Outside the security barracks in the heart of the Crystal Empire...
...night had fallen. The glossy streets of the kingdom were filled to the brim with ponies from all trots of life. Locals and visitors mingled merrily in alleyways and courtyards. Meanwhile, fireworks occasionally boomed overhead, their flaring colors reflecting off the buildings and streets of the shiny maretropolis. Between the colored lights streetside, the aura twinkling high in the sky, and the sparklers being carried by giddy children, the place positively rippled with otherworldly enchantment.
This was the sort of scene that Flash Sentry greeted as he emerged from the lower reaches of the facility. He scuffled to a stop, hanging behind Princess Cadance for a moment as he gaped at all of the sights and colors. His heart fluttered—if only briefly—as part of him acknowledged that he himself was partially responsible for this beauty.
Or perhaps wholely responsible...
"Flash Sentry..." Cadance gently chided.
Flash winced. He scampered forward, joining her side. The royal steward was facing a quartet of guards stationed just outside the entrance to the barracks. Flash's heart sank as he recognized one of them.
"Lieutenant..." Cadance addressed him.
The stallion in question blinked. He shuffled forward, his helmeted eyes locked on Flash the entire time.
"Lieutenant," Cadance repeated.
"Ahem." The winged stallion stood tall and saluted the princess. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
"The Royal Sisters and Princess Twilight are currently commiserating inside the throneroom of the Crystal Palace."
"Indeed they are." The lieutenant's eyes wandered over towards Flash yet again. "I take it that... this pony is to be escorted to the throneroom so that they can speak to him?"
"Affirmative. Please bring him there. You and your fellow soldiers. Make sure that he goes nowhere else." She turned to give Flash Sentry a knowing glance. "Not that there'll be any trouble. He... won't be flying off to any random destination, now, will he?"
Flash gulped. He nodded nervously, encumbered by this forced intervention.
Princess Cadance smiled. When she heard nothing but silence beneath the festivities, she turned towards the guard in front of her. "Is there a problem, Lieutenant?"
"Well..." He fidgeted in his armor. "Your Majesty..." He winced slightly. "Permission to speak openly?"
"Of course, Flash." She giggled. "I am not your Captain."
He exhaled heavily. "Perhaps... it would be more appropriate for another contingent of guards to escort... e-escort this stallion?" He looked nervously at Flash. "After all... he's... that is to say I—"
"Just don't put your helmet on him and I suspect everything will be golden." Cadance winked. "Is that understood?"
The lieutenant took a deep breath, standing tall once more. "Yes, Your Majesty. I shall escort him as ordered, Your Majesty."
She reached out and ruffled his mane coming out the back of his headpiece. "I knew I could count on you. Please keep him in your sights at all time. As for me, I must go and check on the banquet hall. Poor King Thorax looked quite frazzled earlier. A gentle soul like that needs someone to vent with."
"Understood, Your Majesty."
Princess Cadance began trotting off, accompanied by a second group of guards. At one point, she stopped. "Oh... and by the way..." She smiled back. "...take your time. There's no hurry. This would be a good opportunity for the two of you to get to know each other."
Two yellow-orange stallions bit their lips in perfect synchronization.
"So long!" And with a flick of her pretty tail, Cadance made a graceful exit.
Oh this is going to be quite the interesting interaction
"Oh, this is going to be GOOD!"
"Pinkie what have I told you about breaking the fourth wall here in the fanfic comment section, bad pinkie pie, bad party pony.".................pulls out a spray bottle and sprays her in the face then and she hisses like a cat at me then.
Oh, you.
I love this Princess Mi Amore Voice-of-reason-and-sayer-of-things-it-was-high-time-to-say Cadenza (a bit of a mouthful, but it's well deserved).
I finally see some hope that tragedy can be avoided.
..wait, how the fuck has it been 108 chapters?!
Sometimes, all you can do is talk to yourself.
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Look at the chapter list. There are quite a few chapters that are less than 1k words and most of the chapters are between 1k and 2k words. A lot of the chapters in this story would have been consolidated into fewer chapters by other authors. It's not bad or anything, just a different way of doing things.
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Well it's not so much length, but time. Like "whoa, chapter 1 alllll the way back in 2016" and such. Also all the it bitty chapters still add up pretty well.
It's just it feels like it's been both so long and yet a blink of an eye has passed for my brain to recall from the beginning to here. And reconsciling the two is the cool part of it all.
Well, he did say he came here to find himself...
Did anyone say that already?
ISHIPIT!
Well Flash and Brad finally still I wonder why it doesn't take into account that Flash's wings aren't amputated like sown in Forgotten Friendship.
Oh, this is gonna be good.
Brads out of the closet but how long before he gets punted into the corner pocket for an end run.
I can see the tear of pride in Celestia's eye already ("I don't know what happened, but it was wonderful!").
Flash Sentry meat Flash Sentry.
some how i thing this is going to be a vary good thing in the long hall.
Princess Cadence uses Pretty Pink PrincessGuilt Trip. It was highly effective!
She wants them to talk, could be fun.
Time to update the shipping chart with the most unique entry ever!
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That last comment, oh goodness.
FACE YOURSELF FLASH
Well now. This should be a meeting for the ages. Awkwardness of this degree doesn't crop up every day.
I seen better ways to help those like flash. I can't help but see her version of a helping hand is to take said hand and throw it in a wood chipper. I just hope the talk the two flashes is good cause the meeting right after it is most likely going to hurt. And with no cadance to give him encouragement in the meeting i just picture him curling up into a ball and shutting everything out
Wait, i thought she was going to help?
I love the way you wrote Cadence in this story. She had a very small,. But important rule in Flash journey/growth in Equestria.
When your Mom keeps sending you to play with the neighbor kid because "You're both such nice boys, I'm sure you'll get along."