Once Twilight, Cadance, and the rest of Mane Six had exited the library, they all stopped walking for a moment and just looked at each other. They were all horrified by what they learned about Professor Screw. Just thinking about what Amethyst Maresbury had described made some of them sick.
“Wow, I was not expecting any of that.” Rainbow Dash said.
“How could somepony just kill their parents like that!? It’s just so… cruel.” Applejack said.
“I for one just don’t understand why Professor Screw did that to his parents. Ms. Maresbury said that they were a very loving family.” Rarity said.
“Do you think maybe Professor Screw was being abused or mistreated by his parents? I mean, it does happen.” Fluttershy said.
“Well, I do see what you mean, Fluttershy. Growing up in a household with abusive parents can have a severe effect on anypony. But even if that were the case, I’m sure Ms. Maresbury would have said something about that.” Rarity said.
“Just because Ms. Maresbury didn’t see any abuse happening, doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. A lot of times that kind of abuse goes unnoticed. It’s awful but it’s true.” Fluttershy said.
“Once again, you’re absolutely right, darling. However, I don’t think that is the case here. Considering that Professor Screw committed these horrible acts on ponies that weren’t his parents, it’s too cruel to have just been cause by domestic abuse. There has to be more.” Rarity said.
“You know what really confuses me? How in the hay is scientific torture or whatever Screw called it, his special talent? I mean, there’s no way that anypony’s special talent can be doing something bad.” Rainbow Dash said.
“And why do you say that, Rainbow Dash?” Cadance asked.
“Well, because that’s just not how cutie marks work.” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Cutie marks represent the special talent of a pony; what makes them truly special. While most ponies have special talents in what we consider to be good or normal, there are ponies out there whose special talent is something bad. I’m not sure if scientific torture is indeed what Professor Screw’s special talent is, but it sure does seem like it.” Cadance said.
“What I wanna know is how the Professor went from simple science projects to the dissecting and killing of innocent ponies and even the poor innocent defenseless critters! He really went from zero to a thousand like it was nothing!” Pinkie Pie said.
“From what Ms. Maresbury told us, I believe it was a case of a passion slowly becoming an obsession. For instance, think of the ponies that bully others. They start off small, with simple name calling or teasing. As time goes on, they start to go even further as they begin to enjoy the bullying. Name calling becomes harsh insults, teasing becomes harassment, the occasional push or shove becomes a punch or a beating. For Professor Screw, it started off with simple projects, but something pushed him to look into the darker side of his passion. Whatever it was, caused him to take his experiments further and further until eventually, he became obsessed with going deeper into the rabbit hole he dug himself.” Cadance said.
While Cadance was explaining her thoughts on the matter involving Professor Screw and his horrifying origins, Applejack looked over to Twilight. She hadn’t said anything since they left the library, and it seemed like she was in deep thought. Deeply concerned for her friend, Applejack walked up to Twilight and tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hey, Twilight, are y’all okay?” Applejack asked, snapping Twilight out of her thoughts.
“What? Oh, yeah, I’m okay.” Twilight said, still looking at the floor.
“Twilight, darling, are you sure? I know we just heard some pretty awful things about the Professor and-Twilight?” Rarity said as Twilight started to walk away from the group.
“I’m sorry everypony but I really need to be alone for a little while. You all just… do whatever. Spend some time in the Crystal Empire or something. I have to go.” Twilight said as she continued walking away.
“Twilight, wait! We’re supposed to stay together!” Pinkie Pie said as she tried to follow Twilight but was stopped by Cadance.
“It’s okay everypony, just let Twilight be alone for a bit. Come on, let’s all take a walk. It will help us feel better.” Cadance said.
“But Princess Cadance, we can’t just leave Twilight by herself.” Fluttershy said.
“I understand how you feel but trust me. I’ve known Twilight since she was a filly. I know when she needs to be left alone and this is one of those times.” Cadance said.
“Oh, okay…” Fluttershy said as they watched Twilight walk away.
Meanwhile in the Crystal Palace, a group of guards were having some pleasant conversation with each other. They didn’t usually get much time to have fun and talk casually, so they were taking advantage of what little time they did have. Among this group of guards, Flash Sentry was with them, having a nice time with his fellow guards’ ponies.
“And then I tell him, come back next week, am I right?” One of the crystal guard ponies named Emerald Strongwings asked as he and the other guards broke out into laughter.
“(Laughs) Oh yeah, you definitely got him!” another crystal guard named Iron Buster said as he laughed.
“Oh yeah, totally!” Flash Sentry said as he laughed a bit before he started coughing.
“Geez, Flash, it wasn’t that funny. I mean, you don’t gotta kill yourself over it.” Emerald said with a laugh.
“(Cough) (Cough) Well, I mean it was pretty funny.” Flash said.
“Heh, yeah, I guess it was. But really though, are you okay, buddy?” Emerald asked.
“(Cough) Yeah, I’m totally fine. I’m probably just not used to how chilly it can get up here.” Flash said.
“Pfft, yeah, if that was the case, you would have gotten sick when you first came here, buddy.” Emerald said.
“(Chuckle) I guess I’m just special.” Flash said with a shrug.
“Oh yeah, he’s definitely special. I mean the captain promotes him to corporal along with the rest of us, and he can’t even bother to stay at his post before he heads off to act like a Good Samaritan every five minutes.” A crystal guard named Steel Plate said.
“Hey, come on, Steel, you didn’t have to tell them all of that, bro.” Flash said.
“Buddy, it’s not my fault you keep walking away from your post to help out the crystal ponies.” Steel said.
“Yeah well, I can’t help it, you know? If I see somepony that needs help, I’ll always step in to help them. It’s just who I am.” Flash said.
“We know buddy.” Buster said as he patted Flash on the back. “Just take care of yourself, will you? The last thing we need is one of us getting sick and not being able to do their job.”
“Don’t worry about me guys, I’ll be fine.” Flash said.
“Welp looks like that’s all the time we got for today. Come on you guys, let’s get back to our posts.” Emerald said as he and the other guards headed off to their previously assigned positions.
As Flash Sentry was making his way to his post, he sighed as he took in the beauty of the Crystal Empire. Despite having been living in the Crystal Empire for a couple years now, Flash never got tired of the wonderous sights that the empire had to offer him. He could still remember the first time he ever saw the Crystal Empire when he got off the train from Canterlot. It was very beautiful indeed. Ever since Flash had been stationed here, he had always been so invested in learning all he could about the history of the Crystal Empire. He loved meeting all of the crystal ponies and getting to know most of them.
Being the first and only non-crystal pony to be a member of the Crystal Empire’s royal guard was a bit nerve wrecking at first, but Flash was welcomed with open hooves, and he almost immediately felt at home. Over time, Flash had gotten a bit of a reputation for being a Good Samaritan. Whenever somepony needed help, he would always step in to lend a hoof, even when he was supposed to be on guard duty. Whether it was helping a kind old mare cross the street, helping out with a broken wagon wheel, carrying something heavy for somepony, or chasing down the occasional thief or troublemaker, Flash was always eager to help. In fact, the main reason Flash was promoted to being a corporal was because of an extremely good deed he had done a while back.
About six and a half months earlier, the hospital of the Crystal Empire had collapsed, and a lot of ponies were trapped in the rubble. The guards had been ordered to save as many of the ponies as they could. The job was very dangerous since a fire had broken out when the hospital collapsed. Flash had flown in to try and rescue this older stallion, who was pinned by a large crystal. Flash didn’t wait for help to arrive as he was told that the stallion was very, very sick and he didn’t want him to die in the rubble. It took quite some time, but Flash was able to save the patient from the fire. For his heroic act, Flash had been promoted to the rank of corporal and his fellow guards praised him as a hero.
Life was perfect in the Crystal Empire for Flash. Well at least it was, until a couple months ago when Flash developed a bit of a cough. Flash wasn’t sure what had caused this cough, but it wasn’t fun to have. Sometimes there would be days when he didn’t cough at all, and then there would be days where he’d be coughing almost all day. If there was one bad habit that Flash had, aside from walking out on his posts, it would be that he would sometimes downplay the seriousness of certain situations just so no pony else would be worried. He had done just that with his cough.
When Princess Cadance and Shining Armor found out about Flash’s cough, they tried to get him to see the doctor, but Flash would always insist that it wasn’t that serious, and it was just allergies or something simple. Flash always figured that his body wasn’t used to being exposed to the colder environment of the Crystal Empire, which would explain his frequent coughing. This worked at first, but eventually when the coughing would keep coming back, Cadance placed a special spell on Flash that would prevent him from getting anypony else sick. Of course, she also made him see the doctor, but all he would end up doing was ask for simple cough medicine, which did help a bit.
After a couple minutes of walking, Flash finally made it to his post, and he took position on one of the upper baloneys of the Crystal Palace. As he looked out down at the Crystal Empire, he smiled as he took in the beautiful sights. While Flash was admiring the sights, his eyes caught sight of a familiar purple alicorn.
“Twilight? Huh, when did she get here?” Flash asked as he looked down at the princess.
After staring at Twilight for a couple of moments, Flash immediately picked up on the fact that she wasn’t being her usual happy self. Twilight looked very upset about something. Flash wanted to go down and talk to her, but he knew he couldn’t just up and abandon his post again. After all, he had promised Shining Armor that he would work on not doing that anymore.
Speaking of Shining Armor, the white unicorn stallion had just finished spending some time with his parents and his daughter. He was now just making sure everything was okay with the Crystal Palace before he would set off to see how things were going with Cadance and the Mane Six. While Shining Armor was walking through the Crystal Palace, he thought about what his parents had told him. Apparently, according to Rarity, Twilight seemed to have developed a crush on one of Shining Armor’s royal guards. When Shining Armor heard of this, his mind immediately went to the only guard in the Crystal Empire that Twilight would ever logically have an interest in, Flash Sentry. As Twilight’s older brother, Shining Armor knew that he had to see if these claims were true.
On the one hoof, Shining Armor was happy that his little sister was finally taking an interest in something that didn’t relate to books. Twilight was a young mare who was in her prime and while she didn’t need to have a special somepony, it would be nice for her to at least try finding somepony to share a special bond with. On the other hoof, he felt it was his responsibility to make sure that the pony Twilight would be interested in was a good pony and not a bad one.
If Flash Sentry really was the stallion that Twilight had taken an interest in, then that would be just fine. Flash was a respectful stallion and very honorable. He always had a kind heart and was always a joy to be around. Shining Armor felt that if anypony was worthy to be Twilight’s special somepony, it was Flash.
While Shining Armor continued to make his rounds, he came across one of his guards, Emerald Strongwings, who was standing by his post.
“Good morning, Emerald.” Shining Armor said as he approached him.
“Ah, good morning, Captain Armor.” Emerald replied with a bow.
“Do you know where Corporal Sentry is?” Shining Armor asked.
“(Chuckle) Well sir, if you’re lucky, you’ll find him on the upper west balcony. If he’s not there, check the market area. He’ll probably be out helping somepony.” Emerald replied with a chuckle.
“Heh, alright, thanks, Emerald.” Shining Armor said as he headed for the west balcony.
“No problem, sir.” Emerald replied as he resumed his duty.
While walking up the stairs, Shining Armor began to wonder if Flash was interested in Twilight as well. He never really paid attention when Flash and Twilight interacted, so if there were any visual clues that the two shared feelings for each other, Shining Armor had no idea. All Shining Armor knew was that the two would often quite literally bump into each other, and they would have small chats that seemed innocent enough.
Eventually, Shining Armor arrived at the doors which led to the upper west balcony. Using his magic, Shining Armor slowly opened the doors, making sure he didn’t make any noise. Admittingly, he had expected to find Flash once again absent from his post, but this time Flash was at his post, looking down towards the rest of the Crystal Empire. Shining Armor noticed that the pegasus seemed to be really invested in something as he was barely moving, his eyes fixed on something down below. For whatever reason, Shining Armor decided that he wouldn’t make his presence known to the young pegasus until he found out what he was looking at. Shining Armor slowly approached Flash until he was standing next to him.
“What are you looking at Flash?” Shining Armor thought as he looked over the balcony.
It only took a couple of seconds for Shining Armor to see what Flash had been so fixated on. It was Twilight, who was walking through the streets close by one of the crystal gardens. This confirmed that Flash had indeed taken an interest in Shining Armor’s sister. The first thing Shining Armor did was examine how Flash was looking at Twilight. The look in Flash’s eyes wasn’t that of an immature young colt thirsting for a mare but rather it was the look a polite gentlecolt would give to the mare he was in love with. Shining Armor was pleased at this and decided to make his presence known.
“The Crystal Empire really is a beautiful place, isn’t it?” Shining Armor asked, making the pegasus jump.
“Woah! U-Uh, I mean, Captain Armor, sir! I didn’t know you were there! Am I not at my assigned post!? I’m sorry, I thought that-!”
“At ease, corporal.” Shining Armor said, raising his hoof up.
“Yes sir.” Flash said, relaxing a bit before straightening himself up.
“You know Flash, I’m honestly surprised you’re even here right now. I figured you’d be down there doing your good deeds for the day.” Shining Armor said with a bit of a chuckle.
“Oh, heh, yeah… No sir, not today.” Flash said as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
“Oh, relax, I’m just pulling your leg.” Shining Armor said as he went straight to the point. “So, what’ve you been looking at?”
“Oh, you know, sir. Just admiring the wonderful sights of the Crystal Empire.” Flash replied with an innocent smile.
“Wonderful sights of the Crystal Empire, huh? Is Twilight one of them?” Shining Armor asked, catching the pegasus off guard.
“Wh-What!? N-No sir! Not at all!” Flash said quickly.
“Come on Flash don’t waste a good lie on this. I think I have a pretty good idea what’s going on here. You like her, don’t you?” Shining Armor asked.
Flash gulped in response as he knew he was trapped. Sweat began running down his head as Flash struggled to think of what to say. The question caused Flash to really think about how he felt about Twilight.
When Flash had first arrived in the Crystal Empire, he was introduced to Princess Cadance and Shining Armor and given a quick tour of the palace. The day after his arrival, Flash would meet Twilight for the first time, when she had bumped into him. His first impression of her was that she seemed to be a respectable mare and of course, like all of the princesses of Equestria, she was quite pretty. After some ordeal involving Twilight’s crown by a unicorn named Sunset Shimmer, Flash and Twilight would become good friends. Whenever Twilight would visit the Crystal Empire for reasons that didn’t involve royal duties or world saving situations, she’d always seem to find time to talk with Flash. Granted, most of the time they would even see each other was because they would almost always bump into each other, which led to the two of them striking up a conversation.
That’s how it went in the beginning and the two continued to remain good friends. Whenever the two wouldn’t literally bump into each other to start a conversation, Twilight and Flash started to hang out a bit. Usually, their hangouts consisted of short walks or the occasional quick meal together, but it was enough to establish a good friendship. As time went on though, Flash started to look at Twilight differently. Of course, Flash saw Twilight as a very powerful and respected princess of Equestria just like everypony else. Eventually, Flash started to admire and appreciate Twilight more. He liked how full of knowledge she was, and he always found it enjoyable whenever he’d listen to Twilight’s speeches and occasional rambles about whatever topic she had her mind on. Twilight’s strength, sheer willpower, and her determination was somethin Flash really respected about her.
Twilight was no ordinary mare; she was a mare that had the power and knowledge to look after herself and fight for what was right. Flash always had a soft spot for those kinds of mares; mares that were strong and determined to live their lives to their fullest potential. Of course, Flash also began to take notice of how pretty Twilight was. The colors of her mane and tail really complimented her lovely lavender fur. Twilight’s smile always brightened up the room and lifted everypony’s spirits up. Her eyes were filled with a gentle and caring love, as well as a strong and determined will.
Twilight’s personality was also just so lovable. She was smart, yet still so eager to learn. She was caring and sweet, but when needed, she could act like a very good leader. She was confident but willing to accept help, most of the time at least. Her occasional awkwardness was also too cute not to love. All of this would eventually lead to Flash having feelings for the Princess of Friendship. Of course, out of respect for their friendship, Flash never acted upon his feelings. Flash wanted to tell her how he felt, but a part of him would always convince him that she was too good for him. After all, he was just a guard, and she was a princess of Equestria.
As Flash continued to think about his feelings for Twilight, he suddenly remembered where he was. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been stuck in his thoughts, but he knew he had to say something. However, Flash had already given Shining Armor an answer to his question.
“Yeah, I figured as much.” Shining Armor said with a chuckle.
“You’re not going to beat me up or anything now, are you sir?” Flash asked as he mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
“What? Flash, this isn’t some romance drama or anything, I’m not going to hurt you.” Shining Armor said.
“Oh, okay…” Flash said.
“So, how long have you liked her?” Shining Armor asked.
“A couple years now, sir.” Flash replied.
“Really? Well, why haven’t you told her anything yet?” Shining Armor asked before he chuckled a bit. “What? Were you scared of me finding out?”
“(Nervous Chuckle) Well, sort of, but that’s not it. I guess I didn’t want to ruin the friendship I had with her. Besides, she’s way out of my league anyway.” Flash said.
“Why do you say that?” Shining Armor asked.
“Because she’s a princess, and I’m just a guard.” Flash replied.
“And? Look at me, I was just a guard and I married Cadance when she was a princess. Why should that stop you?” Shining Armor asked.
“Well, as a royal guard of the Crystal Empire, I don’t really have too much time to socialize. I know I have a problem with abandoning my post to do good deeds, but I still understand what my job is. I don’t want to let you or Princess Cadance down. Besides, Twilight lives in Ponyville, so she’s not here that much anyway.” Flash explained.
“I see… You know Flash, I used to feel the same way when Cadance and I started dating. I knew how important my job was as a royal guard, but I didn’t let that stop me. Cadance and I took advantage of the little time we had to be together, and we made the most of it. Even if it was just small talk, it was enough for Cadance and me to keep our love for each other as strong as ever.” Shining Armor said as a thought popped up in Flash’s head.
“Captain Armor, how did you and Princess Cadance meet?” Flash asked.
“How did Cadance and I meet? We met in magic school when we were kids. We had the same class together. We got along very well, and we became really good friends. As we got older, I guess we just ended up catching feelings for each other. It was because of my relationship with Cadance that she became Twilight’s foal-sitter. We didn’t start dating right away Flash, it took time before we decided to try something more. You’re good friends with Twilight, right?” Shining Armor asked.
“Yes, I’d say so, sir.” Flash replied with a nod. “So, you’re not mad that I like her?”
“Of course not. If anything, I’m happy that you like her, Flash. I’ll admit, I had pretty much given up on Twilight finding a special somepony. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that Twilight needs to get with somepony, but it would be nice for her. You and I have been friends long enough for me to say that if there was anypony worthy of being with Twilight, you’d be one of them Flash.” Shining Armor said.
“Really, sir?” Flash asked.
“Absolutely. You’re a good pony Flash, and I know you’d treat her right.” Shining Armor said.
“I’d never do anything to hurt her, sir.” Flash said.
“And that is why you have my blessing, Flash.” Shining Armor said as he put a hoof on Flash’s shoulder.
“S-Sir, really?” Flash asked.
“Yes, you have my blessing. Now, I’m not telling you to shoot your shot with her right now or anything, but if you ever do and she says yes, if you do anything to hurt her or make her cry for any reason, not only will you lose your rank as corporal, but your face will also be meeting the floor once I’m done beating the ever-loving daylights out of you. Got it?” Shining Armor asked with a very serious look on his face.
“Y-Yes sir! O-Of course sir!” Flash replied with a salute.
“Good. Now, I think you and I can clearly see that Twilight is pretty upset about something.” Shining Armor said as they both looked down at the princess.
“Yes sir, I’m not sure what it is but she’s clearly not in good spirits.” Flash said.
“Well, what are you standing around for, soldier? Go and talk with her.” Shining Armor said.
“What? Me? But you’re her brother. Shouldn’t you be the one talking to her?” Flash asked.
“I would, but I have some paperwork to attend to. It seems the stuff has been piling up ever since this Rogue showed up in Equestria. I’ll get somepony to cover your post.” Shining Armor said as he turned to leave but stopped as he grinned. “Actually, you know what, I’m not giving you a choice.”
“Wait, what?” Flash asked.
“Flash Sentry, you go down there, find out what’s wrong with my little sister, and try to make her feel better. That’s an order. Do you understand?” Shining Armor asked with his captain’s voice.
“Yes sir!” Flash replied with another salute.
“Good, now get to it!” Shining Armor ordered, pointing to the door.
“Yes sir! Right away, sir!” Flash said as he quickly rushed off to do what he was told.
When Shining Armor was left alone on the balcony, he chuckled a bit at the thought of how terrified Flash had been when he found out that Twilight’s big brother knew about those special feelings. The thought of Twilight’s well-being immediately took over as Shining Armor sighed.
“Damn paperwork. Why can’t Equestria have one month of peace? I guess that’s part of the curse of living here. It’s a blessing to live in Equestria, but it’s also a curse. (Sigh) I hope things will be okay for you, Twily.” Shining Armor said to himself as he turned to head for his office.
Meanwhile, Twilight was still trying to wrap her head around everything Amethyst Maresbury had told her about Professor Screw and his origins. The fact that she had been so close to that sick monster of a pony just didn’t sit well with Twilight’s psyche. What really made Twilight sick was how calm Professor Screw was. He seemed completely unaffected by his past actions, like he didn’t brutally kill and torture a bunch of innocent ponies. Twilight didn’t even want to think of how many ponies Professor Screw could have killed during those one thousand years he was alive and waiting for King Sombra’s return.
What confused Twilight the most was why King Sombra even bothered with somepony as crazy as the Professor. If she remembered correctly, all King Sombra wanted was to take over the Crystal Empire, using the crystal ponies as slaves to dig up crystals that would give him more power. In what way, shape, or form, did that plan involve having some of those crystal ponies tortured and experimented on? Perhaps it was to bestow fear into the minds of the other slaves from rebelling or refusing to work? But couldn’t King Sombra just use his dark magic to plant fear into the slaves, forcing them to work harder? How did the Professor know King Sombra enough to be so loyal to him?
After more and more questions began popping up in Twilight’s head, she decided it would be best if she sat down before her legs gave out. Twilight spotted a small bench that was in front Mistmane’s Crystal Flower Garden, just perfect to sit down and rest for a bit. As Twilight sat down on the bench, she looked at the crystal flowers in front of her. The colors and the way the sun reflected off of the crystals was very beautiful. It was almost enough to make Twilight forget about the Rogue and everything else involving them. This didn’t last however as Twilight’s mind immediately reminded her about Professor Screw’s origins.
As Twilight continued to stress about everything that had been happening in Equestria for the past couple of days, she heard the sound of hooves approaching her. Twilight didn’t look up to see who it was until she heard the familiar voice of Flash Sentry.
“This really is one of the nicest spots in the Crystal Empire, wouldn’t you agree?” Flash asked, getting the young mare’s attention.
“Huh? Oh, hey Flash.” Twilight said as she gave him a smile.
“Hey, Twilight. May I?” Flash asked as he gestured to the spot next to Twilight.
“Go ahead.” Twilight responded as Flash sat next to her.
“I saw you earlier. You looked, well still look, really upset about something. Is it about the Rogue?” Flash asked.
“In a way yes. But more so about one of them; Professor Screw Loose.” Twilight said, looking back down at the flowers.
“Professor Screw Loose? Oh yeah, I heard about him.” Flash said.
“You know about him?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah, but not a lot really. When I was transferred here, all the guards told me was his name, that he was a seriously messed up pony, and that I wasn’t supposed to talk about it.” Flash explained.
“Oh, I see.” Twilight said as she decided to try and move away from the topic of the Professor. “Flash, you said that you were transferred here. Now that I think about it, I don’t think you ever told me how you ended up here or even how you became a royal guard. Care to tell me?”
“Well, I could, but shouldn’t we talk about-?”
“Please, Flash. I really don’t want to think about the Professor or the Rogue right now.” Twilight said.
“Well, alright then. I guess a little fun fact about me, I actually used to be part of Princess Celestia’s royal guard in Canterlot.” Flash said.
“You were a royal guard in Canterlot? Flash, I grew up in Canterlot and I don’t remember ever seeing you there.” Twilight said as she tilted her head.
“Well, that’s probably because I was in training to be a guard most of the time, I was in Canterlot. So, I was mostly in the royal guard training camp. Which is probably why you never saw me.” Flash explained.
“How did you end up becoming a guard?” Twilight asked.
“Well, to be honest, as a kid I never wanted to be a guard. I wanted to be an explorer or something. I wanted to see the world. I lived in Canterlot for most of my life with my parents. My dad used to be in the royal guard, but he was forced to step down from his position after an incident involving the Griffins. They tore his right wing off and permanently crippled the other one.” Flash explained.
“Oh dear, well at least your father survived. So, what made you change your mind?” Twilight asked.
Flash didn’t say anything for a few moments as Twilight looked at him expectingly. His reasoning for becoming a guard was something he only told to ponies he really trusted.
“Our house caught fire one day when I was a juvenile. I don’t remember how the fire started but it happened very early in the morning. The house was falling apart from the inside. My parents threw me out of the window so I could be safe. They were about to get out of the house, but before they could, the rest of the house collapsed and crushed them. By the time help arrived, it was too late.” Flash said as he removed his helmet, placing it beside him.
“Oh, my Celestia, Flash, I… I’m so sorry.” Twilight said as she covered her mouth.
“When my parents died, I swore to them that I would dedicate my life to protecting Equestria; like my father had. I spoke to Princess Celestia and requested to become a royal guard. The princess accepted my request and I spent most of my young teenage years studying everything I needed to know about becoming a guard. When I was grown, I enlisted into the training program and eventually earned my position as a royal guard.” Flash explained.
“But if you trained to become a guard in Canterlot, how did you end up in the Crystal Empire?” Twilight asked.
“Well, the time I completed my training to be a royal guard, was some time after you and your friends defeated King Sombra. I overheard Princess Celestia and Princess Luna discussing how Captain Armor and Princess Cadance were doing well in restoring the Crystal Empire and they were working on getting their guards ready to protect the empire. I requested that I be transferred there because I still wanted to see the world. Also, I wanted to get away from Canterlot because it brought memories of the day my parents died. The princesses accepted my request, and I was transferred to the Crystal Empire.” Flash explained.
“I see… Flash, again, I’m really sorry about your parents. That must have been so horrible to go through.” Twilight said.
“It was pretty hard to carry on without my parents, but I was able to power through.” Flash said with a smile.
As Twilight and Flash shared a smile with each other, Twilight sensed that Flash was about to ask her how she was doing involving the Professor. Before that could happen, Twilight quickly looked for something to talk about. Twilight’s eyes soon landed on something on Flash’s chest plate. When Twilight had first met this Flash Sentry, he had a blue star symbol on the center of his chest plate. A few months ago, the chest plate’s symbol changed slightly. The blue star was still there, but it was now on a small dark blue shield. This new symbol was also on Flash’s helmet.
“Um, Flash, did your armor change or something? I don’t remember that shield and star being on your helmet or on the chest plate of your armor.” Twilight said, pointing to the symbol.
“Oh, well yeah. When I got promoted to corporal, I got some new armor.” Flash said as he looked at the symbol on his chest and helmet.
“You got promoted to the corporal rank? When?” Twilight asked.
“About six months ago.” Flash replied.
“Well, how did you get promoted? Come on Flash, tell me.” Twilight insisted, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“Well, about six months ago, the hospital here at the Crystal Empire collapsed and a fire broke out immediately afterwards. Captain Armor, your brother, along with some of his best guards, went into the hospital to save the trapped ponies before they were severely hurt. I, along with some other guards, were tasked with keeping the rest of the crystal ponies safe from the fire. We thought that we’d gotten everypony out of the hospital but one of the nurses said that there was still one patient trapped in the building. By then, the fire had gotten really bad, and the smoke made it really hard to see. Captain Armor was planning on how to safely get the patient out of the hospital, but I saw the patient’s family. They looked so terrified, and I didn’t want them to lose a family member. So, against the captain’s orders, I flew into the hospital. It took some time, but I eventually found the patient pinned under a large crystal. I almost got trapped myself and my mane nearly caught fire a few times, but I was able to save the patient from the fire.” Flash explained.
“Wow, Flash, that’s amazing!” Twilight said, amazed by Flash’s bravery and devotion to saving that patient.
“Your brother was upset that I didn’t follow my orders, but he was proud that I had done the right thing and saved that pony’s life. I was promoted to corporal the next day.” Flash said with a grin.
“I’m sure the family of that patient was very thankful to you.” Twilight said.
“Heh, yeah, they were. Sadly, the patient died a few weeks after the incident.” Flash said as he looked down at his helmet.
“Oh no, what happened?” Twilight asked.
“He was really sick at the time. I’m not sure what sickness he had, but from what I heard, it was a very serious disease.” Flash said.
“That’s so heartbreaking to hear. But at least you were able to save him from the fire.” Twilight said as she placed her hoof on Flash’s.
“Yeah, I’m glad that I was able to at least save him.” Flash said as he smiled at her. “Well enough about me, Twilight. What about this Professor Screw has gotten you so upset?”
“(Sigh) My friends and I spoke to Ms. Maresbury, the librarian. Cadance said that guards told her that if we wanted to learn about Professor Screw, Ms. Maresbury was the pony to go to.” Twilight explained.
Flash nodded in response as he listened attentively to Twilight.
“When Professor Screw and I first met, I already had a feeling that he was much more dangerous than he looked. (Sigh) I had no idea just how dangerous he really was. For starters, he’s apparently been alive for over a thousand years because King Sombra cursed him just before the Crystal Empire disappeared. I’m not sure why he did that, but it seems the Professor was extremely loyal to King Sombra.” Twilight explained.
“What did the Professor do for those thousand years he was alive?” Flash asked.
“He said that he practiced dark magic for those years while he waited for King Sombra’s return.” Twilight replied.
“Dark magic? I never would have guessed that a crystal pony would ever use that kind of magic.” Flash said.
“You think that’s bad? It gets worse, so much worse. While he was in the Crystal Empire, he not only practiced dark magic, he also… killed and tortured his parents.” Twilight said.
“WHAT!?” Flash cried, not expecting to hear something like that.
In response to Flash’s understandable outburst, Twilight began to tell him everything. She told him all about Professor Screw’s origins, from his foalhood all the way to his shocking downfall into madness. Twilight then began to ramble to Flash about everything involving the Rogue. From the moment she and her friends had learned of Appleloosa’s destruction, the sight of all of the ponies killed in Appleloosa, the discovery that Doctor Whooves had been turned evil, hearing about the destruction of Starlight Glimmer’s old village, seeing the destruction of the town, meeting the Rogue, battling the Rogue, all the way up to this very moment.
“I just don’t get it, everything was going so well a few days ago. Things were so peaceful! Then the Rogue showed up and things just went completely down the drain. I mean in the past, whenever we were dealing with something bad happening in Equestria, we’d be able to fix everything in a day or at most two days! But with the Rogue, we’re not even close to solving the problem! We don’t even know where the Rogue are! It’s all so much to take in and it’s only getting worse and worse!” Twilight rambled on as she turned to Flash, her eyes threatening to spill their tears.
“Twilight…”
“Flash, I’m scared. I’m scared that things will get even worse and there’s nothing we can do. All we can do is wait until the Rogue contacts us with this stupid crystal ball thing!” Twilight yelled as she summoned the crystal globe and shook it vigorously with her magic.
“Twilight, look at me.” Flash said as he held Twilight’s hoof. “It takes a lot of guts to admit that you’re scared and I’m really glad that you’re admitting it. But there’s nothing for you to be afraid of. Do you know why?”
Twilight only shook her head as she looked up at Flash.
“Because you’re Twilight Sparkle; you’re the Princess of Friendship. You and your friends have done so much for Equestria. You’ve all conquered threats that even the princesses themselves couldn’t defeat. You defeated Nightmare Moon and saved Princess Luna from her darkness. You stopped Discord from turning Equestria into his personal chaos playground or whatever he wanted to do. You were able to see through Queen Chrysalis’s tricks and even took on her entire army of Changelings. You saved the Crystal Empire from King Sombra and restored the empire to its former glory. You stopped the Everfree Forest from taking over Equestria. You fought Tirek and won, preventing him from completely taking over. You saved that village from Starlight’s corruption. You even saved Starlight Glimmer from herself. You defeated the Pony of Shadows and reformed him. You took on the Storm King and won, even making new allies and friends along the way. Should I go on?” Flash asked.
As Twilight took in everything Flash had told her, the urge to cry became even stronger.
“Twilight, I know this threat you’re facing now is more… serious… than the other threats you’ve gone against in the past, but it doesn’t matter because you and your friends will overcome it. You’ve never let Equestria down once before, at least not that I’m aware of and I know you never will.” Flash said.
“Flash… I… I can’t…” Twilight said, struggling to get her words out without breaking down.
“Twilight, I can tell you want to cry. But I can also tell that you’re holding back. Crying doesn’t make you weak, Twilight. Just let it all out, Twilight. It’s okay.” Flash said, giving her a warm smile.
At this, Twilight finally broke down as she hugged Flash and started to cry. Flash gently wrapped his hooves around Twilight, doing his best to comfort her as she cried about how terrified she was and that she didn’t want any more ponies to die. Little did the two ponies know, they had been being watched for some time now by the rest of Twilight’s friends as well as Princess Cadance.
After Twilight’s friends, especially Applejack and Fluttershy, had insisted that they check on Twilight to make sure she was okay, Cadance finally gave in and agreed that they could check on her.
After asking a couple of the locals, they were eventually led to the crystal gardens, where they found Twilight and Flash sitting on a bench together and talking about Professor Screw and the rest of the Rogue. Rainbow Dash had suggested they go over and see how Twilight was doing, but when Cadance saw how Twilight and Flash were connecting, she told everypony to keep quiet.
Being the Princess of Love, Cadance could tell that Flash had developed feelings for Twilight. She also could sense a love that was just starting to blossom inside of Twilight for Flash. Cadance was pleased that her sister-in-law was finally considering love and that she had chosen a good pony to love. And as the Princess of Love, Cadance was quite curious to see how this conversation between the two ponies would go. Cadance really appreciated how much Flash was really paying attention to what Twilight had to say, as well as the way he was comforting her.
By now, everypony was really invested in Twilight’s conversation with Flash, even Rainbow Dash, which was surprising to everypony, given that Rainbow Dash was never one to care about romance or anything.
“Move over AJ, I can’t see.” Rainbow Dash said as she tried to shove Applejack to the side.
“Can y’all stop pushing me? Just fly up. Also, since when did you care about love?” Applejack asked.
“I don’t, but this is Twilight we’re talking about here.” Rainbow Dash said.
“Would you two loudmouths please be quiet!? If either of you ruin this, I’ll force you to take part in my next fashion line, and yes it will involve a lot of fancy dress and make-up.” Rarity whispered.
“I’ll be right back girls, I’m gonna go find a camera.” Pinkie Pie whispered as she zipped away to find a camera in the Crystal Empire.
Twilight continued to cry in Flash’s hooves until she eventually had no more tears left to shed. Once she had stopped crying, Twilight just allowed herself to be held by Flash. After sitting in silence for a couple minutes, Twilight looked up at Flash and he looked down at her, allowing their eyes to meet each other. The look in Flash’s eyes gave off the same comforting and loving vibes of the Flash Sentry from the mirror world, causing Twilight to smile a bit.
“Heh, well, it looks like you’ve stopped crying.” Flash said.
“I’m sorry, I must’ve looked so pathetic crying like a little filly.” Twilight said as she rubbed her eyes.
“Not at all, Twilight. There’s nothing wrong with crying; you’re fine.” Flash said.
As Twilight continued to look at Flash, she found herself not wanting to leave from where she was. Aside from Night Light and Shining Armor, Flash had been the only other stallion that Twilight could actually open up to and discuss personal things with. Being so close to Flash made Twilight feel safe, like nothing bad could happen to her. Twilight began to feel this particular sense of happiness which she hadn’t felt since she was with the Flash Sentry of the mirror world.
Ever since Twilight’s first visit to the mirror world, she had always thought that the pony Flash Sentry was just as kind as the Flash Sentry from the mirror world and just as cute. Since then, that was all Twilight had really felt about Flash, or at least that’s what she thought. Now, Twilight didn’t know how to describe how she felt. At this, Twilight began to wonder if she was indeed feeling love for the Flash in front of her. Not wanting to let this continue to confuse her, Twilight decided to let her mind rest and let her emotions control the situation.
“Flash.” Twilight said as she gently placed a hoof on Flash’s face.
“Yeah?” Flash asked, not sure what else to do.
“Thank you… Thank you for being so kind to me. You’ve really helped me feel better about everything that’s been happening. I can’t remember the last time any stallion ever made me feel this way… you really are a kind pony...” Twilight said as she closed her eyes and began to bring her face closer to Flash.
“You’re welcome… Twilight…” Flash said as he too closed his eyes and brought his face closer to hers.
The faces of the two ponies inched closer and closer, their lips puckering and ready to kiss. In this moment, nothing else mattered, Equestria ceased to exist, and all troubles vanished. All that remained was Twilight and Flash. Their lips were so close touching when…
“HEYA GIRLS! I found a camera!” Pinkie Pie’s voice shouted from just around the corner.
This sudden outburst caused Twilight and Flash to immediately stop and their eyes opened up. Seeing how close their faces were and the fact that they been caught, Twilight instantly teleported away from Flash, which caused him to fall off of the bench they had been sitting on.
“(Giggles) Whoopsie.” Pinkie Pie said as she nervously giggled.
“Oh! Just look what you’ve done, Pinkie!” Rarity said as she glared at the pink pony. “You just had to go and shout things out like some delinquent!”
“I’m sorry Rarity, I didn’t mean to. I was just super excited to show you all this neat camera I found, see.” Pinkie Pie said as she held the camera out in front of Rarity innocently.
Rarity said nothing as she just smacked the camera out of Pinkie Pie’s hooves. Knowing full well their cover had been blown, Cadance and the Mane Six walked into view of the two flustered ponies.
“P-Pinkie! Rarity! E-Everypony!? What are you all doing here!?” Twilight cried as her wings flapped frantically.
“Well, we were looking for you, but Cadance here decided to spy on you.” Rainbow Dash said before Applejack jabbed her in the side. “Ow! What the hay, Applejack!”
“Now don’t y’all try to put all the blame on Cadance. You were spying too.” Applejack said.
“So were you!” Rainbow Dash snapped back.
“Alright enough you two! J-Just tell me, how long were you all watching for!?” Twilight asked.
“Um… maybe for more than five minutes?” Fluttershy said nervously.
“What!?” Twilight cried.
“Twilight, Twilight, calm down. It’s okay.” Cadance said, trying to calm her sister-in-law down.
“No! It’s not okay, Cadance! Friends don’t spy on each other!” Twilight said.
“But didn’t you spy on me for a bit when you were first trying to understand how my Pinkie Sense worked?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“That’s different. I was doing scientific research.” Twilight said.
“So, it’s okay to do scientific research on your friends, but it’s not okay to spy on them?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Okay, we’re getting off track here! Why in Equestria were you all just watching me?” Twilight asked.
“Our sincerest apologies, darling. We were just coming to check on you. But when we found you, we could see that you were… busy.” Rarity said.
“Well as you can see, I’m perfectly fine now.” Twilight said with a very unamused look on her face.
“You know Twilight, I must say, I’m very proud of you.” Cadance said with a smile.
“For what?” Twilight asked.
“(Giggle) Oh, come now, Twilight. I’m pretty sure you and I both know what I’m talking about.” Cadance said as gestured towards the pegasus behind Twilight.
Turning around, Twilight saw that Flash was still laying on the floor after being knocked off by Twilight’s teleportation spell.
“Oh, Flash, I’m so sorry! Here, let me help you up.” Twilight as she used her magic to lift Flash back up.
“(Nervous Chuckle) There’s no need to apologize, Twilight. I’ve been through wors-(Cough) (Cough).”
Hearing this loud and seemingly uncontrollable cough coming from Flash instantly made Twilight lose her feelings of embarrassment; instead, she now felt concerned.
“Flash… are you okay?” Twilight asked.
“(Cough) What? Oh y-yeah, don’t worry about me, I’m fine.” Flash said as he turned his head away from Twilight so he could spit on the ground. “Just a little cough, that’s all.”
“Flash, that didn’t sound like just a little cough.” Twilight said as she took a step towards him.
“Twilight it’s okay. Look, if you’re worried that I could have gotten you sick, you’re all good. Princess Cadance put a spell on me so that I wouldn’t get anypony else sick.” Flash explained with a confident grin.
“And you should know that the only reason I put that spell on you, was because we needed all guards on the ready since Flurry Heart was throwing a fit.” Cadance said as she walked over to him. “Flash Sentry, have you been to the doctor?”
“Y-Yes of course, Princess Cadance. I visited his office yesterday.” Flash replied.
“Doctor? Flash, what’s going on?” Twilight asked.
“Twilight, it’s nothing really.” Flash said as Cadance stepped closer, blocking Flash’s view of Twilight.
“If you could all excuse us for a moment.” Cadance said as she used her magic to create a large magic bubble around herself and Flash.
As Cadance created this magic bubble around herself and Flash, Twilight and the others found that they could not hear what the two were saying to each other. Twilight figured that Cadance was using a spell similar to the spell Twilight used back when she had been trying to reconnect with Moondancer in the Canterlot library.
“Flash, this has been going on for months now. Tell me, what is going on with you?” Cadance asked as she gave Flash a very serious look.
“Princess Cadance, I promise you, it’s really nothing too serious. Because I’m not a crystal pony, I’m just not used to the weather conditions of the Crystal Empire. I’m from Canterlot after all.” Flash said.
“In that case, what about me, Shining Armor, Flurry Heart, and Sunburst? We’re not crystal ponies either, so why aren’t we sick like you are?” Cadance asked.
“Well, you and Princess Flurry Heart are alicorns and Captain Armor and Sunburst are powerful unicorns. You all have lots of magic in your bodies that make you stronger than us pegasi.” Flash said.
“(Sigh) Flash, listen, as the Princess of Love, I am fully aware of how you and Twilight feel towards each other.” Cadance said, raising her hoof up before Flash could say anything. “As I’m sure you know, Twilight is going through some very difficult times because of the horrific events that have been occurring in Equestria these last couple of days. The last thing she needs is to know that somepony she really cares for is sick. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Princess Cadance.” Flash replied with a firm nod.
“Good. We will continue this discussion at another time. For now, promise me that you will figure out what is going on with you. We’re all worried about you, Flash.” Cadance said.
“I understand.” Flash said as Cadance gave him a smile.
While Cadance and Flash were talking to each other inside of the magic bubble, Rainbow Dash turned to Twilight and decided it would be a good opportunity to get a little teasing in.
“So, how was your little talk with Flash Sentry, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked with a snicker.
“(Sigh) It went well, Rainbow.” Twilight said as face hoofed herself.
“Hehe, I can tell. Because it looked like there was more than talking going on.” Rainbow Dash said.
“Rainbow, if you keep this up, I’ll use a spell on you that will permanently give you acrophobia and aerophobia.” Twilight said as she gave Rainbow Dash a look.
“Yeah, maybe explain what those are in non-egghead terms, please?” Rainbow Dash suggested with a mocking grin.
“You’ll be terrified of heights and flying forever.” Twilight replied.
“Okay! Okay! Relax, Twilight! It’s just a little friendly teasing!” Rainbow Dash said as she waved her hooves out defensively in front of her.
As Twilight continued to get lightly teased, Cadance and Flash had finished their conversation. The Mane Six turned their attention towards the two ponies as Cadance deactivated the magic bubble.
“Cadance, is everything okay?” Twilight asked.
“Yes, everything is fine, Twilight. Turns out Corporal Sentry here was lying to me about his supposed visit to the doctor yesterday, so I gave him a stern talking to.” Cadance said.
“Wait, what?” Flash asked.
“Flash, you can’t just lie to your princess. I can’t believe you.” Twilight said.
“I… I know, I just didn’t want her to worry, that’s all.” Flash said, deciding it was best to just go along with the flow.
“Flash, please promise me that you’ll take care of yourself.” Twilight said as she gave Flash a look of genuine care and concern.
“Don’t worry, I will, Twilight. Promise.” Flash said with a nod and a smile.
“Thank you, Flash.” Twilight said.
“Well, Flash, I believe you’ve had enough time to relax. Please go back to your post.” Cadance said.
“Yes, Princess Cadance.” Flash said as he bowed to her before turning to Twilight and her friends. “Well, it was very nice to see all of you again.”
As Twilight’s friends all said their goodbyes to Flash, he turned to look at Twilight. The two ponies looked at each other for a few moments before they awkwardly blushed.
“Well, goodbye Twilight. It was… nice to see you again too.” Flash said with a nervous chuckle.
“Yeah, you too.” Twilight said as she tried not to make her embarrassment anymore obvious than it already was. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Anytime, Twilight. It’s what friends do for each other.” Flash said as they shared a smile before Flash finally walked off to go back to his post.
“Now that that is taken care of, Twilight, how are you feeling?” Cadance asked as she walked over and patted Twilight on the head.
“I’m feeling okay. I’m still really worried about the Rogue, but I think I can manage.” Twilight answered.
“Why don’t we go and spend some time with your parents? Come along all of you. I’ll treat everypony to a nice meal.” Cadance said.
“Oh, but Cadance, you really don’t have to.” Twilight said.
“(Giggle) I know I don’t have to. But I insist.” Cadance said with a smile.
“Well in that case, thank you, Cadance.” Twilight said.
As Twilight and her friends began to follow Cadance back to the Crystal Palace, comforting as well as lightly teasing Twilight, Fluttershy stopped for a moment and looked back to where Twilight and Flash had been sitting earlier. Being an animal caretaker, Fluttershy knew that something wasn’t right with the pegasus. As Fluttershy approached the spot where Twilight and Flash had been, she spotted the area where Flash had spit. It was there that she was able to see that Flash had spit out a tiny bit of blood. This worried Fluttershy as she knew this was bad news. Then before Fluttershy could say or do anything else, she heard Pinkie Pie’s voice call out to her.
“Fluttershy! Come on, let’s go! We don’t want to leave you behind!” Pinkie Pie called as she eagerly waved Fluttershy over to her.
“Coming!” Fluttershy called back as she looked at the tiny drops of blood. “Oh dear…”