> A Guard and a Princess
>  by TorontoFCBrony
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Dear Princess Celestia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dear Princess Celestia.  "Oh yes, that's a good start."  I am writing to you this late evening to express to you a few certain concerns weighing heavily on my mind.

Princess Twilight Sparkle looked around her new room in the Canterlot Castle while sitting upon her white wooden chair and writing on her smooth white stone desk.  Her new, temporary home in Canterlot was nothing short of spectacular.  The single room was bigger than both her foalhood home in Canterlot and her library home in Ponyville put together.  The beautiful white stucco walls, nearly ten metres high, held up the magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows, which she could see through even while sitting down at her desk.  What was even more special was the view.  She was able to see about half of Canterlot just by looking through the windows.

The city was always moving, even in the late hours of Princess Luna's night.  Twilight could not sleep on this night, which just so happened to be the night that she returned from visiting the Crystal Empire and going through one of her most daring adventures ever.  Her friends had returned home to care for their everyday lives.

Sitting on her chair, thinking of the best way to express her concerns to her mentor, she picked up her pen by means of her lavender-coloured magic.

I can't sleep tonight.  I feel more worried than I ever have in my entire life.  I don't know the first thing about being a princess; or a leader of any sort, for that matter.

Twilight looked over to her faithful companion, Spike, who was like her own fur and blood.  Ever since Celestia gave Spike over to Twilight, she took care of him as if he was her own, and he was her most faithful companion.  He even had to deal with the humiliation of turning into a dog and having to sit in his owner's backpack while she wandered the hallways of a high school filled with creatures that neither of them had ever seen before.  He had to watch her awkwardly try to walk on two legs.  He had to watch her nervously speak to a boy she thought was cute.  He had to deal with having to keep quiet so as not to blow Twilight's cover in a world that wasn't hers.  But, even through all of that, he was the only creature who Twilight could trust completely, and he helped her get through the most difficult challenge of her life.

Twilight watched as he slept soundly on his small bed beside her own.  She knew that she couldn't wake him.  He was already tired enough from always being at Twilight's side, assisting her in anything she did, and he was still a baby dragon, after all, so she felt that it just wasn't right to wake him up to share her problems.

The only other pony she could turn to was her mentor, Princess Celestia.  The nighttime was Celestia's time to rest, but she often was too busy to sleep the whole night through.  Even through all of her royal duties, all of her concerns, all of her worries, the prime ruler of Equestria still managed to find time to care for her most cherished and loved student.  She was truly the best example for a young mare like Twilight, who still felt like she was too young to be a ruler herself.

I really need your help.  You have always been there for me and I feel like I can never return the favour to you no matter what I do.  But I need to ask one more thing of you.

Twilight thought long and hard about what she was about to write in order to get out her message in the most respectful yet factual way.

I need to know why you chose me of all ponies to be your most faithful student.  How do I know that I will be able to live up to your expectations?  How do I know I won't leave you like Sunset Shimmer did?  And how do I lead an entire kingdom?  That is, of course, if that's what you have planned for me.  To be honest, I don't really know what you have planned for me.  I feel like I am in way over my head, and I desperately need some reassurance and guidance.  Please write back in the morning, or at your greatest convenience.  Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle.

A stream of purple magic lowered her pen back down on the table.  She lifted up her paper with her hooves to make sure that her letter was exactly what she had wanted to write.  After a quick scan of it, making sure that her grammar and spelling were right, and making sure that she got her message across, she put it back down on the table.  She looked over to Spike to see if he would be able to send the message, but he was still asleep.  After letting out a quiet yawn and stretching her hooves and new wings, she made her way quietly over to her bed.  "Maybe it's best if I just live and learn how to be a princess myself.  I can learn by my many mistakes to come."

After getting herself comfortable, lying down on her side, Twilight slowly closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep.  Her worries still stayed on her mind, though.  In the morning, which was surely only three or four hours away at this point, she was to make an appearance with Princess Celestia at a meeting with leaders visiting Canterlot from all around the world, including the United Kingdom of Great Britmane, Mexicolt, Germaneigh, The Neightherlands, and Saddle Arabia.  That was something that the young, new princess did not feel prepared for.  This was what was causing her to have her nervous feelings.

"Oh, Spike.  I actually wish you were awake so you could comfort me," Twilight said while looking at her tired baby dragon, sleeping like the baby he was.

"Ummm... Unf... Ugh..." 

Twilight tossed and turned as she tried to get comfortable.

"Stupid wings!  Go down!"

Pomf

"Ugh!"

"Mmmm... Twilight?  Are you okay?"

"Spike?  I'm so sorry I woke you up."  Twilight reached a hoof down and lightly pat her baby dragon on his scaly head.

"Are you still getting used to the wings?" Spike asked while wiping his eyes, trying to see Twilight better.

"Yes, but that's not all."

"Nervous about tomorrow?"

Twilight looked at Spike with puppy-dog eyes and nodded.  "I am.  Not only about tomorrow, though."

Spike jumped up on the bed beside Twilight and touched her hoof with his hand gently.  "You're scared about being a princess, aren't you?"

"Yes..."

"And you think you won't be good enough?"

"Uh-huh."

"Twilight... I... I don't know," Spike began.  "There's only one thing that's bothering me about this."

"Oh, and what's that?"

"You're awesome, Twilight!  Even after all of the adventures that you have been on, you still think you won't be good enough?"

"Thanks, but this is different, Spike.  I've never been a princess before.  I've never led ponies quite like this."

"Yeah, and you had never been a human before either, but that didn't stop you from retrieving your crown."

"Okay, but that doesn't mean I will be ready for this."

"You weren't prepared to protect the Crystal Empire, but you did.  We even sang a song about it when the music came out of nowhere."  Spike waved his arm in the air over his head, semi-sarcastically.

"Yeah, but... but..."

"Just admit it, Twilight.  You've been prepared for every test so far.  You can be a princess if you truly believe in yourself."

Twilight paused for a few seconds.  She reached her hooves over and, grabbing Spike to give him a hug, said, "Thanks, Spike.  I'm glad you woke up."

"That's what I'm here for," he replied.  "I'm here to... to..."  Spike was too tired to finish his sentence.  He fell asleep on Twilight's chest.  She felt so content with him there that she was finally able to fall asleep too.


--------------------------------------


Cheep.  Cheep cheep.  Cheep.

"Huh?  What's that?"

Cheep cheep cheep.

"Ugh.  Morning already?" Twilight groaned, trying to put her pillow over her head.

Twilight heard the sounds of the Canterlot birds, singing their morning song.  It probably would have been a beautiful thing to wake up to, if only it wasn't at six in the morning, and after a nearly sleepless night for the new princess.  She was about to get up, until she realised that Spike was still asleep on her chest from before.  She couldn't help but crack a smile at her little assistant.  After all, he actually really did help her the night before.

"Spike... hey," she tried to say quietly to wake up the young dragon.

"Mmmm... Mommy?" Spike asked with eyes only about one-third open.

"Not quite," Twilight said with a smile.

"Good enough for me," Spike responded, putting his head back down on her soft, furry belly.

Twilight nudged his head with her hoof.  "I have to get dressed, Spike.  I have an important meeting today."

"Oh, right."  He slowly picked himself up, throwing himself flat into the pillow of his smaller bed beside Twilight's, falling back asleep nearly immediately.

Twilight, tired as ever, managed to get herself ready.  She took a quick look in the mirror.  Her pink and yellow dress looked 'simply marvelous,' as Rarity had put it when she designed it.  Her recently retrieved elemental crown glowed when the morning sun hit it through the windows.  Her mane was styled in her new royal way.  If it wasn't for her bloodshot eyes due to lack of sleep, she would have looked absolutely perfect.  But, still, she was good enough for a princess.


--------------------------------------


Spike paced back and forth in their new bedroom in the castle while he was waiting for Twilight to return from her meeting.  He splashed the water in the fountain in the middle of the room- a white stone circular pool with a statue of Princess Twilight in the middle, pouring water out of her horn and down into the small pool below.

Meanwhile, Twilight was busy talking to Princess Celestia after the meeting.

"Twilight, my most faithful student, you've really made me proud over the past few years."

"Do you really mean that, Princess Celestia?"

"I do," the older princess said while putting her foreleg around the her most beloved student's neck as they looked outside to the city through the window.

"Thanks.  Even though I was quiet for most of the meeting?"

"Of course.  You responded when spoken to, you answered correctly, and you listened attentively and respectfully."

Twilight smiled in response, only to have it change into a yawn.

"Did you have a late night, Twilight?"

"Yes, I really didn't sleep well.  I tossed and turned for hours."

"You're worried about being a princess, aren't you?"

"Well, yes.  I felt like... I feel like I am not capable of being a leader.  I was going to send a letter, but Spike comforted me.  I still feel like I'm not fully ready, though."

"Twilight, I've known and have grown to love you since you were a little filly.  You have always been my most faithful student.  You have faced every challenge with bravery and have come so far, that I couldn't be more proud of you.  If anypony is capable of being a princess, it's you."

Twilight nearly had a tear in her eyes. No words had ever been more comforting to her in her entire life.

"Thank you... Thank you so much.  I promise I won't let you down."

"I know you won't."

Twilight was able to leave the room feeling confident and joyful; so much so that she ended up humming a song to herself as she made her way down the hallways and back to her room.  As she made her way, she looked up to the left and right of her at the tall walls to see the majestic paintings—artwork that had been there since the first and only king and queen of Equestria, Celestia's and Luna's parents.

She made her way, getting closer and closer to her room.  One painting really stuck out in her mind. It was a mural of her and her friends defeating Nightmare Moon, and reuniting Luna with Celestia.  It brought back memories of how she was fully capable of taking on tasks that she felt unqualified for at some times.

"Maybe I'm ready to be a princess after all," Twilight said while trotting and lost in thought.  Unf!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, miss.  I wasn't looking where I was going."

Twilight was bowled over by a stallion, also not paying attention to where he was going.  It must have been a common thing due to all of the beauty on the walls of the castle.

"It's okay, I wasn't looking either," Twilight responded while grabbing the outstretched hoof of the stallion.  That fur—there was something about it that seemed so familiar.  It was a yellowish-orange colour.

"Flash Sentry?" Twilight asked while picking herself up with his help.  She looked directly into the shining blue eyes of the stallion, and memories of her encounter in another world came back to her.  She could feel a blush on her cheeks.

"Why, yes!  Princess Twilight Sparkle?  I'm so sorry that I keep bumping into you."

"What are you doing here?  I thought you were assigned to the Crystal Palace."

"Oh no, I'm working under your brother at the Canterlot Royal Guard.  I mean, not under him, but, you know.  He's my boss.  Anyway, I was only there for training."  Flash, after stumbling on his words, tried to hide his blush by scratching his cheek.  "Why do you ask?  You don't want me here?  Well, maybe it would have been safer for you if I wasn't," he responded with a saddened tone.

"Oh no, I want you here... I mean... It's good that you're here.  It's nice seeing a friendly face."

Flash smiled at the princess.  "I'm happy I'm here too."

"So... umm..."

"Yes, my princess?"

Twilight blushed at being called that.  "Please, call me Twilight."

"All right, Princess Twilight."

"So..."

"Yes?"

"I'll be seeing you around?"

"Of course you will," Flash responded with a grin.  He pointed his hoof around the area.  "I'll be here, guarding the castle and the lovely royalty that reside."

"All righty then.  Well... I'll see ya around," Twilight responded with a smile, which was returned.  She turned to go back to her room.

"Wrong way?" asked Flash as she turned around and started walking back.

Twilight chuckled and replied, "Um... yeah.  Oops."


--------------------------------------


"Oh, Twilight. I hope everything's okay," Spike said while still waiting for the mare who was like a mother to him.  "You've been gone a long time."

Just then, Twilight came in through the door.  She leaned her back against the door and slid down, falling to her rump with a sigh for sheer contentment and a grin from ear to ear with her eyes closed.

"Twilight!" Spike shouted out as he ran towards the door.  "Are you okay?"

"Everything is just perfect."
> Chapter 2: Feelings of a Lowly Guard and a Beloved Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Flash, why the buck are you whistling so loudly?"

"Yeah, it's really getting annoying."

"Oh, really?  Sorry, gents, I wasn't really paying attention."

Flash Sentry over the next few days felt much happier at work in the Canterlot Castle.  He worked with a certain pep in his step.  His job didn't change.  He still did occasional night shifts, where he would roam the hallways with a flashlight on his head.  He also would have shifts at doors leading to important rooms.  It wasn't a glamorous job, but as a new worker, and a member at his low rankings, he didn't have much choice.

The other stallions at the Canterlot Royal Guard, particularly Optimus and Sentinel, who were also low-ranking guards, couldn't put a hoof on why he was so happy, especially since guard duties had become more monotonous as of late.  After all, as of late there was nothing really to protect.  The city wasn't under any attack.  There was no action to get excited about.  Besides, isn't a royal guard's duty to protect the royalty from attackers?  Lately, the job only consisted of the usual short shifts, standing at a door.  That's it.  Just standing there, while taking the occasional picture with tourists, not even able to smile.  There were no reasons relating to the job itself to get anypony excited, so Flash's coworkers knew that it was something in his private life that was making him happy, and, naturally, they felt the need to know what it was.

"Come on, dude, you gotta tell us what's on your mind."

"Oh come on, Optimus,  I don't need a reason to be happy," Flash defended.  "I'm just happy being me and having a good job."

Sentinel, making a horse-sounding chuckle out of his mouth, replied, "Good job?  Ha.  Whatever, dude."

"Yeah, whatever.  Come on, Flash, we're going to Canterlot Gardens Bar and Grill for a drink tonight.  Join us."

"Not tonight, Optimus.  I need to work on some stuff at home."

"Suit yourself.  Come on, Sentinel," Optimus said with a wave of his hoof.

Flash Sentry was just taking off his work uniform to get into his normal clothing, which was actually being completely naked, being a pony, and then he would hit the showers.  As soon as his two coworkers left the room, he saw them salute in the hallway, usually meaning a high-ranking guard or officer was in their midst.  He tilted his body and head forward to try and see who was in front of his partnering guards, but he couldn't see anything from where he was.

"Sir!" the two stallion guards saluted and shouted.

"At ease, gentlecolts."

That voice.  That powerful, authoritative, sexy voice.  Even for a straight pony like Flash, he had to admit that voice was something special.  It could only be one stallion, and one stallion only.

"Flash Sentry?"

"Sir Shining Armour, sir!" Flash saluted upon standing up as his captain came into the room.

"No need to be so tense, Flash.  I am here to bring some good news."

Flash stood there in response, still saluting and watching the leader of the Royal Guard trot around throughout the locker room.  Only the two of them remained inside.

"I've been hearing things about you Flash."

"Th-things?"

"No need to worry about it, young soldier.  It's good news."

Those last few words tickled the ears of Flash. 'Good news?'  What kind of good news could he mean? Flash thought to himself.

Shining stopped in place, directly in front of Flash, and put a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder.  "In fact, I've heard very good things from your higher-ups.  They've told me that your work has been fantastic as of late, and you've shown a very positive attitude.  Keep up the good work!"

That was news that Flash wasn't expecting.  He didn't see himself as a very good worker.  He just felt like he went to work every day and got the job done.  He felt that that was his duty.  Maybe, though, other ponies didn't feel the way he did about their jobs.

"Why, thank you, sir.  I really appreciate it.  But, why?  I just guard the doors and the hallways.  I don't really do very much."

"I've heard that you always have a smile on your face recently, you kindly open the doors and help visitors if they are lost, and you are always showing a positive attitude lately.  That's the kind of thing that I want to see in my workers.  You're not just a mindless drone; you're a soldier who is proud of what he does."

Shining gave Flash a slight punch on the shoulder, a good sign that he was happy with the young guard.  Flash pretended that it didn't hurt, all the while smiling outwardly and holding back a painful tear.

Flash subconsciously knew what the reason for his joy was.  It wasn't the job itself, not the thing he was protecting—the castle.  Rather, it was who he was protecting—Princess Twilight Sparkle.

There was something about that alicorn that gave Flash shivers down his spine.  Was it her lavender, smooth coat?  Her big, purple eyes?  Her personality?  Her abilities?  Her plot?  Flash didn't know the real reason yet, but there was something about waking up in the morning, going to work, and seeing her beautiful face that made his job worthwhile.  It was a very strong feeling deep inside him.  That feeling made him want to get to know her more.

But that was the problem.  Along with his feelings of wanting to get to know her was a little voice in his head, and with good reason, too.  He was just a low-ranking guard, and she was one of the three princesses of Canterlot.  The voice would tell him in his head, 'You'll never be good enough for a princess, so don't even try,' and things as such.  In order to save his happiness, he quieted those thoughts and just stuck to his job.  Just seeing the princess day after day was enough to keep him happy, but there just had to be a way for her to notice him a little more.

He had only run into her a few times, making only small talk, but that was enough for him to want more.  She seemed sweet and kind, caring and thoughtful, as well as smart.  She came from humble beginnings, not from a royal family.  Flash did too.  But no matter how much Flash wanted to reveal his feelings to Twilight, possibly by asking her out, outwardly expressing it, writing a letter, or otherwise, he knew that it would not be an easy thing.  In fact, the consequences probably matched the possibilities.  He would be ridiculed for liking a princess, being overly ambitious.  He would probably never be allowed to serve in Canterlot again, having to change jobs, possibly cities, uprooting his entire way of life here in Canterlot.

"Is it worth the risk?" he would ask himself.


--------------------------------------


"Good heavens, darling, it seems as if we haven't seen each other in such a long time," Rarity said.

"Yeah, Twilight, I've really missed you," Applejack added.

Twilight answered, "I'm so glad you mares could visit me.  It's been really lonely out here."

"Hey, I've been here, Twilight," Spike mentioned with a little bit of offense in his voice.  He was, after all, Twilight's only major confidant for a while, other than Princess Celestia herself.

"I know, Spike.  You've been great.  But I've really missed my pony friends."

Twilight received a planned visit from her five Ponyville friends.  She had not seen them since the events of her most daring adventure- going into the human world and retrieving her crown from Sunset Shimmer, one of Celestia's previously most beloved students.  After explaining to her friends what happened, and only staying a day more in the Crystal Empire, she returned home- or, rather, her new home, Canterlot.

"How's everything?" Rainbow asked while hovering in the air, as per usual.

"Did you miss us?  Because I've sure missed you.  I missed you so much that I went home and ate a cake all by myself," Pinkie Pie said excitedly.

"You'd do that anyway, Pinkie Pie," Twilight answered,

"Yeah, but... I still missed you," Pinkie replied.

"Me too," Fluttershy added.

Twilight could not help but show more emotion than usual.  She didn't cry, but she nearly had a tear.  She really missed her Ponyville friends while taking care of her royal duties in Canterlot.  Just seeing their happy, energetic, excited faces was simply heartwarming.  A group hug was only inevitable.

"Darling, your new room is simply marvelous, if I do say so myself," Rarity said while admiring the royal room.

"Shucks, it's almost as big as my barn and house combined," Applejack said.

"Yes, it's spectacular," Twilight agreed.  "It's everything I've ever wanted and expected."

"There seems to be a little bit of doubt in your voice, Twilight.  I think you miss us more than you think," Rainbow pointed out while swooping down and staying in the air in front of the alicorn, face to face.

"Well, I can't deny that."

"Anything else bothering you, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

Twilight scratched her chin with her hoof, pondering.  "I can't really put a hoof on it."

"It's okay, Twilight," Fluttershy said.  "We've always been here for you.  You can tell us anything you want."

"You're missing your friends in the human world?" Rainbow Dash guessed.  "We're not good enough for you?"

"Oh, Rainbow, don't worry about that.  I obviously do think about them from time to time, including Sunset Shimmer.  I really hope she has changed her ways and become a true friend to you guys."

"Us?" they all asked in unison.

"Well, the other you guys.  The you guys from the other world."  Twilight paced around the room, thinking to herself.  Her friends stayed quiet, hoping that this time would allow the alicorn to express what was truly in her heart.  "Apart from being nervous about being a princess, which I'm currently dealing with quite well with the help of Spike and Princess Celestia, there is only one other thing that is bothering me."

"Oh goodness, what is it?" Fluttershy asked.

"I—"

"Miss a certain human male named Flash Sentry who danced with you at the Canterlot High School, who just happened to be your very first crush, even though you were never a human before, and now you are unsure if the guard here is actually the same Flash Sentry in pony form or not, and you still have a crush on him but you are too scared to admit it to him and to others both out of fear of embarrassment about liking a lowly guard and out of fear that he isn't who you actually think he is?"

Twilight gave Pinkie a look of shock, her mouth hanging wide open.  The other ponies all had similar expressions.  Pinkie had to take a few gasps of air.

Rainbow started, "Pinkie, that is ridic—"

"That's right, Pinkie.  I don't know how, but you've done it again."

"Meh, just a hunch again.  I get a lot of hunches, and they're almost always right!"

"So, darling, who's this Flash Sentry?" Rarity asked, her eyelids about one-third shut out of intrigue.  Then remembering their last trip to the Crystal Palace, she continued, "Oh wait, he's one of the royal guards, isn't he?"

"Yes, that's right.  But I do not have a crush on him."

"You most certainly do," Rarity teased, causing Twilight to blush.

"Just tell us, Twilight.  We won't make fun of you," Rainbow informed her.

"All right, fine, I'll admit it.  But don't tell anypony!  I do have a crush on him.  In the human world, Flash Sentry was Sunset Shimmer's ex-boyfriend.  We had only spoken a few times, and he asked me out to the Fall Formal dance.  I was actually running against Sunset to become Princess of the Fall Formal, and that was the only way to win the crown back.  As you know, things worked out for me and I was able to return the crown.  Flash, on the other hand-"

"Wait, what's a hand?  You've used that word more than once," Rainbow said.

"It's the human version of a hoof, only it can hold things better and has these weird things called fingers, that are like other little hands without fingers that hold stuff.  Anyway, things worked out, but I still had to leave behind the human version of you five, as well as Flash himself.  We had shared a dance together, and he proved to be a really nice and caring individual."

"He sounds quite dreamy," Rarity added.

"Uh-huh," Pinkie agreed.

Twilight continued, "And it seems that every pony in Equestria has a human counterpart, so I can only assume that Flash Sentry, one of my guards, is the pony equivalent of the one through the portal.  I want to talk to him to find out, but he'll think I'm weird, bringing up a whole different dimension or something.  Speaking to stallions has always been hard for me."

"Twilight, darling, just be yourself," Rarity suggested.  "Just talk to him the way you talk to us.  If he doesn't like you for who you are, then he just isn't worth it."

"She has a point, you know," Spike agreed.

"I totally forgot Spike was here," Rainbow whispered to Pinkie, causing the earth pony to snicker.

"You really think so?" Twilight asked the collective, who all nodded their heads in response.  "All right, I don't know how, but somehow and someway, I will try to talk to him.  But I won't bring up the portal just yet."

"Sounds good to me," Rainbow responded while giving Twilight a light punch to the shoulder.
> Chapter 3: A Smashing Meetup
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Oh, Flash, yes.  Oh yes.  Yes!  Put it in already!"

Twilight had a dream that night about baking cookies in the oven with Flash in the Canterlot Castle kitchen.  It strangely wasn't the weirdest dream she'd ever had in her lifetime.

"Huh?  What's that?" Twilight said as she awoke.  She was staring Spike directly in the eyes, while he was giving her a confused look.  She felt her bed sheets, and they were clearly wet.

"Twilight, you left the window open all night," Spike mentioned.

Twilight looked over to the window to the see the rain, and it fell directly onto the princess' bed sheets, causing the wetness on them.  Thankfully, it wasn't enough water to give her a cold.

"Oh, Spike, I can't live like this.  I'm thinking about him.  I need to know if he likes me as much as I like him."

"Who?  Flash?"

"Yes, Spike, obviously."

"You obviously know that Flash likes you.  His human counterpart did, so it only makes sense if he does too.  Just talk to him.  We've been through this already."

"I can't be so sure, Spike.  It might not work that way.  And besides, after reading every romance novel I have, it's hard for me to believe that things will go well for me.  There's almost always a conflict or a tragedy in every love story."

"Come on, Twilight, your life is not a book."

"Well, yeah, I guess you're right," Twilight admitted.  "I don't know.  I'll have to think about it.  Well, it's time for me to go see Rarity.  She's designing my dress for next week's Grand Galloping Gala."

Twilight left to go see her friends, who were staying the entire week in the visitors' section of the castle, which was a real honour for them.


--------------------------------------


"Okay, Flash, you just have to go out and say it: 'Twilight, I love you.'"

"But no, that's way too soon, and she'd reject me on the spot."

"But on the other hoof, I've heard that mares like honesty."

"But that's way too honest.  It may not even be honest at all.  I don't even know her well enough to know if I love her yet."

Flash Sentry paced around his Canterlot apartment, trying desperately to think of a way to approach the princess and speak to her.  For a guard to do so, it was a very difficult task.  It could cost them their reputation, their job, and could result in ridicule.  But for Flash, it would all be worth it just to make Twilight smile.

"It's good to make a mare laugh, I've heard."

"But then again, I don't want her laughing at how pathetic I am."

Flash paced back and forth in his room, continuously thinking of what he could possibly say.  He then stopped and looked at himself in the mirror.

"Look at you, you sexy beast of nature.  How could she ever say no?"

"Ugh!  I just can't do it!  It's so hard!"

"That's what she said."

"No!  No no no!  I can't be like that in front of a princess.  That's it.  Today I'm going to talk to her.  I may not ask her out, but I'll at least show her that I exist."

Flash finally, after much deliberation, thinking, and mood swings, came up with his decision.  He looked over at his schedule for the day, seeing that had the evening shift until eight-thirty at night.

"I'm just going to go up to her in the most professional way possible and ask if she would like to join me for a drink later tonight.  That way I can talk to her in a light setting and I can hear all the wonderful things about her.  The worst thing that can happen is that she will say no, and I'll go on with my life, never worrying about what could have been."


--------------------------------------


"It's a little tight, don't you think?" Twilight asked while being squeezed.

"Oh, darling, you're so right.  I guess you've put on a few pounds since becoming a princess."

Twilight gasped at Rarity's friendly, yet kind of rude, remark while trying to put Twilight's new dress for the Grand Galloping Gala.

"I have not!  The dress is too tight."

"Yeah, Rarity, Twilight looks fine and normal to me," Applejack said.

"Well all right, if you say so.  I must have made this magnificent dress a size too small.  It needs to be just right for a princess, and especially because this is your first gala as a member of the royal family."

"Oh Twilight, has anypony asked you to be their date to the gala yet?" Fluttershy asked.

"Not yet, Fluttershy.  I was hoping Flash would, but he's probably too nervous to do so.  Either that, or he thinks that I'm unattainable because I'm a princess.  These new wings haven't changed who I am."

"Speaking of the wings," Rainbow Dash brought up, "have you learned to fly yet?"

"Nope.  Not really," the princess responded.  "I'm still getting used to them just being at my side.  I can hover for a few seconds, but that's about it."

"Oh come on, Twi, I was flying around at the age of two!" Dash exclaimed.

"Yes, but Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy remarked, "you're also not like most pegasi."

"That's true.  I am bucking awesome, after all."

"And very modest," Twilight added.

"Oh yes, I'm the most humble and modest pony ever!"

Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile.

"So, Twily, how're you going to ask out Flash for a date tonight?" Pinkie asked.

"I never said I was going to ask him out on a date," Twilight responded.  "I just want to talk to him.  Like, a real talk.  Not just a 'hi, how are ya?'  But a real conversation.  If we go out somewhere after, then that's great."

Knock knock knock

"Come in," Twilight yelled to whoever knocked at the door.

Spike entered into the room, beholding a letter from Princess Celestia.

"I haven't received one of these since I moved to the castle," Twilight remarked.  "I can't wait to see what is inside."  Twilight picked it up and read it out loud, "'Dear Princess Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful and beloved student.  I'm sorry if this causes any inconvenience, but we need to have a meeting tonight at nine for the upcoming Grand Galloping Gala.  Your friends can come too, because I hope they can help with the preparations.  Please reply soon.  Faithfully yours, Princess Celestia.'  Well, girls, how about it?"

"Sounds good to me," Fluttershy responded.

"Sounds like fun," Pinkie added.

"Okay, it's settled then, we'll meet here and go together to the meeting."

"Oh, Twilight, what about Flash?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'll talk to him whenever I can.  I'm just too busy right now."

"Come on, Twilight, he's probably roaming the hallways right now.  Just go look for him and ask him out for coffee and a bite to eat," Rainbow suggested while tapping the shoulder of Twilight while flying above.

"I don't know..."

"You can do it," Pinkie said.

"We have faith in you, sugarcube," Applejack added.

"All right, I'll do it.  I'll talk to him today."

The mares in response all let out a cheer.  They were proud of their friend, who was finally willing to show some courage and take a risk for love.


--------------------------------------


Twilight never did find Flash Sentry that afternoon.  She met up with her friends about an hour before their scheduled meeting.

"So, Twilight, were you too scared to talk to him?" Applejack asked Twilight when the topic of Flash Sentry came up.

"No, I just never found him," Twilight defended.

"You know what you're going to say when you do find him, darling?" Rarity asked Twilight 

"Not a clue.  I'm going to just say what's in my heart," Twilight responded.

"Just be yourself," Rainbow added.  "Or, if you could, be like me, because I'm amazing."

"No, I'd rather just be myself."

"We believe in you, Twilight," Fluttershy encouraged.

"Thanks, girls.  Listen, we have some time before the meeting.  Should I go see if I can find him?" Twilight asked the others.

"Uh, yeah," Rainbow replied.  "Don't be a scaredy-filly.  Just go out there and find him."

Twilight thought to herself.  There was no point in stalling.  She had some time to kill.  "All right, girls, I'll do it," Twilight said while trotting over to the door.  "I'm really going to do it.  Wish me luck!"

After the mares all showed excitement to Twilight's confidence, they all wished her luck.

"I'll be back here in an hour so that we can go to the meeting," Twilight said as she was leaving.

Twilight turned to her friends with a smile with one hoof out the door.  She was wearing her normal princess dress and crown, not wanting to spoil the surprise by wearing the new dress Rarity was making for the gala.  

The princess made her way down the hallway and around the corner, hoping to find Flash serving somewhere in order that she could talk to him.  She searched and searched down the many hallways and rooms, but with no luck.

After well over forty-five minutes of searching throughout the castle, there was no sign of the stallion with yellowish-orange fur and the blue slicked mane.  She saw two stallion guards trotting towards her.

"Hey, you two."

"Yes, ma'am?" the two stallions, both unicorns, one with a grey coat and white mane, and another with a white coat and blue mane, responded with a salute.

"Have you seen Flash Sentry?"

"Yes, ma'am, we have seen him," one of the guards responded.

"He just finished his shift with us," the other added.

"Where would he be now?" Twilight asked.

"He is probably already on his way home by now," the first one said.

"That figures," Twilight responded.  "Thank you very much for your help.  May I have your names?"

"I'm Optimus," the grey stallion responded.

"And I'm Sentinel," the white stallion added.

"Thanks," Twilight responded, turning around to run to the front doors, hoping to catch her crush on the way out.

"Oooh baby, Flash is in trouble," Sentinel said after Twilight turned the corner.

"Yeah, probably because she found out about his crush on her," Optimus added.

"I didn't tell her, did you?"

"I didn't either."

"Maybe Shining Armour figured it out and told her."

"Yeah, and that's not good news.  He seems like he'd be very protective of his sister."

Twilight dashed her way down the hallways, slipping on the shiny tile floors was she made her way towards the doors.  There was only right turn remaining, and she turned quickly, but lost her hoofing in the process, slipping and hitting the wall.

"Owww," Twilight said lightly while scratching her head while still on the ground.

"Oh, Princess Sparkle, are you all right?" a stallion said while reaching a hoof forward.

"I think so," Twilight responded while reaching her hoof to grab his.  She couldn't tell who the stallion was from his hoof, though, because his fur was covered in black clothing.

"Flash?  Is that you?" Twilight asked while facing a stallion with the yellowish-orange fur and blue mane and eyes that she recognised.  However, she had never seen him dressed in anything other than his work armour before.  He was just in a light jacket to go home for the evening.

"Why, yes.  I can't believe that you've fallen again, Princess," Flash said with a smile.

"Yes, I've been falling a lot since my trip to the human—"  She stopped herself from finishing the sentence, so as to avoid an entire explanation that would possibly make her look like an even bigger egghead, at least in her own mind she thought that.  "I mean, since I've become a princess.  I just haven't gotten used to balancing myself with new wings."

"Hmm," Flash thought out loud.  "I guess I don't remember what it's like to have new wings.  I learned to fly as a foal, but I can't remember any of that.  Would you like somepony to teach you?"

"That would be wonderful, Flash.  Can you teach me some day?" Twilight asked with half-closed eyes in hope that he would say yes.

Flash could feel blood rush to his face at this moment, among other other areas.  He had to calm down, otherwise she would see how pleased he was to be speaking to her.

"Umm... umm," he tried to say.  "Sure, maybe one day.  But that isn't part of my royal duties, though."

"Oh, it could be if I said it was," Twilight said with a wink.

Flash's eyes opened wider upon saying this.  Twilight was actually giving something for him to work with.  He could finally have the opportunity to ask her something he had wanted to ask for weeks.

"Um, Twilight?"

"Yes, Flash?"

Flash Sentry could see a slight twinkle in Twilight's eyes, almost as if she was expecting something amazing.  Now was his time to shine.

"Would you like to, I don't know..."

"Get a—"

"Drink with—"

"You right—"

"Now?" the two of them went back and forth, with Flash finishing the question. 

"Oh, Flash, I would—wait a minute.  What time is it?"

"It's eight fifty-seven, why?"

"Oh no no nononononono.  I'm late!  Gotta go," Twilight said, running back in the direction she came from, nearly forgetting to get her friends with her meeting with Princess Celestia.

"One 'no' would have been fine," Flash yelled sadly, with Twilight probably unable to hear him.  He turned his head down, looking to his hooves, going to leave for home.  "Well, I should have expected that," he said to himself while kicking out one of his forelegs.  "I'm just a guard, after all."
> Chapter 4: The Grand Galloping Gala
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Well, another day, another kingdom to save," Flash said sarcastically while waking up for work the morning of the Grand Galloping Gala.  "Let's see what we have today," he said while going over to his calendar.  "Oh, goodie, another shift in front of the main doors," he said.  "Well, at least I can have dinner for one and still have time to go to the gala."  Every guard who wasn't working during the gala received a single ticket for themselves to attend.  "I'll at least try to go and have some fun."

Flash left his house after a quickly microwaved breakfast and headed towards his locker room inside the castle.

Strangely, though, when he got there, there was nopony else in the locker room.  He shrugged it off and opened his locker, grabbed his suit of armour, and sat down on the usual bench to put it all on—a usual routine that took quite a while, considering there was plenty of equipment to put on.

Flash could hear hoofsteps coming from down the hallway, which wasn't difficult due to the royal guards often wearing heavy horseshoes.  Each step echoed as a pony would make his or her way down the tile floors of the many hallways.

Those hoofsteps got closer and closer, until finally it was revealed who was making them.

"Captain and Prince," Flash said as he sat up and saluted.

"At ease," Shining responded.  "How is everything today?"

"Fine, sir.  I'm just concerned that I'm the only pony here.  Where are Sentinel and Optimus?"

"Their shifts were changed to tonight.  They'll be guarding the front doors of the Grand Galloping Gala.  Now, I'm actually here to speak to you about your work as of late."  Flash didn't know what to expect at a time like this.  The last time Captain Shining Armour had spoken to him, it was good news.  But after the horrid week emotionally that Flash had, he wasn't expecting the same result.  Shining continued, "I've noticed that your quality of work has declined this week.  Is there anything you need to tell me?  I would've expected more from you based on the previous weeks."

Oh, good Celestia, he can never find out that I tried to ask out his sister.  That'd be the end of me working here, Flash thought to himself.

"N-not at all, sir.  Just having a slow week.  It's probably due to the bad weather.  It's making me feel a little gloomy," Flash replied.

"It's been blazing hot and sunny all week, what's your point?"

"Um, yes.  It's too hot, sir."

"Flash, you're a young worker and you haven't been here very long.  We expect the best here at the Guard.  I also expect honesty and don't fancy a liar."

Flash felt his heart sink.  Would he lie again to his boss, the captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard?  Yes, yes he would.

"Just some personal issues at home involving my parents, sir.  I'll try my best not to bring that into work," Flash responded.

"Flash, I'm pretty sure that's not true either.  I'm very disappointed in you and I expected much better of you."

So much for trying.

Flash could almost feel his legs shake at this point, all four of them.  He not only had a poor performance at work this week, but he lied to his boss and got caught instantly.  Discipline was only bound to happen next, at least in the young guard's mind.

"I'm very sorry, Captain.  I've disappointed you," Flash apologized while putting his head down.

"Yes, yes you have," Shining replied.  However, he used his left hoof to lift up the chin of Flash.  "But I'm willing to let that go."  Flash breathed a sigh of relief.   "I am, however, a little concerned that you still didn't admit the true reason of why you have been upset this week," Shining continued.  The sigh of relief turned back into a sinking feeling.  "In fact, I saw the reason why you were upset, and I'm not happy about it either."  Flash could feel his heart sink even lower.  He didn't even know what to expect next, but he knew it wasn't good.  "I saw you talking to my sister."

Crap, how can this get any worse? Flash thought in his mind.

"And, you know, I saw how she rejected you with all of the 'no's, and you know what?  I feel for you, actually."

Flash cocked one of his eyebrows up.  "Really?  You really feel for me?"

"Yes.  I too was a guard who had a crush on a princess," Shining Armour said with a smile.  "In fact, it took me years to finally get her to accept just a simple date.  I had to deal with ridicule from fellow coworkers as well as my own nerves, feelings, and doubts in myself."

Is Shining Armour actually being supportive of me?  Huh.  Maybe he's not such a mean boss as I first thought.

"But, you know what, Flash?"

"What, sir?"

"I stuck with it.  I used to always doubt myself.  There were always voices in my head telling me 'no' no matter what I did in life.  But with Princess Cadence there was only 'yes', and I never gave up on that voice.  That little voice telling me to go for it completely overshadowed all of the doubts in my head, and I went for it.  It was hard—very, very hard—but it worked out in the end and I am so happy I took the risk."

"Um, Shining?"

"Wait, please.  Just, let me finish."

"For sure."

"If you really do have a crush on my sister, I won't hold it against you.  I won't stand in your way.  I encourage you to go for it if you really think you have a chance with her."

Flash was taken back.  There had never been a bigger feeling of relief for him.  Not only was the prince not mad, he was actually supportive.

"Captain, you have no idea what that means to me.  Thank you."

"You're welcome, Flash.  Like I said, I know what it's like to be in your position.  A low ranking guard in love with a princess—it's not a good position to be in."

"Well, I'm not sure if I love her yet.  I need to know her first."

"You're darn right you need to know her first!  As her brother, I'll still have to keep her interest and safety as top priority.  I will do what is best for her to try to keep her happy.  As your boss, I need to make sure that this doesn't affect your work performance, as well.  Keep your work life at work, and your home life home.  Did I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, sir."

"Good.  Anything else you have to say?"

"No, sir.  You were clear enough. I'll do my best at work, and I'll try to get to know Twilight without getting too close to her or too attached."

"Good.  That's what I want to hear.  I forgot one other thing, though."

"What's that, sir?"

"If you touch her, I'll kill you," Shining said with a smile while staring Flash directly in the eyes.  The two of them nearly laughed their heads off.  "Ahhhh... That's a good one," Shining said while wiping a tear from his eye.  "I mean it, though."

Shining gave Flash a quick punch on the shoulder and then left the room.

I really hope he didn't actually mean that, Flash said in his head.  However, the entire conversation was much better than he had ever even hoped.  He could now go into a new work day with normal nerves, not feeling like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Flash finished getting on his royal armour, but just as he was about to put one hoof out the door, a magical noise and a flash of green filled the room.


--------------------------------------


"I haven't really seen Flash since the night of the meeting," Twilight mentioned to her friends while in her room with them that morning.  "And every time I've only 'seen' him, he was at the end of the hallway and went a different way."

"Well, sugarcube, what happened when you spoke to him?" Applejack asked.

"I just made small talk with him.  It was really nice.  I actually helped him finish one of his sentences."

"Oh, darling, that is so sweet," Rarity said.  "What ever did he say to you?"

"He had asked me to go out for a drink with him after work."

"Well, what'd you say back?" Pinkie asked excitedly, but Twilight just kept quiet, thinking to herself.

"Yeah, Twilight, spill the beans," Rainbow demanded.

"I remembered my meeting with Princess Celestia," Twilight replied.  She put her head down as she remembered the situation.  Speaking more slowly and somberly, she added, "I yelled out 'no no no' as I took off down the hallway.  That's actually not the first time I've done that to a creature named Flash Sentry"

"Well, no wonder he doesn't want to see you!" Rarity said.  "He probably thinks you outright rejected him.  He's probably crushed."

"I know, Rarity.  I feel awful about it," Twilight said in a saddened tone.  "There must be some way that I can make it better."

"You can write a letter to him," Spike suggested.

"Oh, yes Twilight.  Invite him to be your date to the Grand Galloping Gala tonight," Fluttershy added.

"Um, I'm not sure," Twilight said with a little it of nerves.

"Yes, darling, you simply must make it up to him."

"Mmmm,"  Twilight thought to herself.  "All right, I'll send him a letter.  But you need to help me learn what to write."

"Deal," said the collective.

Twilight walked around the room, thinking to herself of what she could possibly write to make things better.  Meanwhile, Spike got a pen and paper, eagerly waiting at Twilight's desk to write what was on her mind.

"How about, 'Dear Flash Sentry'?  That seems like a good start, doesn't it?"

All of the other mares looked at Twilight with half-closed eyes of discontent.

"No no no," Rarity said.  "'Dear sexy.'  That is much better."

"No way, Rarity.  I'm not jumping that far ahead."

"Suit yourself, darling."

"If Twilight suits herself, then she will have the must boring dress of the entire gala," Pinkie said.

"That's not what I meant, Pinkie," Rarity defended.

"Girls, stop.  I need to think," Twilight said while still walking around the room.  She stopped in place when an idea came into her head.  "'My dearest Flash Sentry.'"

"Sounds good to me," Rainbow said.

Twilight smiled and continued, "'I want to apologize for leaving you so abruptly.  It was really rude of me to do so, and I sincerely apologize.  To make it up to you, I would love it if you could join me at tonight's Grand Galloping Gala.  In fact, I would be honoured if you would come by and pick me up just before.  That way we could walk in together.  It would mean the world to me if you would accept my apology.  Yours truly, Princess Twilight Sparkle.'  How does that sound?"

All of the mares had smiles on their faces.

"That is delightful, Twilight," Rarity complemented, to which Twilight smiled in return.

"All right, Spike.  Send the letter, please," Twilight commanded.

Spike blew out from his mouth the usual green smoke, sending the letter over to Flash Sentry's locker room.

"And now we wait," said Rainbow Dash.


--------------------------------------


"What the buck is that?" Flash asked as he saw the green smoke in the room.  He noticed the letter fall onto the bench after the smoke disappeared.  He picked it up.  The whole letter just smelled of royalty and beauty, probably because of the paper being in Twilight's room.

Flash held the letter in his front hoof.

Dear Flash Sentry Dear Sexy My Dearest Flash Sentry, I want to apologize for leaving you so obru abrub abruptly.  It was really rude of me to do so, and I sincerely apologize.  To make it up to you, I would love it if you could join me at tonight's Grand Galloping Gala.  In fact, I would be honoured if you would come by and pick me up just before.  That way, we could walk in together.  It would mean the world to me if you would accept my apple orgy apology.  Yours truly, Princess Twilight Sparkle.

Flash was a little concerned with the spelling issues in the letter.  He could not be totally sure if this came from the princess herself.  In fact, it could have been a prank from his coworkers, or even a test from Shining Armour.

That was when another shot of green smoke filled the room, depositing another letter on the bench.  Flash read it out loud.

I'm very sorry that I didn't proof read my previous letter.  That was my loyal assistant, Spike, who wrote it.  He is still young and probably wasn't listening properly.  However, the message still stands, and I would love it if you could pick me up before the gala today.

Flash held the letter close to his heart.  He desperately hoped that it was really from the princess herself.  If it wasn't, it probably would be one of the most embarrassing moments of his entire life.  But the reward was worth the risk.


--------------------------------------


"Don't you worry, Twilight, he's going to come."

"Are you sure, Rarity?  The Gala is only a few hours away."

"Yes, silly.  A princess always gets her prince," Pinkie added.

Twilight was waiting in her room with her friends once again, but this time she was fully dressed in her new gala dress, along with her friends with each of their own.  Rarity had really outdone herself on this occasion.  Twilight's mane was more curly and wavy than usual, her eyelashes elongated, her crown sparkling, and her brilliant light blue dress sparkling with the gems put on it.  The dress sparkled almost as much as her eyes themselves on this night.  Everything about Twilight on this night was just beautiful.  She needed to look her best, though, because this was her first gala as a member of the royal family, and the first time as a pony that she really had an interest in somepony else.

"I don't know, girls.  What if he thinks the letter was a joke?  What if he thinks it's from me but still doesn't want to come because of how I treated him?" Twilight pondered out loud.

"That's enough questions, sugarcube," Applejack responded while coming to face Twilight.  "You need to just breathe.  Everything will be all right.  He's going to come.  And even if he doesn't come, you will still have a great night with us."

Knock knock knock

"Ooooh.  There he iiiiissssss," Rarity teased.

Twilight went to the door, took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and opened it up with a smile.

"I found your necklace, Rarity.  It was left in the dining room," Spike said while walking in through the door and back into the room.

Twilight had a distinct look of disappointment on her face.  Spike was not the male creature she wanted to come through that door and that time.

"Well, girls, I guess he isn't coming.  We might as well just lea—"

"Princess Twilight Sparkle?"

Twilight, who was facing her friends, noticed that they all shot a grin from ear to ear.  Her eyes widened largely.  She took a breath again, put on a normal face, and turned around.

"Oh, Flash, you don't know how happy I am to see you," Twilight said with an eager grin.

"I'm so happy to know that that really was your letter!  So, I'm here to accept my apple orgy," he said with a smile.

"Um, excuse me?" Applejack asked.  "Who told you about that?"

Flash gave a confused—and sort-of concerned—look towards Applejack, but then grinned and looked back to Twilight.

"Yes, that's what I get for making Spike write all my letters."

"Hey!" Spike called out.

"You do a fine job, Spike.  But I should really start writing the important letters myself."  She then turned back to Flash with a smile, making the most innocent face she could muster up.  "So..."

"Would you like to be my date to the gala?" Flash asked the princess.  His black and probably expensively rented tuxedo with a white shirt and black bow tie was just to die for.  His blue mane was styled back with a slight curl in front.  He was nearly a dream come true in himself.

"I would love to, Flash," Twilight responded.  She then turned to her friends with the biggest smile she could muster up.  She bit her lip in excitement, and turned back to join her date.

"You won't regret this, my princess," Flash Sentry said as the two of them left.

Twilight walked side-by-side with Flash, looking up at the stallion who was a few centimetres taller than her as they made their way to the courtyard of the castle to get to the main entrance where the attendees were to enter.  The grin on both of their faces could make the most brute stallion ever sigh in content.  Spike and the five other mares closely followed, all in their own glorious gala outfits.


--------------------------------------


"How much you wanna bet that Flash isn't going to even show, Optimus?" Sentinel said while standing next to the front doors.  "Go ahead, ma'am."

"I'll bet five bits.  He's not even gonna show," Optimus responded.  "Enjoy the gala, sir."

Sentinel and Optimus were serving their royal duties, taking tickets for the many ponies invited to the Grand Galloping Gala.

"Dang, look at that sweet filly coming up the stairs now, Optimus," Sentinel said while looking out at one of the guests coming up.

"I'll bet you she's easy."

"Don't be so sure, boys," Rainbow responded after hearing them while she was coming up the front stairs.  The two guards weren't really quiet about what was on their mind.  As she walked in through the doors, her tail smacked both of them in the face.

Rainbow was followed by Rarity.  "Oh, sweet Celestia, look at that one," said Optimus.

"Why, she's simply magnificent," Sentinel responded as he gazed down at her.

"Um, Sentinel?"

"I mean, yeah, she's hot bro," Sentinel said, changing his tone to a more robust one.

Rarity made her way by, taking her sweet time so as not to trip due to her high hoof shoes.

"Evening, ma'am.  Enjoy the gala," Sentinel said.

"Why, thank you sir," Rarity responded with a curtsey.

Rarity was followed by Spike, Fluttershy, Applejack, and a bouncing Pinkie Pie.

"See, Optimus?  I knew Flash wasn't going to show."

That was when their nearly evil grins turned into looks of shock as they saw the one and only Flash Sentry turn the corner, trotting alongside Princess Twilight Sparkle.  Optimus and Sentinel looked at each other, hardly believing what was in front of them.  He did it.  He actually did it.  He was able to bring the princess he admired to the gala, and she seemed as content as could be.

"Gentlecolts," Flash said while walking in.  But they couldn't respond.  They just looked back in envy as Flash made his way inside with the mare of his dreams, grinning slyly back to his coworkers.  Their mouths were slightly open.

"You owe me five bits."

"The night's not over yet.  Ten bits he'll leave alone."


--------------------------------------


While Twilight's five Ponyville friends, as well as Spike, all went their separate ways to enjoy the gala, Flash and Twilight went to the lobby area just in front of the bathrooms.

"Flash, why'd you bring me here?"

"Because, Twilight, I just want to know something before we go in."

"What's that?"

"I don't know much about you, nor probably you about me.  I'm just a low-ranking guard, and you're a princess.  How is this going to look if we go further inside together?  I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"Say no more, Flash.  I'm ready to go in with you," Twilight said with a comforting smile.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said with a happy nod.

"No, really.  Think about this," Flash responded.  "Are you positively sure you want to go in there with a guard?  Things may never be the same."

"Flash, stop it.  I'm fully willing to accept the consequences if it means I get the reward in the end," Twilight reassured.

Flash could not help but have a massive, natural smile on his face.  "All right, my princess, after you."


--------------------------------------


"I wonder where Twilight is," Princess Celestia said to Luna, Cadence, and Shining Armour.

"Oh, she'll be coming," Shining responded.  "She's so obsessive that she'd panic at just being late."

"Speaking of Twilight, there she is now," Cadence said while pointing towards the door of the ballroom they were in.  Far off in the distance, past all of the many attendees of the gala, there stood Twilight Sparkle, happy as could be.

"Oh, she has one of your guards with her, Shining," Princess Luna pointed out.

"Hey, isn't that Flash Sentry?" Princess Cadence asked.  She looked upon the face of her husband.  His face told the whole story.  He stood there, mouth ajar, as he saw that the same worker he had the talk with was actually able to his sister to go with him.  The bigger shock was that Twilight actually had a date.  Not that she couldn't get one, but she was always too focused on studying to actually care for stallions.

"Why, yes, yes it is, my dear," Shining said.  It wasn't really apparent what he was thinking.  He could have been happy, worried, concerned, or even a combination of those emotions.  No matter what he felt, he hid it well.

Twilight and Flash made their way over to where the other members of Equestria's royalty were.  Twilight looked at them with sheer joy as she saw their accepting smiles.

"Hello everyone, this is—"

"Welcome, Flash Sentry," Princess Celestia interrupted.

"Hello there, ma'am," Flash said while bowing, looking straight to her hooves.

"No need to be that formal, Flash," the white-coated princess informed him.

"Thank you, Princess Celestia."  Flash moved his way next to Princess Luna and gave a much slighter bow.  "Princess Luna."

"Flash Sentry.  We are pleased to see you again."  Flash then moved over to Princess Cadence.  "Princess Cadence."

"Flash Sentry.  Pleased to see you again, as well," Cadence responded.

"Likewise, ma'am."

Twilight seemed to be quite impressed with the kindness and honour that her date bestowed upon the royalty.  The next pony in line, however, was her own brother Shining Armour.  She was intrigued to see how they would greet each other.

"Captain Shining Armour."

"Flash Sentry.  It's great to see you again, this time in a different setting."

"Likewise, sir."

The two of them shook hooves, nodded their heads, and then Flash returned to be by Twilight's side.

"You two go on and enjoy your night," Princess Celestia told them.

"Thanks, princess.  We will," Twilight responded, happy that the meet-and-greet went by seamlessly.  Twilight put her right hoof around Flash's left, tugging him to come along and go meet the other guests of the gala.

"They seem cute together, don't they sweetheart?" Cadence asked Shining.

"Yeah."

"Come on, love.  I don't like that tone in you.  Give Flash a chance.  He seems nice and he can make your sister really happy."

"Dear, it doesn't matter who Twilight went out with tonight.  I'm always going to feel nervous for her.  She's my little sister, and I want to make sure that she is going to be safe and happy.  I don't want her to get hurt."

"She's a grown mare, Shining, she can take care of herself."

"I know, I know, sweetheart.  But I will always worry."


--------------------------------------


Twilight and Flash spent the next few hours greeting many of the famous ponies from all around Equestria.  Flash, who had never really met anypony famous before, was nearly in heaven with all of the rich and famous being there.  And he did quite well.  He seemed very content speaking with those who had rankings high above his own.  Twilight introduced him to members of the Wonderbolts, various athletes from the different Equestrian sports leagues, as well as musicians like Octavia, Bob Marely, Ponny Cash, Vinyl Scratch, and the members of various bands like Green Hay, Coltplay, Bon Poni, and The Rolling Toms.  Flash felt on top of the world, especially having a date as famous as all these ponies.

As the night went on, though, Flash realised something.  He didn't spend any quality time with just himself and Twilight together.  Most, neigh, all of the time was spent with other ponies.  He learned a little bit about his date, and she learned more about him as well, but it wasn't much.  Flash wanted just a few minutes of quality time alone with Twilight, even if it took place in the crowd.  

The perfect time came at around eleven at night, as the gala was going well along.

The members of the Canterlot Orchestra were setting up to play slow songs for the ponies to dance to—the perfect opportunity to dance with a very special somepony.  Twilight at the time was talking to Spitfire while Flash was looking at the orchestra.  They all grabbed their instruments with their hooves, ready to play.  Flash grinned with anticipation with butterflies in his stomach.  This is his chance to ask Twilight to dance, which was something that he hadn't done since the senior fall formal of Canterlot High School, which Twilight didn't attend due to being in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

The music began to play.  The cello, violin, piano, and some brass instruments were played in accord, creating a song that caused all of the couples at the gala to go together to the dance floor, as well as single stallions going to ask single mares to dance.  Now was Flash's chance to have a special moment with Twilight Sparkle.

"Excuse me, Spitfire, but may I steal my date for a little bit?" Flash asked while interrupting Twilight and the captain of the Wonderbolts' conversation.

"Of course, be my guest," Spitfire agreed, then moving on to another group of ponies.

Flash grabbed Twilight's hoof tenderly.  "Would you like to dance?"

Twilight blushed, remembering how bad of a dancer she truly was.  But she nodded her head nervously, giving Flash—and herself—a chance.

He walked her over to the middle of the dance floor.  He reached out his hoof and bowed to her, and she grabbed it and swung her other hoof around his shoulder, in order that the two of them were grasping each other and balancing in order to dance slowly together.  They began to move their bodies slowly to the music, turning slightly and watching the other ponies at the gala over their partner's shoulders.

"You don't know how long I've wanted to dance with a mare as special as you, Twilight."

"I feel the same way about you, Flash."

They shared a smile as they looked into each others' eyes as the music played on.  Twilight decided to lower her head onto the back of Flash, just beside his head, which caused the stallion's eyes to widen.  She closed her eyes in sheer contentment as the couple continued to move.  Flash looked down at the mare on his side, her head rested softly on him.  It was one of the perfect moments that he always wanted to share with somepony special.

Flash continued to turn himself and Twilight, eventually looking over to Cadence and Shining Armour, who were also dancing.  He was able to smile at Shining, who returned it back to him slightly.

"Dear, how're you feeling about Twilight and Flash?" Cadence asked Shining as they danced to the same song.

"You know, I'm still a little skeptical, but only because I love Twilight and I want the best for her," the stallion responded while looking on.  "But even though this is only their first night together, Flash seems to make her happy, and that's good enough for me.  For now."

As the song ended, Twilight and Flash broke off form each other and bowed.

"Hey, do you want to get outta here for a little bit?" Flash asked Twilight quietly.

"Like, go for a walk in the courtyard?"

"Sort of."

"Sure."

The couple slowly slid away, walking side by side, while the other couples continued dancing to the next song.

"Shining, you have that look in your eyes again," Cadence said as she watched her husband look at his sister and her date.

"I have to go follow them," Shining muttered as he looked away from her.

"No, dear, leave them alone.  They're both grown up.  Trust that Flash can make her happy."

"I still can't let anything happen to her.  I can't take any chances."


--------------------------------------


"Isn't the courtyard beautiful, Twilight?" Flash said as they trotted along the path.

"It sure is, Flash.  I come here sometimes to think about things.  Sometimes my room feels like a cell, and I just have to come out here and take a walk."

"I do the same thing, Twilight."

The two of them looked up at the stars, gazing at their beauty.  Luna's moon was full on this night, and the galaxies shined bright like diamonds in the sky.  Even though diamonds actually reflect.

"Hey, Twily?

"Wait, what did you call me?"

"Sorry, I can't call you Twily?"

"Only my BBBFF usually calls me Twily."  Upon seeing the reaction of Flash, she knew he had no clue what she was saying.  "My big brother best friend forever, Shining Armour."

"Oh.  Well, I don't have to call you that then, if you don't want me to."

"No... I like being called that.  Especially when you say it," she said with a blush, batting her eyelids.

Flash felt nervous, excited, happy, scared—all at the same time.  He didn't know what to think of his emotions, but he knew one thing—he was in love.  Yes, even this quickly.  He didn't need many reasons to love her—he just did.  The look in her eyes, her smile, and her beautiful, endearing personality were reasons enough for Flash to be drawn to her.

"Fly with me, Twily."

"Um..."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know how to fly."

"Don't be so modest, Twilight.  You're an alicorn princess, of course you can fly!"

"No, I mean it, I can't fly.  I mean it.  Watch."  Twilight spread her wings, for which there were openings in her dress that Rarity designed.  She lifted herself up off the ground, flapped about three times, and fell back down with Flash catching her and putting her back on all fours.

"Why can't you fly?"

"I've only had these wings for a couple of months.  I've never needed to use them."

"I forgot about that," Flash replied.  "Didn't we arrange that I will teach you one day?"

Twilight smirked and nodded her head.

"Come on, Twily, it's easy.  It's probably harder for me to teach you than it is for you to fly.  It's something... unexplainable.  I don't even think it's something you can teach.  It's just something that you're born with—something you feel."

"Well, I wasn't born with these things."

"But you can definitely feel them."

"Yes, I can."

"Okay then.  Spread them like I'm doing."  Flash spread his wings up in the air, pointing them to the sky.  Twilight did the same thing.  "Good, now just flap slowly like I am."

Twilight began to flap her wings slowly like Flash was doing.  After a few tries, they were both in sync with their flaps.

"Am I doing it right?"

"You certainly are.  Now, close your eyes, and flap a little faster."  Twilight did just so.  She closed her eyes and began to flap with more of a passion.  Flash could see some stress on her face, though.  "Don't flap too fast.  You don't want to get tired."

Twilight slowed down her pace enough to keep it consistent and still keep her energy high.

Meanwhile, while Flash was looking directly at Twilight the entire time, Shining Armour was up on one of the highest balconies of the castle, watching.

"Dear, what're you doing?" Cadence asked as she went through the doors and joined her husband on the balcony.

"I'm just making sure Twilight's happy and safe, Cadence."

"She looks pretty happy to me."

"I know.  I'm afraid of that."

"First you wanted her happy, and now you don't?"

"No no no, now I'm actually starting to get afraid that she'll be too happy.  My love, she's only on her first ever date, and look at her.  She's having more fun than she has ever had with me, and she's actually flying."

Cadence and Shining watched as Twilight rose softly into the sky.  Flash kept level with her to make sure she was safe.

"Ca-can I open my eyes now?" Twilight asked nervously.

"You most certainly can."

Twilight opened her eyes, the ground of the courtyard and ten metres below her.

"Whaaa!"

"Stay calm, Twilight!  You're good."

"Flash, I'm scared.  I want to hold your hoof,"  Twilight said while reaching her own hoof out, with Flash grabbing it in response.

"Twily, you cheeky little flirt," Shining said from the balcony above, watching his little sister grab the hoof of her date, flying closer to him, and eventually flapping together with Flash while right beside him.  The two of them shared a natural, unforced, loving smile and stare.

"She's fine, dear.  She's really happy with him.  Let's give them some alone time," Cadence responded.

"All right," Shining said, then turned around to join his wife back inside.

Flash and Twilight flew hoof in hoof around the castle, and eventually over Canterlot.  Every time Twilight felt like she was going to lose her balance, Flash would grab her and stabilize her.  It was the second perfect moment of the night.


--------------------------------------


"Flash, I can't thank you enough for tonight," Twilight said.

"Oh, stop it, you," Flash responded while waving his hoof in the air.

"No, I mean it.  I have never felt happier in my entire life."

After their flight, in the early hours of the morning, Flash walked Twilight back to her room.  Her mane was a mess, she was tired, but she couldn't care less.  She had feelings for this Flash Sentry that she never had before for anypony.

"So, I guess I'll see you around?" Flash asked.

"I sure hope so!" Twilight responded eagerly.

"Would you like to do it again?"

"Any time."

Twilight stared into Flash's eyes, and he returned it.  She could see his eyes dilate, and he began to bite his lips.  She then noticed that he looked down at her mouth.  Her mouth went from a smile to serious.

Twilight reached up and gave a slight peck on Flash's cheek, looked him in the eyes again, and said, "Thank you, Flash.  Have a good night."

Flash did nothing in response but let out a little sigh and smiled.  Twilight turned around and went into her room.  Flash turned around, jumped and clicked his back hooves in the air, and made his way back home on probably the best night of his life so far.
> Chapter 5: A Special Outing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"I think this is the place Rarity told me to meet her," Twilight said while looking up at the Curl Up and Dye Salon, which was right beside the Canterlot Cemetery.  Rarity had arranged for Twilight to have a slight makeover for her next date with Flash Sentry.

Twilight opened the door with her magic, causing the chimes and bells to ring, alerting the store owner that a new customer had arrived.

"Oh, Princess Twilight?" a tall unicorn with a thick accent, stunning white coat, and pink mane asked from behind the counter.

"Um, yes.  I'm here to get a makeover with Rarity, I think."

"Yes, lady Rarity already made the reservation and paid for you.  She's just sitting down over there," the salon pony said while pointing over to one of the seats with a pony whose head was completely covered in one of the hair machines.  Only by the mare's tail and fur colour could Twilight recognise that it was indeed Rarity.

"I was expecting you, Twilight.  At least, I think that's you standing there.  I can't see."

"Thank you so much, Rarity.  I really appreciate you doing this for me."

"No problem, darling.  Please, take a seat beside me.  Fleur will come by and fix you up in a few minutes."

Twilight sat down in the salon chair beside Rarity.  "Where are the others?"

"They're spending the day site-seeing around Canterlot.  We're only here for a few more days, after all."

"I know.  I don't even want to think about it.  It'll be back to reality soon."

"Oh yes, Twilight, and that's why I want you to look your best by the time Flash comes by to pick you up tonight.  You really need to make a good impression."

"Isn't being me enough for him?  I mean, aren't I good enough?"

"Good heavens, Twilight, of course you're good enough for him.  But you still want to look your best.  You want him to be completely convinced that he's doing the right thing.  And, you know, he's probably really nervous about going after somepony who is way out of his league."

"I'm not out of his league, Rarity.  I may be a princess in body and position, but I'm still just a filly at heart."

"Of course you are, my dear.  But just... trust me.  If you look better, you'll feel better."

"All right, Rarity, I'll trust you."

"What does your brother think about all this?"

"I'm not so sure.  He spoke to me the morning after the gala.  He said that he saw Flash teaching me how to fly, and he saw how happy I was.  He told me that all he wants is the best for me, and if Flash is what is best for me, I have his full love and support."

"Shining is such a sweetheart.  Usually bigger brothers would be skeptical about another stallion."

"Oh, I'm sure he still is."

"What gives you that idea?"

"Think about it, Rarity.  He was watching me and Flash when we were taking a trot outside, Flash is one of Shining's workers, and I'm his little sister, a leader.  Shining is still scared, but he just doesn't want me to think that."

"He'll always be scared, Twilight.  You're his little sister, and he just wants what is best for you.  I would talk to him if I was you, just to see what's on his mind."

"I think that's a good idea, Rarity.  I'll do it before my date tonight."

"Where are you even going?" Rarity asked with intrigue.  "The second date is an important one, after all.

"Actually, Rarity, it's my third," Twilight mentioned quietly.

"What?" Rarity screamed.  "How could you not tell us that this was your third date?  This is the most important one!  And what happened to your second date?"

"It was nothing major, Rarity.  It was two nights ago.  He took me out to Canterlot Gardens Restaurant, and we walked down the path in the park, before he brought me home.  We told each other minor things about ourselves.  I told him how it was like to live in Ponyville, I told him about you five and Spike, and he told me about what he likes to do, like playing guitar or hoofball.  It was short but sweet, yet we didn't expose anything major about ourselves yet."

"That sounds lovely, actually," Rarity responded.  "But you still should have told us about the date."

"I felt like I did a good job on my own, Rarity.  I'm my own mare."

"I don't doubt that, Twilight.  I just really wish you would have told me about it, my dear, and it's only because I want what's best for you.  Did you tell him about your adventures?  Your trip to the human world?"

"Not yet, Rarity.  I already know that this Flash isn't the same as the one through the portal.  I figured that out early, but his personality is the same—or extremely similar.  He's really cool, and I didn't want him to think of me as a weirdo if I told him on the second date about another dimension.  That was too soon."

"Well, my dear, when are you going to tell him?"

"When the timing is right."

"Are you ready for your makeover, Princess Twilight?" Fleur asked as she approached the princess sitting in the salon chair.

"I most certainly am."

"Oh, hold on a second, Twilight.  I got this." Rarity called Fleur over and instructed her what to do to Twilight, but all of that sounded like gibberish to the alicorn, who wasn't used to the salon life.

"Certainly, miss Rarity," Fleur responded.  The salon mare walked over to Twilight, pushed her chair back so that the princess' head went into the sink, and she began her procedures to making Twilight look new.


--------------------------------------


Later that afternoon, Flash, Optimus, and Sentinel finished their shifts of guard duty and were getting ready to go home for the evening.

"What're you doing tonight, Flash?"

"I've got another date, Optimus."

"What?  Wait one second: Twilight is going on a second date with you?" Sentinel shouted.

"Why is that such a shock to you?  Also, this is our third date."

"Well, you are a guard, after all, while she is a princess.  You don't have much of a chance to go far with her."

"Thanks for the encouragement, Sentinel.  That's really kind of you."

"No problem," Sentinel responded, completely ignoring Flash's sarcasm.

"I have one suggestion for you," Optimus started.  "Wait a minute, this is your third date?"

"Yes."

"Well then, this changes everything."

"What do you mean?" Flash asked.

Optimus and Sentinel looked at each other and smiled deceivingly.

"The third date is always when you can get yourself some flank," Sentinel said.

"Oh, Celestia, don't start this with me," Flash said, rolling his eyes.

"Come on, Flash," Optimus said.  "You may not get another chance to get with a princess.  Do her while you can.  You'll forever be a hero to us."

"Guys, please leave.  I don't need to hear this," Flash said politely, though with a little bit of frustration.

"Whatever," Sentinel said while walking around Flash, who was sitting on the bench in the change room.  "But don't say we didn't warn you when she dumps you after tonight!"

Flash just shook his head while looking at the ground.  Sentinel and Optimus never really were his friends.  He just viewed them as coworkers and jokers.  They never really meant anything to him.

Don't listen to them, Flash.  Just keep doing what you're doing, Flash's mind told him.  You'll be all right.

Flash turned back to gather his things and put them in his backpack, ready to leave to get ready for his evening date.  He didn't know what to do for the date.  He had paid for dinner for Twilight the previous date, and he spent the rest of his bits for the month on his suit for the date on this night.

"Flash Sentry, could I speak to you for a minute?"

Uh oh, Flash thought to himself.  He could hear the voice of Shining Armour behind him.  Shining had shown much respect and support to Flash so far, but the pegasus feared that that would change at any given time.

"Yes, Captain?" Flash turned and asked respectfully.

"Take a seat," Shining said while sitting down on the bench.  Flash nervously came and sat on the bench beside the captain of the Guard.  "I just wanted to talk to you about your date tonight."

"For sure, sir.  I'm listening."

"I spoke to Twilight about your previous times together, and I must say that I'm very impressed with you so far."  

Flash's eyes opened wide while he was looking down at his hooves.  Surely there would be a time when Shining Armour would put his hoof down; yet it still hadn't happened yet.

"You seem to be making her very happy, which is all I want for her.  So, you may continue to date her with my good wishes."

"Wow, thank you sir."

"But there is one thing I need to tell you."

"Anything."

"Please, don't listen to a word that Sentinel and Optimus said to you tonight.  I heard what they were telling you, and it's a load of crap.  Twilight won't dump you after tonight, but you also don't have to do anything intimate with her.  Since she's a princess, she'll have to be a role model too.  I highly suggest you don't try anything funny with her, otherwise you won't only be hearing from me, you'll be hearing from anypony who finds out about it."

"Trust me, sir, I already don't listen to anything they say to me," Flash responded, causing Shining to nod his head in acceptance.  "I also wasn't planning anything special tonight.  In fact, I don't even have enough bits to do anything special."

"Good to hear.  Well, the first part, I mean.  Unfortunately, I don't have any major suggestions for what you can do, really.  If I had anything in mind, I'd try to help you out." 

"I want to do something special for her, but I can't afford anything right now.  Maybe I should just cancel or reschedule for when I have more bits."

"Um, no.  Don't do that.  With the way Twilight is in her constant scheduling, this will not go well.  If she has time for a date tonight, that means that she made time for you."

"All right, but I can't even afford to take her out to eat tonight."

Shining Armour thought for a few seconds.  "I actually may have something you can do."  Shining reached into the bag that was on his side and, using his magic, pulled out two tickets.  "Take her to the match tonight."

Flash grabbed the two tickets with his hooves, and after reading them, he realised that they were for tonight's hoofball match that had the Canterlot Royals taking on Trottingham Forest at Canterlot Field.

"Shining, you really don't have to do this."

"No, I insist.  I can't have you make a bad impression simply because of your current situation.  I was going to take Cadence tonight, but I think you would have better use of this match."

Flash looked at the tickets, revealing that they were box seats, which usually included food.  "Shining, are you serious?"

"Yes, I am.  Come on, I may not always be this nice to you!  Take advantage while you can."

"Thank you," Flash responded, looking at the tickets.  "Thank you so much.  You have no idea what this means to me."

"You're welcome, Flash.  I want you to make Twilight happy.  That's all that matters to me."

"Can I hug you?"

"No."  Flash and Shining shared a quick chuckle.  Then, Shining continued, "You can hug Twilight, and you can kiss her cheek tonight, but that's it.  And I mean it."

"I will drop her off at home as pure as she'll be when I pick her up."

"Good to hear, soldier."  Shining got up, about to leave the room.  "Oh, one more thing."

"Anything, Captain."

"Good luck."


--------------------------------------


"Twilight, you look amazing," Fluttershy complemented as Twilight and Rarity made their way back from the salon and into Twilight's room.

"Your mane is awesome," Rainbow added, commenting about Twilight's new wavy manestyle.

"Shucks, sugarcube, Flash is going to love seeing you tonight," Applejack added.

"Thanks, girls, that really makes me feel good."

"I had something to do with it, you know," Rarity mentioned.

"We already knew that, Rarity," Applejack responded.  "The whole outfit just screams Rarity."

Twilight walked over to the mirror.  Her reflection was simply stunning.  Her eyelashes were longer, her mane was beautiful, and the new, stunning dress that Rarity had made her was simply magnificent.  The dress was golden coloured, almost as if it came from a fairy tale, and it went down to her back hooves.  Her crown shined as usual.

Rarity came over to the mirror to discuss with Twilight.  "Do you like it?"

"Rarity, I absolutely love it.  I can't thank you enough."

"It's my pleasure, darling.  That's what I'm here for."

Twilight looked at the clock on the wall, revealing that there were only a few minutes left to go before Flash would come by to bring Twilight out for the date.

"All right, girls, do you think I'm ready for the date?"

They all nodded and smiled in response with wide eyes.  In fact, it probably the best that Twilight had ever looked; even better than she looked at the galas or at her own brother's wedding.

"Wait a sec, sugarcube.  Do you even know where you're going tonight?"

"Actually, no, Applejack.  Flash never told me.  Does it really matter, though?"

"Not really, Twi," Rainbow responded.  "All that matters is what happens tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"I agree with Rainbow, darling," Rarity said.  "It's the third date—the most important one."

"You keep saying that.  Why?"

The mares looked at each other with smiles.

"Yeah, why? Spike asked.

"Um, Spikey, would you mind going to get me a glass of water?" Rarity asked.

"Anything for you, Rarity," Spike responded while leaving the room.

"Now will you tell me why tonight is so important?" Twilight asked.

Pinkie Pie giggled.  "The third date is always very special for what happens after it."

"Oh," Twilight realised.  "No, I'm not going to do that yet."

"Why ever not?"

"Because, Rarity, I'm not like that.  I'm a princess, and I must remain innocent."

"I guess I respect you for that," Applejack said.

"Well, all right, darling," Rarity said.  "But you simply must bring protection, just in case."

"Protection?  What do you mean?"

"Here, take this in case it rains.  It will protect your mane," Rarity answered while handing Twilight an umbrella.

"Oh.  No, I don't think it's going to rain, Rarity.  I'll be all right," Twilight assured them.

The mares all went quiet when they heard a knock at the door.

"Well, it's my time to leave," Twilight mumbled.

Twilight used her magic to open the door, revealing Flash Sentry in a very expensive-looking blue suit.  Twilight just opened her eyes wide and looked at him

"Oh sweet goodness, he's even dreamier than before," Rarity whispered to the other mares behind Twilight.

"You ready, Twily?"

"I certainly am," Twilight said with a smile.  "Where are we going?"

"I kind of want it to be a surprise."

Twilight looked back at the mares, gave them a wink, and left with her coltfriend for the third and most important date so far.


--------------------------------------


"Are you serious, Flash?" Twilight asked while looking up at the walls of the famous stadium in Canterlot.  Twilight had remembered the times that she used to go to games with her family as a filly because of her brother's love of hoofball.  It was always more of her brother's thing to enjoy going to sports games than her's, but Twilight did like the excitement of the crowd and the sport itself, at times.  The unicorn also enjoyed the statistics and strategy involved.

"I am, Twily.  Your brother gave me box seats for the match."

"Shining did this?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are you sure, Flash?"

"Positive.  Here, take a look."  Flash showed Twilight the tickets, confirming that the purchaser was indeed Shining Armour.

"Why, though?  Why would he do that?  I would expect him to be more concerned than actually trying to help you."

"Maybe he's not as tough as you think, Twily... Wait, I didn't mean that.  He is tough.  I just think that maybe he just wants you to be happy."

"You know, that is what he told me after the gala.  But it still surprises me."

"Maybe there's more to your brother than you know.  I know that there is plenty about you that I don't know yet."

"You can't even begin to imagine," Twilight thought out loud.

"Well, I'll have a fun time figuring it all out.  Let's go," Flash said while grabbing a hold of Twilight's hoof, leading her in the direction of their gate.

Twilight and Flash made their way to the box seats, which was the middle level of the three-tier grandstand of the stadium.  The seats were at about midfield, and both teams were taking their pre-game warm-ups.  Some of the players were practicing their shooting by striking the ball with their hooves, shooting at the pegasi goalkeepers.  Most goalkeepers in hoofball were pegasi, because of the advantage they had with the use of their wings.

"Flash, this is so exciting.  I haven't been to a match in years," Twilight informed her coltfriend.

"Then you'll really enjoy it.  Canterlot won the Equestrian Premier League and the Equestrian Cup last year, and they made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.  They've got a very good team right now."

Twilight took in the sights and smells of the game as the opening whistle from the referee was blown.  The crowd was, as usual for Canterlot, a sellout of about thirty-thousand ponies.  The south end, to the couple's left, was where most of the chanting was coming from, as usual.

"Um, Flash?"

"Yes, Twilight?"

"I just realised something."

"What's that?"

"I am way overdressed for this crowd here."  Twilight looked around at the other ponies who shared the box, as well as the fans in the general seats down below.  Almost everypony was in street clothes or a jersey, and only a few were remotely closely well-dressed as Twilight and Flash.

"Twilight, look at me," Flash said while pointing to his suit.  "You're a princess.  You're expected to look good.  I look like I missed the prom for this game."  That comment caused Twilight to chuckle a little, as well as feel less out-of-place.

As the match went on, it was dominated by Canterlot over the recently promoted Trottingham Forest team.  However, there was no score by halftime.

"Would you like some refreshments, Princess?" asked one of the server ponies inside the box while holding some hoof-sized snacks.

"Oh wow, free food for being a princess," Twilight said happily while looking to Flash.  Flash opened his eyes and nodded his head in a happy yet sarcastic way with a smile, not trying to draw attention that every pony in the box received all food for free for being in the skybox.

The match went on, the crowd cheered and roared at every opportunity, but the score remained tied until the final few minutes.  Trottingham Forest had the ball in the eighty-fifth minute.  The captain of Trottingham, a defender, made a move into the box and was pulled down by one of the Canterlot defenders.  After rolling around on the floor, the referee gave the Nottingham player a penalty, and showed a red card to the Canterlot defender, causing an uproar from the crowd.

"What?" Twilight screamed at the top of her lungs.  "That is not fair!  The player dove!  What's wrong with you referee?"

Flash looked at Twilight with widened eyes.  Oh, good Celestia, I love you, he thought in his mind as he saw his new fillyfriend showing a passion for sports that he never knew she had in her.

Twilight looked up at Flash with an embarrassed face.  "Um, that wasn't really lady-like of me, was it?  That's more of a thing that Rainbow Dash would do."

"Twilight, I respect you on a whole new level because of that," Flash responded with a smile, which was returned back to him.

After the arguments of the call on the field, the fans began to boo the referee as the Royals' defender who got sent off made his way to the bench.  Twilight and Flash then heard a weird roar coming from underneath them, slightly to the right.  They both peered over and saw a pony, naked, running on the field towards the referee.  The crowd was a mix of both cheers for the bravery of the streaker, and sounds of disapproval, as well as laughter.  The stallion on the field, husky in nature, made his way surprisingly around the first few security guards, yelled in the face of the referee, and was then tackled to the ground and carried off the field.

"Ugh, that is just preposterous," one older mare said, who was dressed classily in the box with them.

Twilight looked down to the crowd.  Some of the ponies were giving a standing ovation to the field invader, while other ponies, mostly of higher class, were not too thrilled with him.

"I forgot that public nudity is usually looked down on here in Canterlot," Twilight mentioned.  "I guess I really have been gone for quite a while."

"I guess in Ponyville clothing is optional?"

"Oh yes, Flash.  Hats are usually the most you will see there."

"Hmm.  I feel like I'd like to visit Ponyville sometime for that very reason," Flash mentioned with a cheeky grin.

"Don't even think about it, mister," Twilight responded with a grin as well.

Twilight and Flash looked back to the field as the penalty kick was about to be taken.  One of the strikers from Trottingham stepped up, took the shot, and hit the crossbar, the ball flying far out into the crowd.  The roar from the crowd matched what would have sounded if Canterlot had scored themselves, because it meant that the score would stay locked at nil-nil.  After a few more chances in the few minutes of added time, the match ended scoreless, which was a positive result for the home side, which went down to ten players because of the red card.

"Pretty good show, eh Twilight?" Flash asked.

"I enjoyed it, thank you so much."

"Don't thank me—thank your brother.  He's the one that gave the tickets."

"Oh yeah.  I guess I should talk to him.  He's been so supportive to me.  I really need to thank him."


--------------------------------------


Flash brought Twilight back to her room later that night, and the two of them talked outside the door.

"I had a wonderful night yet again, Flash."

"I did too, Twilight.  It was a lot of fun.  I also saw a side to you I didn't know about."

"Yeah, I'll try to act more royal next time."

"No, Twilight, I like it.  You need to let your inner self out.  Don't be so reserved with me."

"I'll have to remember that for our next date, Flash... Well... Goodnight."  Twilight gave Flash a kiss on the cheek yet again, causing him to blush, and opened the door to her room, but then stopped.  "Um, Flash?"

"Yes, Twily?"

"I was told that the third date is something special."

"I was told the same thing too."

"But, the thing is, Flash, I... I don't really want to... you know..."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"But, I... also kinda want to.  What about you?"

"Twily, you know I would like to, but I don't think it's right.  I think we should wait."

"I think so too, Flash.  Maybe just one kiss, though."

"Okay, one kiss."

Twilight slowly took the two steps to get closer to Flash.  She looked directly into his eyes, and he returned the look.  Flash reached his head down, turning by a few degrees, and locked lips with his mare.  Both closed their eyes for a semi-passionate kiss.  Upon breaking it off, both of them blushed.

"Okay, um," Twilight started.  "I, um... I have to go to bed now.  Busy day tomorrow.  Goodnight, Flash.  Thank you—for, well, everything.  And thanks for the, um, the kiss."

"Thank you Twilight.  Have a good night."

It was progress for Flash.  The guard went from a nervous wreck to a stallion who had three dates with a princess, not to even mention the fact that he had somewhat gained the trust of her beloved, somewhat-protective brother.  There was still one final question weighing in the stallion's mind, though.  Why did she choose to like me over all of the other guards?
> Chapter 6: Chasing Clouds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Oh no, where is it?"

"Twilight?" Spike asked while letting out a yawn.  "It's three in the morning.  What are you looking for?"

"No, it's not here either," Twilight said while running around the room, her hooves making loud noises on the tile floor.

"Twilight!"

"What, Spike?"

"What're you looking for?  I'll help you find it."

"My crown.  I haven't seen it since I got home earlier.  I've looked everywhere.  I haven't even been able to sleep I've been so scared about it."

"I think it's over there by the mirror," Spike pointed.

Twilight looked over at the mirror and the counter in front of it, but her crown wasn't there.  "Are you sure, Spike?  I don't see what you're talking about."

"Positive."

Twilight trotted over to the bathroom and looked on the counter, inside the cupboards, on the ground—nothing.  She could not find what she was looking for.  That is, until she looked in the mirror and saw her crown lying on her head.  "Oh.  You were right, Spike."

"Is something bothering you, Twilight?" Spike asked, concerned about his closest friend.  

Twilight had shown many signs of stress lately.  She had made visits to many different towns in Equestria, representing Princess Celestia.  She weighed in on important legal matters.  She even shook some hooves and kissed some foals. Basically, Twilight was starting to learn how busy the princesses really were, and she figured that her worries previously were right—she did not feel prepared for this, even after all of the reassuring words.

"Yeah, Spike.  I'm just overwhelmed right now.  I can't sleep because I have such a busy week coming up.  I'm even making a scheduled royal visit to Ponyville."

The weeks had gone on since Twilight had become a princess.  She had performed her duties very well, but she still felt overwhelmed.  As a pony with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, doing her best was often not enough for Twilight Sparkle.  She always tried to be better, and when she couldn't do any better, she felt unaccomplished.  However, there wasn't really anything that she could do better at.  She performed her tasks from Princess Celestia punctually and correctly.  She even went above and beyond her royal duties.  She treated everypony in the country with respect and kindness.  But it didn't make her feel any better about herself.  It was almost an inner feeling that she just couldn't control.

The one thing she was happy with, however, was her relationship with Flash Sentry.  She had been on six dates with the stallion, with each one proving to be a more pleasant experience than the one prior, their relationship growing by the date.  Twilight learned a lot about Flash's current state, and he learned a lot about her as well.  The one thing she didn't know much about, though, was Flash's past.  She knew minor details about the stallion and his family, but he seemed to keep quiet while conversing about his recent past, dating back a few years.  Twilight also never told Flash about her trip to the human world in fear that he either wouldn't believe her, think of her as a weirdo, or feel saddened at the real reason of what first drew Twilight to him.  The truth was, what initially drew Twilight to Flash was not the pony, but his human counterpart.  Twilight feared the thought of bringing that up to him if he ever asked, so she never brought it up in her recent dates.  In the meantime, though, she actually came to really like the stallion, and that even caused her to stop missing his human counterpart.

"I think you should just take a little walk outside, Twilight.  It might get your mind off of a few things and calm your nerves a little.  And then I can get some sleep, too," Spike suggested, and muttered to himself at the end.

"That's actually a good suggestion, Spike.  I'll do that."

Twilight took her crown off her head and placed it on her desk.  She decided to go out in just her nighty, so as not to draw much attention to herself.  After all, a beautiful princess out in the middle of the night in an expensive dress and crown would probably draw some unwanted attention.

Twilight looked over to Spike as she was about to leave the room.  Her baby dragon was already sleeping soundly, just a few minutes after speaking to her.  The alicorn sighed and smiled and made her way outside to go out for a relaxing walk.

The palace in Canterlot was dark at night.  The only ponies that were usually up at this time were Princess Luna, who was usually either up in her room or invading ponies' dreams, and the royal guards who had to watch the hallways at night.  Twilight made her way up the stairs of the castle and to the bridge on one of the upper levels, which spanned from one tower of the castle to another.  From that bridge, she could see all of Canterlot.  

Most of the houses in the historic and rich town were dark, with the occasional few business still open late at night.  She could see a few party-going ponies stumbling home for the night, as well as some workers finishing off their night shifts.  The dark clouds passed through the sky over her, and it was a beautiful half-moon on this night.  The stars were out, plenty in number.

Spike was right.  Going outside, getting some fresh air, watching the world go by—it was really calming.  Twilight sighed in contentment and leaned her head on her front hooves onto the parapet wall, which protected the ponies from falling down to the courtyard far below.

Twilight stayed in place for some time.  She watched the lights in the city slowly being turned off, one by one, as the ponies who were up that late started to go to bed.

"Twily?  What are doing out this late at night?" asked a voice from behind her.

"Oh, BBBFF, I didn't know you were up this late," Twilight replied while turning around, still leaning on the parapet wall, expecting to see her brother.  "Oh, Flash?  I thought you were Shining Armour for a second."

"I don't think I sound as good as him, though.  Are you disappointed?"

"No, not at all," she replied.

"Can I join you?"

"Certainly."

Flash trotted a few steps to over where Twilight was.  He put his front hooves on the wall to look out at what Twilight was watching and took off his helmet, laying it on the parapet wall he was leaning on.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Twilight?" he asked while looking out at the city.

"It sure is, Flash.  It really makes me feel better about things."

"Are you feeling down?"

"Not really," Twilight responded.  She let out a slight sigh.

"Then what's wrong?"

While continuing to look out over the city, she responded, "I feel a little overwhelmed with my royal duties.  I know I've been able to face every task so far, but it's really taking a toll on me.  I couldn't sleep tonight, and I don't really know why.  I feel good—at least, I think I feel good.  Do you know what I mean?"

"I think so, Twilight.  I think you just have too much on your plate right now.  But no need to worry, I know you can handle it."

"Thanks," Twilight said while waving her hoof through her mane.  "Hey, what are you doing up this late?"

"I have a late night shift.  I was just about to my final round when I saw you leaning here from the hallway."

"Oh, you must be pretty tired then."

"I'm not that tired, actually.  But I'll leave you alone with your thoughts, if you want me to go."

Twilight looked at her front hooves.  While brushing the ground with her left front hoof and still looking down, she responded, "No!  I mean, I don't mind you staying here with me."

"That means a lot, Twily.  Hey, we haven't really spent some quality time together in a few days, since you've been so busy."

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about that.  It's starting to stress me out a little."

"I know exactly what to do to help."

"Oh yeah?  What's that?"

"When I'm feeling tired, overwhelmed, sad, or just kind of lonely, there is one thing that makes me feel better.  It's something that just makes me forget about everything.  Would you like me to show you what that is?"

"Yes, I would love that, Flash."

"How do you feel about flying?"

"A lot better after you taught me.  I still need some help, but I'm getting the hang of it."

"That's good enough," Flash replied.  With an outstretched hoof, he added, "Come, and I'll show you what I mean.  There is usually only one thing that makes me feel better when I'm in a blah mood like yourself right now."

Twilight reached her hoof forward and grabbed the hoof of Flash.  The two of them spread their wings, and they took flight.  Flash helped Twilight keep her balance in the air.  Flash directed the two of them high into the sky, and then downward towards a single, low-flying cloud in the sky, about the size of a queen bed.  It was the perfect size for the two of them.

"Um, Flash?"

"Yes, Twily?"

"What're we doing?"

"You'll see."

Flash, while still holding the hoof of his mare, slowed down by keeping his wings straight out.  He lowered the two of them down slowly until they both landed softly on the cloud.

"What the?" Twilight said.

"You never knew that pegasi can stand on clouds?"

"No, I knew it, but I never knew I could!" Twilight said.  The time she spent in Cloudsdale on the clouds there was only because of a powerful spell she used.  And besides, the feeling of the large, pony-made clouds was nothing compared to the feeling of a small, fluffy, natural cloud.  It was much softer and more comforting.  And besides, she only experienced it for twenty-two minutes over three years ago, so she forgot the feeling altogether.

"Well, you have wings now, don't you?  Of course you can stand on a cloud!"

"I guess that makes sense."

Flash held Twilight's hoof still as he turned around and laid on his back, and the mare joined him.  The two of them rested on their backs on the soft cloud, looking up at the night sky.

"Oh gosh, this is so soft," Twilight mentioned.

"I find a nap on a soft cloud helps me forget my troubles.  It's as if being up here, being able to look at the many stars and all of the ponies down below, just makes you forget everything—like things just don't matter.  I just lay here and forget about the world."

Twilight looked over the edge of the cloud to her right.  They were a few hundred metres in the air, but she didn't feel any fear.  The cloud was the softest thing that she had ever felt in her life.  It was an amazing feeling.  Since this was her first time actually resting on a cloud, rather than just walking on cloud pavement or in a cloud building, she just had to get a good feel of it.  She could reach her hoof through the cloud, scattering some of it.  Yet, it held the weight of both of them.  It was so soothing and comforting.  No wonder Rainbow Dash loved to nap on them!

The two of them began to look up at the stars while lying on their backs on the cloud.  Minutes passed, and neither of them had anything to say.  But it wasn't an awkward silence.  It was more a silence of contentment.  It was true what Flash was getting at—things just didn't seem to matter when Twilight laid on the cloud, looking up at the billions of stars above her on a mostly clear night.

"How many stars do you think there are, Flash?" Twilight asked as the two of them looked up to the sky.  There were only a few clouds that were between them and the universe above.

Flash began to count by pointing with his hoof in front of him.  "Um... Ten."

"Flash!  Come on, be serious."

"I don't know, Twily.  I've never really given it much thought."

"Well, I have.  There are billions of stars out there, all of different sizes, colours, ages, and masses.  Starswirl the Bearded documented much about the stars over his lifetime.  I've given much thought to it too.  I've also read a few of his books on astronomy.  Did you know that—"

"Um, Twily?"

"Yes, Flash?  Oh, wait.  I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"No, Twily, it's fine.  I like to hear you talk.  It means that you're happy.  I'd just rather that we talk about something a little more... exciting than stars."

"Like what?"

Flash thought for a few seconds.  He did have one thing on his mind that he wanted to talk about, but just the thought of bringing it up gave him butterflies in his stomach.  He had a question for Twilight—a question that could change everything.  The answer was probably something that he didn't want to hear, but one he simply had to know.

"Um."

"Come on, Flash.  We can talk about anything."

Flash gulped, took a deep breath, and asked, "Twilight, you're a princess.  I'm just a guard.  What did draw you to me?  Did you just accept a date to give me pity?  Or do you actually like me?"

"Well, um," Twilight started while still staring at the sky.

"Come on, Twi.  I can handle the answer."

"I just feel that you'll think I'm really weird or that I'm lying to you or something."

"Why would I think that?" Flash asked.

"Because the reason why I like you is so ridiculous that you basically have to see it to believe it."

"What in Equestria are you talking about?"

"You really want to know, Flash?"

"Yes, definitely."

"All right then.  Here goes."  Twilight took a deep breath will still on her back, but she decided that it was best to face Flash while telling the story.  The two of them sat on their plots, facing each other while on the cloud.  She continued, "When I first saw you in the Crystal Empire I had originally come for just a simple visit.  However, my crown was stolen on the first night."

"No way!"

"Yes way, Flash.  The mare who stole it was a unicorn who used to be another student in Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.  I guess she wanted the crown for herself.  When she took the crown at night, I followed her into a room, where she dropped the crown and it went towards a mirror."

"All right.  What does this have to do with me?" Flash asked

"Well, the mirror was actually a portal to another world."

"Interesting," Flash responded.

Twilight continued, "So, I followed her into the portal.  Upon coming out, I turned into this thing called a 'human'.  In fact, everypony was a human there.  Every human there was a human equivalent of a pony in Equestria."

"Okay, this is getting pretty weird."

"I know, right?  So, I had to go to a high school and become princess of the Fall Formal, which was the human equivalent of the Grand Galloping Gala.  The crown was the prize.  After reuniting a group of friends that reminded me of my friends in Ponyville, I ended up bumping into you."

"Um, what are you talking about?  I've never heard of this other dimension, nor have I ever been there."

"That's the thing, Flash.  It was your human equivalent."

"Ah, got it."

"But it turned out that you were the ex-boyfriend of the mare who stole my crown.  It also turns out that she was in that dimension for a few years and had really made a name for herself.  Anyways, the mare's assistants framed me for trying to destroy the setup for the dance, but the human you found pictures to prove that I was innocent."

"Sounds like the human version of me is quite the cool guy."

"Oh yes, he was, I mean is.  I mean... He was just like you—nice, caring."

"Handsome?"

"Oh yes."  Flash and Twilight shared a smile together.  "Like I said, he was just like you.  In the end, after my new friends and I saved the day and retrieved the crown, I danced with 'you' at the Fall Formal and had a really nice time.  When I got back to Equestria, I found you, the real you, like, the you I'm talking to now.  I wasn't sure if you were the actual pony that I had danced with, or you were just an equivalent.  But I wanted to find out, because after I returned to Equestria, I knew that there was no going back to the other place.  Your human counterpart was my first crush, so I wanted to give you a chance to see if you were the same."

"Twilight, I—"

"Say no more, Flash.  I'm sorry.  I'm really, really sorry if that hurts your feelings.  I don't even know if you believe me."

Twilight began to look at her hooves in front of her as she continued to sit on the cloud.  Flash used his hoof to raise Twilight's chin so that she could look back at him.

"Twily, I believe you."

"Really?  But why?  The whole thing is just so ridiculous."

"It is a little weird, but I trust you.  You aren't a mare who would lie.  You're too sweet for that."  Twilight blushed and played with her mane in response.  Flash continued, "Now, what was the mare's name who stole your crown?"

"Sunset Shimmer."

Flash had no response.  He just stared back blankly.

"Is everything okay, Flash?"

"Sunset Shimmer?"

"Yes."

"Unicorn?  Fiery coloured?"

"Yes."

"Thought so."

"What's wrong, Flash?"

"Now I believe you one-hundred percent, Twily."

"Why?  What does Sunset Shimmer have to do with anything?"

"Um, Twily.  You told me a story, and now I think it's time for me to tell you a little story."

"All right, I'm listening," Twilight responded with a continuous smile.

"There's a reason why I don't talk about my recent past a lot.  You see, I used to date Sunset Shimmer."

"Let me get this straight—you dated Sunset here and in the human world?"

"I never knew about the human world until you told me, actually.  But yes, I did date her here.  For a few years, actually.  However, there was a time when I was the most depressed I had ever been."

"What happened?" Twilight asked in response as her smile turned into a face of concern.

"Well, you see, it's a really long story," Flash started to say.  He looked down at Twilight, who scooted her plot over a few times.  She was now much closer to him than she was originally, looking up at him with a warm smile, ready to listen.

Flash couldn't help but smile in return at the mare who seemed so interested in his story.  "Do you ever remember Sunset Shimmer from before, Twilight?"

"I don't think so, Flash.  When I was still in school, I was solely focused on my studies with Princess Celestia.  I didn't know many ponies in my school."

"Hmm," Flash thought out loud.  "Well, I've known Sunset Shimmer for a very long time.  In high school here in Canterlot, I was a musician and on the hoofball team.  I was actually a very popular pony."

"I can see why," Twilight said while resting her chin on her front hooves, listening even more attentively.

Flash smiled once again, and then turned his head to the sky to continue telling his story.  "The two of us were friends as foals.  When Sunset got into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, I couldn't have been more proud of her.  But as the two of us went into different schools, our friendship dwindled a bit.  That was, though, until I asked to be my date to one of my school's dances, to which she accepted.  We sort of had a long-distance relationship for a little while, seeing each other only occasionally.  Sunset was just a little bit older than you, and she started her studies with Princess Celestia a little before you did.  She was always a very ambitious pony, and always tried hard to do her best."

"Then what happened to her?  Why did she resort to stealing my crown?"

"I'm getting there, Twily.  Sunset's ambitions, though, I think they got the best of her.  She not only wanted to be one of Celestia's most treasured students, but she wanted to be the most treasured student.  However, her ambitions kind of turned into pride.  She started to feel entitled—as if the world owed her something."

"Oh boy.  I see where this is going."

"I'm sure you do.  Well, one day Sunset's emotions seemed to just get the best of her.  I'll always remember this one day as the worst day of my life."

"What happened?"

"Well, it's really hard for me to say this.  I went years without knowing what had happened to her."

Twilight started to move while listening on the cloud, which caused Flash to stop talking for a minute.  Twilight bunched up a part of the cloud to make a headrest for the two of them.

"Thanks, Twi," Flash said while leaning back on the higher part of the cloud, pushing his back hooves out so that he was lying on his back.  Twilight did the same thing, but only this time she rested her head on Flash, around his chest area.  She looked up at him, ready to continue listening.

Flash continued, "Sunset was actually very jealous of you.  You were a younger unicorn who came to the school later than she did.  Yet, you were always Celestia's favourite.  You got to learn directly from the princess herself, spending quality time with her, while Sunset was always just one of a few select higher students."

"How did you know about that?"

"Sunset would actually complain to me a lot about you, at first.  She was extremely jealous of you.  In fact, she used to talk about you so much, that there was the time when I first had an interest in meeting you.  Her complaining was really starting to get to me.  I begged her to stop and just continue with her own studies, but she continued to be jealous."

"So, what about the worst day of your life?"

"That was the day that Sunset's emotions and ambitions got the best of her.  I don't think Celestia would have ever told you about this, probably to save you from worrying about something that didn't apply to you.  Sunset went into Celestia's room and begged the princess, asking Celestia to be her most prized student—at least, I think that's what happened.  She could have also asked to be her heir, or something even more.  But she didn't want to be just one of a few good students, she wanted to be special and unique.  Of course, Celestia said no, because her heart was set on you early.  Sunset desperately wanted everything that came with being Celestia's most cherished pupil, but no matter how hard she begged, Celestia still said no."

Flash looked down to the mare resting on his chest, who was enthralled with this story.

He continued, "I was actually listening in to their conversation a little.  I had previously begged Sunset not to go see the princess privately.  Trying to force yourself to have a position doesn't ever work.  What happened next, though, was unknown to me.  I was escorted outside by one of the guards.  As I waited outside, Sunset came out, crying and with a mangled mane.  She was miserable, and she walked right passed me."

"What happened after you left?"

"I don't think I will ever know, Twily.  I don't even think I want to know.  Whatever happened, it changed Sunset's life forever.  I desperately tried to calm her down.  I called her name, but she just kept walking away.  With the amount of anger and sadness she had on her face, I didn't know what she was going to do.  I caught up to her, and stopped in front of her.  She yelled at me to back off, but I wanted to just talk it over before she did anything drastic.
'Get away from me, Flash,' she yelled out.
'I'm not going to do that.  What happened in there?' I asked her.
'I don't want to talk about it.  I'm leaving,' she said while pushing me away.
'Where are you going?' I asked.
'Away from here.  Somewhere where I can matter.'
'You matter to me, Sunset.'"

Flash stopped talking for a second.  He needed to collect himself before continuing the story.

"Are you okay, Flash?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, I'm fine.  It's just that, that day was really hard for me."  After a few deep breaths, he continued, "I asked her, 'But where will you go?  The world's a horrible place.  You have it good here.  Just take what you have and be satisfied with it.  If you're not the princess' main student, who cares?  You're still the most important mare to me.'  She continued to walk away from me.  I ran towards her and grabbed her shoulder with my hoof.  She whipped her head around and shot a burst of magic, burning my hoof."

Flash showed Twilight his left hoof, which still had a small, faded scar from the incident.  Twilight had never noticed it before, but it wasn't really noticeable at all.  The only reason she saw it was because Flash showed her.  Flash had a small part of fur missing from where the shot of the unicorn's magic had hit him.  Twilight grabbed his hoof and rubbed it softly with hers while leaning her head back on his upper torso.

"Even though she did that to me, I still begged her to stay.  But she didn't.  She left my sight in front of the castle, and I never saw her again.  I spent the next year thinking the worst.  I didn't know if she died, if she went to her parents, if she went off on an adventure alone.  I didn't know anything.  I searched desperately to find her, but I never did.  I hoped that I would be able to forget and move on, but I couldn't.  Well, I couldn't until I met you."

Twilight's mouth trembled with a smile as Flash looked down on her.  It was one the most comforting things that anypony had ever said to her.

"You saved me, Twilight.  I was able to mask my sadness, but I was never able to forget.  But with you, I am finally truly happy again.  And you know what?"

"Wh-what?"

"Everything Sunset said about you was true."

"What did she say?"

"Well, in her jealousy and sarcasm, she had said that you were everything.  You were happy, smart, honest, beautiful, and the best student ever.  She wanted to be you, but she couldn't.  I always tried to comfort Sunset, telling her that she was good enough, but she never felt it.  You were everything she wanted to be.  But the major difference between you and her—you were humble about it.  And it still shows, too.  You still feel like you're not ready to be a princess."

"Tell me about it," Twilight said in agreement, acknowledging her fears.

"Yeah, well Sunset thought she was ready for everything that came her way.  Well, how wrong she was!"

"Flash, I never knew about any of this.  I'm really sorry if I caused you any of that pain."

"You didn't, Twilight.  Sunset brought all of that pain on myself and herself.  I'm just glad to hear that she didn't pass away after all.  That's why I believe your story.  That would explain why Sunset disappeared so easily.  But you know what?"

"What?"

"If I had the chance to do it all again, I wouldn't do anything differently.  I'm happy how things worked out."

Twilight reached her head up and gave a slight peck on Flash's cheek.

"And you know what, Twilight?  I think I love you."

"I love you too, Flash."

Twilight reached her head up again, but this time Flash met her half way.  They locked their lips for a few long, passionate kisses.

After their lips interlocked, Twilight looked out at the sky.  It was still dark, and by the look of the moon, there were still a few hours to go until Celestia's sun was to come out.

"Flash, do you want to prove your love for me?"

"How can I do that, Twily?"

Twilight answered by giving Flash a stare.  It was a stare that could only mean one thing, and the bedroom eyes said everything.

"Um, Twilight, are you sure?"

"Positive."

"But I don't know anything about doing... that."

"Neither do I, but I like learning," Twilight responded with a slight chuckle.  She pulled herself up, and rolled over, so that she was up on top of Flash.

"Um, Twilight?  What're you going to do?"

"I don't really know, but we'll have fun finding out."  She reached her mouth down again to the stallion under her.  After a few more lustful kisses, Twilight's wings shot out behind her, which made the mare blush profusely.

"Don't worry, Twilight.  There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Flash said.  After Twilight smiled in relief, Flash had one other question to ask.  "Actually wait.  What if somepony sees us?  What if Luna or Celestia sees us?"

Twilight giggled, responding, "Then they'll like what they see."


--------------------------------------


Twilight could feel the morning sun shining down on her face.  She slowly opened her eyes.  She was laying on her side on the most comfortable bed she had ever been on.  In fact, it was the best short sleep she ever had.  She rolled around, and faced the stallion who was sleeping beside her.  The mare felt amazing.  Flash had also successfully taken Twilight's mind off of her worries.

"Mmm... Good morning, Twily," Flash said as he awoke.  He rubbed his eyes with one of his front hooves.

"Um, I think we should go inside now, before somepony sees us."

"Good idea."
> Chapter 7: An Embarassing Situation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Good morning, gents," Flash said while walking into his change room later that morning.  Sentinel whispered into Optimus' ear, and the two of the chuckled without saying anything in reply.  "Wait, what's going on?" Flash asked skeptically.

"Oh, nothing," Optimus replied.

"Yeah, it's an amazing morning, isn't it?" Sentinel replied.

"What were you two laughing about?" Flash asked.

"Like I said, Flash, it was nothing."

"Only, it's everything," Sentinel said.

"What the hay are you two talking about?  Tell me!"

"Nothing, dude.  We're just joking around," Optimus said back.

"Hey Flash, are you and Twilight all right?" Optimus asked, leading to a confused face on the orange pegasus.  "That must've been a pretty epic fight you two had," Optimus added.  "And by the sound of her yelling, Twilight was winning."

"Again, what're you two talking about?"

"Your fight up on the cloud in the middle of the night.  At least, that's what we assumed it was.  It was pretty loud," Sentinel answered.

"Fight up in the cloud..." Flash mumbled to himself while trying to think about the so-called fight that he had the night before.  "Well, I did see Twilight that night, and then we-" Flash turned a bright shade of red.  "Oh Celestia!"

Optimus added, "From the look on your face, I think I know what really happened.  Should've been more discreet, buddy."

Flash could still feel the hot feeling of the blush on his face.  He was so focused on his alone time spent with Twilight outside of the Canterlot Castle on the cloud that he probably forgot to think that there were other ponies up at that time.

"Did you two... hear us?"

"Oh yeah, Flash.  We heard everything.  Didn't we, Optimus?"

"Buddy, sounded like you two were having quite the time," Sentinel added.

Flash, with his face still red as could be, put his left hoof over it to cover the shame he felt at that moment.  Now his brain was racing.  If Sentinel and Optimus heard his and Twilight's intimacy, who else did?

"Did anypony else hear us?"

"I don't think so," Optimus answered.

"Please... don't tell Shining.  He'll kill me," Flash pleaded.

"That's probably the least of your worries right now," Sentinel said.  He trotted around Flash, continuing, "But we're both proud of you.  Getting some royal flank is not an easy task."

"Don't you two have a post to attend to?"

"Yes," Optimus said.  "We were just about to go.  We just wanted to tell you how proud we are of you first."

Flash wasn't too impressed with the two of them.  If they were sarcastic or not, he still did not feel comfortable knowing that two stallions whom he felt were his enemies knew something that could very well be used against him.

"Just... go.  Please."

"All right," Optimus said while leaving.

"See you later, Celestia," Sentinel teased.

Flash shook off the teasing from his two coworkers.  They weren't really good for anything else, after all.  The stallion started to put on his suit of armour for his morning shift.  Just as he finished putting on his golden horseshoes, he heard hoofsteps, which stopped at the door.


--------------------------------------


Twilight came home from one of the best night's of her life with a smile on her face.  When she walked in the door, she saw Spike just beginning to wake up.  He tossed and turned, eventually opening up his eyes and looking at the princess, still half asleep.

"Twilight?  Are you just getting home now?" he asked while wiping his eyes.

"Yes, Spike.  I just needed a walk outside to calm my nerves.  I ended up falling asleep outside."

"Oh okay," he said while leaning back down on his bed to fall asleep again.  Something interested him, though, and his eyes shot open.  "Twilight?  What on earth happened to your mane?"

Twilight's eyes also opened up at the potential that she was caught.  She went over to the mirror, and looked at her reflection.  Spike was right to be concerned.  Her mane was a mess.  The entire style she had was gone.  Individual hairs shot shot out everywhere.  It looked as if she had been stuck in a giant windstorm.

"I actually didn't notice, Spike.  It was probably because of the high winds when I walked outside on the castle bridge."

"As long as you're okay, that's all that matters to me."

"I'm perfectly fine, Spike.  I had a nice, quiet night to drown out my thoughts.  I feel so much better."

"That's good," Spike replied.  He let out a yawn.  "I hardly slept last night."

"Why?  Are you worried about things too?"

"No.  You kept me up most of the time, and then soon after you left, when I was about to fall asleep, I heard some ponies shouting.  It sounded like they were having a party or something."

"Do you know when that was?"

"Not exactly," Spike said.  "It was probably about an hour after you left."

Twilight could feel blood rush to her face.  She felt hot and flushed with embarassment.  She thought they were quiet while on the cloud.

"Um, Spike?  How loud were the ponies having the party?"

"Pretty loud.  Loud enough to keep me awake.  I think it was late enough that most ponies had gone home, though.  Probably the guards stopped the party, because the noise only lasted a few minutes."

Twilight could clearly feel the blush on her face growing more and more red.  If Spike heard all the way over here, who else heard?  The mare worried desperately, and felt severe embarassment at that time.  But her situation was about to get much worse, as she heard a knock at the door.


--------------------------------------


"Flash, what the hay was that last night?"

"Captain Shining Armour, I'm not sure what you are talking about," Flash answered with a salute.

"Flash, I don't even know where to begin," Shining started.  "First, you seemed to have left your shift early last night, and then there was a whole bunch of noise reported to me from quite a few ponies.  You should have been the one taking care of that!"  Flash could feel his heart sink.  Shining countinued, "And second, you were spotted walking and flying around privately with my sister.  So, not only were you not covering your duties, you are exposing your relationship with a princess to others.  A date at the gala is one thing, but the more you are seen with a princess, the more suspicious ponies will get."

Flash knew that Shining wasn't taking the reports lightly, but the guard also breathed a sigh of relief.  Shining didn't seem to be aware of what really happened that night.  "Is that all, sir?"

"What do you mean 'is that all'?  You didn't take your job seriously last night, you didn't keep the grouds quiet, and you are playing a very dangerous game by openly dating a princess.  Those are some things that should worry you, Flash."

Flash had a quick sigh of relief.  Even though the news was bad, it could have been much worse.  "I'm really sorry, sir.  On my final tour around the castle, I found Twilight on the bridge, just thinking to herself.  She seemed down, so I wanted to comfort her a little.  I felt like that was more important than my guard duties."

"Flash, if she was down, what you should have done is just spoke to her for a few minutes, and contacted either myself or, preferably, Princess Luna at that late hour.  She would have known what to do."  Shining paced around the room, thinking.  "Maybe I'm a little hard on you.  I know you were just looking out for my sister, and I appreciate that.  You're a really good stallion.  I just want to see you at your best when you're at work.  So, promise me this: no more distractions at work?"

"No more, sir."

"Good.  I'm happy that you're making Twilight a very happy mare.  I think you're good for her.  Just make sure that your work life and your private life stay apart.  We don't want any scandals or anypony from the media to know too much about your relationship.  Now, get to your post.  You're already late."

"Yes sir!"

As soon as Shining Armour left, Flash was able to have a quick sigh of relief once again.  He hadn't brought up the intimacy between Flash and Twilight, and he seemed to go easy on the guard.  The meetup went a lot better than expected.


--------------------------------------


"Oh, Princess Celestia?  Do we have a meeting this morning?" Twilight asked as the princess stood at the door.

"Not exactly, Twilight.  Could I please come in?"

"Certainly."

Princess Celestia visited Twilight's room.  After kicking Spike out, not literally, unfortunately, she went over to the younger princess to have a heart-to-heart talk.  The two of them sat down on Twilight's bed, which sank on the side of the white-furred princess, simply because of her size.

"First of all, Twilight, your mane is just horrible today.  You should really use some Neighbelline when you take a bath.  Second, the real reason why I came here was that... well, it's hard for me to say it to you, because I love you like you were my own daughter.  Even my own daughter didn't respect me like you did.  But I'm really disappointed in you."

"It's because of last night, isn't it?"

"Yes.  Princess Luna told me in the morning that she had caught you getting intimate with Flash while she was flying around the castle.  She wasn't mad. and neither am I, but we are both a little disappointed in you."

"I'm really, really sorry.  I got caught up in the moment."

"I understand that, Twilight."  Celestia put a hoof over the mares shoulder to show her that she wasn't too mad.  "The reason why I'm disappointed, though, is because you are a princess now.  As a princess, you are a role model for ponies young and older everywhere.  Many ponies will look up to you for thousands of years to come.  I know you will have desires.  Even I have them from time to time, but it's best to try to hold them in, at least until you two get married.  That way you won't have any 'surprises' to tell the kingdom about, because that would be far more embarassing for you.  It would also be a bad influence on many other ponies."

"I understand, princess.  I'm really sorry.  It won't happen again," Twilight responded, looking down.

"Not to worry, Twilight.  I still love you, and you are still doing an amazing job.  I just want to make sure that you are doing your best."

"I promise, something like this will never happen again."

Celestia reached down and gave Twilight a comforting hug.

After the hug, Twilight asked, "Please, princess, don't tell my brother.  He seems to really like Flash, and I don't want that to change.  It was one mistake, and I want to just forget about it.  Please..."

"All right, Twilight, I won't tell him."

"Thank you."

"But I can't promise he won't find out in other ways, though."

"I know.  I just pray he doesn't.  I don't know what he would do."

"Whatever he would do, though, it would be for your safety."

"I guess..."

Twilight and Celestia finished up their conversation, with Twilight fully knowing what she did wrong, and what to avoid in the future.  After the older princess left, the mare sat on her bed, saddened by her mistake.  Twilight, with feelings of guilt starting to come, gripped a pillow tightly and leaned down on her side on the bed.

"Um, Twilight, can I see you for a second?" Twilight heard from a crack in the door.

"Yes, come in, Flash."

Flash did just so, and as Twilight sat up on her bed, Flash came and sat down beside her.

"So, did you get in trouble too?" Twilight asked.

"Yes, by your brother."

"Oh gosh."

"Good news is: he was just mad that I stopped guarding.  He didn't find out about us... you know."

"Oh, that's great to hear.  Celestia did find out about us because Princess Luna saw.  But she wasn't too mad.  She just said that I need to be better as a role model.  Thankfully not too many ponies heard or saw us."

"Thank Celestia for that.  That was a mistake, Twilight, and I'm sorry."

"Well, it was a wonderful mistake."

Flash chuckled.  "I was really on my game, wasn't I?"

"Yes, you were."

The two of them looked at each other and blushed.

"Hey, Flash, do you want to... go for another round?"

"Right now?"  Twilight nodded her head with a smile.  "Um... I don't think this is a good idea.  It'll show that we really didn't learn anything."

"I guess you're right, Flash."

Flash lightly kissed Twilight on the cheek.  "That's all you'll get for today," he said.

"That's good enough for me."

"My break is just about over, but do you want to go out for dinner tonight?"

"That would be lovely."
> Chapter 8: Meeting the Family
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Flash, are you sure you still want to do this?  We don't have to, you know.  Especially if you think it's too early."

"I want to do this, Twilight.  Your brother seems to like me, so why wouldn't your parents?  Besides, Cadence will be there too.  It'll be a fun night.  And when will we ever have time to do this again?"

"I guess you're right, Flash.  Let's go."

Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry were invited for a family reunion that the mare's parents were holding in their house just on the outskirts of Canterlot.  Twilight had only mentioned to her parents that she had a new coltfriend a little while ago, but with the two of them dating for just a couple of months now, the time seemed right for Flash to go meet the parents.  It was just casual before, but now things were getting more serious.  The mistake that the couple made didn't come back to bite them, and they learned from it.

"Wait, Flash.  I have to warn you about something first," Twilight said while putting a hoof on the stallion to stop him.

"What is it, dear?"

"I just have to warn you that my dad is a former spy for Equestria in the first Saddle Arabian War.  He is basically a pony lie detector, and nothing can be hidden from him."

"Oh... boy.  Great.  Are you serious, Twilight?"

"No!" Twilight responded with a smile.  "Of course not.  My dad is actually a professor at University of Canterlot, and my mother is a scientist, though.  They're very smart ponies, but real sweethearts as well.  Just be yourself and they'll love you."

"That still makes me nervous, Twily."

Flash and Twilight made their way up to the front door of the house and knocked.

"Oh my gosh!  Nighty, he's even dreamier than I imagined," the mare who answered said as she got her first look at Flash.  The mare had a grey coat and a purple and white mane.  Even though her colour scheme was a little different than Twilight's, it was clear that this middle-aged mare was her mother.

"You're right, Velvet.  He's a good match for her," a blue middle-aged stallion responded while coming to the door.  This was obviously Twilight's father.

"Mom, dad, it's been so long!" Twilight said while reaching her front hooves forward.  Her two parents ran up and clutched their daughter tightly.

"You must tell us of everything that has happened to you," Velvet said to her daughter.

"Oh, mom.  That would take forever!"

"We still have time before dinner, dear," Night Light said to Twilight.  "Cadence and Shining Armour aren't coming for about an hour."

"Don't you want to meet Flash?" Twilight asked.  After she said that, her parents looked to the yellow and blue stallion, who waved with a smile to show that was indeed still there.

"Certainly," Velvet said.  "Come, let's sit down on the couch."

The two couples went into the house and went to the living room.  Twilight and Flash sat on the love seat while their two parents sat on matching comfy chairs on either side.  Flash looked over at the small television, which was still a new invention in Equestria, and he could see that the hoofball match between Canterlot and the Vanhoover Whitecaps was on.

"Oh..."

"Flash, no.  You can watch it later," Twilight told him.

"Fine."

Night Light went up to the television and turned it off by turning one of the circular switches.  "So. Flash, you're one of Twi's royal guards?" he asked.

"Yes.  I have the privilege of being one of the guards at Canterlot Castle.  I originally was trained in the Crystal Empire when all of the princesses were there, and then I was moved back to Canterlot.  I was born and raised here."

"That's nice, Flash," Velvet said.  "All of us are from here too.  Our family's time in Canterlot goes way back.  What about your family, Flash?"

"My parents are still living here as well.  Twilight and I visited them a few days ago just for a quick dinner."

"Oh, Twily, how did they like you?" 

"I think they liked me, mom.  At least, I hope they did.  They were really nice."

"Oh come on, Twily," Flash said.  "They loved you and you know it."

"I'm trying to be humble, Flash."

Ding-dong

"Oh, Twily, that must be your brother," Velvet excitedly said while getting up.  She opened the door, and in came Shining Armour and Princess Cadence.  After the greetings, which were more enthusiastic than usual because Cadence was gone for quite a while with her royal duties in the Crystal Empire, the family all sat down for their dinner, made by Twilight's mother.

Flash sat at the corner of the width of the table, across from Shining Armour, beside Twilight.  Cadence sat across from Twilight, and the two parents sat across from each other at the table ends.

"Wow.  This looks absolutely delicious," Flash said while looking at the arrangement of food set in the middle of the table.  There were oats, salad, garlic bread, and other vegetables set out on table.  Velvet gave an equal share of food to everypony at the table, and all of the ponies thanked her in response.

"Dig in, everypony.  Tell me what you think," Velvet announced.

Everypony politely used their magic to control the silverware and bring the food up into their mouths.

"Oh mom, this is delicious," Shining complimented with a mouth full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Shiney.  It's rude to our guest."

"Oh," Shining replied.  He took a big swallow, and continued, "Sorry dad.  You're right."

"Um, Flashy, are you okay?" Twilight asked when she looked over to Flash Sentry, who was having trouble holding the utensils with his hooves.

"Uh, no.  I can't hold anything."

"Oh, I forgot that you're the only pony here without a horn.  Sorry dear," Twilight said.  "Want me to help?"

"Sure," Flash said as his head perked up from looking at his plate.

Twilight's parents smiled as they saw their daughter use her magic to use the utensils, cutting the food, and lifting the fork up and into Flash's mouth.

Flash started to chew the food with a smile.  He started to make typical sounds of enjoyment as he chewed the food.  But that was when his eyes opened up wide and he simply stopped chewing.  He started to choke on the food, but stopped himself so that he didn't spew everything on the prince and his own captain sitting in front of him.  'Oh Celestia, this is disgusting,' he thought to himself.

"Flash, are you okay?" Twilight asked with a worried voice as the stallion continued to cough on the food, eventually spitting some of it out in his napkin while trying to hide his shamed face.  He felt bad for his reaction to the food, but Twilight's mother was simply not a good cook from the first few bites.

"Sorry.  I'm okay.  Just... went down the wrong way, I guess."

"Oh, that's a relief," Velvet said.  "I was worrying that you didn't like my cooking."

"Oh no, it's fine," Flash said while still nearly gagging.

The rest of the ponies continued to eat the food with smiles of contentment, as Flash looked at them, wondering if they were even eating the same food.

"Look, I know it's bad, Flash, but you don't want to hurt my mom's feelings," Twilight whispered to Flash as her horn continued to use the knife to cut the food into smaller pieces.  Flash looked at Twilight and nodded in agreement with a sad face. 

Finishing the food was one of the hardest challenges in the stallions entire life, but he did it.  He did it and even thanked Velvet for the "lovely" meal in the end.

Afterwards, Flash and Twilight volunteered to finish the dishes, which was gladly accepted by the parents.

Twilight used her magic to wash the dishes, while Flash used his hooves to wipe them and put them in the rack to dry.

"I appreciate that you ate all the food.  The rest of us just got used to my mom's cooking after a while.  That's why I forgot to warn you ahead of time."

"No worries, Twily.  It wasn't the worst I've ever had."

"I'm sure it actually was the worst."

"Okay... fine.  Yeah, it kinda was.  I'm really sorry to admit it."

Twilight cracked a smile.  "It's okay, Flash.  Cooking was never a strong point for her.  Just don't let my parents know that that's the reason why you choked."

"All right, deal."

After Flash and Twilight finished the dishes, the plan was just to have a quiet evening with the family.  Twilight left the kitchen to go into the living room, while Flash stayed to grab a drink of water.

"Hey," Flash heard from behind him.

"Oh, hey Night Light," Flash responded to Twilight's father, who was the one that walked into the kitchen.

"Listen, son.  I really appreciate that you ate your entire meal tonight.  I know that it was probably hard for you."

Flash swallowed in a little bit of fear.  He could feel his nerves starting to bother him.  He knew that he needed to make a good impression to his mare's parents; especially her father.  "Uh, no... It was great, I mean it!"

"Don't kid yourself, Flash.  It took me a long time after marriage to actually become immune to the taste of Velvet's cooking.  I'll be honest with you, it's crap.  But I still love her for trying so hard each and every day."

Flash chuckled to himself.  "Thanks, sir.  It was fine, though.  Honest."

"If you say so.  Just remember one thing, though: Twilight is Velvet's daughter.  Hopefully the bad cooking genes didn't pass on, because you'll have years of torture ahead of you.  Food for thought."

"Twilight actually made me a meal one day.  It was quite good, actually.  And I appreciate that she cooked, even though she could have just received gourmet cooking from the castle crew.  It shows me that she's trying hard."

Night came over a put his hoof around Flash.  "I appreciate that, Flash.  You seem like a fine gentlecolt.  Come, we're going to play some board games."

After a quiet night of family-style board games, that proved to be surprisingly fun in the end, even with Twilight and Shining Armour winning nearly every game they played, it was time for the families to all go their separate ways.

Flash and Twilight were the first to get up in plans to leave.

"Thank you so much.  I really appreciate the meal and the wonderful evening," Flash said to Twilight's parents.

"You're very welcome, Flash," Velvet replied.

"We should do this more often," Twilight's father added.  "It's actually quite fun."

"For sure," Flash said.  "Well, I hope to see you again soon."

After Twilight gave a hug to both of her parents, the younger dating couple opened the door to leave, revealing a massive thunderstorm that the entire family didn't even notice with all of the noise they had created with the games.

"Oh wow.  Nighty, would you look at that?  The roads have water all over them.  It's not safe to walk home in the storm at night," Velvet said.

"What're we going to do, then?" Twilight asked.  "I have a meeting with Princess Celestia tomorrow morning."

"You two will just have to stay here the night.  That's what Cadence and Shiny are doing.  They're sharing his old bedroom."

"So, I guess I'll just sleep on the couch, then?" Flash asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it.  You can share Twilight's room with her," Night Light said.

Flash's eyes went wide open.  "Um...  No, that's fine.  I'll sleep on couch."  Flash just had a feeling that that suggestion was a test of some sort.  What kind of father would even suggest something like that?

"Nonsense," the father interrupted.  "There will be too much noise in the morning with everypony staying here.  We'll just set up a mattress on Twilight's floor.  Just as long as you two don't get into any horseplay!"

"Dad, come on.  Do you really think I would do that?"

"No, I have faith that you two will wait until after you're married.  You're a good mare," Night Light replied.  Twilight and Flash gave a face to each other that just simply said 'Oops'.  Her father didn't see her face, though, so the young couple was safe for the time being.

After setting up the mattress on the floor in Twilight's room, the stallion and the alicorn went in.

"I like your room, Twilight.  It's cute," Flash said while looking around the room.  There were pictures of Twilight and Shining Armour as young foals.  "You were so unbelievably cute as a filly."

"Thanks, Flash.  I was, wasn't I?"

'Oh great.  This is one of those tests that mares give, isn't it?' Flash thought to himself.  "Yes, you were, but you're even more beautiful now."  Twilight's blush, smile, and head turn was a clear indication that Flash had passed the test.

Flash and Twilight said goodnight to the other four members of the family, who all went into their separate rooms.  Flash went down to his mattress down below, while Twilight went onto her own bed- the bed she used to sleep in as a filly.

"Ah.  It's just as comfortable as I left it last," Twilight said.  The mare's parents kept both of their foals' rooms exactly as they had left it.  It was probably due to a feeling deep down that the two of them would return home one day.  It's never easy for parents of two to suddenly lose both of their foals.  Night Light and Velvet didn't have a house to themselves for many years.

"How does it feel to be back in your old house, Twily?" Flash asked while lying on his back after he turned off the light and settled in.

"It feels... nostalgic, I guess.  I like being back, but I'm also happy to be out on my own too.  It gives me some freedom."

"I feel ya.  Well. goodnight."

"Goodnight, Flash."

Flash closed his eyes, hoping to drift softly and soundly into sleep.

BOOM!

"What was that?" Twilight yelled out as she moved her back up.

"That was thunder, and it was really close."

The thunder kept continuing, but there were no bolts as close as that one.  However, between the thunder in the distance, the flashes of light coming through the only large window in the bedroom, and the sound of the rain hitting the roof and the eaves, the couple knew that no sleep was going to come soon.

BOOM!

"Flash, I'm scared of the thunder.  Come sleep beside me."

"No you're not, Twily.  You just want me to come in bed with you."

"All right, you got me.  Come," Twilight responded while moving the blanket so that Flash could join the mare in bed.


--------------------------------------


"Shiny, I can't sleep because of all the noise.  Can you get me a glass of water?"

"I guess, Cadence."

Shining got up from his bed to get his wife a drink like she asked.  He turned on the light in the hallway, and made his way down.  However, some noises from Twilight's room made him stop in place.  He decided to put his ear up to the door.  He could hear the couple talking to each other.

"Hey Twily, are you thinking what I'm thinking?  I'm in the mood for some fun."

"Flash, no.  I'm not in the mood for that."

"Come on, dear.  We're in your old house, in your old room- doesn't it just put you in the mood?  It'll be like we were in high school or something."

"But what if somepony were to catch us?  It would be really embarrassing!"

"Yeah, but that's a risk we have to take."

Shining could feel his face get more and more red with anger.  He could hear the bed begin to squeak.  He shook his head, thought for a second, but then barged in, shouting out, "Twily!  How could yo-"

Twilight and Flash were in bed together with the lights on... making a fort out of the mattress, pillows, blankets, and sheets available to them.

"Huh?" Shining said as he stopped in place.

"Shining, what're doing just barging in my room?"

"I thought you guys were... well..."

"We're making a fort.  It's fun and blocks out the light from the storm," Flash said.

"Oh.  That's not what I expected at all," Shining said.  "I was expected to have to separate you two.

"Can you please stop foalsitting me?" Twilight asked.  "I'm a mare now.  I'm not just your filly sister."

"I just want what's best for you, Twily."

"If you really want what's best for me, you won't interfere with my relationship.  I'm not a filly and I'm not your daughter."

"But... but..."

"Can you please leave us so we can build our fort?" Twilight asked harshly.

Shining sighed, but agreed, and left the room.

"Twily, don't you think that was a little... harsh."

"Flash, I love Shining, but he needs to realise that I am mature enough to handle things on my own.  He was being invasive. I don't want him to scare you off."

"He doesn't scare me, Twilight," Flash responded.  "Well, maybe a little.  He can fire me, after all.  But he's just doing his job as a big brother."

"It's not his job to police me and watch my every move.  I bet he's even warned you about getting too close to me."

"Yes... he has done that."

"See?"

"But Twily, he's just... he loves you and he wants you to be safe and happy."

"I know, but I wish that he didn't still view me as a little filly."

"Unfortunately, I think he always will.  I don't have any siblings, but I think I know exactly what he's going through right now."

"What's that?"

"He's worried about you.  He's battling his love for you, the fear that you'll do something you'll regret, and the fact that if we get any closer, he can risk losing you."

"I guess you're right."

"Should I talk to him?  Maybe that will help things."

"If you want to, Flash."

"I think I will."

Flash made his way out of the bedroom.  He found Shining Armour sitting on the couch quietly, trying to calm himself down.

"Um, Shining Armour?"

"Yeah?   What do you want?"

"I just want to talk.  Is that okay?"

"I guess," Shining responded begrudgingly.  "Sit here."

"Thanks."  Flash sat down on the couch beside the captain and prince.  "I'm sorry that you had a fight with Twilight.  I know exactly how you feel."

"How do you know how I feel? You don't have any siblings."

"You're right- I don't.  However, I'm smart enough to know how you feel.  I know that you want what's best for Twilight, yet you want to make sure she won't do anything foolish."

"Yes."

"But you also fear losing her to a stallion- no matter who he is."

"Okay."

"And you know that sometimes what a mare thinks is best for isn't always what's truly best."  Shining remained silent.  "Am I right?"

"Yes.  You're exactly right, Flash."

"I'm sorry you two had a fight.  Twilight just feels that you don't trust her."  Flash breathed in deeply with nerves at what he was about to say.  "I think you should just... trust her judgement and let her live her life a little.  She'll be happier and it'll save you some stress."

"That's a pretty bold statement, Flash."  The pegasus gulped.  "But you're right.  I've been trying too hard to make sure you two are being smart that I'm interfering during the worst time.  You're dating, so now's the time you should have your fun before the challenges of marriage come."

"What kind of challenges?" Flash asked while turning his head in confusion.

"Think about it.  You're dating a princess.  If you two go any further and end up getting married, you won't see her very often.  Look at me.  I hardly see my wife more than once a week.  She was assigned to take care of the Crystal Empire while I'm still assigned to take care of the Canterlot Royal Guard.  I can only see her on the weekends now.  It's not a good way to spend your first years of marriage, especially when you want a foal of your own.  I've spent many evenings alone."

"Shining, I... never really thought of that."

"You'll have to think of a lot of things like this if you want to get any further with Twily.  And that's not me saying that because I'll be interfering, that's me saying that because I know how hard it is to be married to a princess.  It's a constant challenge that you must deal with, because if you don't it could lead to complete embarrassment.  The worst part of all is that everypony near and far will know about it."

"I understand it's a challenge, but I also think the reward is worth it in the end."

"It's true.  I love Cadence, and I'm so happy with her.  I think you'll be happy with my Twily."

"Thank you.  That means a lot.  As usual, I'm glad I talked to you, captain.  Like I said, I'm sorry about your fight, but Twilight still loves you.  She just wants some space."

"You're right, Flash.  I'll try to respect hers and your privacy a little more."

"Thanks.  You're a good brother, you know that?"

"I'm an awesome brother."

Flash grinned. "Good night, Shining."

"G'night, Flash."


--------------------------------------


"So did you talk to him? Twilight asked as Flash came back in the room.

"Yes."

"And?  What's going on?  What'd he say?"

"Let's just say that things are going to be fine.  Now, where were we?"

"We were trying to build a fort."

"Let's continue, shall we?"

> Chapter 9: The Next Morning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Good morning, Shiny."

"Good morning, Cadence."

The prince and princess woke up late after a hard night of sleep for the both of them.  Shining Armour couldn't sleep because he was having conflicting emotions in his head, as well as the conversation he had with Flash.  The conversation, though, did help things.

Cadence, on the other hoof, had trouble sleeping because of the storm, and also due to the fact that she had to deal with parching thirst as her husband completely forgot to bring her a glass of water.  She just laid in her bed, waiting for the water, and eventually fell asleep.

"Ugh, Cadence?  What is with your breath today?"

"I wasn't the one who forgot to bring a glass of water, was I, dear?  My mouth was so dry I almost died of thirst."

"Oh come on, you're fine.  But you're right.  I'm sorry.  I forgot to get you a drink.  I ended up having a talk with Flash about Twilight."

"Didn't I tell you to just let the young couple date and have some fun?  I've known Twilight a long time too, you know.  She's a responsible mare."

"I know, my love, I know.  My talk with Flash was actually quite good.  I needed a little kick in the flank to know my place.  I'm supposed to support my sister.  If I think she needs help, I offer it to her, but I can't make her decisions for her."

"That's my hubby," Cadence said while throwing her hooves around her husband for a hug with a smile.  "Besides, if you wanted to control Twilight's love life, you should have just asked me.  I can make them fall in and out of love."

"No, please don't interfere.  I want them to work it out themselves now."

"Good idea."

"Now, can you please brush your teeth?  It's killing me!" Shining said to his wife, who rolled her eyes.


--------------------------------------


"Good morning, Flashy."

"Good morning, Twily."

The princess and the pegasus woke up in the same bed together.  Their pillow fort was completely destroyed due them moving in their sleep.  The sky outside was bright and clear, and the storm had passed.

"Hey, thanks again for talking to Shining Armour last night.  I really appreciate it.  He probably won't worry as much now that you stood up for yourself a little."

"Yeah, and I also wanted him off your back."  Flash used his hoof and moved Twilight's morning mane out of her eyes.  "You're a big mare and you can make your own decisions."

"You're right, Flashy.  Hopefully he sees it himself now.  Hey, what time is it anyway?"

"About ten."

"Oh ponyfeathers!" Twilight shouted as her eyes opened.  "I forgot Spike alone all night!"

"And I have a shift in an hour.  Let's go."

Twilight and Flash got their things together in order to leave.  They were just about to walk out the front door, when they were stopped.

"Hey, you two aren't just going to leave like that!"

Twilight stopped rushing and put her bag down.  "You're right, mom.  I forgot to say goodbye.  But it's just that I have to go-"

"No buts!  You need to give your mother a kiss."

"Okay, fine," Twilight responded.  Twilight gave her mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"And now your father."

"Mom, he's not even he-"

"He's in the kitchen."

"Fine!" Twilight huffed.  She went to the kitchen and gave her father a goodbye hug.  That was when Shining Armour and Cadence got up.

"You're leaving already, Twily? Without even saying bye to your BBBFF?"  Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile as she broke off the hug with her father.  She trotted over and gave Shining a hug as well.  "I'm sorry for policing you, Twily.  It's just hard for me to accept the fact that you're growing up."

"Shiny, I've been a mare for years now," she said in his ear.

"See what I mean?  I still feel like you're still a filly.  I'm sorry for that, but I love you and I don't think that'll ever change."

"It's okay.  I understand that."

Twilight broke off the hug, and turned around.  Flash was giving a hug to both of Twilight's parents at the same time, which caused the mare to smile.  Nopony could resist the tender feeling of a hug.

After Twilight gave a final hug to Princess Cadence, it was finally time for them to go.  As they grabbed their bags and left the front doors, the four remaining members of Twilight's family stood at the door and waved their hooves to the couple leaving.	The one night stay at her parents' house was a success, and her family seemed to like Flash.


--------------------------------------


"...Spike?" Twilight asked as she returned to her room.

"Ohhhh..."

"Spike?  Is everything okay?"

"Twilight... help..."

Twilight started to worry at the sound of that.  The mare rushed over to her bed, only to find Spike laying down on it with his tongue sticking out and his eyes half open.

"Spike!  What's wrong?" she asked him with concern, not noticing that he was completely covered with a dried-out substance.

"Noooo... My tummy hurts."

"Spike, is this... chocolate?" Twilight asked while using her hoof to pick up some of the substance.  It was all over Spike's face and the bed.  It had obviously melted and then dried.

"Yes.  You should have never left me alone all night.  I found your secret stash under the bed. I'm really sorry. I just couldn't help myself."

"That's okay, Spike," Twilight said while sitting on the bed beside her dragon assistant.  "I'm sorry I didn't come back last night."

"What happened?  I was so worried," he said while picking himself up from the bed and sitting down.

"There was a storm last night so it wasn't safe for me to come home.  I stayed at my parents' house."

"Oh.  You were with Flash again, weren't you?"

"Yes.  Does that bother you?" Twilight asked with genuine concern.

"You don't need to know what I feel, Twilight.  My job is to just be your assistant.  That's why Celestia gave me to you."

"Even though that's true, I still view you as more than that.  You're not only my assistant- you're one of my closest friends in the whole world.  You're just as close to me as my brother.  And of course I want to know what you feel about me and Flash being together."

"Well... are you sure, Twilight?" Spike asked while looking up at the princess.

"Positive," Twilight responded with a smile.  She also put her hoof on Spike's head and lightly pet him.

"Okay.  Well, it's not that I don't like Flash.  And I want to see you happy, I really do.  It's just that... Flash makes you so happy that you might... well... you might not want me anymore."

"That is not true.  That is never true and it never will be!  I love you like you were my own son.  Even if Flash and I were too... well... get married one day, I'd have you live with us.  After all, I don't think there has ever been anypony more loyal than you have been to me.  I may be getting better as a princess, but I still will always value you as being at my side as my assistant.  And I want you here forever."

"Really?  Even when I grow up and become a ferocious fire-breathing dragon?"

"Of course, Spike," Twilight replied while gripping the dragon with her hooves and bring him up to her body for a hug.  She continued, with Spike having his eyes closed as he leaned against her soft side fur, saying, "And when you're big and strong, you'll be able to protect us from enemies."

"Thanks, mom," Spike said while still in the mare's grip.

"Spike... I'm not-" Twilight started to say, but stopped. It was a tender moment that she didn't want to waste.  After all, Spike never even met or knew what had happened to his parents.  Twilight was the only family he ever had.  "You're welcome, Spike.  Now, can you help me clean up some of this mess?"

"That's what an assistant is for!"
> Chapter 10: A Special Love Letter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The days went on, and so did the dates.  Flash and Twilight enjoyed a few relatively uneventful outings together, like dinners and shows.  They went for a few different walks at night in Canterlot.  But overall, they drew closer as a couple and started to realise that they truly wanted to be together.

However, as the couple spent more time together, it became apparent to more and more ponies that the two were dating.  It was always big news when a member of royalty was in a relationship in Canterlot.  After all, Princesses Celestia and Luna both weren't in relationships for possibly hundreds of years.  Princess Cadence was the only royal pony in centuries to have a wedding, so the thought of two in two years was definitely being talked about in Canterlot.  As soon as the media in Canterlot got pictures of Twilight and Flash on quiet dates at restaurants, the cat was out of the bag.  There was no point in hiding it anymore, because everypony already knew.  The important thing was how Flash would react to all of this new attention he was getting.  Before he was just a guard, but now as he trotted the streets of Canterlot, it seemed like everypony knew who he was.

The word also spread in Ponyville as Twilight's friends began to talk to others more about the couple- accidentally, at first. But Twilight and Flash made it apparent that they didn't mind at this point if ponies knew about them.  The couple were planning a visit to Ponyville- for both royal duties and a social visit- in the upcoming weeks.

One day, after a late-night shift, Flash just finished his shower and was getting ready to go home while talking to Sentinel and Optimus.

"Hey, Flash, want to come with us to the bar tonight?"

"I don't know, Optimus.  I'm a little tired."

"Come on, dude," Sentinel said.  "You're no fun anymore.  Why don't you come for a drink with us like the good old days."

"We've never been out for drinks together, Sentinel."

"Oh," Sentinel said with a blush of embarrassment.  "Well, we can change that tonight."

"Yeah, come on.  We'll even buy you a drink."

"Well, I am a little tired after my shift today, and I haven't really done much in the last few days...  Maybe a drink will be good for me."

"Totally," Optimus said.  "Come on.  We'll have a blast.  It's band night at The Pub down the street."

"What's the pub's name?"

"That is its name," Sentinel informed.

"Oh.  Well... Yeah, I'm in."

"That's the spirit," Sentinel said while giving a punch to Flash's side.

The three stallions made their way to the bar to get a few drinks.  They managed to get three seats right at the bar.  To their left was the stage where local bands were going to play starting in about an hour.  The space behind the were filled with ponies sitting at tables, also waiting to see the bands.

"I'll get a screwdriver, please," Flash said.

"Good choice, mate," the bartender said.

"It's nice here, isn't it, Flash?"

"Yeah, Optimus.  I've never been here before."

"You should really see it here after the matches," Sentinel said.  "Fans come here from the stadium.  It's always a party."

"Thanks for the invite.  I'm looking forward to seeing some good music."

Flash received his drink after some small talk about work and sports.  Optimus and Sentinel received their drinks, too- a beer and a cider respectively.

"Oh Celestia, that was amazing," Flash said as he put his glass down.

"How 'bout another, mate?" the bartender asked.

"Oh no, I couldn't..."

"Yeah, another round for the three of us," Sentinel said.  "It's on me."

"Coming right up."

"Thanks, Sentinel, but I really shouldn't drink too much.  Ponies here might recognize me from the papers."

"Don't you worry, Flash.  You're among friends here.  Nopony here even cares who you are."

"Well, if you say so, I guess I can drink some more."

Another screwdriver was drank.  It later turned into a spiked apple cider, then a shot of vodka, and finally a special drink that he ordered that seemed interesting to Sentinel and Optimus.

"Is that scotch?" Sentinel asked.

"Scotch with Splenda.  Tastes like Splenda, gets you drunk like scotch," Flash replied while holding his concoction in his hoof.

"I didn't even know we had Splenda in Equestria."

"Well now you know."

After the drink was finished, Optimus asked Flash, "So, how's it going with you and Twilight?"

"Why do hic... why do you wanna know?"

"Can't I be interested in my buddy without being questioned?"

"You're not... hic... you're not my buddy."

"That hurts, Flash."

"I'm just teasing ya!  Of course you're mah buddy!  Dating Princess Celestia is awesome.  She's so sweet and nice and caring and sexy."

"Don't you mean Twilight?" Sentinel asked.

"Yeah, yeah, Twilight.  That's right."

"Aren't you just using Twilight to get to the throne?" Sentinel asked.

"No.  I hic really love her.  I wanna marry her, too."

"But aren't you scared about all the pressure about being a prince if you get married?"

"Are you wearing a wire or something?" Flash asked with squinted eyes while nearly falling over.

"Uh, no," Sentinel defended.  "I wouldn't rat you out to the media or anything.  I'm not like that.  I'm just giving you a hard time."

"Oooooh" Flash responded.  "So you're just jealous then huh?"

"I so am not jealous!" Sentinel defended.  "Besides, I like Princess Luna better."

"And I think Celesta's smoking, too," Optimus added.

"You guys... hic.  You want me to say something I'll regret, don't ya?"

Sentinel and Optimus looked at each other.  That kind of was their goal.  They didn't really hate Flash, but they did get a kick out of bugging him.

Optimus then changed the subject, asking Flash, "Hey, you really love Twilight, don't you?"

"Uh, yeah!  With all of my heart."

"You should write a love letter to her to tell her how you really feel," Optimus suggested.

"That's a good idea," Flash responded.  "Gi-gimme a pen and paper."

Sentinel asked the bartender if he had an extra pen and some paper, and when he got it, he gave it over to Flash to write a letter.

Flash picked up the pen in his mouth and began to write.

"What'ya writing there, Flashy?" Sentinel asked while leaning in.

"Nondsbasbhdsfhasihldfialsdfness," Flash responded with the pen still in his mouth.

"I didn't quite get that."

Flash spit out the pen and responded, "I said that it was 'none-a-ya damn business.'"

"Fair enough."

Flash continued to write the letter.  As he put down the pen, Optimus grabbed the letter to read it.

"Oh... Oh Flash... Yep... Twilights gonna love this."

"Yeah, I'm a romantic," Flash said while moving around in his chair.

The evening of drinking got better soon after.  Flash screamed like a fanfilly as the various bands took the stage for short performances each, including the Foal Fighters, Maretallica, and Neighvana.

Later that night, around two in the morning, when the streets of Canterlot were nearly empty, Flash made his way to the Canterlot Castle, stumbling many times.  He found Princess Twilight's room.  After putting his ear to the door, he realised that she was probably asleep.  He took the letter he had and kissed it with his grease-filled lips from all of the hoof-foods he had at he bar, leaving a stain of grease in the shape of a kiss.  He slipped the note under the door.

"Flash, you've done it again," he said out loud.  "No mare can resist a romantic stallion."


--------------------------------------


"Twilight, you have a letter," Spike yelled out as Twilight was getting dressed for the day ahead of her.

"Oh really?  Who's it from?"

"I don't know but it stinks like a mule's plot!" Spike replied while covering his nose with one hand and holding the letter out in the other.

Twilight took the letter with her magic and held it before her.  She saw the kiss mark in grease on it.  "Ugh, what in Equestria-" she stared to ask as she opened it up.

"Maybe it's the alcohol talking, Twilight, but you gotta flank that won't quit.  They got these big chewy pretzels here ث تلبءسسس سسسس ثلتةوةنةبللقففبيلااربيلاتنخليثفلسسسبتنا بسساتنىا باتنةىلاىلبئششسؤؤاا FIVE BITS?  Get outta here!"

"Who in Equestria would send me this?" she asked out loud.  The shockingly illegible hoof- or mouth- writing wasn't as important to her, considering she had no idea who would send something like this.  She turned the letter around again to see if anything else was on the side with the kiss, and she read out loud, "Love, Slash Fentry."

Spike nearly fell to the floor laughing.  "You should see the look on your face, Twilight!"

The mare felt embarrassed for Flash, but she also had a chuckle.  "We are going to have quite the conversation tonight."


--------------------------------------


"All right guys, see you tomorrow," Flash said as he was leaving the locker room for the day.  As he turned the corner, he saw Twilight.  She was leaning against the hallway wall, tapping her hoof and holding the letter from Flash with the other.  The stallion instantly turned red.

"Flash, what is the meaning of this?" Twilight asked.

"Ooooh, he's gonna get it now," Sentinel whispered to Optimus as the two stallion sneakily watched from the doorway.

"Oh lord, I actually gave you that letter?  I thought it was a dream..."

"Were you drunk yesterday?"

"Um... A little."

"Flash, there's no such thing as a little drunk.  You either are or you aren't.  Now, what's the meaning of this letter?"

"Well, Sentinel and Optimus bought me some drinks last night and they told me to write a love letter to you.  They told me to write my deep, inner feelings about you.  So, that's what I did."

"Is that so?" Twilight asked sternly, at which Flash nervously nodded his head.  "Well then," Twilight responded while walking passed Flash.  The stallion was confused as to what the mare was doing.  "You two should be ashamed of yourself, trying to embarrass my coltfriend like that.  He could have gotten in trouble being out late at night, unaware of what was going on."

"Sorry, Princess," Sentinel said.  "We thought we were being nice."

"Yeah, it was all in good fun."

"Just... stop it.  Flash is a loving, caring stallion, and I don't want you two being mean to him anymore.  Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," the two saluted.

"Good."  Twilight turned around and went back to Flash.  "Now, as for you."

"Y-yes?"

"Walk with me."

Flash joined his filly friend for a walk down the hallways of the castle.  Twilight asked him as they continued to walk, "Is that really what you think of me?  You only think of me for my body?"

"Of course not!  Did you not read the letter?"

"Yes, check it out for yourself," she said while showing Flash the letter.

As the stallion began to read it, his face turned more and more red as his eyes went down the page.  "What was I thinking?"

"I don't know, Flash, but I'm not too pleased with it.  I thought that you thought more of me than that."

"I do!  I really do, Twilight.  Look," he said while pointing to the unreadable parts of the letter.  "That right there... yikes, that's horrible, but that was supposed to be me saying... well... what I wanted to say was this, 'You are a beautiful mare, but you are so much more than that.  I care about your kindness, your wisdom, and the fact that you love and care for me.  That's why I love you back.'  I guess that kinda got lost in all of the scribbling."

"You really mean that, Flash?" Twilight asked with a smile of hope.

"I certainly do.  Look, I'm sorry.  I had some drinks, and they told me to write a letter.  I tried to be romantic, but I guess I'm just not the romantic type."

"I think you're romantic, Flash."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive.  You make me feel so good about myself, Flash.  You don't even need to do anything special to do that.  Don't ever change that."

"I promise I won't."

"But promise me one more thing, Flash."

"What's that, my princess?"

"Don't ever let Sentinel and Optimus make you do anything stupid again."

"All right, I promise."

"That's my stallion," Twilight said while planting a kiss on Flash's cheek.


--------------------------------------


"Well that didn't go as expected," Sentinel said.

"We'll get him another time," Optimus replied.

"You know, maybe we shouldn't be so mean to him.  He's not such a bad stallion."

"Come on, Sentinel, it's so much fun to see him in trouble."

"Yeah, but think about it.  If he doesn't like us, we don't be invited to the wedding."

"Yeah, so?"

"Think about all the mares that would be at a royal wedding."

"Sheesh, you're right.  Yeah, we should be nicer to him."
> Chapter 11: A Visit to Ponyville
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"You almost ready, Flash?" Twilight asked while getting things together and putting it in her bag in her room at the castle.

"Twily, I've been ready for twenty minutes!  I packed everything when I was at home this morning."

"Oh.  How about you, Spike?"

"Ready," the dragon replied while wearing a backpack almost as big as him.

"The real question is: are you ready, Twilight?" Flash asked while approaching the princess, who was still scrambling to get things together.

"I... I think so," Twilight nervously replied.

"Don't you worry, Twily.  Going back to Ponyville is probably the best thing for you.  You'll get to see how your old town is doing and you can reunite with all your friends."

Twilight sighed to clear her mind.  "You're right, Flash.  Let's go."

Twilight was scheduled by Princess Celestia to make a royal visit to Ponyville in order to please the citizens there, as well as meet with Mayor Mare to discuss on how things are going in the town.  Twilight, Flash, and Spike were going to stay in the treehouse library, which was currently unoccupied by anypony.

The three of them picked up all their things, smiled politely, and made their way to the castle doors.  The two royal guards standing at the doors, who just happened to be Sentinel and Optimus, opened the doors up with their unicorn magic, revealing the chariot that the three of them were to ride in. It was to be pulled by two pegasus stallions of the royal guard.

"Whoa, awesome!" Spike said as he ran towards the chariot and tried to jump in.  With a single leap, he made it all the way to the top of the chariot, but couldn't get over the small wall . He landed on his stomach with his hands and head in the chariot, but his legs dangling outside.  Twilight smiled at the excitement her dragon had to go back to Ponyville, and she used her magic to help Spike get into the chariot.  Her and Flash then made their way in, ready to take the short flight down the mountain to Ponyville.

With the spread of their majestic wings, the stallion guards took to flight, pulling the chariot behind them.  The chariot somehow stayed level with the stallions pulling it as the three inside it safely made their way across the Equestrian sky.

Flying just below the cloud level, Flash, Twilight, and Spike could see all across the island kingdom- from Manehatten of the northeast to Vanhoover of the northwest; from the mountains, to the plains, to the shores.  It was truly a breathtaking sight; one that only a pegasus would usually know.  Spike had rarely seen sights like this, and the look of excitement on the young dragon's face gave feelings of joy to Twilight.

"Wow, it's so cool being up here.  I can see everything," Spike said while looking over the land.  "It's almost as if I was a big dragon soaring across the land."

"One day, buddy," Flash informed the young dragon with a pat on the head.  "One day you'll be a ferocious dragon by looks, but still the loyal assistant at heart.  You'll be able to give me and Twily rides."

"That would be so cool!" Spike said while holding his hands up to his face, trying to hold in his excitement at only the thoughts of doing it one day.  It was a dream of his to wake up with wings of his own, looking down at all of the ponies he cared for.  He didn't want to be a young, small dragon forever.  All creatures want change at some point, because what is the point of life without making any progress?  Spike at least felt that way.  Having Flash in Twilight's life was enough change for the time being, and he knew it would be an adjustment.  Spike was no longer the most important male in the mare's life.

The chariot made its way, descending towards the town that made Twilight the princess she turned out to be.  The town always held a special place in the mare's heart. She couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as she took the sights in- from the windmill to the bridge, from the town hall to her old treehouse.  It was all special to the mare.

As their chariot came closer to the ground, they could see ponies taking notice to them, especially as the shadow of the chariot went across the town.  Twilight looked over the edge and saw Lyra and Bonbon sitting in the park. Lyra pointed up at the sky at the chariot. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom were playing a small game of passing with a hoofball when they took notice to the chariot.  After Scootaloo pointed up at the sky, the three cutie mark crusaders started to run to try and catch up with the chariot as it made its descent.

The chariot made its way down and they landed just in front of the library, where the three visitors from Canterlot would stay for the next few days.  Twilight took a deep breath through her nose to smell the fresh air of Ponyville.  It was refreshing, like an ice cold glass of water on a hot summer day.  She could smell the fresh muffins being baked at Sugar Cube Corner.  She could hear the sound of the river just around the corner.  The sound of the town was quiet and pleasant.  She felt like she was back home.

Spike ran over to open the door to the library.  He was excited to see the place he called home for over three years.  He laughed with his arms spread out as he made his way to the door.  He opened the door, and his eyes opened up wide.  It was exactly as he had remembered it.  There were books from wall to wall, and it was as clean as could be.  The ponies of the town had done a good job taking care of it.

"So, back to where it all started," Twilight said as she joined Spike in the main room, alluding to the fact that coming to Ponyville was what truly started her journey towards becoming a princess.

After getting themselves all settled in by putting their bags down upstairs, setting up three temporary beds, and saying goodbye to the stallions that brought them there, their short vacation was set to begin.  Well, it was a vacation for Flash and Spike, but work for Twilight.

"I have to go meet Mayor Mare soon," Twilight said.

"Ah come on, Twilight," Spike said, "shouldn't we at least go see our old friends first?"

"All right," Twilight responded.  "I guess we have some time for that."

As soon as the mare said that, they could hear pounding on the ground.  It quickly got louder and louder.

"Is... is that... a stampede?" Flash asked upon hearing the noise.

The noise got louder, and then the floor started to shake.

"Or is it an earthquake?" Spike asked.

"I... I don't know," Twilight said.  The mare opened the front door of the library.  She could see a cluster of smoke off in the distance, and it was coming closer.  "I don't want to alarm you two, but I think there actually is a stampede... And it's coming right for us!"

"Twilight!"

"What was that?" Spike asked.

"Twilight!"

"There it is again," Flash said.

"It's... it's coming from the stampede... Is that... Pinkie Pie?"

At the bottom of the cloud of smoke a figure was scene.  Only one.  As it got closer, Twilight noticed that it indeed was Pinkie Pie.  The party pony must have led an army of friends to come and greet the mare.

"Pinkie!" Spike shouted as the three of them went outside the door, waiting for their friends to come greet them.

Pinkie ran faster and faster with a massive grin on her face.  Just as the earth pony was about a hundred metres away, Twilight yelled out, "I missed you girls so much!"

The mare opened her eyes wide and smiled with her hooves outstretched to prepare herself for the incoming hug that was surely going to attack her.  However, as the pink speedster, running faster than a speeding bullet, made her way closer, she showed no sign of slowing down.  Twilight's face went from a smile, to a straight face, to a look of confusion, and finally, to a look of true fear as Pinkie Pie lunged from over ten metres away, flying through the air with outstretched hooves.

It almost was as if it had happened in slow motion.  Pinkie Pie wrapped her hooves around Twilight for a hug, while the force of the earth pony pushed the alicorn, forcing both of them to go airborne as they shot into the house.  The two of them flew back and hit into a bookshelf, causing a cloud of dust and a crash that could be heard all over.

After the dust settled, Flash came over to make sure that his mare and her attacker were okay.  Flash couldn't help but smile as he saw Pinkie with all four hooves around Twilight for the most aggressive hug that the mare had ever received.

"Oh, Twilight, I missed you so much!  Well, not as much as I miss my parents, but more than I missed Spike.  Oh you missed so much exciting stuff!  Rainbow Dash lost a feather while flying in the air and I caught it with my mouth and then gave it back to her but she didn't want it but it was still cool that I caught it and I made a cake that won a prize as the best cake in town even better than the Cakes could make and we all ate that cake and it was so good and I stubbed my hoof on the bed when I was tired and Fluttershy got scared by a squirrel that came out of the bushes one night when a few of us were walking and it grabbed Big Macintosh's nuts and it was sooo funny!"

"Pinkie!"

"And then Rarity got sick and she threw up all over her dress in public when we were eating because she didn't know she was sick and she was so grossed out she screamed at the top of her lungs but Applejack and I laughed and the Wonderbolts came and performed a show and Spitfire hit the ground and crashed and it was so funny and scary at the same time so it was scalarious and then we-"

"Pinkie!"

"What?"

"I... can't... breathe..."

"Oh yeah!  You're turning purple but even more purple than before because you're usually purple and I didn't even know you could get more purple-"

Twilight used a small portion of the power she could get out of her to loosen the grip of Pinkie's hug.  After taken a few deep breaths, the princess was able to calm herself down.  "Yes Pinkie, I missed you too.  Where are the others?  Weren't they with you?"

"No, silly, I came here by myself as soon as I saw the chariot."

"So... you were the stampede?  It felt like there was a whole army coming to greet us!"

"Duh!  I just had to be the first pony to greet you!"

"Well, thank you, Pinkie.  I missed you too."

"Oh, and hi Flash!  Hi Spike!  I guess I missed you too.  Except I only kinda missed Spike.  He's forgettable, no offense.  I hardly even met Flash but I missed looking at him because he's just so delectable to look at and I would love to just stick my face in his-"

"Oh look!  There are other ponies coming to greet you!" Spike interrupted, in order to save Twilight, Flash, and even Pinkie some embarrassment.  None of them even knew where the pony was getting at with her talking.  In fact, she probably didn't even know what she was going to say next.

Twilight looked to the distance to see the ponies coming to greet them.  This time, however, they were walking at a modest pace.  She could see Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack, and the cutie mark crusaders walking together, joking around with each other and smiling.  The overall mood was happy between them.  Rainbow Dash flew above them.  The mare ignored the fact that she had nearly died of suffocation, and she went out to greet her friends.

The looks on all of their faces told the whole story.  Flash watched on from the distance as each pony all reached in, creating a giant pile of a group hug.  He enjoyed seeing how loved his mare really was.  It assured him that all of the pressure, the nerves, the doubts he had about dating a princess- they were all worth it for the final result.  She didn't know it yet, but Flash was beginning to plan in his mind about taking their relationship a step further.  But that would happen in time.  He still wanted to know some more about her.

After greeting all of Twilight's friends one by one, and getting a few giggles out of Rarity and the fillies, for some reason, the time came for Flash to let Twilight go for her royal duties.

A quick hug was shared between them, and Twilight said, "I'll be back later this afternoon.  I just have to meet with the mayor and take a tour around town to make sure everything is good.  I'll also be greeting old friends.  It's just a way to show the town that the royalty still cares about them.  It's all political stuff."

"I understand, Twily.  So, what can I do when you're gone?"

"You can hang with my friends.  Take care of Spike.  Go for walk.  Anything, really."

"Sounds good, dear."

Flash planted a light kiss on the mare's cheek, causing her to blush in front of her friends; they, in turn, awed with girlish innocence.

After Twilight left, Flash turned to see eight mares and Spike looking back at him.  "Soooo... What do you want to do now?"  Everypony in return all started saying out suggestions, which to Flash sounded like a bunch of geese chirping at one another.  "Whoa, one at a time!  Okay, how about we all go inside the library and tell stories?  Sound good?"  The others all seemed to like that idea.


--------------------------------------


"And then I said, "Oatmeal?  Are you crazy?"

All of the ponies laughed almost uncontrollably.

"Oh Pinkie Pie, you're so random!  That's the best story I've ever heard," Rainbow Dash said while wiping a tear.

"I know!  It's a classic," Pinkie agreed.

"Well I, for one, would to hear Flash Sentry tell us a story next," Rarity suggested, at which everypony else all nodded and 'yep'd and 'uh-huh'd in agreement.

"Oh," Flash said while stiffening up.  "Well, I don't think we really have any good stories."

"Oh come on," Sweetie Belle said, but this time not so loudly.

"You simply must have a story to tell us," Rarity said.

"Yeah, like tell us about your best date with Twilight," Rainbow suggested.

"Or tell us about how ya felt when asking her out," Applejack said.

Fluttershy said, "Well, I would like to hear about-"

"Or tell us about the first time you did it!"

"Pinkie?!" Rarity shouted.

"What?" the frizzy-maned pony asked with an innocent face.  "Please don't tell me I'm the only one who wants to hear about that."

"I want to hear about it," Fluttershy said quietly.

"Um... No.  I don't really feel like telling you all about it.  That seems like something Twilight would tell you one-on-one, if at all.  But it kinda is a good story."

"Hey guys, what're you all talking about?" Spike asked while coming in the room after using the washroom.

Flash blushed, and quickly replied, "Um, I was just about to ask everypony what they could tell me about Twilight.  Like, what does she like?  What does she hate?"

"Well, she's an egghead, and she really likes reading," Rainbow said.

"Yeah, I kinda got that from the whole living-in-the-library thing," Flash replied.  "But I like it that she's an egghead.  She doesn't show it very often.  And she even revealed to me her deep love hoofball."

"Whoa, really?" Scootaloo asked excitedly.

"Yep," Flash responded with a smile to the filly.  "What else do you know?"

"I know that it turns her on when you gently bite on her ear," Pinkie said.

"I don't even want to ask how you know that," Flash responded.

"Good.  Don't," Pinkie replied.  Rainbow looked at Scootaloo with an eye roll and a smile.  Nopony really knew what went on in Pinkie's mind.

"Does she like diamonds?" Flash asked.

"Oh sweet Celestia, now we're talking," Rarity said with pleasure.

"Come on, Flash, every mare likes diamonds," Rainbow Dash said.  "Even somepony as cool as me would like to get one."

"Good to hear.  I was thinking of buying her a necklace or something.  I just wanted to know if she would like it, first."

"I could make you a necklace if you want," Rarity said.

"Well, I just don't know if I could afford it yet."

"Nonsense," Rarity replied.  "After what Twilight has done for us, I will do anything for her.  It'll be my gift to you two."

"Oh, Rarity, that's fantastic.  Thank you so much.  I could kiss you."

"Please do, my dear," Rarity responded, causing a cocked eyebrow from Flash.  It seemed like there was no mare who could resist Flash's charm.

"I-I'll kiss you, Rarity!" Spike shouted out.

"Oh Spikey-Wikey, you're not old enough yet."

"Okay," Spike said while lowering his head.

The conversations went on.  Flash enjoyed being with Twilight's friends, who were like an extension of her family.  He was able to get more information about her likes and dislikes, and some funny stories about her past, like when she panicked about not sending a letter to Princess Celestia on time, or the time Fluttershy walked in on her getting dressed, which, in hind sight, wasn't actually a big deal.  After all, the ponies of Ponyville were usually naked anyway.

Eventually, everypony needed to go home for the evening.  After saying all of their goodbyes, it was just Spike and Flash Sentry left in the treehouse.

"So, Spike, what do you want to do now?"

"You... you really want to know what I want to do?"

"Sure.  I mean, after all, you're like my little brother, or something.  It depends on what you think of Twilight."

"Well, she's... She's like the mother I never had.  And I... I don't know.  Usually I just help Twilight with stuff.  Sometimes we played some games, or told stories.  We also made pillow forts.  But, I don't know what I really want to do."

"You want to find a ball and go kick it around outside?"

Spike's eyes opened up wide.  "More than anything!"


--------------------------------------


Twilight Sparkle, tired from her day of touring around town, shaking hooves and kissing foals, she finally, yet slowly, made her way home.  The sun was setting, and the sky was a flare with hues of red, orange, and pink.  She missed the Ponyville sunsets.  Sunsets in Canterlot were always nice, but there was nothing like the sun setting over the plains on the horizon.  It was so calming.

As Twilight got closer and closer to home, or, rather, where she was staying, she heard the sound of laughter in the distance.  In was so pleasant to hear, especially because of who it was who was laughing.  Off in the distance, with the sunset behind them, she could see two figures kicking a hoofball to each other.

As she got closer, she could see a little better.  Using her hoof to shade the sun, she saw that the figures were a small dragon and a pegasus.  "Spike?  Flash?" she asked quietly.

Twilight made her way close enough that she could see properly.  The mare hid behind a tree in order to watch for a few seconds.

"All right buddy, this time kick it as hard as you can, and go for the top corner."

"All right, Flash."

Twilight looked on as Spike ran up to the hoofball that was in place and blasted a right-footed shot into what apparently was the top-corner- a spot in between two trees and below a branch.

"Whoa, that was amazing!  Celebrate to the crowd!" Flash encouraged.

Spike ran around the field behind the library, waving his arms out like an airplane, laughing like the playful young dragon he really was.

Twilight felt a feeling then and there towards Flash that she had never felt before; about anypony, for that matter.  Not only did he care about her deeply, but he cared about the dragon who meant the world to her, even if she didn't show it at times.  Seeing her loyal assistant running around, showing true joy- there was just something so special about that moment.

Twilight came out from being the tree and made herself visible to Flash and Spike.

"Hey, hey Twilight.  Did you see that goal?"

"I sure did, Spike!  I never knew that you were such a good player!"

"Well, you never took me out to play."

"I guess you're right, Spike.  I'm sorry.  I just... I didn't think you were interested.  But we can do it from now on, if you want."

Spike ran over and hugged Twilight's forelegs.  The mare couldn't help but bend down and return the hug, which was quickly followed by Flash joining in.  In the embrace of the mare and stallion, Spike finally felt like he had something new- a family.


--------------------------------------


After Twilight and Flash tucked their dragon into bed, they decided to go outside for some quiet time to each other.  There was a tree just in the backyard that had a trunk at the perfect slope to create a nice backrest.  Flash leaned back on the ground and against the tree, and Twilight leaned back on the belly of Flash.

"You know, that really means a lot to me," Twilight said as the two of them looked up at the stars.

"What does, my dear?"

"It really means a lot that you're taking an interest in Spike.  I feel like I should've done a better job doing that.  He's always been there for me, but I feel like I've just thought of him as an assistant for the last few years."

"Twilight, he thinks very highly of you.  I think you've done a good job so far raising him."

"Thanks.  It hasn't been easy.  Especially because Celestia gave him to me when I was so young.  I had the help of my parents for the first few difficult years, when he was a baby.  I never really realised that dragons aged differently than ponies.  I thought he would have been big by now."

"Yeah, dragons live much longer than ponies.  He'll probably get bigger eventually.  He is pretty mature for his age, though.  Especially compared to other dragons I've seen.  But until he's old enough to go out on his own, it's our job to care for him as if he was our own."

"Our own?"

"Of course.  I love the little guy.  He's always so happy and willing to help."

"Flash, you have no idea what that means to me."

Twilight reached her head up, and Flash reached his down.  He planted a slight kiss on the lips of his mare.  The visit to Ponyville now meant much more than just work to Twilight.  It now gave her a better outlook on the future.  She now had an even better reason to believe that Flash was the one for her.
> Chapter 12: An Unpleasant Surprise
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The bonfire crackled with hues of orange, red, and yellow.  Marshmallows were being roasted until they were a tender golden-brown.  The stars were out in full, and the wind blew lightly against the trees.  It was Flash, Twilight, and Spike's final night in Ponyville after a few days of both fun and work.  Twilight's five friends came to visit the backyard of the library for a campfire in order to say their goodbyes before the couple with their dragon was to leave early the next morning.

Flash and Twilight rested on the grass against each other with their backs against a log, while the other ponies found logs themselves at sat down on their rumps.  Spike held a stick with his claws that branched out into smaller twigs.  He was able to roast multiple marshmallows at the same time and give it to the other ponies.

"Could y'all believe it?  These last few days have flown by," Applejack pointed out.

"I know, I can't believe it," Twilight said while looking into the light of the fire.  "I've missed you all so much that I almost don't even want to go back."

"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do," Rainbow responded.

"I know, I know.  But I still sometimes wish things just stayed the same."

"Hey, I'm sure glad things changed," Flash mentioned.

"That's true," Twilight agreed.  "Some things are actually better in my life."

"Would you like another marshmallow, Rarity?" Spike asked while holding up a fresh one from the bag.

"Sure, darling.  I don't want it cooked, though," Rarity said while grabbing it with her hoof.  She quickly threw it in her mouth and began to chew.

"Hey, look Pinkie, Rarity's eating herself," Rainbow whispered, causing Pinkie to chuckle.  Rarity wasn't paying attention due to the gooey goodness of the treat.

"This moment is just perfect," Twilight said while looking at her friends.  "I don't want it to end."

"You know what we need at this time?" Rainbow Dash asked while flying in the air.

"Oh no," Rarity said.

"Oh yes!" Rainbow replied.  "We need one of my special scary stories!"

"Eeek," Fluttershy sounded quietly.

"Don't worry Fluttershy, it won't be that scary," Rainbow said.

"O-o-o-o-okay," Fluttershy replied while leaning on the ground on her hooves so she could hide herself, if needed.

Spike grabbed a flashlight and held it up to Rainbow's face as she hovered in place.

"On a very dark night, kinda like tonight, there was a young mare who was foalsitting two twins," Rainbow started.

"Hey, this story is about me!" Pinkie shouted.

"Not quite, Pinkie.  This was a loooooong time ago.  Like, last winter.  Anyway, she had just put the foals to sleep, and she decided to read a book while sitting on the couch, because she was an egghead."

"This sounds more like me," Twilight said to Flash.

"You're not an egghead, Twily.  You're wonderful," Flash said while softly touching her mane with his hoof.

Rainbow continued, "Well, the young mare felt that it was just way too quiet for her to feel comfortable, so she decided to turn on the radio that was on the table beside her.  She turned it to her easy-listening station, so some background music could play while she was reading."

"This isn't scary at all," Pinkie pointed out.

"Darling, let her finish," Rarity said.

"Thanks.  Well, after a few songs, there was a message from the radio station.  'This is a warning to the entire town: an escaped convict is on the loose.  Keep on eye out for a tall, white stallion with a black mane.  He is considered hooved and dangerous.  More information will be released when we get it.'"

"Now we're getting somewhere," Applejack said.

"Well, this news made the poor young mare feel uneasy.  She was alone in a big house near the forest and lake with a lot of doors and windows.  She quickly ran around the house, making sure all of the windows were locked.  She also quickly went upstairs to check on the foals.  As she slowly opened the door, there they were, sleeping soundly."

"What's so scary about that?" Pinkie asked.

"Let me finish!" Rainbow said while putting her hooves down in frustration.  Pinkie quickly motioned that she zipped her mouth shut.  "Now, where was I... oh yeah.  She breathed a sigh of relief that the foals were fine, and she went downstairs to finish her book.  After a few more pages, and a few more songs, a funny feeling came across her."  Rainbow took a look around, and everypony was quiet, listening attentively.  "She decided to lower her book.  She didn't know what caused the feeling, but she somehow felt that she was being watched.  She looked around the room, hoping not to see anypony looking back at her.  Well, there was nopony in the room, and nopony standing at the door to lead into the room.  She went to the kitchen, the bathroom, the dining room; nopony was there to be found."

Rainbow began flying around the group, hoping to find a way to scare somepony.  She quickly went behind Fluttershy, who was hiding her face in her hooves, and tapped her on the back, causing the yellow mare to jump and shriek.

"Be careful, Fluttershy," Rainbow said.  "You should always watch your back."  Rainbow went back to her original position, and continued, "The young mare decided that there was no real reason for the feeling she had, so she sat back down and continued to read.  However, after a few more pages, the radio turned off.  The mare felt even more creeped out than she did before.  But what she saw next was far worse than a funny feeling."

"W-w-w-w-what was it?" Spike asked, shaking on his own two legs.

"There he was, standing in the window of the sliding glass doors.  A stallion who matched the description of the convict, staring directly at her.  She looked back in shock.  He looked back with wide-open eyes and then smiled.  The mare, shaking and scared, ran over to her phone and turned the dial to phone the police.  After they calmed her down on the phone, a few stallions and a mare from the local force came quickly.  'Where was the stallion staring at you?' the mare from the force asked.  After the foalsitter pointed to the glass doors, the two stallion officers went to the door and opened it.  "Um, ma'am, there are no hoofprints in the snow,' one of them said.  'This can't be,' she replied.  'He was right there smiling at me!'  'I think you're just scared after hearing the news,' the other officer said.  The police made sure the mare was calm, and then they left to go to another call.  'It was just in my imagination, I guess,' she said as she made her way back to the couch from the door.  But on the way back, she noticed hoofprints from the snow, leading directly to behind her couch, where there was a pool of water.  That wasn't him in the window she saw; that was his reflection."

Rainbow Dash looked around to all the ponies around her.  Rarity, Fluttershy, and Spike were holding each other and shaking, Twilight had her hooves tightly gripped on Flash's foreleg, Applejack was just sitting there, unaffected, and Pinkie was playing with her mane.

"So, what did you think?" Rainbow asked.

"That wasn't scary one bit," Applejack replied.

"What about you, Pinkie?" Rainbow asked the party pony, who was still flicking the cowlick in her mane.

"Huh?  Oh, that was supposed to be scary?" Pinkie replied.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and looked to Spike, Rarity, and Fluttershy.  Rarity had gotten over it, but Spike was trying to comfort Fluttershy, who was still shaking.  Rainbow then looked to the couple with a smile, seeing Twilight still had her hooves tightly wrapped around Flash's foreleg.

"Um, Twily, the story's over.  You can let go now," Flash said to the mare who was grasping him tightly and had her eyes closed with her head on his shoulder.

Twilight moved her head back, opened her eyes, and smiled.  "Um, yeah, sorry Flash.  It was a little scary."

"You're still holding onto me," Flash pointed out.

"Am I?" Twilight asked.  "Hmm.  I hadn't noticed," she said while still holding on and resting her head back on his shoulder while staring at the now dying out fire.

"Well, I'm ready to hit the hay," Applejack said.

Rainbow yelled out a yawn and a stretch while still flying in the air.  "Yep.  Goodnight everypony."

"Fluttershy can come with me," Applejack said.  The yellow pegasus came out from hiding under her pink mane.  She flicked her hoof through her mane to straighten it out.

"O-okay.  G-g-goodnight everypony," she said.

Twilight finally let go of Flash and used her magic to pick up Spike after he let out a yawn.  She let him rest on her back.  "Flash, do you mind putting out the fire?" she asked.

"Not a problem, dear," Flash responded as Twilight made her way inside.  He grabbed the bucket of water they had and put out the fire.  The smoldering wood and ashes sizzled as the remaining small pieces still on fire were put out, and a cloud of smoke filled the air above it.

"I'll be going too," Rarity said.  She watched until Twilight closed the door, and then said to Flash, "The necklace is ready, by the way."

"What necklace?" Flash responded.

"Oh Flash, you don't remember?  I told you that I was making a necklace for you to give to Twilight as a gift!"

"I didn't think you meant this week!  That's awesome. Thank you so much!  I'll pick it up in the morning before Twilight gets up."

"Sounds good, darling.  Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rarity."

Flash made his way back to his bed, which was situated beside Twilight's, and across from Spike's, on the upper floor of the library.  He was able to fall asleep quite easily, especially due to the joyous feelings he had in his heart.


--------------------------------------


Flash heard the sounds of the Ponyville birds in the early morning.  It was a struggle for him to open his eyes, but he eventually realised that he had an errand to run before Twilight was to get up, so he forced himself to wake up.  He got out of bed, and stood beside his mare, who was still sleeping soundly.  Her mane was all tangled, and her blankets were everywhere.  He leaned in and gave her a slight kiss on the cheek.  He could see her smile as she slept, and her mane still had the smell of campfire from the night before.  He looked out the window, and the sun was just above the horizon to the east.

He quietly made his way around the beds, made himself presentable in the washroom, and made his way over to Rarity's Carousel Boutique, where the fabulous mare was expecting him.

The streets of Ponyville were quiet on this early morning.  There were the occasional few ponies who were making their way to work.  Everypony was friendly in the small town, and they greeted the stallion as he made his way to Rarity's.  It was pleasant being in a place where it was quiet and everypony was nice.  It was far different than living in the big capital city.

Flash made his way to the boutique, and knocked on the door, since Rarity had not officially opened the store for business yet.

"Hello, darling," Rarity said as she opened the door and the bells on it chimed.  "Come on in.  I'll just grab the necklace for you."

Flash thanked the mare and happily made his way inside.


--------------------------------------


Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle tossed and turned as she tried to wake herself up.  She heard the door of the library open and close, but she was just so tired from the night before.  As she eventually forced her eyes opened, she wiped them with her hooves.

"Spike?  Where's Flash?" she asked as she noticed that the bed beside her was empty.

"Huh?" Spike asked as he got up with a yawn.

"Where's Flash?"

"I think he went out for a trot around the block or something," Spike said.

"Are you sure?  Where did he go?"

"I'm not sure.  The only thing I remember is hearing him talking to Rarity outside after you put me in bed."

"That's a little odd," Twilight said while thinking to herself.


--------------------------------------


"Oh my Celestia, Rarity, that's beautiful," Flash said while looking into the case that revealed a gorgeous necklace.

"I know, dear.  It's one of my best pieces of work ever!  Those are real diamonds."

"How can I ever repay you?"

"Oh Flash, I would do anything for Twilight.  She's been one of my best friends for years.  You don't owe me anything."

"Thank you so much," Flash replied while hugging Rarity.

"Oh my," she said as he held her tightly.  She could feel his strength and the love he had for Twilight by the tightness of his hug.  After Flash let go, he asked, "How do you suppose I give this to her?  I don't want to just say 'here', you know?  There's got to be a better way of doing it."

"Well, darling, every mare just loves to know that she's cared for.  Walk in when you get back, tell her how you really feel, and just present it to her."

"I suppose I can just do that.  I'll just be myself."

"There you go, my dear.  Now, why don't you practice with me, hmm?  I'll be Twilight, and you be yourself.  Show me how you'll give it."

"Okay, here goes."  Flash cleared his throat, and said, "Twilight, the day you came into my life was the best day of my entire life.  Every day when I wake up and I know that you're my special mare, I get the biggest smile on my face.  I got you this to show you how much I love and cherish you."  Flash opened the case and revealed the necklace to 'Twilight', played by Rarity.

"Oh, Flash, you shouldn't have," Rarity said in her best Twilight impersonation.

"Twilight, I don't even deserve you.  Please, just, take this as a token of my appreciation.  For accepting me the way I am, for making me the stallion I am today, and, really, for giving me a purpose in life."

"Oh, Flash, you little flirt.  You shouldn't have."  Rarity grabbed the box and put down.  "Oh, Flash, I love you so much."

"I love you too, Twilight."

Rarity jumped forward and put her hooves around Flash's neck and locked her lips on his.  Flash's eyes opened up wide, and he made sounds of struggle.  He didn't want to kiss one of Twilight's friends.  He never even thought of it.  But there was the beautiful Rarity, with her lips locked on his, and her eyes closed.  He made a few more sounds, trying to get her off, but as he felt the freshness of her breath and the feeling of her mouth, he slowly closed his eyes and returned the kiss.

"Flash?  Are you here?" the two heard as the bells chimed and the door opened.

Flash quickly opened his eyes, realising the mare whom he was kissing, and looked at the door to see Twilight with watery eyes.

Rarity quickly broke off the kiss and wiped her mouth.  "Oh, my dear, you started me.  Did you want something?" she asked with a nervous voice to try and detract from what had just happened.

"No," Twilight replied as she closed her eyes and looked down.  A single tear fell from along her furry cheek.  "Not anymore."

Flash watched as the mare he loved with all his heart turned around with her head down.  He felt like he was just punched in the gut.  Even though he didn't mean it, he hurt his mare very deeply, and he knew it right away.


--------------------------------------


"Come on, Spike, we're leaving," Twilight said with a stern tone.  Her tears had dried off on the way back.  She didn't want to hurt her dragon, who had looked up to Flash, and who also loved Rarity.

"Wh-what about Flash?"

"He's not coming.  He'll find his own way home.  The chariot's already here."

Spike was confused as to why Flash Sentry, the stallion who seemed to be perfect, was not coming home with them.  But from the look of hurt on Twilight's face, he knew that he just couldn't argue it.  He knew he needed to just gather their things, and go home, which is exactly what the two of them did.
> Chapter 13: Apologies
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"It's okay, Flash.  She'll forgive you.  Maybe not today, but one day."

"But then again, I was an idiot to be alone in a room with Rarity. Even if it was for a surprise to Twilight, I should've at least brought Spike with me."

"Wait, why am I talking to myself?  I should just go apologize."

Flash paced back and forth in the park in Ponyville with the necklace box on a pouch attached to his side.  After Twilight left the boutique with tears in her eyes, he knew that he was in trouble.  He not only hurt a mare he cared about very deeply, but he might have also ruined his only chance of keeping somepony who cared for him as much as he cared for her.  He had cared for Sunset Shimmer, but in the end she didn't feel as passionately towards him as he did to her.

Twilight was a very special mare.  For one, she was a princess, but she didn't truly act like it.  Coming from relatively humble beginnings, at least, when compared to being royalty, Twilight was a really humble mare.  She didn't even feel confident in herself at first, and neither did Flash.  But being together, they were able to overcome feelings of inadequacy.  They helped each other overcome their fears and doubts.

Then where did it all go wrong?

"All I was trying to do was surprise Twily.  Why did Rarity have to do that?"

"But, then again, I could have rejected her.  But her kiss was just so damn good that I couldn't resist it, even after I tried."

"Maybe I didn't try hard enough.  But, it's not like I wanted anypony else.  Twily is the only mare for me.  Then...ugh!"

"Okay, I'm just going to have to go talk to her.  I'll tell her that I'm sorry, that it will never happen again, and that I was actually going there to get her something, and Rarity came on to me.  I even have the necklace as proof.  And, come on, what mare can resist something this sparkly?  I'll tell her that it matches her eyes, or my feelings to her, or something.  She'll have to forgive me then."

Flash straightened himself, ran a hoof through his mane to make sure it was styled the way he wanted, and put on a smile in order to go see Twilight in the library.

"Twilight, are you here?" Flash asked as he opened the door to the big tree.  He looked around the room, and it was clearly empty.  The lights were even off.  "Ah crap."

He made his way upstairs to where the beds were, and, to his surprise, they were put away.  It was as if they were never there.  All of Twilight and Spike's things were gone, and Flash's belongings were in the corner.

"Well, I guess I deserved this.  Idiot!  She probably went back home.  But, come on, she can't be mad at me forever!  Like, she's a good mare.  She'll find a way to forgive me.  And it was only a kiss.  It's not even like I was the one who started it."

Flash gathered his belongings and prepared himself to go back to Canterlot.  He made his way over to the train station, hoping to catch the train that went up the mountain to the capital city.  Still being quite early in the morning, there were not too many ponies outside.

"Okay, it's fifteen bits to get a ride home.  And I have... zero bits.  Crap."

The pegasus looked up at the sun that was beating down on him.  The heat was strong on this day, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.  He then looked over to the mountains to see the city that was situated on a plateau.  The distance made it a bit hazy, but it was still visible.  The flight would probably take the rest of the day.

"I don't think I have much choice, though.  At least that'll give me a lot of time to think about how I'll talk to her."

Flash spread his wings and took to flight, leaving Ponyville behind, not knowing what was to come.


--------------------------------------


"Hey, did Twi, Flash, and Spike leave already?" Rainbow asked Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie as she knocked on the door to the library.

"Maybe they did," Fluttershy said.  "Maybe the campfire last night was our big goodbye."

"Highly unlikely," Applejack said.  "When do we ever part without hugging?"

"When does a single day go by when we don't hug?" Pinkie asked while bouncing and giving Applejack a hug.

"Maybe Rarity knows where they went," Fluttershy said.

The group of four friends made their way over to Rarity's boutique.  As they walked in, the unicorn was busy sewing.

"Uh, Rarity?  Have you seen Twilight?" Applejack asked as she came in.  Rarity continued to work.  "Rarity?"  The mare continued to sew without flinching or looking up.

"I got this," Pinkie whispered to Fluttershy.  "RARITY!"

"Oh goodness me!" Rarity screamed as she threw some of her tools in the air, just narrowly missing her head as they fell back down.  "Oh, ladies?  What are you doing here so early?"

"Have you seen Twilight?  Nopony is answering in the library," Applejack said.

"T-Twilight?  Um, n-no.  I thought they went home early this morning, didn't they?"

"That's a little weird," Rainbow said.  "It's almost like something fishy is going on here."  Rarity took a gulp.  "Oh well, I guess she had to go back home for some royal duties or something."  Rarity let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, you all must have to get going, I assume," Rarity said.  "I also have a lot of work this morning"

"Yeah, and I have a lot of applebucking to do.  See y'all later," the farmer mare said with a tip of her hat.

"Yeah, and I have to sleep on some clouds today," Rainbow said with a yawn.

"Well, all right then.  See you girls later," Rarity said with a wave as she continued her work and the other ponies all left.  The mare started to push some fabric into her sewing machine, but her mind wasn't on her work.  In fact, a feeling of guilt quickly came upon her, and she stopped the machine.  "Opalescence, am I a bad pony for what I did?" Rarity asked her white Persian cat.

"Rawr.  Meow."

"I know, sweetheart.  I know what I did was wrong.  But do you know how hard it is being alone?  I... I just wanted to feel loved for just a second."

"Purrr," the stupid cat said as she rubbed herself on Rarity's back leg.

"I guess you're right. I should definitely go apologize to Twilight. I wouldn't want her relationship to be affected permanently because of me. Thanks." Rarity quickly put away what she was doing and prepared herself to take a train ride to Canterlot. She got dressed in her best clothing for an afternoon out on the town. "You be good when I'm gone," Rarity said as she quickly locked up and left.


--------------------------------------


"Twilight, what's wrong?  You've been crying since we've gotten back here and you've hardly said anything," Spike said while lying on the bed beside Twilight and petting her mane for comfort.

After a few sniffles, Twilight lifted up her head.  She wiped her eyes with her hooves, and replied, "Oh Spike, Flash and I are just going through a rough patch, I guess."

"What happened when you left the library this morning?  Did you two fight?"

Twilight remembered what had happened a few days prior.  Looking at the concern on her loyal friend's face, she couldn't dare to tell him the truth of what she saw.  It would ruin the good times Spike had with Flash.

"Let's just say that Flash and I had a little... disagreement."

"What?  Why?  Is that why we left without him?   Why didn't you just work it out?"

"Because, Spike, sometimes... sometimes working things out as adults is a lot harder than it sounds.  I guess we're just going through a little rough patch right now.  Hopefully things will work out, but if they don't, you need to know that not all relationships work out."

"Maybe not all do but your relationship should work out!  If you two truly love each other, there shouldn't be a reason that you can't work out any disagreements."

Twilight was finally able to smile for the first time all day.  Spike really did look up to Flash.  And, in the end, he was right.  She didn't have the opportunity to work anything out.  However, it was better to take some time than resolve it right there on the spot.  Taking some time to calm emotions down was a better path to take.

"Thanks, Spike.  You're right.  I just... I just need some time to think.  I want things to work out.  Trust me, I really do.  Flash is great.  It's just that he-" Twilight stopped mid-sentence.  It was very hard for her to tell the truth without telling the whole truth.  Spike looked up to both Flash and Rarity, and saying what really happened would crush the young dragon's heart.  "I just don't really know what's going on right now.  It's complicated.  Things will all work out in the end.  For now, though, I just need some time to myself.  Do you mind going to the castle kitchen and asking for some chocolate?"

"Anything, Twilight," her assistant said with a smile.

After Spike left the room, Twilight wanted to cry more, but nothing came out.  She had cried enough since she had gone into her room.  She had never been in a situation like this before.  It was something different.  It was something scary, especially because she truly didn't know how things would end up.  She didn't have her friends to comfort her, and telling the others about what happened would potentially ruin their entire friendship.  Trying to encourage a young one while not knowing what is going to happen is a tough task, especially for a mare who had never been this serious with somepony before.

"Oh, Flash, Rarity why'd you have to do this?  I trusted both of you."  Twilight got up out of her bed and went over to the mirror.  Her eyes were red, her mane was mangled.  She truly looked horrible.  She looked exactly how she felt.  "Maybe that's why he went after Rarity instead.  She's the pretty one.  Nope!  No, Twilight.  Don't think like that.  Flash isn't like that.  At least, I don't think he is."

Twilight trotted around the room, thinking out loud.

"I don't know.  It could be that I just came in at the wrong time.  But, then again, why would he ever need to kiss her?  Why was he even there in the first place?  Why would she do that to me?  I don't even know who's to blame."

She walked back to her mirror and looked herself directly in the eyes.  "Maybe... maybe I'm to blame.  Am I a horrible pony?  Did I drive him away, or something?"


--------------------------------------


"Phew," Flash said while wiping his forehead in the blazing heat of the Equestrian sky.  "This is a lot harder than I thought it was." Canterlot was still a long way in the distance.

"So, when I get there, I'll just go up to Twilight and tell her the truth.  I kissed Rarity by accident.  She came onto me, and I just didn't resist her.  I was doing it to get a gift for you.  But, then that will ruin the whole surprize."

Flash looked down and saw the train that he would have taken to Canerlot pass him on the ground.  "Ugh.  Hopefully I'll get back before sunset.  I don't want a day to go by with Twily being mad at me.  But, wait... maybe I do.  Maybe she'll be happier in the morning."

After going through a few more scenarios in his head, he shouted out, "Why is love so hard?!"

He looked around and could hear his echo go throughout the forest underneath him.  "Okay, Flash, just... keep it cool.  All I have to do is just be myself and talk to her.  That's it.  Mares like honest stallions.  So, that's it.  I'm just going to tell her exactly what happened, and if she accepts it, she does, and if she doesn't, I'll move on with my life."

He took a deep gulp.  "That's going to be a lot harder than it sounds."


--------------------------------------


"All right, what time is it?  Ten at night?  My goodness, it's far too late to go to Twilight now," Rarity said as she got off the train and looked over to the clock tower.  "Poor Twilight is probably so busy that she won't even want to see me.  Or, she's still mad and shell get mad as soon as she sees my face.  I guess I'll stay in the city for the night and go see her in the morning."

As Rarity began to walk to an area of town with a few hotels, she could see the castle off into the distance.  "But... I really should just go there and tell her the truth.  Even if it ruins our friendship, I can't let her relationship with Flash be affected because of my selfishness.  A generous mare would put her friends above herself.  I just need to tell her that it's my fault, and then she can go on with her life without me."

Rarity looked down at a puddle in the street beside her.  She saw her reflection in the moonlight.  "I really can't believe that I put my emotions above my friends.  Flash is just... so handsome that I guess... I guess I was just jealous of her.  I mean, look at me.  I'm gorgeous, yet Twilight is the far better mare.  In fact, she's beautiful, kind, smart, caring.  She's truly the one deserving of being a princess, so she's the one that deserves Flash, not me.  I just... it'll be hard, but I need to tell her the truth.  You can do it, Rarity."


--------------------------------------


Flash, with the darkness now upon him, finally made the long flight home to Canterlot.  He found an open spot in the castle courtyard and landed, panting and gasping for air.  His wings went back to their folded up position, tired and sore from the long flight over.  "Dang, I thought I was in better shape," Flash said red-faced as he continued to try and calm his body down.

After he finally caught his breath, he trotted back and forth, trying to come up with what he was going to finally say to Twilight.  Even though he went over it over and over again, this was the most important confrontation of his life to date.  Hearing the courtyard animals, feeling the cool nighttime breeze, it was a much better situation to think in.


--------------------------------------


"Spike, thanks so much.  This is the best chocolate ever," Twilight said while eating whole pieces of the many boxes of chocolate that Spike had brought from the kitchen.

"Anything for you, Twilight.  Are you feeling any better?"

"Oh, much better," Twilight said with melted fudge and caramel on her face.

Spike let out a yawn and a big stretch.  "Well, it's getting late, and I've had a long day.  Do you mind if I go to bed?"

"Not at all, Spike.  Thank you.  Thank you for being a good friend to me."

Spike reached up and Twilight reached down.  She gave him a thankful hug.  Even if she didn't always admit it, he was always there for her no matter what.  Even during times of peril, or for sad moments like this, he was always her best friend.

Twilight continued to eat the delicious chocolate and candy that Spike had brought over.  A distressed mare could really down a lot of it.

The night was a quiet one.  A gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the trees in the courtyard.  Except for a few birds, there was hardly anything to be heard.

That was, until she heard a voice coming from down below.  In fact, she could hear some clear and distinct words.  "Twilight, I'm sorry.  I don't deserve you, and I've proven it.  Oh yeah, that's good."

"Huh?" Twilight said as she made her way to the balcony.  She looked around the courtyard.  She pinpointed the noise down below her.  Trotting back and forth on one of the paths was Flash Sentry, talking to himself.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Twilight," Flash said while looking at the ground.  He took a few steps forward, and would proceed to turn around and walk back to where he was.  "I was actually going out to do something nice for you.  Rarity came on to me, and I... I just didn't resist her.  I'm sorry."

Twilight felt some of her sadness leave her as she heard Flash talking to himself.  She lowered herself so that she could be better hidden behind her balcony's parapet wall.

"No no no.  Flash, come on.  You need to say something special to win her back.  She's not ever going to trust you, or, well, me, again.  At least say something to make her feel better."

"I'll always trust you," Twilight whispered to herself.

"She'll never accept you back.  You ruined your one good chance at finding true love.  Great job.  Fricken moron."

"Flash, stop it," Twilight said again quietly to herself.  "Don't be too hard on yourself.  You made a mistake.  Everypony does."

"Just, come on!  Go in there and tell her!  You love her!" Flash yelled at himself.  "But, why is it still so hard.  I just... I don't want to lose her.  Maybe it's better if I just sleep on it and go talk to her tomorrow, or something."

Twilight quickly ran to the bathroom and checked herself out.  She wasn't too presentable, but she didn't have time.  She quickly threw on a nightgown and ran downstairs to try to catch him before her left.  Yelling from the balcony would do no good, because then he'd see that she was listening to him.

"Wait, Flash," he said to himself after Twilight went inside.  "There's no point in even trying.  She caught you red-hooved, and there's nothing you can do about it.  Just write her a letter and leave it under her door.  I don't deserve her anymore, so I should at least give her a chance to start again."

As Twilight ran quickly through the quiet hallways of the castle, she eventually reached the courtyard outside.  She went right to the pathway where Flash was pacing back and forth.  She could still see his hoofprints on the ground.  Some spots were deeper than others, and it indicated that he was actually talking to himself for quite a while.

"Flash?  Flash?  Are you here?" she called out.  She could hear some of the courtyard critters make noise, but there was no call back to her.  "Come on, Flash.  You must still be here.  Don't leave yet," she called out again.  However, as she made her way around the court, it was apparent that he was already gone.

The princess quickly made her way inside the castle and down the hallways.  She went to every room where a member of the Canterlot Royal Guard would be allowed to go in: the locker room, a lounge, the large dining room, and every hallway, but he was nowhere to be found.  Tired from the long day she had, Twilight realised that the only thing that was smart for her to do now was to go to bed.  It was better going to bed in the mood she was in now, rather than earlier.  At least she could sleep in a much better frame of mind.

As she made her way home and opened her door, she saw that Spike was sleeping soundly.  It put a smile on her face.  As she took a step inside, she felt a paper on her hoof.  She picked it up with her magic.  "To my love, Twilight.  From, Flash Sentry," she read.  As she unfolded it, she read the letter in her mind.

My dearest, Twilight.  It is hard for me to write this to you, but it would be even harder to say it to you in person.  I've failed you, and I know it.  I can't live with myself knowing that I let you down.  I'm going to end it all.  That's right, tomorrow I'm going to leave my job at the Canterlot Royal Guard, and I'm moving away from Canterlot.  I don't know if you could ever forgive me for my foolishness, but, frankly, I don't even care if you would anymore.  All I want is for you to be happy and to start over fresh.  I didn't deserve you when we first started dating, and I don't deserve you now more than ever.  I hope you have a very happy life for eternity with Spike.  He's a very special young creature, and he's the friend and companion that you deserve, and I don't want anything to come between that.  Take care of him and yourself, and know that I'll always love you, even if you'll never be able to love me back.  And thank you.  Thank you for making me into the stallion I am today.  Hopefully one day I'll smarten up and learn from my mistakes.  Flash Sentry

Twilight let out a quiet yet heartfelt moan as she leaned her head forward on her hooves against the wall.  "Flash, I love you.  I always will.  Even if we make mistakes, even if we fight, love is bigger than all of that."

Knock knock

"Flash?" Twilight asked in hope as she heard the door.  She quickly opened it up.

"Um, hi."

"Rarity?  What're you doing here?  It's late, and you're so far away from home!"

"Twilight, can I please come in.  I desperately need to talk to you."

"Of course you can.  You're one of my best friends, after all."

"Even after what happened?"

"Of course!"

"If you say so, darling.  Thank you."

Rarity and Twilight made their way to the fountain in Twilight's room.  The water that usually poured was stopped, as it did every night in order to have completely quiet sleeping conditions.  The two of them sat on the edges, putting their bottom hooves in the water.

"Twilight, I know you can't deny what you saw.  There is no real way I can ever tell you what you saw wasn't actually what happened, because you saw it with your own two eyes."

"Rarity, I know.  Just... what did happen?"

"Flash came over early in the morning because I was making a surprise for you.  He was going to give it to you this morning.  But he didn't really know how to give it to you, so I suggested that he could practice with me."

"Okay, I'm intrigued."

"Well, he agreed, and he said to me exactly what he would say to you.  He said how much he loved you, and he presented the gift to me.  I just... I want a stallion so badly that I got caught up in the moment.  When he told me that he loves you, and just leapt in there and kissed him.  He tried to resist me at first, but he eventually gave in.  That was when you walked in.  Nothing else happened.  It was all my fault."

"Rarity, I-"

"Please, Twilight, wait.  I'm sorry.  I'm really, really sorry.  I was just being selfish.  Having a stallion say 'I love you' to my face is something I've never experienced before.  I guess... I guess I was just jealous of you.  You became a princess, you got the coltfriend every mare could ever dream of.  That's what I always wanted.  But I guess now I see why you received it all.  You deserve it, and I don't.  Now, I don't know if you could ever forgive me, but I at least wanted to tell you so that you can forgive Flash.  Your happiness is what's most important."

"Rarity..."

"Yes, darling?"

"How could I ever stay mad at you?" Twilight said while reaching her hooves forward.

Rarity let out a cute little groan.  "You... you mean it?  You forgive me?"

"Of course.  We're friends forever.  After all we've been through, we can still get through anything."

"You don't know how happy that makes me feel."  Rarity started to get emotional.  She had watery eyes, and she reached forward to return Twilight's hug.

"I've missed you so much, Rarity.  All of you.  I may appear to have it all now, but I'd give up everything to have a quiet life with Flash and Spike back in Ponyville."

"Well, my dear, you never know what could happen!  Maybe one day that would become a reality."

"That would be nice, Rarity.  But I still don't know what Flash is going to do.  He left me a letter saying that he was leaving tomorrow because he feels that I can never forgive him."

"Talk about a drama king!"

Twilight stared back at Rarity with half-closed eyes.  "You're one to talk."

The unicorn let out a giggle.  "I guess you're right."

"I couldn't find Flash, so I think I'll just have to find him in the morning before it's too late.  What are you going to do tonight?  Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"I was going to get a hotel room, but it's a little late now, I think."

"You can stay here with me.  My bed's big enough for three ponies, or maybe even more.  Just stay on your side!"

"Thank you, my dear.  I bet you won't even know I was there."


--------------------------------------


"Mmmm... Hmmmm... Errrr...  Rarity?  Would you please stop that snoring?" Twilight asked as she woke up in the middle of the night.  Rarity was sleeping on her side, snoring louder than Flash ever did.  Twilight couldn't even imagine a noise a noise like that coming out of a mare that dainty.

The princess tried her best to fall asleep, but no matter how hard she tried, the noise was just too much.  She could even hear it with a pillow over her head.  Twilight decided that a quick walk outside might tire her out enough to fall asleep when she'd get back.

The mare put on four slippers and a nightgown to go out.  She quietly closed the door, which wouldn't have even mattered in the end, because she could still hear Rarity snoring in the hallway with the door closed.

Going out to the bridge of the castle ended up well the last time she had a night like this, so Twilight decided to do the same thing.  However, as she made her way outside, there was already somepony leaning on the wall, overlooking the town.  The flowing blue mane gave away exactly who it was.

"Princess Luna?" Twilight asked as she made her way up to the princess of the night.

"Miss Sparkle?  What are you doing up this late?"

"I just can't sleep.  Flash and I had a fight, and I need to catch him in the morning before he leaves."

"Leaves for where?"

"I don't know.  He just wrote me a letter saying that he doesn't deserve me so he wants to leave so I can get a fresh start."

"Oh.  Yes.  This isn't the first time something like this happened."

"It's not?"

"Most definitely.  In fact, my own sister went through the same thing, or, so she's told me.  I was on the moon at the time."

"What happened?" Twilight asked while leaning on the wall next to Luna.

"About a hundred years ago, Celestia felt truly alone.  She didn't have me at her side anymore, and she needed somepony special in her life.  Well, she took a liking to one of her cooks.  In the end, they dated, and even got married."

"Princess Celestia has never told me this before."

"It's a part of her past that she doesn't want to remember.  She did say that you were allowed to know about it, but I guess it's hard for her to tell anypony.  Well, she lived happily with her husband for years, but he started to age rapidly.  He wasn't like you and I; he was a mortal.  Well, he had a fight with my sister, and in the end, he knew that his time here was limited.  They ended up never getting over it, and he left.  She never saw him again."

"That's awful," Twilight said.

"Indeed.  We can only assume that he passed away years ago.  Celestia actually never seemed like herself.  That is, though, until she took a liking to you.  You were like the daughter she never had."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Twilight asked with intrigued.

"Well, young princess, if you had a fight with Flash Sentry, you must make up with him before it's too late.  If he leaves, you may never see him again.  Living forever knowing that your one true love got away leaves a deep hole in your heart, as it did with my sister.  I don't want to see the same thing happen to you."

"Thank you, princess.  I'll try to find him tomorrow."

"However, Miss Sparkle, remember this: even no matter how much you love Flash Sentry, he won't be here with you forever.  You will have to let go one day.  That's one of the few downsides to immortality."

"I understand.  While I know that day will come, I still want to make Flash the happiest stallion on earth for as long as he is alive."

"That is commendable, Twilight.  Good luck."

"Thank you.  Goodnight."

Twilight let out a yawn, and was able to go back to her room.  By the time she got back, she was too tired to even notice Rarity's surprisingly loud snoring, and she was able to fall asleep soundly.


--------------------------------------


"F... Flash?!"

"Twilight?  Are you okay?"

"Huh?  Oh, yes, Rarity.  I guess I just had a nightmare.  What time is it?"

Rarity looked over to the clock that was on the wall.  "Six in the morning."

"I have to go find Flash before it's too late.  He'll probably be going to see my brother this morning.  He said he was going to quit."

"Want me to come with you?"

"Um, no.  I have to do this on my own.  I need him to know that I personally forgive him and love him exactly the way he is.  Stay here with Spike."

"All right, darling.  Good luck."

Twilight quickly got ready in her normal royal gown, including the crown on her head.  She left her room, hoping to find Flash before he got to Shining Armour.


--------------------------------------


Flash tried his hardest to wake up the next morning in his room.  He ached everywhere, down to his very bones, from the flight over.  But that wasn't the only thing that was sore.  His heart was, too.  He made his decision to quit the Guard so as to save Twilight the embarrassment.

He not only had a deeply hurt heart, but he also had his nerves nearly torturing him.  He had to go speak to Shining Armour in order to quit.  He didn't know if his captain knew about what happened yet, but even if he didn't, Flash would probably have to tell him the reason as to why he was leaving the force.

Flash's eyes hurt from a nearly sleepless night, but he felt that this day needed to be just done and forgotten about.  He didn't want to do it, but he felt that he had to.  He felt that he had no other options.  What else could he do?  He didn't truly believe that Twilight would ever forgive him.  If she didn't, he'd have to live his life knowing that an all-powerful princess is mad at him, her brother his a prince and his own boss, and everypony would probably know about it.  But worst of all, he's have to live his life knowing that he ruined his one true chance at being happy in life.  Leaving a letter was enough for the stallion.  He felt that at least if he wasn't happy, he could find some satisfaction in knowing that Twilight was free to live her life as a single mare again.

He got himself ready and presentable to go talk to his boss.

He somehow tiredly stumbled his way to work, passing by all of the professional and sophisticated ponies making their own ways to work in the morning.  He heard a few scoffs and comments, but those didn't matter to him anymore.  He just put his head down and made his way to fulfill his mission of the day.

"Um, S-s-s-shining Armour?" he said as he eventually made it to the castle and went to the captain's room.

"Yes?" Shining replied as he turned around.  "Oh!  Flash!  Buddy!  How's it going?  How was your trip?  Tell me everything.  I'm sure it was great."  Flash had his head down, though, and we he lifted it up, his face told a different story.  "Um... what happened?"

"I... I..."

"What?"

"I disappointed Twilight greatly, and that is why I must-"  Flash took a big gulp.  "I must quit the force.  Forever."

"What?  What're you talking about?  What... what... what did you do to her?" Shining asked, his tone getting more and more stern with every 'what' coming out of his mouth.

"Well, I... Twilight caught me kissing Rarity."

"What?!"

"I'm so sorry, captain!  Rarity came onto me and she kissed me and I didn't resist her and when Twilight came in she cried.  I haven't even spoken to her since."

"Flash, stop right there."  The pegasus felt like he was just kicked in the gut.  He didn't know what was coming next. but he knew it wasn't good.  "You not only hurt a princess, my sister, but you also came here to quit the force instead of going and talking to her?"

"I can't talk to her, sir.  I don't deserve her, and I feel that me leaving will give her a chance at a fresh start."

"Flash, I... I don't know whether to fire you, punch you, or just simply beat the crap out of you."  Shining thought for a few minutes.  "I want to punch you."

"What's that, sir?"

"I want to punch you in the face.  Really bucking hard.  Is that loud enough for you?"

"Yes sir.  I deserve whatever I get."

Flash could see the anger in Shining's eyes.  The prince curled his hoof a little and tensed up.  Flash closed, his eyes, expecting the worst.  He continued to expect the worse.

But nothing came.

"Um, Shining?" Flash asked as he opened one eye.  Shining Armour was just looking at the ground.  His face was red, and his body was stiff, but he wasn't reacting.

"I can't do it."

"What's that, captain?"

"I can't do it.  Flash, I don't know what I feel more.  I'm just as disappointed in you as I am angry at you.  Just... leave my sight.  Leave before I change my mind and really hurt you."

Flash nodded sadly, and turned to leave.  He left the castle, not knowing where he was going.


--------------------------------------


"Shining Armour?" Twilight asked while coming to her brother's room a little later.

"Twily!  Is everything okay?"

"Yes, have you seen Flash?"

"I have.  I think he quit this morning.  He left a few minutes ago."

"What?!  Where did he go?"

"I don't know, actually.  Why are you looking for him?"

"Because I want him to know that I'm not mad at him and I forgive him.  I got a note from him saying that he was leaving, and I wanted to catch him."

"So, let me get this straight: you're not mad at him, but he thinks you are, so now he's going to just leave his whole life behind?"

"I guess so."

"Okay, he told me that he kissed Rarity, but I didn't know that she could give him her melodramatic...ness."

"That's not a word, Shining."

"I don't care, Twily.  So, you're not mad at him?  Not at all?"

"No.  I heard him talking to himself.  Rarity even came and told me that the whole thing was her own fault.  I mean, he only didn't reject a kiss.  It's not like he killed anypony or betrayed Equestria or something."

"I guess you're right.  Well, you want to go find him?"

"Brother, where do you think he could be?"

"I don't know.  But if I was feeling all dramatic, I wouldn't actually leave.  I would just find a quiet place to stay for a little bit."

"The forest outside of Canterlot?" Twilight thought out loud while scratching her hoof on her chin.

"We could start looking there."


--------------------------------------


"Flash?  Flash Sentry?  Are you out here?" Shining yelled out in the forest as him and Twilight, as well as a few other royal guards, went into the forest just outside of Canterlot.  The forest followed a river downhill to the plains of Equestria.

"Flash?  It's Twilight?  I forgive you!"

The other royal guards also all called out throughout the forest, looking for him.  After nearly an hour of searching, they came up with the thought that he probably wasn't there.

"Twily, do you have any idea where he could be?" Shining Armour asked his sister.

"I... I don't know.  He could be anywhere."

"Well, we'll find him.  I promise," Shining reassured while putting a hoof on her back.

"I hope so.  And if we do, I may just have to punch him for making something so big out of nothing."

"Ha.  I'll help you with that."

After searching in the forest, Twilight decided to take a look down by the river.  She started from a low part, and made her way up, hoping to find him getting a drink of water, or something to the effect.  After searching and searching, though, she couldn't seem to find him anywhere.

"Well, I guess he's gone," Twilight said with a mouth open.  She also felt a pain in her heart.  Just when things seemed to be going so well, they took a turn for the worst.  It wasn't the end of the world, though.  She still had her friendship with her Ponyville friends intact, she still had Spike at her side, and she was a princess, which was something she always dreamt of.  She just now needed to somehow find a way to move on.

"Found him!" Twilight heard Shining call out from near the top of the river, towards the part where the forest meets the town.  Twilight quickly followed her brother's voice.  As she saw Shining, he pointed over to the other side of the river.  Twilight looked through the trees, and there he was.  The orange pegasus was sitting by the river, throwing a few rocks and twigs into it.

Twilight rolled her eyes, spread her wings, and flew above the trees and across the river to where her coltfriend was.

"Can I sit here?" she said as she landed and approached the stallion.

"Twily?  How- how did you find me?"

"Well, you didn't exactly go very far," she said sarcastically as she pointed up the hill and through the trees.  Buildings and ponies walking on the street could be seen easily from where Flash was sitting.

"Um, sure.  But, what about your dress?"

"Meh.  I don't care much about it.  You're more important to me."

"But, how?" Flash asked as Twilight sat down beside him.  "I failed you.  I failed my one chance at being happy."

"Would you stop it already?  I mean, sure you didn't resist a kiss from one of my best friends.  That's it."

"Really?  But, how did you know?"

"Rarity came to me last night and told me everything.  She said that it was her fault, that you even tried to resist, and that you were only there to get something to surprise me?"

"Really?  She really came all the way here to apologize?"

"Uh-huh.  I have some pretty great friends."

"You sure do, Twily.  I'm still so sorry that I failed you."

"Shut up!  Seriously.  Now you're just frustrating me.  You didn't fail me.  You're equine.  You're imperfect.  I mean, listen, we'll be together for a long time.  Of course we're going to make mistakes.  We're going to get on each other's nerves.  But the important thing in every relationship is that we love each other enough to look past our mistakes and imperfections and love the pony for who they really are.  And I love you for who you really are?"

"Really?"  Twilight stared back with a face that probably asked the same question back to him.  "Oh.  Sorry."

"Flash, really.  I mean, come on.  You're a good looking stallion who looks very tough, but deep down you're a sweetheart who only wants the best for me.  After everything we've been through so far, after what you've done for me and how you've made me feel, what more could I ever want?"

"Well, you could want the surprise I was going to give you?"

"What is it?" Twilight asked.  Flash reached into the bag on his side and pulled out a small blue box with velvet fabric.  The box was wider than it was tall.  "Wha- what is it?"

"Twilight Sparkle, will you-" Flash asked as he opened the case, revealing the necklace, "forgive me?"

"You turd," Twilight said with a chuckle.  "Of course I'll forgive you.  I already have," she said while putting on the necklace Rarity made.  "It's beautiful, Flash.  Thank you."

"Don't thank me, thank Rarity.  She made it."

"I will.  Now, Flash?"

"Yes, Twily?"

"Please don't make something big out of nothing again."

"I won't."

"Good.  Thank you.  And I'll have you know that I heard you talking to yourself last night outside."

"You did?"

"Well, you weren't exactly quiet."

"Oh."

"Yeah.  I already forgave you when I heard how sorry you were.  I came out to meet you, but you were already gone.  When I came back, that's when I found your letter.  If you were just patient, I could've seen you and spoken to you much sooner."

"I'm sorry.  I guess I was just scared of both you and your brother."

"I understand being scared of my brother, but you shouldn't be scared of telling things to me.  All that I care about is that you're honest with me.  Deal?"

"Deal."

Twilight reached out for a hug, and Flash returned it.

"You know, there's a lesson in all this," Twilight said.

"What is it?"

"It's called don't be a spaz and just tell me you made a mistake."

"But you left before I could see you!"

"Okay, yes, that's true, but you should have just come to my room as soon as you got here so we could talk it over."

"Okay, you're right.  I'm sorry."

"And I'm sorry I left with Spike without you.  I was just... a little emotional."

"Well, you're a mare.  You're supposed to be emotional."  Twilight glared back at Flash.  "Um, sorry."

"Something tells me we'll be saying sorry a lot."	
> Chapter 14: A Trot in the Park
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Over the first few months of being a princess, Twilight proved to only improve over time in her royal duties.  She went from her feelings of inadequacy, to being a beloved leader who was looked up to by everypony; especially the fillies of every place she visited.  She was like the fairy tale princess that most fillies dreamt about becoming.  She was able to represent the royal government at every city that she went to across Equestria, and everypony she came in contact with couldn't help but love the mare.

After the mistake she made with Flash up on top of the cloud early in the relationship, Twilight proved that she could learn and move on without any other downfalls; just like the times before she was an alicorn.  That was one of the things that drew Celestia to the young mare.  Twilight could learn from her mistakes and adventures and move on without falling similarly again.

Her relationship with Flash was pretty much common news around Equestria as the summer ended and the fall months came along.  Aside from the one setback in Ponyville, Flash proved to be a very capable coltfriend.  Especially after the talks he had with Shining Armour, Flash Sentry realised that being with a princess was not always easy.  He sometimes went days without seeing her.  However, that actually helped the mare, because then Flash could take care of Spike while she was away.  It all worked out in the end, and being with a princess was definitely worth it in the end.

The summer ended, and fall came upon Equestria.  On one particular day, Flash was in his locker room, getting ready to go home in the mid-afternoon.  After a short discussion with Sentinel and Optimus about the news and sports, Flash finally gathered his things and was ready to leave for the day.

"Well, see you tomorrow, gents," Flash said with a salute to his coworkers as he put his bag on his side and zipped up his light jacket for the breezy autumn weather.  As the stallion turned around and faced the door, he was greeted with a very friendly face.  It was Twilight, also wearing just a light autumn jacket

"Hey, Flashy," Twilight responded, causing the stallion's two coworkers to snicker.  "It's lovely outside.  Want to go for a trot in the park?"

"That sounds lovely, Twily.  Want to leave right now?"

"Sure," the mare responded with a smile.  Flash looked at his coworkers, who were making teasing faces and snickering back at the stallion.  He then turned Twilight around, made himself tall, and lowered her with one hoof, turning her on her back on his hoof and holding her tightly.  "Flash, what're you doi-" Twilight started to ask before her mouth was interrupted with a passionate kiss. 

Flash, with his mouth full as he leaned in, kept one eye open, looking at his two coworkers the entire time, which caused them to roll their eyes.  Twilight couldn't help but close her eyes in sheer satisfaction.  After Flash let his mare's lips go, she slowly opened her eyelids to halfway open.  "Flash, what was that for?" she asked with a very quiet yet satisfied tone.

"I'm just happy to see you, my dear."

"Well, I'm happy to see you as well," the mare responded while gliding her hoof on Flash's soft cheek.

"Now, how about that trot in the park?" he asked her as he slowly raised her back to all fours. 

"Sounds good."

As the couple left the room, Flash turned around and winked at his coworkers.  Something about passionately kissing a princess and making her feel amazing while annoying his biggest critics was one of the most amazing feelings in the world for the stallion.

"No, but seriously, what was with that kiss?  That was amazing?" Twilight asked as the couple made their way out of the castle.

"Come on, Twily, can't you just accept the fact that I wanted to see you?" he asked while looking back at her, but she didn't seem too impressed with the answer.  Flash sighed and moved his head, flipping his mane in the process.  "Okay, I like pissing off my coworkers.  Happy?"

"Quite," Twilight responded with a smile.  "I'm glad I can help you with that."  That response was good enough for the stallion, who shared a grin with his mare.

Upon leaving the castle, the princess and her guard were greeted by the cool autumn breeze that blew through the town.  The trees that were planted in the flower boxes along the main road had all gone through their colour changes.  The leaves were majestic shades of red, orange, and yellow, and the streets were filled with the fallen leaves that blew in the wind.

The ponies walking the streets of Canterlot were clad in light jackets and scarves.  It really made for a lovely scene as the couple made their way to the park.  Autumn was a beautiful time of year in the highest city in the kingdom.  The sound of foals laughing filled the air as they went from the main road into the park path.  The whole area of grass was covered in the leaves that had fallen in the wind.

Flash looked off into the distance as the couple tried to find a nice, quiet spot for the two of them.  The stallion saw a unicorn couple playing with two young fillies.  As they ran around chasing each other, not only were the fillies filled with ecstasy, the parents, too, had great joy on their faces.  The parents made a pile of leaves with their magic, and their two young fillies jumped in the pile, disappearing completely.  After a few seconds of rustling around in the pile, both fillies, probably no older than six or seven years old, popped their heads out.  The father pretended to be scared, falling backwards into another pile of leaves, causing his two fillies and their mother to giggle.  It was a lovely sight for the couple walking by.

Each hoofstep led to a different sounding yet satisfying crunch sound as the two ponies made their way on the path as they stepped on the dead and fallen leaves on the ground.  The entire park was a simply stunning scene as they looked around.  After every gust of wind, more leaves would break off the trees and blow around, dancing around the couple as they trotted down the path, before finally falling softly on the ground.  The sun shined as it was setting, making the sky orange, and there were rolling clouds in the distance.

Twilight and Flash then turned their head to the left, where some other foals were playing in the playground.  One of the fillies waved with a massive grin as she recognized the princess, and Twilight waved back as well.  The two of them listened to the foals' laughter and the things they were yelling to each other as they played tag.

"I'm Discord!  Fear me!" a young colt shouted as he made his way to the top of the jungle gym, causing all of the fillies to scream and shout while giggling and running away as he took pursuit of a few of them.

"You can't catch me," a filly said as she ran around a corner, falling right into "Discord's" trap.  She fell backwards on her flank as she tried to stop, but it was too late.  "Discord" reached down and tagged her.  "Ah stink," she said as she was now "it".

"I'm Spitfire, and I'm going to fly across Equestria in one shot!" a young blue pegasus filly yelled out as she stood on top of the jungle gym and spread her very small wings.  She was about three metres above the ground, which was quite high for a filly, especially if she couldn't fly.  Flash stopped walking to watch the filly as she jumped in the air.  Her small wings flapped quickly, like Scootaloo's usually did as she tried to fly.  But the filly soon realised that she was going nowhere.  Her flapping slowed as she struggled with her eyes closed.  She then opened her eyes, looked down, and said, "Uh oh," as her eyes turned from joy, to struggle, and then to fear as she fell towards the ground.

After letting out a loud, fillyish shriek, she plunged toward the ground.  She had her eyes closed as she felt the thump as she landed.  However, the fall didn't seem as far, or nearly as hurtful as she expected it to be.  She cringed as she opened her eyes, expecting to see all of the pebbles on the ground around her.  However, she was still in the air from her viewpoint.  "Huh?" she said as she saw that she was a few feet above the ground still.

"Whoa, Spitfire, you almost had a crash," came a voice from underneath her.  

The filly looked below her to see where that voice came from.  As she peered her eyes down, she saw a stallion pegasus on his stomach with his legs behind him, holding her up with his front hoof.  It was Flash, and he had a huge smile on his face as he caught the filly, protecting her from harm.

"Wow, thanks mister," the filly said.  Flash smiled and gently put her down.

"You should be more careful, Spitfire," Flash said, humouring the filly.  "Wonderbolts don't usually crash.  You don't want to upset your fans!"

"But, I'm not actually Spitfi-"

"Hey, can I have your autograph?" Flash asked the young filly, who was no older than five.

The filly's eyes opened up wide like she just saw the biggest piece of chocolate ever made.  "You really want my autograph?"

"Of course!  You're a Wonderbolt, aren't you?" Flash asked as he pulled out a paper and a pen from his bag.

The filly grinned cheerfully as she grabbed the pen with her mouth and scribbled her name on the paper.

"Wow, I can't believe it," Flash said, making his overall performance pretty convincing to a young foal.  "I can't believe I got an autograph from a Wonderbolt.  Thank you."

The filly chuckled in her front hoof with a grin.  She jumped up and gave her saviour a big hug, before turning around a running back to her friends.  "Hey guys, that stallion thinks I'm actually Spitfire," she shouted to her friends out of pure joy.  Flash had just made that young filly's day.

Flash trotted back to Twilight, who was still standing there, smiling from ear to ear.  "Flash, I... I can't... That was-"

"You don't have to say anything, Twily.  I know I just lied to a foal.  But did you see her reaction?"

"Of course I saw it!" the mare responded.  "That's why I'm speechless.  That was so sweet of you."  She planted a kiss on her stallion's cheek.

"Aw, thanks dear," he responded.  "Hey, do you see what I see?" Flash asked as he looked behind the mare.

Twilight turned around and looked at what Flash was staring it.  "Oh yeah, I see what you see," she said as she looked at an empty swing.

"I'll push you if you want," Flash proposed to Twilight.

"Race you to it!" Twilight responded as she took a head start.

"Hey, no fair!" Flash yelled as he took off as well.  He caught up pretty close, but the mare was able to sit down on the swing and put her hooves on the chains.

Twilight had a very seductive face showing as she sat on the swing.  "Come on, slowpoke, push me," she said.

"As you wish, my princess," Flash said with a bow.  He put his front hooves on Twilight's back and pushed her, sending her swing a few feet forward.  He backed up a few steps, and as she came back down, he pushed her even harder.  He repeated it a few times.  Eventually, the mare was swinging quite quickly, with her head being even with the top bar as she went forwards and backwards.  Her mane blew lightly in the breeze as she closed her eyes and felt like she was a filly again.  There was nothing more fun at a park than a good swing.

"Whoa, this is too fast!" Twilight said as she picked up more speed with every push.

"What's that?  You want to go faster?" Flash asked with a grin as he out a hoof to his ear.  "All right!"  He pushed her harder, making her go even faster.

"No!  Don't!  Stop it!" Twilight shouted as she went faster.

"Don't stop?  All right, I won't," Flash said as he continued to push harder.

"Stop me this instant!" Twilight said with more urgency.

"Oooooh," Flash said.  He slowed the mare down, eventually making her stop.  "I am so sorry dear.  I didn't hear you properly," Flash said sarcastically with a grin.

The mare rolled her eyes, but still had a smile.  She moved her mane away from her face.  "You know very well what I said the first time."

"Yeah, I know.  But I loved seeing you scared," Flash responded.

"You're a jerk," Twilight teased.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm your jerk," the stallion said with a grin.

"You got that right."

Flash lowered his mare from off the swing.  "What do you want to do now?" the pegasus asked the princess.

"Maybe we could go get some ice-" Twilight was suggesting, but stopped.  "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?"

"Ugh.  That," Twilight responded as she felt it again.

"Um, no," Flash responded.  Twilight looked at the sky, which caused Flash to do so as well.  The clouds from the distance finally rolled over.  Now most of the sky was overcast.  As Flash was looking up, a drop of water hit him in the eye.  "Stink.  Yep.  I felt it," he replied.  Soon after those words, more and more raindrops fell.  The rain came quickly as the sky darkened.  All of the foals in the area let out young screams and giggles as they ran to their parents to try to get out of the rain.

The rain came quickly, and after only a few seconds, the couple were already wet.  "The clouds are moving quickly, so it shouldn't rain for long," Twilight said as her mane got continually wet.

"Wanna go stay under that tree?" Flash asked while pointing to a tree with most of its leaves still on it on a small hill in the distance.

"Sure."

The couple ran over as the rain started to pick up.  They made their way up the small hill and under the tree, which actually had good protection from the rain.  And since it wasn't a thunderstorm, it was a safe place to be for the time being.  Flash turned around in a circle like a dog, finding the perfect spot to put his flank down on the grass. As soon has found it, he dropped down, resting his legs underneath him, facing the rest of the park. Twilight came and laid down similarly right against him.

Twilight let out a soft sigh.

"What's wrong, my dear?" Flash asked.

"I was really enjoying myself," Twilight said.  "This rain just had to come and ruin it."

"It didn't ruin anything, Twily," Flash responded.  "I'm still here with you.  Come on, let's just talk until it lightens up a little bit."

"All right.  Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Anything you want to."

The mare thought for a second.  "Well, how about the future?"

"I can't foretell the future, sweetheart," Flash responded.

"Yeah, I know," the mare responded.  "But I just want to know what you think will happen to us in the future.  Where do you see us in the next few months?"

Flash thought about this.  In fact, it was something he had thought about a lot.  He actually had a plan for the very near future, but he didn't feel like talking about it just yet.  Instead, he said, "Twily, I don't really know what's going to happen, nor do I have a very big plan, but one thing's certain: as long as you're in my future, I'll be happy."

Twilight blushed and looked to her hooves.  "All right, that's a good enough answer for me."

The rain picked up, and soon the couple were the only ones left in the park, as all of the families and other foals went home for the evening.

"Hey, watching the way you acted with that filly, seeing the happy families, I feel good being with you, and I think we'll be happy like them in the future.  You know what I mean?" Twilight said to Flash.

"For sure.  I feel the same way.  I see good times ahead for us," Flash responded, causing the mare to grin as she rested her head on Flash's side.

Twilight heard a sound from above her that made her perk her head up.  It sounded like a twig breaking.  Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, about a bowl's amount of water hit her in the end as it fell from an upper part of the tree, completely drenching the mare and making her mane soaked.

"Oh!  Are you okay, Twilight?" Flash asked as he put a hoof on the mare, whose face was now covered with her wet mane.

"I guess.  It's just a little water," she said as she parted her mane to reveal her face.

After seeing the soaked mare's face, after the wonderful short time Flash had with her on this day, after thinking about the amazing time he's had with her so far since they started dating, and after seeing her smile back at him even while soaked, Flash bit his bottom lip, and said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for wha-" Twilight responded as her eyes opened and her question was interrupted due to her mouth being covered by Flash's.  Her opened eyes slowly closed as she felt the passion with which Flash kissed her.  She also returned it with a few more.  After the two of them broke off, Twilight slowly opened her eyes, and so did Flash.  "Don't ever be sorry for that," Twilight responded.

"There's something I've always wanted to try," Flash said.

"Um, what do you mean by that?" Twilight asked with confusion, not knowing what this was leading to.

"Come on," Flash said while getting up and holding Twilight's hoof.

"All right," she responded as she got up.

Flash brought her out to the middle of the field, where it was now pouring.  He spread his wings and picked up his mare, who was a little shocked at first.  He flew upward a few metres off the ground and hovered upright with his mare in his front hooves.  She raised her head up to his, and he kissed her in the rain.  Something about kissing Twilight in the rain while holding her in the air was far more satisfying than ever before, and it seemed to last forever.

After finally letting their lips go, both of them took a deep breath.  "Flash, that was amazing!"

"No wonder couples always do it in novels," Flash responded.

"Can we go home now, though?" Twilight asked.  "It's not that I don't like being out here, but I'm getting too wet right now," the mare continued as the rain poured on even heavier.

Flash responded, "I like the sound of that."
> Chapter 15: A Human's Story, Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Flash, please, give me a second chance.  I've tried so hard to be a good girl.  I helped fix up the school and I apologized to everybody I hurt, I graduated, and I tried really hard to become a nice person.  I want you back."

"Sunset, no.  I don't want you anymore.  I don't even care if you're different now, you still hurt far too many people to be given a second chance."

"But... but..."  Sunset's face revealed the pain she felt.  There she was, standing in front of her old boyfriend, the only person she ever truly cared about to this degree, and he turned her down.

Flash wasn't done just saying no, though.  He had his reasons.  "Listen, when we started dating in our first year of high school, you were amazing.  You were kind, smart, and caring.  You were all I ever wanted, and you stayed like that for the first  year or so.  But then something happened to you, Sunset.  It happened after you won your first Princess of the Fall Formal title.  You changed.  You weren't the humble, smart girl I cared for.  You became haughty and ambitious.  Then, for some reason, all you would talk about was winning again.  You won the next two years.  I dealt with the new you for months on end, but I just couldn't take it anymore.  My patience wore out.  I didn't care if I dated the hottest girl in school anymore.  In fact, I realised that just didn't care about you at all anymore, and that won't change."

"But... Please, Flash."

"And then you became a bully, and that was the final straw.  You used started picking on the quieter and younger kids, like Fluttershy or Scootaloo.  That's when I just had to get out of our relationship.  And you know what? I don't think I'll ever regret that decision."

"Come on, Flash, just give me one more chance.  Please?"

"I think you need more proof.  Then, after we broke up, you stole Twilight's well-deserved crown after she won Princess of the Fall Formal, then you turned into this freaky demon-thing and basically became an attempted-murderer and tried to enslave the school by controlling our minds.  Is that enough for you?  I could keep going."

"No, it's fine," Sunset said as she lowered her head.  "You're right.  I failed horribly.  All I wanted as another chance."

"Hey," Flash said while using his hand to lift her chin up.  "If you become the girl you were when we first met, then maybe you'll have another chance one day."

"You don't understand, Flash.  The Sunset you first met is gone and she'll never come back.  I am who I am now and I'll never be able to become what I was when we first met."

"Well then, you won't ever get back together with me."

"But... I can at least try to be who I was.  Give me a chance."

"No.  We are never, ever, ever getting back together.  I'm starting university tomorrow, and that's going to be my focus in life.  Goodbye, Sunset.  Forever.  Don't bother me with this again."

Flash Sentry turned around, not even thinking to look back for a second.  Sunset Shimmer lowered her head as she realised that her last chance with the man she loved was now gone.  She had made too many mistakes.  She wasted too many opportunities.  Especially considering what she could have been, she had truly failed in life.  And not only in one life, in two lives- her pony life, and her new human life.  She could have been something amazing, but instead she let her emotions and desires take over her life.  Now she had nothing left.  Nothing but a heavy heart.


--------------------------------------


"There, that's the final box."

"I can't believe my baby is finally leaving us."

"Mom, I'm not leaving you guys.  I'm just going off to college.  I'm still, and always will be, your son."

"I know, but it's just... I never thought this day to come."

Flash looked to his father and rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Come on, son, you have to give us a hug."

Even though he didn't really feel like giving a hug, Flash knew that he needed to do it for his parents. He quickly made sure that everything was tightly and safely packed away in the trunk of his Chevrolet Camaro.  Everything was in the trunk, except for a special case was to be in the front with him.  He put his hands up, and pulled the trunk door down, making sure it was closed tightly.

"All right, I'll give you two a hug, but only one," Flash said to his parents while extending his arms out.  Both his mother and his father reached out and gripped their only son tightly.  "Mom, I can hear you crying."

"I know, I know.  I just... I still can't believe that this day is finally here.  Our only son is leaving to go out to the wide world on his own," Flash's mother said with watery eyes.

After a few more seconds of hugging, which felt like minutes for the new blue-haired college student, his parents finally let go.

"All right, I'm sorry, but I have to go now.  I'm excited to see my new home, and I need to select my classes."

"All right.  Just remember, Flash: you can stay up until midnight, no girls in your room, and please, please just have some fun and learn something."

"No problem, dad.  I promise."

"You're a good boy, Flash.  I'm proud of you."

After a quick smile shared, Flash got into his car that he spent three full summers working full-time to pay for.  He sat down and closed the door.  He looked in his side mirror at his parents as he started the car.  His father clutched his mother closely as the two of them waved to their only child, who was finally leaving the nest.  With a little bit of sadness, Flash lowered the window and waved to his parents for the final time.  

As he turned the corner, he looked in the mirror to make sure that his luxurious hair was all proper.  He even gave a wink at his reflection.  "Oh Flash, you delectable creature," he said as he took his focus off himself and on the road ahead of him, but then quickly focused on his journey ahead of him.

He drove across his home town of Canterlot, dealing with the gridlock of inner city driving.  After dealing with the road rage of others, as well as trying to control his own, and after receiving multiple vulgar gestures from the other drivers, he made his way through the downtown core and eventually over to the other side of town, where the University of Canterlot was located.

"It's okay baby, we're almost there," he said while giving a loving pat to his "baby", which was his special red Fender guitar that his father had bought for him when he was a lot younger.

As he made it through the suburbs, he could see the clock tower that was famous at the University of Canterlot. It brought a smile to his face.

He parked in the spot that he paid an additional small price of five hundred dollars for, but only for a single year.  His parents paid for his entire tuition, which was the greatest gift that he had ever received, leaving him just to pay for his room, his parking spot, and his books, which he expected to be quite expensive, to say the least.

Not surprisingly, the young, energetic man decided to major in music.  Learning everything about musical history and theory could guide him in the right direction in starting off a career in the business.  It's one thing to be just a guitarist, because that can only take one so far.  It's always very difficult for people to become famous musicians, and for every one that makes it big, many fail.  It's always a massive risk.  At least knowing about theory and history could get Flash a different job in the field that he liked the best, at least, that was the young man's thought pattern when he selected his major.

After a rather boring official orientation and class selection, which included a lot of classes that didn't seem really necessary for an aspiring musician, but needed to be taken anyway, Flash was able to take his things and his "baby" to his new dorm room on Campus.  He had lengthy discussions with his parents about living with them and travelling to school every day, but they decided that the stress of the traffic would not be a good way to start off every day, so the deal was simple: Flash was to live on campus, going to all of his classes, which were three days of the week, and he had to stay two weekends a month back at his old house.  His two off-days during the week were reserved for work, assuming he could find a job, and for studying in the evenings.

Flash struggled holding a box with one hand after he put his guitar case down and dug in his pocket for the key to his new room.  After struggling and grunting as he dug deeply in his pocket, and getting a few confused looks as other guys passed him by, he eventually got his key out.  He put it in the lock, not knowing what was waiting for him on the other side of the door.  Would it be a room with a bunk bed and a crazy murderer roommate?  Would it have two twin beds, and he'd have to share the rest of the room's space with a crazy, obsessive nutjob?  Or worst of all: would he be roomed with a sweaty, smelly comic book nerd?  These types of questions seemed silly, but actually did go through his mind.  Even after all the reassurance from his parents and the staff on campus, and after reading everything he could about the university, every step forward was still something different.

As Flash turned the key to his dorm room, he listened closely as he creaked the door forward.  His eyes opened wide, but his mouth lowered as he saw what was inside: a dresser, a nightstand, and a bed.  One bed, and it was twin sized.

"Ah crap.  Well, I hope my new roomie's not a snorer," Flash said as he put his guitar case on his bed and the one box he was carrying on his dresser.  After putting down the box, he had the strangest feeling that somebody was watching him.  That feeling became even more apparent when he could hear whispering.  That feeling was assured when he heard, "Hey," coming from the door.

Flash turned around, facing two men about his age.  "Oh, hey.  Are you guys my roommates?"

"Are you some kind of idiot?" the man on the left responded.

"Yeah, did you not listen to what was said at orientation?" the one of the right asked.  "They said that if you were a freshman renting a room on campus, you get a private dorm room, and have a shared bathroom, kitchen, and common room on every floor."

"Oh," Flash responded.  "You guys new here as well?"

"Yep," the one on the left responded.  "We've been friends for years and decided to take psychology together."

'Oh lord,' Flash thought to himself.  "That's cool," he responded out loud.  "Well, I'm Flash Sentry.  Born and raised in Canterlot and a graduate of Canterlot High School.  I play guitar, and that's pretty much it.  I was in a band but we mutually split up and went our separate ways after we graduated."

"Cool story, bro," the man on the right said.  "I'm Sentinel, and I'm going to be trying out for the school basketball team."

"And I'm Optimus," the other one added.  "I'm also going to try out to the basketball team, among every other team, because I'm just good at everything."

"And proud of it, too, I see," Flash responded with an eyeroll as he looked into his box.  "You must get all the ladies."

"More than you ever could," Optimus responded.

"Dude, you look like you should have been in Dragon Ball Z or something," Sentinel suggested.

Flash didn't bother responding to either of them.  In fact, he wasn't even paying attention anymore at this point.  He had too much on his mind at this time.  His classes started in exactly a week, and this whole week was set for him to just discover everything he needed to know about his next four years at the university.  There was something else on his mind, though.  And that thing was in his hands after he picked it up from the first box he brought in.

"Hey, what're you looking at?" Sentinel asked as he invited himself in.

"Uh, nothing!" Flash responded quickly as he put what was in his hands back in his box and buried it.  "I really must go gather the rest of my things from my car, though, but I'll see you around."

"All right, dude, if you say so.  There's a lot in store for this week," Sentinel said as he left the room, well, was nicely pushed outside of the room by Flash Sentry, and joined his best buddy outside.

As the two of them went down the hallway, Flash could hear Optimus add, "A lot of stuff."

"Weirdoes," Flash muttered after the two left his sight.

"Weirdo," Sentinel said to Optimus down the hallway.

"You can say that again."

"Weirdo."

"I didn't mean that literally.  Anyway, at least we have a new victim for our hazing this week.

The two shared somewhat of an evil laugh as they made their way outside of the dorm.

As soon as Flash Sentry was sure that he was alone, he closed the door to his room to pick up what he had in his hand previously.  It was a picture from a special night about a year ago; a night that could have been a total disaster, if it weren't for the person, or, rather, pony-person-thing who was with him.  He let out a soft sigh as he looked at the happiness on his face in this picture, along with the smile of Twilight Sparkle, the supposed pony princess of another dimension.  It was taken soon after they had danced like a couple of freaks at the Fall Formal, after Twilight Sparkle had saved the day and defeated the demon freak that Flash used to call "my love".  

Taking a picture with the girl with the wings was the last thing he ever did with her before she hugged him goodbye for the final time.  She left soon after to go back to her own dimension, and was never seen or heard from again.  The picture and his memory were the only things he had left of her.

Flash could feel a lump in his throat, but he shook it off, and put the picture on his night stand.  After letting out another sigh, he said to himself, "Might as well go grab the rest of the stuff from the car."


--------------------------------------


After moving all of his things from the car, and falling asleep from the night, Flash woke up the next morning and was ready to take a tour of the area.  As he slowly opened his tired eyes, he looked around his mostly empty room.  Aside from his guitar and amp in the corner and the few pieces of furniture provided, there really wasn't much to his room.  In fact, it didn't feel very good at all, but it would have to be called "home" for the next little while.

Flash got up and pulled on a string at his one window, pulling up the blinds and revealing an overcast early-autumn day.  It didn't seem to be warm, but it wasn't raining, so a light jacket and jeans would suffice.

After a quick shower, he put his towel on the curtain rod and returned to his dresser to get ready for the day.  He looked outside in order to get a good look of his view and see what kind of people he would have to call acquaintances over the next year.  The view from his third-floor window was stunning.  He could see all of the trees beginning to change colour, the pathways leading to all of the other buildings, and all of the people on campus.  There were young men and women, about his age, who were walking around.  Some seemed like locals, and some seemed like they were probably from far away lands.  There were a few groups sitting on the grass together under some trees, and he could see a few guys playing catch with a gridiron football.

Flash looked over at one young lady, who did not appear to be dressed for the weather, even though she looked like she would be from Canterlot.  Her mini-skirt and her hair blew in the breeze.  It was actually a pleasant sight for the young man, as he found her very attractive.  

However, as the girl was walking, she looked over in his direction in her peripheral vision, and then looked back to where she was walking, before quickly turning her head to the side.  Her expression was one of both awe and envy.  Flash couldn't understand why she would be looking like that in his direction.  Perhaps she saw something or somebody she knew on the ground floor underneath him.  The young man looked down to see if he could see anybody under his window, but then went into a panic.  He was still naked from the shower, and his blinds were wide open.  He quickly hit the floor so as not be seen, but he could hear very loud, feminine laughter coming from outside, which was surely the girl he was ogling, and who was doing the same to him.

After closing the blinds and getting dressed, Flash tried to put his embarrassment behind him as he prepared himself for his first full day on campus- a day that was free for him to do anything, so he decided to take a walk around campus and the surrounding areas in order to be familiar with what there was to do.

Upon going outside and seeing the cool breeze, he could hear the sounds of people talking and laughter.  As he walked along the paths, he could just see the joy on many of the faces around.  He walked past the wonderful architecture of the library and archives building.  He took a pass through the campus mall, called University Lanes, where there were a few convenience stores, multiple fast-food stalls, and some banks.  There was a large cafeteria in the main building that provided more expensive- and even less healthy- food for a modest price.  There was a games room, multiple study rooms and computer labs that were available if booked, an amphitheatre, a gym with weights, machines, and a basketball court with bleachers, and finally a hockey rink, among all of the classrooms.  Near the back of the school, there were the association football, gridiron football, and baseball stadiums, which were home to the various Canterlot Cowboys varsity sports teams.  As he became more familiar with the land, it was starting to feel more and more like home.

Flash actually felt some sweat come on him as the morning went on and the clouds broke up.  The sun came out, and he started to get hot in his sweater.  After taking it off and holding hanging it on his left arm, he looked up again to see that the sun was directly in the sky, indicating it was about noon, the perfect time to go find a local place for lunch.  He decided, logically, that the food on campus was too expensive at this time, so going off of campus to find a place to eat was the best idea.  He could see the main street, which was just at the end of the path he was on at that time, which just happened to be the main path in the middle of the campus.

As Flash began to walk ahead, he could hear a commotion going on behind him.  He could hear girlish screams, accompanied by manly laughter.  The noise got louder and louder, and now he could hear what sounded like bare feet hitting the hard rock path.

"Coming through!" Flash heard from behind him.  He turned around to see a truly horrifying sight- a man, about twenty years old and three hundred pounds, running towards him.  The man's skin flapped everywhere as he ran on the pavement.  Flash couldn't help but nearly cry with laughter.  It was only his first day on campus, but he already saw his first streaker, and it was quite the scene.

Still chucking, and occasionally wiping some tears from his eyes, Flash made his way off of campus and on to the main road.  The southwest street corner divided the school from two areas of houses diagonal from each other.  Diagonal from the school was a set of stores, restaurants, and a movie theatre put around a large parking lot.

After passing by the stores, seeing what was inside through the glass, and eating lunch, something caught his eye on the way home.  There was a closed restaurant that he passed, which seemed to be open every day at dinner time until the early hours of the morning.  There was a sign on the window that caught his instant attention.  It read: "Karaoke Night- Thursdays, Band Night- Fridays," and was accompanied with a few stock photos of instruments.  It didn't seem like much, but after breaking apart from his other band members, coming out to see other bands play this Friday seemed like a good idea to the new college student.

After more touring around, he decided to pack it in for the night.  A day of discovery around the school was a promising start.  Flash started to feel more comfortable with his new life, and promising days were ahead of him.


--------------------------------------


"Oh, Sunset, stop sucking it so hard," Flash mumbled that night as he slept, dreaming of being with his former girlfriend.  "Let me have a try."  Sunset passed over the lollipop that she was tasting in order for Flash to have a try.

"Huh?" Flash said as he raised his body up and awoke from his very weird dream.  "Is anyone there?"

He could hear a noise coming from the hallway, but it was too dark to see anything.  He grabbed his flashlight that was in the drawer of his night table.  He pointed it over to the door leading to his room.  He expected to see the posted of the Canterlot Royals basketball team that he put up on the back of his door, but instead his flashlight shined directly into the hallway.  His door was wide open.

"Oh for crying out loud!  How could I have left it open all night?"

He slipped on his slippers that were beside the bed, and shined his flashlight forward, lighting the path to make sure he wouldn't trip on anything as he made his way to close his door.  As he eventually made his way to the door, he put his hand on it, and was about to close it.  However, he heard very soft, fast footsteps run right passed his door, without seeing anybody.  He quickly perked his head around the corner and shined his light, but there was nobody to be seen down the hallway.  In fact, the entire hallway was completely dark, which wasn't normal for the dorm.  In fact, the lights were supposed to stay on all the time.

"Great, a power outage already," Flash mumbled to himself.  "Fantastic way to start my first night."

Flash slowly closed his door.  The creak it made echoed throughout the hallway as he slowly closed it.  There was a gentle breeze blowing through his open window.  "Okay, I didn't open that," Flash said as he went up and put his arms up on it to close it.  He could feel the cool autumn night breeze blowing in, and it caused him to shiver.  As he closed it, there was now dead silence.  He couldn't hear a single thing but the silent ringing in his ear, which indicated truly how quiet it was in his small room.

A sudden noise made Flash tense up.  It was the sound of his vents turning on, allowing heat to flow into the room.  He let out a sigh of relief when he realised what it was.  He decided to just return to bed, hoping to fall back asleep so that he could check out more things in the morning.

However, as he tried to sleep, he just felt eerie.   There was something weird going on; he could feel it, but he just couldn't put a finger to it.  He decided to pull the cord of the lamp on his nightstand.   The light turned on, illuminating his entire room, and causing him to squint.  "All right, the power isn't off, I guess."  He looked around his now lit room, but everything seemed normal.  There was no reason to worry, so he turned the light off and rested his head back on his pillow.  He was used to noise coming from his old house, but being in a new location, with no parents to call out to, was definitely a new experience.

Flash felt more and more tired as he laid there with his eyes closed, but he just couldn't fall back asleep.  He could hear more noises coming from the hallway still.  It was around two in the morning, so there was no reason for anybody to be out at this time.  He turned on his lamp once again, and grabbed his flashlight to go out in the hallway.  He slowly opened his door, and it creaked once again.  The hallway was pitch black.  It wasn't a power outage, and the school never turned off the lights, so it must have been done by accident- or, on purpose.

The new college recruit couldn't get to sleep anyway, so checking out why the lights were out was at least something that could distract him.  If he figured out what was wrong, that would probably be enough to let him sleep by the time he would hit the pillow again.

He slowly stepped forward into the hallway, the floor creaking with every step.  His room was the closest room to the stairwell, which was on his left.  In front of him was the wall that went the length of the hallway, which had windows leading to the outside, because the dorm only had rooms on one side.  It was nearly pitch black outside, except for the two streetlights he could see that were beside the pathway from the dorm, connecting it with the female dorm across a patch of grass and trees. He could see those trees blowing slightly in the breeze.  There wasn't a soul outside, not even an animal to be seen.

Flash shined his light towards the door leading to the stairwell, hoping to find a light switch, but he had no such luck.  In fact, he didn't know how the hallway lights were controlled.  It didn't seem like an important thing to him when he was moving in.  The hallway was dark, it was dead quiet, but for some reason Flash had the gut feeling to go forward to the end of the hallway to the common areas to see what was going on.

His first few steps forward let out creaking sounds from the floor.  The man cringed because he didn't want to wake the other students up, but his brain still told him to go forward.  He started to tip-toe, but that caused slow, prolonged creaks from the floor.  After taking a few more steps forward, he looked at the door in the room next to him.  It was closed, and there were no sounds coming from inside.  The same was true with the next three doors.  Finally, the fifth and final bedroom on the floor was just ahead to his right.  After taking a few more quiet steps forward, he noticed that the door was wide open.  With nerves starting to creep in, Flash pointed his flashlight into the room.  After getting some reflections from items inside, including a beam that hit him straight in the eyes, he shined on the bed, but noticed that nobody was there.

He decided to go ahead to the door on the end of the hallway, which led to the common room, communal bathroom, and kitchen for the floor.  As he took his quiet steps forward, he made it to the door and reached his arm forward.  As he turned the doorknob, it squeaked.  Flash felt a chill go down his spine.  He could hear something close behind him.  He quickly turned around, flashing the light down the hallway.  He could hear quick footsteps yet again scurry away, but nobody was to be found.  He could also hear the faint sound of a young girl's giggle, causing Flash to shiver in discomfort.

However, Flash just had to find out why the lights were off.  He put his fear behind him with a swallow and quietly opened the door to the common area.  The door, naturally, creaked as he slowly pushed it open, just peeking his head through to see if the coast was clear.  After lighting up the room with his flashlight, checking all of the corners, he could see that the coast was clear.  There were a lot of shadows, but they were caused by a lot of furniture in the room, including the dining room table, the chairs, bookshelves, and other common furniture in the room.

He slowly tip-toed further, hoping to find out something; a circuit board, a notice, anything that could provide the reason for the creepy setting he was now in.

He searched and searched, moving his flashlight from side to side, but there were no circuit boards on the doors, no notices on the bulletin board, and nobody to be found.  In fact, there was nothing to be found, except for a single paper on one of the desks.  He slowly walked over and picked it up, the page making crumpling sounds as he held it up in his hands.  Holding it in one hand, and his light in the other, he read the note to himself in a quiet voice, "'No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't run away.  I couldn't hide.  I couldn't get away from the thing that haunted my life, my nightmares, my entire being.  And now it has followed me here.  It ends here.'  What the hell is going on here?"

He could hear more noises coming from the hallway.  It was the same sound as before- quick footsteps and the sound of a young girl's giggling.  He quickly shined a light to the half-open door.  Flash tensed as his light shined on a face staring at him in the doorway.  But, as soon as Flash could blink, it was gone.  He could hear the footsteps going down the hallway and into a room, closing the door.

"That's it.  I gotta get to the bottom of this," Flash said as he crumpled up the paper in his hand.  "This is nuts."  

His heart was pounding harder than before, he could feel some nervous sweat on his face, and his individual breaths started to speed up.  He no longer felt tired at all, and there was no turning back.  This wasn't a dream, it was real.  And in order for Flash to ever fall asleep in this place again, he would have to find out what was going on.

He went towards the hallway with a much quicker pace, ignoring the fear in his gut and his thoughts.  He went down the hallway to the door that he saw was open, but it was still open, and nobody was inside, just as before.  It wasn't the door that closed when the figure went down the hallway.  The other doors were closed as before, and the glass door leading to the stairwell wouldn't have made the sound that was made, leaving only one door left to check.

Flash braced himself as he made his way down the hallway back to his own room.  His pace increased along with his heartbeat and the speed of his individual breaths.  As he got to his door, his fear was realised.  His door was the one that closed.  Tired physically from the move, mentally from a lack of sleep, though he didn't feel it, scared, nervous, and confused, Flash still had the urge to go in and confront the unknown.

He slowly opened the nob, creaking the door forward.  He poked his head through, completely missing the shadows that were right beside him in the hallway.  He shined the flashlight in his room, and there was nobody to be found.  He made his way closer to the bed.  His blinds were shut, something that he didn't do.  He quickly pulled on the cord.  In a flash, the blinds shot up to the top.  Flash shrieked as he saw what was in front of him.  A paper, with the same writing as the one he saw in the common room, saying, "You shouldn't have been so curious.  Now this is where you also die."

Flash's body completely tensed up as he felt warm air go down his neck.  He could hear something breathing behind him.  The hairs on his neck stood up in fear.  His heart began beating profusely.  Sweat dripped down his forehead.  His arms and legs quaked.  He slowly turned around, holding his flashlight and pointing it to head level.  Fully turning around, he shined the light, revealing a pale girl's face with blue eyes.

Flash gasped quickly, unable to let out a scream as the girl reached her arms forward and grabbed Flash by the waist.   The man dropped his flashlight on the ground, and it pointed to the door, revealing two more shadows coming from the hallway.

Now completely darkened, except for only the shadow and outline of the creature in front of him, Flash clenched his teeth, fearing the worst.  He could see the outline and shadow of the creature lunge her head forward toward Flash.  He opened his mouth to scream, but, once again, nothing came out.  It whispered in his ear in the most diabolically happy, yet creepy, demonic tone, "Hi there.  Want to party?"

Flash finally screamed like a little girl seeing an ice cream truck.  He felt a sudden burst of adrenaline as he reached his arms forward and grabbed the 'thing' pushing her onto the bed beside him.  He quickly pulled on the light of his lamp to see what was stalking him.

There it was, sitting on his bed, laughing hysterically while hiding its face in its long, pink hair.

"Pinkie Pie?!"

"Hehehehe, you should've seen the look on your face," Pinkie Pie, the "creature", responded while laughing on the bed.

"What're you doing here?" Flash asked with a no longer nervous voice, but a firm one.

"I go here now, silly.  Sentinel and Optimus gave me five dollars to help them prank you.  I'm always up for a good prank!"

Flash looked towards the door to see the two shadows, now fully illuminated, revealing the two aforementioned males, laughing their heads off while leaning against the wall.

"F-Flash, that was awesome!  You were so scared!" Optimus said.

"We got you so bad," Sentinel added.

Flash Sentry couldn't see the humour in the prank, though, especially because it was his first night in a new location away from home.  "Ha.  Ha.  Very funny guys.  Now I'll know to lock my room."

"Yep," Sentinel said while wiping a tear from his eye.  "Well, g'night.  Sweet dreams."  After Sentinel left, Optimus also left with a salute.

"Pinkie, why would you join them in this?" Flash asked the girl on his bed, now a little more calm than before.

"I don't know, it just seemed like fun.  I'm always up for a prank and a good laugh.  Wasn't it funny?"

"Funny?!  Pinkie, I was terrified!  I thought there was a murderer in here or something!  Maybe one day I'll find it funny, maybe... But until then, that was just awful!"

"Awww, I'm sorry you feel like that," Pinkie responded with a more concerned voice.  "I just wanted to have some fun on my first day here.  Are... are we still friends?"

"Of course.  Except, on one condition: please, don't prank me again."

"All right, it's a deal," Pinkie said while holding out her pinky finger.  "I Pinkie promise!"

Flash grabbed her pinky finger with his, confirming that he accepted the promise.  "Well, at least I know somebody else here at the school.  Want to hang out later on?"

"Sure!" Pinkie responded with wide open eyes.  "Rarity opened her own store, Applejack went back to her parents' farm, Fluttershy is now working at a vet clinic, and Rainbow Dash is in a women's soccer program.  I'm glad to know that I have a friend here!"

"All right, Pinkie.  I'll see you around campus, then.  Have a good night!"

"You too," the pink party person said as she hugged Flash and then skipped out of the room.

Now exhausted from the adventure, Flash could finally turn to bed and try to get some sleep.
> Chapter 16: A Human's Story, Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Flash stood there, leaning on his arm on the window sill as he looked at all of the people passing by.  It was the Friday afternoon of his first week on campus, as classes started the following Monday.  His first week was nothing short of a disaster.  He expected to go to parties, meet new friends, and simply enjoy his time.  Instead, Flash found himself to be the victim of multiple pranks, he hadn't met anybody that he knew previously, other than Pinkie Pie, made any new friends, or was even invited to any parties yet.  Something about him was off, especially because he was one of the most charming and popular guys in his high school.

After letting out a soft sigh as he watched the wind blow in the trees and the other students walking by, Flash thought about the things that he did have; things that made him happy.  Back when he first started high school, he was popular, got good grades, and was dating the perfect girl, or so he thought.  Sunset Shimmer was quiet, caring, and smart.  She was the perfect loyal companion for him.  However, he couldn't help but think of what came soon after.  After Sunset won her first Princess of the Fall Formal crown, she then changed, and it almost seemed as if it happened overnight.  She became more prideful, which was something that Flash never expected from her.  She also became abnormally ambitious and could only talk about herself.  It was a far cry from the normal Sunset Shimmer, whose only problem was that she thought too little of herself at times.

Flash remembered the last time he enjoyed being with Sunset, which was many, many months before he finally had enough- the day when he finally had the courage to break up with her.  On that final day, the two of them, still young and full of life, spoke about the future.  They talked about the potential of graduating together, going to university together, and even though they were young, the possibility of getting married in the future- things that never ended up happening.  After his final conversation with Sunset, the day before he left for university when she had one final go at asking for him back, Flash hoped never to see her again.  He had no knowledge, nor any want to know, of what Sunset was now going to do with her life.  But, quite frankly, he couldn't care less.  The only thing he could care about at this time was thinking of what could have been if things had just stayed the same.  But, alas, things change, and people change, despite how many times we hope they won't.

And then there was Twilight Sparkle, the cross-dimension traveling pony-thing with a talking dog.  Flash couldn't help but think of her.  They only spent a few hours together, but there was something different about her.  It was almost a love at first sight, at least for him.  He didn't know much about her, except for the fact that she wasn't actually a human, but he longed to find out more.  All he needed was time, but that time never came.  After only an hour or so, she was gone from his life, and gone forever.  Now, all he wanted to do was just stand there and think of what was and what could have been.

As Flash Sentry watched the leaves dance in the wind as they fell from the trees, he also pondered over what was to come for him.  He had unlimited potential in certain subjects, but chose to focus on his musical career, which was what he enjoyed the most.  He often daydreamed as a child of being on stage in front of arenas, stadiums, or even open fields of crowds reaching up to six-digits.  He dreamed of the screams coming from the thousands of girls whose panties would drop at the announcement of his name over the speakers.  He sometimes laughed about the daydreams he used to have.  They seemed quite silly to him now.  The potential of being a music teacher or working in a recording studio was far more realistic than being an idol for millions, but it definitely wasn't as glamorous.

Something, however, caught the eye of Flash Sentry as he leaned against his windowsill.  It even caused him to open his normally squinty eyes a little more and lift up his head.  He heard the barking of a dog down below, and something about it seemed familiar.  He looked from side to side through his window to see if it was coming from the large area in front of him.  After the barking, there seemed to be quite a commotion.  He saw other students laughing, and some yelling and pointing as well.  Then, the barking got louder, until it eventually stopped and was accompanied with the sound of young men yelling.  Then, right in front of his eyes, a small purple dog with green ears ran by with a Frisbee in his mouth.  His tail wagged as he ran along the path just outside Flash's window.  Just seconds later, about five or six male students came running, chasing the dog with the disc in his mouth.

Flash squinted his eyes again, trying to get a closer look at the running dog.  Squinting did nothing to help.  It was more of a psychological thing than anything else.  However, the dog, who seemed to be having the time of his life running away from the guys who obviously were enjoying themselves before he came along, stopped to look back at his pursuers.  Coincidentally, when the dog turned around, Flash was able to get a good look at the happy canine with his tail wagging joyfully.

"Spike?" Flash asked as he leaned his head back a little.  He never got a good look again, though, as the dog then took off again and was followed by a group of angry students, trying to get back their flying disc.  After Flash wiped his eyes, the dog and the crowd that were chasing him were gone.

Flash Sentry felt a grumble in his stomach.  It was about six, and Flash had nothing to eat on this day except for cereal and ramen noodles.  He had some money in his wallet, though, left over from what his parents gave him to start off.  A good treat to end the week seemed like a good thing to have.  Remembering the commercial area diagonally across from the university, Flash figured that going to the restaurant he saw, which he didn't catch the name of, would be a good place to go.  The only thing Flash remembered about it was that they had band night on every Friday, but that was good enough for him.


--------------------------------------


As Flash walked along the path leaving the campus, his hands in his jacket pockets, looking down and crunching every leaf underneath his feet, he ignored the world around him.  It was as if nobody else existed.  He just didn't care.  Especially after he had been looking forward to being at the University of Canterlot for such a long time.  There was just nobody special for him to share this point of his life with, except for his parents, of course,.  But they weren't there to experience it with him.  He felt alone.  There was no Twilight by his side, and no Sunset on the horizon.

With only his mind accompanying him, Flash made his way to the local restaurant for band night.  He forgot the name of the restaurant specifically.  He only remembered the look of it.  He continued to look at the signs.  He was able to see the Fu King Chinese Restaurant, the Toss My Salad Bar and Grill, Frying Nemo's Fish and Chips, Sofa King Furniture Store, and The Wok and Roll, but none of those were the restaurants he was looking for.

"Ah, here it is," Flash said as he walked along the parking lot, approaching where he recalled it was.  He could see it up ahead.  The restaurant was quiet the last time he saw it, but he could already see that it was buzzing.  As he approached further, he read the sign out loud, "The Hugh Jazz Pub."  He then mumbled to himself, "I should have been able to remember that..."

There were people outside smoking, loud radio music playing on the inside, and there was overall a positive energy coming from the pub.  It was a place that he wanted to be, and it put a smile on his face already.

As Flash walked in, he could just smell the barbecue.  He took a deep breath in through the nose and was filled with the pure joy that was the smell of murdered animals frying on the grill.  It brought a feeling of ecstasy to him.

His smile grew bigger as he saw a server coming up to him.  She was a blond, wearing the tightest of clothing and a miniskirt that was high even compared to the girls he went to school with.

"Are you here for Band Night?" she asked Flash with a menu in her hand.

"Um, yes!" Flash responded happily while trying to remain eye contact.

"All right then, it's in the basement," she said while putting the menu back down and smiling.

"Thanks," Flash responded with a grin in return.  He passed by the main part of the pub, which had multiple rows of tables and chairs on the left and a bar on the right.  He passed by the doors to the kitchen and the bathroom, and went down the stairs to the basement.  He could already feel the excitement building inside him, which was a much better feeling than how he felt most of the week so far.

He finally opened the door to the basement, revealing a room that could have about two hundred people standing in it, and a stage at the front with an electric piano, electric, acoustic and bass guitars, and a drum set.  The parquet floors and dark wood panel walls were a nice touch in the room, which was lighted by wall lights set a few feet apart.  There were already some young people standing at the very front, but Flash was able to get a spot just to the left side of the stage near the piano.

After waiting, and waiting, and waiting, watching the room slowly fill up all the way to the back, Flash reached up and fist-pumped as the first band took to the stage. The sounds of over a hundred screaming girls filled the room, as well as an extremely loud feminine scream coming from a roughly four-hundred pound balding man.

The band had a bassist, a pianist, and a drummer, as well as the lead singer who would play lead guitar as well.  He stood up to the microphone after putting his guitar over his shoulder.  Flash envied the guitar that the band's lead member had- a flame-patterned Fender Stratocastor.

"Hello Canterlot," the singer said into the microphone with a British accent, which was greeted by even more screams.  "We're 'Oh No It's Them,' and we're so happy to be back in Canterlot.  It's a wonderful city and we've got a bunch of good songs to play for you tonight.  We've come a long way from London-"

"Woo!  London!" came a manly shout from a few rows of people back.

"Thank you!" the singer yelled out in response while pointing out to the crowd.  "It's an honour starting off the show tonight, and we'll try to give you one hell of a performance."

The drummer tapped his drumsticks together four times, and the first show started with the pianist playing chords.  The singer's lyrics were sung along by quite a few members of the crowd, though quite poorly, but it indicated that the band did have some popularity.  They played the rest of their half-hour performance energetically and passionately with the typical sound of a British alternative rock band, and it was overall a fun experience for Flash Sentry, who even bounced around with his arms in the air during some parts.

"Thank you, Canterlot!" the singer yelled at the end of their seven-song set list.  They took a bow in front of the crowd, who cheered and clapped in response.

After they left, the crew came on and changed all of the instruments, exchanging them with the next band's equipment.  Flash felt envious once again as the lead guitar was a beautiful red Gibson Les Paul guitar.  A blue bass guitar was placed, and a new drum set was also laid.  After another wait, the second band finally came out, to more shouts and screams from the crowd.  There were only three members this time, however.

The lead singer, who was also the lead guitarist as well, came up to the mic.  "Hey everyone," he said in a New York accent.  "We're 'The Virgin Punchers' and we're here to blow your bloody minds!"  The excitement coming from the crowd was a lot louder upon hearing that.  "Without wasting any more time, one, two, three, four!"

The crowd erupted as the band played in their very hard rock style.  Flash nearly went deaf from the sound coming from the speakers that were close to him, but he really didn't care much.  He looked around as the room quickly became more and more energetic as the performance went on.  During the final song, everybody in the room started jumping up and down, and Flash joined in the fun.  He could feel the floor shake behind him.

"Screw America!" the lead singer said with a fist in the air after finishing the final song, which was accompanied with a roar.  "We'll be drinkin' upstairs throughout the night if you wanna join us," he said as they also bowed and left the stage.

Two shows in, one more to go.  The night was now much later on, so the crew quickly changed the instruments, coming out with an acoustic guitar, a bass guitar, drums, and an electric keyboard.  The next act quickly came on, waving to the crowd.  Three guys took to the bass guitar, drums, and piano, while a young lady took to the acoustic guitar and the microphone, which caused a roar from all of the males in the audience.  The brunette singer stood up and smiled to the crowd as she leaned in close to the microphone with her hands on it.

"Good evening, Canterlot.  We're 'Pony Princesses', and we're the final act on the night.  We're happy to be back in our home town."  The sound of that made the entire room erupt.  However, as everybody was focusing and cheering the fact the band was from their own town, Flash couldn't help but think of somebody, or rather somepony in particular- Twilight Sparkle.  He quickly gave his head a shake to try and get her out of his mind and just focus on the performance, which seemed to work at first during the first few songs, but occasionally he would look over at the drum set and see the name of the band, reminding him of the true pony princess that he loved.

The performance went on, sounding like a typical soft rock band with a female singer, nothing too special, but Flash's mind was unable to move on.  He just couldn't forget about the mare.  She dominated his mind, and everything seemed to remind him of her- the band's instruments, the t-shirts on the members and on fans in the crowd, and the fact that she was standing and jumping up and down right behind him.

"Twilight?" Flash yelled out loud as he faced the girl behind him.  The hair, the purple complexion, the overall cuteness- it just had to be her.

"Uh, yeah?" she screamed out loud as the performance went on.  "Can I help you?" she asked in a loud and weirded out voice.

"It's me, Flash," the young man screamed out.

"Dude, shut the hell up!" sounded a man from beside him.

"Oh, sorry," he responded.  He turned to Twilight behind him, "I'll talk to you after the performance," he said to her.  She didn't seem too excited to hear that, and quickly focused her attention back on the performance, which went on for another two songs.

After all the noise had finally quieted down, and the room started to empty out, Flash, with his ears ringing, could see that Twilight Sparkle was just behind him.  "Twilight, it's me, Flash Sentry, remember?" he asked her as she looked at him with confusion.

"Uh, no, I don't think so," she replied.

That answer felt like a punch in the gut to the young man.  "Twilight, you have to remember me.  We danced at the Fall Formal, remember?  What're you even doing here?"

"Uh, I live here," she responded.  "And Fall Formal?  Never heard of it.  I don't even know who you are.  I've never seen you in my life."

'Okay,' Flash thought to himself.  'She responded to Twilight, she looks like Twilight, she's here in Canterlot... How could she not be my Twilight?'  "I... just... this doesn't make any sense.  You won the Princess of the Fall Formal crown at Canterlot High School, did you not?" he asked.

"Canterlot High?  Uh, no.  I never went there.  I went to the Canterlot Academy for the Gifted."

"Oh, I guess I confused you for somebody else," Flash responded, hoping that she would forget the fact that he knew her name.

"Yeah, maybe," she replied.  "Maybe you've just seen my name around campus or something.  I just started at the University of Canterlot.  I'm majoring in chemistry.  You go there too?"

"Yeah I do, actually," Flash responded, which was accompanied with a smile and a nod from the girl in front of him.  "Yeah, maybe that was it."  Flash thought for a second, and then continued by inquiring, "Hey, are you the one with the dog that stole the Frisbee today?"

Twilight had a look of embarrassment on her face.  "Um, yeah, that was my dog-"

"Spike," they both side in unison.

"Uh, how did you know that?"

Flash could feel his entire body tighten.  "I, uh, um, lucky guess?  It's a pretty common name for dogs."

"Okay... yeah, I you're right with that one," Twilight responded, and seemed to have nothing else to say.

"Sorry if this has been awkward for you," Flash responded.  "It has been even more so for me."

"It's fine," she replied.  "It's happened before.  Some pink girl hugged me today and called me 'princess'.  I didn't know who she was, but she seemed to want to be my friend, which is kind of nice because I don't make friends very easily."

Flash knew that that girl must have been Pinkie Pie, but he just couldn't say anything about it.  He didn't want to weird her out any more than he probably already did.  He also didn't want to create any more questions in her mind, especially because there were just far too many questions in his own mind already.

Instead, Flash just let out a chuckle.  "Yeah, that is weird.  Well, sorry about the mix-up again.  I guess I'll see you around campus then?"

"Yeah, I'll see you around," Twilight responded with a smile as she turned to leave.	


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Flash let out a sigh after he wiped his mouth after putting down his pint of beer at the bar of the pub soon after.  He became drinking age over the summer that he had, and having a cold beer seemed like a good way to calm his nerves, which were bothered by the fact that he met a girl that he loved, and she didn't seem to have ever known him.  Questions raced in his mind, along with scenarios.  Was this the Twilight he knew?  Did she have some kind of amnesia, forgetting who he was?  But she never attended any school, so was she a different person altogether?  But she also had a dog named Spike.

So many things went through his mind.

"Girl trouble?"

"Huh?" Flash responded to the guy sitting beside him, who was a man in a flat cap that seemed to be about his age.

"You don't look too happy.  It must be about a girl," the man beside him said while looking into his own drink.

"Uh, yeah," Flash responded while turning on the bar stool towards the other guy.  "A girl I know just basically told me that she has no idea who I am."

The man beside Flash turned to him and gave a consoling look.  "Yikes.  I've been in that situation before," he said while stroking his very short beard with his hand.  "I have girl problems constantly.  I'm starting to think that I'll be alone forever."

"Oh come on, dude," Flash responded.  "You're not bad looking and you seem to be about my age.  You still have lots of time to find somebody special."

"I appreciate that, but I'm not very optimistic considering the situations I've been in," the man responded.  "Hey, what's your name?"

"Flash Sentry."

"Flash Sentry?  That's cool, man.  You go to U of C too?"

"Yes, I do actually.  Just started."

"Nice.  Me too.  The name's John," the man replied while sticking out his hand to shake Flash's.

"John?  That's a weird name.  It's so foreign to me," Flash responded while shaking John's had.  "You from another country?"

"No, I'm from here," John responded.  "My parents are rich so they just named me something weird.  Rich parents seem to do that a lot."

"Yeah, I've noticed that," Flash responded.

Flash and John conversed about sports, economics, and politics.  They seemed to have similar interests and opinions on certain topics, and every disagreement they had was minor and they would laugh about it.  Flash let out a yawn and looked at his watch.  Upon seeing that it was two in the morning, he wiped his eyes, and said, "I really like talking with you, dude, but I really have to go back and get some sleep."

"That's cool," John responded.  "I'll leave in a little bit myself.  I'll see you around?"

"Of course," Flash responded while giving a fist bump to his new acquaintance.

Flash Sentry stumbled home, tired from the long day and long week he had.  Even with the minor emotional setback with seeing Twilight Sparkle again and having her not know him, this day was much better than the other days he had earlier in his first week on campus.  He was able to get home safely, falling on his bed like a sack of potatoes, falling asleep nearly instantly, even with all of his clothes still on.
> Chapter 17: Fun in the Snow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight looked outside her window, watching as individual snowflakes dropped lightly from the sky and onto the castle courtyard ground.  Autumn was coming to a close, and most of the leaves had already fallen off the trees.  It was a peaceful moment as she leaned her chin on her hoof.  She was already prepared for the trip she was about to leave for- to visit the Crystal Empire to oversee the final preparations for the Equestria Games, which were scheduled in the spring to come.  The stadiums were built, along with the training facilities and housing for the competitors.  Peaceful times had fallen over the land, and there had not been one threat since Twilight became a princess, rendering the Elements of Harmony useless for the time being.

However, the princess still proudly wore her crown nearly all the time.  Apart from being the symbol of her royalty, other than the fact that she had wings as well as a horn, it reminded her of the days when she was with her friends- the good old days.  The days now were even better, but she found herself missing her Ponyville friends more and more as time went on.  

This day was promising to Twilight, though, because Shining Armour was already with Cadence in the Crystal Empire waiting for them.  "Them" meaning Twilight, Spike, Flash Sentry, and her parents as well, who were accompanying them on the trip.  A family reunion would make the job for Twilight go by smoothly as possible; well, in theory.  Every time Twilight felt stressed because of royal duties as of late, Flash was always there to lend a listening ear, and her parents were always as supportive as could be.  Spike was just Spike.

The snowfall outside the window was light and didn't accumulate, but the northern climate of the Crystal Empire was always unpredictable.  Twilight had her bags already packed, and she turned around to see Spike and Flash still gathering all of their things.  The mare smiled as she saw her little dragon packing away his little winter jacket, and she watched as her coltfriend packed all of his things as well.  He looked up and returned the smile as he zipped up his bag.

"Well, I'm done," Flash said.  

"I'm... just... almost," Spike said as he tried to zip his overly-filled suitcase shut.

"One second, Spike.  I'll help you," Twilight said as she came over.  She used her magic to push the clothes further into the bag and zip it closed.  

"Thanks."

"You're welcome.  Are you two ready to go?"

"Yep," Flash responded.  He picked up his bag with his mouth and put it over his side.  Spike grabbed his bag with his hand, which was a suitcase on two wheels so that he could roll it, and Twilight used her magic to put her bag over her side as well.

"All right, then, let's go," Twilight said with a grin of excitement.  "My parents will meet us at the train station."

Spike wheeled his suitcase into the hallway first, and was then accompanied by Flash and Twilight.  Spike got out the key so that he could lock the door.  Even though there were always guards in the castle, it gave Twilight peace of mind knowing that only the one key could get into her room.  That way she knew that nopony would go in there when she was gone.

"Wait," Twilight interrupted just before Spike put the key in the door.  "Are you sure you two have everything you need?  We don't want to remember on the train."

"I think so," Spike replied as he looked at his full bag.

"Um," Flash said as he started feeling his own bag with his hoof.  "No, one second.  Sorry, I just have to grab one more thing."

Flash opened the door and went back inside to find what he had forgotten.  He brought it from home earlier that morning when he came over.  He thought that he had put it in his suitcase already, but that obviously wasn't the case.  With a little bit of nervousness, he quickly looked all over the room, and made his way over to Twilight's desk.  After moving around pens, paper, and other office supplies, he found what he was looking for in plain sight and breathed a sigh of relief as he put it back in his bag.

"All right, I'm ready," Flash said as he came outside and joined the other two in the hallway.

"Are you sure?" Twilight asked, which was greeted with a smile and nod.  "Really sure?"

"Yes."

"All right, let's go."

Spike locked the door, and the three went down the hallway to leave for the train station.  As they went down the hallway and to the entrance, Sentinel, as well as a new member of the Canterlot Royal Guard, opened the doors for the three.  Flash looked at Sentinel with a grin, since the latter had to take a few extra hours of work to cover for the time Flash would be missing.

"I hate you," Sentinel mouthed with his lips.

"I looooove you," Flash mouthed jokingly in response with a cheeky grin, which seemed to irk the other guard even more.  The orange stallion chuckled as he accompanied the love of his life down the stairs and out of the castle.


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"Oh, dear, when do you think Flash and Twily will get here?  The train's set to depart soon," Twilight Velvet said to Night Light as the two waited for the others at the Canterlot train station.

"I don't know, Velvet.  Twily isn't normally late.  Actually, when is she ever late?  I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"You're right.  Our little filly is always on time."

And, right on cue, Twilight, Spike, and Flash came around the corner, creating a smile on both parents' faces.

"Twily!" Night Light said as he approached his daughter.  Twilight Sparkle reached both of her parents and gave them a hug while Spike and Flash watched with contentment.

"Sorry I'm late.  It's my fault," Twilight apologized after they broke up their hug.

"Um, excuse me," Flash interrupted while coming up and putting a hoof on his fillyfriend's back.  "I'm pretty sure I'm the reason why we're late.  After all, I'm the one that forgot your- I mean- my thing inside after we went outside.  Sorry.  I take full responsibility."  Twilight smiled back at her coltfriend.

"No matter," Twilight's father said in response.  "We still have a few minutes to go before we're off.  Now, are you three sure that you have everything you need?  Remember that it's going to be cold up there."

"I think so," Twilight said while looking in her bag.  Flash and Spike did the same, confirming that they also had everything that they needed.

"Dear?  Do you have everything you need, too?"

"Yes, Nighty.  I've got everything I need," the grey and purple unicorn said in response.

"Good," her husband responded.  He pointed his hoof in the air.  "Because there's the train coming now."

The family of ponies, as well as Flash and Spike, watched as the train pulled into the station and let out a cloud of smoke and a loud honk.  They boarded with ease, with the help of all the workers of the train company carrying their bags, and got a whole first-class cabin to themselves.  It was nothing but smooth riding all the way to the frozen tundra of northern Equestria.


--------------------------------------


Twilight leaned on her hoof once again, this time watching the snowy landscape go by as the train made its way up to the cold northern part of the kingdom.  The snow seemed to be picking up in both intensity and depth on the landscape the further they went.  The bright sun was a much more vivid colour in the distance compared to the white ground and grey clouds.

Standing behind the mare, Flash joined Twilight in staring out the window as Spike conversed with the mare's parents on the couches in the train car.  He took a look at his mare's reflection, and could see her long face turn into a smile as she noticed him looking at her.

"Thinking about anything, my dear?"

"Not really, Flashy.  Not anything important, at least."

"Come on, Twily, you must be thinking of something.  You've been staring out of the window for over an hour."

"Honestly, Flash, the only thing I'm really thinking about right now is what the weather is going to be like over there.  I'm trying not to stress out over my duties or anything."

"Well," Flash said, followed by taking a deep breath.  "I'm not a weatherpony or anything, but I'm pretty sure you'll be getting a few inches tonight," he finished with a cheeky grin and a wink.

Twilight, now with a bright shade of red on her face, replied, "F-Flash?!  I-"  Her shocked expression then turned into a grin.  "I'm flattered, but my parents and Spike are here.  That is, unless you want them to watch."

"Uh, no thanks."

"Thought so."

The stallion sat down on the couch that Twilight was on, which ran perpendicular to the window she was looking out of.  "Are we there yet?" he asked in a foalish voice.

"Dear, we'll get there when we get there," Twilight said while putting her hoof on his leg.

"Is there anything to do for fun on this train?" Flash asked as he hunched over a little more.

Twilight scratched her chin with her hoof.  "We could tell stories to each other," she said with eagerness.

"Um... I don't really have anything in mind right now."

"Well, is there anything in particular that you would like to do?" Twilight asked.  However, she noticed that his attention was no longer on his mare.  "What're you looking at?" she asked while leaning her head over and facing the same direction where the pegasus' attention was focused.

Flash looked on at Spike, who was just sitting on one of the couches at the other side of the train car.  He was just sitting there, playing with his claws as Twilight's parents spoke to each other.  "What does Spike like to do for fun?" Flash asked as he looked on.

Twilight pondered for a second.  "To be honest, I don't really know.  He has been my loyal assistant his whole life.  I guess I never really asked him much."

"Well," the stallion said while smiling down at the shorter mare, "I think we'll just have to find out!  Follow my lead."  Twilight smirked as the two of them got up from the couch.

"'Do you, Rarity, take Spike to be your lawfully wedded husband?'  'I do,' Spike muttered to himself as he played with his own claws.

"Hey, Spike," Flash interrupted.

"Nothing!" Spike shouted in defense.

"I didn't ask you anything yet," Flash said with a grin.

"Oh," the dragon responded with a little blush.

"You're kinda bored right now, aren't ya?" Flash asked in a nice tone.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Well, we'll just have to do something about that, won't we, Twilight?" Flash asked while turning to the alicorn, who responded with a smile and a nod.  Flash turned back to her loyal assistant, who was now eagerly looking up.  "I heard that there are hidden gems somewhere on this very train.  You want to go find them?"

Spike's eyes opened as wide as they could.  "Uh-huh," he said while nodding aggressively.

"All right, let's go!" Flash exclaimed while leading the way.  Spike hopped off the couch, and the three of them went to the door to the next car.  Flash opened the door, revealing a hallway with three rooms on either side.  "Okay, be very quiet," Flash whispered.  "You don't want to wake the monsters that are in here."

"Okay," Spike whispered back as he tiptoed through the hallway.  He could hear a commotion coming from the middle room to his right.

"If I catch you speaking to that mare once again I'll drive a pole up your flank, you hear me?" sounded a very shrill mare from the room.

"Yikes, the monsters are very angry today," Spike said as he took a step away from the door.  Twilight and Flash chuckled quietly to each other.

The next door was opened by the mare using her magic, revealing the dining car, that also had a small table for buying souvenirs.  Flash looked around the room.  There was nopony else in it, except for the one worker at the table.  The few tables were covered with white tablecloths, and they were already set for the next meal to be served.

Flash looked over to the pony at the souvenir table, and then to back over to Twilight.  He gave her a wink, and then told Spike, "I feel like there are gems in this room.  Maybe you should look under the tables."

"I'm on it," Spike said with a salute.  He dashed and dove under one the tables.

Flash took Twilight by the hoof and pulled her over to the souvenir table.  He puckered his lips and blew some air out, to tell the worker to be as quiet as she could.  "Do you have any gems for sale?" he asked in a whisper.

"Sir, this is a train souvenir stand, not a jewelry store," the mare at the table whispered back.  "But yes, we do have some gems, actually.  They were found by our conductor in the caves near Canterlot."

"Awesome," Flash whispered while pumping his hoof in celebration.  "How much?"

"Well, a small box, about the size of your hoof, is fifty bits," she responded.

"Fifty bits?!  I can't afford that!" Flash responded.

"I'll help you out," Twilight said while stepping up from slightly behind her coltfriend.

"Oh, Princess Twilight?" the mare said as she saw the mare step forward.  "I can't believe I didn't see you there!  We have a policy where we don't charge royalty, so this box of gems is on us."

"Well, thank you very much," Twilight responded with a smile as she grabbed the small box and handed it over to Flash.  "Being with me has its perks," Twilight said to Flash with a proud smile.

"But... but... Okay," Flash said, stumbling on his words as he thought to himself.  "Why did you get me to pay for all the dinner dates if you get things for free."

"Well, you're the coltfriend, aren't you?" Twilight asked while putting her head down and looking upward at Flash, batting her eyelashes.

The stallion sighed.  "Fine.  I guess you're right.  I guess... But thanks for getting the gems."

"You're welcome," she replied happily with her eyes closed.

"Spike?" Flash called out as he somehow hid the gems inside his mane, as if he was in some kind of comedic cartoon.  The dragon came out the fourth table down with eager eyes, looking to see what the stallion wanted.  "Find anything?"

"No," Spike replied in a saddened tone.

"Strange, I was sure that there were gems in here," Flash replied.  "Oh well.  Let's go to the next car."

Spike picked himself from off the floor, and the three of them went to the next car over.  Flash led Spike through multiple cars of the train, making the young dragon look almost everywhere, but Spike's outlook became more and more dim as he didn't find any gems, but Flash expected that.  In fact, if Spike did find gems, they would have probably been considered stolen when the pony who lost them realised.

"All right, maybe they're in this final room," Flash said as they faced the caboose of the train, which held all of the luggage for the passengers.  Flash used his hoof and tried to open the door, but after a few tries, he noticed it was locked, and that there was a "staff only" sign on the door.  "Well, that figures.  Sorry little buddy," Flash said while patting Spike on the head.

"It's all right," Spike replied in a flat, disappointed tone.

"Don't give up, bud.  You'll find some gems another time.  I forgot, I just have to go do something.  Twilight, do you want to take Spike to the dining room to try one more time and find some gems there," the stallion said with a wink to the lavender-coloured mare.

"All right, Flash.  You go ahead and do what you need to do.  I'll go try with Spike one more time," the mare replied.  Flash thanked her, and dashed off down the train.

A few minutes later, while Flash was sitting down on the couch where he was earlier, looking out the window, hoping that they would reach their destination soon, he could hear young laughter coming from the next car over.  Flash listened closely, as he recognized the laughter.  It was coming from a certain young dragon that he cared deeply about.  The door to their car opened, revealing a smiling Twilight and Spike, who was grinning from ear to scaly ear while holding a small plastic bag, jingling with gems.  Flash couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh my, what do you have there, Spike?" Twilight Velvet asked as she saw the grinning young reptile.

"You won't believe it, Flash!" Spike shouted out.

"What?" the stallion replied with an acted face of concern, but Spike couldn't tell.

"When I went back to the dining room, I looked under the tables, and every table had at least one gem under it!"

"That's awesome!" Flash replied excitedly.  "Don't eat it all at one time!"

"I'll try not to," the young one responded while sitting down beside Night Light on their couch.  He quickly stuffed his face with the gems, which were delicious to him.

Twilight came over and sat back down on the other couch beside her coltfriend.  "That was really nice of you, Flash.  I'm glad you're in my life."

"Not to worry, Twilight.  Heck, it gave me something to do.  This train ride has been so boring."  Flash looked over to the dragon, who was drooling as he devoured his treats.  "And seeing his face just makes me happy."

"I appreciate it, too," Twilight said as she landed a peck on his cheek.

Flash looked into Twilight's eyes, and asked a question that had been on his mind for quite a while, "Are we there yet?"


--------------------------------------


Nighttime fell as the travelers from Canterlot finally arrived at the Crystal Empire.  After a chariot ride that was provided for them through the heavy snow, they finally arrive at the Crystal Palace, where Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armour were awaiting them.

The four ponies and dragon made their way into the castle.  There in the main hallway was where the couple were awaiting the rest of the family.

Twilight ran up to her old foalsitter.  The two of them took a few steps to the side and stood facing each other.  In unison, they sang, "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake!  Clap your hooves and do a little shake," before hugging each other.

All of the others greeted each other with a hug.  Finally, it was down to Flash Sentry and Shining Armour.  Flash held a hoof to his forehead and saluted, saying, "Hello, captain."

"Flash Sentry.  Nice to see you again."

"Likewise, sir."

Unfortunately for all of the ponies, the night was well upon them, and after a long train ride, it was really time for bed.  Twilight had to get up early in the morning to go with Cadence to take care of their royal duties.  The prince and princess of the Crystal Empire showed their visitors to the hallway where their rooms were.

Shining Armour showed his parents to their own room, and then showed Spike into his own room as well, which was greeted by huge excitement shown by the young dragon.  He also had a single large gem on the table in his own room.  Still not completely satisfied from all of the gems he had earlier, Spike threw his suitcase on the bed and devoured the large green gem.

Finally, Shining Armour led Flash and Twilight to a bedroom that they were to share together, which made Flash open his eyes wide.

"Now," Shining said as he opened the door, revealing a queen-sized bed.  "Can I trust you two enough that there will be no fort building or other horseplay that will go on here tonight?"

Flash saluted the prince once again.  "Your wish is my command!"

"Actually, it's not a wish.  It is a command.  I'm trusting that you'll let Twily here fall asleep right away.  She has a big day planned tomorrow."

"Shiny, I'm not a filly anymore.  You don't need to worry about me," Twilight defended.

"All right, fine.  Good night, you two."

Twilight and Flash quickly put their bags down and undressed from the winter clothes they had on.  Flash quickly threw himself on the bed, as he had a very long day.  He laid there on his back for a few seconds, but then felt like somepony was watching him.  He lifted his head up to find his mare staring at him with the most seductive eyes she could put on.

"How's the bed?" Twilight asked.

"It's actually very comfortable," Flash responded while giving it a good bounce.

"Good.  We can test it out."

"Um, Twily, wouldn't that count as 'horseplay'?"

"We're ponies, Flash.  We're not horses," Twilight flirted back at him.

"Well, that logic will win with me every time," Flash responded with a huge grin.

"Good," the mare said while grabbing her suitcase.  "Let me just get into something more comfortable."

"But you're not wearing anything already," Flash pointed out.

"What's the fun in that?" Twilight responded while going into the bathroom with her bag.

"Can't argue with that, either," Flash muttered to himself.

After a few minutes, Twilight came out wearing white lace lingerie and a saddle.  She opened her eyes partway, giving Flash a set of seductive bedroom eyes.  She looked directly at Flash, and he responded with a snore.  Her bedroom eyes quickly turned into a look of confusion as she looked at her stallion, who was already fast asleep while lying on his side on the right side of the bed, facing inward.

"Oh for crying out loud," Twilight said with an eyeroll, but then let out a chuckle.  Flash was beat from the long day he had, so he was forgiven this time.  She went under the covers herself and cuddled beside Flash as he slept.


--------------------------------------


After a well-balanced breakfast fit for royalty, all of the ponies went their separate ways for the day.  The two princesses left together to inspect the final preparations for the upcoming Equestria Games.  Spike went with Twilight Velvet and Night Light to go sightseeing around the northern part of the kingdom.

After everypony left, it was down to Flash Sentry and Shining Armour, facing each other at the table.

"So..." Flash Sentry started.

"Want to, uh..." Shining retaliated.

"Go to the mall or something?" the pegasus asked.

"Flash, I don't swing that way.  And I'm married," the prince said in a stern voice.

Flash gulped.  "No, uh, I mean, um, like, as friends."

"You think you're my friend?" Shining asked rudely.  Flash clearly turned pink in embarrassment.

"Um, yeah, well, I thought we were friends," Flash responded, sinking lower into his chair.

"Flash, buddy, I'm just teasing you," Shining remarked, causing Flash to open his eyes and sit back up quickly.  "You're a great guy, and I'm happy you're here.  Let's go to the mall.  Maybe I'll actually buy something without having my wife's voice in my ear the whole time."

Flash was able to chuckle as his spirits were raised.  "Sounds like a plan, Shiny."

"Hey, you can't call me Shiny!  Only family can call me Shiny," he barked.

"Oh, sorry," Flash responded, his ears going down.

"That's okay," the prince and captain responded.  He trotted over to the pegasus.  "Maybe one day you'll be allowed to call me that," he said while punching the other stallion on the shoulder.  "But not today!"

The two went to the newly opened Crystal Mall in the suburbs.  After a few minutes of window shopping, they pretty much had enough.  Shining mentioned, "You know, if I actually wore clothes I'd probably want come here more often."

Flash smirked in response.  "Well, we can leave if you want.  Unless you want to buy something for your wife."

"What do I get for a mare who has it all?  She has her own kingdom all to herself."

"I feel the same way about Twilight," Flash responded.  "But there's always something special that you can get for a mare."

Shining pondered for a minute.  "Not really.  Anything I can buy here for her she can already get for free."

"Well, it's not about what she has or how much something costs; it's about the gift itself.  It shows her what you think of her and how much she means to you."

"Flash, that's... That's very true.  I feel like we've been growing further and further apart as time has been going on.  I just- Can you keep a secret?"

Things became serious very quickly.  Flash could tell by the quick change in tone.  "Of course I can, captain," he responded with ears ready to listen.

"I don't think I can do this long-distance relationship with her anymore.  I feel like I need a change."

"You don't mean?"

"Yes, Flash, I mean it.  I've been thinking about this for a while.  I'm going to talk to Cadence tonight about leaving-" Flash held his breath.  "-the Canterlot Royal Guard to come live with her here in the Crystal Empire."  Flash was able to breathe again.  "I just can't live so far away from her.  Occasionally coming to see her just doesn't do it for me anymore.  How are we ever going to draw closer as a couple if we live so far away from each other?  And what if she wants to have a foal?  I just don't know."

"Captain, can I actually give you some advice?" Flash asked.

"Of course you can."

Flash could then feel a growl in his stomach.  "I don't feel like saying it while wandering around and with all of these ponies around.  You want to go to one of the restaurants for lunch?  My treat."

"Sure, Flash.  But no, it's my treat," Shining Armour responded.

After finding a booth in the downstairs restaurant, Flash felt more comfortable talking about this very serious topic.  "I think you should do whatever you think is best for your wife.  If you do what is best for her, you will feel better about yourself.  Having her with you every step of the way will make you more confident in yourself."

"I think you're right, Flash.  That's what I thought as well.  It's just better to hear it from somepony else."

"And besides, the Crystal Empire Royal Guard needs a captain, doesn't it?  I remember that when I was there for training when I first started there were only a few native guards from the empire, and the rest were sent over there from Canterlot to assist.  It would be good for you to be there to recruit more guards and take charge."

"You're absolutely right, Flash.  That would take more of a load off of my love's shoulders.  I think I'll talk to her about it this evening.  Thank you, Flash.  You've actually helped me come to a conclusion."

"You're absolutely welcome, my captain.  Besides, what are friends for?"

"Now I'll just need to find a replacement," Shining pondered out loud.

Flash Sentry, knowing that he was now in a good place with his captain, now felt comfortable to ask him something that was on his mind for quite a while.  "Now, Shining, I want to ask you something that's been on my mind for a while.  What you say is of utmost importance to me, but I want your honest opinion."

"Anything, Flash.  As long as you're not asking to be the new captain, because I haven't even mentioned it to my wife, yet."

"Oh no, it's not about that," the stallion reassured.  "It's about Twilight."

"All right, go ahead."

Flash had figured out a lot about Twilight over the last few months, and the more he found out, the more he liked about her.  However, he still had a few nagging questions on his mind; important things, like: does she make good sandwiches on her own?  How irritable is she and how mad does she get?  But there was also one very important thing on his mind as well, but it was more about Shining Armour than anything else.  Flash opened his mouth, and proceeded to ask his question.


--------------------------------------


"We went to the caves in the mountains, and then to the top of the castle, which was great because my life wasn't in danger this time, and then to the mall, and then we got cotton candy and ice cream with chocolate and rubies, and then went to the toy store, and I saw all the toys, and then we-"

"Whoa, Spike, take a breath," Twilight interrupted at the evening meal with the rest of the family.

"Sorry, Twilight.  I just had a really good day," Spike responded.

"We had a good day too," Twilight's mother said while patting the young dragon on the head.

"What about you, Twily and Cadence?" Night Light asked.

"Well, it was tiring," Cadence mentioned.  "We made sure that all of the venues in the empire were ready for the upcoming games.  It was a lot of work, mostly because we had to listen to boring technicians and designers talk about how proud they were in their work."  She looked at Twilight, who smiled and nodded in agreement.  "But overall it was... interesting.  Things are looking very good for the games."

Shining Armour then looked at Cadence, and indicated that it was time for them to change the subject to something more important, at least for the time being.  Shining, who was quiet for most of the dinner so far, spoke up, saying, "Everypony, I have an important announcement to make."

Twilight Velvet gasped.  "I'm going to be a grandmother?!"

Everypony else chuckled at the table.  "No, ma.  Not yet, at least.  This is hard for me to say, but... the two of us have decided that I should leave Canterlot to come live here with Cadence.  I'm going to be the captain the Crystal Empire Guard."

Twilight and her parents were surprised by this.  Spike was busy playing with his fork.

"Um, BBBFF?  Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Twilight asked with a more quiet tone.

"Twily, I'm sorry.  I've been thinking about this for a while now.  I asked Flash for advice this afternoon, and he said that that was the best thing for me to do."

Twilight turned to Flash Sentry.  "Is- is this true?"

"Yes, my dear.  It's important for Shining and Cadence to be together."

"I- I guess you're right," Twilight said as she put her head down.  "I'm going to miss having you around, though," she said to her brother.

"I know, Twily, I'll miss you too.  I'll miss all of you.  But this is something that needs to be done."

Night Light was in total agreement with his son, and Twilight Velvet was too, even though she was crying.  It didn't take much for that caring mother to turn on the water works, though.  She cared about her foals dearly.  Princess Cadence was smiling with joy as she knew that this was an important step that her husband was taking for her happiness.

Flash turned to see his mare, who seemed a little disheartened at the news.  He then turned to Shining Armour, who was on his other side, and whispered, "Hey, maybe you should go talk to Twilight.  Make her feel a little better."

"Aren't you supposed to do that?" Shining whispered back.

"Yes, but I still have to do one other thing first."

"All right," Shining whispered back.  "Twily, could I talk to you outside for a second?" he inquired as he turned to his LSBFF.

Twilight, who wasn't crying but looked to be on the verge of it, nodded her head in agreement, and the two of them went outside.

As the mare was about to close the door, she heard Flash say to her parents, "I have an important question to ask you."

Twilight, with plenty of things on her mind at this time, closed the door and joined Shining Armour in the hallway.

"How could you not tell me that you were leaving Canterlot?"

"Twily, be honest here: that wasn't the worst thing I kept from telling you."

"Okay, fine, nothing will be bigger than not telling me about your wedding, but this is big too!  You should've told me ahead of time!"

The mare turned her face away, but Shining quickly grabbed her chin with his hoof and made her face him.  "Twilight, tell me this: is it not important for me to be with my wife?"

"Yes, of course it is.  I want you to be happy, and I know that for you to be happy, Cadence has to be happy also.  But, just, why, ugh!"

"Twilight, please, look at me," Shining pleaded.  Twilight looked up and directly into her brother's eyes.  "I'm sorry.  I really am.  But this is something that I have to do in order for our marriage to succeed."

"All right," the mare replied.

"But I won't keep everything from you.  I want you to help me find my replacement."

"Uh, what about Flash?"

"Obviously I was thinking that, but I don't want it to seem so obvious, okay?  I want to make him earn it.  Make him sweat a little."

"What if he doesn't want it?" Twilight asked.  "It's a lot of pressure."

"I never really thought of that, actually.  That's your job, then.  Find out if he's up for being my replacement.  Just, don't be too direct.  Pretend like this conversation never happened."

"All right."

"Thank you.  Now, go see your coltfriend.  He's been singing your praises all day and he's dying to see you."

"Okay.  I'm sorry I'm upset.  I just care about you," Twilight said while hugging her brother.

"I do too, Twilight.  I love you."

"I love you too, BBBFF."

Twilight and Shining rejoined the others in the dining room.  All of the plates and cutlery were not put away by the staff, and Flash Sentry turned to Twilight with a smile.  "Hey, Twily, I was thinking," he started.

"Yes?" she asked with an eager look.

"You want to go play outside in the snow?"

Twilight was confused, but intrigued.  "Um, okay.  Sure!"

"I want to come," Spike said.

"Why don't you come play games with us, instead?" Night Light asked, turning the dragon's attention away from Twilight and Flash.

"Okay," he responded eagerly.

Twilight and Flash got into their winter clothing and went outside to the local park, which was covered in white snow.  It had snowed lightly throughout the day, and now there were just minor flurries as the sky grew darker, as the sun was going to set soon.

The couple found an empty part of the field with no footprints in the snow at all.  The snow was as fresh as could be.  As Twilight looked at the marvelous landscape, Flash gathered snow in his hoof and made a ball.

"Wow, Flash, this is lovely," Twilight said as she turned around and was hit with a snowball on the side of her face.  "Hey, what the buck are you doing?" she yelled.

"I told you we were going to play in the snow, didn't I?"

"Oh, you are so dead," the mare responded as Flash threw another snowball, this time directly into her face.  The heat from her anger melted the snow away.

Flash began to laugh, but his expression instantly turned into fear as Twilight had a maniacal grin on her face.  Confused, Flash Sentry looked back at her as she used her horn to gather a pile of snow bigger than the stallion himself.

"Oh crap," he said as he began to run in the opposite direction.  But the further he went, the more he struggled.  The snow in some parts was too high for him to run easily, and Twilight gained on him.  Flash looked around him as he saw a shadow bigger than him surround him.  He looked up, just in time to get pounded by a wall of snow.

Twilight began to laugh.  All she could see was a stallion-shaped snow pile in front of her.  She trotted over and drew a smile on the face.  Flash shook the snow off of him, revealing that the "face" was actually his flank, causing Twilight to fall back into the snow, laughing like a schoolfilly.

"Oh, that's it, you're dead," Flash said.  As she got up, Flash tackled her back to the ground.  She was on her back as he towered above her.  "You're going to get the snowjob of your life!" he said as he gathered snow with his two front hooves on either side of her.  "Do you have any last requests?" he asked.

Twilight reached up and pecked him on the lips.

"Hey!  That's not fair!  This is war, and you can't do that!" Flash yelled.

Twilight, staring back at him with puppy-dog eyes replied, "But what happens if you fall in love with the enemy?"

"Then you lose the battle!" Flash said as he was about to cover her with snow.  However, in retaliation, before he could finish her off, she reached up and kissed him far more passionately.  The attack was too hard to resist, as he felt the warmth from her mouth, which felt good for him.  He reached his hoof around her and pushed her closer to him, and eventually completely against them as their lips were still locked.  The warmth of their bodies together was enough to probably even melt the snow around them.

"Give up, yet?" Twilight asked him with bedroom eyes as she broke off.

"Fine, I surrender," he said with a calm tone.

"Good.  Maybe we should somewhere else to celebrate the new peace," she winked.

"Wait, there's something I have to do first," Flash mentioned.

"Um, really?  Really?  Right now?"

"Yes, come with me," he said.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but followed him anyway.  "All right, I guess."

Flash took her back to the castle and into the room that led to Princess Cadences throne.  "Uh, Flash, why are we here?" Twilight asked.  She looked at the throne.  "Um.  Uh.  You're not suggesting we-"

"We what, my dear?"

"Make out on Cadences throne?"

"Uh, no!" Flash defended, and then snickered.  "That's not why we're here."

"Oh," Twilight said as she blushed.

"The reason why we're here is just because I wanted to show you that this was where I first laid eyes on you when you came here."

"Oh, okay," Twilight said in response.  She didn't think much of the place, though.

"Come on, I want to take you somewhere else, too."  He led her to one of the many hallways of that castle made of crystals.  He then stopped at one point of no particular interest.

"Why are we here now?" Twilight asked.

"Because this was where you bumped into me, and I picked you up.  This was where I first got to look into those beautiful lavender eyes of yours."

"Ooh.  I remember it now," she mentioned.  "I guess this spot has some importance to you."

"Yes, yes it does."

"Well then, it has some importance to me, too," she mentioned with a smirk.

"Come on, I have one other place to show you," he said.

The climbed the stairs.  And climbed.  And climbed.  And climbed and climbed  and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed until they eventually made it to the summit, tired, sweating, and out of breath.

"You know, pant I could have pant just used my magic to get us up here faster," Twilight mentioned.

After wiping some sweat from his forehead, Flash said, "Oh.  Well, at least we got some exercise then!  I know I need it."

"You don't need it," Twilight defended.

"Well, thanks.  Anyway, the reason why I brought you up here is because this castle has some importance to me.  This castle is where I met you, and it changed my life forever."  Twilight smiled in response.  "I also hope it holds some importance to you, too."

"It sure does!"

"Well, I think it's going to mean a lot more to you now," Flash mentioned.  He reached his hoof into his jacket pocket.  Twilight's eyes opened up wide as she leaned forward.  "Twilight Sparkle, will you- oh fu-"

"What?!"

Flash instantly turned beet red.  "I, uh, uh, uh, uh, I, uh.  Oh crap."

"What?  What?  What is it?"

"I dropped something important to me when we were in the snow, I think."

"Well, let's go find it!" Twilight commanded.  "Here, grab hold of me," she said.  The sky grew darker as the sun began to set in the distance.  Twilight grabbed a hold of Flash, and with all the might she had, used her magic to teleport them back to the park where they just were.

The stallion had to give his head a shake as he came to realise what had just happened.  "Okay, what else can you do?"

"Trust me, Flashy, a lot more.  Now, what're we looking for?"

"Just something small that was in my pocket.  You'll know when you see it."

"Um, okay."

The clouds began to clear as the sun began to get lower in the sky.  There were only a few minutes of sunlight left, before all hope of finding it was lost.  Unless, of course, Twilight could use a light-creating spell, or something of the type.  Flash located the place where he was buried in the snow, and began to dig furiously with his hooves.  He dug deeper and deeper until he eventually hit the frozen grass underneath.

"Crap," he said as he poked his head up and started looking more.

"Um, Flash?"

"One second, Twily.  I'm thinking of where I was when I was on top of you.  Maybe it fell out then."

"Flash..."

"Oh, maybe it's over there!"

"Flash!"

"Yes, dear?!"

"I think I found it," Twilight said as she laid her flank on the ground.  It was a small blue box that could fit in her hoof.

Flash was able to breath a massive sigh of relief.  It comforted knowing that what he had lost was now found.  "Why don't you open it, Twily?"

The mare looked at Flash with a little bit of curiosity, as well as a little bit of intrigue.  With thoughts racing in her mind, she opened the box.  She didn't even get a chance to see Flash's smile, which was from ear to ear at this point.

"Oh.  My.  Celestia... Oh my gosh.  Holy... Oh my gosh!"

"What?" Flash asked, fully knowing 'what'.  The mare looked back at him, her face just beaming.  It was a ring, but not just any kind of ring.  "Twily?"

"Yes, Flash?" she responded while batting her eyelashes.

"Will you marry me?"

Twilight bit her bottom lip with her top teeth.  Her wings shot out behind her.  "Um, well, I don't kno- yes!"

Flash raised his hoof.  He was a champion.  He unlocked one of the most difficult achievements imaginable.

The princess put the large diamond ring around her horn.  It was a symbol of Flash's love and commitment to her.  It was a treasure more valuable to her than anything she had ever received before.  She then hopped in the air towards her new fiancé .  He stood on his back legs and used his wings for support as he caught her with his front hooves.  After letting out a giggle, she closed her eyes and kissed him.  It wasn't just any kiss.  It was a kiss that could last forever.

	
> Chapter 18: Reactions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"So, I want our wedding to be in the spring in the Canterlot Castle so we can see all of the trees and flowers in full bloom and I want to invite all of my friends and family and your family and friends and we can have a huge reception in the main hall of the castle with dancing and dinner and celebrating and it will be just perfect."

"I agree, Twily."

"And then we can go somewhere nice and warm for our honeymoon where we can just spend some time on the beach and go exploring in the jungle and make out under a palm tree and in a hot tub and swim in the ocean and go snorkeling and then we can go to the-"

"Twily?"

"Or maybe we can go to Germaneigh or the Neitherlands and explore old castles and go watch hoofball games and then-"

"Twily!"

"Maybe I can invite Sunset Shimmer because she's probably really happy now and then-"

"No!"

"What?"

"I mean, Twily, it's getting dark out.  We should at least go tell your family the good news."

"That's a good idea too."

Twilight and Flash spent the first half hour or so after they got engaged just talking outside in the snow in the park.  Twilight did most of the talking, though.  She was just too excited to keep silent.  They made their way from the park back into the castle, where the rest of the mare's family were waiting in the dining room.

Twilight used her telekinetic abilities to open the double doors leading to the dining room, revealing the smiling faces of Spike, Twilight's parents, Shining Armour, Princess Cadence, and a random worker in the dining room.

"Hey guys, guess what?" Twilight asked.

Without even giving an answer, Spike ran up and jumped onto Twilight's forelegs, clutching her tightly.  "Congrats, you two!"

"Thanks," Twilight responded.  "Did all of you know about this?"

"Yep," Twilight's father responded.  "Flash told us about it when you went out to talk to Shining.  Congratulations," he finished while coming up with his wife to give his daughter a hug.  They also gave Flash a hug as well.

"So Flash asked you when we were outside?  That wasn't for very long," Twilight mentioned as her mother gave her a hug as well.

"Well, we were expecting him to tell us one of these days," Twilight Velvet said.  "He just asked us quickly and said he had it all prepared, and we gave him our blessing."

"It's true," Flash said.  "I had it planned for a while and they were overjoyed at hearing about it.  Spike especially."

Cadence then came over with Shining Armour, and they both gave joyful hugs.  Cadence offered her congratulations to her favourite, and only, sister-in-law.  Then Shining gave his little sister a big hug, whispering in her ear, "Trust me, he's a keeper.  I'm so proud of you."

Twilight had a tear of joy in her eyes, and Shining had a little bit of liquid pride in his.  She was overwhelmed at her family's support.


--------------------------------------
	

The next morning came, and the ponies all went to the train station.  Goodbyes were said, hugs were given, tears were shed, especially by Flash because he missed the Crystal Empire food, and the time came for the Canterlot ponies to return home.  The ponies all packed their bags on the train and went to sit down.  Twilight and Shining Armour waited on the platform to say a few more final goodbyes to Princess Cadence.

While embracing his wife, the stallion said, "My dear, everything will be all right soon enough.  I won't leave you for long, I promise.  I'll take care of things as fast as I can and I'll come straight here when I'm done.  I promise you that."

"I know, Shiny.  I understand completely.  Thank you so much for changing your entire life for our marriage.  It means so much to me"

Twilight then came over and gave one final hug to her old sitter.  "It was a pleasure being with you as always, Cadence.  I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Twilight.  I guess the next time I'll see you will be just before the wedding?"

"I think so.  We're hoping to do it in the early spring.  Would you like to be one of my bridesmaids?"

"I would love to, Twilight.  Thank you so much.  Please let me know as soon as you know the date.  And then you two can join us for the Equestria Games."

"That sounds great.  We'll see you soon."

The two siblings boarded the train.  Shining Armour looked out the window as the train pulled away, waving one final goodbye to his wife for the time being.

Twilight sat beside her husband-to-be on one of the couches in their family's cabin.  She lowered her head onto Flash's shoulder while looking out at Spike, Shining Armour, and her parents who were together on the other couch, talking together.

"Flashy, what's going to happen over the next few months?  We're going to be so busy, with our wedding preparations, my royal duties, and your guard duties.  How are we going to balance it all?"

"We'll just take everything one step at a time, I guess.  I mean, after we get married, we can just stay here in Canterlot.  Things can stay the same.  They don't have to change much.  And you have the help of Princess Celestia and Luna, and you have me at your side.  And besides, my job isn't that hard.  I'll just listen to whoever is going to take charge after Shining, and that's it.  It's not like there's any big threat against the kingdom or anything."

"I guess you're right, but what if you take over as Captain of the Royal Guard?"

"Ha, that's a good one."

"No, I mean it.  If you became the captain you'd be very busy.  It's a hard job."

"Twilight, come on.  Be serious.  There are way more stallions that have been on the job for longer than I have.  There's Optimus and Sentinel, who would be pissed if I became their boss, even though I have less experience than them."

"Do you really care about them, though?"	

"No."

"So what's the problem, then?"

"Well, it's just that, I mean, come on.  Just because Shining likes me, it doesn't mean I'll get the job.  You, Celestia, and Luna would have to give your say as well.  I don't know how they think about me."

"They think well of you.  As long as I'm happy, Celestia is happy."

Flash looked down at his hooves, and responded, "Okay, but what about all the other guards?  Like, there's Rodimus, Nova, Jazz, and Zeta, and that's not even mentioning Luna's own royal guards, the batponies, like Frenzy, Starscream, Shockwave, and Rampage.  They've been serving for way longer than I have.  And maybe Luna would want one of her guards being the captain this time.  I don't know, I just can't see me being the captain any time soon.  I'm not experienced enough nor good enough to the captain."

"Flash, I... I didn't know you felt that way.  But it's not like you're not good at your job.  I mean, nopony has attacked me since you joined!"

"Twily, come on.  That isn't just me; it's a team effort.  And besides, if anypony wanted to attack you, you'd be fully able to protect yourself."

"Come on, Flash.  Just let me make you feel good about yourself!"

"You don't have to!  I mean, I know I'm smart and sexy, and strong, and handsome, and modest, and humble and sexy already; you don't need to convince me."  Twilight chuckled, causing Flash to smirk.  "But in all seriousness, I fully accept the fact that I probably won't get a promotion or anything.  I haven't been here long enough to even be considered for anything better yet."

"Okay, I get it.  But, just think about it- what if you became the captain?  What would happen?"

"Then I'd be really happy and stick by your side forever and be the best me I can be.  But I can do that now anyway."

"All right, Flash."

"But I'd probably demote Sentinel and Optimus to janitor duty because they're a couple of douche bags.  And then I'd make any stallion who looks at you weird pay dearly."  

Twilight snickered yet again.  "Oh Flash, I love you."

"And I love you, Twily."


--------------------------------------
	

"All right, Flash, are you ready go inside and tell the princesses the good news?" Twilight asked as the two of them stood outside Celestia's room.  They could hear both Celestia and Luna talking inside.

"I'm ready as I'll ever be."

"That's good enough for me," Twilight responded as she used her horn's magic to open the French-style doors leading to the sun princess' room.

The day and night princesses were both conversing when they simultaneously turned their heads to the door.

"Oh, Twilight Sparkle, welcome back," Princess Celestia said with a smile.  "And welcome back to you too, Flash."

Both Flash and Twilight bowed in the presence of the higher royalty.  "Thank you, princess," Twilight responded.  "We have some big news."

"Well," Princess Luna began, "judging from the smile on both of your faces and the ring on your horn, you two are now engaged to be married."

"Yes, that's exactly it," Twilight responded.

"Congratulations, you two," Princess Celestia said as she came closer to the couple.  She looked down at Flash Sentry, and said, while giving him a pat on the head, "I'm sure that you're really excited to be starting a new life with my most cherished student."

"Yes, ma'am."

"That's great to hear," Celestia said.  "Twilight, you've got a fine stallion here."  Flash smiled at the compliment.  I know that you two will be happy together for as long as you shall live.  "You have my blessing."

"Yes, likewise," Princess Luna added.

"Thank you both very much," Twilight said.

Flash bowed, and said while looking at the ground, "You have no idea how much that means to me.  Thank you.so much."

"You're very welcome, Flash," Celestia said while touching the top of his head with her hoof.  "You are a fine stallion, and you will make Twilight a very happy mare for the rest of your life."

Just then, there was a knock at the door, and Celestia invited whoever it was in.  The door opened, revealing a happy Shining Armour, who said, "I'm so glad all of you princess are here.  Can I talk to you three in private?  It's something really important."

Flash said, "Well, I guess that's my cue to leave then..."

"I'm sorry, Flash," Shining Armour said.  "It's about what I spoke to you about on our trip.  I just need to tell Celestia and Luna about it and ask their opinion on a few things."

"All right," Flash responded, a little disappointed, but accepting at the same time.  He gave his mare a kiss on the cheek.  "I guess I should be going home now, anyway."

"Okay, dear.  I'll see you tomorrow or something."

"Sure.  I'll be doing longer day shifts this week to make up for being away.  Drop by and see me.  It'll brighten up my day."

"Trust me, it'll brighten up my day as well."

Flash smiled and walked away, going outside the doors and back into one of the many beautiful hallways of the castle.  He could hear Shining Armour start to talk about what was undoubtedly his leaving the force to go to the Crystal Empire, but the orange pegasus knew it wouldn't have been nice to eavesdrop.  He went home for the night, falling asleep early so that he could wake up bright and early for his shift the next day.


--------------------------------------
	

"You look like you had a fun time away," Sentinel said to Flash as both of them were getting ready for the day.  Flash smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

"I'm pretty sure anypony who gets some princess booty would be a happy stallion," Optimus added.

"Trust me, you two, I got far more than just 'princess booty,'" Flash replied.

"Well, that's great and all, but while you were away we had to work extra hard," Sentinel begrudged.

"i am so sorry," Flash said in a somewhat sarcastic tone.  "I'm sure you had to risk your life to defend the kingdom this week, didn't you?  How ever did you manage?"

"Hey, we may not have had to stop a villain or something," Optimus defended, "but you should at least be thankful that we were there to cover for you."

"Well, guys, I am thankful.  Thank you for covering for me," Flash responded.  "Since you guys are my best friends in the entire world," Flash said, sarcastic again, "do you want to hear what happened this weekend?"

"No, but you're going to tell us anyway, aren't you?"

"You know it, Sentinel.  Twilight and I got engaged."

Sentinel and Optimus paused for a second.  "Really?"

"Yes."

"No, wait, really?"

"Uh, yeah."

"No no no no no... really?"

"Yes!  Why is that so hard to comprehend?"

Both of the other guards pondered for a second.  Then, Sentinel replied, "It's just a little surprising.  But, however, I have to give you my kudos on getting that far with Twilight.  It must not be easy."

"Thanks, buddy, that actually means a lot.  And trust me, it wasn't easy.  But I would do anything for her.  She has made me so happy and I love her so much."

"That's so gay," Optimus said.  "But, I guess I should congratulate you too.  Even though you're a douche and a sissy you still had the courage to go that far."

"I'll take that as a compliment, because that's probably the nicest thing you will ever say to me."

"You got that right, you jackass."

"There's the charm," Flash said with a grin.  He didn't expect anything different coming from his two closest co-workers.  However, he was happy that he was able to at least get a somewhat positive reaction out of them.  "I'll see you two later," the orange pegasus said as he put his helmet on to go to his post, which was guarding the outside doors on this day.


--------------------------------------
	

"Spike, are you ready to take a letter?" the Twilicorn asked to her loyal dragon assistant after she returned to her room.

"Always, Twilight!" Spike responded cheerfully as he pulled out a paper and a pen from his pocket that didn't exist because he never wore any clothing.

"This one is going to go to my friends back in Ponyville.  Please write this, 'To my best friends in the whole world.  I have some big news to tell you, but I feel like I just have to tell you in person.  I want to be able to hug you all right after I tell you.  It's just too special to say in a letter.  I'm going to talk to Flash and maybe we will be able to come visit you all in a few weekends so that we can catch up.  I love you all and can't wait to see you.  Love, your friend, Twilight Sparkle.'  Did you get all that?"

Spike, while still writing and mumbling the words to himself, said, "Done!  Want me to send it?"

"Yes, please!"

Spike rolled up the letter and took a deep breath in.  He imagined in his mind where the letter was going to go, which was going to be directly to Applejack, who was the most trustworthy of all her friends, and belched out the fire needed to send it away.

Time went on throughout the day.  Spike spent it wandering around the various rooms of the castle, which he did occasionally, trying to find some things to do.  Twilight spent the time in her room writing a novel by means of levitating a pen with her horn.  

"Bella, I love you," Edward said to Bella.  "No, Bella, don't listen to him.  I love you," Jacob retaliated.  "I'm a bigger man Jacob ever will be.  Just look," Edward replied while flashing himself to the girl he loved to feast on as she slept.  She looked at the part that he was flashing and instantly fell back in love with him because she was shallow like that.  Then they kissed in front of Jacob, who turned back into a werewolf and ran into the forest, crying.

Twilight put her pen down on the table.  She lifted up the paper she wrote to critique it.  "Yes, yes.  This is perfect," she said quietly as she rested the paper back down and used her magic to pick up the pen again and continue writing.

She began writing the next paragraph when the door shot open.  "Twilight," Spike said as he returned into the mare's room, "your friends replied to you."

"Oh, bring it here, please," Twilight said while quickly hiding her novel, which was surely good enough to inspire and entertain millions of young ponies one day.  She unrolled the letter, revealing five different hoof, mouth, or horn writing styles, creating a smile on the mare's face.  

"Please read it.  I want to hear it," Spike pleaded.

"Sure," the mare responded.  She began, "'Twilight, thank you so much for writing to us.  We were beginning to worry about you because we haven't heard from you in so long.  We can't wait to see you.  Life has been boring here without you.  I haven't learned crap about friendship since you left.  Hope to see you soon.  Love, Applejack.'

"'My dearest Twilight, it has been far too long since we've heard from you.  I can't wait to hear the good news.  Maybe we can come visit you as well.  I've been working on a gift for you as well so that you can surprise Flash one evening, but I won't tell you what it is until you come here!  Hope to see you soon.  Rarity.'

"'There's this really good cotton candy we started making at Sugar Cube Corner, and you just have to come and try it.  You and Flash can share it together and we can catch up and then I can make you cupcakes and cookies and we can eat it and tell more stories and go for a walk in the park and go say hi to everypony and eat some more snacks and it will be a lot of fun.  Lots of love, Pinkie Pie.'

"'Um, I don't really have much to write about because things haven't been too exciting.  I sort of wish that we could have an adventure again like old times, I guess.  Maybe.  Angel says 'hi' as well.  See you soon.  Fluttershy.'

"'Hi Twi, I've missed you a lot.  I want to have a flight race against you and Flash next time you guys come.  I've only told our four other friends about this, but I'm going to be competing in the Equestria Games in five different flight races.  I'm so happy to be representing Ponyville.  Also, the Wonderbolts are going to be competing, so this can be one final chance to show them what I'm capable of, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to finally join them.  Wish me luck, not that I'll need it.  Rainbow Dash.'"

Twilight was very content at this point.  It seemed like all of her friends were doing quite well, but what was better is that they all seemed to miss her.  Only seeing them once every few months just didn't equal all of the fun times she had with them prior to becoming a princess.  The mare put the letter down, and went to lie down on her bed, with all of the memories she had with her Ponyville friends flashing through her mind.


--------------------------------------
	

Flash Sentry stood on all fours at the front doors of the castle, looking out on the rest of Canterlot, since the castle was a little bit higher than the rest of the capital city.  He let out a yawn as he looked out.  It was a rather boring day as not too many ponies came through the doors.  He looked over to some of the buildings and shops that he could see.  Hearth's Warming Eve lights and decorations were already being put up.

As he saw the festive lights, he started to hum some of the songs that were always played beginning at this time of the year, that would usually get into a pony's head and not leave for days on end.  Flash's humming got louder and louder the longer he stood there, as he was getting more and more bored.  "Hmm hm hm hm.  Hmm hm hm hm.  Ding fries are done.  Ding fries are done.  I gotta run.  I gotta run.  I work at Canter-"

"Can you please shut up," pleaded the guard standing at the other side of the doors beside him.

"Oh, I'm sorry Bumblebee," Flash said to the yellow stallion with a black mane, who was another member of the Canterlot Royal Guard.  "I didn't realise you could hear me."

"Yeah, well, I can.  It's already hard enough standing here without you making up new ways of getting holiday songs in my head."

"Well, you know, we could talk or something," Flash suggested.

"Well, what do you want to talk about?"

"Anything, as long as we don't get too distracted."

"Well, why don't you tell me about Twilight.  You seem pretty close to her."

"There's not really much I can say.  She's amazing and she loves me and I love her; that's what's important to me.  We just got engaged."

"That's so great to hear, actually.  You're following in our captain's hoofsteps."

"How so?  I mean, except for being with a princess, I'm not much like him.  He's been working here forever."

"Yeah, and I've been working here for a long time as well.  I remember him before he became the captain.  You kind of remind me of a younger version of him, actually.  Very outgoing and ambitious.  Just a nice stallion overall.  We all knew that he was going to go far, but none of us thought that he'd be made captain at such a young age."

"How did he become captain anyway?"

"I'm not really sure.  He was good at his job, but not the best.  I guess earning the trust of one of the princesses helps, after all.  So you have a better chance than all of us do of getting anywhere in this force."

"Ha, come on Bumblebee, I don't think so.  I'm one of the newest members here.  There's no way I'll be promoted any time soon.  So many other stallions deserve it more"

"Don't be so sure, Flash.  It's all in the attitude.  If you get a little help along the way, anything is possible.  Especially for a young stallion like you with a good heart and attitude."

"How do you know I have a good attitude?"

"Well, I've heard the way that some of the other guards have given you trouble, and you just let it slide and keep being yourself.  I mean, you're not the most focused stallion I've seen on the force, but times are good right now.  I guess we'll only know how good you really are if we get a true test.  But it's not my decision anyway.  It's all up to the higher-ups, and you have some very good connections up top."

"That's true.  You know, I'm glad I was put here with you today.  You're a nice guy."

"You too, Flash.  You too."

The afternoon went on, and Flash and his co-worker Bumblebee talked about many different things.  It was nice for Flash to be able to talk to another member of the guard just casually, without any judgement or rude comments.  It was like a breath of fresh air. 

The doors opened from inside the castle behind the two stallions, revealing the smiling face of Twilight Sparkle.  Bumblebee bowed before the princess, greeted the guard, and then turned to her coltfriend.

"Hey, Twily."

"Hey, Flashy.  Are you almost done?"

Flash looked up at the sky and checked the sun's location.  "Yes, my shift is over in about fifteen minutes."

"Okay.  But, how did you know that?"

"There's a clock on the building down there," the stallion responded while pointing his hoof outward.

"Oh.  Well, come to my room when you are done.  I want to talk to you about something."

"Will do, my princess!"

Twilight kissed Flash on the cheek, and then went back inside the castle.

"You know something, Flash?"

"What's that?"

"It's nice having you around.  I know we haven't really had any talks together or anything, but it's very interesting how happy you make Princess Twilight feel.  She's a completely different mare with you around.  She's always so professional around all us guards, so seeing her happy like that was actually kind of nice."

"Thanks, Bumblebee.  She makes me happy too."


--------------------------------------


After his shift, a shower, and putting on an autumn coat for the cold, the stallion returned to Twilight's room.  He knocked on the door.

"Come in," Twilight yelled from inside.

Flash opened the door with his hoof.  "Hello again, sweetheart.  Now, what's this that you wanted to ask me about?"

"I just wrote a letter to my friends and got one back.  Now, I know we just came back from a trip all for me, but, I was wondering...

"You want to go to visit your friends, don't you?"

"Yes, I really do, and I'm sorry.  You don't have to come if you feel overwhelmed."

"Nonsense, we'll go this weekend."

"Are you sure, Flash?  You'll give up your entire weekend for me?  You know that you'll probably come back to work tired on Monday morning, right?"

"That's your brother's problem to deal with, not mine," Flash joked.

The mare smiled, thanking her special somepony for being so willing to accompany her and make her a happy mare.  "So... I guess you'll be off for the night?" she asked.

"No way," Flash responded.  "I have plans with you."

"You do?"

"Of course.  We're going to go for a trot outside and then go have dinner at my parents' house.  That is, of course, if you don't mind."

"I'd love to!"

"Excellent!  Get dressed into something casual and warm, and we'll leave when you're ready."

"Sure.  It's nice to be able to go somewhere and not have to be so formal, actually."

Flash waited while his mare got dressed.  The two of them went out for a trot in  town to get to the home of the stallion's parents, which was not too far away.  As they made their way through the streets of Canterlot, a small stand on the side of the road peaked the attention of the pegasus.  There stood a middle-aged unicorn stallion at his small stand, selling candy, small knickknacks, gum, newspapers and magazines, among other things.  With a smile on his face, the stallpony said to the couple, "Congratulations, take a free newspaper on me!"

Twilight reached down and picked up the most recent copy of the Equestria Daily newspaper because of what was on the front page.  It was a picture of her and her fiancé smiling while facing each other with the diamond ring sitting on her horn.  It had a title in a form of a question, asking, "A New Fresh Prince in Canterlot?" with a small line underneath it, which read, "Princess Twilight Sparkle has recently become engaged to a member of the Canterlot Royal Guard, Flash Sentry."

"Would you look at this, Flash?  Front page on the news!  Already!"

"I can't believe how crappy I look in this picture," Flash replied, critiquing his smile toward his mare in the photograph.

"Oh come on, you like fine."

"If you say so, my dear.  I just can't believe the news has spread so fast.  Nopony from the media has even spoken to us yet."

"Yeah, I guess they respect the princesses enough not to bother us about our personal lives.."

"That's true," Flash agreed.  With a smile, he added, "They also know that you and the other princesses could just destroy them at will," which caused a smile on Twilight's face.  She knew that that was true.  After thanking the stallion, they continued on their way.


--------------------------------------


"Okay Twily, you remember my parents from the last few times you met them, right?" Flash asked as the two of them stood around the corner from the stallion's parents' house about an hour later. 

"Yes, of course I do.  How could I forget your father's personality?"

"Yes, well, um, just... imagine my parents' usual quirkiness, but multiply that by a hundredfold after they find out that we are engaged."

"I'm pretty sure I'm ready, dear."

"Well, all right."  Flash reached into his coat's pocket and pulled out a winter hat  "Here, please wear this when we go in.  That way they'll only notice the beautiful ring on your horn when you take it off."

Twilight used her telekinesis to levitate the blue wool hat to go right over her head, covering her ears and horn.  Flash could see her horn pushing against the hat, but the ring was not visible.  "How do I look?" 

Flash looked up and down at his mare, and then directly into her lavender eyes.  "Exquisite, as usual."

"Oh, that's a new compliment!"

"Hey, I've got to keep them coming in order to impress you, right?"

"Oh, stop it.  Being yourself is good enough for me."

Flash smirked, and then leaned in to kiss his mare on the lips.  She closed her eyes and returned it.

After breaking off, she asked, "Um, what are we here for again?"

"Uh, to visit my parents?"

"Oh yeah!  Let's go."

Flash and Twilight made their steps up the flat stones in the front yard leading up to the house.  The light of the living room was on as the couple made it to the few wooden stairs on the front porch.  As soon as Twilight placed one hoof on the first step, the front door shot open.

"Oh my Celestia, Flare, look at this!  Our little colt is finally here," a crimson-coloured pegasus mare with a blue mane with a hint of purple said as she stood in the doorway.

Flash looked at Twilight, rolling his blue eyes with a grin.  "Hi, mom," he replied to the mare at the door in a straightforward voice.

"Would you look at that, Glimmer?  I never thought he'd come visit us.  Hey son," said a large, yellow stallion with a mane a few shades darker than his son.  "Come inside.  It's cold."

"Hey, Dad.  Thanks," Flash said as he pointed for his new newly-engaged fillyfriend to go ahead of him, to which she did after giving him a curtsey in response. 	

The mare and stallion came inside the older house, putting away their clothing, all except for the hat Twilight was wearing.  Flash's mother invited the young couple to sit down in the living room as she finished making the evening meal.  The two young ponies sat down in the love seat while Flare sat down in his large reclining chair, which he had owned ever since Flash could remember.

"How are you foals doing today?"

"Pretty good, Dad," Flash responded.  "It has been a very... eventful last few weeks."

"Oh, I'm sure," the young stallion's father replied.  "You two are very important ponies here.  You're probably running around all over the place.  But thanks for coming by and seeing us old ponies."

"Dad, you're not old."

"Yeah, Mr. Sentry," Twilight defended.  "You're not old at all.  Princess Celestia is old."

"That's true, my dear," he responded to the princess.  Something caught his eye, though.  It was on Twilight's head.  "Is it cold in here?  I can turn the heat up if you like."

"Oh no," the mare replied with a grin.  "It's fine in here.  It's nice and cozy."

"Oh," Flare responded.  "Well, did you forget to put your hat away?"

"No..." Twilight said, holding the O.

"I guess it's just a new kind of fashion, then.  Something I'll never understand."

Flash, wanting to change away from his father's self-deprecating conversation, asked, "How have things been with you and mom here?"

"Can't complain, buddy.  We may be older, but we still got it going on."

"I'm glad to hear that, Dad.  I really am."  Flash looked over to the kitchen to see his mother working away.  "Does mom need any help?"

"No, don't worry about it.  She's fine.  She wants to make a meal for a family because she doesn't get to do that much anymore."

"Yikes," Flash responded.  "Laying the guilt on a little thick, eh Dad?"

"Yep.  That's what I do."

"Well, that's just great," Flash responded.  "Well, I hope mom is done soon.  I'm hungry."

"Hi Hungry, I'm Dad."

"Dad, are you serious?  You're going to start that already?"

"Serious?  No, I'm not serious.  I'm Dad."

Flash looked over to Twilight to see her chuckling quietly into her front hooves.  "Are you kidding me-" he started to ask, but stopped.  "Never mind.  I'm sorry I even started this."

"Dinner's ready!" Flash's mother called out.  "Flash, can you be a dear and help me set the table?"

The stallion sat up, but Twilight put her hoof on his leg, and said, "That's okay, go to the table with your Dad.  I'll help your mom out."

"Thanks, dear."

Flash and Flare sat at the table while Twilight used her magic to help a very thankful Glimmer to set the table.  As Glimmer laid down all of the large plates holding the food, Flare spoke up, saying, "It looks like we have a very stable diet in front of us."

Glimmer looked over to Twilight with displeased face.  "Don't worry, Twilight.  You'll get used to his humour one day."

"Oh, it's fine," the younger mare responded.  "Flash actually has some of his father's humour in him."

"Good to know, actually.  I'm sure you'll learn to love him."

"Trust me, I already have," Twilight finished as the two of them sat down at the table facing each other, with both of their stallions sitting on their respective sides.

"All right, everypony, dig in," Flare said as he began to serve himself, the other ponies following his lead.  Flare used a spoon to pick up some peas, but couldn't handle the spoon too well in his hoof, spilling some of the small green pods on the table.  "Oh dear, I've peed all over the table," he said as began to pick it up.

"Are you joking me?" Flash asked his father.

"No, I'm Dad," Flare responded, causing Twilight to crack up with laughter.  Flash looked at the giggling mare beside him, giving her face that just said, 'I have no words.'

"Dear, why don't you take off your hat?  Is it too cold in here?" Glimmer asked after she finished serving herself.

"Well, um," she said as she looked at her stallion to see if he had a response.

Flash spoke up, "There's a reason why Twilight's been wearing a hat this whole time, you know."

"Oh!  And why is that?" Shimmer asked.

"Because," Flash said as he used his hoof to gently lift the hat off of his mare's head, revealing the shimmering diamond ring around her horn.

"Oh my Celestia!" Glimmer said as she stood up on her two hind legs in excitement.  She came over to Twilight and leaned in closely to look. 

"Wow," Flare said as he leaned on his hooves on the table to look closer.  "Flash, how did you ever afford this?"

"The amount doesn't matter to me.  No amount of bits can amount to as much as Twilight is worth to me."  Twilight blushed in response and looked away awkwardly.

Glimmer used a towel to slap her husband on the side.  "Why don't you give me any compliments like that anymore?"

"Dear, you know I'm not romantic.  I don't know where Flash gets it," Flare responded.

"Anyway," Flash interrupted before an argument was started.  "We hope to get married in the new year.  This year has been the best year of my entire life, and I'm so happy to have somepony as amazing as Twily."

The mare didn't want to hear anymore compliments.  She was starting to feel embarrassed being the center of attention.  To take the attention off of herself, she asked Glimmer if she could have some more mushrooms and potatoes.

"So polite!  Of course you can, dear.  You don't even have to ask," Glimmer responded as she passed the plate over.  "Would you like some, Flare?"

"No thanks, I don't have mush room left on my plate," was his response, which was pretty much ignored by Glimmer at this point.	

The meal, as well as the casual talking and storytelling, went on for a little while.  After the large meal, Flare responded, "That was nice.  What's for dinner?"  But it was not received that well by the others.  Except for Twilight, who seemed to just love his dad-humour.

Afterwards, Flash and Flare helped put away and wash all of the plates and cutlery while Glimmer went to sit down and Twilight made her way to use the washroom, passing by a bookshelf in their hallway.  Since she was quite physically attracted to books, she decided to stop along the way and take a look at what kind of books that Flash's parents had.  One shelf obviously held Flash's old foalhood books, like Hairy Trotter and Daring Do.  Another shelf held sports books, books on photography and history, among other books that most fathers would have, including '1001 Dad Jokes,' at which Twilight smiled and nodded her head upon seeing.  Finally was Glimmer's shelf, which had cookbooks and romance novels.  One book was put away backwards, though, and being the obsessive-compulsive mare that she was, Twilight used her magic to take out the book to turn it around so that the spine would face out.  She pulled the book out, revealing the title, 'Fifty Shades of Hay.'  That spelled the end of her searching through the family's bookshelf.

The night went on after Twilight returned from the washroom.  Flare told many of the stories that he used to tell his son, like all of the foalish things he did as a colt.  Twilight was even able to share some of her own embarrassing stories to help relieve the awkwardness that Flash had on his face when his father would talk about the times where his son would cry over not getting what he wanted at the store, or when he urinated all over the floor after running away without his diaper.  It was all very educational to the young princess.

Goodbyes were said at the door when Flash and Twilight decided to leave for the night and go to their respective homes.

"I'm so proud of you, Flashy," Glimmer said as she hugged her only son.

"Thanks, mom.  Are you... are you crying?"

"There's just something in my eye," she said while wiping away a tear of happiness.

"Yeah, it's you hoof," Flare said sarcastically.  He stuck out his hoof for his son to bump it back.  When the bump was returned, it was his turn to say goodbye.  "Flash, I'm proud of you also.  You've actually become something in life."

"Uh, yeah, thanks," the young stallion replied while looking away.  "Well, we should going."

"I've had a lovely evening," Twilight said.  "Thank you."

"No worries, Twilight," Glimmer said after letting out a sniffle.  "Just, please, visit again soon."

"We will," the alicorn responded.


--------------------------------------


After yet another train ride, Twilight, Spike, and Flash arrived back at Ponyville.  The weather in the central town was pleasant, as the forecast was mild and calm for the entire time that the three of them planned to stay in the mare's old town.  As expected, Twilight's five friends were already waiting for them at the train station after the mare sent another letter telling them when her arrival would be.

"Hey everypon-" Twilight said before she was tackled by Pinkie.

"Twilight, you have to stop leaving for such long periods of time because I just get so sad when you're not here and then I have to spend time with these other four ponies who are nowhere near as cool as you and-"

"Excuse me?" Rarity piped up.

"I'm sorry Rare," Pinkie responded while still on top of Twilight.  "But you have to admit: Twilight is just way cooler than all of you."

"I don't know if 'cooler' is the right word to use," Rainbow said.  "But we're definitely happy to have you back here, Twi."

Pinkie, now turning her attention to the mare in the winter hat underneath her once again, continued, "We have so much catching up to do as usual.  Like when Rarity asked me to help her with a dress she was making and I got so excited and put it on and then tripped out the door and ripped it and Rarity got so mad that she screamed at me and ended up swallowing a bug and the look on her face was priceless because she was freaking out and I just laughed and then got the hiccups and laughed again because hiccups are just so funny."

"I missed you too, Pinkie," Twilight responded with a smile.  "I agree that we have so much catching up t- did... did you just lick me on the cheek?"

Pinkie looked down at the mare with a more guilty face.  "Um, yeah.  Am I a little too excited right now?"

Twilight chuckled.  "Yes, but that's okay.  I expect it from you."

Rarity and Applejack helped Twilight back onto her hooves.  Flash Sentry let out a little cough to signify that he was there as well, and all the mares greeted him and Spike.

"So, what do we have planned?" Twilight asked after the greeting was all done.

"Well, Twilight, Pinkie and Ah made some Apple Pie and cake for us all to eat together.  It's back at the barn.  We can all just hang out after, if ya want."

"That sounds great!" the mare responded.

Flash's wings shot up behind him.  "C-cake, you say?"

"Yep," the farmer pony responded.

"Let's go!" Flash exclaimed.

Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Twilight all started trotting ahead, with Pinkie bouncing behind them.  Flash, with Spike on his back, trailed just behind, along with Rarity, who was biting her bottom lip awkwardly as they began to walk.

"Flash, darling, I genuinely hope that everything that happened before the last time you were here won't be mentioned again, because, as you probably know, I'm really sorry still."

"Mention what now?" Flash asked.

"Yeah, what're you two talking about?" Spike added.

"Exactly," Rarity finished with a smile towards Flash.  "I just want things to be good between all of us."

"Of course," Flash said.  "By the way, Twilight loves the necklace that you made.  It was one of the greatest gifts that she had ever received."

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that, darling.  I hope she thanked you a lot for it."

"Oh, trust me, Rarity, she did that night."

Rarity blushed.  "All right, Flash, that's more than I needed to know."

Flash trotted a little faster in order to catch up to Twilight, who was busy talking to Rainbow, who was proudly speaking about how she was going to be participating in the upcoming games in the Crystal Empire, and Twilight expressed her sincere happiness towards the pegasus.  Even though it was cliché, seeing her friends happy made the princess happy.  Especially because they all supported her and wanted the best for her in the end.

Applejack and Rarity opened the doors to the barnhouse when they eventually made it there, revealing the Apple Pie, cake, and other hoof foods on the table.  Flash's wings shot out once again as he dashed over to the cake, but stopped himself before it was too late.  He looked to the mare's behind him with the most innocent face he could muster up.  "Sorry, I'm just a little excited.  Would you like me to serve it to each of you?"

"Nonsense, sugarcube," Applejack responded.  She came over after grabbing a large knife while Twilight helped grab some small plates.  "Ah'll give us each a piece."  The earth pony cut up the cake in eight pieces, giving Flash and Spike the pieces with the most icing, which was greatly appreciated.

Snacks were had, stories were told, and farts were let out, mostly by Pinkie and Fluttershy.  The time had come for Twilight to show them the major reason why she came to see them- to reveal her engagement to the stallion that she loved.

The mare looked around as everypony was conversing, not wanting to interrupt.  Flash gave her a quick shove and a raised eyebrow.  "Come on, show them the ring," he whispered to his mare.

"They're having too much fun.  I don't want to be rude," she whispered back after looking out.  Rainbow was giving Fluttershy tips about how to fly.  Pinkie and Applejack were telling stories about farming.  Rarity was busy admiring how much bigger her little Spikey-Wikey had gotten, even though he had only grown about an inch in the past few months.

"Twily, speak up.  Or else I'll have to do it for you."

"Fine," the mare responded.  She cleared her throat quietly, but it was actually loud enough for all of her friends to stop and look at her eagerly.  "Um, sorry to interrupt.  I know you're all having fun and all, but I wanted to show you all something."

"Don't be sorry, darling.  You've been so quiet.  Please, tell us!" Rarity said excitedly.

"All right, here goes," the mare said.  Her horn lit up from underneath the winter hat she was wearing.  Her magic lifted the hat from off her head, resting it gently beside her.

"EEEEEEEE!" Pinkie screamed after the top of Twilight's head was revealed.  "I found a cookie on the ground," the party pony said as she picked it up and ate it, completely ignoring the ring around the alicorn's horn.

"Oh my gosh!" Rainbow said.  "That is so big!"

"That's what she said," Spike said with perfect timing.

Twilight gave him a smack to the back of the head with her hoof.  "Flash and I got engaged a few days ago.  I just had to tell you all in person."

Rarity, Rainbow, Fluttershy, Applejack, and finally Pinkie came close up to the mare as she bent her head down so that they could get a closer look at the diamond ring.

"Ohhh... oh yes.  That's the good stuff," Rarity said as her eyes dilated upon looking at the ring.

"Ah'm so happy for you, Twilight," Applejack said.

"It's so beautiful... Flash really picked out a gem," Fluttershy added.

"Nonsense," Flash contradicted.  "The real gem is Twilight herself.  I just found a ring that could show my feelings for her."

"Well, if your feelings for her are as big as this huge rock, then you must love her a lot," Rainbow said.

"I do," Flash responded.

"And I do too," Twilight said while reaching up to peck her fiancé

"Darling, who are going to be your bridesmaids?" Rarity asked.

"All of you, of course!"

"Yes!" Rainbow shouted while hovering in the air and raising a hoof with a grin.

"What an honour," Fluttershy said.  "Thank you so much."

"No, thank you all for all the support you've given me over the last few years.  You're truly the best friends that a mare can ever dream of.  I just... I hope you won't be mad.., but..."

"But what, dear?" Rarity asked.

"I was thinking of letting Cadence be the best mare.  I just can't choose between the five of you, and I don't want any of you to be left out.  I was the best mare in their wedding so I just wanted to offer it to her back.  Please don't hate me..."

"Why would we ever hate you for that decision, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

"Yeah, silly," Pinkie responded.  "It's your decision no matter what.  I'm just happy that you're getting married!  I never thought this day would come."

"Pinkie..." Rainbow tried to interrupt.

"It's just that you're a little nerdy and I never thought you'd get a stallion as hunky and delicious as Flash to even go out with you."

"Pinkie!" Applejack yelled.  "Now's one of those times when you're supposed to keep quiet."

"It's okay," Twilight responded.  "I know what you mean, and I'm not upset.  Besides, I'm used to Pinkie's lack of a filter by now."

"We'll work on her before the wedding, Twilight," Rainbow said.

"When is the wedding anyway?" Fluttershy asked.

"We're hoping to do it in the spring," Flash responded.

"That would be wonderful for pictures," Rarity said.  "Oh!  I almost forgot.  Twilight, I made you something extra special over the last few weeks.  I had some extra time on my hooves.  It's just in the closet."

"I'm excited to see it," the princess replied.

"I just... it's also a surprise for Flash as well, but I don't want you to show him until later," Rarity added.

"I can leave if you want," Flash said.  "That way you ladies can all talk without any restraint.  Spike and I can go out for some more cake or something."

"Hey, I've got no complaints there," Spike replied.

"Go ahead, you two.  Just come back before sunset.  Maybe we can all take a trot in the park together," Twilight proposed.

"Sounds good," Flash said while he picked up Spike and put the dragon on his back.  They made a mad dash over to Sugar Cube Corner to fill their faces with food once again.

Rarity went to another room and came out with a large, well-wrapped wrapped box and plopped it on the ground in front of Twilight.  The alicorn looked down at it excitedly, and so did the other mares in the room.

"Open it, my dear.  I can't wait to see what you think," Rarity said.

"All right, here goes," Twilight said while lowering her horn and ripping the bow.  She used her magic to take all of the wrap off the top and then to open the top of the box, revealing a bunch of bubble wrap.

"Oooohhh... oh..." Pinkie said as she saw the bubble wrap.

"Control yourself, Pinkie," Rainbow said.  "You can pop it after."

Twilight reached into the box, pulling out a large piece of red fabric.  But upon pulling it out further, she noticed its true beauty.  All of the mare's leaned in to see it, while Rarity stood there with an eager smile.  Twilight held it in front of her with her magic, turning it around and giving it a thorough inspection.  Rarity had made Twilight a beautiful, yet sensual, red dress that sparkled along with the mare who was going to wear it.

"So... what do you think?" Rarity asked eagerly.

"Rarity, this is wonderful," Twilight said while looking at it.  "Thank you so much."

"Put it on, put it on!" Pinkie said.

"Sure," Twilight mentioned.  "Just let me go to the washroom so I can..."

"Ya know you're naked right now, right?" Applejack pointed out.  "Just put it on in front of us."

"That's true," Twilight said as she levitated the dress and fit right into it.  The straps on the dress went around her front shoulders, the back had perfectly sized holes for her wings to fit through, and it went back to cover about half of her cutie mark.

"Wow," Pinkie said in response.  "That's hot."

"Can you spin around for us, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Of course," the Twilicorn said as she spread her wings and levitated, spinning around.  As she hovered in the air, the dress went far enough to cover her front except for her back legs, and the back part of it just covered the base of her tail, which came out underneath the dress.  "I love it Rarity, I truly do."

"Flash is going to love this," Rainbow said.  "Heck, it's starting to almost turn me on."  Rainbow looked back and forth as she tried to contain her wings from shooting out behind her.

Twilight fluttered her way back down to the ground and gave the unicorn a hug to symbolize her gratitude for the gift that clearly took long to make.  "Thank you, Rarity.  You're a wonderful friend."

"And you are too, my dear."

"So, are you going to wear it for Flash tonight?" Pinkie asked.

"Um, maybe," Twilight said, feeling embarrassed.

Pinkie continued, "Well, you can wear this dress when he comes home and then when you see how excited Flash is you can tie him up against the wall and then-"

"Pinkie?" Applejack asked.  "What is wrong with you?"

"Well, they don't call me Kinky Pie for nothing!"

"Who calls you that?" Fluttershy asked.

"Your mother!" Pinkie shouted in defence.

"Sorry I asked," the shy pegasus responded while becoming shorter in stance.

Twilight, trying to brighten the mood, said once again, "Well, I really appreciate the gift.  I know this has been a hard last few months because we've had to spend most of our time apart, but I promise you that better days are ahead.  We'll all be together at my wedding, and I'll be sure we all have a great time."

"I'm already excited," Rainbow said.  "Next year is going to be the best year ever!"

"I can't wait either," Twilight said.  "I just want all of you to know that you all mean so much to me.  I wouldn't have become the mare I am today if it wasn't for all of you.  You mean the world to me, and I promise you we will be friends forever, no matter how far we are from each other."

Pinkie tackled Twilight once again for a hug, but this time all of the others joined in, making it a token group hug, like one they used to share before.

After the hug, talking continued.  Twilight took the dress off and put it with the rest of the clothes she had so that she could take it back to the treehouse library later that night when Flash and Spike would pack it in for the evening.  But there was still time left in the day to do at least one big thing.  The mare looked out the window to see that Celestia's sun was getting lower and lower in the sky.  There were only about an hour left until nightfall.

"Hey, how about we go get Flash and Spike and go for a trot down by the river?" Twilight suggested while looking back

"That sounds like a lovely idea," Fluttershy said.  The other mares nodded and "Uh-huh"d in agreement.

The mares trotted down to the corner restaurant.  Flash and Spike were just coming out, their faces covered with icing.

"Whoa, hey Twily," Flash said while licking up all of the icing of his face, Spike doing the same for himself.  "I was just about to come back to see if you wanted to go for a-"

"Trot down by the river?" Twilight finished.

"I was going to say a bucking in the bushes, but that works too," Flash said, causing the mare to blush.  "Actually, no, I really was going to ask if you wanted to go trot as well.  Great minds think alike, I guess."

"They sure do!" Pinkie agreed, causing all of the others to look at her in a weirded out way.  "What?  You all know I'm the smartest out of all of you."

"Yeah, that's for sure," Rainbow said sarcastically as the group turned to go towards the river.

There were plenty of over ponies trotting throughout Ponyville on this beautiful evening.  The weather was pristine.  Twilight waved her hoof at all of the ponies who recognized her as the group made their way to the river.

The sun reflected off of the lightly flowing waters of the small stream.  The group of eight trotted along the bank of the winding river, kicking over the fallen leaves that were still left on the ground.  Ponyville was used to snow at this time, but thanks to global warming, they were able to share this evening as a group.

Spike ran ahead, gathering rocks and throwing them into the river.  Pinkie hopped around nearby, trying to beat the young dragon with the number of bounces that he was able to do.  Rainbow saw Fluttershy leaning by river, so the blue pegasus picked up a large rock and threw it into the river with force, causing a loud splash and the shy pegasus to jump in fear.  Rainbow laughed as she hovered above.

Twilight trotted side by side with her fiancé as they made their way down the river.  She couldn't help but smile at seeing the joy on her friends' faces because they were all together again.  She was truly the one thing that brought the group together.  The lavender pony felt nostalgic as she thought of all the good times she had with her best friends.  She looked up to see Flash looking out at the stream.

"Hey, Flashy?"

"Mmm, yes, Twily?" Flash responded as he continued to look out.

"Can you hold this for me?"

Flash looked down at the mare to see her outstretched hoof.  "You little flirt.  I like that," he responded, grabbing a hold of her hoof as they caught up with the others.
> Chapter 19: A New Captain
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Flash trotted down the hallway of the castle to get to his post for the day.  He was fully clothed in his guardian armour, as well as a light layer of underclothing for the cold, bitter winter wind.  Only his face wasn't covered on this day.  The winter weather had gotten worse, and not only in Equestria.  Around the entire world the temperatures were a lot colder than normal, and even though the spring was now only a month away on the calender, it didn't seem like it.

Because of the poor weather conditions, Flash and Twilight were satisfied with their decision to get married in the springtime.  The weather would be warmer, the trees and flowers would be in bloom, making for better pictures, and it was well before the Equestria Games were to happen, so they could have a nice honeymoon and first few months of married life without much interruption.

But because the day was fast approaching, the stallion was getting more and more nervous.  Even though he loved the new princess with all his heart, and he knew she loved him back, he always had nagging thoughts about the pressures that being married to her would bring.  He would have the title of prince added to his name, as Shining Armour did.  He'd have to be strong, supportive, and caring to his wife at all times, even during the most difficult of times, which were sure to come.  He would have to deal with helping lead a kingdom in certain ways, depending on what Celestia's plans for the two of them were, which still weren't fully decided yet.

But who could blame the young stallion for worrying about such things?  After all, the last time there was a royal wedding the entire kingdom was almost enslaved by an army of dark-coloured alicorn pony-like creatures who, if it weren't for Twilight and her friends, could have enslaved the entire kingdom.

There was something else on his mind.  Something important.  Shining Armour was leaving the Royal Canterlot Guard to be with his wife in taking over the Crystal Empire Guard.  It was Shining's final week in Canterlot, and a new captain was yet to be chosen.  

Flash had seemed to have done a good job in befriending his future brother-in-law, and it made both his job and his personal life so much easier.  The prince actually started to treat Flash as if they were brothers already.  Shining's playful teasing of Flash made the pegasus feel hopeful for the new family he would be married into.  It made him feel accepted, in an odd way.  Shining Armour was the older brother that Flash Sentry never had, so having him leave to move so far away was going to be difficult.

Having to work under a new commander, however, was going to be a new challenge.  And plus, he couldn't date the new captain's sister now that he was engaged to Twilight, so earning a new boss' trust would have to be done in a different way.

Still, the reasons to be optimistic about the future far outweighed the reasons to fear it.  

The young guard made his way to his post, his hooves clad in the golden armoured horseshoes, clacking with every step down the tile floors of the castle. His job was to stand at the front doors of the castle on this day, which was where he was positioned more often than not recently.  

He reached his hoof out to push one of the two massive front doors open for himself, but was halted by feeling another hoof grab him on the shoulder.  He recognised the feeling of the hoof.  The foreleg was soft and furry on his upper back.  Flash used his own hoof to feel the one touching him.  He touched the other pony's hoof softly with his own, almost flirtatiously.

He also took a deep breath through the nose and sniffed the soft lavender smell that he had grown accustomed to; the certain smell of the mare whom he loved most.

"Twily?" he asked as he turned around with a smile.

"Um, close enough, I guess," replied Shining Armour.  At least Flash guessed that a member of the right family had stopped him.

Instantly blushing with embarrassment, knowing that he had caressed the hoof of his straight, married boss, he apologized, saying, "I'm so sorry, Captain.  I was sure that you were Twilight."

"Twily's actually doing some training with Celestia right now.  It's part of her training on how to be a leader.  She's been doing it a lot lately, almost as if Celestia was preparing her for something without fully telling her."  Shining took a deep breath and continued, saying, "I wanted to talk with you privately in my office.  Is that fine with you?"

"Yeah, of course," Sentry responded.  "But what about my post?"

"Don't worry, it'll only be a few minutes," Shining responded.

Flash Sentry followed the prince-by-marriage to his private quarters.

"Have a seat, please," Shining said while pointing one hoof to the chair on the other side of his desk.  "So," he started again after Flash sat down and he closed the front door, "I'm sure you know that this is my last week here."

"Yes, sadly.  I'm going to miss you, sir," Flash replied.

"Okay, for one- let's not get sappy yet.  And two- you're going to be my brother soon, so you don't have to be so formal with me," Shining said while sitting down.  He used his hooves to clear the central part of his desk of all the clutter, and continued again, "I'm sure you've been wondering who'll be taking over as my replacement."

"Yeah, it's crossed my mind a few times," Flash responded.  It had actually crossed his mind multiple times every day for weeks.

"Well, I've thought about this for many nights.  I've asked my sister, the two princesses here, and even other long time guards about who I should choose as my replacement.  Celestia just told me that it was all up to me, while the others gave their suggestions of who they thought would be a good fit.  I also asked my wife, because a number of you Canterlot guards were sent to the Crystal Empire when you first started."

"Yep, I remember that well," Flash said, thinking about the time when he first bumped into his fiancée-to-be.

"Yeah, well, I've thought about this so much, and I still need some advice on the matter.  I thought about coming to you, because you're somepony whom I trust and value very much."

Flash smiled and moved his head to the side a few centimetres.  "You really want my opinion?"

"Of course."

"Well, um, I honestly don't know.  There are so many good guards in this force, some who have been here for decades.  You even have the members of Luna's sector of the royal guard.  There are honestly so many good candidates."

"Interesting," Shining said while putting a hoof on his chin and leaning his foreleg on the armrest, slightly spinning his rotating chair.  "So, what do you think would be the best qualities I should look for in a new captain?"

Flash thought for a second.  "Well, I would have to say that he would need to have an extreme loyalty to the kingdom.  He'd also have to have a massive amount of respect for the princesses and be willing to protect them no matter what, even to the point of death.  He'd have to be a good leader to keep his workers happy, positive, and focused.  Yet I think he'd have to be approachable as well so as to listen to what his guards have to say."

"Very, very interesting.  That actually covers just about it," Shining said as he got up and looked out his window through the blinds.  "There's obviously more to it, but those things you mentioned are very important."  He let out a sigh as he continued to look out the window, adding, "And I think you have a lot of those qualities.  That is why you're going to be the new captain."

"Uh, what?" Flash asked, not sure if he heard the current captain properly.

"That's right.  I chose you as my replacement a few weeks ago, actually.  I just haven't told you yet.  The princesses are all on board.  Twilight is actually excited at the prospect.  And even better is the fact that I'll be the captain of the royal guard in the Crystal Empire to go along with my prince duties, so we will be able to work together still quite a bit."

"No, really, what?"

"Flash," Shining said while staring Flash dead in the eyes as the young stallion was still sitting down and obviously confused.  "Let me say this in terms you'll understand: you, Flash Sentry, are the new captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard.

"Wait, really?  Really?"

"Yes, you stupid cheeseball."

Still confused, Flash looked around the ground in front of him, lost in thought.  "But... why?"

"To be honest, I asked myself the same question many times after I came up with the decision.  I'm still hoping it's the right one.  There's not a stallion in the force I trust more than you.  Sure, you're not experienced and you're a complete goof, but your heart is in the right place, you've made my sister very happy, and I know that you'll do whatever it takes to keep the princesses safe and happy."

"I honestly don't know what to say.  It's a pretty daunting task."

"You don't feel up for it?  Well, I could ask somepony else."

"No!" Flash yelled back.  "I'm up for it, I promise.  I'm just shocked."  He got up and approached the current captain, staring him directly in the eyes.  He reached his hooves around and hugged Shining as hard as he could.  At first the prince was hesitant, but he eventually softened up and returned the hug.

"Uh, Flash?  Are you crying?" Shining asked as they continued to hug.

"No no... this is liquid pride," Flash said as he broke off the hug and faced Shining Armour once again.

"I never gave you permission to use that term," Shining said.

"Okay, fine, I'm a little emotional because I never thought I'd be given this opportunity.  I won't let you down.  I promise."

"Geez, if you're getting this emotional now, how will you be at the wedding?"

Flash chuckled at the thought.  "I'll try to keep it all together."  He then pondered something else that had been on his mind for a while.  He had wanted to wait for the right moment to ask.  "Hey, I was thinking, do you want to be the Best Stallion at my wedding?"

"I'd be delighted to," Shining replied happily.  He still had more to add about the role of Flash's new job, so he continued, "We have to call a meeting to tell the other guards about you being their new captain.  You're still a little cheeseball to me, but you're going to be great here, and I'll be proud to call you my brother when you make your vows."

"Thank you.  You have no idea how much that means to me."
> Chapter 20: A Human's Story, Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	'I am writing this to see if there are any survivors left out there.  Together we have a better chance of survival.  If any of you read this letter, meet me in the central battlefield at dusk, and together we will be able to get through this.'

Flash Sentry looked around the frozen wasteland that was the University of Canterlot campus after dropping the letter he found on the ground.  The sun was setting with snowflakes still gently falling on the already covered ground.  The bitter cold wind blew in his face.

There was nobody in sight; a huge difference from just a few hours ago when the war began.  Everybody at the campus joined in the war, and Flash somehow survived this far.  He watched so many fall by his very side for hours.  There were so many close calls.

He walked in his thick winter boots, bundled up in his coat, crunching the cold white snow beneath him, looking for other people who were still alive.  There was hardly anybody in sight.  He looked up at the campus buildings, checking to see if there were any snipers in the windows or on the roof of any of the buildings.  None.  There was nobody left.  All of the windows were closed with the curtains drawn.

There were still so many places to check for survivors, though.  The university was full of students from all around the world, all with different fighting abilities.  By sheer luck he survived this long, so there must have been better soldiers still out there.  Looking for others was a chance that he was willing to take.  It was a huge chance, because it could go one of two ways.  If he found somebody else, they would either eliminate him, or become his ally.  This wasn't like any normal war.  It was full of savagery and deceit.  It was a war where everybody was for himself.

The cold was starting to get to him after being outside for too long.  He made his way into one of the central buildings of the campus.  As he creaked open the front door, all was quiet.  Only the echo of the squeaking door was heard.  The hallway was quiet and dark as the lights had been shut off from the power outage.  Only the few emergency lights were shining, and they were far and few between.

Each step the young man took down the hallway could have been his last.  Every footstep echoed because of the silence.

Flash Sentry turned the corner.  There was man sitting on the floor leaning his back and head against the wall.  With caution, Flash stepped forward, his single weapon in his gloved right hand.  Fear crept in as he wondered if the man sitting down was still alive.  Flash approached closer and closer with carefulness.

"Is there anybody there?  I can hear your footsteps," said the man sitting on the ground, stopping Flash in his tracks.

Sentry took a few steps forward.  There was still no movement from the man sitting down.

"Yes, somebody is here," Flash said while approaching his schoolmate sitting on the floor.  "Are you okay?"

The man sitting down opened his eyes.  Flash could see his frightened pupils through the man's thick glasses.  He was panting heavily.  As he moved his head forward, his double chin bunched up.

"No, I am not.  I am barely alive, having narrowly escaped death," the man said, then stopping to catch his breath.

"Buddy, it's just a snowball fight," Flash said to the rather large, nerdy man with sideways combed hair whom he recognised as a student from a few of his classes.

"It started off as just a snowball fight to distract us from the power outage," the man sitting down said, weakened from all the running he did earlier.  "But that was until the dean announced that there'd be a prize for the last man standing."

"I never heard the announcement," Flash said quietly.

"That's because of the power outage.  He was only able to tell whatever soldier he could find in person, and they would have to spread the word.  But it didn't end up the way he wanted.  When he announced that there was a prize we all turned on each other like a bunch of animals!"

"What was the prize?" Flash asked with intrigue.  At first he thought it was just a game to distract the students, but now he realised that there was much more to it.  The situation had become dire.

"'Was?'" the man responded while raising his voice, still sitting on the ground with his legs straight out.  "This is not over!  This is still happenin-" he was interrupted as he got shot in the face with a massive snowball from somebody down the hallway, letting out a blood curdling scream.  The poor nerd never stood a chance.  He fell over in defeat as Flash Sentry fled for his life, trying to wrap his mind around what was going on.

"Okay," Flash said to himself as he was still running.  "This was just a game, right?  What the heck happened?"

He ran passed the auditorium, the faculty lounge, and eventually to the dean's office.

He quietly slid open the door, hoping to see the head of the university working on papers or something.  But Flash couldn't help but cringe as he saw that the dean was on the ground, covered in snow.  He went over to see the poor man's face.  He didn't stand a chance.  His eyes were still wide open from the attack.

Flash turned around to walk back.

"Can you close the door when you leave?" Flash heard from behind him.

"Sir?" Flash asked while turning around.  "Here, let me help you out."

"No," the dean replied.  "If I stay down here I won't be attacked again."

"What happened?" Flash asked.

"Since the city expects the power to be out a few days, I knew that no learning would be done here.  I decided to start the snowball fight for fun.  I even said that there was a prize to raise school spirit.  I just never thought it would turn out like this."

"What's the prize, sir?"

"A one hundred dollar Best Buy gift card."

Flash took off, not even saying goodbye to the head of the university.  A gift card to Best Buy could pay for half of a new ipod, so Flash finally realised the seriousness of the war at hand.  He knew he had to be the last man standing in order to win.

He passed through the hallways, looking for other students to fight, or join up with in order to last longer.  The snowball in his hand melted, so he was now out of ammo, and he had nothing to protect himself from other warriors.

He made his way through the hallways of the residences, but most of the rooms were closed.  The students who had already been eliminated had gone back to their rooms to wait out the storm.  There was nowhere warm to go anywhere on campus, or even in the city.

Eventually, after going through the empty hallways with snow on the ground being the only thing left in them, Flash made his way to the gymnasium.  He put his ear up to the door, listening for signs of life.

"Okay, so if we make an attack- wait.  Do you hear that?" came one voice from the inside.

"Yeah... I think there's somebody at the door," said another voice.

Flash tried to turn around, but the door shot open.

"Halt, who goes there?" asked a young male student holding a snowball.

"It's me, Flash Sentry," Flash responded while hiding his face for protection with one hand.  But he decided to take a look at who was threatening him.  As he took his hand away from his face, he instantly chuckled at the sight.

"Flash Sentry?  Never heard of you," said the tall, skinny student with thick glasses with tape down the middle.

"I'm no threat, I swear.  I was looking to find people still in the game," Flash defended, staring the nerd directly in the eyes.

After sniffling due to the cold, the nerd guarding the door responded, "Game?  You think this is a game?"

"Uh, yeah."

"This is real life we're talking about!"

"Um, yeah okay sure.  So, can I join your team?"

"Yeah, why not," the guard replied, taking Flash into the gym and closing the door behind them.

Flash looked in awe at the group.  It appeared that they were all students of science at the university.  They were using their unused textbooks to light a fire in the middle of the gym as they appeared to be planning an attack.

Flash joined the group of about a dozen nerds in the middle of their huddle around the fire.  He looked around the group, seeing if there was anyone who he could recognise.  They were all smart students he had seen before around the school, but was previously unacquainted with any of them.

Well, all except one.

Sentry instantly cringed as he saw a lavender-coloured young lady he recognised.

'Oh lord.  Please don't recognise me.  Please,' Flash pleaded in his mind.

"Hey, you're the guy that said I danced with you!" the human Twilight Sparkle blurted out at the sight of the new member of their troop.

'Ah crap.'

"Uh, yeah.  Yep.  That's me," he responded awkwardly.  "I'm that same weirdo."

"Whatever," Twilight responded.  "Welcome to our team.  We think there are only a few people still left in the war.  We know that the chess team, musicians, jocks, and philosophy students are still alive."

"So let's go get em!" Flash responded excitedly.

"Snort.  Not yet," the same male student who opened the door interrupted.  "We need a carefully organized plan to get them."

"How about I just go out and find them and you guys all hide out while I draw them out?" Flash suggested.  He didn't care too much about winning the gift card.

"That could actually work," one of the other male teammates said.  "How about you and Twilight team up and find the other teams?  The rest of us will hide out with our weapons ready.  When you draw them out, we'll fire."

'Oh great.  Now I have to team up with her.'

"Okay, fine.  Let's go already," Flash said while getting up.  "I'm cold and I want to stop wasting time."

Two nerdy female students poured buckets of water to put out the fire.  The whole school was getting more and more trashed as time went on.

Flash and Twilight Sparkle slowly opened the door to the gym, took a quick look around, and, upon noticing all was clear, they went down the hallway with the other members of the team following.  The trailing member pushed a wheelbarrow of snow for the rest of team as ammo.

Flash and Twilight ran quickly down the different hallways, looking through open doors and windows, hoping to find the other groups of soldiers still in the war.  By this point the sun had set and the only light in the school came from the reflection of the full moon and stars through the window.

Soon, however, the two students found themselves alone in a dark basement hallway.  The rest of their team was still yet to be seen.  There was absolute silence.  The only things that could be heard were their own footsteps and deep breaths.

"Okay, this is getting a little much," Flash whispered to Twilight as they took slow steps forward into the nearly pitch black hallway.  Only one emergency light was on in the middle of the hallway's length.

"Tell me about it," she replied.  "I just want the power to come back on so this madness can end I can get back to studying."

"Yeah, no kidding.  I mean, this is fun and all, but everyone is treating it like it's a real war or something."

"Say, what was all that about at the concert?  How'd you know my name and dog's name and stuff about me?"

'I should've seen this coming,' Flash's mind said as he rolled his eyes.  Thankfully Twilight couldn't see his face in the dark.

"Um, I've just heard about you before and I thought you were cute, so I tried to pretend like I knew you so that I'd get to talk to you."

'Did she buy it?'

"Really?" the young purple woman responded.  "You really thought I was cute?"

"I didn't think it, Twilight.  I still do," Flash continued to whisper as he felt a pain in his stomach.  He didn't like lying, but as of now, the truth would have seemed even more ridiculous.  But there was some truth to it.  He did really like Twilight.  Only this wasn't the same Twilight Sparkle that he knew before. It was all still confusing to him.

"I can't believe it," the young lady said while playing with her hair a little as they continued to move down the hallway.  "Nobody's ever had a crush on me.  In fact, I hardly have any friends at all."

"Awe, really?" Flash responded.  "Well, I'll be your friend if you want."

"I'd like that very much," she responded while giving him a bump with her elbow.

"What was that?"

"I just bumped you with my elbow."

"No, something else," Flash said.  "I saw a shadow down there," he said while pointing to the other end of the hallway.  By this point they were near the single emergency light, and their crew was still nowhere to be found.

Ca-clack.

"What was that?" Twilight asked upon hearing the sound of a door close.

"It came from down there," Flash said, pointing in the same direction of where the shadow came from.  "Come on," he said while grabbing her hand and pulling her forward.  The light was now behind them, so Flash couldn't see Twilight's blush.

He led her down the hallway quietly, eventually finding two doors across from each other, all the while still holding hands.  The warmth between their palms was the only source of any heat in the cold basement.

"Okay," Flash said looking between both doors.  He started to point back and forth.  "Eenie, meenie, miney, moe!" he said while pushing in the door on the left.

He found himself staring a shadow directly in the face.  Twilight let out a scream in fear.  Flash could see the silhouette reach his arm upwards, about the fire his weapon.

"Wait!" Flash yelled out while using his phone's flashlight to shine directly into the face of the shadow.

"Ahh!" the man said while dropping his weapon.  He was now fully illuminated from Flash's point of view.

"John?" Flash asked.

"Flash?  Is that you buddy?"

"Yeah," Flash said while shining the light to his own face.

The two men, who met in the bar a few weeks ago, both having girl trouble at the time and recently became friends because of it, reached out and gave a manly hug to each other.

"Man, I thought you were dead!" John said with a smile as Flash was still pointing his light towards the ground.

"Dead?  It's just a game, dude."

"Yeah, but it's the only thing I've got going on right now, and we'll probably never have something like this again.  You gotta get more into it.  A gift card is on the line here!"

"You know each other?" Twilight asked from the shadows.

"Yep," Flash responded.  "We're in a few classes together, and we're going to play together at the talent show."

"Cool," Twilight responded.

Flash put his cell phone on the ground so that the light pointed up, allowing the three of them to see each other.

"Buddy, you never told me you had a girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend, Jonny Boy," Flash responded.  "But we're partners for this battle."

"But, hey, you never know," Twilight responded cheerfully, causing Flash to look at her peculiarly.

"Anyways," Flash said, directing the conversation in another way.  "We lost the rest of our team.  You alone?"

"Yeah.  I had teamed up with the musicians, but they're all eliminated by now.  I just got out alive."

"Well, that's one team down," Flash said to Twilight.  Turning to his male friend, he continued, "Well, the three of us can go together for now.  There can only be one winner, but the longer we're together, the better chance we have of making it to the end."

"You got that right," John said while punching fists with Flash.

Sentry led the three of them out of the room with his flashlight,, to the stairwell, and back to the main floor above them.

"Oh!  Oh lord!" John screamed out as they came out of the stairwell and into the upstairs main room, which was much better lit from the luminaries in the sky, as it had floor to ceiling windows.

The rest of Flash and Twilight's team had been defeated.  There they lay on the cold, hard floor of the hallway, with snow covering them.  

Flash ran over to one of the girls on the ground.

"Who?  Who did this to you?" he asked.

"S-s-s..."

"Yes?  Who?!"

"Sentinel and Optimus," she replied.  "They're with the rest of the jocks.  They know no mercy."

Flash looked to his two partners that were still left.  "All right, guys, things just got serious." 

Sentinel and Optimus- the two popular athletes at the school who had hazed Flash endlessly, who also lived on the same floor as him.  Oh how Flash Sentry loathed them.  The game was now on more than ever.

Ca-clack.

"They're still in the building!" John shouted out as the three of them heard a door close.

Flash shined his light to the other end of the room.  He could see two figures running away from their group through the window of the wooden door that led to one of the staff lounges.

"Let's go!" Flash yelled, waving the two others over.  They quickly grabbed handfuls of the snow used to defeat their teammates and went in hot pursuit of the two men who had defeated their whole troop.

Flash whipped open the door, letting his two teammates through.  They entered the lounge and stood right in the middle.

"I know you're in here, Sentinel and Optimus," Flash said bravely, clenching the cold snowball in his bare hand.

"Are you sure it's just us in here?"

Flash, John, and Twilight looked around the room, hoping to find where the taunting voice was coming from.  Flash gulped as he feared this was the end for the three of them.  They put their back together, guarding all sides from attack.

The curtains were then pulled, making the room completely dark, other than Flash's phone light.  He shined it around the room, but he couldn't find anybody.  The light flickered a few times as his battery died, leaving them in complete darkness.

"Is it us you're looking for?"

"Are you scared?  We can hear your breathing."

"Show yourselves," John shouted out.

Silence.  All the three of them could hear was footsteps around them, but they couldn't see anything.

Twilight could feel a figure directly in front of her.

"Boo," Sentinel said to the girl while shining a light on her face.  Twilight instantly screamed at the top of her lungs, smashing her right hand, full of snow, directly into the face of the man taunting her.  "Ah crap, that's cold!" Sentinel yelled as he fell to the floor.  "Optimus, run!" he yelled out as Twilight grabbed the flashlight the man dropped.

Optimus made his way out of the room as John and Flash missed hitting him.

"After him!" Flash yelled as they chased Optimus with Twilight flashing light along the way.

They followed the man, who went out the front doors and to the main courtyard.  The three of them, still in pursuit, watched as he was shot with pile of snow, completely consuming him.  The three of them watched in horror as the poor man flew backwards, being buried in a pile of snow.

"Where did that come from?" Twilight asked.

"Okay, I know I'll probably get shot the moment I go out there, but I have to see what caused that," John said.

"Yeah, that was freaking cool!" Flash added.

They opened one of the glass doors so that it shielded them from the direction of the attacker.  They could hear the sound of a canon going off, instantly pushing the door back.  The three of them all flew to the ground as a massive wall of snow hit into the door.

"You're gonna die!" shouted a loud, high-pitched female voice.

"Pinkie Pie?" Flash asked out loud as he pushed the door open even more and peeped his head around the corner.

"Oh, hey Flash!" Pinkie, dressed in a thick parka and behind a canon on wheels, responded.

"What is that?" John asked.

"This is my party canon, except I'm using snow.  This summer I decided to make it because I thought it would be fun and help me throw epic college parties and make lots of more friends!"

"So... are you the last one left aside from us?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, hey Twily!"

"Uh, yeah, hey.  Once again, I don't really know who you are," Twilight responded.  "Anyway, can you answer my question, please?"

"I think so.  I've knocked out soooo many people!  This is the most fun I've had in ever!"

"So, Pinkie, are you just going to shoot us all away?" Flash asked.

"I wouldn't normally do that to you, Flashy, because we're friends.  But since you're the last few people left-" she then shot a batch of snow.  Flash jumped into Twilight, throwing the two of them into the snow on the grass, missing the blast.  But he watched as his friend got blown away, flying a few metres back.

"No!" Flash screamed as he ran to his friend's side.  Pinkie reloaded her canon.  "John... John... speak to me!"

John groaned as he opened his eyes.

"Am I... am I dead?" he asked.

"I believe so," Flash replied with a comforting smile as only his friend's head was above the snow pile.

"Crap.  I really wanted that gift card," John responded as he closed his eyes for good.

"I know buddy.  I know.  I'm sorry," Flash responded he closed his own eye and a tear fell down his cheek.  "Stupid snow," he said as he wiped the water droplet off his face.

Flash turned around to watch as Pinkie Pie finished filling up her canon.  Twilight consoled Flash by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Pinkie Pie!" Flash called out in anger as he turned to the pink-haired lady.

"Yes, Flashy?" she asked as she put the final bunch of snow into the canon.

"It's just you and me now," Flash said as Pinkie Pie put her full attention on the man, not noticing Twilight sneaking around.

"Well then," Pinkie said while lifting her hand to press her canon's fire button, "I guess you lose."  She pressed the button, firing a load of snow directly at Flash.  He dove to his right, narrowly missing the major blast.  But, sadly, Twilight watched on as the poor man still received a small blow of snow that broke off from the main blast land right into his face, eliminating him.

"Yes, I win!" Pinkie shouted out in triumph while jumping up and down.  As she landed from one of her jumps, though, she was face to face with the lavender girl.

"Not quite," Twilight said while hitting Pinkie in the face with a single snowball from point-blank range.

"Aww, not fair," Pinkie replied while wiping the snow from her face.

And thus Twilight Sparkle was triumphant, defying all odds, in being the last human standing in the great snowball war.


--------------------------------------
	

Eventually the power came back on and the mess of the snowball fight was cleaned up.  That was the students' punishment for taking the snowball fight way too far.  Twilight didn't even get her gift card in the end. The staff was very disappointed in the student.

Flash returned to his normal routine, all the while practicing with his friend John for the talent show.  Flash was going to play guitar and sing while John was going to play piano.

After quite a few weeks, the spring came, as well as the day of the talent show show.  After much practicing, the two men knew that they were ready.  They practiced a few of their own songs that they came up with while jamming together.

The two of them watched from beside the stage as all of the contestants showcased their talents, which including horrible singing, loud belches, poor 'magic' acts, and booty-shaking.  They were a shoo-in to win.

As Flash and John took to the stage in the auditorium, they could hear the screams of all the single girls in the crowd.  No girl was immune to the face of Flash Sentry.  Flash looked out at the crowd, picking out Twilight Sparkle, who had become one of his friends after the epic fight, and winked at her.  All of the girls in the area around Twilight swooned and fainted as they assumed Flash was winking at them.  

All of them sat in anger as Flash stole the hearts of all of their waifus as he began playing his guitar and singing and John started playing the piano.  They performed one of the songs that they had come up with while playing together one day a few weeks ago.

'This.  Is.  Awesome!' Flash said in his head as he wooed all the girls in the crowd with his epic guitar solo.

They finished the song, and took a bow together, applauding the crowd of their fellow students.

"That will be a tough act to follow," the dean said while taking the stage, applauding the performance of the two young men.  "Thankfully, that was actually the last act on the day.  And since these two are both still on stage, let's just give them the winning prize!"

Flash and John were ecstatic.  They won the prize fair and square, which turned out to be a blue ribbon- a prize worthy of basically nothing.

After their killer performance, the crowd started to file out.  Flash and John talked casually about how they killed it as they put their instruments away.

At the corner of his eye, Sentry could see Twilight standing there.  John got pulled away by some other students who wanted to talk to him, leaving Twilight and Flash alone for a few minutes.

"Hey, um," Twilight started to say.  "That was amazing!"

"Thanks, Twi," Flash responded to the girl, who was one of his newer friends.

"I was, um, I was."

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you'd like to go out... um... with me," Twilight said while looking down, hiding her blush.

"Really?  You're asking me out?" Flash replied.

"I'm sorry!  It's weird.  Forget it," she replied as she turned to walk away, but was stopped by Flash grabbing her arm.

"I'd love to!  How about tonight?"

"Uh, yeah!" Twilight responded cheerfully.  Her face was completely lit up with joy.

"I'll come pick you up at six.  We'll go out to watch a movie."

"That sounds great!" Twilight said while biting her lip.  She then turned to walk away.  Flash could see the happiness in the girl by how she was moving her arms and hands excitedly, as if she had the jitters.  He also felt good himself.

'She may not be the Twilight Sparkle I knew before, but who knows?  Maybe she'll be just as good,' 

As Twilight left, John came back and watched as Flash stared at Twilight walk away.


--------------------------------------


Twilight Sparkle waited with excitement as she watched out her window for her new date to arrive.  She didn't know what car he had, but she had told him her address, so as soon as a car would pull into the driveway she would know that it was him.

She patiently yet excitedly waited for an old Honda Civic or beat-up pick-up truck to pull into her driveway at any minute.  What she didn't expect, though, was that Flash owned a somewhat new Chevrolet Camaro.  Her eyes opened wide as she saw him pull up into her driveway and give a beep of the horn.  She quickly ran to the front door, putting on her light jacket for the mild spring temperature.

Flash watched as his date for the night, his first official date since Sunset Shimmer, beamed with joy as she made her way down the front stairs and into the passenger seat of his car.

"Oh my goodness, this is amazing!"

"Thanks.  Aside from my guitar, this is my one true love," Flash said with a grin.

"What about me?" Twilight asked teasingly.

"It's a little early to tell for that.  We'll see," Flash responded as he put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway.

"So, where are we going?" Twilight asked.

"Somewhere special," Flash said while focusing on the road.  "Say, why are you so excited?"

"Because it's my first date and I want it to go well," she looked over to Flash, who was nodding his head as a drove forward, almost to say 'not bad'.  "Sorry, I probably shouldn't have said that so early."

"Don't worry about it.  I'm glad you're excited.  I am too."

He peaked over to see Twilight's smile, which made his heart feel good.  But her smile quickly faded as he pulled into a restaurant parking lot.

"Uh, Flash?"

"Only the finest place for you, my date."

"McDonald's?  Really?"

"McDonald's?" Flash asked in reply.  "Oops," he joked as he drove pulled back and drove to the next restaurant over, Wendy's.  "Ah, here we go."

"Are you kidding me?" Twilight asked.

"Okay, I'm sorry Twilight.  I really cant afford much.  I'm in college, after all.  But I'll pay for your movie after this, though, I promise."

Twilight thought for a second, but then said, "All right," and popped out of the car.  Flash held the door open for her as he let her inside.

Flash and Twilight ordered their meals together and sat down at the table with the window facing his car.  They both chowed down into their combo meals.  At the same time, they both had a tomato fall out of their sandwich, and they shared a loud laugh together.

"So, um," Twilight started.

"What's up?" Flash asked.

"I don't really know how to, well, date."

"Isn't that what we're doing now?"

"What do you mean?"

"We're having dinner together, getting to know each other, just the two of us.  Isn't that dating?"

"Hmm," Twilight said while taking a bite.  "I guess I've never really thought much about it before." 

"I actually think it's going pretty well so far," Flash said.  Something caught his eye, though.  He looked behind Twilight to where somebody was ordering food at the cash.  "Oh crap," he said while ducking down.

"What?  What is it?" Twilight asked as she looked at the same direction her date was looking at.  Flash continually kept his head low.

"Don't draw attention to us," Flash whispered.

"Why?" Twilight asked as she looked back again.  The only person ordering food was a skinny, yellow-skinned young woman with red and golden hair.

"Just don't."

"Do you know her?"

"Yes.  And she's nuts," Flash replied, talking about Sunset Shimmer.

Out of all the times and all the places—why here?  Why now?

"I assume that things didn't go so well for you two?"

"They started well, but they sure didn't end well... oh crap," he said nervously as he watched Sunset turn around with her food and come right into their direction.

Sunset walked with her tray, sitting in the table beside the couple.  As she took her first bite of her hamburger, she looked over and saw Flash Sentry clenching his teeth while trying to sneak away, with Twilight Sparkle sitting directly across from him.

"Oh come on!" Sunset screamed out as she threw her drink on the floor.  "Are you kidding me, Flash?"

"Um, h-hi Sunset Shimmer," Flash squeaked out as he sat his rump back on his booth seat.  "How's it going?"

"'How's it going'?  It's going horribly!  What do you think?"

Flash looked directly at Twilight with a face that just screamed, 'I'm sorry for getting you into this.'

Sunset continued to yell.  "First you dump me and then fall in love with a pony named Twilight Sparkle after only a few days of her being a human, and now you're dating her human equivalent months later?  What does she have that I don't?"

"Flash, human, pony... what is going on?  You're into ponies?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

"Twi, no, I can explain... Actually, I can't.  I don't know!  I did think that you were the Twilight Sparkle I knew when I first saw you.  That's why it seemed like I was acting all weird."

"Okay, you know what?" Twilight asked while getting up.  "Forget the date.  I'm taking the bus home.  I don't want any part of this weirdness," she said, then getting out and leaving.

Flash tried to get up to stop her, but Sunset got in the way.

"Let her go.  You don't deserve her," Sunset said.

"Sunset, you're a nutcase, you know that?"

"Come on, Flash.  Why?  Why does everypony love Twilight Sparkle but hate me?  What did I ever do to deserve any of this?"

"E-everyPONY?  Sunset, is there something you're not telling me?"

Sunset put her finger up in the air to start saying something, and then bolted in the other direction, leaving the restaurant and going into the parking lot.

Flash quickly reached back and grabbed his jacket, looking for his keys.  He watched as he walked out as Sunset Shimmer got into her red Pontiac, speeding away, driving over the grass and curb to get onto the main street.  Flash quickly ran to his car, turned it on, and sped away to catch up to her.

As he drove down one of the main streets of Canterlot, he watched as Sunset, who was quite the distance ahead, drove around like a maniac, nearly causing accidents.  He drove as safely as he could, yet quickly, trying to catch up.

By this point the early spring sun had just set, and Flash wondered where Sunset was racing off to.  He looked out his window momentarily, and stared directly at the full moon.

"Oh no," he said out loud.  "The portal."  His eyes then shot open.  "Twilight!"

He stepped on the gas as hard as he could as he instantly thought of the Twilight Sparkle he danced with so many months ago.  She left him as she came in- through the portal in the statue.  The night of a full moon was when it opened, so he knew exactly where Sunset was going.  And he needed to stop her fast.

He picked up the pace.  He even got some luck as all the lights he passed were green.  He watched as Sunset Shimmer drove her car onto the grass of their old high school.  He quickly followed suit, parking right beside her car as she got out of it.

"Sunset, wait!" Flash shouted out, stopping the crazed young lady in her path.

"Flash, leave me alone.  I need to make things right."

"And how are you going to do that?" he asked while looking up at the moon, trying to remember how much time he had left until the portal closed.  He couldn't remember, though, as it was so many months ago.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Sunset shouted back.

"Okay, fine," Flash said, trying to stall as much time as possible while also trying to calm Sunset down.  "But will you at least explain to me all this madness?  I at first thought that the Twilight was out with tonight was the Twilight that I knew from before.  Now it seems like you're a pony yourself.  Why am I attracted to ponies?!"

Sunset seemed to calm down and take a breath.  She looked at the man she used to love, who smiled back at her, hoping to calm her down.  "Flash, ugh."

"Come on.  Please, Sunset, I need to know what is going on."

"Fine," she said with an eyeroll and a sigh.  "I'll tell you everything.  There are two worlds, the human world, and the pony world."

"I think I sort of figured that out by now."

"I'm actually from the pony world."

"That I didn't know!"

"I was one of the rightful heirs to the throne, and the princess' main student.  But then that was all taken away from me and given to another pony named Twilight Sparkle.  The Twilight Sparkle who came here through the portal.  The Twilight from tonight knows nothing of this."

"Okay.  That would definitely explain why she didn't know me... Wait a minute... I fell in love with two different ponies?!  Oh lord."

"Not really.  The Sunset Shimmer you fell in love with was a real human..."

"What?!" Flash asked, feeling some anger deep inside him to go along with the confusion.

"That's right.  You fell in love with a human.  I just made her... disappear."

"You... you..." Flash started to say as anger engulfed him.  "You psycho!" he screamed out as he jumped in the air, right on top of Sunset.  He looked straight down at her, holding her arms and legs down.

"Ooh, it's been a while since you did this to me," Sunset flirted, ignoring the man's anger.

"What did you do to the Sunset Shimmer I fell in love with?" he demanded.

"Don't worry.  She's still here somewhere.  I just took over her life and sent her away."

"Sunset, she was the only girl I ever truly loved with all my heart.  Why would you do that?"

"Because, I didn't get what I wanted back home, so I had to come up with a plan of revenge.  When I found the portal accidentally, that was when I knew how I would do it.  I figured out everything about this world, I took over the human Sunset's life, and I waited for my big chance to steal the crown when I would go back."

"You lied to me, you played me, you made me think you were the person I loved, and you're a complete psychopath."

"Wow, so many compliments!" she said sarcastically.  "Listen, I wasn't always like this.  But when what was rightfully mine was taken away from me, I stopped caring.  All I wanted was to get back what was mine.  I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble."

"Me?  You've caused trouble in two different dimensions!  You've made my ex-girlfriend disappear, you made my date leave me tonight, and you destroyed our school, controlled the minds of your schoolmates, tried to kill a whole lot of us.  And now you're trying to say you're sorry?"

Sunset stopped to think for a second.  All the bad she had caused.  All the planning she had done for revenge.  That really wasn't her.  That wasn't the beloved pony that Princess Celestia had chosen as her apprentice.  Somewhere along the way, she had just let her emotions get the better of her.  She had never planned to go this far.

"Maybe I have done all that," Sunset said in a softer tone.  "Okay, I'm sorry.  But I really do want to make things right.  So let me go.  Please?"  Flash looked down and saw that she wasn't angry anymore.  In fact, she actually looked to be finally speaking genuinely.  "Listen, please.  After Princess Twilight went back to her own world, I just wanted to live my new life here.  I just couldn't go back to the life I had.  I gave up everything for revenge.  Believe it or not, I actually dated you back in the pony world before I came here, just as you did with the human Sunset."

"Please stop.  My brain hurts from all this stuff."

"No, just, let me finish.  Please!"

"Fine, go ahead."

"I had everything.  I had a colt- I mean, boyfriend who cared about me back home- the pony version of you.  I was eventually going to become a princess myself.  But when everything was taken away for me, all I wanted was to get it back.  I'm sorry."  Sunset closed her eyes.  When she opened them, Flash could see that she actually had a few tears in her eyes.  "I just... I just want to make things right now.  And then Princess Twilight let me stay here to learn about friendship, but this isn't my home.  I don't belong here.  I'm not a human.  I have to go back.  If you let me go, I'll go back to where I came from and I'll make things right."

Flash Sentry softened up his grip on the girl.  He then let go, and helped her out.  "Fine."

"Thank you," she replied, then kissing Flash on the cheek.  "I'll make things right, I promise."

Flash sighed.  "Take care, Sunset.  I hope it goes well."

"Thank you again," Sunset replied as she walked over to the portal.  She waved one final time as she stepped into it, transferring back to the pony world just before the portal closed for yet another month.


--------------------------------------


After spinning and twirling her way back into the pony world, Sunset Shimmer gathered herself together.  Her mane was thrown around all over the place.

Everything was quiet.  Everything was as it was since the last time she was there in the Crystal Palace.

She quietly made her way into the hallway, using her stealth skills to get past some of the guards.

"Ha, it's just as easy as before," she said as she ran down the final hallway, eventually making her way outside and into the quiet streets of the Crystal Empire.  But she still had a long way to go to get back to Canterlot.

As she made her way to the train station, she stopped by one of the stores.  On the window was a poster, an advertisement.  "Two weeks to go until the royal wedding!"  She looked at the picture of the two ponies.  Princess Twilight Sparkle and Flash Sentry.

The anger that Sunset had at times instantly crept back into her.

"Forget making things right," she said as she looked on at the poster with envy.  "She took my mentor, she took my crown, and now she took my stallion.  Now it's time for her to pay."
> Chapter 21: The Finale
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Shining Armour stood up at the head table at the royal wedding reception inside the hall of the Canterlot Castle.  As the best stallion, he had a speech to give.  He stood above the three others at the head table.  The prince of the Crystal Empire and captain of the empire's guard had his new brother-in-law to his right.  Beside the groom was the bride, Twilight Sparkle.  Finally, beside the bride was Shining Armour's own wife, Princess Cadence, the best mare.

Twilight Sparkle looked up at her brother as the stallion looked around at the guests, who were all talking and enjoying themselves.  She knew exactly how happy he was for her.  The entire day Shining Armour had been a little more emotional than usual.  He was sentimental towards losing his little sister, but he was mostly proud of her.  So were her five closest friends, Spike, and her beloved parents, who were all sitting at the circular table just to the right of the head table.  The parents and brother of the bride all shed a tear or two at the wedding that happened a few hours prior.

The stallion unicorn held his wine glass up via telekinesis and cleared his throat to speak.  Flash Sentry clinked his glass with his spoon to quiet down the attendees, who were made up of old friends, family, and members of both the Canterlot and Crystal Empire's forces.  The crowd quieted down, and Shining Armour began to speak.

"Today is a day that I was both excited and nervous about for a long time," the unicorn prince started.  "It was a day I looked forward to.  It was also, in ways, a day I feared greatly.  'Why?' you may ask.  Well, the reason why is that I was worried that I would be losing my beloved little sister, Twilight Sparkle."  Shining pointed his hoof to his little sister, who was blushing and shying away from all of the smiling faces in the crowd.

"I knew from the moment Twilight was born that she'd be destined for greatness," Shining Armour continued.  "And she never disappointed me.  Not for one day."

Shining looked out at the crowd once again.  The day was a very emotional one for everypony, actually.  And it showed.  Some of the mares had cried tears of happiness at one point or another during the wedding.  It was also a day that many feared would not have come with the events that took place two weeks prior, so the relief that it all went smoothly was comforting for all in attendance.

Shining looked over to his sister once again, continuing, "Twily, I am so proud of you.  I really mean it.  I know I haven't been the best brother at times, like the time when I didn't tell you I was getting married myself."  Twilight squinted her eyes and nodded her head in agreement with a smile, which caused a few chuckles in the audience.  "But there's one thing that has never changed or faded: my love for you.  I've always loved you and wanted the best for you.  You're the smartest, kindest, bravest, wisest, most caring pony I've ever known."

"Excuse me?" Cadence asked jokingly from across the table, causing more laughs in the audience.

Shining grinned and winked back.  "Okay, the second kindest and most caring pony I've ever known," he said, looking at his wife, who seemed to have a look of approval.  "But you definitely are the bravest, smartest, and wisest pony I've ever known.  Sorry, dear."

Cadence couldn't disagree with that statement, though.  Everypony knew of Twilight's intelligence and how brave she was.  It's what got the new princess this far in life.

Shining once again looked at his little sister, continuing, "And I've probably never told you this before, but you're really beautiful, and it shows today."

Twilight blushed once again at the compliment.  Flash put his hoof around her shoulders to distract her from the embarrassment.  Nopony could deny the bride's beauty on this day.  Rarity had really outdone herself for this wedding.  The unicorn made Twilight the most beautiful white dress she could come up with, crafted from only the best silk and lace imaginable.  The fashionable mare also styled the princess' mane upwards, which was a new look, and it was a good one.

The best stallion continued, "I've always wanted the best for you.  I always wanted to help you achieve your dreams and make you happy.  But that never happened."  Twilight moved her head and raised an eyebrow with intrigue.  "No.  Instead, you achieved your own wildest dreams all on your own.  You found happiness all by yourself.  And because you were happy, you've made me happy.  Along the way, you've not only saved my life, but you've saved the lives of everypony in one way or another.  That's why I am so proud of you."

Shining looked out to the crowd.  He could see every mare in the audience getting teary eyed.  "What?  What happened?  What's with all the liquid pride?" he asked as he saw a few mares wiping their tears.  His question caused a few laughs and lightened the mood.  

The groom shook his head with a chuckle at his best stallion's speech so far.  It was far more sentimental than Flash imagined it to be.  But the pegasus' face turned from a grin to straight as Shining turned his face towards him.

"And now, on to the groom.  Flash...  Flash Sentry...  Where to begin?" Shining said, creating a few more chuckles from the audience.  "Um.  You're a great guy, and good luck with the marriage!" he said with a swing of his hoof and then sat down.  Flash looked to his best stallion with a peculiar look, almost as if asking, 'Are you serious?'

Shining picked himself back up.  "No, no.  I have a lot more to say about this great stallion.  Flash Sentry, I think that my Twily will make you the happiest stallion on earth."

"She already has," Flash said, then kissing his bride on the cheek.

Shining continued, "Yes, well, she will never fail to do so.  I remember one time when Twilight was a filly, playing dress-up in her room, saying that she dreamed of being a princess one day.  I told Twily that her dream was ridiculous, which made her cry and got me grounded for the weekend."  Everypony let out a laugh after that.  "But what's funny now is that I was the ridiculous one.  Twilight achieved her dream, all the while making the dreams of her friends and family come true."

He looked back down to Flash Sentry.  "I may have been hard on you from time to time, Flash.  I know that I may have confused you at times, and I may have made you feel uncomfortable.  But I did all of that for Twilight.  I wanted to make sure that she chose a stallion who she truly deserves.  And when I say that you deserve Twilight, that is the greatest compliment I am capable of giving.  Flash, you're a great stallion, and I am proud to call you my brother."

Flash Sentry couldn't hold back.  He actually had a teardrop fall.  Those kind words meant the world to him.  He got up and hugged his new brother-in-law, causing a few more squees from the audience.

As Sentry sat back down, Shining Armour continued speaking.  "As I said, I always wanted the best for my Twily.  I wanted her to find a stallion who would stick up for her when she was in danger, who'd protect her when she was scared, who'd comfort her when she was sad, and who'd put up with her know-it-all-ness when she would get into an argument.  Flash, you're a goof and a cheeseball, but I do not doubt for one second that you will be a great husband."

Shining looked over to the family table for the bride.  Twilight's five closest pony friends, her parents, and even Spike were choking up.  "Guys, come on.  This isn't a funeral," he said to lighten the mood again.  "Okay.  I'm done with all this sappy talk.  Anypony want to hear a fun story?"

Different shouts of "Yeah!" and "Yes!" were sounded from the audience, and everypony looked up with intrigue as Shining began to talk.


"Well, this is the story of Flash Sentry's bachelor party.  And boy, it's a doozy.  Well, not really."


--------------------------------------


Flash Sentry whistled a happy tune as he trotted down the hallways of the castle in Canterlot.  This day was different.  This day was something special.  It was the blue-maned pegasus' first day as being the captain of Canterlot Royal Guard.  From this day forward everything would be different.  He no longer had to take orders from his future brother-in-law.  Now Flash Sentry would be the one giving the orders.

The promotion came as a shock to everypony.  A week earlier Shining Armour introduced Flash Sentry as the new captain in front of the entire force.  It was met with mixed reaction by the other members, but that wasn't a massive surprise to the new captain.  He didn't care too much.  After all, he was now on top of the world.

As the new captain wandered the hallways of his new domain, he received salutes from passing guards. 

"Mornin', gentlecolts," he said with a tip of his helmet to his new subordinates.  It would definitely take getting used to.

Flash Sentry made his way to his old barracks.  He trotted over to the locker room in the basement that he used to share with plenty of other guards.  Two in particular always gave Flash Sentry a hard time when he would work with them.  Sentinel and Optimus, who were both seasoned veterans on the force, would usually give the newbies a hard time.  As one of those newbies, Flash Sentry wasn't excused from the hazing.  

Flash made his way closer to the locker room.  He could hear a few voices coming from inside the open door as he was about five metres away from the room.  He stopped in his tracks to listen to the conversations going on.

After a few seconds of guy talk, the conversation then turned sour.

"All right, gents, today's going to be very different," Flash could hear Optimus say.

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Sentinel replied.  "Today's the day that Flash Sentry takes over as captain.  Celestia help us all!"

"Hey, come on, guys," said another stallion whose voice Flash did not recognise.  "If Shining Armour thinks he'll be good, let's just give him a chance."

"I don't know, Starscream," Sentinel said.  "I mean, don't you think it's a little fishy that Flash Sentry gets named captain after he proposes to the former captain's sister?  I mean, come on!  She's also a princess!  That dude is so lucky it's ridiculous."

"Listen, guys, just give him a chance," said another voice in defense.  "Maybe the reason why neither of you two were chosen as captain is because you're both too busy criticizing instead of focusing on your own work."

"Don't be such a wet blanket, Jazz," Optimus replied.  "We're just speculating and joking around.  We'll still listen to the new captain."

"Whatever," Starscream responded.  "I'll see you guys later."

"Yeah," Jazz added.  "I'm off to my post."

Flash Sentry watched from the hallway as Starscream and Jazz came out of the locker room.  The two of them gave a respectful salute to their new captain.

"Gentlecolts," Flash said.

"Captain," Jazz said.  "I'm not sure how much of the last conversation you just heard."

"I heard enough of it," Flash responded.  "I just wanted to thank you two for sticking up for me.  I know most of the guards won't like working under a newbie, but I promise I will try my best at this job and hopefully you'll all be happy working for me."

"Good luck, Captain," Starscream said in salute.

Flash saluted back.  "I'll see you two around."

Flash watched as the two of them walked by him and down the hallway, headed to their own posts for the day.  The captain then made his way into the locker room, interrupting a conversation about sports between the two remaining guards.

"Oh, hey Captain," Sentinel said sarcastically.

"Sir!" Optimus mocked with a salute.

"Listen, I need to talk to you two," Flash said.

"What?  You're going to fire us on your first day?  Bold move," Sentinel said.

"No, I'm not," Flash responded.  "I know you two haven't respected me since the beginning, but you know what?  I don't care.  I don't have to be liked by anypony.  I never would have thought that I'd be made the captain  However, Shining Armour trusts that I'll do a good job, and I have to trust him on that.  I know you two don't respect me and probably never will, but you can't talk bad about me to other guards.  Don't even try to spread rumours or cause division.  That won't affect me.  All that'll do is affect the other guards and bring down their spirits."

"Captain, listen," Sentinel tried to say.

"No, you two have to listen to me now!" Flash Sentry barked.  "I don't care if you don't respect me on the inside.  I'm not particularly fond of you two, either.  But all I command of you is that you two at least try to show me some respect.  I have the power to fire both of you now, but I won't do that.  But I demand that you two show me some respect so that it doesn't cause any problems for the force."

Sentinel and Optimus were taken back a little by their new captain's much stronger, authoritative voice.

"Okay," Optimus responded, looking Flash directly in the eyes.

"All right, sir," Sentinel said while looking down.

"Thank you," Flash Sentry responded.  "Now, get to your posts, and focus on your work."

Flash Sentry left the locker room with a smile, feeling proud of himself for speaking up.

A few weeks went by.  Flash Sentry helped his bride-to-be with the preparations for the upcoming wedding, all the while preparing the guards for the wedding itself.  Risk of an attack on Canterlot was at an all-time low, but preparations still had to be made to make sure that nothing catastrophic would happen at this royal wedding.  Flash Sentry prepared his stallions for anything.

As Flash Sentry shared his tactics with the other guards, preparing them for the upcoming wedding, the respect that the members had for him grew.  He was a different pony that Shining Armour.  Flash's style was different.  He mostly built up his guards by rewarding good work and ideas while rarely pointing out or condemning poor work, while Shining Armour, even though he was a nice guy for the most part, could be intimidating at times.  Flash Sentry was nowhere near as tough as the previous captain, but he still was happy that he started to earn the respect of his workers in his own ways.

The preparations for the wedding went by smoothly.  Twilight Sparkle chose Princess Cadence as her best mare, which was greeted with mixed emotions by the mare's five closest friends.  However, when Twilight explained that she just couldn't choose between the five of them, they accepted the result.  They would all still be bridesmaids and have a big role in the wedding and in the preparations.  

As the date of the wedding got closer, Flash Sentry began to get more nervous.  For one, getting married was already a scary thing to begin with.  It would change his life forever.  But what added to it was that he would become a prince on his wedding day.  Also, as the captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, if something were to happen during the wedding, all eyes would be on him.  It was definitely a daunting task.

But help was on the way.  The week of the wedding, Shining Armour came with his wife to finish up preparations.  Shining helped Flash prepare the guards over the last few days, adding suggestions that would help increase the safety of the event, since the unicorn prince had already gone through this himself a few years prior.  They planned to have every guard on duty for the wedding, with guards on every balcony of the castle, and all around the walls of the city.  Having his future brother-in-law by his side for the last few days before the wedding helped Flash Sentry to calm his nerves down.

Finally, the night before the wedding came.  For a very, very long time, like two weeks, Flash Sentry wondered about what his bachelor party would be like.  Shining Armour was in charge of it, and Flash Sentry eagerly awaited what could be his best night ever.  Well, until the next night, of course.

Flash was busy in his office, finishing up his own preparations for the wedding.  His staff were prepared for nearly anything that would come their way.  The only thing left to do was party, get married, and then party some more.

As Flash Sentry held a pen in his mouth, writing down some things on his calendar, Shining Armour barged right in.

The pegasus quickly raised his head, a little startled from the noise, but smiled politely as he saw who it was.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my arch-enemy... Shining Armour."

"Very funny, Flash," the unicorn said with a straight face.  "So, you getting nervous about tomorrow?" he asked while sitting down in the chair in front of his old desk.

"I'm more nervous about tonight," Flash said with an eager smile, lightly tapping his front hooves together on the desk.  "Actually, more like nervous-cited!"

"Uh-huh," Shining responded unconvincingly.  "Nervous-cited for what?"

"My bachelor party!  Duh!" Flash responded with some sass.

"Ooooooh," Shining said while leaning his head back.  "Yeah, that." He shifted his eyes from left to right. "Yeah, I totally remembered that.  Did I tell you where we were going?"

"Nope," Flash responded with another grin.  "You said it was a surprise!"

"Oh yes, now I remember," Shining said, remembering that he forgot all about Flash's bachelor party.

"You forgot, didn't you?" Flash responded in a more quiet tone.

"Noooooo!  No, no, no.  Yes," Shining responded, looking Flash in the eyes with a hesitant face.

"That's okay, dude," Flash responded with a comfortable smile.  "I had a feeling you'd forget with all the wedding planning and regular things you have to do."

"Thanks, Flash.  Sorry again.  I guess things just got in the way."

"Not to worry, Shining," Flash said while getting out of his chair.  "So, what do you suppose we do, then?"

Shining pondered for a second, and then responded, "Listen, how about I just take you out to the bar or something?  I'll pay for your food and drinks.  Just something simple.  That way you won't get a hangover for tomorrow or anything.  How about it?"

"You know what, Shining?" Flash said while putting a hoof on his former captain's shoulder.  Flash could see and feel Shining squirm a little at being touched by a stallion, causing Flash to take his hoof off.  Flash continued, "That sounds great!  Something safe and simple.  Let's go!"

Ten Minutes Later.

"Flash Sentry, I've got to tell ya something," Flash said to Shining while swinging his cider mug in the air.  The two of them sat at the bar of the Choke-and-Puke, a local bar on Mane Street in Canterlot.

"I'm Shining Armour, dummy," Shining Armour responded while taking another sip of his cider.

"Gazuntite!" Flash responded.  "No, what I wanted to hic tell you was that I've found my own very special somepony."

"I'm flattered, Flash," Shining responded.  "But I'm happily married, and I'm not interested, no matter how sexy you are."

"Nooooo, silly!" Flash said while booping Shining on the nose with his hoof.  "I mean I'm getting hic married tomorrow.  And I love her!"

"Oh, yeah, yeah.  That," Shining responded.  "Tomorrow will be fun."

"Yeah, tomorrow I'm gonna marry Princess Twilestia!" Flash said while raising his glass in the air triumphantly.

"Twilight," Shining corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, that."  Flash took another sip.  "Hey, hey, I got hic I gotta joke for you."

"What?"

"So, I went to the Virgin Islands last week," Flash started.

"And?"

"And now they're just virgins!" Flash responded, laughing hysterically.

"I, uh, I don't think you told that one right," Shining responded without laughing.

"Awwwww poop," Flash responded flat-faced.  "Oh no," he continued as he finally realised how poor his joke was.  Shining watched as a single tear fell from Flash's face.  The pegasus then buried his face in his forelegs on the bar counter.

"Flash, are you... crying?" Shining asked, leaning in closer.

"No!" Flash yelled back with tears streaming down his face.  After a few sniffles, he continued, "Ah, come on!  Who am I kidding?  I'm a failure, and Twilight will never love me!  Oh Celestia, I'm pathetic!"

"Flash, that's just the alcohol talking."

"No, it's not!" Flash said, continuing his crying.  "I'm just an earth pony, and Twilight's a princess!"

"For one, you're a pegasus," Shining corrected.  "And two-" he stopped as Flash continued to cry.  Shining saw that only half of Flash's first drink was finished.  "Hey, bartender!"

"Hey, Shining, what's up?" the long-time bartender stallion came over and said.

"What'd you put in Flash's drink?" the unicorn asked the bartender.  "He's acting all crazy."

"Um, he himself ordered a 'Virgin Screwdriver'," the bartender responded with a serious look.

"You mean, an orange juice?" Shining responded, shocked.

"Yep," the stallion nodded.

Shining turned his attention to the crying stallion and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Ow!  What the ffff-fudge was that for?" Flash responded loudly.

"Flash, you're not even drunk!  What's wrong with you?" Shining barked at Flash.

"Oh, Captain, my Captain.  I'm just scared about tomorrow," Flash responded, his tears starting to dry up.  "What if Twilight says 'I don't' to me at the alter?  What if I die before I get married?  What if I'm gay?"

"Flash, you're self-destructing here!" Shining responded.  "And I'm pretty sure you're not gay.  Come on," he said, patting Flash on the back, "just think positively.  Tomorrow will be the best day of your life.  I'll take care of everything.  All you have to worry about is making my sister happy."

"Oh no," Flash said, realising the task at hand.  "Make a mare happy?  That'll the hardest thing I'll ever do!  What if-"  Shining Armour rolled his eyes and smacked Flash on the back of the head.  "Thanks," Flash reluctantly responded.

"Come on," Shining said.  "Get some real drinks in you.  Let's have some fun tonight.  There's nothing to worry about."

"Aye-aye, Captain," Flash said with a salute, looking into the menu.

Much, much later.

"I wonder how many stars there on in the sky," Flash Sentry said while lying down on the front steps of the Canterlot Castle, looking into the sky.

Shining Armour, who was also lying down on his back right beside the pegasus, so close that their fur touched, started counting the stars in the sky.  "Ten," he responded, after a minute of counting.

"Wooooow!" Flash responded in awe at how much Shining Armour knew about the galaxy.  "One of these days, I'm gonna fly up there and and land on one of those stars!"

"And I'll be right there with you," Shining responded as they continued to look up into the sky.

"Hey, what're you two doing?" asked a familiar voice from in front of them.

"Twily!" they both yelled out in unison as they saw the mare they loved standing a few steps down from where they were resting.

"Are you two... drunk?" the princess asked.

"I swear to drunk, I'm not Celestia!" Flash responded adamantly.

"Guys, what happened to you two?" Twilight asked.  "You've only been gone half an hour!"

"What?" Shining yelled out.  "What time is it?"

"Almost nine," Twilight responded.

"Come on, Flash," Shining said while getting up, looking his friend square on.  "We still have some fun that needs to get done!"

Twilight watched with a smile as her brother and fiancé quickly got up like a couple of young colts.  The two of them ran into the castle, looking for more fun activities to do.

Twenty minutes later.

Flash Sentry sat down in a soft, lilac-coloured chair in a very luxuriant room of the castle, concentrating on something in front of him.  On his forehead was a sticky note with "Flash Sentry" written on it in very primitive writing.

The new leader of the Canterlot Royal Guard glared directly at the pony sitting across from him, the former captain, Shining Armour.  On the white unicorn's head was a sticky note with "Princess Luna" written on it in similarly primitive writing.

Flash Sentry, deep in thought, pondered what he was going to ask next.  He rested his head on his front hooves as he leaned forward in the chair.

"Am I... pretty?" Flash asked.

"No," Shining responded.

"Hmm..." Flash pondered further.  "Am I important?"

"To some ponies, yes," Shining responded with a chuckle.

"Am I buff?"

"No."

"Am I smart?"

"Not really."

"I got it!" Flash said while raising his hoof in triumph.  "I think... Am I the current king of Equestria?" he asked with a little bit of slurring.

"We don't have a king, dufus!" Shining Armour barked back.  "Okay, my turn.  Am I... a stallion?"

Flash looked closely to remember what he wrote.  "To be honest, I dunno... I haven't had a close enough look," Flash responded.

"That doesn't help me, Flash," Shining responded.  "Okay, am I famous?'

"Yes," Flash responded.

"Am I... Spitfire?" Shining asked.

Flash Sentry snorted out laughter.  "No, you're not.  My turn," he said, drifting into thought once again.  "Okay, so I'm not pretty, somewhat important, but not buff, or smart, or the king of Equestria."

"Correct."

"I know who I am!" Flash said triumphantly.  "I'm you!"

"What?" Shining responded.  "No, you idiot, you're you!"

"That's what I said!" Flash defended.

"No, I mean that you're 'Flash Sentry'," Shining Armour corrected.

"What does it say?" Flash mumbled as he picked the sticky note off of his forehead.  "'Flash Sentry'.  Good choice, Shining.  It really kept me guessing."

"Who'd you choose for me?" Shining asked as he grabbed the note off of his head.  "'Princess Luna?'  Flash, how'd you not know if Princess Luna was a mare or not?"

"Hey, I don't ask you why you don't know jack-squat!" Flash yelled back.

Just then, however, the door to the room burst open.

"Flash?  Shining?  Guys, what're you doing?" Twilight asked as she stood at the door, coming back from her own quiet bachelorette party with her closest friends.

"We're having a very important meeting over here!" Flash barked back.

"How much have you had to drink tonight?" Twilight asked as she took her jacket off.

"An orange juice, a glass of water, and two glasses of water," Flash responded while counting with his hooves.

Twilight looked over to Shining Armour, hoping to get confirmation.  Her brother was fast asleep.

"I guess you two don't go out very much," Twilight said while trotting over to Flash.

"What time is it, anyway?" Flash asked.

"Just after midnight," Twilight responded.

"Wait a minute," Flash said, pondering for a second.  "That means we're now married!"

"It doesn't work like that, sweetheart," Twilight said, kissing her future husband on the cheek.  "Go to sleep.  The wedding's in fifteen hours."

"Way ahead of you!" Flash said, leaning his head back and falling asleep almost instantly.


--------------------------------------


"So that's the story of Flash Sentry's bachelor party," Shining concluded at the end of his speech.  

The visitors were in hysterics at different parts of the story.  Shining loved having the spotlight.  "Yes, but now, let's go back to something a little more serious.  Earlier I said that I wanted Twilight to find a stallion who would protect her like a soldier is supposed to, even laying his own life on the line, if needed.  Well, Flash Sentry proved that, even under the most harsh of circumstances.  Would you like to hear that story?"

The ponies audience all looked at each other.  There was definitely a buzz in the crowd as the visitors remembered the events of two weeks prior.  Just the mention of it created quite the stir.  Shining looked down to his now brother-in-law, who was holding Twilight tightly as they remembered the ordeal they had to go through.

Shining continued to the crowd, "Some of you may know all of what happened during this couple's original wedding day, but some of you may still be in the dark.  Flash said I could retell the events, but I warn you all, it may get a little sad.  At long last, here is what happened to this lovely couple two weeks ago today."


--------------------------------------


Flash Sentry, decked out in his white shirt, black tuxedo, and purple tie, stood in front of the crowd next to Shining Armour, waiting for the wedding to begin.  On the left side of the room were the ponies whom Flash Sentry invited to the wedding, who included family, friends, and members of the Canterlot Royal Guard, as well as the Crystal Empire Royal Guard, for when Flash Sentry was in training in that northern kingdom.  It had been a complete whirlwind of a year, but it was all worth it.  On this day, Flash Sentry was going to marry the love of his life, and become a prince.

Shining Armour nudged Flash and said, "Hey, bud, you're shaking like crazy right now!  You okay?"

"I-I-I-I'm fine," Flash said.  He lifted out one hoof that was clearly trembling  "See?  I'm calm as could be!"

"Yeah. sure you are," his former captain replied teasingly.  "Listen, Flash, everything's going to be okay.  You obviously know that Twilight is going to say, 'I do,' and you know you will say it back.  Most of the force is outside patrolling.  You've got Sentinel and Optimus at the front gates-"

"That's what I'm a little worried about," Flash interrupted.  "They're going to plan to prank me or something.  I'm sure of it."

"If they do, they will feel my wrath," the unicorn assured.  "Trust me, Flash, everything is going to be fine.  Just take a deep breath and relax."

The pegasus did just so.  The breath helped his nerves to calm a bit.  

The groom looked over to a table on the side of the stage, where his bride's Magic Element crown was, along with his own small prince's crown that he would put on after the wedding.  He looked out to all of the happy ponies sitting talking to each other and finding their seats.  He also imagined his soon-to-be wife trotting down the aisle with her father, a stallion whom Flash respected very much.  He looked down to his parents, who were both sitting in the front row.  His mother could not have been more proud, and his father looked like he was just itching to get up and come over to give his son a hug to encourage him.  Or a smack to the back of the head.  Flash Sentry was never quite sure what to expect with his father.

Shining Armour looked at his watch.  Knowing that there were only a few minutes to go until the wedding was to begin, he wanted to give the groom a quick pep-talk.  "So, Flash," Shining started, "you have no reason to worry.  And do you know why?"

Flash Sentry bounced up and down like a boxer waiting for the bell to go off.  "Because I'm Flash Friggin' Sentry and I'm a motherbucking pimp!"

Flash stopped bouncing and looked to Shining Armour, who had an eyebrow raised and a half-open mouth.  "Uh, no," the white-furred stallion responded.  "You shouldn't be worried because you love my sister and she loves you back.  We've taken care of everything, so there's nothing to worry about."

"I like that reasoning better," Flash responded.

"Me too, Flash.  Me too."

The groom watched as the remaining ponies filed into the hall in Canterlot.  Twilight's parents were sitting down with the bride's five closest friends.  Spike finally came in and stood beside Shining Armour with the rings on a pillow.  And soon after, Princess Celestia came in and stood at the alter.  Princess Luna gave up her sleep that day to stand on the balcony of the tallest tower of the castle, helping keep watch for intruders.

Everypony went quiet and sat down as the back doors closed.  Flash Sentry could hear his heart pounding during the few quiet seconds.  But the quietness ended as the music began.

First to come down the aisle were the three Cutie Mark Crusaders, who threw out flowers along the way, just as they did during Shining Armour's wedding.  The three fillies sat beside their sisters in the front row.  Well, except for Scootaloo, because she was a loser who didn't have a real sister.

Next to come out was Shining Armour's wife, Princess Cadence, the best mare.  She gracefully trotted down the aisle in her beautiful, long, purple dress that matched Shining's purple tie.  The unicorn stallion smiled all the way as his wife made it up to the stage and stood beside them, facing the crowd.

Everypony stood up as it was time for the bride to come out.

The music changed and the doors opened again.  Flash Sentry stared in delight as his bride came down the aisle.  Rarity, along with Twilight's other friends, helped to make the dress and the rest of her appearance.  As she made her way down the aisle, Flash looked closely at her details.  Twilight stared back at him with a grin, her blue eyeshadow, curly-styled mane, purple star in the left side of her mane, and turquoise flower on the right side.

The princess let out a soft nervous giggle and covered her mouth with her hoof as she stood beside her groom.  The couple turned their attention to Princess Celestia as the music stopped and everypony in the audience sat back down.

Twilight could see the pride in her mentor's eyes as Princess Celestia began the marriage talk.

"Marriage is what brings us together today.  That blessed arrangement; the bringing together of my most beloved student, Twilight Sparkle, and the new captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, Flash Sentry.  Today is a glorious day for the entire kingdom."

Meanwhile.

"Hey, Sentinel, we've got a visitor," Optimus said as the two of them stood at the main front doors.  They could hear Princess Celestia's speech coming from inside as the wedding just began.

"Great.  She looks like trouble," Sentinel replied as the two of them stiffened up, readying themselves for a possible situation where they would need to defend the couple getting married, and possibly even all of Canterlot.  It wouldn't have been the first that a royal wedding in Canterlot would have been interrupted by a crazed mare.

"Out of my way, peasants," yelled the mad mare as she tried to make her way into the front doors.

Sentinel and Optimus quickly shuffled over, blocking the entrance.

"And just who do you think you are?" Sentinel asked the possible intruder.

"Let's just say that I'm an... old friend of the bride," the mare responded.

"Are you on the list?" Optimus asked.

"Um, well, uh, no," she replied, stumbling.

"Well then, you can't come in," Sentinel said firmly.

"The Great and Powerful Trixie demands entrance into this wedding.  Twilight Sparkle is an old acquaintance of Trixie's, and Trixie would like to show her respect for the new couple," the mare who now revealed her identity responded in her purple outfit and pointy hat.

"Sorry, 'Great and Powerful Trixie', but if you're not on the list, you can't come in.  Simple as that," Optimus said, not budging.

Trixie's face scrunched up in anger as she was denied entrance.

"F-fine then.  Trixie will go have her own wedding... with blackjack and hookers!  In fact, forget the wedding!" she said as she stormed off.

Sentinel and Optimus looked at each other and snickered as the crazed mare stormed off.

"Celestia, some ponies are nuts," Sentinel said.

"Speaking of nuts, I think we have company again," Optimus said.

"Hello, gentlecolts," said another mare proudly approaching them.

Back inside the Canterlot Hall.

"And love, true love will follow you two forever," Celesia said as she continued her speech.

She was suddenly interrupted with the sound of a screaming young filly.  Sentinel burst through the doors in a panicked state.

"Everypony down!" the guard yelled.  Seconds later, he was shot with a beam of turquoise-coloured unicorn magic.  He was blasted against the wall, knocked out cold, as screams from inside the crowd were heard.

"Sunset?" Flash Sentry mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Twilight asked as she quickly turned her head towards her almost-husband.

"I think we're in trou-"

"Twilight Sparkle, we meet again," sounded Sunset Shimmer as she proudly trotted her way into the hall.

"Sunset Shimmer," Celestia spoke up. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here to see the wedding," the fiery unicorn responded loudly while looking around the room at all of the well dressed ponies.  "Only, this should have been my wedding!  I should have been the princess up there."

"Sunset, you very well know that this could have been you if you only had some patience like I told you," Celestia said back.

Twilight took a step forward.  "Sunset, how are you here?  The portal closed!"

"Yeah, but only until the next full moon, stupid!" Sunset yelled back.  "Twilight, you not only stole my rightful place on the throne, but you also stole my old coltfriend in two different worlds.  And now you're finally going to pay for this!"

Twilight Sparkle bent forward, preparing herself for battle at her own wedding, as Sunset Shimmer's horn started to glow.  As Sunset powered up, she raised her head to fire.  Twilight watched as the beam of magic was fired directly in her direction as she stood closely beside her groom.  The bride quickly shoved Flash out of the way to protect him and quickly braced herself to be hit.  She closed her eyes, preparing for impact.

Impact that never came, even though a loud sound was heard, followed by many screams.

Twilight opened her eyes, looking directly at Princess Celestia, who was now on the ground with a wound mark in her chest.

"Princess Celestia!" Twilight cried out as she went to her mentor's side.  Sunset quickly ran over as well.  As Twilight went over to the princess who took the blow for her, Sunset pushed Twilight away, sending the purple alicorn sliding on the floor.

"You could have just given me the throne when you had the chance, grandmother.  But you didn't.  And now look what you've done.  You rejected my mother, and you rejected me.  Now do you see how badly you failed?" Sunset said while standing above the injured Celestia.

"Grandmother?" Twilight asked while still on her back as Flash Sentry came over to help her up.

"I know nothing about this," Flash whispered as he picked up his mare, who gave him a kiss on the cheek in thanks.

"Oh, Twilight, are you ever in the dark!  There is so much that Celestia has not told you," Sunset yelled out.

"So, you're Celestia's granddaughter?  From the daughter that Celestia had with her husband who was a royal guard?" Twilight asked Sunset.

"This really isn't the time to tell you my back story, Twilight Sparkle," Sunset replied.  "Right now is the time for you to pay."

"What're you going to do?" Twilight asked bravely as her five friends finally got up and stood by her side.  "You're vastly outnumbered, you haven't really been in this world for years, and nothing you will do for revenge will get you anything as a reward!"

"Oh, you think you're strong because you have friends?" Sunset asked sarcastically.  "Well, I don't have any friends.  I wasn't shown friendship even after I was sorry back in the other world.  I don't need any friends.  I'm powerful enough on my own.  And besides, I think I know what my reward is.  My reward will be seeing you suffer for all that you've taken from me, and that's all I want right now."

"And how are you going to do that?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew above Sunset Shimmer, looking the unicorn directly in the eyes.  "Are you gonna shoot her?  How will that make you happy?"

"Oh, I'm not going to shoot her," Sunset Shimmer replied with a smile.  "I'm going to make her whole world crash down."

"Well, you kind of already did that, Sunset," Twilight responded.  "You ruined my wedding and you hurt Celestia!"

"But that's not even the final act yet," Sunset said as she made a mad dash towards the stage.  There was the crown once again, the crown with the Element of Magic, something that could make Sunset Shimmer nearly unstoppable.

"Sunset, you don't know what you're doing," Flash Sentry yelled out.

Sunset stood up beside the side table on the stage, the crown just a few inches away.  "I think I know exactly what I'm doing."

"We'll just beat you with the magic of friendship like I did in the human world!" Twilight rebutted.  "I don't need even need the crown to stop you!"

"Is that so?" Sunset said as she grabbed the crown with her cyan-coloured magic and placed it on her head.  Almost instantly, her transformation began.  Her magic turned dark and she was raised into the air with a bright blue light dancing around her.  Twilight and the rest of the ponies watched as Sunset Shimmer turned into the demented creature form of herself; a disgusting exterior to match what was truly in her heart.  Her fur turned red, her mane styled up, fangs instantly grew, and new wings spread out from her sides.

With a maniacal laugh, Sunset Shimmer had the attention of the entire crowd.  Screams of terror could be heard around the town as the ponies inside awaited what the crazed mare was going to do.

"No matter what you do, Sunset, you won't win!" Twilight still shouted out.  "With my friends at my side, we'll always be able to defeat you!"

"That's why I'm going to do this," Sunset shouted as she her eyeballs turned to swirls and multiple beams  went out from her horn, instantly controlling the minds of Twilight's five friends.  "After her!"

Twilight turned to behind her to see the five mares she loved staring back at her with all-blue eyes.  With moans and groans like a horde of zombies, they stumbled towards the purple alicorn.

Shining Armour and Flash Sentry took a quick glance at each other and nodded their heads.  They had prepared for everything at this wedding, including a crazed moment like this.  Shining Armour quickly shot out a beam from his horn, hitting Sunset in the back, distracting her while Flash Sentry took off to save Twilight.

With Sunset Shimmer's attention and anger now on Shining, who danced around, trying to distract the demon, Flash hustled over and slid forward, placing his bride on his back before her zombified friends could catch her.  At that time, many ponies in the audience started to flee the hall, hoping to find safety for themselves.

"I wonder, Twily, did you expect something like this to happen today?" Flash asked while looking up at the mare riding on his back.

Twilight, panting and nervous, replied, "Strangely enough, I did."

"Well, let's get ready to fight," Flash said as he put his war face on and spread his wings.  "Quick, while she's distracted, I'll fly up and you shoot her with something from your horn."

"It's a deal," Twilight said.

Flash flapped furiously, taking flight with Twilight on his back while Sunset was still focused on catching Shining, who had so far done an amazing job at distracting her.  But soon enough, Sunset Shimmer shot a light blue beam from her horn, knocking the unicorn into his wife, who was standing further away for safety.

Twilight readied herself to shoot a beam at Sunset.  Instantly, though, the creature turned back and shot without even looking; a perfectly placed beam that hit Flash right out from underneath Twilight, causing the groom to fly back against one of the walls while the bride fell down on the floor.

Sunset looked around and watched the zombies she created all doing random things.  Rainbow Dash was chewing on Fluttershy's mane while Applejack was painting the wall with her own feces, Rarity was drooling, and Pinkie Pie was chewing on a pillar.  After all, their brains weren't functioning properly.

"You morons!" Sunset groaned.  She turned her attention to Twilight on the ground.  The princess raised her head to look back at the creature looming over her.

"Wh-what are you going to do to me?" Twilight asked.

"Make you suffer," Sunset replied as she made a dash right past Twilight and over to Flash Sentry, who was just picking himself up from the previous hit.

Twilight could only watch as she was too much pain to pick herself up yet.  She watched as Sunset flew over and used her magic to pick up Flash Sentry.  The groom hung in midair with a blue and black cloud of magic around him.

"Sunset!  P-put him down!" Twilight said as she tried to pick herself up, her hooves quaking.

Sunset flew over to a large floor-to-ceiling window with Flash Sentry still dangling upside down.

"Face it, Twilight.  You lost this time.  Without your friends, you have no way of stopping me!" she said.  In an instant, she turned around, smashed through the glass, and was gone.

Twilight struggled to get over to the open window and watched as Sunset flew away with her groom dangling in the air.  It was very faint as he was now far away, but Twilight heard Flash shout her name in fear.  Twilight called out his name in return, but he was now too far to hear her reply.

The alicorn turned and looked back into the room.  All at once everything changed.  Just a few minutes ago, she was standing in front of Princess Celestia with the stallion she loved.  Now, Celestia was still out cold on the ground with Shining Armour and Princess Cadence standing over her, trying to see if there were any vital signs left.  Twilight glanced over to her mindless friends, who were now of no help to her.  Even more so, she knew she had to save them as well.

Twilight let a single teardrop fall from her right eye.  Her whole world came crashing down in an instant, all because of a jealous mare.  She trotted over to check on her mentor.

"Is... is she going to be okay?" Twilight asked.

"She's going to be fine," Cadence responded after raising her ear from the sun-princess' chest.  "She's knocked out, but she'll be fine."

"Twily, we have to go after Sunset," Shining quickly said.

"Shiny, I have to do this alone.  I can't let anypony else I love get hurt," Twilight responded.

She then felt a tug on her dress.  The mare turned down to see Spike, whose eyes were red from fear.  He had concealed himself from all the danger by hiding under a chair a few rows in.

"Twilight, I... I'll come with you," Spike said.

"No, Spike.  It's not safe.  This may very well be the toughest thing I've ever had to face," the mare responded while gliding her hoof along Spike's cheek to comfort the scared young dragon.

"No.  Twilight, I need to go with you.  Your friends aren't able to help you this time.  I can't let you go alone," Spike responded.

Twilight looked over to Shining, who nodded in approval.  "Okay," Twilight responded to Spike.  "Sunset Shimmer thought that she'd win by defeating my friends, but she forgot about my most loyal friend of all."

Twilight leaned down as Spike jumped up to give her a hug.  He then climbed up on her back.  The mare's wedding dress was torn up, her friends were now brainless, her mentor unable to wake up, and her groom gone, but she couldn't sit there and cry.  There was no time for that.  Now was the time for justice; to be the hero she had always been.

"Be careful, Twilight," Cadence said with worry.

"I will."

Shining Armour took a step closer to his sister.  "Please come back safe," he said with brotherly concern.  "In the meantime, we'll try to revive Celestia and fix your friends."

"Thank you," she replied.  Twilight trotted over to the open window with Spike on her back.  "Well, this is it," she said to the dragon.  "There's no turning back."

"It's time to be heroes again!" Spike shouted with optimism.

Twilight's wings shot out, not knowing what awaited her.


--------------------------------------


Shining Armour looked out the wedding reception crowd.  All of the ponies were staring intently at him, deeply into the true story of what happened only a short time ago.  Many of the ponies were there when Sunset Shimmer broke in, but most of them had fled without knowing how bad it truly got.

Shining continued talking with the crowd's attention on him.  "With Princess Celestia down for the count, Princess Luna nowhere to be found, and her friends out to lunch, Twilight gave me a look just before she took off into the unknown.  It was a look of fear and love.  It was a look that said, 'I know I have to do this, but I don't know if I'll ever return.'  The 'I love you's' we said to each other 
at that moment were far more meaningful than anything we'd ever said to each other before, and that even includes when I left to join the Canterlot Royal Guard.  Twilight didn't know what awaited her, but she loved Flash enough to put all her fears aside and go save him.  And that is something that I'll always love and respect Twily for."

Flash Sentry, who still had most of that fateful day in his mind, kissed his bride on the cheek at that moment.  He watched as Shining Armour cleared his throat and continued his retelling of the events.


--------------------------------------


The land of Equestria was always a beautiful place.  Often a pegasus never had enough time to fully take it all in.  The fresh air in the sky, the sights of the mountains, plains, and forests, and the light breeze in one's mane- there was nothing quite like it.  However, a this point of time, with Twilight Sparkle flying with Spike on her back, going off to save Flash Sentry, there was no time to take in the glory of the open air.

Twilight Sparkle still wasn't fully used to the joy of flying yet.  Flash Sentry and Rainbow Dash helped Twilight to learn how to fly better, but it would still take a long time to master it.

The alicorn furiously flapped her wings, her focus solely on Sunset Shimmer, who was just a speck in the distance at this point.  The creature form of the yellow unicorn was a much faster flyer than Twilight was, and she also had quite the head start.  But the princess was never one to give up.  Even though she was knocked down, her friends turned to mindless nincompoops, her almost-husband stolen, and her mentor down for the count, Twilight Sparkle did not give up.  She still had a lot of fight in her.  And the will to save her love was what kept her going.

She had but one helper with her.  Spike, the young dragon who had been at the mare's side all his life, was now her only friend capable of helping her take down the villain they were chasing.  Twilight didn't have a plan as she flew in pursuit of Sunset.  She didn't know what kind of challenge awaited her, but she couldn't just let Flash Sentry be taken away from her.  Even though she didn't have her friends or the Elements of Harmony to help her defeat this villain, the mare knew that there just had to be some way of stopping her.

Even though the princess was tired, she still kept up a fast enough pace to have Sunset Shimmer in her sights.  Though the crazed mare was kilometres away, Twilight still had hope as long as she could see the direction that Sunset was flying in.  And at this point in time, Sunset appeared to be flying in the direction of Rainbow Falls, the location of the Equestria Games' aerial event qualifications.

After an hour straight of flying with a small dragon on her back, with the stress of the event and the few knocks she took in the battle inside the Canterlot Hall, fatigue was starting to settle in.  For a few moments, Twilight's vision went blurry and she started to slow down.  The only thing that kept her going was Spike reminding her the task at hoof.  He would yell in her ear over the wind, pleading for her to keep going.

Eventually, though, the fatigue and the pain the mare was suffering from became too much.  In fear of crashing, the mare slowed down and aimed to land softly on the ground.  She flapped slowly to counteract the fast drop of gravity, lightly lowering herself to the ground, inside an area of many trees.

"Twilight, is everything okay?" Spike asked as soon as the mare touched the ground.

Twilight took a few seconds to catch her breath.  "Yeah, I'm fine," Twilight replied.  She looked around the area she landed in.  The sky was partly blocked by the tall trees that surrounded them.  The dirt on the ground was dry, and the sound of a light creek flowing was the only thing that could be heard, other than the chirps of the birds that lived in the area.

"I hear water coming from behind us," Spike said.  Twilight was almost motionless.  She sat there on her haunches, looking at the ground.  The only movement that she made was her chest puffing out from the breaths she took.  "Twilight..." Spike muttered as he took a few slow steps forward.

Twilight did not respond, though.  It was hard for the young dragon to tell what was wrong with her.  He cared for her deeply, and seeing her quiet like this was something that he wasn't used to.

"Twilight?" he asked again, this time standing right beside her.  "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Spike," she said back lifelessly.

"Come, we need to get some water," he replied.  Spike grabbed her hoof, and Twilight followed him without a word.

The dragon led the pony for a few minutes in the dense, slightly hilly forest, until they eventually found the creek that was making the noise that echoed throughout the trees.  Spike looked down at the flowing river, which was no wider than two metres.

"Twilight, you have to drink something," Spike told her.

But Twilight didn't respond.  Instead, the mare took a few steps forward and looked directly down at the water.  She could see her rippled reflection in the slow flowing water, and she didn't like the face that looked back at her.

After a few more nearly motionless minutes, Twilight finally opened her mouth.  "Spike, look at me," she said quietly.

"What's wrong, Twilight?"

"This was supposed to be my wedding day; a day where I could be with all my friends and the love of my life and just enjoy myself.  I looked beautiful this morning.  Now look at me."  Twilight could see her mangled mane in her reflection, to go along with her ripped up dress, tired eyes, and sore body.  "What did I do to deserve this?"

"Why are you asking me?" Spike asked.  "You're the one who usually has all the answers."

"Spike, I have no answers.  I only have questions.  Like, why did this all have to happen?  Why today?  Why did this happen to me on my special day?"

Spike stepped closer and closer, eventually leaning his head on the mare's side.  "I don't know all the answers, but I do know one thing, Twilight.  You didn't deserve this at all.  Sometimes we don't even do anything wrong and we still get bad results."  Spike could see Twilight slightly nod her head as a teardrop gently fell from her face and into the river.  "All this happened because of jealousy.  You didn't do anything wrong, and you deserved to become a princess and to marry Flash Sentry.  You did nothing wrong.  All of this happened because Sunset couldn't admit that you were better than her."

Twilight turned her face to the dragon and actually let out a small smile.  She lightly gave her loyal friend a pat on the head with her hoof.

"Thank you, Spike.  I know I can always count on you to cheer me up."

"So, what're we going to do now?" Spike asked happily, trying to pick up the spirits of the mare.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to go be heroes again!" Twilight replied.

"That's the spirit!"

"Even though we're probably going to lose," Twilight continued.

"That's not the spirit!"

"And then Sunset will probably either force Flash to marry her or kill him, and she'll take over all of Equestria while our bodies lay in coffins in the ground and-"

Spike interrupted her by lightly slapping the mare on the cheek. Twilight glared back, but then let out a chuckle.

"Twilight, you haven't been a spaz for a while now.  You've been confident with yourself.  Don't become what you were!"

"Since when did you become a motivational speaker?" Twilight asked with a bit of sarcasm.

"Hey, I've been by your side for years.  Part of the job of being an assistant is to say the right words when needed!"

"All right, fine," Twilight responded.  "We'll go.  We'll defeat Sunset Shimmer and get back my crown and Flash."

"Yes.  That's it, Twilight."

The mare leaned down to the water and took a quick drink from the pond.  Spike followed suit.  With high hopes and her tiredness gone, the mare was ready to head back into her journey.  She bent down to allow Spike on her back, and spread her wings to fly once again.

Meanwhile.

Flash Sentry went through an entire series of emotions from the moment he was kidnapped.

He went with denial.  As he dangled in the air with Sunset Shimmer carrying him off into the unknown, he muttered to himself, "There is no way this is happening.  I'm still dreaming."  The sad truth was that, however, he was not.

Then came anger.  "Sunset, if you don't let me go, so help me Celestia I will do something we both will regret!" he remembered yelling out to his captor.  When Sunset asked what that was, Flash just kept quiet.  He really had nothing to retaliate with against a crazy ex-marefriend.

Thirdly came bargaining.  "Sunset, my dear," he said, "if you let me go back and get married to Twilight, I'll invite you to the wedding!"  That, of course, did not do the trick.

Therefore, next came depression.  Flash sobbed like a little baby as he watched the ground pass beneath him.  "Sunset is going to kill me, Twilight will die of a broken heart, the kingdom will be in ruins, and it's all my fault."

Finally, though, Flash accepted his fate.  "Well, we all have to go at some point!" he said, settling his emotions.  

However, this all happened in the first five minutes of being picked up.  He went through the same cycle of five emotions over fifteen times while in the air.

Eventually, though, the swaying, the sound of Sunset's large wings, and wind against his face made Flash Sentry fall asleep.  A single drop of drool fell from his mouth and propelled towards the ground, landing on a small rabbit, instantly drenching it with the force of the falling saliva from above.  The poor rabbit never stood a chance.

When the stallion finally opened his eyes, he was tied up in ropes in a dark cave, with the demonic Sunset Shimmer staring directly at him with a huge grin.

"Oh, great, I died and went to pony hell," he moaned out.  "I always knew I was bound to go there."

"What?" Shimmer replied with a cock of her head.  "No!  You've only been asleep for five minutes!  You're now my prisoner in one of the caves of Equestria!"

Flash looked at Sunset for a minute.  "Yeah... I think I'd rather be dead right now."

Sunset Shimmer rolled her jet-black and turquoise eyes and backed off for a minute.  When the mare turned her back, Flash Sentry wiggled and moved desperately, trying to break free from his rope bonds.  But Sunset would turn her head occasionally to keep an eye on him, and Flash would smile guiltily in return.

"Do you know why you're here?" Sunset asked Flash as she slowly trotted forward towards him.

"Because you're a psycho?"

Sunset let out a fierce roar in Flash's face.  He coughed at the smell of her putrid breath.

"No!" she barked.  "You're here because this is how it was supposed to be."

"I was supposed to be tied up, with you looking like... that?  What kind of weird things are you into?"

"I was supposed to be the next princess of Equestria, being both a descendant of Celestia's, and her most cherished student.  I was supposed to be together with you forever.  But it didn't end up that way, did it?"

"And whose fault was that?" Flash asked boldly.

"Obviously, it was Celestia's!"

"Right," Flash replied sarcastically.

"She always said that I wasn't ready to become a princess.  She always said that I needed patience and to develop some better qualities.  And then, when I finally was ready-"

"When you thought you were ready," Flash interrupted.

"When I was ready," Sunset continued, "she still didn't give me the crown.  And that's when everything happened."

"Yes, that's when you went mad and left me and went into the human world," Flash answered.

"...Yes.  This all happened because Celestia didn't give me what was rightfully mine!  Don't you understand?  She gave it all to Twilight, who was just some random unicorn!  Don't you see how unfair that is?"

Flash could hear a slight change in the mare's voice.  She went from being hostile and angry to a little more tame and reflective.

"Well," the stallion replied, "Celestia probably would have given you everything.  But probably in her own time."

"You're probably right, Flash, but I ruined my chance when I freaked on her."

"What happened, Sunset?" Flash asked in a more concerned tone of voice.  "If, of course, I may ask.  You never actually told me."

Sunset, still in her possessed form, trotted over and sat beside Flash Sentry.

"My mother was Princess Celestia's rebellious daughter.  But I never wanted to become like her.  Instead, Celestia wanted me to be the daughter she never had.  So I left my mother and became Celestia's new protégé.  Throughout my studies, she told me time and time again about the things I needed to work on.  She said I was too prideful, and thought that I needed time to get a smaller head before I could accept new responsibilities.  Well, I worked on it for years.  Then, when I finally felt I was ready, I approached her respectfully and told her I was ready to accept my fate and become a princess.  She told me one final time, though, 'I still don't think you're ready for it.  You need to prove to me that you're humble enough to become a princess.'"

"Wow.  I still can't believe you never told me that."

"I, just, I loved you too much to tell you all this.  I didn't want you to think that you were too 'normal' for me."

Flash Sentry paused for a second.  He started to see a slight connection between his old marefriend and Twilight Sparkle, and he could now see what Celestia saw in both of them.  Sunset Shimmer was never really a horrible pony.  She only wanted too much for herself.  And both her and Twilight found comfort in him.  Even though he really did feel like a lowly pegasus stallion.

"Sunset, then, what happened?  You could have just waited a little while longer, and everything would have been different!"

"Flash, I was young, and I wanted to be a princess so badly.  I responded harshly.  I'm not proud of it.  But, it is what it is.  When she told me that one last thing, I looked down and closed my eyes.  Anger consumed me.  I screamed at her that I worked so hard and that I finally deserved it.  She then looked at me and told me that I am still definitely not ready.  I was angry, but the final straw came with what she said next.  'You're just like your mother.'  That pained me to no end.  That's when I shot her with a beam of my magic, and left in anger.  Yes, I regretted it, but I still wanted to get what I deserved."

"I, just, I never saw that anger in you, Sunset," Flash responded.  "Only at the end."

"Flash, you were the one thing that kept me calm.  You were always caring and knew what to say at the right time.  Only, at the very end, nothing could stop me from trying to get what I want.  Soon after I freaked on my mentor, she chose Twilight as her new protégé.  That's when I made my plan to disappear, only returning after Twilight became a princess herself."

"So that's when you left for the human world."

"Exactly."

Flash looked up as he could see Sunset's demeanor now completely changed from just a few minutes ago.  She even had a teardrop fall from her dark eyes; the result of her regretting what she had done.

"Sunset?"

After a slight sniffle, she responded, "Yes, Flash?"

"I don't think you're a bad pony.  I know you're sorry for what you did, and for that, I say that you're forgiven."

Sunset's eyes softened.  She put one of her large hooves on his head.  "Thank you, Flash.  Here, let me untie you," she said as she leaned in closely.

Meanwhile, Once Again.

"Spike, it's hopeless," Twilight said as she landed for a rest on the side of a cliff.  She had gone in the general direction of Sunset Shimmer, but the hostage-taker could be anywhere by now.

"Come on, Twilight!" Spike responded.  "You can't give up!"

"Just forget it, Spike.  She probably killed him by now.  We'll never find-"

"Found him!" Spike interrupted, pointing his claw into the cave directly behind them.

Twilight trotted in, her eyes adjusting to the light.  She looked closely as she could see Sunset Shimmer, a smile on her face, leaning into the tied-up Flash Sentry.

Twilight instantly glared and leaped forward.  "Don't lay a hoof on him!" she yelled as she powered up.

"No!  Wait!" Sunset defended as a lavender beam was shot from Twilight's horn.

"Stop, Twily!" Flash also yelled out as the beam was in the air.

Almost in slow-motion, Flash watched with shock, and Twilight with awe, as she delivered a powerful strike right to Sunset's chest, knocking her back and into the dark side of the cave.

Twilight quickly ran over to be at Flash's side.  She quickly wrapped her hooves around Flash and kissed him all over the face.

"Twilight."

"Oh, Flash, I was beginning to think that I'd never see you again," she said as she continued to kiss him all over.

"Twilight."

"I thought you were dead."

"Twilight!"

"What?"

"Sunset was just about to untie me.  She's sorry for what she's done."

"Oh..." Twilight said as she settled down.  She turned her head to the darkness, and Sunset Shimmer slowly trotted out.  With a loud roar and anger in her eyes, she slowly returned to the light.  With one look at the Sunset's face, Twilight's ears instantly went down, and her heart sank.  Spike quickly ran and hid behind a stalagmite while Twilight awaited her doom.

"First, you take my crown."

Twilight gulped.

"Then, you take my coltfriend."

Twilight's heart began to pound.

"Now, you hurt me as I apologize."

"Um, I can explain," Twilight said as she raised her hoof.

"Now, you're going to finally pay for all that you've done," Sunset said with a surprisingly calm tone though her anger.  But that quickly changed as she powered up her horn.

Twilight quickly looked over to Flash, who was still tied up, then to Spike, who was still hiding.  She gave a quick, sad smile to the two of them.  "It's going to be all right," she said quietly as she closed her eyes, listening for the sound of the shot to come.

It was all bound to happen.  Her fiancé was tied up, her friends weren't by her side anymore, her crown on the head of the mare in front of her, and all hope gone.  She awaited for sound of the shot.

The shot that never came.

The only noise she could hear was the sound of wings flapping and hooves stomping.  She quickly opened her eyes to see that Sunset had stopped her powering up, and Twilight was now protected by five other ponies- her best friends, all with their Elements of Harmony necklaces around their necks.

"You have to get through us if you want to get to this princess!" Rainbow Dash yelled out as she flapped directly above Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle instantly grinned from ear to ear as she was now fully protected.

"What she said!" Pinkie defended as well, readying her party canon.

"How did you mares get here?" Twilight asked eagerly.  "How did you find us?  And how are you not all crazy?"

"We're all a little crazy, Twilight!" Pinkie said cheerfully as she hugged her princess friend.

As her other friends stood in between Twilight and Sunset, Rarity stepped over to answer.  "Darling, Shining and Cadence were able to awake Celestia when they went to get Luna, and the two princesses knew a spell to bring our minds back to normal."

"That's incredible!" Twilight shouted in happiness.  "But how did you find us?"

"That's not important, Twilight," Rarity said.  "What's important is that we are here for you, and we are all in full mental capacities.  Please, darling, let us never speak of that again."

"I won't.  Nopony will ever know what happened to you."

"You promise?  Don't even let Shining Armour tell people when you redo your wedding!  It's rather embarrassing!"

"I Pinkie promise.  Not even then will anypony know," Twilight responded while giving her unicorn friend a truthful hug, promising to keep the account of her friends becoming brainless a secret.  A secret that would surely never be broken.

So, the six friends were finally reunited, and they stood up against the ever-angry Sunset Shimmer.

"I'm still tied up here, you know," Flash Sentry muttered from the corner.  Nopony listened to him.  Not even Spike, who found a bunch of gems in the corner and was now gorging on them because he was nervous.  Flash just rolled his eyes and awaited to be freed.  For once, he was the damn-stallion-in-distress, or, whatever the male equivalent of damsel-in-distress is.  I don't know what it is, for I am only the narrator, who is narrating the story that Shining Armour is telling at a wedding reception.  I am not an English teacher.  But if I was, I'd probably be a lot better off than I am now.

Anyway, back to the story.  The six mares stood up against the demon.  They were ready against whatever came their way.  They'd faced off against Discord, crazed animals, poison plants, tentacles, King Sombra, an army full of transformer-ponies who were made of rotten Swiss cheese, and won every time; they could surely take on Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer glared back down at them.  "Oh, goodie, your friends are here to bail you out again," she said to Twilight.

"They're not here to bail me out, Sunset Shimmer," Twilight defended.  "I would have taken you on my own to save my one true love!  My friends are here because they are loyal to me and we said that we would stick up for each other always!  That's something that you will never experience!"

"I don't care for friendship," Sunset yelled back.  "Nobody in the other world wanted to be my friend; nopony in this world wants to be my friend now.  I'm better off alone as the rightful ruler of this kingdom!"

"No you're not, Sunset," Twilight rebutted.  "If you just stop all this madness, you still can have a second chance here!"

"I don't want a second chance!  I want my kingdom!" Sunset yelled out, her voice deepening, her anger rising.  "And the only thing stopping me from getting it... IS YOU!"

Sunset's horn lit up as she sent multiple beams toward Twilight.  The princess was able to dodge every shot, but the crazed villain only shot more at the younger mare.

Rainbow Dash quickly grabbed Fluttershy by the hoof.  "Come on!"

"Oh goodness," the yellow Pegasus frightfully responded as Rainbow pulled her towards Sunset, who was flying in the cave, aiming her horn towards Twilight.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy dodged the Twilight-bound beams of magic and started to fly around the fiery creature's head.

"Hey, Sunset, you never really seemed like a smart mare to me," Rainbow said as she caught Sunset's attention, which gave Twilight enough time to catch her breath, while Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity went behind Sunset Shimmer.  Flash Sentry still sat tied up, while Spike was now asleep from stress-eating gemstones.

Rainbow Dash blew a raspberry at Sunset while Fluttershy nervously flew in circles to try and distract the villain a littler more.

With a swing of her hoof, Sunset Shimmer knocked Fluttershy away.  She then took a deep breath, releasing her deadly breath.  It wasn't the smell that was deadly, though.  It was a factor, but the real deadly part about it was that her breath was made of fire!

Rainbow yelled as she was scorched by the garlic-smelling fire.

"I... didn't know she could do that," the now charred pegasus muttered before she fell to the ground.  Twilight watched with sadness as her two Pegasus friends were defeated easily.

"I'm still here, you know," Flash said to nopony in particular.

Sunset then turned her attention behind her.  Down on the ground were Twilight's three other friends.  Pinkie readied her party canon, which she somehow brought up the mountain and to the cave.  Rarity and Applejack boldly put up their hooves, indicating that they were ready to fight.

"That's cute," Sunset said as she flew closer and slung her tail, whipping the three smaller ponies towards the cave wall.

"Uh, Twilight, I think you need some help now," Flash Sentry said.

Twilight looked over at her coltfriend.  "Flashy, I'm so sorry," she said.  "I thought Spike would have untied you by now!"  She looked over at her dragon assistant, who was fast asleep with a full stomach.  "Nevermind."  She trotted over to her stallion in the hopes of untying him.  He was her last line of defense now that her five other friends were defeated, and as the new captain of the Royal Guard, he needed to complete his duties.

Twilight gently stroked Flash's cheek with her hoof as her horn lit up in order to untie him.

"Um, Twilight?" Flash said as he could see that Sunset was powering up for a hit.

"What?" the mare asked as she looked at him with eager eyes.

"Watch out!" he screamed while reaching his now freed right hoof.  That was all that Twilight could untie, though.

The princess turned around just in time to get hit with another beam of magic, sending her sliding on her back.  The only thing that could be heard was her scream.  Her friends were all down and injured in various parts of the cave, and Flash was now desperately trying to free himself to be at his mare's aid.

Trembling, sore, and afraid, Twilight lifted her head to see Sunset flapping her large wings as she came towards her.

"Do you know what's going to happen now, Twilight?" she asked condescendingly.

"N-no," Twilight responded without much energy.

In a matter-of-fact way, Sunset responded, "Before you came here to fight me, I was just about to let Flash free and go back to make things better.  But now look what you've done.  Now I'm going to kill you and make things right again.  I'm going to bring things back to the way they were."

"T-things will never be the way they were, Sunset," Twilight responded as she tried to pick herself up.  "You had your chance, and you blew it.  N-now all you should hope for is redemption."

Sunset Shimmer began to laugh maniacally.  "I won't need redemption.  After all, the kingdom will soon be mine."  Sunset Shimmer powered up her horn for a final fatal blow.  Flash Sentry now desperately started wiggling his way out.  He was able to get both of his front hooves free.  Twilight looked at Sunset's horn, which was surely going to blast a fatal blow.  She then looked around the room to her friends, who were all struggling to get themselves up.

This was it.  This was the end.  There was no escaping it.  Twilight was lying on the cold, hard ground, injured, upset, and defeated.  There was nothing else to say.  Her fate awaited her.  Sunset moved her head down, aiming her horn right in the princess' direction.

With a heavy heart, Twilight looked at Flash Sentry, who was nearly free.  She smiled to him for the final time as she closed her eyes.

Bang! Snap!

Two separate sounds were heard simultaneously as Twilight awaited her final blow.  She could hear the sound of her coltfriend screaming, "No!" as he would watch his mare get killed before his very eyes.

Twilight felt a breeze blow her mane back as she held her eyes closed.  A loud bang was heard and was echoed throughout the cave.  A cloud of dust filled the area.

"T-Twilight," Fluttershy muttered.  

The rest of the mares, all sore and injured themselves,  slowly and shakily made their way over to where the mare last was before the fatal blow was shot.

The dust slowly cleared the room as Sunset Shimmer stood triumphantly on the ground.

Twilight's friends looked on with sadness as they awaited the revealing of the damage to their princess.

The dust finally fully cleared, and the scene was set.  The five Ponyvillians looked at their princess and best friend, who was still huddled in the same position, with her eyes closed.  She slowly opened her eyes, looking around at what happened.  She didn't die.  In fact, she wasn't even hit.

Her friends quickly ran by her side as Sunset Shimmer threw her front hooves in the air, turned around, and started muttering swear words to herself.

"T-Twilight, you're okay!" Rainbow Dash said as all five of them gave the mare a group hug.  Grunts and groans were heard in the hug as the six of them were all injured in different ways.

"Girls, how am I still alive?" Twilight asked.  "Why wasn't I hit?"  Through the hug, Twilight looked over to where Flash Sentry was tied up.  The only thing that was there was the rope used to hold him.  It was now in a pile, and Flash Sentry was nowhere to be seen.  "Oh no," Twilight said quietly as she broke off the hug.

She panned around the cave, but he was nowhere to be seen.  But upon looking on the ground, she noticed a line of dirt that was about the width of her stallion.  She followed the line, which went right to the area near the entrance of the cave.  At the end of the line was Flash Sentry on the ground.

Twilight quickly ran over to her coltfriend's side.  He was lying down on his side, facing the outdoors.

"Flash?  Flash?  Speak to me, please!" Twilight begged as she saw his eyes were closed and his mouth was wide open.  Through his already tattered suit was a large hole, revealing a severe hit to his chest, where Sunset's beam had struck him.  "Come on, Flash, speak to me."

Twilight's friends all awaited close by, hoping for a sign of life to be found in him.  Even Sunset Shimmer, after she was done venting her frustration that she still could not defeat Twilight, came over to see what had happened.

Twilight looked out through the opening of the cave and at the beautiful setting sun, a calm difference compared to her racing heart.

"Flash, please, say something," Twilight said as her eyes began to water up.  "Flash, please," she said as a single teardrop fell down her cheek.  "I need you..."

All of the other mares, even the demonic creature who towered above the rest, started to get emotional.

"Flash, don't leave me," Twilight said as she gently stroked his cheek with her hoof.  "Flash, today... today was supposed to be our special day.  I can't live on in this world without you.  I need you."

She put her ear against Flash's chest.  "It's beating," she said.  "But very slowly."

The only sign of life from Flash Sentry was a cough.  But it was enough.  Twilight quickly breathed in.  A little bit of hope was there.

"Flash!  Flash, Flash, Flash!  Say something!  Please!" she pleaded, her voice cracking with anguish.  

After a few more light coughs, Flash opened his eyes.  "T-Twilight?"

"Flash!  You're alive!"

"Barely, my love."

"I can't believe you took the hit for me," she said, her heart now racing with hope.

"W-what else was I supposed to do?  I'm... I'm the captain of the Royal Guard....  It's my duty to protect you."

"I know it is, but I'd rather you live than die for my sake!"

"And I'd... rather you live than die coming to save me.  You... you have so much more to live than I-I do."

"Don't... don't say that, Flash," Twilight responded, her heart slowing down, and her eyes watering up again.

Flash could feel a deep pain in his chest.  He knew his time was short.  "Twilight?"

Twilight sniffled.  "Yes, Flash?"

"You're going to live a long, satisfying life.  Please... p-promise me something."

Twilight vehemently denied in her heart what was going on, but in her head she knew the reality .  There was only one way to respond.  "Anything, my love."

Flash took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily.  When he opened his eyes, they were filled with water.  "Please, be happy.  Live your life happily... for me.  I won't be there by your side, but... but if you live the rest of your life depressed, I-I would have died for nothing.  Stick with your friends.  They'll treat you right."

Twilight finally came to grips in her heart the reality of what was at hand.  Tears freely streamed down her cheeks now.  "I-I will, Flashy.  I promise," she said as she lightly stroked the top of his mane.

"Thank you.  I'm sorry.  I'm sorry I won't be there for you from... from now on."

"You were there for me when I needed you most," Twilight said as she lightly laid her face on Flash's face.  They both looked out towards the sunset together.  "And for that, I will always be grateful to you.  Thank you."  

They quietly watched the beautiful red, yellow, and orange hues in the skyline.  The colours calming them down were the same colours as the mare who caused all this sorrow, Sunset Shimmer.  But at this point, even Sunset was crying, along with all the other mares.

"Hey, Flash?"

"Yes, Twilight?" Flash said as his heartbeat started to slow down.

"Let's say out vows... like we were never able to today."

Flash sniffled as a few tears fell from his eyes and to the ground of the cave.  "All right, Twily.  I... Flash Sentry, take you, Twilight... Sparkle, to be my... lawfully... wedded... wife."

Twilight teared up as she began to breathe heavily.  She listened as Flash Sentry's breaths became shallow and rare, and her heart became empty.  "I... T-Twilight Sparkle, take you, Flash Sentry... to be my..." She listened intently as Flash Sentry took his final breath.  "Lawfully wedded."  She listened quietly.  Flash Sentry was now gone.  "Husband..."

The princess watched as a single teardrop fell from her left eye and onto the cave floor.  She then looked on into the same sunset she watched with Flash, but life felt different now.  Her heart was nearly broken.  The love of her life was now gone.  She lifted her head slowly, looking over to her friends, who were all in tears.  Even the creature who caused all this was crying.

But Twilight's emotions were not done changing yet.  The sadness she felt inside her was not the only emotion she had.  On this day she went from happiness and glee, to bitter sadness and emptiness, and now a new emotion started to surface from the moment Flash Sentry died.  It was anger.  She closed her eyes as her heart began to pound.  When she opened her eyes, they were angry, filled with emotion.  They were filled with hatred.  

"Sunset Shimmer," she said with a glare.

"T-Twilight... this... this pains me as much as it does you.  I-I loved him too," she replied.  

Twilight took a step forward.  And then another one.  And another one.  "This is your fault."

"It's not!  I never meant to kill Flash!  That was meant for... you."

"Sunset, you're going to pay," Twilight said in a calm but angry tone.  Her heart raced.  Twilight closed her eyes.

In an instant, Twilight opened her eyes and flew into the air.  As her anger consumed her, her eyes turned green, her pupils turned red, and blue lines of mist came from her eyes.  Her horn's magic turned purple, just as it did when she performed a dark spell in the Crystal Empire when deciphering the mysteries of King Sombra's chamber.  Her five friends stepped aside nervously, giving the alicorn a clear shot of Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer's ears instantly went down.

The normally calm, caring Twilight Sparkle was now hovering in front of the villain who just killed her fiancé.  Twilight's whole world was just taken away, and now she was ready to carry out justice.

"Sunset Shimmer!"

Sunset, who was now hunched over, nervous, responded, "Yes, Princess Sparkle?" in all sincerity.

"You killed my one true love in your blind rage caused by jealousy.  Instead of being happy with what you had, you craved more.  You not only ruined the rest of my life, but you're about to have yours ended."

"What... what are you going to do?" she asked in fear.

Twilight looked down at the now trembling creature form of Sunset Shimmer, who was now reduced to a frightened ball of fur.  "Something I should have done the first time."

Twilight shot a beam of powerful dark magic from her horn directly at Sunset Shimmer.  Flash Sentry's murderer was sent back by the force of the beam.  With a scream, she flew back as a purple cloud surrounded her.  The crown wielding Twilight's element flew off her head and landed on the ground.  Sunset's screams could be heard as Twilight's spell engulfed her.

Most of the mares watched with pity, while Pinkie Pie watched with excitement, as whatever was happening to Sunset Shimmer was happening before their very eyes.

After a few seconds passed, the purple clouds around Sunset Shimmer cleared.  The mares watched as Twilight landed back on the ground, and her normal look returned.  The five mares trotted up closer to see what happened to Sunset as Twilight went over to retrieve her crown.

They looked on as Sunset Shimmer was now on the ground, covering her head with her hooves.  She was back to her normal form, though her fur and mane were tattered, and she was sore with many injuries.  Twilight trotted over and joined her friends.

"Sunset, you caused so much pain no matter where you went," Twilight said.  She spread her wings and took to flight behind her element-wielding friends.  "I turned you back to your normal form, so that when the ponies come to retrieve your body, they will at least find you the way you were before jealousy consumed you- a scared, small, filly."

Twilight's friends all turned and looked at each other with wide eyes, shocked.

"Whoa," Rainbow Dash whispered to Pinkie Pie.  "Twilight's a badass when she's angry!"

"I knowwwwww," Pinkie 'whispered' back.

Sunset Shimmer was now almost weeping uncontrollably.  "I'm... I'm sorry," she said as she raised her head from under her hooves, tears coming from her eyes.

"That's what you said last time," Twilight responded.

"I... I really mean it this time.  I never meant for things to go this far," she replied.  "You... you gave me a second chance in the other world, but nobody else did.  I still never meant to cause all this.  I loved Flash Sentry too."

"Sunset..." Twilight responded, her heart softening a little.  She didn't want to feel pity because of the anger she also felt, but it was also always in Twilight to forgive.  It was just who she was.

"Twilight, I'm really, really sorry.  If you let me live, I'll... I'll fix this.  I promise!"

"And just how you will fix this?" Twilight asked, not really believing her.

"Celestia is my grandmother, so she was closer to me than she ever was to anypony else.  I was her prodigy, and she taught me everything.  Even things she didn't teach you.  She even taught me how to raise somepony back up who recently died."

"Likely story," Twilight said angrily, glaring back at her.  "I don't believe you."

"No!" Sunset shouted back.  "I-I mean it!  Look, you have to believe me.  In fact, if you let me live, I'll teach you how to do it so that you can have the joy of raising him back to life and being the first pony to see him again!"

Twilight had conflicting emotions.  She genuinely wanted to believe her, as if the mare was telling the truth, she could see Flash Sentry again.  But if Sunset Shimmer was lying, it could spell disaster.  Twilight had a big decision ahead of her.

"Do you promise that you will do nothing else but teach me how to bring him back to life?" Twilight asked.

"Yes."

"Pinkie promise?" Pinkie asked.

"Pinkie promise," Sunset replied while raising one hoof in the air.

"That's not a Pinkie promise," the pink mare responded.

"Well I don't know what a Pinkie promise is!" Sunset said in her defense.  "But I promise.  I'm sorry, and I want to make this right."

Twilight looked at the ground, breathing.  Just breathing.  "I... I believe you," she responded.

"Oh, thank you!  Thank you!" Sunset responded, bouncing around with joy.  Sunset bounced her way over to Twilight, and faced her squarely.  Sunset's face was apologetic, and Twilight's face was surprisingly forgiving.  Sunset leaned her horn in, touching it with Twilight's.  The two of them closed their eyes, as the sound of a spark was heard.

Twilight shook a little bit as the knowledge was transferred from former student of Celestia to another.  After Sunset lifted her horn, Twilight shook her head.

"This... this is actually a pretty easy spell.  Why didn't Celestia ever teach me this?" Twilight asked.

"Well, what can I say?  I was a very special student of Celestia!" Sunset said proudly, but in a kind way.  She was happily proud of something, which Twilight could tolerate.

Twilight slowly and nervously trotted over to Flash Sentry, and the other six mares followed closely behind.

Twilight leaned down on her belly right in front of Flash.  At this time, the sun had already set, but there was still some light in the sky.  There was also some hope left.

She leaned her horn in close to Flash slowly, eventually touching her horn on his forehead.  She closed her eyes, remembering the spell that Sunset Shimmer had just taught her.  Her horn lit up, and she gave off a hopeful smile.

Lights from her horn surrounded Flash Sentry's body, and some lights went into his head.  Eventually, Twilight's magic went through his body, and light came out from the wound in his chest.  After a few seconds, the light slowly diminished, and his wound was closed.  As the light eventually faded out, Twilight's hopes were raised.  She opened her eyes and perked her head up, hoping for the best.  The six other mares all leaned in, eagerly awaiting the result.

A few seconds passed and nothing happened.  Then a minute, and still nothing.  Just as Twilight was about to lower her head in sadness, though, she heard a slight noise.  It was cough, and it came from Flash Sentry.

Twilight let out a gasp as a smile came across her face from ear to ear.  Flash Sentry started to stir as he coughed a few more times.  Twilight looked at her friends, and they were all grinning in like.  

After a few seconds of stirring, Flash Sentry opened his eyes.  He could see the little bit of light still in the sky in the background.  Right in front of him, however, was Twilight's adorable smiling face.

"Am I... in heaven?" he muttered.

"Oh Flash!" Twilight said with an eager, high pitched voice.  Flash smiled in return as he lifted his head from off the ground.  Twilight leaned in front of him and threw her hooves around his neck, and he put his hooves around her back.  "I can't believe you're alive!"

"I can't believe I'm seeing that pretty face of yours again!"

Twilight giggled and then lunged forward, right into Flash's lips.  He had no choice but to respond by giving her the most passionate kiss that he had ever given her.

Spike walked over as Flash and Twilight were kissing and let out a yawn.  "Did I miss something?"

Everypony rolled their eyes.  The rest is history.


--------------------------------------


Shining Armour looked out at the crowd.  He looked to the family of the new married couple, as well as all their friends, and the rest of the guests.  There wasn't a dry eye in the audience.

"So much liquid pride..." Shining Armour said with a smile while shaking his head.  He waited for the crowd to settle down, and then continued, "So, the couple got married earlier today.  They forgave Sunset Shimmer and reunited her with Princess Celestia, who accepted her back and assigned her as Twilight's own assistant.  She would have been here today, but she is now on her very first mission from Twilight: to fix the problems that she caused."

Shining Armour was referring to the human world.  However, in order to keep that hidden from regular ponies, he was ordered to keep silent on the matter.

Shining had one final thing to say.  "In conclusion, I said earlier that I wanted Twilight to find a stallion who would protect her, comfort her, and be there for her.  Flash proved to be that stallion.  He not only did it because he's a guard and that's his job, but he did it because he loves my sister, and he would rather her live than him.  And for that, I thank him.  And I give you two my blessing.  But I just want you two to remember a few things."

Flash and Twilight looked eagerly at Shining's concluding words.

"Marriage is not always easy.  That's why you two need to have strong love for each other always.  All you need is love.  Love is all you need.  You need it because love is patient and kind, love does not get jealous, does not keep account of the injury, does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but it rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails, and it is all you need to be happy.  So, Flash Sentry, take care of my sister.  I know you will."

At this point, Shining Armour stopped talking.  He finally had a few tears in his eyes.  "Okay, I'm done," he said sadly as he went to sit back down.  The crowd applauded, and when she sat back down, Flash Sentry gave him a hug.

The reception party went on into the late hours of the night.  It was a night of rejoicing and of happiness.

After the party was finally over, Shining Armour, the other three princesses, the new couple's parents, and Twilight's five closest friends and her loyal dragon assistant stood by as the couple were about to go into their wedding chariot.

Flare, the groom's father, came up to his son, and said, "I'm proud of you."

"Hi, Proud of You, I'm Flash," he said as he gave his father a hug.

Flash's father could not have been any more proud.  "You've learned from the best," he said to his son.  "Now, go out there and rock the casbah!"  

"I will, Dad, I will," Flash said proudly.

The two of them went into their honeymoon chariot.  They waved goodbye to their family and friends as they went off on their honeymoon.  Back on the street, Pinkie Pie was crying sadly.

"Pinkie, why are you crying?" Spike asked.  "This is a happy ending."

"Because, Spike," Pinkie responded sadly, "this means that the story is over!"

And the pink mare was right.  The story was indeed over.