Twilight was sitting in the passenger's seat of Flash's car deep in thought. She knew she had some major things to talk to Flash about but didn't know how to bring them up. Difficult conversations were always hardest with those you loved the most. Strangers, you might care about if they took things wrong but in the end you weren't that emotionally invested in them. Loved ones you cared deeply about their feelings if for no other reason you didn't want them to stop liking you.

Flash, for his part, knew Twilight was troubled. Over the past few weeks he'd gotten to know her a lot better. In fact he finally figured he knew her well enough to justify his feelings for her. As soon as he had picked her up he had noticed how distant she acted. Now halfway to Rarity's house; he decided it was time to find out why.

"Hey, Twi, are you ok? I mean, do you want to talk about it. Something is obviously bothering you." He spoke as sympathetically as he could.

Twilight looked down at her hands that were laying palms up in her lap. "I don't want to, but I have to."

There was a sadness in her voice that made Flash nervous. She continued. "You know I'm twenty-seven. I'm not old but I'm old enough - enough to be thinking about things. I think about having a family. I think about having a husband and kids; or at least a kid. I've lived my life; at least I've lived my youth. I want to start settling down. Well, settle down as much as being a princess will let me."

Twilight stopped, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and went on. "And I know you are seventeen. By your laws, we shouldn't even be dating. I mean, technically, I'm a child molester. Well I guess not quite since we've hadn't had sex yet; but still. Aside from all that, aside from the fact we live in two separate universes; you're still young. You haven't even graduated high school yet. To force or expect you to want to be a husband, let alone a father at or even around your age, . . . it's unfair."

"Oh," Flash said surprised and then saddened. He turned and looked straight out the windshield; not really focusing on anything, just gazing off. "I see. So you're breaking up with me then?"

Twilight's head snapped up and around to look at Flash in shocked horror. "What, wait, no! I mean, crap, crap, crap! I didn't mean it like that. At least I don't think I did. I, I, I thought you'd want to break up with me after I told you my feelings. I, I didn't think this through. I'm sorry."

"It seems like a quarter of our time is spent talking about how our relationship isn't going to work," Flash said slowly with a hint of anger in his voice. "Then we talk about actually, you know, having sex and taking our relationship to the next level." Flash stopped, thought for a second, then continued. "No point there, just venting.

"When we don't talk about it, we do great. How many hours have we spent talking about our lives before we met, about our two worlds, about just STUFF; like TV or history or religion or philosophy? We've shred so much, bonded so well. When we simply BE, we're ok."

"You're right. You are right. When we're just girlfriend and boyfriend, we're great. But that's not just who we are. I am a pony princess, no, I am an adult pony princess from another dimension. Sooner or later, my mission here will end. Then what? I know we said we'd just let whatever happens, happen; but that's not a long term solution. Especially now. I don't want to become pregnant like, right now, this second but I would like to have a child within a year or so. So where does that leave us? Where does that leave you?"

"Same as every other time you've brought this up - by your side. I know you're a purple pony princess. I get that. I saw that. As for this new thing, yeah, you're right, I'm not ready to be a dad yet.

"I got one more year until I graduate. I want to and I will. My dad wants me to join him in his business. I want to do music. I want to record and tour. Those are and have been my goals. That was before you though. I want all that but I want to be with you. I told you that I am willing to move to your dimension. I don't know what things are going to be like over there. Maybe things will be so fantastical, I won't even think about my life and goals here. Maybe I will and hate it over there. Only time will tell."

"That's the thing Flash; how much time? You have time. You graduate, I'll be twenty-eight. You come over, we try things out, a year, two, I'll be thirty. Then what?"

"You'll be a thirty year old mom. Many women are waiting until their thirties to have kids now. Thirty isn't that old Twilight."

"And twenty really isn't. What if two, five, or ten years later you regret everything? You miss your family too much, you regret not dating more, any of that?"

"I don't know! I don't think I would. I think about us getting married and having kids too Twilight. Obviously not as soon as you do; but I still want to."

"But how can you be sure of that at your age?"

"If you think I'm that young and dumb why are you even with me?!"

"Because I didn't think it through!"

"Well now you have! And it sounds like you want you out. So fine. I'll drop you off and I'll be gone. You won't have to worry about changing my diapers and you can find the man you want."

"I don't want a man! I, I just don't want to be heart broken. I just don't want to lose you."

Flash pulled off down a side dirt road and stopped the car.

"Wait until I graduate and I will never leave your side. I will bow before you night and day and call you 'Your Majesty'. You want kids? I will mount you as often as I'm physically able to make sure you have all the kids you want. You name it, I'll do it. Give me my year and I will you give you my life."

"I don't want a slave. You would be a prince. You would rule beside me. My equal in all things."

"Then so be it. As long as I'm by your side. One year. A year for a lifetime. Don't think about what could go wrong. Just let it flow."

"A year for a lifetime," Twilight nodded

The two began to kiss, tears running down their cheeks. Flash then stopped, pulled back, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a silver packet. "I brought it just in case we found some time to ourselves," he said with a sheepish grin.

"You're a very wise man," Twilight said in her best seductive voice.

"I thought you didn't want a man?" Flash teased.

"Just get over here and mount me already," Twilight said with a laugh and grabbed a hold of Flash.

************************************************************

"I'm not sure of this," Adagio said to Sunset as they pulled up to Rarity's house. "I haven't seen Sonata since we got back and I haven't talked to any of the others . . ."

Sunset touched Adagio's thigh, just above the knee. "It's going to be ok. You're with me. And if the others don't like it, then I'll make them like it."

Adagio nodded, took a deep breath, and got out of the car.

The two got out of the car and walked to the front door. Before they could ring the bell, Fluttershy opened the door and greeted Sunset with a big hug. She then looked at Adagio with a bit of trepidation before giving her a hug as well.

"Sorry we're late," Sunset said.

"It's my fault," Adagio said. "I was having second thoughts and she had to talk me back into going."

"Oh don't worry about it," Fluttershy responded in a cheery, up beat voice. "You still beat Twilight and Flash here."

"Really?" said Sunset, surprised. "I hope they're ok."

"I'm sure of it," Fluttershy said with a happy smile. "Something probably just came up."

Fluttershy then brought the two inside where they were greeted by Rarity.

"Darlings, welcome. And how are you two this fine evening?"

"Good, good. I was afraid we'd be the last ones here," Sunset said still a little concerned about Twilight and Flash.

"Oh pish posh sweetie. Even if you were, as long as you're here it's all good."

Adagio looked around the room. Every one but Rarity seemed to be paired up. Apple Jack was with a guy who looked like he came straight out of central casting for a nerd. Fluttershy was with some hippy dude with green dreads. Rainbow Dash was with waht looked to be a skater punk with a blue Mohawk that he was trying to grow back in. Then she saw Sonata. She and Pinkie Pie had an arm around each other's waist, their head tilted in towards each other, touching at the top. The picture of the two girls together madfe her heart ache with jealousy.

Sonata turned her head and saw Adagio looking at her. "Dagi?" She said and slowly walked up to her with Pinkie close behind.

"Sonata," Adagio said in a short, tight manner.

The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment then Sonata reached out and gave her a hug. "I've missed you Dagi," she whispered.

"I've, I, I've missed you too," Adagio was surprised that she actually meant it. She had missed Sonata.

"This is Pinkie Pie, she's my girlfriend." There was now shame or hesitation in Sonata's voice. She loved Pinkie and wanted everyone to know how lucky she was to have her for a girlfriend.

"Nice to meet you. I hope you're taking care of her. Sonata's a special person." Once again, Adagio was surprised by the fact that she actually meant what she was saying. Sonata used to drive her insane, but she had always made her laugh as well (even though she never did it in front of her).

"You better believe she is!" Pinkie said "She is like, literally, my other half. And it's nice to meet you as well now that you're not trying to enslave everyone." If anyone else would have said that, it would have been viewed as a slight. With Pinkie, it was just a good natured recitation of fact.

"That was me Pinkie," Sunset corrected Pinkie with a laugh in her voice. "Adagio was feeding off everyone's adoration."

"Negative energy really," Sonata added. "The praise was just the icing on the cake."

"Ewwww, caaaaaaake," Pinkie said as if an enraptured state. "Sonapie, let's go and see if there's any more cake left."

"You got it Pinata!"

With that the two bounced off to the snack table.

"Sonapie? Pinata?" Adagio said confused.

"That's what they call each other now. I think it's cute," Sunset said. Then she put her arm around Adagio's shoulder and whispered, "I'm very proud of you."

Adagio turned and smiled at Sunset. "It's all because of you," she gently whispered back.

"Howdy y'all. How ya doin'?" Apple Jack said as she and Chip came walking over.

"Doing great," Sunset said happily.

"How's Aria?" Adagio asked with some quiet concern. "Is she here?"

"Huh? Oh heck nah. I'm glad too. That girl does nothing but fume and his all day. She's like a rattle snake crossed with a skunk."

Adagio rolled her eyes with a slight chuckle. "That's Aria. She'll never change."

"So are you two together?" Chip asked in a friendly voice.

Sunset shook her head in surprise. "What?"

"Oh I'm sorry," Chip said embarrassed. "I just thought, well, they way you two are standing, you got your arms around each other and, I mean, you two look at each other in a certain way."

Sunset laughed. "It's ok Chip. I'm not offended. Adagio and I have become really good friends. And if I were gay, I'd be all over her. She's smart, has a great sense of humor once you get used to it, plus she's sexy as heck; but I'm straight. In fact, I was on a date last night with Valhalen."

"Who in tarnation is that?" Apple asked.

As Sunset explained, Adagio just looked at her. There was so much dark irony in what she had said. She wanted to be with Sunset, and if Sunset were gay, she'd want to be with Adagio too. It was that if that made all the difference. It was that if that cut her in two. She looked back and saw Chip wasn't paying any attention to what Sunset and Apple were saying. He was looking at here with a sad, knowing expression. She gave him a sad smile back and he nodded. She immediately liked him.

Just as Sunset was wrapping up; Twilight and Flash walked in.

"Hey guys, welcome to the party," Sunset said teased playfully. "Better late than never."

The two looked at each other, grinned and busted out laughing. Everyone looked confused but Sonata and Adagio. Without looking at each other, but still moving in unison, they leaned over and whispered in each of their respective partner's ear, "They just had sex."

Author's Notes:

Ok, this is only 1/3 of what was supposed to be in this chapter but I realized while writing this, it would be entirely too long so I decided to split it up. Hopefully it doesn't suffer too much from that.