Equestria Girls - The Tale of Two Sunsets

by HumanSunset63

Chapter 58: Gone in a Flash

Sunset happily began clapping after Celestia finished telling that rather cathartic story, which explained how she ended up getting her hooves on this Señor G. Echo plush. It was admittedly satisfying to learn how her adoptive mother was responsible for not only foiling the Flim Flam Brothers' nefarious scam, but also allowing Sunset to own a toy of the superhero leopard gecko that she always cherished as a young filly. Not only that, but it was implied to have been an incredibly sought after collector's item, and this made sense. While Señor G. Echo was indeed a popular puppet show series enjoyed by both foals and even some adult ponies alike, toys of the adventurous gecko were thought to be nonexistent.

"That was a wonderful tale, for sure." Sunset said, rather satisfied with the happy ending. "Pretty satisfying to hear that Flim and Flam ended up getting exactly what they deserved, though I do remember Twilight writing to me a few times about them occasionally still being up to their old tricks whenever given the opportunity. Notably when they attempted to open some university that teaches friendship."

"It wouldn't surprise me, they most certainly represent how foul and slimy somepony can become thanks to money." Celestia replied. "Have you ever heard the saying of how money can't buy happiness? Well, I believe it's safe to say that anypony who cheats or lives off of pure greed will never truly be happy."

"I actually learned that the hard way myself, since... let's just say I was actually guilty of manipulating and using others for my own personal gain, making myself exponentially more alone in the process." Sunset alluded to her time at CHS. "That aside, Señor G. Echo certainly represents the kind of pony I could've still been, had I actually embraced what he taught me as a role model. But admittedly, I almost feel as if becoming your pupil was the point in my past where everything changed. I was way too focused on being number one, stopped socializing altogether, and even pushed others aside to get my way. Come to think of it... I vaguely even recall that this was also the point when I stopped calling you 'mommy', and instead just saw you as my teacher?"

"It's been many ages since I officially declared you as my pupil, but that does sound about right." Celestia recalled. "I'll give you this much, your skills with magic were unmatched by anypony else's performance I've seen in all my years of teaching. But as your skills grew, so did your rebellious nature, which I imagine had to have been my decision in letting you be free to express yourself, as I didn't want to interfere with your creative spirit. Is it safe to assume you're now rebellious for a good cause these days?"

"As far as being a leader and taking responsibility, for sure." Sunset replied. "That said, my rebellious and stubborn nature was admittedly another trait that came back to bite me at times. Notably when the other Twilight and I drove ourselves crazy trying to win this rigged ring toss minigame, which was coincidentally set up by the other Flim and Flam. Something kept telling me at the back of my mind that it was certainly losing proposition to continuously attempt a rigged game, but hey. My pride kept telling me otherwise, and that I couldn't let those two best me again, even if they weren't the same ponies from my childhood. Plus, we actually did end up beating them at their own game, and walked away with a stuffed parakeet, so there's that, too."

"I'll certainly admire your perseverance regardless, since that's always been a trait I've encouraged with all of my students." Celestia winked. "Now that the story's been told, I suppose this is goodbye for now?"

"I guess so, since... I really can't afford to be late to this meeting." Sunset said, before coming over to hug her adopted mother one last time, as Celestia did the same. "I know now that even after dad asked you all those years ago to raise me like a daughter, you could've very easily refused. But you chose to do so anyways, especially after what happened between him and Solstice. You've given me a life of happiness and joy that I'll always appreciate and cherish for the rest of my life. Thank you, mom. For everything."

"You're very welcome, Sunset." Celestia teared up. "I'm just happy to know now that my daughter is an absolute sweet angel who absolutely values friendship and spreads her empathy and kindness toward others. In the meantime, although you know now that I'm not your biological mother, I still hope that if we can find Solstice one day, you'll get to meet her and at least have some form of closure as far as knowing her. And of course, I wish you luck on making things right with Sunspot as well."

"I hope so too, but it'll admittedly be difficult if he refuses to talk to me." Sunset believed, as she grabbed her saddlebag, placed her precious plush in a separate compartment, and began making her way to the front door. "Well... that's why I have my friends to help me through these tough times. Even Sunburst mentioned that he's now committed as my brother until the end, so I'm happy that some good has come out of this discovery surrounding Sunspot. I'm admittedly somewhat afraid to approach dad at this point, but I'm sure I'll figure something out. After all, I've dealt with literal plant monsters at summer camp, and even pop stars who make you live through the same day over and over. As such, I'm confident I can somehow solve this family dispute, no matter how it turns out in the end. For now, I'm mostly just happy that I have at least one true mom who's always cared for me, and I'll always cherish and remember that for the rest of my days."

"You have become strong and wise since the days you were my pupil, and I couldn't be more proud of how much you've grown, Sunset." Celestia smiled. "I've taught you everything I knew about magic since you were a small filly, and now you have the valuable knowledge in the importance of friendship. You've become a far greater unicorn pupil than I could ever hope to be. I know now that with your perseverance and determination, it won't be long before I see you officially graduate and trot down that ceremony stage back at the School For Gifted Unicorns."

Sunset gave a soft expression in response to Celestia's kind words, before she nodded in confidence, and began waving goodbye to her adoptive mother. Celestia did the same, feeling that these moments with Sunset seemed just as emotional and heartwarming to her as the entirety of Twilight's coronation, and especially right before she and Luna said her final goodbyes to the new official princess of Equestria. Before Sunset was about to put her saddlebag on her back again, she decided to open it, mostly for a quick glimpse at how much time she had left before the CHS graduation. While doing so, she also got a glimpse of the shiny crystals she had taken from the giant boulder that Maud had helped her clear away from the train tracks.

She had admittedly forgotten about these, as most of her time here in Silver Shoals was focused on being with Celestia. Sunset knew she would eventually be back at Canterlot to settle things with Rainbow Dash, and she had only vaguely considered the idea of giving each of her main pony friends here in Equestria one of these crystals as a sign of her friendship with them. There were 8 crystals, and 8 ponies respectively, if Sunset were to count herself, Rarity, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Starlight, Applejack, Rainbow, and Twilight. However, since Sunset believed that Celestia was technically the very first friend in Equestria she's ever had, she decided now would at least be the perfect opportunity to ask her adoptive mother if she'd accept one of these crystals herself.

"Mom, wait a second." Sunset turned around, as Celestia did the same, curious at what her daughter had seemingly forgotten. "Before I go, I also wanted to give you a little present. Would you be willing to accept one of these orange crystals?"

Sunset reached into her saddlebag and took all eight crystals out, before displaying them on a table. She then held one up in her hoof, offering her adoptive mother this gift.

"My, these look like beautiful fragments of citrine, and well-shaped too." Celestia began admiring the crystals. "They must've cost you a pretty bit, I'd imagine?"

"Actually, let's just say that a friend helped me discover these while she was getting rid of a boulder that was stopping the train from reaching Silver Shoals." Sunset replied. "And I was thinking, considering all we've been through together as a mother and daughter, would you be willing to accept this gift as a sign of my gratitude?"

"It would be an honor, but... are you sure you wouldn't rather give these to your other friends, whom you've recently befriended during your return?" Celestia hesitated. "I'm noticing there are eight crystals here, and if we were to count Twilight and her first five friends, Starlight Glimmer, and yourself, wouldn't that also be eight ponies too? I could see this as a great way to link together your friendship with all the other girls, similar to friendship bracelets. You did mention yesterday that Twilight and those other ponies have been making your return to Equestria feel incredibly special, so I'd imagine these crystals would be a wonderful gift for them in return for their kindness."

"I did think of that at first, except..." Sunset began, realizing she needed to make a confession. "Befriending them all didn't actually happen. I managed to do so with everypony... except for Rainbow Dash. In fact, she's the one involved in this dispute I mentioned earlier, and why I felt I couldn't be late to this meeting. But regardless, that's why I wanted to offer you one of these crystals as a gift, since... until I reconcile with Rainbow, it wouldn't really make sense for me to give her one now."

"I'm sorry to hear you got off on the wrong hoof with Rainbow Dash, Sunset." Celestia understood. "However, as much as I appreciate your consideration of me as a mother, I'm afraid I can't accept this until I know the outcome of how things will work out between you two. Reason being, if you're able to make amends in the end, I'd much rather you give her one of these citrines to strengthen your friendship with her, and to show just how much you care about making things right. I wouldn't want to take this opportunity away from you, especially since... having you visit me after retirement was already the perfect present for me. In the meantime, just like with your father, I wish you luck in resolving things with her as well."

"Yeah... you're right, mom." Sunset nodded understandingly, before collecting back the crystals and setting them away in her saddlebag. "I will, and... hopefully the next time we see each other, I'll have happy news to share, as far as how everything ended up working out."

"Splendid, I hope that you'll travel safely and be able to solve these disputes with everything you've learned." Celestia encouraged, as Sunset was now ready to exit. "Until then, I hope we can meet again very soon."

Sunset finally trotted out the house, but not before looking back and waving goodbye one final time, as she knew this was likely going to be the last time for a while she'd be seeing Celestia. After all, with the upcoming council meeting to settle her and Rainbow's dispute, as well as spending more of her time relearning magic back in Canterlot, Sunset understood that she was certainly going to be busy for a while, especially since she was still interested in doing further exploring. She might've already seen parts of Manehattan, Cloudsdale, and Ponyville, but there were other places she was still interested in potentially visiting, such as that Mustangia place Wallflower vaguely mentioned the other day.

While thinking of Wallflower, Sunset also remembered that by this point, she had ran into many pony counterparts to people she recognized in the human world, and were even able to befriend some of them. Knowing how her exploration had gotten her a little more acquainted with the residents of Equestria, she was still hoping that she'd eventually find further clues, or better yet, meet her real mother, Solstice. Sugar Belle and Stellar Flare seemed to know more about her existence than Sunset ever did, but Sunset believed that fully understanding Sunspot's past could provide a more crucial clue as to what truly happened to her biological mother. All she knew for certain was that Solstice completely abandoned Sunspot after learning her daughter was trapped in the human world, which didn't really provide much insight as to where she could possibly be in present day.

Believing that the mystery surrounding Solstice would have to be something she'd need to focus on some other time, Sunset trotted back over to the train station, awaiting a trip back to Canterlot. Although she now knew how to directly teleport back, Sunset decided against it, primarily since the purpose of this return was to admire the many sights of Equestria, and of course, the concern that teleportation over long distances would be energy consuming, much like Starlight warned. Sunset knew that she needed any energy she could spare for the upcoming confrontation with Rainbow, and decided that if the train ran into an issue that would force her to teleport in order to reach Canterlot on time, she'd only do so in such a scenario as an emergency.

After purchasing another train ticket at the admission booth, Sunset also understood that she was now running low on bits, even if the admission prices here at Silver Shoals were lower than the ones at Canterlot and Ponyville. If she were to take an extended stay in Equestria, that would definitely entail finding work soon, since she was inevitably going to run out of bits at some point. Although Sunset knew she already had a home in Canterlot, with a fridge full of fresh groceries thanks to Fluttershy, it wasn't enough to accommodate for the foreseen extended stay, likely at least several years before she would consider returning to the human world.

Waiting for the train to arrive, Sunset began contemplating how the meeting with Rainbow Dash would go. Since she had already bonded quite well with everypony else who was part of the council, Sunset at least felt comfortable in knowing they'd all most likely support her, much like Starlight said when Twilight had mentioned the dispute surrounding them. However, was it entirely possible that some of them would side with Rainbow, due to being biased, or because they've known her longer? No matter what would happen in the end, Sunset recalled the words Fluttershy said to her during the coronation's aftermath, in that true friends would always understand and respect her decisions while making any sacrifices necessary. This made sense, as Twilight showed she was willing to do just that, even if it meant hurting her own friendship and standing with Rainbow.

For the most part, Sunset didn't worry too much about any of her new friends taking a bias to side against her, since they all made it rather clear that they'd be by her side no matter what, especially with how much time in Equestria she's spent bonding with each of them. This included Pinkie too, as although Sunset admittedly spent the overall least time with her compared to any of her other friends, she now knew that she had technically known her the longest, after Pinkie revealed her crafty and sneaky game in switching places with her human counterpart countless times. As Twilight and Starlight were already adamant on speaking to Rainbow on Sunset's behalf, it felt reasonable to surmise everpony else would too. But even if they were to support Sunset's side in the fallout, Sunset still hoped that deep down, they wouldn't all just gang up on Rainbow to the point of completely damaging their own friendships with her.

Rainbow wasn't someone Sunset truly loathed, unlike say, Principal Cinch. She still saw the good in her, and the potential of still being able to make amends, especially with understanding why specifically she ended up doing what she did. Abandoning Sunset and acting overly harsh were uncalled for, but so was falsely accusing her apprentice for being a thief, which inadvertently damaged her friendship with Indigo. Even if it was for a good cause, mostly as a means of catching the actual thief on Derpy's behalf, Sunset conceded she still ended up making a mistake, which was enough of a reason for her to willingly make things right herself. Being the leader of her human friends for quite some time now, she definitely knew one of the most valuable aspects of leadership entailed listening to both sides, and understanding the full extent of the story, rather than sticking with biases.

As these thoughts clouded Sunset's mind, the train finally began arriving at her platform, preparing to make a departure towards Canterlot. She trotted aboard, noticing that the train coach was rather empty, which was likely a result of her taking the train rather early in the morning. However, while looking around, Sunset spotted a stallion sitting by himself, who was admittedly familiar for the wrong reasons. Although Sunset felt happy that she and Flash Sentry had become mutual friends later on, even after their breakup, she certainly never forgot how horribly she treated him during her first stay in the human world. Exploiting him for personal gain, using him for money, and tossing him aside even when he genuinely loved her, it was an absolutely toxic relationship. Sunset felt that because of this behavior back then, she was admittedly no better than even Madame Cinch, whom she also believed accurately represented the kind of pony she'd be today, had she never turned a new leaf.

While thinking of the past, Sunset also realized this actually wasn't the first time she had met this particular Flash, much like she had been doing lately with many other familiar pony counterparts here in Equestria. In fact, while seeking Celestia's guidance during the memory stone fiasco, she specifically remembered briefly glancing at the Canterlot guard, shortly before she made her way into the library. Much like with Celestia, Sunset never really had much of an opportunity to interact with him, as she was still focused on learning why her human friends had turned on her, and the fact it technically wasn't the Flash she knew. Since the train ride was going to take some time, and the Pony Flash Sentry was admittedly looking a bit sad and lonely by himself, Sunset decided to sit next to him, trying to understand what was supposedly bothering the royal guard.

"Hello, how are you doing today?" Sunset began a conversation, before setting her saddlebag down and taking a seat.

"Morning, ma'am." Flash Sentry replied, with a little more optimism in his voice, but slowly began reverting back into his glum state.

"Hey there... are you feeling alright?" Sunset asked with a little concern. "I'm noticing you seem rather forlorn right now."

"It's... not really important, and I'm sure that I've still got much bigger responsibilities to worry about back at Canterlot." Flash continued.

"I'm heading back to Canterlot too, and we've got some time now to discuss things if you need somepony to talk to." Sunset assured. "I'm willing to listen about whatever's troubling you."

"Well... alright." Flash nodded, before explaining himself. "Let's just say... it involves somepony I've worked with for many years at Canterlot as a royal guard. Her name's Sour Sweet, and... I was admittedly pretty devastated to learn that she was the one who was reported to have been abusing her power."

"Oh, yeah..." Sunset remembered what Sour Sweet had done to her after Max Steele tried to keep her out from Twilight's coronation. "Let's just say... I know somepony who was recently affected by her abusive behavior, myself. I mean, assuming we're talking about the same Sour Sweet, she's that royal guard with freckles, who sometimes acts sour and other times, sweet?"

"Correct, that's her." Flash said. "I've known her ever since my days at Canterlot's training academy, and we always hit things off pretty well. In fact, I've gotten reports from some of my colleagues that she has a habit of acting sour when I'm not around. However, when I am around, she tends to act rather servile and repeats anything I say. Despite this, there have been rumors that she claims that the Canterlot guards would be more respected if she were the leader instead, due to the fact that she's actually better at flying than anypony else on the team. Given what ended up happening to Sour Sweet after Princess Twilight and Mr. Steele testified against her, I'm guessing those rumors were never wrong."

"Really sorry to hear you ended up having to learn the hard way in regards to Sour Sweet's true colors." Sunset replied, realizing that she was actually seemingly responsible for Flash feeling saddened as a result of learning how scummy Sour Sweet truly was. "I can't imagine what you're going through right now, since... it's crazy to think that it's the ponies you're close with who can hurt you the most."

"For sure." Flash said in agreement. "For many years, I've actually seen her as my second in command, whilst I led the rest of the team during battles or expeditions. I've admittedly gotten occasional reports from them that they haven't been happy with Sour Sweet's treatment when I'm not around, and I always tended to brush it off, thinking it sounded completely unlike her. Knowing the circumstances now, I certainly realize I've failed as a leader, and it's why I've been feeling glum lately. I just feel like I've let the rest of my team down, purely because I was biased toward Sour Sweet, making me go in denial whenever somepony claimed they didn't like her."

"I know that feeling too, the dread and disappointment you can get when you believe you've let everypony down." Sunset related to Flash's sorrow. "I'm part of a group of friends myself, and... over time, they considered me their leader. To me, although the leader's job is to make sure everyone is happy and accounted for, I also believe it's their job to learn from their mistakes, understanding that there's no such thing as perfection. I've actually felt like I failed as a leader from time to time thanks to a habit of losing my temper, but that doesn't make me a bad pony. It makes me a pony who understands what they did wrong, and become willing to correct for it in the future with this kind of experience in mind. I'd say the same could be said for you, since you're atoning for your past mistakes on being biased."

"I suppose so, but that doesn't change the fact that I could've very easily done something about it, even if I was biased." Flash sighed. "I let my partnership with Sour Sweet blind me to the point of ignoring complaints and concerns from the rest of the team, and now... everything that she supposedly put them all through during our duties... still very much happened. It can't be undone anymore, and now I'm just sitting here defeated, hoping I could've always done things differently back then."

"Yeah... I know that feeling too, more than you know." Sunset related. "I understand the pain and frustration regarding anything that went wrong in the past, which ended up causing irreversible damage. But unfortunately, since we can never change the past, I've stuck with a philosophy that's motivated me to always make the right steps forward. What happens in the past stays in the past, but what happens in the present can lead to a better future that you'll be able to remember for all the right reasons. I don't look too fondly back on my past, but with every new cherished memory I've made, it's helped me remember just how far I've come since those days."

"That's a pretty good philosophy to take away." Flash smiled. "But regardless of what I do now, I don't know how I can come back to face the rest of my team again. I've just recovered from my broken wings, and am now returning back to Canterlot to continue serving my duties, but I'm not sure if they'll give me a warm reception upon return."

"Sorry to hear about your wings." Sunset said, vaguely remembering Max Steele alluded to this when she hid in that broom closet. "Do you mind me asking what happened?"

"Well, the thing is, I'm actually not entirely sure how it happened." Flash began trying to remember that day. "All I seem to recall was, I had been on duty at Cloudsdale a few weeks ago, when out of nowhere, this unknown force managed to hit me at a remarkable speed, and sent me crashing down onto the city grounds. I ended up landing on my wings, which put me out of work up until now. My wings might be better, but I can't say with certainty that'll apply to my standing with the team too."

"Whatever happens with your team in the end?" Sunset began. "I believe all that matters is you giving them an apology for being biased, then proving to them that you're willing to change and become a more responsible leader, assuring them that you'd never make such a mistake again. They might not forgive you immediately, but it's important to show you're confident in moving forward as a changed stallion. It's valuable to see your past mistakes as a way for you to learn and grow, rather than something to dwell on."

"Sounds like the perfect way for me to move forward, especially after everything my team and I have been through, ever since I landed this job in protecting and serving Equestria." Flash said with some newfound confidence. "Thanks for having this talk with me, I feel a lot better and ready to face the music when the time comes. Feels nice to meet somepony who really cares that much about my personal issues."

"Anytime, I figured I had to at least do something, given how sad you looked when I boarded the train." Sunset replied. "I guess since this is the first time we're getting properly acquainted, I could introduce myself. I'm Sunset Shimmer."

"Flash Sentry." Flash introduced himself, before understanding who Sunset truly was. "Wait a minute, you're Sunset Shimmer? So you're that pony who was involved in exposing Sour Sweet's true colors, at least according to what Princess Twilight ended up reporting. In that case, whatever you ended up doing, you have my eternal respect as far as helping me learn I couldn't recover from working with somepony as two-faced as her. You saved me from a lot of trouble, considering that for a while, I was begging the princess to promote her to the elite ranks, where I'm currently at. And on top of this, you've even given me solid advice as to how I can make things right with the rest of my colleagues, now that Sour Sweet's gone."

"I'm always willing to be a friend for anypony in need, especially since I know myself how much it hurts to be all alone, with nopony else to have your back in the toughest of times." Sunset opened up.

"I really love that kind of commitment and mentality, especially since Princess Celestia herself commended me on my dedication and leadership." Flash replied. "In fact, before her retirement, she ended up knighting me as 'Sir Sentry', since I had been going the extra mile to effectively lead troops and formally welcome officials outside of Equestria, much like when the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia paid a visit."

"It's impressive how you've managed to earn such a title while continuing to work hard as a royal guard." Sunset acknowledged. "I'm sure your friends and family have always been proud of you for how far you've come yourself."

"Yeah, my... family." Flash's glumness seemingly came back briefly.

"Oh, I'm... I'm sorry if I've touched upon a sensitive topic." Sunset said. "I completely understand if you don't really want to talk about it."

"No, don't worry." Flash assured. "Bringing up my family might've let me remember one particular unpleasant memory, but at the same time, it also gave me a reminder of why I decided to choose this career path. I'm also pretty comfortable about sharing this with you, given how understanding and compassionate you are. Sunset, are you interested in learning why specifically I became a royal guard?"

"Of course, I'm all ears." Sunset replied, as she already knew herself what it was like to have a troubled past with her own biological family.

"My father, who was once one of Equestria's most gifted soldiers." Flash began opening himself up. "Sentinel Sentry was his name, and he was well respected by many. Growing up in Equestria, I showed promise as far as flight skills and effective communication, to where dad saw the potential in me to become a royal guard one day. I decided against it at first, before seeing the benefits that would come with it. My family was poor and unable to afford university tuition after I graduated grade school, but since I was looking for work and kept my athletic flying ability intact, I ended up joining the E.U.P, just like dad."

"E.U.P?" Sunset questioned, initially not understanding the acronym. "Oh, wait a minute, I think I've heard of that before. Earth, Unicorn, Pegasus, right?"

"That's right, Canterlot's military system which allowed all three pony kinds to join their ranks." Flash confirmed. "Though since many creatures are now living alongside ponies too, Princess Twilight recently opened up positions to allow creatures besides ponies to join, should they be interested in doing so."

"Been noticing that lately, which was pretty astonishing, given how long I've been gone from Equestria." Sunset shared her own experience. "This aside, how was the E.U.P. when you first joined?"

"At first, it seemed tolerable and rewarding." Flash continued. "We'd get meals free of charge, training sessions that helped us increase our physical strength, and felt respected by anypony else in Equestria no matter where we went. But after a while, the physical labor and policies began to get on my nerves. Our sergeant in particular began making me regret my decision to become a royal guard, especially with everything he had been putting me through. One day, while I was in the castle to have a reunion with dad, I had this exchange with him."

Flash then began sharing a flashback, where he had just finished his training for the day and was now allowed to see his family. He approached the castle's entrance and was greeted by his father, Sentinel, who had completed his military duties and was now ecstatic to finally see his son.

"Flash, good to see you, my boy!" Sentinel addressed his son, before noticing that he looked rather grouchy. "Hm, is there something wrong, son? Aren't you happy to see your pop?"

"Hey, dad." Flash said to his father, before saluting him. "I am, I very much am, and will always respect you as one of Equestria's most valuable soldiers. But nothing's wrong, don't worry."

"Flash... I've known you ever since you were a small colt, and I can tell when you're lying." Sentinel began with a serious tone. "Please, if something's truly been bothering you, could you please let your father know?"

"Alright, I guess it's good to finally get this off of my chest." Flash nodded, before explaining himself. "I'm not happy at all with Sergeant Peanut, ever since I stepped hoof into this academy. He would force us newbies to get up at 5 AM just to do pushups, kept yelling at us nonstop, and belittled us all the time, any chance he could. And I'm never allowed to talk back or give him a piece of my mind, it's so frustrating that he can treat us that way."

"Son, I can understand how intimidating this may be, especially compared to the schools you were used to before you joined." Sentinel began. "But you must understand that he's supposed to do that. While you may see it as belittling, it's actually how Equestria manages to build you recruits into successful soldiers. It's a form of building discipline and respect to your superiors."

"Yeah, right." Flash huffed. "I've been here for weeks now, and all I can feel for the guy is anything but respect. You'd think that as the ponies who protect and serve in Equestria, we'd get more respect than this. But no, we're instead just the underlings who, in his own words, are always replaceable."

"It's tough to adapt to this new lifestyle, but I can assure you that it's all perfectly normal, and the reason why I've become the built soldier I am today." Sentinel responded. "One day, I'll have to retire as a veteran, and it'll be your responsibility to lead the rest of these soldiers to protect Equestria, as I once did. Besides, we mutually agreed that this was for the best, since we were unable to afford further education for you."

"I know, but... maybe it's better if I just went and looked for a real job, instead of this bogus humiliation." Flash pouted. "I might be getting along with the new recruits and all, but it's primarily Sergeant Peanut who's holding me back and has it out for me. Even the other newbies have been mentioning that he's been targeting me the most."

"That's actually a sign that he sees the absolute most potential in you, and wanting to shape you up into the soldier you could become." Sentinel said. "You did notice that you scored the highest on the written examination for leadership qualifications, as well as flight strength?"

"Well, yes." Flash replied. "And I thought that because of this, he'd have more respect for me, as far as being the #1 in the academy."

"Flash, I'm telling you this as your father, but you must not give up because you feel insecure about your drill instructor." Sentinel held his son and made certain he could heed his words well. "Sergeant Peanut trained some of the most elite soldiers here in Equestria, including myself. I was just like you, thinking that the treatment wasn't right, given how effective I was with the training. However, over time, I helped myself realize that the yelling was a sign that he cared, and knows that you have the potential to be better. The discipline, the training, and the mentality that I could always improve, it shaped me into the stallion I am now. I know you can be too, as long as you put your differences aside and continue pushing on. Over time, you'll even grow compassion for everypony else on your team, including Sergeant Peanut."

"It'll... definitely still take a while for me to get used to my new life like this, but this pep talk at least motivates me to push on, even when I've begun to lose confidence in myself." Flash said. "Thanks, dad. I think I now know how I'll be approaching future training sessions with this kind of knowledge in mind."

"That's my boy, you definitely inherited that perseverance from me." Sentinel patted Flash on the back, before handing him a special badge. "This was my previous uniform's badge. I can't use it anymore, but I want you to have it, as it'll serve as a reminder. I'll sadly have to retire my position one day, but I know now when that day comes, you'll make your pop proud and pass this on for future generations of soldiers to come."

Flash and Sentinel hugged it out, and over time, Flash began realizing that his father was right. The 'bullying' from Sergeant Peanut had become effective at helping Flash build character and confidence in himself. After a while, his performances began to increase like never before, though his insecurities from being belittled still came up from time to time. Whenever this occurred, Flash just remembered what his father told him that day, and kept telling himself that he would soon be responsible for protecting and serving Equestria, much like Sentinel. The flashback then ended, which prompted Sunset to share her own thoughts.

"It's good to hear that you had a pretty solid relationship with your dad, Flash." Sunset said with optimism. "Always happy for anypony with a parent able to give you this kind of level and motivation."

"Indeed, but... that would unfortunately come to an end one day, in one of the most tragic ways imaginable." Flash sighed, before sharing another flashback.

It was another ordinary day in Canterlot, as Flash had once again finished his training to reunite with Sentinel. Everypony else in the E.U.P. had already gone home for the evening, and the only ponies that remained behind in Canterlot were Flash, Sentinel, and Princess Celestia herself. The princess commended both stallions for their efforts in protecting and serving Equestria, seeing the promise in the soldiers the E.U.P. had shaped.

"It's an honor to see both father and son together, working hard to maintain the peace of Equestria." Celestia expressed.

"You bet, Princess!" Sentinel said with confidence. "I'm especially proud of my boy for getting that leadership position, he was just built to manage troops!"

"Thanks, dad." Flash said, rather flattered, before hearing a growling noise. "But it sounds as if you're hungry now. Maybe that's a sign we should head back and have a good feast?"

"Err... son?" Sentinel said, rather concerned. "I'm afraid that wasn't my stomach."

The growling continued on, this time getting even louder than before. The three ponies began growing extra worried, realizing that some dangerous creature was nearby. Unfortunately for them, it was actually multiple creatures, fierce and bent on having a good feast, just as Flash had suggested. Out of nowhere, seven timberwolves hopped out from behind one of the buildings, and began cornering the princess and two soldiers. Princess Celestia spread her wings out to express hostility, before doing her best to protect everypony from these dangerous creatures.

"Timberwolves!" Celestia shouted, before using her magic to blast off the aggressive creatures who were known to feast on pony flesh, despite being made of wood.

At first, this appeared to take care of the creatures easily, as after the dust cleared away, the three ponies looked around and saw nothing but sticks and branches, seemingly harmless and ineffective at attacking. Unfortunately, this feeling of relief was short-lived, after the branches began moving and reassembling themselves, creating a much larger and fiercer entity, known as the Timberwolf King. Celestia, Flash, and Sentinel's eyes widened at this, since they had never seen any creatures capable of such an ability.

"What should we do!?" Flash began panicking. "I've never even seen these creatures before, but it seems as if blasting that magic just made it even more mad!"

"I've dealt with these before in the past, however!" Celestia continued to stand her ground against the now reassembled, monstrous beast. "This is astonishing, since I've never seen any timberwolves reassemble themselves to create a larger and more powerful form! My guess is, they must've found some form of new magic which gives them this ability, or they've somehow evolved into a more advanced stage in their life cycle!"

"Well that's no good, especially since we're the last ponies standing, here at Canterlot!" Sentinel shrieked. "But it looks like that thing's now immune to your attacks, Princess! If not even your magic can stand up to it, there may not be anything we can do either!"

By now, Celestia had given up firing at the wooden beast, since her attacks were now somehow ineffective. Out of desperation, she even tried teleporting the beast away, but it appears to have adapted to the point of becoming immune to magic. As a result, the beast simply laughed and roared at the three ponies, now bent on having some delicious morsels for dinner. Realizing that her lack of knowledge on this new variant of timberwolves might've just caused the foreseen doom of Canterlot, the princess decided that they had no other choice but to use the last resort.

"Flash, Sentinel!" Celestia addressed her pegasai royal guards. "In case of attacks like this, Canterlot has something that's used as a last resort, if nothing we do is able to fend off plant-based monsters. But it's risky to pull off."

"We gotta do whatever it takes, Princess!" Sentinel affirmed.

"Our job is to protect Equestria from nefarious monsters like that, so we have to give it a shot!" Flash added.

"Very well then." Celestia nodded her head. "We don't have a lot of time, but we'll need to get over to the botanical research lab, we'll find what we need there! In the meantime, run!"

The three ponies began running away toward the botanical lab, where scientists had been conducting research on rare plants and plant-based creatures beneficial to Equestria. Celestia had her mind set on one particular item located within, which was a unique concoction specialized in killing off any botanical-related species, should they pose as a threat to Equestria's society. All the while, the Timberwolf King gave a persistent chase, adamant on having a delicious pony banquet. As Celestia, Sentinel, and Flash eventually made it over to the lab, they realized that they had made a mistake that would cost them their lives. The lab was unfortunately locked, and none of them had the passcode to get inside.

"What are we going to do now!?" Flash shrieked. "None of us are botanical scientists, which means we don't know the password!"

"Princess, have you considered teleporting inside?" Sentinel suggested.

"Unfortunately, I can't." Celestia sighed. "This lab is actually protected with an invisible force field that blocks out teleportation. As a result, I think there's only one thing we can do now. I'm actually not supposed to share this with anypony else, but it seems like we have no choice now. In the Canterlot armor and weapons storage, I've hidden a secret master switch that unlocks every military-based building if the locks are somehow jammed. That includes the botanical lab, which is where we need to get into to stop that wooden abomination!"

Just as she said this, the Timberwolf King had finally caught up to the trio, now enraged at its prey continuously trying to escape. Fed up with this little game, the monstrous beast began howling at the sky, which attracted a massive pack of them. 100 other normal timberwolves had began surrounding the area, heeding the howl to aide their king's hunt.

"This is so troublesome, I shouldn't have used my magic to blast those first timberwolves, it seems." Celestia sighed. "Alright, since it was my fault we're in this pickle now, and I hadn't done any research on this new variant of timberwolf which can reassemble itself, I'll go flip that switch."

"No, Princess!" Sentinel decided against the idea. "I can't allow you to do such a risky mission, no matter the circumstances! I'm well familiar with that storage room, let me go for it!"

"Are you sure about this, Sentinel?" Celestia said with worry. "If you're confident you can do it, you need to look for the switch box hidden underneath the green tile of the building. It should be easy to spot, since it's the only one."

"Affirmative, Princess." Sentinel nodded, before getting ready to move out.

"D-Dad... no." Flash began tearing up at his father willing to risk his own life."

"Please, Flash." Sentinel looked at his son's face with serious eyes. "We don't really have a choice now, one of us has to risk our safety as a matter of protecting Equestria, just like I've helped you learn when you first entered the E.U.P. I've taught you everything you needed to know over the years, and now it's time for me to fulfill my destiny, for you, the princess, and all of Equestria."

"I love you, dad..." Flash's eyes began tearing up at his father willing to make this big of a sacrifice, before hugging him, thinking that this could be the very last time he'd ever see him alive.

"I love you too, and I know you're sad, but I have to get going now!" Sentinel said, as he knew the timberwolves were beginning to grow impatient.

Sentinel then flew up into the air and tried his best to get the attention of these bloodthirsty creatures. He then began taunting them and acting like they couldn't touch him at all, which only enraged the timberwolves. His plan was working, as this was the perfect bait needed to entice the timberwolves in chasing after him, and him only. This meant that once he pulled the switch, it would give Celestia and Flash just enough time to do whatever they needed to put an end to these wooden monsters. After giving chase through Canterlot for a while, Sentinel eventually managed to make it into the aforementioned storage unit, broke open the green tile with his hooves, and flipped the switch. As a result, the lab door finally opened, allowing Flash to fly inside and grab the concoction, which was aptly labeled on one of the counters.

As Flash handed the concoction to Celestia, he was still praying for his father's safety. The princess quickly used the concoction, along with her magic, to create a special weather spell that would ensure the demise of every timberwolf in Canterlot. Even from a distance from within the lab's entrance, Flash was able to see his father safely exit from the storage unit, with seemingly no timberwolves in sight. He initially breathed a sigh of relief, as did Sentinel, thinking that he might actually be able to make it back too.

"Whew, I guess I lost those timberwolves during that chase-" Sentinel began, before something completely unexpected happened.

Out of nowhere, the Timberwolf King quickly mauled at the stallion, knocking him into the corner of another nearby building, as his sudden injuries now impaired his ability to get up. Suddenly, the underling timberwolves began forming a thick crowd to surround the injured stallion, ready to have the meal of a lifetime. Flash shrieked in horror upon witnessing this, urging him to fly out to help his father, before noticing Celestia not allowing him to.

"Ugh..." Sentinel winced in pain at that sudden attack, as his now blurred vision helped him capture the sight of a massive pack of timberwolves ready to tear him into pieces. "It... doesn't matter anymore, you a-abominations of n-nature... p-prepare to join me in t-the grave..."

"Please, Princess!" Flash begged. "I have no choice now, I need to help him!"

"Flash, no... please." Celestia sighed. "I'm afraid he's gone..."

"You don't know that for certain, maybe it's still not too late!" Flash huffed in denial. "If I just go out there and keep them away from dad for a while, maybe he can still-"

"No, he truly is gone now, especially since this weather spell needs a little time to take effect." Celestia said, trying to comfort the stallion. "He did this for us, and all of Equestria, Flash. If you go out there now, he'll have made the ultimate sacrifice for nothing..."

Flash sighed in defeat upon hearing this, realizing that Celestia was right. But regardless, it was especially painful for him at this point, as he looked outside the entrance of the lab and saw all those timberwolves were now chowing away at his father's flesh. However, since Sentinel managed to draw away every single timberwolf from Celestia and Flash just long enough for the weather spell to take effect, he had managed to die a hero. Shortly after the timberwolves had finished devouring the helpless stallion, they were still hungry, and were ready to head over to the same lab those other ponies were hiding in. But as they began approaching, the spell had finally created a mystical fog all around Canterlot, which contained the same toxins from the lab's concoction.

As a result of this, the timberwolves, including the king himself, began choking and suffocating at their adverse reaction to this new compound. Every last timberwolf started losing their structure as well as their inner consciousness, which caused them to shatter apart and even dissolved their remains, making it so they could no longer reassemble themselves. Before long, all timberwolves were reduced into nothing but dust, blown away by the wind, shortly after. Once the fog cleared away, Celestia and Flash went over to where the timberwolves had attacked and devoured Sentinel, and it was most certainly not a pretty sight.

"He sacrificed himself for me, his son, and all of Equestria." Celestia felt some tears in her eyes. "I'll be sure to commission a statue here in Canterlot in his honor, he was a true hero."

"Dad... I know that we didn't always get along, but I'll miss you dearly." Flash began sobbing. "I'll never forget this... your sacrifice will not be in vain, and I'll be sure to make you proud. It'll now be my responsibility to lead the rest of these soldiers and protect Equestria, as you once did..."

Celestia and Flash eventually gathered Sentinel Sentry's remains, and gave him an honorable funeral, one where everypony in Canterlot had attended, as his heroics quickly spread throughout Equestria. Once it ended, Flash took one final look at that old badge his late father had given him ever since he was fed up with his drill sergeant and contemplated starting a new life. He knew more than ever that it was now his duty to pass on his father's legacy, and why he ended up choosing to stay in the E.U.P. for many years to come, as the flashback finally came to a close.

"...and that same badge he gave me was embedded onto my uniform's real badge, which I have right here." Flash pointed at his armor. "Now you know, it was my dad who inspired me to become a royal guard, and it was his motivation and selfless sacrifice which inspired me to continue protecting and serving in Equestria. I've admittedly not shared this with anypony else before, since it definitely always gets me emotional, just thinking about him..."

"Really sorry to hear your dad didn't make it out of that predicament, but I very much agree." Sunset put a hoof on Flash. "You're right, too, he was a noble stallion when he sacrificed himself just so everypony else could survive. It's especially bold for you to continue passing on his legacy in that respect, I'm sure wherever he is now, he's smiling proudly on you."

"Thanks, Sunset." Flash smiled a bit. "I'm sure of it too."

Comments

[CSC]

What a heroic standoff!!!

[MLPSolarDash1907]

Very sad that Flash's dad died that way, but he was such a noble pony.

And I'm concerned about what'll happen between Sunset and Rainbow, that is, if those beetles hadn't already been causing trouble...

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"It wouldn't surprise me, they most certainly represent how foul and slimy somepony can become thanks to money." Celestia replied. "Have you ever heard the saying of how money can't buy happiness? Well, I believe it's safe to say that anypony who cheats or lives off of pure greed will never truly be happy."

Agreed.

"I hope so too, but it'll admittedly be difficult if he refuses to talk to me." Sunset believed, as she grabbed her saddlebag, placed her precious plush in a separate compartment, and began making her way to the front door. "Well... that's why I have my friends to help me through these tough times. Even Sunburst mentioned that he's now committed as my brother until the end, so I'm happy that some good has come out of this discovery surrounding Sunspot. I'm admittedly somewhat afraid to approach dad at this point, but I'm sure I'll figure something out. After all, I've dealt with literal plant monsters at summer camp, and even pop stars who make you live through the same day over and over. As such, I'm confident I can somehow solve this family dispute, no matter how it turns out in the end. For now, I'm mostly just happy that I have at least one true mom who's always cared for me, and I'll always cherish and remember that for the rest of my days."

That's great Sunset.

"Yeah... I know that feeling too, more than you know." Sunset related. "I understand the pain and frustration regarding anything that went wrong in the past, which ended up causing irreversible damage. But unfortunately, since we can never change the past, I've stuck with a philosophy that's motivated me to always make the right steps forward. What happens in the past stays in the past, but what happens in the present can lead to a better future that you'll be able to remember for all the right reasons. I don't look too fondly back on my past, but with every new cherished memory I've made, it's helped me remember just how far I've come since those days."

I can totally relate and understand what Sunset is sharing.

"Flash Sentry." Flash introduced himself, before understanding who Sunset truly was. "Wait a minute, you're Sunset Shimmer? So you're that pony who was involved in exposing Sour Sweet's true colors, at least according to what Princess Twilight ended up reporting. In that case, whatever you ended up doing, you have my eternal respect as far as helping me learn I couldn't recover from working with somepony as two-faced as her. You saved me from a lot of trouble, considering that for a while, I was begging the princess to promote her to the elite ranks, where I'm currently at. And on top of this, you've even given me solid advice as to how I can make things right with the rest of my colleagues, now that Sour Sweet's gone."

Huh, looks like she killed twi birds with one stone.

"That's right, Canterlot's military system which allowed all three pony kinds to join their ranks." Flash confirmed. "Though since many creatures are now living alongside ponies too, Princess Twilight recently opened up positions to allow creatures besides ponies to join, should they be interested in doing so."

Interesting.

The growling continued on, this time getting even louder than before. The three ponies began growing extra worried, realizing that some dangerous creature was nearby. Unfortunately for them, it was actually multiple creatures, fierce and bent on having a good feast, just as Flash had suggested. Out of nowhere, seven timberwolves hopped out from behind one of the buildings, and began cornering the princess and two soldiers. Princess Celestia spread her wings out to express hostility, before doing her best to protect everypony from these dangerous creatures.

Oh no!

The three ponies began running away toward the botanical lab, where scientists had been conducting research on rare plants and plant-based creatures beneficial to Equestria. Celestia had her mind set on one particular item located within, which was a unique concoction specialized in killing off any botanical-related species, should they pose as a threat to Equestria's society. All the while, the Timberwolf King gave a persistent chase, adamant on having a delicious pony banquet. As Celestia, Sentinel, and Flash eventually made it over to the lab, they realized that they had made a mistake that would cost them their lives. The lab was unfortunately locked, and none of them had the passcode to get inside.

Just what they needed.

Just as she said this, the Timberwolf King had finally caught up to the trio, now enraged at its prey continuously trying to escape. Fed up with this little game, the monstrous beast began howling at the sky, which attracted a massive pack of them. 100 other normal timberwolves had began surrounding the area, heeding the howl to aide their king's hunt.

Aaaaand it just got worse!

Flash sighed in defeat upon hearing this, realizing that Celestia was right. But regardless, it was especially painful for him at this point, as he looked outside the entrance of the lab and saw all those timberwolves were now chowing away at his father's flesh. However, since Sentinel managed to draw away every single timberwolf from Celestia and Flash just long enough for the weather spell to take effect, he had managed to die a hero. Shortly after the timberwolves had finished devouring the helpless stallion, they were still hungry, and were ready to head over to the same lab those other ponies were hiding in. But as they began approaching, the spell had finally created a mystical fog all around Canterlot, which contained the same toxins from the lab's concoction.

Farewell sentinel.

"Really sorry to hear your dad didn't make it out of that predicament, but I very much agree." Sunset put a hoof on Flash. "You're right, too, he was a noble stallion when he sacrificed himself just so everypony else could survive. It's especially bold for you to continue passing on his legacy in that respect, I'm sure wherever he is now, he's smiling proudly on you."

And proud of everything his son has accomplished.