A Flash of Regret

by MythrilMoth


A Flash of Anger

"You're mine now, Flash Sentry. Or else."

Flash's brain seized up as he watched Sonata attack her breakfast. She suddenly looked less like a cute, slightly spacy girl and more like a dangerous, predatory beast. "Wait...what?"

"That's not gonna be a problem, is it?" Sonata asked, batting her eyelashes innocently at Flash. "Isn't that what nice boys do when they deflower innocent virgin maidens?"

Flash scooted back from the table. "Uhh..." He blinked, then shook his head. "Now wait a minute," he said. "You're far from innocent. And I'm pretty sure you're not even a virgin!"

"Well, not anymore," Sonata crooned in a voice that dripped with honey. She covered her mouth with a hand and giggled cutely.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you weren't one last night either," Flash said with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh? So you do remember our night of wild passion?" Sonata gave him a sly look.

"Guk!" Flash grabbed his soda and chugged it, thumping his chest with a fist. Sonata laughed at his reaction. Setting his cup down and taking several deep breaths, Flash closed his eyes. "What. Do. You. Want?" he gasped out.

Sonata put a finger to her lips and made a show of thinking. "More tacos," she said. "These are pretty good."

Flash glanced back at the stove. "I think there's enough left for one or two more."

"Great!" Sonata said, snatching Flash's unfinished plate. "You go make yourself more, I'll get started on these."

"H-hey!" Flash protested. After a second, he sighed and trudged back over to the skillet, rolling himself two new tacos. Suddenly, he didn't feel terribly hungry anymore...

"Oh, and I'm gonna be crashing here from now on," Sonata said.

Flash nearly flipped the skillet off the stove onto the floor. "WHAT?!"

"Eh, the others kicked me out," Sonata said with a shrug. "Something about 'you're worthless, you're an idiot, it's your fault we lost our magic, why do we even put up with you, you empty-headed ditz, just go get hit by a car'..." Sonata trailed off. "I mean, they say that stuff all the time, they kick me out and I wander around for a while then go home and..." She made a vague gesture with one hand. "But this time they don't really need me because none of us have our magic anymore and I'm kinda tired of their crap, so I was actually trying to figure out how to con somebody into letting me couch-surf for a bit." She smiled shrewdly. "And then you landed right in my lap!" She pulled a doe-eyed face. "But...but it's okay if you really want everybody to know Flash Sentry took advantage of a poor starving homeless girl and then threw her back out onto the cold, mean streets..."

Flash stared at Sonata, terror, dread, and anger battling for dominance in his soul. She stared back with a bright, sunny smile.

Just then, the sound of a fist hammering on the front door broke the tableau. Shaking himself, Flash rushed to the door and threw open the chain lock, turning the deadbolt with numb, frantic fingers. He threw the door open...

A worn-out old tennis shoe met his sternum, throwing him clear through the foyer. He landed on his butt in the living room.

Sunset Shimmer, dressed in old, faded jeans, ancient tennis shoes, a faded T-shirt, and a light windbreaker, stomped into the house, slamming the door closed behind her. "What. The FUCK. Did you DO," she snarled.

"Me! He did ME!" Sonata said cheerfully from the kitchen door, waving enthusiastically.

Sunset glowered at her, then dragged a hand down her face. "Well, at least it's the almost-tolerable one," she muttered.

"Aww, thank you!" Sonata said sweetly.

Flash picked himself up off the floor and groaned, massaging his chest. "S-Sunset, what the..." he wheezed. "What's with...the mule kick..."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Sonata asked. "I thought you were supposed to be all goody-two-shoes now!"

"You! Don't talk," Sunset ordered.

Flash winced. "Sunset—"

"You, same as her," Sunset said. Flash stared at her dumbly. Sunset grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the couch, then pointed a finger at Sonata, snapped her fingers, and motioned for her to join them. Sonata blinked and did as commanded.

"Alright," Sunset said, "explain this stupidity."

"We had sex and now I own him," Sonata said simply.

Flash scowled at her. "You do NOT 'own me'!" he said.

"Oh, but I think I do," Sonata said sweetly. Wide-eyed, she clutched at her stomach. "Oh! I...I think I feel it!" She gasped. "Yes! I feel a baby coming on!"

Sunset glared at her. "Bullshit."

"Are you sure?" Sonata asked sweetly, a sly grin on her face. "I mean, I'm not on the pill and Flash sure didn't use a condom, so..." She raised the back of her hand to her mouth and let out a short, snotty laugh.

"You're deranged," Sunset snarled.

"No, I'm homeless," Sonata replied simply. "And loverboy here is my meal ticket. He's got a nice cozy house, there's plenty of room for me, and besides, he's kinda cute!" She reached over and wrapped an arm around Flash's bicep. "I could do a lot worse. And I have blackmail material on him!"

Flash stared at her, visibly sweating. Sunset rolled her eyes. "Flash? Feel free to man up any time now."

"Uhh..." Flash swallowed. "W-well..."

Sonata fluttered her eyes at him. "You know," she purred, "what we did last night? There's plenty more where that came from...if you're a good boy..."

Flash gulped. Sunset facepalmed. "You know? I don't even care," she muttered. "I'm outta here. You do...whatever." She stood up and marched to the front door. "I came over here because I was actually worried about you, but if you're just gonna bend over and take it up the ass like this—"

"Oh, that's more Adagio's thing," Sonata interjected.

Sunset shot her a sour glare. "Don't bother calling me when this whole mess goes sideways," she said. With that, she made her exit, slamming the door behind her.

Flash stared at the front door, then at Sonata.

Sonata smiled. "I'm gonna go shower now," she said. "Get the guest room ready for me? I'm gonna be here a looooooooooooooong time."

Flash slumped forward, heaving a sigh.

* * * * *

An hour later, Sunset joined her friends for weekend band practice in Applejack's garage. She wasted no time in telling them the news.

"So he calls me up, totally freaking out," she said as she tuned her guitar, "and get this. He slept with Sonata Dusk last night."

Rainbow's guitar made a *skrikaRONG!* sound. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. As in the Siren? THAT Sonata Dusk?"

"Holy cow!" Pinkie gasped comically.

"Umm...slept with as in...?" Fluttershy rattled her tamborine, blushing furiously.

"Huh. Didn't peg Flash as that type," Applejack said.

"He's not," Sunset said. "I mean, this...this is just...bizarre." She played a quick riff, adjusting the knobs on her guitar. "But it gets weirder."

"How could it possibly get any stranger than that, darling?" Rarity asked.

"Well...apparently she's forcing him to be her boyfriend now."

The others stared at her.

"...goodness," Fluttershy said quietly.

"And she's blackmailing him for a place to crash," Sunset added with a grimace. "Honestly, I knew Flash was spineless, but this is just disgusting."

"Now hold on there," Applejack said with a frown. "Sure, Flash is a dork, but he ain't whut Ah'd call spineless."

"You didn't see him this morning," Sunset said. "And trust me, Flash is totally spineless. I'd know. You have any idea what it takes to get him to grow a pair?" The other girls frowned at her. Sunset blinked, then grimaced. "Crap. Sorry, I...I guess that's the old me talking."

"A bit, yes," Rarity said.

"Still, my point stands. Flash has a bad habit of rolling over and taking stuff. I mean, he only makes an effort if it's to impress a girl he likes, and pretty much any cute girl who shows any interest in him can get him to do anything." She sighed. "Again, I'd know." She averted her eyes.

"Yes, but we're talking about one of those wicked Sirens here, darling," Rarity pointed out. "Surely Flash is aware—"

"Oh, he's aware," Sunset said sourly. "And she's not as dumb as she looks. Honestly, back when they first showed up, I was so worried about Adagio that I wrote Sonata off as, well...a vaguely evil Pinkie Pie." She glanced at Pinkie. "Err...no offense."

Pinkie shrugged. "None taken. She is a vaguely evil me."

"Yeah, well that 'vaguely evil' just turned into 'sneaky little bitch'," Sunset said. "She played Flash like a harp."

"So what're we gonna do about it?" Rainbow asked.

Sunset shrugged. "Honestly? I don't wanna get involved. I mean, this is his mess, he's gotta deal with it."

"But ain't it dangerous havin' one'a them Sirens hangin' around?" Applejack wondered.

"They don't have magic anymore, so all she can do is be bitchy and manipulative," Sunset pointed out.

The other girls stared at her. She blinked. "What?"

Fluttershy coughed pointedly.

Sunset's face fell. "Oh."

A long silence fell.

"Maybe this won't be so bad?" Pinkie suggested. "I mean, she's evil, but she's...goofy. Maybe we could try being her friends? Hey, maybe this could be a good thing! I mean, Flash does kinda need to get over Twilight, right?"

"That's a good point," Rarity said. "As adorable as they are together, theirs is a love that simply cannot endure. Surely Flash realizes that."

"I have a feeling that's how Sonata got to him in the first place," Sunset said with a sigh.

"I, umm...I think maybe Pinkie Pie has the right idea," Fluttershy said. "Maybe this...maybe this is a chance to make a new friend, like we did with Sunset." She looked around at the other girls.

Rainbow shrugged. "I guess," she said. "I mean, I'd rather just kick her butt and send her packin', but..."

"That could blow up in Flash's face," Sunset said. "I mean, she outright threatened to ruin his reputation with everything up to and including a fake pregnancy."

"Oh my," Fluttershy whispered.

Rarity scowled. "How...crude."

"Okay that jes' ain't right," Applejack muttered.

Sunset sighed. "Thing is, I was angry when I left Flash's place, and I told him not to bother me with his problems anymore, but..." She hung her head. "The truth is, I'm really, really worried about this."

The girls looked at each other, frowning. As one, they moved to surround Sunset.

"We're with you," Rainbow said.

"Whatever you decide to do about this situation, we're behind you a hundred percent," Rarity agreed.

"Yeah, you're like the sixth Ranger that comes in mid-season and takes over the whole group from the Red Ranger!" Pinkie said cheerfully. "Just say the word and we'll jump right in!"

"Umm...what she said. I think," Fluttershy added.

"We beat them gals once, we can do it again," Applejack added confidently. "Besides, this sounds less like takin' down evil magic Sirens and more like dealin' with..." She trailed off.

Sunset gave her a wry smirk. "Me?"

"Uhh...yeah," Applejack said lamely.

Sunset snorted. "Thanks, girls." As her friends moved in for a group hug, Sunset's thoughts turned back to Flash. *I hope I'm worrying over nothing...*