Each season symbolizes something. For Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry, this is no exception.
Canterlot High has remained way behind for Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry; the former was on her way to becoming a scientist, while the latter became a special forces soldier. But their bond, once shattered, then rebuilt and almost forgotten, still survived throughout the seasons.
But if they were to agree to try again - what do the next four seasons have in store for them?
Cover image is "Four seasons in Japan" by Masakazu Matsumoto, used with accordance with Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license. The image was slightly cropped to fit Fimfiction's restrictions. Original image is available on Flickr. No additional legal and technological restrictions apply to the image. The picture's author does not endorse me or my work.
Two persons, a blue-haired male and a fiery-haired female, looked at each other, dumbstruck, while standing in front of the entrance to their former school.
"So, er..." Flash Sentry scratched his forehead, trying to break the uncomfortable silence, "...so you decided to come to the graduates' reunion party too?"
"Kinda hard not to, considering I Pinkie Promised to the girl that is hosting it," Sunset Shimmer chuckled nervously. "I didn't expect to see you here, though. I thought you were still in the military academy or something..."
"No, I actually graduated from it, but I'm still in the army. But it is my day off, though."
"Oh. Okay then..." Sunset trailed off, not knowing what to add.
It was April, and Canterlot High was indeed hosting a graduates' reunion party. An informal tradition set by some of the students from the time before Principal Celestia was put in charge of CHS, it usually involved a reservation of a class room after hours and typically was a quiet occasion, where former students enjoyed tea and cake and learned about what happened to each other after they closed the school's doors behind them.
But when Pinkie Pie got involved in the idea, the "usual" went out of the window and accelerated away with escape velocity.
Which resulted in the building of CHS having a banner welcoming the former graduates hanging above the entrance, a massive number of cake-smelling invitations sent by mail and on some occasions (like Sunset's), delivered personally by Pinkie with a song and a dance. Even teachers were invited.
Not everyone was able to attend, of course, but the number of people who arrived was surprisingly high. The parking lot was already mostly occupied by cars, bicycles and motorbikes, and Flash had some trouble finding a free space for his car. He was about to turn around the corner where the entrance to CHS awaited, but as he turned around, he almost collided with a person who had surprisingly familiar hair...
...hence the aforementioned surprised exchange of words and the following uncomfortable silence.
"So... let's go in, then," Flash said.
"Agreed," Sunset replied, and both went on to the building of Canterlot High. As they reached the end of the stairs, Flash opened and held the door for Sunset.
"Still a gentleman, I see," she smiled genuinely for the first time.
"I try," he gave a smile in return. "Officer's code of honour and chivalry and all that," he finished, coming in after her. "The party is supposed to start at the gym, correct?"
"Yes. Will you be so kind as to accompany me there?" Sunset smiled at him again. It was surprising, but it felt so... easy for her to ask the question and smile at Flash. As if they were still school kids.
"Of course," Flash offered his arm. It did not hit him until a three seconds later that he actually did that, and by that time, Sunset already took him up on his offer.
Immediately, the former rocker and now an officer remembered the times when he and the fiery-haired girl used to walk around like this when they dated. Of course, Sunset was a lot different back then, but the memory for some reason brought him warmth.
Probably nostalgia, he decided.
The gym was richly decorated by streamers and confetti. It was evident that Pinkie Pie spared no expense in making sure to bring the party spirit, and Flash's trained eye even spotted an infamous party cannon...
"HIIIIIIIIIIIII!"
...before he found himself wrapped in a very tight hug. A small "ooof!" told him that Sunset found herself in the same predicament.
Then the pressure ended and both of them could properly look at Pinkie Pie. The party girl certainly looked more physically mature, but her expressions were still somewhat child-like, and it appeared that she was barely holding herself in before breaking into constant hopping.
"Hi, Pinkie," Sunset breathed out. "One of these days you will break my ribs and I will send you the medical bill."
The smile she had betrayed her real feeling on the matter, however, and Pinkie quickly caught on.
"Tee-hee-hee, that's never gonna happen, Sunset! I know my limits! And I see you came with Flash! Are you dating?"
The sudden question quickly made both of them blush as if someone threw a bucket of red paint at them.
"Er, no, we aren't, I mean, we just...!" both of them began to babble excuses while unconsciously putting some distance between each other. This lead to Sunset untangling her arm from Flash's, which he, naturally, regretted. Pinkie seemd to ignore the occurrence in front of her, and declared:
"Come on in and join the others, we haven't started yet!"
With these words, she hopped back somewhere, leaving two flustered people behind. Sunset and Flash looked at each other, not daring to say a word. Finally, after a minute, Sunset spoke up:
"So, um... shall I go and see if someone from my old gang is there?"
"OK then, and I'll see if someone from my band is here, then," Flash forced a smile. "See you around."
"Yeah, see ya."
The two went their separate ways, still feeling the tension from the situation they found themselves in... and silently bemoaning Pinkie's ability to ask unexpected yet very embarrassing questions out of nowhere.
Brawly Beats and Ringo did indeed come to the graduates' reunion party. Flash was very happy to see his former bandmates, and the feeling was reciprocated. They spent time talking about their lives after school while other people were arriving; as it turned out, Ringo managed to score a job as a session guitarist, while Brawly Beats became an instructor in drum playing.
After some time, they changed the topic to relationships with girls. Flash was surprised to find out that neither of his bandmates were able to enter a stable relationship, and expressed his genuine surprise.
"I mean, you guys are practically everything a girl could wish for..."
"Haven't you heard that it's the nice guys that finish last in these endeavours, so to say?" Brawly interrupted.
"That's BS and you know it. Maybe you haven't even tried? I mean, I am single too, but the military academy does not give much time for that sort of thing..."
"Or maybe a certain someone just hogged all of our dating luck," Ringo interrupted him with a grin that belied his snark. "You say you did not try and yet you came here with Sunset on your arm. I smell BS here, man. So how long?"
"How long what?"
"How long have you been dating?"
"Oh come on," Flash barely resisted the desire to facetable, "what is it with you shippers on deck? First Pinkie, then you..."
His building-up rant was interrupted, however, by a small screech that accompanied a microphone being tested. Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna were standing on stage, both still in their prime.
"Welcome!" she exclaimed jovially. "I am very glad to see you here once again!"
Flash turned his face to his former principal, but he tuned out the speech she was giving to them right now. Ringo's dig at him, while good-natured, stirred something within him... something related to a certain fiery-haired girl.
He remembered the time when they were dating. It was, without a doubt, an interesting experience for him, although the end was not what he had wished it to be. When he decided that he had had enough and did not want to be seen alongside the queen bee of the school, he broke up with her. It... was not pretty. He vividly remembered how Sunset, her face marred and twisted by malicious anger, promised to strike when he would least expect it, and ruin his image and reputation so thoroughly that he would crawl back asking for forgiveness. He laughed, and said that he could not be sullied any further than when he continued dating her even after learning of her nasty side - mainly to insult her, petty of him as it was - and that she was welcome to try.
But if he were to be honest with himself, the moments he shared with Sunset before he saw through her manipulations remained in his mind as pleasant memories, if a little painful.
Flash snapped out of his trip into the memory land as Principal Celestia finished speaking and ceded the scene to Pinkie Pie, who immediately brought two party cannons to the stage.
"Leeeeeeeeet's PARTY!!!" she shouted (so loudly that she did not even need a microphone), and fired the party cannons. Vinyl Scratch immedately turned on the music, and former students began gathering in front of the stage to dance. Flash debated with himself if he wanted to or not.
Well, why not? he thought, and joined the crowd.
Well, this party is certainly very energetic, Flash thought later, once he detached himself from the crowd.
The party was going on for an hour and a half already, and some people decided to take a break and enjoy some punch with snacks while others joined the dancing crowd. The former rocker decided he wanted some refreshments and thus found himself near one of the few remaining empty tables in a somewhat secluded (and less noisy) corner, with bowls of punch and various cupcakes, cookies and sweets.
Pinkie went all out, he thought for the umpteenth time. He poured himself some punch and took a cupcake and several cookies and put them on his plate. All of a sudden, Sunset got out of the dancing crowd, looking at it as she stumbled.
"Wheeeeew, I'm tired, haven't partied that hard for long... oh, hi, Flash," she said, when she turned around and finally noticed the blue-haired player.
"Hi again, Sunset," he replied, and desperately scrounged his brain for a topic, before settling on:
"How's the party?"
"Great!" Sunset beamed at him. "I haven't been to Pinkie's parties for so long, I forgot how energetic they are. Can you believe that I am feeling tired already? I could party hard non-stop earlier!"
"I am a little famished too, and I was in the military academy," Flash chuckled. "You'd think I would be able to last longer, but noooo... although maybe I partied too hard."
"No parties at military academy?"
"You can say that. There were days off, of course, but one could not go wild. Going too far would end up being expelled for "actions unbecoming of a cadet", as the instructors would call it."
"Wow, harsh."
"Indeed. And, well, I was not a party animal while at the academy anyway."
"Have you graduated now?"
"Yes, and I have been picked for a special forces unit. I'm currently undergoing advanced training here in Canterlot."
"Cool," Sunset smiled at him, "the uniform does look good on you. And it certainly suits you, being the strong and handsome soldier and stuff. I bet I will see you on recruitment posters in a year or two," she smirked, and he rolled his eyes with a faint blush.
"Anyway, what have you been up to?" he asked her.
"Well, now that magic has become a not-so-unusual occurrence in the recent years, there is now a whole division made at Canterlot University dedicated to the study of "anomalous psionic energies", as it's officially called," Sunset made the finger air quotes. "Honestly, someone out there is a fan of bad science fiction, because, really, "psionic"? This term has been overused everywhere."
"So how's the whole thing going?"
"Here and there. Magic has its own rules and what we see does not really fit into the usual frameworks. I don't think I've told you what happened when I tried studying magic with the help of my friends?"
"No, you haven't. Care to share?"
Sunset told him the story behind her unsuccessful attempt at studying magic. By the time he finished, Flash had trouble hiding his mirth at her expense.
"Is this how your studies are going now?" he asked.
"Not that crazy, mostly actually pretty boring, but unexpected stuff happens," Sunset replied.
"I'm sure I'm gonna see your pretty face on a magazine soon, with the "First Ph.D. at magic" caption," Flash gave a sassy smirk, which prompted Sunset to roll her eyes and swat him playfully.
"Prat," she said, and failed to hold a laugh. "It's as if we never changed after graduation, you and I."
"Well... it certainly does not look like that, does it?"
The full implication behind the question hit Flash only after he said it. Sunset came to the same conclusion only several moments before him, and silence reigned supreme between them again.
At that moment, Vinyl Scratch changed the tune to a slower one. Immediately, couples began drifting to the dance floor and dance slowly to the jazz tune. Flash and Sunset looked there, and then at each other.
"Ahem... so..." the blue-haired young man spent a second composing himself, and then offered a hand to the girl in front of him:
"Sunset, may I have the honour of dancing with you?"
The question threw Sunset off balance for a moment. She pondered for a second, and said:
"Yes."
Flash led her to the floor, where she put her hands on his shoulders and he put his on her waist, and began leading her through the tune of the song. For several minutes, none of them said anything, and both swayed to the sounds of saxophone.
"This is... just like when we dated, isn't it?" Sunset broke the silence after a while.
"It is... but yet a little different. We have grown up..."
"...I stopped being a she-demon..."
"...and I learnt a thing or two on how to be a real man..."
"...and here we are, dancing like a couple," Sunset finished with a small smile. Flash pondered on something, and then said:
"Well, I wouldn't mind to make the word "like" an odd one... unless you already have a significant other, Sunset?"
"No. You don't have one?"
"No."
"What, you've become a one hundred percent pony-phile now? Other girls don't compare?" the fiery-haired girl sassed him, to which he replied with an eye-roll.
"Ha-ha, very funny. No, I just... I dunno, I never met a girl after you or Twilight who might have..." Flash stumbled upon words, and then snapped his fingers, "for the lack of a better word, "sparked" something in me. Something that would make me think, "I want to be with her" and try to date her."
"And do I have the same effect on you? After all these years?" her green eyes bore into his blue ones. No more than three seconds passed before she heard the answer:
"Yes, you still do."
When the party died down, Flash gave Sunset a lift to her flat, as she arrived to Canterlot High via public transport. As she was about to enter the block of flats, they exchanged some parting words.
"So, shall we meet at Sweet Shoppe next Sunday, when you'll have a day off?" Sunset asked.
"Sure," Flash said. "Two p.m.?"
"Will do," Sunset smiled. "Until later, Flash."
"Later, Sunset."
The door closed, and Flash turned back to his car, smiling all the time and fighting the urge to imitate Pinkie and hop from happiness. Before sitting inside, he breathed the relatively warm April air in and out.
It was spring, the season of birth. And it looked like that their relationship was born, again.
"Hey, Flash!" Sunset exclaimed jovially as she came up to him. Flash looked at her and marveled at her beauty. She was dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans (as it was a warm summer day), but that fact could not diminish the effect of butterflies in the stomach.
Taking the risk at the graduates' reunion party was definitely worth it, he thought.
"Hi, Sunset," he replied, wrapping her into a hug. "How have you been?"
"So and so; it's a little crazy in the lab right now. Twilight thinks she's on the verge of a breakthrough, and now my primary job is to make sure she does not get any more coffee than it is healthy to consume, and sleeps properly."
Flash laughed.
"Sounds like her alright. Are she and Timber doing well?"
"Yep. What about you? How's the training going on?"
"Hard, but I manage, no way I'm gonna drop out of this."
"So where are you going to take me today?" Sunset asked. "You mentioned only that it would be at six p.m., and nothing else."
"It's a surprise. But since you asked, there's actually another place I must drive you to beforehand."
"And that is?"
"Carousel Boutique. There's actually another surprise waiting for you, something of a... preparation for our date, shall we say."
"It's one p.m. now, though. Do you think Rarity will hold me there for that long?" Sunset's face gained a skeptical expression. "I know it's Rarity we're talking about, but still..."
"Well, let's just say that the surprise waiting for you there consists of... several things."
"OK, is being secretive taught in that academy or is it a natural talent of yours?" Sunset put hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow.
"No comment. It's nothing malicious, I promise," Flash raised his hand as a sign of honesty.
"OK then, so shall we be on our way then?"
"Of course," Flash opened the door of his car and helped Sunset sit inside. Once she was inside, he took the driver's seat, and took off in the direction of Carousel Boutique.
"Sunset, Flash, darlings, so good to see you!" Rarity hugged both of them as she opened the door.
"Likewise, Rarity," Sunset responded.
"Hello, Rarity," Flash replied with a polite smile. "Is the item Sierra Delta ready?"
"Item Sierra Delta?" Sunset repeated, dumbfounded. "Flash, now I definitely think that the special forces training has a strange effect on you. Before I know it, I might also be referred to by some codename, or our dates may be called "operations", or... OK, never mind. Just... this item is not gonna hurt me, is it?"
"Of course not, darling!" Rarity interrupted. "Flash just wanted to give you a gift, and he asked me to keep a secret. And the "Sierra Delta" part is something I actually asked him to think of, as a way to refer to the surprise that awaits for you here."
"That said, what are you going to do in the meantime, Flash?" the fiery-haired girl asked her boyfriend.
"There are some vital last-minute preparations and check-ups I must do, plus the local commandant wanted to see me regarding some military-related matters, so I've got to get that out of the way too. Trust me, you don't want him calling me and screaming at me like a drill sergeant."
"OK then, see you later. Don't be late."
"Would not think of it," Flash gave Sunset a brief kiss on the lips, and turned to leave. "See you later, Sunset. Bye, Rarity!"
"Bye, Flash!" the fashionista replied. As the door closed after him, she grabbed Sunset's hands.
"Come on, I must show you the surprise he asked me to prepare..."
"Oh wow," Sunset gasped, looking at the mirror.
"What do you say, darling?"
"Did he really ask you to make me a dress? I know you charge less compared too others, but still..."
"Don't worry, darling, I gave him a good discount."
"And how did you even get my measurements? No, wait... I remembered, you asked me to help you a couple of months ago..."
"Yes, that was an excuse I needed."
"Well, I don't know. All this intrigue and mystery..."
"Sunset, do you think it was not worth it?"
"...you're right, it was."
"So how do you find the dress?"
Sunset gave herself a look-over in the mirror. The dress she was wearing was a custom-made (as was expected from Rarity) light-violet cocktail dress that went slightly below her knees. She turned around and looked at herself from various angles; the dress snugged her figure perfectly, accentuating the curves of her body, and leaving her cleavage visible to a perfect extent - alluring, yet not too revealing so as to be considered indecent and scandalous.
"It is as if my chest and hips look bigger and my waist thinner."
"That's how it is supposed to work, darling. So do you like it?"
"It's great! Thank you very much, Rarity!"
"Thank your boyfriend, not me, that was his idea in the first place."
"Probably, but it would be bad of me to dismiss the seamstress' skill."
"Well if you put it that way, I'll take some credit. But Flash deserves the most of it. He patiently waited while I drew the designs and adjusted them according to his wishes. He wanted, and I quote, "that Sunset would feel like a princess in it", end quote."
"Well, mission accomplished, then," Sunset smiled again. "I do feel like a princess while wearing this dress. Speaking of which, what are we going to do while Flash is busy with the preparations?"
"Well, I have something else that he left behind," with these words, Rarity took out a small cardboard envelope from a drawer, and held it out to Sunset. Intrigued, the fiery haired girl took it and opened it.
The first thing she saw was a hand-written note. It said:
Sunset,
I know you had wanted to visit the Golden Bubble Spa in a while, but felt that it was very pricey. Fear not, for your boyfriend has a fellow serviceman whose uncle works there, and he helped me secure a gold-tier pass for you, which I put into the same envelope as this note.
I hope this will ease all your worries and wash away all your troubles before our date.
Kisses,
Your boyfriend, Flash Sentry
P.S. Rarity also have one, so you can gossip together before our date, I know you missed your friends :) and don't pretend you girls don't gossip, I know better :D
"Prat," Sunset chuckled as she read the postscriptum and showed it to Rarity, "but he's got it right, though."
"Oh please," Rarity responded with a huff, "while I do think your boyfriend is a fine gentleman, I do not think he is aware that we ladies do not gossip. We simply exchange knowledge about our mutual acquaintances."
"Po-ta-to, to-mah-to."
Reaching into the envelope again, Sunset took out a small cardboard rectangle - and it indeed was a gold-tier pass to Golden Bubble Spa, which entitled her to top-level service in the VIP suite, as well as a plethora of extra services.
"Wow, I... I almost can't believe that. I only mentioned it in passing, and yet he remembered it..."
"What can I say? You are lucky to have a boyfriend like him," Rarity responded. "Good thing that you two decided to give it another try after the graduates' reunion. To be honest, I always thought of you as a good couple, even before the... ahem... your "phase" before Fall Formal."
"I couldn't believe you haven't tried to get him for yourself after we broke up."
"I'm afraid I was too... hesitant, considering what happened at Spring Fling. I couldn't believe that you did not exact vengeance on him for breaking up."
"I wanted to, but then I got the crown, and that kinda became... insignificant. Plus, he was smart enough not to have anything too embarrassing lying around, so I would actually need to work on that."
"Alright, enough reminiscing, let's go to the spa!"
Golden Bubble Spa was as luxurious and high-class as Sunset imagined it to be. When she and Rarity presented their passes at the entrance, they were almost immediately led into the VIP area by two girls who introduced themselves as Aloe and Lotus, and asked what kind of services did they want. Rarity (who, to Sunset's surprise, knew Aloe and Lotus) quickly explained that Sunset had a date coming (much to her chagrin), and both girls gasped as if the news rocked their world. Sunset barely resisted rolling her eyes.
However, the girls were expert workers, as she learned a little later. After a round of massage, Sunset's muscles already felt more relaxed and rejuvenated, and the steamy bath seemed to ease all of her worries. The fiery-haired girl felt a rush of affection for her boyfriend.
As Aloe was working on her fingernails, she engaged in small talk with Rarity. The indigo-haired fashionista, romance fan as she was, had questions about the romance between Sunset and Flash.
"I don't even know how to describe it, Rarity. I mean, we did rekindle our friendship after Camp Everfree, but I never thought we would get together as a couple again, especially on the first day we saw each other in years."
"But do you regret it?"
"I don't, but a part of me still doesn't believe this is not a dream. Flash does his best to be a good boyfriend, despite still being in active service. Heck, he still remembers some little things I liked from the... first time we dated. It's as if we... just took a long, long break, and then continued from where we stopped."
"Well, I daresay you two were one of the sweetest couples, and I honestly expected you two to get back together after Camp Everfree."
"Well, that didn't happen."
"Indeed. But the bond you formed lasted through the years. You are a lucky girl, darling."
"Well, thanks. So how are you and the other girls doing on the love angle?"
For the rest of the time spent in the spa, while Aloe and Lotus did their best to prepare Sunset for her date, two friends exchanged knowledge about their mutual acquaintances... or, to put it simply and in Flash's terms, gossiping.
"So how do I look?" Sunset smiled as she stood in front of Flash as he arrived to take her to their date. She was wearing the violet cocktail dress he had ordered for her with high-heel shoes of the same colour, and carried a small purse. Her hair was expertly groomed, and she had a small amount of makeup applied, only enough to accentuate her cheeks and eyelashes (Aloe insisted that she did not need much makeup, and she decided not to argue).
For several seconds, Flash could not find his words. For someone else, it seemed as if Sunset did not change much from usual, even after her spa visit. But since he was dating her, he looked not only at the most visible changes. Sunset's posture was much more relaxed, and as he could guess, her body language was a lot less terse as well, now that she had a chance to let go of her stress from her work.
"Wow. Sunset... you look absolutely, positively, undoubtedly amazing," he finally breathed out as soon as he got over himself. The fiery-haired girl blushed.
"Flatterer."
"Am not. I am only stating the truth as best as I can, because no modern vocabulary can properly describe your beauty."
Sunset could swear she heard Rarity squee from behind. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she told Flash:
"Well I'll say that you look quite handsome too. I like the suit. And I sense some good fragrance there. Charm No. 9 brand, I believe?"
"Hit the spot. Shall we proceed to our date, then?" Flash offered his arm.
"Lead the way, my fine gentleman," Sunset took the offered arm. "Bye, Rarity!"
"Have fun, darlings!"
"And we're here!" Flash stopped the car at the parking lot of a large restaurant.
"The Gourmet Castle Restaurant?" Sunset almost lost her jaw. While she recovered, Flash left the car and opened the door for her, offering a hand. As she took it, she continued, "I can't believe it! This is, like, one of the most prestigious restaurants in Canterlot City!"
"Well, now you can, because that's the surprise I had in mind for you," Flash smiled.
"Wow, Flash, if you wanted me to feel like a princess, you definitely did it - even overdid it, because right now, I'm feeling like a queen."
"Anything for my princess," Flash smiled. They linked hands and went to the entrance. The attendant greeted them with a polite smile.
"Good evening!"
"Good evening. Reservation for six p.m. under the name "Sentry", please," Flash said, showing his ID. The attendant glanced at the card and returned it.
"Of course, sir. Please come in, the waiter will show you to your table," he said, letting them pass.
Indeed, their waiter was inside, and after asking for their names, he led them to the small round table for two persons in a secluded corner. The hall where the table was located was dimly lit, with a small number of people inside, and there were two candles on the table, already alit.
Flash held out a chair for Sunset as she sat down. Once he sat himself, the waiter placed a menu for each and stood ready to take their order. After some deliberation, Flash and Sunset made their choices, and the waiter left them.
"I'm a little curious, how did you learn of this place?" Sunset asked Flash.
"On the grapevine. Apparently, the owner sometimes hosts days where military personnel can have a discount or even eat for free. Does this to honour his son who was killed in action. Today is one of these days where a soldier and his date can have a meal with a hefty discount, so you need not worry about my wallet - as I'm sure you do."
"Am I that obvious?"
"Sunset, we're dating right now, I can tell that it worries you."
"Perceptive of you."
"Look, I'll be honest - I can't say I can do all of this every day for you. But if I can, why shouldn't I?"
"You're too sweet. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to date you."
"I think I can also stake a claim at being lucky enough to date a princess like you," Flash gave her a roguish smile.
"Oh stop it!" Sunset exclaimed, blushing. "Or I'll have too much of an ego boost."
Both of them laughed.
"Still... thanks for bringing me here. And for the dress. I was... very happy that you arranged this for me," the fiery-haired girl said.
"Anything to see you smile," Flash replied.
Before they knew it, their ordered meals arrived, and they proceeded to dig in.
Some time later, Flash and Sunset found themselves in the latter's apartment (Flash, playing the role of a gentleman, accompanied Sunset home), discussing the day.
"The cuisine was great, Flash, thanks for bringning me there," Sunset smiled at him.
"Thank you for being with me," he smiled.
"Say, when do you have to report back to the base tomorrow?"
"I have to be there by 9 a.m., why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing..." Sunset intertwined her arms around his neck, smiling coyly, and kissed him passionately - more passionately than usual...
The next morning, they woke up in the same bed, clothes strewn around the room haphazardly, as the morning sun shone upon them.
It was summer, the season of joy. And joy was what they experienced as they loved each other.
"Are you nervous?" Twilight Sparkle asked Sunset Shimmer as the latter stood in front of the mirror.
"Name me one girl that would not be nervous on her wedding day. I bet no book will help you with that," the fiery-haired girl smirked, making Twilight roll her eyes at the friendly dig.
"Honestly, I forgot how snarky and sarcastic you may be at times. How does Flash put up with you?"
"It's all part of my charm."
"Ha-ha-ha... wait, really?"
"Uh-huh."
"Oh stop it," Rarity snapped at them, "you're distracting me!"
"Sorry," both girls replied in unison. Sunset looked at her reflection in a mirror, and sighed.
It was late September. After the date in summer where she and Flash made love, they have gone on several more dates, some of which ended the same way, and some of which were not as... shall we say, carnal. Their relationship blossomed even more, Flash did his best to make her happy, and she did the same in turn.
Then the stormclouds gathered over the horizon. One day, Flash met Sunset and told her with a somber face that he would be deployed to an active combat zone near Griffonstone, where the army fought the groups of terrorists at the behest of Griffonstone's ruling king. The army needed special forces operatives behind enemy lines to give guidance to airstrikes, and now that Flash had completed his advanced training with honours, he was picked as a part of the unit that would go there.
Sunset was shocked and very saddened that his soon-to-begin tour of duty would take him away from her. She enveloped him in a tight hug, her tears bursting forth, and cried into his chest.
She knew that he could be called to serve, but the pain did not recede thanks to that knowledge.
When she stopped, she dropped a bombshell of her own.
She was pregnant.
The expression on Flash's face went from frozen to shocked, and then to jubilated once the news fully sank in. He sweeped Sunset off her legs and whirled her around, laughing happily, and then kissed her passionately.
Then he said:
"Hey, drop by my flat later, say, at six?"
"OK," she agreed.
When she did, he surprised her by standing on one knee and asking her to marry him. She was sure all neighbours could hear her excited "YES!", but she did not acre at all at that moment.
The preparations were made in a mad rush, since they wanted to hold the ceremony before Flash had to leave for deployment. Both called for help from their friends, and it arrived very fast. Pinkie Pie, naturally, planned the wedding party (with Twilight's assistance, once she was convinced not to make a ton of checklists for everything) and provided cakes and pastries for the event, Rarity designed the wedding dress for Sunset and the formal suit for Flash, Rainbow Dash and Applejack set up the place with the help of Sandalwood and Micro Chips and some of Flash's fellow soldiers who were able to attend, Fluttershy put together the flowers for decoration, and Ringo and Brawly Beats set up the musical equipment for the live musical performance.
As of now, Twilight and Rarity, who were chosen as bridesmaids, helped Sunset prepare for the big event. Rarity adjusted the dress on Sunset, while Twilight was still going over her checklist.
A sound of fingers knocking against wood interrupted them from beyond the door.
"May Ah come in?" Applejack's voice sounded.
"Yes!" Rarity responded. A moment later, Applejack came inside, wearing her own green ankle-length dress.
"Ya ready, Sunset?"
"Yes. No. I don't know. I'm so excited and yet so nervous at the same time!"
"Oh, I know that feeling! You're nervicited!" Pinkie Pie spoke up, startling everyone.
"Pinkie, how did you even... nevermind, not important, I don't want another migraine," Twilight mumbled, going back to her checklist.
"Is that even a word?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.
"Could be a neologism, if we were to add it to the dictionary," the bespectacled girl mumbled absent-mindedly.
"Anyway, Rarity, are ya done with Sunset? Sandalwood told me Flash's practically ready."
"Almost done, Applejack, just a couple more adjustments."
"Just a couple? Who are you and where did ya hide Rarity's body?"
"Hardy har har. I know better than to be tardy on my friend's wedding day," the fashionista mumbled. "There, done!"
"What?" Twilight exclaimed. "I didn't finish the checklist!"
"Forget the checklist, Twi, Ah've just rechecked everythin' an' all is fine," Applejack fiddled with her Stetson. "Now come on, we're startin'!"
"She's almost ready, Flash. Now come on, it's your big moment," Sandalwood, one of Flash's best men, entered his room. Silence was the answer, and then Flash inhaled deeply and exhaled loudly.
"All right. Time to be a man and do it," he said.
"You nervous, man?" Micro Chips asked him.
"Of course I am. Then again, if you think you won't be nervous, we always can bet on it."
"Ha ha, no, thanks."
"Thought so."
As he went out of the room where he was preparing, Flash felt trepidation. He knew that his future was highly uncertain at this point, and there was a chance he would not be able to come back from his tour of duty. He would be a liar if he said he did not fear death; but he felt that it would be an even bigger lie to say that he was not afraid to leave Sunset alone and pregnant. Unfortunately, the military regulations were strict enough that a pregnant wife was not considered a good enough reason not to deploy someone into dangerous combat situations, especially when it came to special forces operatives.
But his sense of honour would not let him leave Sunset with his child to be born out of wedlock, and since he was in love with her anyway, it made all the sense for him to propose to her. If anything, he had a bigger incentive to return back alive now.
Suddenly, Octavia started playing a classical wedding march with her orchestra, and the doors opened, revealing Sunset Shimmer and her bridesmaids, Rarity and Twilight Sparkle.
Flash's breath hitched. If one were to ask him right now, he would swear he was looking at an angel. And he did see her angelic "Daydream Shimmer" form back when the Friendship Games ended with another round of magical shenanigans, so he had data to compare with.
Sunset in the wedding dress, though, looked much better than her "Daydream" form, in his totally not humble opinion.
Their eyes meat each other, his blue with her green, and everything else in the world seemingly ceased to exist.
They heard the classical wedding march played by Octavia, but it was like a background noise for them as Flash waited for Sunset to come up to him.
They heard, and repeated the vows dictated to them by a priest, but the words were not needed.
They put the wedding rings on each other's fingers, the touch familiar and yet new, as both tried not to let their hands shake from excitement.
When the priest declared, "You may now kiss the bride," they kissed as passionately as they usually did, but this time, it felt different, because now they were husband and wife. The thunderous applause and Pinkie's loud scream "ATTA GIRL, SUNSET!" barely registered in their minds.
Then they went out in the open air of Sweet Apple Acres, which Apple family generously provided as a place to hold their wedding, and Pinkie Pie fired her party cannons again. Vinyl Scratch joined Octavia, and both began playing an interesting mix of classical and dubstep music. Flash and Sunset and everyone else started celebrating, although the newlyweds were mostly focused on each other - if the number of times they kissed each other was anything to go by (Twilight lost count at twenty-two and was collectively talked out of trying to re-count again).
Everyone had fun. There was dancing, games, singing (Flash joined Ringo and Brawly Beats to sing a love song he had written with them specifically for Sunset, which prompted her to kiss him like there was no tomorrow on the improvised stage), silly shenanigans (like Applejack and Rainbow Dash competing for the self-invented "Iron Girl" title again, which ended up in them messing up their faces with cake when something went wrong), laughter, tears of happiness, and many other things, each of them beautiful in its own right.
For it was autumn, the season of beauty. And the wedding of Sunset Shimmer and Flash Sentry was filled with beauty to the brim; but the newlywed couple was mostly focused on the beauty they saw in each other.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Lieutenant First Class Flash Sentry cursed as he hid behind the wall again.
The building he was inside was surrounded by terrorists, and it appeared that they brought a couple of gun trucks and even a heavy APC armed with a 100mm cannon against him.
And me without any anti-tank weapons! he thought. I could in theory do something about the gun trucks, provided they don't see me first and don't pump me full of fifty-cal, but there's jack shit I can do against that heavy APC.
Flash was deployed behind enemy lines on a mission to provide coordinates against enemy convoys that attempted to resupply Griffonstone. The weeks of constant bombardment and ground attacks took their toll on the terrorists, and they were about to lose Griffonstone. If they did, the king would be able to move back into the capital, and this would be a huge morale boost for his army, which is why terrorists tried to reinforce their people inside the city.
Flash managed to flag four convoys in five days, and the aviation made short work of the terrorists' forces, which were badly equipped against frontline bombers. But Lady Luck flipped him off when some smarter-than-usual terrorists sent a decoy convoy which he flagged as well, and thanks to the signal intelligence equipment they had stolen, they came at his position like vultures. He was able to retreat into a building he had scouted, but the enemy commander was no slouch and surrounded it quickly; before Flash was able to thin down enemy forces enough to make an escape attempt, the terrorists brought reinforcements, putting him in an unenviable position. The best he could do now was to take potshots, conserve ammo and try amd prevent terrorists from entering the building.
Will be for naught if they bring a suicide driver with a pickup truck full of TNT, he thought.
"Sabaton-three, this is Base-one, report! Sabaton-three, this is Base-one, report!" his radio cracked with his callsign.
"Sabaton-three here," he replied.
"What's the situation?"
"Tartarus in a handbasket!" he fired several bullets from his assault rifle, dropping a terrorist who was too stupid to stay in cover. "They brought gun trucks and a heavy APC, and I am surrounded!"
"We have sent an extraction team after you; proceed to the extraction point Kilo-seven and they will pick you up."
"Negative, Base-one! I cannot get out of the building, I will get cut the second I step out of it!"
"You have to be at the extraction point in eight minutes or we won't be able to pick you up, Sabaton-three!"
"I repeat, I can't get out of this building!"
"Proceed to the extraction point, Sabaton-three!" his commander at the other end was getting nervous too, Flash could hear it. Instead of responding, he took a chance to fire at the terrorists and was forced to hide again almost immediately as a literal lead storm rained at him.
It's a miracle I have not been hit by ricochets.
A sharp exhalation later, he tried to assess the situation. All exits from the building were covered by terrorists, and there was no convenient underground passage or good cover for him to use on the way to the extraction point. And sooner or later, the terrorists would storm the building he was in, either when he ran out of ammo or when their patience finally snapped, whichever came first. Then it would turn to close quarters combat, and either he would die or they would capture and execute him later, and release the video of his execution on the Internet, as they had done before.
He remembered Sunset, who was waiting for him, bearing their child under her heart...
...I cannot let them do this. To dishonour my corpse and my uniform, or let them stream as they execute me. There is no way the rescue force will get to me in time, even if they know where the terrorists will take me.
His heart sank.
I'm so sorry, Sunset. I hoped that I would be able to return, to see our child be born and grow up, to see your face, your smile again... but that is not happening.
But if I am to die, then by the Creator I will not go quietly.
"Base-one, this is Sabaton-three. Requesting permission for an airstrike," he was surprised at how flat his voice sounded as he said the words.
"Sabaton-three, this is Base-one, permission denied! Proceed to the extraction point!"
"There is no way! I am not getting out of that one, base. Either they kill me now and dishonour my corpse or they will execute me while streaming on the Internet. I don't want my wife to see this! If I am to die, I will do this on my own damn terms!"
"You are too close to the enemy and we do not have anything available for a precise strike, Sabaton-three!"
"I know that, Base-one! So be it!" Flash turned, and fired at the terrorist who tried to enter the building; apparently they had had enough and decided to take him on in close quarters combat. "Please, commander, carry out my last will!"
Three seconds, three long seconds grated among the noise of battle.
"...Sabaton-three, permission for airstrike granted."
"Thank you, Base-one. Tell my family... I love them, I love them and I am so sorry I was not able to return. Tell the guys to retake Griffonstone, and avenge me. Farewell, commander, it was an honour!"
Switching to a different frequency, Flash shouted into the radio:
"Bolt-six, this is Sabaton-three, requesting an airstrike! Coordinates: thirty-seven, twenty-nine, forty-six, forty-two!"
"Sabaton-three, this is Bolt-six," he heard the familiar voice of Spitfire. "Coordinates received, and understood. Airstrike coming in T-minus thirty seconds!"
Well, this is it, Flash thought. Now if I can hold on for just thirty seconds...
Spitfire approached the coordinates given to her by Flash Sentry, looking at the bombing sight projected on her HUD.
"Damn, that's quite a force," she whistled, as she saw the force of terrorists standing near a sturdy concrete building. It appeared that some of them were actually entering the building - most likely, to use it as a stronghold.
Yeah, no, not happening.
As the bombing sight aligned with her targets, she pressed the bomb drop button, releasing the death from above.
For several moments, nothing happened, but then the big explosions, one after another, became visible to Spitfire as she circled around the designated coordinates. The building that terrorists occupied was blown to smithereens along with their gun trucks and the heavy APC in a spectacular explosion.
"Nice," Spitfire laughed, "bet they never saw it coming. I love my job."
Turning on the microphone on her radio, she said:
"Sabaton-three, this is Bolt-six, awaiting confirmation of target elimination."
Static filled her ears. She waited for several seconds, but could not hear Flash's voice.
"Sabaton-three, this is Bolt-six, confirm target elimination!"
More static and silence. Spitfire's insides grew cold with dread.
"Bolt-six, this is Base-one," another voice cracked in her headphones, "return to base. Over."
"Base-one, this is Bolt-six, acknowledged," Spitfire turned the plane back to the direction of the air base. "What about that confirmation?"
"There will not be any confirmation, Bolt-six. Return to base."
"Acknowledged. Bolt-six out," Spitfire muttered. The realisation hit her like a train full of bricks.
She remained numb and silent for the whole way back to the base.
Camo Cap, the commanding officer of the late Flash Sentry, always believed it was his duty to inform the families of the loss of their loved ones in person.
He hated it, but all of the boys under his command were his responsibility, and he was not the one to run from it.
So here he was standing in front of the flat that Flash and Sunset shared together, two of his soldiers and Flash's comrades in arms by his sides, faces set in a grim, impassionate mask.
His index finger pressed the doorbell button. Not twenty seconds passed, and Sunset Shimmer-Sentry (the girl decided to take a double surname) opened the door.
Immediately, his eyes were drawn to the very visible belly.
Great. If she miscarries because of the news, I will never forgive myself.
He forced himself to look her in the eyes.
"Mrs. Shimmer-Sentry?"
"Yes, that is me," the young woman responded, "and you are?"
"Captain Camo Cap, the commanding officer of Lieutenant First Class Flash Sentry, and these are his comrades at arms, Silver Lead and Copper Blade."
"Has something happened to Flash?" Sunset's eyes widened in fear, and she covered her mouth with her hands.
"Unfortunately, yes. Mrs. Shimmer-Sentry, I regret to inform you that your husband, Flash Sentry, was killed in action yesterday while on an airstrike coordination mission."
It is usually said that no words can adequately describe the scope of the devastation one feels when informed of the death of their spouse. Later, Sunset would wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. But at that very moment, once the news hit her, she felt herself drained, as if someone just sucked all the life force out of her, and almost fell, but Camo Cap caught her in time.
"Call the ambulance, now!" he ordered, and both Silver Lead and Copper Blade took out their cell phones.
Camo Cap thanked all the deities that he could think of that the shock of the news did not lead to the miscarriage - he would not have been able to deal with the death of his subordinate's unborn child on his conscience - when the doctor said that both Sunset and the baby would be fine. When the doctor took him for a private chat and chastised him for dropping the bombshell of the news of a spouse's death on a pregnant woman, he said:
"Look, I am not proud of what I did there, but there is no way we would have been able to keep the news from her. Even if I were to do as you ask and wait until the child could be saved from premature birth, she would have learned of it long before then somehow. I know it was a huge risk, and I claim full responsibility for it."
"Well at least you have the guts to do so," the doctor said. "You would be the first officer who said this to me, actually. Excuse me, I have patients to treat."
"Of course."
The officer returned to Silver Lead and Copper Blade, who stood by the door to Sunset's room as guards. Although the door was closed, Sunset's tears of anguish were well perceptible.
Camo Cap has heard and seen many such cases, and it always cut his insides like a knife. He swore to himself that he would avenge this woman and her dead husband, no matter what, and went up to his subordinates.
"Sir, her group of friends from school has arrived and basically stormed the room. They are all in there now," Silver reported.
"Good. She needs all their love and support now, more than ever."
"Are we going back now?"
"No. We stay here for now, and fuck what the REMFs would say - if we can help the wife of our comrade anyhow, we do it."
"Yes, sir."
The funeral was somber and dignified, as Camo Cap and three of Flash's comrades at arms carried the coffin with his body to the funeral melody played by the military orchestra. Sunset was walking after it, her friends and Flash's friends behind her, Flash's parents by her sides.
She was surrounded by many people, yet she felt that a part of her was gone, and that it would never come back.
She remembered how she watched at Flash in the coffin, how she thought he was merely sleeping. She could see no sign of wounds; although Timber Spruce, who became Twilight's husband and also participated in the war near Griffonstone, remembered (he did not tell her specifically, but she read his mind with her magic and learned everything from him) that when he and his search and rescue team found Flash's body in the ruins, covered by rubble, it was mangled pretty badly.
Ironically, Griffonstone was taken only a week later, giving the terrorists a crushing blow. Many of Flash's comrades dedicated this victory to him. While the gesture did not help with the pain of the loss, she was grateful that his comrades at arms did their best to help her.
She shook the thoughts, and concentrated on the path to the cemetery.
She did not speak even once. She did not want to and did not need to. No words were necessary. Not when the coffin was lowered to the grave, not when fresh earth was thrown over it, not when the soldiers fired their rifles in a farewell salute.
For it was winter, the season of death. And death required no words.
Epilogue: several months later
Pinkie Pie was in a hurry. She was practically running, dragging Fluttershy behind her.
"Come on, come on!" she said. "Everyone else is there already!"
"I... can't... breathe... my arm's... gonna... break..." Fluttershy had trouble speaking.
"Don't you wanna see him?"
"I... do... but..."
"Come on, Shy! You can do it!"
After several similar exchanges, Pinkie and Fluttershy finally joined their other friends.
"There y'all are," Applejack said. "We had our turns, wanna go in?"
"Yep-yep!"
Both girls entered the room, seeing Sunset Shimmer half-sitting on the bed, pillows supporting her.
"Hi, Pinkie, Fluttershy," she spoke softly. "Please be quiet, he's sleeping."
In her hands, she held a bundle of diapers. A baby's face was visible, eyes closed.
"Awwwwww," both Pinkie and Fluttershy whispered. Sunset smiled, feeling some tinge of happiness at looking at all of her friends come and adore Tornado Sentry.
It was spring, the season of birth. The season of birth of her and Flash's son.
