Chapter 1: Starting Downhill

Broken Together

(2 months before the Fall Formal)

BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!! BEEP!!

A hand slammed on the alarm clock, silencing the infernal contraption and knocking it off the desk.

“I have not missed you in the slightest,” Flash Sentry stated, groaning.

The yellow-skinned teenager threw himself out of bed, knowing that if he didn’t do so he would just fall back asleep and endure the wrath of his dad via a lecture on responsibility and a “When I was a boy” speech that seemed to be pre-planned every single time. At least he had a good solid hour before he had to leave for school. During his first three years of school, he didn’t need all that time, but it was different now.

For starters, his little brother, Eclipse, would be starting his freshman year at Canterlot High. Over the summer, he would not stop talking about how awesome it was going to be to not only be in one of the best schools in the state, but that he would be able to see his brother a little more often. Flash knew that college would be approaching very soon and that Eclipse would want to build as many memories as possible with him before it was too late.

The second reason was for parking purposes. Three years at high school taught him the value of being early when it came to parking a car. Everyone and their brother would be there, so he needed to beat the crowd.

The third reason, and the primary reason, was that he needed time to prepare to run into…her. Sunset Shimmer, the girl who had stolen his heart and completely smashed it to pieces. True, he was the one that broke up with her, but she left him no choice. For some reason, he never found it in himself to throw away the pictures that contained her in them. Probably due to sentimental value, a time where he was the happiest teenager alive. It was inevitable that he would see her and if she was just as bad as she was at the end of junior year, it was going to be nasty.

Don’t think about that now. Flash told himself as the hot water from the shower poured down upon him. Remember, this is Eclipse’s day, not mine. He doesn’t need to get caught up in my problems. Let him be a kid just a little while longer.

Once the shower was completed, he sported himself blue jeans, a white shirt, and his black jacket. This was his favorite outfit to wear. It made him feel and look like a rock star every time he performed on his guitar for practice and for concerts. He hoped that he could grow into a great rocker, but that dream would be difficult to attain. He didn’t want to be like Nickelback, but he knew that it would be nearly impossible to reach Daughtry’s level of awesomeness. More likely than not, Rainbow Dash had a better chance than he did.

Knock off the pessimism. He rebuked himself as he stepped outside of his room. Remember what Dad said: pessimism is a roadblock that needs to be destroyed in order to fulfill your dreams. Besides, you’ve formed a band, Sentry. That’s a good start as any.

Once Flash reached the end of the stairs, he spotted his orange-skinned Dad, Fire Storm, fixing up some breakfast: scrambled eggs with spices and bacon. The aroma smelled great, but looks and smells could be deceiving.

“So, what restaurant did you order from this time?” Flash teased as he made his presence known.

Fire Storm rolled his eyes at the jab. “For your information, son, my culinary skills have improved over the summer.”

“And we were with you every step of the way,” Flash retorted, shuddering at those painful memories.

“Family support is an important aspect of life, Flash,” he lectured. “You gotta take the bad as well as the good.”

“Oh, we took the bad all right,” the teen said. “We took it a lot.”

Fire Storm shrugged as he finished up his “masterpiece” of a breakfast. “Well, if you prefer to buy your own food, you are welcome to do so.”

“Fine by me,” he replied, getting up to leave.

“Sit down!” his father ordered.

Flash laughed as he sat back down. “How’s your morning, Pops?”

“It’s great,” Firestorm answered. “I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a while. It was refreshing for a change. You?”

Flash’s face fell a bit. “Not so much.”

Fire Storm instantly read between the lines as he put three plates of food on the table. “Son, I’m not gonna lie and say that I know what you are going through. I can only hope that things will be different and you will be able to find someone that will put that spark in your eyes again.”

“There’s no one like her, Dad,” Flash admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone like that again.” I don't think I even want too.

“Dad, are you cooking again!?” a voice shouted from the stairwell.

Fire Storm chuckled and shouted back, “Of course I did, Eclipse! I promise the food is safe this time.”

Eclipse had a bad case of food poisoning after one of Fire Storm’s greatest blunders. Feeling guilty, he spent two weeks buying pre-made food so he wouldn’t make the same mistake again, but he decided afterwards to try again, promising not to screw up as badly again. While he did improve greatly, Eclipse was understandably nervous every time his father prepared a meal.

“It’s really good, Eclipse,” Flash assured after swallowing a mouthful of eggs.

Slowly, the light-orange thirteen year old crept his way into the kitchen, not even bothering to hide the nervousness on his face. “You sure?”

“If you get sick, I will give you one hundred dollars,” Fire Storm promised.

Encouraged that it would be a win-win situation, Eclipse sat down and began to eat, relieved that he enjoyed the food.

“It’s good, Dad,” he agreed. “Thank you for letting me live another day.”

“You are always welcome,” Fire Storm responded with a chuckle. “I aim to please. So, are you excited about your first year in high school?”

Eclipse’s eyes lit up. “Are you kidding? It’s gonna be awesome! Button Mash will be there, the PCT will be there. Life couldn’t be any better.”

Flash had to admire his little brother’s enthusiasm. His biggest hope at the moment was that high school wouldn’t suck it all out of him. “How close are you to being ready?”

“He packed last night,” Fire Storm answered with a grin. “You could learn something from him.”

Flash gave a mock-glare to his smug brother. “Show off.”

“Dad, Flash called me a show-off,” Eclipse mock-whined.

“Dad, Eclipse is whining,” Flash retorted, imitating his brother.

“Save it for school, you two,” Fire Storm advised them, picking up their empty plates. “As much as I enjoy my two sons make fools out of themselves, I’ve got to go to work.”

“About time we head out ourselves,” Flash said, standing up. “Come on, Eclipse. We’ve gotta beat the crowds.” He gave his dad a big embrace. “Bye, Dad.”

“Good luck, son,” he responded before giving Eclipse a hug. “You, too, Eclipse.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Eclipse responded.

Once the hugging was over, Flash led Eclipse to the garage where his black Mustang was waiting, a birthday gift from his father over the summer. It still had a new car look, something that Flash predicted would change in a few months.

“Time to go to school in style,” Flash stated, hopping in the driver’s seat.

“Do you think I could ever get a car like this when I get older?” Eclipse wondered as he strapped in.

“No,” he answered, starting up the car. “I think you’ll get one better. Cars change with every year, Eclipse. In four years, they might even start flying.”

Eclipse grinned, imagining it in his head. “That would be awesome.”

Once Flash made sure he was in the clear, he drove off towards the high school, indicating a bus stop sign as they zoomed by.

“Right there is the bus stop,” he explained. “In case my dad and I are unable to take you to school, the bus goes right towards Canterlot High. Don’t worry about money. Students get a free pass. Got it?”

He nodded his head. “I’ll remember.”

“Good.” Flash decided to get the next subject over and done with. “Now, this is very important, Eclipse, so I want you to listen to me carefully. Do whatever you can to avoid Sunset Shimmer. If you see her, make yourself invisible.”

Eclipse frowned, thinking about the girl. “She was so nice to the both of us, Flash. Why is she so mean now?”

Flash sighed. “That answer has eluded me for a while, bro. Perhaps she was always like this and I…never noticed, or didn’t want to notice.”

Briefly, he remembered the times when Sunset came over to help Eclipse with his English homework. She was a great tutor, a step up from the impatient girl he ran into when they first met. He chuckled when he remembered the scare tactic she used to get Eclipse to take it seriously.

“You know, Eclipse,” she had said. “I once knew a kid like yourself a long time ago. He was smart, a laid-back kind of guy, but he never took the time to take his English classes seriously. One day, however, he got himself lost and ended up in a forest. He passed a sign that had words on it, but he didn’t read them. After all, reading words weren’t important to him. Suddenly, he stepped on something the clicked and when he stepped off, KABOOM!! You know what that sign said? “Danger! Land mines ahead! Turn back now!” An evil grin appeared on her face. “So, take your English class seriously before we have to find what’s left of you next. Okay, sweetie?”

“Are you thinking about that tutor session again?” Eclipse questioned, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Flash realized he had a big, stupid grin on his face. “Maybe.”

He sighed, but smirked afterwards. “That was funny looking back.”

“You hid in your room for two weeks, Eclipse,” he reminded him. “Sunset had to swear that as long as she was your tutor, you would not get blown up by a land mine.”

The two shared a laugh at those times, until the bitter part of the memories kicked in.

“Maybe she’s changed back to normal,” Eclipse hoped. “Perhaps she had a bad year.”

“I hope so, little bro,” Flash stated. “I really do.” But what would I do then?

They spent the rest of the car ride in silence, unsure what to talk about next. Frankly, thinking about Sunset depressed them both, more for Flash than Eclipse. After all, she was a positive influence on their lives, but just thinking about all those good memories turned them all bitter.

After a while, Flash finally pulled up to the parking deck behind the school. He noticed that the majority of the parking spaces on the ground floor were taken, but he managed to find one near the stairs.

Once the two brothers stepped out of the car, they took a good look at Canterlot High School. Flash saw it exactly how he remembered it: magenta colors, two stories, and what seemed like golden crowns on certain portions of the building.

“You know, for a school,” Eclipse started, “this looks pretty cool.”

“Enjoy that feeling, Eclipse,” Flash advised, leading his brother down the stairs. “Trust me. It won’t last. Waking up early in the morning and scrambling to get all your homework done at the last minute. Oh, wait. You already do that!”

“So do you,” he retorted.

“Eh, touché,” Flash conceded.

Once they were inside, they took in the familiar sights and sounds of a school. Students socializing anywhere and everywhere, locker doors being yanked open and slammed shut, gossip filling the halls about every possible subject one could think of.

“It’s a little louder than I’m used to,” Eclipse stated, contemplating covering his ears.

“You get used to it after a week,” Flash assured. “Let’s go to the freshman hallway and get you settled in, okay?”

Eclipse snorted at him as they continued walking. “You know, I can easily walk to the hallway myself, Flash.”

He put on a display of mock-sadness. “I know. It’s just…so hard to see my baby brother all grown up ready to tackle another phase of his life.” Instantly, he went back to his usual self. “I kid, bro. I just wanna see if you end up getting my locker.”

Eclipse scanned the hallway while looking at the sheet of paper he received a few days prior. “Let’s see. It seems I got locker--!”

“WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO MY LOCKER!?!?”

Flash’s shouting took Eclipse and the entire hallway by surprise.

The younger brother took a look at where Flash was looking and groaned. “Oh, wonderful. It’s Diamond Tiara’s locker now.”

Flash’s former locker was covered head to toe with glitter and pictures of the student who owned the locker. The smug smile combined with her namesake on her head had the power to make nearly everyone dislike her greatly. Near the center of the locker, however, stood a picture of a handsome man that Flash recognized as Trenderhoof, a famous writer of some sort, and he was surrounded by a glitter-filled heart.

“Diamond Tiara, huh?” Flash repeated. “She’s the one that gives you and your friends a hard time, right?” When his brother nodded, an evil grin appeared on his face. “Is she nearby?”

Eclipse looked to his left and spotted her talking with the only girl that could ever be her friend, Silver Spoon. “Yeah, she’s over there.”

His grin widened. “Watch and learn, Eclipse. I am now channeling my inner Rarity.”

Excited, Eclipse took a step back, ready to watch the show. This was going to be good.

Taking a deep breath, Flash began the most melodramatic meltdown he had ever attempted to do. “Oh, the horrors that befall me, my brother! To think that I would come to this place to reminisce about the times of old, when I see THIS!!” He pointed directly at the locker as if it was a convicted murderer. “It was as if everything wrong in the world was combined into this filth!”

Flash had gained an audience of students and teachers alike. Some of them were already cracking up at the outlandish performance. The rest of them were attempting to conceal their laughter. Diamond Tiara, on the other hand, looked like she was about to explode with rage.

Flash sank to his knees like a man ready to confess his darkest sins. “To think, to dream, to be free of this curse, this horror that dares to face all that look upon it.” He faced the students with a desperate look in his eyes while standing up. “Repent your ways, my fellow students, for the true evil of the world has come upon us. Pray that this locker never again sees the light of day!”

He ended the speech with an equally melodramatic bow, finally causing the entire hall to erupt with laughter and applause. Several of the students recorded the speech on their phones, planning to post this on the Internet.

The keeper of the locker, however, was none too thrilled.

“Did you just insult me, Sentry?” Diamond Tiara demanded, stomping towards him with a glare. “Do you really think that you can get away with this?”

Flash gave an innocent wave. “Hi, Diamond Tiara. Oh, is this your locker?”

With a yell of frustration, she stomped away, swearing revenge on the Sentry Brothers.

Eclipse was beside himself. “I don’t care what she does to me now. That was worth it!”

“Least I could do, Eclipse,” Flash stated, slightly embarrassed at how ridiculous the whole thing was. “The school will be talking about this for quite some time. So, where’s your locker?”

Checking the paper again, he answered, “Oh, it’s the one to the left of her locker.” He frowned. “Oh, joy. I’m next to Diamond Tiara for the year. How thoughtful. And mine has a…dent in it.”

He stopped talking as his happiness began to vanish right alongside Flash, who was staring at the locker with a mixture of emotions.

“Of course you get that one,” Flash stated with heavy sigh.

Eclipse knew he didn’t need to ask, but he did anyway. “Is that…?”

“Sunset’s locker.”

Already, no matter how hard he tried, he could already see the first time they met in his mind.

Fourteen year old Flash scrambled to get his belongings together. He only had five minutes before class and he was completely unprepared. Papers were stuffed in his backpack in a very idiotic fashion and pencils were scattered across the floor after his pencil case crashed to the ground. These were the signs of a very disorganized person. He apologized profusely to the students who nearly tripped over his pencils in an effort to get to their classes.

Once every pencil was accounted for, he realized he left his binder inside the locker. Resisting the urge to facepalm, Flash quickly unlocked his lock and swung the door open, not paying attention to his surroundings.

BAM!!

“OW!!”

Flash’s eyes widened in horror when he realized what he just did.

Pulling back the door, he came face-to-face with a girl with hair the colors of ketchup and mustard. On any other time, he would’ve tried not laugh at the analogy he came up with, but right now, the aqua eyes of the girl seemed to be trying to kill him by the way she was glaring at him.

“What is your problem!?” she demanded, massaging her forehead.

“I am so sorry!” Flash replied, deeply embarrassed.

“Just get out of my way, you idiot! I don’t have time for idiots!”

With more strength than he anticipated, the girl shoved him aside before stalking off to her class without looking back. Flash would have offered a comeback, but considering it was his fault in the first place, he let it go.

“Great job, Flash,” he rebuked himself. “It’s your first day, and already you’ve made a wonderful first impression.” A bell rang in the hallway. “And you’re late for class. Bravo!”

“Maybe I should change lockers,” Eclipse said with a little bit of worry in his tone.

Shaking himself out of memory lane, Flash addressed his brother. “You’d better get to class, Eclipse. I need to go.”

His brother would have pointed out that he had a half an hour before class started, but he knew that when Flash was in this state of mind, it was probably best not to nitpick his words. Eclipse gave a half-hearted goodbye as he attached the lock to the dented locker, hoping that he wouldn’t be Sunset’s target because he had her former locker.

Flash’s jovial mood all but vanished as he made his way towards the senior area of high school. He knew what was happening and he wished that he could find a way to put a stop to it. He went through depression for most of the year when he broke up with Sunset, and it seemed like he was relapsing. There had to be some way to get through the year without treading the same ground.

“Hey, Sentry!”

Running into a good friend of his would be a good start.

A grin appeared on Flash’s face as he spotted a blue-haired senior approaching him. This was Brawly Beats, or Double B, as he liked to be called every now and then. He happened to be the drummer of Flash’s band.

“Double B,” Flash greeted, fist-bumping him before giving a manly embrace. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“You know how it is,” he replied. “Had to make the summer last as long as possible. Heard you got a sweet ride now.”

“I decided to drive here in style,” Flash bragged. “Ringo around here?”

“Right here, buddy!”

The two faced another senior coming from the water fountains. This one had a distinct hair color of white and black and he wore blue shades that covered his brown eyes. Ringo was the bassist of the band, but occasionally played synthesizer when the time called for it.

“Good to see you again, Flash,” Ringo stated, giving him the same embrace that Flash gave Beats.

“Looks like Flash Drive is back in business!” he replied with a grin.

His friends simultaneously groaned.

“Flash, that’s a terrible name and you know it,” Brawly stated.

“We never even agreed to that name in the first place,” Ringo pointed out.

Flash chuckled in response. “Yeah, you’re right. We need a new name. Ringo?”

The bassist shrugged. “No idea. Haven’t thought of one that clicked yet.”

“Brawly?”

He shook his head. “Don’t look at me, man. I’ve got nothing.”

Flash sighed. “Okay, new goal: come up with a new name for our band ASAP! We’ll worry about concerts and other things later.”

Suddenly, Brawly’s face paled. “Uh, oh, guys. Shimmer’s making her rounds!”

The other two quickly looked in the direction he was indicating and paled like he did.

Were it not for the fact that Sunset Shimmer was arguably the worst person the school has ever known, they would have noticed how hot she looked. She bore a black jacket over her pink shirt which complemented the striped miniskirt she had on really well. However, all that beauty hid what was really inside: a monster, something Flash knew all too well by this point.

“Let’s get out of here,” Brawly suggested quickly.

Flash was about to turn to leave like his friends were doing, but the moment Sunset spotted him, he knew he couldn’t escape.

“Hello, Flash,” she greeted, walking towards him with a smirk on her face. “Miss me?”

Deciding to get this over with, Flash just glared at her, motioning his friends to get out of here. “What do you want, Sunset?”

She crossed her arms, the smirk not leaving her face. “Straight to the point today. I just wanted to see if you decided to come to your senses yet. After all, you had the whole summer to think it over.”

“I only needed five minutes to know that I’d rather swallow glass than associate myself with you again,” he spat, unusually hostile.

The entire hallway went dead silent as the students began to watch this exchange.

Sunset’s smirk dissolved into slight frown. “You might wanna watch your attitude, Flash. In case you’ve forgotten, I can do anything I want in this school to anyone I choose.”

“I’m shaking in fear,” he responded in a monotone. “What are you, a James Bond villain now? I mean, come on! How is it that anyone takes you seriously?”

Sunset went back to smirking, knowing exactly to respond. “Like so: I know your brother starts school today, Flash. He must be so excited, am I right?”

Flash narrowed his eyes, taking on a threatening tone. “Sunset…”

She went on, enjoying this moment. “I bet he would be miserable if someone decided to make it their mission in life to ruin his. And you know whose fault that would be? Yours.”

Flash stalked up to her, his fists clenched and his eyes blazing. Sunset kept that despicable smile, daring him to make a move. The students watched in trepidation, worried at how he would respond.

Then, Flash did something he never thought he'd do: he slammed Sunset up against the lockers, catching her off-guard.

“Listen to me carefully, Sunset Shimmer,” he growled in a tone that would make Jack Bauer impressed. “You can do whatever you want to me, but if you so much as look at my brother the wrong way, I’m coming after you! Got it!?”

Sunset’s eyes blazed with the fury of a thousand suns and she responded in an equally intimidating tone. “You’ve just made a very big mistake, Flash.”

“The only mistake I ever made was falling in love with you!” Flash sneered.

He shoved Sunset back and walked away, leaving behind his astonished ex-girlfriend and the horrified group of students. At that moment, he couldn’t care less about what they thought about him. All Flash knew were three things by this point:

1. Sunset Shimmer wasn’t as bad as he remembered; she was far worse.

2. He just opened himself and Eclipse to be her targets due to his actions.

3. This was going to be one of the worst years of his life.

Author's Note:

First chapters of any story always make me nervous. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Reviews are always welcome.

FYI: This story will have several flashbacks throughout the beginning. I could have written Flash and Sunset's first three years, but sadly, I'm not that good.

Anticipated statement: Flash's brother is called First Base, not Eclipse!

There is no way I am calling someone First Base. I'd prefer not to think about all the tasteless jokes someone could make about that name.

Next chapter: The day in the life of Sunset Shimmer

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