Flash's Demon

by Nicktendonick


Chapter 12 - Cadance

Chapter 12 - Cadance

Flash’s eyes blinked open.

A yawn and a groan, Flash roused awake. And then immediately pretended he didn't.

You’re not suppose to be dozing off. Flash sighed. You’re suppose to be a soldier, loyal to the crown and doing whatever they tell you to... no matter what they’re going to do back to you.

His wings twitched with eagerness to spread free.Instead of giving in, he reached for his coffee cup and took another sip. At least they gave me something to drink. I feel so jittery right now, this coffee must be really strong, and it's already gone cold.

After all the isolation he had been through, waiting a little more to be discharged was not too much of an issue. He had finished telling his interrogators everything he knew and there was nothing more Canterlot could gain from Flash.

The third interrogator had said he was the last, and that Flash would be sent home soon. Whether or not he was telling the truth, was anypony’s guess.

He placed his drink back down on the table. Flash made a hollow chuckle. At least they made the promise of letting him go. Kinda like Laplace, now that he thought about it.

There was a knock at the door.

“Hello? Flash, are you in there?” spoke the voice of a goddess.

The door opened, and out walked a unicorn mare. Her coat was salmon pink, her tail and long mane tripartite in coloration of a gentle peach, a deep pink, and a royal lavender. A sleek mare, she stood taller than most unicorns, and walked into the room as if she owned it.

And, as the crown princess of Equestria, Princess Cadance did own it.

“It’s so good to see you again, Flash. It’s been forever, hasn’t it?” said Princess Cadance, walking into the small room levitating by her side a quill and manilla folder.

“It has, Your Majesty,” Flash replied.

“Flash, as your old foalsitter, you don’t need to call me ‘Your Majesty’. Okay, Flashy? Like I told you back then, just call me Cadance.”

“Yes, your—yes, Cadance,” Flash said.

“Good,” Cadance giggled. “Nice to see I instilled some good manners in you.”

“What can I say? I had a great foalsitter.”

Cadance returned the smile. “You always were a sweetheart, Flash. How are you doing? I hope my girls didn’t give you too much of a hassle when they were examining you.”

A bunch of beautiful mares poking and prodding him with hooves, magic, and medical equipment? “Not at all.”

“Good. I had to take no chances that Laplace had done something to you,” said the unicorn princess. “Good news is that you checked out just fine on your physical evaluation.”

“That’s a relief,” Flash said.

“Indeed. I’d like to thank you again for cooperating with our interrogators. We had to make sure we had a thorough account of what had happened. Figuring you had the most contact with that demon, there was a lot to go over.”

Like them reminding me exactly what treason is.

“Oh yes, everything went fine,” Flash answered. “Nothing to worry about.” Except that my career and hide were on the line.

Cadance smiled.

“Good, what happens now?” Flash asked.

“I wanted to talk to you a bit.”

“I thought I was going to be dismissed?” Flash asked.

“You will be, but before we do I wanted to ask you a few more questions.”

That’s what the last guy said.

“I hope you don’t mind, Flashy”

“Oh, of course not,” Flash said. “That’s not an issue.” Except that nopony’s telling me what’s going on or if I’ll be going home.”

Cadance smiled and clasped her forehooves together. “Wonderful,” she said. Her horn lit up and the unicorn princess pulled the nearby empty chair for her to sit on. She pulled the coffee table between us, and placed her folder on top of it, looking at it’s contents before laying it down and looking back at Flash.

“I’d like to ask how you’re doing. How are you holding up?” She began.

“I’m… doing okay,”  I’m feeling like shit, I want to go home before. He grabbed his cup and took another drink.

“Do you need anything?” Cadance asked. “I can grab you something to eat.”

Flash shook his head. “Aside from the coffee being cold, I’m good. I’ll eat when I go home. I’ll be going home soon, right?”

“Yeah, after we’re finished here you’ll be dismissed,” she said.

“Wonderful,” he replied, smiling insincerely.”How are my friends? Are June and Steel alright?”

“Yeah,” Cadance said nodding. “They’re doing just fine. I finished talking to them both before I came here. June wasn’t hurt and she’s in high spirits. Steel’s injuries have been patched up by my medics and they discharged him with a clean bill of health. But…”

There’s always a ‘but’, Flash thought.

“As much as I want to dismiss you three home so you can get some rest, my duties to our kingdom come first,” said Cadance. “I want to find out a few things about what happened with Laplace.”

“Didn’t the three ponies who talked to me before ask me enough? They asked me everything from what happened to the books she had on her bookshelf."

“Speaking of which they told me one of my books were on Laplace’s personal bookshelf.”

“Yes, your ‘No need to fear’ book, it’s required reading for my ‘Intro to Changelings 101’ class. It’s actually been an interesting read.”

Pride filled Cadance and she giggled a little. “I’m glad you’re learning from it. Seymour and I wrote that book to help ponies understand Changelings. They’ve been misunderstood by our kind for so long, who better than equestria’s very own princess to show everyone who and what they really are.” 

“On that note, Flash, I’d like to thank you for everything you have told us already. We’ve learned quite a lot of valuable intelligence on Laplace, all thanks to you.”

And what happens when I’m no longer useful? What happens when that information in my head becomes a liability?

“While you have already told us a lot, after speaking to your interrogators I wanted to talk to you personally before we cut you loose. Flashy, As your princess, as your foalsitter, and as your friend you have complete permission to speak freely. All I want is the truth, no matter how ugly it is. There will be no consequences for anything you say to me in here, you have my word. There are no wrong answers. The only wrong answer is you lying to me. All I want is the truth.”

Flash looked up to Cadance, and then back down to his drink. “Okay,” he said.

Cadance’s horn lit up pink, and Flash felt a constructed hoof patting his cheek.

“Cheer up, Flash, ok?” Cadance said. “I know you have questions. I’ll be happy to answer them as long as you answer mine back. You can start.” Her optimism was almost contagious.

“You said you talked to my friends? What did June and Steel say?” Flash asked.

“They told me about what happened to them. Figuring all of them were petrified a few minutes after you all fell in there, they didn’t know too much. I learned the most from June. After she fell in, she found two of your group and was exploring the library until she was found by Sir Conduct. She said she had almost mapped out the library in her head. Comparing the old schematics to the one she tried to draw for me, she nearly did map it out.”

“June and Jun have really good memories,” Flash said.

“Indeed they do.”

Cadance rocked her office chair left and right.

“Oh,” Cadance popped out of her thoughts. “Before I forget, Flash, you need to sign this.”

Let’s me guess…Flash thought as he pondered twisted potential contractual obligations. Waiving of basic equine rights so I can be locked away in a dungeon, yadda yadda yadda… movie rights reserved for Metro-Goldwyn-Mare studios...kidney harvest...firstborn shall be sacrificed on the summer sun celebration…and while we’re at it, we’re swiping your ranch dip at lunch break every other thursday.

She pulled a paper from her folder and placed it in front of him. On it bore Cadance’s signature already as well as many others: June, Steel, Instructor Fury, Paladin Drops and Conduct he recognized. There was a small section whited out, Flash could envision his signature right there. Perfect place to sign at least.

“It’s a standard non-disclosure agreement. Under penalty of law you cannot speak publically or privately about your ordeal these past few days, including everything you’ve said in this room.”

“And I don’t really have a say, do I?” Flash grabbed the pen with his hoof.

“I’m sorry, Flash. Knowledge of Laplace’s existence is among the kingdom’s highest secrets. I hope you understand why we need to maintain complete discretion about all of this. She almost tore your head off: you know exactly what she’s capable of. The public cannot know about this.”

“Yeah, I know that all too well,” Flash muttered as he hoofed the already signed paper back to Cadance.

Cadance pouted. “Flash, why didn’t you read it? Your father read every agreement he signed, you ought to be like him and make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.”

Flash flinched. Don’t talk about that asshole. Don’t.

“I’ll be signing it one way or another. Besides, I’d rather know why you’re doing this. ” Flash asked.

Cadance frowned. “Because Flash, the moment the public knows that a nigh unstoppable demon is sealed away under Canterlot our enemies will also know that. People then will come for her. Our enemies, Laplace’s enemies, and people who think they can use her and eventually one of them will free her and doom us all. Only a small amount of ponies even knows she exists, and we intend to keep it that way.”

So how will you be silencing five young ponies then? Because we both know that paper won’t promise anything. A secret like this is too important to risk.

“Why didn’t you destroy her instead? We were all told she was killed. Why didn’t we kill her instead of just locking her away?”

“Because we couldn’t. Shining would have loved to kill Laplace, but.... nopony could. The best we could do was entrap her. I only have a second hoof account from Shining Armor and Blueblood,  figuring Laplace put me in a coma that day and all. They didn’t manage to kill her, only temporarily incapacitate her. They knew once she returned to her senses they wouldn’t be able to stop her again, so they needed someplace to put her until they could. So, with Shining Armor, our best spellcasters, and the ancient magic of one Starswirl’s unnamed pupils, they sealed her away inside one of the outdated storage library wings under the castle. An impromptu cell you could say.”

“But then you found out you couldn’t kill her.”

“Yeah, something like that,” Cadance sighed. “Honestly, it surprised us most that you got inside her library in the first place. From what the others told me, it was a mishap with a teleportation spell. You guys should be lucky you didn’t wind up inside some rocks.”

“I wouldn’t call it luck figuring where we wound up and all.” Flash said.

“Point well taken.”

“In addition to having to deal with her,” added Flash.

“Yes, dealing with Laplace is an ordeal within itself. Mind if I ask you about her?”

“It’s fine, but what else is there to say? I told them everything, there’s not much else to add.”

Cadance nodded. “True true. Well, let me ask something different then.” Cadance clasped her forehooves together. “So tell me, what did you think of Laplace?”

“Umm, that she was evil?”

“Just evil?” Cadance replied. “Nothing else?”

Flash sighed and his mind ran. That she was a sad and lonely child who feels she was wronged by all of you? Yeah, not gonna get court-marshaled for saying that.

“She was a demon,” Flash answered. “What else is there to say about her kind? They try to hurt ponies in everything they do, or try to turn us against each other. They’ve been doing this from the beginning, what would make her different?”

“Then why did she heal your wing? You told them that you she did heal your wing, almost immediately after it had broken. That’s pretty generous for a vile demon as you say she is.”

Because she wanted to be my friend.

“No clue.” Flash said, wingshrugging. “I’m guessing it would make me a more valuable hostage. That, or to re-break my wings to torture me.”

“If she was going to torture you, she wouldn’t have done anything to help you at all, like what she did to Sir Conduct, or what she did to your father all those years ago.”

Flash stopped moving, grabbing the back of his head with his right hoof. The tense stallion closed eyes closed shut as he purged his father from his brain before he spoke. He hoped Cadance assumed it was him thinking.

 “I’d chalk it up to her being a demon then. It’s not like we can understand her motives,” Flash replied. “Demons aren’t ponies.” Yet she acts a heck of a lot like one.

“...right,” was all Cadance muttered.

“So what else did you do with her? I’m sure she wouldn’t have just left you in that room all alone for those days you were in there. What did you two do all alone?”

She pretended to be somepony she wasn’t and tried to be my friend. Even if it was nothing but a lie, she finally had that friend she dearly wanted.

“Well, like I said before, she did interact with me a few times. Mostly to give me food to keep me alive and then to try to tempt me.”

Stick to the story, Flash. You didn’t come all this way for some hot demon mare to ruin everything. The truth is going to get me hurt. Sorry, Princess.

“She tried to promise me a few things during the time she held me. She promised me things such as unlimited power, wealth, and all that jazz at the cost of her eating my soul.”

“Flash, Laplace doesn’t eat souls.”

“What?” Flash looked away. She couldn’t see his surprised face, the gear in his head nearly falling off. “She doesn’t?” Wait, oh crap...

“Yes, she would have eaten mine if she could. Laplace even confessed to us that she doesn’t even know how. She’s a omnivore like us ponies, but with her self-healing abilities she doesn’t even need to consume anything. Starvation was one of the first methods Blueblood tried to have her killed by. After almost two months I convinced him that it, as well as freezing her to death at the same time wasn’t going to work.”

“I can see why something would hold a grudge about that. That’s a pretty” -horrible way to try to kill someone.

Flash’s mind broke a gear. He panicked inside. No no no no- shit shit.

“B-But well, she’s a demon, and as our enemy she’d find any reason to hold a grudge against us. And she did hurt my friends, I’d say she deserved it.”

“I see.” Cadance said, narrowing her eyes. “Flash, is there anything else you want to tell us about her?”

Flash shook his head. “That’s all I know.”

“Are you sure?” Cadance asked.

Flash nodded. “Yes, I can’t recall anything else.”

“Really? Are you sure she didn’t mess with your memory whatsoever? There’s no gaps of lost time at all? Are you able to account for every moment you were there?” Cadance asked.

“As far as I can remember,” Flash said, closing his eyes. But now that I think about it…

“Um, good. I was just double-checking.” Cadance replied. “Going into someone’s head and messing with their memories can cause some deep psychological damage to someone if you don’t know what you’re doing. I had to dive a little into Paladin Drops’ mind a few hours ago, Laplace had gotten into her head earlier, and Paladin Drops was growing paranoid that she was still under Laplace’s mind control."

Something clicked.

“I see,” Flash said. “I can’t quite explain it, but…” I had this weird sense of deja-vu one night.  

“But what, Flash?” Cadance asked. “Is everything alright?”

“How long have we been talking?” Flash asked.

Cadance answered immediately “Fifteen minutes. Not too long.”

It’s the same kind of deja-vu I’m feeling right now. That’s not true, Princess.

“Princess,” Flash stared at his drink. “How long have we really been talking?”

Cadance went silent.

“It’s been longer than fifteen minutes, hasn’t it?” Flash said to his princess. “I can tell.”

“What are you talking about, Flash?”

Flash stared up at Cadence. “We’ve had this conversation before, haven’t we?” He accused.

Cadance’s head lowered. She clasped her forehooves with a weak, hollow clap, Cadance’s decision made.

“Good work, Flash.” Cadance leaned back into her chair and took a long, deep exhale.

“You know, you truly are your father’s son. Out of all the ponies I’ve met, your father was the only pony who could tell when I tampered with his memories. He taught you well.”

“Do not compare me to him. How long have we actually been talking?”

Cadance answered him. “We’ve been having the same conversation for about 90 minutes now. When we finish talking I wipe your mind of the conversation, walk out, and then come back in to restart the conversation."

“Why do this? What were you trying to find out?”

“The truth, Flash, the truth. I’ve been waiting for you to stop lying to me. I’ve been in your head at least three times today, I know most of what happened. I don’t want to violate your mind any further, but I need to know the truth.”

“Why? You already went into my head, haven’t you gotten what you wanted?”

“What I want, Flash, is your cooperation. Because unless you’re willing to cooperate, I won’t be able to help you, Flash.”

“Help me with what?”

“I can’t tell you that. I’m not going to force anything on you. I want don’t to invade your mind, I want to work with you. I need a partner in all of this. Flash, I understand why you didn’t want to talk. I don’t need to be in your head to tell that you’re scared.”

Flash went silent.

“Am I right?”

After a pause, he meekly nodded.

“I’d like to hear it from you. Why? What are you so scared of that you're just saying only what you think we want to hear?"

Flash looked up at Cadance, and then back down to his drink.

“You know, all my life I’ve been taught to be selfless towards my kingdom. To royalty like you, and to Celestia herself. Instructor Fury, my father and everyone else beat that into me... but... how loyal are you to me, princess? How loyal is the kingdom to a simple, disposal soldier? I already know there’s no way I’m leaving this room without you erasing my memories. I’ve made peace with that. I’m worried about what you guys are going to be doing to me after. With the stroke of a hoof I could have my entire life and future taken from me, if not worse. Canterlot would ruin me, and for what? Telling all of you something of no value that I shouldn’t have?”

“Flash, I’d never let that happen,” Cadance said. “I am the crown princess of this country. I have a sacred duty to watch over my subjects and ensure the best for them all. Your father knew that. I know you know that-”

“-Stop talking about him.” The pleasantries were over. “I’m here, and he’s gone because of you. Stop bringing him up.”

“Your father understood. He was a close friend of-”

“Then why the hell did you banish my father when I needed him the most? Why did you do that to my mother? Or my little brother! You ripped that asshole out of our lives, and for what, Princess?”

“We had to make a hard choice, Flash. I wish there was a better way. It was banishment, or death-”

“BULLSHIT! YOU MADE THE EASY CHOICE!” Flash pounded the table, his coffee cup fell to the floor shattering into wet mess of porcelain shards. “YOU TOOK MY FATHER FROM ME!”

He looked at his hooves on the table, color fading from his face as he realized just who he had shouted at. Flash immediately recoiled back.

“So that’s why you never wrote back…” Cadance looked down. There was no anger, only sadness in her eyes.  

“Flash... Your father was my first bodyguard when I became a princess. He meant more to me then you know and I… I didn’t want to do what we did to him. The griffons were barreling down our necks, screaming for blood and promising ours if we didn’t give them his. You know how weak we were after the war’s end Flash. We knew it, and so did they. They were petitioning our allies to turn against us and towards them. The revolutionaries who overthrew the griffon king were now threatening to scrap the peace treaty we had made with the old king if we didn’t do what they wanted. A lot of people had already gotten hurt and ponies were going to start dying if we didn’t do something. Banishment was the only solution we had that didn't involve sending him to his death. I did what I had to do to save everyone. I knew it was wrong, but I didn’t know what else to do.. I… for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

Flash stared at Cadance, his anger slowly subsided as he collected himself while Cadance used her magic to clean up the broken cup on the floor.

“I know you are…I’m sorry for my outburst...” Flash apologize.

“Did you really hold it against me for all these years?” Asked Cadance. “When I looked in your memories, I… wanted to know what happened to you after you broke contact with me. There was so much anger in you back then.”

“Yeah,” Flash sighed. “A lot of anger and betrayal. I didn’t want to believe what my father did he did on his own, that you were the monster who made him do that. It took me too long to realize it wasn’t you. It was him, and you just did what was best for your kingdom. But by then, I felt too ashamed to contact you back, especially after all the things I said to you the last time we talked in person. I honestly thought you just moved on.”

“As did I,” Cadance replied. “After what I did to him, I couldn’t face you or your mother. I knew you hated me and I… just accepted that I made an enemy out of you and your mother a widower. Fate has a funny way of bringing people together again, and fixing old mistakes. We should have had this conversation a long time ago, Flash.”

“Well, I’m just a peasant and you’re a princess. For a little bit our lives intersected long ago but we have different lives now.”

Cadance got up from her seat. “Flash, you mean a whole lot more to me then that,” She pulled Flash off his chair and into a soft embrace. “You’ve always meant more than that to me.”

“I know,” Flash held her tight.

“I’m sorry about your father, Flash. I wish it didn’t have to be like that.”

The two broke their hug and sat back in their seats.

“I’m sorry for my outburst. I just let my anger get the best of me. It’s not you, it was him who left me in this mess that I’m in…”.

Flash felt Cadance’s hoof on his own. “You can’t live in the past Flash. Let it be. Your father made his choice, and his burdens aren’t yours to bear. ”

“Not when you’re reminded how much of a cur you are because what that he did. The son of the idiot who almost destroyed Equestria. There’s a reason why I don’t live in the barracks. I'm not welcome there among the guard, and they don't want me.”

“Then why are you even there? Why join them in the first place? Please don’t tell me it really just for the tuition bits to attend Canterlot Community College?”

Flash shook his head. “Because I have to get out of my father’s shadow. Princess, I am the son of a national disgrace. I have to, somehow, by any means necessary get out of that shadow if I wish to have a life I can call my own. That bastard screwed me, my family, and his people over, and for what? Nothing.”

Cadance disagreed. She was ready to open her mouth and defend her greatest knight, but stayed silent. That conversation was not today. Today she helped his son.

“Maybe if I didn’t look like him, maybe if I didn’t bare his name, maybe then I could say I’m someone else or at least make a first impression before they find out… but no. The moment someone new sees me, every stigma of that villain is stuck to me and I’m fucking tired of it. That’s why I joined the guard, Princess. Yes, I need the money but that’s not the real reason why. I did it so I can rise up in the ranks, make a name for myself, and quit with an honorable discharge. Give up ten years of my life so I can be known as something other than my father’s son, and get my damn life back from him.”

“So, yeah, that’s why I lied and kept my mouth shut,” Flash said.

Silence filled the air and Flash leaned back in his chair. Gears beginning to click, and fearful thoughts of the future filled him. “Oh geeze, I’m in trouble, aren’t I?” Flash rubbed his forehead with his hoof. “Lying to official investigators, impeding an official royal investigation…”

Cadance shook her head, and smiled. “I actually would have to disagree. From peering inside your head, I learned more then enough from you to say that you cooperated with us. If you wish, Flash, right now, you can take that door and go home, no further questions asked. If you do, this will be the end of this adventure and you can continue your life as you have. It’s not what I’d want, but it’s an clean out from all of this and I won’t think less of you if you took it.

His gut told him he had heard words like that before, but he shrugged them off. “So what do you want then, Princess?” Flash asked.

“I’d want you to stay, and tell me everything. I’d like you to come with me down this road, Flash, together. And that begins with you telling me everything that happened.”

“And you trust that I’ll tell you the truth?”

“Do you remember that little pep speech I gave you all those years ago? It was on the day Laplace attacked. ‘If you want something really badly sometimes you need to go all in, and put your faith to the test’. I’m putting my faith in you, Flash Sentry Junior, that if you wish to stay here with me, that you’d tell me the truth. I don’t want a subject, Celestia knows how many ass-kissers surround me. What I want is an partner. In this endeavor and more.”

“So Flash… what do you say?”


“She’s been in there for how long? Is it almost two hours now? I’ve been so busy I’m losing track of time,” asked Shining Armor to Seymour. The gray unicorn, decorated in a dark pink armor, turned to see Shining Armor come from around the corner.

“Close to that,” Seymour replied. “She’s been in there talking to Flash Sentry Junior. Longer than the previous times too, might I add.”

“So she’s still trying to get him to talk?” Shining Armor sighed. “More coffee?” Shining asked, two cups of coffee levitating from behind him.

Seymour smiled. “Of course Shiny.” Seymour’s magic overtook one of the two cups, and the unicorn took a sip.

“You know why she’s doing this. He’s an old friend of hers. You know she’s not gonna toss him to Blueblood’s prosecutors and leave him to dry. Especially considering that it’s Paladin Sentry’s son of all ponies. She’s not gonna let that happen to his son.”

“Yeah…” Shining Armor muttered. “How’d Blueblood take it?”

“He was annoyed, not much else. After I told him it was at his sister’s behest he pretty much gave me free reign to alter Flash’s interrogation report and scrub the arrest order.”

“Those guys who did talk to him might be mad you wasted their time.”

“That’s not my problem. I serve my lady, not her brother or his people.”

“I just hope she’s not the one wasting her time. When she gets out I need to speak to her about Flash first chance I get,” Shining ended.

The two looked at again at the door.

“My medics said you talked to Laplace before we let her loose. How’d your little reunion with her go?”
 
“As horrible as always. Her heart kinda broke when she saw her little lab empty. After that she just kinda did whatever I told her to. Also, Seymour, I wouldn’t recommend you talking to her anytime soon. I know she’s good for translating any old Pre-Celestian relics we dig up, but she’s gonna be mad at you for threatening her bedroom when she comes to her senses.”

“Well, the bitch already hates me, so no love lost there.”

“Don’t forget what she did to Sweetie Drops or Leeroy.”

“Your paladins, right. I’ll wear shades and keep my distance. Speaking of your paladins, I cleared her and the hippogriff for release. Paladin Leeroy’s gonna be okay, but that boy is gonna be tender like fried chicken for a couple of weeks. As for Paladin Drops she wasn’t really hurt, but I’m still a tad worried about her mental state. I’d like to keep an eye on their recovery, so if you don’t mind keep them around the castle for a week or so, okay?”

“Consider it done.”

“Wonderful. If anything comes up about them you’ll be the first to know. Any other questions?”

“I dare to ask about Sanctus.”

“Mr. Fury, unfortunately, is still with us. That old stallion’s like a cockroach.”

“Tell me about it,” Shining sighed, and took another sip of his drink. “Can’t kick him out, he refuses to retire, and has so much clout among the old guard I feel like I’m the one serving him sometimes. Just be happy the pink guard never has to deal with him.”

“Yes indeed being Cadence’s right hoof has its perks. At the least we’ll be free of him for this year’s Gala friday. I played the doctor card and told him he needs to rest for a month. Hopefully, he follows those orders. At least that’s all I was able to do before his little girlfriend came back in and shooed me out.

“You mean Zircon? Please tell me you didn’t actually call her that.”

“I’m not suicidal, Shield-butt. I’m a doctor, not a fighter,” Seymour scoffed. “How the hell did a zealot like him even make friends with a dark bitch like that instead of burning her at the stake? Shit like that is what his clan's known for isn't it?”

“It’s a very long story, Seymour. I honestly thought you knew it. And don’t call me Shield-butt.”

“I can call you whatever I want Shield-butt.”

“Maybe I should tell Cadance then.”

Seymour chuckled “And my lady would agree with me how great that flank of yours is. Second only to my lady’s derrière, of course.”

Shining Armor glared.

The door handle to interrogation room turned. The conversation between the stallions immediately stopped as they turned to see the door open wide.

The stallions looked onward to see who exited the room.

“After you, Princess,” they heard. A majestic unicorn, beautiful beyond comparison walked out. Princess Cadance beamed a wide smile on her face.

“Always the polite boy. Your mother taught you well.”

Flash Sentry walked out with after she did. “You helped,” he said. Cadance giggled.

“Cadance!” Shining Armor acted first. The moment he and Cadance locked eyes, they walked up to eachother and nuzzled the other. Flash could see Shining’s happy smile and heard Cadance sighing euphorically. “Shining…” she muttered.

“I missed you too, Cadance.”

“Likewise, honey. Missed my daily dose of your love.” Cadance giggled, before she and Shining pecked each other on the lips. “I take it everything went well?”

“As well as it can,” Shining said back, the sting of Cadence’s kiss on his mind. As much as he wanted to end this night it wasn’t finished yet. He shook off their nightly plans and began to speak to his princess.

“Princess!” That is, if Seymour didn’t interrupt.

“I’m glad you’re all finished with Mr. Sentry, my lady.” Seymour hopped off the bench he sat on, leaving his coffee cup behind and joined the conversation.

“More like just getting started, actually.” Cadance grinned.

“Wait, what?” Shining asked.

Cadance’s wide grin grew. “I’d like to introduce you to my newest hire.” Cadance stepped to the side and motioned a hoof to Flash. “Meet Flash Sentry, the newest member of the Pink Guard.”

The spinning record in Shining’s head scratched. “Wait...what!”

Seymour too gave a look of disbelief. “You’re serious?”

“Very serious! ” The princess of Equestria said not so seriously. “As of this moment, Flash is now the newest member of my personal guard, the Pink Guard.”

“My lady, are you sure?” Seymour asked. “And here I thought we’d be sending him to-”

“-Seymour,” Cadance cut him off, her eyes squared on him. After a moment, she continued. “Well, I had a while to think about where we’d be sending Flash, as he is part of the recruit division, and as he’s bound to go somewhere I decided he’ll fit in best alongside us, Seymour.”

Shining Armor stepped in front of Seymour. Flash saw his eyes dart on him, then to his princess.

“Honey, if you don’t mind I’d like to talk to you.”

“Do you mind if we get the ball rolling on the transfer first? You know how slow those transfer papers can go when-”

“No, Cadance.” Shining Armor cut his love off.  “We need to talk. Now.”

Serious Shining is not a very happy Shining. She pouted. He must have his reasons. “If you say so, Honey.”

“Should I get started on that transfer then?” Seymour asked.

“Sounds good,” Cadance said to Shining’s dismay. “Take the new recruit out of here and start drafting the papers we need, okay? He luckily won’t need barracks, so we’ll deal with that later. I want Flash to start his duties tomorrow night.”

Seymour bowed. “As you wish, lady Cadance.” Afterwards, Seymour turned to Flash and pointed him in the direction leading out. “Come on Mr. Sentry, let’s leave the lovebirds to talk while we take care of things.”

“Good, you two should spend some time getting to know eachother. You two have a good night.”

“Thank you Princess,” Seymour and Flash said back.

“And Flash?” Cadance said.

Flash turned around to her. “Yes?”

“Welcome aboard.”

Chapter 12 - Cadance - End