Firelight flopped into the seat across from Stellar Flare just as the train began moving. Stellar didn't reply, simply staring morosely out the window.

"That bad, huh?" he said, empathizing with her seeming misery.

"Huh?"

It seemed as if she genuinely hadn't noticed his arrival. Considering how she'd been nearly crawling all over him on the train ride here, that was genuinely surprising.

"Did it go as well as you hoped?"

"For a while," she replied evenly. The uncertainty in her voice was thick, and Firelight almost felt bad. He had to remind himself that the two of them were not friends, because just then he'd nearly crossed the aisle to give her a hug.

"You want to talk about it?" he offered, leaning forward. He could take some glee in her misfortune, right?

Stellar turned to face him, tears rolling down her face. "I don't even know where to start," she said, bursting into sobs.

Firelight was taken aback. She'd seemed so excited for this trip when they'd left. Even if he didn't consider her a good friend, he didn't hate her.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?"

"You mean the part where I fucked my son?!" she blurted, before immediately covering her mouth with her hooves.

He quickly glanced around the train car, but there was only a single other pony - an old stallion, snoring at the opposite end of the car. Firelight sat back in his seat with a sigh. This was a heavy weight that he was not prepared for.

Several moments passed in awkward silence. "Your son?" he finally said.

"How was I supposed to know?" she lamented. "Everything was supposed to be anonymous!"

Firelight nodded slowly. That would certainly have been difficult.

"And to make matters worse," she continued, "it was some of the most sensual sex I've ever had in my life. It was like being in heaven.And then some random mare I've never met before accidentally stumbled into my room, and it turned into the most intense threesome I've ever had. She was all over you. And it was hot."

"What do you mean, all over me?" Firelight blurted.

"... Sunburst had your form. I intentionally sought you out," she confessed. "I knew it wouldn't be you, but I've always wanted..." she trailed off, but it didn't matter. Firelight got the hint.

"And it was Sunburst?"

She nodded sadly. "I fell in love with the stallion that was you last night. And I woke up to find a love that couldn't be."

Firelight stared out the window at trees whizzing past, processing her words. It was crazy that she was so into him that she had dragged him here just for that chance. Part of him was kinda happy that it backfired on her so miserably.

"And what about the other mare?" he wondered aloud.

Stellar frowned. "She left after we were done cleaning up. I don't know who she was. She wasn't really the problem, just Sunburst."

"I see."

Silence. Firelight faltered. She really was into him. He knew it. And now he couldn't even figure out why he'd hated her so much in the first place.

But there was one thing that floated to the top of his thoughts. If he had just given her a chance, knowing that she was so into him, she wouldn't have had such a terrible experience this weekend. But maybe he could make it up to her?

He looked up again to meet her gaze, but she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, staring at the floor. He lifted her chin with a hoof, but she recoiled from his touch.

Firelight frowned. "For what it's worth, Stell, I'm sorry."

She stared at him, studying him in the same way a scientist might study their research findings. He felt strangely exposed.

"Was it good for you?" she asked suddenly.

"Ugh," he groaned. Why did she have to ask that? "I'd consider it a bust, myself."

"Oh?"

"It started off great. Chatted up a beautiful mare, felt like there was something there. But then she took me on a flight that nearly killed me, gave me the fastest quickie I've had in my life, and ghosted me."

Author's Note

Like what I do? Leave a comment.
Love what I do? Give me a follow.
Want to give me money for some reason? https://ko-fi.com/scarletribbon