The Hidden Truth

Flash was surprised when he was approached by the Rainbooms the next day. He didn't want to even be near them considering how they were treating Sunset, and how they seemed to think they were doing the right thing. They didn't even bother for Sunset's side of the tale.

And they were appointed by Princess Twilight to teach Sunset about Friendship?

The guitarist groaned as he slammed his locker when he saw Rainbow's colorful hair. "What do you want from me?"

Rainbow scowled as she crossed her arms. "You're going to get hurt."

Flash arched an eyebrow at her and mirrored her by crossing his arms. "Pray tell, how will I get hurt?"

Applejack snorted as Rarity rolled her eyes. Pinkie was frowning, and Fluttershy was hiding behind her hair, not looking so brave like she did when throwing Sunset away, he noticed. Was this a joke to them? Was throwing Sunset away like yesterday's meal so easy and rewarding to them?

"You know how Flash!" snapped Rainbow. "Sunset! She's going to post your secrets and you're going to regret being with her! You'll see. She'll betray you like she did us."

Flash sighed heavily. "Did you ever care for her?"

The looks of confusion spread across their faces before Rarity regained her composure first. "Whatever do you mean by that? Of course we did!"

"Then you would've believed her." Flash replied with a soft smile. "That's what friends do! Stick beside each other until the end. But, no. You throw her away the second you got. What would Princess Twilight say about this? To think, she trusted you with Sunset."

Pinkie looked him over before gasping. "You sound like you're still in love with Sunset!"

Flash shifted nervously on his feet as he looked away from them. "And if I am?"

Applejack coughed. "She used ya." she reminded him and Flash sighed heavily.

He couldn't exactly counter that when it was painfully clear. But, yet, despite all that, Sunset still apologized and said she wanted to retry their friendship. That meant a lot. "You never fully stop loving someone."

Fluttershy finally pushed her hair out of her face, looking braver. "She'll use you again."

Flash stood tall as he clinched his hands tightly. "I never said I'd tell her about my feelings! She needs to know I'm not looking for something like that! We're friends. End of story. Besides, she can love whoever."

Rainbow scoffed as she looked him over, trying to spot for a joke but failed to see one. "You'll get your ass kicked by your friends if you keep this stupid game up."

The guitarist turned away from them. "At least I didn't abandoned a friend in their time of need like you did."

As soon as he left, Fluttershy looked at her equally confused friends. "What do you suppose he meant?"

The Hidden Truth

Sunset groaned as she sliced once more before cleaning up her pocket knife, placing it back in its hiding spot before cleaning her cut. She couldn't keep cutting in school or she would be caught soon enough.

But in reality, was that such a bad thing? A part of her wanted to be caught, told it was wrong, told she had a lot of people caring about her. But no one ever came into the bathroom at the right moment, they all didn't come. If they saw her in the halls, she'd get beaten up, yelled at, threatened.

The usual type of deal.

"Sunset, you're late today."

The student looked up to meet her English teacher's eyes and sighed heavily as she made her way to her desk. "I'm sorry, sir. But I was caught up in something."

The teacher frowned as everyone else snickered at the weak excuse.

"Is there something going on, Miss Shimmer?"

Everyone was taken aback by the gentleness of the usually strict teacher and Sunset fought back tears as she shook her head in reply. "No sir, nothing is going on. I was just helping Granny Smith out is all. Y'know, as well as others."

He knew it was lie, but didn't press. "I'm glad you could make it." he smiled at her.

Sunset was quick to look away.

As everyone else went back to their work they were assigned, Applejack leaned over and began whispering. "Hey, Rares. Didn't ya notice how gentle he's bein'?"

Rarity nodded as she narrowed her eyes at Sunset. "I do, darling." she scowled deeply as she watched the teacher help Sunset out on what she missed. "A bit odd considering how he's helping Anon-A-Miss."

"Yeah." Applejack nodded. She couldn't believe how the teachers thought Sunset was innocent. "Ah just can't get what Flash said outta ma head."

Rarity arched an eyebrow. "What? Him saying how we abandoned a friend in their time of need?"

Applejack sighed as she nodded with a glare at Sunset. There was an odd feeling when she looked at the bullied girl, especially when she said how nothing was going on. "Ah wonder why that's stuck in ma head."

Rarity waved her off. "Who cares, darling? We need to focus now."

The farmer groaned as she shrugged it off. "Yer right."

The Hidden Truth

Sugarcoat looked up from her book as she watched Flash and Sunset fight over a movie. She rolled her eyes with annoyance. "You two are so much like my little brothers when it comes to fighting."

Sunset looked over to her with a smirk. "What, threatening an all out war?"

Flash scoffed as he smugly smirked at her with a clear look that said he could win any day.

The Shadowbolt of the trio gave her own look of annoyance. "No, being children to the end."

Flash pouted as he puffed out his cheeks. "Aw, but Sugarcoat!"

Sugarcoat pointed to him with her pointer finger. "You even look like a child too."

Sunset laughed as she sat down on Sugarcoat's bed. "I mean, she isn't wrong, Flash! You do look like a child!"

Flash flushed at Sunset's laugh before looking away from the girls, feeling attacked. "That just hurt my pride."

"What pride?" Sugarcoat bluntly asked and Sunset barely could keep herself from laughing out loud at that. "Someone who acts like a child doesn't have any pride."

"Ouch." Flash faked his hurt as he placed a heart on his hand. "That hurt!"

"You big baby."

Flash sat down next to them as he took a movie from the bed. "Alright, so what about this one? Pirates of the Caribbean?"

The girls nodded and Flash moved to place the movie into the player. They had all agreed to go to Sugarcoat's house this time, meeting up at the Park once more. They had the whole house to themselves since Sugarcoat's twin brothers were at their friends and her parents had to work late; a perfect chance to have her new friends over without her family asking too much questions.

Sugarcoat could admit she didn't tell her parents about Flash and Sunset since they never asked. But she also knew her parents would make a huge deal out of her being friends ( could she say that? ) with Flash since he was a boy. Always assuming things if you were friends with the opposite gender.

A pain in her side.

"I like Jack Sparrow."

Sugarcoat looked over at Sunset with an arched eyebrow. "Why? He's always on the run."

Sunset nodded as she looked down. "Exactly. I feel like we're both always on the run."

Flash glanced over with a soft smile on his face as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You aren't when your with us! We'll always be with you."

The oldest girl smiled back at her two friends. "Thanks guys."