Flash admired his new room, a comfy bed with a red blanket and a big mushy pillow, a furry rug to lay down and a shelf for books and other personal belongings. The walls were only decorated by a poster of his favorite band IRON MAREDEN. Looking at the poster he started to remember his colthood.
A little Pegasus colt with no worries and lots of dreams, living in the Pegasus neighborhood in Canterlot, he was always very friendly with his classmates and was never bullied, he never had any difficulties in making friends, but he wasn't very social, being good at sports and with math, he was admired by everyone, but he never liked the attention.
He knew he had a lot of friends, but he knew who of his so called friends were REALLY. When he was old enough to be called a young stallion, he started to gain interest in rock music. Most of the ponies did not enjoy heavy rock, but he loved it. The energy in the music, the electric sound of the guitar, the lyrics talking about power and freedom, made him feel powerful and free, almost as he could do anything.
His best friend was an orange unicorn mare with a mane that looked like fire, she had a wonderful personality, but she always acted different with ponies who didn’t agree with her, sharing the same taste in music, they felt the same passion for it, Flash knew she was not very nice with other ponies, he tried to make her understand she was acting like a bully, but only got to be treated the same, so he stopped hanging out with her.
Flying through the sky he listened his favorite songs in his head, replaying them over and over again, loving the sensation the music gave him, he felt no more fear when doing crazy loops in the air. The music almost felt like a storm that was Flash´s favorite and most dangerous hobby, flying in to a storm while replaying his favorite songs in his head to gain power and control over his wings to surpass the tornados and thunders. In one of these crazy flying sessions he gained his cutie mark.
Flash grew to be a big strong Pegasus, perfectly fitted for the royal guard, He didn’t find anything else to do with his life more than enlisting himself for the royal guard and listening to his favorite music. Pegasi stallions were not always big and strong as an earth pony, keeping their bodies slim with light hooves, there were more fit for weather work. The Pegasi with a big body constitution resembling an earth pony were few but not rare, with an earth pony’s strength and the ability to fly and manipulate weather, they were always encouraged to be guards instead of weather ponies.
So that´s what Flash did, if his strength was needed, he was happy to provide it and serve to the princess with pride and joy.
Flash smiled at his poster, the picture lighted memories of his first year as a royal guard in the Canterlot castle. He remembered the first time he tried his armor, one year of heavy training made the heavy metal suit feel as light as a feather to him, he was asked if he wanted a camouflage spell with his armor, this would mask his true colors while wearing it to protect his identity in case enemies would go after him or his family. Flash didn’t accept it, he had no family, no marefirend and the idea of looking different made him feel weird.
Working at the castle was a little bit boring, standing near doors, guarding meetings and pulling the royal carriage was something he had to do every day. He loved his job when the princess had to travel to nearby kingdoms, he was able to stretch his wings and fight rebel gryphon, hydras, dragons and other creatures who dared to think of harming the princess. He received a lot of superficial wounds, he didn’t care about them at all, not when he was able to fight powerful creatures like the lyrics of his favorite songs told. He loved the adrenaline; he felt power and control, hearing the music in his head while fighting.
“Flash, Spike made cupcakes, would you like some?” Twilight said, poking her head through the open door.
“I would like that princess thank you”
Twilight looked at the poster he was admiring; it was the poster they bought at the music store.
“Wow, now that I look at it carefully, it seems that your taste in music is pretty heavy”
Flash chuckled
“Is not that heavy princess, but I do have to admit, it´s not for everypony”
Twilight frowned, studying the stallions that appeared in the poster, they all looked angry, long messy manes, black spiky accessories.
“They look a little bit creepy” Twilight said staring at the picture.
“Not a lot of mares understand it… it´s mostly… a stallion’s type of music”
Twilight gasped in surprise….. There were mares who liked this? Rainbow Dash appeared in her head, yes…. she looked like the type of mare who would enjoy this kind of music.
“I can think of a mare that would enjoy it” Twilight said while walking to the kitchen.
Flash followed her.
“Have you ever listened to it?” Flash asked.
Twilight passed him a carrot cupcake.
“Never, I listened to some of my brother´s friend cd’s when I was little; it sounded like rage and pure noise that didn’t make any sense”
“Not all heavy rock bands sound like that” Flash said while eating another cupcake
“Really?” Twilight asked, she levitated another cupcake to her mouth.
“Yes, there are many types of heavy music, some talk about power freedom and anarchy, others talk about killing and murder but they all share the same basic sound” Flash watched Twilight´s face and tried not to laugh.
“There are songs about killing and murder?” Twilight asked in a high pitched voice.
Flash blushed a little, he wasn't exactly defending his type of music.
“Yea…umm, there are”
Twilight frowned.
“And ponies like this?”
“uuumm, yea…. some” Flash started to get nervous, Twilights started to look angry.
“And you tell me that…. There are mares that like it to?”
“I never met a mare who liked that particular topic in songs, but I suppose there are”
Twilight stood close to him, sticking her face out, glaring at the stallion with her big angry purple eyes
.
“Do you like it?” she asked with a deadly voice.
“I like heavy music, but not the ones who sing about killing and murder”
Twilight glared at him for a few seconds more, and then she closed her eyes and sighed
.
“Ok, I believe you… let’s hear one song”
“You want to hear one?” Flash asked, he couldn't hide his surprise, a young super intelligent, scientist princess was asking to hear heavy rock music? He couldn't find an explanation of this being possible.
Bringing his radio he started looking for a song for her to listen, songs about believing in yourself, about feeling free, songs about feeling lonely, lost loves, longing for somebody, finally Flash knew what song to show her, the one he always listened in his head while flying through a storm.
He pressed play and let the music fill the kitchen, he felt his heart filling with emotions, he felt power, control, freedom and happiness, he looked at the mare standing in front of him, Twilight was still, her eyes were closed, her breathing became calm, she rose her head high, her wings stretched in all their glory, a smile adorned her face.
Flash could not stop looking at her, her face, those long eyelashes, her slim neck, her long silky mane, and her beautiful wings catching the sunlight making her feathers glow with tiny rainbow lights. He felt his heart stop, she was beautiful, she looked like a goddess to him, Twilight felt like the embodiment of the emotions he felt in a storm.
The music ended, Twilight lowered her head, folded her wings and opened her eyes, in them, and Flash could see a new sparkle. With a gentle smile, she looked at him.
“I now understand it” Twilight said, looking at the stallion with bright eyes
.
“You looked like you were enjoying it” Flash said, not being able to control his blushing.
Twilight blushed hard, her face turning read.
“Yea.. hehe… I kind of got carried away there”
“That´s what it does, the music generates emotions in you and carries you away with them” Flash said feeling the same emotions he felt when he saw Twilight in all her glory.
“What did you feel?” Flash asked.
Twilight looked at him; she smiled and closed her eyes, carrying a hoof to her heart she said
“I felt complete”
Flash smiled at her, never he have seen her so beautiful, so majestic, he again felt his heart thundering in his chest, in that instant he knew that the song would not remind him of storms anymore, instead it would remind him of the beautiful princess of magic with her head high and outstretched wings catching the sunlight, gleaming in her fur and feathers….. And the love he felt for her.