Flash and Singer in the Morning: BEACHFRONT

“Good morning from, you guessed it. Flash and Singer in the Morning!” Greeted Flash Sentry, seated beside his friend, Singer Case both sitting in cheap fold up chairs with the latter’s phone sitting on a tripod which was sat steadily on a rock. Both of them dressed in their beach attire, Flash going shirtless as he usually did while sporting his trunks, Singer choosing to keep his shirt on while also sporting his own trunks. Both were doing their live show that they always did, channeling a bit from a comedy show they both liked. “Today, we’re coming at you from the beach. Sandy shores, gnarly waves and…” Flash turned his camera towards Sunset Shimmer who was standing off to the side watching… “gorgeous babes…”

Sunset blushed, smiled and waved at the camera. “Sup!”

Flash turned the camera back over to himself and Singer.

“While this is a joyous time of fun in the sun, it would be unprofessional of me to go without warning you about the precautions you must take during the day out in said sunlight.” Singer continued, pulling out a random flashlight from behind his back and tossing it behind him. “Our lovely specialist in preparedness, Twilight Sparkle, has the weather and some safety tips. Take it away, sweetie.”

On signal, Flash turned the camera around over to the left to where Twilight was standing, as she was prepared to give her piece.

“Thank you, my love.” She winked and blew a kiss to Singer before quickly getting to it. “Right, so temperatures today are in the high nineties with minimal cloud coverage, so you’re going to need that good Ol’ SPF and I’d also recommend some sunglasses or a brimmed hat of some kind to protect your eyes. Speaking of eye protection, if you’re anything like myself, you’ll probably want to make sure you have some swimming goggles, ear plugs to keep the water out of your ears, and for those accident prone ones out there, I might recommend nose plugs… just in case. Just make sure you don’t stay under her water too long and come back up for breaths periodically… Psh, duh. And if you’re going to be out in deep water, life jackets are a must!”

Twilight’s presentation was top notch and she appeared to be in her element. She’d even gone as far as to pull just about everything she’d listed out of a strapped pouch she carried on her, that contained everything she needed. “And I always recommend a first aid kit, no matter if you’re at the beach or at the pool. Scrapes, scratches and cuts happen, and you just never know when they will catch you by surprise.” Twilight’s presentation went on for at least another half minute before she clamped her fingers together and motioned to them that she was done. With a smile, she looked over to them and said: “Back to you guys…”

Flash turned the camera back over to him and Singer, the latter who appeared to be entranced by his girlfriend’s performance as he rested his chin on his hand being supported on his elbow on his knee, smiling as he was still looking over at her. Twi kept giggling at his apparent trancelike form, as she found it funny and kind of sweet that he enjoyed her show that much. Flash spoke up to try and keep the show going. “Thank you for that, Twilight… uh… Sing…” he nudged Singer a bit on the shoulder, snapping him out of it.

Singer, having come to, shook his head and mildly blushed a bit. “S-Sorry. Right. Well you heard it here first, folks! Take all the necessary precautions. But now…” he said as he pulled out a portable speaker as he readied his phone to play some music. “It’s Summer time!”

Choosing not to play any copyrighted music, he just played some random beach music he’d found on YouTube. The two guys then randomly pushed their chairs to the side after which they picked up a large surfboard and ran around the camera to the left, Sunset had moved closer to the tripod so she could move the camera for them as they lay the surfboard flat in the sand to where they’d be in clear sight of the ocean and the activity behind them, including some people, most notably, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, actually surfing behind them.

“So get out there and enjoy the sun…” Flash said, standing on the front of the board pretending to balance himself on it.

“…the waves…” Singer said, doing the same on the back part of the surfboard.

“…the sand and the babes!” They both said in unison.

“I’m Flash Sentry.” said the former.

“And I’m Singer Case.” threw in the latter.

“And this has been…”

“Flash and Singer in the Morning!”

Sunset tossed Flash’s electric guitar over to him and he strummed on it a bit before Twilight killed the feed.

“Not bad for one take.” Sunset said as she took Flash’s phone off the tripod and handed it back to him.

“We’re professionals.” Remarked Flash with a wink. He was then met with a kiss from Sunset on the lips. “I don’t think I’m going to be getting tired of that any time soon.”

“Me neither.” Sunset giggled as she hugged him.

Twi, who had Singer’s right arm wrapped around her, smiled at the display and looked over at Singer, who shared a knowing smile with her. “I still haven’t, that’s for sure.” Twi kissed Singer on his cheek, and he in turn hugged her tightly for a brief moment before she turned to address her friend. “Congratulations to you both! I’m so happy for you. I told you, you didn’t have anything to worry about, Sunset.”

“Yes, yes you did. Thanks Twilight.” Sunset said. “I can’t believe that I was so hesitant to embrace this.”

“We’re together now.” Flash threw in as he placed his hand on her shoulder. “That’s what matters.”

“You really think I’m gorgeous?” Sunset asked with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.

“Of course I do.” Flash said with a grin.

“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Flash.” She said with a sideways grin that kept growing as they continued to play around.

“Are you sure about that?” Flash remarked, and was met with a light punch to his left arm by Sunset. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding…”

“You’d better be…”

Twilight placed her left hand on the right side of Singer’s face and moved her face closer to his. “I noticed you checking me out earlier.” She said with half lidded eyes.

“I was?” Singer shifted his eyes back and forth. “Well, I…”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” She said quickly, noticing him getting a bit flustered. “I’d rather catch you checking me out than seeing you ogle other girls.” She giggled at him reassuringly while lightly elbowing him.

“You’re the only one these eyes want to set on, Twilight.” Singer responded, having quickly regained his mojo. It worked, as Twilight was caught off guard. She started to blush and giggle nervously. It was crazy to think that just weeks ago, they(mostly Singer) had struggled with flirting, or at least flirting without being cringey, and here they were. They’d both made themselves aware of the shifting tone in their relationship, and though initially a bit shell shocked by it, they were now embracing it.

“Good to know…” she smiled at him while she tried to stop her giggling. Singer planted a quick surprise kiss on her lips, and she calmed down. “Thank you.”

“Ugh… barf! Gag!” Zephyr exclaimed as he suddenly walked on by. “If you people get any more mushy, I’m going to be able to whip out a bowl and spoon and have my morning breakfast.”

“You eat mush?” Flash retorted. “That doesn’t sound remotely appealing.”

“Oh my… shut up!” Zephyr said, crossing his arms with a pouty face. “You guys are total snoozers. Nothing better to do but sit around and make googly eyes at each other.”

“Jealous much?” Sunset said, snarkily. “At least we have love lives.”

“OOOOOOOOOOOH!” Singer shouted as he high fived Sunset, Flash and Twilight couldn’t help but snigger at Zephyr’s expense. And before you go feeling too bad for Zephyr, remember all the crap he’s put the others through so far, and he’s not likely to be done with his shenanigans.

Realizing his defeat, he turned away and went off in the direction of the actively busy Rainbow Dash and Applejack. He did so more for the former than the latter, who were currently ripping the waves. “I don’t have time for this. I have a certain rainbow haired goddess to woo. Smell ya later chumps…” he said as he breathed on his palm and smelled of it. He shrugged indifferently and moved on.

Down a ways, and a bit closer to the shore, sat three beach chairs occupied by Dusk Noir in the center, Ray Strike who sat to Dusk’s left, and Rarity, who sat off to Dusk’s right. They had a clear view of Pinkie Pie making sandcastles with Spike and Belle, and Fluttershy, who’d earlier changed out of her scuba suit and back into her normal swimwear after coming back from exploring underwater. She waved at the trio sitting beside each other, getting waves back, before she decided to aid Pinkie and company in building sand castles.

Dusk sat and enjoyed the sound of the crashing waves while taking it in. He’d just finished drawing in his sketch pad, his view of the beach. He’d done so using his pastel pencils, capturing the beauty of the view of the sun hanging over the beach. He’d exchange a warm smile with Rarity every so often, when she wasn’t dozing off anyway. Rarity had her headphones in listening to some Sapphire Shores songs, but she didn’t need to hear to be able to make a request to Dusk.

“Oh Duuuusk!” She said, pulling a bottle of suntan lotion from her beach bag. “Would you be a dear and help me apply more sunscreen on my back?” She said as she sat up and used a scrunchie to hold up her hair. She then lied on her stomach with her legs now leaning against the part of the chair where her back once was leaning and beckoned Dusk over to her. Her bathing suit had an exposed back to it, so naturally she would need help applying sunscreen there. Dusk of course, graciously obliged. Why wouldn’t he?

Dusk took the bottle of suntan lotion and graciously obliged his girlfriend’s request. “Anything for you, my dear.” He said with a smile, not even trying to pretend he didn’t enjoy it, though initially he’d been a bit hesitant the first time she asked, he got over the hang up relatively quickly. Anything he could do to help her out, he did his best to do it for her.

Ray sat there in silence, choosing to ignore what was going on to his left and was focusing on other things. In particular, he was thinking about what had happened last night when the two of them had bumped into Celestia and Luna, after which the former had made the assumption that he and Applejack were a couple. His mind went back to a heart to heart he’d had with her on their front porch just a few weeks ago, in which they each had shared about their own experiences with parent-related trauma. He still wasn’t sure how he felt even after the conversation, but to some degree, he didn't regret the exchange. He’d never even talked to Dusk, his oldest and best friend, about all of that in the same way he did with Applejack. There was definitely a level of trust there.

Back to Celestia’s assumption from the night before. Could it really be that far-fetched to think… nah. There was no way. Right?

While he’d been dealing with these thoughts over the last several hours, he hadn’t changed much in his approach when talking to or just being around Applejack. In fact, at breakfast he’d sat near her like he always did. And she’d managed to maintain her cool around him as well. His question was, whether or not she was actually thinking about what he was thinking about. It had been evident that something was happening between them every so often. He tried to put these thoughts away for now. He was supposed to be enjoying himself on his vacation, not getting lost in trivial thoughts.

Ray remained alone with his thoughts for a few more minutes before Dusk would return to his seat beside him. Hopefully providing a much needed distraction.

“Sorry Ray, I forgot to ask you earlier. How was it last night at the carnival? Did anything interesting happen?”

“Oh? Uh… absolutely nothing noteworthy. It was a nice night. And nothing else.” Ray said with his eyes widened as his body seemingly froze with the question.

“Are you alright, Ray? You look as if something has you frozen in terror.”

“I’m fine, fine. Nothing to see here.” He’d said more calmly, and seemingly convincingly to Dusk who simply nodded as he continued to answer his question. “Just another routine match up with the Flim Flam brothers and some shenanigans ensued. Nothing at all out of the ordinary. I’m just a little tired from last night.”

“Flim and Flam are here? That’s wonderful to think about.” Dusk said sarcastically, garnering a chuckle from Ray.

Dusk wasn’t sure if he was one hundred percent convinced, but he didn’t press the issue. He figured if it was something Ray wanted to talk about, he would. He put away for now, but the matter wasn’t completely closed in his mind yet.

“Alright, but if you ever want to talk about anything, you know that I…”

“I know. I’d just rather not right now is all.”

“Very well…” Dusk planned to change the subject, but paused as his phone dinged and vibrated in his pocket. The same happened to Ray’s and Rarity’s respective phones as well, indicating that someone was posting in their group chat. Curious, all three pulled out their phones to see what the news was. As it turned out, the message was from Sunset.

>Sunset: Hey btw guys, does anyone have any major plans tonight?

Three pairs of eyebrows quirked in rough unison at the sudden question. The trio shot questioning looks at one another, before all three began typing a response.

>Dusk: Not that I’m aware of, no.

>Rarity: Nothing comes to mind aside from my usual nightly routine.

>Ray: ^^^

>Ray: I was just gonna chill. Y?

A few moments’ pause, and then Sunset began typing again.

>Sunset: Flash and I might have something for us to do, if everyone’s on board. You three know where the rest of the group is?

>Ray: Well AJ and Dash are both shredding waves atm.

>Ray: Or attempting to, in AJ’s case.

>Dusk: Pinkie and Fluttershy are currently making sand castles with Spike and Mrs. Belle. They might not have their phones on them.

>Pinkie: ヾ( ＾▽＾) I’m here!

>Dusk: We can get their attention if need- nevermind, I stand corrected.

Dusk glanced up to see Pinkie still with Fluttershy, Spike and Belle a ways away. From the looks of it, she had her phone out and was somehow managing to rapidly type one-handed while simultaneously using a small shovel to pad down the ramparts of their increasingly-large sand castle.

>Pinkie:(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

>Pinkie: Fluttershy left her phone in her bag, but I’ll keep her in the loop. What’s the scoop?

>Pinkie: Oooh, that rhymed! ⌒ (o＾▽＾o) ノ

>Sunset: Alright, sounds like we’ve got most of the group then. We can catch up Applejack and Rainbow once they’re done in the water.

>Rarity: Hold on, what about Twilight and Singer?

>Singer: We’re here too!

>Twilight: We’re with Flash and Sunset, don’t worry. They’ve already filled us in.

>Ray: And not the rest of us? Sunny, I’m hurt.

>Sunset: I’m telling you now, aren’t I?

>Sunset: Anyways, update time. We’ve been invited to a house party later tonight. It’s a summer bash being held by a frat house at Waytona U.

Dusk’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, as did Ray’s to his left, while Rarity merely hummed in thought. He could hear Pinkie’s loud gasp of shock and delight all the way from here, however, even as he could see the bubbly girl rapidly typing in chat.

>Pinkie:(⚆ᗝ⚆)

>Pinkie:(⚆ᗝ⚆) (⚆ᗝ⚆) (⚆ᗝ⚆)

>Ray: Uh oh

>Pinkie: A big house party?! A big SUMMER house party?! Woooooo! ٩( ᗒᗨᗕ )۶

That was about the reaction they all would have expected from Pinkie. Dusk’s reaction was far more reserved in comparison, though. His brow furrowed in concern at the mere prospect of attending a frat party of all things, while Ray and Rarity both typed responses of their own.

>Rarity: Interesting. How did this come about?

>Ray: Are there guys just walking around the beach passing out invites?

>Flash: Nah, this happened last night, while we were at the pier. Sunset forgot to mention it to the rest of you until just now.

>Sunset: I did not! I thought I posted it in chat this morning. I was wondering why no one responded.

>Sunset: Apparently I never hit send.

>Ray: Ah. Been there. Understandable.

>Sunset: So yeah, Flash and I bumped into the head of one of the local fraternities last night. He invited us to their big house party tonight.

>Rarity: Really? Just like that?

>Sunset: Not exactly. Some of his juniors tried to pick a fight with Flash over something stupid. He stepped in and apologized for them, then told us about the party and invited us.

>Ray: Ah, so he’s trying to smooth things over so you don’t file a complaint.

>Ray: Or he was flirting with Sunset specifically and Flash just happened to also be there.

>Flash: Hey!

>Sunset: Eh, probably. He seemed alright though.

>Rarity: Was it just the two of you who were invited, or does the invitation extend to all of us?

>Sunset: He said we could bring along whoever we wanted, so all of us. And who knows, a house party could be pretty fun, assuming things don’t get too crazy.

>Ray: A FRAT house party, don’t forget. Those tend to be drunk and chaotic, in my experience.

>Flash: Right? That’s what I said.

>Rarity: And what experience would that be, Ray? Have you ever even been to a college house party before?

>Ray: Have you?

>Rarity: I asked first. Don’t avoid the question, darling.

Dusk looked up to see his best friend leveling a light glare at his girlfriend, while the latter merely lowered her sunglasses and raised a questioning eyebrow in response. Grumbling under his breath, but without any real discernible malice, Ray started typing again.

>Ray: Fine, if you MUST know, then no, technically I haven’t. I’ve looked in on plenty of them from the outside though.

Rarity tittered to his right, to which Ray only grumbled further.

>Rarity: I suspected as much. Don’t feel bad, Ray, I imagine this would be a first-time occurrence for most of us.

>Ray: Rarity, can you not patronize me over text when you’re sitting five feet away from me?

>Rarity: Of course. Would you rather I patronize you verbally?

>Ray: I hate you.

>Sunset: lol are you two done?

>Rarity: I believe so, yes. Continue, Sunset.

In spite of himself, Dusk couldn’t help but crack a small exasperated smile at the continued heated rivalry between his two closest friends. He was gratified to see them both shoot dry smirks at each other over their phones, indicating no hard feelings. Just another day in the life, really.

>Sunset: Right, as I was going to say. I’ve been to a few house parties at C.U., and trust me, they aren’t as rowdy as movies and TV make them out to be… usually. Things could be different here, of course, but the point still stands. I doubt there’ll be any problems like what you’re thinking of, Ray.

>Ray: So I’m guessing you and Flash wanna go to this party then?

>Flash: Well I’m actually kind of on the fence, but if Sunset goes, then I’ll go too.

>Sunset: It’s not like that. I’m just proposing it to the group. I think it’d be fun for us all to go together, but only if most of us want to go. The whole point of this trip is for us all to spend time together after all.

>Sunset: And I know that frat parties are a bit iffy as a general rule, so if most of you would rather stay at the hotel then we just won’t bother.

After reading that last message, Ray sighed and leaned forward, sitting upright on his reclined chair. He hummed thoughtfully. “What do you two think about this?” he asked aloud, turning toward Dusk and Rarity. “I’m honestly not sure one way or the other.”

“Really now?” Rarity shot him a curious look. “I’d have thought someone like you would leap at the chance to attend a party full of rambunctious college boys.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I like a party as much as the next guy. Especially one I’m actually invited to.” He sniffed innocently. “Still though, there are some scenes that are too crazy even for me. A bunch of guys taking shots out of bongs or whatever is pretty close to the top of that list.”

“Come now, Sunset said it’s unlikely to be that sort of party,” Rarity argued. “And even if it is, we’d be able to tell long before stepping through the front door. If so, we can just turn around and leave, no harm done.”

“I guess. It might be a fun time, and if it doesn’t pan out then at worst we’d lose a bit of bus fare and an hour or two of our time…” he shrugged. “I’m kinda surprised you’re in favor of going though. You know, what with it being full of ‘rambunctious college boys’ like me,” he added with dramatic air quotes.

“I confess, it’d be less for the party itself and more for the chance at some social networking,” Rarity explained. “Waytona does have a positive reputation as a rather high-end university, after all, and I’ve no doubt that there will be some other girls our age at this soirée. If I’m to get my own business off the ground anytime in the near future, I must take any chance I can at making connections.”

“Yeesh, you talk like there are gonna be rich people at this thing. I mean, I guess there might be, if it’s a rich college. Ugh, I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse…” Ray frowned and shook his head as if to clear the thought away. “What about you, Dusk? You’ve been quiet.”

Dusk, who had been keeping his thoughts to himself up to this point, started at being addressed directly. “W-what?”

“The party,” Ray repeated. “You thinkin’ of going with, or no?”

“Oh… Well, I… erm…” he spoke haltingly. For a moment, he considered lying, or coming up with some kind of excuse to avoid having to answer honestly. But that urge only lasted for a moment. These were his friends. Ray and Rarity especially, one his best friend of many years, the other his romantic other. Not for the first time, he forcefully reminded himself that he didn’t have to make excuses around them. Taking a breath, he collected his thoughts and answered.

“To be entirely honest… I’m not sure I want to,” he finally said. “You both know that I’m not really much of a… ‘people person’. Or a party person, for that matter. Small parties with our friends are one thing, but going to a crowded party with a bunch of complete strangers? It… doesn’t appeal to me as much. S-sorry…”

He spoke while casting his gaze downward, unsure of how the other two would respond. Much to his relief, however, when he glanced up, he saw Ray nodding along as though he’d expected that answer, and Rarity giving him a caring smile.

“Dusk, dear, you don’t have to explain or apologize,” she said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “We all have our own preferences, after all. Some are more cut out for louder social settings than others, there’s no shame in that.”

“...Thanks, Rarity.” He returned her affectionate smile with one of his own. “What about you? Are you going to go with Sunset and the others, then?”

“Ah…hm…” she bit her lip awkwardly and frowned somewhat. “Well, I admit, I was… rather hoping to go with you, if I went at all. If you intend on staying behind, then I’m likely to do the same.”

“What?” Dusk asked, confused. “B-but, you just said you wanted to try networking.”

“I do, but the point of the excursion is to have fun first and foremost, is it not? I doubt I’d have as much of an enjoyable time if you weren’t there, Dusk,” she returned smartly. She then suddenly gave him a sly smirk and batted her eyelashes. “Besides, at the end of the day, it is a fraternity party. Even if the others were to go as well, I’d feel much more comfortable attending if I knew my own boyfriend was close at hand.”

Despite having just applied lotion to her bare back less than five minutes prior, somehow this was what triggered an embarrassed response from Dusk. A blush quickly formed on his face while he mumbled incoherently, eliciting another giggle from Rarity.

“I-I see…” he finally managed to cough out, whilst trying to will his cheeks to stop burning. He cast his gaze around to find Ray, watching the couple’s exchange with a strange mix of amusement and faux-revulsion. “Wh-what about you, Ray?”

“Eh,” he shrugged nonchalantly, leaning back into his seat. “Surprisingly, I’m with the snob on this one. I don’t really care either way. I mean, a house party sounds like it might be a fun time, but no way I’m going if my favorite people aren’t gonna be there.”

“Aww, did I hear that right, ruffian?” Rarity teased from across Dusk. “I’m one of your favorite people?”

“You’re one of the people I dislike the least,” Ray clarified, shooting another lighthearted glare at her. “But seriously Dusk, do what you wanna do. If you don’t wanna hit up the big college party, then we can play games, or you and Rarity can watch soap operas, or whatever. It’s up to you.” He waved a hand dismissively, looking back at his phone.

Dusk found himself unsure of how to proceed. While he was immensely grateful to his friends for accepting his reluctance to attend an event like this, he also didn’t like feeling as though he was holding them back from enjoying themselves. Rarity had made her intentions and stance on attending clear, and Ray… well, despite whatever Ray expressed verbally, Dusk knew his old friend well enough to know that he enjoyed being a part of loud, bombastic affairs far more than Dusk did. The way he’d answered so quickly and flippantly made Dusk wonder if he was just acting nonchalant to be considerate.

Suddenly, their phones began collectively vibrating again. Relieved at the distraction, Dusk opened the group chat back up to see that the discussion seemed to have completely halted after the last message Sunset had posted several minutes ago, with the most recent alert having come from her again.

>Sunset: Girls? Guys? What are we thinking? Attend or don’t?

“Let’s see which side of the fence the others are sitting on,” Ray quickly suggested, quickly beginning to type on his own phone, saving Dusk from having to think of what to say.

>Ray: We’re still deciding over here.

>Ray: How about everyone else? Twilight, what’re you and Singer doing?

In expected fashion, once her name was mentioned it only took a few seconds for the quick-typing Twilight to post a response, despite the relative length of her message.

>Twilight: Honestly, we’re waiting to see what the rest of the group does. Singer’s not opposed to going. I’m admittedly a bit unsure myself, but then again I’ve also never attended a large fraternity party like this before, so that might just be nerves talking. But regardless, Sunset’s right: the core point of this trip is for us all to do things together as a group, not to go off to random parties on our own.

“Greeeeaaat. That’s less-than-helpful,” Ray groused. “So right now everyone’s stuck in ‘I’ll go if everyone else goes’ limbo. At this point I’m considering going along with it just to be the first one to commit.”

Dusk was starting to feel uncomfortably pressured. His uncertainty must have shown on his face, because Rarity spoke up again.

“How about this, darling,” she began, grabbing ahold of his hand and squeezing it softly. “We can go with the others, and we’ll play it by ear. We’ll focus on enjoying ourselves, but if it ends up being too rowdy and you feel uncomfortable, we can leave. How’s that?”

It was an obvious suggestion and a simplistically elegant compromise, Dusk had to admit. One that appeased his fears about committing to something he wouldn’t enjoy while also quelling his worries about keeping Rarity away from something she’d enjoy. After a few more moments of thought, he resolved to simply bite the bullet. Really, it was just a party, and his friends would be there. How bad could it be?

“You know what? Alright,” he finally said, tilting his head in Rarity’s direction. “S-sure. Why not? Let’s go.”

“Really? Are you sure?” Rarity asked. Dusk nodded once, hesitantly, then a second time more firmly. Rarity smiled proudly. “Alright, if you’re certain Dusk. Just remember not to push yourself.”

“Well, I have to start reaching out of my comfort zone eventually, I suppose,” he said lightly, offering a nervous chuckle. “Especially if I want to spend more time with you, I need to get used to being around and talking to people. Might as well start now.”

“You’ve already made great strides since we first met,” Rarity assured. “Like I said, if you’re feeling uncomfortable, we can leave.”

“I know. Thank you, dear.”

“So… that’s settled then? Are we putting our names forward?” Ray asked, having been watching the exchange again from the side. At both of their nods, he began typing again.

>Ray: Alrighty. After years of reflection and soul-searching, me, Dusk, and the snob are all on board. Bring on the beer pong, I guess.

>Sunset: Really? Awesome!

>Sunset: Wait, Dusk, you sure you wanna come? Big parties like this aren’t really your scene, right?

>Dusk: You’re right, they’re not. But I’ll be fine, I think. So long as most of us are there and it’s not too unruly, like you said, it should be manageable.

>Rarity: And if not, then we shall simply take our leave. No harm, no foul, as they say.

>Sunset: Sounds good. That’s 5 of us going then. 7 if we count Twilight and Singer. Pinkie, how about you?

…

>Sunset: Pinkie? You there?

Normally Pinkie was quick to reply if her name was mentioned in the group chat, but several dozen seconds ticked by without a response. It occurred to Dusk at that moment that Pinkie hadn’t posted a message since declaring her excitement at the prospect of a house party. Curious, the three of them looked back over to where she was working on the sand castle, and sure enough she was still over there with Fluttershy.

Interestingly, the two of them seemed to be engaged in a lively back-and-forth. Although they couldn’t hear what was being said from this distance, it was easy to see the way Pinkie was flailing her arms about and talking excitedly, while Fluttershy in stark contrast appeared to be pacing back-and-forth with an expression of fear and uncertainty. Spike and Mrs. Belle were still working on the sand castle in the meantime, watching the two from the sidelines.

Suddenly, Pinkie ceased her wild gestures and reached into her pocket, seemingly pulling out her phone. After looking at it for several moments, she looked up and darted her eyes in the direction the three of them were seated, meeting with Dusk’s gaze. Then, she grinned, and began speaking enthusiastically with Fluttershy again. Whatever was said between the two pink-haired girls seemed to have an effect on the latter, who likewise looked in their direction and seemed to calm down somewhat. The two spoke with each other for a minute longer, after which Pinkie abruptly cheered loud enough for them to hear and began jumping up and down excitedly.

Ray, Dusk, and Rarity all glanced at each other in abject confusion, all of them unsure of what was happening. That was until their phones started going off again, this time with back-to-back pings, a sound they’d all come to associate with Pinkie’s excited rapid-fire messages.

>Pinkie:\ ( >w< ) /

>Pinkie: Yeah!

>Pinkie: I’m still here!

>Pinkie: Sorry about that! I forgot to look at chat! ～( ＞_＜ )～

>Sunset: No worries. Doubt I need to ask, but are you coming to the party?

>Pinkie: Absotively posilutely!

>Pinkie: I’ve never been to a college house party at Waytona U before!

>Pinkie: This’ll be so much fun! o( > ᗜ < )o ₊˚⊹♡

>Sunset: Good news, then. That makes 8 of us.

>Pinkie: 9, actually! Fluttershy’s gonna come too! ⸜(｡0 ᵕ 0 )⸝⸜(｡0 ᵕ 0 )⸝

Dusk blinked. He had to read that most recent text twice, as he was sure he’d misread the first time. His, Ray’s, and Rarity’s eyes all widened in surprise.

>Ray: wait wut

>Flash: Huh?

>Sunset: Really?

>Pinkie: Yeah! ( ˶^ᗜ^˵ )

>Pinkie: That’s why I forgot to look at chat, I was busy trying to convince her!

>Pinkie: She was super-duper-luper nervous, but when she saw so many of us were gonna be there she decided to come along too!

>Pinkie: Thanks Rarity, Ray, Dusky! Everyone else too! Couldn't’ve done it withoutcha!
♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡

Unsure glances were quickly exchanged between the three of them at the mental image of Fluttershy of all people standing in the middle of a massive exuberant house party surrounded by strangers. She was even worse with such scenes than Dusk, that was no secret to anyone.

>Twilight: Pinkie, wait. As much as we appreciate your enthusiasm, Fluttershy really doesn’t have to come if she doesn’t want to.

>Rarity: Quite. The dear shouldn’t feel pressured.

>Pinkie: She does wanna come though!

>Pinkie: She said she

The message cut off, and several seconds of silence passed without any indication that Pinkie was typing. Peering into the distance again, Dusk thought he saw her and Fluttershy speaking to each other. Then another ping in chat.

>Pinkie: Sorry about that! Again!

>Pinkie: Shy wants to talk now, so I’m gonna let her borrow my phone. I have to get back to helping Spike build a functioning drawbridge! Later gators! (^ _ ^) /~~

There were a few moments of stillness on the screen then, as Pinkie presumably passed off the phone to Fluttershy and went back to playing in the sand. Even still, it took several more seconds before they saw Pinkie - or rather, Fluttershy - typing a message. It was easy to tell that it was her on account of how long it was taking - Fluttershy was the slowest typer out of all of them, save perhaps Applejack, and had a habit of repeatedly erasing and re-typing her own messages before posting them.

>Pinkie: Hello. It’s Fluttershy speaking.

>Pinkie: Yes, I’ve decided to come with all of you to the party. Only if that’s alright with you all, of course. I don’t want to be a burden, so if you’d rather I stay behind, I don’t mind.

>Rarity: Fluttershy, darling, of course we’re alright with you coming with us. It’s you that we’re concerned about. You’re usually so antsy about attending things like this. We practically had to drag you to prom night, remember?

…

>Pinkie: Yes, I remember. But I think I’ve been getting better at being around other people since then. And if most of you are going and I stayed behind, then I’d feel like I’m missing out. We’re here to have fun with each other. I don’t want to miss out on that because I’m too nervous to go out with all of you. Is that okay?

>Sunset: I honestly wasn’t expecting you to even be remotely interested in coming, Fluttershy, that’s the only reason I didn’t ask about you. But if you wanna join us then I don’t think any of us have a problem with it. Right, everyone?

>Twilight: Of course.

>Dusk: Certainly not.

>Flash: No problem here.

>Singer: Ditto, wouldn’t be the same without you.

>Rarity: The more the merrier.

>Ray: What they said, yeah.

…

>Pinkie: OK. Thank you everyone. I’ll try not to get in the way while we’re there.

>Pinkie: I’m going to give Pinkie her phone back now.

>Ray: Have fun making sand forts.

>Sunset: Alright, neat, so that’s nine of us. I think it’s safe to say that we are officially going to the party.

>Flash: Probably also safe to assume that Applejack and Rainbow will be on board once they hear about what we’re doing.

>Sunset: Applejack is 50/50 I think, but Rainbow? Definitely. This seems like it’s right up her alley.

>AJ: I’m 50/50 on what exactly?

>Flash: Oh hey, look at that!

>Rarity: What impeccable timing.

>Ray: Speak of the devil and she shall appear.

>Rainbow: Yeesh, 109 missed messages? The heck have you guys been talking about?

>Sunset: Scroll up, Rainbow.

>AJ: Ray, who’re you calling a devil now?

>Ray: Rainbow, obviously. You know. Daredevil.

>AJ: Uh huh. Sure.

>Pinkie: I’m back again! (๑>ᴗ<๑) Hi AJ, hi Dashie, how were the waves?

>Rainbow: Oh dope, we’re going to a frat party? Sounds awesome, count me in!

>Rainbow: Waves started off great but now they’re getting kinda eh, so we’re taking a break.

>Sunset: Then that just leaves Applejack.

>AJ: Well if everyone else is already going then I guess I might as well tag along.

>AJ: As good a way as any to spend the night.

>Sunset: Great! That’s all of us.

>Pinkie: What about Zephyr?

>Ray: What ABOUT Zephyr?

>Rainbow: What ABOUT Zephyr?

>Rainbow: JINX

>Ray: jinx

>Ray: dammit

>Rainbow: XD

Rainbow: Where is that creep anyways

>Rainbow: Actually nvm, don’t care

>Flash: Last we saw he was heading off to find you.

>Rainbow: Well I don’t see him. Probably got lost in the surf. Either way I ain’t sticking around for him to show up.

>Twilight: I don’t really like suggesting this, but considering most of our feelings on his presence, maybe it’d be best if we just don’t tell him about the party.

>Sunset: Yeah, I kinda agree. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.

>Ray: Works for me.

>Sunset: Okay, well, I guess we’ll head back to the hotel in a few hours and get ready to leave once evening rolls around.

>Flash: Sounds like a plan.

>Rainbow: Got it.

>Rarity: We’ll be ready.

>Pinkie: Okie-dokie-lokie! (✿◠ᴗ◠)

As Dusk and everyone else posted their various affirmations to the plan, he leaned back and sighed. “Guess we’re not weaseling out of this one…” he muttered.

“Hey, we had plenty of chances,” Ray pointed out, moving to put his phone back in his pocket. Just before he did though, the group chat curiously started pinging again. He huffed and looked at the new messages, only to blanch at what he saw.

>AJ: Ray, I just scrolled to the top of the chat. What was that comment about me ‘attempting’ to surf?

…

>AJ: Ray

>Ray: Uh

>Ray: Oh, would you look at the clock, it’s time for me to be somewhere else.

>AJ: Ray, don’t make me come over there.

>Ray: Gonna grab something to eat everyone be back later maybe probably have fun KBAI

Without so much as another word to either him or Rarity, Ray rapidly stood up, gathered his bag, and began speed-walking away from their spot.

AJ: Ray, I can see you down the way!

>AJ: Don’t you start running now!

>AJ: Ray!

Dusk and Rarity glanced back and forth between the texts on their screens and their friend’s rapidly-retreating backside. In the end, both could only share an amused, bewildered look with each other, before breaking down into laughter at Ray’s expense.

Southbound, a ways away from the swimming beach area the Canterloters were at, sat the beach house that acted as the fraternity house for the Mu Pi’s. Decorations had been set up along the stage that was there. Tables were being setup, and various other things were coming into place for the party later that night. Watching over it all on the back porch area of the house was Jake Featherstone. He vainly combed his hair as he alternated between focusing on himself and watching to make sure the guys were doing their jobs right.

“Blackjack, if I have to tell you again not to put the drinks near where the Karaoke Machine is supposed to go, I’m going to put you back on probation!” Jake hissed at one of his fellow Mu Pi’s. The guy in question huffed as he yet again moved the table to where he hoped the drinks were supposed to go. “My gosh, good help is hard to find these days.” His eyes darted around to oversee what the rest of the guys were up to.

“Moose, my main man!” Jake said as he looked down to his left over to a large guy, built like a tank. He made Bulk Biceps back at Canterlot look a bit less impressive by comparison. He was sort of a stereotypical strong silent man with a bowl cut hair cut with bangs that covered his eyes and made them not visible. He wore his own Four-X sized Mu Pi T-Shirt that matched the rest of the guys wearing theirs. His skin color was yellow and his hair color was light brown. He’d garnered praise from Jake as he was one of Jake’s most trustworthy members. He’d also just carried a large supply of various drinks that he’d gone to buy at the store. “Moose, do yourself a favor and go grab yourself a drink. You’ve earned it.”

Moose didn’t say anything but he smiled slightly and nodded and stomped off into the lower back door under the back balcony of the house to go to the kitchen.

Jake noted that Muscles was hard at work loading the speakers onto the stage that was set up outside. But his attention was diverted when he heard a voice come up from behind him. It had been Jock, who held in his hand some paper that he’d printed off from their printer inside.

“Hello Jock…” Jake said coldly.

“Hey Jake.”

“I take it you’ve been doing that research I asked you for?”

“Yeah, right here. I also went to the house next door like you asked me to do and gave them a heads up so they won’t be bothering us tonight.”

“Good… I can’t stand those old fishermen… So, you managed to find some info on these Canterlot guys?”

“Yes.” Jock replied. “Well, at least I was able to find info on the two that we know about. All we know about the others is that they are a decent sized group of around ten to twelve-ish people. Apparently, while doing my extensive research, it appears Sunset Shimmer has quite a history, both for her academic skills and as an athlete. A bit of a bad girl past as well. And Flash Sentry? Well, he’s just a flashy dressed geek who plays in a band with a bunch of other geeks.”

“Hmmm…” Jake said as he looked at the papers presented by Jock. “Yes, this is something. Sunset Shimmer is quite the catch isn’t she?”

“Jake?” Jock said unsurely with an unsure tone to his voice. “What are you say-“

“Nevermind that!” Jake said. “Just keep finding information and see what else you can find on her friends.”

“You sure that’s necessary?”

“I’m willing to bet some of her peers are going to be quite impressive as well… We’ll need to up our game lest we be bested on our own turf. Such a shame that we have to do this old song and dance every year.”

“Don’t worry, Jake. We’re working on something that will take these Canterlot “Blundercolts” down a peg.”

“I’m listening…”

“We invite them on stage as our welcome guests, really work to butter them up and lull them into a false sense of security and then… we hose them!” Jock said with a sinister grin.”

“Hose them?” Jake asked, raising his left eyebrow.

“Hose them…” Jock reiterated. “We get them on stage and we blast them with a water hose.” Jock wasn’t the brightest light when it came to ideas, and this latest pitch was no different. His facial expression went from hopeful to forlorn when he noticed that Jake was shaking his head disapprovingly at the midsection of his sentence.

“It’s not big enough!” Jake shouted, but he immediately calmed himself down, and held up a hand in an apologetic manner. “Keep workshopping it and come up with something substantial by tonight.”

“We could…” Jock said with a slight pause as if he was going to suggest something but a shiver was sent down his spine and he stopped himself. “No, nevermind. That’s a stupid idea.”

“What?” Jake said as he rubbed his temples stressfully.

“We could wake up Kyle…”

A look of hesitation came over him as he contemplated the idea. He went around in circles in his mind wondering if this was worth bringing their wildcard into this. However, he ultimately gave his nod of approval after some consideration and agreed. “Fine… I hate to put our reputation on the line by utilizing Kyle’s over the top ideas, but he is our wildcard for a reason. Do what you must, but make sure everyone knows to make these Canterlot people feel welcome at first. We wouldn’t want them to leave early before the real fun begins, now would we?”

“Understood, Jake.” Said Jock as he turned around to enter the house again, leaving Jake to his planning.

“Oh, and Jock?” Jake said, causing him to pause. “Be on your best behavior, and see to it that you keep our mutual friend in check as well.”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Jake…”

Jock walked on into the house where some of the other guys had been taking a break from setting up the party and were currently playing video games and drinking beer. There was another couple of guys that had company on the neighboring couch, making out with presumably girls they’d found on the beach while chilling. He nodded to the guys playing the games as he walked on by, and did his best not to look at the kissing couples. Each step he took that brought him closer to the room that Kyle resided in made him tense up a bit more.

This guy could be intense at times, and had a reputation among the fraternity as someone you didn’t want to be on the wrong side of. The smell of energy drinks and pizza grew stronger as he reached the door, which was left open. Jock swallowed a bit before stepping into the room in which the lights were off but a tv was going off. He knocked on the door, hoping to get a response. Nothing.

“K-Kyle?” Jock said nervously. “It’s Jock, here. Are you awake?”

His eyes diverted to a slight movement coming from a chair sitting facing the TV on the wall across from the door. A silhouette of an arm could be seen reaching over and grabbing a can, presumedly an energy drink. A black can with a stylized green ‘M’ that looked like claw marks. The arm lifted the can and moved it closer to the body sitting in the chair, no doubt the arm of Kyle. A few gulps and a large belch could be heard before the arm slammed the can back down on the side table, making the now empty can crush as it was forcibly hammered down.

“Yep…” the voice of the arm replied. “What… do-ya want-ta-ta-ta?!?” His choice in vernacular was very colorful to say the least. He’d heard from some of the others that he was obsessed with an actor by the name of Jim Carrey and styled much of his lifestyle after some of the characters he played. The main one of them being a character by the name of ‘Ace Ventura’.

“We have something we could use your help with, if you can spare the time…”

The chair made a creaking noise as the body behind the arm suddenly ascended from sitting down and now a silhouette of a skinny guy with a funny looking hair style stood up and Jock could have swore he saw the figure turn and look at him.

“Re-he-he-heally…” Kyle said with a laugh, and talking in a goofy fashion.

“Yeah. Some out-of-towners could use some hazing and we could use some of your ideas.”

Slowly Kyle made his way forward and trudged his way into the light casting into the dark room from the hallway. A large goofy grimace could be seen from Kyle, who had a tall cowlick hairstyle to his dark brown hair, green eyes and white skin. His attire was that of an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt that was red with yellow flower patterns on it, purple basketball shorts with a signature purple Mu Pi T-Shirt underneath his Hawaiian shirt.

“Ssssssssmokin!!!” He said with a big cartoonish grin. “Well then… let’s get cooking!” With a few deep chuckles, he swiftly removed the pair of sunglasses he wore, and then he rubbed his hands together menacingly and darted past Jock as if he was a kid excited to go play outside.

“Man this guy really creeps me out…” Jock murmured to himself, reluctantly following Kyle outside.

“Dagnabbit, Zephyr!” Scolded Applejack as she helped a lifeguard bring Zephyr back to shore after he wiped out while attempting to surf and struggling to make it back to shore. “What in tarnation were ya thinkin’?”

As he coughed the water out of his lungs, Rainbow Dash begrudgingly patted his back, maybe a bit harder than she really needed to, to the point where she left a red hand mark on his back.

“That was incredibly stupid, Zephyr! You could have gotten yourself killed!” Dash took her turn in scolding him.

“Gee, Rainbows. I guess you really do care.” Zephyr looked up at her with a smirk shortly afterwards he fell to his knees and coughed up some more water.

“UGH!!!!” Dash screamed, gripping some of her technicolored hair in her frustration, and once she saw that he was alright after coughing up the water, she let him have it again. “Why are you so annoying?”

“Yeah, myself and the other lifeguards are going to be watching you. You won’t be trying that again.” Said a third voice, that for a split second the two girls had forgotten about.

AJ and Dash were caught off guard by the sudden reminder of the presence of the lifeguard that had reached Zephyr and helped pull him back to shore. This one in particular was a guy with light red skin, beach blonde hair, wearing a pair of red swimming trunks, and obviously going shirtless like many of the other guys who were out on the beach. Both girls had been briefly mesmerized by the guy, and they looked disappointed when he started off back to his post. However he didn’t leave without waving at the two girls as he did so. Rainbow waved at him as he left and Applejack just rolled her eyes after the moment had passed.

“I saw him first…” Dash said abruptly with a smirk.

Applejack rolled her eyes and slightly groaned. “Ya know there’s more ta guys than just looks, right Rainbow?”

“Sure, sure. But with a bod like that, it doesn’t hurt.”

Zephyr’s demeanor changed as well. The girl’s backs were turned from his direction, but he could be seen spitting on the sand in front of him. “Lifeguard…” his eyes narrowed and his eyebrows pointed to indicate anger. Nevermind the fact that the guy saved his life, but he caught the eye of Rainbow Dash, and Zephyr wasn’t happy about it.

“Ah well, I didn’t come here to pick up guys anyway.” Dash said after she and AJ had a brief back and forth that happened while Zephyr wasn’t paying attention. “Shouldn’t we be getting back to the hotel?” Dash said, looking at her waterproof watch noting the time.

“Right…” replied Applejack. “Ah’m gettin mighty tired after surfin all day.” AJ shifted her eyes back and forth and scrunched her nose and mouth, trying not to make eye contact with Zephyr. Fortunately her back was turned to him and Dash was the one standing facing him. AJ was a terrible liar so this was for the best.

“Yep…” Zephyr said with a slight grunt to his voice. “I’m getting quite tired after exercising my strapping beach bod today. Time for this guy to hit the bed.”

“Hi Rainbow Dash, Applejack.” Said Fluttershy as she walked up to her friends, all the while glaring at her brother. “And hello Zephyr…” Fluttershy had said more coldly to her brother. “I can’t believe what you did. That was incredibly dangerous!”

“Yeah, yeah I know. It was dangerous, stupid, and I’m a mutton head.” He said as he scratched the back of his head nervously.

“I know you’re trying to impress Rainbow Dash but you don’t have to put yourself in danger to do it.”

Rainbow Dash facepalmed at Zephyr’s patheticness. She couldn’t believe what she was about to say, but she said it anyway. “Look, Zephyr. I can give you some pointers on surfing if you really want to learn.”

“Really?” Zephyr said, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes. But you have to listen to everything I tell you to do and you’d better not be weird about it.”

“You really mean it, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy said hopefully. It wasn’t that she wanted Zephyr to have prolonged contact with Rainbow or anything, but the fact that in spite of everything he’d done, Rainbow was at least trying to show him a little bit of tolerance and it made her smile. And Fluttershy was fine with it as long as he was willing to earn and not waste her time.

“Yeah, if he’s going to try it, he might as well have someone show him how. As annoying as he is, I don’t really want to see him kill himself trying to do it.”

“Rainbows, you won’t regret this! I’m going to be the best-…”

“NOW, listen to me. This is in no way a date or my way of flirting with you. Any attempt at any romantic tomfoolery and I’ll personally stuff you in your suitcase and send you back to Canterlot. Capiche?”

Zephyr nodded his head quickly with widened eyes in a slight display of fear.

“Now that that’s settled, who’s ready for that party tonight?” Fluttershy said, not realizing that the others didn’t want Zephyr to know.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack both collectively facepalmed, much to Fluttershy’s dismay. “Oh… we weren’t going to tell him, were we?”

“No… but it’s fine. We should have made sure you knew.”

“Well, I guess I’m no longer tired now.” Zephyr remarked with a smirk, making AJ and Dash sigh out of annoyance.

“Of course yer not…” remarked Applejack.

“Sorry…” Fluttershy said with finality as she knew the damage had been done.

“It’s a’ight, Fluttershy” said Applejack. “It was kind of inevitable he’d find out anyways.”

“You do realize that I’m standing right here, right?” Zephyr said, pointedly.

“Yeah, Ah know.” Remarked AJ with a smirk, garnering a grumbly growl from the annoying one.

“Psh… whatevs…”

Another hour later, and most everyone had gathered in the hotel lobby, changed into recreational clothes, and ready to go to the party that they were both excited and in part dreading to go to. They’d be on their own to ride the public transport bus again as Belle had taken herself, tired from the day, as well as Spike on back to where they were staying. No big deal, though. Many of them were used to it from often using the bus back home. The gang appeared to be ready to go, however one of them was notably absent.

Twilight was texting on her phone with Singer as he was the only one who was currently not among them. He’d gotten a last minute phone call from someone and he’d been stuck in his room for the last twenty minutes. Who knew how much longer he’d be in there? Fortunately, he had the ability to text his girlfriend while he was in conversation.

Singer: Sorry Twi… I am going to need more time. This is a very important phone call. You guys should go on ahead, I’ll catch up.

Twilight: Are you sure?

Singer: Yes, this conversation could go on for a bit longer. I don’t want to hold you all up. I promise, I’ll be there as soon as I can.

Twilight: Okay. I’ll tell the others. You better be careful. I’m sending you a pin to the location of the party. Try not to get lost… I love you.

Singer: Don’t worry, I won’t. I love you too, Adorkable Sparkle ;)

Twilight: See you soon… Eugene… ;)

Singer: ha ha, real cute. I mean you really are cute, but… you know what I mean. You’re the only one allowed to call me by my middle name. I hope you appreciate just how exclusive that is. :3

Twilight: Oh believe me, I do. :D See you soon!

>Singer: Bye, sweetie :3

After the conversation, Twilight sighed a bit and disappointment was evident in her features.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Asked Dusk with concern, noting his friend’s sudden change in demeanor.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Singer’s in the middle of an important call, so he said we should all go ahead and go.”

“Are you going to be okay with that, Darling?” Rarity asked.

“I think so. I’m just a little bit worried about him coming on by himself after he’s done.”

“Well if it’s okay with you, we should probably get going then…” Sunset said. She let out a subtle annoyed sigh when she saw Zephyr among them while looking around to make sure everyone else was there. In the back of her mind, she kinda knew that going to this frat party without Zephyr knowing about it was probably a fool’s errand due to his annoying tendencies to find out about everything. Still, she wasn’t going to sweat it as she knew she’d be accompanied by Flash the whole time, so she smiled to herself while thinking about it. She’d reached over and held him by the hand, garnering a warm smile from him.

As they all filed away to leave, Twilight had an idea. She turned to Dusk and Ray, who were lagging a bit behind the rest of the group, and both appeared to be cutting up over an inside joke of theirs. She clapped her hands together and approached them with a smile.

“Oh snap, Twilight’s coming…” whispered Ray as both he and Dusk smiled sheepishly at her. “Hi Twilight!”

“Hello Dusk, Ray. I was wondering.” Twilight began, all the while nervously twirling her fingers in the strands of hair on the side of her head. “I know that going to this party isn’t something you’re overly fond of…”

“Well Dusk is the one with the hang up about it. I’m fine with the idea, but continue.” Ray said with a slight grin while Dusk rolled his eyes.

“Right.” Twilight continued. “Well, I was wondering if you’d mind hanging back for a bit and wait for Singer to finish his call, and come on with him when he’s done.”

“I don’t know, Rarity might not like that.” Dusk said unsurely. “She was insistent on the two of us going together.”

“I’ll talk to her for you, don’t worry.” Twilight insisted. “I just… I worry about the idea of him coming after us all by himself.”

“Why? Does Singer have trouble with directions or something ?” Asked Ray.

“Yeah… there’s no sugarcoating it. He can also be easily distracted, and he’s kind of prone to getting overwhelmed in stressful situations.”

“Hmmm… remind you of anyone?” remarked Ray, in regards to the bit about Singer getting overwhelmed, noting how she had her own tendencies to stress out at times.

“Hey, watch it.”

“I kid, I kid…”

Dusk thought for a minute, and considered what Twilight had proposed. He did like the idea of his time at the frat party being cut off a bit by waiting on Singer, plus he could still fulfill his commitment he’d made with Rarity. And Twilight seemed to be legitimately worried for Singer’s wellbeing in this instance, so he considered it. He then looked over to Ray who nodded in a silent agreement.

“For you Twilight, we will be happy to wait for Singer. Consider him safe with us.” Dusk said with a reassuring smile.

“Yeah, we’ll make sure he stays the course.” Added Ray.

“Thanks, you guys. You’re the best!” Twilight said as she quickly and gratefully hugged both of them before darting off to catch up with the others. “I guess we will see you there then.”

“See you there.” Said Dusk as he waved to his departing friend as she soon disappeared around a bunch of parked vehicles.

“Welp.” Ray said, taking a seat on one of the chairs outside, while Dusk did the same. “Now we wait. The things we do for these girls.”

“Indeed.” Chuckled Dusk. “They all seem to have us wrapped around their fingers. But I honestly don’t mind.”

“Ya know, a thought just occurred to me. I’ve known of this guy for months now, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation with him that lasted more than thirty seconds.”

“He’s actually quite pleasant to talk to. And the way things look, I don’t see him going anywhere any time soon. I’d recommend getting to know him at least to some extent. I think that would make Twilight happy.”

“Hmm, yeah you’re right. We’ve got a whole bus ride to converse. I just hope we’re not waiting too much longer. Party food is kinda calling my name.” Ray could practically hear his stomach growling of hunger.

Dusk could feel the empty void in his stomach rumbling as well. “I’m in agreement there.”

To be continued...

Author's Note

[7-13-24 Edit] I decided to cut this chapter in half, to hopefully make it all easier to read moving forward. The next chapter is close to being done, rest assured. The next chapter update should be legitimate.

Long time coming. Sorry about that again. I hope to make more frequent (and shorter) updates in the future. I know I’ve said that before, but I want to finish this story up.

I want to give another thanks to SCI-FIWizardman for his help with my writing of this story thus far. He’s helped me come up with ideas along the way, given me pointers on where to improve and he also wrote that whole text message session towards the beginning of the chapter using the text exchange format you saw. I’ve never thought of doing that before.

Here’s hoping the follow up chapter won’t take me long at all to write. And I hope you get some enjoyment out of this one.

Thanks to everyone who reads this story.