//------------------------------//
// The Dreaded Choice 
// Story: Oh no, they're Goddesses now! 
// by James Pwyll 
//------------------------------//

"Hmmm...should I or shouldn't I?"

Flash, tapping his chin with his finger, thought long and hard on the important matter before him. He knew a decision needed to be made, but he also knew that it was a choice he'd need help with. He looked up, his eyes darting to all others who had gathered here, none of whom were paying him any attention as he stood in the adjacent room of the village hall. A long sigh escaped him, and he knew what had to be done. Reaching down his shirt, he pulled out his pendant, which was a simple black string from which dangled a small ornament in the shape of a purple star. He looked to it for the longest time, then slowly closed his eyes, bringing the ornament close to his face. He muttered calmly under his breath. A prayer. Would she answer? Would she bless him with her presence? Mere moments passed, and before the young man could open his eyes, a new voice spoke to him.

"Well now...what do we have here?"

Opening his eyes again, Flash, at least at first, hoped that his prayer had been answered, yet when he turned to see who had spoken, he was taken aback to find that this was not who he had been expecting. Oh, he certainly knew a Goddess when he saw one, but this was one unfamiliar to him. With grey skin and clad in nothing but a simple short dress, which appeared to be made from some brown beast's fur, this figure lazily hovered in mid-air, reclining as if laying down on a sofa. Her hair was short and white, though long enough to reach down and cover one eye, while her other eye looked to him with a bright red iris. From her head spouted a pair of mis-matched horns, as though taken from two completely different animals, and her mouth, though closed, revealed a single fang-like tooth protruding from under the lip. The young-looking Goddess smirked as she regarded the youth before her.

"So then, what's your name sweetie?"

Flash, remembering his manners, dropped to one knee in a typical sign of submission before the Goddess.

"Er...I'm Flash, My Lady. Flash Sentry."

The newcomer nodded slowly.

"Yes...one of Twilight's, yes?"

Flash nodded, looking back to her.

"Yes, but...I'm sorry, I don't think I know you."

The Goddess chuckled pointing straight to herself.

"My dear lad, you stand in the presence of none other than Eris, Goddess of chaos and disharmony!"

Flash blinked slowly.

"Um, pardon me for saying so, but I thought that was the role of the God Discord?"

A knowing smirk came to Eris' lips.

"Well, let's just say a deity likes to feel pretty every once in a while," she remarked while tucking some of her white hair behind her ear.

Flash took a moment to consider that, then his eyes widened with realisation.

"You mean...you're...?"

Eris winked, pointing straight at him.

"Bingo-bango, we have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! The lad's figured it out!"

She'd said that so loudly that Flash suddenly remembered that he was not alone here today, and so glanced to the side to the other villagers. None of them had even turned to look at him, so it was a safe bet that only he could see and hear all this right now. It was a small comfort, to be sure, but he took what he could get at this point. Unfortunately, his attention was soon returned to the chaotic lady nearby, as she gently floated to the ground before placing one hand on her hip, striking a rather sensual pose.

"Wadda ya think? Not too shabby, if I do say so myself."

Flash, realising how monumentally bad of an idea it would be to insult a Goddess, simply resorted to keep his mouth as tightly shut as he could, all while his cheeks erupted in a fierce blush. Eris, naturally, took great amusement in this one.

"Oh, this is gonna be fun. But first, to business."

She folded her arms, looking to him inquisitively.

"I believe you wanted a little divine intervention with something?"

Remembering why he was in this predicament to begin with, Flash shook his head to regain his senses. But before he spoke, he was suddenly struck with a rather important remembrance, and so looked down to his pendant, taking it in-between his thumb and forefinger.

"Well...um...it's just...I've been a devoted Twilightite all my life, so...I'm not sure it's right for me to ask for another Goddess' help."

Eris stared at him, eyebrow raised.

"Twilight...ite?"

She slapped her own face.

"Ugh! Please tell me that's not what she's calling her followers!"

Rolling her eyes, she looked again to the mortal.

"I assure you, Mr Sentry, that I'm perfectly capable of helping out just as much as Little-Miss-Perfectionist! Now..."

Her smirk returned.

"...what exactly appears to be the issue?"

Flash, all of a sudden, seemed a bit less confident about this whole matter than he was before. He knew it was an important decision, and he did need help, but now that an actual Goddess was here to offer that help, and one that had a bit of a dangerous reputation at that, he wasn't feeling like he was on quite as stable a footing as he could be. But, as the stares of Eris continued to bore into him, he relented, sighing, and looked down to the table he'd been standing next to this whole time.

"O Eris, Lady of Chaos, I beseech thee..."

He gestured to the table, upon which was a large plate, which Eris could see had a single slice of what looked like some kind of cake.

"...should I eat the last slice of cake?"

A silence fell, and Eris stared at the lone piece of cake that had been pointed out to her. Flash himself waited, looking from the food to the Goddess and back again. After a time though, a sigh was heard, and not from Flash, but from Eris, who slowly looked up to stare him right in the eye.

"You prayed for a Goddess...you asked for divine aid...for this?!"

Flash frowned, clearly seeing no problem with this matter.

"Of course I asked for help! Who knows what kind of problems I'd cause if I just waltzed on in here and took it!"

Eris' shoulders slumped, and she started rubbing her temples in a clear sign of calming herself.

"A complete and utter goody-two-shoes. Yep, you're definitely one of Twilight's followers."

As if the mention of her name was all that was needed, Twilight Sparkle herself now appeared onto the scene, bursting into being through an array of purple sparkles that befitted her name. Flash, upon seeing her, fell to his knees again, while Eris again rolled her eyes.

"Oh, speak of the Devil..."

Twilight was incensed at her presence though.

"DISCORD!!!"

But Eris soon corrected her.

"Ah! I go by Eris today!"

Twilight rubbed the bridge of her nose, exhaling deeply.

"Fine! Eris then!"

She pointed an accusing finger at her fellow Goddess.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

Eris, who now apparently saw some opportunity for amusement, resumed her smile, trying to look and sound as innocent as she possibly could.

"Little old me? Why, I'm simply helping this poor lad with a terrible moral choice."

Twilight's frown deepened.

"You know you're not supposed to poach other Goddess' followers like this!"

Eris grunted.

"But I'm boooooooooooored!"

Twilight shook her head, then looked down to Flash, who was still kneeling. Seeing someone she actually liked, Twilight smiled, getting down to one knee and reaching out with her hand, offering it to the mortal.

"Take heart, Flash. Your true Goddess is here," she said, making sure to give Eris some side-eye as she did so.

Flash smiled back to her, and as he accepted her hand, the two stood up again.

"Now then, my loyal follower, what appears to be the problem?" Twilight asked.

Flash, now confident that he had his proper deity with him, pointed to the cake slice. Twilight looked to it, taking only a moment to realise the situation and the problem that needed her involvement, and she nodded.

"Ah, I see. Yes, I can understand why you needed me. This is truly a difficult matter."

Eris looked to them both, finding that whole exchange hilarious.

"Wait, seriously? It's a piece of cake we're talking about here!"

Twilight's head snapped in her direction.

"You stay out of this!"

But Eris was not so easily silenced.

"See, it's things like this that are the reason your followers are all such boyscouts! Also, Twilightite? Really?"

Twilight folded her arms.

"It's to-the-point," she explained.

"And as unimaginative as you can get," Eris countered.

Ignoring her, Twilight got back to Flash, gently placing a hand upon his shoulder.

"In your heart, you know the right thing to do. Someone, out there among your village, will want that slice. Oh, sure, they may say now that they don't, but imagine if you claimed it for your own. You take that first bite, and all of a sudden, one of your fellow villagers changes their mind."

Flash grimaced at that prospect while Twilight continued.

"They'll lament not taking it when they had the chance, and they will look to you with annoyance, maybe even anger. True, you will not be at fault, but that choice could lead to a greater and greater rift between you and they. Friendships may end, and conflict will emerge, all because of a single slice of cake. Do you really want that?"

Flash sighed, shaking his head.

"No, I don't."

Twilight smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Good man."

Here, Eris had had enough.

"Okay, that's it! There is no reason for you to take this so seriously!"

The other two looked to her, and while Twilight was annoyed at the interruption, she said nothing as Eris carried on.

"It's just a slice of cake! Nobody here is gonna give you trouble with it! Just eat it already! Because hey, if those guys wanted it, they should've gotten here first!"

Twilight fumed at that.

"That is a totally selfish and irresponsible thing to do!"

Eris shrugged.

"Do you see people lining up to have it? No! It's just Flash! This isn't rocket science, Twilight!"

Flash tilted his head in confusion.

"What's a rocket?"

Eris snickered.

"Give it a few millennia. Trust me, it'll be big!"

Twilight softened as she looked to Flash again.

"Remember, Flash, always think of others first. Be the selfless one here."

Flash nodded, contemplating that wisdom.

"Or just take a moment for yourself for once and just eat the cake!" Eris added.

"Ooooh! Did someone say cake?"

At that new voice, all eyes turned to see that it was none other than Pinkie, who had just popped in with the sound of a confetti explosion, much to the shock of everyone around her. Flash got to his knees again, a motion that was starting to irritate Eris, and spoke humbly to the new arrival.

"Praise to you, Lady Pinkie, mistress of merriment and festivities."

"And fun! Don't forget fun!" Pinkie added.

But, as she regarded the mortal, she paused, taking him in. Her eyes drifted all over him, and after a long silence, she started to smile amorously, sliding over to Twilight and whispering to her.

"Hey now, Twily, where have you been hiding this one?"

Twilight frowned, but said nothing as Pinkie assumed a more professional tone.

"Now then, as the Lady of Parties, and thus the one with true jurisdiction in this problem, I say this...just eat the cake."

Twilight's eyes snapped as wide as they could.

"PINKIE?!?!"

Eris chortled.

"Finally! Another Goddess with some sense!"

Pinkie looked to Twilight and shrugged.

"What? If there's cake to be had, then have the cake. Simple!"

Twilight slapped her forehead in frustration, and as she did so, Pinkie sauntered on over to Flash, who was now standing up again, and spoke soothingly to him.

"So, now that that's over with, how about you and me have a different kind of party, cutie?"

Flash blushed massively, and Twilight, realising what was happening, reached over and grabbed hold of him, holding him close and tightly.

"No! My follower! Shoo!"

"Come on, Twilight! I'll only borrow him for a few hours!" Pinkie declared.

"What?!" Flash yelled.

"Have you thought of asking the other villagers?"

The new voice caught everyone off-guard, and their eyes turned to see that it was Sunset, who was leaning against the side of the table with her arms folded, looking very much amused by everything that was transpiring. Flash would have undoubtedly got to his knees had he not been in the strong grip of Twilight right now, so he instead just spoke back to the new Goddess.

"Um...pardon?"

Sunset chucked, then gestured to the other villagers.

"I mean, they're right there, so...why not just ask?"

They all stared at her, looking like that was the most bizarre thing any of them had ever heard. But, after a while of mulling it over, Flash, now free of Twilight for the time being, cleared his throat and poked his head out the door to look to all the others in the village hall.

"Um...anyone else want the last piece of cake?"

The other humans stopped what they were doing and looked to him. Then, after a brief interlude where they all glanced around to see if anyone would speak up, one of them, a young lady about his age, spoke back to him.

"Er, no, go for it."

Flash smiled, giving a thumbs up before darting back into the other room.

"Well, that was easy."

Sunset smirked.

"Told ya."

But, before anyone could really be happy about this now-ended conflict, they turned to find that the cake plate was now inexplicably empty. Naturally disturbed by this, they all looked around, only to stop when they heard the very distinct sound of someone munching on something. Slowly, they all looked at Pinkie, whose cheeks were puffed up like a gerbil, and she was totally oblivious to the stares she was now getting. That is, until she actually swallowed, wherein she became very aware of it indeed.

"...What?"

All looked annoyed right now, and Flash just looked like he was on the verge of a mental breakdown, so Pinkie, realising what she'd just done, gave herself a little bop on the noggin.

"Oh! Duh! Here, let me fix that!"

She snapped her fingers, and after a quick flash of light, the piece of cake re-appeared on the plate. Unfortunately, it was returned as part of a whole fresh and uneaten cake, thus completely filling the plate. Flash, bewildered by this, looked back up to the party Goddess, who promptly smiled to him.

"You're welcome!"

She then leaned over and gave him a quick wink.

"Oh, and be sure to send a prayer my way if you want some fun on the side."

Flash blushed again, and Twilight of course looked annoyed, but Pinkie, before she could be on the receiving end of anybody's complains, zipped out of the room with another confetti sound. Eris, who had been thoroughly entertained by all this, gave a hearty laugh before turning to Flash.

"You know, kid, I was wrong. This was way more fun than I expected!"

She gave another laugh, then snapped her fingers, teleporting out, leaving just Flash, Twilight and Sunset. Moments afterwards, Twilight, taking this opportunity now that Eris was gone, walked over to her follower and spoke in a warning tone to him.

"Remember, if she ever offers you any golden apples, just say no."

Flash blinked, and after all of this, he just smiled and nodded. Though the mortal was of course relieved to be free of the conundrum that had put him in this mess to begin with, it was clear that he had been exhausted by it, as evidenced by his long exhale. But, he wasn't so exhausted as to forget his manners, and so offered another smile to his primary deity.

"Thank you, Lady Twilight. I appreciate your aid."

Twilight smiled back, giving a quick bow of her head.

"It was my pleasure, Flash."

Sunset smiled too.

"And mine."

Then, a look of curiosity came to the human, and he scratched his head.

"Say...if you don't mind my asking, why didn't you get here before Eris? I mean, it was you I sent the prayer to after all."

To that, both Twilight and Sunset started to blush, and they quickly glanced at one another before looking back to Flash.

"Oh! Um, we were busy with...stuff," Twilight stated.

"Yes, very important Goddess kinds of stuff," Sunset added.

Flash blinked, not sure of how to take this, then, all of a sudden, Eris' head popped in out of nowhere, floating around, before just blurting out the obvious to the boy.

"They were busy making out!"

Flash again blushed to this, as did the other two Goddesses, who glared angrily at the intruder before screaming in unison at her.

"ERIS!!!"

"You're welcome!" she said, popping back out again.

Flash, thoroughly brought to the brink of "done" over all this, turned around slowly to the two, trying to sound as deferent as he could.

"You know...I could just pretend I didn't hear that."

Sunset and Twilight, in spite of everything, smiled back to him, with the latter responding.

"Yeah, that'd be good."