Caramel's Flower

by Stratocaster

A Flash from The Past

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you haven't read Chapter 7 since I edited it, please do so before proceeding onto this chapter. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Chapter 8: A Flash from The Past

“It’s good to see you again, Caramel.”
Caramel stood dumbfounded in his front doorway. There before him was a teal pegasus mare about his age with a vanilla colored mane and tail and brilliant orange eyes. The cutie mark on her flank depicted twin lightning bolts. She smiled at Caramel meagerly as he responded with bulging eyes and a hanging jaw.
“Um, do you want to say something?” asked Sassaflash.
“Wha- wha- what are you doing here?” Caramel replied with a crack in his voice.
“I just got here from Cloudsdale and I thought I might visit you. I hope you’re not busy with anything.”
Caramel suppressed a gasp as he remembered the supermodel asleep in his bed. The dreaded thought of Fleur de Lis waking up and meeting Sassaflash crept into his mind. He kicked himself to snap back.
“Uh, no! No, no, I’m not busy.” He stammered.
“Oh good. So, do you mind if I come in?”
He gulped. Caramel suspected that Fleur de Lis would awake at any minute. But the former love of his life was smiling right at him, and he remembered how he couldn’t resist that face.
“S-s-sure, come on in.”
“Thanks; there’s actually something I want to tell you. Can we sit down?”
Caramel sat on his couch with his ex beside him. He felt surprisingly happy seeing Sassaflash in her honest beauty. Bittersweet memories of dating her came flooding back, as he stared at her wings which she casually brushed along her sides in waiting; he liked it when she did that. Clearing his mind, Caramel struck up conversation.
“So, what brings you here, Flash?” he asked. “How’s your internship at the Flight Academy going?”
“Well, that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.” Sassaflash rubbed her foreleg nervously. “There’s a reason I came back to Ponyville. I’ll just tell you right away.”
“What is it?”
“Caramel, I turned it down.” She said now with confidence. “I turned down my internship and left Cloudsdale.”
“What?!” exclaimed Caramel. He then hushed himself remembering the sleeping Fleur de Lis upstairs. “But why? I thought it meant a lot to you.”
“That was before I actually got there. Do you even know what an internship at the Flight Academy is? I ended up having to pick up after all the Wonderbolts trainees. They called me ‘equipment manager’. There was no way I was sticking around for that dead end job.”
“So, what are you going to do now, here in Ponyville?”
Sassaflash then touched his knee and looked into his eyes. “Caramel, I want to get back together with you.”
The words took a minute for Caramel to process. “What did you say?” he asked.
She pulled him over in a warm hug. “Oh Caramel, I’m so sorry for ever leaving you. It was wrong of me for thinking that career was more important than what we had. I can’t stand to think of you longing for me all this time. Please Caramel, baby, I missed you. And I still love you.”
Caramel darted his eyes in confusion. He knew deep down that telling her about Fleur de Lis would be the right thing to do. But his feelings for Sassaflash were now cropping up faster than he could handle. It was then that he returned her hug and smiled.
“I missed you too, Flash.” He said softly. “I’m glad to see you again.”
They parted and Sassaflash stared at him with relieved eyes. “So, what do you say?” she asked. “Should we pick up where we left off?”
At that moment, all Caramel wanted was to spend alone time with the pegasus. But his thoughts were interrupted by a slight thud from upstairs. Realizing his worst fears, he thought quickly to make sure Fleur de Lis and Sassaflash never saw each other.
“What was that noise?” asked Sassaflash.
“Oh, that was, uh, that was just a mouse.” He fibbed. “I forgot I had one running around.”
“Aw, I think mice are cute.”
“Listen, uh, why don’t we meet each other again tomorrow? I just want to give you some time to settle in. I just remembered I have to work over in Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Oh of course; I won’t keep you waiting. Why don’t we meet at Sugarcube Corner, like we used to.”
“Uh, yeah, sounds great.” He said, hearing the distant sound of hoofsteps upstairs.
“I’m so happy you agreed, Caramel.” Sassaflash said getting up. “I couldn’t stand to be away from you.”
“Yeah…me neither.”
Sassaflash exited the house just as Fleur de Lis began descending the staircase. She saw Caramel staring at the door.
“Good morning, lover.” Fleur de Lis called. “Is something wrong?”
“Huh? Oh! No, nothing’s wrong.” He stammered after breaking his concentration from Sassaflash’s exit.
“Who was that?” she asked sitting on the arm of the couch.
“Um, that was just, uh, the exterminator. I think I might have mice.”
“Ugh, I hate mice; they’re disgusting. So, what do you want to do now, darling?”
Caramel tried to clear the board. “You know, I actually have to work today. Let’s meet again tomorrow.” He kicked himself secretly for saying that.
“Anything you say.” Fleur de Lis stroked his mane and kissed his cheek. “Now you go and work hard, my big strong stallion.”
“Heh heh, you know it.” He replied nervously and pretended to flex a bicep.
“And I’ll be right here to help you relax after a long day.” She continued seductively.
“Yup, can’t wait.”
Caramel got up and walked toward the door, with sweat pouring down. The flirting mare watched him in wanting until he closed the door behind him. With that, he breathed a moan of disdain and trudged off.

Twelve Hours Earlier

Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo stepped out of the pegasus pulled taxicab onto the fluffy white surface. Sweetie Belle used magic to create a platform for the other two flightless fillies to walk on the clouds. Before setting off, the cabbie called to them.
“You know, I’m still not comfortable with driving three unsupervised foals.” He said.
“Well, I think fifteen extra bits say otherwise.” Scootaloo replied and slid the tip into the driver’s coat pocket.
“Have a good day now.” The cabbie smiled and flew away.
“Wow, Sweetie Belle,” said Applebloom as the three started off into town. “Ah had no idea you could do a spell like that.”
“Twilight showed me.” Sweetie Belle told her. “It’s the only real spell I know, and Rarity has no idea about it. I like to use to scare her outside her bedroom window.”
“Ha, nice!” added Scootaloo. “So where exactly are we headed anyway?”
“I’m not sure.” Sweetie Belle replied. “Caramel never mentioned where she lives.”
“Let’s ask somepony.” Applebloom suggested.
The trio flagged down a passing mailpony.
“Excuse me, sir,” said Sweetie Belle. “Can you tell us where this pony lives?”
The mailpony looked at a photo of a teal mare she held up to him.
“Oh yeah, I know her.” He answered. “She lives at 105 Cirrus Avenue.”
“Thanks, mister!” Applebloom smiled.
“No problem. Now you fillies stay out of trouble.”
“Yeah, yeah, we’ve been told that.” Scootaloo scoffed.
As night settle in, the Crusaders mapped their way around Cloudsdale looking for the correct address. About an hour later, they found a small house close by the Flight Academy. They approached the front door.
“This is it; 105 Cirrus Avenue.” Sweetie Belle said.
“You think she’ll remember us?” asked Applebloom.
“She has to.” Scootaloo replied and rang the doorbell. “We’re all friends of Caramel.”
Before long, Sassaflash answered the door.
“Sweetie Belle?” the mare greeted a bit surprised. “Oh my goodness, it’s so good to see you. And you too, Scootaloo, and…uh…”
“Applebloom?” The little earth pony glowered.
“Oh yeah! You’re Applejack’s…daughter, right?”
“…Yeah, let’s go with that.”
“Wow, it’s been a while. So what brings you three to Cloudsdale?”
“Sassaflash, there’s something we need to tell you.” Sweetie Belle said with a serious look. “It’s about Caramel.”
Sassaflash’s smile wiped off. “Oh, uh, what about him?”
“Ma’am, do you remember what the last thing he told you was?” asked Scootaloo.
“He…said that he would always love me no matter what; and I promised him the same.”
“That’s just it, Sassaflash,” added Applebloom. “Caramel still loves you. But he’s hurtin’ inside. Ever since you left Ponyville, he’s just been a complete wreck. Nothin’ cheers him up anymore.”
“Are you serious?” asked Sassaflash concerned.
“Yeah, he’s really not himself nowadays.” Sweetie Belle replied.
“Oh gosh, I had no idea.”
“And that’s not the worst part.” Scootaloo said. “If he keeps acting so depressed, he’ll start seeing other mares. And they won’t love him like you.”
“What? Oh, my poor Caramel, what have I done? I thought he would be able to pick himself up; I never knew he would be so broken up.”
“That’s why we came to you, Sassaflash.” Applebloom told her. “We think you should go back to him. If you don’t, we don’t know what he might do.”
Sassaflash looked around as she pondered. Then, she straightened her face and spoke. “You’re right, girls. I should have never left him in the first place. I don’t even like my new life here; my job stinks. If Caramel is still longing for me, then I have no choice but to be there for him. Thank you so much, you three. You’ve shown me the error of my ways.”
“We’re happy to help, Flash,” smiled Sweetie Belle. “Oh, but one more thing; don’t mention to him that we came to see you. He might not be too happy that we talked to you without him knowing.”
“Oh, of course, I won’t tell him. Now if you girls will excuse me, I have to go pack my bags for Ponyville!”
With that, Sassaflash ran inside her house closing the door. The Crusaders walked away with their mission accomplished.
“Well fillies, it looks like we did the right thing.” Sweetie Belle said triumphantly.
“Do ya think we should’ve told her about Fleur de Lis?” asked Applebloom.
“No way, then she would get mad at Caramel.” Scootaloo replied.
“We want both of them to be happy once they see each other.” Sweetie Belle added.
“Good point.” Applebloom said. “Boy Ah can’t wait to see the smile on Caramel’s face when his true love has come back to him!”

Comments

[mr. tallyman18]

CMC I think your logic is borked alittle

yay new chapter, knew it was only a matter of time before sassaflass came back, surprised caramel manaed to keep flur a secret though.

[-Brutus]

*facehoof* Great going CMCrs!

[Shock and Awe]

Oh caramel you're going to be a lonely stallion. but no worries you'll have your golden years to try aga in