//------------------------------// // Bonus Chapter: Three Weeks Later, aka Getting to Know You // Story: The Wall Between Us // by Godslittleprincess //------------------------------// “Bro! Button Mash!” Flash called. “Get in the car.” Two 13-year-old boys dressed in baseball uniforms came rushing out of his house and piled into his car. “Why are we heading out so early?” First Base groaned as he clicked his seatbelt. “The game’s not for another hour.” “Well, I also have to pick up my date, and she lives a good distance away from the baseball park,” Flash explained as he backed his car out of his driveway and drove down the street. “Your younger brother’s baseball game is a pretty weird choice for a date,” Button Mash pointed out. “It is, but I didn’t want to miss your game, and she really wanted to get to know me, so…,” Flash trailed off. First Base turned to the back seat and shared a look with his best friend. The rest of the drive passed in an uncomfortable silence. When Flash was roughly five minutes away from Twilight’s house, Base spoke. “Bro, this girl,” he began hesitantly, “she’s really something, isn’t she?” “Yep,” Flash affirmed. “Is, is this relationship going to be anything like your last one?” “How so—Oh.” Flash bit his lip, remembering what he had done while he was dating Sunset, the lies he told his family, the ball games and other occasions that he blew off, all for her. The most heartbreaking part about the whole situation was that the relationship wasn’t even worth the pain that he had caused his family and friends. No relationship was. The uncomfortable silence returned for a few seconds, but then, Flash answered. “Little Bro,” he said, “I was a total butt when I was dating Sunset, wasn’t I?” “Yeah, you were,” Base bluntly agreed. Flash sighed. “Listen, I can’t promise you that this relationship isn’t going to change anything between us because with me having to split my time between you, the rest of our family, and her, we might not be able to do everything that we used to do, but I’m not going to let being Twilight’s boyfriend get in the way of being your brother, not this time. I promise.” “Pinkie swear?” Base asked, timidly holding out his left little finger. Flash just smiled as he wrapped his right pinkie finger around Base’s pinkie before quickly parting fingers. “Well, here’s our stop,” Flash noted as he pulled up in front of a large, fancy-looking house. “Oh my gosh! He’s here!” Twilight cried as she watched Flash’s car pull up from her bedroom window. She stood in front of the mirror for one final wardrobe check. “How do I look?” she frantically asked Spike. “Underdressed? Overdressed? Is my hair okay?” “Twilight, relax,” assured Spike. “You look great. Besides, you’re just going to a baseball game. How dressed up do you need to be?” Before Twilight could answer, the doorbell rang. “Oh no!” Twilight thought to herself before rushing out of her room and bounding down the stairs. “I’ve got to get to the door before—” “Hi, my name is Flash,” she heard someone say just as she entered the hallway. The front door was held open by a well-built young man with white skin and blue hair. Too late. “Nice to meet you, Flash,” the young man greeted icily, accepting Flash’s handshake offer. “I’m Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother.” “Please don’t scare him off. Please don’t scare him off,” Twilight silently prayed. “Is Twilight ready for our date?” Flash asked. “Yes, I am,” Twilight interrupted, pushing herself between the two men. “Let’s go.” “Hang on there a minute, Twily,” Shining Armor stopped her. “I’m not done, err, checking out your date yet.” Twilight groaned, shoving her brother further inside the house. “I’m so sorry about this, but will you excuse us for a little bit?” Twilight asked Flash as she continued to push Shining Armor. “Oh, sure, I can wait,” Flash calmly replied. Twilight gave him a sheepish smile as she closed the front door behind her. “Shiny!” she screamed at her brother. “Was that really necessary?” “Hey, the last guy you went out with flirted with other girls behind your back, which by the way, probably would have never happened if you had told us about him,” Shining Armor countered. “Ugh! What you’re trying to do with this guy now is exactly why I never told you about the last guy,” Twilight groaned. “If Flash tells me that it’s not going to work out after this date is over, I’m blaming you.” Shining Armor sighed as he got down to Twilight’s level. “Twily, I’m your older brother, and part of being an older brother is protecting his younger sister. I mean, okay, I might be taking things a little overboard with you having a boyfriend, but I’m just doing it because I don’t want this guy to hurt you.” “I know,” Twilight replied. “It’s just that, well, I’m…” She bit her lip and looked to the floor. “I’m just not pretty. On top of that, I’m also a nerd, and I turned into a horrible, world-ending monster once. The last thing I need is more reasons for a guy to find me unattractive, and don’t tell me that I’m beautiful just the way I am and all that jazz. People in TV and movies say that all the time whenever someone starts getting insecure about her looks, but last I checked, we don’t live inside of a television.” Shining blinked a few times, completely taken aback. Then, he smiled, put his hand under Twilight’s chin, and gently lifted her head up. “Hey, Twily, look at me,” he comforted. “I love you, even with all the stuff that you’re insecure about, and you deserve a guy who is going to love you the same way. If he decides to walk away just because your BBBFF is a little intimidating, then you know that he’s not going to be that kind of guy.” Even though she was still annoyed, Twilight couldn’t help but smile at that. “Well, I’m afraid you’re going to have to cut ‘checking Flash out’ short,” she said with a mischievous edge in her voice as she pointed to the time on her phone. “If we don’t leave soon, we’re going to be late.” “Ugh, fine,” Shining Armor conceded. He opened the front door and found Flash still standing there. Twilight rushed out to meet him. “Bring her back by 10,” Shining Armor emphasized with a low growl. “Is that clear?” “Yes, sir,” Flash replied with a nod. With that, Flash and Twilight made their way to Flash’s car. Flash opened the door to the front passenger seat and bent down to talk to First Base. “Hey, Bro,” he said, “my date’s here. Change seats with her.” Base raised his eyebrow and flashed what could only be described as a supervillain smile. “You didn’t forget about our deal, did you?” “What deal?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow. Two minutes later, Flash was driving towards the baseball park with Twilight in the front passenger seat and “Who’s the (Bat)Man” blasting out of his sound system. “I get the last laugh/I get the final grin,” First Base sang along with the music, performing a surprisingly accurate Batman impression. “Throw you into the asylum with Harley Quinn/Turn Two-Face, to black-and-blue face/I 100% am not Buck Reins!” Flash was cringing the whole time, partially from embarrassment but mostly because he doesn’t like that song. He turned to Twilight with a forced grin. “My, uh, little brother really likes this song,” he explained. “I can tell,” Twilight replied with a giggle. “I’m guessing that you don’t.” “It’s, uh, tolerable.” “Which song are you putting on next, Base?” Button asked as the song came to an end. “You want ‘Everything is AWESOME!!!’ or ‘Catchy Song’?” First Base asked as he scrolled through UTube on his phone. “No, no!” Flash exclaimed. “What did I say about ‘Catchy Song’?” First Base and Button Mash simultaneously sighed in disappointment. “That it’s the most annoying song in existence,” Base recited. “That’s right,” Flash continued. “And what did I say about annoying me while I’m driving?” “Never annoy the person who is responsible for your safety and wellbeing.” “Right. Pick a different one.” “So, I guess we’re playing ‘Everything is AWESOME!!!’, then?” Button noted. First Base sighed again before looking from his phone to his brother then to Twilight. Flash didn’t seem to notice, but Twilight had been smiling throughout the whole drive, and her smile grew bigger bit by bit as the drive went on. Base even caught her giggling a few times. “I’ve got a better idea,” he said to Button as he turned back to his phone, scrolled through UTube, and made his selection. To Flash and Twilight’s surprise, a gentle, romantic piano melody began playing followed by a young man’s voice singing something in French. “I know this song,” Twilight exclaimed her eyes widening in recognition. “It’s ‘Ce Mur Qui Nous Sépare,’ which I probably just totally mispronounced.” “‘The Wall Between Us,’” Flash translated. Twilight blinked a few times in surprise. “Okay, either you know French or you also watch Miraculous.” “Well,” Flash chuckled as he gestured to his two passengers in the backseat, “it’s mostly these two who are into it, but I like it enough to watch it with them. You, uh, have a favorite character?” “Actually, I have two,” Twilight replied. “I can’t decide between Cerise and Shirogane.” “Hey, kinda like how you can’t decide between Soleil and Courant, huh, Bro,” Base interrupted. “What?” Flash replied. “I relate to them both in different ways. How in the world am I supposed to pick between them?” “Really?” said Twilight. “That’s how I feel about my favorite characters too.” Flash couldn’t help but smile at that. “So, umm, are you a shipper by any chance?” Twilight asked Flash. “Well,” Flash hesitantly replied. “I’m not as bad as Button Mash is, but, yeah, I ship.” “Love Square is endgame!” Button yelled fervently. “You won’t change my mind!” First Base just rolled his eyes. Twilight noticed this from the rearview mirror and giggled. “I’m guessing you’re not much of a shipper, aren’t you, Base?” Twilight asked. “Definitely not,” First Base huffed with his arms crossed. “Soleil and Cerise can end up with no one for all I care.” Button gasped dramatically at that. “Those two are perfect for each other, and everyone knows it.” “Everyone except the two of them apparently,” Base scoffed. “If they’re so perfect for each other, why is it taking them so long to get together?” “Hey, calm down, you two,” Flash scolded. “It’s just a ship. Besides, maybe the reason why Soleil and Cerise aren’t together yet is because the two of them aren’t ready to be together. At the moment, the two of them are only in love with the idealized versions of each other. If they knew about each other’s less than perfect sides like how crushingly lonely and restricted Soleil feels living with his father’s rules or all those times Cerise has felt in way over her head as Ladybug, would they still love each other?” Twilight stared at Flash as he said those words, her mind going back to her conversations with her brother and her friends. She had thought that Timber Spruce was the perfect guy for her, so much so that she ignored all evidence that he wasn’t, like that time at the beach when she and her friends went sea monster hunting or how his solution to any problem with their relationship was to avoid the issue and turn on the charm. Flash, on the other hand, definitely wasn’t the perfect guy for her, at least as far as she knows, but he is sweet, caring, honest, and reliable. Furthermore, he seems to respect her brother without being intimidated by him. More importantly, he knows better than anyone just how less than perfect she is (“cough” Midnight Sparkle “cough”), but he accepts her anyway. Maybe she had been a little too quick to write him off a few weeks ago. “Of course, they would,” Button answered Flash’s question with a firm, resolute tone. “Love Square is endgame.” “They sure are taking their sweet time to figure that out though,” First Base countered. “Bro, they’re only a few years older than you,” Flash replied, “and you still think girls are gross.” “In my defense, have you MET the girls that I go to school with?” “Well, look on the bright side, Little Bro,” Flash chuckled. “You’re not going to be in middle school forever.” “Oh yeah,” Twilight thought to herself, smiling as she watched the brothers share a laugh, “I definitely wrote him off too quickly.” One 15-minute drive and one lively discussion about hamsters, superheroes, and Disneigh movies later, Flash pulled up at the ballpark. “Woohoo!” First Base cheered as he and Button jumped out of the car. “Let’s go, Trottingham Pirates!” “Don’t forget your stuff,” Flash reminded them as he opened the door for Twilight. First Base and Button Mash quickly got their equipment out of the trunk and ran over to where the rest of the team was waiting for them. “So,” Flash said, turning to Twilight, “we’ve got 10 minutes before the game starts. You wanna grab snacks first?” “That sounds great,” Twilight affirmed. Flash held out his arm for Twilight to take. Twilight just stared at it for a few seconds before awkwardly taking it, and the two of them made their way to the concession stand. Twilight wasn’t completely comfortable walking arm in arm with Flash, but after a while, she found herself enjoying the feeling of being close to him so much that she was sorely tempted to just rest her head against his shoulder. However, before she could decide whether she should make the attempt or not, the two of them had reached the front counter of the concession stand. “Oh, hi, honey,” greeted the woman behind the stand. She had brown eyes and light orange-yellow skin and wore a pair of glasses. Her dark red hair was styled in a messy yet tasteful bun. “Is this the girl that you’ve been telling us about?” “Hi, Mom,” Flash greeted back. “Yes, she is. Her name is Twilight.” Flash turned to Twilight and continued, “Twilight, this is my mom Lantern Heart.” “My friends and family call me Lighty,” Ms. Heart added, offering her hand to shake. “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Twilight replied, accepting the handshake. “Your turn volunteering for the concession stand this week?” Flash asked his mother “Uh-huh,” she replied with a nod. “So, what can I get you kids?” “What would you like?” Flash asked Twilight. Twilight thoughtfully looked over her choices and answered, “I’ll have a bag of pretzels and a juice pouch.” “We’ll have the pretzels and a juice pouch for the lady and the peanuts and a cola for me, please,” Flash said to his mother. “Coming right up,” Lantern Heart answered before bringing the desired concessions to the counter. “Okay, we’ve got a bag of pretzels, a bag of peanuts, a juice,” she let out a yawn, “pouch, and a cola.” Flash noted the yawn and asked, “You okay, Mom?” “Yeah, I’m fine,” Ms. Heart yawned again. “I’m just a little tired that’s all. Those twelve-hour shifts at the hospital really take a lot out of you.” “Did you get enough sleep this morning?” “Oh, don’t worry about me, honey. I had a cup of tea earlier, and it probably just hasn’t completely kicked in yet.” Flash frowned in concern before smiling. “I think I’ve got something that will help you wake up. Can you lean over a little so I can give it to you?” Lighty smiled knowingly before doing as her son asked. Then, Flash leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Did your teenage son just give you a kiss? In public?” asked one of the other concession stand volunteers. “He sure did,” Lighty said with pride as she quickly ran her fingers through Flash’s hair. “You lucky woman! I can’t even get my 8-year old to kiss me in public these days.” Flash and his mother just laughed at that. “Bye, Mom,” Flash said, taking the snacks from the counter. “I’ll see you after the game.” With that, Flash and Twilight began heading for the bleachers. “So,” Twilight began as the two of them found their seats, “you still kiss your mom in public, huh?” “Yes, yes I do,” Flash replied. “What about it?” Twilight bit her lip and chose her next words carefully. “Nothing. It’s just that most guys would find something like that embarrassing.” “There’s nothing embarrassing about showing the world that you love your mother,” Flash replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, she totally deserves it.” “Hey, kiddo!” a voice called from their left. Flash and Twilight turned and saw two women making their way towards them. The younger woman looked almost exactly like Lantern Heart but with brown highlights and a ponytail and without glasses. The older woman had pink skin and white hair with bits of brown scattered through. She shared the younger woman’s brown eyes and wore them behind a pair of glasses. “Hey!” Flash greeted, standing up and giving them each a hug. “Twilight, these are my aunt Flare Burst and my grandmother Free Bird.” “You can call me Grandma Birdie. That’s what all my grandkids' friends call me,” Flash’s grandmother added. “Pleased to meet you,” Twilight replied, shaking hands with each of them. “We know you two are on a date, so we’ll just sit WAY over there,” said Flare, pointing to the other side of the bleachers. “You kids have fun.” “Just not the kind that will get you in trouble,” Grandma added as she and her daughter made their way to their seats. When the two of them were once again alone, Twilight noted, “So, your mom and your aunt look eerily similar.” “Well, they’re twins, so they should,” Flash answered with a smile. “Really?” Twilight exclaimed, eyes wide. “That’s, um, interesting. So, have you ever had trouble telling them apart?” “I did when I was a kid,” Flash said before he began to laugh. “What’s so funny?” “Back when I was thirteen, Aunt Flare was on military leave for the holidays. She and Mom decided to see if they could pull a twin switch on me and my brother,” Flash recounted. “They went all out. They both dyed their hair and wore each other’s clothes. Mom wore contacts even though she can’t stand how they felt. They even practiced talking like each other. On Christmas morning, Base and I walk into the dining room and see what looks like my mom setting the table for breakfast. Little Bro and I say, ‘Hi, Mom.’ ‘Mom’ says, ‘Hi, honey,’ which by the way, Aunt Flare never calls us. She always says either ‘kid’ or ‘kiddo’ but never ‘honey.’ Anyway, the moment those words left her mouth, I noticed something was off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but the lady who was setting the table didn’t sound like my mother. She didn’t walk, move, or set the table like my mother either.” “How so?” Twilight asked. “Like I said, I don’t know. I could just tell that she wasn’t Mom. I guess I just knew my mother well enough to know there was a difference. Anyway, I figured out what was going on when ‘Aunt Flare’ came in from walking the dog and said, ‘Hey, kiddos’ to us.” Twilight nodded as she listened. “So, you have experience telling similar-looking people apart?” Flash raised an eyebrow at this. “Uh, yes, yes I do. Why?” Twilight looked away. She hated the fact that she was even thinking about what she was thinking about. Flash didn’t deserve that. “No reason,” she lied. “It’s about her, isn’t it?” Flash deadpanned. Twilight whipped her head back towards Flash. “How, how did you know?” “I didn’t, but I figured that she was going to come up at some point. I’d probably feel the same way if a guy who showed interest in my mom suddenly started showing interest in my aunt. Hypothetically speaking, of course.” “Flash, listen,” Twilight began. “I don’t know what Princess Twilight was like when she was here, but I know for a fact that I’m not her.” “I know,” Flash affirmed, “and I don’t want you to be.” Twilight looked up at him and met his eyes. Not only were they a beautiful deep blue color, but they also had an expression that conveyed sincerity and trustworthiness. She blushed furiously when she caught herself admiring them. “I like you for you,” Flash continued, “and I want to get to know you, not Princess Twilight or any other girl, YOU. Besides, me and Princess Twilight, it was never going to happen, no matter how much I wanted it to at the time.” Flash took a quick glance at the time before turning back to Twilight. “Look, we’re going to have to put this conversation on hold because the game is about to start, but if this still keeps bothering you, feel free to talk to me about it, okay?” Twilight looked down, breaking eye contact with him. She could still feel the blush on her face, and her heart was pounding like Pinkie Pie on the drums. A single thought kept running around over and over in her mind. “He likes me for me,” she thought to herself. Then, she did something that took them both by surprise. Twilight slid her hand into his, laced her fingers between his, and lay her head on his shoulder. “I don’t think that’s going to be necessary,” she answered him with a smile. Flash felt a rush of heat shoot up from his heart to his face. “Oh my gosh,” he thought to himself. “She likes me back. She really likes me back. I don’t believe it.” He blinked a few times, expecting Twilight to disappear but hoping that she wouldn’t. Roughly ten blinks later, she was still sitting next to him. He could still feel her hand holding onto his, and he could definitely still feel his shoulder slowly going numb from the weight of her head. He pinched his leg with his free hand. Okay, he felt that too. This was not a dream. “Please stand for the national anthem,” shouted the voice from the loudspeaker. And just like that, it was over. Bummer. One winning game and celebratory froyo run later, Flash was driving Twilight home. His brother and Button Mash had gone home with his family, so the two of them were alone. “So,” Flash began. “That was some date.” “Yeah,” Twilight shyly agreed. “I, uh, really had fun.” She paused and bit her lip. “Uh, your family seems really nice.” “Thanks. They, uh, seem to like you too.” Flash bit his lip as well. “Twilight, um, if you thought the date was weird, you can tell me so. I know a middle school baseball game is not the first thing people think of when they think first date.” “It’s pretty unusual, but I think it works,” Twilight replied. “Although, I have to ask. Why was it so important for you not to miss this game?” Oh boy. Flash sighed. “I, I’m not proud of what I’m about to tell you.” “Well, whatever it is, it can’t be worse than nearly ripping the universe apart in a state of magically induced insanity,” Twilight said with a shrug. “No, it’s not worse than that,” Flash agreed, “but it’s still pretty bad.” Twilight turned to him, giving him her full attention. “The last girl I dated was Sunset Shimmer, and that was back when she was a different person. We had started going out because she showed an interest in me, except that she was showing her interest in ways that raised a lot of red flags for my family when I told them about it. My family told me not to get involved with her, but I went behind their backs and dated her anyways.” He sighed. “It gets worse. As we dated, Sunset started demanding more out of me, more of my time, more of my attention, more control over the relationship. The more she demanded, the more I lied and the more I kept blowing off my friends and family. My relationship with my brother took the worst of it.” “But the two of you seem so close,” Twilight exclaimed in surprise. She can’t imagine someone like Flash ever treating anyone badly, especially not his brother. “We are, and we definitely were before I dated Sunset,” Flash explained. “What happened while you were dating Sunset?” “I,” Flash paused, taking a shuddering breath before continuing, “I kept blowing of his games. Every time I missed a game, I would tell him, no, promise him that I’d show up for the next one, but I never did. When he finally called me out on it, we both said things to each other that we now regret.” “What did you guys say to each other?” Twilight asked before backpedaling. “Wait. No, it’s too personal. I don’t want to know. Okay, I actually do, but you don’t have to tell me. I mean, you can if you want to, but you don’t have to.” “I told him to stay out of my life, and he told me that he wished I had died instead of Grandpa.” Twilight stared at him, utterly dumbfounded, not only at what he had told her but also at the fact that he would trust her with something so personal. “I,” she stuttered, “I’m so sorry to hear that. Also, I know I asked, but you really didn’t have to tell me.” “Well, I figured that if we were going to be dating, you have the right to know just how much of a mess I am,” Flash answered. “So, now that you know, do you really want to keep going out with me? I totally understand if you don’t. I know I’m not exactly Prince Charming.” Twilight kept quiet as she continued to stare out the window. “So, I’m guessing that your grandfather was a really big part of you and your brother’s lives,” she managed to say. “Yeah, especially,” Flash sighed, “especially after our dad left.” Again, Twilight didn’t say anything. How was she even supposed to reply to that? “So, that’s what Micro Chips meant,” she muttered to herself. “Um, excuse me?” Flash uttered. “When the girls and I eavesdropped on you and your friends,” Twilight explained, “Micro said something about you having a hard time believing that you’re a good person and that you’re someone worth caring about. It’s because of everything you just told me, isn’t it?” “Gee, do you read through all your books this quickly?” Flash quipped. Twilight smiled at that but quickly became serious again. “Flash,” she began, “I completely and totally agree that you’re a mess and that you’re no Prince Charming,” she paused,” but Micro Chips was right about you, you know? You’re a good person, and you’re also someone worth caring about, and maybe, maybe I need that more than I need a Prince Charming. Besides, I’m a bit of a mess too. I should be the one asking you if you want to keep dating me.” “Of course, I do, and you?” Twilight answered with a smirk, “Oui à l'infini.” She laughed. “Oh my gosh! My French is so bad. I don’t know what I actually said, but that was supposed to be ‘yes to infinity.’” Flash chuckled at that. “By the way, for what it’s worth, even if I’m not Prince Charming, I’m still going to try to treat you like a princess,” Flash replied, smirking back. “I wouldn’t be a very good boyfriend if I didn’t, would I, milady?” “What? Are you going to kiss my hand after you walk me to my door?” Twilight joked, making them both laugh again. Flash parked his car in front of Twilight’s house and helped her out of the car. Once again, he offered her his arm to take. This time, Twilight was much more comfortable taking it. “So, not that I didn’t enjoy our date, but maybe our next one should be a little more just you and me,” Twilight brought up as they began walking to her front door. “I know that your Friday nights are occupied, so maybe we should schedule our dates for Saturday.” “You mean, let’s do what I suggested we do for this date in the first place,” Flash teased. “You haven’t forgotten that going to my brother’s game with me was your idea, have you?” “No, of course not.” Twilight rolled her eyes and lightly kicked him in the shins. “Hey, careful. If I trip, you’re going down with me.” Twilight giggled. “I guess I shouldn’t be annoying the person responsible for my safety and wellbeing. Isn’t that right?” They laughed. “If you don’t mind me asking,” said Flash, “why did you want to come with me to my brother’s baseball game?” Twilight carefully thought about her answer. “I’m not entirely sure. I guess I got curious about what kind of a brother you were and wanted to see for myself what you were like.” “Oh. Well, I hope that I was at least as good as yours.” Twilight giggled again. “Well, I wouldn’t say that, but you come pretty close.” The two of them shared another laugh before arriving at Twilight’s front door. “So,” Flash rubbed the back of his neck before continuing, “I’ll be seeing you next Saturday then?” “Oh, yes, definitely,” Twilight agreed, letting go of his arm and getting ready to go inside. Twilight turned and was about to open the door when Flash took her by the hand and kissed it. Twilight blushed, and her eyes widened. Did that actually just happen? Flash met her eyes, gave her a warm yet sheepish smile, and said, “I know you were joking earlier, but I really wanted to do that.” Twilight smiled back. Then, she lunged forward, threw her arms over his shoulders, and pulled Flash into a comfortably tight hug. Flash was taken aback at first but soon returned it, gently yet securely wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him. “Did anybody ever tell you that you give great hugs?” Twilight playfully whispered in his ear. “Really? I could say the same about you,” Flash whispered back. “Oh, wow, do I really want to kiss him right now!” Twilight thought to herself as she turned her head towards him. “Alright, break it up!” Shining Armor demanded as he burst out of the front door. Flash and Twilight pulled away from each other in surprise. “Don’t make me turn on the sprinklers.” Well, that happened. “Now, son,” a voice came from behind Shining Armor. Shining Armor stepped aside to reveal an older man. He was two inches shorter than Shining and less muscular with hair and skin in two different shades of dark blue. “Don’t scare off the poor kid.” The man offered his hand out to Flash. “Hello, my name is Night Light. I’m Twilight’s father.” “I’m Flash,” Flash introduced himself, taking Mr. Light’s hand to shake, “Flash Sentry.” “Nice to meet you, Flash, and thank you for bringing my daughter home before 10.” “Oh, it was my pleasure. The two of us really had fun.” “Not too much fun I hope,” Shining butted in. “Shining Armor,” Night Light scolded. “Out of my way, everybody!” a female voice shouted from the hallway. A middle-aged woman with gray skin and purple and white hair pushed her way past the two men, grabbed Flash’s hand in both of hers, and began shaking it vigorously. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Twilight’s mother Velvet.” “Likewise,” Flash replied with a rather uncomfortable smile as Ms. Velvet continued to shake his hand. “Oh goodness, you’re so polite,” Velvet exclaimed, finally letting go of Flash’s hand. “You know, this is our first time meeting one of Twily’s boyfriends. We really ought to invite you for dinner one of these days. Say, why don’t come over for dinner tomorrow? Shining Armor is bringing his girlfriend over too.” “Mom!” the siblings simultaneously cried out. “Velvet, honey, let’s not rush things,” Night Light pointed out. “After all, Twilight just came home from her first date with him. Don’t you think having him over for dinner tomorrow is a little fast?” “Oh, hush, you!” Ms. Velvet countered. “If he and Twilight are going to date, we need to make sure he’s comfortable with being part of the family.” “Oh, good grief,” Twilight muttered, putting her hand on her face. “You don’t have any objections against coming for dinner tomorrow night, do you?” Velvet asked Flash. Flash looked towards Twilight who was covering her face in complete, utter embarrassment. Then, he looked to each one of her family members. Shining Armor was eyeing him suspiciously, Mr. Night Light was frowning with uncertainty, and Ms. Velvet was beaming from ear to ear. He took a deep breath and gave his answer. “I’ll come if Twilight’s okay with it,” Flash replied. Twilight uncovered her face and looked at him dumbfoundedly. Flash shrugged in response. “Twily, ARE you okay with this?” Mr. Light asked his daughter. Twilight wanted to say no. No, she wasn’t okay with this at all. She hadn’t been home for even five minutes, and her family was already embarrassing her. Twilight opened her mouth to speak but then stopped and thought about what she and Flash had talked about on the way to the front door. She had suggested going to his brother’s game to see what kind of a person Flash was around his family. Now, he had the opportunity to see what she was like with hers, and he was letting her have the final say in the matter. Denying Flash that opportunity felt pretty unfair. Besides, as embarrassing as they are, at least she HAS caring and loving family members. Well, so did Flash, but unlike him, she’s never experienced the heartache of loss and abandonment before. “We’d love to have you over,” Twilight answered Flash with a smile. “Ooooh, perfect!” squealed Velvet. “Be sure to dress nice, you two. I’m going to want pictures.” “Great!” Flash affirmed. “So, I’ll see all of you tomorrow then.” “Oh, of course. Drive safe on your way home.” Flash smiled at Ms. Velvet and the rest of Twilight’s family before turning to Twilight. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. Twilight looked into his eyes, blushing fiercely, partly from embarrassment but mostly because Flash had dreamy eyes. Then, Flash smiled warmly at her and kissed her hand again. “See you tomorrow, milady,” he said with a smirk before walking back to his car. “Y-yeah, s-see you tomo-tomorrow,” Twilight inaudibly stuttered as she watched him go. Flash gave Twilight and her family a final wave as he drove off. Then, one by one, Twilight’s family began to go back into the house, leaving only Night Light and Twilight outside. “Well, he seems nice,” Night Light said to his daughter. “I think I like him.” “Yeah,” Twilight uttered, still in a daze. “You know, if he somehow manages to survive dinner with the family tomorrow, he’ll officially have earned his man card.” “Uh-huh.” “Twily, are you going to come inside?” “Huh?” Twilight cried, snapping out of her daze. “What did you say, Dad?” “Sweetheart, did you hear anything I just said?” “Uh.” Twilight smiled sheepishly at her father. “You know what? I’ll tell you inside. Are you coming?” “Oh, yeah, sure,” Twilight replied. She gave one final look back to where Flash’s car used to be before going inside with a contented smile on her face. Oddly enough, she was actually looking forward to tomorrow.