Life at Canterlot High

"Sunset, I mean this with the greatest respect and love...but you're absolutely crazy!" Twilight announced.

Sunset, folding her arms, looked to her friend sceptically. "Oh yeah? And you think your position is somehow saner?"

"There's no debate to be had! If you don't make the choice I've made, then clearly there's something seriously kooky going on with you."

Leaning forward, the Equestrian looked to Twilight with amusement. "Those are some figthin' words, Twilight, but you think you can back em up?" she declared, with a tiny bit of an accent to boot.

Twilight, adjusting her glasses slightly, smirked right back. "First of all, impersonating Applejack won't help you, and secondly..." She reached to the side, picking up her glass and holding it and the pink liquid within right in front of Sunset's face. "Everyone and their Grandma knows that strawberry milkshakes are the tastiest you can have!"

Sunset chuckled, shaking her head. "Oh Twilight, you sweet girl. But oh so foolish. Clearly chocolate is the top-tier milkshake in this contest!"

Twilight looked to her, aghast. "I can't even believe what I'm hearing! How long have you kept this dark and terrible secret from me!"

Sunset pointed an accusing finger to her. "I was gonna say the same thing about you!"

A tense pause, and after what looked like a dramatic standoff, both girls broke character and burst out laughing, taking a good glug of their respective drinks before sighing over the matter. "Honestly, I love them both...but strawberry really is the best," Twilight said.

Sunset shrugged. "Hey, whatever makes you happy, friend."

Twilight, who was content with just continuing with her drink for the time being, took a moment to glance around at their surroundings. The local mall wasn't as busy as she'd have expected for a Saturday, but there was still enough to fill the immediate area with a buzz of chatter. She recognised many faces here, both from school and around town, but while she'd nod in greeting she never said anything. After a while though, her drink finally ran out, and she smiled over at Sunset. "You know, it's funny. These days I'm pretty comfortable being in a place like this. But back in the day?" She shook her head. "Back then all I cared about was learning and studying. I'd have never considered coming here just for the fun of it."

Sunset considered her for a time, then smiled softly. "Hey, we all change, Twilight. You the solitary shut-in, me the bitter would-be world-conqueror."

Twilight's eyes widened to that, and she stifled a giggle, helping her mood considerably. Yeah, I guess if anyone knows what it's like to be changed from how you used to be, it's you."

"And changed for the better, I'd say."

The two girls were at first taken aback by the unexpected new voice, but when they turned, they looked on with fondness at the sudden arrival. "I'm not a piece of toast to be buttered up, Flash," Sunset remarked with a sly grin.

Her ex chuckled. "Well, if there's a chance to compliment a friend, why not do so?" Lifting one hand, he revealed that he'd been carrying what was, undoubtedly, a guitar case. "As promised, I got it fixed up for you, Sunset."

Sunset smiled happily, accepting the case and setting it on the table between her and Twilight. After clicking it open, she looked on with warmth at the instrument within, which looked as good as new. "Thank you so much for this, Flash. When I dropped it the other day, I..."

But Flash raised a hand, interrupting her. "Don't mention it. I've been around guitars since about the time I could walk. Trust me, fixing this thing was no problem."

Twilight looked to Sunset's restored guitar herself. "Good thing you got it fixed when you did. The band's got a performance lined up next week and we'd have been lost without Sunset in it."

Closing the case, Sunset blushed slightly. "Oh stop! Those girls were playing great long before I ever joined up."

Flash placed a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe, but nobody would disagree when I say that you really add something special to it, Sunset."

Sunset glanced up to him, and the two enjoyed this nice moment together. When it was over, the ex-unicorn gestured to the third chair around their table, currently empty. "Care to join us? It's the least I can do."

Flash shook his head. "Thanks, but I wouldn't want to intrude."

Twilight giggled. "You're not intruding, you're being invited."

Flash paused, looking to the chair with some hesitation, then gave a quick shrug. Getting himself seated, he looked from one girl to the other for a time before finally breaking the silence. "So...watcha been talking about?"

Twilight and Sunset gave each other a somewhat competitive look, with the former speaking first. "We were having quite the debate over what the best flavor of milkshake was."

Flash smiled. "Ah! Did you mention vanilla?"

Instantly, both girls looked to him mischievously. "I see we have a new challenger on the field," Sunset commented.

Gulping, Flash waved his hands defensively. "Um...forget I mentioned it."

Reclining back into her chair, Sunset considered the boy carefully. "Consider it forgotten. Besides, you deserve a break after your heroics the other week."

Flash cleared his throat, then scratched the back of his head, after which he placed that same hand upon the table. "You girls are the real heroes around town, Sunset. You do so much to keep us safe from magic and the like, so a guy like me running interference...I'm just glad I could help."

Twilight reached forward, giving him a quick pat on the hand. "It was brave of you to do it. Facing danger with magic is one thing, but to do so without? That's something else altogether." Her smile faded soon afterwards. "But you should still be more careful. That robot was pretty powerful. There's no telling just how hurt you could have been from it."

To that, Flash rubbed the side of his torso. "No need to tell me. I can still feel the bruise from where it just missed me. A full hit would've..." He grimaced. "Well, probably best not to think about it."

Looking over to Twilight, Sunset started to look somewhat worried herself. "Honestly, I think you, me and the other girls bear some of the blame for this." When she saw Twilight and Flash start to look at her with confusion, she began to explain herself. "Think about it. A bunch of regular teens going out into dangerous situations, saving the day? Sooner or later we were always going to encourage others to follow that example." She glanced to Flash. "I'm not ungrateful that you wanted to help, Flash, but there's a very real chance that there might be others like you who'll want to pitch in when things get tough, no matter how dangerous. And the more who do it, the more chance there'll be that they won't wind up as lucky as you were."

Flash gave a slow nod, looking like he too was thinking about that very issue. "You're not wrong. Sometimes, when I'm at lunch, I'll overhear about how some of the other kids wish they could do what you girls do. Fighting monsters and being heroes. Your selflessness certainly helped nudge me into going out there, so I guess..." He sighed. "Think we oughta maybe tell people not to follow your lead?"

Sunset shrugged. "Honestly? I think we can only play it by ear. You know how people can get. Tell them not to do something and, sooner or later, they'll end up doing it anyway."

In spite of the seriousness of their conversation, Flash couldn't help but chuckle again. "Humanity in a nutshell."

Sunset smirked to that. "You lot certainly have a habit of getting into trouble, I'll say that much."

The words prompted Twilight to nudge Sunset in the side, gaining her attention. "I think we can safely say you Equestrians have a talent for it too, lest we forget all the trouble that follows whenever you come over here?"

A blush crept onto Sunset's cheeks. "Yeah, good point."

Tapping her finger on the table, Twilight pondered her own words. "You know...it really is amazing just how much your world has influenced ours. And I don't just mean magic." The others said nothing, looking to her in silence, and listening well as she started speaking again. "I don't really know how to describe it. But...it's as if Equestria's nature has caused, I don't know...just sheer positivity to seep into ours. Like everything has become better for people."

Flash nodded. "You're not wrong. I remember just how things used to be before Princess Twilight came along. People were happy to just be apart from each other, or just looking out for themselves. There's certainly a lot of that now, of course, but it's like...they're more inclined to be nice, or to do things for others." Slowly, he looked over to Sunset. "The magic of Equestria might be dangerous and unpredictable...but it's also making our world better."

Sunset's expression, though uncertain about her friends' position, eventually softened. "Well, good to know my home has had a good impact on yours. I guess I just get so wrapped up in thinking about all the magical artefacts and powers that cause havoc over here that...that I guess it just never occurred to me that there might have been better things coming along with it."

Looking to her, Flash gave a friendly smile. "Well, guess Princess Twilight has that effect on people."

Hearing of her old Equestrian friend, Sunset smiled right back to him. "You're right on the money on that one, Flash. She just...she just has this way of bringing out the best in people. I guess that sort of rippled out after she first came here."

A sigh escaped her ex shortly afterwards. "No arguments there. Just...just being willing to do what she can to help people from a world she didn't even know? How many out there would have it in them to do that?"

Sunset chuckled. "Well, maybe a few more now, thanks to her."

Twilight, who had been sitting quietly for some time, looked from one to the other, then started to develop a sly and knowing smirk to her. After the other two finally noticed this about her, she waved them off. "Oh, don't mind me. I just think it's adorable to see you two crushing on the same girl." She pointed to them both. "And don't deny it, because that's totally what's happening right now."

Sunset and Flash blinked, then looked to one another. Rather expectedly, a blush came for both of them, but Sunset was able to move past it shortly afterwards, laughing quietly with clear amusement. "Well, guess we can safely say we both have good taste in girls."

Turning to face her once more, Flash matched her demeanour, "I know I always did, if you remember."

It took no time at all for her to get his meaning, and so, slowly, Sunset arched an eyebrow. "What did I say about complimenting me?"

Flash's eyes darted about a bit. "Um...don't?"

A snort from Sunset. "Well, in that case, forget what I said. Please, keep complimenting."

The group all had a good laugh over that, ending when Twilight took a moment to wipe her glasses clean. "Honestly, the way you two are about her..."

Sunset glanced to her, reaching over and holding her hand. "Don't you worry, Twilight. We have all the Twilight we need right here."

This time, it was Twilight's turn to blush. "Oh, stop, you're making me as red as a tomato right now."

After a moment or two, Sunset looked back to Flash. "So...no feeling of awkwardness on your side here, Flash?"

Folding his arms, the boy gave a shrug. "Meh, no issue here. Charm away."

A pause, followed by Sunset looking to him with another sly smile. "Oh? Well maybe I could turn on you with that afterwards?"

Flash considered that, then again matched her expression. "If you were expecting me to be unwilling to participate in such an offer, Sunset, then you were sorely mistaken."

Twilight, who had recovered from her earlier moment, considered the present situation. "Um, just so I know...are we all in some big three-way flirt right now?"

Sunset and Flash looked to her, then to each other, then finally back to her. "Er...yeah, that about sums it up," Sunset answered.

A single nod from Twilight. "Okay. Just had to make sure."