No Rest for the Weary
"Isn't it obvious?" Lumen Dawn asked, the white unicorn looking at each member of the team around the conference table. "Rose clearly wasn't the leaker, no pony in this room is. Therefore, that leaves only one possibility."
"You couldn't possibly mean the princesses?!" Slipstream asked with an edge of outrage in his voice.
"Of course not you foal," Lumen replied, his voice remaining calm and level. "However, the princesses do not live in a bubble. And our fearless leader spends no small amount of time with both of them, for reasons both official and personal. Am I wrong Flash?"
The human peered over his folded hands, his gaze locked on Lumen's golden eyes. "No." He said with a shake of his head.
"The Captain would never discuss classified plans in front of civilians." Sugar Rush protested.
"Yeah, and their personal areas are warded against eavesdropping!" Rose Dust added, "Shouldn't that be enough?"
"Enough for most, but not for a clever pony, especially one determined to gain access to information that could harm us." Lumen replied, holding the human's gaze without blinking.
"For now, I suggest we perform a sweep of the castle, looking for any suspicious items that might be overlooked in a normal security check. Next, we take a look at all the background files of Castle staff, especially all new hires within the last three months."
"That'll take forever!" Slipstream moaned, covering his face with his hooves. Sharp Shot gave him a small cuff on his shoulder that said, 'Stop whining.'
"Finally," Lumen continued, "We also take a look at the guest list for the castle for the last three months, especially those who were there on any business other than meeting with the princesses. We start from there and narrow it down. Any objections?"
Everypony looked at each other before all eyes settled on Flash. His eyes flicked to Lumen Dawn's cutie mark, a scroll and a sword crossing each other and encircled by a golden crown. He nodded to the unicorn,
"Well, what's everypony waiting for? You heard your XO, so let's get to it. Dismissed!"
You really are the pony to lead the team if something should happen to me, Lumen Dawn. Flash mused to himself, once more impressed at how a pony like Lumen could put aside his intense personal hatred for him in order to be a true asset and reliable teammate.
He stifled a yawn as he made his way up the front steps to his and Ella's house. It was a handsome, two-story affair on the edge of Ponyville that Flash had purchased right before their marriage; right now, it looked like a slice of heaven. After more than a week away on the road, dodging mayhem and murder, he wanted nothing more than some peace, quiet, and the company of his wife. He knew she was probably very hungry, even with the help of their friends. And though exhausted himself, he was resolved to give her whatever of his energy she needed through his love. His hand touched the door handle,
"I'm hom-OOOAAAFFFF!!!!"
No sooner had the door cracked open than Flash found himself tackled around the middle by a pony-shaped cannon ball of tiger-orange fur and teeth, hitting him so hard that that he was launched clear off of the front porch and nearly fifty feet into his front yard, banging and rolling until finally coming to a rest face first in the dirt. A certain carnivorous pony sat on his back, gleefully announcing for all the world to hear,
"Master's home!!!!" A muffled groan was the only reply Flash could manage. Ferra hopped off his back, energetically trotting all around him while rattling off questions in her usual energetic manner,
"Did you see me master? Did you see me waiting for you? How come you didn't dodge? Did I finally slip past your 'field sense' thing? Oh, I'm so happy you're home! Can I please come with you next time? I get so worried whenever you leave and I can't watch you!"
Flash slowly rolled over onto his back out of the indent his body had made in the ground, spitting out a few blades of grass. "Hi Ferra, missed you too." He managed to wheeze as he waited for air to return to his collapsed lungs. She suddenly pounced back on him, sniffing him all over and giving his face a few playful licks with her rough, cat-like tongue before seizing his shirt collar in her sharp teeth and pulling him into a sitting position. Her muzzle pressed against his left shoulder,
"Hey, you got hurt! Who hurt you?! And, I smell Rose, she, she bit you? Wha-You let Rose bite you?!" She said with a gasp, "Hey no fair! Can I have a bite too?! Just a little one? Please???" She begged with a sharp-toothed grin, hope glittering in her slitted yellow eyes.
Ferra yelped as Flash suddenly grabbed her in a surprise headlock, aggressively scratching behind one of her ears as she squirmed, growled, and playfully bit at his arm and hand in the play fighting that Flash had learned was so much a part of her tribe's means of showing affection.
"Tackle me like that again furball, and I swear, one of these days, I'm gonna sell you to the circus!" She managed to finally wriggle free from him, leaping away with an innocent giggle as Flash rolled to his feet. "That, or make a rug out of you, you sneaky tiger of a pony!"
"You'd have to catch me first!" She challenged, crouching low as if to pounce again and baring her fangs with a playful snarl. Flash shook his head with a small laugh, ruffling her jet black mane as he walked past her; Ferra shook her head and nipped at his fingers as she fell into step beside him, following him back towards the house.
Ella stood there waiting for him, leaning against the doorframe, wearing a black sweater and a dark violet skirt, her face illuminating with joy as their eyes met.
"Hey ponyboy, I'm looking for something for dinner, think you can help a girl out?" Flash grinned,
"Hey vampire bug lady person, I think I can." He said as he whipped her off her feet in his strong embrace. Ella giggled, curling her feet up behind her as he spun her around before setting her back down, the two of them holding each other tight.
"Missed you Flash," Ella whispered, wrapping her arms around him and keeping her face buried in his neck.
"I missed you too Ella," Flash replied, his heart overflowing with love for her. He stood there for several moments, allowing her to feed, letting her take as much from him as she needed. It didn't take long before he felt the need to stifle another yawn as a warm fatigue swept over him, it felt almost pleasant, except that he needed to lock his knees in order to avoid swaying over. Ella leaned back, holding a hand to her mouth and clearing her throat,
"Mmm, sorry, I didn't mean to go overboard there."
Flash shook his head, placing his forehead against hers, "Nah, I always have plenty for you," he placed a hand on her belly, "All three of you." Ella's smile faded into a small frown as she glanced down at his left shoulder, placing a hand on it.
"It's just a scratch," Flash assured her, trying to play it off.
"And another scar," Ella lamented, her eyes flickering with green light as she caught sight of the displacement of color in the aura surrounding his shoulder. She met his eyes, "If you keep picking up nicks and scratches at this rate, there's not going to be much of you left, Flash."
"Comes with the territory I'm afraid," Flash sighed, "But don't worry, we got the new armor coming up soon, strong enough to stop a train. When that's ready, I'll feel sorry for the bad guys." He said confidently, trying to assuage her worry.
Ella didn't answer, reaching up instead to lightly trace the scar over his right eye with her thumb. Flash took her hand, kissed and gently squeezed it,
"Hey, it'll be alright," he said reassuringly, "I'm not going to be taking any stupid risks." Flash looked to his left and noticed Ferra sitting on her haunches next to them, looking up at the couple while her glossy black tail slowly flicked back and forth. He reached down and affectionally scratched one of her cheeks, eliciting a pleased purr from her.
"And if it'll make you worry less, I've decided that I'm going to be letting Ferra come along with me on any future missions where I don't have to be undercover. I'll be much safer with her watching my back."
Ferra gave a joyful gasp, "Really?"
Flash smiled at her, "Yes, really. And that means watch my back Ferra, not pounce on it."
Ella giggled as Ferra reared up on her hind legs, wrapping a forelimb around both her and Flash, giving them each a lick on the cheek and nuzzling them both.
"Don't worry Ella, I'll always bring Flash home safe, even if I have to carry him!" Ella laughed, giving her a grateful smile, and a scratch behind one ear,
"Well, just so long as you're not carrying him in your belly," she teased, well aware of the running joke Ferra had with Flash of always wanting to eat him. At least, she hoped it was a joke.
"Aww, no fair," She said with a pout, causing them all to laugh together.
Flash let the two ladies enter the house before him but paused as he felt the slightest tingle in his forehead, so slight that he wondered if he only imagined it. He slowly turned, eyeing his front yard, the road, and the edge of the forest roughly 200 meters away. His hawklike gaze narrowed and he stretched out his magnetic field, sensing the bioelectric field of every living thing within a three-hundred meter radius. But other than birds, critters, and about a billion bugs, nothing stood out to him. He kept his eyes fixed on the forest for a few moments longer, as if daring whatever might be there to even think of trying something.
"Hey Flash, something wrong?" He heard Ella call from inside.
"No, nothing wrong." He replied before stepping inside, closing the door behind him. "Nothing at all."
Cold Trail spasmed wildly, his world spinning around him as the strong earth pony tried desperately to reach the snare wrapped around his hind leg that held him suspended over the forest floor. His grey steel helmet slipped off his head, falling with a clang to the ground below.
It had been going so well, even though this had been the most fiendishly difficult quarry he had ever tracked, he and his four pony team had finally caught up to the suspect that Celestia herself had tasked him apprehended. King Thorax of the new and reformed Changeling Hive had even sent them one of his own hunters, a changeling named Refract to assist them in the hunt, so serious did he take the threat of this Chrysalis loyalist who had so brazenly marched into their home months earlier, announcing his intention to return the former Queen to the throne.
But suddenly, almost all at once, everything went wrong. Refract had suddenly vanished along the trail, and before anypony could figure out what was going on, the cleverly laid trap had been sprung, each member of the team taken down by magic, or by a trap such as the one Cold Trail currently found himself in. Mercifully, it seemed that everypony was only stunned or disabled, as nonlethal means seemed to be deliberately employed.
But why? Why spare them? It was plainly obvious that they knew who he was, why would a Chrysalis loyalist not kill them outright? Cold Trail gasped with shock as a set of four, glossy black legs entered his inverted field of vision. In a panic, he drew his combat knife, preparing to slash at his attacker, only for the blade to be knocked out of his hoof by a burst of golden magic.
He hissed in pain, holding his stinging hoof as he suddenly stopped spinning, another hoof arresting his momentum. Cold Trail breathed hard through his nostrils as a face slowly lowered into his field of view, the changeling's fearsome golden eyes casting a slight glow.
"This is your final warning, pony." Telson said, "Stop following me."
Flash slowly opened his eyes, staring up at the bedroom ceiling. The sun had risen not too long ago, its warming rays already peaking through the curtains, though he felt no desire to move, supremely comfortable as he was on his cloud mattress. Ella did not seem to be awake yet, her breathing remained slow and steady. He glanced at her for a moment, smiling at how peaceful she looked, her beautiful blond hair shimmering in the stream of morning sunlight that had fallen upon it.
Luna had not visited during the night. It was his fear that she would confront him in his dreams to guilt trip him by her very presence, but she had stayed away; either because she wanted that confrontation to be in person or because she knew he needed rest, as little as he had been getting lately. His mind immediately set to racing, wondering how he should approach this new day. A big part of him just wanted to stay home. After all, he had already been gone for a week, no pony would blame him for taking 24 hours for some r&r, and spending the day with Ella sounded immensely appealing. But he immediately dismissed it. Threshold was still out there, and somepony was spying on his organization. He needed to find answers before the trail ran cold, or before whoever was trying to harm him and his team succeeded in their goals. He needed to stay focused. The sooner he tied up these loose ends, the sooner he could truly relax.
Flash slowly looked to his right, and right into the large pair of yellow orbs peering hungrily at him from over the edge of his bed.
"Good morning master!"
"GAH!!!"
Flash looked down from the ceiling he was now sticking to via a powerful static charge through his back, hands, and feet, his beating heart trying to hammer its way out of his bare chest.
"Whatcha doing up there master?" Ferra asked with a tilt of her head, "You look silly!" She said with a playful laugh.
"HaA! HEee! HoOOoO!"
Ferra hopped up onto the bed with a friendly snarl, nuzzling Ella's shoulder. The woman hummed sleepily, reaching over to blindly scratch at one of the pony's ears without opening her eyes.
"Good morning Ferra, good morning Flash, did you sleep well babe?" She sleepily asked.
"Sleep?! Yes! Got sleep! I don't think I'll ever sleep again..." Flash mumbled in reply.
Ferra rolled over onto her back to look up at him with a toothy grin, tucking her forelimbs to her chest, "By the way master, I think you got a letter from your special lantern thing!"
Flash blinked, immediately serious as he swung his legs out and dropped from the ceiling, landing on light feet; he was grateful that he hadn't jumped out of his pajama bottoms, let alone his skin.
Running into the small office adjacent to his bedroom, Flash saw that a sealed scroll had appeared before the small enchanted brass oil lantern on his desk that Celestia had given him as a means of staying in quick contact with her and Luna. A small arrow could be turned on it to an engraved symbol of either the sun or moon, and any paper burned in its flame would be instantly transported to the indicated recipient.
Flash snatched up the scroll and broke open its seal, reading the contents:
My dearest Flash,
I'm so sorry to disturb you so soon after arriving home, but I need you to please come to the castle this morning, there are some urgent matters we need to discuss. Give my kindest regards to Ella and Princess Ferra.
With Love,
Princess Celestia
Ella came up behind Flash as he starred at the letter, tying her nightgown before kissing him on the cheek, placing her hands on his shoulders and resting her chin on his shoulder, peering over to see.
"What do ya think she wants, Flash?"
Flash shook his head, knowing that with all that had happened, it could be anything. He reached up and brushed the side of Ella's cheek, "Not sure love, but I'm betting it ain't good."
Ella smiled as she watched Flash blur around the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast, accomplishing what would take five normal people 10 minutes in as many seconds. She was lounging back on the living room sofa at his insistance, her feet resting on the low wooden coffee table before her. Ferra lay on the floor just beside her, eagerly gnawing at the remnants of a ham bone from the full leg she had devoured for breakfast. Ella and Flash had tried time and again to convince her that she was welcomed to eat at the table with them like any other pony, but she rarely did, choosing instead to take her meals lying down.
You can take the pony out of the jungle, but you can't take the jungle out of the pony I guess, Ella thought with an amused smirk.
"Second drawer to the right," She called out without looking when she heard Flash trying to remember where to put the whisk away.
"I left your coffee mug on the table," Flash zoomed to the table, blowing a frosty breath on its hot contents before downing it in one go. Ella rose to her feet, brushing a few pieces of lint off of the black beret she was holding that had Flash's rank insignia on its upturned lip.
"Hey Cap'n, don't forget your cover!" She said, tossing it to him like a frisbee. Flash spun around from where he had been looking for it and snatched it out of the air, affixing it to his head in one quick motion. He quickly checked his black uniform fatigues over, making sure it was in order.
Ella stepped forward, adjusting his collar for him. He was shaven, sharp, glorious; and most importantly, hers.
"Thanks Ella," Flash sighed, "What would I do without you?" She wrapped her arms around his neck,
"Hmm, dunno. Let your ma' dress you?" She teased, giving him a peck on the lips.
Flash laughed, touching his forehead to hers, "Nah, she's done her time. Ready to go, Ferra?"
Ferra glanced up from her place, the thick ham bone gripped between her fangs. With a loud crunch, she bit the bone in two like it was a pretzel, chewing and swallowing the pieces as if they were nothing more than shelled peanuts. She quickly groomed one of her fetlocks with a few licks before leaping to his side with an eager grin, "Ready!"
Flash stared at her for a second, his jaw slack, "Uhh..."
Ella laughed and wrapped him in a hug, "Have fun with your pet land-shark," she whispered in his ear, kissing him on the cheek.
"Right," Flash murmured, turning about and heading for the front door. "Alright, see you soon Ella!" He called behind him while opening the door, and right into an explosion of confetti and party horns.
"SURPRISE!!!"
"GAAAH!"
Flash screamed as he stumbled backwards, almost falling over until Ella effortlessly caught him with her incredible strength, steadying him on his feet. Standing at the door in all her pink glory with a huge grin on her face was Pinkie Pie, her party cart next to her. Ella's eyes widened with some alarm as she saw Cozy Glow standing on top of the cart, looking right at her with a smug smirk.
"Pinkie!" Flash gasped while holding his chest with one hand, trying to stave off the ill effects of two major cardiac events in a single morning. "What are you-Why are you?!"
Pinkie giggled, "Why, it's the one year anniversary of Ella coming to Equestria, silly! Aaaannnd I just happened to meet Cozy Glow while on the way here and remembered that she never got a 'Welcome to Ponyville' party and thought that we could combine her party with Ella's anniversary party, double party power!" She joyfully shouted, flinging her forelimbs over her head with another shower of confetti and burst of horns from her cart.
Ferra tackled Pinkie off the porch with a happy shout, the two mares tumbling and rolling into the front yard in a bundle of laughter.
"Hi Pinkie!"
"Hi Ferra!"
"Missed you!"
"Missed you too!"
"I love parties!"
"Hey, me too! But you know what's even better than parties?"
"SURPRISES!" Both mares shouted together before descending into a gaggle of giggles.
Flash stepped up and hauled Ferra off of Pinkie, "Alright, c'mon Ferra, we got to go before we miss our train, and before you and Pinkie cause a quantum event..." He said, muttering that last part under his breath. He looked and noticed Cozy Glow had approached him, hovering in the air at eye level.
"Hi there, uh, Cozy Glow, right?" Flash asked, extending his hand in greeting. He had seen the filly before a few times in passing recently, usually chatting with Ella in town. In fact, now that he thought of it, he had meant to ask Ella who she was and why he had always seen the two of them together. Cozy Glow smiled sweetly at him, taking the offered hand and shaking it,
"That's right! Golly Mister Flash, I'm so glad to finally meet you, Ella's told me all about you! She's been super helpful in getting me all ready for Princess Twilight's new school! She's really nice."
"Ah," Flash said, suddenly making sense of things. He glanced at Ella and she smiled at him, though he thought he noticed a hint of worry in her eyes that quickly passed. "Well Cozy," he said looking back at her, releasing her hoof, "I'm sorry that I can't stay, but it was really nice meeting you, I hope I get to see you again soon!"
Cozy smiled back, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, "I'm sure we will, have a great day mister!"
Flash suddenly noticed with alarm Ferra creeping up slowly behind Cozy Glow in the same way a cat might stalk a canary, her head low, ears splayed, and eyes locked on the little filly's back,
"Ferra!" He said sternly, snapping her out of her almost trance like demeanor, "We uh, we need to go now." He turned and looked at Ella who was now chatting with Pinkie, feeling a hint of sadness that he couldn't stay, and for not remembering such a significant date.
Has it really been a year already? He wondered. Ella immediately noticed how he felt, and gave him a reassuring smile from where she stood.
"Hey, don't worry about it Flash, get goin'!" She shouted.
"Thanks," he said, flushing with gratitude. "Take care, give my best to Twilight and the girls, love you all!"
"We'll save you some cake!" Pinkie shouted after him as he turned and hurried down the road towards town. Ferra immediately fell into step next to him, keeping up with a brisk trot.
"What the heck was that all about, Ferra?!" He sharply hissed once he was sure they were out of ear shot, "Were you stalking that filly?!"
Ferra frowned, looking a little ashamed but also, confused, "Sorry master, I, I don't know. She felt...strange."
"Strange? What do you mean, dangerous? She's a sweet little pony! She's about as dangerous as a snowflake! You sure you weren't just seeing her as a prey item? I told you before, you need to control your instincts! This isn't the jungle!"
Ferra shook her head, "No, it wasn't that. I don't know, something about her just felt, off. And I kinda got lost in thought. Sorry master, it won't happen again, I promise."
Flash softened at that, feeling that he may have been a little too harsh on her, "Hey, it's alright Ferra. You just worried me there for a second, that's all. I didn't mean to upset you." He gently said, which seemed to hearten her as she gave him a small, if sad smile.
"Hey, what have I always told you to do if you see a threat to Ella?" She gave him a feral grin,
"To eat it."
"That's my girl."
They walked along in amiable silence for a few more moments, but Flash had a feeling of what was coming next.
"So, if you and Ella get into a fight, does that make you a threat, master?" Ferra asked with a sly grin, raising an eyebrow at him.
Flash laughed, shaking his head, "Nice try, but you're not going to get me that way, homicidal psycho jungle mare." She giggled, pushing her head under his hand for a scratch.
Together, the two of them made it to Ponyville, catching the train just in time.
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Ah, the classic scene of Garfield(?) when the puppy barks him awake and he's clawed tight to the ceiling.
AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!
THEY WILL WARP THE COSMOS WORSE THAN KAKAROT'S SPIRIT BOMB!!!!
11875166
I wasn’t thinking of Garfield, but that works! Lol
Yes, Flash was quite aware of the danger that existed having those two together.
Calvin and Hobbes reference, right? Surely it must be.
i.pinimg.com/736x/be/41/cd/be41cd45a9300717d3e1ec5ba490e9b0.jpg
Ferra continues to be best tiger pony.
Someone needs to make fanart of all of your characters. Sadly, that can't be me.
Telson's back. All is right with the world.
Heartland Picker stole my thunder.
of an opportunity to pass up.
But still, thank goodness you had Ferra and Pinkie actually meet, even if that wasn't the first time. That is too
Hey! I'm finally caught up with your other readers! That's awesome!
But now I have to wait for more.
Oh well, at least I can now participate live in one of my favorite Fics.
11877672
Ferra is best tiger pony.
Got to finally have her on screen with Pinkie, the world hasn't ended...yet.
11877681
Oh no. You're trying to get me into anime, aren't you.
(I kid.)
11877687
Glad to be of service.
11877689
Yes, best bug horse is back.
Wow, you are one dedicated reader, I'm impressed at how fast you read everything! I'm working on the next chapter right now, I hope to have it out in a timely manner, glad to have you along for the ride!
11877691
Second fic I've seen reference one of the best newspaper comics of all time within two weeks.
I can now be proud of society.
11877693
Not at all haha, it was just something that came to me in the moment, was feeling a little silly I guess haha.
11877689
11877698
Yes indeed the master infiltrator is most definitely active in the world. With a definite goal in mind no less. I actually came across a fairly obscure song that captures his perspective perfectly.
Music is a wonderful resource for evocative impressions, no?
11877743
I like that. I like that a lot.
And I can most definitely second your statement about music.
It's practically my self-imposed job here sometimes, after all, to link appropriate songs in my comments on fics.
(And yes, practically everyone does it from time to time, but I enjoy sharing my perspective on music at least, as well as listening to other people's tastes.)
11877754
And I'll add a relevant piece myself.
(The Misty Mountains Cold from The Hobbit.)
Huh, I never knew what it was actually called.
Only 254 views. You can't even see how many likes it has?
Why, people?
Why aren't you here reading this great story?
Why must you cause Destiny Chaser to not receive as much attention as he deserves?
I must find you
, and drag you here by ANY means necessary.11877743
Dang, how do you find these things?! This is practically perfect!
11878424
Another good choice!
11878654
I appreciate the support haha, but no need to go maniacal on folks.
11878794
Why, I found it in the same place I did last time ya old coot, this is one of the foundation pieces that went into Telson's denunciation of Thorax back in the first story. I guess we're both rather tired lately.
11878809
I'm getting old.
11891965
Old like Johnnie Walker black label? That's just 'fine aging'.
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I’ll take that. Thankee kindly.