"I'm... I-I'm relieved?" The guard blinks at me incredulously.
"Last second orders from Shining Armor," I say. My voice echoes off the walls of the crystalline corridor. "He wants me to stand guard for the rest of the shift."
"And... uhm..." The stallion's armor rattles as he glances at the thick doors, then back at me. "What am I expected to do, Lieutenant? I figured that with the thirtieth moon arriving, Princess Twilight was soon to arr—"
"Head out to the Equestrian Games Stadium," I command, flashing my rank and insignia. "The Captain of the Guard should be there shortly to brief you on some new duty rosters."
"But... b-but that doesn't make any sense!" His brow furrows. "It's the first full moon this week! And according to the magical cycle, the portal will—"
"I'm not about to question the Captain's timing any more than you." My eyes narrow. "This is his command. Not mine."
He nods, helmet a'clattering. "Right, sir. Of course, sir."
"Make haste."
"Absolutely!" He salutes, then gallops off down the corridor.
I trot over, turn around, and stand with my flank to the door. I remain there, locked in a vigilant pose. My eyes glance past the edge of my helmet.
The guard's hooves clatter as he runs into the distance. Soon, he disappears around the corner. I'm alone in the hallway.
I look down the opposite way. I don't see anypony. I look back at the corner. The corridor is completely clear.
With a deep breath, I turn around and push the door open. Making haste, I rush into the dark chamber and close the door shut behind me.
Shuddering, I turn around and stare at the mirror. The magical portal sits on its pedestal, glowing with otherworldly radiance. I've paid heed to multiple briefings. I've read about it... heard the tales about the realm beyond. I know all about the moon's cycle and its effect on the rift between worlds. But I'm expected to be somewhere else in the Palace right now, and I don't have much time to do what I need to do and come back. I can only hope that this is worth the gamble.
I'm already shivering by the time I've stripped off my helmet and armored plates. I lay the pieces of my suit down in a neat pile at the base of the mirror. For the first time in years, I feel like a lowly private at boot camp, deathly afraid of an inspection. It's simply my way of ignoring the very real fact that I will likely lose everything for this. So, by the time I'm clasping my insignia, I hesitate slightly, staring at the gold bands.
At last, with a determined frown, I place the insignia down on the floor besides my helmet and armor. A cold shudder runs through my body. There is no going back now.
I pick up a tiny satchel that I had hidden beneath my armor when I first arrived here. Throwing it over my flank, I turn and face the mirror. The face of a sleep-deprived young pegasus stares back. For all I know, this could be the very last time that I see him. It might as well be for the better. I'm not sure I could live with doing anything else than what I'm about to do.
I've been through combat. I've fought changelings, Tirek, and the shadows of King Sombra. I can do this. I must do this.
So, with steady steps, I march forward into the mirror. It laps over me like a cold bath. I'm not sure if I can even breathe in this magical medium. Before I have a chance to test that theory, I feel myself yanked forward by something a hundred times stronger than gravity. My wings stretch out instinctively, but there is no air to latch onto. As a matter of fact, there are no feathers, for I feel my appendages melting away while the rest of my body stretches like a ribbon, spiraling into a horribly bright singularity.
"Mmmmfnnngh—Aaaugh!" I shriek, rolling over and writhing on the concrete like an infant foal. "Gaaughh! Unnghh!"
"Whoah... whoah, chillax, Flash!" A young voice rasps above me. "What's the matter with you, bro?"
My eyes fly open. The shiny floors and walls of the Crystal Palace are gone, replaced with dark asphalt and pale sidewalk panels. Instead of the emerald fields of Equestria, I see sporadic patches of grass, sectioned off by streets and buildings and lawns. I feel a shadow crossing over me in the warm sunlight, and I glance up to see two bipeds looming, their teenage faces awash with concern. They're wearing clothes and bizarre manestyles. For the life of me, I can't tell what genders they are until the taller one speaks again.
"Heh... had another all-night kegger, bro?" He winks while his companion clutches his shoulder with a worried look on her face. "Better not let your parents catch you with the booze! Would be a lot easier to get rid of if you shared it around some!"
"Uhh... r-right..." I pivot my body and instantly flop over. A pained wince flickers across my face. I look down at my hooves, only to see tan digits extending from pale palms. "Goddess..." A lump forms in my throat. I've prepared for this. I've read up on this and imagined every conceivable detail, but still—just looking at these things attached to me—it's hard to hold my lunch down. "Celestia, g-give me strength..."
"For realsies, Flash. You okay?"
"Uhm... guh..." I wriggle, shift forward, shift backwards, but still fail to get anywhere with these lumbering limbs. "I... I-I guess I'm a little bit out of sorts, uhm... uhhhh—"
"Thunderlane!" He reaches down with his strong hand and hoists me up by my wrist. "Don't tell me you forgot your favorite linebacker!"
"R-right, Thunderlane!" I wobble awkwardly, my head dizzy from gaining so much altitude. I'm hesitant to look down, for fear that my body will topple over instantly. I do so anyways, surprised to see that I'm wearing what looks to be jeans, shoes, and a jacket. There's something underneath these clothes too. Everything feels stuffy and itchy. I instantly miss my armor. "I guess I just... er... partied too hard."
"Hah!" He grins and slaps my back. "Like that's something to be ashamed of—" He instantly flinches as I topple over. "Whoah, bro! S-sorry!" He grabs my shoulders. "You don't—like—need to see a doctor or something?"
"Me? No... no no no... I'm fine." I smile. Something feels wrong. I brush these strange fingers on my face and shudder. Where did all the fuzz go? "You just... uhm... get back to your... backing of the lines! Nothing to see here!"
"Uhhh... if you say so." Thunderlane waves and trots... I mean walks off with the girl. "Come on, Blossomforth. How about a bite to eat on the way home?"
"Definitely!" She waves at me with a pleasant smile. "See ya, Flash! Good luck at the game this Saturday!" She winks. "I hear 'you-know-who' will be there! Full moon, and all!" A flighty giggle.
I raise my hand and try mimicking her gesture. What results is a whole lot of flopping. I sigh, leaning back against the base of a giant horse statue that obviously doubles as this world's side of the portal.
"'You-know-who?'" I murmur to myself. Snapping out of it, I lean back onto the middle of my hooves—... feet. I run my hands down, feeling my spine and flank. The satchel is no longer there. "Cr-crud!" I look all over the place. At last, I see a bag of some sorts on the floor with two large, padded straps. I lean over—a frightening feat in and of itself—and pick the thing up. There's a zipper, and I fumble for a full minute with my fingers before opening the bag up. Looking inside, I squint at the contents, then sigh a breath of relief. "Guess everything transferred over after all."
I feel a warm smile crossing my face. At the sound of footsteps, I glance at an enormous lawn. A tall, bricklaid structure looms before me. Several young people are shuffling in and out.
"Could... could this actually be it?" I fidget where I stand. "No... no wait." I squint. "The students are too old here. There must be grades." I gulp. "Just like in Equestria."
The sun is halfway towards the horizon. It must be well into the afternoon. I haven't much time.
It takes some fumbling, but I finally figure out the bag's purpose. I slide my arms through the straps so that the thing clings to my back. Then—one gangly step at a time—I stumble across the lawn, swinging my arms out like the wings that I'm missing. I earn several awkward looks, but it's okay. I need to grab someone's attention anyway.
"Uhm... m-miss?" I ask, shuffling up to someone with a cropped mane and a red ascot. "Ma'am? Could you help me?"
"Uh... a-anything, Fl-Flash!" She blushes slightly while hugging a book to her chest.
I stare at her, wobbling upright. "Wh-where can I find a school around here?"
She narrows her eyes. "A school?"
"Yes."
She nervously points at the building right behind us.
I shake my head, sighing. "No... not that one. A different school."
"A... different school?"
"A school for foals."
"Foals?"
"Children!" I wince. "Ch-children is what I meant."
"Ohhhhh!" She smiles. "You mean Crusaders Elementary?"
"Yes!" I grin. "The Elementary School!"
"Well, you should know that Flash!" She says. "You drive there every afternoon!" Her cheeks turn red as she brushes a lock of hair over her naked ear. "Erm... n-not that I've... b-been watching you or a-anything."
"Could you tell me where it is anyways?"
She looks at me funny.
I gulp. "It would... uh... r-really mean a lot to me."
"Oh... s-sure thing!" She turns and points down the street. "Down Faust Street for about three blocks, hang a left on McCarthy, go past the dog park, then take a right on Larson! It's right beside Lake McCracken! You can't miss it!"
I murmur the names to myself, committing them to a stalwart guard's memory. "Got it. Thank you, Miss—"
"P-Pommel. Coco Pommel." She hugs her book tighter, fighting the urge to squeal. "I-I sit across from you in Art Class."
"Thanks, Miss Pommel... er... Coco." I pivot around—pause—then glance at her. "Nice... uhm... blouse." And I speed off as quickly as I can, ignoring what sounds like a fainting sigh behind me. Gritting my teeth, I run right across the asphalt—
Honk! Honk! Screeeeeeeeeech! Two hulking wagons of metal lurch to a stop. "Hey! Watch where you're going, ya dumb kid!"
"S-sorry!" I stammer, wincing as another thing spitting gas fumes roars past me. A hop, skip, and a jump, and I reach the sidewalk on the far side. "I t-thought this pathway was meant for trotting! I mean—"
"Get your ass in gear before I think twice about running you over!"
Without saying another word, I bolt on down the street, huffing and puffing. There's something about this maddening place that makes me feel like a spineless colt once again. But I have to keep focused. This isn't about me. I must remember that. I must.
I follow the girl's instructions to the letter. To my surprise, it doesn't take too long to get to my destination, although it certainly takes a lot out of me. Running is a great deal harder when you're constantly having to balance your body vertically the whole time. Nevertheless, I arrive at a brightly-colored building sandwiched between a tiny lake and an even tinier recess field. It just has to be Crusaders Elementary. Even from a distance, I see little creatures with adorable smiles shuffling out of the building, lining up before a series of large yellow "tubes" on wheels.
It takes a few seconds in my beleaguered mind to connect the dots. "Awww crud..." I wince, limping towards a playground and leaning on a set of bleachers. "They're going home already." I wipe my brow with a shivering wrist. "I'm late... Celestia almighty, I'm too damn late..." I hang my head with a sigh.
Then, from the distance, something that shatters my heart in two: "Flash! Heya, Flash!"
My lungs empty instantly. I look up, my vision blurred.
Someone's running across the playground with a big, flouncing backpack. The whites of his knees flash beneath his shorts while he sprints as quickly as his little legs can carry him. His smile is the biggest thing I've ever seen on a living being, and suddenly it's lunging at me as he plows my midsection with a little bear hug.
"Ooomf!" I wince, falling on my back.
"Whoops! Sorry, Flash!" He giggles, and I feel his warmth rolling through my chest as he clings to me. "You're here early! I thought I was going to wait for another hour! Lemme guess..." He sits up, smiling. "Your buddies skipped out on your jam session again?"
I lie down, staring up at him with wide eyes.
"What's the mattttterrrrr?" He makes a mushy face with two palms, licks puckering. "Still daydreaming over that 'Princess Twiliiiiight?' Muah... muahhhh... Heeheehee."
I raise a hand up. Shivering, I finally touch his shoulder. He's alive, and his teeth shine in the daylight. "H-hey there, champ," I hear my voice crack. Moisture collects beneath my eyelids. I inhale sharply, forcing a pained smile. "Why, look at you! You're so... s-so big!"
"You'll never guess what we did in class today!"
"Oh, won't I?" I sit up, leaning forward with bright eyes. "Tell me all about it!"
"The teacher brought in this frog! Only it was dead and its chest was opened up and everything!" He made a face. "Yeeeeeuck!"
I chuckle, my breath hitting several high notes. I feel like a little colt again. His voice is music. I'll do anything to hear more of that melody. "Well?" An evil smirk. "Did you stick your fingers in its belly?"
"Ewwwwwwww!" He hugs himself, shivering with a giggle. "Maybe that's what you did when Miss Cheerilee taught you, but not me!"
"You sure about that?" I smirk, poking his shoulder, collar, other shoulder, and belly. "Because I'm sure somewhere in there is a gross monster just waiting to pop out!"
"Noooo! St-stop it!" he rolls over, in stitches.
"Huh?! Huh?!" I tickle all over his shirt and sides, grinning evilly. "Where is he?! Where is that monster face?! Ohhhhhhhhhhh! There it is! The Smiley Monster!"
"You st-stupid h-head!" He wheezes, cheeks red. "I was already sm-smiling!"
"Yeah, but nopo... er... nobody can make you smile like I can!" I raise a pair of hands like hooves in front of my face. "Say cheeeeese!"
He cheers. "'Flash Photographyyyy!'"
Slowly, my hands lower. I feel a quiver to my lip. "Blessed Celestia...." I gulp. "He even remembers..."
A million things flicker through my mind, all of them rosy and warm. I almost forget the genuine magic of this situation until I feel him tugging my shirt.
"Flash? Bro?" He blinks at me, his blue eyes wide and innocent beneath his azure... hair. "Is everything cool? Your face looks kind of funny."
I shudder. "Nah... we're cool. We're cooler than cool."
He beams. "Frosty?"
"You bet!" I sniffle, wiping my cheek dry and throwing it off with a casual smirk. I squeeze his shoulder, smiling at his little face. "It's really good to see you, Dreamy Days."
"Yeah? So what?" He picks at the blades of grass beneath us. "Pfft. You pick me up from school everyday."
"Still..." I take a deep breath, giving him a gentle squeeze. "I... I just want you to know that... that I lo—"
"Where's your car?"
"...huh?"
"Your wheels! Your pride and joy!" He sticks his tongue out. "Don't tell me you're getting Thunderlane to drive us home again!"
"Uhhhhh..."
"Heehee... you polish that car up so much but you're so scared to drive it around town!"
"Actually, Dreamy... I-I was... uhm..." I fidget where we both sit in the grass. "I was thinking that maybe we could hang out a bit." I shrug. "Big brother? Little brother? Y'know?"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!" I smile. "I mean... it's such a beautiful day." I smile up at the sky. "A real... real beautiful day, and I can't think of anyone I'd rather spend it with than—"
"Wanna play Frisbee?"
"Friz... Bee?"
"Yeah!" He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a bright orange disc. "I've been practicing at lunch with Rumble! His older brother might be good at sports, but Rumble just trips on his own shoelaces! Heehee! I want a real challenge!"
I grasp the disc, looking at it awkwardly.
"You up for it?" He sticks his tongue out. "Or are you chicken?"
I gasp. "Oh! I-I get it! It's like catch!"
"Heehee! What's wrong with you today, Flash? Are you in kindergarten all of the sudden?"
I smirk. "Just wondering whether or not I should go easy on you." I ruffle his hair. "I am best pals with a 'linebacker,' after all."
"Throw it far! Throw it far!" He goes running across the playground, dropping his backpack and waving his arms around. "I can totally catch it!"
"S-sure thing!" Wincing, I climb my way up the lower bleachers until I'm high enough to stand. Then, with a deep breath, I throw the disc overhand.
It flies right into the ground.
"Flassssssssh!" He stomps his foot, pouting. "You're not even trying!"
"H-hold on! Uhhhh..." I pick the thing up, study its shape, then try throwing at waist-level. "That was just a practice throw! Here goes!"
I zip the thing through the air, and even I'm surprised at how much ground it covers. Soon enough, Dreamy Days is squealing like a little monkey, sprinting over the grass with childish dramatics. He grabs the thing in his two hands, fumbles a bit, and jumps up and down. "Boo-ya!"
"Hah!" I pump a fist in the air, stumble forward, and gain my balance. "You were right on the money! Rumble wouldn't have anything on you!"
"Pfft! Forget Rumble! I bet I could show Thunderlane a thing or two!" He squats into an action-heroesque position, raising the disc to shoulder-level. "Alright! You ready for this?! Three... Two... One... Blastoff! Nyeaaarruhuuuuum!"
The disc flies high, then arcs low. I realize I'm already running to it. In mid-sprint, I stumble, but catch myself on my knuckles. Running on all fours, I lunge, grasp the thing in my teeth, and roll over into a victory pose. "Mrmmm-mmmfff!" I look at him proudly, then blink.
He's gawking at me. Then, seconds later, he plunges to the ground, hugging himself while giggling wildly.
I feel my cheeks flushed. "Ptooie!" I grasp the saliva-stained disc in my fingers. "Uhhhhh..." Rubbing my head, I suddenly brighten. "That's... uhm... a little something 'Princess Twilight' t-taught me! Yeah..."
"Heeheehee!" He sits up, red-faced. "Well, no wonder it looked so stupid!" And he rolls over, laughing again.
With a smirk, I get up and prepare another throw. "On your feet, soldier!" Swiiiish! I hear Dreamy Days gasp as he hops back up and speeds after it.
For the next thirty minutes, we play this game, sweating and cheering through every catch-and-throw. We try newer and sillier tricks, like jumping off the lower bars of the jungle gym while throwing it or balancing on the see-saw while grabbing it. I left my competitive edge back in the Crystal Kingdom. I make sure that Dreamy Days' moves look way niftier and cooler than mine. He appears to eat it right up, and by the third time I've stumbled to catch his last throw, he's jumping up and down like a miniature lunatic.
"Yeah! I beat you! I won!"
"Nnngh..." I sit up, flicking blades of grass off my chin and nose. "H-how could you?! Were there even rules to this?"
"The rules are that you stink and I'm awesome!" He rushes over and punches me in the shoulder.
"Oh, you're going to have to try harder than that to knock me out!" I throw my arms around him. "C'mere!"
"Oh noes! Help!"
"Come here, you!" I swallow him in a bear hug, pinning him sideways to the grass. "Not so tough now, huh?! Huh?! Well, are ya?!"
"No faiiiiir!" He giggles, squirming under my arms. "You're too biiiiig!"
"Then stop being so scrawny!" I smile. "Grow up already, why don't y—" My face instantly grimaces. The warmth of the moment fades, and I feel my heart throbbing with a cold beat.
In the distance, the sun is starting to set. The day is dying. Just like these past few years, it's melting away.
I don't ever want to let go, but I knew what I was running into when I first came here. I wonder if he knows.
"Flash...?" He pokes at my arms. "Yooohooo! Earth to Flash!"
I bite my lip, shivering.
"Heehee... you can let me go now, brother."
I fight the urge to whimper. "Y-yeah..." I release him slowly. "Guess so."
We both sit up in the grass, facing each other. His smile is gone, replaced by a blank look of concern. It stabs me just to glance at it.
"Hey... uhm... Dreamy?" I look towards the bleachers while scratching the back of my head. "There's... s-something I wanted to give you."
"Oh?"
"It's in the backpack. You mind fetching it?"
"Pfft! What am I now, your butler?"
"Just grab it, ya little scamp."
"Fine! Jeez." He stomps on over, then comes back, dragging the thing. "Yeesh! Give this thing a wash, will ya?"
I smile, unzipping the backpack slowly. "There's something inside. Something that Mom and Dad wanted you to have."
"Yeah, so?" He sits across from me, teetering back and forth on crossed-legs while yawning. "Why couldn't they just give it to me themselves?"
"Because..." I bite my tongue. A cold breath. "Because I-I have to give it to you, okay?" I reach in and pull out a golden horseshoe with weathered edges. The words 'Sentry' decorate it in silver embossed font. "You see this?"
"Ooooh..." Dreamy's eyes sparkle. "Is that your class medal?"
"H-huh?"
"Heehee! It's the symbol of Canterlot High, isn't it?"
I look at the horseshoe, then at him. I blink. "Oh! Uh... heh... no. Though that is a little bit funny." I clear my throat. "No, Dreamy, this belonged to Daddy. He wore—uhm... I mean carried it when he was about your age." I hand it over. "It was a symbol of good luck, and when he and Mom got married, they wanted to pass it on to their kids... to us, Dreamy."
"Wowwww..." He grasps it in two tiny hands, nearly dropping it. "Gaah! It's heavy!"
I chuckle. "Yeah. Real gold. Enchanted, even."
"Enchanted? Pffft! Like magic or something?"
"Yeah..." I sigh. "I guess you could say that."
"It's pretty neat, Flash." He hands it back. "Thanks for showing it to me."
"No, Dreamy." I gently place my hands over his and push it back into his chest. "It's yours."
"You mean... I-I get to keep it?" He blinks, jaw dropped. "But... b-but it's so shiny and expensive-looking!"
"It means more to the family than that." I frown. "And don't you dare consider selling it!"
"Heheh... why would I?" He smiles, twirling the thing around his wrist. "I'm gonna show this off to everyone!"
"C-careful! Don't hit yourself in the face with it."
"That way everyone knows that I've got the best older brother in the world!"
I freeze in place, as does my heart. I smile. It's the only thing holding back the lump in my throat. "I love you, Dreamy."
"Awwwww... st-stop it." He rolls his eyes. "I hate it when you get all mushy."
"I'm sorry," I say softly. "But it's true. I love you, lil' bro, and hope you live a happy, awesome life."
"Hmm? Why?" He glances lazily at me. "You goin' somewhere or something?"
I bite my lip.
Before I can respond, I hear the roar of an engine from behind. Dreamy Days looks up, and so do I.
A black vehicle roars across the road, parks crookedly on the sidewalk, and opens up without the engine cutting. A tan figure with blue hair hops out, running this way. As he dashes closer, I spot a familiar looking symbol on the hood of his automobile.
I gulp. "Hoboy..."
"Wait a sec..." Dreamy's face scrunches up in confusion. "What...?" He looks at me, then at the young man rushing up to us. "Fl-Flash?"
"Dreamy!" he hollers, waving his arms. "Get away from him right now!"
"But Flash! We were just—" Dreamy gasps as he's hoisted up into the teenager's arms. "Whoah!"
"You!" I'm being snarled at. His face is like a funhouse mirror set aflame. "You think I wouldn't figure it out?! You think I wouldn't have heard from the other students who talked to you?!"
"Hey... it's all cool!" I stand up on wobbly knees, holding my palms out. "Relax! We were just playing the Frizzy Bee!"
"I don't care what you think you were doing!" he hollers.
"Flash?" Dreamy shivers in his grasp, clutching the horseshoe. "What is—?"
"Shhh! Quiet, lil' bro, I've got this!"
"I would never harm a single hair on his head!" I exclaim. "You know that! I only wanted to—"
"Look, I don't know who or what you really are, but I do know where you came from." He frowns, holding Dreamy Days away from me. "You've got about thirty seconds to get the Hell out of this place before I call the cops... the army... the marines... whatever!"
"I just—"
"And you can deliver a message to your Princess when you get back!" he yelled. "Put a dayum cork on the portal! Because if I ever... ever find one of her unleashed subjects snooping around within a mile of my family again, I'm going to have some angry words to say to her... right after I kick your sorry butt into the next dimension and beyond!"
I gulp. "Please, if we could just—"
"Do you understand me?!"
I'm hyperventilating. A cold sweat drips down my naked face. I glance from his scowl to Dreamy Days. The child's expression is full of fear. Confusion. It stabs me harder than any threat imaginable.
In a blink, I've spun around. I ditch the backpack and the playground and I run, barreling my way across the street in a mad dash. More cars honk at me, but I don't pay them any mind. I rush headlong into the haze of the setting sun, scrambling for the portal, racing towards it, anything to get the image of Dreamy's fear-stricken eyes out of my pulsating head.
"Don't lose it," I whimper between pained breaths. "Don't lose the horseshoe. Don't l-let them take it form you! Please!"
By the time I reach the campus of Canterlot High, the courtyard is empty. There's no one to see this flailing idiot as he reaches the base of the statue and dives in like a suicide runner. When the rift between worlds rips me apart, it's almost a relief. I tumble out the other side on fuzzy limbs, wincing in pain. It's only when I've looked up to see who's waiting for me that I realize the agony's only begun.
"Lieutenant!" Shining Armor snarls, a familiar guardstallion trembling by his side. He stomps a metal-laced hoof and glares down at me. "Or should I say 'Ex-Lieutenant?'" His angry eyes narrow. "What in Luna's name did you think you were doing?!"
I take a deep breath. It takes a few quivering attempts, but I nevertheless stand at attention, staring straight ahead at a line of guards who are eyeing me nervously.
The Captain paces around me, his hoofsteps thunderous and loud. "Princess Twilight Sparkle is coming here in less than twelve hours. She needs full access to the portal, now that the moon is full! You know that! Every guard in this Kingdom knows it! And what do I find out?! You've been lying to guards, commanding them to abandon their posts! And for what?! To have a stupid little romp in the human world?!"
I stay nothing. I stand perfectly still and silent.
"And just what is this supposed to mean?!" He picks up my discarded insignia from where it lay beside my armor. "Am I expected to believe that you had previously prepared to abandon your duties to myself and Princess Cadance?! To think that this is the thanks I get for promoting you nine months ago!" He grits his teeth. "Ever since the Changeling Invasion, we cannot afford to condone suspicious activity among the ranks! I demand an explanation!"
Silence.
"Answer me, Lieutenant!"
I swallow. At last, my lips move. "Sir. I am fully prepared to suffer the punishment for my insubordination, sir," I say without looking at him.
For once, the Captain blinks. He leans back, studying my face. To my relief, he finds nothing, but it doesn't make what follows any easier. "I see..." A deep breath. "Lieutenant, you and I have served with each other for a long time. We've fought all manner of Sombra's phantoms, and ensured that the world was cleaned up after the brief and destructive rise of Tirek. I've considered you a valued, loyal, and trusted soldier... until now." He drops the insignia and speaks coldly into my ear. "You are hereby suspended indefinitely. I shall have the guards escort you to the stockades while the Council and I mull over your sentencing. Do I make myself clear?"
"Sir. I understand perfectly, sir."
Shining's brow furrows. There's a twitch to his muscles, as if he expected something else. In an almost defeated tone, he mutters to the other stallions in the room. "Take him out of my sight..."
With jostling armor, a pair of guards trot up to my side. I refuse to look them in the face. Quietly, with as much dignity I can muster, I follow them out of the room and into the dungeon below the Crystal Palace.
A whole day has passed since I entered and exited the portal.
I'm lying on my cot in the tiny, dim-lit prison cell.
My eyes trace the edges of the ceiling as my chest slowly rises and falls.
For the umpteenth time, I glance at my hooves, imagining them to be arms and hands instead. In my mind, I wonder if he is taking care of him, hugging him close like I did for those brief thirty minutes of heaven, telling him how much he cares for him on a daily basis.
I try to think about giving Dreamy the horseshoe. I try to think about the genuine look of awe in his face. But, instead, all I can envision is the pained confusion in his eyes as he hangs there in the other me's embrace.
I feel a sharp shudder rising through my body. I rest a fetlock over my head, clenching my eyes tight. The claustrophobic walls of the place echo my jagged breaths.
Just then... hoofsteps. The door latch opens from the outside.
Blearily, I look up. At the first shade of pink, I gasp, immediately hopping to my hooves. Ignoring the blood-rush to my skull, I bow low to the cold crystal floor.
"At ease, Lieutenant," Princess Cadance says, standing in the doorway with a pair of guards. "I'm not Shining Armor."
"With all due respect, Your Majesty." I slowly stand up, still avoiding her gaze. "I'm not a 'Lieutenant' anymore."
"That has yet to be decided," she says. "Shining Armor is still speaking with the Crystal Council. I... had a long talk with him myself. I wouldn't give up on your future just yet."
I fidget where I stand. "I... do not understand, Your Highness."
"Oh, I'm sure you do," the alicorn says, gazing calmly at me with those majestic eyes. "I'm sure we both do."
I shiver in a breath of confusion.
She gazes quietly. Turning around, she speaks to the guards. "Leave us."
They give her a worried look.
"And close the door behind."
They bow, backtrot out into the hallway of the stockades, and oblige her royal request. I hear the cold click of the door-latch, and then Princess Cadance is trotting gently towards me.
"Shining Armor sees most everything with his military eyes," she says. "Which is understandable. It's his talent... his special gift, after all. At the same time, I have a gift of my own..." She rests a hoof over her chest. "My talent is the very essence of love. It's an extremely delicate fabric, and yet it binds us more than even time and space."
"I have no doubt of that, Your Highness."
"Truly?" She leans her head to the side. "Then you must believe me when I tell you that I sense something... something more to your recent escapade than you're willing to tell my husband Shining. More than you're willing to tell anypony." She paces to a stop. "But you can tell me."
I shake my head. "There is nothing more to tell, Your Majesty." I gulp. "I knew the mirror was off-limits to everypony but Princess Twilight Sparkle. I went through it anyway. I disobeyed orders, and now I am being punished for it. Rightfully so."
"Lieutenant." She says. "Flash Sentry." She rests a soft hoof on my shoulder.
And just like that, I'm shivering. Obstinately, I keep my eyes locked on the prison door directly past her.
She speaks gently. "We're more than just colleagues. We're friends. You and Shining Armor have been through a lot together. You're like a cousin to me. A brother." Her eyes narrow. "I can sense the love that resonates from your being. Something drew you into that portal, and ever since you came back, you haven't been the same. Now please... tell me what happened."
Silence.
She says, "Love functions both ways. Don't do something to sabotage who and what you stand for. If you loved someone on the other side that much, then they must love you back all the same. It would be a shame to break their heart by breaking yourself into pieces like this..."
Upon hearing that, my ears droop. I lose every semblance of a soldier. No longer able to contain my shivers, I glance her way. My lips move ahead of me. "Your Majesty..." I gulp. "Cadance... as you well know, there was a reason wh-why I entered the service to begin with."
She nods thoughtfully. "The bandit attack," she murmurs in a sympathetic voice. "When you were younger."
I try to keep my anger in check. "Griffon mercenaries sacked my town along the Equestrian border. They burned houses and smashed everything to bits. When they burned my family's home down, my little brother suffocated from smoke inhalation. I struggled and fought to bring him back while my sobbing parents looked on. But it was no use. He..." I grimace. "...he n-never reached the age of six. He n-never even got his cutie mark. From that moment, everything in our lives changed. My parents were devastated, and nothing I did could bring them out of their depression. If Dreamy Days had lived, th-then maybe they'd still be around today. Both of them. Instead, I've had to fend for myself on my own. Ultimately, I... I-I chose to become a member of the royal guard because I wanted to make the world safer for Equestria, so that mindless tragedies like mine wouldn't happen anymore. For a while there, I thought I had grown past the sorrow. But then..." I hesitate.
She stares at me. Patient. Always patient.
I buckle under the Princess' gaze. "When... I found out a year and a h-half ago that there was a world... another world where there were copies of us... everyone of us... and we can just enter that world through a simple portal." I swallow hard. "A world with no griffon mercenaries? I... I..."
Her ears fold back as her eyes water. It isn't until my world fogs that I realize she's mimicking my expression.
Frowning, I stare off into the wall, or at least try to. "Your Highness, pl-please understand..." My voice is already cracking, but I soldier on. "I take no pride in disobeying orders, nor in destroying the trust that you and the Captain have placed in me." My nostrils flare. "But I do not regret having done what I did. Not even if it means restoring my commission would I go back in time and change my actions." I shudder. "I broke the rules and statutes of the royal guard, but... but in so doing I had thirty minutes... j-just thirty heavenly minutes with him and... and I-I won't ever... ever..."
"Shhhhh..." Cadance squeezes my shoulder with her hoof. "I rule over a kingdom by the power of love. Believe me, I understand the need to have closure."
I clench my teeth tight. "I... I do not know wh-what you—"
"Flash," she says. "It is alright. Stop fretting about the future... and stop worrying about the past." She nods with almost a motherly smile. "Do here and now what you could not afford to do when you were in front of Dreamy."
"I can't..." I'm already imploding. "C-can't..."
"You can and you must," she says. "Shining and I need our friend back, for he deserves to be loved too."
I shut my eyes. My wings spread, but it makes no use. The fall has happened. Maybe Cadance catches me. Maybe she doesn't. Gravity itself has dissolved, replaced by these tears, these sobs, and Dreamy Days' innocent smile wading in the depths of it all.
"H-he's so happy... so a-alive and happy..." I stammer, quivering all over. "That should be e-enough! I should be glad for him—but why isn't it enough?! Wh-why can't I be happy with wh-what I saw over th-there?!"
"Shhhh... It's okay, Flash."
"I miss him so m-much!" I wail, howling muffled words into my forelimbs. "Mom... and Dad... and D-Dreamy! Dreamy! I-I just saw him yesterday! I held him! Listened to his laughter, and st-still I miss him!" I shudder and howl. "I let him go! This time... finally... I-I thought I let him go! Why d-does it still hurt?! Why is it even worse th-than it was before?!"
At last, I feel her nuzzling me. Through the tremors of my sobs, I forget the boundaries between us and surrender to her embrace. Her words are rich and sweet, rolling right through my shattered core like honey.
"You can never escape the pain of losing somepony you care for, Flash," she says, stroking my shoulders and neck. "But the love you have for them is stronger and even more inescapable. Someday, I trust, you will find the warmth to be more cherishable than the void."
I hiss through clenched teeth. After several quivering breaths, I find out I'm actually smiling. It is a bittersweet thing, a gift laced with tears. My sobs grow shallower, for I'm once again seeing his face. Not the naked thing that giggled at me in an alien world, but the mischievous little monster face that raspberried at me while we chased each other across the field behind our parents' house. He waddled on tiny little pegasus hooves, and I let him catch me. I always let him catch me. When Dreamy's figure tackled mine, the whole world spun in gasps and giggles. I clung to Cadance like a pony drowning in a storm, and she held me still so that my breaths finally caught up with me at the far end of the maelstrom.
"He used to laugh," I murmur with a pained chuckle. "Such a m-melodic voice. All he ever d-did around me was laugh and sm-smile..."
"Well of course he did, Flash." She says. Her breath grows softer as she leans down to nuzzle the top of my head. Her princess tears warm me like a blanket. "He has the best big brother in the world."
