//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: The Grand Galloping Gala // Story: A Guard and a Princess // by TorontoFCBrony //------------------------------// "Well, another day, another kingdom to save," Flash said sarcastically while waking up for work the morning of the Grand Galloping Gala. "Let's see what we have today," he said while going over to his calendar. "Oh, goodie, another shift in front of the main doors," he said. "Well, at least I can have dinner for one and still have time to go to the gala." Every guard who wasn't working during the gala received a single ticket for themselves to attend. "I'll at least try to go and have some fun." Flash left his house after a quickly microwaved breakfast and headed towards his locker room inside the castle. Strangely, though, when he got there, there was nopony else in the locker room. He shrugged it off and opened his locker, grabbed his suit of armour, and sat down on the usual bench to put it all on—a usual routine that took quite a while, considering there was plenty of equipment to put on. Flash could hear hoofsteps coming from down the hallway, which wasn't difficult due to the royal guards often wearing heavy horseshoes. Each step echoed as a pony would make his or her way down the tile floors of the many hallways. Those hoofsteps got closer and closer, until finally it was revealed who was making them. "Captain and Prince," Flash said as he sat up and saluted. "At ease," Shining responded. "How is everything today?" "Fine, sir. I'm just concerned that I'm the only pony here. Where are Sentinel and Optimus?" "Their shifts were changed to tonight. They'll be guarding the front doors of the Grand Galloping Gala. Now, I'm actually here to speak to you about your work as of late." Flash didn't know what to expect at a time like this. The last time Captain Shining Armour had spoken to him, it was good news. But after the horrid week emotionally that Flash had, he wasn't expecting the same result. Shining continued, "I've noticed that your quality of work has declined this week. Is there anything you need to tell me? I would've expected more from you based on the previous weeks." Oh, good Celestia, he can never find out that I tried to ask out his sister. That'd be the end of me working here, Flash thought to himself. "N-not at all, sir. Just having a slow week. It's probably due to the bad weather. It's making me feel a little gloomy," Flash replied. "It's been blazing hot and sunny all week, what's your point?" "Um, yes. It's too hot, sir." "Flash, you're a young worker and you haven't been here very long. We expect the best here at the Guard. I also expect honesty and don't fancy a liar." Flash felt his heart sink. Would he lie again to his boss, the captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard? Yes, yes he would. "Just some personal issues at home involving my parents, sir. I'll try my best not to bring that into work," Flash responded. "Flash, I'm pretty sure that's not true either. I'm very disappointed in you and I expected much better of you." So much for trying. Flash could almost feel his legs shake at this point, all four of them. He not only had a poor performance at work this week, but he lied to his boss and got caught instantly. Discipline was only bound to happen next, at least in the young guard's mind. "I'm very sorry, Captain. I've disappointed you," Flash apologized while putting his head down. "Yes, yes you have," Shining replied. However, he used his left hoof to lift up the chin of Flash. "But I'm willing to let that go." Flash breathed a sigh of relief. "I am, however, a little concerned that you still didn't admit the true reason of why you have been upset this week," Shining continued. The sigh of relief turned back into a sinking feeling. "In fact, I saw the reason why you were upset, and I'm not happy about it either." Flash could feel his heart sink even lower. He didn't even know what to expect next, but he knew it wasn't good. "I saw you talking to my sister." Crap, how can this get any worse? Flash thought in his mind. "And, you know, I saw how she rejected you with all of the 'no's, and you know what? I feel for you, actually." Flash cocked one of his eyebrows up. "Really? You really feel for me?" "Yes. I too was a guard who had a crush on a princess," Shining Armour said with a smile. "In fact, it took me years to finally get her to accept just a simple date. I had to deal with ridicule from fellow coworkers as well as my own nerves, feelings, and doubts in myself." Is Shining Armour actually being supportive of me? Huh. Maybe he's not such a mean boss as I first thought. "But, you know what, Flash?" "What, sir?" "I stuck with it. I used to always doubt myself. There were always voices in my head telling me 'no' no matter what I did in life. But with Princess Cadence there was only 'yes', and I never gave up on that voice. That little voice telling me to go for it completely overshadowed all of the doubts in my head, and I went for it. It was hard—very, very hard—but it worked out in the end and I am so happy I took the risk." "Um, Shining?" "Wait, please. Just, let me finish." "For sure." "If you really do have a crush on my sister, I won't hold it against you. I won't stand in your way. I encourage you to go for it if you really think you have a chance with her." Flash was taken back. There had never been a bigger feeling of relief for him. Not only was the prince not mad, he was actually supportive. "Captain, you have no idea what that means to me. Thank you." "You're welcome, Flash. Like I said, I know what it's like to be in your position. A low ranking guard in love with a princess—it's not a good position to be in." "Well, I'm not sure if I love her yet. I need to know her first." "You're darn right you need to know her first! As her brother, I'll still have to keep her interest and safety as top priority. I will do what is best for her to try to keep her happy. As your boss, I need to make sure that this doesn't affect your work performance, as well. Keep your work life at work, and your home life home. Did I make myself clear?" "Crystal clear, sir." "Good. Anything else you have to say?" "No, sir. You were clear enough. I'll do my best at work, and I'll try to get to know Twilight without getting too close to her or too attached." "Good. That's what I want to hear. I forgot one other thing, though." "What's that, sir?" "If you touch her, I'll kill you," Shining said with a smile while staring Flash directly in the eyes. The two of them nearly laughed their heads off. "Ahhhh... That's a good one," Shining said while wiping a tear from his eye. "I mean it, though." Shining gave Flash a quick punch on the shoulder and then left the room. I really hope he didn't actually mean that, Flash said in his head. However, the entire conversation was much better than he had ever even hoped. He could now go into a new work day with normal nerves, not feeling like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Flash finished getting on his royal armour, but just as he was about to put one hoof out the door, a magical noise and a flash of green filled the room. -------------------------------------- "I haven't really seen Flash since the night of the meeting," Twilight mentioned to her friends while in her room with them that morning. "And every time I've only 'seen' him, he was at the end of the hallway and went a different way." "Well, sugarcube, what happened when you spoke to him?" Applejack asked. "I just made small talk with him. It was really nice. I actually helped him finish one of his sentences." "Oh, darling, that is so sweet," Rarity said. "What ever did he say to you?" "He had asked me to go out for a drink with him after work." "Well, what'd you say back?" Pinkie asked excitedly, but Twilight just kept quiet, thinking to herself. "Yeah, Twilight, spill the beans," Rainbow demanded. "I remembered my meeting with Princess Celestia," Twilight replied. She put her head down as she remembered the situation. Speaking more slowly and somberly, she added, "I yelled out 'no no no' as I took off down the hallway. That's actually not the first time I've done that to a creature named Flash Sentry" "Well, no wonder he doesn't want to see you!" Rarity said. "He probably thinks you outright rejected him. He's probably crushed." "I know, Rarity. I feel awful about it," Twilight said in a saddened tone. "There must be some way that I can make it better." "You can write a letter to him," Spike suggested. "Oh, yes Twilight. Invite him to be your date to the Grand Galloping Gala tonight," Fluttershy added. "Um, I'm not sure," Twilight said with a little it of nerves. "Yes, darling, you simply must make it up to him." "Mmmm," Twilight thought to herself. "All right, I'll send him a letter. But you need to help me learn what to write." "Deal," said the collective. Twilight walked around the room, thinking to herself of what she could possibly write to make things better. Meanwhile, Spike got a pen and paper, eagerly waiting at Twilight's desk to write what was on her mind. "How about, 'Dear Flash Sentry'? That seems like a good start, doesn't it?" All of the other mares looked at Twilight with half-closed eyes of discontent. "No no no," Rarity said. "'Dear sexy.' That is much better." "No way, Rarity. I'm not jumping that far ahead." "Suit yourself, darling." "If Twilight suits herself, then she will have the must boring dress of the entire gala," Pinkie said. "That's not what I meant, Pinkie," Rarity defended. "Girls, stop. I need to think," Twilight said while still walking around the room. She stopped in place when an idea came into her head. "'My dearest Flash Sentry.'" "Sounds good to me," Rainbow said. Twilight smiled and continued, "'I want to apologize for leaving you so abruptly. It was really rude of me to do so, and I sincerely apologize. To make it up to you, I would love it if you could join me at tonight's Grand Galloping Gala. In fact, I would be honoured if you would come by and pick me up just before. That way we could walk in together. It would mean the world to me if you would accept my apology. Yours truly, Princess Twilight Sparkle.' How does that sound?" All of the mares had smiles on their faces. "That is delightful, Twilight," Rarity complemented, to which Twilight smiled in return. "All right, Spike. Send the letter, please," Twilight commanded. Spike blew out from his mouth the usual green smoke, sending the letter over to Flash Sentry's locker room. "And now we wait," said Rainbow Dash. -------------------------------------- "What the buck is that?" Flash asked as he saw the green smoke in the room. He noticed the letter fall onto the bench after the smoke disappeared. He picked it up. The whole letter just smelled of royalty and beauty, probably because of the paper being in Twilight's room. Flash held the letter in his front hoof. Dear Flash Sentry Dear Sexy My Dearest Flash Sentry, I want to apologize for leaving you so obru abrub abruptly. It was really rude of me to do so, and I sincerely apologize. To make it up to you, I would love it if you could join me at tonight's Grand Galloping Gala. In fact, I would be honoured if you would come by and pick me up just before. That way, we could walk in together. It would mean the world to me if you would accept my apple orgy apology. Yours truly, Princess Twilight Sparkle. Flash was a little concerned with the spelling issues in the letter. He could not be totally sure if this came from the princess herself. In fact, it could have been a prank from his coworkers, or even a test from Shining Armour. That was when another shot of green smoke filled the room, depositing another letter on the bench. Flash read it out loud. I'm very sorry that I didn't proof read my previous letter. That was my loyal assistant, Spike, who wrote it. He is still young and probably wasn't listening properly. However, the message still stands, and I would love it if you could pick me up before the gala today. Flash held the letter close to his heart. He desperately hoped that it was really from the princess herself. If it wasn't, it probably would be one of the most embarrassing moments of his entire life. But the reward was worth the risk. -------------------------------------- "Don't you worry, Twilight, he's going to come." "Are you sure, Rarity? The Gala is only a few hours away." "Yes, silly. A princess always gets her prince," Pinkie added. Twilight was waiting in her room with her friends once again, but this time she was fully dressed in her new gala dress, along with her friends with each of their own. Rarity had really outdone herself on this occasion. Twilight's mane was more curly and wavy than usual, her eyelashes elongated, her crown sparkling, and her brilliant light blue dress sparkling with the gems put on it. The dress sparkled almost as much as her eyes themselves on this night. Everything about Twilight on this night was just beautiful. She needed to look her best, though, because this was her first gala as a member of the royal family, and the first time as a pony that she really had an interest in somepony else. "I don't know, girls. What if he thinks the letter was a joke? What if he thinks it's from me but still doesn't want to come because of how I treated him?" Twilight pondered out loud. "That's enough questions, sugarcube," Applejack responded while coming to face Twilight. "You need to just breathe. Everything will be all right. He's going to come. And even if he doesn't come, you will still have a great night with us." Knock knock knock "Ooooh. There he iiiiissssss," Rarity teased. Twilight went to the door, took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and opened it up with a smile. "I found your necklace, Rarity. It was left in the dining room," Spike said while walking in through the door and back into the room. Twilight had a distinct look of disappointment on her face. Spike was not the male creature she wanted to come through that door and that time. "Well, girls, I guess he isn't coming. We might as well just lea—" "Princess Twilight Sparkle?" Twilight, who was facing her friends, noticed that they all shot a grin from ear to ear. Her eyes widened largely. She took a breath again, put on a normal face, and turned around. "Oh, Flash, you don't know how happy I am to see you," Twilight said with an eager grin. "I'm so happy to know that that really was your letter! So, I'm here to accept my apple orgy," he said with a smile. "Um, excuse me?" Applejack asked. "Who told you about that?" Flash gave a confused—and sort-of concerned—look towards Applejack, but then grinned and looked back to Twilight. "Yes, that's what I get for making Spike write all my letters." "Hey!" Spike called out. "You do a fine job, Spike. But I should really start writing the important letters myself." She then turned back to Flash with a smile, making the most innocent face she could muster up. "So..." "Would you like to be my date to the gala?" Flash asked the princess. His black and probably expensively rented tuxedo with a white shirt and black bow tie was just to die for. His blue mane was styled back with a slight curl in front. He was nearly a dream come true in himself. "I would love to, Flash," Twilight responded. She then turned to her friends with the biggest smile she could muster up. She bit her lip in excitement, and turned back to join her date. "You won't regret this, my princess," Flash Sentry said as the two of them left. Twilight walked side-by-side with Flash, looking up at the stallion who was a few centimetres taller than her as they made their way to the courtyard of the castle to get to the main entrance where the attendees were to enter. The grin on both of their faces could make the most brute stallion ever sigh in content. Spike and the five other mares closely followed, all in their own glorious gala outfits. -------------------------------------- "How much you wanna bet that Flash isn't going to even show, Optimus?" Sentinel said while standing next to the front doors. "Go ahead, ma'am." "I'll bet five bits. He's not even gonna show," Optimus responded. "Enjoy the gala, sir." Sentinel and Optimus were serving their royal duties, taking tickets for the many ponies invited to the Grand Galloping Gala. "Dang, look at that sweet filly coming up the stairs now, Optimus," Sentinel said while looking out at one of the guests coming up. "I'll bet you she's easy." "Don't be so sure, boys," Rainbow responded after hearing them while she was coming up the front stairs. The two guards weren't really quiet about what was on their mind. As she walked in through the doors, her tail smacked both of them in the face. Rainbow was followed by Rarity. "Oh, sweet Celestia, look at that one," said Optimus. "Why, she's simply magnificent," Sentinel responded as he gazed down at her. "Um, Sentinel?" "I mean, yeah, she's hot bro," Sentinel said, changing his tone to a more robust one. Rarity made her way by, taking her sweet time so as not to trip due to her high hoof shoes. "Evening, ma'am. Enjoy the gala," Sentinel said. "Why, thank you sir," Rarity responded with a curtsey. Rarity was followed by Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack, and a bouncing Pinkie Pie. "See, Optimus? I knew Flash wasn't going to show." That was when their nearly evil grins turned into looks of shock as they saw the one and only Flash Sentry turn the corner, trotting alongside Princess Twilight Sparkle. Optimus and Sentinel looked at each other, hardly believing what was in front of them. He did it. He actually did it. He was able to bring the princess he admired to the gala, and she seemed as content as could be. "Gentlecolts," Flash said while walking in. But they couldn't respond. They just looked back in envy as Flash made his way inside with the mare of his dreams, grinning slyly back to his coworkers. Their mouths were slightly open. "You owe me five bits." "The night's not over yet. Ten bits he'll leave alone." -------------------------------------- While Twilight's five Ponyville friends, as well as Spike, all went their separate ways to enjoy the gala, Flash and Twilight went to the lobby area just in front of the bathrooms. "Flash, why'd you bring me here?" "Because, Twilight, I just want to know something before we go in." "What's that?" "I don't know much about you, nor probably you about me. I'm just a low-ranking guard, and you're a princess. How is this going to look if we go further inside together? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." "Say no more, Flash. I'm ready to go in with you," Twilight said with a comforting smile. "Are you sure?" "Yes," she said with a happy nod. "No, really. Think about this," Flash responded. "Are you positively sure you want to go in there with a guard? Things may never be the same." "Flash, stop it. I'm fully willing to accept the consequences if it means I get the reward in the end," Twilight reassured. Flash could not help but have a massive, natural smile on his face. "All right, my princess, after you." -------------------------------------- "I wonder where Twilight is," Princess Celestia said to Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armour. "Oh, she'll be coming," Shining responded. "She's so obsessive that she'd panic at just being late." "Speaking of Twilight, there she is now," Cadence said while pointing towards the door of the ballroom they were in. Far off in the distance, past all of the many attendees of the gala, there stood Twilight Sparkle, happy as could be. "Oh, she has one of your guards with her, Shining," Princess Luna pointed out. "Hey, isn't that Flash Sentry?" Princess Cadence asked. She looked upon the face of her husband. His face told the whole story. He stood there, mouth ajar, as he saw that the same worker he had the talk with was actually able to his sister to go with him. The bigger shock was that Twilight actually had a date. Not that she couldn't get one, but she was always too focused on studying to actually care for stallions. "Why, yes, yes it is, my dear," Shining said. It wasn't really apparent what he was thinking. He could have been happy, worried, concerned, or even a combination of those emotions. No matter what he felt, he hid it well. Twilight and Flash made their way over to where the other members of Equestria's royalty were. Twilight looked at them with sheer joy as she saw their accepting smiles. "Hello everyone, this is—" "Welcome, Flash Sentry," Princess Celestia interrupted. "Hello there, ma'am," Flash said while bowing, looking straight to her hooves. "No need to be that formal, Flash," the white-coated princess informed him. "Thank you, Princess Celestia." Flash moved his way next to Princess Luna and gave a much slighter bow. "Princess Luna." "Flash Sentry. We are pleased to see you again." Flash then moved over to Princess Cadence. "Princess Cadence." "Flash Sentry. Pleased to see you again, as well," Cadence responded. "Likewise, ma'am." Twilight seemed to be quite impressed with the kindness and honour that her date bestowed upon the royalty. The next pony in line, however, was her own brother Shining Armour. She was intrigued to see how they would greet each other. "Captain Shining Armour." "Flash Sentry. It's great to see you again, this time in a different setting." "Likewise, sir." The two of them shook hooves, nodded their heads, and then Flash returned to be by Twilight's side. "You two go on and enjoy your night," Princess Celestia told them. "Thanks, princess. We will," Twilight responded, happy that the meet-and-greet went by seamlessly. Twilight put her right hoof around Flash's left, tugging him to come along and go meet the other guests of the gala. "They seem cute together, don't they sweetheart?" Cadence asked Shining. "Yeah." "Come on, love. I don't like that tone in you. Give Flash a chance. He seems nice and he can make your sister really happy." "Dear, it doesn't matter who Twilight went out with tonight. I'm always going to feel nervous for her. She's my little sister, and I want to make sure that she is going to be safe and happy. I don't want her to get hurt." "She's a grown mare, Shining, she can take care of herself." "I know, I know, sweetheart. But I will always worry." -------------------------------------- Twilight and Flash spent the next few hours greeting many of the famous ponies from all around Equestria. Flash, who had never really met anypony famous before, was nearly in heaven with all of the rich and famous being there. And he did quite well. He seemed very content speaking with those who had rankings high above his own. Twilight introduced him to members of the Wonderbolts, various athletes from the different Equestrian sports leagues, as well as musicians like Octavia, Bob Marely, Ponny Cash, Vinyl Scratch, and the members of various bands like Green Hay, Coltplay, Bon Poni, and The Rolling Toms. Flash felt on top of the world, especially having a date as famous as all these ponies. As the night went on, though, Flash realised something. He didn't spend any quality time with just himself and Twilight together. Most, neigh, all of the time was spent with other ponies. He learned a little bit about his date, and she learned more about him as well, but it wasn't much. Flash wanted just a few minutes of quality time alone with Twilight, even if it took place in the crowd. The perfect time came at around eleven at night, as the gala was going well along. The members of the Canterlot Orchestra were setting up to play slow songs for the ponies to dance to—the perfect opportunity to dance with a very special somepony. Twilight at the time was talking to Spitfire while Flash was looking at the orchestra. They all grabbed their instruments with their hooves, ready to play. Flash grinned with anticipation with butterflies in his stomach. This is his chance to ask Twilight to dance, which was something that he hadn't done since the senior fall formal of Canterlot High School, which Twilight didn't attend due to being in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. The music began to play. The cello, violin, piano, and some brass instruments were played in accord, creating a song that caused all of the couples at the gala to go together to the dance floor, as well as single stallions going to ask single mares to dance. Now was Flash's chance to have a special moment with Twilight Sparkle. "Excuse me, Spitfire, but may I steal my date for a little bit?" Flash asked while interrupting Twilight and the captain of the Wonderbolts' conversation. "Of course, be my guest," Spitfire agreed, then moving on to another group of ponies. Flash grabbed Twilight's hoof tenderly. "Would you like to dance?" Twilight blushed, remembering how bad of a dancer she truly was. But she nodded her head nervously, giving Flash—and herself—a chance. He walked her over to the middle of the dance floor. He reached out his hoof and bowed to her, and she grabbed it and swung her other hoof around his shoulder, in order that the two of them were grasping each other and balancing in order to dance slowly together. They began to move their bodies slowly to the music, turning slightly and watching the other ponies at the gala over their partner's shoulders. "You don't know how long I've wanted to dance with a mare as special as you, Twilight." "I feel the same way about you, Flash." They shared a smile as they looked into each others' eyes as the music played on. Twilight decided to lower her head onto the back of Flash, just beside his head, which caused the stallion's eyes to widen. She closed her eyes in sheer contentment as the couple continued to move. Flash looked down at the mare on his side, her head rested softly on him. It was one of the perfect moments that he always wanted to share with somepony special. Flash continued to turn himself and Twilight, eventually looking over to Cadence and Shining Armour, who were also dancing. He was able to smile at Shining, who returned it back to him slightly. "Dear, how're you feeling about Twilight and Flash?" Cadence asked Shining as they danced to the same song. "You know, I'm still a little skeptical, but only because I love Twilight and I want the best for her," the stallion responded while looking on. "But even though this is only their first night together, Flash seems to make her happy, and that's good enough for me. For now." As the song ended, Twilight and Flash broke off form each other and bowed. "Hey, do you want to get outta here for a little bit?" Flash asked Twilight quietly. "Like, go for a walk in the courtyard?" "Sort of." "Sure." The couple slowly slid away, walking side by side, while the other couples continued dancing to the next song. "Shining, you have that look in your eyes again," Cadence said as she watched her husband look at his sister and her date. "I have to go follow them," Shining muttered as he looked away from her. "No, dear, leave them alone. They're both grown up. Trust that Flash can make her happy." "I still can't let anything happen to her. I can't take any chances." -------------------------------------- "Isn't the courtyard beautiful, Twilight?" Flash said as they trotted along the path. "It sure is, Flash. I come here sometimes to think about things. Sometimes my room feels like a cell, and I just have to come out here and take a walk." "I do the same thing, Twilight." The two of them looked up at the stars, gazing at their beauty. Luna's moon was full on this night, and the galaxies shined bright like diamonds in the sky. Even though diamonds actually reflect. "Hey, Twily? "Wait, what did you call me?" "Sorry, I can't call you Twily?" "Only my BBBFF usually calls me Twily." Upon seeing the reaction of Flash, she knew he had no clue what she was saying. "My big brother best friend forever, Shining Armour." "Oh. Well, I don't have to call you that then, if you don't want me to." "No... I like being called that. Especially when you say it," she said with a blush, batting her eyelids. Flash felt nervous, excited, happy, scared—all at the same time. He didn't know what to think of his emotions, but he knew one thing—he was in love. Yes, even this quickly. He didn't need many reasons to love her—he just did. The look in her eyes, her smile, and her beautiful, endearing personality were reasons enough for Flash to be drawn to her. "Fly with me, Twily." "Um..." "What's wrong?" "I don't know how to fly." "Don't be so modest, Twilight. You're an alicorn princess, of course you can fly!" "No, I mean it, I can't fly. I mean it. Watch." Twilight spread her wings, for which there were openings in her dress that Rarity designed. She lifted herself up off the ground, flapped about three times, and fell back down with Flash catching her and putting her back on all fours. "Why can't you fly?" "I've only had these wings for a couple of months. I've never needed to use them." "I forgot about that," Flash replied. "Didn't we arrange that I will teach you one day?" Twilight smirked and nodded her head. "Come on, Twily, it's easy. It's probably harder for me to teach you than it is for you to fly. It's something... unexplainable. I don't even think it's something you can teach. It's just something that you're born with—something you feel." "Well, I wasn't born with these things." "But you can definitely feel them." "Yes, I can." "Okay then. Spread them like I'm doing." Flash spread his wings up in the air, pointing them to the sky. Twilight did the same thing. "Good, now just flap slowly like I am." Twilight began to flap her wings slowly like Flash was doing. After a few tries, they were both in sync with their flaps. "Am I doing it right?" "You certainly are. Now, close your eyes, and flap a little faster." Twilight did just so. She closed her eyes and began to flap with more of a passion. Flash could see some stress on her face, though. "Don't flap too fast. You don't want to get tired." Twilight slowed down her pace enough to keep it consistent and still keep her energy high. Meanwhile, while Flash was looking directly at Twilight the entire time, Shining Armour was up on one of the highest balconies of the castle, watching. "Dear, what're you doing?" Cadence asked as she went through the doors and joined her husband on the balcony. "I'm just making sure Twilight's happy and safe, Cadence." "She looks pretty happy to me." "I know. I'm afraid of that." "First you wanted her happy, and now you don't?" "No no no, now I'm actually starting to get afraid that she'll be too happy. My love, she's only on her first ever date, and look at her. She's having more fun than she has ever had with me, and she's actually flying." Cadence and Shining watched as Twilight rose softly into the sky. Flash kept level with her to make sure she was safe. "Ca-can I open my eyes now?" Twilight asked nervously. "You most certainly can." Twilight opened her eyes, the ground of the courtyard and ten metres below her. "Whaaa!" "Stay calm, Twilight! You're good." "Flash, I'm scared. I want to hold your hoof," Twilight said while reaching her own hoof out, with Flash grabbing it in response. "Twily, you cheeky little flirt," Shining said from the balcony above, watching his little sister grab the hoof of her date, flying closer to him, and eventually flapping together with Flash while right beside him. The two of them shared a natural, unforced, loving smile and stare. "She's fine, dear. She's really happy with him. Let's give them some alone time," Cadence responded. "All right," Shining said, then turned around to join his wife back inside. Flash and Twilight flew hoof in hoof around the castle, and eventually over Canterlot. Every time Twilight felt like she was going to lose her balance, Flash would grab her and stabilize her. It was the second perfect moment of the night. -------------------------------------- "Flash, I can't thank you enough for tonight," Twilight said. "Oh, stop it, you," Flash responded while waving his hoof in the air. "No, I mean it. I have never felt happier in my entire life." After their flight, in the early hours of the morning, Flash walked Twilight back to her room. Her mane was a mess, she was tired, but she couldn't care less. She had feelings for this Flash Sentry that she never had before for anypony. "So, I guess I'll see you around?" Flash asked. "I sure hope so!" Twilight responded eagerly. "Would you like to do it again?" "Any time." Twilight stared into Flash's eyes, and he returned it. She could see his eyes dilate, and he began to bite his lips. She then noticed that he looked down at her mouth. Her mouth went from a smile to serious. Twilight reached up and gave a slight peck on Flash's cheek, looked him in the eyes again, and said, "Thank you, Flash. Have a good night." Flash did nothing in response but let out a little sigh and smiled. Twilight turned around and went into her room. Flash turned around, jumped and clicked his back hooves in the air, and made his way back home on probably the best night of his life so far.