A cold chill went down his spin as he stared at Flash Sentry. It wasn’t the fact that he was standing there that sent the chill, it was the fact that he was smiling. After everything that happened, why was he smiling?
“Morning,” Flash said as he walked into the room.
“M-morning,” Weaponry managed to say. Why is he this happy? The last guard that acted the way I did was demoted. Great, now I know why he’s smiling. Weaponry thought.
“These rooms are remarkable, the rustic feel of them, the view, the,” Flash said
“What do you want?” Weaponry asked. If he was going to demote Weaponry, he’d rather get it over with. After his last interaction with the figure in his dreams made him impatient.
“I wanted to come down to apologize for what happened at the police station,” Flash said. Weaponry looked at him in shock. Apologize? Weaponry thought before Flash added, “I understand your need to protect this kingdom, but even so. I shouldn’t have brought her into the conversation.” Weaponry lowered his head. All he could picture was her shadow swallowing her up.
“It’s alright Flash; I should also apologize as well, my actions where inappropriate. Just because I harbor ill feelings toward the changelings doesn’t mean I should torcher them like that. Also, I’m sorry for hitting you. I’ve been under a lot of stress as of late,” Weaponry said. Flash walked over to him and placed a hoof on Weaponry’s shoulder.
“It’s the nightmares? They’re getting worse aren’t they?” Flash asked. Weaponry merely nodded.
“I think I know someone who can help you with that,” Flash said as he walked past him and out of the room. Weaponry stood there for a few seconds before he followed him. He followed flash out of the Inn and through Ponyville until they reached a large tree in the middle of town. A tree? How can a tree help me? Weaponry thought before Flash knocked on the door. The door opened and Spike looked at the two.
“Oh, hey Flash,” Spike said before a voice cried, “Flash!” before a large crash came from the inside.
“May we come in Spike?” Flash said. Spike nodded and opened the door letting the two inside. Weaponry looked around in shock. Outside it looked like nothing more than a large tree, but inside was an array of books arranged on the shelves around the interior.
“Who know there was a library inside this tree,” Weaponry said.
“Quite marvelous isn’t it, I’ve read nearly all these books in here,” Twilight said. Spike had left and had come back with a tray with tea, four cups, a plate of croissants and two dishes. One with jelly and the other with butter. He placed the tray on the table and began pouring the tea into the cups.
“What brings you here Flash,” Twilight asked. Flash looked over at Weaponry who was still gawking at the amount of books on the shelves.
“I was hoping you could help Weaponry,” Flash said.
“What’s wrong,” Twilight asked looking at Flash before looking at Weaponry. Weaponry was snapped out of his trance as he rubbed his hoof against his leg. He really didn’t like talking about the nightmares to anypony. Partly because he felt they were his burden to bear and because he really didn’t like reliving them while he was awake.
“His nightmares have been getting worse; I’ve been able to hear him screaming in his sleep at night. I’m sure the other guards have heard him as well. I was wondering if you had anything here that could help him,” Flash said. Twilight rubbed her chin thinking if there was anything in the library that could help.
“I might have something,” Twilight said before she trotted upstairs. Weaponry walked over to the table and sat down before he horn glowed and the tea cup lifted up as he sipped it.
“I hardly think this will work Flash, these nightmares won’t go away. For that matter, I don’t think they should,” Weaponry said as the cup floated to the plate on the table. Flash looked at him in confusion before Weaponry added, “These nightmares are my burden to bear, my past sins must be atoned for and this is the only way to do it.”
“Are you kidding me?!” Flash yelled. Weaponry was taken aback by his outburst before he added, “You’ve already done enough to atone for your sins. For that matter what sins are you trying to atone for? What happened in the desert wasn’t your fault! I think you’re too hard on yourself, that damn scar should be proof enough!”
“I-um found the book,” Twilight said. She had been standing there for a few seconds listen to Flash’s rant before she spoke up.
“Sorry about that,” Flash said as he recomposed himself.
“It’s ok,” Twilight said before she levitated the book to the table and added, “I’ve been studying ways to help ponies with suppressed memories. It’s like Luna’s ability to enter other pony’s dreams, but with this I could see into their memories while they’re awake to help them.”
“Twilight, Luna’s letter,” Spike said.
“Oh right,” Twilight said before she quickly stood up and trotted off into the other room before she levitated a parchment with Luna’s royal seal on it.
“When I went to see Celestia yesterday, Luna pulled me aside and asked me to give this to you the next time I saw you,” Twilight said as the parchment floated towards Weaponry.
Before it could reach him Pinkie seem to just pop out of nowhere asking, “Whatcha you up to?” scaring the three at her sudden appearance. Flash fell backwards, while Twilight sprinted backwards into a book shelf as books fell down on top of her. Weaponry Stepped back before realizing who it was as he sighed.
“You have no idea what privacy is, do you?” Weaponry asked.
“Nope,” Pinkie giggled before she snorted.
“What are you doing here Pinkie,” Twilight said as her head popped out of the pile of books.
“I just wanted to pop in to say hi,” Pinkie said
“You could have at least used the door instead of scaring us,” Spike said crawling from underneath the table. Pinkie looked at him in confusion.
“I did.” Pinkie said as she pointed to the open door. The four looked at each other before they looked at Pinkie who was smiling. How did we not notice her walking in? Weaponry thought.
“I told her she should have knocked but you know how she is,” Applejack said as she walked in. Twilight was levitating book back onto the book shelf as Spike picked up some of the books she had missed.
“Who knew you were so popular Twilight,” Flash said.
“Yeah, who knew,” Twilight sarcastically said before she walked back to the table.
“She can’t be more popular than yours truly,” Rainbow Dash said as she flew in and landed next to Spike making him drop the books he was holding.
“Um, we heard screams and thought, um you were in trouble,” Fluttershy said as she stood in the door frame hiding behind her mane. What the? They’re coming out of the wood works? Weaponry thought.
“What are you doing out there Fluttershy? You don’t have to stand out there,” Applejack said.
“O-ok,” Fluttershy squeaked before she walked in. Rarity trotted past her.
“Oh Twilight, look at this lovely neckless I bought,” Rarity said before she stopped and looked around at all the ponies in the room.
“Oh come on, you all can’t just copy me and pop in,” Pinkie said as she sighed and took a croissants and bit into it. It’s like they gather to one another. Weaponry thought in amazement. Pinkie felt something brush against her hoof. She looked down and saw the parchment on the floor.
“What’s this,” Pinkie asked with a mouth full of the pastry. Weaponry had almost forgotten about the letter with all that had happened. The parchment floated out of Pinkie’s grasp and levitated over to Weaponry.
“Go on, open it,” Twilight said. Weaponry nodded as the purple aura disappeared and Weaponry’s black aura formed around it and unraveled it. As he did a picture floated from it and landed on the table. They all looked at the picture before a tear stained the bottom right hand corner of the picture. Twilight looked up at Weaponry to see tears forming in his eye.
He looked up at her and quickly wiped the tears from it and said, “Sorry.” In the picture was an enthusiastic Flash who had a large grin on his face, his eyes closed and wings extended. Weaponry looked annoyed as the picture was being taken and in the middle was a bright blue unicorn with a silver mane and the mark of a glistening arrow on her flank. She had her two front hooves on the corners of Weaponry’s mouth making him smile. She seemed to be having fun as she laughed in the still frame.
“I remember that day,” Flash sighed as he looked at the picture. The memories now making tears from in his eyes. Pinkie looked at the two and her eyes widened.
“Oh my goodness, you two fell in love with the same mare and had to fight for her,” Pinkie said. Weaponry and Flash looked at her before they looked at each other before bursting out laughing Pinkie looked at them in confusion.
“What’s so funny?” Applejack asked.
“Sorry, just thinking what Pinkie said made me remember all the times I wanted to kill Weaponry,” Flash said after he had finally stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Twice you nearly succeeded,” Weaponry said. He hadn’t laughed like that in years and it actually felt good.
“So you two did fight over her, how romantic,” Rarity said.
“That’s my sister Sacred Arrow,” Flash said as he shook his head and pointed to the unicorn in the middle of the picture.
“I met Flash and his sister during our time at hoof camp to be royal guards,” Weaponry said before he added, “After we graduated She.” Weaponry said before he was interrupted.
“Became your special somepony,” Fluttershy said. Weaponry nodded.
“Hold on, you said all you had for family was your mom and sister,” Rainbow Dash said remembering their conversation at the bar. The happy mood seem to changed with that question.
Weaponry lowered his head and said, “She died, she was one of the three hundred that went with me to the San Palomino Desert.”