In fact, it was nothing really scary or complicated. She didn’t even have to force herself in order to feel at ease with Flash Sentry. Just like Rarity had said, all it took was being natural. Up to this point, it had run like a horse race.
Also naturally had Twilight and Flash Sentry decided to go to the park near Canterlot’s Castle. With the nice weather, the place was pleasant, and the quietness made it the perfect place to have a chat without being bothered or without curious people clumped together around, listening to the nearby conversations.
However, the first thing striking them when they reached their destination was how seized were the green lawns. Couples, friends, families with children… Canterlot’s inhabitants had taken over the park. It happened it would be much harder than they had thought to find a very quiet place to settle.
“Do you want to go elsewhere?” Twilight asked to the young man beside her.
“We’re going to find some free space. Come on…”
And before she could utter the least of protestation, he took her hand in his, and led her wholeheartedly, looking for a spot to share together.
Twilight couldn’t help to let her cheeks being colored. It was the first time she held the hand of a boy since kindergarten. Everyone would see them and probably think they were a couple.
Although no one really paid attention, she felt as if all eyes were conveying towards her, and already, imagined what people were saying about them. She was not good enough for such a boy, too uptight, too much of a geek girl… Or even worse – like the boys who had tried to violate her, they were thinking that under the well-behaved surface hid a depraved girl.
It was stupid to ask herself so many questions, Twilight knew it. And yet, she could not help it. In the end, relationships were not that easy.
“Over here, there’s a vacate bench. Hurry!” Flash Sentry pointed out to her, speeding up to the extent that she almost stumbled.
The bench he had just found wasn’t really clean, with an old rest of a newspaper stuck to the lower part, but it didn’t seem to bother the teenage boy who climb to sit on the backrest, his feet just where bottoms were usually settled.
If anything would happen between them, Twilight knew she wouldn’t let him act in such an uncivilized way. She didn’t dare to say anything, since for now they were nothing for each other, and she only sat putting her jacket between the bottom of her dress and the wood.
That was how she noticed the second peculiarity of this bench of luck… Situated in an isolated part of the park, in the shade, from where she was it was improbable someone would see her if anything happened.
Applejack’s words came back to her mind: “avoid dark corners”, and she suppressed a chill.
She had not to let herself be trapped by irrational feelings. Flash Sentry was not a stalker harassing her with impassioned messages and rambling love letters. He neither was the kind of boy who did not know how to behave with a girl that was not completely wasted, like the bunch trying to bring her to a karaoke booth. He was a good boy. The evidence was that he could not bring her phone back when she bumped into him in Sugarcube Corner, yet he had done it anyway. She had to stop imagining things.
“So, em… Are you part of a club at school?” Twilight questioned in order to rekindle the conversation.
“Meh, no. I’m not really interested. You’re part of the Students Board, eh?”
“Yes, I’m the representing delegate.”
“Wow. Smart and volunteer, I admire you. I don’t like talking in front of people, personally, I rather express myself with my guitar.”
“Oh, I’m not embarrassed to talk in front of people, but when the Rainbooms perform, I’m best at taking care of the management.”
“Rainbooms… Is that your girl friend’s band? You’re all so close. That’s amazing… I got a bunch of buddies with whom I rehearse but out of music, we’re not really connected.”
“It’s very important for me to spend time with my friends. They’re like my sisters.”
“I’ve noticed that.”
Of course it was only the beginning of their conversation, but Twilight quickly noticed Flash and her diverged on many details. A few differences were a good thing in a relationship, in order to avoid boredom, yet the couples displaying too many dissimilarities rarely were the ones lasting forever.
True, she still thought his smile was irresistible, she liked the softness displayed in the blue of his eyes, but it didn’t mean she was ready to throw herself in a relationship, taking into account only the pleasant physical attributes.
She didn’t like that. She had built her hopes up about Flash Sentry and her, since he had been the first one to be interested by her this way, for another reason than asking her help with science or to put her in danger.
Although it wasn’t completely true. In fact, another boy was interested by her… But he was too old for her. And, Flash Sentry was the first one whom she had envisioned another kind of relationship with.
There she was in her reflections when suddenly, she felt the young man who had come closer, and had left the heights of the backrest to take her in his arms. This unexpected embrace sent an electric shock directly at her heart, that started to thump louder than before.
“Sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to… Run.”
“What?”
She barely had time to understand what he’d just said to her that she saw a girl appear in front of her eyes. And not just any girl… Trixie, no less!
Where did she come from? Probably from the bushes behind them. Yes, probably.
“Flash Sentry! Can I know what the hell you’re doing?”
“I’m sorry, Trixie”, he said standing back up and confronting with the young woman. “I’ve changed my mind. I refuse to do that to her. She doesn’t deserve it.”
“Pfff, did I pay you fifty bucks to have your opinion? I don’t think so!”
“Fifty bucks?” Twilight whispered, unable to believe it.
There were no words strong enough to describe her disappointment when she fathomed what this was all about. No need to be a genius of mystery novels to understand she had been trapped – once again.
“If that’s the only thing, I’ll give your money back.”
And he took a wad of banknotes out of his jeans pocket, that he threw at Trixie’s feet, who was here accompanied by two preteenagers, a tall skinny one and a small fat one, who hurried up to get the money back, arguing about which one of them both would give it to their idol.
“If I’ve known you were such a chicken, I would’ve give the job to someone else… Too bad, if that’s the way it is, the Great and Powerful Trixie would do this job herself.”
“I won’t let you do that either!” Flash Sentry exclaimed, setting himself between her and Twilight.
But what Twilight wanted right now was to kick his ankle and to tell him to go to hell. She didn’t need to be saved, especially not by the one who had precisely tried to trap her all along. Alright, fighting clearly wasn’t her cup of tea. Yet, it was about her honor and dignity, and for these she was ready to fight, although it meant ending up with a few bruises and commotions.
“I’m old enough to get by on my own”, she said, then she made a step towards Trixie. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but if you want to fight with me that hard, so be it.”
“Why? I thought you were smart! I knew you would be trapped by his great face. All it took was for him to cooperate like a good dog and once snared and massacred by the book, I’d never be underfoot again for the first place.”
“You would go as far as ‘massacring’ me for the first place?”
“What do you think? I’m the Great and Powerful Trixie, I deserve first place. Ouch!”
To everyone’s surprise, Trixie, as great and powerful that she was, had just been hit by a half-full bottle on the back of her head. The strike had been done by behind, and when she turned around, she understood why no one wanted to believe it. What was she doing here?
“Great and Powerful… Boring and Noisy, rather!”
Rainbow Dash was standing in front of her, her hair tied in a ponytail, clad in sports bra and pants, with sneakers for race. Her pale skin was slightly glowing, and a few inches behind her, stood a very tall boy, with midnight blue hair and green eyes, dressed in sports clothes as well, holding a chrome-plated canteen in his hands.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Soarin and I have decided to run Canterlot’s marathon. This afternoon were the first try-outs to measure our time… And you’re hollering so loud the whole park hears you, you moron!”
Sometimes, life worked in mysterious ways, and Twilight was glad. Without this almost divine intervention, she would have to fight against Trixie, and she knew her clumsiness when it came to this type of behavior wouldn’t have help out.
This help she accepted with pleasure, conversely to Flash Sentry’s that she considered as inappropriate. To confront Rainbow Dash was another level than being in front of her, and this, Twilight knew. She wondered how her rival would react.
“Get lost, Rainbow Dash! Let Twilight handle this on her own. She’s a grown-up girl, isn’t she?”
“Do you really think I’d let you act without reacting myself? You’re not just stupid, you’re completely half-witted!”
“How dare you treat the Great and Powerful Trixie this way?”
“And you, how dare you lashing out on Twilight, just because you’re unable to beat her in a loyal way? I’ve seen cowards in my life, but this one boggles my mind.”
“I…”
The young woman didn’t really know what to answer, though she usually never lacked eloquence. That this silly Rainbow Dash who had a good average only thanks to her sporting efforts was looking down on her was unbearable. She deserved a good lesson…
But, Trixie also knew the teenage girls in front of her had practiced in boxing, that she was feared by many lacrosse players all around the country, and this all had given her the reputation of a killer. She might only have her physical strength and her multicolored hair as qualities yet the case that was hers was all about physical strength.
She thought for a few more seconds, then yelled her two minions to follow her, before running away, hiding by a powdering smoke.
Alright, she had just been humiliated, it didn’t mean she would let things be this way. Will come the day when she, the Great and Powerful Trixie, will have her revenge, and this day, beware all those who had mocked her.
When she was gone and her damn smoke had vanished away, Rainbow Dash took a few steps further, and took back her bottle of water, fallen on the ground.
“I really hoped you wouldn’t fight”, Soarin told her.
“So did I, to be honest. I didn’t want to be stained with blood, along with reeking from perspiration.”
Her boyfriend rolled his eyes. She always had to try to show off, adding details of this kind, when he knew the real reason was different. She had given so much of herself during the tests for the marathon that she was now too exhausted to do anything else than taking a shower, and curling up in front of TV… and he knew it because she’d told him herself when they went running toward the ‘crime scene’.
“Thanks”, Flash Sentry said to the rainbow-haired young woman as she took a step towards him.
And as her ‘you’re welcome’, she slapped him, the sound of it whipping the air.
She heard Twilight gasping, her hand on her mouth. This action even surprised Soarin, though he knew her well. Rainbow Dash always had a good justification to use violence. She hated when aggressiveness came out for no reason at all.
“You’re lucky Soar and I have been around. If anything had happened to Twilight, I promise you would’ve received more than a slap in the face.”
“I know, sorry. I needed money, and… I’ve done wrong.”
“Yes, indeed, pal. To accept to waste someone else’s future for fifty bucks is the dumbest thing I ever saw.”
“Isn’t he, perfect?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight with a mischievous wink. “Now, Flash, you’d better run off and never showing your face to us again. You don’t deserve this girl.”
“But I…”
He wanted to add he wasn’t exactly playing a role. This stupid trap had allowed him to discover the fascinating personality of a young woman he thought was rather lovely, and little by little as he saw and talked to her, he had envisioned to give up on the plan and ask her to become his girlfriend for real.
His chances were ruined forever and he was aware of it. It was understandable… A relationship could not be built on such a misapprehension.
For this reason, he chose not to debate any longer, and to accept his fate. Before he left, yet, Flash Sentry apologized to Twilight, but he didn’t wait for her to answer anything and went away, head low and hands in his pockets.
“I could never thank you enough, Rainbow Dash”, Twilight said to her friend.
“Don’t. or Thank Canterlot’s marathon. And Soarin, for having the idea to take part in it.”
“No, there’s no need to thank me at all”, the young man said, chuckling from embarrassment.
Twilight sighed. She was glad, and sad at the same time. The idea of being in love too had been so intoxicating she couldn’t believe it had been nothing than this, in the end – an idea. It seemed as though she wasn’t ready to go through romance.
It could never have matched with Flash Sentry, anyway. They didn’t have enough in common. It would have been such a pity if her first love story had turned into a heartbreak just because she would not have thought about all the probabilities. Especially as it wasn’t like her at all.
While she was at it, she would rather found someone a bit more like her, as Rainbow Dash and Soarin who both matched and completed each other.
The lesson she had learned today was this one: friendship and studies still were worthier than love, which relied on too much fragile prospects. Always trust the equations you were able to resolve.
-------------------------------------
Shortly after, Rainbow Dash had gone home to have a shower and to loaf around in front of TV. She’d offered Twilight to keep her company, but the young woman refused, arguing she rather go home as well.
While waiting for the bus to bring her back to her suburban area, she’d changed her mind. Pinkie Pie was in town with Applejack and wanted to know how her date with Flash Sentry was doing.
The three girls had decided to go together at the Sugarcube Corner, but it appeared no table was free there. Joined by Fluttershy who had spent a little while with her brother, they didn’t really think about it when they finally crashed at Shining Armor’s police station.
The eldest was busy filling administrating documents with the help of his assistant Timber and that was why he’d accepted them in his office without complaints. Then, since the topic sounded interesting to everyone, the young woman had told about her first date.
It was far from a success. It even was a very big deception for her. The word ‘heartache’ didn’t really describe how she felt since she never been in love yet it was painful. To know she had been the butt of the joke was nothing pleasant.
“Am sorry, Twilight, Ah didn’t mean it when Ah told ya about dark corners.”
“I’m sorry too”, Fluttershy said, horrified.
“This Flash Sentry seemed to be too good to be true”, Pinkie Pie added with her arms crossed.
“No, I’m the one who should have beware, that’s all”, Twilight sighed.
She had no idea how in the world she could have guessed this was nothing but a scheme plotted by Trixie in order to depose her, yet she held a solid grudge against herself. If she was as smart as they all said, why hadn’t she seen anything coming?
Each time she thought about it, she felt like screaming from frustration but she tried to hold herself back. It had been ages now since she had understood that letting yourself go to negative emotions brought nothing special, except in certain very particular cases.
“Watch out, if ya become too suspicious, ya’ll end up like me no longer trustin’ any guy.”
“And if it happened again, that would really mean bad luck”, Pinkie Pie chuckled.
“It’s not about to happen again… I wasn’t looking for anyone until then, and I’ve no intention of starting now. I guess it was an overall bad idea. I don’t have time for flirt. Although… It still hurts.”
This bitter assessment was hard to admit. Even the most impervious persons about romance could be harmed in their pride when betrayed or tainted. It had to happen to her for her to realize.
“Anyhow, I rather like you’ve learned it before it was too late”, Shining Armor intervened. “And I’m convinced it’s always better to be with someone you’re in love with.”
“Especially for your very first love”, Pinkie Pie rebidded. “First loves are really important to people.”
“For sure”, the policeman nodded with a funny half-smile.
His true first love had been no one else than Rarity, and Shining Armor knew that, although he loved his fiancée with all his heart and soul, the young woman would always have a particular space in his heart. He hoped his young sister could also go through something as memorable as this, and in the right meaning.
This also made Applejack think a lot. As she never had the chance to fall in love yet, she wished for her best friends to have the chance to live something extraordinary with someone who would bring their enormous joy. It was already on the good making for Rainbow Dash, and Twilight still had the time of her life for this… On the other hand, she wasn’t sure about Pinkie’s feelings on the topic, like many other things about her.
Today, she had the power to make sure one of the remaining girls would know this feeling. Of course, she probably was a bit partial since it was her own brother, but it seemed to her Big Macintosh was the perfect find to take good care of Fluttershy.
He was a very demure boy, who didn’t really like talking about personal matters. Even with her, he never overlaid with his love affairs or encounters. Out of all his girlfriends, she only had met the pretty librarian, and as an intimate relationship, she only knew about Rainbow Dash whom had been nothing but a short-lived experience, which would never be repeated.
However, she was convinced that he had the softness and the diplomacy necessary to match with her friend. She was what he needed, someone affectionate and modest.
But Applejack also know none of them were very effusive. If anything should happen between them, they probably needed a little help from destiny.
“Ya know, Fluttershy, Ah think ya should try to talk to Big Mac. Am not really sure whether he likes ya or not but Ah know he’s very much shy and he’d never dare to ask ya anythin’, especially as yar one of mah friends.”
The young woman was surprised by this sudden confession and despite herself, her cheeks got colored. It seemed to be a little bit out of the blue. For all that, she decided she would gladly take this piece of advice, nodding with a tiny smile.
It wouldn’t be easy for her to make the first step, since that was what had been suggested to her, but if she wanted Big Macintosh to be aware of her feelings, at least, there was no getting away from it. One thing was sure – she would need to get prepared, as well for daring as for a potential rejection. Applejack had explained she wasn’t sure her feelings were shared.
Three discreet knocks resounded. Shining Armor, distracted by his documents, told the person behind the door to get in, and immediately, a resplendent young woman dressed in an elegant white dress appeared inside the office.
“Am I disturbing something?” she asked from the softest voice.
The policeman’s eyes gleamed. The girls saw Twilight getting up and greeting the young woman, like Timber, who took of his cap.
“How could I be disturbed by my gorgeous fiancée?”
This statement cleared the questions they all had. So this was the famous Cadence who was no one else than Dean of Crystal Prep, CHS’ rival High School.
Without the least shadow of a doubt, they all understood why Shining Armor had fallen in love. She was the type of woman who could make Twilight’s brother giddy. Tall and slender, her multicolored hair beat the small of her back and formed elegant curls at the tips. Her small face with pouty lips and a Roman statue’s nose was always wearing makeup with taste and discretion, and her amethyst eyes were glowing with benevolence.
She and Shining Armor knew each other since ages. They even had met before he had started to even date Rarity.
Back when Twilight still was at elementary school, Cadence had been her babysitter. High School students looking for a casual work in order to have a small allowance, although she came from a family from Canterlot’s bourgeoisie, she had always been a very beautiful girl, but also provided with wit and a flawless openhandedness.
Shortly before his separation with Rarity, Shining Armor had found back Cadence by chance, accompanying his little sister and her best friends at Crystal Prep’s open house. They had kept in touch from then, first as simple friends, then they had taken their relationship at the higher level once the young man had become single again, and they hadn’t left each other ever since.
It was now almost a year since they were engaged. The date of their wedding kept on being postponed, both families having troubles to find an agreement, but the couple had no doubt that soon, they would find this agreement, and be happily ever after – while starting to think about having a family of their own.
“We were supposed to meet here before our dinner in town. Maybe I’m a little early…”
“No, you’re right on time”, he answered with a smile a bit too goofy from admiration. “I’ve just finished. I’m changing my clothes and we’re good.”
“Perfect.”
Shining Armor hurried to put away the papers in an archive box, and to gather his things before joining Cadence. The latter greeted each of Twilight’s friends, who introduced them to her one by one, explaining some of them weren’t here.
The young woman made a great impression. There was nothing surprising about it. She never let anyone indifferent, whether that was because of her beauty, her intelligence or her stylish appearance. This more than brief interview was enough to put each of her friends under her spell.
They all followed with their eyes as the couple was going towards the police station’s locker room. In fact, they weren’t the only ones… Shining Armor’s colleagues didn’t miss a thing about it as well. It was easy to guess many of them were envious.
“Ooh”, Pinkie Pie said once they disappeared from their field of vision. “They’re so cute together… I want a boyfriend as well! Rarity’s matrimonial blind dates aren’t working at all!”
She stamped her feet like a child going without candies under the slightly exasperated look of the bunch… Then she swerved her whole attention on a small dog passing them by in the arms of an old lady.
No need to take umbrage about it. That was the way the young woman was; always likely to jump from pillar to post without anyone to understand how or why.
What was sure was that it was more than about time for the bunch to go back home, armed with some lessons for some of them. All it would take would be to distract Pinkie Pie from this Cavalier King Charles, which couldn’t be that difficult… It even was within the reach of anyone suggesting a walk to the bakery at the corner of the street on the way back.
Fluttershy and Applejack volunteered for the job, and Twilight was about to follow, when she was caught up by Timber, who had softly grabbed her forearm. The teenage girl took a glimpse in the direction of her friends, who hadn’t seen anything, before deciding to stay with the young man.
“I know it’s probably none of my business”, he said to her as if confessing. “But I couldn’t help hearing the conversation you had with your friends and your brother.”
“Yes?” she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
“I think you’re a very smart girl and you need someone who would treat you with as much respect as you deserve. Someone who you could talk about anything with, but also who you could have fun with.”
“Alright.”
Adding nothing else than “have a good evening”, Timber left her to her reflections.
There was matter to be confused…
To be completely honest, he was the one she’d thought about earlier than she’d said to herself someone else than Flash Sentry had paid attention to her. What she had suspected for so long had just been confirmed. And she had no idea what she could do with this revelation, especially as she had sworn to herself not to think about boys until High School was over. She had projects for her future and refused to let anyone destroy them.
Didn’t she?