A golden sunset dimmed beyond the long, winding road ahead. Flash Sentry sat in place, and for whatever reason—he was smiling.

"McCracken Trail," he exhaled in a dream-like tone. The teenage boy leaned forward from where he was reclining atop the hood of his sports car. The slick vehicle was parked in the grass area, still warm from a settling engine. There wasn't another soul around for blocks—except for the one lying lazily beside him. "Y'know... I've always driven up to this very spot... but never past it. Do you wanna know why, Sunny?"

"Hmmm?" muttered a bored voice in response to the quaint nickname.

Flash sighed again. "Because the moment I go past this spot is the moment I leave this town for good. Brighter pastures, y'know?" He continued smiling. As the silence persisted, he turned to the fiery-haired figure beside him. "You know what I mean, Sunset?"

"Ungh..." Her eyes rolled and her body rolled upright along with them. "Why'd you bring me all the way out here, Flash? We're—like—miles away from civilization."

He blinked. "It's only half a kilometer at most." He chuckled. "Just figured you could... y'know... check out some of my old haunting grounds." He brushed a hand over his jet blue hair and glanced once more at the dying day. "I used to come here a lot. Just to think. Meditate on life and all that sappy stuff. Heh. Come to think of it, I-I've never brought anyone else out here with me—"

"If you wanted to get nostalgic, couldn't you have done that back at Canterlot High? A simple conversation would have sufficed. I swear, it's gonna take us over an hour to get back."

"The roads are pretty empty this time of the day. We can make it back in a blink! Provided the cops aren't on patrol... eheheh..." Flash winked. "Just kidding."

Her eyes remained firm. "Whatever." She folded her jacketed arms. "Do you remember that thing I told you that I wanted to talk about or have you lost track of time as much as space?"

"Erm..." Flash bit his lip, squirming against the painted hood of his prized wheels. "I... uh... I guess I just got lost in the moment—"

"Flower Print. That chubby girl with the yellow-streaked hair."

"Huh?" Flash squinted. "You mean... my tutoring partner in Third Period Calculus?"

"Yes." Sunset Shimmer's brow furrowed. "Her."

"Heh..." Flash smiled. "Yeah, she's a nice student. Been struggling a bit with her equations though, but she's showing improvement. Just this week, she's gotten her grade point average up a whole point! Mr. Doodle tells me that I've been a big help to her—"

"Well, as of this week, you're gonna stop."

Flash blinked. "I am?"

"You heard me."

"But..." Flash grimaced slightly, leaning towards the driver's side of the car. "Sunset, what's with the—?"

"I don't like the goo-goo eyes she's giving you."

Flash actually laughed. "Goo-goo eyes?"

Sunset's eyes rivaled the last flame of the day. "Don't laugh at me."

He swallowed hard. "I... I wasn't—"

"I know when a girl's crushing hard on a guy, and from the looks of it she's just days away from trying to make a move on you."

"Pffft. Flower Print? Sunset, you've got it all wrong." Flash smiled reassuringly. "And even if I was interested—which I'm not—you know I wouldn't even remotely encourage—"

"Do you still talk to her?"

"Uhhhhhhh... yeah?"

"Then you're encouraging her. Trust me. I've been there."

"Really?"

Sunset huffed. Heavily.

"S-sorry! What I meant was..." Flash waved his hands, winced, and sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, Sunset."

"If you care at all about our relationship, you'll stop hanging out with Flower Print."

"Yes, Sunset."

"And if she insists on seeing you, then make the message clear. You're my boyfriend. That overstepping heifer's not even remotely in your league. Simple as that."

"I..." Flash leaned his arms on his knees as he stared down the road. "Y-yes, Sunset."

"Now, about the Fall Formal happening in a month: I think it's time that we got the school body excited. Don't you agree?"

Flash merely nodded.

"The way I see it..." Sunset Shimmer bore her first smile of the evening. She laid back against the hood, smirking up at the stars. "...nothing gets the alumni more pumped up than when you and your band friends rock the auditorium. So how about you and the boys stage a surprise concert after school tomorrow in the auditorium? Just be sure to tell everyone that it was my idea. That's most important, you see."

Flash nodded again. He stared directly forward with dull eyes.

The last glimpse of light disappeared beyond McCracken Trail, and everything beyond it—including the mountains and the trees—was darkness.