//------------------------------// // The Night Pony // Story: The Princess and the Guard // by Dragonfoxgirl //------------------------------// Twilight made herself comfortable in her bed, wrapping herself with the light blanket she tried to sleep, every time she closed her eyes an image of Flash would appear in her head. She cursed lightly and rolled on her bed, groaning and whining. She … in a certain way had kind of confessed her feeling to him, and he had done the same, she smiled. Why was she complaining? There was absolutely no problem with having romantic feeling towards somepony, if that somepony wasn't a guard that was supposed to serve you and protect you because of your title. It was true that her brother had been a regular guard before he became captain and that he and Cadence were romantically involved during that time, it didn't matter that she was a Princess and he a guard because they were already in a relationship before Cadence, still being an Alicorn, had started performing her role as a monarch. Cadence met Shining Armor when she started foal sitting Twilight, She was an Alicorn at the moment, but she was still a teenager so she wasn't able to perform her duties as a princess, instead of not doing anything she became a foalsitter for anyone who needed such assistance. Cadence and her brother had cultivated their love through years of relationship. It was different with her and Flash, she only knew him for for almost a month now, and relationships took more time than that to get to the point where it would get romantic. She came to the conclusion that this was not love…still. Her feelings were attraction, the famous like like somepony, in other words liking somepony more than just a friend. She sighed relieved, there was absolutely nothing irrelevant with that. She was a young mare, young mares are naturally attracted to stallions that are appealing to them, it´s one of the most natural things in the world. She closed her eyes, laughing at her own obsession over nothing she tried to sleep. Another image of Flash appeared in her head, this time it was not the same as the other ones, this image was Human Flash. Her body reacted instantly, sitting on her bed she started over thinking again. No, there was a problem with her feelings, she knew Flash more than she had made him believe she did. She had known him before she knew the Flash that was with her now. Another Flash that in the same time was the Flash that was with her. She couldn't help herself by thinking if she liked this stallion because he reminded her of his Human version. But then she thought, they were the same person, so she wasn't liking this stallion just because he looked like the boy. But they were so different and in the same time, they were so alike. She looked at her hooves, remembering when they were hands she tried to feel the weird body she had when she became human. She had been herself and not herself at the same time. She knew that somewhere in that dimension there was a girl that was her in every way, maybe with some different traits, but she was still her. She hoped that version of herself would meet the Flash from that place. She covered her face with her hooves, this was too complicated to analyze, even for her. It was the most difficult thing she had ever had to think in a scientific way, other things she had to study were much more difficult, but they did not involve her feelings towards a stallion. Before she could hurt her brain more than she already did, Spike entered her room silently. “Hey…are you alright? I heard a little of your fight with Flash, but I have to say he´s right…I…” “It´s ok Spike we came to an….agreement” Spike stared at Twilight with bright eyes and a happy face, he jumped in to Twilight’s bed snuggling with her. “You know… he really looks like the Flash we met in freaky bipedal ape land, but in the same time he doesn´t” “I think that too Spike, but you know what…I like this Flash more” “Yeah…me too” Finally she started drifting to sleep. “You know that you will have to tell him right?” Spike said in a worried voice. She tighten her hug. “Yes..I know” Slowly she closed her eyes and went to sleep. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… “What do you mean with war, who is threatening us” Flash asked, tension building up in his body. If Princess Luna had to make Oni Fire, one of the most fierce and violent guard leave his post at the borderlands of the wastelands to get him it was because something very dangerous was about to happen. “We don’t really know, all we know is that it is not something we had faced in the past, not changelings, dragons, gryphon’s or any other creature we had to fight” “And you want me to take the Princess to Canterlot, probably the main spot this enemy would try to strike?” Flash asked the night pony with certain anger in his voice. “Just for the time being, the Princesses will move to the Crystal Empire for safety but first we need to get them all together. Princess Luna has communicated me that her, Celestia and Mi Amore Cadenza require You Princess´s presence immediately before they go to the Crystal Empire.” Flash stomped the ground with great force with his foreleg. “I need more information Oni! I will not take her anywhere if it´s not necessary” The night pony stared at the angry stallion with an amused look. “Relax fluffy, I´m here fulfilling my duty as a guard. I am not letting our past affecting me right now, I suggest you to do the same” “This is not about what happened between us” “Oh I think you are affected by it, let it go already” “I will never let it go” Flash said with a deadly voice. The dark stallion looked at him with tired eyes. Flash stood straight, his wings unfold and his eyes filled with resentment. Oni sighed and closed his eyes. “Ok whatever you say. Leaving personal stuff aside orders are orders, if you will not take the Princess willingly …” The night pony unfolded his wings, sharp fangs adorning his smile, his pupils sharpened even more. “I guess I will have to take her myself” “Try it and you'll see what it happens” Flash prepared himself for the attack. He was not going to believe Oni´s words, he had had in the past and the consequences were brutal to him. He wasn't going to trust him anymore. “Common fluffy wings, we both know how this is going to end, just like the last time” the dark stallion said revealing his fangs to their full length. Flash remembered, he had to stay away of those fangs. Oni launched himself to Flash with force, his mouth open ready to strike his neck. Flash dodged him and bucked him in the face. The night guard flinched in pain for mere seconds then he smiled again, that same demonic smile Flash remembered. “Good kick fluffy, now… my turn” Oni tripped him with his hind leg. Flash stabilized in mid air with his wings. Oni bolted with his mouth wide open aiming for Flash´s wings, Flash, anticipating this dodged to the side, Oni snapped his jaw into thin air, Flash heard the loud snapping sound. That jaw was the main thing he needed to avoid. “Night ponies were in simple words… a killing machine, they were designed to kill and their most deadly weapon were their fangs, those fangs contained the most deadly poison ponykind knew. One bite would paralyze your body in minutes, a second bite would drive your brain into a state of shock, and the last bite would melt your muscles and entire body in a process of hours. It was a horrible way to die, but Flash knew Oni´s intention was not to kill him; he just wanted to paralyze him. It was the bite that he was trying to avoid, Ponies of all kind do have a very strong jaw power, Night ponies had the double jaw force.” Oni twisted his neck and head bucked him, Flash flinched in pain, he had a thick skull. “Common fluffy, I love hanging out with you again but I really have to take that princess to Canterlot” Oni said hitting Flash in the face with his front hoof. Flash stood his ground and tackled him to the floor giving the night pony a look filled with rage and burning desire to kill him. “Ahh…memories…it was just like this when you tried to stop me from killing …Sunset Shimmer was her name?” Flash´s mind snapped. “SHUT UP!!!” Flash hit Oni with full force in the face. Oni held Flash´s hoof, twisting it he drove Flash to the floor switching places. “Why? I thought you said you were over that matter, you do remember she was trying to kill Celestia right?” Oni placed his front hooves applying full force in to the base of Flash´s wings to hold him. Flash grunted in Pain. “It seems your old injury hasn't completely healed. Now that we seem to be done with our little game, I will say it one more time…. Take the princess to Canterlot with me or I'll make sure you can´t move for a week” Suddenly a magenta bolt of magic hit the Night pony with a lot of power, sending him flying to a pile of wood. Flash stood up heavily, he grunted in pain when folding his wings back to his body. “Flash!!! Are you ok?” Twilight asked galloping full speed towards him. “I'm ok don't worry princess” Flash said feeling Twilight´s hooves surrounding his neck in a tight hug. The sound of the shifting of woods made Twilight tensed up, directing her horn to the dark stallion that was coming out of the pile. “Try anything like that again and I will not hesitate in shooting another one of those at you” twilight said in a threatening voice, her horn already sparkling brightly, ready to shoot. The night pony shook his head and snapped his neck. “Wow, it has been a while since somepony struck me that hard, hehe, good move princess Twilight Sparkle” “Who are you and why were you hurting my guard” asked Twilight never getting her eyes off him. “I´m Oni Fire, a lunar guard from Princess Luna, the princesses sent me here to fetch you and your guard to Canterlot for an emergency meeting due to a new possible enemy attack.” Twilight lost concentration of her aiming. “Enemy attack?” “Yes princess” “Then, why were you fighting with Flash?” “Because we can't trust him” Flash said stepping in front of Twilight opening his wings to cover her. “No fluffy, the right way of putting it is that YOU don´t trust me” Oni said grinning at him. “Ok knock it off” Twilight said stepping under Flash´s wing. “If you are one of Luna´s guards, I suppose you have something that can prove it” The night pony smiled, this princess was not some high headed pampered pony and she clearly knew how to fight, he was not going to play with her. “There´s a saddle bag tied to that post over there, if you let me get it, I can show you” Twilight thought for a while and then nodded. The night pony flew to the post and brought the saddle bag in his mouth. He took out a scroll sealed with Princess Celestia´s and Luna's cutie mark. Twilight gasped in surprise, the scroll was tied with a red ribbon, meaning it was an emergency. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a scroll” asked Flash never taking his eyes of him. The dark pony smiled. “I wanted to have fun with you” Flash gritted his teeth in anger. Twilight took the scroll with her magic, she opened it revealing a letter directed to the night pony. “My most faithful guard Oni Fire. We are writing this letter to you requiring to leave your post at the borderlines with the Wastelands to attend a very serious situation. A threat of a new enemy has been revealed. This enemy is not like any other we had to face, your mission is to escort Princess Twilight Sparkle and her guard to Canterlot as soon as possible, we require her presence for an emergency meeting before we move to the Crystal Empire to discuss further decisions” “PS< do not overwork yourself” “Princess Luna” Twilight looked at the royal symbol imprinted in the paper; it was Luna´s royal guard´s emblem. This was not fake; it was real and very serious. “Let´s go inside before we wake somepony.” Twilight said in a serious voice. Flash tried to explain himself to her, but she gave him a gentle look placing her hoof in his, assuring him everything was fine. “Come in, we have to take care of your wounds” Twilight said to both of the stallions. Twilight made Oni wait in the living room with Spike while she took care of Flash´s wounds. She carefully applied the ice patch in his back while tending the scrapes in his face. “Hold still, this will just sting for a moment” she said in a sweet voice. “I'm sorry you had to see that Princess” Flash said in a low voice. Twilight smiled; taking another Ice patch in her hooves she placed it on Flash´s cheek holding it. “OUCH!!, that hurts ” the stallion complained. Twilight giggled. “Just tell me one thing, why weren´t you fighting seriously?” Twilight asked. Flash gave the Alicorn a surprised look. “How did you know we weren’t fighting seriously?” Twilight looked at him deeply and smiled. “I just know” she simply said, resting her head against his chest. “He used to be my best friend, even if I hate him now…I could never …” Twilight brought her hoof to Flash´s mouth covering it. “You will tell me when you’re ready” she said. Flash smiled, he wasn't ready to remember that yet. Twilight left his room and went down the stairs; she found the night pony reading calmly as if nothing had happened. “Spike go take care of Flash ok?” “But..Twilight” the baby dragon said in a worried voice. “It´s Ok” Spike nodded and went running up the stairs. She levitated a bucket filled with water and a towel out of the kitchen. Giving the Stallion an angry look she ordered him to stand straight and still. “I don't need you to take care of my injuries” the dark pony said. “Oh I will not” said Twilight placing the bucket in front of him. “Apply cold water to your burn, by tomorrow it will disappear if you do so.” The stallion looked at her confused. “I was not burned” Twilight pointed at his chest. The night pony looked at his chest only to find a big circular burn rights were his heart was. He smiled; this princess was not like the others. “Wow, you really wanted to kill me … didn’t you” Twilight levitated the towel to his chest, placing it in the burn. “It was an accident; I didn’t mean to hit you that hard, look …Oni… I know you weren't going to REALLY hurt Flash, drop your whole tough night pony thing with me, I know you two were friends” The Dark stallion directed his gaze to the floor. “So…he told you” Oni said in a deep hurt voice. Twilight was surprised by his reaction, it was the first time he was displaying his true feelings. Instead of seeing a prideful crazy sadistic stallion, she saw a very hurt soul “Whatever happened to you both is not my business. But now it´s not time to put personal things in front of other more important matters. I will go to Canterlot as you wish. We will leave tomorrow night. You can wait here, read all the books you like” Twilight said turning to face the stairs. “One question Princess, what happened to your wings?” Twilight stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. “I had an accident” she said, her cheeks burning with same. Oni decided not to ask how. Flash slept uncomfortably in his bed, his bruises sore and the ice patch in his back was to cold. Spike fell asleep in his pillow right next to his bed. Images of that night started flowing uncontrollably in his head. Heavy armored guards, both solar and lunar were fighting a giant hydra, screams of horror, civilians running for safety. Comrades hurt, some dead lying on the ground. A friend he once knew laughing in evil. Oni Fire yelling at him to kill her. Suddenly, he felt a small body resting against his side, opening his eyes he found Twilight resting calmly next to him. “You seem to need company” she said in a low sweet whisper. Flash drew her closer to him with his right wing. “I do”