The First of Many Changes
Love may wait for no one, but Twilight Sparkle currently waited for her love.
Well she couldn’t say love, neither of them admitted it, hay, neither of them really got a chance to talk about it. Come to think of it thing she may have acted a little hastily. But then again, she did have things thrust upon her suddenly too.
About a week ago, she returned to Equestria from the Changeling Kingdom with papers to seal an alliance between the two-former enemy nation. During the journey, she questioned herself about her place in the world, did she have to be a slave to destiny?
While stopping at the Crystal Empire she came across her, possible love, and learnt about his adherence to the Silver Enlightenment, the largest religious movement in Equestria, though just saying it the largest doesn’t mean it is huge among the citizenry, it is in fact quite underground, but still the largest.
Interested she researched it and read the scripture of the Enlightenment, the Holy Books, and found herself very intrigued by it. Through it, and her, again, possible love’s explanation she found out she did have a choice in life, her destiny just existed as a far-off boundary, but she did have miles of space to build a life in, and she hoped a life she could enjoy.
Then when she went to Canterlot she told her mentor Princess Celestia of her findings, and found out far more about her mentor’s personal life and about Alicorns altogether and she decided to become Silver Enlightened.
Finally, Celestia said it was about time Twilight took over her own Kingdom.
Twilight worked out the area to be included, with Ponyville as the capital, it’s surrounding area, including the Pie Family Rock Farm and the Everfree Forest, including the Castle of the Two Sisters, with the Tree of Harmony most importantly, would become the Everfree Kingdom or EK for short. It would run like the Crystal Empire, Twilight had the right to govern the region herself, but Celestia and Luna could veto her decisions.
Twilight even plan to create the first proper church for the Silver Enlightenment, on the mainland at least, the Church of Everfree.
No decree about the formation came yet but Twilight did discuss it with her friends and Mayor Mare since she hoped they would play a part in helping her run the Kingdom.
Princess Luna pointed out the Princess of the Friendship did not have a contingency of the Royal Guard. Twilight could argue she could take care of herself, but then again recent events showed perhaps not, so she didn’t. She did take the opportunity to request one guard specifically, the one who show here about the Enlightenment and the one she currently waited for, her, possible love, Flash Sentry.
Technically she didn’t really know much about this Flash Sentry, the one of Equestria, but she kind of knew him, which made her worried.
Almost a year ago, she went to the Crystal Empire and ended up going to this other world full of creatures called “Humans”, and the world included human versions of every-pony she knew, her closest friend, Celestia and Luna, even most recently she met her Human self, and she found herself falling for the Human Flash Sentry.
After her adventures, she returned to Equestria, and literally bumped into the pony Flash Sentry, a guard in the Crystal Empire, though his armour for some reason resembled the Canterlot Royal Guard not the Crystal Guard, she could probably ask about that when he arrived.
A bell rang, then suddenly she heard some-pony fall over bringing her out of her thoughts. She rushed to the Station Master’s house, which sat next to the station, just as the Station Master rushed out putting his hat on.
“Are you alright?”
“Forgive me Princess can’t spend my day chatting, our signal pony’s gone to a school reunion up in Canterlot, so Perks must be about it.” He rushed to the level crossing and the points switches.
“Perks? Who Perks?”
“Me Princess!” He called at the gates “I’m Perks!” he then quickly proceeded to open the for gates with the speed and dexterity of a silent film comedian, Twilight could almost hear the piano music playing as Perks rushed over to the levers of the points and pushed one back into place with the others before pulling another toward him. He then jumped onto the platform and pulled out his pocket watch from his waistcoat “Right on time, all the way from the Crystal Empire.”
The train whistled as his pulled in. Perks called out “Ponyville Station. Ponyville. Any out for Ponyville?”
Twilight looked out on both sides of the platform, in anticipation. The steam of the locomotive filled its end of the platform. She heard door closes and ponies leave the coaches. The ponies who passed Twilight bowed their heads in respect but Twilight didn’t notice them, not out of rudeness, they could see by her expectant stare as she waited.
Perks began helping with suitcases and bags too big and heavy for the alighting passengers to carry on their own.
The world appeared to blur around Twilight as she wondered. Did she get the right train? Did something happen to Flash on the way? Could he have refused at the last minutes? Or did something last minute happen in the Crystal Empire? If so what? And were her BBBFF Shining Armour, Cadance and dear little Flurry Heat alright?
It couldn’t be Chrysalis? Could it? Last time she saw her she disappeared after swearing revenge on her former student, and good friend Starlight Glimmer, why attack the Crystal Empire? Maybe to draw out Twilight and her friends, capture them, and force Starlight to rescue and get captured in the process.
She hoped Flash was okay, she could only imagine what he must have gone through when Chrysalis and her Changelings attacked the Crystal Empire. How did the Royal Guard react when it came to light? She knew some of the Changelings escaped. She’d recently heard two got captured in Bridle City Port.
“Right away Mr Chalk!”, Twilight turned behind her when Perks called out.
“Thank you, Mr Perks!” the guard called back from his van before he blew his whistle loud and waved his green flag. The train whistled and started moving. The steam still filled the platform, and indeed it grew thicker.
Tears began to form in Twilight’s eyes as she looked back at the cloud, could she have been right?
Slowly as the steam flew away a silhouette appeared. Twilight blinked.
The steam faded away. A stallion stood on the end of the platform. Beside him a large trunk, a guitar in its carrying case, and a couple of saddlebags over his body. He turned to the Princess.
The tears fear, but for quite a different reason to why they formed. Her heart summersaulted. Twilight took a step forward, then another, and another, before entering a gallop with a happy cry “Flash!”
The Royal Guard member opened his wings a bit shocked. Finding an Alicorn Princess with her hooves wrapped around his neck, it took almost his full strength from his training to keep himself from falling over. He couldn’t quite believe it. Did Princess Twilight truly fall for him, him of all ponies?
Twilight let go and looked at his stunned face, she giggled “Flash Sentry.”
He stood up straight, a solider to the end. Twilight smiled “You are now hereby part of the Everfree Guard.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“You will accompany me back to the Castle.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“And you don’t need to be so formal, you’re out of uniform.”
Flash blinked and looked to his trunk, he blushed and rubbed the back of his neck “I guess not.”, Twilight smirked and reached to his trunk “It’s alright Princess, I’ll handle my own stuff.”
“Twilight please, you’re not on duty.”, Flash rolled his eye “As you command Twilight.”, they both shared a laugh before Flash took the trunk’s handle with one of the wings, thankfully it rolled on wheels, and carried his guitar in his mouth.
Leaving the station Flash looked around the place and smiled. Twilight looked at him and titled her head “You look as if you recognise the place.”, Flash nodded and took the guitar out his mouth “I was born here.”, Twilight’s eyes widened “Really?”
“Yeah, learned to fly at five, kicked clouds at age six. Didn’t really bring in the bits, nor did my music so I joined the Guard.”
“How long have you been a Guard?”
“Let’s see,” he looked up and tap his wing tip on his chin “must be about seven years, three in Canterlot, plus my training, two in the Griffish Isles, then a six-month tour in the Griffon Lands and then I through officer training then got transferred to the Crystal Empire. Although until recently I was back in Canterlot for special training, so I missed Flurry Heart’s birth and the Crystalling.”
Twilight look at him closely and blushing said “But, you can’t be more than twenty! Plus, Cadance said you’d only recently joined the Guard.”, he smirked “I think Princess Cadance meant I was recently transferred to the Crystal Guard. As for being so young, that’s why I went to Canterlot to sign up, they have trouble estimated the age of a Pegasus, in Cloudsdale they know to count the feathers on your wing, new-borns start with eight and you get two more on each wing about every year. I was also a fast grower as a teenager so the count fluctuated.”
Twilight blinked, blushed and looked at her wings, both to shield her embracement of her thoughts of Flash, developing, and to count her feathers. Her eyes widened and returned to normal a little surprised “No one told me that when I got my wings.”
Flash shrugged “I guess no one thought it would be important, that and I don’t think anyone wanted to offend you, Princess.”, she rolled her eyes “Come on, let’s get to the Castle.”
Flash nodded and almost put the handle of his guitar back into his mouth when he heard someone shout “Bro!”, next thing he got tackled and landed on his back, he looked up to see an Earth Pony colt, with a coat and mane almost identical just slightly dark, Flash smirked and narrowed his eyes “Come here you!” he grabbed the colt, got him into and gave him a deep rub on his noggin, ruffling the kid’s mane up, all the while the kid laughed.
Twilight watched in amazement ‘First Base is Flash’s little brother?’, she knew the name of this little colt thanks to both Pinkie Pie and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. And not so long ago she tried visiting him in hospital when he and some other foals contracted the horsey hives. Up until now she never noticed the resemblance, and now she metaphorically kicked herself for not seeing it before. Then another thought struck her ‘How old must he have been when Flash joined the Guard?”
Flash let go of First and stood, then he knelt to speak at eye level “I’ve got Guard duty to do Sport. I’m Princess Twilight’s new Guard you see, but tell Mon and Dad I’ll be round for dinner.”
“Cool! See you later.” And the colt ran off.
Flash narrowed his eyes at the Castle, it looked more suited for the Crystal Empire than here in Ponyville, just one more thing to get used to. ‘If I remember right, go north-east from here and we reach Saddle Lake.', he turned back to the town, quite a distance, but it would be good exercise to stretch his wings and his legs.
They entered the Castle and Twilight introduced Flash to Spike and Starlight. Then she turned to him “Flash can we talk in private?”
“Of course, whatever you need.”, she nodded and turn to the two “Is it alright if you two take Flash’s stuff to his room?”
Spike shook his head “It’s no problem Twilight.” He took both the trunk and the guitar. Starlight raise an eyebrow but said nothing, she charged her horn and took the saddlebags and followed Spike.
Flash looked around “This place looked a whole lot smaller on the outside.”
Twilight shrugged and walked to the downward stairs “I don’t question it myself, I've always known magic distrots space in unusal ways. The Tree of Harmony gave it to me, and we don’t know much about the tree.”
“Like Pinkie then, don’t question it.”, Twilight turned around “How many of the girls down you know?”, Flash paused “Well, Pinkie because every-pony in town knows Pinkie. I never really went to Carousel Boutique so I don’t really know Miss Rarity. Applejack, me and Dad would buy apple off on market day, her, Big Mac or Granny Smith. Fluttershy kept to herself generally but I’d see her, but I knew to respect her personal space so I only ever gave her a hello when we passed, being neighbourly you know? And I think Rainbow Dash must have arrived after I left to join the Guards.”
“That’s odd because when we, bumped into each up in the Crystal Empire last year the girls didn’t recognise you.”
“Well, firstly I was in uniform, so my mane was covered, second it’s had been years since they saw me, I changed with my training, and I’m not exactly a standout looker.”, he defiantly took the Cloudsdale looks of his mother.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said stepping forward “I think you’re quite handsome.”
Flash blinked and blushed “Thank you?”, he cleared his throat and regained his composure “You, wanted to talk with me in private?”
She nodded and continued down the stairs.
Flash followed and found himself in a laboratory/ study area, then he spied one item specifically “So this is where the mirror went.”, both him stood a mirror with a horseshoe design, around it all these bizarre contraptions of both magical and scientific nature which for both a Pegasus and solider just made him confused.
Twilight walked up “You knew about it?”, he nodded “I was ordered to guard it once or twice before you arrived. Said it was such a high priority that it needed to be guarded but the best, so, only officers were posted to guard it.”
“You’re an officer?”, he nodded “Captain Armour is Captain of the Crystal Guard and as a Prince is de facto Head-Captain of the Guard when in Canterlot, I was one of his Lieutenants with a recommendation by my trainer as a possible Royal Knight.”
“Royal Knight?”
“Wow!” he bit his lip “Don’t take this the wrong way Princess but you are seriously naïve.”
Twilight blushed “Maybe I skimmed some of the book Princess Celestia sent me about being a Princess, I never asked to be one.”
He nodded “The Royal Knights are a special order that existed long before Princess Luna became Nightmare Moon, so say they even date to before the Unicorn Kingdom, only Ponies who have done extraordinary deeds, or are trained under a current member can be accepted into their ranks. In military terms a Royal Knight is secondly only to a member of the Royal Family. Rumours about you and the other Element Barriers being accepted abounded until your ascension and creation of the Council of Friendship.”
Twilight gulped, she felt herself heating up “You, were recommended?”
“Doesn’t mean I’ll get it, I’ve done nothing extraordinary, I’m just a Pegasus from a humble background with an amazing talent as a protector.”
Twilight could name a couple of things which could be considered extraordinary, first catching her eye, and second opening her to the Silver Enlightenment, she would need to tell him about her baptism too.
But about talent “How did you get your cutie mark?”
“Oh, it was years ago, I not sure if I can remember, so much happened since.”
“How can you not remember the day you got your cutie mark? I remember as one of the happiest days of my life.” She began recounting the tale of how she got hers.
After witnessing Princess Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration, she went into self-study of magic until her parents, Night Light and Twilight Velvet got her enrol into Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. Then she needed to prove she was a gifted Unicorn by hatching a dragon egg with magic as her entrance exam. At first, she couldn’t, and then a huge explosion of both sound and colour erupted, later identified as Rainbow Dash’s Sonic Rainboom, and unleashed her magic. This brought the attention of Princess Celestia who claimed her down to stop the chaos of magic she caused, and hatched Spike. The Princess offered Twilight the position of her protégée, which of course she accepted. Finally, Celestia pointed out Twilight’s cutie mark, making her so excited she jumped about for joy.
Flash chuckled “You’re really cute jumping about like that.”
Twilight stopped and blushed, she’d done it again. When she told her story to the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she ended up jumping about the town enraptured in her memories, the townsfolk asked her if she was okay, and the Crusaders disappeared long before she got stopped. Thankfully this happened long before she ascended. And thankfully now only Flash witnessed this.
She turns to his scowling and blushing “You still haven’t told be how you got yours.”
Flash chuckled “Sorry, yes, I haven’t. I kind of lied saying I’m from humble origins, yes, I was born here in Ponyville, but my ancestry is more. I’m descended from Sir Defender Warden.”
Twilight’s eyes widened “The Brigadier!”
He nodded “Yes. One of the greatest military commanders in the history of Equestria. He in fact commanded the ground forces for the assault on the Crystal Empire when Sombra took power. Ironic that I became a Guard there. After that he help defend Equestria from all manner of supernatural threats. He became a Royal Knight too.”
“How do you know about the Crystal Empire? Princess Celestia said she had limited knowledge of it, even though she and Luna personally defeated Sombra and knew it work on joy and happiness, though she did say the rest of Equestria lived by it too.”
Flash chuckled “From the Brig’s journals and memoirs, it happened one-thousand, one hundred and forty-seven years ago, the Empire was very isolated, founded on mentality of protecting itself, the only knowledge Princess Celestia could get from I think must have been from the rare messages from its Royal Family and whatever knowledge about it still existed after its disappearance.”
“Oh, that makes sense. But you’ve read the Brigadier’s journals?”
“We’ve kept them in the family. The Brig’s bloodline was very narrow.”
“But Flash,” Twilight said narrowing the gap between them “having an important ancestor isn’t that important, when I was younger I tried to see if I was descended from any-pony important but Princess Celestia said it didn’t matter about what I had in my blood, it’s our own powers and lives now that are important, not the dead.”
Flash nodded “Yeah, I’m not trying to accomplish what the Brig accomplished, I’m doing what I feel is right for me. When I learned about him, and his dedication to protecting Equestria I knew I should follow his example. When I said to Mom and Dad I wanted to be a protector like the Brig, my cutie mark appeared, one quick decision to become a protector, hence the flash of lightning and the shield.”
“Oh.” Twilight realised she stood very close to Flash and back off slightly and cleared her throat “I’ve still need to discuss something with you. The conversation just got side-tracked.”
“It happens. What do you want to ask?”
She pointed to the mirror “Do you know what the mirror is?”
“Something about it being a magical portal to some other world. And that you went through it.”, Twilight nodded “It’s weird there, the world has copies of every-pony, only their bipedal and hairless creatures, like apes or something.”
Flash narrowed his eyes “That sounds familiar. While in Canterlot I sometime heard a student of Celestia’s School talk about such creatures, Humans she called them.”
“Lyra Heartstring?”
“That’s her, do you know her?”
“We were classmates and she moved to Ponyville not long after I did.”
“Really?”, Twilight nodded “She is really the only pony beyond my closest friends, the Princesses, Shining Armour and now you who know about my adventure there. She told me she learned about Humans from a bedtime story.”
“So why do you want to tell me this?”
“Well, during my adventure in the human world, I met…”
“My counterpart?”
“Yes, and well…”
“You got a crush on him?”, she nodded “And I both wanted and dread the idea of us in a relationship. Would my feeling be for your or for him? I may have been a little hasty in requesting you as my Guard.”
“Okay, what about him do you know?”, Twilight blinked “Actually, not much. I know his name, Flash Sentry as well, the fact he seems to like me, and how good he plays the guitar.” She grinned but then she faltered “There’s one similarity between you two.”
Flash shook his head “I wouldn’t call my guitar skills good, it’s just a hobby. I got my guitar as an anniversary present for becoming the apprentice of Sir Lionheart, one of the Royal Knights. Princess you already know more about me than him. I was born here, I’m just over twenty, I’m an Apprentice Knight, and I’m Silver Enlightened.”
Twilight nodded, think about it she did know more about this Flash then she did Human Flash. On the mention of the Silver Enlightenment she smiled “I think we can get back to the subject of,” she blushed “relationships later. I’ve got something to show you.”
Flash tilted his head but nodded. He followed Twilight up the stairs and through the Castle, his head darted around the cavernous hallways as his hooves clopped against the cold, almost mirror like floors, the cold of the floor almost stung, it made him partly wish he wore the shoe of his uniform “I’ve got to say you seem to know this castle like the back of your hoof.”
In truth, the talk with Twilight, though nonsensical as it sounded, it felt right within his soul. And he didn’t lie when he called Twilight cute when she jumped about the room. Admitted he did think her way out of his league, when he met her she already ascended and now he learns she has feelings for some alternative version of himself, but the feeling only surmounted to a crush. But she also seemed to harbour feelings for himself. The blush when she bumped into him the second time, yes, he could tell it came from embarrassment, but maybe also out of her feeling for him.
Twilight smiled “I don’t fully understand it, Starlight still has trouble getting around the place, so maybe it’s just an instinctual thing since it’s my castle? And maybe Spike since sign he’s nearly always with me just learned the castle layout by memory.”
“I’ll have to learn the layout too if I’m going to guard it while you’re here.”
Twilight smiled and stopped “Here we are.” She pushed the door open and looked to Flash “You go in first.”, Flash raised an eyebrow but nodded before trotting inside.
Twilight waited, then heard his gasp, she bit her lip. And she entered.
Inside, a bright crystalline gothic room, candles by every pillar, a few pew benches but most prominent on the back wall, a cross.
Twilight trotted up to a stunned Flash, his eyes blinking occasionally. His mouth open and bobbing like a fish. Twilight giggled “What do you think?”
Flash blinked again and looked to her “You did this? For, me?”
“Partly, you see, after I left the Crystal Empire and went to Canterlot I told Princess Celestia about my research into the Silver Enlightenment, and with her blessed I got baptised.”
Flash’s mouth hung open “You’re joking.”, she shook her head “I believe in one God, the Father the Almighty, maker of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Silver Light, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father, through him all things were made.”
As Twilight recited the Bridle Creed Flash just stared amazed, finally he came to his senses and recited it with her. “For us and our salvation he came down was incarnate and made mortal. He was crucified under Sea Spear, suffered death and was buried, on the third day he rose again, in accordance with the scriptures he ascended as is seated at the right side of the Father. He shall come again in glory to judge the living and dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
“We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, we look forward for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.”
With their wings, they made the sign of the cross. Then Twilight noticed how close they suddenly became. She felt something deep within her pushing her, a bit of inspiration. She gulped and closed the gap.
Flash emotion skyrocketed. His wings shot open. His brain almost fell apart. Princess Twilight Sparkle, kissing him! Right here, right now! In the sigh of God! He then felt a shift in his soul, he found himself thinking, he like this. Suddenly Twilight did not seem so out of reach. He didn’t know how or why, but he just knew, it could work. He carried the kiss on. His wings came over and wrapped around her body. She squeaked. He liked the sound. He pulled her closer to him and deepened the kiss. His tongue tapped at her teeth. She opened.
She moaned as their tongues waltz, she couldn’t believe it. One moment she questioned her relationship with Flash, the next he’s accepting her kiss and upping it. She liked it.
He broke off, and put his forehead to hers.
They looked deeply into each other’s eyes, they conveyed more than words ever could.
To Flash, Twilight’s eyes greatly resembled those of Princess Cadance when she looked at Shining Armour, no question, the eyes of love. The most beautiful sight, he felt hypnotised by them.
Twilight could watch his gaze forever, the message they told her warmed her very being, she hoped she sent the same message back to him.
A cough echoed and the two ponies turned to the door.
Spike smirked “The girls are here Twilight. You’d better go down and tell about this, new arrangement while Flash gets his armour on.
The pair blushed. Twilight nodded and slowly walked away, she did look back at him and smiled.
Flash felt his heart skip a beat. When she left, he let out a sigh, he felt heavier somehow, as if Twilight literally lifted his spirits.
Spike walked up and tapped Flash on the shoulder. The Pegasus looked down at him “You’d better follow me to your quarters so you can get your armour on.”
Flash nodded. He took one glance back at the cross and smiled. He existed the chapel and followed the dragon down the hallway. He kept his smile.
Today, the rest of his life began.
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Good story so far. Nice to see my Royal Knight idea is influencing others.
Quick question. Is this the story you asked to use jakhowls for?
I look forward to seeing the rest.
The pacing here is very off and there's a bunch of errors. Do you need an editor or proofreader? I could try to help you out if you want. PM me if you want to talk about this.
8156666 This is the Jakhowl one, but I'm using it differently to yours. You'll see.
Okay, that kiss came on a little suddenly, but nice to have a little more backstory on Flash. So, if he's only twenty at the oldest and has been a guard for seven years, then he was only 13 when he joined the guard. Dang! Also, I was kind of expecting Twilight to give Flash a little more explanation on the chapel.
If he's a brigadier his a templar, and if his a templar, RELEASE THE ASSASSINS!
10056056
Actually I was think of Doctor Who. Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart.