By the time the concert ended, Sunset was tired, drenched in sweat, a bit sore, and loving every second of it. She and Tempest stood with their arms hooked together at the elbow, as they chatted and laughed with other members of the slowly dispersing crowd.
Sunset didn't notice as the lead singer Flash walked right up their group.
"Hey Tempest! You made it." He and Tempest high fived and fist bumped in a manner so clean it looked like they'd practiced the movement before.
"Uh, duh, I would never leave a fellow club member hanging." Tempest put her free hand on her hip, still locked up with Sunset in her other arm. "Plus, your shows rock."
"Thanks." Flash sheepishly smiled at the compliment. He had taken his hoodie off and was standing in his snug fit t-shirt. It was wet and stained with his stage sweat, sticking to his chest and hugging his arms right at the biceps. Sunset still didn't know too much about human anatomy, but she figured Flash Sentry was probably a good example of a young and healthy male specimen.
"This is Sunset Shimmer, by the way." Tempest motioned to Sunset raising their connected elbows in introductions before unhooking Sunset’s arm.
Flash smiled in Sunset’s direction, and in a tone mixed somewhere between warm butter and caramel, he said: “Nice to meet you Sunset.”
Sunset’s brain involuntary collapsed in on itself. Her tongue locked up. Years of Palace etiquette replaced any normal response to his friendly greeting.
Bending her knees, she curtsied to him.
Deep into the curtsy, normal Sunset came crashing back. In her embarrassment, her human legs abandoned her and she was now falling forward. Slated to either eat the dirt, or faceplant into Flash’s stomach.
And then, suddenly she wasn’t falling anymore. Her eyes slowly panned up. He’d somehow caught her mid fall with one hand on each shoulder. His hold of her was gentle but firm. She could feel the strength in his grip through her leather jacket. She imagined he could have lifted her into the air with ease. And that thought made her heart skip a beat.
She pulled away casually, trying to play off what had just happened.
“G-Great show.” She muttered, pushing a piece of her hair behind one ear. She attempted to keep a calm and neutral expression, but failed to keep a goofy grin from escaping her lips.
"Thanks," Flash rubbed the back of his head as he matched her goofy grin. Except his was on purpose and somehow made him look charming instead of awkward.
"But what about you? You almost beefed it there." Flash kept his hands loosely in front of him, just in case Sunset started falling over again.
"Oh, yeah no big deal. I'm just tired, that's all." Sunset brushed her elbows off and straightened her shoulders.
"Yeah that makes sense. I saw you going hard in the mosh pit. You were really into it." Flash winked and shot a finger gun at Sunset. Her face turned as red as her hair.
"Uh… well… you know…" Sunset struggled to find words for small talk. Maybe Celestia was right after all. Her friendship skills were rusty. "I've just never quite seen anything like that before and it was… fun." Sunset smiled as the perfect word finally came to mind.
Flash's eyes lit up in realization as he stared at Sunset in wonderment.
"Was that really your first concert? I'm honored." Flash put his hand over his chest and gave a half hearted bow. Sunset wondered if he was mocking her earlier attempt at royal court etiquette.
A playful arm draped over Sunset’s shoulders. Tempest thankfully interrupted as Sunset had absolutely run out of things to say. "Hey Flash, Sunset and I we’re gonna go get smoothies in a bit, wanna come with?"
Flash made a concerned face and looked over his shoulder.
"Man, you know I'd love to." He tilted his head as he rubbed his neck again. "But I told my band buddies I'd go get burgers with them. I'd hate to ditch 'em." Flash glanced at Sunset but looked away when she met his gaze.
"Oh ok, well if you already have plans, I guess we'll meet up with you next time. The school year just started, so we got plenty of time to hang out."
Sunset squinted her eyes as she pictured herself diving through the portal back home. By the end of the night, she would be the one ditching everyone else. And all of these nice humans just wanted to make friends with her. Perhaps this human world wasn't so bad after all.
"Hey Flash! Flash, where did you freaking go?" A booming voice rang from behind the stage area. Flash closed his eyes and let out a painful sigh.
"I, uh, I gotta go. I promised to help my drummer load his truck." Flash hunched his shoulders, collapsing his confident posture, as he turned to leave.
"Flash," Sunset called without thinking. He looked up from the ground and caught her gaze, causing her to blush. "It was really cool meeting you." She tucked her hands into her jacket pockets and grinned.
Flash smiled back and nodded.
"Flash, get your butt over here, now!" The drummer yelled.
Flash's smile didn't break this time, nor did he drop his gaze with Sunset.
"You know what?" He snapped his fingers and pointed at Sunset. The finger guns making another appearance. It was kinda cute. "On second thought, I'd love to go get smoothies. Let me go help this jerk put his kit away." Flashed pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "And I'll be right back."
"Awesome, see you in a sec." Tempest said as she offered Flash a fist bump. He returned it and waved to both of them as he turned to jog away.
Tempest patted Sunset’s shoulder. “You’re welcome.” She teased.
Sunset tilted her head to the side in confusion. “For what?” She asked.
Tempest shook her head slightly, and waved her question away. “Just in case you’re curious, Flash is awesome and super sweet.”
Sunset’s jaw almost hit the ground in shock. Her voice shook slightly as she tried to hide her embarrassment. “W-What? No. I don’t. I-I mean, good to know. But I, erm… I don’t care.”
Tempest eyed her suspiciously, but smirked and let it go.
Sunset, Tempest, and Flash chatted as they walked to the smoothie shop. Well actually, Tempest and Flash talked. Sunset felt like a guest on their conversation, only occasionally nodding and adding minimal input. Although, Sunset was happy to have the company, but her mind wouldn't leave her alone. She dreaded her inevitable return to Equestria. This temporary distraction would soon be behind her and she would have to deal with the reality of the real world. Her real world, anyway.
The smoothie shop looked like it could be a place in Equestria. It really was remarkable to Sunset how similar the two worlds were. Sure, the seats, tables, and counters were taller. Bi-pedal humans stood upright so high that they had to be. But the layouts, decor, and architecture would have been familiar enough to call home. Even the menu was filled with familiar favorites.
Sunset ordered a root beer float with vanilla ice cream. It was simple and uncomplicated and Sunset just wanted to experience something familiar. As she sipped the bubbly and foamy concoction, a joyous sensation splashed her pallet. It was certainly familiar, but she had forgotten how delicious a simple frozen sugar dessert could be. She remembered pony Tempest and realized that the last time she sipped anything like this had been with her. She may have just left Equestria, but it had been longer than she could remember since she had even seen her old friend.
Good luck Sunset Shimmer. I wish you all the best.
The memory came flooding back. Those had been the last words Equestria's Tempest had ever said to her. Sunset was so self absorbed, she had let their friendship slowly slip away.
"She knew…" Sunset muttered aloud without thinking. She looked up to see the humans Flash Sentry and Tempest staring at her.
"Who knew?" Tempest asked. Whatever they had been talking about, Sunset just interrupted.
"Sorry, I just got lost in thought and spaced out. What were you saying?" Sunset’s eyes darted between Flash and Tempest, hoping one of them would pick up where they left off.
"Hey no big deal. You should see me in class. I'm a complete space cadet." Flash responded, letting her off the hook. The three of them were seated in a booth at the corner of the smoothie shop. Sunset could see out the front glass windows that led to the busy street. The sun was already beginning to set. Flash sipped his Piña Colada that was garnished with fresh coconut shavings and a juicy pineapple wedge. It looked amazing to Sunset. He caught her staring as he took a sip.
"Do you wanna try it?" Flash reached out his hand, offering the tempting looking smoothie.
"Uh, yeah if you don't mind, thanks." She took the drink and pushed hers towards him.
"No thanks, I'm not big on root beer." He politely waved his hand. Sunset took a sip from his straw and the flavor hit her even harder than her float did. The tangy pineapple was particularly nice. She regretted not getting a fancier drink for herself as she sheepishly slid the drink back across the table.
"So that was your first metal show?" Flash asked as Sunset was still licking her lips from the tasty treat.
"Yeah, I've never experienced anything like it." She remarked.
"What kind of music do you normally listen to?" Flash inquired.
"I dunno, I guess I mostly listen to…" Sunset paused, trying to think of a word that translated to both dimensions. "...Classical music? But something about your songs just connected with me."
“So you went from only listening to only classical music to suddenly seeing a full-on metal show? Yeah, that would be an experience.” Tempest teased gently.
Flash chuckled as he spoke. "I think it's nice to hear someone appreciate the artistry in our music."
"What do you mean?" Sunset asked, tilting her head.
"Well most people are just like, 'you sound great' or 'you sound bad.' But even people who like our music usually say we sound pretty generic." Flash nodded as he looked Sunset in the eyes. "It's cool that you actually got something out of it."
Sunset smiled back as she ran her fingers through her hair and down the back of her neck.
"Yeah I really did.” She paused and took another sip of her float. Letting her mind think back to her origins with music. She let those thoughts flow from within her, “It’s just that sometimes music usually seemed cold and calculated to me. Something that a professional does, like a job. But, when you sing and play, it's so raw and passionate. I can't help but lose myself in it. Especially the guitar. It looks so much fun." Sunset held up her arms like she was holding an imaginary guitar. Her fingers moved along the phantom neck and strings as if it were real.
Feeling suddenly silly, she dropped her arms back down, but the wishfulness in her voice remained.
“It would be cool to learn how to play.” Sunset put her elbows on the table and leaned in towards Flash with her cheeks resting on her fists.
“If you want, I can teach you.” Flash rested his palms on the table as he tilted his head towards Sunset. They were still across the table from each other but it felt like they were right on top of one another.
“Really? You’d do that?” Sunset’s smile lit up her face through her smooshed cheek.
“Sure. I have an acoustic guitar back in my dorm. Let me go grab it.”
“Right now?”
“Yeah, why not? Besides, You gotta play when the inspiration strikes.”
Tempest had been oddly quiet for sometime before chiming in abruptly. “She’ll go with you!” Tempest exclaimed excitedly, elbowing Sunset in the ribs. Sunset broke out of her relaxed stance and sat up straight. Her ribs aching just a little bit from the nudge.
"I-I will? I mean… yeah I guess that's cool." Sunset rubbed the back of her head, unsure of herself. The sun setting outside matched Sunset's hair scheme and namesake. She still had several hours to spare. There didn't seem to be much harm in hanging around a little longer.
"Oh ok. Yeah, let's go then." Flash Sentry's cheeks flushed ever so slightly.
The trio quickly sipped the remainder of their beverages. Flash and Sunset kept up the small talk about the ends and outs of music while Tempest gleefully observed with a devilish smile on her face. By the time they left the shop, the Sunset had transitioned to Twilight as purple and magenta hues painted the partially cloudy sky.
Flash Sentry's dorm was back towards campus but still a bit further out than Tempest and Sunset's building.
"Oh darn it, you know what?" Tempest cried as they reached the front of Flash’s dorm house. It was smaller and more run down looking than newer buildings closer to campus. "I forgot something in our room, I'll be right back."
Sunset gave a panicked look as Tempest pulled away. Tempest simply winked at Sunset briefly before essentially running away from the remaining duo. Exchanging a glance, Sunset and Flash just shrugged their shoulders as they entered the dorm area.
The paint was faded and cracked in some places. The carpet looked permanently stained, an off combination of grey and brown. The main quad area split off into eight separate rooms with a modest common area and communal bathroom and shower around the corner of the hallway. Flash opened the door to his room and politely motioned for Sunset to enter. Sunset nodded and resisted the temptation to start curtsying again as she walked in. The exchange was oddly formal considering their environment and casual attire.
Sunset was taken aback by the dorm room decor. The room was furnished modestly enough. A single size bed against the wall. A wooden night stand with a lamp. A computer desk with a gaming chair. And a dresser.
But what set the room apart was the decorations on the walls. Sunset had no idea what color the wall was painted as every single inch was covered with some sort of poster or banner. Bands, flags, movies, video games, every type of modern human media imaginable adorned Flash Sentry's humble dorm room. Sunset wanted to know more about all of them but wasn't sure where to start. She ended up fixating on what looked like a band poster.
"Metal Maniacs?" Sunset asked, staring intently at the sharp letter font and abstract background art of the black poster.
"Yeah." Flash let out a sigh. "I know they're too mainstream, right?" The disappointment in his voice was palpable.
"I've never heard their music." Sunset replied flatly.
"Oh?" Flash looked rather shocked. Sunset shrugged her shoulders.
"Everything is new to me." Sunset meant it literally but Flash assumed she was talking about rock music.
"Ah yeah that makes sense. Well I've liked them since I was a kid. I see no reason to stop just cause they're not cool anymore or whatever." Flash defiantly folded his arms.
Sunset raised an eyebrow.
"Isn't the point of rock music to rebel against the norm?" Sunset smiled smugly. "So who cares what everyone else thinks, right?"
"Huh," Flash replied dumbfounded. "Hey, I thought you were the one new to rock music?" He smiled slyly back.
"And I thought you were the expert."
Sunset's eyes were drawn to a large banner dropped over the doorway. It was a sloppily painted "A" over a circle. Or perhaps it was an "O?" Sunset reasoned.
"What's that symbol?" She pointed at the flag. Flash turned around to look at it.
"Oh, that means anarchy." He replied casually.
"Anarchy!?" Sunset was taken by surprise. She instinctively clutched her hand over her heart.
"You don't think there should be any societal rules or governing structure?" Sunset shook her head in disbelief.
"Uh… well… I don't know, I never really thought about it. It just means like, 'screw the system' you know? Like it's all bull…" Flash was cut off by Sunset.
"Is the government corrupt? Is there tyranny in this world, should the people rise up?" Balling her hands into a fist, she got right up into Flash’s face.
"I mean… my parents always complain about the people in office. But I don't really pay attention to any of that." Flash took a step back from Sunset.
Sunset suddenly realized she was nearly yelling. Feeling a little embarrassed, she decided to back down a bit. She glanced around the room for something else to focus on.
"Since you're new to it, do you wanna check out some metal music?" Flash took the initiative and made a suggestion.
Sunset breathed a sigh of relief as the tension in the room dropped.
"I'd love to." She sat down on the bed with her arms spread out on each side of her.
Flash sat at his computer to look up music videos.
"I think you’ll find that anarchy is more of an attitude than, you know, actual anarchy." Flash gave Sunset a slightly condescending glance.
"An artistic license, you might say?" Sunset asked with a sideways grin. She was starting to catch on little by little. Finding a wooden chair across the room, she dragged it over to the computer next to Flash. Scooting his chair over, he allowed for her to see the screen better. He played video after video of bands he loved and listened to. Sunset ate up his enthusiasm as he dove into the ins and outs of metal genres and who was popular and why. It was just like when Sunset would bury herself in library research. However, this time she had someone to share it with. Someone to guide her along the way as she got lost down another rabbit hole of information. With each song and each explanation, the worries of Equestria and criminal mischief fled her mind. She was stuck in a world of music, uninhibited by the needs of the outside world.
Her eyes wandered to the edge of Flash's bed. An acoustic guitar sat propped against the bed frame.
"Oh that's right, we were gonna play guitar." Sunset exclaimed.
Flash gasped as he looked at his guitar.
"Aw man I'm sorry, I completely forgot." He smacked his forehead with his palm. A little bit of his quaffed blue hair rustled loose. He darted out of his seat and snatched up the guitar strumming a few notes to check the guitar’s tune. Sunset popped out of her chair and eagerly sat back in the bed to watch and, hopefully, learn.
"Here, we'll start with some basic chords." He looped the strap over his shoulder and firmly held the guitar in his arms. He stood tall and confident, like a switch had flipped him into stage mode. He strummed downwards and a rich chord filled the tiny dorm room with elegant harmony.
"You make it look so easy." Sunset commented. She looked down at her numerous human fingers. It was difficult to imagine them all moving independently and specifically on their own. The mental task seemed too daunting.
"Nah it's easy, here I'll show you." He stripped off the guitar strap and handed the instrument to Sunset. She awkwardly took it in her embrace and placed the strap over her shoulder. She gingerly held the neck in her left hand while the body rested on her knee. She made a futile attempt to position her fingers the way Flash did over the strings on the neck.
"How do I do this?" Sunset continued her awkward fumbling.
Flash sat down next to her on the bed. She felt his left hip press up against her right as he put his arm around her and gently gripped her fingers around the neck of the guitar. His cheek was right next to hers as she stared intently at her own fingers trying not to be distracted by his sudden closeness.
"Put your fingers on top of these strings." He said with a calm, warm tone as he gently guided her fingers to the correct strings. Sunset strummed the guitar but the sound it made was muted and metallic. Hardly musical by any stretch of the imagination.
"It's not working." Sunset complained, letting frustration slip into her voice.
"That's because you have to press hard enough to make a good tone."
Sunset pushed her fingers down harder and strummed again. A few melodic notes chimed through this time but it was still a chaotic mess.
"I'm not very good at this am I?" She turned to look at Flash’s face next to hers. She frowned with a defeated expression.
"No, it's fine. Your fingers are just muting the open strings. You have to press down hard while also only touching the strings you want to touch." Turning his head, he cleared his throat slightly. But also to hide the fact that his face was blushing. Composing himself quickly, he turned back and focused on the guitar instead.
Sunset carefully and painstakingly positioned her fingers so they only touched the strings she wanted. Her fingers felt uncomfortable and stretched to their limit. She could feel her palm starting to cramp as she gave another strum on the guitar. This time, to Sunset and Flash’s delight, a pretty chord echoed from the guitar. It was softer but similar in quality to the one Flash himself had played.
"Nice." Flash nodded his head in approval.
Sunset felt elated with her performance. It was her first real experience with a musical instrument. Magic school had been rigorous, but wasn't exactly eclectic when it came to subjects outside of magic. Her artistic and cultural experiences had been somewhat limited and this was the first time she had truly realized it.
"Now, if you keep that chord but move your pinkie finger over here…"
Flash adjusted Sunset's little finger to a different string. This position was somehow even more uncomfortable than the last.
"Ow, that hurts." Sunset frowned as she complained.
"Yeah, it’ll feel weird at first. You kind of have to build up a tolerance to it." He shook his left hand out a few times, remembering what it was like to first learn how to finger an instrument.
"Anyway, try that chord now." Flash said next to Sunset's ear.
She strummed the guitar and the same pretty chord came out, but it was different this time.
"Woah." Sunset marveled at the change. She turned and looked Flash Sentry in the eyes. He met her gaze.
“Go back and forth between the two.” Flash instructed.
Sunset complied. Making the guitar sing those notes repeatedly. Only once did her fumbling fingers make the strings squeak.
“I did it.” She exclaimed happily. Genuine delight filling her face.
Flash smiled pleasantly. “I should teach you how to play bass. Less strings.”
“Bass?”
“The same as the four lowest strings on the guitar, but one octave lower.” He explained.
Sunset shook her head, grinning as she held the guitar a little tighter. “Nah, I like this better.”
“Up for the challenge, I take it?”
“Yeah, I like a challenge.”
A moment passed between them. It was a bit fleeting and the air hung around them a little heavier after. So Sunset turned her attention back to the guitar in her arms, strumming her fingernails across the strings.
“So umm, the sound was similar, but also kinda different.” She hated how uneducated she sounded trying to explain it.
Flash found it endearing.
"Yeah, that shift adds the 7th tone to the chord.”
He moved a bit closer to her. Sunset, running in pure instinct, unconsciously lowered the guitar to allow him to get near her.
“It's the same chord but warmer and richer, almost… romantic."
As the word "romantic" left his lips like a dream, he closed his eyes and leaned into Sunset. Her heart pounded like a wild animal.
And she didn’t hate it.
Suddenly these atrocious human bodies weren't so bad anymore. All of the sudden she felt self conscious about her own breath as she felt his body heat radiating on her cheeks. Ready to let him kiss her, she began to close her eyes.
Then she saw it.
Just before her eyes shut, and she lost herself to the moment, at the very bottom corner of her vision, she saw the alarm clock on Flash Sentry's night stand. The digits read a time that filled her with instantaneous panic:
12:01 am.
"The portal." She whispered desperately. Pulling away from the unwitting Flash, she threw off the guitar and stood up. Flash jumped at the sudden motion. He stared at Sunset confused and worried.
“Are you going to turn into a pumpkin?” He tried to make a joke. But, Sunset wasn’t listening to him. In fact, he did not even exist in this moment anymore.
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time I…" Sunset stammered. Flash tried to interject again, but she interrupted him immediately saying,
"I gotta go." And ran out of the dorm room.
She tore past the common area and threw open the entrance door to the outside. She broke out into a sprint down the road towards the front of Canterlot High School. The portal would be dormant for 30 moons starting at midnight. And it was already too late.
No, please no she pleaded in her head over and over again as she ran. She didn't care if she fell over, she ran as fast as she could force her human legs to run. Maybe the clock was wrong. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe she could still go home.
She arrived at the horse statue in the center of campus, positioning herself at the front base where she had originally popped out three days before. She knew better than to fly head first into it this time and stuck her hand out to test it. When her palm collided with solid cement, she lost her temper and punched the statue with all of her might. Her knuckles were on fire with pain but she didn't care.
"No!" She screamed.
She smacked her palms against the stone cold base over and over and over again.
"No no no no no no no no…" She repeated with each hit. Finally, she gave up and collapsed against the horse monument. She slowly let herself slide down until she was seated on the ground, looking up at the main entrance of the school.
Her school.
What else could she do? There was no home to go back to. This was her home now. At least for the next 30 moons, anyway. She was breathing heavily, exhausted from her run and assault on the statue. The pain in her hand became more pronounced as the adrenaline drained from her system. She clutched her damaged hand, nursing it in her leather jacket. She looked up at the pale full moon.
"Mom," she cried and a tear dribbled down her cheek.
"What have I gotten myself into?"
****