Author's Note

Some days it's hard to get out of bed in the morning.

And some days I crank out a Flash Sissy chapter.

Enjoy, ya adorable melon fudges.
-SS&E

Not a Foot Fetish Chapter But an Incredible Simulation

For starters: a stone gray hoodie—not too big and not too light. Its short sleeves and lower hem were laced with a narrow turquoise fabric. Then—beneath this—Flash Sentry wore a simple pair of military green cargo shorts. This article had large functional pockets on the legging: enough to store plenty of tiny valuables in. Nevertheless, the boi elected to bring the same burgundy purse from yesterday, and even though it didn't match any of the gray, turquoise, or green of his ensemble... he still planted it comfortably in his lap as he slid into the passenger seat of Sunset's specialized car... letting his sandal'd feet dangle just above the floor.

The young man couldn't help but smile. It was a simple, no-nonsense casual outfit... very unisex. He might have even imagined himself wearing it out in public in the lonesome days before he met up with Sunset again.

And in speaking of the valkyrie, she found the time to shower, put on makeup, and dress in a t-shirt, jacket, and jeans. It was a crisp autumn day yet again; much of the rain and clouds from the previous two days had completely faded. A beautiful afternoon stretched brightly before the two as Sunset turned the ignition.

"So..." Sunset breathed, tossing her hair back and adjusting the rear-view mirror. "Where to?"

"I dunno," Flash said with a shrug.

She squinted down at the boi as she put on her safety belt. "It was your idea to go out for a drive."

"Well..." He moved the purse so he could slip on his own safety belt. "...what say we just... let the road take us where it wants to?"

Sunset nodded. "Sure." Her bracelet rattled as she switched the gear into reverse. "I can do that."

"And... uhm..." Flash fidgeted in his seat. "Th-thanks for the outfit."

"Oh...?" Sunset looked over her shoulder and watched for traffic as she backed out of the driveway. "You like it?"

"It's just... comfy."

"It's not exactly fabulous."

"That's fine," Flash said. "I'm not really in the mood to feel fabulous today."

"What a coincidence," she droned. "Neither am I."

"But I am in the mood for 'comfortable.'" His eyes swam innocently towards her. "So long as you get to feel so."

She stifled a sigh. "One turn signal at a time, eh, sweetie?"

"Sure thing."

They evened out onto the road. Sunset put the vehicle into drive.

Flash suddenly had a thought. He looked at his outfit. He pulled the stretchy fabric of the hoodie and let it settle back. Then... with a tired breath... he smiled at Sunset again. "These are Scootaloo's hand-me-downs, aren't they?"

"Mmmmhmmm..." Sunset nodded.

"Thought so."

And at last, Sunset smiled.

She placed her amazonian foot on the accelerator, and they cruised ahead at a lively speed.

Sunset Shimmer had a CD player in her car, and she slipped in a disc full of tunes to quietly bide the time. It was some form of alternative rock album from a decade ago. Flash felt that it matched the pace of the blurring scenery as they fled the city and road along the lower mountain pathways.

The boi twiddled his thumbs, sitting calm and quiet in the passenger seat. Every once in a while he'd steal a glance at the amazon with her hands on the wheel.

Sunset Shimmer's expression was fully absorbed into the road ahead of them. Flash could even notice the flicker of lane lines as they reflected off her glossy turquoise eyes. She looked neither melancholic nor joyful—just preoccupied.

The young man imagined that a woman her age had enough on her plate without having to be a telepath with vacillating superpowers. On top of that, she had to deal with all manners of absurd transformations to her body. His sympathy ever so slightly eclipsed his curiosity, and afraid of talking too much about the relatively moist topic that had absorbed their dialogue earlier that day, he braved a different subject matter altogether:

“So... uhm...” He cleared his dainty throat and aimed a gentle smile in her direction. “I've always wondered—what, with you being a Grade-A musician and all...”

“Hmmm...?” She hummed in response, her hands still on the wheel and her eyes still on the road.

He cocked his head aside to consume her peripheral vision with cuteness. “What's the first kind of music you ever listened to when you came over?”

“You mean when I hopped portals from Equestria?”

“That's right.”

Sunset took a deep breath. “Well... I told you all about my music interests, Flash.” She clenched her teeth. “I friggin' forced you to play only my tunes back when you were the one driving me around, after all.”

“Sure... but...” He gestured, smiling sweetly. “What was the first music you ever listened to? Like... first disc that you popped in!”

She finally took a half-second to glance at him. “First CD, you mean?”

“Yeah, sure!”

The woman rolled her eyes at herself before confessing: “It was a learning CD.”

“... … ...learning CD?”

“Yes. How to speak basic English for Koreans.”

There was a very long pause.

“Buh...?” Flash finally issued in a girlish octave, his face scrunching adorably.

Sunset was already groaning to provide an explanation: “My first week here, I learned that English was the primary language spoken on this continent, and in my quest for power it seemed the most important language for me to master. But by the time I was halfway through the disc, I realized it was the language my human self was already speaking when I emerged from the portal. I didn't have to learn anything.”

“Why Korean?”

“... … ...huh?”

“You said it was an English CD for Korean speakers...?”

“Oh.” Sunset shrugged. “On the artwork for the CD, Korean characters resemble the alphabet used in Equestrian Basic. So... I went with that.”

“Does... that mean all horses speak Korean?”

“No, Flash, Equestrians do not speak Korean,” Sunset groaned, although the corner of her mouth curved slightly. “But world-jumping unicorn powermongerers on their first week in Homo sapienland might get a bit confused.”

“So wait... ponies and humans don't speak the same language?” He blinked. “Or use the same alphabet?”

Sunset shook her head.

“But... how—?”

“The body isn't the only thing that changes when we jump through the portal,” Sunset explained. “The mind also adjusts to human language, comprehension, and perception.”

“So... if I jumped through the portal into your homeworld...”

“...you would automatically know Equestrian Basic on the other side.”

“Ohhhhhhhhh...” Flash nodded. “So maybe that explains how I was able to understand Fenris—“ The boi slapped his hands over his mouth.

“... … …?” Sunset looked over, curious.

“Mmmmmm...” Flash scrunched up in his seat, legs and toes curling. “Okay... confession time...”

“You communicated with Spike?” Sunset asked in a calm, curious tone.

Flash gulped. “Y-you're not upset...?”

“Sweetie, why would I be?”

“Cuz it's your book...” Flash still squirmed guiltily. “Your magical glowy book: it's your possession. Your means of communication.” He brushed his blue bangs back. “It'd... b-be like if I used your cell phone without your permission or something...”

“There's nothing in my magical journal that I wouldn't let you see,” Sunset said, carefully navigating a bend in the road. “Unless of course if I thought it was a matter of interdimensional security... in which case I would use a censorship spell to black it out from all eyes...”

“So...” Flash started to breathe more calmly. “...you don't feel like I've invaded your privacy?”

Sunset stifled a snort. “What could you possibly do anyways, Flash?” She smirked. “Tell the Princess I'm a doo-doo-head?”

He giggled breathily, then glanced out the window. “Anyways... it wasn't Twilight. It was Spike. Our Spike.”

“Figures.” Sunset nodded. “If it was Her Majesty you 'talked' to, I'd have run out of pages by now.”

Flash bit his lip.

“I'm only teasing, sweetie,” Sunset said. “What'd Fenris have to say?”

“He was... really happy to chat with me, it seems,” Flash said. “Heck... you can go back and read our conversation yourself.”

“Maybe I will. Maybe I won't.” Sunset shrugged. “When it comes to that journal, it's future conversations that are more important.”

“I-I promise that I didn't go back and read any of the other pages—!”

“Flash...” Sunset smiled warmly. “It's okay. I promise.” She cruised down a straightway that edged a mountain. “If I didn't want anybody looking at that book, I wouldn't have had it out in the open.” She glanced at him. “I trust you, y'know?”

“Because I'm too much of a sissy to hurt a fly?”

“No, that's why I adore you.” She stuck her tongue out and giggled before breathing calmly at the road ahead. “I trust you because you're one of the most sincere people I know, Flash.”

“Well... that's very nice of you to say.”

“You're very nice.”

He rolled his eyes. “Seriously, though...” His finger traced the edge of the car door window. “...Spike... Fenris was just so calm and supportive. I can tell that... uh... he knows a lot about what you and the Elements of Harmony are going through.”

Sunset nodded. “We're all in this together.”

“I feel...” Flash bit his lip, hesitated, then finally said: “I sense that... that it's like I'm looking in on a huge family. A huge, loving family.”

“You don't say...”

“But I do say.” He looked at her with bright blue eyes. “You... the girls... Cadance... the Princess... Fenris and the rest of the ponies... dragons... creatures in Equestria...” He swallowed. “Not to mention all of the folks working at Cadenza Corp. It's all just so... so large and wholesome and amazing...”

“I'm a lucky woman,” Sunset admitted. A slight smirk. “And a lucky pony.”

“... … ...I feel kinda stupid in hindsight.”

“Pffft—what on earth for?”

Flash hung his head. “I could have been a part of that... a part of all that... if I hadn't been such an emo, mopey loser back in the day.” A sigh. “Instead... I ghosted on the whole lot of you and just... drifted away.”

“Hey... no hating on yourself,” Sunset said. “Y'hear me, Flash? You've had a lot on your plate. And considering all the stress and needless pressure that your family put you through, how can you be blamed for hiding from the limelight?”

“Yeah, well, you and the girls have a heck of a lot of pressure and stress and you still persevere.”

“We aren't nearly as outgoing and social as you think, Flash.”

“But... how could that be?” He blinked incredulously. “You're the—”

“—Elements of Harmony. Right.” Sunset nodded. “The paragons of friendship. Only... well... magic has certainly complicated things a lot of that, hasn't it?” She carefully turned along another bend in the road. “We've moved beyond friends to become friends with benefits. And as fun as those 'benefits' have been... they've also been binding. And they've forced us to close in on ourselves... become tighter and more niche and... well... estranged.”

“Like... cuz of the whole superhero shtick?”

“We've got a lot of secrets to keep, Flash,” Sunset said. “And... unfortunately... it's caused us to branch out less when it comes to the whole friendship angle. The way we like to look at it... or philosophize it... is that we're doing what we can to save lives and secure peace. That way... friendship can be assured... because people will be alive to last long enough to make friends in the first place!”

“You're a real blessing to this world, Sunset,” Flash said kindly. “All of you are.”

“Well, we gotta do it behind masks most of the time.” Sunset looked at him. “If anyone's ghosted on anybody it's us—to the rest of the world.” She sighed. “And to you.”

He smiled. “You're here with me now, aren't you?”

“Half of me is,” she grumbled.

The boi blinked.

“The other half has to be chained down or else it'll smother you,” she grumbled some more, gazing at the road again. “I swear... why couldn't we have been the Nuns of Harmony? It would have done you a lot better.”

Flash opened his mouth... but figured there was nothing he could add or subtract from that. So, instead: “You never answered my first question.”

“... … … huh?”

“What was the first CD you listened to?”

“I told you. It was that Korean to English learning CD—”

“Sunnnnnyyyy...” he protested cutely. “I mean your first music CD!” He bore a bright smile. “I wanna know the first tune you ever rocked to!”

Sunset bit her lip. “I'll... tell you another time.”

“Oh? Is it that embarrassing?”

“No. Other reasons.”

“Why can't you just tell meeeeeeeeeee...”

“Don't use that begging tone on me,” Sunset muttered.

“Why notttttttttt?”

He glanced at her, and her eyes reflected his puppy dog face. “... … ...what's gotten into you?”

The boi giggled.

Sunset shook her head, chuckling dryly to the road. “This isn't at all like our old car rides.”

“You've done a lot for me since those days.”

Her nostrils flared. “Have I...?”

“Picked me up when I was homeless. Gave me a warm bed. A refreshing shower. Grilled cheese sandwiches.” He leaned towards her, smiling. “Grilled cheese sandwichessssssssss.”

She snickled. “You deserve so much more.”

He shook his head. “I only deserve what I give to this world, Sunset.”

“Can't you for once in your life accept free and unfettered hospitality?”

Flash nodded. “I will admit... I used to dream of undergoing some sort of Cinderella syndrome.”

“You mean you've wanted to try on her dress,” Sunset droned. “The Disney animated version.”

He rolled his eyes. “What I mean is... all those days I spent wallowing in the shadows of my situations—self-imposed or not...” His toes curled and uncurled as he looked down past the purse in his lap. “...a pathetic part of me hoped that maybe... some way, some how... I would have earned a reprieve. Not that I was suffering or nothing—“

“I get it, Flash.”

“Do you, Sunset?” He looked up at her in earnest. “I think you're my blessing in life. I think you're my reprieve from the darkness.”

“I'm your faerie god mother, you mean.”

Flash giggled. And then he giggled some more.

Sunset gripped the wheel tighter. A warmth spread rosily through her features, and it tinted a trailing smile with red.

Flash exhaled toastily. “Anyways, I owe you so much.”

“No you don't.”

“But if I really did?”

“I'm telling you: you don't.”

“... … ...” Flash gazed at her. “But what if I wanted to?”

Sunset fought a shudder through her spine. She kept her eyes locked on the road ahead.

Flash studied her. Then his gaze wandered to the hills up ahead. He took notice of a familiar landmark or two. “Oh... oh hey!” He pointed excitedly. “Lauren Point! Lauren Point—let's go park up there!”

Sunset arched an eyebrow. “You wanna go up the hike trail?”

“Sure, why not?”

“I mean...” Sunset glanced at the sky. “...it's not exactly the right time for stargazing.”

“Who cares about the stars?” Flash smiled brightly. “Let's just go for going's sake! It's a good view no matter the time...”

“Sure, I guess...”

“Come on! It'll be like good old times!”

“Flash...” Sunset fought a grimace. “...there weren't any 'good old times'.” She gulped. “Not really. The last time we gazed at the stars...”

He shrugged. “Then let's give the hilltop newer memories.” He beamed. “Better memories! Pleeeeeeease...”

She looked at him. She slowly nodded. “Yeah. Yeah... that sounds pretty good, actually.”

“You sound pretty good, actually.”

“Keep this up and I'm gonna toss you off the first cliff we see.”

The boi giggled again.

And Sunset smiled again.

After the sign marking Lauren Point, she eased off the main mountain road and into a narrow strip of parking spaces.

The trail was a great deal steeper than Flash remembered it. He struggled and huffed and puffed to keep even with Sunset—whose amazonian stride made scaling a mountain look stupidly easy. Nevertheless, she kept her pace slow so that the slight boi could stay alongside her. Per her advice, he had left the purse in the car. He carried no phone, no laptop, not even a wallet. Dressed in Scootaloo's high school hand-me-downs with all of the pockets empty, Flash felt the most “naked” he had ever been in public.

Thank goodness Sunset was there. Every once in a while, when or if Flash struggled to traverse an uneven patch of ground, the valkyrie would reach over with a helping hand. Her strong arm was enough to lift him over the most formidable of gaps. Flash was convinced that she could fling him a hundred meters up the trail if she wanted to. Sunset made any mountain look like an ant mound, and he couldn't possibly feel safer.

“Good gosh...” Flash managed between panting breaths. “...it's a beautiful day...!”

He wasn't lying. The sky was almost entirely blue. The full breath of autumn was barreling earthward from a crisp heaven. It was more invigorating than chilling, and the persistent gaze of the sun kept the couple decently warm as they made their zig-zagged ascent between bushes, trees, and clusters of shrubbery.

“I always love autumn the best!” Flash wheezed, keeping up good spirits. “Don't you?”

“Mmmmm...” Sunset looked about as distracted as she was when the car ride first began. Flash felt guilty—as if he had lost some distance since they parked the car and emerged on four legs. “Back where I come from,” she said, “Autumn means hard work.”

“Oh?”

“Not as intense as winter or spring, mind you,” Sunset continued. “But the seasons in Equestria need... help getting changed.”

“Why's that?” Flash gritted his teeth as he hopped over a rock or two in the middle of the path.

“Over the past ten thousand years, pegasi have manipulated the weather in order to assure strong harvests for their allies,” the amazon explained. “This doesn't come without Mother Nature getting accustomed to such change... then forgetting exactly how to do it on her own.”

“So... nature gets lazy?”

“That's one way of looking at it,” Sunset said. “Right now—in Ponyville, Canterlot, Fillydelphia and abroad—ponies are engaging in the Running of the Leaves.”

“Sounds like a boring film festival.”

“Ha ha—no.” Sunset shook her head. “It's when all of the local villagers collectively gallop through the nearby forests and shake the leaves off the trees. This helps the Fall... fall.”

“Sounds convolutedly cute.”

“Yeah, well... I prefer this world's autumn,” Sunset said, taking a moment to enjoy a gust of cool air kicking at her scarlet locks. “I get to sit back, relax, and enjoy the weather on its own.”

“I guess we should consider ourselves lucky here in this world,” Flash said with a smile. “Our weather is less lazy!”

“That's right. It's just the people who are lazy,” Sunset said. “And now your temperature is reaching record highs with each passing year and soon the coastal cities will be underwater and inland communities practically unlivable.”

Flash grimaced. Hard. “Oh right. That.”

“Buttttttttttt... one thing at a time for the Elements of Harmony.” Sunset Shimmer walked ahead of him and jumped a deep ditch. “Tacking sporadic bursts of chaotic magic today... dealing with rampant permanent damage to the ecosystem due to unchecked reliance on fossil fuels tomorrow.”

“Isn't the latter everyone's attitude? And that's the crux of the problem?”

“Yeah, well, we've got zappy super horse powers and stuff. So we get a free pass.”

“If you say so...” Flash found himself hesitating to jump the ditch.

“You okay?” Sunset asked.

“Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...” Flash blushed and fidgeted.

Wordlessly, the woman reached a chivalrous hand out.

Flash delicately took it.

She yanked strongly and he was lifted off his feet with an impish whimper. Soon, he had cleared the gap thanks to her strong grip. The boi clung to her side, trembling for a few adorable seconds.

“Heheheh...” Sunset ruffled his head and led him up the craggy hilltop for the next ten feet. “Y'know... if the terrain is too tough, sweetie, I can carry you.”

“N-no... no need!”

“Are you sure?” Sunset glanced down at his scrawny legs. “You're not exactly Usain Bolt, y'know.”

“I-I can manage...” Flash winced. For—in truth—his ankles were killing him. It was just a short stroll from the car and yet it was still more walking than he had done in ages. He blamed his tender, aching heels on living a sedentary lifestyle... but somehow he felt the truth behind it was much less flattering. “I did well back in high school when we first climbed this hill. Remember?”

“I do remember.” Sunset squinted. “Y'know what? I think you've gotten smaller since then.”

“Sm-smaller?” the boi gave a mouselike squeak.

“What, did I stutter?”

“H-how...” He huffed, puffed, and scampered to walk even with her. “How could I possibly have gotten smaller?!?”

“The Harmonic Fountain has intensified in us girls over time,” Sunset said with a shrug. “Stands to reason that the Harmonic Well has done the same in you.”

“So you're saying that I've gotten girlier...”

“Hard to tell—without the right stimulus.” She threw him a wink.

The boi pouted, arms crossed. “I think I would know if I had gotten tinier, thank you very much.”

Sunset shrugged as they rounded a bend in the trailer. “Suit yourself. You are fitting into Scootaloo's old clothes, after all.”

He bit his lip, pausing to gaze down at his petite body in the petite ensemble. “Yes... well...” He stumbled to catch up to her again. “Is this why Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow donated their clothes? To make some sort of point?”

“No.” Sunset stifled a giggle. “It's so you could look more adorable.”

Flash rolled his eyes. “Look 'more adorable,' huh?”

“You heard me.”

“Considering what I've learned about myself and my relation to the Harmonic Fountain, are you really sure that 'more adorable' is what you and the girls are aiming for?”

She shrugged. “You can be adorable too.”

Flash blinked in mid-stride. “Oh...” He glanced off downhill. “I guess I never thought of that.”

“Sure you haven't.”

“Sunny—“ He stepped on an uneven stretch of rock and stumbled sideways. “Gah! Ow! Ow ow ow—owieee.”

She reached back and gently gripped his hand, steadying the boi by her side again. “Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?”

He shuddered. “Are you asking or are you demanding?”

“Pick one.”

He gulped. “I just want you to relax, Sunset. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy being you.” He slowly shook his head. “You don't need to spend every minute of every hour worrying over me.”

“But what if I want to worry over you?”

He blinked.

She shrugged and walked casually ahead. “Offer's still open, sweetie. Would be a shame for that perfect skin of yours to get bruised up.”

Flash didn't have a response. He winced as he moved his aching feet, attempting to find a pace at which he could keep up with her without wearing himself out. Truth was, something was weighing heavily on his mind and he didn't want to overburden the valkyrie more than he was about to with the ensuing speech:

“Uhm... I think I should... make another confession, Sunset.”

“What's that? You'd rather be wearing Sweetie Belle's clothes?”

He fought the urge to groan. “I... uh...” He delicately coughed. “Fenris isn't the only one I talked to recently.”

“Oh?”

“As a matter of fact... this morning, I...” He chewed his bottom lip. “...I-I kinda sorta gave Cadance a phone call.”

“... … ...” Sunset calmly hopped another gap in the rock up ahead. She calmly reached a hand back for the boi. “Is that so?”

He took it, and gasped girlishly as she effortlessly pulled him to her side. His fingers clung to her arm, squeezing apologetically. “I... I-I didn't know who else to talk to about... about...”

She simply nodded. “Considering how you learned about it, I completely understand how panicked you must have felt.”

“I-I wouldn't use the word 'panicked.'”

Silence.

Sunset placed him evenly on the hillside, but she didn't release her grip. As the earth grew steeper, she gently kept ahold of his hand—leading the small young man safely up the craggy mountain. “Well, what word would you use?”

“Uhm... 'concerned.'”

Sunset nodded, taking a deep breath as she slowly scaled the hill with the boi in tow. “I can understand your concern too.”

“Sunny, I wasn't concerned for myself. I was concerned for you...” He had to hold his arm up high in order to keep contact with the amazon. Nevertheless, her strong grip did make the ascent easier. “You were gone for so long and... and you sounded like you were in agony.”

Her nostrils flared above a bitter smirk. “That's one word for it.”

“I... I hope you don't hate me for contacting Cadance.”

“Why would I?”

“Well...” His eyes avoided her for a brief moment. “...considering what led to what yesterday... a-at Cadenza Corp...”

“Uh huh...”

Flash shook his head. “I don't think she distrusts you, Sunset. Please don't be mad at her.”

“Who said that I was?” Sunset led him past a series of bushes. “Cadance has provided so much for the girls and I.”

“Yeah, well, it's possible for someone to provide everything to you and still make you feel judged.” Flash frowned. “I of all people should understand that.”

Sunset nodded. “Point taken.”

“But... I-I don't believe that Cadance means wrong. She's just... concerned. For my sake. And... and I-I don't think she understands what you and the girls are going through—and what you've had to deal with. Even though she wants to. She wants to very badly...”

“That woman has a doctorate in multiple fields,” Sunset said. “But if there's one thing that I know she's an expert on, it's love.” She managed a slight smile as she helped the boi up a ridge. “I'm glad that you trusted her enough to turn to her while I was... busy.” She sighed guiltily. “Right now, Flash, you need guidance and acceptance. I'm sorry that I had to vanish on you like I did.”

“And I'm sorry that I drove you to distraction.”

“It's okay—“

“No, it's not okay!” Flash looked sad and angry at once. “I thought that by letting you open up without the bracelet—I could bring you some relief!” He winced. “... … ...turns out that accomplished the opposite.”

“You couldn't have known, Flash.”

He stiffened his upper body as he retorted: “Yes I could have.”

Sunset fidgeted in her next step... then took that in stride.

The two were awkwardly silent for the next minute and a half.

“Alright, Flash—sweetie—you win.” She smiled tiredly back at him. “You wanna know the biggest reason why I didn't tell you about what the Harmonic Fountain has long equipped me and the girls with?”

He bravely nodded at her. “I'm all ears.”

“Since we met, this whole delicate dance has been about helping you get comfortable... while also exploring a possible way to restore magic to the Elements of Harmony. For every attempt that I've made to help the girls, I've also had to consider whether it'd be asking too much from you and... well... let's be honest with ourselves, Flash. If I came out of the gate telling you I had a massive mast of man meat... I feared that would have been unfairly sweetening the deal for you.”

Flash's mouth hung agape... but then he slowly closed it.

She winked back at him. “Am I right or am I right?”

“I... erm...” He fidgeted in mid-step. “...I s-suddenly forget how much I've told you about myself in that regard...”

“Seriously? All those fantasies about Prince Charming?” Sunset droned. She continued helping him up the hillside. “Those quiet, titillating confessions about Thunderbass and the rest of your bandmates having sleepovers while you tossed and turned all night like a blushing bride? Remember when you showed me the Star Wars Prequel trilogy on DVD and you kept sitting on the edge of your seat with a dumb smile on your face? It wasn't just during the Natalie Portman moments.”

Flash was red as a beet at this point. “Ewan MacGregor's got a sexy voice, that's all.”

“Flash, I've explored the Internet. Scootaloo's old pants are currently on fire.”

Flash adjusted a leg of the cargo shorts. “M-maybe the opposite...”

Sunset giggled. “Face it. You've long been a sucker for... things that a portion of the world's population like to be suckers for.” She took a deep breath. “I knew from the first minute I saw you awake in my house that the possession of a third leg would blow your pretty little brain into butterflies.”

Flash nodded faintly. “And that's why you saved that secret detail for last.”

“And that's why I saved that secret detail for last.” Sunset also nodded, still holding his hand. “I knew it would change everything.”

“It wouldn't change a thing!”

Sunset simply stared back at him.

Flash blushed some more. “Well... not everything...” He squeezed her hand as he tenderly followed her up the hill. “Maybe take that bracelet off for a second. Read my mind. Sunset... it's you who has had an impact on my life. Not the things attached to you.”

She sighed melodically. “I don't need to read your mind, Flash. I know you're telling the truth. But I also know you're downplaying things a bit.”

Flash rolled his eyes.

“Look, sweetie...” She paused and turned to face him. “Don't let me put words in your mouth.”

“Among other things,” he muttered.

Sunset grasped his other hand in hers and bent over to look him closer in the eyes. “You've long had a Cinderella dream about your life—yes? Well, I've had a dream of my own. All the girls do. Only—I'm having to live it. And in so doing, I realize that some stuff is best left to fantasy.”

“Like what?”

“Like...” Sunset clenched her teeth, as if she was going into labor to deliver the next few words: “Like that I can somehow... possibly make this work out in all of our best interests. That our desperate needs and your lifelong desires could somehow align in such a way that... that we can make the union of the Harmonic Fountain and the Harmonic Well actually happen without anything being compromised: our sanity, our health, our self-respect.” She fidgeted under a shadow of regret. “But... with each passing day that I spend looking at this... examining this situation at every conceivable angle... the more I realize that there simply is no way for any progress to be made without one side demanding more from another. It's just... it's just not fair Flash. It's not fair to you.” She gulped. “No matter how many ways I calculate it.”

He gazed at her and spoke softly: “Shouldn't I be the judge of that?”

Sunset bit her lip.

“Or... do you not trust me to be a good judge?” He glanced down at her lower abdomen, then back at her face. “Do you think that I'd be any more or less affected by what you bring to the table? Just as you and the girls are so obviously affected by what I bring to the table?”

“... … ...”

“Or in this case... under the table?”

“Snrkkkt...” Sunset stood upright, holding a hand over her mouth. “Heeheeheehee...”

Flash blinked. “Is it really that funny?”

“Ohhhhhh Flash...” She reached down and caressed his hair and cheek. “What more can we do at this point but laugh at it all...”

He smiled into her tender touch. “I did want us to come here so you can be happy.”

Sunset breathed calmly. “Yes, well... we're here. That's for certain.” She turned back uphill and led him the rest of the way. “Can't make a promise about the rest quite yet.”

Flash nodded, following along the strong grip. “Can't pretend to be mad about it either.”

When at last they reached the summit of Lauren Point, Flash could scarcely recognize it. There was a lone tree with a crooked trunk—but that was about all Flash identified. The rest of the shrubbery had changed significantly over the past five or six years. He couldn't even make out the patch of soil where he and his once-bossy ex used to recline with the telescope and chart the heavens.

But the view... the sheer vista of Canterlot City and its surrounding suburbs below was a breathtaking enough sight on its own. The dense urbanity stretched like a gray sheen between two mountain ranges, with thick forests surrounding the townships—herding districts towards a bending river along the edge of a grand sea. It was approaching late afternoon, and already the setting sun was throwing an increasingly amber shade across the layers of flora beyond.

An amazon and a femboi—one of whom was breathless—stood in the shade of the bent tree.

“Whelp...” Sunset Shimmer planted her hands on her hips. “I dunno about you, but I can't see a single dayum star...”

“That's not...” Flash wheezed. “...why we...” Flash squeaked. “...came here.” He hunched over, sweating, placing his trembling hands on his wobbly knees.

She squinted down at the boi. “Then why did we come here?”

“... … ...” Flash drew a blank. His tired eyes gazed endlessly into the burning horizon. “... … ...my feet hurt.”

“Awwwwwww...” Sunset instantly cooed. “You poor thing! I told you!”

“It's like...” He whimpered, his body aching... lower half throbbing. “...I'm walking across a herd of teeny-tiny stegosauruses...”

“Here.” Sunset shuffled over. “Let me see.”

“I'm fine, Sunny—”

“Flash,” she ordered in a motherly growl. “Let me see.”

“I said I'll be fine—“ His eyes suddenly bulged as he reverse-somersaulted. “GAAAAAAH—!”

The valkyrie had effortlessly lifted the boi in her strong arms. With barely more than two leg motions, she brought the two of them down to the shadow of the tree. There, she squatted in the grass while cradling Flash's fussy body.

“Now hold still!” she insisted. “Let me take a look.”

“T-take a look at what?” But before Flash even finished that sentence, she had slipped off one of the sandals. “H-hey! Sunnnnnyyyyyy—!”

“Sweet Celestia on a bike!” Sunset cursed, grimacing at the blisters forming like an enraged sea all across the boi's instep. “They're practically raw! Why didn't you tell me your footsies were in such torment!”

“Okay... f-first of all...” He struggled to sit up straight in her grasp. “...don't you ever call them 'footsies' again.” He pouted. “Second, just because I'm slacking on exercise doesn't mean I'll snap like a twi—AAAACKIES!” He suddenly shuddered all over as if someone was scratching nails across the chalkboard of his brain.

Sunset immediately flinched, removing her fingers from Flash's quivering foot. “Oh goddess! I-I was just trying to map out the bruises! Does it really hurt that bad?”

“It's... it's n-not p-pain...” Flash hissed, still shuddering all over. “It's... it's...” Now the redness spread to his face.

“Hmmmm?” Sunset arched a devilish eyebrow, and soon the mischief spread to her lips. “Uh oh...” She brought a single finger and ran it slowwwwwly across the tender small of his foot. “Uh ohhhhhhhhhhh...”

“Guhhhhhhhh—!” Flash's body stiffened as he fought to wriggle out of her grasp.

“Is Flash Sentry ticklisssssssssh?” Sunset stuck her tongue out, giving the foot another feathery stroke of her finger. “Wouldn't that be the pitssssssssss?”

“Snkkkt—heeheeheehee—cut it out!”

“Cut what out? Huh? Huh?!?”

“Heeeee-heee-heee-heeeee!” Flash curled up in her grasp, clinging to her arm as he stared through tears at his wriggling toes. “Stop it! I mean it, Sunny! Stoppppppppp...”

She relented—but just barely. “But of course, you'd be ticklish.” She “walked” her fingers up and down the baby-ends of his toes, smirking the whole time. “Such a delicate princess... with a lacy gossamer shell barely strong enough to hold in all the adorbs. I bet a tiny poke on any part of your body and you'd just burst all over with sunshine and rainbows and pink flower petals.”

“Hehehehe... stop stop stop stop stoppppp!” He was whimpering at this point. “If not for me, then for Scootaloo's old shorts!”

“Mmmmm... heaven forbid...” And at last, she released her teasing touch. As the boi panted with relief, she took a moment to observe his sore limb. “Still... those blisters look pretty bad.”

“S-sorry...” He wheezed.

“I should have known better than to have let you walk all the way up here,” Sunset said. “Someone as dainty as yourself should have been treated more chivalrously. Y'know... like a lady... a damsel in all those old British period piece romances that Rarity loves to watch. Not that women necessarily need to avoid physical exertion but... let's face it, Flash... you're you.”

“Y-you held my hand, didn't you?”

“And yet, it wasn't enough. Now look at your poor feet!” The amazon pouted. “How are you going to get back down?”

“Something something Cool Runnings...” Flash exhaled.

“You're too young to make that joke.”

“B-back at ya...”

Sunset squinted at his toes. “Y'know... some ocean blue nail polish would do wonders...”

“Oh lawd...” Flash rolled his eyes before leaning his head breathlessly against her shoulder. “Are you serious?”

“Sure as Hell am! Just the right shine—maybe add some sapphire glitter to the outer coat? It'd match your eyes!”

“That... makes no sense...” Flash's sweaty face scrunched. “My eyes and my toes would never be seen in a single glance.”

She winked and stuck her tongue out again. “Not if your legs are being bent back over your head.”

“Guh! Sunny!”

“Snkkkt—Hah hah hah hah hah!” Sunset Shimmer rocked back until she was lying against the base of the tree trunk. She hugged Flash closely from behind, snuggling him close and giggling into his sweet-scented hair.

Flash protested at first, but soon he melted in her womanly grasp. A comfortable rosiness spread over his features... just in time to blend with the cascading sunset.

Sunset's giggles persisted into dry, breathy chuckles. The amazon held the boi close like a stuffed animal, relishing in the infinitesimal flutter of his heartbeat. “Mmmmmmmmm...” Her throat and lungs shook right through him as she drew her legs up, nearly imprisoning his little figure between her bosom and her knees. “Ohhhhhhh Flash...” She melodically exhaled. “... … ...I want to do so... so many things to you...”

His limbs locked in place. His insides quivered in mixed fear and delight. A knot formed in his throat, making it difficult to breathe—and every inhale and exhale was accosted by spicy waves of lilac. He couldn't drum up a response.

Which was all well and good—for Sunset wasn't expecting one. “Not all of them are lewd. Most of them are just... fuzzy at best... or worst. But... let's not kid ourselves.” Her fingers closed gently around his chest, kneading his tummy between every other word with loving pressure. “At some point or another, it's gonna come to a... thr-throbbing point or another...” He could hear her gulp. “And we will have to decide where the line is.”

Flash snuggled into her everything. It felt like he was being swallowed up in Sunset... drowning in her scent and sung to sleep by her vibrating words. He lay on that bosomy bed in sweet silence, gazing down at a tired city on fire from the dying day.

“Just... trying to figure out where exactly that line is would be a headache all on its own,” Sunset purred. She rested her chin against the top of his head, inhaling his hair between each statement... as if afraid to never be blessed with that sweet, succulent scent ever again. “I'd be willing to work that out with you, but I can't promise it'll be easy.” She bit her lip before going further: “Then again... it'd be simplest, just to say that the line is here, Flash. And that... that there simply isn't any going further.”

Flash felt his insides freeze for a moment.

“And... and that's okay. Honestly, it is.” Sunset took a firm breath. “Don't you worry about the Elements of Harmony or the Harmonic Fountain or... or anything, Flash. There isn't as much at risk as I-I may have made you to think. Twilight and I... we're resourceful. With the help of the Princess, we'll find another answer to the Elements of Harmony besides the Harmonic Well.”

“Do you honestly believe that?” Flash mewled.

Sunset opened her mouth... but surrendered to the inescapable truth. With a sad sigh, she deflated until her chin was resting against his silky crown again.

“Let's not pull any more punches, Sunny,” Flash spoke. “To help you and the girls out... you all have to be close to me... intimate with me. And while snuggling and cuddling is all well and good... in the end... it's all about you having sex with me.” He gulped. “With... w-with the instruments that your transformations have given you... driven into me...”

Flash sensed a shudder rolling through the living bed he was lying in. Then—following a guilty breath that kicked at his bangs from above—he felt her neck and chin nodding against his skull.

“And... while magic might make the impossible possible...” Flash felt his abdominal muscles clenching as he asked: “...it will still hurt really... really bad... won't it?”

“Mmmmm... at least the f-first time...”

“First time?”

Sunset's teeth could be heard rattling: “Twilight and I hypothesize that... th-that the essence of the Harmonic Well would acclimate after... erm... persistent 'application'... but there's no telling how quickly the pain—if any pain—would go away... … ...or if ever at all...”

Flash watched as the sunset grew glazed and golden over the distant rooftops below. It almost matched the fire building up in his heart... with a heated pulse that he almost wondered if the valkyrie could feel. “So the way I've come to understand it: the choice being given to me is whether or not I become the pet for you and the other girls to enjoy... … … for all its holes.” A hot breath. “A pretty little plaything that's destined to ache and suffer for others' pleasure—to restore balance to magic and harmony. And... in return—”

“Anything, Flash,” she exhaled, whispery and desperate. “I'm not kidding. Cadance's provisions would not just be ours—they'd be yours too. You'd have a place to stay. Your very own home; your very own room. All of the... all of the clothes and furnishings and luxuries your pretty little heart could ever desire. We could even help you work out a career plan to ease you in juggling your family's demands—or set you on your very own self-approved path or—”

“And what if I said 'no?'” Flash braved. “What if I did say that the line should be drawn here?”

“Of course...” She squeezed him gently and kissed the back of his head. “Of course, Flash. We all want the best for you. If you're not up for... for s-such a challenge, then we'll still give you everything you need to find your place in this world.”

Flash swallowed. “Doesn't seem exactly fair.”

“It's not about what's fair, Flash. It's about what's right.”

“You... y-you know what I mean.”

Sunset sighed melancholically. “Oh Flash. Please... put yourself first. I mean it. Just... j-just disregard everything I've ever said about—”

“Just tell me one thing,” Flash stammered. His tender hands reached up and grasped her arms. “Would there be this?”

She blinked. “Huh?” She then felt the boi wriggle around.

Flash shifted in her grasp, turning around completely until he was facing her. Then—like a child in a fetal position—he lightly straddled her midsection while laying his face gently against her collar. He clung to her with slight shivers, hiding his moist eyes from her gaze.

“This,” he breathed against the nape of her neck, birthing humble goosebumps. “This moment... this warmth... you... any of you... any of your arms...” His voice trailed off in a whimper, and he clenched his eyes shut before tears could form. “I... I-I don't think you know how long I've spent alone... sleeping alone... dreaming... yearning for this. Just t-to be held... j-just to know that... that... th-that I c-can make someone happy just by being around them. I d-don't care if it's just some dumb 'high' caused by magical nonsense...”

“Flash, it's so much more than—”

“I don't care if you strangle me or step on me or drown me in a vat of back sweat just...” He sniffled, burying his face in her shoulder. “...so l-long as there would be this... … ...then... yes... y-yes, I-I think I would be down for anything...”

“Flash...” Sunset's voice wavered as she drew her arms around him again, holding him closer. “You silly little sissy, you already have this.”

He let loose a bursting giggle. As soon as it was done, his face melted into a bittersweet sob, and he wept against her neck. He felt her hands running through his long silky hair, and after the third or fourth brushstroke, he surrendered to the invisible handle: “Well... I-I wouldn't mind it times seven...”

Sunset laughed breathily, rocking him in their mutual embrace. It was her turn to draw those joyous giggles into a whimper as she threaded her hands through his hair and kissed his scalp again... and again. “Thank you...” she murmured.

He sniffled, rubbed an eye dry, and squinted at her. “For what?”

She dug her nose into the side of the boi's head—a tender, horselike nuzzle—as she whispered into his ear. “Back when I first confessed to what I had under the belt... the first words out of your mouth weren't 'Let me see it.'” She fought back a sob, then kissed him again. “Thank you...” A shudder, and she didn't know whether to smile or cry. She settled for a few tender words in between. “Goddess alive, I don't know where we'd all be without you, Flash...”

He gulped. “Maybe...” He braved a tearful smile aimed at her beautiful face. “...maybe we don't have to let you girls find out.”

She grinned back. After a kiss to the boi's forehead, she pressed her temple to his. The two relaxed in such close comfort for a wonderfully long time, and all of it filled with smiles. The sun continued its descent, and both sleepy adults knew better than to brave a descent down the mountainside in abject darkness.

“How about...” She was the first to sit up, finally shifting the soft hum of the moment. “...we find you something to eat.”

Flash blinked. His pupils shrank.

Sunset rolled her eyes. “I mean a trip to the grocery store.”

“Oh! Right...! Uhm...” Flash smiled crookedly—with relief. “Yaaaaaay shopping...”

“Don't cheer too soon.” Sunset began to stand up. Halfway through, she paused... then extended a hand to the boi. “M'lady...”

Flash stared at her... then giggled breathily. He pretended to curtsy with just his torso, then accepted her strong grip. Within seconds, he was being held up in the standing amazon's protective arms. Sunset managed to dangle his sandals from a pair of fingers. With expert navigation, the tall woman carried the young man effortlessly down the hillside.

The entire time, Flash relaxed with a dumb smile on his face. He glanced at his dangling bare feet—so dainty and helpless, like the entirety of who he was... and who he was destined to be. But—gazing now at Sunset's beautiful face and her fiery red hair—he no longer felt ashamed of being so shamefully delicate. It wasn't just his heart that was pounding with renewed purpose. He leaned into her, pressing his ear to the march, closing his eyes as he allowed himself to drown in that rhythm... and the heat of whom it belonged to. Laced with spice and sprinkled with lilacs.

Before they even reached the car below, Flash finally found the stars worth gazing at. They were birthed in his eyes as he dreamed of her.