Fixing Flashlight

by Neroson40

Early

Author's Note:

In the unlikely event that you're reading this: Happy Birthday Tara Strong!

The address that the Princesses gave me was set in a town called Appaloosa. The settlers noticed that I was with the royal guard and only left me alone when they heard I was here on personal business. Mental note: Do not mention Guard work to Appaloosians in public; they do not like guards in the town on royal business. I reached the address, which looked like an ordinary Blacksmith’s place, and asked the guy at the anvil if I was at the right place.

“Yea’, Play Maker owns this ‘ere joint,” he said. “I’m Blujay’s ‘prentice, Ironsparks.” He stuck out his hoof, just like Shining that day in the infirmary.

“I’m Flash Sentry,” we clopped our hooves together, and at the mention of my name, Ironsparks' golden eyes lit up with surprise, his orange mane just glimmered a little brighter in the fire, and his red coat… just stayed as red as it was before.

“Yer th’ boss’ nephew! ‘e’s been waitin’ fer ya’!” okay, that was confusing.

“How long has he been waiting for me?” I asked incredulously.

“Couple years,” Ironsparks said. “I started work as their ‘prentice two years after they started waitin’, an’ that was four years ‘go.”

“Six years,” I finished.

“Nopony said there’d be math when you got ‘ere.” Ironsparks said with a smirk.

“Can we just go see my uncle now?” I didn’t feel like having a conversation with anyone right then.

“Oh, ‘e’s out back, playin’ wit’ yer brother,” Ironsparks said. “I’ll go git’im.”

“Thanks.” Ironsparks left out the back door. I was left to ponder what Ironsparks said. My uncle, the colt who had my memories of my brother and cousin erased, was waiting for me for six years. If he was waiting since he did that to me, why did he do it? There were rapid hoof steps in the room behind the door that Ironsparks left through, and when I turned around, I saw a white coated colt with golden mane and green eyes. His Cutiemark was a depiction of a ball.

“I don’t believe it,” He said. “Flash, you’re early.”

“I thought you didn’t want to see me again,” I rebutted. Play Maker laughed.

“Of course we wanted to see you again, you still don’t remember everything do you?”

“After what happened recently I’m lucky I remember my own name,” he looked worried at this.

“We should talk then. Walk with me.” We went out to the Salt Block, the resident “watering hole,” and he asked for a seat at the bar. “Well… let’s start with when you lost the rest of your memories.”

“I guess it started when I was still stationed in the Crystal Empire…” I told him the memory I had with Tenebrae taking my memory to keep them from being “tampered with.” “I remember everything now, thanks to Tenebrae, and… I’ll just stop there because the rest I still need to get over.”

“So… Sunny met you did she?” Maker asked. Everything I told him and that’s what he asks!? “Does she remember us?”

“Thanks to that little memory wipe you did, Sunny went out with me in another world for a short time,” I said a little disturbed that I had to say it.

“Oh my,” Maker says. How was he not disgusted!? “Sorry about that… I guess.”

“It’s fine…” I said. “So… why did you erase my memories of you and Base? I mean, when I remembered you thanks to Tenebrae, I thought you did that out of some sort of spite or that there was something you were trying to protect us from. What was it?” The drinks arrived, apple cider for both of us, and a small salt cube for him. He ate the cube first before taking a small swig of his cider.

“You’re wrong on a few points… it wasn’t out of spite, it wasn’t our idea, and you weren’t the one we were protecting.”

“What do you mean?”

He set his Cider down after his second swig, I took my first right then.

“You asked us to take Base in so that he wouldn’t know the pain of losing his parents,” and cue spit-take.

“I… I did?” This was a surprising turn of events.

“Yeah… you also wanted to come see Base when he was old enough to form an opinion about you, which is why you asked us to wipe your memories, the spell would wear off in eight years. Long enough for him to hate you or understand that you thought you had to.” It was coming back to me now.

As the oldest, Starlight was the one who had to make the final decision. But she was convinced that she wasn’t the best to make such a choice.

“Flash” she asked. “What would you do if you were the oldest?”

“You wouldn’t like that opinion,” I said firmly.

“But Star isn’t the most confident in her choices, especially in this kind of situation,” Blujay said. “And even we agree that you should make this decision.” I didn’t like the idea. My idea was the one that would keep Base away from his birth family the longest out of all the terrible ideas besides. But if they didn’t come up with anything better… I guess I had no choice.

“I want you two to take Base to Appaloosa, and take care of him until I come back.”

“How long will you be gone?” Play Maker asked.

“I… I want to come back when he can understand why… or when he hates me the most. And to make sure I stick to that… Blujay… please… wipe my memory of all of you.”

“I should’ve waited,” I said. “I should’ve come when I said I would!”

“Don’t worry about it Flash,” Play Maker said. “You can’t change mistakes you made in the past. You wouldn’t be you as you are if you did.” I realize that he was talking about coming two years early… but it also rang true for what happened with Kayen. I also learned something that would help me and Soarin in later days… Guardian Ignus was in Apaloosa!

Comments

[SageBrony07]

So we meet a guardian soon. I can't wait to read about him. Great job with this chapter.