"Ok, so do you mind telling me what we're doing here?"
Flash tried to look anywhere but at Sunset, who was staring at him with the bluntest look on her face with her arms crossed. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...
"I told you, I needed some help with a project..."
"Which is why we're sitting on a bench in a park, and not the library, and why you asked me of all people to help you instead of one of your friends."
"Ummm...."
"And why you didn't bring any books or school supplies of any kind."
"I brought a pen." Flash said weakly. Sunset wasn't amused.
"Flash. we may not have spoken for over a year, but I can still tell when you're flat-out lying to me. Now either tell me the real reason you dragged me out here or I'm gone."
"Hey, I didn't force you to come out here!" Flash said angrily.
Sunset shrugged. "Good point. See ya."
"No! Wait." Flash said as Sunset began to stand up. She sat back down and cocked and eyebrow. "Ok, I ....I may have heard that.... you had a way of contacting Twilight."
Sunset rolled her eyes. Of course he wanted to contact his girlfriend! She reached into her bag and pulled out the enchanted journal. "Next time, just ask."
Flash's eyes lit up as he took the journal. "Wow! So... you just write to her and, she writes back?"
"When she has time. She is a princess, after all." Sunset explained. "Just find a blank page and start writing."
She stared idly a the afternoon sky as she heard pages turning. But then they stopped turning, and she became suspicious when she didn't hear the sound of pen on paper.
"Hey, it looks like Twilight's been trying to get in touch with you." Sunset felt a slight chill. "Why haven't you written back?"
"If you're just going to pry into my personal business, you can give that back right now!" Sunset snapped. She had her own reasons for not writing back, reasons she didn't want to think about right now, reasons he had no business knowing.
"Ok! Jeez! Excusing me for expressing concern! I mean, isn't Twilight supposed to be your friend?" Flash asked, cringing at her sudden anger.
"Oh please! Like you actually care about my relationship with Twilight! Just write your stupid love note so we can both leave." Sunset grumbled.
Flash blushed a deep crimson. "It's not a love note! It..." His shoulder slumped slightly. "I wanted to apologize to her."
"Apologize?" Sunset asked incredulously. What did Flash Sentry, Mr. Squeaky Clean Poster Child himself, possibly have to apologize for?
"Yeah. I...kinda said some stuff to her during the Battle of the Bands. Stuff that really hurt her."
"Now there's the bad girl we all love to hate!" Flash said derisively, a cruel smirk on his face. The students immediately burst into cruel laughter.
Sunset tightened her fist in her lap. "You don't say?"
"Yeah. I didn't even get to say sorry before she left." Flash smiled sadly. "I mean, Twilight's....she's amazing, you know? She's smart, she's funny, she's brave, she..."
"Barely knows anything about you."
Flash looked up, confused. "Huh?"
"And you barely know anything about her. Seriously, when have you actually talked to each other? I mean really talked? Do you know her favorite song? Her favorite food? The fact that she's actually a pony?"
"I...."
"Exactly. And as princess, she has important duties back in Equestria. Meaning she doesn't have time for inter-dimensional relationships with boys she's barely spoken to."
She didn't know why she was telling him all this - Flash could've dated a carrot for all she cared. But it was something he'd find out eventually. Better he hear it now and save himself a lot of grief.
After a short pause, she heard Flash let out a bitter chuckle. "This is just like you, Sunset."
"Excuse me?" Sunset asked angrily.
"Every time I like a girl...every time...you manage to find some way to ruin it. Scarlet, Minty...hell, Candy wound up transferring schools-"
"That was not my fault!" Sunset yelled, her cheeks crimson.
"And now it's Twilight! Seriously, it's been a year, Sunset! Why don't you just grow up and get a life already?!"
Pursing her lips as tightly as she could, Sunset stood up and began to walk away.
"Oh sure, walk away! Go throw a temper tantrum because you didn't get your way!" Flash huffed. "See, this is why we broke up. You haven't changed at all. And you wonder why everyone thought you were Anon-A-Miss."
Almost as soon as the words passed his lips, he knew he made a terrible mistake, even before he saw Sunset freeze.
Flash sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for-"
"You son of a bitch."
Flash felt himself pale. "...Sunset?"
Sunset whirled around, and Flash resisted the urge to cringe. He had seen Sunset angry before, but the look she had now....it was downright murderous.
"You BASTARD!" Sunset roared. "How DARE you judge me! You have NO IDEA what I've been through! What I've had to endure from everyone and their damn dog just to get them to speak to me without contempt! Not to mention everything I went through to save your sorry asses from the sirens. And you have the nerve to say I haven't changed?!
"And since you bring up our break-up, how convenient of you to assume that I'm the only one at fault! I'm not the one who avoided me for a week without telling me anything was wrong! I'm not the one who broke up with me through a freaking text! You didn't even have the nerve to tell me to my face! You went behind my back and led me to believe that everything was fine! I may have been a bitch, but you're no Prince Charming either! So don't even try to pretend you're better than me, you sanctimonious asshole! SCREW! YOU!"
Sunset began to pant heavily, suddenly feeling very tired. Flash, after a moment, finally had uncurled from his fetal position on the bench.
"Well...." Flash chuckled nervously. "Can't say I was expecting that but....it's a start."
Sunset's brows furrowed, her anger replaced by confusion. "Wha...?"
Flash rubbed the back of his head. "Have to admit, kinda went a bit too far with that Anon-A-Miss comment. I'm kinda surprised you didn't punch me."
Sunset's eyes widened in horrified realization. "You tricked me."
Flash looked down at the ground guiltily. "...yeah. I did. Look, Sunset...I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but...the way you're acting...it's not healthy. You can't keep it bottled up like that."
Sunset's face twisted. "You set me up."
"I didn't know what else to do!" Flash explained. "You wouldn't talk to your friends, so...I just thought that-"
Sunset spun on her heel and began to walk away.
"Sunset, wait!" Flash grabbed Sunset's arm to get her to stop. She twisted to get away, but her foot snagged and she fell. She cried out in pain as her head hit the edge of the bench.
"Oh my God! Are you okay?" Flash asked, very alarmed, as he knelt down to help her. He stopped as Sunset looked up at him. There, just above her eyebrow, was a long gash that was bleeding freely. Her face was one of fear and anguish.
Flash felt sick. "Sunset, I'm so sorry! Let me-"
"NO!" Sunset screamed, pushing him away. She stood up quickly and began backing away slowly. "Don't. Touch me! You! Stay! AWAY from me!"
A single tear ran down her face as she turned and ran.
"Sunset!" Flash cried. Standing up, he ran his fingers through his hair as he paced frantically, trying to figure out what to do and mentally beating himself for being so stupid. He cursed himself for not knowing the phone numbers of any of her friends.
Suddenly, his eyes fell upon the journal still on the bench, forgotten by Sunset in her despair. Without a second thought, he took out his pen and started writing, not daring to stop. He prayed his message got through.
Unbeknownst to the frantic teen, a beautiful girl with large bushy hair was watching him from behind a tree with a smirk on her face, her phone in her hand....