Starcrossed

Chapter 5- After the Fact

Voices wondered in and out of the half-conscious brain, no words could be deciphered, no, only the monotones and high pitched warbles reverberated through the skull. Sight wasn't available at the moment so the world appeared to be just darkness, sound, and touch, silken bed sheets lay softly on top of the flesh and a plush fabric supported the back underneath. The stomach area hurt, a lot, not a searing burning pain, no, more like a constant aching pain that slowly drove one mad.

A beautiful voice broke through the fog, it was soft and clear and it was calling his name.

Flash opened his eyes.

He lay in a small hospital bed, the sheets tucked in comfortably tight around him. Above light barely made it through the thick canopy of the medical tent, without even looking Flash could detect lots of commotion around him, swift hoofbeats, hurried speech, and the occasional moan of pain. His vision of the thick canopy and metal beam was filled with the pretty sight of Twilight Sparkle.

"Your awake." She said in a relieved tone, a soft smile coming to her lips, Flash weakly returned the smile before speaking.

"What happened?" He asked, then more urgently "Are the Changeling's still here?" Flash tried to sit up but was met with lightheaded ness that made his vision churn, Twilight gently laid him back down with her magic.

"Easy" she said soothingly "Your in no condition to exert yourself." Flash forced himself to relax as Twilight continued.

"After your.... Injury, a platoon of Royal Guard's showed up and helped beat back the Changelings, me made it to the Hall of the Element's but more Changeling's awaited us there, they captured us and brought us back to their Queen."

Twilight shuttered "It was terrifying, the Princess was sealed in this green pod and there was nothing any of us could do, luckily, Cadence was able to snap Shining Armour from the Changeling's spell and send the lot of them packing."

Flash took it all in "So everything okay now?"

Twilight smiled "Yes, repairs are being made and the wounded are being treated, we won."

Flash sat up more gingerly "Well that's a relief." He smiled back at Twilight "And your alright?" He asked in slight concern.

Twilight waved it off "I'm fine, scratch free... Thank's to you." She said softly.

Flash rubbed the back of his head "Nah, I was doing my job, your the one to thank for seeing what was really going on."

Twilight wasn't to be foiled "But I would have never been able to get out of those cages without your smashing nor would I have survived the Changeling attack."

Flash frowned, really, he hadn't done much. Sure his stubborn banging of his head had revealed the hollow Crystal but that had been dumb luck and when he fought to protect Twilight he was only doing his duty. It didn't feel right to be given credit for small, rather uninspiring, deeds.

As Flash opened his mouth to say so a new voice interrupted him.

"She's right, you fought well." The voice said, Flash turned to where it had come from, Shining Armour, Captain of the Royal Guard, stood to his right. In a flurry of dutiful panic Flash tried to get out of bed so he could salute his superior, instead the result was him tripping, falling half out of bed so his bottom half was still in the bed and his head awkwardly of the floor, he looked up in embarrassment at his Captain and managed to bring his hoof up to his brow.

"Trooper Flash Sentry of the sixty-seventh Royal Equestrian Guard Corps, sir." Flash said weakly, his cheeks flushed from embarrassment. The Captain chuckled and Flash's cheeks flushed even hotter, he was making a fool of himself in front of his boss.

"At ease, soldier." Shining said with a smile, offering his hoof to the fallen Pegasus "My sister  here told me all about your bravery today, and I have to say, I'm impressed."

Accepting the hoof Flash felt a bit flustered at the praise "Well... Thank you sir, I'm honoured sir."

Shining chuckled again "Lighten up a little bit, take the compliment as it is, and, as a brother rather than a Captain, I would like to thank you for protecting my sister."

The embarrassment was still there but, fleetingly, Flash allowed himself to feel a bit proud of his actions. He had done the right thing, and it felt good, really good, and the praise he got from it was satisfying in the extreme.

"T-thank you, sir." Flash said quietly. Shining nodded at him, in the back of him mind the Captain swore he had seen this Pegasus before. Not in a military environment, no, it was something else, but he couldn't quite grasp it. Shining dismissed the thought.

"Now if you will excuse me, I need to get going, Flash Sentry? Keep up the good work." Once again Flash's chest swelled with pride and Shining walked away, Flash felt a poke on his side and turned to see a grinning Twilight.

"You were blushing more than a starstruck schoolcolt." She said with a giggle.

"I was not!" Flash said defensively, his cheeks burning hot again. Twilight broke out in a fit of giggles before gesturing for Flash to follow her.

"Come on, some fresh air will be good for you."

Twilight lead flash through the crowded tent, medics both military and civilian moved dutifully to and fro, caring for the sick and injured. And there was a lot, most were Royal Guard's with varying stab wounds that were similar to Flash's. He watched as a unicorn doctor lit his horn and closed the hole with a blast of powerful healing magic.

Guess that's how I recovered.

The exited the medical tent into the bright evening, all around troops marched, removing rubble, boarding up holes and directing civilians to safe zones. Twilight guided Flash through the crowd, she nimbly dodged through the mass while Flash hand to push and shove. Eventually they broke through and found themselves on a large balcony-like alcove, it was covered in grass and it overlooked the fields, forests, and mountains that lay in front of Canterlot. It was a beautiful sight.

Twilight looked over the edge at the view and Flash joined her, they stood in silence for only a moment before the mare broke it.

"I am really thankful Flash." She said softly "you saved my life, more than once."

"As everyone keeps telling me." Flash replied a bit ruefully, but with a smile "I was only doing what was right."

"Yeah, but I'm still glad you did, even though I had been acting... Well, frankly, like a bitch." Twilight said, which got a snort of laughter out of Flash.

"What?" Twilight asked, confused.

"Sorry, I just never imagined you had a fowl mouth." Flash chuckled, Twilight giggled with him for a moment before going silent.

"....Flash?" She asked slowly.

"Yeah?"

"When you... Ran off, you yelled something about your brother." Twilight stated.

Flash's brow immediately broke out in a sweat.

Oh buck me, Oh buck me, Oh buck me, Oh buck me, Oh buck me, Oh buck me, Oh buck me, think of something Flash! Think of something!

"That's right, I did." Flash said as steadily as he could.

"Where is your brother?" Twilight pried.

"He..." Flash hesitated "I don't know." He answered honestly "We had a..." Flash thought for a second "Falling out." A lie, but a feasible one.

"What happened?" Twilight asked.

Panic set in again, What did happen? Flash thought, it didn't help that he didn't know the true answer to that question, nay, it made it harder to create a believable lie. Why should he lie? He could simply spill the truth, get this heavy weight off of his back, get the dirty feeling from his skin. But no, he knew that he couldn't do so, he would be arrested in a second.

So he avoided answering.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Flash said evasively.

"It's okay I understand, but I will eventually want and answer." Twilight said.

Flash dreaded that day "That's fair enough." He said.

A pause.

"Listen, I'm going to have to return to Ponyville soon, I want you to write to me occasionally, keep in touch." Twilight said.

"All I hear from you is 'be my friend'" Flash said in joke.

Twilight giggled "So what do you say?"

"Yes, I'll be your friend Twilight Sparkle."