The Blue Moon Brings Deathby Leaf WhisperChaptersPart 1: This Gaudy CityPart 2: Back in BusinessPart 3: ConnectionPart 4: The Hanging EngineerPart 5: Hide and SeekPart 6: The Blue Moon FestivalChapter notesPart 1: This Gaudy CityA steam whistle sounded, echoing shrilly throughout the valley. The train from Ponyville chugged merrily along the track, the wheels chugging musically. Clouds of steam rose from the smokestack to join the other white, fluffy clouds that artistically decorated the blue sky over the sea of red, orange and yellow leaves. Inside one of the train's carriages, the passengers chatted happily. "The Blue Moon Festival in Canterlot!" Rarity gushed, leaning out the window to watch the approaching royal city, set into the side of the mountain up ahead. "It's going to be just fabulous!" "And it's your first Blue Moon Festival as a princess, Twi!" Applejack exclaimed. "Princess Luna has asked me to help with the preparations and to help to lead the ceremony," Twilight said, looking up from the book that she'd been using as a study guide for the festival. According to the text, the Blue Moon Festival was a celebration over a thousand years old. It only happened once every four years and marked Princess Luna's defeat of the Dream Demons who'd been attempting to use the power of the blue moon to send all of Equestria into an eternal nightmare. "Blue Moon parties are some of the best!" Rainbow Dash declared, floating over the group. "They have to be, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie giggled, jumping up from behind her. "They only happen once every four years!" "Yeah, but with Blue Moon Festivals, we get to stay up all night!" Dashie grinned. "Right. Tradition states that we have to to ensure that the Dream Demons don't get us," Twilight said, flipping to the proper page of her book. "And it's so we can eat cakes and play games and stuff!" Pinkie Pie declared, her smile broadening. The mere mention of enjoying some of her favorite things in the world with her friends made her even more excited than she already was. "Oh, I'm so excited, I feel like cheering!" Fluttershy squeed. She took in a breath, and let out a quiet, but enthusiastic, "Yay!" "I've never stayed up all night at the Blue Moon Festival before," Spike said, also leaning out the window. "But this year, I'm gonna do it! I'll stay up all night!" Twilight merely rolled her eyes with a smile. It could be said that everypony in that carriage was happy and excited to be spending a festival together in the royal city. That would, however, be inaccurate, as there was one passenger who was less than happy or excited. "Refresh my memory. How did I get talked into this again?" "Aw, don't be a sour Zap apple, Phil," Applejack said, turning to Phillip Finder. He was sitting by himself, opposite the group, with his hat pulled down over his eyes and a scowl on his face. "Phil, you deserve to take some time off after helping Time Turner," Twilight said, looking up at their older friend. "And besides, you don't get out enough." "Says the shut-in librarian," Phillip muttered. Twilight frowned. The six had decided to invite their friend to Canterlot to join the festival. Phillip had initially refused to go, stating that he didn't care about festivals and parties (much to Pinkie's horror), and had only agreed to come along the trip after a lot of convincing. He'd barely spoken a word during the trip, and every attempt to cheer him up was moodily rebuffed. "Didn't you once live in Canterlot?" Rarity asked. "For ten months three years ago," Phillip replied. "That must have been fabulous!" Rarity said, trying to bring Phillip into a conversation. "Living in the royal city, working alongside the rich and famous—" "I hated it," Phillip interrupted, stunning Rarity into silence. "Canterlot is a gaudy, boring city filled with stupid, selfish, rich wankers who can't see past their own noses." "Gaudy? Boring?" Rarity cried, horrified. There was another piercing whistle, signaling that they were pulling into the station. The brakes screeched as the train slowed and halted next to the platform. "Well, maybe this will change your opinion," Twilight said as the group began to disembark. "I doubt it," Phillip muttered. Twilight turned to reply, but before she could form her argument, she bumped into a wall, falling over. The wall stumbled back and let out a little grunt. "We have really got to stop meeting like this," a male voice said with a laugh. "Flash?" Twilight said in surprise, looking up to see an orange coated pegasus pony with an electric blue mane and smiling blue eyes. He was dressed in the golden armor of a Canterlot City Guard, but with a silver bar on both his shoulderplates, and extending a hoof to help her up. She took it and allowed him to help her to her hooves. "It's, er, good to see you again," she stammered. "What are you doing here?" "I came out to meet you and escort you to the castle," Flash said. He smiled, but at the same time, he suddenly found his polished armored shoes very interesting. Flash Sentry had been somepony that Twilight had somehow always managed to cross paths with whenever she went to the Crystal Empire, as he was one of the castle guards. What had started as momentary encounters had turned into brief conversations that started a...well...some sort of friendly relationship that neither of them could name. Which didn't explain why either of them got so flustered when they were in each other's presence. "No, what are you doing in Canterlot?" Twilight said, clearing her throat. "Oh, I transferred to the City Guard here," Flash replied, looking up. "I completed my tour of duty in the Crystal City Guard, and my commander suggested that I try being an Investigator." He shrugged his shoulders, flourishing the silver bars: these symbols marked him as a Royal Guard Investigator, trained in criminology. "Just finished training a couple weeks ago, and I was sent to the Canterlot City Guard—" Flash paused, looking past Twilight to the stallion exiting the train, adjusting his trilby as he did so. As soon as Flash's eyes caught sight of the black magnifying glass on the stallion's flank, he snapped to attention and saluted. "Sergeant Finder, sir!" he barked. Hearing his former rank being shouted, Phillip looked up in surprise and confusion. He examined the younger guard frozen in salute before him for a heartbeat before stepping forward. "Put your hoof down, private," he grunted. "In case you didn't hear, I retired years ago." "Sorry, sir," Flash said, lowering his hoof and visibly relaxing somewhat, although he continued to look up at the older stallion with a surprised expression. "It's just that I heard a lot of rumors about you in the Investigation Academy." Phillip raised an eyebrow. "What rumors?" "They say that you could tell anything about anypony just by looking at them," Flash said. "That you were a super detective that could solve any crime in a day." He let out a little chuckle. "It seems a little far-fetched." "You went to the Blue Pony Group concert last night, slept late, and got to headquarters just in time to catch up on your paperwork," Phillip said coolly. Flash's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped down to his chest. "H-how did—?" "You have a mark on your left foreleg; that's an entry mark for the Canterlot Night Light Club. And I noticed a poster advertising a performance last night on the wall there. You attended the concert and overslept: there's a smear of honey from your toast on your chest armor, you didn't brush your teeth, and your wings have the distinctive pattern of having been preened on the run. I also note the lines on your inner forelegs from resting them on the table edge, meaning that you do a lot of typing." Flash stared at Phillip for a moment in astonishment, then gradually regained his voice. "That...is amazing." Phillip blinked and tilted his head to the side. "You really think so?" "Yeah, that's extraordinary, incredible, astonishing, and a whole bunch of other things that I can't think of right now," Flash replied. "That's not what Guards usually say," Phillip said." "What do Guards usually say?" Flash asked. "The kindest I've ever gotten was 'Piss off,'" Phillip shrugged. Flash laughed. "Well, anyway, we'd better get going. I'm sure you all have a lot to do before the Blue Moon Festival." The group made their way down the paved streets of inner Canterlot, passing by high-class ponies in the finest clothing and riding in fancy carriages, bordered on either side by stores hawking high-priced luxuries: fine cut jewelry, hoof-sewn silk clothing, restaurants where you paid enough to feed a small family for a meal that only took up half a plate. The royal castle loomed ahead, white and gold against the blue skies, forever reminding the city's inhabitants that Princess Celestia and Luna were watching over them. The girls and Spike chatted amiably, Flash proudly marched at the head of the group, but Phil walked at the back, not speaking or looking around. "Princess Celestia will be waiting for you in the castle," Flash told them as they reached the gates, where they were greeted by two Guards in full armor. "Thank you, Flash," Twilight nodded. "So, uh, I'll see you later? At the festival?" Flash said hopefully. "Sure!" Twilight said. The mares behind her exchanged knowing glances. But when they crossed the threshold, they noticed that Phillip wasn't with them. They turned to see him watching them leave. "I'm not royalty. I'm not supposed to be in the castle, remember?" he stated. "Oh, right," Twilight said, cringing with embarrassment. "It's okay. There's a hotel I know on the south side." He turned away, hailing a cab. "We'll see you tomorrow!" Pinkie called after him. He nodded goodbye as the cab carried him off. "Okay, girls," Twilight said. "We've got a lot to do tomorrow, so we'd better get some rest." "Indeed," Rarity said with a grin. "You'll need to look your best for your Guard tomorrow." "W-what?" Twilight stammered, blushing furiously. Her sputtering protests mixed with her friend's snickers as they headed inside the castle. None of them noticed a discarded newspaper on the street, turned up to display a small headline: "FIFTH MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY IN TWO WEEKS: INVESTIGATORS CLAIM NO CONNECTION." Author's Note After struggling through a phase of writer's block, I finally managed to produce the beginning of a new storyline. A few notes before we start: First of all, yes, I'm a Flashlight shipper. Call the lynch mob. Secondly, I consider Equestria Girls non-canon: Twilight met Flash at summits in the Crystal Empire. It will not be referenced in my stories. Hope you enjoy. Part 2: Back in Business"We shall have the primary celebration here," Princess Luna declared the next morning, leading the entourage into the castle ballroom. "I do appreciate you all agreeing to help with this." "It's no trouble at all," Twilight smiled. "Oh, the ballroom!" Pinkie Pie squeed, bouncing around excitedly. "We've had so many adventures here! Like the Grand Galloping Gala! You remember that, girls? Like when Rarity was searching for her Prince Charming, but got Duke Blueblood instead? And he was such a meanie that you got mad and got cake all over him? Oh! And Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding, but it turned out that Cadance was a phony and Twilight figured it out, but—" "The Blue Moon Festival celebration will be attended by most of the Canterlot nobility," Luna continued over Pinkie's voice. "I am sure that you will provide us with an excellent reception." "Worry not, Your Highness," Rarity said, her eyes shining with ideas as he examined the ballroom. "When I'm finished, you won't even recognize the ballroom!" "And your guests are in for a treat," Applejack declared. "My apple mooncakes will have 'em coming back for thirds!" "I'm certain that I have nothing to worry about, my little ponies," Luna nodded with a smile as they all hurried off to their individual tasks; there was much to do to prepare for the Festival, as indicated by the length of the scroll that was trailing after Spike along the perfectly waxed floor. Twilight started to leave, but was called back by Luna. "My sister wishes to speak with you, Twilight. She's waiting for you in her study." "Thank you, Luna," Twilight said. Exiting the ballroom, she hurried down the hallway to Celestia's study. The Guard stationed outside the door nodded politely to her as she approached. She nodded back and knocked. "Come in!" Celestia's voice called from within. Twilight opened the door and entered the study. The walls of the study were lined with bookshelves, all of which were packed to bursting with tomes of every size and color, many of them as old as the alicorn princesses themselves. A number of lamps placed along the walls cast the room in a low, inviting glow, making the large room seem small and cozy. Princess Celestia was sitting at a carved oaken desk at the head of the room, looking over a long scroll. A pair of purple reading glasses with a golden neck strap were perched on her snout. She looked up and smiled at Twilight's entry. "Hello, Twilight." "Princess," Twilight said, instinctively starting to kneel before remembering that that was no longer necessary and quickly straightening again with a nervous laugh. Celestia chuckled warmly as she stood up, removing her glasses and allowing them to dangle from her neck. "How have you been, my student?" she asked, nuzzling Twilight. "I've been all right, thank you," Twilight answered. "It's still a little overwhelming being a new Princess with a brand-new castle, but..." "I understand, Twilight," Celestia nodded. "Being laid with such a heavy burden so suddenly must feel overwhelming to you." "And the worst part is, I'm still not sure what I should do with this responsibility," Twilight continued, taking this opportunity to relieve herself of the weight of doubt and uncertainty that she had been carrying ever since the crystal castle had burst out of the ground. "I know that as the Princess of Friendship, my friends and I are supposed to help spread the magic of friendship across Equestria, but I'm still not sure where to start. I mean...I never planned for any of this to happen," she admitted, glancing down at her wings. "I'm not ungrateful that you made me a Princess, but I still feel like—" Princess Celestia placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, causing her to abruptly stop her rant. "You feel like the future is uncertain, and that frightens you." Celestia smiled at her pupil. "Do not worry, Twilight. The truth is, I feel the same much of the time." "Really?" Twilight said, her eyes widening. "Yes. But you need not fear. What is coming will come, and you will face it with the same strength that you have faced all your past troubles. And if nothing else, you can always count on your friends to help you." Twilight smiled, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she felt the weight fall off her shoulders. "Thank you, Princess." "Of course, Twilight." Celestia paused, her face falling into a more serious expression. "Actually, that's partially why I wanted to talk to you, Twilight. As a Princess, you are entitled to additional protection now...protection that I believe you will need." For a moment, Twilight was suddenly standing in a smoking crater, Lord Tirek glaring triumphantly down at her as he prepared to steal her magic. She shivered at the memory. "I have been thinking that it is time for you to take on a contingent of Royal Guards for your own protection," Princess Celestia continued in a rather grave tone, looking down at Twilight with an expression of deep concern. In the low light, the age marks on the alicorn's face were cast in sharp relief, hinting at just how old and tired the Princess of the Sun really was. "Being a Princess means a great many things, and one of the things that you will learn is that it can make you a target. I hate to think that some day, some misguided pony may try to hurt you." Twilight glanced at the door, thinking of the Guard standing outside. A large, imposing stallion in golden armor, standing statue still with an imperious scowl forever on his face. The idea of having several ponies like that following her around, watching her every move, made her flinch. "I don't know, Princess," Twilight said. "I...I just don't feel comfortable with having bodyguards. And I'm not sure the citizens of Ponyville would like it; Ponyville is a very safe place." Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Well, besides the monster attacks," Twilight admitted. "Ponyville is mostly crime-free; in fact, we were rated as having the second-lowest level of crime out of all of Equestria's major cities!" "That is true," Celestia agreed. "And I understand your hesitation; it took Luna and I many moons before we became comfortable with the idea of having Guards protecting us everywhere we went." She thought in silence for several seconds. "Perhaps you would consider a personal bodyguard? Just one Guard at first so you can get accustomed to being guarded?" Twilight tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe," she said after a moment. "But right now, I need to help my friends with preparing for the Festival. Can we talk about this later?" "Of course, Twilight," Celestia smiled, replacing her glasses on her snout. "Now go and have fun." Dismissed, Twilight bounded back out the door, eager to get back to work. Celestia watched her go, her face creasing into a look of deep worry. "What happened to that innocent, bright little filly?" she whispered to herself. A moment later, she answered herself in a quieter tone: "She grew up." That evening, Twilight decided to go for a walk around Canterlot. She strolled briskly down the cobbled streets, breathing in the evening air with a contented smile. Ponyville might have been her home now, but Canterlot would always have a special place in her heart. She looked up to find that her hooves had subconsciously guided her to the Canterlot Public Library. The huge building, located in the southeastern part of the city, was designed to look like a small castle, complete with small towers and doors three times the height of a normal pony that swung wide open to welcome its visitors within. She'd always liked the design, as if the building was designed to withstand the attacks of time to protect the wealth of knowledge and wisdom from past generations within. She entered the main lobby and cast her hungering gaze on the shelves of books that stretched as far as the eye could see. Her eyes were guided up to the arched symbol, decorated with images of famous pony scholars and authors with a symbol of the sun and moon in the center. There were a number of ponies browsing the shelves in search of a good book for the lazy, cloudy evening promised by the weather team. Among them was a familiar brown-coated stallion with a gray trilby sitting atop his head. Phillip was perusing a novel selected from a large stack set beside him on the small table he was sitting at, and appeared to be about a two-thirds of the way through. He didn't look up as Twilight approached, but his left ear twitched briefly towards her, which she took as an acknowledgement of her presence. "Is that the latest Agatha Canter mystery?" Twilight asked, noticing the author's name emblazoned on the cover of the novel. "Oh, I love her! I haven't read the newest one, but—" "Wife did it," Phillip grunted, closing the book and setting it aside. "He was sleeping with her sister." "I didn't hear that! I didn't hear that!" Twilight wailed as if in agony, clutching her ears. Her cry elicited a chorus of "Shhh!" from the other patrons. She lowered herself back down, grinning sheepishly in apology. "Have you been here all day?" "Slept late, went for a run, then came here," Phillip replied, selecting a collection of T.S. Equine poetry from the pile. "You know, if you came to the castle, I'm sure we could find something you could help with for the Festival," she offered. "No, thanks," the blunt reply came from behind the book. "But we'd appreciate your help," Twilight said. Phillip considered this for a beat, but then answered, "Not interested." "But—" Phillip sighed and looked up at Twilight over the top of the book. "Look, Twilight, I really appreciate you thinking of me, but I'm really not interested. You have things to do. Just—I'd prefer to be alone right now." And with that, he returned to the book. Knowing that the conversation was over, Twilight left the library with a sigh. Author's Note Note: this chapter was significantly rewritten 7-19-16. Celestia worries for her student, the mane six prepare for a festival, and Phillip Finder...is a jerk. Just a quick little bridge chapter to set up the rest of the story. Part 3: Connection"By my calculations, we should have enough food for all the guests in time," Twilight said the next afternoon, examining some of her notes on the long scroll before her. "Rarity has finished doing the preliminary work for the decorations and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are ready to start decorating. And Fluttershy is arranging some music for the birds in the garden to perform." She rolled up the scroll. "I hope I haven't forgotten anything; the Festival is tomorrow night!" "Don't worry about it, Twilight," Spike said through a full mouth, having helped himself to one of Applejack's apple mooncakes. Twilight gave him a disapproving look for talking with his mouth full. He swallowed before continuing. "Do you need me to do anything else?" "Not right now," Twilight smiled, giving her number one assistant an affectionate pat. "Why don't you go see if Rarity needs some help?" At the mention of his crush's name, Spike immediately ran off in search of her. Twilight smiled at his retreating back before returning to her list. Her train of thought was slowed by a knocking at the door of her quarters. When she opened the door and saw who it was, the train was derailed entirely. "Flash! What are you doing here?" "I, uh, came to see you," Flash stammered, wondering why the Princess' face was suddenly turning red and why his throat had gone dry. "Oh, that's, er...that's nice," Twilight said, shuffling her forehooves and examining the carpet. "You...ahem...look nice." "Thank you," Flash grinned, noting that his heart had fluttered in his chest at her compliment. "So, um, what did you need?" Twilight asked. The part of Flash's brain responsible for intelligent thought had suddenly taken a break. It took him a moment to respond, his face flushing. "I need to talk to Phillip. Do you know where he is?" "He's at a hotel. I can take you there." "And boom, down he went?" Flash asked as they ascended the stairs of the hotel. He stared at Twilight, enthralled by her tale of how she and her friends had defeated Tirek. "Yup," Twilight nodded proudly. "Tirek never understood just how powerful friendship truly is, and we were able to use that against him." "Lucky for the rest of us," Flash said. "I remember when he came to the Crystal Empire and drained all the magic there." A distant look came into his eyes and the smile faded from his face, replaced by a fearful look. "I was one of the first who charged him, but he just laughed and..." He shivered as he remembered that terrible day when he and his fellow Guards lay helpless at the cloven feet of a tyrant. Twilight, wishing to comfort him, reached out a hoof to his shoulder, but Flash shook himself out of the memory and she retreated. "Well, he's not coming back anytime soon," she reassured him. They had reached the floor that Phillip was residing on. "Is he as good as they say he is?" Flash asked Twilight. "Most definitely," Twilight smirked, opening the door. "And I'm sure he'll be eager to take on a case." "No, no, no!" Twilight and Flash looked up, and immediately ducked to avoid being struck in the face by a flying newspaper, which hit the wall opposite. "Course he's not the foal's father!" Phillip shouted at no one in particular from his chair, having apparently not noticed their entry. "Am I the only one who looked at his collar?!" He slumped in his seat, staring straight ahead apathetically. Twilight and Flash glanced at each other, then entered, moving around into Phillip's field of view. He glanced up at them before continuing to stare at the wall. "What is it?" he grunted. "I wanted to see you, sir," Flash said, sitting down opposite him. "I think we may need your help." Immediately, Phillip sat up straight, his expression changing from apathy to interest. The gray eyes glittered with expectation. "The burglaries?" "Yes, sir." Flash reached into his saddlebag and pulled out several files, which he laid on the table before Phillip. "There have been eight over the past two weeks. The burglar, or burglars, don't leave much evidence. At each scene, they took some money and valuables, and something else." "Something else?" Phillip said, already perusing the files. "At one scene, they took some alarm clocks," Flash explained. "At another, they stole some electrical wiring. Then they stole fertilizer from a farm supply store, fuel from a stove and supply store, and some soup thickener from a kitchen. On the other scenes it was something random; some china plates, a bunch of old books, some tools." Phillip nodded, glancing through some of the papers. Twilight though she saw concern briefly flash in his eyes. "Yes. I see why you came to me, Private. Did you tell anypony else about this?" "I tried," Flash sighed. "But the commanding sergeant didn't believe me. Neither did the other Guards; they just think it's different burglars. You'll notice that there were different MO's on each of the scene, and differing evidence. I think that it's one pony who's faking the evidence, but they don't..." He paused as if collecting his thoughts, then sighed. "None of them take me seriously; I'm just the BNP." "What's a BNP?" Twilight asked, still wondering what was it about this case that attracted Phillip's attention, or made Flash believe that his intervention was necessary. Phillip, without looking up from the case files, replied, "Bucking New Pony. It's what they call new guards or transfers." Flash looked down at the floor, sighing again. "They always stick me with the boring or lousy jobs. The sergeant and the other Guards push me around just because they can." He paused for a moment, then added in a soft tone, "Sometimes I think everypony hates me." Without even realizing what she was doing, Twilight instinctively reached out to comfort him. Her hoof wrapped around his. "I don't hate you," she said softly. Flash looked up at her, blue eyes meeting lavender. He returned her soft smile for a beat before they simultaneously looked down at their intertwining hooves as if suddenly becoming aware of each other's touch. They both retreated, blushing and examining the opposite walls. Phillip appeared to not have noticed this exchange, as he was still looking at the case files. He looked up at Flash over one of the papers; the younger guard, sensing his gaze, looked up. "I was a BNP myself once, private," he said, his voice unusually soft. "Keep your chin up, mate; they're just testing to see how tough you are. You'll show—" He froze, his head snapping up to face east as his eyes narrowed. A shiver traveled up and down his spine. "Crime?" Twilight asked urgently, recognizing Phillip's crime sense. "Apartments on the east side," Phillip said, grabbing his hat and swinging his vest over his shoulders as he headed out the door. Twilight and Flash followed. Author's Note What about those burglaries is so important? You'll find out soon... Part 4: The Hanging EngineerThe east side of Canterlot was mostly apartments and condos for the less-financially secure citizens of the royal city. The uniform buildings, placed evenly on the streets, were appealing to the eye, placed like a parade of Guards on the street. But one of these buildings, a handsome two-story condo with blue paint and gold trim on the windows, was marred by the highly visible yellow tape stretched across the doorway that declared "CRIME SCENE: DO NOT ENTER" in bold letters. As Phillip, Flash and Twilight approached, a Guard exited the door. He was a unicorn with stormcloud gray fur and coal black eyes, mane and tail. He was wearing the golden armored cuirass and shoes of a Canterlot City Guard, but no helmet, exposing his short haircut. His shoulderplate had a silver bar on it, designating him as an Investigator, and three chevrons were displayed on his collar. As they approached, the Guard used his magic to take a small bag and a pipe out of his saddlebag, the items surrounded by a dark blue field. Opening the bag, he took out a pinch of tobacco and placed it in the pipe. Striking a match, he lit the pipe and began to smoke it. "That's Sergeant Blast Cap," Flash said in a low voice. "He's my current NCO." The sergeant looked up as they walked up, his coal black eyes judging them. "Private Sentry, what are you doing here?" he growled. Flash audibly gulped as he approached. "Sir, I—" "He escorted me here," Phillip cut in, stepping forward. Blast Cap glared at him, puffing the foul-smelling smoke into his face. "The great Phillip Finder," he sneered. "Come to stick your big nose into our business again?" Phillip sniffed, seemingly unaffected by the stinging smoke. "Black Bronco mix number 64. And no. I have interest in this case." Blast Cap snorted, smoke rising from his nostrils. "It's a straight-up suicide. Guy hanged himself." "Then you won't mind if I look around," Phillip said. Blast Cap glanced at Twilight and Flash. "And what about those two?" Flash noticed the gleam in the Guard's black eyes when he looked at Twilight. There had been some ponies that hadn't accepted Twilight's coronation, seeing it as unjust favoritism of Celestia's favorite student. It seemed that Blast Cap was one of them. He instinctively tightened up, moving half a step closer to Twilight in preparation to push her behind him to shield her from a threat. But Twilight's eyes were drawn to the holster on Blast Cap's side. The well-polished wooden handle and large, curved trigger guard/grip of a pistol poked out of it like the head of a poisonous snake peering out from within its coils. Guns were becoming more common among the Royal Guards, especially in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, since Tirek's return, but Twilight was still not comfortable with them. She'd learned to become wary of ponies with potentially deadly objects within their reach. "Private Sentry is here to assist me," Phillip explained. "And as this may be a matter of Equestrian security, Princess Twilight is here to observe." Blast Cap glared at them all for a while longer, then grunted. "Fine. Knock yourself out." Phillip ducked beneath the crime scene tape and entered the room. Twilight followed. Flash was about to enter as well, when Blast Cap reached out and stopped him. "Now you're feeding your theories to your girlfriend, pretty boy?" the sergeant growled into Flash's ear. Flash did not reply, having long ago learned that rising to a superior's bait never worked out well. "Just remember your place, colt. Just cause the 'princess of friendship' gave you a couple looks for some reason doesn't make you any better than us," Blast Cap snarled, giving him a little push and returning to his smoke. Flash gave a little sigh and entered, although he kept his head bowed even after he had passed underneath the crime scene tape. Because of this, he bumped into Twilight's flank. "Oh!" he cried, turning red with embarrassment. "Excuse me, Your Highness—" Twilight didn't answer. She was staring in shock at the corpse hanging from a noose tied around the ceiling rafter. The pony was a male Earth pony with white fur and light yellow hair that included a full beard. His cutie mark was a train engine with a white cloud of steam billowing from the smokestack. His green eyes were wide open and glazed over, staring straight ahead blankly. Gruesomely, the dangling limbs were a purplish discoloration from gravity pulling the now stagnant blood down into the lower parts of the body. There was another Guard in the room, a white-coated, brown-maned unicorn who was sorting out photographs taken with an instant camera. "What was his name?" Phillip asked. "Railrider," the Guard answered. "He was the engineer for a cargo train. Neighbor realized something was wrong when he noticed that he hadn't picked up the morning paper and found him like this. Based on body temperature and lividity, I'd say that he died sometime late last night." Phillip looked over the photographs then started looking at the body, slowly walking around it as he examined every detail, taking his loupe glasses out of his vest and putting them on his snout, adjusting the magnification. Occasionally he would lean in close to examine a minute detail. Flash turned to Twilight, noticing that she seemed to have frozen up and was staring into the cold dead eyes. "Your Highness?" No response. "Twilight? Are you okay?" he asked again, a bit louder, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Twilight blinked and turned to him, her mouth thin. "I've seen a lot of scary and terrible things in my life," she whispered. "But this is the first time I've seen a dead pony." "Me too," Flash said softly. He swallowed, forcing back a wave of nausea. You have a job to do, Private. Get to it. Reaffirming himself in his duty as a Royal Guard Investigator, he reluctantly turned from Twilight, and stepped forward. The unicorn Guard was now using his magic to undo the noose and lower the body to the floor, laying it on its back. Flash stooped over it on the opposite side of Phillip. Phillip reached out and felt the underside of the corpse's jaw, then examined the red marks on the neck. Flash did the same, and as he did so, his lips seemed to thin a little. "Hmmm." "Sergeant Blast Cap found a bottle of anti-depressants in his bathroom," the unicorn Guard said as Flash looked over the photographs he'd taken. "Looks like a straight-up suicide to me." "Why would somepony take their own life?" Twilight asked quietly, unable to comprehend the idea. "He didn't," Phillip stated. "He was murdered." Twilight and the unicorn both gasped in shock. "How can you be sure?" "It's obvious, isn't it?" Everypony turned to look at the speaker. He cringed slightly under the abrupt attention. "Well, first of all, the marks on his neck are curved downwards slightly," Flash explained, indicating the marks with his hoof. "That wouldn't have happened if he'd hanged himself. Also, his hyoid bone is broken; that doesn't normally happen with hangings. "Furthermore, there's this mud stain on the back of his hind leg," he added, lifting up the leg. "That mud doesn't come from this area. And finally, according to this photograph, he has a gold watch that he's obviously attached to, considering it's age, but he's not wearing it and it's not in the house. Conclusion: it's more likely that he was strangled from behind by somepony who then stole his watch and set up the scene to make it look like he hanged himself." "Flash, are you sure about this?" the unicorn Guard asked in a low voice, glancing up at the door. "He's right," Phillip nodded. "Now the only questions are who and why." He stepped aside from the group, turning his back on the others. "Hush, all of you. I need to think." Flash, Twilight and the other Guard fell silent, waiting for Phillip to speak. Twilight sidled over to Flash, being careful to not look at the dead body still lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "What about those burglaries?" she whispered into his ear. "What about them is so important?" "Well, I realized that—" Flash began, but was interrupted by a sharp "Shh!" from Phillip, and resumed his silence. The stillness resumed for a moment, then Phillip looked up. "Do we know what Railrider's last trip was?" "Uh...no, sir," the unicorn Guard said, glancing over his notes. "It'll be kept at the records at the train station," Flash suggested. "Come on, then," Phillip said, already heading out. Twilight and Flash followed, pushing past Blast Cap outside. "Hey!" he shouted after them, but they ignored him. Author's Note I hated having to write this chapter, because this is the first time I've written a character actually dying, and also because of the minor gore. But it's necessary for the story ahead. Part 5: Hide and SeekThe records at the Canterlot train station were kept in a small room that was only slightly larger than a broom closet. Somepony had somehow managed to force five filing cabinets and a hanging lamp into the small space. Several papers floated through the air, captured in a lavender field. Twilight flipped through them, searching for Railrider's name. "This would be so much easier if they had a decent filing system!" she growled in annoyance. "Who's in charge of these, anyway?" Flash looked up from his own pile of papers, which were spread out on the floor. "Keep looking. That info has got to be here somewhere. It may be the key to all of this." "Key to all of what?" Twilight asked, still examining the papers. "What are you two—wait, I found it!" She pulled out a paper that listed the trains that left and arrived the station last night. Phillip took it and looked it over. "Last night, Railrider brought in a cargo train from Vanhoover carrying...oh, this is bad." "What is it?" Twilight said, looking over his shoulder. "It was a cargo of fertilizer and chemicals." "But look at the note," Phillip said, pointing. There was a note written on the page: "Train arrived about twenty minutes late with only four cars (one car missing). Railrider left before he could be debriefed." "That's it," Phillip said. "That's the missing piece." "What? What's going on?" Twilight almost shouted, finally allowing her calm facade to break, revealing the monstrous worry that she'd been feeding ever since Flash had told Phillip about the burglaries. Flash looked at Twilight, his lips thin as he pondered his words. Then he spoke. Twilight didn't know exactly what she was expecting him to say, but it wasn't what he said: "Somepony's going to bomb Canterlot." "What? How can you be sure?" she cried. "It started with the burglaries," Flash explained. "They stole fertilizer, charcoal and soup thickener. The fertilizer contains sulfur and the soup thickener had potassium nitrate. Sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate are the ingredients in—" "Gunpowder!" Twilight cried in alarm. "Then they stole wiring and clocks—equipment needed for building a bomb," Flash added. "And now this. The fertilizer and the chemicals in the stolen train car are highly explosive." "And now it's somewhere in Canterlot with a time bomb in it," Phillip said. Twilight felt the all-too-familiar tug of panic on her mind. "What do we do?! How do we stop it?!" "We need to get the Guards to search the city," Phillip stated. "Go to Princess Celestia. Tell her what's going on." Twilight took a breath and nodded. Right. Take control. Make a plan. Save Canterlot. "Flash, you're coming with me," she said, taking his hoof. In a flash of purple light, they both teleported. "You are sure about this?" Celestia said, her brow creased in worry as she examined Flash and Twilight from atop her throne. "I'm positive, Your Highness," Flash answered. "There's a bomb somewhere in Canterlot, and it could go off at any moment." Celestia glanced at Twilight, who confirmed her thoughts and fears with a look. "Then there's no time to waste." She turned to one of the Guards who had been standing, stone-faced and silent, next to her throne. "Summon Captain Polaris." "Yes, Your Highness," the Guard nodded, dashing out of the throne room. "We will need a city-wide search, with the entire City Guard," Celestia stated, climbing down off her throne. "We'll help, Princess," Twilight offered. "Thank you, Twilight," Celestia nodded. The Guard returned at that moment. Behind him was a large unicorn stallion with a black coat, a long white mane and tail, and bright blue eyes. On the collar of his polished golden armor was a pair of silver bars, indicating the rank of Captain. His cutie marks were a facsimile of the Big and Small Dipper constellations, the images so realistic they seemed as though actual stars had been plucked from the sky and placed upon his flanks. Polaris, Captain of the Canterlot City Guard, knelt before Celestia and Twilight and spoke in a deep, even tone. "Your Highnesses. I understand we have a situation." "A big bomb?" Fluttershy said nervously, shaking in fear. "And we have to go search for it?" "Hey, don't worry, Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie grinned, excited as ever. "Think of it as a big game of hide and seek!" "So what happens when we find it?" Spike asked, hurrying alongside Twilight down the halls of Canterlot Castle. "We tell a Guard and let them handle it," Twilight said. "Where's Rarity?" There was the sound of hoofsteps behind them. Rarity appeared, wearing a short-sleeved gray shirt, boots decorated with sapphires, purple saddlebags decorated with her cutie mark, and a wide-brimmed helmet. The others gave her a look. "What? Surely you can't expect me to go searching through Canterlot without being properly dressed for it!" she exclaimed. Applejack silently spoke for the group by rolling her eyes at the ceiling and shaking her head. The friends entered the courtyard. Captain Polaris was giving instructions to a section of gathered Guards, who stood at attention in rows before him, bedecked in full armor and gear that shone in the afternoon sun. "Each of you has been assigned a location that we believe is a primary target for the bombing," Polaris declared. His voice was even and calm, but projected powerfully over the crowd. "You need to evacuate and secure the immediate area, then search it top to bottom. Once you find the bomb, call it in and let the bomb squad handle it: do not attempt to defuse the bomb yourselves! Is that clear?" "YES, SIR!" the gathered Guards shouted as one. "This is what you're trained for! Go!" Captain Polaris shouted. The Guards marched off in droves, hurrying to their assigned areas. "Come on, girls!" Twilight called as they each joined a group of Guards. Flash Sentry was with a group of Pegasi Guards that was headed for the Canterlot Library. The city stretched out before him, the polished ponies stopping their business to stare at the Guards overhead, no doubt wondering what was happening. Stone-faced, Flash told himself. Give nothing away. They could not afford to cause a panic. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something odd. There was a light on in the City Guard precinct headquarters. Specifically, in the laboratory. And he had a good idea about who was in there. Glancing up to ensure that none of his colleagues had seen him, he dipped down and swooped into the headquarters, quickly weaving his way into the forensic lab. His suspicions were confirmed. Phillip was bending over a microscope, writing in a notepad beside him. "You should be with the others," he told Flash without looking up. "What are you doing?" Flash asked. "I'm examining the dirt stain that was found on Railrider's body. It could have only come from the murderer." Phillip adjusted the magnification on the microscope. "Shale...granite...basalt..." "Someplace near water?" Flash pondered. "Hold on, there's something else..." Phillip squinted through the scope. "Is that...concrete?" Flash frowned in thought. "A concrete structure near a body of water..." Phillip looked over a map of Canterlot, which he overlayed with a map of railroad lines and examined carefully. "Here!" he declared, pointing. "The dam on the north side. There's an abandoned supply tunnel leading to it." "I can be there in less than twenty minutes," Flash declared. Spreading his wings, he grabbed Phillip underneath the forelegs and took off out the back door, rising up into the air. The weight of his armor and Phillip's body barely slowed him down as he made a beeline for the northern section of the city. Eighteen minutes later, Phillip and Flash were standing on a stretch of train tracks, looking down the abandoned tunnel. The dark cave loomed before them, a pair of old, rusted train tracks leading into it, as inviting as the path into the Everfree Forest. There was a wooden barrier set up before the tunnel that read "DO NOT ENTER" in peeling letters. "Are you sure about this?" Flash asked. "This sign's been moved recently," Phillip said, examining the ground. "And somepony recently switched the tracks to go down the tunnel." He took a flashlight out of his vest, strapped it around his neck and turned it on. "Come on!" He took two steps down the tunnel and realized that Flash hadn't followed him. Turning, he saw that Flash was still standing at the entrance to the tunnel. He stared at the stone mouth, his eyes wide, breathing heavily through clenched teeth as he dug his hooves into the ground. "Flash?" he called out. Flash didn't respond. Suddenly, Phillip understood: Flash was claustrophobic. "Flash, it's okay," he said calmly. When that produced no response, he spoke again in a harder, sterner voice. "Hey, look at me, private." With an effort, Flash made eye contact with Phillip. "You have to decide, right here and now, what is more important: your fear or your duty," Phillip told him. "You worked hard for that armor you're wearing now; you took a vow to defend Equestria. Are you going to let fear—your own emotions—defeat you when you have a chance to live up to that vow?" Flash looked back at the tunnel, imagining that all of his nightmares were waiting inside it, where he wouldn't be able to fly away from them, where he wouldn't be able to escape. But then he felt the weight of the armor he wore, and he remembered his training, how he'd fought and sweat to earn the honor of being one of Equestria's soldiers. He'd been trained to not think of fear, to only think of one goal: protecting those weaker than himself. Was a mere tunnel going to force him to go back on his promise? He took a slow, deep breath and exhaled, imagining that he was expelling his fear from his lungs. "I'm coming." "I'll be right with you," Phillip said reassuringly, turning back into the tunnel. Flash also turned on the flashlight attached to his shoulder plate and followed. Instantly, the darkness seemed to close in around his back and sides, sealing him off. He felt its cold embrace and tasted years-old dust in the stale, chilly air and felt a knot of panic rising in the back of his mind, but forced it down, focusing on the light before him. Phillip led him down the tunnel, following the tracks along twists and turns. The only sounds were their own hoofsteps on the packed dirt and the occasional dripping of water. "Why'd you join the Guard, mate?" Phillip asked, his voice echoing off the tunnel walls. Flash took a moment to answer. "Well, I grew up in Fillydelphia," he started. "I guess you could say I grew up in the wrong neighborhood; lots of drugs and street crimes around me all my life. I never knew my dad; my mother raised me by herself." He smiled wistfully. "We almost never had two bits to rub together, but she gave me the best she could afford. She taught me that there was a better way for ponies to live. That's what made me want to be a Guard; to give guys who grew up like me hope that they could make something more of themselves instead of standing on the corner, making other ponies sick." The lamp on his shoulder suddenly flickered, signaling low battery. In the brief darkness, Flash was reminded of his fear. All of a sudden, it felt like the darkness was choking him. He froze, gasping in sudden panic. "Flash, stay with me," Phillip called out, his voice a lifeline in the sea of black. The light turned back on again, illuminating Phillip, who was giving him a look of concern. Flash took a breath and continued walking. "Your cutie mark?" Phillip asked. "I got it in secondary school protecting a younger foal from some bullies," Flash replied, realizing that this wasn't just idle talk; Phillip was trying to keep his mind off the situation at hoof, to keep him calm. "They were trying to force him to try a cigarette, and he was refusing. I told them to stop bothering him and they jumped me." Phillip glanced back at him. "Admirable." Flash smirked. "I walked away with a black eye and broken nose. They limped away with worse and never bothered anypony again." Flash wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Phillip smirk briefly out of the corner of his eye. "What about you?" he asked. "What did—" Phillip stopped, looking ahead. In the beam of his light, they could see a boxcar on the tracks. "We're right underneath the dam," Phillip said, approaching the boxcar. He carefully examined the door, then slowly opened it. The two ponies shined their lights inside. The boxcar was filled with metal tanks, cylinders and boxes, all of them labeled "DANGER: EXPLOSIVE. KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT." Placed around the boxcar were several small packages with wires running from them like some bizarre spiderweb. The wires interconnected at another package in the center of the car, with a ticking alarm clock placed on top. "Looks like we found it," Flash said, somewhat nervously. "If this goes off, the dam will collapse and flood Canterlot," Phillip stated. Flash reached up for the radio microphone on his collar. "I'll radio the Guard and—" "They won't get here in time. The bomb's set to go in a few minutes," Phillip interrupted, climbing into the car. He shone his light on the explosives in the center. "Give me your flashlight." Flash took his lamp off his shoulder and handed it to Phillip, who placed it on a canister opposite him. "Are you, uh, trained in bomb handling?" "No. Quiet." Flash audibly heard his confidence meter hit rock bottom. Phillip stared in silence at the bomb. Flash's eyes went to the clock, which continued ticking towards detonation. Doomsday clock, indeed; this bomb was big enough to destroy a big portion of the dam and flood Canterlot. "Go," Phillip ordered without looking up. "Get out of here. Save yourself." Every instinct screamed at Flash to run, to flee to safety. But his hooves refused to move. He realized that he didn't care if he died here in a cold, dark tunnel; this was his place, and he was not going to leave his post. He stood silent, watching Phillip work, his heart hammering in his chest. Phillip continued to examine the bomb; the clock ticked down mercilessly, second by second. Then Phillip pulled a pocketknife out of his vest, flicking open the blade. His hoof hovered over the wires, as if in hesitation. Red? Green? Yellow? Black? Flash felt his throat run dry. Slowly, Phillip selected a black wire and placed the blade against it. A single moment of hesitation more, and he cut the wire. The clock stopped. Both ponies let out a breath. "That's that," Phillip said, climbing out of the boxcar. "What say we get out of here?" "I fully agree to that, sir," Flash said in relief. Author's Note Long one! Sorry this took so long, I know you all have been looking forward to this. I just wanted to put it all in one chapter. Finale next. Part 6: The Blue Moon FestivalFlash Sentry stood at attention before Sergeant Blast Cap. His commanding sergeant had removed his armor, exposing his cutie mark—a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse. His holster, pistol still tucked inside, sat on the desk. Blast Cap kept his coal black eyes on the report he was currently floating before his face, examining it silently. Finally he set the report down and looked up at Flash. For once, his eyes weren't hard and cold, gazing at him like one might look at a particularly hairy multi-legged insect before squashing it. Instead, they were appraising; it was most likely Flash's imagination, but he thought there might have been some glimmer of pride in the darkness. "According to the bomb squad, that boxcar bomb was large enough to break down the dam and flood Canterlot," Blast Cap said. "And it was made from materials and gunpowder that had been stolen from those burglaries." He paused for a moment, as if gathering his words, prepping to fire them from his mouth. "You did well, Sentry. It seems that Canterlot owes you a debt." "Thank you, sir," Flash said, his back straightening slightly at the words of praise. Blast Cap merely gave him a nod and turned back to his reports. "Now get out of my face before your head swells," he grunted. Flash did not move. This was it; this was the moment. It was time to do his duty...no matter the cost. "Actually, sir, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." "What is it?" Blast Cap said impatiently. "I went over the evidence from the burglaries," Flash said, maintaining a level tone. "And then, on a hunch, I went over the logs from the evidence locker. It turns out that a lot of the clues recovered from those thefts matched evidence that was logged out of the evidence locker...by you." Blast Cap looked up and met Flash's gaze. The coal-black eyes had narrowed and now seem to glow dangerously. "You have something you want to say, private?" he growled. "Just this," Flash answered, adding an edge to his voice. "I believe that you were the one who committed those burglaries and planted evidence stolen from the evidence locker to throw us off the trail. I believe that you bribed Railrider to drop off a boxcar from his train, and then you killed him and made his death look like a suicide. And I believe that you wanted to try to blow the dam and loot the city." Blast Cap stood up, giving Flash his most intimidating glare, which he had been on the receiving end of several times. "And where's your proof?" Flash looked up at his commanding sergeant, at a pony that had attempted an act of terrorism for monetary gain, and felt no fear. He met Blast Cap's glare with his own. "I examined the floor of the boxcar and found tobacco: Black Bronco Mix number 64. And then there's what I found in your open locker." He reached into his pocket and tossed something onto the table. It was a gold watch with the emblem of a train engine on the back. "It wasn't enough to kill him, was it?" Flash snarled in contempt. "You had to steal from him, too?" Blast Cap looked at the watch, then slowly looked back up at Flash. Pure rage and hatred radiated from his eyes like heat from a flame; his teeth were clenched and his horn sparked with barely controlled emotion. "Pretty boy Flash Sentry," he growled in a low voice, like a manticore about to attack. "Always sticking his snout into everypony else's business, strutting around, pretending he's better than all of us." "I am better than you, you murdering scum," Flash replied coolly, refusing to back down. He was done with this, done with being afraid, done with being the Bucking New Pony. "You're under arrest." "I don't think so!" Blast Cap reached to his holster with his magic, whipping the gun out and into his hoof and aiming it directly between Flash's eyes. But Flash was faster. He dodged, knocking the pistol aside and grabbing Blast Cap's hoof as he punched his attacker in the nose, breaking it and blinding him. He then spun towards him as he lowered his hips, and bent forward, throwing him over the desk and onto the ground with a crash. Giving him no time to recover, Flash punched him in the jaw as hard as he could. The solid blow echoed loudly through the office and Blast Cap slumped to the floor, out cold. "As I was saying," Flash panted, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as he came down from the adrenaline rush, "You're under arrest." He stooped to collect the pistol, then he noticed something strange. The pistol did not have its trigger attached. "Huh?" he muttered in confusion. There was a quiet cough from the doorway. Looking up, Flash saw Phillip standing in the door, half-smirking. He pulled something out of a pocket in his vest and tossed it at Flash's hooves with a clatter. It was the trigger to the gun. Flash stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at Phillip in dawning comprehension. "You knew." "Of course," Phillip smirked, striding forward. "I wanted to see if you knew." He stood before Flash, coolly examining him for a moment. Then he raised his hoof and touched it to the side of his head in salute. Flash's eyes widened in astonishment for a moment, then he recovered and snapped to attention, returning the salute. Startlingly, Phillip grinned at Flash, his teeth flashing white as he lowered his hoof. "You little ripper," he said softly. "You did it." Flash lowered his hoof, looking down at Blast Cap, who was still unconscious. I did it. He felt a proud grin spread across his face. I did it! "Now maybe you should shackle him before he wakes up?" Phillip suggested. "Oh!" Flash started. "Er, right, sir." "And don't call me sir." That night, as the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, casting Canterlot in red and oranges of sunset, Twilight and her friends prepared for the Festival celebrations. Rarity was currently adjusting her fancy manedo in the mirror when she saw something in the reflection and frowned. "Hold still, Phillip," she ordered, turning around and using her magic to undo his tie and retie it properly. "Honestly, how you can be so accomplished and intelligent in your field and yet not know how to do a simple Windsor knot..." Phillip scowled slightly in annoyance, but said nothing: he knew from experience that trying to argue with Rarity about fashion was a losing proposition. He was wearing a suit that Rarity had prepared for him when she realized that he had no formal attire in his wardrobe. He had insisted on something simple, and Rarity had reluctantly complied: it was a simple black tuxedo with dark gray trimmings and cufflinks. The tie was black with thin diagonal light purple stripes, which Rarity claimed went with the greenish hue in his eyes, and decorated with the white outline of his cutie mark. "I still don't see what all the fuss is about clothes," Phillip muttered as Rarity tightened the tie. He reached up to adjust his trilby: Rarity had suggested that he not bring it, but he put his hoof down at that. "Oh, Phillip, it's a special occasion!" Rarity declared. "You're going to be met and admired by the cream of Canterlot! You deserve to look your best!" Phillip looked around at the others. He had to admit, they were something to look at: the girls were all dressed in formal attire, the same dresses that they had worn at Twilight's coronation. Spike was also dressed to please in a coat with tails and a red bow tie adorned with jewels. They were all chatting excitedly about participating in the festivities tonight, planning activities and complimenting each other's looks. Okay, she has a point, he admitted to himself. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Rainbow peeked out the door, then turned to Twilight with a grin. "Hey, Twi, your prince is here," she said. "Rainbow!" Twilight scolded, trying and failing to hide her blush as she opened the door. Flash was standing on the other side, wearing his dress uniform, which was freshly pressed and ironed. With his mane combed, coat brushed and back ramrod straight in confidence, he cut a fine figure. As soon as he saw Twilight in her dress, though, his jaw dropped and he stared like an idiot for a few moments before gradually regaining control of his voice. "You, er...you look...nice." He forced a grin to hide a grimace at his own stupidity. "Thank you," Twilight nodded, trying to ignore the stifled giggling from the girls. "You look nice as well." Flash swallowed, then extended a wing forward, revealing a bouquet of roses tucked beneath his wing. "Here, I brought flowers," he said. "Oh, they're lovely!" Twilight smiled, taking them with her magic and examining them. Upon doing so, she realized that some of the roses appeared to have been chewed on. She gave Flash a querying look. He turned red and rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof, examining the door post. "I, er, was...nerv...hungry." Rainbow could no longer contain herself and burst out into throaty chortles, hugging her sides. Rarity shushed her in between her own giggles. "That's all right," Twilight said, setting the bouquet down. "Shall we go, then?" Flash offered, extending a foreleg. Twilight took it, meeting Flash's gaze as he escorted her down the hall. Suddenly, she found herself caught up in thinking about just how blue his eyes were, and how they seemed to sparkle... At least, until Flash walked into facefirst a wall with a loud thump. The entire group behind them burst into laughter at the sight. Even Flash chuckled once he recovered. "Let's try that again, shall we?" "Yes, let's," Twilight giggled. Flash opened the door and held it open for the group. Phillip, bringing up the back of the ensemble, briefly nodded as he passed. Flash smiled and nodded back, returning to the front of the group to escort the Princess to the Festival. "My dear ponies," Princess Luna declared from the balcony of the palace to the assembled crowd below. "We come together, an imperfect group, each with our own struggles and hopes and misfortunes and dreams. But each of us has so much to be thankful for, not the least of which is our gathered friends and loved ones, whom we can rely on to support us. We are loved and cared for and protected, and for that, let us celebrate, give thanks and be happy beneath the light of the blue moon." With that, Luna spread her wings and slowly lifted off the ground, her horn shining. The full moon, shining a beautiful shade of blue, rose above the horizon and was placed in the midst of the sky, artfully positioned among the stars, causing a chorus of admiring gasps from the crowd. "And now," Luna announced. "Let the Blue Moon Festival begin!" Her announcement was met with cheers from the crowd. The Main Hall of the Canterlot Castle had been decorated according to Pinkie and Rarity's specifications, and it looked even more magnificent than normal. Balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling and around the windows, all of them shades of black, blue and lavender. A buffet table had been placed, stretching almost from one end of the hall to the other, filled with traditional food that had been prepared under Applejack's expert eye. The Hall was mostly empty, except for the orchestra setting up in the corner under the instructions of Octavia Melody, a squad of waiters preparing the buffet, and eight ponies and one dragon waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The doors opened and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked in, beholding the group that stood before them at the bottom of the stairs with gentle, praising eyes. The ponies and dragon bowed, except for Twilight, who smiled excitedly as she embraced her teacher and close friend. "Hello, Twilight," Celestia greeted her student with a friendly nuzzle. "Good to see you all again," she nodded to the other ponies, giving them all a broad smile. "Celestia, Luna," Twilight said, gesturing to the two stallions. "This is Flash Sentry and Phillip Finder." The alicorns approached the Guard and detective. Flash kept his head lowered, but was unable to keep an excited smile off his face. Phillip also continued to kneel, but his face was expressionless. "We have been looking forward to meeting you," Celestia said as the two rose back to their hooves. "Flash Sentry, we understand that you went above and beyond the call of duty in investigating this threat. We need more Guards such as yourself." "Thank you, Your Highness," Flash flushed, acknowledging her praise with a nod. "And Phillip Finder," Celestia continued, turning to the older stallion, who stoically met her gaze. "Twilight has told me much about you. On behalf of Equestria, I would like to thank you for your service." "You don't need to, Your Highness," Phillip said flatly. "I was only doing my job." "You were instrumental in stopping the attempted destruction of this city," Luna stated. "Is there not some way we can thank you for your work?" Phillip glanced over at the mares and Spike, who watched the exchange silently. He was about to tell the princess no, he did not deserve any special reward any more than a baker deserves a special reward for pulling a fresh dozen loaves from the oven; he wished to tell her that just knowing that his friends were safe, that nopony was going to get hurt, that no foals would mourn the loss of a beloved parent, was reward enough. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of orange and looked over at Flash. An idea formed in his head. "There is one thing you could do," Phillip said, stepping closer to the princesses. He began to speak in a low voice, too quiet for the others to hear. When he was finished, the two Princesses regarded him for a moment. They both looked at each other, then nodded. "I believe that is more than fair," Celestia said. Phillip turned to Flash and stepped forward. "Flash, you were brilliant. You really were." "Thank you, sir," Flash said, looking a bit confused. His expression was mirrored by the six mares. "You have a gift for seeing things that others don't," Phillip continued. "If you hadn't brought this to my attention in time, we might have been too late. You're good at deduction. And you showed great courage and loyalty in the tunnel. You've become everything you wanted to be; I can make you more than that. "Come with us to Ponyville," he offered. "You can work as a Guard in Ponyville and as Twilight's bodyguard, and I could improve your skills." Twilight's half-hearted protest that she didn't need a bodyguard died on its way out of her brain. Flash considered his proposition for a few moments, his eyes wide in surprise. "I wish you to understand, Flash Sentry, this would be a great responsibility," Celestia added. "You would be solely responsible for the safety of Princess Twilight, as well as the protection and enforcement of law in Ponyville." Flash blinked, looking from Celestia to Phillip to Twilight. She looked back at him, her bright purple eyes glowing in the light of the ballroom, and a meaningful look passed between the two of them. Flash turned back to Phillip and snapped to attention. "I am sure that I can handle that responsibility. In fact, I would be honored." He kept his tone even, but couldn't keep an excited grin off his face. "Then by the power vested in me, I hereby appoint you the personal bodyguard of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Guard of Ponyville," Princess Celestia declared with a smile. A cheer erupted from the group of friends as Flash was suddenly enveloped by a group hug by the six mares and Spike. At that moment, the doors to the Hall opened and guests began to file in. The orchestra set up and began to play a beautiful, but lively classical piece. The next half hour was spent engaged in energetic conversation among friends, accompanied by the orchestra and the delicious food served by the impeccably-dressed waiters. The princesses circulated amongst their subjects, engaging them in idle talk and companionship. Nopony in the hall could be happier. With some exceptions. "I don't care if she is the Princess' star pupil," a male voice sniffed, somehow rising above the sound of nearby conversation. "She's a commoner! She doesn't deserve that crown." The voice belonged to Duke Blueblood, who was surrounded by a small clique of nobility, all of whom were looking at Twilight and her friends with their noses up, as if her presence offended them. "Look at her," Blueblood said, taking a drink of the wine. "Fraternizing with her commoner friends, and that loathsome lizard still crawling after her." "It's probably full of diseases," huffed one of his companions, a pegasus mare wearing a gold-sequined dress. "And then, as if her little circle of friends couldn't get more pathetic, they add an idiot Guard and that detective," Blueblood continued, turning his scorching gaze on Phillip, who was swapping recipes with Applejack. "I don't care if he is a hero, he should at least make an effort to look presentable! Who made those clothes? They're hideous!" Rarity heard him and let out a shocked gasp. She turned to the Duke, preparing a scathing review of his own clothing to be delivered through clenched teeth, but Phillip stopped her. "Duke Blueblood," he said coolly, his voice carrying over the crowd and reaching the noble's ears. He started, apparently unaware that the target of his verbal assault could hear him. His sapphire blue eyes met the storm cloud gray. "I like your suit," Phillip said flatly. Blueblood blinked as he processed the compliment. It took just under three seconds. "Oh. Well, thank you," he said in a slightly surprised tone. Phillip paused for a moment, then added, "Does it come in a stallion's size?" The group around Phillip exploded into laughter: even Rarity was unable to hold back her delighted chortles. Blueblood simply stared, slackjawed, his brain frozen at suddenly finding himself the object of mockery. He didn't speak another word that night. As the laughter died down, Phillip made eye contact with Flash and beckoned with his head, leading him outside. They stepped out through a set of glass doors onto an open-air patio. They stood there for a moment, flanked by vines of flowers that climbed up the palace walls, gazing silently up at the blue moon hanging in the sky above them. "You asked me in the tunnel about my past," Phillip said without looking at his companion. And he began to speak. He told Flash about his foalhood in Sydneigh and his father; about the thief he refused to stop; the night he came home to find his father murdered; discovering that the killer was the thief from the store; his promise on his father's grave and the earning of his cutie mark; his time in the Royal Guard; being forced to leave his home after a disastrous fire; and finally, meeting Twilight and her friends in Ponyville. Flash listened in mute astonishment, his widening eyes never leaving Phillip. When he was done, his head hung down and he was breathing heavily as if he was tired. Flash gazed upon him in surprise, understanding the significance of the gesture that he had just extended to him, trusting him with his personal secrets. "Sir?" Flash asked. "Why did you pick me to be your partner?" Phillip turned and looked back inside through the glass doors. Flash followed his gaze and focused on Twilight, Spike and their friends. They were laughing at Pinkie, who, judging by the strange faces she was making, was telling a funny story. "Because of them," Phillip said, reaching up and taking off his trilby. In the pale moonlight, Flash saw the little slivers of gray amongst the black of his mane, and also noticed the lines etched into his face, as if a minuscule army was digging trenches into his skin. "I'm getting old, mate," Phillip sighed, a weight in his tone, as if he carried the past several years upon his syllables. "I'm not gonna be around for much longer, and criminals are getting smarter every day. Who's gonna protect ponies like them when I'm gone?" He put his trilby back on, maintaining his gaze on Flash. His eyes were cold, like distant storm clouds, and yet Flash saw a warm gentleness behind them. "That's where you come in. Like I said, you've got a gift. You and other ponies like you are the ones who are gonna keep them safe." For a moment, a brief flicker of a smile appeared on Phillip's face. From inside, they heard an announcement that the orchestra was being replaced by the famous DJ Pon-3. Selecting a record, the DJ placed it into the player and started it up. Ponies around the hall stopped what they were doing and got ready to dance. "Go dance with Twilight," Phillip told Flash. "That's an order." "Yes, sir," Flash saluted and headed for the door. "And Flash?" Flash stopped, one hoof on the door, turning back to his new mentor. "Thank you," Phillip said with a small smile. "Thank you, sir," Flash said and stepped through the door. Twilight was dancing by the table, flailing her arms and legs and making strange faces. Flash trotted up to her side, examining her curiously, then began dancing alongside her, mimicking her movements, both of them with a big grin on their face. Celestia watched them with a wistful smile on her face. "Ah, young love," she said softly. "They remind me of Anpony and Clovenpatra." Luna nodded. "Let's hope it works out better for Twilight than it did for them." Phillip watched them for a moment, then glanced around to make sure that no one was watching. Satisfied that he was alone, with only the moon and stars, he adjusted his trilby and coat, lifted himself up onto his hind legs, and began to dance. The blue moon hung over all of Equestria, heralding this time of thanksgiving and joy, spent with family and friends. The sound of festivities reached across all of Canterlot, even to the local jail. Sitting in his cell, Blast Cap stared out the barred window up at the blue moon hanging in the sky. He looked down, contemplating the orange coveralls that he was now wearing instead of the armor that he had grown used to. He growled quietly. The plan should've worked...it would've worked were it not for Flash Sentry! Had that bomb worked, he would've been free to plunder the capital city in the ensuing flood and panic. A thought crossed his mind. Surely his master would've thought of this eventuality when he ordered him to follow this plan? Was this, then, supposed to happen? Was he supposed to get caught? Sighing, he settled back in his cot, banishing these thoughts from his mind. It did not pay to question him, he knew. Of course he would have a plan for every possibility. His master would not abandon him, not after he had served him so faithfully. Of this Blast Cap was certain. Author's Note I'd like to pretend I planned to release this on Thanksgiving, but not really, although I was inspired to add some elements to the story. And yes, Phillip likes dancing, but only when no one's looking. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends, and that you keep in mind all those that you're thankful for this year, and are prepared to face the new year with hope and joy and love. Chapter notesPart 1 —I came up with the Blue Moon festival on a whim. Originally it was going to be the Summer Sun festival, but I altered it. —Twilight bumping into Flash is a nod to Equestria Girls. —I mentioned in The Pony in the Gray Trilby that Phillip is an ex-Guard. Seems he left behind a reputation. —Blue Pony Group: a reference to the Blue Man Group. —That's not what Guards normally say: the dialogue between Phillip and Flash is a reference to dialogue between Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) in the episode A Study in Pink from the TV series Sherlock. Part 2 —In the Phillipverse, Blueblood is a Duke, not a Prince. —Mooncakes are a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They are round pastries with a thick filling and thin crust. —The fact that Twilight doesn't have a section of Royal Guards attached to her in the show does make sense, as it would probably add quite a lot of complication and confusion. However, it does make sense to me that she should have at least one Guard. —Agatha Canter: ponyfied version of mystery author Agatha Christie. —T.S. Equine: ponyfied version of poet T.S. Eliot. Part 3 —As Twilight and Flash's dialogue reveals, this takes place after the Season 4 finale. —Course he's not the foal's father!: reference to a scene from the Sherlock episode A Scandal in Belgravia. —BNP: ponyfied version of the military expression FNG, meaning "F***ing New Guy." —Sometimes I think everypony hates me: a reference to the all-too-common Flash Sentry hate among the bronies. —Note that Phillip's crime sense warning is accompanied by a shiver, indicating that his friends are in danger. Part 4 —Note Blast Cap's behavior. The worst thing that any investigator can do is form a theory before they've gotten all of the facts. —I believe that there are guns in Equestria (we don't see them because it's a children's show): recall that in May the Best Pet Win, Rainbow Dash said she wanted a pet that was "as fast as a bullet," and she named her tortoise Tank. Also recall that in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Scootaloo mentioned a cannon. —The purplish discoloration on the corpse's legs is called livor mortis, or lividity. It's caused by blood being pulled by gravity into the lower parts of the body and can be used to establish a rough time of death. —I came up with the idea of Flash being good at detective skills from the scene in Equestria Girls when he finds the photographs in the trash. Part 5 —Originally, Flash was going to be afraid of water and couldn't swim, but then I realized that that was kind of silly, considering that he's a Guard. The claustrophobia came from his being a Pegasus, a species that I imagine relies primarily on mobility for survival. —I intended for Flash to have more of an "average guy" backstory—good home, good parents, did well in school—really, I did! But then I decided to go with the poor kid with a single parent backstory. It's something I intend to build off of in a later story. —In real life, cutting a wire on a bomb is actually a bad idea. Usually, bomb squads take the bomb to a safe place and let it explode harmlessly. Part 6 —I imagine Rarity would have really hated to do a plain suit. —Flash walking into a wall is another nod to Equestria Girls. —Luna's speech reflects the spirit of the Blue Moon Festival, which I fashioned as a rough equivalent to Thanksgiving. —Blueblood had it coming. —Flash dancing with Twilight is also a nod to Equestria Girls. —Anpony and Clovenpatra: a reference to lovers Marc Antony and Cleopatra, whose lives both ended in suicide. —I imagine Phillip being a fan of swing and electric swing like Parov Stelar. Catgroove is one of my favorite dance songs. Author's Note Chapter notes from the story.
Part 1: This Gaudy CityA steam whistle sounded, echoing shrilly throughout the valley. The train from Ponyville chugged merrily along the track, the wheels chugging musically. Clouds of steam rose from the smokestack to join the other white, fluffy clouds that artistically decorated the blue sky over the sea of red, orange and yellow leaves. Inside one of the train's carriages, the passengers chatted happily. "The Blue Moon Festival in Canterlot!" Rarity gushed, leaning out the window to watch the approaching royal city, set into the side of the mountain up ahead. "It's going to be just fabulous!" "And it's your first Blue Moon Festival as a princess, Twi!" Applejack exclaimed. "Princess Luna has asked me to help with the preparations and to help to lead the ceremony," Twilight said, looking up from the book that she'd been using as a study guide for the festival. According to the text, the Blue Moon Festival was a celebration over a thousand years old. It only happened once every four years and marked Princess Luna's defeat of the Dream Demons who'd been attempting to use the power of the blue moon to send all of Equestria into an eternal nightmare. "Blue Moon parties are some of the best!" Rainbow Dash declared, floating over the group. "They have to be, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie giggled, jumping up from behind her. "They only happen once every four years!" "Yeah, but with Blue Moon Festivals, we get to stay up all night!" Dashie grinned. "Right. Tradition states that we have to to ensure that the Dream Demons don't get us," Twilight said, flipping to the proper page of her book. "And it's so we can eat cakes and play games and stuff!" Pinkie Pie declared, her smile broadening. The mere mention of enjoying some of her favorite things in the world with her friends made her even more excited than she already was. "Oh, I'm so excited, I feel like cheering!" Fluttershy squeed. She took in a breath, and let out a quiet, but enthusiastic, "Yay!" "I've never stayed up all night at the Blue Moon Festival before," Spike said, also leaning out the window. "But this year, I'm gonna do it! I'll stay up all night!" Twilight merely rolled her eyes with a smile. It could be said that everypony in that carriage was happy and excited to be spending a festival together in the royal city. That would, however, be inaccurate, as there was one passenger who was less than happy or excited. "Refresh my memory. How did I get talked into this again?" "Aw, don't be a sour Zap apple, Phil," Applejack said, turning to Phillip Finder. He was sitting by himself, opposite the group, with his hat pulled down over his eyes and a scowl on his face. "Phil, you deserve to take some time off after helping Time Turner," Twilight said, looking up at their older friend. "And besides, you don't get out enough." "Says the shut-in librarian," Phillip muttered. Twilight frowned. The six had decided to invite their friend to Canterlot to join the festival. Phillip had initially refused to go, stating that he didn't care about festivals and parties (much to Pinkie's horror), and had only agreed to come along the trip after a lot of convincing. He'd barely spoken a word during the trip, and every attempt to cheer him up was moodily rebuffed. "Didn't you once live in Canterlot?" Rarity asked. "For ten months three years ago," Phillip replied. "That must have been fabulous!" Rarity said, trying to bring Phillip into a conversation. "Living in the royal city, working alongside the rich and famous—" "I hated it," Phillip interrupted, stunning Rarity into silence. "Canterlot is a gaudy, boring city filled with stupid, selfish, rich wankers who can't see past their own noses." "Gaudy? Boring?" Rarity cried, horrified. There was another piercing whistle, signaling that they were pulling into the station. The brakes screeched as the train slowed and halted next to the platform. "Well, maybe this will change your opinion," Twilight said as the group began to disembark. "I doubt it," Phillip muttered. Twilight turned to reply, but before she could form her argument, she bumped into a wall, falling over. The wall stumbled back and let out a little grunt. "We have really got to stop meeting like this," a male voice said with a laugh. "Flash?" Twilight said in surprise, looking up to see an orange coated pegasus pony with an electric blue mane and smiling blue eyes. He was dressed in the golden armor of a Canterlot City Guard, but with a silver bar on both his shoulderplates, and extending a hoof to help her up. She took it and allowed him to help her to her hooves. "It's, er, good to see you again," she stammered. "What are you doing here?" "I came out to meet you and escort you to the castle," Flash said. He smiled, but at the same time, he suddenly found his polished armored shoes very interesting. Flash Sentry had been somepony that Twilight had somehow always managed to cross paths with whenever she went to the Crystal Empire, as he was one of the castle guards. What had started as momentary encounters had turned into brief conversations that started a...well...some sort of friendly relationship that neither of them could name. Which didn't explain why either of them got so flustered when they were in each other's presence. "No, what are you doing in Canterlot?" Twilight said, clearing her throat. "Oh, I transferred to the City Guard here," Flash replied, looking up. "I completed my tour of duty in the Crystal City Guard, and my commander suggested that I try being an Investigator." He shrugged his shoulders, flourishing the silver bars: these symbols marked him as a Royal Guard Investigator, trained in criminology. "Just finished training a couple weeks ago, and I was sent to the Canterlot City Guard—" Flash paused, looking past Twilight to the stallion exiting the train, adjusting his trilby as he did so. As soon as Flash's eyes caught sight of the black magnifying glass on the stallion's flank, he snapped to attention and saluted. "Sergeant Finder, sir!" he barked. Hearing his former rank being shouted, Phillip looked up in surprise and confusion. He examined the younger guard frozen in salute before him for a heartbeat before stepping forward. "Put your hoof down, private," he grunted. "In case you didn't hear, I retired years ago." "Sorry, sir," Flash said, lowering his hoof and visibly relaxing somewhat, although he continued to look up at the older stallion with a surprised expression. "It's just that I heard a lot of rumors about you in the Investigation Academy." Phillip raised an eyebrow. "What rumors?" "They say that you could tell anything about anypony just by looking at them," Flash said. "That you were a super detective that could solve any crime in a day." He let out a little chuckle. "It seems a little far-fetched." "You went to the Blue Pony Group concert last night, slept late, and got to headquarters just in time to catch up on your paperwork," Phillip said coolly. Flash's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped down to his chest. "H-how did—?" "You have a mark on your left foreleg; that's an entry mark for the Canterlot Night Light Club. And I noticed a poster advertising a performance last night on the wall there. You attended the concert and overslept: there's a smear of honey from your toast on your chest armor, you didn't brush your teeth, and your wings have the distinctive pattern of having been preened on the run. I also note the lines on your inner forelegs from resting them on the table edge, meaning that you do a lot of typing." Flash stared at Phillip for a moment in astonishment, then gradually regained his voice. "That...is amazing." Phillip blinked and tilted his head to the side. "You really think so?" "Yeah, that's extraordinary, incredible, astonishing, and a whole bunch of other things that I can't think of right now," Flash replied. "That's not what Guards usually say," Phillip said." "What do Guards usually say?" Flash asked. "The kindest I've ever gotten was 'Piss off,'" Phillip shrugged. Flash laughed. "Well, anyway, we'd better get going. I'm sure you all have a lot to do before the Blue Moon Festival." The group made their way down the paved streets of inner Canterlot, passing by high-class ponies in the finest clothing and riding in fancy carriages, bordered on either side by stores hawking high-priced luxuries: fine cut jewelry, hoof-sewn silk clothing, restaurants where you paid enough to feed a small family for a meal that only took up half a plate. The royal castle loomed ahead, white and gold against the blue skies, forever reminding the city's inhabitants that Princess Celestia and Luna were watching over them. The girls and Spike chatted amiably, Flash proudly marched at the head of the group, but Phil walked at the back, not speaking or looking around. "Princess Celestia will be waiting for you in the castle," Flash told them as they reached the gates, where they were greeted by two Guards in full armor. "Thank you, Flash," Twilight nodded. "So, uh, I'll see you later? At the festival?" Flash said hopefully. "Sure!" Twilight said. The mares behind her exchanged knowing glances. But when they crossed the threshold, they noticed that Phillip wasn't with them. They turned to see him watching them leave. "I'm not royalty. I'm not supposed to be in the castle, remember?" he stated. "Oh, right," Twilight said, cringing with embarrassment. "It's okay. There's a hotel I know on the south side." He turned away, hailing a cab. "We'll see you tomorrow!" Pinkie called after him. He nodded goodbye as the cab carried him off. "Okay, girls," Twilight said. "We've got a lot to do tomorrow, so we'd better get some rest." "Indeed," Rarity said with a grin. "You'll need to look your best for your Guard tomorrow." "W-what?" Twilight stammered, blushing furiously. Her sputtering protests mixed with her friend's snickers as they headed inside the castle. None of them noticed a discarded newspaper on the street, turned up to display a small headline: "FIFTH MYSTERIOUS BURGLARY IN TWO WEEKS: INVESTIGATORS CLAIM NO CONNECTION." Author's Note After struggling through a phase of writer's block, I finally managed to produce the beginning of a new storyline. A few notes before we start: First of all, yes, I'm a Flashlight shipper. Call the lynch mob. Secondly, I consider Equestria Girls non-canon: Twilight met Flash at summits in the Crystal Empire. It will not be referenced in my stories. Hope you enjoy.
Part 2: Back in Business"We shall have the primary celebration here," Princess Luna declared the next morning, leading the entourage into the castle ballroom. "I do appreciate you all agreeing to help with this." "It's no trouble at all," Twilight smiled. "Oh, the ballroom!" Pinkie Pie squeed, bouncing around excitedly. "We've had so many adventures here! Like the Grand Galloping Gala! You remember that, girls? Like when Rarity was searching for her Prince Charming, but got Duke Blueblood instead? And he was such a meanie that you got mad and got cake all over him? Oh! And Princess Cadance and Shining Armor's wedding, but it turned out that Cadance was a phony and Twilight figured it out, but—" "The Blue Moon Festival celebration will be attended by most of the Canterlot nobility," Luna continued over Pinkie's voice. "I am sure that you will provide us with an excellent reception." "Worry not, Your Highness," Rarity said, her eyes shining with ideas as he examined the ballroom. "When I'm finished, you won't even recognize the ballroom!" "And your guests are in for a treat," Applejack declared. "My apple mooncakes will have 'em coming back for thirds!" "I'm certain that I have nothing to worry about, my little ponies," Luna nodded with a smile as they all hurried off to their individual tasks; there was much to do to prepare for the Festival, as indicated by the length of the scroll that was trailing after Spike along the perfectly waxed floor. Twilight started to leave, but was called back by Luna. "My sister wishes to speak with you, Twilight. She's waiting for you in her study." "Thank you, Luna," Twilight said. Exiting the ballroom, she hurried down the hallway to Celestia's study. The Guard stationed outside the door nodded politely to her as she approached. She nodded back and knocked. "Come in!" Celestia's voice called from within. Twilight opened the door and entered the study. The walls of the study were lined with bookshelves, all of which were packed to bursting with tomes of every size and color, many of them as old as the alicorn princesses themselves. A number of lamps placed along the walls cast the room in a low, inviting glow, making the large room seem small and cozy. Princess Celestia was sitting at a carved oaken desk at the head of the room, looking over a long scroll. A pair of purple reading glasses with a golden neck strap were perched on her snout. She looked up and smiled at Twilight's entry. "Hello, Twilight." "Princess," Twilight said, instinctively starting to kneel before remembering that that was no longer necessary and quickly straightening again with a nervous laugh. Celestia chuckled warmly as she stood up, removing her glasses and allowing them to dangle from her neck. "How have you been, my student?" she asked, nuzzling Twilight. "I've been all right, thank you," Twilight answered. "It's still a little overwhelming being a new Princess with a brand-new castle, but..." "I understand, Twilight," Celestia nodded. "Being laid with such a heavy burden so suddenly must feel overwhelming to you." "And the worst part is, I'm still not sure what I should do with this responsibility," Twilight continued, taking this opportunity to relieve herself of the weight of doubt and uncertainty that she had been carrying ever since the crystal castle had burst out of the ground. "I know that as the Princess of Friendship, my friends and I are supposed to help spread the magic of friendship across Equestria, but I'm still not sure where to start. I mean...I never planned for any of this to happen," she admitted, glancing down at her wings. "I'm not ungrateful that you made me a Princess, but I still feel like—" Princess Celestia placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, causing her to abruptly stop her rant. "You feel like the future is uncertain, and that frightens you." Celestia smiled at her pupil. "Do not worry, Twilight. The truth is, I feel the same much of the time." "Really?" Twilight said, her eyes widening. "Yes. But you need not fear. What is coming will come, and you will face it with the same strength that you have faced all your past troubles. And if nothing else, you can always count on your friends to help you." Twilight smiled, her shoulders visibly relaxing as she felt the weight fall off her shoulders. "Thank you, Princess." "Of course, Twilight." Celestia paused, her face falling into a more serious expression. "Actually, that's partially why I wanted to talk to you, Twilight. As a Princess, you are entitled to additional protection now...protection that I believe you will need." For a moment, Twilight was suddenly standing in a smoking crater, Lord Tirek glaring triumphantly down at her as he prepared to steal her magic. She shivered at the memory. "I have been thinking that it is time for you to take on a contingent of Royal Guards for your own protection," Princess Celestia continued in a rather grave tone, looking down at Twilight with an expression of deep concern. In the low light, the age marks on the alicorn's face were cast in sharp relief, hinting at just how old and tired the Princess of the Sun really was. "Being a Princess means a great many things, and one of the things that you will learn is that it can make you a target. I hate to think that some day, some misguided pony may try to hurt you." Twilight glanced at the door, thinking of the Guard standing outside. A large, imposing stallion in golden armor, standing statue still with an imperious scowl forever on his face. The idea of having several ponies like that following her around, watching her every move, made her flinch. "I don't know, Princess," Twilight said. "I...I just don't feel comfortable with having bodyguards. And I'm not sure the citizens of Ponyville would like it; Ponyville is a very safe place." Celestia raised an eyebrow. "Well, besides the monster attacks," Twilight admitted. "Ponyville is mostly crime-free; in fact, we were rated as having the second-lowest level of crime out of all of Equestria's major cities!" "That is true," Celestia agreed. "And I understand your hesitation; it took Luna and I many moons before we became comfortable with the idea of having Guards protecting us everywhere we went." She thought in silence for several seconds. "Perhaps you would consider a personal bodyguard? Just one Guard at first so you can get accustomed to being guarded?" Twilight tapped her chin in thought. "Maybe," she said after a moment. "But right now, I need to help my friends with preparing for the Festival. Can we talk about this later?" "Of course, Twilight," Celestia smiled, replacing her glasses on her snout. "Now go and have fun." Dismissed, Twilight bounded back out the door, eager to get back to work. Celestia watched her go, her face creasing into a look of deep worry. "What happened to that innocent, bright little filly?" she whispered to herself. A moment later, she answered herself in a quieter tone: "She grew up." That evening, Twilight decided to go for a walk around Canterlot. She strolled briskly down the cobbled streets, breathing in the evening air with a contented smile. Ponyville might have been her home now, but Canterlot would always have a special place in her heart. She looked up to find that her hooves had subconsciously guided her to the Canterlot Public Library. The huge building, located in the southeastern part of the city, was designed to look like a small castle, complete with small towers and doors three times the height of a normal pony that swung wide open to welcome its visitors within. She'd always liked the design, as if the building was designed to withstand the attacks of time to protect the wealth of knowledge and wisdom from past generations within. She entered the main lobby and cast her hungering gaze on the shelves of books that stretched as far as the eye could see. Her eyes were guided up to the arched symbol, decorated with images of famous pony scholars and authors with a symbol of the sun and moon in the center. There were a number of ponies browsing the shelves in search of a good book for the lazy, cloudy evening promised by the weather team. Among them was a familiar brown-coated stallion with a gray trilby sitting atop his head. Phillip was perusing a novel selected from a large stack set beside him on the small table he was sitting at, and appeared to be about a two-thirds of the way through. He didn't look up as Twilight approached, but his left ear twitched briefly towards her, which she took as an acknowledgement of her presence. "Is that the latest Agatha Canter mystery?" Twilight asked, noticing the author's name emblazoned on the cover of the novel. "Oh, I love her! I haven't read the newest one, but—" "Wife did it," Phillip grunted, closing the book and setting it aside. "He was sleeping with her sister." "I didn't hear that! I didn't hear that!" Twilight wailed as if in agony, clutching her ears. Her cry elicited a chorus of "Shhh!" from the other patrons. She lowered herself back down, grinning sheepishly in apology. "Have you been here all day?" "Slept late, went for a run, then came here," Phillip replied, selecting a collection of T.S. Equine poetry from the pile. "You know, if you came to the castle, I'm sure we could find something you could help with for the Festival," she offered. "No, thanks," the blunt reply came from behind the book. "But we'd appreciate your help," Twilight said. Phillip considered this for a beat, but then answered, "Not interested." "But—" Phillip sighed and looked up at Twilight over the top of the book. "Look, Twilight, I really appreciate you thinking of me, but I'm really not interested. You have things to do. Just—I'd prefer to be alone right now." And with that, he returned to the book. Knowing that the conversation was over, Twilight left the library with a sigh. Author's Note Note: this chapter was significantly rewritten 7-19-16. Celestia worries for her student, the mane six prepare for a festival, and Phillip Finder...is a jerk. Just a quick little bridge chapter to set up the rest of the story.
Part 3: Connection"By my calculations, we should have enough food for all the guests in time," Twilight said the next afternoon, examining some of her notes on the long scroll before her. "Rarity has finished doing the preliminary work for the decorations and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie are ready to start decorating. And Fluttershy is arranging some music for the birds in the garden to perform." She rolled up the scroll. "I hope I haven't forgotten anything; the Festival is tomorrow night!" "Don't worry about it, Twilight," Spike said through a full mouth, having helped himself to one of Applejack's apple mooncakes. Twilight gave him a disapproving look for talking with his mouth full. He swallowed before continuing. "Do you need me to do anything else?" "Not right now," Twilight smiled, giving her number one assistant an affectionate pat. "Why don't you go see if Rarity needs some help?" At the mention of his crush's name, Spike immediately ran off in search of her. Twilight smiled at his retreating back before returning to her list. Her train of thought was slowed by a knocking at the door of her quarters. When she opened the door and saw who it was, the train was derailed entirely. "Flash! What are you doing here?" "I, uh, came to see you," Flash stammered, wondering why the Princess' face was suddenly turning red and why his throat had gone dry. "Oh, that's, er...that's nice," Twilight said, shuffling her forehooves and examining the carpet. "You...ahem...look nice." "Thank you," Flash grinned, noting that his heart had fluttered in his chest at her compliment. "So, um, what did you need?" Twilight asked. The part of Flash's brain responsible for intelligent thought had suddenly taken a break. It took him a moment to respond, his face flushing. "I need to talk to Phillip. Do you know where he is?" "He's at a hotel. I can take you there." "And boom, down he went?" Flash asked as they ascended the stairs of the hotel. He stared at Twilight, enthralled by her tale of how she and her friends had defeated Tirek. "Yup," Twilight nodded proudly. "Tirek never understood just how powerful friendship truly is, and we were able to use that against him." "Lucky for the rest of us," Flash said. "I remember when he came to the Crystal Empire and drained all the magic there." A distant look came into his eyes and the smile faded from his face, replaced by a fearful look. "I was one of the first who charged him, but he just laughed and..." He shivered as he remembered that terrible day when he and his fellow Guards lay helpless at the cloven feet of a tyrant. Twilight, wishing to comfort him, reached out a hoof to his shoulder, but Flash shook himself out of the memory and she retreated. "Well, he's not coming back anytime soon," she reassured him. They had reached the floor that Phillip was residing on. "Is he as good as they say he is?" Flash asked Twilight. "Most definitely," Twilight smirked, opening the door. "And I'm sure he'll be eager to take on a case." "No, no, no!" Twilight and Flash looked up, and immediately ducked to avoid being struck in the face by a flying newspaper, which hit the wall opposite. "Course he's not the foal's father!" Phillip shouted at no one in particular from his chair, having apparently not noticed their entry. "Am I the only one who looked at his collar?!" He slumped in his seat, staring straight ahead apathetically. Twilight and Flash glanced at each other, then entered, moving around into Phillip's field of view. He glanced up at them before continuing to stare at the wall. "What is it?" he grunted. "I wanted to see you, sir," Flash said, sitting down opposite him. "I think we may need your help." Immediately, Phillip sat up straight, his expression changing from apathy to interest. The gray eyes glittered with expectation. "The burglaries?" "Yes, sir." Flash reached into his saddlebag and pulled out several files, which he laid on the table before Phillip. "There have been eight over the past two weeks. The burglar, or burglars, don't leave much evidence. At each scene, they took some money and valuables, and something else." "Something else?" Phillip said, already perusing the files. "At one scene, they took some alarm clocks," Flash explained. "At another, they stole some electrical wiring. Then they stole fertilizer from a farm supply store, fuel from a stove and supply store, and some soup thickener from a kitchen. On the other scenes it was something random; some china plates, a bunch of old books, some tools." Phillip nodded, glancing through some of the papers. Twilight though she saw concern briefly flash in his eyes. "Yes. I see why you came to me, Private. Did you tell anypony else about this?" "I tried," Flash sighed. "But the commanding sergeant didn't believe me. Neither did the other Guards; they just think it's different burglars. You'll notice that there were different MO's on each of the scene, and differing evidence. I think that it's one pony who's faking the evidence, but they don't..." He paused as if collecting his thoughts, then sighed. "None of them take me seriously; I'm just the BNP." "What's a BNP?" Twilight asked, still wondering what was it about this case that attracted Phillip's attention, or made Flash believe that his intervention was necessary. Phillip, without looking up from the case files, replied, "Bucking New Pony. It's what they call new guards or transfers." Flash looked down at the floor, sighing again. "They always stick me with the boring or lousy jobs. The sergeant and the other Guards push me around just because they can." He paused for a moment, then added in a soft tone, "Sometimes I think everypony hates me." Without even realizing what she was doing, Twilight instinctively reached out to comfort him. Her hoof wrapped around his. "I don't hate you," she said softly. Flash looked up at her, blue eyes meeting lavender. He returned her soft smile for a beat before they simultaneously looked down at their intertwining hooves as if suddenly becoming aware of each other's touch. They both retreated, blushing and examining the opposite walls. Phillip appeared to not have noticed this exchange, as he was still looking at the case files. He looked up at Flash over one of the papers; the younger guard, sensing his gaze, looked up. "I was a BNP myself once, private," he said, his voice unusually soft. "Keep your chin up, mate; they're just testing to see how tough you are. You'll show—" He froze, his head snapping up to face east as his eyes narrowed. A shiver traveled up and down his spine. "Crime?" Twilight asked urgently, recognizing Phillip's crime sense. "Apartments on the east side," Phillip said, grabbing his hat and swinging his vest over his shoulders as he headed out the door. Twilight and Flash followed. Author's Note What about those burglaries is so important? You'll find out soon...
Part 4: The Hanging EngineerThe east side of Canterlot was mostly apartments and condos for the less-financially secure citizens of the royal city. The uniform buildings, placed evenly on the streets, were appealing to the eye, placed like a parade of Guards on the street. But one of these buildings, a handsome two-story condo with blue paint and gold trim on the windows, was marred by the highly visible yellow tape stretched across the doorway that declared "CRIME SCENE: DO NOT ENTER" in bold letters. As Phillip, Flash and Twilight approached, a Guard exited the door. He was a unicorn with stormcloud gray fur and coal black eyes, mane and tail. He was wearing the golden armored cuirass and shoes of a Canterlot City Guard, but no helmet, exposing his short haircut. His shoulderplate had a silver bar on it, designating him as an Investigator, and three chevrons were displayed on his collar. As they approached, the Guard used his magic to take a small bag and a pipe out of his saddlebag, the items surrounded by a dark blue field. Opening the bag, he took out a pinch of tobacco and placed it in the pipe. Striking a match, he lit the pipe and began to smoke it. "That's Sergeant Blast Cap," Flash said in a low voice. "He's my current NCO." The sergeant looked up as they walked up, his coal black eyes judging them. "Private Sentry, what are you doing here?" he growled. Flash audibly gulped as he approached. "Sir, I—" "He escorted me here," Phillip cut in, stepping forward. Blast Cap glared at him, puffing the foul-smelling smoke into his face. "The great Phillip Finder," he sneered. "Come to stick your big nose into our business again?" Phillip sniffed, seemingly unaffected by the stinging smoke. "Black Bronco mix number 64. And no. I have interest in this case." Blast Cap snorted, smoke rising from his nostrils. "It's a straight-up suicide. Guy hanged himself." "Then you won't mind if I look around," Phillip said. Blast Cap glanced at Twilight and Flash. "And what about those two?" Flash noticed the gleam in the Guard's black eyes when he looked at Twilight. There had been some ponies that hadn't accepted Twilight's coronation, seeing it as unjust favoritism of Celestia's favorite student. It seemed that Blast Cap was one of them. He instinctively tightened up, moving half a step closer to Twilight in preparation to push her behind him to shield her from a threat. But Twilight's eyes were drawn to the holster on Blast Cap's side. The well-polished wooden handle and large, curved trigger guard/grip of a pistol poked out of it like the head of a poisonous snake peering out from within its coils. Guns were becoming more common among the Royal Guards, especially in Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, since Tirek's return, but Twilight was still not comfortable with them. She'd learned to become wary of ponies with potentially deadly objects within their reach. "Private Sentry is here to assist me," Phillip explained. "And as this may be a matter of Equestrian security, Princess Twilight is here to observe." Blast Cap glared at them all for a while longer, then grunted. "Fine. Knock yourself out." Phillip ducked beneath the crime scene tape and entered the room. Twilight followed. Flash was about to enter as well, when Blast Cap reached out and stopped him. "Now you're feeding your theories to your girlfriend, pretty boy?" the sergeant growled into Flash's ear. Flash did not reply, having long ago learned that rising to a superior's bait never worked out well. "Just remember your place, colt. Just cause the 'princess of friendship' gave you a couple looks for some reason doesn't make you any better than us," Blast Cap snarled, giving him a little push and returning to his smoke. Flash gave a little sigh and entered, although he kept his head bowed even after he had passed underneath the crime scene tape. Because of this, he bumped into Twilight's flank. "Oh!" he cried, turning red with embarrassment. "Excuse me, Your Highness—" Twilight didn't answer. She was staring in shock at the corpse hanging from a noose tied around the ceiling rafter. The pony was a male Earth pony with white fur and light yellow hair that included a full beard. His cutie mark was a train engine with a white cloud of steam billowing from the smokestack. His green eyes were wide open and glazed over, staring straight ahead blankly. Gruesomely, the dangling limbs were a purplish discoloration from gravity pulling the now stagnant blood down into the lower parts of the body. There was another Guard in the room, a white-coated, brown-maned unicorn who was sorting out photographs taken with an instant camera. "What was his name?" Phillip asked. "Railrider," the Guard answered. "He was the engineer for a cargo train. Neighbor realized something was wrong when he noticed that he hadn't picked up the morning paper and found him like this. Based on body temperature and lividity, I'd say that he died sometime late last night." Phillip looked over the photographs then started looking at the body, slowly walking around it as he examined every detail, taking his loupe glasses out of his vest and putting them on his snout, adjusting the magnification. Occasionally he would lean in close to examine a minute detail. Flash turned to Twilight, noticing that she seemed to have frozen up and was staring into the cold dead eyes. "Your Highness?" No response. "Twilight? Are you okay?" he asked again, a bit louder, reaching out to touch her shoulder. Twilight blinked and turned to him, her mouth thin. "I've seen a lot of scary and terrible things in my life," she whispered. "But this is the first time I've seen a dead pony." "Me too," Flash said softly. He swallowed, forcing back a wave of nausea. You have a job to do, Private. Get to it. Reaffirming himself in his duty as a Royal Guard Investigator, he reluctantly turned from Twilight, and stepped forward. The unicorn Guard was now using his magic to undo the noose and lower the body to the floor, laying it on its back. Flash stooped over it on the opposite side of Phillip. Phillip reached out and felt the underside of the corpse's jaw, then examined the red marks on the neck. Flash did the same, and as he did so, his lips seemed to thin a little. "Hmmm." "Sergeant Blast Cap found a bottle of anti-depressants in his bathroom," the unicorn Guard said as Flash looked over the photographs he'd taken. "Looks like a straight-up suicide to me." "Why would somepony take their own life?" Twilight asked quietly, unable to comprehend the idea. "He didn't," Phillip stated. "He was murdered." Twilight and the unicorn both gasped in shock. "How can you be sure?" "It's obvious, isn't it?" Everypony turned to look at the speaker. He cringed slightly under the abrupt attention. "Well, first of all, the marks on his neck are curved downwards slightly," Flash explained, indicating the marks with his hoof. "That wouldn't have happened if he'd hanged himself. Also, his hyoid bone is broken; that doesn't normally happen with hangings. "Furthermore, there's this mud stain on the back of his hind leg," he added, lifting up the leg. "That mud doesn't come from this area. And finally, according to this photograph, he has a gold watch that he's obviously attached to, considering it's age, but he's not wearing it and it's not in the house. Conclusion: it's more likely that he was strangled from behind by somepony who then stole his watch and set up the scene to make it look like he hanged himself." "Flash, are you sure about this?" the unicorn Guard asked in a low voice, glancing up at the door. "He's right," Phillip nodded. "Now the only questions are who and why." He stepped aside from the group, turning his back on the others. "Hush, all of you. I need to think." Flash, Twilight and the other Guard fell silent, waiting for Phillip to speak. Twilight sidled over to Flash, being careful to not look at the dead body still lying on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. "What about those burglaries?" she whispered into his ear. "What about them is so important?" "Well, I realized that—" Flash began, but was interrupted by a sharp "Shh!" from Phillip, and resumed his silence. The stillness resumed for a moment, then Phillip looked up. "Do we know what Railrider's last trip was?" "Uh...no, sir," the unicorn Guard said, glancing over his notes. "It'll be kept at the records at the train station," Flash suggested. "Come on, then," Phillip said, already heading out. Twilight and Flash followed, pushing past Blast Cap outside. "Hey!" he shouted after them, but they ignored him. Author's Note I hated having to write this chapter, because this is the first time I've written a character actually dying, and also because of the minor gore. But it's necessary for the story ahead.
Part 5: Hide and SeekThe records at the Canterlot train station were kept in a small room that was only slightly larger than a broom closet. Somepony had somehow managed to force five filing cabinets and a hanging lamp into the small space. Several papers floated through the air, captured in a lavender field. Twilight flipped through them, searching for Railrider's name. "This would be so much easier if they had a decent filing system!" she growled in annoyance. "Who's in charge of these, anyway?" Flash looked up from his own pile of papers, which were spread out on the floor. "Keep looking. That info has got to be here somewhere. It may be the key to all of this." "Key to all of what?" Twilight asked, still examining the papers. "What are you two—wait, I found it!" She pulled out a paper that listed the trains that left and arrived the station last night. Phillip took it and looked it over. "Last night, Railrider brought in a cargo train from Vanhoover carrying...oh, this is bad." "What is it?" Twilight said, looking over his shoulder. "It was a cargo of fertilizer and chemicals." "But look at the note," Phillip said, pointing. There was a note written on the page: "Train arrived about twenty minutes late with only four cars (one car missing). Railrider left before he could be debriefed." "That's it," Phillip said. "That's the missing piece." "What? What's going on?" Twilight almost shouted, finally allowing her calm facade to break, revealing the monstrous worry that she'd been feeding ever since Flash had told Phillip about the burglaries. Flash looked at Twilight, his lips thin as he pondered his words. Then he spoke. Twilight didn't know exactly what she was expecting him to say, but it wasn't what he said: "Somepony's going to bomb Canterlot." "What? How can you be sure?" she cried. "It started with the burglaries," Flash explained. "They stole fertilizer, charcoal and soup thickener. The fertilizer contains sulfur and the soup thickener had potassium nitrate. Sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate are the ingredients in—" "Gunpowder!" Twilight cried in alarm. "Then they stole wiring and clocks—equipment needed for building a bomb," Flash added. "And now this. The fertilizer and the chemicals in the stolen train car are highly explosive." "And now it's somewhere in Canterlot with a time bomb in it," Phillip said. Twilight felt the all-too-familiar tug of panic on her mind. "What do we do?! How do we stop it?!" "We need to get the Guards to search the city," Phillip stated. "Go to Princess Celestia. Tell her what's going on." Twilight took a breath and nodded. Right. Take control. Make a plan. Save Canterlot. "Flash, you're coming with me," she said, taking his hoof. In a flash of purple light, they both teleported. "You are sure about this?" Celestia said, her brow creased in worry as she examined Flash and Twilight from atop her throne. "I'm positive, Your Highness," Flash answered. "There's a bomb somewhere in Canterlot, and it could go off at any moment." Celestia glanced at Twilight, who confirmed her thoughts and fears with a look. "Then there's no time to waste." She turned to one of the Guards who had been standing, stone-faced and silent, next to her throne. "Summon Captain Polaris." "Yes, Your Highness," the Guard nodded, dashing out of the throne room. "We will need a city-wide search, with the entire City Guard," Celestia stated, climbing down off her throne. "We'll help, Princess," Twilight offered. "Thank you, Twilight," Celestia nodded. The Guard returned at that moment. Behind him was a large unicorn stallion with a black coat, a long white mane and tail, and bright blue eyes. On the collar of his polished golden armor was a pair of silver bars, indicating the rank of Captain. His cutie marks were a facsimile of the Big and Small Dipper constellations, the images so realistic they seemed as though actual stars had been plucked from the sky and placed upon his flanks. Polaris, Captain of the Canterlot City Guard, knelt before Celestia and Twilight and spoke in a deep, even tone. "Your Highnesses. I understand we have a situation." "A big bomb?" Fluttershy said nervously, shaking in fear. "And we have to go search for it?" "Hey, don't worry, Fluttershy!" Pinkie Pie grinned, excited as ever. "Think of it as a big game of hide and seek!" "So what happens when we find it?" Spike asked, hurrying alongside Twilight down the halls of Canterlot Castle. "We tell a Guard and let them handle it," Twilight said. "Where's Rarity?" There was the sound of hoofsteps behind them. Rarity appeared, wearing a short-sleeved gray shirt, boots decorated with sapphires, purple saddlebags decorated with her cutie mark, and a wide-brimmed helmet. The others gave her a look. "What? Surely you can't expect me to go searching through Canterlot without being properly dressed for it!" she exclaimed. Applejack silently spoke for the group by rolling her eyes at the ceiling and shaking her head. The friends entered the courtyard. Captain Polaris was giving instructions to a section of gathered Guards, who stood at attention in rows before him, bedecked in full armor and gear that shone in the afternoon sun. "Each of you has been assigned a location that we believe is a primary target for the bombing," Polaris declared. His voice was even and calm, but projected powerfully over the crowd. "You need to evacuate and secure the immediate area, then search it top to bottom. Once you find the bomb, call it in and let the bomb squad handle it: do not attempt to defuse the bomb yourselves! Is that clear?" "YES, SIR!" the gathered Guards shouted as one. "This is what you're trained for! Go!" Captain Polaris shouted. The Guards marched off in droves, hurrying to their assigned areas. "Come on, girls!" Twilight called as they each joined a group of Guards. Flash Sentry was with a group of Pegasi Guards that was headed for the Canterlot Library. The city stretched out before him, the polished ponies stopping their business to stare at the Guards overhead, no doubt wondering what was happening. Stone-faced, Flash told himself. Give nothing away. They could not afford to cause a panic. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something odd. There was a light on in the City Guard precinct headquarters. Specifically, in the laboratory. And he had a good idea about who was in there. Glancing up to ensure that none of his colleagues had seen him, he dipped down and swooped into the headquarters, quickly weaving his way into the forensic lab. His suspicions were confirmed. Phillip was bending over a microscope, writing in a notepad beside him. "You should be with the others," he told Flash without looking up. "What are you doing?" Flash asked. "I'm examining the dirt stain that was found on Railrider's body. It could have only come from the murderer." Phillip adjusted the magnification on the microscope. "Shale...granite...basalt..." "Someplace near water?" Flash pondered. "Hold on, there's something else..." Phillip squinted through the scope. "Is that...concrete?" Flash frowned in thought. "A concrete structure near a body of water..." Phillip looked over a map of Canterlot, which he overlayed with a map of railroad lines and examined carefully. "Here!" he declared, pointing. "The dam on the north side. There's an abandoned supply tunnel leading to it." "I can be there in less than twenty minutes," Flash declared. Spreading his wings, he grabbed Phillip underneath the forelegs and took off out the back door, rising up into the air. The weight of his armor and Phillip's body barely slowed him down as he made a beeline for the northern section of the city. Eighteen minutes later, Phillip and Flash were standing on a stretch of train tracks, looking down the abandoned tunnel. The dark cave loomed before them, a pair of old, rusted train tracks leading into it, as inviting as the path into the Everfree Forest. There was a wooden barrier set up before the tunnel that read "DO NOT ENTER" in peeling letters. "Are you sure about this?" Flash asked. "This sign's been moved recently," Phillip said, examining the ground. "And somepony recently switched the tracks to go down the tunnel." He took a flashlight out of his vest, strapped it around his neck and turned it on. "Come on!" He took two steps down the tunnel and realized that Flash hadn't followed him. Turning, he saw that Flash was still standing at the entrance to the tunnel. He stared at the stone mouth, his eyes wide, breathing heavily through clenched teeth as he dug his hooves into the ground. "Flash?" he called out. Flash didn't respond. Suddenly, Phillip understood: Flash was claustrophobic. "Flash, it's okay," he said calmly. When that produced no response, he spoke again in a harder, sterner voice. "Hey, look at me, private." With an effort, Flash made eye contact with Phillip. "You have to decide, right here and now, what is more important: your fear or your duty," Phillip told him. "You worked hard for that armor you're wearing now; you took a vow to defend Equestria. Are you going to let fear—your own emotions—defeat you when you have a chance to live up to that vow?" Flash looked back at the tunnel, imagining that all of his nightmares were waiting inside it, where he wouldn't be able to fly away from them, where he wouldn't be able to escape. But then he felt the weight of the armor he wore, and he remembered his training, how he'd fought and sweat to earn the honor of being one of Equestria's soldiers. He'd been trained to not think of fear, to only think of one goal: protecting those weaker than himself. Was a mere tunnel going to force him to go back on his promise? He took a slow, deep breath and exhaled, imagining that he was expelling his fear from his lungs. "I'm coming." "I'll be right with you," Phillip said reassuringly, turning back into the tunnel. Flash also turned on the flashlight attached to his shoulder plate and followed. Instantly, the darkness seemed to close in around his back and sides, sealing him off. He felt its cold embrace and tasted years-old dust in the stale, chilly air and felt a knot of panic rising in the back of his mind, but forced it down, focusing on the light before him. Phillip led him down the tunnel, following the tracks along twists and turns. The only sounds were their own hoofsteps on the packed dirt and the occasional dripping of water. "Why'd you join the Guard, mate?" Phillip asked, his voice echoing off the tunnel walls. Flash took a moment to answer. "Well, I grew up in Fillydelphia," he started. "I guess you could say I grew up in the wrong neighborhood; lots of drugs and street crimes around me all my life. I never knew my dad; my mother raised me by herself." He smiled wistfully. "We almost never had two bits to rub together, but she gave me the best she could afford. She taught me that there was a better way for ponies to live. That's what made me want to be a Guard; to give guys who grew up like me hope that they could make something more of themselves instead of standing on the corner, making other ponies sick." The lamp on his shoulder suddenly flickered, signaling low battery. In the brief darkness, Flash was reminded of his fear. All of a sudden, it felt like the darkness was choking him. He froze, gasping in sudden panic. "Flash, stay with me," Phillip called out, his voice a lifeline in the sea of black. The light turned back on again, illuminating Phillip, who was giving him a look of concern. Flash took a breath and continued walking. "Your cutie mark?" Phillip asked. "I got it in secondary school protecting a younger foal from some bullies," Flash replied, realizing that this wasn't just idle talk; Phillip was trying to keep his mind off the situation at hoof, to keep him calm. "They were trying to force him to try a cigarette, and he was refusing. I told them to stop bothering him and they jumped me." Phillip glanced back at him. "Admirable." Flash smirked. "I walked away with a black eye and broken nose. They limped away with worse and never bothered anypony again." Flash wasn't sure, but he thought he saw Phillip smirk briefly out of the corner of his eye. "What about you?" he asked. "What did—" Phillip stopped, looking ahead. In the beam of his light, they could see a boxcar on the tracks. "We're right underneath the dam," Phillip said, approaching the boxcar. He carefully examined the door, then slowly opened it. The two ponies shined their lights inside. The boxcar was filled with metal tanks, cylinders and boxes, all of them labeled "DANGER: EXPLOSIVE. KEEP AWAY FROM HEAT." Placed around the boxcar were several small packages with wires running from them like some bizarre spiderweb. The wires interconnected at another package in the center of the car, with a ticking alarm clock placed on top. "Looks like we found it," Flash said, somewhat nervously. "If this goes off, the dam will collapse and flood Canterlot," Phillip stated. Flash reached up for the radio microphone on his collar. "I'll radio the Guard and—" "They won't get here in time. The bomb's set to go in a few minutes," Phillip interrupted, climbing into the car. He shone his light on the explosives in the center. "Give me your flashlight." Flash took his lamp off his shoulder and handed it to Phillip, who placed it on a canister opposite him. "Are you, uh, trained in bomb handling?" "No. Quiet." Flash audibly heard his confidence meter hit rock bottom. Phillip stared in silence at the bomb. Flash's eyes went to the clock, which continued ticking towards detonation. Doomsday clock, indeed; this bomb was big enough to destroy a big portion of the dam and flood Canterlot. "Go," Phillip ordered without looking up. "Get out of here. Save yourself." Every instinct screamed at Flash to run, to flee to safety. But his hooves refused to move. He realized that he didn't care if he died here in a cold, dark tunnel; this was his place, and he was not going to leave his post. He stood silent, watching Phillip work, his heart hammering in his chest. Phillip continued to examine the bomb; the clock ticked down mercilessly, second by second. Then Phillip pulled a pocketknife out of his vest, flicking open the blade. His hoof hovered over the wires, as if in hesitation. Red? Green? Yellow? Black? Flash felt his throat run dry. Slowly, Phillip selected a black wire and placed the blade against it. A single moment of hesitation more, and he cut the wire. The clock stopped. Both ponies let out a breath. "That's that," Phillip said, climbing out of the boxcar. "What say we get out of here?" "I fully agree to that, sir," Flash said in relief. Author's Note Long one! Sorry this took so long, I know you all have been looking forward to this. I just wanted to put it all in one chapter. Finale next.
Part 6: The Blue Moon FestivalFlash Sentry stood at attention before Sergeant Blast Cap. His commanding sergeant had removed his armor, exposing his cutie mark—a stick of dynamite with a lit fuse. His holster, pistol still tucked inside, sat on the desk. Blast Cap kept his coal black eyes on the report he was currently floating before his face, examining it silently. Finally he set the report down and looked up at Flash. For once, his eyes weren't hard and cold, gazing at him like one might look at a particularly hairy multi-legged insect before squashing it. Instead, they were appraising; it was most likely Flash's imagination, but he thought there might have been some glimmer of pride in the darkness. "According to the bomb squad, that boxcar bomb was large enough to break down the dam and flood Canterlot," Blast Cap said. "And it was made from materials and gunpowder that had been stolen from those burglaries." He paused for a moment, as if gathering his words, prepping to fire them from his mouth. "You did well, Sentry. It seems that Canterlot owes you a debt." "Thank you, sir," Flash said, his back straightening slightly at the words of praise. Blast Cap merely gave him a nod and turned back to his reports. "Now get out of my face before your head swells," he grunted. Flash did not move. This was it; this was the moment. It was time to do his duty...no matter the cost. "Actually, sir, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." "What is it?" Blast Cap said impatiently. "I went over the evidence from the burglaries," Flash said, maintaining a level tone. "And then, on a hunch, I went over the logs from the evidence locker. It turns out that a lot of the clues recovered from those thefts matched evidence that was logged out of the evidence locker...by you." Blast Cap looked up and met Flash's gaze. The coal-black eyes had narrowed and now seem to glow dangerously. "You have something you want to say, private?" he growled. "Just this," Flash answered, adding an edge to his voice. "I believe that you were the one who committed those burglaries and planted evidence stolen from the evidence locker to throw us off the trail. I believe that you bribed Railrider to drop off a boxcar from his train, and then you killed him and made his death look like a suicide. And I believe that you wanted to try to blow the dam and loot the city." Blast Cap stood up, giving Flash his most intimidating glare, which he had been on the receiving end of several times. "And where's your proof?" Flash looked up at his commanding sergeant, at a pony that had attempted an act of terrorism for monetary gain, and felt no fear. He met Blast Cap's glare with his own. "I examined the floor of the boxcar and found tobacco: Black Bronco Mix number 64. And then there's what I found in your open locker." He reached into his pocket and tossed something onto the table. It was a gold watch with the emblem of a train engine on the back. "It wasn't enough to kill him, was it?" Flash snarled in contempt. "You had to steal from him, too?" Blast Cap looked at the watch, then slowly looked back up at Flash. Pure rage and hatred radiated from his eyes like heat from a flame; his teeth were clenched and his horn sparked with barely controlled emotion. "Pretty boy Flash Sentry," he growled in a low voice, like a manticore about to attack. "Always sticking his snout into everypony else's business, strutting around, pretending he's better than all of us." "I am better than you, you murdering scum," Flash replied coolly, refusing to back down. He was done with this, done with being afraid, done with being the Bucking New Pony. "You're under arrest." "I don't think so!" Blast Cap reached to his holster with his magic, whipping the gun out and into his hoof and aiming it directly between Flash's eyes. But Flash was faster. He dodged, knocking the pistol aside and grabbing Blast Cap's hoof as he punched his attacker in the nose, breaking it and blinding him. He then spun towards him as he lowered his hips, and bent forward, throwing him over the desk and onto the ground with a crash. Giving him no time to recover, Flash punched him in the jaw as hard as he could. The solid blow echoed loudly through the office and Blast Cap slumped to the floor, out cold. "As I was saying," Flash panted, feeling his heart pounding in his chest as he came down from the adrenaline rush, "You're under arrest." He stooped to collect the pistol, then he noticed something strange. The pistol did not have its trigger attached. "Huh?" he muttered in confusion. There was a quiet cough from the doorway. Looking up, Flash saw Phillip standing in the door, half-smirking. He pulled something out of a pocket in his vest and tossed it at Flash's hooves with a clatter. It was the trigger to the gun. Flash stared at it for a long moment, then looked up at Phillip in dawning comprehension. "You knew." "Of course," Phillip smirked, striding forward. "I wanted to see if you knew." He stood before Flash, coolly examining him for a moment. Then he raised his hoof and touched it to the side of his head in salute. Flash's eyes widened in astonishment for a moment, then he recovered and snapped to attention, returning the salute. Startlingly, Phillip grinned at Flash, his teeth flashing white as he lowered his hoof. "You little ripper," he said softly. "You did it." Flash lowered his hoof, looking down at Blast Cap, who was still unconscious. I did it. He felt a proud grin spread across his face. I did it! "Now maybe you should shackle him before he wakes up?" Phillip suggested. "Oh!" Flash started. "Er, right, sir." "And don't call me sir." That night, as the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon, casting Canterlot in red and oranges of sunset, Twilight and her friends prepared for the Festival celebrations. Rarity was currently adjusting her fancy manedo in the mirror when she saw something in the reflection and frowned. "Hold still, Phillip," she ordered, turning around and using her magic to undo his tie and retie it properly. "Honestly, how you can be so accomplished and intelligent in your field and yet not know how to do a simple Windsor knot..." Phillip scowled slightly in annoyance, but said nothing: he knew from experience that trying to argue with Rarity about fashion was a losing proposition. He was wearing a suit that Rarity had prepared for him when she realized that he had no formal attire in his wardrobe. He had insisted on something simple, and Rarity had reluctantly complied: it was a simple black tuxedo with dark gray trimmings and cufflinks. The tie was black with thin diagonal light purple stripes, which Rarity claimed went with the greenish hue in his eyes, and decorated with the white outline of his cutie mark. "I still don't see what all the fuss is about clothes," Phillip muttered as Rarity tightened the tie. He reached up to adjust his trilby: Rarity had suggested that he not bring it, but he put his hoof down at that. "Oh, Phillip, it's a special occasion!" Rarity declared. "You're going to be met and admired by the cream of Canterlot! You deserve to look your best!" Phillip looked around at the others. He had to admit, they were something to look at: the girls were all dressed in formal attire, the same dresses that they had worn at Twilight's coronation. Spike was also dressed to please in a coat with tails and a red bow tie adorned with jewels. They were all chatting excitedly about participating in the festivities tonight, planning activities and complimenting each other's looks. Okay, she has a point, he admitted to himself. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Rainbow peeked out the door, then turned to Twilight with a grin. "Hey, Twi, your prince is here," she said. "Rainbow!" Twilight scolded, trying and failing to hide her blush as she opened the door. Flash was standing on the other side, wearing his dress uniform, which was freshly pressed and ironed. With his mane combed, coat brushed and back ramrod straight in confidence, he cut a fine figure. As soon as he saw Twilight in her dress, though, his jaw dropped and he stared like an idiot for a few moments before gradually regaining control of his voice. "You, er...you look...nice." He forced a grin to hide a grimace at his own stupidity. "Thank you," Twilight nodded, trying to ignore the stifled giggling from the girls. "You look nice as well." Flash swallowed, then extended a wing forward, revealing a bouquet of roses tucked beneath his wing. "Here, I brought flowers," he said. "Oh, they're lovely!" Twilight smiled, taking them with her magic and examining them. Upon doing so, she realized that some of the roses appeared to have been chewed on. She gave Flash a querying look. He turned red and rubbed the back of his neck with his hoof, examining the door post. "I, er, was...nerv...hungry." Rainbow could no longer contain herself and burst out into throaty chortles, hugging her sides. Rarity shushed her in between her own giggles. "That's all right," Twilight said, setting the bouquet down. "Shall we go, then?" Flash offered, extending a foreleg. Twilight took it, meeting Flash's gaze as he escorted her down the hall. Suddenly, she found herself caught up in thinking about just how blue his eyes were, and how they seemed to sparkle... At least, until Flash walked into facefirst a wall with a loud thump. The entire group behind them burst into laughter at the sight. Even Flash chuckled once he recovered. "Let's try that again, shall we?" "Yes, let's," Twilight giggled. Flash opened the door and held it open for the group. Phillip, bringing up the back of the ensemble, briefly nodded as he passed. Flash smiled and nodded back, returning to the front of the group to escort the Princess to the Festival. "My dear ponies," Princess Luna declared from the balcony of the palace to the assembled crowd below. "We come together, an imperfect group, each with our own struggles and hopes and misfortunes and dreams. But each of us has so much to be thankful for, not the least of which is our gathered friends and loved ones, whom we can rely on to support us. We are loved and cared for and protected, and for that, let us celebrate, give thanks and be happy beneath the light of the blue moon." With that, Luna spread her wings and slowly lifted off the ground, her horn shining. The full moon, shining a beautiful shade of blue, rose above the horizon and was placed in the midst of the sky, artfully positioned among the stars, causing a chorus of admiring gasps from the crowd. "And now," Luna announced. "Let the Blue Moon Festival begin!" Her announcement was met with cheers from the crowd. The Main Hall of the Canterlot Castle had been decorated according to Pinkie and Rarity's specifications, and it looked even more magnificent than normal. Balloons and streamers hung from the ceiling and around the windows, all of them shades of black, blue and lavender. A buffet table had been placed, stretching almost from one end of the hall to the other, filled with traditional food that had been prepared under Applejack's expert eye. The Hall was mostly empty, except for the orchestra setting up in the corner under the instructions of Octavia Melody, a squad of waiters preparing the buffet, and eight ponies and one dragon waiting at the bottom of the stairs. The doors opened and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna walked in, beholding the group that stood before them at the bottom of the stairs with gentle, praising eyes. The ponies and dragon bowed, except for Twilight, who smiled excitedly as she embraced her teacher and close friend. "Hello, Twilight," Celestia greeted her student with a friendly nuzzle. "Good to see you all again," she nodded to the other ponies, giving them all a broad smile. "Celestia, Luna," Twilight said, gesturing to the two stallions. "This is Flash Sentry and Phillip Finder." The alicorns approached the Guard and detective. Flash kept his head lowered, but was unable to keep an excited smile off his face. Phillip also continued to kneel, but his face was expressionless. "We have been looking forward to meeting you," Celestia said as the two rose back to their hooves. "Flash Sentry, we understand that you went above and beyond the call of duty in investigating this threat. We need more Guards such as yourself." "Thank you, Your Highness," Flash flushed, acknowledging her praise with a nod. "And Phillip Finder," Celestia continued, turning to the older stallion, who stoically met her gaze. "Twilight has told me much about you. On behalf of Equestria, I would like to thank you for your service." "You don't need to, Your Highness," Phillip said flatly. "I was only doing my job." "You were instrumental in stopping the attempted destruction of this city," Luna stated. "Is there not some way we can thank you for your work?" Phillip glanced over at the mares and Spike, who watched the exchange silently. He was about to tell the princess no, he did not deserve any special reward any more than a baker deserves a special reward for pulling a fresh dozen loaves from the oven; he wished to tell her that just knowing that his friends were safe, that nopony was going to get hurt, that no foals would mourn the loss of a beloved parent, was reward enough. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of orange and looked over at Flash. An idea formed in his head. "There is one thing you could do," Phillip said, stepping closer to the princesses. He began to speak in a low voice, too quiet for the others to hear. When he was finished, the two Princesses regarded him for a moment. They both looked at each other, then nodded. "I believe that is more than fair," Celestia said. Phillip turned to Flash and stepped forward. "Flash, you were brilliant. You really were." "Thank you, sir," Flash said, looking a bit confused. His expression was mirrored by the six mares. "You have a gift for seeing things that others don't," Phillip continued. "If you hadn't brought this to my attention in time, we might have been too late. You're good at deduction. And you showed great courage and loyalty in the tunnel. You've become everything you wanted to be; I can make you more than that. "Come with us to Ponyville," he offered. "You can work as a Guard in Ponyville and as Twilight's bodyguard, and I could improve your skills." Twilight's half-hearted protest that she didn't need a bodyguard died on its way out of her brain. Flash considered his proposition for a few moments, his eyes wide in surprise. "I wish you to understand, Flash Sentry, this would be a great responsibility," Celestia added. "You would be solely responsible for the safety of Princess Twilight, as well as the protection and enforcement of law in Ponyville." Flash blinked, looking from Celestia to Phillip to Twilight. She looked back at him, her bright purple eyes glowing in the light of the ballroom, and a meaningful look passed between the two of them. Flash turned back to Phillip and snapped to attention. "I am sure that I can handle that responsibility. In fact, I would be honored." He kept his tone even, but couldn't keep an excited grin off his face. "Then by the power vested in me, I hereby appoint you the personal bodyguard of Princess Twilight Sparkle and Guard of Ponyville," Princess Celestia declared with a smile. A cheer erupted from the group of friends as Flash was suddenly enveloped by a group hug by the six mares and Spike. At that moment, the doors to the Hall opened and guests began to file in. The orchestra set up and began to play a beautiful, but lively classical piece. The next half hour was spent engaged in energetic conversation among friends, accompanied by the orchestra and the delicious food served by the impeccably-dressed waiters. The princesses circulated amongst their subjects, engaging them in idle talk and companionship. Nopony in the hall could be happier. With some exceptions. "I don't care if she is the Princess' star pupil," a male voice sniffed, somehow rising above the sound of nearby conversation. "She's a commoner! She doesn't deserve that crown." The voice belonged to Duke Blueblood, who was surrounded by a small clique of nobility, all of whom were looking at Twilight and her friends with their noses up, as if her presence offended them. "Look at her," Blueblood said, taking a drink of the wine. "Fraternizing with her commoner friends, and that loathsome lizard still crawling after her." "It's probably full of diseases," huffed one of his companions, a pegasus mare wearing a gold-sequined dress. "And then, as if her little circle of friends couldn't get more pathetic, they add an idiot Guard and that detective," Blueblood continued, turning his scorching gaze on Phillip, who was swapping recipes with Applejack. "I don't care if he is a hero, he should at least make an effort to look presentable! Who made those clothes? They're hideous!" Rarity heard him and let out a shocked gasp. She turned to the Duke, preparing a scathing review of his own clothing to be delivered through clenched teeth, but Phillip stopped her. "Duke Blueblood," he said coolly, his voice carrying over the crowd and reaching the noble's ears. He started, apparently unaware that the target of his verbal assault could hear him. His sapphire blue eyes met the storm cloud gray. "I like your suit," Phillip said flatly. Blueblood blinked as he processed the compliment. It took just under three seconds. "Oh. Well, thank you," he said in a slightly surprised tone. Phillip paused for a moment, then added, "Does it come in a stallion's size?" The group around Phillip exploded into laughter: even Rarity was unable to hold back her delighted chortles. Blueblood simply stared, slackjawed, his brain frozen at suddenly finding himself the object of mockery. He didn't speak another word that night. As the laughter died down, Phillip made eye contact with Flash and beckoned with his head, leading him outside. They stepped out through a set of glass doors onto an open-air patio. They stood there for a moment, flanked by vines of flowers that climbed up the palace walls, gazing silently up at the blue moon hanging in the sky above them. "You asked me in the tunnel about my past," Phillip said without looking at his companion. And he began to speak. He told Flash about his foalhood in Sydneigh and his father; about the thief he refused to stop; the night he came home to find his father murdered; discovering that the killer was the thief from the store; his promise on his father's grave and the earning of his cutie mark; his time in the Royal Guard; being forced to leave his home after a disastrous fire; and finally, meeting Twilight and her friends in Ponyville. Flash listened in mute astonishment, his widening eyes never leaving Phillip. When he was done, his head hung down and he was breathing heavily as if he was tired. Flash gazed upon him in surprise, understanding the significance of the gesture that he had just extended to him, trusting him with his personal secrets. "Sir?" Flash asked. "Why did you pick me to be your partner?" Phillip turned and looked back inside through the glass doors. Flash followed his gaze and focused on Twilight, Spike and their friends. They were laughing at Pinkie, who, judging by the strange faces she was making, was telling a funny story. "Because of them," Phillip said, reaching up and taking off his trilby. In the pale moonlight, Flash saw the little slivers of gray amongst the black of his mane, and also noticed the lines etched into his face, as if a minuscule army was digging trenches into his skin. "I'm getting old, mate," Phillip sighed, a weight in his tone, as if he carried the past several years upon his syllables. "I'm not gonna be around for much longer, and criminals are getting smarter every day. Who's gonna protect ponies like them when I'm gone?" He put his trilby back on, maintaining his gaze on Flash. His eyes were cold, like distant storm clouds, and yet Flash saw a warm gentleness behind them. "That's where you come in. Like I said, you've got a gift. You and other ponies like you are the ones who are gonna keep them safe." For a moment, a brief flicker of a smile appeared on Phillip's face. From inside, they heard an announcement that the orchestra was being replaced by the famous DJ Pon-3. Selecting a record, the DJ placed it into the player and started it up. Ponies around the hall stopped what they were doing and got ready to dance. "Go dance with Twilight," Phillip told Flash. "That's an order." "Yes, sir," Flash saluted and headed for the door. "And Flash?" Flash stopped, one hoof on the door, turning back to his new mentor. "Thank you," Phillip said with a small smile. "Thank you, sir," Flash said and stepped through the door. Twilight was dancing by the table, flailing her arms and legs and making strange faces. Flash trotted up to her side, examining her curiously, then began dancing alongside her, mimicking her movements, both of them with a big grin on their face. Celestia watched them with a wistful smile on her face. "Ah, young love," she said softly. "They remind me of Anpony and Clovenpatra." Luna nodded. "Let's hope it works out better for Twilight than it did for them." Phillip watched them for a moment, then glanced around to make sure that no one was watching. Satisfied that he was alone, with only the moon and stars, he adjusted his trilby and coat, lifted himself up onto his hind legs, and began to dance. The blue moon hung over all of Equestria, heralding this time of thanksgiving and joy, spent with family and friends. The sound of festivities reached across all of Canterlot, even to the local jail. Sitting in his cell, Blast Cap stared out the barred window up at the blue moon hanging in the sky. He looked down, contemplating the orange coveralls that he was now wearing instead of the armor that he had grown used to. He growled quietly. The plan should've worked...it would've worked were it not for Flash Sentry! Had that bomb worked, he would've been free to plunder the capital city in the ensuing flood and panic. A thought crossed his mind. Surely his master would've thought of this eventuality when he ordered him to follow this plan? Was this, then, supposed to happen? Was he supposed to get caught? Sighing, he settled back in his cot, banishing these thoughts from his mind. It did not pay to question him, he knew. Of course he would have a plan for every possibility. His master would not abandon him, not after he had served him so faithfully. Of this Blast Cap was certain. Author's Note I'd like to pretend I planned to release this on Thanksgiving, but not really, although I was inspired to add some elements to the story. And yes, Phillip likes dancing, but only when no one's looking. I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends, and that you keep in mind all those that you're thankful for this year, and are prepared to face the new year with hope and joy and love.
Chapter notesPart 1 —I came up with the Blue Moon festival on a whim. Originally it was going to be the Summer Sun festival, but I altered it. —Twilight bumping into Flash is a nod to Equestria Girls. —I mentioned in The Pony in the Gray Trilby that Phillip is an ex-Guard. Seems he left behind a reputation. —Blue Pony Group: a reference to the Blue Man Group. —That's not what Guards normally say: the dialogue between Phillip and Flash is a reference to dialogue between Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and John Watson (Martin Freeman) in the episode A Study in Pink from the TV series Sherlock. Part 2 —In the Phillipverse, Blueblood is a Duke, not a Prince. —Mooncakes are a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. They are round pastries with a thick filling and thin crust. —The fact that Twilight doesn't have a section of Royal Guards attached to her in the show does make sense, as it would probably add quite a lot of complication and confusion. However, it does make sense to me that she should have at least one Guard. —Agatha Canter: ponyfied version of mystery author Agatha Christie. —T.S. Equine: ponyfied version of poet T.S. Eliot. Part 3 —As Twilight and Flash's dialogue reveals, this takes place after the Season 4 finale. —Course he's not the foal's father!: reference to a scene from the Sherlock episode A Scandal in Belgravia. —BNP: ponyfied version of the military expression FNG, meaning "F***ing New Guy." —Sometimes I think everypony hates me: a reference to the all-too-common Flash Sentry hate among the bronies. —Note that Phillip's crime sense warning is accompanied by a shiver, indicating that his friends are in danger. Part 4 —Note Blast Cap's behavior. The worst thing that any investigator can do is form a theory before they've gotten all of the facts. —I believe that there are guns in Equestria (we don't see them because it's a children's show): recall that in May the Best Pet Win, Rainbow Dash said she wanted a pet that was "as fast as a bullet," and she named her tortoise Tank. Also recall that in The Cutie Mark Chronicles, Scootaloo mentioned a cannon. —The purplish discoloration on the corpse's legs is called livor mortis, or lividity. It's caused by blood being pulled by gravity into the lower parts of the body and can be used to establish a rough time of death. —I came up with the idea of Flash being good at detective skills from the scene in Equestria Girls when he finds the photographs in the trash. Part 5 —Originally, Flash was going to be afraid of water and couldn't swim, but then I realized that that was kind of silly, considering that he's a Guard. The claustrophobia came from his being a Pegasus, a species that I imagine relies primarily on mobility for survival. —I intended for Flash to have more of an "average guy" backstory—good home, good parents, did well in school—really, I did! But then I decided to go with the poor kid with a single parent backstory. It's something I intend to build off of in a later story. —In real life, cutting a wire on a bomb is actually a bad idea. Usually, bomb squads take the bomb to a safe place and let it explode harmlessly. Part 6 —I imagine Rarity would have really hated to do a plain suit. —Flash walking into a wall is another nod to Equestria Girls. —Luna's speech reflects the spirit of the Blue Moon Festival, which I fashioned as a rough equivalent to Thanksgiving. —Blueblood had it coming. —Flash dancing with Twilight is also a nod to Equestria Girls. —Anpony and Clovenpatra: a reference to lovers Marc Antony and Cleopatra, whose lives both ended in suicide. —I imagine Phillip being a fan of swing and electric swing like Parov Stelar. Catgroove is one of my favorite dance songs. Author's Note Chapter notes from the story.
