Despite their numerous attempts, they were unable to escape. In the end, Flash and Twilight were unable to escape their room and lay exhausted on the bed. Thankfully, their dinner didn’t require any meal work. However, their exhaustion made them aware of one very crucial factor that they had been neglecting during their entire imprisonment.
There was only one bed.
It became very clear that, for all intents and purposes, Flash and Twilight would have to sleep in the same bed. The two blushed upon coming to that realization until the sound of footsteps appeared above them once more. An idea popped into Flash’s head, one which would save the two from the potentially embarrassing situation.
“Don’t know about you,” Flash began, “but I’m not too comfortable with the idea of sleeping while our kidnapper is right above us.”
“R-right,” Twilight quickly agreed, catching onto what Flash was suggesting. “But we can’t just go without sleep. So here’s what I’m thinking, how about we sleep in shifts?”
“Are you… okay with that?” Flash asked.
“What do you mean?” Twilight responded with a raised eyebrow.
“It’s just- I don’t- what I’m saying is-” Flash fumbled, trying his best to get the words out. After he took a deep breath, he spoke, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, and well…you know.”
Twilight could see how nervous and clammed up Flash was. This time it was her turn to put a reassuring hand on Flash’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I trust you and I’d know you’d never do anything to me,” she said with complete sincerity. “If anything, I feel safer knowing that you’re here.”
“…Really?”
“Really,” Twilight nodded. “Now then, do you want to take the first shift or should I?”
Flash thought for a moment before he came to his decision, “I’ll take the first shift.”
“Okay.” Twilight pointed to the circular window, “we’ll use the moon’s position as an indicator for time. When the moon is here,” she pointed to the highest point on the window’s rim, “that’s when you’ll wake me up and we’ll switch shifts.”
Flash nodded in agreement.
*CLUNK*
There was another thud. The refrigerator door swung open, revealing its contents. This time it wasn’t filled with food but instead with two pairs of pajamas; one that was blue with green alien heads and the other was purple with blue stars. Lying atop the folded pajamas was a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste, a small container of mouthwash, and some containers of floss. On the rung below the one that held their pajamas were bottles of body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. Flash went over and grabbed both sets of clothing. It wasn’t hard to figure out which ones belonged to who.
“Not only did our captors kidnap us, but they were also kind enough to steal our belongings and fold them neatly for us,” Flash said, instantly recognizing his pajamas.
“How generous,” she said, taking her pajamas from Flash. “Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?”
Flash deposited the three bottles from the fridge onto the counter, and once the fridge was empty its door swung closed and locked itself. “Sure,” he answered, to which Twilight entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Flash waited outside, leaning against the wall. He looked upwards as he heard the sound of footsteps once more.
“Hey, we should come up with a name for our captor,” Flash suggested.
“Mwah?” A muffled response came from Twilight, brushing her teeth.
“You know, it feels kinda rude to just call them ‘captor’. Maybe we should give them a nickname for the time being?”
The door to the bathroom opened and Twilight emerged, her hair no longer tied up and draped over her shoulders. She was now wearing the pajamas given to her. “Well, how about the name 'Captor'?” Twilight suggested, to which Flash just gave her a flat look. “Flash, this guy kidnapped us. I’m not exactly in the mood to give him a good name.”
“Them,” Flash corrected.
“Huh?”
“We don’t know if this person is a man, woman, or any other form of identification. We should give them a gender-neutral name.” Flash rubbed his chin. “How about, Cappy?”
“You can call him-er, them, whatever you want,” Twilight retorted as she made her way to the bed.
Flash entered the bathroom next. He brushed his teeth and put on his pajamas before exiting the room. He looked over to the bed where he saw Twilight without her glasses. She lay under the covers, her head against one of the two pillows. Twilight looked to see that Flash was staring at her.
“Something wrong?” she asked, causing Flash to snap back to reality.
“O-oh, no!” He quickly looked away, hoping to cover up his blush. “Sorry, it’s nothing,” he lied, but in the end, that was all he could do. He couldn’t possibly tell Twilight just how much she looked like her. “A-anyways, you go ahead and get some rest. I’ll take the first watch.”
With that, Twilight made herself comfortable. Thanks to the comfort of the mattress and the gentle sway of the room, she was asleep within seconds.
Several hours passed before Twilight awoke. The room was now completely dark, with only the moonlight shining inside of it. It was, of course, the moonlight that had awoken the young genius. She rose slowly from the bed, using one arm as a support and the other to rub her eyes. She fumbled for where she had set her folded glasses for a moment before her hands landed on them and she grabbed them. Pushing them onto her face, she was now able to see everything clearly. The first thing she looked up to notice was the position of the moon, and how it was very far away from where she had indicated. This of course meant only one thing; Flash had let Twilight oversleep.
She pivoted and looked to the other side of the room, where she saw her fellow captive sitting down, leaning against the wall. He looked up to Twilight with a half-smile. “O-oh, s-s-sorry, d-did I w-wake you?” he asked, his teeth chattering.
Twilight removed the covers and immediately regretted doing so as she exposed herself to the freezing temperature of the room. She shivered, then rubbed her arms to provide some form of warmth. However, her first concern wasn’t the cold, but rather the condition of her cellmate. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” she demanded, a frown on her face.
Flash looked sheepishly at her, “Would y-you believe m-me if I t-t-told you t-that you looked s-so peaceful sleeping?”
“Chivalry aside,” Twilight sighed, moving her legs over the bed, “I’ll take the next watch now.”
“No!” Flash bolted upright in protest. “Y-you get some rest. I can take the remaining shifts.”
With Flash standing fully upright now, Twilight was able to see the effects of the cold environment on Flash. His skin was lighter, his lips looked blue, and his cheeks were red. She looked around again for something that she could give the young man as a source of warmth; a blanket, or warmer clothing, anything. Alas, she found nothing.
“You’re not going to let me take the next watch, are you?” Twilight muttered. “Fine, in that case then,” she moved all the way over to the other side of the bed, making room for another person, “we’ll just have to sleep together.”
Flash’s cheeks went from cherry-red to full-on crimson upon hearing that. He was about to protest but Twilight spoke first to cut him off.
“Look, I’m not too comfortable with this situation either,” Twilight admitted, her cheeks red from embarrassment, “but I can’t just let you stay out in the cold air. So, get in here already before I have to drag you in here.”
Understanding the threat loud and clear, Flash hesitantly approached the bed. He sat down on it and turned his back to Twilight. He tucked his legs under the covers and draped the top of the heavy blanket over his top side. Twilight shifted around to make herself comfortable, and in doing so she brushed her leg against Flash’s––causing her to flinch and withdraw her leg instantly. Eventually, the two were able to fit onto the bed in a platonic way, with their backs against each other and the two facing away from the other. Flash’s cold, large, backside pressed against Twilight’s warmer, slender, frame.
“See?” Twilight spoke, doing her best to hide her embarrassment, “told you we can do it, just two friends sharing a bed in a completely platonic manner. Nothing awkward or weird about that.”
“Nope, not at all.” Flash agreed, his eyes locked right in front of him.
…
…
…
“If anyone asks, we’ll say Cappy made us do it.” Twilight declared.
“Agreed.” Flash nodded without any hesitation. “Hey…you called them Cappy.”
“Well…you had a point,” Twilight admitted, “I don’t know why, but giving him- them a name somehow made them less scary.”
Twilight had to admit that giving their kidnapper a goofy name like ‘Cappy’ made the situation less tense. Speaking of a tense situation, there was a nagging thought gnawing at the back of Twilight’s brain. She knew that she wouldn’t be able to rest unless it was answered so she asked her companion.
“Hey Flash?” Twilight spoke up.
“Yeah?” He responded.
“How are you so calm right now?” Twilight asked.
Flash didn’t respond right away. He thought carefully about what he’d say before speaking. It was true that in any normal situation, anyone would be panicking and freaking out about being captured. However, Flash was calm and collected.
“I guess it’s because of you.” Was all Flash could answer
“Me?” Twilight responded, completely taken aback by his answer.
“Yeah.” Flash paused before explaining. “I can’t fully explain it, but right now, knowing you, I’m sure that we’ll figure out a way out of here. After all, you’re Twilight Sparkle. Why should I be afraid when I’ve got you?”
Twilight was thankful that Flash was facing away from her. Otherwise, he would’ve seen the slight blush on her face.
“Thank you, Flash,” Twilight said, feeling a lot more comfortable being near the guitarist. “I’m actually really glad you’re here too.”
“Really?” Flash asked incredulously.
“Really,” Twilight answered. “We weren’t able to make any progress today, but that just means we’ll have all of tomorrow to figure something else out. Besides, it’s like you said; this is a great excuse to catch up with one another.”
A slight chuckle escaped from Flash upon hearing that. “Well then, I look forward to either getting out of here or getting to know you better, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Likewise…Flash Sentry.” She responded between a yawn.
As if put under a spell, the two quickly succumbed to sleep. The gentle rocking of the ship, the warmth of the bed sheltering them from the cold exterior of the room, and the peace that the two gave each other created the perfect conditions for a peaceful slumber. Nothing could stir them from this restful slumber. Not even the shimmering light that emerged from across the room could stir the two. The wall on the opposite end of where the bed was stationed began to warp and change. And in a flash of colorful wisps and sparkles, something new appeared on the wall.
A door.