//------------------------------//
// Wonder 
// Story: If Solaris had a Text-to-Speech Device 
// by Jay David 
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"Pardon me for prying, Princess Luna," Flash began. "But I'd have assumed you and your sister would have been long gone from the city by now. Surely you've earned your retirement away from the hectic activity of the capital?"

A small chuckled escaped the former mare in the moon. "True. And believe me, we do plan on enjoying that retirement. But one does not simply walk away from a long reign such as this. Twilight's coronation may be done, but there are still finer details to work out."

"JUST BE SURE TO VISIT YOUR OLD POP EVERY NOW AND AGAIN."

Luna looked to her father, actually smiling to him. "Fear not, Father, we shall not forget you. Perhaps, if some way was devised to move you, you could join us for a Wonderbolts show?"

"...WHAT IN THE WIDE WORLD OF EQUESTRIA IS A WONDERBOLT?"

Flash turned to him. "Oh, they're an aerial performance team, Sir. All pegasi of course, and they've been renowned as the best fliers in Equestria for many generations."

"A bunch of self-important show-offs, to be more accurate," Discord added.

Luna and Flash gave the draconequus a joint frown, but it was Solaris who answered. "LET ME GUESS. BIG CELEBRITIES, REGARDED AS HEROES TO THE NATION DESPITE HAVING FEW, IF ANY, REAL ACTS OF HEROISM UNDER THIER BELT?"

"The list of truly heroic acts in their history may be few, Sir, but that doesn't change the fact that they have been an inspiration for many a colt and filly through the years. Myself included," Flash countered.

"AH, I ASSUME YOU ONCE STOOD IN THE STANDS ALONGSIDE HUNDREDS OF OTHER CHILDREN, LOOKING UP TO THEM IN THE SKIES AND DREAMING OF ONE DAY BEING COUNTED AMONG THEM?"

"I'd be lying if I said that wasn't the case," Flash admitted. "There likely isn't a pegasus child anywhere in the nation who hasn't had that dream at least once in their life. But as time went on, I realised my goals in life were not to wear the blue, but the gold."

"IT'S FOR THE BEST. CHANCES ARE YOU'RE DOING BETTER STUFF HERE IN THE GUARD THAN OUT WITH THE BOLTS."

"Sure, if you consider being a glorified bodyguard to ponies who don't actually need others to protect themselves as 'worthwhile' work," Discord interrupted.

"Are you just in a bad mood today?" Luna asked, earing herself nothing but a shrug from Discord in response.

"STILL, THESE WONDERBOLTS COULD STAND TO BE REMINDED OF A FEW THINGS."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Okay, here we go."

To Flash's slight concern, the room around them started to rumble a little, but thankfully it only lasted a few moments. "Um...what was that?"

"NOTHING TOO SERIOUS. I JUST DECIDED TO SEND A MESSAGE TO THE WONDERBOLTS. A CHALLENGE."

Luna looked to the nonplussed guard. "It was sort of a hobby Father liked to partake in back in the day. Find those with aspirations of celebrity and test them. Set them grand tasks to show if they were worthy of the, as you younger ponies say, hype."

"ALWAYS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO, SO YOU'D BETTER BELEIVE I'M GLAD TO GET BACK INTO IT."

"So then, Father," Luna began. "What, pray tell, have you set the Wonderbolts to?"

"I COMMANDED THEM TO BRING ME THE FANG OF THE RED DEATH."

"...Who?!" Flash exclaimed.

"A TERRIFYING DRAGON FROM ANCIENT TIMES. A NIGHTMARE TO PONYKIND. AN OLD FOE OF MINE. IT WAS QUITE THE FIGHT, BUT I BROUGHT HIM DOWN ALL THE SAME."

Flash exhaled a breath of relief. "So, you haven't sent them against a giant, living dragon then?"

"OF COURSE NOT. THAT WOULD BE A SUICIDE MISSION. I'M NOT THAT HEARTLESS."

Discord smirked. "Well, technically, you could be. Remember, we haven't actually looked inside that old ribcage of yours yet."

"IGNORING THAT. THE POINT IS, THIS ISN'T A DEADLY MISSION. BUT THE RED DEATH'S REMAINS WERE LEFT IN AN ALMOST IMPASSABLE PLACE. DANGEROUS EVEN FOR THE BEST OF FLIERS. BUT, IF THE WONDERBOLTS ARE AS GREAT AS PEOPLE BELIEVE THEM TO BE, IT SHOULD BE NO ISSUE."

Flash looked to Luna. "I know that device keeps him monotone, but I swear I could hear the sarcasm in that one."

Luna scoffed. "I grew up with him, Flash. I can always hear the sarcasm"

Then, to the surprise of all, there was a knocking on the door, prompting all eyes to turn towards it. In a mere moment, they creaked open, and the smiling face of a grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane and mismatched eyes came in, giving a quick wave to everypony. She merrily trotted over to Flash, offering him a scroll of some sort, which the stallion graciously accepted before giving her a nod. Afterwards, the mare walked away, just as pleased with herself as she was when she arrived, and only after she'd closed the door behind her did Flash finally break the silence. "Well...I guess we have mail."

Luna smiled to him. "Always a pleasure to see the nation's delivery services at their craft."

Flash, joining her in a smile, got to the business of opening the scroll. After taking in the information for a few moments, his eyes widened with surprise. "Oh...they have it."

"WHO HAS WHAT?"

"The Wonderbolts," Flash elaborated. "They found the fang."

"...WHAT?"

"They found the fang," Flash repeated, after which he squinted his eyes at the last few lines on the scroll. "And they also want to know if there's anything else you need while they're about it."

"...WHAT THE WHAT?! I ONLY SET THEM THE TASK A MINUTE AGO! HOW THE FLIP DID THEY MANAGE TO DO IT ALREADY?!"

Discord chuckled. "Well, that's what you get for giving a challenge to Rainbow of all ponies."

"WHO?"

Flash looked to the king. "Ah, yes. I forgot to mention. One of the Bolts' latest members is Rainbow Dash, a close friend of Princess Twilight. In fact, she's been part of virtually every major world-saving adventure the Princess has been on."

"YOU MEAN TO SAY THAT THEY HAD A GENUINE, WORLD-SAVING PONY ON THEIR TEAM? NEXT TIME, TELL ME THAT BEFORE I GO AND START SETTING THEM QUESTS."

Discord floated up to him, keeping his famed smirk. "Oh, but it's so much more fun to see you get embarrassed, old chum." He looked to the other two ponies. "Anypony got a camera? I want to remember this moment forever."