//------------------------------//
// Entry #7 
// Story: Mamihlapinatapai 
// by WritingSpirit 
//------------------------------//

The first time I acted as Princess Twilight's escort was during a business dinner in upstate Canterlot, held by one of Equestria's diplomats from Griffonstone. It was the first peaceful congregation between ponies and gryphons that I had ever encountered, though that was besides the point. It was also, unknowingly to me back then, the first time I had seen her dealing with matters regarding to state, much like the other princesses would do. I could imagine why she could do such a good job. After all, talk is anything but cheap when it comes to these banquets; to have somepony as literate as Twilight to oversee them could not be more of an obvious choice. She has the capacity to woo an entire kingdom. Who wouldn't want her to be on their side?

"Do I look okay?"

"You look fine."

"Seriously, Flash. Do I look okay?"

"I was being serious! You look great!"

I expected to act no different for this banquet. If I recall, it was to commemorate the re-opening of an old hotel after a long moment of renovation. It was the usual affair, after all, this time with some of Manehatten's higher members of society, mostly from those involved in the recent recreational projects around the city. There was practically a big bang of those in the city and abroad after the Midsummer Theater Revival. It was a good thing— perhaps not done out of good faith, but a good thing nonetheless. That alone sat comfortably well with Twilight, who immediately took it upon herself to oversee that those projects come into fruition without any unintended repercussions. Of course, as everything progresses, it would be of no surprise to me that these deals would eventually lean more towards the fiscal end.

"I can't take you seriously if you're smiling at me like that!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you should stop smiling at me like that."

"Twilight, you're just being paranoid again."

The glare that she shot at me did little to alleviate her fears, I'm sure.

When the doors parted for us, I was once again treated to the assembly of the nobility. The suits and dresses were all regal, the conversations all sovereign in matters that probably don't, well, matter, with soft laughs at jokes that the remainder of us wouldn't bother to understand in their complex jargon, the array of cocktails all vibrant in their fizzling simplicity and, of course, their smiles. Oh, those porcelain smiles, the ones that can outright shatter if they didn't like how another pony was looking at them; we were showered with them as Twilight and I strode in, approached by all these dolled-up ponies as they take turns chatting with the princess. As for me, I just do what a guard is expected to do best.

"Your Highness."

"Ah, Mr. Atelier!"

The Atelier name may not be familiar to most, but it's the name belonging to one of the biggest moguls of Equestria's construction industry. Many of the notable buildings around Equestria, Manehatten mostly, started as projects helmed by the family. In fact, I would go as far as to say that the industry could be represented by the Ateliers alone. It would be unsurprising to learn that they would attend a banquet such as this, what with so many notable figures surrounding them, be it seeking for new projects or even if only for the sake of keeping up appearances. Then again, they may only be here because Twilight was here; she was the one that gave the green light for many of their recent projects after all. They were here as a gesture of appreciation. Otherwise, they're here for another signature.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness," uttered Mr. Atelier, voice rich and sincere. "First off, I just want to thank you for approving those projects we sent you."

"Oh, you don't have to. It's beneficial for the townsponies, after all."

It was the first time that I could put a face to the widely respected name of Mr. Atelier. He was well-dressed in the manner that his name would carry, his amicable smile freshening the air free of the pompous pollutants. His gaze, when directed towards me, was genial, though it was slightly different from the way he looked at Twilight. Standing right behind him was a mare around his age, whom I believe was his wife, as well as a stallion around our age and a mare that's seemingly five years younger at least. Putting them all together, they would seem like a picture perfect family.

"And this must be the royal bodyguard you speak fondly about," he said, fully turning to me. "Quite a spirited young fellow, I see."

"Flash Sentry." I stuck out a hoof, to which he accepted it.

"Flash Sentry..." Mr. Atelier mused on my name. "I believe we have met before."

Before I could inquire further on that, a volley of applause filled the ballroom as a stallion — I believe to be the host of the banquet — stood on stage, cocktail in hoof, as he made a couple of forgettable declarations and announcements, before commencing the start of a waltz. Immediately, Mr. Atelier's son stepped forward and extended an offer to Twilight, who could only look at me with what I assumed to be reproaching uncertainty. I just nudged her to go ahead, the stare that Mr. Atelier was giving me prompted me to stay. His eyes were giving me a spark that I had seen before in the eyes of my father; he wanted to talk business.

The silence settled in, the voices fell to a hush as the lights dimmed down and the dancers take their position. From the crowd, I watched as Princess Twilight Sparkle put up a commendable facade that concealed her initial uneasiness and gallantly faced her partner. As the violas and cellos began their melodic hums, and the dancing lessons she had frantically scrambled to learn weeks ago came into play, I could hear Mr. Atelier shuffling a little closer towards me. He stayed silent for a moment, carefully watching the dance with his eye stuck on Twilight in particular. There was that same spark in his eyes too, though the serene smile that came with it only made it vaguer.

"So, you said you've met me before, Mr. Atelier?"

"Ah yes," I snapped those words out of him, though his eyes still remained fixated on Twilight. "How are your parents doing, Flash?"

"They're doing well."

"Glad to hear that. I doubt you'd remember me, considering you were just a foal back then. See, your father and I are close acquaintances. We'd always find ways to get together, he and I, though these days, considering how busy we are, we rarely ever meet anymore. I remembered the day I met you was during the 32nd Annual Wonderbolts Royal Derby, if only because he owed me almost eight thousand bits after I won some bets we placed."

"Huh. Didn't know Dad was the gambling type."

"We were still young back then. At least, young enough to still have the gambling bug in us," he chuckled. "All in all, it was good fun. To be honest, I should've realized as much that you were Gallant's young boy the moment you came through those doors. You have your father's looks and mane, after all."

I made sure my smile was still holding strong when he said that.

"You forgot to mention his military heritage as well," I added.

"You misunderstand. I did not forget it, Flash," he reaffirmed, finally directing his gaze to me. "I simply withheld mentioning it. Gallant told me you can be little sensitive with that."

"Yeah? What else did he tell you?"

"That you were always hesitant to pick a side."

It's a strange, strange, strange world we're living in. We were taught the beneficials of harmony and prosperity, raised on the importance of tolerance and acceptance, yet here was one of Equestria's more respected figures, bringing up my father's opinionated view on never standing in the middle ground. Why do we have to pick a side when there need not be a side to begin with? Why can't we find a common balance in anything? It was a view I definitely did not want to partake in, much less inherit; I have enough of my father's traits in me already, uncannily or otherwise. Do note that the shadow of Gallant Sentry is large enough to eclipse the sun if he tried and I'm just one comparison away from being swallowed in his darkness.

"Your father insists that you too often search for the middle ground," Mr. Atelier continued. "That you possess a... well, I'll use his words— a sumptuous indifference."

"It's not illegal, is it?"

"Not so, no. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you do it all the time," he defended. "Right now, you'd only pick a side when you're deeply involved in the situation, especially when it involves your pride. That's fine and such, but with where you stand right now, I'd strongly advise against it."

"Where I stand?" my curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean, where I stand? Where do you think I'm standing right now?"

"With Twilight Sparkle."

I looked back to the mare in question, gliding and pirouetting across the room, the tangerine silk ruffles of her glittering gown swirling along with her grace and vivacity, made more majestic by the elevating music. I never once thought of myself standing with Twilight before; I was serving under her as her royal bodyguard, after all. Of course, thinking about it now, we had been getting closer together ever since the altercation we had and the awkwardness between us, which happened almost a year ago. It's hard to believe how far we had come, though for the better or worse, I don't know, nor do I want to. Honestly speaking, I'm indifferent either way.

"Is she important to you?"

I almost choked on my drink.

"S-Sorry?"

"Is she important to you?" Mr. Atelier repeated. "You two seem pretty close together. Heard that there were problems between you and her initially about your responsibilities, but right now, that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. Looking at you now, you don't seem too resigned to your duties, yet you're not the type that upholds your duties more diligently than anything else, which leaves me wondering: is she important to you?"

"She's... she requested me to be her royal bodyguard, so I guess she's important to me, in that sense."

Mr. Atelier didn't seem all too convinced at my answer; it's not as if I am as well. To be fairly honest, I never really saw Twilight in the way that he would imply before this. In the brief moment of silence he gave me, I brooded for the first time onto thoughts about Twilight, about me being with her, about us together. There was no doubt that the circumstances that lead me here were unconventional. She made a choice that could be called substantially illegal and yes, for a while, I wasn't being the best that I could be and she had admitted not being the best of herself as well. That said, there was one sentence she uttered during our argument that really made me ponder.

"You could've told me. You could've left me anytime."

All that was true. I could've told her how I felt, I could've requested to leave at anytime and knowing her, she would let me without need of a question. Still, had I left then, I may never actually know how she was like. Not many had seen her beneath the elegance and splendor of the mare waltzing across the room right now. Princess or not, she had an innocent charm, an air of naivety that remains untouched by her sovereignty. Princess or not, she has her over-reliance on books and her awkward conversation starters; her quirky eagerness and her adorably uplifting pouts. She has those things that I had never thought I would find in a princess in this realm of reality and I want to know what else she has in store. I want to learn about her, to understand who the mare that calls herself Twilight Sparkle was.

More importantly, I want to know how I can help make it better.

"If that is what you believe. It would be below me to pry in such intimate affairs."

I'm certain Mr. Atelier has the eye to see the nuances I had unwittingly given away, if the creeping smile on his lips told me as such, subtle as it may be. I should be thankful that he brought this up, really. Perhaps without this conversation, I would never have gave Twilight and I being together any serious thought. Of course, he never did intend to talk about that, as I was about to find out.

"Let me ask you something, Flash," he spoke in a lower, huskier tone. "How far would you go to protect someone you deeply care about?"

I felt my muscles tense when he said that. "What do you mean?"

"See, you and I, we're both participants in a growing national phenomenon. Everywhere in sight, every city, every town, every village in Equestria, all of them are going through a development boom. Mall projects in Trottingham, casino resort projects in Manehatten, housing developments in downtown Stalliongrad— you name it, it's happening. Investors from all around and beyond our borders are putting their life savings across all these projects, mostly because many of these projects, if successfully built, would amass an overwhelming profit to cover up those expenses. We're talking seven digit values here."

"Why is that?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Simple, Flash. There has never been an opportunity like this before. You see, to have these projects to be started, we'll need the approval of those in the higher ranks to proceed. Take Manehatten, for example. For that casino resort, I'd have to pitch it to a board of directors in the Manehatten Town Council, who will send it to the Equestrian Inspectorates and they would bring it to the attention of our princesses. The project will and only will be allowed to legally proceed if we receive a signature from one of the princesses."

"So..." my voice trailed off, my gaze drifting back to Twilight. "Why does it happen now? Why weren't the other princesses as involved in this?"

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna had more pressing matters in their hooves. The closest we had come to before this was with Princess Cadance, back when she just ascended. Of course, Her Royal Highness was quick to shield her away from us. By the time she got back, she had her marriage and was dealing with matters in the Crystal Empire. Understandable why Princess Celestia had to do that. The Crystal Princess was still young and prone to mistakes; know that the media can be needlessly harsh at the worst timing possible."

I wouldn't have known how badly I needed to know that then.

"You seem concerned that Twilight would be hurt from all this."

"I'm concerned about her leniency," Mr. Atelier disclosed. "Pardon me if I might say this, but despite how much this brings to my family, she's being a little reckless with the power she's using. Right now, all these projects, all the developments across Equestria, all of them were being approved by her under the given pretense that they all benefit the Equestrian population. While I'm not saying that there were deceitful ones, I'm hoping that she would at least take some time to consider them. Change can be good, no question; too drastic a change, however, and the rest of us would have to face any unforeseen consequences. When we do, however..."

The ice in the words that followed froze my heart. The shadows of the world converged over my shoulders, the swaying music buzzing into a heavy, belligerent drone. The spark in his eyes returned, though its intentions were sharper, more menacing. It left me thinking even as a mild applause began resounding throughout the room, stopping only when I noticed Twilight striding back to my side. I could only spare one last glance at Mr. Atelier, the smile he had when conversing with Twilight vanquishing all signs of our previous conversation, the effects of which would linger on in my mind. 

"There would only be one pony who would take the blame."









"How could you not know?!"

The words on the crinkled paper I was holding in my shivering hooves wouldn't fade off however much I scrutinized it. Beyond that, the piercing irises of Shining Armor were drilling into me, demanding for answers that he would never find. He was furious, much more so than I had ever seen him, for a very good reason. It's only unfortunate that Princess Cadance made no effort to restrain him either; she's too busy in her dark world, trying to contemplate what had happened. Perhaps she was as enraged as her husband was and I should be lucky that she wasn't taking it out on me either, however much they believe I deserved it. Then again, she may be quiet just because there was a greater presence in the room who, with a gentle whip of her magic, took the paper out of my hooves to have another glance through.

"Can you confirm this, doctor?"

"We'd have run a few tests to be sure, Your Highness," the physician in charge of Twilight's care spoke up. "Though looking through the details given, I would say it's highly likely."

With a nod, Princess Celestia dismissed him, being the first among us to excuse himself and escape the suffocating tension in the interrogation room. I gave a small glance to the side where Pierce and my parents were standing; they could barely look at me, being embroiled in the disdain they were sharing with the royal couple. For a while, no one spoke. No one dared to shatter the barrier of silence, the closest attempt to it being Shining's huffs as he returned to his wife's side, distraught. That was when Pierce stepped up to the plate, the dark glare he was sporting almost unlike him.

"Do you know about this?"

Struggling to even breathe, I could only shake my head, my eyes shifting downwards.

"Why didn't you?" Princess Cadance gasped bitterly. "When Twilight hears about this, she'll... s-she'll be..."

I couldn't bring myself to tell her about how I shared her sentiments, about how sick I felt about all this; I had never felt more disgusted at myself in my entire life. There was no need to do that, as my anguish was clear to all of them except myself. It was only when my mother strode up to me and placed her hoof on my shoulder that I realized how violently I was shaking and sweating. The twisted pangs of guilt curled in my throat, the blackness coiling around the corners of my vision threatening to turn back. Quietly, I tried to regain control of my hasty breathing, though the grim looks being worn by everyone else was admittedly making it harder. The quasi-exception in all those was from Princess Celestia, her expression being more of strained pity.

"Do you need a moment, Flash Sentry?"

The effort I needed to nod was staggering; for that, I was rewarded with a much-needed moment by the Equestrian paragon of perfection. One would think that Princess Celestia would be furious, though I'd reckon it would be uncharacteristic of her image. She was a voice of reason in a world of chaos, one which remained sound and strong even after the centuries she had toiled through. I would go as far to say that she's everyone's voice of reason; how many times had we stopped to think: what would Princess Celestia do? Perhaps if I asked that question far more often that I did, I wouldn't be here. Perhaps, if I had been more perceptive, if I did provide more attention as I was told, Twilight wouldn't be in the hospital. Perhaps if I've been less of the indifferent pony I was, we wouldn't be like this. We shouldn't be like this.

"Your Highness, if I may proceed?"

A serene nod.

Pierce Swiftwind once again stepped to my level, gazing right into me.

"I need you to be honest with me, Flash: when did it happen?"

Still trembling, I managed an answer. "Three months before that night."

"Faust..." I heard Princess Cadance gasp underneath her breath, mortified.

"And you can be certain that she wasn't aware of it as well?"

"I doubt that she knew about it as well," I stuttered, wanting to make sense of everything. "If she knew, I'm sure she would've informed me about it."

A sigh escaped from Pierce Swiftwind as he leafed through the investigation report again, gravely perusing every word that was translated from the crime scene with an expression that would usually precede a grim, hopeless defeat. At the side, my mother looked like she was ready to crack any second and would've done so already if not for my father reassuring her with soft, tender whispers. I gazed up at the lonely light hanging above my head and closed my eyes, letting the quivers skitter down my throat. I recalled her face, I recalled her dainty smile; all that was quickly struck down with a horrifying scream amid an abysmal, crackling roar, punctuated occasionally by loud, resounding booms from above.

"Flash? You alright there?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm..." I choked, snapping out to see Pierce's concerned eyes staring straight into me. "I'm fine, I was just... I was thinking of... that night—"

A sudden sting in my head made me yelp, my hoof immediately reaching up to soothe it. My mother was quick to hurry to my side, already taking out some ointment from her purse. When the pain was appeased enough to allow my eyes to open again, I could see the worried looks that everyone were giving me, Princess Celestia included. Hers was the first to change, her brows wrenching up and her eyes darkening as she turned to my father. An untamed rage — one I had never seen before from her — was swirling in the air; she was here at his behest, though what my father had planned was beyond anything the rest of us could've ever imagined.

"You really think this would help your son, Gallant Sentry?" she scowled.

"He'll be fine."

"Did you really think that planting a memory spell on him would come without any repercussions?"

"It would be unwise to think so," my father asserted with a grimace. "However, he wouldn't be better off if he didn't. That is without question, Your Highness."

"There are reasons why a pony's memory is being actively closed off by their brain," the princess remained adamant. "The last thing I want is to have any of my subjects — however much of a criminal they can be — go through an implicit means of mental torture, even if it were for the sake of Princess Twilight. I do not want another life to be put at stake all for the sake of learning the truth."

"If I may add, Your Highness," Pierce stepped in. "Miss Melody and I were absolutely certain that this was no accident, and that whoever the culprit of the incident was, it certainly wasn't Flash Sentry. He is being falsely accused of a crime that he didn't commit, but the media would have everyone else believe otherwise. We had a strong case built to tackle that in a scheduled interview, but all that changed when Princess Twilight woke up. We had to cancel the planned interview, rebuild the case with what little we have and now, with this report... if what is written in this report is true..."

"Flash Sentry would have a motive," Shining Armor finished the sentence, grimly staring me down. "A motive that wouldn't be easily overlooked by the public when he goes to court."

"So what we're essentially asking for is to even the stakes," my father butted in. "Your Highness, this is our only chance at finding out who the real culprit might be. With that, we may have an idea as to who might be intending to murder Princess Twilight. I would go so far as to say that they intended to murder Flash as well."

Princess Celestia's glance darted between my two defendants, before it finally landed onto me. "Do you understand what you'll be put through, Flash Sentry?" she asked.

Part of me screamed a resounding no; part of me just wanted to slug my father in the face for putting me in this position without any consideration. Still, however absurd his methods may be, Gallant Sentry had a sense of judgement that wouldn't be surprising for one to feel envious about. What horrid luck, for it to be the only thing that I didn't inherit from my father. If his judgement decided that it would all come down to this, then there will be no better move to make than that. With those thoughts in mind, I mustered up what little confidence that remained and nodded.

"How about your parents? Are they both alright with it?"

"Certainly, for his sake," my father quickly answered. "Clementine?"

My mother could only frown, though after a moment, she sighed. "If Flash wants it to happen, then I shall support it."

"It shall be done then," the princess finally relented, all manner of resistance washed away. "However, I'll only comply if I were to use a variation of the original spell, which only allows him to relive those memories when in slumber. I shall come back later at night with my sister and cast it then. That way, I can have Princess Luna to ensure his safety should his memories inflict any sort of damage on his mental state."

"Will do. Thank you, Your Highness."

With all of it said and done, Princess Celestia and the royal couple took their leave. The rest of us, though successful in convincing Her Royal Highness, weren't too keen on lavishing in it yet. My mother was the first of us to act, the glare she gave to my father that came with a cock of her head towards the door making it clear to Pierce and I that she wanted to have a talk with him. Having seen the output of her rage, it's same to assume that it wouldn't be a nice experience.

"So, how are you going to talk to Twilight about this?"

"Don't know," I dejectedly answered my friend, my gut collapsing inward. "I... I really don't think I could do it... if Twilight... if Twilight hears about this..."

I couldn't take it anymore.

"F-Fucking Faust... motherfucking Faust!!"

Some part of wanted to tear myself out for crying again, especially in front of my friend. Such is the pride of the pegasi, injected into us from the moment we were born, yet however much we were told to uphold it, doing it at the face of all that... doing it would be travesty. No one, not even my father, could be subjected to such devastation. It would be beyond cruel if I had wished it on someone else; the fact that Twilight was about to go through the same thing, the fact that she has to face the same devastation as I just did...

What did we do to deserve this?









She was really fond of hillside picnics.

"Yeah, so... surprise! I know it's not much, but, hey!"

That really should've clued me in on what the spot of the night would be. Still, it would just be like Twilight to arrange a picnic and honestly, I wouldn't want to have it any other way. It was in such moments of solitude where you could see her for who she really is inside, where she would open up like a flower in the sincere warmth of the sun. With the many picnics that we had together, I had learned so much about Twilight Sparkle that these days, I often find myself musing on her name. I would never have thought that her picturesque name could portray such an accurate reflection to who she really was.

We were on one of the hills overlooking the bright diamond of nighttime Manehatten from a distance great enough to have the ephemeral cosmos emerge over our heads, wrested free from city lights. There was nary a rock or tree, just a clean slope of feathery green ruffling about in the gentle breeze. I looked at our picnic spot: a large, checkered cloth blanketed over the ground, with the stuffy picnic basket sitting in the corner. Some part of me wondered how she found the time amid all those appointments to look for such a tranquil place; trust Twilight Sparkle to be able to find a good spot for a picnic, however busy she may be.

"It's not much of a surprise," I began, though I had to stop midway to chuckle when I saw Twilight pout. "Still, I don't think I'll ever get tired of having picnics with you."

"Ah... aha..."

I let loose a coy smirk. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"N-Nothing!" Twilight proclaimed with a steaming red. "I just... w-well, I thought I... I'll get the stuff out!"

The fact that she nearly squeaked those last words nearly made me double over in laughter.

Trying to cool herself down, Twilight reached into the picnic basket and took out a bowl of berries, accompanied by a dip of chocolate, elegantly swirled in a luscious mix of white and brown. Before I could inquire about the odd foodstuff she had chosen over the usual sandwiches we would have, my voice was strangled, my jaw dropping when she brought out, eloquently with her magic, a large bottle of red wine, complete with a pair of crystal glasses. It was only when everything was set that Twilight turned to me and, at my expression, let out a light, amicable giggle.

"Surprise!"

"That I am," I had to admit, chuckling when Twilight did a celebratory curtsy; I embellished it by popping the cork off the wine bottle, its contents spraying out in a sparkling shower of red over the grass. "So what's with the new menu?"

"Oh, just wanted to have something different than the usual," she answered with a touch of pride. "That, and I believe it's about time I let loose a little. All that talking and dancing today just felt like such a drag, so I snuck a bottle out, not like they would bother to notice anyway. Really makes me understand why Princess Celestia didn't like the Grand Galloping Gala that much."

"I guess anyone would deserve a time to let loose after a banquet like that."

"Seriously, most of them were literally talking about the same things they were talking about last time! I seriously don't care about how the direction your marble statue is facing would affect your hotel or why the fertilizer you use for your hedges were the best in all of Equestria! Don't even get me started on the dancing: I mean, I know his son was trying to be nice and all, but—"

"Your glass."

"Thank you," she gasped breathlessly, accepting the wine and a moment of inhalation. "—but the way he looks at me really creeped me out! I get it, you're dancing with a princess! Big deal! If he did that to Princess Luna, I'm sure she'll have a fit! Probably send him to the moon as well, see how he likes that!"

Immediately, Twilight took her wine glass and, to my utter astonishment, swiftly downed it in one gulp. Before I could stop her, she was already pouring herself another glass, all while she was complaining about how Discord rearranged the books in the library when we left for Yakyakistan. I didn't dare cut in, even as she poured more and more for herself; Applejack warned me that despite not being the lightweight of the group — that award goes to Rainbow Dash, unfortunately — once Twilight starts, she may never, ever stop. I had seen her do this once or twice at some of our previous banquets. You'd expect not to know whatever the fuck she was saying, but she was the first pony that could be drunk and literate at the same time. Even when drunk, she can be insanely quick-witted.

Seeing Twilight Sparkle ranting and raving like this, however unlike of a princess it may be, was somewhat refreshing. She was definitely letting loose and — it's funny for me to say this — but she just seemed... well, sincere. It's a gesture of honesty, even if it wasn't intended to be. I had lived my days surrounded by false smiles of every kind, so much so that I had to carefully pick and choose the company I keep. It wasn't easy, what with my lackadaisical sense of judgement and all, but I had made some great friends, some of which, as I would soon learn, would stick by my side no matter what I had to go through. To have Twilight on that list, however, was travesty.

She meant much more than that to me.

"So I told her this and exactly this," Twilight snapped crassly in her classy, sassy drunk tone. "If you're going to sue me over the fact that cosmic inflation is falsified, even though I could give you concrete evidence that the Universe is isotropic and that our cosmic microwave background is distributed evenly at all places, which I can prove with the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric, then you can go and fucking inflate yourself!"

"Harsh," I responded rather tipsily.

"I fought Tirek, for Faust's sake! What's a stupid lawsuit gonna do to me?" she slurred, downing glass number eight. Or nine. "Seriously, Flash, you're lucky that you just have to stand outside during all those debates! Some of them have their horns so stuck up their asses that they could cast a light spell in their rectum and call it the universe! That's probably our universe right now: a unicorn who stuck their horns up and casting some complex light spell! Seven bits on one of them actually believing that!"

"Twilight, I think that's enough for the night," I managed to speak, stopping her from filling her glass once more. "I'm only at my fourth glass. You're high on cup nine now."

"That's barely reaching number ten!"

"Nine is one number less than ten!"

"Don't you use your fancy mathematics to muddy the issue, Flash Sentry," she accused, popping a chocolate-dipped blueberry into her mouth. "What about you? I gave you permission to let loose! What are you, a teetotal pegasus? Hah! My bodyguard is a living oxymoron!"

"Well, one of us has to be sober enough to fly us back to the hotel."

That was when she fell quiet.

For a moment, I thought I said something wrong again. In the quiet, serene silence, I sat there, looking at her, wondering what might've rubbed her the wrong way. Before I could inquire about it, I tensed up when Twilight suddenly looked up at me. I had expected rage, raw and rigid, to burn in her eyes; what I saw instead were watery pupils, glimmering in a pleading manner. She opened her mouth to speak, though all that came out was a trembling squeak. With a long sigh, hoof reaching up to brush her frazzled mane aside, the princess turned away from me to look up at the stars.

"I don't want to go."

I just blinked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I want to stay here, Flash," she screeched. "I don't want to go back there. I don't want to go back anywhere."

"Twilight, what's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong, Flash! Everything, I just—" she hiccuped on her tears. "I'm scared. Of this whole arrangement. Of the whole fucking thing. I just... I didn't want to wake up the next day only to find out that you just up and vanished, alright? I don't want that to happen. I don't want to lose what we had and what we had... what we had was something! No, it was more than something! So I thought I brought you here and I was... I was thinking that i-if I did this—"

"Did what?" I questioned. "Twilight, what were you planning to do?"

A meek whimper, before she gave her answer.

With a leash of her magic, Twilight Sparkle yanked me forward and smashed her lips against mine.

It was short and sloppy, lacking the practiced sensuality and fluid spontaneity that you'd see in the movies, yet it's to be expected from two drunk ponies, one who had no idea whatever the hell was happening. My eyes were wider than the sun, my hoofs gripping tightly onto the blanket as I was pushed backward by the princess leaning into me, her tongue breaching into the confines of my mouth. It wasn't long before we fell into the checkered cloth, our lips still connected until Twilight finally broke away from me, the strand of saliva quickly breaking apart as she quickly wiped it away with her hoof.

"That..." I gasped, shell-shocked. "That was definitely more than something..."

Instead of sparing a giggle like I thought she would, Twilight blushed and glanced away, brows furrowed. "You're upset at me now, aren't you?" she solemnly spoke.

"No! No, not at all, I'm just... a little surprised, that's all."

"I get it if you are, you know. You'd think she would learn, right? You'd think that just because he looks like somepony you had a crush on in another universe doesn't mean they're one and the same. You weren't him! You're not the Flash Sentry I fell in love with! I knew that already and yet... and yet... look at what I've done..."

Was I furious at her, one might wonder? Simply put, of course I was, but not necessarily because of the reasons she stated. We argued in the past because back then, she assumed my personality just because she met somepony who had my features in another dimension; what I'm furious about her was that she still hasn't gotten over it like I believed she had. It's hard to comprehend that this whole time, she had kept those irrational insecurities to herself without telling me whereas I gave her a second chance to try again, to be the Twilight Sparkle that I came to know and adore. Seeing her torn between two worlds like this, Mr Atelier's words came into mind. With that, came a flushing desire; with that, came the burst of confidence I needed in me to tell her what I wanted to tell her all along.

"You're right," I muttered, earning her attention. "I'm not the Flash Sentry you fell in love with."

Before she could even respond, I placed my hoof on her chin and turned her my way, much to her utter surprise. Her mouth was trembling, her form shaking, her uncertainty wavering what little confidence she had left. We got lost into each other's eyes, looking beyond the black abyss as we search, in each other, for something else we share in common other than the same home; for something more than what we had already.

"This pony will never be the Flash Sentry you fell in love with," I continued, smiling. "But this pony... this pony decided to learn who Twilight Sparkle was. He wanted to know why Twilight Sparkle was the way she was. What he found out was that Twilight... you were much more brilliant than I could hope for, that you were so smart yet so sincere, that you genuinely care for the plights of others. This pony learned that Twilight Sparkle, princess or not, was a great, wonderful, kind mare, and he... he wants a part of that. I want a part of that. I may never be the Flash Sentry she fell in love with, but I want to be the Flash Sentry that Twilight Sparkle learned to fall in love with. I want to be that pony. I want to be with you."

With that said, I dove in for the second kiss of the night.

This one was more sensual, the warmth blooming beautifully between our mouths. The cosmos swirled above us as we shared each other's air, yearning so much more from each other as the night became quite a blur. We never did make it back to the hotel that night; we were too drunk, too far lost in each other to give a damn. There was never a more beautiful mare than Twilight Sparkle on that night, wings outstretched, her face fizzling red and abuzz in pleasure, but what really got to me was at the end, when we laid down on the blanket and stared into each other once again amid our hot, breathy pants, were the tears that were rolling down the eyes. The world between our sweating forms and entwined hooves froze when her lips curved into a smile as she dug her head into the fluff of my chest, sparing a pair of words that twinkle in my ears as we rested for the night together, being so much more to each other than we ever were before.

"Thank you..."