Romantic Getaway (Sort of)

Shift was half asleep, he was awake all night keeping an eye on the princess. It was his duty, and his job, so he didn't complain.

Shift saw a faint yellow figure in the corner of his eye, and realized it was flash coming from the right. "F-Flash? I thought you were supposed to be at the meeting?" Shift said, rubbing his eye. "Well... I still had a few minutes to spare after breakfast, so I thought I would come over here and bring you something to eat and check on the princess." Flash held out a tray of oatmeal and tea for his friend. "Oh man, thanks Flash. I am starving." Flash chuckled, and then he looked to the door.

"You check on her this morning?" Flash asked. Shift was eating the oatmeal while he responded. "I checked just 10 minutes ago." Flash confirmed with a nod, but he still wanted to see her before he went for his meeting. He just wanted to make sure she was feeling alright since yesterday.

He started to open the door. "Twilight... it's Flash. Are you awake?" The door was now open.

"Scream and she dies." Flash gasped. Four pegasai were in her room. One of them had Twilight in his hooves... with a knife to her neck. He noticed there was a glowing, red ring on Twilight's horn. Shift gasped and dropped his oatmeal and got into an offensive stance with his spear, so did Flash.

"Don't even think about it, put them down." He held the knife closer to her. "Flash! Don't listen to them!" Twilight was struggling to breathe. Flash had to comply, or Twilight was dead.

"Hold on, here, we are setting them down... alright?" Flash gestured Shift to do the same and he complied, and they both kicked their spears over to the thugs.

"Everypony relax. What do you want?" Flash asked with anger in his tone. One of the pegasai spoke up, who Flash presumed was the leader. He had red fur with a spiky white mane. "We want her crown, and I demand extra bits after what you did to my friend yesterday." Flash then realized his supposed 'friend' was the pony that he killed the day before. The element... That's when Flash realized the scale of the situation here. One of the other pegasai told Flash and Shift to get inside Twilight's room, or there would be consequences. They stepped inside, and there was a few moments of silence before the leader spoke up. "Well?" Then there was a knock at the door.

The voices of two guards could be heard outside. "Um princess? We heard some yelling coming from your chamber, is everything alright?" The leader pegasai whispered to Flash. "Go outside, tell them nothing is wrong, or I will cut open her throat." He held the knife even closer to her. Flash growled at him, but he had to obey his orders. When he was opening the door, he had an idea.

"Sir Flash Sentry! What are you doing in the princess's quarters? Aren't you supposed to be at the meeting?" The guard asked. "Oh sir, the princess went out with another guard just this morning, she ordered me to stay here and organize her bedroom." The guards were skeptical, until they noticed Flash was tapping his hoof on the ground very slightly. The guards realized it wasn't normal tapping, like when you are nervous, he was moving his hoof in a certain way.

It was Morse Code.

The guards understood it translated into 'Send help here now'. They were wondering about why he was doing this. But then they remembered why they were taught this mode of communication in the first place.

First, it was used during stealth missions, as a quiet way of signaling trouble, or anything else. Second, it was used during a hostage situation, to signal if someone was in danger if there were threats against voicing it. The guards understood this immediately, and replied: "Alright Flash, just let us know if you need any help."

They left for backup, and Flash closed the door. "The're gone..." Flash said. "Good." The gang leader replied. "Now, about our deal, we want that crown, and the bits... or else." One of the pegasai came up to Twilight, and had a knife in his hoof. "Why do would you want the crown? You don't seem like the type that would try to harness it's power or anything..." Flash asked. "Why do that, when I could just sell the thing and make a profit?" He answered. "I am going to count to ten, and unless you tell me where it is, I'll torture her like a Scientist does his mice." Twilight could barely breath at this point, and the knife held to her neck was causing cuts. "F- Flash... Help!" She was starting to cry at this point, thinking it was over. Flash was stuck in between a rock and a hard place. He gave them the crown, Equestria loses it's best means of defense, and if he doesn't Twilight... dies... Of course, Flash knew from the beginning that he was going to tell them where it is, the guards wouldn't get here in time, and even if they did they would still kill Twilight if they set hoof inside the room. But he had so many scenarios playing out in his head he couldn't focus.

"One"

The pegasai holding the knife slowly put it closer to her flank.

Oh no, they are going to torture her until they get an answer...

"Two"

The knife connected with her flank, but not damaging any skin or tissue.

"Three"

The knife went into her skin and she shouted in pain, and it was slowly being worked down her flank.

"LISTEN! I don't know where it is! Twilight never told me-" Flash instantly covered his mouth with his hooves. Oh shit...

The gang leader smirked, and gestured the other pegasai to stop hurting her flank. "Twilight, would you care to tell me where the crown is?"

"Never..." She replied. The leader held the knife closer. Flash, all caught up in the situation, didn't notice a book sitting inches from his hoof on the floor. "You will have to kill me instead, because I will not tell you where the element is!" She yelled, and closed her eyes for her impending doom.

Maybe... Flash tried to get his hoof under the book. It's the perfect angle...

Flash flicked the book, it landed straight into the leader's face. Twilight dashed for safety, and Flash dashed and used his wing for more speed over to his spear. He stomped with his hoof onto it's tip and it went into the air. Flash then punched the leader enough times to knock him out. He then caught the spear, and smack the back of it so hard onto another pegasai's head it knocked him out and the spear broke in two. He then realized that the two other pegasai had... crossbows. They aimed, and took the shot. Flash closed his eyes, and waited for his impending doom, until he felt something grab him, and then heard the sound of an explosion.

All went black.