I lost track of how long I had been sitting on my bed doing nothing but glaring holes at the crudely drawn picture of the hateling.
The picture itself was marked with dozens of carefully coded notes, each one depicting known strengths and abilities. Tough-as-nails chitin. Abnormal strength. Strong magic. Fueled by pathos. Feral mentality. When it came to weaknesses, I could only find two: straightforward mindset, and Trojan.
I flipped the paper over, reviewing my list of possible tactics to use against hatelings. Traps. Anti-armor weaponry. Magic nullifiers. Good ideas in theory, but outside my lack of understanding of changeling instincts and strategies, there was no way to predict when it would happen. Trojan’s guess was that their next attempt might be within this week, depending on what they were doing, but even she seemed to be having difficulty figuring out their true objective. No doubt this was going to be a test of patience for all of us.
I sent the information to Shining Armor, along with a detailed equipment requisition for Spike and myself to prepare for the inevitable fact that we would more than likely be fighting more hate-fueled Changelings in the future. One of these days, Trojan may not be around to drain the pathos out of them. That, I needed to be prepared for.
Over time, I had started to get used to the idea of working with Trojan, but a grounded, hateful part of me refused to let me forget that Changelings were deceptive creatures who cared little for the lives of ponies. Everyday was a fight to think of Trojan as an asset to the team, rather than a weak link.
With a sigh, I filed the sheet into the growing messy pile of plans at the edge of my bed. Despite our only encounter being well over two weeks ago, the reality I faced was just as harrowing and real now as it was back then. There was no clear answer to how I could take one down on my own. This frustrated me almost as much as the lack of Changeling or pathos activity.
Picking up my map of Ponyville, I scanned it thoroughly. Virtually every nook and cranny that could be conceivably surveilled was scouted, especially areas close to the living quarters of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. No signs of pathos or strange activity. Absolutely nothing to go on. I understood how important it was to stay calm and keep a careful eye out for clues and opportunities. Trojan and Spike constantly reminded me of this fact every time I inquired about the status quo of Ponyville or their findings, but Chrysalis and her ally’s plans were progressing every day we couldn’t find any traces of them, and it was driving me through the clouds! We had to be missing something critical, but what?
I released a load groan and flopped backward onto my mattress, massaging my temples in a vain attempt to suppress the forming headache. Why did everything have to be so damn complicated? I’d had my fair share of skirmishes when I ran with Shining and Shine Spark, but this was in a league of it’s own. Was it too much to ask for a simple crack-a-skull-and-save-the-damsel-in-distress mission? These espionage missions could all go straight to Tartarus for all I care. In the end, this is part of the job description, and failing here more than likely meant ponies would die. Pain in the flank or not, I was going to get through this mission no matter how many grey hairs and sleepless nights I got by the end of it.
On the bright side, at least I wasn’t alone. Even though I couldn’t tell Twilight what was going on, her proven magical talents and intelligence were great assets in the event things went sour. Spike was quickly growing into a very capable dragon. He’s quick on his feet, and this training had been showing great results with him. I definitely had some noteworthy allies to back me up… I suppose I could throw Trojan somewhere in that list too. After all, as much as I hate to admit it, this mission would not be possible without her.
Knock-knock-knock.
“Flash? Are you ready for today?” Twilight called out from behind the nearly closed door.
It took a moment to recall what she meant. I was suddenly reminded of something even more stressful than impending doom from a conniving bug queen: Twilight’s “confidence sessions”.
“Sorry, just one moment!” I called out as I jumped out of bed and organized my notes into my drawers as quickly as I could to keep Twilight from waiting. Once everything was in place, I put on the strongest smile I could muster and opened the door for Twilight. “Didn’t mean to keep you waiting. I'm ready.”
Twilight flashed me an eager grin. Glad one of us was excited for this. “Great! No time like the present. Let’s go!” Wasting no time, we took off for the room we hosted our sessions in.
“So,” Twilight began as we walked, “were you still working on those combat strategies?”
“Yep. You can never be too careful, especially when Ponyville is so close to Everfree.” The story with the Timberwolf battle turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as any battle research Twilight stumbled upon could be explained away as me refreshing my memory on monster strategies. It also gave me an excuse to convince Twilight to set up some invisible alarm enchantments throughout key points in the castle. Better safe than sorry.
“I agree. I looked into the forest several times, but never saw that same magic signature that’s on you. There’s definitely something going on. Feels like whatever it is, it’s just out of my reach.”
I tossed a sympathetic look at Twilight. If only she knew how much I could relate to that pain. “I’m sure it was just a one time incident. Best not to lose any sleep over it.”
Twilight’s brow creased with worry. “I know. Everypony else said the same thing. Hopefully whatever happened before really was the end of that.” If her tone was indication, it was far from over for her. But before I could think to say anything to help her feel better, her features brightened. “How have you been feeling?”
“Never better. Those last few kinks in my muscles are finally gone.”
“That’s good news.” Twilight smiled with relief. I needed to remind myself to ask Trojan about those healing salves she provided me. Those healed me far better than any medicine I’ve used.
Our walk eventually took us to the recently converted room. Twilight had gone through the trouble of converting one of the unused rooms into a music room, despite my insistence that it wasn’t necessary. One side of the spacious room was a dedicated study section. The wall lined with bookshelves that had everything from music theory and song sheets to psychology and self-help books. This was Twilight’s favorite side of the room, so she filled it with enough comfortable loveseats and couches for all of her friends to occupy. The other side of the room was primarily for equipment, such as my guitar and its associated repair, tuning, and cleaning kits just in case it was ever needed. The center was a stage with a circular, wooden platform where I was meant to play, a line of chairs placed before it where the audience would be seated.
I caught the scent of jasmine tea drifting from the study section. There, filling cups for us was Twilight’s “confidence expert,” who smiled warmly at us as we entered the room.
“Good afternoon, everypony. The tea is ready.” Fluttershy greeted.
When Twilight originally told me she was bringing in Fluttershy for our lessons, I didn’t know what to think. “Confidence expert” was a title I never would have expected to describe Fluttershy, who sat patiently while sipping on the tea she brought for today’s session. I still couldn’t wrap my head around the idea that Fluttershy was assisting in helping me overcome stage fright.
You know you have a problem when Fluttershy is called upon as an expert in building confidence.
While it still made me uneasy, she was a surprisingly subtle and relaxing presence. Fluttershy was a difficult pony to feel upset around, and with Twilight in the mix, it was rather effective. Couldn’t help but wonder if the two planned this set up together knowing that fact. Regardless, help was help and I was going to give it my best shot, even if every attempt so far ended up in embarrassingly frustrating failure.
“Good afternoon, Fluttershy. Thank you for coming to help with today’s session.” I said.
“Oh, I’m glad to help in any way I can.”
“Shall we get started? The quicker we get through it, the sooner we can have some of Fluttershy’s tea.” Twilight suggested. Her eyes gleamed with excitement at what hopefully was a successful session.
“Alright.” I agreed. Resisting the urge to sigh, I went to grab my guitar from the equipment side and took my seat center stage. Twilight and Fluttershy took their positions in the seats in front of me. Already I could feel my nerves tension with anticipation. I had to remind myself it was just like a bandaid. Rip it off and the pain will be quick. Hopefully.
Twilight sat with a clipboard in her hooves and a pencil hovering in her magical grip. Her gaze held a surprising amount of intensity and focus as she glossed over her notes, likely from previous attempts.
“Alright, Flash,” Twilight finally said, “are you ready to give it a shot?”
I resisted the urge to sigh as my grip tightened on the guitar. “Yes, Twilight.”
Twilight scribbled something on her clipboard, then set it down and set her relaxed gaze upon me as a gentle smile played on her muzzle. “Take your time and try again.”
“You can do it!” Fluttershy cheered. Well, it was more like an enthusiastic whisper. The effort was appreciated all the same.
I strummed a few test notes and closed my eyes, honing my focus into the sounds. Twilight spent every night making me commit steps to overcoming stage fright to memory. Just like with every attempt so far, the serenity and peace of mind I had when I first played for Twilight never reached me. My frustration from my subsequent failed attempts thus far to the pressure of failing Twilight and Fluttershy again made each attempt feel more difficult than the first. It was like dealing with a wall I knew I should be able to jump over, but couldn't.
“Don’t be nervous, Flash. Remember what we studied.” Twilight advised with practiced calm.
Recalling the lessons drilled into me was the easy part. ‘Stop scaring myself with what could go wrong.' 'Shift the focus from my fear to my desire to deliver something meaningful to my audience.' 'Breathe.' 'Relax.' The advice was sound, and so far there was some progress in that I was able to play a few notes on my guitar for them. Playing a full song or singing, on the other hoof, were critical issues I needed to overcome.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Once I cleared my mind, a mental image of Fluttershy and Twilight sitting before me flashed before my mind’s eye. Their soft smiles. Eyes filled with intrigue and anticipation, hungry for a satisfying performance. I gave my guitar a few teasing strums, feeling out the desired rhythm. A soft, jovial tune seemed right for them.
My hooves positioned themselves along the proper strings, ready to begin. I took in another breath. Just play it. Relax. Let it flow. These mares gave me the golden opportunity to show them my love for music. The audience was ready. The mood was right. The song was perfect. All I had to do was begin.
Nothing.
Seconds ticked by. Then a minute. The calm silence turned deafening. Atmosphere added pressure with every false start. This attempt was no different than all the previous attempts in recent sessions, and continued to haunt me during my next several attempts.
Every time I failed, Twilight and Fluttershy would take turns offering advice and getting me to try a different method. I could strum a few notes at the start, but every time I attempted to sing my mind would go back to that place. A stage. A sea of faceless ponies. The more I tried to force my way through it, the more vivid the mental images were and the stronger my anxiety grew.
I lost track of how long I was on the stage or how many attempts I did. Every failure gnawed at me. There was no kidding myself; I was not going to get through this. They knew I failed them again. Twilight, who had been so patient with me so far, was smart enough to know I was not going to get over it. It was only a matter of time before she said the magic words.
“It’s over, Flash.”
Shock ripped through me as my eyes snapped open. When did Twilight move next to me? It wasn’t until I saw her hoof resting on mine that I noticed I was trembling, my iron grip biting into the neck of my guitar. My eyes connected with Twilight, who merely smiled patiently at me as she held my hoof until it stopped shaking. When I looked towards Fluttershy, there was clearly concern in her eyes. Concern with a hint of familiarity.
“Did you hear me?” Twilight asked.
“Huh?” I blinked, looking at Twilight. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I said let’s take a break, Flash.”
Oh. Could have sworn she said something different. Then again, every attempt to play a song for Twilight kept bringing me back to unpleasant moments I'd tried to forget. I never did explain to Twilight or Fluttershy why I stopped playing for other ponies, only mentioning that it was a bad experience on a stage a long time ago. It wasn't a lie, but I was not ready to tackle that problem. I didn't trust myself to bring it up. Not yet.
I repressed the disappointed sigh threatening to erupt from me, settling for forcing a grateful smile towards Twilight and Fluttershy. “That sounds like a good idea. Thank you both for your help.” I struggled to keep the irritation of another failed attempt out of my voice and expression. After giving so many speeches about the Royal Guard showing no fear in the face of adversity, I felt like a disgraceful hypocrite. Some brave soldier I turned out to be.
“Anytime, Flash,” Twilight said as she smiled back. “I know it’s tough for you, but I know you’ll be able to break out of this. I’ll get you something nice for lunch to lift your spirits.”
It had been on the back of my mind for awhile, but something about Twilight and I recently felt strange. Backwards even.
I should be the one getting nice things for Twilight. As her captain, it was my duty to look out for her and help out with various tasks. So far, she had been putting in so much effort into making me feel comfortable and appreciated. In my history as a guard, the only princess I’ve seen invest so much intimate attention with a guard was Cadance, and only when she and Shining Armor were dating in secret. The only reason I knew was because I was Shining Armor’s wingpony at the time.
This begged the question: Why was Twilight going so far out of her way like this? More importantly, why was I so okay with that idea? Sure, I could just assume it was her genuine nature to look after anypony in need, but something I learned about Twilight was that once she had her mind set on something, there was little that could stop her. In the case of myself, she put in a level of effort that I couldn't help but question if there was something deeper in her actions.
“There’s no need, Twilight. I’ll fix something for us.” I offered.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s my pleasure.” Twilight waved off casually.
“Seriously, Twilight. I’ll take care of it. You’ve done plenty for me already.” I insisted.
“I said don’t worry about it. It’s no trouble. Just stay here with Fluttershy and keep her company while I’m gone, alright?”
“But—”
“Flash.” Twilight silenced my muzzle with her hoof, which shocked the world out of me. Did I miss something, or had Twilight gotten bolder as of late? “Sit down. Relax. Keep Fluttershy company. Got it?” I slowly nodded compliance. “Good. I won’t be long, so you two get comfortable.”
Right then, her eyes fell onto the hoof that was still on my muzzle. Awkward silence followed as her face gradually went from lavender to crimson, quickly yanking her hoof away like she touched fire. After quickly muttering a flurry of apologies and stammerings she teleported out of the room.
This did not seem to faze Fluttershy at all, who was enjoying the tea she had brought over today. If anything, she seemed mildly amused by all of this. Almost as if she expected such an interaction between us.
Seriously, what was I missing here? It was as if everypony but me was in on some really obscure joke.
Rather than risk thinking too much about Twilight’s suspiciously odd behavior, I chose to focus my attention on Fluttershy. For the most part, Fluttershy was quiet and observant during these sessions. At first, she was the timid pegasus I had expected based on the dossier and stories I’ve heard about her. But since the last day or two she grew more relaxed and calm, occasionally offering advice and methods she used herself to grow more confident.
As much as I tried to take her advice seriously, it cannot be stressed enough that this was Fluttershy giving advice on how to overcome stage fright. I never dismissed her advice or looked down at her efforts, but it was a level of insight I never thought I would’ve garnered. A perfect example of why it was best to not judge a book by its cover.
“Would you like some tea while we wait, Flash?”
“I would like that. Thank you.” I moved to sit next to Fluttershy, accepting the offered tea she poured for me. Warmth spread through my body as I took controlled sips of the hot tea. The pleasant aroma brought a smile to my face. A soothing flavor, but I felt like it was missing something. “Jasmine tea. You have good taste, Fluttershy.”
The meek pegasi flushed as she smiled. “Thank you, Mr-” She stopped as she caught my raised eyebrow and shrunk back marginally. “I-I mean, thank you, F-Flash.”
I chuckled at her slip. Had a feeling her shy nature was still in there somewhere. “I know how you feel. Every time I talk to Twilight I have to force myself to think Twilight Sparkle rather than Princess.”
“It must be so different being stationed at such a quiet place like Ponyville. How have you been adjusting?”
I stopped to think. Outside the stress of the real reason I came here, the town was rather pleasant. If I were to take a vacation after this mission was over I could see myself returning here. “I like it. It’s a major change of pace from the Crystal Empire. Ponyville’s very…” The proper word escaped me. Relaxed? Quiet? Comfortable?
“Homey?”
“That’s right,” I nodded. “Though I have to admit, I sometimes feel a bit stir crazy. The Crystal Empire always had something going on or to look into so I always got this itch to do something productive. Ponyville, being so ‘homey’, kinda magnifies that.” I stopped to put a few cubes of sugar into the tea before sipping again. Much better.
“I’m surprised. I’ve heard about how peaceful the Crystal Empire is. I didn’t think you would have much to do.”
“You’re right. There isn’t much to do.” I sighed, thinking back to the what the last year was like for the empire. Stagnant. Dispirited. There was no sense of urgency or concern to address other than why the Royal Guard still existed. It always bothered me, but I didn't dare voice it to my comrades. Did it make me a bad pony to believe our lives were too peaceful?
“Does that bother you?” I glanced up at Fluttershy to her calm, attentive eyes staring into mine.
“No, not at all! Why would the empire being peaceful bother me? That would be silly!” I tried to brush off the subject. Her eyes stayed trained on me. While her expression didn’t change, those eyes of hers felt like they were looking into my soul.
“Well, maybe it does a little.” I faltered as I admitted a bit of my grievance
“If it bothers you, then it can’t be silly. Why does it bother you, Flash?”
Considering my thoughts on the subject, it was ironic for her to be asking me this question. A part of me was curious on her thoughts on something that bothered me for years. “It’s a bit selfish for me to say it bothers me. More accurate to say it makes me question certain things. Things I’m not sure I want to know the answer to.” I stopped to take another sip. “Such as the existence of the Royal Guard.”
“What do you mean?”
My eyes fell on my cup, gazing at my own reflection from the hot liquid. “I can’t help but wonder sometimes if we’re actually necessary. I mean, whenever we have a major crisis, a majority of the guard had proven to be little more than bumps in the road for the threats. Chrysalis. Tirek. King Sombra. Discord...well, before you changed him for the better, but I think you get it. There are so many powerful threats out there in the world. Yet, when the chips were down, you, Twilight and the others happened to be there to save the day. If neither of you, then the princesses are able to step in and solve the problem.
“But everytime that happens, I ask myself; why? Why can’t we, the Royal Guard sworn to protect Equestria, do our jobs? Why must we rely on you and the princesses to solve problems that we should be capable of performing? Celestia, Luna, Mi Amore Cadenza, Twilight Sparkle, and you all shouldn’t be forced to step in for every disaster. You all have your own lives and happiness to pursue.
“Believe me, it’s not that we don’t appreciate what you all have done for Equestria. You are all heroines in our books. But let’s be honest; when there’s danger ahoof, nopony thinks to ask the Royal Guard anymore. They look to the princesses and you, the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, for protection. Heh, how funny is it that ponies don’t look to the Royal Guard when they want to be, well, guarded? It’s like… we no longer matter.”
I blinked rapidly. A lot more spilled out of me than I thought. Hard to say if it was due to the tea, or Fluttershy's disarming presence. Perhaps both.
When I looked up at Fluttershy, her eyebrows were knitted together in deep thought. “Um. Well, I think the Royal Guard are important,” Fluttershy said after a beat. “After all, I’m sure there are bad things happening all over Equestria, and we can’t be everywhere at once. Having somepony around who is ready to help when something scary attacks us is very reassuring.”
“I suppose that’s fair. There are a number of crimes and dangers we strive to deal with, but there’s a difference between stopping somepony who is trying to snatch a purse and stopping somepony who is trying to take over an entire kingdom.” I sighed, “I know it’s a selfish thought, and there are some things we do that are important, but there will always be a major threat lurking around the corner, waiting to strike when we least expect it. I just worry that someday we’re going to get hit with another major threat like Discord, or an invasion like with the changelings, and there will be no princesses or Elements of Harmony there to find a magical solution to save the day. I learned what that was like the hard way.”
Again, I had to catch myself from talking too much. This was neither the time or place to bring up such terrible events. “Sorry, don’t worry about it. I’m just rambling on about nothing.” Desperate to change the subject, I grabbed the first thought out of my head. “Anyway, I have to ask: how is it you’re able to live near the Everfree forest for so long?”
Fluttershy hesitated, probably debating if she wanted to speak on the subject further or not. “It’s not so bad. Everfree is actually rather peaceful as long as you don’t go too far in. It hasn’t been too bad since the Tree of Harmony's protective magic was restored years ago. A pony should still be careful though.”
No matter my thoughts on Fluttershy, it takes a lot courage to put your house on the edge of such a dangerous forest. I recalled learning how the massive forest had many winding paths it was easy to get lost in. Even after it was purified thanks to the Tree of Harmony, ponies don’t enter the forest, let alone go too far in. I couldn’t imagine any reason for it.
No reason to go into Everfree... too dangerous to go very far in…
The epiphany struck me like lightning. How could I have missed something so obvious?
“Fluttershy, have you noticed anything strange going on in the Everfree forest recently?”
“Strange? How so?”
Thinking on it, I wasn’t sure what I was really asking. Asking her if she had seen evil black energy or super mutant changelings was not exactly subtle. “Strange like... hostility? Something that sticks out in your mind?” The wording felt ridiculous. The Everfree forest being hostile? That was like asking if Pinkie Pie was energetic.
Fluttershy went quiet as she wore a thoughtful look. “Hostile...hostile...oh!” Her eyes lit up. “There was something strange I’ve noticed.”
Now we were getting somewhere. “What did you notice?”
“The animals I take care of have been acting rather odd. Almost like something in the forest has been making them upset. Lately, there seems to be more and more fights breaking out between the animals in there. When I talked about it with Twilight, we came to the conclusion that it was just a tougher mating season than usual.”
That’s right. We were well into the mating season for a lot of animals. Mating season was one of the most dangerous times of the year to track certain monsters or predators, as everything was in competition with each other to score themselves a mate. Even the calmest of creatures would tear your head off if you didn’t watch your step. During my missions with Shining Armor and Shine Spark, I learned the hard way just how dangerous mating season could get.
“Fluttershy, when did you notice this was going on?”
“It’s hard to say. I didn’t really notice it until about a month ago. In fact, when we went inside the forest last week to look into that terrible Timberwolf incident you got caught up in, we could all feel that something wasn’t right. Even Pinkie Pie was scared, and it’s hard for anything to scare her.”
Everfree might be scary, but I couldn’t imagine anything being as terrifying as a pathos-possessed Pinkie Pie. There was still something I needed to confirm while Twilight was still gone. I couldn’t risk Twilight asking too many questions or catching on to what I had in mind to do.
“Do you know if Twilight plans on going back into the forest?”
“I think so. We’ve tried telling Twilight she shouldn’t go in there anymore and we should just warn the town to be careful at night during Everfree’s mating season, but she was very determined to get to the bottom of this Timberwolf incident.”
That was a problem. There was no denying I needed to investigate that forest. But at the same time, I couldn’t let Twilight know I would be going in there. She would no doubt want to come along, and that was the last place in Equestria I would want to escort her. Plans quickly formed in my head as I tried to calculate angles of attack and contingency options.
.
“Could you do me a favor and not tell Twilight about this conversation?” I asked. “I don’t want her to get worried.”
“Of course, Flash.” Fluttershy smiled. Her eyes brightened suddenly, as if she stumbled upon an interesting discovery, and beamed at me. “It’s so refreshing to know that such a considerate stallion like yourself is Twilight’s guard.”
I flashed a confident grin. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. Her best interests are my best interests, and I will do everything in my power to make sure Twilight can live a happy, peaceful, and fulfilling life.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.” Fluttershy’s smile widened. “Your love for Twilight is so inspiring! I hope I could find a special somepony like that someday”
“I’m sure one day you will find a pony that can—I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” I asked, blinking owlishly. Surely I misheard that.
Confusion dawned on Fluttershy’s face. “I was just saying how inspiring your love is for...ah!” Her hooves moved to stifle her gasp. “Oh no! I can’t believe I said that! Please, forget what I said.”
Breathe in. Breathe out. I knew what she said. The problem was why she said it. There was no way in Tartarus I was going to let that one slide. “Where did you get that idea from?”
“I-I-I’m sorry, Flash. I promised not to tell.”
“Not to tell? Who would…” I stopped, and delved into my thoughts.
Who would tell her not to say anything? Why would they claim I loved Twilight? Something like that would have to come from somepony she would trust. Or rather, would trust to know enough about me to make such a claim valid.
That’s when a memory flashed in my mind. Something that Rainbow Dash had said after I woke up from the changeling incident. Something that forced a flustered Twilight to interject.
“Oh nothing~. Only that Sassy caught you saying that you—”
Oh. Oh no. Please let me be wrong.
“Fluttershy…”
Please, please let this just be me overthinking matters.
“When Sassy told you about what happened with the Timberwolves, did she tell you I was in love with Twilight?”
Fluttershy shrank back in a vain attempt to hide behind her pink mane. Her eyes grew the size of dinner plates as she sat frozen stiff. “Um...p-please don’t be mad.”
...I don’t think Shining Armor would be too upset if I left Trojan bound and gagged somewhere in Everfree.
I forced a smile as best I could. Best to not let Fluttershy know how much I wanted to scream. “I’m not mad at anypony. I am, however, rather concerned that my dear sister had been saying such things about me.”
“Saying what about you?”
I nearly gave myself whiplash as my head spun to find Twilight entering the room with a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies in her telekinetic grip. As desperate as I was to clear up this mess, there was no way I could bring it up with Twilight right now. Fluttershy’s eyes connected with mine briefly, creating an unspoken oath of silence to protect the innocent.
“Just the usual stuff sisters say about their brothers. My sis is a scamp.” I forced a chuckle, which took effort to sound somewhat natural rather than manic.
It suddenly clicked that Twilight Sparkle was aware of these 'feelings of love' Trojan said I had for her. In other words, when she said she wanted to get to know me better, it was done under the impression I had strong feelings for her. This entire time, all of her efforts to make me feel comfortable, help me overcome my weaknesses, and know more about me, were operating under the assumption that I was in love with her.
Had I not jumped out of my seat, my unfurling wings would have accidentally slapped Fluttershy in the muzzle.
“You know, I just remembered I had an important thing to attend to!” I hastily shot out of my chair, stalling the panic rising in my chest.
“A… thing?” Twilight parroted.
“Yes. A thing. A-about stuff. Thank you for the session today!” Before she could give a response, I bolted right past her and out of the room, grabbing a cookie and muttering thanks in the process.
There was too much to think about at the moment. Far too many variables and concerns to address without the added stress thrown on me thanks to Trojan's bluff.
Speaking of which, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit my dear, sweet, and oh-so-helpful sister and show her how grateful I was for her intervention.
There was plenty for us to discuss after all, such as our next area of investigation: the Everfree Forest.