Tiempo de Vals

by FALG

Catching up

We arrived to Canterlot before midday, my father was awaiting us at the station and helped us with the cases.

"Hey dad." I greeted

"Hi Flare, nice to see you." he replied. He turned to my brother. "Long time no see Plaid, how's it going?"

"Fine I guess." he simply said.
We then headed home.

In the house we installed ourselves in the room where we lived before we moved out. It was in the same conditions (maybe more clean) as when we left it.
I headed to the living room and sat on the sofa in front of the TV. I reposed for a while, it was early, so I slept for another while.

---

I woke up two hours later, my father was making lunch.

"Don't you have to work today?" I asked him from the sofa.

"What? Oh, no, I took the day off; I told Princess Celestia that you would be coming, she was mighty kind for letting me stay with you guys."
Some minutes later he called us for lunch, and we went to the table.

"So tell me, what's new in your lives?" dad asked us both.

"Not much in mine." Plaid answered.

"It wouldn't surprise me now. How about you Flare, how are you after that coma?" he asked again.

As you should have figured out, I told my father of the coma and the dream I had (and how my cutie mark changed). I took a train to Canterlot the hour after Fluttershy took me to my house. I also acquainted my dad about our lives until that moment, so there wasn't much to speak of.
Coming back to the dream, I didn't miss any detail, I also told him about my kiss with Fluttershy, but I never told him how she looked, just to prevent he tries to do something to help: it's not a good idea.

"I'm fine, luckily I recovered my top condition a week later."

"I'm assuming you'll be coming to the barracks someday." he said

" 'Someday' is saying too little." I joked.

---

After lunch I went for a walk around Canterlot. Everything was exactly as before, and now I had two reasons for saying so: it wasn't a dream, and 4 months had passed since I left, almost half a year.

I know it may sound selfish on my part to take a walk when my dad took a day off because of us. But he had to catch up with my brother's life too, so I better don't disturb them.
I decided to go to the barracks. I went back home and grabbed my weapons, and headed there.

It was like always, soldiers training in dummies here and there. The spinning dummies were always left alone, what a waste.
Something I skipped to mention before (besides that the barracks had no ceiling, making it outdoors), is that inside the barracks was a loitering and resting room on a side of the barracks, that was the place where usually the Captain was found when not training, and occasionally a few soldiers that weren't resting inside.
When I saw that Shining wasn't outside, I looked in that room, and eventually found him sitting on a chair talking with a few of his soldiers. So I called him.

"Flare! How are you friend?" he asked while coming to greet me.

"I'm fine, how about you, how was your honeymoon?" I asked back.

"Great just great, I..." he started

"...wouldn't change it for the world." I finished.
He looked at me confused.

"Yeah, how did...?"
I simply showed him my cutie mark.

"We got a lot of talk to do Shining."

---

"So the dream was not completely a lie." I finished.

"Let me guess this straight, you get robbed, and a week later you get a new cutie mark because of a dream?" he asked.

"Saying 'dream' is a bit of an understatement, I would call it 'realization'." I suggested.

"Well, you got that right. But I still can't believe how did you knew what I'd say about my honeymoon."

"Oh I actually didn't really know, the truth is that that was how what I imagined you would say about it. I didn't meet you yesterday Shining; I know everything you told me about yourself." I said smiling.

"Yeah, yeah you do." he said a bit nervous.

"What's the problem?"

"Oh nothing! Don't worry."

"Well okay."

"Say, how did it turn out that you beat me?" he asked.

"Oh well, maybe some kind of secret desire to not be a loser, I don't know." I answered.

"So, you think you can defeat me?"

"Please don't take it personally."

"No no! Really, I'm asking seriously dude."
I thought for a while.

"I don't know, but I'm more akin to the idea that it won't happen even I put my soul while training."

"But you are not sure, are you?" Shining asked again.

"Exactly, I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I can, or if I can't."
We remained silent for another moment.

"Well, you know? If you want to, I'd be more than happy to have a combat with you." he said

"You're not serious."

"I am serious Flare, you are right that you never fought the way you wanted. So why not? Besides anypony could die the next day."

"That brings my mood up way high Shining." I mocked.

"Anytime." he joked back.

---

I left the barracks and went home, on the way looking at the castle, seeing the preparatives almost ready for the Gala.

When I entered home I found my dad talking on the phone. He hung up and I asked who he was talking to.

"Oh I was just renting a carriage to take us to the castle for the Gala."

"Can I use the phone?" I asked him.
He nodded and hoofed it to me.

I dialed Fluttershy's number, and waited. But I had no answer. I tried a few more times but to no avail. So I hung up the phone a bit dissapointed.

"You alright Flare?" dad asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"It's that mare isn't it?"

"Yeah it is, but I don't want to talk now, maybe later or when I feel to."
He accepted and I went to my room, and laid down on my former bed.

"You're going to sleep again?" Plaid asked.

"No, I just need to keep calm, so I'm laying down for a while, maybe until dinner."
My brother didn't say another word and focused again on his work.