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// Entry #11 
// Story: Mamihlapinatapai 
// by WritingSpirit 
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"It's good to have you here, Miss Mandegloire and Mr. Sentry."

I could only hope to have the confidence exhibited by Melody when we strode into the building. Perhaps it's a trade secret that I wasn't let in on, or maybe it's just from a culmination of experience dealing with similar affairs. Even after having walked into a multitude of other establishments, I never found a way to shake that sinking feeling in the depths of my gut. The zealous smile of our attendant did little to alleviate them, unfortunately, as did the stares that we were getting from her colleagues all around. All those hopeful looks, all these ponies expectant of what's to come... it was frightening. The fact that most of Equestria share that very same expectation was terrifying at best. For the sake of my reputation, I really didn't want to disappoint.

"Wait here for a moment. We'll have you in shortly."

With a smile, the mare strode off, leaving us waiting. I drew my gaze down a small hallway where, waiting at the very end, was the door that lead into the studio, the light with the words 'ON AIR' imprinted on it glowing in an ominous red. The couch sank underneath my weight, the air around me feeling stuffy. It might be the nerves, it might be the lack of sleep, it might be the fact that Melody looked as stressed out as I was, with her earlier facade already chipping away as she leafed through her papers, though she was quick to patch it back up when our attendant suddenly returned with glasses of water. It was only minutes after the mare left us alone again that she turned to me, trying her best to look confident.

"So, it all comes down to this."

I stifled a smile of my own. "Guess it does," I managed a lukewarm reply.

An interview to convince a nation; the interview of the century; the moment where I have my say; the truth of the matter behind what happened, revealed. To me, this was the zenith of all the interviews that I had to put myself through, and for good reason when you consider the fact that it will be aired on national radio for the whole of Equestria to hear. To the rest of the world, this was the moment they were waiting for, their flames of anticipation fanned by all the titles I've mentioned and more. It didn't help that the hosts of this 'humble' station kept reminding everyone about it like a broken record, or that most of the media outlets were constantly listing out its scheduled date and time to jam it into everyone's heads, all of which only steepened the price of failure for me. All the world's a stage, so the saying goes; now the spotlights were cast on me, on this very day, and everyone is listening closely to what I have to say.

One mistake might warrant the end of the line.

"Nervous, huh?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"You have every right to be," Melody said, before placing a hoof on my shoulder. "Be succinct and steady. Just remember all the shit I've put you through and you'll be fine. You're here to convince the whole world that what you had with Twilight was genuine. You'll have to prove it to all of us that you really do care for her, which I know you do. With that in mind, I want you to be honest with the world. Let the rest of us know how much you really care for her. Show us what Twilight Sparkle means to you."

We didn't need to wait long for our attendant to return, this time gesturing us down the hallway. The light buzzed into silence as it faded out, signaling my entry. I glanced over my shoulder back at Melody, who gave me a nod of good luck before she followed the attendant into the control room. With the months of being shouted at frantically and endlessly looping in my head, a deep breath, and a distant memory of Twilight's smile still stubbornly clinging onto me, I opened the door and stepped inside, greeted by the quiet sound of music and a warm yet somewhat uncertain smile from a radio host seated across me.

"Name's Stentor Scoop," he introduced himself, extending a hoof. "Please, have a seat. It's a great pleasure to have you on our show, Mr. Sentry."

My ears perked, a heated tremble rushing up my spine when I realized who this pony was.

"How many more Flash Sentries do we need to bring down our smart, loving, responsible and kind rulers down before we could finally wake up and smell the sewage spilling from the ranks of those serving to protect our country?"

"You..." I quivered, clenching my hoof in an attempt to quell my flaring temper. "You're the one that said all those things about me."

"Aha... yeah..." he sighed despondently with a defeated chuckle. "L-Look, before you start, I'm not going to deny that it was me who said those things. The whole world heard me say it, loud and clear. Still, I want you to understand that it's nothing personal or anything, alright? Really, I thought long and hard about what I said and I admit, I've gone a little too far on my end. Hell, even before that, I honestly didn't want to do it."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because that's not how it works around here. We have to say those things or we get cut off the airwaves." Scoop crossed his hooves, swirling his chair back to face his desk as he creased his brows. "I know it's selfish," he grumbled. "I mean, to have to trample on someone just so you can stay on the show is hard to take in, but that's just the biz around here. That's just how it is. We were paid to do this, so we had to deliver. It didn't matter whether we got it right or wrong; all that mattered was hooking in all the listeners to tune in, that's all. It's the same with this interview, it's the same with all our previous interviews as well. It's just like that."

The grim frown on my face was enough of a reply.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, Flash Sentry, I really don't," he sighed. "But if you would, I want to have the chance to redeem myself with this interview. Once it's over, I promise we would never have to see each other ever again. You want to sue us for defamation or slander us through your own methods, be my guest. Some of us here deserve a little taste of their own medicine anyway."

A strange, gurgling mix of relief and denial rumbled in my pit. I was about to respond when a red light on the control board started to flash. Immediately, Scoop swiveled his chair around and put on his headset, gesturing me to do the same. Exhaling a long, deep breath into the microphone, I turned towards the control room beyond a pane of glass, nodding diligently when I saw Melody mouthing out a wish of good luck. As the seconds counted down and the flustered radio host on the other end retrieved his composure, I gripped tightly onto my attorney's words and the distant memory of a conversation with Twilight, both sides of which gave me one last simple piece of advice.

Be true.

"A very good afternoon to all you listeners out there! This is the Equestrian National Radio's Afternoon Show, with your friendly radio host Scoop here to finally give you the moment that we Equestrians have all been waiting for!"

She knew that this moment would come.

"You've seen it in the newspapers and you've heard it from your friends, everyone! We've all learned about what happened up in Canterlot and we've talked about it a few times in the past. All of us were eager to know the answer to all these questions amid the sea of rumors: what happened up there? How could this happen? Why did this happen? Finally — finally — the answers we've been patiently waiting for are finally here!"

Like many others, she had been ceaselessly reminded about it, over and over and over. "Tune in!" roared the advertisements. "Listen to the interview of your lifetime!" cried the numerous other hosts. She must've been deeply irritated by all of them, I'm sure, though I'm positively certain she'd rather soldier through all those dramatic, repetitive fanfare instead of contenting herself with the scenery, one dulling with each passing day outside the window. After all, she'd very much prefer a day's worth of an uproar over a minute of solitary silence. Within all of Equestria, she would be the one who would know, down to the grittiest second, when the interview would take place.

Question is, was she listening in right now?

"I have, in the studio with me, a stallion who was the escort to Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Friendship Twilight Sparkle. He's the son of military officer turned businessman Gallant Sentry, the stallion whom many had speculated about his relationship with the aforementioned princess and the pony who had witnessed all the events that had unfolded on the horrifying night it all happened. He had been the subject of scrutiny and controversy these past few months— a pariah, if you will; now he's here to tell us his side of the story."

I knew it didn't matter if she didn't. I can't stop her if she didn't. In fact, with what I've put her through, I'm pretty certain that she wouldn't. Perhaps, on this very afternoon, she would force herself into an unwavering glare against the landscape beyond the glass pane, perhaps even called for the nurse to throw out the radio as well. She had every right to do that, princess or not. Then again, it's all speculation on my end; she might even be listening in to my thoughts right now if she wanted to. If Twilight's listening closely as I believed she would be, then she would know how much this whole thing mattered to me.

To us.

There's only one way that this must end.

"Be true," I chanted my mantra for the last time.

"Welcome to the show, Flash Sentry."

"Thank you for having me here," I responded in turn, putting on my best smile.

"So, let's get right into it," Scoop spoke lowly as he leaned in close with a grin. "One night in Canterlot. You and Princess Twilight were asleep in the hotel after attending the Canterlot Sanctuary Gala. Fire breaks out, some explosions, and you emerged with the princess injured and comatose. Those are the facts of the case that we know about, but now, to me and to all our listeners out there, we're about to wander into unfamiliar territory."

My hairs tensed up when he asked the first question.

"Was it an accident?"

"It wasn't," I answered firmly, despite having answered the same question countless of times in the past in other interviews. "We both thought it was, but it wasn't."

"So there is an intention of harming the princess, like many had speculated. Quite a number went ahead to say that what happened that night was your doing, that you were responsible for what happened to Princess Twilight."

"I felt responsible. It wasn't me, but I felt responsible for what happened to her."

A distant bang sent a shudder up my spine, though it took me a second before I realized it was only my imagination. My sudden attack of distress must've been visible to Scoop, who looked at me with a growing amount of concern creasing the curvature of his cheeks. Even after bemoaning about it so many times, I couldn't help but be shaken when I mention it again. Even after I had been admonished about it by all the ponies around me, the harshest of all being the stinging slap I received from Twilight, the thought of it still made me gasp for air. I hated that side of me, that vulnerability. It took all of my willpower to restrain the tingling shivers running down my hooves, clearing my throat free of my stammer before finally charging back in.

"I could've done more to protect her," I stated firmly. "Instead I've... I've became so certain that she wouldn't get hurt that I just... I lowered my guard, and when the time came, it was already too late. I know it's not me and I've been told countless of times that it wasn't my fault, but if I hadn't shirked away from my duties, maybe... maybe all of this wouldn't have happened to her. Maybe things would turn out different for her. She probably had a chance to escape from it unharmed, but my negligence made sure she never had that chance in the first place."

"You seem to care a lot for her."

"I have to. It's my responsibility to do so."

"Of course, though there were some who suspect it to go beyond the conventional," he clarified. "Allow me to reiterate: do you fancy Twilight Sparkle?"

That question sounded a little too familiar.

"I do."

A significant pair of words, brimming with intent. Those words, as I've learned, had the power to captivate a nation's worth of ponies. From what some of my friends confided to me, there were gasps of surprise and wide eyes of disbelief, the affirmation of the Princess of Friendship being romantically involved with her bodyguard apparently shocking whether one speculates or not. That knowledge was apparently clear to Scoop, whose glint in his eyes started to flicker brighter as he leaned in closer. He had cast the line and hooked onto all his listeners' attention; now it's my turn to reel them all in.

"So the rumors were true then, that your relationship with her goes beyond that of a princess and her guard."

"It started out that way. In fact, we weren't really on good terms with each other in the beginning. After a while, we... well, we started to have feelings for each other. Mutual feelings."

"I would say that raised more questions than answers," Scoop pressed forth. "That night in Canterlot, about the fire that burned down the Hôtel Sanctuaire— in contrast to your words, there were some claims saying that you were the one that started the fire, that you intended to kill Princess Twilight."

A sudden jolt in my head nearly made me gasp, a meek tremble running down my hooves. "So I've heard," I said, not bothering to conceal the venom dripping in my tone.

"What's more concerning is that some pointed out you apparently have a motive for doing so. According to the official investigation report, released just days ago, there was a section mentioning about Princess Twilight, in that— and I swear to all my listeners out there, this is true to what's written in the report—" 

The jaws of the world fell in silence, their weight slamming down onto my shoulders.

"The princess was carrying a foal when it happened, one of three months."

Many had their cheeks paled an ashen white, many more with hairs standing to attention as a cold, dreary wind blew through the semblance of ponykind, the air resonant with gasps.

"Sadly, due to the injuries she sustained and the shock she underwent soon after, she had miscarried the foal in the fire." Even Scoop squirmed in his seat when he read through his next lines, his voice turning haughty and flushed. "Workers found its remains when clearing the site. Immediately, the investigators were called back, retrieved it and sent it for testing. When the results came back to them, they listed the mother as Princess Twilight and the father... the father of the foal was none other than you, Mr. Sentry. All those things I said, every last word..."

Sweat beaded at the corner of his forehead, the tension of the room threatening to tear out our chests.

"Was it all true?"

"Yes."

Disgust gurgled and melted down my chest when I realized how impassive I sounded, affirmed by the look of worry Melody was wearing on her face when I stole a glance over to the other room. Perhaps it was my willpower triumphing in its struggle to remain steady, or perhaps it was because I was already numb to it. Either way, it didn't help drive off the sickening, twisted feeling snaking into my gut. "The child was Twilight's and mine... yet..." my voice sank, my hooves clutching onto the side of my seat. "We didn't realize— no, we never realized that she was... that she carried a foal. If I had known, I would've done more to keep her safe, I would've... I should've—"

"Do you need a moment?"

I was bewildered at what he said until I felt a tingle running down my cheeks. My hoof quickly rushed to wipe the stray tear away, only to be confounded when another came rushing in its place. I opened my mouth, wanting to explain myself, to dismiss those tears, only to have my voice hitched and shriveled into a feverish gasp. It didn't take long before I started to weep, trying my best to silence my sniffles with a hoof shielding my watering eyes in shame. The thorns coiled around my broiling heart sharpened, the rust in my aching joints desiccating them and leaving me limp in a gutter of despair. I didn't know how long I was trapped there, my mind waltzed to the merciless rhythm of time; all I remembered was that when I lifted my gaze, I was met with the sight of a glass of water, offered alongside a sympathetic smile by Scoop.

"Th-Thank you..."

"Take all the time you need," he said with a softer nuance in his voice. "We'll continue whenever you're ready."

I spent the next few minutes sniffling the last of my tears, wiping them all away, trying to rid this fucking parody of myself sullying what was suppose to be the interview of my life. A sickening vitriol seethed through my gritted teeth sinking into my lips, the taste of blood desperately rushing to calm myself down. With quick, punctuated breaths, spirit and reason hastily returned in place of my bubbling hatred, rejuvenating me as I let out one last puff. Seeing as I'm ready, Scoop cleared his throat, gave one last peek at his notes, before finally leaning forward, the smile that had faded immediately finding its way back again.

"It must've been hard for you two," he began, subdued at first. "I think most ponies would offer their condolences, though it is a fact that there would still be naysayers out there that would make some outrageous claims. They might say that you orchestrated this whole attack in order to hide the fact that you sired an illegitimate child with the princess, that you did all that for preserving your dignity."

"That's ridiculous," I rasped, my flame stoked once again. "Both of us never knew that she carried a foal. Plus, I wouldn't hurt Twilight, no matter what it comes down to."

"But an illegitimate foal, with the princess no less! The scandal it would cause were it discovered earlier would still be devastating likewise! It wouldn't be far-fetched of a claim to say that you were lying and that it really was the motive for the attack, wasn't it?"

"I won't do it if I knew she would get hurt," I stated firmly, looking right into the other pony's eye. "If I knew that Twilight was pregnant, that she would be having a foal, then by all means necessary, I would make our child legitimate."

Scoop's smirk widened when I said that, his eyes blossoming as he leaned it. "Flash Sentry, are you saying that if you knew about the foal—"

"I would propose to Twilight, yes."

There was no lie, no hint of a quiver in my throat; there was not a waver in my stare nor a tremble in my clenched hoof. Carpe diem, as some would put it, and I intended to, though it turned out differently than I thought it initially would. For one, Pierce had called it the defining moment of the interview; Melody was less enthused about me just blurting it out. I'm sure Twilight will have her own opinions about it, though I'm already certain would be furious from embarrassment at me for doing that. Happy, yes, but furious as well. For that to be the only bad thing to come out from this, however idealistic it may sound, would be... well, pretty heavenly; if you think about it, an angry Twilight Sparkle is an adorable Twilight Sparkle after all. What I did was unforgivable, perhaps to the point where she will ceaselessly tease me about in the days to come, if such days were to ever come at all.

Would she ever remember how it was like before?

Would we ever go back to the way it used to be?

One can only hope.

"I must say, that was really something," Scoop continued after a moment of silence, nodding in admiration. "A proposal to take the princess's hoof in marriage... that's a large responsibility to shoulder."

"I know."

"You think you'd be ready for that?"

"I don't think I would ever be ready," I remarked, the two of us chuckling softly. "But honestly? I think that's the best part of it, really. You'll never know how it goes with these kinds of things, which makes it a little more exciting. Twilight and I, the time we spent together, the moments we had... we were not ready for any of it. I wasn't even ready from the start, but I... I came to like it, not knowing where things would lead."

I clenched onto the last figment of hope left in me.

"Before that, I wanted to know where things were heading. Hell, I needed to know. I needed to know how everything was working out from top to bottom. I needed to know what she really thought and felt about the things I'm doing and the things I'm about to do. I needed to figure out what exactly did she want from me without her saying it. Suffice to say, I think Twilight must've asked herself the same questions as well. After a while, however, it... it didn't really become important to me anymore."

The hope that Twilight was listening to me right now.

"Maybe it's because we lived in the same castle for a year or so, or maybe it's because we've actually been speaking our minds and we just didn't realize it. Maybe I just started catching onto the hints she might give, or maybe I was used to any sort of bickering that we might have with each other. In the end, I'm not sure what was really behind that. However, what I'm absolutely sure of is that with her, I know that it would turn out to be something great, no matter what."

That was certainly it.

Right, Twilight?

"Commendable, that speech of yours. Fortunately — or unfortunately in your case — things didn't turn out the way it did." Another drawn-out sigh from Scoop, before his gaze darted back to his papers. "According to some sources," he began. "You had apparently resigned from your designated position as the royal bodyguard to Princess Twilight. Is that true?"

The warm smile I finally found in me was wearing off again. "Yes, I did."

"Would you care to explain why?"

I snuck a glance over to the other room; the grimace from Melody was enough of an answer. "I can't say anything about that yet," I strained a reply. "Not until everything's over."

"Might only be me, but I sense a reluctance in your tone." The devious grin of Stentor Scoop grew as he drew one last card from underneath his sleeve. "I wouldn't want to pry into it too much. I'm sure you have your reasons," he began. "It's just that I want to clear up one little thing that's bothering me."

Some part of me knew it was coming.

"What about Princess Twilight?"

Some part of me just knew, yet...

"What does Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle think of this?"

Yet... yet...

"Princess Twilight..." I began with a breathy gasp. "Princess Twilight... she..."

The mantra I had chanted mere moments ago fell apart.

The promise I made was broken.

"She was fine with it. She understood why I made that decision and supported it without any complaints."

A lie.

A big, fat, fucking lie on fucking national radio.

Melody's chagrin was the second warning sign that I might've screwed up the entire interview, the first being my common fucking sense. Even I couldn't believe the string of words that I pulled out of my mouth, though by the time I managed to stop myself, it was already too late. I could see it already, the shade of black on Twilight's face; the discolored pigment of utter disappointment. I could hear the silence she would scream at me, one unpleasant and tinged in an accusation of betrayal. The distant bang of the past quickly rushed back in, driving into my pounding mind and chest, leaving me sweaty and breathless. Scoop didn't seem to notice, however, what with his focus averted towards his papers and all. That, or he was just brushing it aside.

"What a disappointment."

I froze at that word.

"I could hear it already, Flash Sentry." Scoop ended with a sigh. "Ponies don't want this. They'd want anything but this."

Gripping tightly onto my chair, I grappled with my ragged breathing as I await what's coming.

"They would want to see you two back together."

"Wha— I mean... p-pardon?"

Terror had been strangling me, clawing at the last layer of skin still sticking onto my neck. If I didn't quietly inhaled the lungfuls of air like I did earlier, I'm sure I would've collapsed right there, shivering in a puddle of spilled nerves. To have that lie flying right over his head... I couldn't believe it! I wasn't even that great of a liar to begin with! I could see Melody's debilitated look of relief from the corner of my eye, only to tense a little at the sudden glare in her eyes, reminding me of the long and wonderful lecture she will have in store for me later. Quickly, I pitched up my collapsing facade, rerouting enough confidence to look back into the radio host's eyes.

"Flash Sentry, I think most would agree that you and Princess Twilight actually shared something special," he said warmly. "From what our other sources had told us, you were actually playing quite a significant role in her recovery, despite all the claims being made against you. You were at her side when all of the world — us on the station included, I'll admit — were crying foul. What I really wanted to say... is that you are the pony Princess Twilight needs, now more than ever. If it were up to me, I would make sure that you stay by her side, come what may."

I didn't know how to reply, as much as my ears were charmed by his words. Be mindful that this was coming from a pony who had called me the biggest injustice to ever sully the royal guard, and that he had warned me previously that all that mattered was hooking the listeners in. I was as much of a believer at his sincerity as I am what many had accused me to be. However, from the looks of it, that didn't really matter to him either way.

Gathering and collating his papers, Scoop shot one last smirk at my stunned look, before swiveling back to the mic. "So do you have anything else you want to say?" he asked the question on everyone's mind. "Any final words for all of Equestria to hear?"

It's a tempting offer. To have your thoughts be heard to the entirety of the country, to say the things you want to say... I could already imagine all the possibilities it could bring me. I could spend it proclaiming how Twilight is important to me. I could send a warning message to Mr. Atelier and whoever else is responsible for the attack on that fateful night. I could thank all the ponies that supported me throughout all this time. I could say all those things and just let my words blanket the Equestrian sky for all to see.

"No, it's okay," some part of me pushed to reply instead. "I think I've said all that is to be said."

When I think about it now, I really did do just that. One attains more diligence in silence, as my father had told me once upon a time. Even though I could've seized that moment to say all the bottled-up things I wanted to say, it might not have done much in the end anyway. There was no need to go that extra mile all for nothing. Plus, even if I did, I'd break my oath of honesty I swore upon once again; I really did have nothing to say. Knowing me, the last thing I'd want to rely upon would be my spontaneity, especially not with the whole of Equestria listening in.

"And I think we all heard what we wanted to hear," Scoop ended it all with a sweet cherry on top. "Once again, thank you for coming onto the show, Flash Sentry, and informing us about your side of the story that we all so desperately wanted to hear."

"The pleasure was mine."

"And of course, thank you to all our listeners tuning in! Now, we shall resume with our daily dosage of the latest hits, recommended by your friendly neighborhood doctors to brighten up your day! This is Scoop Stentor, signing off!"

And just like that, it was over.

The interview of the century was over.

I don't remember how the rest of that day went, apart from the verbal lashing that Melody unleashed upon me once we made it back home. In fact, now that I look at it, it was just another ordinary, uneventful day. There's nothing wrong with one of those, sure, but I did partake in what had been hailed as the interview of the century after all. When you circled its date almost seven times on your calendar, you'd believe that the excitement would burn out every last second. Twilight would attest that I misjudged the whole day to be exciting when it was all compressed into a mere fifteen minutes. Granted, she'd be right, but she might overlook the uncomfortable uncertainty that came along with the question replaying over and over in my head.

Were you listening closely, Twilight Sparkle?









For a moment, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

When you wake up to see a bunch of white, wispy clouds swirling over your head, you'd find yourself asking that same question as well. It should've been something I was well accustomed to, not only because I was a pegasus, but it was also the ceiling of my bedroom back in my parents' home in Cloudsdale. All I could say was that it's a refreshing sight compared to the dreary planks of wood I've been seeing in these past months, no offense to Thunderlane. However, what really concerned me wasn't the sight brought before me so much as what actually brought me to it.

"And what?! You expect me to just simply ignore what you did?!"

"We've talked about this already! You said that if Flash was okay with it, you'd go with it as well!"

It's a little disheartening to be waking up to the sound of your parents shouting at the top of their lungs. Ever since learning about that fateful night, Mom and Dad were not in good terms with each other; if it were not for Mrs. June disclosing me of that fact, I would've never known about it in the first place, mostly because they rarely argued about anything at all. They were pretty adept at keeping it a secret from me, I'll have to admit, though I would add that it's a little insulting to me as well. In fact, I'd march down there right now, sit them both down and persuade them to involve me into their conversation. With the way things are going, however, I could only make it as far as step one and it'll go completely awry; Dad has his mythril tongue and Mom, despite never being able to match his tone, does not mince her words when she's furious as well. The most I could do in my groggy state is sigh.

"You didn't even bother telling him about it beforehand, Gallant!! He had no choice but to follow along!"

"He did have a choice and he chose to go ahead with it! You can swear it on Princess Celestia and she was even there during the whole thing! I didn't push him, Clementine! None of us did!"

Silence swept into the household; one can only guess what's happening right now.

"Fucking hell, Clementine..." my father was the first to gasp out. "We can't do this forever..."

"Don't you dare—"

"We have to. It's the right thing to do."

Another worrying pitfall of silence beckoned me to listen in a little closer.

"Clementine, don't—"

The slam of the front door jolted me out from my eavesdropping. Holding my breath, I stepped outside, tensing up at the sight of my father begrudgingly shaking his head with the door in his face. When he turned around and noticed me standing on the landing, he greeted me with a weary, dejected sigh, beckoning me towards the dining room. We quickly settled down at the table, our breakfast already served hot and laid out neatly thanks to Mrs. June and the rest of the staff. The both of us had been given a simple platter of pancakes, perhaps in adherence to my father's occasional demands of a simple breakfast. The only exception served onto the table was a half-eaten plate of Perigourdine salad, right before one of the maids quickly picked up what's left of it and scampered back into the kitchen.

"How goes with moving out, Flash?"

"It's going smoothly so far. I just have to head back down and retrieve a few more things, that's all," I answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I'm hoping you'd spare some time to attend Mr. Atelier's wake with me."

To attend the wake and probably the subsequent funeral service of the stallion who conspired to murder both the Princess of Friendship and your very own son came off as condescending to me. Dad knew it perfectly well, of course, and if it were anypony else, I'm certain he wouldn't even bother attending it either. Still, this was Tabard Camembert Atelier we're talking about: a dignified stallion who was as much my father's friend as he was a business magnate. Seeing as they both shared a long history together, it would be beyond me to stop him from attending. It was a different matter entirely, however, if he wanted me to go along with him.

"I initially planned to ask your mother about it, but with the way things are between us right now, it's best that she's left alone." A deep, rumbling sigh soared from the bottom of my father's chest as he leaned it a little closer. "Now, I understand that there's no reason for you to come in the first place," he said. "It's just that... well... in light of the recent report and Pierce's investigation and everything... ponies want to keep their distance, to put it simply."

"Yeah..."

"If you don't want to talk about it, then we can forget about it."

"N-No, it's just... how should I put this..." I stuttered, trying to find the right words. "I just... understand somehow, that's all."

Excruciatingly complicated were the words I'd use to describe my thoughts then. To pen it down here was harder still, seeing as I'm not as literate as Twilight can be. A gross oversimplification I'd use to sum it all up would be that I could empathize the feeling of being ostracized by society, discounting all the many differences between us aside, the most prominent being that I'm still alive and breathing. Funny thing about that: it was oversimplification that brought us both to those depths in the first place, or classification, to be exact. For months, I became synonymous with the word 'criminal' and its various alternatives before, just recently, the baton was handed to Mr. Atelier. Eventually, that baton would fall into somepony else's lap and on and on goes the vicious cycle.

It's a terrifying mess, albeit a mess all the same. We were stricken with the habit of placing the blame, of electing the next scapegoat to take their place. We could've spared with words of pity yet we resorted to chants of treachery, with some not even knowing what the incantations stand to mean. It's in our nature, to classify, to categorize, all to sate our want to identify. There is certainly a need, like a name or title, just to know where one stands in the world, but desire had long overshadowed that. They called us criminals and treated us as such, yet I have so many questions to ask that might leave some scratching their heads.

Why would you ostracize the suspects when the perpetrator had not been identified yet?

What sort of influence do you think I'd have on your children just by walking past them?

What made you think that a criminal was of a different kind than any other pony?

What do you think a dead pony can do to warrant you not attending to his funeral?

"I'll go with you," I gave him the answer he was waiting to hear. "The family wouldn't mind if I'm there, would they?"

"That I do not know," my father said, uncertain at first, before he put up a genial smile. "But I believe they'll be glad to have you."

Breakfast was quick to pass, our stream of conversations quicker. It wasn't long before my father was out the door and I was left alone with my thoughts once again. Most of them were recollections of the past that I'd rather not dwell upon, though there were one or two of them involving Twilight that made me smile. When all those had passed, I began thinking of what to do in the days to come. Should I request to return to my post back in the Crystal Empire, or should I follow my father's hoofsteps and delve into the murky waters of business instead? Question after question, yet I didn't have time to ponder long as I was suddenly yanked out of my thoughts by a knock on the door.

"I'll get it, young Master."

Some part of me felt guilty for troubling Mrs. June with such a menial task like that; anypony else of her age would've kicked back their hooves and yelled incessantly at their children or grandchildren to do it for them. Instead, she remained vigilant as ever, her strut poignant with a disciplined finesse whether I'm looking her way or not. Try as I may, I couldn't hear who was speaking at the other side of the door. It must've been one of dad's friends seeking to interest him in a new deal, or perhaps it was time for Mom's appointment with the psychiatrist again— Dad insisted on calling one over on a weekly basis when she began having nervous breakdowns some time ago. When Mrs. June excused herself and returned to me, however, my expectations completely blew out of the water.

"Our guest said she's here to see you. A Miss Rainbow Dash?"

Had I been just a tiny bit more apprehensive, I would've chased her off our property or demand the staff to do as such. Perhaps I might even send them after her, with flaming torches, pitchforks and everything. What ample curiosity I may have inherited from Twilight, however, made me wonder what she was doing here in the first place. Wanting to find out for myself, I stood up and warily strode to the front door. It had been left slightly ajar, allowing me a glimpse of her unmistakable prismatic mane fluttering about in the wind. Gingerly, I held my breath and raised my head high, before reaching out for the doorknob and giving it a light tug.

"Hey..."

"Oh, uh, h-hey, Flash," Rainbow Dash stammered, standing before me in all her faltering glory. "How's it... um... well, how's everything?"

"Fine... everything's fine, I guess..."

"Ah... well, I just wanna talk... you know, about that night, and... well... other things..."

"Y-You wanna... come in?" I attempted to salvage our conversation. "We can talk more inside if you want."

"S-Sure thing."

Call it a twist of fate if you will, but were it not for my parents arguing with each other, I don't think this conversation would've ever happened; they didn't take it too kindly upon learning from Thunderlane about what happened to me. When it comes to their only son, my parents — my mother especially — can be really, really aggressive if they wanted to. Pierce learned that the hard way back in the day when he dragged me into one of his fiascoes with a couple of colts he wasn't exactly keen with back in Cloudsdale High. I can't say what really happened then as he made me promise never to bring it up again after the fact, but he was left off a little more cautious around me than before. To do that to the Pierce Swiftwind himself was arguably mythical.

With what Rainbow Dash did, I shudder to think what might happen to her if my parents had their say.

"So this was your place all along..." she mused aloud, dragging her gaze across the living room when we stepped inside. "I always thought it was some posh, stuck-up pony that lived here when I was a filly."

"Well, you wouldn't be the first to say that," I remarked, beckoning her towards the couch. "Still can't understand where ponies get the stuck-up bit came from."

"Oh, you know. One thing leads to another."

Gross oversimplifications galore.

"So your father's a military pony, huh?"

"He was," I affirmed, following her gaze towards the gleaming medals in a glass display on the wall. "Served as master sergeant in the Equestrian Air Force, fourth division."

"Huh. Think he and my mom might've met? She served in the sixth."

"Dunno. Have to ask him to be sure."

"Yeah... anyways, about why I'm here..."

Rainbow's glance fell along with her voice, letting the silence flutter over our heads. It was then that Mrs. June grabbed the opportunity to step in and serve us each a glass of water before excusing herself out of the room, which turned out to be just the thing we needed to regain the momentum. A few sips was enough to soothe her throat, parched perhaps from the anxiety she had been compiling on the way here. It wasn't enough, however, to push her to make the first move; I had to bring myself to take up that mantle for the both of us.

"Did Twilight send you here?"

"Not entirely," Rainbow replied earnestly enough. "It's just that she made me Pinkie Promise to apologize to you if I ever had the chance. You know how she is with those."

"Second only to Pinkie herself," I quipped, the both of us chuckling.

"Yeah... well, t-to be honest with ya, I didn't want to do it." My look of puzzlement was met with a nervous laugh from the mare. "Seriously, If it weren't for Spike talking me into it, I don't think I would be here," she explained. "Sure, most of it was because of that fire in Canterlot, but when I thought about it, it's a little more than that. You... how do I say this... it's a little funny, but you could say that I was a little jealous of you."

That only made me a lot more confused than ever.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Jealous about what?"

"You mean... Twilight never told you?"

I blankly shook my head.

"Really? She never said anything about us?"

"Us? What do you mean by us?"

Her frozen look of disbelief trembled, her brows beginning to furrow, before she breathed out a long sigh of what sounded like unmitigated disappointment. "And she told me she wasn't insecure about it anymore..." she grumbled vehemently. "Okay, just to be sure, don't tell Twilight I told you this, alright?"

A firm nod was all it took this time for her to speak.

"Twilight and I... we were in a relationship once."

I didn't respond. No, more like I wanted to respond but I just couldn't, because how the fuck was I suppose to respond to that? You'd think that by now, I've heard everything there is to hear in the entire world, yet life would somehow save a boatload of surprises waiting just to have them tossed into your face. I had to make sure my jaw didn't fall out of the clouds when she said that, not wanting to seem scornful towards her confession. Despite that, I could already feel the knife in my back twisting a little deeper, rekindling a flurry of feelings about Twilight that I never thought I might be feeling again, all of which culminated in a dry, apathetic scowl.

"She never told me anything about it."

"Probably because we ended it not long before you came to Ponyville," Rainbow surmised wistfully. "I guess she didn't want to make it awkward between you guys. She must've thought that you might feel cheated once you learned about us being together. Even came up to me and made me Pinkie Promise not to ever mention about us to you as well."

"Well, I feel cheated now," I remarked coldly, shaking my head. "What was she thinking..."

"You know how Twilight can be when she's desperate."

A desperate Twilight Sparkle makes far worse decisions than even the inebriated and obtrusive Twilight Sparkle could. It's a lesson that I've learned the hard way when the list she had made to keep track of resources during the preparation of the Summer Sun Celebration accidentally flew out of her hooves and got trampled into a patch of mud underneath the wheel of a passing carriage; there had been more work put into fixing the volley of mistakes she made in her panicked state than into the festivities itself. You could also say that it was desperation that drove her to assign me as her royal bodyguard in the first place. Sure, that decision was what brought me close to Twilight, but I'll have to acknowledge that it was still a bad one.

Enough about me, however.

"So, you and Twilight..." I began, intrigued. "How did it happen?"

Rainbow spluttered on her drink, coughing for air as she hastily set her drink down. "W-Why... why would you want to know?" she croaked.

"Just curious."

A deadpan stare from the mare.

"Twilight made me Pinkie Promise not to talk about it, remember?"

"Yes she did," I replied. "However, Twilight and I also made a pact that we won't be keeping anymore secrets from each other. Since she didn't exactly live up to her end of the deal, I think it's only fair that she lets this one slide as well."

"But if she finds out and starts searching for me—"

"Tell her to come find me instead. I'll handle it from there."

Her surprise at my answer quickly steamrolled the last of her insecurities, the look of resignation crossing her face announcing my triumph. "You'd better handle it," she sighed exasperatedly. "So... where do you want to start?"

"From the very beginning," I answered. "Who made the first move?"

"You're looking at her."

Considering Twilight Sparkle, I wasn't exactly surprised. Aside from one particular instance, she wasn't a pony who would customarily take the initiative. Many of the things she did, she did so at the behest of somepony else, which may be unbecoming of a princess of Equestria. Still, it's rich with hypocrisy for it to be coming from a stallion whose whole orchard of life was rife with opportunities, yet he never had the courage to pluck its fruit. Pierce wouldn't have been my friend if he didn't drag me into his shenanigans, my position in the royal guard wouldn't have been possible if my father had not pushed me into it and I wouldn't have come to know Twilight if she didn't make her first move either. She was like me in that sense, which served as a constant reminder about one thing.

Shining Armor was right: it really does mean something when it comes at her volition.

I wouldn't know what it might mean if it came from Rainbow Dash though.

"How did you do it?"

"You know how Twilight and picnics go well together?" Rainbow asked, to which I nodded. "Well, I just arranged one, only invited her and just told her how I feel. Naturally, she didn't take it well. Took a week for her to come up with an answer. I was positive that she might say no, but when she said that she wanted to give it a chance... heck, I had to slap myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming."

"She wanted to give it a chance..." I muttered in contemplation. "What did she mean by that?"

"Oh, you know Twilight and her curiosity." Kicking back her hooves, Rainbow let out an effeminate sigh as she sank backwards into the couch, eyes drifting to the ceiling. "Put it simply, she said yes for all the wrong reasons," she said. "It started out like one of her experiments. For the first couple of weeks, she was recording everything that happened for the sake of 'research'. It got to the point where I had to stop her from bringing along her quill and scrolls on our dates, but Twilight, Tartarus be damned, just went ahead and memorized everything that happened before writing it down when she went home. That happened for a while before I found out and confronted her about it. Told her I didn't like being used like another lab rat and that she could've just told me that she didn't want to take it seriously."

The grin on her face fell as she turned away.

"I don't know how many times she apologized to me that day," she continued sullenly. "It just doesn't feel right being used like that, but it didn't feel right that I had to tear her down as well, you know? Now that I think about it, you and Twilight sorta started out the same way as well."

"I guess we kinda did," I murmured as I was reminded of those early days. The similarities in between our experiences when starting a relationship with Twilight Sparkle were too conspicuous to be ignored; the only difference I can think of is that one of us willingly initiated in, while the other was casually roped into it without consent. Perhaps it was part of the package, or perhaps it was just merely one of the many strings in fate's crooked design. It was maladroit as beginnings go, though from the smile slowly returning to her face, the clouds in those distant skies of yore cleared as quickly as they came.

"Of course, I forgave her. After that, being with her just felt... right..."

I almost chortled at her dreamy expression. "Oh yeah? How so?" I asked.

"Like she's the last piece of this gigantic puzzle of life... shit, I gotta write that down somewhere!" Chuckles filled the room just as Mrs. June briefly stepped in to refill our drinks. "She was a nervous wreck at first, I'll admit," Rainbow said. "After that... well, you know how she can be..."

Twilight Sparkle as a pony was caring and emblematic of sympathy; Twilight Sparkle as a lover was something else entirely. I don't know how often I used that to describe it to other ponies, but it was the truth. She may not be perfect in every way as most ponies would care to think, but as Rainbow Dash and I had witnessed, she was somepony worth fighting for. True to those words, we had both fought to protect her and, until now, fought each other, all to bring back a smile on her face. I tried to picture her smile to remind myself of her happier days, the times we shared before fate reared its ugly head, albeit to no avail under the shadow of the present. The Twilight Sparkle now, the one who was born from the ashes, spurned by anger and grief... a pressing question came to mind, though as I compelled as I was to say it, my spirit churned my voice back down my throat. Still, I wanted to know.

What does Rainbow Dash think of her now?

"We really had something back then, looking back. Give another month or two, I think we might've pursue something a little more serious. That was when I was assigned to the main team of the Wonderbolts. That meant touring from city to city for months on end, which meant that I only get to spend a few days with Twilight before heading back out again."

A wistful sigh escaped her lips as the mare took one more sip from the glass.

"We tried to keep in contact, we really did," she continued. "In the end, we simply couldn't find any more time to write our letters. I had my routines to practice for the shows and Twilight was doing her princess stuff. I mean, sure, we cherished every moment when we could get together, but I knew that we couldn't keep it up any longer. One day, she came up to me and just straight up said she wanted us to split up. Naturally, we had a fight about it."

Silence filled the room as Rainbow Dash, strangely enough, was absorbed in a moment of somber contrition.

"After that, I realized the reason behind it: our relationship became all about me. I was the one going away, I was the one she had to make time for, I was the one she had to wait for, I was the one still trying to make it work even though we both knew deep down it would never work at all. It became all about me instead of us. Hell, I was leaving her behind and I didn't even fucking know it." Her scornful glare softened suddenly as she let out a distant, dismal chuckle. "Still, you'd think you'll know what's going in her head," she muttered. "I thought I knew. For a long time, I thought that she would brave through it all, no matter the distance. I never thought her to be that kind of a mare who would want you in her reach. Even after that, I didn't think she'd rope you in just four months later. Looking at her like this right now? I don't want to know what she's thinking and I really, really don't want to."

That answer, coming from Rainbow Dash, scared me.

It also made me wonder about Twilight. Having been with her for so long, you would've thought that I exhausted any and all topics for my thoughts to feast upon. Funnily enough, there were still many unanswered questions I have about her, though what Rainbow said jostled out one from the deck. Just this past year alone, I've seen Twilight Sparkle laughing at her happiest and crying at her saddest. I've seen her drunkenly sassy attitude and her awkward, quirky self that is the very essence of her. I've even seen her temper flare one too many times. The different sides of Twilight Sparkle had all been displayed, though with all that happened, it revealed to me one more facet that I never thought I would see.

The Twilight Sparkle of today... the Twilight Sparkle that lost everything in a single night... everything...

What would that Twilight Sparkle be like?

Some part of me hoped that I will never find out the answer.

"You know... it's hard for me to say this cause I don't do this often." Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and exhaled the last of her jitters away. "Do me a favor, will ya? Take care of that egghead for me."

A blank stare, before a small laugh from yours truly. "You make it sound as if you're leaving town indefinitely."

"I guess you could say that, Wonderbolt shows and all," she chuckled lightly. "Seriously though, if there's one thing I know that's on her mind, it would be you. It doesn't matter whether you're her royal bodyguard or not; Twilight needs you, now more than ever. You're the only one she can count on to be by her side when the rest of us can't. I don't know how many times I'll have to apologize to make you stay, but if at least makes you reconsider..."

"You're not the first to ask that from me," I replied, much to her surprise. "Spike made me promise that I'll think about it when it's over. I intend to keep it."

Her lips curled up, for once, with genuine warmth.

"Thank you."

Rainbow Dash didn't stay long after that, perhaps not wanting to overextend her welcome or start off a chain reaction of awkward moments. The words she left me with were hard to swallow; it isn't everyday that somepony comes up to your door and says that they once dated the pony you love. Call me insensitive for saying this, but I couldn't fathom what Twilight sees in Rainbow, though I guess you could say the same as to what Twilight sees in me as well. It's a little mysterious to keep it a secret from me, yet it's so very much like the Twilight Sparkle I know, or knew, as things stand right now.

"I fear the stars."

It's a distant echo, yet it still rings true. I didn't want to allow my fears to surround her, yet I've done it subconsciously. There had been too many days where I felt reluctant to open the door into Twilight's room. Even seeing her deformed figure for the first time sapped all my confidence away in a heartbeat. Melody said that I succeeded in my job, that I protected her, yet I watched her, suffering with each passing day when she finds a new loss to mourn. I watched her heart scream even when she smiled the brightest, those cardiac pleadings that would reduce her to nothing more of a falsified shell. I was afraid of the Twilight Sparkle of today, to the point where I was relieved when the doctors mentioned her not wanting to see me. The thought of her forbidding me to pay a visit... it's like she's paying me a favor, one that somehow liberated me, the heavy burden lifted off my shoulders. It's almost impossible for me to see Twilight Sparkle now, to be in the same room with her. 

Still, deep down, we both know one thing.

We can't do this forever.









"I've known Tabard ever since registering for the draft."

The foggy pits of early morning, pungent with petrichor, made it hard to resist the urge to close my eyes. Having spent countless of nights in deep contemplation, it's becoming habitual for me to wake up to the glare of the afternoon sun. In fact, I almost didn't want to attend this funeral, though I'm not one to back out from a promise, especially not from one I made to my father. Still, it'll be nice if there was a spell to keep me awake. I did ask Twilight once about it, though she claimed that the closest to such a spell was actually a cup of coffee. Apparently, it was something that all the princesses, even Princess Celestia, had indulged in from time to time, to the point where it had become a pastime of theirs to get together and have the liveliest of conversations over their respective brews. Sadly, the bitter taste of what was essentially a royal remedy... really wasn't quite to my liking, much to Twilight's devastated disappointment.

"We were assigned to the same division. Being the young, hot-headed stallions we were, it wasn't long before we got into a fight with each other. We spent most of our time there being yelled at by our superiors, all because we argued over the most mundane of things."

You'd think that most people would see me as the gleaming epitome of a mundane pony, and with good reason. Even I'll have to admit, I'm not the most interesting pony in the neighborhood. It's not something I believed initially, but you'll have to confront the truth when some of the local schoolchildren likened to your disposition to that of a statue's. Perhaps it stemmed from a childhood spent in solitude, roaming free only in the confines of my home with only the staff to take care of me in my parent's stead. Nevertheless, it was a far cry from most of the slanderous accusations that had been thrown at me.

"If you told me then that he would become one of my most dependable friends in the future, I'd laugh it off, yet that was what he was: a dependable, trustworthy and understanding friend."

Dependable, trustworthy, understanding— those were words Twilight once used to describe me. Though I'm not sure how she finds that in me, it certainly warned me of the values she would want to see me uphold. There were many times, however, that she didn't look as if she wanted any of that from me. Back then, I wondered if there was something else that the Flash Sentry beyond the Crystal Mirror had that I didn't, though from what Spike had said, I was more deserving of Twilight's affections than him, which only made it a little queer. Now that I think about it, I guess she did yearn for a little excitement from me from time to time, to participate more in holding up my end of our relationship, as vague as it may sound.

"He was a great pony, always capable of reaching new heights, of shooting past what you'd expect of him."

To expect that from the ever generous Twilight Sparkle might seem beyond me, yet my conversation with Rainbow Dash reminded me that Twilight was still a pony, and like many other ponies, she was prone to the unspoken quid pro quo. It took me too long to figure that part out, and by the time I realized it, she was already sobbing and screaming over her miscarriage. Yet, I still remembered that brief flicker of hope in her eyes when I stepped into the rehabilitation room, excited at the prospect of being comforted by the pony she deems dependable, trustworthy and understanding. She needed me back then, trapped behind her most desperate display ever, yet I went ahead and shifted the blame onto me. I should've realized then that it wasn't about that, that what she wanted to hear was never about that.

"It was beyond my expectations when I learned of his involvement in the ugly state affairs that happened in Canterlot. Were it not for that, all those close to him that were not present today in spite of my behest would see to it that he may be given a proper farewell. Perhaps if I had known what drove him to make the decisions he did, I would've been able to help him. I could've saved him."

All she needed was my strength.

If I had known, I'd spare some, even if I had none.

"Regrettably, I may never find it in me to forgive him for what he had done, but I know that he doesn't deserve to meet such a gruesome end. If there's one last thing I can do for him, if it may bring peace of mind to his family and his fellow friends, myself included, it's to find the vigilantes responsible for taking his life away. It will be my last offer to pay back the countless favors that I owed him, to change him back into the stallion that everyone remembers."

With that being said, my father took a step back and performed a strong salute.

"Rest well, Tabard," he uttered aloud the final words of his eulogy. "May you find peace, my dear friend."

The first droplets of rain came with the sounding of the horns, serenading along with the wind as we watched in somber silence Mr Atelier's coffin being lowered into the pit. Slowly but surely, it descended, resting perfectly at the bottom as if it was already there in the first place. When the first spadefuls of dirt clattered across the wooden lid, the priest stepped forward and cleared his throat and uttered his first words of prayer.

"And so we witness, under the twin gazes of Sun and Moon, sisters in unity. And they will shine their rays, a bridge for our dearly departed."

My gaze drifted across the many faces surrounding me; many of them skittered about the borders of familiarity. From there, I recognized a few of Dad's friends that occasionally stopped by our house for a business deal and a chat, brought here at his request. I saw Mrs. Atelier and her daughter as well, both silently weeping and marking the ground with their fresh tears. However, among all of them, one pony in particular stood out.

"And so he shall ascend, and he will see the world one last time from the skies and give a bidding of farewell."

He bore a gaze brimming with intent, akin to his father's.

"And we shall hope to be graced by his parting words, before he finally comes back home."

He bore such a gaze and he was staring right into me.

"His soul shall find eternal peace, his body eternal remembrance. May he be graced by the virtuous, wonderful rays of Celestia and Luna, may they bless him for all eternity and forgive his errs in their divine shadow. May he find a place in the sky, to observe us, to watch over us, to be a guardian among countless others."

The gaze of Cardinal Atelier.

"May he be reborn as a star. May he be revered and remembered as he was in life. May his body rest in peace 'neath the earth. Rest well, my fellow pony."

The last patch of dirt was flattened, the many ponies beginning to diverge. Cantering up the hills behind my father, I could still sense Cardinal's stare on the back of my neck. There was no doubt that he wanted to talk to me, yet one can only speculate on what it might be. It seemed pretty urgent, as he suddenly quickened his pace, catching up to me before we could even reach the top of the hill. Tensed as I was, I stiffly turned around, the glint in his eyes freezing me in place. He opened his mouth to speak, though faltered when he noticed my father heading back to my side from over my shoulder.

"Cardinal," Dad solemnly acknowledged with a nod. "Do you have some business with Flash?"

"Oh, nothing too major, rest assured," Cardinal said with a grin. "Just want to have a little talk with him. It would take but only a moment."

"Very well. I'll see you afterwards then, Flash."

"Alright."

With my reluctant answer, Dad excused himself and continued trotting away, leaving the two of us alone. Before I could ask anything, Cardinal beckoned his hoof, directing me towards the welcoming shade of a lone tree among the forest of tombstones, his soft smile prompting me to follow along for now, however apprehensive I may be, and with good reason. After all, this was the colt whose father had attempted to murder me in order to get him and Twilight together. However much he may be involved in the whole ploy, I was not sure, though I wouldn't want my lackadaisical judgement to cloud my decisions too early.

"I wanted to thank you, Flash."

Surprise came and washed the slate anew. "Thank me? For what?"

"For coming here. To be honest, I'd expect you to be the last pony to attend the funeral, but you've certainly surprised most of us today. Not everypony would attend the funeral of the pony who tried to kill them in their sleep."

A morose sigh and a shake of his head, as Cardinal drew his gaze back to where his father laid. "Father... would've loved to know that you're here, in spite of what he did," he sighed. "You're impressive, you know that? Even after all that you've been put through, after everything that's thrown against you... I can see why Princess Twilight has taken quite a liking to you."

"It's nothing really," I awkwardly replied. "I just... I just hoped that it might make a change, you know?"

"Change... now that's something we need more often in Equestria: change, or at least, the willingness to accept it." The glamorous glint of intent returned to Cardinal's eyes as he let out a gleeful chuckle. "It really is strange, living in a transient world of ideals," he lamented almost woefully. "We, as ponies, lead different lives throughout the ages, yet many of our ideologies remained fixed, like a constant unwilling to budge. The most frightening part was that we're the creators of the constant in the first place, yet it still stands there, dauntless even as we pass, all because it works in the interest of a few. Well I say this: out with the old, in with the new. We need more ponies like you, ponies who are willing to usher in a new kind of change. A better kind of change."

"Uh... pardon?"

Cardinal suddenly broke into a hearty laugh, giving me a firm and discomforting smack on the back. "That all sounds a bit pretentious, don't you think?" he chortled. "Well, it doesn't matter. What matters is that I had in mind an agreement for you, with your willingness to change and all. I didn't really think you might come along, yet you showed up, which makes this whole part a lot easier."

"What part?"

Scruffy crackles of trampled grass reached my ears, spurring me to turn around to see a pair of colts trotting up to me, devious grins curving on their lips. Before I knew it, I felt a cold ring prodding from the side, my breath tensing when the unmistakable click of a revolver filled the air. Color drained from my cheeks when I saw that fiery glint in Cardinal's eyes once again, accentuated ever further by the low, maniacal chuckle underneath his breath.

"And here I thought I needed your father to get to you," he cackled. "Oh, Flash Sentry... you really do make it easy."

"What are you doing?" I gasped fearfully.

"What I said I'd be doing. I've an agreement to talk to you about. A matter to discuss." Adopting a wary glance, Cardinal's eyes darting about the empty cemetery, before turning back to me. "Though said matters are rather sensitive in nature," he explained. "We'll have to find somewhere more private to speak of this. Somewhere out of the ears of common folk. Now, we don't want some gossipy mare to hear us talk about the details, don't we? It'll be a damn shame if somepony else were to get hurt from this."

His grin grew wider, defiant in the face of the rising sun.

"Well, somepony aside from Princess Twilight, that is."

Trudging along the slope with a gun pointed to my sides, my mind was yanked into a frenzy. Cardinal Atelier? Him? The younger Atelier was part of this? I was furiously connecting the dots, working my head into an overdrive. It was only when I was lead towards a carriage and settled down in its velvet seats that the many strands, seemingly irrelevant and out of place, started to entwine, culminating into a singular expression of terror in response to his bemused smirk.

"You..." I quivered. "It was you..."

"Surprised, aren't we?" he laughed. "Yes, it was me all along. Nothing personal, I assure you. Many ulterior motives, some beyond your comprehension. We'll have a long, long chat about it later, that I can promise."

"But... your father—"

"Daddy dearest had nothing to do with the whole scheme and it was supposed to stay that way," Cardinal rasped, gritting his teeth.
"But no, he had to do a little snooping around all because a tiny bug in his head said so. He found me out and tried to find a way to tell you, and with you, the royal guard. My friends and I can't have any of that, so we'll have to do away with him. An unfortunate and unnecessary death, but he really does make a great scapegoat, don't you think?"

"You..." I growled, seething with rage. "You'd kill your own father because he stood in your way?"

"Not in my way. In our way." Darkness engulfed his visage, his smile grimly fading away. "I would love to elaborate, but let me remind you where you stand," he rumbled, waving his revolver for emphasis. "You'll come to know everything, sooner or later. Till then, I would advise you to be quiet. Otherwise, you'd find that I can be a rather carefree pony when it comes to pulling the trigger."

I didn't want to, yet for the sake of my life, I had to comply. Everything happened so suddenly, all the grueling hatred I had reserved back then for Mr. Atelier diverting its course. Meekly, I stared into the cold, dead eyes of Cardinal Atelier, question after dreadful question drilling into my head. How can somepony be as apathetic as this pony? Who did he mean when he was talking about his 'friends'? Does this have something to do with the big talk about change he was giving a moment ago? Even more so, what was the agreement about? What was he hoping to get from me? I sat there, across from the pony with all the answers, the pony who was behind the dreadful attacks that tore into the life of Twilight Sparkle and took the life of his very own father, Tabard Camembert Atelier. I sat there, across from the pony that snatched what little I had from me.

"I would advise you to get some rest, Flash Sentry," he said, grinning deviously.

I sat there, across from the pony whose current state of mind decides on whether I live or die.

This is going to be a long ride.