//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14: Outcast 
// Story: Shadows of the Past 
// by Double Rainbow 
//------------------------------//

Twilight trotted around the Canterlot Castle. She couldn't seem to find her husband anywhere. Which was strange, she had checked all the places he could have been. 

She ran into her former mentor, Princess Celestia. "Princess!" She called to her.

Celestia's heart was always warmed when she saw her prized pupul. "Hello, Twilight. How are you?"

"I'm fine." Twilight lied. "Do you know where Flash Sentry is?"

Celestia's mood changed. Her eyes darted back and forth. "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't. Have you check his office?"

Twilight nodded. "I've checked everywhere, I can't find him."

"He couldn't of gone far." Celestia reassured her former student. "I will keep and eye for him."

Twilight sighed. "Thanks Princess. I'll talk to you later!" She told her before trotting off down the long corridors of the castle.

Celestia stared at the floor. What did happen to Flash Sentry? She pondered the question, and trotted to Flash's office, now unusually empty.

On her way there, a guard rushed up to her. "Princess Celestia!"

Celestia spun around to meet the guard. "Yes?"

"You need to follow me. Now." The guard sounded urgent.

The guard led Celestia to the front gate, in which two carts were there, with a blue tarp covering something in the back of each of the carts. "Bring it in." Celestia told the guards.

The carts were wheeled into the castle, where the tarps were removed, and a collective gasp rang out through the castle. As the mangled bodies of the two guards that died on the supposedly "secret" mission. One of them limbs twisted in an impossible fashion, and the other, his throat slashed, a hole where his heart should be, and a part of his side missing, his eyes wide open and still watery from the tears he shed.

The guards looked back and forth between the corpses and Celestia. Who put a hoof to her mouth and began to tear. 

Our guards. Flash Sentry. What have I done? Celestia closed her eyes to prevent her tears from showing as she turned and ran back to her sister's room.

She slammed her hoof on the door, and Luna answered. "Sister! What hath troubled thou at this hour?" She was obviously concerned.

Celestia immediately wrapped her hooves around her sister. "Go look in the lobby of the castle. You will see." She whispered through sobs.

"Come with me sister, I shall see what thou art speaking of." Luna proclaimed, and Celestia reluctantly followed.

When they reached the lobby, the guards had closed off the entire area to prevent on-lookers from seeing.

Luna gasped when she saw the corpses, and Celestia simply shielded her eyes from the horror in front of her.

"Guards, move the bodies to the cemetery. Prep them for a proper burial." Luna ordered the guards, who covered the bodies and moved them out.

"Sister," She turned to Celestia, who had tears streaming down her face. "there is only two bodies, we sent four ponies in. Where be the other two?" She asked her.

Celestia took her hoof down and stared at her sister with misty eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. "That's just it sister! One other and our Captain are missing! How am I suppose to break this to Twilight? That her husband died in combat merely a few days before their wedding? I can't do that!" She bawled as she collapsed onto her sister.

Luna could only try to comfort her. She had no answer for her sister. "Sister, there must be a way." She thought, before speaking away. "Do what Flash had to do, and write grievance letters to each of the families of the guards."

Celestia pulled away. "I guess I have to do that. Thank you sister." Luna nodded, and they parted ways, Luna to keep supervision on the funeral, and Celestia began writing letters out, her first one would be the hardest. Writing a letter to the to-be wife of the Captain of the Royal Guard, her own student, Twilight Sparkle.

She sobbed as she took a quill and began writing out the first letter.


~


Twilight was resting at her parent's house for the evening, since she didn't have her regular company, she decided to stay with her parents. A knock on the door interrupted the family's dinner, which Twilight answered.

A royal guard stool tall at the entrance. "Letter for Princess Twilight Sparkle."

"That's me. Thank you." Twilight took the letter and closed the door. She opened it and began reading it slowly, hoping it would bring good news-

Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle,

It has been brought to my attention that your fiancé, Flash Sentry, Captain of the Royal Guards, was sent on a mission about one day ago, from which he has not returned, and is believed to be missing behind hostile borders. I will not beguile you into believing that he is safe, because we simply do not know. Recently, the bodies of two of the guards sent on the mission were found, your husband was not one of them. Due to all of the current evidence I am most unfortunate to tell you that I must pronounce Captain Flash Sentry to be killed in action.

With A Heavy Heart,
Princess Celestia
Princess Luna

Twilight was stuck in a daze, staring at the paper that just seemed to destroy her life. The pony she loved, wanted to be together with, was dead. Her daze was stopped when she heard her tears hitting the scroll. In which she heard her parents calling, "Twi! What's going on? Who was it?"

Twilight slumped to her parents, who immediately changed their expression and were concerned for her now. "What's wrong?" Twilight Velvet asked.

Twilight simply handed her mother the letter, which she read, and began to sob uncontrollably. Then getting up to hug her daughter, who had burst into tears. Her father would join her after he read the letter. One of the most credited and honored ponies in Equestria, the future husband of Princess Twilight Sparkle, was dead.


~


The day in which was originally planned for Twilight and Flash's wedding, quickly became the date of the funeral for the four guardponies. The newspapers flashed the story, telling the tragic loss to the now grieving country.

The pictures of the four guards were hoisted up above a stage in the castle cemetery, as different ponies came up to speak about the loved one they've lost. All except Twilight, who just stayed next to her brother, Shining Armor, Sister-In-Law, Princess Cadance, and her parents.

While this was going on, guards carried four caskets covered by the Equestrian Flag, one for each of the guards, even if no body was present, and placed them next to individual graves. 

Princess Celestia's voice spoke with grievance  but reassurance, that the guards died "...for their country, an honorable and valiant sacrifice." Her eyes locked to Twilight through most of her speech.

Every Equestrian Flag in the country was held at half mast for the rest of the day, and as the flags were taken off the caskets and then lowered into the graves, families said their final goodbyes, and left, leaving behind a trail of tears, Dust Storm crying more than anypony.

Spitfire remained a little longer however, staring at the grave, their last conversation in mind after she offered her Wonderbolt services for his "mission", "I'm going on a mission Spitfire..." She sighed as she looked at Celestia, who was just leaving the area. Just what the hell kind of mission did she send you on Flash? She thought as she stalked out of the cemetery and into the castle.

Although two of the guards were confirmed to be killed in action, the others remained a mystery, because nopony knew exactly or generally where their whereabouts were, and were lost to wonder.


~


"Get down!"

Night Breeze and Flash Sentry dropped their bodies to the forest floor. A group of changelings patrolled the area ahead of them, obviously looking for them.

They kept their bodies low, using whatever cover could camouflage their outlines.

Once the patrol passed, Flash motioned to move forward and the pair crept along the forest floor.

As they came up to clearing, Flash halted again, Night Breeze close behind. "What is it?" He whispered.

"Clearing, no cover." Flash responded.

"They couldn't have gone far! Spread out and search, I want them found NOW!" An angry voice sounded in the distance. 

Flash perked up and saw the tall figure of Queen Chrysalis standing over her changelings, who were searching the area. As changelings got closer, Flash's breath quickened, as his orange fur stuck out against the dark green marsh.

Flash looked back at Night Breeze, who had moved an inch closer to Flash. "When I flick you with my tail, we bolt."

Night Breeze nodded, and as the changelings got closer and closer, Flash sucked up the last of his energy and got ready to run.

Once a changeling was less than a meter away from the pair, Flash raised his tail and readied it, once the changeling looked away for a moment, he flicked Night Breeze.

The grass they had been in seemed to explode as the pair burst out.

As the two guards ran, the changeling stared, dazed, before finally calling the warning to the rest of the changelings, "Over there! They're getting away"! and took flight after the two ponies.

"You fools! Don't let them escape!" Chrysalis hissed from behind them.

Night Breeze panted along side Flash as they made their suicidal dash for freedom. If anything, Flash was exhausted too, but he knew if he stopped he would be killed along with his friend.

As the pair ran through the forest as fast as their battered bodies could carry them, they reached a cliff at which they skidded to a half before staring at its deathly drop that stood before them.

Flash looked behind them, and could see the brush starting to move with changeling activity headed for them. He looked back at the cliff, then to his friend. "We have to jump." He said sternly.

"What?!" Night Breeze looked at Flash like he had two heads. "Are you insane Flash?"

Flash returned the glare. "It's our only chance, look." He pointed at the fine lining of dirt that was the cliff. "The dirt is smooth enough for us to roll down." He explained.

Night Breeze shook his head. "That's a good 100 foot drop! We won't survive that!" He argued.

"We wont survive if we get caught again either!" Flash confessed to his friend with helpless eyes. "We need to jump, now."

Night Breeze sighed and nodded to his friend, and the two stood hoof to hoof at the edge of a cliff, backed in by a swarm of changelings, they prepared to jump, possibly to their death.

"We go on three." Flash told his friend through heartfelt eyes. Once his friend nodded, he started. "Okay."

"One..."

"Tw-AH!"

Before he could finish, the pair had been hit by a changeling's spell and flung them off the cliff. The changelings finally caught up and halted at the edge to watch the two bodies tumble down the cliff.

"No! You idiots! I wanted them alive!" Chrysalis screeched as she looked over the edge. "What am I suppose to do with two dead ponies as prisoners!? Who casted that spell?" She glared at her minions, as one of them raised a hoof. She forcefully levitated the changeling and threw it promptly off the cliff. 

"Find them!" She huffed as she stalked away from her changelings who stared over the edge into the forest below. Even though the bodies weren't visible, they all wondered if the ponies were actually dead or not.


~


Spitfire searched the halls of the Canterlot Castle, looking for the ruler of the land.

Once found, the Captain walked up to the princess, eyes flared. "Princess Celestia."

Celestia turned slightly to rest her gentle gaze upon the fiery colored pegasus. "Captain Spitfire. How may I be of assistance?"

"Where did Flash Sentry go that would cause him and his squad death?" She questioned.

Celestia darted her eyes left and right and sighed. "I don't know where he took his squad Spitfire. I do know it was to a dangerous place."

Spitfire snorted. "You're stating the obvious Princess. Do you or do you not where Flash went?"

"No Spitfire, I don't." Her eyes widening.

Is that fear in her eyes? Spitfire snorted again. "Celestia, why are not keeping track of your guards? Personally, I think you're answers are full of shit. I want to know where he went." Her eyes ignited with anger. 

Celestia's face grew dark. "Well Captain, I would have assumed you had more respect, but I see otherwise. Finally, I say one last time. I do not know where Captain Flash Sentry went. Good day, Captain."

As the princess stormed off, Spitfire stood there. She's hiding something. Spitfire questioned in her mind. She knows where Flash went. If she wont tell me, maybe somepony else will. She thought as she whipped around and headed off to find the Princess of the Night.

The other princess's bed chamber wasn't far from her sister's, but it was a few minutes to get there. Spitfire walked up and knocked softly. A soft response from inside returned. "Enter!" The princess called.

Spitfire shuffled herself in, closing the door being her, before her eyes rested on the princess, who was next to a window, returning her look and bowing politely. "My apologies for interrupting Princess, but I have an urgent question to ask of you." She asked as she closed the distance between her and Luna.

Luna looked kindly upon Spitfire, "Thy apology is accepted, but not needed. Rise, how can I be of service to the great 'Captain of the Wonderbolts'?" she asked as she sat down.

Spitfire stood before speaking. "I wouldn't suppose you would know where Flash Sentry went that would cause harm to him and his squadmates in the way they were?"

Luna's furrowed her brow as she processed the question. "Sorry, Spitfire, I know not the answer to your question. We believe he may have deserted."

"Are you sure?" Spitfire leaned in. "Why would a Captain of the Royal Guard desert, especially after what he has done to achieve that position."

Luna waved a hoof. "I know not why. That is the most logical explanation for now."

"Mhm." Spitfire nodded. "Thank you, your majesty."

"Honored, as always." Luna returned the bow. "Fair travels, Captain."

Spitfire left without another word. Well, she's a better liar than Celestia. She thought to herself as she headed down the corridor with one thought in her mind. Where classified papers would be held. The Captain's office, possibly.


~


Flash painfully opened his eyes to see the world around him. As he moved he felt a horrific pain in his side. He grunted as he looked over to see that a tree had been what stopped his fall.

After a few desperate attempts, Flash finally rises to his hooves and scanned the area to find him in the middle of a forest still.

Then, realization struck Flash with a feeling worse than any bone that may be fractured in his side. He was the only pony in this forest, at least that he could see.

Without thinking of revealing his position, he screamed out the one name that came to mind, "Night Breeze?!" He looked around desperately for his friend as he called out his name, "Night Breeze!"

The only thing that stopped Flash was chatter in the distance, and rustling of a changeling patrol. No doubt looking for me and Night Breeze.

As the patrol got closer, Flash looked for a hiding spot. Luckily, a hole inside the ridge he had fallen from presented itself, and Flash squeezed his way in between the jagged rocks and held his breath as the changelings walked only a few feet from him.

When was finally far enough where Flash couldn't see nor hear them, he crawled out from his hiding spot and gave one look around, before heading out to find his lost friend.


~


"Ugh, where-?" Night Breeze sluggishly lifted his head as he looked around the forest he fallen into. "Am I?"

After quickly surveying the land that surrounded him, he discovered he was still in the hell-hole situation from before. Crap. He frowned as he learned of his position. 

Night Breeze assessed his own condition, he had landed between two rocks on a thorn bush, which had broken his fall but given him a few gashes.

He slowly rose to his hooves, with a few jabbing stings of pain from his wounds, and looked for his friend Flash Sentry. When Flash went to walk, he found that the ropes around his hooves had been severed, allowing full mobility. Thank Celestia. It wasn't even a matter of him being his commander, he just wanted to find his life-long friend. 

"Flash!" He called out in a, half yell, half whisper tone.

Right as he called out Flash's name, he spotted a changeling walk through some of the rocks near him, and Night Breeze ducked down quickly into the place he had fallen into.

Through a small V-shape in the rock, Night Breeze was able to see the growing number of changelings enter the field of rocks he was in.

All Night Breeze could hear was the slight chatter of the patrol moving across the rocks. Once the patrol had passed, he rose from his hiding spot and clambered over the rocks that surrounded him and made his way to the forest next to him.

"Flash?" He whispered to the forest.

"Night Breeze!?" A voice called out.

"Flash!" Night Breeze yelled back, and quickly, galloped into the forest in search of his friend.


~


"Night Breeze!?" Flash shouted out.

"Flash!" A voice responded.

Was that him? Hope swelled in Flash Sentry's chest. "Night Breeze!"

"Flash! Where are you?" The voice responded.

That is him! Flash felt like the weight of a thousand suns had been lifted off his shoulders. "I'm in the forest!"

After a few seconds Flash saw his friend come through the brush with a slight limp. "Where the hell happened?" He spoke sternly suddenly.

Flash nodded his head towards the cliff they had fallen from. "We got blasted off the ridge."

Night Breeze just nodded. "So what now? We are completely lost."

Flash looked to the sky, specifically the sun. Putting a hoof over his eyes to block out the sun, "Well, we're still on the west side of Equestria right?"

"Yeah." Night Breeze responded. "Why?"

A slight smile formed on Flash's muzzle. "The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. It's still early, so that means we have to go that-a-way." He said pointed a hoof towards a different part of the forest.

Night Breeze gave a half-smile. "So when do we start this trek?"

Just as Night Breeze said that, Flash looked over his shoulder to see the changeling patrol storming towards them. "Now, and fast, I think we spoke too loud!"

"Right behind ya!" Night Breeze added as he took off behind Flash Sentry.

The two galloped as fast as they could through the rocky forest, the changelings closing fast.

"Keep running Night Breeze, come on!" Flash shouted back to his friend, who was lagging behind.

Night Breeze had started limping a bit from his wounds, still bleeding down his legs. "I can't, those rocks I landed on cut me pretty deep." He grunted through gritted teeth.

Flash Sentry let out a soft sigh but kept running. Looking back he saw the patrol getting closer. "Just keep running! They're gaining on us!" He warned.

Night Breeze looked back, and his eyes went wide. "Flash! What do we do?!" Panic hinting in his voice.

Flash looked ahead for a second. Wait, we're pegasi! He looked back to Night Breeze, "We take to the skies!" As he said this, Night Breeze nodded and opened his wings and followed Flash into the skies.

Sweet Celestia has it never felt greater to spread my wings! Flash thought happily.

As fast as the joy came to him, it ended as he heard the buzz of the changelings behind him. Aw crap! I forgot they had wings too! He thought as the changelings began firing their deadly magic at them.

"Night Breeze, move!" Flash screamed to his already wounded friend, but was two late. As the words came out of Flash's mouth, a blast of magic exploded next to his friend, sending him flying back down into the forest. "NO!"

Anger now burned in Flash's eyes as he whipped around to meet the changeling flying towards him head on.

As he grew closer to his first target, they tried shooting magic blasts at him, which he quickly flew out of the way, and pushed a fist out to meet his first enemy.

Flash barely heard the shattering of bone in the changeling he connected with. He didn't care what happened to the damned thing, he was furious - and he wanted revenge.

One down, five to go. His thought raced through his mind as his forehooves fell upon another changeling, and it dropped to the ground.

Before he could position himself to attack his next opponent, a hollow hoof connected with Flash's side and a changeling hit him.

Flash felt his air leave his lungs as he exhaled from the hit, but regained his composure quickly enough to fling himself at the changeling and wrapping his hooves around it's neck.

Another changeling tried to help, and shot a bolt of magic towards Flash, and he responded by moving his captive in that direction, forcing the bolt into it's body, and before he knew it, the body in his hooves went limp.

Flash quickly dropped the body and scanned the area for his next target. Two changelings in front, and one coming from behind.

To deal with the changeling behind, Flash thrust his back legs behind with as much force as possible, hoping they would connect.

This was confirmed by the splitting sound of bones cracking in the changeling, and Flash then watching it drop to the ground. Easy enough.

Flash looked over to where the body of the changeling fell, and saw that it was a thicket covered in brush and low trees. That is excellent cover. He looked back at the last two changelings, who were closing on him, then back at the thicket. Time to play things on my terms. He thought as he dove down into the thicket, the changelings following him.

The thicket was very dense, as Flash predicted, and he slithered his way around the brush until he came across one of the changelings.

Flash gave a grin as he silently stalked up behind his prey, and wrapped his hooves around the changeling's neck, and pulled him into the brush. As the two struggled for a few moments, the changeling finally gave in, and Flash choked him out. Sleep tight. Flash thought grimly as the changeling slumped in his arms, before quickly twisted it's neck violently.

As Flash looked around for the last changeling, he heard rustling from the trees above, and when he looked up, he saw the last changeling flying away. You better run. A smirk formed over Flash's muzzle, but it quickly deteriorated as Flash's anger dissipated and his thoughts drifted back to his wounded friend.

He looked around. "Night Breeze!" He screamed.

"Over - here." A gasp sounded close by.

Flash bounded over to where the sound was to find his friend had been impaled through his leg by a branch of a small tree. "Sweet Celestia." That was all Flash could say as he stared at his friend before walking over.

"Ugh- Flash, get it out of me." Night Breeze gasped through gritted teeth.

Flash walked over. "Alright, alright, on three." He looked to his friend, who nodded as he put a stick in his mouth. "One, two-" On that, he ripped his friend's leg from the branch.

Night Breeze screamed through closed a closed muzzle as the stick snapped instantly. "Oh Celestia, that hurt!" He grunted to Flash.

"Can you fly?" Flash stared at his wounded friend.

Night Breeze shook his head grimly. "No, I sprained my wing when I fell from the magic blast." 

Flash looked at the dirt. Great. "Can you walk?" He asked.

Taking a deep breath, Night Breeze tried to stand, but the hole in his fore leg said otherwise, as he fell back to the ground in agony. "Grr- no! That's not happening anytime soon!"

Flash looked around, then up. Then snapped his focus to Night Breeze. "Do you trust me?"

Night Breeze looked up with confusion marking his face, mixed with pain. "With my life, why?"

"Then just stay relaxed." Flash said as he flapped his wings over to Night Breeze and picked his wounded friend up with a heavy grunt.

"Whoa! Flash!" Night Breeze scratched at Flash with his hooves for a grip as his hooves were lifted off the ground. "Oh this is a bad idea!"

Flash huffed as he used almost all of his remaining energy to summon the strength to life a wounded pegasus. "Well," He said as he gasped. "Any better ideas?"

Night Breeze stayed silent for a moment before responding. "No."

Flash struggled to amass any strength he had to carry his friend to the nearest pony town. Oh sweet Celestia, how long can I hold him. Flash thought through gasps of breath.