How to Disappear Completely

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Bullet

The doors to the throneroom creaked open. Flash Sentry and Princess Twilight casually walked out into the large crystalline hallways of the Palace.

"If you ask me, I think Ponyville would be your best bet," the alicorn said.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Flash looked aside in mid-step. "So you can watch over me from the Friendship Castle or whatnot?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Nooo." A beat. "Although... I certainly wouldn't mind checking in on you from time to time." She fidgeted slightly in mid-step. "To... to make sure that you're adjusting just fine to Equestria."

He smiled slightly. "I think I've got a pretty snazzy support group for that."

"They could help you—in Ponyville, I mean. But... y'know..." She looked at him. "You don't strictly have to stay in town. You're a pegasus. You have wings."

"So I've noticed..."

"You could go anywhere at anytime!" Princess Twilight declared jubilantly. "Cloudsdale... Las Pegasus... Manehattan... Stratopolis... even Griffonstone!"

Flash Sentry's muzzle scrunched. "'Stratopolis?'"

"The whole world is your oyster! Heehee..." Twilight smiled rosily. "It... it must be really exciting, come to think of it."

"I... think I just wanna concentrate on the here and now."

"What? You mean you'll be staying in the Crystal Empire?"

"No, I mean... er... I-I guess what I mean is..." Flash rubbed one front leg with the other. "...I kinda want to take it one step at a time."

"Oh. I understand."

"After all... I wasn't very good at picking careers in the real wo—I mean the human world."

"Again..." Twilight winked. "I understand."

"Cool. Good."

"You'll still need a job, though."

Flash looked at her. "Huh?"

"What?" Twilight giggled slightly. "Did you just think all ponies lived in communes, sang songs, and wrapped-up winter?"

"No. I figured they herded about, ate hay, and died of getting their rectums tied in a knot. Throw me a bone here, your Highness!"

"Heeheehee—you could take up music!" She pivoted to face him. "You... you are good at that, aren't you?"

"I'm... a bit rusty." Flash shifted where he stood. "But—if there's anything I've learn—I've got a fresh library of awesome songs in my head that nopony in this world has heard. I could probably go on tour with that... or something."

"I know a few musical ponies in Ponyville who would gladly lend you a hoof."

"Funny." Flash smiled slightly. "So do I."

"Well... it's a start, I suppose."

"That's all I need, Twilight," Flash said. "A start."

Silence.

The two became aware of some bodies standing in their peripheral vision. They looked to see the lieutenant and several other guards standing at attention.

Flash bit his lip.

Without hesitation, Twilight Sparkle stepped towards them, her wings flaring outward. "You are relieved of duty, sirs. This stallion is no longer to be under guard."

The lieutenant bowed low. "As you wish, your highness." He stole a blue-eyed glance at Flash. Then—half-a-second later—he gestured to his fellow soldiers. The group disbanded, leaving that portion of the Palace.

Flash sighed. "Talk about careers..."

"Yes, well..." Twilight cleared her throat, returning to the present company. "According to my brother, it took him a while to get where he is."

"And yet, he's there." Flash took a deep breath. "Y'know... he's a real level-headed stallion, Twilight. Cool... calm... collected... handsome and ambitious..."

"... ... ....?" Twilight squinted daggers at Flash.

Flash blinked at her. "What?"

"Are... you trying to hook me up with your other you?"

"Huh?! No! I was just..." Flash grimaced in mid-sentence. "Shit on a stick... I kinda was, wasn't I?"

"It's okay, Flash," Twilight waved a dismissive hoof and made for the end of the hallway. "I'm not even remotely taking it seriously."

With a melancholic stoop, he eventually followed her. "Do you think that's ever gonna change?"

She had no immediate reply.

"Er... not that I'm trying to imply that if you don't get matched up with a Flash Sentry then you somehow don't have a hope with anypony... I was just meaning to say that... that..." He face-hoofed, groaning. "Eughhh... never mind..."

"No, it's okay." Twilight shrugged in mid-trot. "It's just... not very important to me at the moment."

"Well... cool." Flash nodded. "Seriously, that's pretty cool."

"You sound remarkably relieved."

"You gotta remember..." He finally caught up with her. "...my memory of you is a lost young woman looking everywhere for help in a strange world." His nostrils flared as he stared ahead. "I guess I... fixated a bit too much on that."

"You think?"

He rolled his eyes. "What I'm trying to say is that all the stuff I once perceived about you... I had kinda adopted for myself." He gazed down at the floor. "It's... so damn easy to bet all our chips on one single solution... one saving grace..."

"That's why it's so important to keep an open mind, Flash," Twilight said. "'Love' is a complicated thing. Even Cadance can't fully explain it to me. We'll never truly know how it'll choose to manifest itself towards us... or if it can even save us to begin with. If you ask me—it's best not to be obsessed with it."

"Yeah." Flash nodded. "I get that now."

She looked at him. "It's okay to not 'get it' either, Flash. To admit that there's still so much left to learn."

"You really think I'm that broken? Still?"

She bit her lip. "You want the truth?"

He winced slightly. "I think I just got it. Regardless."

"Well, here it is, anyways." She scuffled to a stop and turned to face him. "Go to your friends, Flash. The ones you've made here in Equestria. Let them help you put the pieces back together." She smiled. "Maybe they'll even find pieces to you that you never knew you had."

"And what if that doesn't fix me?" He looked up at her with sad eyes. "What if friendship is no shinier a silver bullet than love?"

The princess shrugged. "It hasn't let me down yet."

Flash could have said something to that, but he didn't.

She hesitated at first... but eventually reached out to caress his muzzle. A fragile smile passed between them. "It was... nice bumping into you."

He gazed at her.

Twilight Sparkle gazed as well. And then she turned.

And she was gone.

Comments

[IceKitsune]

Time to get himself started on his new life I guess.

[djthomp]

"Are... you trying to hook me up with your other you?"

Well, you aren't exactly shipping yourself particularly quickly, Twilight. Clearly someone needs to help.

[Holydude]

This damn good so far. Flash has a clue and now needs to hook up with his friends and relax and heal both in body, and mind

[FloydienSlip]

"What if friendship is no shinier a silver bullet than love?"

silver bullet

Not sure if intentional.

[AppleTank]

One does not simply walk into Stratopolis. There's monsters in there.

[Midnight Radiance]

She hesitated at first... but eventually reached out to caress his muzzle. A fragile smile passed between them. "It was... nice bumping into you."

Why are you two dancing around your feelings for each other? Just accept the fact that ya'll still have feelings for each other and move forward with it!