Flash Lance paced back and forth in his living room, cursing and swearing up a storm through his ranting. It had only been a few short weeks since Hearth Fire had finally come out in front of everypony at the campus. He had constantly tried to harass and insult Hearth Fire, trying desperately to belittle her anyway he could.
And here he was all alone in his own home, every last one of his friends finally had enough, walked away and abandoned him while he was consumed in his own pointless hatred and anger. Not wanting anything more to do with him.
He had lost his two oldest friends, because they fell in love with each other. Midnight Gleam had just walked away...she even slapped him for his attitude towards Hearth Fire.
"Was it worth it Flash?" The thought kept running through his mind, it was something Hearth Fire has said the last time they saw each other. "Ask yourself, was it worth pushing away and lashing out at everypony just because of your own pointless anger?"
Was it worth it? Losing the respect of the ponies and the friends he once had.
"Don't you think I know that I'll have to deal with ponies like you for the rest of my life?" Hearth Fire had told him, "Are you really going to be the kind of pony who does nothing but hate ponies like me just for something we can't control?"
"Tch, what does that freakshow know..." Flash muttered to himself. "I don't need anypony who sides with that..." Flash lost himself in his own thoughts not bothering to finish his sentence.
"I've seen how others are treating you Flash, it isn't nice isn't it?" Hearth Fire had said, "To be singled out like that, to be treated as if you're nothing more than a disease. I'm telling you this because deep down underneath all that hatred and bigotry you're still a good stallion, but you're being consumed by that hate and it's getting to the point I can barely recognize you any more."
Flash had remembered those words, those Celestia damned words...why did it haunt him? Why did it bother him so much? It was all Hearth Fire's fault! He went behind his back by dating his best friend! He was the one who always blew him off to be with Silver Wind...but it was the final thing that Hearth Fire had told him that had bothered him the most.
"Do you know why I'm telling you this Flash? It's because you're doing exactly what my parents did..." Hearth Fire had explained, "I've seen first hoof of what that kind of hatred does to ponies like you. In a way it's sad but I'll cherish all the time we spent having fun as friends growing up, but from the looks of it my oldest friend is gone and he isn't coming back. All I see right now is some stranger calling me everything nasty under the sun and to be honest I couldn't care less about you."
"He...She just walked away..." Flash had muttered to himself, he was all alone now just like that. All alone staring into a mirror trying to figure out what he had let himself become.
"Do you think he got the message honey?" Silver asked.
"I honestly don't know Silver," I replied, "I must have gotten through to him on some level. He's keeping away from me the past few days."
"Don't worry about it." Silver sighed, "He brought it on himself at the end of the day."
"No you're right, I suppose it doesn't matter now." I told Silver, "I've got to get to work now honey, so I'll be back in a few hours." I kissed Silver on the cheek and made my way to Rarity's boutique.
Silver just sat there after I had left. He had knew how hard Flash had it now and former friend or not everything he had said Flash had brought it upon himself. Silver Wind got up and walked over to the shelves, reaching and pulling out an opened letter given to him by Hearth Fire's elder sister Bright Spark earlier that day.
She had explained the letter was from their mother asking them both to come home, she explained the letter had mentioned that something had happened between both parents, but she didn't go into details about it.
Silver Wind knew he should have given Hearth Fire the letter, but with everything that had happened over the week. He thought it would be best to leave it for the time being so Hearth Fire could clear her head.
From everything Hearth Fire and Bright Spark had told him, their parents were far from the accepting sort that much was clear to him. Hearth Fire had even said on one occasion that just talking about them left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Silver had concluded that Hearth Fire's father was the source of all this, he certainly seemed to fit the bill, an old military traditionalist she called her father once. The mother however seemed to be something of a mixed bag according to Bright Spark, so there could be hope there if only a little.
Silver put the letter back on the shelf deciding it was better left for another day.
"Is there something on your mind Hearth?" Spike asked me, "You seem kinda distracted."
"Personal problems with a former friend." I said simply.
"That Flash guy right?" Spike inquired, "The guy who came here and was calling you all sorts of names."
"..." I hesitated for a moment, "Yeah that was him, but I don't think he'll be bothering me for the time being..." I remembered the things I said to him, how harsh I was but in the end enough was enough.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Spike asked, "You'd be surprised I'm a very good listener." I took a moment to consider it, and decided it could hurt.
"Flash was my oldest friend, we've been so since we were foals." I smiled at the memory, "He'd always get me dragged into some mischief or some crazy prank of his. I can't remember how many times we've gotten into trouble with our parents for our antics." That smile left as quickly as it came. "But in the end..." I hesitated, "I guess that friendship didn't matter to him...I kept him at a distance because I feared he would turn out like his father." I went quiet for a moment, "Flash is a good pony deep down I know he is, and some part of me still hopes he'll come around."
"..." Spike said nothing and continued listening.
"I tried to appeal to my friend and make him realize what he was turning himself into." I explained, "Even after all the horrible things he said and did, I still cared for the friend I grew up with."
"I guess somethings don't work out like that." Spike stated.
"I know Spike...I know..." I answered the young dragon, "You'd think I would have learned my lesson after my parents disowned me."
"There's nothing wrong with caring about others y'know." Spike reassured, "But you can't let jerks like that take advantage of it, and to be honest you'll be better off without people like that."
"..." I said nothing, but deep down I agreed.
I walked my usual route home but I was lost in my own thoughts. I felt sorry for Flash and I hope I got through to him, but watching become so enamored with his own hate and bigotry towards me to the point he pushed everyone else away. Was I as bad as him just to walk away and say that I didn't care, just because he hated me that much? No...I won't be like Flash, I won't throw away everypony important to me...I value them too much.
I finally got home and Silver was waiting for me in the living room, he was watching some TV documentary about the technology behind some science fiction show he was a fan of.
"Honey are you alright?" He asked me, I gave a small smile. "Did something ha-Mmph!?" I pulled him into a kiss.
"Silver..." I said.
"Y-yeah?" He replied, still caught off guard.
"Have I told you how much I love you..." I asked him, with a warm smile, "Have I ever told you how happy you made me...How much you make me laugh when you try to hide how much of a geek you are." I gave him a small chuckle, "And how much I appreciate you standing by me all this time no matter how hard it's been."
"..." Silver was speechless.
"Well then..." I spoke, "I love you Silver with all my heart, more than I do anything in this world..." I whispered into his ear, and pleaded, "Could you show me how much you love me?"
It took a moment for a red faced Silver Wind to finally click to what I telling him...