//------------------------------//
// Professional Opinion 
// Story: The Heart Of Ice That Burned 
// by TheEquestrianWing 
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After the incident with Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle's summit did not witness any more setbacks. All the same, the Royal Guard made certain to keep tight security in the palace throughout the rest of the week. As an extra precaution, Comet Frost posted two of their most vigilant units outside the room with the mirror.

While very little had been accomplished in the summit's first three days, the achievements of the last four days made up for that lost time. The four princesses spent much of that time discussing politics, economics, and social order in the meeting chambers. They gave several speeches to the public; some of them individually, some of them as a group. They arranged an outline for some of the events of the upcoming Equestria Games.

Shining Armor handled overseeing the princesses' protection. He assigned Plainview, Comet Frost, and Flash Sentry to continue monitoring the security of the palace. The three officers were kept very busy with this task, and although it may have seemed somewhat monotonous, they managed to have a little excitement.

The last event of the summit was a type of social gathering. That evening, the palace doors were opened to the public, and the residents of the Crystal Empire were invited to come inside the magnificent building. Nearly everypony in town accepted this invitation, believing that they would be in for a wonderful night.

Sure enough, they were. The gathering was regarded as the Crystal Empire's equivalent of the Grand Galloping Gala. Twilight Sparkle's friends Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie organized the whole thing. They treated the guests to a night of excellent refreshments, elegant fashion, exquisite sightseeing, enthralling competitions, and exciting merriment.

However, not everypony who attended the celebration was entirely pleased. The officers of the Royal Guard just viewed the gathering as an addition to their work schedule. With the vastly increased population and level of activity, the Royal Guard were given a difficult directive. They had to maintain the palace's security without getting in the way of the festivities.

Comet Frost was posted as the entrance hall. He greeted everypony who entered the foundation and redirected them to wherever they wished to go. It may have seemed like an uneventful duty, but he did not protest. He actually met numerous interesting characters that evening.

At one point, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor stopped by. Initially, he assumed that they were there because they were expecting somepony important to arrive soon. As it turned out, they were there to see somepony, but this pony had already arrived. They had come to speak to Comet Frost himself.

The aqua stallion was perplexed as to why his Captain and his Captain's wife would want to see him. He quickly discovered that they were there to commend him for all he had done in the past week. Shining Armor was particularly appreciative of how Comet Frost had looked after his wife, Celestia, Luna, and Twilight's five friends for the first three days.

Comet Frost was a fairly modest stallion, but he made it clear that he was grateful for the recognition Shining Armor and Cadence gave him. To him, it was an honor to be commended by both of them. Not only because that was a surefire sign that he was doing his job right, but also because he now had assurances that both his boss and his employer approved of him.

By the time the Sun was in the sky the following morning, all the guests had left the palace. After cleaning the place up, Princess Twilight and her friends went back to Ponyville, and Princess Luna and Princess Celestia went back to Canterlot. Now the only members of the Equestrian Royalty left were Cadence and Shining Armor.

The additional safety measures were quickly disbanded, and the palace was returned to its usual level of security. Everyday life was pretty much the same as before the summit. The only major difference was that Comet Frost's self-confidence in his ability and his image was now significantly greater than before.

In the weeks that followed, nothing out of the ordinary occurred in the Crystal Empire. The empire's popularity as a vacation spot and a habitation gradually increased. It saw a constant rise in tourism and emigration. The town started expanding in size. More and more ponies came to admire the city for its beauty and hospitality.

Comet Frost continued to carry out his duties as the third-in-command of the Crystal Empire's Royal Guard. He scheduled combat drills. He drafted training programs. He reviewed personnel files. He broke in the new recruits. He also spent a significant percentage of his leisure time with his fellow officers.

At the time of Twilight's summit, he had been in the Crystal Empire for three months. By the time that extended to four months, Comet Frost had gained the respect of most of his colleagues. He had also gained the attention of the very person he was there to protect.

Comet Frost could tell that Princess Cadence was a little fond of him. Every time they encountered each other, he greeted her, and she greeted him in return. She always seemed genuinely pleased to see him whenever she bade him good day.

Comet Frost was not the only recipient of Cadence's warmth.

Somehow, Comet Frost came across Princess Cadence much more often than he did before the summit. More often than not, it was just pure coincidence that they were in the same place at the same time. Whenever he encountered her, Cadence was typically speaking with a member of her council or one of her consultants. Sometimes the other person was expressing serious concern or anxiety over a certain issue. Cadence never reciprocated these feelings of worry. She remained patient, assured them that the situation could be resolved, and offered a suitable solution to it.

The aqua stallion could see why Cadence was regarded as the Princess of love. She treated everypony she knew with tremendous affection and care. He had to admire the pink Alicorn for her compassionate persona.

A few days before the Summer Sun Celebration, Comet Frost was summoned to the meeting chambers. When he arrived there, he found that Shining Armor and Cadence were waiting on him.

"Good day, Commander," Cadence welcomed him.

"Hello, Your Highness," he said in response. As he approached the table, he turned to his commanding officer and saluted him, saying "Hello, Captain."

Shining Armor nodded in acknowledgment and stated "At ease, Comet. Take a seat."

Comet Frost lowered his front hoof and sat down at the table. Once the white Unicorn and the pink Alicorn took their seats, he remarked "So, how may my services be of use?"

"As you know, the Summer Sun Celebration will be in less than a week," Shining Armor began, "We were informed just this morning that the official ceremony will be in Canterlot this year. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight Sparkle will all be presiding. Princess Cadence and I have decided to go to the capital city on that day, as well."

"That way, the whole of the Equestrian Royalty will be present," Cadence added.

"I would have expected as much," Comet Frost perceived, "I can comprehend why you'd want to attend the Celebration. But I hope you do not plan to travel to Canterlot by yourselves."

"We don't," Shining Armor assured him, "My wife and I are going to have a group of the Royal Guard accompany us there. The members of this group will be specially selected by a high-ranking officer."

"That is why you are here, Commander," Cadence pronounced.

Comet Frost raised an eyebrow and proclaimed "I'm afraid I do not quite understand."

"At the ceremony, my husband will be presenting himself as 'Prince Shining Armor' rather than 'Captain Shining Armor,'" Cadence expounded, "Because of that, we do not think it would be appropriate if he was the one who put together our security detail."

"So another officer will be given that assignment," Shining Armor declared, "We both believe you are the most qualified person for that."

Comet Frost now fully realized what the Captain and the Princess were asking of him. After a moment of silence, he stated "With all due respect, what about Commander Plainview? He outranks me, so wouldn't he be the more ideal choice?"

"We've already spoken with Commander Plainview," Shining Armor apprised him, "In our absence, he will remain in the Crystal Empire to oversee and maintain its security. Whoever puts together our group will be supervising it, too. Naturally, we couldn't expect Commander Plainview to be in two places at once."

Comet Frost could not deny that his commanding office made a good point. After all, Commander Plainview had been in the Crystal Empire for at least two months longer than he had. He knew the palace and the city even better than the aqua stallion. It would make sense if he was appointed as its temporary guardian while Cadence and Shining Armor were away.

"In addition to that, Commander Plainview is not as close to the other guards as you are," Cadence debated, "I've seen how you interact with your subordinates. The majority of them seem to enjoy your company. You know what they are like both on-duty and off-duty. So for you, it should be relatively simple to pick the most eligible units for the security group."

Comet Frost thought about this for about ten seconds. Then he uttered solemnly "Your faith in my ability is very well-founded. I shall prove it as such. How many people would you like to have in this group?"

"Half a dozen would suffice," Shining Armor replied, "That doesn't including you, so altogether we would have seven. We will leave the selecting of the other six up to you."

Comet Frost nodded his head in acknowledgement and stated "Very well. You can rely on me to assemble the rest of the group."

"Thank you, Commander," Cadence said appreciatively, "You are dismissed."

Comet Frost rose from his seat, bowed in respect, and departed from the meeting chambers.

He decided to go ahead and start straightaway on putting together the security team. He could imagine it would not be a quick task. After all, there were literally scores of the Royal Guard in the Crystal Empire. While Comet Frost was acquainted with most of them, there were many that had sufficient merits to apply for a position on the team.

When Comet Frost got to his office, he dug out the personnel profiles for all of his colleagues. He quickly went to work examining them. He conducted the process of selecting the six units based on a variety of factors. These criteria included their field experience, their service records, the degree of their allegiance, and more.

After several hours of reviewing the profiles, Comet Frost managed to narrow down the six most qualified guards. Two were Earth Ponies, two were Unicorns, and two were Pegasi. Three of them were crystal ponies; the other three originated from another city in Equestria.

The crystal Earth Pony was a stallion named Wary Spot. He was one of the most attentive members of the Royal Guard. Even the stealthiest spies could not evade his notice.

The crystal Unicorn was a stallion named Charm Pitch. He had a substantial aptitude for defensive and invasive spells. Every time he had to enter a conflict, he always took down his opponents with a few bursts of magic from his horn.

The crystal Pegasus was a stallion named Rapid Zephyr. He was perhaps the speediest and most elusive flyer in the entire Crystal Empire. Whenever a hostile attempted to escape, he always caught them before they could get away.

The normal Earth Pony was a stallion named Sweat Breaker. He was amongst the largest and strongest stallions in the force. He was known to neutralize most of his opponents with a single punch.

The normal Unicorn was a stallion named Brusque Rush. He was a professional at organizing tactics and strategies for campaigns. His fellow officers could rely on him to determine the best course of action in any scenario.

The normal Pegasus was Flash Sentry. Comet Frost had selected him for quite a few reasons. Despite his rank and authority, he had a very likable personality. He treated his associates with thoughtfulness and sympathy. If the situation called for it, he was still willing to resort to fiercer means to protect those he cared about. There was nopony else in the force that Comet Frost preferred to be around more.

The next day, Comet Frost met with these officers and debriefed them on their new mission. All six of them accepted the terms of the assignment without hesitation, and they assured their superior officer that they would be ready by the time Princess Cadence and Shining Armor were ready to leave.

The subsequent days were spent preparing for the Summer Sun Celebration. Because the Crystal Empire had disappeared before Princess Celestia banished Princess Luna to the moon, the city's inhabitants had never actually observed the Summer Sun Celebration. This marked the first year that they would partake in the holiday with the rest of the nation. Needless to say, they were looking forward to it.

Comet Frost made certain that all six of his men made all the necessary arrangements before they left for Canterlot. They would be getting to Canterlot by means of a fortified crystal train. It had been built especially for Cadence and Shining Armor. After it was manufactured and inspected, Comet Frost worked out the posts for the other guards.

Everything regarding the events leading up to the Summer Sun Celebration went according to plan. It was not until the day of the Celebration itself that something unexpected happened.

Although the summer solstice was the longest day of the year, the Sun was not scheduled to rise until six o'clock. However, the Sun was up at exactly midnight. Its early arrival was not even the most jarring factor. The most disturbing part was that the Moon had not been lowered. Now both the Sun and the Moon were side-by-side in the sky.

This was just the first of the many strange events that happened that day. The Crystal Empire soon received word from Canterlot that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had disappeared. Shortly after, they heard news that Ponyville was being invaded. Somehow, a cluster of enormous, malignant weeds had sprouted from the Everfree Forest. They were attacking the citizens of Ponyville. The clouds over the city had become dark, spike-encrusted, and hostile.

So far, Ponyville was the only town that had been struck by these forces. But there was reason to believe that the weeds were expanding. They reaching out in all directions, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. It seemed the weeds would not relent until they covered every last inch of space in Equestria.

When this theory became public knowledge, the other settlements went into a frenzy. Many people thought about stocking up on provisions and barricading themselves inside their house. Some other people wanted to consider evacuating the cities and relocating to a safe haven.

For some reason, the weeds were expanding the most slowly towards the north. This was good luck for the Crystal Empire, as it was located in northern Equestria.

However, the Empire was in just as much danger as the rest of the country. In anticipation of a possible incursion, the Royal Guard wanted to be prepared to counter any potential threats.

Shining Armor quickly brought together his highest-ranking officers in the meeting chambers. He informed them that he planned to take half of the Royal Guard to southern border of the Empire and establish a blockade. He ordered Commander Plainview to join them.

Comet Frost and Flash Sentry were instructed to take charge of the other half of the Royal Guard and use them to uphold the security of the palace. Once everypony had their orders, Shining Armor dismissed them and urged them to their posts.

An hour later, Shining Armor, Plainview, and a hundred of the Royal Guard made their way to the southern border to form a blockade. Comet Frost and Flash Sentry spent that time handing out orders to another hundred of the Royal Guard.

In the end, there were only five officers were not assigned to the blockade or the palace. These five were Wary Spot, Charm Pitch, Rapid Zephyr, Sweat Breaker, and Brusque Rush. Comet Frost had pulled them aside. Initially, he did not give them a reason why, but they got one once all their colleagues were gone.

Comet Frost explained that the seven of them would protect Princess Cadence during this ordeal. He commanded Flash Sentry and the five officers to come with him to the throne room. When they arrived there, they found Princess Cadence alone. She was seated at her throne.

When the seven stallions entered the room, the pink Alicorn rose from her throne and trotted over to them. She asked in anxiety "Have you heard anything new from Canterlot?"

"I'm afraid not, Your Highness," Flash Sentry apprised her, "But Captain Shining Armor is taking some precautions in case that threat ever reaches the Empire."

"Our main objective right now is to ensure your safety," Comet Frost declared.

The aqua stallion then distributed orders to his colleagues: "Wary, keep watch on the balcony. If you see even the slightest abnormality in the distance, report it immediately. Charm, cast every fortification spell you know on this room. I want to make it impenetrable, in case we have to barricade ourselves in it. Rapid, circle around the palace and look out for any vulnerabilities and hazards that could compromise the palace's security. If anypony tries to break in, arrest them. Sweat, wait outside the door to the throne room. Do not let anypony in here without authorization. Brusque, devise a few contingency plans. In the event that we have to evacuate the throne room, we'll need some backup strategies at the ready. Flash, stay here with me. The two of us will guard the Princess."

The six stallions acknowledged these commands and proceeded to carry them out. Wary Spot and Rapid Zephyr left through the door to the balcony. Sweat Breaker stepped outside the front entrance to the throne room. Brusque Rush stood off to the side and used some parchment, a quill, and ink to outline several plans to counter the impending danger. Charm Pitch scurried around the room and cast various spells along the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Flash Sentry and Comet Frost were the only ones who stayed with Princess Cadence. They planned to remain by her side until the threat posed by the Everfree Forest had been eliminated.

For a while, the three of them stood in silence at the center of the room. They simply watched as Charm Pitch rushed around the room and as Brusque Rush drafted more plans. Then they made their way to the end of the room. Cadence sat down at her throne. Flash Sentry stood to her left; Comet Frost stood to her right.

After a brief interval of silence, the pink Alicorn looked around at the orange Pegasus and the aqua Unicorn and asked them "Do you know the whereabouts of my husband?"

"He and Commander Plainview took a hundred of the Royal Guard to the Empire's southern border," Flash Sentry enlightened her.

"What are they doing down there?" Cadence inquired in intrigue

"They're forming a blockade," Comet Frost illuminated, "Captain Armor is concerned that those dangers from Everfree Forest may end up covering the rest of Equestria. He's preparing us for an invasion."

Cadence appeared somewhat stunned to hear this. She remarked in perplexity "Invasion? That's the last thing we should be worried about."

"The Captain does not believe so, Your Highness," Flash Sentry politely rejoined, "He has established that our first priority should be to ensure the Crystal Empire's well-being. He believes the best way to do that is to anticipate the worst."

"My husband is n fine officer, but even he can be wrong sometimes," Cadence professed, "We should be more focused on protecting the city, not its outskirts."

"The Captain realizes that," Comet Frost disclosed, "That is why he only took half our forces. The other half are here to guard the city."

"Dividing up our forces like that is a huge mistake," Cadence debated, "A kingdom cannot survive unless its people stay together. Especially in a time of crisis."

"We ARE together, Your Highness," Comet Frost declared, "You must understand that those dangers we mentioned are like a sickness. The sickness is spreading throughout the land. It has already claimed Ponyville, and it is expected to hit Canterlot soon. It is only a matter of time before it reaches the Crystal Empire as well. Whenever it does get here, we cannot be caught unawares."

"Hold on a moment," Flash Sentry interceded, "If the capital city falls, who's to say we would be any safer here, anyway?"

"This city survived an annexation by an ironfisted tyrant," Princess Cadence reminded them, "Even when he took the form of an abstract entity, we were able to push him back. If King Sombra couldn't subjugate us, we can easily hold off against a few giant, carnivorous weeds, too."

"I hope you're right," Comet Frost remarked, "But at least with Sombra, we knew what we were up against. There is no telling the full extent of what those weeds could be capable of."

"Whatever the perils, I'm confident that we can deal with them," Cadence avowed, "At any rate, we have more pressing matters to worry about."

"Like what, Your Highness?" queried Flash Sentry.

"For starters, the disappearance of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna," Cadence explicated, "The entire Canterlot division of the Royal Guard cannot account for when or how they went missing. They simply vanished very suddenly and without anypony noticing. There must be some explanation for that, yet we're not doing a thing to find one."

"That is not entirely true," Comet Frost steadily apprised her, "We've been notified that Princess Twilight and her companions are looking in to the affair. She believes they have found a lead somewhere in Ponyville."

"Ponyville?" Cadence repeated in surprise, "They're there now?"

"Not as of half-hour ago," Flash Sentry disclosed, "We were informed that they went to investigate this lead in the Everfree Forest."

Cadence was shocked to hear this bit of information. She queried in concern "They went into the Forest itself? They went into the very source of all this danger?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Comet Frost affirmed, "You should know that they also went in there without backup."

Once more, Cadence was stunned. She got up from her throne, frowned in dissatisfaction, and declared "That is completely unacceptable."

Immediately after she said this, she descended the short staircase in front of her throne and started trotting towards the entrance to the throne room. Comet Frost and Flash Sentry quickly followed her. On the way, the latter inquired "Where are you going, Your Highness?"

"I'm leaving for Ponyville," she expounded.

Now it was the stallions' turn to be astonished. Comet Frost walked alongside the princess and stated "Why would you possibly wish to travel there of all places? And at a time like this?"

"I know Twilight Sparkle very well," Cadence elucidated, "In a way, I helped raise her. She is very intelligent and very meticulous. If she claims she has found a lead, then I believe she is on to something. However, she also has a habit of being overconfident and unwilling to rely on the aid of others. She may be willing to accept my assistance if I offer it."

"If you do not mind me asking, what exactly would you do to assist her, Your Highness?" Flash Sentry questioned.

"Specifically, I am not entirely sure," Cadence revealed, "But I'm certain I could find a way to help her and her friends with their investigation once I get there."

"Princess, I understand your wish to provide your assistance here," Comet Frost remarked, "However, I do not think I can guarantee your safety if you travelled to Ponyville."

"What about the safety of Princess Twilight and her friends?" Cadence countered, "For all we know, they may be walking into a death trap."

"I appreciate and sympathize with your concerns, Princess," Comet Frost assured her, "But it was their choice to go into the Everfree Forest. It was their choice to gamble with their lives. They would not have gone in there unless they deemed that risk worthy."

"He does have a point," Flash Sentry commented, "Aside from that, haven't Princess Twilight and her friends saved this country a hoofful of times already?"

"Yes, they have done so at least four times," Cadence confirmed, "I helped them get through two of those ordeals. I may be able to help them this time, too. But the only way I can do that is if I joined them."

"It may not be my place to say so, but I would not advocate that, Your Highness," Comet Frost interjected, "The danger you would be up against is unacceptable. Aside from that, didn't you make an argument only minutes ago about the importance of keeping the people of the Crystal Empire together?"

"Indeed I did," Cadence acknowledged, "The Empire is together right now. In the same way, the rulers of Equestria should function together, as well. Consider the whereabouts of Twilight and her friends. This is the Everfree Forest we're talking about. Anything could happen to them while they're in there."

"All the more reason why you must not go," Comet Frost countered, "We have already lost two of our leaders. The loss of a third would be devastating enough. But I shudder to think of what might happen if we lost all four of our leaders in the same day."

"I have no intention of doing anything so reckless, Commander," Cadence assured him, "However, I do intend to sit by and do nothing while my sister-in-law is out there doing all the work. She will need all the support she can get, and I plan to lend it to her."

Cadence seemed determine to end this conversation. She started making her way back to the entrance of the throne room. Before she was even halfway there, Comet Frost stepped in front of her and stated firmly "Your Highness, if I sound impertinent, then I beseech your pardon. But I cannot allow you to put yourself in harm's way like that."

Cadence was quite alarmed to hear such a resolved statement come out of Comet Frost's mouth. Flash Sentry, Brusque Rush, and Charm Pitch were surprised, as well. The three Royal Guards stared at their superior officer as if he was going insane.

After some uncomfortable silence, Cadence grimaced at the aqua stallion and conjectured "Are you saying that if I attempt to leave the Crystal Empire, you will actually physically stop me?"

"I would never do that, Your Highness," he reassured her, "But you tasked me with heading up your security detail. I cannot do that job unless I do what I deem necessary to ascertain your safety. As of right now, that's my number one goal."

"I thought you told me that looking after the Empire was your foremost responsibility," Cadence recalled.

"No, Captain Shining Armor believes the Empire's well-being is top priority," Comet Frost clarified, "I, on the other hoof, believe that YOUR well-being is more important than anything. In the time since you've been here, Your Highness, you've provided hope and faith to a people who were deprived of those qualities for over a millennium. You've given life back to the Crystal Empire. Currently, you're the only member of the Equestrian Royalty who is not in imminent danger. It would be a travesty of monumental proportions if anything were to happen to you. I know very well that you are under no obligation whatsoever to take orders from me or anypony else. But I urge you to hear me out. Please, stay here. Stay where you are truly needed. I beg of you."

The following three minutes were spent in total silence. Although he was a patient stallion, Comet Frost felt as though he could not wait for Cadence to reply. She seemed to be deliberating on whether she would listen to Comet Frost's advice or write him up for insubordination. Flash Sentry, Charm Pitch, and Brusque Rush were just as eager to hear their princess's response.

Ultimately, Cadence just sighed in amazement, looked the aqua stallion in the eyes, and stated cheekily "You have quite a way with words, Commander."

"Uh… thank you, Your Highness," Comet Frost stated in ambiguity, "Assuming that that's meant to be a compliment."

"It is," Cadence informed him, "As per your suggestion, I will stay here in the Crystal Empire. But if we get any news updates from Ponyville or Canterlot, please have them brought directly to me."

"It will be done, Your Majesty," Comet Frost guaranteed her. He turned to the orange stallion and instructed him "Flash, swing by the relay room. See if anything new has shown up on the bulletin."

"You got it," Flash Sentry said in compliance. He made his way to the entrance of the throne room and headed out into the corridors.

Brusque Rush and Charm Pitch went back to work. Comet Frost and Cadence were left on their own for a while.

Eventually, Comet Frost looked to his leader and addressed her with "Your Highness?"

"Yes?" she responded.

"I apologize if I appeared to be challenging your authority," he told her sincerely, "It's just that… well…"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Commander," Cadence assured him, "I actually admire an officer who is not afraid to voice his own opinion. That's the sign of a stallion who can think for himself and for others."

He smiled and told her "Well, then I thank you, again."

She smiled back and stated "You are very welcome."

The next few hours were spent waiting endlessly for something to happen. Every now and then, Flash Sentry stopped by the relay room to look for more news from Ponyville or Canterlot. Cadence and Comet Frost were hoping he would return with something, but he kept coming back empty-hoofed.

At one point, he actually did return with something. It was a communique from Ponyville saying that the threat posed by the Everfree Forest had been neutralized. In addition to that, Princess Luna and Princess Celestia had been rescued. Best of all, Princess Twilight and her friends were totally alright.

When this joyous news reached the Crystal Empire, Shining Armor quickly lowered the alert level and disbanded the blockade. When he returned to the palace, his wife welcomed him back with open front legs. He congratulated Comet Frost, Flash Sentry, and the other guards on how well that had kept the palace safe.

Now that Equestria was no longer in any danger, the Summer Sun Celebration was back on schedule. Commander Plainview was given provisional command of the Crystal Empire. While he oversaw everything that went on there, Princess Cadence and Shining Armor travelled to Canterlot, just like they planned. They were accompanied by Comet Frost, Flash Sentry, Wary Spot, Charm Pitch, Rapid Zephyr, Sweat Breaker, and Brusque Rush, just like they planned. They arrived a few minutes late, just like they planned. Except not really.

The Celebration itself was magnificent. Flash Sentry almost had another accidental run-in with Twilight Sparkle, but they just missed each other.

Comet Frost still remained by Princess Cadence's side. He planned to remain there until they were back at the Empire. He was willing to stay by her for as long as he needed to be.

Little did he suspect that he would be by her side for a very, very long time. And after a certain amount of time, he would not just be standing there as her bodyguard.