“TWI-ACK!”
I wrapped my foreleg around Spike’s throat, cutting off any further outbursts. I had already primed my wings in the same moment, and so I jetted down the hall and drifted around corners with speed that would make the Wonderbolts jealous.
Thinking quickly, I flew into the nearest open room I could find that was a reasonable distance from Twilight, and dragged the flailing dragon inside.
In that instant, I was extremely grateful the castle was as empty as it was. I was already making a bad enough first impression.
The room was dark, the only light coming from the doorway I’d flown through. I picked a corner wall on a whim and carefully pressed Spike against it to make sure he could not squirm and run away, while being very mindful of those claws and teeth I knew very well could chew diamonds like breakfast cereal.
“Spike,” I started cautiously.
“Mrrrrngh!” he growled around my leg. Fear and outrage flared in his eyes.
“Please listen! I’m not here to hurt Princess Twilight! Please calm down!” I pleaded desperately.
Spike glared fiercely at my face. I stared back, not breaking eye contact, until finally I felt him stop jerking and struggling, though his muscles were still tense as a coiled spring.
“Here’s what we’re going to do,” I said slowly. “I’m going to let you go. And then I’m going to explain myself about why I’m here, but I need you to hear me out before you say anything to Twilight. Are we clear?”
Spike held his vicious gaze on me. I tensed when I noticed his head moving, then realized it was just him nodding as much as he could around my grip.
I took a deep breath. Stepping back, I withdrew my leg, simultaneously preparing my wings and hind legs for takeoff just in case he tried something drastic.
Spike coughed, breathing heavily. He quickly shot upright, standing scant inches away from my face. I could have sworn I saw tendrils of steam blowing from his nostrils.
“Who are you, and why were you spying on Twilight?”
He was not exactly talking quietly, but at least he wasn’t yelling at the top of his lungs. His voice was oddly deep but still held a childlike tone at its core, like a colt treading on the edge of puberty. I quickly glanced at the door to make sure nopony was looking in on us.
“I’m Flash Sentry, a royal guard Captain from the Crystal Empire. I transferred here under the orders of Captain Shining Armor.”
“Uh-huh.” Spike shot me a suspicious gaze. “And why was the royal guard of the Crystal Empire spying on Twilight taking a bath?”
“I…” I faltered. He had me there. I was a member of the royal guard, and I’d just spent who knows how long spying on a wet, gorgeous, wonderfully talented princess.
“Uh, dude? Your wings are showing.”
My face burned as I shut my wings in. I swear those things needed duct tape to stay down. “Okay, okay, I screwed up!” I hissed. “I knocked on the door and called out, but nopony answered. I went inside looking for the princess when, erm, that happened.”
“So when you’re visiting another pony’s home, do you always randomly snoop around checking bathrooms?”
“That wasn’t my intention. I admit I should’ve waited first since I’m a little early, but I felt I could pay my respects to the Princess ahead of our scheduled meeting time.” At least, that sounded far better than checking out the castle for security vulnerabilities and falling victim to my foolish curiosity. “The fact I stumbled upon the Princess was purely by accident.”
Right then, the true danger of Spike’s involvement hit me.
As Twilight’s assistant, earning his favor would be vital to maintain my cover. Twilight would certainly lend an ear to Spike if he spoke ill of me, which risked blowing my cover early. Without the cover it would be significantly harder to protect Twilight since I would likely not be allowed to stay at the castle. Considering the terrible first impression I made with Spike, the chance of getting kicked out of the castle just went up drastically.
As much as I wanted to dodge blame, it would likely do little to improve his mood. Perhaps a more honest approach would help smooth things over. “You’re right. Accident or not, what I did was awful, and I’m sorry. I swear on my honor this won’t repeat itself.”
“And why should I give a pervert like you a chance? Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just tell Twilight what a scummy pony you are!” His eyes were narrowed, and his lips formed a thin line.
It was likely he wouldn’t believe anything I said. Even if I came up with something clever to buy time, there was still the risk he would tell her in secret or sabotage my mission. There was, however, one other option. Quite possibly the toughest judgement call I ever had to make. The final option was the truth.
If I made up an unconvincing lie, I would lose any chance I had at repairing this crisis. But if I told the truth, all the risks Shining warned me about would come to fruition. Having idiotically cornered myself, I was forced to pick my poison and hope it didn’t kill me.
Taking my contemplative silence as an answer, Spike scoffed. “Hmph. Just like I thought. You’re nothing but a pervert who just wants to get close to Twilight.” Shrugging me off, he began walking out the door. It was now or never. “I’m telling her what happened, and there’s nothing you can say to—”
“Twilight’s life is in danger, Spike.”
Spike stopped stone cold. “…What?” Turning around Spike slowly walked towards me, regarding me carefully. “What did you say?”
“Shining Armor recently learned that Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings is planning a revenge scheme to assassinate Twilight. I was sent here to make sure that did not happen. Covertly.”
For almost a minute, Spike’s eyes searched mine. I simply looked back, unblinking.
Finally, Spike glanced away, shaking his head slowly. When he looked back at me, his face looked almost desperate.
“You’re… not kidding, are you. No, you’re… not.” he muttered. His head dipped, and he reached a claw up to partly cover his mouth.
“Twilight… O-Oh, no. Buck.”
I nodded gravely. “I know.”
His chin snapped up. “O-Okay, if you know,” he said with a quiver of barely-held anger, “then what do we do? There’s a plan, right? You’re gonna bring Royal Guards in to save her and stop this, right?”
“Yeah,” I affirmed, giving another nod. “But we also don’t want to tip off the Queen, so that’s why I’m here, okay? We’re gonna make sure that Twilight’s safe, and here’s how…”
Over the course of a few minutes, I explained the mission details to Spike. I found it rather amusing that his reactions and questions were akin to my own when Shining told me about the assassination attempt. His irritation at my early mistake seemed to be a thing of the past. Not wanting to risk breaking his trust again, I answered his questions as honestly as possible. I had to be transparent with him, or else I chanced going back to square one.
“We should wait until we’ve met up with my—” I paused, realizing I needed to amend the statement “—our partner to discuss things further. Just keep in mind that this has to be absolutely secret, Spike. Nopony, and I mean nopony, can know what we’ve discussed. Not even Twilight. At least until the time is right. Understood?”
“I know. I don’t like it, but I get it.” Spike nodded.
Feeling relieved, I released a sigh of relief. “I appreciate that, Spike. Welcome to the team.” I extended my hoof to what would be our newest team member.
“Hey, hey, hey!” Spike swatted my hand away, glaring suspiciously at me. “This doesn’t mean I’m going to let you off the hook, buddy. I’ll be watching you.”
“Who will you be watching, Spike?”
Both of us sharply turn our hands to see none other than Princess Twilight Sparkle standing at the doorway, peering into the darkness. It was not until she opened the door all the way that the light flooded the room and fell on me. Twilight gasped. “F-Flash Sentry? What are you doing in this room? What are you BOTH doing in this room?”
Crap.
“I, uh, well…ahem!” I cleared my throat and straightened myself, standing at attention. “I apologize for my sudden appearance, Princess.” I bowed towards her to show my respect.
“Help me out here, Spike…!” I whispered towards the dragon. Spike perked up, realizing I needed an out.
“Oh, uh, yeah! He got lost trying to find you and… I happened to bump into him. Seriously, I don’t think this guy could’ve found his way out of a garbage bag with a flashlight and a map.”
I was starting to wish I had Shine Spark here to rip into Spike for that comment. Then again, she would have buried me alive for getting stuck in this situation in the first place.
“Spike! Don’t be rude to our guest!” Maybe it was just me, but she seemed to have trouble giving me direct eye contact as she walked over to address me. “I wasn’t expecting to see you so early.”
“The train arrived early, so I felt a need to come and pay my respects as soon as I could.” As per protocol, I gave her a salute and began to introduce myself. That is, until her eyes finally made contact with mine. The memory of that unforgettable sight assaulted my consciousness, and my nerves began to unravel. “Captain Slash Fentry, at your service…I-I mean Sentry Flash…no, uh, I meant Flash Sentry! It’s Flash Sentry, Princess!”
Somepony kill me.
The princess giggled. “There’s no need to be so nervous! I may be a Princess, but I’m a pony just like everypony else. And you don’t have to call me Princess. Just Twilight will do.”
“With all due respect, Prin-um, Twilight, you're more than just a pony. You have saved so many lives and changed even more for the better. There’s not many who can do what you’ve done, and it is an honor to be in your service.”
Twilight looked caught off guard, a hint of crimson flushing her cheeks. “Oh, uh, t-thank you. All I did was lend a hoof to ponies in need. Nothing special.” Her voice seemed to quiver for a moment, but I did not show any sign of noticing it.
“Suck-up…” Spike muttered quietly to himself. I resisted the urge to glare at him.
“Since you’re here early, why don’t we get started with a tour of the castle so you can know your way around?”
"I would be delighted, Miss Twilight."
"Just Twilight. I don't know what the rules for you are like at the Crystal Empire, but I'm not big on fancy formalities. Just relax, you're among friends."
Considering the judgmental stare I was getting from Spike, “friend” was not a word I would've used.
Her sincerity was definitely a sight for sore eyes, as well as—no, I was not going to think about what happened. I needed to move on and pretend that little moment did not exist.
"I appreciate your kindness, Twilight. Please lead the way." As I followed Twilight into the hallway, Spike tagged along by my side wearing a scowl. Something told me his current thoughts involved me.
The tour through the castle was a pleasant stroll, giving me a thorough understanding of the major rooms in the castle. There was the main council room where the element bearers would gather for discussion, Twilight's study that doubled as a library, and several other rooms including the bathing chambers, to which Spike chose this moment to give me a dark glare. I smiled nervously in return, thankful Twilight did not catch that exchange.
The tour ended at the bed chambers, several rooms with tall double doors. Some were private rooms for the other ponies, primarily Twilight’s friends and her pupil Starlight, who, according to Twilight left not too long ago to embark on a ‘friendship mission’. As she was explaining the rooms, she stopped at the bed chamber next to her own and faced me, wearing a large grin. "This will be your room from now on. Go on and tell me what you think."
As I opened the doors, what greeted me was not a ‘room’. This was bigger than most houses I’d visited. The massive chamber stretched for several dozen meters and was taller than most houses I’ve seen. The dressers, closet door, and impressively-sized bed all lined with crystals cascading the edges. At the corner of the room was a chest to hold my equipment and an armor rack for my royal guard gear. My attention turned to the windows, the middle one leading to a balcony that oversaw Ponyville.
"So...do you like it?" Twilight asked as she slipped into the room with Spike, the former excited and anxious and the latter scowling.
"This is..." I struggled to find the words, but I'm sure the look I had on my face said it better. "This room is outstanding!" I had to struggle to not do a backflip out of joy. It was a dream to have a sleeping quarters this lavish rather than the cramped space back in the Crystal Empire.
"Twilight worked hard to set up this room for you, so you better take care of it," Spike said with a little heat.
I was so wrapped up in awe, I nearly forgot my etiquette. I gave Twilight and Spike a bow of gratitude. "Of course. I appreciate everything you've both done for me today, and I will maintain this room with the utmost care."
“I still have a few things to take care of before the others get here, so make yourself at home. If you need anything, just ask,” Twilight said.
“I appreciate the thought, but you've done plenty for me. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
“Alright then. I’ll come back for you when the others arrive. Come on, Spike.” As Twilight and Spike exited the room, I immediately went to work.
First order of business was to buff my armor and give it a nice shine. I shelved my armor on the stand, a rather thoughtful gift from Twilight, and began cleaning it up with my shine kit. Since I had given it an enthusiastic shine prior to meeting the princess, I settled for a cursory double-check. Once that task was completed, I unloaded my gear and supplies in the closet space and the drawer in the dresser. The one major concern, though more personal than anything else, was the maintenance of my most private possession: My guitar.
I did not plan on using it much, but I wanted to make sure it was properly strung before storing it. Settling myself on the bed, I began stringing it up, testing each taut string with a pluck. Working on my guitar was a relaxing affair, my moment to meditate and collect myself.
I’d barely met Twilight, and already I felt like I was losing my grip on the mission. I’d confessed confidential information to Spike and spied on a bathing Princess. I could not bring myself to tell Shining Armor how I had almost screwed up the mission. Hopefully Trojan’s investigation was far less harrowing than my meeting with the Princess.
Once the guitar was fully set up, I decided to humor myself with a single solo session. After all, Twilight would more than likely announce when her friends arrived. I chose a soft, calming tune to play and closed my eyes to soak in the song and get rid of some stress.
The soothing melody brought me back to better days. Days where I didn’t have to worry about Changeling assassins or botching confidentiality. Days where I worried more about not destroying Shining Armor and Shine Spark’s eardrums with my terrible learning curve and celebrating with them whenever I learned a new song.
Gradually I began to feel my confidence and resolve building back. There was a world of problems which needed to be addressed and time was limited, but that small reprieve was exactly what I needed. Releasing a breath, I opened my eyes, ready to face the world.
But not Twilight Sparkle.
At the door I caught Twilight staring at me with her mouth ajar. I froze, anxiety shackling my senses. Quickly I shelved the guitar behind me, my face resembling a foal whose hoof was caught in the cookie jar. It was a useless gesture, as I knew she had caught me playing music. “W-what can I do for you, Twilight?”
“That was beautiful!”
My heart skipped a beat. “It…was?”
Twilight nodded as she walked towards me. “I didn’t mean to surprise you; I just wanted to listen without interrupting. I really liked your song.”
“I-I’m glad you liked it.” When she moved to sit next to me, my heart rate spiked.
“How long have you been playing?”
Looking down on my trusty instrument, I smiled fondly. “As long as I can remember.” Thinking about my practice sessions all those years ago when Shining and Shine helped me get better did wonders to lessen my anxiety. It was still there, but at the very least it was bearable. Remembering she was expecting company, I perked up and shot the Princess an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Twilight. I got sidetracked while getting ready for your friends. Have they arrived?”
“They’re a little late, but I know they will be here soon. But while we have time, I was wondering…” Twilight paused for a beat, bearing a timid grin. “C-could you play a song for me?”
My chest tightened painfully. The last thing I needed was to fail and flounder in front of the Princess. I took one look at her earnest, smiling face and opened my mouth to decline.
“S-sure thing. Any requests?”
Seriously, somepony please kill me.
“Play whatever you feel like!” she encouraged.
Sweat started to roll down my cheek. I gave a quick test play to the strings to buy myself time.
Seconds crawled by. I closed my eyes, waiting for the hammering in my chest to die down. This was usually the point I would have been freaking out or freezing up. Yet as I took deep breaths through my nose, a sense of calm fell over me as I began playing. All of my fears, concerns, and thoughts emptied from my mind. There was only me, Twilight, and the soothing lullaby I played. I couldn't remember the last time I got this absorbed in my music, or when I had felt this content.
When my eyes opened, I found Twilight smiling at me. "Thank you, Flash. That was lovely."
"R-really?" Some unknown force from within made me smile involuntarily. Despite the nervous tension, I felt I knew it had little to do with playing for her. I haven't enjoyed playing music for somepony since—
“TWILIGHT! WE’VE GOT NEW RESIDENTS IN PONYVILLE!”
A sound I could only describe as excitable shrieking rattled me to my bones as the door to the room flung open. Even before the bright pink pony revealed herself, I’m positive there was no pony in Equestria who couldn’t recognize Pinkie’s Pie’s ear-splitting squeals of joy. Behind her were other ponies I recognized as the other heroines of Ponyville: Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Each of them, including Pinkie when she stopped to look, froze with shocked expressions. Spike happened to be with them; while equally surprised, he also showed great distaste for the scene before him. Worse of all, and this was when I knew something was up, my darling ‘sister’ Trojan was with them, grinning ear to ear.
This was going to be a long day, wasn’t it?
I expected a multitude of reactions from the others, primarily disapproval or shock. The stunned silence learned towards the latter, but after a moment, they recovered with what seemed to be understanding dawning on their expressions. All except Spike, who at least satisfied the disapproval side of my expectations. Perhaps they understood I was not attempting anything untoward the Princess. At least, I thought so until Rarity and Trojan gave each other a nod and started pushing everypony out of the room.
"Looks like it's adult time, kiddies. Give the Princess an hour or two to break in the new guy." Trojan winked at me.
"H-hold it!" Struggling to keep the panic out of my tone, I carefully placed my guitar to the side before rushing after the scheming changeling. Having had my share of misunderstandings in the past, I knew better than to shout phrases such as—
"It's not what it looks like!" Twilight protested.
It took some effort to keep myself from facehoofing at the panicked princess.
Before I could try to save face, Trojan seized the moment. "So my brother was totally not trying to seduce you with music while you were sitting on the bed with him?"
"Not at all! He was only… uh..." I didn’t think Twilight's face could have gotten any redder. Judging by the look of Trojan's expression, I bet she was going to attempt that challenge.
"Invited you to his chambers to show off his special equipment?" Trojan 'offered'. "I'm sure he could show you how well he could work his trusty instrument if you asked nicely."
"I was doing no such thing with the Princess!" I interjected quickly, gritting back the inflammation of my muzzle. I needed to change the subject before Trojan could make things even more complicated with her suggestive wording. Turning to Twilight, I gave her an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, Princess. My sister here is a bit of a troublemaker."
At the word ‘sister’, Twilight's eyes went wide. "Oh! I'm sorry. In all the, er, excitement, I forgot to welcome you to Ponyville. I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle. What's your name?"
"Sassy Love, professional love guru and a hot piece of mess. It's about time I got to meet ya!"
I facehoofed. "That is not how you greet a Princess!"
Trojan flipped her curly hair back, quirking her eyebrow suggestively at me. "You're one to talk, Mr. I-wanna-drop-dat-bass.” This elicited a giggle from the others and a growl from me and Spike.
"Dearest sister," I spoke through gritted teeth, "I swear to the Crystal Heart I will throw you off the nearest—”
"Alright you two, calm down.” Twilight stepped between us, making a small, nervous laugh. “Sassy is fine, Flash. I prefer other ponies feeling comfortable to be themselves around me.” Trojan tossed me a smug look, forcing me to stifle the glare I was tempted to give her.
"And family shouldn't be bickerin' over somethin’ as silly as formality." The orange earth pony wearing a stetson stepped forward to scoop me and Trojan closer under her forelegs. "We're all friends here. We should be celebratin' y’all’s movin' into Ponyville rather than yappin’ about bein’ fancy!"
The report had mentioned that this pony was particularly strong in the family dynamic. It was a strength I respected, as I was close to my family as well. "You're Applejack, right?"
"Darn tootin'! Pleased to meet ya, Flash Sentry!” When she moved the hoof that was on Trojan to shake mine, I marveled at the strength of her grip.
"Sounds like somepony did their homework." The blue pegasus came forward next, wearing a wide smirk. "Do you know who I am, hotshot?"
The mane and tail was a dead giveaway, but the profile information helped fill in the blanks. Another pony I respected for her incredible athletic ability and bearing the Element of Loyalty, two traits that were the cornerstone of any respectable royal guard. I extended my hoof to meet hers. "How does anypony not recognize Rainbow Dash, Equestria's greatest athlete?" Couldn't say that was a stretch of truth. Very few ponies were able to excel at what Rainbow Dash could pull off.
Rainbow accepted my hoof, her immeasurable confidence showing through her smile and grip. While not as strong as Applejack’s, her fetlocks were also quite powerful. "Couldn't have said it better myself! You're a smart pegasus, I'll give you that." I could practically taste the ego emanating off her, but I didn't mind it. That kind of confidence was inspiring in its own right.
"And don't forget about me, you charming stallion." The white unicorn's voice carried gracefully through the hall as she moved to meet me, extending her hoof daintily. Rarity was an interesting case, as her profile described her as a mare of elegance and high standards. In a way, I had expected such a nature from the Princess, and felt this was a good opportunity to show off my regal etiquette.
Tenderly I held her hoof and gave her a polite bow. "It is an honor to meet you, Miss Rarity."
Judging from her smile, I had passed her etiquette test. "Oh my, such a gentlestallion! It's no wonder Twilight had such a huge cr—"
Rarity squealed in surprise as Twilight quickly nudged her with her hoof, blushing fiercely. After a moment of confusion, her eyes lit up, comprehending. "W-what I meant to say was that I could see why Twilight accepted you as her royal guard. They were right to pick you."
"Could've fooled me..." Spike muttered quietly.
"And I'm Pinkie Pie! Party thrower extraordinaire!" Now Pinkie chimed in, excitedly bouncing in place.
Oddly enough, Pinkie Pie had the most unusual personality profile. She was just... Pinkie Pie.
"Not only do we get two new residents, but one of them is Twilight's personal royal guard captain! We should totally throw a super special awesome celebration! Maybe two parties at once since we got two ponies to celebrate! We can even—"
"Whoa, slow down Pinkie!" Twilight said, smiling at Pinkie's antics. I did as well. "Let's take it one step at a time. We don't want to overwhelm them."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that with me. I'm quite the party animal!" Trojan said.
Pinkie gasped with delight. "You too?!"
"Girl, if you want a hot and wild party, I'm the mare to call!"
"We can be the best party buddies ever!" As the two high-hoofed each other, something told me these two were not talking about the same kind of parties.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed somepony behind Applejack peeking in my direction. A yellow pegasus with a long pink mane whom I recognized instantly. I could tell she was trying to say something but could not get in a word edgewise, and her presence was so small I almost missed her. She was an important friend to Twilight, just as much as the others, and deserved to also be greeted. I walked towards her, which caught her by surprise.
"Fluttershy, if I'm not mistaken?"
She nodded, and said something, but her voice was so gentle it was swallowed by the craziness that was Trojan and Pinkie. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash joined in the conversation, talking about something involving plans and supplies.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” I tried again.
“...I-It’s nice to meet you, sir...” Fluttershy said meekly. It took all of my focus to barely make out her words, but I smiled as warmly as I could.
"Likewise, and feel free to call me Flash. A friend of Twilight’s is a friend of mine." Something told me I would have to really look out for Fluttershy, who could easily get lost among a crowd. Even if it wasn’t strictly mentioned, protecting them was just as crucial as protecting Twilight; if I was going to be able to seek out any hidden changelings, I needed to get close and know more about Twilight’s friends than what was on paper. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Twilight give me a nod of approval at my handling of Fluttershy.
"Hey, Flash," Spike interjected, gesturing me to lean closer. I did so, straining my ears to listen. His expression was serious. "Is Sassy the you-know-what?"
"Yeah. I'll formally introduce you two later." I whispered back and he nodded.
I jumped in surprise when Trojan's hoof suddenly slung around my shoulder and pulled me close. "You girls are the best! We'll meet you guys there for the surprise!"
My ears perked. "What did I miss?"
"Pinkie is gonna throw us a surprise party at our place! That way they get to check out the new digs and we'll have a night to remember."
This day was already a 'night to remember'. Unfortunately it involved plenty of things I wish I could forget.
"We get the town to ourselves, so we can take a look around,” she finished.
This gave me an idea to knock out two birds with one stone. I pulled the unsuspecting Spike next to me. "Hey Spike, why don't you come along with us while we wait for the party?"
“Wha-huh? Why do I gotta be stuck with you?” Spike eyed me suspiciously, as did Trojan.
"What he said. Not that I got anything against the guy," Trojan added quickly.
"We could use a tour guide to help us get around and make sure we don't get lost. Besides, as the Princess’s number one assistant, who better to keep us in the know?"
Understanding dawned in Spike’s eyes. He nodded. “Yeah, Flash’s right. You guys probably don’t know the ins and outs of this town like we do, and this gives us a chance to get to know one another.”
“Eh, I suppose that’s fine. The more the merrier.” Trojan shrugged.
"Well, I guess that settles it," Twilight said, turning to Pinkie. " Do you know where Sassy lives?"
"Of course I do! I know where everypony lives in Ponyville!" Pinkie piped cheerfully. "Well, what are we waiting for, let's go!" As the other ponies left, excited about their party plans, I was not nearly as joyful for what I was going to have to do. But knowing Trojan’s easygoing nature, perhaps she would be fine with the unexpected new arrangement. Couldn’t hurt to try.