(A/N Notes: For those who aren't Vocaloid fans, you might want to watch the videos)
She slowly opened her eyes, and brought a hoof to her head as she sat up.
"Oh, you're awake."
She turned her head towards the voice. A yellow pegasus with a light pink mane greeted her with a smile.
It was then that she noticed her surroundings. She was laying on a bed in a room filled with many animals scurrying about.
"Wh-where am I?" She asked.
"You're in my cottage. I found you in the forest unconscious, so I brought you here. I'm Fluttershy."
The pony shook her head. "Thank you." She frowned slightly. "It's strange really. I just remember my name, but I don't remember much before, only fuzzy memories of them. Strangely, my fondest memory is of a pink pony making some promise to me."
"What's your name? If you don't mind me asking, that is." Fluttershy added hastily.
"Twilight. Twilight Sparkle. Nice to meet you, Fluttershy." Twilight stuck a hoof out towards Fluttershy and smiled.
Fluttershy shook it and smiled back.
"Why don't we go into town in a few days? You can get...acquainted with the villagers while I get some things. Um, if you feel up to it anyway. It's okay if you aren't." Fluttershy offered.
Twilight got out of bed, seeming perfectly fine to the shock of Fluttershy. "I'm fine. Do you need help with anything?"
"Oh wow, an alicorn!"
"You're so pretty!"
"I like your wings!"
Twilight blushed as she took in the admiration. She felt a bit awkward in the spotlight. Fluttershy, previously standing at her side, had slipped away.
"Why do you hang out with her? You should hang out with us!" One of the villagers, a little pink filly actually, exclaimed.
"She saved me, and she's the nicest pony I've ever met. I don't see why I shouldn't hang out with her." Twilight answered, frowning. She spotted Fluttershy coming, her eyes pointed towards the ground, and her expression instantly brightened. "Hey, Fluttershy! Are you done?"
Fluttershy jumped slightly, but relaxed when she recognized Twilight's voice. "Oh, um, yes."
"Great! Let's go!" Twilight said, walking away from the crowd that had surrounded her. One could practically hear the disappointment that rang through the crowd.
As they left the town behind, Fluttershy turned to Twilight. "Did you really mean it? What you said back there about me?"
Twilight frowned. "You heard? But besides the point, why would I lie?"
"To take pity on me." Fluttershy said, lowering her head and covering her face with her hair.
"Why would I do something like that, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked, concerned.
Fluttershy sniffled. "Because you're obviously so much more popular than me."
Twilight did a double take. She stopped Fluttershy, and lifted her chin so that their eyes met. "Fluttershy, I swear by the name of the Creator, that I would never do something like that. Especially not to you. I've only known you for a few days, but I can tell that you're so much better than any of those ponies. I mean it when I say that you are the nicest pony I've ever met. You are my friend."
Twilight dropped her hoof. She was instantly enveloped in a hug.
Fluttershy cried onto her shoulder. Her words came out no higher than a whisper. "Thank you, Twilight. Thank you. You don't know how long I've wanted somepony to say that. It feels nice to have a friend."
Twilight smiled as they separated. "I promise to stay your friend forever. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."
She did a few motions with her hooves.
She didn't even question how she knew any of that; it seemed irrelevant at the time.
A week later...
Twilight trotted after Fluttershy, taking in the calm and peaceful atmosphere of the open air market. In other words, she wasn't looking where she was going.
She promptly bumped into a pony headfirst.
"Ow!" She said as she fell back onto her rump, clutching her muzzle.
"I'm sorry, madam. Are you okay?"
Twilight looked up at the stallion she'd bumped into, and words caught in her throat. A faint blush spread across her cheeks as she managed to stutter out a few words.
"No- I-I mean, yes! I'm fine! It was my fault for not paying attention to where I was going. Sorry."
She chuckled awkwardly. The stallion smiled at her, and she felt her blush increase. 'Keep it together, Sparkle! You only just met him! Even if he is pretty cu- No, don't think that way!'
"It's quite alright, Miss...?"
"Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle." She answered, still a bit flustered.
"Miss Sparkle. It's quite alright, Miss Sparkle. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Flash Sentry, her Highness's personal guard." He bowed slightly.
Twilight slack-jawed. Blinking back into reality, she exclaimed, "You're one of Princess Sunset Shimmer's guards?! What are you doing in little tiny Ponyville then?"
'Wait, how did I know that..?'
Flash's voice brought her back to reality.
"I am here on an errand from Her Majesty. If you'll excuse me, Miss Sparkle, I must say farewell. I hope to see you again sometime."
Flash left a speechless, blushing Twilight in his wake.
When he disappeared from her sight, she snapped out of her daze, and looked around for Fluttershy. She didn't have to look far; the pegasus was standing not 10 yards away. In other words, she'd seen the whole thing.
As Fluttershy made her way over to Twilight, the former couldn't conceal a giggle.
"What's so funny?" Twilight asked, her face heating up because she knew actually what Fluttershy was laughing about.
"Oh, just the fact that you seemed to be fond of him." Fluttershy winked.
Twilight's blush went from faint to practically scorching in a matter of moments. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy giggled behind a hoof. "Don't worry, Twilight. I won't push the topic."
Twilight let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Thank you, Fluttershy."
"What are friends for?" Fluttershy laughed.
Twilight joined in a moment later.
"Well, what's your report on Ponyville, Captain Sentry?" Sunset asked.
"Well, Your Majesty, the town is quite independent, it seems to be an overall peaceful place, and-"
"Get on with it, Sentry. Stop stalling. Are they in any way a threat?" Sunset interrupted, boredom and irritation clear in her voice.
Flash was used to these cold interruptions, but that wasn't what caused him to flinch.
Flash gulped. "No, Your Majesty. They seem to be perfectly harmless."
Sunset squinted her eyes suspiciously, then seemed to cheer up suddenly. "Great! Guards, may I speak to Captain Sentry in private, please?"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The guards bowed and left the room.
Sunset watched as the door closed, and then dropped the smile and sent a frown in Flash's direction.
"Flash, we're friends, right?" Her words didn't match didn't match her tone.
Flash nervously tugged at chest armor, and sweat went down his face. "Um, yeah...?"
"So..." Sunset walked up to him. "What are you hiding from me?"
"Am I really that see through?" Flash asked, clearly not stalling.
Sunset sighed, dropped her frown, and put a hoof on Flash's shoulder. In a soft voice, she said, "Flash, you're my one and only true friend. You know that I'm more than the little uptight, demanding princess that ponies think I am. I just want to know what's bothering you."
Flash looked into her eyes, and he sighed. Sunset dropped her hoof and stood before him, ready to listen.
"Well, the truth is...there's an alicorn in Ponyville."
Sunset frowned again. "I'm sorry if I'm slow, but how does that equal anything?"
"I wasn't done. I've never seen her there before. And I actually went there not two weeks ago. ...And the thing that bothers me the most is that, well, she seems to, hmm, how do I put this ligh-"
"Just come out with it, Flash! What's it about this alicorn, besides her sudden appearance, that's got you tongue-tied?" Sunset's frown deepened.
"Okay, fine, if you wanna be concise about it. She likes me, alright? As soon as she looked at me, she blushed. Like she took one look at me and blushed. I don't know what to do about it. There, happy?"
He looked at Sunset to see her jaw hanging agape. She snapped out of it and with a tiniest hint of a blush, said incredulously, "Really? You? Of all ponies? She happened to run into you and then fall head over hooves for you? What type of mare would do that? It's not li-"
She suddenly realized what'd she'd just said, and snapped her mouth shut. She wanted to facepalm so bad. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid. You had to ramble on, didn't you Shimmer?! Ugh...'
Sunset turned and left, her eyes focused on the floor.
"Sunset, wa-" The door cut off anything else Flash said.
As Sunset walked down the hall, she chided herself. "Me and my big mouth. All because a stupid mare decided to have a stupid crush on stupid Flash. And stupid me screwing up. Why can't I just be honest to him?"
She paused. Her hooves had brought her to the old, abandoned mural hall. She gazed at the glass panes, each depicting a historical event.
She winced as her eyes fell on one she remembered fondly. It was of her; what a momentous occasion it was when the heir was born...
She levitated her crown off her head; it seemed to mock her with its shine. The orange and red jewel that made up the majority of the headpiece gleamed with a sickly glow.
She sighed, putting the crown on her head. "Why can't I be honest to myself?"
"Y'know... all your problems could just... disappear..."
Sunset eyes widened and her posture stiffened. "Who's there?!"
"Why, Sunset... don't you recognize yourself...?"
"Show yourself!"
"Look in a mirror Sunny... you'll see me..."
Despite not trusting the strange voice, she looked in the mirror at the far end of the mural hall. She gasped as she saw not her own reflection, but that of a fiery red she-demon. She wanted to run or scream or anything for that matter, but she seemed unable to.
"What's wrong, Sunny? Can't face our own demons...?" The demon mocked.
"Wha-what are you?" Sunset managed to sputter out.
"That little demon inside you that's always helped you along your way..." The demon revealed a shining set of sharp teeth as it smiled. Sunset instinctively flinched.
"I can help you now... if you want... This 'Flash'... do you like him?"
Sunset retorted, "Th-that's none of your concern!"
The demon's eyes glowed. "On the contrary, Sunny... it is my concern... I am you, after all... And I'll take that as a yes... So, do you want to get rid of this 'Twilight' that seems to... taken a liking to 'Flash'...? All the while, making your reign unquestionable...?"
Hesitantly, Sunset said, "If I say yes, what do you suggest?"
"I was wondering when you'd ask... How does Ponyville down in flames sound...?"
Sunset's eyes widened. "Ponyville? In flames? No. Why would I ever do that?!"
"To make sure this 'Twilight' doesn't steal your crush... and to make sure nopony ever questions your command, ever again... Hitting two birds with one stone if you ask me..."
Sunset bit her lip. She knew it was wrong, but it seemed so right at the same time! She really would be hitting two birds with one stone...
Wait...
"What would you get out of this?" She asked warily.
It chuckled. "My, my... you certainly are the tactical one... What I'd get is the satisfaction of the... absolute..."
Sunset wasn't going to buy that load of horseapples; she glared at the demon in the mirror. But what the demon said next made her rethink.
"And what was this promise you made as foals...? Be the best guard and princess Canterlot's ever seen...? Won't 'Flash' break this little promise if 'Twilight' gets into his heart...? Wouldn't he leave his post for her...?"
Sunset tried to think logically, but she was lost in storm of second-guessing. No... Flash wouldn't really do that, would he? He wouldn't abandon his best friend, would he? Would he leave her for this Twilight? Would he really? She'd heard tales of a knight leaving with his love. Was it possible that Flash would be the same? With this Twilight?
She didn't know anymore.
The demon in her reflection grinned, confident that it had won. "So...is it deal or no deal, Shimmer...?"
Sunset looked the demon in the eye. The fire there was undeniable. The demon knew this was checkmate. It cackled as one word reverberated throughout the room.
"Deal."