“Gleaming, please open up,” Flash spoke from beyond the door, his voice that of a missed opportunity.
Gleaming scrunched her muzzle with a silent mouthing of a few choice curses. That bolt of lightning never materializing from above. She ran a hoof through her troubled mane, body quivered as a deep pit formed in her belly.
She swung open the door with a casual manner, the dull orange glow of the room poured out onto the dimly lit hallway. Flash towered over the mare with ease, a confident smirk spread across his muzzle.
“Sup." Gleaming puffed out her chest as she leaned against the doorway.
"I know it's late, but can we chat?" Flash cleared his throat in a swift motion.
Flash noticed the room was covered in empty ice cream tubs, a few boxes of half-eaten pizza scattered across the floor messily. He thought the mare might be a bit more prim and tidy, but the totaled room of trash somehow fit the adventurous pony perfectly.
"Just for a second, I'm like having a really stressful night." Gleaming sighed with a blatant eye-roll towards her late-night guest.
“Well close your eyes.” Flash gave a large goofy grin, his eyes full of a mischievous glint.
"How about no?" Gleaming quirked her brow with a serious gaze.
Flash felt his face droop in a frown of disappointment. Gleaming could tell this might drag on for a bit, with a defeated sigh she closed her eyes. Her ears perked hearing him shuffle closer, in a moment of curiosity she opened them.
Just in time to get poked in the eye, by the temple of pink glasses.
“Ow, my glasses!” Gleaming squinted her hurt eye in pain, quick to snatch them out of his hooves.
“Yeah, you dropped them the other night.” Flash chuckled distraughtly.
“You really didn't have to." Gleaming forced her bright red eye open.
“Well, I could not let a mare walk around Canterlot blind.~ It was my duty to return them home.” Flash lifted his hoof in a proud salute.
"At ease soldier!" Gleaming snorted with a slight giggle of amusement.
Flash chuckled glad that he earned a slight laugh from the mare. He was certain he might have come off as a slight fool, his once calm demeanor replaced by sweaty hooves. Flash wasn't sure why, but this mare felt familiar like a long time friend.
"Do you have a brother in service?" Flash asked in a collected tune.
“You could say that." Gleaming nudged his side, her cerulean eyes shifted towards the door.
"Pie?" Flash felt his voice crack.
"Huh!?" Gleaming scrunched her muzzle confused.
"I know a small place down the street." Flash sighed as his smile weakened by the second, stepping out into the darkness of the hallway.
"It's late and I'm stuffed full of ice cream." Gleaming held back a loud belch.
"It's fine, don't know why I asked." Flash frowned with bright red cheeks, the poor stallion dragging his hooves down the hallway.
"Just one couldn't hurt!" Gleaming yelled after the stallion, she couldn't just crush his soul like a bouncing yak.
"Really!?" Flash screamed in a loud horse noise.
The stallion rushed back towards the mare in pure excitement.
"What's the worst that could happen?" Gleaming lifted a hoof to slap her forehead.
Jenkins stood in front of a cracked marble statue of a mare, guarding Shining's room was a test in isolation.
“How was your day?" Jenkins tried to speak in a soprano tone of a mare, yet it came off horribly off-tune.
“Oh, it was fine! ~ Absolutely fine!!” Jenkins sighed as both ears folded back.
“But?” She quipped curiously.
“How did you know?” Jenkins turned away with a saddened frown.
"I can read you like an open book!" She giggled.
"Have you ever felt as if you don't belong? ~ That you're different from the world, alone?" Jenkins huffed a large bruise over his hoof.
“Why stick around?" She asked in an air of seriousness.
“Where could I go?" Jenkins replied as his hoof tapped the statue gently on the side.
"Everybody deserves to be happy." She replied in an innocent melody.
“Ahem.” Twilight coughed from behind the stallion.
“Princess!” Jenkins screamed out embarrassed.
He lifted his hoof to salute but smacked his forehead hard instead.
“Uh." Twilight pursed her lips.
"It's a training exercise that helps with… I'm sorry… I'm just an idiot." Jenkins slumped over with his head hung low.
"We all have ways of stress relief." Twilight giggled with a friendly wink.
"Yeah." Jenkins groaned.
“Have you been on duty all day?” She spoke with a raised brow, surveying the room with careful eyes.
“Yes, ma’am! I was assigned here for multiple acts of ineptitude!!” Jenkins spoke in an embarrassed yet confident tune.
Twilight kneeled beside the bed, she gazed under it with large violet eyes. No trace of a book anywhere, she gazed to the guard with a thin arched brow. His broad shoulders shifted upward into a confused shrug.
"Have you seen a book here?" Twilight pointed under the majestic bed.
Jenkins felt his eyes dart around the room nervously. "No?" He coughed loudly.
"If you find an old book, please find me post-haste." Twilight frowned in worry, without that book things could only get worse.
"You have my promise as a… she's gone!?" Jenkins huffed as the princess bolted out of the room in search of Cadance.
“Wonder why you're so important?" Jenkins removed a tattered book from inside his oversized armor.
'Hearts Desire' Sparkled over the cover in a magical glow.
Ok, Flash comes across as nothing but creepy here. I don't at all think that was your intention, but it's what I'm getting from it. Telling Gleaming to close her eyes, kissing her hoof, asking her out again after she says no. Worse than that though, Gleaming feels super weirdly submissive this chapter. I can see the implication that she has had these repressed feelings for Flash, but her suddenly taking on this super meek, feminine role makes it feel like she has become a different person to Shining Armor. Shining may have been a persona, but I doubt the commanding presence that lead her to become captain of the guard was all bluster. It feels disingenuous to the character. Just because someone is exploring their gender and their identity does not mean they suddenly become that gender's stereotypes.
Sorry if this comes across as harsh, but this is starting to feel more like stereotypes and tropes rather than unique characters and storylines.
It's nice to see writer back to his baby.
is gleaming putting the moves on flash?
Hey, i love your stories, this one too of course, just read the one about button and rumble and the creed and thought it was adorable. Since it's not ongoing, I don't want to miss when something new comes out. Could someone tell me how to follow an author? I'm just not good with computers... thanks,
Nevermind, figured it out.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers
My puppy still agrees that this story is very good!
Psst hey you there?
..........I didnt see this was so old, probably not going to continue but enjoyed reading it.
8997672
Update?
10032198
Following your lead, Christ I hope it does get updated. Two years is two long.
10106737
My sentiments exactly! This is a great fic with loads of potential. I'd love to find out what happens!!
9621332
Psst, Maybe?
10006848
I know, that darn Undyne really needs to move her gears!
The nerve of some people right?
10106737
Far too long.
*Cough*
10025723
10032198
10122779
Le Soon....
Le Soon.
10131072
Almost a year later
10131136
Better to be late, than... Dead I suppose?
10131164
Very true here have a adorable video
10131178
10131602
Glad you like it if you want any help don't be afraid to ask
10131605
Will do, I hope all is well on your end.
10131606
Minor case of writers block but overall I'm good
10131618
I absolutely hate WB, it just pushes me to a total blank space.
I hope you can move past it pretty quick.
10131647
A change of scenery usually help
10131677
Lol, true.
I go out and listen to music, when I get WB.
Wish you would work ok this story some more
10133080
I am.
Taking a few days to rewrite earlier chapters, after I'm caught up I'll be adding new content.
10133094
Awesome
So, is this story finished enough to have a good ending or does it break off with many strings loose?
I want to read this, but I have a huge issue with unfinished stories.
10133094
Update?
Is the story dead?
I also hope to see more of this and hope new chapters get added soon. :)
I really hope it's not dead... I'd really LOVE to see what happens next. This is shaping up to be quite an interesting story.