When a threat is made against the new princess, Shining Armor sends a guard undercover as her coltfriend. But what happens when the guard falls in love with the princess?
When a threat is made against Princess Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor gives her a guard. But because Armor doesn't want to scare his sister, the guard goes undercover to become her coltfriend. To their astonishment, it works! But what happens when the guard falls in love with the princess? (AU tag because Equestria Girls does not take place.)
This is my first real fic, so constructive criticism is welcome.
On a summer night in the Crystal Castle, the night that Princess Twilight returned home from her first princess summit, hardly anything was stirring. Nothing, exempting a number of royal guards, doing their rounds. Other than the clickety-clack of a few horseshoes, the occasional flap of wings or spark of magic, almost nothing could be heard. However, this was not the case for everypony. Jet Stream, a Second Class guard, heard a rather peculiar sound emitting from behind him, turning on his hooves. He then saw, to his astonishment, a previously stolen arrow lodged in the wall.
What’s this? Jet thought to himself. Upon further examination, he discovered a note attached. But this was no ordinary note.
This was a threat against Princess Twilight Sparkle.
**********
Princess Celestia was in the middle of a nice slumber, dreaming of the old days when she coached the Canterlot Hoofball team. They were up against Fillydelphia in the championship, tied in the final seconds, when Canterlot’s all-star (whose name Celestia could not quite remember) kicked for the goal. The fans held their breath, not yet knowing if Canterlot would win, when suddenly--
A knock sounded against the princess’ door, awaking her. Celestia ignored it.
Knock!
Again, Celestia paid no mind.
Knock! KNOCK!
If Luna’s trying to tell me about another dream…
Celestia opened her door to find a light brown pegasus guard with a look of urgency on his face. He bowed and waited until the princess acknowledged him, rising.
“Princess Celestia, I am sorry to wake you at this hour, but I have good reasons,” the pegasus justified.
“Of course you do, Jet.”
“I was doing my nightly rounds in the northern halls when I turned around, finding an arrow with this note,” Jet recounted, handing Celestia the note. As she read, she first gained a face of seriousness, followed by surprise.
“Jet?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Fetch Captain Armor. Immediately,” she quickly added, turning around. Jet was already gone.
**********
In less than 43 minutes, Shining Armor showed up, rounded up his First Class guards, and debriefed them on the situation at hand.
“Any ideas?” he asked.
“We could give the princess her own guard,” suggested a brown guard.
“Good, good,” Armor commented. “What else?”
“Doesn't Princess Twilight already have a personal guard?” another asked as Armor shook his head. “Then wouldn’t it be pressuring to suddenly give her a guard?” The others pondered this. “I mean she hasn’t even been a princess very long. We don’t want to scare her,” the guard continued.
Armor considered this. “You've got a great point, Arrowhead. So how do we ease her into this?”
Armor, instead of responses, heard quite a bit of whispering from his left. He turned to see two pegasi, orange and dark grey, discussing something that the captain couldn't quite comprehend. “Fire! Sentry!” he barked. “Why don’t you two chatterboxes share first?”
Rapid Fire, the grey pegasus, quickly nudged Flash to the front. “Why don’t you go first, Flash?”
The timid guard cleared his throat. “A friend.” He spoke up. “A friend. A good friend.”
“What exactly do you mean, Sentry?” the captain asked.
“Send somepony undercover,” Flash Sentry continued, several pairs of eyes on him at this point. “Send somepony to become a close friend, you know, to keep an eye on the princess.”
“Brilliant! Well, except for one little thing,” Armor corrected. “A close friend doesn't mean spending all their time with her. It means maybe the occasional activity, but not every day,” he pointed out. “Does anypony care to add?”
While almost everypony stayed silent, pondering this, Flash once again spoke. “Um, I don’t know, a coltfriend?”
“You mean toy with my sister’s emotions?! That’s… that’s…” Armor contemplated. “That might just work.” This caused a flurry of comments from various guards.
“But how will it work?”
“How do we pull it off?”
“Who’s gonna do it?”
“When do we--”
“Enough!” Armor shouted, the room becoming deathly silent. “To answer the questions I did hear, I honestly don’t know. We’ll meet again tomorrow night. Dismissed,” Armor said, raising a hoof to his head.
**********
Shining Armor returned to his suite quietly, so as not to wake his wife. He failed miserably.
“Armor, honey? Is that you?” Cadence called softly.
“I’m back, don’t worry,” he responded.
“What’s the matter? Guard issues?”
“Of a sort. One of my guards found a note. A letter, really,” Armor said. He walked over to the bed, crawled in, and gave his wife a peck on the lips.
“A letter? That shouldn't be such a big deal. Why are you so uneasy?” Cadence asked.
“It was a threat.” The princess’ eyes widened. “Against Twilight.” At this, Cadence gasped. “I don’t know too much about this, but it seems genuine,” the prince said.
“It sounds serious,” Cadence commented. “What are you going to do about this?”
“We haven’t decided for sure, but I might be sending a guard undercover as her coltfriend.”
Cadence gasped loudly enough to be heard in the hallway. “But you can’t meddle with love!” she whisper-shouted. “Besides, when has your sister ever gone on a date?”
“That’s one of the problems. While I don’t really like this plan, it seems our best option,” Armor told his wife. “Can I trust you not to tell Twily?”
Cadence swiped her hoof twice across her chest, sat up and flapped her wing, and made a motion that looked as if she would poke her eye out.
“What was that?” asked a puzzled Shining Armor.
“Oh, it’s just something I picked up from one of Twilight’s friends.” Armor still looked boggled. “In other words, I promise.”
**********
The next morning, after some hard thinking and sufficient rest, Captain Shining Armor sent a messenger to let his guards know that the meeting would be cancelled. He had made his decision the night before, hoping it was the right choice. Armor was on his way to find a specific pony, hopefully before breakfast.
After searching for what seemed like forever, the prince was just about to ask for directions when he found his target. “Aha!” Armor stumbled upon a tall, white door marked 304. He loudly knocked three times. Captain Armor was about to knock again when the door opened.
“Captain Armor, sir!” he saluted, his wings unfurling.
“At ease, Corporal Sentry,” he replied. “I was wondering if I could trust you with a crucial task.”
Flash Sentry nodded, resuming a normal standing position. “Anything, sir.”
Twilight Sparkle had just sent a letter to Princess Celestia when she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in!”
Rarity walked into the library, thinking of the letter she just received from Shining Armor and Cadence. “Twilight? I need to ask you a favor.”
“Sure. Anything,” Twilight responded.
“First, you have to promise,” Rarity stated. “Pinkie Promise.”
Twilight crossed her heart with a hoof, flapped her wings once, and put a hoof over her eye. “Okay. So what can I do for you?”
“I want you to go on a date.” Twilight looked at her quizzically.“Not with me!” Rarity clarified. “No. A blind date. I have this friend--”
“Okay, but only because I promised,” the alicorn stated.
“Excellent! How does tomorrow evening sound?”
**********
Flash Sentry was on the train, riding to Ponyville. The previous day, Shining Armor transferred the pegasus, entrusting him with the task of protecting Twilight. Flash was anticipating his arrival, partly because he had been aching for a change in scenery. However, he mostly just wanted to stretch his wings. The guard was also very nervous, almost to the point of shaking. Flash had never “dated” anypony, especially not a princess. He was more comfortable with guarding than romance.
“Attention, passengers,” the conductor called. “We will be arriving in Canterlot shortly. Please collect your belongings if you are departing.”
Great, Flash thought. Three more hours, then I get to court a princess. Hooray. He tried sleeping, but the train’s beds weren’t very comfortable. At least, not when compared to clouds. He picked up his new copy of Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny instead.
Daring Do swung her hoof, striking a blow…
**********
“We are now pulling into the Ponyville train station,” the conductor announced.
“Huh? What?” asked a groggy, orange pegasus. Flash had fallen asleep while reading and lost his page. He quickly gathered his suitcase and departed the train. A purple-maned, white-coated unicorn mare ran up to him.
“Excuse me, mister. I was just wondering if you were Flash Sentry,” she asked him.
“Yes…” he answered. “And you are?”
“I’m Rarity, a friend of Twilight’s.” Flash nodded, putting the pieces together. They started walking towards the town. “Shining Armor and Princess Cadence filled me in the details. Is it true that Twilight’s in danger?” Rarity looked genuinely scared for her friend.
“Yes, I believe so,” Flash told her. “So…”
“I take it you want help getting a date with Twilight,” she guessed.
“I suppose,” he shrugged. “I’m just weirded out by all this. When I suggested giving the princess a fake coltfriend, I never imagined that the captain would approve. Or that I would be selected. But yes, I honestly don’t know how to ask her out.”
“Don’t worry, that’s all taken care of. It’s set up for tomorrow evening, and you should probably bring daisies,” Rarity suggested.
“Okay, but still, I have no idea where I’m staying, and there’s no way I have enough bits for a hotel,” Flash glumly added.
“Again, that’s already arranged.” Flash was impressed with her planning. “You’ll be staying with Thunderlane,” Rarity concluded. “Oh, look. We’re here.” Rarity pointed to a fancy looking building. “This is my home and shop, the Carousel Boutique.”
Another pegasus was inside. He was dark grey with a white mane. “Hey, Rarity. Is this Sentry?”
“I go by Flash,” the orange one confirmed.
“Cool. I’m Thunderlane. I’d show you around town, but it’s getting late,” he said as Rarity went upstairs.
“So I’m crashing with you?” asked Flash.
“Looks like it. Let’s go!” He walked outside and took flight. Flash followed suit, his bags on his back.
**********
“So, Flash, you ever been to Ponyville?” Thunderlane asked the following morning as the two pegasi trotted through town.
“No,” Flash replied.
“Then you’re in for a treat,” Thunderlane said, leading the way to Sugarcube Corner. “But, just to warn you, there might be a Welcome-to-Ponyville party for you.”
“What do you mean?” asked Flash.
Thunderlane answered, “You’ll find out soon enough,” as they entered the bakery.
Suddenly, a bright pink earth pony gasped out of nowhere and ran off.
“What was that?” Flash inquired as the earth pony came back in.
“That’ll be three bits,” she told her customer, then raced off again.
“That’s just Pinkie Pie. She’s the party planner, no doubt planning you a surprise party.” Thunderlane just realized what he said. “Whoops.”
“No worries. I just hope it doesn’t interfere with my date.” Flash quickly covered his mouth with his right hoof.
“Wait, wait…you’ve been in town since yesterday night, not even fifteen hours, and you have a date? How did this happen?” The grey pegasus looked rather curious.
“Uh…I’ll tell you in a bit,” Flash responded.
“Why not tell me now?” Thunderlane tried his best attempt at a pouty face, but it didn’t work too well. He was a grown stallion, after all.
“If you stop doing...whatever you’re doing to your face, then I’ll tell you. Outside.” Flash Sentry left Sugarcube Corner with Thunderlane on his tail. “Would you believe me if I said I was here on royal business?”
“Royal business…royal-- you’re dating the princess?!”
“What? No. Maybe. Listen, it’s not really dating. I’m from the Royal Guard--”
“I knew it!” Thunderlane shouted.
“Shhhh!” Flash warned, as they were attracting attention. “Wait, you knew? How?”
“Your Cutie Mark gave it away,” Thunderlane clarified. “Please, continue.”
“Where was I…? Oh, yes. So I’m going to be guarding Princess Twilight, but everypony is supposed to think we’re dating. Including her,” Flash finished.
“And me?” Flash nodded. “I take it that I shouldn’t tell anypony, so I won’t.” Thunderlane promised. “So, why are you guarding the princess? Why start now?”
“That’s classified,” Flash explained.
“Really?” Thunderlane asked.
“No, but I’d prefer to not tell you right now. You never know who’s listening.”
“Alright. So, how about we finish your tour of Ponyville?” Thunderlane suggested.
“Sure,” Flash shrugged. Thunderlane stretched his wings and took off, Flash not far behind.
**********
“Hey! Thunderlane!” shouted a cyan pegasus mare approaching the stallions. “Who’s the newbie?”
“Oh, you mean Sentry?”
“I’m Flash,” the orange pegasus confirmed. “And you are?”
“Rainbow Dash. Call me Rainbow or Dash. Captain of the Ponyville weather team,” Rainbow announced.
Thunderlane continued, “This is Flash Sentry. He’s from up north.”
“You’re from Cloudsdale?” Rainbow asked, her voice getting higher. “That’s so awesome!”
Thunderlane replied, “Nah, he--”
Flash quickly used his hoof to cover the grey pegasus’ mouth. “Yes.” He received a confused look from Thunderlane. “Well, originally. I grew up in Cloudsdale, but I moved to the Crystal Empire a few years ago. I’m actually a high officer in--” This time, Flash got cut off.
“An officer from the Crystal weather team!” Thunderlane winked at Flash.
“That’s cool,” Rainbow replied. “Hey, I have an idea. We can have a race tonight. All three of us!”
“Tonight? Um...I have plans. Sorry, Rainbow,” Flash said.
“Aww,” Rainbow sighed. “How ‘bout you Thunderlane? Wanna rematch?”
“You’re on,” Thunderlane accepted.
“Tonight, an hour before sunset,” Rainbow confirmed. Just then, she heard a crash behind her. “Hey!” She zipped around to see a few pegasi sprawled on the ground. “Sorry, boys. Gotta go.” Rainbow zipped away.
“Hey, Thunderlane?” Flash asked.
“Yeah?”
“I should probably start getting ready,” Flash realized.
“Okay. See ya.” Thunderlane started flying away.
“Thunderlane? How do I get home from here?”
**********
After one hectic Welcome-to-Ponyville party, Pinkie Pie style, Flash was finally ready for his date with Twilight. Thunderlane was showing him the way to Twilight’s. “Hey, Thunderlane? I’m not sure I should do this. It doesn’t feel right.”
“Relax, Sentry. And remember, this is for the princess’ well being. Not yours,” Thunderlane reminded.
“I know, but…” Flash contemplated. “I’m not sure I can do this.” The orange pegasus was within knocking-distance of the library.
“Don't worry. But before you knock, I want you to know that what I’m about to do is for your own good,” Thunderlane clarified.
“What?”
Thunderlane went up to the door, knocked loudly three times, and then flew away as fast as he could. The door opened.
Princess Twilight Sparkle stood at the doorway, beckoning the pegasus inside. “You must be Flash Sentry,” she concluded.
He stared blankly at Twilight. “Yeah…” Flash shook his head a few times. “I mean, yes, I’m Flash.” He entered the tree. Relax, Flash. You’re not even supposed to actually like her, he thought to himself. Just protect her.
“Have I seen you somewhere before? You look awfully familiar,” Twilight questioned.
The Empire. The Princess Summit, thought Flash. “Mmmm, were you at the party earlier?”
“Yes, I was,” Twilight confirmed.
“That makes sense,” Flash said.
“So…I was thinking...if you’re okay with it…would you like to go to The Hayburger?”
**********
“So, Flash, how do you know my friend Rarity?”
Oh, ponyfeathers. “Um… well, I saw her in Cloudsdale…” You idiot, she’s a unicorn! he thought to himself.
“Was it at the Best Young Flyer competition?” Twilight inquired.
Thank Celestia, Flash silently noted. “Oh, yes!” Wait. How does a non-pegasus get into Cloudsdale, and then enter a flying competition? “We met when--”
“Oh, hiya, Twilight. Hiya, Flash,” interrupted Pinkie Pie. “May I take your order?”
“Oh, sure, Pinkie. I’ll have my usual,” Twilight picked.
“I’ll have what she’s having,” Flash decided. That’s the pink mare from earlier…
“Okie dokie lokie.” Pinkie hopped off.
"Where was I…” Flash pondered aloud.
“You were telling me how you met Rarity,” Twilight helped.
Flash mentally facehoofed himself. Great. You had to ask for help. “Oh...yes. I was one of the ponies who…” Great, now you’re out of ideas.
“Oh, now I remember! I think you were one of the ponies who helped Rarity after Rainbow Dash did her Sonic Rainboom! Right?” Twilight asked.
“Yes! Yes, that was me. That’s how I met Rarity.” Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Celestia!
“Here you go, guys.” Pinkie brought in Flash and Twilight’s food.
“That was fast, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight commented.
“Well, since you two are eating the same thing, I just used the copy/paste feature.” Pinkie bounded off.
“What?” asked Flash, utterly confused.
“Oh, that’s just Pinkie being Pinkie,” Twilight clarified. Her date still looked positively puzzled. “She does random stuff all the time, so don’t worry about it. Unless her tail’s twitching.”
“O...kay,” Flash was still confused. He picked up his hayburger and began to eat. Dang, this is good. He set his food down. "So, Twilight, how'd you meet Rarity?"
"It's quite a story, actually..."
**********
"...And we saved Equestria from eternal night!" Twilight finished.
"Wow. That is quite the story. It's no wonder you're a princess, Twilight," Flash stated. She blushed.
"Hey, Flash? Let's get outta here," Twilight proposed after they finished their food.
"Sure thing." They got up, Flash paid the bill and tip, and they left.
"You're such a gentlecolt, Flash. You didn't have to do that," Twilight said.
He smiled. "Yes, but I wanted to." Did I really just say that? They walked in silence for a while. "Hey, do you want to go fly for a bit?"
"Um... I'm not that great of a flyer yet..." Twilight replied, embarrassed.
"That's okay," Flash said. "Maybe I can teach you sometime." Nailed it. "If you don't mind." Flash, you idiot.
"Oh, I'd like that," Twilight said happily.
Yes! She likes- I mean, she'll be safe! Flash thought to himself. She'll definitely be safe. "So, would you like to go for a little trot in the park?"
"I'd love to."
**********
"So, you're from Cloudsdale, Flash?" He nodded. "I'm from Canterlot." Twilight said as they walked through the park.
"Neat. A few years back, I actually moved to the Crystal Empire and joined the weather team," Flash said.
"You're kidding! My brother, Shining Armor, lives there," Twilight exclaimed. "But you probably already knew that. He's kinda the prince."
"Captain--" Crap, "...Hooves, the leader of the weather team," Flash mentally shrugged, "serves directly under Prince Armor."
"Neat," Twilight said. She looked into the night. "I should probably get going. Walk me home?"
Flash playfully bowed. "As you wish, m'lady." Twilight chuckled.
**********
After returning to Thunderlane's, Flash made his way to bed. He found a disappointed pegasus sitting on the bed. Flash crawled into his sleeping bag on the floor. “What’s wrong?”
“You’re right. So, how’d your fake date go?” Thunderlane mischievously questioned.
“It was...okay. Apparently, I helped save Rarity at the Best Young Flyer competition a few years back,” Flash shrugged.
“That’s all? I’d bet you could have come up with something better than that.”
“Oh, well,” Flash responded. “I’m gonna get some shut-eye. Good night, Thunderlane.”
“G’night, Sentry.”
**********
That was not at all what I had in mind, thought an ecstatic Twilight Sparkle. It was nice.
She had just returned from her date with Flash Sentry, satisfied, to say the least. Twilight quietly bounded up the stairs, so as not to wake Spike. She reached her bedroom window just in time to see Flash take off, flying into the night. She sat on her bed for a few minutes, replaying the day’s events in her head. Twilight had eaten breakfast, gone to Quills and Sofas for her writing quills, then to Sugarcube Corner for the party. Afterwards, Rarity took her to the day spa to get ready for her date. Later, Flash took Twilight to The Hayburger for their date. Oh, he’s such a gentlecolt.
Twilight got up and walked over to one of her many bookcases. She selected a book titled Astronomical Astronomer's Almanac to All Things Astronomy. Twilight trotted back to her bed and opened the book, beginning to read.
**********
“Captain Armor! We’ve just received word from Ponyville!” a guard informed.
“Yes? What is it?” Captain Shining Armor asked. The younger guard handed his captain a scroll.
Captain Shining Armor:
I am pleased to say that your plan is working. So far. I believe that the princess has taken a liking to me, leaving me with mixed emotions. She is also willing to let me teach her to fly, which will make for a good escape if she is attacked. I must continue to keep an eye on her, so I’ll keep this short.
Flash Sentry, 1st Class Royal Guard
“Good, good,” Armor muttered to himself. He trotted off to share the report with Cadence.
Flash Sentry and Twilight Sparkle were at Sweet Apple Acres, about to start the alicorn’s first flight lesson. Applejack had kindly allowed them to practice on her farm where there was quite a bit of open land. Flash had gathered a few clouds for Twilight to start flying to.
“Okay, I want you to flap your wings. Pretend like you’re flying, but don’t leave the ground,” Flash instructed. Twilight started flapping her wings, the right one slightly ahead of the left. “Your wings are uneven, Twilight. Slow down, and flap them in unison.”
Twilight slowed her already gentle pace, then consciously beat her wings at the same time. “Is that better?” she asked.
“Much. Now, speed up just the tiniest bit,” Flash directed. Twilight did so, her wings staying in sync. “Okay, just a little faster.”
“How’s this?” Twilight asked as she sped up.
“Your wings are off again,” Flash noted.
Ugh! This is going to take forever! Twilight thought to herself. “I’ll try again in a minute.” She sat down on the ground, her wings sore. I’ve never used my wings this much. If I had known when we started--
“Hey, Twilight, you look kinda tired,” Flash said as he sat down next to her.
Is it that obvious? she thought to herself. “Nah, I just need a little break.” They sat for a few minutes, watching the clouds, until Flash broke the silence.
“Ready? Or do you need some more time?” he questioned.
“Wha-- oh, yes,” Twilight confirmed. She stood up and flapped her wings slowly, in unison. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of this!”
“That’s great, Twilight!” Flash exclaimed. “Now, when you’re ready, I want you to push a little harder on the downbeat. Try to lift yourself off the ground.”
“I’m ready.” She beat her wings, hovering above the ground for about five-point-six seconds. “Woah!” she said as she came crashing down.
“Careful, now,” Flash warned.
This is so hard, thought Twilight, breathing heavily. “Sorry,” she said.
“You’re fine,” Flash kindly reassured. “How ‘bout we start with gliding?”
“Umm, I’m on the ground,” Twilight pointed out.
“You’re an alicorn. Can’t you teleport?” Flash inquired.
“Oh, yeah.” You look like such an idiot, Twilight! Keep. It. Together! she told herself.
“You can go when you’re ready,” Flash said as Twilight teleported to the nearest cloud.
Okay, Twilight, you can do this if-- “Aren’t you going to show me how first?”
“Didn’t I?” Twilight shook her head. “Oh. Basically, you need to spread your wings, like so.” Flash unfurled his wings, then flew up to the cloud. “Spread your wings, then jump.” He jumped from the cloud and glided to the ground, about ten feet below.
Twilight gulped. Easy peasy, right? She leapt from the cloud, her feathers ruffling in the wind. Twilight closed her eyes, ready for impact. Instead, she hit a soft, warm surface, and much sooner than she had anticipated.
“Hold on, Twilight. You can’t fly when your eyes are closed,” Flash instructed, setting her down. “At least, not when you’re first learning. You’ll be a hazard to everypony within the vicinity! We don’t want that, now do we?”
“Sorry, Flash,” she apologized. Can I try again?”
“Why don’t we wait a few minutes?” Flash suggested.
“Good idea.”
**********
I never realized how hard it is to teach somepony how to fly, Flash thought to himself. Sorry, Dad. He was sitting on his haunches, gazing up at the sky. “Hey, Twilight. If you want, we can try again tomorrow,” he offered.
“If you don’t mind, Flash, I was hoping to try some more today,” Twilight said.
“That’s fine.”
“But it can wait,” Twilight clarified. “If you really don’t want to…”
“Nah, but maybe we can take a little ice cream break,” Flash said. “Then we can come back.”
“Sure thing!” Twilight agreed.
**********
Flash and Twilight sat, eating their ice cream, watching Celestia’s sun set. Neither of them had been keeping track of time, so they had no idea it was almost night until then.
“Beautiful, isn’t it, Flash?” Twilight asked.
“Not as beautiful as you.” Really? Really?! C’mon, Flash!
Twilight blushed. “Thanks,” she said, kissing him on the cheek.
It was Flash’s turn to blush. “Twilight…”
“Shh...look! The moon’s coming out!”
They watched the moon rise into the night sky as the sun finished setting over the mountain. The stars shone brightly, lighting the dark town. “It’s probably time to get going, Twilight,” Flash said. “Do you want to try flying lessons again tomorrow?”
“Actually, tomorrow I’m booked. That’s why I wanted to get this done today,” she told him.
“I’m sorry, Twilight,” Flash said.
“No, you’re fine. I probably even have time for more lessons in a few weeks!” Twilight enthusiastically said.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Twilight seemed to read Flash’s mind. “It’s good, considering how busy I usually am. I was lucky to get a few days off during these last few weeks,” Twilight explained.
“Are we still on for the book signing next Thursday?” Flash inquired.
“Of course we are!” Twilight confirmed. “Until then?”
“See you,” Flash said as he started walking off.
**********
“Who shall I sign this to?” A. K. Yearling asked.
“Twil--”
“Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Flash Sentry butted in.
“Flash!” Twilight objected.
“C’mon, Twilight, you deserve it,” Flash countered.
“Here you go, Princess Twilight,” A. K. Yearling said, handing the book to the alicorn.
“Thank you, Miss Yearling,” Twilight said graciously. “Flash, didn’t you have a book to get signed, as well?”
He blushed, embarrassed. “Um, now that you mention it,” he retrieved his copy of Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny, “would you sign this to First Base, please?”
“Here you go, mister,” A. K. Yearling signed and handed Flash his book. The couple started walking away.
“First Base?” Twilight asked, confused.
“Did I never tell you? Base is my little brother. He lives back in the Crystal Empire with our parents,” Flash clarified.
“I’d like to meet him sometime,” Twilight stated.
Umm... What do I say?! “That’s probably not the best idea,” Flash said. Idiot! You blew it!
“And why is that, Flash?” Twilight questioned.
“He’s very,” Flash shrugged, “shy.”
“Is he now?” the princess inquired.
“Especially around pretty mares.” Hey, it’s true.
“Flash, you little flirt,” Twilight said, nudging him with her wing.
“But yeah, maybe you can meet him sometime,” Flash confirmed. Sure, why not? It can't be that bad.
“I’d like that. Especially if he’s as nice as his big brother.”
“It’s next to your saddlebag, Flash,” Thunderlane called, his voice somewhat slurred.
“Of course it is,” Flash muttered to himself. “Thank you!”
“When’s Twilight comin’ over?” Thunderlane asked.
“She should be here any--”
Knock!
“--minute. That’s probably her,” Flash said.
“‘Kay. I’m going back to bed. It’s--” Thunderlane yawned, “--really early.”
“You do that. I’ll be right there!” Flash called, grabbing his saddlebag from the floor. He put it on his back, got his hat, and rushed to the door.
“Hi, Flash,” Twilight greeted. “Are you ready to go?”
“Eeyup,” he replied.
“I thought only Big Mac said that,” Twilight stated.
“What?”
“Nevermind. Shall we?” she asked.
“Let’s.”
**********
“Are we there yet?” Flash Sentry asked with a foalish tone.
“Almost,” Twilight Sparkle replied.
“But we’ve been riding the train for hours.”
“Relax. It’s been an hour,” Twilight corrected.
“Can you at least tell me where we’re going?” Flash asked.
“Ah, ah, ah! I told you, it’s a surprise,” Twilight reminded.
“Fine,” Flash complained, still in a foalish manner as the train lurched to a halt.
“What was that?” Twilight inquired, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Flash swiftly trotted over to the window with Twilight right behind him.
“We’re here!” he concluded.
“Umm, Flash? We’re far from there. We weren’t even headed the right direction.” Twilight started breathing heavily.
“Calm down, Twilight,” Flash said, reverting to a serious tone. He wrapped his wing around Twilight, and her panic left as fast as it appeared.
“Thank you.”
Flash ended the embrace and trotted to the windows again. “Okay, if we’re not in...wherever--”
“Rainbow Falls,” Twilight interrupted.
“If we’re not in Rainbow Falls, then where are we?” Flash asked, some of his guard instincts kicking in.
Twilight remained silent for a while. When she finally spoke, there were quivers in her voice. “We’re in Dodge Junction.”
“What’s so bad about--”
A group of ponies dressed all in black boarded the train.
“Outlaws,” he whispered.
Under her breath, Twilight said, “They ran Cherry Jubilee out of business a year or two ago. There have been Royal Guards from the Solar, Lunar, and Crystal Guards trying to stop these criminals. I would have sent some of my own guards, but I don’t have a Guard.” Flash audibly gulped. “Don’t worry, Flash. They only really come after important--” Realization dawned on Twilight.
“We’ve gotta get you out of here, Twilight!” Flash whispered urgently.
“What about everypony else?”
“None of them are princesses!” Flash stated.
“So?” Twilight quietly breathed.
“Fine. I’ll take care of this, but you have to go and hide,” Flash insisted.
“What about you? I can’t have you getting hurt! And what about everypony else? How are we--”
“Shhh, Twilight. I can take care of myself,” Flash gently promised. “Just tell me you’ll stay hidden.”
“I believe you. But how--”
Flash interrupted with her a kiss.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
**********
“Princess?” a dark grey unicorn mare asked. She was wearing a black stetson, a black bandana, and a saddle of the same color. “Who said princess?” Nopony spoke. “Okay, maybe I wasn't clear. Who...said...princess?!” She slammed her hoof into the floor of the train car, creating a new seam in the wood.
“I-I said C-Celestia,” Flash responded, wearing a false nervous face. “As in ‘Oh, Celestia.’ As in, ‘I’m fearing for my...life.'”
“Grab him,” the unicorn said, and two large earth ponies, adorning the same outfit as the mare, entered the train car and grabbed Flash. "Everypony else I want out by the time I reach ten!” The other passengers scrambled towards the exit. “Seven, TEN!”
The train car was deserted.
“C’mon boys. Help me grab this loot,” the mare ordered; no response. “I said--” As she turned around, the unicorn saw two unconscious earth ponies next to an orange pegasus preening his wings.
“Do you mind?” Flash asked.
“What the... What?” She was out cold before her brain had even begun to process the situation.
“Twilight?”
“Yes, Flash?”
“You can come out now.”
“Flash? What was that? You seemed to knock her out by just staring at her. It’s a bit scary.”
“It’s…it’s my special talent.” Flash pointed to his Cutie Mark. “When I was little, I was fast. And I mean fast. It’s magic, I’m sure.”
“What happened next?” Twilight asked.
“That’s a story for another time, Twilight.”
“What about the fighting?”
“Also part of my special talent,” Flash added. “Remind me, and I’ll tell you later. But right now, we need to get this train headed to Rainbow Falls. Do you think your magic can fix that?”
“Sure it can! Oh, and, Flash?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Next week we should go see my brother. I’ll bet he could use a guard like you,” Twilight said.
Oh, you have no idea…
**********
After getting all the passengers back on board and turning the train around, they were finally set for Rainbow Falls. An hour had passed and Twilight had the conductor stop in Canterlot to leave the outlaws with the Royal Guards. Another three hours, and the train pulled up to Rainbow Falls.
“So, Flash, we have about seven minutes until the other train comes to bring us back to Ponyville!” Twilight said enthusiastically. “What do you want to do first?”
“This,” Flash said, pulling Twilight into another kiss. It wasn’t anything special, yet it sent their hearts soaring. Flash gently pulled away. After a few seconds of silence, he asked, “How was that?”
“That was...amazing, to put it simply,” Twilight answered. “Hey, should we go get ice cream?”
“I love ice cream,” Flash confirmed.
**********
The train ride back to Ponyville was uneventful. When Flash and Twilight returned, it was about 11:00 PM. “Hey, Twilight, I’m curious. If I asked you to be my fillyfriend, what would you say?”
“Probably ‘yes.’ Why?” Twilight responded.
“Oh, no reason. Actually,” he paused, “will you be my fillyfriend?”
“Of course, Flash.” Twilight kissed his cheek. “How could I not, after today?”
“I don’t know,” Flash shrugged as the library came into view. They walked in silence for a few minutes. “Here we are. Good night, Twilight.” Flash turned to leave.
“Oh, no you don’t! It’s too dark to fly home. Stay here.”
Flash blushed. “Like, sleep here? Huh?”
“Oh, not like that,” Twilight clarified, blushing in turn. “No, the couch is super comfy.”
Flash Sentry woke abruptly, realizing he was not sleeping in his own bed. Or his room, for that matter. It took a moment for Flash to remember the events of the previous day. He recalled taking out some bandits and spending a few minutes in Rainbow Falls with his new fillyfriend. Eventually, he remembered spending the night at Twilight’s. Flash could not, however, remember sleeping with her. Twilight Sparkle was gently snoring atop of Flash. He tried to get up without waking her, failing miserably. “Five more minutes, Mom…” Twilight mumbled, then realized where she was. Blushing, she exclaimed, “Oh, Celestia! Flash, I’m so sorry! I forgot to tell you that I sleepwalk....” Twilight’s face looked like an overripe tomato as she crawled off of his back.
“Um, okay,” Flash said a bit surprised. “Hey, I was just going to make breakfast. Would you like to come help me?” he asked, changing the subject.
Silence.
Twilight had fallen asleep again.
Chuckling softly to himself, Flash got up and tip-hooved across the library, to the kitchen.
He walked through the kitchen, coming to a halt when he reached the refrigerator. Opening it quietly, Flash discovered milk, cheese, lettuce, and…
“Ah hah!” ...Hay bacon. He inspected the package and found that this was Bear’s Head Hay Bacon. “The best kind!” Flash’s mouth watered. After searching a few cabinets, Flash found a skillet. He set in on the stove and started cooking the hay bacon. Letting the food warm up, Flash searched the pantry until he found AppleJacks and EarthQuake’s Oats. “I should really consider moving in. Twi’s choice in….” Hold on, Flash. You’re getting ahead of yourself.
Again searching the cabinets, Flash found a pot and began cooking the EarthQuake’s Oats. After a few minutes, Flash checked the hay bacon. It was burning. He swiftly jerked up the skillet, launching the hay bacon in the air, and flapped his wing once. All the strips flipped uniformly and landed perfectly placed in the pan, as if by magic.
“That was pretty impressive, Flash.”
“Spike, buddy! When did you get down here?”
“I came down when I heard Twilight say ‘sleepwalk.’”
A faint, rosy color appeared briefly on Flash’s muzzle. “Um...yeah. That was...something.”
“Don’t worry, you’re not the first pony Twilight’s slept with,” the young, innocent dragon stated.
“Huh…? You know what? Nevermind, I don’t want to know,” Flash said, thoroughly confused. He went to check the hay bacon. “Spike, would you get some bowls and the milk out?”
“Sure thing, Flash,” Spike responded with a salute. Flash gulped.
**********
“Mmmm…. This is really good. Did you make it, Spike?” Twilight complimented.
“No, actually Flash made breakfast, Twilight.”
“This is amazing, Flash. You even burned the hay bacon a bit, just the way I like it!”
“I’m glad you like it, Twi. Would you--”
“Twi?” she asked.
“What, you don’t like it? I’m sor--” Flash began.
‘No, I like it, I’ve just never heard it before. It’s cute. I really like it, Flash,” Twilight confirmed.
“Anyway, would you believe me if I said I burned the hay bacon on purpose?” Flash asked.
“Probably not.” They chuckled.
**********
“Ready?”
“Ready! Ish!”
“Remember: if you fall, I’ll catch you!” Flash shouted up to Twilight. Twilight was standing on a high cloud a few hundred feet above the ground, where Flash was. Her wings spread wide, Twilight jumped. She glided down easily and peacefully.
“Don’t worry, Twi, I gotcha!” Flash shouted as he zoomed to catch her. He grabbed Twilight and gently deposited her on the cloud. “Um, yeah. Let’s wait a while before--your wings! Have you been preening, Twilight?”
“Preening? I thought that only pegasus ponies did that,” Twilight said, confused.
“All creatures with feathered wings have to preen, Twi,” Flash added, worried. “Are you saying that you’ve been an alicorn for three months and you haven’t learned about preening?!”
“No….”
“Well, it’s a good time to start,” Flash suggested. “Here, I’ll show you.” Flash turned to look at his left wing. He gently tugged on feathers individually. “The trick is to be soft. Gently, very gently, pull on each of the feathers. If it’s a bad one, it will come loose. The good feathers stay put unless you’re not careful.”
“Ow!” Twilight exclaimed.
“I said, ‘careful,’ Twilight.”
“Ugh! This is impossible! Will you help me, Flash?” Twilight pleaded.
“While I’m no specialist on alicorn wings, I think that’s a bad one,” Flash stated as he pointed his hoof at a feather facing the wrong direction.
“Thanks. But I mean help me preen. Please?” Twilight gave Flash the biggest puppy eyes ever.
Flash sighed. “Fine, but only because you’re just so dang cute.” He walked closer to Twilight. “I’m only going to do one wing, so watch carefully.” Flash started to gently grab Twilight’s feathers with his muzzle, pulling out loose ones and leaving good ones. He did this about ten minutes, until there was a small-boulder’s-size pile of leaves on the ground. “Your turn, Twi.”
“Okay.” Twilight tried repeating Flash’s actions, but at a much slower pace. After twenty-five minutes of feather pulling and the occasional “ow,” Twilight finally finished preening her wings.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, now was it?” Flash asked.
“I guess not,” Twilight admitted.
“So, how do your wings feel?”
“Oh, they feel amazing, Flash! Healthy, light, strong even,” she replied.
“Good, good. I would recommend a break after that intense preening session. Wouldn’t you, Twi?” Flash suggested.
“Oh, definitely, Flash. In fact, I think it’s worthy of an ice cream break,” Twilight added.
“Of course it is.”
**********
After a twenty minute ice cream break, Flash and Twilight returned to the cloud to finish Twilight’s flight lesson. “...And…jump!” Flash instructed. Twilight leapt gracefully from the cloud, Flash following suit.
“You’re a natural, Twi!” Flash shouted above the wind. “You just need to take better care of your wings, and you’ll be a pro flyer in no time!” He sped down to glide at the same level as Twilight.
“I think you’re right.”
The ponies soared in silence until they reached the ground. Flash landed on the soil, Twilight directly following. Slowly trotting through Ponyville, the couple reached Twilight’s home. Flash grabbed his saddlebag, and headed for the door. “You can stay a bit longer if you’d like, Flash. I’m planning to reshelve the books,” Twilight offered.
“That actually sounds pretty tempting,” Flash admitted. “But I really should get going. Thunderlane’s gonna give me a beat-down when I get back.”
“Bye, then. And good luck.” She pecked Flash on the cheek. He flew off as Twilight closed the door.
Flash Sentry softly landed on the front porch of Thunderlane’s home. The sun had recently set for that evening, a few shadows still lingering among the clouds. He approached the front door, carefully opening it. Flash entered the house quietly, so as not to attract the attention of his roommate.
“SENTRY!”
There goes any chance of getting off easily.
Flash reluctantly trotted towards the kitchen. “Yes?” He spotted Thunderlane sitting at the table, eating a hayburger.
“Where have you been? I’ve been worried sick! Did you sleep at Twilight’s? Did you sleep with Twilight? Did you--”
Flash interrupted, “Slow down! Equestria, sorry about that, yes, and would you believe me if I said ‘no?’ I realize--”
“No,” Thunderlane replied, a tinge of anger still in his voice. “Tell me.”
“Hehe, it’s a bit of a long story,” Flash stated.
“I’ve got some time, Sentry,” Thunderlane offered.
“Uhhh… Now that I think about it, it’s not that long of a story.” Flash sat down on a chair. He carefully pondered for a moment, then added, “I fell asleep on the couch, and woke up with Twilight.”
“Mmmm hmmm.”
“Swear to Celestia, Thunderlane!”
“What else did you do there?” Thunderlane interrogated.
“I…” Flash wracked his brain. “I made breakfast.”
“Okay, but did you do it?”
“It?” Flash asked, confused. “It?!” He sprung from his chair. “Why in all of Equestria would you think of that?” Flash exclaimed.
“I’m just curious,” Thunderlane admitted. “Oh, and you get to do the dishes tonight. That’s your punishment for worrying me.”
“Whatever,” Flash shrugged. He went to grab something to eat.
“There are a lot of dishes.”
**********
Phew, this could’ve been a lot worse, Flash thought to himself. He started whistling to himself and remained quite cheery, despite Thunderlane’s outburst earlier. Flash scrubbed a plate until he could see himself in it. “Good, good--Wait, I missed a--”
“SENTRY!” Thunderlane shouted in Flash’s ear. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for the past minute! What is with you tonight?” he asked with the slightest tone of worry in his voice.
Flash turned and stared blankly at Thunderlane for a moment. “What do you mean? I’m always like this,” Flash defended. He paused. “I am always like this, right?”
Thunderlane shook his head. “No, Flash. You seem really distracted lately.” His concern was audible enough for Flash to recognize it. “Is there something bugging you?”
“No,” Flash denied. “I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” He turned back to the dishes.
“Are you sure?”
Flash was lost in thought again.
**********
A few days later, Flash was happily mopping the floor. How that works in a cloud building, I’m not entirely sure. He went up and down, left and right, until eventually he was waltzing with his tool. Flash started humming a melody to go with it. “Hmmm hmm hm hm hmm--”
“Flash!” Thunderlane called out.
“What?”
“Are you sure there’s nothing bothering you?” Thunderlane asked sincerely.
“I’m positive. I can’t see why you’re convinced otherwise,” Flash replied, mopping regularly.
“See? You’re even speaking differently!” Thunderlane added.
Flash dropped his mop. It fell through the cloud. “Who says I can’t enrich my vocabulary?” he argued. “And now I have to go fetch the mop!” Flash started to leave the kitchen, headed for the front door.
“Enrich...? Just….” Thunderlane paused. “Oh my Celestia! It all makes sense now!” he exclaimed. “Why didn’t I see this sooner? Flash, you’re...you’re in love!”
Flash froze mid-step. “What?” Turning around, he stared at his friend.
“C’mon. The other day, when we passed Twilight on the street, she said hi to you.” Thunderlane recounted. “You were looking at her the way that dragon looks at Rarity. But slightly less creepy. I didn’t think much of it then, but--”
“Oh, good. For a minute there, I thought you said I was in love!” Flash said in a relieved manner.
“I did.”
Flash started laughing.
Thunderlane didn’t.
“Hehe, that’s pretty funny,” Flash said. He turned back towards the door. “Hey, why aren’t you laughing?”
“I’m serious.”
Again, Flash froze mid-step. “You can’t be.” He faced Thunderlane once again. “I’m not in love. Who would I even be in love with?”
“Twilight Sparkle.”
The sudden reality of the situation hit Flash like a ton of bricks. “What are you, some sort of love expert?”
“No,” Thunderlane replied. “But--”
“This isn’t funny. I don’t appreciate you laughing at my expense,” Flash said, sudden anger in his voice.
“Do you see me laughing?”
Silence.
“I didn’t think so,” Thunderlane confirmed as Flash walked off again. “Hey! Where are you going?”
“Remember the mop?”
When Flash had grabbed a light and reached the front door, he stepped out into the cool night air. The sun was well gone for the night, the moon illuminating bumps and dents on the cloud porch. Flash sat down for a few minutes and contemplated what Thunderlane had just said. You’re in love… Flash tried to shake the thought from his mind. He thought about Twilight, which didn’t really help him or his situation.
A few hours later, Flash retreated to bed. He still didn’t have the mop.
**********
“Thunderlane?”
“Sentry!” he half-yelled, still partially asleep. He then recognized the tone in Flash’s voice. “Yes?”
“I’ve been thinking about what you said, and I think you’re right. I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier,” Flash apologized.
“No harm, no foul. But why the long face?”
Flash sat on his sleeping bag and started fiddling with the fastener. “It’s Twilight. I mean, I’m not even supposed to like her, let alone be in love with her! I’m her guard; it’s inappropriate. If anypony finds out, I’m done for!”
“What about Twilight’s brother and Princess Cadence?” Thunderlane inquired.
Flash countered, “That’s different. Captain Armor was a guard, not her guard.”
“Captain?” Thunderlane asked.
“He’s my boss.”
“Uh…” Thunderlane was speechless.
“Yeah, I’m dating my boss’ sister,” Flash confirmed. “But he was the one who sent me here.”
“Does he know you’re in love with her?”
“No, he thinks I’m lying to her and...messing...with her...emotions. Oh Celestia…” Flash buried his face in his hooves, realization dawning upon him. “...What have I done? What do I do?”
“Quit,” Thunderlane suggested.
Flash raised his head. Quizzically, he asked, “Quit? What?” He paused. “Why?”
“You love her, right?” Flash nodded. “You would do anything for her?” Thunderlane received the same response. “Prove it. Quit the Royal Guard, then tell Twilight the truth.”
“You think it’ll work?” Flash asked.
“Can pegasi walk on clouds?”
**********
Flash reluctantly raised his hoof to knock on the door to the Golden Oak Library. He gently knocked thrice on the wooden entrance. Flash stood for a few moments, pondering what he would say to his fillyfriend. He went through several possibilities and discarded most of them almost immediately. After standing at the closed door for nearly a minute, Flash turned to walk away. As he left, Flash heard the door open. “Sorry I took so long. Good morning, Flash.”
Come on, Flash. Buck up. “Morning, Twi,” Flash greeted in return as he turned around. “So, I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day. I decided that it would be cool to meet your brother,” Flash said as the words came into his mind. “Since he lives in the Crystal Empire, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet my brother!” Thank you. “What do you think?”
“That’s a wonderful idea, Flash! And I think tomorrow would be perfect!”
