Chapter 5 Seduction and Surrender
Beams of light flickered against Flash’s closed eye lids. The bindings of slumber released him, and he stirred on his bed. When he tried to move, however, a lump of mass prevented him from rolling away from the source of the light.
Reluctantly, Flash opened his eyes and squinted. The curtains in his dorm room had been parted ever so slightly in the center, and a golden stream poured inside. Details started to become clearer and more distinct, and so Flash glanced beside him.
Aria clung to his body, and her head was still against his chest. Her breathing was steady, and a slight, cute snore pervaded the air. At first, Flash just stared at her. His mind was a jumble of bizarre images, due in part to the fact that he wasn’t 100% functional yet.
Flash glanced at the clock, which read 7:42 AM. He narrowed his eyes. Today was… Tuesday, wasn’t it?
Gently, he shook Aria a little. “Hey there. Wake up, it’s nearly eight.”
A great groan slithered from Aria, and she stared to cringle and move.
She squinted up at him. “Wha? What are you doing in my room?”
Flash chuckled a little. “You’re in my room, remember?”
Aria blinked a couple of times, and then she sat up on the bed. She rubbed her eyes and then yawned.
“That’s right,” Aria replied. She grinned at him and then caressed his face with her hand.
This time, Flash didn’t pull back.
“I think we both fell asleep,” Aria said. “Are you feeling better?”
Rather than answer right away, Flash averted his eyes and let them go unfocused. A small pang of sorrow still lingered in him somewhere.
“Yeah, I do.” Flash sat up beside Aria. “Thanks again for last night. I really needed that.”
Aria replied, “Yeah, I could tell.” She paused for a moment. “I hope you don’t mind, but I totally looked at your phone when you were asleep.”
A cold rush splashed within him, and his eyes opened a little wider.
Aria winced. “You’re not mad, are you?”
A moment passed, and Flash said, “No, I don’t suppose I am. So now you know.”
“Not really,” Aria said. “I read what you two said to one another, but what happened to cause all this?”
Flash shifted on the bed so that his legs were off the bed. Once he was sufficiently planted on the ground, he explained the unusual event that led to the destruction of his cherished friendship.
Aria listened intently, but she didn’t say anything until it was over.
“I think she was ashamed of you,” Aria said.
White hot discs spun in Flash’s insides, and it caused a kind of vertigo to overtake him.
“Ashamed?” Flash asked.
Aria nodded. “Yeah, think about it. She took you to a party, spent time with you, and even touched you intimately.” She got up, pushed him a little further back on the bed, and then straddled him. She placed her index finger on his lips. “Like this.”
Based on her growing smile, she was well aware of the effect it was having on him.
“She was toying with you when it was convenient for her,” Aria said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “And when you unexpectedly came in contact with her boyfriend, she freaked and told him you were nothing to her. Just a classmate.”
Bitter sourness festered within him, and Flash’s eyes became wetter.
Aria leaned in close and whispered into his ears. “I would never be ashamed of you.” Her moist lips encompassed one of
Flash’s ear lobes, and she began to suck ever so intently.
His body lurched a little, and Aria tightened her grip on him.
“You deserve someone who is going to appreciate you,” Aria said. She blasted hot breath on his neck. “Like me. Sunset made you so sad. You don’t want to feel that kind of grief again, do you?”
Flash swallowed hard. “N-no, I don’t.”
Aria brought her head around so her nose was at the tip of Flash’s. “Then you’re going to do exactly what I tell you. Only I can make you feel good. Only I can take away the pain.” She smiled, and a strange sensation bore its way down Flash’s back.
A hot and uncomfortable tremor wiggled within a larger cloud of urgency and need for touch, tenderness, and passion. Aria’s eyes sparkled with an acute awareness, and Flash trembled in her grasp.
“You have class today, don’t you?” Aria asked. “With you know who?”
Flash nodded.
Aria said, “You should trade seats with another student. Sit as far away from her. If you don’t, you’ll be swept back under her spell. That’s just how you are. She’ll use you again, and she’ll hurt you again. It’s for the best.”
Flash swallowed hard, but he nodded. “Perhaps that’s a good idea.”
Aria giggled, and she planted a soft kiss on Flash’s neck, right where it merged into the shoulder. “It is a good idea.” She returned her face to where they could look into one another’s eyes. “I’m here for you, and I can make you feel wanted, needed, and important.” Her lips formed a little pout. “You want to feel that way, right?”
It only took a moment for Flash to nod.
The smile on Aria’s face widened. She bucked her hips a couple of times, and things became tighter and harder. She leaned in, and planted a small, brief kiss on his lips. It was a wet kiss, without tongue, but it carried intensity.
She pulled away, but never broke eye contact. “You said it’s nearly eight, right? I have class at nine, so I have to go back to my room.” Aria rose up, but she hunched over a little when she stood.
Her hand gripped the shape of his excited appendage through the outside of his pants. It swelled for a moment, and pulsated with delight and anticipation. Flash just watched her, and a bevy of conflicting thoughts smattered against one another inside his head.
“Do you want to meet up tonight and have a little stress relief?” She asked. “I think it would do both of us some good.”
Flash swallowed hard, and he opened his mouth. What was he going to say? No? Yes? But you’re not Sunset? He winced, and Aria giggled.
She back stepped to the door. “You don’t have to answer now. Think about me today.”
The air grew heavier and toxic as the door closed behind her. Flash sat in the empty room, and his skin sizzled with heat. In contrast, his soul spun around in various flight patterns. What was he supposed to do? It felt so good, but…
He let his gaze fall forward and land on the floor. But nothing. Only one question mattered, what was best for him?
He licked his lips and stood up. The giant bulge in his pants refused to diminish, and he just stared at it with a kind of buyer’s remorse.
Was that what was really best for him?
***
Flash had gotten to room 312, and to his delight, it was bacon-hair free. He stopped in the doorway and glanced around the room. Rather than go to his seat, he moved up to a large, dad-bod type fellow. The guy sat in the row closest to the door.
“Excuse me,” Flash said. “Hi there, my name’s Flash Sentry.”
Dad-bod glanced up and then grinned. “Hi, my name is Twinkie Cake.”
“Would you mind doing me a favor?” Flash asked. “Would you mind trading me spots?’
Twinkie glanced over to Flash’s usual seat. “You sit next to that bacon-haired hottie, don’t you?”
Flash winced for a second, and his heart thumped in his chest. “Yeah, I do. So can we switch? I’d rather be closer to the door so I can get out to my next class faster.”
Twinkie shrugged. “Sure. It works out well for me too.” He gathered his things and moved over to Flash’s old seat with rapid excitement.
His gut throbbed, and he couldn’t help but wonder if all of this was a big mistake. Aria had been right though, he didn’t want to feel that kind of anguish or longing again. Flash sat down, and he pulled out his writing notebook.
Rather than focus on any of the pony fiction, he allowed himself to delve into a new story concept. In his mind, he saw a young man cast away from everything that he had come to love. This hero had to start over and find his own sense of purpose, despite where he desperately wanted to be. Putting it into words eased his own tensions, and his breaths became a little calmer.
From his peripherals, he noticed a certain bacon-haired lovely enter the room. Flash didn’t look up, but he recognized the movements for what they were. Sunset had stopped when she noticed where he sat, and then she studied her new neighbor. She remained stationary for only a moment before she sat at her usual spot.
Flash’s heart spiraled into a well of darkness, but Aria had been right. This was what was best for him, wasn’t it?
Professor Discord skipped into class, just as he did at the start of every one of his classes. He smiled and stared to address the students, but then he stopped.
“Wait a moment,” Professor Discord said. “What do we have here?” He crossed his arms over his chest. : A little switcheroo, I see? Well, I like a little chaos as the next interdem- I mean professor, but is there a reason why you’ve relocated, Mr. Sentry.”
A great weight pressed down on him, and it only got worse as the entire class, minus one bacon-haired lovely, regarded him.
He let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s closer to the door, and I can get to class sooner?”
Professor Discord barked out a laugh. “Are you asking me?” he howled with laugher. “No matter, let’s begin.”
The class was just as ‘unique’ as every other one of the professor’s lectures. When class ended, even before Professor Discord could prance out first. Flash gathered his things and zipped through the door. Someone called his name, an unmistakable someone with sweet blue green eyes and a tender index finger, but Flash power walked onward. It was unavoidable that the next class would be awkward, but then again, most of Professor Discord’s classes were awkward in some way.
***
Flash leaned back against the tree, and he let out another sigh. Of all the places on campus, the single tree in the middle of the open quad had been his favorite. It provided great shade, and he could see 180 degrees in front of him. Granted, someone could easily sneak up on him, but that didn’t matter to him.
He set his pen down, and glanced down at his work. The short story that he had been working on had been completely outlined and plotted out. It exemplified his angst, his twisting torment, and his strong desire to find new beginnings. Writing had always been a wonderful outlet, for both rough and raw emotions and the sparkles of imagination. Back before he met the original Princess Twilight, he had poured himself into his music, and he wrote such emotionally charged songs. It didn’t matter that no one cared about them now, all that mattered is that he got those thoughts and feelings out. These little stories served as outlets, and they allowed for complete strangers to step into his soul.
Someone started to cross the great threshold of the open expanse, and Flash locked gazes on them. A woman wearing a pearl-colored top, a purple dress, and a pair of knee-high purple boots waltzed ever closer. The wind blew against her purple locks. She carried what looked like a rolled up purple rug under one of her arms.
Rarity stopped when she stood over him, and Flash just gaped up at her curiously.
She gestured to the spot in front of him. “May I sit down?”
Flash nodded, and Rarity proceeded to unroll the rug in a spot before him. She gently rested in it, as if it were a throne.
“You and I need to have a discussion,” Rarity said. “and perhaps it is a little overdue.”
Flash swallowed. “If this is about Sunset, I didn’t do anything wrong. She doesn’t want –”
Rarity held her hand up, and by instinct, Flash stopped talking.
“It is good that you respect the request of a lady,” Rarity said. “And this discussion has nothing to do with right or wrong. It related to what is, and what is not.”
Flash winced as he closed his notebook and placed it to the side.
“Firstly,” Rarity said. “I’m here to correct several misunderstandings that have been lingering between the two of you. Secondly, if I can, I wish to mend what was shattered.”
Flash averted his eyes. “There is nothing worth salvaging. She wants nothing to do with me.”
Rarity merely shook her head. “Do you really think that’s true? You don’t think she’s torn up about what happened?”
“She said I was just a classmate,” Flash said.
Rarity replied, “Well what else was she supposed to say to her current boyfriend? That you were someone she was having feelings for? I doubt that would have gone over well.”
Flash’s eyes widened. “W-what did you say?”
“You heard me, and I shan’t say it again,” Rarity said. “Why did you think she spent so much time around you? Why did you think she invited you to that party?”
Flash kept constantly turning his eyes away from Rarity’s determined gaze.
She said, “You are well liked, but things are complicated. Life isn’t always so easy.” She gazed off into the distance. “Did you think we didn’t know what was going on? Even Sunset knew. As much as you said you wanted to change, you’re still the same hopeless romantic you’ve always been.”
Flash bawled a fist, and he gently pounded the ground at his side. “I’ve been trying so hard to be a better guy.”
Rarity reached over and cupped his chin in her hands. She guided his face so they were staring into one another’s eyes. “There is nothing wrong with being a hopeless romantic. Sunset didn’t tell you to leave her alone at first, did she?
She didn’t decline your invitations out, did she?”
Flash muttered, “No.”
Rarity released his face and sat back in a comfortable position. “I swear men can be so thick sometimes. Here’s something you don’t know.” She glared at him. “Normally, I wouldn’t tell you this, so you’re going to promise me that you’re not going to tell another soul what I’m about to tell you. Are we clear? If you break this vow, I’ll ensure that Applejack and Rainbow Dash proceed with their apple preservative threat.”
“They told you about that?” Flash asked.
“Darling,” Rarity waved a hand at him. “We’re best friends. We tell each other EVERYTHING.”
Flash leaned hard against the tree, and braced himself for whatever universe defining secret he was about to hear.
Rarity said, “Up until you and Sunset started hanging out again, she and her boyfriend were going through issues. He became complacent, you see, and he stopped showing Sunset the little pleasantries that are needed to sustain long-standing love.” She pointed at him. “When you two reunited in class, the way you acted awoke something in her.”
A soft chuckle passed the fashionista’s lips. “When she told us that she invited you to a party, she said she was so embarrassed and nervous. Not in a bad way, mind you. Sunset reveled in having someone long for her.”
Flash asked, “She told me that several of you were afraid I was going to obsess over Twilight.”
Rarity let out a dismissing, discordant sound with her mouth, as if she were about to lay down an epic beat. “Oh please, we’ve known you were over Twilight in that kind of way after you had that little fling with Aria.” Her smile fell from her face. “That reminds me. This new thing with you and Aria. What is it?
“I… I don’t know.” Flash rubbed the back of his head. “She was there for me when I needed her, and it helped ease the emotional backlash I had been feeling.”
Rarity winced. “I suppose I can understand, but be aware that you’re hurting Sunset with this new development.”
Flash glared. “It’s not just about her. I’m hurting too.”
A brief moment passed before Rarity nodded. “I suppose you are. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Things were getting quite bad with her boyfriend, and she was so unhappy. However, after the party, things started to change.”
“How so?” Flash asked.
“I’m getting to that,” Rarity said. She waggled a finger at him. “Honestly, I would have gotten there already had you not interrupted me.” She paused and then smirked. “Things changed, and Sunset started to be happy again. We all noticed it, and it was a welcomed change. Her boyfriend also noticed it too. Sunset started being more animated around him, and so in turn, he became more invested.”
Flash’s soul cracked. “Are you saying I saved their relationship?”
This time, Rarity winced, and she beamed an awkward grin at him. “In short, yes… and then at the same time no. I suppose it would be more accurate to say you extended the shelf life of their time together.”
“What do you mean?” Flash asked.
Rarity said, “Sunset was happier, and so her boyfriend was happier. They began enjoying one another’s company again, and it was like when they had started dating. It wasn’t all the same though. After all, there was you.”
Flash just stared at her, so Rarity continued on.
“Sunset told us that she began anticipating her hang out sessions with you more so then being with her boyfriend,” Rarity said. “It was obvious that you had feelings for her, and she was developing them for you too.”
Flash scoffed and he closed his eyes to hide the tears that started to form. “Feelings? For all your so-called insight and intuition, you don’t have a clue.”
When he opened his eyes, he saw Rarity, staring at him opened mouthed.
“My word,” she said softly. “Do you…” her lips curved upward in a growing visage of delight. “Do you love her?”
Flash swallowed hard again, and he averted her eyes.
“If that’s true, then why are you sleeping with Aria Blaze?” Rarity asked, a hint of harshness in her voice.
Flash replied, “We haven’t slept together, not since high school. Last night, we … cuddled, but that was because I needed someone to hold me together, otherwise I would have truly broken apart.”
Rarity looked away. “We were all in Sugar Cube Corner when we overheard Aria and her friends. She told them she grabbed your…” she scoffed a little. “Well, it doesn’t really matter. She said things and Sunset overheard.”
Flash said, “Sunset has a boyfriend, and me… I don’t have anyone. Aria wants to be more, but I…”
Rarity asked, “Can’t bring yourself to go forward?”
Flash nodded. “To be honest though, I can’t bring myself to stop her either. I’m hurting inside. It’s my fault because I fooled myself into thinking I could have something mature and beautiful with Sunset. I tricked myself, and so I’m in this state because of my own actions.”
“That’s not exactly true,” Rarity said. “If it were different, and she were single, Sunset would have snatched you up. Now, hearing that Aria is rubbing her grimy little hands all over her is tearing her up inside.”
Flash replied, “How do you think it makes me feel to imagine her boyfriend making her moan? Or squirm? I’m dying inside too. I understand you have to look out for your friend, but I have to look out for me. I matter too!”
He had not realized he shouted that last line.
Rarity turned her head away from him, although she still maintained eye contact. “Yes, you matter too. But do you really think that hooking up with Aria is what’s best for you?”
Flash frowned at her. “What am I supposed to do? Wait until Sunset is single and willing to give me another chance? You don’t think I don’t want to wait? You don’t think I don’t want to hold her in my arms right now?”
Rarity watched him for a moment before she started to rise from the rug. Instant coldness swept through Flash’s body.
“Why did you tell me all of this?” Flash asked. “Isn’t that betraying your best friend’s secrets?”
Rarity smiled at him as she rolled her rug up. “Darling, sometimes the best things for our friends is to have their secrets spilled to the right people. I don’t suppose there is any chance of you two making amends, is there?”
Flash said, “I want to, but I just don’t know. How can you be around someone whom you’re in love with, and you know that they like you too, but you know you can never ever be? How is that healthy for either of us?”
Rarity sighed. “There is truth to what you say.” She turned to leave, but then she stopped. “Despite whatever happens, you’re a great guy.”
She started her trek across the open expanse of the quad.
***
A sudden knock at his room door stirred him awake. After his rendezvous with Rarity, Flash had come back to his room to take a nap. His cell phone had several missed texts.
Aria: Hey! What are you up to? (3:45 PM)
Aria: Helloooo? (4:30 PM)
Aria: I’m going to swing by your dorm room. (6:00 PM)
Flash turned his attention to the alarm clock by his bed. Sure enough, it said 6:10 PM. Another knock rattled on his door, so Flash went to open it.
Aria stood there, hands on hips and a smug smile on her face. She waltzed into the room, and grabbed him by the shirt. Flash started to speak, but she placed an index finger on his lips, and pushed him on to the bed. Aria threw a back kick and closed the door with more than enough force. Flash’s throat closed up, and he watched as Aria got closer.
She straddled him again, just as she did this morning. Her lips pressed against his, and powerful electricity flowed into him. Aria wrapped around him, securing herself like an octopus. Their lips moved in small circular motions, and their lips parted. Her soft tongue trailed into his mouth and caressed his tongue.
Aria broke the kiss as she whispered in a husky voice. “Oh yeah, baby. I’m going to make you forget all about her. Let me wash away your pain.”
Her. A bacon-haired woman stood in the center of his mind, and she waved and smiled at him. Immediately, the image faded into the black backdrop of his mind as Aria kissed him again. Her tongue moved more passionately, and Flash’s body reacted in kind. He couldn’t help it, it felt so good. Pain had been forgotten, and only pleasure clouded his senses.
Sunset’s face flashed again, but Aria grinded her crotch against his. He became more erect, and a lava-like hotness bubbled up in him. In the confusion, Aria had broken apart the kiss once more, and pulled his shirt off of him. She pushed him back on the bed, and she started to pull her own shirt off. A teal colored bra covered her upper goods.
Aria tossed her shirt off to the side, and she started to fumble with her bra strap.
It would be so easy to just let this continue. All he would have to do is lay back and let Aria heal him. The pleasure felt so good, and yet…
Once more, Sunset appeared in his mind, smiling at him with that same sense of warmth. She personified her namesake, and Flash was but a flower, soaking in her radiance.
It would be so easy…
The bra started to loosen around her torso.
“Stop,” Flash said. He turned his head away. “P-please stop.”
Aria stopped grinding, but she remained on him. “Stop?” she practically growled at him. She shook her head and stepped away from him, the bra still hanging loosely from her chest. It still covered her breasts, but a gently bounce would dislodge them. “Are you serious?”
Her face became a mask of disgust and anger.
“Could you do it if it were Sunset?” Aria yelled. “When are you going to get it through your thick skull? She isn’t ever going to choose you! You’re nothing to her!”
Flash slowly stood up. Aria slapped him against the face, hard.
“You asshole!” Aria screamed. “Why can’t I be good enough for you? I’m right here, ready to be your one and only. Sunset will never be with you! She will never love you. Damn it, you’re so stupid right now.”
A wild tingling radiated across his skin.
Aria grabbed her shirt, placed it on over her body and moved toward the door. She opened it, but turned back to Flash.
“When you finally realize that you’re nothing to Sunset, call me,” Aria said. “You’ll get it sooner or later. You’re a smart guy. What’s it going to take to show that to you, huh?”
Flash winced as the pain from the slap really started to hurt.
Aria said, “You know she brags to her friends about how big he is? I hear them in Sugar Cube Corner, laughing about it.
She openly says he’s bigger than you!” She patted herself on the chest, “As for me, I want YOU! I’m the best you’re ever going to get because I’m awesome! You had better wake up soon, otherwise I might find someone else too.”
She opened the door and started to go out, but then she stopped. Her eyes went wide for a moment, and then she uttered, “Bitch.” Aria left the room, but left the door opened.
Silence descended in her wake, and Flash slowly got up. What could she have been talking about? Who was she talki-
Sunset stood in the hallway with wide eyes, and her hand drawn to her chest. She had a clasped fist, and her other hand hung lifelessly by her side. Great sorrow reflected in her eyes, and yet she didn’t say anything.
Neither did Flash.