Four months later, after a usual day at school, Flash pulled up to the duplex house with First Base in his passenger seat. The moving truck was already there, unloading all their stuff, and Water and Heat were telling the moving people where to put everything. The duplex was two identically shaped three story houses right next to each other, and in the very middle of the structure were two front doors right next to each other. The right door led to the house on the right, where Flash and his family were moving in, while the left door led to the house on the left, where their neighbors (who Flash and Base still hadn’t met yet) lived.
Flash had spent the last couple months going about his daily life while keeping the news about the move as much to himself as he could. The only ones he had told about it were his friends Micro Chips, Derpy Muffins, and Sandalwood. He didn’t want the Rainbooms to find out, because he knew that Pinkie Pie would insist on throwing him a going away party. And while he did enjoy a good fun time every now and then, he wasn’t really up for something like that. Not to mention he wasn’t even leaving town anyway, so a going away party would be pointless. Base had also kept his mouth shut about it to prevent them from being shoved into any sort of spotlight. Everything in their old house was packed into boxes the previous week (which the cousins had had to skip the school’s Halloween party for), and the house had been emptied that morning.
“This place is huge!” exclaimed Base as they got out. “There’s no way we won’t have space here!”
“No kidding.” Flash replied. “We just gotta remember keep it down at night so the neighbors and any visiting guests won’t get mad at us.”
“Come on, cous. It’s not like they’ll hear us from outside.” Flash gave him a look. “Okay, I’ll try be quiet.”
“Boys, come and see your new home!” called Water. The two came into the house where the moving guys were still working. The big table had already been placed in the big area to the left, and past that was the kitchen. The stairs leading up were on the right. The cousins walked up to see the TV and couch set up on the second floor, and then up to the third floor, where there were their separate bedrooms and an outside deck.
They came back down. “You guys really picked a good place.” said Flash. He smiled “I love the deck. It’s a great place for a view of the sunrise. Or the sundown.”
“I was expecting you’d say that, Flash.” Heat said.
“Dad, Mom, who are our new neighbors?” Base asked. “I’d really like to know who I’m gonna be living right next to now.”
Heat and Water looked at each other with a suspicious looking grin, then back to the boys. “That’s the best part.”
Flash shared a confused look with Base. “Aunt Water, Uncle Heat, do we know the neighbors?”
“Just wait and see.”
A little later, Flash was out in the backyard enjoying the nice outside air. A few minutes before, Flash had been told by Water to wait in the backyard, as there was a surprise for him that his father had been in on. So now he was waiting to see what the surprise was. While he was waiting, Flash’s thoughts once again drifted back to Twilight. “She’s a bossy control freak, she hates being wrong about anything, and besides she already has a boyfriend who shares her interests.” he thought, his facial expression becoming a mix of irritated and confused, “I should just leave her alone, right?”
“Aren’t you being unfair to Twilight?” His heart asked, “You don’t do that with your family and friends.”
“That’s different. They’ve known me for way longer, and it’s a different kind of love.”
“So what?” his heart retorted. “You still care, about her don’t you? And the sooner you admit that, the better.”
Flash’s argument with his heart was interrupted by a ding from his phone. He saw a text from Heat telling him to stay where he was, for the surprise was just coming in now. Matter of fact, he could hear a car pulling in front. The neighbors must have gotten back. He heard car doors opening and closing, footsteps running around the side of the houses, and then a voice.
“Hey Flash!”
That voice sounded familiar. Flash turned to see a boy around his age with light yellow skin and grayish blue hair dressed in gray pants, a white T-shirt and an orange overshirt standing at the other end of the backyard. At first he didn’t know who the boy was, but then memories started coming back. Memories from his younger days when he would run around, have fun with, sometimes get into trouble with, and almost never be far from a kid who looked just like the teen now standing in front of him. Flash’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. It was his best friend from kindergarten to 6th grade, Comet Tail.
Finally finding his voice, and with his excitement rising, Flash managed to say “Comet?! Is that you?!”
“You know anyone else who looks like this?” asked Comet with a grin.
“You’re my new neighbor?”
“Neighbor? Are you kidding, we’re practically roommates now!”
“Well, almost.” Flash then grinned himself “Come on, bring it in!”
“Are we hugging?”
“I’m coming for you!”
“No, I’m coming for you!”
“Yes I am!”
“You come here, you come here!”
“I’m reeling you in, I’m reeling you in, I’m ree-“
The two finally embraced and laughed. “Comet, I’ve missed you!”
“Well I missed you more!”
Flash rolled his eyes playfully. “Did you know I was gonna live here?”
“Just since last week. Your aunt called my parents and they filled me and Moony in on everything.” Moony was the nickname Comet and his parents used for his incredibly smart twin sister Moondancer. “I’ve got so much stuff to tell you about.”
“Well you can tell him during dinner.” said another voice coming from the door, belonging to Moondancer, who had cream colored skin, red hair with a purple stripe, a sweater, and glasses. “Hi, Flash.” she said with a smile as she walked over to the boys. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, Moondancer.” He let go of Comet and hugged her as well.
“This calls for celebration! Come on guys!” Comet exclaimed, grabbing their hands and hurrying inside. His twin and best friend just chuckled.
Flash quickly shot a text to his father, “Thanks so much, Dad!” with a smile face emoji.
To celebrate Flash’s family moving in, the two families sat down together for dinner in their new house. Flash sat between Comet and Base, while Moondancer sat on Comet’s other side. Water, Heat, and the twins’ parents sat across from them. They were all telling each other stories about events that had happened in the five years since they had last seen each other before the kids had gone to different middle schools.
“And she won first place, of course.” Comet said proudly, putting an hand on his twin’s shoulder. He had just finished retelling the events from their school’s most recent science fair to the cousins.
Moondancer blushed with flattered embarrassment. “Comet, you give me too much credit. You, Cheese, and the girls helped build it, remember?”
“Yeah, but who came up with the idea for the machine in the first place?”
Listening to the twins talk brought back more memories for Flash. Back in the day, when he and Comet would engage in their crazy misadventures, they would usually be joined by Moondancer, and sometimes Firestreak would also tag along. The latter two were usually the much needed voice of reason. Those were good times.
“So Flash, have you been up to anything in particular?” asked Moondancer.
“My band and I have been keeping things cool at CHS’s special events. Aside from that, nothing really special.” was Flash’s reply.
The only other thing that came to his mind was what he didn’t want to think about at all. In fact, he hadn’t thought about it since the backyard.
His facial expression must have fallen, because Comet tapped him on the shoulder. “You okay, pal?” he mouthed.
“Meet me on the deck at 8:30.” Flash mouthed back. “I’ll explain there”. Comet winked.