Chapter 2: Flash Back

One Year Prior

“Flash? Flash! Wake up!”

Sergeant Flash Sentry, Royal Guard Investigator, awoke with a start, frantically looking side to side for the possible threat that awoke him, only to find the most beautiful mare he had ever seen smiling at him from her seat next to his. In the seats across from them, Flash saw Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle trying and failing to hide their amusement.

“Mmmm, Twilight? What happened? Are we at the gala already?” Flash mumbled sleepily, smoothening out the creases in his dress uniform and running a hoof through his mane in a vain attempt to force the blue locks to lie still.

“Almost, but you fell asleep again.” Twilight giggled softly, using her magic to levitate a hoofkerchief and wipe away a small trail of drool that had formed on the side of his muzzle, drawing a blush from the orange pegasus.

“Sleeping on the job, are we Sergeant?” Night Light asked playfully, a wide grin on his face.

“N-no sir!” Flash saluted, doing his best impression of a frightened recruit. Both stallions held their respective poses for a few moments before bursting out in uproarious laughter.

Flash looked out of the window at the view from the Canterlot mountainside. The sheer cliff the carriage ran along provided a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountainside. In the distance, he could see the small town of Ponyville, a speck of light against the darkened landscape as Luna’s moon and stars twinkled and shone above.

Flash reached up with a hoof, patting the small, square box inside the chest pocket of his dress uniform. Soon... he thought, a small smile on his face. Her parents had already given him their blessing the day before.

Yes, tonight’s Grand Galloping Gala would be perfect.

Suddenly, the carriage shuddered to a halt, the jolt shaking the four passengers violently.

“What’s the holdup?” Night Light called through the carriage window to the pair of earth ponies pulling the carriage.

“Sorry sir!” the one on the right, a blue earth pony with a white mane and a cutie mark of a wagon wheel said apologetically. “There are some boulders on the path, we’ll unhitch ourselves and clear them before continuing.”

“Are you sure you boys don’t need some help?” asked Night Light, “I’d be happy to lend a hoof.”

“Naw, don’t worry ‘bout a thing, sir. We’ll have this pile o’ rocks cleared in a jiffy!” Said the driver on the left, a white earth pony with a brown mane and a Manehattan accent.

“Well if you’re sure...” Night Light muttered, retaking his seat next to Twilight Velvet.

“A rock slide? In this area?” Twilight murmured. “They’re not that common in this area, are they?”

Twilight Velvet rubbed her chin with her hoof. “Now that you mention it… no, they’re not.”

“Should we be concerned?” Flash asked out loud, starting to rise from his seat and leaning out the window.

“Don’t worry about it,” Night Light reassured everypony. “It’s just a small delay. We’ll be there in time—”

*CRACK*

“What was that!?” Twilight exclaimed as a low rumble began to echo around the mountainside, Flash peered out of the carriage window, his eyes widening at the sight of numerous boulders rolling down the mountainside towards them.

“EVERYPONY, BRACE FOR—” He managed to shout before the boulders hit, jolting the carriage and its occupants and causing Flash to hit his head against the doorframe of the carriage.

“Ash… fl… ake…!” A voice urged through Flash’s fuzzy consciousness. He groaned, shaking his head to clear it from the incessant ringing.

“Flash! Wake up, son!” Nightlight urged, causing the pegasus to jolt awake and then cringe from the splitting headache the action caused him.

“Flash, focus, let the ringing die down and open your eyes slowly, alright?” Night Light urged, placing a hoof on Flash’s shoulder.

Flash followed Night Light’s instructions, slowly opening his eyes slowly, revealing the swaying carriage interior.
“There, that’s better, isn’t it?” Night Light said, leaning back slowly as to not shake the carriage any further, resting Twilight Velvet’s unconscious head on his shoulder.

The old stallion looked like he’d been in a fight with a minotaur and lost; Flash could see bruises all over him and a small cut above his swollen right eye, his horn was heavily cracked, looking as if the slightest touch could break it. Amazingly, Velvet looked relatively unharmed.

“W-what happened?” Flash muttered, shaking off the last dregs of his unconsciousness.

“We were hit by a rock slide, our carriage is currently teetering over the edge of the cliff,” Night Light said matter-of-factly, in full soldier mode. “How are your wings?”

Flash gently pushed an unconscious Twilight off his shoulder, unfurling his wings slightly and tapping the delicate bone structure to check for damage. “They’re unharmed, feathers are a little out of alignment though.”

“Good,” Night Light sighed, a look of relief crossing his features. “Now, here’s what I need you to do: I need you to open the door and fly my daughter to safety. The door swings out from your side, so it should work.”

“But what about you?” Flash asked.

“Son, what is your first duty in this situation?”

“To protect and serve...”

“And right now, the pony you should be protecting the most is the unconscious princess lying next to to you.” Night Light said, staring daggers at Flash, as if daring him to challenge him.

“Y-yes sir.”

Night Light’s features relaxed, looking at his future son-in-law with a soft smile. “Get your fiance out of here safely, then you can come back for us. Please, son.”

“Yes sir.” Flash said with more conviction, slowly easing the carriage door open and wrapping his forelegs around Twilight’s barrel, positioning himself at the doorway, “I’ll be back soon.”

“We’ll be waiting.” Night Light said smiling as he held Velvet a little tighter.

With a brief nod, Flash leaped from the carriage, unfurling his wings and flapping with deep, powerful strokes under the extra deadweight. Straining, Flash made it up to the edge of the cliff, setting the unconscious alicorn down gently. “Alright… no more chocolate chip pancakes for you,” he puffed, before shaking Twilight awake, “Twilight, I need you awake for this, c’mon Sparkles...”

Twilight moaned as her eyes slowly opened, “F-flash? What happened? Where are my parents?”

“We were caught up in a rockslide, your parents are still in the carriage, can you use your magic yet?”

Twilight’s horn fizzled as she shook her head.

“Right, I’m going to go back for them, just sit tight.”

*CRACK*

The sound of the carriage’s wheel snapping off made Flash’s blood run cold. He spun around, his eyes wide as he saw the carriage slip over the cliff, the combination of broken guardrail, stone, and carriage wheel giving out under the weight of the doomed carriage.

“MOM, DAD!” Twilight cried, shakily leaping to her hooves and rushing for the cliffside, only to be stopped by Flash. “Let go! I have to save them!” she cried, struggling against Flash’s grip, her eyes leaking tears.

*CRUNCH*

The sound of Twilight’s inconsolable cries were soon drowned out by the fresh rains that fell down upon them.

“I’m sorry, Twilight,” Flash whispered, hugging her tight to him in a futile attempt to calm her, trying to beg her forgiveness as well as his own. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

“Ash… fl… ake…!” A voice urged through Flash’s fuzzy consciousness. He groaned, shaking his head to clear it from the incessant ringing.

“Flash! Wake up, Flash!” Phillip urged, shaking the pegasus awake.

“Ugh, buck me sideways, that hurts!” Flash groaned, clutching his head.

“Easy. keep your eyes closed until the ringing stops, then open your eyes slowly.” ordered Phillip softly.

Flash obeyed, slowly opening his eyes to see Phillip’s stoic expression hovering over him, his eyes darting back and forth between the downed pegasus and the castle doors.

“On your hooves, we have to get clear before those armored ponies decide to come back to make sure you’re dead.” Phillip said, pulling Flash up off the ground.

“Phil, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not be around when they get back.” Zipline called from his cover next to a nearby building, his rifle pointed directly at the castle doors.

“Right, let’s get moving,” Flash grunted, shaking off the last of his unconsciousness and following Phillip as they galloped for cover.

Author's Note

And with that, we have a past event that makes Twilight's frigidness relevant!

Anywhoo, be sure to leave your comments, theories, opinions, and other ramblings in the comments below!

...pretty please?