is over?"
Thinking on that, Flash gave a quick shrug.
"Well...we could just go on a walk together? Through the park together? Maybe talk a bit more?"
Indigo blinked at him, then groaned.
"But that's booooooooring!"
Flash, folding his arms, looked her over, then spoke with an utterly deadpan tone.
"Are you sure you and Rainbow weren't twins separated at birth?"
Indigo laughed.
"Heck no! That girl's got nothing on me in a race!"
Flash laughed back.
"Well, she might do, now that she's got super-speed and stuff."
Instantly, Indigo's smile faded.
"...What?"
Flash again gestured to her.
"You know, the magical super-speed that...she..."
Understanding came to him.
"You...didn't know about that, did you?"
Slowly, Indigo looked away, and Flash could immediately see her mind working, undoubtedly coming up with some future plan to challenge her now super-powered rival to some kind of race. As that thought sank in for him, Flash sighed.
"Rainbow...forgive me."

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                       Timber Spruce                       
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Timber Spruce
Flash quietly and calmly sipped his milkshake. And he did this not for the great flavour of the drink itself, though that certainly helped. No, he did this because he was doing everything in his power to try and calm himself down after having discovered the situation he was now in. For there, sitting opposite him, was his date for the afternoon. Unfortunately, this date was not exactly what you'd call expected, as the person in question was none other than Timber Spruce. Now, the two lads had no dislike of one another, and yet, being here, there was a remarkably thick sense of discomfort between them.
"...So," Timber began.
Flash sighed.
"...So."
They blinked slowly at one another, neither wanting to be the one to break the silence. In the end though, it was Flash who felt he had to do so.
"I'm...I'm guessing your intent here wasn't to try and go behind Twilight's back and date somebody else?"
Timber immediately raised his hands in a defensive posture.
"What?! No! I thought she was gonna be there one here, not...well..."
Flash raised an eyebrow.
"Me?"
Timber sighed, nodding in agreement.
"So...I take it you were given a fake message too?"
A dry chuckle escaped the blue-haired boy, and he carefully set his shake down.
"Yeah. Though I was gonna be meeting up with some secret admirer. Clearly, that's not the case."
Leaning back into his side of the booth, Timber folded his arms.
"Alright then...any clues who's idea this was?"
A knowing smirk came to Flash's lips.
"Yeah...the girls."
Timber looked to him with confusion, prompting Flash to elaborate.
"The CMC. Rumour had it that they were a bit bummed out that I was still single, so they apparently decided to hook me up."
He looked to his counter with incredulity.
"And it would seem that they feel that you are the one they think I should be with."
Timber blinked again.
"Um...they do know I already have a girlfriend, right?"
Flash shrugged his shoulders.
"That probably wouldn't stop them."
He frowned.
"Remind me to thank Pinkie for introducing them to the concept of slash-fics when this is done," he said sarcastically.
Timber, naturally, didn't want to enquire further into that train of thought, and instead decided to try and get the most out of this unwanted and unexpected situation. Tapping his fingers against one another, he tried to put on a smile.
"So...come here often?"
Flash looked to him with amusement, and Timber's eyes immediately widened as he realised what he'd just said.
"Gah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean for that to sound like a pick-up line!"
But Flash just chuckled.
"Hey, it's fine. And yeah, I come here a lot. It's a pretty neat place, especially when Pinkie works here. I swear, you've gotta try out her ice cream sundaes sometime."
Timber noted that, then, after glancing around at some of the other patrons, turned his attention back to his date.
"So, still single, eh?"
Flash nodded.
"Yep."
Timber nodded back.
"Twilight tells me that you haven't had the best of luck with girlfriends. That true?"
Flash sighed.
"My first girlfriend turned into a she-demon."
Timber nodded, showing a modicum of understanding.
"That's rough, buddy."
Flash looked away, out of the window.
"And then the next girl I liked turned out to be a magical pony Princess from another dimension that I'll probably never see again."
Here, Timber stumbled.
"That's...rougher, buddy?"
Another dry laugh from Flash.
"Thanks, I appreciate it. But hey, it's fine. I'm still friends with them, and if no romance comes of it, then hey, at least I know I had good times with them once."
Timber smiled to that.
"That's the spirit. And hey..."
Leaning back into his chair, the green-haired boy suddenly took on a more confident look.
"...at least one of us has some luck with the ladies."
Flash studied him quietly for a time, letting him continue to speak.
"I mean, I've dated a lot of girls in my day, but Twilight? Whoo-boy! She's a good one! We've had a tonne of fun so far and I really like spending time with her."
A small smile came to Flash.
"I'm glad she's having fun too."
Timber chuckled.
"Hey, no worries there, pal! She's dating Timber Spruce! And I'm the kinda guy who knows how to treat ladies right."
A silence fell between the two boys, and during that time, Timber took to finally drinking some of his milkshake. As for Flash, he appeared deep in thought over something. Something that was taking up a lot of time for him. After a while, however, he took on a more serious look, and spoke in a quiet tone to his colleague for the afternoon.
"...Be good to her."
Timber, looking up from his drink, raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm?"
Flash kept his seriousness.
"Twilight. Be good to her. Treat her well."
Hearing that, Timber chortled.
"Hey, no worries. I told you, I..."
But Flash cut him off.
"I mean it, Timber...treat her well."
Timber halted, realising that the mood of the meeting had taken a decidedly different turn. He looked on, seeing Flash look to him with a piercing gaze, as he spoke with an unexpectedly sombre tone.
"Twilight, whether it be this one or the one from Equestria...is special. She's a good person, a good friend...and she deserves to have someone good in her life. Don't treat her like she's just another notch in your belt. Because if you do..."
A smirk came back to him.
"...then I'm gonna be the least of your worries."
His eyes narrowed.
"Make sure...you are good for her."
Timber, who had not been expecting this pseudo-interrogation, gulped, then let out a nervous laugh.
"Er...sure, buddy. I'll treat her good, I promise! And, um...can we go back to talking like bros, because this is kinda terrifying me right now."
Laughing himself, Flash leaned back.
"Sure thing. Hey, I'll even order us some more shakes."
Timber sighed.
"Yeah, good, that's...that's real good."
He watched as Flash gestured to a nearby waitress, who went off to gather further drinks for the two of them. But, as he watched his date, curiosity returned to Timber.
"Um...just so I know...Twilight's other friends wouldn't be that upset with me if I didn't treat her right, would they?"
Flash looked back to him, considering the question carefully, before regaining his knowing smirk.
"Tell me, Timber...you aren't allergic to friendship-powered rainbow lasers, are you?"

//-------------------------------------------------------//
                     Starlight Glimmer                     
//-------------------------------------------------------//
Starlight Glimmer
Flash watched as the girl slurped down her milkshake with enthusiasm that almost rivalled that of Pinkie Pie. It honestly looked as though she was treating the beverage like it was the tastiest thing she'd ever had, and the wide smile she wore after she was done only furthered that impression.
"Oh wow! First your ice creams and now this?! Seriously, you humans have it so good over here!"
Flash chuckled, nodding.
"Yeah, we get stuff right from time to time."
Putting her now-empty glass aside, Starlight leaned forward, looking to her date with curiosity.
"So...you're an ex to Sunset and Twilight?"
Flash considered that.
"Well, Sunset certainly. Twilight? That one was less certain. We only ever had one date...and it was really only half a date, given that, well...other stuff was going on that night."
Starlight nodded back.
"So...not official?"
Flash shook his head.
"No...but I did enjoy my time with her."
This time, it was his turn to look to his date with curiosity.
"And you? Anyone special back in Equestria?"
Starlight chuckled.
"Not really. Some close friends, but nothing romantic."
Smiling, Flash matched her brief laugh.
"Well, I hope this first date of yours goes well. I always try to have fun on these things when I can."
Starlight looked back to him.
"Hey, if I'm getting recommendations from Twilight of all people that you're a good guy to date, that's good enough for me."
Hearing that, Flash gained another curious look.
"You know...I don't think I ever heard how you and Twilight met. Have you known each other long?"
Instantly, Starlight started to look less certain, and looked away, with a small blush creeping onto her face.
"Well...um...we had kind of a rough start."
Flash stared at her, seeing the incredibly uncomfortable look she had on her right now. But after a while, understanding came to him, and he sighed, giving a quick nod.
"Ah...I see."
Starlight looked back to him, seeming more than a little concerned.
"Um...what?"
Flash smiled to her, speaking calmly.
"It's okay, Starlight. If you had a time of your life when you're weren't exactly the nicest person...then you can relax. You're in good company in this world."
In spite of her earlier nervousness, Starlight nevertheless broke out into a smile, albeit a rather small one.
"Well...the Pinkie of this world did say they were a forgiving lot. I take it that wasn't exaggeration?"
Flash snorted.
"Not exactly. Let's see..."
He raised a hand, then began to count off his fingers.
"...there was Sunset of course. Then we had our Twilight during the Friendship Games. Gloriosa came after, then we had Juniper, Wallflower and, finally, Vignette. There's quite a few around these parts who have pasts they're not proud of."
Starlight's shoulders slumped.
"I doubt any of their crimes can match mine, Flash."
The boy gave another nod.
"Maybe..."
His smile returned.
"...but if Twilight and those on her side of the portal say you're okay...then that's all I need to hear."
Starlight looked to him with incredulity.
"You're...you're pretty laid back about all this."
Flash shrugged his shoulders.
"Hey, when you live in a world as crazy as this one has been, you learn to just sort of go with the flow on this kind of stuff."
His smile widened.
"But enough about that. How are you finding our side of things?"
Starlight blinked, looking around herself to the café and the other patrons, before breaking out into another smile of her own.
"I'm liking it. I mean, obviously it's a bit strange, coming to a whole other world and all that, but I think I'm getting used to it."
Looking down to her own hands, she wiggled her fingers in front of her face.
"I wonder how long it took for Twilight to get used to using these things?"
Flash laughed.
"I can't even imagine."
Thoughtfulness came to Starlight soon afterwards, and she glanced down to the rest of her new body.
"Back in Equestria, the only pony I ever knew who had any issue with wearing clothes all the time was my old friend, Sunburst. He never went anywhere without that cloak of his. He was pretty much the only Equestrian you'd ever meet who would refuse to go out in public naked."
Flash looked to her, interested.
"It's so weird to think of it. People just going around unclothed like that, like it's no issue. You'd never see people with that attitude around here. At least not without someone commenting on it anyway."
Starlight frowned.
"You know, you humans should take a page out of Equestria's book, and stop being so worried about it."
Flash opened his mouth to speak, only to be halted dead in his tracks when, all of a sudden, he saw that not only was Starlight setting her beanie aside, but she was also reaching down to the hem of her shirt, pulling on it and, sure enough, beginning to pull it upwards. Realising where this was going, Flash lunged forward, taking hold of her hands and stopping her from going any further.
"NO!!!"
Though taken aback by this sudden move on her date's part, Starlight soon noticed the he was not the only one to be looking to her oddly, as many of the cafe's other customers were eyeing her strangely. A moment or two passed, and after a time, both Starlight and Flash settled back into their respective sides of the both, with Flash coughing nervously.
"I'm...I'm sorry about that, but...people probably wouldn't understand."
But rather than be upset by that, Starlight just looked to the boy with amusement.
"You humans can be such prudes sometimes. You and Sunburst would get along swimmingly I think."
Flash chuckled, even in the face of the awkwardness that now hung between him and Starlight. Then, after absent-mindedly scratching the back of his head, he looked back to his date.
"So...aside from nearly causing riots, is there anything you like doing? Something you have over in Equestria that maybe we can do together when this is done?"
Starlight thought on that, then cracked a smile.
"Actually...I think here is."
Flash perked up slightly.
"Oh?"
Starlight looked to him with a touch of mischievousness.
"Tell me, Flash...where's the biggest wide open field around here? Because I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for some kite-flying."
Flash blinked slowly.
"...Just that? Just some normal, non-magical, non-crazy kite-flying?"
Starlight nodded.
"Yep...nothing else."
With that, Flash sighed the biggest sigh of relief anyone could in that situation.
"Well...at least the date will end on a calm note."
Starlight giggled.
"Seriously, if you get this stressed, maybe you should lay off dates for a bit."
Flash chuckled dryly.
"Yeah...I might just do that."
Author's Note
And with ten chapters, I think that's a good palce to end it. Thank you to all the people who've been following this story. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it :twilightsmile: https://static.fimfiction.net/images/emoticons/twilightsmile.png