Choices
Flash Sentry steeled himself, breathing calmly. He watched as Princess Celestia leaned back, regarding him with a lofty expression.
"I will not force you to go back through the portal," she stated matter-of-factly. "I am the sovereign alicorn monarch of this realm and this realm alone. The world of humans is simply... beyond my jurisdiction. I am certain you can understand."
Flash nodded. He gulped, then managed, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Please. Do not thank me," Princess Celestia said. "For I do not know yet if this works to your supreme benefit. But... it does give you both the time and the freedom for arriving at a healthy decision. Those two things—more than anything else—I sense that you deeply need at this particular juncture. It would be worse than criminal to rob you of such a moment of reflection. It is something that—I now sense—has been a long time coming." She took a deep breath, gazing at him with a compassionate expression. "It is my sincere hope that you consider those beyond yourself in pursuing this new phase in your life. You have exhibited such remarkable compassion and selflessness to those whom you have met since arriving here. Consider—perhaps—sharing a similar respect for those whom you have left behind."
The teenager gazed past her. A pair of violet eyes stared back, and he had to fight to keep his eyes open.
"Princess Twilight Sparkle would very much desire to speak with you," Celestia said, making the stallion's blood run cold. There was a momentary pause, as if she was digesting his silence with a new, intuitive taste. "For the good of everypony, I sincerely encourage you to grant her an audience. She did go through an awful lot to track you down, my little pony."
"Please, your Highness," Flash corrected. "Just call me 'Flash.'"
Celestia raised an eyebrow, smiling slightly. "You may find yourself having to settle for silly things in this world." She brushed past him with airy grace. "Though—from what I can tell—that won't be very difficult for you, will it?"
He blinked, then turned to watch her leave. When Flash turned back, Princess Luna was staring him down. The stallion jumped slightly.
Luna was unfazed. "My sister has lived with guilt for a very long time." Her nostrils flared. "I envy her, in a way, for I suspect I would be much wiser for it."
Flash gulped, momentarily satisfied that she was occupying his vision. "Couldn't we all?"
"Make no mistake..." She said, her tone as neutral as her expression. "...while you may have an affinity for this realm, you came from another. Like all creatures of two worlds, a choice awaits you, one that will not be as easy to make as you may currently think, with or without the leeway that my sister has granted."
Flash's ears drooped slightly. He tried on a nervous smile. "I don't suppose... I-I could choose to follow you outside now and rejoin the festivities?"
Luna sighed. "Alas, Flash Sentry..." She began trotting past him. "...life wouldn't be life without us being forced to face the final curtain."
He clenched his eyes shut as her hoofsteps grew more and more distant.
"When you both are done," Luna's voice carried over. "There is a group of ponies in the banquet hall yearning to speak with you. They are none other than the friends you have accumulated during your travels here, and they are quite concerned about you. Who better than the Princess of Friendship to speak to before such a blissful reunion?"
The doors to the throne room creaked open for one last time, then shut with a dull thud.
Hoofsteps approached... dainty... adorable.
She scuffled to a stop, and her voice came forth. Somehow—it was more timid than he remembered, and his heart shattered once again. "Hey... h-hey there, Flash..."
Flash inhaled courage. He forced his eyes open and stared into the loveliness. "Hey yourself." He tried putting on a suave smile, but it looked awkward in her reflective gaze.
So he stopped pretending.
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ohboyherewefinallygo
I'm gonna hide in my Twilight-proof bunker
On the surface Celestia might look to be taking the easy choice. "Do whatever you wish." But she is doing a lot more than that.
Celestia recognized Flash as the master of his own destiny. She offered him protection under her own wing—should he want it—and the ability to follow his heart and head.
This was a good characterization of Celestia. Bravo.
*Gulping intensifies*
Aaaaand here we finally are at last.
There is something that bugs me about this situation, Twilight being so hesitant (shy, even?) around Flash, Celestia asking for permission for Twilight to even speak with Flash... What's Twilight's role here? Celestia said things that could have only come from Twilight, like the information that came from Sunset about the state of the other world, but why is Twilight here? As a proxy for Sunset? Why didn't Sunset just come herself? She felt bad enough to cry about it, but she didn't bother to go after him. With that in mind, it feels like Twilight is only here to troubleshoot, that it's her obligation to Sunset that brought her here.
8869673
I think it's that she knows, or thinks she knows, what he's going through, and she feels responsible for it, and she kind of is. I think she's trying to make up for how she ditched him.
She's also like the ambassador to the human world, so it falls just barely in her jurisdiction.
I could be wrong about all of that, so don't try to predict with my words too hard.
I hope he stays in equestria, I do enjoy seeing him happy. (Then we have a nice reason for a sequel should the ending warrant one.)
8869705
You can't be an ambassador when you keep the existence of Equestria hidden from the government of Earth. No formal contact, and even unofficially it's kept suppressed. Sunset Shimmer kinda has the role of a spy, with relating information back to Equestria but not exchanging any information between the worlds.
Oh, I agree that Twilight believes its her jurisdiction, but it's just an awkward scenario, which really represents the whole awkwardness of the relations between worlds in the first place that the EQG series set in motion and never resolves.
(Actually, Celestia's commentary last chapter is rather worrying for various reasons. They don't want to share information because it would reveal Equestria and the portal, but if Flash went back wouldn't that reveal the portal anyway? Unless they trust him to not say anything.)
Time for the confrontation that Flash has been dreading for a while. Though I believe there are others he's been dreading longer.
media1.tenor.com/images/95a898eef5ab45dda0e2493333cc40cc/tenor.gif?itemid=3430376
While I certainly want it to end with EQG Flash staying in Equestria, I’m pretty sure it won’t work out like that.
The burners on, the oils sizzling in the pan.
Sunny side up? or Scrambled.
8869705
Mostly because, while she might not technically have a need to be there, she's personally involved with interdimensional travel to Canterlot High, the Equestria side of Sunset's book (which she's been talking about Flash in), and Flash himself. In Equestria, that's pretty much an ironclad reason for her to be there, even for a Princess.
On top of that, Twilight's still dealing with an overactive empathy in her new role. So when a former crush and happy-enough-seeming fellow student apparently abandons their life and everyone they've ever known, and Sunset confirms that he's been nearly cripplingly depressed, she's going to show up. And then he's said outright that he was seriously considering suicide; something I would bet that Equestria has a far lower rate of than any modern human city. That's got to be a serious shock for Twilight, and there is absolutely no way she's going to simply turn around and walk away.
Twilight being Twilight, of course, she's also going to have a little voice in the back of her head adding up Flash's demeanor before he met her, his utter brokenness now, and the fact that he actively tried to avoid her while in Equestria, and asking how much of what happened to him was her fault.
this conversation with Twilight is going to be vary hard and yet good for every one involved. I hope.
i know my choice but alas i am not writing the story and will find out with the rest of the readers in time.
They should take a seat. Maybe get some cider.
Whatever happens next is going to hurt someone. I'm just not sure who or how much.
I can't help but feel like the jurisdiction Celestia has on this side of the portal is all she would need to march Flash to the mirror and shove him through.
Every pony is a little pony to Celestia. No exceptions.
The friends Flash made along the way are the real friends we made along the way.
Awkward Twilight, too adorable!
Come on !
The return of Girlfriend #2! Three seconds in and already breaking hearts .. thats gotta be some kind of record.