Chapter Seven - A Day With Flash Sentry
“Sister? You are being quite pensive.”
Celestia looked up from her breakfast, pancakes laced with crystal berries and lathered in thick syrup with a side of hay bacon, a cup of tea resting beside her main serving. Luna had a similar spread, some fruit on a plate between them already mostly gone thanks to one of their two tablemates. “Forgive me, Luna, but recent events have given me much to consider.” She looked back down upon her meal, spearing some of her pancakes with her fork as she continued, “My mistakes in particular.”
The younger of the two sisters rolled her eyes. “Celie, if we were to compare mistakes, I doubt yours would measure up to mine. Poor choices were made, the fault is shared between multiple parties, and so on. That others were left to pick up the pieces is unfortunate, but that often happens with life. Even in the case of nigh-immortals such as ourselves.”
A soft coo, and Celestia turned to find Philomena’s gaze upon her, the normally puckish phoenix looking concerned for her friend and caretaker. The princess smiled and assured her, “Don’t worry. I’m not thinking of doing anything too foolish.”
“One would hope not. I’ve enough to worry about.” Luna gently offered a crystal berry to her own pet. “Another, Tibbles?”
The opossum nodded and took the berry in his paws, nibbling at it with gusto. Though he much preferred to be called ‘Tiberius’, he had no objection to Luna’s pet name for him, especially so long as he was kept well-fed and had adequate sleep. Neither was a problem for the pet of a princess, however, so he was a satisfied marsupial.
Philomena rolled her eyes at her fellow pet and went back to her cup of water, gently sipping from it while Celestia stifled a giggle, thoughts of sibling rivalry going through her mind.
“Though forgive my curiosity for asking this rather obvious question, but what are you specifically planning?”
“Luna, you recall the details of Twilight’s report, what happened to her human friends and Sunset Shimmer?” At her younger sibling’s nod, Celestia added, “So far as we know, humans do not possess magic like that, at least not in that reality and not in so tangible a form. Even ignoring that, a great deal has happened over the last year that I saw coming, and prepared for, but did little otherwise to ready others for. I can’t help but feel, after everything that has happened, I’ve left Twilight and her friends out of the loop on far too much. There’s a great deal they don’t know about, after all.”
“And you think it is time to fill them in on the bigger picture, lest you risk alienating one whom you’ve come to see as a surrogate child? Despite taking a number of precautions with her that you did not with her predecessor?” At Celestia’s nod, Luna laughed and declared, “I believe the modern parlance is, ‘it’s about time’! I only hope that Twilight is not the only one whom you intend to inform.”
“Of course not. She isn’t the only one who needs to be informed, after all.” Celestia smiled as she noted, “Some will be harder to contact than others, however, but we’ve the means to manage it.”
-
“You can manage this, dear.”
“I know.” Sunset Shimmer found herself walking unsteadily as she and her friends made their way to the school. “I’m just suddenly wishing that week had gone by a little more slowly.”
It was early, students just beginning to make their way inside, but there was more than enough light for her to see the front entrance. As she approached, Sunset could see that the damage she’d done had indeed nearly been repaired. The crater between the front entrance and the statue had been filled in, new concrete walkways having been laid in and new soil put in place, posts and tape blocking the students off in order to protect same until new grass could grow. The front entrance wasn’t quite as far along, but it was far enough that students were able to use it once more. A part of Sunset wanted to think of it as the scars of her reign healing, but she doubted it would be that simple.
“Now don’t you worry yourself, sugarcube.” Applejack gave her an encouraging slap on the back and offered, “Just gotta take this one step at a time, and you’ve made yourself plenty ‘a mighty big steps.”
“And you know you got us on your side.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “So relax, huh?”
A deep breath, and Sunset nodded. “Alright. But it’s not a good sign that I can already feel the daggers being glared into my back.”
“And those purely metaphorical daggers will fade with time, darling.” Rarity smiled encouragingly. “Now unfortunately, our lockers are scattered throughout the building, and we don’t share our first period class, so…”
“So I’m on my own.” They finally entered the school, and Sunset looked to each of them. “Well, less on my own than I was before. Thanks girls, I think I’ll be okay. Catch you all at lunch, right?”
“That’s a promise!” Pinkie Pie gave her a quick hug before dashing off as quickly as she could, the group breaking off as Sunset made her way on her own.
As she continued on her way, her gaze went to one side, just past the trophy case and the lineup of photos for the previous three princesses between the Fall Formal and the Spring Fling; the one photo of her that didn’t suggest something evil was gone, the following two having been moved to one side to make room for a photo of Twilight. That there were a number of messages and gifts left under the photo told her everything she needed to know; Twilight wouldn’t be forgotten anytime soon.
The few odd students who were present as she continued on to her locker gave her brief glances, more than a few whispering among themselves as she nervously smiled and waved. They dispersed quickly, however, which gave her some comfort, and she found her locker, its surface bare. She took comfort in that, too, but it was small; it just meant that if anyone was going to target her, they weren’t going to be obvious about it.
Another deep breath, and she turned the combination lock and opened her locker, putting away the things she’d need for later in the day and retrieving what she needed for her first few classes. Maybe if she was lucky, she’d avoid running into anyone who didn’t bear her a grudge.
She sighed; was this how Fluttershy had felt all that time without the girls? Had she lived in fear of running into her in particular, or anyone in general? She shook her head and steeled herself. Mistakes had been made, and now was time for her to make up for them. The real question was if anyone beyond her new friends and their families, and of course Celestia and Luna, would give her a chance. She closed her locker and turned, her unease turning to surprise. “What are you two doing here?”
Before her with uneasy expressions on their faces were her two minions, Snips and Snails. They quickly snapped off salutes as the former answered, “Reporting for duty, Sunset Shimmer!”
“Yeah! So, what’s the plan?”
At Sunset’s raised eyebrow, Snips elaborated, “The plan to get back at the girls for what happened at the Fall Formal.” He turned nervous as he prodded, “Is there a plan?
Sunset regarded them for a second before she smiled. “There isn’t one. It’s over, boys. I’m done.” She slung her backpack over her shoulders and explained, “No more schemes, no more plots, no more ploys. I’m through being the Queen Bee of Canterlot High.”
The two looked at one another in disbelief, Snails finally wondering aloud, “So, no revenge?”
“Nope.” The two boys relaxed almost immediately at that, clearly relieved at hearing Sunset’s declaration, which prompted her to laugh. “Don’t want to go through all of that all over again, do you?”
“Nah, Dad read me the riot act over the suspension.” Snips slumped his shoulders and added, “When I wasn’t cleaning out the gutters.”
Snails nodded as he drawled, “And it was kinda embarrassing getting beaten by rainbows and lasers and stuff, eh?”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “Well, play nice and it won’t happen again. Now, you two still have anything you gathered for me? Research material, whatever?”
“Nope. Got rid of it all, just like you told us to do the last time.”
“Good, I don’t need it anymore.” She waved them off. “Now go on, you two don’t have to take orders from me anymore. So I suggest you get to class before the rumors start spreading faster.”
The pair complied, and Sunset watched them go on their way. She shook her head, hoping that the two would keep their noses clean and avoid causing further trouble in the future, before turning around and starting on her way. They’d probably be alright; she was the one giving orders, after all, and…
“Whoa!”
She was shaken out of her reverie by the sudden impact, stepping back and instinctively putting a hand against one wall. “Sorry, I was distract…!” Shock was clear on Sunset’s face as she realized whom she’d bumped into. “Flash.”
Right before her in all of his blue-haired glory was Flash Sentry, her ex-boyfriend and one of the many stepping stones on her rise to power in Canterlot High. An awkward expression on his face, he offered, “Hey.”
“Hey.” Sunset nervously smiled, not sure what to say at that point. What exactly do you say to the boy who dumped you, quite righteously, for being a self-obsessed bitch? Who had, up until said incident, been firmly in your corner despite his misgivings? The same person whom you’d briefly turned into a mindless thrall after turning yourself into a raging monster?
Thankfully, the issue was taken out of her hands as he asked, “You okay, Sunset?”
A shrug. “Yeah, I guess. You are, obviously. Okay. I mean.”
The two kept up an awkward silence, both looking away from one another before finally locking eyes and attempting to speak at the same time.
“Flash, I know…”
“Sunset, I…”
Both paused, and the tension was broken as they shared a brief smile and Flash offered, “You first.”
“Thanks.” Sunset took a breath and started, “Flash, you’ve got every right to not believe me after everything we’ve been through, but just hear me out. You were right to dump me, and to say all that you did. I was a monster, even if I didn’t see it. What I did to the girls was wrong. I meant what I said that night, after everything happened. I am sorry.” She kept her head up and eyes forward, unlike what had happened with Princess Celestia, and admitted, “You deserved much better than me.”
Flash regarded her quietly before gently telling her, “You weren’t that bad.” He smiled, much to her surprise, and assured her, “If you were, I wouldn’t believe you.” Sunset’s eyes widened in surprise, and at his nod, she laughed in joyful relief. “Wow. Never heard you laugh like that before. You must’ve really been nervous seeing me.”
“Oh, like you wouldn’t believe.” She shook her head, but kept her eyes on him as she added, “But I’ve had lots of that over the last ten days, trying to make up for being a bitch.” Before he could protest, Sunset raised a hand. “And don’t say otherwise, I was one. You and Twilight worked out much better than you and I did.”
Flash turned uneasy at the mention of his date for the Fall Formal. “Yeah, can we talk about that? Later, I mean. Maybe in the library?”
“Sure. You’ve still got a free period before lunch, right?” A nod, and Sunset revealed, “So do I. See you then.” She stepped past him and continued on her way, relief on her face. She wondered exactly what Flash wanted to talk about regarding Twilight, but this last conversation had gone much better than the one before it. That alone was worth smiling over.
-
Sunset Shimmer couldn’t help but smile as the words continued to float through her head. The princess of this year’s Spring Fling was exactly who it was meant to be, exactly who it was for last year’s and the Fall Formal inbetween – her. She didn’t even care what sort of unflattering picture Photo Finish had no doubt snapped of her as she’d celebrated her triumph. The crown was hers, and there was nothing anyone could do about it, especially Princess Celestia.
Becoming a princess was something to be earned? Hah! She’d reached out and taken it, and crushed all the opposition that could oppose her. As if some pretentious little nobody could match up to someone like her. That girl and her friends wouldn’t be a problem anymore; that was for certain. Now the only thing left was a dance with her ‘boyfriend’, and the evening would be finished.
If only she could find him.
Her gaze swept over the gym, a few students backing off as she approached, but she couldn’t find hide nor hair of her target. Finally getting fed up, she decided on the next best thing; asking someone else to point him out. Unlike Flash, his bandmates were a little easier to spot, Brawly Beats being the closest to her as he retrieved a bottle of fizzy apple cider. She cringed inwardly, thinking about how often she had to chug that stuff down. Couldn’t they have something else at school functions, like normal cider? She approached and, doing her best to conceal her frustration, called, “Brawly!” The drummer almost jumped in shock as he turned to face her, and didn’t even get a chance to ask what she wanted before she barked, “Where’s Flash?!”
He pointed towards the door and started to explain, “He said he needed a second…!”
Sunset brushed him off and strode out of the gym, not taking long at all for her to find her date for the evening. Flash was standing near the vending machines, his back to her and his arms crossed. She smirked and slowly approached; if he was half as thick as she thought he was, the way he acted at times, he was probably trying to work out something to say before giving her some celebratory gift. She’d accept, of course, and they’d continue on, the happy couple at the top of the heap.
A smooth smile on her face, she approached. “I was wondering where you’d gotten off to.” She gently laid a hand on his shoulder and asked, “Aren’t you going to…?”
“Hand off, Sunset.”
She paused with surprise. “What’s wrong, Flash?”
“I said ‘hand off’.” He brushed her hand off his shoulder and turned about, his eyes locking upon Sunset with a fierce and clearly angry expression. “You know exactly what’s wrong.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Enlighten me.”
“I know what you’ve done, Sunset! I’m not stupid! You sabotaged Rarity!” Before she could protest, he rattled off, “Right after she made her bid for the crown, she has a falling out with Pinkie Pie. Then Pinkie Pie has a falling out with Fluttershy, and then Applejack and Rainbow Dash fall out with each other!”
“Coincidences.”
“Very convenient coincidences for you.”
A scoff. “You act like it’s a big deal that she didn’t win.”
“Her losing isn’t the big deal, but what you did to win is! I’ve known her and her friends since our first year here! They’re close, despite all the differences they’ve got, and you tore it all apart, for what, some stupid crown that isn’t going to matter in six months? How can you justify something like that?”
Sunset looked at him in stunned silence. “What did you say?”
“I said, how can you…?!”
“Before that, you idiot!” Anger surging through her veins, she volleyed right back at him. “This crown isn’t stupid! You know what this represents?! It means everything to me! I’ve worked tooth and nail to get this on my head, and no one, especially not some two-bit seamstress with delusions of grandeur or her so-called friends are going to keep it from me!”
Flash’s eyes narrowed dangerously as his voice went low. “It means everything to you. More important than anything else. I guess that includes me.” He turned and strode off. “It’s over, Sunset. We’re over.”
It took a second for her to realize that he’d meant it, but she brushed the matter aside without a second thought. Flash wasn’t bad looking for an ape, she had to admit, but she didn’t need him anymore. She was at the top of the pecking order around here, with or without him.
Still, a part of her couldn’t help but think he had a point. She’d be going through this all over again for the Fall Formal, right around the next time the portal back to Equestria would open. She didn’t have a reason to go back, save maybe throwing all of this in Princess Celestia’s face, but being a princess here didn’t matter there. If only there was some way to get genuine power in either world…
She dismissed the thought. Time would tell, one way or another.
-
Time seemed to go by in a blur for the rest of the morning, Sunset somehow managing to ignore the sidelong glances and cruel looks from her fellow students and taking great comfort in that being the worst of what she got. She wondered how much of that she had to thank Principal Celestia for, and how much was thanks to Twilight.
Finally, her free period came, and she made her way to the library, Flash approaching from the opposite direction. She smiled in relief, and the two entered together. “Any reason why here in particular?”
“I thought we’d have a little privacy here.” Light was streaming in from above, the dome of glass high above their heads showing a brilliant, cloudless blue sky, as Flash led her to a disused corner of the library and elaborated, “That and I saw something last week. It’s part of what I want to talk about with you.” They reached a dusty corner of the library’s second floor and Flash asked, “What does that look like to you?”
Sunset smiled, remembering some of the messages she and Twilight had exchanged, as she looked upon the makeshift structure. “It’s a bed made out of books.” She approached and sat down upon it, her backpack slipped off and resting at her feet and her left arm resting on the ‘pillow’ at the head. “Not as soft as a mat in the equipment locker, but definitely her style.”
If he was in any way surprised, Flash didn’t show it as he sat down beside her. “I figured Twilight for a book lover. I didn’t think it went this far, though.”
“Just for her first night. Rarity offered her a room that Thursday.” Sunset caught herself, and laughed as she realized, “You figured it out, didn’t you?”
“Not all of it, just the big stuff.” Flash turned to her and explained, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everyone who was at the Fall Formal remembers what happened, even if some of them aren’t talking about it. What happened to you when you put on that crown, what you did to us, what happened to Twilight and the girls? I don’t have your memory, but some stuff sticks out. Little details, about someplace called ‘Equestria’. That’s where she went, isn’t it? Where you and her came from?” She nodded, and he laughed. “Wow. My ex and my new crush are aliens.”
Sunset laughed and protested, “Flash! Twilight and I aren’t aliens!” She paused for a moment and considered, “Okay, we kinda are, I guess, but the portal goes to a parallel world, not another planet.” At his surprise, she added, “Equestria’s the nation we come from. We still call the planet ‘Earth’, and it’s a lot like this one, just with some differences.”
“Like magic?”
“And then some. This isn’t even what I really look like.” She offered a reassuring smile and added, “If it helps you feel any better, you did dance with a real princess that night.”
“Really? What about you?”
Sunset rolled her eyes. “No. But I wanted to be one.” She sighed and explained, “I was a student of magic under my world’s Celestia; she’s a princess too, along with my world’s Luna. I demanded that she make me one too, she refused and expelled me, and I fled through a portal to this world to spite her. Finding out about Twilight just made it worse, and I went back and stole her crown, hoping to use its magic to give me what I wanted.” She turned shameful as she added, “Obviously, it didn’t work out that way. All I did with it was show the world how much of a monster I was.”
“You could still go back, right?”
“Not right now. The portal’s only open for three days every thirty moons. It closed after Twilight and Spike went through, and it won’t open again until right around the time we graduate.” She sat up and explained, “A moon in this case is the period of time from one full moon to another, about twenty-eight days. Thirty moons is about thirty months.”
“Two and a half years.” Flash turned somber at that realization. “Wow. That’s a long time. Not a really long time, but still…” He suddenly turned guilty and amended, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have…”
“It’s okay, I understand. You really got to like her while she was here.”
“I did.” A sad smile crossed his face. “It wasn’t like how it was with you. I remember you taking an interest in me, pursuing me, all that. I won’t say I didn’t enjoy it, a cute girl coming onto me instead of the other way around. Believe it or not, you girls are intimidating. And it was fun teaching you to play guitar.” He looked to her and asked, “You got rid of it, didn’t you? The guitar I gave you for Christmas last year?”
A sad nod. “Another big mistake, selling that thing. I was actually getting good.” She grinned and admitted, “Of course, I had a good teacher.”
Flash grinned back with some pride before turning back to the subject. “Why me, though? There’s tons of guys in this school.”
“Yeah, but there was only one you.” Sunset shamefully admitted, “I was obsessed with power. One way of getting it is to get close to those who have it. In a school like this, power and popularity are the same thing. You were popular. You still are, and it wasn’t hard to see why. People like you. Heck, even dating me didn’t hurt you that much once folks started figuring out what I was like.”
Flash shook his head. “I wish I was as sure of that as you are. There’s a reason I never tried to patch things up between the girls after you and I broke up; I didn’t think they’d believe me. Worse, I thought they’d be angry with me by proxy, or think I was just being petty.” He smiled. “That’s part of why I liked Twilight so much. She was barely here three days, and she went and did something I couldn’t do for months; she brought them back together, and brought the school together in the process.”
“It didn’t hurt that she was adorably awkward.”
The boy nervously grinned and admitted, “Well, I do have a soft spot for that sort of girl. Two for two so far, even if only one was actually attracted to me.” He suddenly turned nervous and asked, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I wasn’t a ‘beard’ for you, was I?”
“A…?” It took a second for Sunset to process that before she laughed. “No! No, I’m definitely into guys! And I do genuinely like you, just not that way.” She grinned and admitted, “You are cute though, and it’s no shock that Twilight fell for you too.”
Flash eyed her warily and wondered aloud, “You’re not trying to get back together with me, are you?”
Sunset shook her head. “No, romance is the last thing I’m worried about right now.” She offered a hand and asked, “But I wouldn’t object to trying for a different relationship. Being friends, maybe?”
A smile crossed his face, and he took the hand. “I can try that.”
“Good. Thanks.” Sunset grinned as she turned from her ex to her backpack. “Now, as your friend, I’m going to give you some advice. You need closure.” She reached into her bag and pulled out her message journal. “And I think someone else we know does too.” At Flash’s curious expression, Sunset explained, “The portal might be closed, but I’ve got other ways of getting in touch with Equestria.”
-
Sunset both did and didn’t miss Equestria. Over the last thirty moons, she’d gotten accustomed to walking on two legs, to manipulating objects with her hands, to living her life as a human. Here, she had what she wanted most, to stand above the rest and not be forgotten. But it was the rare day that she didn’t miss having magic, and there were times even now where she’d love a good HBLT. It’d taste different with human taste buds, but she’d probably get past it. But there was one thing she really missed about Equestria; not having to deal with laundry day.
She honestly didn’t know what was the worst thing about laundry day, but there was a list. First, of course, was having to deal with it in the first place, but if she didn’t, then her clothes would look terrible, and one of the first things she’d learned was that dirty clothes did not win you popularity, especially if you were a girl. Second was how it was dealt with – the school, being a school, didn’t have washing machines, so it was either clean her clothing in a sink or take a short walk to the local laundromat. Despite the walk, the latter option was most sensible attracted the least attention. Third was cost. Couldn’t a washing machine or a dryer have a slot for a debit card instead of coin slots? It was just another inconvenience.
Her clothes in a laundry bag, she glanced over her shoulder at the mirror opposite the one leading back to the school. She guessed it led back to Equestria, but she’d never been able to prove it; it had always been solid to the touch. As her eyes lingered on the mirror, she idly considered going back when the portal next opened, for nostalgia more than anything else. How would Princess Celestia react to seeing her most gifted student after all these years? A tiny part of her, even if she didn’t want to admit it, did miss her former teacher, and wanted to go back only to tell her that she’d gotten real power.
But she knew how that would go. Celestia still wouldn’t make her an alicorn, no matter what she did. How dare she? The laundry bag slung over one shoulder, Sunset set a determined look on her face and turned away. There was nothing for her back in Equestria, despite her idle fantasies telling her otherwise.
And that was when two unicorn colts stumbled through the portal, gawking like idiots in amazement until they laid eyes upon Sunset, her eyes locked on them in return.
It took all of a second for the two of them to scream like fillies and start running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Whatever shock Sunset had upon seeing them faded immediately as she dropped her laundry and approached them, watching as they ran into one another and fell on their plots. She took advantage of their momentary disorientation to give them both hard whacks on their horns, and then picked the two up, both back to screaming as she did so, albeit in a more coherent manner.
“It’s got us, Snips! What’re we gonna do?!”
“I dunno!”
“SHUT UP! Both of you!” They immediately went silent as she examined them, realizing that they looked very familiar. “What are you two doing here?”
The smaller of the two colts, pudgy with buck teeth and a pair of scissors for a cutie mark, gulped and answered, “We didn’t mean to disturb you, honest! We got separated from our class and found this mirror thing and we walked through it…”
“Please don’t hurt us! We’re just in Canterlot for the coronation!”
That immediately caught Sunset’s attention. “Coronation? What do you mean, coronation?”
The two colts looked to one another, and the taller one reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a newspaper in his teeth. The smaller one explained. “Uh, this coronation. For Princess Twilight.”
Sunset immediately dropped Snips, took hold of the paper and then dropped Snails – who else could the lanky freckled colt be? – and examined her prize. Pictured upon the front cover was a lavender mare a few years younger than her, dressed in a fancy gown with golden hoofshoes and a crown, wings emerging from her back and a horn from her…
“Princess…Twilight?!”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle!” Snips looked up at her excitedly and explained, “She’s amazing! She used to be a unicorn, and Princess Celestia’s student, and now she’s an alicorn!”
Her eyes narrowed in rage as she scrutinized the photo. Who was this mare, and what had she done to get the princess treatment that she hadn’t? What made her so…?
That was when she realized that the crown upon her head wasn’t just a crown, a gem like a six-pointed star embedded in it as if to taunt her. “The Element of Magic.”
“Yeah, she found the Elements of Harmony and stuff,” Snails drawled. “It’s really awesome.”
Her gaze turned back to the two colts, both of whom looked up at her with fear. She considered what to do with them, but a part of her thought that if she waited too long, they’d end up wetting themselves. “How did you two get here?”
“We heard these two guards talking about packing up mirrors to go with Princess Cadance and this one wasn’t packed up yet, and I stuck my hoof through it and…!”
“Nevermind, stop.” She rolled up the paper with a smile and declared, “Thank you for your information. In return for this newspaper, the two of you may leave with your lives.” She pointed with the paper for emphasis and declared, “Well, go! Before I change my mind!”
The two colts scampered off, Snails muttering something about never telling anypony about what they’d just been through, and Sunset walked over to her bed and examined the newspaper in more detail. Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn from Canterlot, had become an alicorn and declared a princess by Celestia barely two weeks prior. The coronation would be her first appearance as such before a summit taking place in the Crystal Empire the following week.
Her anger threatened to get the better of her. A brother in the royal guard, married to another princess? Celestia’s prized pupil? What had this Twilight filly done that she hadn’t? She’d gotten lucky! The anger didn’t quite fade as she realized that luck didn’t always work in another pony’s favor, however, as she smiled, the dates of the summit matching up with the dates that the portal back to Equestria would reopen.
“You don’t think I can do it, Celestia? Time to prove you wrong.”
-
“I can’t do it.”
“Can’t do what?” Spike zipped up the last of their luggage, the carry-on bag that Twilight had used to transport her crown to the Crystal Empire in the first place, even as he asked further. “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re still anxious about Sunset.”
“No, not that.” Twilight smiled reassuringly as she turned away from her window to the baby dragon. “You were right about looking at her as a friend who’d need advice from time to time, and I’m happy to give it. Nervous, but happy. She does need friends, after all, and she did regret what she did. I’m talking about something else.” The smile faded as she corrected, “Well, somebody else.” She turned back to the window and explained, “I’ve been trying to figure out if a relationship with Flash is worth pursuing. I’ve talked about it with Rarity, Shining Armor and Celestia, and none of them think it’s a bad idea. And I don’t disagree with them. I just don’t want to hurt the Flash Sentry I know by being with the Flash Sentry in this world.” She huffed and closed her eyes, only to feel a familiar warmth on one side. She opened her eyes to find Spike hugging her with a smile on his face. “What’s this for?”
“You needed it. Plus you’re usually going postal in cases like this.” He raised a claw, ticking off incidents with his digits, “The Smarty Pants mess, that freak out before getting sent to save the Crystal Empire, most times Celestia’s visited us in Ponyville…”
Twilight groaned and protested, “There’s a difference here, Spike. I’m not trying to live up to my responsibilities or to whatever Celestia thinks of me. I’m just not trying to let down someone I care about. I barely know the Flash from this world. What I know about him I like, but I’ve met the one in the human world. He liked me, and I liked him, and I don’t want to feel like I’m going behind his back.”
“So you’re not going to even try getting to know the Flash in this world? Geez, Twilight, this is nothing after all you’ve been through.” Spike scratched behind one ear absentmindedly and admitted, “Then again, I’m probably not the one to talk to about this. Human or pony, getting affection from Rarity’s not something I’ll complain about.”
Twilight giggled and hugged him close with one wing. “Says something, doesn’t it? I charge in against Nightmare Moon and changelings, I go into panic attacks about Celestia, but give me trouble with boys and I don’t know what to do.” She sighed. “But I still wish…” She was interrupted by a knock at her door. One breathing exercise later, she called, “Come in!”
The door swung open, and Princess Celestia entered. “Hello Twilight. Already packing for the return home?”
“I’m just making sure that I don’t leave anything behind by mistake.” Twilight tilted her head in confusion and asked, “Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong. I simply need you to pass a message along to…” A loud buzzing interrupted her, and the princess laughed. “I’ve missed that sound.” Twilight trotted to her carry-on and opened it with her magic to reveal the message journal. She opened it and flipped to the newest message, her eyes going over it twice. Both her assistant and her mentor approached, the latter asking, “Is there a problem, Twilight?”
“Yes and no.” Twilight looked up to her and asked, “Were there ever times when you wondered about a decision, and how badly it could go?”
“Too many to count. But more often than not, there were wonderful results, and I’d much rather live with the consequences of my decisions than with the question of what I could have done differently.” An encouraging smile. “And doing nothing was never my style, or yours.”
Twilight smiled back. “No, it wasn’t. Spike?” Her friend produced a quill and inkwell, and she set to work on her response. “Sunset wants me to meet her and a mutual friend in the bridge realm.”
“Good. If you can, please pass a message onto her for me. There’s something I’ve needed to do for a very long time.”
-
It had felt like an eternity since Sunset had stepped into the bridge realm, despite it only being less than two weeks. It was different this time though, and not just because of her obvious company or the reason behind her visit. “Huh. All the furniture’s gone.” Anticipating Flash’s curious look, she explained, “There was a bed and desk and dresser and chairs and everything.”
“I guess you’d need it if you were living in here.” He nervously smiled and admitted, “Here I thought your parents just wouldn’t approve of you having a boyfriend.”
Sunset grinned and gently nudged him. “My mom and dad would’ve loved me dating someone like you. Same with my aunt and uncle.” She rolled her eyes and added, “That’s probably one of the only things I’ve done in the last few years they would’ve approved of, even if I didn’t do it for the right reasons.” She shook her head and noted, “Anyway, enough about me. Twilight might be a little while, but she’ll be here soon enough. She’ll look a little different from how you saw her last, but don’t worry, you look fine, and you shouldn’t have any trouble recognizing her.”
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.” Already seeing the unease on his face, she asked, “You’re nervous, aren’t you?”
“A little. I was nervous enough talking to her before, but now? After all this? Magic and portals and other worlds? How do you greet a princess?”
“You could just say hello.”
Flash’s gaze went from Sunset to the mirror opposite them, and soon found itself looking into a very familiar pair of violet eyes. Instead of a cute girl, however, they belonged to a small pony, a horn coming from her head and wings tucked up against her sides. “Twilight?”
A nod. “Hi Flash.” The face was different, but the nervous and friendly smile was the same as she waved a shy hoof. “Surprise.”
He approached slowly and knelt down before her, still processing what he was seeing. He raised an arm and gently ran his hand down her neck, fingers going through her mane before going back up, his fingertips reaching her ears and eliciting a giggle. “Whoa, I…!”
“Sorry!” Twilight gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m kinda ticklish there. Are you alright?”
Flash smiled back. “Yes. And you look beautiful.” He leaned forward and wrapped both arms around her, Twilight reciprocating with one leg. “I’m gonna sound like a complete dork, but I never thought I’d see you again.” They released one another, and he grinned and asked, “So, does everyone dance like you did that night, or just you?”
Twilight blushed and admitted, “Just me. You didn’t hurt anything, did you?”
A nervous expression flashed across his face as he admitted, “Maybe.” He then turned back to his ex and offered, “Thanks, Sunset.” She smiled back and approached as he turned back to Twilight and stated the obvious. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting this. Both girls I’ve liked are really horses.”
The two girls laughed. “Ponies,” Twilight corrected. “We’re ponies, Flash. Small difference.”
Flash smiled. “Doesn’t matter. It’s still great seeing you, no matter how you look.” He gently stroked Twilight’s neck and idly thought out loud, “You must have lots of boys after you.” He paused and corrected himself, “Colts?”
A blush crossed Twilight’s cheeks as she admitted, “Either works. And actually, you were the first.” The blush faded, and her expression became uncertain. “I’m sorry.”
“What’s wrong?”
Twilight took a breath and gathered her strength. “Flash, has Sunset told you anything about the world where she and I come from?”
“Not a lot. I’m guessing making friends isn’t much different between them.”
“No, but I had some help. Fluttershy and Applejack and the rest of the girls? They have counterparts in my world, ponies like me. They’re my best friends.” She spread her wings and added, “I wouldn’t be a princess if it wasn’t for them.”
“There’s another me running around in your world, and Twilight and Spike have their own counterparts according to Pinkie.” Sunset half-shrugged and admitted, “Though her Spike probably doesn’t talk, him being a dog and everything. The Spike from our world’s really a dragon.”
Flash turned to Twilight in surprise. “You have pet dragons?”
“Hey!” The three turned to find the familiar baby dragon approaching them from the direction of the mirror back to Equestria with a disapproving look on his face. “I’m no one’s pet, thank you very much.” He looked to Twilight sheepishly. “Sorry, Twilight, I know you wanted to do this alone, but…”
“It’s alright, Spike.” She wrapped a wing around him and explained, “Officially, Spike’s my number one assistant, but I helped Princess Celestia raise him after I hatched his egg. He’s like a little brother to me.”
“And before you ask?” Spike grinned and flashed a quick thumbs-up. “You had Twilight’s back. That’s good enough for me.”
Flash grinned. “Thanks.” The grin faded as he came to realize what Twilight was building to. “But what you were saying about counterparts. There’s one for me too, isn’t there?”
A nod. “A pegasus. He’s a lieutenant in the Royal Guard, our military. I only just met him the night before I came to your world. I haven’t even said a word to him since I got back.”
“But you like him.”
She smiled. “It wasn’t hard after meeting you. Shining Armor certainly didn’t object to him.” At Flash’s surprise, Twilight explained, “He’s my big brother, and a high-ranking member of the guard. But like I said, I haven’t talked to the Flash Sentry from my world. I kept on…” She groaned. “I’m going to sound like a cliché.”
“She thought talking to the other Flash would be like betraying you.” At Twilight’s sharp look, Spike protested, “What? You gotta get to the point sometime.”
Twilight relented with a bow of her head, then turned back to Flash and explained, “Like I said, you were my first. I didn’t want to hurt you. And what would hurt someone more than going off with someone who was pretty much the same person?”
A tense silence followed, none of the four quite knowing what to say next, before Flash finally asked, “You say there’s another you in my world. Would it hurt you if she and I got to know one another? Had a relationship? Dated?”
Twilight turned away. “I don’t know.” She put on a brave smile and turned back as she admitted, “But if she made you happy, then I wouldn’t mind.”
Flash smiled back. “What makes you think I wouldn’t feel the same way?” He gently put a hand to the side of her head and assured her, “I only saw you for a couple of days, Twilight, but those were good days. He’s got a chance to spend a lot more time with you than that. Don’t deny it to him because of me. Give him, and yourself, a chance to be happy together.” A little more nervously, he added, “But if it works out, and you two start having a real relationship? Tell him about me, and all this. If he can accept that, then you two will have something.” He shrugged. “But what do I know?”
Twilight laughed. “You know enough to be a good man, Flash. That’s more than most.” She turned to her new student, a goofy smile refusing to leave her face. “Thanks, Sunset.”
“My friends needed my help. How could I do nothing?” She grinned and promised, “And I’ll make sure the girls get the message.” At Flash’s curious look, she explained, “Nothing you need to worry about, but I’ll let you know if anything comes up that you should know. Promise.”
Flash nodded and turned back to Twilight. “Well, we need to get going. Free period’s almost over.”
“Go on then, enjoy your lunch!” Twilight waved the two off with a hoof and prompted Spike to follow her out. He made it out first, but she paused before reaching the mirror and took a look back as Sunset and Flash departed. It was time she took a chance of her own.
-
“So, how does that one work? I mean, can you only go in there for a short time a day or…?”
Sunset laughed. “The bridge realm’s open whenever the other portal’s closed. So if you wanted to, you could see Twilight every once in a while.”
“I could, huh?” Flash smiled at the thought. “Maybe.” He put the thought aside as he turned to his ex and offered, “Thanks, Sunset. You didn’t have to show me all this.”
“No, but I wanted to, and I feel like you deserved it after everything that’s happened.” She chuckled nervously as she added, “That said, it might get awkward if either of us runs into the Twilight of this world, for obvious reasons.”
“Yeah, but that video suddenly makes a lot more sense.” A thought came to him, and he realized, “But one way it could get really awkward? If our world’s Twilight attends Crystal Prep.”
“Ooooh.” Sunset hadn’t cared too much about Canterlot High’s rival school, but she was aware of the rivalry, particularly considering the other school had routinely beaten them in major sporting events. “Yeah, that would get awkward.”
“Sunset Shimmer?” The two turned to find Vice Principal Luna looking upon them curiously, the bell for lunch ringing around them. “Is there something going on I should be aware of?”
Sunset smiled reassuringly. “Just trusting a friend with a secret, Vice Principal Luna.” Flash gave her a surprised look, to which she nodded. “You understand, right?”
Luna gave them a small smile in return. “Yes, but do try to keep things civil? Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.” She held up a folded piece of paper and explained, “One of the custodial staff found this wedged into one of the vents on your locker. I was going to throw it away, but I thought you might want to know about it.”
“Probably not the first hate letter I’ll get now.” Sunset sighed and accepted the note, then unfolded it and examined it, pleasant surprise forming on her face. “Flash? Are these what I think they are?”
Flash Sentry examined the note over her shoulder. “Yeah, and this isn’t hate mail.”
“What does it say?”
Sunset smiled at the vice principal, glad for some privacy, and recited, “I don’t give a damn ‘bout your bad reputation, they’re living in the past it’s a new generation…” She laughed, recognizing the words as lyrics from a song, though it continued with different words. “You shouldn’t care about what they do, just know that I forgive you.” Relieved, she folded the note back up and stuck it in her pocket. “No signature, but I don’t mind.”
“Nor should you.” Luna beckoned them onwards. “Now get on to lunch, both of you.”
The two complied and wordlessly made their way to the cafeteria, several students milling ahead. Most were discussing one thing or another, one bobbing her head to unheard music and causing her striped blue hair to bounce slightly, but no one gave them too much mind as they reached their destination.
What talk had taken place in the lunchroom lessened slightly as Sunset entered, but she kept any trepidation she felt about that to herself, getting in line for lunch and accepting her meal with a smile, Granny Smith smiling back in return. Flash went off to eat with his bandmates with a short wave, and Sunset quietly answered back before she quickly found her way to the girls, Pinkie enthusiastically waving her towards them. “Hey girls. What’s up with you, Pinkie?”
“Pinkie Sense! My ears were tingling!” At Sunset’s curious look, she explained, “When that happens, usually a lotta people are all complaining about something silly and pointless. Usually comes up every Wednesday whenever I’m near a comic book shop.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Yeah, not a shocker there.”
“Well, onto other topics.” Rarity gave Sunset an eager look and asked, “Darling, I’m hearing some rather interesting rumors concerning you and Flash Sentry. I can understand him wanting to move on from Twilight…”
Sunset rolled her eyes at how fast rumors flew in a high school. “We aren’t dating again.” She smiled and admitted, “But he and I have patched things up. We’re going to give just being friends a try. And as for Twilight, well, I might’ve helped him and her to get some closure.” She winked. “I think we can trust him with our secret.”
“I agree, and it’s good that you and he are friends now.” Fluttershy smiled and gently added, “It’s a good sign of things to come.”
“Just so long as he ain’t poppin’ inta the bridge world all the time or somethin’.”
“Yeah, speaking of, are any of you up to anything after school?” Sunset smiled at the general chorus of negatives. “Good, because we’ve got a meeting this afternoon with our friends out of town.”
“Whatever for, dear? Is something the matter?”
“No, but Princess Celestia wants to talk with us.”
“Oh?” Rarity gave her a curious expression that was quickly shared by the rest of their tablemates. “Anything in particular?”
Sunset nervously answered, “Everything.”
-
The Crystal Empire was a beautiful place. Most anypony who went there agreed, and those who didn’t were probably being stubborn. Flash Sentry still was amazed at the fact that he of all ponies ended up being given an assignment out here, in spite of everything that he’d done. Yes, granted, he’d been one of the few ponies still standing towards the end of Queen Chrysalis’ attack on Canterlot, but a tiny part of him worried that he’d be seen as a joke in spite of it, given one reaction during a nightly patrol.
In his defense, opossums had very nasty-looking, needle-like teeth.
Regardless, he was here, and he’d had a very good time thus far. The odd mission in the surrounding areas, yes, a brief command of a retrieval mission that dug up some odd-looking red and black thing that might’ve been a horn, but nothing strenuous. That probably had something to do with him being in the castle guard, of course, and he wasn’t going to complain. He had enough combat to suit him for a while back in Canterlot, and he was glad that the closest he’d come to being injured was literally bumping into Princess Twilight Sparkle twice. Both times had occurred when she was distracted, the first as she’d been presented before her fellows and the second among her friends. Poor mare was probably nervous as all get-out both times. He could relate, after so many reviews with his superiors.
It took everything he had to not crack a smile at that. If his classmates at the Academy had seen him, they would have teased him relentlessly about his new marefriend. He wasn’t about to deny that she was attractive, of course, but somepony like her taking an interest in somepony like him? And even if she did, her brother was his CO, and…
“Excuse me, Lieutenant Flash Sentry?”
He snapped out of his reverie and came to a halt as he turned to face the very mare he’d been thinking of, a friendly if somewhat nervous smile on her face. “Yes, your Highness? How may I help you?”
“I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me to lunch.”
Flash wasn’t quite sure how to process that. “Excuse me, ma’am?”
“Lunch. You and me, eating together and talking. In a restaurant.”
It took a few milliseconds for him to realize what she was asking before he blurted out, “Are you asking me on a date?”
“Yes!” Nervousness took over as she continued, “I’ll understand if you refuse, of course…”
“No, ma’am, it would be a pleasure.” Still not quite believing this as hoofsteps sounded coming towards them, he quickly added, “Just give me a few minutes to report on what I’m doing and…”
“Lieutenant.” He turned to find Prince Shining Armor approaching him, a stern look upon his face. He remained calm as his commanding officer stopped, looked him over, and smiled. “Consider yourself relieved of your duties for the afternoon. I’ll take care of signing you out. Go and enjoy yourself.”
“Yes sir, thank you.” He couldn’t help but notice the two siblings exchange smiles before he and the princess made their way down the corridor and out of the castle. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, ma’am. You looked very nervous your first night here, and exhausted after those first few days. I hope whatever trouble you were having was sorted out.”
“It was, thank you. And you don’t have to be so formal. Just ‘Twilight’ is fine.”
He wasn’t entirely certain that was protocol, but he wasn’t about to argue. “Alright then. Twilight.” He had to admit, it felt very good to say that. “So, you asked me out, I assume you have a place in mind?”
Twilight laughed. “I’ve had very good recommendations for several restaurants near the palace, actually.”
Neither knew, but somewhere in the castle, a pink party pony’s ears tingled, and she found herself wondering what a “why-fue stealer” was. Elsewhere, a pink alicorn felt a stirring, and smiled to herself. And further elsewhere, a cup of tea sat and grew cold as it waited for an older stallion to finish playing the spoons. So far as Flash Sentry was concerned, however, he was in the presence of one of the most famous mares in Equestria, and she’d taken an interest in him.
And he quietly prayed that he wouldn’t screw this up.
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and
This chapter really didn't feel particularly interesting at any point, and this sentence is exactly why. This felt like the punchline to a bad joke, a joke that seemed to be the entire chapter, and it felt very out of place with the rest of the story.
That's not a very good estimate - assuming every moon is 28 days and every month is 30 days, 30 moons works out to be 28 months.
8257865 Sunset was giving a rough estimate, mostly because I was giving a rough estimate. I'm a writer, not a mathematician. Sue me.
It's nice to see Flash get some closure with Princess Twilight. Especially given how the later movies have treated things with them.
8621836
I've long been of the opinion that Flash Sentry, as a character, had a lot of wasted potential to him. The character himself isn't a bad guy. If anything, the worst that you can say about him is that he's bland. I'm delighted that Legend of Everfree had the good sense to have him accept that he'd probably not see Princess Twilight again and not have a relationship with Sci-Twi, but I still feel like he got a raw deal. Developing him and making him interesting, both as a human and as a pony, is one of my big goals, and I like to think I'm doing a decent job of it.
Then again, maybe I'm just a sucker for the underdog.
8621878 I hope he gets back with Sunset.
This is a good example of some of your issues. The first phrase tells us that Snips and Snails relax upon hearing the news. The second phrase... tells us the same thing. As a reader, this is frustrating. This can also happen with dialogue and dialogue tags. There's no need to repeat yourself like that.
That said, this chapter wasn't nearly as bad as I remember it being. It had its fair share of issues, but it wasn't significantly different than the previous chapters.
9391613
Like I said, I'm trying, but thanks for clarifying there.
Which is?
What message?
Who wrote it?
Who’s the stallion?
I return to this story, and... Flash is actually bad. He has the ONLY purpose of getting together with Twilight. He is so FLAT as a charater... I mean, Sunburst is more interesting. He has interests, he has dislikes, he has DEPTH. Flash was literally MADE to be a "waifu stealer". I think I can make a DIAMOND DOG OC, that is a better match for Twilight, than this guy. All you need is some common interests, and a bit of differences, to make some CONFLICT to overcome.
11577858
In my defense, the flaws that you ascribe to Flash were there in the source material, and I didn't really have much planned for Flash in this story. With all that in mind, I do like to think that I gave him a very positive portrayal, or at least one that wouldn't be found offensive by the showrunners. And if it makes you feel any better, I do develop Flash further in later stories and try to give him some depth.
Besides, flat characters aren't necessarily bad characters. And Flash Sentry ain't a bad person - he was genuinely nice to Twilight.