Ch. 8: A Walk In The Park - Part 2
The evening sun hangs in the sky, covering the land in a soft orange light. The sky beholds colors of purple, orange, and pink. Down below, the festival grounds of Canterlot Park are bustling with activity. It’s the monthly Food Truck Festival, where food truck owners from all over the city show off their products and introduce new items. Pop and classic rock music play over speakers as hundreds of guests walk around the festival trying everything. The smells of cultures from around the world fill the air. From Latino to European, Middle Eastern to Indian, Asian to Polynesian. The entire world in one place for one day.
Outside the festival gates, Flash Sentry stands by the entrance patiently waiting for Sunset Shimmer to arrive. As he waits, he flips through a small stack of three by five note cards. Written on the cards is, essentially, his script for when he confesses his feelings to Sunset. He flips through the cards multiple times, murmuring his lines to help him better memorize them. After he finishes going through them again, he pulls out his phone to check the time. 7:10 PM. She should be here by now, he thinks. He looks up and down the road, no sight of her anywhere. I should probably call her. Flash goes into his contacts, scrolls to her name, and is about to press call. But he hesitates when he hears a car horn honking from up the street.
He looks to his left and sees a small purple and white car pull up in front of him. Inside the car, he sees Fluttershy in the driver's seat, Rainbow Dash in the passenger seat, and Sunset sitting in the back seat behind Rainbow. When the car comes to a full stop, Rainbow gets out of the car and moves the seat forward, allowing Sunset to exit.
“Hey Flash,” says Sunset as she steps out of the car. “Sorry if I’m late. My bike refused to start for some reason.”
“Ah it’s no big deal,” Flash says, flicking his hand in the air and placing the cards in his back pocket. “The festival doesn’t end for another few hours.”
“Awesome, you ready to head in?” Sunset asks.
Before Flash can answer, he briefly glances over Sunset’s shoulder and notices Rainbow Dash calling him over with her index finger. “Uh, why don’t you head inside and scout out the area?” Flash suggests. “Rainbow needs to talk to me.”
“Okay... but don’t take too long,” says Sunset as she walks past Flash and into the festival.
Flash walks over to Rainbow. “What’s going on?” he asks her.
“Are you ready?” Rainbow asks.
“Yes! Kind of. Not really,” says Flash, his confidence waning.
Fluttershy gets outs of the car and walks around to Rainbow’s left side. “It’s okay if you feel nervous,” Fluttershy says. “This is a big step you’re making. Do you still have those notecards you and Twilight worked on?”
“Yeah, I got ‘em right here,” Flash says as he reaches into his back pocket and holds up the stack of cards. "I've been memorizing them all week, hopefully I can remember what to say."
“Hey, can I see those for a second?” asks Rainbow Dash. Flash hands her the cards, she briefly glances at the top card. Without missing a beat, she rips the entire stack down the middle and throws the pieces into the wind. Both Fluttershy and Flash look at her with wide eyes and jaws dropped. Rainbow maintains a neutral expression.
“What. The actual. HELL!?” shouts Flash.
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy say in what for her is a shout. “That was completely uncalled for! Not only did you destroy what he was going to say, but you are littering!”
“Calm down you two,” Rainbow says holding up her hands in vain defense. “Flash, you don’t need those cards.”
“You better have a good reason for thinking that,” says Flash as he gets up in Rainbow’s face, his anger growing.
Rainbow places her hand on his chest and pushes him away from her. “You need to speak from your heart, not from your cards,” she argues.
“Elaborate,” says Flash, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Look, you’re about to take a big and important step in your relationship,” says Rainbow. “Do you really think some note cards are going to help you take that step? No way! You need to stop thinking with your brain and start going with your gut. Or heart or whatever. Just tell her everything you feel, everything you like about her.”
“That’s your advice!?” Flash exclaims with bewilderment. “Go with my gut? I can’t do that! I’ll screw up it up for sure!”
“No, you won’t,” says Rainbow. “Your confession needs to be unfiltered, unscripted, and unadulterated. Don’t think about it too much. If you truly love her, then the right words will just come to you.”
Flash looks at Fluttershy, who’s been quiet during this exchange. “Fluttershy, don’t you have anything to say about this?” he asks her.
Fluttershy rests her hand on her chin, stirring Rainbow’s words through her head. “She does have a point,” Fluttershy admits. “While you do need to be careful, words straight from the heart are more real and true than some note cards.”
Flash pinches the bridge of his nose and seals his eyelids in frustration. Without any sort of tool to make this process easier, he now has to improvise his entire confession, and they think it’s a good idea. “I can’t believe you two,” he mutters. “I can’t just ‘go with my gut’. What if I completely flub it up? What if I put my foot in my mouth? What if I scare her off again? What if--” He stops himself, realizing what he’s doing. If I’m going to just keep asking ‘what if,’ I might as well be paddling up stream, he thinks, recalling Granny Smith’s words. He runs his hands through his hair and lets out a groan, I can’t believe I’m jumping into this pool without a life vest.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy walk to Flashs side and place their hands on both his shoulders. “We know you’re nervous about this,” says Fluttershy, her tone gentle, “and that’s ok. You’re about to ask a big question and it can be scary knowing you may not get the answer you want.”
“It’s completely understandable if you don’t feel ready for this,” says Rainbow. “The truth is, no one is ever ready for something like this. You’re going in unprepared and uncertain of how it may turn out. But you know what, life’s--.”
“Life’s all about uncertainty,” Flash says cutting Rainbow off. “That’s what makes it so exciting.” He looks at Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, both smiling and nodding in agreement with what he said.
“Actually I was going to say ‘life’s a bitch and sometimes you gotta just stare it down,’” Rainbow Dash says with a grin, “Either way, what you gotta do is the same.”
Their nods and those words light a new fire of confidence in him. Is he prepared to take this new step? No. Is he certain everything will turn out alright? Absolutely not. But he’s going to take this new step regardless of what may happen. Forget the outcomes, forget the consequences. I’m going to get my answer one way or another.
“Since when did you become such a relationship expert?” Flash asks Rainbow Dash with a small smile.
Rainbow Dash glances around to see if anyone is eavesdropping. “Promise not to tell?” she asks. She waits for Fluttershy and Flash’s nods of agreement. She takes a deep breath. “Romance novels.”
Fluttershy and Flash look at her skeptically.
“I know, I know, I don’t seem the type, right?” Rainbow Dash says, “I prefer adventure books most of the time, and most romance novels are trash, but every now and then you find one that’s obviously real. There’s more suspense in a good romance than all but the best Daring Do books!”
Flash chuckles at this. His spirits raised, he takes a few quick deep breaths, and faces the direction of the entrance. “Alright, let's do this,” Flash says as he leaves the two girls and makes his way towards the entrance.
“Go get her tiger!” shouts Rainbow.
“Good luck Flash!” Fluttershy quietly ‘shouts’.
“Okay, should we go meet up with the rest of the gang?” Rainbow suggests as she walks toward the passenger door. Fluttershy grabs Rainbow’s arm, pulls her back, and points at the pieces of paper blowing down the street. “Oh come on, you’re not seriously going to make me clean all that up are you?” Fluttershy looks at Rainbow with a stern expression. “That’s like twenty pieces of paper, and it’s scattering everywhere!” Fluttershy cocks her left eyebrow. “Ugh, fine!” Rainbow groans as she begins picking up the torn-up cards from off the sidewalk.
Flash walks through the gates into the festival grounds. He looks around the sea of people to find Sunset. He can’t see her from where he is standing, so he walks further into the area, without heading in any particular direction. As he walks, he scans the area trying to find Sunset, but she’s nowhere to be found. A few minutes go by when he hears a voice calling his name.
“Flash! Flash!” the voice calls. He looks around to find its source. “Flash, I’m over here.” He spots a hand waving in an open section of the grounds.
Flash jogs over to her position. “Hey, I finally found you,” Flash says when he reaches Sunset. “Sorry, that took so long. Rainbow Dash had a lot more to say than I was expecting.”
“Well, while you were chatting it up with Rainbow, I found us the perfect truck to get some food,” Sunset says with a smug look. “It’s over on the far side. Follow me, and don’t get lost this time.”
“Hey, I wasn’t--WHOA!” Sunset grabs Flash’s hand and tows him through the crowds. “Excuse me!” he says as he bumps into someone.
They walk for about five minutes before finally stopping near the edge of two rows of food trucks. The crowds are thinner here though there’s still plenty of people around. When they stop, Sunset points to the right side at a truck painted in bright colors of orange, green, purple, and gold. Flash reads the sign above the service window. “The Tasty Treat?” he reads aloud with some curiosity. He looks at Sunset with a confused look.
“I’ve always wanted to try some real Indian food, ever since I saw that movie about the Indian family that moved to France,” Sunset says with a growing excitement. “And these guys look like they're the real deal. So what do you think?”
Flash looks back at the colorful truck. Indian cuisine wouldn’t be his first choice, mainly because he’s never had it before. Usually when he comes to a festival like this, he would go for more traditional fair food, which is anything that’s been deep fried. However, this is Sunset’s day, and he’s open to trying new things. Plus, the line is a decent size, so the food might be pretty good.
“Alright,” he says with a nod. “Let’s get in line.”
The two of them hop into the back of the line for the Tasty Treat. Despite there being being fifteen to twenty people in front of them, the line moves fast. Within ten minutes, it’s their turn to order.
A lady in her mid-twenties with light brown skin, purple eyes, and poofy dark brown hair greets them from behind the window. “Hello, welcome to the Tasty Treat, my name is Saffron Masala. How might I take your order?” she says with a Hindi accent.
Sunset takes in a deep breath through her nose, smelling all the aromas from the kitchen. “Oh, that all smells really good,” Sunset says while her mouth begins to salivate.
“Why thank you,” Saffron says with a gleaming smile. “Is this your first time trying our food?” Sunset and Flash both nod in response. “Wonderful, I always love introducing new customers to my home country’s cuisine. If you are looking for recommendations, I suggest trying our Rogan Josh.”
“What’s Rogan Josh?” Flash asks.
“It is a lamb dish braised in a gravy flavored with garlic, ginger, and other aromatic spices served on top of a bed of white rice,” says Saffron. “You can also get it with tofu instead of lamb and for the same price. We also serve every dish with a piece of naan bread and hummus.”
“Oh that sounds good,” Sunset says, licking her lips. “I think I’ll have that, with the tofu.”
“As will I,” Flash says, “But with lamb.” He pulls out his wallet and hands Saffron his debit card.
Saffron charges Flash’s card the total amount and hands it back to him. “Thank you very much,” she says cheerfully. “You will be order number forty-seven.” Flash and Sunset thank her and step out of line to allow the next guest to order.
As they patiently wait for their order a few yards from the truck, the two converse with each other to pass the time. “I hope your fitting last week with Rarity wasn’t too terrible?” Sunset asks.
“Nah,” Flash says waving his hand. “It wasn’t as bad as some would think. All she did was get mine and Soarin’s measurements, had us try a few pieces, and that was it.”
“I assume she’s being secretive with you as well,” says Sunset.
“What do you mean?” Flash asks.
“Rarity hasn’t even given us a peek at our dresses,” says Sunset. “She says they’ve been done for months now, but she’s adamant on waiting until the week before prom to show them to us.”
“Sounds like she hasn’t even started on them yet, and she’s trying to make excuses to cover her procrastination,” Flash speculates. “But I could be wrong; Rarity may want to make sure that the reveal is a big surprise.”
“The latter sounds more like her,” says Sunset. “Rarity isn’t one to put something off this important to the last minute, especially when it comes to fashion.”
Flash is about to say something else, but he stops himself when, out of the corner of his eye, he notices something peculiar. Big, poofy, hot-pink hair. But when he turns his head to the left to scan the crowd, however, the pink hair is nowhere to be found. As if it had suddenly vanished.
“Is something wrong?” Sunset asks with a little confusion.
“I thought I saw…” Flash trails off from his original sentence and shakes his head. “Never mind, it was probably nothing.”
“Okaaay,” Sunset responds with a tinge of suspicion.
“FORTY-SEVEN!” a male voice shouts from service window of the Tasty Treat food truck. Flash and Sunset walk over to the window and grab their plates.
The white rice lies on their plate, topped with chunks of lamb, or tofu in Sunset’s case, dressed in a brownish-red gravy. Smells of cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon fill their noise, causing their mouths to start salivating. To the side of the dish is a quarter piece of naan bread, still warm from the oven. Next to it, a small puddle of freshly made hummus. If not bound by societal manners, they would tear into the meal right then and there. Instead, Flash and Sunset decide to leave the festival grounds and go to the main park, where there’ll be more seating available and where it'll be quieter."
They walk for a few minutes until they take their seat at a picnic table near the duck pond. They sit across from each other and reinitiate their conversation.
“So, have you got anything planned after graduation?” Flash asks.
“Well, I’m thinking of college but I might take a gap year before I make that commitment,” she says after swallowing her bite. “Besides, my streaming channel is doing really well. I might stick with that for a while before I decide to do anything else.”
“And what about your home world?” Flash asks. It was no secret at this point that Sunset was from the same world that Princess Twilight came from.
“What about it?” Sunset responds.
“Well, I mean, that’s your home,” says Flash hesitantly. “Have you thought about… going back? I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just, well…”
“You’re worried I might leave you and the girls to go back to Equestria?” she assumes, prompting Flash to slowly nod. “I have thought about it, but this world is my home now. Now that we can come and go whenever we want, it’s not that different from someone leaving their childhood home when they get older. Bersides, there’s no way I’d be able to leave all my friends behind now.”
“Well, that’s a relief to hear,” Flash says, causing Sunset to make a small giggle. They eat in silence for a minute before Flash asks, “So what’s it like over there?”
Sunset swallows her bite. “What? Over in Equestria?” Sunset asks, Flash gives a few quick nods in response. “Well, you might want to brace yourself. It’s going to sound very weird.”
Flash raises an eyebrow. “Sunset, you can read other people’s memories, and Applejack can lift ten times her weight now,” Flash jokes. “We've already crossed over into weird territory.”
Sunset laughs. “Okay then,” she says stifling her laughter. “Well, the world I come from is inhabited by many different creatures that are considered to be mythical over here. The most common species you’ll find over there are ponies.” Flash raises his eyebrow in confused surprise. “I warned you it was going to sound weird. Anyway, there are five races of ponies but the three most common are the Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. Earth Ponies are much like normal ponies over here but they’re stronger and do all of the farming and manual labor. Unicorns possess the ability to control magic, though some, like myself, can control more magic through study and practice. Finally the Pegasi can fly and are the ones who control the weather.”
“You said there are five races,” says Flash, “what are the other two?”
“The Alicorns and the Thestrals,” says Sunset. “Alicorns are the most powerful, they can control magic like Unicorns and can fly like Pegasi. However, to my knowledge, there are only four of them and they’re all Princesses of Equestria. Now the Thestrals, well… they’re a bit of a mystery. They’re not an uncommon race persay, it’s just nopony-.”
“Hold on, ‘nopony?’” Flash asks trying to hold back his laughter.
“Yes, it’s something we say, now pay attention,” Sunset says slightly scolding him. “Nopony really sees the Thestrals out and about. They’re like normal ponies, but they possess bat-like features, such bat wings and enhanced hearing. They’re a nocturnal race, so the only time you’ll see one is late at night, but very few ponies are up at that time.”
“Now these worlds, they’re parallel with each other, correct?” Flashs asks, prompting Sunset to nod in response. “So if there’s a Twilight for this world and that world, does that mean everyone else here has a counterpart over there?”
“Yup, just about everyone I know here has a counterpart in Equestria,” says Sunset.
“So what’s my counterpart like?” Flash asks with a growing curiosity.
“Well, I’ve never actually talked to your counterpart, though I did see him once. All I really know about him is from my messages with Princess Twilight,” says Sunset. “Apparently, you are, or he is, a Pegasi and you’re… he’s also a member of the Equestrian Royal Guard. Also, from what I gathered from Twilight’s messages, she’s got a little bit of a crush on you, HIM!” Flash chuckles a little at Sunset’s slip ups, causing her to blush from embarrassment and nervously chuckle.
“Well, it’s nice to know my counterpart is as much of a lady killer as I am,” Flash says with a smug look. Sunset rolls her eyes and chuckles at his faux confidence. “So if you’re from Equestria, have you ever run into your counterpart over here?” he asks.
Sunset eyes widen; she’s never considered the possibility that she might run into her counterpart over her. If she met the human Twilight over in this world, then there’s no doubt that Sunset’s human version is out there somewhere. “I… haven’t,” she says. “I’ve been here for almost four years, and I’ve never seen her.”
“Well, if we haven’t seen her now, it might not be something to worry about too much,” Flash says as he takes the last bite of his meal.
Sunset fiddles a bit with her last piece as she swirls a thought around in her mind. There has been no sight of the other Sunset, and that fact alone brings up so many questions. However, tonight is not the night to dwell on it. Perhaps he’s right, maybe it’s not something to worry about… just yet. She purges the thought from her head for now and enjoys the gravy braised piece of tofu with much delight.
Flash takes a paper napkin and wipes his mouth of any sauce that might have gotten around it. “Well that was a very tasty meal,” he says as he gets up from his seat grabbing his and Sunsets empty plates. “You made a good choice.”
Sunset closes her eyes and gives an innocent grin. “I have my moments,” she says.
Flash walks over to a nearby trash can and throws away their paper dishware. Just as the plates hit the base, lamp lights around the pond begin to light up, providing a romantic glow to surrounding area. The lights remind Flash of the reason he is here tonight. He closes his eyes, puts his hand to his chest, and takes a deep breath to steady his sudden nerves. Okay Flash, it’s now or never. Forget the consequences. Go with your gut.
Flash turns around and heads back to their table. “Hey Sunset,” he says, straining to keep his voice steady. Sunset turns her attention away from the pond and towards him. “Do you want to take a walk on the bridge?”
“Sure, that sounds lovely,” Sunset responds as she gets up from her seat and walks beside Flash.
The two follow the path toward the Duck Pond Bridge, about sixty feet away from them. The bridge is a concrete structure that stretches over the pond in a zig-zag pattern. The straight line distance between the two points is roughly a eighty feet but the total length of the bridge when stretched out is nearly a hundred twenty-five feet. The design is meant to give guests several viewing areas to watch the ducks swim around in the pond. It is a popular spot for families, friends, and couples. Lamps, placed twenty feet apart from each other, provide the area with a warm glow during the evening.
Flash and Sunset walk across the bridge, taking slow steps in order to admire the evening atmosphere. A gentle breeze blows, providing a cool comfort. “It certainly is a lovely evening tonight, isn’t it?” says Sunset gazing up at the sky.
“It most certainly is,” says Flash. “Sunset, I’ve been meaning to ask--.”
“Wait, do you hear that?” Sunset asks, cutting him off. A subtle quacking noise is heard nearby. Sunset runs over to the nearest corner of the bridge and looks over the side, Flash catches up with her. A mother duck and her three ducklings are seen swimming through water, making their way to the other side of the pond. “Oh my gosh they’re adorable,” Sunset gushes. “I had no idea there would be any out at this hour.”
Flash smiles in admiration at how cute Sunset is acting. He leans up against the rail and takes a subtle deep breath. Alright, I can do this. I can do this. “Hey Sunset, can I ask you something?” he asks.
“Sure,” Sunset responds, not breaking her attention from the ducks.
“Do you remember anything from game night a few weeks ago?” he asks.
“Not really,” Sunset says. “I don’t remember anything after shot seven. Why do you ask?”
“Well, you kind of did and said some things to me while you were drunk,” says Flash.
Sunsets eyes widen in concern. She turns to face Flash who’s standing to her right. “If I said or did anything to insult you, I hope you understand that I was completely wasted,” says Sunset. “None of it was intentional.”
“You didn’t insult me, and I knew you were drunk; it was quite impossible not to see that,” says Flash, still looking at the water. “But, I don’t know, ever since that night I’ve had this nagging feeling.”
“What did I say or do?” Sunset asks, fiddling her hands.
Flash pushes himself off the rail and turns to face Sunset. “After Rarity and I got all of you guys to sleep, I went to go use the bathroom before I went to bed,” says Flash. “When I came out, I ran into you in the hallway. You said you had something to say to me but, before you could say it, you ran past me and threw up in the toilet. I stayed by your side, giving you company as you spewed.”
Sunset smiles and blushes slightly. “You’re too much of a gentleman,” she says, causing Flash to give a small chuckle.
Flash continues to tell her the events of that night. “After you finished throwing up, I helped clean you up. Once I was done, you… kissed me, right on the lips. I was pretty shocked by the action.” Sunsets face turns beet red from embarrassment. “After you passed out, I carried you back to the living room and laid you back down on the chair. Before I pulled away from you, you… um... whispered ‘I love you’ into my ear.”
Sunset strokes her hair as she processes this new information. Did I really say that to him? she thinks. I can’t really love him, not after what happened the last time we dated. No, that was just the alcohol talking, yeah that’s it. “Well, Flash, you must understand that I was drunk,” says Sunset. “That was just the booze talking, you can’t really think that’s how I actually feel about you, can you?”
“I figured it was just booze talk at first, but then I started asking around,” he says. “I talked to a few people, got some answers, and now… I’m not sure what to think, I just need a solid answer.”
What is he talking about? He’s not seriously considering… Oh no, is he?
“What I’m trying to ask is, how do you truly feel about me?” Flash asks.
Sunsets eyes widen, she feels her heart rate begin to pick up. “W-What?” she responds.
Flash rephrases his question. “What are your true feelings about me?” he asks.
My true feelings? Well of course I like him. I mean, he has a good heart, good looks, he’s funny, charming, what’s there not to like about him? But I can’t love him, can I? Ugh, this is getting too difficult. What can I possibly say? I can't lie to him but I also don’t want to hurt him again. She struggles to find a response but she can’t seem to get a single word out.
“I’ll go first,” Flash says as he takes a hold of both of her hands and looks her straight in the eye. “Sunset, I really like… no, I’m in love with you. You’re a smart, empathetic, caring, and beautiful young woman. No matter what, you are always there to help people, even if you barely know them. You’re willing to meet every challenge head-on, even when you feel afraid facing it.” He lets go of her left hand and cups her left cheek with his right hand. “I know things didn’t work out for us last time, but we’re different people now. I… I want to try again, what do you say?”
Sweet Celestia, what do I say after that? Sunset feels a trance come over her. Without thinking, she moves her free hand around Flash’s back and places it between his shoulder blades. Flash lets go of her right hand and slowly moves his left arm around her back. Wait a minute, what’s going on? What’s happening? The two lean closer into each other, eyes closing, the distance between their lips shrinks. No no no, this can’t be happening! This can not happen! You'll only hurt him again! Stop it! STOP!
Sunsets eyes shoot open as she sees what’s about to happen. Suddenly, she moves her right hand to Flash’s chest and halts him, her hand shaking in its place. She stares at her hand, the tremors spreading to the rest of her body. Her breathing becomes heavier, her eyes tear up, and her heart begins to pound.
Flash opens his eyes, confused. He feels her shaking in his arms and sees a look of fear on her face and a single tear dripping down her cheek. “Sunset, what’s wrong?” he asks with growing concern.
“I… I… I can’t,” Sunset says as more tears begin to fall down her cheeks. She pulls away from Flash and starts to run off.
“Sunset, wait,” Flash says as he tries to reach out to her. Instead, he is met with a swift shove to the chest, causing him to stumble backwards and trip. He looks up at Sunset, whose hands are held out in front of her, shaking.
“Please… don’t,” she manages to say through her tears. “I don’t want to hurt you again.”
Flash breaks his view of Sunset as he gets off the ground. “Sunset, you’re not--,” he stops speaking when he can’t see Sunset in front of him. “Sunset? Sunset!” he calls out, hoping for a response but none is heard. He turns his head in all directions, searching for her, she’s nowhere to be found. He runs back to the point of origin of the bridge, but he can’t find her anywhere. He calls out her name one last time, no response.
“Please let this be a dream,” he mutters to himself. “Let this just be another bad dream.” He pinches his arm, hoping to wake up. He winces at the pain, his heart sinks; this is not a dream, but a nightmare made into reality.
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1.bp.blogspot.com/_S3Fk1v4vsCQ/R_0gdps33KI/AAAAAAAACCw/svoY0Nqs5ik/s400/Augh.jpg
9851234
Here's a cute Sunset to help you cope
Sweet Celestia. My poor innocent heart.
9851432
Yeah, I saw your comment on Chapter 7 the other day and I was just like "Oh yeah something is going to happen alright."
Here, have a cute Sunset to help you cope
I cracked up near the start at what happened with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Good thing too, because the end of this chapter is a pretty unhappy one for poor Flash.
9851245
alright, that helps a little
I don't think that Flash ever imagined that the greatest damage caused by Sunset Shimmer was to herself and her ability to believe that she can ever be good or deserve happiness.
Damn I'm pretty sure I just winced a little at that
hang on... aren’t thestrals from Harry Potter?
10498808
yes but in the cutie map episode and starligth creates an alternate timeline; Nightmare moon has theses guards that are thestrals
10571344
10498808
Thestrals are from Harry Potter. There is no mythical Thestral. J K Rawling invented them. Thestrals are a unique creature to the world of Harry Potter. MLP bat ponies aren't even the same creature despite people insisting on using the name of a closed species copyrighted to the Harry Potter franchise for the equine megabats of Equestria. Thestrals are a breed of winged horse with a skeletal body, face with reptilian features, wide, leathery wings that resemble a bat's, and eyes that are whitish with no other features native to the British Isles and Ireland. MLP bat ponies are not skeletal and sport no reptilian features save for perhaps the eyes which are more cat-like than reptilian.