//------------------------------//
// Not Pulling Any Punches 
// Story: What Should Have Been 
// by Sunny_and_Auri_23 
//------------------------------//

“I have decided that from now on, there will be training after lunch, every day. I’ve been seeing a lot of you slacking off lately and I want to make sure that you will be able to defend the Crystal Empire if the worse does occur. You got that?” Officer Night Star commanded us. “I will also be pairing you up so there will be Officers with Privates.” He stated.
I hope I don’t get TA. That would be like Tartarus mixed with Sombra.
“Okay. Sunny, you’re with TA, ah, Sentry? You can be with Officer AA. And Sapphire…” He continued saying names.
“Hi!” Auri said, walking towards me.
“Hi.”
“Okay, that’s every pony sorted. Now, this isn’t about magic or flying - it’s about self defence.” He said, before leaving the room.
“Finally. That guy creeps me out.” Auri whispered.
                “I know, right?” I replied, “Nice armor.”
                “Well I am an officer! I can get a few nice things!” she retorted, “Thank you.” I stayed silent. “Are you still thinking about last night?”
I didn’t respond. “Don’t worry, okay? I’m sure she’s not mad-”
“No it isn’t that.” I started, “It’s that, since I was a foal, my dream was to work in the Royal Guard as an officer. I trained everyday in Canterlot, until they finally accepted me. Then I transferred to the Crystal Empire and...I guess I’m not good enough for the job.”
“Oh my gosh…” She whispered, before pulling me into a hug. “Okay, self defence.” She went back to the topic. “What do you know about it?” Auri asked simply.
Well, that was the simplest question ever, but it looks like I don’t know the answer to it. “I… It means… Um… I don’t really know.” I said simply. At least this isn’t TA.
	“Okay. Well, self defence isn’t about… I dunno… killing your opponent. It’s about teaching them a lesson, both mentally and physically.” She started. “Flash, are you okay?”
“Huh? Yeah.” I snapped back into reality. Less drifting into thoughts, more doing what you actually need to do.
“Lesson One - attention. That includes thinking. Strategies. Your actions require a purpose. Do what your opponent least expects. Find their weakness. Pay attention to what they’re doing. Don’t be predictable.” She stated. “Punch me.”
What? You wouldn’t punch a girl, and she’s, like, a year younger than you! “No! I can’t...” I started.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t want to hear it. Punch me.” She persevered.
“Great.” I mumbled, closed my eyes, and punched, hard.
She appeared behind me, and I turned around. “Flash. Your weakness is your heart. Your friends. You’d never want to punch me, Sunny, Twilight or Saphie, right?”
I shook my head. “No…”
“Okay. Imagine that I have a ploy against Twilight, and I’m planning to kill her, say. Now punch me.” She told me. “Oh, and, don’t close your eyes. They can hatch a plan at the blink of an eye.”
I tried to imagine that, and then I punched her, and she just took a step back to dodge. 
“Better.” She said. “But it still feels like you're busy thinking about something.” She stopped my hoof. “What are you thinking about?“
Great. I hate these mind readers. “Oh, um, you know, Twilight.”
Auri rolled her eyes. “You need to stop thinking about her for that reason. She’s in danger in our scenario. There is a world around you, ya know?” she started, “And it does not revolve around you or your feelings.”
She’s right. “Okay.” But it’s much easier said than done. 
“Lesson two - deception.” Auri started. “Your opponent could be very deceptive. Queen Chrysalis disguised herself as Princess Cadance herself. You need to be ready to fight someone who might be a friend. Trust only those who you know are reliable. Even Shining fell for it.” 

Auri sighed. “You got all that, Flash?” The training session finally ended, as Shining Armor came and told us that we had ten minutes to get to our stations.
“Huh? Yeah.” I said. I felt dizzy.
“Gosh, you sound drugged. Is that what two hours of training gets you?"
“YES!” I felt exhausted.
“You really need to be tougher than that, Sentry.” She punched me in the stomach. 
Ow. “Ah-ow...ow...what was that for?”
“For... reasons.” Auri sighed. “Toughen up, you're probably gonna meet Twilight in a bit.”
Oh yeah. But I’m too tired too. “Uh.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’d be a thousand times worse with TA.”
Yeah, it would be. 
Time to get ready to meet Twilight.

I was guarding outside Twilight’s bed chambers again, expecting Twilight. But I’d been standing there for what seemed like hours, and she didn’t come. So I lost hope.
Good things come to those who wait. Nice try, ego.
The dusk looked beautiful, and it reminded me too much of the flowing colours of her mane and the sunlit sparkle of her eyes. Sigh.
I walked calmly over to the Mess Hall, and like every day, the quartet were sitting and chatting.
“Hey, Flash! How’d it go?” Sunny asked, as I dropped into the seat next to her.
“It didn’t ‘go’ at all.” I replied
“So… wait, what?” Auri was shocked.
“She rejected you?” TA asked.
“Um, no. She didn’t come.” I said.
“So if the girl doesn’t show up, you go look for her,” TA retorted.  Everyone gave her the look. “What?” 
“It’s fine, don’t worry.” Sunny assured me.
“It’s really not fine.” I sighed.
“Sunny, Flash, it’s not fine.” Auri said, pointing to Twilight who had walked through the door. “Pull yourself together, Flash.”
Pull yourself together, Flash. “Hey, everypony, how’s it going?” Twilight came and sat next to us, and unfortunately for me, the seat next to mine. 
“Absolutely splendid!” Auri answered, “But, I’m sorry, the others and I really need to discuss that vampire book series that you and Flash haven’t read yet. So, we’ll sit at that table over there so we don’t give you any spoilers.” TA, Saphie and Sunny smiled sheepishly and nodded. They rose and went to the table next to ours, Auri nudging me in the shoulder as she did so, “Toughen up.” she whispered. Oh no, I’m going to die.
“Um, hi, how’s it going?” I asked dumbly. Flashing Stupid sure has a great reputation, doesn’t he? Wait, I’m going third person now?

Twilight sighed. “Um, Flash, about yesterday-” Oh. 
“It’s fine I was an idiot don’t worry-”
“But-”
“I shouldn’t have even thought it-”
“Flash-” 
“But it was stupid of me-”
“Flash-”
“I’m sorry... I probably scarred you for life-”
“You didn’t-”
                “I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m the worst-” 
“But Flash-”
“I’m an idiot-”
“You aren’t-”
“Who would even think-”
“But-”
“Twilight, I’m sorry-”
“You-”
“I lost my mind-”
“No-”
“I’m an idiot-”
“FLASH!” She shouted at me, “I LOVE YOU!”
It took me moments to register what she said. She loves me. Twilight loves me. Wait, Twilight loves me? I quickly glanced at her in shock at what I just realised. But, she already ran out of the Mess Hall, leaving me with my unreliable mess of thoughts. I heard her wrong, right?  
The quartet sat back down at our table, mouths wide open. “Did I just hear what I just heard because if I did then…” Auri said.
I dunno. I’m not sure if I heard that myself. 
“She rejected you?” TA guessed.
Saphie rolled her eyes. “Edward might have left Bella, but if that’s gonna happen, not yet. They’re barely together.”
“No. This is their story.” Sunny grunted, “They’re not a book… although...Twilight would like that- NO! They’re not books!”
“How is this meant to help again?” I rolled my eyes at their irrelevant books invading my love life.
“Guys! Focus! Twilight just said to Flash that she loves him, am I correct?” Auri caught our attention. 
“Yes? No? I’m not sure, Auri. It happened so fast, and when I went to ask her about it, she left.” A bad feeling in my stomach led me to believe that I’d hurt Twilight more than I originally thought. I could have at least let her talk! But no! Flashing Stupid has to come to the rescue and totally wreck everything!
“Flash, if Twilight said she loves you, then she does.” Auri said.
I shook my head. “She probably doesn’t want me to be sad because she doesn’t want anyone to be sad so she said she likes me but then she probably doesn't and you know what I don’t care anymore. I’m probably just going crazy. I just want to forget all this ever happened.” Again. Easier said than done. I stood up and started making my way to the door, “Bye, guys”, I said, defeated.


My room looked dim in the evening light of the moon. A mess of a bed in the corner, a small cupboard next to it; my armor on the floor as I rushed to put it away before dinner; the small wooden table with an empty coffee mug with books and newspapers under it- it was just the same as I had left it. It was definitely much smaller than the room next door, where Thunder Spark slept. But, it was still the only home I had in the Crystal Empire. Tired and exhausted, I fell into my bed, my soft blanket soothing me from my troubled state and warming me from the northern cold. Eventually, my eyes closed, and I drifted to sleep... 
The emerald grass surrounds me and I lie down to admire crystal clear sky. Until somepony else comes into my line of sight. 
“How are you?” A beautiful smile is formed by her lips. I return the smile to respond. “Can I tell you something?” she continues in her heartfelt, calming voice. I get up and she leans her head on my shoulder, while I take a blooming flower and place it in her wavy hair. Dusk lurks around the setting sun as the hues and tints of pink and purple intermingle with the golden glow. “I love you.”
Those three words echo over and over again.
I just smile and hold her in an embrace. “I love you too”, I say. I gaze into her amethyst eyes, that fill me with a silver lining in my clouded heart. As I gaze into those oceans, those dreamy eyes…
I woke up with a start. The only thing I could process was my dream and I started to look at the events of the day before in a different perspective. So...she actually liked me? This whole time? 
Time to face the world, Flash.

I dropped into the seat next to Auri and Sunny. TA wasn’t there, and Saphie was absorbed in a book. She probably didn’t even know I was there.
“You okay?” Auri asked, giving me a cupcake.
Sigh. “No.”
“Lemme guess... a dream?” Auri asked. Not much of a guess if you’re mind reading.
	“Yeah.” I simply said.
“Don’t worry, Flash!” Sunny reiterated. “Trust me, everything will be fine.”
“I hope so.” I replied.

 Next, training session. Try not to die, Flash. Imagine if you were being trained by TA.
	“Flash? Don’t worry, I’m not gonna kill you.” Auri said appearing from behind me. 
Oh no. “Oh…” 
“Don’t worry. I know I was really hard on you yesterday.” We walked into the training hall. “So, what did you learn yesterday?”
“Um… attention, deception, strategies, and disguise.” I recalled.
“Good.” She said.
Officer Night Star went to the front. “You will need to group up with another pair, and you are allowed to train together, to see how much you’ve learnt.” He said.
“Um, Flash, who do you want to partner up with? TA and Sunny?” Auri asked.
No, not TA! “Um, sure…” NO! What did you just do, Flash?
“Hey.” Sunny walked towards us, which was followed with a scowl by TA.
“Have you been teaching him okay? He doesn’t look dead just yet.” TA asked Auri.
“Uh. Tinted, you’ve been the same for ten years.” Sunny sighed.
“Okay. Well, Sunny, Flash, you need to, uh, fight.” Auri said.
Great. I can’t do this. Turns out these idiot girls aren’t such idiots. “Uh, okay.”
Sunny sighed. “Why did I agree to do this again? Oh, right, I didn’t.” She gave TA a look.
“Ay, Auri, we’ll see who is the better teacher.” She held her tongue to stop herself laughing.
“Oh yeah? Bring it on.” Auri replied.

Flash, you’re going to die. Flash, you’re going to die. 
“Okay, ready?” Auri asked us.
TA rolled her eyes. “Whatever. No-one’s gonna ask you if you’re ready in a fight.”
Auri nodded. “That is why this is called training, Tinted. Okay, ready? Fight!” She announced.
Sunny and I just stood there staring at each other. Tinted and Auri both shook their heads.
“Seriously?” Auri sighed.
“Oh, come on!” TA continued shaking her head.
I didn’t know what to do. Just fight, Flash! Just. Do. It.
Sunny closed her eyes. Do something, Idiot!  I punched her under the jaw, and then near her nose. Blood started rushing from her nose and drenching her whole face. She stood there, stared at me, and swung back to kick me. But ‘attention’ was something I learnt from Auri - I didn’t let that go to waste. With speed, I ran to the side of her, and wrestled her to the ground. She squealed, and I thought that was the right time to stop.
Sunny started breathing heavily. “Sunny, you okay?” I asked, concerned for her safety. Flashing Stupid messed up bad. Again. 
“I…”  She fell unconscious. You just killed her.
	“Oh my gosh…” Auri fell to her side, followed by TA. 
“Is she alive?” I asked dumbly. You’re a murderer.
“Of course she is!” Auri stressed.
Thunder Spark walked to her, his eyes widening. “A concussion?” He asked. “It was this scary?”
“Uh, no, Thunder. Flash was good enough to knock her out.” Auri replied.
“Looks like you’ve done a good job training, then.” He replied, dumbstruck.
“Excuse me? My friend is dying over here, forget about my terrible training methods, make her freaking alive!” Auri shrieked.
“Yeah, I’ll get Shining…” He raced out of the room.
Auri sighed. “Well, Tinted, guess who won?” She asked with reluctance in her voice, like she was choking.
TA rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a better teacher, whatever…” 
You did this. You did this to her. I started to feel dizzy. I looked at her face, drenched in blood and her fiery mane, with dead flames. She’s my friend, and I did this to her. 
Shining Armor stormed into the room, followed by Thunder Spark who had an anxious look on his face. They rushed towards Sunny, and Shining Armor sighed. “You did a great job of killing her, Sentry.”
“Wait, what? SHE’S DEAD?” Auri said, horrified.
“Of course not! She’s tough, but seriously, Sentry, I didn’t know you had it in you.” He said. 
“My gosh, Shining, shut up! Make my dying friend alive!” She shrieked.
Saphie slowly approached. “Wait, is that…” Her face became full with shock. “Captain…”
“I’m on it.” He replied, and took her to the hospital.