So Let Me Dry Your Tears
Twilight Sparkle hated crying.
Not because she felt weak, or that it wasn’t what a woman her age should do. She knew that was ridiculous. She knew it was good, for emotional release, for coping with strong emotions, with stress. She knew all that, of course, as she should, being a scientist.
No, she hated crying because it hurt. It tore at her throat, cutting off her air. The tears drizzling down her cheeks mixed with her snot to coat her face in a gross mess. The heavy breathing fogged up her glasses, making sight impossible. Every time she cried her throat ached for hours afterwards unless she applied liberal amounts of honied licorice tea. That came with its own set of problems, even if it was delicious.
The wind whistling through her hair on that cool spring afternoon only made things worse, filling her nose with pollen and adding her allergies to the mix. The metallic chair underneath her bottom grew colder by the second, making her wish she’d thought to wear pants instead of her usual patterned skirt. The styrofoam cup of coffee on the table in front of her had long since gone cold, but she gulped at it anyway in a vain attempt to wash away some of the snog clogging her throat. After she drained it she unceremoniously allowed it to clatter on the mesh table.
As she sobbed she scowled down at the mobile phone in her hands, furiously thumbing through and erasing picture after picture from it. Every picture of him she could rid herself of brought a speck of relief amongst the deluge of frustration and grief. On occasion flashes of memory ran through her head.
The time they went to the Canterlot Zoo, where he was dive bombed by the parakeets while she laughed her head off.
The time she visited him at work by surprise, giving him a cake she baked herself, albeit with Sunset and Pinkie Pie’s help.
The first time they made love, rolling like thunder in their sleeping bags in a tent under the stars, her crying out in ecstasy as she held onto him for dear life.
But then all the bad times flew into her mind too. All the arguments. The glares. The time she caught him checking out one of her friends. The time he made her cancel on the first friendship date she’d had with Fluttershy in over two months just to show up two hours late to dinner himself. And so on. A litany of mistakes, of terrible moments. Not as many as it seemed, when put together all at once, but the pattern was there. The problems were there. She never should’ve gotten involved with him in the first place, and the fact that it took her over two and a half years to see it just drove her deeper into a pit of despair.
Tossing her phone to the table with a loud clatter, she flopped her face down on her arms, laying in a heap like the piece of trash she felt like. “Go to hell, Timber Spruce,” she growled.
“Twilight?”
Twilight yelped in fright, falling over backwards as she flailed, trying to use her magic to catch herself. But she needn’t have bothered, as she fell into a pair of powerful, muscular arms. A masculine scent filled her nostrils, of guitar polish and motor oil, heady and strong. She looked up, blinking away some of her leftover tears as she adjusted her glasses, spotting a shock of blue hair. “Flash?”
“Sorry about that!” he said with a nervous laugh as he helped sit her chair back up, carefully so he didn’t jostle her too badly. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, no, it’s fine,” she mumbled, waving him off. Heat filled her face as she rummaged about her pockets and found an unused tissue, wiping the gunk off her face. “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Cool, cool,” Flash said, sticking his thumbs into his jeans pockets. He gave her a friendly smile. “I was just walking by and thought I’d say hello. You mind if I sit with you?”
“Uuuh… sure, sure, go ahead, please,” she said, gesturing to the chair across from her. A brief grunt of annoyance slipped from his lips as she snatched up her phone and shoved it into her pocket, so he couldn’t see it. “Juuust having coffee. By myself. Yup.”
Flash examined her for a moment, then his mouth turned down, concern filling his face. “Hey, you sure you’re okay?”
“Huh?” She looked up, her face flooded with warmth now. Oh no. He noticed, didn’t he? Crap! “No, no, I’m fine. Seriously.”
“Hmm…” Flash placed a hand to his chin, then shook his head. “All right, I won’t pry. But if you do need to talk about something, I’m here to listen. You know. If you want.”
She sighed, her face falling against the table once more. “I’m… look, I’ve just had a bad day, okay?”
Flash nodded. “Seems like it.” He dropped his hand from his chin and interlaced his fingers, laying them down on the table.
She looked away from him. “...a really, really bad day.”
“I hear you.”
Her mouth closed up, biting off the groan of frustration she wanted to unleash. “A-a-and I really just want to be alone right now. Sorry.”
He nodded once, and got up from his chair. “All right then. I’ll get going. Just gonna go get me a coffee first.” Leaving the table, he made his way over to the coffee shop entrance.
She watched him go, feeling like her best chance to vent was slipping between her fingers until she finally outstretched her arm and called out, “Wait!”
He paused in the middle of opening the door. “Yeah?”
“Can…can you get me a coffee too? A mocha, please.”
Grinning, he flashed her a single thumbs up. “Sure thing. Be right back.”
She waited for him to return, her spirits lifted, if just by a little. Despite that, she found herself biting at her lip, one hand tensing up on the table, raking her nails across the mesh metal. Then she pulled out her phone to check the time, anger flaring up all over again when she saw the pictures still on the screen. She deleted them in a hurry, eschewing the individual trashing for a single mass delete.
As soon as she finished erasing the last bit of evidence of her time with Timber Spruce, Flash emerged from the coffee shop, cradling a cup in each hand. “Here you go, one mocha, with extra whipped cream,” he said as he set hers down.
She grabbed it up in a hurry and took a drink, letting out a sigh of relief as the hot liquid poured into her, fighting off the chill of the air. “Thanks.”
“You bet,” he said as he sat down. After taking a sip of his own coffee, he leaned back in his chair, and waited, smiling patiently.
Throwing her hands up in the air, she let them fall to the table with a smack on both palms. It stung, tingling through her nerves, providing the impetus needed to loosen her lips. “I broke up with Timber Spruce today,” she blurted.
“Woah,” replied Flash, his eyebrows shooting up to the top of his head. “I uh… is this a sorry to hear that, or good riddance?”
Her lips pulled back into a harsh sneer, though not directed at Flash. “Good riddance, definitely. He was a jerk. I can’t believe I wasted two and half years of my life on him!” Her voice rose to a fever pitch as the words flowed like water down a cliffside. “He was rude, and impatient, and never stopped looking at other girls, and he didn’t know how to respect me. He was pushy, and, and he was mean, and he never knew when to back down from a stupid argument. Do you know how many times he made me prove I knew more about something than he did? It was a lot! He just…. Uuuuugh!”
“Jeez. I knew he could be a bit dense sometimes, but wow,” Flash said. He leaned forward, his frown becoming apologetic. “I’m sorry I wasn’t paying more attention. I could’ve said something to him.”
“No, no, please, don’t apologize for that,” Twilight said, waving a dismissive hand. “It’s not your fault. We… we didn’t exactly air things out in front of everyone. And I don’t think he would’ve listened if you tried, anyway. He never listened to me.”
“Still…” Flash shook his head and took another drink of coffee. “Doesn’t excuse him being an ass to you. You don’t deserve that.”
“No, I don’t,” she said with a firm nod. “That’s why I broke up with him. I… I deserve better than to be treated like he treated me.”
Flash smiled at that, and tipped his cup to Twilight. “Right on. You’re an awesome person. You deserve to be treated like one.”
A faint heat filled Twilight’s cheeks, this time for a pleasant reason. “Thanks.” She coughed and cleared her throat. “A-anyway, I told him I didn’t want to see him for a long time. Maybe if he could get his act together, we could be friends again, but… not for a while.”
“Don’t force yourself to do it if you don’t want to though,” Flash said. He wrapped both hands around his coffee cup, warming them up. “It’s not fun trying to be friends with someone if you don’t like them.”
Twilight barked a bitter laugh. “Oh don’t worry, there won’t be any forcing far as I’m concerned. Not anymore.”
Flash sat up straight at that, a sharp look gracing his face. Both his hands balled into fists. “Wait, you don’t mean he--”
Blanching, Twilight rapidly shook her head. “Oh, no no no, no, that’s not what I meant. He wasn’t that much of a jerk. I just meant, I… I’ve been…” She trailed off, her stomach churning, a sour taste filling her mouth. “I’ve been forcing myself for a while to stay with him. Telling myself I still loved him, when I didn’t.”
“Oh. Okay then,” Flash replied, relaxing. “Good. I-I mean, not good that you had to force yourself to stay with him, b-but I mean--”
“I got what you meant,” Twilight said with an amused grin. She felt more than a little flustered now by Flash’s reaction… she should’ve been offended by him rising to her defense, because it wasn’t as if she was some helpless damsel in distress. She had her magic, after all. There was no way Timber or anyone else would be forcing anything on her. She’d break them in half if they tried.
But she wasn’t. Instead, her heart warmed at the thought. The flush in her cheeks blossomed to life, less rosy and more like a burning campfire, popping and hissing with its heat. Without meaning to her eyes ran up and down Flash’s body. She had never noticed just how strong he looked. How powerful his muscles were. She knew he enjoyed playing his guitar and working on his car, but she hadn’t spent too much time with him. He always hung on the periphery, almost like a cheerleader for her friends and her. Faithful. Supportive.
Always there.
Always…
...there…
“Uuuh, Twilight?” Flash said, his face blooming red. “What’re… why’re you looking at me like that?”
Twilight set her coffee cup down, her hands darting out to take Flash’s. “You know,” she said, her eyes narrowing in a sultry manner, her voice dropping in register, “Now that I’m no longer with Timber, I’m… available.”
“Huh?” Flash gasped, his jaw dropping. “What’re you saying?”
“I’m saying,” Twilight said, running a finger along the back of Flash’s arm, causing him to shiver, “that I’m available. As in, back on the market. I know you’re interested. Didn’t you have a crush on me once?”
“Uh, well, uh, I-I had a crush on Princess Twilight, so, sort of, yeah,” he said, laughing as he scratched the back of his head. His eyes darted about as if trying to find a swift exit.
Twilight left her seat and came around the table, wrapping her arms around him, leaning into him. “Well, then what’re you waiting for? I’m interested. You’re interested. Why waste any time, hmm?”
“Twilight, what are you doing?” he asked, pulling away from her. His breathing accelerated to the pace of a marathon runner as he braced himself, ready to flee if he had to.
His reaction was like a slap in the face, leaving Twilight stunned. “What do you mean? I’m saying I’m--”
He shook his head and held up a finger to his lips. Then, after she quieted down and he had time to recover, he took a couple steps forward and placed both hands on her shoulders, gently enough she could push them away if she had to. “Listen, Twilight, you’re feeling pretty vulnerable right now. You’re hurting. You’re trying to find something to comfort you. I don’t blame you. But I’m not going to take advantage of that, okay? I’d be a pretty shitty person if I did.”
He let one arm drop, leaving the other in place. “Yeah, I’m interested in you. Are you kidding? You’re awesome! You’re so smart, and you’ve got such a good singing voice, and you have a nice…” he trailed off momentarily, blushing profusely before shaking his head to clear out his thoughts. “A-anyway, listen. I’m single. I wouldn’t mind going on a date, maybe, say, three weeks from now? If you still want to, we can try it out then, see where things go. But… I don’t want to be the kind of guy that takes advantage of a girl when she’s on the rebound, you know?”
Anger flared up in her chest as she scowled at him, the temptation to slap his hand away rising up like a rocket. She ground her teeth together, her left hand starting to glow with lavender light. Then the scientist in her head promptly smacked her upside the brain, told her she was being stupid and to calm down. She allowed her magic to fade away, then nodded. “Yeah. Yeah you’re probably right,” she blurted. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to start acting all… oh gosh, you must think I’m a total--”
“Woah, woah, easy,” Flash said with a laugh, giving her a warm smile. “No worries, Twi. I get it. So, three weeks, then? We can go for coffee or something.”
“Actually, I think I’ve had enough of coffee,” Twilight said as she gathered up her things, then unceremoniously tossed her coffee in the trash. “Why not the aquarium? I haven’t been there in a while.”
He nodded and stuck his thumbs in his pockets, swaying back and forth on his feet. “Yeah, sure. Want me to pick you up, then? Say, nine AM?”
She smiled back. “Sure. It’s a date.”
“All right. Cool. See ya then, then,” Flash said with a jaunty wave.
As she walked away, she tried not to smirk at the sound of him pumping his fist in the air and silently cheering his good luck.
Three weeks later, the two strolled hand in hand through the aquarium, passing through endless hallways lined on all sides by glass windows, even the floor. Various fish swam through the waters, scintillating with every color of the rainbow glistening on their scales. Quiet filled the room, peaceful and calm, save for the occasional muffled splash of fins against water. The overhead tank was separated from the others by sturdy glass panes, allowing for larger, more predatory fish to lumber through the water.
As one particular hammerhead shark eyed Twilight like she’d make a tasty meal, she found herself leaning into Flash, wrapping herself around his arm. “This was a good idea,” she said, her voice light despite the mild anxiety rushing through her system. “I’m glad we waited.”
“Me too,” Flash replied, wrapping his arm around her to hold her closer. “It’s nice to chill, you know? This place is relaxing. I like it.”
“I like you,” Twilight mumbled, then buried her face into his arm as her whole body burned like fire.
“Yeah? You do, huh?” he said, a teasing smile gracing his face. “Well I’d certainly hope so, or else this’d get pretty awkward, huh?”
She snorted, then broke into giggles. “Yeah, guess it would.”
They continued walking for some time, passing by other people on occasion, but the aquarium was mostly empty, thanks to their choice of arriving during the middle of the week. Thus, by the time noon rolled around, their stomachs rumbling with hunger, they practically had the aquarium cafe all to themselves.
As they sat down to eat, they broke the quiet, Twilight chattering on about her day, about her latest research at Canterlot University, the progress of her bachelor’s in chemistry, and so on. Unlike Timber, who frequently seemed bored by the complexities of the math and science involved, Flash showed considerate, constant interest. He listened, and when he didn’t understand he asked questions. Sometimes he still seemed baffled after she tried to explain, but he never complained. “I like listening to you talk about your interests,” he said. “They matter to you. They make you happy. That’s important.”
Eventually the subject matter moved on to Flash’s own adventures, his pursuit of a musical career. Turned out his band performed at a lot of local Canterlot venues, and he frequently sidelined as a DJ, subbing in for DJ PON3 down at the local nightclub. “I think I’m going places,” he said.
“You plan on touring the state, maybe?” Twilight asked as she took one last bite of her salad.
“Eh, maybe. Dunno. I’m pretty happy in Canterlot, to be honest.”
Although on occasion the minutiae he delved into with his music and automobile work didn’t peak Twilight’s interest, she nevertheless appreciated the level of passion he put into them. Just like her, he found what he liked, and he pursued it, come hell or high water. She found herself enthralled despite the fact that she’d never been interested in the inner workings of anti-lock brakes before.
Maybe it was just the qualities of his voice. The way it filled the air, like a classic storyteller weaving a tale, yet never growing old or boring. Or maybe it was how his eyes sparkled and shined, showcasing his enthusiasm. And, well, he was pretty good looking too, she had to admit. He’d worn short sleeves today, showing off his biceps, powerful and toned, but not hulking or gross. She wondered idly if the rest of him was just as toned, since she couldn’t recall ever having seen him in swim trunks.
Maybe she should.
When they finished their lunch, they went for one last tour of the aquarium, spending some time watching sea otters dance and play with each other. Then Flash took her home. They kept up chatting on the way, switching subjects on the fly. She’d noticed how, during the whole date, he never took a single liberty. He held her hand when she tried to hold his, and hugged her if she hugged him first, but never made the first move. He focused on keeping her comfortable, respecting her boundaries.
That… that meant a lot to her. A lot more than she had words for.
So when he dropped her off at her front door, promising to give her a call in a few days for a second date, she cut him off by wrapping her arms around him, then pressing her lips to his. Not for long, not for more than a few seconds, but it was enough. Enough to show her gratitude, her appreciation, and the potential for more.
When she went inside afterwards and sat down on her bed, she found herself crying again. But this time it wasn’t tears of pain, sorrow, or loss. Just soft, silent tears, slipping down her cheeks as she laid back, letting the happy glow of a good time run through her.
Maybe this time, she’d found someone worth staying with.
Maybe.
Flashlight is an interesting ship, because it started out as something forced, thrown at the viewer as an unnecessary bit of romance in the first EQG movie--though that was with Princess Twi. Then Flash grew as a character until finally he found his own way in Legend of Everfree... just in time to be swept away by another forced romance character. Except Timber is kind of... not good. I know there are people who like him, but, well... I don't.
So thus I present my take on how Flashlight, with Sci-Twi, could come together. Don't worry though, Timber fans. Twi and Timber do remain friends. It just takes some time for the bad feelings to die down first. There will be a sequel (eventually) that will show his perspective. He's not as bad as he sounded here.
Thank you again to SuperSonicHeroes. Your work on the TVTropes page for DR: IHW has been spectacular, and I was happy to throw together this thank you present. I hope you liked it. 
Also thank you for the suggestion of a better place to find a piece of cover art than the original choice.
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Man... I'm SO torn on this one.
On one hand, Flash and Sci-Twi's interactions were great in this.
On the other, I just CAN'T see Timber being the kind of person he was described as in this fic. Even his behavior in IHT, I can argue fits how his character would be in that situation. But here, I just can't. He just seems like too nice a guy to do that kinda stuff.
However, I'm also one of those people that wish Flash had gotten more to do in the later EQG stuff.
There was this weird pattern with him where, as his personality was fleshed out, it seemed like he got less to do.
10720090
Well, keep in mind, the way Timber is presented here is through Twilight's perspective, and she's not exactly being very objective when she describes him. A bit of what she's describing is overemphasized, or overblown compared to what really happened, but when you're in that kind of mood, with that kind of relationship... it can feel like the other person is just plain horrible, even if they weren't. Admittedly I'm drawing from my own relationships for this one, and projecting a little.
Still, I do hear what you're saying, and I can see why you'd feel that way.
10720095
Okay that explains a lot.
But it also just makes me want to see a story that tells Timber's side of the story, or at least a sequel that shows how they patch their friendship up
10720108
Oh believe you me, I have every intention of doing that. I might not like the guy, but Timber still deserves to be treated well, like any other character. Said sequel will both show his perspective (where we find out a lot of what Twilight took as pushy was Timber trying to be supportive in the wrong way) as well as them becoming friends again.
10720115
Alright, I'm definitely looking forward to that
>2.5 year relationship
>3 weeks later
Poor Flash. He's going to be the rebound, isn't he?
10720165
Actually... no. They end up staying together.
This was a cute story. The interactions and everything was chef's kiss.
Cute story. Thanks a lot for this. The sheer difference between Sci-Twu’s relationship with Timber and Flash really stands out here. Timber is a jerk while Flash is a true gentleman. Only real downside I can see is it is too bad Sci-Twi didn’t breakup with Timber before losing her virginity to him. But hopefully Flash can at least show he is way better anyway.
Yeah! That’s what I like to see as a Flashlight shipper!
Personally I think one of the most romantic moments between the two is their interaction in “Pinkie Pie: Snack Psychic”.
10720379
You're welcome!
Ehehehe.
I guess we'll never know.
Oh, huh, that doesn't ring an immediate bell. But then I couldn't remember most of their interactions outside of the main movies. I'll go take a look. If I find a good one I'll replace the cover art with it.
EDIT: Done. Thank you.
10720095
Well, Twilight here is blatantly trying to use Flash as a comfort toy and gets offended when he rejects her proposition. Maybe she isn't Miss Perfect after all.
10720397
You mean, she has a moment of weakness and makes a mistake, and then is properly called out on it by Flash, who not only shows he's a good person by refusing to take advantage of it, but helps her realize what she's doing?
Sorry but I think her characterization makes perfect sense here. It's the sort of thing people do in this kind of situation. I should know. I've had a lot of relationships. I've been on both sides of this. It happens a lot more than you might think, to a lot of people. The point to it was to help demonstrate why Flash is good for her, by not being the type to take advantage of it.
My friend, you have my respect.
Aw...
Glad to see you write this Dewdrops (even though we both know where this ends up
).
To be honest, I honestly feel bad for Flash. He honestly is shown to be quite a decent guy in Equestria Girls, but he goes through a lot of shit in the show regardless. He ends up developing a doomed to fail love interest in pony Twilight Sparkle, constantly shows up with no significant appearance (he's always just the random guy nextdoor), and watches the alternate Twilight develop feelings for Timber right in front of him while he is trying to move on. It does get a little better later on for him, but it is still unacceptable. He also still gets a lot hate from the Fandom for stealing their waifu Twilight and being insignificant. I understand that Flashlight isn't for everyone, but people really need to move on. It doesn't even end up working in Equestrian Girls or MLP. So to sum things up, I can understand Flash isn't for everyone. However, I don't believe he deserves what he has gone through.
Sorry for the rant. I can't wait to see more of your work.
10721378
Yeah... poor Flash and Sci-Twi...
But thank you, very much so for your words. They mean a lot to hear. I'll be honest. As I've said elsewhere, back when the first EQG movie came out, I didn't care for Flash very much. He felt like a pointless extra, a love interested forced upon the movie by Hasbro execs who thought that was necessary. But he grew on me as a character, and I realized more and more he was a genuine good guy. That's why I tried to depict him as such here, since this is how I think he genuinely is: a respectful, chill kind of dude who looks out for others. I mean the show even gave him a supporting song, like he was a cheerleader, which is how EQG ended up treating him on the whole.
So yeah. He deserves better.
Ah Flash. You were a drop of water thrown into the river of the MLP universe.
Your splash was tiny but the ripples you made affected everything and everyone.
By introducing you to this place, you sent the brony brigade into overdrive.
Shippers adore you
The pony lovers call you a waifu stealer
But you are so much more.
A breath of fresh air, a generic guard or rocker boy.
But we can all agree that you were...... a wasted potential.
So much could've been done with you. So much romance, comedic moments, and drama!
You were what the MLP universe needed but never truly deserved.
10724684
I must say, this is the first time I've ever seen elegant poetry used as a comment on one of my stories! Thank you, hehe.
Dunno, I mean, I can see it now that Sci -Twi/Flash pairing wasn't a complete accident. It's just I thought that Flash would be friends with Derpy or Sunset.
10727515
I mean, there's nothing stopping him from being friends with them.
Howdy, hi!
A review from the mansion.
that is a very relatable downside to crying! your whole sinus system being all inflamed
i like this level of detail in what Twilight is sensing here, it really gets us into her skin without overstaying its welcome
Good.
this is the correct reaction to have! Sci-Twi is on a flailing rebound here
this is a really nice energy from Flash! this kind of supportive openness really makes sense as a continuation of what little we saw of him in the canon
taking this as Twilight's internal narration, it's nice to see her keep her caution, especially given how close her breakup with Timber Spruce was (who really was a piece of work! glad he got kicked to the curb).
it's really nice to see Twilight so self-possessed in this fic, taking the first step in regaining that part of her she lost in her self-denying relationship with Timber Spruce by dumping him. and maybe Flash sensed this, which is why he did not "make a move", or maybe it's just the kind of guy he is, treating actually connecting as people as the important thing. either way, a good sign of being someone worth staying with. a nice, straightforward shipfic, redeeming Flash's forced-shipping chess piece status by finding good reasons to ship him instead. thank you for it!
First things first - the characters bounce off each other and interact realllly well. This story really does give me that feel of them being mature and grown up, which endears me to it.
I just have to comment on the opening, like, wow, was that well done.
I feel like this is a really well done story overall - the fact that Flash is taking the matter seriously and giving Twilight her own space is just so nice. I feel like this just resonates with me on a deeper level, and it was a really smooth read from start to the end.
In a way, I can say that this can be a story to read when you're down. It will help you to get those spirits up! I thought this was gonna make me sad - but it actually made me happy. Thanks, Aunt!
As much as Timber Spruce failed as a Sci-Twi romance, I don't like the idea of Sci-Twi ending up with Flash instead, for one reason. Flash had been in a relationship with pony Twilight, yes really. Though the logic behind that reason is that Hasbro has treated Pony Flash and Human Flash interchangeably, so if Human Flash ended with Sci-Twi, it would mean a lot of characters in one world could be substituted for another. As an example despite having the same name and similar interests, Pony Rarity and Human Rarity are different and so would pursue different romances and value different things in a romantic partner same thing with Pony Flash and Human Flash. Pony Flash wanted to be a guard while Human Flash wanted to be a musician they had different values and I'd wish Hasbro actually put more emphasis on those values. So while human Flash could see similar qualities in Sci-Twi as he had seen with Pony Twilight, I don't think they would be a good fit. Honestly, in my opinion, Timber Spruce could have been a great love interest for Sci-Twi if handled with more care.
Plus as a side note. While Timber Spruce, despite being kind of ehhh was less ehhh than Flash was portrayed in the first Equestria Girls and it made sense narratively. Why would Pony Twilight and Sci-Twi end up falling for the same person in two separate worlds?
11094298
So your analysis has plenty of merit. I disagree re Timber Spruce--personally I think he's kind of a shitbag and I cannot stop the impression I first got that he was in his early 20s hitting on a high school student, no matter what Hasbro tries to say about his actual age--but apart from that you're not wrong.
However, this story was both a gift for someone who likes this ship and also a followup/prequel of sorts to a longer fic that was written where Flashlight occurred for Reasons. Soooo good analysis, but perhaps not the best place to have dropped it.
11094442
As I said Timber Spruce needed to be handled with more care to be an actually good love interest.
Like, have him be a student at Canterlot High who is helping out his sister at the camp she inherited. Not have him be a counselor in his late teens, like don't you need like years of training for that? Yeah, that fix could have saved Timber Spruce's entire character. Note this is not the first time negligence on Hasbro's side caused issues and I doubt it will be the last. An example I personally dislike a lot is Sunset's age. Like she was a mare when she left Equestria yet Twilight is shown to be a filly when she became Celestia's student. Unless there's some time dilation, which is never brought up to my knowledge, Sunset should be like in her late twenties at the First Equestria Girls. I personally believe there was some dilation of time as Sunset had four years of high school while Twilight went through about ten years of learning. Long story short Timber Spruce's age is not the only thing we should question.
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Mind you I did read Danganronpa: In Harmony's Wake and I did enjoy it for the most part. Though, in my opinion, there is a potential double standard within the story. Why dislike Timber Spruce for being older then Twilight when Adagio's a thousand years old and is being shipped with Sunset? This could just be my values however I am fine with age gaps when the experience and power are an equivilant. Adagio in the relationship was stronger and had a lot more experience then Sunset. Honestly the age of consent should be twenty one but politicians are creepy like that.
Though I do understand why people ship Flash with Sci-Twi. I don't.
Honestly unless its a crack ship like a YouTuber and a character they despise, I'm not going to ship it.
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This is a great question, and I see why at first glance it would appear to be a double standard. However, I disagree that it is, for one specific reason:
Twilight Sparkle was not an adult when Timber Spruce was trying to date her at Camp Everfree.
In IHW, however, Sunset Shimmer is an adult of twenty-four. She is perfectly capable of making her own decisions. That said, you do have something of a point that, as it was in IHW, the relationship between her and Adagio had an unhealthy power dynamic. That was the point. It was never a healthy relationship and was never supposed to be one. It was set up to fail the way it ultimately did, on purpose, for the narrative.
That's why I have a problem with Timber Spruce dating Twilight Sparkle but not with Adagio Dazzle dating Sunset Shimmer.
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Understood.
Honestly when it comes to romance in media there's always something wrong I find with it. Honestly forgot to take into account that the unhealthy dynamic was intended. Though in my personal opinion even if a person is an adult I would not put them with someone ten or more years older unless the dynamic is balanced some other way. That's just me though.
Even as someone who can’t help but headcanon Sci-Twi as the gayest gay to ever gay, this is a very sweet take on how SciFlash could come together. There’s a rawness to Twi’s feelings in the first section that makes it potent, and Flash being his usual helpful self makes him an ideal fit for Twi at a moment where she feels deeply vulnerable (even if Flash, of course, decides it’s worth letting a little time pass beforehand). I do wish we could have read some of Twi and Flash’s actual dialogue in the second section, but hey, this is meant to be short and sweet, and it certainly gets the job done. One day hopefully soon, I’ll have to see how this ties in to IHW.