Nothing will stop Flash Sentry from trying to reunite with Twilight Sparkle. Not even the Alicorn Goddesses
The refusal of princess Twilight Sparkle to marry a noble of Luna and Celestia's choosing, and running with Flash Sentry instead, leads to the Elements of Harmony siding against the Goddesses, and the people of Canterlot choosing sides. Now, a wounded and weakened Flash Sentry must reach Canterlot, hoping to reunite with Twilight Sparkle, who was taken by Princess Luna. In the way there, he and the Elements must fight Twilight's suitors, three Guard captains of noble blood. Note for FlashLight haters: You'll get to read about Flash Sentry being beaten mercilessly for most of the story, so you can enjoy it too. Art by the great Me. I can draw for you, if you ask nicely.
Somewhen, Somewhere Chapter 1: The Love of Twilight Sparkle By Leftover of Saikano
A stallion crawls through the flower field, leaving most of his bandages in whatever bush they got stuck in.
“Twilight… I must find… Twilight.”
Fluttershy flew over the Everfree. She passed over the once secret house, and landed at the edge of the forest, next to the crawling Flash Sentry.
“Flash! You are finally awake. But you shouldn’t move yet.”
The stallion weakly lifted his head, and looked at her with unfocused eyes.
“Twilight…”
“Oh, my. You are still confused,” said Fluttershy, while helping Flash Sentry sit in a more upright position. “But you were unconscious for two days, so I guess it’s normal.”
Somewhat more awake, Flash Sentry recognized her. "Fluttershy? What happened? Twilight! Where's Twilight!?"
"Two days ago, in this same house, you were attacked, Flash. I have been taking care of you."
"Attacked? Who could attack me? Is Twilight OK?"
"The pony who attacked you was none other than Princess Luna. And before you ask, no, she did not fall back to her Nightmare Moon persona. It was the Princess Luna we know, and in full use of her mental faculties. She took Twilight with her to Canterlot."
"But why would the Princess attack me then? What is wrong, Fluttershy?"
"It seems, Twilight obtaining the title of princess was not only for her merits, as we believed at first. As it happens, her family actually comes directly from a deceased sibling of Celestia and Luna. The crown was always meant for her, if she demonstrated the worth, and she did so the day she got her wings."
"But what does that have to do with me? What caused the Princess to attack me?"
Fluttershy looked down, eyes fixed on Flash Sentry's wounds, most already healing.
"Twilight didn't tell you, but the reason she took you here, in the middle of the forest, was because you two cannot be together."
"What?" Flash Sentry tried to stand up, but one knee didn't respond.
"Stay still, you are not fully recovered yet. As I was saying, Twilight, as an important member of that family, must only marry into one of certain noble families. And you are not even close to being a noble. Um, no offense."
"None taken. But, Princess Luna has been disconnected from Equestria for one thousand years. That must have been a tradition abandoned centuries ago. Princess Celestia must be able to fix this misunderstanding."
Fluttershy kept looking down, and her voice sounded more grim this time.
"There is no misunderstanding. Celestia is aware of what is happening, and she is with Luna in this. In fact, the Princess will receive today three qualified noble stallions, all of families dating from at least the time of Princess Luna's banishment."
"They are already looking suitors for her? Is there some kind of hurry?"
"Well, she did try to hide away with you, and the only reason you are alive is because she asked for you to be spared in exchange of surrendering to Luna. Now they will try and marry her before she does something like that again."
"Then I must go to Canterlot," said Flash Sentry, finally able to stand on his four legs.
Fluttershy suddenly started to sound more determined, as if just remembering something important.
"This is something bigger than you imagine, Flash Sentry. Because of this, we the Elements of Harmony, have rebelled against the Princesses, and following us, so have done many others. Canterlot is now divided."
Flash Sentry had to stop for a moment to grasp the scale of the situation they were involved in.
"This must be a joke. Things cannot escalate so fast. Not for a relationship, not for me, and Twilight."
"It is serious business, Flash. Twilight Sparkle and the Elements are a big force in this era. The ponies have seen Equestria saved by us as many times in their lifetime as Celestia has done in the history books, they consider us the true force that keeps Equestria in peace, and not the Princesses. Twilight Sparkle is also a princess loved by the youth, and if she is unhappy, they are, too. And you know how young ponies have a rebellious spirit, and big zeal."
"I still cannot understand how something between just Twilight and me got so big as to involve all of Canterlot, and even the Princesses. But if any of this is true, then I must hurry to Canterlot and find Twilight."
"Yes, that is for the best. But you cannot fly yet. If you follow the path in front of you, you will reach the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Some of our allies have taken hold there. I'm sure you will find somepony who can take you fast to Canterlot. I will go investigate if those noble stallions will be a threat. From what I could gather, all of them have the rank of captain of some branch of the armed forces. You take care."
Saying this, Fluttershy took flight. Flash Sentry wanted to do the same, but after feeling his wings for some moments, he had to accept anything other than walking was out of his possibilities at the moment. A very slow walk.
Canterlot. In the pool of the royal bath house, Twilight Sparkle stood knee-deep in water. The enclosed pool took most of the ballroom sized building, and could contain comfortably over two hundred ponies, were it not a place meant only for the Princesses and their guests. The ceiling and the floors, including the bottom of the pool, were covered with a thick glass, protecting whatever kind of preternatural lamp the architects designed to illuminate the place. Twilight Sparkle was wearing a white silk dress, a gilded collar, and, around her horn, a green crystal ring meant to suppress her magic.
Twilight Sparkle walked to a stairway leading out of the water, and in front of it, she spoke.
"Luna, I have a request."
At the top of the stairs, the air condensed into a starry fog, that, illuminated by the moonlight filtering through a big window, soon revealed the form of Princess Luna. If one knew how to look past her composure, one could notice how unamused she was.
"Do you dare, Twilight Sparkle, make us requests, when we have to to come to a bath house just to have a moment of peace? When we cannot relax in our own castle, because many ponies who have served us for years cannot be trusted anymore because of your little adventure? We will not force you to admit you are sorry for what you have done, but we think our sister may have rushed, when she decided to crown you a princess of Equestria."
"I will abdicate, Luna. I won't be a princess anymore."
"How can you say that without doubting? You know that even if you forfeit the crown you will still be an alicorn, and a member of our family, with the responsibilities it comes with. Is Equestria of at least some value to you anymore, Twilight Sparkle?
"I want to ask for something in return."
"What do you want of us, Twilight Sparkle?"
"I want my friends, and all those involved in the ongoing crisis, to be forgiven. They are all doing this for me, but they will stop once we are done with the marriage you have planned for me."
Luna looked to the ceiling, her face less severe and somewhat more sad.
"Between the Kingdom and the life of these ponies, do you understand which is more important? The life of mortal ponies and that of us alicorns cannot be compared. Their life is as short as a blink." Luna closed her eyes. "We will close our eyes to let them pass. But, if the Elements of Harmony try to enter Canterlot before the wedding, and rebel against us once more, we will be unable to forgive them."
"I want them to have a normal life. They won't risk their lives again under any banner. Not in name of Princesses Celestia and Luna, nor in name of Equestria. And they will never fight in the name of princess Twilight Sparkle."
Somewhen, Somewhere Chapter 2: Battle on Hallowed Grounds By Leftover of Saikano
In the middle of the Everfree Forest, the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters stood as a shadow of it's glory of centuries past. One single figure could be seen walking to the entrance.
"So, this is the castle of the Sisters," Said Flash Sentry to himself, looking around. "Nopony seems to be around, but there are hints of recent activity."
"Ah, you finally show yourself here, Flash Sentry. We were told to wait for you," a voice said from some unseen point above Flash Sentry.
Flash Sentry looked around, but could not find the source of the voice. "Who's there?"
"Don't you recognize my voice, Flash? After we have known each other for so many years?"
A wisp of cloud floating near one of the dark towers disappeared, blown away from the inside by a gust from a pair of wings. From where the cloud was, a white pegasus descended, surrounded by the mist left from the cloud. He was a big, athletic stallion. He wore golden Guard armor, and carried an equally golden spear.
"Ozone Scent. Glad to see you are on our side," said Flash Sentry to the stallion he recognized despite looking exactly like any other of the hundreds of Royal Guards.
"You are wrong, Flash Sentry. No one is on your side here. This castle has been reclaimed by the Princesses, and every one of the rebels that were here were sent to the Canterlot prisons. I made sure of that myself."
"You sent a bunch of civilians to the dungeons... Because of this stupid conflict?" Flash Sentry adopted a more defensive stand, not as comfortable with his fellow guard as he was a moment ago.
"While I agree this all started for a dumb reason, these ponies did seriously rise against the Princesses, and have to be punished. Still, I suspect this was all an excuse to rally the people in a revolution against the Princesses. The mastermind behind this must be among the Elements of Harmony. I would not doubt Twilight Sparkle is behind everything. That clever mare could have been taking advantage of Princess Celestia for years, in preparation for this moment."
This touched a nerve in Flash Sentry. "Do not dare talk about Twilight like that!" He prepared to pounce on the other stallion.
"Don't move another step!" said another stallion, that Flash Sentry didn't see coming, and hit Flash Sentry hard in the chest with a front hoof.
"You are..." Flash Sentry said to the stallion, while trying to recover his air. "I don't know who you are."
In front of him was a big, athletic, gray unicorn wearing Guard armor. He looked like any other of the hundreds of unicorns among the Royal Guard, except for a little smirk that showed he could not keep his composure like a Royal Guard should.
Ozone Scent approached. "He is Acid Bomb. Fresh from the Academy. He-"
Acid Bomb interrupted his senior, showing once again he still lacked the Guard discipline. "How funny that, as my first mission as a guard, I have to terminate Flash Sentry, a former guard." His smirk turned into a big grin.
Flash Sentry retorted. "I am not a former guard. I am still part of the Royal Guard, assigned to guard princess Twilight Sparkle."
"There is no princess Twilight Sparkle anymore, Flash," answered Ozone Scent. "She abdicated in exchange of her friends being pardoned. And you are a guard no more, Flash. And you have no business in Canterlot anymore."
"No. That must be a lie. Tell me you are lying!" Flash Sentry jumped at Ozone Scent, only to be shoved aside by a light push of Acid Bomb, who started laughing madly.
"Look at yourself, Flash." Said Ozone Scent, always stoic. "You are all battered and bruised. You cannot even use your wings. Even this rookie here could get rid of you." Flash Sentry rose to his four legs again, with difficulty. "Let's do something, for all those years. Forget about Twilight Sparkle. Leave this place, and promise to not get near Canterlot ever again, and we will let you go."
"Sorry, but I cannot do that. I have to find Twilight."
"So stubborn. Had you said you would leave, I would have looked away long enough for you to find your way to Canterlot. But you cannot keep your mouth shut, and that will only end with you getting killed if you go there now. I’ll have to stop you here so you don’t suffer anymore."
With a strong gust from his wings, Ozone Scent lifted the front of Flash Sentry's body, making him stand on his back legs. Then quickly turned around and bucked him in the chest. Flash Sentry landed some distance away, his back to the cliff that surrounded the old castle. Ozone Scent then flew over the level of the tree tops, and launched himself at Flash Sentry. His spear dug deep into the ground between the stallions, and separated the rock Flash Sentry was standing on from the rest of the ground, sending it and Flash Sentry to the bottom of the abyss.
Acid Bomb looked down, seeing only darkness. "Should I go look for him?"
"No. Let's get out of here."
"But what if he...?"
"Let's return to Canterlot." Said Ozone Scent, already extending his wings. "The Elements will surely try to go there too. We cannot lower our guard."
On the shore of the creek that carved the canyon around the castle, Flash Sentry crawled over the rocks. The entrance of a cave could be seen from where he was, so he moved that way. He had to force himself to stand up, as the water level in the entrance would be over his head otherwise. He moved in the darkness inside, following one of the walls, until he felt a sand bank, and laid there to rest.
"Who's there?" Said a voice in the darkness. A voice he recognized from somewhere.
A green flame lit a torch, along with it’s rippling reflection a couple of feet below, and Flash Sentry could see a little dragon behind the light. Spike walked up to him, showing his teeth and one clawed hand, trying to look intimidating. His face turned to a more calm one once he was close enough to illuminate the pony’s face.
"Flash?" Said the young dragon. "You're finally awake! I wish I could say you are looking great."
"Spike. What are you doing here?"
"I was with the FlashLighters when the guards attacked. I hid in a hole, and it led me here. Have been hiding here since then."
"Wait. The... The FlashLighters?" Flash raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, you know, from 'Flash' and 'Twilight'. All those who joined against Princess Celestia for trying to separate you two. I came up with the name. You like it?"
"Yes, sure," lied Flash Sentry. "Listen. I have to find a way to reach Canterlot. Are you the only one here?"
"I think all the others were captured," said Spike, more seriously. "But I know a way you can go to Canterlot real fast."
"You do, Spike? Please tell me!"
"Ok, ok. I will tell you. But it is not pleasant."
"I need to find Twilight. I will take anything."
"Just don't tell Twilight. She forbid me to use this on living beings.It will hurt, Flash. You will feel all your body burn, and you will feel your soul burning too."
"I understand, Spike. I still have to take it."
"Ok. But don't say I didn't warn you. But first, I found something that can be helpful for you."
Spike pulled something from underwater. Flash Sentry looked at what Spike was showing him. "Uh... a shoe?"
Spike kept pulling more parts from under the water. "This fell from up there during the battle. After it was over, I took it inside so, if any guard returned, they would not see it from above, and from there, the entrance to this cave."
Spike placed all the armor pieces in front of Flash Sentry. The armor was light gold, and had a red star in the chest. Other than that, it looked just like a fancier version of the armor Flash Sentry had been wearing since the Academy.
"This is a Rocinante-style guard armor. But how?"
"Yeah, one of the FlashLighters said it was that. You have to remember this castle is at least a thousand years old, this is not the only weird old thing we found here. I just hope you can use it without the helmet. You see, it had this big, shiny gem, and I have been here since yesterday."
"Don't worry, Spike." Flash Sentry smiled. "You are already giving me more help than I expected to find here."
Without any more words, Flash Sentry covered himself with the armor, and prepared for Spike's trick. He flinched when he saw it come as flames out of the mouth of the little dragon, but could say nothing before finding himself on fire. He was about to scream, but the flames soon engulfed his head, and he turned to ashes, that flew to the cave entrance.
Spike was once again left alone in the cave. "Take care, Flash. I wish I could have sent you directly to the castle, but I’m sure all the guards there are alert. I hope the aqueducts are good enough for you."
Somewhen, Somewhere Chapter 3: Fight Spectrum By Leftover of Saikano
Building a city atop a mountain works great for defensive purposes. One does not simply walk into Canterlot except using the main gates. That made those ponies living in the city feel safe, but made things too difficult for Applejack. She was climbing the vertical rock, trying to get to Canterlot Castle. She had to hold her rope with her hooves to free her mouth to think loudly. "What in Tarnation!?"
What got her attention was an armored pegasus flying towards her. The pony didn't stop, but sped past her, grabbing with his mouth and pulling the end of Applejack's rope. She held as she could when this made her hit the rock hard.
"What's wrong with yah, pardner!?" She shouted at the pony.
The pegasus glided next to her, and Applejack could now see him clearly. A stallion. He wore a Royal Guard armor over a blue flight suit. His coat was brown, and his mane and tail were a white and a dark, almost black green. Flight goggles covered his eyes.
"Captain Spectty, of the Air Cavalry division of the Royal Guard. I have orders to stop the Elements of Harmony from reaching Canterlot."
"Sorry, big guy, but Ah don't feel like following the authority today." Saying this, Applejack climbed the last meter separating her from an horizontal surface, with a firm grip like only earth ponies can have.
"My orders are just to keep you away from Canterlot." Said Spectty, now floating over Applejack's head. "But you have rebelled against The Shining Sun, our glorious Princess Celestia. That is something I, personally, cannot tolerate." His tone could not mask his furious zeal. "And for that reason, all of you must be terminated."
"Terminated!? As in, killed? That is wrong, boy. It's bad to kill ponies. And Ah don't say that just 'cause Ah'm the killee here. Also, what would Celestia say if she knew yer killing in her name?."
"You are right in the last part." Spectty hung his head. "Princess Celestia has infinite mercy, and She would avoid any unneeded bloodshed. She can also easily ignore any action we mortals do, as we are before Her no bigger than insects." He landed next to Applejack, and looked her in the eyes. "But I don't have those traits. I am no god, but an imperfect mortal, born stained. I cannot ignore those disrespecting the Goddess. And I cannot forgive them!"
Spectty swiftly spun on his front legs, and before Applejack could react, he bucked her in the chest, sending her through a hedge. Applejack landed next to a fountain, and used it to jump to her hooves as fast as she could. This time, she was able to see Spectty coming her way, and intercepted him with a front right hoof to his face. The hit was enough to stop his charge, and sent him rolling to the floor. Spectty soon rose to his hooves without problem. His goggles had shattered, revealing his green eyes, and he had a bleeding little cut in his lip. Other than that, he didn't look too bad.
"Yah talk much, pardner. But how much punishment can yah take? I warn you, Ah'm used to wrestle mah brother, who is one head taller than you."
"Ah, yes. Earth ponies, always testing their strength. But tell me, miss Applejack. Have you ever fought a trained opponent? I have, all the time. I myself am trained in six disciplines, strength will not be a problem. I have something just for Earth ponies."
Spectty threw himself against Applejack. She turned quickly and tried to buck him, but the second it took her to place herself was more than enough for him to sidestep, and he grabbed her extended legs and placed himself on her back.
"Bison Lucha Libre" he whispered.
"What in tarnation!?" screamed Applejack.
He shifted his position quickly. Now holding her front legs from behind with his own, and placing his back legs around her hips, barely outside the range of her stronger kicks.
"Maneuver twenty six: Rolling Crash!" He shouted at the same time as he pushed her and himself upwards with powerful wing thrusts. They rose eight meters in an arc, and began descending, head first, at high speed, until hitting the ground. Spectty jumped from the impact point, that was in the middle of a group of statues, and looked at the cloud of dust they had created.
Applejack did not lose consciousness, but pain ran through her entire body, and she wished she had been knocked out. She used one of the statues as support to try to rise to her hooves, but a look at the statues surrounding her send a chill down her spine. She was about to scream, but lost balance and fell in the fountain.
Spectty began walking towards the fountain, but a blue blur landed in his way.
"Stop right there, featherbrain." Said the newcomer.
Spectty looked at her for a moment. Then he spoke. "Rainbow Dash. Pegasus athlete, focused on speed, with maneuverability as a second. Unremarkable attack and defense, and some martial arts training to compensate."
Rainbow Dash smiled. "It seems I have a fan here. But you really need to learn how to talk to mares. Nothing about me is unremarkable."
Applejack, who rose from the soothing warmth of the water when she heard the voice of her friend, tried to get her attention. "Rainbow! Those statues! They-"
"I know." Interrupted Rainbow Dash, losing the smirk. "I already recognized them."
"Royal Guard." Said Spectty. "Even if the Princesses absolved the civilians involved, they could not let those that were supposed to protect them go unpunished. Princess Celestia was not happy having to turn this group to stone."
“How can you even stay in Celestia’s side after she did this to your friends?” questioned Rainbow Dash.
“The judgment of the Goddess is always right,” said Spectty. “But I have to admit I would have liked a more… permanent punishment for them.”
“How dare you…”
“Even if it would not change what I have come here to do, I expected the Element of Loyalty to understand. I will stay loyal to Celestia no matter what others think.”
“That’s not loyalty,” said Rainbow Dash. “You are supposed to support them, and help them improve. You just follow her unquestioningly. You are more like a zealot. A religious fanatic.”
The stallion stepped forward. Rainbow Dash quickly adopted a martial arts fighting pose. Spectty looked at her for a couple of seconds.
“Cloudsdale Karate? Against another pegasus, that is obviously more trained than you?” You should really try alternative fighting styles if you don’t want this to end in seconds.”
“That’s really nice of you, but I know what I’m doing.”
“I am not trying to be nice. I just want to see all you can give. I am trying to reach the highest potential possible for a pegasus, to better serve Princess Celestia. An exceptional individual like you, Rainbow Dash, is a great matter of study for me.”
“Well,” Rainbow Dash grinned “One does not improve with words.”
Rainbow Dash launched herself to the skies like a rocket. Spectty quickly chased after her. Soon, they were out of Applejack’s sight. Unable to follow the action, she took the chance to recover her rope.
A prismatic bolid soon came from beyond the treeline, and impacted the ground, rolling several meters, to near where Applejack was.
“Rainbow Dash! Are Yah Ok!?”
Captain Spectty landed near them. Applejack put herself between Rainbow Dash and him.
“Applejack, wait!” said Rainbow Dash.
“Don’tcha worry, sugarcube, Ah will cover you.”
“It’s not that.” A little smile formed on Rainbow Dash’s lips. “I want to fight side to side with you. We are together in this.”
Spectty finally did his move. He sped towards the two mares in an instant. Rainbow Dash flew upwards, and he tried to intercept her. A downward pull stopped him. Looking down, he saw Applejack holding him with her rope.
“Not so fast, sugarcube.”
“Don’t think you can stop me with some rope. I am-”
“Ah know, Ah know,” interrupted Applejack. “Yer some hot pegasus manure, according to yah. So Ah will only try and hold yah fer a bit.”
Spectty looked up, and he could see Rainbow Dash diving towards him at very high speed. He tried to make a move, but Applejack pulled him, and quickly made contact with a strong two-legged buck, placing him in the way of the speeding mare. The rainbow barrier broke just before Rainbow Dash’s impact with Spectty. The shockwave of the Sonic Rainboom caught all three ponies.
Once the rainbow-colored mushroom cloud dissipated, three ponies could be seen floating in the fountain. It was Applejack who rose first. Walking slowly, she dragged first Rainbow Dash, and then Spectty, out of the water. Then she fell on her side, with her head resting near the torso of Rainbow Dash.
Spectty soon opened his eyes, but he was unable to move his body, so he only looked to the sky. He was the first to talk.
“I see. So, this is the power of the Elements of Harmony. Such threat to the goddesses should not be allowed to exist in this world.”
“You are wrong,” said Rainbow Dash, without moving. “It’s not about a piece of jewelry, nor the cool magic tricks they help us do. What defines us is every experience we had together. All the fights, all the laughs, all the challenges and victories. It’s part of us. We have defeated powerful enemies before, and it’s all thanks to us sticking together, risking our lives for each other, and doing our best. At least, that’s how I understand it.”
Spectty said nothing else. Soon, he lost consciousness again.
Somewhen, Somewhere Chapter 4: Destiny Starts to Move By Leftover of Saikano
A couple of days ago.
Princess Celestia’s personal bathroom in Castle Canterlot was one with all the luxury her stature deserved. One of the walls was occupied entirely by a mirror. The others were covered on mosaics depicting the equestrian sky at different times of the day. Several white towels with Celestia’s monogram rested on top of a cabinet with a variety of soaps, shampoos and bathing salts. A corner of the room had multiple shower heads coming out of the ceiling and wall. A nacre-covered bathing tub, big enough for ten ponies of normal size, was at the moment full of steamy water. With her eyes, ears and horn peeking out of the water, there was Celestia herself.
The Princess rose from the water and stepped out of the tub. In seconds, the water stopped dripping from her body and turned to steam. She looked at the towels, but she didn’t touch them, as she was already dry. A voice called her from outside the door.
“May I come in, dear Sister?”
“Please, come, Luna,” said Celestia, and opened the door a little with her magic.
Princess Luna opened the door all the way, trotted in, and closed it behind her. “Are you feeling better now, Tia?” she asked, grabbing an ivory hair brush from the cabinet, and instructing her sister with a gesture to sit on a rug. “I hope your warm bath did help you calm a bit.”
Celestia sighed, sitting down on the rug. Luna sat behind her and started brushing her semi ethereal mane. “It was supposed to be a cold bath. The water doesn’t stay cold for long when I am in such a state of mind.”
“What you did was a necessary action, Sister. Those guards broke their oaths to obey you. At least they didn’t resist and accepted their sentences.”
Celestia had her eyes fixed on the rug under her legs. “Still, Luna, I ordered them to do something that went against their morals, and they followed their hearts. Tell me, have you retrieved Twilight already?”
“Indeed, Sister. I had to go to the Everfree house myself, along with the captains Spectty, Bit and Grinder. At my arrival, I found them embracing each other, and he was smelling her mane, as if they were newlyweds. Seeing them acting so free of guilt, as if they had done nothing wrong, sent me in a momentary fury, and I struck Flash Sentry down.”
Celestia turned around to look at her sister. “He probably didn’t even know they were doing something bad. Tell me, Luna…”
“No, Sister, he did not die with my first strike, but he lost consciousness. I did consider finish him off, for a moment, but Princess Twilight Sparkle offered to come with me without resisting, if I didn’t harm him more. I agreed to her terms, and the captains escorted us back to the castle.”
“That is good to hear, Luna,” said Celestia, once again positioning herself with her mane in her sister’s reach. “We should try to avoid more violence. The rumors are already spreading all around Canterlot, and ponies are taking sides. It’s hard to believe the influence Twilight Sparkle has, specially around Ponyville and here in Canterlot, that ponies are ready to fight in her name, even if it’s against us.”
“It’s not just Canterlot, Sister. The rumors seem to have already spread all over Equestria. We have just received news from Princess Cadenza and Prince Shining Armor. They informed us that the Crystal Empire will remain neutral, even if this conflict turns into a full scale civil war.”
“Of course we cannot force them to choose sides, if either one would mean they would be fighting against family. I wish I had had the same success in marrying Twilight that I had marrying those two. I don’t really want to force two ponies into marriage.”
“Have you not been arranging the marriages of the Sparkle family all this time, Sister? How did you do during my absence?”
“As I said, Luna, I don’t want to force ponies into marriage. So, since centuries ago, I have been just influencing their lives a little behind the curtains, so they would meet the ponies I mean for them, have them interact over the years, and then fall in love with each other. I haven’t had the need to arrange a marriage in over seven hundred years. But Twilight Sparkle, as always, has developed in ways I didn’t anticipate, and thwarted my plans.” Celestia giggled a little, then sighed. “I sound like some villainous mastermind.”
“You are not some villain, Celestia,” said Luna, standing up. “Remember, we are doing this to honor the last wish of our dear sister Alba. It was her who made the pact with those ponies, that she would marry their families to her own descendants. And it was the last thing she asked us, before she succumbed to her wounds, that we kept her pacts.”
“But it’s been almost ten centuries, Luna. For how long are we supposed to to keep playing with the lives of these ponies?” Celestia stood up, and both left the bathroom and entered Celestia’s bed chamber. “Alba’s descendants already have more blood of any of those families than her own blood.”
“We will consider that later, dear Sister. Now you should rest. This day has been too long, and now that we rule together again, you can take a moment of rest whenever you need it.” Luna stood next to Celestia’s bed, and waited for her sister to climb on it.
“I don’t really think I will be able to sleep right now, Sister. I have so many things in my mind”
“Don’t worry, Tia. You know Dreams is one of my domains. I will cast a spell that will keep you asleep until you are fully rested.” Luna touched Celestia’s forehead, next to her horn, with the tip of her own horn. Celestia drifted to sleep instantly. Luna placed her correctly in the bed, and covered her with a blanket.
Luna walked to the door, and turned one more time towards her sleeping sister. “Sorry for not being totally sincere with you, Sister. You are doubting too much, so you’ll sleep for some days, while I will take care of everything. Also, you will dream all the while of our dear Alba. Your memories of her will keep repeating in your head, and when you wake up, your desire to keep her wishes will one more time be fresh in your heart. You will thank me later, Tia, for this little trick I have pulled on you.”
Once Luna left the room, a pair of red and yellow eyes opened out of thin air, and talked with Discord’s voice. “Ah, dear little Luna. Don’t you know you shouldn’t play with the minds of other ponies? Be this a lesson, that if you do something bad, you can’t call others out on doing the same.” And saying this, a lion paw materialized next to the bed, and flicked a claw against the tip of Celestia’s horn. After this, only his mad laugh could be heard for some seconds, slowly fading.
The aqueducts of Canterlot were a wonder of architecture. Without needing any kind of magic, they were able to supply Canterlot with water from the rivers Everfree and Firefly. They were made to last and would probably be there for millennia after Canterlot stops existing.
On a dry segment of the labyrinthine canals, Flash Sentry walked as he could towards the castle. Hearing noises near a crossroad, he went to check, as stealthy as he could. Before he turned the corner, he noticed the air being rapidly filling with colorful confetti, coming from the way the noises came.
“That must be Pinkie Pie!” he said, forgetting stealth, and jumping to the middle of the canal. From there he could see that who he found was indeed Pinkie Pie, but not as he had expected.
Pinkie was standing on two legs with her back towards him. Her front legs were holding one of her trademarked Party Cannons in front of her, and both the cannon and her mane were releasing black smoke. Some meters ahead, Rarity laid face down in one of the many puddles of the canal. A white unicorn stallion in purple and gold Royal Guard captain armor and reading glasses was standing at the middle point between the mares.
After a couple of silent seconds, Pinkie Pie fell backwards, unconscious. Her face and the front of her body were black with soot, and little patches of her fur were burned.
“Pinkie Pie! Rarity!” Flash Sentry glared at the armored stallion “Did you do this to them?”
“That silly mare did it herself.” The stallion adjusted his glasses. “I told her it was a bad idea to use a cannon to challenge the captain of the Artillery Division of the Royal Guard. The other mare wasn’t smarter.”
“Artillery Division… So, you are Chip Bit, the prodigy. Youngest captain of the guard in centuries, who handles heavy weapons daily but is still too young to drink hard cider.”
“Ah, yes. And I too have heard of you, Flash Sentry. The pony of the moment.” The unicorn smirked towards Flash Sentry. “Running away with the youngest princess of the realm, it’s hard not to have heard of you.”
“I didn’t… I didn’t know what Twilight planned. She only told me to go with her, and I did so, as a guard should. I supposed she wanted some free days with me apart from everypony, so we could get to know each other better, considering we are only together since a short time ago.”
“Believable. But don’t worry, that doesn’t matter anymore.” Chip Bit shrugged “I will marry princess Twilight, will become a prince, you’ll be arrested, or resist and die, or whatever.”
“Wait, you want to marry Twilight?”
“I don’t ‘want’ to marry anypony. I would totally prefer being an adult single for some time before settling. But marrying Twilight Sparkle is kind of my duty, and thanks to her little idea of running away, I am forced to make my move now, because the big ponies are doing the same.”
Chip Bit walked walked calmly towards Flash Sentry. “Not that they are competition, of course. Who would you choose? Me, the one who would have with her the smartest and most talented unicorn foals since, well, she and I? The big brute who can barely speak? Or the fanatical pegasus who, according to a report, was just beaten by a tomboy and a farmgirl?”
“Those are Rainbow and Applejack!” said a voice a short distance away. “That means they are already in Canterlot.”
Rarity stood up as she could. Now Flash Sentry could see the bruises under her coat, and the charred tips of her mane. What got his attention were the tiny cuts she had all over the front of her body. They were not deep, but it was obvious that they were made by something as sharp as a surgeon’s tool.
Chip Bit looked at the mare, then at Pinkie Pie, who was still on the ground. One more time, he smirked at Flash Sentry. “Sorry Flash. Unlike you, the Elements of Harmony are considered a serious threat. Let me take care of her for a moment, and then we’ll continue whatever it was that we were doing just now.” Saying so, he walked towards Rarity, charging his horn.
“Wait a moment!” shouted Flash Sentry, preparing to pounce on him. “I won’t let you-”
With a telekinetic push, Flash Sentry was effortlessly flung against a wall. It took him some time to stand up again,and when he did, he saw Rarity against an opposite wall, her side covered in more cuts, and her mane and tail pinned against the wall with what seemed to be precious gems. She tried to move, losing strands of her beautiful mane in the process.
This time, Flash Sentry tried to attack from a distance. He extended his right wing and, rapidly moving the feather tips in specific patterns, he created a swirling cone of air to his side, and prepared to launch it.
“Flash! Wait!” screamed Rarity, separating herself from the wall with a movement of her head, and losing more of her mane in the process.
Flash Sentry launched the windy projectile at the captain. Chip Bit, who knew the attack was coming, spun around towards it, his horn lit. Gone was the smirk he sported while talking with him, replaced with the stoic mask of a Royal Guard. Flash Sentry could see traces of light blue unicorn magic orbiting around the guard, and he could feel in his feathers that the air around them was changing the way it moved.
As he could see the attack, Flash Sentry believed he could also avoid it. “Too slow!” he said as he moved out of the way, but his hurt limbs didn’t respond, and he received the full force of a magically enhanced gust. It seemed Flash Sentry could only stand due to not knowing in which direction to collapse. His centuries old armor was cracked, and little metal pieces fell from it.
Chip Bit looked at him, expressionless. “You want me to consider you a threat too? Then go on.”
“Stop...” said Flash Sentry, breathing painfully. Chip Bit’s serious mask broke enough for him to raise an eyebrow. “I have to find Twilight… But I cannot just leave two mares fighting against a trained soldier.”
Chip Bit raised his eyebrow even more, and then scowled. “Seriously? Do you even hear yourself? You are barely alive after eating some divine retribution by an alicorn Princess, yet you are here trying to protect two of the bucking Elements of Harmony! You know, the ones that stopped threats like Nightmare Moon and Discord? If they were not dangerous, I wouldn’t be treating them so seriously. And why are you doing it? For some childish sense of chivalry? Are you one of those dreamers that joined the guard to become a knight and defend the honor of maidens? Is that it?”
“If you want to know, I could say a lot of reasons.” Flash Sentry once again created a gust under his wing, stronger than the previous one. “But I have to admit what you said is partly true. That’s how I was raised, and that’s how I view the world. The duty of a stallion is to protect a mare. Even if they can protect themselves, I have to make sure they don’t need to.”
Chip Bit once again tried to put a serious face, as Flash Sentry launched the attack towards him. “I can’t believe you’re serious.” Once again, he stopped and redirected the wind.
This time, Flash Sentry didn’t try to dodge. He readied himself to block the attack, but a pony-sized crystal erupted from the ground in front of him, stopping the air bomb.
Both stallions turned towards Rarity. Her horn was glowing with light blue magic, and crystals and precious gems orbited around her. “That’s very charming of you, darling, but Pinkie and I are strong, adult mares. We can take care of this ruffian, you have to go find Twilight.”
Rarity launched a barrage of gems at the captain. Chip Bit blocked them, and prepared to return the attack, but was interrupted by the need to use his magic to block something that was shot from a cannon towards him.
“Mister Unicorn already has us to play with him, silly,” said Pinkie Pie, with a big smile on her soot-covered face. “You can go and find Twiliet, Romeo. Even if we take some time, we’ll all catch up.”
Flash Sentry looked at the reassuring faces of Rarity and Pinkie Pie, and without saying anything else, galloped as he could towards the castle.
Chip Bit just looked at him go. “Don’t worry, ladies. We’ll finish this in a moment, and then I’ll go after him. And even if I don’t, I am not the only guard in Canterlot. Now, where were we?”
A fraction of second after a cannon shot sounded, a pink projectile was floating inches away from the captain’s face, where he had just stopped it.
“I told you since we first met, mare. I am in change of the artillery in the guard. Using cannons against me won’t work, no matter what kind of weird ammunition you-”
The projectile, that somehow turned out to be Pinkie Pie, launched a wild buck aimed at his horn. When it landed, his eyes lost focus, and his magic failed, as if he was suffering from some kind of short circuit. Once Pinkie was free from his grasp, he was assaulted by a rain of crystals and precious gems, along with blasts from half a dozen cannons. Soon, that entire section of the aqueduct was covered in a cloud of smoke and dust.
Flash Sentry found his way out of the aqueducts, and into an area where the sediments dragged by the canals were deposited. The place was like a miniature desert full of dunes. It seemed he was alone there, yet he still spoke.
“Pinkie Pie, Rarity. I’ll go ahead. Please try to catch up with me.” He didn’t expect his words to be answered.
“Why do you oppose the Goddesses, Flash Sentry?”
Flash Sentry looked forward and up. On top of a dune, an armored stallion was looking down at him.
Chip Bit walked slowly in the dry canal. Pinkie Pie and Rarity laid face down around him, unconscious. “Did you really think you two could defeat me, a Captain of the Royal Guard?” Seconds later, the cracks of his armor grew in size, and soon it all fell in pieces, revealing fresh cuts and bruises. “Still, you two managed to really hurt me.” He collapsed on his side. “Inconceivable,” he said, before losing consciousness.
“That word, you are not using it correctly,” said Pinkie Pie, face still planted on the floor. “Silly.”
Somewhen, Somewhere Chapter 6: Moments of Kindness By Leftover of Saikano
Among the dunes of the sediment depository, there were only two stallions. One, Flash Sentry. The orange pegasus wore an old Royal Guard armor, cracked and missing pieces.
The other stallion was an earth pony with blue coat and black mane. He wore an armor that was different from those of the Royal Guard, covering more the sides and legs, but offering less protection at the back of the neck. Under the armor, the pony seemed to wear a kind of chiton. A helmet covered his head, and sported a long, orange plume on top. The center of the chest of the lavender and blue armor sported a stylized windmill.
“Answer, Flash Sentry,” said the blue pony, with thick accent and booming voice “why you, who swore loyalty to Princess Celestia and Luna, oppose them now?”
Flash Sentry recognized the accent and armor style as coming from Hipponia. “You must be Grinder, the foreign noblestallion who won Luna’s favor and got an honorary Captain rank in her guard. Are you one of Twilight’s suitors?”
“Yes,” answered the blue stallion, “I am Captain Grinder, and I will marry Twilight Sparkle, as Princess Luna wills.”
Grinder descended from his dune with no hurry. His steps were as firm as if he was walking on solid rock. “Now answer my question.”
Flash Sentry knew trying to run in his state would be useless. Trying to fly, even more. The only thing he could do was try not to start a fight with the bigger pony. “I am not against the Princesses. I am just on Twilight’s side.”
“Twilight Sparkle is not a princess anymore,” said the captain. “Also, she will obey the Princesses from now on.”
“It’s not about her being a princess or a goddess or any title. It hasn’t been in long time. You wouldn’t un-”
A heavy hoof hit Flash Sentry across his left cheek, throwing him against the closest dune.
“I don’t understand, you say!?” Grinder jumped in front of him. “You really think you are the only one who has felt like that!? Oh, no, Flash Sentry. I do understand you. But the will of the Princesses is supreme.”
Flash Sentry couldn’t avoid a fight. He looked at Grinder’s legs, and kicked one in the knee. It was like kicking a marble pillar. Grinder didn’t move an inch.
“As a pony who challenges the Princesses, and is responsible for all this unrest,” Grinder raised his heavy front right hoof, “I expected you to have at least some strength to back your acts.”
Grinder dropped his hoof over Flash Sentry with so much force, that he could not stop it completely when a yellow blur blocked its path. Even at a fraction of its initial speed, it got a pained squeak out of Fluttershy, who had covered Flash Sentry with her body.
Grinder recoiled. “You. Leave this place… please.” His voice weakened for a moment, noticing the mark left on the mare’s shoulder by his horseshoe.
Fluttershy turned to look at him with a pained expression. Grinder couldn’t look at her in the eye, and lowered his head. “I am so disappointed of you,” she said, with the tone a mother would use to say the same to a foal. “You are bullying a pony who can’t defend himself. I expected better from you, Noble Mills.”
“That… I go by the name Grinder, now,” he said. He recovered his firm standing, but still couldn’t look at the mare, focusing instead on Flash Sentry, who was trying his best to stand up.
The orange stallion tried to make sense of the situation. “You two know each other?”
“Yes,” said Fluttershy, “we have known each other for over two years. But it seems some things have changed since we lost contact with each other.”
Memories came to the front of the minds of Fluttershy and Grinder. Memories of a big stallion coming to Ponyville short after arriving from a foreign land, looking for a life more simple than that of a noble. Of him scaring off a couple of ponies who seemed to be mocking a shy mare. Of the mare and the stallion becoming friends. Of the stallion wishing to protect the mare at all costs.
Both Fluttershy and Grinder sighed.
With those memories, came some that Grinder kept mostly a secret. Of him going to the Town Hall for the Summer Sun Celebration. Of him encountering a spectral mare in the way, and trying to question her. Of the spectral mare easily overpowering him in combat, leaving him paralyzed with fear. Of him later learning that the delicate mare he so wanted to protect defeated that same spectral mare, who turned out to be the fabled Nightmare Moon. Of him wanting to become stronger, so the mare wouldn’t have to face such big threats. Of him imploring the newly returned Princess Luna to let him be her bodyguard, so he could be stronger. Of his fear at later discovering that his Princess and Nightmare Moon were one and the same, and of those feelings changing slowly.
“You are right. While my motivation was once solely to protect you,” said Grinder, “I have witnessed Luna’s glory, and now I know my devotion to her is all I need. I am not the same pony I once was”
“Will you hurt me, then?” asked Fluttershy, not moving from her place.
“Please, don’t make me do it.” Grinder walked towards Flash Sentry, and Fluttershy moved a little to the side to stay directly in his way.
He stopped in front of Fluttershy and, after thinking for a couple of seconds, shoved her aside with a single hoof. He then used his teeth to grab Flash Sentry by the skin of the back of his neck, making him yelp. Then started galloping up a dune.
Grinder wasn’t sure what he wanted. Serving Luna was the most important thing in his mind, but he also understood Flash Sentry's feelings. He wanted to see how far he could go with that love. “You want to see your princess?” he managed to say, even with Flash Sentry’s neck still in his mouth, “Then I will take you to her.”
Grinder dragged Flash Sentry up a mountain of dust that had deposited against the wall of some building. Finding a window, he tossed the pony inside. The sound revealed Flash Sentry fell several meters and landed in a shallow pool.
By then Fluttershy had recovered, and had seen what Grinder did. She decided to retire and find some other access to the building.
